James Fishman | Sunstone Online

Say No to Saggy Pants, Says Sen. Eric Adams

In an article in the New York Post, State Senator Eric Adams (D-Queens), a former NYPD police officer, wrote poignantly about student dress codes. As Victory Education Partners pointed out, the article attempts to lobby Schools Chancellor Dennis Walcott to adopt a resolution banning sagging pants in the classroom.

As Sen. Adams wrote,

“School is more than ABCs and 123s. It’s the beginning of developing how to interact in a social setting. When you walk through the halls of our schools, you see children showing their behind, the cracks of their behind, their underwear, young girls showing their G-strings. And the institution that’s supposed to be responsible for developing well-rounded young people is not stopping it.”

He expected that people would challenge him and say “What’s the big deal?” He goes on in the article to explain, “It is symbolic of the erosion of basic, normal decency. People shouldn’t be displaying their pubic hairs. That is not normal, acceptable behavior in young people that we are grooming to be in a professional environment. You can’t dress the same on the corner as you can in corporate America — you’ll be unemployed.”

He pointed out that the role of the schools, whether they are public schools, Victory Education Partners, or other organizations, is to teach right from wrong. Even if the kids go around the corner and ignore the rules, they will still have been told and taught what they are.

As he wrote, “Young people have always established themselves in an anti-establishment way — I don’t care if it’s wearing long hair, wearing bell bottoms, wearing miniskirts. But there was always an adult that said, “Cut your hair, make that skirt longer.” There was always a way to correct it, and that’s the role of our schools.”

In powerful language he explained that,

“This is the broken window of social behavior — when you ignore people walking the streets showing their ass.”

What do you think?

Nepali Artists Turn Mount Everest Trash Into Artistic Sculptures

In an effort to promote awareness about littering on Mount Everest, fifteen Nepali artists have created 75 sculptures from garbage collected on the mountain’s slopes. They spent one month crafting 1.7 tons of trash, including empty oxygen bottles, gas canisters, food cans, torn tents, ropes, crampons, plates and twisted aluminum ladders, into figures such as a yak and wind chimes.

The artwork was recently displayed at an exhibit in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal.

“Everest is our crown jewel in the world,” said Kripa Rana Shahi, director of the Da Mind Tree art group. “We should not take it for granted. The amount of trash there is damaging our pride.”

The 29,035-foot mountain has been scaled by nearly 4,000 people, the first being New Zealander Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay Sherpa in 1953. The government has several limitations and policies to ensure minimal littering on the slopes, but activists have admitted that effective monitoring is extremely difficult. Climbers have confirmed this, explaining that the mountain is covered in garbage which is buried by winter’s snow. It is exposed only in the summer, when the snow melts.

The garbage used in the recent art exhibition was collected in 2011 and earlier this year by Sherpa climbers, porters and long-haired yaks. The yaks were recognized in some of the works, which are now on sale for prices ranging from $15 to $2,300. The proceeds will be split between the artists and the Everest Summiteers’ Association, which sponsors garbage collection from the slopes.

Five Pain-Reducing Foods

The American Chronic Pain Association states that 35 percent of American adults suffer from chronic pain. 26 percent of Americans aged 20 and older also suffer from pain that lasts at least 24 hours, according to a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey.

Pain, especially chronic pain, is a result of inflammation- the body’s natural response to injury. David Maine, MD, of the Center for Interventional Pain Medicine at Mercy Medical Center explained:

“Inflammation is a normal process. Acute inflammatory responses can cause pain, but are beneficial. Without those immune responses, used to heal and prevent infections, we’d all be in trouble. But chronic inflammatory changes can disrupt all sorts of signals in muscle growth and health.”

Today, chronic pain sufferers can find relief in numerous medications and treatments. However, there are several foods that can help manage the pain as well:

Salmon

Rich in Omega 3, salmon is beneficial for the body in so many ways. It boosts hearts health thanks to its anti-inflammatory properties. The fish oil fights inflammation in other areas of the body as well, which significantly reduces pain and swelling.

Ginger

The healing properties of fresh ginger are known to help a range of ailments, including the common cold and upset stomachs. Apparently, it is also able to reduce pain by 25 percent. In fact, studies have shown that ginger may be as effective as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications like ibuprofen and aspirin.

Cherries (and other red, purple and blue fruits)

These delicious snacks have anti-inflammatory properties and are rich in antioxidants, as are strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and red grapes. Cherries are known to fight inflammation related to heart disease, cancer and arthritis.

Olive Oil

Highly anti-inflammatory and a great pain reliever, olive oil can easily be added to various cooked and uncooked dishes. Scientists believe the effects of long-term olive oil consumption may be as helpful as NSAIDs, but without the potentially harmful side effects.

Green Tea

Rich in a compound known as EGCG, green tea battles inflammation and also repressed the production of substances that harm cartilage and bone. The magic drink alleviates pain, banishes toxins from the body and strengthens immune response.

Inventors Creates Vineyard Robot

Inventor Christoff Miller has created a potential helper for wine makers: Wall Ye, a modified robot that can browse through vineyards checking soil quality and pruning vines.

“When I designed the robot, I took measurements myself; of the width of my shoulders and the length of my arms, to reproduce the same movements we make,” Miller explained. “The difference is that it’s on wheels, whereas a human being has to bend in order to prune vines, or sometimes move on a trolley.”

Wine maker Claire Gazeau Montrasi has expressed interest in the invention, stating that it has a lot of potential. She claimed she would welcome a robot employee, as would many others in the field.

“It will be able to remember each wine stock, count the number of missing stocks, and eventually help analyze the maturity of the vines before the harvest. It may help observe the strength of the vines depending on soil changes the previous year. It helps in a whole range of tasks that we winemakers don’t have time for,” she explained.

How Your Wallet Can Help Cut Spending

An organized wallet is a great money saver, and can help monitor and control spending and fees. Here’s why:

Most people spend more money with credit than with cash. By limiting the amount of available credit cards, you can be sure to consider purchases in a more objective manner.
Make sure you’re using the right cards. Regular inhabitants of your wallet should not have an annual fee. Interest should be low (around 11%), and reward cards should have a minimum of 1 point per spent dollar. Do your research and find the best fees and interest rates- and tell your current company you are switching. Many will match the deal you’ve found to keep you as a customer.
Store cards have high interest rates, so make sure you frequent these stores before you commit. Once you do, pay attention to statements, pay bills on time, and carry the card on you in case of an impromptu shop.

Withdraw more cash when you visit an ATM. Most people don’t realize how expensive it can be every time they take out money. Minimize these costs (which average $2.40 per withdrawal) by predicted your cash needs for the upcoming week and drawing money accordingly.
Carry bigger bills. A study has shown that shoppers are less likely to spend if they need to break a $20 or $50 bill. In general, people spend less cash than credit because of the keen ‘pain of payment.’

Smartphone App Reaches Out for the Chronically Ill

Chronic medical conditions such as pain, depression or diabetes, often leave people feeling helpless, eventually leading them to withdraw from society. Doctors or specialists may not see or treat them at all until they show up in an emergency room.

Technology has many uses these days; some of which may save lives. A new app that tracks activity and movement may help patients when they begin to draw inward by alerting the appropriate doctor or caregiver. According to the New York Times, the app tracks how often calls and texts are made, as well as movement and activities.

The United States military, insurance companies and several medical chains have begun backing these digital flares. Hospitals and medical centers throughout the country have already begun testing this technology.

Michael Seid, a professor of pediatrics at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center, explained:

“It’s a potential human early-warning system, the body’s check-engine light.

“When your pain increases, you’re less likely to be at the park or the mall. It could be early indicators of a flare-up or worsening of the disease,” he added, explaining that the technology “measures social behavior at a scale and depth you just didn’t have before.”