Not Again

Genesis 7: 2-12 Mark 13: 32-37 It is said in the book of Genesis that God called upon Noah to build an arc and tame two of each living creatures. The purpose in this was to wash away all the Earth and restart life. All the son's and daughters of Cain were turning the world evil. And so God prepared Noah and his family for the flood but no one else. Noah collected his family and a male and female of each animal and stowed away on the arc for 40 days and 40 nights during the storm. The previous Summer we have experienced, has clearly not been all sun and shine. There has been what seemed like 40 days and 40 nights of uncontrollable rain. "Not Again!" some thought. The world was coming to an end and we were going down the same way as Noah and his community. Easily, New Jersey was turning into a rainy state. The immense quantity of rainfall kept people indoors, BB Q's canceled and frustrating traffic. The enjoyment level of this situation was not high. Water was actually ruining our lifestyles. Those whom are Catholic believe the world will end at any given moment. There is no set date for this event. God does not want us ready for worlds end. No one was expecting the amount of cat-and-dog weather shown, plus the measure of rainfall compared to The Great Flood, in concerning ways. First, the whopping number of raindrops, in addition there is probably a man named Noah or perhaps even a women named Joana building an arc in the middle of the desert. Not again. . .

Extra credit: Quote interpretation

We have all gone through that frustrating experience of someone accepting credit we deserve. But that's life, right? Sir William Osler would certainly agree with me. Judging by his words "In science, the credit goes to the man who convinces the world, not the man whom the idea first occurred," I'd say that he can relate. It is true that the the outcome of some situations often end up not like planned, but that is because what one may start, another is sure to finish. Weather the starter only thought of the idea or actually did all the work, they most likely would not get the attention he/she is worthy of. Even if it is not a a lot of honor they are worthy of, they still wouldn't get their share. That person whom the idea did not first blossom, would have trouble dividing the credit. Sir William Osler was simply just making a statement. Although, his words could have a bigger meaning and larger effect then intended. But is it him who will receive credit for that influence?

extra credit-article: Swamped at Shore

Swamped at Shore The Star Ledger November 14, 2009 Page 1 My favorite place in the world, known for its friendly neighborhoods, endless fun in town, and especially sandy beaches, is Stone Harbor NJ shore. I don't think any other beach has sand as soft and white as Stone Harbor. But according to the Star Ledger, that sand is quickly breaking down. Due to the storm that took place November 13, townships in Cape May county and Atlantic county have gone through sever erosion. Erosion is known as the gradual wearing away of land, however, gradual is not an acceptable word for this situation. Streets were flooded, power was down, benches were buried in sand. This storm has done much more then just a little loss of land and it has brought me to that dreadful thought of "What if there is no more room to appreciate the beach anymore?" During my latest experience at the Jersey shore, my family and I had a difficult time finding a reasonable seat on the land. The public area had decreased in size by several times compared to previous years at the beach. Already Stone Harbor has gone through extreme erosion. I fear the next time I see it on account of the storm that swamped the shore.

extra credit-TV: Monk

In the latest episode of Monk, Leland, Adrian and Randy are assigned a case (before Leland's wedding) to find out who and why a man was burned. When they arrived at the scene, it was pretty obvious why they were burned: so the identity of the person was hidden. The only thing left was a boot, empty of fingerprints. However, looking for fingerprints is clearly not the only way to solve a mystery. Adrian somehow noticed the tiniest piece of green Styrofoam on the bottom of the boot. The kind of Styrofoam used in flower shops. In addition, a cut thorn was pressed against the rubber sole. the thorn was said to be cut due to the smooth edges of its trim. Even without doing a scientific observation with goggles and chemicals, evidence was found. And so that evidence lead to more. Randy and Adrian headed to florists in search of the mans job. The shop with a worker in which has been missing for days was concluded the one the man worked at. The crazy owner let him work there without filling out papers but fingerprints were found in his work station. As i watch my detective show and notice how the characters find even just the littlest bit of evidence somewhere, it reminds me of what i am often reminded of as "science is everywhere." What is meant to be mysterious and funny entertainment has helped me consider and understand science better. Similar to how one piece of evidence lead to another, one unit of science would relate to a second. Plus, it made me realize how important observation skills are. And so, the bridesmaid tricked the florists; shot and burned him, attempted to separate the bride and groom, pointed a gun at the best man and ended up in jail. Just another case for Adrian Monk.

extra credit-book:The Giver

Imagine living in a world without color. Is that even possible? According to Lois Lowry, that's how the future is going to be. Her prediction is: after the earth is destroyed and then rebuilds up, there shall be nothing but sameness among some communities. In her book, The Giver everyone celebrates their birthdays on the same day, no one will be able to decide things for themselves, and only the few who were born with the ability to "see beyond" are able to see in color. The desire for scientific answers is a common feeling while reading this novel. With electronics and medicine, most don't understand why they are such a harmonized community. The lifestyles of these people are not complex at all, but they make you think in a complex manner. One would think of "no color" as gray, or white, but gray and white are both colors. So how are they seeing "no color?" Well maybe if everything is seen in gray then that's the only color and if there is only one color then they wouldn't know of colors. Obviously, this book really makes a person think. To go along with all of that, they go to school and train for their assigned jobs. No schools in this community and only one job studies history. These characters believe that sharing history (or as they call it "memories") will hurt their lifestyles. So that one person selected as "the receiver" is given these memories simply by the giver placing his hands on the receiver's back. The receiver then lives out the experience as more then just a memory. He can flashback to it at anytime but he feels pain as if its happening now. The only way to understand this story is to finish and so far, the answer remain unsaid.