Posted by KindlyxUnspoken On January - 13 - 2010ADD COMMENTS
Jenny: “Dear God: Make me a bird so I can fly far… far, far away from here. Dear God: Make me a bird so I can fly far… far, far away from here.”
Forrest: God didn’t turn Jenny into a bird that day, instead he had the police say Jenny didn’t have to stay in that house no more.”
I believe I was around six years old the first time I watched Forrest Gump. Since then I have come to watch it millions of times. I have the entire movie memorized, well almost; I still get the shrimp in the wrong order. By the time I was twelve it became my favorite movie, and my favorite character has never changed.
Her name is Jenny Curran, but to Forrest she was just Jenny. She met Forrest on the bus, and they were immediately best friends. They had shown true loyalties to one another, Each teaching the other. When Forrest was being teased by the boys, it was Jenny who stood up for him. It was Jenny who unleashed his running potential. “From that day on if I was goin’ somewhere I was runnnniiinnnggg.” The scene that plays in my head most nights is Forrest and Jenny running through the corn field, with her father in hot pursuit. Soon they reach a patch of high leaves, where Jenny kneels onto the ground and pleads for Forrest to pray with her. Her Dad was a drunk, who abused his daughters. “He was a very lovin’ man. He was always kissin’ an’ touchin’ her and her sisters.” After moving in with her Grandmother, “she would sneak out and come over to my house, just ’cause she said she was scared. Scared of what I don’t know. Maybe it was her Grandma’s dog, he was a mean ole’ dog.” As the lay next to one another you see Jenny laid her arm across Forrest and bury her head in his shoulder. She finally felt safe.
This was the first movie I saw that even touched on child abuse. Although at the time, I may not have understood why Jenny “wasn’t on the bus to go to school” that day, but I knew there was something about her that was being played out in my life.
It was easy for me to picture myself running through the corn, hand and hand with Forrest. It was easy to fall upon the ground and pray for God to take me away. It was easy to have a police officer walk me into my grandmother’s arms. But my life isn’t a movie, and easy was a never used adjective.
The next mention of Jenny and her father comes when she moves into Forrest’s house. They went for a walk and came across the house of her father. Jenny walks to the house and throws her sandals, she then picks up rocks and begins to throw them violently at the house. Most just bounce off the wood, but one was able to crash through the window. If you listen closely you can hear Jenny say “how could you do this?!” Jenny then falls to the ground in shambles. “Sometimes there just arn’t enough rocks”
I would like to think of the shattered window as a broken silence. Jenny didn’t have to say it, Forrest may not have been a very “smart man”, but he understood Jenny’s feelings towards her father. I wonder sometimes if Forrest wasn’t meant to symbolize society, and its blind eye to symptoms of abuse.
There were clues: Jenny’s absence on the bus. Or absence from a sleep over. Jenny’s torn sleeve on her dress. Or a tear down a nightgown. Running away when her father wakes up. Or never falling asleep with him near. Pleading desperately for God to take her away. Or never understanding why it took Him so long. Sneaking over to Forrest’s to sleep. Or longing for a safe place. Throwing rocks at her father’s house. Or breaking the silence with written words. Clues no one thought to look for.
“Her dream had come true. She was a folk singer.” She is my idol, the one girl I have always wanted to be. She may have been addicted to heroin and coke; she may have contemplated suicide, she may have died from AIDS… but those were based on the choices she made. Not the choice of the police who took her away from her abuser, “they said Jenny didn’t have to stay in that house no more.”
They rescued her, and that was something I could only dream of.
Posted by Nick Reitz On December - 26 - 20092 COMMENTS
This is really the first year that I’ve every really put a lot of thought and consideration into my New Year’s Resolutions. I’ve actually spent a decent amount of time on this year’s, mainly because of the way my life is currently going as of late. Here are the three main goals I’m setting for myself, as well as a few sub-goals.
1. Lead a Passionate Life
I’m tired of my life being very bland; the same old routine day in and day out. I want some passion in my life, both in the romantic sense as well as the friend sense. I want to do spontaneous things with my friends; I’m tired of ritualistic happenings. I refuse to believe that the “honeymoon phase” is just a phase; I feel as if passion can last through the relationship, as long as both people believe that passion can last. I’m tired of what Dashboard Confessional’s song Again I Go Unnoticed calls “closed lips; another goodnight kiss is robbed of all it’s passion”. That song pretty much defines my current relationship.
2. Focus on the Things that Really Matter
I focused a lot on partying and work this semester; I’m going to reverse it this semester. I don’t plan on partying, not only because of the slight effect it had on my studies, but also because of how expensive it is to party. I should be using my money to pay off my car payment or use the time I spend partying to instead by studying. I can’t afford to ruin my life by getting an MIP or risk getting insanely deep in debt by failing any of my classes. This resolution is probably the most important in relation to my career.
3. Take Control of my Own Life
I feel like my single identity has been taken away from me; instead of being Nick Reitz, I’m some permutation of Nick which also incorporates my addiction to caffeine, my partying habits, and the masking of my former identity from my new friends. I don’t want to live my life in secret; I want a fresh start. I almost feel like leaving for a few weeks and just soul-searching. I feel like I’ve buried myself as deep as I can dig inside myself, then covered myself with a perfect shell, such as charming, beautiful exterior laced with brilliant smiles and shining eyes (D.C., Places You Have Come to Fear the Most). I can’t do that anymore. I can’t believe that the place I’ve come to fear the most is… Me.
As a sidenote, I’m surprised at how much of my life I can relate to all of D.C.’s songs.
Posted by Nick Reitz On December - 16 - 2009ADD COMMENTS
What is the Scientific Method?
The Scientific Method is a series of steps to uncover the possible explanations to questions; never “PROVEN”, only “supported”. Must be testable & falsifiable.
The steps are as follows:
1.Observation
2.Hypothesis (or Question)
3. Prediction to solve Hypothesis
4. Test the Prediction [Experiment]
5. Draw a conclusion
What is a Chemical Bond?
A chemical bond is the interaction between atoms and holds atoms together. There are a few types of bonds:
Covalent (Polar and Non-Polar): Covalent Bonds share electrons; These are the strongest bonds.
Polar Covalent Bonds is a bond between two non-metals with different electronegativities (for example Hydrogen and Oxygen in H2O). The electrons shared between Hydrogen and Oxygen spend unequal time with Oxygen as they do with Hydrogen. This is because Oxygen has a stronger affinity for the electrons than Hydrogen.
Non-Polar Covalent Bonds are bonds between two atoms with equal affinity (attraction) for electrons, such as two Hydrogen atoms. This bond always happens when two atoms of the same element bond together.
Ionic: Involves a metal and a non-metal. This happens when a metal donates one or more electrons to a non-metal; an example of this is table salt ( Na+Cl -> NaCl ). These bonds are easily broken.
Hydrogen: Hydrogen bonds are bonds between hydrogen and an electronegative atom (such as the Oxygen in H2O).These are very weak bonds. Hydrogen bonds are what gives water it’s fluidity.
What are the properties of Water?
Water is the biological medium on Earth; all living organisms need water more than any other substance. Our cells are surrounded by water, and the cells themselves are made up of anywhere from 70-95% water. Water also is cohesive; that means that hydrogen bonds hold water together. This property aids in the transport of water against gravity in plants. Water also has a high surface tension (or measure of how hard it is to break the surface of a liquid).
Water is also a great moderator of temperature. Water absorbs heat from warmer air and releases heat to cooler air; it can absorb or release a large amount of heat with very little change to it’s own temperature.
What is a Calorie?
A calorie is the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of one gram of water by one degree Celsius.
What is the Structure and Properties of each Functional Group?
The Hydroxyl group is polar (due to the oxygen) and can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, helping dissolve organic compounds (such as sugars).
The Carbonyl Group is found in sugars; aldoses and ketoses.
The Carboxyl Group has acidic properties because of the polar covalent bond between oxygen and hydrogen. It is found in cells in the ionized form with a negative charge of 1-; it’s specifically called a carboxylate ion.
The Amino group acts as a base. It can pick up H+ from the solution surrounding it (such as water in living organisms).
Phosphate Group w/o R
The Sulfhydryl group can link together with another sulfhydryl group and form a covalent bond; this helps stabilize protein structures.
The Phosphate group (consisting of phosphorus atom bonded to four oxygen atoms; one with a double bond and two which are negative) contributes negative charge to the molecule of which it is a part. It has the potential to react with water, which releases energy.
If a Methyl Group is added to a group of DNA, it can affect gene expression. The arrangement of methyl groups in male and female sex hormones affect their shape and function.
ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate) consists of the organic molecule adenosine attached to a string of three phosphate groups. When a reaction with water occurs, the third phosphate is split off and releases energy that can be used by the cell and ATP become ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate).
What are the four different classes of Macromolecules?
The four classes of macromolecules, or organic carbon backbone, are Carbohydrates, Lipids, Nucleic Acids, and Proteins.
Carbohydrates: Sugars and polymers (or long chains of sugars linked by covalent bonds). This includes monosaccharides (single sugars), disaccharides (consisting of two monosaccharides joined by a glycosidic linkage), and polysaccharides (polymers with hundreds to thousands of monosaccharides).
Lipids: Lipids are hydrophobic (water-fearing; they do not mix well, if at all, with water). Lipids are fats (glycerol and fatty acids). Fats have two times as much energy as starch (a polysaccharide)! There are three types of fats; Saturated, which are solid at room temperature and have no double bonds. Saturated fats are unhealthy. Unsaturated fats tend to be liquids and have double bonds; they are healthy. Trans fats need liquids to be solid; they can’t be broken down by the body naturally because they’re not naturally found in nature. Trans fats are VERY bad for you.
Nucleic Acids: Consist of DNA and RNA. DNA stores genetic information and is made up of four base pairs: Adenine (A), Thymine (T), Guanine (G), and Cytosine (C) which always pair up A-T and G-C [Base Pairing Rule]. The double helix of DNA is made up of a Sugar-Phosphate “handrail”. RNA translates language from Nucleic Acid to Protein language. RNA is made up of four base pairs as well: Adenine (A), Guanine (G), Cytosine (C), and Uracil (U) which pair up A-U and G-C.
Proteins: Proteins account for 50% of the dry mass of most cells. Proteins are made up of Amino Acids, which can be broken down into three groups: Polar, Non-Polar, and Electrically Charged (basic or acidic). A protein’s structure determines it’s function; the sequence and length of Amino Acids determines a proteins three-dimensional shape. Enzymes are made up of 99% proteins (cofactor is only non-protein part). If an enzyme is denatured, or changes its shape due to intense temperatures or pH, it will not work.
What is the Cell Theory?
The Cell Theory states that all living things are composed of cells and that all cells come from pre-existing cells. Cells are the basic organizational unit of life.
What are the major differences between Eukaryotic and Prokaryotic Cells?
Besides for size (Eukaryotic cells are much larger than Prokaryotic cells), there are three main differences between Eukaryotic (“True Nucleus“) and Prokaryotic (“Before Nucleus“) Cells:
Prokaryotic Cells do not have a nucleus or nuclear envelope while a eukaryotic cell does.
Prokaryotic cells do not have membrane-bound organelles while Eukaryotic cells do.
Eukaryotic cells have Cytoplasm between plasma membrane and nuclear envelope, while Prokaryotic cells have cytoplasm bound by the plasma membrane.
What are the structures and functions of the major organelles of the Eukaryotic cell?
The difference in organelles between plants and animals: Plants have Vacuoles, a Cell Wall, and Chloroplasts while Animal cells have Lysosomes and Centrioles.
Nucleus: Houses DNA and RNA and controls cell reproduction. The Nucleolus makes Ribosomes.
Ribosomes: Made up of Protein and rRNA. Ribosomes aid in protein synthesis and are made in the nucleolus. Ribosomes are either free-floating or attached to the Rough E.R.
Endoplasmic Reticulum [E.R.]: The E.R. is a complex network of membranes and is continuous with the Nuclear Membrane. There are two distinct sections; the Rough E.R., which makes proteins, and the Smooth E.R., which makes Lipids and Carbs.
Golgi Apparatus: Consists of cisternae, which are flattened membranous sacs. The function of the Golgi is to modify proteins and carbs, then sort, package, and ship them out via transport Vesicles to various parts of the cell. The Golgi also manufactures some macromolecules.
Lysosomes: The stomach of the cell. Lysosomes contain digestive enzymes and are only found in Animal cells.
Vacuoles: The central vacuole helps maintain pressure in plants.
Plasma Membrane: Semi-permeable. The membrane is made up of a phospholipid bilayer with hydrophobic (water-fearing) tails and hydrophilic (water-loving) heads.
Mitochondria: In both plants and animals, it is the site of Cellular Respiration. Mitochondria contains its own DNA.
Chloroplasts: Plastids family; is only found in plants. It is the site of photosynthesis and is a double membrane organelle. The chloroplast structure includes the Thylakoids and the Stroma.
Cytoskeleton: The Cytoskeleton is a network of fibers though the Cytoplasm. Three types of Cytoskeleton: Microtubules, or the structure the separates chromosomes; Microfilaments, for structure, support, and movement (muscles); and Intermediate Filaments, for structure.
What are the mechanisms by which molecules pass through plasma membranes? Which require energy/transport proteins?
Molecules pass through plasma membranes because they are selectively permeable due to their hydrophobic tails and hydrophilic heads. Movement of particles across a membrane can be done by osmosis or diffusion. Osmosis is the passive (no energy is required) transport of water across a membrane. Diffusion is the movement of particles across a membrane. There are a few different types of diffusion: Facilitated diffusion, which is diffusion of particles from high to low and requires no energy; Active Transport, which goes against the concentration gradient (or flow of materials, in this case high to low) and requires ATP; Endocytosis, which is the process of getting large things into the cell, such as liquids (pinocytosis) or particles (phagocytosis) and Exocytosis, the process of getting thing out of the cell.
What is Osmosis?
Osmosis is the diffusion of water across a membrane. The rate of osmosis (or diffusion) depends on the concentration gradient (flow of materials from high to low), Environmental Factors such as temperature, pressure, and humidity, and the size of the molecules being diffused.
What is Metabolism?
Metabolism is the sum of all chemical reactions in an organism.
What are anabolic and catabolic pathways?
An anabolic pathway is the series of chemical reactions that constructs larger molecules from smaller molecules, usually requiring ATP. Catabolic pathways, in contrast, is the series of chemical reactions that break down larger molecules into smaller molecules, usually releasing energy while doing so. Here is a great way to remember what Anabolic and Catabolic is; watch this video.
What is an Enzyme and what is its Function? How does an Enzymes Structure relate to its Function?
An enzyme is made up of 99% protein and a non-protein cofactor. Proteins lower the activation energy of a reaction by having a substrate bind to the enzyme’s active site. An enzyme’s shape is substrate specific, like a key into a lock.
What are the factors that affect enzyme activity?
Some factors that affect enzyme activity are:
Substrate Concentration: The more substrate that is present, the quicker a reaction will take place.
Temperature/pH: Extreme temperature and pH can denature an enzyme, rendering it (most times) permanently useless.
Co-Factors: Some enzymes require co-factors, which are non-protein molecules to function correctly.
Competitive Inhibition: The active site is blocked.
Non-Competitive Inhibitors: Something binds to the allosteric site
Allosteric Inhibitors: An allosteric inhibitor is something that binds to the allosteric site on the enzyme, making the enzyme useless for the time being. This can happen via Feedback Inhibition.
What is Fermentation/Aerobic Cellular Respiration?
Fermentation is when oxygen is absent. Fermentation occurs when there is a build up of pyruvate; it continues to produce ATP and NADPH. Aerobic Cellular Respiration is when oxygen is present; in this case, Glycolysis. The goal of Glycolysis is to make ATP, not Pyruvate.
What is Cytokinesis and how is it different in Plants and Animals?
Cytokinesis is the separation of the cytoplasm and divides the cell. In Plants, this is done by building a Cell Plate right down the middle of the cell; in Animals, it is done by Cleavage Furrow, which looks like a string being pulled around the center of a balloon until is pinches off into two smaller balloons.
Compare/Contract Mitosis to Meiosis:
Mitosis conserves the number of chromosome sets, producing cells that are genetically identical to the parent cell while Meiosis reduces the number of chromosome sets from two (diploid) to one (haploid), producing cells that differ genetically from each other and from the parent cell.
Three events are unique to Meiosis, and all three occur in Meiosis I: Crossing over in Prophase I (when homologous chromosomes physically connect and exchange genetic information), At the Metaphase Plate, there are paired homologous chromosomes (also called Tetrads) instead of individual replicated chromosomes, and in Anaphase I, it is homologous chromosomes instead of sister chromatids that separate.
The mechanism for separating sister chromatids is virtually identical in Meiosis II and Mitosis.
What are the Four Ways to Attain Genetic Variation?
Crossing Over (In Prophase I), Random Fertilization (Sperm meeting Egg), Independent Assortment (During Metaphase I; Each chromosome will assort independently of all other chromosomes into its respective sex cell), and Mutation (the ULTIMATE source of Genetic Variation).
Posted by KindlyxUnspoken On December - 1 - 2009Comments Off
Make sure to DIGG this post! This is quite possibly one of the best videos of all time. The people don’t even understand that they’ve been had, they are in such Twilight-bliss and denial that they continue to cheer even during the Twilight bashing. Hilarious.
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Just like always… Our daily Anti-Twilight picture!
Posted by Nick Reitz On November - 30 - 2009Comments Off
Make sure to DIGG this post!
I found this possible “Twilight: Breaking Dawn” footage online and, as a huge supporter of all things Twilight-related, felt it was my duty as a TwiFan to post this on my blog. I hope you enjoy this sneak peak at Twilight: Breaking Dawn. Read the rest of this entry »
Enter your website URL (you can also enter a specific web page)
Click Get keyword ideas
Select Show All from the dropdown box
Make sure Group keywords by common terms is checked
Under Calculate Estimates using Max CPC: select $USD (or whatever currency you use)
Enter 100 in the empty box (or the equivelent of $100USD in your currency)
Click Recalculate
Now the columns below will display the estimated cost per click (CPC) for each keyword!
Click the column title Estimated Avg. CPC to sort by price. Click it one more time to sort from highest to lowest.
You can now browse down the page to get an idea for which keyword phrases pay the most amount of money
Now you can go back to your current articles and rewrite bits of the content, organizing phrases and keywords so they match up with the highest paying AdSense keywords. This will make a big difference, helping AdSense to place similar ads that pay much more instead of low cost per click ads.
This means more money for each Google Ad that is clicked on! That’s amazing! Instead of making between $.08 to $1.00 per click, you can start making $10-20 per CLICK! In no time you’ll be making hardcore money as a blogger.
Have you heard what SEO companies WON’T TELL YOU before you sign with them? Click Here to find out!
Posted by LGBT On November - 28 - 2009Comments Off
A list of the top Gay dating Services and Details Also, feel free to check out our sponsors on the sidebar to the right which feature relative information on Gay Dating Services.
(In order of Price):
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Posted by Nick Reitz On November - 28 - 20093 COMMENTS
Make sure to DIGG this post!
Five Things that Search Engine Optimization Companies Aren’t Telling You When You Sign with Them.
I worked as a Sales Consultant and SEO Specialist at a small SEO/Website Design company for four months over the summer. I learned everything about SEO; the thing that really stuck in my mind, however, are listed below. Enjoy knowing the things that SEO companies won’t ever tell you!
NUMBER ONE: YOU CAN DO IT YOURSELF!
This is the BIGGEST part of the SEO scam! They’ll tell you point blank that there is no way on Earth you’ll be able to optimize your website like they can. Well, they’re wrong (as you’ll learn in Reason 5). Most things associated with SEO can be done in your spare time! If you have an hour every day or two to spare (or if you want to hire someone else for a few hours a week to do it), you’ll be completely fine. Most SEO Companies, especially those that charge thousands each month, have very few employees and a lot of clients. What does that mean for you? You’re paying the big bucks for the smallest amount of time spent optimizing your website! Read the rest of this entry »
Posted by Nick On November - 27 - 2009Comments Off
The question that has haunted writers for centuries: to blog or not to blog.
(….Maybe that was a bit of an exageration, but writting online isn’t what it used to be.)
A study done by ProBlogger shows that 46 to 48% of bloggers blog for money. That means that half of all bloggers are just blogging to either make money doing what they love or are blogging just to make a quick buck. That is really sad, ladies and gentleman.
I’ve been blogging since middle school. I started off on LiveJournal blogging about life, posting surveys, and just writing to get my feelings out. Then, I went on to start writing about things that actually mattered to me; friendship, love, and relationships. Then I found WordPress and started my first official blog in college. I wrote about issues that really concerned me, and my main concern was to blog about the events that were happening to me and the things I learned on a day-to-day basis. I also tried to help support suicide prevention in conjunction to a friend who was struggling with her suicidal issues.
I was never in it for the money. The only reason I put up my Google AdSense advertisements was to help pay for my hosting fees and domain name. I also would like to blog full time, and any money coming in from doing what I love to do would be great. I’m not trying to strike it rich, but money is what makes the world go ’round (unfortunately), so I’ll play the game as best I can.
I’ve written quite a few articles on how to help new bloggers get intigrated into the blogging world. Here are a few examples:
The Hydroxyl group is polar (due to the oxygen) and can form hydrogen bonds with water molecules, helping dissolve organic compounds (such as sugars).
If a Methyl Group is added to a group of DNA, it can affect gene expression. The arrangement of methyl groups in male and female sex hormones affect their shape and function.
A list of the top Gay dating Services and Details
