Thursday, May 19, 2011

Loud talker booted off train

Lakeysha Beard boarded a 16 hour train ride in Oakland, California. Lakeysha was talk on her phone the entire time she was on the train even after people complained. The passenger refused to put down her phone, until conductors stopped the train in Salem where the police had to get involved. Lakeysha says she felt disrespected and was accused of disorderly conduct after they said she got into a verbal altercation with another passenger. Also Amtrak (the train Beard was on) doesn't allow cellphones in the quiet cars, which was the car Beard was riding.

I feel like what she did was somewhat ridiculous. Who really is on their phone for 16 hours straight, who could possible have that much to talk about? If you are on a train you have to be at least a little bit considerate of the people around you. I mean i am a believe in the ways of treating others the way I would like to be treated and it irritates me when people are so oblivious and selfish to only think of themselves in a situation such as this.

Bad tippers, be warned.

Thanks to the Internet the bad tippers are no longer able to get away with leaving stingy gratuities. A frusterated Brooklyn designer and developer Larry Fox, who works at a restuarant deliery person as a side job created a blog expressing his anger about bad tippers. In his blogs he publishes the cutomers first names and street names. Mr. Fox says he is tired of big companies and shows giving him $4 dollar tips for a $90 order. He plans to shame all the companies and institutions which give him bad tips.

I think that this man is over reacting. I believe that what people give him as a tip reflects on his service. I mean yes he could be just cheap but it also invovles how much money the customer actually has. Personally I understand why he would get upset but he cannot take it so personally and be so sensative about it because he has to realize that there are people in the world that will do that and there are some people that wont even tip him, but that is just something he has to deal with.

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Is farting on the school bus suspension-worthy?

In Ohio two grade 7 students were suspended from their bus for one day after passing gas. the two kids were given a warning by the bus driver. These kids were reported to their principle by their bus driver for allegedly the display of these "synchronized farts." The mother and father of these children were appalled and took it as a great offence since one of the boys mother had suffered from gastrointestinal issues which inquired her to be hospitalized for a while. Although senior officials in Malawi and other places in the world debate a bill outlawing breaking wind in public, they say it is just as bad as urinating in public.

I personally think this punishment was ridiculous. Young boys often have to break wind and have gas issues, but to suspend a student for breaking wind is obscene. I mean, when it happens, it happens, its not intentional, it's natural. There is no way a place could outlaw passing gas because its inevitable, almost like urination except it doesn't cause damage, harm, or a mark. It is bodily gases which are being let of the body, everyone does it, everyone has done it, and I can guarantee that everyone will do it in the future. You cannot avoid nature

Obesity; another thing you can blame on your mother

Women are constantly being told what to eat, how much to eat, to eat less and to eat more. Although studies show that pregnant women who eat a low-carb healthy diet, most likely put their child at risk of being obese. Apparently women who eat low carbohydrates when they are pregnant show certain changes in their DNA, which is measure in the umbilical cord. genetic changes are known as so-called  epigenetic changes. Epigenetic acts kind of like a dial turning up and down the expression of various genes.

I feel as though that women who choose to go on diets when they're pregnant are somewhat selfish. I understand the fact that you're carrying a child, how possibly could you be selfish? Although carrying the child is only the first step to taking a child, and as most mother and fathers will tell you, you must prepare for the future. Knowing these facts and being on a diet so for that 9 months you won't look that big, that is quite selfish. I mean you're pregnant, you're supposed to look big, that's the beauty of it all.

Should circumcision be outlawed?

Imagine not having the choice to have your son to be circumcized. In San Fransisco a group of young men got enough signatures to have a proposed ban on the foreskin-cutting procedure. If the ban is approved then the circumcision of minors would be charged $1,000, or up to one year in prison. This outlaw could cause problems with people who are Jewish because it could violate the First Amendment protection of religious freedom. The World Health Organization recommends circumcision so that it will reduce the spread of HIV. Infant circumcision rates dropped to 32 per cent in 2006 from 47 per cent in 1973.

I personally think this whole debate is just stupid. Honestly, why does it matter what another man does with his own private parts. Who could be so driven, so narrow minded to even want to outlaw circumcision. I mean why does circumcision bother people so much, so much that they would want to ban it and violate the First Amendment. Jewish people get circumcised because it is part of their religion and why would you try to change that, the only thing that could come from this outlawing would be more debate, rebelliousness from the citizens because they're not going to change their ways, especially ways that have been done for centuries. I ust think the effort is just pointless because no good will come of this.

Should parents be charged if kids aren't wearing bike helmets?

Imagine your child getting hit by a car, and then imagine getting charged for the fact that your child not wearing a helmet. Sucks either way you look at it. Since 1995 the Ontario law states that if you knowingly let your child ride their bicycle without a helmet you could be charged a total charge of $75. This case could possibly lead to bigger cases involving personal freedom and public safety which goes with it. A research showed that from 1991 to 2002 the bicycle related deaths percentage went down 52 per cent, taking the deaths from about 13 to about 6 deaths annually.

I feel as though this argument is pointless. I mean, yes it is important to be safe and you are responsible for your child's safety, but what is the point of making a law on riding your bike. riding your bike is a summer activity in which children should wear protective equipment to be safe but I do not think that the police should get involved whatsoever. Your child's safety is your responsibility, yes, but if your child were to take off their helmet without you knowing, or your child decides to ignore the rules of the road, that shouldn't be charged for it.

Doctors may not see you if you're obese

According to the Sun Sentinel newspaper in Florida some ob-gyn doctors are actually turning away women whom are overweight. Apparently there are higher risks being taken when taking care of a person who is obese. Miami doctor Albert Triana told the news paper “There’s more risk of something going wrong and more risk of getting sued. Everything is more complicated with an obese patient in GYN surgeries and in [pregnancies].” Some doctors say that their equipment and table cannot handle obese patients and it is difficult diagnosing certain problem since the quality of the ultrasounds are not clear.

A doctor is there to help people regardless their weight or gender. In Canada doctors cannot discriminate against patients on their age, gender, medical condition, sexual orientation, or political affiliation. Obese patients need doctors. An obese patient would have no where to be treated if every practice had that policy. Personally I do not believe that doctors should be allowed to deny patients for reasons such as these, I mean doctors are there to improve their quality of life, not stigmatize them according to their weight class.

Blame it on the alcohol

Everyone nowadays are all so concerned about such negative consequences such as traffic accidents, violence or public disorders, although people don't seem to think what negative consequences binge drinking may have on they're brain. A research at Spain’s Universidade de Santiago de Compostela says binge drinking also damages long-term memory. Damage to the hippocampus is a clear association between binge drinking and impaired memory. The hippocampus is a part of the brain which plays a key role in memory formation and it is especially susceptible to alcohol's poisonous effects.

I believe this new find is just what we need. People plan on avoiding the risks of drinking by taking a taxi home or staying over where you're drinking although what people mostly young people don't realize is that just drinking alone is taking a risk. I don't see a point to binge drinking to be honest, alcohol is mainly used to make you feel loose or to have a good time but to drink so much that you are to forget the night before, leave you puking the next morning with no recollection of where you are is not healthy, safe, or in anyway sound like a good time.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/the-hot-button/cant-remember-university-blame-it-on-the-alcohol/article2025059/

Tuesday, May 17, 2011

Why no-smoking signs are a waste of space

There was a test done by Mr. Earp where he presented his findings to the British Psychological Society in Glasgow. In his findings it generally showed how that seeing a no smoking sign actually kicks in your nicotine craving and actually makes you want to smoke more while knowing that you can't. If you have a chronically positive attitude towards smoking these signs will most likely boost your craving by reminding you of smoking and getting that thought into your head. I is like telling you to not think of a pink elephant, but the thing you think of is a pink elephant.

I believe that Mr. Earp makes a good point when he suggests this. I personally know people who start smoking because that's how they were brought up, mainly because their parents smoke. There is so much encouragement from music, movies and ads that promote smoking that it is almost impossible to prevent kids from starting to smoke or even try. although these finding could be the thing that keeps them smoking.

Bin Laden's Death

President Barrack Obama was given some information which could possible lead to finding Osama Bin Laden. Obama did not want to act on this mission until he had enough information to make sure that it was really Bin Laden. Once Obama felt that they had enough information to infiltrate. A special team of 25 trained Navy Seals were dropped in by 4 helicopters to a private compound in Islamabad. There were no video cameras on the mission so we had no idea which was going for about 25 minutes until they reported back saying "Geronimo EKIA [Enemy Killed In Action]." and President Obama added: "We got him." Three men and one women were killed excluding Osama, while 2 women were injured with 17 to 18 people living in the compound.

This moment will go down in history and forever will be remembered as a day of rejoicement. The battle may be won although the war is far from over. Osama may be dead although I believe that there are people out there are as 'evil' or even more so than Osama. Some say that they think Osama did what he tried to do by gaining money and taking money from the western continents and western European countries.