Its unhealthy, so of course I like it!

I don’t know when it started, but for as long as I can remember my love of fast food has been one of my vices. The food is just so fast, so yummy, and so accessible! Especially now that I am on my own, without my parents to provide me with home cooked meals, I find that I am eating fast food more and more each year. A lot of times I attribute this need for fast food with being a busy college student, as well as not knowing how to make more than a couple meals on my own. So fast food becomes my alternative.

But it’s more than that! Unless you are a super healthy person or have a lot of self- control there’s another factor that comes into play: fast food is delicious! I crave it! There are so many fast food joints to choose from to meet your taste bud needs! I know it’s unhealthy and I’ll regret it in my later years, but I find myself thinking, “Hey, I’m young! I want to enjoy life. I’m going to eat the food I want, when I want until I cant anymore. What’s wrong with that?” The problem is its horrible for my body and the food cost adds up after so long. Not to mention, if I ever have kids I could easily pass on my bad eating habits on to them.

When you think about it, fast food seems to be a vice for our country, as a whole, since the United States is one of the most obese nations in the world. In most cities you cant go more than a few miles without seeing some form of a fast food restaurant. The number of McDonalds in an area is actually pretty ridiculous!

Even with all the information we have about the reality of fast food we are constantly sent mixed messages by the media. It seems like every other television commercial or add in a magazine is some kind of fast food advertisement and then the other half are messages about body image and society’s idea of beauty.

To be honest, I don’t know how so many people manage to resist the temptation that is fast food with how much it is a part of American society, even though we are all well aware of how detrimental it can be to our health. All I know is I personally struggle to limit the amount of fast food I am eating every week and if I could I would gladly make fast food less of a vice for me.

I don't want a new phone.

"The phone to save us from our phones."

This commercial is awful, yet scarily prophetic. It's only a matter of time before people are so engrossed in their texts that they lose sight of the true meaning of communication.

Texting has become an epidemic, a disease. Phones are everywhere and everyone has one. And pays egregiously to use it.

I just don't understand.

Face-to-face conversation has always been my forte, has always been what I'm comfortable with. But no one wants to talk anymore. At parties, the glow of a cell phone always lights up my friends faces, while I'm stuck talking to myself. Relationships start and grow through texting. People stop what their doing to answer their phones, even in the middle of a real conversation. Some people are so engrossed in the glow of their Blackberry they forget that the outside world is there. It's like no one else wants to pay attention to life anymore.

They prefer the life inside their phone.

And it's worrying me. For the past few years, I've been looking down on these people, thinking that they have a problem, that this was just a fad, a bad habit that I was the first to break. Lately I've been worried that it's not them with the problem, but me. I'm worried that my unwillingness to use technology as the foremost means of my communication has been hurting me, and that everyone else has been looking down on me like I've been doing to them. Looking at me as if I'm the one with the vice.

I really hope that that's not the case.

She's not a thing, she's not an object, she's a real person... A REAL ANIMAL!

I am addicted to joy....

Loyal, unconditionally loving, unadulterated joy that comes bounding to greet you at the door:

No matter how hard the day, how uncompromising the work, how rude the other drivers, how judgmental or cruel the world (or your own self talk)--

--adorableness is waiting to capture your attention with play...

--playfulness is waiting to heal your wounds, to soften the edge, to lighten your burdens, to make you laugh with silly antics...

--affection is waiting to win your heart...

--love is waiting to teach you so many things:

--like that animals have feelings too, and emotional needs.  That your pets miss you when you're gone, and need your attention and understanding.  That your pets feel love, and joy, and jealousy, and hurt--emotional hurt--and depression...all the same feelings you do.

--That other animals have feelings too, to whatever degree...and needs.

--and what it means to be truly civilized.  That a measure of how civilized we are, is how we treat the other life forms on this planet.

Here's some information on the topic of animal rights, some groups that protect animals, and some groups that rescue and also adopt out rescued animals to families: 

People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)

Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International (SPCAI)

American Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA)

Wikepedia Article on issue of "Animal Rights"

Information about Animal Rights

Why go vegan?

The Animal Rescue League

Animal Rescue Inc.

http://www.paw-rescue.org

These are just a few examples, to get you thinking.  Letting animals into your heart will forever change how you look at the world...will forever change YOU.  You will never be able to walk through life unconscious again.  Love at your own risk.

(All photos on this blog post were taken with a cell phone camera, so please forgive the quality.  The model is Ms. Stevie "Nicky" Nicks of Fort Wayne, Indiana.  And yes, she loves to get fan mail telling her how wonderful and beautiful and adorable she is.  Like most entertainers, she has a big ego which must be daily fed.)

You're not too busy to read this. Trust me.

Busy,

busy,

busy...

As a college student, I feel like I'm always busy. When I'm not busy, it's because I forgot about something that would keep me busy. Being busy is essential to becoming successful. If you’re not busy, you are either unemployed or deceased. The word “busy” starts to look funny the more you stare at it. If I said “busy” one more time, that’s ten times I’ve said “busy” thus far. My favorite color is red, and I only like you as a friend.

I’m sorry. I’m so busy that I forgot to make sense.

If you thought that was bad, I’m willing to bet that you were too busy to notice that October 24th was Take Back Your Time Day. It’s a holiday that was created to combat the effects of being overworked and to give time to the most important parts of our lives: our health, families, relationships, communities, and environment. These are many of the things that we tend to forget about with our endless schoolwork, merciless jobs, and backbreaking chores. It’s enough to bring you down to your knees and make you curse the heavens and the universe in anguish for only giving us 24 hours in a day.

HEY!!! Pull your self together! It’s not your fault!

I’m sure you’ve heard the sayings, “idle hands are the Devil’s workshop,” and “hard work is the key to success.” Their meanings are deep-seated within the heart of America’s culture, all the way back to the days of our European ancestors who first settled in this country. These brave pioneers had to work nonstop just to survive brutal winters every year (I’m sure you learned all about the Puritans in history class, so I’ll spare you the details). As a society, we inherited the Puritan belief of work ethic: hard work is good, and laziness is bad. This is one of the reasons why we feel so guilty when we procrastinate, and why we look down upon those who don’t have a job. The worst part is that many of us forgot that life isn’t just about work.

We forgot how to care. I know I did. It cost me something that I could never get back.

Back in middle school, I always hung out with my best friend, Marc. After classes were done, I would go over to his house and play video games and watch some quality pro wrestling on TV. We talked about which girls we thought were hot and how we would ask them out on a date. We never did. We were like brothers. In fact, I introduced him to my older brother, and he introduced me to his older stepbrother, and we would all hang out together. We were pretty inseparable. Then high school happened.

I was tired of being the quiet kid. I came out of my shell and started talking to more people. I made tons of new friends that I hung out with more and more. I never forgot about Marc; after all, we are best friends. I just couldn’t help but spend less time with him with all the time I was giving to other important things. Things like joining wrestling, being involved in JROTC, and having a girlfriend can really take time away from a guy. I found myself being extremely busy all the time, and I just slowly drifted away from Marc. Then he had his first seizure.

Marc had brain tumors, and it required treatment right away. I was shocked. His mom told me that the doctors would take care of it and he will hopefully be fine. We prayed for him.

High school still kept me busy with thoughts of college coming up. The next time I saw Marc, it was during our senior year. His head was bald from the therapy he went through, but he looked healthy. In fact, he lost weight the previous summer because he spent so much time outside. He told me that he had been seeing a therapist about his shyness. I was so happy that he was doing well. He told me that he missed hanging out with me, and that we should again some time. We never did; I was too busy and forgot. He had more seizures. He didn’t come back to school for a while.

I just kept telling myself that he’s going to be okay. He’s been through this before, and he’ll get through it again. I was sitting in class one day when one of my teachers announced that Marc’s surgery was successful and that we were going to make him “get well” cards to let him know that we were thinking about him. I knew he could do it.

He never came back to school for our senior year. We graduated.

Over the summer, my brother visited Marc to check up on him. I was too busy with my landscaping job to go, and I lived about 50 minutes away with my mom. My brother told me that he’s different now. He can’t be exposed to bright lights or loud sounds because of the risk of getting a seizure. He would not be able to get his license for a long time. However, he was going to finish up high school the next semester to get his diploma. I felt bad for him. I kept telling myself that I would visit him.

I never did.

I went to college. It was the beginning of the semester, and I still needed to turn some forms in. I went to visit my dad to pick something up. Across the street, I saw Marc and his grandma walking into her house. I stopped what I was doing to visit. I sat down and talked to Marc. My brother was right; he was different. The surgeries and treatments took a toll on my best friend. It broke my heart. His speech was slower, he had problems writing my phone number down, and his sense of humor wasn’t there. His grandma told me that he would be doing better from now on. He was finally going to live his life again. I was happy, but at the same time, I felt so guilty for not being there for him when he needed me. It was time for me to be a better friend. Before I left, I told him that I would keep in better contact with him. I was really happy that I ran into him that day. I still am.

A couple of weeks later, I was getting ready to go to bed when I got a text message. It was from a high school friend of mine that I haven’t talked to since graduation. I thought it was strange. I heart froze when I read it. Marc passed away. I cried.

During the funeral, I spent time talking to his parents. I said that I was sorry that I wasn’t there for him. His mother said that it was okay. I was busy with life. Everybody is. She said that Marc understood. She told me that she loved me and that everything was okay. She also told me that I could come visit them anytime. I told her that I loved her too, and that I would.

That was a year ago. I still haven’t found the time to do it.

Please learn something from this story. I know what it’s like to be too busy. Don’t let yourself forget the most important things about life. It’s those things that you take for granted the most, although you don’t realize it. If you missed Take Back Your Time Day, don’t wait till next year to try it out. Try it out today or tomorrow. You’re not going to fall behind in anything.

I love you, Marc.

Climbtime

Last night, after my office hours ended at 5:30, I headed home, made a quick change, and biked over to the climbing gym.

I didn't eat dinner until 9:00. But that's not the problem.

The problem is that I spend too much time watching climbing videos when I could be doing other things, like research, or grading...

Dexter Dissected

The other day, one of my professors casually mentioned before class began that he was looking for a new television series to watch, and asked if anyone had any suggestions. The students who replied were unanimous in their answer, telling him that he should see the Showtime series Dexter."Don't listen to the haters," one young lady advised, "buy the first season and cherish every moment of it."

Though I've watched a few episodes of the show when it was in its first season, I did so with the feeling that there was something not necessarily immoral, but skewed or innacurate about the way the show's serial-killer protagonist, Dexter Morgan was portrayed.

For those who have not seen any episodes of Dexter, or read any of the Jeff Lindsay novels that the series is based off of, the show can be described as centering on a serial killing police-officer (played by Michael C. Hall) with a code of conduct; he allows himself to kill only other murderers.

Before I go further on the subject, let me say that I understand that the general public is not forced to consume any kind of entertainment, (much less accept it) and as such I can respect people's right to enjoy things that don't appeal to me. Within certain limitations, I'm a believer in the oft-stated belief that "to each his own." For this reason, the only question I really feel entitled to raise concerning Showtime's critically acclaimed series is what that very acclaim says about the people giving it.

To get right to the point, what bothers me about Dexter is not the fact that a premium-priced cable television network decided to produce a show about a sympathetic, honor-bound serial killer; after all, such a network's only real responsibility is to provide programming that will get watched. What bothers me is that almost every opinion I've seen or heard offered on the subject of the show, through T.V., internet, and radio has been one of unreserved praise. In my opinion, the phenomenon of Dexter's success is symptomatic of a cultural addiction to retribution. The kind of logic that deems a man like Dexter "a necessary evil" is the same kind that fails to understand why something like a prison renovation should be necessary; after all, the point of prisons is to make bad people suffer, right?

Showtime offered people a show premised with the idea that a sociopath who relishes the killing of serial-killers might be just the thing to tie up our justice-system's loose ends, and people ate it up.

The problem I see with this premise stems from one of its implications; namely, the idea that the ends (dead serial killers) justify the means (a living serial killer). Even in a world in which a sociopath had the self-control or moral compass to kill only "bad guys," (an idea I
find absurd in the extreme) it is vital to recognize that the character of the people he murders is incidental to the homicidal aspect of his nature.

Dexter Morgan kills bad people not because because they are bad, but because they are human beings in the same sense that you, my reader, are a human being. If you watch this show some time in the near future, I would urge you to remember that.

I Choose to Booze

\

My favorite vice is alcohol. I'm not picky... I will drink any kind (although I do prefer wine and hard- liquor over beer). My favorite drinks are dirty vodka martinis or a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon. I know the risks of heavy drinking and that there are many. But I LOVE my vice. A glass of wine before bed (or a bottle) is an easy way for me to unwind. Or a few drinks to be social is a nice way to catch up with friends. When i was younger the place to hang out was the mall... now we get together for a drink to hang out.

I would like to think that my vice is okay. Unlike others I do not drink and drive. Having a close friend die at the hands of a drunk driver was enough to rid me of that option a long time ago. I am also not one of those belligerent drunks who breaks things or causes fights. I am happy to say that I am a happy and quiet drunk, so what reason do I have to stop enjoying my vice?

One argument against my vice is the health risks. This is true, but I could die tomorrow... I would rather die happy.We cannot say that there are too many positive effects of alcohol and never in excess, but there may be some benefits... not that I need them to continue my vice!

http://www.thecurrentonline.net/oped/do-health-benefits-of-alcohol-outweigh-its-risks-1.1721342

This might get me in trouble

I'm a pirate.


This is true. I pirate different things from the internet. Some of them have been so good that I have eventually went out and supported the creator. A couple examples are my backgrounds, four albums from Nine Inch Nails, and books from Cory Doctorow. All of these have enriched my life in some way or another and it felt good to support them.


That said, according to the law, I steal things from people. I have no problem 'stealing' these 'things' from different creators. For the sake of whatever, I am going to remain ambiguous on what I download, but I suppose you could figure out what I download.


I like entertainment. Sometimes I just don't pay for it. I would if I could, sometimes. Pirating different things is not much different from renting, checking out, borrowing or lending something to someone. Many times, there are things that I would have preferred to not buy because the end product was not worth the cost. Software and games come to mind more so than movies. Dropping sixty bucks on something that I won't like for very long doesn't seem like a good investment for me. If I sell it later, I won't get what I paid for it back.


Then there are things that I own that I have no problem pirating. But according to the law, it's illegal for me to do this. Things like the Creative Commons are changing the way that the piracy is affecting things. Take companies like Steam which gives away free games and gives free play weekends for different games. This has led me to purchasing a couple of different games. They were so much fun that I had no problem paying for the game.


What's is weird for me, is that I have ethics about what I pirate. Somethings I just refuse to pirate. But as I see more and more of the enemies (the R.I.A.A, the MPAA, and DRM) challenging the little guys.


Students, the young, and the old are their primary targets.


So how do we fight back? Let me tell you.


We fight back by going underground. We self-publish, but beware of fan fiction. Internet DJ's use places like 8tracks. Bands can use myspace music. Filmmakers can use Youtube and post complete movies that they create. I'll even give you two examples that work well for this and utilize many forms of media to get their words out to the masses. This is especially important as more and more of us are getting broker. I know that I am.


Youtube recently showed a full concert over the internet. For free. If I could have, would I have preferred to be at the John Legend and The Roots concert? Absolutely. Instead, I got to go to it for free, just over the internet.


Authors like Seth Harwood release books for free in various formats. All of his books are available for free or you could pay for them. Have I paid for his books? You betcha.


What I really think, is that 'piracy' is helping significantly. Many artists, authors, filmmakers, photographers and anyone in any entertainment and research media field can now be on the same page as the professionals. Many of these amateurs are using this as a spring board and becoming professionals.

Hello… My name is Mara and I’m addicted to Facebook.

sickfacebook.com

I created my facebook account almost five years ago and I never looked back. I am a self-admitted facebook addict! More than 500 million people have a facebook and I am one of the 175 million people that check their page daily. (TechCrunch.com) I can’t go an entire day without checking my profile and my feed. And why not be addicted? I am able to connect with hundreds of people at the click of a button, post a funny video, or take care of my virtual pet all in one place.

I had never questioned my devotion to the Holy Grail of social connections until just a few weeks ago when I saw the movie “The Social Network.” It is a really good movie if you haven’t seen it but once I knew the struggle that went into making this worldwide phenomenon I started thinking about how different the world would have been if facebook had never been made.

1. I defiantly wouldn’t spend as much time on the computer. I would have to read a book, do homework, or interact with people face to face! (gasp!)
2. My contact list on my phone would be overflowing. We would need to talk or text in order to contact people instead of just facebooking them.
3. None of our virtual worlds would exist! No petville, yoville, farmville, or other community games.
4. No one would remember anyone’s birthday. I need that notification or I feel horrible for forgetting.
5. Facebook creeping wouldn’t exist. We would actually have to ask people what we wanted to know about them instead of just creeping on their profile!
The list could go on and on.



I know that I’m focusing on facebook but my argument can be applied to other social networking sites as well. Yes myspace came before facebook (facebook is better) but myspace has become the place to find out info on the latest music. Twitter lets you post anything from “Going to Wal-mart to buy stuff! Hit me up later” to “To be, or not to be--that is the question: Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune or to take arms against a sea of troubles and by opposing end them. To die, to sleep-- No more.” As well as granting or taking away fame. And who can leave out search engines! Yahoo and Google save my life when I’m writing a paper and am too lazy to spend time trying to find research. Within seconds you have 500,000 possible sources!



I am an addict and I need my fix! If that means spending 7-8 hours a day with my page open in front of so be it!!! I’d much rather live in a world where I was addicted to facebook then a world where it didn’t exist. Yes, it distracts us from work we need to get done. Yes there are pointless and mindless games we can’t stop playing. Yes we can creep or be creeped on. But I wouldn’t have it any other way!

Jon Stewart, Washington D.C., and unforeseeable consequences.

"It is difficult not to write satire" - Juvenal

This ancient thinker goes on to say that keeping one's stylus silenced is so difficult when one lives in such an evil place - and I agree. One of my many vices is sitting on the sideline and criticizing a world I feel removed from. I am an aspiring satirist. For many years I've been receiving my news from Jon Stewart, comedian, satirist, and host of the Daily Show on Comedy Central. Through the veil of humor, Stewart is capable of illuminating many truths. Sometimes he's so good at his job that he gets other, weaker shows canceled, like Crossfire, a CNN program that featured Tucker Carlson doing what he does best: Wearing a bow-tie, and being a dick.

Now, Jon Stewart is getting moderately, seriously moderate. He (along with pure comedian/satirist Stephen Colbert) are holding The Rally to Restore Sanity and/or Fear in Washington D.C this Saturday. What is being referred to as "The Million Moderate March" is supposed to be a day of fun, relaxation, and political skewering of all available targets. But some believe that Stewart's rally shouldn't be held at all. Check out this article from Slate magazine.

What the article suggests is that liberals will flock to the event and ignore going to the polls to vote for Democrats. I don't think this is inaccurate (maybe a bit exaggerated), but I think that people are really missing the point here. Yes, I believe that Jon Stewart is a passionate liberal, but he is ultimately a satirist, not a politician. He knows that. He understands that the system is tragically flawed and fixable, but that people will not muster up the courage to do so. His march is purely symbolic and more importantly, intentionally unimportant within the political spectrum. Jon Stewart does not believe that he will change the world with a rally, so why are his critics suggesting he does?

Satire is a vice: Something that makes me feel good, but doesn't help much. But I keep it in check, and it's nice to be rewarded with an event of like-minded, fun-loving, kind-hearted people enjoying a nice day in the park.

I'm Just Getting My Vitamins ...

We all know it's bad. All of us have heard the horror stories of tanning beds multiple times in our lives. It causes skin cancer, and even the occasional report of someone "baking" their internal organs and dying because of too much tanning. If we all know how bad it is, then why do more than 28 million people visit tanning beds every year?

I am a guilty member of those 28 million people. I'm not stupid, I know tanning is bad and not worth the risk. However, I seem to still be bombarded with the superficial thoughts that I am "too pale" and I eventually give in to temptation and jump in a bed. As of today, I am about 9 months "sober," I guess you would say. But again, I am getting to the point where I feel a strong "need" to go tan. Luckily, it seems that now I have a new way to rationalize my tanning: I'm just doing it to get my vitamin D!

Vitamin D Get Sun in Winter...Tanning Beds...Supplements? en Yahoo! Video

As this video shows, people are getting more and more concerned with their vitamin D intake. It is reported that most Americans are NOT getting the optimum amount of vitamin D. Low vitamin D levels put you at higher risks for getting cold and flu bacteria, and increases your chance of developing certain cancers. So, people (including myself) now have an excuse to tan. These beds are providing us with vitamins that we need to live a healthy life.

Some tanning beds are even starting to change their name from tanning beds or salons to "Vitamin D Beds." This may cause ever more people to start to think, "maybe this once bad habit and risky practice isn't so bad after all?" I'm not really ready to jump on the "tanning is healthy" bandwagon, but just incase I do break down and buy a tanning package in the near future to satisfy some strange addiction I seem to have, I guess I will have a way to rationalize it.

Or, maybe not.

Infographic without Commentary

Via.

last night, i was stumbling...

stumbleupon.

go there. now. download the browser bar.
and brace yourself for yet another reason to waste time on the internet.
or is it really wasteful?

stumbleupon allows users to browse the internet specific to their own personal interests. this website provides a LONG list (complete with checkable boxes) of topics/interests/genres/themes/things that you can choose to narrow down your search. if after a day of stumbling, you decided that you're sick of cats (you wouldn't even believe how much cat stuff is on the internet), you can go back and uncheck that box!


and after making your interests known to the lovely people/machines/technology at stumbleupon...let the addiction begin.

with the click of a button ("Stumble!"), you're off! warning: this may end up being a few hours.

several (cough cough, carr) would argue that the internet is negatively impacting our generation, and generations to come. however, stumbleupon gives everyone with access to the internet, the opportunity to stimulate their mind, and perhaps discover new things about areas they're interested in...or not (hence, the thumb's down button). i've discovered things and places on the internet that i had no idea existed; nor would i have ever figured out without the help of this website.

a very minuscule selection of my stumbling results over the last few days:

sharpie decor
historic facebook
faraway places
buying things dressed as a bank robber!
SUPER COOL!


although this website is somewhat of an addiction and a vice, what i find on stumbleupon inspires me to travel. to be a better person. take pictures. cook. laugh. create. it never ceases to be intriguing, and sometimes, surprisingly educational. go see for yourself.

3D, death to boring!

I'm obsessed with anything 3D. I think it started when I was really young, maybe there were some 3D glasses in the cereal box, and maybe I hung out with the back of that cereal box decoding things with my cool glasses for far too long. Maybe I wore those glasses everywhere. I excitedly waited to see stuff in 3D and sadly everything was in boring ol' 2D. My childhood was dimensionally a disappointment.

But today that is different.

I think my 3D lapse happened last year when I saw Avatar in theaters.

First of all, the glasses aren't the same. They are like freaking Buddy Holly glasses; you could wear them anywhere and not look like a blue/red lensed freak.

Second, oh my gosh! Everything is so altered. I literally felt like I was in Pandora because it looked like these blue creatures were right next to me. Simple things in the movie, like water droplets actually looking like they will spill on you, took me over the edge. I mean it was a total experience. Mind blown.

And lastly, I thought it was like the best thing that ever happened to me. For 2 hours I was having a blast in my fantasy world and then I took off my glasses and I realized that I was in a crappy theatre with my dad and sister.

So what do I do? I see it a couple more times in theaters. I always pay the extra 5 bucks to see it in 3D. Then I get totally over it and don't even think of it for 3 months. BAM! Avatar comes out on DVD and then I'm like, "oh yeah, that movie was awesome. I'm totally going to pay money to have that forever."

I get home and pop it in.

Is this even the same movie? This sucks. I need glasses.

The use of 3D technology has been around since the 50s, but with now with computer technology available, the quality and quantity of 3D images is amazing. There are some haters out there (like people who can't see in 3D), but I feel like the majority of people are riding this 3D bandwagon with me.

Today everything is in 3D. Everything. Movies. Comic books. Pornos. Websites. Crest Whitestrips (which what does that even mean?) Teams of people are working to take 3D even further. 3D Video games & Computer games are going to be developed our lifetimes!

So point being, if you made a movie about something bogus like Sarah Palin clipping her toenails, I'd probably see it... if it was in 3D.

Ideas Ideas Everywhere

For many college students, and students of all ages, one of the greatest struggles is knowing what to write. Knowing where to get ideas can seem like a herculean odyssey. I often don't know where to start. That was, until I saw this diagram on Frank Chimero's blog.

Questions about where and how to start can make the paper writing process wrought with anxiety. This stress can manifest in very physical ways. Perhaps the two most common "side effects" are headaches and nausea, with tiredness as a close third contender. However, in extreme cases it can manifest as vomiting, and racing of the heart [aka you feel like your heart is going to flop out of your chest it's pounding so hard].

Seriously scary isn't it?

I personally usually feel like this...




I know I should get started early. Procrastination is not a vice I enjoy having. I mean, I do my best..

'Cause, who really wants to face those messy physical side effects?

You Can't Hide a Vampire Bite

What is vice? The Merriam-Webster Dictionary calls it: "an abnormal behavior pattern in a domestic animal detrimental to its health or usefulness. Your average MacBook dashboard dictionary will tell you that vice is an immoral or wicked characteristic. My definition is simple. Vice is anything you do that you are, or should be, ashamed of.

Not long ago, Summit cast a young actress by the name of Mackenzie Foy to play Renesmee in the conclusion to the Twilight Saga, Breaking Dawn. Stephenie Meyer confirmed it, and when Stephenie Meyer says something is true, it must be.

"But Kevin," you may ask. "What does this have to do with vice?" The news in and of itself has very little to do with vice. The vice in the situation is that I care. Yes, I am invested in the casting of this movie, as I was invested in the casting of all of its tween-worshipped predecessors. I remember sitting in front of my computer screen in high school, cringing at the decision to cast Robert Pattinson as Edward Cullen. I read the the whole series... for fun, and for that, I am deeply ashamed.

I have tried to break away over the years, knowing full well how much intellectual damage these books have caused the teenage girls of the world. I know that calling Stephenie Meyer a refined author is like calling the guy in those local car dealership commercials a Shakespearian actor. Comparing her elaborative diary entries and glorified fan fiction to literature would be like comparing that noise your cell phone makes when its about to die to music. Knowing that doesn't change the fact that I bought all of her books, with real money, and may or may not have enjoyed reading them.

After the first movie, I realized exactly how stupid the story was. I mean... I always knew. Yeah, I just went to the midnight showing because I wanted to laugh at how bad it was. After suffering through hours of wooden acting and lines too cheesy for the Lifetime Network, I vowed to never spend another dollar on that rubbish. Yet, New Moon came out and I saw it in theaters as well, insisting that I wouldn't see Eclipse at all. Sure enough, this Summer, I found myself sitting in a movie theater watching Edward and Bella redefine what it meant to be in an unhealthy relationship.

Breaking Dawn was without a doubt the worst book of the series. It was painful to read and I have stated over and over again that I will not see the movie, or movies, since someone had the brilliant idea to extend this existential vacuum into two feature length infringements on our unalienable human rights.

Be that as it may, one lonely night, while avoiding a two page paper, my resolve broke and my curiosity dragged me to Imdb's front doorstep. I snuck a peak at the new cast, noticing that two of my favorite actors, Joe Anderson (Across the Universe) and Maggie Grace (Lost), were signed on to join the cinematic axis of evil. From there, the decay of my dignity only grew worse. Upon seeing the news of Ms. Foy's casting as Renesmee, I actually muttered aloud, "Oh, she should be good." I said it for the world to hear. It was too late for denial. I might as well go to the store and purchase my "Team Jacob" T-shirt and the entire discography of any hip, indie band that's been featured in one of the films. As much as I fight it, as much as I hate it, I'm a Twi-hard, because with a vice so dark and haunting; the undead are the only ones I can relate to.

Struttin is a Habit

In today's society, we see fashion trends come and go. We will see a trend come and go as quick as it came out. At first, we see a few people starting to wear something, and then by the next week, everyone will be wearing it. And we don't just wear something for one day. Oh no. We were it everyday. We are all creatures of habit when it comes to trends whether we decide to admit it or not. We are all guilty of going along with what everyone else is wearing. For instance, almost every girl I see is walking to class in leggings and any type of UGG boots. It looks good, and it very comfortable to wear coming from someone who wears them just as much as everyone else, and in fact, wearing them as I am writing this. Now, one may wonder why this would be considered a vice. The one aspect about following trends is that they come and go so fast. Some of them will stay in style for quite some time, while others may only last for about a year or two years. For example, the type of jeans girls where now a days has changed. We went from sporting the bell bottoms, to skinny jeans rather quickly. Another example of how quickly the fanny pack is all the sudden coming back. This was popular in that 80s and part of the 90s, and now all the sudden Ill see people wearing them on campus as a purse. When all the sudden did this happen? I admit to being guilty to following everyone else's trends, we all do it, it's a habit. According to author Rebecca Arnold, who wrote "Fashion: A Very Short Introduction", "Desire and anxiety are at the heart of this. We’re drawn to the new and novel, to things that provide a feeling of change, and, perhaps, progress. We also want to belong – to be part of something recognizable – and there is no more obvious way to demonstrate this than through your clothes. A new outfit that fits with what magazines and advertisements are promoting can be really pleasurable to buy and wear. It can give you a new identity, even if it’s only for one night." As you can see, people want to keep up with fashion trends to they can show society that they can keep up even though it goes fast, and that they can also make it their own. It is human nature for us to keep trending because we are constantly drawn to new things. Unfortunately, we cannot slow down the constant trending and make people realize that what they wear is still fashionable. Isn't that part of fashion? Making a style your own and sticking with it? We can't help but change out style as a result of society telling us what to wear and what not to wear. I'm almost positive there is a show about on MTV. People need to take a look at themselves and realize that their style makes them, them, and society should not have to change that so drastically. Overall, we are creatures of habit when it comes to following fashion trends, and struttin' what we already have, doesn't have to change with the pace of society.

Below, I included two images that show the difference in how these trends change over time.

http://grass-routes.org/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/hess-natur-miguel-adrover.jpg

http://www.flirtskirt.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/fashion-video-fall-winter-2009-2010-affordable-fashion-trends_blog_image.jpg

Dear Calvin Klein

I suppose you could see my penchant for speaking out against the ridiculous and my utter lack of finesse when it comes to stupidity as being a vice. However, I don’t, (perhaps my inability to recognize the necessity of publicly censoring my speech is what makes this particular habit a vice). In all honesty why shouldn’t I be able to speak out against what ridiculous things are happening in the world today. Why should I be told to remain silent while everyone else’s opinions are heard? I don’t mean that I am blatantly rude, unless of course the person spoken to is far too thick to get my meaning, I simply say what I think with disregard for the common opinion and take what comes as a result of my ideas. Yes, this creates controversy, yes this could be bad for my future career, but will I stop? I doubt it. Will I attempt to suppress some of my more shall we say, unpopular opinions? It’s possible but I’m not holding my breath on that one.

So when I saw that Australia had banned Calvin Klein’s ad because it was “suggestive of violence and rape” I had to take a look. After seeing this ad, going through the slide show, and viewing some of Calvin Klein’s previous material, I have to say, I would ban it too. I completely agree that this is promoting violence against women and with the current rocketing stats of domestic violence, abduction, and rape the United Nations has released, why would Calvin Klein decide to run with a campaign that is so obviously demeaning? And why would people be protesting it being banned? I understand we all want freedom of speech but seriously this is R-rated material being shown in the context of an advertisement. We shouldn’t be portraying women as playthings for men and we definitely shouldn’t be supporting a company that takes violence against women so lightly.

As a side note to the misinformed person that commented on the article with,

“These ads aren't offensive. They are overly sexual and artistic but this is what Calvin Klein has always represented. And also, violence against women isn't going to stop if you ban ads. The very notion that someone would think that is ridiculous.”

I am guessing here but maybe this person doesn’t know anyone who has been a victim of domestic violence. The point being, if you think this ad is portraying art, you are sadly mistaken. Rape in any context is never a form of art. Comments such as these and stories like this only contribute to my habit of uncensored speech and opinion.

Not a Fan of Not Matching

This may seem trivial to many, but my vice is I feel like I have to have to have my outfits match. It bugs me when I see someone blatantly mismatching their clothes with clashing colors, patterns, etc. Mind you, there are exceptions; people who mismatch for stylistic reasons and can pull it off, but I’m talking about people whom just A. Don’t care or B. Think that stripes look good with polka dots.

Now I’m not saying people need to dress up everyday. I don’t even do this myself, but I have noticed that I do feel better about myself if I’m having a good hair day or are wearing a cute outfit, where everything from my headband to my shoes go together. One of the biggest things I have noticed is I want my flip-flops or boots to match the color of my outfit. If I somehow accidentally wore navy blue flip-flops with black pants I would feel incredibly sloppy. Even though this can seem kind of vain, I know that the way we dress is a huge part of American culture.

If you disagree, just take a look at a People Magazine, or E News. There is so much emphasis, especially for girls, on what is flattering for our bodies, what’s fashionable, what’s hip. If there wasn’t, I don’t know that so many people would pay money for name brand things. Just the other day I was watching Fashion Police on television and people just laughed and made fun of how badly dressed different celebrities were and it was oddly entertaining to me, perhaps because of the humor of it all.

Also, the way we dress can affect us in a way that is beyond our own taste in couture. When applying for a job, a poor dress choice can affect how seriously the interviewer takes you. If poor enough, it can cause you to not even be considered.

"Not now dear, I'm Facebooking."

It has its own vocabulary (liking, friending, blocking...), complete with acronyms (FB, ty, lol...to name a few;   ROTFLMAO:  I love that one.).  I feel like an insider using it.

(Image via http://www.facebook.com/)

I resisted using it.  I thought, what could I possibly have to say?  Finally, I decided to use it for professional reasons--a place employers could look at my quasi resume.  I set up my page, listed my education and work history on the info tab, and started looking around on the site.

I found a few people I knew and added them as "friends".

I found games.  OMG!  I found Mafia Wars!  I added several dozen strangers as friends (you can't advance in those games without lots of mates).  I started paying attention to the posts on "the Wall" (where all the messages from friends get posted).  I started responding to posted messages.  I started posting a few updates of my own.  I became more informed on and connected to the lives of my friends and family than I had been before.  Some of my family and friends live in the same small town as I do, yet we chatted more on Facebook than we had on the phone or in person.  I met "friends of friends" and added them as friends if we had something in common.

I learned about subjects, issues, and resources I hadn't known about before as I paid attention to the things my "friends" posted, liked, reposted (you can "share" another person's post by posting it in your message stream)... I found "pages" (professional or organizational Facebook pages) on sites and subjects that interested me personally and professionally.  I joined national and international dialogues on issues and topics I felt important.  I posted questions for advice whenever I had something big to decide (if it wasn't too personal).

I realized I was addicted when I noticed I have to check my Facebook page first thing every morning, last thing every night, and several times in between.   I use checking Facebook as a reward for doing so much homework or writing so many words (or for writing for certain lengths of time)...Yes, Facebook is a vice.  Is it good or bad?  Maybe it's both.  Sometimes I Facebook when I really need to be doing something else.  Then it's a bad vice.

Recently a Facebook "friend" of mine (someone I have never met face-to-face) made the following post:  "How do you tell your 9-year old that her mother isn't coming home from the hospital?" He was telling us his wife had finally died.  I and several others expressed our condolences and support.  What struck me was his need to share with us, with his Facebook community--to connect with people he had only connected with online.  Clearly, social networking allows for an emotional connection that transcends the boundaries of face-to-face relationships.  If using Facebook this way is a vice, it is a good vice.

Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to go check my Facebook page.

The bible says...

…that being gay is wrong. It’s an abomination. It’s an act of evil against god. Gay people will burn in hell for eternity for their heresy.

What a crock.

Yet, people actually believe this. The bible is the reason that gay marriage is outlawed in all but 5 states. Religious zealots use the book as a weapon, as a way of attacking without feeling guilty. They are doing the work of god…not victimizing those who are different.

Those of us who have opened our eyes and turned away from the bigotry that religion has become realize that these zealots are the least Christ-like of all people.

Bigoted zealots are using religion for evil. For them, religion is a vice…not a virtue.

Take, for example, Carl Paladino. He’s the Republican opponent in New York’s gubernatorial race. His recent attacks on gays have been fueled by his ridiculous views of religion. They lead to acts like this, or this, or - worst of all - this.

“We shouldn’t brainwash teens into being gay,” says Paladino even though he’s perfectly content in brainwashing them to be hateful, god-fearing bullies. Religion says he, atrocity says I. Step away from god, and no man can make claims like Paladino has, they will begin to feel only guilt, not religion.

Thank god, so to speak this man is losing heavily in the polls. And even though he is an obvious hate-monger and close-minded bigot, he promotes himself as the “religious values candidate.”

If those are religious values, I’m happy in my heresy.

I won’t add religion to my growing list of vices.

---

The election is next week. If you live in New York, please don't vote for this monster, and do your best to dissuade all others from it as well.

I spend more time on Tumblr than you do.

I don’t watch TV. I’m not bragging and I’m not saying that I spend time reading Sophocles while I'm not watching Two and a Half Men. I don’t. I’m saying that I’m poor, that I’m in college, that the cable bill is a corner that I’ve cut.

But I miss TV. I miss the feeling of holding a remote. I miss that high-pitched whine that’s almost inaudible, that you’re not really sure you’re even hearing. I MISS CHANGING CHANNELS. Surfing channels. Surfing. An active metaphor for something so simple. Click. Click. Click. There’s something mesmerizing in it. Infomercial.Cooking show.Crappy drama.Laugh track. I’m a moth caught by an incandescent light bulb and I love it.

Or, I loved it. I've moved on. I've started seeing someone new. These days, my laptop is where it's at. I'm a student and I spend a lot of time on the Internet. I do homework. I check Email. I creep you on Facebook.

But in my downtime, between all of that, I Tumble.

Tumblr is a blogging platform—like Blogger is—but it’s not like this at all. Posts are almost always pictures. With a caption. Maybe. You follow people who have a habit of posting things that interest you. Your friends, maybe, but usually strangers.

And because Tumblr has the Dashboard, you can scroll through all of it. Quickly. If you see something you like, click it. It gets bigger. “Heart” it. Reblog it. Easy. Quick. Keep Going.

Here are some screen shots of my dash:

Scroll.

Scroll.

Etc.

Tumblr is my vice. I'm telling you that only because I spend so much time on it. Because it isn't that I don't think it's great. I do. Tumblr is great. Sometimes our vices are great.

Where else could you find:

This picture of a shark, skydiving.
The Sara Palin 3 wolves tee.
Ronald McDonald on ice.
Jane Austen Fight Club.
A Humorous LOST screen shot.
An inspirational monster.
Banksy.
Ellen Page in a sweater.
These painted faces.
Lady Gaga hanging with The Wild Things.
This cover of "Sweet Disposition."
Well-designed literary references.
This newly discovered species of fish.
Etc. etc. … etc.




There's something creative and clever about Tumblr that you just don't get channel surfing. Keep that in mind. And go check out Tumblr. What are you doing? I don't know why you're still here. Seriously, go. Now.

OMG SHOES!!!...Wait, what?

Over this semester, I have had a few friends trying to convince me that my shoes are bad for my feet. It’s not like I was wearing a raggedy pair of Chucks, Vans, or flip-flops when they were telling me this; I was wearing my nice and comfortable Asics. Sure, they might be a little worn, but they were designed for running. Of course, this would lead me to assume that they are good for my feet. It makes perfect sense, right?

I thought you would agree.

Well, it turns out when they were talking about my shoes, they were actually referring to ALL shoes. I was force-fed the concept of “barefoot running,” which I immediately thought of as a new hipster fad. With all of the heath benefits that were being preached to me (e.g. less headaches, backaches, etc.), I couldn’t help but dive deeper and research this new phenomenon. In the process, my worldviews were tampered with: shoes can be a vice! Someone should let Kelly know about this revelation right away!

Once I learned about what “barefoot running” was, it was suddenly the only thing I saw or heard about anymore. There’s a news report from today that showcases a barefoot runner talking about all of the good things that running barefoot does for him, along with a counter claim against barefoot running from a podiatrist. These two viewpoints epitomize the biggest question with barefoot running: is it good or bad for you?

Research studies that I have found suggest that the impact that your feet absorb when you run are lessened with a good technique through bare feet as opposed to shod feet. Also, the likelihood of injury drops when one runs barefoot (nerds should click here and here). Of course, these are only but a couple studies conducted on the mechanics of barefoot running. In several articles about this subject, it is emphasized that there are individual differences between feet. This means that barefoot running may not be physically healthy for everybody. As some people need glasses to see, some people need shoes to walk.

Biologically speaking, walking barefoot is a natural thing for human beings to do. With this in mind, one may get the impression that shoes are unnecessary. While being barefoot is natural, concrete roads and sidewalks are not. Bare feet could take a beating on these very hard surfaces. Shoes are designed to correct this, but nothing is designed perfectly. There is a strict policy in gyms that require everybody to wear shoes when exercising. There is also the strong possibility of getting frostbite during the wintertime. Although bare feet seem like a good idea, there are many obstacles that we face on a daily basis that make it easier to just wear shoes.

However...

If you still want to try it out, start off with a lap or two in your backyard or jog a short distance at the park. The key is building up to running a mile, or two, or ten. Through this practice, you naturally learn how to run correctly while building up muscles that were previously deactivated in shoes. If you try to run a 5K while barefoot for the first time, you may decide that it would be your last as you gingerly walk back home on bloody, blistered, and bruised feet.

By the way, if going barefoot seems appealing, but you don’t want to walk or run around in your naked and vulnerable feet, you may want to look into Vibram FiveFingers shoes. It is the closest you can get to being barefoot while still in footwear. If you are worried that these are useless novelty items, there have been research studies conducted on these shoes.

In case anybody was wondering whether I am going to take my friends’ advice and free myself from the evils of shoe-dom, my answer is that I probably am. I love to run recreationally and for my health, and I already am barefoot 6 hours a week during my Judo class, granted that I’m on a mat. It seems really interesting, and I want to try it before I make any further judgments.

Futurism as Vice

In the news this week is the U.S. military’s interest in contractors to develop an unmanned helicopter program. Apparently, the idea is to avoid roadside bombing casualties by going airborne with supplies and taking vehicle operators out of the equation.

As I first read about the initiative, first publicized in a recent issue of Stars and Stripes, I couldn’t get over just how cool it sounded. Though I’ll admit it’s absurd, the very idea of fully unmanned helicopters going into action as soon as next year conjures images of other more wondrous inventions I might (but almost certainly won’t) see in my lifetime: light sabers, powered armor, ray guns, etc.

The thing I force myself to remember is that a world with more powerful weaponry is not necessarily a better one, (COUGH, Manhattan Project) it’s just more cinematic as fantasy fodder. The idea of a robotic helicopter is appealing to me not because of what it is, but because of what I am: a futurist.

I like the idea of man triumphing over nature and his own humble beginnings, just as I like the idea of technology as a force for good in the world. With that said, I think my ability to marvel at such things as Gatling guns and nuclear bombs suggests that I have taken my futurism too far; to imagine these instruments in action is to imagine the death of human beings.

As star wars teaches us futurists, a light saber wielded by a Jedi can be a good thing indeed. In the hands of a Sith however, it can do only evil.

Persistent And/Or Obnoxious Cat-calls, Pick-up Lines, etc.

This is certainly not a vice that I partake in but it is something many of us experience. Some may like the attention obtained from what I find to be often over the top. I am not a prude by any means, but when I hear whistles flying out of car windows as I walk through campus or lewd suggestions as I go to meet friends for a drink, I find myself wanting to say what I often heard my mother say in similar situations: "Did your mother teach you to talk to a lady that way?".

I am speaking specifically from a females point of view because I am a Female. And as a female I wonder what it is about the male ego that some men think being sexually suggestive is okay? Or that "no" means keep trying until we say yes? In many cases this can be seen as sexual harassment. My suggestion would be for these men to talk to a girl and at least take the time to give her a compliment rather than being crude. I hate to say it but telling a girl what she wants to hear (whether sincere or not) is really all it takes. I won't speak for my entire gender but I for one would prefer a little respect.