Beauty

In an era of feminist and politically correct values, not to mention the closely held belief that all men and women are created equal, the fact that all men and women are not—and that some are more beautiful than others—disturbs, confuses, even angers. For better or worse, beauty matters. How much it matters can test our values. With luck, the more we live and embrace the wide sweep of the world, the more generous our definition becomes. In fairy tales, only the pure of heart could discern the handsome prince in the ugly frog. Perhaps we are truly human when we come to believe that beauty is not so much in the eye, as in the heart, of the beholder. The search for beauty spans centuries and continents. A relief in the tomb of the Egyptian nobleman Ptahhotep, who lived around 2400 B.C., shows him getting a pedicure. Cleopatra wore kohl, an eyeliner made from ground-up minerals. The search for beauty could be deadly. Vermilion rouge used in the 18th century was made of a sulfur and mercury compound. Men and women used it at the peril of lost teeth and inflamed gums. They sickened, sometimes died, from lead in the white powder they dusted on their faces. In the 19th century women wore whalebone and steel corsets that made it difficult to breathe, a precursor of the stomach-smooshing Playtex Living Girdle. The search for beauty is costly. In the United States last year people spent six billion dollars on fragrance and another six billion on makeup. Hair- and skin-care products drew eight billion dollars each, which fingernail items alone accounted for a billion. In the mania to lose weight 20 billion was spent on diet products and services—in addition to the billions that were paid out for health club memberships and cosmetic surgery.

Sasha Cagen

Sasha Cagen is an American writer, editor, and entrepreneur best known for starting the quirkyalone movement. Her first book was Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics, and her second book To-Do List: From Buying Milk to Finding a Soul Mate, What Our Lists Reveal About Us, a collection of 100 handwritten lists and the stories behind them, was released by Simon & Schuster in November 2007. She is the founding editor and publisher of To-Do List, a "magazine of meaningful minutiae" that used the idea of a to-do list to explore the details of daily life, and of todolistblog.com. Among other major recognition, To-Do List was named Best New Magazine of 2000 in Utne's Alternative Press Awards, Reader's Choice. Cagen cofounded StyleMob, a social networking site "dedicated to real people and their style." The site started in early 2007, and has already received a lot of media coverage. Cagen has appeared on the BBC, Anderson Cooper 360, CNN Headline News, Countdown with Keith Olbermann, and NPR's "Day to Day" and "Talk of the Nation". Quirkyalone received attention in newspapers and magazines including USA Today, the New York Times, and the London Observer. The Quirkyalone book has been translated in German, Danish, and Portuguese, and was named a finalist in the Books for a Better Life Awards, 2004. Cagen's essays have appeared in newspapers and magazines including the Village Voice, Utne Reader, and Men's Health, as well as in numerous anthologies. Cagen got her start as a writer in the "girl zine revolution," writing about topics ranging from the class politics of attending an elite women's college to the taste of grape soda and the fear of being pushed or pushing someone else into the subway tracks. During the mid-nineties in New York, Cagen co-edited the popular girlzine Cupsize. Cagen attended Amherst College and graduated from Barnard College. A native of Cranston, Rhode Island, she lives in San Francisco.

Passion

Why doesn't passionate love last? How is it possible to see a person as beautiful on Monday, and 364 days later, on another Monday, to see that beauty as bland? Surely the object of your affection could not have changed that much. She still has the same shaped eyes. Her voice has always had that husky sound, but now it grates on you—she sounds like she needs an antibiotic. Or maybe you're the one who needs an antibiotic, because the partner you once loved and cherished and saw as though saturated with starlight now feels more like a low-level infection, tiring you, sapping all your strength. Studies around the world confirm that, indeed, passion usually ends. Its conclusion is as common as its initial flare. No wonder some cultures think selecting a life-long mate based on something so fleeting is folly. Helen Fisher has suggested that relationships frequently break up after four years because that's about how long it takes to raise a child through infancy. Passion, that wild, prismatic insane feeling, turns out to be practical after all. We not only need to copulate; we also need enough passion to start breeding, and then feelings of attachment take over as the partners bond to raise a helpless human infant. Once a baby is no longer nursing, the child can be left with sister, aunts, friends. Each parent is now free to meet another mate and have more children. Biologically speaking, the reasons romantic love fades may be found in the way our brains respond to the surge and pulse of dopamine that accompanies passion and makes us fly. Cocaine users describe the phenomenon of tolerance: The brain adapts to the excessive input of the drug. Perhaps the neurons become desensitized and need more and more to produce the high—to put out pixie dust, metaphorically speaking.

College Experience

The best experience that I felt, was the feeling of independence. Although I do not live on campus and still live with my parents, I feel that I am being more responsible for my live that before. In high school, it was very simple; all you had to do was follow a set of classes complete them and then graduate. But college is different. This most noticeable one, is that you pay for your education. Last week, I dropped $2,500 to pay for summer and fall semester classes. I also need to buy books which might cost an extra $500. In total that would be $3,000, and to me that is about 5-6 months pay for me. I felt so mature, when I paid for my classes out of my own pocket. I definitely feel that I would be able to support myself in the future. And college has helped me realize that I can fend for myself. I don't feel like a child or teen anymore, but as an adult.

Sasha Cagen's Term

Quirkyalone is a neologism referring to someone who enjoys being single (but is not opposed to being in a relationship) and generally prefers to be alone rather than dating for the sake of being in a couple. Magazine publisher Sasha Cagen came up with the term "quirkyalone" on a Brooklyn subway platform on New Year's Eve, 1999. She expanded the concept into an essay in the first issue of her magazine To-Do List. When the article was republished in the Utne Reader in 2000, Cagen was surprised by the fervor of responses from readers who felt their lives had been validated by her work. As a result of these responses, Cagen opted to expand her essay into a 2004 book, titled Quirkyalone: A Manifesto for Uncompromising Romantics. International Quirkyalone Day is February 14 and was chosen as an alternative to "the marketing barrage" of Valentine's Day. It started in 2003 as a "celebration of romance, freedom and individuality". Celebrations of the holiday have been noted in the United States, Australia, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Reasons for why we fall in love

Psychoanalysts have concocted countless theories about why we fall in love with whom we do. Freud would have said your choice is influenced by the unrequited wish to bed your mother, if you're a boy, or your father, if you're a girl. Jung believed that passion is driven by some kind of collective unconscious. Today psychiatrists such as Thomas Lewis from the University of California at San Francisco's School of Medicine hypothesize that romantic love is rooted in our earliest infantile experiences with intimacy, how we felt at the breast, our mother's face, these things of pure unconflicted comfort that get engraved in our brain and that we ceaselessly try to recapture as adults. According to this theory we love whom we love not so much because of the future we hope to build but because of the past we hope to reclaim. Love is reactive, not proactive, it arches us backward, which may be why a certain person just "feels right." Or "feels familiar." He or she is familiar. He or she has a certain look or smell or sound or touch that activates buried memories.

What surprised me...

I learned that i was a quirkyalone. When I reading through the articles in chapter 5, I came across the one written by Sasha Cagen. While I read her article, I felt that she described my dating personality very well. I often did feel that I was the only one with my attitude toward dating. But I felt relieved when I saw other people felt the same, even though its like 5% of the population. Its interesting though; how she mentioned we'd rather spend the night alone, instead of going on a bad date. Or that when we are alone, we find insight about ourselves and other things. But my favorite was when we do find that special someone "the earth quakes."

my thoughts

Love is, what I believe to be one of the greatest pleasures someone can experience. I believe that everyone in his/her lives will have experienced love at least once. Whether it ends horribly or happily, is decided between those involved.
I listen to Reggaeton, a latin music genre, which is basically based on two things: love and/or sex. The music artists I listen to only sing about this and I enjoy listening to them, because I like the way they use and describe it. I'm not kidding when I say this, but this music drives me loco and makes me want to grab a woman and kiss her. I don't know how it is in other races, but Latin men find women to be very important to them, at least from men that I know. I do too.
Love is magical, because it can be revealed and hidden-at any time-from nowhere. The way love influences someone is very interesting, because it can make a person do things he/she never knew could or ever wanted to do. Once you have love, you want to hold onto for as long as you can. Because it feels so great, so amazing, and so wonderful. Everytime you see or think about her just puts a smile on your face, because you remember all the fun and great times you had with her. I definitely don't want to lose this feeling for a long time.

April 17

Good Friday, also called Holy Friday, Black Friday, or Great Friday, is a holiday observed primarily by adherents to Christianity commemorating the crucifixion of Jesus and his death at Calvary. The holiday is observed during Holy Week as part of the Paschal Triduum on the Friday preceding Easter Sunday, and often coincides with the Jewish observance of Passover. Based on the scriptural details of the Sanhedrin Trial of Jesus, the Crucifixion of Jesus was most probably on a Friday. The estimated year of Good Friday is AD 33, by two different groups, and originally as AD 34 by Isaac Newton via the differences between the Biblical and Julian calendars and the crescent of the moon.

Spring

Meteorologists generally define 4 seasons in many climatic areas, Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn (or Fall). These are demarcated by the values of their average temperatures on a monthly basis, with each season lasting 3 months. The 3 warmest months are by definition Summer, the 3 coldest months are Winter, and the intervening gaps are Spring and Autumn. Spring, when defined in this manner, can start on different dates in different regions. In the vast majority of northern-hemisphere locations, Spring occurs during the months of March, April and May. Summer is June, July, August; Autumn is September, October, November; Winter is December, January, February. The vast majority of southern-hemisphere locations will have opposing seasons with spring in September, October and November.
Astronomically, the Vernal Equinox, should be the middle of spring, and the summer solstice should be mid-summer, but daytime temperatures lag behind insolation by several weeks because the earth and sea have thermal latency and take time to warm up. Some cultures call the spring equinox mid-spring, but others regard it as the "first day of spring". For most temperate regions, signs of spring appear long before the middle of March, but the folklore of March 21st being the "first day of spring" persists, though June 21st as the "first day of summer" is common only in the USA. According to the Celtic tradition, which is based solely on daylight and the strength of the noon sun, spring begins in early February and continues until early May. The phenological definition of spring relates to indicators, the blossoming of a range of plant species, and the activities of animals, or the special smell of soil that has reached the temperature for micro flora to flourish. The first swallow to arrive or the flowering of lilac may be the indicator of spring. It therefore varies according to the climate and according to the specific weather of a particular year.

Essay

I don't necessarily hate any of the essays in the book; I find them all rather correct in their own way, but there was one subject that caught my attention the most and that was the identity subject. It just brought back so many memories from my high school, that I actually spent a whole day in my room recalling everything. I didn't know my identity in high school and just spent my time with various cliques. Of course it was fun at the time, but when I look back at it; I just feel sad. I always told my buddies that high school, wasn't just a bunch of kids attending school; but a small community reflecting and preparing you for your adult life. It was just the way I thought back then, but now I'm happy for my experience. If it wasn't for high school then I wouldn't know who I am, but I do know.

My Algebra 2 Teacher

This guy has to be the most unique and intelligent person in the whole world. He is an incredible math genius who had the oppurtuniyt of teaching at a different school with better pay; but chose to stay at my school, because he wants to help kids who need it most. He had such a way of explaining math, that a person who doesn't know what addition means could understand how imaginary numbers function. He was the hardest math teacher in my school and I was lucky enough to have him as my Algebra 2 teacher. Although I almost failed my first marking period, I managed to ace every upcoming period. During my finals, I was the only kid who managed to exempt the finals because of my superior grades. I find that as my greatest accomplishment mathmetics.

My Favorite Subject

My favorite subject is Algebra; but the subject that I'm most fascinated by is Biology. I often think that people are interested in only two general subjects, that go in pairs. It is either English and History or Math and Science; but thats probably due to the fact that those pair interlace with each other so perfectly. I like Math because it is so simple to me; whether it has to do with formulas, equations, or theroems. I am one of those math geniuses who just understand it, but only on occassion. It usually only happens when I'm taking the course, if I'm not involved with it then I don't know it. I like Bio because the facts about humans and animals just overwhelm me with fascination. I think its just incredible how the human body works. It is as if every human has their own earth inside him/her where life is just breathing inside him/her.

Why I Cheat

Of course, as you can see from my title, I have cheated in school before. I only cheated for a couple of reasons. Well this one time, my paper was due on Monday and I was working on it Sunday. So I found a couple of different websites and copied and pasted the whole essay. I cheated cause I worked on the paper last minute. Another time, I was just not focused on the class because my teacher didn't give a crap at all. So if he didn't care; I didn't care. Inevitably, he assigned us a paper and I just copied the essay from my friend; apparently, he didn't care because he never confronted it to me. I think people cheat because they don't prepare or just dont care. It might be okay, every once in a while, but if it's consistent; then that person is just abusing it.

Trachea

The trachea begins immediately below the larynx (voicebox) and runs down the center of the front part of the neck ends behind the upper part of the sternum. Here it divides to form two branches which enter the lung cavities. The trachea (windpipe) forms the trunk of an upside-down tree and is flexible, like a vacuum tube, so that the head and neck may twist and bend during the process of breathing. The trachea, or windpipe, is made up of fibrous and elastic tissues and smooth muscle with about twenty rings of cartilage, which help keep the trachea open during extreme movement of the neck. The lining includes cells that secrete mucus along with other cells that bear very small hairlike fringes. This mucus traps tiny particles of debris, and the beating of the fringes moves the mucus up and out of the respiratory tract, keeping the lungs and air passages free.

Urinary bladder

The urinary bladder is a hollow, collapsible, muscular sac that stores urine temporarily. It is located in the pelvis behind the pelvic bones, and is held in place by ligaments. In women, the bladder is behind the uterus; in men, it is above the prostate gland. The size of the urinary bladder varies depending on the amount of urine it contains. When empty, it is normally no longer than 2 to 3 inches. During this state, its walls are thick and heavily folded. As it begins collecting urine, the urinary bladder's muscular walls stretch and expand, and it rises in the abdominal cavity. A urinary bladder that is moderately full measures about 5 inches in length and holds just over 1 pint of urine. When completely full, the urinary bladder can contain over 2 pints of urine. The muscular walls of the urinary bladder contract to expel urine out of the bladder into the urethra. A sphincter or ring of muscle surrounding the opening to the urethra, called the internal urethral sphincter, controls the flow of urine. This is an involuntary sphincter, meaning a person cannot consciously control its workings.

Spring Vacation

I would go to the place that makes me happiest. I would spend my whole vacation there, day and night. I would give the burning sun a good morning kiss. I would say "Hello" to the sunshine, as I spent my day walking. I would walk to the beach and let the wind speak to me with its soothing voice. I would return back and walk through the vibrant doors of the place, I call home. I would get dressed for bed and give a good night kiss to the cool moon. I would lay in my bed and let the stars watch me sleep.

March 30

Monday is the last day for withdrawal from my A&P II class. I am currently failing this class. I have never done so poorly before. I either withdraw and save my GPA or I stick with the class and hope that I pass. I have no idea what to decide. But I do know, deep down, that I don't want to withdraw from my class, for two reasons. The first reason would be the waste of time and money that was spent on this class. The second reason would be the disappointment from my parents; for breaking the promise I made to them from my first semester. I do think that its possible for me to pass the class, but the problem is whether I choose to. I don't know what I am going to do at this moment, but I do know that this decision is going to be final when I make it.

T.I Incarcerated

Rap star T.I. was sentenced in Atlanta federal court Friday to one year and one day in prison and ordered to pay a $100,300 fine on weapons charges related to purchasing machine guns and silencers. The rapper, whose real name is Clifford Harris, reached the terms of the sentence in a plea agreement with prosecutors last year. "I would like to say thank you to some, and apologize to others," Harris said at his sentencing. "In my life, I have been placed in the worst-case scenario and had to make the best of it," he said. "Most often, things I have learned have been from trial and error. I knew no way to protect myself than to arm myself." He was dressed in a gray suit and black shirt and tie. Harris, 28, also was sentenced to some property forfeiture, supervised release for three years after his prison sentence, 365 days of home confinement and 1,500 hours of community service. He has already served 305 days of home confinement and 1,030 hours of service. He also must undergo DNA testing and drug counseling, cannot own firearms and must submit to reasonable searches and a financial audit.

Chameleon

Much of the attraction we have to the chameleon is its' unique physical capabilities it has developed in its' adaptation to the world in which it lives. This includes the unique feature of how it captures its' prey using its' tongue.
The chameleon's tongue doesn't just pop out from the reptile's mouth but is ejected with a strong force as though spring-loaded. The U-shaped hyoid bone acts as an integral part to facilitate the action as a lever in assisting to eject the tongue. Because the action is less powerful when the prey is closer, chameleons will oftentimes back up before releasing the tongue to generate the intense force needed to snatch a meal. The total time necessary for the tongue to be ejected is under one-sixteenth of a second.

Hormones

Most cells are capable of producing one or more molecules, which act as signaling molecules to other cells, altering their growth, function, or metabolism. The classical hormones produced by cells in the endocrine glands mentioned so far in this article are cellular products, specialized to serve as regulators at the overall organism level. However they may also exert their effects solely within the tissue in which they are produced and originally released.
The rate of hormone biosynthesis and secretion is often regulated by a homeostatic negative feedback control mechanism. Such a mechanism depends on factors which influence the metabolism and excretion of hormones. Thus, higher hormone concentration alone cannot trigger the negative feedback mechanism. Negative feedback must be triggered by overproduction of an "effect" of the hormone.

1st Year College Students

There are lots of stresses when you first enter college, especially if you have a job. Its the worst if someone is a full-time worker, but there are ways to balance school and work. I think its better to have all classes scheduled to start before class. If that is done, then most likely there will be time to do homework before going to bed. If someone has a class after work, he/she would be tired and not focus as much in class. Then he/she would do poorly in that class. Also, it would be better to have no classes on days off from work. That way it could be a day to relax from all the stress from the week or a day to finish any leftover homework or projects. And homework could also be done, during lunch or dinner break at work. Of course, that is up to the person. I found this to help me so far and I think it may help others too.

Capillaries

The capillary wall is a one-layer endothelium so thin that gas and molecules such as oxygen, water,proteins, and lipids can pass through them driven by osmotic and hydrostatic gradients. Waste products such as carbon dioxide and urea can diffuse back into the blood to be carried away for removal from the body. The physics of this exhange is explained by the Starling equation. The capillary bed usually carries no more than 25% of the amount of blood it could contain, although this amount can be increased through auto regulation by inducing relaxation of smooth muscle in the arterioles that lead to the capillary bed as well as constriction of the metarterioles. The capillaries do not possess this smooth muscle in their own wall, and so any change in their diameter is passive. Any signaling molecules they release act on the smooth muscle cells in the walls of nearby, larger vessels. Capillary permeability can be increased by the release of certain cytokines, such as in an immune response.

Saturn

Saturn has been known since prehistoric times. In ancient times, it was the most distant of the five known planets in the solar system (excluding Earth) and thus a major character in various mythologies. In ancient Roman Mythology, the god Saturnus, from which the planet takes its name, was the god of the agricultural and harvest sector. The Romans considered Saturnus the equivalent of the Greek god Krono. The Greeks had made the outermost planet sacred to Kronos, and the Romans followed suit.
In Hindu astrology, there are nine astrological objects, known as Navagrahas. Saturn, one of them, is known as "Sani" or "Shani," the Judge among all the planets, and by everyone accordingly to their own performed deeds bad or good. Ancient Chines and Japanese culture designated the planet Saturn as the earth star. This was based on Five Elements which were traditionally used to classify natural elements. In ancient Hebres, Saturn is called 'Shabbathai'. Its angel is Cassiel. Its intelligence, or beneficial spirit, is Agiel (layga), and its spirit (darker aspect) is Zazel (lzaz). In Ottoman Turkish, Urdu and Malay, its name is 'Zuhal', derived from Arabic.

Ernest Hemingway

The man who would become one of the greatest American novelists, journalists and travelles of the 20th century, was born into a comfortable suburban family. Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. He was the second child born to Clarence Edmonds "Doc Ed" Hemingway - a country doctor, and Grace Hall Hemingway. Hemingway's father attended the birth of Ernest and blew a horn on his front porch to announce to the neighbours that his wife had given birth to their first boy. The Hemingways lived in a six-bedroom Victorian house built by Ernest's widowed maternal grandfather, Ernest Miller Hall, an English immigrant and Civil War veteran who lived with the family. Hemingway's mother once aspired to a career as an opera singer, and she earned money by giving voice and music lessons. She was said to be domineering and narrowly religious, in keeping with the strict Protestant ethic of Oak Park, which Hemingway later said had "wide lawns and narrow minds". While his mother hoped that her son would develop an interest in music, Hemingway adopted his father's outdoorsman hobbies of hunting, fishing and camping in the woods and lakes of Northern Michigan. The family owned a summer home called Windemere on Walloon Lake, near Petoskey, Michigan, and often spent summers holidaying there. These early experiences in close contact with nature instilled in Hemingway a lifelong passion for outdoor adventure and for living in remote or isolated areas. Hemingway attended Oak Park and River Forest High School from September 1913 until his graduation in June 1917. He excelled both academically and athletically - he boxed, played American football, and displayed particular talent in English classes. His first writing experience was writing for "Trapeze" and "Tabula" (the school's newspaper and yearbook, respectively) in his junior year, and went on to serve as editor in his senior year. He sometimes wrote under the pen name of Ring Lardner, Jr., a nod to his literary hero Ring Lardner. After high school, Hemingway did not want to go to college. Instead, at the age of 18, he began his writing career as a cub reporter for The Kansas City Star. Although he worked at the newspaper for only six months (October 17, 1917-April 30, 1918), throughout his lifetime he used the guidance of the Star's style guide as a foundation for his writing style: "Use short sentences. Use short first paragraphs. Use vigorous English. Be positive, not negative," he later recalled.

Collective Essay

That would be a good idea. This will allow us to speak freely on any problems we have, when we are writing essays. Maybe, it will help us use quote integration and reading comprehension on a larger level. What I mean is we can all help each other to find ways on how to understand articles better. I don't think we should do political topics, because not everyone understands it; especially me. But I think anything else should be fine.

Quotes and Source Integration

Definitely quote and source intergration. I find that this is hardest for me to use. I can find some really great quotes, but I have no idea how to integrate it into my essays. So I usually take some simple ones and just put them anywhere in my essay. I think if I have better integration, my essays will be superb. Also, I can't find any sources that support my topic. The problem is that may find an article that does support my topic, but I wouldn't recognize it; because I don't know how to interpret readings. I just read them, but can't find what assumption they chose to write about. So, I often find a sentence in an article, that doesn't support a specific assumption, and just place it in some paragraph. This is definitely something I would like to learn in class.

When I am sick...

When I am sick I do nothing, except sleep as long as possible. I think that when I am awake all I will do is sneeze or cough. And it is never just one sneeze or cough; they come in rumbling groups forcing as much pain and annoyance onto you as possible. So all I do is sleep to avoid that. Of course, I take medicine before I sleep whether its prescribed medicine or Alka-Seltzer. Actually, I think Alka-Seltzer can heal anything. It has got to be a univeral remedy. I use it for a whole bunch things, whether its digestion, cold, flu, headache. Alka Seltzer is also good because of the flavors they come in. My favorite is cherry and flavors do help. Sweet or fruit flavored medicines allow people to drink the medicine easier; instead of better medicine that may cause you to gag. But the best thing to do is definitely sleep and let your immune system take care of you.

Spring

I am looking forward to the hot and long days. No offense winter, but you sucked this year. Especially since the heater didn't work in my apartment for a whole month. I have been waiting for spring for a while. So that my people and I can go play soccer, go out to beach and cool off with the water, and to have anytime of the day for fun. What I mean with the last one, is the fact that spring will have longer days and with the warm weather, anytime would be a good time to go out and chill. The thing I'm not looking forward to is work for two reasons. One, I wouldn't want to show up, especially if it is nice and hot out. Two, if it is nice and hot out that means it would be hotter in the kitchen and hottest in the dishroom, where everyone will be dripping sweat. I love the heat and sun. Because I'm a Jersey boy and a Lat. Latinos are especially made to deal with the hot weather and the burning sun.

Climate Change

The world is facing an increasing risk of "irreversible" climate shifts because worst-case scenarios warned of two years ago are being realized, an international panel of scientists has warned. Temperatures, sea levels, acid levels in oceans and ice sheets were already moving "beyond the patterns of natural variability within which our society and economy have developed and thrived," scientists said in a report released Thursday. The findings came at the end of a three-day conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, where nearly 2,000 researchers gathered to discuss climate change. The group called on policy-makers to use all tools available to reduce dangerous emissions of greenhouse gases. The current climate situation on the planet may be as severe as the worst-case scenarios predicted by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change(IPCC), which issued warnings in 2007 of a future beset by flooding, drought, storms and mass extinction of species. In its report, the researchers also warned of potential social costs across the planet because of climate change. Temperature rises above 2 degrees Celsius would lead to climate disruption for the rest of the century and disproportionately affect poor nations, the researchers warned. "Recent observations show that societies are highly vulnerable to even modest levels of climate change, with poor nations and communities particularly at risk," the report said. The conclusions of the conference will be presented to politicians when they meet in Copenhagen in December. It is then that leaders will discuss a new global agreement on greenhouse gas emission levels to replace the Kyoto Protocol, which expires in 2012.

Immune Sytem

Immunity is the body's capability to repel foreign substances and cells. The nonspecific responses are the first line of defense. Highly specific responses are the second line of defense and are tailored to an individual threat. The immune response includes both specific and nonspecific components. Nonspecific responses block the entry and spread of disease-causing agents. Antibody-mediated and cell-mediated responses are two types of specific response. The immune system is associated with defense against disease-causing agents, problems in transplants and blood transfusions, and diseases resulting from over-reaction (autoimmune, allergies) and under-reaction (AIDS).

Bio Frustration

I hate how I am conducting myself in Biology class, this semester. I don't like to, but I often fall asleep in class; or I don't even pay attention in class and just sit there with a blank stare. I know I'm failing right now, but not even that is pushing me to try harder. The only thing I have working right now, looking at the powerpoints posted online. Even though my professor uses them during class, I find them boring. But when I get home I play some music and start looking through the powerpoints, myself. I hope it works out in the end with a decent grade, instead of a failing one.

Edema

Edema is the noticeable swelling resulting from fluid accumulation in certain body tissues. It is most commonly found in the feet, ankles and legs although it may also affect the face, hands and other parts of the body and body organs. Pregnant women and older adults are often affected with this condition, but it can happen to anyone. The swelling is brought about by the accumulation of excess fluid beneath the skin in the spaces within the body tissues that are outside of the blood vessels. These spaces are called interstitial spaces or compartments. Clinically there are two types of edema – pitting and non-pitting edema. Pitting edema is the term used to describe edema when pressure applied to the skin of the swollen area is released and an indentation is left behind. Non-pitting edema is the term used to describe edema when this pressure-induced indentation does not occur. Non-pitting edema usually occurs in the arms and legs.

Annoyances

I have as many annoyances, as any other person. I hate it when your plans for the day get messed up, due to unforseen circumstances. I hate it when I get pranked by a buddy, especially when I am doing something important. I hate the chain mails people send you, so they don't die in three days or to meet their true love. I hate spam and telemarketers. I also hated when I was in high school, all the college mail I received that created a pile 3 feet tall. The thing I hate the most though, is when people act fake. The way they talk, dress, and act in front of others. Especially when you knew them before they acted that way. I did that for a while, but at least I realized the way I was acting wasn't allowing me to be true to myself.

Free Time To Read?

I never, ever read for fun. Although, I do like to hear stories; I prefer not to read them. I think you should just go out and experience the world. To create your own story. If I do read, it is probably a magazine or newspaper. Actually, my job does have some reading involved. I need to read tray tickets for special orders that I would have to make for the night. If it is a salad, sandwich, or special drink. That is the only reading that I do outside of school. I don't hate to read books. But for some reason, after an hour of reading; I just fall asleep. I wish I could read more, because it is important. I just don't.

Fill in the blank in the following statement and discuss: "They don't make ________ like they used to."

They don't make Carvel Ice Cream like they used to. Four years ago, when i used to work there, Carvel (on Drum Point Road) made ice cream with milk they special ordered from the Carvel company. Nowadays, they used their own homemade milk. They use 3/5 milk combined with 2/5 water to make their ice cream. I know this, because my brother used to work there a year ago. And right before he quit, they introduced the homemade milk to the store. It is supposed to make the ice cream cheaper to make, while still using the same price to sell it. I stopped eating there ever since I found out. The ice cream doesn't taste the same anymore, but I don't believe the customers have noticed yet.

Snow Day

Today, as everyone else knows, is a snow day. I noticed something today, that I never noticed before. When I was in school-elementary, intermediate, or high- and we had a snow day, we did nothing but horse around outside in the snow. Now that I'm older, I find snow days dangerous and troublesome. At least when it has anything to do with my car. First of all, the roads are filled with snow and ice forcing you to drive slowly and carefully. It is especially scary when you are driving and you feel the wheels start to skid in the middle of the street. Then you wish, you never had to drive that day. I didn't expect a snow day- one of the greatest days to a child- to be something to worry about.

Name the worst movie or television pro- gram you have ever seen, and explain why you dislike it.

I don't neccesarily hate one specific television show, but a channel. I dislike the Sci-Fi channel, because of all the amateur movies they play. Especially if they involve a mythical beast or something, because their CGI is the worst. You could obviously tell whats real and what isn't. That's not all, their actors and writers aren't so great either. The actor's body movement or expression usually doesn't work with the scene currently playing. I admire their persistance but, I just think directors should make the movie a little better before vending it to a buyer.

Lymphatic System

Its three principal functions are: to collect and return interstitial fluid and thus help maintain fluid balance,to defend the body against disease by producing lymphocytes, and to absorb lipids from the intestine and transport them to the blood. Such a system has to have a high intravascular pressure if the blood is to be adequately transported. This results in fluid seepage from the capillaries and it is thought that the lymphatic system originally evolved to combat this problem. Lymphatic tissue is a type of connective tissue characterised by large numbers of lymphocytes. The stroma of lymphatic tissue is a network of reticular fibres. Connective tissue cells including fibroblasts and macrophages are present.

Do you believe that violence in television programs leads to violence in our society?

No, it doesn't. Its just opens our eyes to it. People should be more aware about violence in the world. The main reason would be, because it can happen anywhere and anytime. I actually do think that some people never think about violence being done to them. They just go through areas, oblivious to the danger around them. It may not seem right to say this, but the world is a very violent and dangerous place. Not one person is safe from it. All we can do is try to be safe as possible. If anything leads to violence, it would have to be other people who act violent.

Funny Shows

I watch anything that makes me laugh. From sitcom shows like The Office and The George Lopez Show to all the reality shows on Vh1 except for Rock of Love and New York Goes to Hollywood, which is horrible. I don't even think it airs anymore. But yeah, if it makes me cry of laughter during one episode. I become a die hard fan of the series and will watch it to the end of the season. I don't watch the shows like Law & Order, The Closer, or CSI; because I find them utterly boring. I guess I rather be amused, than become more knowledgeable on law and murder cases. I always like to have a good laugh, so I watch these shows to get that. I don't know, now that I noticed what I watch on television; I feel rather limited on selection of tv channel and shows.

Heart Pumps

The sinoatrial node (SAN), located within the wall of the right atrium (RA), normally generates electrical impulses that are carried by special conducting tissue to the atrioventricular node (AVN). Upon reaching the AVN the electrical impulse is sent down conducting tissue that branches into pathways that supply the right and left ventricles. These paths are called the right bundle branch and left bundle branch. The left bundle branch further divides into two sub branches called fascicles. Electrical impulses generated in the SAN cause the right and left atria to contract first. Depolarization (heart muscle contraction caused by electrical stimulation) occurs nearly simultaneously in the right and left ventricles 1-2 tenths of a second after atrial depolarization. The entire sequence of depolarization, from beginning to end (for one heart beat), takes 2-3 tenths of a second. All heart cells, muscle and conducting tissue, are capable of generating electrical impulses that can trigger the heart to beat. Under normal circumstances all parts of the heart conducting system can conduct over 140-200 heart beats per minute. The SAN is known as the "heart's pacemaker" because electrical impulses are normally generated here. At rest the SAN usually produces 60-70 heart beats a minute. It is the SAN that increases its' rate due to stimuli such as exercise, stimulant drugs, or fever.
Should the SAN fail to produce impulses the AVN can take over. The resting rate of the AVN is slower, generating 40-60 heart beats a minute. The AVN and remaining parts of the conducting system are less capable of increasing heart rate due to stimuli previously mentioned than the SAN. Ventricular muscle cells may generate 20-30 heart beats a minute. Heart rates below 35-40 heart beats a minute for a prolonged period usually cause problems due to not enough blood flow to vital organs.

Papi

My hero is my father. Not because he saved my life or changed it; but because he has told me all his stories on his encounters and trials in life. Symbolically, each story answered a question I once asked him. In a way, he never told me what I should do in one of my conflicts. But, told me what his experience involving said conflict. And with this, I decided how to end each and every conflict I ever contended with. To understand, that there is no correct path to go through a puzzling maze. But, that you carve and shape your own path to reach your destination. This is so useful, that I wish to used this same concept on my own children. He let me be my own flawless statue; even though there are cracks and abnormalities present.

Has college made you less sure about what is right and what is wrong?

No, college has not made less sure about what is right or wrong. The only effector that is sensible, would be life experience. Although college is a life experience, it is not all of it. Everything someone would have experienced up to that point, should have already defined his/her morals. It shouldn't all be figured during the college years. You learn what is right or wrong by watching the experiences of others or participating in your own. I already know what is right or wrong. The opinions or persuasiveness of faculty and students, have no effect on my rigid morals. Only I do.

Kanye West

"Everything I'm not, made me everything I am" -Kanye West
I'm not sure if it is considered a quotation, but it is said during the song "Everything I Am" on Kanye's Graduation album. During the song he compares himself with other artists and actors, on their actions and accomplishments. And I believe, he does this to identify himself from everyone else. He speaks about what everyone else has done, and what the audience expects him to rap about. He chose not to speak on stereotypical rap topics, but on what he believes people need to hear. From the quote, I've filtered that he makes his own choices and does not duplicate the artists and actors choices in music, personal style, and life. And thats how I feel someone should identify his/herself. Of course, it is hard act on with material accessories, but that is all they are. Just accessories to your life, not you. So all things he is not or chose not do made him who he is, Kanye West

ANS

The autonomic nervous system ( ANS ) is part of the peripheral nervous system ( PNS ). It has an important function in maintaining the internal environment of the human body in a steady state. This role is vital in returning the body to a homeostatic state after trauma. As various changes occur within the environment, both internal and external, the ANS reacts by regulating such things as the Blood Pressure, Heart Rate, Concentration of salts in the Blood Stream etc.
For example when the level of nutrients within the blood stream falls, the Sensory Nervous System (SeNS ) picks this up and stimulates the ANS to activate food seeking behaviour and also stimulates the digestive processes. If the body becomes dehydrated such as playing football on a very hot cloudless day the SeNS will pick up sensory information on the depletion of body fluid and the ANS will activate the mechanisms which conserve and replenish body fluids.
The ANS is also involved in many other body activities such as, waste disposal, response to stress, and sexual response. The functions of the ANS underlie the physiological aspects of coping during stress and forms a major link between the nervous system and the endocrine system during these times. The system generally works automatically without voluntary control - hence the name which comes from ancient Greek meaning 'self governing'. We do not consciously direct the rate of our heart beating nor are we normally aware of the diameter of our blood vessels or the need to stimulate our salivary glands to produce saliva. However the effects of the ANS do impinge upon our consciousness, especially at times of heightened emotion. For example most of us have experienced fear, either real or imagined, at some time in our lives and have been aware of our hearts beating faster. The increased heart rate is due to the effects of the ANS.

The Heart

The purpose of the heart is to pump the blood that bathes every organ of the body. The blood carries oxygen and nutrients to the tissues, and removes waste products from the tissues. If the pumping action of the heart is disrupted, the body’s organs begin to fail very quickly. Therefore, life itself is dependent on the efficient operation of the heart. The heart has four chambers. The two ventricles (right and left) are muscular chambers that propel the blood out of the heart (the right ventricle to the lungs, and the left ventricle to all other organs). The two atria (right and left) hold the blood returning to the heart, and at just the right moment empty into the right and left ventricles. The four heart valves (tricuspid, pulmonic, mitral and aortic) keep the blood moving in the right direction through the heart.

A Few Months

If my doctor told me I only had a few months to live; I don't know what I would do. Of course, the right thing to do, would be to spend time with loved ones and to help those in need. On the other hand, you could do whatever the hell you want-steal, vandalize, or even murder someone-because you are going to inevitably die. I could wrie what I would do, if it ever happened to me, but I don't think it would be truth. I think someone could write all he/she can about a controversial situation- with great supporting details and facts- but if he/she never experienced it, then how could you know it was the truth. For example, abortion. There are people who are for and against it. Each side, always has good reasons for their choice, but I am certain only few have ever found themselves in that particular predicament. Someone who is pro-abortion could say no, and someone who is against abortion could say yes. It is all about what choice you think you should make at that moment in time. So, I am going to give my most honest answer. I would tell everyone I care about to push through their problems and to take chances. Because in the end, they would have the chance to live a better life with no regrets and the knowledge that they tried their hardest. I believe I would do as such, because I have regrets; that if I did take a chance on, I know I would be living a different- possibly better- life.

This is irrelevant to the post, but I always thought this would be an interesting question to answer.
"If you had to kill the person you loved and cared about most to save the world; would you do it?"

Commercial

Whenever I see a commercial, I do what every person who owns a tv does; I change the channel to a different more interesting program. This way I avoid useless information from getting into my head. Of course, there are time when I see a commercial or two and often wonder; if these two minute intermissions actually influence people into buying their product. For example, a Pizza Hut commercial begins and they advertise the three medium pizzas for five dollars each deal. Now, when I finish watching the commercial I don't feel the sudden urge to pick up the phone and dial the phone number of the nearest Pizza Hut building. I just simply, keep watching tv. I sometimes feel sad, that the Pizza Hut corporation spent some million dollars on a thirty second commercial trying to influence me to purchase said deal. I say I'm not influenced by commercials at all, unless they are trailers for new films coming out. But here's the twist, if a couple of friends are over my home, and we feel hungry and someone suggests Pizza Hut. I immediately mention the five dollar deal not realizing I have just been influenced by the commercial. Therefore, I am completely wrong when I believe that I can not be influenced by commercials. I now changed my belief into stating that everyone is influenced by commercials at one time or another. It may not be the moment it is shown to them, but when an event occurs involving it; they will immediately remember everything they can about the commercial and use their information to their benefit.

Favorite Movie

It would have to be either Leon (The Professional) starring Jean Reno or Children of Men starring Clive Owen. Most likely the movie Leon because I saw it when I was four years old and pretty much see it once a year. And it wouldn't hurt that Jean Reno is one of my favorite movie actors of all time. I'm not an actual expert critic so I can't really talk about the plot or the drama of the film. But what I can say is that the few action scenes shown throughout the movie are intense and heartstopping. But its not all about the action either. The relationship that Leon and Mathilda share is very misunderstood and interesting to watch. Even the two-faced cop that Gary Oldman plays is quite scary; making him pyschotic and angry with his dependency on drugs. I think this movie would fulfill your action and dramatic needs, along with a little romance. Now on the other had I think Children of Men was equally phenomenal in its own category. I don't think it was meant to be an action movie, but the scenes invovled are by far the most realistic and mind-blowing I have ever seen. I'm not a real fan of Clive Owen but this definitely has to be his best work ever. The whole end of the world aspect, was also very sad and conflicting to watch because I felt this could very well happen. Both these movies are my favorites, because I think both directors chose the best actors to play each character role in their movies.

Jeep Grand Cherokee 2000 (continued)

Another reason my Jeep is tough is because of another accident. Except this time, it was between my Jeep and a concrete road divider. For safety reasons, I will not use the actual name of the road (but, you can ask in class if you would like to). It was the morning of the delayed opening, OCC had recently. I left my home at 5:30 a.m. to drive my father to work. Of course, at that time the road wasn't clean and was still full of snow and ice. I was driving 20 mph and was following the road trails or paths left behind by the other vehicles driving, that morning. We drive onto Accident Waiting To Happen Ave. (which is a two-lane road) and then it happened. We hydroplaned or snowplaned, (I'm not sure what it's called when the car starts sliding in the snow) in the right lane and I hit the brakes as hard as I could. They say you shouldn't hit the brakes when that happens but, that thought hadn't crossed my mind at the time. I'm not even sure if that's the reason why it happened in the first place. So, I hit the brake and then the car makes a 180 turn into the left lane and slams into the road divider, on the passenger side of the car. It made such a loud, terrifying noise. Thank God, no other cars were driving at the moment it happened (after a couple of seconds though, we saw some cars coming). It was such a weird view, looking through the windshield and seeing cars drive toward us on the same-side road. We waited for the cars to pass by to pull into a nearby parking lot. We parked right there and my dad stepped out of the car. After walking around the car once, he came back inside and told me the news. Nothing happened at all. I couldn't believe, so I stepped out and checked it out, myself. He was right, there was nothing broken or cracked anywhere on the Jeep. And again, I thanked my car for saving our lives. At around 1:30 p.m., my dad and I looked at the car and noticed a scratch on the front bumper of the Jeep. I am telling you, My Jeep is BADDDDD!

Jeep Grand Cherokee 2000

As you can read from the title, my favorite "thing" is my Jeep. My father bought it a couple of years ago, but gave it to me as a present for my 17th birthday. My jeep is tough. Here's why...
On March 5, 2008, I was driving with my family on Route 9 South, during the night. We arrived at a stoplight next to a car dealership. I was behind a couple cars when the light turned green so, I held the brake until the car in front of me began to move. The car moves and I let go of the brake, and then out of no where a car going 65 mph hits the back of my Jeep. Inside the Jeep, my family and I heard this loud smack against the car and felt the vibrations of the impact.This Honda Civic-like car ( I don't remember what kind of car it was) actually pushed my Jeep forward about 30 feet. So I park right there, in the left lane, and in the rearview mirror I see the car that hit us with only one light shining. Seconds later, I noticed the car's horn was resounding (you know, that steady horn sound that means someone died). Right there, I started to freak out in my mind. So, my father and I leave the car and head over to her car (She was young, in her 20's, beautiful woman). We walked past the shattered, windshield, glass on the floor and stopped at the driver's side door. We saw that she was conscious and asked her if she was okay and she didn't answer. She was at a loss of words for what happened. I looked at the damage of her car and saw that her windshield was shattered, the right side of the hood was crushed in deep, and her side doors were cracked. I compared it to my Jeep and saw that there was minimal damage. My rear bumper was smashed in a little and there were small cracks around the back of my vehicle. After I took all this into account, I loved my Jeep for saving my family and I from harm and death. I thought my car was bad @$$ for not taking any damage. I also call my Jeep a man because he took it like one.

My Morning

This morning I was more than ecstatic about the grade I received in English today. To tell you the truth, I wasn't expecting it at all. At least I'm doing good in this class. My second and last class of the day was the worst. I didn't do my homework or study for the quiz we had today. I ended up receiving a 40 on my quiz. I wasn't too happy about it but, what could I do. It's my fault. Also, I have a test on three chapters next week and I don't feel too good about it. I need to get my stuff together before I start endangering my grade for that class. Oh yeah, I know it's irrelevant but, my brother got his license today! One more thing, I need to start reading or I am going to have nothing to say in our next class discussion on the book.

Sunday

Man, today is the first time I slept eight hours straight in weeks. I felt energized and my family and I took out my brother to Charlie Brown's for his seventeenth birthday. I can't believe it, he's taking his driving test tomorrow to get his license. I know he's going to get it because we both are the kind of people who don't fail when it comes to important things. For example, I was the dumbest and laziest kid in my Bio-130 and HEHp-225 class last semester. And I was on the brink of failing both classes because, I was failing tests and not completing homework assignments. But, I knew I promised my father to not fail in any of my classes so, in the last month I worked my a$$ off to get a C+ in both classes. The funny thing is I was pissed at my teachers for not giving me a B. I'm such a jerk.