30 day challenge (Day 29)

The month goes by fast when you actually count every week out. I had my blood drawn today to get my final levels of Cholesterol and Blood Pressure. I will get the results for my cholesterol on Friday but I do have my Blood Pressure now. Firstly, the normal Blood Pressure is 120/80. Now, at the beginning of the month I was at 122/70 and after getting the results today, I am at 100/68. Also, I get my Blood pressure checked every Monday and Friday when I give plasma, and this past Monday I was at 117/52. The pressures seem to be all over the place but both recordings at the end of the month were lower than my Original. There have been studies of fish oil elevating moods. Since I was not blinded to the affects of fish oil it is hard to determine of my bias view had a mental impact at all. Although, after the second week I was feeling good and unsure if the fish oil had anything to do with it. Then, I was also in great spirits the third and fourth week. Therefore, even though judgements are hard to pass, I want to say I definitely felt an anti-depressant effect from taking fish oil. I will continue to take fish oil, only 1200mg less (2 capsules), simply for the cost. 

How Shoes Define You

Your typical connotation of someone who likes shoes is a diva girl. Well sorry to break the status quo, but I really like shoes. It actually wasn't until recently that I realized my love for shoes, and it all started when I was a little kid. I didn't grow up in the best financial situation, I didn't even grow up above poverty. But every time I would visit my Grandmother she asked the same question, "Do you need new shoes?" I would reply the same with a no, as I would wear the same wore down tennis shoes until I literally couldn't. I would eventually let her buy me a new pair out of annoyance from her asking. You see, my family is a distorted one and me and my Grandma are very close and always have been. She is getting older now, 92,  and I am starting to take an interest in her life. Something I learned about her a couple months ago is that she used to model for shoes, and they would send her a new pair often, which explains why she always wants me to get new shoes. Now in the recent month I have realized something about myself and my shoes. I realized that what ever pair I decide to wear, really has an influence on my attitude. Living in a small room on a college campus, I didn't want to bring all my shoes, so I really only have 6 or 7 pairs with me. I don't know if some would say that is a lot or not but I do not feel that it is. I don't feel its a lot because each one is used for a different purpose. I have tennis shoes, dress shoes, sperries, slip-ons, work shoes, style shoes. I usually always wear my style shoes which are kinda like skater shoes, but when I wear these I feel like a bolder individual and take things slow. If dont have room in my book bag and am working out that day, I will just wear my tennis shoes. Wearing my tennis shoes really changes my whole outfit, it makes me feel ready to move more and more of a common individual, almost bringing my pride down. If I wear my sperris, it gives me a casual feel, I am still careful and catious in these shoes but I feel classy. If I wear my slip-ons, it means I am lazy and comfortable that day, and introvert. Even if you don't notice it, your shoes have an influence on your mood. And now if you ever see me and what shoes I am wearing, you will know how I feel that day

Waste Land

The quote "99 is not a 100" can be used in various analogies and arguments. It can be referred to about the recycling of the garbage or the acknowledgement of a wounded soul. The Pickers of "Waste Land"were passionate, caring people that also were unfortunate, poor people. Many Pickers probably don't even realize why or how the group started.

The Pickers started as a group to collect the recycles of the dump, and was mocked. The organization grew and become something bigger than any of founders imagined. This inspired those people that they were making there community a better place. Now, they want to share this organization with others. Although a great thing, the Pickers humbly admit that this wasn't there first job preference. It is mentioned in the documentary that one of the Pickers is working there so he can help his boy to become bigger than that and not become a Picker.

Vik really inspires these Pickers by using the garbage to creating photos and art. He remakes pictures he took of the Pickers with the garbage. His intent is to raise money with his art to then assist the Pickers. This process goes global. Vik takes his work to America, and brings some friends with him. Vik is known internationally for his artwork.

 

30 day challenge (Day 21)

The actual taking of FO is going well. I only missed Friday night (I take 3 capsules in the morning and at night). I haven't noticed any significant side effects. I mentioned I was a little dizzy at the gym and I thought my blood pressure being lowered by the fish oil may have something to do with it. I highly doubt that though because I am not taking a high enough dosage for it to have any drastic change like that. Plus, I have always gotten dizzy if I do to much strenuous exercise. I found some awesome resources by doing the annotated bibliography. I even found an article that is on the opposing side of FO. It talked a little about how the effects may not be so beneficial as we thought. As I will discuss in my paper, the facts were not very clear on that article and it sided more on the benefits than the observation of not so many benefits.

30 day challenge (Day 14)

I did great this week. Only missed one day. I haven't had any side effects so far except for the same fishy burp you get no matter how much you take. I also haven't noticed any benefits. Although I have been in a great mood this week, I can't declare that is just from the fish oil. As far as research is going, we had to get an article for class to do our comic strip. That article was really interesting, it just seems like fish oil helps so many different things about the human body. I already have known it helps with brain cells, your heart, and now your weight. This article was about cancer patients going through chemotherapy. They were losing weight after the treatment, but new studies show those who took fish oil lost significantly less and even maintained. This week our annotated bibliography is due, so I should have plenty more information on next weeks follow up.

30 day challenge

Well here we all are a week into our 30 day challenge now. I am taking 3000 mg of fish oil a day to show that positive effects of it. My main focus is on the brain aspect but since we can't really get any proof of this, I will be measuring my cholesterol and blood pressure before and after. It should be decreasing. But I'm going to be honest here. I kinda failed last week on keeping up with the habit of taking my supplements. But I also failed on making it to the health center to get my blood drawn, well I didn't really fail that but in order for an accurate reading of cholesterol you need to fast for 12 hours before, and I have been trying to find a good time to do that. Therefore, Thursday I plan to get my blood work done and hopefully keep up my fish oil from there on out and the whole challenge will be back on track :) Yes, I will get into a week of March, or as long as I can while we are here. Next week I will have more hard facts about fish oil to talk about. I already know them now but since I haven't been consistant on the dosage, I just want to wait until next week to discuss what fish oil should do and how I actually feel.

Making Something out of Nothing

I brought an xbox controller to call in order to break. This item has meaning because of two reasons; the first being that it belonged to my xbox console that I still play, and the second because anything that is electronic just seems wrong to break. I played a lot more xbox when I was younger and it had to do with a big part of my life. That makes me sound like a pretty big nerd but I am not worried about it. Most kids in eighth grade were starting to experiment with alcohol,drugs, and girls while I just played xbox with my friends. I'm not saying all people in eighth grade did that but the majority, so I'm glad I could postpone my inevitable unveiling of those sins. Plus, if it wasn't for the fact that my friends played, I wouldn't have. I mean, two of my room mates in college are people I was playing xbox with back then.

I realize this is really much of nothing. I simply attempted to form a picture. There are supposed to be multiple X's in the picture. I can count 4 if you include the X that isn't really visible on the green button in the middle.

Even When You Know You're Right, You're Not Right

A time where even when I know I was right, I still wasn't right. The first time I can remember this is when I was about 8 years old. I was in the backyard with some friends and my brother. For some reason I was spinning in circles with a piece of large bark from a tree, and then released it. I continued to play for a couple minutes when I was confronted by my neighbor accompanied by my little brother. My brother was bleeding from the head, and the neighbor was pointing at me accusing me of his injury. The neighbor was saying that I intentionally hit my brother. I was sure that I hadn't done it. But with thought afterwards I must have flung that bark at his head and not noticed. Even when I knew I was right, I wasn't right.