Jason Monastra

My life and thoughts out on the web

Now this is funny.  Take a look at this article on the anti addiction drug that has been all over the media recently.  Anti Addiction drugs seem to be developing into a new national trend in the hope of propping up another industry that has been experiencing difficulty - BIG Pharma.  Can someone send a bulk case to AIG and some of the other financial people on the street…..I think they might need this.

Anyone ever learned how to do this.  Took some time for me to learn, but finally mastered it with a friend of mine.  Take a look

I read recently that a fetal test for Down Syndrome has been developed which is non-evasive and offers no risk to the mother or babywhen tested.  This is a substantial increase over the former testing methods which jeopardized in rare cases the baby.  With this, people will be able to see their child and understand if they have the extra chromosome that causes the disease.

As a believer in Jesus Christ, I see this as a double edged sword.  There is no reference in the article to when the test can be administered, and due to the fact that the test is blood driven - reading imprints within the DNA, I imagine it be done early in the pregnancy.  My hope is that people will utilize this test to calm their minds or prepare for the challenges in raising a child with this condition.  The alternative is far more demonic, offering parents a clear view into the child’s genes to determine whether or not to abort the child.  With nearly 50 million babies aborted in this country since the legalization, the last thing we need is an easier check for parents to say “throw my kid away”.

Science is a great thing as it offers great benefits to all of humanity.  I believe that God has given people the ability to figure complex issues out and offer hope to people that were hopeless just a small time ago.  However, with anything that offers positive - the misuse of the technology can be very grave, turning the benefits of the solution into a darker corner where abuse and death occur.  I pray that in this situation that is not the case.

I cannot imagine seeing, reading or even hearing another article or commentary on the subject.  The only reason I am even writing this is to discuss the fact that now I am reading articles about how the epidemic has now hit Mexico and they need to address the issue.  Has anyone not made a connection between the lives we live, the things we place into our body and the resulting fact of fatness.  I see all the commentaries on how we need to legislate the food companies, we should ban McDonald’s, clear trans-fats and all of the other things.  What kills me is the lack of individual self control and accountability.  We have lost it, and it is spreading everywhere.

There used to be consequences when you did something.  No matter good or bad, the results were dictated by what you did and how you handled yourself.  Now everyone is a winner or has an excuse.  The idea that losing is so bad, or actually being told that you did something wrong would destroy someone has become more the commonplace.  This behavior is what drives the obesity factor as it effects more than what people place into their body, but also how they view themselves, others and how they live their lives. 

Alright, we all know that you cannot eat fast food everyday and expect to have a six pack.  Basic chemistry there with the way fat produces and stores in the body.  But what about the kids….do we really need to blame the idea on fast food super size and seditionary lifestyles of ultra-convenience that make kids burn less calories than ever before.  Ooooohhhh, lets start with a sticky subject.  Parents.  No one wants to take the accountability - but parents are a huge part of the problem.  Monitoring the kids meals, making sure they are outside and playing, limiting TV and video games.  Yes, parents this does mean you need to be involved.  So let us point the finger at one of the major culprits and that is the parents.  Parents are scared to say anything.  If you kid is fat, tell them!  I know it sounds harsh in this day of all winners but that is not life and people need to know early on how their decisions effect their lives.

Second, KIDS get off your rear end and do something.  When I was a kid, sitting around was a relaxation cause I had been playing all day outside or working in the yard.  Now, it is more common for kids to want to stay inside as the production of TV and video games allures kids to do less physically.  Kids need to understand that these things are okay to do, in moderation.  They need to be balanced, living an active lifestyle and enjoying relaxing games/TV when time is not available outside.  Self control and taking guidance of your own life is important and required.  It begins with your parents, however needs to be handed over and maintained with the children, especially as they get older.

Call a spade a spade.  If you kid is fat, make sure he/she understands all of the negatives to the current situation and get him/her to change.  If they are going down the wrong path but have not seen the effects yet, let them know and begin moderating the lifestyle.  If they are doing well, encourage and make sure they understand why they are doing such a good job.  Get active siblings to bring about change in less active siblings.  Make it a family affair and before long, the kids and the parents will be living a better way of life.

The ever increasing costs of additional education are continuous source of headaches for parents looking to place their children in college.  Both private and public universities have continued to raise tuition and overall costs over the last decade, to the tune of 30 and 50% respectively.  With the outrageous cost and the inability for most people to pay, our educational system is a tumultuous time.  However does it need to be or is this a self driven mistake that we ourselves have helped fuel?

The cost of any good or service is risen by basic economic factors including availability and the overall cost to produce the good or service.  However, college has seemed to transcend these basic factors and added a hype factor similar to that of the .com boom of the late 90s and early 2000.  The hype factor as I have seen it is where customers are flocking to colleges and universities where the cost of going to school is the highest.  There has been an evolution where there is link between the cost of going to school and the respective result of the education.  How can that be?  Lets take a look.  It has been documented that one of the way to increase the applications coming into a school is to increase your tuition.  Though it sounds odd, there is a sense of exclusivity that is involved and it works.  Take for example Ursinus College in PA.  They were actively bouncing ideas on how to increase the overall student population.  In return they raised tuition costs resulting in an increase of more than 200 applications and within 4 yrs, the school’s freshman class size has grown by more than 35%.  Hype - nothing more.

Take out the hype and you still have increasing costs due to greed and other human factors.  I have read numerous articles and accounts where the frame of mind is too charge as much as possible, not reflective on increased cost of doing business, but simply to see what they can get away with and to see what people will pay.  Frankly the idea is insane.  There are universities out there that cost in the area of 6-10k annually and offering stronger higher education benefits.  However, those schools are wiped under the rug by the media with the focus on the large schools that take advantage of their status to milk applicants and their families of life savings.  How do we stop it?

Honestly, one person at a time.  People need to evaluate the cost of going to school and the result for their career.  There are some schools that no matter how you graduate, as long as you do, will offer better opportunities to the appeared class of person that comes from the institution.  But for the most part, that is not the case.  The difference between a 25k and a 6k education might be nothing.  It might be something.  It might be something that means nothing for your career tract or interests.  The key is to look at what is important to you, evaluate the small and large, private and public alike, and make the best decision possible.  Consider tuition when making the decision.  As a large tuition and overall cost could strap you down after college with debt that you otherwise would not have.  Be smart and do not follow the crowd.  Understand your goals, decide for yourself, and forget the hype.

I was reading the article most recently of the 12 yr old in Chicago that received a car for her perfect attendance during the school year.  This took place in Chicago, not a private school, but within the public school system.  She is not legally able to drive the vehicle (valued at more than 15,000 dollars) for another 4 yrs but that is of no matter.  Public administration cited the gift as a key component of combating truancy among young students and encouraging their attendance in school.

What a load of ……….  Can anyone else not believe this?  First and foremost, I am not against the rewarding of students that have perfect attendance.  I agree with incentives for children that follow the rules and showing the rewards that can come from bettering oneself.  But a car?  The child cannot even drive the car.   Was there not a more appropriate gift for a child that age?  I am certain that a 12 yr old was not asking for a car, as most children that age are more interested in things that directly effect their lives today - not years down the road.  Also, where did the 15,000 dollars come from?  I see countless complaints of aging educational products, lower teacher pay than needed, and countless other needs within the public schools….where do we get 15k to rattle off and buy someone a car?  My hope is that there was some donation that the school used as a buzz piece to increase the publicity of the event.  But seriously, if the school administration approved that and kids cannot get books - someone needs to be asking Arne Duncan a bunch of questions.