Posted on March 31st, 2008 by jessieaw
This poem makes me think of those days when it did not matter who you were with or where you were, all that mattered was the fun you were having. This poem makes me think way back into my childhood because it says “when unicorns were still possible,” and that time was so very long ago. Now, our summers are filled with trips, camps and sports, those days “when unicorns were still possible” were most likely some of the best days of my life. From summertime, the most distinctive memory I have is heading off to Camp Thunderbird. Although I was young at the time, it was a very wonderful, life changing experience. It was my first few times away from home for more than a few days, all the fun I had there could never be measured up to. Seeing all my old friends on opening day, playing in the lake with everyone and even closing ceremonies. Those times, “when unicorns were still possible” were some of the most amazing. Although this time has come and gone, reading this poem and remembering those wonderful memories brings me back to a time so carefree and fun. I will never forget those summers spent skinning my knees, getting in trouble with my brothers and thinking about unicorns.
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Filed under: english
Posted on February 14th, 2008 by jessieaw
Do you know what that stuff in your toothpaste that keeps your teeth strong is called? It’s called fluoride. Fluoride was discovered in 1902 in Colorado Springs, Colorado by Frederick S. McKay. Since then, fluoride has been a large issue when it comes to adding it to toothpaste and the water supply. This is such a huge issue because water fluoridation was never tested for safety before it was approved. Some do not approve of the toxicity warning on toothpastes. They say that if it needs such a careful amount, it must be dangerous. There has also not been a lot of research on the side effects of fluoride, so some don’t feel safe using it. Most people disapprove of it because it can cause people’s teeth to stain. When it comes down to how I feel about adding fluoride to my drinking water, I am in the middle. There are both good and bad things that can come from using fluoride. It is good because it strengthens my teeth and it also helps to prevent tooth decay. Another good thing about it is that it helps to put minerals back into tooth areas where acid attack has already begun happening. But, fluoride can also be a bad thing because I don’t really know most of the side effects that could come from using it. This is because of the lack of research done on it. And also for a long time it was considered a toxin, which I won’t lie, scares me a bit.
In order to safely add fluoride to toothpaste, they had to make sure that the toothpaste was strong enough so that the toxins from the fluoride wouldn’t poison the user. The easiest way was to marry the fluoride with compatible abrasive, which simply means that the makers had to choose a mild fluoride type (sodium fluoride); this was used in most early toothpastes. The next step was combining the sodium fluoride with hydrated silica abrasive, which allowed the companies to create gel toothpaste. After the companies combined fluoride and another substance, they created color and flavoring in the toothpaste.
The main side effect that I worry about after learning about this is that fluoridation causes cancer. There is not really enough evidence to completely support this theory, so it only concerns me a little. Also, because there is such little research done on this topic I am a bit worried about the side effects that I do not know about yet. But hopefully none of those side effects will come my way. Scientists continue to research and debate fluoride, but while this is happening, fluoride is still being used every day by a good percent of the population. It also continues to be added to toothpastes and water supplies to keep our teeth strong and help prevent tooth decay.
Sources:
http://www.doctorspiller.com/fluoride.htm
http://fluorideinfo.org/fluoride_claims-vs-facts.html
http://thyroid.about.com/od/drsrichkarilleeshames/a/fluoridechange.htm
http://www.adha.org/oralhealth/fluoride_facts.htm
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Filed under: Flouride, Science
Posted on January 14th, 2008 by jessieaw
Welcome to Learnerblogs.org. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start blogging!
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Filed under: Uncategorized
