L'obscurité by Pooja Tiwari

Let us travel to the Great Barrier Reef on the Asian Pacific coast in Australia. There we will furrow your brow trying to spot land, and fine yourself completely immersed into a land of clear, cerulean stained waters. The waters here are warmly toasted by the sun’s powerful beams, making its surfaces teem with different activity (snorkeling, scuba diving, and sailing). This picture perfect, postcard-worthy scene wouldn’t surprise anyone really, because everyone has seen pictures of Hawaiian paradises, or the towering palm trees on Fiji Islands or the Blue Lagoon on the Maltese, Mediterranean coast. However, beyond the friendly Hawksbill sea turtles, flourishing bouquets of and the fanning army of red-bellied minnows, 1000 meters below the comforting surface, lays the deep, dark unknown. Descending deeper and deeper into this body of water, one is furthers his/herself from the sun, and its light; the pressure, similar to being confined into a small, tin box, becomes unbearable, due to the science of water molecules. This place is too cold and too dark, for human beings to survive in; scuba diving equipment doesn’t even possess the technology to withstand the suffocating pressure, in this part of the ocean. A place where it never reaches above freezing point does distinguish itself from the postcard scenes, we all know and love, bearing this section of ocean, called the Deep Abyss.

Here, only special kinds of fish have learned to live in these freezing waters; their physical characteristics and survival abilities seem to be best described as unique. Since their home being pitch-black, over time, these creatures have sharpened their sense of smell and hearing. A creature in this particular type of setting understands that daily food is not a guarantee; these two senses serve the utmost importance.

There are a handful of creatures, living in the Abyss, which produce chemically visible lights on their bodies. This could be a good or bad thing, depending on the perspective of which one is acting from. This may be bad for prey, such as the case of a zealous zooplankton, or serve as a good warning for them.

With no sun to support vegetation life, everything living in the Abyss is a carnivore. Dead, or rotten fish carcasses float down from the surfaces, and settle down on the sea bed. This activity serves to feed some fish, in this competitive, opaque land of survival.

Probably the most popular example of deep sea fish is the Humpback Anglerfish (also shown in the Pixar movie, Finding Nemo). The Anglerfish has an antenna on the center of its head, and at the very end of this antenna is a light. This light is for finding prey to feed on. The Anglerfish is also one the most vicious hunters in the deep sea; its fang-like teeth are so large that they do not fit in its mouth (swims around with a protruding jaw). 

                                                                      (Anglerfish)

Another fish that was designed to deal with the challenges of living in the Abyss is the Tripod Fish. A Tripod fish has long stem-like phalanges, which act as sensors. These sensors can increase the chances for this creature to find food.

                                                                      (Tripod Fish)

One last example of a deep sea creature is the Black Swallower Fish. Food is very scarce in the deepest part of the ocean, and the fact that there is not one ounce of light, doesn’t make life down here any easier. This fish was designed to adjust to life in the black ocean by having a large stomach. This fish stores the food it consumes, just like how a camel stores water in its hump. This is a helpful and convenient adaptation.

                                                                   (Black Swallower)

*Some other abyssal oceanic points are located in the Western Pacific (Mariana Trench near Guam), and any point in the Pacific Ocean (this is the deepest ocean in the world).

Sources:

Sea Grant Organization – University of Rhode Island

http://seagrant.gso.uri.edu/factsheets/abyss.html

http://www.cosee-west.org/files/coseewest/17CreaturesoftheAbyssStudent.pdf

World Atlas

http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/deepest.htm

  

How to Protect Yourself and Your Computer on the Web by Yana Kononykhina

I have been a user of the Web for years, so I would like to share some simple tips how to stay safe in the Internet.

First of all, I suggest getting an antivirus. You do not have to buy costly antivirus software, because there are plenty of good free programs such as AVG, AVAST, Microsoft Security Essentials and so on. Just check for updates frequently.

The second, there is no perfect protection from the viruses/spyware, so be prepared. If the antivirus failed and something wrong is going on to the computer, there is still a way to fix it and save your data. The antiviruses companies offer free removal and scan tools for an emergency situation. For example, <a href= “http://www.freedrweb.com/cureit/?lng=en”>Dr.Web CureIt!</a> or <a href= “http://support.kaspersky.com/viruses/avptool2011?level=2”>Kaspersky Virus Removal Tool</a>. You should download it and write to the USB flash drive or CD. That is it. When time will come, you can use these tools for scanning and curing the computer.

Next, if you are shopping online, use a trustful secured websites. The secured address looks like https://.

Also try to avoid use public computers for shopping and financial operations. If there is no choice, then at least do not forget to log out from the website.

The next important thing is kids and teens online. In my opinion, parents should tell their kids what actions are acceptable online and what is wrong.  The parents should control what their children post on the social networking websites (Facebook), and what kind of personal information are they share. Furthermore, some of antiviruses offer a parental control. For instance, Kaspersky Internet Security provides options to block certain websites, limit access to the internet and computer by creating parents` passwords and more.

The basic recommendations include awareness on what link you are going to click or what file you are going to download. If there are some doubts about safety, just do not perform any actions.

Of course, these tips do not cover everything, but what you have to do is: do not click suspicious links, choose password wisely, use antivirus and firewalls, do not share your personal information unless you sure it is secured.

The list of the worst passwords: <a href= “http://www.dawn.com/2011/11/26/%E2%80%98password%E2%80%99-tops-the-list-of-worst-passwords-for-2011.html”>here</a>

   

Tortilla Crusted Tilapia by Adolfo Weiman

I don’t know about you, But I love my seafood and being a college student on a budget does not leave me much room for seafood when I go to the grocery store. One day while I was out at HEB I decided to cut back on the meat so that I could by this tortilla crusted tilapia. Well long story short it was the best fish I have ever had eaten, Next to the smoked tuna I had once. If your ever out at HEB do your self a favor and grab you some, its in the  seafood area in the big HEB’s. It goes really well with rice or any kind of green, like zucchini,  asparagus, or even green beans with a little olive oil and some toni’s of course. Well since I refuse to to pay 5.00 for two fillets of fish, I had to find the recipe and I did just that. I recommend that you buy it first to see if you like it before you go ahead with the recipe, just because, for a big bag of tilapia is 6 dollars for about 12 pieces of fish. 

Ingredients:

4 tilapia fillets

6 corn tortillas, torn in pieces

1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

1 teaspoon lime juice

1/4 cup fresh cilantro

1/2 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon seasoning salt

1 egg, beaten

1.  Preheat ovet to 375 coat a baking sheet with olive oil/spray

2.  place tortilla pieces, pepper, lime juice, cilantro and spices in blender. pluse until the mixture is uniform small crumbs. spread on plate.

3.  beat egg in shallow dish

4.  dip each fillet in egg. then in crumbs, patting crumbs to adhere.

5.  bake unitl fish flakes, about 15 minutes

I would recommend after prep. that you would place in the fridge for a few hours. to let the mixture settle, before placing it in the oven.

Enjoy!

www.food.com/recipe/tortilla-crusted-tilapia-153647

Terrifying Answers by Natalie Schoenemann

Plato once quoted “we are twice armed if we fight with faith.”  At the end of the day, right before I drift off to sleep, I try to remember it because I never know what’s in store for me the following day.  In January I was diagnosed with systematic lupus.  For months I was extremely fatigue, had joint pain, aching in my legs, bruising that never healed, sores and rashes that would come and go but I never put all these symptoms together.  I can’t even begin to tell you how many different doctors I went to trying to figure out what was going on.  As a single parent of four I could not afford to be tired all the time which was my chief complaint.  I was told to go to bed earlier, get more rest, and take Coenzyme Q and Vitamin B12.  None of these things helped me.  I basically gave up and just figured this was how I was going to be until the day I walked in for my annual checkup.  My doctor was concerned about my white blood cell count since it had been very low for the past couple of years. He decided to refer me to a hematologist in the medical center.  I was not open to the idea at all.  It was unknown territory that freaked me out.  Part of me thought I’ve lived with it for this long why not continue?  I went home that day and started to research some of my symptoms.  That was not a good idea.  All sorts of diseases popped up that can cause your heart to stop.  The one that stuck out the most was Leukemia.  I had a lot of the symptoms that caused a turbulent melt down.  If this is what I have what would become of my kids?  They have no relationship with their father and I could die.  My biggest fear was not for myself but for my babies.  I wasn’t ready for this.  I dropped down on my knees and prayed to God – I would take whatever disease I had as long as it’s not Leukemia or some type of cancer.  He heard me loud and clear.  It turned out to be Systemic Lupus Erythematosus which is an autoimmune disease that causes your immune system to go into overdrive and can’t tell the difference between normal, healthy cells and germs that can cause infection.  The immune system responds by making autoantibodies that attack the body’s normal cells.   It’s treatable with medication (there is no cure) that can hopefully put it in remission.  I definitely felt like it was the lesser of two evils.   It’s definitely hard at times but I’m learning to manage.  Anyone can get lupus. About 9 out of 10 adults with lupus are women ages 15 to 45. African-American women are three times more likely to get lupus than white women. Lupus is also more common in Latina, Asian, and Native American women. Men are at a higher risk before puberty and after age 50.   If you or anyone you know has similar symptoms I highly recommend getting it checked out.  It’s better to be safe than sorry…… J  http://www.womenshealth.gov/publications/our-publications/fact-sheet/lupus.cfm

Good Samaritans, Don't Become a Victim by Jackie Sullivan

            SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2011

Post 911, we are living in a world where bystanders are not running away from an accident scene; they are running towards it to help. Now, sometimes the results are astonishing, just like the bystanders in Cape Town who made headlines when the two men dove into the blood soaked water to save a man just bitten by a great white shark.

However, many people with the best intentions have no idea how to handle an emergency situation. Here are a few quick tips.
            1)  Approach the scene in a calm manner.

                2) Take a couple slow deep breaths to gain your composure.

                3) Assess the situation with your eyes looking for any dangers.

                4) Get extra help as soon as possible - call 911.

Once you have entered the scene you should assess ABC's of the patient.

            A = Airway: talking, the airway is open
            B = Breathing: Look, Listen & Feel
            C = Check Pulse: Carotid or Radial, Blood pressure present

Look for other injuries. If you see blood anywhere, leave the clothes intact and apply direct pressure. Direct pressure alone can save someone's life. Remember to keep assessing the scene. If more bystanders, arrive get them to help with traffic.

When a person does not have a pulse you will need to start CPR. The American Heart Association changed the 2010 guidelines: 100 compressions a minute for one person. Bystanders were refusing to give rescue breaths. A two-man team may do 50 compressions to 2 rescue breaths. CPR is exhausting you should change partners every two minutes to help alleviate fatigue. Once you start CPR, you cannot stop unless physically exhausted. It's a good idea to always ask for additional resources.

If a patient is trapped in a vehicle, it is always best to leave them there unless immediate dangers are present: like a burning car. In that case always try to keep the neck as stable as possible when moving.

My Best Friend by Sarah Buehler

We have all heard the term “man’s best friend” used to describe the special relationship between a person and their dog.  I never truly understood that saying until the day I met my best friend Shelby.  My boyfriend was working at his barber shop one day, when he saw a small dog running through the streets.  Scared that she would get hit by a car, he brought her inside.  It was obvious that she had been abandoned.  She was scared, filthy, hungry, and did not have a collar on.  He gave her the sandwich he had for his lunch and she quickly gobbled it up.  For the rest of the day she waited patiently right at his feet as he worked, and he fell in love with the sweet puppy instantly.  When he brought her home that evening I was apprehensive and a little irritated.  We had never even discussed getting a pet, and had just moved in together in a new apartment only a month before.  I thought about all the money we would have to put down on a pet deposit and how I would now be partially responsible for taking care of this dog.  As I sat back on the couch, now extremely irritated, she jumped up on my lap.  We looked at each other and in a matter of minutes all of those worries washed away. Those big brown eyes were so sweet and trusting, and I knew that she had found a home.  It has been three years since that day, and I can’t imagine life without her.  She is always there for me, no matter what I look like or how I feel.  When I am sad she curls up into my lap and nuzzles me as if to say that she is there for me.  She is always happy to see me.  That kind of unconditional love is hard to find, and there are so many dogs waiting to be rescued and loved back.  They give so much more than they take.  Please check out this link and maybe you will meet your new best friend.

http://www.mcaspets.org/search-adoptable-dogs.html

Laid Off by Aimee Spratley

          Losing your job after years of hard work can make for a pretty crappy day.  Looking back to the hours that led up to my dismissal seemed to last an eternity.  I know it is hard to believe but I was employed by the same company for six years.  Although there have been many character building events in my life I feel being laid off was a blessing in disguise and an event that pushed me in a direction I may otherwise have not gone. 

          I began working for Lennar Homes of Texas as a receptionist quickly moving my way up the ranks of the corporate world.  Every day I would go to work pushing myself harder to show my determination to grow within this company I now consider a family.  I felt irreplaceable but I was clueless. 

          The week of layoffs had arrived.  Everyone was nervous yet I was very at ease with my safety.  Two days came before dooms day and I was called into my immediate supervisor’s office.  He let me know I was not going to lose my job that if I took care of him he would take care of me.  I was thrilled and proceeded with my job duties, as a closing coordinator, with pride.

          Dooms day came and one by one people were called in and release.  An hour after coming to work my name was called.  I exited my corner office thinking I was needed but left in tears as a causality of unemployment. 

          When I packed my office and left the building in tears I felt as if I had been stabbed in the back.  I decided I had to let go of the pain and try to see the positive in all this.  I enjoyed the next few months with my beautiful children and while sitting on a Florida beach I decided I was going to enroll in college.  It was the blessing of being laid off that gave me the opportunity to make these decisions and for that I am seeing that what I thought was a negative is very much a positive.

http://www.cityofcocoabeach.com/