Snooki is Pregnant

   This article is mostly about how Vinny, from Jersey Shore, thinks that his cast mate, Snooki, will be a good mother. In the article he says that he thinks it's a good wake up call and that she has already made drastic changes in her life. He doesn't think the show will change after this because it is too big of a hit and people get such a kick out of it.
   I'm not surprised that Snooki is pregnant, I'm surprised it hasn't happened before this. She is also now engaged to her boyfriend most likely due to the fact that she is expecting. Personally, I feel like the marriage won't last long at all. Not because it's Snooki but because her and her boyfriend fight so much on the show but who am I to judge? If they are both happy then great. Plus the TV show probably blows everything out of proportion just to get a good rating. It's amazing what people can do these days with just a little editing.
http://www.people.com/people/article/0,,20581677,00.html

Benefits of Reading with Children

   Reading with children can significantly help them. It's fun, gives you a chance to bond,and it helps their literary and language skills. When reading to a child it's important to show them that you are also enjoying the book or else they will sense a lack of excitement and not enjoy reading either. It's also important to be dramatic when reading a book. It brings the story to life and will help them use inflection when they start reading on their own. Over time children will understand basic story structure. Ask them what happened at the beginning, middle and end of the book as it can help them understand and remember what happened int he book.
   I've always known that reading to kids is important for their development but I had no idea that you need to have enthusiasm and be dramatic with them. I especially didn't think that they could pick up on your lack of excitement and that it could cause them to not enjoy reading later in life. When I read to any kid from now on I'm going to be sure to be very excited about it and dramatic about the book.
http://ezinearticles.com/?What-Benefits-Does-Reading-With-Your-Children-Have?&id=2013723

Does Acupunture Help Depression?

   This website says that acupuncture definitely helps with depression. The author of this article uses acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine to help with emotional issues. Traditional Chinese medicine includes using things like herbal medications and dietary therapy. People who practice traditional Chinese medicine believe that to treat emotional issues, one must treat the physical body. They believe that depression is a blockage of ones internal organs (also known as "energy pathways.") Acupuncture is meant to release the blockages in ones energy pathways so one may feel relaxed again. Many people report being extremely calm after the needles have been inserted.
   Personally, I don't believe that you can be stressed because you have a "blockage" in an "energy pathway." I can understand that acupuncture can be relaxing but at the same time I don't think I could ever go through with it. I couldn't relax with a bunch of needles in my skin. I would be so worried that one would go too far in or one would be placed incorrectly and something terrible would happen. However, my biggest fear with acupuncture would be that I would roll over with all of the needles in my back and they would be jammed into my skin. I'm wincing at the thought of it right now. In any case, yes, people do believe that acupuncture can help depression.
http://kelliekrasovec.com/articles/anxiety-depression-or-insomnia-feel-better/

Music Can Help

   It has been proven that music can actually help one study. Certain music can put your mind in a sort of relaxed mood which can help you study better, do homework, and in general just concentrate better by cutting down the distractions. This is called the "Mozart Effect." It has been proven that listening to Mozart can help in the short-term with certain mental tasks.
   I have heard that listening to music can help you focus but I didn't know that it is mostly classical music. After reading this article I immediately went to look up Mozart music and started playing some. It's nice to listen to while working on school work because it doesn't have any words to it so if you need to talk to yourself to figure something out, you can. On the website it also gives a list of what type of music you should listen to depending on what you're doing/ what mood your in. I did know that music can change your mood and I've used that technique many times and it works quite well for me. I actually think that listening to Mozart while writing this has helped. I've finished this faster than most of my other blogs and I really don't mind the music at all.
http://uncc49er.com/622/music-can-help-you-study/

Can Your Name Affect Your Personality?

   This article seems to think that a child's name doesn't affect their personality. They give an example where a child named Winner grew up to lead a life of crime and a child named Loser grew up to graduate from collage and become a Sargent in the local police department. So were their actions effected by their names or were they just born to do those things?
   I think that it is simply impossible to tell if your name affects your personality. It's not like you were ever without your name so there really isn't a way to tell if you change by what your name is. I guess one could make the argument of people who change their names and how it might be because they feel that their personality didn't match up to their name, but other than that I really don't see how one could even try to experiment with this question.
http://filthyrichmind.com/2011/10/does-your-name-really-affect-your-personality/

The Origin of St. Patrick's Day

   This article says that St. Patrick's is actually a religious holiday and a cultural holiday. It celebrates Saint Patrick, the most recognized or the patron saints in Ireland, and the arrival of Christianity in Ireland. It is celebrated by wearing green, having parades, having a feast and, of course, drinking alcohol. Today St. Patrick's Day is probably the most widely celebrated saints day.
   I had no idea that St. Patrick's Day is when Christianity was 'brought' to Ireland. That is so cool! I guessed I never really thought about the reasoning behind St. Patrick's Day besides it just being another reason for people to go out and party. I find it really interesting that the celebration of Christianity in Ireland is celebrated by so many people who have zero ties to anything having to do with that day. I also find it funny that to celebrate it people go out and get drunk and party.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Patrick's_Day

Can Music Affect Plant Growth?

   This article is all about how plants are effected by music. People have thought that classical music has positive effects on plants whereas rock music or other loud music has a negative effect. A recent study at the University of North Carolina has actually shown that plants that receive 100-110 decibels of noise grow better than those plants that don't. This article however, is not very decisive about the topic. It mostly says that one must do the experiment for the right reasons and not just to prove that rock music is harmful.
Personally, i didn't like this article. i was hoping to find something with a more definitive answer. This article basically just said that how plants react to music can't really be related to how humans react to music. It also said that while doing this experiment the conductor of it could see the results he or she would like the see and not the actual results. He or she could be biased toward one side or the other and the experiment would not be credible.
http://amelia-hill.suite101.com/does-music-affect-plant-growth-a282993

Are Crime and Race Related?

   This article is asking if crime and race are related. It says that African Americans make up only 13% of the United States population but they make up 39% of the incarcerated population. So are African Americans more likely to commit crime? Not necessarily. Of all the reasons that someone would commit a crime 60% of it has to do with what type of environment a child grew up in. A child in a poverty-stricken area is more likely to commit a crime than those who aren't. The same thing goes for children being raised by a single parent, If a child only has one parent they are more likely to commit some type of crime.
   This article didn't really surprise me that much. I guess the thing that shocked me the most was the percentages it showed at the beginning of the article. The fact that a child in a lower class area would be more likely to commit a crime makes total sense to me. Maybe the child needed to steal food to survive or maybe he or she needed to steal something to sell in order to pay for school or something. Now I'm not saying that it's okay; I'm just saying it's not all that surprising to me.
http://skovacs.wrytestuff.com/swa609105-Race-And-Crime-Is-Crime-Color-Related-Racism-In-America-And-Education.htm

Man Almost Dies After Drinking Red Bull

   This article says how a man, Matthew Penbross, almost died after drinking eight Red Bull's in five hours. He was at a motocross race and wanted an edge on his opponents. He said after the incident how important it is to get started and be the first person around the first corner. After finishing the race that day he noticed his heart was racing and all of the sudden he collapsed. An ambulance rushed to the scene and Matthew needed defibrillation. After his recovery, he said that warning labels need to be improved on energy drinks. The labels say that "X" amount should not be consumed but they do not say what will happen if you do drink too much. Matthew Penbross has sworn off Red Bull.
   Wow! That is really scary! I had no idea Red Bull could actually cause your heart to stop beating. I knew that energy drinks weren't good for you and could eventually harm your health but I didn't know they could stop your heart. I guess it makes since though. It raises your pulse which can put a strain on your heart.
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2007/08/18/1186857834956.html

Should the United Staes Legalize Gay Marriage?

   This article talks about gay marriage and if it should be legalized or not. Certain states have already legalized same sex marriage but many haven't. Many states seem to be against it with the main argument being scripture or somehow religiously based even though the United States has no official religion. So if the United States has no official religion why can states use scripture as an argument against gay marriage?
   Personally, I think that gay marriage should be legal due to the fact that every person have the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (specifically the pursuit of happiness.) I think that everyone has the right to  be happy and live the way they choose, and if that means they would like to marry someone of the same gender then so be it. I think that if the United States is considered to be secular then arguments using any kind of religious tie should not be credited or even listened to. Marriage isn't just about two people of the opposite gender but rather a relationship built on love, support, and trust. If someone finds that in their same gender then I see no problem with that. 50% of marriages end in divorce anyways so why not try something different? I doubt the gay community could do any worse.
http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2011/07/07/should-gay-marriage-be-legal-in-the-entire-united-states