tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-63139009083720333872024-03-13T22:12:22.879-05:00Meg's BlogMeghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-74098709453376671102009-04-27T14:00:00.003-05:002009-04-27T14:17:32.454-05:00Earth may be Overrated<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://dtrisnadi.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/earthmovie.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 254px; height: 360px;" src="http://dtrisnadi.files.wordpress.com/2008/04/earthmovie.jpg" alt="" border="0" /></a><br />As we recently passed Earth Day, a movie came out in its honor. The movie, entitled <a href="http://www.the33tv.com/pages/content_landing_page/?Earth-The-Movie=1&blockID=274973&feedID=460"><span style="font-style: italic;">Earth</span></a>, is a film about wildlife families and the journeys they face. I have not personally seen the film yet, but I plan to. My mom is a sixth grade science teacher and took her class on a field trip to watch the movie. The kids enjoyed it and so did my Mom. However, she said it was too similar to the hit television series Planet Earth and was actually worse and too brief. This is just one opinion, but I am sure I will feel similarly when I finally view the film. Planet Earth was so extraordinary and eye-opening and it is hard to top it. I am sure Disney did a fantastic job with the movie <span style="font-style: italic;">Earth,</span> but again I feel it is for younger ages or for viewers who did not see Planet Earth; it would just be a let down.<br /><br />Now that I've sounded extremely bias against this movie, I am all for earth day and helping the environment. The thing I like mostly about this viewing event on Earth Day was:<br /><a href="http://www.the33tv.com/pages/content_landing_page/?Earth-The-Movie=1&blockID=274973&feedID=460"><br />" For every 'Earth' ticket sold [on] Tuesday, [Disney planted] a tree in your honor."</a><br /><br />This is a fantastic way to promote a movie as well as better then environment. If you have seen the movie Earth please comment and let me know if it is worth seeing in theaters, a "renter", or a knock-off of planet earth.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-77590291608447319982009-03-18T19:20:00.002-05:002009-03-18T19:49:28.084-05:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://blog.kievukraine.info/uploaded_images/4895-796136.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 461px; height: 327px;" src="http://blog.kievukraine.info/uploaded_images/4895-796136.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />Animals are always effected by the choices and products of humans. We build nuclear power plants and such, which produce harmful substances, that hurt the environment. The news has always been overwhelmed with the stories of oil spills hurting marine life and now there is news of nuclear damage being done to animals. According to <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/">ABC Science</a>, there was a <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/03/18/2519385.htm?site=science&topic=latest">Ukraine nuclear disaster involving Chernobyl</a>, which happened more then 20 years ago, that is still effecting wildlife. A quote from Biology Letters, in the Royal Society Journal, states that "[the] numbers of bumble-bees, butterflies, spiders, grasshoppers, and other invertebrates were lower in contaminated sites then other areas because of high levels of radiation left over". To think that something that happened such a long time ago is still effecting our environment is shocking. It gets worse. If the animals did not die immediately from the disaster, many are now suffering with distorted limbs. This makes it a lot more challenging for the animals to find food or defend themselves. I think about all the other environmental issues we are facing and I am realizing that a lot of these could be long term effects. Harmful substance are emitted or accidental exposed into the environment every day and each one has a separate effect. Assuming this was an accidental Chernobyl disaster, it is still our responsibility to make up for it and fix it. Other disasters are being left uncared for. Wildlife is being harmed around the world and we need to be more careful and aware of our daily actions to help protect the wildlife. I was so upset to see this article on <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/">ABC Science</a>!!! One thing after another is causing our world to fall apart. I may be opinionated, but it seems a lot of these "environmentally harmful" acts are caused by humans. When will we wake up and finally take action and fix it instead of just talking about?<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>To read more about the disaster, ABC Science has a lot of relating links including the following:</div><div>1) <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2006/04/17/1617313.htm">Chernobyl's effects</a></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-23341603872252390002009-03-01T10:40:00.003-06:002009-03-01T11:08:49.595-06:00<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.fluorescentefficiency.com/.../wave-power.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 404px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 254px" alt="" src="http://www.fluorescentefficiency.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/wave-power.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Ever since the idea of global warming came up, scientists and researches around the world have been trying to find alternative energy sources to help reduce CO2 emissions. In the past, we have had a small amount of energy from solar panels and wind. Those are now being used more and more. Given the fact that the earth is 3/4 water, we are finally looking into using water power to generate electricity. According to the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/">ABC Science </a>article <em><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2009/02/23/2498704.htm?site=science/indepthfeature&topic=energy">Wave Power</a></em>, the technology for this wave electricity is still being developed and there are high hopes for it succeeding. It is mainly being tested and worked on in the UK and Europe, but is slowly becoming a global focus and idea. Andy Baldock, a UK wave energy analyst, says, "Waves are caused by wind blowing over long stretches of water, and [that wind] gets stronger towards the poles... That means that Australia and New Zealand have got good resources, as well as northern Europe, Canada and northern USA." The technology is starting to get more finalized and secure and now we also have an idea as to where the technology would be placed. Some are looking to use pilot wave power units (rest on the waters surface), which has chambers to help displace the air by moving up and down. The air is then forced inside a turbine to create the energy which then travels through a pipeline back to the land it is nearest. There are also other technologies being testes such as floats which move with the waves creating electricity and pure drinking water by bringing water to land at a high pressure. I am a huge supporter of alternative energy sources and trying to create a "green" planet. I feel if we have the technology, we should execute the idea of wave power. It is all around us and is such a huge part of earth. We need to use what we have and water is definitely easily available. GO WAVE POWER! I couldn't get this video to upload, but for an example of wave energy go to this link: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V27ZBODcv0c">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V27ZBODcv0c</a>.</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-79620799424632546552009-02-12T20:28:00.004-06:002009-02-12T20:50:33.210-06:00Are you LOST?<a href="http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Profiles/20060912/244.jjabrams.091906.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 152px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 207px" alt="" src="http://images.eonline.com/eol_images/Profiles/20060912/244.jjabrams.091906.jpg" border="0" /></a> I have been a fan of <a href="http://abc.go.com/primetime/lost/">ABC's television series LOST</a>, which is about survivors of a plane crash finding themselves on an island, stranded, with no help. I did not watch the first two seasons while they were actually on, I had to cram them in during a summer. Fortunately for me, I became obsessed and finished them easily within three days. The twists and turns due to the brilliant mind of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._J._Abrams">J.J. Abrams </a>leave some viewers lost and confused. Now that some of the survivors are off the island, they are being told they must return, while those left on the island are trying helplessly to be home and to stop the "time hopping". The whole idea of the time jumping for those survivors still on the island is brilliant. You realize from previous seasons such as 3 and 2, when the cast heard noises and thought it was the others, they realize it was actually themselves because they get sent back in time. In essence, they are there own enemy. Not to confuse you, there are actually other pe<a href="http://julieannda.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/lost-logo.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px" alt="" src="http://julieannda.files.wordpress.com/2008/12/lost-logo.jpg" border="0" /></a>ople on the island, but half the time it was them scaring themselves. From one of the most recent episodes they showed Sawyer and his group paddling in the rain in a long, narrow boat. I remember seeing a flash of this in a prior season, possibly 3 or 3. You had no idea then why you were seeing a boat in the rain, but we now know it was Sawyer. I love a show that makes you think hard and LOST is definitely a show in which you have to pay attention to every detail. Things are coming together and new wild and crazy turns are happening as well. Its a love hate relationship, I hate waiting seven days to watch the next episode.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-15790646775068713662009-01-31T18:06:00.004-06:002009-01-31T18:32:47.078-06:00To be or Not to Be<a href="http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/great-white-shark.jpg&imgrefurl=http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/animals/fish/great-white-shark.html&usg=__PtxMjJt_3jZ0cyQE4v4dJqoFRds=&h=324&w=470&sz=30&hl=en&start=17&tbnid=uhoUW7JiWuNHwM:&tbnh=89&tbnw=129&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dshark%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 372px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 257px" alt="" src="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/great-white-shark.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Often doing the right thing can lead to a bad thing. An example is how shark nets prevent swimmers from having fatal attacks, however the nets also catch non harmful creatures such as dolphins, whales, and manta rays. The question now being brought up (from <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2002/03/07/2116717.htm?site=science/indepthfeature">ABC Science</a>) in Australia is whether or not the nets should be taken down. For some 70 years or so, the nets have kept Aussies as well as tourists safe and able to swim freely. Due to the fact the nets are catching friendly creatures, they are thinking about removing the nets. Also, a specific type of shark is being commonly caught, which could negatively effect the food chain: the great white shark. In my personal opinion, I would continue to keep shark nets up in public and common beaches. However, I would remove them where able to. This way some sharks would be eliminated, some would stay away from crowded waters, and the number of dolphins, whales, and manta rays being caught in the net would decrease. There is data given that there are <a href="http://www.taronga.org.au/tcsa/conservation-programs/australian-shark-attack-file.aspx">1.25 fatalities in Australia </a>each year. This is upsetting of course, but there were <a href="http://www.taronga.org.au/tcsa/conservation-programs/australian-shark-attack-file.aspx">212 accidental death in 2006 because of drowning</a>. Unfortunately, water cause a lot of deaths whether it is accidental or from a creature. Sharks are a marine animal important to the food chain and we cannot just kill them off. They are necessary for the food chain to remain stable and healthy. As I previously stated, the nets that can be, should be removed. This will compromise the situation until a less harmful solution is found. I am not sure the public would be happy with this descion, but you have to respect both sides of the situation.</div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-79007285557580669842009-01-13T23:00:00.003-06:002009-01-31T17:55:21.154-06:00Dark, Cold Winter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.freefoto.com/images/90/07/90_07_7---Winter-Wonderland_web.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 349px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 233px" alt="" src="http://www.freefoto.com/images/90/07/90_07_7---Winter-Wonderland_web.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I have been recently talking with my dad about the stress of school and soccer these past few months. The winter is the time for my biggest tournaments, holidays, and of course school and finals. My dad informed me the winter months and the end of the year are the time when people most commonly get depressed. Is it the weather, the projects, family, work, or all of these? I have thought it out and decided it is a combination of the bunch. Projects are do at work or school and your running out of time because it's the end of the "year". People don't seem to stop a notice that besides new years, days blend into one another and those projects can be completed in the next week in January. The weather is bitter and cold and it is also extremely dark. No one wants to get up in the morning and no one wants to do anything other then drink hot chocolate and sit and watch movies. Another factor of this time of depression is family and the holidays. Between buying the perfect gifts and being forced to see your great Aunt Susie, you are panicking constantly. All of these are causes of stress which are common during the end of the year. As humans, I feel we must embrace all of these stresses. Your finally going to finish the project you have been slaving away on, you get to celebrate the holidays with family members you haven't seen in months and you get to play in the snow and see it's beauty each morning. We tend to look at the negative aspects of everything, take out the bad things in good things so we have a reason to complain. We have to realize to pick out the best traits, appreciate everything including working late at the office or staying up late to study for a test. The new year is the start of a new yearly purpose, you fulfilled your previous one and it is time to do new things. I personally look forward to the new year and appreciate every aspect of winter, including finals!Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-40514979358623745882009-01-04T11:40:00.003-06:002009-01-04T11:58:16.033-06:00"Do something."<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://www.senderosnaturales.com/sendero_naturales_files/ant11.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 250px; height: 200px;" src="http://www.senderosnaturales.com/sendero_naturales_files/ant11.jpg" border="0" alt="" /></a><br />As humans we often question what is the purpose of our life. Unfortunately, some spend a life time figuring out what they were supposed to do with their time on earth and others never find their purpose. I came upon this concept while watching a commercial, a young lady was speaking and said "Do something. Doing nothing is boring." Who knew such a powerful and truthful statement could be made during a 15 second commercial. This commercial could let someone come to the realization of time. We do not have an infinite amount of time to do everything we want in a lifetime. However, we must spend our time doing what's most important and helpful. This commercial helped me by forcing me to think about my purpose. Ones life is placed in the hands of the beholder. It is up to each of us to do something. Do what we were meant to do on the earth. So many people are cut short on their life due to accidents, sickness and misfortune; those of us who aren't, must not waste our life by doing nothing. We must pursue the cliche of living life to the fullest. We must carry out our purpose and fight to reach our life dreams. I am only 17 and I am not even close to figuring out the world, but I know my purpose. I am meant to bring smiles across others faces and help lead when chaos is present. I was born with the attributes of a good friend and I must continue to be a good friend to those in need. By no means do I feel limited to my current purposes. One's purposes in life change ad vary whether or not they are carried out. We come across different situations and paths in which our purpose is either tweaked or changed. I hope you have the chance to see this commercial, which surprisingly was found on MTV. It is a powerful statement and I hope others can come to the realization that every person's life is important, everyone was put on the world for a reason. You may also be asking, why a sailboat? To me a sailboat represents absolute freedom. I feel completely at peace with the world and feel everything is aligned while sailling.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-76747643926753114122008-12-10T22:09:00.006-06:002008-12-12T14:32:03.771-06:00Chicago's Corrupted Politics<a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.cleveland.com/nation/index.ssf/2008/12/il..."><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 282px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 202px" alt="" src="http://blog.cleveland.com/nationworld_impact/2008/12/large_RodBlagojevich.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Chicago governor Rod Blagojevich was arrested due to suspicion of corruption. Blagojevich was supposedly trying to make a profit for Obama's soon to be open senate seat. There is a recorded conversation of Blagojevich discussing how he will be getting something for Obama's senate seat. Supposedly, he even considered giving himself the senate seat. To me, this comes as no surprise for Chicago is known for having corrupted politics. As of now, Obama says to have no knowledge of Rod Blagojevich's actions so I believe we should respect that. Here is a quote I found from the recording:</div><br /><div></div><br /><div><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/09/us/politics/10Illinois.html?hp">“I’ve got this thing,” Mr. Blagojevich said , “and it’s [expletive] golden. And I’m just not giving it up for [expletive] nothing. I’m not going to do it. And I can always use it. I can parachute me there.”</a> </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I mean of course we should look into it to make sure Obama took no part in this, but this should not be effecting Obama. There is talk of this hurting Obama when it is possible he is completely innocent in this situation. I think people should stop making assumptions and wait to hear the facts and believe the facts they hear. As a local Chicagoan, I am disappointed to know we can't trust the people we appoint to powerful positions. This current Rod Blagojevich scandal creates all types of questions as to who was involved and what other corruption has Blagojevich taken part in in the past. This scandal is still evolving and it will be interesting to see where it all ends up.</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-65149144996065646832008-11-19T14:32:00.006-06:002008-12-12T14:37:12.826-06:00Silky TeethOne my favorite websites, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/default.htm">ABC Science</a>, I found an interesting article in which scientists discussed how silk might be the key element in replacing damaged teeth or bones. Professor David <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Kaplan</span> (from <a href="http://www.tufts.edu/">Tufts University</a>) says, "Spider and silkworm silks are among the strongest natural fibers." I found this fascinating because you always see how strong silk is in spider webs and such when you see insects getting stuck in them. Other scientists throughout the article talked about how the silk has incredible <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">attributes</span> among tension and compression. It is tough and has more strength then one could know. Knowing these characteristics, scientists are looking into using silk to rebuild teeth and bones. Testing shows it is not harmful to humans, therefore it could be used for these wanted <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">pu</span><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://hawtaction.com/blog/mt-search.cgi?tag=terra&IncludeBlogs=1"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; WIDTH: 335px; CURSOR: pointer; HEIGHT: 223px" alt="" src="http://hawtaction.com/2008/05/08/spider%20silk.jpg" border="0" /></a><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">rposes</span>. Silk is also extremely durable so it will not break down easily and if it did, no harmful acids would be placed into the human body. I personally feel, the more natural and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">non harmful</span> substances we find, we should use. The planet as a whole will run out of resources and technology and <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">man made</span> substances will not be able to fix and create everything. We must keep finding more and more natural resources which we can use to create important things such as using silk to make bone matrix to help create new bone and teeth.Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-53634028472674998332008-11-14T23:16:00.003-06:002008-11-14T23:40:23.730-06:00ICE AGE: THE "MELTDOWN"<div><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 280px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 280px" alt="" src="http://static.twoday.net/Nev/images/Planet-Earth.jpg" border="0" />Scientists believe that our planet will go through another ice age due to changes in its orbit years from now (around 10,000 to be exact!). However, a new study shows it is possible the ice age may be prevented; instead the planet will <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">continue</span> in a "meltdown" or remain the same. I came across an article on <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/11/13/2418491.htm?site=science&topic=latest">ABC science news </a>which discusses this possible ice age. Professor Thomas Crowley and Dr William Hyde recently created a journal entitled <em>Nature</em>. They believe it is possible the ice age could be by-passed or simply not <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">occur</span> due to the Co2 levels in the atmosphere. Don't confuse their opinion as a defense to Global Warming, it simply is just a theory that our planet will remain the same instead of freezing over.<br /><br />"In September, a scientific research consortium called the <a href="http://www.globalcarbonproject.org/" target="_blank">Global Carbon Project</a> (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">GCP</span>) said that atmospheric concentrations of CO2 reached 383 parts per million (ppm) in 2007, or 37% above <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">pre</span>-industrial levels."<br />"Present concentrations are 'the highest during the last 650,000 years and probably during the last 20 million years,' the report says"<br /><br /><a href="http://www.pocketpicks.co.uk/latest/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/glacier1.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 184px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 226px" alt="" src="http://www.pocketpicks.co.uk/latest/wp-content/uploads/2007/06/glacier1.jpg" border="0" /></a>These two quotes are facts in which our CO2 levels are higher then they have ever been and scientists believe even if we were to cute back on our CO2 emissions, it would probably be enough to stop a future ice age. I think it is important for our planet to go in and out of different climates whether it is a meltdown or an ice age. It creates a clean slate to start with new, fresh resources. However, an ice age would obviously be a major set back in our society and the progress we have made as a species. Good think this ice age is planning to come for thousands of years and I hope we know either how to take care of it then or hope the CO2 emissions can help prevent freezing!!</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-73544394300992336292008-10-12T20:38:00.006-05:002008-12-12T14:45:07.565-06:00Is it worth the risk?<a href="http://wp.rutgers.edu/courses/101/link_o_mat/krakauer.html"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 164px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 210px" height="275" alt="" src="http://wp.rutgers.edu/courses/101/link_o_mat/images/krakauer.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div>Reading has never been something I do for fun, until now. For <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">English</span> this year, I am being forced to read a certain number of pages each quarter. I finally found a book I loved and couldn't stop reading!! I just finished reading a book called "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Into_Thin_Air">Into Thin Air</a>" by Jon <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Krakauer</span>. The book is asbout his journey climbing 29,028 feet to the highest possible location a human could stand on earth, Mount Everest. This book is filled with pages and pages of interesting facts such as the price in which it took to climb the mountain to the <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">training</span> it took to be prepared. After reading the book however, I realized no one is ever fully prepared. No one can prepare themselves for <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">HACE</span> which is a dangerous mountain sickness, frost bite, brutal weather conditions, barely any oxygen or even death. The list goes on. My question after reading about the horrible 1996 <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">tragedy</span> where eight climbers were killed (<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Krakauer</span> managed to survive the mountain) is simply, <a href="http://www.letsgodigital.org/en/13870/mount-everest-height/"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.acrossthedivide.com/images/wallpapers/1280x1024/Western%20face%20of%20Mount%20Everest%208848m,%20Nepal.jpg" border="0" /></a>was it worth it? To be able to say you are physically and mentally tough enough to take on the massive peaks, simply to say you were on the highest land elevation in the world, to say you battled loneliness, hunger, and sickness seems worth it to me. Though the challenge is unlike any other, I feel it would be one of the most gratifying moments to be able to say that you literally conquered the world. You climbed Mount Everest. This book was very inspiring to me and I feel like I can conquer anything my heart desires. You never know, maybe in 30 years I will be standing on top of the world at 29,028 feet.</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-88250222589475519662008-10-05T20:41:00.004-05:002008-12-12T14:45:47.188-06:00Switching Meat Sources to Help Global Warming<a href="http://www.inhabitat.com/2008/01/03/scientists-to-make-cows-fart-like-kangaroos/"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://animals.nationalgeographic.com/staticfiles/NGS/Shared/StaticFiles/animals/images/primary/gray-kangaroo.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I read this article on the ABC science website and it wrote how Australia is trying to think of new ways to help decrease the amount of harmful gas emissions. A major factor in the severity of their <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/10/02/2380136.htm?site=science&topic=latest">greenhouse effect is due to the number of animals they kill</a>. They were brainstorming up ideas to try and reduce the amount of methane gas without completely eliminating meat such as cattle and sheep. Australia has come up with the idea of eating kangaroo because it produces less amount of methane gas then their current meat sources. "Livestock, mainly cattle and sheep, are responsible for some 67% of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions." states Garnaut's report on ABC Science. They are starting to talk about reducing the amount of lamb and cattle produced and increasing dramatically the amount of kangaroo produced within the next 10 or so years. Many Australians already eat kangaroo and there is a huge population on the continent so this plan is very realistic. I personally think this is a good idea. If you have a too heavily populated animal in which it can replace another source of meat to help improve global warming, this needs to be put into effect. I understand how this could cause a conflict because Australia is well-known for their kangaroos, but it is not just about Australians in this case. This could positively effect the rest of the world. Global warming can not be ignored and any slight chance that this will lessen the green house effect makes me believe it should happen. I understand it will be strange for some to change from eating cattle and sheep to eating kangaroo, however this article claims many Australians already do. I say, go for it! Try to reduce the amount of harmful gas emissions even if that means eating a new kind of meat!</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-62313855855664975842008-09-25T21:27:00.003-05:002008-12-12T14:46:10.503-06:00Is it possible for it to be too quiet?<a href="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1268/538494241_ed90732b10.jpg?v=0"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1268/538494241_ed90732b10.jpg?v=0" border="0" /></a> So many new cars come out every year it is hard to keep track of them all. One of the latest selling points in cars has being how quiet a car can be while you drive. Everyone loves to relax while they drive and nearly soundproof cars are very popular. I just read an article from <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/">ABC Science </a>news about how quiet cars give people a false sense of security. Australian researcher Dr. Mark <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Horswill</span> recently quoted, "The main design principle of making cars these days to be as quiet as you possibly can, is actually a real problem for road safety." After reading through this <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2008/09/24/2368284.htm?site=science&topic=human">article</a>, I completely agreed with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Horswill</span>. I understand why people would like to have a quiet car ride, however I realize the danger in it. You could be driving twice as fast as you think you are, but wouldn't notice it cause it is <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">silent</span>. Noise helps <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">trigger</span> our reactions so it helps us drive the speed limit, hear car horns and also listen for sirens. It does not only risk the drivers safety but also other people on the road as well as off the road. I personally feel we need to rethink where we want to go with car manufacturing and consider the effects of sound. My car, a Honda CR-V, is far from sound proof and I love it because I am more aware while driving and can hear little things such sirens in the distance and the noise of my engine telling me I need to slow down. I feel it is a necessity to be able to use all five of your senses to be fully aware of your environment.<a href="http://www.emmettlollis.com/tutorials/photoshop/images/Speed_03.jpg"></a>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-78660687116147757732008-09-16T21:35:00.006-05:002008-12-12T14:47:55.558-06:00Barack Obama's view on Education<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiJZ4a22pHajMXFp4H4j1DHczPdDKvI8SbIMHMY7xNm8c-cpkhaka7mXt9JpWSzJqHk_WJMplF55KE8LL5bKE6HyxnN43MBXBBq6NMhq3ISJl7C-iMHihxTK3oTrkQwGg_vdEszSiTJQ/s1600-h/barack+obama.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5246821064000591346" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" height="189" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFiJZ4a22pHajMXFp4H4j1DHczPdDKvI8SbIMHMY7xNm8c-cpkhaka7mXt9JpWSzJqHk_WJMplF55KE8LL5bKE6HyxnN43MBXBBq6NMhq3ISJl7C-iMHihxTK3oTrkQwGg_vdEszSiTJQ/s320/barack+obama.jpg" width="279" border="0" /></a><br /><div>As a student and a future parent, education is very important to me. I am not the most <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">knowledgeable</span> when it comes to politics and I don't fully understand every issue the candidates are forced to make an opinion on. However, education is an issue I can relate to and therefore care about in this upcoming election. <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Barack</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">Obama's</span> </a>view on <a href="http://www.barackobama.com/issues/education/">education</a> is that there are not enough high-quality teacher's in every classroom across America. Part of the reason why classrooms are lacking good teachers is that 30% of teachers across America are giving up the teaching profession shortly after starting. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Barack</span> wants to start training, hiring and rewarding teachers across the country. I agree with this solution as long as the reward for the teachers is large enough. Teachers have a huge impact on the people we become as a country; without good teachers, our country's population will be poorly educated and probably not very successful. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">Obama</span> also believes that we need to start educating children at a younger age. I strongly agree with this opinion because the younger we are, the easier it is to learn. For example, it is easier for children to start learning a second language at a young age rather then starting when they are 12. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">Barack</span> and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">Biden's</span> plans are to create better child care so its easier on working families, increase Head Start funding so children will be better educated at a younger age, and increase funding for the Federal Charter School Program which would help create better and stronger school systems. These are just a few of the actions <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">Obama</span> plans to make if he is elected president. I strongly agree with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">Barack</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">Obama's</span> education plans to help change and improve education across the country. <a href="http://www.johnmccain.com/Informing/Issues/19ce50b5-daa8-4795-b92d-92bd0d985bca.htm">John McCain's views on education </a>are not as equalizing as <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Obama's</span>. McCain for the most part believes in school's competing for the best teachers instead of trying to get good teachers in every school. John McCain also says, "If a school will not change, the students should be able to change schools." This is easier said then done. A lot of students are stuck at a school due to location and finances. McCain has some good educational plans, however I agree more with <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Barack</span> <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">Obama's</span> educational views.</div>Meghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6313900908372033387.post-79863125225132285412008-09-09T15:58:00.000-05:002008-09-09T15:59:59.227-05:00Test PostTestingMeghanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02079288004215884215noreply@blogger.com1