Coffee: The Silent Killer

Coffee is many things to many different people. Coffee is how some people wake up in the morning. Coffee is a swear word to others. Personally, I don't like coffee. Drinking it, smelling it, looking at it ... it's just not my thing. For most, a steaming hot cup of coffee is like Heaven to them in the morning. It is for this reason that I write this blog post.

Coffee can kill you. It's an official fact now. Having a few cups of coffee a day is linked to chronic illness and organ failure, not to mention obesity. There is an element in a typical cup of coffee (Chlorogenic Acid) that was associated with health benefits but is now seen as something that builds up fat instead of getting rid of it. This Chlorogenic Acid stuff is now the leading cause of organ failure in coffee drinkers.

Now, this doesn't mean if you have one a day you're going to die. It doesn't even mean if you have seven a day you're going to die (although, that sounds about right). It means that coffee isn't as innocent as it once was. Coffee used to be that brown liquid stuff that you'd pour into a mug and sip slowly as you read the newspaper in the morning. Now it's a mysterious substance that you carry in a take-away cup, sculling it on the way to work or university, drinking another cup at work or university, stirring a third or fourth one at night to stay awake to do your work or assignments, and possibly having a few during the day with friends. It's now a social drink. One of the most common invites nowadays is having a cup of coffee with a friend. This is the real factor behind the dangers of coffee, not the content.


Coffee hasn't changed much. It may have different labels or have been brewed differently or in different places, but not much has changed. You may add milk or sugar, you may have it just with boiling water, but it is still coffee. Cappuccino, latte, and espresso are just other ways of having coffee. Foam, no foam, skim, half and half, grande, tall. They're all labels. Having three lattes in a day versus three espressos just changes the ratios. 1 coffee to 3 milk. 3 coffee to 1 milk. In any case, each is as dangerous as the last.

To those who believe they need coffee to survive, I have prepare a few options you could take to at least decrease your daily intake of coffee.

Option One: Discover why you believe you need coffee.
If you think you need coffee to wake up in the morning, get a good night's sleep and set multiple alarms with annoying ring tones. If you need to, put your alarm system on loud and put it across the room so that you have to get up to turn it off. This gets you up in the morning, and alert enough to get ready.

Option Two: Find alternatives to the perks of coffee.
Coffee makes you alert and awake. Apples do the same thing. As does tea. There are many options you can research that provides you ways to get the same alertness without the dangerous substance.

Option Three: Avoid going on coffee dates.
If you have been invited out to a coffee date, try and get something other than coffee. Get a soft drink. Get a cup of tea. Get a hot chocolate. These are less harmful and are still acceptable in social situations.

If you feel the need to have multiple cups of coffee a day, let someone who cares about you know. Maybe they could help. Having someone who you're accountable to often can help people when they need to quit something.

I tell you this because I care about you readers.
Even those I have never met.
Even you.
You. Sitting behind the computer screen, possibly even sipping at your coffee right now. How many is that today? Three? Four? Have you felt the need to stop drinking coffee? How about you try it for a day. Don't quit cold turkey. Just try it. Try one of the options. You never know. This could save your life.

You're welcome.

For more information about the Chlorogenic Acid and the effects it has, check out this link: http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health-fitness/coffee-linked-to-deadly-fat/story-fneuzkvr-1226650453552

Stop Acting Like Garfield On A Monday

Raise your hand if you like Mondays. Good. Now take that hand and slap yourself in the face for lying. No one enjoys Mondays. It's the beginning of the work week, it signifies the end of the weekend ... this is us on a Monday:

Face the facts. If you don't like Mondays, you suffer from Mondayitis. If you actually like Mondays, you are one of the annoying people who we Mondayitis victims hate. We may not hate you on any other day; just think of it as the Mondayitis talking.

However, there is hope. For those who don't like Mondays, continue reading. If you do like Mondays ... well, continue reading anyway. I will walk you through some steps of how to overcome Mondayitis.

Step 1: Don't become a 'quit-stay'.
A 'quit-stay' is a person who only shows up to their job for the paycheck. They don't enjoy what they do, but they won't quit because it's a source of income. Being a 'quit-stay' can force a negative attitude to latch on, showing up every Monday. If every Monday you feel like you don't want to go to work because you don't enjoy it anymore, try and find something interesting about what you do. This could stop you from becoming a 'quit-stay', and could eventually cure your Mondayitis.


Step 2: Don't prolong the small things.
There's people out there who spend 20 minutes to put their shoes on, half an hour to find their keys, and take the long route to their work place - of course, after stopping for breakfast. This is bad. If you start off the day slowly, the day will go slowly. Get stuck into your day quickly and efficiently and you'll surprise yourself.  Your attitude will dramatically change and you'll feel a lot better towards Mondays.


Step 3: Find the root of the problem.
What is it you don't like about Mondays? Is it your workmates? Is it your job? Is it the fact you're waking up early or late? Do you have specific things you do on a Monday that you don't do any other day? Find what's causing your hatred towards Monday and sort out why you don't like doing it. If it's people, learn to appreciate them. If it's a specific thing you have to do, try to think of something funny while doing it. Therefore, the laughter will be associated with the job and it will be funny every time you do it.




Step 4: Try something fun.
If you schedule all your enjoyable things at the end of the week, the beginning of the week will look pretty dull. If you yearn for Friday to come quickly, you won't enjoy any of the days on the way. Mondayitis is a mental game. If you think, "I can't wait for Monday!" then Monday will seem more enjoyable.

Step 5: Eat a good breakfast.
Try to avoid sugary and high energy foods and drinks because that will give you a kick for a few hours. Living off sugary foods and drinks if not only unhealthy, it can also cause damage over time. Although it may feel like you're curing Mondayitis with a can of V, but it's only temporary relief. Have some food with protein and vitamins in it.

Hopefully this has helped my fellow sufferers of Mondayitis!

War Correspondents. Thank You.

War. In all honesty, the first thing I thought of when reading that word is the song. What is it good for? Absolutely NOTHING! However, for those who have covered stories in war-covered nations that one word could mean so much more. It could mean tragedy. It could mean Post-Traumatic Stress. It could mean physical, mental and emotional pain. This is the reality for those who have seen what no one should. 

Previously I posted about investigative journalism. This subject extends into covering war, tragedy, and disaster. Those journalists who have either willingly volunteered or have been offered jobs covering such things often aren't prepared for what they see or hear. Statistically, more than half of the journalists who have covered war or disaster stories suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (which shall henceforth be referred to as PTSD). This disorder renders some victims sleepless, helpless, and sometimes injured. If basically is a disorder that makes you relive what you saw or heard. This can happen when one shuts their eyes or finds themselves in a similar situation to the experience. PTSD can be seriously ... well, traumatic for those who are unprepared. 

Journalists who find themselves in the midst of war or disaster are very brave people. I personally would not be able to report on anything traumatic, let alone continue on in that career. Journalists like Daniel Pearl and Michael Kelly were people who gave everything for their job and their passion. They lost their lives in the pursuit of a story that would affect the people they loved at home. These people were so courageous and so passionate about what they did that they did not think about the consequences as they jumped into the fray, hoping to just get a glimpse of a news-worthy story. 

Daniel Pearl, died in 2002, was a passionate journalist who sought out the information he needed for a story in Pakistan. Once he gathered the information he needed he was quickly kidnapped and beheaded by Al-Qaeda. He risked it all just to get to the bottom of a story, and it cost him his life. This is the type of journalism that hold the greatest risks but produces the sweetest fruit. Daniel Pearl was on the way to interview a source of information but was abducted under the impression he was delving in too deep. Daniel Pearl just wanted to get to the bottom of it, but he was punished. He lived a full life and did not die in vain, as his death sparked a revolution in the American government to get the journalists out of that area before anything else could happen.

Michael Kelly, died in 2003, was a war reporter in the 2003 invasion of Iraq. He had just finished his articles and journals before heading home with his fellow journalists. His car was shot down by soldiers. He was so dedicated to his job as a journalist that he traveled from America to Iraq just to get the scoop of the war. He gave his life for his career and his passion of writing. This is the dedication of investigative journalists. 

You see, my dear readers, investigative journalism is not for the faint-of-heart. It is not something to be taken lightly. I mentioned in another post that it is a gift to be able to write like an investigative journalist. To be a war and disaster journalist takes a whole lot more. Courage, tenaciousness, a passion for what they love to do, a stomach of steel, a strong heart to be able to witness what they do and still give their heart to those affected by tragedy ... these are just a few characteristics of war and disaster journalists. It is outstanding, the work they do. I would never be able to stomach writing about the terrors that I would witness in a war zone. 

For all those who have died giving us the real stories from the war zones, we thank you for your commitment. Without your sacrifice, we could not become the journalists we strive to be. 

More information about war and disaster journalists who have fallen in the field below:

http://jacksonville.com/slideshow/news/journalists-killed-or-seriously-wounded-war-zones#slide-2

Get To The Bottom Of It

Investigative journalism. Wow. Those who are brave enough to practice investigative journalism have my respect. Investigative journalism is, in essence, a form of journalism in which you give everything just to get the truth. It often covers a lot of scandals, cover-ups, and lies in the media, meaning investigative journalists get the real information from scandals, cover-ups, and lies in the media. The stories that are classified as 'investigative' are usually hard-hitting, passionate, and revealing. This form of journalism is an effective but difficult one to master.

An investigative journalist must be courageous, persistent, and truthful. It isn't enough to just want the facts; you have to dig deeper to get all the facts. You need to be able to fight until the very last bit of information is yours. Although it may be tiring or difficult at times, investigative journalism bears very rich fruit.

There are many reasons why investigative journalism is awesome and needed nowadays. Firstly, there are too many people in the public eye who try to hide information. The information they hide is information that the public wants to know, but the public doesn't know they want to know the information until they learn the information. You following me?
Secondly, people with the power to hide information often abuse this power. Even if there is nothing to cover up, the thrill of having the ability to be in the public eye as 'suspicious' is too tempting for many. Politicians, celebrities, and other groups in society have the tendency to try and stay popular for as long as possible; scandals are one of the most effective methods of this.
Lastly, it is a journalist's duty to report the information that the public needs. If there is some investigative journalism to write, it should be written, printed, and published for all to see. This is the responsibility - and the right - of a journalist to make sure that the information they produce is correct, logical, and is needed by the audience.

Although it is a spectacular form of journalism, investigative journalism comes with a price. Most investigative journalists aren't liked by the celebrities in the public eye. People don't really like others who reveal their secrets and call them on their bluffs for the whole world to see. This, however, just adds a level of challenge to getting the information. It is the equivalent of playing on 'Extreme' difficulty, only not in a game.

My dear readers, to be able to write investigative journalism is a gift. Not only must you be persistent and adopt a 'never say die' attitude, you must also be able to put that into practice with the writing half of it. You cannot have one without the other. I believe that I happen to have the latter: a way with words, if you will. However, I seem to have a hesitancy towards pushing a point further than intended. I over-analyse, don't get me wrong, but that is only half of investigative journalism. I can determine whether or not someone is hiding something, but getting it out of them is the trick. That's the gift. That's the heart of investigative journalism.

Again I must say that those in this field of writing are talented indeed, and at times I admit I envy their tenaciousness. However, I should be suited fine to a life of reporting basic information that the public wants to hear. The information that the public knows they want to hear. That life will be my life.

Investigative journalism. Some are born investigative journalists, some achieve investigative journalism, some have investigative journalists show up on their doorstep and demand information. That's just how life goes.

I raise a glass and tip my hat to all those investigative journalists out there, and I encourage you to do the same. If any of you readers know any investigative journalists, give them a high-five from me and congratulate them on their outstanding talent. Please.

If you wish to ... investigate this further (see what I did there?), below are some links to the information about investigative journalism. Enjoy!

http://www.thenewsmanual.net/Manuals%20Volume%202/volume2_39.htm
http://theconversation.com/wikiworld-the-future-of-investigative-journalism-13284
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Investigative_journalism

The Journalist

Okay, so I have been doing Journalism since the beginning of this year and only now, a good five months in, have I realised that being a journalist actually means writing articles. I know that I had to write them (obviously). But I only just began to understand that I could write for a difference.

Originally, I chose to study Journalism because it would give me an opportunity to further my skills as a writer. I always used to write about life events and the like, but I always wrote them as stories for me to read later on and laugh/cry at. Now, thinking about some life stories, they could be used as articles for others to read. Others reading my stories. Except, they aren't stories. They're articles about real things that have happened or are happening. That may not seem like a big realisation to most people, but that's revolutionary for me. 

For example, I've been writing stories about my family for years. I might post one some day, but the point is that I write them. I've written many stories about my eldest brother because he's a musician. He has a passion for music, he writes, sings and plays multiple instruments. He has been in bands, performances for school (both as a subject and the annual variety concert they hold), he's organised gigs for himself and for others that he performs with ... he's a news-worthy guy. And yet, he's been sitting there under my nose for almost eighteen years. 

In class, we learn a lot about how to write effectively and how to reach the public with words. Journalism gives me the chance to actually put that into effect. I feel that being a journalist could give me the opportunity to make a difference in the world. I could write to influence. I could write to raise awareness. I could write for any reason I desire.

Journalism can change lives.

Bullying: A Physical or Mental Game?

At university, we were given the task of creating a story idea to give to a board of directors. It had to be a legitimate story and we had to treat it as if we were actually pitching the story to the company of our choice. I knew a few people who were terrified of public speech and they dreaded this assignment, but I love public speaking. I talk too much in person anyway, so I treated the assignment like I was getting marked for doing what I do every other day. 

Below, I will post my speech. Granted, I was a little bit sick the day I presented so I generally made up most of the information. The joys of having pretty much no immune system. 

"Good morning, board members of The Australian and thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedules to listen to my story pitch.

Recently a thirteen-year-old took her own life in New South Wales in relation to the bullying she was receiving, raising the question of punishment for bullies in schools. Many articles accent the need for harsher punishments for these bullies, but I wish to publish an article from another angle. Bullies statistically are either a victim of bullying themselves, are jealous of the victim in some way or a socio/psychopath (which is a slim chance). In any case, the punishments set for bullies are not appropriate, seeing as most bullies see suspension/detention as a reward. No doubt, the bullies still need to be told that what they do is not acceptable in society. Children who bully others should not be receiving harsher punishments, but be approached from another angle and they should be put through counselling.

This article should be run through the online page of The Australian. This is because the target audience  (teachers and the like) are statistically more likely to read online versions of The Australian than print versions of any other news outlet). I chose to reach out to teachers because they are the ones who can actually make a change in the punishments of bullies. The teachers have the inside track, being the guardians of children while at school. The news values I find in this story are relevance due to the recent death, continuity, proximity, and it has the beginnings of ‘if it bleeds, it leads’ due to the harsh topics of violence and deaths.  The angle I wish to take is that bullies should be treated as victims because they are in some form or another. The approximate length of the article will be a minimum of 500 words.

The media that I chose to incorporate will be a link towards the end of the article to this video. In this video an infamous bully is actually shown to be a victim himself and only acted in anger that he had stored for so long. If teachers had addressed that before any of the bullying started, a lot of anger, injury and regret could have been avoided. Within the article, I would hope to have a quote or two from either/or a bully or parent of a bully, explaining their side of it, or possibly a professional point of view from a psychologist who deals with bullied kids.

I really believe that The Australian should publish this article because although bullying is finally being taken seriously, only the degree of punishment seems to be changing. If the public, mainly teachers, were to become aware of another way of approaching bullying, the cycle of bullying.

Thank you for bearing with me. Any questions?"

The video that I showed them: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Noe8nvREE

I chose to report on bullying because I was greatly affected by bullying throughout primary school, and most of high school. In primary school, I was bullied by a lot of people but when I got to high school it wasn't that much of an issue. Growing up in a situation that bullying was considered to be normal, I developed a mentality that made bullying a necessity in any situation. When I got to high school and I found no form of bullying in my immediate area, I began to create it. Thankfully, I had friends around me who called me on what I was doing and corrected me, but not everyone is that blessed to have those sorts of people. 

Bullying is a serious problem, but it's mainly a mental game. 

The Ethics of Ethics

Ethics.  Tricky business isn't it? For a journalist, ethics are very important. We must know the line when reporting. Journalists are meant to be the voice of the people, but what if the people have stories that they'd prefer to be a secret? Where is that line between getting the story and stealing the story?

In class, we discussed a case study: if a candidate for Prime Minister was gay but did not wish to be seen as gay, should the story continue? It would be a great interest piece and would give some positive publicity to the gay community, but would it be worth it if the candidate eventually did not win because of his sexual preference? We may show integrity and not judge the candidate by his sexual preference but the rest of the voting world may not.

A second case study: a person who was sexually abused by a serial rapist decided to share his story with a journalist, but soon after wanted to cancel the story. When denied the opportunity, he threatened to take his own life due to the fear of being found by the abuser. Let's discuss the pros and cons of running the story.
Pros:
- other people who have been sexually abused can relate to the story
- other victims may get a boost of confidence and could also share their stories
- possibly could help the people trying to find the rapist
Cons:
- the guy would kill himself. We'd lose a life. A valuable life, even if he didn't think so.
Now just think about that. If you were in that situation, what would you do? Would you sacrifice one life in order to save thousands of possible victims, or would you put that victim in a situation that results in him taking his own life in fear of being found by the criminal again?

Finally, we looked at a third case study: a man on fire was filmed and not helped. Seriously? Why would you film a man on fire? Granted, the man was protesting. He was protesting against something important and threatened to set himself on fire in order to be heard. Two journalists, watching the ordeal, began filming his protests. They never thought he'd actually do it though. When the man lit a match below himself and caught on fire, he began screaming in pain and terror begging for help. The two journalists, hopefully in shock, could do nothing but film. Finally, one of the two dropped his camera and ran to put the man out. The real shocker I found in this case study was the fact that this was a public area and this man wasn't going to protest with no one around. There was bound to be people looking on to see what he was doing. Why did they all just stand there and watch? These journalists caught a lot of flack for filming the whole thing without doing anything, when all around them were onlookers who watched as well.

Where are the ethics in ethics? Many years ago, none of the case studies we look at would be considered to be unethical. For example, ten years ago if a school child fell over and scraped their knee, a teacher could give the child a hug and send him off to nurse. Nowadays, the teacher would get fired for some type of sexual assault or something stupid like that. The teacher's method of teaching (not to mention the school's methods of hiring people) would be under question because of that one incident.

Personally, I think ethics need to be reconsidered again.