Daylight Savings

I guess you could say I'm not the biggest of daylight savings (yes, I know it was like a week ago, but I'm still not used to it.) I've heard something about it saving energy, but in my case that is defiantly not true. I can't go to sleep at night and I can't get up in the morning. If I try to go to sleep early I end up just laying in bed for hours. So, I'm stuck watching TV and watching tons of TV at night doesn't help save energy. Since I'm staying up late I end up not wanting to get up in the morning. I end up looking like crap. I only did my hair twice this week, and I usually do it at the very least three or four times. Daylight savings wears me out. I'm pretty sure that I'm using a lot more energy then I normally do. So, in my opinion we shouldn't even have daylight savings. It might be helpful to some people, but not me. I kind of like the one in the fall, but I would rather have no daylight savings.

My Fabulous Weekend

This weekend was kind of fun. On Friday I babysat for ever, but I actually had kind of fun. I babysit almost every Friday. I don't always enjoy it though. It it kind of stinks because I don't get to hang out with my friends and do fun things, but on the bright side I get paid. I guess you could say that it is my job. Some days it is fun, but sometimes it is not at all. I went babysitting right after school got out. We played some games, and stuff like that. After we ate diner, we made snow cones (my family has a snow cone machine, and my mom brought it down.) We had Root Beer, and Tigers Blood. Tigers Blood is my favorite. After that we made homemade chocolate chip cookies. They love to make them, and ask me every time I come over if we can make them. Their mom has this really good recipe, and they are delicious. So that's what we did most of the time, it was really fun. I got home around ten and then watched TV. When I woke up the next morning, I got up and went snowboarding. I had really fun. My dad's, bosses son used to teach snow board lessons, so he went up with us. He gave us a couple of tips that would help us a lot, and once I started doing them I noticed a huge difference. The tips that he gave my helped my snowboarding go so much easier. That day was the half pipe competition and one of the chair lifts was right next to the half pipe. We went up that chair lift, it's called Eagle, and we saw some snowboarders on the pipe while we were there. The half pipe walls were twenty two feet high (it is one of the biggest half pipes in North America). While we were on the lift we saw Shawn White on the half pipe. For those of you that don't know who he is one of the best snowboarders in the world, at least in my opinion, he won the olympic gold medal in 2006. He is so amazing. It was so cool to see him while I was on the chair lift. After we were done snowboarding, I went babysitting again, so that pretty much was my whole weekend.

World Hunger

World Hunger is a major issue in today’s society, and we have so many people that are hungry on the earth. There are around 850 million people in the world that are suffering from hunger and malnutrition problems. There are around six billion people in the world; there shouldn’t be that many people that are starving. Jimmy Carter said, “We know that a peaceful world cannot long exist, one third rich and two thirds hungry.” We need to do everything we can to help them.

The issue of world hunger and malnutrition is so widespread and far-reaching. It touches all walks of life and all aspects of life. Not only is it a social problem but it is an economic problem as well. Those that face extreme poverty seem to be the most effected. Third world and developing countries have the most serious issues associated with hunger.

There are many advocacy groups trying locally, nationally, and globally to help against hunger. Even celebrities use their names to help fight this issue. Every bit of attention to the need to help and education about the situation is helpful. It takes more than money.

Education about hunger to those who can help, like governments, and also to those who need assistance is key. Health issues arise because of hunger issues. Hunger begins with poverty and the inability to provide for oneself. It then leads to malnutrition and deficiencies which lead to disease and then ultimately death.

People, right now, are dieing from hunger and hunger-related issues. Every day we have 2,400 people that die from hunger. That means someone leaves this life about every 3.6 seconds.

It is not because we don’t have enough food. We have enough food for everyone to have nearly two loaves of bread per day. It is more about availability and money for the food and distribution of the goods.

About one fourth of the world lives on less than one dollar a day, and three billion people live on around two dollars or less each day. That is not a lot of money, the richest one percent make as much as the poorest fifty seven percent make. The richest fifth of the world consumes eighty six percent of goods, such as food and technology, and the poorest get about one percent of those goods. That is a major difference. There needs to be more equity in the system.

The children suffer most from hunger and malnutrition. They say that three fourths of the deaths caused by hunger are children under the age of five. That is really sad. There are around 15 million hungry children that die every year from hunger. There are 160 million children that are hungry in the world. One half of the hungry children are in South Asia. There are 183 million children today that weigh less than they should. There are a lot of cases of hunger, and the children are suffering most. The children are our future, but if they are not helped how can they help us? Even though the mortality rate is going down, we still need to do everything we can to help the hungry. They are dieing at an alarming rate, and need to be helped. Even though most of the hungry are in Asia, Africa and India, it doesn’t mean it isn’t happening here. “If you want to eliminate hunger, everybody has to be involved,” said Bono. We all need to stop and fight against the hunger and malnutrition that is going on today.

WAKE UP!!!

In English we had to do a persuasive essay, and I did it on how school should stop later. So here is some of the reasons I think it should start later...

Wake up!!! It’s time to get ready for school!!! You look at your clock and have fifteen minutes to get ready. You are exhausted, because you didn’t get as much sleep as you would have liked. You couldn’t go to sleep last night. You skip breakfast, because you don’t have enough time, even though it’s the most important meal of the day. You get to school just on time, but you will have a hard time staying awake during the day. You wonder why school couldn’t just start at a later time. Schools, especially junior high and high schools, should start at a later time.

Teenagers have biological clocks that effects how and when they sleep. For teenagers, it causes them to stay awake even when they are tired and want to go to bed. These irregular sleep patterns are also affecting the quality of sleep that teenagers are getting. This time can be between nine and ten, but it is different for every person. This is affecting our sleep significantly. Some researchers from Brown University and Stanford University did a study with teenagers. They saw these biological clocks in action, and know that they are keeping many students awake at night. They need to get more sleep and are having a hard time in school because of it. Some students are falling asleep in class, and not paying attention, because they are too tired. We are not as alert as we could be. This is making us lose a lot of sleep and we are suffering because of it.

We as teenagers are losing sleep, because school is starting so early. We are being sleep deprived. Bill Dement, started sleep research at Stanford, says that many teenagers are sleep deprived and are like that every day. This is causing us to not have all the energy we could have. According to the National Sleep Foundation 85% of teenagers are getting less than eight and a half ours of sleep each night. We are supposed to be getting at least that much. We aren’t getting the energy and the concentration that we need. “There are literally millions of adolescents who feel despondent, get poor marks, or are too tired to join high-school teams all because they are getting too little sleep,” says Sarah Sprinks producer of an Adolescent and Sleep article. The same symptoms of sleep loss are a lot like the symptoms of depression. Sleep researchers are pushing schools to start at a later time, because of these issues.

Since teenagers aren’t getting enough sleep they aren’t performing as well as they could be. Brown University’s study has shown us that lack of sleep affects mental and physical skills. We need to get more sleep so we can do better in these things. “Teenagers that do not get enough sleep have worse grades, more depression, anxiety, irritability, and somatic complaints; poorer attendance; and a greater tendency toward delinquency and violence.” Said William C. Dement, MD, PhD, Stanford University. Some people say that the students will need to get up early to get them prepared for life. Part of that may be true, but school should not be starting this early. Students are being physically challenged to go to school and not just in PE. They have to get up earlier and it is making them tired throughout the day. This sleep deprivation can be very dangerous and deadly for teenagers that are driving. If you stay awake for eighteen hours or more then it is equal to having a blood alcohol limit of 0.08%, which is above the legal limit. This is very dangerous and can cause people to die from it. There have been many studies done on teenagers sleep, and they all show that we need to get more sleep. Some students are sleeping through class so they aren’t learning at their full potential. Because we aren’t getting enough sleep; we aren’t doing as well as we could be in school.

Teenagers desperately need to get more sleep. We have biological clocks that are keeping us a wake at night even when we want to go to sleep. We are losing sleep that we need so much. Not getting enough sleep is affecting our abilities. School needs to start later so we can get enough sleep.

Music

I love music so much. I think sometimes I would be lost with out it. Think how boring life would be. You would go in to a movie and there is no dramatic music. LAME!!! I would hate it.

MUSIC
by Charles Baudelaire

MUSIC doth uplift me like a sea
Towards my planet pale,
Then through dark fogs or heaven's infinity
I lift my wandering sail.
With breast advanced, drinking the winds that flee,
And through the cordage wail,
I mount the hurrying waves night hides from me
Beneath her sombre veil.
I feel the tremblings of all passions known
To ships before the breeze;
Cradled by gentle winds, or tempest-blown
I pass the abysmal seas
That are, when calm, the mirror level and fair
Of my despair!

Please don't stop the music (4x)

It's gettin late I'm making my way over to my favorite place
I gotta get my body moving shake the stress away
I wasn't looking for nobody when you looked my wayPossible candidate (yeah)
Who knew That you'd be up in here lookin like you do
You're makin' stayin' over here impossible
Baby I must say your aura is incredible
If you dont have to go don't
Do you know what you started
I just came here to party
But now we're rockin on the dancefloor
Acting naughty Your hands around my waist
Just let the music play
We're hand in hand
Chest to chest
And now we're face to face
I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music DJ let it playI just can't refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin to it
Please don't stop the
Please don't stop the music
I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the musicDJ let it play
I just can't refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rocking to it
Please don't stop the
Please don't stop the
Please don't stop the music
Baby are you ready cause its getting close
Don't you feel the passion ready to explode
What goes on between us no one has to know
This is a private show (oh)
Do you know what you started
I just came here to party
But now we're rockin on the dancefloor
Acting naughty
Your hands around my waist
Just let the music play
We're hand in hand
Chest to chest
And now we're face to face
I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music DJ let it playI just can't refuse it
Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin to it
Please don't stop the
Please don't stop the
Please don't stop the music
Ma say ma sa, Ma ma coo sa Ma say ma sa, Ma ma coosa (2x)
Please don't stop the music
Ma say ma sa, Ma ma coo sa Ma say ma sa, Ma ma coosa
Please don't stop the music (2x)
I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music DJ let it play
I just can't refuse it Like the way you do this
Keep on rockin to it
Please don't stop the
Please don't stop the music
I wanna take you away
Lets escape into the music
DJ let it playI just can't refuse it
Like the way you do theKeep on rocking to it
Please don't stop the
Please don't stop the
Please don't stop the music
Ma ma say ma ma sa, Ma ma coo sa Ma ma say ma ma sa, Ma ma coosa(6x)
Please don't stop the music

Snowboarding (again)

I know you guys are probably sick of hearing me talk about snowboarding all the time, but I love it. It is the best thing in the world. This week I went up snowboarding, and I had a blast!!! I went up with my little brother, his friend, and my mom. We were gone for almost twelve hours. We went up to Park City. I usually go up there, because I have a season pass. My brothers friend skis, and he is pretty good, but he kept falling. We kind of just took random trails, and I found the best run ever. There was nobody on it. I swear I only saw like four people. It was awesome. It is I think brand new this year too. Well, at least it looks new. On this run there was a jump, and my brothers friend went off it. He did like a half front flip thing. It looked really painful, but he was laughing. It was kind of funny. We did that run so many times. I loved it. I also went on this other really fun run. I don't rembeber what it is called, but it was so cool. It had this part where you went in to a bunch of trees. You were completly surounded. It felt like you and the mountain were the only things that existed on the earth. It was completly silent. There was this really cool half pipe on this trail that was natural. It was so awesome. I love snowboarding so much I wish that I could go up every day.

Super Bowl Sunday

This year for super bowl sunday my neighbors came over to my house. We had a party. I thought it was really fun. We had about half of the people that wanted the patriots to win and the other for the giants. I wanted the giants. Personally, I didn't really care, but I just didn't want the patriots to win. I really thought that they were going to though. They had an undefeted season. We watched the super bowl together, and I was so excited the last couple minutes of the game. I couldn't believe that the New York Giants had won!!! I was freaking out. The people rooting for the patriots weren't to happy. I was so excited. It was really funny to see my brother though, he was so glad that the patriots hadn't won. The rest of the night we played games like guitar hero. I'm not very good though. I don't know how people can play it on expert. I can barely play on hard. It was way fun. I love super bowl sunday for a couple of reasons. You get to eat tons of junk food, and my family always does something fun. This year we had stew, but I don't really like stew that much, but I actually thought it was pretty good. Every year we have a seven layer bean dip. I love it. This year it was only six layers, I forgot to get the guacamole at the store. We ate a lot of junk food it was really fun. I think it is kind of weird how super bowl sunday is a holiday for people. It is almost one for me. We focus so much on that one game, that in thirty years who will remeber that much about(except for the players.) It seems kind of weird to me, but I love it.