Its over !

This semester is coming to an end. Looking back at the semester, it has been like a roller coaster for me. I had many "up and downs" through out these sixteen weeks and even though they have not been wonderful weeks, I have enjoyed the experience. I have made many good friends from different parts of the world and I have learned many new things inside and out of class. Being in this environment has taught me many things about life since back home I basically "lived in a bubble." I would only spend time with my friends and family and I would always be in school or hanging out with my friends. Eventhough my friends do drink, they do not do any drugs and we are always in safe places. Coming here and seeing so many people involved in such things and hearing about other people's stories, made me feel proud of myself as I am not involved in any of these things. This time in college has made me discover many things about myself and I believe I will come back next semester as a stronger and more independent individual.

Portfolio

1. http://mmcpr.blogspot.com/2006/10/three-more-days.html
2. http://mmcpr.blogspot.com/2006/10/turning-point.html
3. http://mmcpr.blogspot.com/2006/11/thanksgiving-break.html

As I look back to these three posts, I realize I have grown as an individual in just three months. On the first post, "Three more days", I was very anxious to see my family and to get out of this place. All I wanted was to see my family and spend time with them. I was not able to concentrate in anything else because I was only thinking of how much I missed my family. I was nothing close to an independent individual. I thought coming to this college was a big mistake and that I was going to end up going back home. However, on the second post called "Turning point" I had a different perspective about college and my new life. Reading this makes me realize how much my family's opinions mean to me. I only spent a weekend with them, but it gave me the motivation I needed to continue on my journey. The third post, "Thanksgiving Break", basically illustrates the importance of a home and family in my life. Before thanksgiving break, I was having one of the worst weeks of my life. However, once I got home and spent time with my family everything changed.
I can also see how as time passed by, I felt more confident in writing about my personal things on my blog. On the second and third post, I was really into writing as I was more familiar with blogging and I began to enjoy it. Other than this, I see how I can express my thoughts and emotions on a clearer way which is something that will help me when writing other papers.

4. http://mmcpr.blogspot.com/2006/10/people-go-in-and-out-of-peoples-lives.html

This post is about how I believe every person has an impact on one's life. Although there are some that impact one's life more than others, every person one meets will make a difference in one's life. It is also about a story about my mother's aunt, and how it made me realize how someone so close could be in danger without me knowing about it. Since this moment, I am more aware of what is happening in my surroundings and I constantly ask my parents how they are and how the rest of the family is. I do not want to receive some bad news one random day. I want to be aware of things and help as much as I can.

5. http://mmcpr.blogspot.com/2006/10/mystery-of-life.html

This post illustrates my biggest fear, death. However, it gives a positive thought of life as it says to enjoy life to the fullest because we are all here for a reason and that is..to make a difference. I believe it is ironic how I can write about this and give people advice about life, but it is hard for me to take my own advice.

- - - -

Looking back at these five posts made me realize I have grown as a writer. I feel more confident when I write and I am now more familiar with this writing method. This blogging experience really did help me to improve my writing skills and to express what I want in a clearer way.

Teachers are supposed to be like parents to the students. They are supposed to teach, educate and help out their students. They are supposed to give a good example to the students, reminding them of how important it is to have good studying habbit, a good education in general, and good morals. However, there are some people that believe other things such as money are more important than this. People like this should not be given the opportunity to be a teacher.
The following is an article about a teacher who gave good grades to their students in exchange for money and/or alcohol.

NEW YORK (AP) -- A computer science lab instructor at a community college changed students' grades for cash and wine and told a student to lie before a grand jury in an attempt to cover up his lucrative scheme, prosecutors said.
Elvin Escano was charged with grand larceny, falsifying business records, computer tampering and forgery, Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said.
Escano, 46, was arrested Wednesday after a six-month investigation. He was arraigned and was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail.
In a statement, Brown said Escano used his position over a 29-month period as an instructor and lab technician at LaGuardia Community College to inflate student grades for courses and exams: In exchange for better grades, students gave him cash payments ranging from $200 to $2,500 or items such as wine and alcohol.
Authorities allege Escano tampered with computer records in LaGuardia's registrar's office to reflect the higher grades. The indictment also accused Escano of recruiting students to promote his scheme and generate more business for him, sometimes paying them with grade changes.
In September, Brown said, Escano advised a student who had received a subpoena to testify before a grand jury to say she didn't know anything.
Brown said Escano "violated his own professional ethics" and "destroyed the public's trust and confidence in the school."
Escano's lawyer said his client is innocent.
"He denies the charges, and he's looking forward to going to court and clearing his name," attorney Paul Franzese said.
If convicted, Escano could face as many as seven years in prison.
He has been on paid sabbatical leave from LaGuardia since September.
LaGuardia is a college in the borough of Queens that is part of the City University of New York and has more than 14,000 students.
An audit of school records conducted by CUNY officials triggered the investigation when it disclosed discrepancies between registrar records and grades posted by course instructors.

December 4

I turned nineteen three days ago. It was my first birthday away from my friends and family. Because of this, it was a day of mixed emotions. I was excited because of the fact that it was my birthday and because I realized I do mean something to my friends here as they bought me presents and wrote me cards. I did not expect this from them and I am happy to know I have made good friends during these past months. However, it was one of the days in which I most missed my friends and family because this is the day I most spend with my friends and family back home. Although I was not with them, my mother called me very early in the morning and my parents sent me flowers to my dorm. I did not do much on the day of my birthday, but I am excited because once I get back I will celebrate it with my family.

Nobody knows what they have until they loose it

"Nobody knows what they have until they loose it."
I agree with this quote 100%. Many people do not take in consideration what they have or who they have by theirside. For example, there are many people that constantly argue with their parents. There are even some that have the nerve to say "I hate them." I know a few people that act this way and it makes me angry because those parents do not deserve to be treated like that. I also know that when those people do not have their parents by theirside anymore, they will regret acting this way. However, this quote relates to many more things such as siblings, relationships, opportunities in life, among others. I believe people should live each and every day as if it was their last day here, enjoying what they have, taking advantage of the opportunities they are given in life, and demonstrating to their love to those in their life.

my future

Have you ever asked yourself where and how do you see yourself ten years from now? Well, many people have asked me that before and I always say I do not know. However, as days pass by, I realize how fast the years are going by and I realize it is time to set my goals. I am planning to concentrate on my studies for the next years in order to become a successful, independent woman. Along the way, I will surpass my emotional troubles and turn my weaknesses into strengths. I will learn from my mistakes and become a stronger person each day that goes by. I believe I want to be a doctor; most probably a psychiatrist. As I mentioned before, my family is very important for me and because of this, I will continue to have a close relationship with them. I will someday like to have a family of my own and raise my children just as my parents raised my siblings and me.

Mexican legend

There is a Mexican legend in which Quetzacoalt, a god, decided to travel the world as a human. Since he had been walking for an entire day, he was very tired and hungry, but he kept walking until the stars began to shine. He sat down when he suddenly saw a rabbit eating. "What are you eating?", he asked the rabbit. The rabbit told him he was eating grass and he offered him some, but Quetzacoalt told him he did not eat that. The rabbit asked him what he was going to do since he did not want to eat grass, and Quetzacoalt responded saying that he will die of thirst and hunger. The rabbit walked towards the god and told him that he might just be a rabbit, but if he was hungry he could eat him. Quetzacoalt told he was right, that he might just be a rabbit but that everyone should remember him. He then took the rabbit and reached out to the moon where he left the rabbit's figure marked forever.

seven more days

In seven days, I am going back home to Puerto Rico. I am very excited about for many reasons. I am looking forward to going back home because I will be spending time with my family and friends. During thanksgiving break, I did not spend time with my father and with my friends. I have not seen my friends since August. When I lived in Puerto Rico, I would always be talking to my friends and hanging out with them, which is something I really do miss. Other than this, Christmas is coming up. This is my favorite time of the year because it is about being together as a family and enjoying the holidays.

Academic Adventure

In about a month I will be going to Mexico with the rest of the freshman class. I am very excited to go on this trip because I have never been to Mexico and I am very interested in learning about different cultures. I enjoy learning about a country's history, people, customs, among other things. Although I know little of Mexico, I do know it is a country with very cultured people. They have a very interesting history and unique language, food and rituals. I am looking forward to this trip and I hope I will come back with a lot more knowledge about the Mexico and its people.

Robbing in public places

The Latest Scam: Robbing Females Using the Bathrooms at Shopping Malls.
The way the scam works is, a man slips into the women's rest-room and sneaks into a stall. He waits until there is only one woman in the restroom in a neighboring stall. The criminal then stands on the toilet and points a hand gun into the next stall, demanding the woman's valuables. After getting her cash and jewelry, he demands that she remove all of her clothing and kick them out of the stall. The thief tosses the clothing into a shopping bag, hangs an out of order sign on the restroom door, and slips back into the mall. The out of order sign ensures no one will soon come to the woman's rescue. It usually takes an hour or two for the woman to work up the nerve to leave the restroom in the nude, giving the criminal ample time to make his get away. The woman is left naked and humiliated in a mall full of strangers. The best defense, says police, is to never go into a shopping mall restroom alone, as only women who are by themselves are targeted.

I got this through an e-mail yesterday and I decided to post it here. It is sad to admit that people are not even safe in a shopping mall's bathroom. People are in danger everywhere they go and everyone should be aware of this. It makes me mad that there is not enough security in public places to avoid situations like these from happening. We can not let people continue to commit such inmoral acts. Something has to be done. There has to be more security in public places since numerous acts are comitted in public areas, and this people should receive their punishment.

My sister..

One of the people I most admire is my sister Yasmin Martinez. Along the years, I have admired her for many reaons. Since an early age, she has been interested in modeling. Because of this, my mother enrolled her at a modeling agency around the age of six. After two years she stopped taking modeling class, but she was later enrolled at another modeling agency at the age of fifteen. This time, she began modeling in fashion shows for a Puerto Rican designer, modeling for Cingular and magazines, and doing commercials for companies such as Hawaiian Punch and Twix. Other than being beautiful, she is a very commited and brilliant girl. Through out her high school years she was able to keep up her good grades eventhough she had many other activities to take care of. Other than this, she is very caring, loving, honest and trustworthy. She is an excellent student, a respectful daughter, and the best sister in the world. Because of these reasons and many more, I admire and love my sister with all my heart.

Reflections on my college experience

For the last three months, I have lived thousands of miles away from my hometown. At the beginning, it was easy for me as I was very excited about being in a new place with new people and without my parent’s rules. I loved the idea of being by myself and living under my own rules. However, a couple of weeks later it all changed. I realized that the change was not as easy as I expected. Living away from home is much more than freedom and it takes a lot of independence and motivation. During these months, I have discovered many things about myself. I have to admit, it has not been easy for me but I have managed to survive them. I did not achieve much academically, but I did discover many things about myself that will help me become a stronger person. Because of different situations in the past, I have not been emotionally stable for the last years of my life. However, I did not fully understand why I was sometimes feeling depressed and acting the way I was. Today, I clearly understand that going through my parent’s divorce as such an early age greatly affected me and made me grow as a weak and sentimental individual. I now know that I need to learn how to be an independent woman. I need to learn from my mistakes and learn how to deal with my emotions. I need to separate the different aspects of my life and not let one interfere with another. That specifically has been my greatest weakness along the years since I have constantly let my emotional problems get in the way of my personal relationships and my academic career. In order to change this, I believe I should use my studies as my therapy. By doing this, I will have my mind concentrated on my academic career. Therefore, I will earn good grades and that will make me feel proud about myself.

Even bad experiences have good outcomes

As a child and as a teenager I have gone through many experiences that have shaped the person I am today. However, if I had to describe my best quality it would be that I utterly love and value my family. Because of this, I believe my first relationship and my parent’s involvement in it has been the experience that has mostly affected me as an individual. When I was fifteen years old, I met a guy names Ricardo who was six yeard older than me. Since the beginning, my parents told me that I was not to date him or even talk to him. I ignored my parents and continued to talk to him. A couple of months later we began to date. For a year and a half, I constantly wrote my parents letters asking for their approval. After almost two years, my mother finally let me date him but under her own rules. During those two years, I thought that was all I wanted. I assumed that if my parents approved my relationship with him I was going to be the happiest person in the world. However, after two months of dating him under my mother’s rules, I realized I was still feeling the same way. I was still feeling lonely and empty. I realized this feeling of loneliness and confusion was a result of my parent’s divorce and everything I had gone through during their divorce. I felt awful because I had treated my parents and my sister the wrong way for almost two years. I frequently blamed them for my unhappiness. I also isolated myself from my family and my friends in order to keep my relationship with Ricardo. Although I believe I acted the wrong way, I would not change this experience. This experience taught me to value my family, to think twice and analyze each and every situation, and that life will give you time for everything but that one has to wait for that time to come rather than trying to live that moment ahead of time like I tried to do. This experience taught me that no matter what happens, my family is the only one that is going to be there for me at all times. After everything I did, after all the times I lied to my family, they forgave me. To me, my family is everything I have of great value. I am here today because of them and everything I do, I do for them.

Terri Schiavo Case

On a day like today (December 3), a women called Terri Schiavo was born. At the age of 26, this young women collapsed in her home and since then she had been diagnosed as being in a persistent vegetative state. Her husband, Michael Schiavo, was in charge of taking care of her. In 1998, he petitioned the courts to have her feeding tubes removed because according to him, that is what she wanted. He faced opposition from Terri's parents, Robert and Mary Schindler, who believed Terri should be kept alive. However, despite all the interventions, the courts continued to believe that she was in a vegetative state and her feeding tubes were removed on March 18, 2005. Thirteen days later, she died of dehydration at the age of 41.

More than a year ago, I became very interested in this case because of many reasons. It was said that this women had suffered from bulimia nervosa and it might have been the reason of her collapse. I have suffered from eating disorders myself and because of this, this case was very interesting for me. Also, I could not believe how this women's husband was the one asking for her tubes to be removed. I believe this was very wrong and inmoral from Michael Schiavo. While he was taking care of Terri Schiavo, he had another girlfriend and family. Because of this, I believe all he wanted was to get rid of her. If he wanted to enjoy his life, all he needed to do was to give Terri's parents the custody. He did not have to make those who really did care and love her suffer like they did.

Parents

As many of you may already know, the most important thing in my life is my family. Because of this, I one day want to have a family of my own. I want to raise my children just like my parents raised me and my siblings. I believe my mother has given us the perfect example of what a mother should be like. She is an honest, trustworthy, caring, and loving beautiful women. She always stresses the importance of having good morals and education, and last but not least she has never and would never hit any of us or treat us with disrespect. Instead, she talks with us letting us know the right way of doing such things. Because I have such a wonderful and caring mother I do not understand how parents are capable of mistreating their own children.

Here is an article I found on cnn.com about a couple that had their children on cages...



NORWALK, Ohio (AP) -- The sheriff who searched the house 11 special needs children slept in cages testified Friday that he knew something was wrong when he stepped inside.
"The first thing that grabbed my attention was the smell of urine," Huron County Sheriff Dick Sutherland testified at the trial of Michael and Sharen Gravelle.
Sutherland went to the home on September 9, 2005, to investigate a report of children in cages. The house "just didn't look right," he said.
He came across what he described as painted "wood-framed enclosures with rabbit wire" and assumed the children had been sleeping there, he testified.
"I had never seen anything that compares to this kind of child neglect, child endangering," he said.
Sharen and Michael Gravelle are charged with 16 felony and eight misdemeanor counts of child endangering.
They deny abusing children and have said they had to keep some of them in enclosed beds to protect them. The children suffered from problems such as fetal alcohol syndrome and a disorder that involves eating nonfood items.
The children ranged in age from 1 to 14 when authorities removed them from the home. The youngsters were placed in foster care last fall, and the couple lost custody in March.
Carlyle Smith, who was working for a company that provides baby sitters, testified Friday he visited the home in 2003 and left shaken after hearing Sharen Gravelle call the children monkeys.
Smith said a boy asked in mid-afternoon to use the bathroom and was told by an angry Sharen Gravelle it was not his scheduled time.
"She told him to go to his cage until morning," Smith said.
If convicted, the couple faces one to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 for each felony count.
On Thursday, a former social worker testified Sharen Gravelle showed signs years ago of being emotionally overwhelmed by her parenting duties.
Jennifer James said Michael Gravelle contacted her in November 2000 about stress in the household and said his wife needed a break.
"He said they are having trouble handling them and that Sharen is emotionally beat. He said they loved and wanted to take care of the children," James testified.
James said Sharen Gravelle mentioned one child had tried to eat blankets and other objects, and one child was showing signs of sexual misbehavior that involved pulling down the underwear of another.
James said the Gravelles had requested respite care through which some of the children would briefly go to foster homes so the Gravelles could "recharge."
By December 2000, two older children had left the Gravelles' home, but the couple had adopted three of the younger children, James said.
At that point, James' involvement with the family was coming to an end. "From what I knew then, I thought the family was doing a good job," she said.
The Gravelles are charged with 16 counts of felony child endangering and eight misdemeanor child endangering charges. If convicted, they face one to five years in prison and a maximum fine of $10,000 for each felony count.
The Gravelles deny abusing children in their care and have said they had to keep the youngsters in enclosed beds to protect them. The children suffered from problems such as fetal alcohol syndrome and a disorder that involves eating nonfood items.
The children ranged in age from 1 to 14 when authorities removed them from the home in rural Wakeman, about 60 miles west of Cleveland. The youngsters were placed in foster care last fall and the couple lost custody in March.
Lt. Randy Sommers, chief investigator for the Huron County Sheriff's Office, testified Thursday that none of the children was inside the cages when he and Sutherland were there, he said.
Former social worker Jennifer James testified that in 2000 she occasionally met with some of the children, but she made no observation about their sleeping arrangements or whether there were cages.
James said that in November 2000 Michael Gravelle contacted her about stress in the household and said Sharen Gravelle was "emotionally beat" and needed a break.
"He said they loved and wanted to take care of the children," James testified.
Another witness, Carlyle Smith, 54, of Norwalk, who was working for a company that provides baby sitters, said he visited the Gravelle home in October 2003 and left shaken after hearing Sharen Gravelle call the children monkeys.
On a four-hour visit size up the home, Smith said a boy asked at mid-afternoon to use the bathroom and was told by an angry Sharen Gravelle that it wasn't his scheduled time.
"She told him to go to his cage until morning," Smith said.
Smith also testified that he met with Michael Gravelle after that at the small chapel on their property and Gravelle told him, "I consider myself to be Moses."
Smith said at that point he wanted to leave. "I was hoping to get out of there real quick," Smith said.

Is a diet soda really that good for you?

Have you noticed how popular diet sodas have become? Since the media as well as others are constantly stressing the importance of exercising and dieting, much more people are consuming diet sodas rather than the regular sodas. Some people drink diet sodas even if they are not on a diet because they feel "healthier" doing this. However, people have to realize it is not as healthy as they believe it is. Yes, it has no calories; therefore, it is "better" than the regular ones but it can cause health effects and it is important for people to realize this.
The following is an article that tells more about aspartame which the ingredient found in the diet sodas that may cause many health issues to those consuming diet sodas.



The following information comes from the Aspartame Consumer Safety Network Fact Sheet, written by Lendon Smith, MD.
Aspartame is considered to be abut 200 times as sweet as sugar. It is calorie free and when ingested and metabolized, it breaks down into three substances:

1. phenylalanine (50%) one of the amino acids needed for the production of neurotransmitters essential to brain function. While this may sound OK, it is not. People with PKU (phenylketonuria) are missing the enzymes to break down this amino acid and may end up with an excess that causes brain damage. For susceptible people, phenylalanine will become neurotoxic and may cause seizures.

2.aspartic acid (40%) which can cause brain damage in the fetus.

3. methanol (10%) an alcohol which turns into formaldehyde, a known toxic substance used, among other things, as an embalming fluid.

Early studies in the 1970 showed that aspartic acid caused holes in the brains of mice. Monkeys fed aspartame died or had grand mal seizures. However, these studies were not submitted to the FDA when approval for aspartame was requested. The request was approved by the then FDA commissioner Arthur Hull Hayes, Jr., in 1981, after he overruled the Public Board of Inquiry's recommendation to ban this artificial sweetener. Two months before quitting his post, Hayes approved the use of aspartame in soft drinks, even though the National Soft Drink Association had warned the FDA that aspartame was breaking down body structures in warm climates.

From the early 1980's until present time, consumer complaints have been pouring into the FDA related to aspartame use. Among the symptoms reported are the following:

headaches, moon swings, anxiety attacks,
vertigo, hyperactivity, hearing loss,
heart arrthythmia, tinnitus, edema or swelling,
insomnia, gastrointestinal, disorders, seizures,
numbing/tingling of extremities, blurred vision, skin lesions,
blindness, muscle cramps, eye problems,
joint pain, memory loss, fatigue,
slurred speech, PMS, mild to suicidal depression,
menstrual irregularity, personality changes, chest pains,
violent episodes, increased appetite, skin disease;

Artificial sweeteners will increase appetite because as the sweet taste hits the mouth, a message is sent into the body that carbohydrates are coming in to be digested. Then the pancreas swings into action and sends insulin into the blood stream. As there will be no actual carbohydrates, the insulin lowers the blood sugar and appetite increases. In this manner, artificial sweeteners can contribute to hypoglycemia.

This noxious substance , so ingrained in our commercial food supply, should be recalled by the FDA and retested as a drug!

In addition to the above symptoms, aspartame can mimic a number of autoimmune diseases. Betty Martini, founder of Mission Possible, an organization dedicated to spread information about problems with aspartame, found that methanol toxicity causes metabolic acidosis, which mimics multiple sclerosis (MS). She lists the following symptoms as Aspartame disease, fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, shooting pains, joint pains, depression, anxiety attacks, slurred speech, blurred vision and memory loss. In addition to MS, aspartame may also mimic or trigger the following illnesses:

fibromyalgia, epilepsy, chronic fatigue syndrome,
hypothyroidism, Epstein-Bar, ADD
post-polio syndrome, Meuniere's disease, Lyme disease,
Alzheimer's disease.

Fortunately, most of these symptoms are reversible and disappear once the artificial sweeteners are discontinued. In my kinesology work, whenever I test a client for body tolerance of any artificial sweeteners, they will test negative. With Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Chronic Depression, when the body is de-toxified, it returns to its old self within ten to fourteen days, and the client is energized, functioning and eternally grateful.

A little bit more about me

My name is Marta Martinez and I was born on December 4, 1987 in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. I am 5’ 5’’ and I have dark brown eyes and black long hair. My mother, Yasmin Caballero, is also Puerto Rican but my father, Adriano Martinez, is from the Dominican Republic. My mother’s immediate family comes from Puerto Rico but they are originally from Spain. On the other hand, my father’s immediate family comes from the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico but they are originally from France and Spain. My parents are both doctors but only my father, who is a cardiologist, currently practices his profession. My parents raised me along with my three siblings, Yasmin, Roberto, and Jean Paul, who are all older than I am. We were seven in the household since my grandmother from my mother’s side also lived with us. As a couple, my parents lived in the city of Mayaguez for about twelve years. My parents always stressed the importance of a good education. Because of this, they enrolled us at a very good school and were very serious about us having good studying habits and sleeping patterns. When I was about eight years old, my parents separated and about a year and a half later, my siblings and I along with my mother and my soon-to-be stepfather, Juan Garcia, moved to the city of San Juan. There we have lived ever since and it is the place that we call our home.

A true friend

Every individual has a different way of defining a true friend. For some, a friend is someone that you can laugh with or someone you can just have a good time with. For me, a friend is much more than that. A friend is someone that is always by your side. It is someone that knows what is wrong with you before you even tell them. It is that person that always seems to find the way to make you smile. It is that someone that feels your pain and enjoys your laughter... A true friend is not very easy to find so if you realize you have one by your side hold on to her/him because it will last a lifetime.