Need to Chill!

Lately I have been noticing things that really get on my nerves. Maybe it has to do with the increased stress because of upcoming graduation, or maybe I am just being picky. I have made a list of a few things that really push my buttons, and I think that most of you can relate.

• When people continuously honk their horns even though there is clearly no where you can go


• When random people keep adding me on facebook and send me mail as if I am going to reply.


• When you are having a really important phone conversation and suddenly your credit runs out right in the middle of it.


• When people ask for your advice then do the exact opposite of what you say.


• When you suddenly realize that you have an assignment due the next day which you completely forgot about because you have been working on the million other things you have.


• People who take forever to get to the point of what they are trying to say


• People who I do not know or particularly like and you know they feel the same but they have to pretend to be extremely nice and fake.
  

Feel free to add on to the list!

McDreamy vs. McSteamy

Imagine yourself as Meredith Grey, sitting in Seattle Grace Hospital with McDreamy (Derek Shepherd) and McSteamy (Mark Sloan) walking up and down the halls every day. Grey’s Anatomy has presented many girls, such as myself, with this impossible question, who would you choose? Both are ruggedly handsome and incredibly successful Dr.’s but is it even possible to tell who is hotter?

Derek Shepherd, the dream guy for millions of girls and a brain surgeon no less. Perfect face, perfect job, incredibly handsome and not to mention has hair that any guy would kill for. His devotion to Meredith Grey, no matter how many times she rejects him or pushes him away due to her dark and twisted life, makes him that much more charming.

Mark Sloan, a plastic surgeon with a face that is a work of art. Although calling him promiscuous would be an understatement, you can’t help but fall for his charm and his incredible looks. But even a guy like McSteamy is capable of settling down when he finds the right girl (Lexi Grey a.k.a Little Grey).

So who would you choose? Personally I am a McDreamy fan. His kindness, caring, skill as a surgeon, and of course his hair are enough to give him a small advantage over McSteamy in my eyes.

Fashion and Health: Does Beauty have to be Pain?

FASHION AFFECT HEALTH
ELSHARIF
4/21/10

Lead-in:
Today’s fashion, like skinny jeans and designer hand bags, can have a negative impact on your health. A-U-C’s Basma Elsharif has this report.

High heels, designer bags, strait leg jeans. For many girls following the latest fashion trends is a must, but at what cost? Increasingly, fashion is becoming more harmful to girl’s health. Heels have become higher, shirts have become tighter and through it all some girls follow religiously what the fashion industry deems as style. (23 seconds)

Voicer: A lack of awareness of these health risks may be part of the reason why some girls continue to sport these trends. Yara Saaed, a self proclaimed fashion enthusiast, disregards these warnings. (11 seconds)

Yara S.B.: “I am like any other girl, all of us follow fashion, and it is really fashionable now to wear heels and big bags. Maybe I have heard it once or twice that wearing heels can hurt your back, but I don’t think it’s that big a deal. I don’t think it’s that serious.” (15 seconds)

Voicer: Large bags have been established as a must have accessory by the fashion industry despite the fact that they may cause poor balance, and misalignment of the spine. Stilettos and pumps, a staple in any girl’s wardrobe, do not only cause painful calluses, but they also can change your posture, cause back pains, and increase the risk of getting knee osteoarthritis. Tight shirts and corset tops can cause shortness of breath. And for those unsightly spider veins which might be creeping up on your legs, you can thank your skin tight strait leg jeans. (36 seconds)

Voicer: Recently some designers have begun taking into account women’s health when creating their designs. Noha Kamel is a young designer, who hopes to show girls that fashion does not always have to be painful. (14 seconds)

Noha S.B.: “I took a number of courses in fashion before and I decided that the clothes I make for women should be comfortable and fashionable at the same time. I saw a number of women trying to wear two sizes too small for them, not knowing the effect that this has on their health. Fashion does not mean cramming yourself into tight clothes, you can be cute and comfortable while keeping up with the trends.” ( 23 seconds).

Voicer: The influence of fashion has spread farther than just eating disorders. We are now seeing that the actual clothes we wear cause harm to our bodies. Whether or not the harm done will increase, does not have to depend on what the fashion industry will churn out next. (16 seconds)

Voicer: There are ways to avoid the negative effects of fashion. Opt for flat or low shoes as opposed to high heels. If you choose to wear a big bag then swap between shoulders while carrying it. Avoid squeezing into shirts or pants that are too tight. Keeping a realistic body image will help girls pick suitable styles which are comfortable and trendy. ( 26 seconds)
Basma Elsharif, A-U-C News.

Listening Journal 4: Dreams From my mother

The documentary I listened to was called Dreams from My Mother. It was produced by BBC World Service and it was narrated by Judith Kampfner. The total length of this documentary was 23 minutes.

This documentary basically discussed a part of President Barack Obama’s life that has not been focused on before and that is his life with his mother, Ann Dunham, and the influence she had on him. The documentary discussed his life in Indonesia with her along with what happened when he left to go live in Hawaii again, all the while keeping the focus of the story on Ann. It showed her life, her ambitions, and through that the listener could see the values she wanted to implement in her son.

Despite the length of this documentary it was very intriguing to listen to. The first thing that made the documentary interesting was the use of soundbites from people who knew Ann, and who were also very good story tellers. Obama’s own voice was also used as sound bites describing various locations and also describing his life and his mother, and that made the documentary even more interesting. Also the use of nat sound in different locations in order to compliment what the narrator was saying was very effective. All of the sound quality was clear and it did not interfere with what the narrator was saying.

The narrator’s voice and speed was perfect for the documentary. She told the story well through her speech, and also her emotions came through because she made reference to the fact that she too lived in an area similar to the one where Obama grew up and where part of the story took place. I think that the fact that the narrator could relate this story to her own story showed through her presentation, and this made the listener interested and not bored despite the length.

Overall this documentary was very good and the perfect length in order to tell the story well.

Weekend from Heaven, Week from Hell

This weekend was fantastic to say the least!! I had a great outing with some friends, and we hadn’t gone out in a really long time. Then on Saturday one of my best and sweetest friends, Nahla Bahgat, got married!! She looked stunning in her dress and I really could not be happier for her. It was a perfect night for a perfect bride.

And now midterms have begun and my fantastic weekend is leading into a horrible week. Papers, exams, and projects seem to be popping out of nowhere.Not to mention the deadlines for submitting graduation things which no one seems to want to mention to me, so I just happen to find these things out. The days seem to be dragging on as spring break approaches, and at this point the thought of having a break is the only thing that’s keeping me going. Well, it really isn’t a vacation for me, I won’t be getting up early to go to college, instead I will be getting up early to finish all the projects and studying I have to do!

It is times like these that make me wish graduation would hurry up and come. And staring that the 109 pages that have to be finished before tomorrow’s exam, I realized that my mind is already on vacation.

Dalia Fares: A New Age Mom

Dalia Fares is a symbol for successful, intelligent women who chose to give up careers and become stay at home mothers. Despite her promising potential in the field of Business administration, she chose a different path and in this interview I want to find out why.

When you think about your life, what do you feel gives you the biggest satisfaction?

When you say stereotypically life would expect of you, what kind of life do you mean?

How would you say that being a mother is more important than being a big manager in a big multinational company?

How would you say that it is your role to create these people? Couldn't teachers or nurseries do this sort of thing? Why would you have to be a stay at home mom to do it?

What sort of dreams do you hold for your children, is there anything that you hope or aspire for them to be?

Do you not feel that by your presence around your children all the time that your overbearing them or not giving them their own life?

If there was one certain value that you wish to instill in your child's life, what would it be?

Podcast: Whatever happened to when a BlackBerry was a fruit

Facebook, Twitter, BBM. All of these forms of communication are a part of our everyday lives now. We use them almost without thinking, and check them obsessively throughout the day. A few years back you were considered out of the loop if you didn’t have a cell phone. Now if you do not have a facebook account, you are considered behind the times.

All of these social networks and communication tools are very useful in keeping in touch and knowing what is going on in the world, but increasingly I feel like I am isolated from people because of these things. Instead of calling my friends I will BBM or chat with them. Instead of going out I just sit around on facebook all day.

There is no doubt that these social networks are important, but are they making us lose touch with the people who we are close to? Even when I am out with friends, everyone is BBMing or talking on the phone. We are out and sitting together, but we are usually not really paying much attention to each other. I do not deny the importance of being able to access information on demand, but there is a price to pay for that also.

Maybe I am overly simplistic and nostalgic of old times but I really miss when me and my friends would sit together and enjoy each other’s company, without having all the technology between us. Not only that, but I feel like my increasing dependency on communicating through technology instead of face to face, has caused me many problems with friends. A lot of times they way I say something is misinterpreted because there is no body language.

Times have obviously changed now that hanging out with friends means sitting with them but chatting with other friends on your phone or laptop. I am not immune to this fad because I myself have a BlackBerry. But I do make a point of not using it when around friends. Sometimes I miss the days when a blackberry was just a fruit.