Dancing Debates

            This last Monday on ABC’s Dancing With the Stars, Olympic Gold Medalist Shawn Johnson and her partner Derek Houg danced another unforgettable dance.  This past week they were given the assignment of the rumba and it was truly capturing.  However, following the dance there was some debate among the judges on a few different points.

There was a point in the dance where Shawn came running at Derek well he stood on the edge of a stage they had set up and he cut her.  It was debated whether Derek had lifted Shawn or just caught her out of a jump.  Carrie Ann decided that Derek had lifted Shawn and therefore broken the rules, which docked them a point off of her score so she scored them a 9 out 10.  The other two judges felt that Derek had simply caught Shawn and therefore did not dock her any points.

If the debate over the jump wasn’t enough, Len then said that he felt there was not enough hip action in the dance to qualify it as a rumba.  Len has always been known as a grump but that did not make the audience very happy at all.  Overall, Len gave Shawn and Derek an 8 out of 10 for not following the style of dance they were assigned.

I know I had to agree with Bruno who gave them 10 out of 10.  The dance was beautiful and unforgettable.  Shawn had truly gone out there and done what she needed to do.  Carrie Ann even agreed that Shawn deserved a 10 by giving her a 9 but saying she was docking a point for a lift.  Shawn took the judges’ criticism and never disagreed and even smiled after given the score.  I truly think she is a great dancer and she probably deserved a higher score.

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A Banana a Day Keeps the Tingles Away

            I recently started a pill that can cause low potassium as a side- effect, so I was told that if my fingers or toes began to tingle to eat a banana.  This has made me wonder what potassium really does in the body, and well what some other nutrients do in our body that we are told to eat but don’t commonly hear about like calcium and protein.

            Potassium is one of the human bodies’ main electrolytes.  Most of the potassium in our body is eliminated through sweat and the urine.  This is why after long work outs; you should always drink a fluid such as orange juice that will replace the lost electrolytes.  Potassium is used in the body to build proteins and muscles, break down and use carbohydrates, maintain normal body growth, and control the electrical activity of the heart and acid-base balance.  Some deathly less important purposes are keeping acne, some allergies, fatigue, and kidney stones away.

Having a severely low level of potassium can result in weak muscle, abnormal heart rhythms, and slight rises in blood pressure.  Too much potassium in the blood can also cause abnormal and irregular heart rhythms.

The good news is that potassium can be found in many foods to help regulate the levels in your body.  Meats, such as red meats, chicken, and fish contain potassium along with soy products and veggie burgers.  Milk, yogurt, and nuts are a source of potassium.  Fruits, such as cantaloupe, citrus fruits, bananas, prunes, kiwi, and apricots, contain excellent sources of potassium.  Even many vegetables contain large amount of potassium.  However, caffeinated drinks and sodium tend to remove potassium from the body.

            Research and studies are being done on the use of potassium as a therapy for elderly hypertension patients.  Many of the elderly do not respond to blood pressure lowering medication, studies are underway to use potassium chloride as an alternative to other hypertension medications.

            Studies have been done that show a relationship between potassium intake and osteoporosis.  It is believed that a higher intake of potassium by women leads to a decreased chance of developing osteoporosis later in life.  People who get a lot of potassium in their diet also seem to have a lower chance of stroke; however this trend does not seem to stand true for potassium supplements.

            I don’t exactly understand still why my fingers tingle when my potassium gets low since I never found it as a side effect anywhere.  However, I did learn that drinking coffee in the morning when I eat my daily banana would explain why every day I still have tingling fingers by lunchtime.  I will probably have to change my morning routine.

I got my information from here, here, here, and here.

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2012 Halloween Costume Trends



Zombies
Well Halloween is supposed to be scary and one of this year's top Halloween costume trends is zombies!!! Now the exact reason for this trend is unknown, I think it is probably due to the whole zombie apocalypse thing.  All the kids these days just know they need to be ready if zombies ever attack, and the best way is to just fit in.



Pirates
Ever since the Pirates of the Caribbean Movies, pirate costumes have always been a very popular trend so the fact that it would make the list again is no surprise.  I have no problem with the pirate idea but at the same time I feel like it is very old and over used and would personally never wear it.

 

 

 

 

 

Harry Potter Characters

I know that Harry Potter is popular and all but I thought that the last movie came out in 2011 or something like.  Wouldn't that mean that Harry Potter is sort of out of date like the whole pirate costume idea?  I love Harry Potter, but I think that it is sort of like last year's trend in my opinion.

 

Superheros
The reason for the trend of superheros is a little more obvious.  The two most popular movies released in the past year were "The Avengers" and "The Dark Night Rises", both of which featured many popular superheros only increasing the love of already popular figures in American culture.

Power Rangers
I don't get it, plain a simple.  At the same time, I never really understood the popularity of the show to begin with, and was there ever even a movie?  I don't know why it would be popular again though since as far as I know there isn't even a new movie or even any new episodes out so it seems out of date.
 

 

 

 

 

 

Morph Suits

I guess to me a morph suit isn't really isn't even really a costume.  I guess it is a costume, but it isn't really staying with the whole theme of Halloween.  Most people dress as something scary or a movie character or something, and don't just cover their entire body in one tight color.  I think this trend is being worn mostly by boys though, so I guess I really don't have to understand this trend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Clown Costumes

You will never, ever, ever find me in a clown costume.  However this new found popularity is due to the new movie "Madagascar 3" in which all the animals use a circus to get home (I have previously blogged about it.)  I guess if you are the entertaining- type of person, this may be the costume for you.

 

 

 

 

 

This post was inspired by http://saaaammmm.blogspot.com/2012/10/halloween-costumes.html  it is a friend of mine's blog.

 

 

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Web Links:

Zombie

Pirate

Harry Potter Characters

Superheros

Power Rangers

Morph Suits

Clown Costume

2012 Trend List



Baking!!!

            The smell of pumpkin drifting throughout the house on a cool fall afternoon, and the gentle warming of the house by the oven means that baking is going on.  I have always enjoyed baking but have been baking a lot lately for different things.  I’m not one of those people that will just make the basic cake on the box, but instead look for some complicated recipe for everything.

            Recently, I was told I could bring food in on a Friday for my Chinese class.  Because I like baking, I brought in a pumpkin crisp that I got many compliments on (I will be providing the recipe at the end of this post for anyone interested).  This dessert was relatively easy and quick to make, it just requires quite a bit of baking time.  The recipe calls for nuts but to allow for some allergies I put nuts on only half, and I had some from both.  I personally liked the side without nuts better, I felt it was moister on top but the side with nuts obviously had more of a crunch, hence the name crunch.

            The pumpkin crunch recipe I used says to put whipped cream on top and I prefer it this way but I also know people that like it the other way, it really is up to whether you want to spend the money on a tub of it.  I would recommend eating all of it within a day or two.  After about three days it began to get dry; therefore I would recommend only making this for a group of people and not just to have your family eat unless they tend to eat a lot of sweets.

            I want to give some other baking hints I have learned over the years.  If you bake some cookies and they are starting to get dry, you can always just take a regular piece of bread and put it in the container with the cookies and it will moisten them back up.  I also have learned to not judge things that are in recipes and think that is going to completely ruin it; my favorite banana bread recipe has sour cream in it which makes it so moist.

            Overall, have fun baking and try new things.  Have fun in the kitchen and have fun eating! J

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Injuries

            Injuries, we all acquire them as a result of our participation in activities.  Sometimes there is a point that we have to make a hard decision that it may be best to discontinue involvement in such undertakings.

            Everyone has a sport they love or activity that they enjoy doing.  However, there is generally a point in time that it is best to quit playing football, to prevent permanent brain damage, or whatever sport it is.  The upside is, even if you are not able to keep participating as actively as you have been, there is probably a chance you can still be involved by coaching younger players or going to games.

            This last Wednesday I injured my neck while dancing.  After 12 years of dance I am seriously considering quitting dance to prevent any further injury.  Even though I am very upset by this, I know that I am still choreographing a fan dance for a school performance and hopefully a liturgical dance on Easter at my church.

            This has reminded me a lot of the new concussion rules in my state.  Following a concussion, athletes must pass certain tests before being allowed to play again; after a certain amount of concussions, athletes are no longer allowed to return to playing.

            At the same time, athletes and coaches need to practice properly to try and prevent injury.  Warming up slowly and stretching before and after exercise can help to prevent injury and keep you from having to make these difficult decisions.  Always listen to your coaches and don’t goof off and follow the rules of your sport each and every time you practice and play.

            As athletes, sometimes we have to make difficult decisions.  The decisions may be whether to swing or not, but they may be to never swing again.  We have to learn when to decide what the best for our health is, even if this may mean giving up a sport that we love.

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Winter 2012/2013 Trends I Don't Understand Completely....

            The other day my friend showed up wearing a sweater and shorts.  Personally, this seems very weird and wrong to me, and I know other people asked him about this too.  This got me to thinking about how it seems like every year the trends get weirder and weirder and yet we grow to except them, even if at the beginning we couldn’t stand them.

            So I am going to go back to my beginning thought of guys wearing shorts and a sweater. Apparently it is a new trend being started to show the masculine side of guys.  A guy is supposed to be able to wear shorts and therefore stand the cold when he is really freezing or something like that.  To me, that just seems stupid and I don’t find the look of wearing shorts and a sweater attractive, even if it was my boyfriend wearing it.

            The next trend I don’t get I am guilty of because honestly I find it cute, even though I don’t really understand it.  The idea this year of girls wearing short sweaters is sort of confusing.  Aren’t sweaters supposed to be warm?  The sweaters this year are loose on the bottom and come to about the belly button, while pants come just above the hips.  There is generally a few inch gap left between the top of the pants and the bottom of the sweater where skin is revealed and therefore would not be protected from the cold, frigid winter air.  Doesn’t that make the whole sweater pointless?

            The last trend I would be guilty of if I had the money to go out and buy the clothes required because honestly I like it.  This trend has made a return appearance from last year; it is the trend of wearing leggings with Uggs.  Let’s be honest, leggings are not pants, but most of us girls still wear them because they make you look pretty good to guys (unless you are on the large side because then I am begging that you do not, I repeat do not do this) and then we wear a sweatshirt with them because the “full effect” is still there for guys.  Yep I said it.  The trend, however, is not complete without a pair of Uggs which I think every girl in the US has had at some point except for me (Christmas present?).  In the winter this seems like it would be warm, but unless you spend a lot of money on warm leggings, chances are they are still probably pretty cold so I really just don’t understand the whole point in wearing them except to impress guys, and probably not the right kind of guys.

            Alright, well that is enough of me telling you guys about new fashion trends and I even gave some relationship advice. Wow.  But if there is a guy that wants to explain the whole sweater with shorts thing that would be great because I just really don’t get it at all. ThanksJ

 

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Whitewater Rafting!!!:)

            Whitewater rafting, if you haven’t done it, you haven’t lived.  The thrill is amazing as you go thru the whitewater rapids holding on tight and trying to not fall of the raft.  Rafting is a great way to have an adventure on your family vacation.

Whenever my family goes somewhere with good whitewater rafting, we make sure to spend half a day out on the water having fun.  Generally, you can chose a trip that would allow some down time in between rapids so you can enjoy socializing and having a great time with those you love.

Whitewater rafting is fun, but it is also pricey so make sure to have plenty of money on hand.  I would recommend doing some research to find out which place the locals would recommend.  Sometimes it isn’t the place with the best advertising but may be the small little shack on the corner.

Make sure you are prepared.  In the morning it may be cooler but it will probably warm up as the day goes on.  Don’t wear shoes you like or flip flops.  I would recommend buying water shoes or cheap sandals that strap on to your feet.  I usually wear my swimsuit and athletic shorts, and depending on the weather I may wear a cut off too.

No matter what, remember to have fun and enjoy your time.  Oh, and always follow the directions of your guide so no one gets hurt J

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Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids???

            “I’m hungry” has not been uncommon to hear in the afternoons around my school.  Changes in our school lunches have been obvious and greatly disliked among students, parents, teachers, and coaches.  Students are being left hungry following lunch and are being forced to eat snacks before and after lunch.  Parents have to dish out more for their students’ lunches that they get no say in.  Teachers are being forced to eat what the kids eat, even though they should be able to make their own decisions.  Coaches are making their athletes bring their own lunches to school.

            Under Michelle Obama’s Healthy, Hunger- Free Kids Act, a school lunch can only have eight-hundred and fifty calories to receive federal funding and replaces a lot of protein with fruits, vegetables, and carbohydrates.  Schools are also no longer able to provide dessert daily, but instead only once a week.

            Students are being left hungry following the new calorie restrictions.  As a student with braces, I am also many times unable to eat any of the vegetable and fruit options and therefore must throw it all away or give it to someone else.  The very low amount of protein in the meals also leave students feeling hungry faster, because protein is what makes you feel full longer.  Part of the act is “Hunger- Free” but I know I am getting left hungrier than I was before.  I eat lunch at 11:30 and by 1:30 I am usually forced to eat a snack.

            Parents are complaining about the new legislation, because even with the new rules, schools are receiving no more federal funding than they were before.  Fruits and vegetables are costing the schools more than they were before, and the food is also taking longer to prepare and therefore requiring longer work days for the cafeteria cooks.  The only way schools are able to afford to follow the new rules is by deferring the cost to the parents and raising the cost of lunches.

            Teachers are also being forced to eat meals under the same rules as students.  Many teachers are complaining that they are grown adults.  The teachers should be able to make their own choices, because face it, they are adults and should not be watched like a day care.  In the same way, high school students feel the same way.  We are old enough to make our own choices concerning our body and are not being given that freedom.

            Coaches are not happy with the new rules because they lessen the nutrition to their athletes.  Students in sports are not able to excel in their activities because they are simply not able to get enough to eat.  Many coaches are requiring their athletes take their own lunches to school to supplement what they can no longer get from the school.  The small amount of protein also makes it difficult for the athletes to make muscle.

            All- in- all, the new rules are hurting many students.  Not everyone is the same or has the same body as the rules would suggest.  Kids are being left hungry, something the new laws were supposed to be ending and are not able to be as active as they were.  We are supposed to be more active, but we are not being given the proper nutrition that is required to do that very thing.  We are hungry, and we want the rules changed.

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Election 2012

The Election of 2012 has promised to be a historical one, but aren’t all Elections historical? In history class we learn all the past presidents, so in essence all presidents are historical. However, I feel as though this election is different in many ways. For starters, the candidates have had equal poll ratings for what seems like forever, so unlike some elections were you can predict who will win, while I’m worried because you just don’t know. Second, our economy is in a recession, cities in California are filing for bankruptcy, what if our government has to file for bankruptcy? Third, our national debt, I already don’t like the taxes I have to pay and just imagine what they will have to be to pay off our ever increasing debt. We learn in APUS History about Hamilton’s financial plan, but how much national debt is too much? Fourth, the advertisements are getting a little obnoxious.

            I was only 12 during the Election of 2008 took place but if I remember right; it was almost obvious from about half way through Bush’s second term of presidency that the next president would be democratic.  So, in 2008 when Obama was elected president, it was really no surprise.  Now, every little thing said by the candidates seems to move the polls either which way, it seems like in November the election results really will be a surprise.

            Sure, we were in a recession during the last presidential election too.  However, at that point Republicans were in office and was being blamed for the economy, now Democrats are in office and we continue to be in a recession.  A lot of the vote will come down to how each candidate will help each individual voter and few will be looking at the whole final outcome.  Either way, the current economy will play a large role in the outcome and even the economy figures up until Election Day will help decide the outcome.

            The idea of a national debt has been disputed since our country first gained its independence.  Hamilton wanted to establish a permanent debt to help the new country have a good credit, while Jefferson felt that it was a bad idea to start our country with a debt.  Since the last election, our national debt has skyrocketed, which people may view as bad or good.  How people view the debt, similarly when our country gained its independence, will help decide our next leader.

            Anyone else getting call after call from different political parties? Then there are the calls reminding you that we have an election coming up (I’m not roommates with Patrick Star thank you for asking), the mail advertisements going after rival candidates that I always use to do my nails, and the constant commercials on TV and the radio.  I’m starting to get tired of all the back and forth from the candidates and can’t wait for the election so it can all stop already.

            All-in-all, the Election of 2012 has sure been promised to be historical.  One can only wait until the results in November to know who will the next President of the United States.

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Parochial vs. Public Schools

            Sending your kid to a parochial school or public school is an important question many parents have to ask themselves as their kids grow up.  As a junior in high school, I have a unique perspective in that I have attended both.  In elementary school and 6^th grade, I went to the local public school available for each grade; however, in 7^th grade I switched and began to go to a small parochial school across town.  In high school I returned to public schools which is where I have stayed and plan on staying.  However, both schools had their pros and cons.

 

            First thing is first, public school is a lot cheaper than paying the tuition to have your children attend a private school.  However, because parochial schools receive no state funding, the more the tuition is, the better the facilities most likely are.  This also means, the teachers at the school are probably getting paid a little less than public school teachers (depending on the school) and therefore, are probably there because they really want to be and are dedicated to their job.

            I don’t know if this is true of all parochial schools, but the food in our cafeteria was terrible.  I hear kids complaining at the school I go to now about the food all the time, all I can think about is if only they had gone where I went in 7^th and 8^th grade.  This could also go back to the tuition section to though; because the school couldn’t afford new kitchen appliances so what they were using was very old and out of date which would cause temperatures to fluctuate and therefore hot dogs burnt on the outside to a crisp but just perfect on the inside.

            The parochial school I went to began to implement the use of uniforms my 8^th grade year.  As a parent, you may or may not like that.  Most likely, an older student would not like that.  However, I have heard of some public schools in recent years requiring uniforms.  The idea of uniforms may be something that all schools are trying to move towards but I don’t know.

            Class sizes are a lot smaller at some parochial schools.  Whenever I have been in public schools, my class size has been around 25 to 30 students.  At the parochial school I attended, my graduating 8^th grade class had 16 kids, but my math class had even fewer kids, only 5.  Most people view that the smaller the class size, the more attention each student gets, and therefore they do better.

            Sports began in 5^th grade at the parochial school I attended, rather than 7^th grade as in public schools.  This allowed kids to find out what they enjoyed at a young age and many of them were much healthier and athletic.  Band also began in 4^th grade rather than 6^th grade so students are that much better when they get into high school and begin marching band and All-State Competitions.

 

            These are just some of the pros and cons of each school.  Every school is going to be a little different so I would recommend taking tours and talking with parents, teachers, and students from each type of school in your area.  The decision should ultimately be made based on what would be best for the student.

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The Fast Pace World of Music

I just came to realize how out of date the music is on my iPod. I rarely listen to my iPod because of this very reason, and the fact that I don’t have the time or money to make any more purchases on iTunes.

1. “Friday” by Rebecca Black. I remember buying this song a year ago as a joke, like the rest of the teenage population. However, even though no one else listens to it anymore and people barely remember it, my friend Sam (http://saaaammmm.blogspot.com/) and I have resolved to jam to it one of these Fridays on our way to school.

2. Numerous Chinese lessons from Chinese I and II when I am in Chinese III. I realize that really don’t know the lessons from the first 2 years, but I never have listened to them and just skip over them so I feel as though I should just remove them from my iTunes altogether.

3. “Kissin U” by Miranda Cosgrove. I don’t really even know why I ever bought this song.  Similar to “Friday”, I think it was as a joke to make fun of it.  I’m starting to think that if people would stop making fun of bad songs and instead just ignore them, we would have so much fewer.

4. “The Lazy Song” by Bruno Mars.  I don’t even really know if this is all that out of date, but I only really listen to country now so to me it is.  I like the beat and it is kind of funny, and if I was a guy I think I would probably find it so true too.

These are just a few examples of why I never listen to my iPod anymore.  I have many more random songs that I could have used, these were just the ones playing while I was writing this, or at least tried to play on my iPod before I switched them.  If you have any older songs on your iPod that you never listen to anymore either, just commentJ

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Squeaky Chairs

            We all have those things that just irritate us, the things that get under our skin and drive us crazy.  Many times these things are being done by another student in one of our classes and they may not even realize it, you may even be the culprit driving everyone else nuts in your class.  If you have a class with me and you are doing one of the things on my list, I would kindly ask that it stop because in person I am generally too nice to ask and just suffer in silence instead.

1.      Playing your music so that everyone else in the room can hear it.  I like country, yeah I’m my own individual person and don’t care what everyone else is listening to.  Don’t get me wrong, your music may have a sweet beat and all, but I don’t want to hear it.  Even if you are playing country, the way headphones are made, I can probably hear the beat but not make out any of the words so it is just going to irritate me as I sit there and try to think of all the words in my head.

2.      When the kid behind me is humming anytime we get individual reading and work time.  When you are humming a random tune, I can’t sing and I can’t hum along so just please don’t do it.  Most likely, you are ruining my concentration, which I don’t have a lot of to begin with.

3.      The person who clicks their pen the entire class period.  I know I am guilty of doing this, but I also know that after a short time I realize I am doing it and stop.  Anyone who is able to sit the entire class and click their pen obviously realized it at some point and is choosing to not stop.

4.      Sitting in a squeaky chair and knowing you are the person driving everyone else nuts.  I know this isn’t something that anyone else can prevent but this has got to be the most irritating thing I encounter while at school.  Currently, I am sitting in the computer lab at school and my chair is so squeaky that I eventually had to grab my iPod (put it on low so no one else can hear) and drown it out because it was just going to drive me nuts sitting here.

      I hope that if you saw this and know me, that you took the time to read it.  Even more importantly, if you read this and can identify yourself as one of the people that may be doing this in one of my classes, I would appreciate if you stopped. Thank you in advance! J

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