Author: zwvaughn

For those of you who have been living under a rock, Game of Thrones is the screen adaptation of George R.R. Martin’s best-selling book series “A song of Ice and Fire”. After binge watching all 8 seasons in order to catch the live showing of the finale with the rest of the world, I can honestly say it is my favorite show of all time. I was really behind everyone, so in order to catch up I was watching probably 6-10 hours of Game of Thrones every single day until the finale on Sunday in which I finished the prior. The show had an incredibly high production value, with each episode costing more than ten million dollars. The acting was immaculate, the deaths were realistic, and the jokes were hilarious. Ever since the show ended, I have always wanted to make a top 3 list of my favorite characters. This list was very difficult to make because there are so many unique and personable figures in the show.

1. Joffrey Baratheon

Joffrey Baratheon was undoubtedly my favorite character on the show. The primary reason for him being my number 1 is he was relatable. Everything Joffrey did had a special place in my heart. He was funny, he was kind, and he was honorable. If I can become half the man Joffery Baratheon was, even one fourth, in my life, I will know I have lived a good life.

Haha. Just Kidding. Joffrey was a big idiot.

The actual list

1. The Hound
The reasons I fell in love with this character was that he was brutally honest, he was a massive unit, and he had probably the funniest insults in the entire show. Standing at 6 foot 5, Sandor Clegane, or “The Hound”, did not take crap from anyone and acted relatively impulsive. He had his face burnt from a young age because his brother shoved his head into a brazier, which caused Sandor to loathe fire. The man was hilarious, and every time he showed up on the screen I was quick to smile.

2.Ser Bronn of the Blackwater
Initially a skilled sellsword, Ser Bronn rose to providence after he championed Tyrion Lannister in his trial by combat. Ser Bronn was witty, and just like the Hound, he was an alpha dog. There wasn’t a single scene featuring Ser Bronn that did not amuse me. The man seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. I would rewatch the whole show just for my man, Ser Bronn.

3. Tyrion Lannister
Tyrion was an absolute bro and I would put him higher on this list if it wasn’t for his family issues. Overall, I loved his character and he made getting through the Joffrey stages so much more enjoyable. The actor who played tyrion, Peter Dinklege, did a superb job, which I think definitely made the show the banger that it was.

Although the show has received some less than kind criticism for the poor execution and rushed ending, I still believe Game of Thrones is one of the best shows on television and is worth watching if you have not already.

Water. Aqua. H2O. Whatever you call it, we all need it. Water is important to us because it helps our cells, our organs, and our tissue regulate its temperature and maintain other essential bodily functions. Plain and simple, if we were to not consume any water, we would die. Studies say that around 43 percent of adults drink less than four cups of water a day. That is less than one fourth of a gallon. That includes 36 percent who drink one to three cups, and 7 percent who drink none. Although officially the CDC does not overly say how much water is “enough,” because our water needs vary from person to person, experts suggest that anything less than 4 8 ounce glasses of water a day is inadequate. It is estimated that your kidneys can process between 5.3 and 7.4 gallons of water a day at an average of about 1 liter an hour. That being said, if you haven’t tried drinking a gallon or two of water a day, it is very, very difficult to drink too much water. I have watched a couple videos on youtube of celebrities like the Rock and Kevin Love advertising water brands like smart water, boasting that they drink absurd amounts of water every single day. The Rock has said that he downs 4 gallons of water every single day, and he always keeps his fridge stocked with some wack brand pH water. For the last couple of weeks, while socially isolating myself, I have been drinking a gallon of water every single day. Just to see how reasonable The Rock’s claim was, and also because people have said it has numerous health benefits, but I am not sure that I believe them. Everyday, the first thing I do when I wake up is fill my gallon jug of water and start drinking, then I take a shower. The first day it was really tough to drink all 128 ounces. The second day it was equally as brutal. The honest problem is that in order to be successful with the challenge is you have to drink more water than you would ever want to. Thirsty? Drink. Not thirsty? Drink. It is just nonstop drinking. After a month of drinking a gallon of water a day, I did start to notice something amazing. Actually I did not. But I did notice something immediately. If you drink a gallon of water a day, you will have to pee an exorbitant amount of times. Which is quite unfortunate if you had plans for doing something longer than an hour.

Other than having to use the bathroom every hour, there is nothing else I noticed about my body. Although I did come to a certain conclusion. The Rock is a dirty, dirty liar, and there is no way on earth he is able to drink 4 gallons of water a day without exploding or permanently residing on a toilet while he is fed various electrolytes through an IV tube, because that seems impossible.

Today in my blog I would like to talk about a very controversial subject which is in fact the consumption of alcohol in those who are under the age of 21. Alcohol has an intense effect on the complex structures of the brain. It blocks chemical signals between brain cells, leading to the immediate display of regular symptoms of intoxication, including the impulsive and somewhat irrational behavior, slurred speech, and delayed reflexes. A common misconception is that alcohol consumption in individuals past the 21 year old threshold are at virtually no risk. While it is true that young adults are at a greater risk of serious alcohol induced harm because the brain has been proven to continually develop into the mid twenties, conditions like liver damage, brain damage, cancer, and high blood pressure all have an increased risk with continued alcohol consumption, even at older ages. I am going to introduce arguments from both sides of the spectrum on the topic of absolute legalization of alcohol for all individuals.

(Cracking one with the boys)

Pro
There is a lot of research suggesting that the over consumption of alcohol is incredibly detrimental to individual health. The fact is that the over consumption of almost anything is detrimental to personal health. The over consumption of water, something almost every living thing on earth needs to survive is deadly in too high volumes too quickly. Vitamin A, an essential micro nutrient important for healthy vision, immune system health, and reproductive health, is toxic in high doses. There are numerous studies that show that moderate alcohol consumption includes reducing your risk of developing and dying of heart disease, possibly reducing your risk of ischemic stroke and possibly reducing your risk of diabetes. Now it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand that alcohol isn’t a healthy food and the calories would be much better spent in a nutrient dense food like lean meat, whole grain, or a fresh fruit or vegetable, but the fact is that alcohol is inevitable for most people. The majority of people will consume alcohol at least once in their life, and many more times after that. I’m not saying we should be giving our babies a Weiss beer instead of water or mothers milk, but moderate alcohol in teenagers might be helpful for introducing healthy habits surrounding alcohol. Take Germany for example. 16 years by themselves, but with a parent almost no restrictions are in place. The Germans have a lot of fun with alcohol but the amount of DUIs per year in Germany is much lower than the United States, taking population into account. With a culture that is so heavily immersed in their beer, this is information that the United States and other countries alike could maybe learn from.

And Con
Now this point is not going to be very long because for the majority of my readers the understanding of why alcohol is not readily available for those under 21 is relatively common knowledge. If alcohol was made legal to all, (Those under 18 would obviously have to consent their parents in their presence) there would definitely be abuse of alcohol. More abuse than there is right now. Probably. We don’t know all the facts about how a country like the United States would respond to the full legalization of alcohol but the fact is that alcohol abuse is a problem in the United States and there are a lot of young people affected by it. The legalization of alcohol would make those who are susceptible to alcohol abuse at a young age much easier. And that is the fact Jack.

Thanks for tuning into my blog and making it this far, I know that these are troubling times for everyone, just know that you are not alone and there is light at the end of the tunnel.

 

Some pros and cons of E-learning
E-Learning was recently introduced as an alternative way to educate the mass amount of students who are currently unable to attend school because of the -19 outbreak. E-Learning is essentially teaching, learning, communicating, and submitting material online instead of in person. Although E-Learning is not the default method for schools and universities to educate their students, there has been an increasing amount of online courses for students to take advantage of. For example, Khan Academy has been educating students and adults alike since 2008. This non-profit website contains loads of learning materials that allow students to learn at their own pace. In addition, Khan academy teaches mastery and builds a strong foundation for students to grow on.

I have acquired quite a bit of experience from my continued use of Khan Academy as well as from using the popular language learning website Duolingo. That being said, I am still relatively new to the whole idea as my whole life I have been taught in the classroom. As I moved up in grades, I noticed more and more adaptation and incorporation of technology (See Smart boards and Chromebooks). All this tech was pretty cool because it allowed new ways to learn, but it also brought in a lot of distraction. All too many times have I used my Chromebook in ways that were not solely for the purpose of my school education, although reading the Wikipedia page on Bullmastiffs was surely enriching.

Day one of E-Learning was interesting to say the least. Again, I don’t have much experience with E-Learning, but as a concept overall, I have thought of some pros and cons in comparison with learning in the classroom

Pros
1. It’s convenient. Now we no longer need to travel to a classroom to do some learning. All that is required is a functioning device with internet and vola, now all course material can be accessed and educational videos can be watched.
2. Learning at your own pace. No longer should anyone feel burdened when they don’t understand a concept. With videos and social isolation, there is nobody to make fun of you while you re-watch an explanation for the fourth time until you finally understand it. If there are concepts you need to brush up on, in theory, you can watch a video from a previous lesson until it stays solid in your brain.

Cons
It’s convenient. It is so convenient that it is detrimental to the learning experience. I am not saying this applies to everyone, but if a teacher is not in close proximity to me, imploring me to think and to do my work, I will seldom do the work on my own. Sometimes I lack the motivation. Other times I don’t see the purpose so I convince myself to do something else. Since it is so convenient, I can see myself struggling to put myself into the learning mindset, especially because it is my senior year.
Learning at your own pace. If there are concepts out there that you really don’t understand, watching a video of someone explain that concept the same way, over and over again really won’t help you. Similar to the reason above, if you do not want to learn very much, or basically scratch by with the bare minimum, you can.

Thanks for reading my blog, I know there are some more pros and cons out there and these are just the first ones to come into my mind.

Leg day. Pass.

My typical workout week consists of
Monday: Chest and Arms
Tuesday: Back and Arms
Wednesday: Shoulders and Arms
Thursday: Chest and Arms
Friday: Back and Arms
Saturday: Shoulders and Arms
Sunday: Legs Rest… and Arms

You may have noticed that there is no leg day in my weekly routine. This is no mistake. I do not lift my legs, and not because I choose not to lift legs, but rather there is always some reason 100% out of my control that forbids me from doing legs. For instance, I always schedule my leg days for Sunday. Something out of my control happens and I have to turn it into a rest day. Rest assured I will be doing arms. Here are some of my top bro-tips on how to skip leg day everyday.

You’re injured
Lifting legs requires a lot of energy and physical exertion. Before you go under the barbell, focus on your current condition and you may notice that your knee starts bothering you. As this happens, you also realize your lower back really hurts. This is probably from your last leg workout. Which was your first leg workout. And your last leg workout. And it is never a good idea to workout legs while injured. The best thing to do to recover is to perform heavy weight, sloppy, dumbbell curls.

 

The feeling isn’t right
In order to successfully complete an intense leg workout, everything in the entire universe needs to be just right. If you are able to convince yourself that even the tiniest of things is off, it is best not to force it. “Aw man no way, Khal Drogo is dead. Aw man, aw darn. I can’t workout like this.” This is a clear indication not to do legs today.

Yawning
You just yawned. There is no way you can finish a leg workout. Your body needs rest. It would be best if you stopped doing legs immediately and started doing some heavy dumbbell curls instead

 

The buddy system
You hit up your lifting friend and ask them if they want to crush a leg workout today. Unfortunately they can’t because they are doing arms. Now you are also going to do arms

 

The equipment is occupied
You arrive at the gym fired up to finally hit legs and neglecting them for the last couple of years, but the squat rack and the leg press are both occupied. Don’t wait for even a second. Don’t ask them how many sets they have left because it’s definitely 9001. Just ditch the entire operation. You can hit legs next week

Disclaimer: You really should not want to skip leg day. First things first, legs are awesome. Who doesn’t want big gluteus maximus or massive quads? Training lower body muscles also makes it easier to run, jump, kick, accelerate, decelerate, pivot, and also prevents injuries. If you made it this far please disregard everything I have stated above as it was intended as satire.

Should you wear a Fitbit?

A Fitbit is essentially a watch that tracks various metrics relating to health, such as heart rate, the amount of steps walked, the amount of stairs climbed, the amount of calories burned, quality of sleep and so on. The company produces a variety of different activity trackers at different price points dependent on the function that the watch provides. The first Fitbit ever released was called the Fitbit tracker, and it tracked only calories burned, steps, and sleep. Since then, additional features such as waterproof technology and GPS have been accompanying newer products.

 

Pros
There are quite a few physical health benefits of wearing a fitbit. The most important one for me would be its ability to track how many steps I take in a day. This metric is important because it gives a consistent and understandable evaluation of how much I have moved in a single day. You can even program some of the watches to remind you to take more steps in a given hour. If you are trying to remain active in a relatively sedentary world, I would recommend setting a goal of around 10,000 steps. The feeling of achieving your goal is also a nice way to release dopamine. The quality of sleep metric is also very important to me. As someone who loves a good night’s rest, it is important for me to know my quality of sleep, so I can adjust my day to ensure better sleep in the following nights. The Fitbit Charge 3 tracks 4 key components of sleep, which are calculated using your heart rate, oxygen saturation, and your movement while sleeping. The 4 components of sleep tracked are time spent awake, time spent in REM (Rapid eye movement), time spent in a light sleep, and time spent in a deep sleep. The quality of sleep is also rated on a scale from 0-100, with 100 being the highest possible score, and 0 being the lowest. Heart rate is also incredibly useful for someone active, so they can remain in the optimal heart rate zone if they are doing cardio or strength training.

Cons
There are also quite a few cons to go along with owning and wearing a fitbit. The first one you will notice is the price. A high end model with the latest technology will cost you more than $100 dollars, which is hardly a bargain, but is significantly cheaper than some of the other leading smart watches. Another disadvantage would be battery life. Most professional grade wrist watches have a battery life of around 4 years, with replacements coming around every two years. The Fitbit charge 3 will need to be charged at least once every week to remain functioning. One more instance in which the fitbit would not match up to the traditional wrist watch is in style. To most people, and I am not saying that you need to own a Rolex, but to most people, a silver wristwatch, or pretty much any traditional wrist watch will look more professional than a fitbit in a professional setting. Many people used to believe that fitbits and other smart watches were only reserved for nerds and fitness buffs, but as time passes, more and more people are taking advantage of the useful insight provided by the technology in our new age watches

 

Conclusion
If you are a health conscious person and you do not currently wear a more traditional style wrist watch, I would recommend that you try out a fitbit, there is a lot to learn about yourself and your habits with regular use. If you don’t really care that much about your health, then I say keep living your life, you do not really need a fitbit. Thanks!