Bblair0424's Weblog

The Great Debate

bblair0424 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:31:31 +0000

so this article is all about the debate over the drinking age or as the author puts it, the lack of a debate. People usually see their opinion and that’s it. The drinking age either needs to be 21 or 18, but this is where my opinion comes in to play. I think the drinking age should be 19. I think there is legitimate reason for making it 19, too.The federal government’s National Survey on Drug Use and Health found that in 2005, the most recent year for which complete figures are available, 85 percent of 20-year-old Americans reported that they had used alcohol. I don’t know if that looks like the drinking age is really doing anything, does it? http://rhymeswithright.mu.nu/archives/237180.php

3.3 Billion

bblair0424 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:23:27 +0000

I just found this blog interesting.There are approximately 3.3 billion cell phones on this planet. That is a whole lot of cell phone plans and text messages and minutes. In 59 countries there are more accounts than people. Only 10% of the world’s population remains without cell coverage. I just think that’s a lot of cell phones. geezus.

How to lose your license without really trying

bblair0424 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:17:59 +0000

North Carolina is taking bans on booze to a new level as part of a passel of legislation that also bans alcohol inhalers and changes requirements for ankle bracelets for boozers:

As of Saturday, people can lose their driver’s licenses for providing alcohol to anyone under 21. The penalty is important because many underage drinkers get alcohol from friends or family members, said Craig Lloyd, the executive director of the North Carolina chapter of Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

The law means that, theoretically, parents could be punished for giving a glass of wine to their 20-year-old son or daughter, even if the 20-year-old never gets behind the wheel.

I think this is a little extreme and is going to cause problems for many people. I think this is just another instance of the government interfering with what’s not a problem.

http://www.reason.com/blog/

Grim Reaper

bblair0424 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:09:09 +0000

This blog discusses effective alcohol education strategies and the best way is to stress safety over scare. I thought that was an interesting way to look at it because most parents use the scare technique. This is one technique used:A costumed ”Grim Reaper”removes one student from class every 15 minutes. Next, a police officer reads an obituary that has been written by the “dead” student’s parents. The program also includes a simulated traffic crash, hospital overnight retreat, and – even better – an audio-visualization of every student’s death.

USA Today and Science

bblair0424 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:06:29 +0000

This blog again discusses the drinking age of 21, but it takes a different look on it. It discusses science and the studies and research that are constantly being done yet everything always seems to contradict itself. Science can be pro-21 drinking age, yet the other atleast 50 studies that probably aren’t mentioned in your magazine or newspaper can’t find a link between the higher drinking age and lower alcohol related fatalities. I just thought this blog was interesting for that perspective on the topic.

http://blog.chooseresponsibility.org/

What about 19?

bblair0424 — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 15:03:28 +0000

This blog is exactly what I wrote my paper on. It talks about the benefits of having a drink age set at nineteen instead of 21 or 18. It gives facts and statistics on drinking and it discusses the arguments around the drinking age that are perfect for my paper. It talks about the drinking age now and how affective it is(or isn’t) and then it discusses the pros and cons of lowering the drinking age.

http://blog.chooseresponsibility.org/

Healthiest & Unhealthiest

bblair0424 — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:25:32 +0000

This article is very interesting. It lists facts about the healthiest and unhealthiest states in the united states. These are the top six in both categories:
Healthiest
1. Vermont
2. Minnesota
3. Hawaii
4. New Hampshire
5. Connecticut

Unhealthiest
46. Tennessee
47. Oklahoma
48. Arkansas
49. Louisiana
50. Mississippi

These are the top and bottom 5 in binge drinking:
Highest percentage of drinkers
1. Wisconsin (69% drinkers – 12th in health ranking)
2. Vermont (65%)
2. Rhode Island (65% – 11th health ranking)
4. Connecticut (63%)
5. New Hampshire (63%)
5. Massachusetts (63% – 9th health ranking)

Lowest percentage of drinkers
46. Mississippi (36%)
47. West Virginia (34% – 44th health ranking)
48. Kentucky (33% – 43rd health ranking)
49. Tennessee (30%)
50. Utah (26% – 6th health ranking)

In all of the healthiest five states, a majority drinks. In all the unhealthiest states, a minority drinks. So this raises a question, does alcohol affect your health like people think it does?….

http://www.peele.net/blog/index.html#071106

thanksgiving

bblair0424 — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 13:21:48 +0000

Thanksgiving is break is rapidly approaching. All of the girls in my dorm seem to be ecstatic. however, i find it odd that my roommate and i are so not looking forwarding to stepping back into our homes right across the bridge. we have both lived in columbia for what seems like forever and the idea of going home and re-entering what was never a really good time just doesn’t excite us. so i have convinced my family to hold thanksgiving in charleston, my favorite place. and to make things even better, i have to work tuesday night, wednesday night, black friday morning, black friday night at job number 2, and saturday is the big game. so needless to say, i have managed to make it where i will not have to spend even a meal at my house.
don’t get me wrong, i am so excited about seeing my family again. i do miss them. and as close as i am to home, you would think i would have seen someone like mom who works 3 doors down from the b.a. but no, i have not seen my parents but maybe 4 or 5 times since school has started. i do miss my little brother. he’s pretty much amazing, but i think he has taken to being the only child. he seems to be getting things his way these days and that will have to come to an end. this is the end of my ranting today. even though english is canceled…my other professors still feel the need to make me attend.

Saying No

bblair0424 — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 04:17:19 +0000

When to say no is the main topic of this article. The article goes into detail and names all of the things 18, 19, and 20 year olds can do which is everything. everything except drink. They list things that should or could be done to help the situation, then they state the one thing that can truely help solve the problem: parents should teach responsible drinking. It states, “Underage drinkers and heavy drinkers combined consume 61 percent of the alcohol sold in the U.S.” I really like this fact because it show that if people were shown the proper way to do something, they wouldn’t abuse it.

http://www.reason.com/news/show/35643.html

procrastination

bblair0424 — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 04:12:24 +0000

So I took a break from my biology exam review to do my blogs for the week and I have decided that the amount of procrastination in my life has reached new levels. As for this blog assignment, each week I have waited until Sunday night at the latest possible moment to remember to do it. Im assuming the week is starting on mondays. Anyways, I again, have decided to pull an all nighter for my biology exam tomorrow. and i have a spanish exam wednesday and a spanish paper due thursday and a math exam friday and probably some paper due in english coming up. so needless to say, i am looking forward to thanksgiving break. So that over my thanksgiving break, i can reflect and be thankful that the procrastination that has so recently consumed my life, has not killed me.