Last journals 8,9, 10

• Journal 8: List all of the consumer goods (for example- food, drink, clothes, supplies) that you used in a 24 hour period that were covered in packaging. Describe the item and the packaging. Reflect on the impact of packaging in a consumer society.
• 313 words

Well reading the above question is that this exercise is suppose to show how much waste we create just in packaging the item and on how much we do not even use. I had chosen a day in which I did not use much to make it seem less chaotic in writing this. The waste I used in drinks today is three cherry coke cans, which I recycled, snaps for me. I used a few tissues because I have been sick for a week now. My girl friend brought over today some Mc Donald’s which we ate and had a paper bag it came in and cardboard boxes for the chicken nuggets. Also barbeque sauce packages about three of them were also thrown away. I somehow managed not to leave my quarters today so I did not buy anything and create any waste that way. Not that I had the money to go out shopping this weekend anyways. Today was my dad’s birthday and we had a public cake which in all seriousness rocked! Cannot go wrong with a chocolate cake, anyways the plastic shell it comes will soon be thrown away in other words I am going to finish off that cake fast! Dinner we had pasta, chicken, and broccoli. All of which comes in large packages so the only package was thrown away was the pasta box. The Chicken was from a frozen bag and the rest were put in the freezer and the broccoli was put back in the fridge. But I do see how much the consumer based society does create large amounts of waste. I try to use everything I can save what I do not need till a later date if possible. These are all consumer goods that I used in a span of a day. I may have missed something here and there but who’s perfect.

• Journal 9: Write about what you learned about exotic/invasive species and Burmese Pythons and the interconnection of the global ecosystem
• 328-words

Ok, having lived in Florida I have seen videos and pictures of snakes that had died eating an alligator and yeah it’s still awesome and disgusting to see. I heard on the news a last month that there are 127 invasive species living in Florida’s wild life right now. My girl friend has pointed out the frogs are from South America or something like that. The Melaleuca tree I’ve seen de-rooted in the area since I can remember and the Iguanas on Boca Grande look scary! My girl friend again though at her house in West Palm Beach she has or had one not sure if he is still around a large Iguana. The Tiger Mosquito is something that I am paranoid about when I go for walks at night or when I am outside at night. My other Professor stated that the only reason Florida is habitable is because of air conditioners and Mosquito control, and he is right. I really like the story about the monkeys. But I dislike the fact that many research labs are not careful of disposing animals that are full of diseases. Rats come with trade and are impossible to irradiate and I think the most terrifying thing about invasive species is they carry disease a lot of the time. People now a day are more scared that a vampire will get them instead of a blood sucking fly, but a fly carrying a disease is a lot worse than any monster except dragonsJ. This semester I have done a lot on fear and propaganda I seem to see that side of life which is not always the brightest but it is there some where a plot against us, but I have often thought of becoming a political assistant or something. Not really writing because, I am terrible at writing and grammar a word that I missed spelled at first… oh well, whether we realize it or not Florida is a jungle.

• Journal 10: You have taken the time to watch the changing cycles of the moon and to record your observations over the course of this class. Please share what you have learned from this experience.
• 400+ words

Ok what one has to understand is that I look at the moon nightly and daily when I can see it. I saw it last spring semester eclipse and turn a reddish colour which was awesome. I call my girl friend or bring her outside when the moon looks different or large. On the first day of class I believe I said I loved the sun rise and sets and with this album you get the picture the moon and of objects.

I think Pink Floyd got it right when they wrote “The Dark Side of the Moon.” So I do not know if you are a Floyd fan but I think it would be better sharing the idea of what the moon is or means.

The last song on the album, it is written by Roger Water (who I saw in concert a year ago this month for The Wall) It’s rather simple but meaningful. Kind of reminds you of a poem that you are suppose to write in grade school.

Still not as good as on a 33 LP but awesome video. J  It’s how I picture the 70’s now having been unable to lived through it.

Original http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Efz9JgL-BPU

Ok this one is a cover of a song in the album I think it is better than other live ones from the band today but-I don’t expect you to watch/listen but if you like it then you’d be happy J http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB227Gn_6hY&feature=related

Eclipse
(Waters) 2:04

All that you touch
All that you see
All that you taste
All you feel.
All that you love
All that you hate
All you distrust
All you save.
All that you give
All that you deal
All that you buy,
beg, borrow or steal.
All you create
All you destroy
All that you do
All that you say.
All that you eat
And everyone you meet
All that you slight
And everyone you fight.
All that is now
All that is gone
All that's to come
and everything under the sun is in tune
but the sun is eclipsed by the moon.

"There is no dark side of the moon really. Matter of fact it's all dark."

(One of my history professors was obsessed with the “but” in history so it hits it on the mark)

I did not like that history professor much, or at least he was not too fond of me, but he was right. J.As you can see there is almost always a “but,” maybe you have to be in to history to kind of see what I am talking about, but I don’t think so. Thank you for a Great Semester!

Pajer- Journal #7- October 27

Journal 7: Keep a journal of how many times you use anything that requires electricity in a 24 hour period and reflect on any insights you gain.

Word count: 302

            Ok this very much varies on a day to day basic because some days I am not even home and the only thing I use is: a few lights, my car, and maybe a microwave. The stove we have is gas and I grill a lot on a gas grill. But some days I am at home: and I have one of two lights in my room on, my fan, my computer, the computer screen/TV, a TV, a wii, a ps3, an xbox, my record player, electric guitar, and I think that is it. But I could run a dishwasher, a vacuum, you know appliances and no I am not shocked about what I use I know what I use and I do that to make life easier, cleaner, and more enjoyable. I mean my grandparents use to have a clothes line to hang their clothes but it is not like I usually have time to let the sun dry my clothes and then put them away. Some weeks I am not even up for that many hours of sunlight because my sleeping goes out of sync with the days.

            Really I do not have many insights I do not really think I use too much electricity when I start paying the bills we will see but I am more worried about living on a day to day basic then to how much energy I use. I am not just keeping things on to keep them on but I use things daily.

I am really not sure how you wanted me to answer this question I really just tried my best to get 300 words.

Pajer- Journal #6 - October 27

•  
• Journal # 6: Reflections on your Fort Myers Beach Field trip
• Word count : 331

The field trip to Fort Myers beach was honestly not the most interesting one being that we did not really go to the beach. We only got a view of it from the bus, but we did see the water from the mangroves. The mangroves are probably the least interesting of all the landscapes we have visited only because being a native here I always see them. I am not a fan of crabs and mosquitoes so going on this field trip put me outside of my comfort zone just a little. Fortunately the crabs were all on the mangroves and at least I could enjoy them from afar unlike all the mosquitoes swarming around the group. Thinking about all those mosquitoes just makes me itch.

      The guest speaker who was at the house was an old lady who was very nice. It was interesting to learn about Ponce de-Leon a little bit more. I know how to spell his name now so I am mildly happy! Disney latest Pirate movie was about the fountain of youth and it is nice to see history living on. The island was a barrier island and I wonder if the reason the Spanish stopped on the island was that they saw the Indians there in the first place. However I like history of the America’s more during the revolution and beyond. Like knowing that the Germans came to the United States to sabotage American manufacturing and moral, but I do know my share of prehistory and early history of the America’s.

      Fun facts that I learned was that Shrimp was known as “Pink Gold” and that one oyster in one hour filter nine gallons of water. My Spanish is not so good so Matanzas meaning massacre is interesting to know. Also that the Miami Hurricanes are named after the 1926 hurricane, is interesting, but I’ll forget that soon.

Pajer- Journal #5 - October 27

Journal 5: Your carbon footprint. Take the quiz at http://sustainability.publicradio.org/consumerconsequences and discuss what you have learned

Word count 324

            Clicking on this link then hitting play it says the game is retired so I just did another option it gave me.

Really I do not feel bad or really even care about the result I bet for most of us it says you have a big foot print. It is a little strange to read this result from “Plantgreen.com” but it basically says if everyone lived like me we would need 4.6 planets to support us. So I guess I should just start my own space program and start sending people far off into space to escape me and my terribleness of consumption. (This is how I thought before you said not to do the first option and yes the first option was very critical and ridicule other people for being successful.  

             This time I did the Energyville by Chevron and it was a lot more interactive and user friendly. It let showed you using a wide variety of energies keep prices low. Also it showed how energies have an environmental impact and a security impact. Which now of days everyone sees and despises energy companies for their environmental impact but if we did have these companies we would be worse off in our national security as a nation.

            This program said it is expected in like 2030 that Nuclear energy will be cheaper than wind energy. Like many people say with solar with harvesting the power of the sun. Well that’s true with Nuclear it is fusion energy the same energy our sun gives off. But I am not saying we should not be safe with Nuclear. The American Nuclear power plants are a lot more stable of reactors and highly secured than those in Russia. Well if anything I wish politicians would stop using clean coal in their speeches because coal is far from clean.

Pajer- Journal #4 - October 27

Journal 4: Reflect on your Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Field trip

Word count 335

            The Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary Field trip was very relaxing Field trip. It also had its high points in my view being exciting seeing all the big cypress trees. The water there had very interesting tint to it from the cypress and was neat to see. There was a noticeable difference in how many birds were out in the swamp. I saw a wide variety but I do not know all their names. My girl friend is into birds so it balances out my lack of knowledge of birds it is not that I do not care it just does not stick in my brain what kind of birds they are.

            It was nice knowing that my dad worked on the Living Machine. I think he only got permits and had to deal with the government for this project. It was a while ago when he worked for Hole Montes. I guess his career helps me realize how important water is but it is obvious to me being that so many historical events evolve water. For example the Egyptians three most important things in life were the Sun, the Pharaoh, and the Nile River. Water is everywhere even in the River Styx which is in the underworld.

I had been to the Corkscrew Swamp Sanctuary many years ago and really all I remember was an open field and seeing a deer there. So it was nice to I guess revisit my childhood and see what gaps my memory missed, but a lot of it seemed familiar so I do not know. The overall experience was positive and really I just like the big cypress it kind of looks like time stood still back there and you could experience life how it should be experienced. But really and gratefully we don’t have to experience life like that. I would rather be safe on a board walk than waist high in a swamp full of alligators any day.

Pajer - Journal #3 - September 22

Word Count 319

Journal 3:  Reflections on the field trip to ECHO

                      Echo is to serve as a resource for people working in tropical settings around the world. For farmers and growers really it helps to give the necessities of life without all the technologies of the information era. But I really see it as a place where Americans use innovations that are low cost and from common things to help poor unruly countries. To me, this seems like a step backwards but it might help young inventors see the world a little bit differently. Echo started in 1981 on five acres and now has about 50 acres. The first tree that Bob the guide showed us was a Juju tree, which is drought tolerant fruit tree. Another tree we saw was a bamboo tree which I don’t know if it is a tree or grass or something, but standing near it you could nearly hear it grow. With some kind of crackling noise, must have been from the wind. Neem was an interesting plant from India (right now I am taking a class and have to read about 7 books about India) that is a pest repellant plant.  The twigs kill bacteria and many people in other countries use them as tooth brushes because it kills bacteria.

            Jatropha was another poisonous plant which they said could be used as an oil substitute, but I doubt that will go anywhere with corn ethanol being a problem as it is. I wonder what would happen to my car with this gas in it. My overall experience of Echo was nice.  My mom said I went there on a field trip in first grade; of course I didn’t remember that. It is nice that people work in these kinds of fields but I don’t think there is much for me. I like nature as much as the next man but a pit of worms would keep me away for good amount of time.

Pajer - Journal #2 - September 22

Word Count:  337

Journal 2: Your neighborhood-either at FGCU or at your childhood home. Use all of your senses to describe the things you care about and that you notice.

             My childhood home is about twenty minutes away from where I live today. It was a nice: three bedrooms, a master bed room, two baths, living room, family room, dining room. It wasn’t huge but very homey. To the back of the house was a preserve with a forest of trees and shrubbery. It was one of those houses and communities which you knew your neighbors and very calm and laid back kind of setting. My home now is a bit larger, and after ten years of living here finally feels more like home. It doesn’t normally smell bad; it use to smell like a dog at times and had tumble weeds of dog hair. But we lost our dog last year to heart disease. So we have most of the hair out of the pool and house now. The house has a rather large yard for a gated community, and it sits on the biggest single lot as well. My room is devoted more or less to a few good Beatles and Pink Floyd posters and I have a nice collection of vinyl albums to complement that. We (my brother, sometimes his girlfriend, me, my girl friend, and our dad) painted the inside of the whole house which took us a good chunk of the summer to paint. We also had crown molding installed which my dad wanted since we moved in but, things take forever to get done in my family. So we just had it installed and the house looks ten times better, classy, and richer, with a bit of depth. Last year seems to have been the first year we got our house into order too because we have this middle room in between mine and my brother’s room and for the first time in a long time we aren’t just using it for old storage.

Pajer - Journal #1 - September 22

Word count 411

Journal 1:  Your connection to the Florida environment and how much time you spend outdoors  

My connection to the Florida environment runs deep.  Since childhood I have been an outside kind of guy. As young as I could remember now, maybe five or such, I remember being outside and always loving it. So much time I spent playing in the sand, riding my bike, swimming the pool, rollerblading, and even on the rare occasion swimming at the beach! Which I find no delight or wish nor anything to do with that dreadful water. It was surely a different time back then. The fresh air and cool breeze was always a joy to be in. Surely when I was young the heat wasn’t as noticeable for me as it is now. This is a killer to us all. As a child and until the summer after my freshman year in high school I played baseball on little leagues. Nothing too serious but at the time it was fun and I’d still like to play now, but I think only softball leagues are for my age or really advanced baseball leagues.

             So I bet you’re asking this question to find out if this younger but growing generation still goes outside. Well the fact of the matter is on occasions. In the summer time it’s too hot to go outside. Then in the winter it gets dark so fast. Two real excuses I know I have made for not going outside. But when I do go outside I have done a number of different adventures. Well after high school my twin brother and I got into play air soft. It was something new to try and had lots of fun, but we only did that for a year or so. There is just a few number of people play that around here and traveling especially now is rather expensive so we don’t do that much now. We still play catch with the baseball. Also I swim in the pool mainly in the summers but once in a blue moon I’ll go out as well. I also do a ton of yard work! We built our house and my dad got my brother and I as well as him at the time to do most of the landscaping which at the time was a chore but now maintaining it just as big and my brother does not really help with that. With our yard being massive the job in its self is immense so it gets halfway done at times.