Spicy Uno

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Uno – World wide fun

Forget the old, and start playing the new… When you think of Uno you think of draw fours, draw twos, and skips. But what do you think when you hear Spicey Uno? Well, let me tell you it’s just like Uno but spicier, duh. 

Let me start with the rules, they are complicated but after a few rounds, each player can catch on quick. You need to brush up on regular Uno, but likewise, you deal 7 cards to each player and go around in a circle playing the cards that either match the color or number played beforehand. 

  • If anyone plays a 6 card, everyone must slap the table or surface you are playing on. The last person to slap the table must draw two cards. Might sound like a herd of wild elephants..
  • If anyone plays a 7 card, the whole group must be silent until another 7 card is laid down. If the group is silent and someone talks then the person that spoke must draw a card. So, basically you play the quiet game a few times.
  • If a +2 or +4 card is laid down then the train rule is put in place. So, if someone puts down a +2, the next player doesn’t have to draw 2 cards if they also have a +2, the next player without a +2 card must draw all of the cards that were put down. And, if you have my luck you might end up having to draw 12 cards.
  • One of the best rules is the nice rule, if a player needs a card to continue they can tap the table and any other player can offer them a card. If it’s playable the player lays it down but if the nice person offers a non playable card and they take it, it must remain in their stack. So, hopefully the person is just trying to be nice instead of tricking the player in need, haha. 
  • The spiciest rule in the game is… When any card is played, if you have the exact same card in your hand, you can play it right then, even if it’s not your turn, as long as you put it down before anyone else. Play then resumes with the player next to the player who just played the card. So, you better have quick reflexes.

These rules are very interesting, but from my own experience, it was very fast-paced and super fun. It takes a while to get used to, but once you know the rules you will be slapping the table and playing out of turn just like a professional. Today I played for the first time and let’s just say it took about 7 rounds for me to actually win a game. And being super competitive I was getting angry and anxious. But, finally, the round came where I slapped the table first and was laying down every card out of turn, and I won! So, I hope everyone else will have as much fun playing Spicy Uno as I did. 

This game is best played with friends and family, and make sure everyone is super competitive because some feelings may or may not get hurt. Lol.  This new and improved Uno is the best addition to add to the next family game night.

Who is a Leader?

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When I hear inspirational leaders I think of teen motivational speaker Sadie Robertson, climate change activist Greta Thunberg, or even pop singer Demi Lovato. These three are often seen in the news or on social media speaking and expressing their views about something they are very passionate about. They are famous so of course when they speak, whether it is through music or events, many people tune in to listen and hear what they have to say.  

But, what about those who do not have the same resources to reach thousands of people and large audiences or the ability to network their ideas nationwide. 

In Inspire to Actions, Simon Sinek speaks about that common day person and how they can start their movements and how to take action within a community and become a leader. His main point throughout it all is that a great leader is able to set aside the hate and violence just to show how people can accomplish getting from point A to point B, from within their movement. Which just means that in order to be an accomplished leader you need to be an expert on describing where we, as the people, are going in the future despite what is going on. 

For example, the most inspirational leader I can think of was one of the twentieth century’s best advocates for nonviolent social change, he was so powerful that overtime laws were changed and the Civil Rights Act was put in place. Martin Luther King Jr. spoke to thousands of people about what he believed was right and wrong, and he also lead thousands of people in non-violent protest. He was creative, he was voluntary, he acted and spoke with poise, and he expressed to the people how to get from where they were all the way to where they wanted to be. 

Martin Luther King Jr. – Biography.com

So in order for an average person like you and myself to become a leader, we need to take action and not just sit back and watch. We cant be discouraged just by who we are but we must be encourage to see where we can go and what we can do. 

As I sit here and type, I can’t think of any-one cause I would want to lay it all out on the line for and follow and lead. But, if I had that passion then I know that I could look within my school to help me follow it. Diane Wolk-Rogers, a high school teacher, talks about how her students lead and planned a movement within their school. One day at Margery Steelman Douglass High School, Diane and her students were some of the many that made it to safety after a mass shooting occurred within the halls of the school. They were scarred and scared after it happened, but they were also inspired, they wanted the laws to change so that this awful event would never happen to anyone else anywhere else. Diane watched her students lead protests and marches to try and change what they believe were senseless gun laws. She says that she saw the group develop in front of her from a core group of leaders who were eager to engage all about the same issue. 

Students rally for gun reform, Wikipedia

If CHS were to experience the same thing that Diane and her students experience, I know students would be eager and willing to take charge for a change. Not only would CHS unit and rally together, but from within the true leaders would sprout and we would have our own “Greta’s” and “Sadie’s” and even a few “Demi’s” just in one spot. And leadership and encouragement would be overflowing from one place. People wouldn’t be scared because they are comforted by their peers, and they would also be talking about the future and what was to come in a positive way. 

So not only can a movement arise from anywhere but this movement can be life-changing and so can its leaders.

Out of Harm’s Way

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Autism: Which children can respond to oxytocin treatment?

Where do you find your source of strength? For example, my three year old cousin finds his strength within his older brother, Trucker, and of course his favorite show, Bubble Guppies. These two things not only make him smile, but he longs for them when he is scared or sad. This sounds like the regular toddler, but Ryder is different. He has autism. Ryder’s case is pretty common for children with autism because he still cannot speak and everything that a normal baby learned came to him at a much later time. Unlike nap time and playing at regular preschools he has to go to a different school, one where he has one-on-one learning that can help him tremendously in his development.

It just so happens Ted Radios episode of  “Overcoming” special guest Temple Gradin also has autism. She talks about how since she was young, her parents knew she didn’t act and interact with others as a normal little girl did. Since then she went to many doctors appointments and met with many neurologists, who all told her she had brain damage. This ailment caused her to not fit in with others or have many friends which later led to depression. Even though this diagnosis was cruel to her as a child it eventually led to Mrs. Temple’s greatest life achievement, cattle-processing facilities all over America. She states that if she wasn’t faced with the challenges that came along with autism the she would have never succeeded in and would never of pushed herself as much as she had to. 

Not only is Mrs.Temple Grandin a miracle but she is hope, hope for other autistic kids, and hope for Ryder. Her struggles with autism allowed her to dig deep to find her inner strength and once she did, she realized that she could use her disability to solve problems that others couldn’t. 

As a child with disabilities Ryder’s parents are prepared to be there for him when times get tough as he grows up, such as times that Mrs. Gradin experienced during her childhood. Because they know this world is cruel, especially to those that are different.  All of this goes to show that Ryder and other children with disabilities that have been “different” from the day they were born, will have to continue to find sources of strength through their friends and family in order to bring a smile to their face during hard times, no matter what is thrown at them.

So no matter who or what has you down, find that one thing whether it is your brother, your favorite TV show, or even science to pull you out of the deep end. I challenge you to allow it to help you overcome and give you the strength you need to get over the obstacle. Because you are strong and loved and you can do anything you put your mind too!

The Fear of Death

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Hidden Brain – Scott MacBride/Getty Images

Death, it surrounds us, it could be waiting for us at our next destination, whether it is a car wreck, a stroke, or a nasty fall, we tend to try not to think of it or push it to the back of our minds, but it is something that is unavoidable, something that our lives all eventually come too. 

I know that pretty much everyone comes across the thought of death every now and then, but what many people mainly fear is that of the unknown, the uncertainty of what happens or is to come next. A Lot of people question, “What comes after death?”, but no one knows for sure. Being a Christian myself, I believe that their is a place for me reserved up in the sky and that my life will continue on up there. Others think apart from that in many ways. 

The uncertainty of it is what racks peoples nerves, they can think and dream of what is to come but they never truly know for sure because it is an unknown event. 

Sheldon Solomon describes “thanatophobia” in the podcast, “We’re All Going To Die! How Fear of Death Drives our Behavior”, as the fear of dying, act of dying, and what happens after death. His drive to become a psychologist began when he was as young as four years old, when his grandmother passed away. This was the first time he has ever been faced with the word “death”. As he grew up his own mortality became his biggest fear and he was afraid of things that could cause him or his loved ones harm, so he shied away from those events. Which caused him great depression and lack of love and happiness within his family and personal relationships. This fear was keeping him away from everything he loved, once he has children he realized what he had been missing out on. Once he came out of this depression he researched and confided in other physicians that were educated on the topic. 

One of his close friends Ernest Becker wrote a best selling book, The Denial of Death, it has many brilliant answers to the “why” of human existence. Becker tackles the problem of the vital lie – man’s refusal to acknowledge his fear of mortality. Becker and Solomon have worked together and come to many conclusions of the human population and one is simply that we are the only ones that can control our fears. 

As we all know no one can escape the harsh word – death. But, people need to realize that once you focus on death that is when your life will actually come to an end. Once you let it take over your thoughts and actions is when your fear comes to life. People need to live their lives in order to remain happy, in control, and to feel worthy of the life they are living. The thoughts of death can shape our actions in good ways, such as keeping us safe from activities that might harm us, but even though death has many frightening aspects behind what can happen, we can not let it control our lives.

What if?

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“Harmful Thinking” from Debby Hampton on the 10 most common negative thinking patterns and how to changed them.

This might sound weird, but I know other people have those random shower thoughts that just flow through your mind while you’re in the middle of shampooing and conditioning. Well, mine mostly consist of “what if” questions; which are just conversations or arguments that I replay over and over in my head, thinking to myself that if I would have just said one contrasting phrase or word then the whole ending would have been different. 

Along with winning an argument, I also think about experiences that have occurred in my life, crazy things I have witnessed, and even car wrecks that I have been in. All of these things that I was in the right place for at the right time, even if they were not all good. 

All of these instances make you rethink; what if I would’ve changed clothes one more time before I left or what if I would have taken the longer way home instead. It makes you contemplate how things would have ended differently if only one single thing had happened in contrast to its reality.

Even though we know that we cannot change the past we rethink it as if we could, this type of thinking is called counterfactual thinking. Psychologist Dan Gilbert explains how this way of thinking can cause harm to the human brain, in the weekly Human Brain podcast, he states that this process can change the way we feel about our past and how we look towards our future. This way of thinking is often related to a death related event that you witnessed or were a key part of. These thoughts can cause harm to our minds because this type of mental stimulation is useless most of the time and just overwhelms a person’s mind and body. These thoughts can affect a person’s emotions causing them to experience regret or guilt about the event, and even cause them to blame themselves for what had happened.

On the other hand, counterfactual thinking can also be useful, because this alternate reality that we created in our minds is a set of options that we may act upon in the future. If this sort of event were to happen again then we would be ready and be prepared to act upon it, due to overthinking in the past. So when you go to rethink an argument or encounter, do not go straight to the “what ifs?”, try to think of the “what should I do next time?”, or even “how do I better prepare myself if this happens again?”. Try and use your own mind to your advantage, instead of allowing it to cause harm to your past thoughts and your future ones. 

Do Names Matter?

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In Freakonomics rebroadcast of “How Much Does Your Name Matter?”, Dalton Conley, a sociologist at Princeton University, brings in his children to discuss his book Parentology. 

Dalton Conley’s children have two very exquisite names, his daughters name is E and his son is named Yo. Mr. Conley decided to give his children these names to begin a social scientist experiment, about names and what affect they have on a person. Dalton believes that who you are, who you turn out to be, may be related to the name that you were given when you were born. He wishes to create the question of; Would my children be treated differently with names like Sara and Jake?

The Conley children names are extraordinarily long, but Mr. Dalton let his children choose what they would go by. Harper Nora Jeremijenko- Conley was shortened to E, and Yo Xing Heyno Augustus Eisner Alexander Weiser Knuckles Jeremijenko- Conley was shortened to Yo. These ideas of nicknames convey a personal realization, E and Yo will always have interesting names that some people may not like, but it does not matter as long as E and Yo live the life they choose and live it greatly through their names. 

As the show continues, the topic of popularity with friends and parents is erupted. Conley believes that when a parent chooses their kids’ names, they are mainly trying to impress others instead of thinking of the child. Thoughts are always swarming their brain wondering if he/she will approve or if he/she will want to be friends with someone of that name. He advises to stay away from this type of parenting before the child is even born, because it will carry on into how the child is raised as well.

Steve Levitt is brought onto the show and brings light on the radical revolution in black names throughout the 1970’s. As many of us remember, blacks and whites were having very similar names during this time frame. I believe that this was a way that African Americans could show that the color of their skin did not make them unequal to others, so they named their kids they same as other white children. Over a period of 10 years this mindset has completely changed, black parents decided that the identity they wanted for their children was one of their own, and one that was distinctly different from white culture. 

Both Levitt and Conley have spent their lives trying to measure something life the effect of a name. They each show that names not only reflect on the child but also the parents, a parent must choose a name that their child can stand out and make a difference with, not a name that is appropriate and allowed by in society.

Your full name is your identity, but at the end of the day and at the end of the show, this name is just a “name” it does not define what you will and can do in life. So, always live it to the fullest no matter if your name is Sara or just a letter in the alphabet, like E. 

Death Wish?

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  • Jill Heinerth says Dan’s Cave on Abaco Island, Bahamas, is her “favorite cave on Earth.”
    Jill Heinerth/Ecco

In the special podcast series of  “In Fresh Air” the spotlight is shown on some of the best interviews and reviews of the weekend. For this weekly special, Jill Heinerth, who is a cave diver, photographer, and memoirist talks about her most adventurous and dangerous cave dives. 

She constantly gets asked, “Are you looking for a death wish?”, and after hearing of her experiences you would think so too. Except she shows us that despite how dangerous her occupation is, it is thrilling, educational, and she gets to go places that others have never seen or even heard of. 

Before hearing this podcast, the occupation of “Cave Diving” had never crossed my mind, especially not in icebergs found in the FREEZING cold waters of Alaska. Jill talks a little about her new book, which starts off with a thrilling story of how three of her closest companions and herself found themselves stuck in the, “biggest iceberg on the planet, which is close to the size of Jamaica”. 

My jaw dropped at that comparison, but after I picked it up, I just pictured how utterly amazing and breathtaking that would be. 

Jill states how her and her friends had to dig deep and try and stay warm while they swam through the iceberg to find another path towards safety. She says that she is just a tiny bit more experienced in cave diving than her friends, so she had to stay calm so they would not flip their lid. One of the things that stuck out most to me, was what she said next: “Instead of allowing my emotions to take over my body, I took many deep breaths and focused on the small steps I had to take to get to my goal.” This lady seems like the bravest women ever just by how she handled the situation that was at hand, but many do not have the same happy ending as Jill and her friends did…

Mrs. Heinerth states that cave diving is the most dangerous occupation in the world, and she has even lost close to one hundred friends and close companions while they also performed the same job as herself. But, not only has Jill has to endure the pain of losing a friend, she is even called upon to help groups dive down and find the remains of the person. Due to, EMTs not specializing in that category of rescue. 

This podcast brings to life a job that is performed all over, even in all types of conditions. It doesn’t matter the water temperatures, Jill Heinerth and her crew have overcome all to dive in the scariest but astounding of places. She says that despite the fear that many have, the beauty and knowledge that is found in these fascinating places condratics all danger. If she wear to ever die in one of her dives, she would rather it be in the depths of the ocean than anywhere else.