Are You Infected? #3

In the last two blogs, I talked about the statistics of teens having unprotected sex and STD's and how it can effect them physically, emotionally, and mentally. Teens having unprotected sex can be in serious trouble. Unfortunately, it effects them for a long period of time. However, some of them haven't been prepared on what sex actually is. So here it goes:

Some people ask what the real and true definition of virginity is. To some people, it's a very confusing word to understand and are giving the false answer. For most females, the word could mean the "breaking of the hymen" - located about a half and inch away from the vagina- or some people think that it's when a girls vagina has not been penetrated sexually. The main problem with that, is that there are different ways of penetration.

Maybe, it's good for you to determine what the definition of sex is before "virginity" is. The word can be very misleading and cause a lot of emotional and physical factors. Some of the issues and questions that people disagree about are: "Is having oral conisdered "sex"?" or "Does penetration of the penis mean that I'm still a virgin?". These concepts can be argued a lot by people, which therefore, doesn't bring them to a conclusion.

Another word that people should know about is the word abstinent. It's based on the word abstain - which means to stay away from or not to take part in. - In this case, it's referring to not having sex at all.

These things tie into religion and belief. Christians believe that women and men should stay abstinent until marriage. Similarly, Islams believe the same thing. Sex is a major step in life and to take that chance is a really big decision. Some people don't think about the outcomes and the consequences after having sex.

I think that there should be more programs and more people talking about abstinence and abstaining from sex. I think in doing this, this will decrease the chance in people having more and more babies.

Are You Infected? #3

In the last two blogs, I talked about the statistics of teens having unprotected sex and STD's and how it can effect them physically, emotionally, and mentally. Teens having unprotected sex can be in serious trouble. Unfortunately, it effects them for a long period of time. However, some of them haven't been prepared on what sex actually is. So here it goes:

Some people ask what the real and true definition of virginity is. To some people, it's a very confusing word to understand and are giving the false answer. For most females, the word could mean the "breaking of the hymen" - located about a half and inch away from the vagina- or some people think that it's when a girls vagina has not been penetrated sexually. The main problem with that, is that there are different ways of penetration.

Maybe, it's good for you to determine what the definition of sex is before "virginity" is. The word can be very misleading and cause a lot of emotional and physical factors. Some of the issues and questions that people disagree about are: "Is having oral conisdered "sex"?" or "Does penetration of the penis mean that I'm still a virgin?". These concepts can be argued a lot by people, which therefore, doesn't bring them to a conclusion.

Another word that people should know about is the word abstinent. It's based on the word abstain - which means to stay away from or not to take part in. - In this case, it's referring to not having sex at all.

These things tie into religion and belief. Christians believe that women and men should stay abstinent until marriage. Similarly, Islams believe the same thing. Sex is a major step in life and to take that chance is a really big decision. Some people don't think about the outcomes and the consequences after having sex.

I think that there should be more programs and more people talking about abstinence and abstaining from sex. I think in doing this, this will decrease the chance in people having more and more babies.

Are You Infected? #3

In the last two blogs, I talked about the statistics of teens having unprotected sex and STD's and how it can effect them physically, emotionally, and mentally. Teens having unprotected sex can be in serious trouble. Unfortunately, it effects them for a long period of time. However, some of them haven't been prepared on what sex actually is. So here it goes:

Some people ask what the real and true definition of virginity is. To some people, it's a very confusing word to understand and are giving the false answer. For most females, the word could mean the "breaking of the hymen" - located about a half and inch away from the vagina- or some people think that it's when a girls vagina has not been penetrated sexually. The main problem with that, is that there are different ways of penetration.

Maybe, it's good for you to determine what the definition of sex is before "virginity" is. The word can be very misleading and cause a lot of emotional and physical factors. Some of the issues and questions that people disagree about are: "Is having oral conisdered "sex"?" or "Does penetration of the penis mean that I'm still a virgin?". These concepts can be argued a lot by people, which therefore, doesn't bring them to a conclusion.

Another word that people should know about is the word abstinent. It's based on the word abstain - which means to stay away from or not to take part in. - In this case, it's referring to not having sex at all.

These things tie into religion and belief. Christians believe that women and men should stay abstinent until marriage. Similarly, Islams believe the same thing. Sex is a major step in life and to take that chance is a really big decision. Some people don't think about the outcomes and the consequences after having sex.

I think that there should be more programs and more people talking about abstinence and abstaining from sex. I think in doing this, this will decrease the chance in people having more and more babies.

Are You Infected? #3

In the last two blogs, I talked about the statistics of teens having unprotected sex and STD's and how it can effect them physically, emotionally, and mentally. Teens having unprotected sex can be in serious trouble. Unfortunately, it effects them for a long period of time. However, some of them haven't been prepared on what sex actually is. So here it goes:

Some people ask what the real and true definition of virginity is. To some people, it's a very confusing word to understand and are giving the false answer. For most females, the word could mean the "breaking of the hymen" - located about a half and inch away from the vagina- or some people think that it's when a girls vagina has not been penetrated sexually. The main problem with that, is that there are different ways of penetration.

Maybe, it's good for you to determine what the definition of sex is before "virginity" is. The word can be very misleading and cause a lot of emotional and physical factors. Some of the issues and questions that people disagree about are: "Is having oral conisdered "sex"?" or "Does penetration of the penis mean that I'm still a virgin?". These concepts can be argued a lot by people, which therefore, doesn't bring them to a conclusion.

Another word that people should know about is the word abstinent. It's based on the word abstain - which means to stay away from or not to take part in. - In this case, it's referring to not having sex at all.

These things tie into religion and belief. Christians believe that women and men should stay abstinent until marriage. Similarly, Islams believe the same thing. Sex is a major step in life and to take that chance is a really big decision. Some people don't think about the outcomes and the consequences after having sex.

I think that there should be more programs and more people talking about abstinence and abstaining from sex. I think in doing this, this will decrease the chance in people having more and more babies.

Are You Infected? #3

In the last two blogs, I talked about the statistics of teens having unprotected sex and STD's and how it can effect them physically, emotionally, and mentally. Teens having unprotected sex can be in serious trouble. Unfortunately, it effects them for a long period of time. However, some of them haven't been prepared on what sex actually is. So here it goes:

Some people ask what the real and true definition of virginity is. To some people, it's a very confusing word to understand and are giving the false answer. For most females, the word could mean the "breaking of the hymen" - located about a half and inch away from the vagina- or some people think that it's when a girls vagina has not been penetrated sexually. The main problem with that, is that there are different ways of penetration.

Maybe, it's good for you to determine what the definition of sex is before "virginity" is. The word can be very misleading and cause a lot of emotional and physical factors. Some of the issues and questions that people disagree about are: "Is having oral conisdered "sex"?" or "Does penetration of the penis mean that I'm still a virgin?". These concepts can be argued a lot by people, which therefore, doesn't bring them to a conclusion.

Another word that people should know about is the word abstinent. It's based on the word abstain - which means to stay away from or not to take part in. - In this case, it's referring to not having sex at all.

These things tie into religion and belief. Christians believe that women and men should stay abstinent until marriage. Similarly, Islams believe the same thing. Sex is a major step in life and to take that chance is a really big decision. Some people don't think about the outcomes and the consequences after having sex.

I think that there should be more programs and more people talking about abstinence and abstaining from sex. I think in doing this, this will decrease the chance in people having more and more babies.

Love, Blood, Sweat, and Tears! Domestic Violence #3

Me & The World

Domestic violence scares me and gives me the shakes. But I heard and got a story that scared me most. It scared me most because an older man abused this girl as a teen because she thought it would be better for her. This heart to heart story really harmed me, because that’s like me getting abused.

            A young girl named Linda at the age of 18 her life became hell. She met what she thought was a wonderful man. He was one of the bosses from her job. He was so kind to her at first. They started out passionate and loving, having a great time together, and it was wonderful. Until 2.5 months later she became pregnant, and she didn't want any more kids she already had one before she met him. She told him she was getting an abortion, that same day he told her to stay home from work. He got her fired from their job and for the first time he wacked her right across the face for saying “I’m leaving you”. Then after he told her “to stop crying, and suck it up we going to go shopping”. She listened since he was 31 and she was 18, ever since that day the hitting became brutal beatings. Even though she was pregnant he didn’t care, he told her “if she was a good girl, he would have to discipline her so much, she hated hearing that. She had her daughter, she thought the child would make everything right but she was wrong.  It got worst kind of, he kept her from her friends, and you can see the bruises and scars. 2 years later she was pregnant again, she couldn’t get rid of it because she didn’t want to upset him. She wanted to die, she felt her life didn’t matter but the kids were her everything, and she couldn’t leave them. He was kind of nice with this pregnancy she had twins. So now she got 4 kids, and 3, which is his, she doesn’t want any more kids so she got a tubal ligation
. She was ready to leave and then she was pregnant again, she was that 1% that could get pregnant. So she stayed for 1-½ years and then left, she left her 4 kids behind and took the oldest one with her. She took him because he was hers not his child. She started a new life became a stripper to support her and her child. Then she met a new man, he promised not to hit her. He didn’t for 1½ years, she stayed with him because she thought it was a one-time thing. It happened again because she went out partying on a Friday with her friends, she told her son o go get the neighbors and he saved her life. Then after that her friend got her with a handsome man and she promised he wasn’t the hitting type. She lied, he hit her all the time, but she stayed with him for 6 ½ years. She left him, and met up with him again he tried to kill her she finally tried to fight back. From there her life became better, she got trust issues but now he life is better.

 

This girl was a great example, young and her life became hell at the age of 18. It may seem like domestic violence is the way relationships suppose to be once you are in one but it is not. Domestic violence makes the rest of your life hurt, and all you can do it cry. As you can see sometimes kids, or something can keep you in the relationship. But you have to have a plan to get out or the rest of your life will be Love, Blood, Sweat, and Tears, Domestic Violence!





Bibliography- http://www.mental-health-today.com/ptsd/domestic/stories.htm
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Are You Worth Enough Part 3

In order to get some inside information about how people feel about these budget cuts and what are they exactly to some schools, I interviewed a student and teacher from my school (SLA).

The teacher that I choose to interview was English teacher  Alexa Dunn. I ask her questions about how the budget cuts effect her lesson plans for upcoming year and she feels she will handle the situations. She stated “My lessons won’t be affected, but I might have to cut down on my use of paper next year since our supplies budget was cut from $80,000 to $30,000 ( a $50K loss) and this means we will all have to learn to do without the same quantity of supplies.” Also while  saying that she would put other supplies such as books or  films on DonorsChoose.org to see if these things can be funded. I believe a teacher should not have to go through the trouble to search for supplies  he or she to use to teach the adults of the future that the world will someday have to depend on. Another question I asked her was, “What are the procedures or plans for cuts that you know  that will be taking place at SLA.” She responded to this by talking about the lay offs of Staff members such as Jon Amsterdam and Josh Newman. Also the lays off Jeremy and Luke even though their were grants secured to fund their salary of next year. Which will not be paid by the school district. This is devastating to me because these are real people who need their jobs to survive in life.

The student I choose to conduct a interview with was Sarena Shuman 9th  grader at Science Leadership Academy. I ask her two questions which were about how aware was she about the budget cuts and also how do they make her feel toward the government. She says that she very aware of the budget cuts especially since she is a athlete and has to keep informed about cuts to sports. She also say that by these cuts they are giving Philadelphia  less of a  chance to succeed.

The student I choose to conduct a interview with was Sarena Shuman 9th  grader at Science Leadership Academy. I ask her two questions which were about how aware was she about the budget cuts and also how do they make her feel toward the government. She says that she very aware of the budget cuts especially since she is a athlete and has to keep informed about cuts to sports. She also say that by these cuts they are giving Philadelphia  less of a  chance to succeed.
 
    To me i have the same overall feelings as Sarena about this conflict and i believe they can find less important things with in the city to make cuts on other than education.



 Direct Dialogue of Interviews

1.How will the budget effect your personal lesson plans for next year. Dunn: My lessons won’t be affected, but I might have to cut down on my use of paper next year since our supplies budget was cut from $80,000 to $30,000 ( a $50K loss) and this means we will all have to learn to do without the same quantity of supplies. Maybe I’ll become more into technology and grade just on the electronically submitted work.  Any other supplies I need (additional books, texts, films, etc) I will put up as fundraising proposals on Donors Choose.org to see if I can get these things funded and won’t need to lean on school funds.

 

2.What are the procedures or plans for cuts that you know  that will be taking place at SLA.

 

Dunn: We have to let go of 2 faculty/staff members (Jon Amsterdam and Josh Newman).  We had to lay off Jeremy and Luke but we just secured grant funding for next year to bring them back and be able to pay them (but their salary doesn’t come from the district). The supplies budget will be cut the most, along with money for student activities, trips, and extracurricular activities.. 

 

Student questions

1.How aware are you of budget cuts and what they hold.

Sarena: I’m pretty aware, I do sports so it effects me in a big way i read up on it as much as possible

2.Do you feel about the decision of the government to make budget cuts.

Sarena: I feel like they not giving Philadelphia children a chance, as we need as many as possible. Government not think about the future these are the future citizens and mayors lawyers, but they not giving us kids a chance


Democracy, Who wants it? Who has it?

Democracy is hard thing to stand up for when the consequences are so dire. Let's take North Korea for instance, Kim Jong il tries to keep the governmental conduct  of North Korea secretive, but reports have shown that people have been publicly executed, sent to a labor camp, or put in prison. All of this for standing up for a better way of life. Statistically , the US estimates that approx. 150,000 Koreans are in work camps, most for crimes of treachery. (Standing up against dictatorship.) Il is the Supreme leader of the  Korean People’s Army, the Chairman of the National Defense Commission and the General Secretary of the Workers’ Party of Korea (the nation’s ruling party since 1949). No one can make decisions unless he's involved, therefore, everyone is walking on eggshells. People in /North Korea have been so Brain washed and fear stricken, that they believe that Kim Jong-Il and his father Kim II-Sung created the earth and can control its weather.

 

            Let's move southward. In Zimbabwe, Africa, Robert Mugabe is the dictator. there is a 70% unemployment rate, people are persecuted with death for being homosexual. Out of a population of 12 million, 6 million rely on food aid, which doesn't always arrive. The Government will kill anyone who does not pay taxes, when they don't use the money for the right thing. They pocket it all leaving these people to suffer.

 

            Are you seeing my point now? If not I have another region to cover. Let's go to Libya. Muammar al-Gaddafi is the dictator. He publicly broadcasts the execution of people. He leads a harsh grip over daily Libyan life. He censors Every newspaper and puts propaganda around. Just recently, people protested, they wanted Democracy. Gaddafi sent his troops to kill the protesters and even bombed a few areas. bombed. These are inhumane crimes how do we sit by and do nothing when people are suffering because they want to be free? I don't plan to do nothing I will blog about these injustices and keep people aware about the governmental position of people around the world.

           

 

http://brainz.org/10-most-evil-dictators-on-earth/

 

Thus Far...

​The end of the school year is approaching so fast these last couple of days are summing up my high school career. Its a very surreal experience

Wednesday my sister & I had a lunch date it was nice. It seems lately we don't hang out that much but its nice when finally our schedules match up to one another.

Storytelling class has become so painfully awkward
that its a car crash slowly happening and you can't turn away from the disaster but stare gawking at the catastrophe.

What Happened In Japan Blog 3

            
Many people have been wondering how they can help Japan. There are many ways you can help. You can find online donation websites, you can ship unwanted items to shelters, or you can go there yourself and help rebuild. So as you can see there is a variety of ways to help.

The first way I said you could help was to find a donations website. There are tons of donation websites available. Some will be listed below. It doesn’t matter how much money you donate because every dollar counts.

Another way you can help is to send your unwanted furniture, toys, and beds, anything really. There are some websites that will give you addresses to homes to send your unwanted items to or they will give you addresses to big organizations that will divide the items into groups to send to different places.

The last suggestion I have is to go there yourself. People everyday go to Japan just to help rebuild houses. It is estimated that 215,000 people have lost their homes and are in shelters right now.  Just like how people went to New Orleans to help with Hurricane Katrina. Every person can make a difference.

Hopefully by now you realize all of the tings you can do in order to make Japan the way it was before the earthquake. Even president Barack Obama has said that he will do everything he can in order to help Japan. Below I have made a list of websites you can go to in order to help.

 

Donation website:

http://www.jfny.org/links/donation.html

 

Care package website:

http://www.redcross.org/portal/site/en/menuitem.d8aaecf214c576bf971e4cfe43181aa0/?vgnextoid=46f51a53f1c37110VgnVCM1000003481a10aRCRD

 

Bibliography:

http://www.worldnewsco.com/4254/earthquake-tsunami-1000-people-killed-215-thousand-japanese-citizens-refugee-camps/

The Two Kinds of Cruelty & How Can You Stop Animal Abuse?

So now people know that animals of all kinds are being abused all around the world. In the last two blogs I've said that many animals are being abused at home, in hotels, and in circuses. People should now know from my two blogs that animal abuse is a serious crime and need to be stop right away

There are two areas where animals abuse falls under and they are passive and active cruelty. Passive cruelty is typically when you neglect your animals. But even though it doesn't sound serious, it is. Some cases are, starvation, dehydration, leaving the animal infected, and letting the collar grow into the animals' skin, or even a lack of getting the animal medical attention. Some investigators feels as though neglecting animals is due to ignorance so they would tell the pet owner about it and then check on them to see that they are doing their jobs as pet owners. And when an animal is severely hurt, they would suggest that the animal would be removed from the area and be immediately taken to urgent medical care. Active cruelty is when a person physically abuse animals themselves. This is a type of abuse that should be taken very seriously because this type of behavior is associated with sociopathic behavior. People would usually kill or threaten to kill a home pet to get a family member into sexual abuse, to be quiet about a previous abuse, or to just torture the people to show that they have power.

Animal abuse in some states are illegal and there are ways in which you could stop animal abuse from happening. You could make a call. Some neighborhoods have a animal control or shelter in them, so you could save the number into your phone to be prepared and if you don't have one call the police apartment to report. When you call give the people a description of the location, the date and time, the kind of people and animal. You could take some pictures and videos and also give some names to who might have seen the incident. And finally get ready to testify. It would be a stronger case if you give your name instead of being anonymous so you could win the case since animals can't speak for themselves. 

Finally I say make a change, help these animals so they could leave their lives freely.

Here are the cites for more information: Animal Abuse and How to help

Main Cause.3

Hello again and welcome to blog three. After a ton of research I found that the leading cause of animal abuse is neglect.  32.4% of animals are actually neglected as opposed to the 5.6% that are actually beaten. Not all abuse is intentional most people forget that they have a pet or can’t afford to take it with them when they move.  The animal is forgotten and left to die. Some people think they have left good conditions for their pets and go on vacation, and then they come home to find out that they didn’t leave enough food or water and the pet was neglected.  So really not all animal abuse is intentional. Most just don’t realize what they are doing.  

 

 

 

This will be my last post so good-bye! Thanks for reading!

Be A Friend, Not A Judge.

Illegal, Illegal - punishable, up to 2 years in prison, Illegal - punishable, up to 2 years in prison to death penalty, Illegal - punishable by death, Illegal – punishable by expulsions from country, Men illegal/Female legal, and Legal. These are the words you will see when you look at the homosexual policies for different countries. These names are just from the 'Same Sex Sexual Activity' column. Some people can't even openly say they are homosexual because they will either die or go to jail. Homosexuals can't travel to some places because they are going to be put in jail. No wonder why homosexuals have to hide who they are.

         What does this mean for other homosexuals in other countries? If teens are being bullying to death just because the religious groups are saying this wrong, but in other countries it is illegal, what happens to them? What are their stories? Do they even get bullied or do they just get killed? What are the emotions they feel when they realize they are homosexual but where they live it is illegal? The teens must receive hell in these places like Afghanistan, Barbados, Somaliland, or Sudan.

         We need change, I may just be on teenager at Science Leadership academy, but I know we need to change. Teens are the future; these teens that are attempting suicides could’ve been something special. How would we know though? We wouldn’t, but we can find out. Maybe if people realized that homosexuals are regular people then we can change the world. It may take time, but it would be better for everybody. I WANT to change this. WE NEED TO CHANGE THIS. Next time, you see a teenage being bullied for their sexual orientation, help them, defend them, or tell a teacher. Be a friend. 

Depression and Suicide Final Blog

For the last two blogs I have informed you of the facts of teen suicide and depression. There are many things that can lead to depression and then suicide. Some teens commit suicide due to religion. Bobby Griffith was one of those people. Bobby had discovered that he was gay and feared what would happen to him. He grew up learning that if you were homosexual that you would not be worthy of Gods love. He also often overheard his mother saying how much she disliked homosexuals. Feeling as though God and his mother would have turned there backs on him and would not love him, he hated himself, he then took his own life by jumping off a bridge. This made his mother devastated. It was only after his death that she realize her view on gay people was wrong, but it was too late for bobby. This all shows that suicide can also be caused by pressure of religion, and pressure of being good enough for your parents. Bobby thought that he could never be good enough for his parents, he took his life.
http://lakeweedatarrowhead.net/1atragic.htm

Jill was a girl who had tried to kill herself three times. She was also easily aggravated and had low self esteem. She had went to therapy to get some help. This is one of the conversations they had, "I want to commit suicide because..." Jill responded, "I want to commit suicide because I feel trapped. I can't be myself. I have to take care of my mother." Then I continued, "Jill if you could be free to live your own life, would you want to live? "Yes," she replied." This shows that when a teenage feels trapped, they will try to release them self. This is the sad reality of life. We teenagers wish to go out and do what they want and be able to live free, but not all of us can.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Teen-age-Suicide:-A-True-Story&id=179598

"The sharp knife winked at me in the dark closet and whispered softly in my ear, "Come play with me. There is nothing called failure here. You will surely win. Just strike me deep down your nerves and I will set you free from this painful world." It almost hypnotized me. I could see nothing but the sharp edge. I closed my eyes, with a warm breath and a smile I accepted the challenge that leaded only to victory." Victory, that's what some teenagers think it is when they have no option left. The way out of there pain. But that is not true. By doing that you plunge yourself into darkness an will be more alone than ever. And they never think about the ones they left behind, the ones they beat, the ones that last a friend and family member. They lost something permanently because of a bet they never made. They lost someone close to them, and will forever grieve. Believing it was their fault. Thinking they were the reason you were depressed, the reason you took your life. When you kill yourself you lose your your life, they all lose a friend. I believe its not worth it. So should you. No matter how alone you feel, someone will always miss you.
http://living.oneindia.in/expressions/personal-expressions/2008/suicide-true-stories-life-decisions-210708.html

The leading cause of death for people 15-24 is suicide. Don't be a statistic. Don't be the one that abuses substances and become depressed. There is always someone there for you. If it isn't your parents maybe it is a friend. For some people, it was there friend that came at the right time to hang out that stopped them from contemplating suicide and helped then realize life was worth living for. And there is always a reason to live. it is just a matter of finding it. Life is such a beautiful thing and should not be shortened. You never know what the future holds so keep a firm grip on life. We are all born for a reason. Find that reason.

Peace out,
Nick M.   
  




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

Last and Final Blog Entry

The last two Blog entries I wrote showed my anguish and upbraided feelings to the fact that the US Government were thinking about shutting down this program. This decision was averted but it still does not affect the way that I feel about this topic. Lawrence 'Donnell has a show called "The Last Word" on MSNBC. This show was dedicated to Planned Parenthood and how upset he was that Republican Senator Jon Kyl said a lie that Planned Parenthood's services are 90% abortion; when in actuality only 3% have to do with abortion. When asked about the statement Sen. Kyl said that "the statement intended to be a factual statement". Many politicians said that after something like that a lot of Senators cannot trust his information.
Then O'Donnell shared something heartwarming that made even him tear up. He read an e-mail from a personal friend who uses Planned Parenthood. She was laid her from her job and can't afford to go to a regular doctors' office. For 10 years she hasn't seen a doctor and for 5 she hasn't seen a dentist. This e-mail was more of a cry out for help. In the e-mail she said that Planned Parenthood does many other services; some I didn't even know they did. One example is that they give out mammograms for women. O'Donnells's friend has been getting lump on her breast that appear and disappear since she was 17. Now the lumps are getting worst and worst, and she said that Planned Parenthood is helping her out a lot with this problem. Women all over not just her go through the same thing. Not everybody is employed, not everybody has money to go to the doctors. Planned Parenthood does much more then what people see. They save lives and help you prepare for new ones.

 I am pleased to hear that the government did not shut it down, but personally I feel like it should had never been thought about in the first place. Even as a teenager I know some of my older friends who use Planned Parenthood. I truly and strongly believe that urban women would not be the same if this program did not exist. Birth control has become very expensive. Young adults need Planned Parenthood, despite what you believe or think young adults should have a right to have birth control available to them. I strongly hope that this is the last time something like this happens. 





Video:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/04/08/lawrence-odonnell-tears-planned-parenthood-government-shutdown_n_846953.html

 



Do You Care About Your Environment? #3

So last time we left off with some information about the different toxins that are going into the air and what we should be aware of. This time we will be talking about the emission trends & projections of the environment. From statistic's the Fifth U.S Climate Action Report concluded, in assessing current trends, that green house gas emissions increased by 17 percent from 1990-2007. Over time, the U.S. GDP increased by 65 percent and the  population increased by 21%. The  dominant factor affecting U.S. emission trends is CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion, which increase by 21.8 percent over the 17 years period. Methane and nitrous oxide emissions decreased by 5 percent and 1 percent which is a good thing. The decline in nitrous oxide emissions is largely due to the installation of newer N2O control technologies in motor vehicles throughout the past decade. I think that we should try to increase the production of hybrid cars instead of continuing to make cars that give off gas. If we stop the production of gas powered cars then the percentage of N2O would decrease rapidly. 

If you want to know more click here.
If you want to know more click here
If you want to know more click here
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350px-Greenhouse_Gas_by_Sector

Cuts in the Budget 3.0

Do you receive a trans pass from the school district, in order to get to and from school? Well, until today there was a chance that that could have been cut from the budget. Thankfully SEPTA released a statement saying that it will continue to bargain with the school district of Philadelphia. This relieves many parents and students of the stress of finding out how to take their child to school, or finding out how to pay for the public transportation.

I know it sounds easy to pay the 2 dollars for a normal bus to school, but most people don't realize that some people have to take the trolley or multiple buses. This can turn out to be very costly if you are taking 3 buses to get to school in the morning and 3 buses to get back home at night. Then you will have to do that 180 days. This all adds up to a grand total of $2160. This is way out of the realm of possibility for some families. This money could be put toward furthering a students education, like college but instead these families might not be able to afford to send their child to school everyday of the week. This could increase the drop out rate and again increase the incarceration rate because the students will have to find a way to make money for school, but won't be able to get a job because of their current education status.



Citations: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/122708103.html

Sexual child abuse and the NAMBLA.

​So the last time we left we where talking about Physically abuse and sexual abuse. This time we will talk about sexual and the organization NAMBLA (North American Man/Boy Love Association).

What I will talk about first is the NAMBLA organization. This organization is working on abolishing age of consent law criminalizing adult sexual contact with minors. It maybe good for somethings but I think that this is a very bad idea. Basically what they are thing to make people think is that sex with children/minors is not harmful at all.

The next one is about several different stories of sexual child abuse. This one topic is very well known world wide. There are so many stories but the ones that I will be talking about is about a girl that is now an adult but when she was little her step-father sexually abused her, the second one is about two brothers that had a good friend for sometime until that friend was sexually abuse both of them.

First story: This story is about a woman that when she was very young her step-father started sexually abusing her. It started one day when her mom was out of the house "(it always happens when she is away)" she was about ten years old, she just got into the house after playing outside. After she came in the house her "step-father" told her that he needed to check her for supposed "ticks." So she didn't think anything of it. he took her in to the bathroom, made her undress and then told her to spread her legs. He told her that he needed to check her all over; meaning her vagina. To her is felt like he was touching her for hours, "it was very horrible" She said. He just kept touching her vagina, and kept repeating that he was looking for ticks. To this day she still feels physically sick when she would thing about what he click here.
Second story: This is called " The story of Justin and Matthiew
Wilke" If you wish to read because we are out of time click here.

Cuts in the Budget 3.0

Do you receive a trans pass from the school district, in order to get to and from school? Well, until today there was a chance that that could have been cut from the budget. Thankfully SEPTA released a statement saying that it will continue to bargain with the school district of Philadelphia. This relieves many parents and students of the stress of finding out how to take their child to school, or finding out how to pay for the public transportation.

I know it sounds easy to pay the 2 dollars for a normal bus to school, but most people don't realize that some people have to take the trolley or multiple buses. This can turn out to be very costly if you are taking 3 buses to get to school in the morning and 3 buses to get back home at night. Then you will have to do that 180 days. This all adds up to a grand total of $2160. This is way out of the realm of possibility for some families. This money could be put toward furthering a students education, like college but instead these families might not be able to afford to send their child to school everyday of the week. This could increase the drop out rate and again increase the incarceration rate because the students will have to find a way to make money for school, but won't be able to get a job because of their current education status.



Citations: http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/122708103.html


Gay is the New Black?- Blog Post 3

​To sum this whole "Gay is the New Black" controversy, gay rights is a civil right. However, should not even be thought about being compared to the black human race. People of African decent have been separated from other races because of their skin color. White people and black people had to be separated in school because of their skin color and the discrimination. However, please sit a think... has there ever been a school for straight people and gay people?

 Dont get me wrong, gays have endured a lot throughout their entire lives. No one asked to be gay. It is a proven fact that people are "Born This Way". I totally think it is wrong for a person to sit down a lecture a homosexual about the wrongs of being gay. I believe that people should be able to do what ever they want to make themselves happy, as long as it is not harming anybody else. People can say that "it hurts to see a gay person because they are so disgusting". However, all it really is, is a person being selfish. I have never witnessed a gay person walking around discriminating against straight people.

The world would be so much of a better place if we could stop worrying about the minor things in life and worry about tackling the bigger issues. Homosexuals are not doing anything to anybody. I believe that gays are just trying to feel comfortable in their own skin. When people discriminate against gays, they are just being a bully and need to go get a hobby because making people miserable for something they cannot help is awful! 

Citations-
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/freedomriders/2011/2011/05/22/erica-essay-2/

http://www.godandscience.org/evolution/genetics_of_homosexuality.html

Jobs: Stress of Losing Your Job

​As the US faces hard times of unemployment more and more people becoming laid off from their jobs. Following this come the pressure and struggle with keeping up your family and maintaining the mortgage. Then come the emotional struggle in being looked down upon by your family, friend, and peers. Finally, you come to a point where you are now depressed not knowing what to do next, or where to find something or someone to get you out of this mess. 
Recent research has shown one of the main causes in depression is after times of economic crisis. People then turn to drugs, alcohol, over eating, and smoking to lower there stress. Family start to brake down by moving from place to place trying to find a home. Sometimes people become so depressed that they think they aren't wanted and show signs of suicide. Leaving their families to wonder and worry about their lives everyday.
Losing your job isn't as much of a worry as the emotions and the depression that come with it.  



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