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Adam McDonagh 8-1 Language Arts 11/29/10

iPods; a danger for your ears?

It all started on a pleasantly warm May afternoon in Marpson, Ohio. Gary, an 8th grader from his local middle school, felt a wave of relief and joy as he rushed out of the school and into the parking lot, where his caring mother has been waiting to pick him up and bring him back to their nice one- story house. Right when Gary got inside his mom’s old Subaru, he immediately withdraws his iPod shuffle and began listening to his classic rock, entering into a whole other dimension full of musical bliss.

“So, how was your day, honey?” Gary's mom asked. No reply. "Hey, how was your day?" Gary's mom persisted, becoming slightly irritated. Suddenly, Gary shouted "WHAAAAAAT?". Her mom was so startled she almost hit the truck in the next lane. "Gary, put that iPod away! Geez, with all of that noise, I'm surprised you haven't gone deaf yet!" "But mom, it doesn't hurt to listen to music every once in a while..." "With the volume so loud, it does! Here, how about we listen to the radio right here in the car?" "Mom, there's nothing but trash on the radio. There's only current auto-toned pop and horrible rap!" "It's better than getting your ears blown out!" "Come on, mom. Is it really that bad?"

Believe it or not, this issue is argued throughout the world everyday. Some people say that all iPods and Mp3 players are only destuctive devices, causing hearing loss to every person who listens to one. However, I believe that, with a couple precautions and moderation, iPods can be a safe and relaxing way to listen to music on the go. Why? Well, consider the following...

First of all, most iPods have a volume cap option on them. This allows the user to keep the maximum volume of the music a constantly safe level, preventing the user from putting the volume up to a dangerous level. All iPods also have a "lock" feature, which allows the user to permanently lock the volume in a certain place and prevents the click wheel from responding. This keeps one from accidentally turning up the volume while the iPod is in his or her pocket. These two options are simple ways of preventing hearing loss from loud volumes.

However, even if those options aren't on an iPod or a Mp3 player, there are other measures that can be taken in order to protect the sensitive ear. For instance, a person could simply regulate the amount of time spent listening to your Mp3 or iPod. Usually, the hearing loss from earphones is caused by over exposure, so you should try to restrain your listening time to 90 minutes or less in one outing. One last way you can regulate the volume is by buying specific earphones that only allow the volume to go up to a certain point that's safe. This prevents this whole volume problem 100%!

With these feasible options mentioned above, I have no doubt that all volume problems with iPods and Mp3 players are easily preventable. If a user takes the time to put a volume cap on your iPod, regulate your time on it, or buy some loud-proof earphones, all portable music devices can simply be a convenient and pleasant way to listen to music. So, next time you're on an iPod or Mp3, you won't have to worry at all hearing loss! Isn't that great?

Adam McDonagh 8-6 Reading 12/14/10

Battle on the bus

School buses are never exactly calm and quiet. With all of the children taking, the engine running, and the occasional talking of the bus driver, you can barely hear yourself think. But one day, everything went horribly wrong on our bus. The event was so chaotic that when it was over, I couldn’t tell my head from my feet!

This chaotic event occurred when I was in 4th grade on a bright and sunny September afternoon. I just walked out of the bus from Lumen Christ so I could board another bus to drop me off at home. But, as I approached the bus, I noticed something pretty odd; there was a new bus driver. He was shaking like a vibration chair, and his eyes were so wide it looked that the eyeballs would just pop right out! I didn’t really think anything of it at the time, because I was so exited about getting home for the weekend. However, to my horror, right when we pulled out, the bus driver did the two most fatal mistakes he could have ever done; first, he forgot his bus route. You could tell, just from him driving to random subdivisions, that he had no clue. Alone, that was a pretty big setback. However, he did something no bus driver should ever do; he asked the students for directions. Immediately, every student sprung out of their seats, trying to scream the loudest so that they themselves could get home. Everyone yelled at the incredibly confused driver, “LEFT! GO LEFT!“ “UP, YOU MORON, UP!” “NO, GO BACK! MY HOUSE WAS THAT WAY!” The bus driver drove erratically through the entire town, hoping to at least drop of one student at their own house. The students, getting impatient, only screamed louder, causing even more chaos than before! And the driver, noticing the angry students, got more and more nervous! Finally, after 4 hours, some pain and suffering, and a lot of mindless screaming, all of the students were dropped off. Except us. So, my siblings and I ended up directing the driver himself. Unfortunalty, I had a horrible sence of direction, causing us to be even more lost and confused than when the bus ride started! By the time we finally got off the death trap of a bus, the sun was already setting. But that didn't matter to me at all, (or my siblings, for that matter) because I was to exhausted to even care. We were finally home!

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