That argument sounds a bit too idealistic to me. Just like the phrase “your future depends on you, not your college”, it also assumes that every person is the next Bill Gates or Steve Jobs. One of the reasons why my generation has had a hard time fighting in this economy is because of the ideology that if we all try hard someday, we can become world-famous – that is simply not true! Gates and Jobs are truly one in a million and not every person is cut out to do what they have done. Most people have to do it the hard way: that is where the affiliation helps.

What does a prestigious affiliation do? It essentially gives a person more chances “at bat”. As any baseball fan knows, the more chances you have to bat, the higher your chance of striking out. In the same way, a prestigious affiliation gives a person more chances to interview and consequently land the “dream job” that most people want.

For an average person, this can make all the difference. Most people are not entrepreneurial or ground breakingly innovative (even if we somehow all got much smarter, most of us still wouldn’t be innovative because the “innovation curve” would just move to the right and so only those people, as it is now, at the very far right would get noticed) so the college or first job really makes a difference. For example, I come from a top 50 school that is not known outside of the engineering community and so traditionally prestigious non-engineering positions such as investment banking, financial analysis at the Big 4 Tech companies and management consulting (at Bain, McKinsey, etc) are not recruited for here.

Why? Because my school is not part of the non-engineering “pedigree”. The best students at my school are just as talented as the best students at any Ivy League school, but the Ivy Leaguers will have more chances to interview for positions than my classmates. In essence, the association helps the Ivy Leaguer to get more chances to hit the ball. For my classmates to even be noticed, they have to network like madmen (or women), fill out countless job applications and somehow stand out from the crowd – something that my friends from more prestigious universities really don’t have to subject themselves to. Yes it’s unfair, but that’s life.

In conclusion, the affiliation helps immensely because the average person at Harvard, Princeton, or Goldman Sachs will have quite a few more opportunities than the average person at my school or a traditionally less prestigious company. I am of course ignoring the possibility that the average person at an Ivy League school may also be smarter and more innovative than the average at my school because no study has been done on that. I also believe that, after a certain point, most people are equally talented hence I have decided to not include that as a factor.

I should point out however, that the author of the article went to Harvard Business School for his MBA.

You can read my other blog entries here.

Kraft Foods is recalling Planters cocktail peanuts. This recall is for just one UPC code and size:

Planters Cocktail Peanuts

12 oz canister

Code Date: 09-Jan-14

UPC: 2900007212

The reason for the recall is that Kraft believes that there is a slight possibility that these peanuts may have come into contact with water that was not supposed to be used in food production. 3000 cases were potentially affected and these were sold in the United States and Puerto Rico. No illnesses have been reported in conjunction with this recall and it should be clear that only the one UPC was possibly affected.

The second recall for this week is for tires from Cooper Tire and Rubber Company. This recall affects over 1,000 units. These tires were mislabeled. Mislabeling of the tires means that the wrong inflation information and load range was printed on these tires. This could lead to improper inflation which could lead to an accident. The tires that are being recalled are Discover H/T tires in the LT245/75R16 size.  They were manufactured between February 12, 2012 and March 10, 2012. Cooper will replace the tires for free, and provide free mounting and balancing.

This study, as well as another from the University of Texas, shows that not only can the tasty drink speed recovery, it may also improve endurance. Researchers gave the fat-free variety of chocolate milk to participants during and after their workouts. The individuals that received the drink during their workouts were able to work out longer and with higher intensity. The individuals that receive the drink after their workouts showed an increase in muscle mass and a decrease in fat.

No one is sure why chocolate milk works in these ways, but it has been a favorite of athletes for years. There are actually advantages and disadvantages to chocolate milk as a recovery drink. Chocolate milk tastes better than most recovery drinks, it provides more nutrients, and is cheaper. The main disadvantages are sugar and fat content. Actually, many recovery drinks contain sugar and this study uses the fat-free variety of chocolate milk.

As far as many athletes are concerned, the advantages by far outweigh the disadvantages. To get the maximum benefits, you should only use chocolate milk as a recovery drink if you are otherwise eating a healthy diet. But most importantly, you should consult your doctor to make sure that it is a healthy option for your current health and personal goals.

This recall is based on a wiring issue with the headlights. The headlight switch wiring issue may cause the headlights to not work properly or for the low beams to stop working. This is potentially a big issue because it can make seeing in the dark or low lights difficult or impossible. This can lead to accidents.

As of right now, there are no reports of injuries or crashes. You can find out more information on the affected vehicles at the Honda website.  There is also a hotline that you can call for information. That number is 800-999-1009. When you call the number you will need to also select option 4.

This is actually the second recall for Honda this week. They recalled 2006 models of the CR-V for possible issues with the suspension control arms. The recall stated that the arms could possibly break and cause loss of control or accidents. That recall affected 1,316 vehicles. This recall also stated that there are no reports of injuries or crashes.

The study supposedly showed that people that eat fast food are 51 percent more likely to have symptoms of depression than people that do not eat fast food. This study is not without controversy. Many scientists and psychiatrists are questioning the connection between fast food and clinical depression.  They want more research done. Their theory is that maybe the fast food is not causing the depression symptoms but that the depression symptoms are causing people to eat fast food.

Many people find comfort in food and eating fast food may bring comfort to someone that is clinically depressed. Also, there may be some truth to the theory that people that are clinically depressed may also hunt for areas of the least judgment. If a person is depressed, they may feel most comfortable just going through a drive thru to get their food instead of actually going to a grocery store. Anyone that has had issues with depression will tell you that sometimes the small things, like grocery shopping, can cause the most anxiety.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (USDA) says that there is no evidence that BPA is harmful, but that they will continue to study the product and conduct additional research.  Many people do not think that the USDA is doing enough to protect the health and welfare of Americans.

This chemical, BPA, can be found in many different types of food packaging. It can be found in anything from plastic water bottles to aluminum cans. Why do some people think that it isn’t safe? Their reasoning is that BPA can mimic estrogen in the human body.  This has shown to have very negative effects on lab mice, but researchers are not sure yet what type of negative effect it would have on a human.

Much more testing is needed. Much of the issue is whether or not enough BPA from packaging gets into the food to be ingested. Many companies are saying that it doesn’t, but no one knows that answer for certain. The uproar over this chemical has caused many companies to remove the chemical from their packaging anyway.

A study conducted at Lancaster University in the UK shows that watching these creative movies can in turn inspire creativity in children. In a press release by the university, the study claims that young kids who watch fantasy films like Harry Potter, can boost their imagination.

The study was small- involving only 52 children from ages 4-6. Half were shown short 15-minute clips from the movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone involving magic. Those who watched the clips with magic scored significantly higher than those who viewed general content from the movie.

Dr Eugene Subbotsky, Claire Hysted and Nicola Jones from the Department of Psychology at Lancaster University said that, “Magical thinking enables children to create fantastic imaginary worlds, and in this way enhances children’s capacity to view the world and act upon it from multiple perspectives. The results suggested that books and videos about magic might serve to expand children’s imagination and help them to think more creatively.”

The children were tested for creativity with such tests as asking them to pretend to be a rabbit or driving a car. They tested their ability to create a new and alternative world in everyday life.

The study ultimately shows that these types of fantasy films are not merely for entertainment, but to encourage kids to think differently and come up with new ideas and ways of doing things.

A study was published this week in the Archive of Internal Medicine that draws a link between chocolate consumption and being slim. The study found that people who regularly consumed chocolate tend to have a lower BMI than those that did not. Even though this study shows that there may be some link, many are not so sure if the chocolate is the actual reason for the low BMI in these individuals.

It is also believed that eating chocolate can increase HDL. HDL is the good type of cholesterol and having more good cholesterol than bad cholesterol is good for your health. If these claims are true, this news could be very beneficial for people trying to prevent heart disease.

It should be noted that chocolate tends to be high in calories and eating a lot of chocolate can actually cause weight gain. Many scientists believe that eating dark chocolate can be beneficial though. Dark chocolate contains antioxidants that are actually healthy and be very good for you if eaten in moderation.

So if you want the benefits without the weight gain, limit the amount of chocolate that you eat to a small amount and make sure that you are otherwise eating a healthy diet.

There are several symptoms of autism that parents should be aware of.  You can find out more about these symptoms and about how to get your child diagnosed here.  The severity of the symptoms varies widely from individual to individual, so there really is no way to tell how severe the issues will be as the child ages.

Club Chef LLC is recalling several sizes of its salsa products due to possible salmonella contamination. Salmonella is a very serious bacterium that can cause all types of serious medical issues. It is especially dangerous for small children. The products have the brand name “Private Selection” and “Heinen.”  There is also a 5 lb. size that may be affected that is used in the food service industry. Here is a list of the UPC codes for the effected products:

12 oz. size

• Pico de Gallo – 11111091135
• Hot Salsa – 1111091139
• Mild Salsa – 1111091137

16 oz. size

• Hot Salsa – 2060100024
• Mild Salsa – 2060100026

Visit the link for more information.

Vehicle Recalls:

GM is recalling over 6,500 Chevrolet Express, GMC Savana vans, Chevy Suburban and GMC Yukon XL SUVs with the model year of 2012. These vehicles are being recalled because they may have issues with the steering gear shaft. The shaft may fracture and lead to a loss of steering. This may cause an accident.

Porsche is also recalling 2012 Carrera S 911 coupes. There is a potential that a fuel leak could cause a fire.  The leak could be caused by a disconnection caused by issues with the fuel and coolant lines.

Follow the Vehicle Recalls link for more information on either of these recalls.