After reading this article, Nigeria Sues Over Child Smokers, I started thinking about how bad this is. Mainly, the article was about how 18% of Nigerian youth is smoking and about how the government is going to sue 3 tobacco companies. This is such a pressing issue these days, everyone makes such a big deal over smoking, I agree that it's bad...but hesitantly. I'm not saying that I'm a smoker; no, I'm completely against harming yourself. But, I'm a strong believer that you can do whatever you want, as long as you are willing to take the consequences. You can smoke but you might end up with lung cancer, and you can drink but you might ruin your liver. What a big number, 18% of the children there smoke cigarettes. How many kids is that? What is percentage of American youth that smokes? I'm guessing that the morals and the principles in Africa are different than they are in America, but the beliefs we have here are pretty fair and I think they should be universal. How does this affect us? It's a really obvious statement to say that the advertising industry in the United States is pretty much global, and we have a massive influence over other countries. It makes me feel like a problem, and helpless because what is there to do once the damage of smoking is done? Relating this back to me is kind of difficult, but in all honesty, I can't see how much good is going to come of suing the companies. They make products available - they don't force people into smoking. You have a choice, but you should make the right one.

Malnourished Girl's Mother Arrested by Rocky Mountain News

While I read this article I thought a lot about how many people in Africa are undernourished and how hard it must be to go through something so terrible. The people there don't decide not to eat, like the dumb blond models that are all over our society, they simply don't have a choice. We are so worried about these things in the United States, and we act like it's worse than it really is. I'm definitely glad that the mother is going to jail for neglecting her child, but is it really so terrible? There are millions of people in the globe that live their entire lives without getting enough food, why does it suddenly matter that a child is forgotten in the U.S.? We may be the biggest group of spoiled, hypocritical beings in the world. The big picture of this article, for me, is what are we going to do about it? We need to stop fighting wars and start utilizing the United Nations, that group was set up to keep peace and peace doesn't just mean stopping wars it means making the world harmonic for all. They're aren't doing that well preventing wars either, what are they doing at those meetings anyway?


Texting and Facebook Used To Alert Students by Ray

Murder Suspect, Caught and Deported from Rocky Mountain News.

This article really interested me as I skimmed through the headlines on Google Reader. Coming from a Mexican family, I feel somewhat connected to this story. Honestly, I'm appalled with the United States right now because of Immigration. I feel that so many poor people are coming from the Latin America's to find work, so that they can support their families, and we deny them respect they deserve. This entire country is built on foreign families coming together, and becoming a melting pot. However, I think that it's good we have the ability to find fugitives from entirely different countries. How safe do you feel now? I think it's great that we have so many capabilities available and that science has greatly advanced, it gives our future generations a great foundation. Our kids, and our grandkids will live in time much more civilized and probably more advanced than we can dream of. Also, I think it's amazing that America is playing by the rules and actually cooperating with others, that's something we don't do well.

What Do You Think of Tests? from The Fischbowl

How many tests have you taken this week? Actually, how many tests have you taken this year? I hate tests, and if you are anything like me, you do too. I don't think tests actually represent how much you know, there are just too many kids that freeze up under that pressure. I'm sick of teachers insisting on giving us pointless tests, why aren't there just frequent quizzes? Quizzes aren't worth as many points, and they are as important. I think it's better to get rid of tests altogether, they prove nothing. Grades would be higher without them, and the learning wouldn't decrease at all.

Burmese Military Threatens Monks by BBC World News

Reading this article made me realize that there are alot of people who don't know how to agree to disagree. I don't understand how people can be so insensitive to people who believe so strongly about their religion. The Buddhist clergy and fellow monks around Burma are breaking out in revolution, there were marches in over 25 cities the other day. The article mentioned that they Burmese military is going to be taking away U.S. visas, which not only means people lose hard earned money, but the feeling o citizenship too. As a person who has always believe in one form of God, I think it's important to respect others religions and the disposing of monks is one of the worst things you could do. Especially in Burma, monks are very respected so I can't imagine the outrage the people there are feeling.

Speaking From The Soul by The Fischbowl

In thi article Karl Fisch explains how the teachers in AHS always try to meet the needs of the students, I feel that this is a true statement. As a freshman I was a little scared that I wouldn't have good teachers, since in Middle School I had the best teacher of my education career. So far I've found that teachers do as much as they can, you may not be able to notice it all the time but it's there. I'm glad that a teacher can open up to us, especially since we are encouraged to do so in our writing. Knowing that teachers opening up makes us a step closer to becoming a family, which by the end of the year is what we should be. We spend so much time at school, going to a class with a teacher you don't get along with can be a living nightmare. In the end, everyone does their share here at AHS i'm glad it didn't go unnoticed.

1) The article in The Fischbowl called “Goal: Change How Kids Learn” by Karl Fisch made me think about the way other kids in the world learn. In the U.S. we have so much, and it’s still not enough. Whether our need for more is from constantly growing, or just being spoiled…I’m not sure. But, like the pictures depict, kids in Africa aren’t able to get the education or resources such as textbooks, laptops, or large enough facilities to teach in. It’s amazing that the kids are finally getting support from a large number of people and their needs are being realized. If people (not just Americans) keep helping out so many problems will be solved.
Although it’s great the kids are getting an education, knowing how much education is worth here, the hardships people are going through in Africa make it hard to care about education. Besides a very low percentage of uneducated people they have an epidemic of AIDS, numerous civil wars, little shelter, clothes, or food. I really think that Africa needs to attempt to solve these problems, and I know how terrible that sounds. But how are you supposed to worry about education when you might not survive the walk home.

2) In the article "Debate on gay marriage in Md. to move from courts to legislature" by Ben Nuckols is a strong piece in many ways. I believe that when you start trying to tell people who they can and cannot love you have crossed many boundaries. There is already so much social pressure on what's okay and what isn't, it doesn't feel fair to try and put a cap on who you can marry. Not only does this piece promote gay marriages, it does for a good reason. Although marriage is defined by the constitution as the union of a man and a woman it doesn't make it right, that document was written hundreds of years ago. The more outdated laws like that get, the harder it is to change them. We've already had amendments added to the constitution, so why is it such a crime to add one more? I guess we'll just have to wait it out, hope that stubborn people open their minds a little, and continue promoting important topics like this. You don't choose who you love, it's just something that happens, and trying to separate people that love each other is horrible.