Contributing to the Happiness!

While working on a project for stress management (and relief) this past week I typed in humor for google's search engine and looked under images. There were a bunch of random pics of humans, comic strips, and even a other weird graphics. When I clicked on the one of the sign I got this. I was curious if this sign was an actual sign and saw that there was more to show on the website. http://www.findlove-keeplove.com/cool-canadian-signs.html. It shows other pictures which I found quite humorous.

All the Single Ladies!

If I could have one single wish granted this Christmas it would be that everyone could be happy! However, I would not want to contradict myself because sometimes the happiness of one is to the detriment of another one's stability. Example: war. We go to it so someone can have it their own way while others suffer. But anyways a study done at Hardvard concluded that if someone is happy it is contagious! Happiness begets happiness. hm....genuis! If anything hopefully they were able to determine the exact signaling pathways in the brain to suggest how exactly this happens. But if you are in a happy environment and acting kind of down it is the responsibility of the group to work their happiness and spread it!

Last day!

Today is the last day of classes...for some people. Are you happy? I know I am! I enjoy the dead days since it gives me extra time to study not that attending one or two classes would hurt my time (but it does give me some extra sleeping time!). As I was reading a special report on cnn about the science of your appetite. I learned that if you take a break from eating and brush your teeth it will lessen your appetite because it doesn't taste as good as it did before. The accumulation of all those sugars in your mouth washed away. Also, if you eat foods with a lot of fiber they help stimulate the cells that decrease your appetite. It also went along with the same old breakfast is good for you. It is when you are consistent because then it helps regulates hormones and decreases hunger. Imagine that, it is also good an stimulating parts of your brain that can help keep you active throughout the day with concentration. I'm about to go have me some breakfast!

Posada Time!

We held a posada today in our building. Several residents dressed up as Mary and Joseph as we played out the Christmas story going from building to building to find a place to spend then night. We sang some traditional songs to which I did not know the words to but played along. When we did find our shelter (where we starte off with) we were greeted with food! Pozole, buenuelos, sweet tea, picadillo with warm flour tortillas, and of course hot chocolate! We even went outside to hit the gigantic pinata that was filled with lots of candy. Once that thing fell to the floor everyone went in for the fight!

I want a burger!

The delicious mini bacon burgers from chili's...delicious (and unhealthy). That is why I only eat it once a month. Jk I've only tried it once...I don't even like bacon...but it was tasty and I have been wanting to go back ever since. However, it is only sushi right now that has met my needs.

If I Were a Boy.

Always inspired by music. Imagine if I were a boy (then I would be girly boy?). I like to dress up! But if the whole world could just exchange their roles with other people for just the day then how would that change us? I demand that the next Nobel Peace Prize should be awarded to someone who can do that. Change us 'virtually' to have a different role of the exact opposite just to take the place of someone else's shoes. It would mean that hopefully we would learn something to better ourselves. However, then would we have to change back to our normal lives? I guess the point would be to learn to help make those less fortunate's lives better. Willing ones to have change. However, I don't know if that is far if others experience a lifestyle and then go back to a worse off one. Someone should be awarded if they can figure out the answer to that!

Recovery...

Just blogging about the entire Thanksgiving vacation can seem kind of boring...but just to inform everyone I've been also studying for the GRE! yeah for me! It's the Hit Parade...all puzzling me. I think I have learned only two words. But I do have an advantage for knowing Spanish and looking at some of the 'context clues' (of that one word) so that what the word is in Spanish is the meaning of what is given there. Hopefully, the entire test contains these types of words!

the holy black friday

When I first heard of the term 'Black Friday' I thought it was like "Black Monday" and why does everyone make a huge fuss over it if it is supposed to signify the horrible economy of the stock market. Well from my deductions and having participated in several Black Fridays it is supposed to bring out people in hiding to make purchases for the year. However with our current economic standing it was no surprise to see a huge decrease in the number of people during the sales. I had seen some outrageous prices savings which I took advantage of but also saw other items and the same price throughout the whole year. I really wanted a DVD player (since I accidentally broke mine the other day) but I found none priced at $10 so I guess I will be enjoying my movies from the computer. The mall was deserted (thank goodness!) but I still found those individual stores with people packed and what I believe were paying too much for overpriced clothing. Say no to $199 imported sweater! Just go to Walmart and purchase a warm jacket for $8. You can even buy two of them to keep yourself warmer!

Turkey Day!

In fact it was the supposed day that the native american people of our land (the land that was taken away from them) welcomed the pilgrims. How historically correct was it that for just one day the pilgrims and native americans feasted togehter. Then the next day they were fighting? Is it like an unsolved mystery how land was taken away from someone so that it could become the land of the free? I mean even now native americans, african americans, and other communities are being recognized for the mistreatment and unfair conditions that had been done in the past. But how do you really ask for forgiveness and make up for something that people's ancestors had committed. Maybe that question will be answered by the turn of the century.

Pre-Thanksgiving Day!

I always love the eve of thanksgiving because I can stay up late, wake up the next late morning, and only have to wait several more hours before the food is ready. I don't have to leave the house (for the most part) and can concetrate on preparing for a big appetite! Because I come from a small family we don't have to wait that long either to fully cook a small sized turkey. I love my mom's 'salad' that has apples, peas, corn, and mayo. It really does taste good! I hope we also have mashed potatos and corn bread which I don't mind making. I wonder how much money is spent each year on the grocceries used for the Thanksgiving meal. With the recent blows in the economy is there really going to be a huge drop? I believe that traveling at the airports have dropped significantly...thank goodness there is frequent flyer miles that you can earn with your credit card instead of just traveling!

Move your feet!

Don't stop the beat! by Junior Senior. At first when I heard this song I thought it was sung by Micheal Jackson. I found out it wasn't but I would really love to hear his version of the song...totally awesome!

The Terminal 2

As I was reading a 'news' article it informed me of a resident at the Mexico City airport.This man came to the airport had his ticket and everything but decided not to leave it. He stays in the building sleeping on a chair and gets donations from people who takes pictures with him. Even the local restaurants give him food (THAT IS RIGHT MEXICANS HELP OTHERS!) so that he can survive. But is he being a bum? Well he hasn't showered in the longest time and seems to be growing out a 'fro! There are others that live out on the street and ask for donations and guess what they are able to survive! On the local fox news the other day there was a special report over how much money people on the side of the road. Can they live off of it? Quite generously but who wants to be doing that everyday especially if it has detrimental affects on your health. But surely the report expressed the generousity in Mission when one of the undercover reporters dressed up as a pregnant woman. There is good in this world! =)

Am I One of Them?

A human being...as part of the human race I believe in equality for all. However, we are always finding ways to separate ourselves economically, in education, by titles, our beliefs, and culturally. Its not a bad thing. It is what makes us different and helps us learn about each other to see how diverse the world is. I want to know at what point though are we able to make our decisions about these things. We are born into a middle-class American household then we are expected to go to college (hopefully on scholarship!) and then have to work full time (because FASFA says your family makes enough money to support you fully as long as they have no fun or eat for the next 4-5 and 1/2 years.) to pay for books and ramen noodles throughout college. Then you get a great job (something you probably don't really like) get married (settle down) and have kids (who will have to support you once you retire from your crappy job)...but thats the life you need to survive nowadays. But do you actually get to choose what to do? I suppose you do since that is why there are crimminals which may make the wrong decision or decide to run for office. Anyways...just curious because sometimes when we complain about the simpliest things (I do) on the other side of the world people are working harder to get to where it is simple for us to get.

Will you go with me?

To the moon! I was watching Wall-E (seen recently I have been able to watch a lot of movies...and I don't know how) and saw the millions of satellites in outer space and freaked out! All that junk in outer space..I wonder if it is affected by the sunlight. The rays transfer and reflect off mirrors and shiny parts of the satellite and then increase its energy or something and then affects our environment. Nah..its just the imagination. I'd like to think that there aren't many satellites in orbit so I did some research. I read that the definition of satellites is technical. I would think of it as a "spacecraft" but it could also be debris that counts towards the number of satellites or "objects" that orbit the Earth. Right now there is over 2,000 objects in space with Russia putting out over half of them followed by the US (of course represent! no not really). NASA has intrigued me since I was a little girl. I wonder who really grows up and wants to be an astronaut, that sounds pretty cool to me!

Mamma Mia!

Again it was another challenge. We made a delicious cake from scratch and there was like 10 of us in the kitchen! It was beautiful! Decorated with fruit and chocolate with a minimal amount of frosting so as to not overpower it. I wonder how long it will take for us to eat it all up!

Cheater Cheater

by Joey and Rory. Where'd you meet her? and so on. Sometimes I wish I was invisible! Just so I can take better pictures. So others wouldn't know I was there and be able to 'capture' the moment! Then I would be all up in their space but still be able to get the weird angles and be up close and personal. Then almost be able to capture their thoughts...what they are thinking as they are holding certaining positions. Not capture the words in a conversation but the emotions. Sometimes I wish I also had 'green' magical powers or green wishes. It would be that if someone were to improperly throw trash into a recycling bin...that they didn't take the time to read it (their fault) or that they chose to ignore it (really their fault!) then the food would eject itself back and only land on the person who threw it away (so that the surrounding areas don't get dirty. So that for once people would learn to throw trash in the trash can (and maybe learn to use less waste so that they don't have to be throwing stuff away anyways) and recyclables in their proper bins.

Laughy Taffey and CV

So who would of thought that I would be making a CV so soon in my 'career'. But I suppose that is why its academic because I have not even graduated. hehe I plan to soon create a wonderful CV so that it can have presentations, research, different jobs I've taken, and other sorts of information. I like to work around people but also take interest in the lab. Its behind the scenes and you can still work with others. However, I want to be able to apply it! Well I would understand that that is the main purpose of research! To apply it so others can use it for further research, to investigate and understand why something occurs the way it does, to prevent or direct the pathway of an occurance, and so forth. That is why I would go into epidemiology. I want to find the cause and effects of an event. Understand what precautions can be taken but look at it from different points of view.

White Chicks!

That's a funny movie. I wonder how long it took to put those 'masks'/'costumes' on each day or however long it took to play the character. Was it easy to move in or was it easy to even act in it? Imagine if you could easily dress up differently everyday. Put on an 'outfit' one day and look white put on a different one the next day and look black. How do your eyeballs fit? How do they see through? Whenever I try to put on a mask it gets hot for me and the eyes look weird.

Book Followers

After seeing The Happening I have a new respect for nature! I mean I love my maple tree and red tulip! But do I have to worry about walking through the park one of these days. The movie explained that a toxin released into the air immediately affected the minds of individuals that would then kill themselves. The individuals were pretty creative in killing themselves..at one point I thought they were going to start killing each other! It was insane I believed for that to have happened.

Obstacles of Life!

Today was the obstacle competition. I was nervous the whole time. Just didn't want anything to go wrong...people to follow the rules..and have a good time...and make sure that someone did solve the puzzle! It did happen more than once and apologizes were made and assumed that they were an apology. hehe. Don't take anything personal at work. Its part of your job not about who you are. But isn't that why you get a job in the first place, because it should be something you are interested in and have a passion for?

MGC Event

On campus there is a Multicultural Greek Council which includes 5 different sororities and fraternities on campus. Today we had an event to showcase these organizations...however only 3 of us presented but it was awesome! I'm glad we can get the word out there of the variety of councils and orgs on campus and nationwide. We are diverse!

The Sun's Rays...

I can feel them going into my body. Those radical cells! Making wrinkles and taking away its luscious color. Its the degeneration of the cells that I cannot fix. However with all these 'antiwrinkle' creams I am curious to how really those creams and lotions are supposed to fix or prolong the situation from occuring. It only creates a protective layer from the sun so that you have to continuously apply it and then apply more. But then you can cover the rest of your body up and not apply there so noone else can tell the difference!

You could do whatever you like

I feel like I could do whatever I wanted to but time is limited. Even now as a senior in college I've only managed to 'manage' my time a little bit better than before (but it seems the same!). I like being busy in the first place because then I feel I have to stick to a stricter schedule and therefore spend time wisely on smart decisions rather than having too much free time and still having important things to take care of but doing it at the last minute! There must be some psychological explanation to this event! Oh its called procrastination and the lack of disciplining yourself! But I've learned here and there the "non-benefits" of procrastination.

Getting Use to the Time...

It's already been a week since the time change and I still haven't gotten use to it. Its almost 6 pm and outside its pitch dark. Well not exactly but it messes with your head! Though it makes the night last longer for studying so then I might fall asleep earlier and gets some hours covered. It must be messing up with my REM cycles. I was told by a friend that staying up late and having .insomnia can be a factor of bipolar disorder. Well who would have thought...I would just be in a bad mood if I didn't get that much sleep. It causes stress and so forth. My neurons need to rest at some point! Just kidding its my T and B lymphocytes that aren't functioning well enough!

Midnight Madness!

It's been a great Spirit Week and today is the final day! We are going to show off our spirit and spread the word. Along with our lovely fajita cooking skills we will knock your taste buds off! Hopefully, I learned from a trick question that cafeterias in schools don't have a "grade-D meat: fit for human consumption". Types of meat labeled for human 'consumption is by prime, choice, select, standard, commercial, utility, cutter, and canner. Imagine that! Also the type of meat used in the cafeteria is about the same used in restaurants. So I suppose it is the ingredients that make the restaurant ones taste better unless its golden corral or a fast food joint. Imagine if we lived in the times of "The Jungle" and did not have strict or any health regulations. It's e.coli and salmonella everyone! Also don't eat milk and cherries (while it has been sitting outside in the sun!).

So again...

So again with the new president thing...what is our outlook for the next two months. What advertisement of Obama will we see. Will he give us a Hallmark Thanksgiving Day or nice present for Christmas? Maybe, my friend received an email of him asking for more donations the day after the election! I was apalled! What more does he want...that is why donating his funds to the economy will help us out in general! I am sure the entire nation can get a $5 coupon to the Dairy Queen (that is including children too). But more importantly his campaign really has helped create more jobs to help stimulate the economy. People will then spend that money. Did you see all the supporters at the rally on election day? I am sure they filled up their cars with gas (or bought a metro ticket) and stopped somewhere to get a bite to eat at some small business, and then maybe were too tired to go back home and stayed in a hotel for the night. He did help stimulate the economy for a bit. And then he kept some people at home (McCain supporters) from going to a rally (because it was a bit pointless) and therefore helped save the Earth. Less pollution and movement of people! You see Obama does affect the environment.

So its the day after...

It's the day after a new beginning. Well not technically until January but its ok to tell yourself that it is now! Obama is in the house!!!! I am amazed.. I always wondered how old I would be when we would have a different cultured president. Somehow I pictured myself older..and now that I think about that it is unfortunate since we are in the period of change...and yet why did I think that things would never change. I would love to see a woman some day...well we almost did. Have you heard of Jennifer McKinnley?

election day!

Barack Obama is our president elect. Enough said.

painting the roses red

Well we are at least painting something...that is a wide white board. It is spirit week and you can go pick up your spirit shirts (which are a nice evergreen color) for only $5 at payments and collections. Of course I probably won't go until the end of the week to pick mine up!

It's Pre-Halloween!

Guess what it is! It is the day before Halloween. Though I think last year I was more excited. Maybe its because I'm getting old. Ah what science does to you, "we are all dying" everyday in fact. Because our cells are exposed to pollutants and who knows what else (well we do know some other stuff). But with botox these days you can do anything! Have you seen Cindy McCain?! She has those piercing blue eyes and smooth skin that you can almost see her skeleton! She is keeping up with these fads. But have you seen her neck?! It looks mismatched (she missed a sections). I am scared of using creams and injections because I don't want to become dependant on them and then have to use a whole bottle of it every week just to keep up with it. I wonder how the cells would become depandant on it. Just look a bit lackluster every week and then I'll have to stop dyeing my hair. It will be looking 25 years older overnight.

lalala America!

So my friend told me quite an interesting story the other day. She was stopped at the border on her way back to the U.S. and the border patrol man asked why she had a "NO Borderwall" sticker on the back of her car. She said well because she did not believe in the boderwall. (duh!) The border agent asked well why not? that she didn't think it was a good idea to fix the "problems" of drug dealing? She argued back that for the amount of money we are spening on it that it won't solve the problem. The "fence/wall" is going up and they are making undetected tunnels underground that how are they planning to figure that out? I believe that we need to focus on sonar technology! jk. Or at least spening those billions of dollars or technology and people to track down these people. It is through Mexico yes that some drugs are passing but what if now they get on a big boat and travel all the way to Canada and cross through those borders. I heard they never have long lines over there and that you can get your medical bills paid for!

Yo no Soy abusadora!

That song has been in my head all day! It speaks about a relationship of which the man left the woman because he complains of the woman. However the woman claims that he never did anything to please her and that she was no 'abuser' of any kind. I suppose woman can be high mantenance but men are just as demanding of attention and time. That is the time when we are supposed to make them feel good about theirselves!

Digital Photography

Boy what a day...and its just started...

Sonar Imaging

Imagine if someone knew your every move. When I watched Dark Knight I was scared and amazed by the sonar imaging device Bruce Wayne used to identify people wherever they were and have figures and shapes of their image and background. I wonder though how easy it was to put together as if the government could easily come up with it. Or if it requires some supernatural force which serves as the missing link!

when i grow up...

I want to be a star I want to be famous! When I went home this weekend I got to enjoy some old pictures my mom found of my family growing up. It was just interesting to see my parents when they were young and taking care of my sister and I.

after it all...

Just recovering from the nightmare of exams I had this morning...ah...I can finall breathe again.

It's Spooktacular!`

Getting ready for Halloween can get pretty hectic. But it is sure a lot of fun. Getting older I don't pay though as much attention as I used to and that is scary. But you know what is even scarier? The lack of water. I know during the hurricaine warnings everyone including myself go to the nearby water stations and fill up gallons of water. There was even one time where a lady let me go before her to fill up my smaller gallons. However after I put in the 3rd one the machine ran out of water. So be it.The lady was being nice and I benefited but in return she didn't get to finish filling up her gallons. Thank goodness we diedn't need the extra water.

It's a Brand New Day!

Feeling all better now I am ready to conquer the world! But that involves doing a lot of homework and studying for my exams this week. Well then I guess that is all I have to say.

its been 72 hours

since I have last slept in my bed at home. Being away from home can be an exciting adventure. Just to get away from life and live differently for a couple of days and relax. But the worst part of that is getting sick. It is horrible whether it is upset stomach or dizzy headache or the signs of getting a fever. I don't like getting sick in general and definately do not like getting sick while away from home. I don't have the comfort of staying all day in bed and getting a homemade get well meal. Instead I am walking around all day (because I won't let it get me down) and trying to enjoy the trip as much as I can with small interuptions here and then.

ahhhhh, ahhhh, can't take it

there is sooo much going on in school! I'm not as young as I use to be! Well realizing that yesterday we needed a multiparty system I think I will look back on that. As we learned in history at the beginning of America's government reign our top officials represented different parties. You might think that the politicals would butt heads on everything and laws wouldn't be past. But even due to their stubborness they presented different ideas and more importantly the different views of the people. In a way it was a compromise of the people. It gave preferance to everyone and could possibly include all the views within the reign of the law. However, now it is the voice of the majority. Or the electoral college votes that get in the voice that may not respectfully speak the voice of the people. We are supposed to have an equal opportunity to vote which ideally seems fair. However, still people can be blocked from voting and if the popular vote doesn't count then it can be discourgaing to that one person who decides NOT to vote. But if 1,000 people think the same way and don't vote well then its that 1,000 people that really could have made a difference.

we need a multi party system...

Remember when we were young and not so innocent. Times have definately changed. I went to a football game with a friend of mine who is a teacher and was freaked out! The kids are tall and look older than I do and you feel out of place. It can be a bit intimidating when a teacher will get after you and you are not even a student. But it is the future of what I have an optimistic outlook...especially when I'm 40 and look hopefully at least 10 years younger.

I'm Thinking Arby's...

Actually I think not. Fast food is not attractive to me but the other day I went on a binge. Went to Wendy's got a Texas double cheeseburger and a Cesar salad (and actually used the dressing!). However I was disappointed when the tiny burger fit in the palm of my hand and then calories spread throughout my whole body. Oh well, it just reminded me why I would rather eat a stick of celery. Nutrition is an important aspect of my life. I usually eat healthier or invest in eating high energy foods well to keep me sustained. I don't like greasy foods, a lot of cheese, and also choose the healthier choice. But that doesn't always keep me from pizza, burgers, and cookies. I learn to make sacrifices to enjoy other foods. But that is what life is all about. Giving up time and money for the somewhat less important things to work hard and enjoy little time. But that is something I don't want to strive for. Wherever life leads me (through the choices I make) I want to be satisfied, I will work hard for it, but I want to enjoy it and know that it is something I can do for part of it.

It was a bug?

That is all it was. While hearing on the news about a somewhat supernatural being my mind was skeptic. In some gym somewhere in America, the owner was reviewing their surveillance cameras and saw a glowing object traveling over the gym. Not being able to identify the object other people tried to but failed. If anything it was turning into a frenzy when the locals wanted to name the image. However, when looking at it from a scientific standpoint and looking for actual facts as proof, a writer for "science in skeptics" viewed the situation practically. He claimed that only one camera captured the image and believed that it could have been a glitch for that one. Also the image was glowing but it is not clear what it was meaning that it probably was close up to the camera that it could not focus on it. Also the image and not repeated itself on the camera. I suppose that it is a logical explanation. I just wonder if other cameras could have been able to capture the "bug" that would have been in the way of the spooky camera. Just zoom in and see if its there then any doubt is laid to rest.

Drinking does what?

According some studies scientists have found that alcohol shrinks your brain. Well this is excessive alcohol drinking contributes to "brain shrinkage" over time in addition to how it shrinks as you get older. Even though there are benefits of drinking alcohol such as wine to help with heart disease it still is a contributing factor. I found it interesting because the human race has evolved to have a larger skull and therefore brain. Our ancestors had further developed their limbs and spinal cord before their brain evolved. Now we have the control and possibility of going backwards. Imagine that! Just like with smoking, before it was tobacco people would chew. Now its implemented into cigarrettes along with hundreds of toxins and nicotine that is just killing our cells! hm...will we be able to evolve one day where smoking is safe as drinking water? (but thats another story!).

Somewhere Over the Rainbow

It doesn't hurt to dream they say...well then I won't let anything hinder me from dreaming. While walking under the covered walkways on campus you can notice the number of posters and flyers on the pilars. One that has caught my eye lately is the Sex and the City! movie presentation. Another is the "Mother Earth" green posters with a tree outlined on it as well has a different quote for each poster. One of the posters quoted " I give you apples, oranges, and berries. But I will never charge you for them". It was a neat way of saying you better be grateful for everything I have made available to you, in return I get polluted, used up of my resources, and am not recognized. Yes it brings a point but still my feelings were hurt.

Texting from an Elephant

When I first heard about it I was like what!?!? An elephant sending a text message. Did elephant stand for something else? Well no it was actually the animal an elephant that send a text message to authorities once it reached a certain region. In Kenya, people from the Save the Elephants group found an innovative way of alarming farmers when crop raiders (the elephants) were outside their regular habitat. Each year groups of elephants were raiding local farmers crops destroying family income. As far as prevention there wasn't much however until the wildlife service had to kill several elephants. The reality is that the population is increasing and the necessity for food as well as family income is necessary for survival. However with this new system in place once the text message is sent if the elephant has strayed away from its regular habitat then authorities try to lead him back in and far away from the crop land. This sounds like a safe non-invasive way, since the SIM card is place on a collar the elephant wears. I just hope there isn't any abuse when identifying the elephants that are 'trespassing'. Just imagine hundreds of years ago...the elephants were the ones being trespassed on.

bohemian rhapsody..

very very frightening@! Just remembering about Wayne's World where I was first introduced to the music of Queen. Speaking of important people Stephan Hawking recently interviewed with CNN claiming that the world is indeed coming to an end. Well that it will eventually become unfit to our needs and that the human race should depend on relocating. Over the next 200 years the Earth will continously undergo strain from humans as the population increases and the availability of resources decrease. This means that we will have to look into other options such as outer space. Where would we go? And where do we begin? I'm sure scientists are already looking into this type of information but it is not widely advertised. My next question is who gets to go? Hopefully over the next century we will be able to "cure" povery, hunger, and war.

As if we didn't know...

The area of where we live is one of the most diverse areas. At the Santa Ana Wildlife Refugee there are 4 different types of climates from subtropics, the gulf coast, the great plains and the desert. From what I have been told from residents of the Valley it was not more than several decades ago that weather was completely different. It was paradise or the tropic weather. Now having grown up hear for the latter part of my so far life its hot and humid 24/7. It seems in the aftermath of hurricaine Dolly the weather has been cooler and quite enjoyable. Then there is the periodic but more random time for rain. I was wearing shorts the other day but then the next more was bundled up more. From what a friend help make me aware of we are being challenged by a Climate Change (rather than Global Warming) and have to adapt to it.

When was the last time?

When was the last time an animal won a prize. On the animal planet (channel) there are always different contests that involve pets doing special tricks that an owner or trainer teaches them. However, when are they given credit to their natural talent? Well apparently this week the Jellyfish has been awareded the Nobel Prize. Well at least three scientist helped the jellyfish attain the award. It all began with its natural color they emit and was identified as GFP. This globularfibular protein looks green under UV light and has helped much in the lab.

i wish life....

I wish that life were a musical. Then we could all sing and dance! Arguements could be settled by a dance off...but still war and death would exist (West Side Story, Gone With the Wind)..and love! Then maybe I wouldn't have to write about a blog, about blogging, about writing in a blog.

lazy!!!

Where is my creativity. I can't think scientifically... unless I go through my day of scheduled events. I spent some time in the lab today taking the absorbance reading from the ecolog plates with the soil samples from the lab. It was fun using the multiple pippette tool.

omg

3 more days til the RA conference. I have been waiting the entire semester for this!!...to be over

its jeff corwin day!

Today we will meet face to face at the dinner table. The dinner was enchanting. Food a delicacy. The man in real life. Down to Earth. (as expected) He answered questions about his young life where he took interests in all types of animals that he would bring home to his college years and life as an 'actor' and educator. He has had successes and failures but it has made him who he is today. Part of that is a great presenter as a naturalist and conservationist with his many nature shows. At the fine arts auditorium (which was half filled with kids! good for the community!) he presented as if he were filming an actual show. He showed an aligator snapping turtle, albino python, lizard, and a huge toad bringing volunteers on stage to showcase the lovely animals. Overall it was a great experience that I will never forget!

the story of it all...

It revolves around me!

listening to music...

but not all that interesting...school keeps me really busy...and work even more. should it be that way? well i choose it to be.

ok here it goes....

its been a really long day. Went to HESTEC to fundraise which was definately worth it...however I am exhausted and still have some homework to do. I wish they had had more people present on stage this year. What happened to the mythbusters!? They were expecting more than 80,000 people (how do they even calculate this? statistics!?) and all I saw was less than that number scattered around. However, it was a good turn out SUE was in town...but was it planned out that way...or did she just happen to stop by and HESTEC thought it would be a good idea to include her in the itenerary...

Here comes.....HESTEC!!!

here comes the biggest event of the year...and yet I don't have enough time to visit more than a couple of the events. This week I planned to attend a poster session from one of our own from the REU program (who won 1st place!). I had class by the time she planned to present but was still able to see a student from the physics department present on optical chip technology. It was amazing to view the million dollar funded project funded by NSF be seen in action and awarded. The student was quite knowledgable and engaging in his presentation.

Viva la Vida

I've had this my song all day in my head...two morning exams...only 3 hours of sleep...forced food into my mouth..but its all over and I am choosing life. That is to move on and live another day to seek a lecture and learn! That is because that is what I strive for even in my most desperate moments.

One Step at a Time....

Why is it that we can't use all the wealthy people's recyclables (the money made from it) to help with the economy. Why do we have to use more than a gazillion of our taxpayers' money (I do pay different forms of taxes) to help save a company that took our money in the first place. I don't understand where it all went. Did it go into the hypothetically "savings account" with hypothetical money???!?!!?!??!?!? I just don't like seeing such a huge number of money that could easily be lent out to help big companies. I understand that a lot of people have jobs with them but maybe they should all get worker's compensation. I wonder if calculated if it would be cheaper than the 75 million? billion? the government is freely "loaning" away.

You're So Good to be True...

..Can't take my eyes off of you. Oh how I enjoy hearing that song. But it makes me wonder how some things are too good to be true especially when it comes to hearing that something is FREE! I am even more skeptical when it comes to "doctor-recommended" or the "1-5 dermatologists" or even the "#1 product of America". I wonder what restrictions it has to be able to say that it is true. We probably don't notice but there is an asteric at the end of the statement that refers to some fine print in the back of the product that states that it was really a survey that gave the doctors unlimited samples of the product back in 1992. To actually believe the accuracy of the product use it would just have to be a trial I would conduct on myself. Do I like this product after using it for a week? maybe. But still there are the long term results I look forward to to really be convinced of its effectiveness.

Can I Get a Witness!?

If a tree falls in the forest and no one is there to hear it does it make a sound? Is this the most philosophical question asked ever? No, I don't want to think much about it. However, it just makes you think about the viability or research! Because as we learned in class if someone researches something and publishes a paper does it mean that it is correct. That no one should object it or choose to repeat the experiment? That would be the problem today with people arguing "Well I heard..." or "It was on the news" or "I read it in a blog". They don't question it or just believe whatever they first heard about it and then stick with it when someone tries to argue against them. I refuse to believe that medicine is the only way to cure someone (though it does "take away" the pain sometimes). Or that there is only one way to do something because then we lack innovation. It will be the person who is creative and intelligent that will look at something from a different perspective. It will be the years of work someone else has done that will prove NO IT DOESN'T WORK THAT WAY! Try another method! But still there is that last note hanging that if only they had completed one more step or pinpointed something in a repeated experiment that they found the solutuion. That is way accidents are a good thing.

go hybrids!!!

Hyrbids are everywhere! I am a form of a hybrid from my parents and they are each a form of a hybrid from their parents. Nowadays there is a variety of "hybrid" products out there. To not be as specific of the word hybrid I just think of it as a nontechnical form of two things that are put together. There is the 2-in-1 shampoo/conditioner, the old spice hair & bodywash (saw it on the commericial can't imagine using it myself), and the numerous amounts of hybrid cars! (of course had to mention those. Well right now I don't remember where I was going with this except that when I can afford to purchase a car (used) I want a hybrid!

what did you say?

In class lectures sometimes it is hard to pay attention 100%. I suppose its the average attention span of a student. Even with the years (decades!) of school I have attended I have trained to pay attention for longer periods of time. When there is a subject I am very interested in it can still be challenging to pay attention throughout the whole lecture without having at least one distracting thought. What am I going to eat for lunch today? Or what do I have to study for this week? At least they can be productive thoughts of some sort. For the subjects I least like well... I thought I had gotten away from those since this is college and you are supposed to be studying the classes you want to for your MAJOR and usually refers to what you will be studying your entire LIFE! (reference to U-N-I-V but that was a really long time ago and you have to make the best of it). The classes that I do pay attention the most also tend to be the hardest ones because I don't want to miss a thing. The problem is that sometimes you don't even know what the heck you are writing down...but you learn to accept it and move on. Or go to tutoring, ask for help, ask the person next to you, or learn not to have signed up for the class in the first place. Sometimes I am afraid to be distracted in classes with the professors that I am deathly afraid of. These happen to be the more open minded ones (which really isn't so bad) but pick on you during class and there is no escape. But I learn a lot in those classes and never sign up for the professor again!

Fun in the Sun!

Fun in the sun! I went swimming the other day and had a wonderful time. However I waited about 20 minutes after putting sunscreen on to get in the water. I believed it was enough time before I got in but know that there should have been more time for the sunscreen to absorb into my skin. Sometimes I am parnoid about putting on enough sun screen. I always put it on when I know for sure that I will be exposed in the sun for a long period of time. Whether it is swimming, playing tennis, walking (did I mention that this is EXERCISE!), I will take the time to put on sunscreen. However on days when I walk around school from building to building I don't think of it much that I will be affected. But when you add up all the minutes of walking around and it turns into hours its pretty scary. Since thinking about it deeply and reading on SKIN CANCER I've bought moisturizing lotions with spf that will protect me more than not putting anything on.

It's 16 de Septiembre

The Independance of Mexico! Today is the official day of independance for Mexico. Grito contests are held everywhere proclaiming the freedom of the people. I watched the movie La Misma Luna, or Under the Same Moon, which tells the story of a young boy who lives in Mexico with his grandmother while his mom lives and works in Los Angeles earning money to cross him over. Spoiler Alert!!!!! However, when his grandmother passes away one day he has no one else to stay behind with so he decides to cross the border to find his mother. He manages some how to cross but doesn't even know where his mother lives except in Los Angeles and his only source of information is the public telephone that is some corner next to a mural, pizza place, party story, and laundry facility. It is a very touching story that makes me think about the sacrifices and challenges for immigrants from anywhere that relocate their life to find a success in America.

quince de septiembre!!!

It is one day before the 16th of September! But that is besides the point. But it was a historical moment when the troops in Mexico gained their independance preparing on the eve of when it would happen. As we talk about independance I think about the government and wonder if we are really free. With the new technologies in today's lifestyle the government can tap into our phone or even recall calls from cells phones made years ago. The technologies can concentrate on security but for who? For the government to protect us or the government protects themselves from us. Meaning that whatever plans we make the government keeps close track so that they won't be hurt. Even it is by words written media that can turn an opinion and give an inaccurate account of a certain issue.

Baby Formula

Today in the news China recalled hundreds of millions of baby formula. Lab results showed that some form of toxic chemical was present sending a dozen babies to the hospital and killing one. However, this was not believed to have been an accidental contamination. The numbers in high quantity show that it was purposely put into the formulas to make it meet certain food standards. The formula was diluted with water but for it to contain a certain amount of nutrients the chemical was added which in small does for an adult it would not be damaging. However the amount found in the formula was enough to make kidney stones and cause other complications in the infants. The formula's company maker announced that those involved with the contamination would be found and would pay the price. As more cases were popping up across China the recall was mandated and even announced overseas. The recall would account for a large number of product to be returned as controversy struck in. The known dilema was said to have been discovered as early as August however the markets that sold the product were said they did not want to return it if it were recalled allowing people to easily become affected.

The Aftermath

Hurricaine Ike has already landed and hit Texas. The aftermath begins. The electricity is out. Clean water is scarce. Water isn't though since many of the infratsructure is flooded. It will take a little longer than expected for the area to recover. At least people were evacuated and those who stayed behind and then tried to leave were being rescued. The Texas bay area has been greatly affected but not to overshadow the hurricaine from the week before that hit Lousiana. For the weeks to follow we won't have to hear how the situation could have been prevented or how someone is to blame. Now people will have to argue with FEMA or their insurance policies to see what really was covered by life, flood, disaster insurance. It is a different story but still with problems. What can we do to prevent a hurricaine? I say we should protest! The scientists who can use technology and predict their presence should be in charge of getting rid of them. Its like if we close our eyes maybe its not really there. It would save a lot of trouble.

Oxygen

This is what we breathe in. But what is the purity of it? If people from 100 years ago lived today in the cities they lived then would they have breathing problems? I remember from the Beijing games athletes were being sent back home because they were having breathing difficulties. When I watched the men's beach volleyball team (which was awesome! we won the gold!) they were sweating ridiculously. They had to take out their lenses from their sunglasses because of the humidity but left the frames in because of sponsor issues. They were able to adapt! Or were quite creative in fixing their problem because they were there to fight for their Olympic dream. So does that mean the people of China have adapted to the air they breathe. I would believe a lot people would naturally have asthma problems and the air pollution would increase it otherwise. I read somewhere that Beijing had to close many of their factories 6 months before the games begin to reduce some of the '"air pollution". I wonder how much difference it would make if the U.S. shut down part of its factories...or maybe even the ones that NAFTA created. hm....

Things that fly...

Too many mosquitos live here in the Valley. They have a pernament home in our homes since they replicate out of the blue. Every time that it rains out of the smallest idle puddle their nest is harvested and hundreds upon thousands invade the local community. Though some actions are taking to destroy the nests and fumigate the nearby areas the mosquitos still survive. It is like what I saw on a souvenir at the local super market, "Edinburg, Texas: Texas State Bird" and at the bottom of it was a huge image of a mosquito. When I last purchased a bottle of mosquito repellant I invested in the DeepWoods Level IV (which doesn't smell that bad) and it worked! I noticed something also that I hadn't seen on other bottles. It said "Can repell mosquitos that may carry the West Nile Virus". Talk about being scared (or at least for the moment very scared). This virus is quite serious and has taken the lives of people every year here in the U.S. and unfortunately even more overseas. Now the precautions are being made more aware for people to take action but more information and other types of preventative care is necessary.

Given Enough Time

Procrastination...how long should you wait before you evacuate your house because a huge hurricaine is headed your way? Since reading the news from Corpus to Galveston people are being evacuated and actually some are residing here in the Valley. This is the first time that I can remember that people are being evacuated since I have been in Texas. I don't know if that is a good thing or not because action is barely being enforced or because the severity of the weather has been at its most severe. How organized is it for people to leave their belongings and take the bare necessities to travel to an unknown place or be fortunate enough to stay with family. Due to the most noteable amount of hurricaines hitting out of the Gulf of Mexico in a while you wonder what kind of factors have been affecting that outcome. Global warming is a given (or at least for those who believe it is happening). The pollution from the East is affecting the air and adding particle by particle to the weight of wind and thereby contributing to the direction. Fog and smog formed becomes thicker or it seems like that. I wonder if the government has some type of "weapon" that they could use against a hurricaine. Just blow it out of the way. For sure that would be powerful and then it could be used for other things. But of course would they actually be interested in saving people like that. It would save a lot of money from rebuilding the infrastructure.

Land Farm....Ocean Farm

The traditional farm we view has the red barnhouse with cattle surrounding it. There are acres of grass with corn, wheat, and cotton growing as far as you can see. There are even "water farms" where fish are bred and grown in a man-made lake. But when you hear a wind farm what comes to mind? Just an empty field with wind blowing in all directions...maybe a tornado or cyclone? Now in parts of the world countries are aiming to begin wind farms. Denmark currently has an offshore wind farm where tall "wind driven turbines" are built far in the distance off the coastline to help provide as a power source for energy. Goals for Delaware to make one of the first wind farms in the U.S. are in the process. Wind farms will most likely be built across the Atlanic coast since other parts have a low ocean floor already not so far in the distance. I found it interesting to see how the future of our electricity may be dependant on a more "ocean farm". It seems like an exciting idea since we are spreading out to use even MORE of our natural resources by destroying part of the ecosystems in the ocean. There is a significant number of species in the water than there is on land. To what extent would it affect the marine life if this supposed eco-friendly system. I do believe that wind farms, from what I have seen and read (not much to tell the truth), are a better alternative than digging much for coal and oil. Hopefully by the time we become too dependant on this offshore wind farms they will think of another alternative. But that is what they probably are thinking about oil. Just to use up all the oil resources we have now because when we run out they will have another alternative. But that is also a different story.

Gamers Beware!

Or should I say NON-gamers! There has always been controversy over how some video games contain violence in the virtual world and how it is transferred into reality. Imagining that you are part of a surreal world and spending time fixed upon the t.v. screen to help you imagine that world doesn't seem like a bad thing. However when it is more than 3 or 4 hours each day and you stop eating or doing work or even taking on responsibilities then that is something to question. If you are exposed to some sort of violence each day including through video games does that transfer through a person to have a violent attitude? It may not be the real thing with the physical and emotional aspects in real life but in the virtual world you can emotionally get attached to the game and a physical stress can occur on your body. The arguement comes up with if it is a learned act due to other factors before or besides the video games. The other is that because of the video games a violent act was learned as a result from excessively using them. You ask what part the brain takes in translating the information seen on the screen and the imagination if it has anything to do with going to the next level. Whether that level is just compartmentalizing it or thriving on it to use it in the "real world". I suppose you just have to decide for yourself when you play video game that can be as exciting as stealing and beating up people or just moving on with your life.

The new fashion design

Today I was thankful enough to have extra time to sleep in. One of the projects I have for today is with a group of friends to make a banner decorated with recycled materials (but using a used bed sheet as the background). It was quite challenging since I haven't made a lot of crafts using the basic scraps of recycling materials. However the draft will have the Earth made out of Capri Sun cardboard boxes since they are green and blue, then for the parts of the land they pieces are flipped over. The we make out the word 'Recycle' in brown hemp to look earthy. The name of the building the banner for will be written out at the top. We made the lettering first by taking off all the labels of plastic bottles that were already in the recycling bin and also cutting up some of the food cardboard boxes. We flattened them out and taped them to each other in order of color. Then we traced out the word and cut them out. So far it looks good and its taken longer than what I thought it would. This week we'll finish it up and I'll put up a wonderful picture!

The Secret Ingredient

I like to bake! From cookies to cakes to brownies...baking is fun for me. When I'm by myself I cheat through buying a packet only adding the basic ingredients to make a delicious snack! However, when I am with my mom I allow her to do all the work and create a tastey homemade work of art from blueberry muffins to wheat almond waffles that last no more than five minutes til they reach my digestive system. It just takes that special ingredient (and love) to make something extra special. Thats right it a small addition, any individual, can make a difference to change things for the better, a big difference! That brings me to think about CONSERVATION! That is trying to conserve energy because even leaving that one light bulb on overnight may not make a difference in your light bill it DOES make a small but powerful dent in the energy usage. If you acculmulate all the light bulbs left on in the county in the state in the nation it makes a significant contribute to energy usage. Just think about that the next time you can't fall asleep because you are afraid of the dark just read or do homework and you'll fall asleep just fine!

Do YOU Really Know????

Do I really know any scientist...that aren't dead? Besides all the fabulous ones such as Albert Einstein, Louis Pasteur, Marie Curie who have helped shaped the ways scientists think today (that is think differently as in what has not been thought so that some time of formula for the cure can be found) who are the up and coming scientists of today. I personally cannot think of someone off the top of my head. Besides seminars and presentations I have attended I have not immersed myself much in the scientific world. I suppose it is something I should take more of an initiative on because research is part of what I plan to do in my career. I would chose to follow in the foot steps of a female researcher that has a passion for research but also has a heart for family. Hopefully I can fulfill those shoes one day.

interesting science

The world is coming to an end! A piece of an iceberg in the Arctic the size of Manhattan broke off adding to the sea level that is increasing every year. Usually when a piece of ice would break off the sea salt would thicken and freeze to accumulate back on the iceberg. However, with the current climate conditions the possibility of that consistently occuring in a short period of time is unlikely. This is contributing or is a result of the claimed "global warming" literally by the sun's rays. The researchers that noticed that piece of ice missing saw that it "disappeared" over a month of fog and mist. Who knows how much of the iceberg will be missing over the next season of fog.

Allergic to Life!

As far as I know I am not allergic to anything...except sometimes I feel allergic to life. I believe that I have control over my lifestyle due to the decisions I make and how my behavior affects the outcomes of situations. I for the most part also decide what I want and don't want to eat and drink. Except for the times where my mom makes me eat all my vegetables! ekk! I dislike carrots...maybe if I ate more of them I would have better vision but so far it hasn't been that troublesome. I have several friends that are allergic to chocolate, dairy, peanuts, dust mites, to mosquitos! Then it makes my wonder for the ones allergic to certain nuts and dairy how accurate are food labels to identify that its product may be made in a factory that uses peanuts. The FDA at a public hearing plans to bring up those specific issues where food labeling to the extreme has become confusing to many people with food allergies. In the past even more products have been labeled with warnings to certain allergies leaving little choice for people even though the percentage of any contamination is quite low. I question if it would really make a difference if the FDA regulated the food labels to be clearer for others. If that were the fact then there should be stricter guidelines in the restaraunts as far as what ingredients are used before hand so customers have more options and not be questioning the waitress who has to go back to the cook and find out. oh well i guess it makes life easier not being allergic to food...imagine if i had no buds to taste food...but thats another story

The Ecosystem We Live In

We may live in buildings which are up to the city's housing codes but even to those standards are we really living in a safe environment? For those who are gearing towards greener buildings not just in office buildings, schools, your local store, and even the city's infrastructure what more is there to do. One of my favorite things to do (but honestly I haven't been faithful to it) is take a canvas tote bag to the local supermarket instead of using plastic bags (which can also be recycled!) and place my purchased items in it. However it is not as common in this area for people to use a substitue bag. For those who by frozen/refrigerated items there are special bags that have a thermal lining that can help in maintaining the items cold for about 3 hours. Another thing that excites me is how Edinburg has signed up to dedicating itself to become a "Green Cities" advocate, one of the first cities in the RGV to sign up. I have read about different communities, commonly up North (besides the fact that everything in the U.S. is North to us), that built eco-friendly housing along with other facilities such as a common house, office building, a farmland, and nearby walking trails. They sound like peaceful environments secluded from the busy industrialized world. Sounds like a nice vacation (but I do appreciate the indoor plumbing/electricity/internet/air conditioner).

Its the hurricaine!

It seems every year there is an increase in the number of natural disasters...from earthquakes to hurricaines to tornados with the explanation that the earth is getting older and we aren't taking care of its health. It's all summed up into two words: global warming. Hurricaine Gustav made landfall in Louisiana with the category 5 hurricaine and already was causing trouble by overflowing the levees. However it didn't break them at first so that is good to hear. I can only wonder what other kind of damage it will cause.

I want a raft made of plastic bottles!

...not to mention that sometimes I get seasick. Two men constructed a raft out of 15,000 plastic bottles and made a cabin out of the fuselage of an airplane. They did it as part of the Algalita Marine Research Foundation project called JUNK to raise the awareness of debris and pollution in the ocean. In particular they wanted to emphasize how plastic including plastic bottles, which are usually a one time use, have added to a dramatic amount in the ocean. The men sailed from the shore of California across the Pacific to Hawaii. They had estimated that it would take about 6 weeks and took a limited amount of foods. However in the first 2 weeks they had difficultly in taking off and had to land to repair some of the bottles that got filled with water. In total it took 3 months as they survived off of fish and peanut butter. Again they emphasized how plastic bottles should be banned and covered the idea that recycle is one thing but prevention of making more waste is better.

Disturbia

Its fun listening to that song by Rihanna. Well speaking of stuff that is weird...scientists in Calinfornia observed the reactions flies had when a fly swatter came at them. They believe that the flies have some time of "quick-fire" instinct in which allow them to form an "escape plan" when they identify the swatter. Depending on the position they are physically in when the swatter is aimed at them they can identify a place they will escape to reposition themselves for take-off. So it seems that the fly can outsmart us. I just thought they were small and fast to move before we actually tried to hit our target. However to be more successful in hitting the fly just aim at the predicted direction the fly will move to once they see the fly. Thats right its easier to get them in the air than when they are stationary.

End of the week...

As the school week comes to an end we prepare for labor day week! However I still have to work! I will just be spending some of that time to review stuff for next week. Anyways I was reading an article about how scientists were able to change the function of one cell well into another cell with a different function. It changed pancreatic cells into ones that secrete insulin. This would then be extremely helpful in preventing or helping curing diabetes. The test was used on living mice who are the using testing subjects. Now the next step would be to lengthen the time studying to see the after effects. This always scares me...not to loose hope...but I would just want to be sure that it would really be helping to just temporarily fixing the problem but in then end the aftermath would be worse. Remember Vioxx and Phen-Phen not to forget Thalidomide...ahh...but there has been so many other medicines that helped people survive one more day...

whats your dream home?

Today I visited Proyecto Azteca in San Juan, TX. This is a non-profit organization that helps low income familes in the Valley build a home and finance it. It is tied in with LUPE La Union Del Pueblo Entero started by Cesar Chavez and the Union of Farm Workers. I was very excited that a group of residents here on campus will be able to participate in helping some families do work on their homes. Usually these families live in colonias and don't have proper water and electricity running through their homes.

another day

Classes were better today..we reviewed info for bio writing. We spoke about what an rss feed was. We also spoke about how we are all idiots! or at least that we aren't perfect and can look pretty stupid sometimes so we don't have to feel pretty bad about ourselves. Another issue we discussed was how scientists can be poor writers. Maybe its because their heads are so full of knowledge that its hard to express themselves through emotions and then through writing. A lot of times when I read peer reviewed articles the abstract is easy to understand (which I supppose is part of the goal in writing an abstract). However once you go further into the article information it is not explained into detail as much because the sentence stated is usually referred and cited to another resource with the background information. It becomes even more difficult when they talk about the certain tests and procedures conducted of which you have never heard of and its not mentioned (in detail) the relevance it has on the results. Justing know what the test looks for when conducted and other pertinant information helps out in knowing why the results are even more inportnant! Oh well...that is enough thinking for today...hopefully to some extent my thoughts were written out clearly. ciao!

First of the Day....

The beginning of this week seemed to last forever. Although several classes were canceled and cut short I am ready for a break! Working the late shift tonight so it seemed worthy of my time to write something....read an article earlier about studies conducted by CNN showed that organic foods were not more nutricious than non-organic foods. However you could compare the number of toxins or nonnutrional info and say that organic foods would be "safer" than non-organic foods. Either way I love eating the organic cheetos-like puffs they taste delicious!