Archive for July, 2008
evawhite on July 31st, 2008
OK, so no one is blind anymore, their visually challenged. No one is ever mad or retarded, they are intellectually challenged. Also no one is fat these days; they are big, plus size, curvy. As for the term Negro, it is not even whispered for fear of instantly being labeled a rabid racist. And woe betides you if you call a dwarf anything other than vertically challenged or short person. Oh! And people stopped having diseases or afflictions; the only have ‘conditions’. And you don’t say Merry Christmas anymore, peeps, you had better say Happy Holidays, or else!
So is this political correctness thing going just too far? Do we constantly watch what we say, lest we tread on some sensitive toes or lest we cause offence to overly thin-skinned people around us? (Or perhaps I should not say thin-skinned; perhaps the correct term is dermatologically challenged?) This excessive and almost obsessive preoccupation with saying the ‘Correct’ thing can sometimes get rather ridiculous as illustrated by this cartoon; that all the ‘correctness’ is stifling free speech, the right to express ourselves, creativity and variety. It is straitjacketing and most often quite unnecessary. Political correctness is often referred to as communal oppression, which it is at some level. This is manipulation and restraint of language to prevent dissenting thoughts being expressed, which makes the fabric of the language poorer as a result.
I came across this site where people share their stories about political correctness going to ridiculous extremes. Sample this: “I went into Costa coffee and asked for a black coffee, and the guy on the counter refused to serve me because I asked for a “black” coffee.”
HereI found a hilarious collection of political correct one liner for college goers which has some gems like, these days, a student isn’t lazy. He’s “energetically declined. And you don’t have smelly gym socks; you have “odor-retentive athletic footwear.”
Now even those who are downright abnormal cannot be referred to as such: you can’t call a pervert a pervert, you call him/her/it sexually dysfunctional.
Here I found a really comprehensive list of words and their ridiculous politically correct depictions.
But now I think these absurd shackles people seek to put upon language are being shrugged off. I thought that this is good article that postulates the reversal of this trend of political correctness. People are joyfully reclaiming a lexicon that calls a spade a spade and not an earth lifting implement!
evawhite on July 30th, 2008
The pleasure of having the arrival of a new born baby in the family is immense. One has to go through it to experience it. An arrival of a new generation is just too great a feeling, but with this pleasure there comes a sense of responsibility towards the new born. It is for us to take care of their demands so that he or she can live happily in this world.
My sister in law just delivered a baby girl last evening. I was given the responsibility to complete the newborn’s first shopping list. It had been a long time since I had gone shopping for baby stuff. I was surprised at the variety of stuff available for babies now days. And they all look so cute and babyish…..
It took me a whole day to choose from the wide variety of products available for children on the net. There are umpteen number of online baby shops selling baby products which have some great variety and color choices. Among my favorites which a baby must have for itself are baby cribs, highchairs and travel cots.
I am amazed at the luxury of being a baby in today’s times. Looking at these cute products I feel like going back to my childhood days. I wish we had such beautiful things when we were kids. I guess our parents must have given us the best they could get in those times.
b4uing1
evawhite on July 28th, 2008
Acne is a very common problem faced at all ages. It mostly happens in the adolescent stage that is the age from 13 to 18 years of age. I have heard a lot of people complaining after undergone treatments for skin. All skin types differ from person to person, age, diet etc. There are a lot of products in the market to fight acne problems. Some are effective some are not. I would suggest you to check the treatment you are planning to undergo by a skin specialist regarding your skin type. There are even tools like blackhead remover, pimples remover etc. Please use them under supervision. If not used properly they could leave spots on the skin.
evawhite on July 28th, 2008
Let us give a thought today to the world that we live in; this spectacular, bewilderingly beautiful, wonderfully wild world of ours. Yes there is now, a more or less official list of the Seven Wonders of the World, but I don’t think there is one of the natural wonders of the world. The Seven Wonders are of course Chiche’n Itza’ in Yucatán, Mexico, The Christ the Redeemer Statue overlooking Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, The Great Wall of China, The Machu Pichu in Peru, The Palace Tombs of the ancient Nabataean city of Petra in Jordan, The Roman Coliseum and of course that monument to eternal love, the Taj Mahal in India.
Now since there is no official list of the natural wonders, I looked around to see which was the most representative list and I thought the Chicago Tribune put together just such a one.
The Amazon: The Amazon is the largest river in the world in terms of volume of water, and the Amazon rain forest that it supports is one of the most crucial and most threatened ecologies in the world.
The Antarctic: The only uninhabited continent of earth though often functions as a kind of giant laboratory and also a means for human kind to satisfy its thirst for adventure. Forbidding, but spectacular in its pristine white beauty.
The Grand Canyon: This is a maginificent natural testament to the forces of denudation and erosion. Created from twin forces of wind and water, this is a stark and stunning natural wonder of our world.
The Great Barrier Reef: This is the world’s largest living coral reef, a fragile and beautiful eco system off the coast of Australia which is under grave threat from none other than man and his way of life.
The Himalayas: In school I learnt that the Himalayas are the world’s youngest mountains and also the highest. Also the science of plate tectonics being what they are, they are contantly under pressure which is making them grow ever taller.
Norway’s Fiords (AKA Fjords): These are a series of natural inlets in the coasline of Norway which provide unique natural harbours for the people and also shelter from the icy inhospitable weather of the area.
The Serengiti: Africa’s Serengiti is perhaps fodder for more National Geographic and Discovery documentaries than anything else. With the highest concentration of large mammals, one could be forgiven for forgetting the political unrest and civil war that continues to plague other parts of Africa.
Well, peeps that is a lot of places that I now have an absolute yearning to visit.
evawhite on July 25th, 2008
You must have heard this quote “The way to a man’s heart is through his stomach”. Quite true isn’t it! It works for women as well. So all you men read carefully and for women readers, this piece of article could help you understand why. The comic piece says it all, time immemorial.
We first need to look at how this is possible. This is about a substance called “aphrodisiac” people who think aphrodisiac is another form of the afro hair-style… Please read on! ‘Aphrodisiac’ is a stimulant. This particular stimulant delivers a turning-on effect. Having established that lets see how it works.
Aphro = Turn On.
The above means that the aphrodisiac in any form, food or tablet will bring the effect.
Incident = Auto Aphro = Turn On.
The above means an incident, a sexy guy or girl or some gesture between the two will stimulate the ‘Auto Aphro’ which is the chemical the human body produces by itself to result in sensual and sexual stimulation. This one we have all been through, a particular gesture by someone can be very turning on… i.e. incident.
Food = Possible Aphro + Incident = Turn On.
The combination above is what happens most. What we eat is what we are. We love our food. People generally are happiest after a good meal, do notice this around you. The tongue also being one of most sensitive organs of the body certainly helps. When food you love is placed in front of you, first there is the excitement of the opportunity and then once you place it in your mouth are in pure sensory pleasure. So even if the food contains no traces of aphrodisiac it already has the ball rolling.
This works differently with men and women. Men tend to get easily stimulated by lower elements, hence easier to get to a man with food he likes. With women however it’s slightly more complex. It needs to be. Food will have a similar effect on women too but it’s that the priorities are different. The whole picture becomes important. The ambience, the effort made and the constant supply of tiny gestures to make her feel special along With also her favorite food and drink thrown in, guys you just can’t go wrong…..
It is beyond the scope of this article to list possible aphrodisiac natural foods. But if you’ve gotten the gist of this piece then you’d know already. You will however need to know the other person’s likes and dislikes quite well. If you’ve got that you’re ready to woo whoever you like.
evawhite on July 23rd, 2008
Since the news on TV and among the pages of your newspaper may be far from cheery, you may not find much to smile, much less laugh about. But by all accounts it may well be worth your while to attempt a daily guffaw or an hourly chortle. Research has shown that laughter can cure a lot of ills that may ail; it may in fact be the best medicine!
Just take a look-see around the net and you will find that laughter clubs abound, all over the world. Laughter apparently, “lowers blood pressure, reduces stress hormones, increases muscle flexion, and boosts immune function by raising levels of infection-fighting T-cells, disease-fighting proteins called Gamma-interferon and B-cells, which produce disease-destroying antibodies. Laughter also triggers the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, and produces a general sense of well-being.” Reason enough to laugh then! Let’s take a look at how laughter can help such as lot:
Laughing can aid in muscle relaxation, because when you laugh, the other muscles of your body tend to relax. Laughing has also been likened to internal jogging, gives you a bit of a work out (don’t skip your session at the gym to watch a comic film though; those are not exactly interchangeable). What laughing does is it gives you the same benefits as those derived from deep breathing. So if someone suffers from emphysema and other respiratory ailments laughter may especially be beneficial for them.
That laughter also reduces stress is almost a no brainer. Laughter is said to reduce hormones associated with the stress response; i.e. epinephrine, cortisol, dopac, etc. Scientific studies have also shown that you can increase your immunity by laughing. Laughter also reduces hypertension and this is apparently more effective for women than men. While laughing may actually make you forget about your aches and pains it also is shown to release endorphins which are our bodies’ natural pain killers.
If the picture at the beginning of the post made you laugh, go get some more laughter therapy here. Also if you want to get with laughter club, look here to find one closest to you. Apparently they are everywhere, from Australia to Zimbabwe! Be happy, Be healthy!
evawhite on July 23rd, 2008
Evawhite.com is getting a makeover done. So tell me guys how is the new look? Do you like this new face of evawhite or the previous one? I need your feedback to improve my site at all stages.
