Krokodil Attacks

A new drug that has come from Russia is called "Krokodil". It has originated as a version of heroine that is much cheaper.  Increasing its spread is the fact that it can easily be made with over-the-counter ingredients, including codeine, paint thinner, gasoline, and other very toxic substances.

The mixture is injected into the body. After using krokodil, the skin becomes green and scaly-like, giving the drug its name.  After two or three years of use, krokodil kills the user.  This is because the flesh begins to rot from the inside, and the organs fail.  The drug has been making its way over to the United States.  In order to counter theses attempts to produce krokodil, it is becoming increasingly difficult to get codeine over the counter in Russia.

Rankings of Best Arab Countries for Women Released

After a comprehensive look at the Arab World, the Thomas Reuter's Foundation has found Egypt as the region's worst country for women to live.  Egypt is the most populous Arab country with a population of almost 81 million.  It seems as though the Arab Spring did not do women much good in Egypt, as their current situation is worse than it was under Mubarak.

The poll ranked twenty-two countries based on various factors: violence against women, reproductive rights, women in the family, women in the economy, women in society, and women in politics.  The study not only has an overall ranking but also ranks the countries in order based on these individual themes.

On the topic of reproductive rights, the countries were assessed based on the policies and customs surrounding pregnancy and job security, access to birth control, access to a legal and safe abortion, and access to reproductive education.  The only two countries in the Middle East that allow abortion without any restrictions or requirements are Tunisia and Turkey, the latter of which is not an Arab country but a predominantly Muslim country.  All other countries in the region prohibit abortions unless in special situations where the mother's mental or physical health is at risk or only when the mother's life is at risk.  If you want to know about any country in the world and its abortion policies, take a look at this link here.Egypt ranks last in the category of reproductive rights. Its policy on abortion actually has no explicit exception listed that permits abortion in the case where the mother's life is at risk.

The most significant issue facing Egyptian women today, which is surely one of the primary reasons for Egypt's low ranking, is the prominence of sexual harassment.  Sexual assault and harassment are the tactics men often used against women during the demonstrations and protests.  The U.N reports that up to 99.3% of Egyptian women are subject to sexual harassment.  If this is a movement to fear women into staying at home and off the streets in order to prevent them from partaking in the political process in Egypt, let's hope that the women fight back and decrease these numbers.

Around 91% of Egyptian women are also subject to female genital cutting or female genital mutilation.  High numbers of women are trafficked and in some villages their economies are dependent on this trafficking in addition to forced marriages.  While these women are clearly being treated as victims in this society, there is still much hope.  Acknowledgement of the problem is the first step, and these Egyptian women are not willing to go down without a fight. They were there in Tahrir Square when Mubarak was ousted, and they will continue to fight for their rights as Egyptian citizens and as women.

Body Language Does More Than You Think

In the business setting, as in any setting, body language says more than you would think.  As this TED Talk demonstrates, not only does body language reflect what is going on inside as far as how someone feels, but body language can actually be used to change how a person feels. The TED Talk says that assuming powerful body language positions before an interview can help someone get in the right mindset and give them the confidence they need to succeed.  Such power poses involve sitting in a chair with your hands behind your head and leaning back in your chair, or leaning over with both hands on the table.  Power posing makes you less stressed and also increases testosterone, putting you in the perfect state to nail your interview or do well on your presentation.  On the other hand, poses that often signify weakness, such as putting your hand behind your neck or efforts to try to make yourself look small, are shown to increase stress levels and decrease confidence. Unfortunately, most times we are placed in a waiting room before our interview, where we often sit hunched over our phones or uncomfortably in the couch, which make us less relaxed and hurt our confidence in the interview. A quick trip to the bathroom can be made to try power posing for a few minutes, anticipating the bathroom will provide you no spectators, to help you ensure that you feel ready to interview.

On the Hijab and What it Means

We've all seen a woman wear a hijab. Whether it has been in person or in films, we also have all developed our own ideas about what it means.  The hijab is a cultural or religious garment that women wear on their   heads to cover their hair.  The origins of the hijab are not clear; some claim it is a cultural-regional element that has grown to be associated with a religion, some believe the wives of Muhammad began wearing the hijab as social symbol, and others believe that the Qur'an mandates the hijab for the followers of Islam.  The Qur'an commands in Chapter 24 for women to "guard their privates" and "cover their bosoms".  It never does specifically state that women have to cover their heads or hair, but simply to guard their ornaments and be modest in their dress.

Regardless of the origins of the hijab, it is worth noting that the hijab is worn differently country by country and that the hijab does not have a universal form or style. These different forms of the hijab originate based on varying beliefs as to what the religion mandates as the appropriate way to cover.  Often the different styles have different names as well.

Beginning with Saudi Arabia, the women wear what is referred to as a niqab. The niqab covers a woman's face except a small slit that leaves open for the eyes.
                                        

In Afghanistan, the women commonly wear what is known as the burqa, which covers the whole body and face, but leaves a semi-transparent cloth over the eyes. The Taliban enforced this wear for women when they were in power, and the garment remains culturally enforced and commonly worn in Afghanistan.

In Iran, the hijab is mandated by law. There are two different ways the hijab is usually worn. For those women who are usually more religious, a chador is worn. A chador is a large cloth that is draped over the head and back of the women, which comes around toward the front, where the women clutches the cloth to hold it over her body. It is usually black.

                              

For other women who often wear the hijab solely because it is mandatory, a roosari is worn.  A roosari is a small cloth that is only worn on the head to cover the hair. The roosaris in Iran have become very colorful during the past few decades. Usually, it is not worn too tightly (depending on which city it is worn in) and often is seen sliding further and further back on the woman's head with more hair showing year by year, as the enforcement is loosening in Iran.

Here are some other ways the hijab is worn:

There are various reasons a women will wear a hijab. Often it is a way to be modest and protect oneself, many times it is a politically or socially enforced garment, and sometimes, as for many women in the United States, the hijab is worn to represent the religion of Islam.

Vegetarianism: The Diet of the Future?

Vegetarians. They're everywhere. Especially in L.A., the chances of finding at least one or two vegetarian meals in any restaurant is very likely.  The visibility and popularity of vegetarian and vegan places have also increased.  The Veggie Grill, a popular chain eat-out that serves a menu of foods all vegan, offers "Buffalo Wings", salad with "Thai Chickin'", "Baja 'Fish' Tacos", and a "VG-Cheeseburger" that is accompanied by its coordinating "VG-Cheese".  The Veggie Grill first opened in Irvine, and now has fifteen locations in Southern California with additional locations in Northern California, Oregon, and Washington.

Grilled Veggie-Steak, pickles, 

lettuce, tomato, crispy onion rings, 

thousand island dressing

What is this vegetarian movement all about?  The most common responses to a vegetarian declaring his or her dietary preferences usually include "But.. where are you going to get your protein?" or "So.. you can't eat cheese?".  These statements reflect a general lack of public knowledge as to what vegetarianism is, whether it is a sustainable diet, and why vegetarians choose to be vegetarian.  Let's break this down. 

Vegetarianism refers to a diet that consists of foods that exclude animal meats or flesh. Beef, chicken, pork, fish, shrimp, duck, snails, anything that was once an animal's body is avoided. Pescetarianism, a slightly different diet, is the same as vegetarianism but offers the exception of fish and other seafood.  Veganism, on the other hand, is a more restrictive diet, limiting the diet from everything the vegetarian doesn't eat along with any other animal products, including eggs, milk, butter, cheese, or any other food that has come from an animal. Here the line gets a bit blurry  Some individuals choose to extend veganism to their entire lifestyle by avoiding using any products that are made of from animals, such as leather. Whether honey can be consumed is a gray line, differing from person-to-person, and everyone has his or her own philosophy of how veganism should be performed.  

As to whether or not vegetarianism or veganism are sustainable lifestyles, the answer is yes.  In fact some studies seem to prove that vegetarians live longer lives than meat-eaters.  The primary concern meat-eaters often express toward vegetarianism is regarding a potential protein deficiency.  One point should be made that the human body does not need ample amounts of protein that others make it out to seem.  Furthermore, there are non-meat sources of protein that are more than sufficient to provide individuals with the protein their bodies need. Beans, eggs, soy products, nuts, dairy products, tofu, and more.  

There are many reasons for becoming a vegetarian.  The primary reasons include: 

(1) ethical issues regarding the bad treatment of animals in the industry, including both living conditions and the killing tactics used

(2) environmental effects of high demand for animal products (a significant percentage of CO2 emissions come from cows and other animals)

(3) religious reasons usually based on health and ethical concerns of eating animals (these restrictions on meat are especially relevant to those of the Hindu, Muslim, or Jewish faiths)

(4) health incentives (becoming vegetarian often helps individuals lose weight and is known to lower risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer, obesity, and hypertension)

(5) high prices of meat

Here are "10 Ways Vegetarianism Can Help Save the Planet"