"To be persuasive we must be believable; to be believable we must be credible;
to be credible we must be truthful." - Edward R Murrow

Nature Box Review




Nature Box was founded as a way to help people eat healthier.  This monthly subscription box service provides subscribers with five nutritionist approved snacks every month right to their door steps for only $19.95 with free shipping.
The Nature Box promise is that the snacks that are included within each box are made with wholesome ingredients and minimally processed if at all. There is no high fructose corn syrup, no partially hydrogenated oils, no trans fat, no artificial sweeteners, no artificial colors and no artificial colors. However, the snacks are packed in a facility that also processes free nuts, peanuts, milk, wheat, egg and soy so people with allergies to any of the aforementioned would probably not be a subscriber.
To give some idea of what one would be receiving in a Nature Box here are the contents of the February 2013 Nature Box:
1) Blueberry Nom Noms:  These would be most comparable to a cookie. The bag came with four of these snacks which were 90 calories each. They contained oats, honey, blueberries, almonds, pumpkin seeds, etc. Out of all the snacks within the box this one was the one that had the most processing and the most ingredients. The taste would appeal to someone who really enjoys oatmeal cookies with blueberries. They are very soft and easy to chew. 
2) Dark Cocoa Almonds:  These are chocolate covered almonds. At first glance it looks as though it is just powder but with further investigation there is a very nice layer of chocolate covering the almond. The serving size was one ounce which had 150 calories and four servings per container. These are good to just take a handful and snack on. The box contained a recipe to make Almond Joy flavored popcorn and the Dark Cocoa Almonds would be used. This would be the most popular snack for someone with a sweet tooth.
3) Vanilla Macaroon Granola: Nature Box always likes to have at least one granola product within its box. This granola is good to mix with Greek or regular yogurt or could even be used as a topping for baked apple crisp. It has dried pieces of coconut  within it as well as almonds. The serving size is half a cup which contains 260 calories and two and a half servings per container.  
4) Honeycomb Sunflower Kernels: Some people don't like to eat sunflower seeds, but these sunflower seeds taste just like honey. There are so many sunflower kernels in the container it feels like it is a never ending supply. They are perfect for snacking, just like intended for.  The serving size is an ounce which is 160 calories and there are five servings per container.
5) Nature's Bounty:  This is just an assortment of organic nuts and berries (and the label says organic in front of every ingredient) including sunflower nuts, cranberries, apricots, raisins, soy nuts, almonds, apples and walnuts.  These aren't very sweet, but they will soothe any sudden hunger pangs or the urges to snack.The serving size for these is a fourth of a cup at 130 calories a serving with three and a half serving per container.
Nature Box is partnered with Feeding America and donates one meal for every box sold to feed the millions of children in America who go hungry. 
For more information or to get your very own Nature Box go to http://naturebox.com or their blog http://blog.naturebox.com. Use the code REFER25 to get $5 off your first box.


Originally written for The Maine Edge.

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Nature Box Video Review

Written review to follow in upcoming posts :)

Here is the video review of the first Nature Box I received:


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Criticism of Steubenville Rape Media Coverage By CNN


The media's coverage of the Steubenville rape was certainly bias in the fact that the reporting that was seen seemed to favor the rapists as opposed to the showing any remorse toward the rape victim. As reported by the Christian Science Monitor:

          "But CNN, the flagship of 24-hour news, has also become the target of widespread online outrage for its extended coverage following the verdict. In various segments, respected CNN anchor Candy Crowley discussed the verdict with her team of reporters and analysts, using words such as “tragedy” to describe the impact – not on the young victim – but on the lives of the two convicted boys

Reporter Poppy Harlow said, it was “incredibly difficult even for an outsider like me to watch what happened as these two young men that had such promising futures, star football players, very good students, literally watched as they believe their life fell apart.”
The discussion continued along these lines, including legal analysis of the permanent requirement to register as sex offenders.  There were no comments from the victim or from rape advocacy groups.
Within a day at least three online petitions reacting to CNN’s coverage sprang up, calling it “awful” and calling for redress. By Tuesday the petitions had gathered some 200,000 signatures. The verdict that the judge handed down was justice – not a "tragedy," one petition reads, adding, “the tragedy was the rape. Please apologize and make this right.” "
    
The media is supposed to remain unbiased. This is partially why I think that print journalism is truly the only way to remain unbiased, because there is less of a chance that the reporter will drop a personal opinion into the article if it is a hard news article or feature, because the editor will spot it and remove it. The television news anchors and reporters are more likely to make side comments as well as personal commentary on their feelings toward a story. A facial expression or tone of voice can also be leading in a way that shows a bias. 
Would I be writing this blog post if the media had shown a bias toward the victim instead of remaining completely objective? Probably not. That's a whole different blog post all together though. The fact that it seemed like there was more caring about these "poor 16-year-old football stars whose futures were ruined" as opposed to an applause at justice being served in the case that rapists are being put away for their heinous crime is just ludicrous. 





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Janelle The Cat


Last year I began a blog for my cat, Janelle. I was in a class where I was required to create ANOTHER blog (like I don't already have enough of them with Future of Journalism & Zennie62 & NY Post, etc). So I decided that I would create a blog for my beautiful cat, Janelle. In case anyone was interested in following that blog or seeing what it is about here you go. I have not updated that blog in quite a while, but if there are any requests for me to update it then I definitely will. I will try to post more videos and some fun anecdotes. I currently live in a house with 7 people, 4 dogs and my one cat so there are lots of stories that I deal with everyday.

This blog will continue to focus on the future of journalism as well as posting my articles that I have published for The Maine Edge or any other publication.

Blog posts to look forward to include a post about journalists publishing the name of rape victims, another look at suicide in the media and a review of April 8, 2013's Media Day.

King's Daughter's Home


On 89 Ohio Street in Bangor is a home to college females who don't want to live on campus and do not want to find an apartment on their own. King's Daughter's Home is an all-girls Christian home which is currently home to the house parents Dave and Lauretta Kulp, as well as three college students, one of them being New England School of Communications student Taylor Pond Evans who heard about KDH through her financial aid advisor.
"I was in a situation where if I couldn't find a place to live off campus next school year then I wouldn't be going to college at all. Room and board was so ridiculously expensive that there was just no way I could afford it. Funny enough, my advisor heard about it from her kickboxing instructor and everything just fell into place," Evans said.
Evans and her mother did not like the idea of her living in an apartment by herself or with others.
"I'll be the first to admit that I am nowhere near ready to be independent and on my own. King's Daughter's is a place where you learn to be on your own without actually being on your own," Evans said.
KDH costs residents around $600 per month and includes home cooked meals from house mother Lauretta as well as access to television, internet, your own bedroom, access to washer and dryer and security. However, there are still some rules that need to be followed in order to be able to live in the home. Boys are not allowed upstairs (where the girl's bedrooms are), and clothing must always be appropriate.
"You can't have food upstairs, there is a curfew at 11, respect your house sisters, and the main rule is to sign in and sign out whenever you leave KDH," Evans said. "There's a book in the doorway of KDH where you have to write your name, the time and place of intent when leaving. It's not so much that they want to know where you are going to be, but in case something happens they can have an idea of where to look. At dinner time we say devotions after the meal, and then the girls will wash and dry the dishes."
In order to take residence at KDH there is an application and screening process through which the house parents will evaluate the individual and see if she would fit. One who is applying does not necessarily need to be a student in college.
"King's Daughter's Home has a history of taking girls from different parts of the world who want to go to high school and college in the area. It can also be a home for girls who have a hard home life and can no longer stay with their parents or guardians anymore," Evans said.
Evans really enjoys the amount of silliness that she has found with one of the other girls who lives there, Glison Lehto.
"Some of the best moments I've had at King's Daughter's are when I'm getting into shenanigans with Glison. She got me into watching ‘Star Trek’ and we are currently watching Season 3 of 'The Next Generation.' I refer to her as 'Doctor Lehto' and she calls me 'Number One.’ We'll talk to each other on the phone like 'Hello, this is Taylor from Starbase 89 Ohio Street. Come in, Doctor Lehto.' It may seem silly, but when you're up to your neck in studying for college and the recurring question of your future faces you every day, nights with popcorn, ‘Star Trek’ and silliness are exactly what's needed," Evans said.
Dave and Lauretta Kulp have been house parents at KDH since 2008. 
"It was not our idea to serve God in this way, but as it happened God was giving us the desires of our heart. We have raised our own girls and still had a desire to raise more," Mr. Kulp said.
"The house was way too big to keep up with [cleaning], and the house is so old it is in constant need of repair,” said Mrs. Kulp. “The house is so big sometimes that it is hard to find the people in it. I'll have to get out the cell phone to find them. It's also fun though to take care of an old vintage Victorian house with its tall ceilings and its multiple fire places. Sometimes it's difficult to cook for all the girls who like different types of food. Some don't like vegetables, some don't like meat, but sometimes it's not too hard. I like being around the girls; it makes me feel young."
Glison Lehto has lived at KDH the longest and has seen many changes. She was there when the entire house was filled with girls from China who attended high school as well as when the house had only had a few girls.
"God led me to a loving supportive Christian home where we have a lot of fun and laughter and everybody feels welcome. I love it, it's my home and everyone there is my family," Lehto said. "It's a positive. It's a place you can grow closer to Christ and your supportive, fun-loving Christians. It's also affordable and it's quite a sanctuary away from college life."
Visit http://www.allsoulsbangor.com/kdh/ to read more about the home and fill out an application.


Originally Published for The Maine Edge

Dare to Compare Your Yogurt


Which yogurt is better?
Who would have thought that a snack as simple as yogurt could stir up such controversy? It wasn't too long ago that the only yogurt in stores was "regular yogurt." Then, little by little, Greek yogurt started showing up in grocery stores. It started out with just well-known Greek yogurt supplier Chobani, and soon the companies that were known for producing regular yogurt jumped on the bandwagon and have begun to sell their own Greek yogurt products. 
Kimberly Grindle, 22, is a big fan of Chobani Greek yogurt. While attending Emerson College in Boston she was introduced to Chobani. Since she was already a yogurt fan it wasn't too difficult for her to take the plunge.
"Well I know Greek yogurt is way more filling. It has more protein and is supposed to be much better for you - especially brands that use all-natural ingredients. Some of the low-calorie yogurt options use sucralose and other artificial sweeteners which can have a gross taste," Grindle said.
Michael Sanderson, 21, worked at a Greek yogurt factory in Vermont and is an advocate for Greek yogurt:
"It's way healthier and you can actually buy it with fruit in it so the plain bitter taste goes away. Overall Greek is much better. The best part of Greek yogurt is the fact it has no fat, low calories and more protein."
Adam DeLong, 21, has not jumped on the bandwagon and doesn't see the big deal about Greek yogurt. He's a big fan of blueberry and strawberry Yoplait and truly believes that the only reason for the popularity of Greek yogurt is due to the health craze.
"I've always preferred the sweetness of normal yogurt as well as the more pudding-type consistency," DeLong said.
There are a few differences between regular yogurt and Greek yogurt that are worth mentioning. In a comparison of Chobani non-fat plain Greek yogurt and Dannon non-fat plain yogurt, Chobani had 100 calories while Dannon had 80. Dannon had more sugar, sodium, calcium and carbohydrates, while Chobani had double the protein that Dannon did (18 grams to Dannon's nine). The difference in price was Chobani being sold at $1.59 for a six-ounce serving and Dannon's six-ounce serving costing $1.29.
For Janelle Nelson, 22, it took a couple tries for her to get used to Greek yogurt after being so used to the taste of regular yogurt.
"The first time I tried Greek it was the regular flavor and the tanginess turned me off. But as the Greek yogurt craze grew, so did the varieties, and I grew to like it the more I tried it," Nelson said. "Plain yogurt doesn't have the thick, creamy consistency that Greek yogurt has"
Katie Mroz Kuhn has her MS in food science and human nutrition. She has been a nutritionist for seven years and has been working for two of those years at the Bangor YMCA. She has close to a couple clients a month talk to her about Greek yogurt and at this point has had over 100 clients discuss Greek yogurt with her. 
Kuhn emphasizes that both yogurt options (in their low fat and plain varieties) offer about the same about of calories, but Greek yogurt has about half the sugar than regular yogurt per cup.
Kuhn believes that the yogurt choice really depends on what the buyer is looking for:
"For those going low-carb, Greek yogurt is a better choice as it offers about half the total carbohydrate content than regular yogurt,” she said. “Greek yogurt also tends to yield about half the sodium as regular yogurt. Too much sodium in the diet can lead to chronic health problems such as hypertension. However, if it's calcium you are looking for, then stick to your traditional yogurts. Regular yogurt has more calcium than Greek. If weight loss is your goal, then go for either. Just stick to your low or non-fat options."
She advises to stay away from the full fat options with both types of yogurt. The full-fat Greek yogurt offers nearly the entire recommended total saturated fat allowance based on a 2,000-calorie diet.
"Whenever you reach for a dairy product, always go low or non-fat,” Kuhn said. “In addition steer clear of any flavored or fruit-added options. These types of yogurts really pack a sugary punch and can send people way over the daily allowance of added sugars. If you want to add something sweet to your plain yogurt, try 1/4 cup of fresh or frozen berries."



Published for The Maine Edge

Updates

So, I haven't blogged in a while. Mostly because I am very upset with the fact that I lost my URL and someone turned it into a pornographic web site. For my Social Media Marketing class I will be posting in this blog. I am an intern at The Maine Edge and I will be posting some of the articles I have written for that print and web weekly publication as well as other "Future of Journalism" related items. Enjoy.


I will enjoy the fact that I am going to be graduating in 55 days.

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