Aug
26
Review of Two Years Before the Mast
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One of my favorite books that I read in a literature class I took in college, a class on the American renaissance, was a book called Two Years Before the Mast. This book was written by Richard Henry Dana, Jr. — a scholar who signed on with a sailing ship as a crewman for two years due to some eye problems that were troubling him while he was pursuing his studies.
The book is full of not only adventure, but also a lot of information regarding how sailing ships and their crews operated in the early 19th century. Certainly it was nothing like boating these days — if your boat was having problems you couldn’t just get new boat engine parts and pop ‘em in. You had to have a crew with enough able-bodied men to run the ship, work the sails and everything. And repairs to sails and to the mast took a long time to fix.
I think the book is also interesting because it gives a detailed view of what California was like during this time, before it had really been settled. There is a lot of information on the fur trade as well, which is what Dana’s ship was hired for: transporting furs.
Two Years Before the Mast is important as a piece of literature, but also as a historical document full of insight into very different times. I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in history, particularly nautical history!
Aug
21
As a freelance writer, I can tell you how important it is to get a good night’s sleep before you start to write. When you are well rested, it is so much easier to write a coherent, well-organized article than when you are tired. And since article marketing is often how people are first introduced to your business, it is particularly important that that first impression be a good one.
The human body isn’t made to function on six hours or less of sleep a night. In fact, I recently read something that said before electricity, people typically slept as much as ten hours a night. So if you consider for how relatively small a time we have had electricity, it is pretty obvious that our bodies were made to get much more rest than we currently give them.
Additionally, sleep disorders can be a real problem. Even if you spend eight hours in bed, it doesn’t mean you sleep — or sleep well — for that entire time. Insomniacs may need medication or other sleep aids to help them fall asleep, and people with sleep apnea may need CPAP machines to avoid their sleep from being interrupted multiple times a night.
All of this has a huge impact on how your brain functions, and how well you are able to write. Additionally, many people find that there is an ideal time of day for them to write, a time when they are the most alert and productive. Do you work better in the morning, afternoon, or at night? Your answer to this question may have a lot to do with how much sleep you are getting, and what time you typically wake up every day.
Whatever time of day you decide to write, just be sure that you are well rested, so that you begin writing with your brain at its best.
Aug
18
Handicapped Doesn’t Mean Helpless
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It always bugs me when people assume that just because I have type 1 diabetes, means that I can’t eat what I want and I’m going to die young. Quite the opposite is true — as long as I am savvy enough to keep my blood sugar under good control, I can eat whatever I want (with the right dosage of insulin) and my health will remain just as good as anyone else’s, if not better. Yet when I tell people I’m diabetic, they often give me a sad look and say they’re sorry, or do this little trick of looking right through me.
So I completely understand how people with physical handicaps might get frustrated with people assuming that “handicapped” is synonymous for “helpless.”
In reality, with today’s technology there is almost nothing you can’t do for yourself, even with a handicap. A stair lift enables you to live in a two-story (or more) house even if you are in a wheelchair, while a walk in bath and other devices facilitate taking care of your own personal hygiene.
I often see blind people navigating the sidewalks in my neighborhood, and I can’t help but have a lot of respect for them for carrying out normal lives despite their handicap. But then I also can’t help but think about how surprising it is to non-diabetics that I can live a normal life, and it makes me think that maybe it’s not so hard to find ways to live with a handicap, after all.
Aug
9
What type of dog will you get?
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There is so much to consider when thinking about getting a dog. If you have a family with children, you want to be sure the animal is friendly and the breed has a history of being calm and protective, but not aggressive. If you’re the active type, you might want to consider an Australian Shepherd because they were originally modified in the U.S. to be herding dogs. With a life span of 15 or more years, you’ll get plenty of exercise and both of you will be happy and healthy for many years.
Another herding dog is the Bernese Mountain Dog. While it tends to live a shorter 6 to 8 years, it does quite fine being a less active house dog. It will want to get out and stretch, run and be active a few times a week, however, daily activities are less important for the happiness and good health of this dog.
As to their sizes, both animals have medium builds so they should be about average. Not incredibly large, but also not to be confused as one of those tiny lap dogs.
Both breeds are have quite extraordinary coats with beautiful color combinations that, if kept well maintained will provide amazing dogs that everyone will clamor to see.