Lifestyle
Andrew Falcetti
With
summer right around the corner, many of us young adults are on vacation. We’re
hitting up the beaches, shopping, running around the city, and exploring the
nightlife. But what happens when you’re on a budget and can’t spend money? Let’s
face it, times are a bit rough. Does
this mean your summer is over? With the
ways our pockets have been all year round it certainly looks like it. But no, your summer isn’t over.
Luckily,
the Big Apple offers many free things to do throughout the summer, including
free movies and festivals celebrating a wide variety of entertaining things to
do such as great food, entertaining cultures, and just enjoying summer in
general. So why not check out one of the many events going on? Go with some
friends, have some good food, watch a free movie on the pier, and just enjoy
your summer. So make sure to check back for my weekly updates on exciting
events that are taking place throughout the summer.
Friday June 25th
Grand
Central Station Festival
(on 43rd St. from Lexington - 3rd Avenue)
Saturday June 26th
6th Avenue Summerfest
(on 6th
Avenue from 23rd - 33rd Street)
Sunday June 27th
Times Square Block Party
(on 46th
Street from Broadway - 8th Avenue)
Emily Olson
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
It is no surprise that
the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico took a hit at our ecosystem, and by hit I
mean a near deadly punch to the heart of it. About 5,000 barrels of oil are
being flushed into the ocean each day, a disaster not very different from the
Exxon Valdez oil spill of 1989. As the tides come in, the deadly effects on the
animals of the Gulf are revealed.
There
are five species of sea turtles that live here, all of which are listed as
endangered or threatened. One of these species does not nest anywhere else in
the world. The Kemp’s Ridley turtle has been listed as an endangered species
since 1970 and has been under protection in
Whales,
especially the Bryde whale, are incredibly at risk. The Bryde Whale is colored
dark grey with a white belly. Without any teeth, they eat through a filter in
their mouth. Sadly, this means they can consume mass amounts of oil.
Since
vast stocks of fish are now contaminated, any animal that consumes them becomes
threatened. Dolphins such as the Bottlenose,
The
birds are also the hardest to clean . One hundred and fifty birds, mostly brown
pelicans, have been brought to the shore—brown, sticky, covered in oil. No
matter how much volunteers and rescuers clean them, residual oil is still in
the mouths and eyes of all of these animals. Scientists say that the chance of
survival after these animals are cleaned is optimistic, a 50-80% chance. The
process of cleaning, and letting them sleep is four to five days but rescuers
will let them stay for as long as need be. However, each time an animal goes
back clean, they have the possibility to come back covered in oil or die.
How
YOU can Help
http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Wildlife-Conservation/Threats-to-Wildlife/Oil-Spill.aspx
The
National Wildlife Federation is asking for you to:
Volunteer.
Help coordinate on-the-spot efforts of volunteers who are deployed to monitor
the coastline for wildlife.
Donate.
You can donate online, make a leadership gift, or text “WILDLIFE” to 20222 to
donate $10. 97% of your contribution will be used for recovery efforts. Less
then 11 cents goes to a transaction fee.
Recycle4Charity
Emily
Olson
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Recycling is nice, charity is nicer, but what could be
better than contributing to both? I’d like to think that the person who founded
Recycle4Charity thought the same exact thing before starting up as a division
of the company, Magnum Data. The goal of Recycle4Charity in a simple sense is
to make the world a better place.
a) keeping
ink, toner cartridges, and used cell phones out of landfills
b) recycling
products that are hazardous
c) reusing
and saving natural resources such as oil and other metals
d) creating
local jobs by remanufacturing the recycled material
e) Raising
funds for charity.
There are two programs in which people can donate to. One
is not for monetary compensation, in which donors can donate at least 6 large
items (such as toner cartridges) or 20 small items (inkjet cartridges, or cell
phones.) The second program is recycling for fundraising. Donors can send 25 or
more items per month; in return Recycle4Charity can send money to a charity,
school or organization of your choice. If you choose the second program with a
larger community, such as your coworkers- you can use the money for office
supplies, or a holiday party!
Recycle4Charity, in my personal opinion, is the only way
to properly recycle. What you put back into the environment, whether that is recycled
inkjets will make your community happier. It will be a much better earth for
all. How lovely!
Easy Steps to be Cool, I mean Green
Emily Olson
Saturday, May 08, 2010
Like
all good moments of realization, mine occurred in the comfort of my own home
watching Patty from Millionaire Matchmaker make fun a wealthy good looking man,
all in the name of love. If you haven’t seen the show recently fear not, this
episode happens to be easy to explain and understand. Millionaire eco-friendly
man searches for another hot “green” man to complete his love life. In an
upscale lunch date, they sit down to order, in which his date decides to have
the steak.
"I'm thinking of having a steak."
“You’re
kidding right? You know that leaves the biggest carbon foot print,
right? You shouldn’t eat that, if my friends were here, they would
know better than to order that.”
Sure
enough his date cops out and orders the salad but when the millionaire is
confronted by Patty for being too overbearing, we learn that he in fact is full
of shit. His response to Patty is something along the lines of, “Red meat
carries the biggest carbon footprint because the meat is red.”
In all
fairness he knows the facts, eating meat is less eco-friendly than eating your
veggies. This episode made me think about celebrity infused green movements. Do
we have to know why we recycle or choose certain light bulbs over another? Do
we really know what a carbon footprint is, or why it’s better for me to ride my
hipster bike than to drive my parents Volvo? Or maybe you do know about these
things, in which case you can stop reading this article now.
I will embarrassingly
admit that as much as I made fun of this green millionaire, I know just as much
if not less about the environment than he does. All I know is that without
following this green movement we are depleting resources and furthering deadly
consequences of living for ourselves and generations to come. I will not be the
first to sign up for Environmental Science or read the weekly Time column on
global warming, but I do care about the Earth and its inhabitants. So in the
name of Patty, here are some basic steps to get green because you don't have to
be smart to care.
1)
Go
Glass or Stainless Steel! Buy a reusable glass bottle with a safety guard or a
stainless steel mug instead of using and abusing plastic and Styrofoam.
2) Install
ceiling fans, instead of constantly turning on the AC.
3) The
Post Office in the past few years has been picky about what boxes you can send
out. Reuse product boxes for sending out your own mail. Cut open boxes, turn them
inside out and tape boxes back to original shape.
4) Impress
your guests! Buy cloth napkins, instead of paper. They are better for napkin
folding.
5) Buy foods
that are in season and goods locally grown. I know, I like pineapple best in
the winter too.
6) See
if you can get your textbooks at your school library. Oh yeah and it won’t cost
you another year of full tuition.
7) Find
the best ways to recycle your batteries other than putting dead ones in your
brothers Gameboy.
8) Recycle
rain water to water gardens by using a water butt!
9) Turn
the water off while brushing your teeth, shaving or using shampoo. It’s so easy.
10) Take
the bus. Enough said.
Helpful Links:
Thursday, May 06, 2010
Remember getting up early Mother’s Day morning and making breakfast? Burnt toast, runny eggs, and orange
juice with extra pulp beside a single rose adorned the table. Or maybe you
decided to take her out, a restaurant packed shoulder to shoulder with hungry
people waiting for pancakes and crisp bacon. Every year you ask yourself, “what’s
the perfect gift for mom?” And
year after year, we Google and read reviews and make guesses. When we can’t figure it out we go right
to the source to find out what she wants.
Her responses never help.
She looks at you and says, “You don’t need to get me anything.” Lies! Though
it shouldn’t take one day out of the year to commemorate our mothers, it gives
us a chance to reflect on all the things she has done. Being a mother is not a
part time job; it is a life long journey.
Is your mom the type of woman who
loves helping people, is constantly picking up after others but doesn’t always
have the time to look after herself? If she is, then she deserves a day of
pampering at a spa. She can leave behind the dirty dish rag and Palmolive for a
relaxing day. Spas are definitely a bit on the expensive side but worth it. Professional
hands knead out tension, knots, and kinks as you lay semi-naked in a dim lit
room, eyes closed, and submerge yourself in the best massage of your life. An
awesome website is www.spa-nyc.com. They
constantly update the site with specials, holiday packages, and I have never
had a bad experience with their selections. Aromatherapy, hot stone, and
Swedish massages along with facials, manicures, and pedicures are just a few
options to choose from. Dig a little further in your wallet because your mom
deserves to indulge a little, or a lot. She’ll thank you.
Is your mom into music, live
performances or comedy? Then why not buy her tickets to a show. There are so
many amazing acts out there. Does she like to laugh? Then take her to the Laugh
Factory on 42nd street. Does your mom want to dress up for a night
on the town? Take her to a Broadway show. There are endless options. From “In
the Heights”, “Mary Poppins”, to the “Lion King”, she won’t be disappointed. Maybe,
for years your mom has been singing songs to her favorite artists on the radio.
Find out if any of them are having a live concert around Mother’s day and buy
her tickets. I know what you’re thinking. Should you buy a ticket for yourself
so she has company? That’s a question only you can answer. If she is independent and does things
on her own then buy her the best seat in the house and tell her to have a good
time. If your mom is not the type to go to a concert alone then buy a ticket
for the two of you or give her two tickets and have her choose a friend herself.
The recession and struggling
economy make it difficult to dig deep in an already empty wallet. You open
secret compartments hoping to find a forgotten bill only to find lint. Be smart
and creative. There are tons of free events, shows, and products out there if
you are a bargain hunter. Find out the types of things she likes to do and
research to find local concert and events in your city. Enter sweepstakes and
contests. Check out http://newyork.going.com/. With categories like culture, music,
nightlife, and recession busters, there are plenty of options, a little something
for everyone. This site has saved me countless times when I was broke and
needed something fun to do with friends. Utilize this site and milk it for all
its worth.
Is your mom tech savvy? Has she
been eyeing your iPod? Do you have an endless supply or resources, where money
is no option? Then why not get her an mp3 player or the new iPad? It’s
portable, customizable, and a sought after gadget any hip mom would love to wrap
her manicured hands around. Go ahead to your nearest Apple store or order it
online. But make sure if you do, that you go the extra mile and get it
personalized. Don’t forget to add insurance. It may be pricey but it’s worth it
if something goes wrong.
With Mother’s Day only a few days
away you don’t have much time to get your mom her dream gift. Remember that the
best gift doesn’t always come in boxes, filled with tissue paper, covered in bright
wrapping paper and bows. Simple things like cooking, letting her rest her feet,
or an uninterrupted episode of Desperate
Housewives might be just what she needs. On the calendar it appears once a
year but in our hearts it’s a year long celebration. Happy Mother’s Day.
“Not Your Grandmother’s Contraceptive”
Anya Trent
Monday, May 03, 2010
Neon bright, stripes,
camouflage,
polka dots, and patriotic symbols - sounds like a fun MySpace layout
or the next fashion trend. Yet, it is actually the face of One Condoms,
a brand of contraceptives sold at Target retailers. While surfing
Facebook,
a fan page attracting the likes of the 18+ crowd, promoted a campaign
on safe sex with the use of unique and colorful condoms. The first
25,000
fans to sign up would receive them. But are they really trying to
attract
the like of the 18+ with bright colors and cartoon packaging or are
they targeting the youth? Sound familiar? If you’re old enough to
remember Joe Camel, then you also know the controversy that surrounded
the cool leather jacket clad camel smoking a cigarette and why it would
be appealing to children. Is this right or wrong? Are they promoting
safe sex or the newest teen craze?
Besides the pretty colors and patterns, what’s so special about this condom that would make us want to buy them? In this country, millions of people have sexually transmitted diseases - with 19 million new cases each year. The rate has been increasing in the past few years, especially in teens and young adults. Chlamydia, gonorrhea, and herpes have become rampant. Extended tummies almost seem like a trend as teens become mothers and fathers in an already struggling economy. Some of these young people have been misinformed, mislead, and are too scared to talk about ways to prevent STD’s and pregnancy with their parents and family doctors. The pregnancy rate is steadily increasing along with new cases of HIV and AIDS, especially in young adults under the age of 25. Brochures, condoms, health classes, and assemblies pertaining to sex have been introduced into schools but parents still struggle to protect their children. One Condoms is trying to prevent the spread of HIV and AIDS by promoting condoms but also by sponsoring charities to fight against this epidemic across the seas.
Facebook was started as a social network to connect college buddies and colleagues. Now it is open to anyone to join and connect with friends, strangers, and companies. Facebook has been growing in popularity with teens and young adults. Advertisers see an opportunity for low cost or even free marketing with the creation of fan pages. More than 400 million people are registered on Facebook, a major increase within a few short years. Promotions, free samples and products lure consumers in and now the condom industry is reaching out to potential clients; horny teens, experienced adults, and those who like to play it safe.
Most people have heard of Magnums, Durex, Lifestyles, and the infamous NYC condoms and know the packaging is usually plain and simple. The occasional gold or black with a few colors here and there but nothing as eye popping as One Condoms which might seem like a novelty item or collection piece. The number of fans on their page is at 15,506 as of May 2, which means almost 10,000 condoms are still up for grabs. When you think “army of one”, you usually recall commercials recruiting young men and women to join the armed forces to protect this country. One Condoms decided that this was going to be the same slogan used for recruiting people for a special team to “accept the mission” of handing out condoms at events, concerts, clubs, and on the streets. People can register at their site, onecondoms.com. They call themselves a “socially conscious condom”, because with every condom purchase, they donate money to support mobile HIV testing, counseling, and drug treatments in remote areas of Africa. Their website states that they have tested more than 45,000 for HIV, provided drug treatment for more than 4,500 people, and have paid testing clinics. They want people to feel that when they make the decision to protect themselves, they are also helping those in need somewhere else.
Joe Camel’s portrayal that smoking was cool was controversial. Not just because smoking can seriously damage the body but because it is illegal for minors to purchase cigarettes. It rose more than a few eyebrows when people saw cigarettes being promoted by a cartoon character in corners delis and grocery stores at a kid’s eye view. If a teen decides to have sex, the best thing they can do is to be responsible and prevent pregnancy, STD’s, HIV, and AIDS. Though many parents would rather have their children remain abstinent, it is an ever changing world and children are growing up fast. Images in movies show countless sex scenes but we hardly ever see actors use condoms, and in the end they usually live happily ever after. However, in the real world, there are serious consequences to sex. They see it in the media and act it out. The only difference is that movies are make-believe, an act. But when they decide to have unprotected sex they not only risk their lives and open themselves to diseases but of an unwanted pregnancy. It is not enough to offer colorful condoms to attract teens if they aren’t educated on the ways to properly use one. They need to be educated and taught that when they have sex, there are consequences that can jeopardize their future - one that is just beginning.