energy drinks

I was looking through articles in the New York Times and I came across one on Red Bulls and how they won't be selling them anywhere any longer. I love Red Bulls, but I haven't had one in a couple years because of hearing how unhealthy they are. The article was basically saying that athletes, children and college students tend to drink them, and other energy drinks, often and there is no evidence of the drinks have positive or negative long-term effects. After testing, it was found that girls and boys have different body temperature increases, heart rate increases, etc. It was said that althletes should not drink the caffeinated drinks for energy because it actually dehydrates them, and 1/4 of the drink is sugar.

I thought it was interesting for them to say that there are no proven facts as to whether the energy drinks cause issues, yet they're permanently taking Red Bulls off the shelves. Why wouldn't they take all energy drinks out of stores? Why Red Bulls in particular? They didn't really mention why...

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/12/08/phys-ed-do-energy-drinks-improve-athletic-performance/

last class 12.1.10

Last class was fun. We had a guest speaker, Robert Curry, come in who wrote The Last Great Ride screenplay with Paul. I thought it was so interesting learning more about how to write screenplays, and the challenges the writers undergo. I thought it was interesting how the play was completely different from the movie. I still don't understand why people need/want to change the screenplay. Wouldn't it make the movie making part easier? (well, unless there are not enough funds--which is why so many changes possibly occurred while making the movie). Anyways, overall, I thought it was great to read a real screenplay from someone we knew, and to actually hear their strategies and ideas/intentions behind the writing. The challenge for the writers was the mystery part of the movie; I remember reading the screenplay and feeling like the mystery part began and ended to quickly. The entire reading was sweet and simple. I liked it. It was nice to read a new type of medium.

Now the challenge is writing my own. I wrote my treatment and rewrote it, and I felt it was difficult because I tend to add in lots of details. I think the idea is alright; it's organizing my thoughts and summarizing it that makes it so much harder.

last class 11.17.10

During the last class session, we all watched each others' performances/films of the political satires. I thought it was interesting watching them because everyone seemed to enjoy the topics they came up with. Only question I have about the satire my group did, with Obama wanting longer school years, is how would longer school years make a greater quality education for kids when issues outside of school seem to make an enormous impact? It seems to me that our culture is what prevents kids from gaining a quality education.

Since Black Friday is tomorrow, I wanted to find an article on it. I found one in the New York Times: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/26/business/26retail.html?_r=1&ref=us. The article gave statistics on how much money was spent last year during the end of the year vs this year so far. It turns out that people are actually spending more this year, which I find interesting because of people seeming to have a hard time with money. Stores are giving out more sales and free money than in the past. They want people to buy, buy, buy. Walmart is competing tremendously by announcing that they will match the costs of Best Buy's or other stores products, just by having people bring in the ad. I did notice last week that I got free $10 to use at JC Penney. I've only seen that promotion at Kohl's, which I love very much, and it does get me to come back and shop some more. It's amazing how companies use the same business methods as others' to get people in their stores. The only places that are not offering big sales are luxury stores, yet they are also increasing in profit in comparison with last year. Only question I have is why/how this is happening? How are people able to spend more this year than last year? And how would luxury stores make more money this year than last year when they aren't coaxing people to visit their stores?

cell phone epidemic

In the New York Times in the Health section, an article on cell phones caught my attention because I was just talking with my husband about the possible damage that cell phones can cause. The article basically gave differing viewpoints from people looking into the affects of cell phone radiation on people. It can possibly lead to brain cancer, especially among the people between the ages of 20 and 29. Kids are way more vulnerable to brain damage than adults because their skulls are not completely thickened. Epidemiologist, Devra Davis, has written a book, Disconnect, on the possible health dangers of cell phone use. She still has not found the answer as to the actual side affects from cell phone use, but she strongly recommends keeping cell phones away from our bodies and head. Our brand new cell phones come in a package with warnings and measurements of the distance to keep the phones from our ears, but most people have never seen it because the instruction books are thrown away or never read.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/14/business/14digi.html?_r=1&ref=health

I heard a nurse speak last year about patient (in his early twenties?) who was in the hospital with cancer of his genitals and they closely associated the cause from his cell phone use because he always kept his phone in the pockets of his pants, and as he drove, he kept his phone between his legs or on his lap. There definitely could be another reason for him having cancer down there, but the doctors believe the cell phone radiation may have been the cause. The question as to whether cell phones cause damage is still being studied and researched by many. I think it is worth it to be looked into.

found negatives--worth $200 million?

I found an interesting article in the New York Times under the Art and Design section. A man living in California, bought $45 worth of black and white negatives, which he claims are lost negatives of Ansel Adams. He was told by an art dealer that they would be worth about $200 million, but after much controversy as to whether they really are Adams', more doubt is arising toward that idea. An unfamous photographer, Earl Brooks is believed to be the photographer, for his niece discovered some prints in her home that are quite similar to the sheet of negatives found at the garage sale. Investigation is still being done on the issue, for Mr. Norsigian strongly believes the one who created the images is Ansel Adams. A question I have is why would someone push the idea that the pictures belong to a famous photographer when they match closely to the works of someone else??

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/10/arts/design/10adams.html?ref=design

last class 11.10.10

In class, we got in our groups to discuss how we would present our political satires. My group decided who we will cast in our short acted out scene in class. We then watched advertisements for the rest of class, and I thought it was interesting how ads really do seem to focus more on the name than the product. The add about Old Spice really made me laugh and I thought it was very creative. I liked how the actor spoke to the viewer the entire time and spoke so fast that we had to pay attention to what he was saying. The ad I wanted to show was shown by someone else. And I don't want TV, so it was hard for me to think of a backup advertisement. I did think of one while driving home after class. It is the Dove advertisement with the woman's face being edited in Photoshop. It's so amazing to watch. I wish I would have thought of it when I was in class. Here is the link!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hibyAJOSW8U

I love the ad because it proves how women are percieved in the media. People see beauty in a certain way, and it is not even reality. Like the line shown at the end of the commercial, our perception of beauty is distorted. I believe that could be a reason why girls are wearing such skimpy Halloween outfits (to answer what was brought up last class). With the media constantly throwing the "perfect woman" at every magazine stand and on all television screens, computer screens, etc., a lot of woman feel they have to look similar (by downgrading themselves) in order to receieve attention from the world because, after all, people don't know what a true, beautiful woman looks like anyways. I'm sure there may be other reasons why women/girls dress the way they do, but I know the media has a huge impact.

Back to the Dove advertisement, I really like the ads they show in magazines with woman of all sizes and skin colors. They all look content with themselves and this is true beauty--happy, healthy, natural. If the world displayed more of these kinds of women, I often wonder about the positive impact it would make on people. And I have always wondered why the media presents the fake women to us--when/why did this even begin?

free contraception

I read an article from Yahoo News on health care providing free contraception. http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101031/ap_on_he_me/us_birth_control It was said that, "There is clear and incontrovertible evidence that family planning saves lives and improves health," said obstetrician-gynecologist Dr. David Grimes, an international family planning expert who teaches medicine at the University of North Carolina. "Contraception rivals immunization in dollars saved for every dollar invested. Spacing out children allows for optimal pregnancies and optimal child rearing. Contraception is a prototype of preventive medicine." The cost of birth control is expensive and should not be put on the backs of tax payers when instead there should be a focus on teaching children about not having sex until marriage. Because if you're having sex, you should be responsible enough to consider the possibility of becomming a parent in nine months. The article also declared that, "The Contraceptive CHOICE Project is providing free birth control to as many as 10,000 women, tracking their decisions and the results. About 70 percent have chosen long-acting contraceptives such as IUDs (intrauterine devices) or implants, which are reversible and have a much lower failure rate than pills or condoms." After researching a bit on the intrauterine device, the cons outweighed the pros. Free contraception through health care is expensive, dangerous, and a way to control the population. Three negatives that don't make a positive.