While doing my first couple of blogs, I realized that I didn't want to do my blogs on child abuse anymore. Even though I am very passionate about child abuse I just want to focus on something else. So I have chosen domestic violence. I chose this because I feel like I can write a lot more about this topic. I see this more in my life then I do child abuse. I also feel like domestic violence gives me a lot more to work with then child abuse. So I have made my decision. No longer will I be doing my blogs on child abuse, I will be doing it on domestic violence.

Who uses drugs?

Most of the people who do drugs are under the age of 25.  

People do drugs to get high but completely ignore the effects it has on their body, and when they notice they are to addicted to do anything about it.

According to this website alcohol abuse is a "pattern of drinking that results in situations that can result in the failure to attend to important responsibilities". 

85,000 people die from alcohol each year. This includes car accidents and alcohol poisoning.

64%of Americans 18 and older report they drink alcohol.  

Alcohol is one of the easiest ways to get a high. It is legal and easy to obtain. If you are over the age of 21 you can go into a alcohol store and get anything you like. People younger then 21 get older siblings, family members, friends or strangers to get it for them. Since alcohol is so easy to get and widely available most people have had or still drink before they are 21. Alcohol is so common that many people play games while drinking like beer pong or quarters. 

Five Most Common Drugs Used by Teens

1. Marijuana

2. Prescription Drugs

3. Ecstasy

4. Inhalants

5. Cocaine and Heroin 

Marijuana s one of the older drugs that people use. Older generations are known for experimenting with this drug. it goes as far back as the 60's, 50's and even before that.

Prescription drugs are more of a newer thing. Since drugs have become illegal kids are taking prescription painkillers and other pills in order to get high, but most end up ODing of if the pills since they do not know their limit.

Ecstasy is a pill that comes in many colors and has different designs on it (look at picture at top of page). It is used as a stimulant that gives you energy and intense pleasurable effects. it is mostly used for during sex.

Inhalants are simply people using chemicals in households and inhaling them to get high.

 Cocaine and Heroin are heavy drugs. People who start off with marijuana and pills grow to start using these drugs when they need more. Cocaine and heroin are highly addictive and ruin lives of teenagers and adults.

According to eHow (Linked to by picture above):

There is a chance that euthanized animals were used in the production of your dog food if the label says...

• MBM- Meat and Bone Meal
• BBM- Beef and Bone Meal
• AF- Animal Fat
• AD- Animal Digest

Also, if BT (Beef Tallow) is at the top of the list of ingredients it has more than a 50% chance that it includes unnaccepted amounts of Pentobarbital. You don't want your dog to have too much of that chemical, it's deadly.

You can attempt to avoid feeding your dog... well dogs... by feeding them strictly organic food, or even people food. Remember: healthy animals live longer.

What happens to the bodies of euthanized animals??

According to Dogs For Life, euthanized animals are sent to a plant that boils them down and sells to mltiple places including the pet food industry. The photo above links to 2 articles about the selling of boiled animals to the pet food industry and the uproar of people in St. Louis.

Though the cannibalism forced upon animals by our feeding them brand name dog food may seem wrong, there are greater issues. The chemical used in euthanasia formula, Pentobarbital, can affect dogs that have eaten the food over a lengthy period time. Some cases of dogs dying due to unaccepted amounts of Pentobarbital have already ocurred. It's a rare problem, but it does happen (Allman).

To take care of euthanized animals the way we care for humans after death would get pricey for shelters that can't even afford to have more space for more animals. They can't afford to cremate millions of dead bodies let alone bury them in pretty caskets(Allman). So perhaps recycling the bodies of the dead animals is useful. My only question being, is it really okay to feed one dog to another??

According to The University of Minnesota, you should consider having your pet euthanized if:

• They're losing weight.
• They're showing signs of anorexia.
• They're too weak to stand for up to 24 hours.
• They're depressed for a period of time.
• They have an infection.
• Organ failure.

Of course, these all make sense. No one wants they're pet to suffer, not if you really love them. Not many people, including myself, want to be the ones to put their animal down. It's killing someone that you love and you're not always sure you can do it even if they are suffering. However, you should always look out for them first, no animal deserves to suffer.

You may also want to be sure of the way your animal is being euthanized. There are multiple ways of euthanizing an animal. For example, some small rodents are euthanized by decapitation and sometimes birds can be "put down" using carbon dioxide (University of Minnesota). However, in any kind of animal the most desired way would be the euthanasia formula. I'm not sure why I feel that way, it just seems more humane than chopping their heads off. 

 Blog 4 

 So you've been reading my blog,  and you feel like you have not been  moved?

Or you feel the need to change your daily use of water?.

Well according to MonoLake  water conservation is the most cost-effective and environmentally sound way to reduce our demand for water. 

Water Conservation Products : 

Household Products And More For Water Conservation 

Family FUN: 

Educational Game About Water Conservation For Families

How does water and energy connect:

Saving water also saves energy 6.5% of the energy used.

Saving energy and using alternative energy saves water electricity production from fossil fuels and nuclear energy, which is responsible for 39% of all freshwater withdrawals in the nation.

 Bettcha' Didn't Know This :

• Producing 1 lb of bread requires 500 gallons of water. 
• Producing a typical U.S. car requires more than 50 times its weight in water (39,090 gallons)
• Producing 1 serving (8 oz.) of chicken requires 330 gallons of water.
• Growing one cotton T-shirt requires 256 gallons of water
• 1 serving (8 fl. oz.) of milk requires 48 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 serving (2 oz.) of pasta requires 36 gallons of water.
• Producing 1 serving (4.6 oz.) of oranges requires 14 gallons of water. Producing
• Producing 1 serving (4.3 oz.) of tomatoes requires 8 gallons of water.
• Producing a typical American Thanksgiving dinner for six people requires over 30,000 gallons of water.

Blog 3
Water Conservation: In the yard and garden...

16. Plant drought-resistant lawns, shrubs and plants

17. Put a layer of mulch around trees and plants

18. Don't water the gutter

19. Water your lawn only when it needs it

20. Deep-soak your lawn

21. Water during the early parts of the day; avoid watering when it's windy

22. Add organic matter and use efficient watering systems for shrubs, flower beds and lawns

23. Don't run the hose while washing your car

24. Use a broom, not a hose, to clean driveways and sidewalks

25. Check for leaks in pipes, hoses, faucets and couplings

Wasting water wastes electricity!

 Why? Because the biggest use ofelectricity in most cities is supplying water and cleaning it up afterit's been used! 

About 75 percent of the water
we use in our homes is used in the bathroom. Unless you have a low
flush toilet, for example, you useabout five gallons to seven gallons
of water with every flush! A leakytoilet can waste more than 10,000
gallons of water a year. Wow!

Drippy faucets are bad, too! A faucet that leaks enough water to fill a soda bottle every 30 minutes will waste 2,192 gallons of water ayear.

Another
simple way to save water AND energy is to take shorter showers. You'll
use less hot water - and water heaters account fornearly 1/4 of your
home's energy use according to American Water Savers

The Choices We Make...

"Jill Nolan"

This article tells a story of Jill Nolan, a 19 year old

female faced with the tragic decision on whether to

abort her baby or not. Her soon to be ex-husband wanted

nothing to do with her, or a commitment.

Jill later got an abortion and with that, followed

depression. Jill didnt enjoy sex for a

long time after that. After being empregnated

by the love of her life she found later in life, she

realized her decision to have her baby was pro-choice.

Nobody's opinion with the acception of Christ, matters.

After Abortion, Depression Occurs.. 

Depression:

Depression.com tells us "depression is not just something you can

'snap out of'. Its caused by an embalance in brain chemicals along

with other factors." Depression should be treated just as any other

medical condition.

What are the different types of depression?

National Institute of Mental Health tells us depression is very complex. A few forms of depression

are listed below:

• Major Depressive Disorder
• Dysthemic Disorder
• Psychotic Depression
• Postpartum Depression
• Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

 Depression and Abortion; is there a link?

• AfterAbortion.org informs us that women with history of abortion are

          at a higher risk of clinical depression.

• Fox News says "Abortion opponents

         have long argued that women often suffer depression and other mental health

         problems as a result of having abortions." (Boyles)

• Ramah International tells us of the Post Abortion Stress Syndrom. This syndrom is another form of post-traumatic stress disorder. Experiencing grief, making life changing decisions, suffering pain and regret can take a tole on one's mental health.

Sean Moss

C Band

1-4-10

English

Language Autobiography

            Ibegan to notice a few days ago when I was getting out of my car. I was tellingmy mother good-bye. I did it so often I didn’t realize the difference from whenI walked into the school doors. Just then I saw my friends and I walked over tothem. “Hey wassup yo.” We shook hand. Nuttin much yo. Just been chillin. Yo didyou do that thing for Dunda’s class?” I thought for a second and replied. “Nawman. I still gotta do it, but imma be done in a minute yo. That jawn looks easy.”He laughed,” I know right? But I wasn’t even worrying bout it. I was talkin’wit my gurl all last night.” We laughed again and then my friend came over.

            “Heylittle boy. What would your mother say if she heard you speaking the way youis?” I looked at her and then looked around playfully. “Why does it matter?She’s not around here.” Then she hit me and then continued. “Well would you sayanything like this around your mother?” I was ready to make a smart remark butthen I thought about it. When I got out the car I said. “Alright. Talk to youlater mom.”  Respectful and proper,but once I closed the car door I was completely changed. “My greetings andgood-byes and completely different. My whole way of speaking is different too.I noticed that I used more “black vernacular” around my friends than around myparents. And even then there’s a certain group I friends that I talkdifferently with.

            WhenI think back to times when I’m talking to my friends or anyone in my family thechange is immense. Even when I’m on the phone talking I might get a little loudand my dad walks in and gives me a strange look. Telling me to either quietdown or watch what I say. It’s funny to me how I can switch over to another wayof speaking just by looking at the person I’m supposed to be speaking to. It’sinstantaneous. Something developed over a few years.

            Ithink that’s because I know how they’ll react if I were to speak to then adifferent way. Then might think I weird or won’t even understand what I mean.It’s the same thing but said differently. There was another time when I was ina classroom with a group of my friends, predominately white girls. I wastalking like I would have thought was normal. Or what was normal around them.Then another friend, a black male came over and started a conversation with me.I must have immediately changed because when we were done they were all lookingat me strangely. Then they laughed. I asked what had happened. One girl said,“When you’re around us u talk like a white person but when u talk to a blackperson your talk like a black person. We just find it hilarious.”

            AndI sat there trying to deny it. I didn’t notice how differently I talked butthey did. And after that I began to wonder how many different ways did I speakand act around certain people. I found that each different dialect I had wasfit towards a specific person or group of people. Like my parents I talk likethey want me to talk. Sometimes a little of my other dialects creep in and theyconstantly correct me on it. Like when they expect me to say “Yes” and insteadI say “Yea”, my dad will keep saying yes over and over until I reply, “Yes”.

            Otherspeech changes are when I’m with my predominately black group of friends im alot less playful and serious. Saying “Yo” about twice ever sentence, and usingsounds without words, like “Uhhuh” or “Nuhuh”. I took notice of every time Isaid “man” or “yea” in a sentence. I found it ridiculously immense. Once Itried to change they way I spoke, but it just sounded wrong. Felt strange on mytongue. I was compelled to speak how I did normally. I Also found that Iintegrate different words into my vocabulary. Like when one of my older friendswas using a term “He’s in his bag”, I didn’t really understand the term. Ofcourse I didn’t ask because I might be ridiculed for not being black enough.Though it was funny how he used it for everything. Usually I’m good atunderstanding words according to their context. But that wasn’t helping me atall. After a while I had a vague understanding of the word. Now when I’m withhim I always use it, but only around him.

            Inthe end I realized that my many different dialects are just too many tocategorize. Even though I could be saying the exact same thing to differentpeople there are still many details that are different. Sometimes pertaining toa single person, someone I might be interested in, someone I don’t like,someone I respect, or just a grouping of friends altogether. Each dialect isdifferent yet similar in their own way. And I don’t have any reason to changethat at all.