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Tag: heart

  • Twitter Killed the Favorite, Now It Needs a Save Button

    Twitter Killed the Favorite, Now It Needs a Save Button

    Twitter just killed the favorite – the star you’ve known and loved for years – and replaced it with a “like” in the form of a heart. Does it change a whole lot? Probably not. Fav’ing wasn’t the most important tweet action anyway. That, of course, goes to the retweet.

    Still, it seems like everyone is pissed. Just take a look at Twitter right now and do your best unscientific poll of user sentiment. The majority of people tweeting about the change are tweeting some level of disapproval. Why is Twitter trying to be Facebook with the “like”? or Why is Twitter trying to be Instagram with that heart or Why the hell did Twitter get rid of something that distinguished itself from the pack? The favorite was pure Twitter, through and through, and now it’s dead.

    Ok fine. It’s dead. Really, everyone will get over it.

    But now Twitter needs to add a “save” button.

    Sure, most of your uses of the favorite star over the years have probably been to show approval someone’s tweet, or agree with it, or like what they’re saying.

    That’s not the only thing Twitter’s fav star was used for, however. A smaller, but still important use of the favorite was to simply bookmark or save a tweet for later. Scrolling through your feed and see a tweet with a recipe you want to make later? Fav it. Scrolling through your feed and see a strange GIF you want to show a friend later? Fav it.

    But there were also the times when you’d want to favorite a tweet that you found awful, repugnant, or otherwise distasteful. Let’s say something that Donald Trump just tweeted. Newsworthy? Sure. I want to save that tweet for later. But do I like it? Do I heart it?

    Probably not.

    Like I said before, people will probably use the heart the same way they use the star – for the most part. But Twitter needs to give users an option to easily bookmark a tweet for later – a sort of “save without endorsement” button.

  • Heart-Healthy Foods: Have You Been Duped?

    Heart-Healthy Foods: Have You Been Duped?

    Not every food item advertised as “healthy” on television is actually good for you. Unfortunately not every consumer takes this into consideration when handing over their money in exchange for sugary so-called natural snacks.

    If you are guilty of this sort of “so long as they tell me its healthy, I’ll buy it” thinking, it’s time for a serious change. You could be doing more harm than good to the body you’re trying to improve.

    When you’re looking for heart-healthy foods, its best to pay close attention to the ingredients; some foods are shockingly bad for you.

    This includes foods that are marked as “low in fat”. In fact, think of “low fat” as irony that you should run as far away from as possible.

    “They’re laden with preservatives and shelf stabilizers,” says Miranda Hammer, a clinical dietitian at Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx. “You’re not doing your body any service by buying low-fat products.”

    Not only that, but in a diabolical twist these types of foods are chalk full of excess sugar and salt, meant to make up for the lost fat content. And we all know nothing good ever comes of excess sugar and salt.

    Want a more sensible alternative that’s actually good for your heart? Think olive oil. It’s one substance that’s hardcore proof that sometimes fat can be very good for you. Including plenty of olive oil promises to not only help improve your heart health, some research suggests it improves brain function as well.

    Other things to stay away from? Energy bars and drinks.

    “These drinks are loaded with sugar and artificial dyes you shouldn’t put into your body,” says Hammer.

    In other words, if you were hoping to replace soda and candy bars with energy bars and drinks to be healthier, consider it a waste of time and money.

    In the future, opt for things like oatmeal, dark chocolate, bananas, and even a bit of red wine.

    All of these things in one way or another has proven heart health benefits.

    Here’s one last bit of advice: If the “heart-healthy” and “natural” product you’re thinking of buying is in a box far away from the produce aisle, it’s best to pass on it.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • REO Speedwagon Becomes Latest Musical Act To Cancel Show At Seaworld

    In an effort to expose the horrors of what goes on at SeaWorld, a documentary called Blackfish has created quite a stir in the media recently. Since being shown on CNN in November, the documentary has become more mainstream, and as a result, REO Speedwagon, in addition to several other musicians, have recently cancelled their shows at SeaWorld.

    The Blackfish documentary has created a huge backlash against the Orlando theme park, and several celebrities have made a point to avoid SeaWorld since then. A big event that was scheduled at SeaWorld, a concert series called “Bands, BBQ and Brew” had a number of well-known bands signed on to the lineup including REO Speedwagon and several others.

    A handful of the groups have already dropped out, but several still remain. People who have seen Blackfish, and fans of the bands continue to put pressure on the musical groups, urging them not to play at SeaWorld.

    The story of SeaWorld’s inhumane treatment of the whales that are kept there have been given notice more in the past year, and after the documentary came out, it has been covered on RealTime With Bill Maher, CNN, and several other news outlets, in addition to being called one of the best documentaries of the year.

    Each of the musicians that are scheduled to play during the series have received pressure from fans who started online petitions, tweeted and posted on Facebook pages in order to urge them not to play during the concert series.

    The film tells the story of the death of a SeaWorld trainer by an orca whale in 2010, and also raises questions about the safety and inhumane practices that are used with the whales while in captivity.

    The band announced the news of their cancellation via their FB page with this post.

    Post by REO Speedwagon.

    After receiving pressure from fans, and in some cases simply seeing the film for themselves, the bands continue to cancel performances one at a time. REO Speedwagon becomes the 6th musical act to cancel their performance after Barenaked Ladies set the precedent. In addition, Heart, Cheap Trick, Williie Nelson, and Trisha Yearwood have all cancelled their performances at the once beloved theme park for families. Barenaked Ladies became the first act to cancel after seeing a petition on Change.org, showing the power that citizens have in making a change if they wish to do so.

    In addition to the several groups that have cancelled their musical performances, Joan Jett has even personally written to SeaWorld, demanding that they quit playing her hit song “I Love Rock And Roll” during their “Shamu Rocks Show.” She was surprised and upset to see her song being used on Youtube, and wrote a letter which included the statement “I’m among the millions who saw ‘Blackfish’ and am sickened that my music was blasted without my permission at sound-sensitive marine mammals.”

    The female rocker went even further when saying that if they did not understand her in writing then “I will be forced to take further action, and you’ll find me among the PETA protesters outside your parks.”

    It is not often that a single documentary can create such a backlash for a business, but Blackfish has certainly done that for SeaWorld, and director Gabriela Cowperthwaite is thankful for the reactions that she has seen from people after seeing the film.

    REO Speedwagon is the latest musical act to cancel their show, but will certainly not be the last, with more bands still on the targeted list for fans to put pressure on. As bands continue to cancel their gigs, will a complete boycott of the them park be in the near future?

    Several celebrities have tweeted to all of their followers addressing the issue, and telling everyone to go see Blackfish, along with a hopeful boycott of the theme park.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Randy Travis in Critical Condition

    Randy Travis in Critical Condition

    Country music legend Randy Travis is critically ill.

    Travis, 54, currently admitted to an unidentified hospital in Texas, is suffering from the effects of viral cardiomyopathy, according to Travis spokesperson Kirt Webster.

    Travis had been touring recently, performing in Detroit on June 28 and Chicago on June 29, and was scheduled to do a show in Deadwood, South Dakota, on Wednesday, July 10. He was reported to be “fine” during business meetings over the last few days, but, according to Webster, “on Sunday, it hit him.”

    Viral cardiomyopathy is a catch-all term for a number of viral diseases that might affect the way the human heart functions. According to Dr. Ramin Oskoui, a cardiologist and internal medicine specialist in Washington, DC, the term could refer to heart ailments resulting from more than 30 different viruses. Generally speaking, cardiomyopathy refers to any condition that results in a measurable deterioration of the heart, though, in practice, it is usually reserved for “severe myocardial disease leading to heart failure.”

    In 2012, Travis was arrested for assault and public intoxication, including a particularly unflattering incident in which he went naked-shopping for smokes. Oskoui did not rule out the possibility that Travis’s alcohol use could have negatively influenced his condition.

    Since 1985, Travis has recorded 20 studio albums and put more than 50 singles on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, 16 of which were number one hits. He is a major figure in country music history, known for reviving traditional country music for a modern audience. He has sold over 25 million records, earned 22 number one hits, six number one albums, six Grammy awards, six CMA awards, and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.