Wed 25 Jun 2008 – 10.13
What’s a coping combo, you might ask? It’s the unique combination of food, sleep, drink, and other habits that we tend towards during times of stress, such as pulling an all-nighter or during a rush period of work. Everyone’s combo is slightly different, as is illustrated in a recent article on MSNBC Health:
For Tiffanie … it’s chips and salsa and sappy movie marathons. For Paul … it’s Chinese food and long weekends in bed. And for Susan … it’s skipped meals and late nights glued to the computer.
We pick our combos to cope with our natural afflictions from stress. Some of us can’t sleep, others eat too much, others get all jittery. So the cure often fits the symptom. Depending on our diet and exercise habits, our bodies are hard-wired to react differently during those late nights and stressful times.
“Everybody’s biology is a bit different,” [an expert] says. “I might respond to stress by getting more acid production in my stomach which will make me want to not eat at all or make me want to eat comfort foods that will absorb the acid.”
But it’s also emotional. The reason we have comfort foods is because they bring us back to a time and place when we were less stressed and generally felt better about ourselves and the world.
It’s interesting; read the article here »
And if you’re a gamer, I already touched on the subject of what to eat when you’re up all night saving the world from aliens, Nazis, The Empire, Orcs, and angry teenager boys from China.
posted by Scott in coffee, education, health & fitness, life.
Look Out, New York! Herpes on the Rise.
Tue 10 Jun 2008 – 22.35
Shocking and horrid statistics about sexually transmitted diseases have emerged via the NY Dept. of Health. Apparently, the rates of young people with Herpes is higher than anyone would like:
“more than a fourth of adult New Yorkers are infected with Herpes Simplex Virus-2, the virus that causes genital herpes.” For contrast, the national average for genital herpes infection is 19%.
Wait, 25%! Are you serious?! So one out of every four people I spy on the street has Herpes? One of the four ladies from Sex and the City? One out of four of my rugby teammates? Or maybe it’s as low as one out of five, like the national average. Jeez! Makes you scared to go outside. By the way, if you weren’t paying attention in 7th Grade Health class: “The [Herpes] virus has no cure, lasts forever, and those infected are more susceptible to the HIV virus.”
That comes from a short article on Gothamist. For more statistics, and general a general gross-out, check out the full article here. »
Why are STDs on the rise in New York? Could it be because of general lack of education and the increasing apathy of middle and high school age kids who start fucking at seriously young ages? Or is it the twentysomethings who flock here from all over the globe in search of love and a chance to “make it”? Maybe those tiny, tiny apartments mean that roommates are inadvertently spreading it. Or could it be that folks are taking their cues from the former Governor.
Don’t ask me. You know why.
Just be safe, sluts.
posted by Scott in health & fitness, relationships.
JK Rowling’s Speech to Harvard’s Class of 2008
Sat 07 Jun 2008 – 10.30
Harry Potter author JK Rowling delivered the commencement speech at this year’s Harvard graduation. She’s awesome in many ways, but this speech is particularly inspiration and moving. Watch it and the pay the fuck attention.
•• Video Here »
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posted by Scott in careers, education, life.
Fri 06 Jun 2008 – 15.10
Ok, picture how bizarre, stressful, frustrating, and demanding the modern workplace can be. Think of how much commuting sucks, how you can’t get any work done with distractions of co-workers, and how people are generally nuts. Now imagine all that with a baby in-hand!
There is a new trend emerging: babies in the office. More specifically, new parents aren’t taking months upon months of parental leave, but rather returning to the office for a normal workday … with baby. The move comes as a workaround for the lack of maternity leave in the US and Australia. (apparently, the US and Australia are the only two industrialised nations who don’t mandate paid maternity leave of any kind for new mothers. In Australia, at least you get 12 months to return to your old job, but in the US, the minimum is only 12 weeks before your position is up for grabs. I agree that it’s awesome for places like Sweden to send paychecks (if not tax refunds and actual sptiends) to new families, but at the same time, don’t have a bloody kid if you can’t bloody afford it.)
The reason I’m posting about it is because twentyhood is the time when many of us start a family. And while most New Yorkers will wait until their 30s, the planning phases begin a few years earlier. Bringing a baby into the office (especially if there are some actual facilities to take care of the baby) may be an attractive prospect for a young woman who isn’t quite ready to give up her career cold-turkey at age 26, or something. But how bizarre!
At any age, a baby can be a distraction. If you’ve ever been stuck on an airplace or bus next to a crying baby, the cuteness wears off awfully quick. Would you be able get work done with a baby in the midst? And what about the potential to infect that baby with one of the many common colds. And considering how much co-workers faff around talking about which salad they had for lunch, I can imagine a severe drop in productivity every time the baby does something noteworthy.
The article I found follows a new mother, as well as a set of parents, who are trying to figure it all out. It’s actually worth a read because this new trends is so very new and drastic. If you’re thinking about starting a family [and maintaining a career at the same time] then check it out.
posted by Scott in careers, health & fitness, life, relationships.
10 Most Useless College Majors
Thu 05 Jun 2008 – 10.28
I’m not to rag on a body’s major out of hand. After all, I have a degree in a field in which I don’t participate professionally. I’m a big fan of studying what you enjoy studying, and doing what you enjoy doing — even if they’re not the same.
That being said, there are indeed some majors that are eye-rollingly bad choices in terms of a professional and academic future. This list comes from Holy Taco, and frankly it gets a little harsh at times. I think the underlaying theme is that a liberal arts degree doesn’t lead directly to a profession; therefore exercise caution.
I think the commentary on a Religion degree is spot on:
What Job You’ll End Up With: This one is tricky. On one hand you’ll probably end up working behind the desk of a Christian Science Reading Room. But on the other, you may end up with everlasting peace and spiritual enlightenment. Let’s call it a draw.
•• List Here »
posted by Scott in careers, education.