Post #2 - How I Learned About the Jersey Devil

When I was a child, I grew up in Clementon, NJ, your normal Camden County suburb. Behind my house, there was a large batch of woods I used to play in with my siblings and neighborhood friends. Around age 8, my dad took me to an even larger set of woods about a half hour away, which I later learned to be the Pine Barrens. I expressed interest in playing in this new set of unexplored woods, and Dad pulled over and stopped the car. He looked me dead in the eyes and told me a different tale than that told to me by this class's slideshow.

"These woods are haunted by a monster, with the head of a deer, body of a horse, but standing on its rear legs like a human. This creature takes young children like you and possess you, turning you into lure to bring your friends to it. There's been tales of whole groups of children being found inside out, and others simply dry skeletons within a single day of them being gone missing. This is not a place you want to play in!"

For the next few months, I deeply believed this tale, and refused to play games like hide and seek in the woods, even back home where the Jersey Devil shouldn't be. Now I know the Jersey Devil just to be a local legend, but back then, it seemed real enough to keep me from straying far from home. This tale shows how legends that mostly spread by word of mouth can change drastically in an effort to scare younger children into acting good. As a whole, I now go with a more "see it to believe it" mindset rather than just believing what I hear the first time around. 

Just your normal drive through the Pine Barrens... nothing to see here...

Childhood Development Myths

Meghan Jirkovsky
Second post

Chapter 4 of our text revolves around childhood development. Listed on pages 88-90 are common beliefs that a surplus of people consider to be true. The first question at stake is whether or not these common beliefs are in-fact true, or if they are myths, but more importantly, a second question stands: Why are these “beliefs” considered to be untrue and therefore, myths? The first myth proclaims, “Don’t give him that candy! Sugar makes him so hyper”. Although parents and teachers report that sugar results in hyperactivity when empirical research and data shows that sugar has no effect on a child’s behavior as reported by outside observers. Parents and teachers alike assume that it is the sugar itself that makes a child hyper but research concludes that parents disregard covariates.

                A covariate is defined as another variable that is associated with the variable of interest; in this situation the main variable is sugar and the covariate may be a birthday party, day on the boardwalk, a Halloween party, ect. The book also notes that parenting style effects behavior. For example, parents who let their kids eat all the sugar they want, are most likely going to let their children run wild in other aspects too, whereas parents who restrict the amount of consumed sugar for their children for health reasons, are likely to teach obedience and self-discipline.

                Recent scientific research from scientists from Yale Scientific Magazine, proclaim that sugar may at least influence behavior, but does not cause hyperactivity. A conducted study found that having a large amount of sugar for breakfast led to a severe deterioration of attention span when compared to having no breakfast or eating whole grain cereal. Research reports that children given sugar had higher levels of adrenaline; scientists conclude that because sugar is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and therefore causes blood sugar to rise, which leads to higher adrenaline levels and symptoms associated with hyperactivity.

 I listened to my mother, for years, telling my dad, aunts, uncles, grandparents and cousins not to let me consume anything with red dye because it’ll make me too hyper. Although I disagreed, she swore that it made me bounce off the walls. It is interesting me that recent scientific studies are proving that sugar does not infact cause hyperactivity but it makes sense that it can influence it.

Superstitious theater

The theatrical world is full of different superstitions such as ghosts, whistling being bad luck, "Break a Leg" and sleeping with your script under your pillow to learn your lines. The most famous, however, is The Scottish Play.

Before I continue, I wish to explain to you a couple ghostly superstitions. A general superstition about ghosts is that a theater should be closed one night of every week. Interesting superstition, but why is it brought about? Well, generally if a ghost is attracted to a theater they would naturally be the theater type. Maybe they want to perform their own show? This is the exact reason a theater should be closed one night a week, to allow the ghosts to perform their own show. This is not, however, the only ghostly superstition of the theater. There is also Thespis and the idea of a ghost light.

A ghost light is a light that is always left on in the theater. Some say it is to ward off ghosts, others saying to give the theater's ghosts some light to see so they are not angry. Many say, however, that it is to keep non-spectral personnel from walking into the pit, which they could not see in the dark.

MACBETH! CLICK TO SEE A HISTORICAL VIDEO ON THE CURSE
If you read that out loud I urge you to please walk outside, spin around three times, spit, curse, and then knock and request permission to re-enter the building. That is, if you are in a theater of course. Why? You just cursed the theater. No, seriously, anytime that name is spoken in a theater, there is surely something to go wrong that night. I've almost died a few times after someone spoke it. Well, I'll admit I was looking for something to go wrong so I'm sure it would have happened either way.

This curse was first originated by the fact that anyone who played Macbeth would somehow get killed in the process of the show. Somehow, the fake swords that were supposed to be used in the show suddenly became real and many people have died. One explanation for why it is cursed is the idea that the incantations which the weird sisters have in the show, are actual curses.

Like I stated before, though, when someone speaks the name I tend to look for something to go wrong. This puts my guard down and there is more likely something to go wrong. It could very well all be in the mind and work kind of how a horoscope works. Someone gives you something vague and interpretive to look at, and you try to mold your life/day around it instead of allowing it to mold itself around your life/day.

Sweet News

Many parents believe sugar is the cause for their child's cranky behavior. Is this really true or are they trying to make two things that don't go together connect because "it's the only logical explanation."

Why would it be the only logical explanation? Well, the child seems to only get moody right after they have a lolli-pop, or after birthday parties. Logically, that means the child had some sugar and there seems to be a correlation between having sugar and getting moody. Are we just grasping for a quick answer?

First lets point out that babies, in fact, come into this world with a natural sweet tooth, which is what attracts them to breast milk. So, if we are brought into this world craving sugar, how can it be detrimental to our moods/health.

Pediatricians and nutritionists say sugar can have a healthful place in a child's diet as long as it is consumed in modest amounts. In fact, a few drops of sugar water can help soothe a fussing baby. Well then, what is the problem? The problem seems to be that children are getting too much too soon.

It seems that an excess of sugar causes high blood pressure which in turn cuases high amounts of insulin in the blood to wipe out the sugar. The sugar is cleared quickly and this makes the mood change quickly as well. It also makes one crave sugar and puts one into a vicious cycle of highs and lows.

Source:http://www.parenting.com/article/Baby/Recipes--Nutrition-For-Children/Sugar-Does-It-Make-Kids-Hyper

No, mom, you're wrong

Has your mom or dad ever warned you not to swallow gum? If so, they probably quoted the phrase, "It takes seven years to pass through your digestive system."

Well, like most of the things posted on this blog, your parents were wrong. While gum may be sticky outside of the body, once you swallow it, it is no different from any other food. The actual truth is that gum can resist being broken down by the body; however, that does not mean the gum cannot pass through your system. If gum did stay in your system, we would probably experience "death by gum" by numerous children, including myself, who once thought these yummy colored circles were meant to be eaten--they weren't. According to our friends at Snopes.com, gum is created with 15%-30% of gum base, which is indigestible. Upon hearing this word, is it clear as to how this myth became "truth", considering digestion is linked not to just the breaking down of food/food substances.

So if anyone tries to warn you about the "harm" of swallowing gum, enlighten them and put this myth to rest!