twentyfour - Elementary

Surprises from Space

Fri, 17 Jun 2016 10:48:00 +0000

A collection of unexpected and intriguing facts about our solar system – our sun and its family of planets – you probably did not know!

1. The hottest planet isn’t closest to the sun. Many people know that Mercury is the closest planet to the sun, well less than half of the Earth’s distance. It is no mystery, therefore, why people would assume that Mercury is the hottest planet. We know that Venus, the second planet away from the sun, is on the average 30 million miles farther from the sun than Mercury. The natural assumption is that being farther away, it must be cooler. But assumptions can be dangerous. The hottest planet is Venus because of its atmosphere.

2. Pluto is smaller than the USA. The greatest distance across the contiguous United States is nearly 2,900 miles (from Northern California to Maine). By the best current estimates, Pluto is just over 1400 miles across, less than half the width of the U.S. Certainly in size it is much smaller than any major planet, perhaps making it a bit easier to understand why a few years ago it was “demoted” from full planet status. It is now known as a “dwarf planet.”

3. George Lucas doesn’t know much about “asteroid fields.” In many science fiction movies, spacecraft are often endangered by pesky asteroid fields. In actuality, the only asteroid belt we are aware of exists between Mars and Jupiter, and although there are tens of thousands of asteroids in it (perhaps more), they are quite widely spaced and the likelihood of colliding with one is small. In fact, spacecraft must be deliberately and carefully guided to asteroids to have a chance of even photographing one. Given the presumed manner of creation, it is highly unlikely that spacefarers will ever encounter asteroid swarms or fields in deep space.

4. The edge of the solar system is 1,000 times farther away than Pluto. You might still think of the solar system as extending out to the orbit of the much-loved dwarf planet Pluto. Today we don’t even consider Pluto a full-fledged planet, but the impression remains. Still, we have discovered numerous objects orbiting the sun that are considerably farther than Pluto. These are “Trans-Neptunian Objects” (TNOs), or “Kuiper Belt Objects” (KBOs). The Kuiper Belt, the first of the sun’s two reservoirs of cometary material, is thought to extend to 50 or 60 astronomical units (AU, or the average distance of the Earth from the sun). An even farther part of the solar system, the huge but tenuous Oort comet cloud, may extend to 50,000 AU from the sun, or about half a light year – more than a thousand times farther than Pluto.

5. Almost everything on Earth is a rare element. The elemental composition of planet Earth is mostly iron, oxygen, silicon, magnesium, sulfur, nickel, calcium, sodium, and aluminum. While such elements have been detected in locations throughout the universe, they are merely trace elements, vastly overshadowed by the much greater abundances of hydrogen and helium. Thus Earth, for the most part, is composed of rare elements. This does not signify any special place for Earth, however. The cloud from which the Earth formed had a much higher abundance of hydrogen and helium, but being light gases, they were driven away into space by the sun’s heat as the Earth formed.

6. There are Mars rocks on Earth (and we didn’t bring here). Chemical analysis of meteorites found in Antarctica, the Sahara Desert, and elsewhere have been shown by various means to have originated on Mars. For example, some contain pockets of gas that is chemically identical to the martian atmosphere. These meteorites may have been blasted away from Mars due to a larger meteoroid or asteroid impact on Mars, or by a huge volcanic eruption, and later collided with Earth.

7. Jupiter has the biggest ocean of any planet. Orbiting in cold space five times farther from the sun than Earth, Jupiter retained much higher levels of hydrogen and helium when it formed than did our planet. In fact, Jupiter is mostly hydrogen and helium. Given the planet’s mass and chemical composition, physics demands that way down under the cold cloud tops, pressures rise to the point that the hydrogen must turn to liquid. In fact there should be a deep planetary ocean of liquid hydrogen. Computer models show that not only is this the largest ocean known in the solar system, but that it is about 40,000 km deep – roughly as deep as the Earth is around!

8. Even really small bodies can have moons. It was once thought that only objects as large as planets could have natural satellites or moons. In fact the existence of moons, or the capability of a planet to gravitationally control a moon in orbit, was sometimes used as part of the definition of what a planet truly is. It just didn’t seem reasonable that smaller celestial bodies had enough gravity to hold a moon. After all, Mercury and Venus have none at all, and Mars has only tiny moons. But in 1993, the Galileo probe passed the 20-mile wide asteroid Ida and discovered its one-mile wide moon, Dactyl. Since then moons have been discovered orbiting nearly 200 other minor planets, further complicating the definition of a “true” planet.

9. We live inside the sun. Normally we think of the sun as being that big, hot ball of light 93 million miles away. But actually, the sun’s outer atmosphere extends far beyond its visible surface. Our planet orbits within this tenuous atmosphere, and we see evidence of this when gusts of the solar wind generate the Northern and Southern Lights. In that sense, we definitely live “inside” the sun. But the solar atmosphere doesn’t end at Earth. Auroras have been observed on Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and even distant Neptune. In fact, the outer solar atmosphere, called the “heliosphere,” is thought to extend at least 100 A.U. That’s nearly 10 billion miles. In fact the atmosphere is likely teardrop shaped due to the sun’s motion in space, with the “tail” extending tens to hundreds of billions of miles downwind.

VOCABULARY

assume - предполагать
demoted - понижен
dwarf planet - карликовая планета
pesky - надоедливый
spacecraft - космический корабль
AU - astronomical unit - астрономическая единица
merely - просто
abundance - изобилие
capability - возможность
tenuous - разряженный

The 9 Most Popular YouTubers In The World

Fri, 10 Jun 2016 11:00:00 +0000

YouTube started work in 2005, becoming the de-facto launchpad for the next generation of celebrities.

We did the math and found YouTube's 20 biggest independent stars based on total all-time views.

There's no doubt that among teens and tweens, these are the new celebrities.

1. PewDiePie

6.65 billion total views.

32 million total subscribers.

Felix Arvid Ulf Kjelberg is a foul-mouthed Swedish video game commentator who has absolutely dominated YouTube over the past year. Kjelberg's videos show him playing various video games while a box in the top corner of the screen shows his reactions to what is happening. Kjelberg has broken numerous YouTube growth records, jumping from 12 million subscribers in August 2013 to more than 20 million in January. Many attribute his success to the attention he pays to his fans. Kjelberg spends lots of time talking about his fans, answering their questions in the YouTube comments section, and forming a community of "bros."

2. Smosh

6.18 billion total views.

32.81 million total subscribers.

Smosh is a comedy duo consisting of YouTube veterans Ian Hecox and Anthony Padilla. Smosh was one of the first YouTube sensations, becoming well-known for the duo's slapstick comedy videos that parody video games and pop culture. The duo has shown no signs of slowing down, opening up multiple channels and an app for their content.

3. DisneyCollectorBR

3.69 billion total views.

2.81 million total subscribers.

DisneyCollectorBR is the YouTube channel of an unnamed Brazilian woman who posts videos of her opening, assembling, and playing with Disney toys, all while providing commentary in a soothing voice. It's a favorite of many children, whose parents find that they can put the videos on to calm and entertain their kids.

4. TobyGames/TobyTurner/Tobuscus

2.91 billion total views.

14.99 million total subscribers

Toby Turner is one of the most popular internet comedians, having 14.99 million subscribers across his three YouTube channels. He first joined in 2006, when he produced a popular parody of the Adam Sandler movie "Click." He has since created the popular series "CuteWinFail," the YouTube equivalent of "America's Funniest Home Videos," and "Literal Trailers." He has begun to make the transition into traditional media, scoring roles in independent films and major advertising campaigns. Last July, Turner was signed away from the gaming video giant Machinima to Maker Studios. We talked to Turner about his life and career this past summer.

5. BlueXephos

2.86 billion total views.

7.2 million total subscribers.

BlueXephos is the main channel for the Yogscast, a group of British video game commentators and players who produce videos primarily of "Minecraft" and "World of Warcraft." While numerous YouTubers are associated with the Yogscast, BlueXephos is run by Yogscast founders Lewis Brindley and Simon Lane. BlueXephos is notable for hosting a variety of charity initiatives, including a recent drive in December that raised $1.16 million for Oxfam, Little People UK, GamesAid, SpecialEffect, and War Child.

6. RayWilliamJohnson

2.76 billion total views.

10.8 million total subscribers.

Ray William Johnson is a 33-year-old YouTuber best known for his show "Equals Three," during which he provides comedic commentary for viral videos. He has long been one of the most popular YouTubers thanks to the show, which has featured huge celebrity guests like Robin Williams and Sarah Silverman. He recently stepped away from "Equals Three" to focus on new projects in TV and live shows. "Equals Three" will live on with a new host, and Johnson has also continued to post life blogs from the channel.

7. SkyDoesMinecraft

2.36 billion total views.

10.57 million total subscribers.

Adam Dahlberg is a massively popular "Minecraft" YouTuber who originally got popular as part of a "Minecraft" team called Team Crafted. As with many "Minecraft" YouTubers, Dahlberg frequently posts gameplay videos and commentary.

8. BluCollection

2.24 billion total views.

1.25 million total subscribers.

BluCollection is a YouTube channel dedicated to opening, assembling, and playing with a variety of toys. The unnamed YouTuber gives reviews of car toys, Disney toys, and Play-Doh. The videos are insanely popular. This one has more than 53 million views.

9. StampyLongHead

2.15 billion total views.

4.16 million total subscribers.

Joseph Garrett is a British YouTuber who posts videos of himself playing "MineCraft." In just the past year, StampyLongHead's account has jumped from 2 million subscribers to over 4 million. He's a national sensation among British teens.

VOCABULARY

no doubt - без сомнений
slapstick - хлопушка
assembling - монтаж
signed away - отписался
initiatives - инициативы
frequently - часто

Famous Philosophers

Sat, 04 Jun 2016 05:53:00 +0000

Philosophy, which literally means “the love of wisdom,” is one of the oldest disciplines in history. There are many ideas about philosophers and what they do. Some have even considered the field to be a science that deals with logic and reason. Either way, many famous philosophers have made their contributions known to the world through their writings and their students. Below is a list of the greatest thinkers of all time along with their most important theories about human nature and other ponderings of the world.

Karl Marx (1818-1883)
Famous For: The Communist Manifesto, co-founder and father of Socialism & Communism
Karl Marx is better known as the “father of socialism and communism,” one follows the other. Marx has been labeled as a “revolutionary socialist” for his belief in what has been called dictatorship of the proletariat. In addition to espousing his own philosophies, he was also a sociologist, economist, journalist, and historian.

Voltaire (1694-1778)
Famous For: his philosophical wit
French philosopher François-Marie Arouet was a well known during the 18th century. He is better known under his pseudonym, Voltaire. Voltaire was an advocate of some of the most basic freedoms, he believed in the freedom of expression, religion and voiced this through his witty writing.

Socrates (c. 469-399 BC)
Famous For: the Socratic Method of logic and a founder of Western philosophy
His story began in his hometown of Athens, Greece but unfolded through the writings of his students and fellow philosophers. The field of ethics was the specialty of Socrates and introduced a concept that has been dubbed as elenchus, or the Socratic method. He contributed much to the field of logic and epistimology.

Plato (c. 428-348 BC)
Famous For: Platonic idealism & the theory of forms
Athenian native Plato, and his role in western philosophy can be traced back to when he was student of Socrates. He also excelled in mathematics, logic, ethics, rhetoric, and religion. He founded the Academy in Athens.

Aristotle (384–322 BC)
Famous For: Aristotelian logic & theory of soul
The third member who has greatly influenced western philosophy, Aristotle provided ideas in the areas of aesthetics, ethics, logic, metaphysics, politics, and science. He was a student of Plato and teacher to Alexander the great. He believed that ethics should be applied practically, not merely theorizing it.

Adam Smith (1723-1790)
Famous For: father of modern economics
Best remembered for his writing of An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations and The Theory of Moral Sentiments, Scottish philosopher Adam Smith was a pioneer in the field of political economy. His ideas in the areas of moral philosophy and economics have been studied throughout the years, and still is.

Confucius (551-479 BC)

Famous For: The Golden Rule andConfucianism

Born during the Spring & Autumn era in Chinese history, Confucius and his ideas on social and personal relationships became a school of thought that many Chinese embraced. He believed that proper moral behavior is best practiced, than morality being made a rule.

Immanuel Kant (1724-1804)
Famous For: transcendental idealism & metaphysics
This 18th century German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, contends that “reason is the source of morality.” His ideas continue to resonate in the halls of academic philosophy. The influence of these ideas is evident in present day thinking on the subject of ethics, epistemology, aesthetics, politics, and metaphysics. In his publication of Critique of Pure Reason, this was his attempt to combine reason with experience to prove failures of “traditional philosophy.”

Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900)
Famous For: life-affirmation & statement “God is dead”
German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche and his ideas covered a lot ground and as a result, people began to raise questions they normally would not. The main crux of Nietzsche’s work was the idea of life-affirmation, but he also presented ideas such as Will to power, perspectivism, master-slave morality.

Albert Camus (1913-1960)
Famous For: absurdism & 1957 Nobel Prize for literature
Albert Camus received a Nobel Prize for literature in 1957. The award was given in recognition for his attempt to create awareness of the plight of “the human conscience”. Camus is associated with the tenet known as “absurdism.” This French-Algeria born philosopher was also an author and journalist.

VOCABULARY

wisdom - мудрость
considered the field - считается областью
contribution - вклад
ponderings - размышление
wit - остроумие
Inquiry - запрос
merely - просто
embraced - охватывать
evident- очевидный
awareness - осведомленность

Vegans and Vegetarians

Thu, 26 May 2016 16:20:00 +0000

Neither vegans nor vegetarians eat meat. However, while vegetarians tend to consume dairy products and eggs, a vegan avoids all animal products, including eggs and dairy, and often inedible animal-based products, such as leather, wool, and silk. Vegetarianism is usually a diet, while veganism is a lifestyle. Vegetarians often choose their diet based on its reported health benefits or for religious or political reasons. In general, vegans have much stronger political beliefs regarding their diet, with some believing animals should be protected under many of the same laws that humans are.

Comparison chart

What Vegans and Vegetarians Eat

Most vegetarians do not eat meat, fish, or poultry, but they tend to consume dairy products and eggs. Many vegetarians also do not eat products that contain gelatin or other animal-based products. Lacto-vegetarians consume dairy products, but not eggs;ovo-vegetarians eat eggs, but not dairy products; and lacto-ovo-vegetarians eat eggs as well as dairy products. There is also pescetarianism, a vegetarian-like diet that avoids meat and poultry but does include fish.

The vegan diet tends to be much stricter than most vegetarians' diets. Meat, fish, poultry, dairy, eggs, and all other animal-based products, like honey, are entirely avoided. Moreover, any food or other (sometimes inedible) product that makes use of animals is avoided. This often extends to clothing, medicines, and anything else in which animals or animal products are used. For example, a vegan would not use leather shoes or belts, cosmetics that have been tested on animals, down comforters, gelatin medicine capsules, woolen sweaters, or fur coats.

Fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts are staples of both the vegan and vegetarian diets. Sometimes tofu is used as a replacement for meat-based products.

Reasons for Veganism vs Vegetarianism

While some vegans may cite nutritional concerns or food allergies as the primary reason for adhering to their diet (dietary vegans), most adopt a vegan lifestyle for moral and political reasons (ethical vegans). The vegan point of view tends to be that animals are not here to be exploited by man, and that commercialization of animals involves a fundamental, inhumane component and lack of respect for basic life.

There are many reasons one might be vegetarian. A prominent reason is for health concerns, as the vegetarian diet is often high in fiber while also being low carb and low insaturated fats. Similarly, some adopt vegetarianism due to growing concerns about food safety when it comes to meat. Moral and/or political reasons are also common; for example, some have embraced vegetarianism (and veganism) for environmental reasons. Some religions, like Hinduism and Jainism, prescribe or encourage vegetarianism. Others, like some Christian sects, practice abstinence from animal products during Lent.

Health Benefits of Vegan and Vegetarian Diets

In general, most studies show vegans and vegetarians are as healthy, if not healthier than, their meat-eating counterparts. Veganism, in particular, is very good at eliminating common food allergens, such as shellfish and dairy. However, a notable downside to the vegan diet is that vegans often need to take B12 and amino acid supplements — and sometimes other dietary supplements, such as iron or vitamin D — as their diet tends to lack these essential nutritional components.

There is ongoing study of the advantages and disadvantages of the vegan and vegetarian diets. Many studies have found cardiovascular benefits to both diets, and some suggest there is a lower risk of cancer among vegans and vegetarians.

An extensive study published in June 2013 shows that vegetarians live longer than meat eaters and are 19% less likely to die from heart disease. The study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine, a Journal of the American Medical Association, was covered by the Wall Street Journal. Other key findings from the study include:

Vegetarians in the study experienced 12% fewer deaths over the period of the study (six years), during which 73,308 people were tracked.

There appeared to be fewer deaths in the vegetarian group from diabetes and kidney failure.

Caloric intake didn't seem to matter. The different participant groups generally ate around the same amount of calories daily.

The vegetarian advantage appeared stronger in men than women.

Cancer struck both the vegetarians and non-vegetarians in roughly equal measure.

A rebuttal of the media reports of this study argues that correlation does not imply causation, and that the longer life span of vegetarians found in the study could also be attributed to the fact that the vegetarian group tended to exercise more, be married, consume less alcohol, and smoke less compared with the meat-eating group.

Overall, determining whether these diets directly affect long-term health outcomes is difficult. The different types of vegetarians are rarely studied against each other, for instance, and vegans and vegetarians often tend to be more affluent or health-conscious, both of which positively affect long-term outcomes.

Stats

A 2008 study by Vegetarian Times found that 7.3 million people, or 3.2% of the U.S. population, is vegetarian; even more are partly vegetarian, eating meat only on occasion. A majority of vegetarians are female (59% of women vs. 41% of men), and most are younger (42% are in the 18-34 demographic).

A 2012 Gallup poll found the number of American vegans and vegetarians to be even higher than what Vegetarian Times found, with 5% of the population identifying as vegetarian and 2% identifying as vegan. Most vegans and vegetarians in this poll were found to be female, single, liberal, and older — in contrast to what Vegetarian Times found.

In 2010, the UK's National Center for Social Research released data from a 2008 social attitudes survey. They found vegetarians and vegans were much more likely to have higher incomes. They also found non-whites were more likely to be vegetarian or vegan than whites, and often for religious reasons.

Famous Vegetarians and Vegans

Many well-known celebrities, activists and politicians, artists, and sports figures adhere to vegan or vegetarian diets. Famous vegans include singers Carrie Underwood and Erykah Badu, Olympic sprinter Carl Lewis, actor and musician Jared Leto, and civil rights activist Cesar Chavez. Among vegetarians, there is Coldplay singer Chris Martin, comedian Ellen DeGeneres, Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi, and actors Natalie Portman and Peter Dinklage.

VOCABULARY

consume - потреблять
beliefs - убеждения
adherents - приверженцы
fur - мех
poultry - домашняя птица
belt - ремень
grain - зерно
staple, fiber - волокно
prominent - видный
eliminating - уничтожение
advantages and disadvantages - преимущества и недостатки
kidney failure - почечная недостаточность
occasion - повод
civil - гражданство

How to Be Yourself

Wed, 04 May 2016 12:49:00 +0000

“Just be yourself” might quite possibly be one of the most overused phrases when it comes to individual advice. Parents tell their children to be themselves when they go out on their first date. Friends encourage us to be ourselves when we have a job interview. There are many more situations in which people advise us that the best thing to do, is to simply be ourselves. But what does it mean, to be yourself? And more importantly, how can you be yourself when you don’t even properly know who you truly are? The following will shed light on this vague term and will show you what it really means to be yourself. Here’s a guide on how to be yourself! It’s easier than you think it is.

Before we start exploring what it means to be yourself, it might be beneficial to have a quick look at the exact opposite: not being yourself. While most people struggle to authentically be themselves, each and every one of us knows precisely when we’re not ourselves. We can even detect it when other people are simply not themselves. They are not authentic, genuine and simply come across as fake. In short, they are not acting with integrity and their behavior simply does not look right.

What does it mean when you’re not yourself? When we’re not ourselves, we adapt our behavior based on the people we deal with. Meaning that we analyze the person we’re dealing with, their personality, attitude preferences and their general approach to life. Based on our analysis, we start adopting or changing our behavior, hoping that this person will perceive us differently. Basically, when you’re not yourself, you’re like an octopus who constantly changes colors depending on the environment. Not being yourself is a conformative approach to life that emphasizes other people’s opinion. ‎ It’s not your own opinion that matters, conformity and avoiding conflict is what matters when you’re not yourself.

There are obvious benefits to not being yourself. It helps you to fit in. It allows you to avoid tensions. Altering yourself might even make you a popular person everybody seems (!) to like. But deep inside yourself, you know that you’re not authentic; that you’re not your true self. And the vast majority of people can smell it when someone is not genuine.

How to Be Yourself?

Basically, the whole process of learning to be yourself consists of three steps. Firstly, being yourself is all about discovering who you truly are. Secondly, being yourself requires the cultivation of your true self. Thirdly, to be truly yourself requires the development of the courage to be who you truly are. Here’s a quick overview of this process:

Part 1: Discovering who you truly are

The vast majority of people define themselves based on their job, background, heritage and their possessions. But all of these things are external, outside of yourself. None of these things truly define who you are. They might shape and form you, but they’re not your essence. If you lose all your possessions, you’re still yourself. If you switch your job, you still remain the same person.

The only way to actually know how to be yourself, is to discover who you are. By developing an understanding about who you are at your core level, it’ll be easier for you to be yourself. But how can you discover your essence, that which defines you?

1. What are your core values?

Values, principles and attitudes shape your whole life. But how can you be yourself, if you have no idea what your core personal values are?

Basically, personal values define what you believe in and what is important to you. It’s an internal roadmap by means of which you determine what is good or bad, unhelpful, unbeneficial and undesirable. Consequently, by understanding what your core values are, you can better set your priorities in life.

“It’s not hard to make decisions when you know what your values are.”
Roy Disney

Take yourself the necessary time to discover what you value. Find out what it is that makes up your essence. After some time you’ll not only develop a good understanding about your personal values, but you’ll also start acting accordingly. That’s one step closer towards being yourself and living with more authenticity.

2. What makes you feel alive?

We’re often not ourselves because we do things we’re not comfortable with. This may range from daily activities to the pursuit of a specific career path. The underlying issue of this lies often in the fact that we simply do not know what it is that makes us feel alive. As a result, we are drawn to activities that do not reflect our true interests. Just like a moth is drawn to the fire, we do things that we’re not in tune with or harm us internally. Consequently, it simply doesn’t feel right what we’re doing. We might even pursue activities that won’t ever allow us to truly be ourselves.

Try to discover what it is that makes you feel alive. Think about all the things that fulfill and satisfy you. Ponder about all the things that you absolutely love doing. By developing a good understanding about that which makes you feel alive, you will be able to better align your actions with your core self.

3. What would you do, if money did not exist?

All too often, our actions are dictated by the desire to earn money. Instead of choosing a profession that really fulfills us, we often choose the most lucrative option. Consequently, we tend to neglect that which truly gives us a sense of purpose. We are simply basing many of our decisions on financial aspects, not on happiness, fulfillment and growth. This often happens because people have a limited understanding of success and primarily equate success with the amount of money they have. Based on this narrowed down understanding of success, we limit our aspirations and dreams because they do not seem financially plausible.

Let’s introduce some refreshing change to this. Think about the things you would do, if money did not exist. Posing yourself this question will definitely get you thinking about your true purpose and passions.

4. What is your purpose?

A great number of people have difficulties pinpointing what their purpose in life is. And quite frankly, discovering your purpose can be quite difficult. It’s not something one finds within a couple of hours or days. Yet, it’s incredibly important to actively seek the purpose of your life. By giving your very best to discover what it is that gives your life a meaning, you are proactively making an important step towards being your true self. Because quite frankly, how could a person ever be themselves by continuously having to fulfill another person’s purpose?

“The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.”
Ralph Waldo Emerson

5. Leaving room for growth

One essential mistake many people make when they seek to discover who they are is that they place too much emphasis on the past. Your past may define you, but it should never limit your progress. Discovering who you are is not about defining who you have been in the past. Also, it’s not about defining how you behaved in the past. It’s all about discovering your true essence and who you are at your deepest core level. Consequently, being yourself doesn’t mean that you have to spend the rest of your life the way you’ve always been. Even further, being your true self does not have to be fixated to a static ideal of yourself. It is something that can adapt, develop and grow throughout the course of many years.

Part 2: Cultivating your true self

The second part is centered on the cultivation of the right attitude towards yourself. That’s an incredibly important point, which should not be neglected. After all, if you think negatively of yourself, being yourself will be all the more difficult. In fact, why should you be yourself, if you’re not comfortable with who you are? However, if you do not only accept who you are, but also appreciate yourself the way you are, it’ll be far easier for you to authentically be yourself.

1. Developing self-respect

There are two major disadvantages to treating yourself poorly. First, you will feel miserable. Second, you will invite other people to treat you equally bad. Why should other people respect you, if you don’t even treat yourself with respect in the first place?

Treat yourself with the same respect and dignity you treat your family and friends. Find out what it is that makes you feel not so good about yourself and change it. If you don’t like a specific aspect of yourself, find possible solutions that help you to see yourself in a brighter light. This can be either done by changing what you do not like, or by changing your attitude towards it.

2. Cultivating self-love

If you think about an authentic person, you will realize that they are perfectly fine with who they are. Not only that, but you will also notice that they really love themselves and have no problems with their faults and shortcomings.

If you learn to truly love yourself within, it will encourage you to also be yourself in the outside world. Not only will it make you more confident, but it will also make others perceive you as a person of authenticity and integrity.

3. Forging your own path

One major reason why people are not comfortable with who they are lies in the great emphasis we place on other people, especially celebrities. While it’s certainly good to have role models, desperately trying to be exactly like them is not. One can portray another person and even copy their behavior, but they will never reach the same level of authenticity.

“Always be a first-rate version of yourself and not a second-rate version of someone else.”
Judy Garland

Copying other people’s behavior might be a good strategy to fit in. But it does not help you to live with authenticity. And it certainly does not help with being yourself. Therefore, I encourage you to have the bravery to forge your own path. Have the courage to express your individuality and to develop your own approach to life.

Part 3: The courage to be yourself

1. Not caring about what others think of you

The number one problem that prevents us from truly being ourselves is our fear of other people’s opinion. We are afraid of the negative consequences that being oneself can come with. As a result, we rather prefer to be inauthentic and try to fit in, instead of allowing our uniqueness to unfold. Granted, being yourself may be difficult at times and not everybody may like who you really are. But being yourself is all about gaining independence from other people’s opinion. It is the development of the courage required to not care about other people’s thoughts. After all, you cannot change what other people think of you. Not even bending backwards will help you at that, so why even bother?

2. Following your intuition

Once you let go of all the obligations and dependencies of other people and their opinion, you’ll notice that your behavior becomes much more intuitive. One could even say that ignoring your intuition might almost always result in behaving differently than who you really are.

Have the courage to consider the intuitive hints that you get from time to time. They will help you to be more of yourself and to act with more integrity/authenticity. Even if that means that you no longer behave the way other people want you to.

The “being yourself” cheat sheet

Don’t try to please others.
Don’t worry what others think of you.
Share your opinion.
Appreciate who you are.
Don’t seek other people’s approval.
Get to know yourself.
Follow your intuition.
Communicate open and freely.
Forge your path.
Cultivate your true self.
Accept who you are.
Accept mistakes, shortcomings and failures.
Develop self-respect.
Love yourself.

The benefits of being yourself

You’ll be more tune with yourself
Others will respect you for standing up for what you believe in
You’ll be more relaxed
Other people’s behavior will influence you less
You’ll be less tensioned
You’ll be more authentic
Others will value your integrity
You spend less time worrying about other people’s opinion
You spend less time trying to manipulate others
You waste less time trying to please others
You’ll be less dependent upon other people

The (negligible) risks of being yourself

Having the courage to be yourself naturally comes with risks. You might be confronted with people who do not share your opinion. Who do not appreciate what you stand for and who you truly are. People who want to change you, who want you to live life according to their plans. They might attack you and blame you. But they will never ever consider you a person who doesn’t stand up for what you believe in. And that’s something most people do not only appreciate, it’s something that they deeply look up to.

Another risk involved with being yourself is that other people might know longer be able to influence your decisions. While this certainly introduces independency in most people’s lives, there will no longer be someone else to blame, if things don’t work out.

If these are the only risks, then why wait any longer? Have the courage to be yourself, right here and right now.

VOCABULARY

vague - расплывчатый
struggle to authentically - оставаться настоящим
integrity - целостность
deal with -иметь дело с
perceive - воспринимать
octopus - хамелеон
cultivation - выращивание
heritage - наследие
essence - сущность
core - ядро
pursuit - преследование
align - выравнивать
lucrative - прибыльный
pinpointing - точное определение
miserable - несчастный
dignity - достоинство
encourage - поощрять
forging - ковка

A History of Music Festivals

Thu, 14 Apr 2016 14:39:00 +0000

Music festivals are nothing new, but the popularity of events like Bonnaroo and Glastonbury has grown even larger in recent years. The alternative, countercultural spirit of festivals has evolved into more mainstream, all-encompassing events. And although 1969's Woodstock may be the most talked-about music festival in history, it wasn't the first of its kind.

Over the years, iconic acts like Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong, Ella Fitzgerald, and Miles Davis hit the stage, and although the festival moved to New York for a five-year span in the '70s, it

The Newport Jazz Festival

In 1954, the Newport Jazz Festival in Newport, RI, marked America's first annual jazz festival. That year, the event brought more than 11,000 people to the East Coast resort town for a mix of academic panels and live performances.

The Newport Folk Festival

Founded by George Wein, the same man behind the jazz version, the Newport Folk Festival is known for bringing major folk stars like Joan Baez and Bob Dylan into the national spotlight.

Commonly linked to the blues revival of the 1960s, the festival featured Johnny Cash and Howlin' Wolf during that decade, then added reggae, rock, and indie artists in the '80s and '90s.

The Monterey International Pop Festival

The 1967 Monterey International Pop Festival is known as the first-ever major rock festival. Held at the Monterey County Fairgrounds in Monterey, CA, the three-day event was planned in just six weeks. Hoping to create a lineup with a variety of genres from eras past, present, and future, the Board of Governors — which included music icons like Mick Jagger and Paul McCartney — agreed that all acts would be treated the same, with first-class travel and accommodations.

The festival featured some of the biggest names in the industry: Otis Redding, The Who, Simon & Garfunkel, The Mamas and the Papas, Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, who famously set his guitar on fire while playing "Wild Thing."

Woodstock

Held on a dairy farm in Bethel, NY, 1969's Woodstock Festival was called An Aquarian Exposition. The three-day event featured 32 acts including Grateful Dead, Canned Heat, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, and Janis Joplin. Although organizers planned for around 50,000 people, around 200,000 tickets were sold, and when over 500,000 people showed up, they were forced to remove the fence and turn it into a free concert.

As the most famous festival of all time, it's left a legacy that captures the free-love spirit of the decade. A 1970 documentary called Woodstock captured the epic concert weekend, and revival festivals took place in '79, '89, '94, '99, and 2009. That same year, 40 years after the original festival, Ang Lee's Taking Woodstock brought a comic spin to the event.

Isle of Wight Festival

Located on the Isle of Wight in England, the original festival took place in 1968. The event grew rapidly in the following years, featuring big-name performers like Bob Dylan, The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Chicago, The Doors, and Joni Mitchell. After the popular 1970 festival, though, Parliament passed an act that required a license for gatherings of more than 5,000 people.

In 2002, the festival returned — this time at Newport's Seaclose Park — and in the past decade, it's brought artists like David Bowie, Paul McCartney, The Rolling Stones, and Coldplay to the stage.

Glastonbury Festival

Originally called the Pilton Festival, the first version of the event took place near Pilton, England, in 1970. In its second year, it became known as the Glastonbury Festival, and David Bowie took to the Pyramid Stage, a smaller version of the Great Pyramid of Giza that's become linked to the festival.

More so than other popular festivals, Glastonbury is known for incorporating several types of art: dance, poetry, theater, and more. Although it started small, the festival now sells out in hours, and the 2011 festival — with Beyoncé and Coldplay among the headliners — broke TV viewing records for the BBC.

Lollapalooza

Jane's Addiction singer Perry Farrell first planned out the Lollapalooza festival as a farewell touring festival for his band. The first tour in 1991 featured mostly alternative rock along with a variety of other genres, with performers like Ice T, Nine Inch Nails, and nonmusical vendors for art, politics, and the environment. The tour ran through 1997 and returned in 2003, but it wasn't very successful, so in 2005, Farrell decided to turn it into a destination festival at Chicago's Grant Park.

Coachella

Held in the desert setting of California's Coachella Valley, the first Coachella music festival took place in 1999. With a lineup that included Beck, Jurassic 5, and Rage Against the Machine, the original event attracted about 10,000 people across two days.

In 2012, the festival sold out in hours, featuring big-name headliners like Radiohead, The Black Keys, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg — plus a hologram projection of Tupac and surprise appearances by Eminem, Rihanna, Usher, and more. This year's big headliners include OutKast, Arcade Fire, and Pharrell.

VOCABULARY

fence - забор
rapidly - быстро

How to get motivated to study?

Tue, 29 Mar 2016 12:44:00 +0000

The ability to get motivated to study can have a very positive effect on a student’s study levels and grades. A motivated student will find it easier to go the extra mile and do all the necessary tasks that need to be done to assure success. The right motivation will allow students to study a lot more focused and with more concentration. Motivating yourself to study is especially helpful when you feel a lack of motivation or face procrastination during your studies.

The following tips on how to study effectively will help you to become motivated to study and to beat procrastination!

How to become motivated to study?

I. The motivational power of having a goal!
A very powerful motivational technique students can apply is to set themselves well-thought-out goals and objectives. These aims could be either short-term goals (e.g. about an upcoming exam) or long-term goals (e.g. about the achievements you want to reach during your studies in the university). Objectives and aims are one of the best sources of motivation, as they will keep you focused and enable you to “do whatever it takes” to accomplish your goals. Furthermore, cleverly chosen objectives will inspire you to greater heights, allowing you to reach your true potential. A very positive side-effect of an excellent goal is that it will drastically increase your perseverance.
Important tips for goal setting:

Write your goals down
Avoid vagueness, negations and necessities
Split complex goals into main targets and sub-goals
State how you intent to achieve your goal
Visualize the accomplishment of your objective and what it feels like
Gratification: reward yourself once the goal is reached

II. One step at a time – avoid prolonging
Let’s face it, one of the main reasons we students are not very enthusiastic about studying is the fact that we prolong studying for too long. As a result, we fail to grasp the subsequent teaching and learning contents, which forces us to become self-tutors that have to teach themselves everything that was missed. In the end, that’s a very time-consuming method of studying, and a direct result of prolonging. The alternative is to constantly keep up with your tasks in college or university on a daily basis. This – by all means – doesn’t suggest that you will have to study for hours each day. Instead, it means that you keep going one step at a time, which allows you to grasp subsequent contents and to stay ahead with your tasks. If it takes you 10 minutes each day to organize and revise the contents you learned in the present day, that’s fine! That way, you will understand what’s being discussed, thereby you can avoid the accumulation of gaps in knowledge.
At the beginning of your term, you could write down the specific goals you aim to accomplish (as discussed in I. The motivational power of having a goal). Consider this to be your letter of motivation for the upcoming semester. Whenever you feel a lack of motivation, or disinterest in studying, grab this letter and reassure yourself of the higher purpose on why you are studying. Realize that you have a “once in a lifetime” opportunity; you are young and entitled to study, so you might as well make the best of it by working and studying hard and by doing the best you can to get accepted at the destination of your choice. Otherwise, you might regret it at a later point in time.

III. True interest!
Another very effective motivational element that helps you to get motivated to study is your interest in the subject. True interest! If you are able to develop a true interest in what you are studying it will help you in becoming very motivated! If you know the difference between a task you dislike and an assignment you enjoy you know what I mean!
Important tips to become truly interestd in studying:

Get curious about the subject
Read interesting books, magazines or articles on the topic
Team up with others that are interested in the subject

IV. Beat procrastination and distraction!

Procrastination – or any kinds of distractions – can have a negative influence on your ability to get motivated to study in general. Therefore it is important that you create a space to study where you do not get distracted by any means. Just by sitting in a room where you cannot procrastinate or distract yourself will help you to get started with your studies. Cut out any kind of distraction (TV, radio, mobile phone, internet, telephone, etc.) that could interrupt you while studying.

VOCABULARY

assure - уверять

lack - отсутствие

apply - подать, применять

well-thought-out - хорошо продуманный

accomplish - выполнять

increase - увеличение

perseverance - настойчивость

vagueness - неопределенность

necessities - предметы первой необходимости

gratification - удовлетворение

grasp the subsequent - понять последующее

by all means - во всех смыслах

entitled - озаглавленный

curious - любопытный

team up - объединяться

Super Tuesday!

Fri, 26 Feb 2016 17:31:00 +0000

Every four years, America has what is called "Super Tuesday". This is not related to the Super Bowl, which is the professional championship game in American football.

No, it's called a Super Tuesday because it is the most important day for voting for candidates for president for the two major political parties in the U.S.

The American election system is somewhat complicated, but here is a brief explanation. We have two large political parties: the Democrats and the Republicans. Each political party picks its own candidates for president.
The process for picking the candidates taxes approximately seven to eight months, beginning in January and ending in July or August of the election year (we have a presidential election every four years in the U.S.).
There are two steps in picking the party's candidate for president.
In Step One, each person who wants to be the candidate for his or her party tries to win delegates from each of the 50 states. These delegates are picked by each state, and each state determines how it will pick its own delegates.
Each state also determines when it will pick its own delegates. For example, people in Iowa decided to have their election for delegates in January. Other States picked different dates in February, March, April, and May (and something as late as June).
This means that each person who wants to be the candidate will travel to these different states and try to win delegates. This also means that if you lose in some of the early states that pick first, you may not be considered a good enough candidate to continue, so it is important to win early and keep winning in the other state elections.
This is one reason why people think this is a crazy system. Both parties usually begin with seven or eight people who wants to be the presidential candidate for their party. But if they don't win some of the early states, they will probably have to drop out because people will think they are not popular enough to win. So there are really three or four states that effectively select the candidates - the states that vote early.
There is no logic as to which states go first. Historically, New Hampshire was always the first state to pick its delegates, but now it is Iowa.
Since each state wants to have an influence on who is the winning candidate , states have an incentive to make their elections earlier and earlier. If you are a state that waits until May or June to have your election for delegates, the race could be finished already, since the winning candidate only needs a majority (51%) to win the nomination as the candidate for his or her party.
In the past several years, states have moved their elections from the later months to the earlier months in order to have a greater say in determining who becomes the candidate.
In the latest presidential election, 24 states held elections to pick delegates on Super Tuesday ! This is the most number for any day of the process, so it is called 'Super' Tuesday (elections in the U.S. are usually held on Tuesdays, not Sundays as in many other countries).
After all the states pick their delegates, we then go to Step two, the national convention.
All the delegates get together in one place and vote for the person they want to be the candidate for their party. This person is called the nominee.
These delegates must vote for the person their state told them to vote for, at least on the first ballot of the convention. If no candidate has a majority on the first ballot, then there will be more ballots until the winner is chosen. After the first vote at the convention, delegates are free to vote for whomever they like.
However, this has not happened in many years. Usually. The winning candidate has enough delegates to win on the first ballot. These national conventions - one for the Democrats, one for the Republicans - are held in different cities every four years.
We're not done yet! I said that each state has its own election on the day that it wants to pick these delegates to the national convention (which is held in July or August).
But there are two kinds of elections that a state can use. The first is called a caucus. A caucus is when people from each neighborhood or area come together at a school or other large building and meet to talk about the election and select delegates to their state political convention. Many states still have caucuses, including Iowa, Minnesota, and a few others.
Most states have the other method of picking delegates, called a primary. A primary is like a normal election, where people go to a place (calling a polling place) and vote for the person they want. There are no meetings, and the ballot is a secret. Big states such as California and New York use a primary system, and both of these states will be selecting their delegates today, on Super Tuesday.
After each party selects its candidates, then there is a general election in November (the first Tuesday in November), held every four years to elect the president . In the general election, the two nominees try to win as many votes as possible, and all 50 states vote at the same time. The winner becomes president.

VOCABULARY

approximately - примерно
as to (related to) - относиться к
ballot - бюллетень
drop out (quit) - бросать, покидать
incentive - стимул
polling - голосование
race - соревнование
say - влияние

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies

Fri, 12 Feb 2016 11:07:00 +0000

The five Bennet sisters, notably intelligent, strong-willed Elizabeth (Lily James) and first-born Jane (Bella Heathcote), have grown up in precarious circumstances. By law, the modest fortune possessed by their loving and unconventional father (Charles Dance)–who has seen fit to give all his daughters good educations and would like to see them happy doing whatever they choose–will go to a male cousin upon his death. The girls' relentlessly practical mother (Sally Phillips), however, has dedicated herself to brokering good marriages for them before they wind up smart, genteel and impoverished spinsters–a genuinely grim fate in 18th-century England.

When Mrs. Bennet hears that a young, wealthy and unmarried landowner, Mr. Bingley(Douglas Booth), has just taken possession of a nearby country house, she gets to work cultivating a relationship between Bingley and Jane, her eldest. In the process, second-in-line Elizabeth is introduced to Mr. Darcy (Sam Riley), Bingley's best friend, and also an eligible bachelor. Unfortunately, Elizabeth hates Darcy on sight, pegging him as a stuck-up jerk, and he doesn't think much better of her, especially after forming the mistaken impression that Jane is a gold-digger trying to snare Bingley.

And then there are the zombies... England is in the midst of an undead plague and Mr.Bennet had the foresight to have all five of his daughters trained in the Shaolin arts (even though the samurai way is more socially acceptable...classier); Jane and Elizabeth are crack zombie killers, as is the swashbuckling Darcy. Surely all these principled, intelligent, attractive young people can be brought together despite their various differences! There is actually a great deal more plot–not only must the Bingley/Jane, Darcy/Elizabeth situations be remedied, but there are three more unmarried Bennetsisters waiting in the wings. But even in more conventional adaptations of Pride and Prejudice, it's ultimately all about Elizabeth and Darcy, each richly imbued with both prejudices and pride.

Jane Austen was nothing if not a keen and pitiless observer of the way men and women reveal themselves within the harsh rules of 19th-century social behavior, so Grahame-Smith's interpolation of the unbridled lust (for brains) of "unfortunates," as his living-dead chompers are called, can only be hailed as a stroke of perverse genius. That director-screenwriter Burr Steers (Igby Goes Down) totally gets it is evident from the start. The period-appropriate toy-theatre prologue that quickly dispenses with the history of the zombie plague (it may be why King George III went famously mad, don't you know) segues confidently into a “Masterpiece Theatre” world of formal balls, whist parties, family dinners, church-going and sibling confidences without losing sight of mucky reality: war, sickness, poverty and, yes, walking corpses. Nineteenth-century-ish dialogue notwithstanding, Pride and Prejudice and Zombiesis a sharp combination of PG-13-rated walking-dead shenanigans and girl-power-inflected, teen-friendly soap opera that just might snare a slice of the Hunger Games demographic.

VOCABULARY

bachelor - холостяк
dispense - распределять
genuinely grim fate - по-настоящему мрачная судьба
imbued - пропитанный, пронизанный
mucky - грязный
pegging - привязка
pitiless - безжалостный, беспощадный
precarious circumstances - тяжелые жизненные обстоятельства
swashbuckling - удалой

IT'S CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: Prince Charles visits The House of Dorchester

Fri, 22 Jan 2016 12:11:00 +0000

Workers at a chocolate factory were served a sweet treat and given a helping hand from Prince Charles.
The Prince was taken on a tour of the new state-of-the-art facilities at The House of Dorchester, marking the opening of their new warehouse extension.
Matthew Tarran, senior innovation, product and technical manager, had the pleasure of showing the Prince round the factory.
He said: "Today went really well. This is the third time we have had him here. This is definitely the longest he has been here seeing how the factory works. Last time he had a go at pumping the fondants so this time we showed him the cutting of the chocolate and let him do that and showed him the different journeys of the chocolates. We were also able to focus on the ideas and chocolates we are working on for next Christmas. It's nice to get him involved, which he is always happy to do."
The company has a long history in the town and was established in 1963 by Richard and Christine Ungaretti and was originally opened as the 'Dorset Maid' chocolate emporium on High West Street.
More than half a century later, the couple's legacy lives on. In 2000 the Dorset Maid was re-named as The House of Dorchester.
Today the company is still going from strength to strength.
The new extension was completed in July 2014 and adds a further 1234m2 of space, giving the company greater storage facilities. The House of Dorchester currently employs 75 staff.

Caroline Billings, factory operator, has been at the company for 36 years and was delighted that the Prince had recognised her from one of his previous visits.
She said: "Today went really well. It was good to see him again and have him shown round the factory. He is very down to earth and it was nice to see him get involved."
Galvin Weston, chairman of Charbonnel et Walker, who bought The House of Dorchester on July 22 2014, said the day had been a great success.
He said: "I think the Prince thoroughly enjoyed his visit. It was nice to see him focus on the team and the staff. He was very interested in the factory and how it has growing."
All staff members gathered in the new warehouse extension as the Prince thanked the workers for all their hard work.
Prince Charles said: "I opened the factory in 1998 and I am thrilled to be back and that it's extending and that it provides so much employment locally. It gives me the greatest pleasure to open this extension."

VOCABULARY