Week 11

Laughter, the best medicine!

I believe it. Happiness and joy have to be great for you. Laughter rejuvenates the spirit, moves stagnation, allows the clear yang to rise, and calms the spirit when you're through. I'm adding it to my family's diet!

Carbon Offsets

These seem weird to me. So, you let someone keep polluting because someone else isn't? How do we decrease pollution, then? We don't want to maintain the place we are at now. I guess it's nice for the non-polluters because they can make some scrilla offsetting the baddies. This is definitely a short-term solution. The polluters need to reign it in.

The Global Crisis in Diet

I think hydrogenated oils should be outlawed, as well additives like MSG. I don't think companies that make unhealthy foods should be allowed to direct advertising towards children. Nor should they be allowed to sell those foods at schools.

Aura

wow, colors!

my overall color sign was green/yellow. Green is the color of healing and yellow is the color of the intellect. My closest planet is Mercury, whose vibration is analyzing and observing. I have a predominance of yin, though not by much.

green/yellow crown, third eye, right side (expression), and solar plexus: growth, change, healing, joy, intellect, warmth and sunshine, optimistic, thoughtful, practical, transformational process, spontaneous, playful

turquoise left side/future: communication, intuition, change, new learning, peaceful receptivity

gold throat: joyful expression, contagious/inspiring excitement, felt by others around me

yellow/green heart: balanced, compassionate, caring, desires the best for everyone, fun, charming, optimistic, humorous, powerful and commanding presence, proud heart, desire to be looked up to.


yellow sex, root: happiness, sense of humor, need fun and creativity, carefree, lucky

wow, i sound pretty good, don't i?

week 10: Bison and Breasts

How would I prioritize the reintroduction of the American Bison?

Well, the Mid-West sure would be more exciting if it were filled with bison. Of course, more tourism means more impact. It seems very important to give them a large area to roam free in. I could see the highway signs, now: CAUTION: Bison Crossing. A switch from beef to buffalo seems healthier; I just wouldn't want them to turn into another victim of factory farming.

Also, giving Native Americans an integral piece of their history back is important. Poverty and malnutrition are common hardships on reservations. Bison would provide income and food, as well as history, spiritualism and pride. Supporting these values and lifestyles may be important for teaching the rest of our community how to live with our environment sustainably.

"New Pill Promises to Reduce Breast Cancer Risk"

Not having a period is not natural. If there is one thing I've learned in this graduate program, it's that women need to have their periods. Having this cycle allows us to move out stagnation monthly. TCM views breast cancer as a form of Qi, Phlegm, and Blood stasis and stagnation. Stopping periods may alter the hormone axis, but will not help regulate our Qi and Blood. Better off having women get weekly acupuncture and practice Qi Gong. What is the big deal with getting your period, anyway?! I realize there is PMS, cramps, etc. But, TCM can help with all of that. Let's not have periods, then wonder why we have trouble getting pregnant, and then get the epidural or the c-section, etc. Let's disconnect from our bodies the way we have from the environment, our food, our communities, etc. Yes, great idea.

week 9: Deep Ecology's 8 point platform

yes, hallelujah! and because i believe, i need to keep acting and spread the word!

Week 9: The End Goals of Social Ecology

Social Ecology sees humankind's treatment of the environment as a direct result of our belief's about ourselves, our values, our laws, our ideas, and our technologies. The desire for world domination (mwaahahaha) and the drive to populate it, conflicts between races, countries, genders, the capitalistic drive for cash monies above all else, etc., all lead to our problems in the environment. The solution or end goal would be to have humankind have an epiphany and start treating each other with respect and love. By caring about one another, we would naturally also take care of our home.

Week 9: Ecosystems are both strong and fragile

The strength of an ecosystem, generally, comes from the many and varied elements that compose the system. It is the strength of a web. The fragility comes from the fact that each strand relies on its neighbors/co-workers. If one strand is out of balance, it puts a strain on the rest of the system. Sometimes that strain can be born until homeostasis returns. Other times, the structure must go through radical change, which can mean the destruction of many of its elements, as well as the possiblity of new ones.