Kenyans too love Barack!

I read an old but interesting article on yahoo!news about the American election day in Kisumu, Kenya.

We all stayed in front of our TV on November , 4 2008 because of the election. We wanted to know who would be the next president of the US. We all know that the father of President-elect Barack Obama is from Kenya but the journalist who wrote that article actually went to Kenya and spend the election day with local people. He saw how Obama is popular in Africa. Many people stayed awake all night to have all the information and miss nothing. They sensed a victory of Obama and they were “ready to feast.” Because of the time difference, it was early morning when the results came out, and people were more than happy all around the country. In neighboring countries such as Uganda and Tanzania the atmosphere was the same. Some headlines in some newspapers even called Obama a “black Phoenix.”

I was surprised by this article because I forgot how the election in America is important all around the world, especially in Africa where people expect a lot from someone who has origins in their continent

Store brands or Brand products

Yesterday I saw an interesting newscast on NBC about saving money in this time of national crisis.

The news was comparing Store brands and Brand name products. As we know store brands are “brands which are specific to a retail store or store chain.” The retailer can manufacture goods under its own label, re-brand private label goods, or outsource manufacture of store brand items to multiple third parties – often the same manufacturers that produce brand label goods.  Store brand goods are generally cheaper than national brand goods.

“A brand is a collection of images and ideas representing an economic producer; it refers to symbols such as a name, logo, slogan, and design scheme that convey the essence of a company, product or service.” Brand names have become increasingly important components of our culture and they play an important role in our economy.

We are too often so worried about the name on the label of products that we don’t pay attention anymore to the fact that the products we are buying are very expensive. The reporter was explaining that most of the food products coming from store brands have the same taste and are made from the same substances; the only thing that changes is the Marketing and Advertising costs that the company has to sustain. Brand name products are more expensive because companies invest a lot of money in marketing and advertising campaigns and their costs are usually applied in the final price of the product.

It is just a little step but buying store brands instead of brand products can be a good beginning to save some money.

New study: Media exposure harms kids

Being and Early Childhood Education major, I am always really interested in articles like that. Even if it is well known that TV and video games are a negative influence on children, it makes me sad to realize that it is becoming a danger.

I understand that sometimes working parents need a break and the TV can be used as a “babysitter”, but this should never become a habit and never for prolonged amounts of time.

The solution, as often, starts with role modeling. If the parents use TV and even video games as their main form of relaxation and entertainment, this will clearly send a strong message. Parents should get motivated, if not for they for their children, to limit their own time on the screen. They should pick a book instead, which, is a much more active way to get lost into a story or another world. This will send a message that reading is for pleasure, not for homework.

Of course I understand that It is not easy, especially for parents that work all day, but it would be great to try to do it for a better future of the children.

Reading does not address the risk of obesity, but it’s a valid alternate. For the rest, parents and teachers should promote and model active lifestyles. For example when I was young, in Rome  we used to have a dog and walks for the pet became a family habit, something to do together, a way to explore new neighborhood and talk about things.

I think that children should not be allowed to have their own computers in their room. That way it is harder for a parent to really see how much time is spent in front of the screen. The PC should be in the family room or even in the kitchen.

Last, to help parents take the matter into their own hand, I believe there should me more ads and TV commercial education the crowds about this important matter and its long-term consequences.

 

 

High Salt Levels Common in Many Foods

“There can be plenty of sodium — commonly known as salt — in foods that seem to be health-friendly, and shoppers should know that lower-fat foods can have much more sodium than full-fat products. Researchers analyzed 37 common supermarket items and found large amounts of sodium in unexpected places ( a cup of Kellogg’s Raisin Brain cereal contains 350 milligrams of sodium; a half-cup of Friendship 1 percent low-fat cottage cheese has 360 milligrams of sodium).”

The expert of this article is Jamie Hirsh, associate health editor at Consumer Reports and with this article the message that he wants to send is to pay attention at all the products we eat. Many items can have a large amount of sodium even if these products don’t even taste salty. With this article he wants to encourage people to look at labels and to read everything. He is providing this message because a high-sodium diet can increase the risk of high blood pressure and also increase the risk of asthma, kidney stones, osteoporosis and stomach cancer. “A 50 percent reduction in Americans’ dietary sodium intake could save 150,000 lives a year, according to the American Medical Association”. Healthy adults should consume no more than 2,300 milligrams of sodium a day (the amount in one teaspoon of table salt) but, the average American consumes 2,900 to 4,300 milligrams a day.

I think everyone can benefit from this message and especially people that have high blood pressure. It is really important to eat healthy, to have an adequate diet rich of fruits and vegetables, to do physical activity at least 3 times a week and to avoid drinking and smoking.

We have just one life, for what I know so far, and we should live it as best we can.

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End of daylight saving time is good for the heart

 

 

“Researchers have found a 5% drop in heart attack deaths and hospitalizations the day after clocks are reset each year to standard time, according to a study to be published Thursday in the New England Journal of Medicine. Unfortunately, the Swedish researchers also found that the onset of daylight saving time in the spring appears to increase the risk of heart attacks.”

This article is really interesting. In this age and time, we tend to sleep less and less because we are busier and busier and our to-do lists become longer and longer. So sleep seems to be the first thing to go. And yet sleep is so beneficial to the brain and the rest of the body. Some time ago, I read that people who nap tend to live longer!

It is so fascinating to see that there are data showing that there are fewer less heart attacks than average on the Monday after daylight saving time ends. The opposite is true for the Monday after daylight saving time begins. Clearly sleep is associated to health, and the lack there of can harm one’s well-being.

Nevertheless I do agree with the statement that before focusing on the harm that daylight saving creates, society should address bigger and more dangerous issue such as smoking, drinking, drugs, overeating, etc. In the meanwhile, we should all cherish our shut-eye time!

 

Carnation parents accused of mistreatment

SEATTLE —

“King County sheriff’s deputies have accused the parents of a 14-year-old Carnation girl of withholding food and water such that the 4-foot-7 girl weighed only 48 pounds”.I was shocked when I read this article. Some individuals do not realize that children are their responsibility until they are able to be independent. That means taking care of all their needs, starting from the basic ones. Clearly, if the basic needs were not met, I can only imagine how unmet the girl’s other needs were. Limiting water as a form of discipline is barbaric and inhuman to say the least. Parents who do such horrible things to children should face the worst sentences. Children cannot defend themselves and often think that what they go though is normal, it is the only way they know. So it’s incredibly unfair to take advantage of children this way, just because they cannot speak up or take care of themselves. In order to be able to abuse and neglect their own children to this extent, I believe these parents are mentally ill and should have sought help. There are resources out there for parents who cannot handle the responsibility of raising children. I am glad that a neighbor finally called Social services and that these children, although probably scarred for life, will be given another chance.

Indians told to stub it out in public

 

“Smoking kills 900,000 people in India every year, 2,500 people in a day and 102 people every hour. And 40% of all cancer cases in India are due to smoking,” says Dr Sajeela Maini, president of the Tobacco Control Foundation of India .

Dr Maini runs a cessation clinic at a private hospital in Delhi. She has worked with about 5,000 people in the past decade and runs special group sessions for public and private organizations. “I get patients from 12 years to 75 years, both men and women. My programme helps them quit in the first stage, and in the second it is to ensure that they remain quitted,” she says.

“The ban on smoking in public places is a good idea, but my biggest worry is that the smokers will now start smoking more at home.” The main intend of the ban is to protect the passive smokers. I am really glad that the Indian Government passed such a law. My brother was in India this summer and he told me it was unbelievable how many people were smoking. I understand the people’s concern that a law alone – a piece of paper – is not going to stop people from smoking, it is a first step. I agree that laws should always be accompanied by resources to make sure that a particular law is followed and implemented. If India can spare such resources, it should, as it would show the citizens they mean business. When smoking indoors was banned in Italy, I thought it would never work as Italian people are well known for not wanting to follow rules. It took longer than in the US, but when I visit now I do see a difference. Sure, it took lots for tickets and resources to make sure the non-smoking law was observed, but now people really turned around. And the fact that smokers feel like Pariahs is actually good thing, as it will maybe stimulate them to quit. I did notice that even here, in the United States, usually you see a lonely person outside of a restaurant smoking, while before it was considered a “bonding” experience. Now it is almost frowned upon, which will help eliminate the problem, or at least diminish it.

 

11 killed in Finnish campus shooting

“A chef student at a Finnish vocational school went on a shooting spree Tuesday, leaving 10 others dead before fatally wounding himself, officials said.
The 22-year-old student, identified as Matti Juhani Saari, shot himself in the head after opening fire with an automatic pistol inside the Kauhajoki school in western Finland”. He was transported to a hospital where he died of his injuries. When I read this article, of course I felt like re-living Columbine, Virginia High tech and the other shootings which took place over the years and which we read about in the news. The article says the Finnish police had questioned Matti Saari the day before the tragedy and that the school had a team of psychologists and social workers. I do believe they are not to blame because some people are really good at hiding their pain and their rage and if one doesn’t decide to let their feelings out, it is often difficult to anticipate what they will do. I think is good idea that schools and colleges should invest in resources so that those students who choose to get help, can. And for those who do not want help – or do not know they need help – we need people who are alert and do their best to notice unusual behavior. It’s really sad for me to think that young guys can do something so sad like that. I wish we could avoid tragedies as the one in Finland. Maybe one solution can be more love when they are children ??

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