Posted on March 30th, 2008 by marycb
This poem is very powerful to me because it reminds me of the summers that seem so long ago. For the first eight years of my life, my cousins, Aaron and Jordan, would always come visit us during the summer. I looked forward to this every year because we always had so much fun. We would go to different places, like Stone Mountain, the Zoo, and White Water. On the 4th of July we would all go over to our other cousins’ house to have a big barbecue and play outside until dark. When it got dark, we would drive somewhere to see a fireworks show. These were the times I enjoyed the most out of the whole year because I could play outside and enjoy myself all day long. Even if it rained, we could find adventures inside the house and still have a great time. As we got older though, the boys and I had more commitments and the visits got shorter and shorter, until one year they couldn’t come at all. I was very upset and kept waiting for the day to come that we would all play outside together on a hot summer day again. It never came, though, and after that summer, it just wasn’t a priority. This poem makes me realize that growing up adds more responsibilities to your life and you should cherish every moment of your childhood. I still get to see my cousins on Thanksgiving and Christmas, but it just isn’t the same. I have the memories, though, and I look back on them when I am feeling sad or lonely because they were such happy times.
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Filed under: English
Posted on February 6th, 2008 by marycb
Have you ever wondered what’s in your toothpaste that keeps your teeth strong? Its this stuff called fluoride. Fluoride was discovered in Colorado Springs, Colorado by a dental school graduate named Frederick S. McKay in 1902. Since then, fluoride has been a growing controversy when it comes to adding it to toothpaste and the water supply. According to this article, adding fluoride to water is a very controversial issue because water fluoridation was never tested for safety before approval. Some people don’t approve of the toxicity warning on toothpastes and argue that something needing such a careful amount must be dangerous. I think adding fluoride to toothpaste and the water supply is a good thing though. Fluoride has many benefits to it. Over the last 30 years, studies have shown a major decrease in tooth decay due to toothpaste and water fluoridation. There is also not enough evidence that relates water fluoridation to health problems. According to this web page, fluoride only has one confirmed has a side effect on babies and small children. This side effect is called fluorosis. If babies get to much fluoride, small crystals of calcium chloride can form on the baby’s teeth. That area can later be stained by the calcium fluoride, but it does not damage the teeth. There are many other theories about the side effects of fluoride, but fluorosis is the only one that has enough evidence to be fully supported. Before fluoride could be used, dentists and scientists had to figure out a safe amount that wouldn’t harm anyone. Research showed that water fluoridation levels below 1 ppm help prevent decay without staining the teeth. After years of research and tests, Grand Rapids, Michigan became the first city to fluoridate its water in 1945. The Food and Drug Administration approved three compounds that help prevent tooth decay to add to toothpaste. These three compounds all contain fluoride and are used in different amounts according to the other ingredients in the toothpaste. There aren’t many side effects of fluoride that concern me. The only one I would be concerned about is that fluoridation causes cancer. There isn’t enough evidence to fully support this theory, though, so it only concerns me a little. Scientists are continuing to debate and research fluoride, though, so new evidence may show health problems relate to fluoridation. Until then, though, fluoride is still being added to toothpastes and the water supply to help prevent tooth decay and keep our teeth strong.
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Filed under: Fluoride
Posted on January 14th, 2008 by marycb
Welcome to Learnerblogs.org. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
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Filed under: Uncategorized
