Binge Drinking : The Truth About Getting DRUNK October 12, 2010

It was September and Samantha, a first-year university student, had been at school for only two weeks when she was invited to a party in her dormitory.  At first, she had “just a few beers.”  As the party progressed, she was offered a shot of vodka.  One small group of women and men were making a game out of drinking the shots.  Samantha joined in and managed, by witness accounts, to put away nearly 25 shots.  By the time the party ended, Samantha needed help getting back to her dorm room, where she passed out.  Her friends assumed she would “sleep it off.”  However, the next morning, they found her dead from alcohol poisoning.

 

That death and many more that take place on college campuses prompted Dwayne Proctor, PhD, of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, a Princeton-based organization dedicated to improving health and health-care, to ask, “How many more students must die before we decide to stop treating binge drinking as a collegiate rite of passage, and confront it as the serious public-health threat that it is?”

 

♦If binge drinking were a disease that caused 1,400 deaths, 500,000 injuries, 70,000 sexual assaults, and 110,000 arrests each year, you can be certain that the response from the public and the government would be massive and comprehensive.

 

For college administrators, students, parents, alumni, politicians, and society in general, the time has come to choose : do we want to cultivate institutions of higher learning or of lower expectations and harder drinking?

 

Opportunities abound to make a difference.  What’s missing is a concerted will to act.  The death toll will be a testament to our timidity.

 

Binge drinking is a preventable cause of death.  Doing so, however, means comprehending the facts, understanding the issue, knowing the risks, acting responsibly, and exercising common sense.  Here is some information to inspire courage and conviction, as well as help improve the lives of young people.

 

Know what defines binge drinking. The generally accepted definition of binge drinking is the heavy consumption of alcohol over a short period of time, specifically five or more drinks, one after the other, by men, and four or more such drinks by women.  Doing this once in a two-week period constitutes binge drinking.  Heavy binge drinking includes three or more such episodes in a two-week period.

Although binge drinking is a dangerous and even deadly practice, people engage in it for a variety of reasons : they want to be part of a group, they want to feel older and more accepted, they respond to peer pressure to drink, or they think that alcohol will make them feel better.

♦In her book The Dangers of Binge Drinking, Magalena Alagna cites the following as common signs of binge drinking :

• Frequent hangovers from heavy drinking at parties.
• Drinking until you get sick or pass out.
• Doing or saying things you wouldn’t normally do or say.
• Feeling you must drink to have fun.
• Avoiding spending time with friends who don’t drink.
• A night of drinking ends in being hospitalized.
• Noticing a lot of your stories begin with “We were so drunk that night,” or, “I was so wasted.”
• Alcohol-related behavior causes you to be arrested.
• You frequently black out as a result of drinking.
• You experience short-term memory loss as a result of drinking.

 

Understand the dangers of alcohol. “Alcohol has been called the most active drug affecting the human body, impairing the intellect, physical abilities, and metabolism,” says Sharon Scott, a professional counselor.  She also notes that “alcohol use by youth has devastating consequences” and cites the following :

• Young people between the ages of 15 and 24 are the only group in America with a declining life expectancy.
• Driving under the influence is the leading cause of death for teens; suicide is the second major cause of teenage deaths, and today such suicides are ten times more likely to be alcohol or drug related than they were 20 years ago.
• Approximately 10,000 young people ages 16 to 24 are killed each year in other types of alcohol-related accidents, including drownings, violent injuries, homicides, and inhalation of vomit.

 

Realize how alcohol impacts the body. Heavy drinking is a major health risk.  It reduces the ability of the body to function normally.  Ken Christiansen, a 19-year-old University of Minnesota-Duluth student who had just made the rugby team, attended a team initiation party where students drank heavily.  Walking home after the party, Christiansen fell down a ravine.  His body was found the next day.  At the time of death, his blood-alcohol level was twice that of the legal limit to drive in Minnesota.  Although the medical coroner’s report determined that hypothermia was the cause of death, three university students were later charged with providing alcohol to a minor.  The three had hosted the party and supplied kegs of beer for the event.

Consider also the fact that heavy alcohol consumption can permanently damage vital body organs.

 

Binge drinking can result in alcohol poisoning. When a person drinks too much too rapidly, it affects the body’s involuntary reflexes, including breathing and the gag reflex.  Many binge drinkers have choked to death because their gag reflex was unable to function.  Other signs of alcohol poisoning include :

• Extreme confusion
• Inability to be awakened
• Vomiting
• Seizures
• Slow or irregular breathing
• Low body temperature
• Bluish or pale skin

Know these signs of alcohol poisoning, because if you observe any of them in a friend, you must immediately call for emergency medical assistance.

 

Binge drinking impairs judgment. A recent U.S. survey revealed that alcohol was a main factor in four of ten sexual assaults at schools surveyed.  And, in one year, all sexual assaults at the University of Colorado were alcohol related.  Furthermore, alcohol is involved in 90 percent of campus rapes, according to Columbia University’s Centre on Addiction and Substance Abuse.  Another study on campus rape, published in the Journal of American College Health, revealed 55 percent of rape victims and 73 percent of assailants had used alcohol or other drugs prior to the assault.

Students who frequently binge drink were 22 times more likely than nonbinge drinkers to :

• Be hurt or impaired
• Drive a car after drinking
• Get in trouble with campus or local police
• Engage in unplanned and unprotected sexual activity
• Damage property
• Fall behind in schoolwork
• Miss classes

 

Blackouts are not uncommon. One of the most frightening and dangerous consequences of binge drinking is a blackout, something experienced by thousands of students.  A blackout is the warning signal that they are doing damage to their brains.  During an alcohol-induced blackout, the drinker remains conscious but retains no memory of events.  Often, it is a friend who tells the drinker how he behaved or what he said during the blackout.

Aaron M. White, PhD, a biological psychologist at Duke University Medical Centre, surveyed students at one college to learn what kinds of activities they had been involved in during their blackouts.  he discovered that students engaged in a variety of activities, including spending large amounts of money, engaging in sexual activity, getting in arguments, vandalizing property, and driving a vehicle – all without any memory of those events.

 

♦Here is one true blackout experience related by “Chuck,” a university student, on the occasion of his 21st birthday.  In his dorm room, he began with four drinks before proceeding to a nearby bar.

“At the bar I had fifteen or sixteen drinks in a three-hour period.  The last thing I remember, I finished my drink and asked for another.  I apparently continued to dance.  Apparently, my friends tried to drive me home.  Apparently, I got sick and was face-down in snow throwing up.

“My best friend half-carried, half-walked me home.  I went to visit a friend in my dorm; I climbed into bed with him.  I don’t remember any of this.  There are pictures of me hovering over the toilet.  I woke up the next morning with a garbage pail full of vomit next to my bed.  I don’t remember any of this.  It’s funny – my friends laugh about it.  But really, I could have been very close to being dead there.  It’s not a funny situation.”

 

♦The final consideration to make about binge drinking is this : it can bring a lifetime of pain.  While in college, Casey McCary Bloom drank heavily for several hours and then drove while intoxicated.  He caused an accident that resulted in the death of a teenage girl.  He was sentenced to 21 years in prison and is incarcerated in Florida.

“In one blink of an eye, my college career violently was taken away from me,” he writes.  “Fear, sadness, and a painful sense of confusion is cast over me as I lie here in a cold, lonely place called prison.  I am facing 21 years in prison for one mistake I made and regret – to drink and drive.  I, like many of you, was a college student with my whole life ahead of me.  The choice I made to get behind the wheel of a car drunk took every bit of my life, along with a piece of my heart, away from me.”

 

Teetotaling may not be such a bad idea after all, for people who never drink never have alcohol-related consequences to regret.

Smart Breakfast Ideas for Kids October 11, 2010

Breakfast is brain food for kids.  While skipping breakfast is a bad idea for anyone, kids will feel the impact more.  They have a higher ratio of brain weight to liver weight, which means that their brains’ overnight demand for glucose more quickly outstrips the supply stored in the liver than it does in adults.  Thus, refueling with the right breakfast is vitally important.

Ways breakfast helps kids

• More Energy. Research shows that kids who eat breakfast can accomplish more at school and at play, including sports.  The right breakfast can supply your children with more than one-quarter (1/4) of their daily energy requirement.
• Greater Learning Ability. A good breakfast improves concentration, allowing kids to better absorb new information and solve problems and enjoy faster memory recall.  Benefits have been specifically found for reading and math.
• Better Behavior. Breakfast eaters attend school more regularly and have more positive interactions with their fellow students and teachers.  Hungry kids are more prone to irritability, nervousness, headaches, colds, and ear infections.

What to feed them

• Cereal Choice. Select a whole-grain, high-fiber cereal with low-fat milk and fruit, or make cooked cereal using traditional oats, honey, and cinnamon.  Grating a fresh green apple into oats that have been soaking overnight in milk is also delicious.
• Bread Option. Offer whole-grain toast spread with natural peanut butter and topped with a sliced banana or a scrambled egg with baby spinach and mushrooms.
• On the Go. Prepare a fresh fruit smoothie of low-fat milk, a dollop of yogurt, and some wheat germ or bran.
• Weekend Special. For a treat, try home-made pancakes, crepes, or muffins using whole-wheat flour and served with a savory vegetable topping / filling or fresh / canned fruit, honey, and / or cashew nut cream (rather than ice cream and syrup).

Guard Your Heart August 2, 2010

Temptation comes in all kinds of sizes and shapes, and often it doesn’t look like temptation! Below is a testimony from a lady, a teacher who experienced the temptation in love life. Interesting story, take some time to ponder upon.

“Lisa, you’re an angel!” Steve exclaimed as he spotted the bulletin board I’d put up in his classroom. As a single, busy elementary school teacher, I had few opportunities for appreciation from men my age. Now my handsome co-teacher noticed that I’d gone the extra mile, and it warmed my heart.

A bit too much.

Steve and I had taught in the same Christian school for several years and had recently been teamed to teach third and fourth graders.

I’d always been single; Steve had been married for three years. He and Sharon had just welcomed their first child, and Steve was showing up to work bleary-eyed from wakeful hours with his colicky son. I covered for him by grading papers, creating bulletin boards, and setting up classroom rosters. In return, Steve offered me gratitude, friendship, a listening ear, and witty comments.

We were good together. As the quick one who saw solutions intuitively, I could accomplish a huge amount of work in a short time. More thoughtful and deliberate, Steve considered motives, saw where plans could go awry, and could fix broken things in the classrooms. Many Sunday afternoons, as I prepared for the coming week, Steve worked in his homeroom next door, with our adjoining door open. It was a companionable time.

As the school year progressed, Steve and I became closer as we sought solutions and survived the bumps of student and parent interactions. We arranged fun field trips, devised new twists on our system for effective behavior management, groaned over silly third- and fourth-grade stunts, and counted the days until summer.

We savored our friendship.

Then I heard the rumor. The physical education teacher had wondered aloud to a staff member whether I had a crush on Steve. I reacted with dismay and fury. Reputations are valuable, and I didn’t appreciate her messing with mine.

“That’s ridiculous,” I declared. “We work together. We’re friends. That’s it.”

“Well,” my colleague said, “you know she’s a gossip.”

“She can gossip about someone else,” I groused, hoping that would be the last of it.

But the rumors and innuendos resurfaced in words from one colleague or another. I worried over these comments. I could see how a gossipy teacher might wonder as she watched us walk together to the school office, deep in conversation. But she didn’t need to jump to conclusions. I was a Christian. I had never done anything unseemly, ever. Neither had Steve.

Our second year was more fun than the first. Steve and I picked up comfortably where we’d left off the previous spring. We functioned as a well-oiled team with strong, mutual loyalty. It felt like a mom-and-pop thing.

But as the school year progressed, I finally faced up to myself. I had begun fantasizing about being “Mom” to Steve’s “Pop.” More than that, I suspected I wasn’t the only one in trouble. I rarely saw Steve and Sharon together, and when I did, I sensed an air of tension between them. I also noticed that Steve didn’t rush home at the end of the school day and that he spent long hours in his classroom on the weekends. Ominously, this made sense to me. Maybe home wasn’t so good. My inner chatter compared me to Steve’s wife, and I ended up looking pretty good.

Then the Holy Spirit broke through. What on earth are you doing, Lisa? the inner Voice asked.

I was finally willing to admit that I’d gotten emotionally attached to Steve. Too attached. And if my observations about Steve and his wife were on track, I knew I wasn’t safe.

“So what now?” I asked God in my worship time. “What do I do with these feelings?”

Go away.

“Go away where?”

Silence.

Should I find another school to teach in? Exactly what did “go away” mean?

I thought about it through the spring and made a decision. I’d leave town as soon as school was out and drive 1,500 miles to my parents’ place. While there, I would pray for Steve and Sharon. I couldn’t pray about my feelings for Steve, because, frankly, I enjoyed them. But I could pray that Steve’s and Sharon’s marriage would improve. That would be right for Steve, even if it left me with less.

Go away. Pray.

It’s tough to pray for one thing when you’d rather have another. When you’re in the midst of it, the whole situation is confusing. But confusion evaporates when you choose to walk in God’s ways.

Several spiritual truths have become clear as I’ve reflected on my experience:

1) Good Christians are vulnerable.

People rarely teach Christians about the need to guard their hearts. We tend to assume that if you’re connected to God, you’ll never have to deal with more than the fleeting physical attraction to an out-of-bounds person. Right?

Wrong.

God never promised to keep us away from temptation. He only promised that He has been there before us and will see us through it.

2) Vigilance must be a Christian’s daily stance.

“Above all else,” warns Solomon, “guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life” (Proverbs 4:23). If we weren’t vulnerable to straying hearts, we wouldn’t have to guard them. Straying from wisdom (and from one’s spouse) isn’t just the domain of high-profile celebrities who throw away marriages left and right. Our own hearts constantly betray us.

3) The observations of others can cue us in to danger.

“He who listens to a life-giving rebuke will be at home among the wise. He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding” (Proverbs 15:31, 32). It’s important to consider the observations of others, even when they seem critical or accusing. My colleague’s gossip infuriated me, but, in the end, it was her remarks and my attempt to counter them that forced me to face up to my situation. God uses all kinds of people and circumstances to help us recognize dangerous circumstances.

4) When we recognize danger, turn to God.

When God comes walking in our direction, it’s in our sinful nature to be ashamed and hide. But God comes to help and to guide. Our sinfulness doesn’t prevent the Holy Spirit’s voice from finding us in times of danger, as long as we are open to hearing it. “Do not be anxious about anything,” says Paul in one of my favorite passages, “but in everything, by prayer and petition, . . . present your requests to God” (Philippians 4:6). He invites us to bring our messes to Him.

5) God gives peace.

It was scary when I realized I was out of God’s plan and didn’t even want to change. That’s when God stepped in. Paul says, “And the peace of God, . . . will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus” (verse 7). When guarding our hearts is beyond our own desires and control, God is ready to grant His peace to guard our hearts and minds.

6) We can refocus.

While God is working with our hearts and minds, we can choose to refocus. Paul says, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things” (verse 8). We have the power—vastly underrated in an upside-down world where self-serving values and passions reign supreme— to deliberately turn our thoughts aside. But God has told us where to focus, and following His instructions turns things right-side-up again.

So, I refocused. Over the summer, I read, visited old friends, helped with Vacation Bible School at the local church, and traveled. When I found my thoughts turning to Steve, I prayed that God would strengthen his marriage, then forced my thoughts to other things. And it worked! It was a good summer.

Returning to work in the fall, I noticed right off that Steve and Sharon had grown closer over the summer. Sharon dropped by work more often to see him; he left for home earlier in the afternoon. I found myself amazed at God’s answer to my prayer. Although I felt lonely, I also felt more secure. Time passed, and my attraction to Steve slowly faded, even as we continued to work together. Life moved on and eventually so did I, to a life of greater joy and sweeter companionship than I could have imagined.

“Guard your heart,” Solomon advised. Despite the media saying it’s the ultimate joy to be swept off your feet by love, it is not right to be caught in an affection outside of God’s plan. We must be vigilant, listen to the counsel of others, seek God and His will, move out of a path of darkness, and to refocus our lives on His qualities and values.

We are not helpless, at the mercy of our longings. God has promised strength for the asking. Living by principle can be a wrenching struggle, but the strength gained in such a painful battle prepares the disciple’s character for heaven.

Long-Distance Relationship May 26, 2010

要开始一段远距离的爱情，必须清楚以下几点：

1. 他不能无时无刻都在你的身边，你们或许一个月、三个月， 甚至半年才能见一次面。每一次见面，或许只有区区的三、四天，甚至更少。

2. 当你生病的时候，不要期望他会端你温水，让你服药，因为 他或许在另外一头忙得不可开交。

3. 当他生病的时候，随时聆听他对你的埋怨、娇嗲，他或许 会埋怨说，你不能及时在他的生病出现，虽然在你生病的时候他也一样没见踪迹。

4. 当你一连发他几封短讯，他没有回复你，你开始担心他的 安危，不知道他究竟在做些什么。多心的你，或许会想到他遭逢不测。越是紧张，你越怀疑自己是否能够承受得了这段感情。

5. 当你的身边一直出现成天粘在一块的情侣的时候，你心里面有些妒嫉、羡慕，为什么他和你的距离竟相差那么远。

6. 当你某些重要的日子，如生日、情人节，而他又不在你的 身边的时候，你要懂得自己找节目。这个时候，你会发觉身边的朋友，似乎比他来得更为重要。

7. 当你厌倦了远距离恋爱，你的脑子会有一刻闪出要和他分 手的理由，这个时候，你要让自己的情绪平稳下来，告诉自己， 这并不是什么，你可以承受得住。

8. 当你发觉自己已经没有信心谈这段恋爱的时候，不要把这种感觉抑郁在心里面，坦诚地向他说明，让他知道你的多心。 他爱你，自然会想尽办法消除你心里面的郁结。摆在心里面，只会让你变得越来越缺乏信心，而且还会自怨自艾。

9. 他或许不能三时五刻随时和你联络，你有很多事情，他可能成为最后一个知道的人。相同的，他不想让远方的你担忧， 很多事都等解决了以后才告诉你结果。不要生气他为什么不告诉你，他不想让你担忧。这是他爱的表现，你要习惯、接受、包容。

10. 很多时候，听别人说：“距离不是问题。”这个是每个人都了解的道理，可是实践的是自己。你必须要有很大的决心、信心。距离是不是你们两个人真正的问题？就算你们的 距离被缩小，问题依然存在吗？不要怪罪距离，适当的沟通能够化解这个障碍。静下来思考，你们的爱，是否能够经得起这 个考验？

当你发现自己在生理上、心理上已经准备好这一切，请接受他， 并承诺，最后不要以“遥远的距离”为你们分手的烂理由。倘若，他真的是值得你所爱的人。

Tofu Cheese Cake (Vegetarian) May 13, 2010

An easy recipe for a healthy Vegetarian Tofu Cheese Cake

Tofu Cheese Cake (Vegetarian)

Ingredients:

(A)

4 Cup                   Tofu (mashed)

2 teaspoon            Vanilla essence

1 teaspoon            Salt

1/4 Cup                Pineapple juice

1/2 Cup                Honey

1/2 Cup                Olive oil

2 teaspoon            Lemon juice

(B)

2 Cup                   Granola

2 Tablespoon        Olive oil

3 Tablespoon        Water

2 Tablespoon        Honey

Method:

1.  Put Ingredients (A) into blender and whiz half at a time until creamy.

2.  Mix Ingredients (B) together and blend it.

3.  Press (B) into bottom of a 9″ x 12″ baking dish and pour blended (A) over top, spread evenly and bake at 170ºC for 20 mins until just brown on sides.

4.  Let it cool and store in the fridge.  Serve cold.

Famous Person… or not? May 10, 2010

Since young, I always have this question in mind, why I wasn’t some famous person that rocks the whole world with my expertise, my talent.  Sometimes, thinking of it makes me always have dreams that will lead me to noway.  I guess not only me who will have this “stupid” and “childish” thoughts.

When we grew up, we always have a dream in heart that we, someday will become a doctor, pilot, teacher, firemen etc etc.  Some of you will really determine what you want and follow the path to your dreams.  Some of you might not have these strong determination and ended up at another side of your dreams.  Is this make you a loser?  NO!!!  You are a winner in your life no matter what if you carry out your life meaningfully.

Often of times, people will judge whether we are successful or not by whether we achieve our ambition.  Let me tell you, I feel these a useless measurement for every human being.  When someone didn’t achieve what they dreamed, they are not useless, they are just being born for another purpose in life.

We all have different calling in life.  Some are born to be doctors, some are born to be administrators, some are born to be a cleaner.  This doesn’t make us any different in status.  I do not agree of these status’ discrimination.  Just imagine that the White House without cleaner, the hotels without room-keeper and streets without scavenger.

What I want to say is that, we need to pay respect to those who is doing those job that seems to be at the lowest range in the organization’s hierarchy.

Have a nice day, folks!

–FINISH–

Who is Your Enemies? February 27, 2010

Yes, you heard me… Who is your enemies?  This is the time that you need to think carefully, is the one that always complain about you in front of others?  Or is the one that is closely next to you that seems doing all good things to you?

Tell you what, our enemies not the one who talk bad about us in front of us or in front of others, but is the one who seems to love you, but talking trash at the back of you.  BEWARE!!!!

Loyalty? Destiny? October 8, 2009

What’s the most essential element in a relationship?  Trust?  Loyalty? or just simply fate, destiny?  I’ve been asking myself this question over and over again.  The more I think about it, the more I’m scared of being loved and love others.  The world has become so ugly and selfish.  Love ain’t pure anymore.

Love at first sight?  NO WAY!!!  Love is blind?  YES, indeed it is!!!  People will do anything just to get rid of their hunger for love.

What is love?  Is it something that make us beautiful for who we are?  Or it is just something that change us into an ugly human kind?

The love from the very beginning of the world, is pure, is true and is beautiful.  God who loves the world, that He gave His only begotten Son to die for us so that we can live.

Isn’t it great?  But all changed when sins come in to the picture.  Love became so selfish until it hurts people that’s around us.

Love ain’t great, Love ain’t pure, Love ain’t true.

This few months, I’ve come across many issues, problems between couples.  Being a friend, a counselor to them, I feel very hurt as of I’m the one who being betrayed by my partner.  Many talking, prayer has done.  Many tears has shed.

I looked back my life, and I know why I’m still single and not in any relationship.  That’s because I’m really scared of being hurt by the one that I love the most.

The heart of trust less, gain no love.

It’s Been Awhile… October 8, 2009

Things happened and much to say. Let me find some time to write it down as a journal of my life…

Freedom August 3, 2009

What’s the definition of FREEDOM?

Being free to do anything you want?  No reserve?  Not being controlled?  Do whatever is in your mind without any restriction.  Do anything and everything even though is illegal?

I guess we really cannot measure what is freedom.

For some people, freedom, it means free from restriction of parents.  Some said, no over powering.  Some said, no control.  Some said, no laws.

What’s the real meaning of FREEDOM?  Let me share something with you a conversation between a man and a woman.

Man:  Let’s meet and discuss it after lunch, because I cannot go out with you guys for dinner as my girlfriend not allow me to… =(

Woman:  ooo, poor guy, you will missed the fun man!

Man:  what to do, she always beef me for going out until so late…

Woman:  Seriously not going?  There will be your favorite food there though =)

Man:  How I wish I can join but noooo… she don’t let me go… =(

Woman:  Pity you, sometimes is good to be single, you know!

Man:  Ya, girls are very hard to understand sometimes… =(

For me, this man, he is not happy at all for being tie down by the girlfriend.

What is FREEDOM?  I think beside talking about free from anything and everything around you, is time to think about the freedom in relationship too.

Do you often of time restrict your partner to attend gatherings with his/her friends?  Do you often of time stop your partner to achieve something that he/she  wanted to have for long long time ago?  Do you complaint a lot when your partner did something that you don’t want him/her to do?  Do you?  DO YOU?

In every relationship, beside trust, the element of “freedom” is important too.  Some adequate “breathing space (aka personal time)” is a really good way to spice up the relationship.

Tie-up them is not a way to show love and caring， it is actually showing them that, you want to throttle the life, the fun and the relationship.

It is wise to let your partner go out and have some sweet time with his/her friends.  By doing this, together, let them come home whatever time they want to by trusting them that they are doing good out there.  Leave them alone without your calls.  Stalking will just ruin everything!!!  Give them some private space, and you, enjoy your quiet moment if you are not going out with your friends.

Guys and girls, how you want people to treat you, is all depends on how you treat other people.

Be a wise person for your partner. =)