As you probably know, the new iPhone 5s and 5c have come out recently. Now it is time to see how durable they are, especially the 5c, with its plastic body. The question is how much will it hold. I managed to find this video of an iPhone 5s and 5c drop test. Take a look.

I find the 5s screen durability pretty impressive. The 5c also did pretty well, especially because it is just plastic, but the screens still seemed to break, like many of its predecessors.

One of the worst parts of growing up: Halloween isn’t the same. Once you reach your teenage years, you aren’t that innocent, grinning kid skipping from door to door. To many households, you’re that creepy nuisance who adds to the candy bill. We’ve all been or at least seen those teenagers who throw on a funny hat or a jersey and go trick-or-treating late in the night. Let’s admit it. People don’t like that very much. How about finding an alternative? No, this doesn’t mean saying farewell to Halloween. Just maybe finding a more meaningful way for you to celebrate the holiday, without enforcing the rude teenager stereotypes.

So…

What to do with your Halloween?

• Haunted House
• Screamfest
  • You’ve probably already heard of it. This isn’t a wussy spaghetti-and-eyeballs bucket. If you want a real scare, head on down to the most frightful place in town. http://screamfest.ca
• Have a (safe and legal, please) party
  • Many, many websites and books have great ideas for creepy games, food, and other things to create a night of fearful fun. Please don’t do anything you will regret come the next day.
• Make your house the best trick-or-treating destination on the block
  • Zombie awakening from a grave? Scarecrow sitting on the porch? Find a way to jazz up the Halloween spirit for others by being a living halloween decoration.
• Hand out candy: dress up, and rather than fattening yourself up on sugar, fatten yourself up with the joy of giving little kids candy (a.k.a. happiness)
  • I’ve decided that I want a part-time job as an ice cream scooper. Why? Because the prospect of making kids smile makes me smile. Spread some Halloween spirit and make someone have a huge smile or an innocent scream 🙂
• This link has some cool ideas too: http://www.wikihow.com/Celebrate-Halloween-as-a-Teenager
• Please, I’m begging you, don’t play pranks on innocent people or do anything else stupid or anything illegal. Please. It ruins the holiday for others, and it trashes the reputation of teens as a whole.

Most of all, just have some fun. Let yourself be a free-spirited little kid again for one night. Just be smart.

Happy Halloween!

Palms are sweating, breath is catching, heart is racing… You would think that someone in this situation is about to jump off a cliff, but in reality, they are just giving a presentation. Why do we get so nervous when we have to present in front of a crowd? It’s definitely not just one person. Even professional performers like John Lennon will admit that he had to throw up before every single performance. It just can’t be helped. Our instincts from long ago tell us that in such a situation, we are faced with certain death. This is our fight or flight response. But those days of having to fight off a saber-tooth tiger are over, so why do we still have to feel this way? The simple answer is, evolution hasn’t quite caught up yet. Only recently in the past hundred years or so have we all been able to sleep safely in our beds at night without fear of imminent danger. To our brains, we are still holed up in caves or huts, waiting for the next storm or bear to come knocking down our doors. Without any physical threats, we start creating our own worst enemy in the form of public speaking.

TED-Ed brings to us a fascinating, Tim Burton-esque animation which presents facts and strategies to tackle stage fright.

It is our human nature to value the opinions of other people. We need to fit in because our caveman instincts tell us to. Without these instincts, our ancestors would have all wandered off in their own directions, all certain that their own ideas were right. Having our peers or co-workers look down on us produces the same hormones similar to experiencing death. When you get up on that stage or podium, all eyes are on you. But stage fright is not a terminal disease, so don’t feel like you have to fake a real terminal illness to get out of presenting. You can fight it with some useful tips.

First and foremost, relaxation is key. The night before or the morning of your presentation, it is a very good idea to do some meditating. I don’t want to sound like an ancient Chinese monk forcing my philosophies of zen, but it has proven effects. Being relaxed tells your brain that there is no dangers and forces it to secrete hormones that make you happy. Right before you have to go on, take in deep breaths and stretch to bring in more oxygen to the brain. More oxygen = more functioning, ergo less chances of slipping up your words.

Practice is another method that most professional speakers use. Unless you are someone who is extremely confident and great at improvisation, knowing your stuff will make you less nervous and more confident, reducing your nervousness.

There are no bullet proof or hard fast techniques that we can use to completely overcome the anxiety related to public speaking, but it can prevent some premature balding.

Good luck out there, everyone!

It was another day in English. The only odd detail was that we had a substitute teacher. He was in the midst of lecturing us on “The Hills like White Elephants,” when the majority of my class was about to drone off. That is when Mr. John Doe stopped the lesson and went on to the wondrous YouTube.

The video that was shown was of a man with lions (yes, there were more than one). It presented a man wrestling with a male lion. What an idiot, is the first thought that arose to my head. But then I was shocked to realize that the fully grown seemed to nuzzle under the man’s underarms. I was automatically hooked.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOE0aZDllAk

Watch to see Kevin and a lion roughhousing.

Who is this miraculous man, you may ask. Kevin Richardson is known as the lion whisperer. His bond with animals started from his early age to the point where he was referred to by the title of “The Bird Man of Orange Grove” in his home town in South Africa. The love of animals that was stirred in Kevin motivated him to self teach himself in the field of animal behaviorist. Kevin’s irrevocable appreciation for large predators led him to work with lions.

In his many documentaries and featured films such as Dangerous Companions, Kevin displays an ethereal sense of communicating with these magnificent creatures. One of his many YouTube videos shows a lioness hand over her newborn cub into the arms of Kevin. What?!? Indeed, Kevin’s skills are exclamatory. However, even Kevin knows when to maintain his distance. Kevin only works with lions he knows. If he senses that something is odd, Kevin will stay away. But his extensive experience with lions have awarded him with the understanding that this occupation is taxed with countless hazards and injuries. Through his many scratches and bite marks, Kevin still remains dissuaded from his passion of lions. Kevin strives to conserve these endangered creatures as well. To support Kevin’s reservation, for more videos or information (i.e. volunteering expeditions on Kevin’s sanctuary for lions) go to his website or simply search up his name on YouTube. A great story always has a roaring ending.

See the video above for a lioness offering Kevin her newly born cub.

The atmosphere of Parkluxe engulfed me like a flame even before I entered the building. People in extravagant costumes and designer clothes stepped out of their limos, which conveniently parked right in front of the doors. Limo after limo after limo, it was something I had never seen before. During the event, the large but seemingly small room was completely filled with businessmen, aspiring young models, wives and daughters, all dressed in ravishing outfits and holding a glass of champagne in their hand while they chattered and made (hopefully important) connections. You could feel the posh excitement resonating like the sound of the clinking wine glasses. The entire thing was very alien to me.

I remember not too long ago that all I wanted was to be rich. I envied the lifestyle. I had my sights set on becoming a surgeon, not because I have a passion for the human anatomy or a desire to cure disease, but because I wanted to be rich. It was a shallow ambition; I am aware of that now.

To be honest, I do not find the lifestyle particularly appealing at all. The smiles that surrounded me were fake, the laughs forced, and the conversation completely superficial. “You see, this designer only likes women with dark hair and light eyes. I only saw one blonde so far.” “I haven’t seen you in such a long time! How are you?” “My daughter has been modeling for four years; she loves it so much. It’s our—her, dream.” These are real examples of the conversation I overheard at Parkluxe.

Then, the models. Ah, the life of a model! To be beautiful, thin, and coveted by girls, teens, and women alike, to be the very first to try on that brand new Holt Renfrew pencil skirt and ruffled blouse, to be rich, to be famous, to be happy. It sounds so wonderful, doesn’t it? But when the models walked down the runway, poised but fast, there but gone in an instant, the glamour faded. They were just people, people like you and me. Something about their eyes made them look unhappy. The coldness and indifference that glazed over their faces was unforgettable, unlike their actual faces and what they looked like. In fact, if I did not take any photos, I wouldn’t recognize one of them if she were standing in front of me now.

Model after model, outfit after outfit, foot after foot, each careful step, meticulously placed: “Don’t fall now. Everybody’s watching.” The entire, depthless event had people submerged head-deep, and I do not know why. After watching that fashion show, it was evident that the models have done this type of work numerous times: eight hours of makeup, 40 minutes of walking, and then your work is done for the day. The repetition, competition, and constant exhibition would kill me.

I realized that I am so happy by just being me. I don’t need money to be happy, and I don’t need fame. I don’t need a glass of champagne in my hand or to be at the wheel of a $100,000 Mercedes-Benz to feel important. It may be fun to dream about it, but I try not to dote. The lifestyle of the rich and famous is just much too overwhelming for me, and I am happy where and how I am currently.