Did you know?

• It is believed that mineral waters help furnish elements for body metabolism. However, there is scientific proof that suggests that majority of these minerals are in an inorganic (dead) form. Although they can enter circulation, they can not b used in physio processes - building of the human cell.


• Mineral water may give "dead" minerals to the body which can not be properly assimiliated.


• The body's needs for minerals is largely met through foods, not drinking water- The American Medical Journal


• The organic minerals in tap water represent only 1% of the total mineral content of the water.
  
• One glass of orange juice contains more beneficial minerals than thirty gallons of of untreated tap water.

I Have a Dream

I have a dream..
that my four little children will one day live in a Nation where they will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character.

Martin Luther King Jr, 1963

Environment

Above: Ixtapaluca, Mexico


From Kurt Vonnegut:

"If flying saucer creatures or angels or whatever were to come here in a hundred years, say, and find us gone like the dinosaurs, what might be a good message for humanity to leave for them, maybe carved in great big letters on a Grand Canyon wall?

We probably could have saved ourselves, but were too damned lazy to try very hard... and too damned cheap".


An African Proverb:

"If you want to go quickly, go alone; if you want to go far, go together".. we need to go far and quick!

What's in a Shot?

Do what you please with this quote:

"By 1853, Parliament began passing laws to make the untested vaccine compulsory throughout the British Empire. Other countries of Europe followed suit. Once the economic implications of compulsory vaccinations were realized, few dared to disagree. Then, as now, the media were controlled by the vaccine manufacturers and the government, who stood to make huge money from the sale of these spurious vaccines."... Tim O'Shea, D.C.

I highly advise a quick glance at the following website: http://www.russellblaylockmd.com/
click under Swine Flu Data.

The Cure is More Dangerous than the Disease

H1N1 .. questions?

"The cure is more dangerous than the disease", says President of the non-proft Vaccine Information Centre in the USA, Barbara Loe Fisher.

The following is from an article by Dr. Mercola (http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/07/04/Warning-Swine-Flu-Vaccine-Coming-Soon.aspx)
School Children May Face Mandatory Swine Flu Vaccinations
I was hoping mandatory vaccinations would not happen, but it now appears as though that's exactly what we might be facing in the near future.
In the video above, Barbara Loe Fisher of the National Vaccine Information Center (NVIC) warns that there is a campaign underway to turn schools into virtual vaccination clinics, and children will be the first to be injected with experimental swine flu vaccines.
Part of the reasoning for this is that it appears people over the age of 50 have more cross-reacting antibodies against the current swine flu virus, whereas children who have never been exposed to any of the strains before are more vulnerable.
The Post Gazette recently reported experts saying, "if the new H1N1 flu comes back in force this fall, it might be better to vaccinate children first," because "in the early stages of the epidemic this spring, the new flu strain has caused "explosive outbreaks" among schoolchildren who have no immunity to it."
Again, it's troubling to see health officials using the term "explosive outbreaks" for a flu that in the vast majority of cases has been reported to be very mild.
Making matters worse, they want to target children who have underlying health problems, i.e. the most vulnerable of the group, which means any potential problems with this untested vaccine will have the capacity to do maximum damage.

Why are We Putting Up With the Same Mistakes Again?
The current evolution of public health decisions has disturbing similarities to previous swine flu vaccine catastrophes'. The last swine flu threat emerged in 1976, right before I entered medical school and I remember it very clearly. It resulted in the massive swine flu vaccine campaign.
However, within a few months, claims totaling $1.3 billion had been filed by victims who had suffered paralysis from the experimental vaccine. Several hundred people developed crippling Guillain-Barré Syndrome after their injections. Even healthy 20-year-olds ended up as paraplegics. The vaccine was also blamed for 25 deaths.
Meanwhile, the deadly swine flu pandemic itself NEVER materialized…
When a vaccine is developed in a mere 13 weeks, you can be virtually assured that it has NOT had the time to be tested in clinical trials to determine safety and effectiveness.
The way I see it, we now stand poised to experience a repeat of the last dangerous swine flu vaccine, which destroyed the lives of hundreds of healthy young boys and girls.
The real kicker, of course, is the fact that if the new vaccine turns out to be a killer, the pharmaceutical companies responsible have immunity from any lawsuits -- something I've also warned about before on numerous occasions.
Absolutely no one stands to be liable if this vaccine turns out to be a health
disaster.

So far, the swine flu has claimed a mere 332 lives WORLDWIDE (as of July 1), 116 of the deaths occurred in Mexico.
To keep this in perspective, the regular flu (not the swine flu) has allegedly killed 13,000 in the U.S. since January, although there is strong support that these types of figures are grossly exaggerated to increase vaccine sales. However, the fact remains that the regular flu at this point in time is FAR more dangerous than the swine flu, and were you worried about the regular flu before the media started hyping up this exotic new "killer flu"?

Another article to read is by Dr. Zona Rona: http://www.vitalitymagazine.com/oct09_pg32feat
It provides other useful links about the H1N1 flu

Water- St. Thomas, Nevada

By doing some extra research on a book that I am currently reading, I stummbled upon the term "ghost town". The town of St. Thomas is one of the many ghost towns in the state of Nevada. It was abandoned by all its residents due to the formation of Lake Mead, a reservoir that flooded the whole town upon the completion of the Hoover Dam in 1938. The town was under 100 ft of water for sixty years. However, in the past decade it begun exposing itself once more due to the receding water levels of the Lake. This is amazing in terms of both history and science (The combination of those two fields sparks an automatic interest in me). Barely anything of the town remains and it truly is astonishing comparing maps and pictures of what was there before and what lies there now. I can rammble on and on about my thoughts about this.. admiring how man can create something as large as a lake, use it to his advantage then be left with nothing. In the end nature wins. This creates a discussion for another topic: climate change! Decreasing amounts of freshwater, decreasing populations of fish.. where does Canada stand.. and should Canada be allowed to "sell or exploit" fresh water to less fortunate nations who lack this valuable resource? That's a topic for another day haha.

Feminism

Whenever I hear a woman opposing feminism I feel that she is taking advantage of her right to think that way in the first place. How hypocrytical! The education we are allowed to pursue, the strength and confidence in the workforce, and the ability to vote, all of these things have been fought for by many brave and strong women before our time. The world is afraid of strong women. When such a woman rises everyone..both men and women.. are threatened by her and try to rip her apart. It's so sad.

I'm Such a Summer Hypocrite!

... cuz its been so unfair this year! lol I hate it!

BUT I do love this cartoon!!

This made me laugh.. oh that clever M. de Adder! gotta love Metro ;P

Awesome Job PPL!!!

The results are in...

and Earth Hour 2009 (which occurred at 8:30pm on Saturday) cut energy output by 15%!

Check out Toronto:
..and Sydney:

I was definately in on this action and made sure all my lights were out @ my place.. but it wasn't very easy being 100% energy efficient!

I had to keep my lap top up and running.. I can not live without the light glaring from my Toshiba lol.

Nevertheless, congrats T.O! We are getting greener everyday! Rise the green revolution! lol

Rainy Days

Ever since I met you on a cloudy Monday
I can't believe how much I love the rain! (8)

I've never seen T.O so foggy before (it was an adventure driving in the dark today- kinda like a haunted train ride).
Hmm and it's raining.. I don't know which I prefer, the rain or the snow.
Maybe the snow cuz it's fun- but then again, rain is a sign that spring is coming (hmm I guess the hedgehog was wrong about those 6 extra weeks of winter).

Speaking of spring, I am currently reading "Silent Spring" by Rachel Carson. In a nutshell, the spring was silent because there were no birds, no fish, and no life present in the spring as a result of the negative effects produced by our nasty pollutants! Written in 1962, it is an interesting read that focuses primarily on the negative effects of DDT on the environment (and us). This book is the fundamental attribute that gave rise to ecology.

I am in love more and more with the environment.. and I think it has something to do with the biosolids I am working with for my thesis project (lol). Yes, they are smelly and yes they nearly make you faint when you first get a wif of them .. but if they can be applied on agriculture and act as a fertlizer, it would be beneficial to the environment. Normally this sludge, which results from the primary and secondary treatment steps of our waste water treatment, is either incinerated or landfilled- both inefficient forms to rid of this nutrient rich waste. Basically, biosolids can be recycled on agriculture and by this- Lake Ontario benefits, because its major pollutant is eliminated, and the biota living in and around it as well.

When conducting experiments of an environmental nature it is incredibly important to simulate the natural environment as close as possible. The environment is a thriving ecosystem which is composed of biocenosis and a biotope. Both factors (life and habitat) and the inter and intra relations among populations and communities of species should be considered. Heck, cuz we never aked the organisms, large or small, if they mind that we destroy their homes!

The biggest dilemma, and this was a big argument between Pres.Roosevelt and John Muir in the early 20th century, is preserving or conserving the environment. Pres. Roosevelt proposed to conserve a chunk of land by preserving one portion of land completely while puting the other portion to "good human use" (farming/industrial purposes). In contrast, Muir proposed to preserve the designated chunk completely and have it untouched by the human population. If land is to be designated for conservation it is not beneficial for an ecosystem to divide. Dividing the environment this way creates an imbalance in the homeostasis of the earth's natural chemical and physical interactions. This destroys the interactions among biota- alters their population growth, population density, and may give rise to unfavourable organisms through their overpopulation, competition, or ammensalism. *Sigh. This isn't the best idea because if mmicrorganisms, for example are negatively affected then in the long run- we will be too! Microrganisms are extremely important in the composition of the atmosphere. If organisms such as cyanobacteria or algae, which are primary producers in the food chain, are negatively impacted then photosynthesis is decreased. Marine biota are the main source of oxygen production, forming an equilibrium between the rise of methane and carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. With the decrease of O2, the concentrations of methane and CO2 rises and produces a warming effect, or greenhouse effect. This sudden flip from O2 and Nitrogen abundance to methane and Co2 in the atmosphere may contribute to another ice age.

*Insert sarcasm...
How lovely would that be?
Then we would have snow all the time (that's if we survive the anoxic and thermophilc conditions of the earth) and have more fun than we have now- in this rain!

My Scientific Theory

So I'm currently studying about the earth's early atmosphere and an idea just hit me. Yes this is going to be controversial.. or it might just be pure stupid lol. Well, whatever it is, I find it amusing and as valid as any theory. Heck, if scientology and aliens are popular beliefs.. I don't see this as any different.

The theory:
GOD is bacteria!

Let it sink in. Now think about it logically. If God is our creator.. he/she/it had to be around before us, in most religious beliefs it is believed that God is present around us and not visible (but he's still here, right?), and apparently he/she/it will come back again.

Well, bacteria is the solution. Simple as that. It's been around before us, of course in various forms.. and it evolved from Archae which has been around for even longer. In terms of size, the microrganisms are invisible to the eye are they not? AND they are inside us too in different forms. Point three is that if there were another "ice age" on earth, the bacteria, in thermo resistant forms, will be present and continue to live.. like it did past the extinction of dinosaurs.

lol no? =) =P

Put Ur Hands Up for T.O...

Our Lovely City! (8) dunananana chhh lol

(I know you know what I'm talkin about :P)

I was pretty much indoors all day today. The lectures, the labs, the tutorials.. *sigh.. On top of that, it gets a little monotone taking the same routes.. following the same schedules.

So I got a little inspired by my friend today who told me he wanted to discover the P.A.T.H. a little more. He obviously lives in T.O but never got a chance to really explore our "underground city''. So I thought to myself.. "Hey! why don't I go explore T.O too". So I did.. in my own nerdy kinda way lol. Here's what's been up and about the block:

The Protest at Dundas Square- A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words:
"Canada- Help Us":

My second hot topic worth mention is this little observation I took about the TTC subway line. There was heavy duty traffic at the Yonge/Bloor station at the exit from the North Subway platform onto the Bloor Danforth (East/West) line. Although there are two exits onto the Bloor line from the North level.. they are just tooo close together! Major turmoil was caused cuz one of the escalators (going down) was being repaired. Funny, because the other escalator was fine BUT going in the opposite direction. It took 4 and a half minutes to clear that exit.. which is considerably long b/c the next train with even more impatient commuters was approaching.

In comparison, I checked out St. George station (cuz that just happened to be where I was getting off lol) and was surprised about the easy flow of traffic (less than 1 minute to clear traffic WTF). The following are comparisons of what happens right after the trains leave:

Yonge/Bloor:

St. George:

While on the bus there was heavy traffic from Christie to Lansdowne *sigh.. cuz at Lansdowne the street didn't have separate right and left turning lanes. So ppl were turning left and right simultaneously... thus, holding up traffic behind them who wanted to go straight. So aneways, I come to my third hot topic, b/c while in traffic the bus just happened to stop infront of the Christie/Dupont Loblaws.. which has been infested with rats/mice recently. They had to clear the whole store.. yikes! they had mice runnin around and breeding in the fast food area!

Lovely- barely recognizable:

My fourth hot topic: GREEEENN is GOODD! not only is this my favourite colour (lol) but the idea of conservation of light/energy/recycling is growing on the public (and government) more and more. Yipee!
New ads by Mr. Suzuki:
The Best for Last: Oh man.. plz I need a picture with this man (who wants to join me?). He has become the highlight of my career at Ryerson:

I think he was feeling a little shy for the camera :$ I can't believe I got him on here. lol.

It's the Budget's Fault!

If you woke up to this, this morning:


and if your car just happened to look like this, this morning:

Then, well.. you must be Canadian AND you must be pretty pissed.
Before January 27th heavy snow meant fast measures to clean the city up. Before January 27th 5 cm's of snow and you'd have 3 huge yellow machines- yes, with the little blue lights flashing- clearing the streets. But.. as today is the 28th of January, things have drastically changed. Only one day after the federal budget change and BAM! an overnight fright train to disaster! lol.

Yea.. you're right, I'm taking this out of proportion..haha fun though isn't it? Although, I did have difficulty trailing to school today and I am surprised of the budget this year.. I doubt it had anything to do with this heavy snowfall (*sigh its so easy to blame the government).

I think more funding should have been directed towards post secondary education and going green! Sure 1billion$ for green research is larger than last year.. but Mister, we're in the recession and in some difficult red-blue times> 1 billion is gunna go fast!

I don't know, I hear Jack Layton critisizing the budget, I hear the QB critisizing it.. I wonder what Ignatieff has to say. He can make or break this government with his decision! and just to add, I think Layton is a bit of an ass to out Ignatieff like that in public. He literally told him to vote against the Conservative proposition cuz he's a Liberal.. is that what Liberals do? I'm very disappointed in politics! Just lean towards the truth people.. not colourful slogans and power! (If only it were that simple, eh?)
** UPDATE: thank goodness Ignatieff liked the budget. There is now peace in the land of Parliamentaries lol! No Coalition! woohoo

Anewho, here's someone who doesn't give 2 shits about politics.. and who had a bit of trouble finding the fire hydrant today (lol).

Welcome President Obama!

How I welcomed Barack Obama into President-hood =)

Dundas Square was packed during the time of his Inauguration speech! So I just had to capture this moment in history and share!

G.L. Mr. President and enjoy your first trip as Pres to Ottawa!

Btw, loved what him n his wife were wearing at the Parade and the Inauguration Ball! They're not afraid of risk and colour! <33

What We Stand For

The underlying basis of undergrad studies is to form and create your own opinions amongst what is learned in the classroom from your professors. Let's face it, prior to ~5 years ago we were ignorant (or just malinformed) about the problems in the world. I'm talking in the perspective of a 21 year old. Sure, we were aware of significant problems, maybe discussed in the classroom; opinions formed and implied upon us by our teachers. But how much of that information did we understand? How much of it did we analyze and process completely before forming our own opinions?



What I'm referring to specifically is science.. environmental biology (but I'm sure it applies to all fields of study). The most important yet abundant method amongst scientists is the scientific method. This method is not greatly proclaimed to the lay audience thus resulting in media propaganda and twisted truths. Where I'm heading with this post is.. before believing in something (no matter how coniving the authors may be) observe all perceptions on the theory, analyze the facts, and then make a decision and form your own opinion.

Comments & Views

Two things worth quick mention that were outlined in the Metro's "Comment & Views" today:

1. War of Gaza, what's Harper doing about it? How do Canadians feel?another cartoon by Michael de Adder:
2. In Long Island, a surgeon wants his estranged wife to return a kidney that he donated to her in 2001. Apparently his wife had an affair with another man after the transplant procedure.

Talk about oposing Will Smith's "Seven Pounds". Organs.. are they a person's property? can they be given and taken without regard? I think we know the answer to that question.

Politics..Unboring

I have been meaning to write this entry for quite some time.

It's about the "Comments & Views" section of Metro. I don't know if you've noticed but that page is usually presented with an accompanying cartoon (you probably have lol).

Either way, these cartoons deserve a mention because they don't just hold a laugh out loud matter...

The man behind the drawings, Michael de Adder, presents Canadian politics in a different way. He uses humour, brave phrases, and comparisons to the U.S government to spice up the somewhat boring (but important) political issues. His drawings are definately attention grabbers and you can learn more from the cartoon than from a page of written blabber (at least I think so). Aneways, here is just an example of his work:

Taken from Dec. 12, 15, 2008 entries: http://www.deadder.net/

Go Preach..

I think a certain someone..
who goes to York U...
and loves what he does..
should go to school.

And I mean go to a lecture hall- not the library, not the York apartments he works at..
but he should get some ppl, get a pointer stick.. and conduct a lecture. I know this someone can do it cuz he has great leadership skills, charm, and confidence. DONE! -

Boo, wake up!

This strike is bull shit. You're paying for an education not a right to sit on your ass n do nothing (that includes waiting for the next xbox game to come out :@).

Love you

A Canadian Political Regime!

What is going on?!
Conservatives, Liberals, NDP, Green?

A quick review (as of Oct. 14, 08):

- A slightly larger minority government run by Mr. Harper.
*insert applause* ..two weeks into his term.. *insert bored, monotone face : *

- Sorry, Dion or as I like to call toi Monsieur Piu Piu- maybe nexx time around (but there won't be a nexx time.. such false hope (muahaha)).

-And importantly, congrats to the Greens who are gaining favour and more recognition in this ginormous country that is greener than blue. Literally.

With School Just Around the Corner..

Why can't it be like this anymore? ^^

Happy faces, one teacher, one classroom!

School is just around the corner and already I feel a bit of pressure. I've been caught with schedule errors, course errors.. grrr.. but better to fix all the problems early before it's too late!

This week is my prepare for school week. Ive been re-organizing my room- painting, cleaning, and adding new doodads. It doesn't feel like the summer holidays are over.. the weather is getting warmer with every passing day... and we start so early too! September 2..wtf :P

School, I love it and hate it.