Cameron's Story is Saving Lives

"Mom Dedicates Her Life To Safety Awareness After Fatal Car Seat Error"

By: Caroline Bologna

Source: The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/12/05/car-seat-safety-holly-wagner_n_6255106.html?utm_hp_ref=health-news&ir=Health+News

            Holly Wagner's world was turned upside down when she lost her eleven-month-old son, Cameron in a car accident. Her baby boy had been improperly fastened in his car seat. If that mistake were to have been corrected, Cameron would  have been alive today. Holly does not want other parents to experience what she did, therefore now has dedicated her life to sharing her story and educating people about car seat safety. The twenty-seventh of April 2013, Holly Wagner was at work, whilst her boyfriend Rhett was watching her three-year-old son Connor and Cameron. After spending a day with the kids outside, Rhett ran a stop sign and collided with another car on the way back home. Rhett survived with a brain and leg injury, Connor survived with a broken arm, but Cameron was a whole other story. Cameron's injuries were far more severe since he was not buckled properly. Only the chest clip was fastened, which caused it to break upon impact, causing Cameron to come off his seat and be ejected from the car. Cameron was suffering from a severe head injury, broken ribs, and a punctured lung and spleen, causing him to have several back-to-back surgeries. Due to the severity of Cameron's brain injury, his body was not absorbing any nutrient, therefore Holly had two choices: let her son starve to death or take him off life support and have him avoid that pain and misery. After holding her son in her hands, and feeling and observing his injuries, she chose to let him go.

          According to Buckle Up For Life, a child passenger safety program, seventy-five percent of car seats in this country are not installed correctly. This article is important as it urges others not to pass up the opportunity to try to help people. It is meant to inspire parents to get a car seat check and also to encourage parents to raise awareness of the issue of child passenger safety with the people closest to them.   

Women are the Master Species

"China Hospital Gives Men Chance to Experience Pain of Childbirth"

By: Natalie Thomas

Source: The Huffington Post             

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/21/men-experience-childbirth-pain_n_6200240.html?utm_hp_ref=health-news&ir=Health+News

A hospital in China has offered fathers the chance to experience the pain of childbirth after several complaints from mothers explained how they receive such little sympathy from their husbands. For this enactment, pads attached to a device are placed above the abdomen, giving electric shocks that cause pain. The fathers struggled in agony as the nurses gradually increased the intensity on a scale of one to ten. A man who took part in this enactment, Song Siling, said he felt as if his heart and lungs were being ripped apart. Other participants had dropped out of the operation within minutes, because of the unbearable pain. Despite this obvious discomfort, the enactments could never match the pain of actual childbirth. Wu Jianlong, a contestant who braved the pain right up to level ten, said the experience completely altered his views on childbirth. He mentioned how he had thought childbirth was really natural and really normal and that woman can get through the "durable" pain, but during the operation, he was begging the nurses to stop. Wu JIanlong had reached the maximum limit and would not stop screaming in pain and clenching his fists.

This article is important to read as it shows that men can experience the pain of childbirth. This pain can help men realize that they should not take their wives for granted and instead to love and care for them more. 

Simple Pleasures

           It is quite difficult for me to find silence and solitude, as I have three siblings who constantly follow me around to the point where I feel as if I have no privacy or they just loudly goof around and provide me with no silence, whatsoever. I also have two parents who keep nagging at me to finish my homework or do chores.  Sometimes, I wish I can go somewhere isolated where I can feel free in every possible way, and never get hurt. I wish I can have magical solutions to my problems, but yet I refuse to believe in magic. It is easier to have me hate something than believe in them. My aim for this post is to write down what I see and what I feel in the best and simplest way. 
            I was  babysitting my little brother, Chris. He was sitting on the couch, playing a game on my mother's phone and since I had this blog assignment to post on being a transcendentalist for half an hour, why not do him a favor and bring him along as well. I took my mother's phone away from my brother and placed it alongside mine on a high shelf and out we went. For the first five minutes, he would not stop crying and honestly,  I wanted to shove a sock in his mouth, but after a while he accepted the fact that we were not going inside and sat beside me. He probably thought I was crazy as I was cautiously trying to understand my environment. Surely, he did not understand what I was trying to do, but too bad. He was sitting beside me sulking, but he was quiet and that was all I needed in that precise moment: silence, because the quieter it was, the more I could hear and observe...

            I appreciate my neighborhood, I truly do. It is not completely isolated, but it feels as if it is, because of its constant quietude. The street  I live on is quite mysterious as it is always calm, reminding me of a certain saying, "the calm before the storm," but yet, my street also holds this sense of beauty. At night, the shadows are one of the most  impressive things that stand out on my street. They end up making everything look more peculiar. The view from my house is phenomenal. I get to see a portion of the beautiful city, Burbank and I can also look at the massive houses that tower above me. One house always specifically stands out, as it looks like a castle. Another house a little further to the left side has this tree in its backyard, which always captivates my attention.  It holds this sense of mystery and impossibility to it. One day, I wish to boldly walk to that mysterious tree, as if it's an impossible door. As I sat there listening to the chirping of the crickets, I could not help, but to also look up at the stars. Just the sight of them made me want to dream. And as if on time, I looked  beside me and saw my little brother fast asleep, with his tiny little head leaning against my left shoulder. 

CHOKED

"Why We 'Choke' Under Pressure, According To Neuroscience"

By: Carolyn Gregoire

Source: The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/11/07/why-we-choke-under-pressu_n_6096916.html?utm_hp_ref=health-news&ir=Health+News

            All eyes were on the U.S. Women's Gymnastics team in 2012 during the Summer Olympics, specifically on one U.S. gymnast: McKayla Maroney. She was a sixteen-year-old gymnast who took part in the Olympics, because of her impressive skill in vaulting. Everyone guaranteed that she was going win gold in the event. But when the time came for her to show her skills and win the gold, she choked. Choking is common for many athletes and performers, even professionals. And it does not necessarily mean that the individual does not have skill, but rather, the immense pressure of what is at stake. Scientists are trying to understand why individuals choke under pressure, and how they might be able to prevent such mistakes. Some new research done from neuroscientists in John Hopkins University, believe that Maroney choked because she was too attached to winning. When individuals choke under pressure, it most likely has to do with their motivation. To what extent is an individual willing to go through to win or to avoid losing? If one is loss-averse, meaning that they hate losing more than they love winning, then their chances of choking will be lower, but for the individuals who value winning more than they value losing, the likelihood of choking is often higher. "The Johns Hopkins study found that those who hated losing the most choked when told that they stood to win the most, while those who cared more about winning choked when they stood to lose something significant. In other words, it's all about how you frame the incentive: as a loss or as a gain" (Gregoire, 1). The researchers explain this phenomenon through study done on the ventral striatum, a region of the brain. They even proved the study with specific experiment done on adults. This study showed the researchers, that the ventral striatum moderates the relationship between incentives and performance.

            This article is important as it provides new research done on human behavior. It provides us with details about a certain experiment that was designed to help us understand why we choke under pressure, so we can apply that information to improve our performances. 

“There must be something in books, something we can’t imagine, to make a woman stay in a burning house; there must be something there. You don’t stay for nothing.”

            Assuring a high quality and effective education for future generations, is one of the most important things we can do as the present generation. We have drastically improved our use of technology, but we must achieve more than just the means of  technology; we must provide to the future generation, a glimpse of our world as it was developed. Kids cannot lose their innocence, their authority, their love, their hope, their imagination, their social skills, and their power to reason.

            In twenty years, I see future generations learning their social skills from robots.  I do not particularly see a high school, but rather I see an institution found for primarily technological purposes. I do not see much of an interaction, instead I see people staring at one another with dull and boring eyes that show no apparent sign of life. I see no books as technology is the main priority. I think in twenty years, the future generation will embrace new media, sports, and a faster pace of life causing books to be ruthlessly decreased or devalued. I do not see free-thinking ideals nor do I see any liberating spirits. The government has taken complete control and has instilled fear in people's hearts. People have lost their individuality. I do not know if this is because of the fact that I doubt the future generation or I just particularly am not fond of the idea of the future generation, but I see very few people questioning their lives and their own perception of happiness. I am not necessarily too fond of the idea of traditions, but I still support it to some extent, but in the future I see no signs of traditions at all, which is not necessarily a good sign.

           I imagine myself to be a rather different teacher; the outcast of the new society, the teacher who rebels and passes on these revolutionary thoughts and ideas. I would try to change the mentality of this generation from living a mechanical life to living an extraordinary one. I would like to teach these group of individuals to look at life in a different way and to live their lives on their own terms. I want these group of people to start questioning the authority. Although, I imagine myself doing this endeavor, I question myself, "Would I really do what I think I would do, if was put under that certain situation?"

"Yes, they are fake! My real ones tried to kill me!"

"The End of October But Not the End of Breast Cancer"

By: Susan M. Love

Source: The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-m-love/the-end-of-october-but-no_b_6072020.html?utm_hp_ref=health-news&ir=Health+News

            "As October comes to an end, we can put away our pink clothes for another year and focus on the real challenge -- not awareness, but action!" (Susan, 1). Many people connect the color pink with breast cancer and a lot of people are aware that breast cancer is an essential problem for women. The questions for those working on the subject at hand are: What do we do next? What actions do we need to take to make a real difference in decreasing breast cancer deaths? Doctors too often combine the idea of finding tumors with saving lives, but the reality of this is that some cancers are fast-growing that even the best efforts are to no advantage. Women are living with various types of breast cancer. We owe them "something better than removing a normal body part to prevent what may or may not become a life-threatening disease" (Susan, 2). We owe them a cure. The time has come to go above and beyond awareness and find solutions that will help women. We need to know how and where this cancer starts. We need to work together to create a future without breast cancer.

            Between now and next October, many other women in the U.S. will die from breast cancer.  This article is important as it raises awareness for breast cancer and successfully provides the message of taking action and finding answers. Without uniting the breast cancer organizations, the government, the scientific community, and the people of the United States, we will not accomplish one of our many goals: a future without breast cancer! 

SOAPST for "A Talk to Teachers"

Subject - Educational Segregation

Occasion - 1963 New York City, the height of the movement for equality for African Americans

Audience - Schoolteachers, readers and listeners of the speech

Purpose - To inform, to persuade

Speaker - James Baldwin

Tone - Argumentative, persuasive, informative, confident, resentful

            This given speech is effective as Baldwin grasps his audience by not stating his thesis too early on in the speech; instead he provides a sense of ethos on the subject. He provides facts to back up his given points and opinions. Baldwin also had the capability to connect to his audience emotionally, whether it would be that the audience is being treated unfairly or do not like the idea of others being treated unfairly.

            The SOAPST is important in understanding the given speech, because it gives general background of the speech and a general view of what the speech is about. Understanding the purpose of the SOAPST can help the audience connect to the speech emotionally. In this speech, Baldwin tries to state that "by this time the Negro child has had, effectively, almost all the doors of opportunity slammed in his face, and there are very few things he can do about it."

            

“Everyone thinks when you go to a hospital, life stops. But it’s just the opposite: Life starts!”

"Living life from a hospital room"

By: Claire Wineland

Source: CNN News

http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/23/health/cystic-fibrosis-clairity-project/index.html?hpt=he_c1

            Claire Wineland is a seventeen-year-old senior in high school. She, like thousands of other people is living on this planet, sick. She spends a lot of time in the hospital, receiving treatments to stay alive. ­­She was born with cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening disorder that causes severe damage to the lungs and digestive system. She writes this article, not to make it a sob story or to make people feel bad for her, but to accomplish the complete opposite. She wants to "share a story about finding joy and beauty in places that others see pain and suffering. I am sick, yes. But I am so much more" (Wineland, 1).  The people who came to visit Claire always stated that they were sorry for her and the kind of life she lived, but Claire would argue with them, tenaciously. She tried to show these people that although the hospital life was different from their own, it was anything but depressing. Sure, there were the endless treatments, procedures, tests, and doctors finding something else wrong with Claire's body, but there were also bliss moments of happiness and laughter, those moments where she saw how wrong the world had been: "A short life CAN be as rich as a long one" (Wineland, 1). When Claire was thirteen, her and her parents started a foundation to support others living with cystic fibrosis, called the Claire's Place Foundation. When she was fourteen, she became a public speaker, and now she creates a video series called "The Clarity Project." Her video series "shines a light" on the hospital life and breaks down the barriers around people who are sick. Claire says, "Some things in life are ours to choose, while other things choose us. I never chose to live this crazy bizarre life with cystic fibrosis, and I didn't wake up from the coma with a plan to move my life down a totally different path. Yet that seems to be exactly what happened. And, of course, I wouldn't want it any other way."

            This article is important, as it makes its audience realize that they should be grateful for the healthy life they live. It shows people that life does not give them what they want; it gives them what they need, to make them into the person they are meant to be.

"Everybody is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid."

To what extent do our schools serve the goals of a true education?

The dictionary definition for education is the process of receiving or giving systematic instruction, especially at a school or university, or an enlightening experience. I believe that education is the general knowledge we obtain and the knowledge we gather through experience. I believe that true knowledge is powerful. True knowledge is not the one where we fill our young minds with random facts or the perceptions of the world we receive that has been decided by society, but rather our own philosophical perceptions of the world. Every individual should have their own ideas and beliefs, but I feel as if education nowadays has demolished the idea of various views and beliefs, and has made life this complicated route of twists, turns, steps, and processes. Schools do not serve the goals of a 'true education,' instead they make it appear as if they are. Public education merely destroys the ambitious spirit. Students need to be instilled with the belief that "the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for." An Italian philosopher by the name of Galileo Galilei believed that “we cannot teach  people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves.” Galileo states that knowledge cannot be thought, therefore how can the modern education system, with inculcated teachers and an already set curriculum, encourage and advance the growth of knowledge and the birth of consciousness? Our knowledge cannot be rushed or be put into some system, instead it needs time, and it needs to be learned. Don't get me wrong, schools are doing an exceptional job trying to educate students everywhere, but maybe if the school boards and the government gave the school and the teachers an opportunity to express their own personal feelings, beliefs, and experiences, then the school system would not be in this difficult situation of  predestined learning. Schools simply cannot serve the goals of a true education. It is difficult to learn in school, because these schools continually organize harsh regulations and put too much stress on students and furthermore cause them to have psychotic breakdowns. Education takes real world experiences. One needs to take in their own perceptions, be well tuned with their emotions, and have the desire to attain and augment their knowledge. Without true education, the number of intellectuals and philosophers will decrease, and “poetry, beauty, romance, love” will stand no longer.

"Dogs are Miracles with Paws"

"Sick Man Makes 'Complete Turnaround' After Hospital Reunites Him With Cherished Dog"

By: Ryan Grenoble

Source: The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/17/dying-man-reunited-dog-bubba-turnaround_n_6003486.html?utm_hp_ref=health-news&ir=Health+News

            Seventy-three year-old, James Wathen was hospitalized in Kentucky over a month ago. His condition had suddenly worsened and he had quit eating. That is when the realization hit, that the old man was only missing his one-eyed Chihuahua, Bubba. Bubba had been turned over to Knox-Whitley Animal Shelter. Bubba had also missed James, as he had also quit eating. It was strange as both the dog and James had stopped eating at about the same time. The hospital's staff, realizing that the separation was harmful to both the man and the dog, disregarded the 'no animal rule,' tracked down Bubba, and reunited him with James. When the two were finally reunited, both made "a complete turnaround" (Grenoble, 1). Bubba was extremely sad at first. He was wrapped up in a baby blanket and was shivering and the moment he was twenty steps from James's room, his little head went up. "His eyes got real bright and he was like a different dog" (Grenoble, 1). James started to cry as Bubba was handed to him and then Bubba snuggled by James.

            This article is considered to be important as it makes people realize that animals are not only pets, but loved ones. These loved ones, somehow, have this tendency to keep your heart whole. They enter your life and change your entire perspective. They choose to love their owners more than themselves, and therefore pass on the idea of unconditional love.  

"Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot, nothing is going to get better. It's not."

           Community service is work which benefits the community. There are individuals that believe community service is punishment, since it is often offered to small-time criminals as an alternative to fines or time in jail. However, community service can be altruistic as in it can be unselfish concerns for the benefit of others, and its role plays a vital part in communities. Majority of high schools require a set of community service hours for a student to graduate and colleges require a similar set of hours in order for the application for admission to be accepted. Although the rates of community service may seem healthy, a study suggests that "resume padding" may be the driving force. "Resume padding is a symptom of the extraordinary pressure put on young people to achieve a college education, and the very explicit understanding that a college education is a means to a decent life in the middle class" (Source 4). Countless young adults have said that the main reason as to why they do community service is to "make a stronger case to please college admission officers" (Source 4). This statement proves that young people do not volunteer for the well-being of others rather for themselves to look like exceptional students.

            Few  people might seek and understand that the problem is not what students are required to do for community service. The question at hand for them, that needs to be answered is why teachers and members of college admissions committees have the qualifications to define what is good for the society as a whole, or even for the students whom they press and force their illogical and irrational beliefs on? What "expertise" do they have on deciding other people's freedom and what lessons do students gain from this, except acceptance to illogical power? Hypothetically speaking, let people believe that students do get a sense of compassion and generosity from serving others, but who defines the compassion?

You're Faking It

"11 Children Have Mystery Illness in Colorado"
By: Jacque Wilson
Source: CNN News
http://www.cnn.com/2014/10/03/health/colorado-partial-paralysis/index.html?hpt=he_c2

            Children's Hospital Colorado announced that there had been another child who had been hospitalized with partial paralysis. The doctors are not yet aware on what is causing these mysterious neurological illnesses. Ten other children at the hospital were identified with similar symptoms which include limb weakness, cranial nerve dysfunction, and abnormalities in the spinal gray matter. A mother of one of the Colorado children describes the alarming experience. She explained how it started with a cough, but then her daughter became apathetic and her fever rose. The mom took her daughter to the hospital, but the blood work looked "fine," (Wilson, 1) so the doctor sent her home to rest. The next day, the daughter complained of feeling weakness in her arm, but the mom thought her own daughter was being "dramatic and faking it" (Wilson, 1). The girl's muscle weakness got worse and two weeks later, she was admitted back to the hospital. Some children have tested positive for enterovirus D68, a virus that has been sending children from numerous countries to the hospitals with respiratory illness, but others have shown no signs of a virus ever being in their system. Doctors are trying to understand what is happening. 
             I think this article passes on various messages. One massive message that this article provides is that there are numerous diseases in the world and ones that yet need to be discovered. The article makes the reader wonder and exit this state of oblivion. It portrays to its audience the various mysteries that yet need to be discovered. Another crucial message that this article provides is the ignorance of people. Society nowadays thinks that people who are suffering from a serious medical condition or are in a constant state of pain are "faking" their condition. The thought of this bothers me to an unbearable degree. What is it that people can gain from "faking it"? Because being unable to move, being in continual pain, being under constant medication, being bedridden, and experiencing all these different emotional symptoms is not what you call "fun."

"Walk Up To The Club Like What Up I Have Social Anxiety & I Want To Go Home"

"Study Identifies Effective Treatment For Social Anxiety Disorder."

By: Alex Lindley

Source: The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/09/26/social-anxiety-disorder-talk-therapy-cognitive-behavioral_n_5888306.html?utm_hp_ref=health-news&ir=Health+News

A new study has been evaluated for the treatments of social anxiety. These treatments include different types of medication and talk therapy. It has been said that the individual cognitive behavioral therapy has proved to be the most effective. The lead study author Evan Mayo-Wilson, DPhil, of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health said, "Social anxiety is more than just shyness. People with this disorder can experience severe impairment, from shunning friendships to turning down promotions at work that would require increased social interaction. The good news from our study is that social anxiety is treatable. Now that we know what works best, we need to improve access to psychotherapy for those who are suffering" (Lindley, 1). The cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a one-on-one therapy that questions the patient to evaluate the relationships between their thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It has been noted that CBT can help patients control their irrational fears. Social anxiety disorder is noted by an unjustifiable fear of social situations. Many patients who suffer from social anxiety may never get the treatment they need, either because they refuse to seek it or they do not have access to it. According to studies, medication is by far the usual choice for those who suffer from social anxiety, but medication may not be the best approach. It is effective, but at times can have severe side effects. Study authors found that CBT produced the most effective and desired form of treatment among patients.

This article is important because it raises the awareness for the social anxiety disorder and it shows the audience how more patients who suffer from this disorder should have access to treatment. It also shows the reader that more funding can improve the life of those who need to be treated and displays the need to improve mental health problems. Like Dr. Mayo-Wilson said, "Greater investment in psychological therapies would improve quality of life, increase workplace productivity, and reduce health care costs. The health care system does not treat mental health equitably, but meeting demand isn't simply a matter of getting insurers to pay for psychological services. We need to improve infrastructure to treat mental health problems as the evidence shows they should be treated. We need more programs to train clinicians, more experienced supervisors who can work with new practitioners, more offices, and more support staff," (Lindley, 1). 

Night and Day: Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream is the Only Way

As I am writing this blog post, I am currently drowning all my sorrows in the famous mint chocolate chip ice cream from the one and only Baskin Robbins. Although, I really wish there were more chocolate chips in here right now. This wonderful dessert is an ice cream flavor composed of mint ice cream with small chocolate chips, hence the name mint chocolate chip ice cream. I honestly do not know why mint chocolate chip is my favorite ice cream or how I even came across it. I just know that I eat it often and have been eating it for as long as I could remember. Right now, this ice cream is acting like a teddy bear. Everyone needs some sense of security and comfort and in this moment I feel as if this ice cream is providing that for me. I feel as if my worries are gone and I keep reliving the feelings of happiness that I always feel like I take advantage of. It is as if this ice cream is telling me that everything is going to be okay... that I am going to be okay. I feel emotionally stable for the time being. I feel safe, protected, hopeful, sad, confused,  happy, all at the same time, but by having this miraculous desert by my side, I feel as if I am finally in control over all that. I guess you can call it my go to ice cream. Every time I place a spoonful of this ice cream in my mouth, I think of how everything will work out eventually and I will achieve what I have been waiting so long for and become the person I  have always longed to be. I feel as if my innocence is still there and my trust is not yet broken and my acceptance to the evil is not yet given and love and compassion are not a form of rarity. Mint chocolate chip ice cream is the only means to achieve a "fairytale" life in the limitless dimensions of a blissful moment.

 

"Don't try to wake me, in the morning." - The Smiths

"Lack of sleep may shrink your brain"

By: Val Willingham

Source: CNN Health

http://www.cnn.com/2014/09/04/health/no-sleep-brain-size/index.html?hpt=he_bn3

A recent study suggests that lack of sleep can affect the size of one's brain. European researchers examined 147 adults between the ages of twenty and eighty-four. These researchers used two MRI scans to observe the association between sleep problems and the subjects' brain volume. The first scan was taken before the patients completed a questionnaire regarding their sleeping habits and the second scan was done about three and a half years later. The questionnaire results demonstrated  that thirty-five percent of those that took part in the study met the standard for poor sleep health. Researchers learned that the participants with sleep problems had an instant diminishment in their brain size over the course of the study than those who slept fine. There have been countless number of studies that have shown people the importance of sleep and the effect sleep deprivation can have on their brains. People should also be aware that poor sleep patterns can lead to disorders, such as Alzheimer's and dementia. A neurologist and sleep specialist Dr. Neal Maru explains, "We know that a lack of sleep can lead to all kinds of problems. Poor sleep can affect our immune systems, our cardiovascular health, weight and, of course, memories. But we still don't know why. Studies have shown poor sleep can cause protein buildup in the brain that attacks brain cells. So we're still trying to put the puzzle together" (Willingham, 1). Claire Sexton says, "There are effective treatments for sleep problems, so future research needs to test whether improving people's quality of sleep could slow the rate of brain volume loss. If that is the case, improving people's sleep habits could be an important way to improve brain health" (Willingham, 1).

This article is an important read because it helps the audience understand that sleep plays an important role in their health and well-being. It informs the audience that getting enough sleep can help protect their mental and physical health, quality of life, and safety. 

"Wanna know how I got these scars?" - The Joker

"Healing Teenage Cancer’s Scars"

By: Jane E. Brody

Source: The New York Times

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2014/08/25/healing-teenage-cancers-scars/?_php=true&_type=blogs&ref=views&_r=0

            Being a teenager is tough, but being a teenager with cancer taking over is a challenge that grows progressively. When the results for the treatment are uncertain, teens fear the idea of dying at an early age. Even with the chance of being cured, these young adults have to face the real world, where they come face to face with emotional, educational, and social circumstances. In addition to that, these young adults have to cope with the idea of losing people whom they love because those certain people cannot handle that given situation and added to that is trying to keep up with educational matters whilst on treatment.

            The article mentions a girl named Sophie who at the age of fifteen was told she had osteosarcome, bone cancer. After the stage of questioning why this was happening to her passed, she was more than ever determined to continue her education and graduate. Although most of the time was spent in the hospital, she was able to maintain outstanding grades and SAT scores high enough to gain acceptance into Cornell University. Today, Sophie is twenty years old, majoring in biology and genetics and about to volunteer at a hospital. She wishes to be identified as a normal person and not someone who has had cancer. She is humble and independent and has this determination to do as much as she possibly can. Sophie said, “The greatest challenge teens with cancer face is social isolation. Many of their peers are uncomfortable with illness, and many teens with cancer may withdraw from their friends because they feel they are so different and don’t fit in” (Brody, 1). Group therapy sessions like, Teen Impact, prevent the patients from feeling this sense of loneliness and also help them live as normally as possible. Dr. Kuperberg says, "For many, cancer is a chronic illness, with echoes that last long after treatment ends. There are emotional side effects — a sense of vulnerability, a fear of relapse and death, and an uncertainty about the future that can get in the way of pursuing their hopes and dreams. And there can be physical and cognitive side effects when treatment leaves behind physical limitations and learning difficulties. But often there is post-traumatic growth that motivates teens in a very positive way. There's a lot of altruism, a desire to give back, and empathy, a sensitivity to what others are going through and a desire to help them” (Brody, 1). Another issue of cancer is the threat to the teens future reproductive potential. For a long time now, boys who have undergone puberty, can have their sperm frozen before cancer treatment. Now, doctors wish to try a new and similar experiment on females, like freezing part or all of an ovary and then implanting it after cancer treatment ends.                                                                                                                                            This article is an important read, because it raises the awareness of cancer and its difficult challenges. It shows the reader how precious life actually is. 

"One for All and All for Life"

 "Fall TV First Impression: Fox's Red Band Society"

By: Matt Webb Mitovich

Source: TVLine

http://tvline.com/2014/07/07/red-band-society-preview-pilot-fox-fall-lineup/

Mitovich's review is effective because of its use of two of the three major rhetorical appeals. The use of building ethos is the website Mitovich's review is on because TVLine is a well-known television website. Another use of building ethos includes Mitovitch listing the cast members of the show and many other previous shows/movies those actors took part in. He uses pathos as he mentions that the show, Red Band Society, is about "sick kids," and he gives a brief description as to what the show is about. There was no use of logos as the review is opinionated, but it is credible, because of the website the review comes from. He uses claim of fact by comparing Red Band Society to successful movies such as The Fault in Our Stars and The Breakfast Club and shows  like Glee that share the same concept. Mitovich uses claim of value as he mentions that this show "has the potential to sneak up on and charm its samplers" (Mitovich, 1). He states that the show will make the viewer smile. He also mentions how the narration of the proceedings is from a coma kid's point of view, which is a unique distinction that the movie offers. His use of the claim of value shares a desirable effect on the reader. His use of the claim of policy would be the question of threat at hand, "is the premise, as heartwarming as it is, sustainable as an ongoing series?" (Mitovich, 1). The question specifically asks if  a show that shares a similar concept to other successful movies and shows and has the potential to make its audience smile, be as touching and moving as it is and possibly become an ongoing series.

            Matt wrote a "good" review because he believes that the Red Band Society would be a wonderful show to watch as it shares a similar concept to other successful movies and shows and has its own variety of unique distinctions. He believes that the Red Band Society will appeal to its viewers emotions, values, desires, and fears.

"Monsters are real, ghosts are real too, // They live inside us, and sometimes, they win."

"Cancer patients with depression 'are being overlooked'"

By: Smitha Mundasad

Source: BBC News

http://www.bbc.com/news/health-28954661

The article explains how depression can affect the chances of surviving cancer. The article mentions how three quarters of cancer patients who suffer from depression do not receive the psychological therapy they need, because the main particular focus is on the physical symptoms. Researchers argue that depression in cancer patients is often overlooked, but could be treated at a fraction of the cost of cancer drugs. People often mistake depression for sadness, but the two are completely different. Depression is a clinical term, and most of the time when people say they are depressed, they technically mean that they are sad. Sadness is emotional pain associated with, or characterized by feelings of disadvantage, loss, despair, helplessness, or sorrow. Depression is when one feels that they are testing their limits all the time. They fear to explain what they feel, at the risk of crossing the line of what people around them are comfortable hearing. They worry about driving people away by their constant negativity. Depression can make people feel like their minds have rebelled and taken over. Depression is being sad when life in general is on the right track. It is the feeling one cannot escape, and eventually become numb to. People often think that depression is a side effect of cancer, but surely it is not. Researchers, now report that a new nurse-led treatment designed specifically for cancer patients, could reduce depressive symptoms and help thousands of people. Those suffering from cancer are more likely to suffer from depression rather people from the general population, but those with cancer report symptoms of depression because they do not receive treatment partly because they did not consider seeking help and professionals did not pick up on their illness. The costs for treatment and therapy are also quite expensive, and Jacqui Graves, says: "It is heart-breaking to think cancer patients who are already dealing with the toughest fight of their lives are also struggling with depression, without adequate support" (Mundasad, 1).

This article is important to read because it raises the awareness of true depression and cancer-related depression. It helps clarify the difference between sadness and depression. The article also raises awareness to charity and calls out to those who suffer from depression. 

SOAPST for "Speech to the Troops at Tilbury"

Subject - Queen Elizabeth's support for her troops

 Occasion - 1588 at Tilbury before an attack by the Spanish Armada

Audience - The English soldiers and the larger world

Purpose - Encouraging her troops to face the battle with courage and determination

Speaker - Queen Elizabeth

Tone - Assuring, motivating, inspiring, powerful, nationalistic, and charismatic

The SOAPST is important in understanding the given speech, because it offers a practical way to approach the concept of the rhetorical situation. It gives general background of the speech and a general view of what the speech is about. Understanding the purpose of the SOAPST can help the audience connect to the speech emotionally. The occasion and the speaker helps the audience understand the choice (diction) and arrangement (syntax) of the words. Often the biggest challenge is understanding the tone of the piece, because it is the tone that can achieve the speaker's purpose. Using the SOAPST, one can understand the tone.

Queen Elizabeth's speech is effective because the queen appealed to ethos, pathos, and logos. Since, Queen Elizabeth is a queen, her automatic ethos as the monarch is established, still she begins and ends her speech by stating how confident she is in her subjects. She appeals to pathos by revealing her personality as a weak and old woman, but she swears to her audience that on the inside she is as strong as a king. Not so evident, is Queen Elizabeth's logos, but her promise to repay her loyal troops with rewards can be considered to be a logical extension of her support for them. 

Fly Me to the Moon

"If This Is What Lunar Colonization Looks Like, We're Ready For The Future Now"        

By: Katherine Brooks

Source: The Huffington Post

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/15/project-astoria_n_5673247.html

The article starts off by having the reader imagine a colony of humans building some sort of paradise on the moon. Then the article has the reader visualize, that fifteen years have passed since the colonizers had began on their  endeavor to build a paradise. The children who populated the society on the moon (nicknamed "Project Astoria"), set out for adventure. These young explorers, on their journey of exploration, discovered despicable and atrocious animals and stunning crystal plant life. This is all a fictitious, visually rich, and an alluring eleven image photo series coming from the minds of Los Angeles-based artists, Todd Baxter and his wife, Aubrey Videtto. They have "brought a utopian-dystopian dreamscape to life in their "Project Astoria: Test 01" series. They've essentially created a universe out of thin air -- Todd digitally painted the strange scenes from various photographs, involving tapirs, modular homes and Wes Anderson-esque uniforms, and Aubrey later crafted the "guide" to their world" (Brooks, 1). Todd drew inspiration from the first English colony, Roanoke which resulted in a mysterious disappearance, hence given the name "The Lost Colony." Todd and Aubrey added more to these images with an obscure species called "ubi." They are harmless, but can also be dangerous. "I remember being five or six years old, at the National Mall museums with my family... in the Air and Space Museum, walking through a replica of Skylab, the first US space station, and I knew my dad had worked on it as an engineer for the Space Program. As I was walking through the exhibit, I saw these manikin astronauts in their uniforms inside of the space station doing different things. One of the guys was in a kitchenette area, just sitting there eating food. I remember observing this frozen moment of people living in space, the interior of a kitchen, food, and it really sinking in –- this is a real thing. People can live in space! To my kid brain, this was pure wonderment, pure magic" (Baxter, 1). This experience was yet another implement which helped Todd and his wife create this majestic photo series.

            This is an important article as it has the audience imagine and be curious. Imagination will carry the viewer into this dystopian era that does not actually yet exist and curiosity will lead them down new paths.  Whilst viewing these series of images, there are many questions, that remain a mystery to the viewer. This mystery gives the viewer the ability to imagine and wonder. This article gives the audience a glimpse of what that age of discovery and leisure activity might look and feel like in the not-so-distant future . 

"Thank You doesn't begin to cover it. But it's a GOOD place to start."

The picture above depicts brave soldiers from Afghanistan standing beside each other for a photograph to thank the people involved with Operation Gratitude. This ad is an example of ethos because these men in uniform are members of the army which concludes to be an example of automatic ethos, because of the status they pledge. Whilst viewing this ad, one might acknowledge the experience and sincerity it delivers, and because of that recognition, the viewer would have a reason for trying to grasp the meaning of the given subject matter. This ad would be an example of logos because of the website the ad provides. The website www.OperationGratitude.com  would be considered to be logos because visiting this website would give the viewer a clear main idea, using specific details, examples, facts, statistics, or expert testimony to back it up. This given evidence can be immensely persuasive to the viewer. This ad is an example of pathos because it appeals to the emotions of a viewer. Whilst the viewer observes the presented image, their emotions might differ with sympathy, hopefulness, attentiveness, courteousness, inspiration, et cetera. The given website may also be considered to be pathos, because it may give the viewer the sudden urge and desire to try to give back to these men and women. Overall, this advertisement is effective, because it achieves a desired emotional effect, it is persuasive and truthful, it considers its audience, it leaves an unforgettable mark in one's mind, and uses all three major appeals.

"Among other things, you'll find that you're not the first one who was ever confused and frightened and even sickened by human behavior."

My favorite book is The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I love books that I can relate to, ones where I become one of the main characters, but everyone feels that particular way whilst reading the books they become fascinated with. Reading The Catcher in the Rye, I felt as if I somehow found one of my many missing shattered pieces. Everyone has their broken pieces which are left behind and forgotten. It depends on the person and when they will choose to seek them back. Like Holden Caulfield, I used to believe in the idea that I was broken and could never be fixed. Imagine a shattered person forced to grow up much sooner than all else. Lacking self-esteem and feeding on the misery of those around them, in attempt to comfort their own, growing up in a wicked and twisted world, always knowing that there is no bright side, and that life will never get better for them, and wondering if it is possible for someone to genuinely want to help them. That is the sort of life Holden lived, although I feel as if I might have exaggerated a bit. The story is narrated by a young boy named Holden Caulfield. The plot revolves around an exceedingly judgmental and apathetic Holden trying to figure out what his feelings are and what causes him to feel that way. He judges to such an immense amount that at times it becomes extremely funny. It is truly hard for me to explain these indescribable feelings this book has over me. Even though the situation Holden was put in was much worse, I felt as if I could relate to him and his thoughts and feelings. This book is my favorite because it is one of the few implements that give me an insight on who I wish to be. I wish to make people happy before their time runs out. I wish to help people live rather than only exist. I want them to be lying down on their deathbed without having any regrets. I wish for all this, while remaining nameless. I wish to be a secret hero. Reading The Catcher in the Rye is one of the few resources that has helped me embark on the endless voyage of discovering myself.