Negative Effects of Technology on the Future

Ever think about that?

Technology of the Future

Will this help or hurt us?
Really analyze the pros and cons of this future technology.
Watch and enjoy.

Technological Nation

Although the United States isn't the top nation for their technological advances, it is one of them. From the minute people walk out their doors, they are engulfed in a sea of technology. The morning joggers with their cell phones attatched to their hips, the afternoon Starbucks-sitters tapping away their fingertips on the newest Macbook, the evening rushers stuck in traffic reading their e-mail via PDA, these all contribute to the mass of consuming the newest and top caliber products.
I've been doing a GLIDES project (completely web-based) and the topic is 'Role of Technology'. I've been doing research on how the consuming and marketing of technology has evolved throughout the decades and it's startled me to see how much has been outdated and how much has been incorporated into everyday life. What once weighed 20-25 lbs and sat on the living room table is now handheld and portable. Cell phones, radios, television, and e-mail have all become needs, or moreso to most people.
Can you go a day without your cell phone? Can you laptop go 24 hours without being turned on? Does your TV take up the entire living room? Can you hear the latest gossip straight from your iPod headphones via satelite radio?

At The Altar...

Is it just me or has the world become obsessed with gay marriage? I mean, every newspaper or magazine has the newest dirt on whether it should be legal or not.. Which states have and which states are sticking to their morals.
I'm going to be straighforward here. I've never truly thought that someone could b born homosexual. I just can't bring myself to believe that is at all true and although I don't believe it, doesn't mean I can't be tolerant and accepting of people of that nature. But, given my mindset on the fact that people choose the sex they want to be with, makes me wonder if most of them feel guilty or somewhat upset with themselves on the way they've chosen.
Gay Marraige isn't something I like to address or even communicate about, I just think it's interesting how much the world has become revolved around it.
Here are a few links to some articles I found interesting:

- http://www.pinknews.co.uk/news/articles/2005-10153.html

- http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopics/subjects/s/same_sex_marriage/index.html

Application Alley

So, one of my worst fears since 9th grade has been actualy applying to college. I mean, I've grown up listening to stories of these wonderful processes in which one applies to the college of their dreams and has the perfect resume' and gets in. I've wanted to live that dream ever since entering high school and now I'm there. I'm in Application Alley, I'm not too far between, as I'm waiting for my perfect SAT score to fall down SAT Mountain first, but still.. I'm there.
As my classmates and I take our SATs, turn in our service hours, prepare for graduation we have the dreadful task of applying to the college or university of our dreams and then waiting that forever-filled gap before we've been accepted or horribly; denied. Now, I've thought of many colleges or universities that I want to attend and plan on applying to all of them, but it's a huge fear of mine to be denied the one I really want.
I will embark on this application journey with confidence as I have all my other tasks, but it still doesn't take away the fear and worry I have as an effect of thinking about college. This is my future. The future never works out as we plan it to. It sort of just happens. I hope my future 'just happens' at the university of my dreams. *sigh*

SATs- Story of My Life

As I am becoming an independent student working towards my goal of graduating and then beginning the path of my life into the world, I begin to see how incredibley sophisticated and complicated that path can be. As a junior in high school, the path begins as this bumpy, gravelly dirt road stuck in the middle of nowhere with obstacles the size of giants. I've begun this path with an optimistic mind and a concrete heart because it can get out of control and lead you to places you don't belong.
As I've started to trudge along this gravel street I begin to see (and experience) what we'd call 'life'. I'm drowning in the river of homework as I cross the fields of studying for tests and quizzes. There's the valley of paperwork concerning graduation requirements and deadlines for service hours. And as I get closer and closer to the mountains of SATs I find myself climbing just to stay ahead and right when I think I've got it right I'm falling to a grusome death of academic scholar.
I mean, I've only spent my entire 11th grade year sweating bullets and dragging my feet to stay in the game only to crumble with fear when I reach Mountain SAT.
But today isn't the day for defeat and the day that does exist will be the day the SAT drowns in my tears of success.

Retrospective Renaissance

Retrospect. Renaissance. Life. Influence. These are the words I would use to describe the feel I get when thinking of my past and where I've been. A little while ago, I did a project in my english class about the influences certain pieces of writing, art, or music had influenced me in my life. This project really opened my eyes as to both the positive and negative aspects of my life.
I think that so many people are deprived of seeing the world and all that it has to offer. I am still dying to go and see and do many things for the rest of my life and to think that some people may never have the opportunity and have regrets for the rest of their's.
I took it upon myself to look up the most exquisite and unusual places to visit in a lifetime and I'm sharing them with you... So, grab your passport, pack the bags and set a destination:

Stress to the Extreme

So, I've been learning a lot about stress lately and how it affects our bodies and our minds and I can't say I'm the least bit happy about it. Stress is such a negative aspect of life that pretty much affects every single person on this planet. (And I used to be the one saying I never stressed, so I can empathize with those who think they don't either.)
But, I'm around people day in and day out who literaly make themselves sick because of all the stress surrounding their lives. This can be referred to as psychophysiological illness. Because people who are 'sick' as a result of stress are indeed, sick. And many a time, a person will just get through one level of stress and then enter into a whole new domain of another, being unaware of the toll it's taking on their mind and body.
Something that may come as news to some and just plain hindsight to others is the fact that we're deteriorating every time we really stress over our issues. And I don't say this to persuade you to 'take it easy' or 'be carefree' or 'don't worry, be happy'... This kind of outlook doesn't get us too far either. It's just the mere mention of destroying our bodies for the sake of stress.
If every week to every month is just one stressful situation after another, I would advise you to take a step back and evaluate your life. Because every step you take your becoming closer to bigger issues such as viral infections, common viruses, or to the extent of coronary heart disease or the progression of cancer. As scary and as unbelievable as this may seem to many of us, but 10% of most countries leading deaths is due to our rate of behaviors (a.k.a. stress).
Stress isn't fun and no one wants to deal with it but don't get in over your head and just take the time to really plan certain details before worse comes to worst. Also, exercise. Its scientifically proven to reduce stress and provide your immune system and muscles with the equipment they need to fully function. Try aerobics or cardiovascular methods and even meditation. It helps!
Here's some more information on stress and how to help reduce it in the long run:
-http://www.stressdirections.com/personal/about_stress/stress_statistics.html
-http://www.helpguide.org/mental/stress_management_relief_coping.htm

Standard and Comprehensive Assessment Tests

My fellow classmates and I just got done with our yearly test-taking requirements... The dreaded FCAT. Every year we're expected to take this test that supposedly decides whether we go onto the next grade or not and man kids stress so much they can't think of anything else. Once in 11th grade, you're supposed to get a break from these FCATs, but that wasn't the case this year either. Eleventh graders were expected to take the Science FCAT.
Another issue that sometimes comes up in middle or elementary school, is the issue over whether or not certain hispanic or foreigners should take the FCAT or not. And if they do whether they should have some sort of assistance.
I looked up a website on varied statistics of the FCAT and this is what I found:

Emotional Reactivity and Cognition

There has been a neverending debate on whether or not we feel and label an emotion before or after we actually experience it. There are three theories that are based on emotion: The James-Lange Theory, The Cannon-Bard Theory, and the Two-factor Theory.
The James Lange Theory states that we first experience the external or internal arousal that accompanies emotion. And then the emotion and our ability to label it comes next. The Cannon-bard Theory states that the emotion is first and then our experience of it. Schacter's Two-Factor Theory states that we experience both the cognitive emotion and the physiological arousal simultaneously.
I honestly think that we experience them at the same time. Because what if our heart does pound? Our heart pounding could signal fear, love, surprise, anger, or rage and many more emotions. So how does our brain know exactly what emotion it is if we dont label it at the same time?
I think emotion is just as much physiological as it is psychological.

Topic of Discussion in Psych- Do Women Ultimately Need Men?

Recently, my psychology class had a discussion.... Or argument, depending on whom you speak to.... About whether women really needed men in their lives, to survive, provide, or basically fill every void they have. It's actually quite the discussion, because many men are very confident that there will never be a day that women don't need men (as their essential provider that is). I thought this was interesting because I have no problem being an independent woman but I do like having a guy around (friends or more).
I think the question could also be reversed; When will there ever be a time Men don't need Women? ha. It's quite the silly controversy, but all in all I decided to let the world know what types of discussions take place in Psychology class among young... adults. I found a website with many opinions on the issue as well. Check it out. You may just change your mind, or you may come out rooted even deeper in your opinion. :-)
http://www.boundlessline.org/2006/09/do_men_need_wom.html

Divorce-The Inevitable Last Straw for a Struggling Family

When it comes to the issue of divorce, I can relate to an extent because I too come from a split home. My parents divorced when I was 8 years old. And I do not remember a lot of what happened, and am somewhat thankful for it... because I wasnt burdened with the decision as to which parent I respected more in the end. My childhood is a blur. And as I see many and many parents becoming weak and the relationships that were once so intimate and pure, have become enthralling arguments over money or decisions in the home. I was looking up the statistics on Divorce and found a cool site that I thought would be interesting to get feedback on.
So I will post the link and would like to see some comments... Surprising? Outrageous? Can you relate? Comments as such....
http://blog.worldvillage.com/family/the_hidden_effects_of_divorce_on_children.html

Our Current President- Barack Obama

I'm still learning our current President's personality traits, but I do know that he's a strong speaker and has a great deal of charisma. He was basically a shoe-in despite his ethnicity. A lot of people feared an African American as our President, but more Americans wanted change and believed that Obama being an African American was just the start.
I think Obama has a lot to own up to in his presidency. A lot of people are counting on to 'Be The Change.' And although we may all know he's African American, has two daughters, is from Illinois, was sworn in on the same Bible used by Abraham Lincoln. We may not know a few other things. Lets take a glimpse into some unknown facts about our President Barack Obama:
-Obama’s great-uncle liberated a Nazi concentration camp.
-China Business Consultant among family members.
-His wife was assigned to be his mentor.
-Gandhi is Obama’s hero.
-Obama has said that he would like Will Smith to play Obama in a movie.
-He worked in a Baskin-Robbins ice cream shop as a teenager and now can't stand ice cream.

~Quotes~
-"Change will not come if we wait for some other person or some other time. We are the ones we've been waiting for. We are the change that we seek."
-"If the people cannot trust their government to do the job for which it exists - to protect them and to promote their common welfare - all else is lost."
-"It took a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are today, but we have just begun. Today we begin in earnest the work of making sure that the world we leave our children is just a little bit better than the one we inhabit today."

Commemorative President- Abraham Lincoln

As we've just celebrated Presidents Day, I felt it was important to recognize and go into detail about one of America's most prized and treasured presidents. Mr.Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln is widely known as 'the best president' or 'the most popular president' and I would have to say I agree. Abraham Lincoln exemplified every good trait a person could obtain over a lifetime. He made his decisions wisely and had the most utmost respect from even his enemies.
We all know what he did (Emancipation Proclomation), who he was (16th President of the US), where he was from (Springfield, IL), when he died (1964), and last but not least how & why he died (assasinated by John Wilkes Booth in Fords Theatre). So, I decided I would give yall some details you may not know about our most heroic President:
-His wife was called Mary Todd Lincoln, who was brought up into a very wealthy family.
-Mary’s parents disagreed with her marrying Abraham because he had a poor background.
-Abraham had four children, Robert Todd Lincoln, Edward Lincoln, Willie Lincoln, Tad Lincoln. Only Robert Todd Lincoln survived into adulthood.
-He was the first president to be assassinated.
-He had deep depression, even though he would frequently tell stories and jokes to friends and family.
-He was the tallest U.S president at 6ft 4 inches.
-He patented a system to alter buoyancy of steamboats in 1849.
-Lincoln proposed to Mary just one year after meeting her in Springfield 1839.
-He was the first president to have a beard.
-Lincoln, one week before his death, had a dream of someone crying in the White House, when he found the room; he looked in and asked who had passed away. The man in the room said the President. When he looked in the coffin it was his own face he saw.
-His son, Robert Lincoln, grew up and was saved by an oncoming train by Edwin Booth (John Wilkes Booth's brother).

Lincoln was an amazing President with a past of baggage to prove it and a future he sadly did not get to see. I will close out with some of my favorite quotes by Lincoln. You will not want to miss a word this man had to say.

~Quotes~
~A house divided against it cannot stand. I believe this government cannot endure permanently half-slave and half-free. I do not expect the Union to be dissolved - I do not expect the house to fall - but I do expect it will cease to be divided. It will become all one thing or all the other.
~When the conduct of men is designed to be influenced, persuasion, kind unassuming persuasion, should ever be adopted. It is an old and true maxim that 'a drop of honey catches more flies than a gallon of gall.' So with men. If you would win a man to your cause, first convince him that you are his sincere friend. Therein is a drop of honey that catches his heart, which, say what he will, is the great highroad to his reason, and which, once gained, you will find but little trouble in convincing him of the justice of your cause, if indeed that cause is really a good one.
~Whatever you are, be a good one.
~I do not think much of a man who is not wiser today than he was yesterday.
~Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?
~Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak out and remove all doubt.

The True Meaning of Valentine's Day

I've never been one to acknowledge Valentines Day, but I figured I'd give the public a little view into what Valentine's Day is really all about. In recent times, it's been known to be celebrated between lovers or loved ones. Despite its current role in the West, the history of Valentines Day is more complex and trivial than one might have expected. Read on as I take you into the depths of The Early Valentines and the martyrdom they perilously suffered through.

Back in Ancient Rome (around AD 260), there were many martyrs who traveled and seeked to convert people along their travels, all of which were named Valentine. There was Valentine of Rome, Valentine of Terni, and many more Valentines that were attested for. These Valentines were persecuted and brutally put to death because of their reluctance to convert to Christianity. The first Valentine as we know today took place the night before St.Valentine was to be executed, as he wrote a note to a fellow young lady and signed it "From Your Valentine". This is how we come to associatte love letters and confectionery with Valentines Day.

There have been many arguments across the globe and across the centuries as to what couple or what one person should be attributed to the growth of Valentines Day as we know it. From Zeus and Hera, to Chaucer, and Shakespeare. In modern times, Europe celebrates Valentines Day as a young boy who goes around the rear doors of houses leaving candies for children. Central and South America celebrate it as "Lovers Day" where many enjoy a romantic dinner between two partners. And many other countries celebrate it as the US does, an appreciation type day for all of loved ones to show and display love in all types of ways.

I have never made a holiday persay out of Valentines Day, not because of never having a significant other or being a grouch. I just simply don't care. It seems like another normal day in my perspective. But to all whom will make plans and enjoy a night out with that special someone... Happy Valentines Day!!! <3>

Endangered Species- The Giant Panda

As I was home, sick, bed-ridden, with a fever for the past 48 hours I got to thinking about the next animal that I would write about in my blog and I looked to my side and there it was... one of my favorite stuffed animals, my bear. His name is Benji. And although he is NOT a Giant Panda, he is a brother to the Pandas and I've always liked Panda's a whole lot more. Not to mention, they are endangered and I saw that as even more of an importance to write about them. Their life, their behavior, their nature.
The Panda Bear is depicted as this docile being, solemnly sitting there in the mountains of China, calmy eating their bamboo or the child-like innocence they seem to portray. Contrary to this type of perspective, the Panda has had their share of inhumane rampades, mostly due to annoyance or stress of captivity.
The Panda is not a very social bear, they tend to roam the mountains alone and don't stay in one place for long. The only socialization you will momentarily see among these bears is during mating season, and then after that, the female is left to fend for herself and her cub alone.
The Giant Panda has a vegetarian diet and feeds mostly on bamboo. There have been recent arguments about such diet because of the close relation the Giant Panda has with the Red Panda. The Red Panda has been known to feed on smaller animals and the link with Giant Panda's has sparked interest in the debate over the Giant Panda diet. But the Giant Panda remains in the Bear family and the Red Panda is still pending.
The Giant Panda is an endangered species, due to loss of habitat, captivity and very low birth rate. After the Chinese economic reform, demand for panda skins from Hong Kong and Japan led to illegal poaching for the black market, acts generally ignored by the local officials at the time. There are many conservation programs set up around the world for these bears and have progressed over the past years.

+ I have no idea what I will write about in the next post, so, just stay tuned in for a surprise. :-)

Endangered Twilight Species- The Bat

Since I've been discussing different sleeping patterns and the functioning of consciousness, I figured I'd revolve this new blog around an animal that has rather odd patterns of sleep and has very many interesting facts about them. What animal is the ONLY mammal that can sustain flight? What mammal has over 1100 species worldwide and counts for 20% of the entire mammal classification? Give up? It is.... the Bat!

The Bat is a very sophisticated, complex, terrestrial animal. Most are insectivores or frugivores, with very little amount being carnivorous. A lot of species of bats help with pollination and seed distribution, actually, many tropical plants wouldn't survive without the help of Bats. As for the species that live as carnivores, only two are known to feed on blood (& other bats), and they are specified as Spectral Bat, also called the American False Vampire bat (for all you Twilight Fans out there), and the Ghost Bat of Australia.

As for the behavior of bats, most are only active at night or twilight. Some migrate during the winter because warm weather permits better insect scent. Bats rarely fly in the rain because the rain interferes with their ability to hear (sonar). Bats are also known to be natural reservoirs for disease and rabies. Many people are afraid of bats, and this is for good reason because bats also may carry airborn diseases and have such small teeth, that a bite from one may not even be felt.
Bats are usually seen in large groups (sometimes even hundred thousands),but despite their large population the Bat species is declining as time goes on. Usually only one bat is born to one mother and the birth rate is very slow in moderation with the high death rate. There are many conservation programs to protect the different Bat species.
Here is a link to a list of all the many different types of Bats:
http://www.42explore.com/bats2.htm


Well, stay tuned in next post for a look into the life of a very different animal.

Sleeping and Dreaming Part II

Sleeping, dreaming, learning, and functioning really all go hand in hand.

First and foremost though, I have to do away with the supposed phrase 'We all need eight hours of sleep.' 'Tis false. Very false. Because of our individual bodies and singled way of handling situations, each one of us is different in our sleeping habits (although we should be getting an adequate dose of sleep a night). Also, your sleep habits may be geneticaly influenced. So, if your parents or grandparents have a history of sleeping disorders than you may very well be predisposed to them as well.

A sleep deprived person may have a weakened immune system, impaired concentration, and greater risks of accidents. While you're sleeping, body tissues are being restored. During the time we're awake, adenosine is being produced, which inhibits sleep. And during the time we're sleeping, adenosine is suppressed and the brain is active. Therefore, more sleep=less adenosine=healthier you the next day. There have also been findings on the process of growth while we sleep. From what I understand of this, the pituitary gland releases hormones while sleeping and the older we get the less & less of this hormone is released (stopping growth).

All in all, it is very important to treat yourself to enough rest and sleep. When it comes down to studying for a major test the next day and you're fighting off sleep... an all nighter is NOT the answer. Study for an hour before you go to sleep and while you sleep, your brain will process most of what you've studied. Study more after you wake up in the morning and while you take your test, you will be alert and ready to concentrate. Whereas, if you would've stayed up all night, your body would be fighting to stay awake and wil have forgotten all you've learned.

Stay tuned in for next post. It will be a different post than these past ones. I will be focusing on the nature of animals. I will take requests or it can be a mystery until then.

Sleeping and Dreaming

How many of you think that, just because you wake up not remembering a dream, that you didn't dream at all? Do you think we process more information consciously or subconsciously? Does daydreaming interfere with our daily lives or does it prepare us for something?
All of these questions pose very important answers. All of which I am prepared to answer and elaborate on.
Well, to start off, we do process most of our information outside of our conscious awareness. All of the sensory stimuli surrounding us on a day to day basis is being processed in our brains parallel to what we're selectively attented to. Actually, conscious processing lags behind the events in the brain. So, yes, we are affected by subliminal messages... to an extent. Here is an example of subliminal messaging:

https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX_nVMEK5An6EraMr-7wI5q6Sd89rjjYFJMZ7CK5tHHzq1JCxMuYjlMouEPtu7huWoCNI52J2MgK-G8beN8hj6hYIfcfTm46w9BunZycfNZwePcTAQVw-QHcFTaxRL3L06kygL4DxYm0iJ/s400/hidden.JPG

Have you ever been in a class and completely tuned out a teacher in order to daydream? Did that daydream consist of a hypothetical situation in which you were hoping did or didn't happen? If so, you are completely normal. And this is no matter the content of the daydream, and I say this because sexual or vulgur fantasies do not indicate sexual problems or behavioral issues. Our daydreams simply provide us with a way of preparing for future events. It is not an escape, they involve the familiar details of our own lives. It can be adaptive and give us the opportunity to mentally rehearse possible scenarios. It is also scientifically proven to substitute for impulsive behavior.

Now, when it comes to sleeping and dreaming, many people are convinced that they do not dream at all. There are facts that will prove those people wrong. You see, there are 5 stages of sleep; Stage1, 2, 3, 4 and REM. As all of the stages of sleep are very vital to the sleeping process, psychologists tend to analyze a specific stage called REM, which stands for Rapid Eye Movement. REM, also referred to as paradoxical sleep, is the state of sleep in which your brain cortex is completely active and functioning but your brainstem blocks its messages to the muscles so you are essentially paralyzed. During REM, you dream. And only while in REM will you dream. REM dreams are very vivid and realistic. As to why some people claim that they do not dream and others dream 'every night', is the awakening during REM sleep. You will only remember a dream if you are awakened during the stage of REM.

You hear it all the time; 'You need sleep.' Ever truly wonder why we need sleep to function at our ultimate potential? The facts will be coming straight your way on the next post. :-)

Introduction

Given that I am passionate about very many things in life, I had a very difficult time in deciding an exact topic that I would write this blog about. I felt as if everytime I narrowed down the list I was just thinking of more things to add. And that got me pondering... Why? Why am I fond of such things? What makes them so intriguing? And thats when it hit me...

NATURE!

Basically, the nature of life intrigues me. The nature of humans, the nature of animals, the nature of landscape and the history behind it all. The interest never really ceases.

So, thats what this blog will continue to be enthralled with. Whether it be the facts of animals and how they survive or the complexities of human behavior, this blog will serve you with the utmost importance of appreciating everything unmaterialistic about life.