Let's help all of us and ... Stop Conspicuous Consumption

One with Nineveh: Politics, Consumption, and the Human Future
Paul Ehrlich Anne Ehrlich
Reviewed by Shamick Gaworski

Six centuries before the birth of Christ, the great capital city of the Assyrian Empire, Nineveh was surrounded by rich irrigated farmlands and supported population of 120,000 people. Civilizations disappeared throughout humanity while others appeared elsewhere on earth. If our civilization consumes its entire natural global earth base, where will we go? The scale of human enterprise is now so gigantic that people are significantly altering even the gaseous composition of the atmosphere and changing the climate.

Biggest problems: 1) Deforestation. 2) Water: Overdrawn and underappreciated. In developing regions more than 2 billion people survive on inadequate supply of water for household use. 3) Oceanic Resources. We are depleting our natural capital for short-term gains with help of our inadequate accounting system.

Is humanity a planet-wide poison? After the invention of agriculture population growth accelerated. From 5 million or so people when farming first started, the world’s population rose to perhaps 250 million by the time of the Roman Empire. While overall population growth slowed to 1.2 percent, the world population will reach 9 billion in 2050.

While population of Europe and other developed countries slowed, the dense population of Rwanda is dependent almost exclusively on the resources and ecosystems of that small, desperately poor country’s own territory whereas the even more dense population of the wealthy Netherlanders is able to draw resources form all over the world.

Paul & Anne Ehrlich points out the major culprit of human predicament: not just number of people but their conspicuous consumption. Of course our accounting system does not record those costs.

We need to develop sustainable agriculture and sustainable living that does not deplete the nutritive capacity of the soil or the biodiversity of natural habitats. Nation’s gross national product (GNP) fails to account for lose of natural base. Humans are incapable of thinking globally. Most people are still focused on the classic social, political and economic problems. Few people realize that we’re living in what agricultural economist Lester Brown has called an “environmental bubble economy,” an economy in which “output is artificially inflated by over-consumption of the earth’s natural assets.”

In summary, humans and the natural world are on a collision course. Human activities inflict harsh and often irreversible damage on the environment and on critical resources.

I liked the book and how Paul & Anne Ehrlich tie all together painting gloomy picture based on past civilizations, overused and under appreciated natural base of today. I particularly liked their pragmatic solutions, be it difficult to implement, often almost Utopian. The one aspect I dislike was a bit disorganized material and some aspects such as overpopulation repeated over and over again throughout the book.

Want to see longer 6 pages version?

To My Child

Polska Versja

Just for this morning, I am going to step over the laundry, and pick you up and take you to the park to play.

Just for this morning, I will leave the dishes in the sink, and let you teach me how to put that puzzle of yours together.

Just for this afternoon, I will unplug the telephone and keep the computer off, and sit with you in the backyard and blow bubbles.

Just for this afternoon, I will not yell once, not even a tiny grumble when you scream and whine for the ice cream truck and I will buy you one if he comes by.

Just for this afternoon, I won't worry about what you are going to be when you grow up, or second guess every decision I have made where you are concerned.

Just for this afternoon, I will let you help me bake cookies, and I won't stand over you trying to fix them.

Just for this afternoon, I will take us to McDonald's and buy us both a Happy Meal so you can have both toys.

Just for this evening, I will hold you in my arms and tell you a story about how you were born and how much I love you.

Just for this evening, I will let you splash in the tub and not get angry.

Just for this evening, I will let you stay up late while we sit on the porch and count all the stars.

Just for this evening, I will snuggle beside you for hours, and miss my favorite TV shows.

Just for this evening when I run my finger through your hair as you pray, I will simply be grateful that God has given me the greatest gift ever given.

I will think about the mothers And fathers who are searching for their missing children, the mothers and fathers who are visiting their children's graves instead of their bedrooms, and mothers and fathers who are in hospital rooms watching their children suffer senselessly, and screaming inside that they can't handle it anymore.

And when I kiss you good night I will hold you a little tighter, a little longer. It is then, that I will thank God for you, and ask Him for nothing, except one more day............

IT Job

10 years behind

Polska Werjsa

This weekend we celebrate our 10th years wedding anniversary. We will be in Gatlinburg on Friday, Saturday and Monday. On Sunday we will go to Biltomore Estate and ride horses. (10 years ago we went to Gatlinburg for 3 days for our 'honey moon')




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USA Education System is FAIR

Polska Wersja

I write some critical things about U.S. so I think it is time that I say something positive (see Juli, I can from time to time :-0)

In Poland, at least in Poland before ~1995 or so, professor at the University was God! Not only there was no syllabus but basically despite studying during entire semester, being good student that does all that is asked from him/her, professor could do whatever he/she wanted during the final exam ("Zaliczenie")

When I talk to my mother on the phone about my school, she is still used to that kind of thinking and when I am struggling in the middle of semester to get good grades, she says something like "But it is not the final yet right?" The assumption is, why are you worrying, this all does not matter, only the end does.

In U.S. professors are required and do provide clear guidance of what is expected from students during a semester and how will they be graded through out and at the end.

In the class called Public Economics (PA 652) we were informed right from the start about details of the course. The most important were 4 exams, with the 4th one being the final. We were told that only 3 best out of 4 will count and if we do well on first 3 and are satisfied with grade, we will not even go to the final.

Also, in contrast to Poland, there is respect of privacy of the student and random number are assigned to student and only particular student knows his/her number. This way student does not have to worry about being looked down because he/she did not do well on the exam.

I remember one class in Poland, in school of music. The teacher gave each student his/her exam but left one at the desk. Then he wen on about how stupid this person is. That person was me. I knew it and most student knew as they all could just look around and see who does not have his/her paper yet. Those kind of abuses were not that uncommon. Professors at the Universities often gave F to students during the final exam despite the fact that this was A student till that final exam. Sometimes the professor would then do a "favorite" to half of the class that found itself with Fs and gave them "poprawke" - another opportunity to try to pass the final. He/she would say they will have this session at 9 am in his/her office only to show up around 1 pm ... again giving F to half of those who waited there.

So, God or not, but something should bless the higher education in America, for its fairness and respectful treatment of students at the very least.

My random number is 27. I already passed the class (must go to last two classes ... last requirement) I can try for A by taking final. Now, Polish students, are you envious of such treatment? I would be.

Exact fair treatment is all classes although finals are usually required, this arrangement is rather unusuall. The key is that all this is predetermined at the beginign of semester. There is a CONTRACT between professor and student. Netiher one can dismiss the contract or not obay it.

Terminator SG1

Polska Wersja
A cyborg (part man, part machine) is sent from the 31 century to present-day Midwest America to assassinate a seemingly innocent women whose child will play an important part in the world from which the killer came ...

.... the half man half machine's name is ... Shamick Gaworski ... production of this monstrous machine started last year in some dental labs in Midwest USA, reportedly in the state of KY, probably in the city of Lexington ... the year is 2008, 1028 years before the rise of machines ...

... his first dangerous ability is a killer bite with his lower left jaw .... just look at those!!!






See Final Result - April 30, 2008

Being of many things ...

Polska Wersja (Polish version)

I have been accused by Europeans (both new and old ... think Rumsfold) of being too Americanized while Americans give me a grief from time to time (like on YouTube) of being too European. [If you do not like it here, why don't you leave]

I was taken by a NPR "This I believe" yesterday and Yo-Yo Ma literally talking about himself in a way that I could only add "amen" to his words

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=87960790

I am not You You Ma (if I had his talent, I would stay in Music) but his approach to being a citizen of no country and yet all countries speaks volume to me.

Since I do not want to lose what he said, I am quoting his words here.

"All Things Considered, March 10, 2008 · I believe in the infinite variety of human expression.

I grew up in three cultures: I was born in Paris, my parents were from China and I was brought up mostly in America. When I was young, this was very confusing: everyone said that their culture was best, but I knew they couldn't all be right.

I felt that there was an expectation that I would choose to be Chinese or French or American. For many years I bounced among the three, trying on each but never being wholly comfortable. I hoped I wouldn't have to choose, but I didn't know what that meant and how exactly to "not choose."

However, the process of trying on each culture taught me something. As I struggled to belong, I came to understand what made each one unique. At that point, I realized that I didn't need to choose one culture to the exclusion of another, but instead I could choose from all three.

The values I selected would become part of who I was, but no one culture needed to win. I could honor the cultural depth and longevity of my Chinese heritage, while feeling just as passionate about the deep artistic traditions of the French and the American commitment to opportunity and the future.

So, rather than settling on any one of the cultures in which I grew up, I now choose to explore many more cultures and find elements to love in each. Every day I make an effort to go toward what I don't understand. This wandering leads to the accidental learning that continually shapes my life.

As I work in music today, I try to implement this idea — that the music I play, like me, doesn't belong to only one culture. In recent years, I have explored many musical traditions.

Along the way, I have met musicians who share a belief in the creative power that exists at the intersection of cultures. These musicians have generously become my guides to their traditions. Thanks to them and their music I have found new meaning in my own music making.

It is extraordinary the way people, music and cultures develop. The paths and experiences that guide them are unpredictable. Shaped by our families, neighborhoods, cultures and countries, each of us ultimately goes through this process of incorporating what we learn with who we are and who we seek to become. As we struggle to find our individual voices, I believe we must look beyond the voice we've been assigned, and find our place among the tones and timbre of human expression.

Independently produced for All Things Considered by Jay Allison and Dan Gediman with John Gregory and Viki Merrick.

Southwestern trip

My in-laws are gone ... for 6 weeks
Polska Wersja
They started a big trip in their makeup van across USA.

Larry took back seats out and made special folding bed (he had special mattress made for it)

It is really cool as the van resembles more now little RV (storage space is under the bad which folds easily so half of the back is still 'empty')

Read more about it on a blog I made for them - they just left today (I think. Larry postponed the departure by one day ... he wasn't ready ...)


http://southwesterntrip.blogspot.com/2008/03/southwestern-trip.html

Environmental Ethics and Capitalism

Environmental Ethics and Capitalism: An Environmental and Ecological Accounting Perspective Homework Assignment

1) Mueller (2006) makes five arguments detailing the moral benefits of the market. Take one of these arguments and elaborate on ti from an environmental ethics perspective. Do you agree with his argument when you consider environmental ethical concepts we discussed in class? (Hint: think about ethical theories, the way we value things, etc.) Why or why not? If your views differ from Muller, explain why there might be a gap in your viewpoints.

I picked the fourth argument about capitalism as in my opinion this is the most important problem humanity must overcome before addressing some other problems that it faces.
The fourth argument of the positive aspect of capitalism is that it brings people together giving them interest and interest in the same common denominator – commerce. Capitalism then is to decrease the isolation of nations and make them think as one. Presumably common goal would bring people together and decrease nationalism.
“Nationalism is an infantile disease. It is the measles of mankind. “ said Albert Einstein

“Capitalism creates an awareness of [peoples] needs and wants, and to the extent that we view them as customers for our products and as producers of the goods we hope to consume” holds the argument. Of course, as the author also points out, “a wider form of association is itself a source of moral complaint by those who […] rightly view trans-cultural contact as a threat to their inherited identity, at least in its traditional form. " (Muller 2006)

It is impossible to analyze this argument completely in a page or two and therefore this paper will focus only on some assumptions and implications of this argument.

Capitalism drives commerce. Commerce means employment. It is perhaps hard in USA to experience true unemployment. This is not to say that there are jobs for everyone and it is very true that minimum wage jobs cannot support families in the long run. Nevertheless, at least theoretically, assuming the workers are lucky to have great health and no unexpected expenses, one can very easily find employment in USA. To truly know what it means not to be able to find any employment most people really have to stretch their imagination. Instead of thinking of unemployment in ranges of 4-5% and really in form of finding well-paid employment, one should imagine 50 or 60% or 80% percent unemployment in form of inability to find any work whatsoever. We can think of Palestine, many African countries and also many oil-rich Middle East countries.

Not very well publicized, there are actually quite many trades and other commercial capital ventures going on between Israel and Palestine despite the ongoing conflict. There are not enough of them for sure but those that are going on are rather successful and it matters not that one side is Jewish and the other is not. Since Israel-Palestine conflict is arguably the most important conflict to be resolved in the world to rip the biggest advantages to the world as a whole, one should pause for a minute and contemplate the role capitalism could play in such resolution.

But instead of contemplating potential role, let’s look at a historical one. Berlin wall did not collapse because of the Pope or Ronald Regan although they may have played important role in this process. Berlin wall collapsed because of people's desire for better redistribution of capital rewards resulting from sound free market based commerce. Despite numerous communistic attempts to portrait capitalism as invasive and abusive, people living in communists Poland were aware through street talks and illegal radio “Free Europe” and other contacts with the west about the prosperity that results from sound Capitalistic system. They envied it. They wanted to have the same opportunity. They wanted to have the same what German people have, even though just 40 years ago the German people (Nazis) attacked Poland during WWII.


But it is also a fact that just a few years after the Berlin Wall collapsed many of the people so enchanted by capitalism in the past are very disappointed of it today. To play a game, you must know its rules early on. Often if you join the game in the middle of the road, the results may be devastating. Lack of education is just one of the problems of societies in transition from one socio-political system to another.

But nevertheless, if one looks on two antagonistic systems, one must realize that although not perfect, although with many potential problems, capitalism in a right format is the best medicine.

Right format of capitalism is however very important. The wrong format can bring just the opposite consequences. African countries for instance are neither communistic nor socialistic and yet despite officially following the doctrine of capitalism, they cannot shake many of their overwhelming problems. Capitalism only works if it is a mature capitalism – backed by enforceable laws and people’s trust in law enforcement of contracts, etc. This is why corruption is actually greater threat to humanity than communism. Communism is based on quite noble ideas, better in theory than capitalism. But those ideas humans so far proved to be quite utopian, unattainable. Collective farming is just one of the most known examples of the failure of communism. Without incentives, good amount of greed, different preferences, overtime the system fails. It fails while having great equitable ideas in its background, ideas which gave birth to it in the first place.

In addition to enforcement of contractual laws, the right capitalism has at least arguably sensible and somewhat fair redistribution of income. This is perhaps the most important aspect of 'good' capitalism. The capitalism from the beginning of this century is very different from capitalism of today with sick days, unemployment benefits, retirement, minimum wage protection, law enforcement, worker representation through variety of institutions including the government, etc. This is why capitalism deprived of equal and fair redistribution of income is at the very least not helping animosity among different entities in some regions, and arguably, and most likely, it is increasing such animosity.

Middle East for example can be very easily seen as colonialism of some small and weak Arabian countries by exploitation of their natural resources. Such way of 'doing business' rewards only privilege class of the Middle East while the vast majority of the population is left in poverty and despair. With no prospects of improving this situation, vast majority of population sees injustice and turns its anger towards those who benefit from this injustice. Capitalism could help more than any number of bombs or imprisonments but it would require more equitable redistribution of the income from natural resources among the populations of the countries with those natural resources. Can't we see Norway and learn from it? I have never heard of anger or religious fanatics in Norway, a very oil-rich country which takes very good care of all of its citizens.

Only with just and fair capitalism we can even start to talk about environmental ethics. Capitalism is not perfect but it is the best we have so far and if implemented correctly, it can quickly heal some of the major problems. One should remember the scale of the problem with thousands or rather millions of people lacking basic food and water and living on few dollars a day. Unless there is more equitable redistribution of wealth, any talk about environmental ethics, intrinsic or inherited values, is quite meaningless as it is more or less like to worry about the color of a ribbon in some girl's hair while the girl is hungry, abused, angry and living in despair, easily affected by all the evils of the world.

In my opinion, we must accept the value of capitalism which has been established over 50 or so years and try to make it better through careful regulations and better redistribution, better education about the environment, focus on long term sustainability, better accounting that takes long term and sustainability into account.

Drastic changes as abolishment of the system may, and they will in my opinion, cause even greater damage to both humanity and environment.

In conclusion, “fair capitalism” (certainly not the one from XVIII century deprived of any regulations) can diffuses the religious antagonisms between the Jew, the Muslim, and the Christian but the “raw” one can do at best nothing to improve the antagonisms and most likely increase the antagonisms. Once antagonism is gone and nationalism is erased from the minds of most people in the world, we can start truly take a better care of environment in measurable and substantial way. Otherwise, it is just a nice talk and nicely written papers without much tangible positive outcome.

Do animals think?

ES 600
Homework #1 Question: Environmental Ethics

DRAFT

Do animals think?

In contrast to teachings of most deontological systems, science teaches us that humans evolved from animals through millions of years of evolution. In comparison to other animals, humans stand up by showing signs of not only superior intelligence and abilities but distinguishably by developing consciousness and system of values and morals. Such view is at the center of science and therefore adopted by anthropocentric ethics where the world is to “provide” to humans who are to “have dominion over fish of the sea, and over fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth”, Genesis 1:27-8

But human thoughts about the surrounding world have evolved through thousand of years. Anthropocentricism could not be possible thousands of years ago where nature was seemingly untenable and full of mysteries to the rather primitive by our standards homo sapiens. So this simple fact begs the question, is the value we assign to human in contrast to other species intrinsic or instrumental?

Indeed just a couple of hundred years ago, probably in the place where I am writing this paper, the humans who inhabited this place thought of man as merely one of many animals who was to seek survival by partnership with the animals. Hunting was an activity of necessity and animal killed was given a respect and the hunter prayed to its spirit for forgiveness. Man and animals were one.

What is often summarized by simple worlds – technological innovation – has given a birth to much more materialized approach to our environment. No longer do we see “spirits and mysteries” surrounding a forest as new animism movement points. Similarly more and more animals are seen only as meat, food that can sustain human population.

The mom-and-pop restaurant are disappearing and instead chain enterprises are building what really amounts to feeding places for population which is hardly hungry but instead gorges itself in cheaper and cheaper, larger and larger portions of slaughter animals. Those animals are raised in conditions that prevent them often from moving, seeing sunshine, keeping alive till slaughter day by piles of antibiotics, fatten up by steroids.

Anthropocentric instrumental-value view of our environment would simply stay that there is absolutely nothing wrong with the view of animals raised in commercial way. Animals are to be used for food. It is the economy that dictates modern, large scale farming activity. There is no scientific evidence that today this harms humans in any way and any other evidence is simply irrelevant.

Other schools of ethics such as biosphere-centered would argue that other species and the environment as a whole have a right to continued existence, protection of fundamental interests, and protection from harm and damage. Peter Signer argues “speciesism” in homo-sapiens arbitrarily presuming control over the animals is immoral and wrong.

Deep ecology movement would not only provide the animals with dignity and intrinsic value but would extend those values to environmental elements that most people never think of such as mountains, rivers. Christopher Stone thought that giving those environmental elements legal rights similar to legal rights of corporations or individuals would stop the abuse those elements encounter from the hands of humans. For all practical reasons in Western world this idea would most likely produce tangible environment protection but it is doubtful it could ever materialize.

I proposed more balanced view, sort of a mixture of both major branches: Atomistic (anthropocentric; biocentric), Holistic (earth-centered).

Our world is full of mysteries. Until we have answers to at least some deep questions below, we should be careful by not engaging in some “deep” environmental protection which in essence is hypocritical portrait of our richness while it is nothing more than “hidden anthropocentrism.

What is conscious, are different levels of consciousness and are humans at the end of the scale? Is human a miracle of universe? (More or less the dogmatic view of God creating human) Is life a miracle? What is life? How come bacteria “know” what to do? Could it be that planet is “alive”, meaning it “thinks” on some larger unimaginable scale? Are other forms of ‘life’ possible beyond organic? Do galaxies have some ‘logic’ and ‘meaning’ beyond the physical laws that govern them? Furthermore, is there some meaning to not just lives of human beings but to the universe as a whole? After all, universe seems cold, brutal place where through explosions old matter dies and gives birth to new matter which exists for millions of years to die. There is a cycle but is there some meaning to all of this, some higher purpose? Is human logic and capacity failing humanity when faced with those big questions?

Since we can’t really answer those questions, I believe we should strive to look at earth from the point of Sustainability. I capitalized the “S” like the proponent of Deep Ecology movement of ‘Self-realization’ because this is not the sustainability we are accustomed of hearing in our economy driven, capitalistic society concerned with the next quarter financial result.

Based on today’s knowledge, earth is a fragile miracle. It is very true then that “People ought not to degrade this wonderful system in such a way that it can not function to keep its systems within the various delicate margins necessary for life.”

In a way this is anthropocentric view of the world for humanity but in this view I believe the view of animals or mountains having feeling can be replaced by view of earth with humanity playing leadership role to preserve it. By preserving it – the earth – the leadership will also be preserved. Treating animals “inhumanly” feels wrong because they are part of eco-system, the only eco-system we know. The animal may or may not be aware by itself that wrong actions are being done to it, but at least in part, through humanity being able to perceived the consciousness of this act being morally wrong, the very animal has some conscious. In other words, unnecessary killing of animals, the epidemic of obesity being at least in part related to society loosing sight of what is good food, what good food is or should be worth to people, we are harming not just planet as a whole, but the very humanity itself. Animals can and have to be killed for food. Such process however should be done in respectful manner. People should respect and appreciate food, its quality, origins, values, where it came from and how the source lived and died.

In my view, humanity’s problem is not that the anthropocentric view has contributed to the dismay of environment; it is that this anthropocentric view has been applied in very narrow and short sighted way with emphasizes on next month, next year, at most next decade and also to small population – country, region at most. In addition, this view is applied hypocritically through the lenses of privilege class – mainly rich Europe, USA and some other Asian countries. Just like feminists environmentalists speak of male dominance of women, we must recognize that developed countries are oppressing developing countries. They have been doing this in the past by polluting earth and becoming rich or through military invasions or both. Today, the same countries faced with consequences of their short sighted actions appeal for environmental protection without willingness to pay not just larger cost of doing so but often any cost at all (USA refuse of Kyoto)

So the question if animals have feeling and are able to feel some consciousness about their own existence must be put aside. First the humanity must answer a question of its own long term consciousness about the environment. Today, humanity looks more like an animal in line to slaughter house amazingly unaware of what is at the end of the line – environmental catastrophe and disappearance of the little blue planet in otherwise vast, cold and violent lifelessness (as far as we know) universe.

Legal, Social & Econ Sci In Environ SYS (Polski)

I am tired ....

Our Future Vacation House in Poland (Polski)

Polska Wersja
http://gaworskipolak.blogspot.com/2008/02/w-przyszlosci-nasz-dom-wakacyjny-w.html

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today (Polski)

It will be McCain vs. Hillary or Obama so it is time to start the hate email and web site exchanges right? :-)

Things you have to believe to be a Republican today:
Polska Werjsa

a. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of the environment, homosexuals, and Hillary.

b. Saddam was a good guy when Reagan armed him, a bad guy when Bush's daddy made war on him, a good guy when Cheney did business with him, and a bad guy when Bush needed a "we can't find Bin Laden" diversion.

c. Trade with Cuba is wrong because the country is Communist, but trade with China and Vietnam is vital to a spirit of international harmony.

d. The United States should get out of the United Nations, and our highest national priority is enforcing U.N. resolutions against Iran.

e. A woman can't be trusted with decisions about her own body, but multi-national corporations can make decisions affecting all mankind without regulation.

f. The best way to improve military morale is to praise the troops in speeches, while slashing veterans' benefits and combat pay.

g. If condoms are kept out of schools, adolescents won't have sex.

h. A good way to fight terrorism is to belittle our long-time allies, then demand their cooperation and money.

i. Providing health care to all Iraqis is sound policy, but providing health care to all Americans is socialism. HMOs and insurance companies have the best interests of the public at heart.

j. Global warming and tobacco's link to cancer are junk science, but creationism should be taught in schools.

k. A president lying about an extra-marital affair is an impeachable offense, but a president lying to enlist support for a war in which thousands die is solid defense policy.

l. Government should limit itself to the powers named in the Constitution, which include banning gay marriages and censoring the Internet.

m. The public has a right to know about Hillary's cattle trades, but George Bush's driving and military records are none of our business.

n. Being a drug addict is a moral failing and a crime, unless you're a conservative radio host. Then it's an illness and you need our prayers for your recovery.

How times changed (Polski)

Polska Wersja

I had to drive to Western Kentucky yesterday to give presentation about effective web design. One does not think of Kentucky as such a large state, certainly it isn't Texas (size of France) but nevertheless it take 2.5 hours to get from Lexington to Bowling Green.

I had lots of time to think about other things than school, work and how to manage it all ... thought about how things changed ... driving state car by plasma place where as a student I used to sell my plasma to make some money ... so needed back then, now giving presentations and while waiting for my turn, browsing real estate market in Poland seeing for some more realistically priced lots and properties ... [in my opinion they are experiencing there what one can easily compared to the .com bubble ... which should soon burst ... it was not enough to have a web site to be profitable, it isn't enough just to have land and put a world price on it to sell it]

While doing all that I drink $2 fancy star buck coffee never giving much though about those $2 I spent ...

2 dollars 15 years ago would be almost 1% of my entire money that I had in my pocket when I landed in Chicago in 1993. I valued 2 dollars much more back then especially that to earning another 2 was not guaranteed and was through hard "unstructured" work in hot and humid weather of Kentucky. I did not buy one single beer for the first year I was in USA. I love beer!

FYI, don't do the plasma thing. I hated it. I only did it every six months or so when they paid my good money (< 50 dollars)
Here are the reasons I hated it:
- at least 1 hour on medical exam
- at least 1 hour doing it
- do not like needles
- it isn't like giving blood, you have to pump your own blood with your fist so the blood goes for 15 minutes or so to the machine where the plasma is separated and then the blood is returned to your body .... You have to do this 4 or 5 times, depending on your body ... with 5 minutes breaks in between ... then your hand gets cold ... that's when blood is returned to your body ...

Arrr ... I shiver even now when I am writing this ...

OK, if you do want to do it, you should focus on something more noble about this process - Plasma saves lives. It used in hospitals etc.

And finally, it was close to Bowling Green that Monmouth Cave is located. That's when I proposed to Juli 10 years ago. Which reminded me to think for long time on the way back of ideas for our 10 years anniversary ... ideas that will be affordable that is ...

Times did not changed that much ....

R2D2 - I evolved

I entered new phase in my life. I am going to beep now on airports ... which "should be fun" :-(

On the other hand, now that I have water, bionic mass and titanium in my body, I should be much stronger! Maybe soon I get titanium other parts and will be finally super hero ... (I am sure in some 30 years knee will be one of those)

So here you have it, I am no R2D2 yet, but took my first step.

So what you see there are two titanium screws and little healing tops that were literally screwed into the bone by the dentist [he said I have hard bones, which is good health wise but made him work for his money ... he should ... titanium implants aren't cheap]

You can see on this picture but in my mirror I see literally two caps and if I had a good wrench I could probably unscrew those and screw them back ... not like I am going to do that of course ...

Malina Iza (Maya) Blogs

Why not introduce them to the modern world? The Internet will be incredibly important part of their lives and knowing and being comfortable with it will help them in their schools, careers, etc.

So here it is - 2 new blogs for my kids
(And if you wonder, I will protect them on the Internet. Internet is my work so I can make it safe for them)

Malina - http://malinagaworski.blogspot.com/





Iza - http://izagaworski.blogspot.com/





Maya (Juli) - http://maystorama.blogspot.com