Editorial #1: The Intriguing Case of a Baby Cured of H.I.V.
Editorial #2: Saving Cameroon's Elephants 
Editorial #3: How to Shop For College
Editorial #4: Publican el libro más pequeño del Mundo

The Editorial that had the most impact to me was one I found in "The New York Times"  called "The Intriguing Case of a Baby Cured of H.I.V." The title says it all. It was very shocking for me do to the fact that a HIV has been a deadly virus that produces AIDS and is known to have no actual cure, apparently till now.  When I first chose this editorial because I was interested in   knowing if whether or not it was actually true that some type of remedy might have finally succeeded.

The editorial is about a baby infected with the H.I.V virus and a day after being born was submitted to an aggressive treatment of drugs that eventually led to a cure.  It explains that many infected mothers are treated during there pregnancy for six weeks with intense antiretroviral drugs that can almost always prevent there unborn babies from getting transmitted with the virus. In this particular case the mother did not receive treatment while she was pregnant and her infected new born baby then commences  to receive a treatment 30 hours after it's birth.  The baby is given a three drug treatment- strength regimen during the period of 18 months and after the mother stops going to the hospital about 5 months later, now being 21/2 years old, is free of the active virus ever since.  Doctors call this a "functional cure" because though tests still show traces of the virus it is not able to replicate and spread.  

Quotes:
"If confirmed by further analysis, this would be the first time a person has been cured with simple drug treatments, making a lifetime of antiviral therapy unnecessary."
"If the stronger early treatment is confirmed to work, it could become the standard of care around the world."
"Even if the treatment works, the best defense against mother-to-child transmission is still prevention, which will always be preferable to treatment after an infection has set in."

I think the author was well informed and was pretty passionate while writing because as you read on you see that  research has been done about the virus, mothers and the babies that are  or have suffered this case in America.  I especially do think i learned something today by reading this editorial on this H.I.V. cured baby.  

Language: English 

The previous list is divided by social and personal things that piss me off! By classifying them I realized that it's more the things that bother me personally than the social and I guess now I know I have to work on that situation. Though, I still think that my lists are perfectly reasonable and actually some of the things on my personal list might even fall into the other.   For example: the slang words, I can't stand them, well specifically some of  the ones in PR; for others it's so normal.  I was confused because I didn't know whether  or not it was something more social than personal but then the I figured that the difference is that even though I hate some of the things on my second list I won't die if there still there.  I can live with people saying them even if they do bother me a lot.  
 

I just have to say that I liked all the post assignments given in class but I think my favorite one would be "Tones in a Music Box ". It's the one where I talked about what music I liked.  Everyone likes music and it's nice to talk about although at times it can be a bother just plain old predictable question to ask a person that you don't know. But since this is a blog I found it fun to just look up things that please me like music.  

If I had to choose which blog entry I put my heart into the most it would have to be "Unvalentiney To my Ears" because It made me actually try to remember every detail of that specific Valentine's day and try  to put it all down in words.  I also think it was one of the hardest just because for some reason I couldn't think of a love song I hated. I mean there are many, but it was hard for me to choose the most dreadful ones that I really can't stand. That should be easy though but, no it was hard for me. 

Now, I definitely think the most interesting blog assignments were the ones where we found out what our personality type was and our career choice because It actually made me think hard about what I would like to do in the future and find out an alternate plan incase I decide to change.  I think it really helped me a lot.  My Down Under post was interesting to me also because I really got to learn more about that special place I want to visit some day though it was a bit difficult since there weren't many books on Australia and New Zealand in the Library I went to.  It took me a great while to actually find them scattered around.  Any way this just made me want to learn more about the Far East so that I can actually plan a trip someday. 

And Finally, I have to choose my worst blog assignment, but like I said in the beginning of this entry I liked them all.  Though If I had to choose my least favorite it would be the one about the Law 54 post.  I just hate talking about things that are conflicting, since I hate that in general.  I tend to avoid these types of encounters because I have a problem with making these types of decisions. I don't know why it's just how I am but I think it was good for me to try and explain my feeling toward these types of things once in a while and thats why I liked it anyway.  Another that maybe bothered me a bit was when I had to write about problems I see in Puerto Rico.  It just made me mad to think about it since they are things that really bug me in this society, But It was good letting it all out for people to recognize them as well.  

In conclusion: This blog idea is really great I don't know why I didn't think of it before.  I have a nice time doing it and letting you guys know a little bit more about me.  

I like Puerto Rico but sometimes it just irks me.  

First: I really hate that you see so many abandoned animals in the street and no shelters for them.  Every week I see a dead dog in the road because a car hit it. The sad part is that not only are they dead but they remain in the same spot rotting for weeks and no one, no organization nothing has the decency to do something about it. At least move them away. I mean you wouldn't want to see corpses laying around every where, would you? Not many people make an effort to bring them to a vet or animal shelter, but I can understand them sometimes because you barley ever see one.  I've only seen 2 since I've lived here and they where the smallest things.    It's ridiculous what people do here to get rid of an animal.  I've seen many strange cases of animals left in the express way; it's like they want the animal to die.  I've seen two occasions where there have been a dead horse that was left for weeks in the same spot, kittens, puppies, even a rabbit once, just terrified or squashed in the middle of those high speed roads.  It's obvious they couldn't have got there alone.  Even if  it's to much of a burden for someone why leave them to die there.  Those things Irk me!Here is a link to an organization trying to help.

Second: I'm not a fan of the education system in PR, hopefully it's gotten better since I graduated.  It could be that my school was really crappy,  but I still think the reasons why is because of the Department of Education.  I think they need to provide better equipment and books for the schools.  Many schools have these problems there supplies are outdated. Here are some things ther "working on".

Third: I can't stand the way the majority of people talk here, I'm sorry, but there are just some words that I dislike.  I'm not saying I don't use curse words every now and then because that would be a lie but apparently these words are mentioned every to seconds.  And the worst part is that it's "normal" and common so that makes it okay. To be honest I'm really not found of many Puerto Rican slang, (some I can work with but frankly it just sounds stupid to me the way people use these terms).  Belive me when I say that I've tried several times to speak this way to see if the problem was me, but I just sound plain stupid and feel really idiotic. Then again maybe it is me.  Even so I hate how they sound! I'm not sorry.

Fourth: I know politics are important even though I am not a fan either but what I really hate about Puerto Rico is Election Week .  Of course every one is going to celebrate with there favorite campaigns  but over here they take it to a whole other level.  There is no order, people are all over the place it's horrible.

There are many places I would like to travel to around the world, but I've always dreamt of going Down Under.  I think it would be so amazing to visit Australia and New Zealand.  The continent consists of the Northern Territory, South Australia, Western Australia, New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland and the Island state of Tasmania. Its area is approximately equal to the main land of the United States and is south east of Asia between the Indian and Pacific Ocean. It’s particularly flat and dry with 40% of the country is in the tropical zone.  New Zealand is south east of Australia and consists of the North Island, South Island and a couple of other scattered ones.  Every time I think of that part of the world I feel like it would be an amazing nature experience.  In my mind the most beautiful wild and aquatic life is there.

Bibliography: 

1) McKenzie D.W.  Heinemann New Zealand Atlas.
        1987. Department of Survey and Land Information.

2) McLauchian, Gordon. Bateman New Zealand Encyclopedia.
         Auckland New Zealand: 1984.  DB.

3) Bernette, James.  The Far East and Australasia 1992: Twenty Third Edition .
         1992. Europa Publications Limited.

4) Shaw, John. Collins Australian Encyclopedia.
         1984.  Sydney: Collins,  David Baseman Limited.

5) Milligan Cris, Peter J. Chapman, Toby Milner.  Business Traveler's HandBook: 
         A Guide to Asia, Australia and the Pacific.   Park Avenue South New York: 1982.  Fact On file Inc.

6) Duke, Suzanne, James Orton, Wendy Barker, Ceri Taylor. Debretts Handbook of
         Australia and New Zealand.  Debretts Peerage Limited.

7) Craig R. D, Frank P.King. Oceania: Historical Dictionary of Oceania.
         Westport, Connecticut, London, England: 1981.  Greenwood Press.

8)  Wiley, John. Worldmark encyclopedia of the National Asia  & Australia. 
          New York & Toronto: 1971.  Worldmark Press  LTD., John Wiley & Sons Inc.

The 20th of February is definitely an important and historical day in Puerto Rico.  It was the first time that two groups protest in the island about whether or not passing a law 54 to protect gay couples of violence like a heterosexual married one is.  One group thinks that a gay couple that lives together should be treated equally regarding the law that represents protection against domestic violence.  The other religious group believes that the only correct marriage should be of the opposite sex and therefore they are against it because if they pass this law the others will ask for gay marriage and the possibility to adopt a child also.  What's at stake is the way society will act regarding gay rights, family values and sexual education at school in the near future.  This is why the issue is so important to them, because it has never happened before and it will have a great effect on the island, for years to come, like it has already started to in some parts of the world.  

First I must say that I have many gay friends and family members whom I respect and love very deeply. I have no problem with a persons sexual orientation. To be honest I am confused on my decision. I don't like to take sides in these types of big issues.  I am catholic and I think that the correct thing is for  Men and Women to marry and have children. However,on the other hand it doesn't bother me at all what a gay person or couple does, I think everyone should be free to choose what ever they please to do and be treated equally. So I think God should be the only one to judge them for there actions when the time comes. If a person decided to be gay well it was his choice and they should be happy. This means I understand the point of view that both of the sides are coming from and  well I would wish that there was some sort of an agreement between them.  I mean, this was bound to occur anyway, it's inevitable.  I don't know which law will pass but whatever happens, happens.