Sunday Round Up
Because I was in New York this past weekend, I didn't get to post my links! That doesn't mean that I haven't been gathering all the articles I've read during the last two weeks on here though. So, for this weekend, we get double the fun! By the way, New York was beyond great, and I can't wait to go back again in two months!!
Pit bulls don't deserve their bad rep
After getting Zoey from the Humane Society, I became much more aware of what happens around the world in relation to dogs and animals in general. One of the things that drives me absolutely crazy is the thought that pit bulls are born as monsters. This is so far from the truth that it hurts. Pit bulls are incredibly intelligent and caring. But they're also very strong. Because of this, bad people, the real monsters, have trained these amazing dogs to do awful things.
For the past couple of years there have been numerous articles and campaigns to erase this undeserved reputation. Campaigns such as Flower Power, showing the true sweetness of a pit bull, or Pajamas for Pit Bulls, which works on making pit bulls look funny and more approachable, or Boom and his bunny friends. The Not a Bully organization, working to educate people on "bully" breeds, or videos, like these six pit bulls and their six year old owner. And this Animal Planet show, Pit Bulls and Parolees, that shows everyone deserves a second chance.
Yet, many pitties are still abused, neglected, or simply put down for being a pit bull. Case in point, Chester (the original article I read to induce this rant). How anyone can look at those eyes and not see love is astounding to me. His transformation from the first picture in the article, where he's been passed by for five years, to his ecstatic expression after getting a bandana from his new owners just shows how much love he has to give.
Every dog is different, and there will absolutely be bad eggs. But these can come from any breed, so what the dog looks like should not define what happens to him.
Moving on to a happier dog note........
Dogs who can't be dogs
Some dogs are just hilarious by nature. Either they have no eye-mouth coordination, or they just don't realize when that six foot long branch is not going to fit through the door. One of my favorite funny dog compilations of recent times: How to Dog
Lip Sync Battle
Because Anna Kendrick and John Krasinsky are just awesome......and even more awesome.
NYC Real Estate
IS INSANE!!!! After spending a few days in New York this week, I'm getting more used to the idea of living under a bridge somewhere. Yes, I'm super excited to go to NYU, but the thought of renting a 300 square foot studio for $2,000+ per month is just daunting. While I clocked just over 45 miles walking everywhere over my long weekend in NYC, I spotted one of the strangest buildings in New York. Just below Central Park, there's this really skinny building that just towers over all the other buildings around it, you really can see it from just about anywhere. I noticed it because I thought it was funny that it was so tall, that the top 20ish floors were encapsulated in fog, and probably not providing as beautiful of a view as it was meant to. However, I never expected one of the condos to cost so much! This article was sitting in my inbox from FiveThirtyEight when I got home, and it's the building I'd seen! Really, spending $91,541,053 on a penthouse in that building, not to live in it, but just for fun, to throw lavish parties in, is beyond comprehension. In the meantime, I'll be sharing Zoey's bed with her, and eating Ramen for the next 2.5 years of my life.
Easter Egg Hunt
We often take for granted simple things in life until we meet someone who does not have the same luxury as us. With Easter just behind us, everywhere I turned I saw chocolate eggs, stuffed animals, flowers, and celebrations in general. Growing up, my parents used to make little paw prints with flour on the floor as if the bunny had really been there (and yes, I totally fell for it). Until just a few years ago, my brother and I still hunted for eggs, just for fun, even if he only took the ones that were high up and I took the ones close to the floor. In all the craziness of the holiday though, one article stood out to me the most.
Children who are blind do not have the luxury of hunting for eggs. Until one dad decided that he needed to change that. Enter beeping eggs. This is an incredible idea that will help children everywhere enjoy the crazy egg hunting traditions, bringing them a little bit closer to their friends who can hunt for the regular chocolate eggs.
Our Biological Sleep Clock
Everyone goes to bed at a different time and wakes up with a different disposition. I'm typically in bed by 10:30PM and would wake up happy around 7:30AM. And yes, that's more than eight hours, but again, people need different amounts of time, with anywhere between six and nine hours. I just happen to be at the longer end, at least for now. However, because of work, many people aren't able to dictate what time they wake up, including myself. If I'm not up by 6:30AM, I know I'll be "late" to work. A not so recent article that I found this weekend explains why people have such a difficult time getting up, especially during the workweek, and end up hitting the snooze button (I'm guilty of hitting it at least 3 times). Unfortunately, that actually makes it even harder for you to get up. So, from tomorrow forward, my shades will be up just enough that enough sunlight is able to sneak in rather than sleeping in a black pit created by my blackout shades.
The Power of Statistics
With March Madness behind us now, it’s always fun to go back and look at the predictions made by numerous sports outlets and how each one did. Well, at least it’s fun for me, a math nerd. For the men’s bracket, this year was far from a top upset year. However, with Kentucky’s odds of 49% to win it all, along with the perfect season they’d had so far at 38-0, the Wildcats going down in the Final Four was a bit of a stunner.
On the other hand, we have the women’s bracket. UConn has been a staple in women’s college basketball for the past decade, winning its third straight title this year and winning nine out of the last fifteen years. Per FiveThirtyEight , UConn’s chances of winning it all in the round of 64 was 74%, growing to 86% in the Finals. The difference between the two championships is amazing, but still shows how unpredictable it can be, despite what the stats say. I mean, just look at the graph below, probably one of my favorite graphs ever!
