The Economics of Prostitution: an article written by William Watson

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A great reading in my studies today. I came across this article and it struck a chord. I have always been facinated by the forray into the prostitution world (maybe do a documentary on showcasing London, in particular) but I also admire Steven Levitt for his consistently hard work in socio-economics.

A bit is sourced from wikipedia and the italicized part is from my textbook.

One of the key books my sister recommended I read was "Freakanomics," a 2005 non-fiction book by University of Chicago economist Steven Levitt and New York Times journalist Stephen J. Dubner. The book has been described as melding pop culture with economics, but has also been described as "amateur sociology". By late 2009, it had sold over 4 million copies worldwide (sourced http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freakanomics)


The book is a collection of 'economic' articles written by Levitt, an expert who has already gained a reputation for applying economic theory to diverse subjects not usually covered by "traditional" economists; he does, however, accept the standard neoclassical microeconomic model of rational utility-maximization. In Freakonomics, Levitt and Dubner argue that economics is, at root, the study of incentives (sourced http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Freakanomics)

Although I read the book a few years ago (specifically 2010, I believe), it touched on a lot of issues that were common sense (like the popularity of names depending on the decade of the baby's birth or the socio-economic background of the parents coupling that with the parents education).

The book's topics are here:

■Chapter 1: Discovering cheating as applied to teachers and sumo wrestlers (See below), as well as a typical Washington DC area bagel business and its customers

■Chapter 2: Information control as applied to the Ku Klux Klan and real-estate agents

■Chapter 3: The economics of drug dealing, including the surprisingly low earnings and abject working conditions of crack cocaine dealers

■Chapter 4: The role legalized abortion has played in reducing crime, contrasted with the policies and downfall of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceauşescu (Levitt explored this topic in an earlier paper entitled "The Impact of Legalized Abortion on Crime.")

■Chapter 5: The negligible effects of good parenting on education

■Chapter 6: The socioeconomic patterns of naming children

OKAY...so my point of my post is here:

A NEW project Levitt worked on called, "The Economics of Prostitution." Yeah, you guessed it. The writer of the article depicts prostitutes making more money ($27/hour for 13 days a week) than if they were to work a minimum wage job. Their gross yearly salary is about $20,000 a year and with that, unfortunately, comes the services they provide to customers (about 10 sex acts a week).

Prostitues who work with pimps charge more-about $43/trick but their pimp snaps back a quarter of what they earn.

Here's the reading:



The Economics of Prostitution (Exploring Economics, pg. 250)

Steven Levitt of Freakanomics fame has just published a new work on the economics of prostitution in several Chicago neighbourhoods. He and his collegue Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh paid 159 prositutes $150 a week to participate in the study and hired trackers , often former prositutes, to fill out "event tracking sheets" right after the "events" were performed., with details of the acts, prices charged, the customers's demographic data and so on.


Chicago prostitutes, they found, average about $27 and hour and work about 13 hours a week during which they average 10 sex acts, for an income of about $20,000 a year--not much given the dangers and degradation of the job, but a lot better than the $7 an hour they average in the daycare, babysitting, hair styling, lawn care ad so on that is their typical employment alternative.


Prostitutes who work with pimps charge even more--an average $16 per trick more--and net more, even after giving their pimp a quarter of what they earn. You might think they're paying for protection, since they suffer fewer acts of violence at the hands of customers. In reality, the pimps make up for it with violence of their own. Working with a pimp does save girls the hassles of street-walkign or making their own bookings.

Pricing follows patterns own woul expect. More intimate or intricate acts cost more. Prices are lower on Mondays, when business isslowest (it's brisk on Fridays). There's a shocking amount of unprotected sex--80% for all acts--and only a small discount for use of a condom. Repeat customers pay less and so do black customers--$8-$9 less per trick--a strange example of price discrimination by race. And the odds of selling services to a cop or giving them away as goodwill are actually greater than the odds of being arrested by one. Using Chicago's web-posted crime data (chicago.everyblock.com/crime), Mr. Levitt and Mr. Venkatesh calculate that there's an average of 453 tricks per prostitution arrest.

The most intriguing result is the Fourth of July effect. Because of various Independence Day street festivals there's a 60% increase in demand that week, which brings about a 30% increase in price, which in turn attracts new suppliers to teh market--both out of towners and women for whom the regular prince isn't sufficient inducement but the higher holiday price will do.

Mr. Levitt and Mr. Venkatesh didn't do any sampling during February, so they don't actually know if Valentine's Day is good or bad for business. But whether prices are up because business is booming or down because everyone's home eating chocolate, you're almost certainly better off finding another way to celebrate.

 



Workout post: Saturday, February 25, 2012

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Hey guys, thanks for coming by!

Workout was great today. I did weights followed by cardio and I am trying to set up a program for myself, basing it on my muscle development and weight loss. It can be tough being impartial, and I would to post some pictures of myself, but I lost my damn connector to my digital...so no pics!

What I did today was a little 2 x 12's and 3 x 4's. My weight tends to linger in my lower half and I already have enough muscle all around, so maintaining size in my upper body and decreasing my lower body is primarily what I'm focusing on.

Warmup: 10 min stairmill, 10 min stairsmaster

About 5-6 min of walking lunges around track:
-2 min walking lunges alternating legs around track
-1 minute rest
-2 minutes walking lunges alternating legs around track

Standing upright lunges: 2 sets of 12 w/25s, 25s
Incline bench presses: 2 sets of 8 w/30s, 30s
Standing shoulder presses: 3 sets of 8 w/25s for 5 reps, rest, 3 reps
                                                       w/30s for 3 reps, rest, 5 w/25s
                                                       w/30s for 3 reps, rest, 2 w/25s, rest, 2 more
1 Arm rows: 2 sets of 8 w/45s, 45s, 40s
Lat pulldowns: 3 sets of 8 w/40lbs, 40lbs, 50lbs
Reverse lunges: 2 x 12 w/25s, 25s

Cardio was another 40 minutes. I kind of hopped around with a couple of machines and stuck mostly to stairmaster, Precor and stairmil.

After the workout, I went on a shopping splurge and bought some cd's to review for the paper! School is over until Monday, March 5. I'm very happy to just to do some studying and work on my writing and get to the gym. I'm becoming more of a homebody these days #revertingfrommypartygirlways, lol.

Be not afraid and be bright. Wednesday, February 22, 2012

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My friend Stephanie posted this on her facebook page and I thought I would share. Sings a little song for those not afraid to be passionate about helping others, crusade for a little kindness and reach out a hand.

"The boy you punched in the hall today. Committed suicide a few minutes ago. That girl you called a slut in class today. She's a virgin. The boy you called lame. He has to work every night to support his family. ... That girl you pushed down the other day. She's already being abused at home. That girl you called fat. She's starving herself. The old man you made fun of cause of the ugly scars. He fought for our country. The boy you made fun of for crying. His mother is dying. You think you know them. Guess what? You don't! Re-post if you are against bullying. I bet 99% of you won't, but repost this if you're that 1% with a heart!"

We all tend to gripe about our own problems and issues. Laugh at others or slip in a snide remark when the going is tough on us. But I challenge you to not. Don't slip into some cynical barbaric attitude and attack those who may not grasp ideas or philosophies or challenges as easy as you. Be smart, but be kind.

Right now, I'm brooding, but not suffocating myself with too much work and stress. Stress, me no likey as Candice Keene, an IFBB Pro once stated.

I didn't do a workout today or yesterday. I started to feel guilty, but reminded myself that my body shape and my weight should not be of extreme importance. Weight is just a number on a scale, not a determinant of how beautiful you are, how interesting you may appear or how powerful you deem yourself to be.

But I can relate, I think a majority of woman and men who compete in athletics (or those who don't for that matter) can to some degree. It's okay! We all grapple with delusions of our own imperfections, and most of the time, in the eyes of others, we look fine!

One of the struggles I'm facing right now is lack of money. My OSAP was not generous and I'm having a hard time finding work with my writing. I have a job at the Fanshawe paper, but I don't have a lot of time with school and workouts. So, I put out tons of inquiries to some online publications, sending them pieces of work and hoping that they would pick up speed, but to no avail. I feel down but I'm reaching out to friends and I'm finding there's a lot of my close friends that are having money problems too!

I like to surround myself with beauty and lush surroundings. I like to have nice clothes, pretty makeup and interesting pictures. I like to have my hair styled, my physique athletic and my makeup done. Some call this superficial, but that's just the way I am. I like to think of myself as a bit of a perfectionist, but also hopeful that this care will get me to a successful career in journalism as a reporter or TV personality, but also to try to compete in a figure competition.

Plus, this attention to detail is kind of what makes me sensitive and a good writer. I also love to run and being a fit woman makes the distances less challenging and faster. A runner is best when she is efficient and in shape. Which kind of comes full circle when you think of how our society needs to operate. Efficiency is the key to success. Efficient thinkers and workers make more money, are happier and advance to a higher pay bracket.

Efficiency also can't be spread too thin. My sister is a pefect example of what success means to me. She's earned an MBA, routinely made extremely high grades, and works around the clock to earn more than what my father or mother earned while I grew up. Both my parents were teachers and together made a comfortable salary of #whogivesashititsnoonesbusiness. But what I'm trying to say is that in due time, she will surpass the salary of BOTH my parents combined and live a very wealthy and sustainable life.

Extravagant compared to me, but we are two different people: she's a business woman, I, a writer. Although I am studying marketing at a college level, it is nowhere near as how difficult as what she studied and sometimes I feel like I'm copying her, trying to see if I can get the golden egg.

So, I'm going to sum up by saying what I read by IFBB Pro Pauline Nordin. You can't be great at everything unless you are some genetic freak of nature. You must choose what you want to continue to have in your life and make effort to hone it, practice it and preach it (those are my words, not hers, by the way).

I can't be a wealthy woman right now when I am doing too much, spinning my wheels and being inefficient. I can't read every book, every magazine, get to the gym 6 days a week and be an honour student. We must choose what we want (usually this is mostly comes down to what we enjoy the most and where we excel) and be proud to say, "this is what I am, this is what I do, and I'm okay with that."

I thought reading oodles of training books would make me a better athlete, but I'm not a personal trainer. I thought reading Scientific American would stretch my mind outside my liberal arts degree, but that's not easy (but dare I say challenging and alluring to an extent). I thought running 6 miles every workout, lifting heavy and trying to be both muscular and a great runner was possible...but you have to choose.

I choose to lift weights and run for cardio. I do not choose to chase my dream of being a World Class Triathlete or Marathon runner (my dad *bragging right enter here* competed twice at the World Duathlon Championships for his age group).

I have to choose whether I'm going to do well in school, earn my 3.75 GPA and study my butt off and sacrific a little in terms of getting to the gym and looking fit and trim.

And it's a battle I fight every day.

Nevertheless, I choose though to write and damn well write well!

Band of Skulls - The Devil Takes Care of His Own (Official Video)

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Sorry boys, this one is not a card for me. No push or shove. And where is the likeness that everyone claims is to Jack White? No can do.

Cd review, Hands and Teeth review: "Hunting Season"

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Hands and Teeth Cd review (released January 17, 2012)


By Jaymin Proulx

Rated: 4/5 stars

For a third release from Toronto natives, “Hands and Teeth,” this album showcases a hybrid of sound that isn’t too typical on most albums. They stray, they change and they diverge: yet always come back to the point of beginning that makes their sound unique. Their cohesion in playing together, as well as bringing their experience from other bands that the members are involved with, make this third album , Hunting Season encompass a lot of quiet, determined energy and joyous vigour.



The five piece band consists of Kevin Black (vocals, guitar) and Jeff Pinto (vocals, keys, and guitar). Adam Kolubinski, Derek Monson and Natasha Pasternak also play in the band.

Their earlier albums included Enjoy Your Lifestyle (released October 2010) and Shine On (December 2010).

When interviewed by Natascha Malta of Music Vice, a online music website, the title of their band came to question. What was the reasoning for calling themselves “Hands & Teeth,” Malta asked?

“You might be surprised to hear this, but no we didn’t (call ourselves after a teen zombie book titled “In the Forest of Hands and Teeth”). We didn’t know (the book) existed. I had a song of my own called “Hands and Teeth” and we were choosing names. We had a series of pretty bad ones. Kevin just suggested that one night at a bar and everybody loved it. Everyone except for Tash. She thought it sounded, interestingly enough, too masculine and too violent. We did an informal text survey to all our friends and finally convinced her to do it. We had to promise not to make the font too bold- that was her only condition for accepting it. It’s not too bold is it?” Pinto inquisitively asks.

Not at all. Though their name implies a focus on dexterity and dental care (no pun intended), their music is not too masculine or violent at all. In fact, with the first song, “It’s Coming Back,” the lyrics project existentialism.

“The skin on my bones/I feel, is hardly my own/I hide in the dark/Here in the cobwebs though my home”.

“It’s Coming Back,” continues with an uplift of jingling vocals by Pasternak and rings beautifully throughout the set.

The second song continues the men and Pasternak, but with more guitar and more assurance. Their guitars are more choppy and gritty: like a punk rock song layered with a folksy background.

Pasternak’s vocals continue solidly with “Le Petit Voleur” (or little thief). She has such an iridescent voice that any weight with instruments would destroy her purity and melody. She is definitely no frailty on “Hands & Teeth.”

Garage rock ensues with “Sound of Hamilton,” a fuzzy and distorted low-fi home-hitter. The rest of the album, up to “Song 8” remains like this, but the final song is a little different and unique. It’s a nice closure to a well-crafted album and closes the curtain for the Toronto band.

“This is my skin holding me/ keeping my blood off the street,” the members sing. And with the interconnected weave of this album, the members won’t have to worry about blood on their hands (or street for that matter).

“Hands & Teeth” have a busy line up this spring. They heading to Austin, Texas for South By Southeast (from March 10-20, 2012), then coming back to Canadian territory for Canadian Music Week for a March 22 show at Sneaky Dee’s.

For more information on Hands & Teeth, visit handsandteeth.com or myspace.com/handsandteethmusic.com



Remembering Kurt Cobain's death: Being proud to smell like Teen Spirit (February 20, 2012)

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Kurt Donald Cobain

(February 20, 1967 – April 5, 1994)



Passionate, enigmatic, sensitive, creative, soulful and sweet. Those words describe the elusive artist, a sex symbol in music, yet so uncomfortable with his fame and living in his skin but so very comfortable when he sang to his fans.

And sang well he did.

I didn't pay much attention to Nirvana or Cobain growing up as a kid. I was more into female artists and when a girl in my keyboarding class had a tattoo engraved on her outer hand of Kurt Cobain, I thought to myself, "now there's a ballsey chick--and obviously a passionate devotee."

I am more into punk rock. I have fostered a deep appreciation for Ian McKaye (Washington, D.C.'s Fugazi front-man) and Gavin Rossdale and Thom Yorke, but if someone of you know me, I am attracted to Rossdale and Yorke more for their Line of Siam (or Simian Line to other palm readers). But don't get me wrong. Even if they didn't have that damn line, I would still be drawn to their voice and their music. It's just a little more interesting when a person has that peculiar line running straight across their palm.

From a woman's perspective, the line of Siam on a man is similar to the cat-eye of Olivia Wilde or Megan Fox (brachydactyly thumb, be damned). See pictures below:

 Maybe I am speaking just for myself when I say this: I would agree with Fox. I would *probably* do a lot more than *just* strangle a moutain ox with my bare hands for Wilde. But that's me.

But this post wasn't to rant about the intelligence and beauty of these two women (and they are smart and witty, I've seen them in action and on talk shows), nor is it to pay hommage to McKay, Rossdale, or Yorke. It's to pay remembrance to Cobain: the legendary grungey rock star that as a quote from a woman I once read: "snowboarding to 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' is one of the raddest ways to spend a winter's day in Collingwood (or Tremblant, or Whistler or Blackcombe). Or enter your favourite snowboarding/ski villa.

When I first heard Nirvana, probably posthumously to his rise to fame, I remember wondering what the big deal was? Sure, he could rock and he was a tortured musician (like many are) and he married a sexy (and I say that term V-E-R-Y loosely) blonde rocker (Courtney Love) but where was the underground hype?

Then I dug a little deeper. I read of his self-loathing, his disfunctional relationship with his step-dad while growing up (that angers me so much when I found out his step-dad would hit Cobain's mom) after his parents divorce. And I also found this on wikipedia.  (sourced February 20, 2012) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kurt_Cobain

Cobain befriended a homosexual student at school, and suffered bullying from heterosexual students who concluded that Cobain was gay. In an interview he said that he liked having the identity of being gay because he didn't like people and when they thought he was gay they left him alone. Kurt stated, "I started being really proud of the fact that I was gay even though I wasn't". His friend tried to kiss him and Kurt backed away and told his friend he was not gay but would still be friends with him. In a 1993 interview with The Advocate, Cobain claimed that he was "gay in spirit" and "probably could be bisexual." He also stated that he used to spray paint "God Is Gay" on pickup trucks in the Aberdeen area. However, Aberdeen police records show that the phrase for which he was arrested was actually "Ain't got no how watchamacallit".[26] One of his personal journals states, "I am not gay, although I wish I were, just to piss off homophobes."[27]

Cobain however was often uncomfortable and frustrated, believing his message and artistic vision to have been misinterpreted by the public, with his personal issues often subject to media attention. He challenged Nirvana's audience with its final studio album In Utero (1993). During the last years of his life, Cobain struggled with heroin addiction, illness and depression. He also had difficulty coping with his fame and public image, and the professional and lifelong personal pressures surrounding himself and his wife, musician Courtney Love. On April 8, 1994, Cobain was found dead at his home in Seattle, the victim of what was officially ruled a suicide by a self-inflicted shotgun wound to the head. The circumstances of his death have become a topic of public fascination and debate. Since their debut, Nirvana, with Cobain as a songwriter, has sold over 25 million albums in the US alone, and over 50 million worldwide.[4][5]

The band name Nirvana was taken from the Buddhist concept, which Cobain described as "freedom from pain, suffering and the external world," which paralleled with the punk rock ethic and ideology. Cobain would regard himself as both a Buddhist and a Jain during different points of his life, educating himself about the philosophies through various sources, including through watching late night television documentaries on both subjects

I actually lied, I just found this today. But before reading that, and long before tonight, I started to really be facinated by him. He struggled with mental health issues and his music was so pained and sad. How we are avoidant of those who are bizarre, misfortuned and misrepresented, yet so many of those personality traits are within many celebrities (Amy Winehouse, Whitney Houston, and Cobain). And I'm certain there are many other in the Hollywood bubble who grabble with that (Angelina Jolie, another of my favourites has struggled with cutting and drugs) and Robert Downey Jr or Jim Carey.

I hope you find Cobain as interesting as I have. Read more about at the website I gave you (above). It's about time mental health is regarded more importantly in music and the arts and considers all those who struggle with it to seek help and seek friendships that contribute to their well-being rather than to their downfall.

I found this last part on the significance on the history of the "Smells Like Teen Spirit."

Cobain began dating Tobi Vail, an influential DIY punk zinester of the riot grrrl band Bikini Kill. After meeting Vail, Cobain vomited as he was so completely overwhelmed with anxiety regarding his infatuation with her. This event would inspire the lyric: "Love you so much it makes me sick," which would appear in the song "Aneurysm".[42] While Cobain would regard Vail as his female counterpart, his relationship with her waned. Cobain desired the maternal comfort of a traditional relationship, which Vail regarded as sexist within a countercultural punk rock community. Those who dated Vail would be described by her friend Alice Wheeler as "fashion accessories."[43] Kurt and Tobi spent most of their time together as a couple discussing political and philosophical issues. Cobain's relationship with Vail would inspire the lyrical content of many of the songs on Nevermind. Once, while discussing anarchism and punk rock with friend Kathleen Hanna, Hanna spray-painted "Kurt Smells Like Teen Spirit" on Kurt's apartment wall. Teen Spirit was the name of a deodorant Vail wore; Hanna joked that Cobain smelled like it. Cobain, unaware of this, initially interpreted the slogan as having a revolutionary meaning. The slogan inspired the title to the song "Smells Like Teen Spirit".

If you are struggling with depression, thoughts of suicide or of any problems in your life, talk to you doctor, your parents or your friends. They can help steer you in the right direction. Also, if you live in the London, Ontario neighbourhood, see http://www.lhsc.on.ca/ and call the number there!

Be brave and be yourself :)

Dashboard Confessional - Hands Down (FULL VERSION)

Still one of my favourites to uh, you know, listen to.


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Cd review: The Decemberists, Long Live the King

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The Decemberists: Long Live The King Cd review


By: Jaymin Proulx

Rated: 3/5 stars

The Decemberists’ newest release is the third single/EP for the Portland, Oregon natives. Sticking to their folksy, story-telling approach, the album is slightly less than 30 minutes.

Consisting of singer and songwriter Colin Meloy, other band mates include Chris Funk (guitar), Jenny Conlee (Hammond organ, accordion, piano, keyboards, harmonica), Nate Query (bass guitar, string bass) and John Moen (drums).

For only releasing an earlier album (The King is Dead) about a year and half ago, Long Live The King, meets mediocre standards of easy-going, friendly and bluesy rock. The album title rings similarly to their tendency to talk folklore and mythology: not that that’s a bad thing, but this one doesn’t sing loudly or with much differentiation throughout the entire set.

On a side note, Conlee fought breast cancer during 2011 and thankfully recovered.

By beginning the album with “E.Watson” the band gets by with what feels comfortable and easy. But although Meloy is a strong lyricist, the rest of the album falls flat and doesn’t deliver exciting promise.

With the fourth song, “14U & U 4 Me”, welcomes a jolt of soul and forays into a happier place:

“You're all made a tattered heel


And you're the only constant all my life.


We could go together some


And we could get each other through the night.


We are one and we are two


And we are simply wicked to a T.


Never a better thing were said


Than I for you and you were made for me

Fortunately, by the fifth song, “Row Jimmy,” the Decemberists pick up pace and merrily deliver. “Sonnet”, the sixth song is finishes the set, but it’s disappointing that it takes twenty minutes to get there.

For more information, visit decemberists.com or myspace.com/thedecemberists

Cd review: Manning's talent looms large (Epyllion by Loom aka Brooke Manning)

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Cd review on Loom's Epyillion (Loom is a Brooke Manning)

published Monday, February 20, 2012

written by: Jaymin Proulx

Rated: 4/5 stars

There's a word for alone time that everyone seeks every time they take an avenue to complete work and reflect. It's a "necessity," and until you truly accept the fact you need that "alone time" every so often in order to reflect and direct your destiny in life, you will not truly appreciate the time and effort that every creative person (musicians, in particular) do to begin or finish a project. It's often isolating and can distance the artist from the outside world, but it sometimes can result in a very refreshing and calm state for the person.

To begin with, "loom" is a foreboding word. It's a verb, implying coming into sight dimly or to be ominously close or above. But Loom is also the stage name of Toronto's Brooke Manning, a solo artist who drafted her album Epyllion by spending three days on Toronto Island. She has also been known to work similarly to Sarah Slean (Slean reportedly spent months alone at her cottage to song write). Manning spent days alone, holed up in her room, creating and spilling her heart onto paper.

The time served Manning well. She shaped this album with a lot of diligence and soulful songwriting. There's no pretentiousness or the sugary glistening of what could be a poppy album, and it's not overproduced. It's heavy but also light, and a diversion from anything that you may be prepared to hear.

On the other hand, skilful and heartfelt song writing aside, the music is almost too quiet. There is an extreme minimalism with this type of sound: the instruments vary slightly, but it's Manning's quiet voice that stays pure and sweet.

In the fourth song, "Wholesome," Manning shows her ingenuity with her words: "You can use my body and have my mind/but I can't lend them at the same time/without the mercy of your open eyes/I can lend my body, but not my mind." This particular song is quite good. The guitar playing is distorted and fuzzy and has a quality to it that perhaps was influenced by straight-edge punk rock. It has a heavier sound than the rest of the songs.

If you take the time to read her liner notes, you'll be impressed. Manning doesn't sing about happiness or airy subjects. There's a streak of darkness in the sixth song, "Is It Love?"

Manning also has, reportedly, the power to draw a crowd. Numerous critics have acknowledged her capacity to pull an audience in when she performs.

Let's hope Manning continues to hone her craft and not disappear like a fading light. We need to see more artists like Loom get the credit they deserve, stir a crowd with their performance and serve as an example of what music can exemplify. It doesn't always have to be about pomp and circumstance: if this album fits a psychedelic or trance genre, then let it in.

For more information, visit loommusic.ca and myspace.com/owleyescrowsfeet.



Tuesday, February 14, 2012: Jeremy Lin!

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Why I may start watching more basketball, especially the Knicks.

Hot!

Raptor's who??

India.Arie - Video

No more drama!

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Workout post: Monday, February 13, 2012

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So as I'm writing this, there seems to be a struggle with many celebrities on every tabloid fodder. With the passing of Whitney Houston, a wonderful writer (Lynn Crosbie) at the Globe and Mail wrote candidly about her passing and lamented that Houston passed alone in her bathtub with pills. A angelic voice, pretty to the eyes, yet kind of similar to Amy Winehouse: another tragedic ending, due to over scrutiny by media and critics and their unkind words. How often we pass judgement on those in difficulty: like we ourselves have never met dire circumstances and were afraid to reach for help?

I had a conversation with friends about independance and accountability. Like the gym, and how I blog so much about my workouts because I feel accountable to those to come by to read. I love working out but understand when others feel intimidated or uncomfortable going to a gym and having others see them at their very humblest. I do my darnest to come here when I let my hair down and show my feelings. I want to help, to give some encouragement and feel like when people come here, I LOVE IT and feel like I'm contributing something back.

Soon enough there will be a collection of Houston songs out on iTunes or the closest music store within reach. I look forward to it. To listen, to review and to peer into the life of a singer that was so kind and so good. Another brick in the wall, unfortunately. Live on Whitney, live on.

Workout:

Flat bench press: 3 x 8 at 30s and 35s
Standing shoulder presses: 5 x 5 at 25s and 30s
Lunges: 2 x 12 at 25s and 30s
Seated machine rows: 5 at 85lbs, 5 at 100lbs and 5 at 100lbs
Incline bench presses: 30s for 8 reps, 30s for 4,4 30s for 8
Bicep curls: 2 setsx 10 at 35lb bar
Tricep pressdowns
Back lunges: 2 sets of 12 reps for 30lbs in each hand

Cardio: 50 minutes (running, Precor, Stairmaster)

Workout post: Sunday, February 12, 2011

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Today's workout was pretty much cardio. I did a 20 minute interval session with a five minute warmup (all running) on the treadmill. I followed it with 15 minutes on the stairmaster.

Here's my times and distances: 8 intervals in 20 minutes

Warm-up: 0-4: 0.39 miles ran
              
1.     5-6 min: 0.08-0.21 miles = 0.13 miles         8.5 mph at 2% incline
        6-8 min: walk
2.     8-9 min: 0.33-0.48 miles = 0.15 miles         8.5 mph at 2% incline
      9-11 min: walk
3.  11-12 min: 0.58-0.72 miles = 0.14 miles          9 mph at 2% incline
     12-14 min: walk
4.  14-15 min: 0.84-0.99 miles = 0.15 miles          9 mph at 2% incline
     15-17 min: walk
5.  17-18 min: 1.11-1.28 miles = 0.17 miles         10 mph at 2% incline
     18-20 min: walk
6.   20-21 min: 1.37-1.57 miles = 0.20 miles         11mph at 0% incline
     21-23 min: walk
7.  23-24 min: 0.05-0.25 miles = 0.20 miles          11 mph at 0% incline

This workout was really challenging. I found that at the last two intervals, my fear of falling off the treadmill was too much. I had to really focus and pull up my sprints for the last 10 seconds (or so) of each 11 mph sprint.

I did 15 min on the stairmaster to end with 40 minutes of cardio total.

Music and fitness post: Saturday, February 11, 2012

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I am relaxing with my Tim Horton's coffee, listening to the November 2011 release of "Long Live the King," by the Decemberists. It's a tad different from what I remember of my earlier review of their early 2011 album (my article is here:

http://www.fsu.ca/interrobang_article.asp?storyID=6871&sectionID=3&issueID=171

This is a followup to "The King is Dead," which from what I researched, was a combination of a few songs not put on the TKID album.

The first song is determined and painstaking...as if they really wanted to drive the nail through the coffin with assurance. The second song sails away and proves to be lighter. Friendly, happy. Solid.

I didn't do a workout today. I have done four workouts this week, one strength training class, one kickboxing/boxing class and 150 minutes of cardio, so for today, I'm writing and reading.

Three new arrivals are here for at the library by Sophie Kinsella. I finished "Do You Remember Me?" Great book. I'll write a review on post it on here. It's the third novel I've read of hers.

Tonight, my girlfriend and I are heading to The Brass to watch some music! I also attended a Motorcycle show with another girlfriend. I fell hard for two nice cars at the show. Dayum. #nomorebicyclesforthislady.

Wednesday, February 8, 2012

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Welcome and good morning to you!

My sleep patterns are coming back to me ten-fold. I haven't done a workout in three days (last one was a Body Pump at the gym), so I'm feeling wired to do something to release some feel-good hormones (endorphins). I also left my Symbicort inhaler at Suffer System, so the potentiality of having asthma was in the back of my mind since Friday. I decided not to hit the gym for those days so I could avoid that occurence.

So, for today, I'm heading to the pharmacy, buying a new Symbicort and getting to Goodlife for a few hours. I'm feeling a weight training session and a run (maybe intervals) are in order.

I'm really enjoying my classes this semester. I feel happy and refreshed knowing I'm making progress with meeting and learning about my professors as well as students in my class. I'm ready and eager to tackle assignments and not feeling overwhelmed like I have been in previous semesters. Maybe it's the change of weather? Read this blogpost by Canadian Heptathlete Jen Cotton on the biological effects of winter hibernation and exercising.

(http://jencotten.wordpress.com/?ref=spelling)

I also have been feeling very blessed with everything that's happening in my life. My work at the paper, my marks in class, meeting the standards of my profs and hanging out with like-minded people who want achievement really bring out the best  all of us, so life is GREAT! It's not perfect, but it's becoming more fun and rewarding...I think we can all attest to that!
As of now, I've done a review on the Tool concert from last Thursday, two interviews (one with a musician and one with two students who travelled to France for a Music Industry Arts conference) and a cd review on Brooke Manning's band "Loom." I feel a new appreciation for ambient electronic that is psychedelic. She is living in Toronto, so an indie artist is always a treat. The name of the album is "Epyllion."

I'm now working on the Decemberists' album, Long Live The King and attending the tribute to Jack Richardson tonight at Aeolian Hall in London. Entrance to this event is $15 if you are a student and $20 for everyone else. I will be writing an article summarizing the night. The awards ceremony is this weekend, and you can find more information here: http://jrma.ca/.

The little things matter on Mondays :)

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I saved my money well in advanced and purchased some new treats: high fibre cereal and lovely makeup. I have been hearing great things about oat bran (aka Pauline Nordin's favourite breakfast staple), so when I found this instant high fibre cereal by Bob's Red Mill (bobsredmill.com) at Bulk Barrel, I had to get it. I found it to be a delicious blend of Northwest oat groats, flaxseed, wheatgerm, oat bran and wheat bran. I like to take 1/3 cup of it with my whey powder and 1/2 cup egg whites and add some water to microwave to a pankcake/cakey consistency.

The other purchases I made were a makeup investment! I really have to blog more about my makeup...I love it and try to keep my look current, although my hair is getting in dire need of a haircut and dye job.
I bought these products on Saturday:

This is a sweet new eyeliner for $27 by Artdeco, from Germany. The tip is very flexible, neat and easy application. Brings out the cat-eye!

The rest of these are Revlon Custom Eyes in Smokey Sexy (left), Maybelline Eyestudio in Blue Blowout (right) and Quo Eyeliner in Sexy Black. I'm not too found of the eyeliner, though! I find the application heavy and hard to draw on the upper last line (but it was fine for the lower lash line).

Prices: Revlon, $15

Maybelline, $9

Quo, $10

Thankgoodness for Shopper's Optimum Cards.

Morning!! Monday, February 6, 2011

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I have a lot to be grateful of. And now, I'm suddenly a little more thrilled that one of my favourite bands from the 1990's, The Cranberries, are releasing a new album, February 27! I'm so happy for Dolores O'Riordan, as she and the bandmates have been in hibernation for 10 years!

That's a hell of a long time! Produced by Stephen Street and recorded in May 2011 in Toronto and London, I think this will be a successful sixth album for the band.

Thank you O'Riordan for coming out of the woodwork and showing mad talent!