After major losses, Blockbuser brings back late fees

This blog caught my eye because I love renting movies. I hate that the whole in-store aspect of movie renting is being eliminated by Redbox and Netflix. I think the idea of the easy/no wait Redbox and Netflix are good, but personally I like going in to get my movies, and searching on the shelves. I usually decide what to get off the new release shelf based on which movie has the most rented out already. I figure if that many people are renting it, it must have gotten good reviews. I don't pay attention to that stuff, so I trust others. It has served me well in the past. I like that you can pay cash at video stores like blockbuster. Redbox takes your debit card and automatically charges it every day. I noticed the other day when I went in to blockbuster, as I was leaving, they mentioned after the 5th day there is a $1 a day late fee. I guess to them this makes sense, and its not any worse of a deal than keeping a Redbox movie out that long. It is unfortunate though, because that was one thing I think a lot of people liked. It wasn't a big deal if you kept it a little longer. I know I have a tendency to forget I've rented something and I liked that Blockbuster or Movie Gallery wouldn't keep charging me for the extra couple days it took me to realize I needed to return it. I actually ran into a late-fee issue before I left for break. I was excited to rent a few movies for the plane ride, but I knew I would not be back in time for the regular due date. I had "powerplay" which is a monthly membership that allowed you to rent up to 15pts worth of movies a month for 15$ and no late fees. It was great because I definately spent 15$ a month on movies before I signed up for this. Each new release was 3 pts and any regular movie was 1 pt no matter how long you kept it out. I wanted to cancel my membership however, because I had my rent due, and was about to sign a lease which required a huge deposit, and I have a car payment. I was going to re-sign up for it when I figured out if I could afford it comfortably. I ended up not getting the movies because of the late fees that would be applied. I was really bummed. I love the programs that the in-store places offer, or in Blockbusters case...used to offer. Its too bad they think that is the best way to make money. I think they need to find a way to get more customers in and keep them, rather then trying to squeeze more money out of the few customers they have left. They need to come up with something that makes them better, more convenient, or cheaper then their competitors, or they will go out of buisiness as soon as Netflix and Redbox work the kinks out of their buisinesses. I know people say they go to Blockbuster or Movie Gallery because Redbox is out of a particular movie, or the selection is larger in-store, but sooner or later those problems will be resolved with this "instant" movie market, and who is going to go to Blockbster then?

YouTube - I'm Yours(ukulele)

YouTube - I'm Yours(ukulele)

Who needs American Idol when there is Youtube?

American Idol; whether you like it or not, from the awful yet hilarious disasters to the miraculous performances everyone has seen it. Though guaranteed a contract at the end of the show if one wins, is american idol really the only way to get to the top. Look in the previous seasons, who are the biggest successes? I would argue that they are Carrie Underwood, 1st place season 4, and Chris Daughtry, 4th place season 5. Yes it is fantastic for millions to watch and enjoy week after week, but when albums comes out, the winners arent always the best, are they? Out of the first 7 seasons, not counting the 8th because they are still young away from the show, only Carrie in the final 3's has been more than a one hit wonder. Thats 1 out of 21! Maybe youtube should start giving out contracts, that could last longer in the mainstream. From cover songs to orginals, youtube has some great talents yet to be discovered. Though like American idol where there are a lot of musicians to laugh at because they are as bad as us in the shower, there isnt an age limit to success. Take Susan Boyle for example. Regardless if you like her style of music or not, it is hard to argue that she has a bad voice. Yes, i realize she was on the british version of American Idol before blowing it up on youtube, but here in the US there are age limits. Though he may not be the greatest singer yet or completely follow with my arguement, check out this little guy, and the number of views this song has had, it may be more than any of those 20 others in the top 3 of american idol combined. All im saying is that producers should start watching a little more youtube, and a little less american idol.

NFL Blog Found

I found a quality NFL blog that can benefit all football fans. It is fifthdown.blogs.nytimes.com. I like this blog because it continues through the offseason evaluating teams from the previous season as well as the upcoming one. It has information on all of the teams as well as transactions that have happened and those that may. Also, it simply talks about the news around the league. It could be a bit bias towards the jets/giants due to its foundation in the ny times. Though i am sure many of you are pats fans, i have found that there are just as many, less outspoken, jets/giants fans at Umaine. Personally, I am a cowboys fan, yet I know a player on the Jets quite well, so hopefully there will be information on him later in this blog.

Steroids and Baseball

Should Mark McGuire be let into the hall of fame for his use of steroids? Recently Mark had came out and admitted his part in illegal steroid use, but how many baseball players slip under the radar with steroid testing? I think it took lots of courage for Mark McGuire to come out and admit to what he has done. I don't think that it should take away his career and keep him out of the hall of fame, it take more then steroids to be a good baseball player.

For at least 2 million years, humans have roamed the earth and run the terrain. According to Daniel Lieberman, a Harvard professor, modern running shoes were only invented in the 1970s. The debate among professionals is: Shoes or no shoes?

The "hottest" brand of no-shoe shoes is Vibram Five Fingers. They provide the protection your feet need in whatever environment you are in, but they allow your body to do what it was designed to do. To get you from A to B. The point of Five Fingers is to stimulate your feet, which of course is the base to the entire body. As exercise enthusiasts, we understand that one minor change can affect the entire body. This is the idea behind Vibram. By starting at the feet and using muscles you never knew you had, you are affecting your stance, stride, and posture for the better.

I intend on purchasing a pair in the next few weeks and I will report my findings!

Fines in Sports

It was the semifinals of the US Open Tennis Championship in New York on a September evening and Serena Williams was favored to win her third (out of four) Grand Slam of the year. Williams was serving to stay in the match down 6-5 in the second set and 15-30 in the game when she was called for a foot fault on her second serve. Following some threatening words and pointing her racket toward the lineswoman, Williams was given a point penalty from the tournament referee and the match was over. The next day, Serena was given a maximum on-site fine of $10,000 for the incident. After two months of deliberation, the Grand Slam committee decided to fine Williams $82,500 for her tirade and avoid a suspension from future US Open Tournaments. She was also placed on probation for two years, and if another incident occurred, Williams would be barred from the next US Open and fined $175,000. Mary Carillo, a commentator for tennis on ESPN, believed that Serena should have been suspended from the Double's Final her and her sister Venus Williams went on to win the next day. Williams has since gone on to win the first Grand Slam singles event of 2010 and she is the current number one player in the world, having won 4 out of the last 6 Grand Slam singles championships. Serena and Venus have also won 5 out of the last 7 Grand Slam doubles championships.

Serena Williams' tirade really got me thinking: While Serena's fine reached close to $100,000, what are some other hefty fines given out in the sporting world and what incidents caused those repercussions. I did a little research and found a few interesting fines with some high profile names in sports.

New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick was fined the NFL maximum of $500,000 and the Patriots were fined $250,000 for spying on an opponent's defensive signals in 2007. Many "haters" of the New England organization believe that 'Spygate' (as it was referred to) should negate the three Super Bowls the Patriots won in a four year period (2001, 2003, 2004). However, there is no substantial evidence against the Patriots for using illegal video cameras in those games or at any practices leading up to them.

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers was fined $25,000 on January 13, 2010 for an argument with officials that led to two technical fouls and one ejection. Glen Davis was given a flagrant foul and Rivers was given technical fouls for his non-stop yelling at the officials as the game went on. Rivers received a call from the NBA the next day saying the officials were mistaken, however he was still given a fine even though he was right. Doc Rivers has been known to receive fines in the past, as he was also ejected in March 2009 against Chicago and given a $25,000 fine. The referee in that incident was also fined for the premature technical fouls.

In 2004, the NBA (National Basketball Association) had $13.9 million in fines assessed from technical fouls, salaries lost from suspension, and verbal abuse to officials. In one game alone between the Indiana Pacers and Detroit Pistons on November 19, 2004, a minor fight broke out between players on the court. A fan then threw a cup of soda onto Ron Artest (then playing with the Pacers), who entered the crowd and sparked a fight between players and fans. Nine players were suspended for a total of 146 games, leading to $10 million in salary lost (72% of the total amount of fines assessed during season), while fives players were charged with assault and five fans were legally charged.

Animal Testing

I was recently reading an article online about animal testing. Its somehing I had never given much though to. I was shocked. There was one account from the University of North Carolina where mice were getting their heads cut off by scissors. I'm not sure who this benefited. These animals are being force-fed chemicals that make them ill. They aren't given adequate exercise, room, care, sometimes even food and water. They are isolated as well and becauseof this they don't engage in any typical animal behavior. There have been video accounts of animals shivering when someone walks past. Obviously, they can see what is happening, and are living in fear. What I found even more disturbing than the living conditions was how some of the scientists were treating the animals. Beagles are a favorite, because they are passive and don't bite often. www.youtube.com/watch?v=_8YXuOV3N2A This video shows a lab where beagles are being abused. There are organizations out there like PETA that try to stop animal cruelty, but this still happens every day and hundereds of innocent animals die as a result.

Hyrbid dogs

A couple months ago I watched a Tv show on the Smithsonian channel that really interested me. “Man’s Best Friend” was a show documenting the presence of dogs in our lives and the ever-changing popular breeds of dogs. Introduced over the course of the program was the idea of hybrid dogs. Hybrid dogs are a combination of different pure breed dogs, created to combine the best of both breeds into one. Over the past 5 years, hybrid dogs such as the puggle, snoodle, and labradoodle have evolved, producing high demand. There are many perks to hybrid dogs besides their obvious cuteness. The most popular of these breeds is the labradoodle, a hybrid cross between the labrador retriever and poodle. This particular breed has become immensely popular in the past few years because they are hypoallergenic dogs, meaning that even those with allergies can now own dogs! However, these dogs do not come cheap! Labradoodle puppies are sold anywhere from $1,000-2,500 per puppy. So it seems like this is the perfect idea right? We have man’s best friend, now lets make him even better; the ultimate dog! Wrong. The consequences and complications that come with hybrid breeding can be damaging. Issues such as hip dysphasia, blindness, and other diseases and disorders become more prevalent in hybrid dogs. Also, the conditions that these animals are being bred in are often unacceptable, bordering on puppy mills! Often an owner will have hundreds of dogs at a time, experimenting with new breeds of dog. The thing that really bothers many people, including me, is that these pure breed dogs and hybrid dogs are putting mutts and pound puppies out of homes. These same dogs are often euthanized if a homes can no be found, or there is not enough room in shelters. Ironically, people want hybrid dogs because they are the mix of two purebred dogs, which ultimately makes it a mutt. So what is the difference between the $50 mutt found at the local shelter, and the $2500 mutt labeled a hybrid? The difference is the labeling and advertisement. Unfortunately, these hybrid dogs, such as the labradoodle are already showing up at local shelters across the country. Personally, I find it ridiculous to pay thousands of dollars for a dog just because of its looks and their supposed superiority. Millions of people find their dog, man’s best friend, at the local animal shelter. So why waste the money, and risk the health consequences of hybrid dog breeding? As all things come and go out of style, hybrid dogs will do so as well. What we are then left with is even more dogs and a shortage of homes and families to love and care for these animals.

Olympic Snowboarder Seth Wescott

Like most Americans, my television has been centered on sports for the past few days as the Vancouver 2010 Winter Olympics began. As I have watched the Olympic events, one story I found particularly interesting is that of Seth Wescott, the 33-year old Olympic snowboarder from Maine. After winning the gold in the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, Wescott returned to defend his title. However, battling with injury and poor qualifying times, Wescott had his work cut out for him. Coming from the back of the pack, Wescott made a heroic comeback to narrowly defeat Mike Robertson to win the gold. My main attraction to this blog about Seth Wescott was the fact that he was from Maine. Everyone likes to see star athletes and famous people emerge from their home communities. The fact that a two time Olympic gold medalist did the majority of his training at Sugarloaf Mountain is pretty exciting for residents of Maine! I actually know several people who frequently ski and snowboard at Sugarloaf who have met Seth Wescott.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/02/15/seth-wescott-wins-snowboa_n_463170.html

Found MLB Blog

I found a blog off of technorati focused on trade rumors in the MLB. The website is MLBtraderumors.com. I like this blog because I love following the MLB offseason as I am a big Red Sox fan, and a big baseball fan in general. I really like this blog. I like how it has so many different things on all the teams in baseball. It has tons of different rumors. If updates on a certain signing or trade come about, they are updated on the spot with the time and everything. This blog is definitely of interest to anyone who is a fan of the MLB. If you have a team or player of interest, you will see them on this website. I’m sure it draws the attention of a lot of baseball fans. The one thing I would question is how reliable is their information? From what I read it seems pretty believable, but who knows. I’ll start paying more attention and see how many of their rumors pan out.

Steroids in Baseball

Steroids in Baseball

Steroids have become a huge part of baseball in the United States. Players like Mark McGwire and Barry Bonds, who are two of the best home run hitters of all-time have been accused taking these illegal drugs. They are not the only ones however, those are just two names among hundreds of players who have been accused of taking steroids, or have tested positive for performance enhancers.
It is really too bad that players used steroids to try and break records and become the best at their sport. I’ll give it to them, it worked. I guess if you’re not cheating you’re not trying. So many players were doing it that maybe the ones who weren’t felt like they were falling behind, and maybe that lead them to do steroids. Who knows what was going through some of these guys heads. What happened, happened. So now what to do with all these new records that have been recorded during the so called “steroid era”? If you ask me, there shouldn’t be any asterisks, and records shouldn’t be taken off the books. Yes, I disapprove of players taking steroids, and no I am not a fan of any player who took steroids. However, with the huge population of players who took steroids, there is no way to figure out all the players who were taking steroids, and all the players who weren’t. Are you going to put an asterisk next to every name who played during the “steroid era”? That’s not fair to the guys who were clean. Are you going to put an asterisk next to names or completely take names off lists of players who tested positive? You could, but who’s to say the next guy on the list wasn’t taking performance enhancing drugs.
There’s definitely easy way to “fix” this. I don’t think there’s anyway to fix this at all. The records just have to stay as is. Is it fair? That’s your call. I’m still not positive, but right now that seems like the fairest way to deal with it.

Gadling: The World's Biggest Travel Blog

I found this blog interesting because I like to travel and the bloggers give great travel tips and deals. The front page of the blog has stories from contributors that range from travel safety at airports to pictures from a Vegas day trip. There was even a story about T-Mobile, a popular cell phone company, giving 6 months of free inflight internet access for anyone who buys one of their new smart-phones. A useful tool is the "Explore the Map" icon at the top of the page, where you can click on a world region and are then given a list of popular tourist cities, common things to do, and stories from the contributors. As seen with the "Budget Travel" icon, traveling does not always have to be by airplane, as you can rent a car for only $10 a day. While this deal has expired, this is a great blog to bookmark because you never know what great deals will turn up. It may take you hours of searching your favorite search engine to find a deal like that, however other internet users have taken the time for you and are interested in helping others save money in these hard economic times. I also found a post titled "10 Great Destinations for Outdoor Adventure" which gave an in-depth analysis of the selected venues as well as pictures of the beautiful aspects for each. While it may be hard for college students to find time in their busy schedules for traveling, I would recommend everyone check this blog out and bookmark it because I'm sure there will be great deals in the future for when you have a family and need a great vacation spot.

Jay Peak, Vermont. One of the 10 Outdoor Adventure Destinations listed in the Blog post above.

Celtics Fan blog

The Celtics fan blog talks about current team and organization news and notes. The blog previews each and every game and gives insight on key matchups for the game. Right now the big news is about the upcoming trade deadline on Thursday midnight. One player that the Celtics have on the trading block is Ray Allen who is a free agent at the end of the season. The Celtics have a big west coast road trip coming up and it starts in Sacramento. As of right now the Celtics are fourth place in the Eastern conference and are falling fast. The main text in the blog was for the Celtics to win tonight to start the road trip off right.

Ray Allen trade

In the world of sports, a big question on Celtic's fans minds is whether Ray Allen will remain on the Celtics roster. It is amazing how quickly fans forget what players did for their team three years ago, this is the case for Ray Allen and the fans of the Boston Celtics. Three years ago Ray Allen was picked up in a trade that sent him to the Celtics to become apart of the "big three" along side Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett, that season the Celtics won their first NBA championship since 1986. The Celtics have lost 13 out of their last 23 games with an injury plauged season. Key injuries to star players Kevin Garnett (hyper extended knee) and Paul Pierce (ankle) have lead to the current losing. One player that did not step up during this time was Ray Allen who is in the 5th and final year of his 85 million dollar contract that he signed with the Seatle Supersonics in 2005. Allen who is currently making 18.7 million dollars this season is on the trading block to acquire a better fit into the Celtics lineup and make a run at the Championship. Players that the Celtics may get consist of Monta Ellis who is a shooting guard from Golden State or Antwain Jamison a forward from the Washington Wizards. Both players would be huge assets to the Celtics, Ellis is averaging 26.2 points a game and Jamison is averaging 20.5 points a game. I believe the Celtics do need to make some sort of change that includes trading Ray Allen because he'll be a free agent at the end of the year and simply not the player he was three years ago. Monta Ellis would be the best fit into the Celtics lineup because the Celtics need a backup point guard. The Celtics need a change.

on edge!

A lot of people deal with anxiety when things like the fact that a test is coming up or moving away from home for the first time, but for people like me it is a continuous thing. "Anxiety Disorders affect about 40 million American adults age 18 years and older (about 18%) in a given year, causing them to be filled with fearfulness and uncertainty".

For some people like me, there are days that are completely overwhelming just from worrying about things that honestly, sometimes, don't need to be worried about, and then some days where I can seem to keep it under control, and not show that I'm worrying. Yet, for some people there is ABSOLUTELY no way of escaping it all.

Not only does worrying effect people like me mentally, it takes over a lot of different things physically. Some physical symptoms of an anxiety disorder is, "fatigue, headaches, muscle tension, muscle aches, difficulty swallowing, trembling, twitching, irritability, sweating, nausea, lightheadedness, having to go to the bathroom frequently, feeling out of breath, and hot flashes". So, not only do I constantly worry about the little things, it makes it even harder to stay calm when I'm clearly nervous and sweating, and I start to worry that everyone can notice that I'm nervous, and because I think everyone can notice I worry even more, and it becomes even more clearer, and a viscous cycle begins!

Not only do the visible symptoms weigh us down, but so do the physical symptoms people don't see. Ever since I was little I would get huge headaches, I would go to so many specialist to find out the cause of them, and nobody could find out. That in itself was stressful because I felt as though I was being a hypochondriac. Not only that, but I would randomly not be able to take a deep breath, and would have to yawn to actually feel like I was getting enough air. Sometimes this would only last a couple days, sometimes it would last weeks. So I even went to specialists for that, thinking I could have asthma. My freshmen year of college I started really paying attention to my symptoms, and really paid attention to my phycology class and realized I had a LOT of symptoms for anxiety. So, I talked to my mom and my doctor and it was clear that all this time I had been suffering from anxiety. To tie it all in even more, I found out my mom has it pretty bad, but like me, in most cases, she does a pretty good job at hiding it.

Even though for the most part I can keep my worrying to myself, sometimes it will come out in other forms. One problem with anxiety for me is the fact that I do not like to talk about things to people, so I keep it all to myself. The upside to it is that people don't think I'm a worrier, but the downside to it is if I keep too much in for too long I end up having a panic attack. These panic attacks for me come out of nowhere, or something really little to annoy me will trigger it, and because i'll have so much built up inside i'll just burst out! The symptoms of a panic attack include- rapid heart rate, sweating, trembling, shotness of breath, hyperventilation, chills, hot flashes, nausea, abdominal cramping,chest pain, headache, dizziness, faiting, tightness in your throat, trouble swallowing, a sense of impending death. When looking at this list it doesn't really look that bad. But, in reality it is, because it is ALL or most of these symptoms occur all at once out of nowhere.

Fortunately, if things get to out of control they do have ways to treat this disease. Since anxiety is a form of depression, anti-depressants are used in treating it, but not used in the same dosage of people who have depression. The reason why these work is because they influence the activity of neurotransmitters in the brain. Another popular form of treating anxiety is with Benzodiazepines. These are sedatives used for short term use for anxiety. Some examples of these are Ativan, Valium, and Xanax.

So, especially in college, it is important that if you have overwhelming symptoms related to anxiety to get them checked out. Stress and anxiety, if left untreated, can do harm to your body, and make it much harder to be successful in school!

http://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/anxiety-disorders/index.shtml

http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/panic-attacks/DS00338

Too fat to fly

The blog post i found to be interesting was from popeater.com (http://www.popeater.com/2010/02/14/kevin-smith-southwest-twitter/). I picked this one because I thought it was really interesting, especially because of the circumstances. The man who was "too fat to fly" had already been seated and ready to go when the Southwest Airlines pilot decided to kick him off because he was a "safety risk". If he was a safety risk, they should have decided that before he had gotten onto the plane. Also, he was able to get onto another plane after that, so he could not have been that big of a safety risk. I thought this was an effective article because it was short, to the point, funny, and used other sources. The source that was used was Twitter. Actually "tweets" were used in this article. For example, the man who was too fat's tweets that were directed to Southwest Airlines were used, and also their responses back to him. I also think it it funny that people are dealing with their problems towards people through a very public online site!

My Favorite Blog

One of the things I really enjoy in my spare time is cooking. After looking at a bunch of different blogs I decided that "my kitchen addiction" was my favorite. I first got the idea to look for a cooking blog from the movie "Julie and Julia". This blog includes all different kinds of recipes. Every week or so the blogger writes about a new topic involving food. On each of the posts you can leave comments and read other peoples feedback. Another cool feature about the blog is that it suggests other blogs to look at that are similar. There are some really awesome recipes and pictures too!

http://www.mykitchenaddiction.com/

Should Drinking Age be Lowered?

Should the drinking age be lowered to 18 in America?

The drinking age in America is 21 and many people have debated that the age should be lowered. It is said that people can smoke, fight in the war, serve on a jury and gain several new privileges at the age of 18 but they can't have alcohol. Some colleges even believe that lowering the drinking age is the best idea and think that preventing underage college kids from drinking is not really working. It is almost impossible to prevent underage drinking because if kids want alcohol they will find a way to get it, especially on a college campus. Underage drinking occurs on all college campuses and because its illegal many students will hide their drinking leading to other problems. For example if a person gets alcohol poisoning they might hesitate to get help because they will get in trouble by thier parents and because it is against the law. Another important factor is that kids might not be taught enough about alcohol in school or in their homes and might not realize that it can lead to trouble. In many countries drinking is not an issue because the drinking age is lower and kids learn about drinking in moderation from their families. In America kids are told that they can not drink until they are 21 but most kids don't listen to that law because they figure that no one will catch them, or that they don't even care about getting into trouble. Lowering the drinking age would help kids become more familiar with alcohol and maybe become safer while consuming alcohol. I also think that it would be very important to make sure that laws were state in high schools about the drinking age and that students were taught about alcohol in health class before they turn 18. Many people believe that when the drinking age was changed to 21 it just shifted the amount of fatal drinking car accidents from teens to the young adults. Maybe 20,000 lives were saved between the ages of 18-20 year olds because the drinking age changed to 21 but im sure about 20,000 young adults died that year from drinking and driving. Lowering the drinking age would be a good idea because kids will become more familiar with drinking at home and increasing alcohol education could also be helpful in decreasing fatal accidents and decreasing drinking related incidents. The drinking age wont matter if it stays at 21 because college kids and others will still get alcohol and drink if they want to. Acknowledging that kids are drinking at a younger age and changing the drinking age is the best solution to the problem. Requiring kids to take health class that talk about the effects of alcohol and talking to kids about what happens while drinking and driving should also be required.


A few sites that prove/talk about these theories:

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2009/02/19/60minutes/main4813571.shtml

http://www.youthrights.org/dafaq.php

http://drinkingage.procon.org/

Winter Olympics Tragedy 2010

http://globalvoicesonline.org/2010/02/14/georgia-tragedy-strikes-as-winter-olympic-games-open/

This blog was about Nodar Kumaritashvili, a Georgian Luge athlete that just died while practicing for the Olympics. I had heard about this tragedy but wasn't really sure what had happened so therefore I picked this blog to read and comment on. I thought that it was very thoughtful of the team to wear black scarves, black arm bands, and carry the flag with the black ribbon to honor him in the opening ceremonies. I also heard that after this incident they made some changes to the course making a higher protective wall on that last turn and starting the luge course a little lower down. I think that is very important that they changed something about this course to show that this was a big deal and that it obviously wasn't just the athlete screwing up in his practice runs. Even if it made the course easier at least the course is now safer, which is obviously more important. I also think that it is pretty cool that they are creating a new luge track in Bakuriana and it will be named after Nodar. I think this must be very sad for his family and friends and also for all the people in Georgia cheering for their team.

Stem Cell Research

Stem cell research has continued to be one of the most controversial issues in the news for the last decade. The debate is over whether or not it is ethical to use stem cells to try and find the cures to various kinds of diseases. The reason why it is so controversial is because some of the stem cells used are derived from human embryos. These kinds of stem cells are called pluripotent cells. Stem cells are sought after because of their ability to regenerate themselves into a variation of cell types. Although many people believe that that this is unethical, the benefits outweigh the risks. An argument that people who don't support stem cell research make is that by using the cells you are taking a life. This argument only holds true if you believe life begins at the moment of conception.  The ploripotent cells that are used for stem cell research come from blastulae, and are far from being developed into a child. In fact, they aren't even differentiated enough at the point they are used to be identified with an organ system. A blastocyst is composed of 30-100 ploropotent cells and can be only be utilized during the 8-10th day after conception. These stem cells can be used therapeutically for paralysis, can mitotically divide for regeneration and generation of organs, used for angiogenesis, and many other processes that have endless benefit in fighting disease. 

http://www.kumc.edu/stemcell/images/background.jpg

http://stemcells.nih.gov/info/basics/

SAINTS WIN!

This blog is especially interesting to me because I am going to New Orleans in two weeks for spring break. The team not only going to their first super bowl ever, but winning the super bowl, gave the city confidence again. The people have come together and vowed to make the city a better place. The last time we heard this was after Katrina from the relief workers. The citizens of New Orleans have not had a proper celebration to boost their morale and spirits since the devastation over four years ago and it’s about time that they party!

Another fantastic thing that interviews and news clips have done is to provide the lower class and less privileged with publicity. Many people believe that because it has been four years since the hurricane, the work is done. This is far from the truth. There are still many homes, businesses, etc. to rebuild and restore and the city is just starting. With a celebration and accomplishment like a victory at a super bowl, they are off to a good start!

Saints in the Super Bowl is more than just a game

Careers in Sports: Let your Passion for Sports Combine Business and Pleasure!

This is a great blog for students in our major. It gives about 30-40 ideas for different job opportunities that will be available to us after we graduate. It also gives a lot of tips on getting started in a sports career. I found this particular blog as I was searching for blogs with career ideas for kinesiology. It was helpful to me because I have not decided what I will do after I graduate and I believe it is important to know about all of the possibilities. This blog also shows a few related posts that were interesting as well, such as sports nutrition and athletic gear. If you can get past the grammar mistakes, there was also an interesting post on college sport betting. There were lots of other useful topics for athletes or KPE students included in this blog. I found this blog to be quite interesting and I think you all might appreciate it as well.


Careers in Sports: Let your Passion for Sports Combine Business and Pleasure!

Barstool Sports

I found a blog called Barstool Sports. It says its "By the common man, for the common man." It's a sports blog that makes fun of a lot of serious topics that most people don't really care about. He says things that people want to say, but they never do because it isn't the "social norm." He posts videos everyday of athletes doing incorrect things and making total fools of themselves. I believe that a lot of people in this class would really like this site. It is a good site to read and get a good laugh out of to let time pass by.

http://barstoolsports.com/

Wal-Mart is ruining local economies!

Wal-Mart cost taxpayers $1,557,000,000,000 to support its employees a year! It is important that we understand what this company is doing to our communities across the nation. Wal-Mart is a 108 billion dollar a year mega company that is profit driven, we must pay attention to their business practices and demand they obey the laws every other business must obey.
You may think that Wal-Mart is making jobs for you community but really it is driving down wages and increasing poverty in your community. Opening a single Wal-mart store lowers average reatil wages in that county nearly 1%. In the general merchandise sector, wages fell by 1% for each new Wal-mart which doesn't sound like much but it is! Grocery store employees noticed a 1.5% reduction in earnings when a Wal-mart comes to town. Wal-mart does not keep money in your community! In Virginia for example, 60 cents of every dollar spent downtown stays downtown- compared to just six cents for every dollar spent at a big box store like Wal-mart. (Rocky Mountain Institute)
Wal-mart forces small businesses to close by importing products from other countries as well! Wal-mart imports most of its products! Over 80% of Wal-mart's suppliers are in China! Wal-mart imports 70% of its products from China! One in every 25 containers shipped to the United States in 2005 was destined for a Wal-mart! Our country accounted for 695,118 cargo containers that year, with an average of one arriving to a US port every 45 seconds! (Forbes, 7/5/06) As of 2008, if Wal-mart was its own country it would be the 8th largest importer of Chinese goods in the world- that is ahead of Russia and India! Taking it back to the smaller communities- 5 years after opening a Wal-mart in a county the number of smaller retail businesses (20 employees or less) declines by 4!
You may think that Wal-mart is a great place to work where the employees are well taken care of with good health plans but in fact Wal-mart mistreats its employees all across the board. Wal-mart's healthcare plans are not cutting it for employees! Wal-mart's healthcare plans only cover 50.2% of there 1.4 million employees! In 21 of 23 states where data is available, Wal-mart forces more employees to rely on taxpayer funded health care than any other employer! President and CEO of Wal-mart Lee Scott admits, "In some of our states, the public program may actually be a better value- with relatively high income limits to qualify, and low premiums."
Wal-mart has an anti union policy! Wal-mart issued a "Manager's toolbox for staying union free!" These boxes include a handbook of different signs that employees may be forming a union- like people socializing that weren't before and to keep an eye out for "home parties" that could be people meeting at with union officials. If there is reason for "concern" the manager is to call the special "1-800" number to report it. Immediately Wal-mart sends a task force to the store to abolish the union. If they do not succeed- which has only happened once in Canada- they close the store! Wal-mart does not want to deal with a union situation so it closed the store in Canada that succeeded in forming a union. 100 unfair labor practice charges have been filed against Wal-mart throughout the country, with 43 charges filed in 2002 alone!
Wal-mart is known for gender discrimination! In 2001, 6 women sued Wal-mart in California claiming the company discriminated against women- denying them promotions and paying them less than men. The lawsuit named, Dukes vs Wal-mart has expanded to include more than 1.6 million current and former female employees. On June 21, 2004 it was certified the largest class action suit ever in history. (Mondaq Business Briefing, November 1, 2004)
Finally, we must take a stand by not providing this company with our support! We are the only ones who can make this company change its ways. By not buying from Wal-mart and spreading the word about what you have learned here, you are doing your part to change the ways of a company that has desperately gone off track. Please us the following links and video to get involved and help make a difference! It's up to US!

United Food and Commercial Workers International Union: WAKE UP WAL-MART!

Brave New Films: Wal-Mart the High Cost of a Low Price Movie

Wal-Mart Watch 2009

Killing You Softly

My father is a smoker, as well as 3 out of 4 of my brothers, 2 out of 5 of my aunts and uncles, multiple cousins, and the majority of my close friends. This doesn't even include the 2 deaths that have occurred in my immediate family just recently due to lung cancer caused by this vicious attacker. The fact is simple: smoking kills. It's not even an abrupt death; it is slow and drawn-out, making sure you really feel the pain for your past irrevocable decisions. I've witnessed firsthand the uncontrollable processes that take place as my own flesh and blood lay hopelessly awaiting the day that this killer takes their lives. At that point, there's no turning back; the damage is done. 63 Reasons to Stop Smoking really spoke to me and I think it is important for others who have been impacted as I have as well as those individuals who smoke to view this content.

About 25% of Americans smoke. 400,000 smokers die each year. Smoking causes 1 out of 5 deaths in America. These statistics are haunting. The dangers of secondhand smoke can be devastating as well. Spuses of smokers are 20% more likely to contract lung cancer. As the picture above states, "children of parents who smoke, go to heaven earlier". This picture really touched home for me. Though my father does not smoke in the house, the toxins from the cigarettes still linger on his clothes and his body and come into our house and affect my families every day life. Also, children of parents who smoke often grow up to smoke as well. Parents often do not understand that their habits have such an immense effect on these children.

I am a very strong advocate of the promotion of effects of smoking. The Real Cost of Smoking video below offers a lot of important information about what happens internally as a result of smoking. Everyone should watch this video.

I really hope my father, as well as other smokers, see this post and realize what smoking is doing to their life and how it is impacting the lives of those around them.

Aspartame Did you know? I didn't!

I liked this blog because it shows a lot of information that I think most of us don't think about and are not aware of. This blog has pulled information from different resources to show us a way to live healthier and improve the quality of the earth we live on! The most recent post "Sweet Misery" is a full length video (hour and a half) about the increase in brain tumors over the past few years. I thought okay here we go with cell phone bashing! But actually they began talking about the effects of aspartame on the nervous system. Aspartame which is a chemical artificial sweetner is being proven to be causing a huge array of neurological disorders such as seizures, fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, bipolar disorder, lupus etc. Aspartame comes under many names: nutra sweet, equal, crystal light, it is in many gums, diet sodas, kool aid, cool whip, decaf coffee etc. The video warns us testimony after testimony to stop taking in this chemical. It also goes so far as to explain chemically how it reacts with our bodies, which I won't bore you with, but basically it makes methyl alcohol which is poison to your system. Which the doctors and people in the video are saying is causing all these disorders, cancers and diseases. Overall, this is a blog that I think is delivering important information that our country would never make mainstream becuase of the money it would lose! Not only on the products but also the medical industry! I urge you to watch the video, even if you only watch the first 20 minutes!

To Spank or Not to Spank?

I was watching the Tyra Show earlier and the big heated discussion had to do with spanking vs. not spanking. After watching this I had very mixed emotions so decided to do a little more research. I viewed two different blogs: one that supported the action of spanking and the other opposing it.

The first blog supported spanking. This blog argues that children who are spanked up to the age of six actually grow up to be happier, more sociable, and even more successful than children who were not spanked at all. I think the most important, and most convincing, argument that was made stated that if a child does something wrong then they should be spanked, but this act must be done out of love, not anger.

The second blog argues that spanking can have many long-term effects including lower IQ scores, and also often leads to physical and emotional abuse that affects the individual for the rest of his or her life. The author of this blog asks the readers to consider the idea of "praise not punishment" which encourages offering praise and rewards when good behavior occurs and ignore and extinguish undesirable behavior.

I think both of these blogs are very convincing. They both offer wonderful perspectives. I came into this research supporting spanking because I, as well as my 4 brothers and my sister, was spanked as a child and thought this was just the way of life. However, after reading the opposing view blog, my attitude has changed. I think the "praise not punishment" idea could be very effective.

2010 Winter Olympics

I found a blog that covers every topic of this years winter Olympics, which starts this Friday. It has everything from athletes, event schedules, photos/videos, commentary and much more. I picked this blog because the games are starting this weekend and I have been waiting anxiously for them to start, so it was neat being able to go through this blog learning about various athletes and the current issues evolving around the games, include the lack of snow, and having to truck it in! I think this blog is effective because it breaks the different blog categories up which allows users to find the information or the blog which interests them most. It gives great information and detail into what is evolving around the games right at your fingertips. Check it out!

http://olympics.thestar.com/2010/home

Faskskin LZR controversy

The technical suit Fastskin LZR which was launched January 12, 2008 has been the topic of controversy in the swimming world. The fabric used is called the LZR pulse fabric and it is composed of a lightweight fabric with polyurethane panels used to reduce drag. The suit acutally increases the body's buancy in the water. The controversy is the idea that the technology is outweighing acutal performance. Is the LZR fair is the question? Since the release of the LZR nearly 20 world records have been broken while wearing this suit. During the Bejiing Olympics, American Michael Phelps broke Mark Spitz's old record of 7 gold metals in a single olympics with a little help from the Speedo LZR. I am not taking away anything from Phelps, the world knows he trained harder than everyone else (and probably ate more), but lots of other records were and are being crushed using the LZR. The reason it is unfair is that this technology is not available to every athlete making the playing field uneven. Certain countries have obligations to other companies such as Nike, Adidas, and arena. The full leg suit is banned in NCAA competition due to its very apparent advantages, and that not every school can afford them.

This topic is going to keep coming up in the sporting world because of the constant improvements in technology. In our class we discuss how technology impacts education, but it effects other areas of the world just as much as education. Here are the links which explain this controversy in greater detail.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23832501/

http://www.xomba.com/speedo_lzr_racer_swimsuit_kicking_up_more_controversy

Blog I found..

I found an excellent blog about skiing. I searched for skiing story blog and I found "Where Will You Ski Today" It is all about back country skiing and has tons of excellent pictures, videos and stories. All of the videos are posted with you tube links and are all in high definition. There is reviews on different skiing festivals. Anyone who is serious about skiing or just likes to watch really well done videos check this website out.

http://www.wherewillyouski.com/

The American Epidemic

I normally don't like to work from suggestions given to the whole class just because I'm stubborn and like to think of things on my own, but being an exercise science major, the obesity in America topic is of major interest to me.

Obesity in this country is an epidemic. Everyone I'm sure knows, or can at least figure out just by driving through Bangor (or even little Orono), that we live in a fast world - this includes food. Everyone has to eat, and eating quickly and conveniently is practically a must for most everyone. These time constraints and the high demanding, fast-paced environment we live in today have created another world in itself - the Fast Food World. Fast food doesn't normally constitute healthy eating, but for millions of people, there is only enough time for a "fast food" diet. Unfortunately for a lot of people, going to the gym, or even just staying physically active is not something that falls under either category of "quick" or "convenient". A huge percentage of the population don't consider physical activity a priority at all.

Remember that calories in, calories out is the basic way to think of weight loss, so with little exposure to weight loss and with the high consumption of calories, fat and sugar from fast food and poor diet in general, there is only one way for a person's weight to go - up.

I started off with fast food because the words "obesity" and "fast food" are synonymous in my mind, but I have to keep in mind that fast food chains are not the single, red-handed culprit when it comes to placing blame for this obesity problem. It really all comes down to choices. You can either choose to buy a BigMac and frozen Blizzard for lunch or you can choose to pack a turkey sandwich, and an apple for your mid-afternoon meal, simple as that (or at least it could be).

Here is a great website:

http://www.obesityinamerica.org/

I found a blog...

I found this blog by Christina Wallaert. She's documenting her journey to the 2010 Olympic games in Vancouver. She blogs a lot about the time leading up to the games and how she's preparing. She's originally from Toronto and has a lot Canadian spirit, which I really enjoy reading. I'm not Canadian, but I've spent a lot of time in Canada. My younger brother used to play hockey on a traveling team and we would go across the border almost every weekend for games. You can see Canada from my home.

Anyway, this blog just caught my eye because my mom, boyfriend and I were just talking about the Olympic games yesterday. A family friend just bought all his nieces and nephews tickets and travel arrangements to the games, which I thought was incredible.

There are also some great photos on this blog, as well.

Here is the link:

http://journeytovancouver2010-fandiary.blogspot.com/