Skinny Jeans

I strongly believe that there should be a weight limit on skinny jeans. I don't have anything against skinny jeans or over-weight people, I just think that they do not belong together. Being an over-weight person myself, I like to stick to adjectives that fit me such as: chucky, grande, husky, super grande, extra wide, irregular grande, glazed, embarrassing grande, fitness deficient, grande grande. When I see the word "skinny" it automatically sends up a red flag for me. Apparently not all over-weight people are seeing the same red flag. This is why I think further action needs to be taken. Inside of each pair of skinny jeans should be a label that states:
***Warning*** Do not purchase if any of the following apply to you:
1.) You have to lean forward to see your toes
2.) Bending over results in shortness of breathe
3.) Your sweat smells like mayonnaise
4.) You don't have ankles
5.) People get upset when you sit next to them
6.) Breathing gives you gas
7.) You have to lean back first when attempting to stand-up
8.) The bow of your shoelaces is on the interior of your foot
9.) You watch Biggest Loser and think, "I could be on that show"
X.) You thought KFC's double down sandwich was a good idea

If this doesn't work, it should be the responsibility of the cashier or any other witnesses to stop this person from making such a life-threatening purchase.

Peer Pressure

What is power? The definition of power, in my opinion, is the capability of getting someone to do something you wish. The concept of power is exemplified in the examination of peer pressure. To persuade an individual to do something that would normally go against their will is power. Peer pressure is abundant in our society. Peer pressure can be examined in the early stages of many children’s lives. I have personally witnessed peer pressure as early as kindergarten, where another student was pressured by another to go against their will and not answer any more questions because it wasn’t “cool”. The range of peer pressure stretches almost as far as those who are affected by it. Peer pressure can be as trivial as my example from kindergarten and can also be as consequential as a homicide that resulted in a young teen urged by his peers to commit murder. In addition peer pressure holds no bias in whom it targets regardless of ethnicity, religion, etc. When studying peer pressure it is important to consider the variable of an individual’s mental health/strength. Mental health does not go to say, if you are smart, then you are mentally healthy, as many intelligent individuals fall prey to the several pressures they face constantly. Instead mental health can be described as the mental state of a being under certain trialing conditions. Meaning how well an individual can think as he/she normally would under pressure-the more pressure an individual is able to with stand, the stronger they are mentally. Therefore a person who is able to handle the various pressures of everyday life and maintain well mental health, is more likely able to reject the pressure to do something he/she may not be willing to do applied by their peer[s]. However, a person that would normally fold under pressure will most likely be more susceptible to fall victim to peer pressure. Confidence and positive self-esteem are essential for individual to avoid/reject peer pressure as they are key components for strong mental health. When a person feels good about themselves, they are more than likely not going to do certain things they are pressured to do by their peers because they do not feel the need to fit in with/belong to a certain group as they are happy with where they are in life and with whom they are with in life. The fact that someone is able to reject a person from applying pressure on them is absorbing the power from that individual and using it against them to disregard peer pressure. True power does not reside in the definition of the word, the implication of true power results in how that word is applied.

stress = twitching

Two nights ago I found out that there is a big test coming up for my criminology class. I was told the test was on Friday so I started to freak out because I hadn’t studied at all and I was afraid I was going to fail. The next day my lower right eye lid was twitching every 10-15 mins and it was frustrating and annoying. I could not figure out why it was doing that so I asked some people and did a little bit of research on why a person’s eye might be twitching. I found out that there is no exact cause of it but it usually occurs when a person is under a lot of stress. It is also associated with high caffeine intake. I remember that morning I had two cups of coffee and I started to study when the twitching started. After I found out the causes of why my eye was twitching I took a break and relaxed a little bit. But my eye has not stopped twitching and it is really bothering me. Stress is an important issue that people don’t take seriously. People who go to college experience a lot of stress from trying to do well and getting everything they need to get done over with. It is important for people to take a break every once in a while. Not only will it relieve some stress but it will also help you retain information because your not under stress and your head doesn’t hurt. When I start doing my school work I don’t take a break until I am completely done. A lot of other students also do this because they don’t want to deal with it later on. But since I realized that it is important to take breaks every once in a while when your studying, im going to start doing it so my eye stops twitching all the time.

Dangerous Rituals

Hazing is defined as “any activity expected of someone joining a group (or to maintain full status in a group) that humiliates, degrades or risks emotional and/or physical harm, regardless of the person's willingness to participate”. Ranked.com has listed the “The 14 Most Brutal College Hazing Rituals” as

14. Raw Liver, No Teeth
13. Drinking Two Gallons of A Drink Called "Death" (a concoction of ketchup and tabasco sauce)
12. Exercises in Feces and Urine
11. Circling the Fat on Your Body
10. Trivia Questions: Choose Your Object (if they answered the question incorrectly, they were told to pick from a knife, sharpie or a dildo to be violated with)
9. Public Body-Critiquing Assembly
8. All the Alcohol You Can('t) Take in 90 Minutes
7. Water Overdoses
6. Paddling (It's Worse Than It Sounds) (being beaten for hours and days on end led to the hospitalization of a sorority pledge who was no longer able to sit due to the welts and blood clots on her buttocks)
5. The Elephant Walk (this is one of three things all involving males; walk in a straight line holding the erect penis of the person in front of you, walking in a straight line while holding the erect penis of the person in front of them while having their thumb up their anus or walking in a straight line with their thumb in their mouths and the other in the anus of the person in front of them)
4. Boob Ranking (girls stand in order of smallest boobs to biggest)
3. Boiling Hot Water On Back, Chest, Genitals
2. Cocaine or Dildo: Your Choice (girls have to either be penetrated with a dildo in front of everyone or do a line of cocaine)
1. Raped by a Sharpie Marker

Some of these are absolutely disgusting. I would never want to have to endure some of the things these people have to go through. Which, in your opinion, sounds the worst? Personally, for some of these, I’m glad I am not a boy and I’m glad I’m good at trivia. These rituals make me never want to pledge a sorority and that, to me, is very sad. Fraternities and sororities are supposed to be fun and rites of passage, not activities that can physically and emotionally harm people, embarrass them and even kill them.

Breastfeeding in public - acceptable or not?

Breastfeeding is a controversial topic. Although it is completely natural, some are greatly offended when it is done in public. I can understand how it can be offensive if it is openly done in public, meaning the woman does not bother to cover herself appropriately, but I do not understand why it is such an issue if the woman takes care to cover up. Personally, I never breastfed my children in public. This was due to the fact that I was uncomfortable with it, however I do not take issue with women who do it, as long as it is not "in my face", so to speak. There were a few times, that I did have to do it, but I always covered up and never tried to draw attention to myself. Wowen in the past have been asked to leave public establishments if they breastfeed publicly, but laws state the women are allowed to do this. In some states, there are laws protecting nursing mothers. I do not understand why it is such an issue. It is more likely that a man would be offended or disgusted, whereas a woman would not have a problem with it. All of my friends who were nursing were always sensitive to offending people and always covered themselves. If they cover themselves then I do not believe this should be a problem, no matter the location. When a baby is in need of feeding, breastfeeding is most convenient and also a much healthier means for the baby. It amazes me that women have to be given the "right" to breastfeed in public venues. There are laws as to how much of one's breast is allowed to show in public, and I do understand this, as I do not want to look at another women's breast. I do however believe women should have the right to do this whenever neccessary. Why should a woman be exiled to a bathroom? How can something so natural cause such conflict? Are women supposed to stay cooped up for a year, which is the median length the women traditionally breast feed? How are they supposed to attend to their duties, such as: grocery shopping and running errands. Although, mothers can prepare ahead by feeding at home, there are times that the babies will need to feed again because they have been out and about for a longer period of time. Women often are offered negative critiscms or dirty looks. What is the difference between a nursing animal and a nursing mother? Nothing in my eyes. As I stated earlier, this is a natural and neccessary process. People should not be so judgemental and need to get over it.

It’s becoming easier to get divorced.

While the divorce rate of the U.S. has been fallen to the lowest level since 1970 due to economic crisis, the procedure for divorce in MD will be simplified after October 1, 2011. Until the present, a husband and a wife have had to submit documents or proof showing that both of the couple have agree to be voluntary separated from each other for at least one year in order to get divorced. If anyone of the couple did not agree with the separation from their spouse, they have had to wait for extra one year to be able to file their Complaint for Divorce. However, in few days, couples in MD who are about to get divorced could have the procedure done after one year of separation either it was voluntary or not. Obviously, there seems to be no notable increase of divorce rate sometime soon thanks to national financial recession; still, it is easy to predict that it will affect the rate anyways.

In fact, the divorce has been a social hot potato in modern society. It is already rampant in our society, and thus people are becoming tolerant to it; even, sometimes it feels natural. However, it may be still doubted whether it brings improved human rights. Although people supporting this law are saying that if they have decided to break up, it will be better for the couples to not waste time. Nevertheless, it is a totally different story if one of the couple is strongly depending on the other. The one can be not ready for making money yet, and they could still need benefits of social security like health insurance from the spouse. Then, it is simply critical.

Without these pros and cons debates, is this society, that is getting senseless to such social pain, really okay? Privately, I am also from a single parent family. I look the same as other friends physically. It is of course because I am eating the same food, do the same activities, and attending the same school, so people do not notice my history unless I talk to them. However, I am realizing more and more about my mental status, and it is not really happy. There are something distorted and lost. Therefore, I hope that many people who are about to get divorced should be concerned about their children’s lives, and they should realize their divorce will largely affect to their children psychologically. It nobody or nothing cannot help the relationship getting better, they should take special care of their children so that they grow up with healthy minds.

Sleepy teens more likely to have risky problems

I read an article about teens not getting enough sleep. Many teens these days don’t get enough sleep and put themselves at greater risk for unhealthy behavior. The study shows that sleep-deprived teens are more likely to engage in behaviors that put their health at risk. These behaviors including drinking, spending many hours each day in front of the computer, smoking cigarettes or marijuana, having sex, feeling sad or hopeless, and seriously contemplating suicide. Since many teenagers are not getting the recommended hours of sleep they need on school nights, insufficient sleep is associated with those problems. Psychologist MacKnigh-Eily said that public health intervention is greatly needed, and the consideration of delayed school start times may be one effective step to address this problem.
I agree with the article. Lack of sleep can be a very serious problem, especially for teenagers. Sleep is crucial for well-being. It gives us energy, a positive attitude, and better ability to cope with daily stress. Teens need enough sleep for physical restoration, growth, adaptability and cognitive ability. If they are sleep-deprived, it may decrease their cognitive ability to focus, problem solve, and maintain attention. I can cause emotional irregularity and can interfere with positive well-being.
I personally believe that it particularly applies for high school students. Since many high school starts early in the morning, it is important for the students to go to bed early to function optimally during the day. However, as we all know, they are notorious for staying up late and being hard to awaken in the morning. When I was in high school, I wanted to go to college for different reasons and one of them was that I did not want to go to school early.
Although this issue might seem like no big deal, I think it can have serious consequences. Insufficient sleep might contribute to mood swings and behavior problems. Not only that, but sleepy teens can find it difficult to concentrate and learn or even stay awake in class. Thus it is significant to make sure that they get enough sleep!

CAUTION: High fees ahead!

Do you have Bank of America? Well, if you do you are in for a big surprise. Apparently the bank will start charging a $5 dollar debit fee. Yep you hear me right! “The move comes as the cards increasingly replace cash and as banks look for ways to offset the loss of revenue from a new rule that will limit how much they can collect from merchants.”
(http://news.yahoo.com/more-bad-news-bank-customers-debit-card-fees-204609796.html)

My first reaction when reading the article was, another fee? Bank of America seems to be coming up with new charges lately. Starting in early 2011, the bank started to charge customers $12 dollars if they didn’t maintain a balance of at least $1,500. Even though I pay that fee every month, I guess I understand the reasoning behind the new fee. However, to have them charged customers for using their debit card? The point of having a debit card is to use our own money and not credit so we don’t have to pay interest. The convenience of not carrying cash is now being taken away by this new rule. What’s the purpose of this new fee? Do they really need those extra $5 dollars? Like if they weren’t already the most powerful bank in the nation. They said this is because they need new ways to offset the loss or revenue, really? Isn’t it enough with the overdraft, monthly maintenance, ATM, transaction, etc. fees? This is not only from one costumer, but from millions of people across the nation. Just with that fee, it would cost me alone $60 dollars a year out of my pocket, which I could use to buy a new pair of shoes, dinner for two, or anything I could spend my money on. I don’t think it is fair for loyal costumers to be charged an amount of money for using my own money. If they are really going to fallow through with this new rule, I might as well use cash from now on. But if Bank of America continues to find new fees to charge me as a costumer I will have to find a new bank. Since I’m sure I’m not the only one who feels this way, they might loose many more costumers. Actually bringing their profits down. Is $5 dollars really worth the risk of loosing their costumers and the credibility as the most powerful bank?

Effects of video games on children

The most popular videogames in the world are often based on strategy, violence, stealth and action, in most of which the player is required to make split second decisions throughout playing the game. As an avid gamer i often come across scenarios where i need to make a choice between two or more ways of completing the mission/level. one of the two choices is basically the more violent, the more exposed, the more dangerous and the quicker method, the second choice is usually the sneaky stealthy and the longer taking way. So will children usually choose the more violent way? the answer is yes. Children like video games because it takes them out of their everyday life and into a different world where anything is possible. its also the same reason that adults, myself included, play these games. As an adult, these video games, no matter how violent, will not effect me too much and i believe the same goes for younger adults and even children. Video games help sharpen the minds of children since they require the player to make quick decisions and learn to adopt to the situation, and learn to do things to complete the missions easier, the kids learn to take action when they need to under a situation, however they also learn the names of guns, how to shoot guns, how to reload and in some cases, how to assemble. So the bottom line, do violent video games make children violent? video games have different effects on every person, its impossible to say if they really make anyone more violent compared to if they never played that game. I think video games help children release some of the stress the have from school, which is beneficial to their studies and school, however if played for more than an hour or so every day, they will think about their game when in class, and i know this since it happened to me very often in highschool.

What's Within

If you turn on your television you might obtain ads and commercials. A majority of watching television involves commercials. A person can be shown up to hundreds of commercials in one day. Most of these commercials, if you pay attention, involve improvement of one self. Companies try to sell beauty products, jewelry, and or clothes. They tend to say it will make the person who buys the product more beautiful. People get fascinated with the idea of feeling beautiful they go a head a purchase what they just saw. Some people even want to be as beautiful as the girl or guy that the companies put on the television that draws in the audience. The average person wants to be like them. But, the thing is it’s really unrealistic. I’m not saying someone can never obtain a size zero, gorgeous eyed, silky haired bomb shell type body. I’m just saying most of the population is not close to that.

Most of America is obsessed with the mere idea of beauty. Everything you see basically is to promote it. Magazines, music videos, and ads are everywhere you go. Almost like 97% or something is having girls half way naked trying to sell a product. Sometimes the girl doesn’t even need to be there because it has nothing to do with the product being sold. Yet, sex sells. Girls really don’t need to be half way undressed for something as small has a new jacket or make up. It’s really disrespectful in my eyes. Honestly, if it was up to me, there would be a more classy and artistic way of selling. No butt’s or breasts hanging out anywhere. This goes for a bunch of the music videos on MTV. It seems like every music video you come into contact with it has to deal with having sex, getting the girl, having money, being the sexiest, etc. What the heck is with that? I remember the good classy and artistic video’s where none of that stuff was included. Heck, if my mom saw me watching a video like that she would yell at me. And what happens when these really sexual videos are shown to little children. They’re going to get mixed messages at a young age. Most of the little girls that I know watch and listen to these types of songs are talking about sex when they really don’t know what it is. Some even think they are too fat and they have to go on a diet to look like the girl they seen in the video. They want to be as beautiful as her. They really don’t need to be like anyone but themselves when it comes to their age. They’re still growing. All this publication to promote beauty is way too much.

Having all these magazines, music video’s, etc. everywhere and having sexy people basically getting “pushed” into your thoughts tend to make people wonder “how can a improve myself?” They want to be better because they might not have that particular thing in their life. The person might start thinking they’re not pretty enough, they are not skinny enough. No one will like them if they aren’t like that beautiful model on television. This leads to eating disorders, depression, and many other serious illnesses. None of these should be taken lightly. Companies need to start thinking of another way to promote their products because it really has a harsh outcome if you really think about it.

It'a problem even in Hollywood

It seems that the women rights movement has made huge achievements in the Western countries. Women can now not only vote, but even run for White House. One would think that Hollywood is a place where women have equal opportunities with men, but it is not true. There are of course female directors, female producers and studio bosses. But it's all an illusion.
For several years, reading Forbes articles about the total compensations of the most popular actors and actresses, I paid attention to how big is a gap in salaries between men and women. Last year, for example, 10 most popular actors earned $349 million, and 10 most popular actresses - $252 million. Digging further. Hollywood male screenwriter earned on average $5 thousand more per year than female writers, when it comes to television, and $42 thousand more when it comes to movies. That is for every $100 received for the script where the author a man, women get only $58.
Another fact since the founding of Oscar, female directors were nominated for "Oscar" four times only (0.75% of total nominees in this category). And only one of them won the award - Kathryn Bigelow, with 2009's The Hurt Locker.
Another problem is age. Actors over 70 like Jack Nicholson or Clint Eastwood continue to work. But most actresses 45-50 years, except may be Meryl Streep, are often forced to play secondary roles, unloved aged wives, mothers, even grandmothers. Again, the fact from "Oscar" history: over the past 20 years the only woman over 50 who won the award as "Best Actress" was Helen Mirren.
Someone might say if I made 20 million dollars I would not care if someone makes 5 millions more. This is true, but I am not discussing how big the compensations in Hollywood are. I just want to point that even if Hollywood looks like an advanced place where race or sexual orientation is not issue, there is still women inequality. And if the problem exists in Hollywod, what we can say about the rest of the society?

I pulled a muscle in my back last week, and went to see a doctor that was not my regular. When I went in the doctor asked me all of the basic questions " what happened, how does this feel, where does it hurt etc." Then she proceeded to proscribe me a muscle relaxer which would have cost me $75 out of pocket. She also referred me to another doctor to have x-rays and other tests done to ensure it was the muscle issue and nothing more severe involving bones. This doctor then suggested I try another prescription but I should first go back to the original doctor for her opinion and for her to prescribe it. I didn't go back at that point I made an appointment with my regular MD who is holistic and works using his hands and all natural remedies. I didn't even have to tell him what was wrong, by the end of my treatment session he was asking me " what happened to your back, how does it feel now and make another appt if it continues." I'm not saying this holistic doctor is cheaper (believe me he is not) but I kind of feel like I get my money's worth with my regular doctor.It also brought up the idea in my head that had been discussed in one of my previous classes of how many doctors, and pharmaceutical companies work together to generate a larger profit. This also goes as deep as to medical institutions, many pharmaceutical giants fund major projects at schools universities. Not quite sure where I'm going with this post but wanted to share the idea of doctors seeing paitentes as dollar signs for themselves and peers instead of the crippled helpless people we are.

Lets All Focus

I have 3 brothers, two older one younger. As a result I have seen different generations, including mine, progress through adolescence. Late adolescence is where a child’s personality, style, habits and opinions begin to flourish. When I look back through high school photo’s I can’t help but notice the “good” fashion ,and the fashion that I will never be able to explain. I remember spending my paychecks on brand names clothing and new styles that my parents refused to buy. My friends and I always felt the need to have someone else’s name on our clothing. When I was in school, style was considered having brand names, or the newest fashion style. Wardrobe selection became a very important task, as everyone wanted to fit in. Some girls would push the limits with short skirts, a size too small shirts and makeup that usually was applied once we were at school. This was a way to make a “statement” and also attract the eyes of the opposite sex. Some kids dressed in clothes that displayed messages, such as all black because they were “gothic” or slogans that promoted marijuana use. All these “styles” were just a distraction from the purpose of children attending school. The school system was designed for education plain and simple. I think that removing any distraction possible from this goal is beneficial to our youth. School uniforms are a very divided subject, but they are a great way to remove the pressures and distraction from one area of school. It also removes biased judgments that are created about children based on their clothing. The economy has put financial constraints on many families and clothing is an added expense. This would reduce the amount of clothing that children need at this age and help reduce costs to families. I think that all schools should implement uniforms. Children can find ways to express themselves in many other ways, besides fashion at school.

The bible says marriage is to only happen between a man and a woman. Same-sex marriages are not legal in most parts of the United States, but doesn’t our government preach freedom of speech? The United States government is majority against same-sex marriages, but if we have a say over our life’s why do most same- sex couples have to live under this religious stigma? I believe most individuals against same-sex marriages hide behind the religion; it really stems from pure Homophobia. Homophobia is the reason why same- sex marriages are not legal. Some crazy concepts non- supporters come up with are things such as polygamy, tax breaks , making a mockery of marriage in general, and many more. I have many homosexual friends and when talking to them about marriage I found out they want the same things as any heterosexual will couple would. People against the marriages think that gay people lead this out of control raunchy life style, but maybe homosexuals knew that in the future they could settle down these lifestyles and STD counts would settle down greatly. Banning same –sex marriages in several parts of the country is doing nothing for our society; sadly it is only putting the growth of our society on hold. Why do people think that two heterosexual men or two heterosexual women would marry for tax benefits? This is completely absurd that non supporters come up with these crazy ideas. I am almost positive two heterosexual individuals would not feel comfortable with this in general therefore it would probably never happen. Also Polygamy and same-sex marriages have nothings to with each other. If someone wants to take part in polygamist acts I’m sure they won’t feel tempted to do so if same –sex marriages were legalized. The biggest issue is that homosexual marriages are banned because of homophobia not because of these crazy stigmas.

Growing up Entitled

From a young age kids are given things just for the sake of doing so, and not taught the fundamental value that is, earning something. Kids are catered to and overprotected and then these kids grow up to be adult monstrosities with no regard or respect for others because they are so self- absorbed and entitled.

I heard a story of an elementary school teacher who received a phone call from a parent who was enraged because her son came home “complaining that he was exhausted” after school. She wanted to know “why her son had been made to do something so physical that he came home in that state?” Adding that, if this level of activity continued, she “would write a note excusing him from participating.”

I fail to understand how the parent figured it was okay to hold her son’s teacher accountable and complain, rather than using this as a learning opportunity for her son.

Kids are given cars, trips, credit cards, without having done anything to deserve it. I am a true believer that if you have the money to spend, you should. However, I don’t think that we should let go the values of teaching hard work and humility to our kids.

Sometimes I feel that parents use this as a method to live vicariously through their kids, because they never had these luxuries as children themselves. Yet, it is because of not being able to have something, that people work harder to be able to attain it. Why then do we think it’s so bad to have our kids want for something and not have it?

If we hand our kids everything they want on a silver platter, then we are doing them a great disservice, because they will never learn the meaning, of self-sufficiency. They will grow up with a sense of entitlement, when in fact they never did anything deserving.

teen drinking

I feel like teen drinking has became a lot worst lately than it has ever been. teenagers have better and easier access to it now than ever before. im not saying that before it was harder to get alcohol if you were under 21, im saying now there are different resources so it makes it a lot easier. my friend was telling me that there are websites that yo can go on and apply to get a fake id. and they arent that expensive at all. this makes it so much easier for teens to get there hands on alcohol. and im not talking about just drinking. teens today drink so much at gatherings and partys to the point that they black out of just throw up. if a person does that once a week, it could really be bad and cause a lot of different problems in their body. another bad thing about teen drinking is drinking and driving. The people that get the most dui's are people between 18-25, that's basically teen years. when teenagers drink they could become a lot wilder than an adult would cause them to not care about drinking and driving. im pointing out the issue of teen drinking because it is a major societal issue and we need to do something about it. it causes health issues and issues regarding a persons social status and records. some people lose the chance of getting the job that they always wanted just because they get a dui because of a stupid decision that they made one night. I think that if we increase the awareness of teen drinking to people, they would start realizing how big of an issue it is and maybe someone will do something about it. what are some ways to increase awareness of teen drinking? and if it is possible, what are some ways to prevent teen drinking?

Protect teenager from internet harms

In the past years, the technology has been developed rapidly. We can easily get access to the internet that gives us unlimited information from all over the world. It is now accessible, not only from the computer, but from the smart phone as well. So many people are using smart phone where you have access to everything wherever you go.
Although it seems very convenient and makes our life easier, there are some hidden issues underneath. Internet contains not only educational and positive information, but it also includes negative information such as sexual contents, violent contents, moral hazards and so forth. People are literally exposed to these problems without even realizing it. These are very dangerous, especially for teenagers. They are very curious about everything and it might bring negative impacts on them. Since their values and concepts of life are not fully developed, the teenagers might get wrong ideas of it off from the internet.
I believe that we need to protect teenagers from those harms, and it is important that we set up regulation measure on internet. In general, not many parents know how to use computer better than their children. For that reason, educating internet safety to teenagers is a countermeasure. If they do not understand the significance of it and not feel responsible, they will do it because it is lots of fun. In addition to exposure, teenagers also can communicate with other people online. Since they can write anything they want anonymous, some of them tend to write things that are not appropriate. This is also a reason why teaching them internet etiquette is important.
Most of the teenagers are literally immature. Like we discussed in class, their brain is still developing. They do things because it looks cool and it is lots of fun. They sometimes do not realize what is wrong, harmful, wasteful, or useful and it is our duty to guide them to the right path.

Decreasing Birthrates will Make Our Society Regressed

Decreasing birthrates does not help a society to develop and even not sustain the status of a society. It only makes it go backward. First of all, the aging society issues will be severer as the number of newborn babies is decreasing. It is not an easy issue for younger generation to afford taking care of senior generation. Although they are not providing seniors directly, they will have higher responsibilities for them in heavier taxation and social participations. Also, this phenomenon will be severer because the life expectancy is increasing according to the medical technique is developing. Then, it will lead women of childbearing age should feel pregnancy as a burden.

Second, the declining birthrates results a negative economic growth. As population gets lower, it gets harder to develop or keep the economic standards because people are meaning absolute in economic system. For example, one of the significant elements for economic growth is consumers; no matter a company produces high quality products, if there are not enough consumers, the products will not be sold. In reality, many companies have been closed for this reason recently; then it causes lots of people losing their jobs, and it is also serious economic issues.

Lastly, it will also decrease the national power. In all ages and countries, the population of a country has had large influence on the national power of the country. Every country has its perfect population, but when the birthrates and population fall off, the system will not function well; it connect directly with the national power. Especially, when a major number of countries estimate a military force, which still most needs people in order to function although it does not as previous time does, they consider how many soldiers the country possesses.

Over exposed?

Today at the mall I was walking with the two little girls I nanny when I came across a teenager who had his pants under his butt. The three yr old took notice of him and asked me, why he was showing his underwear. Even though she is just a child, I didn’t know how to respond without giving her my full honest opinion on why he was dressed that way. So, I simply told her that he didn’t know any better and that he wasn’t being nice by showing us his underpants. She made her usually yucky face and forgot about it. However, that made me wonder, why do people wear their pants like that? Haven’t they noticed that it’s repulsive for others to see the outline of their butt cheeks? Or how people perceive them? So many questions were crossing my mind; I decided to look them up online. I was shocked to hear that I wasn’t the only one who didn’t approve of sagging pants. Apparently throughout the country law makers are making this “fashion trend” illegal. Not only for the indecency of the matter but because they associate this style with delinquency and crime. I for one approve for these laws but not necessary for the illicit aspect, but more for the courtesy of others. I mean have you seen how they walk? They are practically holding up their pants from falling down. That should tell them that something is not OK. The problem for me consists of whether or not telling people what they can or cannot wear going against the First Amendment? Because if they decide to crack down on baggie pants, the law should also penalize woman with super short skirts or having a whale tail (exposed thong)!! I mean, I find exposed thongs just as offensive as a guy showing me his backside. So for now, proposed bans are being considered in several towns and cities… Including are own beautiful Baltimore!! So if I were you I double check in the mirror before walking out!

CRY BABIES!

I dont want to come off unsympathetic but I feel like many teens and young adults including myself are too dramatic. It may stem from what we talked about in class as far as parenting goes, but at what point will teens realalize that: 1. parents get divorced get over it, 2. you are not the only person who is being bullied,( and if you are the one bullying people: you are not the only person with a destroyed selfesteem from wishing you were someone else)3. if you live in the ghetto stop asking for hand-outs from the government and selling drugs and stripping and getting pregnant. Im not saying that all of this is true for everyone but people especially young adults who have been babied through the years use these things as a crutch. GET OVER IT because you are not the only person in the world struggling. I would say maybe it is because of the "self-centered" age young adults get stuck in but that is just another excuse. I can't be the only person who feels this way.... right?

Homophobia

Homophobia is generally described as a hostile or feared outlook on one's sexual orientation due to the other male or female being attracted to one of the same sex. The act of homophobia is a social problem around the world. Today's activists, state that this matter is one worth addressing. Once acting on homophobic behaviorthere is a civil injustice being undertaken whn homosexual men and women aren't affored the same rights as others. Latin America in 2005 it was approximated that a gay man was killed every two days due to this sexuality. Governments around the area have taken precautions since then to implement laws in order to help protect homosexual behavior. However, having laws merely becoming approved to protect these men will not stop this crisis. The entire attitudes of the people in the area will have to change in order for homophobia to come to an end. Around the world countries are banning the acting upon homophobia , never the less, there are still 80 countries world-wide that ban homosexuality and is punishable by death; such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, parts of Nigeria, ect. Homosexuality was once defined as a mental condition, although it isn't now, many people still view it as such. Reasons people may become homophobia are such; having strong religious beliefs that disapprove of homosexuality, having little to no social contact with homosexuals, believing that it's a perversion, ect. Homophobia affects people's everyday lives. Effects of homophobia in today's society consists of; malicious gossip, name-calling; intimidating looks, internet bulling, vandalism and theft of property, discrimination, isolation and rejection, both sexual and physical assault, and in some cases murder. The public needs to tackle this problem, and many powerful people such as politicians, police forces, schools, even everyday people, everyone can help fight the fear that some people live with, one that should be nonexistent. Everyone is entitled to fair fights no matter what they believe , why should sexuality be any different?

Should we trust the international community?

This is a very broad topic that we cannot debate on all its angles and details, but we can at least scratch it.

We always hear things done by the international community or at least in the name or term of the international community. It is used to refer to all peoples, cultures and governments of the world or to a group of them. The term is used to imply the existence of common duties and obligations between them.

But is this real the case? Let me give few examples out of many showing that it’s a term used by few countries to get their own interest.

In 1994 more than a million people has been killed in Genocide against Tutsi in Republic of Rwanda under watch of this international community. Hundreds of thousands of people have been killed in Darfur Sudan (Now Republic of South Sudan) examples can go on and on.

And now let us look at Libya. It’s reportedly that less than 2000 has been dead before NATO airstrike. Of course they shouldn’t die. But here we talking of people who took guns. Officially they were (are) rebels that any country should fight, contrary to the previous cases where those millions and hundreds of thousands were unarmed civilians. Let us also compare to Syria. More than 2600 dead, and put all those to the scale.

May be its time to take matters on ourselves (at least me because I experienced its failure in Rwandan Genocide) and don’t depends on this “international community” because what is behind is crystal clear. Not humanitarian or at least 1% of it but 99% are economic interests.

Music is Music

I moved to Maryland when I was six years old. I lived in a mostly white neighborhood by Long Gate Shopping Center and went to a mostly white elementary school. Growing up, majority of my friends were white. I never acquired an African American friend until I moved out of Worthington Elementary district and started going to St. Johns Lane Elementary School. I went from living in a mostly white neighborhood to a mostly African American neighborhood. There is nothing wrong with that. Being that I had mostly white friends for almost all of my life, I guess you could I say I became submerged in the supposed “white culture” Mostly the music such as Britney Spears, NSYNC, or the Backstreet Boys. I honestly believe everyone has loved one of the three of those artists at one point or another. After I moved, I was surrounded by kids that loved rap and hip-hop. But, that didn’t change who I was as a person. I am the type of person that doesn’t change what they like based on what’s “cool” at the time. In middle school, I was the “oreo” (black on the outside and white on the inside) because I loved Nirvana and not 50 Cent. I was the girl that liked “white people music”. What is white people music? To me, music is music, doesn’t matter if you’re black or white. It got to a point where I tried to justify it just so people wouldn’t pick on me. I went from this ‘I don’t give a shit’ attitude to “well, I love Jimi Hendrix and he’s black so can you leave me alone now?” But, in the end that didn’t change anything. Today in 2011, I am open to more music such as a Tribe Called Quest, which I love very much, but Nirvana is still my favorite band and I have no shame about that.

2011 Dodge Charger

The Exterior:
This car is a true head turner. Dodge made a smart decision of redesigning the tail lights of the new 2011 Charger to match with the front lights which are in their own way very unique. The original factory rims also fit the appearance of the car and they eliminate the need to buy new rims to make the car look "more sporty".

The Interior:

The Charger's Interior is also cleverly designed. Sitting inside the Charger truely feels luxurious with clever dashboard design and cool mix of lights and leather. The interior is spacious and the seats are made of hard leather but are surprisingly comfortable.

Performance:

The 2011 Charger steers like a toyota corolla. It lacks the Sharp steering that a true sports car should possess. The braking is sharp and the handling is very reasonable. Another important feature this car lacks is horsepower. For a body as big and heavy as this car, it should have at least 400 hp, which only has 292 hp, which can hardly be felt when driving the car.

Bottom line:

This is a great car which is fun to drive, despite a few performance drawbacks. The new 2011 Dodge Charger is best suitable for a sport car loving girl/guy who is married and has kids. Its too much to be driving around in, alone. and if you are looking for performance, then this car is probably not for you.

Exterior rating: 9/10

interior rating: 8/10

performance rating: 6/10

OVERALL RATING: 7.67/10

Does Poverty Cause Crime?

Is it possible that the obvious high crime rates in urban areas suggest that a poor[er] environment invokes the indigenous citizens to lead a life of crime, in other words does poverty cause crime? One could argue that being in a state of desperation for a certain period of time may influence an individual to commit a crime, such as larceny, grand theft auto, and/or homicide, in order to have the means (though obtained through illegal/unethical ways) to survive. However, not all those that come from poor backgrounds result to a life of crime.

Being that my father was enlisted in the United States Army for over 20 years, I have had the privilege to witness the wonders of many cities both inside and outside of the States. Throughout the various cities I have seen one constant existed, the more “urban” the city became (inner city), the higher the crime rate became. In addition to being able to live in many unique places, another benefit I received from my father was his experiences throughout his life; my father grew up in Washington DC during the early 1970’s with only his mother and a low source of income, he always instilled in me that no matter how rough a situation may be, that in the end it is your own character that determines the choices you make.

In my position as an observer and I can easily say “they [those who choose to commit crimes] are just making excuses for not being able to find work, go to school, etc.” but to view an individual more in depth, to see how what that one individual could potentially do to or for society alters my way of thinking. If I had a family and was recently laid off, as many other Americans have lately, and finding work was eventually becoming impossible after a few weeks, and my relatives were not able to give me any aid financially, and unemployment was not enough to get by, that desperation might lead me to possibly steal food or even rob someone; unfortunately, this scenario is abundant in many of America’s inner cities.

In addition, I believe that growing up, a child’s biggest influence is his/her mom and/or dad; if a child witnesses his guardian[s] struggle to make ends meet and out of desperation, that guardian decides to commit a crime to make up for the insufficient funds, the child might live a similar life and make similar choices. Another likely scenario would be if a role model of a child, be it a relative and/or friend, may live a life of crime (as he/she is acting as a product of his/her environment) and this would very likely make a life a crime appeal to the child, thus creating a vicious cycle.

In order to decipher whether poverty causes crime, it is important to note that not everyone who is going through a state of poverty commits crimes; thus leading me to conclude that desperation as a result of poverty may influence someone to commit a crime, however because it is up to an individual’s own free will to commit a crime (regardless of income level) and the fact that not everyone who is considered “poor” commits a crime, poverty does not cause crime, but instead poor, misguided choices.