"Alzheimers" Reaction

This was a really good documentary because it showed well done research and a lot of emotion.  It's interesting that women tend to have it more than men, and I never knew there were stages of Alzheimers.

Placebo Effect

The Placebo effect is when a patient receives medication from a trusted doctor or medical expert and told that the medication will help heal them from the illness that they have. However in reality the medication given is useless and doesn't help at all with the illness whatsoever. However what is baffling is that there is a high percentage of patients that undergo the placebo effect that actually heal quickly when taking these "medications". I thought this was fascinating. Does the human mind really have the power to heal the body physically if it is under the impression it is being helped and will get better soon? This is still a great mystery in the scientific world as to why the Placebo Effect even works at all.

Another Reason to Hate Donald Trump

A delegate who was elected for Donald Trump to the Republican National Convention was indicted for a variety of charges ranging from possession and creation of child pornography, possession of explosives, and possession of illegal guns. Caleb Bailey from Maryland was indicted this past Wednesday the 18th. At his home, authorities found hundreds of illegal weapons and explosives. If you don't hate Donald Trump enough already, he is backed up and supported by a man who exploited a minor to create and circulate child pornography, and possessed and sold illegal weapons and artillery.

Tobacco in Baseball

Tobacco has been in baseball for forever.  "It's part of the game", is what you hear a lot people say who are chewing tobacco.  I'm all for tradition and baseball is a game that is known for being old school and keeping the game the way it's always been, but I think that chewing tobacco needs to go.  This year is the first year a lot of stadiums have banned all tobacco from being used including by the players, coaches, and fans.  You hear about the old guy who has been chewing for 40 years who finally gets mouth cancer and so you think okay, maybe if I do it only a little bit it will not affect me.  But, Daniel Norris a top prospect, 22 years old, got cancer from chewing tobacco.  A 22 year old player who is expected to be great had to spend most of the offseason treating his cancer and not being able to play or do anything.  I think growing up and seeing big league players having a huge hunk of tobacco in their lip gives kids the idea that it is okay to chew tobacco, but they do not understand the major health consequences that can occur.

Jameis Winston

I totally remember hearing about the Jameis Winston case a couple of years ago.  It is really amazing how the media portrayed it and it was almost like he tried to play the victim card.  They talked about how it came out after he became a star, but really it came out after it happened but did not get the nation attention until he was a star.  The way ESPN and other media outlets portrayed it, was that the girl had sex with Jameis and was trying to get fame and so she made up the story that the sex was nonconsenual.  After hearing her side of the story it is pretty clear to me that this was definitely sexual assault and rape.  It is amazing how now only a few years after and nobody ever talks about it.  Most people do not even know about it, or remember it and that is absolutely upsetting. Jameis got into a lot of trouble at Florida State, but the coaching staff and the administration let him get away with it.  Now as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers it never gets brought up that he raped a girl, or he stole crab legs, or he stood on a table in the middle of the quad and yelled and obscene phrase.  Instead he is a great quarterback and a leader and I think that is awful.

Mind the Gap

As we all prepare to explore our own paths in life after graduation, many of us have chosen to continue our education at college, the typical path many students choose to take. However, another option that has grown in popularity in recent times is to opt to take a gap year in between high school and college, heck even the president's daughter is taking a gap year before joining the Harvard class of 2021. A gap year provides real world experience and a sometimes well needed break from school to people who may not be sure if they want to continue their education at a university quite yet, or even want to experience something other than school, like a job or traveling/studying abroad, before returning to the routine life of school. More and more students have been opting to either participate in service trips/study-abroad-type trips during their gap year, providing them with exposure to other cultures and educational experiences outside of a classroom. I believe that, when used properly, the things that people experience during their gap year can be extremely beneficial to them in the long run whether they decide to return to school after their year or continue on to another path in life. What do you think about choosing to take a gap year after high school?

The Case Against 8

This Case Against 8 was probably one of my favorite documentary we've seen. Same sex marriage has been a controversial topic for years and it's been a right people have been trying to fight for. I think if it wasn't for kris perry and Saundra Stier putting there relationship out in the open for and for Ted Olsen they wouldn't have gained their 14th amendment. People for prop 8 made propaganda saying if they allow same sex to be legal it's like allowing prostitution to be legal. I think this is absurd and don't relate to each other in anyway. If two people love each other what gives other people the right to stop them from marriage. So I'm glad that they finally got the right they deserved.