What is a sinner?

 Puritan Society as a whole is the main influence of the moral punishment of Heter Prynne, the main character of the Scarlet Letter.  It is guilty for imbuing the people with what they perceive as right and wrong.  To truly understand morality and ethics we must seek deeper meanings.  In a book called “Ethics: Approaching Moral Decisions,” by Arthur Holmes, these philosophical ideas are defined.  "Ethics is about the good (that is, what values and virtues we should cultivate) and about the right (that is, what our moral duties may be).”⁶ When relating this passage in coherency with the world’s view of morality, it is understandable that one could conclude that all people have “sinned”.  Humans also have a tendency to learn from their mistakes.  This is seen nearly every day. It is what makes the world a safer and more unified place. 

Now once the reader visualizes that everyone has sinned in some way, that individual should feel that the treatment of Hester Prynne is wrong.

“This woman has brought shame upon us all, and ought to die. Is there not law for it? Truly, there is, both in the Scripture and the statute-book. Then let the magistrates, who have made it of no effect, thank themselves if their own wives and daughters go astray!” cried another female.⁴

 The way the society around Hester responded to the marking of the “A” was not morally right, especially in the Puritan times.  True, Puritan society was based on strict moral codes with punishments acceptable by law; however, it is hypocritical how so many who had sinned before, verbally and emotionally attacked Hester.  In the Gospel of John, Jesus finds himself among a crowd of people ready to stone an adulterer, yet waiting for his recognition of the act. On the contrary, Jesus responds with a verse, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (New King James Version, John 8. 7).  With the Puritan society based on Christian belief, and their laws formed under the Church, the people that inflicted remorse upon Hester would be guilty by what should be their own moral terms.  About Hester’s scarlet letter, the people thought,

“Here, there was the taint of deepest sin in the most sacred quality of human life, working such effect, that the world was only the darker for this woman’s beauty, and the more lost for the infant that she had borne.” ⁵

Lao-Tse and Confucius

                The two most famous sages both lived during the same century, Confucius and Lao-tse.  Their lives took place around 500 B.C., and Lao-tse had 50 years more wisdom than Confucius had at the time.  Although they lived in the same area and period, their teachings and beliefs were complete opposites of each other.  When asked the question, “What is the key to happiness and contentment?” by an eager student, the two scribes’ responses would greatly differ from each other.

                Confucius would say that happiness and contentment lies in virtuosity, and a moral code based on ethics, humanity, and love.  He is strict about obtaining a good education, and to master five virtues to be a good gentleman.  They are courtesy, magnanimity, good faith, diligence, and kindness.  The most important part of society was the family, which was there to be an economic, social, and political component. He involves Karma in his religion in saying “Do not do unto others what thou wouldst not they should do unto you.”  This was his Golden Rule, and it became important in Chinese culture.  Be optimistic about life, People should live together in harmony, and be harmonious with nature as well.  If one to follow these words of advice, more simply stated as Confucianism, then he would reach infinite happiness and contentment.

Lao-tse on the other hand had a very different ideology about happiness and contentment.  He would preach that happiness and contentment is found through an “Easy Flow” lifestyle.  He doesn’t think about virtues or moral codes; he even states that having mandatory rules only creates hypocrisy and cruelty.  He believes true happiness comes from the inside, and stresses that one must try to reach for personal freedom and being one’s natural self.  There is a natural flow of life, and one must follow that flow rather than set up regulations to fight the current, which is what Confucius says.  

Clearly the student would be confused by these two very profound answers, and would want to know which one is right.  Although very different from each other, Confucius and Lao-tse’s answers are both correct in their own way, containing wisdom beyond a normal intellectual mind.

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My Metamorphosis

In his psychological novella, “Metamorphosis,” Franz Kafka writes about Gregor Samsa’s transformation into a “horrible vermin” overnight, and the direct results of alienation that come from his family and job.  Samsa’s life is completely dedicated to his dependent family who turn against him in his new condition. Through the process of alienation, the power of man is taken away, leaving him a pit of estrangement and hopelessness.

Gregor Samsa thinks of nothing but his family.  For the past 16 years he has worked a strenuous career as a traveling salesman, in order to help his family live a happy carefree life.  His father’s previous business failed, leaving his family in large debt which Gregor strives to one day relieve them of. At first, the hard work he put into his family was greatly appreciated by his parents and his sister.  They understood how much he devoted himself to them.  Nonetheless, after six years of Gregor’s work, his family began to appreciate it less and less.  They took it for granted.  Gregor also wants to send his sister to the conservatory to study violin.  Her music is one thing that he enjoys in life.  Everything changes however, at the precise moment Gregor wakes up and finds himself a vermin with hundreds of little uncontrollable legs.  Gregor does not realize the vast limitations that are placed on him at that moment.

This is the beginning of his alienation from work, society, and most importantly, his family.  Gregor was standing upright on several of his many legs, ready to go to work.    This was an arduous sight for his family to handle. His mother fainted.  “His father looked hostile, and clenched his fists as if wanting to knock Gregor back into his room.”(pg. 8). The chief clerk turned away as soon as Gregor started to speak.  This instant inhospitality shown towards Gregor shocked him.  At one time, Gregor was a lieutenant in the army, a man full of ambition and success; now to see their son cast down and turned into this gruesome creature was just horrifying.  After all, he still loved his family and his job and was prepared to provide for them for as long as he lived.  To Gregor, the harsh and unjust punishment that is beset upon him seems to come from nowhere and without good reason. “Gregor’s appeals to his father were of no help, his appeals were simply not understood… his father merely stamped his foot all the harder.”  (p. 10).  He is no longer able to speak words, walk upright, or let others know his intentions.  These setbacks self-alienate Gregor from being able to communicate and be part of the family.  In addition to this, his family shuts him out of their life, incarcerating him to his own room. 

“For some reason, the tall empty room where he was forced to remain made him feel uneasy as he lay there flat on the floor.” (p. 12).  Gregor is confined to his room where nobody will have to either see him, or deal with him.  Without being able to interact with his family and have human contact, Gregor’s life slowly drains out of him.  The family’s happy and carefree life was snatched away when Gregor went through his metamorphosis.  His hopes of paying back his father’s debt and sending his sister to the conservatory are banished by his vermin-like state, and he is ashamed of his condition, trying to hide from everyone.  He wants to help his family, but he is unable to. Unfortunately, his family loses hope in Gregor “getting better,” for they cannot remember how much he has done for them.  The blame is directed towards Gregor, further drilling him into that pit of estrangement and hopelessness.  His new body has separated him from his family and society, and has put an economical strain on his family.

Gregor’s situation is very likely related to when an individual has the knowledge to save the world, yet is unable to do anything, therefore diminishing his confidence and power.  As the alienation process wears on, Gregor falls down the classes of society and nearly obtains the untouchables status in India.  He no longer has the power to work, to speak, or have the strength to have a meaningful life.  Throughout his journey in his new body, Gregor has come to face the truth that he has been alienated from society, his power and position swiped away from him, all resulting from one metamorphosis.

Christmas in Saipan

When the typical person thinks of the Christmas holidays, they would most likely imagine a beautiful, winter wonderland; the smell of pine trees in the air, and stores lit up with bountiful lights and filled with presents.  In every supermarket the bells of Santa’s sleigh will be ringing, and jolly Christmas songs will be a’ singing from every karaoke in the country.  The seasons have visibly changed.  The lengthy warm summer days have gone.  We now lie on the soft grass and lookup at the vast sky, and golden brown leaves float gently down upon you.  The ongoing job of raking the leaves continuously gets messed up by your inner child coming out and diving back into the piles.  Fall came and went.  You wake up one morning, sometime mid-November to look out the window and see that the thermometer has definitely dropped, and little flakes of snow glide to the ground.  SNOW DAY! School is called off, and the kids around the block come out for an annual snowball fight.  In a few weeks it will be Christmas, and the children have long lists of amazing (and expensive) gifts.  It is the time of giving and receiving. The days are short, and the nights are long.

                And then there’s us on Saipan.  We don’t have that beautiful winter wonderland, the beetle nut trees don’t know how to lose all of their leaves on time, but the weather does get much nicer.  It is not so hot and is a lot windier as trade winds blow from the northeast.  At least, we do get to enjoy some things that people in climates such as described above can’t.  Our closets are much less of a hassle, there’s no need to switch out clothes by the season; we only have one season (unless you count the wet and dry season, but who really wears raincoats regularly on this island?).  There is really not much use for sweaters and jackets.  We also get to enjoy seeing a local Santa, wearing a full furry Santa Suit and an even fuller accent. It’s Saipan, so the guy’s white face paint is all runny from the dripping sweat, as he rides on top of one of the few fire trucks that Saipan has.  He’s driven around town throwing candy out to bystanders watching this “parade”.  He also preaches to young adults and five-year-olds about how bad drinking and driving is along the way.  There are signs on every street, every corner, and behind every trash can on island which threatens, “You Drink, You Drive, You LOSE.” I vaguely remember this happening when I was seven or eight years old.  It was a bit misleading, because most of us did not know what the kind of “drink” was that the jovial old Santa was talking about.  We were on our way to school one morning and my mother took out a bottle of water to drink. And as innocent as I was, I could not help but snatching it out of her hand while shouting, “MOM! If you drink that were going to lose!” She could not help but laugh, but I was so stuck on this idea, I honestly could not see what was so funny.  She explained to me that the “drink” was alcohol, when I did not know what that was, she told me it was “Adult Soda” and I understood.  To this day, I have never been able to find “Adult Soda” in any of the supermarkets we’ve ever been to.

                These wonderful holidays are on their way again this year, and if you want some magical candy or some super cool drinking and driving pamphlets, make sure to find Santa on his fire truck. It is a very different life than what people experience in colder climates, but it’s a great life.

                Happy Holidays, everyone! 

Most Humiliating Experience Blog

      It happened when I was about 7 years old.  The Coconut Tennis Tournament had finally come and all my excitement began to pour out.  Now leading up to my event, a singles match against some godly player, I had to use the bathroom.  Now you know when you are a little kid, you are often too shy to ask strangers where things are, especially the toilet.  So I couldn’t help but hold my bladder.  It was time for me to compete and I got out on the court.  We played the first set, and I was holding up alright.  The second set was a little different.  I didn’t realize it at first, but when I looked down at my shadow, I saw that I was doing a little jig.  Oh hey! Cool! I didn’t know I could dance like this! It went through my mind.  Then I felt a freight train coming.  Soon enough, it wasn’t only my excitement that poured out, but… yeah… I think you get the point.  It is very vague to me now, but I remember blurrily a scene where everyone was looking at me, my shorts, and the puddle beneath my feat.  I’m glad everyone has forgotten by now… but whoever may come to read this blog will remember if they were there and laugh. But that’s a great thing! What better to approach your own human folly than to laugh at yourself! It is the best words of advice.  

My Literary Hero

                Ever since the beginning of time there has been corruption and greed. Although there has been the occasional, optimistic age of peace and prosperity, most of the past has been dark; hence the Dark Ages.  Heroes with answers and solutions to problems in the gloomy societies often rose, yet quickly fell to their doom.  The most fascinating hero in my opinion is Robin Hood. Also known as Earl of Locksley, Robin was a skillful, generous, determined man.  He set his whole life on a path of reaching outward and helping others, especially the less fortunate. He is my literary hero.

                Robin had what some could say, a very rough childhood. Relatively speaking, Robin’s life growing up was much more brutal than any modern kid who is fairly well off.  His father’s head was literally “offed” when Robin was a small boy, possibly around 6 years old.  When he had an epiphany, he realized the true nature of mankind is greed, evil, and corruption.  He set his life purpose to avoiding this evil hole that so many people fall into.  He set out with a several close companions in search of justice and heroic opportunities.

                He grew up to have strong moral values and a skillful eye at along the shaft of the arrow. Some could say he was an inconsistent traveler, a low life, a castaway. But he was much more.  He stole from the rich and gave to the poor, providing the unfortunate with the excess of riches the greedy bastard kings had.  His getaways were easily pulled off by his amazingly accurate bowman ship, which was essential to his success and survival.

                His generosity, his fight for justice and liberty, and his various skills made him one of the most influential heroes of all time. They definitely make him the coolest hero ever, to me. :D

My Utopia

the crystal clear water is lapping around my ankles... it is nearing Christmas of our junior year in highschool, and we are spending our days relaxing on the beach.  fairy terns fly overhead, and golden white-eyes play in the palm fronds, singing minute melodies for the world.  the waves are rolling in towards the beach and we grab our surfboards and go out for a surf.  what in the world could possibly be better.. to be surround by your closest friends, on a pristine beach with clear skies and aquamarine water, jubilant singsong birds in the trees, a fresh coconut, some sashimi from a wahu catch, and going out for a surf... honestly i find this to be one of the best dreams in the world. also the love of my life would have to be there, and it would just be absolutely amazing. I would have my guitar on the beach, not just any guitar, but a Gibson Hummingbird True Vintage VOS Acoustic Guitar. The guitar of my dreams... "The Gibson Hummingbird True Vintage VOS Acoustic takes us back to the subtle glamour of the original 1960 guitar. Enhancements include split-parallelogram, mother-of-pearl fingerboard inlays; crown headstock inlay; and an elaborate 3-point tortoise pickguard with engraved hummingbird motif.  The Hummingbird captures a measure of the pastoral whimsy and brave new horizons of the 1960s—along with a solid chunk of woody acoustic tone." quite stunning really.
anyways, there would be music on that beach, vibrating from my VOS Gibson Hummingbird.. the sky would be a brilliant blue, the trees an earthy green, and the air filled with scents of lavender and thyme.

Living on Mars

Living on Mars

By: Kai Staal

Yahoo news has a great headline: “Scientists propose one-way trips to Mars.” We have the technology, yet all we need is an “eccentric billionaire,” and some people who don't mind spending the rest of their lives in the exploration of Mars. You may ask, why only a one-way trip? Don't we want to see these people come back to our home planet?   The answer is yes, of course we want our astronauts to come home, however, a one way trip would cut costs by 80 percent! The author compares the early settlers who came to North America, not expecting to see their home ever again, with how astronauts should behave.  The colonization of Mars is quite within reach, and scientists believe it is imperative that we explore the new planet, ultimately to create a “lifeboat” for humanity if our home planet one day became uninhabitable.

            Dirk Schulze-Makuch, a Washington State University professor, is the mastermind behind this seemingly preposterous idea. Ed Mitchell of Apollo 14 commented that the proposed trip is premature, and that “we aren’t ready for this yet.” Barak Obama is on board, but his plan sets the exploration date in the mid 2030s, and has the idea that the astronauts will definitely return home. "We want our people back," NASA spokesman Michael Braukus said.  Many scientists around the world are agreeing that humans must begin colonizing another planet, in order to save the human species from becoming extinct by a catastrophe on earth.  Now all this sounds a little pessimistic. Earth ending, death, extinction, unknown worlds… yet it is such a fascinating topic, and the fact that we are so close to achieving this goal makes it so real. Living on another planet has always been in space-age movies such as Star Wars, or Star Trek, but to come to the realization that those movies might actually be us in several decades is astonishing.

            The trip to mars would take 6 months, and once exposure to radiation and a lack of medical care set in, the person’s lifespan would be reduced.  This is a little oppressive; however, once they set up living quarters near a large ice cave, which would provide shelter from radiation, water, and oxygen, things would be okay.  Mars has surface gravity, a thin atmosphere, frozen water, carbon dioxide, and essential minerals. "The astronauts would go to Mars with the intention of staying for the rest of their lives, as trailblazers of a permanent human Mars colony," Shulze-Makuch writes. He and other scientists believe that Mars has enough abundant resources to help the colonists become self-sufficient over time. "We are on a vulnerable planet," Schulze-Makuch said. "Asteroid impact can threaten us, or a supernova explosion. If we want to survive as a species, we have to expand into the solar system and likely beyond."

            These are the thoughts of the 21^st century.  It is time to explore the universe and truly find out what is out there.  It can be terrifying, looking up there at black emptiness, yet there is so much we don’t know and so much we need to find out. Someday, maybe even during our lifetime, we will be able to witness the extraordinary event of living on Mars.

Who would you bring back to life and what would you serve for dinner

        If I had a choice, I would bring Israel Kamakawiwo'ole (Brudda Iz) back to life.  He is one of the most famous and popular Hawaiian musicians, and did not deserve to die at such a young age of 38 by a heart attack.  Tom Moffatt, a Hawaiian promoter, once said, "His whole life was music, and love for the people of Hawaii". He was surrounded by music throughout his entire childhood, growing up on Oahu, where the ukulele flourished. His first performance happened when he was eleven years old.  I would bring him back to life because he is such an inspirational musician that I would love to have even the slightest minute interviewing and learning from him. Throughout his last years, Iz suffered from severe obesity, at one point carried 769 pounds (350 kg).  This made his performances quite the spectacle. Picture a giant with a miniature guitar, this is what Israel looked like, and caught the audience in a river of melodies and beautiful sounds.

        For dinner I would serve him a small plate prawns.  I know that to give him a buffet would only serve to undermine his efforts to lose weight, so I would find the most delicious caviar and prawns, spend hours preparing this meager meal, and give it to him in the candlelight of a fire on the beach.  Then we would relax, sit down, and play ukulele together.

Page 110 of my 400 page autobiography

           I was ten years old when I finished 6th grade.  That was a great year for me.  I was finally coming into my own, understanding myself and my friends. My friendships became stronger till the bond became unbreakable. That was the year that I learned the capitol of every state in the US.  I would play games with my grandpa in the summertime seeing who could get more state-capitol questions correct.  Of course I would always win, for I had memorized each of the 50 capitols by heart.  I took much pride in myself for doing this. Nevertheless, when the next year came by, all but several capitols were gone from my memory. That summer I spent at my family's lake house in Oregon with my cousins.  It was a time where you didn't have to worry about schoolwork, or other responsibilities.  It was a summer of fun under the sun, where pure joy and happiness of young kids pierced the hearts of businessmen, men with no freedom.  I knew from seeing these men envy our play that I would never get a job like that.  No, my job would be one on the ocean, or out in the wild examining animals.  Or it would be building bridges across great mountains or even conducting a team to create an underground tunnel.
         That summer my cousins and I entered a go carting race. We built our car out of scrap plywood, two by fours, nails, axles and tires from the dump.  My grandfather helped us build it, thats probably why we won the race.  He was once a professional race car driver, so he was very intelligible on the aspects and fundamentals of car building. The race happened on a sunny day above the lake. Our course was to race down the hill, weave through cones, and go off a small ramp into the water.  For this last thing, our car had to be a boat at the same time, which we created from an old bit of fiberglass.  My cousins and I zoomed down the hill, flew through the air, and glided onto the calm surface of the lake.  Rejoicing our win, we all ran back to the lake house for a celebratory meal of roast turkey, mashed potatoes and gravy, and a big salad of fresh greens, which at that time none of us kids liked.  After that, we all went for a swim in the refreshing waters and went home to our beds, snuggly, warm, and content with our lives.

Tokyo Life

Tokyo, Japan

           We are amidst the chaotic hustle and bustle of Japanese life in Tokyo. In the underground train station, several thousand people pass by at a quick pace, always needing to be somewhere at a certain time. Businessmen in suits, couples, parents with their children, and groups of school kids headed to their destination with no distractions. This is one of the most descriptive ways to describe the Japanese people: an infinite loyalty, a strong mentality, and most of all, a dependable personality.
          As I watch what seem to me an overcrowded station, and an outburst of people walking in every direction, I come to realize that this is normal.  I tried to picture myself in this lifestyle. I see myself with stylized hair, a premeditated outfit, yet a bit garish for my taste, consisting of several specifically designed layers of clothing, friskily on my way someplace. In each direction looming buildings block my view of the sky, which is nonetheless cloudy most of the time. It is obvious to me that I could never live a life working in a cubicle of an office, hurrying to and fro, and at the same time it empowers me to work harder realizing there are half a million people doing that every day.
          However, there is also a feeling of Zen and peacefulness among the people.  Once you step out into the countryside you're entire view of Japan changes.  The artistic gardens, the steep, tiled roofs of temples, the walkways through trees, and the serene ponds running through it all creating this amazing land. The hillsides are filled with life among flowers in the springtime, and are still when the snows come. I am sure I could live in this beauty.  Being from the islands gives you this lifestyle which is so easygoing and calm you don't have to worry about offices and luminescent lights. Nevertheless, Japan is an incredible place.

Private Spaceship for Tourists

Yahoo News reports that the first shuttle to take tourists into space is built and will soon be ready for customers. Its specific purpose is to take those curious people with an extra $200,000 floating around in their pockets on an ephemeral, yet magnificent journey to into space. The private spaceship is built and owned by Virgin Galactic, a reliable airline company.

Last Sunday the company completed its first solo flight with the rocket SpaceShipTwo designed for private passage into space. It achieved safe entry through the stratosphere and into the mesosphere, the second and third major layers of the earth’s atmosphere. In doing this, Virgin Galactic is one step closer to fly its paying passengers. This major milestone will make the program to become the world’s first manned commercial space vehicle.

SpaceShipTwo is carried to an altitude of 45,000 feet by its “mothership,” a larger plane, and is then released. After its separation, SpaceShipTwo will use rocket boosters to fly into space. It is manned by two pilots, and can fit six passengers. The spacecraft will glide back to earth for a safe landing. At $200,000 a ticket, several hundred people are interested and can’t wait the day for liftoff. Even though it is still undergoing rigorous testing, there is already a long list of 370 paid customers with a total deposit of $50 million awaiting the day to experience space not through television, internet, or telescopes, but through their very own eyes. Imagine 40 years ago, a street vender looking up into the heavens. He would never think that he himself could be up there viewing the enigma of space. Of course he might have to obtain a higher income, but eventually he might make it there. It is an amazing journey and an incredible step into the modern world of humankind.

Yahoo news story: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap_travel/20101011/ap_tr_ge/us_travel_brief_space_tourism_1

Enigma of the Butterfly

                It is truly a wondrous sight to see the glorious transformation of a caterpillar into a butterfly.  The fellow who takes its steps inch by inch settles in a homemade chrysalis for an extended drought of daylight and a lack fresh air on its face, only to emerge as an amazing, enigmatic being.  This transformation, this alleged enlightenment, is a journey yet to be understood.

                The caterpillar shuts the sunshine out from its world as it hides itself away in a dark, protective shell.  Once safely locked away, the caterpillar’s organs and body parts melt into a viscous soup.  It falls into a somnolent sleep for several weeks.   The days go by.  The sun rises and sets. The birds sing morning melodies and the geckos snack on unfortunate mosquitoes at dusk.  Forest animals scurry on the earthen floor and find shelter when it the tropical rains come.  As soon as the forest quiets down with the occasional drip of water plopping into a puddle, naive animals poke their heads out of their dry homes to see if the sky has cleared.  As normal life proceeds on, nobody stops to view the inconspicuous chrysalis.  Inside, a morphing, newfound life is preparing to open its eyes and find its place in the world.  As it comes nearer to “waking up,” the cells inside it grow to create the unmistakable characteristics of an adult butterfly. Wings begin to form, legs grow sturdy, and a very small head takes its shape. The chrysalis begins to split open on the magical day that the young butterfly will take its first flight.

                I had the astonishing opportunity to wake up one morning find a butterfly emerging from its chrysalis. It ended its process of metamorphosis and has become a fully formed butterfly.  Its wings are limp and moist from being enclosed for several weeks, and begin to spread out its limbs, forcefully pumping blood through its veins. The young butterfly jumped off the chrysalis, and faltered for just a second before remembering the use of its wings.  It fluttered away through the sunlight. Dancing dust fairies made the sun rays shine with a mystical touch, and the butterfly disappeared into the dense foliage.

Marie Curi- The Successes of the first woman Chemist

November 7, 1867, Warsaw, Marie Curie was born.  She had a normal childhood and her mother was a high school teacher.  Her education was not great; however, she learned advanced science on the side with her father.  She left Warsaw in 1891 for Paris, France, to continue studying physics and mathematical sciences at the Sorbonne. In those subjects she gained licentiateships leading her to meet her future husband, the professor of the School of Physics, Pierre Curie.   In 1903, she obtained her Doctor of Science degree.  In 1906, her husband unfortunately died, leaving his position as Professor of General Physics to Marie.  This was a step forward for women at the time, for she was the first woman to hold that high position.  Till today, she can be considered the most famous woman scientist.

Marie and Pierre Curie were poor during these years, making laboratory experiments stressful to their economic situation.  Nevertheless, the Curies discovered polonium and radium through excellent researches inspired by the discovery of radioactivity by Henri Becquerel in 1898.  She named the two new elements in honor after her homeland, Poland.  To do this, Marie studied uranium radiations.  She and her husband created piezoelectric techniques to weigh the radiations in pitchblende.  Pitchblende is a dark mineral ore that contains deposits of uranium. She realized that there must be more unknown elements present because she found the radiation from the pitchblende was stronger than from pure uranium.  Radium became important as it helped reason our understanding of matter and energy.  Marie strongly conducted the use of radium to help medical treatment.  This newfound era of medical advancement helped relieve pain and suffering during World War I. 

The Curies were awarded the half of the Nobel Prize in physics for discovering the new elements.  The other half was awarded to Henri Becquerel for the radioactive elements he discovered, which was what started Marie’s research to the discovery of polonium and radium.  She won another Nobel Prize in chemistry for her research on the compounds of adium and radium. She also isolated pure radium which added to her success. In addition to her accolade of successes, radioactive isotopes she helped discover became extremely useful even till today.  Radioactive isotopes, radioisotopes, can be used in many things.  Radioisotopes are used in smoke detectors, agricultural applications, food irradiation, irradiation in pest control, archaeological dating, as well as nuclear medical uses.  Marie Curie can be considered the best woman scientist; she has won two Nobel Prizes, discovered Radium and Polonium, and has helped advance science on radiation and radioactive isotopes.

An essay on "How to Make an Almond" by Jared Diamond (Part 2)

The almond in particular is a very interesting species.  They have the most prominent change under human domestication.  Wild almond seeds are extremely bitter, and have been changed into a delicious seed eaten by people around the globe.  When in the wild, it has a chemical called amygdalin, which then breaks down to the fatal poison cyanide.  The domestication of wild almonds results in the occasional almond seed that has a mutation in a single gene which stops the creation of the bitter tasting chemical, amygdalin.   Farmers have understood this phenomenon and took advantage of the one mutant almond seed, planting it, growing into a non-fatal almond tree.  This is yet another example of plant domestication by humans, utilizing the best of what nature can offer, grasping the opportunities as they arrive and building upon them.

Throughout history, plant species have undergone special human selection, prioritizing the plantation of the most favorable plants and discarding the rest.  They have also evolved naturally, with the come and go of hungry predators, plant seeds have been carried vast distances to be dispersed through feces matter among other natural phenomenons.  Whether intentional or unintentional, the domestication of plants has helped the human race survive, and has provided us with a reliable, nutrient-sustainable food source.  

An essay on "How to Make an Almond" by Jared Diamond (Part 1)

Evolution has become a way of life. The adaptation and desire to survive and produce offspring has formed the modern species of the human race.  Just like humans, animals have evolved to stay alive and conquer the environmental obstacles beset upon them.  In addition to humans and animals, plant species have also found the need to adapt to their surroundings.  Plants have become domesticated by humans to turn once inedible wild plants into crops found at the supermarket.  They have genetically changed to become more useful to consumers.  Plant species and fruits have also altered their physical genetics to more thoroughly disperse their seeds.   Evolution as well as the human impact on plant domestication has utilized the very best of wild plants and vegetables to create larger, more nutritional domesticated product for mankind.  Whether intentional or unintentional, it has become our best development of modern day plant species.

Plant domestication goes back over 10,000 years and is defined as the growing of plants while genetically causing them to become more useful to human consumers.  Farmers have done this with peas, olives, strawberries, pecans, and even poisonous almonds.  Not only were humans at work of changing the fruits, but also the fruits themselves.  Strawberry plants evolved through natural selection to become redder, sweeter, and juicier.  The main reason is that strawberry plants had to disperse and germinate their seeds elsewhere to survive in the wild. When the seeds of strawberries are green and unready to be planted, the berries remain sour and green, turning away hungry predators.  However, the redder and sweeter the strawberry got, the more birds came to disperse the ripe seeds.  “Many wild seeds evolved to be bitter, bad-tasting, or actually poisonous, in order to deter animals from eating them.” This example of natural selection has shown that many plants and animals have evolved on their own to become bigger, juicier, and more abundant.  When picking berries, humans generally pick the largest and sweetest ones, leaving the small withering fruits behind.  Those large berries are brought home, and end up germinating in the human’s garden.  This larger breed of fruit becomes more abundant, and the human only will plant that one, further domesticating it into a better variety of fruit.  What we call farming is the “preferential harvesting and planting of the most appealing largest plants.”

My thoughts on Spearfishing

            In the early spring of 2010 I had the opportunity to work with Dr. Peter Houk, a biologist in the Division of Environmental Quality.  Dr. Houk was conducting a survey counting the quantity and quality of the fish caught by spear fishermen in the fish markets; my job was to measure and record the lengths of those fish caught.  After seeing and handling all the beautiful fish before my eyes, I came to the realization that it was the hunt and the raw energy that imbued the hunter, becoming the fish inside of him.  It intensified my desire to become a spearfisherman.

            Peter Houk offered to take me spearfishing with Scott Russell, both very experienced long time spearfishermen.  We ventured outside the reef on Scott’s Boston Whaler.  It took nearly half an hour to reach our designated coordinates guided by Peter’s waterproof GPS.  The bow of the boat slammed against the rough waves, tossing us around like exploding popcorn.  We slowed down as the GPS began beeping hysterically, informing us that we had reached the somewhat invisible coral reef we were supposed to fish at.

The sun disappeared  behind the clouds and the water turned a deep, impenetrable blue.  I looked over the edge of the boat and saw my confused countenance peering back at me as I searched for the bottom.  Being my first time at this spot, I could not come to realize that we were actually floating above an underwater mountain 40 feet beneath the surface. 

We tossed the anchor overboard and Scott dove in to guide it.  Suited up in a camouflaged wetsuit with all the necessities of a diver, he disappeared beneath the surface and about 45 seconds later, he reappeared with a large Unicorn Fish wriggling at the end of his spear.  Peter caught two Groupers in the first ten minutes and I was ready to catch my own fish.

My open ears digested the wise words of these experienced fishermen.  I learned the ways of spearfishing and expanded my knowledge on the sport.  The most crucial point to spearfishing is an individual’s breath-hold. Without a long breath-hold, it is nearly impossible to stealthily creep up on a fish for the final kill.  From the first day working in the fish markets all the way to this memorable experience with Peter Houk and Scott Russell, I knew that I wanted to be a spearfisherman.  I practiced underwater exercises to increase my breath hold, applied the knowledge I learned, and the next day I caught my very own fish. 

Eric Clapton is a Genius

     Eric Patrick Clapton was born on 30 March 1945 in his grandparents home in Surrey, England.  Eric's mother, Patricia Molly Clapton, was only 16 years old when she gave birth to him.  His father was a Canadian soldier stationed in England.  24-years-old, Edward Walter Fryer already had a wife back in Canada, and returned to her before Eric's birth. 

 

     

    An unmarried 16 year old girl raising a child on her own is unthinkable and did not work out for Patricia.  It is especially hard to do in the mid 1940's amidst the ages of fundamental changes in society and young generation's revolutions. She couldn't handle it, and her parents (Eric's grandparents) took care of Eric and raised him as their own. Eric ended up thinking that his mother was his sister, and his grandparents his real parents.  

        Eric Clapton's background of music makes it easier to understand why his music is widely known and very influential to many other musicians.  He grew up in a house with musical notes dancing before his eyes, 24/7.  His grandmother played piano, and his mother constantly took him to see bands perform.  

    For his 13th birthday he asked for a guitar and got an inexpensive 

German made Hoyer.  He found it too hard to play, and waited for an electric guitar.  When he turned 17, he joined the Roosters, his first band.  When he heard B.B. King play, he asked for a electric guitar from his grandparents, who helped him achieve that guitar, and his career took off from there. 

         

His Albums: 

24 Nights Album

461 Ocean Boulevard Album

Another Ticket Album

August Album

Back Home Album

Backless (24K Gold Disc) Album

Behind The Sun Album

Blues Album

Bluesbreakers Album

Clapton Chronicles: The Best of Eric Clapton 1981-1999 Album

Cream Of Album

Crossroads Album

Crossroads 2 Album

Early Stages Album

Eric Clapton Album

E.C. Was Here Album

From The Cradle Album

Journeyman Album

Just One Night Album

Me and Mr. Johnson Album

Money & Cigarettes Album

No Reason To Cry Album

Pilgrim Album

Rainbow Concert (Remastered) Album

Rarities (with The Yardbirds) Album

Reptile Album

Slowhand Album

There's One In Every Crowd Album

Timepieces-Best Of Eric Clapton Album

Timepieces 2 Album

Unplugged Album  

   Eric Clapton should be inducted into the wonders of Rock n' Roll.  His music is pure and fascinating, with an equally melodic voice.  I have learned "Layla" by him on acoustic guitar, as well as "Tears in Heaven."  The song "Tears in Heaven" is a wonderful yet poignant song about the death of his son.  A bizarre death.  His son, Connor, fell 53 stories out of the open window of a New York skyscraper.  This tragic story filled Clapton with emotions and poured them into his songwriting.  

       This is not the only reason why I believe he is such an amazing songwriter/singer.  I feel that his music has touched me, and the more songs of his I learn, the more I tend to think Eric Clapton is a genius.

Forest Fire Caused by Golfer?

      

    

   I recently read an article on yahoo news about a forest fire covering 25 acres in California.  We hear about fires all the time. They are common natural phenomenon’s, especially in California.  Although they are mostly caused by nature, fires have also been started by humans from time to time. The National Interagency Fire Center lists that throughout the last ten years in the US, the yearly range was between 63,000 to 96,000 fires. In 2008 alone there were 78,979 wildland fires recorded. Either by on accident, or on purpose, forest fires are usually caused by trivial matters. But a GOLFER starting it?! Now that's a story!

      August 31, 2010 was typical dry, hot day in Irvine, CA.  The conditions were just perfect for a blaze, and in addition to the foreboding heat, the surrounding brush was dead due to a recent heat wave.  The perfect recipe for a fire awaited the initial spark to set it free.  A golfer (his name is being withheld) was playing at the Shady Canyon Golf Course when his ball flew off course into the brush.  Following the rules of golf, he did not pick the ball up, but hit it from outside the greens towards the hole.  Not only did the golfer's swing make contact with the ball, but it also chipped a protruding rock.  As a human makes fire from hitting flint, the golfer's club created a bright hot spark which flew into the dry brush.
   

      From all the things one can use a golf club for, no one has ever thought of using it to make a fire.  I wonder if cavemen living such precarious lives would have used a golf club in order to create fire, or whack each other’s heads.  I remember Tom Hank’s countenance in "Cast Away," when he created fire.  It was painted by the roots of absolute excitement and joy.  Fire is such a necessity to life and without the right tools it is almost impossible to make.  However, once started fires can be dangerous and leap on the wind to burn down thousands of acres of land.  Ironically, this otherwise trivial wildfire started by a golfer turned into a relatively intense wildfire acquiring over 150 firemen and helicopters to distinguish the flame. How bizarre is that? Golfer, golf course, golf club, golf ball, and fire.  What an eye catching story.

How to Surf

     Surfing is one of the greatest water sports ever invented. Surfing has always been a sport that requires instinct, skill, technique and a love for the ocean and waves. While a novice may feel that all these skills make surfing a complex sport, one can actually describe surfing in a few short words. There are many different parts of surfing. The board, the wind, the wave’s velocity, and the distance between waves, all contribute to the final product of a wave and how the surfer can catch it.

     The rule, “where there is a wave, there is a surfer,” applies to almost all around the world. Unfortunately, for some soul surfers (surfers who surf to be in nature and be happy), the crowds are a little intense. The obvious popularity of surfing shows how easily people come to love it and want to try it. The first step to catching your first wave is to head down to your local beach and check the waves. Look for a gentle wave and a break with a sandy bottom. Once you have found this spot, you want to contact your local surf shop and rent a soft-board for learning. Once that you have your board and your spot, head down to the beach, but don’t jump in yet!

     What you want to do if you are a first timer is practice going from lying flat on the board to jumping up into your “surf stance.” This stance is what you will use when standing up on a wave. You want to be fairly balanced, and not positioned too far back on the board, or the tail will sink. If you are too forward, you will do what surfers call a “nose dive,” in which you will embarrassingly sink your nose and thus plummet down the wave with a tremendous splash for everyone to laugh at. Position yourself in the middle of the surf board, leaning a little bit back. After you have practiced jumping from your stomach to your surf stance several times and feel comfortable with it, it is time it hit the waves.

      Usually there will be a part of the surf break called the channel. This is where you want to go out because the waves don’t break in this section. Once you are in the lineup (the place where you wait for the wave), sit on your board like you are straddling a horse. Now is the time to be patient and feel the ocean. You need to find sports on shore that are visible, and line yourself up with them. These are your reference points so you don’t drift into the breaking zone.

       A wave is coming! You look out in the distance and you see a little lump. As the wave comes towards you, it will get bigger than it was in the distance due to the shallower sea floor. To be able to catch this wave your, momentum must be equal to the wave’s momentum. To do this, you will need to paddle as hard as you can. Once you catch the wave you will no longer need to paddle and you will feel yourself gliding along the ocean at a fast, effortless pace. This feeling is absolutely amazing and words are unable to describe it. A surfer’s saying is, “Only a surfer knows the feeling.” Once you have caught the wave, it is time to stand up! Remember that balance is the key to surfing and your stance makes either a great ride or a hilarious wipeout. By shifting your weight and your feet, you can control the direction in which you travel.

      That is your first wave! Make sure you tell yourself that everyone has different learning curves and to never give up on the first wave. After you have mastered it, you can surf more advanced spots and ride shorter boards. If you don’t get hooked, then you will never know the true surfer’s feeling of gliding on a wave. Time for you to stop reading this essay and get out into the surf!

Spear Fishing Adventures

          My parents recently got back from a trip to Maui, Hawaii. One thing that was pretty cool, maybe even a little unnecessary ego boost was that so many places had the name, “Kai” in it.  Restaurants, road signs, lawyer offices, beach parks, fishing stores, etc.  “Kai,” in Hawaiian, means the ocean, something that I love with all my heart.  My own name being “Kai” helps build my personality, and similarly gives a reason to why I feel so connected to it. On his return trip, my father purchased two spear guns from a couple of laid-back Hawaiians. Last weekend we decided to give them a try.  Being beginners, my dad told me that it was only going to be a practice run and not to be disappointed if we didn’t catch anything. That’s not the way I think.  I was so eager to catch a fish during my first time spear fishing, prepared and full of ambition I was. 
        My dad and I took our little 14 foot dingy out to a reef in from of Tanapag called, Wahoo Rocks.  I strapped myself into a five pound weight belt, put my fins on, and cleared my mask and snorkel.  Pulling the classic diving maneuver, I let myself fall backwards into the water.  Once underwater in liquid space, I pulled the bands back and locked them into the shaft of the spear.  The hunt began. 
       With my hopes high and my eyes alert, I descended about 15 feet and hovered on the bottom waiting for fish.  My breath hold ran out and I had to retreat to the surface.  Running impatient, I aimed at nothing and I pulled the trigger to see what the gun 
could do.  While I was retrieving the shaft and locking it back into place, I saw a dark form moving in the distance.  The figure began to take shape as it got closer, and I realized it was a black tip reef shark.  These sharks are generally harmless to humans; it was about six feet long and had a strong, thick body.  The black tip shark swam towards me, checked out who was in its territory, and ominously swam away.  I surfaced and shouted to my dad, who ducked under to have a look at the seemingly-gentle beast.  
       Thinking it was a good time to head back to the boat, I realized I had not caught any fish. My dad and
 I made it next to the boat and got ready to hop in when I saw another amazing animal. Two large stingrays swam directly beneath my father and me.  I could see every detail from their large, unblinking eyes, to the five foot wingspan, down to the fatal barb that killed Steve Irwin, RIP Mr. Irwin. My heart pumped faster once I realized this was an animal capable of killing a seemingly invincible man.  I lay still and looked over at my dad, he nodded in agreement and we both lay as still as we could with waves lapping over our backs. 
        After the stingrays passed, the day felt complete and I was filled with the great honor of seeing these creatures.   I felt that perhaps my dad was right: as a beginner, try not to expect anything too great from yourself. Things take practice, and in time, I know that I will be able to catch a delicious Parrotfish, Tataga, or perhaps even a Yellow-fin Tuna.  I had no regrets about the day, for being able to have two graceful and powerful creatures in my presence felt as good as catching a fish, possibly even better.

Article about SIS's Student Parking Lot

Greetings Reader!

This column will be directed towards the Saipan International School’s advantages, disadvantages, and things that the students would like to change.  Ultimately, the final written work of this column will be based on currently attending student’s feelings as well as my own. In this column in particular, the discussion will be based up on SIS’s student parking lot.

            Now for all of you high school kids out there that drive to school themselves, you know exactly what I mean when I say that the parking lot dedicated to the students needs a LOT of work. Either someone needs to find a way to pay for some repairs, or should I say, any construction at all, or students should be allowed to park next to the high school or in the teacher’s parking lot. Now I have counted the amount of student drivers, and I have seen how many empty spaces there are outside of the high school and a few in the teacher’s lot.  Other drivers and I would easily be able to fit in these spots. 

            Any of you that do not drive, you are probably thinking, “Ah it doesn’t matter, I get dropped off nearly right at the door.”  However, you do not know how much a hassle it can be.  Our Physical Education teacher is the only teacher I know who also parks in the student parking lot from time to time.

            Teachers may complain about students being late for class.  A way to fix that is let the students park in the actual cement parking lot! Now if you are 10-15 minutes late, there is not an excuse, but for 5 minutes there is.  It usually takes an extra 3-5 minutes to get to the muddy parking lot, get your supplies for school out and walk to the high school.  Maybe I am making a mountain out of a molehill, but I know for certain that every student driver will vouch for me that our student parking lot is nowhere near ideal.

            The rainy season is right on our doorstep and will be ringing the doorbell very soon. I will not be surprised if our parking lot is soon underwater. A few of these mornings I have had to wait inside my car for it was raining outside and I could not afford to get my books or my bag wet.  This is only on occasion, but it will be much more frequent as we near what Saipan calls “winter.”  What I want YOU to do is, after you have read this, tell your friends and your parents about this problem and help bring the idea of a new student parking lot.  As I mentioned previously, you yourself might not worry about this for you may have your own ride.  Nevertheless, one day very soon it may be you making the treacherous journey through puddles and mudslides to school.

-Kai Staal. Reporter for Saipan International School’s Newspaper

The Search for Serenity (Continued)

Note: Photo is not mine.

    I checked my air gauge and the weights strapped around my waist as I began to descend slowly towards the meeting place.  My teammate Rezne Wong was already on the bottom, casually looking at fish and waiting for the rest of the crew to arrive. 

As my conscious adapted to the new environment, I began to really see how much life was hiding beneath the surface.  Moray eels poked their heads out of holes in the coral and black tip and white tip sharks curiously swam by us. Our dive leader and the rest of our crew made it to the bottom and joined us in a “slow-motion” meeting underwater.  My depth gauge tells me that we are about eight meters deep, and I realized we are resting on a sort of plateau, planning to go deeper.  Before the dive, our dive leader told us stories of huge manta rays with 10 foot wingspans swimming right up to the divers.  I constantly kept alert for I really wanted to see one of these majestic giants.   Large mackerel and yellow-fin tuna swam past us and on into the depths.  I felt like an astronaut; the slow inhale and exhale of compressed air and the weightless sensation of flying created an experience to remember.

We hit 18 meters and I rolled over onto my back to view the surface.  Something seemed wrong about the surface, moving around as if it had a life of its own.  Suddenly I realized I wasn’t actually looking at the surface, instead, I was getting a front seat view of an entire school of fish swimming above me.  The way I will always describe my experience is imagine you are watching the special about the ocean called, “Deep Blue” on Discovery channel. However, this time you are actually feeling the elements of fish, water, and coral all around you and not on a television screen.  Yeah! It is amazing. If you have never been diving before, I highly recommend you to.  Ah you can always say, “I want to go skydiving, bungee jumping, or snowboarding,” but you will never experience the pure peacefulness of being underwater for extended periods of time. 

SERENITY
Note: Photos are not mine.

Scuba diving is almost a form of meditation, where it is almost impossible to think Hmmm… I wonder what will be for lunch later? Or I wonder what is on TV? Underwater, hearing nothing but your own breath, being entirely in the present moment. I think you can say the search for Serenity may be found underwater in a liquid state just as we as babies were once in our mothers wombs.  Where pure peacefulness, silence, and a sense of security are found, serenity will be found among them.