Ok, I did it. With this post, I will have kept up with blogs every week. Last semester in English Comp 1, it never failed, I would be clicking submit at 11:59pm every Friday night. This semester I only stayed up that late once, and sometimes even wrote one in the middle of the week! I guess all in all this semester didn't go too bad. I regret that I will be making my first B though. Anatomy and Physiology proved challenging along with my new night shift job and family. I am not sure what I will be making in The American Economy System either; most likely a B, but I still hold hope that I can pull of an A after the final on Tuesday. At least I enjoyed my anatomy class, that economy class might just be my new definition of hell! This English class has also been a good class. I think I have greatly improved my ability to put my thoughts into words, and it might have even helped me in writing that resume that recently got me a good paying job. I wish there were more literature classes taught by Holly Chism, but I checked, and I guess teaching 2 classes, and running around after little ones is enough. If there are suggestions for other good instructors, I still need area 2a (fine art)and area 2b (literature) for core requirements.
I hope everyone takes advantage of their few weeks out of class. I plan on taking my kids to the zoo and other unplanned locations on my break. We will also be moving into our new house in June, so that will keep us busy. I am relieved that I won't have to keep up with homework while trying to move, I already missed a lot of study time while spending most weekends looking at houses the last couple months. It will be a good time for my family, who I can tell is feeling neglected with all this schoolwork.
Well, with this being the last blog of the semester, I seem to have run out of words; I have been sucked dry. I just wrote 4 1 page extra credit papers for economy, and baked my son's birthday cake for tomorrow. I have to be at work at 11 pm tonight, which is my Saturday (my 6th day of work this week). And I have to find a balance of time tomorrow between decorating his cake, getting his party set up, and finding sleep...it's not going to happen. I am sooo ready for a break!
Friday, May 14, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Male birth control
I found an article on "Where's the male birth control pill", that caught my attention. I guess there are many women who want a break from being the one in charge of preventing pregnancy. I never really thought of it before, but those shots do feel like a good punch to the arm, the pills are way too easy to forget, and a diaphragm??? I don't think so. Not to mention all the side effects and possible dangers that come with the drugs. I'm not big on drugs to begin with; I won't even take a cold or allergy pill unless I am really suffering. Being irritated with birth control isn't really the reason that title grabbed my attention though. I have 3 young boys, but they won't be young forever. If I had teenage girls, I could take them every 3 months and make sure they have their shot, along with all the sex education available, and begging them to wait until they are older. With boys, all I will be able to do is put a box of condoms where they can get to it without having to go through the embarrassment of asking me first. I don't think it's fair that most people think its the boys that need to be watched out for (thinking of the saying if you have a boy you only need to worry about 1, but if you have a girl, you have to worry about all of the boys) That's not a fair statement! It takes two to tango, many girls are just as frisky as guys. Anyway, the reason it is so difficult to come up with a male birth control is because men produce about 1 thousand sperm per second, while women only produce one egg per month. A woman only needs a hormone to convince her body it is pregnant to stop producing more. The birth control options for men that are being tested come out to be effective 2/3 of the time, or at max 90%; it is just nowhere near what it needs to be. If they do manage to master this though, the application is much easier than what women deal with. They simply rub a gel into their skin on their chest or even arms, and it gets absorbed through the skin.
For women, there are plenty of birth control options on the market. The combo pill can ease pre-menstrual symptoms, and it supposedly helps prevent ovarian and uterine cancer. In a recent study, the longer the pill is taken, the more protection it gives, protection against ovarian cancer is supposed to last about 30 years after a woman stops taking the pill; which can be taken all the way up to menopause. One of the best things I think they have done is making the morning after, or plan B pill available to young people with no trouble attached. I hope this will greatly lessen the number of abortions out there. A baby can start to feel at only 6 weeks, just because people don't want to acknowledge their responsibility shouldn't give them the right to kill a baby with feelings. There are so many options! If birth control is forgotten, use the morning after pill, if pregnancy occurs, there will be someone out there wanting to adopt a newborn baby. People are sickening!
There is a place in Joplin, LifeChoices, that helps young people, or anyone who needs help with pregnancy options, support and services such as ultrasounds, and volunteer doctors. They also give free std testing, and plan B pills.
For women, there are plenty of birth control options on the market. The combo pill can ease pre-menstrual symptoms, and it supposedly helps prevent ovarian and uterine cancer. In a recent study, the longer the pill is taken, the more protection it gives, protection against ovarian cancer is supposed to last about 30 years after a woman stops taking the pill; which can be taken all the way up to menopause. One of the best things I think they have done is making the morning after, or plan B pill available to young people with no trouble attached. I hope this will greatly lessen the number of abortions out there. A baby can start to feel at only 6 weeks, just because people don't want to acknowledge their responsibility shouldn't give them the right to kill a baby with feelings. There are so many options! If birth control is forgotten, use the morning after pill, if pregnancy occurs, there will be someone out there wanting to adopt a newborn baby. People are sickening!
There is a place in Joplin, LifeChoices, that helps young people, or anyone who needs help with pregnancy options, support and services such as ultrasounds, and volunteer doctors. They also give free std testing, and plan B pills.
scambled memories of mom
Seeing as how Mother's Day is just around the corner, It seems to me like a good time for memories of my childhood with my mom. Unfortunately, I was more of a daddy's girl, but still I was blessed with a wonderfully caring mother. It does take quite a woman to raise 6-8 girls in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house with minimal chaos and plenty of fun with little income. She used to find games for family bonding, like strip poker, yes, strip poker. Of course, before the game we would all put on several layers of cloths, and since I was the youngest one playing, they let me cheat and wear necklaces out of yarn that I could take off in place of an item of clothing. She also made sure we were all together as a family at the dinner table every night, and Friday nights were extra special; we all piled all over the living room floor to watch TGIF and eat mom's homemade caramel popcorn. Mom was usually the culprit at the bottom of the water fights started indoors! And the icing fight at my little sister's 2nd birthday. We were cleaning icing off of stuff for weeks afterward. No matter how little money we had, she always made sure we had at least 2 pairs of new school cloths and a new backpack to start the year off with. Which brings me to my introduction of the game of hooky. I was in 2nd grade, and I don't know why she was driving me to school that day, I usually walked those 5 blocks to Emerson, but on the way, she asked me if I wanted to play hooky. Well, since at that time we had been playing card games a lot, I thought it sounded like a card game, so I said "Sure, how do you play?". I thought it was odd that she would be introducing a card game on the way to school, since we wouldn't be playing til later...then she drove right by the school. She then brought up the agreement that if I didn't miss school, and was making good grades, I could take a free day off each semester. Another thing I remember is mom and her music. I was raised on Reba Macentire, Garth Brooks, Guns & Roses, and AC DC. On the weekends, when she was ready for us to wake up, she would have the music blasting, and on Sunday mornings, dad would be making waffles or pancakes, sausage or bacon, eggs, or biscuits and gravy.
She always made sure we had everything we needed plus some. She always knew how to make us smile, and wished the best for all of us. She treated dads previous 2 children no different than her own and dad did the same with her previous 2. I didn't know I had half sisters until I was 12, and it just doesn't mean anything to us. She even took in two other girls on top of the 6 there already was. She is the most motherly person I know, and I am glad to have been raised by her.
She always made sure we had everything we needed plus some. She always knew how to make us smile, and wished the best for all of us. She treated dads previous 2 children no different than her own and dad did the same with her previous 2. I didn't know I had half sisters until I was 12, and it just doesn't mean anything to us. She even took in two other girls on top of the 6 there already was. She is the most motherly person I know, and I am glad to have been raised by her.
Friday, April 30, 2010
Healthy eating
I am so very sick of eating unhealthy foods. My stomach is even getting upset over thinking of my next meal; which right now happens to be Taco Bell again. I have just been too busy to throw together a healthy meal for my family, let alone even go to the store to pick up groceries. So the next option is to grab something precooked at a restaurant. Now there are several places to pick up a full balanced meal...if you have $40.00 to drop on dinner every night for a family of 4.5. Or McDonalds and Taco Bell are pleased to serve their greasy, low-grade, cheap food; often prepared by teenagers who probably don't wash their hands before handling the food. I have literally been day dreaming of a real home cooked meal. To be specific, a burrito with real cooked beans (not refried from a can), with cheese melted on the beans, rolled up and topped with a simmered blend of chicken or pork and rotel with jalapenos, green chilis, and minced garlic, sprinkled with fresh lettuce and tomato, and a dab of sour cream. So, while I am dreaming of real food, which I might eventually achieve over the break between Spring and Summer classes, I found a few websites on healthy eating.
Here are some easy tips for planning a healthy diet and sticking to it. A healthy diet makes you feel great and gives you more energy. It also helps to keep you as healthy as possible. It has a way to simplify your diet instead of trying to count calories all the time. Starting slow helps to avoid reverting back to poor eating habits. Start by making one or two changes at a time, such as switching from butter to olive oil, or having a colorful salad with dinner. Also, listening to your body helps to not overeat. Have a glass of water in case you are actually thirsty instead of hungry; eat slowly because it takes a while for you brain to tell your body its full. Don't skip breakfast! Breakfast gives your metabolism a jump start. For healthy meal recipes, including dessert, this page has it all.
With all of those weight loss diets out there, it can be confusing what is actually good or bad. The Atkins diet for example goes soley off the metabolism of proteins instead of carbs. The human body craves carbohydrates, it is the food that is best for our metabolism. In fact the body breaks down carbs and sugar for the brain first thing in the morning. If you switch over to a protein diet, you will loose weight, unless you cheat. If you give your body one taste of carbs, you will then need to retrain it on protein. A diet does not mean weight loss, although eating right and exercise should result in weight loss. A diet is simply what you eat. Here is the almighty food pyramid, which gives examples of foods in each food group, how many servings of each food group should be consumed, and how much a serving size really is.
WOOOhoooo, Billy brought me a Moe's burrito with a tortilla, brown rice, black beans, steak, some kind of tomato blend, and cheese! Probably still not the best choice possible, but its a start, and much better than Taco Bell!
Here are some easy tips for planning a healthy diet and sticking to it. A healthy diet makes you feel great and gives you more energy. It also helps to keep you as healthy as possible. It has a way to simplify your diet instead of trying to count calories all the time. Starting slow helps to avoid reverting back to poor eating habits. Start by making one or two changes at a time, such as switching from butter to olive oil, or having a colorful salad with dinner. Also, listening to your body helps to not overeat. Have a glass of water in case you are actually thirsty instead of hungry; eat slowly because it takes a while for you brain to tell your body its full. Don't skip breakfast! Breakfast gives your metabolism a jump start. For healthy meal recipes, including dessert, this page has it all.
With all of those weight loss diets out there, it can be confusing what is actually good or bad. The Atkins diet for example goes soley off the metabolism of proteins instead of carbs. The human body craves carbohydrates, it is the food that is best for our metabolism. In fact the body breaks down carbs and sugar for the brain first thing in the morning. If you switch over to a protein diet, you will loose weight, unless you cheat. If you give your body one taste of carbs, you will then need to retrain it on protein. A diet does not mean weight loss, although eating right and exercise should result in weight loss. A diet is simply what you eat. Here is the almighty food pyramid, which gives examples of foods in each food group, how many servings of each food group should be consumed, and how much a serving size really is.
WOOOhoooo, Billy brought me a Moe's burrito with a tortilla, brown rice, black beans, steak, some kind of tomato blend, and cheese! Probably still not the best choice possible, but its a start, and much better than Taco Bell!
studying urinary system
When we began Anatomy and Physiology at the beginning of the semester, Dr Johnson started us out on the nervous system. She said she wanted to begin with the hardest section first, so that we wouldn't have to deal with it later on when we are worn out from the school year. She also mentioned that everything else would be easier as we approach the end of the semester. I guess she is right about the material being easier, however although the digestive, urinary, respiratory, and male and female reproductive systems are easier to understand than the nervous system, that is a lot of material to memorize at once, and it's still not easy, just easier! So, please bear with me as I go over a simplified version of the urinary system.
The components of the urinary system include: kidneys which produce urine, ureters which transports urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder, the urinary bladder which stores urine prior to elimination, and a urethra which conducts urine to the exterior of the body. The functions of the urinary are to filter the blood and make urine, removal of organic waste products from body fluids, discharge of waste products, regulation of blood volume, pressure, PH, and conserving nutrients, and production of erythropieton which plays a role in red blood cell synthesis. will skip the many, many parts of the kidney as it would take more than one blog to list and explain it all.
The process of urine formation is filtration, re-absorption, and secretion. Filtration is pressure driven; blood pressure drives water and solutes from glomerulus (part of kidney) into capsular space. Re-absorption removes water and solutes from the filtrate into the tubular epithelium and into peritubular fluid. Secretion transports solutes from the peritubular fluid, across the tubular epithelium, and into the filtrate. There is much more to that, but it is confusing me, and I am supposed to know it, so I won't include it here.
This class consists of two portions for each unit we go over. We have class every Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm to about 8pm. In the classroom we go over the lab portion, which consists of identification of structures on plastic models, microscope slides, and a poor little dissected cat. The lecture portion that goes over the physiology (how it all works) on line. She provides us with narrations, a slide show, and a study guide. There are around 50-70 slides for most sections, and if you don't study every little detail, and read, and then re-read the book, you are going to miss questions on the exam. It is a very interesting class though, I would enjoy learning this material even if it wasn't required. The American econ system on the other hand seems like it should be an easy class, but it is giving me more difficulty than anything. I read, and re-read the chapters; it seems like the homework questions asked aren't even in the book. Then if I manage to survive the homework questions, the quizzes and tests are designed to confuse students as well. It is my belief that a class should be designed to teach, not to confuse. If a person really puts forth an effort to succeed in a class, there should be no problem. The design of this economy class seriously needs to be re-thought.
The components of the urinary system include: kidneys which produce urine, ureters which transports urine from the kidneys to the urinary bladder, the urinary bladder which stores urine prior to elimination, and a urethra which conducts urine to the exterior of the body. The functions of the urinary are to filter the blood and make urine, removal of organic waste products from body fluids, discharge of waste products, regulation of blood volume, pressure, PH, and conserving nutrients, and production of erythropieton which plays a role in red blood cell synthesis. will skip the many, many parts of the kidney as it would take more than one blog to list and explain it all.
The process of urine formation is filtration, re-absorption, and secretion. Filtration is pressure driven; blood pressure drives water and solutes from glomerulus (part of kidney) into capsular space. Re-absorption removes water and solutes from the filtrate into the tubular epithelium and into peritubular fluid. Secretion transports solutes from the peritubular fluid, across the tubular epithelium, and into the filtrate. There is much more to that, but it is confusing me, and I am supposed to know it, so I won't include it here.
This class consists of two portions for each unit we go over. We have class every Tuesday and Thursday from 6pm to about 8pm. In the classroom we go over the lab portion, which consists of identification of structures on plastic models, microscope slides, and a poor little dissected cat. The lecture portion that goes over the physiology (how it all works) on line. She provides us with narrations, a slide show, and a study guide. There are around 50-70 slides for most sections, and if you don't study every little detail, and read, and then re-read the book, you are going to miss questions on the exam. It is a very interesting class though, I would enjoy learning this material even if it wasn't required. The American econ system on the other hand seems like it should be an easy class, but it is giving me more difficulty than anything. I read, and re-read the chapters; it seems like the homework questions asked aren't even in the book. Then if I manage to survive the homework questions, the quizzes and tests are designed to confuse students as well. It is my belief that a class should be designed to teach, not to confuse. If a person really puts forth an effort to succeed in a class, there should be no problem. The design of this economy class seriously needs to be re-thought.
Friday, April 23, 2010
Go organic
The more I hear about the condition of animals raised for slaughter; chickens that have never stepped foot on natural ground and enhanced to grow rapidly towards their untimely deaths for example. I watched a turkey farm on dirty jobs one day. This guy goes through thousands of turkeys that are in a building, not outdoors, and picks out the dead ones and adds it to a compost pile that will be sold later as fertilizer. The reason these turkeys die in the first place is due to the hormones given that cause the bird to grow so fast, either it's heart can't keep up and it dies, or its legs don't keep up with the growth rate and break; those unlucky birds get killed by other turkeys. Even vegetables we buy are grown and raised with synthetic chemicals, and do not taste as good as organic, natural food.
Back in the 1930's people found that if they inject a cow with material from a cow's pituitary gland, the cow would produce more milk. And if given estrogen, cattle and poultry grew faster. In the 1950's people started using synthetic estrogen to fatten the cows and chickens, but stopped after finding that it was linked to causing cancer. Two out of three cows slaughtered for food have been administered hormones to make them grow faster or produce more milk. Of the six hormones given to animals, 3 are natural (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone), but 3 are synthetic (zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengestrol acetate). Europe has been hormone free for 20 years after studies revealed that people eating hormone induced meat are at greater risk of hormonal imbalances and cancer. Obviously America hasn't caught up, the FDA says that these hormones are safe.
The beginning of synthetic chemicals used in farming is astonishing to me. Before World War II, all farming was done organically as there was no other option. The change occured because of discoveries of alternate uses of deadly weapons. Ammonium Nitrate was used for munitions turned into ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Even worse, Nerve gas is what led us to developing pesticides. Sure it does wonders destroying the bugs, but the same chemical meant to destroy life is purposely sprayed on our food.The synthetic chemicals used in farming never disappear. Traces of the pesticides remain in the food, and in the fat cells of humans who eat it. The chemicals used on cotton fields remain in the fabric of the cloths we all wear.
Reduce the toxic load, Reduce/Eliminate off farm pollution, Protect future Generations, Build Healthy soil, Tastes better/Truer flavor, Assist family farmers, Avoid poor science (cloned food), Eating with a sense of place, Promote Biodiversity, and Celebrate the culture of agriculture are 10 of the many reasons to go organic. This site on organic made easy has myths and facts about organic, and helps to plan for going organic, including finding a store. I would recommend checking out Price Cutter. Price Cutter has totally remodeled and added an entire organic section.
Back in the 1930's people found that if they inject a cow with material from a cow's pituitary gland, the cow would produce more milk. And if given estrogen, cattle and poultry grew faster. In the 1950's people started using synthetic estrogen to fatten the cows and chickens, but stopped after finding that it was linked to causing cancer. Two out of three cows slaughtered for food have been administered hormones to make them grow faster or produce more milk. Of the six hormones given to animals, 3 are natural (estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone), but 3 are synthetic (zeranol, trenbolone acetate, and melengestrol acetate). Europe has been hormone free for 20 years after studies revealed that people eating hormone induced meat are at greater risk of hormonal imbalances and cancer. Obviously America hasn't caught up, the FDA says that these hormones are safe.
The beginning of synthetic chemicals used in farming is astonishing to me. Before World War II, all farming was done organically as there was no other option. The change occured because of discoveries of alternate uses of deadly weapons. Ammonium Nitrate was used for munitions turned into ammonium nitrate fertilizer. Even worse, Nerve gas is what led us to developing pesticides. Sure it does wonders destroying the bugs, but the same chemical meant to destroy life is purposely sprayed on our food.The synthetic chemicals used in farming never disappear. Traces of the pesticides remain in the food, and in the fat cells of humans who eat it. The chemicals used on cotton fields remain in the fabric of the cloths we all wear.
Reduce the toxic load, Reduce/Eliminate off farm pollution, Protect future Generations, Build Healthy soil, Tastes better/Truer flavor, Assist family farmers, Avoid poor science (cloned food), Eating with a sense of place, Promote Biodiversity, and Celebrate the culture of agriculture are 10 of the many reasons to go organic. This site on organic made easy has myths and facts about organic, and helps to plan for going organic, including finding a store. I would recommend checking out Price Cutter. Price Cutter has totally remodeled and added an entire organic section.
Women work too!
After being laid off at the end of January, I enjoyed the time I was able to spend with my children and family, and was able to focus on school a little more. Last month I decided I should find a job soon or it might get difficult to explain to a future employer why I was unemployed for such a long time. So I found an ad on missouricareersource.com that paid much better than what I was making before I lost my job, and I had heard it had an excellent work environment for a factory. So with a little research on the company via the internet, a well written resume, and some nice attire, I went and applied at the career center. I thought I might have been a little overdressed for the position I was going for. I had on slacks and a nice blouse to apply for a welding position. I was relieved to see that they were excited to see that someone dressed up for the job. One lady informed me that this company- Modine, kept sending people away because they looked like they had just rolled out of bed.
After two weeks of waiting for the application and resume to make it from the Career Center to Modine, then sorted through and scrutinized, I finally got a call. I ended up going to an interview with HR and the Vice President, although I was screaming inside, I managed to keep my composure and impress the two enough for them to invite me back for a weld test. All I needed to provide was a pair of steel toed boots. That seems simple enough, go to almighty Wal-Mart and get some steel toed boots. Sure if I happen to be a man. They don't carry women's steel toed boots, and the smallest pair of mens boots they carry is a size too large. Not to worry, there are plenty of places that carry work boots in Joplin. Except that they all have the same situation. Among the many places I visited that didn't have adequate stock for women, Academy had a really bad example. They had a shoe labeled women's work boots; they were a little pair of shoes with absolutely no sides. They were smaller than tennis shoes. I am pretty sure that in order to be called a boot, footwear needs to have some kind of ankle support. So it was back to Wal-Mart to buy the pair of steel toed boots that are a size too large. I have been working most of this week, and I still stumble now and then; not only are they a size too large, but they are heavy and they tend to drag my feet with them as much as my feet moves them. It's aggravating.
Modine does have it's advantages and disadvantages. It is very clean and bright for one. I haven't come home black from head to toe once. They screen people very well before hiring, so the employees seem very mature and driven. And the place is very organized and automated. The lines run very smoothly. On the other hand, since the lines run soooo smooth, it is nonstop work. There is only one 15 minute break and a 30 minute lunch, if I miss even 1 day in 90 I will be fired, and since I started past April 1st, I won't see vacation time for 2 years!!! And I am already working overtime, on Night shift!
After two weeks of waiting for the application and resume to make it from the Career Center to Modine, then sorted through and scrutinized, I finally got a call. I ended up going to an interview with HR and the Vice President, although I was screaming inside, I managed to keep my composure and impress the two enough for them to invite me back for a weld test. All I needed to provide was a pair of steel toed boots. That seems simple enough, go to almighty Wal-Mart and get some steel toed boots. Sure if I happen to be a man. They don't carry women's steel toed boots, and the smallest pair of mens boots they carry is a size too large. Not to worry, there are plenty of places that carry work boots in Joplin. Except that they all have the same situation. Among the many places I visited that didn't have adequate stock for women, Academy had a really bad example. They had a shoe labeled women's work boots; they were a little pair of shoes with absolutely no sides. They were smaller than tennis shoes. I am pretty sure that in order to be called a boot, footwear needs to have some kind of ankle support. So it was back to Wal-Mart to buy the pair of steel toed boots that are a size too large. I have been working most of this week, and I still stumble now and then; not only are they a size too large, but they are heavy and they tend to drag my feet with them as much as my feet moves them. It's aggravating.
Modine does have it's advantages and disadvantages. It is very clean and bright for one. I haven't come home black from head to toe once. They screen people very well before hiring, so the employees seem very mature and driven. And the place is very organized and automated. The lines run very smoothly. On the other hand, since the lines run soooo smooth, it is nonstop work. There is only one 15 minute break and a 30 minute lunch, if I miss even 1 day in 90 I will be fired, and since I started past April 1st, I won't see vacation time for 2 years!!! And I am already working overtime, on Night shift!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
