Treehugger Blogging

There are a lot of different blogs on the world wide web that deal with the environment and all the issues that have popped up over the last few decades due to our careless use of the resources that Mother Nature has given us.

For my deliberation assignment I have decided to follow the number one environmental blog:
http://www.treehugger.com/

They cover everything from green news to eco-design and green products. This is something that has interested me for many years. My junior year of high school I designed and built (out of balsa wood) a home that was entirely eco-friendly. Reading about some of the newer tech that has come out since then amkes me think more and more about my footprint and everything else that I do. How long my showers are, turning off lights when I leave the room, leaving things plugged in, …etc.

Fun Fact: It is owned by the Discovery Channel, meaning that it has good sponsors and is legitimate.

I am looking forward to reading up on all the interesting ways to go green.

Posted in WIP | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

H2O Don’t Go!

There are many things in this world that are worth a lot of money; houses, cars, gas, and college all come to mind. But has anyone thought of water being expensive? That’s because it isn’t. At least not yet. Water is currently the highest valued resource in the world due to the fact that every human being needs water to survive.

Unfortunately although 70% of the world is covered in water, only 2.5% of it is drinkable. Then consider that only 0.2% of that water is readily availbale for drinking and you can see that there isn’t a huge supply. Add to these numbers the amount of people in the world; there are 7,063,300,008 and that number is rising by the minute. Men need 3 liters of water a day, and women need 2.2 liters. IF you multiply the numbers together, you will find that the deficit is quite large and scary to think about how many people will be going without water in the next hundred years.

That deficit is without the added problems that humans have caused the environment. Due to our polution the ozone layer is slowly degrading causing a phenomenon known as global warming. The rising temperatures are causing our precious water sources at the polar caps and in the mountains to melt. Once the water melts, it either becomes salty and therefor useless in terms of our health. Also, the added water in the oceans will result in the rising sea level. Coastal cities and water sources could become nonexistant in the next 50-60 years.

All of these problems are showing a bleak future, yet the world continues to brush the problem aside. 95% of cities dump their sewage into perfectly good drinking water and the amount of plastic water bottles thrown away each year are enormous. Even with recycling the cost of making a plastic bottle is far too high. “The typical water bottle holds 1 liter. It takes 3 times that plus a fourth liter of oil to make a plasitc bottle.” ~ An Vinh Tran, senior at Northern Arizona University.

An Vinh Tran advocated with the help of the Green Intiative Fund to place more [waterbottle] refilling stations all over campus. Her work was a success and resulted in a 17% drop in water bottle sales. The stations and goosenecks (the retro-fitted piece that spouts pours the water) dispense 60,000 gallons of filtered water per year, a savings of 475,000 bottles – or 13 tons of plastic. This sounds like a lot, but it is only about 4 elephants worth of plastic (elephants weigh aorund 4 tons). There are still whales worth of plastic being tossed away and taking 450-1000 years to biodegrade fully.

There are many things that we can do to change the future of freshwater. Many new technologies are being invented, and scientists and economists are raising more awareness to our problem. Hopefully the prediction that by 2050 2 billion people, in 48 countries, will be without water. FYI the United States is included in that count. Think about it which is more important, your car and gas prices? or water and your survival?

Websites:
http://www.ocregister.com/news/water-409477-stations-tran.html

http://www.globalchange.umich.edu/globalchange2/current/lectures/freshwater_supply/freshwater.html

Posted in Civic Issues | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

“This I Believe”

Streib TIB

Growing up in a military family there are two main things that you have to deal with. The first is that you move; a lot. Every three years there are new orders to a different military base. I have lived in 4 states, and visited 40 others. Combined with the moving is the changing of schools. I went to 2 middle schools and 2 elementary schools; that’s not exactly the normal number, but still it isn’t too bad. The second is that you have to say goodbye to either your mother or father as they go on their overseas tours and deployments.

My dad has been in the military a long time and we – my mother, brother, and I – have had to deal with both of the two caveats I mentioned multiple times. He has gone overseas 4 times during my life, and been deployed for training 22 times, missing many birthdays and ballet recitals. However, before he left he would always promise to come back and those promises were always upheld.

My dad often told me stories of how when he was younger he went to 2 different high schools and lived in 17 different places because of his divorced parents. He always ended these stories with, “Where ever you start high school, is where you’re gonna finish high school.”

When I moved to Virginia, I changed middle schools in the middle of the school year. It was then that I truly understood why my dad didn’t want me to change schools, especially high schools. All the students had formed their cliques and best friends. Luckily, a small group of people took me in, taught me the ropes, and opened me to the world of long-lasting friendship.

A year later I started high school at Stafford Senior High School. I was in the marching band’s color guard. I became a member of the Commonwealth Governor School family. Life was great, until my dad got the orders that it was time to move on. I was scared. I had made friendships and bonds that I wasn’t ready to sever. My dad had never broken one of his promises. He always came home from overseas unscathed, and was always there for the important events in my life, when he was able. I was scared that he would break this promise.

But he didn’t. He loved his job, the only job that he had ever wanted or needed, but he loved me more.

On April 23, 2010 Sergeant Major Michael E. Streib of the Quantico Marine Corps Air Facility, who had only held the position of highest ranking enlisted noncommissioned officer for 3 years, retired for his little girl. I learned so many things that day. I learned that family triumphs over everything; job, school, friends all come second.

A promise is a promise, no matter how big or small, meaning that one can base all their integrity and honor on one promise and it should never be broken.

I believe that a promise can change a person’s life. I believe that it can signify the greatest of sacrifices and values. I believe that a promise is a bond that should never be severed.

Posted in Spring 2013, Uncategorized, WIP | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

PCD Analysis

1. What is deliberation?  (And, what are its key components?) What does not count as deliberation?

~Deliberation is the “careful examination of a problem and a range of solutions through an open, inclusive exchange that incorporates and respects diverse points of view.” Some of the key components are face-to-face discourse and mediated
2. What are the three key criteria for the democratic process?  (please also offer a brief explanation of each)

~ Inclusion: allowing all into the realm of political process that are old enough to understand and take part

~Participation Opportunities: once you are a member of society, there must be involvement to introduce your ideas/thoughts into the deliberation

Putting Issues on the Agenda, Expressing Your Views on those Issues, Voting (directly/indirectly) on the Issues

~Enlightened Understanding: everyone needs to find their stance on different issues (seperates deliberation from unreflectition)
3. What is the role of deliberation in the democratic process?

~ Communication is necessary within any functioning government, and within a democracy deliberation allows for all voices to be heard. This goes back to the 3 crtieria in the above question beause through these steps it is easier to view a wide variety of political standpoints in a less biased manner.

4. What did you learn from this reading?  What do you want to know more about?

~ I learned that there are many different terms, all encompassing the same general idea but vastly different in detail, to describe a conversation/deliberation/discussion/debate/etc. Although I knew the steps for the democratic process, this book presented them in a way that was clearer and easier for me to understand.

5. What did you not understand in this reading?

~I didn’t understand the Lord of the Flies reference, although I have looked it up and will now be watching it tonight. Other than everything was logically laid out and not dull to read through.

Posted in Spring 2013, WIP | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

[Unofficial]ly Giving the Wrong Image?

I was browsing through TED talks today – a new favorite pasttime- when I cam across one that really made me think about television and the movies that have come out in the last 50 or so years. Colin Stokes explores movies and how they portray male and female characters. Please watch as it is an excellent thought-provoker!

http://www.ted.com/talks/colin_stokes_how_movies_teach_manhood.html?autoplay=0&utm_expid=166907-18&utm_referrer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ted.com%2Ftalks

Posted in Disney, Passion | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Saddling Shadow

Hello again my (hopefully) horse-hearted friends! Today was week #1 of lessons with the Penn State Equestrian Team (PSET). Though the drive out there is long and the fact that it is absolutely freezing outside, there is no place that will ever make me feel as happy and at peace as I felt in the barn with the horses all around me.

So today was a beginner lesson and we didn’t get to actually ride the horses. Instead we greeted them, learned their names, and how to make them beautiful (aka groom and saddle ’em).

Can y’all guess which horse I immediately went to? That’s right, Maestro! My big brown baby was chilling in his stall. I found out that he is a thoroughbred and that he likes to be scratched on his “cheeks.” I don’t know the proper term, but cheeks work.

Unfortunately I couldn’t stay with Maestro the whole time 🙁

Courtney (the instructor) gave us a tour of the farm and where the equipment is kept, bathrooms, indoor ring, etc. Then group went over to a new stall. Inside there was a white and grey spotted pony named Shadow. He is very sweet. Where Maestro is aloof, Shadow is friendly.

Courtney then showed us the various brushes and combs necessary to groom the horses. First you start with a curry comb. It has firm spikes (think soccer cleats but softer and safe for horses). This is used to get the mud, loose hair, and the majority of the dirt off of the horse. Next is the stiff brush to get whatever the curry comb missed, and lastly is the soft brush (finishing brush) to give the horse’s coat a nice shine. If you want to there is also a wide toothed comb for the mane and tail, but that is only if there is time and you really want to.

Once all of the hair is brushed to perfection, it is time to pick the hooves. There is a pick that is to pick out all of the dirt and make sure that there is less chance of infection. It is also a prime opportunity to check the legs and hooves for cuts, sprains, or any other ailments that could be dangerous if left untreated. Here is a picture of a hoof being picked:

Do you see the “V” shape in the center? That is called the frog and is very sensitive. I have been told that the pick shouldn’t hit the frog if you are doing it properly.

During all of this I held Shadow’s head to make sure that he didn’t walk out of the stall. He slobbered on my jacket a little, so I think I shouldn’t wear my Northface from now on. It’s not that I mind, but my Northface can’t be washed every week and my snow jacket can. Also, my snow jacket will keep me warmer, because I was sorely underdressed and freezing my tush off!

Last up came the saddling. When saddling a horse/pony, you start with a baby pad. Don’t ask me why its called that because no one knows. It is a soft quilted material that makes sure the saddle doesn’t slide and the horse isn’t directly in contact with the saddle. The next layer is a thicker, warmer pad, along with a foam piece. both go directly on top of the baby pad. Oh! The pads should all rest just behind where the mane ends. That is the prime spot. Once the pads are in place, you put the saddle on on top.

To hold the saddle in place there is a piece called a girdle. The girdle straps under the horse’s stomach to hold everything in place. Once you strap one side to the saddle, you let the girdle hang to the ground as you switch sides to connect it to the saddle again. When you are tightening the girth you have to do it slow, and it is best to wait until the horse breathes out. They are smart and if they don’t want the girdle on, they can inhale a lot of air causing the girdle to be too loose when you try and get in the saddle.

Now that the horse is saddled, all that is left is to put on the headpiece, or bridle. The reins go over the horse’s head first, so that in the event that he/she tries to run, you can hold onto the reins. Then you insert the bit. The bit is the piece that goes in the horse’s mouth behind his/her teeth. Once the bit is in place, you simply pull the top part of the bridle over the ears and fasten the straps on the sides.

Fun stuff right! There were so many things to learn today that just writing everything down is helpful. I can’t wait till next week. My boy will hopefully be happy when I show up with a mint in my pocket 😉

The essential joy of being with horses is that it brings us in contact with the rare elements of grace, beauty, spirit and freedom. ~Sharon Ralls Lemon

Song of the Week: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qt0_oPPK6eA

Posted in Eastwood Chronicles, Passion | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

A Magical Beginning

All my life I have laughed and cried, watching every Disney movie from Cinderella to Pirates of the Caribbean. They have been with me through the good times (getting my dog, Belle) and the bad (losing my grandfather at the age of 4). So now I have decided to pay tribute to them.

This blog will be about a different disney movie. I will try to cover everything from the music to the Did you knows? and all the funny comparisons and lessons that were hidden, or less pronounced.

I have hundreds of movies to choose from and I could really use some help. If you tell me your favorite Disney movie I will try and fit it in! I know that Ammara wants Anastasia and Jeff likes The Hunchback of Notre Dame.

———————————————————————————————————–

Walt Disney started his empire with the drawing of Oswald the Lucky Rabbit. I bet you didn’t know that. The reason that its not broadcast or put out there is because the rights to the character were stolen from him by one of his first employers, as well as all the animators that he had trusted and relied on, except one, Ub Iwerks. Mr. Iwerks was an animator that Walt met in the Kansas City Art Institute where he learned some of his craft.

After that defeat, Walt hopped on a train out of LA back to his home town. It was on this train ride that he doodled his way into fame. On a single sheet of paper a mouse formed out of the lines and circles. I bet you can guess his name! That’s right Mickey Mouse had been born.

At his home with his wife, brother, sister-in-law, and Ub, set about making animation cells. Three were made, but only one sold (after adding synchronized sound). Steamboat Willie was a huge hit! With this as a basis, he quickly created more cartoons featuring his star mouse, with his voice providing life to Mickey.

Then came the “Silly Symphonies” which was a cartoon series with no set main character. Also there was The Three Little Pigs (1933) and Flowers & Trees (1932), the first cartoons to be produced in color. Flowers and Trees was also the first cartoon to win an Oscar.

The last nail in his fame was when he got the idea to create a cartoon that was as long as a movie! Everyone thought that he had lost his mind, but boy were they wrong. Snow White and the Seven Dwarves came out in 1937 and blew the mind of the public. Everyone was talking about Disney and how he was a genius. Thus Walt Disney (the company) began.

Fun Fact: The Disney family came from Kilkenny, Ireland. The D’Isney family settled in County Kilkenny to escape religious persecution and later traveled to America.

A Silly Symphonie for your entertainment:http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=h03QBNVwX8Q

Posted in Disney, Passion | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

This I Believe

Here is my “This I Believe” rough draft. Also, I am posting a link at the end to a newspaper clipping that is a cover picter that represents everything that I have stated.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Growing up in a military family there are two main things that you have to deal with. The first is that you move; a lot. Every three years there are new orders to a different military base. I have lived in 4 states, and visited 40 others. Combined with the moving is the changing of schools. I went to 2 middle schools and 2 elementary schools; that’s not exactly the normal number, but still it isn’t too bad.  The second thing is that you have to say goodbye to either your mother/father as they go on their overseas tours and deployments.

My dad has been in the military a long time and we – my mother, brother, and I – have had to deal with both of the two caveats I mentioned above multiple times. He has gone overseas 4 times during my life, and been deployed for training 22 times, missing many birthdays and ballet recitals. However, before he left he would always promise to come back and those promises were always upheld.

My dad often told me stories of how when he was younger he went to 2 different high schools and lived in 17 different places because of his divorced parents.  He always ended those stories with, “Where ever you start high school, is where you’re gonna finish high school.”

When I moved to Virginia, I changed middle schools in the middle of the school year.  It was then that I truly understood why my dad didn’t want me to change schools, especially high schools.  All the students had formed their cliques and best friends.  Luckily, a small group of people took me in, taught me the ropes, and opened me to the world of long-lasting friendship.

I started high school a year later at Stafford Senior High School.  I was in the marching band’s color guard.  I became a member of the Commonwealth Governor’s School family.  Life was great, until my dad got the orders that it was time to move on.  I was scared.  I had made friendships and bonds that I wasn’t ready to sever.  My dad had never broken one of his promises.  He always came home from overseas unscathed, and was always there for the important events in my life, when he was able.  I was scared that he would break this promise.

But he didn’t.  He loved his job, the only job that he had ever wanted or needed, but he loved me more.

On April 23, 2010 Sergeant Major Michael E. Streib of the Quantico Marine Corps Air Facility, who had only held the position of highest ranking enlisted noncommissioned officer for 3 years, retired for his little girl.  I learned so many things that day.  I learned that family triumphs over everything; job, school, friends all come second.

A promise is a promise, no matter how big or small, meaning that one can base all their integrity and honor on one promise and it should never be broken.

I believe that a promise can change a person’s life. I believe that it can signify the greatest of sacrifices and values. I believe that a promise is a bond that should never be severed.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Newspaper: http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1998&dat=20030426&id=2YMnAAAAIBAJ&sjid=MwQGAAAAIBAJ&pg=3973,8551423

 

Posted in Spring 2013, WIP | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Meeting Maestro

Hello everyone! This is a supplementary blog that I am doing for personal benefit about my experiences on the Penn State Equestrian Team (PSET).  I was debating between doing the Disney blog and the PSET blog, and in the end I decided to do this one just for fun.

So where to start? I suppose we can start with tryouts 🙂

On Friday, the 11th of January, I went to a meeting about the tryouts and filled out A LOT of paperwork. There was everything from insurance papers to official IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Show Association) entry forms. I thought I would be writing my name, address, and phone number forever.

Ok maybe I lied. It didn’t take forever, just the better part of an hour. When I was done, the older members divided us into tryout groups based on level and drivers available. So I was in a small group with another freshman (Maclain), a junior (Patrick), and three other Asian girls who didn’t really intermingle all that much.

The first thing that we did once we got to the farm was wait. We watched the upper level girls tryout and learned the name of the horse that we were to ride. Mine was Maestro 🙂 When they brought him out of the lower barn he was magnificent. His hair was a deep brown and he had a white marking on his head. I am not sure how big he was, officially, but I know that he was one of the bigger horses in the coral during tryouts.

When we walked out into the ring (we were in the indoor ring because the paddock was too muddy for riding) it was freezing first off and secondly it was intimidating. There were six horses in a circle, each with its own staff surrounding it to help out since my group to try out with was for beginners. So we were all helped onto our horses. Maestro was very patient with me and our staff (they had to keep lengthening the stirrups because of my cursedly long legs!). Then we were being led around the track.

Now this doesn’t sound too hard right? Well let’s just say it got interesting when they taught us the fast version of how to ride two point. Two point riding is where the rider supports his/her body using his/her legs and the stirrups, keeping the heels down, closing the hip angle, and lifting the buttocks out of the saddle while keeping head and shoulders up. This position allows the horse to move easier on the flat ground and in jumping.

proper 2 pointThis is an example of the proper execution of 2 point riding. Looks wonderful, but is (literally) a pain in the butt…and calves and thighs. I eventually got the hang of it at the end, but I was clutching on to Maestro’s mane and kept falling back in the saddle. I thought I looked ridiculous, but Malinda, the coach, said that I had my butt high enough out of the saddle, so apparently I was doing it well enough for a beginner.

We went around the circuit a few times, changing direction, and going back and forth between 2 point and full contact riding. Lastly we had a test on listening to directions. Malinda told the group how to get off the horse properly.

1. Reins in the left hand and left hand placed on the horse’s neck

2. Right hand on the front of the saddle

3. Take feet out of the stirrups

4. Rest all weight on your arms

5. Swing right leg over without touching the horse or the saddle

6. Keep weight on arms at all times

7. Lower yourself down, landing on both feet at the same with knees bent

These are pretty simple instructions, but some of the people in our group didn’t understand them, or were confused and Malinda was quick to call them out on their faults. To me Malinda is the American version of a scary Russian ballet coach. I have been told by members that I will never get a compliment unless I perform something exceeding a miracle.

After all the fun at the farm all I could do was wait. And wait. Sleep. And wait.

On Sunday the list of new riders was posted with one minor problem. There was a Rachel Stein and no Rachel Streib. I am exceedingly grateful that I am used to having my name misspelled otherwise I would have missed out on this wonderful opportunity.

This Friday is my first lesson so next week I will regale you with tales of grooming, tacking, and befriending whichever horse I am assigned. *I really hope that it is Maestro!

“Riding: the art of keeping a horse between you and the ground.” ~ Author Unknown

Song of the Week: Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield

Posted in Eastwood Chronicles, Passion | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Spring Beginnings

Bonjour tout le monde! Hello everyone! I hope that everyone had a good break.

So this semester we are doing a “This I Believe” segment about…well about what we believe. I thought for a long time about my topic. I went through everything from how moving makes you more adaptable to the closeness provided by family dinners, but nothing felt right. I was going through all of my memories trying to find a trigger for a topic, and I realized that there was one thing that had made the largest impact on my life;

the power of a promise.

You see, growing up in a military family there are two main things that you have to deal with. The first is that you move. A LOT. I have lived in 4 states, and visited 40 others. Combined with the moving is the changing of schools. I went to 2 middle schools and 2 elementary schools; thats not exactly the normal number, but still it isn’t too bad.  The second thing is that you have to say goodbye to either your mother/father as they go on their overseas tours.

My dad has been in the military a long time and I have had to deal with both of the two caviats I mentioned above multiple times. However before he left he would always promise to come back, and each of those promises were upheld. Then after his last deployment before we moved to Virginia and I started high school, my dad made me another promise; he promised that where ever I started high school I would finish. My dad went to 4 different high schools because of his divorced parents and he didn’t want that for me. However when the time came for us to move again, I was only a starting sophomore. I thought I was going to have to leave all my friends and the bonds that I had formed for the first time, but then my dad kept his promise.

My dad retired from the Marine Corps. He gave up the only job he had ever known or wanted so that I could have a better life. He has always kept his promises and because of that my life is better. His sacrifices to keep the promises cost him dearly, but ever since retiring he said if he could go back he would do everything the same.

I believe in a promise that is kept.

———————————————————————————————————-

Also this semester we are doing a new blog series: the Civic Issues blog.

Of the topics given for us to choose from I have chosen to do an environmental theme. My specific topic will be:

To what extent should the world be concerned about our fresh water supply? With the ice caps melting and the requirement of water needed for the population, there are already many going without what they need. Are there alternative measures that need to be taken immediately? Where could we find more water if our own supply runs out?

More or less this blog will be all about the importance of our fresh water and the problem of how much is left. I will explore the origins of water and how that affects future water production on Earth. Also, there will be emphasis on what measures can be taken to lessen water consumption and possibly reuse water.

Posted in Spring 2013, WIP | Tagged , , , | 8 Comments