Hugs

A hug is perfect for any emotion. Whether someone is sad or happy, a hug could always make somebody feel better. However, have you ever thought about the health benefits that come with hugging? In an article called "The Health Benefits of Hugging" by Stacey Colino from the U.S News, she talks about how hugging actually has health benefits. This article is to educate the reader on the benefits of hugging that most people do not think about. The article discusses how tight hugs releases oxytocin and reduces stress. The article also says, "There's also some evidence that oxytocin can improve immune function and pain tolerance." So the next time you give someone a hug, you can think about the benefits that you and the person you are hugging are receiving.

http://health.usnews.com/health-news/health-wellness/articles/2016-02-03/the-health-benefits-of-hugging

A Parrot May Be a Witness to a Murder

After I read the article about the twins, this article was a suggested article. It was titled, "Their son was killed. They believe his parrot is telling people who pulled the trigger." This article was written by Peter Holley from The Washington Post. This article tells a story of a 45 year old man who was shot and killed in his home. After the bird was given to the man's ex-wife, she noticed a phrase the bird kept saying. The bird kept saying "Don't f-ing shoot" in the man's voice. Relatives say the bird is very quick to pick up words, so they believe those could have been the man's final words.

This is an interesting article. It is scary to imagine that the bird, who is still living, may be repeating what this man's final words were. This makes the article pull emotion. It also educates the reader by sharing the story and saying that they do not think that the bird is eligible for evidence in the crime scene. This article is an unusual and upsetting story.

The Tragic Story of a Set of Twins

The other day, my mother told me a story she heard on the news about a set of twins in a car accident. Interested in the story, I looked up an article myself. I found "After twin sisters plummeted off a Hawaii cliff, one died. The other was charged with murder." The article's title immediately catches my eye. Apparently, the twins were arguing while driving and the one sister sped up and purposefully drove off a cliff. The car was crushed, one sister died, and the other was in critical condition. Then, the sister was charged of second degree murder, which she later was found not guilty. Not only does the article talk about the initial accident, but also informs the reader on what their life like was before the accident and their relationship.

This article educates and pulls emotion. It educates the reader by telling them about what happened to the twins in Hawaii. It pulls emotion because it is such a horrific story. Not only does that pull emotion from the reader, but also because they have direct quotes from two witnesses.The article says, " 'You could tell she was very violently swearing at somebody else in the car,' Lau told KHNL. 'She was mad and when she took off, it was in a rage. So she floored it and was in a rage as she sped past us.'" This only makes the reader feel emotion and picture the scene for themselves.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/morning-mix/wp/2016/06/07/after-twin-sisters-plummeted-off-a-hawaii-cliff-one-died-the-other-was-charged-with-murder/

Bargains Over Brands

For this week's blog, I read an article about this year's Black Friday. I got it from The Wall Street Journal. The article was called, "On Black Friday, Teens Prioritize Bargains Over Brands," and written by Khadeeja Safdar and Sara Germano. This article talks to multiple teen girls Black Friday shopping and asks what they are looking for this year. Surprisingly, it is now more about the deals than the "popular" name brands. The responses from the teens about not caring as much about the brands is surprising because the stereotypical teenage girl loves to shop for what is the newest trend in the best stores.

This article is just a lighthearted, quick read. This article seems to mostly educate. It informs the reader as to what is going through the teenage girls' mind this year while Black Friday shopping. It also proves that teens do not care about clothing as much in years past because it says, "U.S. teens between the ages 13 and 17 spent $18.8 billion on apparel in the 12 months ending October, a 2% decline from the prior year, according to market researcher NPD Group Inc." The article did not only talk to teens, but also broke out statistics, too. So, this article, in my opinion, mostly educates the reader.

http://www.wsj.com/articles/on-black-friday-teens-prioritize-bargains-over-brands-1480096531

Pokemon In the Wrong Places

Over the summer when Pokemon Go became popular, I heard that people played it at the Holocaust Museum. I was dumbfounded that this was an actual problem, but did not think much of it. Well, now I am going to the Holocaust Museum myself on Thursday, and this article resurfaced while I was looking around for information about the museum.

I found the article on The Washington Post by Andrea Peterson. It is titled "Holocaust Museum to visitors: Please stop catching Pokemon here." The article is used to educate the reader. The museum is trying to get the word spread that people should not play in the museum. The article talks about how there are "..three PokeStops associated with various parts of the museum." The museum is trying to remove itself from the app. Once I read this, I was shocked towards the end when a player said "But gotta catch em' all." This article educates what is going on with the app and how some believe they have taken it too far.

Hopefully when I go, I will not see anyone playing on their phones. This article was published over the summer, so I hope they reached a solution. I understand games are fun, but I do believe that people should know boundaries out of respect for what the Holocaust Museum really stands for.

1010!

Everyone loves their games on their phone to keep them busy. Personally, I do not play many games on my phone, but I do have one game on my  phone. 1010! It is a simple game (similar to Tetris) where you have to fill a 10 by 10 grid up with different shapes, and once you fill an entire row, it clears which gives you more room to work. This game is fun, but do small games like this affect our lives?

I read an article by Jim Edwards called, "This mobile game is so addictive it is ruining people's lives and destroying their sleep cycle" on businessinsider.com. This articles definitely educates and makes the reader feel emotion. Right away, the article comes off by scaring the reader by saying, "If you don't know what '1010!' is, then click away from this story right now. This mobile phone app from Gram Games is so addictive it will ruin your life and make your friends hate you." This makes the reader worried about what type of game this may be. Even though it is an innocent game, the author makes it sound as if this game is a serious problem in the world. The author then supports his claim about the game being addictive by quoting tweets people have said about the game. The article has a negative tone throughout the beginning.

Then, the author does a complete turnaround. It starts educating the readers. Towards the end of the article, it gives readers who download the game tips on how to do well. He says things such as "avoid leaving single spaces and single unconnected boxes." So, the game cannot be that bad if he teaches the readers how to play the game towards the end. It is a fun little game, and like any other game, can be a little addictive.

http://www.businessinsider.com/1010-tips-tricks-and-strategies-for-a-high-score-2015-11

Evolution of Halloween

Next to Christmas, Halloween should be a child's favorite holiday. They get to dress up as anything in the world and get to show it off while getting free candy! How could it get any better? However, these past couple of years I have felt as if the number of children I get at my door have drastically decreased. So, I looked up an article by Jeff Wilkin called, "Tricks, treats, and the evolution of Halloween fun." This article discusses what Halloween was like in the 1930's and how it is today. He also shows a few quotes about people's Halloween's experiences these past few years.

This article mostly educates. It informs people on how different Halloween is today compared to the past. An example of the way the author educates is when Wilkin says, " The streets really became crowded after World War II. With rationing over, mass-produced candy was in abundance for kids masquerading as witches, tramps, ghosts, and cowboys." This articles educated me about when Halloween really became popular. 

If interested in Halloween, this may be a fun little article to read to learn more, not only about today's trick-or-treating, but the 1930's as well.

http://www.dailygazette.com/news/2016/oct/23/treats/