Tucson Meet Yourself

This was an awesome cultural event with basically everyone's culture celebrated from around the world. Favorite shows were the bollywood dancers and the Caribbean carnival! So cool!
Also everyone sold food here. The food from the Philippines wasn't bad, but for the price I paid for it, I wanted a bit more...but it was a carnival/fair event so I shouldn't really complain.
All in all a great experience from the blues' band to being pushed into saying something for a Mexican tv show. It was a fun unifying experience that really allows Tucson to show its small town roots. I hope to go again next year!

Biosphere 2! The million dollar question...

Just got back from visiting the world famous (in certain circles), Biosphere 2.
First of all, they were selling some pretty interesting stuff, like rum flavored maggot worms and these scorpion worms. I asked around about this to my friends and peeps and apparently people actually eat these! Yes, these are real suckers that you can get for a couple bucks... Yum! I took a picture instead.

To start off, this place is purely awesome! The engineering of this place alone is a marvel.

Desert Biome

What you see above ground is only part. I've looked at controlled environment systems before and this one is pretty cool. It was originally designed to be sealed completely off from biosphere 1 (planet earth). They don't keep it sealed anymore, but our hip tour guide mentioned that this building leaked less air than a space shuttle, which is less than 10% or something like that. I thought that the coolest part was the rainforest, but they didn't have this part open to the public that much.
Even though its not a sealed environment, meaning all the conditions are contained and controlled, there are still a lot of experiments going on. In the rainforest there was an ongoing study by some world reknown rainforest scientist. In the African Savannah, there was an experiment going on testing root growth of native arizona plant species, some water bug migration pattern, and then there was a huge area dedicated to water erosion that hadn't been set up as of yet. It was called the LEO project or something like that. The site also had several greenhouses and other little experiments going on around on the outside of the biosphere.

They used to have a live reef with coral and forty varieties of fish which would have been amazing to see, but this broken pond of sea water was overgrown with algae and we saw a fish swimming around every now and then... (I say broken because the wave maker wasn't working when I went) It earned the lame vote. Coolest part was that our tour guide told us that the biosphereians who lived in the dome for almost two years would go swimming and jump off of the cliff into the deep end. Next time, baby...


We learned that it was recently acquired by the University of Arizona and is ranked among the top donations ever. Hopefully they do something good with that ”ocean”. I think the structure of biosphere 2 alone is worth several hundred million or so. Our tour guide may have tossed out a billion, I can't remember at this point.

All in all, a phenomenal structure to see, amazing engineering feat and controlled environment project. A modern forerunner to possible future space living conditions, although the biosphereians who lived there for a year and a half came out starving. I would rank it among the great things of the world, almost like Babylons Hanging Gardens, only this building is out in the middle of nowhere.

My Poor Burned Hand

Fire.
Since the days of the caveman, I'm sure man has been using and harnessing fire and its awesome power. Monday was not that day for me.
I am taking a class in which I had to sterilize my equipment and my hands through alcohol. So I do as directed, I spray my hands with the 70% ethanol and dip my razor blade in the 95% ethanol, then using tweezers, proceed to take my blade over to the bunson burner.
As my blade catches fire I remove it from the flame to allow it to burn. I'm watching my flame when I notice that my hand catches fire. I drop my sterilized blade and start waving my hand thinking that maybe the alcohol will just burn off.
It doesn't. And my hand starts to get HOT! I start waving my hand in the air really fast thinking that would put it out. That doesn't work and its getting hotter. I start slapping my pants thinking maybe I can change something by doing this, my pants catch on fire and my hand is getting hotter still. I start slapping my lit hand with my other hand thinking that this would do the trick and because my hand is hot. Well my left hand catches on fire and I've got fireballs for fists.

Notice where my hair is burnt off
and the bag of peas I was
nom noming on

Finally, the alcohol burns up and I've got a couple burn marks and blisters are starting to form on my hands and knuckles. My professor says get up your done. She directs me to the sink, gets me an ice pad and the next thing I know, I've grabbed my backpack and I'm on my way to the University ER. Closed.
Luckily there's a private place close to campus. My hand is still burning with pain at this point and I can't rotate the ice pack fast enough from the top side to the bottom side to feel comfortable. I go up to the lady, she takes my insurance and I start filling out paperwork with my left hand. She informs me that there's an hour and a half wait. What? I quickly ask for my insurance back and hand her back my unfilled papers. She tries some half-hearted attempt to get me to stay there, but I know I can do better and fix this on my own so I head home.
With my left hand I get out my laptop and look up ways to treat burns. Best recommendation is to run cool water over it for 20 minutes. I just stick it in a bucket of water with a bag of peas in it. I guess I'm hungry so I open the peas and start eating those. Yum. Comfort Food.

A week later, you can see the blisters

After like an hour I realize that this is no quick fix so I head over to Walgreens. Halfway searching through Walgreens my icepack has warmed up to no longer be effective. After another couple minutes of looking for some kind of burn ointment I can't think any longer because of the pain and I go for the instant ice packs. Finally some relief.

I make my purchases, put on the goldbond stuff and it provides the relief I'm seeking. Ahhh... finally a sigh of this doesn't sting so bad that I'm about to chop my hand off.

The next day no pain, just blisters which eventually recede and become brown. All in all a learning experience and some notoriety was gained among my classmates. I don't know if it was worth it. Hopefully I gain the feeling back in my pinky where the burns were the worst. Just a couple second degree burns I decided. Cool. Now I can add those to the long list of fun injuries I've had over the years. So much fun...

Disclaimer

I start this off as a disclaimer, but what I'm referring to is religion and my belief system. The reason for this is because I was brought up in a very religious Christian home and often my belief's come out in my conversations or this blog. I was raised as a Mormon, or a member of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I enjoy sharing these beliefs which I'm not at all afraid to talk about or share. You've probably seen one of our Temples too.



I also shared my beliefs at the Mormon.org website found here:



Being a Mormon, I believe in the doctrine of the Mormon Church, but I'm definitely not close-minded and probably at times not traditional in typical Mormon Culture. For Example, my best friend is a Muslim from Pakistan and I think one of the reasons we are such good friends is that we discuss religion and quite often too. We became pretty good friends through a school project and then like other friends, found similar likes and interests and built a strong friendly relationship upon that. As we shared our beliefs, I found that there were a great deal of similarities across the religions. Our moral conduct, how we view chastity, dressing in a modest manner, fasting was important, prayer was important, are all shared beliefs with some differences.
The main differences I've found have been through the being Jesus The Christ. As a Christian, I believe Jesus Christ to be my Savior who was resurrected after being three days on the cross. Through his selfless act, I can receive forgiveness of my sins and as I rely on Him, I've received strength and the power to do a great many things.
According to what I've learned, Muslims believe that Christ did not die on the cross, but survived and one rare account even tells of his travels to India where his tomb can be found (this is a small sects beliefs - there are many forms of Islam, just like Christianity). They believe in some of Christ's teachings, but consider him to be a messenger and bring life and love to all around them. I totally respect the religion Islam for the Spirituality that it instills within its members.

I find religious similarities fascinating to me and consider it an even greater sign that there is a God, that he has a Plan for us and that our lives will not end at death. There are Universal Truths out there and we are not meant to walk alone. I'm talking about the values of hard work, virtue, chastity, sobriety, charity, honesty, faith, prayer, having vision, goals, and whatever other values are universal and good and holy. They strengthen an individual and build character and are incredibly important in life.  I believe in these principles because I follow them and I've tested them in my life and found their application to lead to a far more productive life than anything else I could do.
The founder of the Mormon church , Joseph Smith (who saw God and Jesus Christ as two separate beings) once said (paraphrasing) that the First Principle of the Gospel is for every man to know the character of God and to have Him revealed unto us. I believe that knowing God is purely individual, but that Religion provides a means to come to know Him. I also believe that the Mormon Church, different from the culture, provides the best pathway to come to truly know God and how He deals with man.
I'm always open to discussion, but I hope that as much as people like to talk that their hearts are open to hear. As Paul says in 1 Corinthians 2:14, "But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned." Seek after God because He is there and does listen to a simple heart-felt prayer. My prayer is that you find Him, not intellectually but Spiritually as Paul suggests, even if it means you have to change some things, just to do so.

Weddings

Why I love weddings.
I think that a family wedding is so much more than good food, drinks, gifts and fun. Its all about family.
For many people, family may not be such a big deal, but I find that it is for me.

I don't know if most people can't stand their families or what, but I love my family. We do have our variety across the board, every individual is different, but we all gel pretty good into a family unit and there is a lot of love there. If you don't think that stuff exists, maybe you should come hang out with me and mines cause we've got the real deal. Love, I guess that's what its all about....
 no matter what you're marrying into...


Not that my family is any better, but I did grab some quick snapshots of the bride and groom.


These Pictures are of my Sister's wedding.
Yup we got some redneck chickens chilling with these good ol' North Carolina folk.


























And these lovely photos are of my brother's wedding. We had the best open house event EVAR!!! Until the storm hit...


Weddings... Lots of love and explaining to concerned relatives about why your younger brother is getting married before you... At least I've gotten to know my family better!!!

O lixo extraordinário

Sometimes you see things that change your life.

This film was one of those things.

It gives you the perspective that one person or group of people can change lives which in turn produces a rippling effect. A pay-it-forward principle if you will.



What was most interesting about this documentary was that peoples entire belief systems were changed and these individuals changed into people who have more power over their destiny.






This documentary showed how a famous Brazilian artist, Vik Munoz, went to his hometown of Rio de Janeiro and wanted to create art from the trash that was found there. He sought to employ the people who are "pickers" of the recycle-able materials found there.

As he turned their photos into large, landscapes of art using trash and dirt, he found their lives changed.
The experience changed these people in such a way that they didn't want to go back to being trash pickers. They found a unique value within themselves and they viewed themselves as something more than just a trash picker. They started accomplishing their goals with the proceeds from their art sales and started seeing their dreams fulfilled. One lady found a better job, realized the abusive relationship from her spouse and found a better life for her and her child. Another became the president of the international association of garbage pickers. Some say he should run for the President of Brazil.

My main point is that this film emphasized the role of the human effect of doing good. So often we see movies that are violent and have the carnal desires of the heart portrayed as the only way to live. Throughout the film, the people said that being a trash collector was better than being a prostitute or selling drugs. They said at least its honest and they have dignity.

I found it to be a powerful emotional movie that shows that we should all help each other and in doing so we are able to change lives to be better. We are not trash, we are people and we need each other.

O Lixo Extraordinario website

mY nEw hObBy

What exactly do people blog about?

Does anybody know?
I guess it's just about what ever can flow
like if you're in the know
on some rainy Jane Doe.
so call up your stix
and earn your politics
cause here's your money makin' millions on wood-carving tricks.

Alright, enough Cheeze.

After hours of research it all came down to these knives.

I decided it was my only choice... So I bought them!

I knew I had to go big or go home and get a sharpening set so I also got me some of these:

One sharpening Stone has a grit of 325... grit units... and the other is 725 for the finer stone. I use a belt as a strop for polishing the knives after they've seen the stone to polish them up nice. I learned a lot about knives and sharpening during my research that I had no idea about before. I've seen my grandpa use a Japanese watering stone to keep his knives sharp, but I've never known that there were different grits like sandpaper.

This instructional 2 minute video explains better than I ever could about how to sharpen a knife and also about stones. Its quick, watch it:

So that explains how stones work and how sharpening is done for all you ignant savages out there!

I once made a good analogy about how sharpening a knife is compared to our life. Sometimes we get dull and we just need to be sharpened. It's not a pleasant experience on the grinding stone. Life's rough, but our experiences are there to polish us and make us "sharp" or even better. Believe me, we're not on the stone only once in our lives. We keep going back. I believe its so that God can make something more of us than we ever thought


So what did I make with my knives?

I made this bird. It's not done yet, I still have to sand it and give it eyes, but I liked it so much  that I snapped some pictures. As you can see, the Bird and I went on a visit to the Great Wall.

Guys, I'm not that crazy. I promise.





This Bird was one of the birds I looked at for inspiration. Yes, it was supposed to be a hummingbird, but you can't tell because the beak is so short. I also intended it as a gift to a dear friend of mine when it's done.






These are just some random Pictures I took of the rough. As you can see, the bird looks better next to the Great Wall...

I've made improvements since.

Rainforest Junkies

So many things have been said about the Amazon rainforest and I don't want this to be another argumentative blog; I want to present a feasible future solution. The main issue is whether or not deforestation is sustainable and if the people there can literally afford to stop deforestation. What I mean is that so many people depend on the rainforest as a livelihood and means to support themselves; on the other hand, the world depends on the rainforest to regulate climate and reduce all the CO2 emissions that continue to cause climate change. There are many people who are actively taking a stand against rainforest deforestation. For instance,

What my good friend Harrison has to say is true. The Amazon sequesters and stores huge amounts of carbon, 500 tons of carbon per acre per year. Now I'm not going to argue that we need to save the rainforest and cease all deforestation altogether. That option is not practical, especially since most of the major exports of Brazil come as a result of deforestation of the rainforest. What I suggest however, is that other economic alternatives need to take place that can replace the economic power houses of logging and livestock and corporate and subsistence farming.

Currently there are no markets that are even a viable substitute and Brazil will continue to be the lead exporter of the world in livestock and soy beans, sugar cane and ethanol production. These markets are too huge to topple and with Brazil's economy growing on an average of 7% per year, these markets will continue to grow and along with it, the deforestation of the Amazon to make room for the growth.

So why write this blog and why protest? Whats the point? First of all, I don't think its worth protesting, but I believe in the power of the economy to do the protesting for me. I do believe that protests definitely contribute to the awareness of Amazon deforestation, but all they do is inform and hardly ever bring about real change.

Let's go back to my original question, how can the balance be tipped in favor of rainforest conservation?

There are two ways that I think that the rainforest can be conserved and deforestation can significantly diminish. People need alternatives and one of those is agroforestry. Agroforestry is the practice of planting crops right alongside the trees of the rainforest. This process includes some deforestation, true, but it is not altogether destructive and leaves the grower with more options. What I mean by more options is that because he has a variety of crops, such as fruit from fruit trees or perennials which he planted, he is able to access multiple markets and won't suffer from a year with a low market. While the most I've read of conventional agriculture earning per hectare with palm oil was USD $3,000, a system of agroforestry is able to earn around $6,800 per hectare. This sum is more than double the original returns.
Why is something like this more valuable? Some of the reasons include the system of multiple plants which contribute to a biologically diverse system which reduces the need to rotate crops and improves soil conservation. This system has its flaws, for instance, the markets may not be completely developed for Amazon fruits, but with the rise of globalization, this can become a possibility. On the other hand, a grower plants crops that already have a market amongst trees that have a more rare market to create a balanced income from the harvest. Another limitation is that this system requires a specialized technician who knows what they're doing. All in all, there is a growing market for environmentally friendly produce (just look at organic) and agroforestry is in a position to establish a stronger market.

Point numero two:

The Kyoto protocol established a set amount of carbon that countries are allowed to produce. The factories that produce CO2 gases may produce more than their allotted amount or less. This in turn has created a carbon market or Emissions trading where factories sell their right to produce carbon for a certain amount. Right now the value to produce 1 ton of carbon is $20. Now let's connect this to rainforest. If a hectare of rainforest can sequester 500 tons of carbon in a year, the value can be $10,000. Just do the math. This idea of the forest acting as carbon storage could be monumental, but as of now, it has not been implemented yet. One source that I read stated that it has the potential to create over 10 million jobs which may include areas of security, maintenance, and market. The impact of this would be incredible and would drastically change the value of any forest from its deforested value to its conserved, carbon storage value. There are many limitations, such as rights of ownership of the forest and accessibility once it has been purchased, but these can be sorted out in time.

All in all, do I think the Amazon rainforest should be deforested? Yes, for now. Do I think there are better alternatives? Absolutely! The forest can provide us with so many other benefits than just a monetary gain. There are scientific advances that can be made through the study of the medicinal properties of the plants. There are new species to discover and 3 new species are being discovered daily. There is value in conserving the rainforest and alternative solutions must be sought, but for now, I understand that the Amazon must be deforested in order to provide an income to many people who wouldn't otherwise have a means to provide for their families.

First Blog

What up peeps!!!!
Its about time I created a blog.

This was originally for school, but has changed to be something that I've wanted to do.
whatevah ya know...

Class is just one of those typical high stress writing things that are so much fun.

Here goes for my first blog.

Also, click on the fish to feed them food. Its not an ad. Please, they're hungry.

You get bonus points if you find the Black Ninja Fish!!!!

They steal yo food when you're not lookin'!