Six Ways to Prevent a Concussion - Part One

                Winter has finally graced us with its presence in a sudden and intense event. Now the days with fifty degree temperatures with a summer facade seem like months ago when in actuality it was only two weeks or so. When winter comes so quickly, it is easy to forget the dangers it presents. On the very first day of winter weather, I had an unfortunate reminder of what kinds of dangerous incidents would happen when I lost my footing and fell back on the hard, icy, ground. This blog serves as a reminder to everyone out there to be careful where you place your feet. To ensure safety in the winter walkers this season, I have devised six methods that will keep your feet planted firmly on the ground, or reduce the pain of every fall.
              

#1) Very Grippy Shoes - In effort to not slip on the ice, I recommend very grippy shoes. Now, make sure you go full out on these because otherwise, they will be of no use and completely not worth the effort of trying to get. I think the best method for getting super-grippy shoes is to make them. Go to your local hardware store and look for the biggest and strongest suction cups you can find. Plungers work out very well if you weigh enough to push them all of the way down when you walk. If you weigh this much though, you probably don't have very many muscles. In this case, you may want to start going to the gym before winter begins. When you decide you have strong enough muscles to pick up your feet after they are suctioned to the ground, go ahead and start wearing your very grippy shoes. Once you start wearing your shoes you can even cancel your gym membership because you will get a better work out wearing these shoes anyway. In short, the grippy shoe method may require a little work before hand, but present you with a bonus of hard thighs afterward. (345)

Six Ways to Prevent a Concussion - Part Two

#2) Automatic Heaters in Shoes - If you decide against the grippy shoes, another great method of ice prevention is to get shoes with powerful automatic exterior heaters. These heaters will be so powerful that they the moment they encounter the snow on the ground, they will melt it. Be careful where you where these though; if you are on the run from someone, these shoes leave very distinct footprints to follow.  These heaters must also be automatic in order to only melt the snow they come in contact with. There have been too many awful occurrences with these shoes melting through people’s cars that all of the shoe heaters should be automatic, but if they aren't, you were warned

#3) Hover Boots – I feel like this suggestion is pretty much self-explanatory. If you don’t want to slip on an icy surface just don’t go on it; go over it. The only set back is that I don’t think hover anything has really been invented but who knows, maybe some creative person will be reading this right now and invent them based on this idea. I think everyone should try, get some Phineas and Ferb action going on and turn a couple of fans into high-tech hover boots.

#4) Butt Pads – If anyone has seen the move Ice Princess they should know what I am talking about. If you haven’t, let me explain. Butt pads are like a belt with pockets full of the Styrofoam packing peanuts and instead of securing your pants, it wraps around your bottom and cushions your falls. These may end up being expensive to repair though if you do not know how to sew. If you do, when the butt pads burst on impact, just get some more of the packing peanuts, stuff them into the burst pocket, and sew it back up. They will be good as new. (322)

Six Ways to Prevent a Concussion - Part Three

#5) Wear 50 Fur Jackets – fur jackets, faux jackets, crazy cushiony ski jackets, or any type of jacket you want really, just wear fifty of them. This method seems pretty self-explanatory. If you wear fifty of the comfiest, furriest, and most padded jackets, you won’t feel a thing when you slip on the ice! Another added bonus would be that if you end up falling and passing out, the jackets will serve as a nice warm feather-ish bed. It might also cause people to notice you and call for help. Now, you may be wondering how you will fit into fifty fur jackets, and I have no clue, maybe you could go butter crazy and try to slip into each one but that task is all up to you.

#6) Freeze Ray Sensors – method number six is a freeze ray sensor. I don’t know where this may be located but who knows; maybe someone will create a pocket size form to put on a key chain. Anyway, the freeze ray sensor will when sense when you slip on the ice and before you fall, it will automatically freeze you before you make contact with the ground. This way, you will have an excuse as to why you were late, and you will come out with the most hydrated skin you have ever had. It will also protect your body from a fall, but that is just a minor benefit. There are however a precautions associated with the freeze ray, one is that it may end up creating a lot more ice, two is that you need to make sure that someone is there to unfreeze you because otherwise you won’t thaw out until spring, and three; if someone doesn’t unfreeze you properly you may end up on the ground anyway.

Hopefully these methods will help you this winter from falling too many times on the ice. If these didn’t help you then too bad, they weren’t meant for you anyway! (338)

Pre-College Hoax

Advanced Placement, or AP, classes are recommended for students that excel in normal high school level courses or students that are looking for a challenge as well as the opportunity for college credit and a pre-college experience. The opportunity of having AP classes is not available in all high schools but in the schools that they are offered, AP classes are pushed so much that many students feel obligated to take them. The truth is, while the idea of AP classes is well-intentioned, the classes are ultimately a pointless and exhausting experience for high school students.

                Maybe an expected attribute, AP classes are more difficult and have a greater homework load than normal classes. This may not be minded by some, but for others it is an overwhelming time burden that they cannot afford to take. I am currently enrolled in two AP classes that require around four hours of homework combined per night. With eight hours of school and an hour of extracurricular activities, I will spend about fourteen hours of my twenty-four hour day doing school related activities. If I factor in travel time, meals, etc., I am getting about seven hours of sleep every night. According to the National Sleep Foundation, teenagers need at least nine hours of sleep. I only have two AP classes and can infer that someone with more than two classes is getting even less sleep than I am.

            One reason that students take AP courses is for the pre-college experience. This experience however, is not an accurate representation of college because of the obvious difference in location, class time, and schedules. The average school day for college students may vary but is normally around five hours a day and a will usually consist of only one or two classes per day. So, even though high school students might be studying the same curriculum as college students, they end up having less time to learn the material and less time to study.

A second reason to take an AP course might be for the college credit earned in high school. While this is an excellent reason, AP courses do not actually ensure college credit. If a student does not pass the AP exam, the course does not transfer to college, and so, the hours spent on the class will be ultimately pointless because they will need to retake the same class again in college anyway. Even if a student does pass the exam, there is still a chance that their chosen college will not accept the credited course and will require them to retake it. Therefore, if a student wants to be sure that the credits transfer, they have to know what college they are going to before they even register for the course. This may be fine for seniors, but is a little more difficult for freshman.

Even though AP classes offer a definite challenge that may be enticing for some students, they actually take too much of a high school student’s time and are falsely advertised. Their sole purpose being to provide students with college credit and experience has been disproven and yet, students are still pressured to take the classes. I think AP classes are a bad idea for students in high school because they exceed the challenge level they should. I am not saying that students cannot meet the set level, only that they should not be required to do so. (574)

How to make Oreo Truffles

I must give credit of this recipe to pinterest.com because that is where I got it but it is so delicious I decided I wanted to post it as a blog. In order to make this recipe you will need a package of double stuffed Oreos. Even if you always get the normal kind and have never gotten anything else, take a chance and just get the double stuffed; you won’t regret it. You will also need four ounces of softened cream cheese. If you so desire, you can use eight ounces, but I prefer only using four. Lastly you will need dipping chocolate; I usually use almond bark because it works really well.

            First, chop the Oreos up finely in a food processor or blender. I found that mashing them up by yourself works just fine but they have to be REALLY crushed and it takes a lot more work. When the Oreos are crushed set some aside to save for garnish for the finished product. You don't need very much though for the garnish so be sure and use most of it for the truffles.

            Next add the softened cream cheese (to soften it, put it in a blender) and mashes together with the Oreos with your hands or a spoon depending on if you want messy hands or not. I think using your hands is a little faster and easier and frankly more fun.

            When the mixture is fully combined, roll out one inch balls and place them on a wax covered cookie sheet. Then put the cookie sheet in the freezer for 15 minutes. Be a multi-tasker and melt the chocolate while the balls are in the freezer. To save on time and space, just read the directions for the chocolate cause it would be easier than me explaining it.

            After the chocolate is melted and the fifteen minutes are up, take the Oreo Truffles out of freezer, and dip each of the  into chocolate. You can use whatever method you want when you dip them in the chocolate, just be sure to coat them completely. Set the truffles aside and garnish with the Oreo crumbs that you saved earlier before the chocolate sets up. Let the chocolate set, refrigerate the balls, and enjoy them, they’re delicious! (386)

Snowboarding vs Skiing

            If you go to any ski resort, you will primarily find two activities taking place; snowboarding and skiing. Known for stereotypical disputes, snowboarding and skiing are completely different and require different types of skills to attempt. They also differ in the types and ages of people that participate in doing them and the apparel that is worn by them.

            One of the main differences is perhaps the most obvious one; there is either one board or two. When someone snowboards, they plant both feet on one board and proceed down the hill. People with skis have one foot per ski while going downhill. Snowboarders remove one foot for every ski lift and skiers leave their feet in the skis unless they take them off when they are not needed or if the skis fall off after a tumble.

            Another difference is that people that snowboard tend to fall more, and the falls hurt a lot more. It is probably because snowboarding relies on balance and if that balance is disrupted, the boarder goes down. Skiing is easier because you simply glide on the snow and will really only one way unless you are going extreme.

            The people that snowboard and ski are also different. Snowboarders are often a lot younger than skiers. This may be because snowboarding has recently become more popular and it is harder to learn when you get older. With the younger population, there is also crazier apparel. If you look down a mountain, the craziest dressed people will probably be snowboarders.  Skiers usually have “cleaner” looking outfits or maybe “duller.” This difference might be due to the fact that snowboarders usually own their boards and skiers usually rent. It is too much of a hassle to buy skies and most people usually rent them whereas a board is commonly bought after someone begins to like the activity. (314)

How to get a perfect French manicure (without the cost of a nail salon)

                If you went a nail salon, you would probably pay around forty dollars to get your nails done (manicure and pedicure I assume) but if you are too cheap or broke to afford the forty dollar nail job and willing enough to do your own nails, I have a fail-proof way of getting the perfect French manicure. I must however credit this method to my sister because she is the one that taught me.

             The first step in this process is to round up all the necessary supplies. You will need white nail polish, a clear coat nail polish, fingernail polish remover (it doesn't have to be any special kind just stick to one you prefer), and a brush of some sort (the type of brush that is sort of like an eye shadow brush but the painters version.) After you have acquired all of these things you are now ready to begin.

                       

            1.) Open the white fingernail polish and paint about half of your nail from the top. This can be difficult to describe but just imagine where you want the actual white part of the manicure to end up and paint 1.5 of that amount on the top part of your nails. This in no way has to be perfect because you will end up taking it off and making a straight line later. If the nail polish you chose is not a strong white, you may have to paint two coats of the polish on your nails.

           

            2.) Next, take off the lid of the nail polish remover and poor some of the remover into the lid. This is just my usual way of doing it but if you want you can find some other type of container to hold the remover and it will work just fine.

            3.) Dip the paintbrush into the remover. It works best when there is ample amount of remover on the brush so be sure to let the brush soak up a lot of the liquid.

            4.) Take the brush and go back and forth across your nails starting from the bottom of the polish and moving upward. Stop when you reach the size of the white that you want for your finished manicure. Use the same procedure for the rest of your nails.

            5.) After you have finished all of your nails, make sure the white is completely dry and then add the clear coat. If you so desire, you can even add designs onto the French manicured nails to make them more embellished. This however is up to you because it would be a bit too difficult to explain in words.

            Enjoy the completed product and remind yourself that it may take a couple of times before you get the hang of it. Also feel free to spend that unused forty dollars on anything you like! (491)