blog 9

Ok for this blog all I did was google other peoples blogs! I found a very interesting website (http://www.doshdosh.com/environmental-blogs-you-can-read/) where I found very interesting entries. It is a very neat and nice blog to read.
The "awesome" blog i found web surfing is cool to me because it combines science and the environment together. I don’t think it is a boring blog because it doesn’t just talk about global warming and the things we should do to prevent it! Well is not wrong to talk about that, because we see it and hear it every day!

My awesome blog talks about everything from temperature rising, the ozone holes and cosmic rays. Or tips you can do everyday to save the planet. The blog that I enjoyed reading the most was about “Real Climate”. There’s a very interesting paragraph,s saying “both October and November came in quite warm (0.58ºC), the former edging up slightly on last month's estimate as more data came in.” If we think about it, it is absolutely true! When I first came the US I remember winters being really really cold, and now we still have 50 degrees outside! Amazing! Well I don’t like the winter, I don’t like the cold, but I do understand that this climate changes are going on, and it’s basically everyone’s fault L

http://www.realclimate.org/index.php/archives/2008/12/2008-temperature-summaries-and-spin/#more-632

At the beginning it was kind of hard because I didn’t know how to star the page or where things were at! After the professor explained, it was much easier and fun. I heard of people having blogs before, but not me. The only thing I used before was MySpace. Not anymore though, because for me is just a waste of time! =)…When I started doing blogs I thought they were very cool and interesting because it was a way to express yourself clearly and to be able to get feedback from others! It was really nice!I think that 250 words were ok. The only thing is that sometimes I procrastinate so I did almost all of my blogs except for 2 I believe, but I guess it was my fault for not doing all of them on time. I just guess Mondays are boring, even for homework =) lol
I think that there shouldn’t be a deadline. Or maybe yes, but not Tuesday morning! Maybe the same day we meet (Thursdays)! And since at the end of the semester they all going to be counted to our final grade, whoever didn’t do them get a lower grade and whoever did them before the semester is over then we should get all the points! I am planning to keep my blog page, because I think it look pretty neat! I love the comments all of my classmates sent me =) (tnx guys)! Some blogs were really funny. Erick Is a clown lol….So I really think that blogging is cool! You can write whatever you want. =)! Hopefully I keep in touch with my classmates.

OK i have a few extra gifts =/

1) Mangroomer might seem like a silly name, but that's exactly what it is - a man groomer. Designed specifically for that hard to reach back hair, the Mangroomer Do-It-Yourself Electric Back Hair Shaver has a 1.5 inch blade for a close shave without ingrown hairs. Its 135 degree opening allows you to get even those hard to reach areas like the small of the back.2) Chicken poop lip balm: The creator of Chicken Poop Lip Balm got the name from her grandfather, who used to tell her that he would help her chapped lips by putting chicken poop on them so she wouldn't lick them. This lip balm does not share anything with actual chicken poop. It actually smells delicious and is made of soy, jojoba, sweet orange, lavender, and beeswax for soft, tasty lips.

3) FURminator: The FURminator is not a futuristic action movie starting animals; it's a deshedding tool for cats and dogs. It can reduce shedding by up to 90% while encouraging healthy and shiny skin and fur. It also helps do away with hairballs in cats by removing much of the loose fur that gets caught on their tongues. Both dogs and cats love being brushed by this deshedder, so it's a treat instead of just a tool.

4) Are you anti-panty lines or anti-panties altogether? Then Anti-Panti is the perfect product for you. Great for use with low waist or tight fitting pants, Anti-Panti Disposable Underwear just stick inside your clothing. Better than going commando and much more comfortable too, Anti-Panties are disposable and come in nude and multi-colored designs like zebra print. 6) Anti-Monkey Butt Powder Have a little problem with monkey butt? Why not try Anti-Monkey Butt Powder? This powder helps keep a certain region dry and smelling fresh. Whether you ride motorcycles or horses, play sports, or just sit on your butt all day, sweat and friction can cause uncomfortable problems. With Anti-Monkey Butt Powder's long lasting protection, you'll never have to worry about that again!

Blog 10:

X-mas is a good time to give something that is useful but at the same time something that preserves the environment.
But OMG there is a list on the internet of plenty of STUPID gifts for 2008! I was cracking up with the pictures and the descriptions.


1) "Potty Putt"
Why waste time in the bathroom when you can use it as a golf course? This gift has everything needed to play golf without leaving the seat. Potty Putter begins with a custom-shaped PUTTING GREEN that sits around your toilet. It also has a cup with a flag, a specially-sized putter, and 2 golf balls. And since you're likely to spend a LOT more time in the john, you also get an OCCUPIED SIGN to hang on the doorknob.
Did you ever wonder how Tiger Woods got so good? One word -- practice!

2) "The USB Pole Dancer": LOL there's a computer accessory that can turn YOU on, instead of the other way around.
The USB Pole Dancer makes your fantasies can come true. This bikini-wearing hottie plugs into your computer's USB port and audio port. When sound plays on your system, she dances and gyrates around the pole and performs some truly seductive moves.
Click here to watch the video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jqzVwuNKPmc)

3) "Penguin Tea Timer":

(This is how it works): You can either hang a tea bag from the penguin's beak, or use the tea strainer (included) with your favorite blend of loose tea. Place your tea cup under the beak and set it to the desired time. As you turn the timer dial, the beak lowers the tea into the hot water. When time is up, a bell sounds and the penguin automatically lifts his beak, removing the tea bag from the water.

4) "The Peter Petrie Egg Separator":

It is the most unappetizing kitchen tool EVER. And sadly, the stupid thing WORKS.
It's a hand-crafted ceramic head sporting a quizzical expression and a huge nose. To use it, you crack an egg into the separator and tilt it forward. While the yolk is blocked by the nose, the albumen tastefully drips through the nostrils and into your bowl. (DISGUSTING) LOL!!!!!




MORE:
http://www.stupid.com/fun/TSLV.html
http://www.stupid.com/fun/PHXC.html
http://www.lifesupporters.com/forums/general-discussion/dumb-christmas-gifts-544.html
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hvx4MlcNwbg&eurl=http://technorati.com/videos/youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DHvx4MlcNwbg&feature=player_embedded

Blog 8:

There are so many things I’ve learned today in class.
At the beginning when we had to do this project I was kind off “afraid and a little mad” about it, because I really don’t like doing oral presentations in front of people! I just hope everyone understood what I said =) lol!
I just have to say that it was very interesting to know that all this religions have something in common (their love and respect for the environment). This was actually my first time on getting to know all this religions. I heard a little about them when I took a history class here at LaGuardia, but never so much in depth. I love all these religions even though I’m Catholic.
· What I liked about Judaism is that they have certain laws concerning the environment, such as not cutting fruit bearing trees, locations of industries should be far way from where people live, not to eat limb torn from a living creature, etc. Another important point they made was that God shows his angriness with nature disasters.
· What was interesting for me about the Islam is that it is a universal religion that believes in no God, but Allah, and they believe that Allah is the creator of all living things. They also believe that it is extremely important & permitted to every Muslim to contribute to the Earth’s better environment. Also that they should be active in growing more trees for the benefit of all people, and also someone from the class said that usually make a prayer before killing an animal.
· Buddhism was also a very interesting religion because this group did a good job explaining the history, and also they’re concern about killing living creatures.
· Hinduism says that plating a tree is a religious duty, and they also have the BISHNOIS MOVEMENT which focus is on protection of trees and animals.
· And last but not least my group on the Daoism religion. I think I had a very interesting religion, which in a way is very similar to the other religion, but they believe in no God, they say that everything in the world in created equal, and if nature suffers from human kind, nature will retaliate against man.

In overall all groups did a good job, some slides where more interesting than others but I think everyone was great. All these religions share something in common and it was obviously the main point of doing this project, to learn that there are so many religions around the world, but that the Earth is only one, and we should love it, respect it, and care about it, even when our minds are more concentrated in shopping and wasting money!!!!

Blog 7:

Last Thursday was the best class day ever!!! We went to the museum of Natural History.
We were supposed to go through four halls that mostly related to our class. The exhibitions were very fascinating.

The hall of biodiversity was the best. In here we were able to see the variety of Earth's living things. In here we were able to see, hear, and read about the organizations that are working now to preserve the world’s ecosystems. This is an important quote I wrote down in my notes. “Sustaining functions that all life requires: Cleansing, recycling and renewing. We depend on biodiversity in our creative and spiritual lives, and for our physical survival.” Another important point found in this hall was the extinction and biodiversity loss, I wrote the name of few species that have been recorded on extinction since 1500’s.
INSECTS: Arotisfascata
AMPHIBIANS: Bana Fisher
BIRDS: Aepyorhis Marimus

Human activities have stigmatically altered global systems. CO2 and other gases from agriculture and industry accumulate in the atmosphere, contributing to a rise in Global temperature. “By converting and polluting forests, prairies, and wetlands; overexploiting wildlife and fisheries; and transporting alien species across the globe, humanity is greatly altering the surface of the planet, causing the dramatic decline of species in today's ‘Biodiversity Crisis.’” On the other hand these biodiversity and ecosystem disruptions alter disease patterns that damage the ecosystems. This can cause changes in disease ecology, leading to the emergence of rare and unknown diseases. For example “CALUMYS MUSCULINUS” which is like an ugly rat, and grows in corn fields, but later on spreads to towns and cities, causing severe fevers.
Another important point is that people are VACUMING the worlds largest oceans. Humans catch about 85 million tons of fish and other species each year
REDUCING RESOURCE DEMAND: North America consume their body weight in natural resources extracted from farms, forests, rangelands and mineral deposits.
Consumption is equal to ecological degradation.

The other hall was the Warburg hall of New York State Environment. This section mainly focused on agriculture, the soil, its structure, and the things that make it possible for plants to grow. In here we were able to see how humans and animals depend upon certain kinds of plants.

On my way to the Spitzer hall of Humans Origins I got stopped by the professor who asked me and Edward if we saw the big tree, and we said no! L …so we came back and we saw it on the wall…It was HUGE. The name of the tree is (Sequoia Gigantean). It’s about 2,900-8,800 feet long. It was cut in 1891.
And the Spitzer hall of Humans Origins presents the history of human evolution from our earliest ancestors millions of years ago. I loved this hall; the galleries looked so real, the similarities between their whole bodies to us is amazing! It was easy to imagine that you are walking through millions of years of history.
The Gottesman hall of Planet Earth was our last stop. In this section we were able to see how the earth evolved. The different type of rocks, how the geologist read those rocks, the causes of climate change and so on.

This trip helped me understand more the importance of our natural environment. It is definitely something that we must forever take care of, treasure and respect. Unfortunately, we only have one planet, one earth, one environment and if we ruin it, we risk destroying it forever and causing irreversible damage that will be devastating for us and our generation but even more so for the future generations that haven't had a chance to live, experience and enjoy what we have.

Blog 6:

It was very difficult on picking up only one region of the world and a topic to talk about in this research paper. But as Colombian, obviously I wanted to pick a region of my country and research about it.
Colombian indigenous people continue to be the victims of human rights violations, including killings and "disappearances" in many parts of Colombia, but not only that, they are also facing other problems such as the war, policies and laws of government that are used to expel the people of this land. As a result of this plunder people are dying of hunger and only found violence, exploitation and misery. According to the Indigenous groups of Colombia, Government wants to take away the lands that were once promised and given to them. They complain that the State will not surrender the land promised to them, and the Colombian president criticizes them by saying “for what reason do they want more land if you already have much.”
The aim of the indigenous groups of Colombia is to pressure the government into returning land to indigenous farmers, the legalization of their lands.

I have chosen a few sources which I know will definitely help me discover and undertand more on this issue, and of course for the development of my final paper.

* This 1st source if simply a video I found on YOUTUBE, which shows brifly what the issue is about, alleging that 10,000 indigenous Colombians are marching against President Alvaro Uribe's policies. The protest comes one week after violence erupted during demonstrations to press for land reform and dialogue with the government.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M7MkZoCMJws

The 2nd source is a web I found on Google. I found this article to be very interesting because it explains what is going on right now with the indigenous Colombians, and how the president is trying to solve this issue.

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=es&u=http://colombia.indymedia.org/news/2005/10/32577.php&sa=X&oi=translate&resnum=5&ct=result&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dproblema%2Bde%2Blas%2Btierras%2Bindigenas%2Ben%2Bcolombia%26hl%3Den

There are a few more sources I’ve found so far, but I think I have to go over a little bit more in order to understand and see if they are really usable and helpful.
I think my topic is very broad, but I think it’s interesting since it is affecting hundreds of poor people in my country, by forced displacement, murder of its leaders and violation of its rights and the privatization of the natural resources.

Blog4

WOW! I’ve never sit and think about it!!!! This is hard!!! Well …. I don’t usually spent a lot of time watching TV during the week because I go to school two days a week (Tues & Thurs) from 1 until 9:30pm, and sometimes I work Mon, Wed and sometimes the weekends! But since the economy is really baddddd, I don’t have the same hours of work as I used to have before! So now I only work a few days whenever they call me from the store (Bloomingdales). Since I have more time to be home, now I spent my time watching Spanish Soap Operas at night. I LOVE THEM!! ;-). Especially one that it’s called ‘‘Without Breasts There is No Paradise.” And a few others! During the day I don’t spent that much time watching TV, lets say about 2 to 3 hrs, and during the night about 4 to 5 hrs! And if I’m not too sleepy I keep on watching movies, documentaries, and so on until 2 or 3am! a total of 45-50hrs.
So most of the time fam are never here, except from grandma who recently came from Colombia to live with us! I am very happy to have her here with me, but to be honest I don’t spent that much time with her! :-( why? Because I’m toooo busy watching TV, surfing and chatting on the internet or just on phone with my friends! Wow!! SAD!!! Most of the time when I’m home my time goes by really quick, because after I do my chores and homework I don’t find anything else to do! I think that most of my time is being spent on the internet! I don’t really do interesting things on the internet, I just love going to shoes and clothing stores online :-) well and also I use the MSN messenger a lot! Approximately I spent 5 to 8 hrs on the internet in a whole day, a total of 50hrs.
Shopping? Uhmmm well not like I used to! I think it’s because as I am more mature now, I have more responsibilities, and so my money has to be spent in bills and rent, and not on shoes or cloths! But sometimes I do an exception, and I call my girls and we go shopping! I LOVE LOVE LOVE shoes!! Especially high heels, so whenever I get paid, I get myself a pair of heels :-)! So I don’t really spend more than 2 hrs when I go shopping.
My favorite activities are dancing, going to the movies, spending time with my family and boyfriend, Going out on the evening for drinks and entertainment, fishing, sleep, eat, and many more…! But unfortunately some of these activities are not activities anymore for me! Because I don’t even TRY on doing them anymore! For example expending time with my family and boyfriend is something I obviously do, but not as much as a should! Also fishing, something I did a lot with my grandpa when I lived in Colombia, not anymore in here! Dancing which is my favorite… uhmmm yes sometimes whenever there’s money to go out clubbing. Eating, sleeping, and movies? I also do them everyday and movies almost every Sunday with my b/f :-)
Many people (including myself) spend their days packed with activities, but earn very little because they are not concentrated in the appropriate things. It's a sad reality!!!
This is an interesting website I found, which explains how men and women spend leisure time
http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1549394,00.html

Blog 3

DROUGHTS!!

Please realize that global warming is HAPPENING!!!. It was just a matter of time before it started to become more of a serious matter. The earth is a living thing. It is dying, not slowly but more rapidly then we thought it would be! We all have contributed to global warming, some more than others, but it’s a sad reality! The earth is a living thing and we are “killing it”. Earthquakes, tsunamis, tornado's, etc are just part of what’s happening.
The main concern has to be the increase in the global average temperature. From the earth getting hotter and hotter many other problems emerge. For humans, these changes in climate are particularly dangerous because it increase the number of people who die. For example the Bronx is one the cities with more kids that suffer from Asthma and other lung diseases.
Droughts also impact the economy, obviously the people, and the environment. Human beings cannot survive without water and if they don't have it, bad things happen. Generally, as humans, we waste tons of water every single day. (ME - 1hr showers or even more)! We never know when we are possibly getting a drought but I think that there has to be a plan, a serious plan to prevent deaths when droughts occur. During a drought we have to take some simple water conservation steps such as turning off the sink as we brush our teeth.

I foound a really nice website that includes 100 tips to save water!! This are just a few, but you can go to the website and check them all out :-) by doing simple things like that we can save a lot of water and help our communities get through droughts and water shortages.

#1.There are a number of ways to save water, and they all start with you.
#2.When washing dishes by hand, don't let the water run while rinsing. Fill one sink with wash water and the other with rinse water.
#3.Evaporative coolers require a seasonal maintenance checkup. For more efficient cooling, check your evaporative cooler annually.
#4.Check your sprinkler system frequently and adjust sprinklers so only your lawn is watered and not the house, sidewalk, or street.
#5.Run your washing machine and dishwasher only when they are full and you could save 1000 gallons a month.
#6.Avoid planting turf in areas that are hard to water such as steep inclines and isolated strips along sidewalks and driveways.
#7.Install covers on pools and spas and check for leaks around your pumps.
#8.Use the garbage disposal sparingly. Compost instead and save gallons every time.
#9.Plant during the spring or fall when the watering requirements are lower.
#10.Keep a pitcher of water in the refrigerator instead of running the tap for cold drinks, so that every drop goes down you not the drain.

There are poeple who can predict droughts by forecasting two fundamental meteorological surface parameters, precipitation and temperature. this makes it easier to prepare to save water through the drought. because drought is to dry and hot plants cannot survive without water and animals cannot survive without plants, water and other living creatures. so drought has a great effect on the food chain.

http://www.wateruseitwisely.com/100ways/sw.shtml

http://www.drought.unl.edu/kids/whatis.htm

http://www.tag.washington.edu/reasearch/drought.html

Blog 2:

How will I follow my passion?
How will you use my education to make the world a better place?
I never sit and think about my passion, but today I am! Since I was a little girl back in Colombia, I always enjoyed helping others. I enjoy doing that because it was something I learned from my grandparents. My passion is to help people, that way I can transmit a little bit of my love and carrying to others, and by doing so I feel accomplished. I am planning to become a Speech Pathologist very soon. For those who don’t know what the job of a Speech Pathologist is: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speech_therapy

I have a 4 year old niece who I love and care about with all my heart; unfortunately she has a speech deficiency. Her speech problem is not that bad, and everyone in the house understands what she’s trying to say. She cuts the words in half and sometimes is hard for her to pronounce some words. We understand she is only 4 yrs old, but she had speech therapists going to my house and teaching her so many things, how to say simple words such as mom, dad, milk, hungry, and so on. I was really impressed with their work, because even though it seems to be easy, I could tell that those therapists were trying their best to improve my niece’s speech. I love kids a lot, and I consider myself to be a very patient person, since then I became really interested in learning more about the job of a Speech Pathologist.

If I become a Speech Pathologist in the next few years I will be able to transfer a little bit of my passion to millions of people who just need a little bit of help. I will also gain Personal Satisfaction, because I will be focusing on doing what I love, helping others communicate better. I really didn’t like seeing my niece struggling every time she wanted to say something, now she has improve a lot, we understand her so much better, and I’ve even become sort of a therapist for her :-). I help her with the homework’s, I read her books, and whenever she says a word incorrectly I try my best to teach her how to pronounce it better. I love doing that, so I am sure that I will stay in school, and do the best of me to raise my GPA so that I can enter to the Speech pathologist program in the college, and work really hard to obtain the license and to have the ability each and every day to make a positive difference in the life of patient.

Blog 1: THE ENVIRONMENT AND ME

Well, today I had to go to work, and I was there all day until 8:30pm. I don’t think I did as much as could have done to help improve the environment today. Well I did take the train instead of asking my sister or mom to give me a ride. I live in Queens and work in the City, at Bloomingdales. I take the bus and train because I think this way I help reduce the pollution, and I also walk a few blocks because is good for my health as well. I work as a sales associate for the fragrance department; which means I have to spray all kinds of fragrances all day long. I try not to spray the ribbons too much because I know that perfumes have all kinds of chemicals and I’m contaminating the environment. I even feel nauseous sometimes at the end of the day for smelling all types of fragrances. Another good thing I always do when someone purchase a fragrance is that whenever I see a costumer carrying a bag from a previous shop, I don’t give them a new bag, I always asked them if I can put the box inside their bags. =) Ohhh, another good thing I try to do as much as I can, is that I always bring my own food to work; I’m not only saving money but also cups, plates, paper, plastic utensils, bags, etc.

To be honest with everybody and to myself, I hardly do something good for the environment. The only thing that I do is recycle, it’s something I know I just have to do, I don’t even think about it. I don’t use hair products as much as I used to, I also try to save paper, I use every single space left on a page, I also try not to use many chemicals at home when cleaning. I don’t really safe any water. I waste a lot of water when I take a shower.
=(… I knowwww!!! I have to change that!!!! But After reading Al Gore's book, I recognize that “WE” should be doing a lot more for our environment. Our planet is really messed up right now, and I will try my best from now on to collaborate as much as I can to save my planet, there will be a day when we won’t have more resources. NOW is the time to change bad habits.