Humuhumunukunukuapua'a

    Because I want to visit to many places, I could not pick just one destination  for my ideal vacation. Therefore, I chose to write about a vacation that I will be going on soon. For this year's spring break, my parents and I will be going to Hawaii for two weeks, and we will participate in a large variety of activities.
    A few years ago my parents bought a time share. With this time share, we were able to pay for the places we would stay. Therefore, we only have to pay for plane ttickets, souvenirs, and any activities we want to try out. My parents have been to Hawaii almost ten times, and they have a good idea of the things that they think I should experience there.

    One of the things they most enjoy about Hawaii is the whales. Every time they travel there, if it is the right season, they go whale watching. Luckily, the whales should still be in the ocean surrounding the islands so I will get to see them. We are going to watch them from the beach and while on a dinner cruise. We are also going to go to a whaling museum and an aquarium.

    For the first time ever, we are going to go on a helicopter ride! My parents do not usually do the helicopter tour because it is so expensive, but they want to try it with me this time. Other rides that we will go on are a sail boat ride, a dinner cruise, and a short ride out to the ocean to go snorkeling.

    Much of our time will be spent outside. We will go to the beach to do some swimming, sight seeing, and whale watching. We are going to see a Hawaiian hula dance show. It is possible that we might go on a picnic one day. Furthermore, we are going to go to Hana, one of the few areas on Maui that is still an undeveloped tropical paradise.

    Though I don't remember which ones they are, we will be going to a few different islands. We will be very busy and I have a feeling that there will be many pictures taken. In 102 days, my parents and I will be on our way to the islands! I can hardly wait!

Dropping The Ball

    Normally when one hears about dropping the ball, they think that someone gave away a secret. However, in this case, I am talking about the famous ball that drops every year. At the end of each year, there is a gigantic, illuminated ball in Times Square in New York. Millions of people watch this ball drop as a simple but annual tradition that signifies the end of one year and the beginning of another.

    Though some people like to actually see the ball drop in person, I prefer to not stand outside for many hours in the freezing cold. Instead, I usually get together with my family. We hang out and celebrate for a few hours before watching the event. Depending on who is hosting the celebration, a large dinner is prepared for everyone to enjoy. After dinner, we open presents. My immediate family opens presents on Christmas Day, but my extended family opens them whenever we get together. However, this year I won't get to open any of my presents until New Years Eve because my mom works Christmas Day.

    As the countdown begins, the anticipation rises. The ball starts to change colors and we all rush to get a good view of the television. "TEN...NINE...EIGHT...SEVEN...SIX...FIVE...FOUR...THREE...TWO...ONE!!!" We all share in the countdown and then cheer at the finale. The ball turns into an explosion of colorful lights and massive amounts of confetti rain from the sky. We stay together for a few more hours, and sometimes some of us even stay the night at the host's house.

    One of the most known rituals associated with this holiday is the kiss at midnight. Furthermore, people frequently get very drunk on this night. Another one, for some random reason, is for people to shoot off their guns. Unfortunately, many of them are drunk and don't think about the fact that there might be somebody nearby. The end result is multiple, unintended, random shootings. So if you are going to participate in this ridiculous aspect of the holiday, make sure there isn't somebody in your range. A final popular aspect is the New Year's resolution. Millions of people come up with something they want to change in the new year, but they rarely end up continuing it for the whole year. Whatever your plans or traditions, have a wonderful holiday!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vsvwfVBr9I0&feature=fvst

(A YouTube video of the ball dropping and people celebrating.)

Blog #7 Research Findings

    Before researching my topic choice, I only knew the information about dementia that I had learned through experience. I knew that the major symptom was a decline in memory and that a large amount of people suffered from the condition. However, there is much more to be learned about dementia.

    About 5-8% of all people over age 65 have the condition, and the number doubles every 5 years above that age. Statistics show that over 24 million people worldwide suffer from some form of dementia. There are many forms of dementia, with Alzheimer's being the most common at about 70%.

(This graph shows the percentages of various causes.)

    Dementia does not progress in set stages. However, it does continue to progress until the patient dies. Most cases are incurable, but there are a few that can be cured if the cause is fixed. For example, if it was caused by tumors, then the removal of the tumors may cure the dementia. With over 50 causes, there are several that one would not normally suspect, such as smoking, high levels of alcohol consumption, or obesity. The untreatable patients may be prescribed a medication, but it can only slow down the progression.

(The brain of a patient with Vascular Dementia.)

    There is an extensive list of symptoms. The most common or recognized one is memory loss. A few other symptoms that may be exhibited are anxiety, frailty, communication problems, difficulty eating, pain, and an alternate personality. The most commonly recorded cause of death is aspiration pneumonia, one of the symptoms. Many patients become aggressive or confrontational because they can't express their needs or wishes.

    Because patients lose their grip on reality, and some suffer from hallucinations, they could put themselves in great danger. Even if it is midnight and the middle of winter, a patient may wander outside without letting anybody know. Some believe they need to run an erran, such as going to buy milk, and they think that it is in the afternoon. In their mind, the situation makes perfect sense, and one can't rationalize with them.

    To conclude my paper, I discussed my personal experience with this condition. I also explained a few preventive measures that one can participate in to attempt to minimize their chances. For example. the best way to prevent the onset of dementia is to stay healthy.

Grandma Did Not Get Run Over By A Reindeer

    One million cities. One night only. Every year Santa Claus magically delivers presents to all the "good" people all over the world. As children, we believed that Santa actually did do this amazing feat. However, as we grew up, we came to realize the truth: that parents, friends, and family members actually bought them for us. There are many different ways that people celebrate this holiday, and there are multiple religions that celebrate it in varying ways.

    Millions of houses are spectacularly illuminated by Christmas lights in honor of this holiday. On the lawns there may be large displays of Nativity Scenes, Santa Clauses, elves, and reindeer. There are even large, blow-up, snow globes. Inside there is a grand tree covered by ornaments and more bright lights. Some people even go out to sings songs in order to celebrate Christmas.

    However, there are some people who absolutely detest this holiday. The oldest and most famous character that comes to mind is Scrooge. He was visited by three spirits known as Christmas Past, Present, and Future, in order to help him change his outlook. Another famous character is the Grinch. He tried to destroy Christmas for the people of Whoville, but a single, little Who, known as Cindy, helped change him to stop the catastrophe. Though these characters are fictional, they are not the only ones who detest the holiday.

    My family celebrates this holiday by many of the previously stated examples. We decorate the house, put up and decorate a tree, buy and wrap presents, and get together for a party. We open presents on Christmas morning and have a large dinner later. In a way, Christmas is like Halloween and Thanksgiving: we eat a lot of food and receive a large amount of candy. Every year my mom and I make a mountain of cookies, fudge, and other treats. However, this year will be different for two reasons. One reason is because my family is dispersed across the country. The other is because my mom has to work on that day, so we aren't celebrating until New Years. Though it will be different, I know it will be amazing and as fun as ever.

(Obviously this is not all there is to Christmas. It is a vast topic, and this is just a short example.)

(We also decorate gingerbread houses sometimes.)