With the year nearing to an end, most students are either starting to lack or get stressed out about the upcoming final exams. Although I can’t help with the lacking, there are great tips on how to stay stress-free.
Your mothers probably used to tell you not to frown or your face will stay that way. Guess what? They weren’t kidding. Stress tends to cause frowns. These lines will start to be visible eventually. Of course, with the invention of botox wrinkles can be temporarily ironed out but you also might be temporarily without any facial expression. Which is scarier?
Breathing easy is going to help you let go of some stress. After cramming all of that information from your text book that you had a whole semester to do but decided to do last minute, you’re going to need a breather.
Lie down on the floor with your back flat. Put one hand on your stomach and the other on your chest. Take a deep, slow breath in.
“Lying on the floor at first when you practice is important, because if you stand up, you’re more likely to take a deep breath by doing an exaggerated chest extension, rather than letting it fill up naturally,” Dr. Oz, a mind a body doctor who has been on the Oprah Winfrey Show, said.
Fill up your lungs and then slowly exhale. Count to seven while you’re exhaling. Dr. Oz recommends ten deep breaths in the morning and ten deep breaths at night to help relieve stress. (Smoking doesn’t count as taking in deep breaths!)
Another easy way to relieve stress is by taking the cork screw of a wine bottle and placing it vertically between your front teeth. This action will help loosen the tension in your jaw. You may not notice but when you’re stressed or frustrated, your jaw tends to tighten up. By relieving the tension in your jaws, you relieve tension from your neck and head which will help you to relax and be less stressed.
Journaling is a great way to relieve stress. By keeping a daily journal or diary, one can express thoughts and emotions more clearly. Many have also found that writing down problems makes it easier to find a solution because it helps process the information and release emotions. However, for it to be most helpful, you should write in detail about your feelings as if you are discussing them with a therapist.
One of the best cures for stress is laughter. Laughing reduces the stress level and helps lowers physical effects of stress. Just think of a funny memory or watch some comedy on television. Don’t get addicted to the TV or you’ll fall behind and be more stressed.
Don’t worry about the laugh lines. You’ll feel better you’re wrinkled because you were happy rather than because you were frustrated.
Another great cure for stress is sex—but only if your partner is supportive and is as emotionally involved as you are. Because sex releases a lot of feel-good hormones, many use it to relieve stress. However, if your partner doesn’t provide emotional support, it may cause drama and confusion and even more stress. Please be wise if you choose this technique—and always practice safe sex.
With all of these easy stress relieving tips, I hope you will be able to take those final exams with a smile on your face. Good luck!
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Pushing Daisies
It’s comical, romantic and whimsical and has nothing to do with daisies. Instead, it deals with murdered corpses. “Pushing Daisies” aired this fall and has bedazzled its viewers with bright and colorful imagery and imagination.
The new ABC show is about a young man named Ned (Lee Pace) who discovers that he has the ability to bring the dead back to life with the mere touch of his finger. However, if Ned touches what he brought back again, it’s dead for good. If he keeps it alive for more than a minute, something within proximity will die in its place.
“Pushing Daisies” was created by Bryan Fuller and inspired by the French film “Amelie.” The show is narrated by the voice of Jim Dale and begins with Ned as a 9-year-old in the town of Coeur de Coeur. He first discovers his “ability” when his dog, Digby, gets hit by a truck.
Ned also has a crush on his neighbor Charlotte, also known as Chuck (Anna Friel). As a matter of fact, Chuck turns out to be Ned’s first kiss. Soon after, however, Chuck’s and Ned’s parents dies and both children are sent away to live with relatives. Ned is sent to live with his father who almost immediately sends him to boarding school and Chuck is sent to live with her aunts, Vivien (Ellen Greene) and Lily ( Swoosie Kurtz).
Ned grows up a loner and remains a loner with his pie making business called the Pie Hole and Digby who he can never touch again. His waitress Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth) is secretly in love with him and doesn’t understand why he won’t touch her or show any affection. The truth is, Ned's just not interested in her at all and perhaps still in love with the little girl next door.
The only person who knows of Ned’s secret is a private investigator, Emerson (Chi McBride), who uses Ned in helping him solve murder cases to get the money rewards.
On a fateful day for Ned—but not so fateful for Chuck, Chuck is murdered. Ned brings her back to life, but to his dismay realizes she is his one true love and he would never be able to touch her—or kiss her again.
Chuck is witty and remains optimistic through her whole situation of being “undead.” Not once does she show any signs of being morbid. As a matter of fact, Chuck sees it as her second chance in life and decides to make the best of it. She even starts helping in the murder cases.
The cast of “Pushing Daisies” does a wonderful job of keeping viewers wanting for more. Every week, secrets from different character’s lives are revealed. Each character on the show is a little odd but charming nonetheless. They seem to be able to add a touch of humor into any situation. It’s not a surprise why it has been rated one of the best shows on ABC.
The show is engaging with clever dialogue. Pace is simply adorable and McBride does a great job at playing the sarcastic Emerson. Friel, an English actor, can only be described as absolutely endearing with a lot of spunk. She truly is a natural beauty.
“Pushing Daisies” isn’t like any show ABC has ever aired. With its exaggerated color palette in each scene, it’s almost magical and fairytale-like. It has most definitely captured the hearts of millions of Americans, and I must say that I am looking forward to Wednesdays.
The show can be seen on ABC at 8 p.m. and abc.com if you need to catch up.
The new ABC show is about a young man named Ned (Lee Pace) who discovers that he has the ability to bring the dead back to life with the mere touch of his finger. However, if Ned touches what he brought back again, it’s dead for good. If he keeps it alive for more than a minute, something within proximity will die in its place.
“Pushing Daisies” was created by Bryan Fuller and inspired by the French film “Amelie.” The show is narrated by the voice of Jim Dale and begins with Ned as a 9-year-old in the town of Coeur de Coeur. He first discovers his “ability” when his dog, Digby, gets hit by a truck.
Ned also has a crush on his neighbor Charlotte, also known as Chuck (Anna Friel). As a matter of fact, Chuck turns out to be Ned’s first kiss. Soon after, however, Chuck’s and Ned’s parents dies and both children are sent away to live with relatives. Ned is sent to live with his father who almost immediately sends him to boarding school and Chuck is sent to live with her aunts, Vivien (Ellen Greene) and Lily ( Swoosie Kurtz).
Ned grows up a loner and remains a loner with his pie making business called the Pie Hole and Digby who he can never touch again. His waitress Olive Snook (Kristin Chenoweth) is secretly in love with him and doesn’t understand why he won’t touch her or show any affection. The truth is, Ned's just not interested in her at all and perhaps still in love with the little girl next door.
The only person who knows of Ned’s secret is a private investigator, Emerson (Chi McBride), who uses Ned in helping him solve murder cases to get the money rewards.
On a fateful day for Ned—but not so fateful for Chuck, Chuck is murdered. Ned brings her back to life, but to his dismay realizes she is his one true love and he would never be able to touch her—or kiss her again.
Chuck is witty and remains optimistic through her whole situation of being “undead.” Not once does she show any signs of being morbid. As a matter of fact, Chuck sees it as her second chance in life and decides to make the best of it. She even starts helping in the murder cases.
The cast of “Pushing Daisies” does a wonderful job of keeping viewers wanting for more. Every week, secrets from different character’s lives are revealed. Each character on the show is a little odd but charming nonetheless. They seem to be able to add a touch of humor into any situation. It’s not a surprise why it has been rated one of the best shows on ABC.
The show is engaging with clever dialogue. Pace is simply adorable and McBride does a great job at playing the sarcastic Emerson. Friel, an English actor, can only be described as absolutely endearing with a lot of spunk. She truly is a natural beauty.
“Pushing Daisies” isn’t like any show ABC has ever aired. With its exaggerated color palette in each scene, it’s almost magical and fairytale-like. It has most definitely captured the hearts of millions of Americans, and I must say that I am looking forward to Wednesdays.
The show can be seen on ABC at 8 p.m. and abc.com if you need to catch up.
Wednesday, November 7, 2007
Is Technology Taking Over?
Doesn’t it seem like there’s a new gadget out every month? There was the ipod, bluetooth, handheld laptops and, recently, the iphone. In today’s society, it is almost impossible to live without technology. Most of us can’t even imagine life without our cell phones. You almost start to think whether technology is taking over the world.
Unfortunately, technology is also hard to keep up with—especially for the older generation. My grandparents refuse to use a DVD player and getting a cell phone was a huge step. It took about a good six months for them to finally realize you don’t have to talk into the cell phone like a walkie-talkie for the person on the other end to hear you.
The majority of students today have laptops and most of us can’t remember when the internet didn’t exist. Many students can probably relate to the video “A Vision of Students Today” because it expresses how today’s students can be reached and how to connect with them.
It is agreeable that professors should get updated with technology. Understanding today’s technology would probably benefit professors in helping them get through to students and to understand them.
I often find myself a little more motivated to do an assignment that requires YouTube or anything dealing with the internet because I am familiar with it, making it easier to work with. It’s not confusing like a lot of textbooks are and makes me motivated to do the assignment because I can actually understand it.
Many have found that attending class is difficult when you’re also working 20 to 30 hours a week, which only pushes that online class back further. Learning how to prioritize time is the best thing to learn while being in college. Don’t try to do everything at once or you’ll just end up stressed and feeling older than your age.
If professors don’t keep up with advancing technology, their students may not learn anything in the future. You can see in classrooms today that many people have laptops with them. Some who claim to be “taking notes” are actually chatting, browsing myspace.com or playing games. A lot of professors are losing their students’ attention and focus. Sadly, students find ways to entertain themselves to pass the time in class.
However, letting go of a system that has worked for decades isn’t the answer to the problem. It is a system that has been responsive for many generations and continues to be. Now, it just has to be modernized to make class more interesting.
I’ve realized that classes held online are often the ones I don’t do well in. Online classes usually get taken advantage of by me because I procrastinate in them. The notes and assignments are online so it gets pushed back to the last thing on my to-do list.
Classes on campus work better because there is a professor there who is trying to interact with you. Students find lecture boring but I’ve found that I learn more and my mind actually picks up stuff that he is saying even if my ears aren’t really listening. The subconscious mind is an amazing thing. Being on campus is also a good college experience.
The students in the video do make good points. Technology is a big deal and professors need to understand that it’s a part of today’s students. However, I think that the focus is more on the problem than the solution.
Perhaps the solution is to integrate current technology with lecture. Most students buy books for hundreds of dollars and never see the inside of them. If reading assignments could be found online, students would probably respond more. A lot of students who buy books never see the inside of them, anyway.
Unfortunately, technology is also hard to keep up with—especially for the older generation. My grandparents refuse to use a DVD player and getting a cell phone was a huge step. It took about a good six months for them to finally realize you don’t have to talk into the cell phone like a walkie-talkie for the person on the other end to hear you.
The majority of students today have laptops and most of us can’t remember when the internet didn’t exist. Many students can probably relate to the video “A Vision of Students Today” because it expresses how today’s students can be reached and how to connect with them.
It is agreeable that professors should get updated with technology. Understanding today’s technology would probably benefit professors in helping them get through to students and to understand them.
I often find myself a little more motivated to do an assignment that requires YouTube or anything dealing with the internet because I am familiar with it, making it easier to work with. It’s not confusing like a lot of textbooks are and makes me motivated to do the assignment because I can actually understand it.
Many have found that attending class is difficult when you’re also working 20 to 30 hours a week, which only pushes that online class back further. Learning how to prioritize time is the best thing to learn while being in college. Don’t try to do everything at once or you’ll just end up stressed and feeling older than your age.
If professors don’t keep up with advancing technology, their students may not learn anything in the future. You can see in classrooms today that many people have laptops with them. Some who claim to be “taking notes” are actually chatting, browsing myspace.com or playing games. A lot of professors are losing their students’ attention and focus. Sadly, students find ways to entertain themselves to pass the time in class.
However, letting go of a system that has worked for decades isn’t the answer to the problem. It is a system that has been responsive for many generations and continues to be. Now, it just has to be modernized to make class more interesting.
I’ve realized that classes held online are often the ones I don’t do well in. Online classes usually get taken advantage of by me because I procrastinate in them. The notes and assignments are online so it gets pushed back to the last thing on my to-do list.
Classes on campus work better because there is a professor there who is trying to interact with you. Students find lecture boring but I’ve found that I learn more and my mind actually picks up stuff that he is saying even if my ears aren’t really listening. The subconscious mind is an amazing thing. Being on campus is also a good college experience.
The students in the video do make good points. Technology is a big deal and professors need to understand that it’s a part of today’s students. However, I think that the focus is more on the problem than the solution.
Perhaps the solution is to integrate current technology with lecture. Most students buy books for hundreds of dollars and never see the inside of them. If reading assignments could be found online, students would probably respond more. A lot of students who buy books never see the inside of them, anyway.
Thursday, November 1, 2007
Crush On Food!
Crush 29 was launched in June 2006 and features a round bar, two wine caves, murals of the Napa Valley and two fireplaces. Private rooms are also offered for your party.
With its contemporary gold and brown furniture, Crush 29 is an attractive restaurant. It is located in Roseville in a plaza full of other restaurants, yet it seems to outshine them. Perhaps it is because is the only place that offers free valet parking.
The menu is influenced by the Napa Valley with cuisines such as seafood, steaks, rotisserie, gourmet pizza, pasta and desserts.
Appetizers at Crush 29 include a variety of food under interesting names—for example, the “Lamb Lollipops.”
I believe the waiter said the “lamb lollipops” was popular but it was hard to hear what he was saying over the noise level. I ordered it anyway and, boy, were they tasty.
Five cubed marinated lamb tenderloins skewers around sweet potato puree with a hot mustard-pomegranate drizzle for $9.95. It’s perfect in portion because it satisfies hunger with its rich flavor but still leaves room for the entrée.
Aside from the lamb, we also tried the “Asian steak butter cups,” which consisted of thinly sliced seasoned beef topped with cucumbers, carrots and peanuts around a spicy chili glaze ($8.95) and the “roasted garlic bruschetta,” a tomato and basil chutney over slices of bread ($7.95). Both were fresh and fulfilling.
My taste buds were surprised by the “drunken brandy steak” ($15.95). It had just a hint of sweetness in it and was tender and juicy. According to the restaurant, the flank steak is marinated for two days.
The generous steak entrée came with a mushroom ragu, asparagus and mashed potatoes which only made the meal more gratifying.
Their executive chef, Irie Genglar, has been in the culinary arts for 15. He first started in Hawaii where he worked with Roy Yamagucci, a well-known chef. Genglar brought some Hawaiian dishes to Crush 29’s menu as well.
Prior to joining Crush 29, Genglar was executive chef for The Firehouse Restaurant in Old Sacramento for five years.
The restaurant specializes in wine—which the waiter neglected to tell us. However, they have a wide selection of wine with a glass costing at around $8 to $9. Free wine tasting is also offered while you wait for your table.
If you don’t like wine, there is a variety of martinis and other alcohol beverages to choose from. A favorite of mine is the “California apple,” which includes Crown Royal bourbon, sour apple pucker, white cranberry juice garnished with fresh green apple. Martinis are served over dry ice.
Beware of the gradually dimming lights—it may trick you into believing you’ve had too much too drink.
Although the dimmed lights are supposed to make the atmosphere romantic and intimate, it also makes reading the menu a bit difficult. Intimacy is a bit ruined by the clamor.
After eating twice at Crush 29, I’d have to say the customer service could be better. The hostesses are courteous but not friendly and the waiter was like a robot. His voice was monotone and his expression blank. When we asked him what dishes were good, he recited the menu almost word for word. We were hoping he’d tell us something we didn’t already know.
Although the service was a little disappointing, I recommend the food and martinis to everyone.
It’s a great place to hang out if you’re into the contemporary, loud scene. My friends think it’s great because they’re chatter boxes and feel more comfortable in an environment like Crush 29.
Crush 29 is open daily for lunch and dinner and is located on 1480 Eureka Rd. in Roseville. Their menu can be viewed at www.crush29.com.
With its contemporary gold and brown furniture, Crush 29 is an attractive restaurant. It is located in Roseville in a plaza full of other restaurants, yet it seems to outshine them. Perhaps it is because is the only place that offers free valet parking.
The menu is influenced by the Napa Valley with cuisines such as seafood, steaks, rotisserie, gourmet pizza, pasta and desserts.
Appetizers at Crush 29 include a variety of food under interesting names—for example, the “Lamb Lollipops.”
I believe the waiter said the “lamb lollipops” was popular but it was hard to hear what he was saying over the noise level. I ordered it anyway and, boy, were they tasty.
Five cubed marinated lamb tenderloins skewers around sweet potato puree with a hot mustard-pomegranate drizzle for $9.95. It’s perfect in portion because it satisfies hunger with its rich flavor but still leaves room for the entrée.
Aside from the lamb, we also tried the “Asian steak butter cups,” which consisted of thinly sliced seasoned beef topped with cucumbers, carrots and peanuts around a spicy chili glaze ($8.95) and the “roasted garlic bruschetta,” a tomato and basil chutney over slices of bread ($7.95). Both were fresh and fulfilling.
My taste buds were surprised by the “drunken brandy steak” ($15.95). It had just a hint of sweetness in it and was tender and juicy. According to the restaurant, the flank steak is marinated for two days.
The generous steak entrée came with a mushroom ragu, asparagus and mashed potatoes which only made the meal more gratifying.
Their executive chef, Irie Genglar, has been in the culinary arts for 15. He first started in Hawaii where he worked with Roy Yamagucci, a well-known chef. Genglar brought some Hawaiian dishes to Crush 29’s menu as well.
Prior to joining Crush 29, Genglar was executive chef for The Firehouse Restaurant in Old Sacramento for five years.
The restaurant specializes in wine—which the waiter neglected to tell us. However, they have a wide selection of wine with a glass costing at around $8 to $9. Free wine tasting is also offered while you wait for your table.
If you don’t like wine, there is a variety of martinis and other alcohol beverages to choose from. A favorite of mine is the “California apple,” which includes Crown Royal bourbon, sour apple pucker, white cranberry juice garnished with fresh green apple. Martinis are served over dry ice.
Beware of the gradually dimming lights—it may trick you into believing you’ve had too much too drink.
Although the dimmed lights are supposed to make the atmosphere romantic and intimate, it also makes reading the menu a bit difficult. Intimacy is a bit ruined by the clamor.
After eating twice at Crush 29, I’d have to say the customer service could be better. The hostesses are courteous but not friendly and the waiter was like a robot. His voice was monotone and his expression blank. When we asked him what dishes were good, he recited the menu almost word for word. We were hoping he’d tell us something we didn’t already know.
Although the service was a little disappointing, I recommend the food and martinis to everyone.
It’s a great place to hang out if you’re into the contemporary, loud scene. My friends think it’s great because they’re chatter boxes and feel more comfortable in an environment like Crush 29.
Crush 29 is open daily for lunch and dinner and is located on 1480 Eureka Rd. in Roseville. Their menu can be viewed at www.crush29.com.
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