Microfiber Hair Towels

Whenever I would walk into a store like CVS, or Duane Reade I would see these towels, and wonder what they were. I didn’t really understand why I would use such a small towel to hold my wet hair. Then I bought one, it’s really simple to use and actually much easier than using a regular towel.  All you have to do is put your wet hair inside the towel, twist the long piece, and then bring the long piece to the back of your head where a small elastic band is. It’s like a small turban on your head, that you don’t have to hold with your hands. It’s lightweight, so you can walk around and do anything with the towel on your head, and it doesn’t fall off.  Also what’s great about this towel is, it’s made out of microfiber, microfibers have a lot of advantages. The first one being that it is really absorbent so you don’t have water dripping down your back once you put the towel on, but it doesn’t take all the moisture out of your hair, like a regular cotton towel because over drying can cause more damage to your hair. If you use heat to style your hair, using a microfiber towel would reduce your hairs drying time when using a blow-dryer, which means less frizz. Having one of these towels are a really good investment, I encourage you to pick one up!

- Zakiyyah Mandisa 

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Game Review: QWOP

Hi everyone,

How is break so far? Time to sleep in, play games, hang out with friends, and procrastinate on HW (I KNOW I'm definitely not alone on this)! >:'D Well, one game I know you guys should play is QWOP! Prepare to rage at the computer and flip the table over in anger!

Summary:
Your only objective in this game is to get your character, which is this runner guy, to run as far as he can. So one might ask, "why is this game called QWOP?" Well, you press the letters "Q," "W," "O," and "P" to make the guy run! Yep, it's as "simple" as that.

Unfortunately, that's all there is to it, so this summary will be short.

What I like about it:
It's challenging and if you're the type of person who doesn't like backing down from a challenge, then this is the game for you. Trust me, you'll fall down a lot.

I also like how I can't stop laughing whenever I do play this game because the character is always in hilarious positions.

What I dislike about it:
The game can get kind of repetitive after a while, so it's quite understandable if  you get tired of it really quickly.

Overall:
I enjoyed the game for quite a while (for like a day) until I got tired of it. This isn't a game that you enjoy for an extended amount of time because there's nothing else you can do beside run. The only difficulty of the game is how the player you control constantly seems to fall down, and getting ahead in the game may require more patience than skill.

Here is a link to a video that will preview some of the difficulty you will encounter during the game:

*Warning: there is some swearing in the video, so you can just turn down the volume, the video is meant to show the gameplay, so sound is not needed.*

(Watch from 2:41-4:51, the rest is about a different game)

Here is a link to the game if anyone is interested in playing: http://www.foddy.net/Athletics.html

- Melissa He, Entertainment

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Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII

 Square Enix has released a trailer for their new game, Lightning Return: Final Fantasy XIII. As weird as it seems, it’s set to be released in 2012. The trailer features a new setting and there are only 13 days left for Lightning to save the town before it gets annihilated. The trailer only shows a small portion of the new setting and it takes place years after FFXIII-2. The trailer also shows the HUD that the game uses and the stagger bar has been either replaced or removed. The paradigm system has been changed to what looks like Lightning can switch instantly between classes in combat. The trailer also shows hints of some characters from the previous FFXIII games returning like Noel (his laced arm appears in the trailer), Hope, and maybe even Sarah. Item capsules have also been changed where the capsules have different colors. Some of the monsters from previous games have been brought back and new ones have also been created. The item merchant, Chocolina also appears in the trailer. If you want to check out the trailer, you can go search it up on IGN.

- Alan Chen, Video game Entertainment

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Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi 3

Hello there fine students of Baruch High school, I’m back  with another post. This time about a video game, a very good video game. Here it is, Dragon Ball Z Budokai Tenkaichi three! If your not familiar with this game series or dragon ball z, you can just go- inform yourself about this subject by searching online. Right now.  Anyhow, so yeah this game is based off the Dragon Ball series. Its really good, it starts from Dragon Ball Z and goes to Dragon Ball GT. But it even includes characters from the Dragon Ball series.  And characters from movies that aren’t in the series. These characters would Mercenary Tao, General Blue (RR Army), Android #8 or eighter, Turles, Garlic Jr.,  the Demon King Piccolo, Dr. Wheelo, Kid ChiChi, and more. It’s really a great fighting game, even if you don’t know Dragon Ball Z, which would be weird. But, there is the play station 2 version and the Wii version. I have the Wii version, which normally you would use the nun –chucks for. That’s really cool, because it’s like you the fighter and you can just do the Kamehameha wave, or the Dodon ray, or the Galick Gun and more. But personally I just use a game cube controller. But be warned, the controls take a while to get used to.  Other than that, this game is a lot of fun! You can fight any character with any character, play through the story, and more! Its one of those really fun fighting games, because you get to move around, its not a 2 dimensioned fight. So I would say check this out, and the Dragon Ball Z series, it could teach you kids a thing or two. Some real entertainment, not like the garbage that’s on TV now a days. Alright, continue to check out for my post, because they’re not stopping anytime soon.
 

-Oscar O.

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Contacts vs. Glasses

I've had glasses since middle school and throughout most of high school. It started with a pair of wire rimmed burgundy glasses. By my sophomore year I upgraded to a trendy, black plastic frame. And finally as a senior, my parents decided that I was responsible enough to get contacts. It was something that I've wanted for so long and I was so excited. I currently use Acuvue with hydraclear plus which are two week disposables.
Since the switch, its pretty darn clear, I am definitely a contacts type of girl. I never felt comfortable with glasses and I hated the feeling of something sitting on my face. I also noticed that a lot of oil around where the glasses touched my face so I made sure to sterilize my glasses at least once a week. My hair always got caught in my glasses and sometimes it was painful to release them. Although contacts are definitely a lot more work, I enjoy them a lot. Every contact wearer knows that it's so important to keep your hands clean. I don't know that I've ever used this much soap in my life.
But not everyone likes the hassle. So what do YOU prefer? Glasses or contacts?
And if you have 20/20 vision, then lucky you.
(Lookie at my owl friends creeping in the photo)

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Jewelry-Making

Whenever I have free time, I like to spend it by doing something creative. Recently, I got hooked on creating my own jewelry. At first it started with simply beads on string, to complicated weaving of friendship bracelets, and now it’s a mixture of both. Since I’m allergic to the “fake metal” in most jewelry I decided to use cord, and the great thing about cord is it is very durable. When I don’t have ideas on making a bracelet, I go out and buy a book to teach me. I’m one of those people who learns quickly by instructions so, once I read it, I do it, and then I have it. And when I’m done making it, I like to wear it, showing off what I accomplished. Also when I give it to someone, like my sister or my mom it’s really satisfying to see someone else wearing something I made, that I put my hard work into. I have to say Michaels is my go-to store for all things art & crafts, and that is where I get all my beads. So far, I’ve only done bracelets, I find that, the more basic the weaving is, the less “pretty” the bracelet actually comes out. So I’ve stuck to more difficult time-consuming designs, and I’m so pleased with them. I hope that I can make a bunch, to give to my friends and family. Try something new, instead of buying your jewelry; make it for yourself, it’s so relaxing and fun.

- Zakiyyah Mandisa 

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Closet Essentials: Chambray Shirts

I love chambray shirts because of their versatility. They can be causal enough for school but also dressy enough for a party. It all depends on the shade of blue and what you pair it with. The collar will instantly make these shirts classy. With their denim appearance and the flexibility of cotton, they are just as important as a pair of jeans in any closet.
So how do you wear them if they look just like your everyday jeans?
There is no shame in wearing a chambray shirt with a pair of jeans, the trick is to make sure that your top and bottom are different shades of blue. Try breaking up the blue with a neutral color belt, brown or black work the best. If you don't like wearing too much blue, try pairing a chambray shirt with a pair of black leggings. Chambray shirts are usually long enough for anyone to wear with leggings with, it's also a very comfortable outfit for school.
Chambray shirts are so popular and I believe that even people with entirely different styles could own a chambray shirt and make it work.
American Eagle has good quality chambray shirts in various shades. With their current 40% off sale, it's in the mid $20.00 range. I usually wouldn't spend that much on just a shirt but because I know that I'll be wearing it for a long time, it's a good investment.
I prefer ones with the snap buttons just because its more convenient in the early mornings. If you're skeptical, go to a store and give these shirts a chance! They make outfits effortless! They also make an gift that any girl would appreciate (boys too)!

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Bath and Body Works-PocketBac

Honestly I love going to Bath and Body Works, they always have products that smell really nice and the scents can be so relaxing. Whenever I walk into Bath and Body Works I always find myself walking out with one thing, an anti-bacterial hand gel. There is almost always a 5 for $5 dollar sale for the Pocket Bacs, and they smell so nice. I have a lot of fruity scents, like blueberry, and orange, but they have a lot more like candy cane, and gingerbread. They’re tiny, so you can take them anywhere with you, it can even fit in your pocket. They also have these PocketBac holders, some have animals on them, some have key chains, and some are just regular with glitter.  And the regulars ones aren’t ugly; they have a variety of colors for the PocketBacs. A good thing about these holders is you can connect them to anything, for instance, I and a lot of my friends carry them on our backpacks. Hand sanitizer is something to always have, a sink is not always around, especially after lunch and you only have 2 minutes to get to class.  There is a Bath and Body Works so close to our school, so pop in there to see something you like, also anything from Bath and Body Works could be a last-minute Christmas gift!

- Zakiyyah Mandisa 

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Last Minute Gifts

If you procrastinated on holiday gifts as much as you do on homework, then this post is perfect for you. The sole purpose of this post is to inspire you. The following are lists for both females and males. Most of these gifts are generic to everyone. (:

Girls:

• Scented hand sanitizer and lotion 
• Nail polish 
• Scented candle
• Cute stationary (note pads, cute notebooks with quotes on the front, planners for the new year) 
• Scarves for the cold winter weather (also very trendy) 
• Lip balm (can never have too many of those) 
• Cute cups (lots could be found at Marshalls) 
• Coin purses 
• Makeup sets (Sephora has a lot of these during the holiday season) 
• Photo frames with a group photo already in it 

Boys: 

• Warm hoodie (H&M has lots of hoodies in different colors for only $20)
• Hair products: gell, hair spray, hair wax, etc. (If they are super into doing their hair) 
• Headphones! 
• A nice hat 
• Video games 
• Food: many stores are selling gift baskets full of goodies 
• Razor (they always need those)
• Festive fuzzy socks that are super obnoxious 
• Cologne (Very Sexy for him by Victoria Secret smells AMAZING) 
• Tee shirts or tank tops (Uniqlo has a lot of those for under 10 dollars!)

Most of these items are fairly inexpensive. You can put several items in a bag with some colorful tissue paper or just use them as stocking stuffers. 

Regardless, Happy Holidays and Happy Shopping!! 

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Girl's Basketball

Sorry for the late updates on the girl's basketball team. 
It has been a rough season for us although we did win our first season game. With a 3-2 status right now, we all know both the team and coaches know that this shouldn't be how it is. We could have won the games we lost but those loses are only going to make us a stronger team. Like our coach says "I rather us lose in the beginning of the season than the end because we know what we can work on." Both loses were close games, one was a home game where we should have played hard in the first half. Second game was overtime, which we knew should no have happened and we should have won that game. All in all we knew that there were a lot of things that we needed to work on, such as driving in with our heads up, looking for open players, shooting in your range etc. We may not be undefeated this season this year but we know that we will work hard to get that play off sport in February. We will work and push ourselves to get further than we did last year. We will keep our heads up and keep playing the game we love. Nothing can stop us as long as we work as a team.

A quote that our coach goes by " I've missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I've lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I've trusted to take the game winning shot and missed. I've failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed." Michael Jordan  This tells us that even the best player failed so many times but still keep his head up and kept playing the game no matter what happened. He took the mistakes that he have done and learned from them and this is what we will do. Keep playing, and keep learning. 

Kathy Chiam
(Senior)
Writer for sports 

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