DiFfErEnT tYpEs Of DePrEsSiOn!! WeEk 4

Question: Are there different types of depression?

As I continued with my research I found that there are actually three different types of depression. The first is called major depression but it also is called clinical or unipolar depression. The second is called dysthymia or minor depression. The third type is called bipolar disorder or manic-depressive illness. Clinical depression can come in different forms. It may start suddenly or build up over a period of weeks,months, or years. The other three types are the most prevalent forms, although for an individual, the number, severity and duration of the symptoms may vary.

Major depression is a serious medical illness that affects about 15 million adults. Unlike normal emotional experiences of sadness, loss, or passing mood states, major depression is persistent and can significantly interfere with an individual’s thoughts, behavior, mood, activity, and physical health. It is also a combiation of symptoms that can interfere with a persons ability to work, sleep, eat and enjoy once pleasurable activities. These episodes can occur once, twice or several times in a lifetime. Among all medical illnesses, major depression is the leading cause of disability in the U.S. and many other developed countries. Depression occurs twice as frequently in women as in men, these reasons are not yet fully understood. Some symptoms of major depression are difficulty thinking, concentrating, and remembering, recurrent thoughts of death or suicide, pronounced changes in sleep, appetite, and energy, persistently sad or irritable mood, and persistent physical symptoms that do not respond to treatment, such as headaches, digestive disorders, and chronic pain. When several of these symptoms of depressive illness occur at the same time, last longer than two weeks, and interfere with ordinary functioning, professional treatment is needed. Major depression does not have just one single cause because psychological, biological, and environmental factors may all contribute to its development. Whatever the specific causes of depression, scientific research has firmly established that major depression is a biological, medical illness.

The second type of depression is dysthymia(minor depression), which is a less intense type of depression that involves long-term, chronic symptoms that are less sever, but keeps one from functioning at full ability and from feeling good. By the standard psychiatric definition, this disorder lasts for at least two years, but is less disabling than major depression, for example, victims are usually able to go on working and do not need to be hospitalized. About three percent of the population will suffer from dysthymia at some time. Just like major depression, dysthymia occurs twice as often in women as it does in men. It is also more common among the poor and the unmarried. The symptoms of dysthymia usually appear in adolescence or young adulthood but in some cases they do not emerge until middle age. Some symptoms of dysthymia are poor school/work performance, conflicts with family and friends, parents with major depression and shyness. At least three-quarters of people with dysthymia have some other type of psychiatric or medical disorder as well.

The last type of depression is called bipolar depression(manic-depressive illness). People who have bipolar disorder experience both depression and mania. Mania is something that invovles unusually and persistently elevated mood or irritability, elevated self-esteem, and excessive energy, thoughts, and talking. It's different from the normal ups and downs that everyone goes through, the symptoms of bipolar disorder are severe. They can result in damaged relationships, poor job or school performance, and even suicide. The good news is that it can be treated, and people with this illness can lead full and productive lives. About 2.6 percent of the population age 18 and older in any given year have bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder typically develops in late adolescence or early adulthood. However, some people have their first symptoms during childhood, and some develop them later on in life. It is often not recognized as an illness, and people may suffer for years before it is properly diagnosed and treated. Like diabetes or heart disease, bipolar disorder is a long-term illness that must be carefully managed throughout a person’s life. Bipolar disorder causes dramatic mood swings from overly high and irritable to sad and hopeless, and then back again, often with periods of normal moods in between. Severe changes in energy and behavior go along with these changes in mood. The periods of highs and lows are called episodes of mania and depression. Some symptoms of mania are increased energy, activity, and restlessness, spending sprees, racing thoughts and talking very fast, jumping from one idea to another, and increased sexual drive. A manic episode is diagnosed if elevated mood occurs with three or more of the other symptoms most of the day, nearly every day, for 1 week or longer. If the mood is irritable, four additional symptoms must be present. Scientists are learning about the possible causes of bipolar disorder through several kinds of studies. Most scientists now agree that there is no single cause for bipolar disorder but rather there are many factors that act together to produce the illness.

Bipolar disorder symptoms reflect a range of moods.

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Bipolar disorder symptoms reflect a range of moods(as shown in the graph above).

Life events, such as the death of a loved one, a major loss or change, chronic stress, and alcohol and drug abuse, may trigger episodes of depression. Some illnesses such as heart disease and cancer and some medications may also trigger depressive episodes. It is also important to note that many depressive episodes occur spontaneously and are not triggered by a life crisis, physical illness, or other risks.More than half of those who experience a single episode of depression will continue to have episodes that occur as frequently as once or even twice a year. Without treatment, the frequency of depressive illness as well as the severity of symptoms tends to increase over time. Left untreated, depression can lead to suicide.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------"Clinical Depression." University Health Services Tang Center 21 05 2008 .

"Major Depression." National Alliance on Mental Illness 09 2006 21 05 2008 .

"Dysthymia (Minor Depression)." healthy place.com depression community 21 May 2008 .

"Bipolar Disorder." National Institute of Mental Illness 03 04 2008 27 05 2008 .

CaUsEs AnD sYmPtOmS oF dEpReSsIoN!! wEeK 3

Question: What are some causes and symptoms of depression?

Knowing the symptoms of depression is very important because it will help you to know if you or someone you know is going through depression. Also knowing the causes of it is just as important because depression is a mental illness that can affect you not only mentally but also physically. I also found out that not everyone who is depressed experiences every symptom.

Some physical symptoms that people experience are changes in weight which can be lossing or gaining the weight, restlessness, fatigue, physical aches and pains, sometimes with the fear that you are seriously ill. The severity of depression symptoms varies from person to person and it also varies over time. Some common symptoms include feelings of hopelessness, lonelyness, sad, guilt, exhausted with no energy, no confidence, worthlessness, helplessness, anti-social, scared to be alone, and spending a lot of time thinking about what went wrong or what will go wrong. More severe symptoms include thoughts of death or suicide, increased heart beat, and poor concentratiion, memory or attention.The most important that you must know is that there are also other illnesses which may have similar symptoms to depression but require very different treatments.

Just like any other illness or disease, there is not a single cause for depression. Biological, genetic and psychological factors are the combination for depression. Nobody completely understands the multiple causes of depression. Genetic, familial, biochemical, physical, psychological, and social causes are suggested possiblities by current research. Feelings of helplessness and vulnerability, anger, hopelessness and low self-esteem may be included in the psychological causes part of depression. Which can be related to abnormal character, behavior patterns and troubled personal relationships. Many patients have a history that identifies a specific personal loss or sever stessor that probably interacts with the person's predisposition to provoke major depression.

Another thing that I learned while doing research on depression is that depression can be secondary to a specific medical condition. Hypoxia, diabetes, Parkinson's disease, pneumonia, heart failure, and lupus are just a few medical conditions that depression can be secondary to. Some drugs prescribed for medical and psychiatric conditions as well as many commonly abused substances can also be a cause of depression. Examples of this include alcohol, psychotropics, steroids and oral anti diabetics. People with low self-esteem, that consistently view themselves and the world with pessimism or who are readily overwhelmed by stress, are pronr to depression. It's not clear yet if this represents a psychological predisposition or an early form of the illness. It is however very important to remember that all of the depressive disorders are treatable conditions.

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"Depression Symptoms and Signs." depression-guide.com 04 03 2008 20 05 2008 .

"Depression Causes." depression-guide.com 04 03 2008 20 05 2008 .

Final Reflection - Subliminal Messages

I have learned a lot throughout my research on subliminal messaging. Looking at my original foundation questions, I realized that I answered all of them, making this a successful search. Subliminal messaging isn't really the best known topic, so most people don't even know what it is. They are simply messages or ideas that are not supposed to be recognizable to the conscious mind but are entered into the subconscious mind. They are found everywhere like in movies, TV shows, ALL aspects of advertising, music, and magazines. During my research I learned that the subconscious mind can't make you do anything you don't want to but the ideas can still result in some change. They also affect everyone in different ways because obviously our personalities, upbringing, and thinking patterns are all completely different.

At times my research was a bit difficult because a lot of the sites repeat the same information. I think that the most interesting part of my research was the video examples of subliminal messages in Disney movies. Who would have thought that there would be hidden messages in children's videos. Aladdin, The Rescuers, and The Lion King are all popular Disney movies and I'm sure most people have never even realized those messages were included. Now that people know that hidden messages are in there, it might make them want to watch the movie and see for themselves.

One of my original questions that I wanted to know was if subliminal messages are used as simply a joke or are put in accidentally. One site explained that they are often motivated by boredom or a need for self-expression and a practical joke. Now whenever I see an ad I look more closely to see if certain things were added in there, as a hidden joke.

My essential question was "Does subliminal messaging affect peoples lives?" Since this isn't a wide known topic and is kind of hard to research, I think the answer would be an opinion. I think that no matter what your opinion is on the subject, they will still affect you. Like the one example I found during my research, about how supermarkets place popular items in the back of the store. This makes the customer walk through the store and pass displays which leads them to buy more than what they came for. This isn't a message but it is considered to be subliminal persuasion. This type of advertising or persuasion works and is here to stay. So even if you think subliminal advertising is a hoax, I'm sure you've passed that fancy store display for a new product and decided you just had to have it and bought it. You were influenced by the display without even realizing it. My opinion is that they will affect people's lives although the results may be minimal. Now that I am aware of subliminal messages and I realized I have missed all of those jokes imbedded in movies and ads, I will definitly try to look out for them more often.

Final Reflection - Age Restrictions for Pro Sports

So this past month has been long and tedious. I changed my question almost 10 times and I feel like my question is one that I could have answered better. As the days went by, I also realized that my question probably was more opinion based than factual based, which also made it harder than I thought it would be to answer. On the other hand, I became more and more interested in the subject as I saw the different points that were brought up by other people.

My opinion from the start was that age restrictions on going pro at a young age were unreasonable. My opinion stays the same but as I did my research, I found that most people agreed with me. If you have the skills and ability to play at 18, 19, 20 years old, you should be allowed to. As long as you understand the risks you are taking, nothing should be in your way.

During the search, I found out that some players that I watch today in the NBA and the NHL were drafted as young as 18 years old. A few pro sport leagues do have restrictions on the age that people can enter the sport, but it's not much, so what's the point of having it at all? Also, like I said before, these players could be the most exciting players around.

The one thing I couldn't find any information on is if a young person would be able to handle all of the financial aspects of it. But, I guess that if they want to play like a pro or someone that should be 20 years old, they would have to learn how to manage their money like one.

I'm going to college at Medaille for Sports Management. Hopefully, this research will help me with my future endeavors. I think I want to possibly try and change this rule. In any case, this information was very interesting to find out.

What are your opinions? Do you think you would be able to manage that kind of money at 18? Wisely? Should there be an age restriction? Do you know anyone that has the ability and skill to go pro at 18 or 19 years old?

Week 4 Subliminal Advertising

I began my last research post in English class again. I can't wait until this class is over because its Friday, but I will continue to do my work anyways. I stumbled across a site when I clicked on a link from one of my previous citations. The site was basically the same as a summary of all my research posts. It even answered another one of my questions "Can subliminal messages be used as just a joke?" Sutherland states "these things are motivated often by boredom or a need for self-expression and a practical joke. It is very easy for someone to put something in an ad, a movie or wherever – and it usually goes undetected." (Subliminal Advertising, Like Energizer...) That makes sense to me because if I was designing an ad, I would want to make it more appealing with a joke or hidden message, even if everyone won't realize it.

I couldn't get videos to work on the computer I was using during study hall, but I did come across a few video messages that were explained in writing. In the Disney movie The Lion King, the letters S-E-X are formed by a swirling cloud of dust. Some believe that it was slipped into the frames by the special effects group abbreviating it into 'S F X'. I think that it was probably the the special effects people just putting their tag in the movie like a 12 year old would. Disney edited the frame out of the movie because of public opinion.

Another instance is in The Rescuers, a photographic picture of a naked woman can be seen in the background. This one is definitely true because Disney recalled the home video version in 1999. Disney is accused of having alot of subliminal messages in their movies. In the movie Aladdin, the Jeanie can be heard saying "Good teenagers, take off your clothes"(John). I have listened to the movie clip and I think that it sounds like hes saying that, but I guess you can't be sure. I think this was a productive search overall and was a bit more interesting because I explained instances that people may have missed during the movies explained.
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Sutherland, Max. " Subliminal Advertising, Like Energizer Bunny, Just Keeps Going… and Going.." Advertising and the Mind of the Consume May 2007 09 May 2008 . http://www.sutherlandsurvey.com/Column_pages/subliminal_advertising.html

"The Rescuers." Snopes.com 21 08 2007 13 May 2008 .
http://www.snopes.com/Disney/films/rescuers.asp

John, Trevor. "Disney Subliminal Messages - Are They For Real?." EzineArticles 01 September 2007. 13 May 2008 .

"Student Athletes or Unversity Slaves"- Week 3

I keep forgetting a blog is due every Monday. I don't feel well, and I have work tonight, but I guess I'll suck it up and do this "blog" stuff to the best of my ability.

So I found out that this law about age restrictions that I saw applies to the NBA. Ever since Darryl Hawkins in 1975, no one else has been able to jump right from high school to pro basketball.(Axelrod) There also is a age requirement in the NFL and age restrictions in the NHL and PGA. The NFL rule requires a player to either be out of high school for three years or have finished three college football seasons before joining the league.(Bianchi)

Some of the most exciting people are the youngest players on the team. They put up many points a game. Players like Tracy McGrady, Kevin Garnett and Kobe Bryant can average as much as 25 points in a single basketball game(One More Dying Quail:Career Averages). Like I said before, for some people, sports is their thing. If you have the ability and skill to play in the pro world at 18, you should be allowed to.

To back up my belief that there should be no restrictions, I scrapped up some reasons why. A few athletically gifted players who do not have the academic abilities required to play in college have less chances to play professionally. The age requirement would force young athletes to wait a year or two before being drafted or trying out for a professional team. Another issue with age requirements is the sports agent looking to capitalize on those years an athlete lost.(Bianchi)

More to come on this age restriction..





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Axelrod, Phil. "Three decades after jumping from high school into the pros, Dawkins mentors wannabes." Pittsburgh Post-Gazette 07 07 2006 14 05 2008 .

Bianchi, Greg. "Age Requirement in Professional Sport." US Sports Academy (2006) 28 04 2008.

"From High School to NBA: Career Averages." [Weblog One More Dying Quail] 05 03 2007. 15 May 2008 .

Week 3 Subliminal Messages

I am now starting my third attempt at researching subliminal messaging. I honestly dont remember what I typed in as the keyword but I came across a good site. At first I didn't really want to read through it because it was about 8 pages of ALL writing. But after glancing through it, I realized that it actually had some good information. The author states that the subconscious mind cannot cause behavior contrary to a person's subconscious motives, drives and values. In short, a subliminal message cannot force anyone go do anything they wouldn't want to do" ("Subliminal Message").

These hidden messages are everywhere and are spreading farther than before. In the 60's they would flash certain words on a tv screen or hide indecent pictures in ads. Now, "Subliminal advertising has gone mainstream - fake news, mind control scripts, propaganda and stealth voicemail are in wide use by corporations, government bodies, and industry groups." (Howard) One site even claims that how supermarkets place popular items like milk in the back of the store is subliminal persuasion. It makes the shopper go through the store and pass displays which usually leads them to buy more than what they came for.

I wasn't sure of where else to search until I remebered the infotrac database site that Mr. Malley showed.Scientists at University College of London performed an experiment on 7 people wearing specially fitted glasses. One of the lens was shown faint pictures of simple household objects and the other lens was subjected to flashing lights which cancelled out any awareness of what the people were actually seeing. "The UCL experiment found that the images of objects were being registered in the primary visual cortex, the part of the brain which interprets what the eyes see. While the experiment subjects could not recall anything they had seen, parts of the visual cortex "lit up" as the household items were displayed." ("Subliminal ads shown to work")

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"Subliminal ads 'shown to work'." The Scotsman (Edinburgh, Scotland) (March 9, 2007): 9. Custom Newspapers.. Gale. McKinley High School. 6 May 2008
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Howard, Martin. "10 Disturbing Trends in Subliminal Advertising." Mind Power News 02 05 2008 .

"Subliminal Message." sleeplearning.com 24 04 2008 . http://www.sleeplearning.com/html/subliminal_message.htm

Athletes Turning Pro - Week 2

Well, as I sit in Mr.Malley's room, apparently one of the best English teachers in the area, I change my question, for about the billionth time. Since my last post I have learned that there actually is a law out that says you cannot go into the pros right out of highschool. This prompted by new question of "Is the law restricting players entering the pros right out of highschool justified?"

Before doing some more research I had no idea that there were rules out restricting what age you could enter a pro sport. I have found out that in the NFL, NHL and PGA there are age requirements and restrictions. The NFL says that their restriction protects young people from physicaly harm.(Bianchi)

I'm going to say that I believe that there shouldn't be an age requirement. For some people, college is their thing and for others, sports is. For all you know, the next 18 year old athlete could be your next favorite player. I would like to believe that you only need general knowledge that you learn in high school to be successful in sports, but I'm sure there are people that will beg to differ.

It's somewhat difficult to find more information on this law, but I sill have a couple weeks. Hopefully I will have more luck tomorrow or whenever.




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Bianchi, Greg. "Age Requirement in Professional Sport." US Sports Academy (2006) 28 04 2008 .

Week 2 Subliminal Messaging

I started to do more research during English class again. Using the keywords 'Subliminal Messaging" brought me to a dead end so i used 'subliminal messaging facts' and I actually got a larger variety of sites. Some of them were kinda of faint on information but a few worked out good. I even answered one of my original questions "Is subliminal messaging legal?".

I found out that in America "Not much is being done to curb the use of subliminal messages in advertising and daily use." ("Legal Issues") The Federal Communications Commission says that even if subliminal messaging does work, it is irrelevant because their broadcasts are intended to be deceptive. This makes sense to me because I don't see how they could really accuse someone of it's use. People don't even realize if they've heard a subliminal message. And what if it was accidental?

All people tend to act differently to subliminal messages. I think that it makes sense because like most things, our personalities, attitudes, upbringing, and thinking patterns all influence us in different ways. One person might have problems that they are trying to resolve, making their subconscious minds to busy to catch a hidden message. ("Does Subliminal Messaging Work?") But another person free of worries and thought would almost definitely receive the message on a subconscious level. I learned a lot from this research and will continue to search for answers for my original questions.


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"Legal Issues." umich.edu 25 04 2008 . http://www.umich.edu/~onebook/pages/tablepages/history.html

"Does Subliminal Messaging Work?." guide-to-self-help-techniques.com 24 04 2008 . http://www.guide-to-self-help-techniques.com/subliminal-messaging.html

WaYs To OvErCoMe DePrEsSiOn WiThOuT mEdIcAtIoNs!! Week Two

Question: Are there ways to control/overcome depression without medications?

While doing research I found out that depression often goes undiagnosed and when it is diagnosed, too many people are being treated with drugs only. They lack the support that they need from others, which doesn't help the situation. On one website that I visited call "depression-guide.com" they showed some examples of steps that people going through depression can do if they want to get better without drugs. You can also use these steps to help someone you know overcome their depression.

You should spend time doing things that you like and avoid the things that you don't. Also surround yourself with positive people that you like and stay away from negative people that you dislike. Don't forget that you have two choices in life. So think about it like this, you can take the next five minutes of your life and be sad and depressed or you can take those same five minutes and be happy and which ever you chose you are still using the same amount of energy. Remember to always try and have fun and laugh often. Renting funny movies can help accomplish that goal. Because trying to get over depression alone is a difficult task you should probably get a psychiatrist. If you do decide to get one, make sure that you get a good vibe from them. They should also make you feel comfortable and should not be judgemental. Don't go to a psychiatrist if you don't feel comfortable around them because you will be telling them confidential information and you should feel comfortable while doing so. Another very important piece of information is that if you're feeling suicidal, take your cellphone with you and leave your house, go for a walk or something. Get away from anything lethal. Also try to spend time with positive people when feeling suicidal. Attending a support group with people who are going through the same thing that you are, will also help you. It's great if you talk to others and learn how they cope with their illness. Setting a small goal at your support group to accomplish by your next meeting is going to help you get one step closer to recovery.

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"How to Recover From Depression Without Drugs?." depression-guide.com 04 10 2007 14 05 2008 .

Introduction - What's the best plan to overcome depression?

I became interested in the topic about depression because I know
several people who are going through it, including myself. When you are going through depression its usually because something bad happened to you that you can't get out of your head. When you are depressed you feel sad, alone, tired, and distance from friends and family and don't want to associcate or be around people. Depression can turn into a serious illness if not treated or dealt with on time. Sometimes when people are depressed they can become suicidal, start to self-mulate, also gain or lose weight.

Through out the course of my research I will like to find out if one can ever overcome depression? Do depression pills help or just make the situation worst? Are there ways to overcome depression without drugs? What to do when you or some one you know is going through depression?

Athletes Turning Pro - Week 1(Edited)

For the first part of my research project I sat in Mr. Malleys room and did most of my research there. I haven't really started to work on it at home. I began to look for any other articles that may have attempted to answer my question, "Should athletes turn pro without a college education"?. Originally, it was kind of difficult to find others' findings because I had to pick the writing wording. First I tried "athletes turning pro" and I just kept getting..well...atheletes getting signed. Then I tried "going pro right out of highschool" and I learned that there was a law out, recently, that no longer allows that. Eventually, I found the right wording, "going pro without college education" and things got easier.

First off, I found specific names of players that went straight to pro teams that I never knew did. Players like Lebron James, Kevin Garnett and Tracy McGrady. (Chylinksi) Also, I already knew that being a young player in a pro world could be physically difficult with muscle strains, broken bones and career ending injuries, but never took into concideration how it could have an effect on you mentally at such a young age. (Chylinksi) Your schedule would be pretty packed, you may suffer from lack of sleep, you might have less time to spend with family and just remember your younger.. those are the things you are supposed to get alot of at the age of 17, 18 or 19. Also, it just gets worse when you get into the championships of your sport.

I'm probably going to start looking into more sources and use this "infotrac" and see what it's about this next week. Until then...




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Chylinski, Patrick. "Preps to the Pros." insidehoops.com 03 07 2003 21 04 2008 .

Week 1 Subliminal Advertising

I began my search in class on one of Mr. Malley's computers. By using the keywords 'subliminal messages' I got over 1 million hits. I clicked on the link to go to wikipedia. There was alot of basic information on the site like where it originated, the effectiveness of it's use, and it shows a few instances of the messages. One example I found was:

"A McDonald's logo appeared for one frame during the Food Network's Iron Chef America series on 2007-01-27, leading to claims that this was an instance of subliminal advertising. The Food Network replied that it was simply a glitch." I expected to find more examples of subliminal messages on Wikipedia, maybe even ones that I've missed while watching or reading something.

I did the other part of my research at home because I couldn't possibly think of anything else i'd rather be doing. I learned the same basic knowledge when I searched for articles on subliminal messages. Alot of articles were about the same incidents which tends to get very aggravating. One was about in the late 50's, when an advertising promoter claimed that popcorn and Coca Cola sales went up drastically by breifly flashing the words 'Drink Coca Cola' and 'hungry - eat popcorn' on a movie theater screen in New Jersey. Finally one of my questions has been answered. It is said that, without even being aware of it's pesence, peoples behavior can be greatly affected subliminal advertising. I found one article interesting that was published in a"Modern Mechanix" magazine in 1958. They said that tv's new trick was using sublimianl messages by way of 'hidden commercials'. The subtitle read: "They can pop a suggestion into your mind, using tv's or movies, without your knowing it." (Griswold) I think that I accomplished alot for my first time researching my topic.

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"Subliminal Advertising." Wikipedia 16 04 2008 17 04 2008 .

Griswold, Wesley. "Subliminal Advertising (Apr, 1958)." Modern Mechanix 14 04 2008 21 04 2008 .

Citiations

Shmueli, Sandra. "'Flash mob' craze spreads." CNN.Com/Technology 08 08 2003 15 04 2008 .


"Global warming." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia 15 04 2008 15 04 2008 .

Sara's citation

"Global Warming." Wikipedia 15 04 2008 15 04 2008 .


Shmueli, Sandra. "'Flash mob' craze spreads." CNN.com 08 08 2003 15 04 2008 .

Clares Citation Practice

"Global Warming." Wikipedia 15 04 2008 15 04 2008 .

Shmueli, Sandra. "Flash Mob Craze Speads." CNN 08 08 2003 15 04 2008 .

Before the Search - Pro too Soon?

I am going to do my research project on wheter or not athletes are going pro too soon. I already know that many players are going pro in all sports as early as 18 years old. I also know that you only go pro for about 20 years. They have no college education but are some of the best players in the sports world, breaking records at 18 that were previously never thought to be able to be broken. My question is: Are athletes going pro too soon"?. In order to answer this question I may need to find out why players feel the need to go pro so soon?, do they have a back up plan if going pro does not work out for them since they have no college education(even though they could go after they try to go pro), do you players really know how to handle and save up that much money that they would potentially make? Also, at such a young age and in sports these days you could injure yourself to an extent that could ruin the rest of your life, why do that at 18 with your whole life ahead of you?

Subliminal messaging: before the search

About 2 years ago I recognized what 'subliminal messages' were. A friend had showed me
that a few songs that i knew played backwards, had a whole new meaning. I thought it was creepy because the message was so detailed that I don't think it could have ever been a
coincidence. I think that this is an interesting topic because it is rarely ever talked about.
I don't really know much about the topic of subliminal messages but i know that they can
be found in music, movies, magazines, commercials, and other ways of advertising. I have heard
that the messages are not supposed to be recognizable to the conscious mind. The messages are
everywhere but most people don't even realize it.
There are alot of things that i want to know about subliminal messaging. I want to know
where the idea of it all had originated. Is it legal to do? Do people recognize them when they see
them? Are some of them purely incidental? But the main question i am looking to answer is 'Does subliminal messaging affect people?

Just When You Thoght It Couldn't Get Worst

Imani All Mine By: Connie Porter
Pages 148-172

Just when I thought it couldn't get any worst for Tasha, it did, 1000 times worst. As a drive-by shooting broke out on her block Tasha went up the stairs to go protect Imani, but instead she finds out that Imani has been shot and is dead. I think that that is the worst possible thing that could happen to a parent. After reading that part of the story I had to put the book down for a second because it was just so heart breaking and I truely felt sorry for Tasha. I know that if anything like that was to happen to me I would go so crazy that they might have to put me in a mental hospital and I would find the people resposible and make sure that they were more than 6 feet underground. What about you what would you do if something like that was to happen to you??

That's My Style!!!!!!

Imani All Mine By: Connie Porter

Pages 173-202

The genre of this book is young adult literature. I love reading these types of books because even though they're suppose to be fiction, they still have a sense of reality to them. Also I can relate to a lot of the problems that the characters in the books are going through. I don't think that this book breaks the mold in any way because it still has to do with the character being a teen or young adult and having to over come some obstacles in their life.

Coming Face To Face With Him!!

Imani All Mine By: Connie Porter
Pages 34-59

One conflict that Tasha has to face is when she sees the boy who raped her again, but this time it's at her school. I now learned how and by who Tasha got pregnant by. At first I thought that maybe she got pregnant by a boyfriend or somebody she was messing with and was just too scared to tell her mother who it was but I see I was wrong. After seeing him at her school Tasha started thinking about changing schools but after talking to Miss Lovey she decided to just stay in school and avoid him, after all its not like he remembered who she was anyways. I think that it's a real shame that she got raped and I also think that she should have told her mother right away about what happened. What would you do if you were in her situation?

Initial Steps of Adulthood

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer By: Mark Twain
Pages 71-139


Ah, I was right. Kinda. Experiencing a death can change how a person acts for the rest of their life. Tom and Huck watch someone get murdered and say they will never tell anyone. Since they won't tell anyone, they do small acts of kindness to make themselves feel better. This is very real wherever you go. Someone may feel guilty for doing something and rather than tell the person, they do a nice act for the person hoping to feel better about themselves. The main character in this story gets rejected and turns to a life of crime. He steals from a store and then regrets it and tells himself he will never do it again. He grew up a little! Like all teens go through in life, the characters go through peer pressure to try smoking. Isn't it almost as if it is a step in growing up now a days? Will he ever break his oath of not telling about his experience?

The Adventures of the Young

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, By: Mark Twain
Pages 1-70

Do the characters seem real and believable? Can you relate to their predicaments? To what extent do they remind you of yourself or someone you know?

This book is reminding me so much of my childhood. Huck and Tom are as real as the 20th century, always getting into trouble and not taking the blame for it. Of course, saying you won't do something again and you do it anyway. Also, before Tom finds out what true love is, the first girl he lays eyes on is his "love". So many people do this now a days, even teenagers. Sometimes peoples actions and imagination are driven by something they see or read, which is the case when Huck and Tom "play" Robin Hood. I wonder if these experiences pave the way for Tom and Huck to "grow up"?

Never Underestimate

Notes From The Midnight Driver Jordan Sonnenblick
finished with book

I am now finished with my book. Overall I think that this was a good book because i enjoyed the authors humorous style. I tend to judge a book by it's cover so the story was better than what my first impressions were. The author dosent say that he is making a sequel to this book but I think he will. He left some things unexplained and it seems that it would be easy to create a sequel. In the end, the old man Sol dies of pneumonia, which is expected to happen throughout the book. But, he dosen't explain how him and his best friend are or if his parents are going to get remarried. I think that if he continues this story, Alex and his best friend Laurie will start dating. This book helps you understand older peoples actions better. In the book Sol might be sad because he was thinking of bad memories from the past or that someone underestimated him. This happens to most older people and it affects thier mood. Older people have expiereinced things that we haven't but alot of people see elders as cripples who have done nothing their whole life. They see them as weak and usless individuals. This book helped me to realize all the great things that our elders have done even though they may not be capable to do it now. Have you ever had an expierience where you underestimate someone because of their current disabilities?

Intro To The Book

Notes From Imani All Mine, By: Connie Porter
Pages 1-33

At first I didn't like the book because its not written in proper english and has a lot of slang words in it and I don't like books like that. For example "I was watching Mama nem in the kitchen". At the begininng of the book Tasha (the main character) is trying to hide her prengnacy from her mother because she doesn't want to get in troble. She hid it for almost five months. Until one day when Tasha was getting dressed for school her mother came in her room, saw her stomach and knew right away that she was pregnante. She then started to hit her and ask her who's the baby's daddy. If you were Tasha what would you do, tell your mother right away or try and hide it for as long as you can?

Getting Reaquainted With Family

Notes From the Midnight Driver Jordan Sonnenblick
Page 255

I am now almost done with my book. While reading, there was a big surprise that will definitaly affect the rest of the story. Earlier in the book Sol explains that he hasn't talked to his daughter in about 20 years because she is mad at him for something that happened in the past. At the end of the concert that Sol and Alex put on at the nursing home, the judge (that had sentenced Alex to work with Sol) runs up on stage crying. She turns out to be sol's daughter. I was not expecting an ending like this. I thought that sol and his daughter might reunnite by the end of the story but I wasnt expecting it to turn out like that. The judge had set up Alex to take care of her father so she could see how he was doing. I think that the author did a great job making the judge not to noticable so you would never really guess the ending. Have you ever read a book with an ending that completely threw you off what you were expecting?

Getting What You Deserve

Notes From The Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick
Page 215

I am now 3/4 done with my book but I think that the main character Alex still has more conflict to come. During his sentence of 100 hours at a nursing home, Alex decided to put on a small concert for the patients there with the help of some friends. He believed that he played awful and was embarrased about the show. Sol, (the grumpy old man that Alex is sentenced to visit) set up another concert for Alex to play in without him knowing it. Knowing that Sol is an old jazz musician, I think that the two will work together so that Alex won't embarass himself a second time. Sol probably had the situation planned out the whole time because he wants Alex to be great at playing the guitar and enjoying the music. Sol tends to be a grumpy old man but he means well, which i think Alex will soon discover. I think that they will both overcome their stubbornness and learn to deal with each other... maybe even like each other. Have you ever been in a situation where you became friends with an elder after not liking them at first?

Notes From the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick

Notes From the Midnight Driver by Jordan Sonnenblick
Page 1 - Page 144

My impressions of this book so far is that it is interesting. This book didnt start out really boring like most books do when they explain the characters and the plot. In this book the author gets right into the story. The story is about a high school kid who gets drunk for the first time and drives his mothers car to go talk to his dad, who is getting a divorce from his mom. After he crashes the car onto someones lawn, he is sentenced to serve 100 hours at a nursing home and accompany the grumpiest old man there. I think my favorite part of the story is how the author throws in some humor anywhere he can, especially criticizing pretty much everyone in the book. The author never uses a very serious tone and seems to be optomistic about everything, except the fact that he hated to go see the old man at first. Jordan Sonnenblick has a unique writing style that i seem to enjoy which has kept my interest in this book so far.

Group Response

We chose the genre of young adult fiction because we can generally relate to the types of stories in this genre. Also, there is a wide variety of books to chose from. People read this genre because they mirror reality and you can relate to some of the problems in the stories and also learn lessons from what the character or characters went through. Young adult fiction provides people with life lessons that you can carry with you forever.

Assessment - Indy Reading Project - December

Clare - 4/5 Responses (let's publish that last one)

Clare, I'm going to say that your second response is your strongest.   In that second response you make a prediction, generalize about a type of character (most kids like Brian), and support your opinion.  Nice job.  The rest are ok, but a bit too short for me to sink my teeth into.  The 4th one is on the stronger side too.  Response #3 seems too plot "summarish".

Marlene - 5/5 Responses 

Dudette, you've come roaring back.  After Pahlahniuk I thought you were a lost cause.  Seems Laurie Halse Anderson suited you better.  Now, we need to work on the quality of your responses.  Your job is not to summarize, but to analyze/respond.  Look to the list of questions I handed out for help.

Sara - 5/5 Responses

I think I remember hearing about that (regarding your last response).  I know he was almost killed while walking one time, but I think I also heard about that accident too.  Freaky.  I'm not too familiar with the book you read.  I've read other King and enjoyed him (The Stand and Cujo).  

Assessment - Indy Reading Project - December

Clare - 4/5 Responses (let's publish that last one)

Clare, I'm going to say that your second response is your strongest.   In that second response you make a prediction, generalize about a type of character (most kids like Brian), and support your opinion.  Nice job.  The rest are ok, but a bit too short for me to sink my teeth into.  The 4th one is on the stronger side too.  Response #3 seems too plot "summarish".

Marlene - 5/5 Responses 

Dudette, you've come roaring back.  After Pahlahniuk I thought you were a lost cause.  Seems Laurie Halse Anderson suited you better.  Now, we need to work on the quality of your responses.  Your job is not to summarize, but to analyze/respond.  Look to the list of questions I handed out for help.

Sara - 5/5 Responses

I think I remember hearing about that (regarding your last response).  I know he was almost killed while walking one time, but I think I also heard about that accident too.  Freaky.  I'm not too familiar with the book you read.  I've read other King and enjoyed him (The Stand and Cujo).