At least you live in the U.S.

I woke up at 5:30 this morning with some of the following thoughts running through my head. I've decided to get it out and do some quick fact checking. Forgive me for any errors and please let me know of any. I'll also preface this post stating that my focus isn't on the gap between the have's and the have not's.

     To be born under the cloak of the United States of America is a true blessing (that includes Pureto Rico. Guam and other territories). Even if you're born into poverty you can find help. Sure there may be red tape and some b.s. along the way but it's there. Think about it; we currently live in a time where comfort is the norm. Even if you're poor most can enjoy food/drink, utilities and a roof over their head. Granted one's position is relative to another however by comparison you're better off than a major chunk of the global population.

     Let's get a little perspective....

     According to iHealthCoalition.org the average cost of prenatal doc visits throughout pregnancy is $2000 and uncomplicated vaginal births are between $6000 - $8000. That is quite a bit of money; once again  relative to other places in the world. Now taking into account all of the medical advancements it makes sense that things cost more. Better health care is another aspect that has increased our quality of life. I didn't say cheaper just that it's better.

Part 1 of 2 Hydraulic Fracking of Natural Gas: Extraction Overview

By US Environmental Protection Agency [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

     The use of hydraulic fracturing “fracking” in combination with horizontal drilling has become a topic full of debate. How natural gas is extracted and in what ways the waste materials i.e. fracking fluid are disposed of will be discussed. Also of concern are the economic impacts and future outlook on U.S. natural gas supplies and the demand through the year 2040. These questions deserve appropriate time, thought and consideration. The ramifications of how we proceed could leave us in the face of irreversible damage to individuals as well as to the environment. On the flipside no action is a potential recipe for economic downturns and lost opportunities. The following pages will reveal in no short order the many facets of fracking both the good and bad.

     What is natural gas, other than cooking and heating fuel? For starters natural gas is mostly composed of methane 70-90%, ethane, propane and butane 0-20% and carbon dioxide 0-8%. In its natural state it is colorless and odorless; the rotten egg smell is an additive odorant called mercaptan which aids in leak detection. Outside of the facts that natural gas is both combustible and abundant in the U.S., it gives off a great deal of energy with few emissions. A benefit of natural gas is that it emits lower levels of potentially harmful byproducts into the air than other fossil fuels. Before it can be sent through a vast network of pipelines; impurities such as water, sand and other gases from the extraction process need to be removed. After further refining (the removal of hydrocarbons), natural gas is ready to be delivered. (Background: Natural Gas, 2011)

     Before horizontal drilling became the method of choice there was cable tool or percussion drilling. As improvements came about cable tool drilling transitioned to rotarydrilling. The cable tool method requires repeatedly dropping a heavy metal bit into the ground. Throughout this process water is poured into the well to mix with the drill debris and is bailed or pumped out. The most important advancement created from cable/rotary drilling was that of steel casing pipe. A major problem with wells prior to steel casings was collapse and overall well structural support. A steel casing with cement adds support and increases a wells structural integrity greatly. According to naturalgas.org, the typical cable tool well averaged between 400’ to 500’ with the deepest known well completed in 1953 at 11,145’.

     A scout team is sent out to prospective sites before any drilling begins. New technologies like three dimensional imaging have equipped scientists with a great tool for locating drilling locations with added precision. Once a site has been approved drilling begins. Even though horizontal drilling also known as directional drilling has been around since the 1930’s it did not become economically viable until much later. Providing greater access to previously inaccessible resources horizontal drilling allows teams to drill deeper and at various angles. Typically the well is drilled vertically to around one mile then the drill is turned 90 degrees. This change with the drilling direction provides access to natural gas lying within shale rock. Being quite a departure from traditional methods horizontal drilling is a game changer and a money maker.

Why We're Losing the Costly Battle Against Superbugs

Why We're Losing the Costly Battle Against Superbugs

Staphylococcus aureus Bacteria

By NIAID/NIH (NIAID Flickr's photostream)

[Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

     I recently read this article as part of my Biology class. It is a short article that will take about 5 minutes or so to read. Please share with others as this battle can be fought through better practices. The topic is relevant more than I wish were true. What I've written below is an edited version from my assignment.
 
     Despite many efforts the “war” on bacteria has produced “superbugs”. More precisely the “war” on bacteria has led to a quickened pace with the evolution (adaptation) of various bacteria. Thus we’re left with a constant race in which our resources are failing to keep up. One result has been the resignation of many major corporations away from this portion of the pharmaceutical industry. This lack of research and production is in major part due to the high cost/ low reward of staying in the fight. To make matters worse doctors and patients continue to practice ill advised methods of treatment which further diminishes the fighting 
power of current antibiotics. 

Book 39 of 52: 1776

     1776 proved to be a major year for the fledgling American colonies. Full of many setbacks that would derail any but the most determined. The underdog Americans faced a most formidable foe in the British army and fleet. The British weren't alone as they employed the notorious Hessians (Germans) to fill their ranks. The British and Hessians with seasoned troops and leadership had all of the advantage outside of occupied territory. In time however, the Americans would prove that despite the odds it is wise to not discount a people defending their homes, their lives, their freedoms.

     Removing the veneer that time and history have put on things will help the reader obtain a clearer perspective on these events. One point of clarity is that of the current view of the U.S. and its dominant position on the global stage. This of course is quite the opposite from where the colonist were positioned in the world back in 1776. With that said the colonies weren't a united people by any stretch, they were a divided people. By divided I mean many citizens remained loyal to the crown of England (loyalist). These loyalist proved to be a major disrupter for Washington and his army. Treachery and intelligence are two contributions that the loyalist both performed and provided on behalf of the British. Needless to say the loyalist were a big contributor to Washington's early pitfalls. The fact that the loyalist were colonist made it that much more difficult to identify who was who.

George Washington 1776
Charles Willson Peale [Public domain],
via Wikimedia Commons

    With little money, trained men and leadership, the task set before Washington was more daunting than one might have imagined. Despite his need for these crucial resources the need for intelligence was equally if not more important. This is where those pesky loyalist proved to be highly effective for the British. Informing the British of Washington's whereabouts and the state of
his army was valuable information. Also, this diluted those available to provide Washington with accurate and much needed intelligence on the British. Intelligence is a key tactical component of warfare as it allows you to position your troops appropriately and attack the enemy where it's most beneficial to you. As things were the British had very good intelligence and Washington had very poor intelligence.

     Given this lack of intelligence many blunders plagued the American army including Washington's inability to make proper and timely decisions. This led to many embarrassing defeats that left his counterparts as well as some on his staff to question his capabilities as the head of the army. Throughout all of the setbacks two young members of Washington's staff never lost faith in their commander, Nathanael Greene and Henry Knox. Both Greene and Knox entered the revolution as civilians and left as important historical figures. For the sake of time and not wanting to give too much away we'll focus briefly on Henry Knox.

Evolutionary Fitness the Begining

     Sometimes in life we reach points where major change occurs. For me the next self inflicted change comes from my decision to move forward with going Paleo. For those who don't know what I'm referring to it's quite simple. This diet is based on our hunter-gatherer ancestors from around 10,000 years ago and is also known as the caveman diet. A key aspect of this change is the removal of grains from the diet. Goodbye to bread, cakes, pasta, oatmeal, soda, diary, processed foods, and a whole lot more. The science indicates that our bodies chemically respond in proactive ways in comparrison to our more traditional diets. I'm no authority figure on this topic so I won't bore you with more details. If you'd like to learn more though check out this site. The Paleo Diet

     I was first introduced to this a few years back while listening to EconTalk; a podcast about economics. I know of all places and econ podcast. Anyways, EconTalk host Russ Roberts was interviewing Art De Vany about steroids, baseball statistics and the science behind evolutionary fitness. Here's the podcast, first half is about baseball until around the 25 minute mark.  I was blown away by what I was hearing as it all felt to be the best way to go. Needless to say I wasn't in a place to attempt such a challenge at that time. That's not to say I'm ready now either, I'm just in a better place to give it a serious go.

Hard Day's & Nights

     This week has been a very exhaustive one to say the least. I haven't been this challenged in a long while and even though it was difficult it has been well worth it. The reason for all of this was because I needed to provide a  research paper for an internship opportunity. Beings as I'm only in my second semester back at school it had to come from scratch.. On top of this extra effort I had the usual from school including an exam and typical family demands. Anyways, I had this great opportunity fall into my lap and I needed to take a shot at it. Needless to say I've spent many nights going to bed as I hear my neighbors waking up. Despite the weeks challenges it turned out to be a breakthrough week for me with some lessons learned.

     For those of you who don't know me, I wasn't a very good student growing up. Better yet, I was a lazy student with no direction who lacked follow through. Since my mid to late twenties there have been a bunch of Ah...Ha! moments. I'm not just talking school books here; this is a statement on myself as an individual and how I handled life. I don't regret most of it simply because I wasn't ready for those lessons yet.

Hey you, how goes it?

     I've fallen but I'll get back up. The book challenge is close to an end and I'll be falling a bit short. When all said and done I'll have read 41 of the 52 attempted books. My first semester of school demanded much of my time and while I read a bunch it wasn't all able to go towards the challenge. This semester is proving to be equally demanding of my time with plenty of reading too. I'm taking biology, micro econ, intro to world music and excursions in mathematics. I'll be sure to post on these topics as I explore them and find things worth sharing. I'll also continue to post as often as I can and will begin to post about various topics outside of the books I'm reading again.

     Feel free to chime  in on topics of interest and I'll do my best to follow up and post in kind. As my first year of blogging comes to an end I can say I've learned a whole bunch.

1. Not completing the book challenge is only a failure if I choose to view it that way.
2. I'm not very savvy with coding.
3. Developing good content is not so easy, especially when other aspects of life demand your time.
4. Becoming a better writer is a must.
5. Life balance is key to overall happiness and well-being
6. I don't understand poetry all that well. Why? That's what I need to figure out.
7. It's best to capitalize on all positive opportunities
8. Don't put off for tomorrow what can be done today (not an original idea)
9. Drink less coffee, the shakes aren't a good sign.
10. Going back to school at 32 was a great choice!
11. I want to learn how to help others help themselves via economic development. (teach a man to fish as opposed to doing it for him)
12. Don't get too embarrassed by what my daughter says in public. She's a fairly bright girl and already has a way with words. 
13. Quote from Henry Ford : "Obstacles are those frightful things you see when you take your eyes off your goal." I'm really starting to put this one into action.

     Feel free to share some of the things you've learned in the past year too! I'd love to read about them.

     Post to come in the next month or so are:

• Book 39 of 52: 1776
• Book 40 of 52: Five Patients
• Book 41 of 52: Paper Money
• Chemtrails: What they are, do and concerns
• EMF's (electrical magnetic field exposure), are you being exposed?
• Therapy: my personal experiences
• Something from school?

     I'll leave you with a quote from Stephen J. Gould. It's one that I believe to be true, the merits of which can be found amongst us. You don't need to be famous, rich or powerful to be important.

"Contrary to current cynicism about past golden ages, the abstraction known as 'the intelligent layperson' does exist - in the form of millions of folks with a passionate commitment to continuous learning."