Oh happy day!

Everyone hates Mondays. Well actually if you are a work professional or a impatient students then yes, you definitely hate Mondays, but today was a special exception. Today on this very special Monday was International Happiness Day! Today we took it upon ourselves to make someones day just a little bit brighter. Rather it was a random act of kindness or a grand gesture.  

Every year on National Happiness Day, the countries are evaluated to see who is the "happiest country of the year" the past winners have included Denmark, Switzerland, and many more. Including this year's winner Paraguay!  So what makes a country so happy? Is it the stable economy, the lack of wars, or simply the friendly neighbors? And where does American rank on this list?

The United States of American was ranked #15 on the list of the happiest countries in the world, sharing the spot along with ten other countries with a rank score of 79. The countries are ranked on a system called A World Happiness Report. The countries are compared by multiple factors including economic, psychology, survey analysis, and national statistics. These factors help assess the progress among the nations as well as using these to measure aspects of happiness, including mental illness, life expectancy,  benefits of happiness and ethics. All and all its nice to know that small acts of kindness and grand gestures can still occur between neighbors, even between nations.

A Second Chance For Malls Everywhere

Have you ever seen a post-apocalypse movie where the scenery is usually abandoned cities, run down homes, empty airports, and silent malls?  Have you ever watched and wondered what  actually happens to a building when it becomes abandoned? 

Usually they are torn down and condemned but what if we were able to recycle buildings like we do with plastic bottles, turn something old and used into something new and useful.  

The new skylight in what was the Highland Mall 

  According to Ellen Dunham-Jones, an architect and professor at Georgia Tech,there are about 

1,2000 abandoned malls around the United States Most of these malls have become abandoned due to the rapid building a malls in the 20th century, when the malls were seen as dollar signs, but only became a problem in over retailing the public. Now the old malls are become new and improved. Many architects like, Ellen , are using old malls and turning them into new functioning institutions like schools, churches, and medical centers.  Malls are becoming more vacant because of the incline of online shoppers. With lots of space to build upon, changes are being made for the better, allowing these once populated shopping centers to become something that is helpful to the community.

photo credit: Barnes Gromatzky Kosarek Architects 

Move Over Wall Outlets!

Today you may have finally found a reason to upgrade your furniture.

If you are a human being and have not been living under a rock then you know what Ikea is.
If you don't, then you will soon, Ikea is a very popular Swedish furniture/home decor warehouse store. Most people describe it as a decorators heaven. The furniture is modern and simple, they have everything from rugs and couches to plates and painted glassware. Now Ikea is stepping up their technology game and introducing to the world a new line of furniture that will charge your devices, yes you just read that right, the little useless table next to your bed will now be available with wireless charging pads, and if your device is compatible then when it is placed over a "pad" it will charge without being plugged into anything. The first products available will be tables, desks, and lamps. Ikea will launch the line in the United States on April, 15th 2015.

It's Time To Ask

Every year during the aftermath of the holiday's when the now starts to fall and the chill sets in, we gather around to watch the shiny celebrities of music, movies, and television come together for a achievements they've made over the past year, yes everyone its award season. I love everything about this "season" I love watching the movies that are nominated, watching the interviews, but most of all I love the fashion. Last night the Oscar's awards were presented and as I watched the red carpet and listened to the actors/actresses interviews I noticed something different, women were not be asked about who they were wearing. Usually this is the first question that comes from the reporters mouth but not last night, what happened? That's when I noticed that instead of being asked about their dress they were being asked about their careers and their futures. I was so excited when I saw that they were being asked the same questions as their husbands. The only thing that caught on was that a lot of the women didn't know how to answer, maybe it was nerves or maybe it was because they had become so use to being asked their dresses that this was uncharted territory for most of them. As the interviews continued they finally came to one of my favorites Reese Witherspoon, she cleared up my confusion. Witherspoon mentioned a simple phrase #AskHerMore, as soon as I heard this hash tag I jumped on twitter and saw that it was trending! I was so excited to see that just these three words had started a movement that had not only taken over the award season but was being supported by viewers everywhere! The hash tag means that actresses are more then just their fashion choices, they are smart, funny, and goal oriented. Witherspoon explains that even though it is important to give the designers credit for their amazing dresses and designs, the nominees are pretty amazing too. I can't wait for future award seasons and to see where #AskHerMore turns up next.

                                                                    Reese Witherspoon

photo credit: US magazine/ Kevin Mazur

Tech Drive

From introducing the first Macintosh to the world, to releasing the latest iPhone model, Apple Inc. has changed the world forever. Apple has become a universally known symbol for modern technology. The company has changed how we listen to music, how we call loved ones, and how we communicate between distances. Now, is Apple about to changed how we drive? 

Multiple sources from The Wall Street Journal have reported then Apple employees are researching automotive products at an exclusive Silicon Valley location. Reports have found that Apple could be trying to create a self-driving electric car. Even though most people would be intrigued by an "Apple Car" no actual answers have been confirmed that the plans are in the works, thus leaving us all in a unclear speculation of how Apple will surprise us next.

Weekly News; Does Technology Make Teens Feel Invincible?

Teens today are obsessed with technology, not just obsessed, they are hopelessly dependent on it. I feel like our generation is very hard to trust. Today we are given so many ways to get away with things and so many loop-holes are handed to us. Today I was watching the news and came across a breaking news story of a teen who fatally shot his 16-year-old classmate in the face, he then took a "selfie" with the teen's body and used the popular social media app SnapChat to send it to all his friends. Unfortunately this is the sad reality of our generation. Now I would be lying if I said that I don't use SnapChat and I would also be lying If I said I didn't love it. SnapChat is a great way to communicate with your friends and show them small glimpses of you're day, but it is also a very convenient way to cause trouble. The convenient thing about SnapChat is that after a 10-second time limit the picture you "snap" disappears forever, or does it? This teen was not so lucky, when he sent out this horrific snap to his peers. Thankfully a fellow teen decided to take it upon himself to show his mother who reported it to the police. This is the reality of the society we live. Do teens feel like they have the resources to get away with murder? Is this want the future holds for modern technology?

Link below

Read the full story here 

2.2.15

Why Journalism?

When I tell people that I want to purse a career in journalism I always receive the same questions.

Is there really money in that?
Wow,you must love to write, huh?
Well do you have a plan B?

I feel like a lot of people have negative views on journalists . People might relate them back to whistle bowers or just gossip columnists but it doesn't really matter because everyone is a journalist these days, rather you like it or not. I want to write for magazines, now some may not see that as real journalism and it may not be the journalism everyone respects like the writers for the New York Times. Yet it is indeed my favorite form of journalism. I have been reading magazines for as long as I can remember and I still do. I always loved opening the mailbox and finding all my subscriptions waiting for me. The thing I love most about magazines it the ability to evolve with them. Most girls start reading tween magazine around age eleven and then they mature to Seventeen or Teen Vogue and eventually graduate to Glamour or Cosmo and when life continues so does the cycle of possibilities. I do not want to be in journalism for the money or the controversial stories, I want to turn a favorite childhood pastime into a career reality.