"7-year-old Girls with Breasts"

Mario Henriquez

Professor: Dr. Smith

Monday, May 12, 2014

“Early Puberty”

The rapid sexual organs in children, especially above seven year old, is something interesting to learn. In the passage of “7-year-old Girls with Breasts,” by Elizabeth Braw who writes a lot of studies that the medicine has been made to discover how Breast, are growing in a way so fast before a child enter the age of mature. The passage focuses on girls with breasts at young age. I consider that Doctors should investigate more about early puberty because it will help us to understand the cause of this situation in children.

The Doctor helps my sister to resolve a situation in my family that we experienced early puberty. My niece is six year old and  my sister told me that, her doctor to her to buy for her daughter a blouse’s breast because she has noticed that my niece’s chest are growing so early. Another thing that my sister also did, she bought a deodorant because my niece was sweating a lot and was getting a little smell under her arms. In my family’s case is one of the factor that in the passage, Mr. Biro explains: “Today more 7-and 8-year old girls are developing breasts than was the case in 1997,” in the past century, there were probably few cases of girls getting their breasts growing faster than today’s century.  

The medicine could help us to understand the rapid and slow changing in our body .We are having too many cases that we see children that look older than the age that they supposed to look like. My cousin is twelve year old and looks fifteen years old. Any person can thing that she has that age. When she reaches more age her organs will develop rapidly, instead of develop in accordance with her age. In my case, I am an adult but my doctor told me that cells are developing slow because usually people ask for my age and I tell them my age, they do not believe me , I am twenty seven year old and people say that I look nineteen or twenty year old.

As I said before, early puberty in children is very important to discover and the medical field will play a major role to help us to conclude this fact. The passage of “7-year-old Girls with Breasts,” was very interesting to read about it.

 

"Is Music a Good Tool for Health?"

Mario Henriquez        

Professor: Dr. Smith

Wednesday, April 02, 2014

“The Benefit of the Music”

What do you think about Music? Do you think that Music is only good for dance? You are not right. Nowadays, the Music is part of therapy for the medicine field. In the passage of “Is Music a Good Tool for Health,” by Elizabeth Scott shows us how the music is helpful in health’s problem or state of mind. As example from the passage, the music can be used to help cancer patients, depression, mood and controls body and mind. I also consider that, the music is very helpful as therapy is the medicine because it helps patient to not thinking about their illness or problems, and also help us to change our state of mind.

The music helped my grandmother, when she was sick of cancer. I remember that when I used to call her of visit her, she used to play in the radio that music that she used to hear or like. Everytime, she was with her radio listening to her music and dancing. One day, my mother took her to the doctor for her quimio therapy and she took her mini Ipod. My mother asked her why she is bringing that, she told her: “because it keeps me in calm and most of the time, when I bring it, I forgot that I am there taking therapy.” Unfortunately, she died but at least she used to hear the music that she liked and used them as a therapy to feel relax, and forgot about her sickness condition.

In my Critical Thinking class, I experienced how the music changed the student’s state of mind. I remember that before the class start, the students, most of them, worked or had another class before the critical thinking class, and/or they were in school for the entire day.  We, the students, were tired, some of them did not feel to be in class. The professor asked us, how we are and we told her how we feel. She, the professor, said: “I am going to play music, we are going to stand and do a little exercise but I promised that, those exercise would not be hard.” We, the students, hardly stood up and followed what she said, when we finished, I experienced that my mood changed, I felt relax and forgot that I was in class. In the classroom was another environment, compare with the environment that was there before, you will find the difference. The other students, also felt relax. I saw how their state of mood or mind changed. Before class, there were quiet students, after they (students) were talking with a lot of energy. Such as class, supposed to finish at eight thirty in the night and it finished seven minutes after. My professor used the music to start the class and change our state of mind and she got good results.

In conclusion, the music is a good weapon to combat our state of mind and useful for medical therapy. In my cause and my grandmother’s cause helped us a lot. The passage of “Is Music a Good Tool for Health?,” was very interesting to read about it.

"Allegory of the Cave"

Mario Henriquez

Professor: Dr. Smith

"Allegory of the Cave"

In the passage of “The Allegory of the Cave,” from Wikipedia is about three prisoners who were in cave since child. They were seating chained and looking straight forward to a blank wall that was projecting shadows of different animals. They thought or believe that those shadows were real animals but the reality was, that their professor was playing behind those images without their knowledge. The professor chose one of the prisoner and let him freed outside, showed him the reality. The prisoner saw the natural environment and saw how his appearance was reflected in the water. The prisoner decided to go back to tell his friends, the other prisoner, about his experiences and share knowledge but the other prisoner did not know pay attention to him. They treated him like if he was crazy.

"Individuals in Groups"

Mario Henriquez

Professor: Dr. Smith

“Prefer to be alone, instead of in groups”

What will you do if you are walking with your friends on the street, and see that someone needs help? Will you wait if some of your friends decide to help the other person or will you take the initiative immediately to help? In the passage of “Individuals in Groups,” by Carol Tavris who claims that, people tend to act different when they are in group or alone. As an example from the passage, if a person observes some disaster or someone in dangerous, that person who observes what is happening will call immediately for help. In contrast, if that person was in a group of three or four will wait until see someone who takes the quick action. Tavris says that, these actions psychologists called: “diffusion of responsibility” or “social loafing,” which means to leave the responsibility to another person, especially if you are in group and suppose to cooperate. I consider that, people who are in group should help also because not only one person could help and handle everything.

In my last semester, when I was taking a critical thinking class. My professor gave us an assignment to work out in groups of four. The assignment was to read a quote, discuss it and choose the best answer from the person of your group, and also one person has to come up at front and explain that quote. The group that I was in, were of three not of four. We were reading the quote and, as soon as, they saw me reading and writing some note. The two of them asked me, what I wrote. I told them what I wrote and I asked them also what they did but they did not write anything. They told me that, they were tired and feel not to have any ideas. I had to do all the assignment, come up at front and explain the quote. I felt a little bit upset because I was tired also like them, and I tried my best to do the assignment and the rest of the two, did not do help me. My explanation from the quote was used as group but if one person at least helps me, we will work together as a group not like individual.

Another case that I experienced doing things alone was where I live. In the building, at the end of the hallway, they were a group of teenager of five smoking weed. In that area, where they were smoking, they have people living there around four apartments, including mine. Every day, when I used to come to my apartment, they were outside in the hallway, smoking weed and that bad smell was going into my apartment. One day, I took the elevator and my neighbors were there. They were complaining about those teenagers, smoking weed. I told them, why you have not complain to the superintendent or the landlord. They told me that, they do not have time to see them or talk to them. I told them that, I was tired of see those guys and also tired of having my apartment smelling like a weed plantation. They, my neighbors, laugh and did not say anything. They just went inside of their apartment. Next day morning, I was in my room, it was around nine. I smell weed inside of my room. I immediately woke up very upset, I opened the door and see those guys smoking in the hallway. I told them very upset that if they want to smoke to do it outside because the smell goes inside of my apartment. They said to me, sorry. I guess that, my neighbors heard me, when I was speaking with those teenager because they were gossip in the building with other neighbors , saying that how I reacted so early in the morning and argued with the teenagers who were smoking in the hallway and stopped to hang around there. In the afternoon, I met one of my neighbor and told her that, some of the people who live on my same floor was gossip( talking about me) because I went out of my apartment and speak up against of those guys who were smoking weed in the hallway. I also told her that, it is crazy that we all pay rent and live on the same floor plus we know each other and not of them speak up against of those guys smoking weed or stopped them. They had to wait until someone do something, instead of create a union and speak against of those actions because I did it today, but you do not know if tomorrow  they will come back and do the samething because it was only one person who spoke but if all of us speak, we will do a major difference.

In conclusion, work or do things alone is not fair, if everyone put a little bit of help will be fantastic. The passage of “Individuals in Groups,” was very interesting to read about and I will recommend anybody to read it.

 

Mario Henriquez

Professor: Dr. Smith

March 17, 2014

“Change the subject, I’ve already knew the truth”

          How would you react, when somebody comes to you and talk about a subject or something that you already know? Image that someone approach to you saying something that you are familiar with, and his or her explanations or facts are opposite of what you knew. In the passage of “ I Know the Truth, So Don’t Bother Me With Facts,” by Jeffrey Kluger show us how people react when someone present an opinion or a case on a specific subject that a person already knew but that person who you are presenting the facts act differently because you and him or her has different belief. Kluger says: "Even when people do take time to learn the facts, however, the effort often does no good." It is difficult to convince someone who believe in something and you come to tell that person something opposite of their believe, no matter, the facts that you show to that person, your efforts could be useless because you do not know how long it will take to that person to accept the facts. I consider that, if someone is presenting me a subject about something that I already knew, I will hear that person because it could give me more details or changed something that I knew but could be totally wrong.

          My neighbor was worried about the health care policies of Barack Obama. I told her the different options that she could make. However, she told me that I was wrong because she heard from somebody else that if she does not have a health insurance, she has to pay a penalty. I explained her that: “ If you are working, your company supposed to offer you a health insurance but if they do not offer you that, you should go by yourself and apply for health insurance because it is important to have that in case if something happen to you.” She told me that, she also is afraid because they might charge her a lot of money and she does not make sufficient money to pay insurance. I told her that: “It depends on how much you earn, for example, maybe you are earning less than a thousand and they will approve your case.” I convinced her after a long conversation, and next day she went to get the information in the health care office. On the same day afternoon, I saw her and she told me that, she found the information that she needed and presented her income and her case will be approve because she is not earning enough money. My neighbor, resulted her problem, however she knew about the case but did not have too much details.

          This passage reminds me of, an article that I read about Christopher Columbus. I believe that he was a hero and a big character in the America history but the article that I read, was showing facts that were against of my believes. It was saying that Christopher Columbus is true that he was a big and important character in America history but he destroyed a lot of human being, which was Indians in the Caribbean. He was a criminal because he killed and mistreat slaves. For that moment, I felt offended because of my believe but I started to think and realized that, what was saying in the article was true because in my country, the Dominican Republic, we are mixed of Europeans and Africans. Columbus when arrived there, they were Indians and they were killed by his soldiers. In the history book only explain, the good side of the history but it does not mention a lot of bad things that Christopher Columbus did. Everything has a logical meaning, before he arrived as I mentioned people were living in that island and the colonist invaded the entire territory and killed everyone. A lot of people like me, or some of them takes time to realize something true that is familiar, as Kluger explained before we take time to change our believe.

          As I mention before, it is good to know about a subject or a case that someone is presenting you because you will have knowledge of what the other person is saying. Probably, you will feel uncomfortable because you believe in something that is totally opposite of the other person but you should hear his or her points of view because both can share and obtain more experience.

Essay #2

                                  "I Know the Truth,so Don't Bother Me With Facts"

According to the article "I Know the Truth, so Don't Bother Me With Facts" by Jeffrey Kluger, the author claims that people tend to react differently when something that they are familiar with is presented. Kluger states that, sometimes  in some causes that facts that is presented might help to change their opinion. Kluger also says that is difficult to convince someone who believe in something and you come to tell that person something opposite of their believe, no matter, the facts that you show to that person, your efforts could be useless because you do not know how long it will take to that person to accept the facts. As Kluger says: " Even when people do take time to learn the facts, however, the effort often does no good." 

Mario Henriquez        

Dr. Smith

Enz99

Wednesday, March 05, 2014

What do you think about ads, are they informative or mentally toxic for our brain?

In the passage of “hype,” by Lasn Kalle, the author argues that advertisements are mental pollutions in our society. Lasn claims that anywhere that you stop by, as an example from the passage, in the gas station while you are putting gas into your car, in the nozzle you see an ad and also at the bank while you are waiting for the machine to spit out your money an ad pops out. Although the author consider ads as mental pollution, I think ads are helpful because maintain us inform of what is happening in our society.

I remember that one day, I wanted to go to the movie theater with my friends from school. We could not decide what to watch in the movie theater because the three of us did not know what the recent movie was playing on theaters. While we were on the platform waiting for the train, we saw an ad of a new movie that was going to be play on that night. That ad, bring us the attention because it was relate to action and cartoons that we saw when we were so young. It was about the Batman movie, we decided to watch it because the preview that was shown on the ad reflects what was going to show in the movie. We went to the movie theater and saw Batman. It was fantastic just as it was showed in the ad where we were waiting for the train.

Another as that I saw, it was when I was watching a Hispanic series. It was about people who is taking Medicaid or any government help, could apply for citizenship for free of cost. I immediately called my sister, who was waiting for her tax return to use that money to apply for the citizenship. I told her what I saw on television and she told me that, she has not seen anything about because she did not have enough time to watch television. I gave her the information, she called and qualified for the citizenship of free cost because she is taking food stamps. Thanks for the advertisement that I saw on television, my sister did not pay for her citizenship and saved her money.

Other ad that brought everybody attention in our country, was about a missing child who escape from the school that he was attending. Such advertisement, describes the child in case if someone finds o sees him. In the ad, he was showed as a special child who is mute and has some mental problems. He was named Avonte Oquendo who unfortunately ,the authorities  found his cadaver at the Queens’s river but before he was found, in every community or anyplace you go, people were talking about him because it took months to find him, and the authorities were offering a lot of money for the person who find the child. I remember that, there were ads on the train, buses  even in the highways while you were driving an ad was displayed  and also on my cellphone while I was listening a Pandora station for music, an ad about this child came out.

As I said before, advertisements keep us every day inform about anything that is new in our environment. In the passage of “Hype,” the author has its own opinion of how she sees advertisements which is respectful but I think that advertisements are part of our life.