Friendship

Friends are important to have. But not all friends are good to have. Some people in this world are not as nice of friendly as they may come across as. A friendship is a loving trusting bond between two people where they hang out and do things for each other and with each other. Most people see “friendships” as a way to get closer to people so to use them and get whatever they want from them. These users are out for materialistic friendships and they simply want to get something from someone. Real friends are hard to come by because most people today are so different than they used to be. Everyone thinks differently than they used to and because of different peoples perspectives on life, they become so different. With so many different personalities, people do not see eye to eye so they may try to force friendships. When friendships are forced this is when most problems occur.

Families

Before reading the article Diversity in U.S. Families, I thought that most families around the world were more or less the same. This is true in the sense that most families are close knit and very loving and caring. But after reading more into the article, more different cultures do very different things in and with their families. Some families rely on the father figure as being the sole provider of the family, and others rely more on the mother figure as being the individual who brings home the bread. This is not true for all families, because in modern society, both parents may work and/or take care of the children and household chores. In Asian American families, they highly value their discipline and respect for their elders. Latino families are the largest growing population of families in the United states, and they often differ by the multiple Latino cultures that they are broken into. It is easy for me to relate to this article because I live in a very diverse neighborhood. In Queens New York, so many different cultures live in a tight knit area. In bayside for example, my neighbors are Irish, Columbian, Dominican, Asian, middle eastern and white. This is good because living like this, individuals get a strong sense of other cultures and they can understand how other people in different cultures think and how they do things.

Compare and Contrast

Animals are of great interest to me. Two of my favorite animals are cats and dogs. Despite how much I love both of these animals, theyre are some things I do not like about them. Dogs have always been known as mans best friend. They are always so loving and playful but they always need to be walked and taken out for exercize. As an owner you also have to give them baths regularly and clean up after them when they go to the bathroom. Not all dogs are loving and playful. Some dogs can be nasty and loud. My friend Steven has a pitbull. His dog is so big and mean to anyone that he does not know in the house. I have been bit on many occasions when I was at his house for dinner. Cats are a different story. Some cats can be lovey dovey and they may like to cuddle, while others are often very reclusive. They are good in the sense that they bathe themselves and that when they go to the bathroom they do not someone to help clean up their mess. My cat for example is not friendly at all. When I come home my cat always looks at me and acts as if he does not want to be bothered. Even as a kitten if I tried to play with him he would simply walk away from me. Animals can be very weird sometimes. Whether they are friendly or unfriendly, I will always love animals, especially cats and dogs.

personal reflection- have no fear

One personal memory that has been permanently painted in my mind is watching T.V. with my uncle William when I was younger. When I was about five years old we would watch a scary show called "Tales From the Crypt." Being so young I would always be scared. My Uncle would always watch it with me and he taught me a very valuable and important lesson. He said "Always laugh at what you fear and you will have nothing to fear." To this day I don't let things get to me because my uncle taught me to look on the bright side of life. All the memories that I remember of being with my Uncle are of all the good times we shared together. We had so many inside jokes and we did so much together. When I was seven years old my uncle was diagnosed with Melanoma, a form of skin cancer. A few short months later he passed away. This was very tough for my family but at every family gathering we still think about him and talk about all the good times and laughs we had with him. Looking back I believe that I would be a very different person had I not been taught so much by my Uncle.

Sisters that like to laugh laugh a lot.

Before reading the article about the sisters I knew that it was obviously about sisters enjoying funny things that make them laugh. I personnally questioned the title, asking myself "what is so funny?" and "how well do the sisters get along?" The article is most likely going to be funny because the title forshadows a comical and funny idea.
After reading the article I realized that the article was not all that funny. It is about two sisters who are refugees who escape from Pakistan. They escape from Pakistan to get away from Saddam Hussein. When they escape they come to America where they know that they will be safe. After looking at the facts of the article and seeing many things in the news it occured to me how good we really have it here in America. Other countries like Pakistan lack the resources and technology that we are so blessed to have in America. I hope that one day Pakistan and other countries can all be as advanced as the United States and I hope that all the countries can resolve their government problems.

Keeping in Touch

Before reading the article I knew that it was about social networking websites online. Most people today are very busy. These busy people often do not have time to keep in touch with friends. Social Networks online help people to keep in touch with the people that they can no longer talk to on a normal basis.
After reading the article i learned about a young woman named Anna Owens. In the beginning Anna was on myspace. Overtime she became bored with the site and she and all her friends moved onto another site called facebook. Over time Anna stopped using myspace entirely. Anna states that there is a significant class divide online. "A recent study by market research firm Nielson Claritas found that people in more affluent demographics are 25 percent more likely to be found on facebook, while the less affluent are 37 percent more likely to connect to myspace." Over time as new and more imroved social network sites are created, more people will change to other networks or they will all eventually grow up and stop using these networking sites all together.

paraphrasing. skater's death underscores insect allergy risks.

Andy Kessler is noted for building numerous skateparks in New York City. Andy's death reminds us that certain bug stings can be deadly for people who are alergic to specific types of bugs. In the United States at least 40 people die each yeah due to bug bites.

Eye Communication

Before reading the article I thought that the article would be about how people communicate through eye contact. Eye contact is an extremely important part of human communication. By looking at some one you can read their body language. Sometimes by looking at someones eyes you can even tell what they are thinking.
After reading the article I learned that people use their eyes to communicate more than I thought. "In much of the United States direct eye contact is considered an expression of honesty and forthrightness." Our eyes show people when we are interested or not interested in someone or something. By glancing at someone or something for a longer period of time our eyes show that we are showing or expressing interest. When we look away or do not look at something for too long, as if looking over something, our eyes show a lack of interest. Our eyes are so amazing and beautiful and no one ever realizes this! It interests me to know that our eyes are such an important part of body language and communication.

ROBOFISH

Before reading the article I believed that the article would be very interesting. It appeared as if a group of college students from MIT created a robotic school of fish. This is of interest to me because maybe the students will be able to follow and record information about other fish. The robotic fish might fit in with the other fish in the schools.
After reading the article what I first assumed was true. The students created a robot fish. They named these new robotic fish Robotuna’s. “Most of the brains, the electronics, are embedded inside,” said Alvaradeo, who designed the robofish with fellow MIT engineer Kamal Youcef-Toumi. “We have built prototypes with the battery inside, but for my experiments, for simplicity. We have a lot of prototypes that are simply tethered. We have a cable that runs out from the body and connects to a power supply.” The new robofish will be used to map the ocean floor, detect pollution or inspect and survey submerged boats or oil and gas pipelines. This will aid the world so much in the future by helping to make the world a better place.

Four- legged critter: best snap shots

Before reading the article I realized how cute the dog on the cover page of the article was. I like all animals and dogs are one of my favorites. In reading the article I believe that it will be about a dog that won a photo contest.
After reading the article I discovered that the dog did moe than just win the photo contest, he won his owners respect as being the youngest puppy to be bread and place so high. He also won his owners charity a large sum of money. "Were just happy for the attention this has brought to our charities as well as others supported by so many cute dogs in this competition," McCool said. With the puppy winning the competition, all the money will be going to McCool's charity.

Swine flu

H1N1 flu virus, or swine flu, is a highly contagious disease. People who become ill with H1N1 suffer a wide variety of symptoms. These symptoms include fever, cough, sore throat, runny or stuffy nose, body aches, headache, chills and fatigue. At the end of October the government will be sending out swine flu vaccinations to help people fight this disease. Schools across the country are taking whatever steps necessary in order to protect their students. Everyone should wash their hands more often and carry purell on them so that they can prevent the spread of the flu.

Tatoo and piercing.

After looking at the title of the article, I became worried about the dangers of body art. Body art has previously been affiliated with tough and rough looking people, or outcasts in society. It is odd to see that so many more people today are getting tattoos. I wonder what the risks are, and how people can prevent dangerous things from happening to their bodies. Hopefully the article can help answer some of my quetions.
The article lists a few problems that occur to people with tatoos and piercings, such as infections and skin irritations. Most body art places do not use sterile methods when piercing people or giving people tatoos. In unclean and dirty work conditions, piercers and tatoo artists can give their customers diseases such as HIV, hepatitis b and C, tetanus and many other diseases. Body art, as beautiful as it may seem can be harmful, or even deadly.

This article pretains to all people with body art. All people should be aware of the dangers and give a lot of thought about what they want to get before they get something done permanently to their bodies. Body art can be beautiful but pain is a price to pay. For anyone interested in getting a tatoo or a body part pierced, I suggest you be extremely careful and think before you get something you might regret in the future.

Bilingual children

Before reading the article about bilingual children, I knew that the article must have had facts about children who speak more than one language. I question how difficult it is for these children to make it through life. Is it harder for these children to make it through the day? Do these children get confused when speaking two languages? It is very interesting to see people who can speak more than one language because they must know about two cultures instead of one particular kind of culture.
After reading the article most of my questions were answered. Children learning more than one language seem to be a little slow in learning at first, but afterwards they catch up with their fellow friends. Parents talking to children should not mix lanuages. They should speak in one specific and a certain time and the other language at another time. When languages are mixed, the child or person learning becomes confused and this makes the learning process more difficult.

This article involves people and children learning two languages. Bilingual children may not get a grasp on the language at first, but after time they will learn about the culture and master the language. Children should not be discouraged from this difficult learning process because then they may be turned away from the language that they are learning.

Smoking bans help save lives

Before reading the article I first thought that it was good news that there was a large drop in heart attacks after smoking bans were put into place. Smoking is an unhealthy habit and despite the dangers, people still smoke. With multiple new bans being put into place, hopefully less people will be hurt or killed by smoking.
After reading the article I became aware of the statistics of people harmed by smoking. The article states, “In 2005, there were 1.26 million heart attacks in the U.S., and about 445687 of those people died, according to the American heart association. The new research suggests that a nationwide ban on smoking in public and workplaces could prevent 100,000 to 225,000 heart attacks each year in the U.S., says one study author, Dr. David Meyers of the Kansas School of Medicine.” It is good to see that things will be getting better for people. I really hope that people realize how dangerous smoking is for their health and I hope that they can quit as soon as possible.

This article is about how smoking bans are helping people to live healthier lives. Smoking is a bad and dangerous habit that claims the lives of hundreds of people every year. Dr. David Meyers from the University Of Kansas School Of Medicine states statistics and facts about the dangers of smoking and second hand smoke. I hope that people read this article and see how bad smoking is for them. It would be amazing if all smokers would one day decide to just quit.

In Tennessee, troubled elephants find an unlikely home

The article about elephants was interesting to me. By simply looking at the title I imagined large elephants and other animals randomly wandering through a rural neighborhood in the middle of nowhere. This is kind of funny because elephants are so large and big that people would see them and think, "Oh my gosh those are some pretty big elephants!" After reading the article i realized that a few generous people are working in a elephant sanctuary in Tennessee with the sole purpose of protecting and taking care of elephants. This is awsome because they take in elephants that are old or disabled and take care of them. Most elephants that reside there have lived with harsh conditions. Almost all have been abused or mistreated whether they worked in the circus or as someones exotic pet. The elephant sanctuary has been successful in helping these animals and there is talk of making the facilities bigger.

Animals have feelings and emotions just like human beings. In Hohenwald Tennessee, Carol Buckley is a co-founder of an elephant sanctuary. The sanctuary takes in animals that are old, injured or that have been abused. The elephants in the sanctuary are living much better now than how they used to. One elephant named Tarra used to live in the back of a truck. Another elephant named Shirley performed in a circus until a chain broke her leg. Shirley was also forced to work in a freak show. An elephant named sissy was treated the worst. She was abused by her handler and one day in self defense she crushed him. Carol Buckley states, “We consider all of these elephants to be rescue elephants, because they are taken out of that environment that is not healthy for them.” I’m glad that certain individuals are working to help care for these animals. Without their help, there animals would be unable to survive.

Texting..good or bad?

Texting is a horribly addicting habit. It can be harmful to people because it distracts people from their surroundings. When people do not focus on what they are doing, bad things can happen. People have been hurt and even killed because of texting. I personally believe that texting can be extremely dangerous and I also believe that it is bad for people to communicate this way. It is better for people to communicate on the phone or in person. This is because when people communicate on a phone or in person they can better interact with their friends, family and co-workers. Texting has positive aspects as well. It is a quick and easy way to get in touch with people. Aside from this I believe that most people would be better off without texting.

College success.

College has many positive and negative aspects. These aspects can make or break a person's college experience. In order to survive, students should have a good sense of morals, values, and they need to have common sense. Making the right choices is easy once students understand who they are and what they want to become. Time management is another skill that all students should learn to master. With time management skills, students can get all their assignments done on time and have more free time to themselves. By mastering these skills, it is without a doubt that students can be successful in college.

hello my name is ralph

Hello im Ralph! My major is business managment. I like all extreme sports especially skateboarding, riding scooters and bmx. I also like to swim. I swam for four years in highschool. Doodling is a hobby. Jenga is my game. Music gets me through the day. I like cookies. I live in whitestone/bayside queens.

:D