10.30.2013 | Gadgetry
Backaches, neck pain, anxiety, nausea? Some recent research is showing your gadgets might be making you sick. Last week Apple was forced to do an upgrade because people complained on queasiness caused by the screen of their smartphone. Constantly leaning downward to check your Facebook status might be damaging your back. They’re also saying 66% of people experience anxiety when their phone is not present.
These are just a few of the symptoms modern gadget lovers are experiencing. All of this combined with an overall lack of exercise spells disaster, especially for children. Like all things in life, it’s about balance. I think the key is to set strict ground rules about disconnecting, getting outside (without the gadgets), and developing a lifestyle where physical activity is part of daily family life. If not, you might find yourself at the doctor a lot more than you’d want.
To check out the entire article click here. ![]()
10.30.2013 | Featured Photographers
Norman Reedus is best known as everybody’s favorite zombie killer Daryl Dixon on AMC’s hugely popular show The Walking Dead. What you might not know is that Norman is also an avid photographer. He’s currently developing a photo book of his work called “The Sun’s Coming Up….Like A Big Bald Head”. It available for pre-order on his website.
His photos are dark and mysterious with many of them appearing to be intentionally out of focus. While he’s not the world’s most gifted technical photographer, his pictures definitely have continuity of style and are an interesting view. To check them out for yourself please click here. 
10.29.2013 | Featured Photographers
International award winning photographer Robbie Shone has been featured in some of the most prestigious magazines in the world, including National Geographic. His photography has taken him to the depths of the earth, literally. He’s renowned for having illuminated and captured images of some of the worlds most remote and isolated caves. While caves seem to get him the most attention for their obvious mystique and wonder, he also has categories in his online gallery for snow and ice, adventure, and flora and fauna.
When not taking photographs Robbie is often a guest speaker and competition judge. He lives in the town of Innsbruk, Austria. To check out his website including his galleries of his awesome photography click here. 
10.29.2013 | Movie Reviews
One of my favorite movies of all time is Gattaca with Ethan Hawke and Uma Thurman. I’m always surprised at the number of people who have never heard about it and what an awesome movie it is. If you haven’t seen it, do it as soon as you can, it is excellent.
Gattaca tells the story of a future where one’s genetic makeup determines everything about his future career, opportunities and in general life. There are many examples where a person’s DNA is the subject of illegal scrutiny when applying for a job, insurance and yes, even a potential mate. Gattaca was released in 1997, and here were are only a few years later, we are starting to see glimpses of cheap, and relatively quick genetic screening.
WIthout going into the details of how this works, the gist of it is, there are databases of which genetic codes control produce which genes, which in turn may or may not show itself as an actual characteristic. If you have a match for a gene that may make you more susceptible to lets say a certain type of cancer, you may be able to pre-emptively prevent it. Think Angelina Jolie here.
23AndMe.com is offering a genetic screening kit for 250 different genes and while that isn’t a lot compared to the number of genes a human has (ballpark in ~20,000-25,000) this screening can give you some very interesting insights to what exactly makes you up genetic wise.
Think of it as taking a peek at the genetic “set of cards you have been dealt”.
Highly controversial for many reasons, I personally believe the benefits outweigh the risks, so I have already sent my sample in. For $100, it could be one of the better medical investments you make, but that remains to be seen when I get my results back.
This is what the kit looks like:
And a sample of the report (this isnt mine, but it gives you an idea).
Ill follow up when I get mine back. Im actually a little excited to see what it says.
Here is a success story / video from their website:
23 And Me![]()
10.28.2013 | Featured Photographers
The child portraits of Russian photographer Karina Kiel are truly original works of art. Some of her photos even appear to be timeless paintings. Karina often travels working with stylists and artists teaching her photography skills in master classes. Her portfolio is primarily of children and consists of immaculate portraits with expert lighting, styling, and technique. Her work lends a feeling of childhood fantasy and wonder often with yellow tones that produce dreamy photos.
To check out Karina’s portfolio please click here . 
