Something about Atlanta…

I am the kind of person that enjoys a lot sleeping. It is very satisfactory to stay a Saturday morning in your bed without a specific time to wake up. But since I am in Georgia, I found something more satisfactory than sleeping. I though about it when I was preparing my trip from Colombia but I never thought that volunteering in Atlanta was going to be so interesting. Yes, helping others in your free time is so much more pleasing that stay in your house sleeping. I am not saying that you have to do it all the time but I am pretty sure that you can find some time to volunteer somewhere. In my country is very different. The idea of volunteering hasn’t been developed enough to make it something serious. But in Atlanta is amazing. There are so many places that will take your help seriously that is an honor to volunteer for them; plus they need you. In the past two months I have volunteered in five different places and sometimes there are some things that can be improve but in general the experience is very comfortable. I am not going to recommend a specific place because one of the most important things to make your volunteer a great experience is to find a place that matches with something that you love. For example I love animals and I found a beautiful place where I volunteer on Fridays. I am just inviting you to try it. There are volunteers for only two hours or more so it’s not like you are going to spend all week volunteering. Feel good about yourself by helping others is very tempting. The next three links are going to help you finding the volunteer place that suits you better and hopefully will be inspiring enough to help you decide where you can volunteer.

http://www.yelp.com/list_details?list_id=s6KLsSX_a-AC5Jmib-ppZw In this link you will read reviews from different people about their experiences in different places.

http://www.volunteermatch.org/bymsa/m520/c/opp1.html?_kk=atlanta%20volunteer&_kt=e9499e5d-0699-4844-894c-19e01393180d
This link will help you find the place to volunteer that you are looking for.

http://www.ajc.com/living/content/metro/stories/2008/03/17/donate0317.html?cxntlid=inform_artr In this link you will read how your help can mean everything for others.

Images taken from http://www.dallas-habitat.org/files/img_volunteer_tage_v.jpg and

http://www.lohada.org/lohada_images/volunteer.jpg

Poverty

http://money.cnn.com/2004/12/22/news/economy/poverty_overview/index.htm
http://money.cnn.com/news/specials/poverty/

Imagine your day without something to eat, without work or school. This is the situation for millions of people around the world. Poverty is defined as the limitation for certain groups of people to obtain things that determine a quality of life, such as food, clothing, shelter and education. Even in developed countries, like the US, the number of families living in poverty has increased. How to fight against poverty? That is certainly a tough question. If governments give all the things that families that live in poverty don’t have, the problem will continue. If someone wants a fish, teach that person how to fish. A big number of children are part of the percentage of people living in poverty. So, I think that the most important thing to do first is to ensure education, food and health care for them. This is the best way to break the vicious circle of poverty. Otherwise, those children won't have access to education and with no skills they won't find a job and in their adult years they will create families that will live in poverty.
Governments should be able to create a way where they can teach families how to satisfy their own needs without giving everything to them. Better job opportunities will help families that live in poverty. Creating a healthy environment where the parents of poor families can develop themselves as workers, good parents and self-sufficient people should be a high priority to governments in all countries.

Images taken from http://www.undp.org.eg/Portals/0/poverty%20generic.jpg and http://www.micahchallenge.org/uimages/Know%20it/Ndungane%20cut%20poverty%20in%20half%20pic.jpg.

Are you prepared?

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,354692,00.html?sPage=fnc/specialsections/naturaldisaster
http://www.ipsnews.net/news.asp?idnews=42322
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/world/story.html?id=491192
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article3912701.ece

There will be different answers to the same question, what is happening to the world? Many would say that is something from God. Others would have some explanations related to the end of the world. But for some scientists, disasters such as the Myanmar cyclone and the US earthquakes are just a normal day for Planet Earth. To understand what’s happening, it is important to know first that the Earth is dynamic and it will never stay the same. Some will think that 50 years ago we didn’t suffer disasters like those mentioned above, but the truth is that now we are more aware of natural disasters.

Governments, scientists and people in general have learned how to deal with a natural disaster. Alarms have been set on time, backup plans have been useful to prevent more deaths and new technologies haven been used to predict a disaster. But it’s not enough. We have to investigate even more in order to prevent deaths and damages. Meanwhile, our responsibility is to be more careful about the alerts, the way we live, where we live and learn how to respond to a natural disaster that may occur in our area.

Images taken from http://www.iphoneworld.ca/wp-content/uploads/2008/02/tornado-natural-disaster-400a061807.jpg and http://www1.istockphoto.com/file_thumbview_approve/4782786/2/istockphoto_4782786_natural_disaster.jpg

Stooooopppppppp.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/2420766.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6181788.stm

Many people think that the responsibility for safe roads, campaigns to reduce car accidents and a high quality road system belongs to the government. I think that no matter in what conditionings you drive, you must always be careful with the way you drive. By that I mean that you should drive at the speed limit, be aware of other drivers and pedestrians and many other things. Sometimes governments can’t guarantee the necessary system to give total safeness to drivers and pedestrians but that is no excuse to anyone to drive the way they want to. There are many countries with amazing roads, clear signs and millions of dollar invested in safety but they haven’t prevented all accidents, and there are some that still happen. On the other hand, there are some countries that can’t invest that much money on roads, signs and others, but they don’t have as many accidents as other countries do. So the responsibility of the government is to provide roads, signs and others, but the responsibility of being a responsible drivers and pedestrians is ours. Learning how to be civilized, is better to loose one minute in your life driving in a responsible way than to loose your life in one minute. The challenge of the governments is to teach people how to be civilized and surprisingly tickets or campaigns with topless women are not the solution. Being aware of the damage that an irresponsible driver can cause may be the beginning of a new civilized drivers era.

Images taken from

http://site-images.ws/images/cust/62709066023475914149576034881927984028/166s_of_traffic.jpg and

http://blogs.cisco.com/news/traffic%20signs.jpg

Be aware...

http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/04/23/super.pills.ap/index.html
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23479808-details/The%20anorexic%20professor%20who%20ate%20so%20little%20her%20heart%20was%20the%20size%20of%20a%20child's/article.do
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7365192.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/us/06abuse.html?_r=1&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&adxnnlx=1209992946-aOqTiN7OWhJbrA0b4rJv8g

I don’t think that drugs or alcohol addictions are attached to depressions or serious psychological problems. Nowadays people tend to look for the easiest way to live and handle problems of any kind. Rosemary Pope for example, a known academic with years of success and studies died at 49 years of anorexia nervosa. I’m sure she had problems, like anyone else; but as a successful person why did she suffer from a fatal addiction? Why every day do millions and millions of people around the world kill themselves slowly by making use of drugs, pills or alcohol? I think that we don’t know how to handle problems or depression. If somebody has a problem, the idea of dealing with it, talking about it and facing the consequences sounds like too much to handle. Because of this, many people turn into drugs to “deal” with the problems and making them “disappear”.

What makes me more concerned about any kind of addiction is that it has begun to affect people from all ages. In the UK, girls from 11 to 19 have tried to harm themselves and in the US substance abuse centers are aware of the increase in number of addicted patients over 50. A report by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration conclude that by 2020 there will be 4.4 million older substance abusers. These numbers are really high and we should start to do something now…

Images taken from http://www.usnodrugs.com/images/addiction-drug-information.jpg and http://images.usatoday.com/news/_photos/2005/01/21/addicts-inside.jpg

Addiction...

Millions of people from all over the world suffer some addiction. This problem attacs not only teenagers but also people in their 40's or even 50's. The discussion will be focused on why do you think people is addicted to a drug or alcohol and why this problem is more evident now in adults. Here are 4 articles that explain a specific addiction at different ages.
http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/04/23/super.pills.ap/index.html
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23479808-details/The%20anorexic%20professor%20who%20ate%20so%20little%20her%20heart%20was%20the%20size%20of%20a%20child's/article.do
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/7365192.stm
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/06/us/06abuse.html

Polygamy

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/debates/african_debates/2348341.stm

http://www.usatoday.com/news/opinion/columnist/2004-10-03-turley_x.htm
http://abcnews.go.com/Primetime/story?id=1651071

For some men, the purpose of polygamy is wealth and power. For some women, polygamy gives them the chance to be more independent and to be able to pursue their dreams without being imprisoned in a household. I am against polygamy because I believe it goes against the main reason of marriage. Being married, or for some people compromised with another person for life means that I am completely committed to give myself as a whole to that person. I don’t think that in a polygamous relation everyone gets the most from their partner. In monogamous relations, both partners can develop themselves as workers, as students, as parents and as a person if they want to. Being married with a man or woman doesn’t mean that the spouse can’t work or pursue her dreams nor does it mean that the husband can’t be wealthy or powerful.

Many children that grow up without one of their parents develop depression, psychological problems and a lack of self-confidence. So, what can we expect of children that have fathers but only see him a few times a week? What kind of values can be taught in a polygamous environment? I don’t think that polygamy is the best way to create a family. Some people can argue that polygamous partners are as committed as monogamous partners or that there are some people that are self declared as monogamous but the reality says another thing. Yes, I know that. I don’t agree not only with polygamy but also with relations that act as polygamy under the name of monogamy.

Images taken from http://www.i4m.com/think/jpeg/hbo_big_love_polygamy.jpg and
http://www.capitolhillblue.com/artman/uploads/082006polygamy_001.jpg