Jonathan's World

Final March Update

2011-04-02T10:31:00.000-07:00

Here is the final update for March!

I go over which goals I completed, and which ones I failed. I also talk about my goals for April. There is a reptile expo, and spring break. Which means, I need to save some serious money, quick. Every dollar counts!

Thanks to every who has supported this project and seen the videos.

Next month it seems like I have a full plate. I am sad that I haven't been able to get my licence, and it is already February. However, I did do many other cool things!

Pictures from the NYBG Orchid Show 2011:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2257987&id=6908664&l=8762b9c3c7

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2260763&id=6908664&l=f7397b690b

The music is a remix of sonic the hedgehog, found on this album:
http://sonic2.ocremix.org/

Next month, my goal is to save money, and do my taxes, so that i can buy some cool carnivorous plants at the NY Metro Reptile Expo!

I also plan on attending the MOS meeting during the second week in April. As for my licence, I plan on putting it on hold until I have more time to dedicate to practicing for the exam.

More March Updates!

2011-03-31T11:20:00.000-07:00

It seems as if my project has moved off of blogger and has gravitated towards youtube, but fear not! I have not forgotten you!

For the third update in March, I was able to complete 3 more goals off of the list:

And for the fourth update in March, I was able to make serious headway into two more goals, which were organizing my room, and germinating my seeds. I also show off some of my haul stuff from the week, but I think I will keep most of my haul videos on youtube separate from my update videos from now on.

So in the next post, we will see the final video! I am so excited to see what is going to happen next month!

March Updates

2011-03-09T09:57:00.000-08:00

Well, I did it again. I forgot to post a video here from my first march update, and now I have a second March Update I need to post as well. Here are the videos:

And

15 Goals for March

1. Organize New Room - Mostly done, but I still need to find a place for my shelves
2. Redecorate Freckles Tank - I just did this today. I reused all of his old ornaments
3. Place for plants and tanks - Already done
4. Attend Orchid Show 3 times - I went once, need to go 2 more times
5. Lose 10 pounds - Have not done. Lets not talk about it...
6. Take Driving Exam - Will do March 11th
7. Call Akkeem - Done
8. Get a haircut - Done
9. Attend MOS meeting - Will do this today!
10. Obtain a free bookshelf - Working on it by emailing people on craigslist. I have sent over 5 emails to people
11. Germinate Sarracenia seeds - In progress
12. Make a DVD For my aunt - Have not done
13. Burn Deathtrap for Ernie - Done
14. Stretch every morning - Am doing this every weekday morning
15. Sell games (FFIX FFOrigins and Fighters MegaMix) - I have sold 2 games, Nights into Dreams Sampler, and FFOrigins. I still need to sell FFIX and Fighters Megamix. I put the Megamix on ebay to see if I can get someone to buy it that way, but if I have no takers by next Friday, I will most likely sell them to a vintage game store.

So many things going on this week. I am also looking out for oldschool video games, crested geckos, books, and other things on craigslist!

The agenda for today is to attend the MOS meeting, redecorate Freckles tank, and do some craigslist things, IF i can.

The Long Walk by Richard Bachman

2011-03-03T09:23:00.000-08:00

Abrupt. That is how it ended. Abruptly.

So Garraty loses his mind at the end. THEN what happens? It seems like this book was never finished.

The basic idea is, 99 male teenagers are given the chance to participate in an endurance race. The person who walks the farthest wins, and if you don't win, then you die. If you fall below 4 miles per hour, you are given a warning and after 3 warnings you are shot.

Nowhere are we given any reason for the race. Is it a way to decrease the surplus population? Is it a way to keep misfit kids in check? One of the people in the race (Scramm) was actually married!

The only indication of a time-line we receive is a mention of Kennedy, and John Travolta. Other than that the government situation seems to be a mystery. The race started in Maine and ended in Massachusetts. I was personally rooting for McVries or Stebbins to win. In the end Garraty wins, and continues walking, apparently he has lost his mind.

But this is not the whole story. The person who wins the race is given anything they want. Anything they can possible ask for! Yeah sure, Garraty was out of it at the end of the race, but after they tell him he's won, after he gets a few nights sleep and a few good meals, what is he going to ask for?

That wasn't part of the story of course, and it is left for the reader to decide. Apparently, the story of the Long Walk was only a story of the Long walk, and not a story of it's participants or it's winners. It says nothing about the government, or about our lives. It is just an interesting way to look at death, and a good story.

It was a good story. I think this is one of those books which should be read along with the Hunger Games, 1984, and accompanied by a viewing of Battle Royale. They all have a very similar themes of young people battling against each other, and government willingly killing it's own people.

But you are left to wonder in the end, whatever happened to Maine's very own, Garraty?

This one can't be given a five out of five, because we are still left wondering so much at the end. I can, however, say that the story is very well told, and is one of those books that will stick in my mind for a long time. Depression comes to those in bad situations, and the thought "someone just kill me" is often accompanied with it. In a moment such as this, who wouldn't sign up for the Long Walk? If you win, you get everything you ever wanted. If you lose, you get your wish, for someone to kill you. Odds are 99 to one that you'll lose, but once people start dropping off, your odds only get better and better!

Get walking or get dying!

Rage by Richard Bachman

2011-03-03T09:21:00.000-08:00

Ever felt pissed off? Ever had an immature moment where you just felt like showing up to school with a gun and going haywire on the sons of bitches that picked on you, and made you feel inferior?

READ RAGE.

It is an interesting book into the mind of a mad teenager. Upset with the world, he decided to take matters into his own hand and hold an entire class of students hostage (not really, but sort of). You see, everyone in the class WANTED to be there, except for Tom of course. Tom was the only hostage.

The book was an easy read and the ending was obvious albeit, a bit scattered. I am noticing a pattern with Stephen King. He is great at writing books, and telling stories, but for some reason he always misses the punchline/ending. While someone can spot the ending of this book a mile away (the kid gets arrested, but then put in a mental institution because he is considered insane, and thus cannot be held liable for his actions), the way King reveals the ending, through memo's and letters, doesn't flow well with the rest of the story. It works well in the middle of books, like the interdepartmental memos of the Shop in Firestarter, but not in Rage.

Now that thats over, time to read The Long Walk.

Firestarter by Stephen King

2011-03-03T09:19:00.000-08:00

Government conspiracies, pyrokinetic children, and telepathic moms. This book is just a journey into a strange little world. This is one every King fan should read, although the ending seemed rushed, and left much to be desired.

Firestarter is about an experiment into the mind, gone wrong. As usual, college students in need of money volunteered for an experiment involving hallucinogens. However, the effects of the drug seemed to be lifelong. Many of the people involved died during the experiment, and those that didn't die obtained strange powers, like mild telekinesis.

The story itself is centered around a little girl (named Charlie), who is the offspring of two individuals who found themselves in need of some money in college. The storyline is simple. Charlie and her father are running away from the Shop, a secret government agency, intent on bringing them in to study them.

Charlie has the ability to start fires, and while the story is interesting, and the character development is complete, the reader is still left wanting to know what happens to Charlie at the end of the book. The ending is abrupt and seemed to be a lazy cop-out to an otherwise well written book.

For the fans of King, this is a must read. If only for the interesting story line. For people looking for a good book, skip this one. The ending will make you feel cheated.

As for me, I am going to read Rage, by Richard Bachman, King's pseudonym.

February Update 3

2011-02-17T10:22:00.001-08:00

Music:

Chrono Cross 'RadicalDreamersAngelic'

If you are wondering about the project, the information you want is here

January's Goal

First February Update

Orchids!

Manhattan Orchid Society

Deep Cut Orchid Society Show (I purchased the Cat. Hybrid here)

NYBG Orchid Show "On Broadway"

Driving School

The big news this week is that I managed to schedule my driving exam for March 11th. I still have to take 2 more formal driving lessons, and I have to practice a lot more before I am fully ready, but I am prepared to do what it takes.

Other than that, I obtained a new Cattleya! I dailybooth about it here

And I also obtained a Sega Saturn!

I am moving before the end of the month. So today was a packing day! Busy busy.

If you want to get an idea of the things going on in my life, you can check for updates on dailybooth

Or on my tumblr account

And as always leave a comment!

February Update 2

2011-02-09T11:58:00.000-08:00

The video explains a lot, but you are probably wondering about the project, and about the orchid things I mentioned, or even about the song in the background. The links are all included here! Also, again, if you have any ideas for how to make this project better, please leave a comment wherever this video is posted!

I have taken my first driving class, and it was great! My instructor was patient and kind when I made mistakes. She also gave me a lot of helpful hints, and we even practiced a broken U-turn. My second class is tomorrow (Thursdays Feb. 9th).

Until then, I will be at this weeks meeting of the Manhattan Orchid Society taking place today (February 8th). I will also be going to the Orchid Show at the NYBG in March and April. There is another Orchid Show in New Jersey this weekend, but I am not sure if I will be able to make it due to my inability to drive at this moment, and my lack of car!

Music:
Chrono Cross 'Crossfire'

Project:
You can read about the project here
January's Goal
First February Update

Orchids!:
Manhattan Orchid Society
Deep Cut Orchid Society Show
NYBG Orchid Show "On Broadway"

Driving School

Again leave comments!

February Goal Update Week 1

2011-02-03T11:19:00.003-08:00

So I signed up for driving school here in the Bronx!

January - Renew my NYBG membership - Completed
February - Get a license - In Progress

In January 2011, I decided to challenge myself to complete monthly goals to make my life better for ONE YEAR. You can read about it here:
http://jworldpod.blogspot.com/2011/01...

In January I completed the goal of renewing my membership to the NYBotanical Gardens, and now in February I need to get my license. This is just an update for my february goal!

You can download the background music for this video here:
http://ocremix.org/remix/OCR00171/

If you have any suggestions for goals this year, please leave them in the comments section, anywhere you see this video. THANKS!

Needful Things

2011-01-31T07:44:00.000-08:00

Usually, you have to do something awesome to be labelled King. Stephen King has been given that title from birth...

Needful Things is an exceptional novel. Taking place in a small town in Maine called Little Rock, King completely immerses his reader is small town life. From the religious fanatics, to the sense of duty peace officers usually feel, King creates a town from the people up.

And then destroys it.

Complete mayhem and destruction. This book should be banned outright because it shows how easy it is to influence americans to annihilate one another. The equation is simple (warning, spoilers):

1. Play to greed

-Leland Gaunt, the proprietor of Needful Things plays this role perfectly. He gives everyone what they want most, in exchange for small pranks.

2. Play on emotions

-The planks played on individuals of the town preyed upon their already pent up emotions, to the point where anger, religious bigotry, and past feuds begin to escalate to the point where people want to kill each other.

3. Set off a chain reaction of destruction in different parts of the town simultaneously.
-Ace Merril and Buster handle this with their bombs, under the direction of Leland Gaunt.

4. Profit

-This is how Leland Gaunt successfully, and nearly-single-handedly destroyed Little Rock, Maine.

Sometimes I am just in the mood to read about something being blown up, or about someone who couldn't arrive in time to save someone else's life. This book is not about how the heroes win. It is about how the bad guys destroy. And at Needful Things (the store owned by Mr. Gaunt), every purchase leads to a little piece of the town dying.

January Goal COMPLETED

2011-01-24T12:48:00.001-08:00

Hey guys!

So remember when I put up my project? About completing one task each month for a year? If you haven't read that blog post, you can see it here!

I then posted a video on my youtube channel, stating my goal for the January! And sorry in advance for the crappy sound quality!

And now, here we are, about a week later, and I have completed my January Goal! And yes, I also made a video for that too.

So there ya go! My February task will be to get a NY State Drivers License. This means I need to find a drivin school. Take the 5 hour required Pre-Driving Class, plus the actual driving classes, both beginner and advanced, and then take the test!

I know, that is a lot of work. And money as well. The most expensive driving school I have seen was about 450, but they also teach you advanced lessons, like driving on the highway and that sort of stuff. I will bear the cost of expense again (renewing my membership was 100 dollars), for the benefits I will obtain!

If you know of any good, inexpensive driving school in NYC, let me know. Also if you have any suggestions for monthly goals, please place them in the comments sections below.

January - Renew Membership to the NY Botanical Gardens - Completed!

February - Obtain NY State Drivers License - Pending

Book Reviews!

2011-01-20T11:40:00.001-08:00

The last book review I gave was on Richard Dawkins Ancestors Tale. Since then I have read many books. I just wanted to review a few of the more noteworthy ones here.

The Lovely Bones

This book was given to me by my aunt Carmen. She found it in one of those second hand shops for a buck and change. I wouldn't normally pick a book like this up, but since it was a gift I read it. It was a pretty good read, although some of the metaphysical sections were creepy, especially towards the end. This book starts off with the rape and murder of a little girl, and then follows her spirit through heaven. I think it was written more as a drama, since I didn't find it particularly scary, but then again I read a lot of Stephen King, so almost anything else will be child's play in comparison. Overall, while not the normal type of book I will read, I did think it was interesting. Sebold shows us a view of heaven not often seen. It was a good read, but I don't think it is an instant classic, or anything special. Just a good story for people who like drama.

The Hunger Games/Catching Fire/Mockingjay

I had my copy of Mockingjay signed by Suzanne Collins herself at the official book launching event. I hadn't even heard of this series of books until recently. They were written for teens, but I still enjoyed The Hunger Games very much. I purchased all three books, and both me and Donna read them. We both agreed that the first and second books were better than the third. Mockingjay dealt only with the war which made a dictator like society more democratic.

These books had the feel of 1984, where your living in a society where you are always being watched and can be convicted of thinking negative things about the rulers of the society. Mixed with elements of Battle Royale (which made the first book quite entertaining), I would say these sets of books are classics. However, if you can only read one, read The Hunger Games (along with 1984, and seeing the Japanese film, Battle Royale, they all go well together).

The Tales of Beedle the Bard:

Yep, a Harry Potter book. In the 7th book of Harry Potter Hermione was given this book by Albus Dumbledore. The Tales of Beedle the Bard is Hermione's translation of the book from Ancient Runes. It also includes commentary by Dumbledore himself. There are many short story/fairy tales in this book. My favorite would have to be either the tale of 3 brothers, or Babbity Rabbity. In any case, this is a must have for anyone who wants to complete their Harry Potter collection, or for anyone wanting to know more about the series. If you are not a Potter fan, don't even bother with reading the Dumbledore commentary. It wont make sense.

The Liars Tale:

I normally do not read philosophy but this book caught my eye one day while I was walking around The Strand. It is about lying, and why people lie, and why lies are more valuable than the truth. As a scientist, many of the reasons given in the book disgusted me, but they made sense. If everyone always told the truth, there would be no fiction, there would be very little imagination, and life would be rather dull. We need ideas about life, which might not be true, to function. This book explains it all, with a history of philosophical ideas about lying. It is a bit repetitive and long winded at times, much like Dawkins Ancestors tale, so it is not for the faint of heart, but it was still an intellectually good read.

CURRENTLY:
Right now I am reading Stephen King's Needful Things. In an attempt to save money, I am going to be reading a lot of the King books I purchased in high school but never got around to reading.

A New Year!

2011-01-20T09:19:00.000-08:00

Well well well.

Here we are in 2011, and it is a new year. It has been a new year for 20 days, and in the past 20 days I have come to a funny conclusion. New Years resolutions do not work.

Most people who join a gym in January quit after a few weeks. Most people who have professional or personal goals in the beginning of the year never meet them. I don't want to go over the why's. The why's are boring. It could be lack of discipline, too large a timeline (which leads people into thinking "I will do it tomorrow"), or maybe people genuinely want to accomplish their goals when stating them, but forget!

Whatever the reason, I have come up with a solution, at least for me. 2010 was a wasted year. Except for all the awesome plants I obtained, 2010 was a year where I didn't grow much. I looked back at the end of 2010, and found myself in worse shape than I was before 2010. The question became then became: Now that you have wasted 2010, what will you do in 2011?

2011? Well, for starters, I know what I am NOT going to do. I refuse to make a New Years resolution, which will be pushed to the back alleys of wishful thinking, in an attempt to make myself feel better. I decided to think about resolutions differently. Why did they come around during New Years? That seems like an arbitrary decision isn't it? If I need to join a gym, why didn't I do it in the fall? If I needed to volunteer more, why didn't I do it in the summer?

The truth is, New Years resolutions are popular but not practical. So how can I, in 2011, make practical resolutions? I have a list of things I need to accomplish in 2011. Not just one big resolution but an entire list! I decided to make a different kind of resolution.

THE NEW MONTH RESOLUTION.

January is almost over, but in January I have constructed the most perfect plan! This plan doesn't involve big, nearly impossible to achieve resolutions. It involves smaller resolutions which can be achieved in the time span of one month!

In 2011, I plan on accomplishing 11 RESOLUTIONS. They will have a small time frame (monthly time frame)! So from January to November, every month, I will begin with a monthly goal. At the end of the month, I should have some sort of sense of accomplishment at completing that goal.

Why not have a goal for December? Well December is a busy month first of all. Secondly, if there was a goal I failed to accomplish, I should be able to play catch-up in December!

Why does this system have advantages over the yearly one?

Well for starters, you have less time to accomplish your goal. So you always feel the pressure to get off your ass and do something so it will be complete by the time the month is over.

Secondly. The goals will not be hugely monstrous, like lose 50 pounds, or get a bigger apartment to live on your own. They will be smaller. You know, like goals someone can actually achieve!

Third, it will not take one year to look back and make assessments! Every month I can look back and say, HOLY COW, I did something cool in March. If I hadn't planned on it, I wouldn't have done it!

And lastly, in December of 2011, even if I did not complete all of my goals, it is quite obvious, that I would have completed some. And if I look back on it, I can say, 2011 was worth something to me. It wasn't wasted like 2010.

But like all resolutions, I need friends who will encourage me! I need your help!

January is almost over, so I will be making a very small goal (see future blog, coming sometime later this week). And I have a goal for February. But I need people to suggest small goals for me to accomplish. If a goal is worthy enough, I will add it on my to do list for one of the months, and I will do my best to accomplish it! Lets see how many I can do!

You can leave me suggestions for monthly resolutions on my facebook page!

http://www.facebook.com/jmejia1187

And don't be shy!

On Why I can't get my shit together

2011-01-08T10:35:00.000-08:00

Many older people keep asking me why I don't have a better job. And if I plan on living with my mother forever. And they often say I wasted my time in college since I have nothing to show for it.

I have often questioned myself. Why can't I get my shit together? Get a better job? Live in an apartment with my girlfriend? Leave my moms house once and for all.

The answer came to me a few days ago. I was at home, and mom asked me to look for apartments online. I knew she had planned to move out of here. There were problems with the landlord, and the rent was "too high". I put too high in quotations because the truth is, this apartment is a steal for 1600. It is adequately priced. The problem is, my mother doesn't make enough money to live here.

But what if we lived somewhere we could afford? What would that look like? It would most likely be a far more dangerous neighborhood, in a small apartment, with no parking. She doesn't understand that if she is looking for a place for 1200, then compromises need to be made.

But the answer to my problems are simple when I look at her. I can't get my situation stable, because at the foundation, my situation is unstable. I don't where where I am going to be living 6 months from now. And if we do move, we might move again 1 year later... I should have never packed my things after college.

In the last 6 years, from the time I started college to now, I have lived on Castle Hill in the Bronx, in a house in Florida with my aunt, in the projects in soundview, and here in Claysons Point. 6 years, 4 "permanent" addresses. And people ask ME why I don't have a good and stable job.

How can I even go to college? The application date for this fall was February. I am not even trying to apply. I mean, why even bother going to college, if I have to worry about moving into a new apartment every year. There will be no time to study, if I am constantly packing and unpacking all of my belongings.

Maybe I am looking for a scapegoat. A reason for my current situation. I am not happy where I am right now. I know I don't have my shit together. But how am I supposed to learn to drive, while looking for a good job, while looking for a place to live, since my mother seems to distraught to do so, because my grandmother recently died. She was crying today because Monday is going to be the 1 month anniversary of the loss of my grandmother. So she sent me to look for apartments for us. I found one, and we went to see it today. In the end, she says it was too small. In the end, I say she will not find what she is looking for, for the price tag she is looking at.

And so maybe we deserve to be in a bad neighborhood. In a big nameless building with roaches crawling in, and mice escaping the winter cold. We deserve it, because no matter how much we work, we are poor.

And I only say we are poor because most of the problems I have revolve around money. It is why we can't stay in this apartment, and why we need to move, and why mom can't settle on a place to move into. It is why I am not in NYU, or CUNY, or some other school. It is why I don't have a licence. Because I don't even have the money to go out and pay for classes for someone else to teach me how to drive. And so I say I am poor. Even though mom says we are lower middle class, because she makes 30 k, she is lying. I know poor when I see it. Poor is getting white bread at the store because the nutritional grain bread, and wheat bread is too expensive.

Poor is only buying canned food that won't spoil instead of fruits because you can be sure it will eventually be used for food, while fruits might go bad. I know poor. I know how to live poor. And maybe the change I need to make is acting like I am poorer than I am. Perhaps even 10 dollar orchids should be too expensive for me. Perhaps I should live like even the unhealthiest McDonalds is too much to buy, because I have food at home. Maybe the only price I should look at is free. Maybe that would give me the opportunity to save some money and get out of here.

Perhaps.

Out of Proportion

2010-12-14T16:19:00.000-08:00

My aunt has done it again. A little crazy here and there I can handle, but a personal attack is too much.

I was with my mother, and she asked me to bring Mara's baby, who was walking up and down the stairs to her. Jennifer, my extremely smart and talented cousin, had the baby, and so I asked her to let me have her.

My aunt Jenny then asked me about the website wikileaks. I don't know much about it, except that it had recently released some confidential government documents which put our national security at risk, and that it's owner is currently being held in prison on rape charges. I told her about the rape charges, since I heard her already speaking about the documents.

I wasn't looking at her though. I was looking at the baby which was being handed to me. And she started asking why I have a problem with her. I answered that I don't, I was only there to get the baby, and she got upset. She came into the room where my mother was lying down, with a headache, and started complaining. Saying that I was ignoring her, and avoiding her. The truth is I wasn't. I just prefer to be alone. I haven't spoken to her more, or less, than any of my other aunts and relatives from Puerto Rico, except for my Uncle Junior, and my mother.

My Uncle Junior I am close to. He and I have video games in common. As for my mother, well... she's my mother.

The point is, my aunt Jenny is crazy, and she makes shit up. She came barging in. She asked my mother what problem I have with her. Thus breaking the 3 laws of relationships.

1. If you have a problem with someone, who is an adult, go to the person, not their mother.
2. If there is a problem with anyone, NEVER barg in and start a confrontation. Situations can mostly be solved with civil discourse.
3. If there is a problem, you ALWAYS look at yourself first, because there are two sides to every story, and unless you can see the person eye to eye, there will never be any resolution.

She told my mom she was asking me questions and I was ignoring her. Yes, true. I was ignoring EVERYONE. ask any of my cousins how many times I have walked right by them without saying anything, and they will say many. Also, I consider it a huge disrespect that she brought these things to my mother, instead of bringing them to me.

My mother started getting upset, and her headache flaired up. I shouted at my aunt. I yelled at the top of my lungs. YOU LIE. I told her I answered her fucking questions. I reminded her of what happened but she insisted that I was purposely going against her. That I was being quiet to her.

My mom ended the conversation very quickly. She yelled at Jenny AND me, saying we didn't have any respect. That she had a headache, and that we need to end it. Jenny left the room. And my other aunt, Evelyn, went into the room to get mom an Oxycotin, because her slight headache had flaired into something worse.

She is better now. I am at peace.

But damn, if I am calm, why would you go to my mother. Do you think there is something I will not tell you to your face that I will say in front of my mother?

I love my aunt Jenny, and I recognize that this is a tough time. But it is a tough time for EVERYONE, including me and my mother. Sometimes it is difficult to see beyond yourself. I have been worried about mom all day, and have been reminiscent about both my grandmother, and my dog, Heaven.

During the funeral, I pictured heaven running towards grandma. She is the first one I know to go, so my dog, which was put to sleep about 3 years ago, was waiting for someone, anyone, in my family to meet her. And I was also thinking about my grandmother, and the good times she had. And the times she would sit and watch novellas at night. How she was always up early. She was strong, and I can only imagine the pain she felt at the end.

But I have tried not to be in anyones way. I even told junior this morning, about how I wasn't going to shower before the funeral, because there were lots of people in the house, and the last thing I wanted was to be in anyones way. I didn't shower before the funeral. I showered at about 3 pm. When most people were away, and my sister and stepdad were about to leave.

I was not looking for a reason to be angry. But sometimes people are too much. What hurts the most isn't that I didn't even provoke her. If I had done something deserving of her anger, I would understand, but she just went off.

I will not stay shut though. I will defend myself.

Freezing in Florida

2010-12-12T19:38:00.000-08:00

I am so cold here in Florida. I am sleeping in my cousin Eddie's room, and it was cold. It is alright when I am under the covers, but the morning hours are terrible. Tomorrow is my Grandmothers funeral.

I guess it makes sense that the temperature should be so cold at this time. I wish Donna were here to keep me warm. I hardly speak to anyone in my family. I like to be alone. Sometimes I think of grandmother, but mostly I think about my mother, and how well she is handling this. I am proud of her.

They keep asking me to join them and the family. They keep asking me to be with them during their time of grieving, and while they talk. They never talk to me. I am alone, even among people who seek me. They want to see my face, but they don't see me. Not like mom sees me. Not like Donna sees me. Nobody asks me what I am doing with my life, or whether I finished school, or anything.

I know, it sounds selfish, to want someone to talk to. Someone close to me. But I am alright, I am okay by myself in the garage, thinking to myself, and playing with my phone. But don't expect me to be grateful when people ask me to spend time with my family, when they never talk to me. Yes, I am a face. But to them, that is all I am. They talk to each other about each other, and about the family, but not to me. Not to me. Not at all.

Not one word.

Now my aunt Jenny is saying she wants to use the internet. I was in the room for a long time. For a long time she could have used it, but now I am on, writing this, and I will not get off until I am done. It is freezing in Florida, but the temperature seems just right. Just right.

It is cold here. It has to be cold, for people to be so loud, but to say so little. It has to be cold, for people to want to see a face, but not know or talk to it. Of course it is cold, this is my "family".

I purchased the tales of Beadle the Bard by J.K. Rowling. I read a bit on my way here, but I haven't had an opportunity to read since I got here.

Have You Ever Felt Like This?

2010-11-17T09:33:00.000-08:00

Keith Olbermann Sends me an Email

2010-11-08T20:30:00.000-08:00

Earlier this week, Keith Olbermann, political pundit and host of MSNBC's nightly show "Countdown", was suspended indefinitely, due to campaign contributions. Soon after, the twittersphere, and facebook was all abuzz concerning reinstating Keith to his original weekend. This past weekend, he was reinstated, and just today, Keith sent me, and many of his loyal supporters, an email:

BREAKING: Keith Olbermann just released the below "Statement To The Viewers Of Countdown"

Statement To The Viewers Of Countdown

I want to sincerely thank you for the honor of your extraordinary and ground-rattling support.

Your efforts have been integral to the remedying of these recent events, and the results should remind us of the power of individuals spontaneously acting together to correct injustices great or small.

...I also wish to apologize to you viewers for having precipitated such anxiety and unnecessary drama. You should know that I mistakenly violated an inconsistently applied rule – which I previously knew nothing about -- that pertains to the process by which such political contributions are approved by NBC.

Certainly this mistake merited a form of public acknowledgment and/or internal warning, and an on-air discussion about the merits of limitations on such campaign contributions by all employees of news organizations.

Instead, after my representative was assured that no suspension was contemplated, I was suspended without a hearing, and learned of that suspension through the media.

You should also know that I did not attempt to keep any of these political contributions secret; I knew they would be known to you and the rest of the public. I did not make them through a relative, friend, corporation, PAC, or any other intermediary, and I did not blame them on some kind of convenient 'mistake' by their recipients.

When a website contacted NBC about one of the donations, I immediately volunteered that there were in fact three of them; and contrary to much of the subsequent reporting, I immediately volunteered to explain all this, on-air and off, in the fashion MSNBC desired.

I genuinely look forward to rejoining you on Countdown on Tuesday, to begin the repayment of your latest display of support and loyalty - support and loyalty that is truly mutual.

When Violence Is Uncalled For

2010-11-03T09:17:00.000-07:00

Violence is always uncalled for. No matter what someone says, or does, violence is always uncalled for.

I have been picked on in school when I was younger. I was always beaten, and always abused, both verbally and physically. Everyone has dealt with bullies once or twice in their life, but they seemed to attract around me like flies to a light.

My stepdad, Piry used to tell me to man up. He used to tell me to work out, and fight back. This animalistic ritual of fighting is never the answer. Yes, it might get one bully off your back, but losing your civilized mind, to become like an animal, and giving into those animalistic feelings, are not worth it.

So if someone were to tell me Puerto Ricans were statistically lazy, or statistically more violent than white people, I'd agree. First of all the statistics are true. Puerto Ricans are more likely to join gangs, and less likely to have good jobs for long periods of time. It is all true, there is nothing to argue. I am Puerto Rican, and I am not like that, but that doesn't mean there isn't a trend, so I do not get upset. When they shout those statistics, I am confident in saying I am an outlier, and it makes me happy.

However some people are not so happy when they hear the facts. They start screaming racism, and resorting to violence, and thus, they perpetuate the things that are said about them. Instead of saying "Oh, I will show them", and going out and getting a college degree, and a good job, they get upset and act like animals, and become violent, or threaten violence. WHY??? WHY??? WHY???

In life I have fought to defend myself physically. That is the only time it is okay to be violent. When your life is in danger. It is not okay to be violent when someone calls me a spic, and not okay to be violent when someone says I am no good, or lazy, even if these things are not true. I do not feel the need to beat people up who shout out stupidities.

But I do think there is a problem when other people feel the need to get violent, or to threaten violence. Words should never lead to violence. Sticks and stones, remember?

If I am saying something, and we are having a discussion, no one should ever tell me to shut up or they will slap me. This urge to violence, this compulsion, this pent up emotion expressing itself in physical form is juvenile, and anyone who gives into it is setting their people back thousands of years.

A few days ago, I was mugged. They took some food I brought at a grocery store, and I didn't fight back. The people who resorted to violence against me, set themselves back. They became a statistic to add into a long line of statistics. But most of all, they showed the difference between them and me. I have gotten into heated discussions in high school and in college, but I never felt the need to harm another person.

Biophilia is the love of living things. I have biophilia, and so I became a biologist. I grow orchids, and geckos in my house, and I feel strange in NYC, where I am not constantly surrounded by trees, or birds. I am comfortable in my life, and my love of life. And just because I am an easy target for people with less than good intentions, does not mean there is anything wrong with me, or that I need to "Man Up". My stepfather was wrong, and now he is in jail, another statistic, paying for the consequences of his actions.

I wonder if people who have the "Man Up" mentality aren't setting themselves up for failure. Instead of getting strong physically to intimidate people into giving you what you want, how about being different than what the statistics say you should be? How about going to college, and then getting a job, and not losing that job? How about, instead of "Manning Up", you grow up, and live in a civilized world, where survival of the fittest doesn't apply because everyone is well fed and thus surviving? (at least this is the case throughout most of America).

Most homeless people are starving, and not even they have the survival of the fittest mentality. They walk through the train stations asking for food, and donations so they can get something to eat. And yes, many of them have mental problems or vices, but they do not resort to intimidation or violence to survive. Meanwhile, other people feel the need to resort to these tactics to obtain something less than survival, like a new pair of shoes or a coat. Why is this so? What is going on in these peoples heads? And why is such behavior more prevalent in some races than in others?

It may be cultural or socio-economic, but the truth is, no matter what the reason is, it is wrong. Violence, unless it is an attempt to defend yourself is always wrong. It is wrong to be violent against your family, against the people you disagree with, and even against the people who are out to get you. This is 2010, and we have cell phones, and the internet, and have put a man on the moon, and have found out how to get energy from the sun. Either join society, or go to the jungle and act like an animal. But don't terrorize society because you can't control your emotions and have a grudge. And certainly don't blame society for your obvious shortcomings. For your inability to control your anger, or your emotions. For your overreactions to mere words. Society doesn't need to Man Up. YOU need to Grow Up.

Bring on The Zombie Apocalypse, When Terrible isn't Terrible

2010-11-01T08:46:00.000-07:00

Nowadays, it seems like you can hardly look at pop culture sci-fi on a forum without coming up to a reference of the zombie apocalypse.

Resident Evil, 28 Days Later, Night of the Living Dead, ZombieLand, World War Z, Cell, and even the video game Left 4 Dead. In recent years people have become obsessed with the zombie apocalypse! In the 80's and 90's people were more terrified of the robot apocalypse, with movies like Terminator, multiple video games on the genre, and the book How To Survive a Robot Uprising: Tips on Defending Yourself Against the Coming Rebellion

But will the zombie apocalypse be so bad? What is a zombie but an undead creature walking around in search for something to eat. Yes it is more animalistic than our current state, but is it anymore animalistic than any other scavenger?

The truth is, most of the time, people wander around, do some work, and get money, to then pay rent and eat. While working Saturday, the day before Halloween, a zombie came into the store and asked for some water, and the thought came to me, that a zombie apocalypse wouldn't be so bad. Not at all. While walking home from work, I passed by many people, and in my mind, I saw them all as zombies. There was no real difference. They seemed to walk around aimlessly, but it wasn't too hard to imagine.

It would be terrible though, but exciting. I think the sentiments were best expressed by Willy Wonka, in Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory. Watch the video linked until about 3 minutes and 15 seconds in.

Watch the Video

Willy Wonka knew when terrible wasn't terrible. Because sometimes terrible is used to describe degree rather than good or bad. For example, you can have a bad cough, an intense cough, or a terrible cough. They all mean the same thing, with the word before "cough" signaling it's intensity. If zombies were to start taking over, many people would be frightened, but I would welcome the change. We need a change. Any change. Too many things have been the same for too long.

Which I why I welcome small changes. As many of my readers know, I am not a very happy person, but I sometimes do get a chance to smile. This is a welcome change. It is also usually, very abrupt. But usually I stop smiling and look away after a while, not because it is bad, but because it is terrible.

Next time, I hope it lasts.

The Secret Cell Phone Sacrifice

2010-11-01T08:06:00.000-07:00

My iphone is currently being restored to it's factory settings, latest firmware, and original software. Why? I am giving it away.

I got tired of the hackers being one step behind apple, and constantly waiting for the next unlock while I used an older phone which was less than adequate for sending text messages in 2010. Who texts using a dial pad anymore anyway?

My sister has connections, and she is going to get me a better phone. So I have to make a sacrifice, and give her my iPhone. So for a while I will have no text plus, no internet access where Wi-Fi is available, and none of the other great things Apple has made openly available to those with enough money.

I hope the new phone I get lives up to it's name. I hope the sacrifice I made by giving up my iPhone was worth it.

Very short blog today (comparatively). Also might not be able to tumblr much until I get my new phone, since I used my iPhone to take pictures, and post them to tumblr.

Oh what a sad day it is.

Sweet Sarracenia Solace

2010-10-30T08:01:00.000-07:00

This week I recently started a blog all about Plants on Tumblr. This blog is about cool plants I see every once in a while, and where they can be found.

Recently I have been feeling a little down, but since going to the Botanical Gardens with Ernie last weekend, and taking some awesome Sarracenia pictures, I have had the idea of starting something new, and this blog seemed to be the perfect idea. So what is the url?

http://sarracenia.tumblr.com/

That is right, I got a most awesome plant genus, as the name of my plant tumblr account.

What makes this tumblr better than a blogger account? Well for one, it is easier to post things to tumblr using the iphone. I have yet to find a good blogger iphone app, which annoys me, since most of the pictures I take are actually on my phone.

But it also lets me connect with the audience more. To the right of my tumblr page are two links. The first link is where people can ask me any question they want, and the second link is where people can submit plant pictures, and other information they would like to see on my blog.

I will try to post cool things at least once a week, but I went a bit crazy with excitement, and posted many times this past week. It also looks sleeker, and better equipped to handle the type of style needed for a professional looking blog. Where my blogger looks a bit more generic, and the posts seem more personal/random, a tumblr specifically for plants is exactly what I need.

One thing I do not like about tumblr, is the inability to leave comments on someones post. It is a bit annoying actually. In this day and age where social networking is all the rage, I would enjoy more interaction with the people reading my blog, but tumblr is still fairly new, and so with time, perhaps these other features will be added.

The Terrible T-Shirt Tear Stare

2010-10-27T00:04:00.000-07:00

I looked to my right, and noticed her tear. My coworker had a tear in her shirt, and I couldn't stop staring. It was on her arm, and I was about to call her out on it, but she noticed it as well and told me to stop staring, with a smile on her face.

It looked like a wild animal had chased her down and got the better of her clothing. Like a squirrel, or other wild creature managed to rough her up, catching her, seemingly, when she least expected.

I smiled too. Not at her shirt, but at her smile. I felt like a little kid. The best kind of feeling. The best kind of friend, is one that you can re-live your childhood memories with.

A while ago, I wrote what I still consider, one of my best blog entries, on Platonic Cuddling. Actually, if you search "platonic cuddling" on google, my post is one of the first choices that pops up. The entire point of the post was that verbal communication is mostly a facade. It is superficial. It is what you want others to see, but it isn't the true you, because you are not words, you are a human being. And you are not your past, or the sum of your experiences, you are a person just trying to live life like everyone else. And mostly, the post was about showing love to people who are not your significant other, in a way that is nonsexual. To pay attention, not to a story being told, not to whom someone is trying to portray, but to the actual person for the persons sake. To pay attention to, what I call, the awareness within a person.

To quote myself:

"I also believe that if people cuddle more often in groups, we may care about each other more. Perhaps it is only when we feel each others warmth, when we look into each others eyes, and when we pay attention to the awareness within our friends, that we can really know the true value of a human life. Platonic cuddling may not be widely practiced, but used in this way, it has the power to prevent wars."

Why did we smile? It wasn't because the t-shirt was torn, and it most certainly was not flirting. Maybe I saw something in her that cannot be expressed in words. Maybe it was a kindness, or an innocence. Maybe it was because she noticed me noticing her torn t-shirt, and in taking notice, was aware that I was aware. This awareness of the awareness of others happens often in cuddling, but I have rarely seen it out of the context of cuddling. I have rarely seen it in young people. But it is very special in young people, and like cuddling, it should be highly sought after. Especially because when you're young, it's okay to be, easily ignored.

Am I losing touch? I used to have an ability to connect with people on a deeper level. But I find the frequency of connections on a decline. With some people the connection is always there, like with Donna. It is always the case, that when she is next to me, and I hold her, I notice her, and love her. I am comfortable with that. With a few other people it is always there too, like with my close friend, Noelle. I have never remembered having a conversation with Noelle where we didn't connect. And again, I am talking about a connection in a nonsexual way. It is more of a connection where the context of the conversation is irrelevant, and whatever actions taking place in the moment are irrelevant, and for a split second you notice that there is another person noticing the moment, and it usually results in an innocent smile. This can be very personal.

We often work so hard on our persona. Whether it be creating a tumblr where everyone can see out latest clothes, or where we tell stories of how we were hanging out with our significant others. How often can we convey our existence without the use of anecdotes, or by increasing our shadow on the world (by leaving a bigger footprint of ownership). I think that most people have never felt the awareness within others, and that is why they lie, and cheat, and why we vote for politicians, and have to create paper and coins that we value. It is all a facade. Because connections do not happen often, when they do happen, they are personal.

And so the stare, and smile, for now, were terrible. Too personal. Why am I an introvert? I have only recently become an introvert. Today I stared at a tear, but I let someone else stare at my soul. Who was the vulnerable one? Who was the one opening themselves up? And was the smile with me, or at me?

The only question I can answer is the one that I didn't need to talk about. Someone today told me I was lucky. They were telling the truth. I am lucky. It isn't everyday someone takes a moment to notice that there is a spiritual being inside of this physical body, and smile at it. Not everyday that someone looks past race, class, gender, and sexual orientation, and gives an honest, genuine smile. I am lucky, and I do not need you or anyone else to tell me why.

But it was also personal, and, terrible.

The Golden Gecko Grievance

2010-10-25T18:32:00.000-07:00

The last time I visited my local Petland to purchase crickets for my gecko, I was so baffled by the ass complex conundrum that I missed the opportunity to write about my Golden Gecko Grievance.

While in the Petland I saw something repulsive, but sadly common here in NYC. While waiting for the crickets for my own Golden Gecko, I walked over to the reptile section to see what they had for sale. I was particularly interested in seeing if they had any crested geckos for sale, since I was so pleased the last time I purchased a crested gecko (at a Reptile Expo).

They didn't have any crested's but they did have a 10 gallon tank with over 7 geckos in it! Many were Golden Geckos. The first rule of owning reptiles is you NEVER place two males in the same tank, and you NEVER place 2 geckos in the same tank if the tank is small. A 10 gallon tank, while the perfect size for one Golden Gecko, is not a good size for 7 geckos.

While looking in the tank, I wondered how stressed these geckos were. They didn't seem to be fighting while I was in the store, but many were hiding behind rocks and fake leaves. That is when I noticed the second disturbing thing. A Tokay Gecko and a Flying Gecko.

Now normally, it is okay to have Golden Geckos and Tokay Geckos in the same tank, provided the tank was big enough. A 10 gallon tank is simply not big enough . And as I kept looking I also saw a striped Gecko and a Flying Gecko, all in one tank. Over 7 geckos, and 4 different species in one small 10 gallon tank? It is inhumane. It is almost as bad as running a puppy mill! The second rule to owning geckos is this: Whenever possible NEVER EVER mix 2 different gecko species within the same tank!

Now I was a bit upset, but this is the only Petland in my area, and I have been to various other Petland Discount stores, and I have witnessed the same thing. But something really drew me furious that day. While looking at a Golden Gecko, I saw it had a gash where it's eyebrow should be. It has been fighting. Of course the workers at Petland probably never saw them fight, since when geckos fight, everyone is most likely off work, but it is very upsetting to see the gecko in a dangerous living situation. I began to think about how many geckos died in this Petland alone. Rule 3 of raising geckos: If a gecko is in a dangerous situation in a tank, PUT IT IN ANOTHER TANK!.

I understand that Petland might not have the brightest employees (although I am sure many of them have college degrees and feel just as sorry for these animals as I do), but I am shocked. They are in a position to do something about the conditions these animals are in. They are supposed to be knowledgeable about the animals they sell. And they have everything they need to house and care for these animals right there in the store!

In short, there is no good reason why these animals were put under these horrible conditions, and the only thing I can think of is that it saves time, or money, to do it this way. But is time and money worth the health of these animals? And what about the ethical or moral implications of having animals which are known to be fighting with each other in potentially dangerous situations by placing them in close proximity to each other?

So my Golden Gecko Grievance is this: Why is it that big corporations like Petland are able to rule the Pet Market when they know so little, and seemingly care even less about what they are selling?

The first answer that comes to mind is money. But that is a different story entirely.

It is a good thing that I am quickly finding solace in something very different. The Reptile Expo date is coming up quickly. I am attempting every method I know to save as much as possible so that I may be able to purchase a better tank for my crested gecko, and perhaps another Sarracenia.

The Ass Complex Conundrum

2010-10-13T10:21:00.000-07:00

While on a quest to buy 30 crickets to be brutally massacred by an insatiable Golden Gecko, I noticed something particularly troubling. 2 teens, who should have been at school around 12:30, were passing by in short skirts (which was appropriate attire 2 months ago, but now they are pushing it), while 3 hispanic/black men were heckling them about the size of their butts. Now, I am not a prude, and I do appreciate a sizable butt, but I have noticed a trend in the Bronx, and the trend itself is more troubling than the action itself.

I have personally never shouted at a stranger on the street to let her know how "fine" her "ass" is on that particular day, and for some reason, I have never felt the need too. I am not gay. I do enjoy butts, and yes, when they are nice and plump they are fun to play with, along with a healthy set of boobs, but my problem, again, isn't with the action itself but the trend. Why do men feel the need to shout out to every girl they think is hot? Does this actually work on any girl? In my mind, this would actually decrease their chances of obtaining what they (biologically) are trying to work for.

Also, I like when girls wear short skirts, and tight shorts. This is no secret. I don't always get a hard on when they pass by, and so I do not share Sir Mix Alot's sentiment, when he stated how he got"sprung" when a girl passed by with an 'itty bitty waist, and a round thing" in his "face". But one reason for not saying (or shouting, as the men today were doing) at these girls is because it may make them feel uncomfortable. They may get self conscious when grandpa (did I mention all the guys looked 40?) starts hitting on them. I can imagine tomorrow they will wear something else to prevent the guys from yelling about how they want to "tap that", and thus decreasing the short skirts and tight shorts for everyone else's viewing pleasure.

And that is the Ass Complex Conundrum (ACC). Why would a man point out a girl with a nice butt, and revealing clothing, publicly, when it decreases the number of girls with revealing clothing, and simultaneously decreases his chances of getting what he wants with that particular girl?

I have 2 possible explanations for the ACC. The first is biological. I personally think there is something wrong with these men. They salivate like dogs at the sight of these women. Perhaps they biologically cannot help it! It may be a mental issue, or it may also be hormonal. Perhaps an increase in testosterone or adrenaline (or both). And no, an increase in testosterone does not make you more "manly", only more dickish (according to my observations).

The second possible explanation for the ACC is religious. Men do it in packs. It is a communal experience between males where they get together to worship the butt. I like the religious excuse better than the biological one. Religious people have faith in things that will never ever happen. Christians have been waiting for the return of a zombie for over 2 thousand years! In the same way ACC as a religion makes sense. They will worship the ass, making it harder to obtain, while simultaneously feeding into their faith that they will one day obtain it. I also like the religious excuse because it can be untaught. Religion is like culture, it is not engrained or hard wired, just practiced, and thought to be the correct way of doing things. Most logical human beings will switch over to a different way of doing things, if it is shown that the different way is better. The religious excuse has a cure, and gives me hope, the biological one puts fear in me.

Wow, I admitted on my blog that religion gives me hope… (awkward silence).

So, comment questions for those who want to respond below:

1. Come up with an excuse for the ACC that is not biological or religious or

2. Do you support or object to ACC?
Leave your interesting or creative responses in the comment section below.

The Comic Con Conclusion

2010-10-09T10:01:00.001-07:00

For those not in the know, Comic Con is a pop culture convention, usually involving comic books, movies, games, books (such as Harry Potter and Twilight), people dressing up, and a plethora of vendors trying to sell their merchandise, whether it be books, comics, action figures, video games, or even photo ops. Comic Cons usually have companies releasing new and never before seen footage and teasers of movies and games as well. For those in the know, Comic Con is where you want to be.

So, why am I not at the NYC Comic Con (Oct 8-Oct 10, 2010)?

The answer is simple. Besides the fact that I am only free on the 10th of October, the ticket price is 40 dollars. If I did go, I would want to dress up, and that costs money too. Not only that, but what occurs at Comic Con is usually the same thing that occurs at a Reptile Expo. People are trying to sell you things. There is nothing you can do about it.

I could have gone, but I decided to save my 40 dollars. The money was worth more to me, than the experience I would have had at Comic Con. Yeah sure, I probably would have had a few photo ops with sexy women dressed in tight latex costumes, or with a few Alien / Predator/ Zombie/ Vampire fiends, but 40 dollars is not worth the photo ops.

Is 40 dollars worth seeing previews to movies, or video games? I certainly don't think so. Especially when the previews and teasers quickly become available online, just a day or two after being released.

The truth is, Comic Con is only fun if you have someone else who is willing to shell out the money to go with you. Never alone, and only with friends. The conclusion? The NYC Comic Con, a once a year event, is too expensive for my blood, and I personally do now know anyone willing to go with me. And since I will not be able to buy anything there anyway, and since the "released" and "leaked" footage has already started to flood youtube, it would have been a waste of money anyway. Or is that what I am telling myself, because I plan not to go?

My Comic Con conclusion? Stay at home, do not pass go, do not spend 40.

Something Wrong

2010-10-07T11:33:00.000-07:00

I think there is something wrong with me. I have an overall feeling of disappointment, and I do not know why.

Is it depression? My mother has been depressed in the past and she described it to me as an overall feeling of gloom, immense sadness, and a nagging idea in the back of your head that this is all there is in life and nothing will ever get better. I have one of those feelings. I am not sad, just disappointed. My disappointment doesn't make me happy, but it doesn't make me sad either. Actually, I have been finding it difficult to remember a time when I was happy. I have been to a reptile expo recently, read a few books, played a few games, but the things I used to enjoy don't seem to give me the same pleasure they once gave me. Even my flowering Cattleya is resonating more as a matter of fact, rather than a joyous accomplishment.

A lack of emotion. That's what it is. And a feeling that this is all there is in life. A job that doesn't pay rent, which forces me to remain a prisoner in my mothers house. A lack of social interaction, except for my girlfriend who I see once or twice a week. Other than that I have no friends I actually hang out with. I would hang out with my former roommate, Jonathan Castillo, but he is in Vermont. I called him to let him know how my life is going, which is also out of character for me. I hardly call anyone. Perhaps this basic human need for face to face interaction is taking over my normal introverted personality.

I would call Ernie, but I doubt he would want to here about how badly my life is going. Badly is the wrong word for it. I have a job now, so it is financially a step up from before, when I didn't have any source of income at all. Also, my family is no longer moving, so that is better too. But I still cannot live on my own, and I have become a parasite on my mothers wealth (since she pays rent, and I live with her). And although the living situation is stable, and the 800 dollars I make a month is helpful, I am still disappointed and a bit nostalgic. I wish I could go back to college. In college I was just as broke as I am now, but I was happy. I would give up what I have now to go back in time. Even though it is "better" now, in college I wasn't disappointed. I didn't feel like nothing would change. I had hope. I had something to look forward to. I don't want to call Ernie to burden him with these thoughts. With my disappointment. Ernie is like Donna. I tell them the story of my life, and I can tell they feel bad. I can tell that Donna feels sad when I tell her how I feel, and I can tell Ernie isn't happy with the way my life is going either.

Empathy. When one person is feeling crappy, and he shares his story, the people he shares his story with also feel crappy. Why the hell would we ever evolve something like that? It is like an inter-individual para-neo-psycho syndrome (I came up with that one from paraneoplastic syndrome).

I have given up one of my favorite holidays for this year. I have decided I do not want to celebrate Halloween. It is my favorite, and most costly holiday of the year. I decided not to dress up. And although I have the day off of work, I am not sure I actually want to do anything. I know, I am boring. Last year, I was the Mad Hatter. Memories of me, Donna, and Anja still fill my head. Nostalgia. Sometimes good sometimes bad. If I can't remember good times, I would have no reason to feel disappointed. Nostalgia is like a precursor to my current status. If only there were someway to forget everything. To get a second chance. To let this current life die and be born again.

OH NO. I have stepped away from sanity and crawled myself into a filth ridden hole called religion. I told myself I wouldn't go there. I wont go there. But I need a way out. Medication may help. I should see someone. If not to fill me a prescription for happy pills, maybe I just need someone new, someone fresh to talk to.

I wish I could write more. I have a lot more to say, but my alarm went off, and I am now on my way to work.

Flowering Cattleya

2010-10-06T20:52:00.000-07:00

So, I have a yellow Cattleya which flowered!

The orchid was given to me by my good friend Ernie DeMarie earlier this year (in the spring). I have been watering it regularly, and I always let it drain completely. It is by a sunny window, and so far, it has one flower on it, but there is another bud that is about to open soon.

I was excited to see it flower, but the biggest surprise came in the morning. Early in the day I noticed a sweet scent coming from it, but in the afternoon and evening the scent goes away. My mom really likes the flower, but I refuse to put the plant in the kitchen for everyone to see, because it is less sunny there.

Here is another picture of the plant on it's side:

An Ancestor's Tale Review

2010-09-27T19:30:00.000-07:00

I finished reading Dawkin's book, an Ancestor's Tale, about a week ago.

The book was a journey back in time to meet the ancestors of all living things. First we moved from out ancestors, to the ancestors that united us to Chimpanzee's and Bonobos, and other apes, and monkeys, and so on and so forth, until we were back to a time where we were all one. Along our DeLorean time travelling journey, we meet other extant species, and they follow us back in time. Of course there are weird splits, like mitochondria, and chloroplasts, which have their own DNA, but in general, everything works out. As we meet other extant species, we learn a bit about their biology, and we even learn somethings about ourselves, such as colorblindness, the importance of HOX genes, and why the Dodo died.

Dawkins is especially cautious with his dates, and even is humble enough to point out where uncertainty lies within the phylogenetic trees. This is shocking, since many people claim he is self absorbed with his identity as an atheist. Many people know him by his stance on evolution and militant atheism, and while there was a small hint of this in our pilgrimage to the dawn of evolution, this book mainly dealt with the biology of life, rather than the philosophy of our place in the universe. If you are looking for Dawkins book on atheism, I suggest you read The God Delusion.

And surprisingly enough, this book was rather candid at what it was trying to do. It by no means was attempting to prove evolution over intelligent design, or put forth an argument as to why you needed to head evolution as the explanation for the diversity of life on earth. It just led us on a pilgrimage back in time to meet the ancestor's of all living things with the assumption that evolution is true. This was a relief to me (I have a degree in biology), because I really was getting tired of hearing the topic argued and debated. If you are looking for reasons why evolution is true, and is a better explanation for the diversity of everything than ID or creationism, then look no further than Dawkins book The Greatest Show On Earth.

I especially enjoyed learning about the diversity of life through this book. It went over some of the more obscure extremophiles, and gave an in depth history as to the migrations (according to fossil evidence) of various lineages. Along the way many extant species that joined the pilgrimage told their "tales".

But giving you a summary of their tales will be useless. What you want to know is: Did you enjoy reading this book? And to that I must answer, not particularly. As a biologist, I found some of the tales interesting, and the manner in which it was written (as a humble journey to the past), as a creative and inventive way of teaching biology. However, it was obvious that this book was not written for a general audience, but with an educated audience in mind. So I am left in awe at Dawkins need to constantly try to re-educate and remind his readers of things that should already know. He spent a large amount of time discussing radioactive dating techniques, and going over different isotopes and their time scales. He also went over things like tree ring data, and magnetic dating (from the reversal of the poles in underwater volcanic rock). I feel like he is treating us like little kids. I have heard of these methods of dating before, and I found it mind-numbingly painful to re-read all about them.

I also found it painful for him to go over different techniques of genetic, phylogenetic, Bayesian, and Taxonomic analysis. I have taken Phylogenetics and Taxonomy in college, and do not need to be reminded of their techniques, or of the various reasons why different techniques give different trees. Maybe a reader who has not met the pre-requisites necessary to understand your book might need a course in modern biology, but most of your readers do not.

Overall, I found the trip enjoyable. If all of my above complaints were omitted from the book, he probably could have omitted 50 or so pages of material. So what use is this book, other than a headache inducing bore-fest? It is the perfect template for the teaching of biology at all levels!

One of the biggest mistake the public education system makes, is waiting until high school to teach young people about evolution. Yes, science is taught in middle school, but energy transfer, trophic level interactions, and identification of animals (fish vs. mammal), are not the important cornerstone of biology. Evolution is. Predator prey relationships evolved to be that way. Identification lies on the foundation of differentiation caused by sexual isolation. In other words, we do our young people a disservice by teaching them biology outside the context of evolution. Dawkins ties many biological principles together nicely. Mimicry, poison as defense, and even methods of evolution itself (genetic drift, physical isolation, natural selection, sexual selection…), are all discussed in the context of a journey to the past.

This model for teaching evolution only has one flaw. The book itself is anthropocentric. What I mean is, we go back in time from humans. We could just have easily chosen Venus Flytraps as our starting point, or Cichlid fish, or Crested Geckos. Yes, humans are familiar, and we can all relate to them, but it sort of shows evolution as coming to a point, a climax, or as having a goal. Dawkins makes clear in his book that natural selection has no ultimate goal other than to take existing variation and narrow it down to variation best suited to survive and reproduce in certain environments, but starting with people is a wrong move for its connotations. It gives humans an importance over all other extant species.

Now, for the second question which any review needs to answer: Should you read this book?
Are you familiar with biology and science? Then yes, sure read it. You will most certainly learn a lot about diversity, and how most of life is connected, or related to everything else. But this book is not meant for everyone. It tends to get technical and with our current generations brains in a constant ADD, most likely caused by instant gratification, and television, most people will not have the patience or the ability to concentrate enough to appreciate this book. Anyone with Asperger's syndrome who a biophilia should most definitely read it. Other than that there is not much else to say.

Now half of you probably saw this was about Dawkins and were expecting a rant on atheism, or a list of reasons as to why religion is stupid. Well, to appease this interest, and since you read this far, here is a recent video of Dawkins protesting the pope! Enjoy:

Richard Dawkins

2010-09-16T08:09:00.001-07:00

I am almost done reading an Ancestors Tale by Richard Dawkins.

I will post a review about it when I am done with it (most likely tomorrow), but I was wondering, what are you views on the professional biologist/neomilitant atheist?

I have read The God's Delusion also (after I became an atheist), and I thought it was a decent book.

However I am not sure how I feel about the man. He seems a bit cocky, but I think that comes when you have worked so hard to get to such a prestigious position in life.

Your thoughts?

House

2010-09-15T11:36:00.000-07:00

So, I started watching House yesterday. I borrowed a friends season 1 DVD. I watched a few episodes.

While I think the show itself is great, and House is a relatable character, I cannot stand when they show the operations, and inner body stuff. It is a bit disgusting. Some people can get used to that stuff but I always look away.

Comment question of the day:
How do you feel about House? or How does watching operations, and other messy medical procedures affect you?

Job

2010-09-14T08:52:00.000-07:00

At this point in my life, I am looking for a job. Not just any job, but a good job.

I found a position working in a restaurant for 9 an hour. The position is a cashier person, at a small chicken place on 14th street. The chicken is tasty, but the vegetables are to die for.

But I will continue my search. Why is a person, like myself, settling for this when I have a college degree, excellent qualifications, and even better recommendations? I applied to be a file clerk at a skin surgery place today. Did it go well? I am not sure. I think that is a good thing. I didn't want to come off as too confident, and I didn't want to come off as too quiet/antisocial. It is difficult to find a good balance.

But for now, I need to get undressed, and dressed to go to work at the chicken place. EVERYONE WISH ME LUCK

Michelle Phan IRL

2010-09-13T12:32:00.001-07:00

I saw Michelle Phan IRL.

It was at Sephora in NYC during Fashion night out. I was able to make a bad video on my iPhone. And here is the results.

Daylily!!!

2010-09-08T13:43:00.000-07:00

As many of you know, I grow day lilies! I also grow orchids and other things, but I have mostly day lilies.

This year I have been taking many pictures of my day lily garden. I have posted them on facebook, and you can see the two photo albums here and here. I have been meaning to blog about them for quite sometime, but only now do I have the chance.

To anyone who has grown Hemerocallis, you know this genus likes water. Many times during the summer these plants seemed like they weren't doing too well, just because I forgot to water them, but I was still blessed with more than enough pictures, and seeds (hybrids? I hope so!!). Some of the flower stalks also produced clones which I am happy about.

Munny 3.0

2010-08-04T08:35:00.000-07:00

On August 2, 2010 Dan Brown started a project called Dan 3.0. This project was intended to give control of his life over to the internet community! The internet community now has control over what Dan does. All anyone needs to do is to go over to dan30.com, and propose or vote on an idea.

Many people are taking this as an opportunity to try to change the world. To try and see how things would be like, if governments and businesses had similar models. Many of the proposed tasks are silly, or just for fun, like go skydiving, or do a cross country trip around the 50 U.S. states. However many of the tasks have a deeper meaning, like giving to charity, or donating time at a soup kitchen, or even giving money to homeless people!

However, there is one task in particular I am eager to see Dan complete. At this moment, if all the tasks are sorted by most positive votes, the task I am talking about lies on page 40, out of over 400. This means that the task is in about the top 10 percent of tasks, but it still has a long way to go.

The task I am talking about deals with munny dolls, and it is very simple. Have Dan Brown obtain a munny doll, then decorate it, and sell it. After recovering his original investment, the money will go to charity! This will definitely work and be successful simply because of Dans popularity!

But if you are going to vote for this task, you can do so for many reasons. The first reason is the obvious charity aspect of the task. The second reason is that it promotes KidRobot and munny's! Imagine what a boost it would be for KidRobot, to have Dan Brown decorate a munny doll. Not only does it promote KidrRobot as a company, but it also promotes the central idea of the KidRobot community, which is to foster a community of artistic expression, something that many of the other Dan 3.0 task suggestions have been lacking.

One last reason to vote would be to have an influence on Dans life this year. Many people seem to be claiming that this project has the ability to change the world. Wouldn't you want to be a part of it?

If you would like to vote for the Munny task click here!

Application Here, Application There, Applications EVERYWHERE

2010-07-27T13:13:00.000-07:00

I have been applying for jobs constantly over the past few months. No one seems to be hiring, no matter how many emails, applications, or phone calls I make. Some people tell me I am stuck in a crappy situation, while other people tell me I should take this as an opportunity to take time off.

A third option I here from people often is that I should go get a Masters. Yesterday I had an idea which trumped all of the above. I am going to get a Bachellors Degree (again!), but this time in Nursing.

What change of events is this? What can possibly have spured this crazy idea? While applying for jobs I am constantly seeing ads for nurses. Especially on careerbuilder.com (not so much on craigslist). I looked online for the salary a nurse makes, and it is a lot more than I am making! For my first job out of college, I made a bit over 10 thousand dollars for that first year. This is now my second year out of college and I am making nothing!

What is my dream in life? My dream is to one day own a greenhouse where I can propagate plants and sell them. I also wouldn't mind owning a little room where I can raise Crested Geckos to sell as well. But this dream of mine will never be realised with degrees in business, biology or horticulture. How will I ever be able to raise the money needed for that type of a career, with degrees that don't have any good jobs associated with them (at the moment). I do not regret getting the B.S. in Biological Sciences, but now it is time to realise the dream, and the first part of it is obtaining a career that will get me paid.

Nursing seems like just the career for me. I am certainly smart enough to be able to handle the job, and if anything it is always in demand (supposedly, although I have been lied to about this in the past.

Anyway, I am now printing out the application for nonmatriculated students at a NYC college where I can obtain the prerequisites necesary (hopefully in one semester) to be able to become a nursing student!

The next step, after I am sure I am "in" is to start applying for the actual nursing program! Everything is going to happen so fast! But the pace is half the excitement. Let's do it!

Oncidium, Lycaste, and Plectranthus!

2010-07-21T10:05:00.000-07:00

Lots of things to cover today, so lets start from the top!

Lycaste

When I last spoke about my Lycaste aromatica it was to give you the horrible news that it appeared to be quickly dying! To recap, I put the plant outside, and I don't know if it was a lack of water, or the immense heat, or too much sunlight, but the darn plant started turning brown! I quickly brought it inside and blogged about the occurrence.

The leaves from my last Lycaste post all fell off, and all I was left with were 3 bulbs. One lost it's green color completely. The fate of my Lycaste was in question, and all seemed lost, until today! I learned from my friends that even if a plant looks dead, you should still water it, and try to take care of it. This is because, plants, as it turns out, have a tendency to come back! While watering my plants today I noticed that my Lycaste had a new growth of leaves!

I am happy my Lycaste is showing signs of revival, but I am now a lot more cautious about this one. The best of the best learn from their mistakes. My mistake? Putting it outside in the first place. From now on, Lycaste is strictly part of my windowsill garden, no matter how shady the area outside. Given the number of heat waves and record temperatures hitting NYC recently, I wouldn't trust this plant anywhere else...

Oncidium

I have 3 Oncidium orchids. One is Oncidioda charlesworthii 'Mishima', another is Onc. Tsiku Marguerite 'Romantic Fantasy', a cream colored fragrant Oncidium, and the last was, until recently, a mystery! That is until yesterday, when the darn thing finally decided to break bud and flower for me! I had spoken about this plant recently in youtube videos! The following video was uploaded to youtube on May 10th. If you fast forward the video to 2:30, you will see me talking about the growth on my Oncidium, and wondering if it was just a leaf, or an actual flower stalk!

In my last video for the PhoneticFriends youtube channel, I was able to show the orchids flower stalk, with many flower buds on it. The following video was uploaded on July 19th, 2010, about 2 months after the first signs that the plant was about to flower. Growing these plants have sure been a test of patience:

But it wasn't until yesterday, July 20th, 2010, that the first flower opened up! I was able to get a (pretty bad) picture of the flower on my iphone! Here is the result:

Yes, I know the picture is really bad, but you can still get a feel for the colors. It is a reddish purple flower with a fat lip, and very thin petals/sepals. The petals and sepals themselves are a light pink color, while the lip is a very dark purplish red. Unfortunately, there doesn't appear to be any fragrance on this plant, but it is still an awesome sight! If anyone can ID this plant for me, I would thank you kindly!

Plectranthus

A while ago, a horrible thunderstorm ripped apart a Plectranthus 'Mona Lavender' that I planted outside. I have many individuals of this same plant that were all cuttings of a plant that I obtained from the University of vermont Greenhouse. My other 2 Plectranthus are in pots, and were near a wall, so they didn't get torn apart as badly. But this one... I found tattered and torn on the border of the property, tangled within the metal wires of my neighbors fence.

I did the only thing anyone would do. I took the plant, and carefully placed cuttings of it in water. I think I now have about 5 or 6 cuttings of it, which have rooted pretty well, but I may leave them in the water for a few more weeks, until the weather gets back into the 80's. Then I will pot them up for the winter! And when spring hits... hahahaha. Mother nature better be ready! These babies are going right outside again! Life has given me a lemon of a situation. I am making lemonade!

Anyway, here is a picture of the plants growing roots in plastic cups:

Daylily Surprise! And Lycaste Horrors!

2010-06-23T11:08:00.000-07:00

Earlier this year, Ernest DeMarie, who has a blog of his own, decided to let me have a good portion of his daylilies!. After growing them all spring, they have started to flower!

The first one to flower was the Malaysian Monarch! The first flower to open up did so on June 16th, 2010. And the next one to open was on June 22nd. Both flowers were from different plants, so I know that at least two of them are the same. I tried to self pollinate the second flower that came up. We will have to wait a while to see what comes of this, but I hope it's seedlings are as beautiful as the parent. Here are some pictures:

The plants themselves have had a rough year, as you can probably notice by the leaves. After being dug out of Ernies garden, I left them outside for a night before putting them in the ground (I came back too late to put them in). I think many of the roots dried out considerably during this time, and once they were put into the ground, my constant watering has helping them recover. Many of my lilies have had leaves which were turning yellow, or which were extremely dry, starting from the tips and running down the leaves. However, they all are alive, and seem to be doing better.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same for the Lycaste from my last post. While it is a beautiful plant, I decided that putting it outside will help it get more light. I put it in a shaded area, near a bush. However this was a horrible idea. The leaves started turning brown from the tips, and even worse, the leaves started flopping! This is never good for any plant, much less an orchid. I have since brought the plant indoors in an attempt to recover it. One leaf is not almost completely brown and the other is turning brown slowly from the tip. Any Lycaste growers with experience who might be able to help me, please comment below!

And here is a picture of the poor Lycaste aromatica:

In both pictures you can clearly see that the damage is both severe and intense. Now I know better. Many people online says the thing grows fine at home, so i am keeping it indoors until further notice.

In the second picture a keen eye might be able to make out an oncidium about to flower. I will definitely blog about this, if the event comes to pass!

Lycaste aromatica

2010-06-01T14:32:00.001-07:00

This past weekend my girlfriend, Donna, stayed over my place, and we had one of the best weekends ever. We had gone to six flags and we took many photos.

One of the better parts of the trip was heading out to see Ernie. He has given me so many plants this year, it is hard to thank him enough. Perhaps posting a link to his blog will help. Click here.

While walking through his collection I was able to witness awesome orchid blooming outside his house. I saw how he resurrected a near dead spring cactus. I also witnessed a Cattleya with a beautiful scent by the window. A flowering Pinguicula was also nice. However the most awesome part was when he gave me one of his Lycaste aromatica!

Donna was kind enough to hold the plant for me while I took pictures. I didn't know the flower wouldn't last long. It is now turning a dark brown color :(. To be fair the flower did last from Friday throughout the weekend until Monday, when it started to loose all of its fragrance.

I have wanted a Lycaste aromatica ever since I was in high school. Now I have one! I hope it flowers more next year. According to the pictures online, the plant has the potential to flower profusely (10 or more flowers), in any given year. Too bad I have to wait a year to see what it does.

On another note, the wiki page for this orchid is a stub. Click here to see it. There is no information on where the plant occurs, what kind of hybrids can be made with it, what the scent of the flower is like (cinnamon), nor how common the plant is. I know I am not very popular in the blogosphere, but if anyone cares to make this worthless stub of a wiki page actually worth looking up, feel free to edit it!

On one last final note, my Oncidium is about to flower. More on that later!

Oncidioda charlesworthii 'Mishima'

2010-03-08T18:24:00.000-08:00

I got a new orchid in my collection!. It is Oncidioda charlesworthii 'Mishima'.

I was so happy I decided to make a video. It is here on my blog now!

The Nine Inch Nails Fiasco

2010-02-20T23:09:00.000-08:00

I work the front desk here at L Hostels, and few guest recommendations are difficult to fulfill. Usually a guest wants a towel, or to reactivate their key card. Something that is easy to accomplish with little or no effort, and is of no stress to me. I am glad to put a smile on a guests face.

So I came in to work on Saturday night. I was set to work the night shift, from 12 a.m. until 8 in the morning. On the way to work I was listening to the Rachel Maddow Show from the night before. I had downloaded the podcast on my iPod Nano, which was given to me from my job when I was employee of the month. Many months have passed by, and to my knowledge, there has not been another employee of the month for a long time. Something I think they lost sight of, but anyway...

I just shrugged it off as coincidence when the show on my iPod ended, and I found I was at my destination. Perfect timing is too cliche for it. As I turned the corner on 118th street onto Adam Clayton Powell Blvd, I noticed loud music. There was party in one of the storefronts. The last meeting the hostel had was mostly about communication, but I wasn't told about this. I was deeply disappointed that I wasn't told there was going to be a party on my shift. Perhaps this is another reason why I felt pushed to look for another position.

I entered the hostel to find Cynthia at the front desk. She was doing her job, calm cool and collected. She is short and pretty, but not my type. I noticed the radio was on. Z100. Mainstream pop. I also noticed what was playing on Paladia. A Nine Inch Nails concert. It was more my style, but I let the guests have their brainwashed pop music.

My shift started, and Lady Gaga came on. It must've been the 10 thousandth time I heard Bad Romance. An asian guest quickly came, asking to change the music to the Nine Inch Nails concert. Claiming it was his favorite band. I obliged. I like Nine Inch Nails too, but unless I had a reason to, there was really no point in changing the music. I changed it.

Not two minutes later a guest came to complain. Saying that the music was annoying her, and that she preferred to hear something mainstream. I told her, when it came to Rock, you couldn't be more mainstream than Nine Inch Nails. But anyway. I wasn't going to change it for some spanish lady who doesn't really know music. Nine Inch Nails is awesome, and a nice change from Lady Gaga.

Also the asian guys already asked me to put Nine Inch Nails on, and they were playing pool. I wasn't going to say, I can't put the volume on, but you can see the video. Also, I wanted to hear the music. So I told the lady, I wasn't going to take off Nine Inch Nails. Was I being selfish? NO!
The music hadn't even been on for two minutes. The asian guy wouldn've thought me a jerk, or a douchebag if I had changed it so early.

The female came back about 3 minutes later, and I changed it back to Z100. I hate making those types of decisions here. I should be able to listen to Nine Inch Nails at 1 a.m. at my job without being persecuted. Nine Inch Nails is mainstream, although I wouldn't call it pop. I changed it so she didn't have a bitch fit. What some guys calls a Titty Attack, but I usually call it a chick attack. It is when females for one reason or another overreact for the smallest details. They care so much for something so trivial. It makes no sense. Most woman have committed this offense at one time or another.

Anyway. This is the Nine Inch Nails Fiasco. The asian guy looked at me less than 1 minute late when Kanye West started playing. I know his pain. I hate it too.

Killing Ms. Figman

2010-02-01T03:44:00.000-08:00

There is one guest at my job, Ms. Figman, who I would love to kill.

As I entered my shift for sunday night, Cynthia told me guests were complaining about Ms. Figman. They were complaining that she was being loud, they were complaining that she was smoking in the room, and they were complaining that she was being inconsiderate. As for what she was smoking, it wasn't cigarettes and it wasn't weed, according to the guests. Cynthia thought it might have been crack, but I had no evidence for or against anything other than heresay, so I didn't say anything.

Until about 6 a.m. Working the night shift sucks, and after a long shift, I would like nothing more than to go home and go to sleep. I don't need to make conversations with fucking crazy people. She came by to tell me the computer she was on wasn't working. She told me she swiped her credit card, and they cut off her internet. I told her she would not be charged for the time she didn't use. She then told me she put a dollar into the computer. I told her the minimum was 2 dollars and she started arguing with me! I have been working here for months, and the computers have ALWAYS been 2 dollars for 20 minutes, and now she was going to try to contradict me with her doublespeak?

But it gets worse. She asked if she could get a refund. I said no. I give refunds when the computers malfunction, not when someone doesn't know how to use them. I wanted to add the word dumbass. But the story gets better...

She then asked what was wrong with me. She said most people working here were normal, and asked if I was imitating someone.

NO I AM NOT FUCKING IMiTATING ANYONE! SOMEONE IS IRRITATING ME, and if she keeps on...

If she keeps on...

New Terrarium

2010-01-11T00:30:00.000-08:00

The New Year started out with many surprises, but one of the best ones is this new terrarium I received from Ernie. He is a plant guy, like me, and you can read his blog here.
I received the terrarium the same day he gave me the gecko back. I am still going to get a crested gecko on the 24th of January, just so I can walk around the house with it. But this tank is awesome, and the plants he gave me were legendary. Lets see what survives, and what suffers. Some of the plants I had from before are having a tough time.

There was a basket of plants left at my job for about 3 days, so I took it, and decided to try and save all the plants I can. It didn't work out that well. Most of the plants are suffering. Even the one I put in the gecko tank is suffering (although in that heat from the heat lamp. I think only cacti or succulents can survive it).

Here is the tank as I set up originally. Since then I placed both my plectanthrus in the tank, and one of them decided to flower. I think it is happy. But my favorite plant in the tank is the Begonia. It looks so big. It is legendary. I hope it survives!!!

New Year

2010-01-03T03:27:00.001-08:00

My New Years celebration was awesome. I spent it in bed eating chips and drinking beer. I am not really the party type. However I am happy that mom didn't suck me into her plans. She always makes me go to one of her friends house, where there is loud music, drinking and dancing. I don't like to dance, nor do I really like loud music. Low volume tunes from jason mraz, John Mayer, Daft Punk, and Gorillaz are always okay. But spanish reggea (reggeaton), salsa, and bachata, are not my idea of new years. But I am starting everything anew. The only thing lacking were some friends to cuddle with. Maybe I would find someone cool and open minded for me and Donna to cuddle with in 2010, but I will not make it my resolution.

My avid facebook and youtube followers may have noticed that I have a new gecko. His name is gex, and he has HIS OWN BLOG! That's right, my golden gecko has a blog. You should all read it sometime. Here is the link:

http://gexfrombronx.blogspot.com/

I have started many things anew this year, not only my pet, which was given to me by Ernie, because I gave it to him to take care for me while I was in college, but I also have a new terrarium, with many cool plants, also given to me by Ernie. However this is not the biggest news of all.

I reformatted my computer, and I now have Snow Leopard! I gave up windows again. One big letdown, my iSight is not working. I will bring my computer to the geek squad once the weather gets warmer. It is freaking cold here in the city.

I am 23 now, since my birthday was the first. New Years and birthday wishes ran rampant on my facebook page, as they often do when a person has many people as friends. I really wish I could hang out with them a bit more often, but it is difficult to do so.

Other than that, many people have been asking me if I have a New Years resolution. It has taken me a while to come up with it, but this year I am going to be proactive. Take baby steps to completing small goals. I believe in this way the big goals will come my way. Getting a drivers license is one of the small goals I wish to complete this year, along with a few other small things. Hopefully I am able to get a raise or a better job, or figure out a plan to save my money more wisely.

I was thinking, perhaps because I just got out of college I was spending money, and then my excuse was the holidays, but now I have no excuse. Even my close friends who were here are no longer here. They left to go to Germany. All I have is Donna, who can be expensive at times, but it is still no excuse to spend money. I was doing a budget of what I spend, and most of my money goes on food. Eating out, whether it is a MacDonalds, or some other place. The best way to decrease consumption is to eat before I go out, or bring food from home with me. The second option is not really a viable one. I don't coo much, and what I cook is usually fried and unhealthy. Eating before I go out is alright, but I think that is not a viable option either, especially since I will always get hungry while I am out.

No, the best option would be not to go out at all, except for work. That way I am not tempted to eat out. Clever eh?

Plectanthrus Failing - An update on Future Projects

2009-12-24T11:12:00.000-08:00

Today I broke my Plectanthrus 'Mona Lavender'. It was a bit sad. The bigger portion of the plant broke off, but it is still alright. I put it in water, and perhaps I can get another plant out of it. It has been a while since I have written about my plants.

The spider plants have been planted into the makeshift window planter, and they seem to be coming along nicely. However, they keep falling off. Not just the spider plants but that's how I broke my Plactanthrus. I can't wait until this weekend though. My plans will soon be complete, and it will prevent many of the issues I am currently facing. My plan is to put up no less than 3 shelves on my wall for plants and for the tank I will soon be obtaining which will house my gecko.

Which means I need to plan a trip to home depot. I don't have a car, so perhaps my mom will be able to help me out with this one. I am not that good at houseman work either, but I think I can manage some simple shelves. I also wanted to hang my keyblade on my wall, as well as the poster of my research I had from Vermont. This means I have a lot of work I need to do, which will most likely be done this coming Monday, my day off. I work Saturday morning, and on Sunday, I work the cafe in the morning, and the audit at night.

Saturday seems like the optimal time to do this type of work, but it is not. I have a friend who needs to return to Germany on the 29th, and Saturday may be the only day I have to see her. Also my girl is off of work this week, but because of my horrible work schedule, we wont be able to see each other much. So Saturday is also a day I have to see, and hang out with her. She may be able to help me out on Monday also. I need pots too for all my seeds, like the seeds of the petunia plants I have, and the Hibiscus seeds I have from Ernie as well. I am thinking that they might be also good seeds to put into the tank with my gecko. They grow very well and quickly. The only problem is the humidity in a tank may be too much for them. More on this later.

So I put the severed 'Mona Lavender' into water, and pretty soon it will need a pot. A big pot, since this plant is larger than normal. If I am able to successfully root this piece, then it will be the 3rd 'Mona Lavender" in my collection. I may also throw it into the mix.

As for the sundew I got from Ernie, it didn't make it. Perhaps it was too hot near my windowsill, or in my room. Either way life is hard for the greenlife in my room.

I can't wait for the spring. My Amaryllis is currently hybernating, but I cannot wait for it to come out of it's sleepy state. Till then, I will keep cuddling, and keep myself in a sleepy state.

Special Comment on The Lastest Healthcare Reform Bill by Keith Olbermann

2009-12-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

SPECIAL COMMENT

By Keith Olbermann

Anchor, 'Countdown'

msnbc.com

updated 9:16 p.m. ET, Wed., Dec . 16, 2009

Keith Olbermann

Anchor, 'Countdown'

• Profile

Finally, as promised, a Special Comment on the latest version of H-R 35-90, the Senate Health Care Reform bill. To again quote Churchill after Munich, as I did six nights ago on this program: "I will begin by saying the most unpopular and most unwelcome thing: that we have sustained a total and unmitigated defeat, without a war."

Last night on this program Howard Dean said that with the appeasement of Mr. Lieberman of Connecticut by the abandonment of the Medicare Buy-in, he could no longer support H-R 35-90. Dr. Dean's argument is informed, cogent, heart breaking, and unanswerable.

Seeking the least common denominator, Sen. Reid has found it, especially the "least" part. This is not health, this is not care, this is certainly not reform. I bless the Sherrod Browns and Ron Wydens and Jay Rockefellers and Sheldon Whitehouses and Anthony Weiners and all the others who have fought for real reform and I bleed for the pain inflicted upon them and their hopes. They have done their jobs and served their nation.

But through circumstances beyond their control, they are now seeking to reanimate a corpse killed by the Republicans, and by a political game played in the Senate and in the White House by men and women who have now proved themselves poorly equipped for the fight. The "men" of the current moment, have lost to the "mice" of history.

They must now not make the defeat worse by passing a hollow shell of a bill just for the sake of a big-stage signing ceremony. This bill, slowly bled to death by the political equivalent of the leeches that were once thought state-of-the-art-medicine, is now little more than a series of microscopically minor tweaks of a system which is the real-life, here-and-now version, of the malarkey of the Town Hallers. The American Insurance Cartel is the Death Panel, and this Senate bill does nothing to destroy it. Nor even to satiate it.

It merely decrees that our underprivileged, our sick, our elderly, our middle class, can be fed into it, as human sacrifices to the great maw of corporate voraciousness, at a profit per victim of 10 cents on the dollar instead of the current 20. Even before the support columns of reform were knocked down, one by one, with the kind of passive defense that would embarrass a touch-football player - single-payer, the public option, the Medicare Buy-In - before they vanished, the Congressional Budget Office estimated that the part of this bill that would require you to buy insurance unless you could prove you could not afford it, would cost a family of four with a household income of 54-thousand dollars a year, 17 percent of that income. Nine thousand dollars a year. Just for the insurance!

That was with a public option. That was with some kind of check on the insurance companies. That was before — as Howard Dean pointed out — the revelation that the cartel will still be able to charge older people more than others; will — at the least — now be able to charge much more, maybe 50 percent more, for people with pre-existing conditions — pre-existing conditions; you know, like being alive.

You have just agreed to purchase a product. If you do not, you will be breaking the law and subject to a fine. You have no control over how much you will pay for the product. The government will have virtually no control over how much the company will charge for the product. The product is designed like the Monty Python sketch about the insurance company's "Never-Pay" policy ... "which, you know, if you never claim — is very worthwhile. But you had to claim, and, well, there it is."

And who do we have to blame for this? There are enough villains to go around, men and women who, in a just world, would be the next to get sick and have to sell their homes or their memories or their futures — just to keep themselves alive, just to keep their children alive, against the implacable enemy of American society, the insurance cartel. Mr. Grassley of Iowa has lied, and fomented panic and fear. Mr. DeMint of South Carolina has forgotten he represents people, and not just a political party. Mr. Baucus of Montana has operated as a virtual agent for the industry he is charged with regulating. Mr. Nelson of Nebraska has not only derailed reform, he has tried to exploit it to overturn a Supreme Court decision that, in this context, is frankly none of his goddamned business.

They say they have done what they have done for the most important, the most fiscally prudent, the most gloriously phrased, the most inescapable of reasons. But mostly they have done it for the money. Lots and lots of money from the insurance companies and the pharmacological companies and the other health care companies who have slowly taken this country over.

Which brings us to Mr. Lieberman of Connecticut, the one man at the center of this farcical perversion of what a government is supposed to be. Out of pique, out of revenge, out of betrayal of his earlier wiser saner self, he has sold untold hundreds of thousands of us into pain and fear and privation and slavery — for money. He has been bought and sold by the insurance lobby. He has become a Senatorial prostitute. And sadly, the President has not provided the leadership his office demands.

He has badly misjudged the country's mood at all ends of the spectrum. There is no middle to coalesce here, Sir. There are only the uninformed, the bought-off, and the vast suffering majority for whom the urgency of now is a call from a collection agency or a threat of rescission of policy or a warning of expiration of services.

Sir, your hands-off approach, while nobly intended and perhaps yet some day applicable to the reality of an improved version of our nation, enabled the national humiliation that was the Town Halls and the insufferable Neanderthalian stupidity of Congressman Wilson and the street-walking of Mr. Lieberman.

Instead of continuing this snipe-hunt for the endangered and possibly extinct creature "bipartisanship," you need to push the Republicans around or cut them out or both. You need to threaten Democrats like Baucus and the others with the ends of their careers in the party. Instead, those Democrats have threatened you, and the Republicans have pushed you and cut you out.

Mr. President, the line between "compromise" and "compromised" is an incredibly fine one. Any reform bill enrages the right, and provides it with the war cry around which it will rally its mindless legions in the midterms and in '12. But this Republican knee-jerk inflexibility provides an incredible opportunity to you, Sir, and an incredible license.

On April 6th 2003, I was approached by two drunken young men at a baseball game. One of them started to ask for an autograph. The other stopped him by shouting "Screw him, he's a liberal." This program had been on the air for three weeks. It had to that point consisted entirely of brief introductions to correspondents in Iraq or to military analysts. There had been no criticism, no political analysis, no commentary. I had not covered news full-time for more than four years. I could not fathom on what factual basis, I was being called a "liberal," let alone being sworn at for being such.

Only later did it dawn on me that it didn't matter why, and it didn't matter that they were doing it — it only mattered that if I was going to be mindlessly criticized for anything, the reaction would be identical whether I did nothing that engendered it, or stood for something that engendered it.

Mr. President, they are calling you a socialist, a communist, a Marxist. You could be further to the right than Reagan - and this health care bill, as Howard Dean put it here last night, this bailout for the insurance industry, sure invites the comparison. And they will still call you names.

Sir, if they are going to call you a socialist no matter what you do, you have been given full unfettered freedom to do what you know is just. The bill may be the ultimate political manifesto, or it may be the most delicate of compromises. The firestorm will be the same. So why not give the haters, as the cliché goes, something to cry about.

But concomitant with that is the reaction from Democrats and Independents. You have riven them, Sir. Any bill will engender criticism but this bill costs you the left — and anybody who now has to pony up 17 percent of his family's income to buy this equivalent of Medical Mobster Protection Money.

Some speaking for you, Sir, have called the public option a fetish. They may be right. But to stay with this uncomfortable language, this bill is less fetish, more bondage. Nothing short of your re-election and the re-election of dozens of Democrats in the house and senate, hinges in large part on this bill. Make it palatable or make it go away or make yourself ready — not merely for a horrifying campaign in 2012 — but for the distinct possibility also of a primary challenge.

Befitting the season, Sir, these are not the shadows of the things that will be, but the shadows of the things that may be. But at this point, Mr. President, only you can make certain of that. There is only one redemption possible. The mandate in this bill under which we are required to buy insurance must be stripped out.

The bill now is little more than a legally mandated delivery of the middle class (and those whose dreams of joining it slip ever further away) into a kind of Chicago stockyards of insurance. Make enough money to take care of yourself and your family and you must buy insurance — on the insurers terms — or face a fine.

This provision must go. It is, above all else, immoral and a betrayal of the people who elected you, Sir. You must now announce that you will veto any bill lacking an option or buy-in, but containing a mandate.

And Sen. Reid, put the public option back in, or the Medicare Buy-In, or both. Or single-payer. Let Lieberman and Ben Nelson and Baucus and the Republicans vote their lack-of-conscience and preclude 60 "ayes." Let them commit political suicide instead of you.

Let Mr. Lieberman kill the bill — then turn to his Republican friends only to find out they hate him more than the Democrats do. Let him stagger off the public stage, to go work for the insurance industry. As if he is not doing that now.

Then, Mr. Reid, take every worthwhile provision of health care reform you legally can, and pass it via reconciliation, when ever and how ever you can — and by the way, a Medicare Buy-In can be legally passed via reconciliation. The Senate bill with the mandate must be defeated, if not in the Senate, then in the House.

Health care reform that benefits the industry at the cost of the people is intolerable and there are no moral constructs in which it can be supported. And if still the bill and this heinous mandate become law there is yet further reaction required. I call on all those whose conscience urges them to fight, to use the only weapon that will be left to us if this bill becomes law. We must not buy federally mandated insurance if this cheesy counterfeit of reform is all we can buy.

No single payer? No sale. No public option? No sale. No Medicare buy-in? No sale. I am one of the self-insured, albeit by choice. And I hereby pledge that I will not buy this perversion of health care reform. Pass this at your peril, Senators, and sign it at yours, Mr. President. I will not buy this insurance. Brand me a lawbreaker if you choose. Fine me if you will. Jail me if you must.

But if the Medicare Buy-In goes, but the Mandate stays, the people who fought so hard and so sincerely to bring sanity to this system must kill this mutated version of their dream, because those elected by us to act for us have forgotten what must be the golden rule of health care reform. It is the same one to which physicians are bound, by oath: First do no harm.

Dawkins Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution

2009-12-06T18:25:00.000-08:00

The greatest show on earth is a must read for any educated person. It not only outlines the evidence for evolution, it also is an excellent book to debunk creationism, and intelligent design. From fossils to DNA, from embryology to comparative biology, from ecology to genetics, all signs point to evolution by way of natural or artificial selection. One of the best parts of the book is when Dawkins explains, that even without the fossil evidence, using only contemporary species, comparative biology, DNA evidence, and embryology, we still have a perfectly valid case for evolution. As a matter of fact, the entire idea of missing links is completely misleading. Every fossil ever discovered is a missing link to some other species, unless the species represented by the fossil went extinct. If it did go extinct, it still has characteristics that are represented by many organisms of the time.

But one of the most important chapters were the chapters where evolution has tried to compensate an adaptation from the past that no longer is valid. For example: how the vas deferans wraps around the urethra on it's way to it's final destination, as opposed to a direct route. Or how our bodies are not fully adapted for bipedalism, which brings about problems such as back aches, and foot problems.

One of the most shocking chapters was the appendix, when Dawkins talks about studies that have been done to poll the populations of the U.S. and Europe to gather their opinions on evolution. I consider this chapter the most telling of all. While it measures simple things, such as, how many people believe in young earth creationism vs intelligent design vs evolution, the deeper implications are astounding. In reality, once the evidence is presented, in such a way as Dawkins has presented it in his book, it is obviously unquestionable. Evolution is a fact, whether individuals believe it or not. It is my personal belief that such studies are not really a poll on the publics opinion on evolution, but a poll of ignorance in general. The more people in a population do not believe in evolution, the more ignorant the population is.

It is a shame that Dawkins didn't spend more time going over the implications of these polls in the appendix. I suspect it may be because he wanted to stick to the facts and not insert his personal opinion about God into the argument. It was obvious that the study from Turkey, the most religious state in the poll, also had the lowest percentage of the population believing in evolution. It seems to me that intelligence and religion are inversely correlated. There were only 3 or 4 studies mentioned in Dawkins book, but I am sure there are more. If your interested in the implications of these studies from the U.S. you should see Dawkins TED talk on militant atheism:

Overall, I think anyone with the language capable of understanding this book should read it. There is a need for biologists to reach out to the general population. There is a gap between common knowledge in the professors of this world, and the common knowledge of the common people. The two need to be merged either with seminars available to the public, or something of that nature. Dawkins and others have taken a major step by actively giving seminars and writing books.

I would imagine it would be difficult for someone in the sciences to reach out to the general public precisely because of the misconceptions. What types of mind numbing questions will be posed, and more importantly, who will be offended. I stand on Dawkins side, we NEED to offend people. And we NEED to answer each of those questions as best as we can, each and every time, with the patience as if it were the first time the question was posed. Ignorance needs to be eradicated, for the sake of peace. Peace through knowledge, knowledge through learning, and as always, patience prevails!

The Reptile Expo and other updates

2009-12-06T00:06:00.000-08:00

Exactly one week after the Reptile Expo, and I still feel like I need a gecko. A crested gecko. Those little guys are so nice, and cute. Don't believe me? Look Here:

They handed me a gecko at the show, and I fell in love. So I have some requirements, of course, before I buy the gecko. And this is going to turn into an ongoing project for me. According to http://reptileexpo.com/ I need to get the habitat ready by the 24th of next month. This gives me a one and a half month period to get a tank and put some cool things into it. I was thinking that perhaps one of my Plectranthrus 'Mona Lavender' might do well in a tank.

If you remember, a small piece had fallen off when I was moving to the Bronx. I put it in some water, and viola, it set root. Plectranthus is notoriously easy to root in water. So this is no surprise. After such a long time in NY, I finally managed to find time (and money) to go to Walmart, and buy some soil. What happened afterward was magic. All the spider plants that I had put to root were still in water, together, in, what I would call, a tangled mess. I ended up planting about 6 of them in a windowsill garden planter, but I cannot put it on my windowsill because it is too cold. So it lies in my room. All the other spider plants were thrown out. I seriously had too many anyway.

I also planted the Plectranthrus in soil, and in a pot that Ernie gave me (thanks!!!). He also gave me some seed of a Hibiscus plant, which was thought to be endangered. I also have the thousands of petunia seeds from this summer, but I need a starter mix to get them started. I am thinking about planting one in a small pot I obtained in Vermont. I painted the pot so one side reads Don, and the other reads Jon (for Donna and Jonathan). I threw out the big petunia Donna had. It was just too big, and it was always producing seeds. Hopefully all the seeds retain the same attributes. It might also be interesting to throw some of these seeds into the tank with the gecko, when I get it.

I also need to consider doing this project on low budget terms. I hardly have money to do much. I know it is supposed to be this way, since I am just starting work after college, but I didn't know it would be this difficult. I thought I would at least have enough to get my own place, if I wanted it. Of course I was wrong. Perhaps Ernie can give me one of those tanks now?

Anyway, until then, I will finish up the last two chapters of Dawkins book, and lounge around, like these two turtles at the expo.

Also, an in depth review of Dawkins book will come tomorrow or the day after. Also a rant about our sense of smell and ability to taste as it relates to our terrible sense of memory.

Stay tuned

A Call to Herp Breeders!

2009-11-29T00:45:00.000-08:00

Have you ever seen the Gecko gecko? The common name is Tokay Gecko. I used to own one a long time ago. It has long since died, but that gecko has traumatized me for life. It was nasty, and always snapping at me when I was trying to clean it's tank. In truth, it has bitten me more than once.

I originally brought it because it was beautiful and big. I figured that as long as I kept it well fed, it would be happy. This is not the way things have turned out. The more I fed it, the bigger it got, and the more unhappy it was!

For those of you who have no idea of what I am talking about, here is a picture of a Tokay Gecko:

While it does look beautiful and elegant, I have to admit, it was meaner than a picked on pit bull with a thorn in his ass and a score to settle. Many other animals seem to be domesticated just fine. Tokay Geckos are not in this category.

However I am not losing hope. I know that recently, the silver fox has been bred to be domesticated. You can read about it on wiki here. On the bottom of the wiki article, there are also links to the primary literature dealing with this issue. It is amazing that the fox was domesticated! I really want one, not only because they look cute, but because the implications of "wildness" seem to be directly correlated with genetics. In other words, a domesticated fox, with a differing genome than the foxes in the wild is a direct test of the evolutionary theory. Without evolution, this would have never happened. Of course, natural selection played little role in the domestication of the fox, but selection from a human hand, or from nature, go hand in hand. Here is a page from Cornells website about fox domestication, with more primary literature as references.

So now for the challenge. I am asking for herpetologists to undergo a similar experiment. Tame the wild beast! Gecko gecko with it's current aggressive phenotype is not suitable as a pet. While it may be a voracious eater, it needs to be tame to be in the homes of human beings! If it can be done with a dog, it most certainly can be done with geckos. It may be difficult at first, because so many individuals seem to display an aggressive phenotype. However, if a "not so aggressive" phenotype does exist, it needs to be exploited! These are the individuals that we need to mate with others, so that we can select amongst the most tame.

Of course an experiment of this nature will be difficult at first. For example, choosing non aggressive adults does not necessarily mean that their tameness is due to genetics. It can be that those individuals have acclimated to being handled by people. For these reasons, the offspring of these experiments need to be handled as little as possible so the true genotype can be determined. On a side note, it might do breeders well to select for individuals who are not only tame genotypically, but contain the right genetic code so that they have the ability to "learn" to be tamed easily. This second point is important also. We need geckos which can learn the way in which their handlers handle them. People treat their animals differently, so this ability will make Tokays more acceptable as pets for more people.

As for me, if I ever get a gecko, it will be a species that is calm and docile. Like those Ptychozoon Kuhli:

Working Woes

2009-11-22T22:58:00.000-08:00

On Tuesday, I am going to Atlantic City, with other people in my job. I was invited by my boss, who decided to take everyone who wasn't working to Atlantic City. I have no money, but since he is paying the travelling expenses, I figured I would go. There is also an indoor pool (or so I am told by Cynthia), but I am in no position to wear swimming trunks. My body type is not the type to be flaunted. I desperately need to work out.

I also work Wednesday morning in the cafe, so I hope our little Jersey trip does not take too long. Working the morning shift usually means I need to get up at 4:30 in the morning, to leave at 5:30 to be at work by 7. I also plan on bringing my book. I am not into gambling at all, or Atlantic City, but for the job I will go. I suppose there will be many photo ops, and cool places to be. But I think in reality, I will mostly be reading The Greatest Show On Earth by Richard Dawkins. I just hope I don't get persecuted (as I have been before), by my religious coworkers. I might just need to let out my militant atheism on them.

But I guess the big story this week is Thanksgiving on Thursday. I had invited my friends, Anja, Morgane, and some other people over to my house. My mom always cooks the most amazing dinner, and I know my friends are far away from home. I figured I would give them a home away from home on Thanksgiving. Also, I haven't worked on Thursday for about 4 weeks. So I was sure I had Thanksgiving day off. Unfortunately, I didn't I am working from 4p.m. to 12 at night on Thursday. As a result I had to cancel on all of my friends. Hopefully the hostel does something, because I know I will be hungry. We should have a Thanksgiving here, especially since I won't be able to eat when I get home, which most likely would be between 1:30 and 2 a.m.

I actually feel really bad for cancelling on my friends. They are going back home soon, and I really wish I had more time to spend with them. Perhaps I may find time on Thursday to attend the parade in the morning. I also have Friday off, but I have to come to work to pick up my all important check. The reason this check is important is because this will be a very important weekend.

The Reptile Expo is this Sunday. I plan on going with my good friend Ernie DeMarie. It will be awesome to see him again. I feel Like I haven't seen him in forever. In all honesty, I haven't seen him since before this school year started. I may also go as far as to buy a carnivorous plant or two. Perhaps some Drosera, or a Sarracenia. The Jewel Orchids are also very pretty. They are sold mostly by the Black Jungle, but there are other vendors there as well.

Ernie still has the gecko I gave him to take care of a long time ago. He now has it as a class pet. It is always interesting to see the gecko eat. I have been told, that even after all this time, he is still a voracious eater. My current landlord does not allow me to have pets, but pretty soon I will be able to move out. If I ever find another job. My current job is really cool, but I really don't make a lot of money. I pay rent, but I think nobody seems to care. My expenses are starting to pile up now that I have a credit card. I don't worry. I will pay it off when I can. When I can...

It is late at night, and I am feeling very chill, looking at music videos on the television. There is no one to check in, and when the bagels come in, I will wrap them. But for now, it is only me and John Mayer:

The Long Walk

2009-11-21T22:20:00.000-08:00

As many of you know, I am not the fittest person around. I have tried many times to change this to no avail. I love food too much. Case in point a 1650 calorie ice cream with caramel and bananas, consumes on Friday, while I was out with Donna and Anya. It was ice cream/dairy!

In all honesty, I really need to work out more, but I find myself without time or resources to do so. I was looking online, and I also found that walking is a great way to loose weight. I love walking. I walk all the time. So tomorrow (Sunday the 22nd), I will personally walk from 118th Street and 7th Avenue to Grand Street, while tweeting major landmarks along the way. This walk alone will be legendary!

I plan to first walk down to 110th Street on 7th avenue, then down to 5th ave, then down 5th to Washington Square Park, on 7th Street. From there to Broadway. from Broadway to Grand, and that will be my spectacular walk. I plan to start it as soon as I finish work, at about 8 a.m. in the morning. If you want to join me, call me! I would love some company on this long walk. If you are not in NYC, but would still enjoy following me, then you can join me on twitter at twitter.com/jmejia1187

I am not sure how long the walk will take me, but I do plan on walking briskly, to get more of a workout. Depending on how well it goes, this may be a common routine for me. I hope it does go well. I often wonder if such a walk would do anything to improve my overall health. Of course it can't do anything to make my health worse. Unless there is an iHop on the way. That would be bad...

If you have any comments questions or concerns about my long journey, feel free to email me at jmejia1187@gmail.com

You can also follow me on facebook, and on the left hand panel of this blog!

The Intellectual Road is a Lonely Road

2009-11-15T00:51:00.000-08:00

I just started reading Richard Dawkins Greatest show on Earth, and I must say it is one of the best books I have read on the subject of evolution. It is clear, concise, straightforward, and unquestionable, as facts go. However, there are some people in my job who choose not to believe in evolution. This makes me wonder if they also deny the holocaust, and the fact that the world is round.

I am not trying to insult their intelligence, or say that they are worth less than me because I believe in evolution, but I do feel like I am cast as an outsider because of my atheistic beliefs. Just because I believe I am normal because I stand perpendicular to the surface of the earth. I also consider myself average, because in most things I fall within one standard deviation of the mean. But still I am an outsider. Atheists are the least trusted group in america, below homosexuals, and trans people. I still fight for all of our rights, but I hate being cast as an outsider.
And the solution is not as easy as just waking up one day and believing in god. It is not as easy as just waking up one day and saying that Intelligent Design may be possible. Intelligent Design is impossible. Given the assumptions of intelligent design, there should not be so many breeds of dogs. The dog breeds evolved by macroevolution caused by artificial selection. And this has occurred within the time frame of recorded history. Dachshunds and Great Danes are reproductively isolated, and given the Biological species concept, should be considered different species. And they did evolve from a common ancestor, what we know to be the wolf.
And what about the German who domesticated foxes? This is important because it shows that wild animals can evolve to look and behave differently than their predecessors.
But this again does not disprove Intelligent Design. The fossil record disproves it alone. NEVER have we found dinosaur bones with the bones of modern man. And rarely do we find fossils of contemporary species deep within the history of the fossil record (like Ginko). If humans lived during the same times as the dinosaurs, why don't we see their fossils together in the fossil record? And why don't we see chicken fossils with mastodons? And why don't we see orchid fossils with Stegocephalia? It is because these species did not coexist!
What makes evolution elegant as a fact is that evolution can be proved without going into supernatural explanations. Science needs theories based on facts. Not on assumptions which cannot be proved! The existence of God is an assumption of ID which cannot be proved. So ID breaks down as a scientific explanation. Also ID does not leave us with many hypotheses which can be tested. And all the hypotheses which ID does come up with are quickly falsified. Here are a few examples.
Example 1- Fossil Record
Evolution hypothesis:
Since species are constantly evolving, we should be able to see different fossils at different periods in time.
ID hypothesis:
Since species have existed in their current form, since the beginning of life, the fossil record should contain species currently living at any given point in the fossil record.
In example 1, if we look at the data, we can quickly REJECT THE HYPOTHESIS from ID.
Example 2- New Diseases
Evolutionary Hypothesis:
Since evolution is at play, new diseases should evolve over time, from bacteria which were previously harmless, or from diseases which were not that deadly.
ID:
All diseases that occur today have always occurred, and no new diseases can ever come about, because all species that exist have always existed in their current form.
In example 2, ID fails as a hypothesis again. SARS, H1N1, and many other new diseases have come about within a human lifetime. Not to mention that Aids is a fairly new disease. Also diseases like tuberculoses can not get stronger in ID, because they would have to evolve into stronger diseases.
People who don't believe in evolution don't have a grasp on any explanation for life. Nothing in Biology makes sense except in the light of evolution. I guess that is why so few americans choose science majors. They don't understand basic concepts in life. This is sad, because they live life.
The staff where I work don't believe in evolution. I am alone. Ignorance has seperated them from me and from the true human condition. How sad.

Platonic Cuddling

2009-11-11T21:15:00.000-08:00

I was hanging out in the Pace University library today, and the question came up as to whether platonic cuddling was possible. Now, before I begin my logical rant, I want to define what I mean by platonic cuddling. Platonic cuddling is a close and affectionate (and often prolonged) embrace that is not sexual in nature. Earlier today, I learned about another definition of platonic, from Anja, my friend. She explained to me what I now know was one of Plato's philosophical views, whereby a person or relationship is platonic, or free from physical desire. Urban Dictionary also has a definition for platonic cuddling, but it sounds more like a friends with benefits situation. I have also seen platonic cuddling between members of different species, like the tiger and the girl picture in this blog.

But in this blog, I merely want to talk about cuddling in a platonic nature. Is it possible in theory? and, probably more importantly: in what situations will platonic cuddling be acceptable?

Cuddling is a purely physical act that is done for many reasons. Usually it is for comfort but it may be used as a falling action after climax (sex), or before sex as a form of rising action, most commonly known as foreplay. However it doesn't always have to deal directly with sex. Many times people cuddle just to be comfortable, and to feel a certain closeness. That closeness is what most people find non-platonic about cuddling.

However, it is my personal belief that platonic cuddling can be achieved without the closeness usually felt in cuddling. Another friend of mine disagrees. She believes that cuddling that is platonic in nature is not achievable, merely because the closeness, and emotional aspect of cuddling would overcome any friendly aspect of a relationship. Again I disagree. Cuddling is a physical act, while usually associated with emotion, and closeness, it does not necessarily need to be associated with them. If a close embrace, like a hello hug, need not be emotional, then why does cuddling need to be emotional? Especially when it is done merely for the physical comfort and not for any emotional comfort.

Some forms of cuddling are undoubtedly platonic, and include an emotional aspect, that one might call love. I think any type of cuddling between best friends, are platonic. Many times people feel a love for their best friend, that is non sexual, but one that is more reminiscent of love for a family member. A mothers embrace for a child is platonic, as well as embracing a friend to comfort them, such as when they are crying after an emotional day. Embracing a close friend and giving them a shoulder to cry on is an ultimate form of platonic love, and it includes cuddling.

But cuddling can also be done horizontally (like on a bed, floor or couch, where both parties are lying down), which may, to some, seem like something more. Many people might argue that horizontal platonic cuddling does not exist, but in theory, I can think of at least 3 situations in which it does. Accidental, Purposeful, and Group Cuddling can all be considered platonic forms of horizontal cuddling.

Accidental horizontal cuddling can best be explained by example. Lets assume we have two individuals, who happen to be friends without sexual, or physical desire for each other. These two individuals may be doing some mundane task, such as watching a boring movie, fox news, or homework. Lets now imagine that these two individuals fall asleep, and while unconscious move into a position that is comforting for them both. When one of them wakes up, they may find comfort in the other persons warmth. While this is a physical pleasure (much like the pleasure we all feel in the morning hours when we are warm under our blankets), it is very much platonic in nature.

Purposeful cuddling can also be a form of horizontal platonic cuddling. An example of this can be cuddling to prevent cold, cuddling to give a person a shoulder to cry on, or cuddling to fight some sort of political agenda (like cuddling for peace). This type of cuddling is also dangerous, and can easily be cheated by any one of the party. How many times have we not seen a movie or television show where two people are freezing and the male suggests to the female that they both get naked and cuddle since the best heat is body heat. Now you know it can be cheated, and you have been warned.

Cuddling in a group is one of the last ways cuddling can be platonic. Think it does not exhist? Here is proof!

Now, I don't know what you readers think, but these people look extremely comfortable! Peaceful, nonsexual group cuddling between friends, unfortunately, is something not often practiced here in the U.S. I believe this type of cuddling has a very calming effect on the human psyche. I also believe that if people cuddle more often in groups, we may care about each other more. Perhaps it is only when we feel each others warmth, when we look into each others eyes, and when we pay attention to the awareness within our friends, that we can really know the true value of a human life. Platonic cuddling may not be widely practiced, but used in this way, it has the power to prevent wars.

On a slightly different note, the reason this blog entry exists is a statement to the nature of the human condition in 2009. In my opinion nothing could be more beautiful than caring so much for another person that you decide to simply take some time out to pay attention to them. Paying attention to what someone is saying is gratifying to the person talking, but paying attention to a persons inner being, the awareness or presence within the human body is another level of communication in which words cannot describe. This type of comfort may make a person feel vulnerable, which is why so many of my friends object to the idea the platonic cuddling is possible.

In reality the vulnerability they feel is normal. How often do we have someone peer into our true being without having to go through words, race, class, gender, or sexual identity. Cuddling is a form of breaking bearers between people, and, by paying attention to another person (and not just the physical person, but the awareness which is in each of us now), then true closeness and clarity can be achieved.

The fear of vulnerability may not be the only reason my friends are afraid to admit platonic cuddling exists. It may actually be deeper, such as a fear of intimacy. How many times have we actually felt someone else's awareness and presence? How many times have we stopped to acknowledge someones existence, not through words, or showing compassion, but by just lying down and enjoying someone else's ability to share a moment, and a space with you? If this seems too intimate, then it is unfortunate. I firmly believe that acknowledging someones presence can easily be done with cuddling, and the awkward intimacy someone might feel comes from not being payed attention to enough.

People are always on the cell phones, or trying to be funny, or showing a persona that is not them true selves. I am not a word, or a personality, or an emotion. I am a human being. I go through ups and downs, and the only part of my being that is consistent is the being within me that is attentive. The one that is here now aware of my surroundings. The presence of a sentient organism. Perhaps those more spiritual than me may even go as far as to call it a soul. We have lost touch with each other, and perhaps noticing each others soul is the only way to reconnect. It may be the answer to all of our problems.

Platonic cuddling should not be shunned as impossible but should be sought after. Only through love can we end war, even if it is just the love of a friend, or the love of an embrace. It need not be sexual or embarrassing, or awkward. Love is simply this: the ability to notice another persons soul. The sun does it every morning, with it's warmth upon my face. I can honestly say, I have never felt more alive and present than when I am cuddling. Not sex, nor happiness, nor excitement can emulate the emotion of calm, warmth, and attention given to me when I am being embraced by a close friend or girlfriend. Cuddle away. Love each other. And please, for the love of one another, and to show respect, keep it platonic.

Michael Moore's Will They Ever Trust Us Again?

2009-11-07T22:57:00.000-08:00

I just finished reading Michael Moore's book, and I must say it is a very compelling pro troop piece of literature. All of the stories were written from troops, or from family and friends of people who have, or are currently serving in the U.S. military.

It is no secret that in the era of GWB, and in the post 9/11 America, U.S. patriotism reached a point where it became muddled with other ideas, such as support for the war. Supporting our troops and supporting the war in Iraq and Afghanistan are two different things. I first want to thank all the troops who are fighting in the war currently, and I also want to thank all the troops who have fought. It is because of you that this country is great. I also want to thank other patriots, such as Michael Moore, who have decided to point out injustice, and to fight for a cause. It is because of you, that Americans have a better understanding of the war, and the issues facing our troops.

The truth of the matter is, to be non supporter of health care reform, to support the war (while americans are dying needlessly, and without reason), to say gay people do not have the right to marry, is the equivalent of not caring about anyone. People who do this are mostly selfish rightwingers. But it is not only the republicans, and conservatives, but also some people who consider themselves liberal! Some people who consider themselves liberal believe they don't need to hear the stories of the people in war, because they know the people in war are suffering. Or they don't want to hear about PTSD, because they say it is too depressing, and they reply "why do you always have to talk about war all the time?"

Here is a clip from Good Asian Drivers. Maybe after listening more people will care:

A Refund!

2009-11-07T16:53:00.000-08:00

It seems like just yesterday when I was on half.com purchasing my first copy of Richard Dawkins The Greatest Show on Earth. However, it was a lot longer.

In September I purchased this book. It is supposed to be one of the most compelling arguments, to date, in favor of the theory of Evolution. Of course, the number one most compelling argument ever put forth was Darwins Origin of Species. But I just had to read Dawkins book. I had read Dawkins work before, a book many atheists hold as their bible, called, The God Delusion. It puts forth the argument for atheism. But after a long waiting period, it became apparent that I wasn't going to receive the book. The seller wrote to me telling me she sent it, but after the standard waiting period no book came. She promptly refunded me my money and shipping and handling. $18.99.

This worked out in my favor, since I found a new copy of the book on half.com for less than $18. My only hope is that this copy arrives in my hands soon.

I finished reading the dangerous world of butterflies, and the diamond of darkhold.

I am currently reading Will They Ever Trust Us Again by Michael Moore. It is a compelling argument against the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, straight from the soldiers and their families. This book is really an accumulation of letters sent to Michael Moore from soldiers who are against the war.

What surprised me was the right wing propaganda that is so rampant in todays armed forces. The way it is described, it sounds like a breeding ground for republicans. It is also pretty sad, since the armed forces attracts so many underprivileged young people looking for opportunity, but unaware that they are signing their life away.

Overall, it is one of those books that should be read, while seeing movies like Bowling for Columbine, Fahrenheit 9/11, and Zeitgeist.

But until The greatest story on earth comes, I will have to find something else to read.

Graveyard Shift

2009-10-25T02:20:00.000-07:00

Some people think that working the graveyard shift is a walk in the park. They should walk 8 hours in my shoes...

Working the graveyard shift is difficult, because it is the shift where people are the most drunk. Drunk people checking in. Drunk people checking out. And drunk hobos without reservations trying to get a place to stay for the night.

The worst part is, the people who come late to check in, after they were charged for not showing up for the night. Everytime someone calls asking about our check in time, I let them know it is between 4p.m. and 1.am.

I personally believe this is a large window of time to check in. However, I let people know that if they need to do a late check in (after 1.a.m), they should call the front desk so someone can write a note in their reservation. So why is it that I get people checking in for the 24th on the 25th at 4 a.m.? Don't they need to know they have to check out by 11? It seems pointless. but the worst part is setting up their reservation again after it has been cancelled and charged for not showing up. Now I am not complaining, I have a great job, and it is a lot easier than other jobs, but refunding a payment to a customer who was charged is not the best part of my night.

I am not alone however. I do get some company from Danny, the security who works the night shift here. He is a good man. Although the two of us know, from firsthand experience the consequences of working this shift.

Our sleeping schedules get messed up. Imagine breaking night, in a place where the lights are on and the music is blasting. I like to listen to palladia. They always have an interesting mix of rock, country, pop, and hip hop. Yeah, I said it right, and don't worry, I'm confused too.

But I keep myself busy. We restock the fridge, and make sure everything is ready for the person who is next on the shift. This includes keeping the work area clean, answering emails, and even taking all the pages of people who checked out, out of our files marked "in house" . But I love working at the L. It is an awesome job. I sometimes get upset when my coworkers start to preach to me, but in the end I love meeting new people. Each shift is an 8 hour speed dating special. I don't fall in love, or even hook up with guests, but it is very similar. Even if I did, I know it will never work out because they are all from out of town. This whole long distance thing never works out.

But by meeting new people, I am starting to notice some bizarre trends. I don't want to make any negative comments about any people from any particular country, but I am noticing some trends. Does that make me a racist, if the people who frequent this hostel, from particular regions all have similar traits? Not that they all have a particular trait, but the propensity for specific traits is higher in some populations than in others. Noticing trends does not make me racist. It just makes me more savy, and it better equips me top deal with people. Don't judge me!

What is really sad is when you develop a close relationship with a customer, and then that customer has to leave, or has a problem that I am unable to solve. This must be how the health insurance companies feel. They promise people they would help pay for medical bills, and then when something comes up, they bail. There is one customer in particular... Joel, a coworker, claims she praises me, but I don't believe that is completely true. She is always really nice to me. She is a lot older than me, but we always kid around. She has had some problems with other people who work here, and I always have to convince her to stay. She has never given me any problems when I work my shift, and I don't know what problems she had with other people, but it makes me sad to see her upset. I guess that comes with the territory of friend.

It is also dangerous to get to know the guests to well. Not only because of the conflict of interest it creates, but also because some guests get too comfortable.

But I wont say anything bad about them. So I am going to go now.

Updates All Around!!!

2009-10-25T00:35:00.000-07:00

I have not updated my blog in too long. It appears I have let this blog slip from the top of my fingertips.

As an update, I will be the Mad Hatter for Halloween!!! Not the mad hatter from the disney version of alice and wonderland, but an original mad hatter inspired by Tim Burtons work.

If you wish to see the trailer, it is available here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjMkNrX60mA

I do not have the orange hair, but I do have a hat, makeup, yellow contacts, and a pretty bow. Pictures will be posted as soon as I have them available.

I also have been reading many books since I last wrote here. I have read the entire series of the city of ember.
In truth, the first and second books (City of Ember, and People of Sparks) were better than the Prophet on Yonwood, and the Diamond of Darkhold. In all, these books give some insight as to what may be the future of our human civilization, even though they are only childrens books. The Prophet of Yonwood in particular sounds like it could have taken place in todays society, with war, and a constant feeling of dread perpetually being fed into our minds through the mass media.

I have also finished reading the Dangerous World of Butterflies. It is an exceptional book, and I believe it went well with the Orchid Theif. They both are books that look at a natural subject, but the main focus of the books has little to do with nature, and more to do with the people that research the subjects, and deal with them on a daily basis. Butterfly and Orchid smuggling go hand in hand, and I was very interested when the Laufer admitted the similarities of his and Orleans book.

I am still in NYC, and working at the hostel. I made employee of the month, which earned me a new Ipod Nano. It is pretty cool. I use it to watch podcasts such as CNN news, and Countdown with Keith Olbermann. No, I am not a liberal, I am a moderate, but I still watch CNN and MSNBC. The Ipod can also record video, and it has radio. It was amazing when I was learning how to use it. motion sensitive, and a pedometer, are some of the many functions included as well. I hope to continue to do great work, but I am not sure how many more "employee of the month" or quarter, I can get. I would love to receive another gift, and the prestige again, but who wouldn't. Also, I am afraid that it will create some animosity between me and my coworkers.

Tomorrow I will be going to video games live! It is a concert (at the Beacon theatre tomorrow, but they travel worldwide), that plays music from video games. They allow the crowd to record, and I have great seats, so I will see, and most likely have video, of how it all went down!

I am currently reading Will they Trust Us Again by Michael Moore. Since I just started it, I am not sure how good it is yet.

I am still waiting for a book by Richard Dawkins to come. I purchased it on half.com, and it is supposed to arrive before the 26th, but as the date nears, I am worried I will not have the book in my hands by Halloween. If anything I will contact the seller, but I should not have to go through such pains. Also, I can always purchase books from the Strand in NYC, one of my favorite book stores.

I also have been trying to get in contact with some of my friends, but I am not sure I have much to talk about with them. I miss them. I miss Vermont, and I wish I can go back to college.

Maybe one day.

My Life - An Impromptu blog entry

2009-08-07T08:43:00.000-07:00

It has been a while since I have written anything in my blog. I guess that is a good thing since it means, at least in theory, that I have been keeping myself busy. In truth all it really means is that I usually work during the day and have no internet at home to do my blogging.

I got a great job working the front desk at L Hostels. If your not from the city, but are looking for a place to stay, I definately recommend staying at a luxory hostel instead of a hotel. Especially in NY.

I am still living in Soundview though. We had found the perfect apartment in a high rise building, but the plans fell through when the owner decided to be a douche and give the apartment to someone else. Unfortunately, there was nothing we can do. We are however still looking for an apartment. There is one that we may move into, even though it is a bit above our price range. It is on the first floor of a private house, which means that there is plenty of space outside to take care of my valuables, but we will have to see if that's where we will end up.

My mother has come to terms with my atheism, at least in the sense that she is not asking me to go to church with her anymore. I went to six flags earlier this month, and I saw my cousin Divine who is also questioning his mother's christian beliefs. He keeps on upsetting her by saying he has converted to the nation of Islam. I congratulated him. Both to me seem absurd, but at least he is trying to think for himself, rather than just taking his parents religion and running for it. Perhaps one day he will see.

Anyway, I have to go. I am at my job waiting for the mail to come in, even though I am not working. I am not sure what I will be doing tonight but I have to work tomorrow at 4 p.m. (Evening shift). Perhaps I will call some friends tonight and try to see a movie or something.

An Intellectual Thinks About Love and Sex With Robots

2009-07-07T09:57:00.000-07:00

I just finished reading Love and Sex with Robots by David Levy, and I think the hypotheses it poses are very fresh. He devotes the first three chapters to the book to explaining how (and why) humans love, and then decides to apply those attributes to how (and why) we would love robots. The last four chapters are devoted to why people seek sex, and why we would seek sex with robots. One thing that is left out is the major roadblock to this (sensuous) idea becoming a reality.

CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANS. They go as far as to deem everything sexual a sin. Premarital sex, homosexual sex, masturbation (solo sex), and even sex with multiple partners are all sin in the eyes of their God. In Texas, it is actually illegal to have a vibrator. It is interesting to note that God, in their eyes, created sex for procreation. This makes me wonder: why does sex feel so good? Was is the devil that has perverted sex from a procreational activity to a reacreational one?

Obviously the reason sex feels good is because we evolved with the need (a basic biological hunger, if you will) to pass on our genes. If sex hurt us, we wouldn’t want to do it. However sex feels good, so we want more of it. Chemicals such as endorphins are released when one has sex (or when one eats chocolate) that gives people the feeling of being in love. However I am sure the christian God will frown about this assessment of sex. On top of listening to everyones prayers, creating beings (such as humans) that destroy everything, and loving everyone, he is also given the job of disapproving of nearly everyones sex lives (including our sex lives with ourselves). But then again, christians are losing their grasp over this great country (I am relieved, I thought we were going to go through another period of time like the Dark Ages, or even worse, the Crusades).

I actually think that sex with robots is a great answer to something that is lacking in our current culture. Sexual education. David Levy goes through great lengths in explaining how robots can train people to be good lovers. I had health education which did have a sexual education segment in school. It consisted of learning about STD’s, condoms and contraception, and the female menstrual cycle. One thing it did not teach was technique. I am sure many people will have a problem with teaching sexual technique in school (I would have loved to have taken such a class for PE in college), citing that it is too vulgar, or obscene. But when you think about it, what is vulgar or obscene about great sex? Shouldn’t it be something we look forward to in our relationships? Something natural within us? What I mean to say is, isn’t it a good thing when a female tells a male “You’re an animal!”

Many people will disagree that such a thing can be regarded as “good”. These people are prudish of course, and probably enjoy sex more than they would ever admit. In this sense they are living a lie. Unless, of course, there is something biologically wrong with them that they cannot feel pleasure, in which case, employing a robot to see what turns them on will help.

Robots can be equipped with the sum of all human knowledge. They can teach the inner workings of the Karma Sutra, or the fine subtleties of cunnilingus, or even the childish nature of foreplay. And they can do this by simulating human-human relationships and interactions. Imagine being able to experiment with a robot as opposed to a human. We as humans shouldn’t feel the need to feel guilty if we did not pleasure our robot, because it is only a robot. We should not feel the need to feel ashamed of what we are doing. There is no one else in the room to see us. And we should NEVER feel the need to force a girlfriend or wife, or other friend to have sex with us, since sex will come in the form of a humanoid robot whenever we need.

I would even go as far as to say that love and sex with robots may be the answer to overpopulation. Christians may have a problem with this. They have a problem with anything that has to do with naked people, and women. Abortion and masturbation are the tip of the iceberg. I could imagine that their response to sex with robots will be that every time a male comes without a female, they are in essence aborting their sperm (never mind that fact that most sperm will never make it to the egg anyway). It is people like them that make the biggest roadblock to love and sex with robots.

If having sex with a life sized human look alike is foreign to you, I ask you to take a look at the Realdoll website (warning nudity, click link). The concept already exists with lifeless dolls, so why not with dolls that move and talk? Dolls that can teach us the finer workings of lovemaking! Dolls that have infinite patience, and that never HAVE to be pleased (although they can probably be programmed to simulate pleasure). These dolls can probably be used to cure sexual dysfunctions, like premature ejaculation, or even help raise the comfort of people who are extremely shy, or submissive during sex.

Imagine a husband turning to his wife, and her saying “Not tonight honey I’m tired”. Or imagine a female turning to her boyfriend, and him saying he’s not ready. Where are these poor souls to turn to? Robots are the answer. They can also help couples who are curious about being swingers, or to individuals who are curious about homosexuality. There is a void in society. A sort of emptiness that is filled with taboo when it comes to sex. How can something so natural come to a point in the 21st century that it is uncomfortable to talk about?

Will Levy’s dream ever come true? Will my dream ever come true?   My only hope is that I don’t have to fight for the right to have sex with a robot, like multiracial couples had to fight for their right to marry, and like homosexual couples are fighting for their right to marry. Hopefully, after the fight for gay marriage, people will be more open minded to sex as a natural outlet for pleasure (more pleasure than six flags), and stress relief (like watching a movie).

Now that I think about it, I may just have found the reason why I am so irritable lately. More on this to come.

Jonathan Grows Baby Spiders!

2009-07-02T11:44:00.000-07:00

When we last left the subject of spider plants, I had put small plantlets into water bottles (with their tops cut off), to root. I have no soil or pots to put them in, so rooting them in water is the ONLY solution I have to keep them alive, and to keep the mother plant nice and clean before my mother intervened, as she tends to often do.

I have been attentively watching over the small plantlets (almost on a daily basis)- adding water to the bottles so they have all the water they need, rotating the bottles so that each plant has enough light (and grows straight, as opposed to towards the window). I have also placed a fan in my room to circulate the dusty, tenement building air. But on this particular occasion I decided to give them each a thorough evaluation. I wanted to see which plantlets had produced roots and which ones were lagging behind in development. I grabbed the small plantlets, and brought them out of their watery environment.

Even from the photo above anyone can see that these plants have grown many roots (however they have not grown as much as the Plectranthus "Mona Lavendar"). But how would I compare all the plants (I have more than 20!)? I decided to lay them all out on the table to do my work. So I emptied out one water bottle and placed all the plantlets on the table.

I think the best part of growing these plants is the rewarding feeling I feel when I see that some of them have actually grown roots (as opposed to just drowning). But now what will I do with these plants? I decided to separate them into two categories, ones that had a lot of root growth (compared to others), and ones that didn't have much (or any). To do this, I had to empty out both water bottles, and I did.

I didn't notice any dust or herbivores on the plants, but I decided to wipe them down anyway, just to give them a fresh look. Afterwords I made two piles of plants, ones with roots that will soon need to be acclimated to life in soil, and ones which needed to remain in water.

I didn't take any formal measurements, but I did observe that the plants that had more roots tended to be bigger. This is what I expected, bigger plants can capture more light, and thus have more energy to root. So separating them was the first step in finding a suitable place to plant them.

I do not currently have a job so if you want a (bare root) spider plant, please let me know. The spider plants I have are fully green (no white streaks), and they have been grown from asexual (stolon) reproduction, not from seed. I am willing to sell them for very cheap! I am only selling to people in NYC, since it is easy to deliver them in the area (thanks to public transportation). Potted spider plants may become available soon if I get a job, or if I find someone to donate small pots and potting soil (if you wish to donate to the Jonathan's World ghetto windowsill garden please contact me).

So where are my spider plants now? Well I placed them on either side of my Nightmare Before Christmas teapot set next to the window. They all seem to be alive and doing well, but I cannot grow them like this forever.

Atheist Reviews - A Natural History of Love by Diane Ackerman

2009-06-30T10:25:00.000-07:00

I just put down A Natural History of Love by Diane Ackerman, and I must say that it did not make my top list of books people must read. The book goes through how different cultures and era's expressed their love, why men like the Indy 500, and women tend to like horses, the love of children, pets, and how love can ruin, or fix lives.

The best part of this book was the history section. It seems to me that the way we express love is a sort of evolution of a memeplex, sort of like religion. In this book it is apparent that ideas about love, such as homosexual love, marriage ceremony, beauty in youth, and infidelity, are not new. The only things that have changed are the cultures. What does seem to be a luxury, according to her book, is romantic love. She cites many times in the civilized world, where women were traded like objects to create social bonds. Many cultures even today marry their women to young (or old men) without the women even knowing about it. The men then have a right (according to certain laws or social constructs) to possess the women, and to force the women to bear his children. While this sounds frightening, it does not seem unthinkable. We as americans have the right to choose who we love (but unfortunately we do not have the right to choose who we marry), and this right is a luxury that has been given to us. Many religions and cultures give that right to the parents, and I can easily see why.

For people unfamiliar with the struggle between parents and their children I would ask you to read these previous posts to my blog:

My Mom's Problem With Taboo
Mom Discriminates Against Atheist
Mom Thinks I Smoke Pot
Mom Steals Shoes and Rips Jeans
Mom Finally Decides To Put My Clothes Where They Go

This is somewhat an issue of control and freedom. Parents in many cultures have controlled their children for so long while the children were young, that when the children grow up it is difficult for them to let go. As a matter of fact, many parents choose to cast their children out of the household for disobedience. This is normal in american culture as well, or else the saying “As long as you live under my house you will obey my rules” will not make any sense.

While this book was very insightful, and the facts contained within it were interesting, there were certain portions which I found overly poetic. The author, as a teacher of english, took great lengths to describe scenes poetically, and sometimes, in my opinion, she overused metaphors to the point where the book was sickening.

Compared to the Orchid Thief, which also gave factual information, this book does not stack up. Some of the best parts of this book is when the author spoke about her own personal experiences. She spoke about attending surgeries to children with cleft mouths and noses, and about her own experiences with love for horses, or about her friend who was interested in seeing a psychiatrist for issues involving love. Sometimes explaining the natural history of a particular set of emotions is better explained when ones personal experiences are used to do the explaining, although I perfectly understand why she felt the need to add other cultures in the book.

When she spoke about other cultures I was a bit disappointed. The cultures she spoked about seemed like “other”. Like their love practices and rituals were not our love practices and rituals. It is true that whenever a girl gets married in the U.S.A., she doesn't shave her hair to be less attractive to men, but the emotion of belonging with someone, or to someone still stands. In truth I see more in connection with the various cultures of the world than I see differences.

And to those who do not have the freedom to choose who they love, because of religion, sexual orientation, culture, or societal norms, I simply say this: The zeitgeist through time has been such that this country as a whole, has become gradually more accepting. Accepting of black people first as non slaves, and then as truly equal (in terms of legality, although I believe racism still exists), accepting of women in politics, the workforce, and as equals in the home, and accepting of multicultural relationships (legally, if not completely socially at this point), all point towards a trend of acceptance, which I hope will continue.

There was a time when women could not vote in this country. When our founding fathers founded this country, the idea of a women voting was preposterous! Now the idea of ending women suffrage will be equally preposterous. I soon see a day where the same will be true of homosexual marriage, atheism, abortion, and even marriage between different religious, and cultures. My mom has often said that my girlfriend, Donna, seems like a nice girl, but she would prefer if I had fallen for Puerto Rican girl. These ideas of preference stem from culture. Donna's culture seems foreign, and while my mother doesn't fear Chinese culture (per se), she is apprehensive of ME changing MY culture (something she need not worry about, since it is too late to save her cultural heritage through me - I proclaim to be a member of the human race long before I proclaimed to be Puerto Rican).

Overall I give this book a 5 out of 10. For it's factual information, and it's acceptance of biology and evolution as a means to explain human behavior. Not many authors would do that.

Also this author openly claims to be religious, and agnostic. This brought upon some confusion for me towards the end of the book. She sees her connection to the natural world as a sort of a religious experience. I think this is a mirage. These connections occur in the neurons of the mind, and while it is wonderful to marvel in the beauty of evolution, and gemstones, and mountains, appreciating nature is and always will be very different from a religious experience. Religion implies that you need faith to believe in something. Faith is belief in the absence of evidence. You marvel at nature because of the overwhelming abundance of evidence of it's beauty. You marvel at how every living organism is the result of millions of years of evolutionary history, and you recognize their patterns as beautiful and valuable! Not simply because they are there but because they exist in our world and at this point in time. Is nature chicken soup for the soul? Yes. But I would run away as soon as I see someone praising God for the wonderful mountain, or tropical bird he has created. Evolution of the landscape, and of species is what created it all. Science not God.

Religious agnosticism is an oxymoron, and I will end with this:

Love is the greatest power of all. It tells me that even though I disagree with most of society on various issues, I can still appreciate all individuals as people of this earth, and as the result of millions of years of selection. We ourselves (as postulated by Diane Ackerman) are museums.

Atheists Mom has a Problem with Taboo

2009-06-29T09:03:00.000-07:00

Have any of you ever had a threesome? Like many of you, I have not either. Recently while reading a natural history of love, I came upon the knowledge that fantasies of threesomes are actually normal amongst guys. I had a feeling such thoughts were normal, but I didn’t know for sure. The book actually claimed that there might be some biological reasons why guys dream of threesomes, specifically, straight guys dreaming of threesomes with two woman. The first reason is that sperm is cheap. Women are expected to be with one man, and try their best to hold on to him for the sake of raising kids (because eggs are costly). However, the strategy to increase fitness, for men, would be to have as many matings as possible. Two (or more) matings at once would definitely meet this goal (fantasy?). Another possible reason for these dreams is because they tend to be thought of as taboo, and things that are taboo, such as cheating on your wife, role playing, toy play, and public sex, tends to make such sexual experiences more exciting. This may be why the rate of infidelity to so high.

But why would I be talking about orgies with my mother? It seems like a weird topic to be talking about with someone outside of my age group (and definitely awkward to talk about with the person who gave birth to me). It all started when my sister was getting ready for a night out on the town with her girls.

My sister is 20 years old, and she is very outgoing. She is never single, however, she does break up with her boyfriend(s) often. She, like my mother, are both very emotional people, and they are easy to upset/fluster. They also have a sense of pride in themselves and their culture. Whenever they go somewhere they have to dress to impress, even if they aren’t going anywhere extravagant. In some cultures, once a woman settles down she is expected to purposely tone down her attractiveness to other men. Usually this is done by dressing conservatively or by not being as outgoing. This, unfortunately, is not the culture my sister (or my mother) have adopted. Instead they always dress to impress, to the discomfort of their significant others.

My sister, who I will refer to as Tiffany from now on, was getting dressed to go out with one of her girlfriends. She was getting dressed, doing her hair and figuring out what shoes to wear. She came into the kitchen and asked me if I wanted to have a few drinks and play pool with her and her friends. While I would normally jump at the idea of hanging out with people I have never met before, especially people in my age group, I declined. Currently my relationship with my girlfriend is going fine, and I wouldn’t want to do anything to mess it up (I love you Donna :) ).

After declining, Tiffany started talking about how good she looked, and how she was so hot. In reality, her ego is sometimes bigger than I think it should be. For someone who has not accomplished much, and for someone who has so much acne, it was surprising to hear her praise herself. I don’t know exactly what psychological, or biochemical process is giving her such high self esteem, but whatever it is, I want some. I wish I had as much confidence as her. I know there is a bulge in my belly (years of fast food), and I find myself less attractive or accomplished than many of my peers, so my self esteem is not as high as hers. I do not have low self esteem, just not self-praising sense of arrogance that seems to be common in my family (and possibly in my culture, as Puerto Ricans commonly show in the Puerto Rican parade). I think I am best described as humble (as my mom believes I am).

 Tiffany then started looking at her butt, and talking about how big her butt was. This was supposed to be a compliment to herself, and I know many people reading this might not necessarily understand. Many cultures prefer their woman thin; anything that jiggles might be a problem. In Puerto Rican culture there is a certain amount of jiggling that is necessary to be considered attractive. Many people refer to this as junk in the trunk, what I call the J-Lo effect. A woman who is a healthy size with a small waist/big butt, is considered “bien quidada” (well kept/healthy) as opposed to fat. While complimenting herself I thought it appropriate to point out the obvious.

“My butt is bigger than yours” I said to Tiffany, half as a joke.

My mother looked at me quickly. My statement was true. My stomach was not the only place where there has been a noticeable weight gain since I started college. My butt has also grown. I am not particularly proud of this, but I think my girlfriend likes my butt, and my statement was factually true, so I decided to point it out. I am also much taller than my sister, so proportionally there might not be much of a difference, but in absolute size, I believe there is.

“Eww that’s gay” said my mom, not realizing how insulting she is, to both herself and Puerto Rican people. It really grinds my gears when people call comments that have nothing to do with homosexuality, gay. Many people used to do it in high school, and I always used to be called gay and fag, even though I am straight. It is insulting not to me, for being called called gay, but to gay people. I don’t mind being called gay now. I have known many gay people, especially after going to college in Vermont. They (mostly) have an excellent sense of style, and are some of the most intelligent, and helpful people I have ever met. Calling my statement gay also makes no sense. If I had said, “Well I saw some cute guy with an ass bigger than yours”, then I would understand how the statement is gay, but stating a fact about the size of my butt, in relation to my sisters was not gay. In fact, I might even go as far as to consider it science.

Homophobia is not a trait I share with my mom. I am open about my acceptance of gay people. I have no problems with them, and I think they make some of my most loyal friends. I can never invite my mother to meet them though, not because I am ashamed of them, but because I am ashamed of her! This battle with my mother, and my individuality has been long! If you would like to read more about it, feel free to click here, here, here, and here.

I decided not to fight with her about her statement, although I really wanted to. I might have been scarred if I were more sensitive, but even worse was the way someone may have felt if they were gay and in the room. I decided to let it slide to avoid conflict. If you have been actively reading my blog, then you know this isn’t the first time I let something like this pass.

But then I decided to answer my moms statement: “What is wrong with me having a big butt? Donna likes my big butt!”

And them mom said the unthinkable (and un-logical) “Oh, what is Donna gay?”

Well unless I was born a female, and I am unaware of it, no I do not believe that my girlfriend is gay. Either way, I am a male, and males having relationships with females are the norm in society, so I cannot see how my girlfriend, liking her guys with a nice round butt would be gay. If a guy can like a girl with a round butt, why can’t it work the other way around? Of course this logic doesn’t seem to work with my mother. She prefers simple ideas and she hates anything that does not go along with societal norms.   I find this awkward. One of the greatest facts of life, one of the only reasons people have evolved is because of variation. People have different interests, cultures, races, sexual interests, gender identities, and even different ideas and definitions of family and love. They make the world colorful (sorry for anyone who is offended by this). I like the world to be colorful as opposed to my mother, who prefers things to be black and white. To her the LGBTQ community is to be shunned because she disagrees with it, and because she doesn’t find it normal. I see this type of memeplex (or memeone) all the time, and I can only hope the the dynamic zeitgeist continues it’s trend towards acceptance of pluralism.

This wasn’t always the case. In ancient greek life older men were expected to find younger men to have homosexual relationships with. One of the things they adored, along with philosophy, and strength, was beauty. Not having sex with a young man they found attractive was insulting! Quoting a Natural History of Love by Diane Ackerman:  
“In Aristophanes’ The Birds, one older man says to another: “Well, this is a fine state of affairs, you damned desperado! You meet my son just as he comes out of the gymnasium, all fresh from the bath, and you don’t kiss him, you don’t say a word to him, you don’t hug him, you don’t feel his balls! And you’re supposed to be a friend of ours!”

Food for thought, Plato and Socrates also have had homosexual affairs.

But for some reason it has become taboo in traditional Puerto Rican culture, not only to be homosexual but to even talk about it. Like religious ideas, homosexuality cannot be spoken about. Why do I compare it to religious ideas? Well because when I started to question the existence of God my friends told me that it was blasphemy and I shouldn’t. Why? Because it was holy. But why can’t I question things that are holy? Because I just can’t. In other words, it is taboo. Well if religious ideas are too taboo to contemplate, then I consider myself quite a maverick, and quite an atheist.

I quickly thought of the prospect of Donna being gay. All of a sudden, I thought it would not be so bad. Perhaps, if Donna were gay (although I know the probability of her being gay is very close to zero), then just maybe I can fulfill every mans dream. The dream of 2 girls with one guy. I mean Donna is my girlfriend, and I know if she was gay, she might not want to break my heart. However, I would also understand her need to explore her feelings for woman (if she had them). Inviting another woman into the bed with us would be a perfect answer to the problem. I should have kept it as a thought though. I replied to my mother.

“If Donna were gay, that would be great for me!”

She was immediately agitated. She told me how girls having sex with girls is wrong, which I disagree with. If a girl wanted to have sex with another girl, then there is nothing wrong with that, provided of course that both woman were consenting to such activities. In my opinion, the population on this planet is too large for people to be against homosexuality anyway. They are part of the solution to our problem. She went on to explain how it wasn’t natural. I also disagree with this. A recent published review paper actually showed how MOST animals participated in homosexual relationships and behavior, including dolphins (click for link). I always told my friends that we had something to learn from the dolphins.   She also said that having such a relationship would be something I would regret. I disagree. I think such a memory would be something I would cherish, something to check off the to do list before I die. Possibly something both Donna and I would enjoy, provided my performance was satisfactory for Donna. Of course this is less of a concern when there is someone else helping to please Donna.

However, like I have said before, in this household my mother thinks she is always right, and any arguing with her eventually leads to an argument I could never win, because she is an unreasonable woman. Mom plainly said to me, that if Donna were gay, what would make me think she and her girlfriend would want to have sex with me. Now I do not consider myself to have low self esteem but this is the equivalent of saying not only am I unfit physically to be attractive to two woman at a time, but it also takes away a bit of my manhood. The common taboo dream we all share but so rarely fulfill.   Can I live in this household when it is so apparent that my mother not only wants to take away my style, and privacy, but also my freedom of thought? For the second time, I cannot help to think of the truth within the slogan- live free or die.

I looked at the various homeless shelters in NYC today. How surprised would they be if my mother brought me to the brink of moving out. A college educated 20-something, who has done research for Harvard, begging for food on the train. Collecting change to play his chances in the NY State lotto.   Think it is too far fetched to happen? I am actually looking at the ratings of shelters right now. And as the commercial says, “Hey, you never know”.

Defeated by a Mother – Style is Freedom

2009-06-26T11:44:00.000-07:00

She has really done it this time. My mother has taken it upon herself to throw out some of my shoes! Most of my shoes in fact! I found a bag on the floor in the living room with most of my shoes in it. Sneakers, boots, and other shoes as well.

Apparently she went into my room to “clean up” (although I think she was looking for Mary Jane again), found my shoes under the bed, and decided they needed to be thrown out. Why? Well to her she said they looked old. Most of those shoes were less than 2 years old and all of them were less than 4 years old, so I don't really know what she is talking about. But what do you think? Do you think they look old?

In my opinion the old excuse is just a way to impede upon my freedom. She is doing it purposely because she doesn't like my style.

Just last summer I purchased a pair of puffy “skater shoes”. I know she doesn't agree with the skater style but I purchased the shoes to walk around Petersham Massachusetts when I was doing research in Tom Swamp. These shoes were special because they were my first pair of skater shoes, and the most comfortable pair of shoes I ever brought. I don't know the exact name of the sneaker (I was never interested in names on clothing), but I think these shoes were still good.

Any normal person will tell you these shoes are perfectly fine. They have no holes in them, they are comfortable, and they still have a few more years of abuse to go through before they can be considered old. Not only that but they cost MONEY. My money. The money I earned last summer. If she was throwing out clothing she had purchased for me, it would be one thing, but she is throwing out clothing I purchased for myself.

And for what? Again I believe it was to take away my freedom. Style is Freedom. My style is not gangster like she wants it to be. So by taking away my style and buying me jeans which are (purposely) too big for me, she replaces my style with hers. She has also brought me sneakers that I would never buy myself in a million years. Older people reading my blog might be saying “Your so ungrateful you have a mother that cares; count your blessings; when I was your age we never got anything new unless our clothes were broken”. To this crowd I say, why fix it if it ain't broken? I like my style. In my lifetime I have met more diverse array of people than my mother has. Not only because I have been to college, but I notice it when I speak to her. I am more accepting of other peoples cultures and religions than my mother is. All my mother knows is NYC. She has been living here for so long that she forgot that there is a life out there. A world that not only has gangsters but business people, artists and musicians. And most of them wear clothes that aren't too big for them. Clothes that fit. And names on clothes aren't important to them. Whatever is affordable and comfortable would work!

NYC is like a prison, and she is trying to institutionalize me. Large jeans, baggy shirts. Gangsta clothing. Why? Well I can blame her religion for one thing. “Honor your mother and your father”. I will honor her when she decides that I have a right to wear clothes I feel comfortable in. Sometimes I wish I would get shot. Especially in my gangster clothes. Then I wouldn't have to wear them, and I wouldn't have to deal with her trying to stress me.

I mean, seriously, what is wrong with these sneakers?

Except for the glare from the lens of my camera the only logical answer is absolutely nothing. She has even taken it upon herself to go one step (excuse the pun) further.

She has taken my jeans that were ripped and CUT THEM INTO SHORTS. Most of the jeans I had are now shorts. Impromptu shorts. Not even real shorts one would buy, but shorts with ragged edges where the cuts are made, which are uncomfortable and itchy, and in some cases above the knee (when I sit down). I hate it here. Jeans with rips in them were my style. On a normal day I would go out with those jeans. I would enjoy the breeze they brought to my leg, and yes I even enjoyed MAKING THE RIPS MYSELF! She has taken away not only my style, but my art.

Has anyone ever seen Cloverfield? In the beginning of the movie the guy has a camera, and he doesn't know how to use it well. He is shopping with his girlfriend, and while walking through the streets of NY, he points his camera down. Guess what, HE HAS RIPS ON HIS JEANS!!! He is a young man (somewhere between 25 and 33), and he gets to choose his own style. To anyone who gets to pick their clothing, and wear it comfortably without their mother cutting their pants, throwing away their shoes, or looking for drugs in your dresser, I ENVY YOU.

Style is freedom. And I choose to live free or die. How am I going to go into a job interview with baggy jeans, brand new (shiny) sneakers, and a shirt with some dumb design, and expect to be taken seriously! A plain shirt, fitted pants, and shoes that show how hard I work, and my long history of walking around the streets of Manhattan are much better attire to tell my story.

Her religion teaches her to be proud. Separate things that are clean from those that are dirty. Light from dark. So even though we are so poor, that her limited ability to pay rent has kept her in the projects for 2 months, I still have to look like a gangster who has 100 dollar sneakers, and jeans meant for Santa. This is her proud mentality. She has 3 credit cards, and while they are not all maxed, I ask her, why doesn't she cut one? Why does she not just pay the most expensive one, and get rid of it to cut down her expenses?

She likes to be poor, and not have money. This is my only conclusion. Her taking away my style, my freedom is more than a statement against me, it is a statement against my future. She was looking to see if I had drugs in my room, but now I understand why. It was not because she wants me to be clean, it is because she wants me to sell the drugs to make money.

When I get a job I am moving out. Somewhere far far away, and I will be happy in my humble home, if I never see her “too proud to let your son be himself” face again.
AMEN.

Ghetto Windowsill Gardener Finds Petunia Seeds

2009-06-25T12:49:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago I showed you pictures of my girlfriends petunias, and my spider plants. As you may have noticed, the petunias were in bloom, and when a plant is in bloom, it usually means that the plant will produce seeds (if it is a self seeding plant). I wasn't sure if petunias fell into this category, until I found proof.

Now, just to remind you of how the petunias look like (pink) here is a picture:

And as you can tell, I am growing the plant on the windowsill, and it seems to be doing well (although I break branches by mistake every once in a while). I water the petunia every other day (as needed), although I forgot to water it for a few days. The plant reacts quickly to drought. I have noticed its leaves drooping, and leaves closer to the base of the plant (older leaves) turning wrinkly and drying out.

I have also been informed by Ernie DeMarie in my previous post, that these plants are prone to being attacked by spider mites! Ever since that information I have been vigilantly looking at the plant closely, to ensure no herbivores graze upon my girlfriends precious petunias.

These petunias are also important because of where we got them. They were obtained during an event at UVM, during our last year at the University. The ALANA student center put on an event and there was a petunia at each table. The people who put on the event told the people who were at the event that if we wanted the plants, we could take them home. Donna (my girlfriend) did. So now I have to take care of it.

While closely examining the plant one day I noticed a small dried seed pod.

I am actually surprised that I did not find this seed pod earlier, being that I was looking so hard, but I did find it, and I decided (after realizing there were seeds in it) to put it in a zip lock bag.

Now before people start shouting like mad in the comments section and start sending me emails about how paper bags were best for storing seeds, I must say, I KNOW. I know paper bags help keep the moisture out, and so if I use them I could have greater seed viability. I know that seeds in plastic bags are more prone to fungal attack. And lastly, I know that small paper bags are better because they are easier to store and write on, than big zip lock bags. The reason I used a ziplock bag is because I have no money for paper bags, and because this is Jonathan's Ghetto Windowsill gardening, I have to improvise whenever possible.

So I took a sharpie to a ziplock bag and threw it in my small fridge. Since that day, looking for petunia seeds on the windowsill has been a common occurrence. I have been storing all the seeds in one bag, however if you have the money I recommend putting the seeds in small paper bags, which are easier to label and store, and will protect your seeds better. I have been getting so many seeds that I actually made a video about it:

So there you have it. Nail clipping off the petunia seed pods, and opening them up to obtain the seeds was fun, now if only I had some way to grow them (and possibly) sell them. I am willing to let small plantlets go for cheap, and if you want a bare root spider plant, I am willing to sell them (I have about 20). Please contact me at jmejia1187@gmail.com

Now, I know I promised you all an update on my big spider plant, but that would just have to wait a bit more. You would never come back to read my blog if I gave you everything you wanted now. So stay tuned, more plant updates coming soon!

An Atheists Dream

2009-06-22T08:56:00.000-07:00

So I was lying in bed last night and I had a strange dream which involved UVM, Good Asian Drivers, Nick Negrete (whom I met in college), Julie Kwok (also from college), and Julie Le (someone who I haven't seen from my days in middle school, but who is my friend on facebook).

The dream started off, as such weird dreams often do, with me lying down in my bed. I had taken a nap earlier in the evening because I had a headache, but with the help of The Body Shops' scented oils, I had relaxed enough to fall asleep. When I woke up, it seemed to be very late, but in the distance I could hear the music of Good Asian Drivers, whose CD is coming out soon (and they will soon be performing in NY for the album release part). If I had money, I would buy the CD, available here (click the link).

But back to my dream. I heard the slam poetry of Kit Yan, and I decided I needed to get dressed and go to the show, which apparently was taking place upstairs. I got out of bed, and put some boxers and pants on. Yes, it is true, I sleep naked, but I am usually clothed in my dreams. It seemed real because when I woke up in my dream, I was naked! Anyway, I quickly put on a pair of jeans, and a plain T-shirt. My room was dark, but since I was heading out I didn't bother to put on any of the lights.

I left my room, which did not resemble my room in reality at all. For one thing, the room was big, and I was sleeping on a queen sized mattress (extravagant, I know). When I left I noticed a staircase leading upstairs, and Julie Kwok was there on the stairs heading up. She asked me if I intended on seeing the show. I told her I did, but I had to use the restroom. She disappeared behind the door on the top of the staircase.

I made my way to the restroom, which seemed like the restroom in a dormitory. What I mean to say is, it wasn't MY restroom. It belonged to everyone, and as such, I had to wait, but not long. When I arrived at the door of the restroom, I saw Julie Le, who told me to go with her to the show. I said I would, but that I needed to really pee. She said I needed to go then, since the show already started and she didn't want to miss anything.

Suddenly, Nicholas Negrete came up behind me, and told Julie Le that if I needed to use the restroom, I should just go use it. He then led me to the restroom door, and I entered it.

I woke up from my dream soon after, to the morning light, and my 7 a.m. alarm on my sidekick. It was weird. Why would Nick know Julie (from H.S.)? Why would all of us be in the same place now that I graduated from college? Nick is in California now (I believe), and both Julie's are in NY (I think, but I can be wrong). Good Asian Drivers are touring around the country, and they will come to NY on the 25th of this month. But nothing in this dream makes sense (except for me needing to use the bathroom).

I normally do not have dreams, but when I do, I try to analyze them. Could it be that my biological needs in real life (shelter, safety, and a sound job to obtain my place in a social society), are holding me back from enjoying the concert of life? Could it be that I should call my friends and make plans to hang out (since both Julie's asked me to go to the show)? Could it be that Asian woman (both Julies again) are calling out to me in real life (Donna), but my Latino heritage (Nick is latino) is somehow holding me back from what I really want?

Why did I have the dream in the first place? I think it has something to do with the fragrance oils. I looked up incense on Google and apparently some types of incense have psychotropic effects I didn't know about. Go figure.

If you have any interpretations or insight, do not hesitate to leave a comment below.

An Atheist Sees Orchids in Union Square

2009-06-19T11:15:00.000-07:00

14th Street Union Square is a famous shopping area in NYC. There is a park, a bookstore (the Strand), a place to buy comic books and figurines (Forbidden planet), many eating locations, and places to shop for clothes. There are not many places to sit and use the internet for free in NY, but Union Square has free internet in the park! I have often gone to 14th street to hang out with my girlfriend, Donna. It is one of my favorite places to hang out in the city, but when I saw Orchids on 14th street, I was shocked! There weren't just one or two, there were many!

The park is a popular place for the farmers market. Every once in a while I will go down and see vendors selling cheese, fresh fruits and vegetables, many plants, and even clothing! I have often looked in envy at all the plants I could not afford, and thought how wonderful it would be to grow orchids professionally. Of course I would need a greenhouse (or to work for someone who grows orchids, and already has a greenhouse). If this is you, please contact me, here is my resume.

14th street also had a Virgin Record store which went out of business on June 14th, 2009. The last week Virgin was open I traveled there a lot. The prices were slashed down to 80 percent off everything in the store during the last days it was open (and 90 percent off for the last day). I wonder what will replace it? Virgin was a huge store, and any company would be happy to claim that prime real estate area on 14th street.

However when I left Virgin last week, I noticed there was a farmers market, and one vendor was selling orchids. I could not help but stop by and take pictures. Here they are:

Now I know there is mostly Phalaenopsis, but I assure you, there were other orchids too. And this was only one vendor! There was another vendor selling nothing but orchids.

I fully support people growing and selling orchids in the tri-state area! Many older people sometimes complain to me that young people are only interested in looking good, and on image. I think that notion is incorrect. Many times young people have nothing else to focus on. No passion for anything, so they use their energy on themselves, and on exploding at older people who don't understand them. If there were programs which taught young people about growing plants like orchids in the city, then I think young people might gravitate towards it.

As a matter of fact, I was drawn towards carnivorous plants in high school, and during college I actually did research on Sarracenia purpurea. And yes, I was born and raised in the city. Of course I was always an odd ball, but shouldn't there be programs for oddball students? In truth, I believe such a program would keep kids out of trouble. However, I don't think political figures would be very adamant about starting horticulture, or gardening programs for kids in the city. This is a shame. Because people have lost faith in these students, it seems like many of these students are also losing faith in themselves. Many do not make it past high school, and even less make it to college. In this sense, I understand why some young people complain about older folks. We should all spread the love of nature, no matter what our age is!

Orchids in Union Square may sound weird, but it shouldn't! Orchids in Union Square should be a common occurrence. And educational programs about these plants should also be a common occurrence. The current Biology curriculum is fine, but if you teach a biology class without any plants or animals in the classroom, it is like teaching a fish about air. They will just not be interested in something they cannot relate to.

So, people who read my blog, what to do about the lack of knowledge on various plants in NYC? Well if your reading this, the only thing you can really do is start your own program, or educate yourself. I will take the first step. Everyone who reads this blog should read The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean. I believe reading this book might give people (including young people) a reason to care about orchids. Who knows, maybe I may even start a trend (carnivorous plants will also be included, when I obtain some).

There will be updates on the plants I have at home, and on my mother, who recently has taken away my right to walk the way I please (stay tuned for more on this)!

Fear Me If You Dare - An Atheist Wins One!

2009-06-18T10:35:00.001-07:00

My mother has done my laundry again. I have kindly asked her not to, but I have been going to Manhattan a lot recently, and my laundry has been piling up! I have no problem with her doing my laundry, but I do have a problem with her snooping around my room. Today I am actually doing my own laundry, but a few days ago I came home to find that she had washed a few things.

I came back from Manhattan, after having a nice day walking around with my girlfriend, to find my clothes neatly folded on the bed! It was amazing, like the fairy creatures who clean came when I wasn't there, and decided to leave me a nice present. In college I had to do my own laundry, which gave me a sense of pride and self dependency. It also gave me a sense of responsibility, but most of all, a sense of privacy. I didn't have to worry about leaving things in my pockets that she could potentially find, or about letting the pile get bigger, because I knew I was the one who would (eventually) clean it all up! In previous posts I have spoken about finding my clothes neatly folded and placed in my dresser. I have spoken to my mom about it and I think she got my message: that my privacy should be protected as long as I am in this house. Here are my clothes that found folded:

Apparently my mother was watching my clothing closely. I believe she now knows better than to go snooping around through my things. And if my previous talks with her didn't get the message through, then my boxers certainly did:

“Fear Me If You Dare!” says my Puss in Boots - Shrek boxers. It is an interesting concept to come to terms with. My mother has no real reason to fear me. I will never hit her, or purposely go out of my way to cause her to be scared. However the message is clear that she has to “dare” to do something (like snoop through my dresser), to obtain a “fear” of me (fear of me finding out what she has been up to, and confronting her about it).

However, I dare to fear here also! As the person paying the bills she has the right to kick me out (I am 22). She also has the right to tell me what to do (in the sense that I should not be using too much electricity to run my laptop, or take too long in the shower). I have no problem with her telling me these things (to clean my room, or to wash dishes), and if these were her only arguments then I would be completely fine. She has not impinged on my freedom, and she has not stopped me from doing the things I love doing (my windowsill garden is doing great!).

But at this point it is apparent that I need to start doing my own laundry before going out to Manhattan (and before I come home and find out that mom has already done it) because the only way I can get her out of my room is not to give her a reason to go into it! So, today I took it upon myself to clean my clothing!

With generic laundry detergent at hand I ventured forth into the world of doing laundry in a non-efficient home laundry machine! With this out of the way only a few questions remain:

Will she be proud and see that I have taken initiative?
Will she try to find another excuse to come into my room?
Will I ever find a job?
Do I have any updates about my spider plantlets and petunia?
And will I post any more cool videos of underwater creatures giving birth?

Find out next time on Jonathan's World!

(PS, if something is in a different color, then it is a link)

An Atheist Asks - What Plant Is This

2009-06-16T12:26:00.000-07:00

The question has been haunting me since my days at UVM. What is the name of this plant? It was being grown at the University of Vermont’s greenhouse. Every once in a while there will be free plants to take home outside the greenhouse. I have obtained a few plants that way, but most of the time they died in my dorm room. Maybe because it was too cold, or too dry (I often did not sleep in my own room). This plant seemed tolerant of abuse (although I have been taking good care of all my plants since I came home). To my surprise these plants were laying on a ledge bare-root in perlite and water with a sign letting everyone know that they were free. I don’t know if they were cuttings or if they were grown from seed. I spoke to Colleen, the greenhouse manager at UVM, who gave me a pot and some potting soil to put 2 small plantlets in. I was growing them in my dormroom, unaware of their needs or even their name.

However horror soon struck one of the unfortunate plants. I moved from Burlington, Vermont to Soundview in the Bronx (the equivalent of moving from Hollywood to south Detroit in terms of safety), and during the move my moms boyfriend, Eddie. accidentally broke one of the small plantlets. I didn’t know what to do, so I took the small plantlet, which had been accidentally cut off from it’s roots, and placed it in water.

I do not drink tea at home, so this Nightmare Before Christmas teacup set, given to me by my lovely girlfriend, was perfect to place the cutting in. This was roughly 4 or 5 weeks ago. I kept on adding more water to the cup whenever I saw it was in need of some more. I guess my vigilance paid off! I pulled the small cutting from the water recently, and there were so many roots!

I don’t know what this plant is, but it certainly seems easy enough to grow (and possibly even easier to propagate vegetatively). The plant looks green from the top but the underside of the leaves is a greenish purple color (not red!), or just plain green in some cases. It is obviously a dicot, and has an extraordinary ability to root quickly (from no roots to roots the size of the plant in about a month). I have no idea what color the flower is, but this can be remedied (somewhat) by knowing what type of plant it is (if I get a response to this post). Here is another picture for identification purposes:

I do not have any pots or potting soil to place my cutting in, however, I do have four Nightmare Before Christmas teacups! If you know what this plant is, please let me know! I am willing to mention you in my blog (give you props, and give props to any website, or company you may have), just to tell me what this plant is and to give me some information on it. Knowing what color the flower is may also be a plus. You can email me at jmejia1187@gmail.com with pictures and information, or just click reply below.

On another note, my spider plantlets (taken from the stolons of the mother plant) are rooting well. Look forward to more updates (and plenty of pictures) on this in the future.

One last thing. Have you ever seen a seahorse giving birth? Here is the video of the week. I will also be posting one of my own videos soon!!!

An Atheist in a Gourmet Mickey D’s!

2009-06-15T08:35:00.000-07:00

Walking through downtown Broadway (lower Manhattan), I actually found a fancy McDonald’s! I was so surprised. They had a McDonald’s gift store, and above the door there were two musicians (one on piano, and I can’t remember what the other was playing). The chandeliers, flowers at each table, and big lilies at the windows were an added plus. Even the restroom looked nicer than the normal McDonald’s restrooms. The McDonalds I am talking about is on 160 Broadway.

If you have never been to a nice McDonald’s, then I definitely recommend this one. I felt comfortable eating at this McDonald’s, and it reminded me of some of the nice restaurants in Burlington, VT. The food was the same as any other McDonald’s. Big macs, fries, happy meals, and chicken sandwiches. What made this McDonalds different was the ambiance.

I have been beaten to the punch in recommending this Mickey D’s in particular It appears that the Travel Channel has recommended it already (as stated in this plaque placed outside the McDonalds). I don’t mind discovering this little taste of fast food randomly. I rather enjoyed the experience of something so familiar, but so different. Jazz-like music, fancy lights, flowers. This McDonalds is definitely a date spot for those without a job (like me).

Now I normally wouldn’t recommend a restaurant in my blog, but I decided to do something different today. Also, I realize my blog entries are a bit random. One day I am talking about my mother coming to terms with my atheism, and the next day I am talking about what plants I am growing. This makes it difficult to follow what I am actually doing. My last blog entry was just my resume (still looking for a job, click here if you need to see my resume). While I can make a schedule, I think the various topics keep me, and the people reading my blog, on our toes (and now we will be on our feet as we all charge forward to order a Mc. Chicken in lower Manhattan). But that is just the way life goes. Randomly.

Oh, and a bit of a disappointment. I recently discovered that my picasa account only allows me the opportunity to upload a certain amount of pictures. I have been using picasa to get my pictures into my blog. So I had to delete some older pictures. Some of the pictures I deleted were of my spider plant, so one of my older posts now has empty spaces in it. My pictures were not uploaded to blogger because they were too big! I need to find a new way to upload pictures, that is unlimited in capacity. Oh, and because the pictures were deleted from my blog, I will be posting more plant pictures later (to make up for it)!

Resume6.10.2009

2009-06-10T10:23:00.001-07:00

Jonathan Mejia

1715 Lacombe Ave Apt 4a · Bronx, NY 10473 · (646) 249-1132 · jmejia1187@gmail.com

EDUCATION:

University of Vermont, Burlington, VT May 2009

Bachelors of Science degree in Biology, GPA 3.35

Relevant Classes: Environmental Science, Ecology and Evolution, Organic Chemistry, Fundamentals of Calculus I&II, Genetics, Molecular and Cell Biology, Biological Anthropology, Behavioral Ecology, Elementary Physics, Basic Statistical Methods, Community Ecology, Biology of Ferns, Plant Growth and Development, Plant-Animal Interactions, Evolution, Speciation and Phylogeny, Pollution Ecology, Toxicology

Dean’s List Fall 2005, Community Builder 2008

RELATED EXPERIENCE:

Researcher, McNair, University of Vermont Summer 2008 to Spring 2009

Participated in field research of my own design under the guidance of Aaron Ellison and Nick Gotelli
Studied prey invertebrate availability in Harvard Pond for Sarracenia purpurea and web building spiders
Prepared and presented a PowerPoint presentation on my research to my peers
Calculated summary statistics on invertebrate communities in Harvard Pond
Prepared an article on my summer research published in McNair Scholars Program Research Journal
Presented a poster at UVM Student Research Conference (April 16, 2009)

Researcher, Harvard Forest, Harvard Forest in Petersham, MA Summer 2008

Participated in field research studying the relationship between carnivorous plants and spiders
Collected and identified invertebrates caught in pitfall traps
Prepared and presented a PowerPoint presentation on my research, at Harvard Forest
Reviewed literature relevant to my research

Research Assistant, eBioMe, University of Vermont Spring 2006 to Spring 2009

Worked under the guidance of Nicholas Gotelli on an NSF funded research grant
Field research on carnivorous plants and ant communities in New England
Identified New England bog ants to species
Calculated summary statistics on carnivorous plant measurements
Presented PowerPoint presentation on my research to my peers

Lab Assistant, Microbiology & Molecular Genetics, University of Vermont Summer 2005

Prepared media for bacterial cultivation
Inventoried laboratory chemicals

Research Student, Helix/EPSCoR High School Outreach Program, UVM Summer 2003

Participated in a study on the effects of genetically modified corn on European Corn Borers
Worked with a partner on scientific research
Grew European Corn borers and Bacillus thuringiensis on modified agar media
Reported results in front of a live audience at University of Vermont
Certificate of Achievement

SKILLS:

Microsoft Office, Statistical Programs (R and S plus), Math and Bio Aptitude, Bilingual (English, Spanish)
Reliable, Detail Oriented, Communication (Written, Verbal, and Presentation Skills)

ACTIVITIES:

Treasurer, UVM Juggling Club (Fall ‘07-Spring ‘09),
Vice President, Horticulture Club (Fall ‘06-Spring ’07),
Mentor, Alana Student Center Peer Mentoring Program (Fall ’06- Spring ’08)

References presented upon request

The City Of Atheists, oh I mean, Ember

2009-06-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

So I just finished reading The City Of Ember, and I could not help believe that there were no truly religious people in the city. It should have been called a city of atheists, mainly because religion did not seem to be the norm. There were some people who were called “Believers”, but they believed that the people who built the city would come back to save them. This was an interesting idea, because they knew the city was built a long time ago, and the builders thought of just about everything the people of the city would need. Food, light, shelter, a school, a mayor, and even instructions to get out. The belief the believers had does not equate to the belief of many religious people because religious people have no evidence that God exists, while the believers do.

While this book doesn't support atheism outright, it does support socialism. Everyone gets a job at the age of 12, and every job, no matter how boring or mundane, is done to benefit the city. Some people are messengers, some work to fix pipes, and others work to keep the generator (powered by water) from breaking down. All of the food is supplied by the city, and also the electricity, and water. The housing seemed free (at least no one was complaining about paying rent) and it seemed like people were allowed to retire once they got old enough (the main characters grandmother, who died, didn't have a job throughout the entire book). This city was self sufficient, and although canned food almost ran out, and there was corruption in the government, the people were mostly happy with the way things worked.

The only thing I would disagree with in the city of ember was the manner in which people were given jobs. They had to choose the jobs out of a hat, randomly. I believe there must have been a zero unemployment level, but at the same time people were not given jobs according to their skill. This was odd because, if all the people who were good with machinery were working on maintaining the generator, I am pretty sure they would have figured out how to fix it. Also, doesn't it make sense to have people do the jobs they are good at? If I had a job that I was good at, I would hold my head up with pride. In ember, if you were particularly bad at a job, you were given a new job in 3 years, randomly (again). This would never work in America. People care too much about status, and are too materialistic not to take advantage of the system.

As for atheists in the city of ember, I don't think they would have been seen as abnormal, as they are in todays society. I believe they would have been seen as regular people who work for the city. This common thread is what seemed to keep the city together. Everyone was afraid of the darkness. Everyone was afraid of the generator going out or running out of food. But because everyone was in the same boat, they all cared much more about each other. They all tried their best to reduce waste. And they all did the work they needed to do.

We do not need, as a society, to lock ourselves up for 200 years to achieve this. We all have a common thread. We all are human, and we all live on earth. This should be enough for us to not pollute, and to help our neighbor whenever possible. And if someone doesn't have a job, but wants one, then I am sure the people of the world should be available to help that person find something within the realm of his capabilities. Why? Because if you were in their situation, you would want someone to help you! It is a altruistic idea, but without altruism, all of our fitness would go down, and no one would be safe.

The City of Ember was a good read for younger people but not for me. If your 16 or younger, I highly recommend it. For us 20 somethings, I believe we need books with a bit more bite! While the fantasies of a futuristic society called ember, might be fun to entertain, the cities function as a whole had too many problems to work properly in real life.

Speaking of real life, I am currently looking for a job. Click here to see my resume.

The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail

2009-06-08T15:35:00.000-07:00

Today I went to Central Park and I just finished reading The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. It is mostly about a non practicing religious man who refuses to pay his taxes in a time of the Mexican American war. He went to jail for one night (his aunt bails him out, and he is set free in the morning), but during that night he reflects upon the events of his life.

The central theme of this book was the way a man should think. When I say man, I mean mankind. Many times in classes we are taught what to think, but seldom are people taught how to think. Nowadays when students watch hours of 2 minute commercials, and with our materialistic society, it is difficult to truly spend some time contemplating the real value of things. Thoreau was a naturalist (by trade) but in the book he was accused of being an atheist (YAY!) and a transcendentalist. I prefer the former, but at least transcendentalists were thinking about life a bit more than the normal Christians were. The ideas of transcendentalism came from Harvard University and the church.

Thoreau spent the night in jail for not paying his taxes during a time of war. He refused to have his tax dollars pay for rifles and bullets. This is interesting because today the U.S. government gains a lot more taxes than it did in the 1800's. I suppose it the government might listen to someone who pays taxes but is a pacifist, and requests that his specific tax dollars not go directly towards funding a war. Obama seems like the kind of guy who might understand that position. But then again this is the U.S. government we are talking about here.

But the idea is definitely interesting. If the recession got bad enough, there wouldn't be enough tax dollars to fund a war. There isn't even enough tax dollars to fund the war currently. This is interesting to me because these are American dollars. I believe a polls should be taken of the American people (possibly during the 2010 census) to ask them if they agree with their tax dollars being spent to kill off Iraqi and American soldiers in this war. I know many of the people who are actually being killed are terrorists, but some of them are actually civilians too. If the Christian majority in the U.S. were truly Christian, they would most certainly stand their ground on the idea that we shall not kill.

Of course, the Christians in our country love to bear the name "Christian" without any of the rights of responsibilities of being Christian. This is fine. I mean, as long as it is not THEIR children dying right?

Thoreau also has an interesting idea, in the middle of his novel, which intrigued me. As a naturalist, he believed that nature was the ultimate teacher. That no matter how much one could learn in a classroom, it could never be more than one could learn actually studying out in the wild. After studying Sarracenia purpurea at UVM and Harvard Forest for the last 4 years, I definately agree. The information I gained in the field definately stayed with me better than the information I learned in a classroom. However, I must admit that in the classrooms I obtained a more diverse education. While I would have preffered to take all of my classes in biology, some classes like Introduction To Fiction, Introduction to Poetry, and Creative Writing were definately worthwhile.

I read The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail in two days. It is a quick play, which does not occur in chronological order. I recommend that people read this book now, in a time of war. Overall it probably will not take most people a long time (depending on how fast you read, it will probably take you 3 hours tops). However the message is important. As long as we Americans are funding the war with our tax dollars, we are directly responsible for the war in Iraq. This makes me glad that I am currently unemployed. However I like socialist organizations, like the public library, fire department, post office, and police. I like having them around (and paying for them with my tax dollars!). So if you do have a job (so I can contribute to society), perhaps you wouldnt mind looking over my resume.

An Atheist Grows Plants in Soundview, NY

2009-06-05T09:43:00.000-07:00

I am starved for some biological satisfaction, and I am not talking about the type of satisfaction a woman can provide. I am speaking of the type of satisfaction an orchid grower commonly feels when purchasing something they have desired, for a long time. I just read The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean, and immediately afterward I twittered “Finished reading the orchid thief, amazing and disappointing at the same time, like sex.” The entire story built on the amazing potential of one plant, the ghost orchid (Dendrophylax lindenii). However the author failed to see one in bloom in real life, postulating that the idea of one in bloom was sufficient, and when one is actually seen in bloom, it may be disappointing. I disagree. The truth is always more interesting than fiction, or even our preconceived notions of an object, or a plants grandeur. And if for some reason we cannot see how great something is, perhaps we need another person’s perspective to give us a closer look.

But I want to first stress upon you what I mean when I say “biological satisfaction”. Many people reading this, who may be religious, may be asking themselves “what does he mean?” I am pretty sure atheists will have a better idea of the concept. My satisfaction lies in the ability to feel connected to the rest of the world, not as a human, but as a biological entity that shares this planet. This is difficult in NYC where there is an apparent lack of, not only green plants, but also wildlife. In an earlier blog I spoke about finding carnivorous plants in the Botanical Gardens, however this is a special location, and an exception to the rule. Many New Yorkers may argue that there are enough wild pigeons, rats, and roaches to go around, and perhaps someone as educated as me should consider advocating an extermination of wildlife in NYC. However it is difficult to feel connected to the rest of the world, as a neighbor, if you never see your neighbor.

I grow plants to satisfy my need to feel connected. I have been in the Bronx for only a short period of time, but in 3 short weeks, with my limited horticultural supplies, I have had some success. I mainly want to speak about my spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum). This may seem like a common house plant to anyone who knows anything about plants, but as I said earlier, the truth is always more interesting, and perhaps we need another person to bring up the subject to give us a closer look.

Me taking a closer look at my spider plant

At first glance it looks like just a regular plant, but I would ask that you look at the picture above again. If you don’t see what I see, then perhaps I am blocking your view. Here is a better angle:
I must admit, even after taking a class called the Biology of Ferns at UVM, that flowering plants inspire me most. The ability of a sexual organ to look so sexy might not give you appreciation, but if your sexual organ was like this flower, you might be reconsidering your opinion (if anyone, after reading this is considering dressing their sexual organ up like a flower during “play time” I would love to hear your stories – jmejia1187@gmail.com). And all the way to the left, we see the result of vegetative propagation. The spider plant is creating small plantlets. These plantlets can be potted up once they have rooted, or placed in water to induce quicker rooting.

If this were the only baby on my spider plant, then I would have nothing to write about, but as these next pictures show, the plant has been asexually active (let the science nerds laugh at that one).I took it upon myself to clean my newly acquired spider plant; to cut off all the parasitic plantlets and set them up to root in water. If anyone is looking for cheap (50 cents a plant) spider plants let me know, I will promptly mail them to you after receiving 2 quarters. At last count I had about 26 of them. Just for the record, I placed them in bottled water containers with the tops cut off.
While they may seem small and helpless, as you can see, the parent plant has greatly improved (in the sense that it is more manageable and less cluttered).

I doubt the flowers will set seed. I am uncertain as to whether this is a self-seeding species. I know the flowers have both pollen, and a stigma, but I am unable to tell if the stigma is receptive (although large amounts of plant sperm has been deposited on my finger). I tried to self the plant manually (for what it is worth).

For spider plants, self-seeding would seem un-advantageous, since they have such an uncanny ability to produce clones of themselves. It would appear to me, to be more favorable for the stigma to be receptive on the flower before the pollen is released since it would seem redundant, and a waste of energy to produce seeds when clones are so easily produced along the plants stolons. If anyone with knowledge on a spider plants sexual organs can give their input, email me at jmejia1187@gmail.com, and I will quickly feature you and your email in the next post to my blog (pictures are also appreciated). You may also email me if you’re interested in obtaining some of the baby plants I have for sale. Don’t worry, my munny is heavily guarding them.
Of course, small pleasures such as a plant in flower is common to someone who grows plants. (Not to mention other pleasures common to people who grow plants for purposes other than their flower). However plants are the gifts that keep on giving.

Speaking of gifts, my girlfriend took a plant from the Alana banquet awards at the University of Vermont. While I have not been able to give her back her plant after the move, I have been able to get it to flower again (this plant flowers too easily if you ask me).

Notice it’s trumpet shape, or it’s shade of pink. These things not only bring color into my room, but also an appreciation for life that hardly anything else can give. It is something that is not often taught in science classrooms (or in religious sermons). However I believe it is important for anyone who is campaigning to reduce greenhouse emissions, save endangered species, and protect our environment. People do need to care for something other than the human race to be able to save the world. I have written previously about people who only consider humans in their pro-life arguments, but have no emotion when it comes to slitting a cow’s throat for dinner. I am not a vegetarian, but I am also not pro-life. I am pro-world, pro-wild, and anti-human influence on every living species on earth.

How should I end this? Well another picture of a flower may be nice:
But I really want to end off by saying 3 things:
1. I am still looking for a job (click for resume)
2. The plant madness is addicting, I shall proceed with caution!
3. The Orchid Thief was a great story, but not on my top ten list. Read it if your wondering how something natural can inspire you.

An Atheists View on God's View on Abortion

2009-06-03T09:12:00.000-07:00

I must first start off by saying that I do not believe in God. People who read the title will obviously become confused, however, what I will try to conduct here is a thought experiment. After the recent death of Barnes George R. Tiller, a doctor who provided late term abortions, I thought it was only appropriate to contemplate, if there were a God, what would He do?

Of course there is no real way of knowing what God would do in a situation where he was confronted with people who performed, or had, an abortion. This is because God doesn't come down and speak to people personally. He has never been spotted on the corner of 42nd and 3rd handing out information on what to do about people who believe in the right to life over a person's right to choose. So there are a few ways, as an atheist, and an amateur philosopher, to hypothesize, what might be going through a hypothetical creators mind when events such as the death of Dr. Tiller occurred.

Just a small point to make, I will be focusing on a hypothetical God as outlined in the bible. The rules and demeanor I would assume for this God come from the actions of the God Yahweh in the bible. The reason I have chosen this God's views as the hypothetical God to focus on in this post is because:

1. He is the God most people are familiar with and
2.He is the God that most people think have the power to do something about he abortion issue.

One hypothesis may be that supporters of "God" are closest to him, and know his will better than anyone, so they must know what "God's Will" must be. When I see articles like the recent one in the LA Times, it is obvious this hypothesis is false. God, being all powerful, all knowing, and all loving wouldn't perpetuate the killing of babies with the killing of adults. Of course I am only talking about the God of the new testament, who commonly spoke of loving ones neighbor and turning the other cheek. The God of the old testament was worst than Hitler, killing off thousands of people and civilizations in the name of the Jewish God. Because He had promised the Jews so much land that he would commonly tell them to go into a village and kill every living thing in it.

This is seen even in the times of Moses, when he came down the mountain with the ten commandments and saw God's people worshiping a golden calf. God swiftly had his people killing each other in an attempt to purify themselves.

And when the God of the old testament wasn't telling people to kill each other, he himself was doing the killing. In the story of Noah's Ark, God plays favoritism and chooses Noah to build an Ark. After the Ark is built and all the animals are saftely upon it, God quickly starts a huge storm which kills everyone on land, who was not in the Ark, and every living creature on land who was not in the Ark.

We again see God commiting genocide in the lands of Sodom and Gomorrah. Again God plays favoritism and decides to save one person in these Villages, Lot and his family. Lot's unfortunate wife turned around to look at the destruction of the exploding city, and was transformed into a pillar of salt. Of course, Lot was one of those cool guys who don't look at explosions.

So perhaps the God of the Old Testament would kill off people because of their abortionist views, but the God of the new testament certainly wouldn't. It is also important to note that the God of the Old Testament was the same God that gave the commandment Thou Shalt Not Kill. In this sense, the people doing "God's Will" and killing off these abortion clinic doctors would never be graced by God enough to enter the "Kingdom of Heaven". But of course, because there is no God, and there is no heaven, all we have are a bunch of murderers and dead bodies (not to mention the mothers that may desperately need abortions without any safe place to turn to).

Of course the God of the new testament was a cool guy. Jesus often hung around prostitutes, and murderers. He often forgave people for whatever they had done in the past and was loving to everyone. I believe that if Jesus was here he would be on the side of pro-choice. The reason is because Jesus thought there was a righteous way to live, but he also believed that whether you lived that way or not was your choice. I never heard of Jesus killing anyone because they did not believe in God. So if we want to be just like Jesus, we should all be pro-choice.

However there is another hypothesis I am neglecting. The hypothesis that God IS doing something about the pro-choice movement. He certainly hasn't come down from heaven and made any great announcements, but he has said something by NOT coming down and making a great announcement. He is basically saying that he doesn't exist or he doesn't care. In which case pro-lifer's should not shout in the streets that it is an abomination to kill a zygote.

If the only excuse you have for being against abortion is your religion, then you need to look closer at what God really wants. Do you not think that if God had something against a woman's right to choose that he would do something about it? And don't you think that if God were going to do something about it that it would be more peaceful, and loving than anything a person could come up with? Of course many religious people are extremely uncivilized so when letter's are produced that threaten people because they perpetuate the right to a woman's choice, then I can only say that this is what we have come to expect.

Of course there is another argument that does not rely upon a persons religion for why we should be against abortion. That argument is that all life is precious. That the pain a fetus (or zygote) receives when it dies is enough to stop abortion in it's tracks. Of course I have to disagree. A fetus would need a fully developed nervous system to feel pain. In the case of abortions, a date could be set on when it is thought a baby has a nervous system advanced enough to feel pain. Of course, if the argument is that living things shouldn't feel pain, then the pro-lifer's should also be strict vegetarians, as I am sure any fetus given an injection to die slowly feels far less pain than a cow does when it's throat is slit. They should also campaign for the rights of chickens to live (I am not sure at what level a young chicks nervous system is formed, but I do believe that eggs are still okay).

However the pro-life movement for some reason stops at humans. It does not consider any other species right to life. This is not surprising because these are the same people who go hunting every summer. They believe (and the argument becomes a religious one again), that God gave people a special right upon this earth. This is sad, for what they do not see is the more we kill the things around us, the less likely we will be able to persist in the future.

Now, my argument seems one sided, but I am not calling pro-lifer's evil. I am not saying they are stupid or that they deserve to die. As an atheist I have strong moral standards against demeaning people, and against resorting to ad hominem attacks. Every LIVING person has the value of their mind. And because of this value, I will give a link to some pro-life advocates views on why abortion is bad.

It is my hope that you see this list, and see their hostility towards the other side.

In my opinion it is not anyone's business to dictate how individuals live their lives. Nor how they treat the lives of the parasites within them (and yes, babies are parasites in the literal sense of the word). I think this is the biggest civil rights challenge of the 21st century. Dealing with people who believe they can impose their views on others. I think the focus should come off from pro-choice and pro-life arguments. It should come off from pro-gay and anti-gay marriage arguments. It should come off from an atheists rights to be free from religion vs peoples rights to have freedom of religion. All these groups - Woman's activist groups, pro gay marriage groups, and pro atheism groups, should work together on a new and bigger campaign. Perhaps it could be called - If you don't like what's going on in my house than stop being so damn nosey, campaign. Or the freedom to live life according to your own views campaign.

In this way the only right that can be taken away from people is the right to tell other people how they should live. This would make everyone happier, even the anti-gay marriage, antiabortion, anti-atheism crowd. The only reason they get so upset is because they are out protesting in front of abortion clinics, and in front of places where gay people marry. Jesus believed in spreading the word of God, but he did not believe in hating people who had a different opinion than he did. For some reason people seem to have forgotten what the word love means. We should all be loving our neighbors no matter who they are. If they happen to be gay, and your anti gay, then try your best not to see them, or move. You have no right to protest in front of their houses, or to tell them how to live. If "protesting" behavior continues, then I would love to see homosexuals in this country set up an anti-straight campaign. If straight people have the right to tell gay people how to live, then it should go the other way around too.

Atheism is also included in the argument. Luci, who replied to one of my blog posts said "Becoming an atheist means committing social suicide; you are now being judged more than a criminal is judged." Of course I am not a criminal, I am an American. Unless some new thought crime law was enacted that I don't know about, I have no reason to believe there is a God. And people should stop judging me because of this view. We should get together sometime, atheists, homosexuals, and abortionists. We can form an organization (another name for it might be AHA, Atheists Homosexuals and Abortionists). We have power in numbers and our main goal should be that no matter what your views are, as long as they do no harm to any living person (who is already born), then you have the right to live your life free from people who believe they have the right to dictate how you live. Until such a law is enacted American soil will be in a perpetual state of unrest.

An Atheist on Fire

2009-06-02T09:54:00.000-07:00

It wasn’t the normal type of thing one would find in their dresser. All of my clothes were cleaned and folded. They were in neat piles! Why? Why would someone do that?

I am not the messiest person on earth, but I don’t keep my dresser as organized as I found it a few days ago. Someone had washed my clothes, folded them AND put them away. I thought this was awkward. To do this they had to go into my dresser. I looked inside the 3rd drawer down from the top, and my zip lock bag full of condoms and lubrication was still there, in tact. I didn’t know how many I had before, but the size of the bag looked about right.

As an atheist, any intrusion into my privacy must be investigated. It may have been that my clothes were washed and whoever put them away was doing me a favor, but I knew better. My clothes, after being washed, are normally placed neatly on my bed. This type of treatment, placing them in my dresser, was done with an ulterior motive. I recently came out to my mom, as an atheist. She took it harshly but has begun treating me as a person again. As a matter of fact, on Sunday, May 30th, she invited me to go to Church with her! I was shocked that she would even ask, but as she is a Christian, it is her duty to try to spread her religion to as many non-believers as possible, even those who may be living right under her nose. It’s a meme thing.

In The God Delusion, Dawkins speaks about religion as a meme. And as a meme it needs to spread itself and culturally evolve to survive. I am not willing to become infected with this meme again. It took me long enough to get rid of it in the first place!

So I confronted her. As her son, I thought there was an explanation that I could handle, one that involved me simply telling her that I preferred to put my clothes away myself. However I was just fooling myself. If there are constants in my household, they are this:
1. My mother is an unreasonable woman
2. My mother thinks she is always right.

I asked, “Did you go through my dresser?” I expected her to deny the claim outright, but she didn’t!

“Yes.” Such a simple reply! What was she hiding? I asked her what she was looking for, to bypass her excuse (which was that she was putting my clothes away).

“Drugs. You graduated from college, and I know college students do drugs.”

I didn’t know how to respond. Other than the fact that I do not do drugs, nor have I shown a tendency to act like a drug addict does, I had nothing to say. I could try to tell her to respect my privacy, but this would only incite unnecessary arguments. I could tell her I am not a drug addict, but her preconceived notions need more than a statement from me to disprove them. I can tell her that not all college student’s do drugs, but when the majority of the student body at UVM has at least tried marijuana, this would of course be a lie, and an unwinnable argument with my mother. I could have reminded her that I already graduated and thus no longer fall under the category of “college student”, but this would only lead her to believe that I was a full on pot head at UVM. There was nothing to say, or do.

Let’s suppose I do drugs. So what? Alcohol puts people in more danger than marijuana does, and more people die from smoking Nicotine cigarettes every year than from smoking marijuana. I am all for legalizing marijuana not only for medicinal use, but also for recreational use. If it is legalized, it could be taxed! Then the government could make money off of it, like alcohol and cigarettes. Plus, many people who smoke marijuana, and are in need of jobs, might be willing to actually go out and get a job farming the stuff. Along with marijuana, hemp can be grown to create clothing and other products. Hemp should be grown to replace the disease ridden and labor intensive cotton anyway. And lastly, if the government legalized marijuana, they would have every right to dictate quality standards, like they do with food and alcohol. In this case the marijuana that will be produced would be much safer. Along with emptying some of the prisons (people that had cases of possession of large amounts of marijuana) and decriminalizing the sale and possession of marijuana (except against minors), law enforcement will be improved by putting the focus back on violent crimes! These are my views on marijuana, but I cannot stress enough, I DO NOT SMOKE WEED!

But what evidence brought her to the conclusion that I did drugs? I thought about it for a few hours (not about doing drugs, but about her conclusion), while I was pacing in my room, upset. It suddenly came to me. Her boyfriend Eddie smokes cigarettes. That is something I have never done, not only because it is addicting, but because it could kill you! Why don’t people who smoke cigarettes get the same rep as people who smoke weed? I am not advocating that people who smoke cigarettes are bad people, but in my mothers eyes people who smoke weed are low-lives. I disagree with her assessment. Many famous stars do drugs (and we often see them in the news when they overdose). I am not saying doing hardcore drugs is a good thing, but I do believe that everyone, no matter what type of lifestyle they live, can fall into addictive habits with drugs.
Anyway, back to mom’s boyfriend, Eddie. Earlier in the week, he pulled one out (a cigarette), but needed a lighter. I pulled out my lighter for him. This was probably the moment mom suspected me of doing drugs.

That only leaves one question. What is a recent college graduate like me doing with a lighter in my pocket, if I don’t smoke? The answer lies in the oil (and in the fact that I just came back from Vermont).

I love fragrance oils. You can ask my roommate from UVM, Jonathan Castillo. I have a fragrance oil burner in my room, and I purchased the lighters because I was always using it (and tired of asking my neighbors for a light). That is the only reason. I know, it sounds fishy, but if you can have a look at how many tea lights I have, or at my apparatus for burning the oil, then you will know I am being honest.

1.Candle Goes Here
2.Oil Goes Here
I actually ran out of oil recently, and need to go to one of those female hygiene stores, like bed bath and beyond, or Bath and Body Works, to buy more. I do not like buying the plug in oils because I find them difficult to clean, and they are not as effective. Plus they use electricity and take up the socket in the wall, which can be used for any one of my many electronic devices. I also have two bags of tea lights, which I still need to use, plus the porcelain oil burner, which will go to waste if I don’t use it!

1.Tea Lights
2. Oil Burning Apparatus

As for my candles and my lighter, I am putting them to good use. Have you ever read by the candlelight before? Currently I am reading the Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean.

But my honest answer to her would have taken to long to explain. She would have yelled at me somewhere along the line. She probably would have changed the argument on me, saying: as my mother she had a right to do it. Or stating that because I was living under her roof, she had the right to investigate if she thought I was doing drugs. Of course, I am not hiding anything; I just didn’t want my mom to see my stash of condoms and lubricant. It is a matter of privacy. In all honesty she probably only saw the condoms, but if she did see the lubricant, then she probably thinks I am gay. It is okay, this is what I have come to expect from religious people: a tendency to change the argument to one they can win, or to speak louder than the person they are arguing against to claim later that they won the argument. I just stood quiet. I let her win. She can have this one. I still don’t have a place to stay besides her house.

Which reminds me, I am a recent college graduate in NYC looking for a job. Click here for my resume!