Binge Drinking....Not Good!

          The article “Binge drinking raises diabetes risk by damaging the brain: study” discusses a new study done in Mount Sinai School of Medicine.  It found that binge drinking can raise the risk of diabetes later in life.  Binge drinking is defined as 4 drinks within 2 hours for a woman, and 5 drinks within 2 hours for a man.  The study was done on a group of rats.  One group of rats was given alcohol for 3 days and the other group, which was the control, was given only sugar calories.  The group of rats that were given had higher level of plasma insulin.  Insulin is a hormone that reduces blood sugar by helping cells take in glucose.  Higher level of plasma insulin is a sign of diabetes, because it shows the insulin is not being processed.  Not only that, they rats also had inflammation in their brain.  This proved that binge drinking caused diabetes by messing with the brain.  The part of the brain that it affects is the hypothalamus, which is a major endocrine organ.  It controls metabolism, and helps the body process insulin.  When the brain is swollen, the body becomes insulin resistant.  When the researchers blocked the protein that caused the inflammation, the rats were able to process insulin again.  Initially scientists thought insulin resistance in binge drinkers were due to liver damage, but this study proved them wrong.

          This article proves yet another way that alcohol is harmful to the body.  Alcohol is already known to contribute to obesity and liver damage.  There are also many accidents due to drunk drivers.  Now it causes brain inflammation and diabetes.  Why would any individual want to put themselves through so much torture?  Diabetes is already a huge problem in today’s society, and alcohol is contributing further to the problem.  I think bars should have more limits in alcohol consumption to at least try and limit the problem.  Also individuals need to think and behave more responsibly.  

Work  Cited

Miller, Tracy. "Binge Drinking Raises Diabetes Risk by Damaging the Brain: Study ." NY Daily News. Perle Vision, 30 Jan. 2013. Web. 30 Jan. 2013. <http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/health/binge-drinking-ups-diabetes-risk-damaging-brain-article-1.1251457>.

The Concept of Teamwork (Hobbit)

            In the book The Hobbit by J.R.R Tolkien I thought the theme of always working together was very important. I also agree that in real life it is teamwork that makes a person who he or she is.

            Throughout the book Bilbo and his friends all face many troubles. When Thorin was captured by the spider demon, Bilbo and the other dwarves went to save him. Teamwork is what allowed them to save Thorin and defeat the demon. While some dwarves were holding the net the others were stabilizing the bridge, so their leader could make it back safely. If the bridge wasn’t being held up then I am pretty sure everybody would have died right there on the spot.

            I can also connect teamwork to real-world connections. People may think teamwork is just a way to get things completed in shorter amounts of time, but it is more than that. Teamwork is very special because if the cooperation of one person or thing can really make a difference. If there was no teamwork in the world then the world will start collapsing one by one with the domino effect. People will continue to become independent and wouldn’t need anybody in their lives. When I was back in Kindergarten and 1^st grade I had HORRIBLE English. Thanks to the “teamwork” of my friends and teacher I speak English much more fluently than my own language, and one day I will probably be fluent with my own language.

            Therefore, teamwork is a very big deal. Without it life wouldn’t be right and Bilbo expresses that in The Hobbit by protecting his friends. 

Who has “power” in your text? How does that power get shown?

            In the book Percy Jackson #1: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan I noticed that the book has a theme of Power into it. I noticed that some people have to work hard to achieve power, while others are just born with the given right to rule.

            In this book in particular Percy has to face many challenges because he is not royally given right. Percy is challenged for one reason… because Zeus who is the king of the gods “THINKS” Percy stole his lightning bolt. Zeus blackmails Percy by saying that his home and family will be separated if he refuses to return the lightning bolt.  Although, Percy did not steal the lightning bolt he had to rush through the world to find out who took Zeus’ lightning bolt.

            This book shows power because it represents the dangers and problems that “Power” can create. When people have power they seem to be full of themselves. They just have too much Pride to maintain. As you can see when people DO NOT have power they have to put all their effort to climb their way to the top.

            I also noticed that there is also a different kind of power. There is Good power. Good power is when a person uses his leadership not for personal gain, but benefits for their people in general. One example of this is Poseidon. Poseidon is maintaining the worlds balance with his soothing water abilities. He is also a ruler so he is using his “Power” to direct Zeus towards the right path.

            Therefore, Power can be expressed in many ways throughout a book. Power can be good. Power can be bad. Power is actually a very strong word and it relates on the characteristics of a person. People who use power to torture people to do their own bidding are using bad kind of power. Such as Zeus who is telling Percy to go get his Lightning Bolt. 

Social Issue:Critical Thinking DOAWK

The Diary of a Wimpy Kid series is one of the best book series I’ve ever read. It is the most unique book series because it’s also like a comic book. Jeff Kinney, the author of the books, is a genius. The books are hilarious and relatable most of the times. The first book in the series concentrates a lot on the relationship between Greg, the main character, and his best friend Rowley. 
           The books are from Greg Heffley’s perspective. Greg is a very flawed character. He is lazy, selfish, and always takes advantage of his friend. He hurts Rowley just to amuse himself. He gets Rowley in trouble, but never feels guilty about it. Greg always acts like the boss and never even considers any of Rowley’s suggestions. So I wonder how the books would be like if they were from Rowley’s perspective.

I understand why they are not from Rowley’s perspective. Rowley is a duller character than Greg. Also Rowley is too good a person to show the gray shades of a character.  So, reading from his perspective may not be as amusing. Although, I do wonder if he does or does not feel offended by the way Greg treats him. Is Rowley really comfortable of having a best friend that always takes advantage of him? I know I wouldn’t want a friendship that is so single-sided. Unfortunately, in real life there exist friendships that are not fairly balanced. Having a glimpse of Rowley’s inner thoughts could have shown the readers how the subordinate person in a relationship feels at difficult times.

Social Awareness Project

                                                                         Unfair Things

1          Bullying

2          Littering

3          Smoking

4         Global Warming

             Too much war

             Rise of Prices on Goods

7       Corrupted Government

8       SHSAT

          Carbon Pollution

           Lack of Jobs

             School/College Admissions (it is scary)

I can still remember the time when I used to buy an Ice Cream from the Softees’ Truck for 75 cents, today the price of an ice cream bar has increased to $1.75. I am just a kid who doesn’t need to worry about earning money, yet even I notice how in the last few years the prices of things have gone through the roof.  This is especially worrisome for my parents.  Every week while doing the groceries, they complain how much more they have to pay for each item.  This would be fine if their income also went up, but in reality that doesn’t happen. Their income stays same but the expenses go up continuously.

Luckily, my dad makes enough money to barely get by, but there are many families that I know where the parents don’t have a job and it is very difficult for them to survive. I think the government should definitely take actions. The government should raise minimum wage and provide better paying jobs so people can keep up with the economic situation!  If more and more people go into poverty it will just be bad for the country. Therefore this should be the president’s first priority

                                            
                                            Poem on Bullying

Some children are just not kind

We all don’t share the same state of mind

People who pick on others

Should be nice and treat you like brothers

We should all unite as one

So point away the bully gun

Bullying is not nice or fun

You should be sweet like a honeybun

Saying bad names will put you to shame

Won’t bring any respect or any fame

People are People

Like you and me

That’s the end of this poem

So Goodbye and Peace!

By: Krishna Roy 812

In the process of making this stunningly well prepared poem, I found it difficult to figure out what rhyming words to use. Also I required some ideas and research, so I can create a somewhat fun poem. My best friend Brian and I worked on finding rhymes and poem consistency. I think this was a good experience because I talked about a serious subject in a concise and entertaining manner. I think people will not only enjoy reading it but get something out of it!

Response to Poem on Global Warming by Al Gore

One thin September soon
A floating continent disappears
In midnight sun

Vapors rise as
Fever settles on an acid sea
Neptune's bones dissolve

Snow glides from the mountain
Ice fathers floods for a season
A hard rain comes quickly

Then dirt is parched
Kindling is placed in the forest
For the lightning's celebration

Unknown creatures
Take their leave, unmourned
Horsemen ready their stirrups

Passion seeks heroes and friends
The bell of the city
On the hill is rung

The shepherd cries
The hour of choosing has arrived                                                                                                                                                             Here are your tools

            This poem was written by former vice-president Al Gore in his book “Our Choice: A Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis” in 2009.  It shows the dire consequences of Global Warming.  This was written three years ago, and it is unfortunate that enough actions still hasn’t been taken.  As a result, the situation has deteriorated.   Extreme weather patterns, such as longer droughts, heavier rainfall, more frequent and powerful hurricanes, record high temperatures, are all indications of a rapidly changing climate.  It is the harsh reality faced by today’s civilization.  Though there is a certain part of the population that does not believe humans are the cause of global warming, there is no denying the existence of it as we see record amount of Arctic ice sheets melting each year.  Therefore the time has come where humans need to take serious action if we are to prevent the direst outcomes of global warming.

            The fossil fuel industry likes to argue that humans are not the cause of global warming.  As cutting down on use of gasoline and coal would cut into their profits, these companies would like people to believe that this is just a natural cycle of weather patterns.  However data collected by scientists of Earth’s conditions for millions of years clearly disputes these money hungry people.  Never in Earth’s history has the Earth’s climate changed so rapidly.  Whenever it did occur due to events like an asteroid impact, there have been mass extinctions.  This is what we also face, which is also pointed out by Al Gore in the sentences “Unknown creatures, Take their leave, unmourned”.  It is not fair for humans to be so selfish that it doesn’t care for wiping out millions of species.

            However humans won’t take actions until it affects them directly.  This is already starting to happen.  As scientists had warned, the arctic ice is melting at an alarming rate, which is leading to sea level rise.  This means, within a few decades, parts of New York City, parts of Florida, India, China, will all be under water.  This year massive amounts of crops were lost due to unprecedented droughts.  July 2012 had the highest temperature in recorded history.  Two years in a row a major city like New York had to come to a complete halt due to hurricanes Irene and Sandy.  Sandy was a freak storm occurring very late in the season, flooding much of the infrastructure of NYC.  The estimated damage in New York alone is $33 billion.  There is both monetary damage and livelihoods destroyed. 

            Therefore it is time to stop holding our planet hostage to the fossil fuel industry.  In the past the

 tobacco industry attempted a similar propaganda by trying to hide the adverse effects of tobacco smoking. 

 The earth is reaching a tipping point, after which the most devastating effects of global warming will occur

.  If action is not taken immediately, we will reach a point of no return.  At the end of the poem Al Gore

 writes, “Here are your tools.”  By investing in clean renewable energy like wind and solar, we can not only

 build a strong economy, but also a habitable planet.  This is our only home, so it is ridiculous to even 

consider putting temporary profit over the existence of human civilization.  It is our duty to the future 

generations to leave behind a planet as habitable as the one our an

Blog 8 Mark of Athena!

         In the book The Mark of Athena by Rick Riordan, I noticed that it is very hard for Romans and Greeks to get along together. At the beginning of the book the oracle tells a prophecy. “Seven Demigods Shall Go Forth to Save Rome”. This is where the problem begins… Since Romans and Greeks hate each other the beginning of their mission was a little bumpy. They always despised each other until Percy and Jason ends up saving each other’s lives. The Romans realize that the other group still lies under the same god but with a different name. For example Dianosys (Greek god of Wine) is also Bacchus (Roman god of Wine). 

         I also noticed there is a dramatic change in Annabeth. The prophecy also claims “Wisdoms Daughter Walks Alone”. Annabeth must complete an extra mission given my Minerva (who is Athena in Roman form). She has to find a way to avenge her mother. Annabeth is sad that she will have to leave Percy and the rest of the group. It’s hard to be without the ones that care for you and you care for. Annabeth realizes that the quicker she finishes this mission the quicker she can go back with her loved ones.

Blog Post 7 (SANDY GOT MAD)

The article “Lessons Learned From Hurricane Sandy and How We Need to Apply Them Everyday,” discusses what we learned from the experiences of Hurricane Sandy.  It also proposes what we can do to better prepare for such a situation in the future.  The first lesson is that most people are good hearted.  In times of trouble, people in the Tri-state area come together to help each other.  Strangers opened their doors to people who lost their homes and volunteered their time.  Also politicians from different political parties forget their differences and come together.  President Obama and New Jersey Governor Chris Christie worked together to help the people and forgot about their political disagreements.  Additionally, New Yorkers have finally accepted that they too are vulnerable to natural disasters.  New Yorkers never had to deal with such extreme weather, but now they have a firsthand experience on what it is like lose it all.  The final important lesson learned from the storm is that the infrastructure of the city is not up to the mark.  Buildings, bridges, subways and roads suffered significant damages from Sandy causing the entire city to come to a halt.  This showed that the city needs to invest more is strengthening its infrastructure.

          This article does an excellent job of looking retrospectively at the disaster.  It is very important to reflect on such a situation and take lessons from it before beginning to rebuild.  Due to global warming, I feel this type of extreme weather events will become more frequent.  Therefore it is essential for us to make our infrastructure much stronger so they can withstand the force of nature.   We should also reconsider building so close to the coast.  The government also needs to learn to better deal to with such situations so people can receive aid at a quicker pace.  This is the second year in a row that the city had to come to a standstill because of a hurricane.  This year we get a hurricane and a Nor’easter within two weeks of each other.  It’s hard to argue against climate change after such unusual weather patterns.  Therefore we need to reflect on the situation and take lessons from it just as it is suggested by the article.