Lately …

Here’s are some random pictures I’ve taken lately with my phone (Samsung Rouge): My classroom, The sleepy guy is my other partner or team member (whose name is also Jonathan aka “JC”), the Asian kid, lol was my partner: John H (he left for bigger and better things), and the various paintings, a community service project our team and other organizations did Stat, Oct 10th at King Middle School.

the hump of the week

It’s Wednesday – “the hump of the week”, as my friend calls it – and it feels like this week has gone by fast! It’s incredible to see how time flies when one is busy, or at least that’s the case for this week. Every day, every week is different – nothing ever stays the same, it’s not a “reoccurring cycle,” but it seems to be spontaneous.  I had to wake up early today, due to the weather – it rained again – and to avoid the traffic and stalls, I decided to get to my classroom early. Knowing my “kids” – students – their cautious parents, I knew they would get to school early! It’s a good thing I did, because when I settled in and got my stuff in order, as I prepared for my early school program – Eco-Force, the students began to show up one after the other. It’s amazing how much energy these kids have at 7 am in the morning, but I really needed some coffee or at least some hot chocolate – that would have made my morning.

•••

I sit here, in front of this computer contemplating – there’s a lot going threw my mind right now – and trying to focus seems to be the least thing on my mind. If you really knew what I been through these couple of days, weeks and months. I don’t think you would believe me; it’s just overwhelming. Overwhelming to mention and to process mentally and I’ve lost the words to formulate a sentence, a paragraph or story. It seems like yesterday we counted down, celebrating 2009; a new president, a new year, a “new” something, the change, the changes. But today is today, yesterday was yesterday and now has gone and tomorrow will be another day, another day that we don’t have control over or say-so, but we can only live by faith. The faith that each one of us has, but we don’t know that we do because we are caught up in our own misery that we can’t see through it.

The place I’m at today was not the place I imagined to be; I had this dream: the dream job, the dream life after college; but it all seems to be a distance, faraway reality to reach anymore. If I would have known the actions that have transpired this year; the malicious decisions that ego-centric-individuals who did not think through their dealings. I would have chosen a different path or journey. Instead, I’m left with their action’s reaction that has caused a ripple throughout our lives; the lives of those who did not choose to feel worthlessness, misery or anxiety about what tomorrow will bring.  There is no one to blame, no one person because we all are in it; it’s hard to realize it but its true. We all find ourselves in the same place, the same problems but the only difference is we are the protagonist of our story, our lives and what we do next determines what will happen in our story. I know it might be hard to comprehend or to look through this perspective but what I know is true is that I am not the same person, when I started this year. I’ve changed; I’m progressively changing everyday; because factors, incidents or problems arise that force me to make decisions, and those decisions lead to changes in my life’s journey.

•••

As I drove to church today – in this gloomy, and rainy day – I had an un-eased emotional built-up deep inside that was bothering me. I was not at peace – for that mater, I have not been for a while now – and I had enough! I turned-off my radio, to avoid distractions and I went straight to prayer or “talking to God”. It was an un-traditional prayer; I was myself, there were no holy Maries or any type of religious act; I was just me and God. And to be honest I have not been upfront with God in a while, or at least genuinely. Each day, I would live my life without a care in the world, avoiding God in the picture; deep inside I was afraid of God because I knew I was not right with him. My relationship was missing communication; I was afraid to confront my wrongs. I had stopped talking to him.

“GOD … I know it’s always the same story; I only come to you when I have a problem. I don’t want to be that person anymore, I don’t want to come to you when I’m in NEED or with baggage of problems, I want to be a better person, I want my relationship to be more than what it has been!!! …. Lately, I’ve been miserable, I may seem happy to some but I come home at the end of the day and: I am alone, I am SAD and I am hurting deep inside — no one knows that but you …  I can’t TAKE IT ANYMORE!!! I HATE myself!!!! ….  I hate myself because, I hurt those those whom I love with my words, my thoughts, and actions. I don’t want to be this way …. anymore!!! I know our relationship has not been what it was … I’ve avoid you for sooooo long, I’ve tried to live a life that isn’t me; I’ve done things that have lead me to be far away from you …. far from what the truth. This year has been a challenge, a change for my life … this year has been about me, me changing every little thing that hinders me to be complete, full and at peace with you love. ‘I’m learning to breathe, I’m learning to walk’ I know I have you with me: I’M NOT ALONE, not anymore … LORD, please forgive me, I genuinely mean it! …. Amen.”

As I drove I remembered those early morning drives to school, where I prayed long and hard – each time crying, and rejoicing in Him – and how those moments brought joy and peace, something that I desperately needed …  today, right now, this moment, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, I will be more than what I was hours ago; I’ll be at peace.

Monday, Oct 12, 2009

I’m at the Office, it’s my day-off from my schools, but tomorrow will be another day filled with joy and energy from my students. Right now, I have time on my hands, something I normally don’t have early in the mornings; I’m waiting for this rainy day to pass-by thanking God for today’s wonderful blessings. I rode the train to work as I do everyday; I read my book and I observed my surroundings as I do to pass time – the various people boarding and leaving the train off to their lives, the noises and conversations flowing in and out – something I enjoy when I’m riding the train. I made chocolate cake last night as I promised my co-workers the week before –  I had enough left over to make my family one too, which I know they’ll enjoy today  for breakfast – and I made myself lunch as well, spinach farfalle with tomato and ricotta. Being a vegetarian, I have become passionate and fond of cooking, something I really didn’t care for before – I was too lazy and without a passion you could say.

 ••••

 As I left the train station, heading to the office I could not stop thinking about how blessed I was to have a raincoat. I know it sounds a little odd, but not a lot of people have umbrellas, or rain gear to protect or cover them. But, it was just a lingering thought – thinking is something I do always, my brain never seems to stop processing information – I had while leaving the train station on this rainy day. I walked into the office, the same early birds seated working and talking amongst each other, the usual morning when I’m at the office.

 I came across an interesting article this morning as I checked my e-mail and googled, “48 Year-Old Blogger Has Gone 9 Years Without Spending Money”.  In the article the man states,

 “I Know it is possible to live with zero money, abundantly. How? Because it’s happening to me, just as it’s happening to ants and dear and slugs and sparrows and bacteria and atoms and galaxies. Because it’s happening to the whole, infinite universe outside our teeny tiny itty bitty Babylon we call civilization (which we think is the universe).

 I was taken back from the rest of this story, a man who came from an educated background, who made a conscious decision while in Ecuador, while on a Peace Corps mission; he witnessed a rural community that acquired an increasing monetary wealth through farming and shifting their traditional lifestyle towards a diet of unhealthy, processed food and a newfound addiction to television. At that moment, he made the decision to return home, quit his job, and carve out a life without money.

 His decision was a personal one, one with a strong reasoning that became his passion and cornerstone, his foundation to continue forward; I admire that, when someone holds strong to what they believe is right, and caring what the rest of the world sees or thinks.

 What stuck me was a quote on his blog,

Before our white brothers came to civilize us we had no jails. Therefore we had no criminals. You can’t have criminals without a jail. We had no locks or keys, and so we had no thieves. If a man was so poor that he had no horse, tipi or blanket, someone gave him these things. We were too uncivilized to set much value on personal belongings. We wanted to have things only in order to give them away. We had no money, and therefore a man’s worth couldn’t be measured by it. We had no written law, no attorney or politicians, therefore we couldn’t cheat. We were in a really bad way before the white man came, and I don’t know how we managed to get along without the basic things which, we are told, are absolutely necessary to make a civilized society. 

 – Lakota Sage Lame Deer (from John Lame Deer, Seeker of Visions)

 

Non-possession is allied to non-stealing. A thing not originally stolen must nevertheless be classified as stolen property, if we possess it without needing it.  Possession implies provision for the future. A seeker after Truth, a follower of the law of Love, cannot hold anything against tomorrow. God never stores for the morrow.  He never creates more than what is strictly needed for the moment. If, therefore, we repose faith in His Providence, we should rest assured that He will give us every day our daily bread, meaning everything that we require….

Our ignorance or negligence of the Divine Law, which gives to man from day to day his daily bread and no more, has given rise to inequalities with all the miseries attendant upon them. The rich have superfluous store of things which they do not need and which are, therefore, neglected and wasted, while millions are starved to death for want of sustenance.

– Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi 

What a Day!

Hey!

What a day it’s been! This week is my first official week in implementing environmental education and conservation in the classrooms, particularly to elementary and middle school students. I had mixed feelings before staring: excitement, nervousness and anxiety; all creating an overwhelming feeling. But today, I have the hang of it, “I got this!” I’m excited to make a difference in the lives of these students; I enjoy giving my passion and knowledge of the environment to today’s rising generation of advocates, policy and lawmakers. This week, my partner (John) and I have a full schedule and I am glad to have him as my partner, we make a great team! Even though we sometimes have to wing-it! But we get things done and the students leave with happy smiles and energy to make a difference! I don’t know about you, but when you see that smile, and happiness radiating from their faces; there are no words that can explain what you feel inside, but the one thing you do know deep inside, “I’m making a difference!” It’s a pleasing and happy feeling to know and no one can tell you otherwise.

Today, we introduced the importance of the 3R’s (Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse) we involved creativity, imagination and hands-on projects. We had a “Recycle Relay Trash Bash!” where the students had to sort a big pile of trash into the proper bins, e.g. paper, plastic, glass, etc., all while giving them the opportunity to learn, and have fun! Then we showed the students if we reuse a soup can and make it into a flower plot, it’s an example of “reusing”; they loved getting their hands in dirty, decorating their can, and then planting the flower! Then we finished with a recap of what we learned and sang the recycling song. What a blessing day, even though we started off a little cooled, our classroom is outside, the energy and activities warmed us up

Before this week, I have been overwhelmed with a lot of meetings, preparation/planning and a conference, “Breaking the Color Barrier in the Great American Outdoors” that I have not had time this month to really sit and focus in posting a new entry. I do enjoy writing and sharing my feelings, thoughts knowledge to you the reader. I don’t even who if you’ll read these posts, but if you do, thank you! I like to have a plethora of items/entries that vary from post to post. I am someone that has a lot of interests and concerns that I enjoy informing the World Wide Web about them!

That’s it for today! And I will definitely keep updating the more interesting things in my life! Enjoy you week! Do keep checking because I’ll be posting another entry soon!

-          Jonathan

Top Ways to Be GREEN

Tip #1: Unplug

Unplugging electrical outlets is one of the easiest ways to be green, but one of the hardest things to do routinely. By taking a few minutes of your day you’ll be helping our planet, but at the same time, helping you save a few bucks every month (the electrical bill).  So, when you are at home, starting making a few habit changes slowly, for instance, go head and turn off the lights when you’re leaving a room.

Also, take an extra few seconds shutting down your computer and printer instead of letting them idle; this sound annoying but make your morning a routine of unplugging your TV, fans, stereos, etc, before you leave for work, school, etc. As for any (daily) routine, you progressively “get used to doing it” that it becomes second nature.

When you’re looking to buy new (major) appliances, consider buying energy efficient models with fewer frills, and check out Energy Star and Greener Choices for efficiency ratings for new products. Sometimes major changes in our lives seem like a hassle but in the long run they’ll pay-of f tremendously.

If you already own an appliance, remember to clean AC filters, insulate water heaters, and do other simple maintenance to maximize energy savings. Simply put, less energy = less pollution and save money

If you have already own an appliance, remember to clean AC filters, insulate water heaters, and do other simple maintenance to maximize energy savings. Let’s put this way, Less Energy = Less Pollution; Less Energy = Monthly Savings

Tip #2: Use Less Water

Did you know that in the average home, the water heater is second only to the heating system in energy usage? The US Department of Energy states that heating and cooling is 46% and water heating is 14% this represents a typical US domestic electricity usage.

Now, go ahead and turn the water heater down to 120. Wash full loads of laundry in cool water. If you’re just got to use hot, rinse in cold; in the bathroom, skip the water-wasting steam bath and opt for the quick shower. Install low flow showerhead and faucet aerators, and turn the water off when you’re shaving or brushing.

Have to let it run to heat up? Catch if and water the plants later. In the kitchen, remember that you don’t need to scald every plate and pot to get then clean, and don’t forget to turn the water off when you’re scrubbing!

Thinking about the long haul? Try setting up a solar powered water heating system.

Tip #3: Switch to Compact Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Don’t even try to front: You’ve been avoiding fluorescent bulbs because you fear flashbacks to the industrial pallor and buzzing tubes of your grade school. But fluorescent bulbs have come a long way, baby.

Watch for ones with higher lumens (not watts) for brighter light; read carefully for a color rendering index (CRI) over 80, or cues like “warmer light,” to get closer to incandescence while saving $30 in energy costs over the life of each bulb.

Not to mention the benefit to the planet: Energy Star has dozens of similes to tell you how much less pollution you generate by simple replacing your feverish incandescent bulbs with chill fluorescent ones, they all add up to a huge benefit for the earth.

Tip #4: Choose Products With Less Packaging

Think of the layers of armor that separate you from a new consumer good. The precious cargo is placed inside a pouch inside a plastic exoskeleton inside a paper sleeve, then bagged for easy transport. Sounds cute for Russian dolls; but for a stick of gum or a fresh razor blade, it’s infuriating, time-consuming, and a waster of resources.

With so many similar products crowding store aisles, try choosing one that sports less packaging. (You’ll find that companies that give careful thought to packaging waster are probably considerate of, say, pesticide-free agriculture or humane working conditions, too.)

Don’t have time to comparison-shop? Simply buying products refills can assuage your conscience, and save a few cents. Bring your canvas tote to the grocery store to get everything home.

Think similarly for restaurants: that pile of plates, napkins, plastic utensil and condiments could easily be spared by making your takeout eat-in.

Tip #5: Buy Organic and Local Foods

Did you know that the blueberries you ate on your breakfast cereal might have traveled as many as 1500 miles to get to your bowl? Buying locally grown produce, whether it’s from a greenmarket, a farm stand, or a conscientious supermarket, can conserve fuel, reduce pollution, and support your local economy … not to mention, produce grown nearby doesn’t require preservatives and waxing to keep it fresh.

Likewise, spending the extra money on organic produce will not only keep you from potentially ingesting toxic pesticides, but it’s good for the environment. Support organic farmers, and you’ll be helping to protect water from pollutants, cut down on soil erosion, and conserve the energy and expense it takes to produce synthetic fertilizers and pesticides. Plus, there’s no doubt about it-organic and locally grown produce just tastes better.

Tip #6: Drive Less

A daily car commute of 20 miles round trip can add up to more than $2,000 per year, parking not included. If you work in an office, ask the HR department about any carpooling hookups and free or deeply discounted bus, train or subway passes; check your city’s website for relevant routes. (Use the commute to read up on peak oil theory.)

Better yet, buy a basket and some decent rain fenders for your bike and ride to the office — and to the post office, your dentist appointment, the grocery store. Sure, you can’t fit as much on a bike as in a car, but shopping more often means fresher produce, thus tastier meals — which you’ll need after burning all those calories.

Replacing even one or two car trips a week will trim your fuel bill (and probably your waistline), but driving smarter can also help. Combine multiple errands into one trip, frequent nearby shops, and try to group your family’s appointments together. Think about the most efficient route before heading out, and try to avoid busier traffic times.

Tip #7: Plant a Tree

No gardening project offers quite such instant gratification as planting your own tree. You get exercise, immediate visual stimulation, and some serious self-satisfaction. Your tree will convert nasty pollutants to pure oxygen and offer a welcome to wildlife — and tree roots can help stay erosion. Trees absorb carbon dioxide, helping to reduce global warming.

Depending on what kind of tree you choose, and where you plant it, the shade can gradually help to cool your home as well as offer a perfect spot for contemplation, meditation or recreation. Trees are charming planted for a child as a living growth chart, or in memory of a loved one.

You can also donate money to have trees planted all over the world, at brownspaces or devastated places where they are most needed.

Tip #8: Recycle More

Savvy shopping and a little creativity can keep your trash pile from mounting. Judge products by their recycled packaging, such as bottles, cans, paper wrappings, and cereal boxes. Choose stationery and other supplies made from recyclable materials that are better the second time around.

Take your used car batteries, antifreeze, and motor oil back to participating mechanics. Return plastic bags to the grocery store. Give old cell phones and cars to your favorite charity. Compost your leftovers and keep your lawn well fed by letting grass-mown clippings lie.

Think outside that empty cardboard box: It’s a fairytale fort for a five-year-old. Finally, hang an old flat tire to a tree and make a swing for green-minded folks of all ages.

Tip #9: Switch to “Green” Power via Your Local Utility Company

In many states, you can opt to purchase renewable energy from your local power company, and then rest easy knowing you just sent that email from your wind- or methane-powered computer.

To find out if your local utility has a green power source, check the Green Power Network’s U.S. map. Austin Energy generated the most green power last year, followed by Portland General Electric. Xcel Energy (in Colorado and elsewhere) had the highest number of customers who purchased renewable energy (more than 49,354).

Help nudge your local utility toward a deeper shade of green by opting into their renewable energy program.

Tip #10: Spread the Word

Want to shake some sense into people? Use the web as your own personal bullhorn to make the world a greener place. Inform your inner circle about good causes or upcoming legislation via e-mail.

You can also direct friends to Live the Change to familiarize themselves with personal impact calculators, simple tips, activism options, and blogs of others in the community who are trying to make the planet a little greener.

If you have a blog or website, start posting information about the issues that matter to you. Awareness is the key to a sustainable planet, and the web gives you a powerful way to be part of the solution.

Saving Money, While being GREEN

Where to start:

• Save on gas by walking, biking, carpooling, or taking public transit.
• Ditch expensive bottled water and drink tap water.
• Substitute at least one vegetarian meal for meat each week.
• Fix leaky faucets to save on your water bill.
• Get a home-energy audit to see where you can reduce your power bill.
• Start an organic garden to grow your own veggies and fruits.
• Find books, CDs, and DVDs at your local library for free entertainment.
• Borrow and swap for new-to-you things, and reuse stuff instead of shopping.

Meet ‘The Virgins’

I came across The Virgins by accident one day when I heard their song, “Rich Girls”; and since I have not stopped listening to them. It’s hard really good alternative or indie bands when there is this plethora of genres out there in the music world!

A music say, “Finding the new band, The Virgins, playing at a local venue is easier than finding background information on the four New York hipsters.”

In 2005, a young American band formed in New York City that quickly set four local boys on the path to international stardom. Donald Cumming, Erik Ratensperger, Wade Oates, and Nick Zarin-Ackerman released their debut album, The Virgins, in 2008 and have spent the last couple years touring North America and Europe.

The boys have played hundreds of cities and shared the stage with some of the biggest musical influences of the past 30 years, but finding out about their lives outside The Virgins can be a little tricky.

Googling the band can be time consuming — there are a number reviews and interviews (where the band manages to remain tight-lipped) to sift through and lost of unreliable sources, but this is the best information available, since the official Virgins website itself doesn’t provide a biography page. But, there are a few things The Virgins have shared with the media.

Before The Virgins Began

Twenty-six year old frontman Donald Cumming grew up in Tribeca, but dropped out of high school and left home when he was 15 years old. It is widely thought that he lived on the streets for many years following, but Cumming has said he lived many different places and always had friends to stay with.

He spent his teen years clubbing in Manhattan, acting and modeling. Cumming worked as the cinematographer on the documentary Billy the Kid and also starred in the gay short film, Bugcrush, which won the 2006 Sundance Grand Jury Prize in short filmmaking.

Ryan McGinley, a photographer known for taking striking portraits of naked NYC twentysomethings, met Cumming at a party and immediately hired the youngster as a model. McGinley’s debut exhibit at the Whitney Museum of American Art featured the photographs of Cumming.

When not acting or modeling, Cumming began writing music alone in his New York apartment.

How the Band Met

After recording a demo of the songs he had written, Cumming burned 25 copies to give out to friends and began recruiting band members. Cumming had met guitarist Wade Oates while modeling on a Ryan McGinley shoot in Mexico and they decided to start a band to play the songs Cumming had been recording in his East Village apartment. Soon, bassist Nick Zarin-Ackerman and drummer Erik Ratensperger were joining the mix.

Almost immediately the band produced a five song EP titled The Virgins ‘07. The EP, which consisted of group recordings and songs Cumming had written himself, quickly hit the streets and clubs of Manhattan. Atlantic Records signed The Virgins before the band was fully formed and without seeing a single performance.

The next thing they knew, The Virgins were touring the U.S. and Europe, opening for Patti Smith and Sonic Youth.

Bands The Virgins Toured With

After playing only two loft party gigs in New York, The Virgins took off to Paris for their monumental third live show, opening for Patti Smith and Sonic Youth at Paris Fashion Week in 2006. Since then, the boys have shared the stage with Jet, Tokyo Police Club, The Pigeon Detectives, The Long Blondes, White Rabbits, Ra Ra Riot, Cold War Kids, Mark Ronson and Tapes ‘n Tapes.

They have also played at the All Points West Festival SXSW festival, both in 2008.

The Success of The Virgins Self-titled Album

Released in June of 2008, The Virgins 10 track recording brought us the single, Rich Girls, which reached number 68 on Rolling Stone’s 100 Best Songs of 2008.

Rich Girls, along with four other songs by The Virgins, also made an impression with the producers of Gossip Girl and the songs were featured on the television show.

The Virgins continue to generate buzz through their tours.

Rich Girls Music Video

Armistice, Mutemath

Mute Math’s Paul Meany has no problem alienating fans of his alternative-rock band, which recently released sophomore effort “Armistice.”

Earlier this year, the singer-keyboardist was quoted saying that fans of the band’s 2006 self-titled effort,which put the Grammy Award-nominated outfit on the map with the hit single “Typical,” would pretty much hate “Armistice.” Talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face. Still, Meany stands behind the oddball comment.

“When I listen to this new record, and I knew in the creative process when we were going for it, we were in no way trying to re-create our first record, which would ultimately leave us with a second record that sounded like a bunch of first-record B-sides,” said Meany, calling from somewhere in Louisiana. “So we put ourselves in situations where we were taking chances, and we had a producer that definitely kept pushing us. We weren’t afraid to change up the formula and try different things. So it was only obvious, anyone married to the exact way we did the first record, we didn’t use the same recipe this time out. We just used the same ingredients.”

So far those ingredients have proven to be successful with the new album’s lead single, “Spotlight,” which unexpectedly became a hit off the “Twilight” soundtrack. Mind you this came at a time when the act was still deep in the recording process. For Meany, all that meant was the group was stylistically headed in the right place.

“All I really wanted to do was to tap into the same inspiration that caused us to record the first one,” Meany said. “And however it would sound or whatever directions the sounds would take, I placed no conditions on that. I just wanted to make sure it felt right again. But the style, that’s hard to say. I don’t know how to articulate that. It’s the kind of thing where you trust the little bell inside your head and when you hear something that’s wrong you keep working until that bell is put to rest.

“That’s all we wanted to do. I think our main objective was to have the four guys in this band listen to the record without twitching. And we want goose bumps, not a triggering of the gag reflex. So it took a while to work through that. And whatever that style is, I just call it Mute Math.”

Thirst: Today’s Water Usage

One of my goals is to outreach information to community members: local, national and  global by  informing them about the need to conserve our natural resources for future generations. It is vital to understand and know what progressively is happening in our planet. As human citizens of Earth it is important to take action now by making little changes in our lives that will create  a huge impact on the environment, health, education, etc. Many of you know or have heard the importance of recycling, global warming, ice-cap depletion, etc but do we really understand what it means, I mean the numbers? That is why I will take time to educate and inform in the coming days on useful and informative facts, information and current news about our natural environment.

Now, lets take this time to reflect and engage on ONE important word: Thirst. Close your eyes, breathe in … and now … breathe out …, with your eyes still closed, when I say the word Thirst what comes to mind? … if you answered water then you’ve hit the bull’s eye! Some of you might have said other things, but we can all say water is one of the things that pops out. If we really breakdown the word thirst, going back to English/Grammar class, thirst (v. intransitive): to feel a need to drink; to have a strong desire for something.

Did you know?

• We are all water creatures. It makes up: 60% of our body, 70% of your brain, 80% of your blood; while you can go almost a month without food … your body can’t survive one week without water.

The same water that existed on Earth billions of years ago still exists today. It covers most of the planet, but just 3% is freshwater (and most of that is ice). Less than 1% of all freshwater is readily accessible for human use. Let’s put it another way (to understand) … Less than 0.007% of all the water on Earth is available to drink.

Did you know?

• A quarter of all the clean water that enters your home … is used to flush toilets. One toilet flush uses 3 gallons (of water), a single load of laundry uses 40 gallons, a 10-minute shower uses 50 gallons, brushing with the tap running uses 4 gallons and brushing with the tap off uses 0.25 gallons.

Did you know?

• A water crisis is looming. Our water sources are under pressure.  In the 20th century the world’s population tripled. The use of water grew 6 times. By mid-century, there will be an additional 3 billion people. Most will be born in countries already experiencing water shortages.

What will that mean for water use?

• The Los Angeles basin can support about 1 million people with its own water.  By the year 2020, the population is expected to reach 22 billion. El Paso and San Antonio could run out of water in 10 to 20 years. Water in Central Florida could run out in less than 5.

Did you know?

• Millions of people in the world live on less than 3 gallons each day. The average American uses about 160 gallons. 25 million refugees were displaced by contaminated rivers last year. That’s more than were forced to flee from war zones. 1 in 3 people lack access to adequate sanitation. 1 in 5 don’t have access to safe drinking water. According to the U.N., a child dies from a water-related disease every 15 seconds. Th emerging worldwide water shortage is serious. It’s been said, we’re going to run out of water before we run out of oil. Due to over-pumping, the groundwater is several countries is almost gone. Depleted aquifers lead to cutbacks in grain harvests … which lead to more food shortages and higher prices. China is already developing large gain deficits; as are India, Pakistan, and Egypt. Our water problem is fast becoming a hunger problem.

So what does it all mean?

• It’s a thirsty world. Industry is thirsty, Agriculture is thirsty, and we are thirsty … “What will be the straw that breaks the camel’s back? It’s time to give water a second thought. Use less. Save more. Advocate always

Now You Know

Surname Stats: Zamarripa

I. Statistics: Figures on the surname ‘Zamarripa’ in the US

Many of us whose surname is Zamarripa have either little or no knowledge and/or understanding of our last name’s history or origin, but do know the national statistics? I found a useful and comprehensive Web site that utilizes national census and the phonebook to calculate an estimate of individual last names, here is what I found regarding the surname ‘Zamarripa’:

1. In the US there are 636 phone book entries with the surname Zamarripa and approximately 2.291 persons with this name.Thus, the surname Zamarripa the 14211. Most frequent name in the US [1].
2. People with this surname live in 33 states. Most occurrences are in Texas: 296.
3. Other states with lots of occurrences are :

California (124), Florida (33), Illinois (29),Colorado (25), Minnesota (13), Ohio (12), Indiana (10), Michigan (9), as well asArizona (8).

II. The following surnames sound like Zamarripa: Zamarippa, Zamaripa, Zammarripa,Zamarrip, Zamarriba, Zumerov, Zamorripa, Zammaripa, Zinnurov, Zamarrippa,Zamirripa, Zamrripa, Zamarrepa, Zamarripo, Zamarrpa, Zamorov, Zanarb,Zommerhoff, Zamora-B, Zhmarev, Zhmareva, Zumorov, Zemribo, Zmarripa.

I. Estadísticas: cifras relativas al apellido ‘Zamarripa’ en España

Muchos de nosotros (los Zamarripas) tenemos un entendimiento o conocimiento breve de nuestro apellido, “Zamarripa” pero ¿sabemos las estadísticas o nuestro origen? He encontrado un recurso útil vía la Web que utiliza información nacional y local en diferentes rejones del mundo, por ejemplo:

1. En España hay 120 personas censadas con el apellido Zamarripa y aproximadamente 131 personas que llevan este apellido[1].
2. Con lo que Zamarripa es el 18972º apellido más frecuente en España.
3. Estas personas viven en 52 provincias. El mayor número de apariciones se da en Vizcaya: 107. Otras provincias con abundantes apariciones son Guipúzcoa (7), así como Valencia (6).

II. Los siguientes apellidos suenan parecido a Zamarripa:

Zamora, Sempere, Samper,Simarro, Sanjurjo, Suñer, Senra, Zahonero, Zumaquero, Sampere, Samperio,Soneira, Senar, Soñora, Sangra, Señor, Sunyer, Sineiro, Semper, Zamarra, Sangare,Zamarro, Sainero, Zumarraga, Sanjorge, Cimarra, Samarra, Senero, Soumare,Sumareh.

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[1] http://www.miparentela.com/mapas/detalles/zamarripa.html