Ok, this one's going to be another article where I give you my opinion on something...yay! Last night I had a look at just how disgusting and decrepit people can be. It was horrifying. What is worse though, is knowing that it goes on so close to all of us, and we don't even know. We think that when we see prostitutes on tv, gang leaders, and big time drug dealers, oh that's just in the big city's, it doesn't happen here. Well, it does. What's worse than how it slips under our noses is the fact that not only do we pretend it isn't real, but we don't set up real methods for getting rid of it, or teaching people that life doesn't have to be like that. We all know someone who has dejectedly given up on trying any more and has decided that life is what they have right now, nothing more-and they've settled. Where are the parents that tell their kid's they can do anything, or the supporters who are there to hurrah you on until you've accomplished your goals? It's our own fault that people are the way they are. When we haven't made it any easier or better for them to do something else, why not do what is easy, or what they know? It's easier to sell drugs than it is to get a job at Taco Bell. It's easier to find some guy to give you a couple hundred to find an empty hotel room, I'm sure. In fact, we haven't even made it that dangerous, or given them a better option. Why not work for a couple hours and make the money of someone who went to school for 8 years? If you don't have your GED, then, who cares? You don't need it to do a little side job for someone.
I'm not saying that everyone involved in these acts do them because they weren't given better options, or given encouragement and support, but you know, I was a teenager once. I saw what some kids parent's were like, what their homelife was like-and I can see what they've become now. It's in direct correlation-so all you parents out there, just make sure your kid's know that they can do better than that. What takes you two seconds to say could make an affect that will last generations.

Horrified Libyan woman Gets Her Story Out

I'm sure everyone heard about the poor lady in Libya who was tortured and raped by the Chief of Police's son in Libya, and managed to escape Gadhafi's military  to tell her story. The country was the most upset about her actually getting her story out, despite their numerous defenses against all outside intruders. They go so far as to put all of the foreign reporters in the same hotel, the staff of which was responsible for beating and harassing the Libyan woman as she tried to tell the news what had happened to her. Eman al-Obaedi, the woman's name, and not a name that the news crew would soon forget. She had a large bruise across her face, and various scars decorated her upper thighs, while the ends of her wrists and ankles were deeply marked by the ropes that had bound her.  They saw her lose her few minutes of freedom first to the employees of the hotel, who screamed and accused her of treachery and lies, only then to be taken by the Libyan State Security. The men who take her are armed, and violently shove aside anyone who tries to protect her. She does quickly manage to get out part of her story though, that she has been kidnapped and raped repeatedly, by Gadhafi's men. Though they say they are taking her to a hospital, because she is not right in the head, and possibly under the influence of something, she screams and pleads that she is being taken back to a prison. Later on after this story has been placed on the news, there is an admittance that this woman is telling the truth. Watching this video is horrifying, you see the fear on her face and the pain in her voice. The waitress is threatening her with a knife, there is a gun being waved about, and jacket is thrown over her head in the end. The government tries to get the tapes away from the camera crew, but they manage to get some of the footage away. She was missing for over a week after this, only to go free after thousands joined her cause. Avaaz.org was gathering signatures to help persuade the Turkish government to try to negotiate her release. The government has tries to turn this around on her, by saying that she is a prostitute and readily deals in petty theft,  that she goes out with them on a regular basis for business... I don't believe it at all. I'm not one to just automatically assume that people are bad, even in cases like this, but I think the woman waws honestly afraid for her life, and in severe danger. <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="640" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UELBzi8njfY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Opening for Business

Well, I recently had a brilliant idea. Okay, it was more of a "I JUST DRANK A VENOM AND CHASED IT WITH COKE NOW I AM RIDICULOUSLY CAFFEINATED AND FULL OF SUGAR!!!!" moment.
However, it lead to a few more interesting ideas that formed a business plan. With the help of a beloved friend, I am opening the shop I have been dreaming of for three years! Selling custom and novelty jewelry, accessories, clothes, and just miscellaneous cool stuff, online. For instance, anyone out there a smoker? You probably lose your lighter or run out of fluid a lot. Well, if you are a relatively fashionable woman you might enjoy the cute lighter earrings that I made. Or maybe you are a trendy gal who has to look fabulous at all times, but would prefer not to carry a five pound purse. Say hello to jewelry that discreetly holds a little foundation, some lip gloss, concealer, and perfume, all in a lightweight beautiful custom to you shade. Perfume in a beautiful delicate charm on your bracelet? Lipgloss in a lovely locket about your neck? Yes, fashion has met function. Finally. Also, for those scatterbrains like myself, if you are constantly forgetting something, how about some jewelry that you can jot notes on, or a watch that has a pen and paper hidden within? I am really excited about selling these items, especially since they are all custom made for each person, so I can make the PERFECT accessory to match an outfit or personality, and make the most amazing personal gift, without the huge designer costs. I always see the cutest outfits or jewelry at the store but I can never find just the right thing, which is extremely annoying, especially for the prices I end up paying. I thought, why not just make my own jewelry to match my outfits, in fact, why not just design my own outfit! It's helping me in more than one way. Since I work at an assisted living center, I wear scrubs. They are NOT comfy, and being a woman, they have this weird V shaped top that is always trying to strangle me, catching on things, and there are never enough room in the pockets. I hate dropping things all the time, so I am designing custom scrubs as well, with extra built in features like more pockets, pockets that you can close, and different materials/colors. I think if you're spending money on it, it better be EXACTLY what you want, be so comfortable it's like a second skin, and make you feel gorgeous, no matter what it is. It's fun and a great way to make a little cash on the side, so wish me luck! Also, if anyone here would be interested in anything just leave a comment below and I'll get in contact as soon as my website is finished.

Mutation, Radiation, and The World Today

Seldom do sane adults think about the boogie man, invisible creatures, or the monsters that could be creeping in the night, cloaked in darkness. However, we should heed the things that attack us in broad daylight, the things that can rage war without us even knowing-radiation. According to researchers of Chernobyl, there are many things still going on that we haven't even noticed. I've always been a believer that it's the things we don't see that are the most harmful, and I was apparently onto something with that theory. In fact, the birds there have brains that are 5% smaller, just because of the radiation that is lingering. 48 species have been noted with this decreased brain size! Besides just shortening the growth of the brain, it is also causing many bird embryo's not to survive at all. 

 It's scary to think what is going on beyond the birds, it has to be affecting thousands of living organisms, and changing the world on a fairly large scale. There has to be something that can be done, and I believe our generation is just the one to do it.

Though the word radiation immediately brings horrific things to mind, many people don't understand that we are actually exposed to many forms of radiation every day- in fact could not live without it. Merriam-Webster defines radiation as energy radiated in the form of waves or particles, with the word radiate meaning to proceed in a direct line to or from a center. Examples of everyday radiation we are exposed to are sunlight, radio waves, radiation from the tv, microwave, computer, cell phone... Yet no one ever thinks about all of these small things that are surrounding us, just the big crisis like Chernobyl. 

Personally I believe actions should be taken, there is no wonder that everyday there is a new disease or illness  discovered-we're creating them ourselves, and doing nothing to protect ourselves when we are constantly surrounded by all of these emissions. We are told that these everyday objects are emitting harmless waves, that our bodies absorb them without harm, but I find that hard to swallow. Apparently I'm not the only one. Amy Worthington of Rense.com did an article over the fact that cell phone emissions might actually be addicted to the brain, which would make sense with all of these people who constantly have them glued to their heads, and all of the younger generation with their fingers and eyes stuck on the letters keys while texting.  She claims that cell phone's should be labeled with a cancer warning since :"The Journal of Cellular Biochemistry reports that these frequencies cause cancer and other diseases by interfering with cellular DNA and its repair mechanisms. Microwave promotes rapid cell aging. Italian scientists have recently demonstrated that cell phone radiation makes cancerous cells grow aggressively. Cordless phones marked 900 megahertz or 2.4 gigahertz emit the same dangerous microwave radiation as cell phones."

Honestly, how many of us are constantly using some sort of electrical device? I think that the younger generations especially need to start taking notice of these things, and working to lessen their effects, before we all have five percent smaller brains.

Simplicity

Simplicity dead.
In these modern years you are a horrific sloth if you are not multitasking. There are emails to be written, laundry to be done, calls to be made, homework that needs finishing...and of course if you're not constantly tweeting or updating your facebook you will be condemned to the unholy world of the social outcasts. There is no time undesignated, no moments of silence for our bodies and minds to fully relax, and definitely no time to concentrate on just ONE project at a time. It's impossible to completely immerse yourself in what you are doing, or be caught up in a passionate frenzy of your favorite activity. However, thanks to a few beautiful people and companies, there are ways to combat the chaos and have a moment of zen. For those who use their computers or phones to write(aka everyone) there are new programs such as Omm Writer Dana, and WriterRoom which are full page simple writing programs. Omm is beautiful, it has chromotherapy incorporated into the page so you get soft relaxing visual colors as a background, as well as a calming sound to your typing. Beautiful music plays as you go...it's altogether a fantastic experience and I highly recommend it if you have a Mac. Luckily for us Windows users, they're are getting ready to release a version for us as well! Writer room is even more simplistic, just a full screen, no sound, no extra fancyness, and a dark screen with green or white font which is extremely easy on the eyes. You can't get distracted from your homework when there's nothing on your screen but your work. Also unfortunately only for Mac, there was a user so addicted to using it he made his own copy of the program for Windows, called DarkRoom. Yay! In fact, this is the program I am using to write this, and I must say it is completely amazing, I've never felt quite so productive...nor have I been so seduced by writing alone, it's been years!

Choices

It never ceases to amaze me that life can change in a mere moment, and throw you a million curveballs in a tiny amount of time. In one week, I went from being severely in debt, going paycheck to paycheck, to having my debts completely paid off and having enough extra cash to take the trip that I have been planning for eight years now. I was completely cut off from moving on, pursuing my dreams of travel and exploring new career opportunities to having nothing but choices in front of me. Now that I have all of these options, I don't quite know what to do with myself, or how I should go about making these things happen. It's hard to organize your life when you are pretty much starting from scratch.
Plus, it's almost warm weather again, which means I can take back up my raw food diet, and I've already started a new fitness regimen which will be complimented nicely by the fresh food and energy it will give me.
All of these things sound great, but they come with a lot of conflicting emotions, one being that I seem to hold on tight and avoid big changes. I don't know that I'm particularly scared of what will happen in the future, as much as I can't stand it when I mess up and someone tells me I TOLD YOU SO.
I have to figure out what I would like to do for a new job, whether or not I would like to move to California like I planned, or travel overseas to study and work. It's a headache is what it is. It also makes me feel like I'm 16 years old again, and nothing in life is certain except that I'm not grown up enough to figure it out yet.
Whatever happens, I know that everything will come together, at least that's what I pray for. It's just a whirlwind of decisions that seem to be looming, screaming at me to hurry up and decide what the heck I'm doing-NOW!
Does anyone else feel like this? Or if you have at some point, how did you do it?
What is in your future?

Sand Marathon

I think some people are born crazy. Some, perhaps, are driven to insanity. I don't know which the athletes engaging in the Sand Marathon are, but there is no doubt about it but they are definitely crazy. The Marathon de Sables is a race across the Sahara Desert that will be 151 miles. Six days... in the searing heat of day, and the chilly temperatures of night, not to mention the bone breaking, muscle tearing effort of running through sand for that many days! At temperatures around 120 degrees, I don't know how they could even consider doing it. Not just running either, the competitors(aged 16 to 78) will also be carrying their packs with a tent, food, medical supplies, and everything else they need, on their backs throughout the entire race.
"The heat, distance and rubbing will trash your feet and may cause severe trauma if incorrect shoes and equipment are used. Mental stamina probably constitutes at least 50% of whether you will complete the distance or not. Physical fitness is important but don't underestimate the mental stress that you will need to endure. Even if you have run dozens of 26 mile marathons, this does not mean that you will automatically find the MdS easy - either way you will be planning to do lots of training prior to the MdS."(MdS website)


 Perhaps, though, some of the madmen aren't so incredibly out of their minds- many people in this race are running to raise money for the charity Facing Africa. The charity is helping to fight against NOMA, a flesh eating disease that kills about 70 to 90% of the malnourished children it infects. While I don't think I could be a competitor in this run, I would definitely love to help raise funds for NOMA victims.
The runners are being offered a rebate off of their registration if they raise more than 500 euros for the Facing Africa foundation, which is another incentive to push themselves beyond their means. I believe that the entire event is a beautiful and well thought out process. Races have always inspired people to go beyond themselves, and to use their competitive nature for a good cause. The fact that they are so concerned with helping others through this competition is amazing. It is stated outright on their website that people who run for themselves, and not to raise money for at least some sort of charity are wasted potential.  Facing Africa is even offering a 50% subsidization of the entry fee to encourage people to join.
While I won't suggest that anyone reading this run out and jump into this race, or start marathon dialing everyone they know to raise funds, I think it would be lovely if this inspired someone to take a few dollars out of their next check and donate it to a child that is facing a life of pain, or, more likely, death.
They will not get to wake up and enjoy playing outside in the fresh air,or feeling butterflies when they meet that special someone. They will not receive the joy of parenthood, or feel the passion of doing something they love. If a small sacrifice on our end could change the entire world for so many people, why would there be a reason to say no?

How Long?

VOA  captured a picture of Joe Biden, the Vice President of the U.S., as he faces cameramen. The caption states simply that he is walking with Iraq's Prime Minister on the way to a meeting in Baghdad. The article itself however, reveals that the scheduled depart of U.S. armed forced from Iraq might be a hasty decision. "After meeting with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and other officials in Baghdad, Biden said Iraq is on the threshold of a successful transition that will have a positive impact on the Middle East."  <br>The article also points out that there have been around 4,400 troops that have died since the 2003 invasion, and an estimated 32,000 injured. 
Though troop numbers have dropped heavily since 2007, many writers that are inspecting Biden's thoughts on prolonging the war have put emphasis on the things he said about wounded soldiers wanting to know about getting back to their unit's. This seem's like they are hinting as well that we should continue on in Iraq.
I don't know if I can agree with this or not. In my opinion, yes, we should help them in anyway we can, after all any peaceful and loving help we can give will only benefit us all-less war, help later on if we need it... On the other hand, it scares me that these troops can't come home yet. I have friends that are still being deployed, my boyfriend soon to join them, and I would love to know that they are here, and that they are safe, instead of going into potentially hostile territory. The government's website  says that "Obama and Biden will end the war responsibly in Iraq." by "transitioning to Iraqi control of their country." 
They hint that we might be needed longer, but hasn't it been long enough?
I do not want to add anyone I know to those nameless, faceless statistics, 4,400, or 32,000. None of those have went overseas were just numbers, they were heroes. The people that enlist after all that has happened are so brave, and so caring to want to put their life on the line to help not only all of us, but the people in Iraq. It amazes me. 

News Years Resolution

According to Proactive Change, only about 46% of adults maintain their weight loss resolutions from New Years for over 6 months...that's pretty depressing. Considering that over 30% of Americans are obese, it seems like we need to do a little bit more to save our health and future. From what I see of the new fashion trends, I'm a lot bigger than these little emo girls running around in their size zero jeans, but out of the girls I'm friends with and work with, I'm really about average or smaller. According to the doctor though, I'm miles away from a healthy weight for my height. While he didn't consider the amount of muscle I have, I know he's right. I would be much healthier if I dropped a few more pounds. Plus, hello skinnygirl stores. :)
So, I am off to cooking healthier and getting in my exercise during the week. I was pursuing a rawfood diet, but I have decided that is MUCH easier done during the warm months, the options for fresh food around here during the winter is pretty minimal and not that tasty. So I am opting for healthier cooked items and ensuring that every meal includes lots of fresh produce and minimal fats/sugars/artificial junk. For example, the other night I had grilled chicken with garlic red pepper lemon sauce with snap peas and a tiny amount of pasta. Tonight the menu is a whole wheat pita with some chicken and veggies stuffed inside, yum!
Seeing as the menu is covered, I figure I should throw in a few exercises, just to make it look like I'm putting in some effort, nothing too ambitious. I will be going to a friends to do some dance workouts, and for home I purchased some kettleballs that double as weighted pushup grips-pretty good deal. In a few months, after the beginner's weight-loss-muscle-gain-at-the-same-time magic has waned, I will be training for a marathon with a friend, as well as beginning a weekly hiking regimen. Not to mention I will probably be rocking out this newfound amazing body (HA!) at the lake. (Don't worry about poor onlookers being blinded, I'll be throwing on a tee and some shorts!)
I feel satisfied that this will be a very healthy year, especially once the warmer months come back around with their amazing produce. Wish me luck!

Reeeaaallly Hate Valentines Day

I guess some people just really hate being reminded their single-so much in fact that when they are in charge of a country, they choose to ban the holiday! AllWeirdNews Iran has a hard time leaving this holiday to be enjoyed by it's people when such a holiday suggests that romantic interest is okay between those who are just sweethearts and not married. It is a 'spread of western culture.' "“Printing and producing any products related to Valentine’s Day, including posters, brochures, advertising cards, boxes with the symbols of hearts, half-hearts, red roses and any activities promoting this day are banned,” read the instruction. “Authorities will take legal action against those who ignore the ban.”

Some nationalists have suggested replacing Valentine’s Day with “Mehregan,” an Iranian festival celebrated since the pre-Islamic era. Mehr means friendship, affection or love. What is next, no candies for halloween!"
I think this really sucks! Though I know it doesn't mesh well with their religious views, and it is seen as a gateway to the dilapidation of their customs...well, I think it's really just some pink and red flowers with some candy. I know it was a man in charge of this decision-no woman would have said no to chocolate.

Drunk

Apparently, there is more than one kind of idiot in this world. According to AllWeirdNews, a 55 year old male was driving intoxicated when he ran into a ditch. The drunk male proceeded to pull himself out of the car and crawl back up into the highway, where he was then hit by a car. The car was being driven by an intoxicated woman, who was his wife-following behind him.

I honestly think this is hilarious, and just what they both deserve for driving drunk, though it sounds like she got the better end of the bargain-life, without her husband!
There isn't much you can do for people who break the law or do stupid things, except hope that they get their just deserves. In this case, I think that has been the case.

Back to School Intro

Hey everyone! I hope you all enjoyed your break from classes, this is just a little post to help you get to know me.
My name is Laura Wood, I'm 21, and I work full time at an assisted living center. I love to write, and have even had the chance to work with an author on two of his books, and am excited to see my name in the book as a contributor! You will probably see a post here about it when the book is printed. :)
Let's see, I love to go to shows, do new things, and I really love to help people. So if you ever need someone to talk to, a helping hand, or anything, let me know! I am always looking for ways to volunteer too, so if you know of anything, send me an email.
I am trying to get more active, I would love to try rock climbing, go biking, or anything fun.