What is GMO?

GMO stands for Genetically Modified organisms. A genetically Modified Organism is a living things like plants animals and bacteria that have been mixed with another species. Scientist take the DNA of one organism and force the DNA into another totally different organisms. Genetically Modified Organisms do not occur naturally in nature. They are all synthetically made in a laboratory by biologist and biotech companies. These organisms are made to create bigger plants that are more resistant to drought, bugs, pestidies, and so on. These Genetically Modified Organisms may be seen as a victory to man kind but maybe they are hurting us much more than they are helping.

History of Genetically Modified Organisms:

Before Genetically Modified organisms could be developed scientist first had to discovery where our genes were stored.In nineteen thrity five Andrei Belozersky isolated pure DNA. That was the very hidden start to Genetically Modified Organisms, but in ninteen eighty  the first Genetically Modified Organisms patent was issued. This was the first patent ever issued on a live organism.The first Genetically Modified organisms was actually made to eat up oil from oil spills and help our ecosystem not hurt it. In nineteen eighty two the Food and Drug Administration approved the first GMO declaring it safe for users. The approval of the Food and Drug Administration got things ramped up and in ninetten ninty four  the first Genetically Modified Organisms product was available at grocery stores. It was tomato that consumers were able to buy that was genetically modified

Government involvement in Genetically Modified organisms:  

The United States governments does not take an active role in the area of GMOs. They do not support the idea of labeling foods that are genetically modified. The government does not believe that GMO are bad as long as they are still making a lot of money off of GMO. The FDA does not require GMO to be  tested at their labs or any safety precautions. They just rely on what the producers say about the organism in question and then releases it into our grocery stores. The governments wants to keep labeling off GMO foods so people will continue to buy them.

How do Genetically Modified organisms affect your life and health?

Many people are scared on the affects of Genetically Modified organisms on the human body. A study on rats was able to discover the Genetically Modified organisms where not toxic to animals. By feeding the rats Genetically Modified organisms for food they were able to see if any rats died or developed any diesels or other problems. The rats were fine but how about their offspring. Well another group of scientist aso went to rats to solve this problem. They studied the rats for three generations while feeding them Genetically Modified organisms corn. The rats had no problems in fertility or changes in offspring. The Genetically Modified organisms did not affect their ability to reproduce in any way nor did the Genetically Modified organisms affect the organs of the rats or their children. However the exact affect on human still remains unknown. It may be a risk to eat Genetically Modified organisms but we all do it everyday even without our knowledge.

Advantages and Diadvantages of Genetically Modified Organisms

https://greengarageblog.org/13-main-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-gmos

Will GMOs Hurt My Body? The Public’s Concerns and How Scientists Have Addressed Them

Genetically Modified Organisms have many pro and cons that tag a long with it.  GMO can have pesticides within the plant that can kill very important insects in our ecosystem. They can kill caterpillars,spiders and many other tiny but vital creatures. On the other hand foods that have been genetically modified can have a higher nutritional value. Some Genetically Modified Organisms foods have more vitamins that can help keep your body healthy and strong. Genetically Modified Organisms organisms can also cause more weeds to develop. The Genetically Modified Organisms can pass on some of its properties onto weeds that make them stronger and harder to kill. Then farmers start using stronger pesticides that are harmful to many mammals and fish in the ocean where all these pesticides eventually runoff to.

There are millions of books in our world and in thousand of different languages.  Many people enjoy reading books as a way to past time, go on a wild adventure, or collect knowledge.  There are two main categories of books non-fictions and fictions and a whole wide range of subcategories.  There is even a book out there that even the most unenthusiastic readers will love. Here are a few of the worlds most famous books and a little about them.

1, Harry Potter by J.K Rowling

Harry Potter  is a series of seven books about a world with wizards and witches. The books are a series of wild adventures the Harry Potter and his two best friends Hermione Granger and Ronald Weasly go on.

2.Ulysses by James Joyce

This is a modern telling of the Odysses by Homer. Featuring thrilling adventures.

3. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Great Gatsby take place during the roaring 20s. This book is about the life of one mysterious man.

4. Moby Dick by Herman Melville

This is a classic in American literature about a white whale and the tale to capture it.

5. The Odyssey by Homer

The odyssey is a book about mythological creatures and one mighty crew who has to battle them.  During the time these tales were told they were believed to be true accounts of heroism.

But what is the draw toward books why do people like them so much. After all they are just words on a page. Some people cannot put down a book after they pick one up other cannot even stay focused long enough to read a single page. Why is that? Well avid readers grow with the characters in the book. Sometimes they feel like they become the character themselves. Others enjoy the adventure a book brings them on. They feel as if they are actually in the story. Some people enjoy the quest for knowledge, books are some of the most priceless primary sources in the world. History buff enjoy reading about the past. It always you to experience multiple realities.

Reading also strengthens your brain. Reading involves a complex process in your brain stimulating nerves and increasing tension.  Reading also increases a person ability to empathizes. As the reader you feel a connection to the characters feeling their loss,sadness, and joy.  The way we form social connections and relationship is through the “theory of mind”. Empathy is need to make social relations ship so in essence if you read a lot you are better able to form social connections.

Reading can also help the mental decline of your mind. It has been proven that reading can help older people keep a sharp mind. It helps keep your mind engaged. Think of the brain like a mussel it need to workout in order to stay in shape.  As you grow older your body gets weaker, it may be harder to pick up objects same as it gets harder to remember names and places. But by reading and working out the brain you can slow this process down. It has even been known to slow the progress of dementia patients. Dementia is a progressive disease that eats away at the brain.

Reading books also has great stress relieving qualities. Instead of watching tv at night to go to sleep try reading a book. The blue light from the tv will keep you up longer but reading a peaceful story will help you relax from a long stress full day. But experts recommend reading in another room other than your bedroom.  Reading for 30 minutes helps lower blood pressure and heart rate.

Depression can also be alleviated by reading a bit. People with depression often feel estranged from the rest of society. Reading allows you to temporarily leave your version of reality and join another. For people with depression they become swept up in the characters and their lives. Sometimes during the winter months people get seasonal depression because of the gloomy weather and the lack of outdoor activities. Reading a book is an amazing way to escape the weather and join a sunny tropical island. It has been known to decrease the effects of seasonal depression on people.

https://thegreatestbooks.org/

https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books#prevents-cognitive-decline

https://www.healthline.com/health/benefits-of-reading-books#what-to-read

Steal Pans are a musical instrument in the shape of a concave drum. They are made out of some type of high quality steal. These Steal pans can also be refereed to as steal drums. Steal Pans are part of the percussion family along with drums.  The musicians that play the steak pan are known as pannist and are known for their loose movements and dancing while playing. these instruments however can be tricky to play if you hit it in the wrong spot it may go out of tune. They also have an extremely limited octave range, its only about one and a half octaves. Steal Pans can cost upwards of three hundred dollars just for one single pan. With these rather expensive instruments you must be careful because they can be damaged in the sun and by dropping them. The steal pan or steal drum was born out of poverty. These are unique instruments that origins lay in Trinidad and Tobago’s with Ellie Martel

Ellie Martel was know as the father of steal drums. He created the first steal drum that was concave instead of convex. This gave him a better rhythm a better sound that is easier to control. He adapted an instrument to fit his personal style. Ellie Martel was gifted with an ear for music and was able to make a steal barrel into a know world renewed musical instruments. People had been banging on drums for year begore Martel but by making the drum concave he was able to create better sound.

The only way to tune pans is by using a small hammer

Tuning a steal pan to some people is seen as one of the hardest occupations in the world. It required a steady hand with precise movement. In order to make the correct notes it is a long and tedious process. Ellie Martel has dedicated countless hours to perfect the notes of steel drums. But being that it is still a relatively knew the process of tuning the pans isn’t that developed, and there may never be an alternative. But right now, only a small handheld hammer is how the steel drums are tuned nowadays.

Ellie Martel made the first 55-gallon steel pan

Martel took the phrase “when life give you lemons make lemonade” to heart. He had his famous concave steel drum named barracuda stolen from him. Martel did not let this lose affect him he went on to create the first 55-gallon steel pan.  He was beaten up from the robbery and many would have ended there career but no he continued on and was able to create a revolutionary version of the steel pans.

The steal pans are unique sound that have been growing in popularity. There are now professional steel pan bands and players. In the past steal pans were accompanied by cow bells, tins, and buckets, in order to make a melody. Know there are enough steal pan types to make an entire band. Many music artist are incorporation the sound of the steal pan into their musical pieces. Kokomo by the Beach boys,Somebody to love me by Mark Robinson and Business Intl, Close by Nick Jonas, and Crank that by Soulja Boy are ll examples of songs that have the steal pans as an instrument.

Trinidad has had the largest steal drums festival since 1964, where the best steal pan or drums bands play. They call this musical festival Panoramoa. In 1992 the steal pan became the national instrument of Trinidad and Tobaga. In the beginning days of the steal pan the bands would make the instrument themselves as to hide the secrets from the other bands. Some drums were louder, softer, different octaves, and even shapes. Today the steel pan or steal drum is relatively standardized creating an original sound that can not be replicated.  Mast Academy actually has their own steel pan band called Mast Steal, who perform various times through the school year.

https://www.songfacts.com/category/songs-featuring-steel-drums

https://www.softschools.com/facts/music_instruments/steel_pan_facts/3002/

All the people of the world have many different cultures,believes, and ideals. In order to best understand and respect people if is best to know their beliefs and culture. Many people will argue that our world if based off of religion and religious beliefs. But their are hundreds even thousands of different religions. The top 5 religions are Christianity ,Islam, atheism, Hinduism, and traditional Chinese religion. These are the top 5 religions based of of the number of people who practice.

Christianity is based off the idea that is is your job as a follower of Jesus to spread Christianity. That is why many countries claimed and colonized land in order to “spread Christianity”. Many previously colonized lands still practice Christianity today because it was forced upon them decades ago by foreign people. This is a monotheistic religion they believe in only one true God or heavenly Father. He has direct involvement in human affairs and plays a daily role in human life. They do believe in disciples of messengers of god. The bible is essential the rule book and story of God and how he created the earth and people. The bible also illustrates a heaven and hell and how you it is determined which one you will go to after you die. They believe that Jesus of Nazareth was God son and he was sent down to earth and was crucified.

Islam is also a monotheistic religion. Believers are known as Muslims and their God is called Allah.  Islam was brought to the world by a prophet named Mohammed. He claims that Moses,Jesus and the people of the bible were Gods prophet but they strayed from his teachings. Muslims believe in the 5 pillars similar to how Christian believe in the ten commandments. Shahadah the first pillar is that Allah is the one true God and Muhammad was his messenger. Salah the seoncd pillar is that you have to pray 5 times a day. Zahat is charitable giving to church or people in need. The Hajj is the pilgrimage to the Mecca the Islamic holy city. Last Fasting in the month of Ramadan.

Atheism is the third most popular religion in the world. Atheism is the belief in not God or higher divine being. Atheist believe in some type of evolution theory that humans are have just evolved from to where they are today perhaps from grater apes. Atheist do not believe in heavens or hells or even an after-life. They believe that when you die you simply die their is nothing after death. This no beliefs was looked down upon in most of the 20th century and before. Now it is more widely accepted and now frowned upon.

Hinduism is the next religion that mainly dominates the Indian subcontinents. Hinduism is a very complicated culture that is more ritualistic than Islam or Christianity.  By the people who practice it Hinduism is not a religion but a way of life. And is based off of 5 traditions: doctrine, practice, society, story, and devotion.  The Veda is their religious doctrine and is taught in class. They believe in moksha that you are freedom from the world and karma that your actions affect your future lives. The practice of Hinduism has a strong belief in reincarnation and that your place in the hierarchy of society is based on your actions.

Chinese folk religion is actually a combination of many religions. Similar to Hinduism they do not see it as a religion but as a culture. In Chinese folk religion it is free to mix believes and practices from other religion which is strictly not allowed in Islam or Christianity. They believe in the super natural of ghost, magic, and spirits. They also worship deities meaning a polytheistic religion. It seems that each town or city has its own spin of Chinese Folk religion and is geographically based.

Although there are many religions in the world it is important to treat the all with respect. Everyone was raised in a different culture. You should not judge or treat people differently because of their religious believes. With over 4,000 different religions we should accepting of all religions no matter hos much they differ from your personal opinion.

https://www.theregister.com/2006/10/06/the_odd_body_religion/

https://www.britannica.com/topic/Hinduism/General-nature-of-Hinduism

https://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/china/religion-

Jean Lopez

In 2020, we live in a world in which fashion, the way people dress is is very important. Fashion itself is a popular aesthetic expression which includes clothing, footwear, accessories, makeup, hairstyle, or even lifestyle. Fashion is usually a trend that tends to have seasons as people don’t dress the same in different seasons. Although they are often used together, fashion is not just clothes and costumes, but more of a way of seeing life differently. Even in shows are movies, clothes are shown to be very powerful as professional actors have to practice in particular clothes to feel more like their character.

Fashion Psychology:

Clothes you wear tend to send powerful signals to people around us, which projects the self image that we want each other to be perceived by. People in the street are interpreted by their style as impressions really differ based on the clothes someone is wearing. Surveys have shown that the true impact of clothing choices on the way in which we perceive and judge each other. Clothes are now often able to tell of our personalities. Researches show your clothing also impacts the way you think. For example, it has be proven that professional dresses increase abstract thinking and gives people more perspective. Even a simple tie for men can make them feel more caressive and more intellectual. “The formality of clothing might not only influence the way others perceive a person, and how people perceive themselves, but could influence decision making in important ways through its influence on processing style.” That is the reason why Presidents or other very influential people give speeches in full on tuxedoes and not a simple jacket as their image is very important to the people they are influencing.

Self Confidence:

Certain types of clothing can significantly decrease your levels of anxiety, while others can increase the levels of anxiety but can also negatively impact your self confidence. It is known that a person with the notion of fashionable clothes will be more charismatic and maybe even more likable because of their higher confidence. As mentioned earlier, clothing can make you feel powerful which boosts self confidence tremendously. A simple power tie can completely change people’s aspect of thinking. Those who dress up feel significantly more powerful and in control of situations over their peers who are not as well dressed as them. Dressing in business attires also help you think better as people who are dressed that way can think faster on their feet and have more creative ideas. It brings in fresh new ideas and a different point of view. Dressing in clothing is also associated with intelligence, for example the uniforms doctors or even pilots wear doesn’t only make them look smarter but it actually makes them act smarter according to an experimental social psychology journal. Even scientists when they were they uniforms, they act smarter because they feel the need to as when they are around normally dressed people they usually feel superior.e

https://www.psychologistworld.com/body-language/psychology-of-clothing-dating-dress

“We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”- The preamble of the Constitution of the United States, one of the biggest lies in the government. The history of America is built on lies, oppression, deaths, and endless wars against our minorities. From the murder of the Native Americans, the take over of the Mexicans, the oppression of the Japanese and Chinese-Americans, and not to forget the worst of all, the enslavement of African Americans. People of color have always been the minority in this country, the country that was stolen from the millions of people that already lived here. America is not the country of freedom, that is a lie, it is the country of sugar coating, sugar coating the truth. For generations, there have been movements of peaceful protests for justice. These peaceful marches always ended up with innocent lives taken and protesters being assaulted, however, this only happened when the protests are for the rights of African Americans. Their non-violent protests always turn into a battle fields because of the way conservative media protrays them leading police forces to use extreme measures because of racial profiling.

The movement “black lives matter” was created to bring awareness to the systemic racism and violence against black people. Many people, especially white people, tend to think that “black lives matter was created to undermine all the other lives”, yes all lives matter, however the fact that black men, women, and children fear for their lives everyday just because of the color of their skin, that gives them priority in the fight for their justice. As a white hispanic woman in this country I try to use my privilege for the better, to bring awareness to the horrible acts done against African Americans. Police brutality is a real and scary thing happening right now. Although, slavery ended almost 150 years ago and segregation ended more than 50 years ago, racism is still a virus in society that we fight against in this day and age. Racial profiling against black Americans have led to the death of countless innocent lives for them doing everyday things.

Trayvon Martin was a 17-year old boy that was shot and murdered for walking in a predominately white neighborhood. The police officer, George Zimmerman claimed he was using self-defense against the unarmed boy. Zimmerman was charged for murder.

Oscar Grant was a 22-year old man who was pinned to the ground by Anthony Pirone a police officer. Grant was unarmed and fataly shot in the back, helpeless and harmless. Johannes Mehserle the officer that shot him was found guilty of unvoluntary manslaughter.

Walter Scott was a 50 year old man that was stopped for non-functioning brake light. Michael Slager was a police officer that ran after Scott and murder him. Scott was unarmed and killed, slager was charged with 2nd degree murder.

The most recent, George Floyd was a 46 year old man accused of trying to use a conterfeit $20 bill in a deli. Derek Chauvin a police officer pinned him down restrain him and stopping his breathing. For almost 9 minutes Chauvin had his knee on Floyds neck. For almost 3 minutes George Floyd was unresponsive. Floyd died on the cold concrete that day, and Chauvin was charged with 3rd degree murder. The $20 bill was allegedly found, later on, to be a real bill.

These are only a fraction of the innocent lives taken by police officers who treated these African Americans as animals. The black community is just like any other community and should be seen as such. These murders should not be over looked but used a lesson and motivation to change America. America was never great, and we should make fight until we make it great for the first time in history.

Trauma is the experience of terrible physiological suffering that follows after a severe or life- threatening event occurs. People who suffer from trauma may develop emotional disorders like severe anxiety, anger, sadness, survivors guilt, or PTDS (post traumatic stress disorder). They also may experience trouble sleeping or physical pain, have rough personal or professional relationships, and feel less self-worth because of the overwhelming amount of stress.

Trauma can be caused by a few things, one thing that can cause trauma is ongoing relentless stress, living in a neighborhood that has a lot of crime or violence presented, another way this could be caused is by battling a life-threatening illness or going through experiencing traumatic events that happen repeatedly like bullying. Another way trauma can be caused is one time events that could be an accident or violent attack that happened in childhood. Lastly there are overlooked causes like surgery, sudden death of a close person or a few other situations.

This image shows how the brain processes trauma when there’s an immediate threat to your safety.

There are many symptoms of psychological trauma. There are emotional and psychological symptoms which include shock, denial or disbelief, confusion or difficulty concentrating, anxiety or fear, guilt, shame, self-blame, withdrawing from others, feeling sad or hopeless, feeling disconnected or numb. There are also physical symptoms which include insomnia or nightmares, fatigue, being startled easily, difficulty concentrating, racing heartbeat, edginess and agitation, aches and pains or muscle tension.

Symptoms of trauma usually last a few days to a few months, and slowly goes away as you process the unsettling event. Even when feelings of this memory start to fade and you start to feel better, you can still get painful memories and emotions from time to time, especially at times when it’s the anniversary of the event. 

If the psychological trauma symptoms don’t lessen or if they get worse and you see that you can’t move on from the event for a long period of time, you may be experiencing PTSD, post-traumatic stress disorder. Emotional trauma is a normal response to a terrible event, when the nervous system gets “stuck”, you are still in psychological shock, and you are unable to make sense of what happened or unable to process your emotions, this is when it becomes PTSD.

This chart help shows clearly the symptoms you may have for PTSD

This chart helps shows ways to cope with having PTSD

Potential therapies for PTSD are firstly one called prolonged exposure therapy. This is when you talk to a therapist about what situations or any other aspect that may trigger PTSD. There is also research going on using MDMA (Methyl​enedioxy​methamphetamine, a hallucinogenic drug) along with cognitive therapy to treat patients with PTSD. Patients tend to do three sessions. The use of MDMA helps patients talk about traumatic events that are difficult for them to talk about or recall when sober.

Emotional and Psychological Trauma

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/basics/trauma

https://www.apa.org/topics/trauma/index.html

How to Boost Your Immune System

Your daily routine is a big part of your immune system. Depending on what your daily routine consists of, it may impact your immune system positively, or negatively. The immune system is a biological defense system, and due to the current situation, a good immune system is a must.

Healthy Routine

To boost your immune system you have to make sure you are sleeping well. If you are a child or teenager you need a least 8-10 hours of sleep, if you are an adult you need at least 7 hours. Exercise is another big part in keeping your immune system healthy. Moderate exercise helps with inflamation and boost the effect of vaccinations.

Diet

Eating fruits, vegetables, legumes, and grains are rich in nutrients and otioxidants, which decrease inflammation in your body. The fiber feeds the gut microbiome, keeping the healthy bacteria in your body, which boost your immunity and prevent harmful pathogens to getting into your body. Healthy fats are important because they also prevent inflammation, and this property helps to fight against unhealthy bacteria, and viruses. It is very important to eatfermented food as they have probiotics, and these probiotics feed the healthy bacteria in your gut. These bacteria will boost your immune system. Another crucial step of your diet is how much sugar you are digesting. The overconsumption of sugar can cause obesity and diseases like diabetes II, which cause your immune system to weaken.  Make sure that you are staying hydrated, as dehydration causes you to be more likely to contract an illness. The illness might lower the effectiveness of your immune system. The last important thing about your diet is your nutrients. You have to make sure you enough of all the nutrients because they help to reduce the time in which you stay sick. For more information go to the website below:

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-boost-immune-health#8.-Manage-your-stress-levels

Other Ways to Stay Healthy

It is imperative that you don’t smoke , as smoking can cause illness that lower your immune system’s strength. Also, if you drink alcohol, make sure to drink in moderation. Make sure to wash your hands frequently and cook your meals throughoutly. Try to minimize stress.

The image above lists some of the things you can do to boost your immune system.

Misconception

The concept of boosting your immune system does not make much sense. Increasing the number of immune cells in your body to boost the immune system is not necessarily a good thing. Increasing your number of cells can result in many harmful situations, such as the risk of strokes. It is very different to boost the cells in your immune system because their are many types, and ech type reactes to different bacterias in different ways. The body is continoually making new cells, and more than necessary. But the body gets rid of the extra cells by a process called apoptosis. For more information vivit the website below:

https://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/how-to-boost-your-immune-system

The image above shows the steps, and explain what happens at each step of apoptosis.

“We hold these truths to be self evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights” is perhaps the biggest lie in the Declaration of Independence. People usually believe what they want to believe, but some people believe what others want them to believe and that is what’s happening in the US. The United States education system highlights the greatness of the founding fathers but not their cruelty.

 The founding fathers were made up of the higher class. The higher class was being taxed greatly by Great Britain and wanted to get control and build a country that would benefit them. After independence was achieved decades of white power and dominance came. Black people, native Americans, and women have all been discriminated against since they built their country. Slaves were traded as if they were just property. They did not even count as a full person, but as 3⁄5s of a man. The country took a dark turn and got into a civil war about 100 years after. It was for the same reason that the US wanted independence from britain. Some people belive that it was a war on slavery, but it was not. Slavery was just one of many things that the north and south dissagreed on, other reasons being taxation and states rights. Very similar factors that contributed to America’s reasons for independence from Britain. Although it was for the best that the confederates didn’t secede, if they had they would probably be feeding their people the same lies. That they did it all for freedom, for the people, and so that their country could prosper. Another thing that a lot of people don’t know is that the emancipation proclamation was simply an ultimatum, and that Abraham Lincoln would’ve let the south keep their slaves if they did not secede.

Another thing that followed independence was the massacre of the native population because of “manifest destiny” which was the god given right to expand from east to west to a land that they believed belonged to them. They kept altering the agreements they made with the natives in ways that benefited only the white man. Even though the natives had been here before.

 Throughout the history of the United States vocal minorities have been struggling to have equal rights and are still struggling today. Although things got better there are still things that must improve. This problem is referenced by Howard Zinn in “A People’s History of the United States” when he said that declaration of independence gave life, liberty and property, not to all men but just white males. Credit must be given because since then the United States has become the most recognized power in the world and democracy is still a work in progress. The fact is that the declaration of independence was far from perfect, but it was a big step. There is no doubt in my mind that independence was necessary and that the british were cruel, nonetheless the whole format of the war for independence was built on hypocrisy.