Musical Instrument Blog #1

​The instrument that I am attempting to create is a piano because I really like pianos. Pianos are usually played by the person pressing down on the keys which hits a string inside the piano that hit an object to produce the sound. Pianos are mainly shaped as rectangles with a circular end. As I continued to research about the different pianos, it made me think about how I can change the sound that comes from it. I thought that maybe if I apply a certain amount of tension on certain strings, it will produce a different sound that may be higher or lower than usual. Also I thought about changing the shape of the piano to see if that will have any effect on the production of my music. 


Screen shot 2011-05-27 at 4.35.03 PM
Screen shot 2011-05-27 at 4.35.03 PM
Screen shot 2011-05-27 at 4.33.24 PM
Screen shot 2011-05-27 at 4.33.24 PM

Farmers are (:'() . Consumers are (:\) . And fish are (x<) .

Do you like the emoticon I used as the title? This faces are basically what describe how each farmer, consumer, and fish are doing in Japan. 

If you have been following along in my previous blogs or keeping up on the latest new in Japan, you would know that they had a huge earthquake and tsunami. After, covering what happened on that tragic day, I hoped right into their imports before and after the earthquake and tsunami. Today, for my last blog, I am covering how consumers, farmers, and animals are being affected by the radiation after the reactors started to over heat and give off radiation. The two scariest types of radiation that were given off we iodine 131 and cesium 137. According to Japanese officials, iodine 131 has a half life of just over a week, therefore it isn't anything to worry about. But Cesium 137 is a different story because of its' half life of 30 years. Also, both forms of radiation forms are heavier than air, thus making their ability to disperse rapidly is limited.

Even with that reassurance to the Untied States, Japan is still affected. Let's start off with the farmers' farm land and their animals. Farmers that lived closer to the Nuclear Plant must now leave and abandon what they once called a farm haven. On CNN, a farmer was told to evacuate to safe grounds. He stated that he couldn't leave his 4th generation farm. But there is no profit coming from anything on his farm due to the radiation. He says that "the radiation sticks onto the grass, which is eaten by the cows, who produce milk and meat.". But this farmer isn't the only one who has to face this type of issue, many other farmers have to sell their cows and land and leave. Some don't even get to sell their land due to their close distance to the Nuclear Plant.

As for consumers, we are effected world-wide. I say world wide because Japan and China are the main food suppliers for the United States' cheap food. With the decrease of the U.S's imports from Japan, food prices will sky rocket to higher prices which will lead to complaints from Americans in sticky situations. But the real question is: "Will you still pay for slightly cheaper food with a dash of radiation?". A mother in Japan blogs about her view on product consumption in the U.S and Japan: "
Shoppers will see more “produced" or "made in America” signage as supermarkets start to promote domestically produced replacement foods – like Gulf shrimp instead of shrimp from China, or U.S. farm raised tilapia. If supplies remain short, prices should remain higher longer, and the focus on the integrity of fish sourcing and other imports will only intensify."

As for now, all we can do is wait and see what will happen of the the once peaceful and yin-yang loving country. Be safe, be positive, and make the best of things.




Signing out for now,
Ellen To 


 https://docs.google.com/a/scienceleadership.org/viewer?url=http://gain.fas.usda.gov/Recent%2520GAIN%2520Publications/March%252018%2520Update%2520-%2520Japan%2520Food%2520and%2520Agriculture_Tokyo_Japan_4-21-2011.pdf

Music Instrument Blog #2

When playing a xylophone, the sound is produced by the strike of the sticks on the bars, which transfer energy to the bar, causing vibrations. The force of the strike to the different bars plays a part in the sound as well as the size of the bars. My thoughts on size of the bars is that with smaller bars there is less room for air particles to travel, making it more concentrated, causing different pitches. Different sized bars are very important with xylophones. Smaller bars cause higher pitches while larger bars form lower pitches. In order to reconstruct a xylophone, I will be using a certain type of material for the bars. My ideas are either wood or pipe. This is because with an actual xylophone the bars tend to be wood, but I'm thinking pipe will making a louder sound. When you hit a pipe with something, it ends up being very loud, as if you can hear the vibration themselves which i think would be very useful in making a xylophone. the  For the stick that will strike the bars, I plan on using wood. For the stand, I would like to have it wood. My idea is to have two large pieces of wood standing up and being nailed to two pieces of wood that will be placed flat underneath the pipe bars to be played while standing. And of course nails and screws in order to keep things in place. 

Questions That I Have:
- Is there a certain size I will need to make the bars in order to create the notes that I want to play?
- Are the sound waves effected by how I decide to play the xylophone? (i.e. if I hit two different sizes or I hit at a certain speed, will it effect the sound waves and will the sounds mash together or not?)

Favorite Benchmark

For our third quarter benchmark we had to create an instruction video for probability. This entailed writing out our own problems, solving them, and demonstrating them. This project was by far my favorite because it ave us freedom to choose and experiment different ways to show probability. It was a fun project to conduct. Throughout the project I learned the many different ways probability is involved in life, but more specifically in cards. SLA’s five core values were incorporated in the following way:
  • Inquiry: My group and I used inquiry to gain as much knowledge as possible about card, as well as the game Black Jack. We designed questions and inquired what information they gave us and if the questions and results could be better.We incorporated great questions and awesome results, due to inquiry.
  • Research: In order to play the game correctly we had to use and compare multiple websites as well as other card players, to find the most common way to play Black Jack. For actual work we researched common ways probability was used in a game of cards. We deducted that the best way was to find the probability of each players chance of 21 will determine which player will hit or miss. This vital piece of information would not have been used if would not have used research.
  • Collaboration: My group used collaboration as a huge component to this project. If everyone had not come together to shoot of the video, solve the probability problems, and brainstorm to make the project better; we would not have completed this project. There was so much teamwork involved to create the Black Jack Tournament, collaboration was a key player in making this happen.
  • Presentation: Presentation was involved in editing the footage that we shot from the Black Jack Tournament, as well as presenting it to the class. With such a responsibility, I have learned that getting as close to perfection as possible, makes a perfect presentation because you effort is evident.  
  • Reflection: In every project that we do in SLA, I reflect on what I have done and what could have been better. With this project, of course if I had more time the more effort toward perfection it would have been. But with the time and materials we had, we did very well. The next time I play Black Jack, or any card game, I will remember this probability project and used what I learned to win.


Site we used:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blackjack
http://www.hitorstand.net/
http://www.blackjackinfo.com/
http://casinogambling.about.com/od/blackjack/a/bjbasic.htm
http://www.blackjacktactics.com/blackjack/odds/
http://www.blackjackrulesandstrategy.com/odds.shtml

Music Instrument Blog #1

A xylophone is a very interesting instrument. 

To play a xylophone you have two sticks made of either rubber or wood. The instrument consists of bars ranging in size from large to small. The longer the bar is, the lower the pitch. The smaller the bars, the higher the pitch. As seen in the video, this xylophone was made like a piano type instrument, where there were also bars located above the bars that are mainly played. These bars are for flat and sharp notes. They are in sets of either two or three. The sticks that are used to be played with, also, effect the sound the bars play. Harder sticks make sharper sounds, unlike with softer sticks that play more gentle sounds. The shape of a xylophone is actually pretty simple. It is shaped in a line, from larger bars to smaller bars. The sticks are normally thin with a ball shape at the top (the part of the stick that strikes the bars when a xylophone is being played). This makes me think about how you interact with a material can create sound and the size of that material may also effect it. Like on a guitar, the strings are different thicknesses. What I know about a wave, is that when energy is transferring through it, you can change how fast it pulses or how long its wavelength is. So in other words, if you play with how hard you hit an instrument, it will effect the wavelength and the frequency depends on the size of the bars. 

xylophone2
xylophone2

All Traffic Is Bad Traffic

  For my last blog I will be focusing on human trafficking in China. The reason why I would focus on China is because China is a destination point for people who get trafficked from many places for sexual and exploitation. For this particular blog I will be also comparing China’s human trafficking to the United States and also compare the each ones government, for example compare what each country is doing to stop this world issue.

Every year in China it is estimated that there are from 10,000 to 20,000 victims of human trafficking and 90% are women and children. China has become a destination country for victims of human trafficking from North Korea, Russia, Mongolia, Burma, and Laos, while most of the victims come from North Korea and Burma. Most women fall into trafficking by false employment and also traffickers trick most children’s parents. In some poorer areas women are sold as wives and in richer areas women are sold for commercial sex business. As to children, they would be sold to adoptions.

 According to All-China Women’s Federation the causes of human trafficking in the China is because of internal migration, which is creating chances for traffickers. Another possible reason of human trafficking could be lack of knowledge and self-protection as The UN Inter-Agency Project on Human Trafficking says. The Chinese government is providing shelter and medical care for trafficking victims and are than assisted with repatriation. 



http://www.humantrafficking.org/countries/china

Work For The Homeless

My previous articles discussed homelessness as a whole and their education. Now for my last article I am going to be discussing the jobs. Homeless people have a hard time finding jobs due to many problems.

 

The most common jobs for a homeless person are? Well let’s begin with the most opinionated answers, prostitution, selling their selves. People think that because when you enter in certain neighborhoods that are what you see, well that is what I see. I live Olney, what people call the “ghetto”, there are certain areas where the “action” takes place, and the main place is Second Street. Where the drug dealers and homeless people spend there days and nights.

 

If you look around that doesn’t seem much like an opinion but more like a fact, if you think about it they don’t have much time to get a REAL job. People are homeless due to many reasons; a good 65% are drugs. They only care about their next fix, so selling them selves is their answer. It is not the right one, but it is the one. On the other hand, some a good 30% are homeless due to the lost of jobs and homes. What are they supposed to do in order to get money to support them and their families?

 

The United States does offer shelters to help the ones in need but some people who are just too afraid to ask for help. Some shelters can help find jobs and homes, it takes time but it the best option.

 

Why don’t people help others instead of their selves? You don’t always come first.

Well that’s it for my blog edition for now, hope you enjoyed it.


http://www.amny.com/urbanite-1.812039/the-new-homeless-working-but-without-housing-1.2891798

http://news.change.org/working-homeless

AIDS/HIV Fact or Fraud #3

Blog #3

Types of tests/ what happens to people with the HIV/AIDS?

     The most common HIV tests use blood to detect HIV infection. Some blood tests take a few days for results, but rapid HIV tests can give results in about 20 minutes. All HIV blood tests that come out positive have to be double-checked using that same blood sample. The results to the second test can take a few days to a few weeks to get back to the person. Another type of test that is used for HIV tests are Oral Fluid Tests, which use oral fluid (not saliva) that is collected from the mouth using a special collection device. This is an EIA antibody test similar to the standard blood EIA test. A follow-up confirmatory Western Blot uses the same oral fluid sample. One other HIV test is the urine test. The sensitivity and accuracy of these tests are kind of less used than the blood and oral fluid tests. This is also an EIA antibody test similar to blood EIA tests and requires a follow-up confirmatory Western Blot using the same urine sample.

     As the disease progresses, symptoms may appear or get worse. Some people who have HIV do not begin experiencing symptoms for up to 10 years. When symptoms do appear, they can include:

  • Swollen lymph nodes (lymph glands)
  • Diarrhea
  • Fever
  • Cough
  • Shortness of breath
  • Unplanned weight loss

 

After being infected with HIV, your body works hard to attack the virus. With your body fighting, the virus can't make as many copies of itself. Even though you still have HIV, you'll begin to look well and feel well again. However, during this time, the virus is still attacking your lymph nodes. Lymph nodes are the centers of your body's immune system. The virus may also attack your brain tissue and slowly cause damage there. Over 10 to 15 years, HIV kills so many CD4 cells that your body can no longer fight off infections. When your CD4 cell count is 200 or less per mL, you have AIDS (a normal count is 600 to 1000). Once you have AIDS, you can easily catch many serious infections.

 

 

http://www.hivtest.org/faq.aspx#tests

http://familydoctor.org/online/famdocen/home/common/sexinfections/hiv/451.html

 

 

         

HIV-Testing-Centers-Procedures
HIV-Testing-Centers-Procedures
HIV-test
HIV-test

One Shot Man Down Pt 3

One Shot Man Down

The End

 

            Hello reader, this will be my concluding blog to this series. In this last blog I will summarize the first 2 blogs (for those who didn’t read) and presenting some new facts. Also in this blog I will  be providing some facts and things about gangs that I should have added before.

 

Blog two talked more about locations of gangs and how it’s spreading to rural areas. 

            In blog one I talked about the different reasons why people join gangs and what causes the violence. There are a lot of reasons  why people join gangs. Some are for protection, a second family, peers or even family run gangs. Turf is the first word that comes to mind when it comes to gang related violence. Since 2 gangs are in the same area it may cause violence or they just might want to take over each other’s “turf.”

           

            You may ask how does a rival gang know when another gang is on their turf? Gangs do something they call “tagging.” Tagging is a slang word for making your mark. They do this by spray painting they’re gang sign (a sign knowing its them) Sometimes that’s why you see grafitti in the streets.

 

            Another thing that may identify gangs are colors. Each major gang has a color they wear to identify themselves. For example Crips wear blue and Bloods wear red. If a crip were to wear red he will be penalized which could even be death.

 

            In order to join certain crews you must be “jumped in” which means you must fight the whole crew by yourself to prove your tough enough and are willing to take a beating for the crew. Some people have died being jumped into gangs.

 

            Thank you for reading my blog and thank you for taking the time out of your day. Have a nice day

 

 

            

Final Blog: Does family income and race effect college acceptance?

        Many people assume that students who have a low family income are less likely to accepted into college. However it is more preferable to assume that students in high school with a low income are more likely to not plan to go to college. Therefore in my opinion I would say that family income does not effect your acceptance into college because consider many different ideas for admissions. Many colleges offer financial aid to student who can't afford college and there is always the option for scholarships.
      Many people of diverse race have asked the question if race affects which college you get into. According to a Princeton Review book from my research I learned that African Americans and Hispanics are accepted to all colleges and are even accepted to Ivy Leagues by scoring a 650 or higher on every section of the SAT's. How ever this is not applied for asian students who score a 650 or higher on sections of the SAT's.
      

Why Individualism is important,

Individualism is the freedom to do what we want as independent people. People are constantly bombarded into doing things that people in authority want them to do. It's important because if everyone was able to pursue their own goals, then we would have a stronger society as a whole.


Individuality can not work in this society because our structure is controlled by government, money, and law.


Authority plays a role in desensitizing, spreading fear, and brainwashing people into believing that we have the right to terrorize other humans and animals as.Authority infiltrates anything ideologies and standpoints it has on to others, and psychologically molests them of the rights to think for themselves and act on their own will.  You take authority and see how imperialistic it is, and understand that mankind is not free.

 

Money dehumanizes people, making  them either slaving to a wage, begging in the street, or

 

How Many Wars are There?

Soldiers in Training

 

 

            Welcome back to the last blog of “How Many Wars Are There”? Before I live my followers, the topic for today is Soldiers in trainings.

 

            When we here about soldiers we think about the Army, Marines, Navy and Air Force soldiers not about the soldiers who stand on the corner or ride motorcycle.  But what don’t know is that there are soldiers in the military who are in gangs.

 

Here’s a list of some…

            1. Hells Angels

            2. Bloods

            3. Crips

            4. Sureños

                  5. Latin Kings

And so many others.

 

So many people still be confused let me draw picture for you, One day a group of people might start a gang or an association of organized crime. Next the leader will choose who does what meaning, having a VP, Lt, Sergeant, Enforcer and Foot soldiers.  He may send some of them the to Army, Marines, Navy and Air Forces, so they the training as an expect and so if the leader gets in a situation he can get away by Boats (Navy), Planes and Helicopters (Air Forces), Urban hideouts (Army) and (Marines).  But also so what they soldiers learned they can teach the other gang members so they can protect themselves, commit crimes and have a special skill to save for a rain day.

 

 



Being bullied because you're "Different"; Blog # 3

   This is my last blog and I'll be writing about people being harassed because they're gay and other situations that connect to the issue about gays being harassed.
I've done research about people being harassed or judged by because they're gay at school. I found a website which stated why people get bullied and harassed , the common reason is because they're "different" in some way. Homophobia starts early. I found an article about a woman who was bullied because she’s gay , she said that people would call her names , and she would get beaten up , which made her scared to go in to school every morning so she would skip class and school.

 

    Amongst adults  discriminatory views include the belief that gay people should not hold responsible jobs or be allowed to work with children. When I read this statement I was shocked because gay people are humans too! It makes absolutely no sense ,so what if they’re gay , why should that hold them back from getting a job.  My brother is 19 years old and he’s gay and has a job he is also great with kids. I honestly dislike stereo typical people they judge people from the outside not the inside but how they really are.

 

    My opinion about this is “really” why do teenagers get bullied , what for? I know that they are gay , but there is no real reason why kids do that. What’s so bad about being gay? Lots of gays cover about there sexuality so they won’t be judged. People who get bullied attempt suicide. I didn’t know being gay was this bad. How badly do they get bullied.  When will this stop? When will people just cut it out.

 

-Ayo-ola

 

Bibliography: http://gaylife.about.com/u/ua/comingout/schoolbullying.htm

http://www.bullyonline.org/related/gay.htm

Let's "WRAP" it up .... :-)

Over the past three weeks I have been I've been informing you about the different things that contribute to childhood obesity.In my first blog i informed you about the different things such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and asthma. I have also gave you quotes from different website such as wiki.org and also cdc.gov that comment and also show facts about childhood obesity. In my second blog I showed you some hidden facts about Mcdonalds and the calories in their sandwiches.Some things I revealed where that most of their sandwich are just under 1,000 in calories.Also, you can see that most of the sandwiches that are advertised in their commercials are nice and neatly made and when you order them in the store they are sloppy and unappealing.

Speak up. Someone cares. Part 3

Suicide has been founded to be increasing because of the media. Researchers see that teenagers and more vulnerable at their age because of the intimidation and behavior of others around them. Scientists say it’s a stage of “social modeling”. This is when family members are replaced by friends and peers to influence them rather than an adult. At that age of teenage years and adolescence your brain is not fully developed, this is a known fact of why a child acts out when going through depression which could lead to attempts of suicide.

 

In depression, drug and or alcohol abuse is most commonly found. By this teenagers, seem to run for it as a solution to their problems of making them feel better. It also is like a friend that takes place of an adult role model and if things like drinking and smoking are publicized on the television, a teenager might think of that to help themselves, even if the outcome leads to something bad.

 

Suicide shouldn’t be covered on the news, but since it is, than its method shouldn’t be talked about. The location and few not very detailed information should be given. This is because sometimes the information told gives teenagers ideas of how they might want to harm themselves. Suicide should be stopped because life is worth something to live for, every 15 minutes someone commits suicide and at that rate it’s about 34,00 suicides a year. Some should be done about this so I think teenagers, adults, and people of every age who are going through depression and or are thinking about suicide should speak up and reach out because someone cares.

 

http://www.columbia.edu/itc/hs/medical/bioethics/nyspi/material/SuicideAndTheMedia.pdf

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120755264

http://www.211bigbend.org/hotlines/suicide/index.htm

 

Favorite Stats Benchmark!

My favorite statistics benchmark over the course of my time in statistics was probably the most recent one that we did. I think it was my favorite because it gave us a chance to reflect on everything that we did in our time of statistics and put it into a sort of study guide that would help us in the future with any statistics we may use and even other math as well. For this benchmark we were required to go back throughout our time in statistics and put together a study guide filled with a few select things that we had learned and also topics in our freshman college math course which would we could use in the future for help. We had to inquire about our college math course and our curriculum in our college math course to be able to successfully complete this project. We researched the different topics we were going to do in or notebooks and past assignments/benchmarks, and could also use the internet as a place for ideas as long as we had original problems. We could collaborate with our other classmates if we needed help with anything. Most of us presented it in keynote form to Ms. Thompson but not the class as a whole. We sat down with Ms. Thompson and discussed what we thought the strongest and weakest points of our benchmark was and what we thought our final grade should be. I think this project as a whole was a reflection benchmark because it made us look back on everything we did in our time in this class and how we could/should apply to our lives by using it to study with.

Marijuana: A Last Hope

Thanks to all my readers who have been following my blogs! But unfortunately this will be the last one I will post. While I was researching more on modern uses for medical marijuana i stumbled upon a study done by Scripps Research Institute which is based in California. There research concluded that marijuana helps prevent an enzyme known as acetylcholinesterase or plaque in your brain that cause Alzheimer's Disease. The active ingredient known as THC (which some researchers say is to blame for the addiction to marijuana) prevents these enzymes. Marijuana is essentially the answer for the prevention of a major brain disease. Marijuana also has been shown to control mental diseases such as bipolar disorder, depression, and schizophrenia. People who have bipolar disorder studies show that it controls the rate from which the person goes from a high to a low. Studies also shoe people who suffer from depression and take marijuana as an anti depressant there moods have become better. A negative to this treatment though is the study was done on lab rats and a different study on humans show that this is not the case. In 2006 a study was done by Hasibe, Morgenstern, Cui, Tashikin. They tested weather marijuana increases the risk of lung cancer in non smokers of tabaco. The test results showed that it did not increase the risk of lung cancer in humans. They also did the study on tabaco smokers and it tripled the risk of getting lung cancer. A study done in 2007 by California Pacific Medical Center showed marijuana stops the spread of the cancer. A study done by Colombia University showed that people with HIV who smoke marijuana four times a day increases the appetite which is a huge medical benefit, it also reduces neuropathic pain.  Marijuana can be a non toxic alternative to chemotherapy. Complutense University of Madrid did a study that showed marijuana kills brain cancer cells by essentially making them eat each other killing the cancer completely. The active ingredient THC is responsible for the treatment of brain cancer. People who have ADD can take marijuana and it helps to calm down the body with no side effects to it. Readers, I have given you loads of summaries of different studies and showed how marijuana was used trhough history and all of its benefits. These facts are here, marijuana is not harmful to the body. People need this drug and it can be made a profit out of non the less. It can be an alternative to the painful toxin for cancer patients known as chemotherapy. People don't have to go through pain to get better. Marijuana has no side affect and it does more harm than good. Why would anyone want to get ride of something that could save the life of millions of people? If it became legal, imagine what we could do with it. A cure for cancer, a cure for HIV/AIDS! Help these people with these diseases, help people get jobs. You an make a difference, join the fight. 
Alzheimers
Alzheimers
breast-cancer-ribbon
breast-cancer-ribbon

MY FAVORITE BENCHMARK WAS:

If I were to choice one of the four benchmark we did is stats the one that I would probably have to choose is the one we just did. This Benchmark showed all the different parts of the different things in statistics. I took a lot of time for me to make. It took like 16 hours to make the 42-slide presentation and another hour and a half for the entire math. Overall though I felt really proud of the final project. I struggled on the regression lines. I completely forgot what a regression line was but after 30 minutes of researching and some questions I made a nice detailed description of what a regression line was, explaining each step and what each equation is used for. The other part I liked was the Chi-Squared problem. I showed how to do it completely step by step, explaining what degrees of freedom were and how to decide which degree you should look under. To use SLA core values, I had other students look at my presentation to see what they learned or even while they were doing their presentation I showed them my presentation to teach them how to do each things. I taught Emma how to do regression lines with my presentation. I researched how to do different topics that I could not remember how to do, and also to see which math course I would take in CCP. This project just showed what I know in statistics, and even though I do not always do my Homework I do actually know how to do all the work which made me very proud to get an 89 on this benchmark.

 

Make a change, See past the material world.


As we know, Materialism is a growing world issue and it all begins with our growing youth. When young people see things being advertised with false imaginary values, they automatically want them. People become obsessed with becoming what they want through essentially worthless objects and gadgets.
                  The real problem we're attacking now though is how do we put a stop to the growing material world? Studies have shown that money really only buys happiness when your lacking your basic necessities. After a certain income of money, it's all that person convincing themselves that they want, or need, or will be happier with whatever they are buying.
                  The media has drilled it into our minds that during our lifetime we can buy happiness. It is hard to avoid these messages when they’re all over the Internet, the street, the television, the radio, and the mall. Most people have advertisement scattered around their own household without realizing it. It is a hard process to let go of the idea that buying certain things can make you happier, or your life better but it is possible to do.
                  I did some research on things that people do to rid themselves of their materialistic thinking. Essentially the most important things to get past this way of viewing happiness is to find meaning, to note what ACTUALLY makes you happy, to be healthy, and to know yourself well. By finding meaning, I mean that it is important to find something that means a lot to you. If you are passionate about something and it means a lot to you, you can channel your goal to be happy through it. Give yourself a purpose. Sometimes, this means religion, and sometimes this means having a pet to keep you happy and to take care of.                 
                  You also need to really know and pay attention to what truly makes you happy so that when you feel alone, or hurt, or bored and tired, you can go do one of those things on your "happy list" for REAL solid happiness instead of the temporary relief of buying something new and useless. 
                  Being Healthy is important because it will keep your body more in tact, and it won't give you that sick and tired after feeling that processed foods tends to leave you with. Exercising raises your dopamine levels, which is the hormone that brings you happiness. When you eat healthy and workout, you are guaranteed to feel better. 
                  Finally, having a good sense of who you are is important no matter what you do. If you know who you are you will be able to exceed at doing all of these things, and better because you have control of yourself, and because you know what you want. The thing about following the media is that you are told what you want. When you know who you are, you don't tend to follow trends and you know what makes you happy, what you want, and what you don't. When you really only know "yourself" as an intense shopper, you might want to rethink who you really are and what you really know about yourself. 
After this project, I have learned so much about materialism and how it honestly does horrible things for our planet, our self-esteem, and us. I value all of those things too much to keep following the trends of materialism, so now that I am aware of my issue I will be spreading the word with these real facts and new information that I have.


Thank you for reading my blogs! This will be my third and final materialism blog; I hope you all enjoyed it!    







What are the Signs? How to Prevent Teen Suicide!


     This will be my last blog for the topic of teen suicide. If you didn't read my last two blogs the point I hit were how bullying and other things can lead to teen suicide and statistics on teen suicide. In this last of three blogs I will be talking about signs of teen suicide and ways to try to prevent teen suicides.
     Teen suicide can happen right underneath a persons nose, there can be signs and nobody would even now if the teen is thinking about committing suicide. Some adults or peers see that a teen is acting differently than usual and don't even ask if they are alright. There can be many different signs that could lead to teen suicides and we as parents, family, teachers, mentors, classmates and friends need to find ways to prevent teen suicide from happening. In the next paragraph or two there will be information on signs of teen suicide and how to prevent teen suicide.
     Studies show that 4 out of 5 teen suicide attempts have been committed with clear warning signs, make sure you know them. Keep reading to learn what teen suicide warning signs to look for, including warning signs or indications of a suicide plan. Part of preventing a teen suicide is being involved in the teen’s life and watching for teen suicide warning signs. It is also important to be aware that many teen suicide warning signs are also indications of depression. So the teen might not be thinking of killing themselves, but remember depression can lead to suicide in some cases. Some teen suicide signs might be a call for help so it is extremely important to take teen suicide warnings seriously because if you don't someone can take their life, Here is a list if some signs of teen suicide…
    •    Disinterest in favorite extracurricular activities
    •    Problems at work and losing interest in a job
    •    Substance abuse, including alcohol and drug (illegal and legal drugs) use
    •    Behavioral problems
    •    Withdrawing from family and friends
    •    Sleep changes
    •    Changes in eating habits
    •    Begins to neglect hygiene and other matters of personal appearance
    •    Emotional distress brings on physical complaints (aches, fatigues, migraines)
    •    Hard time concentrating and paying attention
    •    Declining grades in school
    •    Loss of interest in schoolwork
    •    Risk taking behaviors
    •    Complains more frequently of boredom
    •    Does not respond as before to praiseExpresses thoughts of death, dying and a desire to leave this life
    •    Dramatic mood swings (becomes very happy after feeling very depressed)
    •    Lost interest in schoolwork and extracurricular activities (including declining grades
    •    Changes in normal habits, such as eating and sleeping, and spending time with friends and family
    •    Dramatic weight fluctuations, in any direction

    One step to teen suicide prevention is to know and recognize suicidal behaviors.As I said
before it will help to be in the teenager's life so you know the signs. One of the most important
aspects of preventing teen suicide is support. Support is a big part because when someone has
support it can make them feel welcome that they have someone who loves them or wants them
to be alive, they have something to live for. Having the teen know that you are there for them
no matter watt happens gives them hope in life. Remember if you see any type of sign of teen
suicide seek professional help.  Some of the most effective teen suicide prevention programs consist of identifying and treating the following problems:
    •    Mental and learning disorders
    •    Substance abuse problems
    •    Problems dealing with stress
    •    Behavior problems (such as controlling aggressive and impulsive behavior)

    Thank you for reading my blogs and I hope that they were helpful or informational. If this is the first blog that you have read in my trilogy I would advise you to read the other two they are amazing.

Bibliography:

http://www.teensuicide.us/articles3.html

http://www.teensuicide.us/articles2.html

Kind of happy

Happy that we have a few days off from school, but instead of going down the shore with my friends, i have to be stuck working over a 450º grill for 10 hours a night for 3nights... But its a good thing, because while my friends are blowing all the money they tried to save, I'm probably going to make back in 1 and a half hours what they spend in 3 hours. 
And having the money is possibly the main reason keeping me at this job.

The life of a Pregnant Teen Part 3

I have a friend. A friend that has a daughter. Yes she is my peer. A friend. Someone I care for. Guess what she has a child. A child that has a child. A child is someone under 18. So yes my friend is considered a teen mom. The past is the past, and future is the future. So when you see her don't judge.

Many teen pregnancy aren't cause by sexual active teens. It is possible for a teen to get raped, and decide to keep the baby. In other countries, teens are forced to get marriage at age 13. Therefore many teens get pregnant. Within United States, usually teen's don't get married in their teen years unless there is a baby involved.

After watching teen mom. I noticed that close to 80% of the teens plan to get married with their baby's father. Do these marriages work? How long do they last? If someone sees a teen with a baby, they would be more than surprised to know that the couple is married. That just how the world judges.
 

Love is Love: Part 3

​So this will be my final blog entry in this three part series of my view on gay marriage. In this blog i will basically show my point of view on why i feel as though gay marriage should be allowed in all 50 states and why it shouldn't be frowned upon.

To me , love is love. No matter what gender or race. If you love someone , there shouldn't be a barrier to hold to you back. For many years , people have always been so worried about little problems that can be solved instead of looking and trying to fix the real problems like the wars. But no. The worlds so worried about judging others to focus on major problems that need to be fixed. That disgust me.

Also, the world is so judgmental. Everyone makes it seem like they're perfect. When they are no where near it. No one is perfect, so who are we as human beings to tell someone they should be in love with someone of the same sex? We should not be able to hold two lovers back just because of their gender. This is like how african americans didn't have rights. They had to fight against society just for them to get their freedom. Which is basically how this is now. 

I just wish that people would let others live their live as they please. We were all created equal and nothing or anyone should make people feel less of what they really are or put them down because of who they are as a person. I fight for this and i believe in equal rights because this is an injustice which needs to be solved. We as a world need to come together as one and learn to let others live their lives as they please because we are only given one. 





Riding the Roller Coaster of Life

A regular part of life consists of ups and downs. Unfortunately, the down periods sometimes extend to a longer time span than usual. This mainly happens because of chemicals in the brain being out of balance. Experts say that depression affects 1 out of 8 teenagers. No matter what way the teen is affected by depression, it is important to seek help to restore the brain's chemical balance.


The warning signs of drug abuse or alcohol abuse may be easier to spot than you think. Teen drug abuse may be accompanied by teen depression and teenage suicide. This makes it a serious problem. However, some people do not realize the roll that drug abuse can play in teen suicide. It is important to understand that teen drug abuse can contribute to attempted suicide and to completed suicide.

Drug abuse is one of those things that can really affect the chemical balance in the brain, intensifying feelings of depression and sadness. Dependency on drugs, both legal and illegal, can lead to feelings of helplessness and hopelessness. The drug becomes increasingly necessary, both physically and mentally, and this can lead to unpleasant feelings associated with being out of control.

It is important to recognize the symptoms of teen drug abuse. Some of these indications include:

·  News friends (often of questionable character)

·  Increased secretiveness

·  Pulling back from family and friends

·  Paying less attention to appearance and hygiene

·  Dropping school grades

·  Lack of interest in extracurricular activities


Sometimes teen drug abuse is not the main cause of teen depression leading to teenage suicide. There are occasions that stresses and life events cause depression and contribute to teen drug abuse. Sometimes teens feel so depressed, and so overwhelmed with life, that they turn to drugs to help them feel better. This is known as self-medicating, and it can lead to teen drug abuse. This drug abuse can, in turn, lead to increasingly severe depression, which, if not treated, can result in teen suicide. Here are some factors that can trigger teen depression:

  • Stressful situations at home, work or school
  • Exposure to violence (mental, physical, sexual or emotional)
  • Loss of a loved one
  • Divorce of parents
  • Change in economic or social situation
  • Changing schools
  • Moving to another town

Alcohol is the drug most commonly used among teens. While most teens say they disapprove of heavy drinking, teen alcohol abuse still occurs. Alcohol is one of the risk factors associated with teen suicide. Despite assertions by teens to the contrary, 80 percent of high school seniors have used alcohol at some point. However, most teens underestimate the problems that drinking alcohol can pose, and many of them do not even realize that it can contribute to depressive symptoms that can eventually result in teen suicide.


While teen alcohol abuse is not terribly rampant, it can contribute to teen depression and suicide. Here are some of the risk factors that can trigger alcohol abuse: 

  • Mental and emotional problems; because emotional and mental disorders can be so stressful, many teenagers seek alcohol as a means of self-medication. When they drink alcohol, their problems seem to shrink. The initial euphoria that comes with the first stages of intoxication can be a welcome release from mental and emotional problems. 
  • Family history; teenagers who have a family history of alcohol abuse are at risk of teen alcohol abuse. This is because addictions are partially genetic, and also because a teenager living in a home where alcohol is abused is exposed to alcohol on a regular basis, and often has the means to easily obtain it. 
  • Family situation; stressful situation at home can lead to escapism through alcohol and, as a result, a developed dependency upon it. 
  • Violence; teenagers who experience sexual, physical, mental or emotional violence, or who witness it regularly, can be more prone to teen alcohol abuse. Alcohol becomes a way to deal with the problems and to forget reality for a time.

Many teenagers, especially those who are subject to teen depression, feel as though they only feel “normal” when taking alcohol. Additionally, the changes that the body experiences while on alcohol are of a limited duration. When the “buzz” wears off, teenagers might feel even more depressed than they did before. These feelings can lead to suicidal thoughts, and even teen suicide attempts. Teens who recognize they have a dependency can begin to feel helpless, as though they will never escape their alcohol abuse. These feelings of hopelessness and increased depression can also lead to teen suicide. Teen alcohol abuse is one of the risk factors of teen suicide, and it is important to recognize the problems that an alcohol addiction can cause.


It is important to get help for teen alcohol abuse before it develops into a problem that can lead to destructive behaviors, including problems with holding a job, schoolwork, drug addiction, prolonged depression, and even teen suicide. There are many alcohol treatment problems geared toward helping teens overcome the addiction. Therapy is often a good idea in order to help teens work through depression and suicidal thoughts and feelings. This is especially important, as withdrawal symptoms associated with teen alcohol abuse can be quite severe and discouraging. Support and care by family and friends is essential to the treatment process.



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