Blog #12

The article I read was Friends with benefits: Do Facebook Friends Provide the same support as Those IN Real Life? Written by Kate Dailey and published in Newsweek on June 15^th, 2009. A friend named sue that she went to announced the death of her young son and was surprised that she had chosen to share something so personal online. She realized that Facebook is the fastest way to disseminate important information to the group without having to deal with painful phone calls. Numerous studies have shown that a strong network of friends can be crucial to getting through a crisis. Facebook attracted 67.5 million visitors in the US in April and the fastest growing demographic is people over 35. Even though Facebook may not replace the full benefits of real friendship but it defiantly beats the alternative. Having a large group of friends eager to comment on the persons daily life could be good for the person’s self-esteem. Shy people who may not always be able to engage friends in the real world are finding solace in the structure of Facebook.  By posting personal experience, no matter how painful also allows acquaintances who have lived through similar experience to reach out. Still there are experts who worry that too much time online keeps us from living satisfying lives in the real world.

I can see both the positive and negatives that the other said. I have around 700 friends that I either went to high school with or played a sport with. Most of my friends are acquaintances. I can see why sue put on Facebook that her son past away because she didn’t want to have all the phone calls and  have people ask about him when he isn’t alive. I do agree with the author when they said that we spend too much time online and it keeps us from living satisfying lives in the real world. Some people go by what people are posting on Facebook because they think that is in style now.

Etra Credit 4th Annual Inver Hills Marihuana Forum

I attended the 4^th annual Inver Hills Marijuana Forum on April 22, 2013. The first speaker was Tim Davis from the Former chair and senatorial candidate for the Minnesota Grassroots Party. He was for legalization of marijuana. He said that the nature of addiction has to do with beliefs. One of his main points was that Hem is a reliable source, for example cars can run on hem.  Laws are against you and say that you are a bad person if you do drugs but he believes that people do drugs because it makes them feel good. His last point was that marijuana can be used in the medical field for treating diseases. The second speaker was Dr. Charles Rezikoff who was for legalization but only in certain circumstances. He said that we should ignore marijuana in medical test because it is popular and doctors don’t know how to treat it yet. Doctors aren’t ready for it to be legalized yet because they don’t learn about it in medical school. His question was is marijuana a medicine? It is a good pain and nausea reliever, has medicinal effects, intoxicated effect, and can impair one’s ability and that all medicine have poisons in it. He believes that if marijuana becomes legal that it will send a bad signal to younger kids. The third speaker was Brandon Bregon who was for legalization. He believes that people should be responsible when use marijuana. He second believes is that prohibition is more dangerous than using drugs.  One of his favorite quotes was “get high don’t get higher” this was saying use your judgment and know when to stop. The fourth speaker was Ann Elliot from Inver Hills department of Nursing. She said that there are both positive and negatives about the legalization of marijuana. She was worried how people medication would affect them when they also use marijuana. She discovered that marijuana helps with appetite, pain and with chemo therapy. When they figure out more about marijuana they will have to inform patients with their evidence on how it can help them. More home care nurses are noticing that there patients are using marijuana.  As long as we know where it comes from, who should use it and who should dispense it will help the legalization process. The fifth speaker is Shane Stroup from the Inver Hills department of philosophy. We waste a lot on the government trying to stop the legalization but the truth is that the topic has risen and won’t go away any time soon. He believed that all things should be legal. There are zero deaths caused by marijuana compared to Aspirin that has caused 15,000 deaths a year.  He thinks that the benefits of legalization will be high. The last speaker is Michael Server from the Inver Hills from Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice. People can be caught with marijuana up to an ounce and a half and up to a $500.00 and it not going on your record. If marijuana was legal the best place to sell marijuana would be bars.  He thinks that marijuana send the wrong message to young children.

I’m in between on this topic. I think that if they legalize marijuana should e legalized for medical use once the medical field gets more educated on it because it can be used as a pain reliever, appetite, mood and after chemo therapy.  If marijuana becomes legalized I think that it will attract young kids and when if a person is driving it will impair them.  Overall we need to find out more information about marijuana before we decide to legalize it.

Blog #11

The article I read was ” McDonald’s Is not Our Kind of Place” written by Amitai Etzioni and published in Composing with Confidence: Writing Effective Paragraphs and essays and believes that students shouldn’t have jobs in  high school because it takes them away from their academics.  About two thirds of high school juniors and seniors have part time jobs in fast food chains like McDonalds. He argues that at McDonalds there is little room for initiative creativity, self-discipline and self- scheduling. Jobs undermine school attendance and involvement. McDonalds closes late and then have cleanup after; therefore, it interferences with getting their homework done. In fast food chains they have teens supervising teens to keep the costs down. There is no mature adult figure to provide a role model or guidance. Rarely is there much worth learning. Today teen pay may be low by adult standards but is substantial. Many teens find the instant reward of money and the youth status symbols it buys more alluring than school credits.

I agree with Amaitai on most everything he stated. I agree that working and going to school at the same time interferes with their school work. I also think that students should work while in school because it shows responsibly and time management skills that they will need when they go to college.  I have people get there pay check and then go spend it on status symbols. I think that if students learn how to manage more than one thing at a time it will be beneficial for them in their future.

Blog #10

The article I read was High School Football Team Quarterback Sticks Up for Bullied Special- Needs Student written by Gabe Zaldivar and published in bleacher report. Chy Johnson is a sophomore special need student who has a neurological disorder that limits her cognitive abilities. Students have thrown trash at her, called her names and many other actions that made Chy go home in tears from school. Chy mother was about to take her daughter out of school and home school her because of these acts. Her mother knew the varsity quarterback and asked him if he could find out who was bulling her. Jones the quarterback did better than that. He saw chy eating lunch by herself, so he invited her to sit with the football team. Jones said “I just thought if the other kids saw use treating her nicely, then maybe they would do the same”.  He even had a chat with her bullies. Now she is enjoying school again. She says “there my boys and I’m their lucky girl. They’re awesome”. They quarterback and the rest of his team have her under their wings and are this young women’s hero.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1453666-high-school-footbal-qb-sticks-up-for-bullied-special-needs-student

This story is an amazing act of kindness. Nobody should have to go through bullying. I like how the mom acted upon it and didn’t go straight to the principle. She decided to see if she could help first and it paid off. So many people are afraid to stand up to bullies. Jones and his team broke the social morals and looked after a young woman with disabilities. We need more men out there like him and his team; the world would be a better place for people growing up.  This team has inspired many people to stand up to bulling.

Blog #9

The article I read is called 2012 Sports Kids of the Year: Conner and Cayden Long written by Gary Gramling and published in SI Kids Magazine. Conner Long is nine years old and Cayden Long is seven years old but he has hypertonic cerebral palsy. This leaves Cayden unable to walk or talk on his own. Playing sports is a great way for the brothers to bond but cayden can’t, until Conner came up with a great idea. They started participating in triathlons together. Conner swims while pulling Cayden in a raft, bikes with a trailer behind him that Cayden sits in and pushes the trailer when they run. Conner found the Nashville Kids Triathlon that consisted of swimming, biking and running. His parents said he could race and he insisted on cayden coming along. In their first race they had 100 yards of swimming that Conner pulled Cayden along. Then had Gildersleeve who is a young triathlon coach, biked cayden along the hilly three mile leg race and then Conner insisted that cayden would ride along with him on the bike with him. Next was the mile run that he pushed Cayden along. They completed the race in 43 minutes.  Now they have completed over 14 races and many people see Conner as inspiring. Cayden smiles and giggles throughout the races. Conner ultimate goal is to one day race with Cayden in Kona, Hawaii at the Ironman World Championships.  It will take hard work and sacrifice.  The Long brothers each have one good reason to work towards that dream which is each other.

This story is unbelievable. Conner Long is very inspiring to other kids in the world that have disabilities. They have shown true meaning of love and loyalty. We need more people out there like Conner. I hope that one day the Long brothers will be able to complete the Ironman World Championships. The love that Conner has for his brother is what everyone should have for their sibling. This story is one of the most inspiring stories that I have read.  

http://www.sikids.com/blogs/2012/11/20/sportskids-of-the-year-conner-and-cayden-long

Blog #8

The article I read was “from tragedy to friendship” by Cristina Goyanes and published in Women’s Day Magazine.  The article is about two women, one named Lori who lost her 27 year old son to suicide and Linda who lost her 16 year old son also to suicide. Both of the women donated their son’s organs to the nonprofit organ and tissue bank. Lori decided to call Linda to help her cope with the grief.  Lori consoles moms as a volunteer “grief companion”. After Lori sons 10 year anniversary she realized that she wished she had someone like her to talk to during the early stages. The first conversation that the women had was a little awkward but soon enough they were talking on the phone a couple of times a week. Lori went to go vist Linda at work and as soon as she saw Lori she knew instantly that it was her. The next year Lori found out that both of her kidneys were failing and she needed a transplant. The first thing Linda said was “sign me up” and through all the tests with people that volunteered to do a transplant Linda was the best fit. They did the transplant and when both of them woke up their first words were asking how each other were doing. Even though the women live four hours away from each other, they meet up often. The women say “that they are sister’s now but even closer because they share a kidney”.  Linda says that “just as one bad decision can change your life, one right decision can also change your life forever.

http://www.womansday.com/life/personal-stories/tragedy-to-friendship

This story is remarkable. I think that more people should join groups when their kids pass away to help them cope with the grief. Everyone always says I’m so sorry for your loss but that doesn’t really help the person it makes them think about it even more. If people would join groups and be around people that are going through the same thing I think it would help them a lot. Linda was hit with a tragedy but then got hit again with her kidneys failing but she never gave up because she had someone by her side. I thought this story was very good and that we need to have more people like Lori in are world to help me out when they are having a hard time.  

Post #7

The article I read was “Charity Means You Don’t Pick and Choose” written by Patricia O’Hara and published in the Newsweek. In this article a mom, dad and son pass by a homeless guy and he asked if they could spare anything. The son was five years old and has never encountered a homeless person before. They gave him a dollar and the doggie bag of leftover food from the restaurant and the homeless guy thanked them. At the same moment a group of people walked by and barked out “it’d be better if they got a job.”  The dad did have doubts on what the guy would do with the money but was hoping that he taught his son about the principles of charity that he holds. Most people feel more comfortable fiving anonymously like clothing drives or to a Santa Claus ring a bell to help people in need.  A few years  later the mom and her son were walking in New York City as a thin, drugged out young ,an approached them asking them for money.  They passed by him but the son wondered why they didn’t give to him. The mom says” that they didn’t have time and they can’t give to everyone” and the sons says “yeah I wouldn’t give money to people like that.” This showed her son that it i acceptable to classify people as deserving and undeserving poor.

I have come across homeless people when I have traveled. Everyone has different reasons for being homeless but me personally I like to give anonymously. If I give to a person on the street I would buy them food, not give money because you don’t know where it is going. I think that everyone should earn for themselves not rely on other people to give.