What sets Vinyl apart?

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Why is vinyl different?

We've all heard record oriented hippies confidently brag about the superiority of their sound, warmth and "realness". However how true are those claims?

The main other platforms for listening to music that are still used are CD and digital. In this post I'll explain the differences between vinyl and CD. The main difference between the two is the way that the music is recorded and later read. On vinyl there are actual grooves the a needle bounces along and interprets to produce the intended sound. On CD's a small laser is shot onto the disk, and whatever light bounces back tells the disk player what to do. 

However when one mixes the physical with digital one can run into issues. The grooves in a record limit some of what the music can do on a scale dynamic range. For example the needle cannot read music that makes a radical drop in tone because the actual needle will bounce off the surface of the record and skip parts of the song. Records can also warp, where the vinyl bends over time. They actual surface of the record can be worn down over time and change the sound.

In CD's none of this can happen, for the only thing touching the disk is light. They don't really warp, and can handle intense drops in tone. By all accounts CD's appear to be significantly better than vinyl in all aspects, accuracy of sound, resistance to change, and overall ease of use. 

The thing is, the needle on record sound isn't a negative. It creates a tiny bit of distortion on that transfers to the speakers, providing a sort of background ambiance for the music to play with. It's what many people describe as the "warmth" or "fullness" of records vs digital. Listening to records is also an experience, you pull the record out of you collection, shimmy it out of its sleeve, put it on the turn table, set the needle, then sit back and listen to the whole album without many other distractions. Its difficult and impractical to skip songs on records, forcing people to fully appreciate the story behind the album. The larger album cover also allows for better cover art. I could go on and on about the unseen advantages that arise from record's seeming inconvenience. It's those things that take a little extra time and care where the experience of listening to records comes from.

Caity Tirakian Blog Post #2 "Roots to the Family Tree"

PP#2 Caity Tirakian Period-1

Title: Roots To The Family Tree 

Where does vicarious parental involvement come from, why do parents feel the need to fulfill their lives through their children’s? The reasoning is all different but in every case it is essentially the parents putting too much pressure on the children because they are placing their own desires over those of their children in order to receive satisfaction and perfection. There are three main causes for this type of parental behavior. The first is that parents had dreams as children but never got to accomplish them when they were younger, so they forced them upon their own children.  The parents have hidden desires and impulses, but acting on them wasn’t acceptable growing up. The second cause of inappropriate parental choices is that parents want the benefits of their children’s success. Many parents want their children to succeed in order to benefit the parent’s own self-esteem. According to the psychologist Jim Taylor, in his book “Positive Pushing: How to Raise a Successful and Happy Child.” “If you don’t gain sufficient meaning and satisfaction from your own life and look to their sport involvement as the primary source of ego-gratification, your self-esteem becomes dependent on how your children perform in their sport.” Some people want their children to succeed so that they will gain money, fame, or the satisfaction of success and that’s because, “sports are seductive. Fame and fortune resulting from athletic success appear to be waiting for your children if only they have the talent and determination to reach that level.” But that “You shouldn’t expect a financial return on your investment from your children’s athletic lives.”  A final cause of parents living vicariously through their kids is that parents think that their kids are required to be perfect in order to succeed in life. Parents need to realize that while their children may succeed they can’t always be perfect. Kids think they’re required to be perfect, and parents may be overestimating their child’s capabilities.

Future Research Question: How does living vicariously through your children impact the parent and child?

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Alternative Methods for Reading Music

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                                                           Reading Alternative Options

There are other ways to learn a song than to know how to read music.  You can look up tabs, which have a number that corresponds to each fret and then are on a certain number of lines depending on your instrument, you can listen to the song and figure out the song by ear, and there is a growing of apps lately that promise to teach you better than any other.  A new app called “Meludia” is very different than others in the way that it teaches through emotion, creativity, and the usual practicing.  It puts musicians in a different spot that not many are used to which is good because musicians like to go out of their comfort zones here and there.  You may be asking “How can one learn music through emotion?” Well, in an interview with Paul from Meludia, he said “Vincent [the creator] found that music geniuses all had two things in common: accurate hearing of the primitive elements of music and a strong inner emotional vehicle. We have created a universal way to acquire those elements.”  Through creativity and emotions, anyone can learn the universal music talent.

Personally, I stick to either listening to the song and learning it by ear, or using tabs when I’m stumped and can’t figure it out.  This helps me get better at problem-solving.  There is a certain feeling you get when you learn a new song and put in your vast library of songs that you have memorized.  You feel joy and pride that you just learned something that another musician put his/her heart and soul into making through their musical talent.

Effects of Stress

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We all deal with a lot of stress at Hinsdale Central between all the AP classes and homework and participating in sports too.  But do you know what happens to your mind and body when you stress too much or have a lot of bad stress?  It can have many bad effects on the brain especially when people are young and undeveloped mentally.  In adults, too much stress can lead to illnesses such as ulcers and hypertension.  This source seems reliable because the article is written on a popular website for adults with younger children and the author, Hank Pellisier, is trying to help prevent high stress in kids.

The reaction that happens in the brain when someone is under stress can be good if limited to certain situations but when people are subject to long-term stress it can have very bad effects.  

“When a child experiences stress, the hypothalamus (above the brainstem) releases a hormone that rushes to the neighboring pituitary gland. The pituitary gland then mobilizes the production of a second hormone that swims via the bloodstream to adrenal glands above the kidneys. The adrenal glands activate adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline accelerates the child’s heart rate and elevates the blood pressure. Cortisol pumps up the blood sugar level, elevating the child’s muscle and memory power and boosting the pain threshold.”

So these side effects sound great when you read about them and they are if it happens rarely and for short amounts of time.  Chronic and long term stress can cause Cortisol to stay in the brain and chew it up.  This may result in memory loss and lower IQ than people that aren’t dealing with long term stress.

This damage to the brain may not be permanent though, especially in children.  If stress is reduced and limited the developing brains can heal and rid the Cortisol in them.  One of the best ways of reducing stress and tension is exercise which needs to become a bigger priority for youth nowadays.

Future Question: How to Study for Tests and Manage Stress?

Can you be successful in the music industry without being able to read music?

Rock...it has been the symbol for destruction, the devil, and rebellion for generations.  When you actually take a look inside the minds of these musicians, though, they are sophisticated, intelligent, and creative geniuses.  All musicians have a gift.  The gift of musical talent.  Many musicians can read music, basically another language to some.  This means they can decipher musical notes on a paper and make it into a sound and can relate music with proper vocabulary.  But for some, they didn’t think that reading was all that important and just took off and learned what every note sounded like and memorized the whole fretboard.  I have a powerful connection with these musicians because I can’t read music.

   If you think that this gives a disadvantage to musicians, you are mistaken.  If anything, I think this brings me confidence that I can hear a note and be able to play that same one just through memorization and not because I had an instructor teaching me how to play every single musical note since the age of 3, like some others.  But I am definitely not alone in the musical world.  There are many others that have made their own “Stairway to Heaven” or “Highway to Hell” even though they had a constant remembrance that they can’t read music.  According to Ultimate-Guitar.com, (a respected website that delivers tablature and interesting articles on everything music) some musicians that can’t read music include but not excluded to: Robert Johnson (the father of Rock n Roll), The Beatles, Slash, and Dave Mustaine of the early metal band, Megadeth.  According to, Ultimate Guitars Slash is musically illiterate.  He said "No, I can't read music," the axeman, [Slash] said during Snakepit Q&A. "I play by ear. I try to make what I hear (sometimes just in my head) come out my hands into the guitar. When I write music, I usually write on my own at least to start."Also they included a past interview with John Lennon which said  “None of us could read music," John Lennon said during a 1980 Playboy interview. "None of us can write it. But as pure musicians, as inspired humans to make the noise, they are as good as anybody."All of these musicians have made their fame without the way of reading music.  Iron Maiden's Adrian Smith once said "most rock musicians play by ear - if it sounds good we do it,"

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Humans are an amazing species. Since we know for ourselves, we’ve always been interested in researching that endless universe. A lot of different scientists from all around the world were giving us their theories, how the universe was created. Some said that the universe was created from nothing, some said that the universe was created in that a big bang explosion.  According to National Geographic, most used theory is actually that( A big bang theory). Scientists who stand behind this theory claimed, or claiming that, 10 or 20 billion years ago, massive explosion allowed the universe’s known matter and energy. None of the scientists can be exactly sure what was going on with the universe after a big bang, not even the greatest ones. And it is really hard to give some true explanation, because there is no any technology invented yet that can prove anybody’s thought. Even though this theory was accepted the most, there are still some unanswered questions about the theory. There is the one that is in every scientist's mind, what was the cause of a big bang itself ?           

The universe is one really strange phenomena. We all know it’s there, but we still can’t do pretty much about discovering those long distances of an endless world. Though the history, Humans have done some amazing things. We’ve discovered our solar system, we’ve found a lot planets in our surroundings,we’ve found out about the structure of the planets, of the sun. Even though we’ve done all these amazing things, we still have to do much more to do. I believe that it’s going to be important for the human species to research the universe as much as possible because, one day it can save our lives.  I think that this source is reliable because, this is one the most famous magazines that deals with this kind of research. It’s published by National Geographic.

FUTURE RESEARCH QUESTION: In my next blog post i will do a research on most important discoveries that happened.

Sleep Deprivation negatively impacts your health.

           It's near impossible to go through a day of school without hearing someone say "I'm tired" or "I didn't get enough sleep last night." Unfortunately, this is becoming a trend, with less and less high schoolers managing to get a good night's sleep every night. If sleep deprivation was only a bit of drowsiness in the morning, it wouldn't be an issue, but it can cause a whole slew of negatively health problems that nobody wants to deal with. All of this information have come from the online Gale Encyclopedia of Medicine.

          If you're in high school, chances are you suffer from at least minor sleep deprivation. Only 20% of teenagers actually get a full night sleep, which is considered by health professionals to be 9 hours for teens and young adults. If you're someone who barely manages any more than 7 hours a night, you likely suffer from some of the symptoms of sleep deprivation, symptoms like daytime drowsiness, poor judgement, impaired reaction speeds, and issues concentrating and retaining information. Chronic sleep deprivation can also lead to slowed cognitive development, which is especially problematic to younger people, who's brains are still growing. All of these problems combined pose a threat to your health, and also negatively affect schoolwork.

        Sleep deprivation is especially common among teenagers because one of its main causes is stress. Constantly burdened by hours of homework a night, the necessity to study for tests, and projects across multiple difficult classes, high schoolers  are often suffering from a lot of stress, which in turn leads to sleep deprivation. Lack of sleep itself can result is elevated stress levels, creating a sort of vicious cycle which can be tough to escape from. One of the ways to get rid of sleep deprivation is obviously to try and sleep more, but that can be difficult for high schoolers who have to do homework until late at night and then wake up early in the morning to go to school. Those who suffer from sleep deprivation may also have an underlying condition that can interfere with their healthy sleep, like insomnia or sleep apnea.

Government Withholding Information from the Public

http://www.gastongazette.com/article/20130111/Opinion/301119853   

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No good comes from the government keeping information from the public that which they received from the public.

The U.S. government does a stellar job of keeping our country protected and informed from and of other countries and their affairs. However, I argue that sometimes it seems that they keep us so well informed of other countries and happenings around the world that some may ask, “what about decisions being made in our government? Why are we not informed often of information that may be kept from us?” Taken from an editorial in the gaston gazette, it states that officials in society, in this case the Gaston County Sheriff, carry an “arrogant and disrespectful attitude that too often emerges... where the elite government class endowed with special privileges that should be withheld from a “lower ranking” public.” This editorial is a reliable source because of the shared opinion that readers may have with the narrator who backed up their claims with evidence.     

It may be very easy to assume that the government has productive and justifying reasons for keeping information from the public and not allowing them to have access to certain records. However, in certain cases and according to the given editorial, it seems out of place for the public not to have all access to certain records, such as guns in this case. As the narrator states, “no good can come from the government withholding the information it collects from the public.” I personally feel that the only feeling that keeping certain information from the public would cause is suspicion in the general number of citizens under the government.  

As we U.S. citizens pay taxes to the government and provide them with a steady and vast income, we should in return be able to be aware of certain information that began with us in the first place. I view the information from the article, “The openness that prevails through public records not only allows the public to determine what the government is doing wrong, but also what it is doing right,” which I specifically agree with as a system such as this would display America aa a genuine yoke between the people and their government. This instead of portraying a country with a government that keeps secrets from its’ followers.

Future Research: What exactly is the government trying to hide with regards to apparent insignificant files and or issues that are labeled "classified."

Deforestation: What is it exactly?

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Deforestation is something people hear about all the time. They hear about it on the news. They hear about it in news papers. They hear about it in nature documentaries. People will say, "they're cutting down all the trees!" or "deforestation is taking over the amazon!" However most people do not actually understand what deforestation is exactly. People do not often stop to ask, why are people cutting down so many trees at one time? Surely it can't be for the mere fun and excitement of it. According to an article on the National Geographic website, there are many reasons that deforestation is occuring in our world today such as agriculture, and construction for new homes. 

Most people who work for companies that cut down trees in the rainforest do it because they have to. A lot of the time it is because people need "money or to provide for their families". However, "the biggest driver of deforestation is agriculture."(National Geographic) Farmers need to cut down these trees in order to clear the land for crops so they can sell them to make money in order to provide for their families. They clear the land in a way known as "Slash and Burn"(National Geographic) agriculture. Slash and burn agriculture is when existing vegetation is cut down and burned off before new seeds are planted. 

However, not all deforestation is intentional. Yes, a lot of it is due to companies tearing and chopping down trees to make space for peoples homes and crops. However, "not all deforestation is intentional. Some of it is caused by a combination of human and natural factors like wildfires and subsequent overgrazing, which may prevent the growth of young trees."(National Geographic)  What many people neglect to understand is that while deforestation is a major problem that is caused by companies who are solely interested in making a quick buck, there is no one person(s) to blame for the loss of so many trees. 

average cost of horse care

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When you think of horses you think of fun and riding but you don’t think of the cost to own one itself. Essentially the cost can be split in three sections, board, vet costs,and riding and bedding equipment. Let’s start with the first one, board, it is basically the amount you pay in order to keep your horse in a barn plus feeding and mucking out the stall. “the cost of boarding averages $400 to $500 per month but can go as high as $1,200 to$2,500 in metropolitan areas.” It costs quite a lot a month to keep a horse somewhere. I know for my horse we pay about $850 a month to keep her in our barn. Pam Goldberg Smith is the author of the article “the average monthly cost of owning a horse” she is reliable because she has worked with horses for years and owns her own horse.

On to the next one, vet costs,  if you think about it a horse requires a lot of maintenance in order to keep it healthy they are animals after all they get sick just like humans do. “A yearly veterinary visit includes teeth cleaning or floating and vaccinations; deworming is generally done every other month. this can cost anywhere from $77 to $250 depending on location.tack on $35 to $75 fee if the veterinarian comes to your property or boarding facility, plus mileage if notif it’s not within reasonable traveling distance.” The cost for the vet seems really small compared to board but in reality the money starts to add up when you are constantly paying for both of them. From my own experience since my horse is currently sick we are paying about $150 a month for the vet to come out and give a diagnosis and another treatment option if possible.

Last but not least riding and bedding equipment. You can typically either get new or used riding equipment,  for bedding i wouldn’t suggest getting used bedding because it’s not healthy for the horse. “A saddle and pad, halter, bit, bridle and lead. A new set costs thousands of dollars and last five to ten years; that breaks down to $200 a month.” so for a new set of riding equipment it would cost you quick a lot of money but it would last longer than a used one would. As far as bedding goes many other costs are tied into it. “Providing bedding, maintaining pasture fences and paying for utilities will average about $300 per month. Moving your horse requires a trailer, which can range from $1,500 for a used trailer or $50,000 for a top-of-the-line model.” So overall your best bet is to buy used in order to save your money on a trailer if anything you can always fix it up and renovate it to make it better.

What effects do concussions have on sports

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    Sports is one of America's biggest pastimes and in recent years we found that these contact sports that we know and love are dangerous to our health. Throughout the United States and conclusions have been one of the number one sports injuries throughout the world.  We are now seeing concussions more and more because doctors around the world are now are just specializing in concussions.  Children are now taking concussion pre-test before they are even stepping on the field because if they test the children when they are normal they can see if they have a concussion after the injury has occurred.  Major sports organizations like the NFL and the NHL are trying to find ways to stop these concussions and with the help of these big organizations hopefully we can reduce the number of concussions each year, for if we don't we will see even more injuries and even deaths.

The most dangerous health issue in these contact sports is concussions, and there are over 135,000 concussions each year.  With this high amount of concussions, there is becoming a real problem. Tyler a researcher in the field and discusses how researchers have found in recent years that brain contusions can happen to the head with leave long term effects on the athlete which is called “SIS and it occurs when an athlete suffers a mild head injury, returns to play too soon, and suffers what may be a relatively minor second hit before the brain has fully healed.” (Tyler) The condition SIS is occurring more and more and if we don't make these sports safer we could see the death rate increase in contact sports like football, lacrosse, and hockey. With these sports being some of the most highly played sports there is a bigger increase in concussions that could happen. If SIS does occurs in a child or adult "effects of SIS include physical paralysis, mental disabilities, and epilepsy. Death can occur approximately 50% of the time."(Tyler) This condition can happen if players come back too early after getting a condition. Professional athletes are more likely of getting SIS because they get paid large sums of money and the NFL or NHL push them to come back as fast as they can and that's when SIS occurs when they come back too early.

  Overall concussions are occurring all over the world in every sport that you can imagine. Just one wrong hit to the head can be enough to cause a concussion no matter the person, big or small, tall or short, or strong or weak. If enough concussions occur to a person they will not be able to play a contact sport ever again. Athletes all over the world should be protected to withstand hits that could give a concussion and with organizations all over the world, we will be able to make a difference in protecting future generations.

Future Research Question: Worst possible outcome for concussions over a period of time.

Warming Up to Working Out

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For many people, it is hard to warm up to the idea of working out, but motivation for working out actually comes from a pre-workout warm up. The author, Matthew A. Ladwig, reveals The Psychological Effects of a Pre-workout Warm-up: An Exploratory Study a study to ProQuest Research Library confirming that people will be more motivated to continue to work out if they warm up before they start their workout. Ladwig claims that people who warm up prior to working out will associate working out with positivity and therefore will be more motivated to workout.

Sometimes the hardest part of working out is starting your workout. Some people prefer warming up before their workout by stretching, running, etc. but others start their workout immediately because they do not have enough time to do a warm up. According to Ladwig, “a pre-workout warm-up may increase the likelihood that an exerciser maintains a homeostatic state for a longer period than an exerciser who does not use a warm-up routine. In the short and long term, this could lead to higher levels of exercise-related enjoyment as well as increased motivation for exercise and adherence to an exercise regimen.” I agree with his discovery because from my personal experience with working out, I feel rushed or tired if I do not warm up before a workout. When I was younger I played soccer, ran track, and took dance classes; all three very different types of exercise, but they all began with a warm up. Now, I cheerleader and I do yoga. For my cheerleading practices we run, stretch, and do other basic body weight exercises like crunches, lunges, and pushups as a warm-up. Warming up prevents injuries and increases endurance.

Warm-ups can also influence people to associate more positive feelings with working out. The survey that Ladwig conducted revealed that “participants responding "yes" to warm-up use reported significantly higher overall mean scores for both exercise-related motivation and enjoyment than those who did not report using a warm-up.” Although workouts may cut into our time for other activities, it is important to start each workout with a warm-up. From my personal experience, I like workout classes such as yoga because the instructors take time to warm up the class for the upcoming exercise. But, if I were doing yoga in my aerobics class for P.E, the teachers do not have time in the class period to warm up, therefore, I prefer out of school yoga although the classes are quite similar. It is really important to have the right mindset when going into a workout, that is why a warm up is essential for channeling positive feelings for your upcoming workout.

It is crucial to understand the importance of a pre workout warm-up because warm-ups help generate positive attitudes towards working out. “If an exerciser experiences an unpleasant workout, the exerciser will recall the memory for this event more readily than they would have if the experience were more pleasant.” People recall bad experiences very easily, for example, when I was younger I did gymnastics and one day I came late to practice and did not have time to warm up and I ended up straining some tendons in my arm. Because of that bad experience, I stopped exercising through gymnastics. Many people have relatable stories of why they have a bad memory of working out. But, overall it is crucial to start your workout with a warm-up to increase your energy and motivation for working out.

Future Research: 

• Does clothing type have to do with working out?
• What physical incentives are there for working out?

Can a learning disability be an advantage in business

Source: http://www.dyslexiaed.com

Please read the following the best you can: Vahe yuo Erev ReAd semoting taht deost’n mkae sesne? This is a simulation of what kids with dyslexia face every day while reading. They are forced to decode word by word making reading slow and a rigorous process. People are told that dyslexia is a disadvantages because they have this struggle that not everyone faces. They spend most of their academic life thinking they are stupid and with a low self-esteem. While in school, they are often considered by teachers to be the lazy and dumb kids that sit in the back of the class. Many dyslexics go their whole life without knowing the truth. I myself went through this struggle until freshman year. I finally had one teacher who cared enough to tell my parents to have me get tested. At first, I thought I thought it was a disadvantage until I learned that this “disadvantage”, when channeled correctly, could be my best assets later in life.

Curiosity, hyper focus, energy, and creativity are traits typically found in dyslexics. These traits are also found in entrepreneurs and in the U.S. alone, dyslexics make up 35% of the entrepreneurs. Starting in a business is something that takes a lot of time, effort, and hard work. Well, for a dyslexic, who has been forced to work harder than their peers their whole life, staying up late and giving up weekends is nothing new to them. While building up your business units going to take a lot focus creativity. Business owners will tell you that they face problems everyday that require a lot of attention and out of the box thinking to solve. Well, dyslexics brains are trained to do such things, they are wired to solve problems that normal people struggle with. Dyslexics are not made to succeed in school, but they succeed because of their disability not in spite of it.

Richard Branson, Charles Schwab, Steve Jobs, Walt Disney, are just four of the many entrepreneurs who having dyslexia. These men are some of the most powerful and influential people in our world today. If you ask any dyslexic entrepreneur why they were successful, they will probably say something along the lines of “I had someone who believed in me” and “my creativity”. A dyslexic brain is more than often very creative, and all they need is a little support. Albert Einstein, another dyslexic, is quoted as saying, “Logic will get you.  From A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere”. Dyslexics are not designed to  do ordinary things, they are designed to extraordinary things.

http://www.fordyslexia.com/2013/05/2068/

Pros and Cons of Space Travel

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               For the last thousand years humans have understood that Earth is a part of a much larger system of life and matter. Scientists have dedicated their life to understanding this vast space that encompasses our world, and in the past hundred years we made immense leaps in the cause for space exploration. We send humans to the moon where they could be one of a handful to see the Earth in its full glory. They also were able to understand that space is much more vast than anyone ever thought before. The Cold War had ended and now humans understood that there was not much opportunity for humans in space. NASA lost funding and further exploration programs had come to a halt. It is only in these past couple of years that technology has allowed us to go further in space. We have rovers on Mars, and a satellite just past Pluto to get the first ever pictures of the icy dwarf. However, even with all of this achievement and the benefits space exploration can hold, NASA is still underfunded and there seems to be less and less interest in the program with some of the problems we have here on Earth. In the Asia-Pacific Economics blog, the many writers overview the numerous pros and cons of space exploration. I want to find out if space exploration is worth it and I believe these men hold the answer. 

            The pros of space exploration may prove to be less obvious than expected. In the article, the authors state,"Space exploration will also bring a dramatic change to the life of every individual on Earth." In context, the authors talk about how research for space travel has lead to numerous advancements in engineering and science that have helped create everyday products. The stove being one example. They go on to state "Space exploration is associated with adventure and most people really love adventure, accepting challenges and making impossibilities possible." Most people don't realize that humans were made for adventure and they love nothing more than to find new things. From Columbus to Lewis and Clark, exploration is in human blood and the space program satisfies that crave to always go further, in everything we do.

The cons, however, may be more obvious to the everyday consumer. This is highlighted in the article when the authors point out that " The main disadvantages that you will encounter with space exploration are the amount of money that you need to spend during the research process." NASA receives .04% of the national budget which comes out to a little under ten billion. Many people believe that this money should be going towards other things that could benefit underprivileged people in Africa or even the U.S. Whether the cost is worth the benefit of space exploration is something I will be looking for with this blog.

Food Stylists and the "Heroes"

All over we see advertisements showing images of food, with juicy, glistening meat and fresh vegetables. Yet, as Hope Bagozzi, Director of Marketing for McDonald's Canada points out,  when you walk into a Mcdonalds and order a burger, you’re likely to find that it looks nothing like what you’ve seen on billboards, magazines, and TV. That’s because food photography is a lot more complicated than just snapping a picture of the first thing the chef whips up. Food companies rely on styling and photography to incentivize customers into buying their food, by making it look almost too perfect to be real.

Source: www.youtube.com

Companies and businesses hire “food stylists,” who will spend hours and hours creating the perfect product to photograph. They dig through up to hundreds of different products trying to find the perfect products to include in the dishes they photograph until they find flawless “hero” ingredients. According to Sarah Lowe, MPH/RD student at UNC, “these heroes are serious business; one food stylist author even recommends purchasing an extra bag of hamburger buns just for the cashier to scan, to protect all the other bags that may contain the hero bun from unnecessary handling.” Not only will they go through the painstaking process of finding the perfect specimen for their picture, but stylists have found tricks to make food more appealing to the eye.

The Reader’s Digest recently published an article titled, “13+ Secrets a Food Stylist Won’t Tell You.” While you might think that stack of pancakes on TV looks good enough to eat right away, you’d probably be shocked to find that the pancakes were cold, with butter, heated by a hairdryer, dripping off the top, and a stack of cardboard in the middle to make them appear fluffier. The foam on a delicious cappuccino is piped on, grill marks on a steak are put on one by one by a hot metal rod, a glistening and plump chicken is completely raw on the inside, and ice cream is really just dyed lard. Although it seems as though companies might as well make fake food products instead of trying to perfect real food, there are actually laws against this. Lowe brings this to light, stating that “The Federal Trade Commission prohibits a ‘false impression of the grade, quality, make, value, currency of model, size, color, usability, or origin of the product offered’, which fortunately restricts food companies to actually using their own product in their advertisements.” So, sellers are willing to spend the money to hire a food stylist and food photographer to make an idealistic image of their food.

Source: www.gourmet.com

When consumers are hungry, an image of a delicious looking hamburger can make their mouths water. In fact, hunger is one of the most powerful incentives a person has. Driving down the highway on a long road trip, there are billboards for fast food restaurants all over the side of the highway. Using these photos of perfect food that precisely displays all the details of the ingredients, restaurants are able to grab the attention of those drivers who are tired and hungry by making them crave the satisfaction of the product they are seeing.  

Future Research: What are the arguments for and against photoshopping models and celebrities?

The Necessary Components Of A Successful Restaurant

Source: http://brandinglosangeles.com

“Desire is the key to motivation, but it's determination and commitment to an unrelenting pursuit of your goal - a commitment to excellence - that will enable you to attain the success you seek,” Mario Andretti. In order to attain the success you want in this world, especially in the restaurant business you must be committed to that goal and be willing to do everything in your power to maintain that goal. Furthermore, in this article from entrepreneur.com called The Ingredients of Restaurant Success, Randy Smith attempts to argue the fact that any given individual can show the love for food, but it takes much more than that to start a restaurant. Ultimately, Smith is arguing that the entrepreneur must find that passion in business, as well as cooking that will drive his success. Randy Smith and the source he has provided us with have proven credibility as Smith has a great deal of experience in the restaurant business and hospitality industry and, also, holds the position of president at Bottomline Hospitality Group. Smith is sure to be an expert in all hospitality, business, and restaurant-related discussions.

Throughout the article, Smith notes many outside sources which prove to raise the credibility of the source. For example, Smith deliberately quotes Cornell University in saying, “The Cornell University School of Hotel Administration confirms that the most successful restaurateurs have a clear concept and the ability to implement it consistently, as well as the determination to succeed and the flexibility to adapt to changing market conditions (including economic downturns).” Here, Cornell expresses many key qualities that they have deemed necessary for successful restaurateurs. Above all, restaurant owners must prove to be determined in their work and be able to adapt accordingly to changes that arise in the market as well as the workplace.

Smith, also, spends much of the article discussing the significance of work experience in the development of a successful restaurant. He makes a point in emphasizing this when saying, "It's imperative to have hands-on experience in the many departments that make up a restaurant," says Pete Hanning, 37, vice president and co-owner of The Red Door in Seattle, which had 2006 sales of just under $3 million. By this, it is essential to make note that in order to obtain a successful restaurant, you must have experience in many areas involved in a restaurant. In this way, starting from the bottom up would be the best option as you would learn all the different positions as well as gain the experience necessary to run a successful restaurant.

Finally, the author moves forward to end the article with the things successful restaurant owners do not want to do or should not do. In other words, he makes note of many things restaurant owners should stay clear from. Smith makes a very strong point in saying, “Don't lose sight of the fact that employees are the most important part of your business, and don't skimp on training and development. A happy employee equals satisfied guests.” This, I believe, to be essential to understanding the business of restaurateurs. In order to maintain success, one must realize that the business would not run without employees and without properly trained employees at that. It is important that the employees are treated well and kept well so that the restaurant. runs smoothly and the customers are kept happy.

Future Research Question: What are the identifying factors influencing the success of independent restaurants?

Do wealthier students have an easier time in the admission process?

https://northcentralcollege.edu

Many students that have an average academic ability but a higher wealth, will get into colleges over a little high academic ability and lower wealth. This is because of the need of money by colleges. If students can afford the tuition with little or no financial aid, they are students colleges will admit more frequently.

According to Kim Clark of USA news, “B students who don't need aid and apply to lots of colleges will likely have more fat acceptance envelopes than ever before.” Some would say that the admissions process is unfair to students that don’t have a lot of wealth but exceed in academics. This is true. If a student with a high GPA isn’t admitted to a college because of wealth it isn’t fair, although it is legal for a college to do so. The question that surfaces then is whether or not it should be a determining factor in the college selection process.

“Rich international students, especially students from China, will be heavily recruited. In some cases, they will fill seats that would otherwise have gone to less wealthy Americans” (Clark). . Now the immigrants are stealing jobs and college spots from Americans? Colleges look for diversity when admitting students in their school. By admitting a Chinese person over an American, it shows their diversity more. However, now American students aren’t finding themselves going to college because of being declined from schools. How important is diversity to colleges?

Why are Athletes Making Bad Decisions?

 

Source: nextimpulsesports.com

Athletes have been making bad decisions both on and off the field since the beginning of sports. When I say ‘bad decisions’ I don’t mean throwing an interception or missing a three pointer to lose the game, I mean getting in fights with opponents, breaking team rules, or even breaking the law.  We hear about athletes making bad decisions all the time, we even hear about their coaches making bad decisions, so, why are these athletes, who so many people look up to, make such bad decisions?  Roy Hadley, in his article titled Too Many Good Athletes are Making Bad Decisions from Savannah Now, a local newspaper in Savannah, argues that athletes make bad decisions because athletes believe they are above the law and can do as they please because they are good at their sport.  In his article he states, “We have seen it again and again - bad decisions have bad consequences and athletes, sooner or later, have to realize that they are ultimately held to the same rules and standards as everyone else.” Roy Hadley is arguing his point that athletes have a predetermination that they are above everyone else in the world. However, they are not, and when athletes come to face with their consequences for their actions they need to realize it.  

As an athlete, I have experienced my fair share of bad decisions on the field and I can definitely understand athletes, who are in the heat of the moment, getting in a little stand off with their opponents. I know how when you are out under the lights and under immense pressure, you don’t think, you listen to your body. However, off the field altercations are a different story. I don’t understand why an athlete would ruin his or her reputation by going out and partying and doing drugs or getting into bar fights.  Roy Hadley states, “As a pro athlete, you are always in the spotlight. You know it, your fans know it, and the media know it. Lesson in life for all athletes - you have to act like you are in the spotlight, which means you can't get into fights in bars. It is just not a good look.” Pro Athletes are followed by many people including children and when they do something like getting into a bar fight, it hurts their reputation because the story will be all over SportsCenter and could hurt their career drastically.  

Athletes who think they are above the law need to learn that they aren’t.  I have never felt that because of my athletic talents, I can break rules and get away with it.  I am not a professional athlete however, so maybe if you are a professional athlete you become influenced with the idea that you are above the law.  We need to get inside these athletes to understand why they make these bad decisions.