You’ve Got Mail (photo via Flickr/Ron Reiring)

In a recent article by Time, a survey shows that 81% of American 18-to-29-year-olds feel that the U.S. Postal Service is doing an excellent or good job. Being in “18-to-29-year-old” category, I guess I would agree. Criticism of the government is never lacking, but the USPS is a branch that I can’t say I have many complaints about.

I enjoy sending letters and care packages to my far-away-friends. There’s something special about receiving a tangible gift or letter opposed to an email or voice-mail. But many people my age don’t feel the same. The use of written letter has drastically declined, but the USPS has also become a courier of packages. It has partnered with Amazon to deliver on Sundays, as well as FedEx and UPS to deliver outside the private carriers’ residential services. The USPS seems to be doing whatever they can to make “The Post Office Experience” as easy and reliable as possible.

We’re exploring the “hipster” stereotype associated with Stillwater, OK’s Aspen Coffee Co. Have you been affected by Downtown Aspen?

There is a dangerous viral epidemic tearing through our country. While Ebola, a deadly disease brought over from West Africa by American health-care workers, has been headlining in the media recently, it is not the virus I’m referring to. Franklin Roosevelt had it right when he said, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” The media has a habit of promoting panic while American society is most vulnerable to it. If Ebola did not exist, our society would find something else to be frightened of.

Which newspaper headline would you be more intrigued by- “Ebola in America!” or “We’re All Going to be Alright!”

It’s not Ebola that gets the ratings, it’s the idea that we are in danger. But in a nation that gets safer by the minute, we continue to worry. In a recent article by Vice, author Harry Cheadle explains that being scared of something we can’t control is only counterproductive. In my opinion, we each need to take a step away from what mass media is telling us and reassess the situation with all the facts and a realistic viewpoint.

Fearing Fear Itself (photo via Flickr/Janos Palinkas)

CrossFit (photo via Flickr/ CrossFit Fever)

A new trend has taken over the exercise culture. CrossFit, a new and intense conditioning program, has become a fascination among work-out fanatics, athletes, and military forces. This competitive and highly intense work-out sensation has grown popular, despite it’s high price and reputation for being extremely difficult. Many people have seen exceptional results, but others have experienced serious side-effects.

“CrossFit is nearly synonymous with overexertion,” says Heather Havrilesky in a recent article discussing American’s fascination with extreme fitness. Hundreds of thousands of people are testing the waters in extreme fitness, but many forget to examine the risks involved. So in a society where obesity is a constant battle, is CrossFit or any other intense exercise program the answer? Or is there a less-risky way to achieve a healthier life and a slimmer physique? I believe other options are worth exploring.

the age of technology (photo via Flickr/”PictureYouth”)

I got my first cell phone at 14 years old. That seems fairly old by today’s standards. Kids now have their hands on new devices every day it seems. The advances never cease. It’s safe to say Steve Jobs and other technological CEOs are the most knowledgeable when it comes to the latest and greatest technological progresses, but I was surprised to learn that these executives strictly limit how much time their kids are allowed to spend on techy gadgets.

In a recent article, a few tech-focused CEOs explained how they have witnessed the dangers of technology first-hand. Many of them monitor the content that their kids are exposed to, as well as only allow a set amount of time on any device in order to fight the addiction that has taken over this generation. They greatly stressed limitations and control when it comes to social media, video games, TV, etc. We live in such a tech-savvy world, and I think it’s good to be reminded of the dangers we could potentially face.

Check out my interview with Stillwater local, singer/songwriter Isaac McClung!

As a junior in college, you’d assume that I may have acquired a handle on this “time-management” thing I keep hearing about. You would assume wrong. I am a procrastinator. There, I said it! I put things off and cause myself unnecessary stress. There’s a good chance that I’m procrastination right now– thinking about all the things that I have to do but have actually only thought about doing.

college: where homework isn’t ever really finished (photo via Flickr/Ricardo Velasquez)

I’m a big fan of to-do lists, but I regretfully realize that I’m an organizational perfectionist. Sometimes I think too much about the list itself rather than what’s on it. Thankfully, Business Insider created a list (yay lists!) of tips to beat procrastination. Taking walks, treating yourself, and creating a “done list” are all helpful ideas to maximize productivity. There’s hope for me yet!

Have you ever heard of “selective exposure?” If you wouldn’t agree with it, then you probably haven’t… It is a theory that suggests that people favor information that reinforce their beliefs. So does that mean we ignore the available information we don’t agree with?

war correspondent and soldiers (photo via Flickr/The U.S. Army)

I have tremendous respect for foreign news journalists– especially those who venture into the battlefield (figuratively and literally) to get a story. Recently, James Foley, a freelance reporter working in Syria, was seen worldwide being beheaded by the ISIS. Freelance journalist, Tom A. Peter, wrote an interesting article discussing Foley, his own war reporting experience, and why he decided that it wasn’t worth it. But where does the worth in such an important job disappear? Foley risked his life on the front line of war so that we, as news consumers, could know the facts, but those of us who don’t agree with “the facts” from an opposing perspective continue to unfairly debate contrasting information, like that of what Foley died for.