26. April 2012 by student.

in society today you rarely see a group of children playing a game of street football or baseball, which makes one ask where are all the kids? at the parks, vacations, or maybe swimming in the local creek? No, in most cases the kids are inside glued to the television playing Call of Duty or Typing away at the keyboard furiously trying to gain just one more level; while i am a gamer myself i know the harmful effects of overgaming. the issues associated with overgaming are several muscoskeletal problems such as playstationthumb which is numbness and blistering due to the friction generated from the controller.  Nintendonitis has been described with tendon injuries (tendinosis) which was focused on the hands and wrists. and finally some cases of wii fracture which is cause by using a Wii balance board. These issues along with the vision and skin issue generated from over gaming have drawn great awareness of doctors and experts alike. Today’s children are so focused on the next kill that they are losing focus of what really matters such as schoolo and work. along with these physical issues there have been studies of psychological damage which has lead to several homicides because the kids were so involved in the game world they couldn’t distinguish reality and the game. This is a growing issue that will continue until parents and experts teach the kids these issues as well as inforce more time restraints to help reduce these problems before we have a society of light sensitive and injure prone adults.

Posted in Mr. Andoscia, Social Problems | 1 Comment »

26. April 2012 by student.

Everyone now agrees the earth is warming.  We can see the long-term effects coming in the melting of polar ice and glaciers.  We have not yet, as a society, taken up the burden before us.  We have not yet chosen to save our children and ourselves.  However, we can.  Global warming is a terrible threat, but it is also a door for us to pass through, together.  The way is still open.  We have been thrilled by the dedication of the clergy, the passion that students are devoting to the world that we can build, and the possibilities before us.  This day has been a window into a better path; we hope that future days of prayer continue to drive us all to pray with our feet, moving forward into a better future and actively calling for change.

Fighting global warming is not something we can do alone.  While we can take actions as individuals, only if we all begin to act together and to work for structural changes in addition to changes in our personal habits, can we truly lessen the climate change now occurring.  We must hence act not merely as individuals but as communities. 

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26. April 2012 by student.

I cannot imagine what is happening.  The economic is going down at a fast rate that we cannot imagine if it is real.  Many are asking will things get better.  What would we do if things get worst?  The answer, for now, is yes, things will get better but it sure will take times for that to happen.  There are countless people whose lives have been rocked by this economic free-fall, and their children are not immune from that stress.  However, for kids, learning to live with less may not be all-bad.  It all depends on what happens next.  If we are seeing the beginning of a true depression, much about our lifestyles will undergo a radical change.  Moreover, of course that is going to affect our children.  As one of my friends observed, our kids might grow up to be frugal Depression-era types, the kind of people who save string and re-use tea bags.  Even if the economy does (please oh please) recover quickly and painlessly, this scare has caused us all to take a long, hard look at what we are teaching our kids about money.

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26. April 2012 by student.

Is being obese a social problem?
In today’s society being obese is a major social problem because it seems like everything is now being evolved in looks. But even though looks may not be everything maintaining a healthy weight will help you in the long run.
       Studies show that there is more obese people in today’s society and especially with the younger generations. This is due to poor health choices people are making. Fast food seems to be a trend and many adults let the young ones eat these type of foods that very bad to ones health. People need to make an effort and maintain their weight at least at the weight their suppose to be. Parents really need to also pay attention to the weight of their kids because it affects them emotionally and socially,  according to a team at the university of Adelaide who followed more than 3,300 children over four years found that by the time the children were eight or nine, their parents were 15 percent more likely to describe them as being isolated or teased. Their teachers were also 20 percent more likely to report that the children had emotional problems. When it comes to adults sometimes they don’t care about their health and they don’t mind being over weight but there is the cases when they have thyroid problems and that would be completely understandable of having excessive weight. But, in today’s society being over weight is a major problem that affects people emotionally and health wise; we need to be aware of this and fight it to reduce overweight in America.

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26. April 2012 by student.

The cyber threat to U.S. aerospace, defense and other high-technology companies “is increasing at a rapid and accelerating rate,” Rear Admiral Samuel Cox, director of intelligence for the military’s Cyber Command, told the session.

The Office of the National CounterIntelligence Executive, a U.S. intelligence arm, said in an unclassified report to Congress in October that China and Russia were in the forefront of keyboard-launched theft of U.S. trade and technology secrets to bolster their fortunes at U.S. expense.

President Barack Obama has requested $3.4 billion in his fiscal 2013 budget to boost the Defense Department’s cyber defenses.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/24/us-cyber-usa-companies-idUSBRE83N18D20120424

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26. April 2012 by student.

With the recent ruling by a florida judge declaring that Governor Rick Scott’s law requiring state employees to submit to drug test was unconstitutional, brings up a very concerning issue. The constitution, something the Tea Party swears by and the same party that helped Governor Scott get into office, is a great document in this country’s history and a continued inspiration for the future. Well in the constitution there is the fourth amendment which says “The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. ” (taken from the house.gov website) and if this law had been allowed to be put in place it would have been in direct violation of our constitution. The fact that a governor of a state had no problem circumventing the constitution is in itself scary because what would have been in place to stop them from demanded unwarranted searches for other things which the governor feels is illegal and does not want associated with state employees. Over a century ago in these United States almost every drug was available and not looked down upon as they are today. Another big issue with drug testing employees is that most drugs are out of your system in less than three days, the only drug that stays in your system any length of time is marijuana. So are these mandated drug tests just to flush out the potheads from state employment or is there a real concern that these people are destroying state government and the image that it has. Are most citizens fine with the idea of drug testing as it is the society norm to look at any narcotic in a negative light and that some private employers mandate drug testing for their employees.

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26. April 2012 by student.

Today’s society is bent with using sex to sell, while this tactic is extremely effective in the market place, it is causing long term effects that will not be so promising. in sshows such toddlers and tiaras, which is bent on “dolling” up toddlers to be glamorous young models, is catching the eyes of some of the wrong crowd. Take for example the case of Jonbenet Ramsey; this young toddler was kidnapped and murdered after participating in a toddler pagent. We are dressing up children in lingere and applauding them, yet most people find the clothes a stripper wears trashy and slutty; where is the difference between theirs outfits? nothing! these children are being taught how to be sexy at too young of an age. even toys now days are teaching children to be sexy with barbies and brats. all we are doing is causing our children to be more sexually open at younger ages. now while many don’t feel this is an issue, lets take this in a more economical approach. today we are already believed to be over-populated and in a recession, how does teenagers having kids add to this situation? With having young children add to the population without even finishing highschool just doesn’t mix well in this equation, because most teens who have kids do not strive for a higher education which leads to a less educated society in general. Which in turn can lead to fewer doctors and higher officials etc. So what all can these shows and teachings lead to? in Jonbenet Ramsey’s case it ended her life for some children it lead to them having children and economically it can lead to a very bleak future.

Posted in Mr. Andoscia, Social Problems | 1 Comment »

26. April 2012 by student.

Autism can be a terrible condition, devastating to families. It can leave parents not only aggrieved but desperate to find any cure, any salvation. Medical services and behavioral therapy for severely autistic children can cost more than $100,000 a year, and these children often exhibit extremely difficult behavior. Moreover, the incidence of autism is apparently rising rapidly. Today one in every 150 children has been diagnosed on the autism spectrum; 20 years ago that statistic was one in 10,000.

Vaccines do not cause autism. That was the ruling in each of three critical test cases handed down on February 12 by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims in Washington, D.C. After a decade of speculation, argument, and analysis—often filled with vitriol on both sides—the court specifically denied any link between the combination of the MMR vaccine and vaccines with thimerosal (a mercury-based preservative) and the spectrum of disorders associated with autism. But these rulings, though seemingly definitive, have done little to quell the angry debate, which has severe implications for American public health.

Even though there is much evidence against the claim that vaccines cause autism, some parents still refuse to vaccinate their children.  This is dangerous not only to the child, but the overall community and can have horrid and even fatal consequences.

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26. April 2012 by student.

           Bullying isPhysical or psychological intimidation that occurs repeatedly over an extended period of time.  People can use many different devices to bully the person being bullied. How do we stop bullying?  Bullying affects people later in life.   

              Many different devices are used to help bully the person being bullied.   Over 24% of over 1,100 kids surveyed in a 2008 say they have been harassed by texting.  This is called text-message bullying.  Another type of bullying is done online.  This is called cyber-bullying.  

               How do we stop bullying?  We have to enforce stiffer penalties on the people that sre doing the bullying.  This will make them think twice about doing because they will ace a severe penalty for committing the attack.  We could also have the victim of the bully come forward and tell their story of events of what happened.  Also, we need to punish the parents if they persuade their kids to keep up with the bully attacks.  

                  Bullying affects people later in life.  The person bullied may have severe problems later in life.  They will be scared and maybe even skip school more frequent.  The person bullied may also have problems which include depression, low self esteem, post truamatic stress and anxiety.  The bully will be more liekly to use alcohol or tobacco.  They also may have problems with the police.  

                   Bullying is a part of the world we live in today.  I just hope as technology improves that the bullying goes away.  Even major celebrities have been victims of bullies.  Christina Hendricks, Chris Rock, Bill Clinton and Sandra Bullock have all been victims of bullies. 

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26. April 2012 by student.

In the United States, Prostitution is illegal. About 80,000 people are arrested, a year, for soliciting sex, and it costs tax payers about $200 million a year for court and jail fee’s. Prostitution is legal in 22 countries, Thailand being the largest at a net worth of about $35 billion! This means that prostitution is, in a way, regulated and protected and society is paid back financially, whereas in the U.S., we lose over $200 million a year.Prostitution has always been seen as a dangerous/unsafe business, but in reality, it is actually quite a lucrative business. The average income of a U.S. prostitute can be as much as $290,000 a year. Think about the possibilities if prostitution was regulated. It could be taxed and given rules and regulations. Rules like age requirements, condoms are required, etc. Also, possibly giving that prostitute a sponsor of some sort so that they can be checked up on to make sure they are safe and what not.Selling sex is, I’m sure, not the top career choice of anyone, but sometimes people do what they have to do to survive. Personally I feel like Vito Corleone “It doesn’t make any difference to me what a man (or woman) does for a living, but in this case I don’t want to be a part of it”. If a woman, or man, wishes to sell their body as their job, then so be it. They are well aware of the risks involved (health wise and safety wise). But it would make sense to legalize it. There is a potential to contribute back to the economy billions of dollars rather than take away millions of dollars. And with this potential can come some protection, rules, and regulations for the prostitutes themselves making the business that much safer. Why not?

Posted in Social Problems | 2 Comments »