Month / February 2019

by Oriana

3 Tips for Organizing Your Home According to Marie Kondo

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Keeping our houses tidy is essential for progress, peace of mind, and happiness. Clutter often builds up over time and it can be difficult to deal with when we have been so used to it for so long. Here are some tips from best-selling author and world-renowned tidying expert Marie Kondo on how to organize your home.

1. Organize by category rather than by location

Stop thinking about organization as something that has to be done a room at a time. Instead categorize your mess by: clothing, books, papers, “Komono” (kitchen, bathroom, garage, miscellaneous), and sentimental items. If you clean up by location, there’s a chance that you won’t realize that you have different places for things such as pens, batteries, appliances, candles, and more. By organizing by category, you will make specific locations for these items in your home rather than having some in every room of your house. If this gets overwhelming, you can even simplify it further and do smaller categories at a time. For example, if you are having a hard time organizing your clothes, start with just your trousers. You will find that this method will streamline your tidying keep your items organized for longer.

2. Determine which items “spark joy”

One rule that Marie always shares with her clients is that they must only keep items that “spark joy”. By this she means, physically pick up the item in your hands and determine how it makes you feel. If it makes you happy then it is something that you should keep. If not, you would probably be better off donating it or throwing it away. We all have the issue of keeping items around for so long because we feel like it could serve us a purpose in the future, but end up never using them. Holding on to these items ends up being more of a heavy burden rather than a tool. Everything in your household should be something that sparks joy, and only you can decide that.

3. Get it all done at once

Rather than tidying a little bit a day, it is better to just do it all at once and get it over with for good. You will never finish in this way because other things will always come up and clutter will pile up in other places. You are probably not going to get it all done in one day, but the quicker you get it all done, the easier it will be to keep your house organized. Marie Kondo says “Tidy a little a day and you’ll be tidying forever.”

Photo courtesy of Netflix

Watch Tidying Up with Marie Kondo on Netflix to see Marie help people declutter their homes and choose joy using the KonMari method. This show reveals the life-changing practice of tidying up, as Marie completely changes her clients’ lives in surprising and emotional ways.

SPONSORED BY NETFLIX

by mnaim1

The University of Florida’s Premiere Radio Service for the Visually Impaired

Platforms of mass communication connect a vast number of people through a common medium. The invention of the radio by Guglielmo Marconi in 1895, laid the foundation for groundbreaking technology which would provide a means of communicating to a large audience through the air. The first radio broadcast was by Reginald A. Fessenden in 1906. The radio session from Brant Rock, Massachusetts dispersed music and entertainment which started a radio craze by the public intrigued by sound traveling wirelessly. From its use in the Navy through Morse code in the 1950s and 1960s to modern use as a source of listening pleasure, the radio serves a variety of practical purposes.

The Radio Reading Service is a programmed channel through the University of Florida’s WUFT-FM 89.1 radio station. The service intends to provide content for the visually impaired in the Gainesville area. Established in June of 1992, the station was once only able to be heard through a radio box available for rent at local libraries. Now, the Radio Reading Service may be easily accessed through any radio system or via a livestream broadcast found on the station’s website.

Schedule of Reading Services

The shows run on a business week schedule from 9 am to 3 pm with programs including “Newsprint Today”, “Apples and Oranges”, “On Topic”, “All Sports”, “Political Current”, “Take Me Away” and “This Weekend.” All programs offer beneficial information and the station encourages everyone interested to tune into a show on air !

“Newsprint Today” reads articles regarding local, regional and national news. “Apples and Oranges” reviews local grocery ads. The program “On Topic” covers a specific current event subject of interest and provides insight into the topic. “All sports” reports updates on sport statistics and events. The show “Political Current” features news articles related to politics at the local, state, regional, national and international level. “Take Me Away” discusses travel destinations and provides a look into what visiting these places may be like. “This Weekend” provides listeners with upcoming exciting events in the area.

Get Involved

The hosts of the radio shows are current students at the University of Florida enrolled in the College of Journalism and Communications. Students may sign up to be on the station through an immersion experience which allows for a hands-on approach to the inside jobs within a radio station. Duties include producing, controlling the soundboard, on-air personality and voice projection, and preparing the articles for a show. Students have the option to participate in the program for one semester and earn one credit hour.

Although the Radio Reading Service serves as an auditory newspaper connecting information with about 800 visually impaired listeners, the channel invites everyone in the Gainesville area to tune in for local news and more. The radio broadcast displays the University of Florida’s initiative to provide a helpful network for all members within the Gainesville community by providing entertaining and useful information. Make sure to listen in on the next broadcast and enjoy what the station has to offer. Those who tune in are likely to become part of a regular audience, because they don’t want to miss the next exposition on air!

To learn more or to hear the radio broadcasts, check out: https://www.wuft.org/rrs/

by graceubben

Broadway Hit ‘Waitress’ Is Baked To Perfection

Order Up!

The delicious new musical “Waitress” is the sweetest smash hit to grace the Great White Way. It tells the heartbreaking story of a young woman named Jenna Hunterson, who is silently suffering in an abusive marriage. Jenna spends her days as a waitress and gifted pie-connoisseur at Joe’s Diner, where she creates delectable pies and dreams of a way out of her unhappy situation. This show tugs at your heartstrings and takes you along for the ride as Jenna experiences some of life’s most sweet and sour moments.

The story opens up with a peek into the diner as Jenna is faced with the shocking news that she is pregnant. Devastated, she looks for a way out and sets her eyes on the Springfield Pie Contest. Winning the contest would provide her with the funds to start her new life. Throughout her pregnancy, Jenna becomes inspired by her circumstances. She creates new pies, each with a unique name, including the “I Don’t Want Earl’s Baby Pie” and the “Betrayed By My Eggs Pie.”

Things get even more complicated when Jenna begrudgingly heads to the doctor to check up on the baby. It’s here that she finds out that her longtime doctor has retired, and she’ll have to settle for the handsome new gynecologist, Dr. Pomatter. As the two are making their introductions, Jenna offers him the “Marshmallow Mermaid Pie” she brought with her. As soon as he has a taste of the pie, a budding relationship begins to form between the two of them. This encounter inspires the “I Wanna Play Doctor With My Gynecologist Pie.”

Along the way, Jenna is confronted with some conflicting recipes for achieving happiness. She has to face some harsh realities and decide for herself what she wants to make of her one, precious life. This show is heartbreaking, empowering and beautiful. You will laugh, cry, and leave wanting a second helping. Fortunately, fresh, warm pies are baked during each show, so you can enjoy a delicious taste of pie as you experience this show for yourself.

Undoubtedly, Waitress is a story of female empowerment. This show takes us through Jenna’s pregnancy and her journey to leave her abusive husband to start a new life for herself and her newborn daughter. Her two fellow waitresses, Becky and Dawn, not only support and uplift her along the way — they also become her family. This show is about friendship, motherhood, and the magic of a delicious piece of pie. Waitress is baked to perfection by an incredible group of women. The music and lyrics are by Sara Bareilles; the book is by Jessie Nelson; the show is directed by Diane Paulus, and the choreography is by Lorin Latarro. Waitress stands out as the first musical in Broadway history to have an all-female creative team.

Waitress is currently running on Broadway, and a national tour of the production is making its way across the United States. The West End production of Waitress also just opened in London. For more information or to purchase tickets visit Ticketmaster.com or Waitressonstage.com.

by Julia

8 Reasons Baths Can Improve Your Health

As people get older many make the transition from soaking in a warm tub to standing under the pressurized water of a shower. Whether for convenience, perceived cleanliness, or even the feeling of hot water pressing down the back, we tend to start to perceive baths as too time-consuming that we only take part in as children. Some people are so repelled by the idea of taking a bath as an adult that they refuse to take one anymore with the belief that taking a bath is so dirty.

But what if you knew that taking baths has numerous benefits for your health?

There is a multitude of scientific evidence that proves baths can help with many aspects of our body’s health from muscles all the way to hormones. Our aging bodies need these health benefits more than ever, so why are we not taking advantage of staying healthy and getting clean at the same time? Below are some health advantages that taking baths can provide.

Water is always a great tool for exercise when you are moving around in it, but what if you could burn calories by simply sitting still?

According to Loughborough University’s Steve Faulkner, sweating in a nice hot bath can burn the equivalence of taking a 30- minute walk in calories!

Congestion is one of the most common and frustrating symptoms of a cold or the flu caused by inflammation in the nose.

Steam from a hot bath can help loosen the nasal passage by helping the blood vessels in the face in moving.

A study from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology even concludes the elevated body temperature given from a bath can help immune cells work and therefore prevent these viruses in the first place.  

Soaking chest deep in a warm tub can reduce pain and inflammation in the nervous system as well. This can lead to improved mood and reduce any stress or anxiety you might be experiencing.

There’s a reason people see soaking in a bath as calming or relaxing. Protecting the spine from pain or discomfort with relief by the temperature and pressure of a nice soak in the tub is crucial for the infamous back pain of adulthood.

A bath relaxes your muscles of course, but this important muscle is, in fact, working harder than usual.

Your heart beat faster much like the idea of burning calories through a warm bath, you’re getting that cardio in as well.

Heat from baths can also help with circulation and blood flow allowing an overall reduction in blood pressure. Research shows heart conditions, such as a stroke or a heart attack, are more preventable with reduced blood pressure.

Warm baths clearly provide many benefits to your health, but what about bathing in colder water?

Hormones such as the adrenocorticotropic hormone (release in times of biological stress) and other adrenal hormones can become more balanced and even assist infertility issues.

On the other hand, warm water baths can increase your happiness hormone- Serotonin.

Both cold and warm water baths can be useful tools for going to sleep.

It’ s been proven that colder body temperature will help induce sleep, but the same idea goes for taking a warm bath as well. The sleeping hormone, melatonin, is produced more at night when our bodies naturally drop in temperature.

By taking a warm bath before bed, this process of cooling down can happen quicker, therefore producing more melatonin.

Lavender scents are also beneficial in adding to your bath to aid sleep.

The pressure and temperature of immersing yourself from the chest down in warm bath water can aid in breathing.

The pressure on your body created from the water can contribute to heart exercise, allowing it to beat stronger and quicker. Oxygen intake also increases as the heart beats faster, so the warmer the water, the more your heart beats, and the more oxygen is taken in.

The steam from a warm bath is also a great way to clear both the sinuses and the chest.

Finally, our outer health can be just as important as our inner health.

It’s a no-brainer that immersing your body in a tub full of water can give it the hydration that it needs as the body is made up mostly of water. But, our skin, hair, and eyes are also enhanced with the minerals that occur in water by nature.

Adding other moisturizing oils, such as products with shea butter, can always help refresh and soften skin.

Add a little more fun to bath time by purchasing Lush Cosmetics’ bath bombs and bubble bars are sure to make any bath full of moisturizing oils and fragrant scents that can contribute to some of these as well and are 100% vegan and cruelty-free. As Lush is saving animal lives, they are also helping ease yours with easy to use and essential bath products.

There are at least eight reasons why baths can improve your health, so help your body through the process of aging by utilizing the benefits baths can offers.

by gabrielaharmon

How To: Spring Break

Hello friends! Spring Break is approaching and I am going to tell you everything you need to have the best, stress-free break! As work, projects and exams have been piling on, I have been dreaming of books and cool drinks by the water. I came up with the trifecta of vacation novel suggestions (if I do say so myself) that will make you completely forget about school and work.

The Vacationers by Emma Straub

This is the first Struab novel that I have read and definitely not the last. The Vacationers is a filled with all the family drama that vacations bring (we can all relate on some level) and Straub tells the story beautifully and humorsly. I laughed, I cried.

A Sport and a Pastime by James Salter

I have never read anything quite like Salter’s A Sport and a Pastime. Salter tells a thrilling and intense story of a love affair between a Yale drop out and a young French girl. The novel is beautiful and brutal, and sets the standard for erotic fiction. Is it hot in here?

The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer

This novel is the longest of the three, but guaranteed to be the fastest read. Wolitzer tells the story of the friendship of six creative fifteen year olds and how different their lives become as they get older. Wolitzer created perfect characters that you are going to love.

Another absolute must buy for this break (really for all readers, all the time) is the Amazon Kindle. I read my last hardcover book last week when I spent $15 on a book and then accidentally spilled my entire coffee on it. After this tragedy, I treated myself to the Amazon Kindle Paperwhite (it’s waterproof!!) and I then saw that the Kindle version of the same book is only two dollars. What have I been doing all my life? The Kindle Paperwhite is perfect for reading by the pool and in bed – the only two places I will be this break – because it has a built in adjustable light that lets you read indoors and outdoors. The Kindle also has built in Wifi, so in case you get through my trifecta of recommendations, you can download a new book without moving from your lawn chair. I know, I am no longer a purist, but I promise once you buy your own, you won’t look back.

PS. I also bought this adorable vintage Nancy Drew case for my Kindle. I am in love.

The theme for my suggestions for this break is complete escape, and what better way than with delicious, addictive fiction. If you aren’t traveling this break (I can, unfortunately relate), do what I do best and live vicariously through my favorite writers’ characters.

*Image by thats70 via Tumblr; Image by inefable-melifluo via Tumblr; Image by Josef Koudelka

by Kea

What Exactly Are You Selling?

High all! Everyone is hard at work creating fun and exciting projects. In the next few hours, students are going to start posting their versions of Native Ads.

What are Native Ads? Well, to put it simply, Native Ads are paid advertisements that are designed to look like the surrounding content. You’ve probably seen these ads on someone’s Instagram, framed with the words “sponsored content.” Or this New York Times article asking if college is still worth it, sponsored by Discover Student Loans (of course, they said yes).

And let’s not forget the infamous Scientology ad posted by The Atlantic. That didn’t go well for them, but it did raise important questions: First, how should companies go about the business of advertising in a rapidly changing environment. People are not tuning into television for traditional ads. In fact, I just updated my HULU subscription to get rid of ads.

Second, what are the ethics involved in creating advertisements that blend into regular digital media content? The response to The Atlantic article suggests that people want to, in fact, believe they have a right to, know when they are being pitched to.

Everyone in my class agrees that Native Advertisements walk a fine line of ethics. It’s one thing to have very obvious Toyota product placement in an episode of Bones (which is another interesting conversation), but it is another thing altogether to have major publications like The Atlantic housing a propaganda piece. The academic equivalent of this would be a scientist and professor conducting research, writing an article, and publishing an article on the benefits of Fentynal without disclosing that his or her work is sponsored by a pharmaceutical company.

Well, maybe not that dramatic, but this is serious business.

Another thing we have tried to suss-out in this class is what constitutes a native ad. I have a colleague who believes that anything we encounter that presents a call-to-action, especially a call that involves a product or service, is a Native Ad; this includes book reviews or film reviews.

I’m not sure I agree. It is another aspect of advertising that will have to be debated in our new digital age.

In any case, the students had to compose Native Ads. You will see a variety of content. Some of the ads will be in the form of blog posts, and some will take other forms. There are two main goals for this assignment: Try to sell something, but don’t make it obvious that you are trying to sell something. That was the task before them.

This also gives the students some experience with creating ads in digital spaces like WordPress, which is a platform many news organizations use already. I look forward to seeing what they have come up with.

-Dr. W

by nico102698

Why Fashion Brands Keep Coming Under Fire

Every time a fashion brand has been in the news lately, it’s been because of a product that’s come under fire for having racist undertones.

Some brands that come into recent memory are H&M, Gucci, Burberry, and Prada. All these brands have had to pull items off their store because of either bad management and plain disregard for maintaining ethical values or to gain publicity by releasing a controversial item then quickly releasing it on the market to grab attention. 

H&M (Coolest Monkey Hoodie)

Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post

H&M came under major fire last year in January when they decided to release an ad that featured a black child wearing a hoodie with the words “coolest monkey in the jungle” written on the front of it. This drew major backlash from social media from several prominent black figures and even had artists like The Weeknd and G-Eazy cut their ties with the brand, potentially costing the company millions. H&M quickly later removed the picture and apologized publicly.

Gucci (Balaclava Knit Top Black)

Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post

Gucci this month released a sweater that had remarkably similar traits to how many racist cartoons used to draw blacks. After the public outcry, Gucci issued an apology stating and then removed the product from the website and stores. Social media was quick to point out the irony of Gucci releasing this product on black history month and the implications that companies think that its okay to put merchandise like this out on their shelves and have it represent their brand seems wildly irresponsible.

Burberry (Slipknot Hoodie)

Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post

This same month, Burberry showed off their latest Autumn-Winter collection at London fashion week. In their new collection was a hoodie with drawstrings tied together as a skip-knot, angering all people from suicide activists to black people saying it was a disgrace and brought back images of lynching cultures.

Ricardo Ticci, the creative director for Burberry stated:

“While the design was inspired by a nautical theme, I realise that it was insensitive. It was never my intention to upset anyone. It does not reflect my values nor Burberry’s and we have removed it from the collection,”

The sweatshirt was then quickly removed off their spring collection. 

Prada (Monkey Figurines)

Photo Courtesy of The Washington Post

Finally, products from Prada’s Pradamalia line were pulled after pictures surfaced of merchandise depicting monkey-like figures with black faces and large red lips.

The figure has similarities to the extremely negative cartoons people used to draw blacks and which Gucci faced major scrutiny just recently as well. 

Prada also stated an apology and stated that “they are imaginary creatures not intended to have any reference to the real world and certainly not blackface, Prada Group never had the intention of offending anyone and we abhor all forms of racism and racist imagery. In this interest, we will withdraw all of the characters in question from display and circulation.

For more information please read Adrianne Pasquarelli’s Article “primer for Burberry and others on how to make sure your marketing isn’t racist” on Advertising Age https://adage.com/article/cmo-strategy/make-marketing-culturally-sensitive/316658/

by ianmmeredith

Streaming Competition Fires Up While Cable Struggles

Epix and Starz can barely keep up with HBO and Showtime, let alone increasingly abundant new streaming services

We live in an era of streaming. Whether you want to listen to music or podcasts, watch tutorials or talk shows, or cuddle up for original or classic movies, there are plenty of available services. The big names in movie and TV show streaming have been Hulu and Netflix for quite some time, but plenty of corporations want to get their hands on some of the industry’s bandwidth.

The hard hitters that everyone has been talking about are Apple, Disney, and WarnerMedia. All three companies have announced their respective new streaming platforms, further increasing the abundance of subscriptions available to consumers. Apple and WarnerMedia have yet to name their services, but Disney’s Disney+ has been well-known since late 2018; both Disney+ and Apple’s streaming services are expected to launch near the end of 2019.

All of these streaming services will have vastly different selections of media and will differ in minor details such as names and release dates, but what’s one thing they all have in common? Crushing cable. Writing for the latest edition of the Hollywood Reporter, Tim Goodman summed up a challenge that Epix and Starz, two premium cable services, face in light of these upcoming streaming services.

“Price point will be key in 2019 as Disney+, Apple and WarnerMedia all vie for your post-Netflix, post-Amazon and post-Hulu dollars. And obviously Starz and Epix have to keep churning out scripted fare that resonates with viewers. At this point, it’s a critical juncture for both of them. Zeitgeist-busting content is what everybody needs but especially non-Netflix and non-HBO channels.”

When it comes down to it, consumers are always going to want on-demand services – and with the ever-increasing availability of these services, cable TV just isn’t going to cut it anymore. Epix and Starz will have to get with the program if they want to continue to succeed in the visual media industry.

For more information on future prospects for Epix and Starz, check out Tim Goodman’s “Critic’s Notebook: The Curious Cases and Future Fates of Starz and Epix,” The Hollywood Reporter, (Feb 11, 2019).

-Ian

by Aregar

Robots in the Household

Man’s new best friend?

White Laptop Computer on White Desk

As technology and artificial intelligence advance, man may begin to find unique ways of using it. One of these ways include the widespread use of personal robot assistants for a household. These robots will have various jobs and uses and are becoming extremely prevalent as the technology improves. As stated by Analytics magazine, “As robots become more intelligent, they will be able to sense their surroundings, avoid static and dynamic objects, understand emotions and communicate, which will allow them to seamlessly move about in congested and crowded spaces such as homes.” (Analytics).

Surely the rise of personal robotic assistants will assist many, from the young to the elderly and everyone in between. Children are expected to take use of a robot’s education features, while seniors may treat it as a personal helper or emotional support. Robots may also begin to take over in the workplace, assisting humans more than ever in their daily business routines. Analytics magazine predicts that the personal robot business will reach $19 billion by the year 2020, a truly staggering statistic.

How will our lives change for the better (or possibly worse) with these technological breakthroughs? Will the added help prove beneficial to our daily lives, or result in unforeseen consequences? Only time will tell.

-Andrew

To read the full article, visit Analytics’s “Personal robots to be a $19 billion market by 2020”, (Feb 16, 2019).

https://pubsonline.informs.org/do/10.1287/LYTX.2019.02.16n/full/

by agosser

Southwest’s Battle with Mechanics Flies Under the Radar

southwest

Southwest Airlines is well-known for its success in the airline industry as well as its overall high quality of service. Despite the company’s success, an internal battle has been occurring with the company’s mechanics. David Koenig, writer for Travel Weekly, explains the battle between Southwest and its mechanics union in his article, “Southwest Grapples with New Labor and Revenue Problems.”

The union, referred to as the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA), has made claims that their pay level needs to be increased and that the safety of the company’s planes needs to be examined further before being deemed ready for flight. As a result of the dispute, several of the company’s flights have been cancelled.

There are two sides to every story, which can clearly be seen in this situation. On one hand, Southwest is claiming that its mechanics are purposely stalling the readiness of several of their planes to incentivize Southwest to raise their pay. On the other hand, AMFA believes that they should be receiving higher wages due to having a smaller crew of mechanics.

Additionally, AMFA believes that Southwest is too eager to have their planes in flight instead of undergoing longer safety examinations. According to Koenig, “AMFA accuses Southwest of pressuring mechanics to approve planes for service too quickly because planes that are grounded do not make money for the airline.” Regardless of either side’s argument, around 200 flights have been cancelled in a day due to the ongoing disagreement between the airline and its mechanics.

Ultimately, the lesson that can be taken away from this disagreement is the importance of all of the members of a company working together towards a common goal. Although the dispute with its mechanics has remained veiled from its passengers, several customers have had flight cancellations partially due to the ongoing negotiation between the two parties.

If the mechanics’ claims about the airline prematurely clearing planes for flight to increase revenue are true, the revenue is nevertheless going to be negated by the resulting flight cancellations. If the airline isn’t able to come to an agreement with its mechanics, the overall profits, as well as Southwest’s brand reputation, could decrease.

-Alli

To read the full article, visit David Koenig’s “Southwest Grapples with New Labor and Revenue Problems” Travel Weekly, (Feb 20, 2019). https://www.travelweekly.com/Travel-News/Airline-News/Southwest-grapples-with-new-labor-and-revenue-problems