November 2009 - Posts

Media Mix
Thursday, November 05, 2009 12:16 AM

 

I'll admit it, I'm one of the many adult women who have casually wandered into the young adult section, picked up the next book in the Twilight saga, ready with an alibi, "It's a gift!" before quickly leaving the bookstore to read the first chapter in my car. I may be a little embarrassed about having read (and thoroughly enjoyed) reading this saga, but with the millions of books that have been sold it's impossible to deny that there's something great about this series.

 

In addition to the incredible accomplishment of encouraging more tweens and adults to read, the Twilight saga by Stephanie Meyer has become a pop-culture phenomenon. With each book in the saga, Twilight, New Moon, Eclipse and Breaking Dawn on bestseller lists, two very popular movies out and two more on the way it's hard to go anywhere without seeing or hearing about Edward, Bella and Jacob or their actor counterparts Robert, Kristin and Taylor.

 

The saga begins with Bella Swan, an average teenage girl who moves from her home in Arizona with her mother and stepfather to live in the small town of Forks, Washington with her father. Life transitions from average to exciting when Bella falls for the tall, pale and handsome Edward Cullen whose family happens to be a coven of "vegetarian" vampires just trying to blend in. Even though humans are off the menu for the Cullen family, dating a human brings about serious risks which could kill them both! Then of course there's Jacob Black, Bella's best friend who in addition to completing an already complicated love triangle has a secret of his own.

 

Vampire enthusiasts won't be disappointed to find that these vampires still drink blood, are pale, immortal and can't go into the sunlight. They will notice however that these vampires don't follow the traditional model we've come to expect from Bram Stoker or Anne Rice. Instead Meyer has created her own type of vampire. While the differences can be distracting (they sparkle!? really?!) she does deserve credit for trying to be original when remakes are the order of the day.

 

To me it's no surprise that this saga has become so successful and addictive. In addition to incredible supernatural characters, suspense and forbidden romance Meyer has also woven into her books everyday situations readers can relate to or remember from their own high school experiences.

 

As much as I have enjoyed these books, the Twilight saga will never be considered great literature compared to classics like Wuthering Heights or Romeo and Juliet. Anyone reading this saga with those expectations will be disappointed. But the series is easy to read and has all of the elements of a story that keeps people hooked until the very end.

 

Already read the Twilight saga? What did you think?

by tinadh | with no comments
Filed under:
Media Mix
Sunday, November 01, 2009 12:06 AM

The Twitter craze
It’s fun, but is it useful?

Twitter, the online social networking site that has exploded in popularity in recent years, has sparked debate on the usefulness of the site as well as raised questions about what and how we communicate.

 

In regard to how we communicate, Twitter actually has a built-in answer: succinctly.  “Tweets” are limited to 140 characters, forcing users to convey their thoughts in bite-sized correspondence.

 

The “what” question is a little trickier.

 

Communication is not difficult. It’s simply conveying a thought, want or desire to another. If your friend is standing next to an apple, and you would like that apple, you don’t need to say “My friend, would you be so kind as to reach next to you, pick up that apple and walk it over to me so I may eat it.”

 

You could simply grunt to get his or her attention, point at the apple then point at yourself to get the same point across.

 

And even though Twitter allows users to convey a thought instantly to hundreds, even thousands of people across the globe, you’re probably not going to use it to ask your friend for that apple.

 

Much like the telephone, the importance of the invention is not found in its mundane use, but in the impact of more extreme cases. A phone conversation between friends as they watch the latest episode of Oprah, the world could probably do with out. But the thousands of 911 calls received a day are a different story.

 

No, nobody needs to know that the childhood friend they haven’t seen in 20 years is having meatloaf for dinner, but as the recent protests in Iran following the nation’s presidential election have show, Twitter does have an important function: conveying information instantly to hundreds or thousands of people.

 

Whether it is Iranian protesters tweeting on abuses that the tightly-controlled media may not have reported on, or more mundane tasks like tweeting your new phone number to friends and family, Twitter – as well as other online networking sites like Facebook – has a function and is changing the way in which we communicate.

 

Do you “tweet”?  What are some of the useful or not-so-useful way to use the site?

by tinadh | with no comments
Filed under:
Healthy Living
Sunday, November 01, 2009 12:04 AM

Quick healthy breakfasts 

We’ve all heard it for years, and it’s true—breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Think about it, you literally break a fast from last night’s dinner, fueling your body for your day ahead.

 

Many people, especially dieters, skip breakfast to lose weight, when in fact, a more sensible strategy would be to skip dessert or late-night snacks. Others miss breakfast because they're just too busy. Unfortunately, this can set us up to grab anything and everything when hunger kicks in. We need to begin our day right and spend time eating a healthy breakfast, even if it means a little planning.

 

Most of us are trying to eat healthier—before, during and after work. Breakfast is often overlooked because it's easy to just buy an oversized muffin or pastry on-the-go. While convenient, these choices aren’t always the best since they both usually contain high levels of sugar.

 

Your healthy breakfast can be cold and even taken to go or eaten at work at your desk—fixing a hot breakfast isn’t necessary to make it healthy. Easy, healthy breakfasts can be as simple as the common breakfast. Try energy or cereal bars as well as healthy cereals. If you get to work using public transportation, you really don’t have an excuse for skipping your first meal. Bring your breakfast with you on the morning commute.

 

Remember to keep sliced cheese and meat on hand at home. Even though they might not seem like a typical breakfast food, they are great ways to fuel your body in the morning. Look for yogurt in convenient tubes or single-serving containers. Try topping them with fresh nuts for added protein.

Check out the produce aisle at the grocery store and you’ll find all kinds of healthy fruit that can be cut into slices and placed into containers or plastic zip bags. Try dried fruit such as raisins, bananas or cranberries as your healthy choice—they’ve been used for centuries. Bread is also a good addition to your brown-bag breakfast.

So start your own trend with these healthy alternatives to breakfast "junk food"—your body will love you for it!  

by tinadh | with no comments
Filed under:
Eco-Friendly
Sunday, November 01, 2009 12:02 AM

 

Eco-Friendly Holiday

The focus on saving sustainable resources continues to grow, and more people are working to find different ways of becoming more efficient in their day-to-day lives. As we venture into the fall, it’s time to think about how we can apply our “green” techniques to the holiday season.

According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Americans produce 25% more garbage between Thanksgiving and New Years Day than we do the rest of the year. There are several things you can do to help reduce this trend.

Holiday Cards – When looking for holiday cards, look for 100% recycled or tree-free paper. Although many people will opt to mail cards to their close family and friends, consider sending e-cards co-workers and friends who are computer savvy.

Shopping – During the busy holiday shopping season, use reusable cloth shopping bags. Not only are they more durable and easier to hold, but they can continue to be used all year round. Also, try car pooling to the shopping centers. If you decide to buy online, try making one large purchase rather than multiple small purchases that will require more packaging materials to ship.

Gift Wrap – When using gift wrap, avoid using excessive amounts of tape, and try using reusable bows and ribbon. As the holiday festivities unravel, rather than crumbling up all that used gift wrap, see what can be salvaged. If it’s in good condition, see if it can be reused again next year. If it’s too crinkled, remember to recycled it! When purchasing gift wrap, consider that foil- and plastic-coated wrapping cannot be recycled.

Packaging Gifts – When buying gifts, consider the gift’s destination. If it needs to be mailed, see if you can avoid purchasing larger items that require an excessive amount of packaging. For gifts that do need to be packaged, use old newspaper or magazine pages, plain popped popcorn, or old brown paper bags. For gifting fresh baked goods, use reusable tins. If you received a gift that used Styrofoam peanuts, donate it to your local post office.

Decorations – If you’re going to use lights to decorate, use LED lights that are up to 90% more efficient than traditional lights. When possible, scale back on decorations that require electricity. If you do have some electric decorations, then be sure to unplug them before going to bed at night to save energy. If you decorate with a tree, bring your used tree to a designated recycling center in your area so it can be cut up into wood chips. Also, considering using nature to decorate – pinecones, acorns and leaves can all add a festive decorative touch.

How likely are you to have an eco-friendly holiday this year?  What else can you do to stay “green” this season?

by tinadh | 2 comment(s)
Filed under: