Autism Among Adults

     In the website latimes.com, there is an article written by Alan Zarembo that points out how there are many adults living today in society who have cases of autism they are not even aware of. Ben Perrick is an example of one of these cases. He was diagnosed to have autism in 1954 by the man who discovered autism, Dr. Leo Kanner. Today, however, he is regarded as a schizophrenic who is mentally retarded. Ten percent of cases that were reevaluated, like Perrick's, have seen that they also have autism that has gone unrecognized.
     Many cases of people who are diagnosed with autism at an older age are specified in the article, and in a way, they all seem very sad. If when they were younger they had gotten a clear diagnosis to what was wrong with them, maybe they would have been better off. Many people in today's society have even mild forms of autism that they may have suspected, but are not sure of. It is important for these people to know of their conditions, because after all, they are living in the world like the rest of us. Once their main caretaker dies, they must be faced with the tough reality of trying to take care of themselves and survive. If you fear you mayhave autism, consult a physician immediately!

"The Raven"

     This saturday during the saturday class, we read "The Raven" by Edgar Allan Poe, a gothic writer. His prose and style of writing is very unique and distinguished, and it happens to be one of my favorite forms of writing. In this poem, a raven is shown to remind the narrator of his lost love, Lenore, resulting in him going crazy and talking to the raven. He starts talking with the bird, adn the bird's only response is "nevermore". At teh end of the poem, we ind out that the bird, which signifies an evil being, also signifies Lenore, and the fact that the narrator will forget about Lenore "nevermore".
     The gothic style is shown in his poem in a few ways. The setting is very bleak and dark in the beiginning of the poem, starting off with a midnight in December in a huge mansion. There is an indirect violent incident, which is the loss of Lenore, which could have been violent in some fashion. The main narrator seems as though he is psychotic, because the bird is taling to him, adn he is getting tortured by it. Somehow, after speaking to the bird,a  supernatural event occurs, and the raven actually answers back. All of these characteristics in the poem enable it to be a gothic piece of literature.

Can Infections Cause Mental Illnesses?

     In an article by Shari Roan from the Los Angeles Times called "Childhood Disorder Prompts Study of Infection Link to Mental Illness", it is discovered that it is very possible for certain minor infections to cause much more serious mental problems such such a OCD in victims. The term for this unfortunate situation is pediatric autoimmune neuropsychiatric disorder associated with streptococcus, or PANDAS. Because of PANDAS, a young sixth-grader named Brody Kennedy who got strep throat ended up havving obsessive compulsive disorder. The boy started not wanting to go to school because of his newfound germaphobia. He took showers more than three times a day, and in general, becasue very antsy about everything in his environment. These are the typical symptoms of an OCD patient.
     The antibodies from the PANDAS attack only the viral or baterial cells of teh infection, but they also begin to attack neurotransmiters and cells in the brain, which causes mantal issues. This situation not only leads to OCD, but it has also lead to diseases such as anorexia, schizophrenia, and autism. Therefore, if one is to get an infection, especially nowadays, they must immediately go to the doctor adn inform them of this problem if they are already not informed. An infection should not be the underlying cause for something much more serious like a mental illness which may last a lifetime. Brody Kennedy's parents are still taking him to the doctor, and trying to find cures for his problem., Meanwhile, all others are trying to find the solution to these antibodies attacking the brain to prevent other such cases ftom occuring.

My Favorite Part of The Scarlet Letter

     The Scarlet Letter proved to be one of the more interesting books with sophisticated language that might seem boring to some. It had a great plot, along with a well-written storyline that captured the essence of the setting very well. If it were not for the revelations of the main suspence in the story that got revealed well before the actual part in the book, I think I would have actually not put the book down. There were many boring parts in the book where I wanted to slap myself with twelve sticks because of how unenterained I was, however, some parts were very interesting. The most interesting and thrilling part of the book, in my opinion, is whenever Chillingworth finds out about the "A" on Dimmesdale's chest.
     Chillingworth was supposed to be helping Dimmesdale out, and aiding him whenever he seemed in need. However, the moment when he ripped open Dimesdale's shirt and saw the "A" etched in his skin, we all knew that Dimmesdale was in for a wild ride (and not a fun one that you sit on at Disneyland). My favorite part of the book is whenever Chillingworth finds out at first, but what he does to Dimmesdale in return also ties in as my favorite part. I personally am very interested in things like torture and the extent to which one would go to to ensure another's suffring. Given all this, I found this section of the book, which explains how Chillingworth was slowly mentally as well as physically draining out Dimmesdale to be very interesting and thrilling. Not many would think the same, but this is my blog.

Dimmesdale Gets My Vote!

     Should I choose the man who is slowly becoming the devil, or should I choose the poor man who is being tortured by a creature such as this. Of course, I pick Dimmesdale! There is a true connection between Dimmesdale and Hester, one which Chillingworth or any other satan "wanna-be" cannot demise! The marriage between Chillingworth and Hester was already an aranged one, so Hester was not even into him when they tied the knot. On top of that, he is torturing the one man that she loves that actually might love her back! Chillingworth is the Devil!
     Hester even confirmes that even though Chillingworth was keeping Dimmesdale alive, "Better he had died at once!" (Hawthorne 160) Is any woman deserving of a man whose help and guidance leads to another's slowly descending life? I think not! Dimmesdale is the man she shares her one prized posession, Pearl with! They concieved this child together! So what if the satan has possessed her soul, or if she is well beyond the paranormal... She is their child! A parent's love for a child exceeds any obstacle or hardship that may come along the way! (except in Matilda's case in the movie Matilda) I rest my casee!

Gum Chewing Does NOT Affect Weight Loss

     Have you ever seen commericals on gum claiming that chewing their gum will lower your snack cravings, therefore, contribute to weight loss? I know I have, and for a while, I was very convinced that this did actually have quite an affect on weight loss. It only makes sense that if your mouth is busy doing something else, it is not eating anything. However, in an article in the La Times written by Jeannine Stein called "Study: Chewing sugar-free gum has no big effect on weight loss", gum chewing actually poses no affect on weight loss. The reliability of this article is based on a research that was conducted on a group of people.
     Two-hundred and one overweight or obese individuals participated in a research to prove this hypothesis. Half of them were in the experimental group, and those individuals were told to follow an eating chart and chew gum for ninety minutes a day. The experimental group was given the same eating chart, but they were given no gum to chew. At the end of a certain amount of time, both groups were evaluated, and there was no significant change in between both groups. Only a slight weight loss among both groups, probably due to the eating chart. So next time you reach out for a stick of gum because you crave something unhealthy, do yourself a favor and eat something healthy instead of chewing gum or eating something unhealthy. In the words of Mr. Wonka, "Chewing gum is really gross, chewing gum I hate the most."

The Scarlet Letter: Connections with American Romanticism

     In The Scarlet Letter, a book that we started reading last week, we get to see a lot of American Romantic aspects being reflected into the story. This is no surprise, since the story was essentially written in the 1840s, which correstponds directly to the American Romantic era. An example of a romantic aspect would be the prison door (Hawthorne 43). In all of chapter one, the author describes the door very carefully and descriptively, not missing an inch of character from it. It is very dark, rusted, and old, which corresponds with the common "ghastly thrills" that the people were interested in during the romantic era. This door also sets the initial mood for the story, foreshadowing future unfortunate events that might take place. It also foreshadows irony that may be coming up in the story because of the fact that it was an old, distusting door, in the middle of a quite elegant, architecturally sophisticated environment.
     Another aspect of Ameican Romanticism is the fact that Anne Hutchinson was reffered to (Hawthorne 44). Anne Hutchinson was a woman who belived in faith in God. She preached that having faith will bring one closer to God. This set her as an outcast compared to the rest of the villagers, because not everyone believed in that. She was kiled, which contributes to the aspect of facination with death of American Romanticism. This also serves as a foreshadow for what might happen to Hester Prynne since she was both compared to Hutchinson, and in a similar situation as Hutchinson was in because of the fact that they are both outcasts in society.