Fast Food Causes Obesity For Kids

I read an article called “Study Links Fast-Food Ads To Child Obesity.” I learned that fast food advertisements have a huge influence on kids. I read that “A new study suggests that banning fast-food ads on TV could reduce the number of obese young children by 18 percent, and the number of obese older kids by 14 percent” which is a good deduction in obese kids. The article also said, “The study is based in part on several years of government survey data from the late 1990s. It also suggests that dropping an advertising expense tax deduction for fast-food restaurants could mean a slight reduction in childhood obesity” which makes me angry because the government knows that the obese kids’ health are affected by these fast food ads and they haven’t taken action yet. Hopefully the government will take care of the taxes for fast food. The study is being published in November in the Journal of Law & Economics.
I also think that using characters such as Ronald McDonald is a way to suck children into eating fast food. Kids are also attracted to the play places in the restaurants. I agree that fast food advertising should be banned. I also think that parents need to encourage their children to live a healthy life style by eating right.

What do you think?

http://www.wbaltv.com/health/18022185/detail.html

Jockey

I saw a Jockey commercial on TV the other day. I think this Jockey commercial is sending a good message. It is unlike other commercials. It shows people waiting in line to be changed into models. The women turn tall, thin, and blonde. After going through the machine the women’s breast also grow larger. The typical nerdy man with glasses is being changed into a tall muscular man. All the people going through the machine come out looking the same. I think the machine represents society changing people. I like that there are people escaping the machine so they wouldn’t change. I like how the two escapees do not look like the typical model types. The man has long messy hair and does not have a body builder type of body. The girl looks like an average every day girl. The escapees look like people I would see out in public. I like the message that Jockey is promoting which is “Dare to be you.” They are not telling people that they should look like models which a Victoria Secret commercial would portray.

I am not saying the commercial is perfect. There is still some room for improvement. I think they should have shown more diverse people in the line.


What do you think?

Flacco & Terry & The Special Olympics

Joe Flacco is the quarterback of the Ravens. He was on the 98 Rock Morning Show Tuesday. He will be doing the Polar Bear Plunge at Sandy Point State Park on January 24. He was involved with the Special Olympics in Delaware and now will be involved at Sandy Point State Park. Ravens’ offensive tackle Adam Terry took the plunge last year and he has invited Flacco to attend this year. Terry is a “season super plunger.”

I think this is a great cause for Terry and Flacco to be involved in. Many people look up to them and they can influence others to join. The Special Olympics are sports oriented and it is great to have Ravens’ football players there to be involved. Candace Whiting is a Special Olympics Athlete from Fredrick. She asked, Flacco to go in with her “five times.” She says, “For them to come and be apart of it. It’s huge.” I think Terry and Flacco are great role models. I watched a video in class called, "When Billy Broke His Head" which shows how physically and mentally disabled people are mistreated. The Special Olympics is a great association that gets people like Billy Golfus involved.


What do you think about the event?

watch at http://www.wbaltv.com/video/18010666/index.html

"Teacher Charged With Assault, Sex Offense"

I read an article called, “Teacher Charged With Assault, Sex Offense.” This article would make many parents concerned about sending their children to school. Police say, “Harford County sheriff’s deputies arrested a North Harford High School history teacher on suspicion that he has an inappropriate relationship with a 16-year-old female student,” which is terrifying for parents who have kids going to public and private schools. It is also scary because Harford County is not far from where I live.
Investigators said, “Brian Norman, 34, took the girl to a mall on several occasions and had conversations on the phone and through AOL instant messaging. The victim also said Norman slapped her on the buttocks lat month.” He is 34 years old and he touching a young girl. Teachers are not supposed to have relationships with students and cannot go out with each other outside of school.
Police said, “They found numerous firearms during a search of his Forest Hill home last month. They also said he threatened school officials.”

They said,“ Norman was taken into custody on Thursday and charged with second-degree assault, fourth-degree sex offense and threatening an employee of the Board of Education. He was released on $25,000 bond.”

It really makes me mad that this man is out on bond. He is walking our streets. He does not live far from Anne Arundel County. The fact that this man is a teacher is scary. Parents do not know who they are sending their kids to school with all day long. These people are strangers and they are teaching your kids. He has guns and has threatened a school staff member. Can you imagine if there was a shooting in school with your kids there? This article is going to make parents want to home school their kids. This is seriously wrong. The man was touching his student sexually. I think teachers should be checked on more thoroughly.

How does this make you feel?
Read the article at http://www.wbaltv.com/news/17985347/detail.html

"Bigger Daycare Puts More Stress On Kids"

I read an article called, “Bigger Daycare Puts More Stress On Kids.” It was posted November 14, 2008. Researchers say, “The stress hormone cortisol usually peaks in people in the morning, then decreases through the day.” Researchers have also found that “some preschoolers’ cortisol levels rise through the day when they are in full-day childcare.” Maybe there is a problem with the classes being too long and too crowded. Researchers found that “Children in classes of 10 or less were more likely to show the normal decrease, but those in classes with closer to 20 others tended to show a rise.”
Researchers conducted a study among teachers and students with questions. They took fluid samples from the students to test hormone levels. They discovered, “The study of 191 preschoolers at 12 places also found that children who are clingier with teachers had more stress. Researchers surveyed students and teachers, and collected saliva samples from children.”
They noted that, “The study appears in the November/December 2008 issue of Child Development.”




I think in bigger class room settings that the children feel like they cannot get enough attention from a teacher. The teachers are probably too busy with all 20 children and cannot give each child one on one attention. The children can also be feeling social anxiety from being around so many children. I also think that the children’s full day is too long. Children do have a short attention span. They also may feel separation anxiety from their parents so some cling to the teachers.

What do you think about this research and the results? What do you think causes their stress?

Read the article at
http://www.wbaltv.com/health/17979504/detail.html#

Washington Post "Study First to Link TV Sex To Real Teen Pregnancies"

I recently read an article in The Washington Post called, “Study First To Link TV Sex To Real Teen Pregnancies”. The author who wrote the article is Rob Stein. The article was released Monday, November 3, 2008. The lead researcher of the study is Anita Chandra. Chandra said, “Watching this kind of sexual content on television is a powerful factor in increasing the likelihood of a teen pregnancy.” She also said, “We found a strong association.” The study is published in Pediatrics, the journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Valerie Huber of the National Abstinence Education Association said, “We have a highly sexualized culture that glamorizes sex.” She also said, “We really need to encourage schools to make abstinence centered programs a priority.” Stein said, “But others said there is no evidence that abstinence centered programs work.”

The researchers conducted a questionnaire for more than 2000 teens from age 12-17 from 2001 to 2004. Researchers found that, “Based on a detailed analysis of the sexual content of 23 shows in the 2000-2001 TV season, the researchers calculated how often the teens saw characters kissing, touching, having sex, and discussing past or future sexual activity.” Chandra said, “Sexual content on television has doubled in the last few years, especially during the period of our research.” Teens followed along with shows such as “Sex and the City, “Friends”, and “That ‘70s Show.” Chandra said, “they included dramas, comedies, reality shows and even animated programs on broadcast and cable networks.”
So what can society do about this issue? Researchers recommended that, “parents spend more time monitoring what their children watch and discussing what they see, including pointing out the possible negative consequences of early sexual activity. Programmers should also include more-realistic portrayals of the risks of sex, such as sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancy.”

I personally agree with the results of this study. I have defiantly seen more sexual content on television. I also know many girls who are currently going through unplanned pregnancies. I have friends who are both male/female and they constantly joke and talk about sex. They talk about sex so casually. They do not seem to think of it as personal private information. They are so opened to talk about their sex lives. I defiantly see how teen pregnancies are becoming so common because of the way television and peers portray sex. I have male friends who make fun of other males who are virgins. If you are a male and you are a virgin than they think you are weird. If you are a guy who has many sexual partners than you are glorified as a pimp. If you are a girl and you have had many sexual partners than you are considered a slut . This is not a good message for people and it is not good pressure on people either.

I do not think Abstinence should be taught in schools. Abstinence is a moral issue and also a religious issue. I think people are going to have sex and the abstinence programs are not working. People should learn how to be safe. I also agree that the consequences should be talked about more. It is up to parents, friends, and the society to better influence these young teens. Teens should see more of the negatives aspects of sex. T.V . is making sex out to be a trend.


Do you agree with this research? How would you change things?

Hollywood and Virgins

Russell Brand was the host for the VMAs. He made a joke about the Jonas Brothers wearing purity rings. ShowBiz Tonight on CNN made a show about the controversy. Brand said, “I’d take it a little more seriously if they wore it on their dick.” Later, the Jonas Brothers accepted Brand’s apology by saying, “For us it’s cool to see that he recognized us as gentlemen.” Ben Widdicombe is an Editor-At-Large from “Star Magazine” and he agreed with Brand for making the joke in the first place. He said, “I do not believe for one second that all three of them are going to be virgins on their wedding night. Frankly, I would rather hear a young celebrity talking about how he is responsible and educated about his sexuality than pretending that the Disney marketing manual is a book in the New Testament.” Rachel Zalis is a Senior Editor of “Life & Style Magazine” and she said, “It’s nice to have young guys that are inspirational, role models to the teens. I mean, it’s a very schizophrenic time right now to be a teen there’s Gossip Girl and 91210, its very sexy those shows and here you have these guys that they really look up to and coming out very vocally about how that’s important to them and I think it’s great.”

Paris Hilton even made a comment. Paris tells Us Magazine.com, “I don’t pick on them. That’s something cool for a kid to keep, so don’t pick on them for that.” Ben thinks it absurd for Paris to defend them. Rachel says, “The Queen of the Sex Tapes how ironic that she’s the one standing up for them.” Rachel makes it clear that she supports the virginity wave but Paris’s comment was ironic.

I think that it is good that the Jonas Brothers decided to stay virgins and I think they are setting a good example. I do not think they should be made fun of for it. It is not right to make fun of someone for being a virgin and it is the wrong message to send to people. People will think that they are not cool if they are virgins and will want to have sex so they will not be made fun of. Sex is a serious act. There are many sexually transmitted diseases and pregnancies to worry about . This joke is not funny and other virgins will not want to be the butt of the joke. People will do anything to live up to this Hollywood standard and jokes like that will really affect peoples’ lives. People will take that joke serious and possibly go have sex. The Jonas Brothers are showing people that it’s alright to be a virgin and Russell Brand’s joke is making it not alright. How do you feel about this joke whether you are a virgin or not? I think the Jonas Brothers should fight back and make it clear that the joke was inappropriate. I think they should stand of for themselves and their fans. I agree with them for accepting Brand’s apology but I do not think they should have let it slide like they did. I agree with Rachel Zalis that there is a lot of pressure on teens. There are a lot of shows with sex and it is advertised everywhere. I also think that it was ironic for Paris to comment. I think it is nice of her to comment but on the other hand she acts very sexy. She is a contradiction and people are not going to take her comment serious if she does not live that way. I think you should practice what you preach. I also think Ben is ignorant for saying that the Jonas Brothers will not stay virgins until they are married. I doubt he knows them and I doubt he has E.S.P. I agree with him on the point that people should be educated and responsible about sex but what he said was rude and inappropriate.

What do you think about the comments of Rachel Zalis, Ben Widdicombe, Paris Hilton, Russell Brand, and the Jonas Brothers?

Voting Based On Race

A radio show came up with an experiment to see whether Black people wanted to vote for Obama because he is black or for his policies. So a radio jockey went to Harlem to interview Blacks about whom they wanted to be president. He would ask people if they wanted Obama to win and he/she would say yes. Then he would ask if they support Obama’s view on being pro-life and staying in the war. They would answer yes. The next question he would ask is if they support Obama’s vice president Sarah Palin and they would agree. It made me angry that people did not even know Obama’s real views. Out of all the people they interviewed one black man was for Mccain. They did the same thing and asked him questions as if Mccain’s policies were Obama’s. The man agreed. People are saying they are going to vote without even knowing what their candidate’s plans are. This is ridiculous. People need to educate themselves before they vote because voting is serious. People should not vote based on race. People should vote based on the candidate’s views. I think it would be empowering to see a Black man win the election or a woman but their views are what matters.


What do you think?

Listen to the interviews at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=guV5yCJjEmA

Quadriplegic Dump From His Wheelchair By a Cop

A man named Ryan broke his neck close to 14yrs ago and he is a quadriplegic. He was arrested on a traffic violation. A Florida police officer did not believe he really was a quadriplegic because he could drive. The police officer felt justified to dump Ryan from his wheelchair to see if he really was a quadriplegic. Ryan was lying helpless on the ground as the officer began to search him. Ryan is lying there with two broken ribs and he did not even know it because he can not feel from the chest down. Another officer walks by and laughs at Ryan. The Hillsborough Sheriffs Office did not even know this happened until they were shown their own surveillance tape.
This makes me feel really angry. I think that it is horrible that he was abused by police officers who are supposed to protect people. The police officer broke two of his ribs. I think she should lose her badge and serve jail time herself instead of just being suspended. I also think she should be charge for a hate crime. He should sue her to cover his medical bill for his broken ribs. This situation disgusts me. She could have figured out that he really was a quadriplegic in another way. She was not justified to dump Ryan. What really tops it all off is that there are other officers watching this situation and they are laughing about it which is sicking. Imagine being Ryan lying on the floor with two broken ribs with some crazy police officer that had dumped you from your wheelchair and your being laughed at by other officers around you. How does this make you feel? What would you do in this situation?

Watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UYMKyJRAabE

Is Football Really A Man's Sport?

Is Football Really a Man’s Sport?
I don’t think so.46% of the Ravens fans are women. Can you believe it? I am a Redskins fan myself and I am a female so a lot of guys I know are shocked that I like football because it’s a guys sport. BS I think. I watch it every Sunday with a group of friends. There was an event yesterday Oct6th for women Ravens fans. It was called “Ravens Purple Evening” where the women fans get together at the stadium to meet players, see club level, play football, talk about fan forums and see the locker room. It was a 4hour event. 1500 people were there. I think this was a positive event for women. I do not think sports should be only targeted towards one sex. I think it is positive that the Ravens recognized that they have such a huge female fan population and had such great event for them. I think they will make it an annual event. It is encouraging!

What do you think? Are you surprised by the percentage of female fans? 46%

check out the event on the news
http://www.wbaltv.com/video/17601592/index.html

Halloween Costumes

Halloween is coming up. I was looking around for costumes for a Halloween party I may be going to. I noticed all the costumes for adult girls are slutty. Every single one. It’s ridiculous. This is what society wants girls to look like? Then I looked at the little girls costumes and they are all princess type costumes. I looked at the boys costumes and they are all batman type of costumes. I don’t agree with what people are being taught to dress like. If im not a slutty nurse for Halloween than what eles am I going to be? There are no other costumes available in stores. The stores do not give people any other choice. I think it is wrong to teach people these mindsets. I hate these stereotypes. The baby boy's costume has muscles! Thats crazy. The boy wearing the batman costume is flexing his arm. The little girl wearing a princess costume is holding her dress out. The woman wearing the nurse out fit is showing cleavage and her legs. Her shirt is short.What do you people think of the Halloween costumes? Do you agree?

images from http://www.factorycard.com/cat_Holidays--Seasons_Halloween_Costumes--Accessories_Kids_Boys_Superheroes_Batman-Costume_1281_123302_568321.html

Washington Post Article

I recently read an article from The Washington Post called the “Study Ties Wage Disparities To Outlook on Gender Roles”, which was very interesting. The article is dated September 22, 2008 and the author is Shankar Vedantam. Vedantam says, “Although men with a traditional outlook earned the most, women with a traditional outlook earned the least. The wage gap between working men and women with a traditional attitude was more than 10 times as large as the gap between men and women with egalitarian views”, which shows that men make more with either view except that even men with egalitarian views make less than traditional viewers. Women are at the bottom in either view.

Why are women making less? Vedantam has many reasons why women make less. Vedantam says, “The critics argue that more men choose higher-paying professions such as law and business and more women choose lower-paying professions such as education and social work, and men tend to work longer hours”, which illustrates that women may not be reaching for the high rank careers. Men are out numbering the women in high paying professions. Vedantam finds information that “Traditional-minded men might negotiate much harder for better salaries, especially when compared with traditional-minded women. Alternatively, it could also be that employers discriminate against women and men who do not subscribe to traditional gender roles”, which shows that people stereotype and people are taught to live this way. In my opinion women are taught to be quiet, polite, and not to be pushy so women do not fight for higher salaries. People also discriminate women and do not think women are as intelligent or as strong as men are so they do not always get hired. Many men do not accept other men if they act feminine or think women should be equal to them. Many men want to be in power and want to show masculinity. They do not like the idea of a women being equal to them.

I think this article has really useful information that I can tie in with my own life along with what I have seen happen with others. I think women should stand up for themselves and fight for higher salaries without being afraid to break the stereotype. I also think women should reach out to be lawyers and reach out for higher paying jobs. I do not think women should just settle. If a woman wants to go into a lower paying profession such as education because that’s where their heart is at then they should go for it but it’s not good to just settle for a profession if the reason is that they think they can’t do better. BREAK THE STEREOTYPE!

What are your thoughts?

Should Women Quit Work?

“Beside Every Successful Man.” Copyright (c) 2008 by Megan Basham. Megan Basham wrote this book for wives. She thinks a woman should stay home and take care of the kids. She says this way you can support your husband’s career. The author thinks women want to stay home. She mentions, “ a twenty-nine-year-old woman — another doctor — shares that while she enjoys her job well enough, she “hates that she has to have it,” protesting, “I want to be a wife and a mom ... I shouldn’t have to be a doctor.” She is giving people the impression that women want to stay home but it is not always the case.

I personally do not agree with this mindset. In my personal opinion if I was a stay at home mom I would not be mentally stable. I would be bored out of my staying at home all day cleaning and taking care of the kids. I do not think it is a healthy way to live. People need their minds stimulated. They need to be in a social setting. I would be a miserable person if I did not get out of the house. In order to keep your mind young and health you need to be doing something. I think it is good for women to have jobs. It is a good contribution to your family and it gives you a sense of self worth. I think she is giving the wrong message to women.

Check out this http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/26675865/ and read more about it. What is your opinion?

What About Public Interest?

Six major companies are taking over pubic interests in the U.S. such as Viacom, Time Warner, Walt Disney Company, General Electric, News Corporation, and Vivendi Universal. They are deciding what shows and commercials people view or hear.The shows they choose teach us stereotypes. Should it be up to them to choose what the people watch and learn from their shows? Or should the American people fight for their own public interest which is in the First Amendment? Monopoly power is what is most important to these compainies and not our public interest. These companies want to be big, make money, have control and power over everyone eles.

The American people need to learn about these Mass Medias. People need to understand what is being taken away from them which is their public interest. People need to know about the First Amendment and understand that they have the freedom to decide for themselves. Its time to act. Do not let others decide for you and take over your choice.

I learned about Mass Media mostly from http://www.fepproject.org/factsheets/mediademocracy.html#mediademocracyhttp://www.fepproject.org/factsheets/mediademocracy.html#mediademocracy
. I talked about many of the topics they cover.