About two or three years ago on freewebs.com/thenearbyfuture I wrote a particular article about the dangers of using corn as fuel. It was moved to this site earlier in January (view it here) and I thought that it contained some good points. If people had taken the article seriously, then corn and our economy would be in much better shape.
But no. People couldn’t continue research on air powered cars, algae power, solar power, or so many other renewable energy sources that wouldn’t have hurt the economy; any other plant used to replace corn as the ingredient in ethanol would help us out a lot.Why didn’t the world listen?
Some facts about the fight over corn fuel:
So politicians nod and approve it, automakers throw in their lot and make trucks and cars that run on corn fuel, farmers send tons of corn to refineries- so what could be wrong? More than people are giving a thought.
The refineries that make corn powered fuel actually use more energy than the corn actually gives cars. So the benefits energy-wise are limited. Also think about the pesticides used to grow all this needed corn; it isn’t good (we’re spraying CHEMICALS on the land for heavens sake of course it isn’t good!) because is causes water pollution.
Corn powered cars run out of energy quicker and the vehicle needs to fill up more often. Not good news for environmentalists who like car trips.
Like Social Security, we’re stretching corn’s abilities over too many fronts! It can’t be sweetener, cooking supplies, food, ingredients in cleaners AND fuel! That’s just asking too much.
So with that said, we need an alternative. Maybe another plant to produce ethanol to power cars? That would work! We could use algae which doesn’t take up space where crops should be and grows pretty fast.
The moral of this article is that The Nearby Future has some good points, whether people acknowledge them or not! And sometimes acknowledging our ideas earlier next time might actually help our world….
Have you ever watched a movie that was so real? That made you feel like you were in the action? Well what if in the future you really couldin the action?You could have a completely different world or even universe right in your own living room… the product would be similar to a holographic projection and instead of having a movie screen you would have a projector that displays a movie on all of the surrounding surfaces, including the ceiling and floor. All you need is an advanced projector with a 360 degree lens.
What is the downside to this more interactive 3-D movie which I like to call 4-D?
-Piratical Lord of the Guitars
Rika’s Thoughts:
I think video games are turning into movies: If you’ve ever taken a look at the Final Fantasy game series, it’s more of a movie or intriguing novel where you make the decisions. Video games will become the movie of the future, and people will almost literally live in their own little worlds.
The downside of the “4-D” kind of world is that it would be very expensive to create a projector that has a 360 degree view to be able to project images on every surface of a room, plus think about the equipment you’d have to use to film that kind of movie! Not exactly standard. Way ABOVE standard. And your actors would have to say pretty much every phrase in front of a camera if you want the actors to be part of that interactive experience. This is much harder than your standard movie, it would take time and money, but if done right, it could be an incredible breakthrough.
But, instead of using a projection, you could use the idea from Heir Apparent where the main character has her head hooked up to a system that inserts her in a video game. No actors, no projectors, just really complicated gaming software and safety tools to keep the gamer from getting hurt.
Hello readers! If you haven’t already figured this out from the title, I am Jennith; formally known as ASPCAgal. I have been a writer on The Nearby Future ever since it started. I have recently been promoted to editor (thank you Rika!) and I can’t wait to see what I can do with my new-found powers. Mwahahahahhahaha! Haha. I won’t do anything horrible, don’t worry.
Now here’s a few things about me: I love horses and almost all animals for that matter. I currently ride horses at barrel racing competitions where I have placed 3rd. I support the ASPCA (American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) and have been donating for a few years now. I love to write fiction stories, but they never actually get finished.
I can’t really think of anything else…. except that I love the Twilight series by Stephenie Meyer. Well, I hope you guys keep reading my articles. And, if possible, can you vote for me in the upcoming polls?
There once was a time (albeit a very LONG time ago) when the U.S.’s schools were great. They were the envy of other countries. Now? They are getting to the point of laughable. Why? Just look around. The public school teachers are decent (there’s no reason for better teachers to teach at public schools with the minuscule amount teachers are getting these days) the lesson plans sound like a brainwashing procedure instead of a, well, lesson plan.
So how can we improve our schooling to get the U.S. up to par with the better educated countries out there? Here’s some ideas:
Same teachers: kids tend to learn better when they have the same teachers. Change is good; but having the same set of good teachers (teacher quality determined by student and parent polls along with test scores and student grades) for at least three years. This way the teacher won’t have to spend as much time getting to know the students and the particular student needs.
Right teachers: to get the right teachers, the average teacher’s salary should be raised. Like I stated before, the teacher’s quality should be determined by student and parent polls, test scores, and grades. Students and parents would review a teacher at the end of each quarter of the school year, and then give the teacher a grade. If the teacher receives high grades, the teacher gets better pay. Lower grades receive a lower wage. Test scores also play a decent role; if the poll scores are high but the test scores are low, the wage is lowered a little. If all of a teacher’s class has low grades, low test scores, and the teacher was given low scores, they are fired. This way, only the best teachers get the job. Tax credit can pay for a teacher’s salary.
Student incentives: today students aren’t very interested in schoolwork. They just don’t have motivation, and when their parents don’t care either, then they just don’t try. What we need is to give them incentives to get passing grades. What teachers are doing now are giving progress reports to people who get D’s and F’s and not giving them to anyone with A’s, B’s, or C’s. This is not a good idea because instead of encouraging people to get good grades, they are pulling down the people who are struggling. Instead of giving punishments, we need incentives like more library time, or a pass to go to the computer lab for one period. There could always be an ongoing class there, a teacher teaching a fun computer-oriented lesson.
Discipline: nowadays the classrooms are like a zoo. Pretty much everyone in the classrooms are talking and passing notes, and a few actually care about their education. Discipline should be sharper, but only during class times. Students should be allowed to socialize between classes but not during lectures or class time at all.
Online Assignments: teachers should seize the fact that the current school-age generation is so computer oriented by having extra credit assignments online. Teachers should also make sure all lesson plans, worksheets, study guides, and supplementary websites with related information and media. (For example, if a class was studying biology, then the teacher would put some supplementary links on his or her website for the students to learn more.)
These ideas are all created to force a well written and creative lesson plan out of teachers, to keep their standards high, and to add incentives for kids to learn. With these ideas, the whole way students learn could be changed, making the future all that much brighter.
This article is my follow up article to my other writing piece entitled “Lost Arts of the Future”. I recently found some interesting proof that Piratical Lord of the Guitars and my predictions are coming true, along with some videos that are on the subject in general. (”Lost Arts of the Future” can be read here)
Instruments: I said in my previous article that instruments would not exist, and in it’s place machines would take it’s place. My proof for this one so far are these youtube videos. People are using operating systems as instruments- as well as machines posing as instruments. This point was made by Piratical Lord of the Guitars as well as me.
Cooking: This relates also to Piratical Lord of the Guitar’s conclusion on food of the future. This youtube video is the introduction of a documentary that was put on Youtube about Food of the Future. It tells about the scary things that the past that is the cause of whatever may happen in the future. (Please Click Here)Also, here’s a video that shows some of the even more scary things that are being done to our food: click here
I’ll post more updates later, so subscribe to our RSS feed at www.thenearbyfuture.com/feed to receive instantaneous updates on new articles.
Piratical Lord of the Guitars: sorry about the misinformation before, YOU are right! You made a bunch of predictions, and the world should listen to YOU!
“It may do us best to not know and be happy, but knowing will, inevitably, make us stronger for the future.”
Rika’s Thoughts:
This is very true. For example, if one country knew that another country was planning war against the other, it would make them stronger for the war ahead. Or, perhaps, in the best case, the war could be prevented. I think that the more people that are in the know, the more wars could be prevented. But, on the other hand, some information is best kept away from the general public to prevent mass pandemonium. If an asteroid is to hit Earth in 2012 and the scientific community is sure of this, the question is “Is it ethical to keep this information away from the general populous to prevent pandemonium?” Because then knowing that fact would make us stronger for what future? The last moments on Earth? But then if we weren’t told, we would be happier. Or would we? It’s so hard to choose an ethical decision in any topic. Illegal immigration is another tough discussion, and every side seems unethical. Same goes towards choosing between saving the world and keeping our economy up and running.
Like I said, this is a good quote, but sometimes not knowing not only makes you happier, but makes you stronger. Stronger as in a clearer mind.
So you’ve filmed a brilliant short video- the actors are emotional, the crew creative, and that all shined through on camera. Now it’s time to make you video even better. The editing stage of any kind of videography (whether it be Hollywood or small videos) is the most important. You need to tie everything together without ruining your video or making it tacky.
Here are some tips on finding an editing software that is just what you need:
Research: Finding a software requires a decent amount of research. One site I found helpful was this one in which I found my favorite editor (Pinnacle’s Studio Premium) that has green screen capabilities. Another useful way to examine products is to ask around on Yahoo Answers.
Figure out what you need: So after glancing through some different products, you need to decide what your going to use for your editing software. If you need just a standard software to put a video on the internet, the free software Windows MovieMaker may be just fine. But if you want something with DVD burning capabilities then you may have to spend a few bucks. Software that has chroma key (green/blue screen) capabilities are a little pricey, (about $100) but very useful for people who want to do green screening.
Figure out what to avoid: what I recommend you doing is creating a blacklist of products that have been shot down in numerous reviews, that way you can avoid the products and companies that may hand you something not worth your money. One that program that I have found aggravating (by my own experience as well as the experience of others) is Inter Video WinDVD Creator. Barely has any help and support, it crashes all the time and doesn’t recover work. The editing is just incredibly annoying because it doesn’t let you edit bits and pieces of your movie without messing up all the timing.
Have you ever done basket weaving? Probably not. What about cave painting? I doubt it. Those are two of the ‘lost arts’ today. Sure- if you look hard enough you could probably find a basket weaving class somewhere but it isn’t nearly as common today as it was a long time ago.
A great question is “What will the lost arts be in the future?” Here is my list of what will become lost as machines and more practical devices and ideas replace them:
Cursive writing: visit a modern day classroom today and rifle through some of the student’s work. Most likely you will find almost all children writing in print, or some crossover between cursive and print. I have learned both cursive and print, and use just that: a crossover between the two. I think the future will not have the form of cursive that we have today, but an easy, fluent kind of writing that is a little of both.
Sewing: sewing machines are one thing, but the original needle-and-thread sewing is dying out. Can you remember you’ve gotten out your needle and thread to sew up a hole in a piece of clothing or reattach a button? I can’t. Sewing may not die out until a long time into the future, but it’s already becoming less in less common in homes.
Knitting: a long time ago, knitting was practical for people who lived in the middle of nowhere because it provided a simple way to make clothing. Nowadays, you can go and pick up a wool hat at Wal Mart instead of spending weeks making one by knitting. So, in a sense, it’s already pretty much a lost art, although I do know some people who still enjoy knitting.
Instruments: Now if this becomes a lost art, it won’t happen anytime soon. But eventually, the power to create music simply by means of computer mixing may someday overpower the time it takes to learn an instrument. I have my doubts about this one, but it could be a possibility. Look at the harp- how many harp players do you know, exactly? Probably not many. If not all instruments, odd ones like the bagpipe and the harp will be the ones to go.
Cooking: like instruments, cooking will take a long time to die off, but I still believe that it will eventually be replaced by instant meals. Cooking in the home (especially cooking things from scratch) will fade, although cooking food (like in restaurants) will never truly be replaced.
And there you have it! My list of what I believe may become lost arts in either the Nearby Future or the very far future.
Today I watched “An Inconvenient Truth” by Al Gore, and was a little disappointed, actually. I started with an open mind, but the beginning was incredibly cheesy. It was more like “An Autobiography/Sob Story about Al Gore”. We don’t want to cry over your son going to the hospital- that has no relevance to global warming! So after we got about halfway through the beginning of the movie, they finally stopped showing those flashbacks. And then, after things began looking up, the violins started up and here came another of those corny ‘pity me’ moments.
After that, though, the movie got better. (No more flashbacks- YES!) It presented some scary facts and consequences of ignoring Global Warming and let it eat up all our dry land, crops, homes, and lives basically. The ending was much stronger than the first half, and I’m glad I didn’t just stop watching. Al Gore is one of the many environmentalists that understand the problem and how to fix it. In a sense, they’re doing the same things we’re trying to do- except they have funding and we just have this website.
So if I was asked to rate this movie, I would have to say a 7 out of 10. Although lacking in realization that viewers do not want to watch an autobiography that has nothing to do about global warming, this movie shows the things that could happen if we don’t stop polluting our Earth.
A photo of Al Gore:
Who is Al Gore? Well, his life has centered mostly around politics. He’s been in the House of Representatives, Senate, and he’s been a Vice President to Bill Clinton. He also ran for office in one of the most controversial elections ever (because of the Florida vote count was so close). Right now, he’s an environmentalist. Surprisingly, he won the Nobel Peace Prize partly because of this video.
Many people say the Wii is a revolutionary invention. It gets kids who are addicted to video games off the couch and moving around. Also (and this will shock you) doctors are now using the Wii to train for surgeries! Scientists say that out of a test 48% of doctors performance actually increased. It is also said to be useful in training doctors to use both their left and right hands. Plus you’ve seen the commercials the Wii is finally something that even senior citizens can enjoy. I don’t know about you, but I think the Wii is definitely a good thing.
A thought from Rika:
I could see how the Wii would be used in training for doctors- sometimes certain games call for concentration and preciseness. But also these pose a little danger. If you don’t have the wrist strap on you could easily chuck the controller into your TV… or another player. Other than that, I’m all for this invention- especially if it raises the surgical accuracy of doctors.
A thought from Calister:
Surprisingly, I actually agree with Rika for once. Except I don’t want someone operating on me after playing the Wii! Did you know that playing video games actually increases stress? It does and having stressed out doctors during the surgery to any degree does not sound safe.
Everybody is talking about the new Macbook Air notebook. It costs $1799+. Is it worth it? How much would you pay for a notebook? I definitely would not pay that much. I mean, it’s cool and the new thing, but something new will come out and it won’t be cool anymore. Just like we thought RAZR’s were the new, best thing and then an iPhone came out. Don’t get me wrong, I love new things too but not for that much money.
It costs more than an ordinary notebook and regular laptops are even better. They cost more because of the new ultra-slim style. Cons also include that this notebook is an optical drive. If you want to install new software, rip CDs to iTunes, watch DVDs, or burn data to disc, you need to either purchase the $99 Apple MacBook Air SuperDrive, which connects via USB, or use the new Remote Disk feature to “borrow” the optical drive of another computer on your network. So, I guess what I am trying to say is that it costs even more than $1799 because you have to buy all this extra stuff for it even to work. Do you disagree? We want to know!
~Hope
Rika’s Thoughts:
I wouldn’t buy it either- but with a few simple adjustments (including a price adjustment!) I think this would be a good tool for students. It wouldn’t take up much space, it would be convenient, and it would be light. There are all the qualities students. Apple could be onto something!
We want to know your comments about the Gardasil vaccines. If you have heard of it, you know that some people believe it is good and others are against it.
Gardasil is the only vaccine out there that may help prevent diseases that are caused by type 6, 11, 16, and 18 of HPV as well as genital warts. Cervical cancer is a disease of the cervix and if a female becomes affected and it does not heal on its own, then abnormal cells can develop. When it is not treated immediately, it can lead to cancer.
This vaccine is meant for females ages 9-16 years of age. It does not help if you have cervical cancer. It is given as 3 injections over a period of 6 months and can cause pain, swelling, itching, and redness at the injection site, fever, nausea, and dizziness.
Now I will tell you why some people are happy about this vaccine. As I said, it prevents 4 types of cervical cancer. They say it is best to receive it early so it can protect you earlier before you even have to worry about getting cervical cancer.
The negatives are that it comes in 3 injections over a period of 6 months… not fun. You receive one and then you get one 2 months after that and then 6 months after that dose. Also, the effects aren’t so great either. While some insurance plans cover it, some do not. The cost is $120 per dose and the whole thing costs $360 for all. Also, it is extremely painful, more than all the other shots I have ever gotten.
If any of you have seen the television show Phil of the Future then you know about the Diffy’s many gadgets, and one in particular I’d like to point out is the spray can food. In the future will there really be spray can food? How may calories will this stuff have? Or if spray can food is invented, what will happen to chefs of the world? Millions of chefs will lose their jobs and restaurants will shut down because no one will want to spend money on food when they can just as easily cook it themselves. What are your thoughts on spray can food?
Rika’s thoughts:
Great points, Piratical Lord of the Guitars! But I think it won’t come out of a can. Fresh food trumps food like that every day. Think how many preservatives food like that would have to keep it in a can. I think that in the future food will probably be the same, but the means of getting it will be different. For example, people will be able to order foods in their own home and won’t have to go to the grocery store. Frozen food will still be around because of it’s convenience, and it probably will taste better.
Wow, that’s a good point Rika. So I’m guessing what you’re saying is that instead of walking into Safeway, the city would have an underground warehouse and you’d call in and food would be shipped to you. Or, maybe as technology advances even more, the food will be teleported to you from the warehouse. Also, I’m hoping food will taste better in the future, because as much fast food as people eat, you need variety or else it becomes un-enjoyable.
Should sixteen year olds be able to vote? I mean, you know there are mature teens as well as others that aren’t. We feel very strongly about the 2008 elections, as displayed on the “2008 Elections Page”. So who’s your favorite candidate? Even though some of our readers can’t vote, they should still listen to our opinions.
Here’s some reasons why mature 16 year olds should vote: If they are mature than their voice should be heard sooner and should not be forced to sit on the sidelines and wait until the legal voting age. Some adults don’t vote, and if teens are allowed to vote, then they probably would stick with it and encourage others to vote as well. Encouraging voting habits gets more of the country involved and lowers the chance of a president to be sworn in who is not supported by the people.
Like I said before, there’s a lot of teenagers out there who are not ready to vote because they aren’t very mature. That’s okay, some people think you might as well have fun as a teenager before you have to make decisions as an adult. I believe that there are more people who fit in this category, but you never know. I would also hate for a candidate to win if they really shouldn’t have. Teens could vote on a random person because they feel they just can.
Well, I really don’t know if it should be allowed or not, so let us know! Do you have any compromises?
If you haven’t already read it, “Ender’s Game” is a book by Orson Scott Card about the future. They haven’t got to time machines, but it’s mostly about space battles and aliens and (obviously) trying to save the world. In the book, a boy named Ender Wiggin is an intelligent 6-year-old that is asked — after being tested — to go to Battle School. There, he learns how to work with and command an army. He also learns how to fight the buggers (aka aliens). Now on to the actual point of writing this: Will our future be like “Ender’s Game”?
Who knows? People become secretive, kids can be genetically mutated to be as intelligent as Einstein, and these genius students could command armies of old men. As I just said, these children command real armies in real space with real guns and ships. Unknowingly, the kids actually are actually battling the buggers through a video game at Battle and Command School.
Do adults of the future really expect the kids of the future to command their battles for them? Do those same adults really want to throw the burden of possibly the whole world on the shoulders of kids who could easily fail, killing the whole human race? It’s entirely possible, although it will be different from Ender’s Game. Leave a comment if you can, please!
My favorite day of the weeks is fridays THURSDAYS! Why? Well, on Sundays your whole day is ruined knowing that you have to go back to work on Monday. On Mondays the only thing you can think about is the looong week ahead of you. Tuesdays you still have the same mindset like Mondays. Wednesdays you act like some war hero that has survived through half of a war but still have another half to go. By the time that Thursday comes around, you’re mood has already increased noticeably because the weekend is finally in sight. On Friday the whole day is just shot because you’re counting down the hours until the weekend starts and you don’t get anything done. Saturdays are okay- but sometimes they’re busier than you would have ever wanted. Unfinished Christmas shopping, house cleaning, you name it- everything that you’ve been putting off smacks you upside the head on Saturdays.
So that was just a little bit of a week analysis in the life of Rika, (not to mention all the time I spend writing pointless articles like this one).
Now onto the important stuff: updates to come!
Here are the updates coming to the Nearby Future in the month of March:
Election updates! We will update the election page weekly with poll information, standings, and stuff like that. We’ll probably even include some short clips of the candidate speeches.
More media! We’re not just going to post text on here, we’ll be posting pictures and videos along with text!
Presidential Debates: No, we’re not going to post videos of the presidents giving their lengthy speeches. Instead, Calister and I are going to give our own quirky opinions on the presidents and debate over them! This will be included on the election page.
The Nearby Newsletter: All the convenience of our website packaged into a nice, neat little email that we send weekly to the people who subscribe. How does that sound? This is an idea in the works- no promises yet! Keep checking back for more on this.
So there you have it- some possible updates as they stand currently. Leave a comment about these ideas when you get the chance.
What is this world coming to!? First, we use corn for fuel. And now we’re using CHOCOLATE for fuel? Mmm… Chocolate… Right! Back to reality! Well, according to a very useful source, scientists have figured out how to turn chocolate into gallons of fuel.
A car company — Ecotec — has been collecting waste from a Chocolate Factory. Ecotec is from the UK and they are planning on driving a car fueled by chocolate all the way from the UK to Timbuktu. The fuel works like bio-diesel and it takes approximately 7 pounds of chocolate remains to produce 1 gallon of fuel. It costs approximately $1.16 per gallon of this sweet gas.
Unfortunately (for anyone who was hoping for this), the fuel is not edible. I know, I wish it was too, but it’s not like you can drink gasoline from a glass. Or can you? Ok! Gotta stay on subject here! Haha. Well, there you have it! The people at Ecotec are currently working on making enough fuel to take them from wherever they are all the way to Timbuktu. (Why there? Who knows?) Keep reading and use fuel-efficient cars!
Guitar Hero is a game where the object is for you to press different colored buttons on a plastic ‘guitar’. The satisfaction people get out of jamming a bunch of buttons I just can’t comprehend. I played real guitar before guitar hero, and saw Guitar Hero as a complete waste of time. Plus, I wouldn’t be surprised if a study came out showing that playing guitar hero gave it’s participants carpal tunnel. It’s worse than normal video games in terms of pressing buttons quickly, and for long periods of time couldn’t possibly be good for you.
But video games are not nearly as bad as people say; some of them (the non-shoot ‘em up kinds) actually teach important skills relating to the economy, stocks, and other important decisions. This is the first generation that is the one to live all their lives with technology. Growing up with cell phones and videos might take their toll, though….. But what do you think? Leave a comment.
One of the greatest things that animals can do is adapt. Over billions of years, animals that live in freezing conditions have evolved to survive in those conditions. For example, polar bears have their warm, fur coat. Now, let’s say that the Earth is not just one rock floating in space. What if the planet itself is a living thing? Now, let’s say that hypothetically that living planet faced a threat. Like the polar bear facing the threat of harsh weather. What would that living thing do if that threat became big enough? It would try and get rid of the threat, correct? What happened if that threat was us humans, who are poisoning our atmosphere as we know it?
This idea is mind blowing- is global warming just a ploy to kill off enough of our species to give our planet some time to repair itself? I read an article about this in the Rolling Stones magazine that was laying open on the kitchen counter and it just changed the way I regard the whole global warming situation. If this is true, just think; we’d have to be so much more careful and environmentally aware, fearing that our planet might retaliate and kill every living thing.
Unfortunately, I don’t remember the environmentalist’s name who figured this out- the article didn’t really strike a chord until recently. I didn’t really think about all this until yesterday when I was subjected to finally battling the overgrowth of weeds in the front yard with an infuriating spray bottle that refused to release any weed killer willingly. “Stupid weeds,” I said after the millionth time of shaking the bottle, “Why can’t they just go away? They’re just destroying the yard.” And then it clicked. (Funny how ordinary things like fighting weeds create a light bulb moment) The human race was the weeds- global warming is the weedkiller.
Calister didn’t think much of my epiphany- he just kind of shrugged. (I think he’s had enough of my metaphors). But it makes sense, doesn’t it? Global warming is just an attack method, and we’re the victims. Kind of like how when we get sick our body fights the sickness, the Earth is fighting us.
Post your opinions about my epiphany or just about the Earth in the the comment box below.
An equation we all know is healthy foods + a variety of that good food= a happy you! Now we’re not just talking about happy as in your body is happy to have foods that don’t poison it, I mean happy as in less stress type of happy. But what foods exactly improve your mood the most?
According to a very interesting Yahoo article, these foods are the best in terms of improving your mood and reducing stress:
Dessert: Did you know that the generally accepted statement that “sugar gives you energy” or “sugar gives you hyper” is actually a myth? It is- sugar actually helps reduce stress, well in a certain amount. Too much and it will just make you moody.
Toast and Jam: To prevent a whirlwind of mood swings, eat whole wheat bread with jam. Whole wheat stabilizes blood sugar whereas refined grains send your blood sugar wheeling, causing mood swings.
Yogurt and Eggs: Found in fish, too, omega fatty acids are not only an important nutrient, but the Omega 3 Fatty Acid found in Yogurt and Eggs, called DHA is a natural anti-depressant, too. They
Spinach: The folate in spinach also helps stop clinical depression.
Black Bean Dip: Iron helps you sleep better, and we all know sleep helps your energy levels, which in turn effect your mood. Low on iron? Eat black bean dip.
So whenever you’re feeling low, eat one of these foods to get a boost to propel you through your day.
-Rika
P.S. This was taken from a Yahoo! Article. We thought it was important enough that we should put it on our site. We sift through articles like this sometimes and find the ones that really matter to you and post our summary of the article. Here is the link to the article.
Lists listing what we’re going to do for you, planet Earth
Listing listed Youtube videos
Abolishing the word ‘listed’ from being used any more in this blog entry.
In short, lists have been proven to have been read more than just your regular old text. Thanks to reading physiology reports and watching Youtube videos, we are bringing your more lists!
All thanks to this video,(scroll down) that helped change the way we think.
-Calister F. Wells (By the way, the video may take a moment to load)
Jala is our most popular staff member- and her new page (yes, she got a whole PAGE to herself…) just makes that even more true. What I want to know is WHY? WHY do you adoring fans vote for her as the staff contest winner? And not… let’s say…. me?
My assumption is that you people just like her because she loves books! (Not that THAT makes any sense) You people… I worry that she has you under some kind of spell that makes you grovel at her feet.
Well, I can’t fathom all of our reader’s thoughts- I just write the articles.
Now onto updates: The election page is going only so-so- it’s still in the draft. As distracted as I am, it probably will stay that way until the elections! With Spanish, sports… it’s amazing that I even get time to write something on here.
That’s it for updates! More updates coming soon, don’t forget. We plan to launch our “Bucket Brigade” page a little later on. Stay tuned!
Chat rooms are quite controversial- with all the dangers lurking on them, it’s not a surprise that parents want to keep their teens away from them. But there ARE pros, too.
Pros:
You can talk to other people about important political issues like immigration and get more sides of an argument, opening up your perspective to other opinions.
Chat rooms are a way to connect to the world, talk to other people that may be going through problems you’re going through, etc.
Chat rooms are sometimes educational. Yahoo! Answers is a type of chat room devoted to helping people finding answers to their questions. Going there for homework help is a good source- the more answers you get, the more reliable your data will be. It won’t be the most accurate piece of information in the world, but it may have some truth in it.
Cons:
Chat rooms are dangerous; stalkers are out there and just a simple piece of information that you give out could lead them to where you live.
Chat rooms are sometimes a bad influence. What is talked about in chat rooms are not exactly the best topics in the world; parents are concerned that their kids are talking about appropriate things online.
As long as parents know what chat rooms their kids are on, chat rooms are okay. Make sure your kids know all about internet safety and not to give away personal information.
The pros out weigh the cons- but make sure that you trust your teen before letting them on chat rooms.
Don’t look now; “Lights, Camera; ACTION!” isn’t just reserved for Hollywood any more. Thousands of people across the U.S. are grabbing their camcorders and making their OWN short films. Predictably, this is the video revolution that has been waited for; when average citizens can do what Hollywood does- but in the comfort of their own neighborhood. I love making videos, myself, and I think that everyone should try it at least once. Music videos are my favorite; the music really completes a piece.
Looking to make a video of your own? Here’s some important tips and lingo:
Chroma Keying: Heard of a “green screen” or “blue screen” ? Often used in the studios when the cast can’t film on location, Chroma Keying or green screening is basically digitally replacing a green or blue backdrop with a picture/video background added in during editing. It’s a simple concept: You film your best friend in front of green paper and then put it on your computer and put in a picture of the beach as the background and voila! Your best friend is at the beach.
Just make sure that when you are chroma keying you have lots of light on your subject and an even lighting on your backdrop. Splotches of light on the background will mess up your finished product.
Any green or blue background will work; you can even use a bed sheet and hang it on the wall! Just make sure it is a true green or a true blue or else you will have problems in the editing stage.
Purpose: Every video should have a purpose; well, that is, if you want more hits on the video. It has to have some sort of purpose that the audience can understand. So figure out your message, and map it out on a piece of paper to make it as clear and concise as possible.
The more different angles you can portray your subject in, the better!
Lighting: Make sure your subject is properly lighted. If you are going to put the video on Youtube, remember that it will be automatically downgraded to lesser quality. So if the lighting is dim but looks fine on video, it may turn out invisible on Youtube.
Thanks for reading! Get out there and start to make your own videos.
President Roosevelt, the president from the last depression.
17,000 jobs were lost in January 2008. The real estate market seems to be slipping under with people unable to sell their houses. With the beginnings of perhaps the first recession since 2001, people like me figure that a depression may be on it’s way- whether or not this is true all depends on the future president.
The Nearby Future will be watching the presidential candidates starting in March ‘08, making predictions and gathering information. Don’t forget to check back as we continue to investigate on the subject of recession and depression, and also as we analyze the presidential candidates of 2008.
I’m just hoping that none will promise to abolish poverty. The LAST time someone did that was Herbert Hoover, and we all know what happened after him. The Great Depression made the poverty level increase dramatically- talk about ironic. And when Harding made that same promise back in the twenties, the Teapot Dome Scandal occurred. Not the biggest problem in history, (definitely not as bad as the Great Depression) but still leads me to believe that saying poverty will be gone is jinxed.
President Roosevelt, the president from the last depression.