Ever looked at something and wondered if you are actually seeing it the way it was suppose to be seen? Maybe there is something hidden to the naked eye that other creatures can perceive, but our human senses are too weak to pick up on it, or maybe we don't have the correct sense to begin with to even attempt to see it?
   What am i getting at? I'm saying that the environment has more to it than we actual see, smell, feel, hear, and taste. I say the word "see" but is that really the word to use when you are looking at the world through x-ray, or electroreception (the ability to sense electricity)? There are so many senses out there that we don't even think of! I'm going to give a few examples and explain to you what they are, and whether there are actual animals out there that have the "sixth" or "seventh" senses. Some creatures however have the same type of senses that we do, they are just much more elaborate and strong, such as dogs can sense the direction of smells, cats can expand their pupils and shift the muscles around their eyes to see in low light, some birds can see things closer than they are, catfish have taste receptors all over their body, all fish can sense whether they are upside down or not through their special inner ear, and some insects have taste receptors on their feet!
   - Chemical Sense: some animals can sense certain chemical changes, such as fish can sense the change is how salty the water is.
   - Thermoception: ability to sense changes in temperature. This is not to be confused with our ability to sense temperature change. Ours is actually the homeostatic thermoception which is mainly regulated and detected by use of chemicals sent to the hypothalamus. Whereas some snakes have actual receptors that detect infrared; so it's basically having heat vision. They can concentrate through these receptors, as oppose to their eyes, at night and see things in a way we never could, through heat vision!
   - Magnetoception: the ability to actally know which direction you are facing, because you can feel the magnet pole in the North. Birds, and some insects have this.
   - Ultraviolet site: seeing things through ultraviolet light, rather than the normal light spectrum as we do. Things don't have the same colors they do when you are an insect, because you see the ultraviolet light.
   - X-Ray: electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths between gamma rays and ultraviolet radiation. There are no known creatures that actually see in x-ray, but there are some animals that can feel the radiation associated with it.
   - Echolocation: Sound wave detection, such as in bats and dolphins
   - Polarized light detection: the detection or sense of the reflection of light. For instance, bees can see ripples in glass and water that we cannot, because they can detect the refracted light that we cannot. So the windshield of a car may look much more rippled to a bee than to us.
The following are some that are not naturally found within our atmosphere, so we have no real need for detecting them:
   - Gamma ray
   - Radio wave
   - Microwaves

   So there will always be sounds we don't hear, vibrations we don't feel, and tastes we could never have dreamed of. In a way that's sad, but at the same time all those animals don't perceive those objects and the atmosphere the same way we do, either. For instance, a dandelion in looks white and red to insects, because they see ultra violet light, and many creatures have trouble seeing during the day.
   Next time you're walking around outside, imagine for a moment how cool it would be to see things in a different light, but then remember how hard simple tasks would be if you had all those other senses! Imagine taking the garbage out when you can see all the radio waves from the towers, ultra violet light and gamma rays from the atmosphere, while seeing in x-ray, detecting temperature, electricity, and magnetism! you'd never make it to the end of the driveway. ;

   I'm fascinated by plants and animals, but ask anyone that knows me and they'll tell you my love for insects. The second you walk in my house you'll find insect boxes next to the couch, insects drying on the tops of cupboards, and in the freezer will be containers of insects in the first phase for before becoming part of my collection (first phase after capture that is) .
   With that in mind, i decided it would be fun to give you insight into just how amazing insects can be. In particular i'm going to compare us to ants, and specifically the Leafcutter Ants, Atta cephalotes. I'm going to tell you how life could be like if we lived as the leafcutter ants do, and we had their amazing abilities and systems.

   Lets start with family size: to make things fit our human scenario, lets have 1 person represent 100,000 ants. So you'd be living with 30-60 other family members! Lets say this family is 51 people (including the Queen, aka your mother), with 9 more on the way (eggs, aka babies). Your father would have died long before the first of you was even born, in fact your father could be one of several young men that made sweet young love with your very large mother. Your brothers (aka all the boys in the family) would have to move out when they hit puberty, only 5 of the 50 kids are boys. All the boys will grow wings and fly off when they hit the age of about 13. They would never have to work, and do nothing but lie around eating until it's time for them to get a girlfriend, at which point they are forced out of the home or they die and become food. Your mother would live in one of the largest and most hard to reach rooms of the vast underground home.
   For simple resons, we'll say the average person is about 150 pounds (just between the average weight for girls, and boys) and are 5'6" tall. All the girls would be leveled off into groups when they are between 10 and 15 years of age. Your 9 biggest sisters would be the bosses, and protect everyone inside the colony. These girls would be weighing about 325 pounds standing 7'6" tall, and made of solid muscle! They spend most of their time in the above apartment complex making sure only family members are getting in, and the boys are leaving at puberty. Whenever there is a cry for help in the fields where you harvest your crops, these sisters come running to the rescue. With 9 massive sisters like this, it makes all those tough teasing sessions as children worth the trouble. Especially when your 6 foot acid spitting neighbors try to steal your food. (aka termites)
   The second group in command are the workers. They would be the girls that are older and stronger but not tough enough to be "soldiers", aka the girls in charge. They weigh about 150 pounds but can carry about 3,000 pounds.  Their jobs are simple yet require the most energy -- maintenance and cleaning of the home, and bringing the plant crops to the storage rooms that are specially ventilated and kept moist to grow the rich fungus that feeds the colony all year round. They'll take out the garbage to the landfill about half a mile from the apartment, and by the time the family dies off the garbage pile will have been big enough to cover several football fields with over 10 feet high of garbage. Before they are tough enough to go out on the harvest, they work the underground part of the home clearing new rooms all the time. There are 27 of the 45 girls that are "workers". The strongest 20 of these 27 girls will do the manual labor of carrying objects, such as the food, and building materials. They'll sometimes carry upwards of 1,000 pounds of food for 5 miles to the apartment complex. The smaller worker girls clear paths and stay on the look out for danger and alert the colony when anything from nosy neighbors to mountain sized beats get between them and the apartment complex. Sometimes they'll even ride on backs of the larger working girls to get a better view. These girls will also spray paint lines (aka secrete chemicals) on the ground wherever they go so that everyone can find their way back to the colony, and the 9 larger sisters can find their way to them if they need help.
   The last 9 girls are like nurses. These girls take care of the injured, the babies, and mix up the ingredients to make the fungi in the growing rooms for the colony. They rarely see the light of day, and are runts compared to their working sisters and soldier sisters.
   Now lets talk about the home: Our house would look like a medium sized apartment building from ground level, but once inside you'd find long stairways to a much much larger underground facility. This facility has 8 miles of hallways and staircases that lead to 300+ rooms! In the first mile you'll find good ventilation and simple living accommodations for everyone in the house. The next few miles down you'll find all the bathrooms and kitchens (the fungi rooms). And at the bottom mile you'll find rooms for the very new born babies (aka the eggs), and the mother (the large room with the queen) that never leaves unless all her daughters move her to a new site, if threatened by things such as flood.

   Quite the family if you ask me. So you see, even the smallest of insects can be very impressive when put into perspective.

   Ever been infatuated with something? Perhaps something more than just a boy, girl, terrible moment, or a moment of happiness in your life. I mean something that can't be explained one way or another. The fight for God and the attempt to exterminate Creationism will last forever in this life. Why? it's simple. We are human. That gives us the best and worst of both worlds. God himself could come to Earth and shake the hand of every living mortal, and the second he left 25% of us would immediately try to prove he isn't the one true God, others would fight to prove he was, and then those in the middle would wonder what the hell was actually going on. Knowing that, there is no end to the "everlasting" argument. Not because "there is no answer" but because there are people that truly are blind to anything outside themselves. When you choose to close your mind and not be open, you make a choice to be unhappy and scrutinized for the rest of your life, and probably long after. With that you'll never convince everyone you are right, simply because you wouldn't give them the time of day.
   I think about the mysteries all the time. Such as the make up of electrons. At first it sounds funny to some, and stupid to others, and for some it may seem like mad scientist talk. But the truth is electrons are something, and therefor are made of something, and beyond that something must be compiling whatever it is that makes up an electron. I think to myself "is there really an end and a beginning?" Maybe not.... That blows my mind, and no matter how you slice it you can't ever prove it. Maybe for a period of time you may think there is, but then something or someone adds or subtracts from your philosophy and it falls apart once again.
   On top of the fact that building blocks of life and existence may go on forever, the next thought that comes to mind is "how the hell is it possible or impossible to regulate?" Some may say that God knows. Or that miracles are at hand. But those are just simple answers to give them comfort. That's not enough for me and my mind. If God knows, then what is it that allows him to regulate such a thing that is more complex than himself, for he must be made of something or everything, because if he's made of nothing than he doesn't exist. A miracle is something that cannot be explained scientifically. You cannot rely simply on science, i've come to know, but you can't simply rely on divine intervention either. To act without contemplating or prayer, is to doom yourself to those that did, and to only pray or contemplate and never act is to again be at the will of those that act. You can't say something happened simply because you prayed, because if everyone only prayed all the time, they'd starve. God isn't going to do everything for you.
   If time travel was ever possible, and you went to the past, would you really be going to the past? Because if you're going to the past, how is it that you are still you? Or would you no longer be yourself, for in the past, you where not as you where as when you left the future. haha, kinda mind boggling to think, and if you understand what i'm saying, then it's even more mind boggling.
   The last thing i wanted to mention is death itself. What happens to "us" in death? I don't know, and i know you and everything else on this planet that lives doesn't know. How do i know? Because if you in fact are alive, then you never truly died. To die is to expire, and if you are not yet expired, you are not yet dead. To die is to emit the last breathe, but if you come to breathe again, than it was not your last breathe and you didn't die. To die is to end this "Earthly career" and if you are still walking talking, and living with the living, you never died. So what happened to those that did become clinically dead for a certain period of time? Well i'm not exactly sure, but i can tell you that they are not dead, and their experience was not the same death that has come to those that truly did pass on. How do i know it wasn't the same? the same way that i know climbing to the top of Harney Peak in the Black Hills of South Dakota is not equal to the Experience of those that Climbed to the top of Mt. Everest. Sure you climbed a mountain, but you didn't climb "The Mountain".

   100 Heartbeats is a book written by Jeff Corwin, one of the best known biologists and conservationists of our time. The book is about endagered animals of all sorts from across the world that he has spent time with in their own habitat, and he talks about what is being done both in the destroying the animals, and on a conserving point of helping them. He titled the book after a club called 100 Heartbeat Club, it's a club that you don't want to be a part of. It's animals that have less than 100 individuals surviving on the planet, meaning that as a species they literally have less than 100 heartbeats.
   Here are some animals in that list:
- Western Gray Whale
- Javan Rhinoceros
- White-Tailed Langur
- Pere David's Deer
- Hawaiian Crow
- Seychelles giant tortoise
- Amur Leopard
- Liberian Lynx
   There is also one animal that is in the worst shape...His name is Lonesome George. He was found all alone on the Island of Pinta on December 1, 1971. He lives in the Charles Darwin Research Station, and is thought to be between 60-90 years old. Efforts to have him reproduce have failed everytime. on 2 occasions the females layed eggs, but all where sterile. George is just too different of a species....When George dies (estimated in 30-50 years, for life expectancy) so will his species.
   Many other species are in danger of going extinct in the next 50 years. Just because an animal has 1,000 indeviduals doesn't mean is stands a better chance than lonesome george. One oil spill, disease outbreak, or fire could cause many animals on this planet to become ex

   In a given week i do an intense workout anywhere from 2 to 4 times. It always comes down to 2 things: one, how motivated am i that week, and those particular days i planned for my routine. two, can i find the actual time to do them on those days. Sometimes we just get busy.   If being to busy is you excuse, than you don't have enough motivation. Although, you can use it once in a while, it can't be the sole reason you don't workout. If you want to loose weight, get stronger, faster, or look and feel better, ENOUGH, then you will find a way. But there are things you can do to help you find the way a little easier.
   Personally i look in the mirror then i watch power lifting videos. 9 times out of 10, i'll hit the weights.
   Here are a list of my 10 biggest motivations, and maybe you'll find one yourself:
   - Find a quote that hits home. it's not hard to think of quotes we hear all the time, and some are really motivational. Just search around, maybe read a poem, or look up movie quotes. You'll be surprised where you can find the right words to get you on your way.
   - The post workout zen. Its a fact after a workout people become more focused, and calmer. It's one of the only ways you can release the build up of stress hormones. You literally have to sweat it out; but when it's done, it's a wonderful feeling.
   - Grab a workout buddy. Nowhere does it say working out should be boring, or sucky. If you are not enjoying your time working out, then you are not doing what you should be. It needs to be something that makes you yearn for it when you are not doing it. Sometimes a little company does the trick. My best workouts are when my best friend is present.
   - Picture yourself. Think of the differences it can make. You don't have to look like Ryan Reynolds and Sandra Bullock. But you can look great, and improving on your look will gather compliments, which we all like.
   - Read about it. Picking up a fitness magazine might do the trick. They have full workouts, new exercises, and tons of good looking people.
   - Avoid the self loathing. If you want to workout and then don't, you sometimes get in the downward spiral about feeling terrible for not working out. it's like skipping work, or school. Why did you do it? you don't have a good reason so you sit there and feel bad. So do it! even if you just hit the floor for 5 minutes and do some pushups and crunches, you'll feel much better about yourself, and it might just get you in the mood ;-)
   - Goals. everyone loves hitting goals, so make tons of workout and lifting goals. The more you get the better you feel. Few feelings are as good as crossing off a goal from a list. So make many, so you can do it all the time!
   - Make it public. now you don't have to make a weekly banner at the mall about your waist size or bench press. But blogging about it on a site you are a part of, or joining a body building forum, just might be enough to keep you going, and you'll again be surprised how many people will join in!
   - You're not alone. Never forget that you are not the only person struggling with lack of motivation in this area. Get to it, and spread the word. The more you do the better you just may feel.

   I enjoy working out. Once you know what you have to
  

Grizzly Man is a Documentary/Biography about a man (Timothy Treadwell) who spent 13 summers in a row camping in Alaska with Grizzly Bears and Foxes. In 2003 he and his girlfriend where killed during their last days at their campsite by an older rouge bear that they where not familiar with, nor did they really like.
   The Film is made up of interviews with those closest to him, and park workers that knew him, and mainly of footage that Treadwell made during his last few summers in the Alaskan parks while camping next to foxes and spending all his time getting to know the bears. Opinions vary, but the thing they all say is that he believed his place was with the bears and doing everything in his power to inform people of them and protect them at all cost...including his life (which he repeats often on camera).
   When watching the film, 2 things become very clear very quickly and solidified throughout, that is 1.) Timothy Treadwell was a wonderful heartfelt naturalist who's work was for the better. and 2.) he clearly had issues. both with society and himself, that caused him a lot of misery.
   I really suggest watching this film and holding your opinions to the end. Treadwell is fun and sometimes humorous to watch, and at times sad, and confused. But it's all wonderful and from the heart. I don't see how anyone couldn't enjoy this film as much as i did. It was a wonderful experience and i learned quite a lot.
   He died because he crossed the boundaries from the world of man, to the world of Grizzly Bears. Unfortunately he was only a man when faced with a large hungry old bear. And he and his girlfriend lost their lives at their campsite, with a camera recording the sounds of those last moments. (thankfully they didn't put those sounds on the documentary, they only talk of their existence, and how no one should have to hear them). But in crossing those boundaries, he gave us film and insight into the world of these bears, and foxes, that could never have been done.

   There are so many things that people say guys should know about girls. And that girls are complicated. That's all true! But believe me when i tell you that girls need to know a few things about guys. It will save many fights.

1. Guys like to flirt, but we hate others that do.
2. When a guy really likes you, you truly become flawless, so don't ask "what would you change about me" because we'll honestly think of nothing...so whatever it is you sit at night and think of, or stare into the mirror at thinking to yourself "god that's so ugly", i suggest you stop wasting your time, because HE doesn't see it. unless we don't like you ;-)
3. When a guy asks what you want, tell him EXACTLY what you want, if you generalize you wont get shit that you like. "i'd like some new underwear, but they have to be red or black".....no no no, i said EXACTLY!!! Cut out the fucking adds if you have to and circle that shit! E-mail him the pictures of the EXACT thing that you want.
4. When we vent about something being wrong, we're not looking for advice. Just someone to hear us out. Feel very special that we decided to share some actual feeling with you. Even in anger, it's a trust thing.
5. A guys best friend knows absolutely everything. So stop being surprised and use this to some advantage ;-)
6. You don't need to smell like a tone of perfume to catch us. As long as you don't smell like ass we'll flock to the ones we like, no matter what.
7. We can handle our problems just fine, but wanting to is a different matter.
8. When a guy is staring at you it's simply one of 2 things, A. he's struck and amazed by you, or B. he's criticizing you.
9. Guys will generalize all girls, EXCEPT, the one they fall in love with. Suddenly every rating scale no longer contains that girl. She's the one, no more comparing with the general population. If anything, all others will be compared to HER.
   
10. Don't mess with our hats.
11. When you ask a guy what he's thinking about and he says "nothing" his mind could very well contain NOTHING at that point in time. Whatever his eyes are looking at, that's what's on his mind....or even less.
    
12. When a guy asks "where do you want to eat", that doesn't mean -- repeat the question back to me so we can fight about where we're going to fill our stomachs. It means -- i want you to eat anywhere with you so choose a place, because it's my gift to you.
    
13. BEWARE: When you provoke us to get mad, we will.
14. When you say anything like "well i had something to tell you, but now i don't want to"... we'll jump to so many far fetched conclusions, you wont believe! to leave a guy hanging like that is like giving a gun to a psychopath.
15. Once we let you in (to our hearts and minds) we'll bolt lock the door behind you. So if you don't want us, don't walk in that far.

   well i hope this helps!

   I recently went with my cousin to browse and test drive a few new cars she was interested in. She didn't know what she should be looking for, and her dad was out of town, so they asked me to go along with her. I've had 2 cars in the last 8 years and both have been great to me. So i figured i'd share my list of things i personally feel is a great way to tell weather you are looking at a decent car or not.
   My list is 30 things to look for:
 - 5 Exterior Things to check for

1. Check doors for damage and trim work.
2. Check glass for cracks, chips, etc.
3. Wheels (treads, damage to covers or rim)
4. Check the bumpers for damage, and make sure they are sturdy.
5. Make sure the hood and trunk are in good shape and latch well.

 - 5 Interior Things to look for:

1. Is the instrument panel complete, and are all the knobs and buttons there?
   
2. Check all the doors (is the trim and cushioning in good condition, and do all the controls work)
3. Check all the carpeting and seat covering for damage.
4. Check all the compartments (make sure they open and close properly and are in good condition)
5. The smell of the inside of the car will also tell you a lot ;-)

 - 5 Things to check for Under the Hood:

1. Are there any visible leaks?
2. Any wires hanging out?
3. Any broken belts or hoses?
4. Is the insulation under the hood damaged?
5. Are any of the fluids empty (if the fluids are low, this could be an indicator of leakage)

 - 5 Things for overall functionality (do this before and after the road test):

1. Do the windows, doors, and sound systems all work? (don't forget the sun roof, and radio)
   
2. Is the exhaust system and fame intact (check for signs previous repair).
3. Do all the lights work (blinkers, dome, headlights, brake-lights)
4. Does the parking brake work?
5. Check the Axles for bends, rust, and signs of previous repair.

 - 10 Things to look for during the Road Test:

1. Safety Systems (seat belts and air bags)
2. Check if any indicator lights appear.
3. Do all the gauges and meters work?
4. Are all the mirrors attached and operational?
5. Does the heating and cooling system work? (any oily smell coming from them?)
6. Does the temperature stay in a normal range?
7. Shifting system (does it make noise, or stick in any gears?)
8. Brakes (do they make noise, grind, or cause vibrations?)
9. Acceleration (does it accelerate normal without shifting too hard, or too late?)
10. Feel for any vibrations during the drive, and listen for any odd noises.

   I wont guarantee that this will catch every single little problem, but it will give you a very good idea as to whether you are getting your money's worth on the car. A lot of times you'll need new brakes, and some other work, but are they making you pay as if the brakes are like new, and all the windows work, when they don't? Always ask. Never purchase a car without some type of warranty, and be sure to read it and understand it.

   Hope this helped!

Recycling is something anyone can do. It's the most important step in going green, saving money, and feeling better about your environment.
   Step 1: Find containers to place recycling goods in separated from the garbage.
   Step 2: Know what can be recycled in your area.

• Standard items that can be recycled in every major city include the following: Aluminum pop cans, each can be worth 5 cents. Plastic Pop Bottles, these can also be worth 5 cents. White paper, newspaper, and "snail" mail. Some places will also pay cash for paper.
• Cardboard - some that cannont be recycled include the following: if it's got food in it, or is a freezer box with a wax like coating. You can recycle some cartons but they must be free of plastic. Any contaminants can ruin a batch of cardboard, so the easiest way is to stick to simple kinds of cardboard. including the following: Appliance boxes, non greasy pizza boxes, cereal boxes, shoe boxes, and the tubes of toilet paper - paper towels - and gift wrap.
  
• How to recycle the cardboard: if you have curbside recycling that's easiest. Otherwise you'll have to take it to a recycling center. In both cases it must only be the cardboard (no plastics, tape or food particles), but staples are ok.
• For Plastics look on the container for a triangle symbole. There will be a number inside. Some places only take certain numbers, but everywhere they take #'s 1, 2, and 5. With the exception of the following: you cannot recycle containers that held toxic substances such as oil, antifreeze, drain unclogging liquids, or cleaning chemicals with bleach or ammonia.
• So here is a list of 10 items that are very easy to recycle, and all recycling centers take: Magazines, notebook paper, newspaper, plain white printing paper, milk/water jugs, pop/beer cans, pop bottles, cereal boxes, soup cans, and Phone Books.
  

   Step 3: Find a recycling center near you at http://www.calrecycle.ca.gov/Publiced/Earths911.htm

• type in your zip code (it will take you to a new page)
• here type in the item you are recycling: so if it's paper simply type paper, or pop bottles type cans or pop bottles, etc.
• Then press search and it will give you a list of places nearest you that recycle the item. Most places recycle several types of items so you'll only have to make one trip!