Shaeleigh's Blog

Goodbye!

2007-05-20T23:12:00.000+02:00

To say goodbye I’ve been searching sayings and proverbs, after some minutes of search I have decided not to be dramatic and avoid sad writings. Then a I’ve found a positive one. I hope you’ll agree:

“Anyone who keeps learning stays young.”
Hernry Ford

It has been a pleasure share this course with all of you,

Shaeleigh

Aquatic Ape Theory (AAP)

2007-05-20T22:09:00.000+02:00

The modern hypothesis of the aquatic ape theory (AAT) was originally suggested in 1942, by Max Westenhofer in The Road to Man (Der Eigenweg des Menschen). The writer Elaine Morgan developed and promoted it, publishing in 1972 her first book on the subject, The Descent of Woman, and later other books, including The Aquatic Ape (1982), The Scars of Evolution (1990), The Descent of the Child (1994), and The Aquatic Ape Hypothesis (1997).

The aquatic ape hypothesis puts forward several main arguments:

Nakedness: Humans are the only primate species in which, in most of the body, hair is so fine and sparse as to reveal the skin under it. Environments known to give rise to naked mammals are tropical (like elephants, which are themselves descended from aquatic ancestors, and some rhinoceros species), aquatic (whales, dolphins, walrus, dugongs, and manatees), semi-aquatic or littoral (hippopotamus), and subterranean (naked mole rat).

Bipedalism: There exist very few bipedal mammals, and humans are the only ones which adopt a full-time, fully-upright posture with a vertical vertebral column. Gorillas, chimpanzees and bears are able to walk on two legs when they have a particular reason. Although the posture improves the ability to carry objects and use tools while walking or running, bipedalism and upright posture are believed to come at a significant cost, from back and knee problems, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, hernias, and problems with childbirth. Aquatic ape theory argue proposes water supports the body.

Breathing: Most land mammals have no conscious control over their breathing. The voluntary control humans have over their respiratory system can be compared to that of (semi)aquatic mammals which inhale as much air as they need for a dive, then return to the surface for air.

Fat: Humans have ten times as many fat cells under the skin as would be expected in a non-aquatic animal the same size, and have many adipose cells. Aquatic mammals retain fat throughout the year, some terrestrial do, but in some seasons to hibernate. Human infants are especially fat compared with apes and most other fully terrestrial mammals.

Childbirth: Dramatic increase in cranium size is a prominent theme in human evolution, making childbirth difficult and dangerous. Water birthing is believed to facilitate childbirth and to reduce risks to mother and infant. Human infants naturally hold their breath and can swim from birth.

Nutrition: Human brain tissue requires comparatively large amounts of omega-3 fatty acids, which are uncommon in the land food chain but prevalent in the marine food chain.

Tears and excessive sweating: Sweating and tears are prevalent in humans but not in other primates. They are considered further evidence to support the hypothesis, insofar as they are vectors for the removal of excess water and salts from the body as might result from the ingestion of saltwater (as in eating food from a salt marsh).

Minisaga inspired in the Arabian Song:

2007-05-20T22:07:00.000+02:00

To celebrate the last week internet was, at least, installed at home, I put two writing I had been working during the course.

Let's go!

"Ala, I will have to explain my daughter how wonderful is the desert and the colorfulness of this sky. I would relate her the magic of our buildings, the power of our culture and the sea view of the horizon. Why, Ala, why did you bend her innocent emerald eyes?"

A beautiful London's photo

2007-02-14T15:36:00.000+01:00

I love make photos. I want to share with you a beautiful one of London, of course in my opinion. I did it that last year in November, it was cold and the lights of Christmas were on. It is taken from a viewpoint of Queen's Walk to the Thames river.

I don't know why but I love nocturnal landscapes. My heart enlarges whenever I see a nocturnal landscape in one clear night. If I travel by plane I always try to do it during the night to see the small lights from above. At night everything is clean, calm and beauty, even if it is London!! Do you agree?

Let's Call The Whole Thing Off (Louis Armstrong & Ella Fitzgerald)

2007-01-26T15:47:00.000+01:00

I love this song and I've found this interesting video in the youtube. You will be able to differentiate pronunciation of American English through the voices of Louis Armstrond and Ella Fitzgerald!!! Enjoy it!

Just click in:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lJJVrJYvUA

And you can find the lyric in:
http://www.bluesforpeace.com/lyrics/call-thing-off.htm

Minisaga: Good Morning!

2007-01-16T10:20:00.000+01:00

Alarm clock is ten minutes ringing. I should get up! I move fingers, arms, take a leg out of the bed. I sit up, open my eyes and look at the dark room. I get up and open the windows…
Alarm clock is thirty minutes ringing. I should get up!

How to start a domestic aquarium

2007-01-09T15:41:00.000+01:00

I had no idea about aquariums, but now I have a little one at home and it’s working!!!! I haven’t been traveling in my holidays, and that’s the reason why I have had enough time to spend with the aquarium, and I want to share my amateur knowledge with you:

First part: Go shopping

First of all you have to know if you want cold or hot water fish, and then buy the fish tank (ask the seller, and explain what kind of fish do you want). It’s worst to buy a small tank than a big one, I have one of 45 litters (it is enough) with filter and thermometer.

When you have the recipient you have to buy the sand (better sand about 3 mm diameter) and it is written on the bag how many kilos you have to buy. Then, as you prefer, buy the aquarium’s decoration. It is important, too, to buy seaweed alive for your aquarium. They get better the water quality of our aquarium.

Second part: Build the aquarium

This part is exciting but a little bored because you have to wash the sand with lots of water till it is clean. Then put the sand inside the fish tank (situated in the correct future place), put the filter and the thermometer, and finally, the decoration.

The water that the seller recommend us was “aigua de Ribes” of 5 litters. Put a bowl into the tank on the sand and fill in with the water (try to put the water in the bowl, if not, the sand will be removed). When you have the water at half level, plant the seaweeds where you want, and continue putting water till the mark of the filter, when you finish, take out the bowl. Your aquarium have to stay one week or more with the filter on and without fishes, to make the cycle of the nitrates and nitrites.

Third part: Introduce the fish

When the week passed, catch some aquarium’s water and let it to analyzing in the fish shop. If the water it is ok, buy the fishes!!!! (I recommend to buy few and many resistant fishes at first). To introduce the fishes into the aquarium, first put the plastic bag with the fishes inside the aquarium water during 5 minutes so that the fish are at the temperature of the water. Afterwards make holes with a needle in the plastic bag, that it is still under the water, because they keep on adapting themselves to the water of your fish tank, and finally go breaking the bag until they go out alone. The fishes eat ones a day.

We made it like this and they haven’t died yet!

I expect that cheer you up!! It is fun and not very expensive!

About Henry Moore

2006-10-30T15:30:00.000+01:00

How spectacular is the Henry Moore sculpture! I had heard to talk about him but never seen his masterpieces and I am absolutely pleased to have had the opportunity to see it.

In my opinion is not important the Moore’s life, Moore’s inspiration or Moore’s personality, and neither the title or the explanation of the piece (although many people give it a significance that I can not understand). What I enjoyed more was the piece of artistically cut nature to be part another time of the nature, its forms and its feelings. For this reason I think, maybe the problem that I have found in the exhibition of Caixa Forum is the situation of the pieces. Has it sense to put masterpieces with a natural soul between four walls? I believe that all samples are thought to be outside, to be able to enjoy them and to touch them! (this was allowed in the exhibition).

What do you think about?

2006-10-23T15:46:00.000+02:00

Irish Stereotype:

People think that Irish people are distrustful and closed to foreigners, and that’s sometimes true but, it is indisputable that they are hospitable and you feel like home when an Irish open your house. It could be possible receive a little Irish joke when you are traveling, their humor with some bears and some whiskeys is known around the world. But the most famous stereotypes are that they are drunk all time and they are very superstitious, that obviously it isn’t entirely true. Fairy tales flood the Irish hearts, and that’s why they are famous by their legends, music and mysticism. All that topics make the Irish and Ireland an interesting place to travel.

2006-10-10T14:06:00.000+02:00

Welcome to my blog!!!!!

During this course I have created a blog as an English's class exercise to improve our writing. So, I invite everybody to answer my posts and to correct my grammatical and lexical mistakes, of course, if you want it! It will be fun (I hope)!

See you soon!