Sociolinguistic Competence

Sociolinguistic Competence

Some say it’s important
Some say it depends
I say everyone has it
At least in his or her first language
Never judge
Because it doesn’t mean
Being stupid
If a person lacks of it
In a specific setting
Sociolinguistic competence
May be problematic
When it comes to learning English
Yet I suggest
Learning style and critical thinking
Should be taken seriously
From the very beginning


Written by Jerski Bjorksen

Random Thought

Soul

Colourless it may be
Yet the essence is full
Of life experience

Wisdom

Not everyone has it
Even age does have some influence
On you and me

Beauty

Is it prejudice or preference
Neurons might elucidate
In a way that surprises
The entire humanity

Happiness

I believe
It embraces both spiritual and temporal
Components
Attitude also has its role
Success is probably just a result

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Cocaine in the brain

In the recent issue of Scientific American Mind (April/May, 2008), an article discussed new remedies against cocaine addiction. The major idea is to hijack the part of the brain, ventral tegmental area (VTA), responsible for pleasure and reward. When we eat delicious food, have sex, or participate in other exciting activities, neurons in VTA will release the chemical messenger, or neurotransmitter, dopamine. Then dopamine will send its message to the recipient neurons, which results in feelings of delight, arousal, or what people nowadays would call ‘high’.

When a person uses cocaine, dopamine transporters on the endings of VTA neurons would be blocked and the reuptake of dopamine prevented, leaving dopamine to build up in the brain. When the concentration of dopamine reaches double or ten times of the ordinary amount, the neurotransmitter will keep stimulating the receiving neurons, thus producing euphoria.

In the past, researchers tried to target dopamine or its receptor to remedy drug addiction but found that there were some malignant side effects. Now scientists turn to other neurotransmitters such as glutamate and gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) in hopes to either satisfy addicts’ cravings or dampen reward responses in VTA. Another potential remedy is to tap the body’s immune system to target cocaine circulating in the blood. “Because the cocaine molecules are too small to provoke a strong immune response, developers link the drug to larger molecules, such as a bacterial toxin, that powerfully invigorate immune cells” (p.57) Hence some of the cells give out antibodies against the attached cocaine molecules, which is to prevent cocaine from going into the brain whenever a person takes it.

At the end of this essay, Nora D. Volkow, director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) said that “We can be at the mercy of drugs that inflict damage to brain tissue representing control functions.” However, I think the root of the problem lies in whether people are taught and warned of the danger from using drugs such as cocaine. Because we would likely become almost helpless in terms of kicking the habit after the uptake of cocaine or similar substances, that is why many countries have enacted laws against illegal drug use. The ripple effect of this drug is beyond many people’s imagination. We can look at the Chinese history at the end of Ching Dynasty. When a population was inflicted by opium, the entire nation was in jeopardy. If people know it is against the law and the consequence of using those drugs would lead to health damage, criminal act, let alone colossal expenses related to treatments, then whoever still does so should be held responsible for their own behavior even they will become ‘uncontrollable’ later on.

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

Spin

Spin

I wonder why
Days rush by
Without turning back
On this island white
Flip a coin
Heads or tails
A feeling cannot die
A decision isn’t mine
Only
I wonder again
Blue skies never fade
Green rivers always hide
And my thoughts spin
In the silence of night

Written by JerSki BjorkSen

微酸

微酸

午夜的海風
初夏的寂靜
有一種微酸的感覺
空氣中的分子
是自由意識
還是生命不可或缺的元素
我已釐不清界線
文字和心境的結合
怎也逃不出思念的範疇
我以為自己會很坦然
卻忘不了
你那湛藍的眼神
嘴角的喜悅
及綠色的盤中宴

Written by JerSki BjorkSen