http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/19/bil.healthy.wealthy/index.html
Okay, so as a future leader in the medical practice, I find this rather absurd. I guess in a way I understand the idea of being able to give very individualized attention to your patients, but this kind of defies all ideas of free healthcare for the masses in every way, shape, and form. Not quite affordable, either. We really should be promoting cheap healthcare, not encouraging this privledged lifestyle that tells us the only way to be really healthy is to be rich. This whole country club mentality of America is pretty frustrating. Read More »
taradawn's blog
More on Madonna's adoption...
By taradawn - Posted on October 22nd, 2006
Tagged: Media
Father: I didn't want Madonna adoption POSTED: 7:17 a.m. EDT, October 22, 2006
LIPUNGA, Malawi (Reuters) -- The father of the Malawian boy Madonna plans to adopt added a fresh twist to the saga, saying he never intended his son to be adopted by the pop diva, but only for her to raise the child on his behalf.
In an interview with Reuters Television in his home village of Lipunga on Saturday, Yohane Banda said Madonna asked that she be able to raise his one-year-old son on his behalf, rather than that the child should become her own. Read More »
LIPUNGA, Malawi (Reuters) -- The father of the Malawian boy Madonna plans to adopt added a fresh twist to the saga, saying he never intended his son to be adopted by the pop diva, but only for her to raise the child on his behalf.
In an interview with Reuters Television in his home village of Lipunga on Saturday, Yohane Banda said Madonna asked that she be able to raise his one-year-old son on his behalf, rather than that the child should become her own. Read More »
Giving Children Drugs... I think it's kind of sick.
By taradawn - Posted on October 21st, 2006
Tagged: Health
• Shared responsibility
http://www.cnn.com/2006/HEALTH/10/19/preschoolers.adhd.ap/index.html
Okay, so I read this article about how more and more preschoolers are being given ritalin every day. I guess it's pretty standard practice, but personally I feel even the thought of it as awful. 3-year-olds! On psychiactric drugs! It's ludicrous. Aside from the fact that at age 3 the child isn't entirely developed, and there are serious side effects that could arise if a child under the age of 6 uses ritalin, how could a parent conciously give thier children drugs at such an early age?? Read More »
Okay, so I read this article about how more and more preschoolers are being given ritalin every day. I guess it's pretty standard practice, but personally I feel even the thought of it as awful. 3-year-olds! On psychiactric drugs! It's ludicrous. Aside from the fact that at age 3 the child isn't entirely developed, and there are serious side effects that could arise if a child under the age of 6 uses ritalin, how could a parent conciously give thier children drugs at such an early age?? Read More »
2 comments
• 381 reads
The Welfare System... and what I hate about it.
By taradawn - Posted on October 20th, 2006
Tagged: Society
• Shared responsibility
I'm just going to go on a personal rant here because I've worked with enough welfare recipients to observe a pattern, and get angry because of it. Just as a disclaimer, I'm not predjudice, and I wholeheartedly believe in working social programs. I guess there is just a large group in Ohio that gives it a bad name... so here goes:
I, for 3 years, worked at a meat market. I'm talking raw poultry, beef, and pork. We had a deli and sold fried chicken as well, but for the most part, it was a meat market. Aside from the fact that my boss exploited foreign immigrants to get cheap labor (though that is another story in itself), there was another problem with my job: it was in the ghetto. Nevermind that I lived right down the street, right after the point where the area made a turnaround. I lived in a nice house with my family, but we are by no means rich, and even then, before moving out of state, I had no help with college or the few bills I had. I worked this job to pay my tuition. A smelly, disgusting job to pay for my college education. No complaints here. Read More »
I, for 3 years, worked at a meat market. I'm talking raw poultry, beef, and pork. We had a deli and sold fried chicken as well, but for the most part, it was a meat market. Aside from the fact that my boss exploited foreign immigrants to get cheap labor (though that is another story in itself), there was another problem with my job: it was in the ghetto. Nevermind that I lived right down the street, right after the point where the area made a turnaround. I lived in a nice house with my family, but we are by no means rich, and even then, before moving out of state, I had no help with college or the few bills I had. I worked this job to pay my tuition. A smelly, disgusting job to pay for my college education. No complaints here. Read More »
3 comments
• 411 reads
Personally I think Boys really DO have cooties... does that affect thier performance in math class??
By taradawn - Posted on October 19th, 2006
Tagged: Society
• Better future
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/10/19/women.math.ap/index.html
Have you ever heard of self-fullfilled prophecy?? Apparently most of our country's teachers haven't heard of the concept. There's a reason that there's still a rather large gender gap regarding professions in the sciences. It all goes back to education (doesn't everything??). For years, girls have been told that they're just not good at math because they're girls, and boys have more attention in the classroom, and intellectual encouragement since the first day they step into kindergarden. Read More »
Have you ever heard of self-fullfilled prophecy?? Apparently most of our country's teachers haven't heard of the concept. There's a reason that there's still a rather large gender gap regarding professions in the sciences. It all goes back to education (doesn't everything??). For years, girls have been told that they're just not good at math because they're girls, and boys have more attention in the classroom, and intellectual encouragement since the first day they step into kindergarden. Read More »
3 comments
• 387 reads
Do YOU trust the politicians?? Poll says most Americans dont...
By taradawn - Posted on October 19th, 2006
Tagged: News and politics
• Effective government
http://www.cnn.com/2006/POLITICS/10/19/congress.poll/index.html
"WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Half of all Americans believe most members of Congress are corrupt -- a figure that has risen 12 points since the start of the year -- and more than a third think their own representative is crooked, according to a new poll released Thursday by CNN. Read More »
1 comment
• 358 reads
Could Mario and Luigi replace our teachers?? Who votes for videogames ruling the classroom??
By taradawn - Posted on October 18th, 2006
Tagged: Education
http://www.cnn.com/2006/EDUCATION/10/17/video.games.ap/index.html
I read this article today on CNN, and I thought it was pretty neat. I'm sure the idea of using technology in the way of videogames in the classroom is not a new one. We used a game in my typing class in highschool, if I remember correctly. But will Sonic and DonkeyKong take over the curriculum? Doubtful. (and note my usage of only old games... I haven't used a new system since middleschool) Honestly, I think using games in the classroom is a great approach to teaching. As the article says, it keeps kids focused and interested in what they are learning about. Obviously the games have to be well suited to the area they are working with, and crafted specifically for the classroom. I also dont think EVERY subject should involve a videogame (I dont think Link could teach me calc...), but there are even certain games out now that teach valuable skills. The Sims, for example, is a great example (without cheat codes, of course) of money-management. Or games like tetris and bejeweled. And using videogames in the classroom could encourage some healthy competition. But on the flip-side, I think it would devalue teaching in a sense. I'm all for updating the classroom, but to deem the traditional classroom obsolete would be a step backwards. I know in many of my classes at the University level, my textbooks come with access codes for online resources that include games that are very helpful, as well as animated examples, videos, etc. I think we're moving in a direction that will allow more interactive technology to make a true impact in the classroom, but the idea of videogames being a primary teaching tool seems a little absurd. Read More »
5 comments
• 337 reads
What do you think? Is it right for Celebrities to adopt African Orphans??
By taradawn - Posted on October 17th, 2006
Tagged: Media
There's all this talk in the news of Madonna adopting a 13 month old boy from Malawi, and it baffles me how anyone could get angry that a celebrity want to adopt a child from any african country. Especially given that many of these children suffer from AIDS and would not get the medical treatment needed in thier own country, it's a blessing that they have the opportunity of such a bright future.
"Johnson sympathizes with Madonna and other celebrities who've adopted African babies, saying cross-cultural and cross-continental adoption is fine as long as it's done in a genuine manner. Read More »
7 comments
• 577 reads
