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!