Tuesday, February 26, 2008

Americans Love Burgers: But Be Careful!

Americans love to eat hamburgers. A barbecue in the nice weather with family and friends is something I’m sure we all love. A nice juicy burger to bite into stacked with cheese, lettuce, tomato, and any other fixings of your choice. Homemade hamburgers are a treat but more commonly we depend on others for our burger supply. A quick stop at the fast food joint of your choice to grab a quick burger couldn’t be any easier. There’s so many to choose from, Wendy’s, McDonalds, Burger King, and soon.

There’s nothing like a fast food burger. Americans order them on a daily basis with out thinking twice. Recently, an article for msnbc was written about the scares of E. Coli in restaurants. Written by Tom Groneberg, he claims that “just .05 percent of U.S. beef is tested for deadly bacteria. That fact alone proves we should all think twice before gorging on an appealing burger.

Groneberg and his friend entered a Café in Missoula, Montana in search of a bite to eat. His friend tried to order a burger but was shut down when he learned they were unable to supply them due to the mad cow disease scare. E. coli or Escherichia coliform is the bacteria behind the recalls. They were classified as the most dangerous thing to order on the menu.

Something must be terribly wrong when an American has to think twice about eating a burger. From June to September of 2007, the scare prevailed when contaminated beef sickened fifty-five people. This certainly shook up the USDA.

But do average Americans really question their burgers before taking a first bite. On the campus of Ursinus College, the main burger supplier is the Grill 155 of the Zack’s Food Court. They sell chicken tenders, chicken sandwiches, cheese steaks, and the infamous burger. They say their burgers are “grilled to perfection,” but do students trust this theory?

When talking to a couple of close friends, and observing the amount of burgers being made in Zack’s, it has become evident that the students on this campus don’t think twice before they order a burger. It’s simply a treat to have a
burger for dinner similar to a fast food style burger. During an average week, one student says she orders one about twice, and they’re usually delicious.

Students are unsure of the details about the burgers and the grade level of them. Many ask for their burgers to be well done. Sometimes, they aren’t cooked thoroughly and this does create worry for some students on campus. But simply over cooking the burgers cannot be seen as a solution or prevention to this problem.

Americans should think twice about eating burgers, or any kind of beef. It may not be easy to turn down ordering a burger but E. Coli is present and could potentially sicken anyone. Whether it’s homemade, from a fast food restaurant, or even from a college campus, we really aren’t sure just what we’re biting into.

Thursday, February 21, 2008

Lip Gloss in your Diet

We thought it was just Americans, but the whole world is concerned with weight. They want the fastest way to drop those pounds and the fastest way for a skinny toned body. Fuze lip-gloss is here to save the day. A new product that can help drop those unwanted pounds for girls everywhere!

There are models all over the world displaying bodies that may even be too skinny. Girls admire these models and want to be just like them. A product like Fuze lip-gloss can make a girl feel good and productive at the same time. They have shiny lips, and their bodies can be in the verge of a major break through too.

The weight loss ideas keep get crazier and crazier. Lip Gloss in your diet is a little out there, but could make sense to young girls. Many are willing to try anything, especially if sounds appealing and will improve your look even more. Experts are questioning it’s ability to drop the pounds and are convinced its not quite right. Let’s leave it to the girls of the world to decide whether it trims up their bodies.

Tuesday, February 19, 2008

Lip Gloss in your Diet: Weird Weight Loss Ideas


It’s no longer just dieting and exercising. We all want those perfectly toned bodies for a day at the beach. A simple diet and a workout a few times a week used to be enough. In the world we live in today with models and celebrities setting such high standards, it’s hard for people not to have the same desire. But not everyone has money like celebrities for personal trainers and things of that nature, so people are turning to other crazy weight loss ideas to get on the fast track to a skinny toned body.

One of the wackiest ideas yet, Fuze lip gloss in your diet with nutritional value to burn calories. Americans all over the country are striving to find those quick-fix diet ideas that will help them lose weight, and fast! For some time now, Americans have been struggling with weight loss and quick calorie burning ideas like lip gloss are appealing. All you have to do is put on lip gloss to lose weight, seems pretty simple. Unfortunately, experts say it’s bogus. The idea that enough of this lip gloss is ingested to successfully burn calories is ridiculous.

The wacky ideas to lose weight get even wackier then lip gloss. You can now even wash yourself to a trimmed body with a special weight loss soap claiming to make the body slender. It’s supposed to make you feel good and relaxed.

Now we can tan and lose weight at the same time too. Ever feel lazy and unproductive when lying on the beach getting a tan? Don’t feel lazy you’re losing weight at the same time. A tanning spray is now out there that ultimately tans you and trims you as you lay in the sun. Getting up and playing some beach volleyball would be out of the question I’m sure.

The ideas get crazier and crazier. Caffeine filled tights to be worn as a source of weight loss. This idea seems a little less drastic as the others but also even more hard to believe. Tights with caffeine in them can make you lose weight? Not only do they hide your nasty cellulite, but they burn fat too.

It seems crazy all these paths people will take just to get slim hips. It can even be scary how far and how willing people are to go to get there. Not only are people using these wacky ideas that seem rather harmless, teens may be taking another turn. Cigarettes have become a source of weight loss. Teenage girls who are concerned with weight loss are more likely to smoke cigarettes then the girls with fewer concerns. Ideas for weight loss can get dangerous when teens feel the pressure to be trim.

There’s harmful ways out there to lose weight as well as crazy ones that most likely don’t work. Unfortunately people, especially young girls, are willing to try anything. What happened to good old fashioned healthy eating and regular exercising?

Friday, February 8, 2008

Greek Life: Does the good outweigh the bad?


Greek life on college campuses are causing more problems then not. Hazing has always been a major issue like in the recent Clemson University case. Three frat brothers were charged with misdemeanors due to the recent death of Benjamin Garison Sprague. At an off-campus party at the Walhalla, South Carolina school, the 18-year-old died on December 9 from an alcohol overdose. He had an astonishing blood alcohol level of .038.

Recently all pledging for Greek life at Ursinus College was put on hold by authority figures. The fraternities and sororities had to decide whether to let pledges in after just one week. Unfortunately, hazing isn’t the only problem that comes along with Greek life. There are other negative aspects as well as some positive ones.

The time commitment factor is a large issue; most full time college students don’t have that much free time to begin with. Entering into the Greek life takes a lot of time, especially in the beginning with rushing and pledging. Once in, there are social events, meetings, and activities to keep up with.

College students are always scrounging for money and Greek life often requires money here and there. Initiation fees, formal attire, social events, and others. College students are no where near rich and ready to pay money.

Image problems, willpower, insularity, and academics are other concerns of Greek life. Greek affiliation can cause problems with those not involved in it; other friends perhaps. Temptations and pressure for drugs, alcohol, and sex are present and strong willpower is needed to keep student son the right track. Grades also vary through Greek life; so are sure to keep their members grades up, others not so much.

Right now, Greek life is looking pretty bad, but there are some advantages to joining an organization. Greek life is a great way to meet people and be socially active. Close bonds are formed like a brotherhood/sisterhood based on individualism and mutual cooperation. This new found family participates in all kinds of social events to interact with more people; often the opposite sex.

Academics and future career networking is up there too. Members are encouraged to achieve high grades; they have peer tutoring, study hours, and upperclassman counseling. They also have the networking capabilities of finding a good job after college. Using the alumni and resources, you could find your big break.

Every member will learn leadership and organization skills when they are in charge of an activity; could be an event or a committee. Many famous people were involved in Greek life; Courtney Cox, Katie Couric, Elvis Presley, Terry Bradshaw.

Fraternities and sororities do a great deal of community service. They work together to help the surrounding public. They also participate in numerous intramural sports and tournaments.

So the disadvantages and advantages are out in the open, and surprisingly there is a great deal of good. There are the bad aspects as well, and the fact that Greek life isn’t just for anybody. Be smart, weight the pros and cons before joining and make sure it’s for you.

Thursday, February 7, 2008


Economic Benefits to keep the Amazon alive





















Imagine that medicine you take on a daily basis disapears with the rainforest. Authorities are doing everything they can to stop the deforestation of Brazil’s Amazon Rainforest. It took a turn for the worst in the ending months of 2007, and was a poor way to begin the New Year. Farmers would like to use this land to produce soy, raise cattle, and the beef export industry is in a recent bloom. Authorities are taking immediate precaution by monitoring the area. Many people are unaware of the many benefits of the rainforest, and should become aware. This could lead to less deforestation and more benefits for Brazil as well as other countries. The rainforest at this point is more valuable alive then not. The Amazon has benefits through plants, drugs coming from these plants, and a variety of herbs.


Exotic Plant Life

If you think you now your plants, I’m sure you don’t know the thousands upon thousands that live in the Amazon. It is true that a very small percentage of these have been tested for medical usages, and still the benefits overrule. Twenty-five percent of all medicines are linked back to the Amazon, and who’s to say there aren’t many more. High concentrations of energy and nutrients exist in the rainforest more then anywhere else. Some examples of these plants are una de gato, boldo, and suma. These are beneficial to common symptoms of ours such as inflammation, digestive disorders, and chronic fatigue. Many benefits lay with in these plants just waiting to be discovered.



















Bixa orellana

Useful Herbs

Herbs are heavily abundan in the Amazon as well. These herbs are rich with vitamins and minerals that are very good to our bodies. They can be used to fight common problems to the human body we deal with everyday. Some of these are issues with the menstrual cycle, benefits of the nervous system, increases in mental clarity and energy, benefits to the digestive system, muscle soothing, blood flow stimulation, immune system benefits, fatigue, and many more.

Common Drugs

The herbal qualities of these plants are high and have been being used for hundreds of years now. The quality is so high and so strong that if taken the wrong way, they can be deadly. These drugs are used in common situations we are aware of on a daily basis. They are often used in child birth, and birth control, Malaria, irregular heartbeats, many pain killers, skin irritations, relieve constipation, etcetera. Some of these drugs derived from plants may even be ones you have heard of such as the opium poppy, the foxglove, or the coca. These drugs are extremely useful, but if used in too high a dosage can be harmful to the body. All of these benefits to the world and we could lose them if sometihng isn’t done about it. The Amazon is known as the world’s greatest natural resource as well as a diverse natural phenomenon of our planet. The land has so much economic value, it is more beneficial to save the rainforest then allow this deforestation to move forward.



















The Opium Poppy

Check this out: Saving the Amazon Video