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Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Top Stories from the last 24 hours
How to Need Less Sleep by Getting Better Sleep Every Night
January 2nd, 2013Top StoryHow to Need Less Sleep by Getting Better Sleep Every NightBy Alan Henry
Most of Us Have a Hard Time Getting Enough Sleep in the First Place
We've discussed how to get on a good sleep schedule and ditch a dysfunctional relationship with sleeping, so if you're having trouble sleeping, make sure to follow that guide first. Our goal in this post is to walk you through improving the sleep that you get to the point where you can fine tune and dial back the amount that you get to match what you really need. You'll spend less time tossing and turning, and more time getting truly restful sleep. Why Better Sleep is More Important than More SleepWe frequently hear about the dangers of too little sleep, but there's also research to suggest too much sleep is a problem too. One study published in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research concluded that quality of sleep is more important than quantity of sleep when it comes to feeling rested and rejuvenated. So where does that leave us? First, start tracking your sleep, and find your perfect bedtime. There are great apps that can help. Eight hours of sleep is worthless if you spend all of it tossing and turning, or you only sleep for about 3-4 hours of it. Trying to fix poor sleep habits by going to bed earlier is like trying to lose weight by spending more time at the gym without actually changing the duration of your workout. Once you've learned to optimize your time, you'll see better results. The Keys to Better, Quality Sleep
PreparationThe first step is to build the habits that will help you fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, and be more comfortable while you rest. For example:
EnvironmentBefore you lay down to sleep, you should also make sure your environment is conducive to a good night's rest:
TimingYou already know that how long you sleep is important, but for the best possible sleep, you really should go to sleep and wake up at the same time every day. The debate rages over the concept of "sleep debt" and whether it can be "paid off" by sleeping in, and different experts say different things about it. Dr. Verma suggests an alternative: "An often overlooked way for people to optimize their sleep is to wake at the same time every day, or at least within the same hour. So rather than oversleep on off days, waking at the same time and then taking a nap allows the extra sleep without disrupting the normal wake/sleep schedule." He continues, "Many of my patients have such a different weekday/weekend wake schedule that they are experiencing the same sleepiness that people who are jet-lagged. Even two hours difference hurts, especially if they are already sleep deprived." If that's the case, and you still don't want to adjust your sleep schedule, maybe our tips on beating jet lag can help. Get Help From the Experts
Once you have your sleep issues sorted out, whether by the professionals or through our tips above, you can start to fine tune the amount of sleep you actually get to make sure you only take away as much as you actually need. If you've been sleeping nine or ten hours because it's the only way to feel rested, but once you start wearing a mask and ditching the gadgets before bed, you find that you feel just as rested after eight, you can start to edge back to see what happens. Bonus: you'll get two extra hours in your day to do the things you want to do, and your mind and body won't be worse for the wear as a result. Dr. Nitun Verma, MD is a specialist in sleep medicine and the Medical Director of the Washington Township Center for Sleep Disorders in Freemont. He has offered his tips for better sleep here before, and he graciously volunteered his expertise for this piece as well. We thank him.  |
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Why The Walking Dead Should Be Game Of The Year
January 2nd, 2013Top StoryWhy The Walking Dead Should Be Game Of The YearBy Tina Amini
Some people have asked me why anyone would want to subject themselves to something that outwardly seems so depleting. It's depressing. Haunting. This isn't one of those games where you face a harrowing plot, but end the story on a happy note by conquering the evil bad guy in charge of destroying the world (or whatever). This story is a hopeless one. Like I said: depressing. You know straightaway that most of the survivors you travel with will die, perhaps even by each episode's end. Worse: some might betray you. You know that resources only grow more scant as threats grow more infectious. You know all this, and yet you still play. But why? Because sometimes the most beautiful stories are also the most disturbing ones. The great thing about interactive fictional worlds is that you get a chance to explore scenarios you will never otherwise experience. Even the ugly experiences are worth investigating. I daresay you learn more about your own character during your toughest times than your brightest days. The Walking Dead serves as an experience that's the worst of the worst. It gives you a chance to explore your emotions and leadership abilities throughout them. It exposes you to, yes, some downright abysmal situations and people. But you don't play The Walking Dead because you're a masochist. You play it because it gives you the opportunity to experience what would be a life-changing event, but from the comfort and safety of your own home. Growing up, my parents would often tell me that they wish they could pass on everything they'd learned from their most negative experiences so that I wouldn't have to go through something similar just to learn the lesson for myself. Video games grant you that opportunity. And The Walking Dead executes it beautifully. And horrifyingly. And convincingly. The Walking Dead is, without a doubt, my game of 2012. It's well-written, and paired with some great performances. Because of this, I loved some characters; I took Clementine under my wing, but because I felt that obligation myself, not just because the game told me to do it. I hated other characters; Lilly can be torn apart by walkers for all I care. Telltale's episodic adventure game moved me to feel both of these things. I quickly became invested in the characters that I attempted to lead to safety, a target that was constantly on the move. Even as this first season came to a close, and as hope drained and darkness came crashing in like tunnel vision, I knew I had to push on. To test how well I can think on my feet no matter what this game throws at me. To see the end of the story fulfilled. But, mostly, to ensure Clementine's safety. It's rare that a game will connect me to a digital being so powerfully. But The Walking Dead is also a rare kind of game. And through all that darkness, having to witness the worst in people, there was always that one ray of sunlight to keep me going: the brave little girl who always looked up at me with trust. Bad things make you appreciate the good things even more, and that's somehow beautiful. It's the exact kind of beauty The Walking Dead is all about. This game is not about the guns, and it's not even about the zombies. It's about people. The decisions you were forced to make along the way didn't mold the entire world around you. But it changed who you were—and who Lee was—and it changed the group dynamic. As you played and as you made these life-changing decisions, you saw your relationships with people change. Sometimes uncomfortably so. The Walking Dead makes you regret the things you've done, even when you had the best intentions. In any other game, regret would make me load up a previous save. But I savored these sad moments Telltale forced me to swallow down. Because they were decisions I made, and they reflected who I am and what I choose to do in the face of danger. Regret—like doubt and fear—is part of the survival experience, and The Walking Dead is a simulation of all those feelings. It's the closest we'll get to experiencing the real thing. This game is not about the guns, and it's not even about the zombies. It's about people. And about just how awful they can get when push turns to dead things gnawing on your flesh. On top of its emotional prowess, The Walking Dead followed a smart model: episodic releases. Like episodes of your favorite television show, The Walking Dead's episodes were followed by deep conversations and analysis. It kept players actively interested and intrigued. And it kept us all on the same page. Even though the mobile version is plagued with bugs and inconsistencies, and even though players reported some other bugs on the other available platforms—360, PS3, PC—it's hard to argue with such a beautifully somber story. At the very least, no other game this year made me cry and smile at the same time. The writers of Kotaku are nominating nine games for 2012 Game of the Year. The nominations will be posted throughout the first week of January. The winner of our staff vote being announced on the Monday following and that game will be our 2012 GOTY, shifting 2011 GOTY Portal 2 a little further down our imaginary trophy shelf. Read all of our 2012 nominations, as they're posted.  |
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Will You Fall Off The Fiscal Cliff, Wage Slave? Let's See How Far
January 2nd, 2013Top StoryWill You Fall Off The Fiscal Cliff, Wage Slave? Let's See How FarBy Max Read
There are several articles out there explaining what's in the deal, exactly. But are you really going to read through all of that to figure out how you're supposed to feel about the deal? Here's our handy guide to how you should feel about the fiscal cliff deal if youre... ...a hard-right Tea Party conservative: you hate this deal. It offers no spending cuts and raises taxes on high-income earners (actually, thanks to the end of the payroll tax holiday, it raises taxes on everyone — but you only care about job creators), and you're furious at Speaker of the House John Boehner for allowing the bill to pass in the House with mostly Democratic support. ...a conservative with a longer view: you — probably there is just one of you, at this point — are actually pretty pleased with the deal: the Bush tax cuts are now permanent for 98 percent of Americans, and only expiring for individuals making more than $400,000 (not $200,000, which was the president's stated goal). And that's out of a situation that was probably Democrats' best chance to raise tax rates for a generation, and certainly not one in which you could have reasonably expected a deal with spending cuts. ...a liberal with faith in the president's negotiating ability: you think the deal is decent — not everything you might have expected, but there were no spending cuts, some low-income tax breaks were extended, and since for some bizarre reason you have faith in President Obama you're not worried about social services getting gutted when Republicans try to hold the debt ceiling hostage in February or March, ...a liberal without any faith in the president: you think the deal basically sucks. From a point where no deal at all would have automatically rendered the United States tax code significantly more liberal, we're now in a position where the Bush tax cuts are permanent even for some people who are rich by any reasonable definition; the end of the payroll tax holiday will raise taxes on low-income Americans and hurt consumer spending; and the president — you fully expect — will cave on the debt ceiling fight in a few weeks, signing off on big spending cuts on social services. ...a "deficit hawk": you hate this deal, which does nothing to lower the deficit, and actually raises it compared with projections for what would've happened had we "gone over" the "cliff." You are also an idiot, though. ...someone who makes less that $200 thousand a year: you're probably not entirely pleased, since the payroll tax holiday is over and you're losing between one and two percent of your after-tax income — but low-income tax breaks were preserved, the Bush tax cuts are now permanent for you, and any social services you use have avoided the House Republicans' hacksaw. ...someone who makes more than $500 thousand a year: you hate this deal, since your tax rates are going back up to where they were in the 90s; on the other hand, you're rich, so fuck off. ...someone who makes between $200 and $500 thousand a year: you love this deal. Thanks to Mitch McConnell's negotiating, you avoided the expiration of your Bush tax rates (which the president would've preferred), and since much of your income isn't subject to the payroll tax you're looking at a smaller increase than the people making less money than you. And totally coincidentally, you happen to be in the same income bracket as many columnists, pundits, politicians and thought leader-y types! ...President Obama: you think this is the best deal you could've gotten — you've avoided the fiscal cliff, you've raised taxes on the rich (as you promised), and you're telling everyone (yourself included) that you won't compromise on the debt ceiling. ...Eric Cantor: you "hate" this deal — you refused to vote for it — but secretly you like it, insofar as it sets you up for a run at Boehner's spot as Speaker of the House. ...an op-ed columnist for a major newspaper or newsmagazine: you are probably excited at all the material this gives you for columns about how there are no Grand Bargains anymore and not enough Leadership from the White House and how both parties are equally horrible. ...someone who loves frequent self-created near-crises: you love this deal. Bring on the debt ceiling fight!  |
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