Fear Me If You Dare - An Atheist Wins One!

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

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!

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

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

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.