World's Best Ruins

This article is about famous ruins around the world that are worth the flight. The article advises to go on these adventures when the site will be less crowded with tourists. The list of best ruins includes: Machu Picchu, Peru; Acropolis, Greece; Mesa Verde, United States; Angkor, Cambodia; Great Pyramids and Memphis, Egypt; Tikal, Guatemala; Petra, Jordan; Colosseum, Italy; Great Wall of China, China; and Palmyra, Syria. All locations are pictured and described, and advice is given on when to go and what to see while visiting each place.

I'm really happy I chose to read this article because I didn't even know many of these places existed! I knew about the popular Maccu Picchu, Acropolis, Great Pyramids, Petra, Colosseum, and Great Wall of China. Besides those, though, I didn't know about the other places. I think it's good to learn about ancient history and going to see some of these places is a definitely on my bucket list. It also really helps that the article gives advice on when to go--how annoying is it to wait in lines for hours? I'm excited to see some of these places at some point in my life.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-40006586;_ylt=AoxcUvCUfhGImP5HIiIjlEuhpYMA

 

Best Secret Islands on Earth

This article is about some islands that most people don't know about. These islands are virtually heaven on Earth and the best part is, they're barely ever toured! The list includes: the Greek island Skopelos, Caye Caulker off the coast of Belize, Samson Cay and Exuma Cays in the Bahamas, the Icelandish Flatey, Maltese Gozo, the Andaman Islands off of India, Rodrigues of Mauritius, the Great Barrier Island in New Zealand, Gili Trawangan of Indonesia, and Mabul of Malaysia. All islands are pictured and described.

This article interests me because I'd really like to see all of these islands before I die. I have already been to Gozo in Malta and the Great Barrier Island in New Zealand. Both we absolutely STUNNING. I remember Gozo more clearly, so I'll describe that. It was a short ferry ride from Malta (which is already a small island) to Gozo (which is an even smaller island). Despite its small size, many beautiful sights are packed on this wonderful little island, including a beautiful cathedral, little towns built into the sides of cliffs, green and rolling hills, and clear, blue lagoons. A trip to Gozo itself was worth the long trek across the Atlantic.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-40006587;_ylt=Ahadf.HR5_ku3s4adY.c_2WhpYMA

 The picturesque town of Xlendi on Gozo.

Ten Most Photographed Places on Earth

This article is about the ten most photographed places on Earth. It includes places such as Amsterdam, Rome, Seattle, Washington D.C., Chicago, Los Angeles, Paris, San Francisco, London, and New York. It also includes land marks in these places, including famous places like the Eiffel Tower, the Lincoln Memorial, the Hollywood Walk of Fame, the Empire State Building and the Colosseum. It is given special note that six of the ten places are in our very own US of A!

This article interests me because I have such an interest in traveling. It didn't surprise me a ton that so many places were in the United States. Not to sound conceited, but I know that the supposed glories of America are very attractive to tourists. Personally, I prefer the more off-the-beaten-trail journies. My dream vacations include surfing with the native Hawaiians and staying in a worn down hut with an African family. I want to really experience what the people of a certain country experience, not just see the nice and shined up tourist attractions. But kudos to us for having so many popular attractions!

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-40218938

 The wonderful Colosseum! Ahhh!

Switch Careers to Be Happier

This article is talking about how some people may be unhappy in their careers. Unhappiness most likely means your career isn't right for you. The article suggests switching careers. Switching careers is extremely common right now. The average person switches careers every 4.4 years. The article suggests having flexibility with your hours and vacation times. One flexible option is being an SEO writer or sales representatives. If one wants more money, he or she could be a management consultant, who earns a six-figure income, or an actuary. To have more satisfaction, you could be a health care manager or education administrator.

I think being happy in your job is extremely important. Say the average person works eight hours a day, that's approximately half of your waking hours at your job. It would be terrible to spend half of your time at an unhappy setting. I think I want to be a dentist. This would be a good career for me because it would make me very happy. It would make me happy because I would earn a lot of money. It would also make me happy because the hours would be relatively flexible. I wouldn't have to take call like some doctors. I would hopefully be able to choose vacation times. I wouldn't mind being a pilot either. I'm excited to have my own career.

25 Manners Every Kid Should Know By Age 9

This article was put on Yahoo! about manners kids should have by age nine. The article suggests that parents enforce these manners in order to have well-behaved and -adjusted children. These manners include saying please, thank you and excuse me. It also includes the banning of interrupting when others are talking, voicing very negative opinions, insulting others, using foul language, making fun of others and reaching for things at the table without asking. It promotes asking permission for things, being verbally grateful, knocking on closed doors, covering your mouth when you sneeze, helping others and using a napkin on your lap.

I think this article is probably very helpful for many parents, especially new parents. Some parents may not have grown up in households that required or even had a model of good manners. It's possible that some parents have absolutely no idea what their kids should be doing in order to be considered polite kids. I do think all of these "manner rules" are important. I think my parents did a good job teaching me them subtly: they never sat me down and read the rules; they showed me good manners, which is what I think is important.

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/25-manners-every-kid-should-know-by-age-9-2480238/

Mother's Day Gift Ideas

Since Mother's Day is just around the corner, I thought it would be beneficial for me and other blog-readers to do a post about what to give to their mom on mother's day. The article says that sometimes moms, especially empty-nester moms sometimes just want to add happy decorations to their house. They suggest getting her something with a burst of color, or things like nice new coffee mugs or throw pillows. The writer of the article found some gifts for under $25, for those of us who like to save our money. She suggested Hive Vases, Homegrown Monogram Mugs, a hanging planter, an elephant tea pot, or a cormac pillow.

This article is helpful for me because of two things: 1) I'm not creative when it comes to gift-giving and 2) I don't have very much money... at all. I think that my mom would enjoy any of these gifts, as would most moms. I also think making something for your mother can be just as nice as buying something, or nicer. I usually write her a nice poem or something to that effect. Either way, I hope my mom has a great mother's day!

http://shine.yahoo.com/event/mothersday/mothers-day-gift-ideas-5-picks-for-the-happy-home-2480499/

America's Most Beautiful Roads

This article is about some of America's most beautiful roads. It includes U.S. 1, which connects the Florida Keys. Next is Route 12 in Utah which weaves its way through canyons. 17-Mile Drive is on Highway 1 in California, which is famous as it is. Blue Ridge Parkway in the Carolinas and Virginia twists through the Great Smoky Mountains of Virginia. Next is Lake Shore Drive in Chicago, which goes past various Chicago attractions. The Bluebonnet Trail in Texas goes through the hilly region between Austin and Houston, and passes by many scenic lakes on the way. Hana Highway is a scenic road in Maui, Hawaii. Next is Trail Ridge Road in Colorado, followed by the North Shore Drive in Duluth, then Kancamagus Highway in New Hampshire.

I chose to read this article because I think it's always good for me, and other Americans, to realize what treasures we have here. Oftentimes I think about how badly I long to sojourn to other countries, with the mindset that "there's nothing for me here" or "I've seen it all." Simply seeing the pictures and reading the descriptions of those lovely drives made me realize that you really don't need to spend thousands of dollars to go on a voyage to foreign lands--you can simply hop in your car and you're right there.

http://travel.yahoo.com/p-interests-39636578;_ylt=AplR1gk0mNDJhu63eFu8FBChpYMA

Putting Welfare to Work

The issue I'm choosing to write about is the issue with the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), formally referred to as Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC). These are closely tied into welfare. This program is one that gives direct cash payments to families with one or more children under the age of eighteen, with at least one parent being deceased, incapacitated, absent or unemployed. In 1996, it was argued that the AFDC provided incentives for families to remain unemployed, so a rule was put in place that required families to find full-time jobs within two years of being given periodic payments. This is when the program changed its name from AFDC to TANF. Some people argue that changing requirements for TANF did not improve poverty levels and that time limits force families off of the program even when they can't support themselves, and ends up requiring government to spend more on things like food stamps and medicaid.

I agree with the lawmakers who changed the requirements for TANF. Although I do believe it's unfortunate that some people may not be able to support themselves after two years and are kicked off the program, I think it's relatively ridiculous. Two years is ample time to find and keep a full-time job. If someone's unemployed, then what can they be spending their time doing? Obviously childcare, but beyond that, they should have enough free time to look for jobs. I worry about America catering to the poor too much. Don't get me wrong, I have a heart. I feel terrible for the situations that some Americans have put upon them. I'm simply saying, we cannot let them continue in their lifestyle of not working simply because they don't need to. That would be unfair to the middle class that works very hard. Senator Anthony Sykes has the same opinion as me on this issue.

Issue 1: At the time that I posted this, no one had done issue 1 yet.
Issue 2: (minimum wage) http://katiebruzik.blogspot.com/

Healthcare Workers Fired for Sexual Mistreatment of Elderly

This article actually caught my eye because it occurred in upstate New York, which is exactly where I'm from, so I thought I'd read it. Four nursing home workers were fired for sexual humiliating two elderly patients at a nursing home. Two nursing assistants put a male patient who was legally blind and suffering from dementia in bed with a female patient with mild retardation and schizophrenia in a bed together, and tried to tell the man it was his wife, even though his wife was in the room. They then said provocative phrases to try to get the two to touch each other, then took cell phone pictures of the whole ordeal. The two assistants were fired, along with two employees who witnessed the act but said nothing to their supervisor. Both nursing assistants were fined $4000, and the witnesses fined $500. No one was criminally charged.

This absolutely disgusts me. I think it's horrible that the people who are hired aren't trustworthy, even after being interviewed. First of all, I think it was stupid of the nursing assistants. Did they think they wouldn't get caught? And what pleasure did they get out of the whole ordeal anyways? I can't imagine seeing that would entertain me one bit. And the nursing assistants obviously didn't realize that jobs aren't necessarily easy to come by these days. They were put out of "good standing," which stops them from being able to work at nursing homes. These nursing assistants had probably trained for positions at nursing homes, and now they won't be able to get any. Woops! But bottom line is, behavior like this is NOT okay.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110330/us_nm/us_abuse_elderly

Low Levels of Radiation Found in U.S. Milk

This article starts off announcing that low levels of radiation were found in milk in the state of Washington. The FDA says that findings such as this are to be expected in the next few days due to the nuclear crises in Japan. Levels of radiation are supposed to drop quickly, though. For example, Iodine has a half life of only eight days. Levels of radiation are still 5,000x lower than what people would need to get "concerned" over, according to the FDA. The EPA says it will be increasing the monitoring of milk. Sales of spinach and milk from some areas of Japan are blocked, but this should not be hurting the U.S. too much. The amount of radiation some Americans are experiencing is virtually nothing.

Reading the title of this article made me worried. I was thinking about how much milk I drink, and how I could be hurting myself by simply drinking milk, but the article ended up being reassuring. I was glad it explained how minuscule the amount of radiation actually is. I liked that they shared how the sale (or lack thereof) of products from Japan would not affect America too greatly, as they supply less than 4% of imports, and it's mostly processed foods, fruits and vegetables. This article made me think that America looked selfish, however. It made no mention of how people in Japan are doing or dealing with this crisis, which made me sad.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/42348512/ns/health-health_care/

The Three Colors You Should Be Eating

This was an article on Yahoo! about healthy living. The article describes how loading up on different kinds of super foods is easy because nature "colors" its different super foods. Each color represents different phytochemicals. The three colors suggested to pay attention to the most are dark green, red and orange. It suggests eating 5.5-6 cups of red/orange vegetables a week. Examples of red and orange foods include red bell peppers, strawberries and carrots. It then says one should be eating 1.5-2 cups of dark green vegetables daily. Examples of "dark greens" include spinach and broccoli.

I think reading articles like this is very important for maintaining a healthy, functioning body. Most people are aware of calories, and that eating too many calories is bad, and not eating enough calories will make you lose weight. However, not all people know about things like nutrients in foods. It was interesting to me that different colors represent different nutrients and chemicals. I knew it was important to eat vegetables, but I didn't know that carrots were orange because they were a different kind of nutritious than red bell peppers. This article was interesting and informative.

Getting Your Skin Ready For Spring

This article is helping people watch out for their skin now that the sun is finally coming out. The first tip they give is to toss out old sunscreens--SPF loses its efficacy after a year or so. The next tip is guided by this rule: "You won't use what you can't see." They suggest using a shallower drawer for skin care products, so that you use what you have, and things don't get old. The next tip says that heavy creams used during winter won't suffice for spring. Our skin responds to different products during different seasons, so it's recommended to use oil-free products. The next thing suggested is to use a lighter moisturizer with SPF--one with a more mousse-like consistency. It then advises to use "green" products, that are free of preservatives and other unnecessary chemicals. The next tip is more fashion based, which suggests using a neon lipstick. The penultimate tip is to use a product that reduces skin unevenness, and the last tip is to try to use the more pricey, scientific products.

I think reading articles like this is very important. Many girls my age aren't concerned with how they'll be affected later in life by skin damage, so they go outside all the time without SPF or worse, go tanning in tanning beds. I can't say I'm perfect--I'm not a religious sunscreen user, but I try my best. Skin cancer runs in my family so it's very important for me to figure out how to take the best care of my skin, especially when spring and summer are (hopefully) just around the corner. I plan on using an oil-free sunscreen daily that has SPF 55.

10 Amazing Tropical Escapes

This article is simply about ten amazing tropical escapes. The first place is Bonaire, which is in the Caribbean, and is famous for diving, snorkeling, kayaking, bird-watching, hiking and horseback riding. Next is Arunachal Pradesh in India, which is famous for its rich wildlife and culture. Next is Singapore, which offers cosmopolitan opportunities, as well as tropical vacation-type opportunities. Next is Hawaii's Big Island. Hawaii has an active volcano, along with black sand beaches and coffee plantations. Following this is Gorongosa National Park in Mozambique. This national park has abundant wildlife, and you're even allowed to stay right in the park, with air-conditioning. Next is the Wet Tropics of Queensland in Australia, followed by the U.S. Virgin Islands, which is very peaceful. Following the Virgin Islands is Vanuatu, which is only three hours from Sydney, Australia. Vanuatu was named the happiest nation of them all, with abundant sunshine and wildlife. The last two destinations are Panama and Dominica.

This article simply interests me because I love traveling. Although it's hard for me to do now, I plan to travel as much as possible when I'm an adult. I don't plan to buy many "things." For example, I don't really need a fancy car. I'd rather get a car that works well that's cheap than one that's extremely pleasing to the eye and expensive. Hopefully I'll be able to travel more with the money I'll save from things like that. I also like reading articles like this because it helps open my eyes to what the world's really like. I know it's common the simply think about places within an hour of Alexandria, but reading about places like these really opens my eyes to help me realize just how interesting our planet is.

New milestone: 1 in 6 US residents Hispanic

This article is about the growing number of Hispanics in America. There are 50 million, or one in six, Hispanics in America. Apparently, they account for approximately half of the US population growth in the last ten years. More than 9 million Americans checked more than one race on the census survey, which is up 32% from 2000. The Census Bureau reported that the US is predominantly whites, followed by Hispanics, followed by blacks, followed by Asians. The Census Bureau doesn't ask about citizenship: it simply counts everyone living here. The number of Asians in America is increasing at a faster rate than African Americans, for the first time in many, many years. The percent of non-Hispanic white men decreased 5%. In ten states, children who are minorities reached or passed 50%.

This article is very interesting to me. I was aware the Hispanic population was growing, but I didn't know it was growing so fast. I think it's wonderful that America's so diverse--I like that we continue to fit the "melting pot" description that we so along ago acquired. However, I'm also aware that many of those people are not legal citizens. I am able to see their point of view. I know that sometimes, life in Mexico can be VERY hard, and getting to America is a struggle as well. However, I also know it's necessary to look at it from the American point of view. Americans who pay taxes are forced to support these illegal immigrants, when the immigrants pay no taxes. I am completely fine with immigrants--I just think it's important that they learn English and become legal citizens.

Idol Paul McDonald & His Amazing Technicolor Dreamsuit

This article is about American Idol contestant Paul McDonald, who spent $4,500 dollars on a custom made "Nudie suit." Paul did make it into the final 13. His look was inspired by people of the 60s and 70s like Elvis Presley, Hank Williams, Gene Autry, Porter Wagoner, Roy Rogers & Dale Evans, John Lennon, Glenn Campbell, Elton John and George Jones. Apparently, Paul isn't the only modern musician to be wearing these crazy outfits. Mike Mills is also wearing these Nudie suits. All idol contestants are warned that they need to stand out. Paul is definitely standing out.

So yeah, it's cool that Paul's standing out and all, but I think it's ridiculous that he had to spend $4,500 to do it. I think he should stand out because of his talent, not his wardrobe. American Idol is a SINGING competition, not a fashion show. It also makes me mad because I always feel like money like that could go to a way better cause. Every American in this country, on average, is more than $50,000 in debt, yet we spend money on things like $4,500 on suits? I think this is preposterous. Paul was saying that he was happy to be getting a lot of publicity, because apparently publicity=votes, but I will not be voting for Paul.

Federal Budget Blog - Social Insecurity

I'm choosing to discuss "social insecurity," which is really another phrase for "social security" or the lack thereof. The Social Security system is a fund that people have been paying into since the end of the Great Depression. It is a fund that is supposed to help those Americans in need, but it has evolved to simply be a fund for retirees. An astonishing %35 of our revenue comes from Social Security payroll taxes. However, this fund is going to run out by 2039, according to some sources. It is spending more than it is earning, and is threatening the nation's economic health. Some people want the Social Security fund canceled, or at least major steps taken in order to make sure it doesn't hurt the economy. However, others are worried that drastic steps would harm people more. They'd prefer that less dramatic steps are taken, like raising the cap on earnings that can be taxed for social security. They still believe that this would still solve the problem.

I believe that the Social Security system should be overhauled, at least for a little while. We do not have the money to support everyone who is in need, unfortunately. People of my generation keep working hard to pay money into this fund, however, we're never going to see any of the money. I do believe the idea of social security is a decent one, but right now, it's corrupt. I don't think we can simply make little changes to the program, since it is so close to running completely out of money. I think the program should be cut for just a little while, and new rules should be set while the country's recovering some of the money it has lost in the last forty years. Representative Paul Ryan of Wisconsin agrees with me. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Ryan_%28politician%29

Egypt's military rulers dissolve parliament

The military in Egypt has recently dissolved parliament and suspended the constitution, since protesters have been pressuring them to create a democracy after Mubarak stepped down. Military leaders and the caretaker government are also focusing on assuring security throughout the nation. The military tried to restore order in Cairo, but received some resistance to their efforts by the protesters. The protesters say they will stay there until their demands are met. Some people wonder why the protesters remain in Tahrir Square if all their demands have been meet. The protesters are saying "Revolution until victory." Policemen have been pulled off the streets when they lost control of anti-government protests last month. They are protesting their low wages and prosecution. Egypt's military rulers promised to abide by the peace treaty with Israel and give power to an elected government.

I agree with the protesters in this case. I understand how worried they are that the government won't actually improve. There have been numerous times when governments, especially those in the middle east, have promised reforms that haven't happened. For example, Israel and Palestine have made countless peace plan that were not executed. If the protesters step down and stop with their demands, the government could become lazy and not follow through with their promises. Reading articles like this really makes me feel blessed for living in a democratic country, where I don't feel pressured to go out on the streets everyday and protest so that my country will make sound decisions.

UN: 2010 tied for warmest year on record

This article is about how 2010 is in a threeway tie for the warmest year on record: it's tied with 2005 and 1998. Average temperatures last year were approximately .95 degrees Fahreinheit warmer than the 1960-1961 mean. This confirms the suspicion that the planet is heating up. The ten hottest years since 1854 have all occurred since 1998. The average worldwide temperature was 57.0 degrees Fahrenheit. Scientists blame the heat on carbon dioxide and other gases produced by motor vehicles, which seem to trap the heat in the atmosphere. Natural distasters like floods are evidence of global warming. The ice cap at the north pole was the smallest this last year that it's been since 1974. Also, significantly cooler temperatures were recorded in northern Europe, United States, Canada, Russia and Greenland.

I think global warming is a very serious issue, although I myself am not doing too much to prevent it. I always think about how I really should do more eco-friendly things like ride bikes to other peoples houses and buy a compost bin, but it never seems to happen. One time this summer, I had biked four of nine miles to a friend's house and my bike tire popped. I didn't try to do any more biking after that. I'm hoping that I can be financially stable enough to buy an eco-friendly car when I come to the point in my life that I'm buying my own car. I've seen commercials for electric cars--I'm hoping I'll be able to do this. I think the main reason global warming scares me so much is because we really only have one planet, and it seems to me that we're ruining it.

Following Brazil floods, desperation, criticism grow

This article is about the recent flooding in Brazil which occurred near Teresopolis during the past week. Survivors line up outside morgues, waiting to hear news of missing relatives. The flood has killed at least 564 people. In Teresopolis, two refrigerated fish trucks are being used to hold unidentified bodies. The city has not estimated what the final death toll will be. The day after the flood, there still were no officials working on finding bodies. President Dilma Rousseff promised swift aid to the region which has yet to pan out. Apparently, the water moved through so quickly it knocked down walls and killing whole families as they slept. One man lost 14 relatives, with six of them confirmed dead. He is in shock.

I think it's a very good thing I read this article. I can't believe I had no idea this flood had happened, which just goes to show how sheltered I am. In the last week, I've been watching the news a lot but have mainly seen things about the Tuscon shooting. It makes me wish CNN morning news covered more world news. I can't even fathom what is going through the people of Brazil's heads. Losing one family member would be enough to put me over the edge--I can't imagine losing multiple families members at one time. And, on top of that, they all lost their homes and everything they knew. I feel so terribly sorry for the people of Brazil right now.

Too Fat? Your 'Thrifty Gene' May Be To Blame

This article is about the fact that a certain gene can contribute to obesity. This gene possibly helped our ancestors survive because of famines long, long ago. There are ways to target this gene, which can help solve the global obesity pandemic. Mice who lacked the gene could eat a high-fat diet without gaining weight. For some reason, the gene effects Mexican Americans more than White Americans. The gene works by slowing down the rate at which fat cells are burned. When animals without the gene are fed the high-fat diet, they watch their brothers and sisters with the gene develop diseases such as diabetes and become obese, while the animals without the gene don't develop anything. People can be tested for the gene to see how likely they are to become obese and develop obesity-related diseases.

It's probably a relief to most people that they have someone other than themselves to blame for their obesity. It is nice to know that it's not always just what we do that makes us fat. I've always wondered why some lucky individuals can eat as much they want and not gain a pound but then others have to watch what they eat and exercise excessively in order to maintain a healthy body weight. However, I'm afraid the knowledge of this gene will simply serve as an excuse for people to become obese. They might think, "Oh, it's in my genetic makeup. There's no way I can stop it," and they will let themselves become obese. I think people can still at least try to lose weight and maintain a healthy body weight, by eating a healthy diet and moderate exercise.