my parade

just for your information, I am still breathing.

I am going to keep breathing.

This test will pass - I may not, but it will.

*big exhale here*

It doesn't matter what my grade is. Right now the only thing I can focus on is staying calm and preparing the most effective and efficient way I know how.

Or, in other words....

Don't tell me not to live, just sit and putter 
Life's candy and the sun's a ball of butter 
Don't bring around a cloud to rain on my parade 
Don't tell me not to fly, I simply got to 
If someone takes a spill, it's me and not you 
Who told you you're allowed to rain on my parade 
I'll march my band out, I'll beat my drum 
And if I'm fanned out, your turn at bat, sir 
At least I didn't fake it, hat, sir 
I guess I didn't make it 
But whether I'm the rose of sheer perfection 
A freckle on the nose of life's complexion 
The Cinderella or the shine apple of its eye 
I gotta fly once, I gotta try once, 
Only can die once, right, sir? 
Ooh, life is juicy, juicy and you see, 
I gotta have my bite, sir. 
Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a "comer" 
I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer 
Don't bring around the cloud to rain on my parade, 

I'm gonna live and live NOW! 
Get what I want, I know how! 
One roll for the whole shebang! 
One throw that bell will go clang, 
Eye on the target and wham, 
One shot, one gun shot and bam! 
Hey, Mr. Arnstein, here I am ... 

I'll march my band out, I will beat my drum, 
And if I'm fanned out, your turn at bat, sir, 
At least I didn't fake it, hat, sir, 
I guess I didn't make it 
Get ready for me love, 'cause I'm a "comer" 
I simply gotta march, my heart's a drummer 
Nobody, no, nobody, is gonna rain on my parade! 

Once upon a time

Finals, second to last day - 

Today, I may have failed a final for the first time in college. This has been a semester of firsts, I guess. Funny - I know I may have just failed ecology, but somehow, I know the world is still going to move on, and I feel like I've bee given a big new piece of opportunity. 

I smell like finals.

erg.

( :

A good song, or, Give me this Mountain

He Said Love, by Barclay James Harvest. Listen to it! 

Well, friends, here I am, a day and half into finals week, preparing to take my geology final at 3:00 p.m., and coming to face to face with my most debilitating weaknesses. (Namely, spinning my wheels, staying up way too late, nervous eating, feeling sorry for myself about boys, angsting about the universe, etc. Good thing I don't back down easy. And good thing I'm going to see Brad at 11:00. And I have Karate tonight (it's very therapeutic to hit things). Good thing my family loves me no matter what my grades are.

And good thing I can totally do this. I have a week in which to not worry about anything except for loving other people and rocking these finals hardcore. Both of which (with a little help) I am eminently capable of doing. So, as Brad would say, here's to the "Scarlett O'Hara complex"; I'll worry about that tomorrow.

Today, I am present. And I am not afraid.

Good luck to all of you (not that anyone reads this, haha ( :  ) in whatever you may face this week. Give me this mountain!

Jessie

hm

Sometimes I wish I was spanish. Yup.

my pdbio essay

Jessie Riddle

PDBio 120 Dr. Jerry Johnson

November 2009

Are Humans Distance Runners by Nature?

The New York Times published an article on October 27, 2009, discussing the claim that early human beings evolved into distance runners.  The theory known as “persistence hunting” suggests human evolution favored traits that allowed populations to obtain protein by chasing their prey to exhaustion and death. The article references a recent study done at the University of Utah, which points to many human traits that may have evolved in support of persistence hunting. The article also discusses the book recently published entitled Born to Run, which claims that mankind did, indeed, evolve into expert long distance runners, and that the reason running causes so many athletes injury today is our faulty methods of training (including high-tech shoes that detract from the natural use of the feet).

After a careful analysis of this news article, I have concluded that is technically accurate, and relatively specific in the evidences it cites from recent studies. The author did an excellent job of gathering research from multiple sources. However, I also found that the article fails to mention some of the more contradictory elements of the “Persistence Hunting” theory, and so paints a somewhat inaccurate picture of its probable validity. 

Section One

            According to a 2007 study authored by Dr. Daniel Lieberman and Dennis K. Bramble, and published in the journal Sports Medicine, human beings are remarkably well adapted to running long distances. Other recent studies have declared it likely that many modern human phenotypes involved in running are due to our early ancestors “Persistence Hunting.” Scientists from the fields of evolutionary biology, anthropology, neurophysiology, genetic morphology, sports medicine and others are currently debating whether or not Persistence Hunting could have caused the evolution of long distance running capabilities in humans.

This question comes at an important time – the list of medical problems resulting from a sedentary lifestyle is growing alongside the increasing number of exercise-related injuries. New discoveries suggesting if and how humans have evolved towards distance running could provide key insights into helping humans understand the needs and capabilities of their own bodies.  

Section Two

            Dr. Lieberman and Dr. Bramble’s paper describes the current theories on the origin of endurance running, which is referred to as “ER.” They state that the main difficulties of ER stem from three things: energy production and use, stabilizing the body, and regulating the body’s temperature. These three concepts are referred to as energetics, stabilization, and thermoregulation. Lieberman and Bramble account for the way in which humans have dealt with these barriers through the theory that the use of “Persistence Hunting” led to natural selection for traits that augmented ER abilities. They define Persistence Hunting as a pre-weapon technique beginning between 1.5 and 2 million years ago that involves chasing prey through the intense heat over long periods of time and killing the exhausted animal by hand.

Section Three

            Energetics

The first issue discussed by Lieberman and Bramble is energetics. They explain that humans absorb the shock from the ground involved in running through tendons in the legs, converting potential energy to kinetic energy through a “mass-spring gait.” This means that the body’s Center of Mass falls after a running step is taken, pushing “elastic” energy into the tendons of the leg to be released through the leg’s upward motion.  All ‘cursorial’ (walking) animals use the mass-spring gait to run. In walking there is no aerial phase and the legs have a higher friction with the ground, but running (due to its aerial phase) requires more kinetic energy to sustain, and so despite it’s minimal contact with the ground, it comes at a higher metabolic cost[i]

According to a 2009 study in the Journal of Human Evolution, humans, like other cursorial animals, minimize the costs of both running and walking at certain speeds. The study also states that running slowly is the least energetically efficient pace for humans[ii]. However, Bramble and Lieberman write that humans are remarkably well-adapted for prolonged usage of the mass-spring gait, due to “numerous tendons [in the legs], such as the Achilles…which are absent or tiny in other African Apes,” and “spring-like ligaments” in the feet.  These studies appear to conflict, because one suggests that slow running is inefficient, and the other suggests that humans have evolved musculature over time specifically suited to long periods of running. This conflict may be resolved through further research on a specific type of Persistence Hunting referenced in the 2009 study, which involves extended periods of a running at a relatively faster pace alternated with periods of walking. This would allow for continued effort over long time periods and still allow humans to cover great distances

            Stability

            Bramble and Lieberman state that running presents more problems in terms of stability than walking. Thus, in a situation where humans are required to run for long distances, traits would likely become dominant that aid in stabilization while running. The authors suggest that this is, indeed, what humans have, in several key muscle groups. These include a narrow waist, a mobile thorax (the area from the sternum to the diaphragm) that is separated from the neck and thus allows the arms and trunk to rotate separately, sensory reflexes (specifically, the ones that allow us to absorb information and stay upright) that are suited to the rapid movements generated by running , and the gluteus maximus.

The gluteus maximus is frequently mentioned in studies concerning Persistence Hunting, because it has a markedly different structure in humans than in chimpanzees. In 2006, Lieberman, Bramble and several other scientists did a study determining the utilization of the gluteus maximus in running versus walking. They determined that this muscle’s much larger upper portion and lack of a lower portion is “unique to hominids.[iii]” Several theories could account for the divergence of this muscle for Homo sapiens, such as digging or climbing, but it clearly stabilizes the trunk and would thus have been very beneficial in ER (and thus Persistence Hunting). The lack of another human function that so significantly utilizes the gluteus maximus makes it seem likely that ER contributed to genetic selection for this muscle. 

            Thermoregulation

            Lieberman and Bramble describe thermoregulation as the most significant physiological challenge in ER.  The amount of muscle activity involved in running produces significantly more heat than walking, which creates a problem for persistence hunters, because Persistence Hunting must take place in a hot environment[iv]. However, modern persistent hunters in desert areas such as Botswana successfully outrun animals that cannot maintain speed in the heat.[v]. According to Lieberman and Bramble, this is due to humans’ use of evapo-transpiration instead of panting.

A Current Anthropology article published in 1984 explains that although panting is initially a better heat conductor than sweating, it limits an animal’s speed, because heat conduction is dependent on oxygen consumption through respiration. This article also points out that “No other species is known to sweat as much per unit surface area as man,” due to the structure and high density of sweat glands and the lack of hair[vi]. This extreme level of sweat secretion would thus enable a hairless, running human to dissipate extreme heat where other animals could not.

This article also states that further research must be done on large mammals to determine whether or not humans’ thermoregulation is unique and if it is related to bipedal ER. However, selection for such a trait suggests a lifestyle and environment that would cause early humans to benefit from high thermoregulation while running.

Section 4

            Through an examination of mechanisms that assist in ER and or Persistence Hunting, there appears to be a compelling case for natural selection of Homo sapiens through such a mechanism. Many of the mechanisms supporting this theory need further exploration. Specific areas in which the debate among scientists or the lack of data clearly necessitate further study include energy use ratios at specific speeds for humans, thermoregulation capacities and mechanisms in large animals other than humans, and the different methods of Persistence Hunting. The work that has been done is ultimately inconclusive. .However, Persistence Hunting continues to gain support as a mechanism for the evolution of endurance running as the details surrounding its origin and role in human evolution become clear.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

News:

Parker-Pope, T. (2009) “The human body is built for distance.” New York Times Web. October 26, 2009

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/10/27/health/27well.html

 

Primary:

Lieberman, D.E. Bramble, D.M. (2007) The evolution of marathon running; capabilities in humans. Sports Medicine 37 (4-5), 288-290

 

Review:

Steudel, K. (1996) Limb Morphology, bipedal gait, and the energetics of human locomotion. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 99 (2), 345-355

 

 

Allied:

 

---

[i] Steudel, K. (1996) Limb Morphology, bipedal gait, and the energetics of human locomotion. American Journal of Physical Anthropology 99 (2), 345-355

 

 

[ii] Steudel-Numbers, K.L., Wall-Scheffler, C.M. (2009) Optimal running speed and the evolution of hominin hunting strategies. Journal of Human Evolution 56, 355-360

 

[iii] Lieberman, D.E., et al. (2006) The human gluteus maximus and its role in running. The Journal of Experimental Biology 209, 2143-2155.

 

[iv] Carrier, D.R. et al. (1984) The energetic pardox of human running and hominid evolution. Current Anthropology, 25 (4), 483-495

 

[v] Liebenberg, L. (2006).  Persistence hunting by modern hunter-gatherers. Current Anthropology 47 (6),  017-1025

 

[vi] see iv

 

my ecology essay

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jessie Riddle

Limnoperna fortunei in the Americas

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION

            In 1993, the first specimens of Limnoperna fortunei in South America were discovered in the La Plata River basin of Argentina (Pastorino & Darrigan, 1993, ref. in Darrigan, 2000).  This bivalve mussel species, originally from Southeast Asia, was released into the Río de la Plata estuary through the ballast water of ships (ref. Boltovskoy , Correa, Cataldo, & Sylvester, 2006). L. fortunei quickly expanded beyond the La Plata estuary into other inland waterways, proving remarkably successful in the South American aquatic environment. By the late 1990s, it was observed to be advancing along waterways at a speed of roughly 240 km/yr (Darrigan, 2000).  

The impacts of this “Golden Mussel” have included a decline in some native species and “biofouling,” or an accumulation of organic material that corrodes the affected surface, of the local environment (Darrigan, 2002). Commercial, industrial, and public water supplies in South America have been affected, and L. fortunei is now classified as an invasive species (U.S.A.C.E.). According to the National Invasive Species Council, an invasive species is defined as “a species that is non-native to the ecosystem under consideration and whose introduction causes or is likely to cause economic or environmental harm or harm to human health (I.S.A.C. 2006).” L. fortunei’s invasive behavior, however, may have had some positive impacts, including an increase in benthic (the bottom of an aquatic eco-system) density and a dramatic upswing in local fish harvesting.

L. fortunei’s impact on people and the environment and its invasive qualities have been compared to that of the Zebra mussel, a non-native bivalve species that has caused serious economic and ecological damage in North America (Karatayev, 2007). Although L. fortunei’s ultimate influence may or may not be analogous to that of the Zebra mussel, it appears that both mussels follow similar patterns of reproduction and invasion. It also seems likely that unless checked, L. fortunei will reach North America. L.Fortunei’s remarkable success in South America, coupled with its similarities to the Zebra mussel’s development, has caused speculation that it could supersede the Zebra mussel as an ecological hazard in North American waters.

PURPOSE

            This paper will discuss the impacts of L. fortunei on South American aquatic ecosystems and local industries. It will also discuss the potential impact of an invasion into North America, and the most beneficial courses of action for affected areas. In order to evaluate the situation, this paper will first examine L. fortunei’s rapid progression through South America. It will then document the observed economic and environmental impacts of colonization and biofouling, including an increase in benthic densities, the growth or death of native species, and the corrosion, obstruction and pollution of waterways. Finally, this paper will review the likelihood of an invasion of L. fortunei into North America, and what steps can or should be taken to halt its advance in the Americas.

OBJECTIVE

            It is the author’s opinion that L. fortunei would be very difficult to remove from the locations it has already colonized in South America. The documented impacts of this species do not appear to warrant the effort and expense a complete removal would require. However, they do appear to warrant quick and comprehensive efforts to stop the invasion of new areas. While L. fortunei has increased the numbers of certain freshwater fish, expanded benthic densities and had other positive influences, the observed negative outcomes appear to outweigh the potentially positive results of introduction. The negative consequences of observed invasions have included biofouling of important waterways, pollution of or damage to industrial and commercial water resources, and a loss of native species (thus a loss in overall biodiversity). Specific actions to stop the spread of L. fortunei could include stricter regulations on cleaning and inspection of boat traffic, in addition to the removal of any specimens discovered.

DISCUSSION

The spread of L. fortunei           

L. fortunei was first observed in the Río de la Plata estuary in 1991. It has since colonized South American waterways to a surprising degree, and can now be found in five countries - Brazil, Paraguay, Uruguay, Bolivia and Argentina (Boltovsky 2006.) In 1995, four years after the species was first discovered, population densities in the original site of contact were about 150,000 individuals m² (Darrigan & Ezcurra de Drago, 2000). In 2004, thirteen years after its invasion, many places in the Paraná river delta (at the head of the Río de la Plata estuary) had consistent population densities of 200,000 individuals m² (Sylvester, Dorado, Boltovskoy, Juárez, & Cataldo, 2005). L. fortunei reached Brazil through the Jacuí canal soon after the year 2000. Current populations in this area, about eight years later, are at an average of 118,00 individuals m²(Bergonci, 2009). The fact that the populations in the Jacuí canal are still significant, but are smaller than those at the mouth of the Paraná river system, demonstrates that although the Golden mussel forms large colonies quickly, its success rate in colonization is not uniform.

Characteristics of L. fortunei responsible for its expansion, and factors that limit its growth

            The remarkable expansion of L. fortunei in South America and factors that have increased or inhibited its spread have been analyzed in careful studies. Several key elements have been found in the mussels’ successful colonization – (1) a lack of natural competitors for habitat, (2) an ability to colonize a variety of locations, (3) an amenability or adaptability to South American waters’ temperatures and composition, and (4) a short maturation and sexual reproduction cycle.

L. fortunei has little competition for its ecological niche. In the La Plata estuary, it is the only mussel species that attaches byssally to hard substrates, is epifaunal, and is well suited for freshwater regions (Darrigan, 2002). It has quickly become a major part of native fishes’ diets, and in general seems to have found an unfulfilled space in these aquatic ecosystems (Paolucci, Cataldo, Fuentes, & Boltovskoy, 2007). Although this lack of competition for habitat appears to have benefited the golden mussel, it is not necessarily vital for its development. This is illustrated by the fact that the Zebra mussel, which colonizes waterways in a similar manner to L. fortunei, has overtaken areas with and decimated pre-existing native mussel populations in North America (Karatayev, 2007).

The Golden Mussel is also successful because it can colonize a large variety of areas. L. fortunei produces free-swimming larva, which allows for a great amount of spreading nine months out of the year. After the initial, free-swimming stage, these larvae develop a “foot,” which can and will attach to any solid surface. This includes grains of clay or silt, the shells of other mussels, and industrial equipment such as pipes and condensers (Cataldo & Boltovsky, 2000).

The temperatures of most South American inland water bodies appear to be favorable for L. fortunei’s advance. This is important for the species’ success, as we can see from a 1995 study, which determined that the mussel’s growth reproductive cycle varies greatly according to temperature. Golden Mussels begin to reproduce in temperatures above 15-17°C (Cataldo & Boltovsky, 2000), and populations have been observed in water up to 32°C (Darrigan, 2002) A similar study in 2002 determined that L. fortunei’s filtering processes reach their peak between 20 and 25˚ C (Sylvester et al., 2005). Larvae are predicted to survive in temperatures from 16 to 28˚C, while adults can survive in water from 8 to 32˚C (U.S.A.C.E.). This suggests that the Golden mussel will be more abundant in the southern parts of North America, where the Zebra mussel, which has an ideal temperature of 12 to 24˚, is not as ecologically stable. Additionally, the golden mussel has been shown to be dependent on low levels of salinity, thus containing the species’ colonization to fresh or mostly freshwater areas. Specifically, L. fortunei is not likely to survive in water with a salinity of 2 ppt for greater than a year (Angonesi, da Rosa, & Bemvenuti, 2008). It should also be noted that L. fortunei’s umbonated larvae are extremely vulnerable to prolonged oxygenation or chlorination of their water. So far the mussel has not naturally encountered that obstacles in its colonization (Cataldo & Boltovsky, 2000).

L. fortunei typically mature sexually after one year (U.S.A.C.E.).  They are a typically dioecious species, and larvae are fertilized externally. As mentioned above, the larvae are free swimming, and attach to almost all available hard substrates. Evidence of L. fortunei’s fast reproductive rate was given in a 1998-1999 study in the La Plata estuary, where a pipe wiped clean of all specimens by high summer temperatures will be covered with a dense growth of L. fortunei within six to eight months (Cataldo & Boltovsky, 2000).

Other factors related to the success of an invasive species that are possessed by L. fortunei were listed in Morton’s 1996 study as “high fecundity…gregarious behavior; some form of association with human activities…suspension feeding… [and] the ability to repopulate previously colonized habitats” (ref. Darrigan, 2002). 

Impact in South America

The arrival of the Golden Mussel has had both positive and negative outcomes in the economies and environments of countries it has invaded. Argentina, Bolivia, Uruguay, Paraguay and Brazil have found a significant increase in the total annual freshwater fish harvest. Industries in these countries have also experienced difficulties and rising operational costs in using the affected waterways due to “macrofouling,” or the growth of life forms on non-living hard surfaces (Darrigan, 2002). Environmentally, the Golden mussel has increased benthic densities (Sylvester et al. 2007), become a major food source for at least one species of native fish (Paoulucci et al., 2007) and reduced populations of native invertebrates.

Limnoperna fortunei larvae were found to be the most important food source, in terms of biomass and nutrient content, for multiple taxa of larval fish in main channels of the Paraná river. L. fortunei was also found to be the second most important food source for a variety of larval fish in the marginal lagoons San Nícolas and El Saco, which are attached to the Paraná river system. The fish species that consumed the highest percentages of L. fortunei were also the most abundant local species (Paolucci et al., 2007). The vital role of the mussel in local fish’s diets is also visible in the Río de la Plata, where L. fortunei constitutes the main food source of the native “boga” fish (Penchaszadeh et al. 2000). Between 1992-93 and 2000-2001, the total amount of freshwater fish harvested multiplied 2.4-fold (Boltovskoy et al., 2006). Although this is not necessarily a direct result of l. fortunei’s introduction, the mussel’s integral role in native fish diets seems to indicate a correlation.

“Macrofouling” of indisustrial pipes and waterways in Argentina has caused problems for Hydroelectric power stations, nuclear plans, water treatment stations, distilleries and refineries (Boltovskoy et al. 2006). Macrofouling, or the deleterious growth of large organic material on a substrate, occurs in several parts of the Golden Mussels’ life cycle. First, when L. fortunei forms a colony on a hard surface such as pipes or filters, the water intake lowers and the water pressure may be reduced. The water in the pipes may become polluted, and the pipes themselves are often corroded. When the colonies die en masse due to temperature or water content, corrosion and pollution are compounded by large quantities of empty shells. These processes result in expenses to companies for cleaning, repairs, and lowered productivity (Boltovskoy et al. 2006, Darrigan 2002).

L. fortunei increases benthic densities through filtering of the surrounding water. After mussels filter nutrients from the water, they will precipitate organic material onto the surfaces they are attached to (or ‘substratum,’). This material settles in the benthic, or bottom, layer of the body of water, which increases the complexity of the substrata by providing new microhabitats on, under and in between shells. The presence of mussels has been found to increase numbers, biomass, and diversity of invertebrate species associated with the mussel bed. This growth may be related to increased sedimentation, but is almost certainly related to the new microhabitat (Sylvester et al., 2007.) However, in another study L. fortunei was found to displace native species of mollusks, and other potential displacements were suggested (Darrigan 2002).

Potential advance into North America

Although L. fortunei can be transported through natural spawning, attachment to recreational vessels and other various techniques, the most important mechanism of transport is commercial vessels. The likelihood of invasion in new areas is determined by the probability of introduction and environment suitability (Boltovskoy et al. 2006).  As the number of ports that have been invaded grows, so does the likelihood that the Golden mussel will be transported to North America through the ballast water of international trade ships.

In terms of ecological suitability, L. fortunei shares key habitation characteristics with the Zebra mussel (byssal attachment to hard substrata), which has successfully colonized much of North America. Significantly, L. fortunei not only tolerates warmer temperatures, lower levels of oxygen and calcium, and higher levels of pollution than the Zebra mussel, but also spawns for nine months out of the year, while the Zebra spawns for three (Boltovskoy et al. 2006). These factors indicate that the economic damage caused by the Zebra mussel could be less significant than the problems created by L. fortunei. It is important to note, however, that the environmental impact of the Golden mussel may or may not be similarly damaging – as mentioned, it has been found to assimilate much better than the Zebra mussel into the diet of native species (Paolucci et al. 2002), but it has also been found to displace native species (Darrigan 2002).

Conclusion 

Although the effects of Limnoperna fortunei on South American ecosystems and economies has been profitable in some areas, the remarkable ability of this species to spread out from original points of invasion and its unusual compatibility with American water systems makes the advance of this species undesirable. Techniques that would effectively prevent this advance include stringent examination of commercial ballast water and possibly private vessels as well as careful observance of waterways with international traffic. Temporarily oxygenating or otherwise disrupting the water supply in order to annihilate populations would most likely prove difficult, expensive and harmful to other species, removing individuals before they can get into the water supply or colonize substrata would appear to be the most effective strategy.

 

References

Angonesi, G. L., da Rosa, N.G., Bemvenuti, C.E. (2008). Tolerance to salinities shocks of the invasive mussel Limnoperna fortunei under experimental conditions. Iheringia. Série Zoologia, 98.

Bergonci, P.E.A., Mansur, M.C.D., Pereira, D., Pinheiro dos Santos, C. (2009). Population samplings of the golden mussel, Limnoperna fortunei, (Dunker, 1857), based on artificial ceramic substrate. Biotemas, 22, 85-94.

Boltovskoy, D., Correa, N., Cataldo, D., Sylvester, F. (2006). Dispersion and ecological impact of the invasive freshwater bivalve Limnoperna fortunei in the Río de la Plata watershed and beyond. Biological Invasions, 8, 947-963.

Cataldo, D.H., Boltovskoy, D. (2000). Yearly reproductive activity of Limnoperna fortunei (Bivalvia) as inferred from the occurrence of its larvae in the plankton of the lower Paraná River and the Río de la Plata estuary (Argentina).  Aquatic Ecology, 34, 307-317.

Darrigan, G. (2002). Potential impact of filter-feeding invaders on temperate inland freshwater environments. Biological Invasions, 4, 145-156.

Darrigan, G., Ezcurra de Drago I. (2000). Invasion of the exotic freshwater mussel Limnoperna fortunei in South America. The Nautilus, 114, 69-73.

Karatayev, Alexander Y., Boltovskoy, D., Padilla D.K., Burlakova L.E. (2007). The invasive bivalves Dreissena Polymorpha and Limnoperna fortunei: Parallels, contrasts, potential spread and invasion impacts. Journal of Shellfish Research, 26, 205-213.

Maroñas, M.E., Darrigan, G.A., Sendra, E.D., and Breckon, G. (2003). Shell growth of the golden mussel, Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857) (Mytilidae), in the Río de la Plata, Argentina. Hydrobiologia, 495, 41-45.

Paolucci, E.M., Cataldo, D.H., Fuentes, C.M., Boltovskoy, D. (2007). Larvae of the invasive species Limnoperna fortunei (Bivalvia) in the diet of fish larvae in the Paraná River, Argentina. Hydrobiologia, 589, 219-233.

Penchaszadeh, P.E., Darrigan, G., Angulo, C., Averbuj, A., Brögger, M., Dogliotti, A., Pírez, N. (2000). Predation of the invasive freshwater mussel Limnoperna fortunei (Dunker, 1857)(Mytilidae) by the fish Leporinus obtusidens Valenciennes, 1846 (Anostomidae) in the Rio de La Plata, Argentina.  Journal of Shellfish Research, 19, 229-231.

Sylvester F., Dorado J., Boltovskoy D., Juárez Á., Cataldo D. (2005). Filtraiton rates of the invasive pest bivalve Limnoperna fortunei as a function of size and temperature. Hydrobiologia, 534, 71-80.

Sylvester, F., Dorado, J., Boltovskoy, D., Juárez, Á., Cataldo, D. (2007). The invasive bivalve Limnoperna fortunei enhances benthic invertebrate densities in South American floodplain rivers. Hydrobiologia, 589, 15-27.

United States Army Corps of Engineers, Aquatic Nuisance Species Research Program. Golden Mussel – Limnoperna fortunei. Retrieved from http://el.erdc.usace.army.mil/ansrp/limnoperna_fortunei.pdf

 

National Invasive Species council website with definition of invasive species

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

honors 292r respsonse

So, I posted this on my other blog, too...but I wanted to put it on here. The end. ( : 

Jessie Riddle

Honors 292R

October 31, 2009

Dr. Kenneth R. Miller

            Dr. Miller’s lecture on evolution and the debate surrounding scientific education in the United States gave me a reason to think, and also reminded me that I greatly admire Charles Darwin and his philosophies.

            As a student at BYU in several biology courses, I have lots of questions on a daily basis about the process of speciation in the history of the world, and how that relates to what I believe. I see the ‘evolution’ of the landscape around me, the spiritual ‘evolution’ I experience as I process new information and feelings and grow in my personal development. I also read about the evolution of matter and our physical bodies – the materials that make up the world we know.

In the face of all this information, two things seem clear to me. First, we are built out of the generations of people that have preceded us. Second (to quote my father), we are more than the sum of our parts.

I enjoyed learning about the recent transitory fossil discoveries from Dr. Miller. I was also interested to learn about the court cases that have been causing such a separation of ideas in the neighborhoods of my country. I agreed with Dr. Miller in his final analysis – this does not have to be a divisive issue. Although I’m sure people will continue to argue about evolution and God, I thought the final quote form Darwin’s Origin of Species may have resonated more deeply with me than anything else in the lecture – “Thus, from the war of nature, from famine and death, the most exalted object which we are capable of conceiving, namely, the production of the higher animals, directly follows. There is grandeur in this view of life, with its several powers, having been originally breathed by the Creator into a few forms or into one; and that, whilst this planet has gone circling on according to the fixed law of gravity, from so simple a beginning endless forms most beautiful and most wonderful have been, and are being evolved.”

yep

sometimes I wonder, what I'm gonna do, cuz there ain't no cure for the mid-semester blues...

( :

yeah, I know it's a little earlier for that. But hey - mid is relative.

today, wednesday, September 23, 2009

1. Clean Room.

2. New Testament Homework.

3. Ecology homework.

4. Sleeeep


also, at some point, drive over to the riddles and water my plants.


Yay!

College - week 1.5

I smell like sweat. That makes sense, since I just went running, but I feel like it works well as a metaphor for a large percentage of my mental and emotional processes right now.
I spent my first week back at BYU battling apprehension and fear and getting tripped up by my slow summer pace and the slippery slope of self-absorption. However, I AM BACK! In the saddle, that is. I know this semester will bring plenty of challenges, but, in the words of the wise woman Arlene Ludlow, you must act as if it were impossible to fail. Plus I like school (mostly). ( :
I know the basics - sleep enough, exercise daily, eat right, have a set time to study for each class, be where you are (including dealing with problems instead of beating yourself up for having them), take good notes, give yourself spiritual time to meditate, enough time to study well but efficiently for classes and exams, make time to serve others, and let's not forget the key - Simplify. So, like I said, I think I've got the basics - I just have trouble implementing them.
Maybe it all does come back to the key - simplify. But how to do so when your life is naturally complex? My plan is this - write things down, do them to your best and most efficient ability, and focus on one thing at a time.
Let me add an important note to this dialogue by saying that I am incredibly lucky.
Also, here's a stream-of-consciousness mini-ode to my apartment -


There is a mountain on your wall. I sit under it, staring at screens and pages of words. I look at it, sometimes, when my eyes are closed and then I remember the reason that I'm here. And just for an instant my eyes open wide and I feel wind on my face and light in my heart and I know possibility - I know peace. And then the rest of my mind catches up to my spirit and I pull my face off the old wooden table and my head drops out of the clouds and seeps back through the 40 year old brick walls and the peeling white paint of my ceiling into my isolated eyesight and I try to remember seeing you as you could be and me as I am.

stars

I've been in California, and I've learned a lot this summer. I've learned a lot things that I didn't (or don't) know - I feel like life is more exciting that way. For example, I learned that another person's actions (whether or not you consider them moral) are not necessarily indicators of their morality; the same experience taught me I want to meet a wider range of people, not make assumptions and go camping more. I've learned that I don't know yet how to wash a car very well. Hopefully that will change this fall. I've learned that I can be responsible for my own actions and resulting happiness or lack thereof. I have not learned to go to bed on time, eat healthy food, or go running on a consistent basis, but I have taked steps towards them. I have learned that the world is a galactic ocean full of things I am completely unaware of. In addition, I now know that I love the movie 'meet me in st. louis,' and I come from a family of people who like a cold house.
I have also found that life is often a process of relearning. I am learning a little bit again of how to walk to the edge of the light and step into the dark, and then keep breathing. I know God is in light - I think that's why he gave us the stars.

The song in my head at the end of finals

Alison Krauss and Union Station - Crazy as Me

I'm used to being alone.
Except for six month playings without rings and phone bills that I've waited for.
This is the life that I choose.
I got no complaints if he is;
if he ain't, I guess he'll send me a rose.

Just don't ask me for the truth if you choose to lie honey.
And don't try to open my door with your skeleton key.
Some folks seem to think I only got one problem.
I can't find nobody as crazy as me.

I still love what I know.
I love to ride alone and sing a song and listen to the radio.
You can ride alone and if you change your mind, well, that's just fine,
But there is somethin' that you got to know.

Just don't ask me for the for the truth if you choose to lie honey.
And don't try to open my door with your skeleton key.
Some folks seem to think I only got one problem.
I can't find nobody as crazy as me.

Just don't ask me for the for the truth if you choose to lie honey.
And don't try to open my door with your skeleton key.
Some folks seem to think I only got one problem.
I can't find nobody as crazy as me.

Grow a garden

I had an idea a few weeks ago that I've been mulling over and I think i'm going to try and research. Since I came to college, I have started to really miss dirt. I know, I know, there's dirt everywhere - but the only dirt I can lay claim to is in a pot. (well, that and the dirt on my skin after I roll around on the grass). Anyway, I have a deep seated urge that won't go away to make something grow. I have an aloe vera plant right now, and that's wonderful, but I wonder if living in apartments is necessarily means you can't have a garden. A little while ago some byu students in married housing rented a plot in orem and are starting to grow a community garden together - that's somewhat along the lines of what I've been thinking. What if BYU got a plot of land, either close to campus or somewhere else, and students could grow fruits and vegetables in it? Even if it was for a class, like the display gardens at BYU Idaho, students who grew the food could either pay for space and then eat what they grew, or BYU could employ students to grow things and then sell the produce. Either way, I think a friday or saturday fruit and vegetable market for BYU students would be SO cool - it would let students practice life skills and grow their own food and save money and connect to each-other and their environment. The market could be on or near campus, or even wherever that land would be that BYU found (I think the closer it is to campus, though, the more people will know about it and come). I talked about this to my mom, and she suggested that students could sell their crafts and other things at a market - paintings, jewelry, etc. I'm sure there are already things like this in Provo, and byu might even have some, but I just don't know about it. Anyway, I think I'm going to do some more pontificating and research, and then talk to BYUSA about it. If I figure out a good plan, I think this is something I'd be very willing to go to bat for. Thoughts, anyone? Anyone at all? Please?

a sentimental and not very well worded post from jessie

SO....

I would like to take this opportunity to announce that from now on, I will be updating my blog weekly. I am going to transition my blogging habits from assignment-status to healthy-fulfilling-habit status. ( :
Today is a friday, and I am contemplating the weekend ahead. It should be full and exciting and busy. I'm going to have to remember to put my homework first. By which I mean Actually and Honestly put it first, so I will enjoy having fun without feeling guilty. That's the plan, anyway. I have a spanish test on monday, which means that following this plan may in fact be very important to me.
Yesterday I was introduced to Miss Saigon and Les Miserables, courtesy wikipedia and youtube. In light of my newly acquired culture, and also because I have a friend who has been playing the guitar a lot lately, I have been contemplating the beauty of when someone is really good at something they love. I think my zen parents would call the genius I am admiring the result of 'flow.' I want another word, though, for my intense reaction to observing said flow. Maybe that feeling of inspiration comes from watching human potential. Maybe it's a survival/mating instinct that draws me to ally myself with someone that is strong and skilled. Maybe, when watching beauty makes feel beautiful inside. ( :


-jessie

I'm almost done with finals!!!! or, "When I Leave this Old Red Couch"

So, this is the last essay I wrote for my wilderness writing class........here we go! (It's not really an essay, more of a reflection. but that's alright, because I really like the title.)

Jessie Riddle
Professor John Bennion
Wilderness Writing

When I Leave this Old Red Couch

My mother always told me that, “you never find yourself when you’re looking.” I guess I have been looking for me, trapped inside my head. I am sitting on an old red couch in a messy dorm room kitchen, reaching the end of my written odyssey and surrounded by half eaten food and half formed ideas. I examine what I have written. My college professors taught me never to use cliché’s in an essay. Or metaphors. But in four months of class discussions, solitary analysis and written self exploration, I have learned that literary rules are made to be not merely broken but danced with in the light of extended reflection. So in the pursuit of unique and profound writing I have explored the power of language to shape thought. I have wondered about what the impact of a decreasing vocabulary has on emotional depth, and I have considered the value of shocking an audience into attention, and I have contemplated the power of an essay to repulse and then inspire me within the space of a paragraph.
In my writing, I have discovered that I can build an essay. I had previously thought that a personal narrative was something I had to pull, mostly formed and in all its purity from inside my soul. When I was forced to keep pulling out essays, I realized that I couldn’t just let them come to me – I would have to create my essays, piece by piece. In the process of construction, I have watched and learned from numberless techniques of other writers, but I feel like I am finally beginning to find my voice as a writer. I have discovered that my voice needs a lot of revision, and also to embrace it.
Long after I have forgotten most of the scribbles in my well-loved black writing journal, I will remember what I thought about every Tuesday and Thursday for four months – that the form of an essay mirrors its content. Realizing this has allowed me to see my own writing and others’ more clearly, and thus become a better editor. Realizing that the theme of my essay will lend its strengths and weaknesses to the sentence structure lets me guess at flaws in my writing that are in my blind spots.
Looking for things to write about me, I got lost, way up in the Uintah mountains. I didn’t know where I was on a map geographically, and I couldn’t find myself on a page emotionally. At first I looked only for a small emotional shelter that I could hide behind; I found silence. I am not normally a quiet person, but in this unfamiliar situation with unfamiliar people I thought I could learn with less risk by just watching. This worked to an extent – when I said nothing, I started to realize things about myself that my chatter had disguised, and I could better appreciate the aching beauty of white peaks piercing a cold and bright blue sky. But by the time we got back to the vans and were leaving the mountains, I realized that I can’t remain silent. I need to learn how to engage other people in conversation with the same level of peace that I listen to them – I needed to learn how to talk without feeling the need to compensate for my exposed vulnerabilities.
In the middle of a Saturday spent typing away at my deeply rooted emotional issues, I walked to Rock Canyon park and had a testimony meeting with my student ward. The sun had just gone down, and the grass was cold, and in the darkness houses on the hills rose up to either side of us. Their bright windows of light looked like stars close to the earth. I stood at the foot of the grassy hill, looking up at the people, sitting in darkness, that I had only begun to know, and waited a while for words to come. I thought about the open space for thought I had found in places with only snow and ice, and about my nights on the porch of a yurt, freezing in a sleeping bag and watching the stars move across the sky. I thought about how insecure I had felt this semester because I was young and inexperienced and immature and from Utah, and about how I’d written countless times and in countless ways that I had forgotten how to like myself. I looked back up at the dark sillouhettes in front of me.
“I am grateful, because I have learned that all things testify of God. And I think, now, at the end of my freshman year, I am finally beginning to see that God wants us to trust him, but that he also wants us to trust ourselves.”
Now, back in my messy kitchen and still on the red couch, I can feel the wind on my face as I stood on the hill and declared trust in myself. A semester of writing has helped me to better know this girl sitting on the couch – both her strengths and weaknesses. My father told me, though, that honesty is part of trust, and so I will continue to recognize my mistakes without forsaking my trust. I’m not sure what will happen now, when I save this document and get off the couch, but I am excited to find out.

"it is the tradition of north americans to complain"

So, we had a wonderful class today - our last one in government. We talked about the readings (which I unfortunately didn't finish all of this week) and the byu club Free the Slaves and Lincoln's second inaugural address. As we finished class, Dr. Holzapfel was talking about what we can do as students, and he while telling a story he said something along the lines of 'it is the tradition of north americans to complain.' I found this remarkably appropriate, in terms of timing and its accuracy. Right now we are verging on finals, and lots of things seem like really big deals that just aren't. All of my life's little details choke the meaning out surprisingly quickly. It feels very difficult sometimes to reach out beyond today and beyond myself to get and keep perspective - to have a sense of things that really matter. *sigh* I know this blog sounds perishingly rote and cliche, but this is something I've thought a lot about - how to use your life to follow meaningful things, instead of adding them on as an afterthought.
As I read the South Carolina order for secession today, it was really striking how passionately convinced the author sounded of everything he was saying - things that to me are completely alien beliefs. (I.e., black people are inherently and eternally a subspecies) Sort of like last week, when I studied the religious revivals, I was reminded that because belief is powerful, it's dangerous.
So, bringing these two thoughts The first step is probably trying to be aware of what we're choosing to focus on and what we're choosing to believe. But after that - for me personally ( I think that these strategies differ from person to person), I think the second step has two parts - setting specific time to meditate and think things through, and then taking action based on those mediations. It's a tricky balance between listening to the truth inside of yourself and being aware of your blind spots. I hope that balance will be a life-long effort for me. My third step is that when I learn, I don't learn unless I remember. So write it down! Unless I write something down and make a concerted effort to implement it into my thoughts and actions, it disappears from my plane of consciousness; thus, it can be part of me, but it can't help direct my life.
(Btw, Kennedy, thank you for reading this) ( :

american Government post

I commented on dana bogart's blog - http://danasgovblog.blogspot.com/. ( : Cheers!

watch this!

http://www.nike.com/nikeos/p/nike/en_US/?cp=nru_0323092318

my gov paper

Civic Responsibility
Report Prepared for Dr. Richard Neitzel Holzapfel
Honors 240, Section 1
Winter 2009
Jessie Riddle
In the gospel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, prophets and apostles have stated that freedom is a result of individual action. Elder Neal A. Maxwell wrote “More than we realize, our whole society really rests on the capacity of its citizens to give ‘obedience to the unenforceable’” (Maxwell 175). However, because all men have the freedom to make their own choices, a people’s liberty is not guaranteed. Speaking of communist Russia in 1925, Elder Charles Nibley remarked, “These people are denied their free agency. The rulers of this people have a wrong conception of the rights and privileges which the Lord says pertain to all mankind” (Nibley 72). United States citizens have the power to direct their own government, and are thus responsible for the future of liberty in their country. Latter-day Saint prophets and apostles have consistently described three key responsibilities of LDS U.S. citizens in order to ensure continued liberty– individual morality, education for themselves and their families, and active participation in civic government.
LDS leaders have repeatedly emphasized that individual morality is a necessity for successful government and the protection of liberty. They emphasize that without personal accountability, a society cannot function – that no federal program can force people to be honest with their neighbor or on their tax return; no government aid can replace the power families and communities have to help those in need. However, they also assert that citizens in general must adhere to a code of high moral conduct in order for the United States government to protect their liberty. President Ezra Taft Benson remarked, “We have no right to expect a higher degree of morality from those who represent us than what we ourselves are” (Benson 125). In addition to the necessity of societal morality for morality in leadership, LDS leaders have affirmed that without the approval of God, a political system is much more vulnerable. Elder Erastus E. Snow said “this political system and order of government is a power in His hands established, preserved and defended thus far by Him, which He will continue to use so long as the people are worthy of it” (Snow 45). This necessity of God’s approval and protection suggests that LDS leaders hold Latter-day Saints in the United Saints responsible to live according to God’s laws, and thus direct the United States in such a way that He can continue to protect it.
LDS leaders support the philosophy that the principles and laws structuring government and protecting freedom in the United States are useful only if U.S. citizens understand them, and can only be protected if U.S. families teach them. Prophets and apostles have repeatedly emphasized the need for residents of the United States to gain a knowledge and understanding of its laws. Elder Levi Edgar Young stated, “Millions of citizens have never risen to the appreciation of the glory of our nation, and therefore they become the fighters and destroyers of right…education is the only way to reach the ideal in our souls of what our Government really means” (Young 82). Leaders have expanded the idea of education’s necessity by stating that what is taught at home forms the foundation of societies. Elder Erastus Snow said that “These [constitutional] principles should be well understood and thoroughly impressed upon the minds of the Latter-Day-Saints…that they may implant in the hearts of our children a love of freedom and human rights, and a desire to preserve them, and to aid in maintaining and defending them in all lawful and proper ways” (Snow 44). Prophets and apostles acknowledge, with James Madison, “men are not angels” (quoted in Holland 187). This reasoning leads to the conclusion that not all of the people who direct the constitution’s future will make beneficial decisions – crises must inevitably come. There will be threats to liberty in the United Sates, and unless citizens and their children understand and cherish those freedoms that are endangered, liberty may quietly disappear.
According to LDS leaders, individual morality and education will ultimately fail to direct the United States unless moral and educated citizens take an active role in the process of civic government. Several authorities have outlined specific civic responsibilities for Latter-day Saint U.S. citizens – President Benson, addressing Latter-day Saints, said “We must become involved in civic affairs…we must make our influence felt by our vote, our letters, and our advice. We must be wisely informed and let others know how we feel (Benson 126).” This quote illustrates the philosophy that Latter-day Saints will be accountable for how they put into action the unique insight and understanding they gain through the gospel. LDS leaders propose that participation in civic government is the bridge between private actions and a democratic republic’s collective future – it is the legacy that current citizens of the United States will leave citizens to come.
The United States is directed over time by the individual actions of her citizens. Leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints purport both the validity and the vitality of action on the part of LDS citizens in order to maintain liberties in the United States. Elder Albert E. Bowens said, “All our memorials will be idle fruitless ceremonials unless they have the effect of focusing our attention upon the value of our institutions which were established to perpetuate the liberties for which the Revolutionary Patriots fought and died, and of inspiring us with the will to preserve them” (Bowens 84). According to the statements of LDS prophets and apostles, citizenship in the United States and membership in the gospel of Jesus Christ offer both liberty and responsibility – the freedom to choose a course of action, and ultimate accountability for the consequences of that course.

Civic responsibility - american gov blog post

This week for my government class I wrote a paper on what LDS leaders have said about civic responsibility, and then I read a chapter about the U.S. reform movement in the 1830s, and then we watched Amazing Grace (2006) in class. So, when I sat down in class to watch the movie it occurred to me that perhaps I should actually connect all of this learning to reality and actually do something about it. I started thinking about the fact that on saturday morning there is a community meeting to discuss the partial bulldozing of Rock Canyon - something I very much care about preventing - and that if I go along with my wilderness writing class to the desert this weekend, I won't be here. At this point it occurred to me that if I want to act on what I've learned and take part in civic government, and if I really care about Rock Canyon, that meeting might be a good reason not to go to the desert. I don't have illusions that my going to the meeting will significantly impact what will happen to the canyon, and I realize that the man attempting to bulldoze probably won't get to. However, I think this meeting is what I want to be spending my time on this saturday morning. Hopefully I will learn a lot about the process of local government from both the people running the meeting and  those attending. I guess what I'm thinking is best expressed by this quote (that I used in my paper today) from Albert E. Bowens - "All our memorials will be idle fruitless ceremonies unless they have the effect of focusing our attention upon the value of our institutions which were established to perpetuate the liberties for which the Revolutionary patriots fought and died, and of inspiring us with the will to preserve them."

the industrial revolution and eudcation

Continued thoughts from last week...

I was discussing my thoughts on motherhood and the industrial revolution with my dad (a very smart man), and he pointed out to me the fact that because of the industrial revolution, women began to become educated - this led to multiple good things (including suffrage). I've heard over and over again that when women get education, the infant mortality rate and other health problems are reduced, the country profits economically, and good things happen. I then discussed this with my friend Stella, who pointed out that the Industrial revolution was the beginning of more education for women and men. So, I've been thinking about the society-wide implications of losing the relative independence and other benefits of an agricultural society and gaining specialization, technological progress and most of all education. I wonder how the Industrial revolution changed the upbringing of children in america - when agriculture was not only no longer the only option, but agricultural skills and culture became replaced with a different kind of atmosphere and a different kind of at-home education. I plan on doing some research to find out what early American education was like pre and post industrial revolution. My theory, though, is that the growth of education as we think of it now (general and not necessarily directly related to a job or career) probably didn't start to come into its own until a long while after this period in history. I think that the industrial revolution probably did have a  significant role in the United State's path towards public education as we know it today, but I also think that there must have been multiple societal steps beyond specialization and the boom of factory work. I don't know what those steps or influences could have been, so again, I plan on doing more research. To my (few ( : ) readers - any comments or ideas?

Women

So, last week when I was reading for American Government and studying the industrial revolution I started to get emotional. Like, sort of starting to tear up....

(side note - I love the fact that I'm in college and I can get emotional over a textbook). 

...anyway. As mentioned, I was studying the Industrial revolution. What I'd never heard before in my American history classes was the story of what happened when factories started going up and work left northern homes. Let me clarify that I am not saying all women had the same experience, or that women's role in society pre-industrial revolution was perfect. However, when the majority of production in the north moved to factories, women's position in the home went through a dramatic shift. Women's role as homemakers suddenly consisted of a lot less - they were no longer in charge of producing many of the vital necessities for their home. Many women, especially young ones, left their homes for factories, and provided for basic necessities that way. I feel like this transition, for me, helps to explain the way society often looks down on motherhood and considers stay-at-home mothers idle and unproductive. I felt (albeit illogically) like I'd suddenly realized the absence of something precious and dear that was lost before I'd known that it existed. It's funny, because I feel very strongly that I want my own education, independence and career, all ideals of the 'modern' industrial woman. But maybe society as a whole lost something when we moved out of our homes - I guess we gave up whatever it was that we lost for industrialization and technological independence....hmm. More thoughts coming. ( :

Rambles on fate - American Government blog post

I have a theory about the universe. I think that just about everything begins with simplicity, grows more complex and transcend to a profound level of (once again) simplicity. Although I feel this is true as a general rule, I had not considered its implications as regards to civilizations until today. The chapter in my American Government book that discusses the beginning of the industrial revolution started with descriptions of that time period's positive aspects - new transportation, new trade, more successful and world-wide farmers, etc. However, the chapter then moved on to describe how the advancement of society began to trap the disadvantaged and increasingly stratify society. For some reason I made an emotional connection to the men and women trapped (often by their race, gender or birth) in very difficult societal dead-ends. I almost wonder if periods of general darkness and difficult are part of the human race's progress through increasing complication towards the ultimate profound simplicity. That sounds so fatalistic, though - to think that men and women are merely chaff in the winds of societal progression. I guess this gets to the heart of a question I've asked a lot  - given that we are born as certain people in a certain time and in a certain place, how much of our life do we really control? I would like to think that the moral decisions we and life paths we take are valid, regardless of our limited perspective. If that's true, I guess history becomes a little more complex - you can't just look at a generation of people and say they were sacrificed to their time, because they were given a life like ours with which they too made choices. I apologize for the redundancy and unoriginality of this post; of course they too had choices - they were people just as we are. For me, though, it's a different way of looking at history - to see how individual men and women dealt with the limited perspective they were given. I hope I can learn from them.

state of the nation

A lot President Obama's address tonight went over my head - I'm not anything close to an expert on economic or public policy, and much of what he said I was unable to evaluate with any objectivity. However, I do know that three of the things I am most passionate about are education, health care reform and energy (for me, as it affects the environment) - the three focuses of our president's address. I'll admit I had a lot of questions - is he planning a comprehensive health care overhaul or more specific reformatory legislature? What exactly were the government incentives for teachers, and how will that affect the public education in my are versus the public education in places like South Carolina? When he says he refuses to accept a future where the new jobs and ideas are taking root outside our borders, I'm not sure I agree - I think globalization requires a slightly different turn of phrase. Also, I'm not sure what I think about credit and loans being the lifeblood of our economy...I do know that it makes me want to enroll in economics asap. On the other hand, I was incredibly excited to hear about the closing of guantanamo - I think that is a victory that needs to be celebrated. Also, (even though I want to know more details) I am so excited that teachers are getting more incentives and that we're funding preventative care. Those are also, in my opinion, huge steps forward. 

I was a little devastated to hear the statistics about our public education in America. I am deeply grateful that I can be here at college, and I am also grateful that our government and ordinary citizens are doing something about the fact that so many kids can't have that same opportunity. Also, although I don't agree with everything Obama has to say (i.e., the american example is the greatest power in the world), I am truly inspired by our current government's desire to work towards a better tomorrow, and even more by the american people.

American Government post

I commented on http://preciousmythoughtsare.blogspot.com

Last week in gov we discussed an article by Richard Bushman about the book of mormon and its opposition to the political environment in which it was brought forward. (i.e. , deliverance as opposed to resistance). I started to wonder what the implications of that paradigm shift are - does the book of mormon suggest that a deliverance oriented perspective is closer to God? I have a deeply (culturally) rooted impulse for a more defiant, independent, resistance perspective. But on the other hand, I don't know if that's always a bad thing. Even in the book of mormon, Captain Moroni and others fight for their lives, liberties and families. So I guess the question is how you define resistance as opposed to deliverance, and wether you think one must aggressive and the other passive. I suppose all of this comes back to a Calvin and Hobbes strip (like most weighty dilemmas.) Calvin asks Hobbes what he thinks about wether it's better to stand up and fight or to always turn the other cheek. Hobbes replies that probably the mature thing to do is to go on a case by case basis - to look at the actual situation and decide on the best course of action (Calvin says that requires too much maturity and does something violent). I believe that we do need to make situational choices, but I would like to think that I could find some sort of guiding principles with which to make those decisions. I don't know what those are, but I guess I have some ideas. First of all, I don't think I should ever decide wether to resist or deal with a problem through fear. Second, I think that all of these decisions should include me asking what the Christlike, or loving, thing to do would be. Beyond that, I'm not really sure. (again - I guess I'm not very good at conclusions).

"the silence" of the declaration

Last week I was doing my reading for American Government, and I discovered the "silence" of the declaration of independence as to the kind of government necessary for freedom. Democracy has become so simultaneous with the word freedom in the U.S. today that separating them feels unnatural. However, I think that when we look back to this first declaration of our country, we can learn important things about how to deal with countries that are emerging now. It is tempting to say that 'of course democracy is freedom' and that 'of course everyone wants freedom' and therefore to try and impose a foreign system of government on developing countries. But our founders did not do that. They allowed the idea of the country to be born without a specific plan of government in mind. Perhaps when we are attempting to help other countries as they come into the political world, we could offer them the same chance that we said is the right of all men - to let a people choose the government they feel will best serve them. That sounds suspiciously like a democracy, I know - the people choosing the government. So perhaps, then, I believe that there needs to be a moment of democracy in which the people choose which direction their nation will go. When you think about it, though, that kind of choice is not so much democracy as it is reality. Every day that a people gets up and goes about their work without attempting a revolution, they are in fact perpetuating, agreeing to, the government they currently have. The tricky part, though, is that in some nations, a resistance movement would have so little chance of unifying the people much less succeeding, that this principle of silent perpetuation gets complicated. It's true that the people of North Korea could, as a whole, just decide not to go to work. But they have no way to unify that kind of movement, and so the individuals participating would be virtually committing suicide. In such instances, do we as a nation have the right or responsibility to intervene? I'm not sure - I will have to think about that some more. 

American Government #2 - spheres of influence

Sometimes when I study the founding fathers, I wonder what made the difference for them - what made it so that they saw a bigger picture. Was it just that they had dreams of changing the world like people today, but theirs actually came into fruition? I feel like something in their youth or childhood must have triggered some kind of awareness - a feeling of not only social responsibility, but that they could and should do more than accept their current societal structure. I know many historians suggest that they accomplished what they did because of their unique economic and societal situation - they had the time and the finances to study and think. But John Adams was a farmer, and he had a vision so radical and yet realistic that today he influences more than 300 million people.  A girl in my American government class today suggested that maybe we do have people like the founding fathers today, but there are so many of them that they don't stand out. I do think it's an interesting question, whether the sheer magnitude of our society, despite its trend towards globalization, actually limits the sphere of people's influence. If it does, and individual's actions now have smaller impacts (or at least smaller speaking relatively), than what does that mean in terms of our social responsibility? I don't know, but maybe it means that if we do want to influence more than a proportionately small circle of people, it requires us to connect - to not do it alone. Although, I guess that was true in the founding fathers' day as well. It wasn't until they got emissaries from all (or most) of the colonies together, not until they made connections outside of their local spheres, that real change occurred.