Aging & Attitude

I was told aging can be  an attitude thing. People with a positive attitude are not likely to age as fast. When I was in my pre-teen years I thought 50 was old. When I was in my teens  60 was old. In my 20's 70 was old.

I thought my grandfather on my dad's side was old when he died. My grandfather was 76. My father is 76. Now I no longer consider 70 to be "old".

The average American today lives to age 78. This age thing is in the eyes of the beholder.
Last week I was leaving the house and my wife got my attention. I was trying to get into a different vehicle (the vehicle was a Ford  and I own a Chevy). A few months ago I drove  to the bank. Later that day when I wanted to go home my vehicle was no place in sight. I panicked for a second and then realized I had walked back to the office from the bank. I was talking to someone outside the bank, and without a second thought, walked back to the office.

Are these signs of aging? I put this question to a local family physician. His response was "No, not at all".  This was memory loss in a different context.

We have all been somewhere, say a large mall, come out and not remembered exactly where we parked. That's why they color code and alphabetize large parking lots. Memory loss hits us all at one time or another. It's not necessarily tied in with aging-at least from my sources anyway.

I believe in the saying "You're as young as you feel". The only problem with me is there are times my mind says "Go" and my body says "No".

The other day I saw a gentleman in the World Senior Games set a record in the 100 meter dash. He was the only one running in his age group. He was 95!  Imagine trying to stay positive about aging if  outrun by a 95 year old guy!

What Effects Do Oil Spills Have on the Environment?

Oil spills have profound and immediate effects on the environment. Plus, the damage slicks cause can be long-lasting.

In April 2010, an oil leak occurred from an underwater BP pipeline in the Gulf of Mexico. Five thousand barrels of oil (200,000 gallons) spilled into the ocean each day from a leak that the company said was notoriously difficult to plug quickly. At the time of press, remediation efforts were underway, but some experts anticipate that this spill has the potential to eclipse the Exxon Valdez oil disaster of 1989.

Oil spills certainly attract public attention while under the media spotlight. Environmental experts come out of the woodwork and volunteers line up to help do whatever they can to protect the wildlife impacted by the oil. However, what are the ramifications of an oil spill, including what occurs once the media attention has dissipated?

What Is Oil?

Oil is a natural substance formed over millions of years. It is thought to be created by plankton, decaying matter, sand and rock under extreme pressure.

Although crude oil is of natural origin, the oil that is transported and pumped today may contain additives to help it perform better. Benzene, for example, is an important industrial solvent and precursor in the production of drugs, plastics, synthetic rubber, and dyes, and can sometimes be found in oil and as an additive to gasoline.

Oil is used to make gasoline, serve as fuel, as a basis for plastic products, and many other purposes.

Immediate Effects of an Oil Spill

Oil enters the marine environment daily through run off from everyday living. Generally, the planet can sustain itself in this type of situation. It's when a large amount of oil is introduced to an area in a short period of time that serious ramifications can occur.

When a spill or leak occurs, most of the volatile compounds of oil evaporate quickly. However, the oil remains on the surface of the water, mixes with the water and becomes a different consistency. It can be a very sticky composition that some refer to as a "mousse." The slick can quickly spread through water currents and wind.

Many fish are attracted to the oil slick because of its sweet smell and its resemblance to food. Other marine life simply may not know how to avoid the oil. There are a number of effects that can occur depending on the animal:

• Oil can break down insulating fur or feathers in seals and marine birds, resulting in hypothermia.

• Marine life that breathe through gills can suffocate.

• Oil can coat the body, making mobility difficult and resulting in inability to forage for food or escape predators.

• It may foul breeding grounds or result in mutation or death of young.

• Oil can taint algae and other marine food sources, resulting in elimination of certain species of plants and animals.

Longer Effects of an Oil Spill

After the clean-up efforts have ceased and the attention on the spill has slowed, oil can still have an impact on the environment. Eventually the oil can sink into the sea bed or remain under the water. This can impact burrowing animals, such as crabs or bottom feeders. Other marine life and birds may eat these animals and then become contaminated. The cycle of poisoning can continue for many years.

More Than Marine Life Affected

It's not just the animals that live in and around the water that are impacted by an oil spill. It can have profound effects on humans, too.

•Cost: People often pay the financial price for an oil spill. Costs of everything from plastic products to gasoline may rise as oil companies attempt to recuperate the lost money from the oil spill.

• Fishing: Individuals who make their living from the water could lose significant portions of their income. Fishing may be banned in and around the oil spill area for an extended period.

• Tourism: Many coastal towns and cities make their living from the tourists who frequent the seaside. An oil spill close to the shore can spoil fishing, boating and swimming in these areas.

• Contamination: Individuals who live by a spill may come in contact with the same toxins as the marine life. Oil may infiltrate water systems or end up in the soil. Some oil additives can be carcinogenic. Also, inadvertently eating contaminated seafood can lead to poisoning.

How Oil Spills Are Remediated

While no two oil spills are the same, there are some common methods of clean-up.

• If there is no chance for coastal contamination, some oil is left to break down by natural means and be dispersed by the currents and wind.

• Skimmer nets are used to collect oil from the water's surface. Brooms and other devices may be used to push oil into a centralized location for collection.

• Dispersants may be used to break down oil and have it biodegrade more quickly. Dispersants act by reducing the surface tension that stops oil and water from mixing. However, careful consideration must be given to dispersants and weigh the factors of how the oil will contaminate underwater sea life.

• Biological agents are introduced. These agents feed on components of the oil and break it down into harmless substances such as fatty acids and carbon dioxide.

• Animal life impacted by the spill may be collected, cleaned and tested for contamination.

Oil spills have the potential to be an environmental disaster if not quickly assessed and handled by professionals.

New Phone

The new Apple iPhone is called, "thinner, faster and prettier"  than it's predecessor. The iPhone is the hottest wireless device to hit the market. The iPhone will even allow video calling. I'm not even sure what that is!

A couple of weeks prior to this announcement Google came out with the Android that had one-upped Apple until the newest iPhone was announced.

There are those  who must have the latest and greatest and be the first to purchase the newest computer or cell phone, see the opening of a new movie,  buy the newest technology out there for goIf clubs, have the latest auto or most recent TV/video product, etc.  

I  am more of a wait and see person. By the time I buy the price has dropped off the table. After all, you do pay a price for getting in on the ground floor of a new product. My pocketbook and I do not get that excited. The iPhone will probably never be on my wish list, ever, even if it is, "thinner, faster and prettier".

Smoking Ban

We are less than a month from  a smoking ban taking effect with our neighbor to the east. July 5, 2010 Wisconsin  will ban smoking in  workplaces,  bars and restaurants.

October 1, 2007 the Minnesota smoking ban went into effect. That was big news. The Freedom to Breath Act was signed into law by Governor Tim Pawlenty in May of 2007.

There was much concern that the ban would be the downfall of many bars and restaurants. I remember many, many years ago when cigarette advertising was banned from being shown on television. The Marlboro man disappeared from the screen! Tobacco commercials were the top advertisers and there were those who feared this might be the death of television due to the loss of these revenues.

At least now Wisconsin is on a level playing field with Minnesota. Minnesota smokers can no longer justify  crossing  the border to enjoy the pleasure of smoking in a bar or restaurant.

I am a non-smoker so it's easy for me to say this has been a good law. I know several people who used the smoking ban as a reason to quit smoking. I also know of others who have adapted to the ban and you don't hear many complaints from smokers today.

Remember when bars/restaurants had smoking and non-smoking areas?At some establishments that worked and in others it was almost a joke. A table would be "non-smoking" and the next table over smoking was allowed It's not like the smoke was being contained to the smoking area only. The only difference was the smoking table had an ash tray and the non-smoking one did not.
Daniel's Restaurant and Northwoods Lounge were  one of the first in the area to voluntarily go  non-smoking before the ban. I think that actually helped their business when they made that move. Many times people would go there because there was no smoking.

I have also talked to bar owners who have said the smoking ban had no long term effect on business. The move proved to very good for keeping the bar/restaurant cleaner thereafter.
How many of you would want to go back to the "good old days" when smoking was allowed in public places? When traveling to different states it is a slight shock to enter a restaurant and smell cigarette smoke. Clean air is something we now take for granted when entering a public place. Thank you Governor Pawlenty for clearing the air in public establishments like bars and restaurants. That had to be an easy decision compared to cleaning up our economic mess.

Going Back

With another K-M High School graduation a few days away I wonder how many of you would like to go back and relive your senior year. For myself, I would not want to go back and do it all over again. There are a few high school events I might like to do over again, but not live it all over again.

I don't even feel much like a K-M graduate when walking the halls because so much has changed. The building is more than double the size of what it was when I graduated in 1973.

All of the teaching staff I had are gone. Well, at least all but one. Even the athletic facilities have changed considerably. Imagine one gymnasium, no track and no soccer fields.

We had a library. It was not a media center.

We had home economics and now they have FACS (Family and Consumer Sciences).

We had a gymnasium and now they have an all-purpose room. (I think that name change came to make a bond referendum more salable to the public)

We had art and now they refer to it as art education.

We had reading with our classroom teacher. Now they have a reading specialist.

In my day a Dean of Students was at the college level only.

Industrial arts is now industrial technology.

A social worker was an employee at the courthouse in Mantorville.

We had business math, but not business education.

We had an athletic director. Now we have the activities director.

We are talking 37 years ago folks. I wonder what the changes will be in another 37 years. Will math still be math and science be science?

I figure we can say one thing has not changed since I graduated. A high school diploma is still every bit as important today as it was back then. So I do have some connection with the 2010 K-M graduates. Good luck to you all.