Insight A WORLD WITHOUT
YOUR ARE MORE LIKELY TO DIE
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT:
Issue 17
•
January 2013
War
at 11 am
Clifford Stevens, Developer of Lokadot LLC
EXECUTIVE BIO:
Introducing Priya Singh What Really Works!
HOW TO CURE A HANGOVER:
Irina Sigal DRESSMAKER WINTER COLLECTION: See Inside for Prizes! January 2013•Insight 1
Editor’s Desk
T
he country’s been thrown into somewhat of a national debate over the latest tragic shootings that have occurred across the country, most spoken about being in Connecticut. You’ve got the crowd that wants to arm the schools and place guards at the doors. Then, you’ve got the crowd that wants to make a real attempt at implementing the “control” part of “gun control.” Then you’ve just got this big crowd of people that aren’t at the “make a plan in response” stage — they just sit, distressed, in disbelief, disillusioned by the bad in the world. It’s easiest to fall into the latter group and fall into mistrust, sadness — to call the world evil, its inhabitants crazy and console yourself with the not so genuine hope that nothing will ever happen to you and yours. But, blanket disillusionment is no way to start off a new year (let alone when we’ve just survived a Mayan apocalypse), or any way to start any given day of your life. Even Anne Frank, in her dark days, filled her diary with hope and belief that people were still good inside. The advice doesn’t mean to be blind to the bad in the world — it just means to keep one eye to the good in it, despite the bad. That’s often the hardest, to really see the silver lining or even just to look for it. So tack this onto your New Year’s resolutions: even if you can’t find the good, don’t give up the search. It is worth the search to find something beautiful in this world. —Maria
Readers Respond to our December Issue: I was always under the impression that flu shots were dangerous for pregnant females. However, after reading your article Things you need to know about the flu shot, I can now go and get the shot without being worried. —Becky, Bucks County. I have recently switched over to the vegan life style and after reading your article on HipCityVeg, I cannot wait to go and dine there! Their food sounds absolutely delicious, especially their signature smoothie “The Groothie!” I am totally having a girl’s day and going there, no doubt! —Kelly, Philadelphia. I personally, do not agree with all of the recent studies coming out on beating one addiction with another. This specifically is geared at the article Drug helps curb alcohol cravings. I think for situations such as that people need to seek therapeutic treatment, rather than trying to beat their addiction with something else that might destroy them. —Mike, Northeast.
“The few wonders of the world only exist while there are those with the sight to see them.” —Charles de Lint 2 Insight•January 2013
Best Caribbean Vacations
Insight
Issue 17 • January 2013
26
IN THIS ISSUE:
Editor’s Desk 2 Letter from the Editor Readers Respond to our December Issue 4 Prizes and Rewards
Enjoy the white beaches and clear waters of Cayman Island while sticking to a budget.
Word on the Street 5 Infant Stress Leads to Anxiety Later? 6 Martin Luther King Day Construction Begins on New Temple University Apartments 7 Ph-un in Philadelphia 8 Humans Losing Pressure to Be Smart Dolphins: Awake and Asleep at the Same Time? 9 Community Spotlight: Introducing Priya Singh 10 Insight Poll Conversation Starters 11 World Without War 12 Executive Bio: Clifford Stevens, Developer of Lokadot LLC 14 How to Cure a Hangover: What Really Works! 15 You Are More Likely to Die at 11 a.m.
6
9
Bahamas Islands are always entertaining, but avoid them if you do not like large crowds.
If lively clubs, beautiful beaches and adventurous activaties are for you, you must visit Aruba.
Experience the French culture with beautiful weather while traveling to Martinique.
Healthy Living 16 New Research Points to Early Alzheimer’s Detection 17 Do Redheads Have an Increased Chance of Developing Cancer? Danger of Online Pharmacies 18 “Talking” in a Vegetative State
16
23 Eat Good Food: ZINC Restaurant 24 The Gray Generation 25 Cheap Engagement, a Responsible Choice Living Off the Grid 26 Irina Sigal, Dressmaker Sports and Athletics 28 The Influence of Technology on Sports 29 Winter Dog Sledding Philadelphia Flyers Hockey, and Sixers Basketball Schedules
29
Science and Technology 30 Using Hearing as Seeing What Are You Really Seeing? 31 How Evil Is Technology? Career and Finance 32 Career Advice for New Grads! Prepare for Retirement Now! 33 Tips to Prepare for the 2013 Tax Season A Dose of Insight 34 Our Advice Column Horoscope 36 January Predictions Marketplace 37 Advertisement
31
Entertainment and Media 19 Top Five Reasons to Go to the Movies in January 20 Greatest Unscripted Movie Scenes 21 Movie Medical Review: Home Alone 22 10 Most Paused Movie Moments January 2013•Insight 3
Prizes and Rewards! We at Insight want to hear from all of our new and old friends! Send us an email and write to us on Facebook. Let us know what you think, what you want, or just how your day is going and get rewards for doing it!
Your Monthly Reward: Insight will look through all our emails, as well as Facebook comments, messages and posts. We will select five comments, at random, to include in the upcoming issue. If you see your post, contact us with the post, the issue you saw it in, and your information within one week of the release of that issue and YOU WIN! What do you win? Well, every issue we will post our “Favorite Things.” These are little things that are new, cool and we feel everyone will enjoy. When you win the post challenge, you get to pick one of our “Favorite Things” from that issue and it’s yours! If, instead, you want to work towards our bigger “Play for Points” prizes, you can instead ask to add five points to your play for points account (see myinsightmag.com for more details). So, what are you waiting for? Come leave us a message!
Play for Points: We don’t want to be another magazine you gloss over in a hurry; we want to really interact with you in every section and page of Insight. In our attempts to really get you involved, we’ve set up a points game. Throughout the magazine you’ll see small sections that say “Play for Points.” Each section will have its own instruction on how you can email or Facebook us your answers or contributions and earn points. You can log in and keep a ‘point account,’ so to speak, on myinsightmag.com. You then can add up points to win the prizes that cost a point value ranging from 50 to 1,000 points. So earn enough points for a $20 gift card, or save as much as you can for a five day paid hotel in Miami, FL, or a new iPAD. See for even more prizes, your account and more information!
1 2 3
Starbucks!
Brrrr. It’s getting cold out there! Warm up with something delicious from Starbucks! $20
Barnes & Noble!
Need a Hobby? How about reading a new book . . . check out Barnes & Noble for a good read. $20
Stratus Lounge!
Bored of the same old thing? Check out the new Stratus Lounge at the Hotel Monaco in Old City and have a drink on Insight! $20 4 Insight•January 2013
A
two-decade study suggests that high levels of stress during a baby’s first year of life can lead to elevated stress levels and differences in brain function later in life, particularly in girls during teenage years. Researchers have long known that stress is a risk factor for various mental and physical problems. However, the new study proposes that, for some, childhood stress permanently alters the way the brain functions. The study, conducted by The University of Wisconsin-Madison and published in Nature Neuroscience, used brain scans as evidence of changes in the brain and discovered that babies who lived in stressful home environments were more likely to develop higher levels of cortisol, a stress hormone, later in life. Moreover, the study showed lower brain connectivity in pathways for emotional regulation, which points to higher levels of anxiety during adolescent years due to modification in brain development as a result of that anxiety. While the study did not specify why the same amount of stress did not affect boys in a similar same way, researchers and practitioners are calling this study “novel”, saying it will “pave the way to better understand how the brain develops and … gives insight into ways to intervene when children are young.”
©iStockphoto.com
ANXIETY
Provides The Highest Quality Service For All Your Medical Equipment And Supplies
medical equipment • Power Chairs & Wheelchairs • Diabetic Shoes & Supplies • Hospital Beds • Oxygen
P ro f e s s i o n a l l y Tr a i n e d S t a ff . • Incontinence Supplies • Walking Aids • Compression Stockings • Recliners & Much More
Insurances Accepted:
• Medicare • Medicaid • Aetna • Aetna Better Health • AmeriChoice • AmeriHealth • Bravo • Coventry Care • Evercare • Highmark BCBS • Independence Blue Cross • Keystone Health Plan East • Keystone 65 • Personal Choice • Tricare • United Healthcare • United Healthcare Community Plan • WellCare • Workers Compensation
NORTHEAST 8348 Bustleton Ave Philadelphia, PA 19152
215-745-4010
CENTER CITY 126 N. 9th Street Philadelphia, PA 19107
215-922-4010
FREE DELIVERY
(Free Delivery is available for most products.)
January 2013•Insight 5
Word on the Street
INFANT STRESS LEADS TO LATER?
MARTIN LUTHER KING
DAY O
n Monday, January 21st, 2013 United States will be celebrating a federal holiday marking Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday. King was the chief spokes person for a nonviolent civil rights group. The holiday was first signed into a nation holiday on January 20th, 1986. However, not all of the states wished to follow it, some opted out. But in 2000, all 50 states began to officially observe Martin Luther King Day. Today, all states observe the national holiday. U.S. Congressman, John Lewis, is admired by many people. He was one of many people who marched besides King, protecting human rights. Lewis has written numerous books about his experience, such as Walking with the Wind: A Memoir of the Movement. Today, Lewis is a fully devoted advocate of the philosophy of nonviolence and is still committed to the Civil Rights Movement as Associate Director of the Field Foundation.
Construction Begins on New
TEMPLE
UNIVERSITY Apartments
S
tudent and faculty at Temple University are excited as construction begins on a new student apartment building. The $100 million building will be located on the site where John Wanamaker Middle School once stood. The apartment will add 832 beds for Temple students and will be 14-stories high. In 2008 Goldenberg Group, of Blue Bell, bought the middle school from the Philadelphia School District for $10.75 million. At first there was talk to renovate the middle school into student apartments, as well as community space and a charter school from the Bright Hope Baptist Church. However, that plan was changed with a change of heart. If the original plan was followed through, the university would only be adding 600 beds using two-thirds of the five-acre site. The new idea allows the university to add more dorms, while using less space and the remainder of the land could be turned into retailing stores or other ideas. This apartment is the third to add housing for Temple students. Another building is being built to add 1,000 beds for students on Broad Street, as well as construction is finishing up on an apartment for an additional 350 students near the train station. These new apartments will allow incoming students to find housing much easier than before. Currently there is just not enough housing for all of the student. Nearly 10,000 students currently live around the campus, but only half of them are in dorms provided by the school. These new projects will also benefit the school financially. 6 Insight•January 2013
Ph-un in Philadelphia!
Philadelphia’s got a lot going on in January. My Insight Magazine is here to make sure you are in the center of all of the action! Check out the shows, events, and exhi-bitions going on now and coming soon.
01/04–05. Brides Against Breast Cancer Charity Wedding Gown Sale. Save 25-85% on new and gently used designer wedding gowns while fighting breast cancer. The Clarion Hotel and Conference Center. 76 Industrial Highway, Essington, PA 19029. www.bridesabc.org.
01/05–08. Philadelphia Gift Show. Winter addition of the nation’s largest gift shows. Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., Oaks, PA 19456. www.urban-expo.com.
01/19–27. Philly Auto Show. Come and enjoy one of the industries most recognized shows! View more than 700 vehicles all from different manufacturers! www.phillyautoshow.com.
01/20–25. Restaurant Week. Restaurants in the Center City area will be hosting restaurant week! Diners can enjoy a threecourse dinner for $35 per person. Some restaurants even offer a $20 lunch. To check which restaurants are participating go on www.centercityphila.org/life/RWRestaurants.php.
01/21. Martin Luther King Day. Philadelphia Celebrates.
January 2013•Insight 7
HUMANS LOSING PRESSURE TO BE SMART
Photos ŠiStockphoto.com
A
ccording to a new study, the human race started losing its high level of intelligence thousands of years ago and will continue to decline in the coming years. The controversial study, led by a leading geneticist at Stanford University, argues that the capacity of the brain to learn new tricks and survive on the wits needed has declined since the days we lived in hunter-gatherer communities where that was needed. The paper, published in the Trends in Genetics journal, held that our distant ancestors, from around 1000BC, would be among the most brightest and most emotionally stable if he or she would be placed in today’s society. The reason for the decline? Mutations in the genome, between 25 and 65, that alters the intellectual and emotional abilities, which have occurred since the huntergatherer days. The study showed these changes occurred with the decline in intellectual demands, as the life of a hunter-gatherer was likely more demanding than widely thought. As always, other scientists are skeptical, citing the lack of data and suggesting that rather than losing our smarts, humans have just diversified them with various types of intelligence.
DOLPHINS: Awake and
Asleep at the Same Time?
E
ver wonder where dolphins, and the like, go to sleep? Or whether they are ever afraid of being attacked while doing so? Well, researchers have revealed very interesting evidence that dolphins never fully sleep, only resting half of the brains at a time with one eye open. Scientists have revealed interesting details related to dolphin sleep cycles, following a study of bottlenose dolphins and their interaction with set objects. The findings, published in the Public Library of Science journal, revealed that the dolphins had no sign of breaks or deterioration in their interactions with the objects, suggesting that dolphins sleep with half of their brains, while the other half remains active. This is in stark contrast to humans, which require a full cessation of all activity to sleep. While further studies are needed to help verify these findings, via monitoring electrical brain activity, scientists believe that the general premise will remain the same. Dolphins need to remain alert to not only keep from drowning by coming to the surface when they need to breathe, but also to remain vigilant. These lovely mammals have always been thought to be very smart animals; now we know why! 8 Insight•January 2013
EXECUTIVE BIO
Introducing
PRIYA SINGH By Olga Astreika
P
riya Singh is a medical oncologist and hematologist at Cooper University Hospital in Camden, New Jersey, who began her medical journey in 2002 after achieving her medical degree. Then she went on to complete her residency, finished a fellowship and is now in her fifth year of practice. She’s long loved the practice of medicine, born out of a passion for helping seriously ill patients and also terminally ill patients: a significant part of her work is to help prevent or to relieve suffering when patients are near the end of life.
MEDICAL MISSION IN UGANDA Dr. Singh’s medical passions go far beyond the walls of a hospital. She recently traveled on a medical mission to Uganda, Africa, with five other physicians. They saw approximately 300 patients each day, describing the mission as “very humbling and intense”. Due to the limited supplies that were available, Dr. Singh had to be very resourceful in order to provide the best care possible. Many patients treated on the trip had never seen a doctor before in their lifetime, so they lined up overnight hoping just to get a visit. Dr. Singh traveled long distances through different villages in Western Uganda, sharing both medical help and optimism to various people she encountered. Each day was a different village, filled with different people waiting to be treated. “The people and the country are remarkably beautiful”, says Dr. Singh. “Patients were very appreciative for the help that was provided to them”. Meaningful work like this makes Dr. Singh so appreciative of her medical experience and ability to help others. She hopes to go on many such missions in the future.
HELPING PATIENTS AND THEIR LOVED ONES COPE WITH CANCER Back here in the States, Dr. Singh continues to be a star in her field. Not just for her medical expertise but also for her ability to understand the complex emotional situations that her patients and their families are going through. “A diagnosis of cancer can be devastating for both the patient and their families,” sympathizes Dr. Singh. It’s because of this, that familial support, or even a friend’s kind words in such devastating situations makes the fight much easier — though giving support to a loved one in such a sad time is not easy. That is why Dr. Singh works so hard to help the families and friends of her patients understand and accept what January 2013•Insight 9
EXECUTIVE BIO
cancer means. “Families are an integral part of the team and teamwork is needed to fight any type of disease. Family and friends continue to provide essential care for patients when they leave our office,” says Dr. Singh.
LEARNING LIFE AND LOVE FROM YOUR PATIENTS In addition to the strong support from family and friends, her patients will have great support from Dr. Singh herself. It’s in her job description to care, but it’s also in her heart. Dr. Singh recalls a 26 year old female patient: “I was with her from her diagnosis until she died. We developed an intense relationship in the short time that she lived. I was her primary provider at the time that she was diagnosed with leukemia and I helped she and her family to understand the disease, prognosis and treatment options.” Dr. Singh has gone through many intense, overwhelming and rewarding experiences with patients, and has helped them to overcome very difficult situations. She is excited about the advances in treatment and technology that grant her patients more time and more hope. As she continues on her wonderful journey of helping patients and their families in what can be the most difficult time in their life, she realizes that these difficulties can change our perception of life, love and happiness: “Patients with cancer are remarkable in their ability to adapt to such a diagnosis and they learn to enjoy life despite difficulties.”
Conversation Starters:
Insight Poll:
] Ballet first emerged in the late 15th century Renaissance culture of Italy.
How likely are you to stick to your New Year’s Resolution?
] Giant pandas can consume, on average, 40 pounds of fresh bamboo leaves a day!
Likely
35%
] One of America’s top ten female chess players, Diana Lanni, used chess to beat a drug addiction problem and tendencies of suicide.
Not likely
] First cheese is said to have been developed around 4000 BC.
Got any other suggestions? Let us know on our website (myinsightmag.com), email (insight@myinsightmag.com), Facebook (My Insight Magazine) or Twitter (My Insight Magazine). And, vote for next month’s poll!
] Adults get an average of two to four colds each year in the United States. They are typically between the months of September and May.
10 Insight•January 2013
19%
Maybe
46%
W
ar and conflict seem to go hand in hand with concepts of society. Any grouping of people seems to inspire some sort of strife with another grouping of people. 2012 has been littered with wars and conflicts that many throw their hands up in the air about, not quite understanding why our society has to be so blood hungry. Many just assume we live in a bloodier time, that perhaps there is a UN conference or world movement in the future that will rid our children’s’ generations of wars and conflicts. Could this be true? Could our human race ever see social coexistence and life, without war? We say probably not, and history seems to agree. The first ever-recorded war occurred in c. 2700 B.C. It was between Sumer (in modern Iraq) and was fought in the area around Basra (just like the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s). Now, if you don’t just glance over the date, but really think about it, 2700 B.C. is a LONG time ago. And even then, there was war. What’s more, tribes and other cities had likely been fighting each other for thousands of years before that, but there are no records of these earlier conflicts because writing wasn’t invented until a bit before 3000 B.C. But, just a few hundred years after it was invented, it was used write down societal conflicts. They’ve been written down, en mass, ever since – the crusades, the Peloponnesian war, the conquests of Genghis Khan, the Hundred Years War (little known fact – it didn’t actually last a full 100 years), the Thirty Years War, the US War of Independence, Napoleonic Wars, the Korean War, etc. I could easily bring up World Wars One and Two; but, I don’t have to — everyone knows those. Still, there are plenty of conflicts that may not have left as great of scorch marks on world history, but have left terrible scars on their own societies. How about the internal conflict in Burma that’s been going on since 1948! There are many such conflicts and battles that have been ongoing through the century. We have had our share of turmoil in 2012. There was the international struggle with Iran, the bombs exchanged between Israel and Gaza, the ongoing conflicts in Syria, the Libyan factional fighting, the rebellion in the Central African Republic, Greek austerity riots, etc. Meanwhile, we watch shows about “simper times,” about housewife and teenage drama, making war seem like something that doesn’t have to be there – that our wretched society should carry the blame for. But history will be the first to remind you that a world full of societies will never be, and has never been warless. Now now, no need for hopelessness quite yet. History does not disagree that war is often senseless, unnecessarily ruinous of innocent life and difficult. And it may actually console you by reassuring you that society is actually not as war ridden as, say, the medieval world. While war proves to be ever present amongst different societies of people attempting to attain their own ideals in life, history has plenty else good to show for itself – progress, knowledge, science. So, a warless world? Probably not. A hopeless world? Probably not. January 2013•Insight 11
©iStockphoto.com
WORLD WITHOUT WAR
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT:
Clifford Stevens,
Developer of
B
LLC.
orn in Harrisburg, PA, Clifford Stevens was adopted at birth by fantastic adoptive parents who provided him and his sister a privileged childhood. First starting out as a Stockbroker/Financial Advisor, Stevens quickly realized that it was not the path for him. He changed his career path and fell in love with the IT business. In 2004, Stevens started his own computer technology business called MyOwnITGuy.com, Inc. as well as provided custom Windows applications and Web development consulting services. While attending Singularity University at NASA Ames in Silicon Valley in 2010, Stevens had a great idea come to him about creating an app called Lokadot, LLC. After that day, he began working on his dream, going as far as moving into a 320 +/- square foot studio apartment in the Midtown Village section of Center City, Philadelphia so he could afford the proper funds needed for Lokadot, LLC’s startup costs. For the time being, Stevens is completely devoted to the new app, so he does not see any new apps being developed by him in the near future. Insight: What is so unique about the app? Clifford: Lokadot is a location-based audio technology platform for smartphones. A mash up of the words “local” and “anecdote”, Lokadot enables businesses, organizations and individuals to engage their constituencies with location-based audio relevant to a person’s real-time location and nearby points of interest. Listeners can hear the location-based audio on Lokadot using our free app for the iPhone, or the mobile Web on any smartphone, and discover and learn about all sorts of interesting things that they might otherwise just pass on by. Insight: What would you say is the coolest feature of this App? Clifford: Lokadot’s coolest feature is “Auto-Play”. This is the singular feature that gave birth to Lokadot, and IS the original reason for my wanting to build it, even though Lokadot is so much more now. To explain, with the Lokadot iPhone app running and “Auto-Play” turned on, someone can listen to their iTunes music in the native iPhone “Music” app (or podcasts in the native iPhone “Podcasts” app), and any time they come within a certain distance of a point-of-interest in Lokadot that has audio associated with it, their music/podcast volume fades, then pauses, the Lokadot audio plays, and when it finishes, their music/podcast un-pauses and fades back up to its original volume. It’s a completely seamless, hands-off listening experience, requiring no user-intervention.
12 Insight•January 2013
Insight: Are you able to see the statistics behind the App - like who is largely using it? Do you know who your main clientele are, so to speak? Clifford: We ARE collecting usage statistics (but NOT people’s locations) using Flurry and Google Analytics. So, I can tell you which audios have been heard how many times, and by extension, which organizations have the most popular audio content on Lokadot. And, without naming names, I can tell you that the organizations who actively tell their constituencies about their audio on Lokadot are the ones who are getting the most listens. And, with our users being able to register and log in with Email, Facebook and Twitter, we can learn more about them that way, and provide them the functionality to further amplify these networks effects through sharing ‘dotes with their social networks. Insight: Let’s get a bit technologically philosophical here: What do you think about this “plugged-in generation” we have, about the rise of all these Apps and smartphones. We’ve heard it both ways - that people now get access to so many good resources (like your App) and, conversely, that people get so plugged in that they get tuned-out of the world. Is there a line? What are your thoughts? Clifford: We are constantly evolving beings, and our creation and use of technology is one of the ways we express our human nature, which is to constantly expand and enjoy our life experience throughout eternity. Does it sometimes bother me to see people so engrossed in their “screen” to the exclusion of their surroundings? Yes, but I am getting better at just chuckling about it too, because I know that in just a few years, we’ll be doing something else with our technologies that will make us look back at ourselves and realize how relatively silly and un-evolved we were back then. Everything is temporary; everything is in motion, and its all about change and adaptation. It’s what we do. It’s awesome, but it doesn’t come without its discomforts and disruptions. There is “no line” to draw because that would assume we live in an objective universe, when in fact, everything about our experience is subjective. It’s up to each one of us, and the organizations we build to represent our interests, to decide where our individual lines are, always remembering that our proverbial line ends where someone else’s begins. Bottom line, I personally am extremely excited about the future, and what amazing things this exponentially increasing power of technological computing and mobility will afford us. Today, we have smartphones, and tomorrow, we’ll be giggling at just how dumb our smartphones were.
www.lokadot.com. 2101 Market Street, #806, Philadelphia, PA 19103. (215) 948 - 2879. January 2013•Insight 13
HOW TO CURE A HANGOVER: WHAT REALLY WORKS!
A
fter having a great night out with your friends, the last thing you want to do is wake up with the splitting headache and weak feeling. Yes, We have all experienced one or more hangovers! We know what it feels likes. But what if there was a way to “cure” it, or at least make it a little less painful? Well, there is. Some have recommended going on a water cure. Drinking as much water as possible to flush everything out of your system, though that could be too much sometimes. Another idea you might want to consider is going on a greasy-meal cure. Apparently, eating two McDonald’s hamburgers just might do the trick. If you’re trying to not indulge yourself in fatty food, try Mexican food. Italian and French people have reported to prefer strong coffee to cure their hangover. However, researchers have warned people to stay away from coffee, due to dehydration. Many people tend to stick to soups; in Mexico they eat menudo, in Puerto Rico they eat mondongo, in Turkey they eat corbasi, and in Greece pasta. Each international front has their own soup of choice as a hangover remedy. These hangover cures most likely work as a distraction principle. For example, if you eat spicy food, your attention is now diverted away from your body coping with the alcohol and you are now focused on the spices. Your new problems are with your stomach, esophagus, or respiration, but it is away from your headache. Most hangover foods are classified as “comfort foods,” because they are easy-to-eat and have a sentimental appeal to each individual, as well as carry therapeutic properties for individuals to enjoy.
Want to advertise in Insight? Visit myinsightmag.com to learn how. 14 Insight•January 2013
11
You Are More Likely to Die@
Photos ŠiStockphoto.com
W
am
e have heard of the Forever 27 club, where people are more likely to die at the age of 27. However, new statistics state that not only are we likely to die at the age of 27, but also you are more likely to die in the late morning, particularly around 11 a.m. The study was published in the Annals of Neurology, where researchers studied circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are any physical, mental and behavioral changes throughout a 24-hour cycle, they respond to light and darkness in an environment. It is a possibility that circadian rhythms are a large predictor at the time of the day someone will die. It is interesting to see how the role of technology – or better yet, the lack of it plays a role. Since we were young we used machines to wake us up in the mornings, we relied on artificial items to escape a mandatory night. Just like our preferred sleep, circadian rhythms also regulates the time during which we are most likely to experience medical events such as stroke or heart attack. Each of us has a biological clock ticking, and the time is only running out. Researchers looked at peoples DNA codes. What they found is people have a set of AA and GG chromosomes. The AA chromosomes tend to take up 1 hr before the GG chromosomes; this could be due to AA chromosomes containing higher amounts of protein called Period1. If this is persistent a person could be getting up earlier and earlier each day, until they are waking up in the middle of the night and going to bed at sundown. However, this is not the case. It is believed that AA chromosomes adjust their time each day so people stay socially active. Such a schedule could impact the control of circadian rhythms, making it harder to control alertness, blood pressure and the heart, which would stimulate its end. So how does 11 a.m. play a factor in this? The answer is different biological occurrences happen earlier in the day. For example, those who die from cardiac death are more likely to die from 3 or 4 a.m. until noon. This is due to the increase of adrenaline, blood pressure, and hormone called corisol which impact cardiac death. However, this does not state that a person is more likely to get hit by a car, bus, or bitten by a snake at 11 a.m., but rather those who are to die from biological causes are more likely to experience them in the early morning hours.
January 2013•Insight 15
EARLY ALZHEIMER’S DETECTION
N
ew research has revealed it may be possible to earlier detect Alzheimer’s disease, a degenerative disorder, for which there is no current cure, Alzheimer’s leads to worsening cognitive impairment and loss of memory and physical dexterity. While the disease often affects those over the age of 65, scientists believe they have found a way to detect it as early as age 20, significantly before clinical onset of the disease. Researchers at the Banner Alzheimer’s Institute in Arizona discovered this by studying a group of young people, between the ages of 18 and 26, who had a genetic mutation for Alzeimer’s, meaning they would inevitably show signs of the disease by the age of 40. When comparing their brain scans with those without the mutation, the researchers reported very clear differences in particular regions of the brain, including higher levels of protein and less brain matter. This new research will be critical to finding a cure, or even a better treatment for Alzeimers. Researchers are hopeful that, if they are able to intervene early enough with appropriate drug therapies, there will be a better chance of fighting the disease’s progression.
©iStockphoto.com
Healthy Living
NEW RESEARCH POINTS TO
Want to advertise in Insight? Visit myinsightmag.com to learn how. 16 Insight•January 2013
January 2013•Insight 16
REDHEADS
Have an Increased Chance of Developing Cancer?
F
or a while now doctors have been recommending fair skinned and ginger haired people to stay away from the sun as much as possible, but a new study state this may not be enough to protect them from developing skin cancer. Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital suggest that fair skinned people should take greater actions in protecting their skin from the UV rays produced by the sun. Redheaded people have higher amount of pheomelanin pigments, which has recently been linked to an increased risk of cancer. Pigments are controlled by a specific gene called MC1R, and it is responsible for the complexion in humans. Researchers created mice with genetically increased amount of phenomelanin pigments. What they found in a year was that out of those mice, fifty percent of them developed melanoma without being exposed to an increased amount of UV rays. The recent study was published in the journal Nature. So putting on sunscreen regularly for redheads might not be enough to keep them from developing cancer since it has to do with genes. However, everyone is still strongly advised to apply sunscreen regularly when out in the sun for a long period of time.
DANGERS OF
ONLINE
PHARMACIES
I
f you’ve ever purchased medicine, particularly without insurance, then you know how financially debilitating it can be. Online pharmacies, offering prescription drugs at drastically reduced prices, have been a saving grace for many people. However, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers that the vast majority of internet pharmacies are fraudulent and are likely selling counterfeit drugs, some harmful to your health. The agency has launched a campaign, called BeSafeRx, which is set to alert the public of shopping for medicine online. Dangers cited include fake/counterfeit drugs, many which are past their expiration date or contain no active ingredient. Officials warn that some also may contain toxic substances, such as arsenic and rat poison. So, how can you tell if an online pharmacy is legitimate? The FDA has a list of only a few dozen Internet pharmacies that are verified and follow state and federal laws governing prescription drugs. Interestingly, recent studies have shown that only about 3% of online pharmacies actually follow those laws. While no deaths or serious injuries have been linked to those counterfeit drugs, patients don’t get the necessary treatment, adding additional costs to both patients and doctors. So, the next time you are searching online for pharmacies, be sure to check its authenticity on www.fda.gov. Your body will thank you!
January 2013•Insight 17
Photos ©iStockphoto.com
Do
©iStockphoto.com
“TALKING”
in a Vegetative State
I
f you were around during the Terry Shiavo case, then you have surely heard of the term “persistent vegetative state (PVS)”, which is a condition, resulting from brain damage, characterized by lack of consciousness, thought, and feeling, although some level of partial arousal remains. During this state of consciousness, which is often irreversible, patients can open their eyes and demonstrate sleep-wake cycles but lack cognitive function. However, researchers have discovered a way to communicate with those in a PVS, allowing the patients to ‘talk’ by thinking and allowing the doctors to ‘hear’ by reading changes in brain activity. This landmark in medicine occurred with Scott Routley, a PVS patient of twelve years following a car accident. Through this new technique, Routley was able to tell researchers whether or not he was in pain. To do this, researchers instructed Routley to think of one of two scenarios to indicate his answer, to be recorded on an fMRI machine: ‘yes’ by thinking of his house, ‘no’ by thinking of tennis. His responses showed he had a conscious, thinking mind, although his physical condition didn’t change, showing no spontaneous movement that looked meaningful. This monumental time in understanding PVS has researchers and doctors reeling across the board, as this was the first time a patient, previously considered vegetative, responded to questions regarding the quality of treatment. 18 Insight•January 2013
to Go to the Movies in December
1
1/11—Gangster Squad
After a few push backs and us getting teased for months with trailers, Gangster Squad is finally released! This crime thriller, with an all-star cast of Emma Stone, Ryan Gosling, Josh Brolin and Sean Penn chronicles an LAPD squad gone rogue in the 1940’s to keep East Coast Mafia types out of Los Angeles. Josh Brolin aces his role and the chemistry between Gosling and Stone is movie worth in and of itself.
2
1/11—Zero Dark Thirty
Everyone knows this story — the secret hunt for the world’s most wanted man. The film follows an elite team of intelligence and military operatives for a decade, working across the globe to find and eliminate Osama bin Laden. The movie is sure to generate Oscar buzz so best of luck in award season to its great cast: Joel Edgerton, Jessica Chastain, Edgar Ramirez, and Chris Pratt.
3
1/18—Broken City
Star New York City cop, Billy Taggart (Mark Wahlberg) is stripped of his badge after a night he’s involved in a controversial shooting. He is kept out of jail by the NY Mayor (Russell Crowe), who remakes him as a private investigator and offers him $50,000 to investigate the First Lady’s (Catherine Zeta Jones) extra-material activities. Then everything turns around and the Mayor is not what he seems, so Taggert must fight to get his freedom.
4
1/18—Now You See Me
This quirky crime thriller follows FBI agents that track a team of illusionists who pull off bank heists during their performances and reward their audiences with the money. But, as the FBI gets closer, they come to realize that there’s an even bigger plan at work among the illusionists at play. Starring Jesse Eisenberg, Melanie Laurent, Mark Ruffalo, Morgan Freeman and Isla Fisher.
5
1/25—Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters
When they say “it’s a twist on a fairy tale” this movie is what they mean! The film stars Jeremy Renner as Hansel and Gemma Arterton as Gretel. The plot catches up with the famous brother-sister duo fifteen years after that whole “almost getting eaten by a witch in her gingerbread house” thing. Because of that event, the siblings have evolved into bounty hunters who hunt witches. Don’t let the mild movie summary dissuade you, this is dark and action packed!.
January 2013•Insight 19
Entertainment & Media
5
TOP REASONS
GREATEST
UNSCRIPTED MOVIE SCENES
A
d libbing and improvising isn’t just for the Jack Blacks and Vince Vaughns of the comedy world. Some of the best movie scenes in history have been unscripted — inserted, spur of the moment by great actors instead of pre-written by screenwriters. Here are some of the best ones: ZOOLANDER (2001). In the scene where former hand model J.P. Prewitt (David Duchovny) and the dimwitted male model Derek Zoolander (Ben Stiller), Prewitt — a conspiracy theorist — explains how the fashion industry has been behind every high profile political assassination of the last hundred years. Zoolander asks, “Why male models?” Prewitt answers with a lengthy explanation, after which Zoolander responds again, “Why male models?” Stiller forgot his original line and just repeated his previous line instead. This prompted Duchovny to ad-lib his response “Are you kidding? I just told you like a minute ago.” This results in one of the funniest parts of the movie! TAXI DRIVER (1976). Screenwriter Paul Schrader wrote the scene with the simple screen direction: “Travis talks to himself in the mirror,” with no other dialogue given. Therefore, everything insomnia-plagued taxi, driver Travis Bickle (Robert De Niro), said during the conversation with the mirror – including the classic “you talkin’ to me?” — was improvised by De Niro on the spot. PRETTY WOMAN (1990). One of the most famous parts of the movie is when Edward Lewis (Richard Gere) gifts call girl Vivian Ward (Julia Roberts) with a gorgeous diamond necklace to wear on their date to the opera, only to quickly snap it shut on her when she reaches out to touch it – allowing audiences to hear Julia Robert’s now infamous laugh. Well the whole snapping the box shut was all improv by Gere and genuinely surprised Roberts – resulting in an entirely honest and adored laugh. THE DARK KNIGHT (2008). As the Joker (Heath Ledger) waits alone in jail after being arrested by Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman), Mayor Garcia (Nestor Carbonell) shows up to look over Gotham’s latest capture. While there, he also promotes Gordon to the position of Commissioner. As the officers in the room applaud the announcement, Ledger begins, unscripted, to slowly clap – never changing his serious, creepy facial expression. That dark improvisation is one of the reasons Ledger’s performance was so adored by critics and fans alike. ANNIE HALL (1977). Alvy Singer (Woody Allen as a neurotic, Jewish comedian) is at a party when he is passed a tin filled with cocaine and ends up HUGELY sneezing, sending the white powder everywhere. Well the sneeze was real and the surrounding uncontrollable laughter of the other actors was also real. Allen decided to leave it in the movie after it tested well with audiences. 20 Insight•January 2013
H
Movie Medical Review:
HOME ALONE
ome Alone is a classic, hilarious family movie that earned its keep in cinematic history partly because of all the ridiculous booby traps set by adorable Macaulay Culkin against the wet bandit Marv (Daniel Stern) and Harry (Joe Pesci). If I recall, some of those booby traps looked like they really hurt. Well, Doctor Ryan St. Clair told The Week’s Lauren Hansen that some of those traps not only hurt, but would cause serious medical problems.
The iron to the face: Thwarted by the BB gun at the back door, Marv runs around to the
basement stairwell — which Kevin has deliberately iced. Once he has stumbled his way down into the dark basement, Marv grabs for what he thinks is the light bulb cord. It’s actually a rope attached to a steam iron that is propped up on the laundry chute door. The heavy iron comes plummeting down and smacks Marv in the face. Dr.’s Diagnosis: “Let’s estimate the distance from the first floor to the basement at 15 feet, and assume the steam iron weighs 4 pounds. And note that the iron strikes Marv squarely in the midface. This is a serious impact, with enough force to fracture the bones surrounding the eyes. This is also known as a ‘blowout fracture,’ and can lead to serious disfigurement and debilitating double vision if not repaired properly.”
Blowtorch to the scalp: Unable to get through the front door, Harry returns to the back. He kicks his
foot through the doggy door to disarm a potential BB gun threat, delicately taps at the doorknob to test its temperature, and, finding it cool, opens the back door — only to unknowingly arm a blowtorch that fires at the top of his head. Dr.’s Diagnosis: Harry has an interesting reaction to having a lit blowtorch aimed directly at his scalp. Rather than remove himself from danger, he keeps the top of his skull directly in the line of fire for about seven seconds. What was likely a simple second-degree skin burn is now a full thickness burn likely to cause necrosis of the calavarium (skull bone).” That means the skin and bone tissue on Harry’s skull will be so damaged and rotted that his skull bone is essentially dying and will likely require a transplant.
Handling a burning-hot doorknob: While Marv is getting an iron to the face, Harry tries to enter
the home through the front door. The first attempt doesn’t go well, as the stocky burglar slips on the icy steps and falls to the ground, landing with a thud on his back. Easing up a second time with the help of the railing, Harry makes it to the front door, reaches for the doorknob — which we see is literally burning red — and grasps the searing handle, the pain of which forces him once again down the icy steps. Dr.’s Diagnosis: “If this doorknob is glowing visibly red in the dark, it has been heated to about 751 degrees Fahrenheit, and Harry gives it a nice, strong, one- to two-second grip. By comparison, one second of contact with 155 degree water is enough to cause third degree burns. The temperature of that doorknob is not quite hot enough to cause Harry’s hand to burst into flames, but it is not that far off... Assuming Harry doesn’t lose the hand completely, he will almost certainly have other serious complications, including a high risk for infection and ‘contracture’ in which resulting scar tissue seriously limits the flexibility and movement of the hand, rendering it less than 100 percent useful. Kevin has moved from ‘defending his house’ into sheer malice, in my opinion.” January 2013•Insight 21
MOVIE 10 MOMENTS
MOSTPAUSED
1 2 3 4 5 6 7
Sharon Stone crossing her legs during an interrogation in Basic Instinct (1992) Jennifer Lopez showing her naked butt in The Back-Up Plan (2010) The Stormtrooper that bangs his head in Star Wars, Episode IV, A New Hope (1977) Jamie Lee Curtis flashing her breasts in Trading Places (1983) Famous cartoon siren Jessica Rabit going commando in Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) Brad Pitt flashing behind a doctor in the hospital in Fight Club (1999)
When Captain America’s shield appears on the desk in Iron Man 2 (2010)
8
When the dust spells out “S.F.X” (which many believe actually spells out “sex”) in The Lion King (1994)
9 10
When pacman suddenly flashes on the screen during Tron (1982) Nicole Kidman’s rear-end flash in Eyes Wide Shut (1999)
22 Insight•January 2013
Eat Good Food:
ZINC
Restaurant
C
enter City’s Restaurant Week will be held from January 20th until 25th and again from January 27th until February 1st, 2013. There are many great participating restaurants that are offering threecourse lunches for $20 per person, and three-course dinners for $35 per person. Some restaurants are even offering their menus on Saturday, January 26th. For more information on which restaurant is participating in Restaurant Week, to view restaurants menus, or to see who is offering their menu on Saturday, January 26th visit www.centercityphila.org/life/RWRestaurants.php. One of the “must try” restaurants that is participating in this years Restaurant Week is ZINC Restaurant. Located at 246 S. 11th Street, ZINC Restaurant is offering customers not three, but rather four course meals. The first course consists of salmon carpaccio. Followed by a second course where diners can choose one of the following delicious broiled mussels with garlic and almond butter, Pate du Chef with pistachio and foie gras, or Roasted vegetable salad. The third course is the entrée which again diners get to choose from one of four dishes. They can pick from one of the following: Seafood Bouillabaisse, Tuna Bordelaise, pork Shank with lemon confit, or Hanger steak with truffle sauce. The fourth course allows diners to indulge in Individual apple tart Tatin as their dessert. So if you are still debating which restaurant you would like to visit on Restaurant Week, look no further than ZINC Restaurant. We promise, you wont regret it.
January 2013•Insight 23
The
GRAY
©iStockphoto.com
Generation A
s they all say, one of the effects of all our modern medicine, technologies and new outlooks on life and societal roles is that people are waiting longer to procreate. These people are exploring their twenties, drinking it up and largely waiting until they’re financially settled into their thirties to have their babies. Well this makes sense for people in their thirties, when they make their decisions, but not as much when they start graying and losing all that parental energy as both they and their kids age. Waiting until you’re done playing in your twenties leads to all those dystopian horror stories of swelling numbers of very old parents, developmentally disabled children and dwindling population numbers. Judith Shulevitz looks at the plight of the “grayest generation” in The New Republic. She explains that first-time mothers are now four years older on average than they were in 1970 and the average first-time father is also about three years older. Here’s why this medically sucks: “Sociologists have devoted many man-hours to demonstrating that older parents are richer, smarter, and more loving, on the whole, than younger ones. And yet the tragic irony of epigenetics is that the same wised-up, more mature parents have had longer to absorb air-borne pollution, endocrine disruptors, pesticides, and herbicides. They may have endured more stress, be it from poverty or overwork or lack of social status. All those assaults on the cells that make sperm DNA can add epimutations to regular mutations.” Developmental delays have increased by 17% from 1997 to 2008. A study cited found that 8.3 percent of children who’d been born as a result of reproductive therapies had delays, as opposed to 5.8 percent of children born naturally. Moreover, there is a risk for developmental delays in older mothers without any fertility boosts. Beyond the medical issues are the practical and emotional inconveniences – such as kids not having grandparents around, not getting to have a big family, or having parents who die before the kid is really ready to face the world.
24 Insight•January 2013
Cheap Engagement, A RESPONSIBLE
CHOICE
T
©iStockphoto.com
hese days, women get engaged and we all know about it because we then see ten angles of the engagement ring plastered all over Facebook before we get the same 360 degree view in person. We have to coo over the diamond and the look and all of that — it’s a whole ordeal. But some couples are bypassing the traditional “spend all your money on a diamond that will impress the girlfriends” thing and instead are bargain shopping for rings that aren’t necessarily diamond-riffic. A few viewings of Blood Diamond and engagement ring price tags might make this idea a bit more logical. So the trend is picking up now where couples are shopping for engagement rings together and picking out more “responsible” options. Highly doubtful, however, whether this trend — seen mostly in places like Brooklyn, NY — will probably not overtake the diamond loving crowd. Diamonds are a girl’s best friend, after all.
LIVING OFF
A
THE GRID
pparently some people are still living “the simple life” (no, not Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie). Photographer, Lucas Foglia, spent four years photographing people who have rejected the modern world, instead choosing to live “off the grid” in rural communities around the southeastern United States. Many of them live in organized communities such as the Russell Creek Community in Tennessee, Twin Oaks Intentional Community in Virginia and Wildroots Homestead in North California. While you should go and check out his amazing photographs separately, what is also cool to hear is all the varied reasons people told him that they wanted to give up their city or suburban lifestyles. “Many of the people were motivated by environmental concerns; others were driven by religious beliefs or predictions of economic collapse,” Foglia said. His photographic subjects came from wildly different backgrounds, with different political and moral beliefs. But, says Foglia, “they all chose to build their homes from local materials, obtain their water from nearby springs, and hunt, gather or grow their own food.” Some others purchased materials and lived independently. Either way, most photographed felt that the modern world lacked something key to human happiness that could be found in rural communities. January 2013•Insight 25
Irina Sigal, Dressmaker WINTER COLLECTION
I
rina Sigal, a Russian-born dressmaker, recently celebrated an opening of her new clothing boutique in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square area. Sigal’s unique eye for fashion allows her to customize not only ready-to-wear suits, skirts and dresses for females, but she is also a master at tailoring. When asked why Sigal specifically chose Rittenhouse Square she explains “I really have always loved the city. I enjoy the energy and the pace of city living, and Rittenhouse Square is the center of it all. The custom pieces I create always have a personality and boldness to them which I find is ideal for the women who live here. This has been a dream of mine which is finally becoming a reality.” Insight Magazine was able to sit down with Irina Sigal and get a closer look at her exceptional collection.
26 Insight•January 2013
Insight: What population you are targeting in center city, describe your usual costumer? Sigal: My designs are made for the woman who wants to dress up. I have seen a big change in the last decade and have noticed that women are dressing better, taking better care of themselves, and looking younger than ever before. Insight: How would you describe your collection? Sigal: My collections are inspired by my customers and the women who wear my designs. Most often, it is a woman’s vision or personality that inspires my designs. Combining fashion with individuality brings endless possibilities. Insight: Who is your favorite designer and why? Sigal: I am attracted to the classic, timeless, Co Co Chanel. Like her, I have a classic style but at the same time I am not afraid to take risks when it comes to fashion. When it comes to color, classic black and whites are always my preference. Insight: What is a winter tip and do you have any style tips for the readers? If you have any pictures of them please attach! Sigal: My favorite tip for all seasons in general is to experiment with something new or by reinventing your look. If you have a more classic style, try something more avant garde, and if you’re style is more avant garde, try something simple and classic. Always dare to try something new.
January 2013•Insight 27
Sports & Athletics
THE INFLUENCE OF TECHNOLOGY
SPORTS
©iStockphoto.com
ON
T
echnology and sports go hand in hand together. Technology plays a very large role in sports. If there were no new inventions or innovations, we would not have half of the sports that exist. If it wasn’t for new technology we wouldn’t be able to replay our favorite throw of the game, headsets for coaches, or microphones for the referees. But is it possible that athletes are beginning to rely on technology too much? Of course technology is a beautiful creation, but many athletes are taking their skills to the design table to help them achieve the best. Competitive Ice Skaters are taking advantage of what technology could do to help them create newer skates that will help them on the ice. The process is called rapid prototyping. It allows the athletes to customize their skates to make them skate faster and better on the ice. Professional golfers are getting their golfing tips from educational videos found online. They are taught how to stand and hit properly in order for them to achieve the best hit. Advances in sporting equipment brought professional athletes, such as Tiger Woods and Pete Sampras where they are today.
THE LUXURY LIFESTYLE A dedication to fulfilling my clients’ wishes and a passion for the Philadelphia landscape give me an edge in the world of real estate that places my clients second-to-none. So please allow me to fulfill your real estate dreams, as well as the opportunity to go above and beyond to exceed your expectations. Jason Kravitz Realtor Licensed in PA & NJ Fluent in English and Russian 226 West Rittenhouse Square #102, Philadelphia, PA 19103 O.215-735-2225|C.267-324-4141| E.RealtorJK@gmail.com
28 Insight•January 2013
Want to advertise in Insight? Visit myinsightmag.com to learn how.
Flyers Hockey Schedule 01/15 vs. Winnipeg 8:00 pm 01/17 vs. Washington 7:00 pm 01/19 vs. Calgary 1:00 pm 01/20 vs. Chicago 7:30 pm 01/23 vs. Toronto 7:30 pm 01/29 vs. Minnesota 8:00 pm
Think you know who will win?
ŠiStockphoto.com
Email or Facebook message us with your information and guesses. Right answers get a point towards our annual prize (see Editors Desk for more detail).
M
Sixesrs Basketball Schedule 01/1 vs. Los Angeles 10:30 pm 01/2 vs. Phoenix 9:00 pm 01/4 vs. Oklahoma City 8:00 pm 01/5 vs. San Antonio 8:30 pm 01/8 vs. Brooklyn 7:00 pm 01/9 vs. Toronto 7:00 pm 01/12 vs. Houston 7:30 pm 01/15 vs. New Orleans 7:00 pm 01/18 vs. Toronto 7:00 pm 01/21 vs. San Antonio 7:00 pm 01/22 vs. Milwaukee 8:00 pm 01/26 vs. NY Knicks 7:00 pm 01/28 vs. Memphis 7:00 pm 01/30 vs. Washington 7:00 pm
WINTER DOG SLEDDING
ost popular in the Arctic region of United States, Canada, Russia, and some European countries, dog sledding can be traced back centuries. The most formal dog sled racing was first seen in 1990, with the first race taking place in 1908 in Alaska. At first sled dogs were used to transport goods, especially those living in the great white north. It was their only way of survival. So who thought that dog sledding would be a great holiday activity to engage the family in? Today, dog sledding is available for family fun! Usually pulled by great white huskies, 2 people would sit on a sled and get pulled by the beautiful dogs. Places such as Arctic Paws Dog Sledding, in Pocono Manor, are convenient for those residing in Pennsylvania to get the same experience of dog sledding, but close to home. However, 4 inches of snow is needed in order for reservations to be accepted. So next time you need a new and adventures activity to participate with your family in the snow, go dog sledding! It is a fun and unique thing to experience. January 2013•Insight 29
Science & Technology
What Are You
USING
HEARING
AS SEEING P
eople who have been blind from birth use the visual parts of their brain to refine sound and touch, according to a team of neuroscientists at Georgetown University. Despite not being able to actually see, those who are blind still use the brain’s visual cortex to process the location of an object. However, rather than using their eyes to make the final determination, the blind can process what they hear and touch to process the information. As a result, researchers in Belgium have partnered with scientists at Georgetown to develop goggles that process visual stimuli (at any amount) and turn them into auditory cues to help guide the blind. The device is now being tested on volunteers. The overall research, funded by the National Eye Institute and supporting partner organizations, is a huge step towards understanding, clinically, how to assist those who are visually impaired and making more strides towards their independence.
30 Insight•January 2013
he sky isn’t blue and is actually devoid of color. However, today, when you look up towards the sky, blue is the color you see, right? Wrong; it’s actually an optical illusion and it is really just your mind that colored the sky. Optical illusions, which are visually perceived images that differ from objective reality, occur when the brain sees only what has proven to be useful in the past by not seeing the retinal image but processing the image to resolve irregularities. What does this teach us? To accept others’ view of the world, rather arguing that your perception is right. To actively explore thoughts, feelings and beliefs, will allow us to move towards more acceptance in the world and away from conflict. What a wonderful world that would be!
©iStockphoto.com
Really Seeing? T
F
or several years now, technology has slowly been consuming our lives, changing humans in one way or another, and in some cases even taking over our jobs. Cell phones, social media and texting is soon going to make a mailman’s job almost extinct and forgotten like it never existed. Now researchers are examining the bigger question, could computers one day become smarter than humans and completely take over the world? Philosophers and scientists at Britain’s Cambridge University are beginning to really think about this question. They have proposed a series of study ideas to examine if such an event is possible, or if it is just science fiction. Researchers will examine how intelligent technology may one day hold threat to human existence and whether artificial intelligence is possible. It is a possibility that in the upcoming century intelligence could escape from the constraints of biology. This is when it becomes a threat to human intelligence, and we will no longer be the smartest thing around. The topic of machines taking over humans has been a very debatable subject for years now; however, many people may view this as a far-fetched idea. Well they should, because the possibility is there, though the exact risk is difficult to predict.
Want to advertise in Insight? Visit myinsightmag.com to learn how. January 2013•Insight 31
©iStockphoto.com
How Evil Is Technology?
ccording to a new survey, 9 out of 10 employers say they will hire more new graduates than last year. However, in order to be one of the new hires, new graduates should heed advice from their potential employers, who are looking for more than shiny resumes and wing-tipped shoes. Below are three key things employers are looking for: 1. Embarrass-Proof Facebook — One in three employers said they are running web searches on potential new hires, including searching Facebook profiles. As such, keep your online image professional or ramp your privacy settings all the way up. 2. Entrepreneurial Experience — Many employers are looking for entrepreneurial experience in new grads, particularly those who have launched their own side businesses or set up blogs and shops online, which, in turn, increases their value due to perceived work ethic and calculated risk taking. 3. Attitude — It’s simple but candidates should come across as enthusiastic and friendly and always follow-up with a thank you note. New grads should practice ways to maintain their enthusiasm in the interview process, as well as common questions in the interviewing process. And, as always, do the research so you know what the company is about and what questions will be asked!
W
hether you are in your 20’s, 30’s or 40’s, it’s never too late to start preparing for retirement. After all, who wants to work for the rest of their life? Here are a few steps you can start doing now to prepare for that glorious day when the alarm goes off and you don’t have to get up!
1
PREPARE FOR NOW!
Save Money Now — If you set aside $5,000 per year in an account with a 5% return, starting at age 25, you will have more than $600,000 at the retirement age of 65. That’s better than most investment schemes. Get A Financial Advisor — Most of us know how to save, we just lack the willpower to do so. A financial advisor can help organize your investments but can also help you manage risks in your investment portfolio. Have Multiple Sources of Income — This has been a well-kept secret among the wealthy. Diversifying your investments and income streams will pay off long-term. A downturn in one area won’t ruin you financially in others. Stay Out of Debt — No use in paying interest and making credit card companies richer; keep that money for yourself by implementing a cash-only system for big purchases.
2 3 4
32 Insight•January 2013
Photos ©iStockphoto.com
Career & Finance
A
Career Advice for New Grads!
TIPS I To
t’s January, which means we are in the start of the new tax season. We, at Insight Magazine, would like to pass on some tips to help you breeze through the least celebrated season of the year.
Prepare for the 2013
1
Organize your receipts. As one of the most daunting tasks for those itemizing deductions, get a leg up on the frustration by finding and organizing your receipts. You, and your sanity, would be thankful later.
2
Locate your tax professional now. Take your time to locate a professional you can trust, rather than waiting until the last minute. Ask your friends for referrals; the good ones fill up fast.
TAX 3 SEASON
Pay next year’s tuition now. The American Opportunity Tax Credit is set to expire. By paying your 2013 tuition in 2012, you may be able to take advantage of the $2500 tax credit.
4 5
Monitor IRS.gov. Tax laws change yearly so keep up to date on the latest news so you can be prepared. Think about a better system for next year. If you feel like you’re already too deep in to make things better for this year, go ahead and set up a better system for next year to avoid the stress!
We Book: Cruises, Hotels, Packages, Airfare, Car Rentals, Honeymoons, Destination Weddings, and Groups We take care of you before, during, and after your trip Extensive research and travel tips for every client Russian/English speaking agents $25.00 OFF your first booked cruise or vacation package with this advertisement
Contact us: CruiseLandAir@Gmail.com 215-322-5696
ou Y h WisereHere W XOXO January 2013•Insight 33
A Dose of Insight
By Angele D. Russell
M
y mother in law came to visit us for what was supposed to be a few days. Her visit turned into 2 months already. Each time I ask my wife to talk to her mother, she insists that doing so would be rude since she is helping us around the house. My wife states that asking her mother to leave would break her heart. Is there anything that I could do? ✽ First, you should have a heart-to-heart with your wife about the circumstances under which your mother-in-law came to visit in the first place. Seems to me that your wife and her mother had a conversation you may have been unaware of, as it relates to her “visit’” to your home. In other words, they may have planned for her to stay later than you knew of, which obviously
would be a problem. Other than that, my advice is to write down the issues you have with her mother living with you all and take them to your wife. Having a permanent, uninvited guest in your home can add stress to your life individually, as well as to your marriage. Be honest and forthright with your wife; otherwise, you will just end up resenting them both. Good luck!
M
©iStockphoto.com
y straight coworkers persistently crack gay jokes during lunch at our work’s lunch table. This makes me very uncomfortable, because my best friend is gay. I feel sorry for people who do not understand that everyone is different and it’s acceptable in today’s society, but I don’t know if I should even bother to explain myself to them?
✽ My quick answer to this is to stop hanging around your co-workers and find an alternative for your lunchtime. Honestly, while some moments are teachable moments, the people you try to enlighten may not be open to it. As such, for your sanity, my advice is to let it go and find 34 Insight•January 2013
something else to do during lunch. I mean, think about it. If you didn’t eat meat, you wouldn’t go to Fogo de Chao, right? So, taking that same premise, just change your environment. I am sure your sanity will thank you! Good luck!
I
am more than positively sure that my teenage daughter’s boyfriend stole money from me. However, I do not know of a way to bring this up to her. I am scared that she might not believe me or would choose him over me. Is there a proper way to approach this problem so she does not shut me out? ✽ Oh, teenagers; they love and hate you in the same breath. Because of this, you are right to be careful in how you handle this situation. My advice is two fold. First, I would talk with your daughter about her feelings for her boyfriend. After all, she may be lukewarm about him (as most girls usually end up eventually) and, if that’s
the case, you can talk with her about the missing money. Secondly, I would set up some cameras and leave some money somewhere to catch him in the act. That way, you would have hard evidence and can communicate your findings to him, his parents, and to your daughter without too much judgment, just the facts. Good luck!
M
Photos ©iStockphoto.com
y unemployment benefits are going to end by February and I still have not been able to find a job. My wife thinks I’m working, I can’t tell her the truth because I think she will kick me out of the house and never look back. She has always been making more than me and I think our marriage might end. What do I do?
✽ In this case, honesty is the best policy. She will find out eventually and, trust me, you would rather her find out from you than to catch you in the lie. So, my advice is to come clean, perhaps
with a therapist present, and move on with your life. If she is not willing to tough it out with you during hard times, she is likely not really the one for you. Good luck! January 2013•Insight 35
Horoscope
Aries (March 21-April 20). This month you should consider moving on from your relationship, especially if you’re unhappy. What you should be considering this month is taking control over certain career situations to get your mind off of your relationship. January is an ideal time for you to take a vacation Aries, even consider planning a trip alone. Taurus (April 21st–May 21st). The new year is a great time for you to begin building a romantic relationship. You will win the heart of the person you have been chasing, so live in the moment and enjoy. January is also a great time for you to improve your work and career path Taurus. You will learn that gaining new skills comes fairly easy to you. Gemini (May 22nd–June 21st). If things aren’t going well for you romantically, it may just be time to let go and move on. A relationship is a two way street, rather than one controlling the other. Keep control of your career environment and do not let go of your work load. This month you need to prove to your colleagues that you can be a team leader. Cancer (June 22nd–July 22nd). This month you may notice that people are trying to bring you down, best way to get around that is ignore them! Hold your head up high and keep doing what you’re doing. Mistrust and accusations are not a good way to start a relationship. You may find that your being blamed for past wrong doings, you can either move on and let go or attempt to sort the argument.
Libra (Sept. 23rd–Oct. 23rd). This month will be a great time to finish any projects you have started at work. Learn to adapt to new changes and don’t let anyone rub you the wrong way. Keep your cool this month when you’re communicating with family and loved ones. Expressing your anger during a fight will only make things worse. Scorpio (Oct. 24th–Nov. 22nd). Consider taking a small break from everything this month. This will only provide you with a positive outcome. You have had your eye on that special someone for a while now, and this month you will finally win their heart. Sagittarius (Nov. 23rd–Dec. 21st). Start the new year by evaluating your career plan. You have many skills to push forward and expressing them will only impress others. This month will be comfortable for you financially, but take any opportunity that will help you grow. Capricorn (Dec. 22nd–Jan. 20th). Do not take any risks this month if it involves your heart. If you’re in a relationship already, you may consider biting your tongue as speaking out will only make the troubles worse. Learning to have patience this month will pay off. Look out for your financial investments; you may need to make a serious decision that will either be good or bad. If needed, seek financial advice from an expert
Leo (July 23rd–August 23rd). Don’t allow the negativity of others drag you down. If someone loves you, they will love you for you. But if they don’t accept you, then let it go. This month consider focusing on your self. If it is possible get away by yourself for a few days, it is the time for self indulgence.
Aquarius (Jan. 21st–Feb. 18th). This month is a good month for relationships for you. Any arguments will easily be resolved due to your quick thinking. If you are starting a new relationship, prepare for your life to turn around for the best.
Virgo (August 24th–Sept. 22nd). Are you considering making changes in your career? Well there couldn’t be a better time to do so. If you drag it out for too long and you may find yourself at a loose end. This month make the final decision about what you want to achieve out of your relationship.
Pisces (Feb. 19th–March 20th). You have some big plans for your next project at work, but not everyone has the same views as you. This month your partner will see you in the best light.
36 Insight•January 2013
NCMEC-4.75x5-CMYK:Layout 1
1/6/12
3:43 PM
Page 2
Marketplace
Want to advertisein Insight? Visit myinsightmag.com to learn how. January 2013•Insight 37
38 Insight•January 2013