Over the last couple years, Europe’s youth unemployment rate has been increasing. Since March of two-thousand and thirteen, five million six hundred ninety thousand people (under the age of twenty five) were unemployed. This year, Italy is on schedule to hit forty percent of all people under the age of twenty-five to be unemployed. This is a big deal because in two-thousand nine, Italy’s youth unemployment rate was only twenty percent. Now that is still a huge number but they have almost doubled in only four years. Greek youth unemployment is a whole lot more severe. Hitting sixty percent this year, they pass Italy by twenty percent! In Ireland, it is about ten percent less than Italy coming in at thirty point eight percent. In Spain, they recently just hit the fifty percent mark.

Update: The number of killed has risen to a tragic 91, 20 of them being children.

Links to videos of the tornado:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2328071/WATCH-Oklahoma-Tornado-Video–Horrific-footage-shows-devastating-tornado-tears-Oklahoma.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2328071/WATCH-Oklahoma-Tornado-Video–Horrific-footage-shows-devastating-tornado-tears-Oklahoma.html

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2328071/WATCH-Oklahoma-Tornado-Video–Horrific-footage-shows-devastating-tornado-tears-Oklahoma.html

Sunburn is a common thing we see all summer on ourselves and friends. It is the reddening of skin which can also be accompanied by inflammation, blistering, and/or peeling depending on the severity of the burn. Sunburn is caused by overexposure to ultraviolet rays given off by the sun. Ultraviolet rays, damage cells in our body known as melanocytes. These cells produce melanin, a pigment which gives our skin its color. If your skin is darker, then your body produces more melanin; if it’s lighter than it produces less. The more melanin your body produces the more resistant it is to ultraviolet rays. The damage of these cells by ultraviolet rays causes rapid blood flow to the affected area to begin the healing process. This blood flow is what causes the affected skin to appear red and feel warm to the touch. Not only does sunburn cause swelling, redness, and other symptoms but it also involves peeling of the skin. Peeling is a part of the body’s healing process. Your body will remove any permanently damaged cells by simply shedding them off.

You can blame your parents if you are prone to getting sunburn because your chances are mostly based on your genetics. If you’re someone with light skin, hair and eyes your chances are higher for getting sunburn than someone with dark hair, dark eyes, and a natural tan. For a light skinned person sunburn can occur within 15 minutes of exposure to the sun. Age also plays a role in the risk of accumulating sunburn. Someone over the age of 60 or under the age of 6 is more likely to get sunburn due to the fact that they’re skin is more sensitive to the sun’s rays. Where and when you’re outside also factors in to the chances of sunburn. Between the times of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. the sun’s rays are the strongest. If you’re near the water, or any other surface that can reflect the sun’s rays your chances will increase as well. It has been proven that 1000 feet you go up from the earth’s surface your chances of sunburn increase by four percent. These facts do not only apply to sunny days; the harmful rays can pass through the clouds on cloudy days as well.

When you’re getting ready for a summer day at the beach the last thing you’re thinking of is how the sun is planning to turn your body into an overcooked lobster. You’re packing swim suits, towels, volleyballs, and food, but despite your parents warnings about the sun you ignore the sunscreen sitting on the bathroom counter. There are many long-term consequences that result due to sunburn. Melanoma, the worst type of skin cancer, is one of the most significant forms of complications that is a result of sunburn. Cataracts, which are a leading cause of blindness, are a long-term problem which can develop over years of not protecting eyes from the sun’s harmful rays. Many skin changes also occur overtime due to sunburn in previous years. It can accelerate aging of the skin; resulting in wrinkles, and thinner, dryer skin. Skin lesions are changes in the skin that develop as a result of sunburn. Skin lesions are small, millimeter sized spots that usually appear as a darkened skin color or a red color. They can be unpleasant on parts of your body that are regularly exposed to the sun such as your face, though they are typically harmless. Researchers say people with 10 or more sunspots have a 10-15 percent increase in skin cancer. The immune system can be weakened by sunburn; therefore causing a greater risk of getting sick. How you protect yourself against the sun determines your future with conditions that are a result of sunburn.

Damage to melanocytes by ultraviolet rays has been proven to cause mutations in the cell’s DNA that are responsible for cancer. Melanoma is the worst, most dangerous type of skin cancer and a leading cause of death. It only takes one blistering sunburn in a child or adolescent to double the risk of melanoma as an adult. Researchers believe that melanocytes are different in areas of the body that have more frequent sun exposure. This idea linked to the fact that melanoma is more common on places of the body that are less exposed to the sun, such as the legs, back, and neck, but accumulate harsher burns when exposed. The idea is that the melanocytes are stronger or more resistant to UV rays in areas of the body that are more exposed. Just as people who are exposed to the sun all the time are less likely to get burned as easily compared to people who have not been exposed to the sun in months.

You can simply and easily avoid the terrible fate of sunburn if you just take precautions before exposing yourself to the sun. Most importantly, listen to your parents and doctors “annoying” warnings and wear sunscreen when you’re soaking up the sun. If you’re planning to expose yourself to the sun for four or more hours choose a sunscreen that is labeled 30 SPF or higher. Another tip to picking out sunscreen is to purchase water proof, because whether it’s sweat or water on your body you can count on it to stay on. When it comes to sunscreen it’s important to remember to always reapply every four or so hours. Both direct and indirect exposure can harm your delicate eyes so find a stylish pair of sunglasses and rock them! Make sure to look for a pair that has a label saying that they block UV light. Make sure to avoid the sun between the times of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Pay attention to the UV index for the day you plan to stay out in the sun to help to determine your risk of getting sunburn. If you do get sunburn there are some remedies to make it a little less miserable. For redness, soreness, and swelling over the counter NAISD can help to subside these symptoms. Cool showers or baths, and aloe or any moisturizing creams can help to relieve the heat you feel on the affected part of your body. The most important thing to do when you have sunburn is to stay hydrated, because sunburn can be the cause of dehydration which can lead to other problems such as headaches or fevers.

Sunburn may seem like just an uncomfortable, unsightly condition but it can lead to more serious consequences later in life. Sunburn may only last for a few weeks between swelling and peeling but it has many long-term effects, such as cancer and premature wrinkling of that skin you wish to keep looking young and flawless forever. This is why there is so much emphasis on protecting your body from the sun’s harmful rays. Skin is your body’s largest organ and it’s visible to everyone around you; do yourself a favor and take care of it by following precautions to protect it from sunburn.

Greg steals his uncles car and starts his journey to Florida, completely unaware that his detour to a rest stop will change his life. Early in the morning he is awoken by a “lot lizard” named Dawn looking for her next customer. Greg waves her off, but later convinces her to stop her life on the streets. He offers her a ride, and they make it about 800 miles before their car is stolen, along with all of Greg’s worldly belongings.  Surprisingly, Dawn sticks with him and even gets their next ride. in the time that they spent together, Dawn flips Greg’s theory upside down, and opens his eyes to the world of “grey” that they live in. Dawn Gets them about half of the way there when The trucker they got a ride with delivers him into the hands of his next teachers.. who aren’t so kind

As he strolls out of a mall, Greg is attacked by some thugs in a car. With his money stolen and left beaten on the side of the road, Greg almost gives up. Almost. A Backwoods family of Hillbillies finds him and takes him home and gives him the energy he needs to continue. Greg also realizes how closed off from the world these people were, and observed their strange church services. He realizes that what may be wrong for one person, could be right for another.

Generally,the rest of his trip is uneventful until he hitches a ride with friends before the border of Florida and gets into a car crash. Greg gives a fake name and sneaks out of the hospital, only to find his sister is being kept by some strange cult. Just to prove that Happy endings aren’t always an option, Greg’s sister is diagnosed with stage four cancer. His ideal of the world being black and white is now completely shattered. To find how it all ends, (you guessed it) read the book! I can honestly say that this book definitely changed how I see the world, and is a true eye opener. I would suggest this book to anyone who is tired of reading the same happy ending and unrealistic scenarios.

Mort Rainy’s wife cheated on him, and he is now living in the summer house they shared together. Mort lives the dreary, semi-secluded life and he is completely out of ideas for a new novel that his publisher is pushing for. Until one day, out of the blue, a stranger visits him, and not just for a social call. This stranger named shooter is outraged and claims that Mort has stolen his story and demands to be acknowledged. Mort  insists that this isn’t true. Shooter gives him time to “prove” the originality of the story, but in the meantime, terrible things happen. Mort’s cat is murdered and  his ex-wife’s house is burnt down. But is it really Shooter? Is Shooter even REAL? As tell-tale signs of Mort’s unraveling sanity unfold, his friends can’t help but wonder.

King does not disappoint in this plot twisting and well thought story and provides a killer ending. The rest of the collection of short stories follows Stephan King’s direct and enthralling imagery and is sure to please a reader that is hungry for a great thriller.

Thousands of Blackhawk fans piled into the Madhouse on Madison to see round 2 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

When you look at it, the Blackhawks are an experienced team that had a tremendous season losing under 15 games. The Red Wings were coming out of the lockout losing their best defensemen to ever put on the sweater and brought up a bunch of rookies in the lineup. After 1 period, it looked like a very well game, only 1-1. When the horn for the start of the 3rd period sounded, the Wings were just wore out. After the game head coach Mike Babcock had this to say about the effort,”I didn’t think we were very quick in executing. We’re not trying to take anything away from them. They were better than us. The score tonight was more than fair as far as I’m concerned. They were better.” Whether it was lack of effort or just being beat at their own game, game 2 will mirror game 1 in the aspects of scoring and flow. It will be a close game that will go all the way to the end and will be decided by heart. Who will have the urge to pull through? Will the Wings come back to Detroit for game 3 tied up 1-1 or will Chicago be staring down a sweep and a easy ride to the Western Conference Finals?

The trailer for this movie promised a third installment to the “Iron Man” series that would be darker, more emotionally charged, and more phenomenal than the film’s two predecessors. For the most part…that’s what we got.

In contrast to “Iron Man” and “Iron Man 2″, the third entry in the series deals with a topic that’ arguably darker than any other Marvel movie yet. Not only is the main villain a terrorist bent on his “lessons” for America, but Tony Stark, played by Robert Downey Jr., is left with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder after the events of Marvel’s The Avengers. Seeing Downey Jr. portray an emotionally broken man while retaining his cool when on the job was probably the high point of the movie, as he effectively conveyed to the audience his emotion and worry and put on an overall believable performance.

Being able to see Tony Stark in action without his toys or gadgets to aid him was also an interesting plot twist that was enjoyable to see. It added to the overall decent action of the film, action which included a harrowing finale on an oil tanker. The special effects were downright phenomenal, and made the action in the movie nearly perfect.

However, that’s not to say that this movie is perfect. On the contrary, there were too many gripes with the movie that keeps it from being a great one. One of the biggest issues is the overuse of comic relief. Even during the tense action scenes, none of the characters can go thirty seconds without making some wisecrack joke that only detriments the serious tone of the film.

Another major problem (and arguably the biggest one) was that the movie only made important plot points important when they needed to be. For example, they introduce the Iron Patriot in the first five minutes of the film, then he is completely ignored for nearly the entire first half of the movie aside from a few mentions. The same thing happens when the President of the U.S. is hanging over the oil death trap; during that entire fight sequence on the oil rig, the President is seen twice – at the beginning of the sequence and at the end. The problem with this is that in order to emphasize an important plot point, you need to make it sound important throughout the film, not when you need it to be important.

There was also the rather odd plot twist of the Mandarin not actually being the Mandarin. See, the Mandarin (Ben Kingsley) turned out to be an actor that posed in for the cyber attacks. What was thought of as a Chinese terrorist is actually a Mike Myers-esque actor that’s only in it for drugs. This plot twist was not only unnecessary, it was downright stupid. It nearly permanently derailed all of the tension that there was in the film and suddenly made me feel like I was watching a higher budget version of “The Love Guru”.

Although this film is good, it’s definitely not great. It’s got a lot going for it, and although it packs a heck of a punch, that punch is not going to be a knock out.

Rating: 7/10

See It or Skip It?: See it. It might not be perfect, but it just might be the closest we get to perfect this summer.

Q: Why are your parents comfortable with sending you to Russia rather than college.

A: Two American priests that are family friends of ours suggested it to my father who then suggested it to me. These two priests run the missionary society in Russia. I was baptized there and my parents were married there. So my parents trust them greatly and know I will get a great experience out of this and be able to experience a new part of the world in a new way.

Q: So, why did you choose to join a missionary rather than go to college?

A: At first I thought no, I would never want to do this im going to college but, then I felt it was the best choice for me plus it would sharpen my Russian language skills. Also I thought the missionary would be able to teach me life lessons college could never teach.

Q: What type of Work will you be doing at this Missionary

A: I will be primarily working in the Russian orphanages visiting children which I am very excited about. Also I will be focusing on studying dance and music since Ive been doing that here and want to improve greatly. I have always wanted to help children in need and I know this will help me decide what I want to do in the future.

Rachel has made a courageous move that most 18 year olds would not take. She has chosen to learn more about the world and her faith rather than be cooped up in a classroom for 6 hours a day. This real life experience will help her excel in everything she does throughout her life. The entire DC community wishes Rachel the best in her travels.