RIP Steve Jobs

Technology mourns yesterday and still today for the loss of a man who revolutionized the world. It’s a strange positive grieving process. People only have positive thoughts and feelings to share about Steve, and the tributes made to his life are very creative and inspiring to see. Through his career, he has motivated and inspired people (especially his competitors) to be creative and ground-breaking.

I’ve been surfing the internet this morning and his presence is incredibly felt. I go to the Apple website and see a classic picture of thinking-Steve and the words “Steve Jobs 1955-2011″. If you click on his picture, you are taken to a short and sweet, but emotionally-packed, message about Steve. I go to Google’s homepage and they also left a link below the search bar saying “”Steve Jobs 1955-2011″. His passing is widely noted. Seeing these messages in these search engines or internet sites we visit so frequently makes me feel like the Internet, this non-being, is grieving as well. I find it comforting to grieve with these non-beings. And were I to need human interaction, I can simply scroll down my Facebook feed and easily find a post that echos my sentiments to the T.

Then I read my news at the Daily Beast with quotes from some of our major tech players. It was a bit amusing to me that people made comments that were so packed with marketing in the subtext. It could be construed as insensitive for me to make these assumptions, but here are the messages I received. Think Facebook hit an innovation ceiling? Well, Mark Zuckerberg assures you: “Steve, thank you for being a mentor and a friend. Thanks for showing that what you build can change the world.” The marketing message? “Stick by Facebook. I’ve been mentored by the greatest and I know I have it in me to continue bringing innovation to Facebook.” Are you worried that Apple will never be the same? Steve Wozniak confirms: “We’ve lost something we won’t get back.” The marketing message? “There will not be another Steve Jobs. He cannot be replaced. So manage your expectations. ” And for the grand finale, our President Barack Obama says that Jobs “exemplified the spirit of American ingenuity.” The marketing message? Steve Jobs is an American! God Bless America!

Tip: Defense Against Bug Bites

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the best defense against bug bites is to use insect repellent containing a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency-registered active ingredient for use on skin or clothing. CDC recommends DEET, picaridin or oil of lemon eucalyptus against mosquitoes and repellents with 20 percent or more DEET against ticks. Always follow the directions on the package. Wear long sleeves and pants when possible.

About Me : ESFJ

ESFJs generally have the following traits:

• Organized
• Loyal
• Can be depended on to follow things through to completion
• Enjoy creating order, structure and schedules
• Enjoy interacting with people
• Warm-hearted and sympathetic
• Tend to put others’ needs above their own
• Very good at giving practical care
• Very cooperative, good team members
• Practical and down-to-earth
• Value peaceful living and security
• Enjoy variety, but work well with routine tasks
• Need approval from others
• Receive satisfaction from giving to others
• Live in the here and now – dislike theorizing about the future

http://www.personalitypage.com/html/ESFJ_car.html

A Path Out of Depression

This is a great article by Stephen Ilardi, PhD from the Experience Life magazine. The article is about Depression in industrialized societies and ways in which we can battle it

Temporomandibular Joint (TMJ)

I suffer from Bruxism and have found these TMJ exercises to be helpful.

1) Moist heat is very helpful for the sore muscles of TMD. The penetrating moist heat promotes blood flow into the muscle which aids in healing and relaxation of the muscle as well. This increased blood flow also helps analgesic/ anti inflammatory medications into the muscles. A wet washcloth with a hot water bottle will do, or you can purchase moist heating pads if you wish.
2) Assisted Opening – Place two fingers on lower front teeth, slowly open as wide as is comfortable while pushing down with your fingers. Repeat ten times.
3) Resisted Opening- Cup palm under chin, open jaw slowly, and gently resist opening with hand under chin. Repeat ten times.
4) Midline Exercise – Look in mirror, bite teeth together, and look at position of two center teeth on lower jaw (central incisors). Open slowly while watching these two teeth and attempt to keep lower jaw “centered” as you open. Repeat.
5) Simple Opening/Stretch – Open jaw slowly ten times as wide as is comfortable.
6) Lateral Movement Exercise – Open jaw about one inch from clenched bite. Move lower jaw as far to the right (straight to the right without opening more) as is comfortable. Repeat ten times and then do the same on the left side.

Quarter-Life Crisis

I am pretty sure I am going through a quarter-life crisis right now. It is not fun AT ALL. It feels like I have mono.

Exercise Tip

If you live in a cold climate and have trouble staying motivated to walk or jog on a treadmill, try this tip to keep you going until warmer weather arrives.

1) Start by creating a 25-minute playlist on your MP3 player.
2) Walk or jog for one song and speed up for the next.
3) Continue to alternate for the entire workout and be sure to end with a slower interval to cool down.
4) Add five minutes of music every two weeks to gradually increase your workout and you will be ready to hit the road in the spring!

My American hometown: Rowland Heights, CA

Latest yahoo article praised my U.S. hometown for being the best place to raise kids in California. They included an honorable mention of my High School too!  I believe this gives me bragging rights.

Best place to raise kids in California: Rowland Heights
Population: 46,793
Median family income: $72,985

In San Gabriel Valley about 25 miles from downtown Los Angeles, Rowland Heights is home to a large Asian community. According to data from Onboard Informatics, nearly half the population is Asian and 33.2 percent is Hispanic. The area has several highly regarded schools, including the John A. Rowland High School and Killian Elementary School. “Rowland Heights is … close enough to Los Angeles and all the excitement of big-city life, but [Rowland Heights] benefits from an influx of residents looking for a subdued setting,” states the website of real estate agent Vincent Gottuso.

My Current Town: Naperville, IL

I am currently living in Naperville. It has recently been rated by CNN Money as one of the top 10 places to live. My favorite places in Naperville are hands-down:
-Centennial Beach : quarry that will cool you off in the hot summer while overlooking the Riverwalk and the Carillon, which plays tunes at 4pm such as “God Bless America” on the 4th of July and “Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head” on another random Saturday.
-Nichols Library: located also in downtown it has all the books you could ever want and I love spending time there just reading (most of the times I read the latest magazines, so don’t praise me just yet)
-Sugar Monkey Cupcakes: thick cupcakes with tasty frosting
-Quiggley’s Irish Pub: I don’t go there often but I have fond memories of chilling there at night with a beer while there’s a live band covering all my favorite songs.

 

Population: 143,117
Median Family Income (Per Year): $125,702
Median Home Price: $330,000
Blurb: A river walk runs through this idyllic suburb of Chicago. Complete with winding brick paths, covered bridges and shepherd’s-crook light poles, this downtown attraction marries Naperville’s historic past with its rich present. In the surrounding tree-lined neighborhoods, you’ll find a mix of quaint historic homes and mammoth McMansions. Locals enjoy recreational options from paddleboat tours to bocce courts. Great schools, a nationally acclaimed library system and charitable neighbors provide the cherry on top.

Thunder Rage

This is weather worth writing home about. The more time I spend in Illinois, the more I am appreciating the Midwest a little bit more. Initially, I hated how much weather became such a part of my day and normal conversations. I still feel that way but a little bit less, all because of Wednesday night’s amazing thunderstorm.

The storm began late into the night. You could have easily missed it if you love the sound of heavy rain, but the thunders were hard to ignore. The thunders roared one after the other–they didn’t take breaks. For hours and on the thunders kept “talking” to each other, and every once in a while, one of the thunders would “compete” to be the loudest. I’ve never heard anything so loud and so continuously violent. The apartment building shook and a car alarm went off. I may have seen such strength of rain and thunder in Brazil, but I’ve never experienced a storm that had thunders going off one after the other for hours! Talk about stamina!

When I checked the weather earlier that day, there was a warning talking about possible flash floods. It was 85 degrees and humid at that time and I never imagined the weather gods were planning a party and would rage through the night.