Don't you know?

Lolita: A Quick Synopsis

2012-03-12T13:39:00.003-07:00

Everyone has heard of Lolita. We may not know the exact plot line, but we've basically “got the idea”, right? Perhaps not. Many readers expect a simple, sickening story of a pedophile and his morally damning corruption of a young child. What readers are delivered is a work of art. Lolita could easily be likened to an exhibit at an art gallery. Everyone expects near-pornographic images of young children, but they are delivered an intricate marble sculpture of naked children playing innocently in a field of wildflowers. There are questions – why must they be naked, why depict this with such detail? - but really, most will see that this is art, and it is beautiful. Make no mistake, the sexual corruption of young girls is a moral blunder of epic proportions in most societies, and the time period in which the book was written and staged is no exception. Nabokov masterfully harmonizes taboo love – a favorite in popular novels – with witty observations by the narrator and sly references to the audience. Mixed in are some truly deep emotions – guilt, passion, fear, distress, ecstasy, naivety, remorse, lust, and true love. I fear that too many readers simply pass over all that this story has to offer and judge it merely as a flat, sick fantasy of an aging man. Most critics share this view, and though it is nothing revolutionary, it is a worthwhile point to pursue, as the critics have failed so far to convince most outside of the literary academia community that Nabokov's Lolita is not only a work of art, but of genius.

The first part of the novel mainly chronicles Humbert's adventures before Lolita. His first love, Annabel Leigh (reference from E.A. Poe's Annabel Lee) sets the standard that must be reached by all women that Humbert will love. He describes his fascination with nymphets, slim girls with demonic qualities. The narrator frequently hires prostitutes and marries twice. It is through this second marriage that he meets Lolita, his stepdaughter. Lolita is twelve years old when her mother dies, and she is left in the care of one Humbert Humbert. Initially, the orphan is kept in the dark about her mother's death, being told that her mother is in the hospital. Humbert takes his stepdaughter to a hotel, where it is reported that she seduces him, and they copulate their relationship. Humbert writes that he fought with the decision to seduce her, that he thought of stopping short of sex. When Humbert claims that Lolita initiated the act, the reader begins to question the truthfulness and non-bias of the narrator. Though Lolita is obviously trying to advance their relationship, she becomes cold and sullen adolescent after their first encounter. What is most evident, however is that Humbert has passed the point of no return.

Humbert takes Lolita on a trip around the country, trying to keep their relationship a secret from all they interact with. They stay in many hotels on their trip, and Lolita slowly loses her naivety. She attracts men with glances and flirts openly. Humbert becomes paranoid that someone is following them, and he begins carrying a gun in his pocket. Lolita enrolls in school after the two settle down in a small town. She has lost all innocence, demanding money before performing sexual activity. Humbert finds himself falling for her, as she is losing her interest in him. Humbert's paranoia grows exponentially as he fears that everyone knows about their relationship.

Lolita obtains the lead in a school play, the script for which was written by a man that she, it is much later revealed, has fallen in love with. This man, Cue, will later be described by Lolita to Humbert as her one great love. Humbert has no knowledge of Cue, but eventually becomes paranoid enough to leave with Lolita for another trip across America. Though barely a teenager at this point, Lolita is a deceiver, and is cold and calculating. The reader begins to see that perhaps Humbert was right in being so paranoid. Lolita claims to be sick one night. Humbert takes her to the hospital, where she escapes his clutches two days later. In a frantic rage, Humbert tears out of the hospital, vowing to kill her abductor. After retracing his steps, looking for any clues as to Lolita's disappearance, Humbert begins to feel great loneliness. He forms a relationship with Rita, who is dull and stupid, but comforting to Humbert. While dating Rita, he continues to search for Lolita, leading Rita to leave him. Time passes and Lolita writes to Humbert, stating that she is married and pregnant, and needs his financial support, as he is her father. In short, Humbert finds Lolita, meets her husband – not her captor – and gives her the money. He then kills the abductor, Cue. Humbert realizes that even though Lolita has aged greatly (she is seventeen now), and is heavily pregnant with another's child, he still is in love with her. He asks her to leave with him, but she refuses. He leaves in tears.

The purpose of this short, simple synopsis was not to convey the complex emotion of the story, but to provide the basic plot, so that a reader may see that this is more than a pedophilic pornographic novel. Any reader would think that this novel was captivating and provocative. The truth is that many people have their sensors for low morality set on a high-sensitivity mode, and once they see that this is a man with an eye and lust for young girls, they are blinded to the rest of the story. If they are not blinded, then their perception is severely skewed. Lolita deserves a second look, however, as the language will draw you in, and the perils the narrator and his lover must go through will keep you reading. Nabokov's characters are quite multifaceted, and have real, human emotions. Perhaps Nabokov's greatest feat however, was making the reader feel sympathy for the narrator. Humbert is truly remorseful, and knows that no legal punishment could ever be sufficient for the pain he has caused Lolita, who lost her childhood because of his actions. He decides that he has earned 35 years in prison, as he does not agree with capital punishment. He feels that the one thing he has done right for Lolita is immortalized her true ethereal beauty in his journal, which he requests not be published until both he and Lolita are dead. They both die shortly thereafter, Humbert, while in jail awaiting his trial, and Lolita, as giving birth. If there were ever a truly twisted character that you could almost feel pity for, it would have to be Humbert Humbert, the man who realized the error of his ways too late.

Something for Your Health

2011-03-31T11:55:00.000-07:00

Smores Hot Fudge Sundae
vegan, makes one sundae (2 spoons!)

2 scoops Vanilla Island Coconut Bliss ice cream
2 Tbsp dark chocolate hot fudge (I found an amazing brand called Wax Orchards - it's fat free, fruit juice sweetened and so good!)
2 Tbsp vegan marshmallow creme
1 Tbsp crushed grahams
1 Tbsp mini vegan chocolate chips
swirl of soy whipped cream
(cherry optional)

Scoop the ice cream.
Sprinkle on the grahams.
Spoon on the hot fudge
Sprinkle the chips.
Dollop of marshmallow.
Swirl of soy cream.
Serve!

Let's give a big thanks to Kathy Patalsky of Healthy Happy Life. She has so many great blog posts, and it would be great if you could give her a visit... I have nothing but respect for what she does.

Here's the blog: http://kblog.lunchboxbunch.com/

How to Help if Your Friend is Anorexic or Bulemic

2011-03-29T23:18:00.001-07:00

If someone you know is showing signs of disordered eating, you may be able to help.

Set a time to talk. Set aside a time to talk privately with your friend. Make sure you talk in a quiet place where you won’t be distracted.
Tell your friend about your concerns. Be honest. Tell your friend about your worries about her or his not eating or over exercising. Tell your friend you are concerned and that you think these things may be a sign of a problem that needs professional help.
Ask your friend to talk to a professional. Your friend can talk to a counselor or doctor who knows about eating issues. Offer to help your friend find a counselor or doctor and make an appointment, and offer to go with her or him to the appointment.
Avoid conflicts. If your friend won’t admit that she or he has a problem, don’t push. Be sure to tell your friend you are always there to listen if she or he wants to talk.
Don’t place shame, blame, or guilt on your friend. Don’t say, “You just need to eat.” Instead, say things like, “I’m concerned about you because you won’t eat breakfast or lunch.” Or, “It makes me afraid to hear you throwing up.”
Don’t give simple solutions. Don’t say, "If you'd just stop, then things would be fine!"
Let your friend know that you will always be there no matter what.

Vegan, The Processed Way

2011-03-29T17:58:00.000-07:00

Having recently converted to the Vegan way of life, after trying and failing many times, I think I'm finally in the swing of things. It helps to have foods that you can use to transition between carnivore (which I never was) to Vegan. I like to use processed foods to do this. Although last night I made my own sugar-free mashed sweet potatoes... (FANTASTIC), there are some things I'm glad I'm still able to eat. SO, whether I like the foods or not, I'm going to do a continuing post here on foods that you might not think are vegan, but really are! This is pretty much limited to processed food, as it's obvious that a steak and cucumber are very different things. There's one more point I need to make: I'm not going crazy with the level to which I follow veganism. If milk, eggs, meat (of any kind), lard etc are not listed in the ingredients, I list as vegan. There are other things I keep an eye out for, but basically, I don't know and I don't care whether the sugar was made with bone char. If you DO care, call the company in question... I'm here to merely send you on the right path to processed vegan bliss.

Snacks:

Nutter Butter Bites (Nabisco)

Vienna Fingers Creme Filled (Keebler)

Teddy Grahams - Cinnamon (Nabisco)

Oreo Chocolate Sandwich Cookies (Nabisco)

Nature Valley Crunchy Granola Bars - Peanut Butter

Elfin Crackers (Keebler)

Icky, Icky Smells, and How to Get Rid of Them

2011-03-18T08:17:00.000-07:00

Smells are a fact of life. They happen when gaseous particles are available for your nose to sniff out. Simple as that.
Just because an odor smells "good" doesn't mean it is good for you. Gasoline is great in small amounts, but the chemicals you breathe in a very harmful to your body... on the other hand, most bathroom smells aren't that lovely, but completely harmless. What does this have to do with you? Most air fresheners are very very very full of chemicals that can harm your body pretty quickly. They can make you feel ill at the very least if you use such air fresheners often enough.

So how DO you get rid of smells, besides using spray fresheners? Oust and similar brands say that they can "eliminate odors in the air, rather than covering them up". There's a much more simple, and cheaper way to get rid of these smelly smells than by buying products though... want to know the secret? Here it is:

VENTILATE YOUR ROOMS!

Open a window! It may not be as simple as that though... Here are some specific ways to ventilate, most effective in getting the smell OUT.

If you have a double hung window, like these:

You can open both portions of the window halfway. Warm air escapes out the top, and cooler air comes in the bottom portion.

If you have windows on opposite sides of a room, open both of them all the way... The air will flow from one side of the room and out the other, much more strongly than if you had just opened one of the windows.

Invest in a air conditioner with a HEPA filter, which removes 99.97% of airborne particles. They're fantastic air cleaners, and if you run your air conditioner on low, changing the filter regularly, you can keep your house smelling great. You can use fans to push air towards an air conditioner, or towards an open door or window.

IF YOUR GARBAGE DISPOSAL STINKS:

You're not alone. Here's what you do. Pour a cup of boiling water down the disposal (to clean the blades), then grind up a citrus peal (lemon or oranges should do the trick), and you'll have a great smelling sink.

Refrigerator Blues? One remedy is to soak a cotton ball in some vanilla extract, put it in a bowl on the lowest shelf. Take it out two days later. If you like the coffee smell more, use used coffee grounds in a bowl instead.

Make sure your fridge is clean, and you throw out any gross food from over 2 weeks that could be stinking up the fridge.

One of the coolest things I've come across for this blog so far are actually pretty small... Charcoal Filters. Use them on your trash can lid (inside) to eliminate odor, and recharge them by placing them in the sunlight. Here's where to get them: http://www.simplehuman.com/products/accessories/odorsorb-filter-kit.html ($5.99 for two) The site advises to clean the lid of your trash can before you attach them, or they may fall off.

Dishwasher issues? Check the filters, and be sure to rinse food off of dishes before you put them in there.... Yes, your dishwasher can handle clearing food, but this is an article about smell, and left on food can really stink up your house if left to ruminate in a closed up box for a day (or half-day).

Finally, the stove. Turn the range on before you heat up the burners. Every single time. There are some gasses that come off of the burners that can cause respiratory problems in everyone, but especially children. Clean your filter on the range hood regularly.

Here are some "good" chemicals you can use today to clear up that smell.

Baking soda: if you mix it with water, you can wash walls and smelly surfaces, or you can leave an open box in the bottom of smelly places... (like a garbage can or laundry bin or fridge or cabinets)

Borax: works much like baking soda, but it's more concentrated. Put 2 teaspoons in the garbage disposal, and wipe down surfaces with a mix of 1/2 teaspoon to 1 cup of warm water. Finally, you can spray that mixture on plants to kill bugs and mold.

Vinegar: You can sanitize stuff by using a 1:1 ratio of white vinegar and water. The smell vinegar gives off disappears as soon as it dries. If you still smell it, something's still wet. Keep the air moving throughout the room to disparate the smell. You can try using this mix in coffeemakers, or anything around the house that ISN'T made of stone.

Vacuum.... a vacuum isn't a chemical, but it cleans well enough to be considered one... :") If it has a HEPA filter, all the better, but a little vacuuming without a filter is better than no vacuuming. It removes smells and particulates.

If your house smells like the following, here's what to do:

Unbathed pets: It's most likely coming from the padding under carpets, and it'd probably pet urine. Steam clean it. It's the only way to get through to the padding. If you really don't have time to rent a steam cleaner right now, you can check that the room is all dry carpeting, then sprinkle baking soda over the carpet. Let it sit for half an hour, then vacuum it all up. If that doesn't work, you will have to pull up the carpeting and replace the padding underneath with new padding.

Death: If you have a mouse trap set up somewhere, prepare yourself for grossness, and check it out. If you find it empty, begin checking behind appliances and in your chimney. If you do find it, put it, with a shovel, into a double layer of plastic garbage bags and throw it away. Disinfect the shovel with bleach or vinegar and water mixture. If you can't find the animal, or the smell is still there after a few days, call an exterminator... They'll locate and remove the animal, even if it's behind walls and under your home. It's what they do.

Chemicals: move all the chemicals in your house to a cool place (away from the furnace) like the garage, a shed, or a furnace-free basement. If that doesn't work, use whatever you can, and recycle the rest of it.

Bathroom rot: If kids miss, the bathroom can really begin to stink up around the base of the toilet. You've got to confirm it first. If the area around the bottom of your toilet smells the strongest, that's what you've got. Sanitize that! :) If that doesn't work, you've got to call a plumber. They'll pull up the toilet (actually pretty easy), they'll disconnect it, clean it out, put in a new wax seal and caulk it up.

Smoke: It's incredibly hard to get rid up, whether it's due to tobacco or a failed cooking adventure...You need to wash the surfaces in your house in this order: Curtains and shades, shelves and books, walls, carpets, clothing. Clean top-to-bottom so the dust fall the floor. Vacuum that up. On the non-stone surfaces and walls, use a mix of 1 part vinegar to 5 parts warm water. If that doesn't work, realize that mattresses and upholstery and plants harbor smoke residue. Clean them with a vacuum nozzle, then open the windows to air them out, for at least 48 hours. If that doesn't work, you've got to get them professionally cleaned.

If you've got to have your pets on the furniture, designate one couch for them to use, one with a slipcover. These can be washed very quickly and easily. It's not just urine you have to watch out for, there's also the hair, skin cells, and body oil they drop without having any control over it. So, if your dog or cat must sit on one couch, make it one with a slipcover. Vacuum frequently, and wash your slipcovers in hot water. Check out surefit.net for slipcovers of all kinds.

Here's the final word on the subject: Bathroom odors. They're embarrassing, but unavoidable, and they happen to everyone. Turn on the exhaust fan in your bathroom to whisk odors away. You can also light a match. If you are hosting a party, be smart and light a candle or two. The fire "burns away" the gasses and compounds that make up bathroom odors. Easy enough!

See you later!

Made my Life

2011-03-16T11:34:00.000-07:00

It's not really something that may concern you, but I think the whole world should know and rejoice:

MY FIANCE IS A WOLVERINE.

Classy, Yesteryear vs. Today

2011-03-12T14:21:00.000-08:00

This is a blog post I did on another of my blogs that just sort of crumbled... but I really liked this post, and thought I'd share it. :) Enjoy.

We know about the classy women of yesteryear... and even the classy men, but who's classy today? Who do we need to look to, besides those closest to us, for inspiration in class and elegance and true style?

First, let's take a look at those beauties and gentlemen we typically think of representing the 'olden days':

Elizabeth Taylor, Best known for acting in 'A Place in the Sun' and ' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof'. Also known for having many husbands, and she still remains a beautiful and classy lady.

Audrey Hepburn, no one can deny it, was one of the classiest ladies to ever live, and always portrayed nothing but elegance on the screen, most notably in 'Breakfast at Tiffany's' and 'Roman Holiday'.

Ava Gardner, how pretty she looks in this picture. Classy, elegant, sophisticated, beautiful. What's not to love? She's known for her performance in 'The Barefoot Contessa'.

For men, I am always drawn to the same three:

Marlon Brando. May I sigh with delight now? Yes? *sigh* How dreamy is he? And why is he dreamy? Because he can somehow pull off being a "bad boy" and not be particularly sleazy or lazy or even messy. He portrays what I feel is some of the best male acting ... perhaps ever. And may I mention again how dreamy he is? Best known perhaps for the following: 'The Godfather', 'A Streetcar Named Desire', and 'On the Waterfront', for which he won an Academy Award.

Another very nice actor, Clark Gable. Portrayed a gentleman, through and through. Though perhaps not as dreamy as Marlon Brando, he was still quite sophisticated and handsome. His best known roles were in the movies 'Gone with the Wind', 'It Happened One Night', 'The Misfits', and 'Mutiny on the Bounty'. All lovely.

Another handsome man - Paul Newman. Not your typical upper-class clean cut gentleman... but still a very kind and somehow classy man. He had his own style of elegance that was just something all his own. He's known for the films 'Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid', 'The Sting', and even voiced Doc Hudson in Pixar's film, 'Cars'!

Now that I've shown you the classiest I knew for the 'good old days'... let's spring forward at least 60 years to today. Who are our classy folks of today? Let's focus on actors and actresses for right now. We'll get to other sorts of celebrities later, I promise.

For women, there are so many I think of, including Anne Hathaway, Nicole Kidman, Keira Knightley, Natalie Portman... the list could go on forever... but those are my top choices. Pictures of the beautiful ladies? Sure! Here you go:

How gorgeous and classy you are, Anne Hathaway.

I must say, I absolutely love the job Nicole Kidman does in many of her movies... My two favorite would have to be 'Moulin Rouge' and 'Austrailia'. Wonderful acting by a wonderful lady of society.

How strong and confident she is! I know that not everything Keira has done could be classified as exemplary... however, she strikes me as an entirely classy individual, with an outstanding sense of humor, and a lovely career as an actress. She can be elegant when the situation warrants it, but fit in with anyone, being a humble individual.

Strong and ferocious. Lovely. Natalie Portman.

Let's take a look at men, now. I know you all are so excited for this, the classiest and most sophisticated male actors of today. I would have to cast my votes for: Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, George Clooney, and Leonardo DiCaprio.

One of my favorite actors of all time. When he has a minor role in a film, and I just happen to catch a glimpse of him, I feel compelled to shout out that it's him. He just brightens my day every time I see him. Being British does not make him inherently sophisticated or classy, but it does help, and he is both classy and sophisticated.

Morgan Freeman. How smart and gorgeous. With 39 award winnings and 35 nominations, Morgan Freeman is an atypically talented actor. Whether he's acting the part of God for a production, or is a convict's best friend, Morgan Freeman hits the nail on the head. He's talented, sophisticated, and portrays himself as a wise man.

Voted Sexiest Man Alive, and who could disagree. Although he is getting older, he really hasn't lost that charm from his early days. He's still sexy, lovely to watch perform, and I would assume a wonderful person to have a conversation with. His roles really are different, with some being silly, or ridiculous - as in 'Burn After Reading' and some being quite intuitive - 'The American'.

Finally we come to....

A younger actor, compared to the rest of this series... but still a famous one. His early roles included that of Jack Dawson on 'Titanic', an enormous role for him to fill. Later, as in earlier this year, DiCaprio did splendidly on a couple of movies that left you with quite the same feeling of slight confusion and extreme interest in the outcome, and yet a feeling of hopelessness for DiCaprio's character. The two movies to which I am referring are 'Shutter Island' and 'Inception'. Loved both of them, by the way.

These are the actors of the heydays and of the todays which I have fallen in love with, not only because of their work, but also because of the heart they put into everything they do, and the sophistication they bring onto the screen from their daily lives. Truly beautiful people we should all strive to be like.

Ann Arbor Masturbator Arrested

2011-03-12T13:51:00.000-08:00

Yup, you heard it right. Ann Arbor, and specifically Oxford Housing Residents at the University of Michigan can breathe easier knowing that the publicly-masturbating perpetrator, described as a man, of medium build, 5'8" tall, and wearing a sweatshirt with the hood up and covering his face, was arrested on March 9th. This is the report on the University of Michigan Police website:

On March 9, DPS and Ann Arbor Police Department officers arrested a 30-year-old man in connection with several indecent exposure incidents near and on campus in late 2010.

Christopher Filipek, 30, who is not affiliated with the University, was arraigned today (March 10) on 6 counts -- four counts with AAPD cases, two counts with DPS cases (at Oxford Housing) as well as a felony sentencing enhancement of Indecent Exposure by a Sexually Delinquent Person. DPS Crime Alert #2010-16 from Nov. 23 has been canceled. Additional charges may be authorized as the investigation continues.

You heard that right. Felony. For masturbating out of some windows. He, said The Michigan Daily, a student newspaper, with the felony sentencing, will be qualified as a "sexually delinquent person". That right there could put him in prison for life. The newspaper goes on to say that the arrest was the result of a three-month investigation, which involved intensive measures including surveillance, according to their source, Department of Public Safety (DPS) spokeswoman, Diane Brown.

Filipek was only a person of interest initially, but when he was arrested on January 14th for prowling in the Oxford housing area, he became a suspect in this case. One of the pieces of evidence against him was pictures on his cell phone he took of people through their windows. It is unknown whether these are pictures of students. Brown concludes by saying that it's difficult to determine whether this behavior would have escalated into anything else, but states that she's "pleased to get him off the street and have him deal with the consequences".

I couldn't agree more.

Resources for Reusing!

2011-03-12T10:07:00.000-08:00

Here's the article for reusing that I know you all have been awaiting for so long... :P

BLANKETS AND CLOTHS OF ALL KINDS

Reuse your blankets and towels by donating them to a shelter, either human homeless or a pet shelter... The homeless will have something to keep them warm, and puppies will have something besides a concrete floor to lay on.

NATURAL MATERIALS

Here, we're talking about things that are directly from nature, and although some of these things don't necessarily fill up landfills THAT quickly, these reusing projects are fun to do, no matter how helpful they are to the environment... so after that disclaimer, here we go...

Fruit and vegetable seeds, although they may not take up that much space in a trash bin, really don't need to be thrown out when you can try your hand at growing them... it's a fun way to use each part of your food.

Any food that you don't eat (but not meat, bones, grease, or the like) can be put in a compost pile. If you live in an apartment, there are countertop composters that have a carbon filter to keep smell down. You can add the resulting "compost tea" to houseplants and window trellises, and make them GROW. Do a quick search for compost tea if you don't know what that is... maybe that's a new post.

PLASTIC BAGS

Plastic bags are that thing that we're so worried we over use, and many of us eco lovers either are incredibly guilty when they use them, or refuse adamantly to use these demons... :) SO what can you do to reuse the ones that you DO use? Here are some ideas:

The easiest and most common way to reuse those bags (I do this myself) is use them as liners for those smaller trash cans often found in bathrooms and bedrooms. Just reusing it once (yes, we know it still ends up in the landfill) can make it more convenient for you when you don't have to go digging your hands through the bathroom garbage to empty it (gross). Another idea that's very similar to this one is to use the plastic grocery bags as doggy poop scoopers. No one likes scooping poop, but these bags need a second job, and this is better than buying special bags just for doing so. These are ok solutions, but the bag still goes to the landfill... Here are some more ideas:

If you have a small hoard of bags (as many people do), don't feel shy in using them to replace packing peanuts when you ship something to a friend or through ebay. You don't have to buy biodegradable peanuts, (or those AWFUL non-biodegradable ones), and you can reuse that pesky army of bags.

Here's another one that's pretty ok... you can use the bags in your car to collect trash that accumulates while you're driving... think banana peal, mcdonald's wrapper, diet coke bottle... you can recycle the contents of the bag when you get home, but this is a good way to keep everything contained.

You may want to donate plastic bags to a thrift store or charity that might be able to use them, so that they don't have to buy new bags. Call and see if they can use them... along in this vein, you may want to post a craigslist ad for them, stating that reusing your bags would be very green, and save the business money. Individuals may use them for projects. Who knows?

If you take your lunch to work or school, use them as a lunchbox, OR use them to contain tupperware of things that might otherwise leak and leave a mess (soups). In your kitchen, keep a bag around your flour, sugar, and other ingredients that tend to make a mess... this will help keep ants out, and make clean up a lot easier.

PAPER BAGS

Some very cool ideas for reusing what you chose to be the greener option of "Paper or Plastic?"

Bonemeal is an excellent source of nutrients for all the plants in your garden. You can easily make your own by first drying your leftover chicken bones in a microwave oven (depending on the quantity, cook them for 1-4 minutes on High). Then place the dried bones in a sturdy paper bag and grind them up using a mallet, hammer, or rolling pin. When done, distribute the powder around your plants and watch them thrive.

Add paper bags to your compost, cutting them up and wetting them before stirring them in (so that when they dry they don't just blow away). Earthworms really really really love paper bags (and CARDBOARD) :)

A tutorial on how to make your paper bag into an oversized mailing envelope: http://www.myrecycledbags.com/2008/07/26/recycled-paper-bag-mailer/

If there's a forecast of snow, put your wipers up to a diagonal angle, and place a sliced open bag underneath both wipers so that the whole windshield is covered. in the morning, before you turn on your car, lift wipers and remove snow by pulling on the bag.

Many fruits -- including avocados, bananas, pears, peaches, and tomatoes -- will ripen better when placed in a paper bag. To hasten the ripening process of any fruit, place an already ripe apple or banana peel in the same bag and store it at room temperature. To ripen green bananas, wrap them in a damp dishtowel before placing them in the bag. Once your fruits have adequately ripened, you can halt the process by putting them in the refrigerator.

Cut open one or two paper bags and spread them out over your countertop when peeling vegetables, husking corn, shelling peas, or any other messy task. When you're done, simply fold up the paper, and toss it into the trash for a fast and easy cleanup.

Cut open one or two paper bags and spread them out over your countertop when peeling vegetables, husking corn, shelling peas, or any other messy task. When you're done, simply fold up the paper, and toss it into the trash for a fast and easy cleanup.

Need to wrap a present in a hurry? You don't have to rush out to buy wrapping paper. Just cut a large paper bag along the seams until it's a flat rectangle. Position it so that any printing is facing up at you, put your gift on top and fold, cut, and tape the paper around your gift. If you wish, personalize your homemade wrapping paper by decorating it with markers, paint, or stickers.

Finally, Use a paper bag to create a book cover for your child's textbook... she'll be able to decorate it, and it'll leave her book in tip top condition... here's a tutorial: http://www.cynthiareeg.com/kids/paperbag.html.

I'm incredibly tired and work is piling up at home, so I'm going to leave it at that for now, but I'll be back soon to post more ... PS, i wrecked my computer, so i have to do this from the libraries and computing centers around campus... ah what i don't do for my readers.... :P anyway, hope you enjoyed. See you soon!

Great News for Today, March 11th

2011-03-11T15:06:00.000-08:00

I was browsing the web, and I found some great stories out there, that I'd love to pass along to readers... Here go some links

RUSSIA/US RELATIONS

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/europe/12russia.html   - An article by the New York Times that talks about Putin's recent meeting with VP Joe Biden, and how Mr. Putin threw him for a loop early in their meeting. (BTW, I'm all for the liberalization of visa regulations with Russia and the United States, but I'm not quite sure what getting rid of visas entirely would mean for the two countries.)

ROYAL WEDDING 2011

http://travel.nytimes.com/2011/03/13/travel/13journeys-royal.html?ref=travel   - A pretty cool look at what's available to people wishing to celebrate the impending Royal Wedding (Kate and William of England), and what you can do to save (or spend) money going to London at that time. Some wonderful travel tips, and plenty of cool cool cool things to do.

JAPAN'S EARTHQUAKE AND FLOOD

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12japan.html?_r=1&ref=world   - If you haven't heard the news about the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, read this article now. If you have heard about it, read it anyway. It's a great outline of what's going on over there, and something everyone needs to be aware of.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/11/world/asia/100000000718996/tc-031111.html?ref=world - This is a video of the aftermath of the earthquake and tsunami that struck Japan this week.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/11/world/asia/maps-of-earthquake-and-tsunami-damage-in-japan.html?ref=world   - Maps showing the impact of the quakes from a birds-eye-view.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/world/asia/12nuclear.html?ref=world - Covers how the crisis in Japan provided huge difficulties for one nuclear power plant there, and why citizens had to evacuate the area.

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/11/world/asia/20110311EARTHQUAKE_zoomer.html?ref=world - a link to a pic you can zoom in on that shows the damage caused in one neighborhood. nothing is salvageable.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/11/world/asia/100000000718996/aftermath-of-the-earthquake-in-japan.html?scp=1&sq=japan&st=cse - video showing effects of flood. stunning.

HOW TO BUTCHER A CHICKEN

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2011/03/10/magazine/100000000715898/how-to-butcher-a-chicken.html - A chef takes you through how to cut up a whole chicken you buy from the supermarket (note: this is not how to kill a chicken, just how to cut it up correctly).

LATEST FROM WISCONSIN:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/us/12wisconsin.html?ref=us - article outlining the governor's latest solution.

VERY COOL APPLICATION:

http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2010/07/25/us/scotus-quiz.html?ref=supremecourt - see how your views stack up to the rest of America's, and the Supreme Court's.

This is something I'd like to do very much:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/garden/10texas.html?pagewanted=2&ref=garden

and pics of it: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2011/03/10/garden/20110310-TEXAS-SLIDESHOW.html?ref=garden#1

Photos I just love

2011-03-10T18:48:00.000-08:00

Hunted in much of India, this guy survives in a national park there... National Geographic

Japanese Macaques, Nagano, Courtesy of National Geographic

An Enormous Murder... of CROWS, Courtesy of National Geographic

A Green Sea Anemone... National Geographic

BAHAHAHA

Hope you enjoyed.

See you later.

Reduction (of your landfill contribution)

2011-03-10T12:34:00.000-08:00

So the last post I did was on Recycling, and what a post it was! This one's going to cover how to reduce first your intake of non-recyclables (and recyclables), and how to reduce your output.

Just because something is recyclable, doesn't mean that you should buy as much as you want of the product. Recycling takes energy and water to complete, and isn't the best solution. Reduction is, in my opinion, the best of the three (recycle, reduce, reuse). Reusing is the most likely to happen out of the three (besides just tossing the item out) <<< BAD. :)

If you reduce what you take in, the company that makes the wasteful product will make less of it, as there seems to be less demand for the product. If they make less of it, less natural (and sometimes non-renewable) resources are used up.

You'll also need to reduce the amount of toxic chemicals and hazardous materials you buy. This isn't so much for not filling landfills as it is for not destroying our groundwater sources and rivers. SO much of our municipal water (and backyard well water) comes from rivers and groundwater. rivers go to lakes and oceans and ruin wildlife with the pollution they carry. This is water people and animals depend on for survival, so let's do our part to consume less toxic materials.

You'll save money if you reduce your intake, and you'll save your community money if you reduce your output. They have to pay for that trash being taken to the landfill too. Consider where else that money could go in your community if you didn't have so much being allocated to landfill filling. fantastic.

Here are some ways to reduce your intake:

If you notice that one brand has way way way too much packaging, look for another brand with less. Buy the brand with less packaging, and be sure to write the company of the product indulging in wrapping, letting them know why you switched to the other brand. Let them know that there are other people out there who think the same as you, and you require less packaging for your groceries.

Use canvas bags rather than the disposable plastic bags given away at supermarkets. Settle the Paper or Plastic dispute once and forever with the best option of all: Canvas. It's an initial expense, but it's worth it in the long run.

Purchase goods that are durable, not disposable. Some coffee shops here in Ann Arbor will give you a discount if you bring your own mug or cup to the shop, instead of using their paper cups. There are now ceramic cups that look just like the paper ones that you get from the coffee shop, but they're more insulated, they aren't disposable, and they'll last SO long. Here's a pic of what I'm talking about:

Isn't that cute?

Plus you've always got the option of not buying a new mug, and just using that one you got from the company picnic, or as a reward from your bank, or whatever... another pic:

Again, adorable, and it saves trees!

If none of the coffee shops in your area will let you bring in your own mug for a discount, (or even for no discount), suggest they start a program. Talk to the manager if you have to. Tell them to just consider it. If one shop in town does this, let the other ones know that they should start similar programs. It's so great for the environment, and it would actually save them the cost of buying those cups!

Other things to consider: don't do paper plates, and don't do the plastic ones either (nor the foam ones). all difficult to recycle. Buck up and wash the dishes. Have little hands help with the drying if necessary, but DON'T use those landfillers just cause they're "convenient". Not a good idea long run, and really a money waster.

That brings me to dish washing: A dishwasher has been shown to be one of the best options "The Bonn study proves that the dishwasher uses only half the energy and one-sixth of the water, less soap too. Even the most sparing and careful washers could not beat the modern dishwasher. The study also rated the cleanliness achieved, again in favor of the washing machine (sorry grandma)." (treehugger.com) If you have no dishwasher, say you live in an apartment without one, just use as little water as possible, reusing a half-full sink of water (plugged up) to do the initial wash, and install and aerator to reduce the water you consume during the rinse.

Re-wear jeans and shirts that really don't need to be washed each time. You can reduce your laundry by a third! how excellent. And Kleenex is propagating this idea that hand towels are really bad for you... and maybe they are. Invest in some hand sanitizer if you're really worried about the germs. And maybe keep your hand towels out of reach of the dog's mouth. Don't use those paper towels. Bad. Bad consumer! :P

Buy appliances only when the old one breaks, or is severely obsolete (think VCR). Buy the best new one you can buy, that uses the least amount of electricity. You want it to last a LONG time, and not be an energy hog... you'll save money on your bills and save the environment.

My final plug: Buy these to replace all burnt bulbs:

These are the new bulbs... get one today.

They're pricey, but they'll last longer than you'll be able to remember when you last put one in. It's worth it. You can not just throw these away, after nearly 20 years, they'll have to be recycled because they contain small amounts of mercury. There is no threat imposed by the mercury, unless your kid is eating the lightbulbs, in which case, you've got more problems on your hand than a little mercury.

I hope you've enjoyed this post as much as I have: and here's a little picture for you all to enjoy... See you next time, when we talk about Reusing!

Bahahah

Recycling

2011-03-09T16:04:00.000-08:00

Earth Day is coming up, and I really thought I should wait.. but then, why should I? Let's make this the best Earth Day ever and get a head start on our recycling! Yay!

Ahh, to have such a great, green planet...

Recycling is such a great thing to do for our planet, and reducing our intake is even better! I'll post on recycling first, then reducing in another post.

These days, one can recycle almost anything. You can recycle plastic, metal, batteries, light bulbs... paper, appliances, even car batteries and old food!

http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/publiced/Earths911.htm

That there ^^^ is a link to a wonderful website that will find the nearest recycling location based on your zip code! Fancy!

Let's talk about plastic. As a growing industry world-wide, plastic producers are thriving. There's plastic cartons, jugs, containers, boxes, wrap, and SO much more. There are 7 different kinds of plastic when it comes to recycling though, so let's take a minute to talk about which ones are harder to recycle than others, and why.

First off: generally, you can't tell one type of plastic from another by touch or smell, so the industry developed those little recycle symbols with the numbers in them, so that you can tell one kind from another. The wrong kind of plastic in a recycling batch can mess up an entire melt! What a waste!

These are the plastic symbols I'm talking about.

Fortunately, these symbols ^^^ make it easy for everyone to recycle correctly. Let's talk about each one, using an image!

And now you know!

Lets delve a little further into it about a few of these. Just because the "recycle" sign (above) is on your containers does not mean that the packaging is recyclable! HUH?!? well, that sign, obviously the recycling symbol ONLY denotes what kind of plastic it's made of, not its recyclability! weird, right? Well, rules are rules, so let's learn some: Generally, only types 1 and 2 are accepted in the bins that the city or trash company will pick up from your curb. Always check with your garbage company, or whoever picks up your recycling. Before you drop off your recycling, check with the faculty at the drop off location. Better yet, call them. Save yourself the trip, and sort right at home!

The kind of plastic that goes into #5 plastic isn't really recyclable. Those yogurt containers and plastic strawberry baskets are really a waste. Preserve Products offers pickup at select Whole Foods Locations. Simply stack your containers until you have enough to justify the trip. Fantastic.

Most caps (think on top of a milk jug) are a different kind of plastic than the container (jug) is. If they have a symbol, great, if not it is easiest to throw them out. Alternatively you can call the milk company and find out what the cap is made of. Finally, reusing the caps as kitty toys is a great option, as those cats love both the ring on the milk jug and the cap more than the expensive toys from the pet stores!

Try using canvas bags for all your shopping, there are stylish ones, there are cheap ones, and once you have a collection, you won't have to buy any more for a long time. Sure you're saving the store money by not using their plastic bags, but you're also saving the environment. If you are in a bind and you really have to use the bags, look for stores that recycle them to make new bags! One that I know of off-hand is Walmart. I'm not a huge Walmart fan, but when I really really really need something for super cheap, it's my guilty pleasure to save money there. More about reusing plastic bags in the next post.

GLASS and METAL RECYCLING

Glass bottles should not be recycled with windows, mirrors, or any other type of glass. The easiest way to recycle most glass bottles is to go to a national grocery chain and deposit them there. If you live in certain states (and the bottle was bought in the same state) you can get money back for them! Clear glass is valuable, colored glass really isn't, but recycling is better than chucking it out your back door or into a landfill.

Aluminum (pop) cans can and should be recycled in grocery stores. You get the money back, and it's convenient. There are steel (tin) cans that are shaped like pop cans (think, Slimfast cans) that should NEVER be recycled with aluminum cans. They're different, and it will ruin the batch. You don't have to remove labels on soup cans. Wash only enough to remove food from inside them, as the recycling process gets the metal so hot, all contaminants are destroyed.

If you buy soy milk, as many people who recycle do, you'll find it incredibly hard to recycle. The packaging (that box that seems to be made of paper) is actually made of layers of plastic, metal, and paper. As you can imagine, that's pretty hard to recycle. Here's a number to call to find out more about where you can recycle these things. 800-888-6488 P.S. Juice Boxes also fall under this category.

PAPER RECYCLING

Wow. So many types of paper! Who knew? (I did/do!) So here are our different categories, and what each one means to us recyclers:

White Office Paper is the poodle of the dog show: fancy and prized. Colored paper, contaminated paper, and low grade paper is not acceptable in this group. The paper wrapping this stuff comes in, funnily enough, is not high enough grade to be recycled in this group. It belongs in the Mixed Paper group.

Corrugated Cardboard is accepted in some recycling plants, but always check first. If not, you can drop it off at many supermarkets, and at places like Sam's Club. Remove all tape, but don't bother with removing the staples.

Newspapers can sometimes be recycled on the side of the road, sometimes only at recycling plants or drop off places. Remove all rubber bands, plastic inserts (if any), and product samples. Tie them up with some twine (not plastic twine) or put them in large brown paper grocery bags. And you're set!

Some phone books are made with a special glue that breaks down in water, while other phone books use a glue that interferes with recycling. Printed in your phone book should be information on the source and type of paper used, the nature of the binding, and where locally phone books can be recycled. Note that many phone companies continue to use virgin rain forest to produce directories. In many communities phone books are only accepted during the time new directories are distributed.

Finally: Mixed Paper is the catch-all for paper recycling. It's gotta be clean, dry, and free of food, plastic, and wax, but staples are ok. Plastic window envelopes are ok.

These guys are A-OK for mixed paper recycling!

There is paper that can't be recycled, and here are some examples: food contaminated paper, waxed paper, waxed cardboard milk & juice containers, oil soaked paper, carbon paper, sanitary products or tissues, thermal fax paper, stickers and plastic laminated paper such as fast food wrappers, juice boxes, and pet food bags. It's just too bad, ain't it? Reduce your intake on these, friends.

REFRIGERATORS AND AIR CONDITIONERS
Most older refrigeration equipment contains freon, a chemical know as a Chlorinated Fluorocarbon or "CFC" for short. Each molecule of a CFC can destroy over 100,000 molecules of the earth's protective ozone coating, leading to increased risk of sunburn, cataracts and skin cancer for the entire population of the planet (human AND animal).
If you are throwing away an old refrigerator, heat pump or air conditioner please be sure the CFC's are drained out and recycled first. Use only a hauler who will perform this important service -- call and ask before you let them take your old equipment away. Before having your car's air conditioner serviced, ask what the shop does with the freon. Never allow a leaking refrigeration system to be recharged.
A number of international treaties, federal and state laws govern the use of CFC's. Handlers of refrigeration equipment can get information on laws and recycling equipment from the American Refrigeration Institute.

SINGLE USE BATTERIES:

Use the ones you have as you need them, and never buy them again. Although they are collected, they are usually just thrown into more expensive landfills, rather than being recycled. After you are done with that, please, please, please invest in NiMH batteries. A good comparison and shopping site is www.greenbatteries.com.

RECHARGEABLE BATTERIES (not car batteries)

Rechargeable batteries are commonly used in portable telephones, computers, power tools, shavers, electric toothbrushes, radios, video tape recorders and other consumer products. There are a variety of different battery types, some of which contain quite toxic materials.
The Rechargeable Battery Recycling Corporation (RBRC) is an industry funded group promoting battery recycling. Manufacturers pay a fee to use the logo shown to the right, and to support the costs of the eventual collection of the batteries they sell. Look for (and even insist on seeing) the RBRC logo on rechargeable batteries you buy.
For a nearby drop-off location:

Call 1-800-8BATTERY.
Visit the RBRC drop of location finder.
Try your local Radio Shack store.

Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cd), Nickel Metal Hydride (Ni-MH), Lithium Ion (Li-ion), and Small Sealed Lead (Pb) batteries can all be recycled. Several states now prohibit consumers from dumping rechargeable batteries into the normal trash. Nickel-Cadmium rechargeable batteries ("NiCads") contain cadmium, a metal that causes blood and reproductive damage, among other problems. Most of the Cadmium in our waste stream comes from batteries. These batteries pose little hazard in use (the Cadmium is in a stable form), but are a danger in landfills.
Worn-out batteries are often easily replaced. While many batteries are custom shapes (just you so have to buy a special battery) the chemistry inside is identical. A clever repairperson can replace just about any rechargeable battery.

MOTOR OIL, TIRES, and CAR BATTERIES:

all recyclable, all nasty for the environment if just thrown out. You've heard it before and you'll hear it again... NEVER just dump out your motor oil. It will go straight to the rivers and groundwater, completely unfiltered, and it will kill animals, and provides the possibility of getting you and your neighbors very very ill if drunk even in minuscule quantities. BAD idea. Many auto stores take oil, including Grand Auto, R&S Strauss, Pep-Boys and Wal-Mart. Some states have laws requiring any business that sells oil to take used oil back from consumers. Many quick-lube shops take oil (the industry association encourages it) Call them first to find out! Anti-freeze tastes sweet to animals and children (even to adults), and WILL kill. horribly. Keep it out of reach of young ones and curious cats and dogs, then get rid of it safely. Never mix anything with motor oil. It makes the oil un-recyclable.
Usually you'll have to pay a fee from 1-5 dollars to get rid of your tires properly, but it's worth it. Tires have that air that's caught in the middle, making them usually rise to the top of landfills. Water collects on the inside, breeding mosquitoes, and spreading disease. Finally, your old car battery may be worth money, and even if not, any car parts shop will take it off your hands.

SOME INFO ON COMPUTER PRINTER RELATED ITEMS

Most printer cartridges are easily recycled, refilled or re-built. But printer vendors sell the printer cheap, and make their real money selling supplies. They don't want you be environmental.
The "right" environmental solution is to sell new cartridges with a postage paid mailer for returning the old one. Some forward-thinking companies, such as Hewlett-Packard, have been known to do this, especially for laser printers. Sometimes you can find free envelopes for donating cartridges to a refiller, but don't bother with refill kits. They may save money, but they are messy, and you use as much plastic as a new cartridge. You can turn these cartridges in to any Office Supply or stores like it (just call to find out!).
To make a difference, buy recycled paper for your printer (because of the fine grain, it can look better than regular sliced trees). Grab piles of "blank on one side" paper from work, and use the other side. And always buy recycled. See The Yahoo! Recycled Printer Supplies Listing.
Encourage your company to buy a printer with duplexing (two sided printing), and to hire a company to take away waste paper regularly. WARNING: You may have a recycle bin at your company. Stay a little late one night and ask the cleaning people where it goes. You may be in for a shock.

FINALLY... (wowowowow long post) COMPOSTING

Food and yard scraps placed in a special bin are converted into valuable garden soil in a matter of weeks. Compost bins are available at garden stores & nurseries. Composting can easily reduce by half the volume of material a household sends to a landfill. If you don't care about accelerating the processing, just keep adding material at the top. Just try to keep a balance of dry "brown" materials and fresh "green" material. For more technical information, try visiting the On-line Composting Center.
Lots of things you'd otherwise throw away can be composted, including wine bottle corks, cooking oils, certain types of foam packing peanuts, used paper towels, dryer lint, etc. If it is natural, you can probably compost it without trouble!

And that's more than you'll ever need to know about recycling!

Beautiful

The Fight for Preah Vihear

2011-03-09T14:40:00.000-08:00

This is an essay I submitted for my Political Science Class. Hope you enjoy!

The Fight for Preah Vihear

For the past several years, Cambodia and Thailand have fought for the land surrounding one of the area’s oldest landmarks: the Preah Vihear temple. In a debate that began in the late 19^th century, the two actors are currently warring over, not the temple itself – which lies in Cambodia’s borders – but over the land surrounding the temple. Because of two specific institutions, International Justice Court and UNESCO, along with both actors’ interest in power through security, material welfare gained through having more land and through tourism benefits of having a UNESCO World Heritage Site on their soil, and finally through the ideological goals of containing a religious temple so old and important, Cambodia and Thailand find themselves fighting a war, even today, over an 11^th century building, and a small amount of land.

The Preah Vihear temple was awarded to Cambodia in 1962 by the International Court of Justice by a vote of nine to three. This ruling was based off of a map created in 1907, that showed the border of the two countries following a watershed for dozens of miles, the agreed border between the countries. On this map however, at the point of the temple, the border swerved into another direction, away from the still-present watershed. Thailand was angered by the 1962 ruling, as the map used did now show the agreed-upon borders between itself and Cambodia. Thailand did hand over the temple, but did not relinquish the surrounding land, and claimed that the border was never officially marked at that point. In more recent years, the issue has resurfaced because of a Cambodian application in 2008, saying that they rightfully owned the land surrounding the temple, causing Cambodia to withdraw and resubmit its application, this time only requesting the temple become a World Heritage Site. Thailand still did not agree to this, as the only way to easily access the temple was through Thailand; the Cambodian side of the disputed land is thick rainforest. Nevertheless, the Preah Vihear temple became a World Heritage Site on July 28^th, 2008.

For the two countries, Cambodia and Thailand, it is possible to reach an agreement. They could stop fighting a war today, and agree upon boundaries, either through bargaining or cooperation. If Cambodia were to take the temple, and Thailand were to claim the land surrounding the temple, the two could list the Preah Vihear as a jointly-owned World Heritage Site. Since the only way to the temple is through Thailand, that country is going to get most of the tourism benefits, along with the benefits of owning more land. Cambodia would have the religious site, their name would remain on the World Heritage Site roster, along with Thailand’s, and the war would be over. This is an example of what I see as the best possible outcome for both countries. If the fighting were to continue however, I can only see bargaining as an option. Bargaining has failed in the past for Cambodia and Thailand, but a successful bargain would have to be agreed on by both parties, as it usually is by most warring actor sets, after both parties are tired and/or near dead from war. In this situation, one will be left with less than what they entered the war with. Thailand may gain everything: the land, the temple, the W.H.S. title. They again, the Cambodians may do the very same thing. UNESCO might even retract the World Heritage Site title. Many warring entities often refuse to cooperate because they feel that they can get something even better if they keep fighting and win the bargaining stage. If they do reach the bargaining stage however, the only have a small chance of winning everything, if that! This depends entirely on how many actors there are, how much material good and how many lives have been lost warring – a country that “wins” the bargaining may have still lost trillions of dollars and many, many troops. Lives have been lost in the war over Preah Vihear, and citizens have been killed. Even recently, in early February of 2011, Thai officials visited Cambodia to negotiate the dispute. During this time, there was a clash between troops and causalities occurred on both sides.

This international war started as no more than a “he said/she said” argument: Thai soldiers claim Cambodians shot first, and Cambodians claim the Thai troops ruined the stones on a wing of the temple by shooting at it, before the Cambodians ever fired a bullet. The real conflict began with a problem of commitment, however. The Thailand government originally had no issue with the revised application to the UNESCO by Cambodia. It was the Thai people who pressured the government to reclaim the lands and the temple. With the pressure coming from the people, the Thailand government was forced to break the agreement they had with Cambodia to make the temple a Cambodian World Heritage Site. The two have not reached the point of bargaining or cooperating yet because they are so tied up in fighting each other. Neither side will give up and agree to bargain because they have invested so much in the war already.

The fight over Preah Vihear is not simply a fight for a building that it can appear to be at first glance. Nor is it only a fight for sacred grounds. Although it is both of those things, it encompasses so much more. These two countries, Cambodia and Thailand, are fighting for power, land and revenue, and for a religious temple so old and sacred, it is currently one of only a very few World Heritage cites of southeast Asia. This 11^th century is only part of what is sending these two nations into battle.

A picture of the Preah Vihear temple

Mr. Antlers: One Moose's Tale

2011-03-05T07:41:00.000-08:00

In this blog, I really hope to enlighten the general public with knowledge not generally known. Cool stuff right? I hope so. Here's today's first factoid:

MOOSE!

Moose are an incredible species, usually only having a lifespan of 5-6 years, but, if they avoid predators and are incredibly healthy, they can live for 20 years! Could you imagine if we could triple or quadruple our lifespan by remaining healthy? Well, we sort of have, over thousands and thousands of years... but that's another post. Moose are the subject for today...

This guy...

turns into THIS GUY.

But how is this possible you ask? A full grown moose with a much lighter head than six months before? What happened to Mr. Antlers?

Well, apparently, moose lose those enormous antlers every winter, with the older males losing theirs first, and everyone having no antlers at all by January. In the spring, a male moose will begin growing new antlers, covered with a velvety new material. Come fall, the bulls - male moose - will begin to shed that soft coating on their antlers (with the elder male moose shedding first).

Once the bulls begin to shed this covering, rutting season has begun.

Rutting season. What to say about rutting season... ah, I got it. "Rutting season is smelly."

No, seriously. Rutting season is well identified by the smell that lingers in the air. A bull will dig (with his hoof) a rut (ahh there's where we get rutting from) about 2 feet long and 2-3 inches wide. Bare with me now - the male moose will piss into this rut, and splash it all over his head and newly shed antlers. The ensuing, INCREDIBLY strong scent attracts cows - female moose - from all over, and mating season begins.

A cow will carry her young in gestation for about 8 months, and then give birth to a calf of about 30 pounds. Multiple births are possible (like twins). A new-born calf can grow up to a pound a day! wow.

So, that's about what you need to know about a moose's antlers, just for general knowledge...

and now you know!