To Be at This Moment...

Source: http://www.universetoday.com/
wp-content/uploads/2011
/08/from-space.jpg

Temple Terrace - -    As you sit on your laptop or computer, take a minute to ponder.  To be at this moment, history of thousands of years had to happen exactly the way it did.  Of course, you made decisions that have kept you alive and hopefully healthy.  History and Technology have created the world we live in today.  People like Lewis and Clark exploring America's uncharted territory.  The Westward Expansion, where the white man forced the Natives to leave there lands and keep migrating.    Men and Women conquered the Natural Environment with the use of wagons and horses.   The most advancement came with the increasing supply of petroleum from fossils, as technology has progressed individually and privately.  The invention of the internet, by Vinton Cerf and D.A.R.P.A.  That increased the speed of time, creating a relative impatience within the developed world.  We, as developed nation citizens, want efficiency, speed, less cost, and the best quality. With 3G and now 4G networks, nobody is out of reach. 
Decisions made by each of us, have a collective effect on the entire population and thus the world. 
That is History!  History since the Human rose to be the 'Alpha Species of Earth'.
You are sitting here today, most likely, because a world around money and oil has been created so you do not have to waste time.  Wasting time hunting food, finding clean drinking water, place to go to the bathroom safely, and a place to sleep inside a built environment.  All that is available for a price.  Coal is becoming the new oil in terms of going electric with vehicles, but that may be reduced once solar panels and alternatives grab hold of the market.   Seemingly endless amounts of energy for a price.  There is an end however.  That's another topic!

The music we love, the movies we love, the memorable conversations; being able to travel in one day what used to take months or years;  These are some of the great things you and I can enjoy through the creations with technology.  We live in a world that has been taken over by the dependency of energy, especially water and electricity and oil.  These three components have given us the time required to make more advancement in a lifetime than what used to be much more with just the bare hands of labor and slaves.  But resources are finite so we must progress.  However progress at the moment is a different play book in each of our mind's.  I am thankful for the fact that I am still alive and have found a life that makes me happy and keeps me bettering myself.  As much as I am against the dependency on Energy, I realize how my life and probably your life would be much less experienced and fulfilling without the consistent source of electricity. May we find a balance between minimizing energy consumption while still maximizing our lives.

So as you get back to your day, remember how technology and history have shaped the person you are today!!

Obesity in America: Geographic Outlook

Temple Terrace - -

       With new studies predicting a rapid increase in obesity within the United States, the effort taken by
the government, local and federal, seems to have played little to no role in decreasing the public's Appetite.  Its not hard to see that millions of the population are overweight by at least 10 pounds and thousands are severely obese, weighing close to 300 pounds.  There are many factors and reasons that create an obese individual, however something that has not been addressed thoroughly is how the geography of a particular city plays a major role in promoting obesity.  Where are the majority obese? Or where are the majority seemingly fit and healthy?  Why?  To answer these questions, I will compare two suburbs within big cities of Florida, one of the top 3 obese states in the nation according to a recent survey.  Pinecrest, Florida in Miami versus Carrollwood, Florida in Tampa.  To give the reader the best perspective, I will describe the physical surroundings and culture residing in both areas.  The differences will be clear as will the importance geography has on obesity.

Source:http://floridabicycle.org/wordpress/
wp-content/uploads/2008/11/
bike-miami-6.jpg

     Pinecrest Florida is a suburb in south Miami-Dade County.  It intersects with several areas including Coral Gables and South Miami, which is a high class to extremely wealthy neighborhood.  There is a fitness center located centrally on a main road with classes available and a cross training course.  There is a public gardens as well next to the fitness center.  Along main roads there are side walks and bike lanes.  There is also a market that sells fresh vegetables, protein shakes, juice bar, and small servings of food to walk or bike to.  Every morning, one can see numbers of runners, bicyclists, and pedestrians out doing physical activity.  They are all in great physical shape and many are 40+ years of age.  From living close to there for many years, I did not notice any increase in obesity at anytime.  In fact, its quite the opposite.  Fit bodies, runners legs, and pedestrians on routines that can be seen daily with the same individuals and always the once a week exercise buddies making an appearance.  Miami in general has some of the most attractive people in America, physically that is.  The focus on physical appearance is a theme that is perpetuated by the social lifestyle the city wants from residents. There many bars, restaurants, clubs, and social places to talk and dance.
Pinecrest is my example, but the healthy lifestyle or keeping aesthetics high is observable everywhere with the infrastructure to make it a People-Friendly city.  Multiple ways to move around, including a metro rail that passes along US-1, bordering Pinecrest.  When a city is designed around people to get around easier instead of cars, it becomes a routine to walk and use public transportation as well as having sidewalks and traffic lights spaced for people to use their bodies as transport.  New York City is a great example of people centered and body transport.  Pinecrest nor Miami do not have as many people as NYC and lack the more advanced public transportation efficiencies with wait times, but the Metro and Omni-Rail connects to a city that is somewhat people friendly, especially the coastal side of town.  There are only stores and strip malls on the outskirts of Pinecrest that connects to the other Miami-Dade neighborhoods.  There is a Whole Foods Grocery as well as Publix relatively close by.  Besides that, there are no specific health stores or local food selections.  99% residential.  There are many schools within walking distance of many streets in Pinecrest, which gives children a chance to walk with their parents and interact with other children neighbors.

Source: http://usfbc.org/wp-content/uploads/2010
/11/Fletcher-Bicycle-Lanes-11.jpg

     Carrollwood Florida is a suburb inland from Tampa Bay.  It is part of Hillsborough County which covers a gigantic section of the west, central part of Florida.  Dale Mabry Highway crosses through Carrollwood, but does not separate the suburb from other neighborhoods.  It is a car centered city along with the entire Hillsborough County.  There are some of the highest pedestrian death rates in the state and one of the most dangerous places to ride a bicycle in the State is right on West Fletcher Avenue.  So everybody drives, and that is no different than Carrollwood.  There are sidewalks but only in the nicest central part of the suburb.  It is a middle to low class area in terms of income.  Many retirees have settled there, however there are families being raised there.  I lived there for two years and explored the neighborhoods.  There were hardly 6 people outside doing physical activity at 7am on my daily walk.  At 6pm, less than 10 people I would observe daily outside being physically active compared to the over 50 people I saw counting in Pinecrest on several evenings alone on one street.  The trend also carries out all over Hillsborough county.  All cars, few people on the streets.  The lack of quality public transportation and no metro rail system is one cause for the bad traffic as well as the lack of people wanting to walk to work or be physically active outdoors.  Not to mention the overwhelming amount of strip malls and corporate stores.  Local business in the area succumbed to corporate, big business chains.  There is 1 Super Walmart and two regular Walmart stores within Carrollwood which is a little bit bigger than Pinecrest.  In Carrollwood alone, there are over 80 stores and businesses compared to the less than 60 businesses bordering Pinecrest.  When you are shopping in Carrollwood at Walmart, over 3/4 of the customers are obese which is not uncommon in any Walmart.  This is from a four hour observation period, conducted by myself and my partner.  However, this does make  for a positive factor.  The Fresh Market and Abby's Health and Nutrition are two stores that carry organic, local, humanely raised, and vegan selections for customers and are conveniently located driving distance in Carrollwood. 

    So why is this?  What makes Pinecrest a non-obese majority when Carrollwood is the opposite? We covered how transportation plays a major role  and the infrastructure of the roads and pedestrian zones being more people friendly in Pinecrest.  Another factor to suggest that those in Pinecrest can afford to be presented with knowledge of nutrition and consumption through high quality education, trainers, and knowledgeable persons in socializing.  But many residents in Carrollwood have high quality education in their past and use trainers at Bally's.  The awareness is certainly there with how the mainstream media continuously mentions diet and health trends for both Carrollwood and Pinecrest, but the action is only present in one.  How about the way residents regard appearance?  Its clear that high fashion and physical attractiveness matters more to those in Miami than Tampa.  Just look when you are walking at the way people dress and hold themselves.  In Carrollwood, I see many individuals wearing pajamas to stores.  In Pinecrest, its LaCoste and Dior.  Miami is a city for people to enjoy and be outside.  Tampa is a flat, dry, and truck centered.  The city council must want people indoors and spending on Walmart in Carrollwood because that's the main attraction for the neighborhood seemingly.  Also due to private ownership, the beautiful main park is locked for permanent residents only.  I do not see even one jogger ever while driving by everyday on my daily commute.

     My conclusion just from using two different suburbs of major cities on the way geography plays a part in obesity is that I did not include many geographical factors in detail, like wealth distribution to support my hypothesis.  However, the reader can differentiate as to the importance people-centered cities has on the suburbs of its borders.  Miami has done a good job, especially downtown, to get people outside and using public transportation.  The city has done a good job to make the streets downtown safe for public and the crime has been quarantined northwest of the beach.  The Metro-Rail gets thousands of people around everyday and the Omni-Rail gets people around the main downtown district.   
If the city is known for some fashion such as Miami, Los Angeles, and New York City;  less of the population is obese because physical appearance lacking weight is attributed to having a healthy diet and exercise.  There will however be more eating disorders but more research and focus would be needed to confirm.
Tampa is a city very spread out and full of people who are on a lower income bracket than Miami, and consequently lack funds and investors to improve infrastructure significantly to make it more friendly for people to be outside and physically active.  The downtown area has a scenic path along Bay side and Harbor island.  But besides that, it is far too dangerous to walk or ride a bicycle.  The public transportation lacks quality and even bus stops are not properly designated.  Some people just stand on the side of the road and wave down buses randomly.  By encouraging residents to be inside their cars, houses, and shopping, Hillsborough County will be one of the top 3 most obese counties in the country!!

Facts about Coal

Source: http://media.treehugger.com/assets
/images/2011/10/burning-coal-
carbon-thumb-436x306-14807.jpg

Temple Terrace - -

     So You have seen those commercials on cable lately about "Clean Coal".  We'll today I did some research and found some interesting facts.  The Sierra Club collected data from the Coal industry and all the National Parks in the United States in 2011 and found that coal mining and burning for electricity has some of the worst natural environment effects, especially on these ecosystems. 
 
Facts in Numbers (2011)
260,000,000 gallons of water every day used in mining
 90,000,000 gallons of liquid waste.
 2,000 streams destroyed since the use of mountaintop removal
47 states warn against consuming fish contaminated from mercury emission due to burning coal
130,000,000 tons of solid waste every year from burning coal
 21 million people live within 5 miles of coal burning power plants

 Facts about National Parks and nearby coal fired power plants:
 Great Smoky Mountains - since 1990, every summer visibility has been low at 20%
due to sulfur and nitrogen release from coal fired power plants.  

Big Bend National Park - increased wildfires, droughts, and flooding; visibility and air  quality severely impacted

            Yellowstone National Park -
Summer warming so intense, streams boil and kill trout; White Bark Pine extinction linked to increased pollutants in soil

         As the reader can see, the emissions from producing electricity by burning coal may have scrubbers, but the worst environmental effects have no controls applied.  There is no American progress involved with destroying natural environment to be used and wasted.  Please do more research and you will find overwhelming data on the negative effects of coal mining and burning rather than the benefits it gives society.  We must implement all alternative energy and off grid living capabilities to counter the increasing use of coal as an energy source.  The technology is available, just not on a mass market scale yet.  Individuals are taking creative and efficient steps towards self sufficiency.

Source: Sierra Club, 2011

Hollande and Socialism: Brief Opinion

Source : http://archive.workersliberty.org
/images/awlbadge.gif

Temple Terrace --

  Ah Monday morning, bright and sunny.
France has elected a new president, Monsieur Hollande.
He is a socialist candidate and is an odd man out within the Euro-Zone.Two of his strongest promises during the campaign:
75 per cent tax on income of those making over 1.3 million Euro annually and to cut Austerity measures from France that are currently imposed throughout Europe. 

   Many people in America and globally are upset that the french people chose Hollande and believe a collapse of economic proportions will occur.  Some of them believe the government will just steal everybody's money now.  I have read many comments suggesting his tax on the rich is ludicrous and just the idea of Socialism is a fallacy.. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT PURE SOCIALISM MEANS!!Socialism

    Free High Quality Education, Free High Quality Healthcare, Public Sector Job Growth, Infrastructure job growth, and best of all, community ownership.  People are actually more concerned with being happy and living life than just making money!! I feel very sad for those who just make money and do not care about helping make a better country or world. 

   If everybody is a capitalist, as the majority of citizens in America are, we see poverty, lack of quality education, lack of job performance in all sectors, laziness, Substance abuse, obsessive behaviors, social and emotional problems, disconnection from reality, and stealing money from the system, as well as pollution and consumerism of epidemic proportions.  The Individual is rewarded monetarily, no matter how he steals, cheats, or lies to get IT.  The Invdividual never experiences the reward of time and effort as that is experienced by those who did not earn but stole your time and effort.

If everybody was a socialist, we would see community gardens and farms to get food, community squares to work and play, community high quality education, strong work ethic, strong ethical and moral factors in decision making, Nobody is better than anybody else that works just as hard.
 A visible connection between surviving and helping others to survive and live happy lives, lack of selfishness and greed and obsession and impulsiveness to consume.


   Although socialism goes against what America was founded on, socialism not co-opted will heal this planet and the Human if played by the rules of those in government.  We all have ambitions and goals but its time to look around, take stock, and realize there is
NO VALUE in FINANCIALIZATION.  VALUE is TIME.  How long Something takes to make, the benefit It gives, and how long It lasts. Not investment or marketing!! 
   We live in a world where the greatest commodities to life became  ARE FOR ALL LIFE  and are now held hostage by big corporations and selfish, disgusting individuals.  They just existed as Clean Air,  Clean Water, Organic Food, and  Organic Shelter.  They are created through a natural process of Time and modified by labor, not by throwing money at them. It may seem that way but that's the illusion of capitalism.  Our disconnection with what it takes to survive will have dire consequences for the unlucky billions that will realize one day how far away and lost in space Human beings have become.  3% annual growth indefinitely is impossible because we live on a finite planet with boundaries!! I could write much more about how capitalism forces Everyone to become individualistic, competitive, and self defeating and I will but this article is about HOPE for a future   . 
    Hollande may become co-opted at some point but his rhetoric at this moment seems very appealing to those in France and around the World who are opposed to financial capitalism and consumerism.
     The 75% rich tax will encourage all middle class and low class earners to open businesses and apply for jobs and have a better chance at succeeding.  Instead of being greedy or individualistic,  people will see the whole country creating and working together to build a nation of workers of  many professions and services that would not been seen or heard of in the global market.  Those who make +1.3 mill. Euro will have to decide where to invest their profits so the tax will not bite their earnings.  Possibly investing in non-profit and beneficial services for the community as well as public-private co-operatives.  There will be top earners who will pay the 75 per cent tax, however they must adapt and see how they are not better and deserve more life than any other hard working citizen putting in time.
  Their may not be any financial market of worth to investors outside France, but inside the country will experience high employment, better infrastructure, and high quality services IF Hollande holds pure socialism over his own ideas of Socialism.

E- Waste: A Wave of Trouble

Temple Terrace, FL
[Excerpt from my article on Ocean Waste]

Source:http://www.maximumpc.com/article/
story_e-waste_what_happens_
tech_once_its_trash

       Since 1995, electronic devices have become more available at lower cost. "On average, each U.S. household has at least four small (<10 lb) and three large (>10lb) electronic waste products in storage, which represents more than 1.36 million tons of toxic wastes," (Health, Moeller). In the United States alone, estimates reveal 100,000 personal computers are discarded every day. This fact is compounded by several factors which have created the E-Waste crisis. ["(1) the small size and short life span of such devices; (2) a lack of understanding of their adverse impacts on the environment and public health; (3) the fact that these impacts occur throughout the life cycle of such products, extending from the acquisition of the raw materials to their manufactures and disposal; (4) the sheer magnitude of the problem; (5). the absence of recycling policies"] (Health, Moeller). When the E-waste is dumped, the levels of lead among children have been at 15.3 ųg dl-^1 compared to 10ųg dl-^1 LD 50. Lead is not the only toxic material in electronic devices. Cadmium, Cobalt, Mercury, and Polyvinyl chloride are some others that cause various health complications in humans and animals. Breathing in particles and touching components are equally dangerous. E-Waste became an ocean waste problem because of two reasons. One, the amount of E-Waste has grown, making its way into the mix of ocean waste at sea. Two, the government officials of developing nations in Africa and also China have allowed the United States and European Unions to ship millions of tons of E-waste and hazardous waste to their countries. The basis for the acceptance of this trash is because of money and the fallacy that some of the trash is reusable and safe to pick by residents. The grim reality of this process can be seen in Ghana, where mounds of E-Waste are piled up along the beaches. Children and adults have begun to notice the adverse health effects of being exposed to toxic levels of the materials. For example, when exposed through inhalation of Cobalt, reduced pulmonary function as well as lung cancer have been observed. Polyvinyl chloride is major contributor to cancer of the liver, brain, and lungs either through touching in certain states or breathing particles. "The UN Office on Drugs and Crime has estimated that the EU generates 8.7 million tonnes of e-waste a year and that African countries, primarily Nigeria and Ghana, 'run the risk of becoming the rubbish dumps of the planet.' ," (allafrica.com). This figure was from 2010. This is not only a moral issue, but a human rights violation. In 1989, recommendations from the United Nations Environmental Programme were addressed due to the news of "silent trades" as I mentioned earlier by the United States and European Union. These recommendations were reviewed in 1994 at the Geneva conference (Health, Moeller). To date, no change has been sited as to a cease in shipments of the E-waste and hazardous waste.

Note to the Reader

Temple Terrace - -  In many of my articles, a developing theme has appeared and I want to correct any assumption.  I write my articles based on facts, opinions, and public awareness.  There may be
some readers who think I am just complaining or negative towards a topic.  The reality may include those, however I am going to use facts as well as my thoughts to portray a certain topic.  If the reader does not agree with what I say or the facts that I source on my articles, GOOD! I want to hear your point of view!
Every person who writes an article, abstract, review, or any type of writing INCLUDES THEIR PERSPECTIVE.  If people were afraid to give their view, then many good ideas and progress would be lost!!

EVERYBODY HAS A PERSPECTIVE!!

Thats Why I created this blog.  To get some truth and opinions on the internet so others can read quality material and use critical thinking to make critical arguments against or for anything I say as well as the comments that the readers post.

SO PLEASE, CRITICIZE AND REFUTE ANYTHING I SAY in the comments section.  I WELCOME POSITIVE FEEDBACK TOO so those who have posted comments, THANK YOU!!!

Trichloroethylene: Brief Discussion

Source: http://i00.i.aliimg.com/photo/v
1/417796646/Trichloroethylene.jpg

(From abstract)
Temple Terrace - -
   Hazardous Air Pollutants (HAP) are continuously exposed into the atmosphere of Earth on a global scale daily by accidents, emissions, and purposeful authorized release as well as unauthorized.  This review accounts for one location, one hazardous air pollutant and its health effects due to exposure.
   The EPA regulates companies for HAP's and other pollution agents which has led to a large reduction of release in the United states.  This review is written about the chemical Trichloroethylene (TCE). It is a non-flammable, colorless liquid. The main use is as a solvent for removing grease from metal in industry and household products.  It has application in many products.  I personally used this to clean off grease with my bare hands while working at a yogurt shop, and I did develop slight irritation.  I was told by my manager that the product was hazardous if eaten or vaporized. TCE can also be found in paint remover and adhesives. This chemical is a volatile organic compound and is found in aquifers and surface water due to manufacture use and final disposal into environment through point and non point sources. TCE can become a vapor which becomes electrostatic. "In contact with a hot surface or flames, this substance decomposes forming toxic and corrosive fumes", (lenntech, 2012). The routes of exposure to humans are inhalation and ingestion.  If a manufacturing facility uses TCE to clean the machinery, and a fire were to break out, a serious problem would be in store for firefighters and those in the surrounding area.  Ground water is easily contaminated by TCE releases.
     According to experiments with mice, inhalation RfC was given .0019 mg/m3. Oral exposure RfD was given 4.8 x 10(-4) mg/kg/day. Both candidates showed adult immunological and heart malformation [EPA]. However, toxicodynamic uncertainty has been applied because PBPK models do not account for human sensitivity. Risk units for humans: 4.1 x 10(-6) per ug/m3 and 4.6 x 10(-2) per mg/kg-day respectively. Dose response data confirmed renal cell carcinoma, lymphoma, and liver tumors in humans through epidemiological studies [Charbotel, 2006]. Finally, the EPA concluded that TCE is carcinogenic by a mutagenic mode of action for induction of kidney tumors, the target organ. In 2010, in Miami-Dade county; 29,290 on site releases of Trichloroethylene were recorded. All were authorized and conducted at Goodrich Corp. , located in Opa Locka.
     As many environmental professionals and litigators are aware, environmental hazards are displaced racially and socioeconomically in America. This is a prime example because Opa Locka is one of the poorest, most dangerous areas in the city of Miami.  Rent is low and poverty is high. Many residents are African American or Hispanic. One hypothesis that could be made is that residents who drink public water and or boil water and inhale vapors from water sources close to Goodrich may be experiencing more numerous rates of cancer than a higher income area like Coral Gables.  Environmental Justice has been used in cases like this before, such as Houston's Northwood Manor V. Browning Ferris Industries, 1979.
If knowledge of the release was not given to residents, lawsuits are possible. More Information is needed to further examine this discussion on the history of health effects and Trichloroethylene.

Sources:

1). IASPUB.epa.gov

2). CFPUB.epa.gov

3). lenntech.com

4). ATSDR.cdc.gov

Anxiety: How does it affect you??

Temple Terrace --

       Over 1 million people in the United States suffer from regular anxiety.

  I heard on the radio that "We are living in a time of Anxiety".

  And I was so selfish to think my Anxiety was different from yours.

http://www.wholelifediets.com/
wp-content/uploads/2012/01/anxiety.gif

  Turns out that many of us Humans are anxious around 
  Earth.

   HOW COULD WE NOT BE?? We are constantly bombarded with mainstream media telling us useless information on a daily basis.  Even if you choose not to watch the news, everyone has stress in their life.  Unless you are wasting your life selfishly not caring about anything else, You have a lot on your mind!  Work, family, kids, bills, places to be, people to see, deadlines to meet, and how to live in a sustainable way that reduces your ecological footprint.

And then to top it off, we end up consuming food and substances that produce no health value
and harm the body.Antibiotic chicken, hormones in beef, pesticides injected into fruits and vegetables, genetically modified fruits and vegetables (Monsanto seed),
hazardous air pollutants, over-chlorinated drinking water, and of course plastic in our DNA.
To understand all these hazardous, you should learn about bio-accumulation and
persistent organic contaminants.

With all this culture setting you up to be anxious, you have doctors that will prescribe you
medications to "balance" your brain.  However, recent studies show that if a person is having anxiety or depression, this is often a Thyroid issue.  The Thyroid is located at your throat, and controls many things doctors mistake for brain function such as mood, sleep, hunger, and energy level.So before you take Prozac recommended by your doctor, make sure your taking care of your bodies needs and have blood test for Thyroid if severe anxiety is regular.

 

  I have been dealing with my anxiety for as long as I can remember

  and until I met my wife, I really had no idea how anxiety affected my life.

  I'm not saying my wife is my solution.  She unknowingly has helped me

  come to know myself and really find How I want to live my life..

    I was "done" with just getting by, feeling this discomfort physically and mentally,

    on a daily basis!! I now exercise everyday, trying different sports and gym routines.
    I eat organic vegetables and fruits with every meal, as well as using healthy oils
    to cook my food.  I rarely eat at a restaurant, as I find that my wife and I cook better
    and more healthy than even the most expensive steakhouses!!
     But most importantly, I always keep in mind my Breathing Cycle.

   Many Humans do not breathe correctly.. Through the Nose, out the Mouth..
   One tip from a physical therapist is to make sure your stomach does not move
   when you breathe to ensure maximum lung intake.

   Some people only breathe into the top of the lungs, not getting enough oxygen

   for the entire body.This lack of oxygen will cause stress, agitation, high blood pressure,

   and ANXIETY!! I have no doubt that on a regular basis, more serious medical issues

  are related to this. SO BREATHE DEEP unless its near a polluted or hazardous environment.

Although I do not have a real solution to Anxiety, I recommend

highly you always keep conscience of breathing correctly.

It may be hard to remember to do this constantly at first.

But if you just designate specific times during the day

it becomes much easier and natural to breathe properly.

Lastly, Keep in mind what you put into your body..

Humanely Raised, Cage Free, and Organic...

It may break the bank, but doing this will 

ensure your body is getting all the nutrients needed

to feel your best and perform your best.  If you still find

that your anxiety or discomfort is still affecting your life negatively,

please research and seek medical information.

Education Needs to Evolve

Source: random picture from Google

 --Temple Terrace FL

          The form of school, taught inside a class room, is outdated.  Saying this from just ending my semester at University of South Florida, I am a student.  I have always striven to do well in school, managing to get by with procrastination and never failing.  I can say that I did not learn much since 6th grade until I got to college, in terms of formal education.  I learned much more just from living on this planet.  Going back to college 3 years after high school without reading, writing, and practicing math basically started me over.  I knew basic study skills, however I am far more advanced as a student than I used to be.

   This is not the case for my brother.  He grew up an athlete and was never able to really become a student.  It just was not him.  Not able to sit down and read a book as well as having issues in learning math  He has now decided to withdraw from college to figure out where he wants to take his life. As hard as it is on my mother, we as a whole family understand everyone has a different way of learning and unique strong characteristics.  For example, good mechanics remember extremely well with their hands.  Any physical labor person that is good at their job knows they are most proficient and best when working with their hands. 

My point is this.  The formal way of learning in a class room does not work for more and more of the population currently and will continue to hold back many people who learn most effectively in so many other areas. 

   Solution:  Children are legally bound to attend K-8th grade in most cities.  They must understand why school is a law and a necessity to progress in life before high school though if they are willing to continue education.  Many students and past students need to understand the material being taught has importance if they are to take a certain path in life.  That path will most likely require a full time job in order for him or her to progress even further.  And from their, "The sky is the limit" as the saying goes.

      The four areas of learning in formal education are Math, Science, History, and English.  The solution would be simple.  Implement real application to connect the material being presented to the class.  For example, Environmental Science should have many labs outside throughout the entire year, just like Biology.  If the topic is general such as identifying plants, what good is sitting in a classroom looking at pictures of leaves??  I know this is done on some level with some classes but it is not a cornerstone to learning the real application.  For English as well, the students may find reading in different environments not just in a classroom or outside in the grass.  Take them to the public library and teach the value of getting sources for future assignments and how reading makes you smarter!

  Those like my brother, who cannot sit down to read a book, must have better opportunities to learn in our school system!! Teaching wood shop is no longer available in most schools.  Art can be considered a hands on task but my brother is not a drawer or painter.  How about the kinetic learners along with many athletes who have strong skills in moving their bodies and hands to complete tasks?  There are technical colleges which have given better opportunities to thousands of people.  Formal education for 6th to 8th grader should include a basic field class of taking the students to auto shops, laboratories that do testing and research, construction, and other technical jobs that are high paying and provide opportunities without the stress of feeling like you failed formal education.

Once the Bees Go, Will Earth and its flowers sustain??

    Yahoo! posted an article yesterday about a new study

involving cell phones and Bee's.  The conclusion

was in fact alarming to me to say the least.

The Swiss researcher Daniel Favre indicates

cell phone frequencies (usually 900MHz)

disrupt the signals within the hive, causing

confusion and stress for the Worker bee's and 

probably the Queen as well.

      Colony Collapse Disorders occurs when the Worker

bee's dessert the colony, leaving a Queen with eggs and 

immature bee's who will not learn 

how to keep the colony  alive.  

This is a valid explanation that explains the decline 

of the Bee population  since 2003.  I personally believe it is 

a combination of factors including this.

  

   As I personally found out,  Bees are very sensitive to temperature as well.

Hot = Agitated and
Cold = Calm, almost Comatose.

 





With the temperature changes on a global scale,I would bet my declining dollar 
that too is affecting the Bee population as well..Lets face it people!! Cell phone use 

has not been researched thoroughly for ecological purpose..Cell phones can now be found in every country..

        

I found an article (http://reviews.cnet.com/8301-13970_7-10454065-78.html dated  February 16, 2010.. At this point, it was estimated 5 billion cell phone subscriptions  were active.  Even Children in America as young as 10 have cell phones, as it is a safety net for parents.

 For the Bee, the sad truth is unless restriction or restructuring of cell

phone use is enacted, the frequency of worldwide cell phone use will

operate on a level that is inhumane towards animals.

My Sources:

Honey Bee Study 

Graph 1 and 2

Recycle Your Water

     I was at my friend's apartment last week when I smelled

an odor of sea water coming from his sprinkler system.
He explained that his complex, in fact, does use
some lake or sea water for the sprinkler system.

The odor by the way was strong and a little unpleasant

Prior to this day, I had been sitting around my apartment on Earth Day,
pondering like Sherlock Holmes with his tobacco pipe on ways
to be a smarter Human.  I walked into my bathroom and contemplated
toilet water being recycled for lawn watering.
However that filtering process would be expensive to implement on

 a large scale.

  Then it occurred to me that the shower drains water and
chemicals (soap, shampoo, etc.)The filtering process would be
less expensive and the water might even smell nice (Joke)

If separate piping is connected to a refined sprinkler system,
this is a real world application..I will be looking for some assistance
(especially engineers) to make this a real product.

Here is a site to see how much water your household 
or apartment uses:

http://www.csgnetwork.com/waterusagecalc.html

The benefits to a Shower to Sprinkler system are many, Here are Some:

1). Lower water bill

2). Better for the Earth

3). Same fresh water for plants and animals.

IF You are interested in working on this project,
just post to my blog or contact me..

What ideas do you have about making 
the Earth a more hospitable and clean 
planet to live??

I want to know so post to my page...

Music Review

Temple Terrace FL    I appreciate music and would

like to give you reviews of some old and new artists and albums that will open up

some of your minds.  This my first music review, and I highly recommend you

and your mom go out and buy this album. On CD!! Old school should stay back

in the day, and CD's are now 'back in the day' ladies and gentlemen.

PLEASE LEAVE COMMENTS about this album if you heard some tracks.

       Cypress Hill album "III: Temples of Boom" was released in 1995.  I have listened to it before but this is my first review of it.  I would rate it 8.9 out of 10..  B-Real has usual violent lyrics and references to rap battling, ghetto life of the 90's, and marijuana.  Sen Dog has back up vocals and adds some deep tones and hard words as well as finishing lines for B real [+1].  I like this album the best out of all Cypress Hill's albums.  The lyrics are constant and flow, and although they are the usual tones and situations in most songs of all their albums, You can still relax to it! B-real's words have been perfectly set at the speed of the instrumental.  This is in all the songs.  However as I am not much for violent lyrics because I wanna just vibe to the music, I ranked it just below a 9 out of 10, so that's my bias!

     What makes this album so special is that every track has an instrumental

that you just wanna rock to.. Your head will definitely bobb and

nod to the speed, kick and snare, truly underground, original sound

that makes DJ Muggs legendary! Every song has an instrumental my ears love. 

"Funky Freakers" "Illusions" "Killa Hill N***as"  "Everybody must get stoned"

and my favorite "Boom Biddy Bye Bye".I have heard the album many times

so I like to just go back and listen to the instrumentals

while I study or work around the house.   Get this album!

                      You will like this album if:

               + You like instrumentals

                +You like lyrics

                + Mainstream music radio makes you stressed

               + You wanna just take a breather and roll back

Welcome!!

If You can type, I want to see your comments!!

Education, Ecology, Politics, Environment, Public Health,Book Music Movie Reviews, Cars,

Business, and much more

What is important to You>>??