Hello everyone
To make up for the improper post this week I thought I'd share something interesting with you.
There's a giveaway going on at the moment and the book in question seems extremely interesting. It's about this 15-year old girl who lives in a dystopian world where you're branded with the number XVI to show you're ready for sex at age 16. There's a lot more to the story than that, but I'd like you to see for yourself at this page here
Below there's a form to fill out to let you enter the book giveaway, and the book will even be signed! You should really give it a look!
For those who can, you should spread the word and give others the chance to enter the giveaway.
Friday, January 21, 2011
Wednesday, January 19, 2011
Horrible Week
Forgive me for not being able to update properly this week... I had one of the worst weeks in the history of scholastic semesters.
I can't understand how 5 different lecturers manage to drop so much work on us and still manage to look at us without remorse. We've had to give in 4 assignments this week consisting of a 500 word evaluation; several artworks; 2 interactive presentations, which may or may not include a video; a visual diary full of essays, summaries, newspaper clippings and cultural debates; a sketchbook full of mind-maps, ideas, experiments and comments; a networking assignment that involves never ending research and a programming assignment.
So far, we've handed in all but the last two. Thankfully we were given an extension for the last two since they realised we had too much to do in a week. Too bad I'm too sick to do anything properly. My chest feels like someone's been jackhammering on it.
So forgive me for the lack of activity this week... I'll try and make it up to you.
I can't understand how 5 different lecturers manage to drop so much work on us and still manage to look at us without remorse. We've had to give in 4 assignments this week consisting of a 500 word evaluation; several artworks; 2 interactive presentations, which may or may not include a video; a visual diary full of essays, summaries, newspaper clippings and cultural debates; a sketchbook full of mind-maps, ideas, experiments and comments; a networking assignment that involves never ending research and a programming assignment.
So far, we've handed in all but the last two. Thankfully we were given an extension for the last two since they realised we had too much to do in a week. Too bad I'm too sick to do anything properly. My chest feels like someone's been jackhammering on it.
So forgive me for the lack of activity this week... I'll try and make it up to you.
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Aftermath
So the Christmas season is officially over. Stores are turning back to what they once were before all the tinsel and glitter decorated all the shelves, street decorations and lights have been taken down, the mind numbing Christmas carols have stopped bombarding our streets, and our replaced gadgets are being thrown into some landfill.
Although the outside has stopped reminding us of the Christmas season, there are still a couple of things that never let us forget. For some it's the few extra kilos they put on during the holidays, and for others it's the wonderful gifts they received.
Not everyone experiences this time of year in a good way. While people might feel better that all the hassle is over, others might feel like the best part of the year is over and it's back to work. But whatever one might feel, there are things well all go through. Here's where I come in :P
I'm posting this to make you all aware of what you might need to do at this point in time.
Evaluate
Some like to send thank you cards to the people who sent them a Christmas gift. If you're one of these people, have you compiled a list of the gifts you've received? It's not nice the get a "Thanks for the Christmas gift" card in summer. Don't let it linger too long. Find the time, write the cards and send them out. If that's too much of a hassle, text, email or send an instant message to those who have access to these things and send card only to those who don't know how to communicate otherwise.
Restore
If you were one of the many people that decorated for the holidays but needed to go back to work immediately after, you might still have everything set up at home. Plan a day when you can pack everything up again. Don't procrastinate and reassure yourself that it's ok to leave everything up for now, because before you know it, you'll find yourself still staring at the decorations come February.
Remove
If you still have all the gift wrapping, extra packaging, manuals, boxes and cards and they're cluttering your room, well... I don't think I have to tell you what you need to do here. If it's made from plastic or paper, don't forget you can recycle it! You can also make some cool up-cycled stuff, specially using Christmas cards. I usually cut out the front of used cards and make them little tags to use with next year's gifts :)
Think
One last thing. This is the hard part. You need to think about all the presents you received. Did you love them so much that you use them all the time? Were they gifts you can't use and you had to leave them lying somewhere in the house? Did you hate them and didn't even bother to find them a place to lie? These things need to be taken into consideration.
If you kept the gifts, and it's important for the people around you to see you use them, then don't leave them somewhere and forget all about them.
If received a courtesy gift that you don't need or won't ever use, stick a post-it note with the name of whoever gave it to you on it and store it somewhere so that you can re-gift it. That note might save you from giving it to the same person you got it from should you decide to give it away in the future.
If you got a gift that replaced an old, broken or overused and useless item, there's no need to hang on to the replaced item. You don't need something that doesn't work. I have made this mistake many times. Camera broke? Well take all the parts that might actually come in handy (like the screws and maybe the LCD display or lens) and discard the rest. Mobile phone was replaced by something better? Sell your old one to someone who might need it. Don't be a pack-rat for the sake of needing something "just in case".
Although the outside has stopped reminding us of the Christmas season, there are still a couple of things that never let us forget. For some it's the few extra kilos they put on during the holidays, and for others it's the wonderful gifts they received.
Not everyone experiences this time of year in a good way. While people might feel better that all the hassle is over, others might feel like the best part of the year is over and it's back to work. But whatever one might feel, there are things well all go through. Here's where I come in :P
I'm posting this to make you all aware of what you might need to do at this point in time.
Evaluate
Some like to send thank you cards to the people who sent them a Christmas gift. If you're one of these people, have you compiled a list of the gifts you've received? It's not nice the get a "Thanks for the Christmas gift" card in summer. Don't let it linger too long. Find the time, write the cards and send them out. If that's too much of a hassle, text, email or send an instant message to those who have access to these things and send card only to those who don't know how to communicate otherwise.
Restore
If you were one of the many people that decorated for the holidays but needed to go back to work immediately after, you might still have everything set up at home. Plan a day when you can pack everything up again. Don't procrastinate and reassure yourself that it's ok to leave everything up for now, because before you know it, you'll find yourself still staring at the decorations come February.
Remove
If you still have all the gift wrapping, extra packaging, manuals, boxes and cards and they're cluttering your room, well... I don't think I have to tell you what you need to do here. If it's made from plastic or paper, don't forget you can recycle it! You can also make some cool up-cycled stuff, specially using Christmas cards. I usually cut out the front of used cards and make them little tags to use with next year's gifts :)
Think
One last thing. This is the hard part. You need to think about all the presents you received. Did you love them so much that you use them all the time? Were they gifts you can't use and you had to leave them lying somewhere in the house? Did you hate them and didn't even bother to find them a place to lie? These things need to be taken into consideration.
If you kept the gifts, and it's important for the people around you to see you use them, then don't leave them somewhere and forget all about them.
If received a courtesy gift that you don't need or won't ever use, stick a post-it note with the name of whoever gave it to you on it and store it somewhere so that you can re-gift it. That note might save you from giving it to the same person you got it from should you decide to give it away in the future.
If you got a gift that replaced an old, broken or overused and useless item, there's no need to hang on to the replaced item. You don't need something that doesn't work. I have made this mistake many times. Camera broke? Well take all the parts that might actually come in handy (like the screws and maybe the LCD display or lens) and discard the rest. Mobile phone was replaced by something better? Sell your old one to someone who might need it. Don't be a pack-rat for the sake of needing something "just in case".
Wednesday, January 5, 2011
How To Start Working Out
Hey everyone :) I've been thinking, and I've finally managed to compile a list of things one can do to help lose the extra kilos put on during the Christmas holidays. I've been trying to diet for quiet a while but nothing seemed to be working. I have to admit though, I have been a little piggy when it came to Christmas pudding and the wonderful cakes everyone was offering me. So I've decided to start working out again. Here is a list of things that I found effective in the past, in hopes that this will help anyone reading to lose the fat they might have gained. I don't guarantee that these exercises will work for everyone, and also, they're not meant to help you lose weight, but to lose fat (There's a difference :P ).
IMPORTANT: Always stretch before doing any exercises to prevent hurting yourself.
TIP 1:
I find that this exercise can help to both lose fat, and also gain some flexibility.
What to do:
Stand in front of a mirror (this will help you to do it right) and open your legs just enough to be in line with your shoulders. Make sure your toes face forward and make sure your spine is straight. Put your arms straight down and put your hands in a fist. Proceed to bend to one side, keeping your back straight at all times until your fist reaches the side of your knee. Slowly come back up and repeat on the other side. Do this around 20 times. Don't do more than that if it's your first time, because you'll regret it when you can't move a day later. You can gradually add the amount when you start doing these regularly. Doing 20 a day before sleep won't take up a lot of time, and these alone will help improve your upper body quite a bit. Don't expect too much by doing just these however. I explained this specific exercise because this is a good way to start working out everyday, even if it takes less than a minute. the practice will help you build stamina for when you're ready to take on more than one exercise.
TIP 2:
I don't only do the exercise explained in tip 1. I also try lunges, squats, 3 minute horse stance, leg lifts and a series of inner and outer thigh exercises. I do everything from the comfort of my own bedroom. Reason? I think a gym will take up more of your money and time, and is sometimes worse for people with a low self esteem. If you can afford the gym, I'm not going to stop you from going. Just know that once you stop regularly attending (and we all know that we have to stop at some point or other in our lives) you will get instantly fat cause of the lack of exercise. Doing exercises at home will help you stick to your regime cause it'll take up less time and money. Also, it is proven that you actually lose more weight at a simple children's playground rather than a gym, so you should take that into consideration :P
TIP 3:
Keep a log of when you started and write down your progress. This will help in the future when you're thinking of giving up. You'll see that your exercise wasn't futile. Having a diet buddy is helpful too, cause it helps you stay competitive and helps you to keep going no matter what. This is also part of the reason I'm blogging this. This way I have a virtual obligation to keep up the exercise and report my progress :)
TIP 4:
A healthy diet also works, but many people fail to stop eating the things they love in favour of healthier foods. I found the best diet is to eat whatever you like but never exceed the daily amount of calories you should intake. If you're overweight, this will make you lose weight. If you're already at the recommended weight, this will not effect you. I also suggest stocking up on fruit for whenever you're hungry for a little snack. Some suggest having one day where you can eat whatever you want so that you have something to look forward to in the week, but with this method you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I saw results of this after the first week and it only got better. You have to be very careful about the things you eat however, cause calories build up very easily.
SECRET TIPS:
1. Alternate exercises. I do sets of lunges, squats and a little arm exercises on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
I do the 3 minute horse stance, thigh exercises and the bends mentioned in tip 1 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
On Sundays I do the leg lifts.
This helps keep things interesting and avoid repetition injury. I also walk as much as I can and avoid taking the bus if I need to go somewhere close.
2. Take something with you when you're out for exercise. Taking your camera, music, pet or even just someone to talk to will help you do the exercise without finding it tedious. My camera is my best friend on these types of occasions but I'd love the company of others too. It makes you feel less like you're the fatty who went out jogging ;)
I hope you find these tips helpful. I'm going to challenge myself to have a decent figure by the time summer rolls in. Is anyone else up for the challenge?
IMPORTANT: Always stretch before doing any exercises to prevent hurting yourself.
TIP 1:
I find that this exercise can help to both lose fat, and also gain some flexibility.
What to do:
Stand in front of a mirror (this will help you to do it right) and open your legs just enough to be in line with your shoulders. Make sure your toes face forward and make sure your spine is straight. Put your arms straight down and put your hands in a fist. Proceed to bend to one side, keeping your back straight at all times until your fist reaches the side of your knee. Slowly come back up and repeat on the other side. Do this around 20 times. Don't do more than that if it's your first time, because you'll regret it when you can't move a day later. You can gradually add the amount when you start doing these regularly. Doing 20 a day before sleep won't take up a lot of time, and these alone will help improve your upper body quite a bit. Don't expect too much by doing just these however. I explained this specific exercise because this is a good way to start working out everyday, even if it takes less than a minute. the practice will help you build stamina for when you're ready to take on more than one exercise.
TIP 2:
I don't only do the exercise explained in tip 1. I also try lunges, squats, 3 minute horse stance, leg lifts and a series of inner and outer thigh exercises. I do everything from the comfort of my own bedroom. Reason? I think a gym will take up more of your money and time, and is sometimes worse for people with a low self esteem. If you can afford the gym, I'm not going to stop you from going. Just know that once you stop regularly attending (and we all know that we have to stop at some point or other in our lives) you will get instantly fat cause of the lack of exercise. Doing exercises at home will help you stick to your regime cause it'll take up less time and money. Also, it is proven that you actually lose more weight at a simple children's playground rather than a gym, so you should take that into consideration :P
TIP 3:
Keep a log of when you started and write down your progress. This will help in the future when you're thinking of giving up. You'll see that your exercise wasn't futile. Having a diet buddy is helpful too, cause it helps you stay competitive and helps you to keep going no matter what. This is also part of the reason I'm blogging this. This way I have a virtual obligation to keep up the exercise and report my progress :)
TIP 4:
A healthy diet also works, but many people fail to stop eating the things they love in favour of healthier foods. I found the best diet is to eat whatever you like but never exceed the daily amount of calories you should intake. If you're overweight, this will make you lose weight. If you're already at the recommended weight, this will not effect you. I also suggest stocking up on fruit for whenever you're hungry for a little snack. Some suggest having one day where you can eat whatever you want so that you have something to look forward to in the week, but with this method you can eat whatever you want and still lose weight. I saw results of this after the first week and it only got better. You have to be very careful about the things you eat however, cause calories build up very easily.
SECRET TIPS:
1. Alternate exercises. I do sets of lunges, squats and a little arm exercises on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
I do the 3 minute horse stance, thigh exercises and the bends mentioned in tip 1 on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
On Sundays I do the leg lifts.
This helps keep things interesting and avoid repetition injury. I also walk as much as I can and avoid taking the bus if I need to go somewhere close.
2. Take something with you when you're out for exercise. Taking your camera, music, pet or even just someone to talk to will help you do the exercise without finding it tedious. My camera is my best friend on these types of occasions but I'd love the company of others too. It makes you feel less like you're the fatty who went out jogging ;)
I hope you find these tips helpful. I'm going to challenge myself to have a decent figure by the time summer rolls in. Is anyone else up for the challenge?
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
When Should You Give In?
If there's one thing I hate, it's when people argue over something pointless. You can't imaging how many times I have lost friends because they argued with me over something so unbelievably trivial that they couldn't remember what it was a week later. But alas, hating arguments doesn't prevent them from happening. The worst kind of argument, in my opinion, is one where you're not interested in the subject whatsoever, rendering you useless when it comes to opposing the argument.
A couple of friends of mine dragged me into an argument a couple of weeks ago at school, where they were discussing something about divorce and why they liked and disliked the idea. I'm rather neutral to the idea since my opinion wasn't going to change the chances of the law being passed or not. I was dragged into the argument when they noticed me looking on nonchalantly. I didn't want to side with either one of them, since that might have caused one of them to feel like I was betraying them, but I had no choice as it was. I expressed my views, leaving them both enraged since I disagreed with both of them, and although I tried to pull myself out of the whole argument, the more it turned into an attack. After a good hour, the argument had evolved into a name-calling show of ignorance. Both of them seemed to have joined views to oppose mine. I refrained from answering their insults which lead to them becoming angrier. The argument ended when we had to return to class.
They forgot all about the argument for the duration of the lesson, but still dropped coy hints of them disliking my views in the following lessons. This became annoying very very quickly. It resulted in me screaming at the top of my lungs when they finally got on my last nerve. They've been avoiding me since then, even though we still talk casually.
I'm not one to hold grudges, but I don't want to be a pushover either. I'm usually always the first one to apologize but this time I refuse to apologize for something I didn't do. I didn't even want to share my thoughts to begin with.
This seems to be happening quite often nowadays since two days ago I also had the misfortune of being dragged into an argument that I has no interest in. To make matters worse, I didn't have enough knowledge on the topic to be able to defend myself against the cruel words being spewed.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think anyone has the right to attack someone in an argument when the person is unwilling to attack back. I felt very uncomfortable in both situations. Am I just being hard headed? Should I stick to my views regardless or should I be the mat everyone wipes their feet all over and just give in? It wouldn't be the first time I agreed with someone just to shut them up, but I don't want to give these people the false hope they thought they would get by attacking me verbally. I really don't know what to do in these situations. Maybe I'm just antisocial. What would you do?
A couple of friends of mine dragged me into an argument a couple of weeks ago at school, where they were discussing something about divorce and why they liked and disliked the idea. I'm rather neutral to the idea since my opinion wasn't going to change the chances of the law being passed or not. I was dragged into the argument when they noticed me looking on nonchalantly. I didn't want to side with either one of them, since that might have caused one of them to feel like I was betraying them, but I had no choice as it was. I expressed my views, leaving them both enraged since I disagreed with both of them, and although I tried to pull myself out of the whole argument, the more it turned into an attack. After a good hour, the argument had evolved into a name-calling show of ignorance. Both of them seemed to have joined views to oppose mine. I refrained from answering their insults which lead to them becoming angrier. The argument ended when we had to return to class.
They forgot all about the argument for the duration of the lesson, but still dropped coy hints of them disliking my views in the following lessons. This became annoying very very quickly. It resulted in me screaming at the top of my lungs when they finally got on my last nerve. They've been avoiding me since then, even though we still talk casually.
I'm not one to hold grudges, but I don't want to be a pushover either. I'm usually always the first one to apologize but this time I refuse to apologize for something I didn't do. I didn't even want to share my thoughts to begin with.
This seems to be happening quite often nowadays since two days ago I also had the misfortune of being dragged into an argument that I has no interest in. To make matters worse, I didn't have enough knowledge on the topic to be able to defend myself against the cruel words being spewed.
Maybe it's just me, but I don't think anyone has the right to attack someone in an argument when the person is unwilling to attack back. I felt very uncomfortable in both situations. Am I just being hard headed? Should I stick to my views regardless or should I be the mat everyone wipes their feet all over and just give in? It wouldn't be the first time I agreed with someone just to shut them up, but I don't want to give these people the false hope they thought they would get by attacking me verbally. I really don't know what to do in these situations. Maybe I'm just antisocial. What would you do?
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