Curiosity

Curiosity. It's what makes the human race so great. We constantly ask "What does this do?" or "How does this work?" and often "How can I make this better?". Curiosity drives our self improvement.

However, there is also the popular saying "Curiosity killed the cat." Let's explore this phrase a little better. The first known expression of this was March 4, 1916 in the Washington Post featuring this story.

CURIOSITY KILLED THE CAT.

Four Departments of New York City Government Summoned to Rescue Feline.

From the New York World.

Curiosity, as you may recall—

On the fifth floor of the apartment house at 203 West 130th street lives Miss Mable Godfrey. When she came to the house about seven months ago she brought Blackie, a cat of several years' experience of life.

The cat seldom left the apartment. He was a hearth cat, not a fence cat, and did not dearly love to sing. In other respects he was normal and hence curious.

Last Tuesday afternoon when Miss Godfrey was out Blackie skipped into the grate fireplace in a rear room. He had done this many times before. But he had not climbed up the flue to the chimney. This he did Tuesday. Blackie there remained, perched on the top of the screen separating the apartment flue from the main chimney, crying for assistance. Miss Godfrey, returning, tried to induce her pet to come down. If you are experienced in felinity, you know that Blackie didn't come down.

On Wednesday the cat, curiosity unsatisfied, tried to climb higher—and fell to the first floor. His cries could still be heard by Miss Godfrey; who, to effect Blackie's rescue, communicated with the following departments:
1. Police department.
2. Fire department.
3. Health department.
4. Building department.
5. Washington Heights court.

Among them they lowered a rope to Blackie. But it availed neither the cat nor them anything.
Thursday morning, just before noon, a plumber opened the rear wall back of the chimney. Blackie was taken out. His fall had injured his back. Ten minutes later Blackie died.

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While curiosity does have it's benefits it can indeed, cause harm.

When one keeps a secret, everyone wants to know what it is. They don't particularly care, they just want to be 'in the loop'. It makes me wonder why curiosity isn't a trait we can just turn on and off - or suppress like sexual desires which is also a primitive instinct of humanity.

Tomorrow, let's explore whether or not we should control our curiosity.

Right now, I have a paper to right and a boyfriend to track down.

Journalism

I have been giving a lot of thought lately as to what I want to major in. Right now I'm in the Vet Tech program which, don't get me wrong, I love animals - but I want something that I'll be able to do 30 years from now. When I'm old and stiff I don't want to be wrestling great danes down to the floor to get their shots.

I want to have horses, I want to live on the beach, I want to travel the world and get a motorcycle! As a Technician, my salary would just not support that. As a journalist, I wouldn't be rolling in the riches, but I would have a better shot at it. In the end, I would like to become a teacher at a highschool. I want summers and breaks off - maybe even snow days! That gives me the chance to travel during those times and the pay is rather decent too.

I'm going to switch to journalism, and I have a basic idea of where I want to transfer to. I am going to do a little more research into it and hopefully I will find my niche.

Relationships

Relationships are hard. As valentines day gets closer it seems that more and more people are having relationship troubles or "pressures" rather. I always thought I was immune to it, but it seems that I am not.

My boyfriend and I have been together roughly four years, it depends on who you ask - I would be the more reliable source and I'm going with four years. We've had our ups and downs, just like any other couple, but lately (as in the last 6 months) it seems that we've only really had downs. For a while I was optimistic and told myself that you can only go down so far until you hit bottom and after that the only way to go is up.

Apparently this is not so.

We just keep going down, and down and down. Oh, and down. Down some more. We both know there is something wrong. At one point I was working to change it, but no longer. My efforts and cares have fallen on deaf ears. He knows he could change it, but doesn't. He could help me and together we could work through this and come out better people.

The key word is : work.

I used to be in love. I used to be like the people in the movies, head over heels in love. Romance, passion, spark, intimacy - it was all there. Then it started to decline, not much to make a significant notice, but it did now that I was looking back on it. The honeymoon wore off - but we still worked through it.

At one point I envied my friends that were in relationships - now I envy the ones that are single. I used to be so happy, now I am constantly reminded of why I should be depressed. I hate what my life has become. I try to live in denial. Or try to live in the happy moments that I experience.

Last night I went out with a good friend of mine from highschool. Back then, we were so close - then he moved away for school, these things happen. I moved to the same city for school as well, we got back in contact and went out last night for some Hookah and cigars - chai tea and acai berry smoothies. We sat and talked for 3 hours - and it was the best converstation I've had in months.

I have a girl friend that I vent to when I'm upset and I recipricated the favor to her - but it was just not the same. No one seemed and geniunly interested, concerned or empathetic as he did, I felt so much better when we were hanging out - it was like he just took my cares from me. All my problems *poof* gone. We are both going through the same type of relationship - him and I both don't want to leave our "comfort zones". We've both been with our significant other so long, that it would be insanely hard to break away from them and move on - it might be the healthy thing to do, but it is the harder one. Our others are both make us feel bad about ourselfs.... maybe we should just elope, him and I.

This morning when I woke up 'on the wrong side of the bed', sick with a cold, barely able to talk and hungry as a beast. I went to the boyfriend for help and comfort. I found neither - I found anger and sadness, a sense of loss. A sense of dependency.

I used to be in love with my boyfriend - love that I had never experienced before, it was so close, so deep. Today, four years later, that same man causes me so much stress. I feel contempt towards him - I feel like he is lazy and selfish. He says otherwise, but that is how I feel. Actions speak louder than words, and putting the needs of yourself above anyone else's is selfishness.

I could go on for days, as I have four years to cover - but I'm about to pass out from hunger.

He needs to ask himself "Is she worth the effort? Am I willing to make sacrifices to keep her?" He needs to realize that if something doesn't change.......she isn't going to be around for long.

Addictions

Addiction - being abnormally tolerant to and dependent on something that is psychologically or physically habit-forming (http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&hs=16x&defl=en&q=define:addiction&sa=X&oi=glossary_definition&ct=title)

Everyone has an addiction. When we think of addiction we think of things that are bad. Some people are addicted to cigarettes, some to alcohol. Other people are addicted to food. Several others to drugs. These all seem to be bad addictions - but not all are bad.

Myself, I am addicted to the Sims 2. I can however, save game and sign off at any point in time. I am addicted to quilting, it's habit forming - it's crazy fun. I'm addicted to hanging out with my friends, but that depends on my schedule. I'm addicted to blogging, as you can see! :D

However, some addictions start out harmless, and then lead to being harmful before you ever realized they are. Let's say, for example...hm, World of Warcraft, commonly dubbed WoW. Once entering the plains of Azeroth one can find all manners of creatures. Surrounding the three major cities - Orgrimmar, Undercity, and Thunderbluff - are a series of low level quests and monsters that you can complete and kill for gold and new gear. The object of WoW is to level you character from 1 - 80 and have the best gear and DPS (damage per second) as you can making you more valuable in groups and more powerful in player vs. player (pvp) combat.

I have a WoW account, I even have two high lever characters and several in between. I like playing, it's a never ending game - it's 'unbeatable'. My boyfriend and his friends turned me onto it. However, it can become addicted. Last night my boyfriend and I stayed up until 3 am leveling because we were "so close" and I very much am paying the dues of that today when waking up at 3 am and not being able to stop running until at least midnight tonight.

My boyfriend and I enjoy playing, but my hobby and his addiction haven't yet become hurtful, unlike this man and his wife:

Although best-selling online role-playing game World of Warcraft boasts over ten million subscribers, it's also leaving in its wake an increasing list of casualties.

Even though she's never played the game, 28 year-old Jocelyn is one of the fallen. A well-spoken California resident, she divorced her husband of six years after he developed a crippling addiction to the smash online RPG.

"He would get home from work at 6:00, start playing at 6:30, and he'd play until three a.m. Weekends were worse -- it was from morning straight through until the middle of the night," she told Yahoo! Games in an interview. "It took away all of our time that we spent together. I ceased to exist in his life."

Jocelyn had been friends with her ex-husband Peter since the age of 13, but it took only nine months for her marriage to collapse.

"I bought the game for him for Christmas 2004, when it first came out. By May we had our first serious discussion about where our marriage was going, and by September I had moved out," she said.

Jocelyn recalled one particular incident that was typical of Peter's habits. "I had set aside 30 minutes for us to watch a television show together, and he couldn't. He was stuck on a raid, and completely failed to understand why I was upset," she said.

Peter's domestic duties also suffered. He stopped paying bills, she says, and refused to do his share of the housework.

Jocelyn doesn't hesitate to cite Warcraft as the main reason for her divorce and remains emotional about its impact on her marriage. "I'm real, and you're giving me up for a fantasy land. You're destroying your life, your six-year marriage, and you're giving it up for something that isn't even real."

Despite their differences, the couple remains friends, and although Peter still plays World of Warcraft, Jocelyn says he made an effort to cut down after their split.

A gamer herself, Jocelyn briefly worked for World of Warcraft developer Blizzard Entertainment, although not on the title that proved so damaging to her relationship. "I recognized that this was a game that would never end, and that's why I chose not to play it," she said.

"They build it in such a way that you have to keep putting more and more time into it to maintain your status. I remember thinking when I was married that it was downright exploitative to people who couldn't control themselves in that way. It's set up like a drug."

Asked if she would consider marrying another Warcraft player, Jocelyn laughed. "That's actually one of my primary criteria now -- I don't want to marry someone who is a gamer."

(taken from http://www.gamegrep.com/news/7464-warning_world_of_warcraft_may_cause_divorce/)
___________________________________________________________________

Just remember what starts as a hobby can always lead to addiction.

Hobb with caution!

-Amberly

Telemarketing

I heard a small beep...my phone was calling out for help! The battery was dying! Poor thing I thought to my self as I rushed it to the charger. Plugging her in I felt a surge of rage Who would want to do this to her?! Who used up my battery?!. Last night when I went to bed I had half a battery left. Disregarding the negligence on my part for not connecting her to her life support last night, I checked the alerts.

• One text from Mia - completely acceptable considering it was in response to one I sent her.
• A phone call from a 1-866 number. Don't know who that was.
• Another phone call from the 1-866 number. Hm.
• ANOTHER?! phone call from 1-866 number. Who are these jerks? What to the want with Centro? Why are they trying to kill her?

With Centro safely plugged in, I called the 866 criminals. The line clicked, they picked up..I had them!

"Thank you for calling government grants, you call is very important to us, please stay on the line. The next representative will be with you shortly."

Representative, huh? That must be code for the leader of the group in charge for the hit that is out on Centro!

I waited, and a male voice picked up on the phone "Thank you for calling Government Grants, how can I help you today?"

Calling up all my anger and frustration I spat out, "You have been calling me all morning every 2 hours, and almost killed Centro! What is your business with her? If it was that important you could have left a voice mail, I said in the voice mail that I would call you back! Do you think I'm a lair?!".

That is what I said, but in the language of phone hit men it came out sounding like this, "Yes, hi, I've been receiving a call from this number."

"Oh Ms. Hoffman we're glad you've called we would like to let you know that you qualify for a goverment grand and you can recieve up to 1 million dollars of free money at no charge to you - all you have to do is pay a shipping and handling fee of $1. Would you like to recieve our kit that will give you the tools to recieve this free money?"

*sigh*

"No, thank you, I don't use credit cards". *click*

One hit man down - more to go.

___________________________________________________________________

So, nobody likes telemarketers. I would never work as a telemarketer. Ever. Well, maybe if I was having a craving for lobster and I really, really needed it and with lobster prices being so high....but that's not the point! The point is that we as a common people need to stand up to telemarketers. If the products and deals they were offering were so great, they wouldn't need to hire people to tell us about them - right? Word of mouth is the best advertising and if something was THAT great it would have come around.

If you've decided to take a stand against telemarketing, I suggest that you follow the wise ways of Tom Mabe. Mr. Mabe sets a recorder next to the phone and right before he picks up the phone when it rings he presses record - if it's a telemarketer he records the call. Take a listen in and hopefully we can all be a little more like Mr. Mabe.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5z4Vs26-TI

If Mr. Mabes technique is a little to strong for some of us more reserved folk then here are a few more ideas that you can institute in your fight against telemarketing.

1. Talk really fast.
   
   
2. Make up your own language. Speak it.
   
   
3. Say, "This phone line is for emergency use only. Do you have an emergency?"
   
   
4. If they say "Yes" to number 3 say, "Please state the nature of the emergency." Then insist that their emergency isn't an emergency. Hang up.
   
   
5. If they say "No" to number 3 say, "I'm sorry but this line is for emergencies only." Hang up.
   
   
6. Pretend you just took hostages, and make demands.
   
   
7. Pretend that you are a hostage negotiator, and try to get the telemarketer to release the hostages.
   
   
8. Pretend that your phone line is an automatic phone sex line.
   
   
9. Dial the phone and say, "Hey! I lent you 50 bucks. You better pay up or else I'm gonna come over there and hurt you! "
   
   
10. Repeatedly dial the phone. Mutter that it isn't ringing.
    
    
11. Say, "Moe's tavern Moe speaking."
    
    
12. Say something that Moe would say to Bart after Bart makes a prank call.
    
    
13. Say, "Oh no! It's the Feds! They're on to us!"
    
    
14. Claim to be the FBI. Say, "This is the Federal Bureau of Investigation. How may I help you?"
    
    
15. Speak a foreign language.
    
    
16. Say, "Help! I'm being robbed! He's got a gun!"
    
    
17. Communicate only through Morse code.
    
    
18. Act drunk.
    
    
19. Ask him/her if he/she can smell bacon. Insist that there is a strong scent of bacon over the phone.
    
    
20. Pretend to be an escaped mental patient. Mutter things like, "They'll never catch me again," "No! Not the jacket! No, no, no!" After saying one of these mutter incoherently.
    
    
21. Make him/her sing to get a sale.
    
    
22. Engage him/her in an "intellectual" conversation on an extremely boring subject.
    
    
23. Say nothing until he/she hangs up.
    
    
24. Say, "I told you. I don't know where your dog is!" Then hang up.
    
    
25. Keep crackers near the phone. When a telemarketer calls eat the crackers. Chew loudly, make slurping noises, and talk with your mouth full. If you want pretend that you are choking.
    
    
26. Ask the telemarketer for his/her home phone number. Claim that you need some time to think, and that you'll get back to them.

I hope that this list has sparked some ideas for you on how you can fight telemarketing! Find this list and more ideas at http://www.lifeisajoke.com/miscellaneous40_html.htm

-Amberly

Interview

Last month around Christmas time, I quit my job. I had already put in my two weeks notice, but a crazy sequence of events caused me to snap and I left several days early. Now, being the hot headed woman that I am ( I really should be red-headed and Irish) - I didn't think about the consequences of my hastiness. For several days after I just moped around and stayed at my parents. I left the birds with the boyfriend and just mooched for almost a week. Then I put on my big girl panties and moved on. Well, I didn't think the strains of the economy would trickle all the way down to me, but it did.

For several weeks I searched thoroughly and applied almost every place I could think of. I wanted a job as a server, because servers make good money - but everyone knows that and so everyone applies as a server and me, with my little serving experience was blown out of the water. Well, eventually I saw an ad that Movie Tavern was hiring servers - I was so stoked.

Movie tavern is the ultimate dinner and a movie. You arrive, buy your tickets (or pick them up if you bought them before hand which is the wise thing) and then see the host who checks your ticket and gives you a menu. You head to your appropriate theater and have a seat - in big, black, rolling office chairs! In front of you is a looooooooong table that stretches the width of the theater. You roll your office chair up to it and there is a little light under the 'clef' of the table which lights your menu. Above that light is a button that you press to call the server when you are ready to order or need a refill.

Now, because they are serving food and drink there are people moving about the theater while you are watching your movie. However that is very much less distracting than people talking and most of the time everyone is busy eating so there is no talking!

So yesterday after class I went and filled out an application and I noticed that 4 people in front of me were waiting on interviews. Two more people came in behind me and filled out applications - I felt that there was no way I would ever get this job. To much competition and too little experience. Upon finishing my application I turned it in and had an interview assigned at 5 pm the next day. Let me tell you, 5 pm could not come fast enough! I went to the interview arriving half an hour early and waited in the car for most of the time. When it appropriate to walk in I was asked to wait because the gentlemen doing interviews wasn't finished yet. I waited. And waited. Waited some more.

Eventually the owner sat down with me and interviewed me and asked me some questions about why I wanted to work there - I gave him the spiel about what a unique concept and how I have fun every time I'm here and I want to be a part of that. The rest of the interview was mainly lecture. Bleh bleh bleh. *nod nod nod* "mhm" *nod* *laugh*.

At the end of the lecture I was asked to present my social security card and drivers license so that a background check could be run, I will of course pass. I was asked to fill out some more paper work and then had my hand firmly shook with a "Welcome to the team!"

I was so ecstatic that I wouldn't let go of his hand for a second and said "Thank you so much, I'm so excited, I love this place!"

I walked out of Movie Tavern with the biggest smile I think I'll ever have when I walk out of there again (except maybe my first night working when I get all my tips!), but I hope not.

The point is: The servers make great money, but I have to work every Friday and Saturday night. Either way, good money is key here. Oh and free movie tickets and discounts on the food (WINGS!). What a great job for a college student like me.

Explanations

So, some of you might have noticed how every one one of my previous posts were all posted within a few minutes of each other, and how they seemed like they progressed over time. This is simple.

I just moved to Blogger :D

I was at Live Journal, but it was recommended to me that I move here, to Blogger. So, here I am. I don't really know much about web sites and advertising them, making money on blogging...nothing like that. Widgets, buttons, etc....no clue. Ah, a counter, I can get that. How handy..

I'm not hoping to make millions on my blog (although that would be nice), but I would like to establish a bit of a reader base, and continue to have this blog for a while and then when I am finished with school I will be able to have something to refer back to when I'm applying for jobs after graduation.

Another one of my goals is also to do some networking - I'd like to meet people who are like- minded and love to write, become editors, or agents. I have been told, and believe, that in more abstract careers (art, writing, small business) networking is key.

These are all big dreams, but with big dreams is big ambition.

I'm about to go break the news to my family that I want to be an English teacher - wish me luck! >.o

Other Accomplishments

As some of you might know, I have two African Greys. One is a Congo and one is a Timneh. I've always been concerned about them when I leave for vacation, or to visit my parents for a week, or even if I'm just on campus. Surveillance systems are so pricey and that's not feasible for a college student such as my self.

So, it was time to get creative.

Most people have heard of, if not seen, the viral hit “Shiba Inu” puppies on Ustream.com – a free streaming site that allows you to host a live “TV show” with the use of a web cam. You can control when you broadcast, and even to what audience via the use of a password.

I decided to check into this and after taking a few seconds to create and account I just named my show the Mr. Woody Watcher and picked a password, plugged in my webcam and mic and launched. I can now log in anytime and see Woody preening, playing with a toy, eating or sleeping. At any point in time, I can check on them which gives me a great peace of mind and it allows me to discover which toy is Woody’s favorite!! (and if he is throwing away those expensive Harrison pellets or actually eating them…).

Not only can I check in on him, but I too can broad cast so that he can see me! I can set up another TV show “The Amberly communicator” and broad cast from any other computer to my laptop. All I have to do is tune into the show on my laptop before I leave. When I get to said destination I can log in, and start talking and stream the Mr. Woody watcher to see and hear his responses to my talking – how wonderful!

And it’s all free. My favorite word as a college student.

________________________________________

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You can visit the Mr. Woody watcher too! If it asks you for a password it is "woodylove" , no quotes and all lowercase.

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/mr.-woody-watcher

Graced

So, this is still a rough draft. Not in pre-writing stage, but still rough. I'm still going through the editing. Let me know what you would change!

Graced

It was a crisp fall day in late November. The leaves were swaying in the wind, dancing and kissing their host trees goodbye until next season. I was in high school - my sophomore year. There was a lady who lived across the street from me who had horses, open pastures, and a beautiful barn. I loved to visit her in my free time and help her with her horses – they needed exercise, grooming and enrichment that she had trouble providing. I didn’t know that this day in November would be an experience I will hold near to me for the rest of my life.

On this particular November day, I decided that instead of staying home and watching a movie like I usually would, I had an urge to behave out of sequence from my regular routine. I dressed, putting on a light jacket and riding boots, walked out the door and headed across the street. Living in the country, both her and I had long driveways and the trek from her house to mine constituted a half a mile worth of exercise.

Upon reaching the top of my driveway I saw a small, black car that looked as if it had been precisely cut in half by the use of a laser. Glancing around for the other half of the car, I saw a man lying on the ground, unmoving. I began to walk toward him and as I crossed the breath of my street I saw the other half of the car, and the other set of victims in this accident. Lying on the side of the road was a small pick up truck with a Christmas tree in the bed. Next to the truck were two young children – I estimated both of the girls to be about seven years old. Continuing to move forward towards the victim on the other side of the road, I noticed a man next to the pick up truck, helping his wife out of the cab. I then briefly noticed one of my neighbors walking towards them. He noticed me and shouted, “I called 911!”

I finally reached the man on the far side of the road. I sunk down into a crouch and bent towards him to check and see if he was breathing. His breath was in short, shallow bursts, and each exhale smelled of alcohol. Glancing over to the children on the other side of the road, I saw them checking to see if the family Christmas tree was still intact. I suddenly felt a surge of anger, vengefulness and a flicker of hope that he would find himself in prison for the rest of his life. This man, clad in jeans and a grey hooded sweatshirt, looked to have a circular, deep and profusely bleeding wound on his forehead. The injury was slightly larger than a golf ball, slightly smaller than a baseball, and it smelt of iron.

I steadied myself to rise but as I did I felt a hand on my shoulder, pushing me downwards, back into my crouching position. My eyes followed the hand up the arm and to a shoulder that housed a woman’s concerned face. Looking down at me I noticed that she had a perfect complexion, stunning green eyes, and blonde hair that put gold to shame. Her green eyes looked back at me, trusting me. She spoke, a tone that was concerned and confident. “I’m a nurse. This man is losing a lot of blood, you need to take the hood of his sweatshirt and hold it against the wound – apply pressure and stop the bleeding.”

As I did as I was instructed, I turned towards her to confirm that I was doing it the proper way. I looked everywhere, my head almost turning 360 degrees, but she was no where to be seen. Knowing I couldn’t leave this man I resolved that she had gone to check on the other family. The blood started to soak through the top layer of fabric and I doubled it up to help with the absorption. After what seemed like hours an air emergency unit finally appeared and landed in my neighbor’s lawn.

Upon landing, several men got out and ran towards me while others prepared a stretcher. When they got to us, I stood and moved out of the way, observing them from a distance and began looking around for the nurse who’d spoken to me earlier – she was still no where to be found. The EMTs had loaded the man on the chopper and one came towards me. He looked at me – clearly reading the concerned look in my eyes - and in a sympathetic tone said, “If you hadn’t put pressure on that man’s wound he would have lost too much blood for us to save him. Thanks to you, I think he will be all right.”

I felt relief and a sense of self pride as he strode away, back to the chopper. I went to check on the other family, to see if they needed anything I could help with. By now, my family and most neighbors were outside huddled around the accident scene. I conversed with all of them to see if they had seen or spoken to the nurse – but none of them had. I was disappointed that I didn’t get to see her again and thank her, but my father assured me, “She must have been an angel.”

We found out later that the drunk driver made a full recovery. The police estimated his speed at 90 mph when he collided with the truck. We never found out how he was punished for driving drunk. Looking back, I believe the nurse I encountered must have been an angel; for someone to appear and disappear so quickly – I have little other explanation. She knew just what to do, when to do it, arrived at the accident with such perfect timing, and then I never saw her again – I see no other explanation for her. I was graced to have met her. The drunk driver was graced to have had a guardian angel looking after him.

Sometimes I reflect on that day, curious if the driver of that car ever looks back to the accident and wonders how he survived. When I look back I often think about what he might be doing at this very minute. What did he become? Did he come out of that accident a better person and learn from his mistake? Will he go on to do great things like cure cancer or save a child who will become the next President of the United States? Does he know that an angel was looking after him that day?

Maybe the accident wasn’t meant to affect his life at all – perhaps that angel’s purpose was to inspire me to write this story that I hope might reach many people. Perhaps I will someday inspire someone so much with my experience that they feel motivated to because a mentor and help change the next generation of young people, one at a time. There is no rhyme or reasons yet, but everything seems to happen for a purpose. I don’t believe we have the ability to step back and see the big picture – to tell why things happen. Sometimes, that concept is a disturbing one, but I will rest easy knowing that guardian angels exist.

Coming soon

So, I’m continuing my writing - this time I am writing an essay about an angel I once met. It was an unsual, unique experience that I will never forget. I want to share it with those that question, those that lose faith. I hope it can serve as a reminder to them that all of us have a personal guardian looking after us - nothing can harm us if it’s not meant to be.

Take comfort. Take peace.

Coming soon: Graced.

Out of Style

Here it is! I bring you....the essay!

Out of Style

Since the 1950’s brought us color films, the actresses had to be sure that they were indeed looking their best now that black and white could no longer hide their skin imperfections, consequently bringing in another large trend…cosmetics (Thomas). On occasion some women would have very adverse reactions to some cosmetics, stirring up reports to the FDA (Food and Drug Administration). Since the FDA was fully responsible for the release of this product they invented the Draize Eye Irritancy Test soon after as a way of ‘proving’ that select products were indeed safe for the public. This test involves taking a chosen cosmetic and ensuring that it comes in direct contact with the subject’s eye (usually albino rabbits, as the results are the most visible) – this usually results in blindness and the animal subject being discarded (Justin).

At one point in time, animal testing was indeed beneficial – but as humanity is evolving so should our methods of research. People need new vaccines, new cures and new food sources, along with which should come new testing techniques. Humanity has come up with a few alternatives that have already been proven to be effective.

Overall, animal testing is in motion so that we have a way to measure the toxicity of chemicals in our everyday products. However, there are many alternatives for animal testing – the most popular and explored being In Vitro. Since the liver is essentially what breaks down our toxins some companies have resorted to growing their very own liver cells, taken from samples that are acquired from people who voluntarily decide to donate their cells – these volunteers are already scheduled to have surgeries, In Vitro testing does not cause invasive surgery (Bernard).

One small company called PrimeCyte grows liver cells in cultures over the course of weeks. PrimeCyte then doses the cultures with the substance that they are testing. The cultures are monitored carefully, looking for changes in microanatomy. A larger company by the name of Pfizer begins along the same lines, growing cultures and then dosing them with the tested chemical – however, they monitor changes in the number of liver cells. If, over the course of their study, the number of liver cells changes dramatically then it is assumed that the chemical in question is indeed bad for the liver. Both methods of testing can be used to test any substance – most commonly drugs and food supplements (Bernard).

Almost any part of the body can be tested, including and imitation of the human lymph node. In Berlin, a company named ProBioGen is creating the first artificial human lymph node. ProBioGen believes that their tests could have prevented a near disastrous situation caused by a drug trial that was held in Britain in March of 2006. The drug in question had passed animal tests but caused six men to suffer multiple organ failure and almost die – the drug had made their immune systems hyper active. ProBioGen’s scientists say that their tests that were conducted on the fake lymph node had predicted this, and could have prevented this whole incident accordingly (Testing).

In my lifetime I have had the opportunity to meet several animals that have been rescued from testing facilities. The majority of these animals are unable to be put in functioning families due to their variety of special needs. One such animal was a bird named Juniper. After many vet visits and surgeries Juniper looked like a normal, beautiful bird. Despite his adorable appearance Juniper is unable to live a normal life as a cockatoo. His previous experiences with humans have caused him to become violent, and untamable. He lives in a cage and is fed from a bowl. Juniper never has any social interaction or the freedom to stretch his wings – an unnatural life for any bird.

One more creature sticks out in my mind when I recall all the animals I have met that live to tell the tragic tale of animal testing. He is small, has big, floppy ears and loves to give kisses. This was not always the case, he used to growl when people approached, and his ears used to be warped and infected. Toby, a two year old beagle was rescued from an Iams testing center. Toby was used in the ‘food department’ – meaning that his ‘job’ was to be severely burned and then fed Food Type A while that rate at which his skin regenerated got recorded. When Toby was fully healed he was burned again (without anesthetics, as they are expensive), and then fed Food Type B and his healing rate was again recorded. This continued on for a good part of his shortening life until he was found, discarded and abandoned, by a friend of mine. After extensive training and extreme patience Toby is now living a happy life – the way his entire life should have been.

People with the same beliefs as I wonder why we still use animal testing when alterative ways of testing have been proven to work – in a animal rights magazine a nurse brought up an excellent point.

How many dogs have to have heart attacks induced or be put into cardiac failure so that one more medicine can be put on the market to help people who want to eat fast food and never get off the couch? (Orenchuk)

A supporter of animal testing includes the FDA - they insist that we keep practicing these archaic ways so that results from animal tests acts as a safety net for them. When the FDA releases a drug and it goes horribly wrong (like the ‘miracle’ drug Vioxx in 2004) the FDA will not be able to be touched by lawsuits because they have evidence that this drug was proven safe by animal tests. In a nutshell, animal testing is simply but a matter of insurance for the FDA!

The controversy of animal testing is like a painting – it can be viewed, interpreted and categorized in many different ways. The leading argument is one of ethics. Is it ethical to kill so many animals when the results may not even be that accurate? Prescription drug side effects are the fourth leading cause of death in the western world – side effects of drugs that have been proven safe on animal tests (Archibald). Some agree that it is sad to test on animals, and they wish that it could be avoided – but they hold a passive approach to doing anything to change it. There exists another group who are whole heartedly against it, valuing animal life right next to human life – believe that humans have become barbaric by performing unnecessary tests. George Bernard Shaw held this credence and he expressed his view so well “Vivisection (cutting something that is alive) is a social evil because if it advances human knowledge, it does so at the expense of human character...” – this quote is entirely too true. The last groups of people are the ones who hold a more conservative view and are opposed to change. Animal testing has brought us a few discoveries, one including the recognition of tobacco as a carcinogen, and conservatives believe we should continue this path just in case we make another huge discovery.

One such ‘discovery’ was released in 2004 a ‘miracle’ drug called Vioxx. This drug was manufactured to help relieve arthritis pain. It was released in the US first and other countries then adopted it. In animal tests, Vioxx proved safe and even beneficial to the heart. However, Vioxx caused over 140,000 heart attacks and strokes in the US alone! Soon after in September of 2004 it was recalled from the world market. The FDA described this incident as ‘the single greatest drug-safety catastrophe in the history of the world’ – all because we relied on animal tests (Archibald).

There is much scientific literature published on the subject of animal testing; most comparing side effects in humans in relation to animals. These studies have found that the results of animal testing are less accurate than the toss of a coin – only six out of every 114 predictions will be correct (Archibald). Yet another inaccuracy is the increasingly common cardiac-bypass surgery – when practiced on animals there were no complications, when first tried on humans, the patients died! But, were these patients just an exception to the rule? Scientists soon discovered that they were not, as 15% of all hospital admissions are due to adverse reactions to legal drugs (drugs that had made their way to the public via animal tests). These legal drugs kill approximately 100,000 people every year – a number which is more than ALL illegal drugs combined! The care for these 100,000 people costs the public over 136 billion dollars in health care costs (C.Greek 17; J.Greek 17)!

Animal testing is also considered one very expensive experiment. If the labs are abiding by the rules laid down by the federal government, then animal care and well being is at the top of the list. It is expensive to feed thousands of animals, house them, provide vet care, purchase them for the tests, etc. The American taxpayer’s dollars are paying for this – all for the majority of it to be incorrect or inaccurate information? I believe that when scientists make a breakthrough then it is indeed worth it. I don’t believe it is worth it to waste thousands of dollars and lives to not be correct at least 70% of the time?

Despite the low success rate in animal testing, there have been various major breakthroughs that are essential to mankind’s being alive today. For example, smallpox is now eradicated off the face of the earth due to scientists testing vaccines on cows. Dogs and fish have helped us perfect insulin for those with diabetes. Dogs and rabbits have painfully given their lives to help us find a vaccine for rabies. All of these tests have helped with the developing of the human race – and without animal testing we would not have discovered such priceless information (Breen).

There are many facts to both sides of the animal testing equation and they must be weighed equally. In this equation there is a commonly passed over variable – dates. When one is considering what side to take on the epic controversy of animal testing one must consider the dates of all ‘great discoveries’ from both sides of the argument. Rabies, polio, smallpox, insulin… those all happened in an age when we did not have invitro cultures as an option for testing. America is currently studying AIDS, leprosy and cancer – should we subject living creatures to that kind of exploitation and pain? We test on animals because it would be ‘cruel’ and ‘barbaric’ to test on humans. If animals are as similar to us enough to test on them and use them as a model for man – then why are they so different that it is not cruel to use them for painful experimentation? Animals are not isomorphic to humans!

Animal testing is wrong – ethically it is wrong, because killing without a viable cause is cruel; logically it is wrong, since it does not yield accurate enough results for it to be worth the cost; scientifically it is wrong as test tube experiments are more accurate while they are testing the very human cells we are looking to work with. Humanity prides ourselves with our progression above other creatures. Let us prove that we have indeed evolved and are the advancement of another species – let us do the right thing and spare the lives of our dear animals, which are so similar to us, that we share this earth with. Let us finally evolve our testing methods.

Works Cited

Archibald, Kathy. “Animal Testing: Science or Fiction?” Ecologist. May 2005. Vol. 35, Issue 4. Academic Search Complete. 18 Feb 2008. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail? vid=13&hid=9&sid=eb4a0cc0-e644-4ca1-9983-f43bc72adc41%40sessionmgr3>

Bernard, Neal. “Animal Testing?” Vegetarian Times. Mar 2007. Issue 348. Academic Search Complete. 18 Feb 2008. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail? vid=17&hid=9&sid=eb4a0cc0-e644- 4ca1-9983-f43bc72adc41%40sessionmgr3>

Breen, Bill. “Why we need animal testing.” Garbage. Apr/May 1993: Vol. 5, Issue 2. Academic Search Complete. 18 Feb 2008. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail? vid=17&hid=9&sid=eb4a0cc0-e644- 4ca1-9983-f43bc72adc41%40sessionmgr3>

Greek, Jean Swingle, and Ray C. Greek. Sacred Cows and Golden Geese: the human cost of experiments on animals. New York: Wellington House, 2000.

Justin. “The Draize Eye Irritancy Test.” The Draize Eye Irritancy Test – What it is and alternatives. 6 March 2008. <http://www.geari.org/faqdraize.html>

Orenchuk, Linda. “Animal Research at OSU – A nurses view.” In Their Own Words. 1 March 2008. < http://www.poetwill.org/ilacuc_meet.htm>

“Testing Times.” Economist. 10 June 2006. Issue 8481. 18 Feb 2008. <http://web.ebscohost.com/ehost/detail? vid=eb4a0cc0-e644- 4ca1-9983-f43bc72adc41%40sessionmgr3>

Thomas, Pauline Weston. “Fifties glamour with max factor.” Make-up history after 1950. 2001. 1 March 2008. < http://www.fashion-era.com/make_up_part_2.htm

#1950's%20Glamour%20With%20Max%20Factor>

So, I'd like to get started.

Allo loves!

So, I'd like to get started with what I'm here for. Last year, I took an English class at my Community College - I had the best professor in the world, and it was so much fun. Challenging, but yet doable. (Maybe a little too easy >.o ) My assignments were to do a reading and write a short bit about it, have discussions, write 4 essays varying in topic and to, of course, attend class. I loved writing those essays, it was so much fun. One essay in particular was regarding animal testing and how wasteful and careless we are with the way we go about it. I'm not bragging, but I feel that my essay was powerfully and skillfully written. Since this is a topic I feel strongly about I would like to get it published that way I can reach a larger audience. I'm communicating with my professor on how to do so and blogging is the first recommended idea - so here we are!

I'll post my essay later tonight,

-Amberly