Running Through Red Lights

We all see red traffic lights daily. We’re all annoyed by them but not everyone stops in front of them. Why do we ignore red lights and what’s even more important, what’s wrong with it?

We use cars because they’re faster than legs, and we’re annoyed when that purpose cannot be fulfilled because of some traffic lights. One red light doesn’t make a big difference, but we call them red lights for a reason: they’re always red. So when there are no pedestrians in the way and no dangers ahead, why not ignore that red light?

Drivers usually don’t run red lights, simply because there is quite a big chance that someone else has a green light. Actually, you can be quite sure about that. But there’s always this moment, just before green and just after orange, when you might still make it to the other side. It is possible to do it without hitting someone on the way, or finding a sneaky police officer behind a tree who was waiting for that moment the whole day.

The police officer, or the fee.. What really is the difference between them? Both works in a preventive way. The punishment will make sure you’ll never do it (again). But there is something wrong when people fear the punishment more than that what it is trying to prevent. Because the fee for running a red light is most likely higher than the repair cost of a car. It is the fee that people fear, because the chances of hitting someone is pretty small if you have both eyes open.

It doesn’t really matter what it is that keeps drivers from running red lights, as long as it works. But cyclists usually don’t have so much respect for the red lights. And I agree with them, because their traffic lights only blink green once in every ten minutes. Above that, if a cyclist runs a red light, he doesn’t endager anyone’s safety (quite a paradox); the only problem is he might get hit by a car. The law has to protect you from yourself.

And I’m not even talking about pedestrians, who really risk their own lives and their own lives only. So, what is wrong with a pedestrian ignoring a red light when it’s safe?

Public Nudity Nearing Acceptance?

Walking in public with your nude body is embarrassing. Clothes are almost a necessity to us. It feels secured – everything is put into proper places. But public nudity is like fashion, and it seems that the trend is coming back.

For the longest time in man’s existence, he is nude. Most civilizations have history of public nudity. The ancient Greece advocate freedom from clothes. Indians have the naked holy men. A nude God is worshipped in early Egypt. Even Christians used to approve nudism as acceptance of the human body without shame. In the more recent times, Japanese, Turkish, and Scandinavian cultures plunge in nude community bathing. Until now, we co-exist with tribes like the Yanomamis who are not patrons of covering up.

And then issues like decency, health and chastity surfaced. Nudity is often only approved in art. Laws are passed that ban public nudity.

Humans never have a standing in unison about nudity. Naked protests rally to embrace our humanity. We all entered the world nude. Yet, putting on garments is claimed to be human as it makes our behavior indistinguishable from animals. Whether nude or not, it can be justified as human.

Political philosopher Joel Feinberg discussed that while the harm of nudity is not immediate, it may “produce an unpleasant mental state such as shame, disgust, or anxiety in observers”. Not for many, apparently.

Nudity sells anything. Movies, TV shows and games all have nudity that entices watchers. Front pages of magazines bear models a shy away from revealing it all. Porn industry is in billions of dollars and seems to be unstoppable. And now, people come to live shows with nudity elements – no, not the clubs but in Broadway’s The Pied Pipers of the Lower East Side.

Some people don’t even need money to show off. How many known people have tweeted a nude photo of themselves? And what message are they sending to the followers, especially to the minors?

Europe has always been open to nudity. Their naked beaches are now allowing men and women together. Parts of the continent will show frontal nudity without censors. And now, America is slowly transitioning. Social nudity is becoming a fad – Vegas won’t be the same without naked posters.

Nudity is becoming an expression. It certainly will spoil the children’s innocent minds and give the church a headache but it made a statement that it’s here to stay.

Would you accept public nudity?

To Insure Prompt Service, Give More Money

After the scrumptious supper in the newly discovered restaurant, you now gesture the checkout. The waitress came with receipt. You withdrew bills from your wallet, counted the money and enclosed it in. It pays for the raw food used in cooking your dinner and the service of the business. You know that the waitress will get paid by the hours she worked, but you still feel obliged to pay her more. So you tipped.

In United States, it is estimated that servers earn between $53.1 and $66.6 billion on people’s generous pourboire. Five million workers receive these bounties. The percentage of tips is ranging from 15% to 18.8%.

Why do we give out this much extra money on the services we also paid for?

It could be etiquette. It’s the acceptable behavior to compensate a service. It could be gratitude. We thank them for their attentive duty. It could be culture. We are accustomed to do it without even thinking about it.

Scholars argued that tipping started during the feudal era. The lords gave money to the servants “in recognition of good deeds”. There aren’t many servants in America to spread the tipping affair, but somehow it survives throughout history and we’re still doing it now. It may have started as an act of charity but we don’t have the same reason anymore.

Tipping could be because we are in fear. Footmen who didn’t tip their hosts will find their horses strained. Now, we could have a crappy service next time we visit an establishment that we didn’t tip. Spit on the soup and sulk-faced staff are common experiences. We tip then to avoid having a displeasing second-time around.

TIPS, “to insure prompt service”. Then without it, what kind of service should we expect?

When the service is terrible, etiquette expert Peter Post don’t recommend cutting the tip. Directing the complaint to the manager may grant you the meal for free or in a discounted price to restitute. The tips made the “waiter’s income livable”. This is true because employers learned they could reduce the salary of their workers since they are earning on tips anyway.

There have been several movements to ban tipping and make the wage constant. This sounds dissonant to the employers since they’ll have to increase their payroll. But 80% of Americans prefer tipping than a fixed service fee. Workers want to earn the incentive for service. But it’s getting common for restaurants to imbed a set 12.5% tip in the receipts. Like tax, it’s slowly becoming a necessity rather than voluntary.

We know that waiting, hosting and delivering are not easy jobs. They worked their ass off to have an income. And tipping is a way to appreciate their hardwork, which is worth more than they are paid.

But why don’t tip other employees who served us as well? Why don’t we care to give additional dollars to the people who swept the streets, the assistants who tended us in the hospitals, or even the dishwashers of our plates? Like the waitresses, they also get paid minimum wage.

Are you willing to tip every time?

Body Wrapping: A Temporary Solution for Weight-loss

I’ve blogged about a lot of the newer fad diets and programs that people are implementing to try and reach a goal size or weight. This morning my friend Ariene asked me what I think about “body wraps.” Being unfamiliar I did a little research on this new weight loss idea, so I could understand its premise.

Like almost everything out there, it promises maximum results in a short period of time. Simplyslender.com argues that you’ll lose 6-20 inches in only an hour’s time. I’ve also talked about fitspo and thinspo and the pros and cons of those trends and what they advocate for. Body Wraps are a system of releasing toxins from the body through sweat and compression for a specified amount of time. The results are said to last for up to 1 to 2 months. Nothing is permanent if you’re not willing to make permanent changes. No amount of body wraps, is going to get you thin and KEEP you thin.

Ariene asked me “If body wraps don’t keep you thin, why would people want to do it.” The answer to me seemed simple. Some people have short term weight loss goals that they want to accomplish and need quick results, such as prom, weddings, going on a cruise, or wanting to lose some weight for bikini season. After they reached their desired outcome and the event is over, a lot of people gain the weight back (sometimes even extra weight) and are okay with it. They’ll just move on to the next fad diet for the next event they want to look good for. A lot of women are systematic fad dieters like this, and depending upon what is going on in their life, will only work to lose weight when desired, rather than maintaining and sticking with it year round to keep the results permanent.

I’ve said it before and I”ll say it again, if you want to get skinny and keep the weight off, then you need to make permanent changes into your lifestyle in order to achieve permanent results. If you’re tired of fluctuating and having a yo-yo waist line, then stop doing temporary fad diets. They are designed to make you fail. No diet is permanent, therefore results are only temporary.

If you are looking for a quick fix to solve your weight loss problems, you will never be happy with the results because you will constantly be struggling. Stick with a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and implement portion control. I don’t know a single person who does all 3 of those things, and is still overweight, but I know plenty of people who go on and off diets, and who are continuously struggling with weight in addition to a plethora of other problems. If you are serious about losing weight, get serious about your plan of attack. You earn the body you have.

Do Entertainment Companies Need to Fight Piracy?

Piracy is a puissant parasite of the entertainment business. With 146 million visits on illegal online content a day, piracy takes 22% of all global bandwidth. In music industry alone, piracy is responsible for $12.5 billion economic loss. 95% of all music downloads are illegal. 42% of all software in the world are also illegal. E-book piracy is catching up with 54% increase in demand since August 2009. Yet 70% of internet users find nothing wrong with it.

The reason is it’s free, isn’t it?

Even with piracy, entertainment companies can still beam at their bank accounts. The global box office hit of 2011 is 7% higher than 2010 with $32.6 billion. It rose to $34.7 billion in 2012, adding 6% more. The global music sale in the same year is $16.5 billion, another increase from 2011. They remained lucrative yet eliminating piracy will definitely payout.

Piracy is not totally harmful. Oxford economist Karen Croxson claims that illegal downloads create a buzz and gives unplanned promotions for the product. Asst. Prof. Robert Hammond of North Carolina State University took an interest on studying piracy and found that leaks of albums before its actual release has a sales-boosting effect. Unauthorized access shifts unknown products to familiar brands.

The benefits of piracy are recognized. Jeff Raikes, president of Microsoft Corp’s business division, prefers users to pirate Microsoft products than the competition. It’s the biggest opportunity for people to try the software and then later on buy them. Researchers at University of Texas at Austin cautioned the companies on their anti-piracy campaign as it may repulse poor consumers. The US government agrees that piracy increases brand awareness. In the long run, piracy will contribute sales.

Annihilating piracy has been a global effort, yet the demand never ceases. No matter the justification, piracy is stealing. It’s a crime against creation and innovation. Original works deserve compensation.

Have you bought a product you once pirated?

The Best Speeches to Avoid Speeding Tickets

Most days you follow the limit. You know the roads like your phone number – 45 miles plus 5 allowance. You abide by it but today, the slug in front is bugging you and you sped up to overtake. Or you’re catching a store that’s closing down. Or Snoop Dogg’s on the radio and while nostalgia kicks in, you lost track. Or you’re just feeling adventurous, a change for a day. And then you hear that dreaded siren – it’s a cop on a motorcycle!

You pulled over, obeyed to show your license and then the speech. What can you do to avoid a speeding ticket?

Before you practice your act after being pulled over, the trick starts with the car. Make sure it’s well maintained. Clean it and fix all that is a noticeable damage. You wanted to communicate that you’re a law-abiding citizen and you look out for your vehicle.

Observe the road. See if there’s a highway patrol or cops on standby. Obviously, you need to show off when they’re around. Do not speed when you’re alone on the road. Stay in the pack of speeding cars to diffuse the chances – you’re just driving like anybody else. Just make sure you’re not the leader as they’re the first on target. Avoid the fast lane because cops lurk around that side and they know drivers often outlaw the limit there. Staying in the middle is the safest.

When you see a cop on the sideroad and it’s too late to slow down, wave at him. It’s more common for cops to be avoided than to be greeted. Waving will got them thinking and distracted. Is this somebody I know? If they waved back, then drive on.

Now, to the speech.

Kindly deny. Admitting it is sure fire to a fine. Never fight the cop as aggression rarely gets to anything.

Put on a dramatic face. Saying that you have to poop or something hurts is not believable when you look golden. Act with your excuse. This is more effective for women because not many can resist a sobbing lady than a weeping grown man.

Complicate your accent. If you have a foreign look, then use it to your advantage. Make your English crooked, grammar mishap and enunciation pricky. Make it painful to talk to you and he’ll dismiss you.

The Humorous Approach. Matt Hardigree of jalopnik.com can put up an excellent scenario.

Officer: Where are you going in such a hurry?
Me: Just keeping up with traffic, officer
Officer: I don’t see any traffic
Me: That’s how far behind I am, I was trying to keep up! (insert unfunny drum noise) “da dum ching”
Officer: Just slow down. (walks back to car shaking head)

If they don’t laugh just say “What are you, the joke police?”

The best way to avoid the ticket is not speeding up, but this happens. What’s your best approach?

Problem: Too Much Religion and Denominations

Beside politics, religion is the most heated topic for discussion. Representative of a religion can have a strong tendency to defend his own belief, even to the point of criticizing other religions to address the dominance of his adherence. The other person will do the same, but siding his opposing devotion. The battle never ends since this is a clash of faith. You don’t have to prove it; you just have to believe it strongly as if it’s the absolute truth.

We don’t need an argument for religion to affect our interactions. There are prejudice against Muslims, Buddhists, and even atheists. There is in any religion, even to the devout Christians. It separated several couples because of families in disapproval. People are persecuted because of unmatched beliefs.

Does too much religion separate us?

Analysts argue that world religion is shrinking. But the major religions still keep a massive population of believers. Here is the tally of the top 10 organized religions by the world statistics of Adherents.com.

Christianity: 2.1 billion
Islam: 1.5 billion
Nonreligious: 1.1 billion
Hinduism: 900 million
Chinese traditional religion: 394 million
Buddhism: 376 million
primal-indigenous: 300 million
African Traditional & Diasporic: 100 million
Sikhism: 23 million
Juche: 19 million

There is also growing number of denominations within the above-listed religions. Buddhsim can be furthered into Theravada and Mahayana. Islam can be furthered into Sunni, Shi’a, Ahmadiyya and Sufism. Christianity can be furthered into Catholicism, Protestantism, Orthodoxy, Anglicanism, Mormonism and hundreds more.

There are thousands of religions and denominations in the world. It doesn’t take an elaborate history to form one; it only needs a founder.

On January 5, 2012, a little more than a year ago, Swedish jurisdiction acknowledges Kopimism as a legitimate religion. Founded by 19-year-old philosophy student Isak Gerson, adherents believe that file sharing is a sacred act. One of their symbols appears to be a Yin-Yang balance with Ctrl-C on top of Ctrl-V. Computer users and lazy pupils recognize these as copy and paste.

Among the fastest growing religions in the 2000s was Jediism. Based on the blockbuster sci-fi movie series Star Wars, adherents practice the spiritual and philosophical implications of the movies. They believe in the “Force” and observe the “Jedi Code”.

Another religion added in the 20^th century was The Creativity Movement. It is an atheistic approach that concentrates on the white people’s seclusion. In the words of the founder Ben Klassen, “united and organized the White Race is ten times more powerful than the rest of the world put together”.

Pastor James Emery White compared the foundation of new religions to starting a business. A million people found their businesses; but 40% dies by year one, 80% by year five. New churches and denominations share the same fate. White enumerates “Lack of Ministry Gifts, Lack of Money, Wandering in No-Man’s-Land, Failure to Contextualize and Small-Church Mentality” as the reasons why most ceased.

However, once a religion firmly proved that they’re renitent, they are added to the list of world religions and denominations. With too much to choose from, certain perspectives can construe to an individual.

Is it possible to have two non-conflicting religions? A Christian can believe in the trinity and still apply the Buddhist meditation. A Shintoist can diligently practice her vocation and also agree that there’s a “Force” within her that has a vast potential.

Can crossovers like this unite the world religions, or will it complicate it even more? If you have an answer to all these questions, what makes it right? It’s based on beliefs again.

Body Image Dichotomy: Thinspo vs Fitspo

In the realm of body image, one of the highest trending search topics are Thinspo (abbreviation for Thin Inspiration) and Fitspo (short-hand for Fitness Inspiration). The idea and popularity behind Thinspo has been increasing particularly among young women the past couple years. Books have been written regarding this relatively new and shocking craze.

Thinspo is essentially the glorification of eating disorders as a form of weight-loss and being “healthy.” The main eating disorder Thinspo enthusiasts support is “Ana” short for Anorexia. In order to encourage starvation or food resistance, Thinspo enthusiasts surround themselves with emaciated photographs of what their ideal body image will be.

Erroneous Body Image

Continuously seeing these images helps to reinforce the resistance to eat, and to continue starvation. Thinspo enthusiasts see this as a healthy goal, and their desire for “perfection” reaches unhealthy extremes. The internet has been flooded with images of “models” with bulging bones, gaunt faces, and dead eyes. Support groups for Thinspo are at an all-time high. Trying to reason with Thinspo enthusiasts seems to be a lost cause because their desire for stick-thin figures is so strong that they are willing to do anything to be “skinny”.

As Thinspo diets (or lack thereof) increase in popularity, women on the opposite spectrum of this craze have retaliated with the newer health craze “Fitspo.” Fitspo is a mixture of clean eating and exercise, basically the epitome of good health. The same process resides within this trend of circulating photos of women with rock hard abs, and women eating healthy foods to reinforce good and positive health habits.

The difference between the two trends is stark and challenges anyone who attempts to achieve skinniness and perfection. They are two extremes of different body types, both attempting to claim the title as “healthy” looking. Whether it be starvation or over-exercising can result in loss of body fat which will ultimately result in Amenorrhea in women, which is the body’s way of shutting down the reproductive system by stopping the production of estrogen until a healthier equilibrium of fat and health is achieved. The results and requirements of both Thinspo and Fitspo are at a pinnacle.

Whether you want to lose a few vanity pounds or an extreme amount of weight, doctors and health experts would agree that Thinspo is not the healthy route, and is dangerous when attempted. Eating sensibly, avoiding processed foods, and getting adequate exercise 3-5 days a week is the healthy alternative for anyone trying to lose weight and be healthier over all. Depriving your body of nourishment is not. Think smart, eat smart, and be healthy.

Modern Virgin Marys

We know what’s special about the blessed Mary. She conceived Jesus while maintaining her virginity. It seemed impossible and thus, miraculous. But women nowadays can do the same – skipping sexual intercourse and still have a baby growing in their belly.

People who had problems conceiving will resort to the In vitro fertilisation (which costs $12,400 per cycle). This process will extract the egg cell from the mother and sperms from the father. Specialists will then fertilize it in the laboratory and inject it to a woman’s uterus. There’s no sex involved.

Women have never worked more than they are working now. They occupy 46.9% of America’s workforce. The balance is expected to shift more towards the ladies since 68% more women earn a bachelor’s degree than men. With their focus on their careers, they have less time for family.

Their problem is their body clock. Fertility declines at early 30’s and the risk of miscarriage is at 20%. More complications arise as they pass the age 35, with increased pregnancy risks and after birth problems such as a 1 in 350 chance of the child having Down syndrome.

They counter their body’s declining facility by extracting healthy egg in their prime age of 20s. They’ll freeze it and store it in a bank for use in the future. Women can do what they want to do without fear of their expiration.

Would you choose profession over family?

Overweight People Have the Advantage

The ideal body can’t have any flabs. We exercise to shed off the fats and we cringe upon seeing the bad but luscious foods. We feel guilt when we munch them.

But why can’t a bulky body be healthy?

A recent study indicates that 20% of obese people, by looking at their medical risks, are healthy. This trumps the notion that all obese people need to lose weight. But majority is still on risk. This means that 4 out of 5 are susceptible to obesity-related diseases like diabetes, heart attack and stroke.

How about those who are overweight? In what ways can fats be their asset?

People whose BMI is 25 – 29 (thus, overweight) have 6% less risk of death than those with normal BMI (a.k.a. the fit ones). In 2004, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the National Cancer Institute reported 100,000 fewer deaths among overweight people.

According to the researchers, this may be because these people at risk visit the doctors more often and their health is monitored. But the data will agree that overweight people “outlive the obese, the underweight, and people at normal weight”.

Overweight people have their own advantages. They have fuller faces and glowing skin leading to a youthful appearance. They have stronger bones and osteoporosis are less common in them.

Women with rounder shape are in sound condition. Those with bigger thighs have a better metabolism, thus lowering the risk of heart disease. Extra pounds also increase fertility while underweight women have 72% risk of a miscarriage. Fats protect post-menopausal women from cognitive decline.

And of course, their boobs are bigger and unfortunately, it’s also true for men.

Doctors are baffled as to why overweight people are better in fighting an illness. It seems that fat act like reserves to keep the body functioning during hard times for the body. After all, fats are for storage of vitamins A, D, E and K. It covers the cells and helps supply nutrients. This much-hated substance has a critical role in inflammation, blood pressure, and clotting regulation.

As long an active lifestyle and healthy diet are dominant, it seems that the weight won’t matter. It became a social expectation to be model-like.

What is your favorite fatty food?

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