Squirrels Gone Crazy

There once was a magical land, where everyone was happy and the sun always glowed bright in the sky. This place was called Virginia Tech. One day the weather forecast said it was going to rain and storm all day so already, people knew something was wrong. I went down all 24 flights of stairs of Slusher Tower to find that the weather was indeed correct. However then I noticed that everyone was running and screaming, as the squirrels that usually were so friendly were chasing people around campus. One girl was getting chased by a family of squirrels and the more they chased her the larger the squirrels grew until they were her size. Then they proceeded to mug her and tie her to a tree so she could not go warn others to their evil ways. I tried to sneak past them but I stepped on a twig, which make a "C-R-A-C-K" sound. This caused the squirrel family turn around and begin chasing me. I ran as fast as I could but tripped over a food carton someone had tossed on the ground. I fell to the ground and looked up see that the squirrels had me surrounded. Then as I thought all hope was lost I heard a noise in the distance.

        "I am coming Deb. Faster Cami, faster!!"
        "Hurry Ashley, hurry" I screamed at the top of my lungs.

Then all of a sudden the squirrels got picked up one by one and flung into the air. It was Ashley, aboard her valiant steed, her golden retriever, Cami. Cami had grown to the size of a horse, just like the squirrels had grown. Ashley pulled me up and we began to ride away since the squirrels had begun to wake up from getting thrown.

       "Do you know what is going on?" I asked Ashley.
       "Turns out the rain is a toxic, growth hormone. It was accidentally released when a power plant in Roanoke exploded because some looser hit a red button while being chased by zombies. The side effects are super growth, strength and aggression."
       "Oh okay. Well what is the plan?" I asked again, while checking behind us to ensure the squirrels were not catching up to us.
       "What makes you think I have one. I saved you, now its your turn to think of something!" Ashley remarked sharply.
      I thought and though until I got an idea. "We need to go back to the plant and make an antiserum so that the squirrels go back to normal before we all get mugged or worse."

We then headed to the power plant, but we weren't the only ones there. The squirrel leader, Captain Huggyface had taken over and all his henchmen stood around him with automatics. The lab scientists from the power plant, were tied up on the ground with acorns in their mouths. We could tell the squirrels had forcefully taken power there because their was a circular hole chewed into the medal, wire fence. Captain Huggyface was taking to his generals and pointing at a map.

       "Those must be their plans for massive takeover. We need to act fast. We need a distraction to get inside that plant." I said.
      "I think we can do that. Cami your up girl, have fun" Ashley said before letting Cami off her leash.

With that Cami ran to the fence, leaped over and began chasing the squirrels around the plant. Turns out that along with their size, their fear of dogs had also been magnified. They were squealing "Run for your life, its a DOG. AHHHHHHH!" and Cami was having a blast. While the squirrels ran for cover, Ashley and I were able to sneak into the plant. Inside was a mess of spilled liquids, broken glass and large squirrel, paw prints covering the floor. We followed the prints to a large vat, with bubbling green goo inside it. Next to the vat was a large green button, next to a large red button. The red button had a sign reading "Do Not Push" in huge, black writing. We looked at each other, and knew this must have been the button the loser pushed that blew up the plant. However, we then looked again and saw there was what looked like a black smudge under the button.

    "What is that?" Ashely asked me, looking at the smudge.
    "I don't know, unless..." I grabbed a microscope that had fallen onto the floor. I held it up to the smudge. The smudge was actually writing, reading "In case of a zombie attack and a looser pushes this button...Hit the large green button over ---> to undo the damage."
   "So that is why they say to read the fine print!" Then Ashley turned around and saw Cami running toward us with a hoard of squirrels behind her. "I guess there were too many for Cami to chase. Now quick hit the button!" And with that Ashley dove behind me and pushed the large green button.

Then there was a green beam shot into the sky and green smoke all around us. We then turned, looked back, to see that Cani was back to her normal size and had a group of small squirrels sitting behind her. Then the squirrels looked at us, looked at each other and ran away. And with that it was over.

  THE END.

Technology Addiction

Computers, friend or foe? As college students we are constantly using computers, either to do homework, write papers, go on Facebook or watch Netflix. Now they are used not only by college students but everyone from the elderly to little kids. From when you are playing computer games as a 6 year old, to doing work for high school and college, to working in the outside world, laptops especially are always in use. When in biology lecture, our profession constantly tells us about the young peoples technology addiction. The idea that as a younger age group we cannot seen to function without our phones or computers, that connect us to others and the outside world.
They are not benefitial to our health, but instead have been shown to be harmful is used in correctly. Better Health Channel discusses medical problems that can arise from this overuse. Two large areas of concern are centered around video games and computers, that lead to several health problems. The first is overuse injuries especially in the hand. This is caused by constantly pressing the keys on a key board or contoller buttons. Many people also have a preferred hand, so if you use one more then the other then the injury would be worse in that hand. The second is obesity. This is caused by the fact that when using these two devices, the tendancy is to sit for several hours. The third are muscle and joint problems. Most of the problems occur in the back, neck and shoulders since when on computers many people slouch and are looking down, which puts constant strain on the muscles. The last is eyestrain. Eyestrain is caused by eyes having to focus at the same distance point for extended time intervals. Eyestrain itself has been known to lead to headache and blurry vision due to the eyes being fatigued. There are practices that can be used to avoid this health problems, so that computers can be used but in moderation.

Source:
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Computer_games_health_issues?open

What Memories Stick

       People always say life is full of ups and downs, but what it is what you make of it that counts in the end. When we are asked everyday. "What is the plan for your life?" many say "I don't know." This could be because they just don't have a clear direction, but I believe its because no one knows where life will take them. It is an interesting thing that never stays still, but that is how memories are made. As this year draws closer and closer to its end, most people reflect on what has happened over the last ten months. All the tests, homework, papers and deadlines, but also all the new friends, laughs, late nights and bowling. It has been a mix of good and bad, but the good is what needs to be focused on more. Life is limited! The memories we make over our lives, good or bad help define who we are and what direction our life will go in. More then that however, these are the memories we will cherish for the rest of our lives.

        The question then becomes, what makes certain memories stay with us, but not others. Why can we remember a bad injury or really stressful test, but not what we ate for dinner yesterday. According to Dr.Slutsky, memories are stored in synaptic connections between neurons, and the strength of the individual synapse is what determines if and how a specific memories are stored. The strength of the synapse itself is determines by GABA, a hormone found in the brain. The strength of the synapse is connected to how tight the connection, some are farther while others are tightly packed togeher. Another factor was concentration. When the there was more GABA around a synapse, made the reactors more active and therefore a new memory was more likely to be formed. GABA is a molecule in the brain, that is what determines our memories.

Source:

http://machineslikeus.com/news/what-makes-memories-stick 

School Coming to a Close

It has almost been a whole year. The first year of college, at least for me, seems like it was over the second it began. It is filled with mixed emotions for many students because they are both happy and sad that the school year is drawing to a close. Being out of state, it is exciting to go back home and see my family and friends but it is also sad since I will not get to see my college friends until next semester starts up. When talking to another student about it she shared the same response, "I was sad at first but at this point I am just ready for it to be over and done with. I want to go home!" This is a feeling many other people have when I asked them how they felt about school ending. Another student said "I will miss my friends and going out, but not the constant work and studying for tests." The consensus seems to be that while college has its fun moments, for the most part the work is why people want to leave.
I am excited to go back home since I have not seen my family since Christmas break. My dad always tells me that being a student is my job and even though it is hard at times, its what I have to do. I didn't truly understand that until college. Being my freshman year it was a large adjustment and continues to be every day, but it also forces you to grow into an adult. It is the first time I was in control of everything that did or did not happen for me, which forced me to be an adult. It has been a long first year and even though part of me is ready to leave, another part of me can't wait to see what comes up next in my college career.

The Big Event 2012

                         The Big Event: "One Big Day, One Big Thanks"
Giving Back. In a time like today it is something that can be forgotten and pushed aside. This Saturday May 31, I took part in the Big Event. Walking onto the Drillfield all you say were thousands of students in the Big Event shirts ready to start the event. Being a freshman it was the first time I have participated in the event and it was honestly a life-changing experience. I did it because I needed to for the riding team but as the day went on I appreciated being part of a day where the mission is just to help. The second I put on the shirt I felt like a part of something bigger because we all had them all 6,800 of us. I spent two hours painting primer onto an old man's porch as well as cleaning and organizing his stuff. He was so appreciative and just kept telling us, thank you over and over. Just seeing that how much he appreciated it made it all worth it because I knew that just by giving up a small portion of my time I was helping this one individual. Just one, but that's all it took since I was a part of completing those 990 projects by adding 1.

The Big Event, founded in 2002 is a student run community service effort that every spring goes and does hundreds of community service projects throughout Blacksburg, the New River Valley and Christiansburg. It has now become the second largest community service event of its kind in the country!! The goal is simple, to say thank you to the wonderful community that has supported and welcomed Virginia Tech. It celebrates the true meaning of Ut Prosim (That I may Serve), taking time to help someone else. It was a day I will never forget and plan to take part in for the next four years here at Virginia Tech.

sites:
The Big Event website,
http://www.vtbigevent.org/index.php/about-tbe/mission

Decisions

Decisions? How do we make them? How do we know they are right?...

      That is the big question in this modern era. In the old times people's lives where planned when they were children. Women got a fine husband and got married early to raise a family, while men worked. It used to be simple since everyone knew their life was planned out for them. Now it is a very different time. Women are doctors, leaders, teachers and many other things and men are the same. Now we have the freedom to choose of how we will end up and what life we will have when we get there. However like in Spider Man, "With great power, comes great responsibility." The power we have grows everyday with the help of our minds and what we have created with them. Our minds have led us to great discoveries like new worlds, and medicine but it has also led to great pain, like war and environmental degradation. Our actions have consequences and that is something that we as people tend to forget.
    How we come around to these decisions is never easy and we are faced with them every day. Small things like what to eat for lunch, if we really have to do the reading for homework and if we can stay up watching TV one more hour. However what some people overlook is that these small decisions are what lead to the larger ones. There are several factors that lead to how we make decisions; including past experiences, age and individual preference, belief, and escalation of commitment. (Dietrich, 2010) Malcolm Gladwell talks about how we come to the decisions we do and uses research to back his claims. According to Gladwell research has shown that many decisions are led by instinct or reasoning. There are times when there is no clear logical decision and those are the moments when past experience or individual preference allows us to arrive at a decision. Though in most situations reasoned analysis works and as it turns out those are the moments when big life decisions come into play. What I found most interesting about his arguments, was when he said that instinct is not always correct. The problem is that we don't know our instincts are wrong until long after the decision has been made, since we rely on them so much and have come to assume they are right. It is a delicate balance because we don't know when its wrong but we have to assume that it usually is.
    Our decisions effect not only ourselves, but this planet, and others around us. We tend to rush to quick decisions that will cause us the least amount of harm and rely to readily on our instincts. We as a human race need to understand this because then we can make better decisions in the future.

Sites
http://www.studentpulse.com/articles/180/decision-making-factors-that-influence-decision-making-heuristics-used-and-decision-outcomes
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2011/06/14/when-our-intuition-leads-us-to-bad-decisions/

Horse Equality

    This weekend I attended a clinic taught by Sue Comming-Schultz. She is a renown trainer and care tacker of horses and has trained hundreds of world champions over her 40 years in the horse business. There were two things that really stuck with me from the clinic.
    One had to do with this quote by Anne Kursinski, "Natural talent, no matter how great, can't make up for a lack of basic knowledge and skill. Solid basics combined with real desire and commitment can make any rider a good rider." To train competitive show horses takes time, patience and discipline on the side of the rider. Horses are complex animals and before a person can attempt to train one they must know the mechanics behind their body movement and control. Without that the horse can be injured or broken. Horses are made of of thousands of tendons running through large muscles around a delicate skeleton and on top of this they are holding up the weight of a person. All these parts move in a specific way, so to be able to get the horse to do what the rider asks of them, the rider needs to know how all these parts come together. This knowledge is necessary so that you learn how to ask the horse correctly and properly. Injured horses come from this lack of understanding because trainers will not spend the time strengthening the horses body and learning the mechanics behind this body, since of these things aren't know then the horse will be asked to do something its body is not ready to do. Like Sue described it would be like me telling you that you are going to run the marathon when you have never run a day in your life. This training takes time so without the patience it can not be achieved even with all the talent in the world.
   Another was what I discovered on my own when I looked online. Sue told us that many of the broken horses she has seen over the years came from this lack of knowledge and discipline on the side of the rider/trainer. A largest topic in the center of horse abuse is on Tennessee Walkers. Tennessee Walking Horses are know for their movement because it involves legs that are flung high into the air and a low hind end. To some this looks "graceful" or "elegant", but to others its the pure sight of abuse. This high knee action, or "big lick" movement. is what causes the horse to lift their front legs high in the air is caused by a method called soring the horse. Soring is the act of using chemical agents, that are applied to the horses front hooves and absorbed by the hoof itself. These chemicals cause soreness and extreme pain in the hoof and around the ankle. Then metal chains are put around the horses ankles so that they bang that sore area with every step, and that makes every one agony. This is what causes the "big lick" movement because the horse doesn't want to put any pressure or weight on those front feet and so they lower their butt and carry 70% of their weight on their hind feet. Soring is illegal due to the Horse Protection law and societies are cracking down on the activity but it is still done. People will do anything to win, but I believe that nothing is worth torturing an innocent animal.I didn't realize till this weekend how badly we can hurt horses simply due to ignorance and lack of knowledge.

Soring Awareness Videos:
http://timesfreepress.com/videos/2012/mar/17/6007/
http://www.humanesociety.org/news/news/2009/09/cruelest_horse_show_091709.html

Break Ending

Another break comes to an end. Breaks are needed every so often to give our minds and bodies time to recuperate from the demands of college. College so far has been a journey of ups and downs. As the year comes to its end we think about what has happened our freshman, sophomore, junior or senior year. It was not until I looked at a calender and say that we only have six weeks of this year left, did I realize how fast time has flown by. This fast-approaching end is viewed differently by everyone.

When talking to one of my friends about this year ending, his reply was "No, it has been too short. I sad its going to end I've been enjoying it, besides I  do nothing at home." However, when I asked another friend about what she thought she said "I'm happy and sad. I will miss hanging out with you but not the work." I on the hand have mixed feelings about school ending. I will miss my friends since I will not be able to see them seeing how I live out of state, but I am excited to go home and spend time with my family, friends, horse and not being controlled by schoolwork. When you look on Twitter and Facebook you see posts saying things like "Finally a break.","So happy to be on break." and "I get a break from school thank god."

It seems that every person has a slightly different view. College is fun in the sense that you are living with your best friends and living on your own, but the down side is that like my dad says, school is our job. There is homework, reading, studying and tests that add to the stress of college. However there must always be trade offs in life no matter what the situation, so it can simply depend of which counts more, the pros of the cons.

We All Screen For Ice Cream

           Ice cream is something we all have come to know and love throughout the years. Here at Virginia Tech we are lucky enough to have our own creamery right here on campus. Today as I waited at Deet's to purchase me frozen treat, I began to think about where it can be traced back to For me ice cream makes me think of fun summers with friends, ice cream parties for town soccer, birthday parties and weekends at my family's house in New Hampshire. It brings back memories of childhood and happiness for me. Now science is showing that ice cream has the same effect on many people today.

Making ice cream seems like a simple process but its not. Ice cream is mainly a combination of milk fat, non-fat milk solids, sugar and air.  Along with these it also contains emulsifiers, which keep it smooth and stabilizers that hold the air bubble structure together for its texture. Due to these ingredients regulations are strict about what is actually considered ice cream and what is not. In recent years there has been a trend moving toward substitutes like frozen yogurt, because it is healthier then normal ice cream. Many chains like Pink Berry, The Frosty Parrot, Red Mango and Yogli Moogli are using this substitute to create places where people can serve themselves. This ensures that people can make whatever they want.

Ice cream contains ingredients that have different effects on the human body, which can be both physical and mental. The amino acids that make up the proteins, boosts neurotransmitters that make people for energetic and alert. Tryptophan is another neurotransmitter that is found in milk, but it has been found to lead to a calming effect due to increasing serotonin production. However many people, will eat ice cream when they are stressed and in this case those calming effects do not occur because of the stress being put onto the body.  Sugar that can make a person energetic can also be harmful. Since ice cream is contains a large quantity of sugar it can have a definite effect on a person's blood sugar levels. If it is too high signs can be depression, fatigue, blurred vision and irritability. The specific type of sugar found in most dairy products is lactose. Another problem associated with it are mood swings caused by having a mild allergy to it. With these health effects we need to be conscious that even though it tastes good we are being careful about what we put in our body.

           

http://www.livestrong.com/article/532951-how-ice-cream-affects-your-mood/

http://science.howstuffworks.com/innovation/edible-innovations/ice-cream.htm

Snowball fight of 2012

Today was the epic Corps of Cadets vs. Civilians snowball fight. To win the Cadets must be pushed off the drill field back to their dorms. It was a close mach filled with blood shed, and at the end it was a close call. The Cadets were pushed all the way to Upper Quad but not completely off the field. In past years there has been arguments for the Corps of Cadets to not have the snowball fight, because fights have broken out and civilians have been know to use rocks to throw at the Cadets. However it has continued because it is a part of the Virginia Tech tradition that has come to be a fun-filled event for the students.
I interviewed a friend that also lives in Slusher tower about her thoughts on the snowball fight. She said "I thought is was very fun and intense, with everyone chucking snowballs at me. It was a memorable experience with so many people being involved. I think that if a lot of people were getting hurt then I would understand shutting it down, but it is a fun tradition that I guess has sometimes gotten out of hand. "

Cattle in Society

Today I had to work with a yearling Hereford that I will halter break for a class. It got me thinking about what that means exactly. In history class we learned that horses were utilized by Native Americans for hunting buffalo and war. They learned that them and the horse could act as one unit, which was more efficient then just the person alone. However before this could happen the horses had to be as many say "broken." Where they learn to accept a person riding them and tack on their back. This takes time and patience. We are training our yearling to accept a halter on their face, a person leading them and basic human interaction.
People go about halter-breaking a number of ways. One is to tie the calf to a fence for short increments of time.  This teaches the calf to respect in halter, and the feeling or pressure of it on the calf's face. You can also keep the halter on the calf and let them walk and stand with it. This way when they step on it it applies pressure to the nose and chin area, but their head will also be jerked down. This will get the calf to stop fighting the halter and accept that when they pull on it they will get jerked back. After a while they learn not to pull at all. When you teach it to be led then start with little in a small pen and when the calf responds to you pulling it then give it slack as a reward. (Longhorn Network)
This can seem harsh or cruel in its methods, but its not if does responsibly. Cows and horses are large and powerful animals so some force must be taken or they will just overpower or ignore you. I see it as teaching the cattle how to interact with humans so that they can be handled safely. However sometimes it can be interpreted as breaking the animals spirit which couldn't be farther from the truth. It is about trust and human and beast working as one, like they used to when it first started.

A Book Worth Reading

I’ve been reading The Eighty-Dollar Champion, Elizabeth Letts. Its a true story about a man, Harry de Leyer who saved a plow horse he later named Snowman from a kill van. He used for lessons but when he sold Snowman, Snowman jumped over paddock fences to come back to Harry. Harry then trained Snowman to become a jumper and together they took on the best teams in the United States. This book has two underlying messages that I believe are relevant in the present trying times. 

     One is to believe that interior qualities can be more important than the exterior ones. In horseback riding, when showing you want a horse that looks beautiful so that they give a better overall package. At the same time though, you need a horse that has the ability and inner strength to do what you ask of him/her. Today I believe people relay too much on these exterior qualities so the inner qualities don't have the chance to be seen. With Snowman, many people saw an old, run-down, grey plow horse with scars and a disproportioned body. What made Harry a great horseman was that he could see past the unflattering exterior to see a horse that had to heart and drive to be great. Harry was able to put those "generic" qualities aside and by doing so he could see what was really important. This is what allowed Harry to turn this ordinary horse into a champion.

     The second lesson is that people tend to look at the glass half-empty, so they give up. When in a situation that can go in two different directions, people only see the bad side. This prevents them seeing the possibilities, and therefore they can't turn the situation around for the better. Harry saw potential, harnessed it and molded Snowman into what he needed him to be. If you have a positive outlook on the situation you are able to see what has to be done to get to where you want to go, which is what Harry did. "Sometimes a man can forget the most important lesson of all: big dreams are often best accomplished when you do what you can with the materials you have at hand."(97)

            I research consumer reviews on the book to see if other people thought the same way I did about it. I looked at two sources. One was the Facebook page for the book. Posts are things like “Harry gave him a second chance at life, but also be loved by the world. Things like this don’t happen anymore.”(Seaman, Karen) Others were so touched by the book that they are going to see Snowman’s gravesite. Everyone agrees that the book is an inspirational story of second chances and how we can overcome obstacles. The second source was Amazon reviews. These reviews also shared the same praise for the book. Reviews praised the bond between animals and humans, and what they can accomplish together, and hope.

Who Am I

    My name is Deborah Jane Weinstein, which already tells you one thing about me. I'm Jewish. All my relatives have been from as far back as my family can remember. More about my family, that is made up of my older sister, Jen and my two twin brothers, Mike and Jon. Both my parents are doctors but oddly none of us want to be one. Sorry mom and dad. I have lived in Brookline, Massachusetts my whole life so Virginia was a change. When I was applying to schools I decided to take a year off after high school graduation from Brookline High School so that I could gain more animal experience. So yes I am 20 years old. During my year off I worked at the camp that my horseback riding barn runs during the summer and worked as an intern at the New England Wildlife Center. It was an amazing experience because I had the opportunity to help treat and rehabilitate all types of species of wild animals such as sea gulls, raccoons, foxes, skunks, squirrels and owls. Only down side was that I had to get rabies vaccinated, but I figured it was a small price to pay.
     I have two pet peeves, mess and people looking over my shoulder while playing computer games. Why my second one is a pet-peeve I don't know, it just is. Mess I just can't deal with period. My mom always says, "Deb, you should be one of those people that gets paid to organize celebrities' closets." I also have three passions in life. The first and most important is my horse Petey which you can see by my facebook because most of my pictures involve him. He is amazing and has been in my life for 2 years, and fun fact...he is Irish. The second is helping animals. I am a pre-vet major because I want to make a difference in the life of any animals I can.  The third is horseback riding. I have been doing it for ten years and I don't plan to stop anytime soon.
      Some last things about me, you can tell from facebook. A lot of my pictures are random, since me and two of my closest friends back home just go into her backyard and take pictures to kill time. My pictures also tell you I have recently become obsessed with My Horse. know, it's lame. I went to Hokie camp, and was part of the winning Yellow Tribe. The last thing is that during the summer I spent most of my time at horse shows, competing in jumping classes. Petey, the dark brown horse with a white spot on his face and I guess live on the road. My favorite restaurant is Burtucci's, which is where I am eating in the pictures where I am with a large group of people that usually take up two tables. That is me, in a nutshell!