Up Is Down

Do you know the Pixar movie "Down"? Well of course you don't, because it's actually called "Up"!

There is a theory that states that Up is down. But what does this really mean? Does this mean that there is no real set direction? Let us take a look at some examples.

If you think about the number system that we use today, negative numbers exemplify this case. When you have low negative numbers, you are actually going "up" the number scale. Likewise, with the pH scale, when you go "up" the scale, the concentration of hydrogen ions is decreasing (Ask Jeeves).

Okay, what about actual directions of up and down? What shape is the world we are living in? What happens when one keeps walking north, or in other words, "up"? According to Wikipedia, "the world is round". To put in other words, if one keeps walking north, eventually he or she will be heading south ("down"). Same goes for if one keeps walking south, they will eventually be heading north!

All comes to prove that Up is indeed down!

The Pura Principle

This short story was quite a surprise for me when I first started reading it. When I saw the directions before I read the story to discuss about the illness and how it helps hinder/help to get the message across, I thought that the story would be more of a motivational type of story. However, as I started reading, shocking statements of cursing were revealed. I believe that this beginning sets the tone for the short story. In this short story, it illustrates the life of the narrator, Yunior and his mother and how they have to tend to his older brother Rafa and his situation with cancer. Throughout the story, Rafa portrays a rebellious personality. No matter how much love his mother seems to give to him, there seems to be no breaking through. I would think that a cancer patient would have a completely different outlook on life, but I was shocked at how Rafa dealt with his life. He attempted to keep a job, go partying, married a woman that he barely knew, and even stole from his own family.
I actually had mixed feelings for the meaning of this story. One thought that I have is of how loving Rafa's mother was even to the end of the short story toward Rafa. I understand that he is her son, but I don't understand why Rafa just doesn't get it. I also thought about how Rafa just never seemed to change at all during the story. He didn't even change or have any sign of changing at the end. I had a feeling that Rafa would try to do something to Yunior, and I was right at the end when Rafa threw a lock at his face. Having this as a short story kept me interested and helped me keep reading. I was able to understand it better because it had a plot and story to it.

Waltz with Bashir

When I learned that the movie was animated, I thought that the movie would not be very good because I don't really watch those types of films. I believe the goal for the film is to portray what happened in the invasion of Lebanon through the use of animation. War and traumatic events are two very horrifying matters to talk about or even imagine. I think that the film maker used animation so that the movie could seem less serious and allow the audience to visualize and see what happened.
At first, I was really confused about what was happening in the movie. As the movie went on, I began to realize what the purpose of the movie is. One scene that stood out to me was with the soldier who was in the tank, and his commander was shot in the neck. After the commander got shot, there was just a moment of nothing but fear. I tried to imagine myself in the soldier who was supposed to be second in command's shoes. I would have probably responded exactly the same as he did. I would have been just as petrified. After the tank got hit and all the soldiers tried to get away dodging bullets, I realized how much the animation helped with the scene. Imagining that scene with real people is terrifying. Having a less intense animation scene helped bring down the seriousness of that scene.

Research Log (5 Additional Annotations)

Greenspan, Stanley I., and Jacob Greenspan. Overcoming ADHD: Helping Your Child Become Calm, Engaged, and Focused-- without a Pill. Cambridge, MA: Da Capo/Lifelong, 2009. Print.

This book offers advice to help overcome challenges for children who have ADHD without medication. It outlines an approach that explains sensory, motor, and self-regulation problems while avoiding labels and recognizing the individual potential of each child.

Kristina S. Boye, et al. "A Modeled Economic Evaluation Comparing Atomoxetine with Stimulant Therapy in the Treatment of Children with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder in the United Kingdom." Value in Health 11.3 (2008): 376-388. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 2 Apr. 2011.


This article is an evaluation to see the cost-effectiveness of atomoxetine with stimulant therapy for children with ADHD in the United Kingdom compared with current alternatives. It also explains what ADHD is and the difficulties associated with ADHD. 

Lavin, Paul. Clinical Depression: the Overlooked and Insidious Nemesis Plaguing ADHD Children. Lanham, MD: University of America, 2008. Print.


This book explains how ADHD relates to depression. It also provides steps to take to help depressed ADHD children. 

Mayes, Rick, Catherine Bagwell, and Jennifer L. Erkulwater. Medicating Children: ADHD and Pediatric Mental Health. Cambridge, MA: Harvard UP, 2009. Print.


This book introduces what ADHD is and includes a survey of the evolution of ADHD and pediatric stimulant use. It also includes questions about stimulant treatment for ADHD.

Weiss, Margaret D., and Jay Salpekar. "Sleep Problems in the Child with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder." CNS Drugs 24.10 (2010): 811-828. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 2 Apr. 2011.

This article explains the relationship between ADHD and problems with sleep for children. It describes how medication may in some cases, contribute to sleep disturbances.