Luk's Global Communication and Media Project.

I have this Facebook friend who posts some of the best links on his profile page. He's literally done half the research for one of my papers because when he posts the link, he also posts his opinion on it which, as you may know, can be highly productive in getting through writer's block (and no, I don't plagiarize this poor guy...). The coolest thing about this is that this is a Facebook friend who I wouldn't see on a regular basis because we live in different countries. 


You guys may have heard about the "Facebook Revolution" that happened in Egypt? Part of the Arab Spring, per chance? These mass protests and political coups were organized through the online networking site Facebook. The Facebook group that sparked the revolution in Egypt? Formed in America. The world is becoming more connected. Because of this, ideals are being more quickly shared and in that, assimilating to the same basic principles. On a macro scale, this means that democracy, and likely with it capitalism, is moving its way into more and more countries around the world.


So how does the Middle East apply to Europe? Connectivity, my friend.

The same guy who's been doing my research posted a link about how Iceland re-wrote their constitution over the internet. Consequently, I decided to make my Global Comm and Media project on how this same concept can be applied to Greece. If you're reading this, I feel that it is safe to assume that you know Greece is fixing to default something major on a shit ton of loans. However, could this situation be bettered if the people of Greece were allowed to re-write their Constitution, like the Icelanders, and decide their own fate- as opposed to the owners of their bonds and treasury bills? Is it possible that Greece is even in a place technologically, socially and politically where the country would benefit from such actions? 


I guess what you think depends on where your money is.

Killer Algae!!!

Don't worry, no poorly acting damsel in distressed or flailing armed monster here...just the invasive specie, Caulerpa taxifolia.

Caulerpa taxifolia gets the name Killer Algae from being highly adaptable to any habitat, rapid growth,  and capabilities to produce high concentrations of toxic secondary compounds, out-competing native seaweed species.

The algae is popular for being aquarium tank decoration. In the early 1980's  a professor at the University of Nice-Sophia Antipolis (France), found a patch of the algae in front of the Oceanographic Museum in Monaco. Theories say the algae was released after an aquarium cleaning. (Analysis showed that it was the genetically altered aquarium specie not the wild strand, so natural dispersion is not an option)

Once introduced to the Mediterranean it easily multiplied throughout the coastline due to anchors, fishing nets, and dumping ballast water.
Its has a  highly toxic chemical defense, so it's barely eaten by herbivores, having no competition the average growth rate is 1 cm per day.

The species is conflicting with many ecosystems, threatening biological stability in the marine environment. Caulerpa taxifolia is known to kill many fish species, it also is harming tourism, decreases the pleasure of boating, recreational, and has a financial impact on commercial fishing.

The removal process:
Many removal ideas have been tested, to manual removal, suction pump, hot water, electrolysis with copper electrodes, copper ions through an ionic selective membrane, and the use of chlorine. Some biological control ideas are to introduce grazing tropical species but it might lead to unexpected consequences.
But the most effective methods of removal is to seal off a patch of Caulerpa taxifolia cover it with a heavy plastic sheet that is sealed to the bottom, at the top is a small port that releases a herbicide. But that can only treat on the small scale, large scale removal is still out of reach, due to low public awareness and low priority. But this killer algae is a full threat to the marine biodiversity.

Tuk

Cliffs of Moher...Bird Haven and Tower Controled.

On the west coast of Ireland lies the Cliffs of Moher.

The Cliffs were originally a huge river delta but over 320 million years they formed into what they are now, standing at 214m (708 feet),at the highest point.

A long long long time ago (1st Century BC) Fort Mothar stood, but during the Napoleonic wars it was demolished to make room for a signal tower (1803).
Luckily the original fort was use to generate the name of the cliffs, Cliffs of Moher.

Not only are the Cliffs in great position for towers and forts, it also is a sea bird haven!
The area is designated as a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds under the EU Birds Directive in 1986. Some of the seabirds found are the Atlantic Puffin, Razorbill, Chough, and the Common gull.

In 1835 O'Brien's Tower was built, by Cornelius O'Brien (sort of rolls off the tongue, right?).
Cornelius was a descendant of Brian Boru, Kings of Thomond, He built the tower to serve as an observation point. During that time hundreds of tourist came to stand gallantly on the majestic Cliffs of Moher.
http://www.cliffsofmoher.ie/TheCliffs.aspx

Pictures taken by yours truly!

Speak Italian... Without knowing how!

When you think about it, language is pretty awesome. 


You can learn it without meaning to (I will forever know that "aray" means "ouch" in Filipino from working with a woman from the Philippines) or you can study it diligently (how else do you expect to learn Ancient Greek?). However it came to be in your brain, language is really the height of human technology so far (and please please please don't try and pull Steve Jobs into this...).

It's basically a bunch of noises your mouth makes strung together and it enables you to share observations, ideas, thoughts.... If you couldn't speak, everyone would be using sign language. Not that there is anything wrong with sign language- our ancestors were using it for a good while before they got smart enough to start grunting consistently (sorry if this hurts your feelings about creationism/evolution/whatever; I am personally of a strange belief, not typical evolution, that still has humans crawling from the primordial soup) but could you imagine trying to explain neutrinos or political and economic theory with just your hands? Quit your imagining- it would suck. But now, we've thousands of different languages and dialects, each one just a little different from the other. But today, my friends, we will be discussing Italian.  


Italian is a Romance language- for all of you's guys who don't know what this is, it is a language based on the Roman language of Vulgar Latin (because let's be serious, those Romans were some nasty freaks). French and Spanish are also some of the fine languages which are included in the Romance languages (English is actually Germanic, but we get a lot of words from French and Spanish. Go figure...). All of this categorization comes from grammar, where the language originated, and a bunch of other crap that you probably don't care about (just in case you do care). But how exactly can we speak Italian without even knowing it?? By falling back on that old ancestral stand-by, using your hands.


Italian Without Words!!


Check these bad boys out. Hopefully, we'll be gesturing Italian in no time! If not, we'll have try speaking Spanish with an Italian accent...




-LuK!

Think of bicycles as rideable art that can just about save the world. ~Grant Peterson

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/895He4/www.good.is/post/what-rush-hour-could-look-like-the-glorious-bike-traffic-of-utrecht-holland

Benefits of Riding a bike:

~renewable transportation...so no pollution. yaaay!!

~ on 350 calories a cyclist can travel 10 miles, a person can walk 3.5 miles, and a car can move 100 feet. Lamesauce car. Laaaamesauce.

~bicycles are quiet...unless you have a nice little bell. But definitely less air pollution is generated.

~they are more efficient in taking up street space and are easier to store.

~ per mile traveled, bikes cost the frequent rider less than half as much as public transportation riders and a quarter as much as driving a car costs. Thats some greeeaat extracurricular activities money right there!

Bikes are marvelous economically, environmentally, and socially! Here are some totally stellar types of bikes: http://www.toxel.com/tech/2010/11/03/12-cool-and-unusual-bicycles/

So if you like the water, the outdoors or the comfort of a couch.. there is a bike for you!!

Why do snakephobiaist love Ireland?

Snakephobia= fear of snakes.

The legend is, back in the fifth century St. Patrick himself used his staff to herd the slithering creatures into the sea, banishing them for eternity!

About 100 million years ago during the late Cretaceous period, snakes first evolved.

Early snakes were small and wormy, like the blindsnakes. Ancient snakes fossils are found only on southern continents like Antarctica, South America, Africa, India, and Australia.

100 million years ago Ireland was under the sea, so migrating to Ireland wasn't an option.

 As the world's oceans have risen and fallen over time land bridges have come and gone between Ireland. However, any snake that may have slithered it's way to Ireland would have turned into a popsicle when the ice ages hit.

To be continued...



Tuk

Euro Zone, CPI, and other economics crap.

Just a few updates on the trip!


We're going to be in Greece from the 28th of December to the 1st or 2nd of January. We will fly from Athens to Rome, staying there until the 5th or the 6th. From Rome, we'll fly to London until the 8th, but we plan on taking a day/possible overnight trip to Wales! The plan is that we will be in Edinburgh by the 9th, starting Morgan's three day birthday celebration (IF YOU'RE READING THIS, YOU'RE PROBABLY INVITED! Just send luk  a message for all the details. =] On the 12th or 13th, we're heading out to Ireland. We'll leave Dublin on the 30th, doing an overnight at the airport in Madrid and then back to America the 31st. And then Spring Term classes start February 1st. =D


If you're interested in housing us or meeting up at a time during our trips for discussions, debate and/or drinking, comment or send us a message!! (Or comment anyway. Everyone loooooves feedback.)




The Effect of Greece on the World Markets.


While Greece is continuing to spiral closer to default at a time when the EU is in a bit of disarray, the Consumer Price Index of Greece is going up (this means that the amount people who are buying, or consuming, goods and services has increased). However, the manufacturing activity contracted. If looking at this on a supply/demand diagram, one would see a right shift in demand (increase in quantity demanded, or how much is needed/wanted by the consumer) as well as a left shift in the supply curve (a decrease in quantity produced, leading to a decrease in price per unit). I could be wrong though... =] 


This could be a good thing for the economy because it will bring the country closer to it's market equilibrium- where the production and price are at a social optimum. However, if this economic crisis is anything like the one budding in America, it's possible that the Greeks might start saving more money than they're spending, so the demand will drop and the supply will be higher than it needs to be. But if demand drops down the zero.... the economy has totally collapsed (and things will probably be on fire).


And in case you were wondering, I did a pretty good on my first economics test! =]