Dog-on-Wheel

Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog

Lesson: Kindness to animals. Pets deserved our greatest love and care, more so when they are infirmed, such as this dog-on-wheels.

A most relaxing scene of master and pet, UST grounds

Paralyzed from waist down since birth one would simply bestow quick mercy and final end to a dachshund, bereft of all that is expected of the breed as pet and member of the family and household.

Would you do that to a child? she said. I fell silent. Then she assembled a two-wheeled cart and mounted her infirmed pet, now half-dog and half-machine, a moving scene that held the clouds floating, slowed feet hurrying, and time ticking that morning on the grounds of UST, the country's oldest university.

The beagle struggled at first, got the momentum, then smoothly glided on the pavement on its own with the well-oiled cart virtually without effort, but a sense of comfort and joy instead. And master followed, she now the pet for she followed all things that made her dog a most loving creature.

In life we cease to be masters when we love, when we care, specially the poor, the helpless, the homeless, the doomed. ~

Pineapple is the only edible Bromeliads

Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog

Lesson: Family Bromeliaceae, gardener's favorite ornamental plant. Pineapple is the only member of the family that is edible, and one of the top fruits of the world.

Closeup of the different Bromeliad flowers

Bromeliad nursery at Manila Nursery Foundation, Edsa, QC

Lower photos - pineapple farm, Silang Cavite

Fuel from Non-Food Plants

Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog

Lesson: Alternative fuel from plants that grow wild and don't complete with food source. Coconut, corn and sugarcane are too expensive as alternative sources of fuel for our cars, home and industry. Besides, converting food into fuel will aggravate poverty condition specially in developing countries where millions of people are hungry and malnourished.

These examples of non-food plants for fuel open the avenue of discovering more in different countries. Why don't you add to our list?

Hanga, ripe fruits directly burn into yellowish
blue flame. Benguet.

Consuelda (Euphorbia tirucalli) produces diesel
fuel and locomotive oil. UST atop main building

Palomaria or bitaog (Ilk) (Calophylum inophylum)
contains 60 percent oil in its seed, excellent for motor oil.
Its wood makes excellent furniture. UST Botanical Garden

Talahib (Saccharum spontaneum), relative of sugar
cane produces ethanol for fuel and industrial uses.

Madre de cacao or kakawati (foreground) is the
most popular firewood in the Philippines and the
tropics. Its branches are periodically pruned for
firewood. The tree lives for twenty to fifty years.
It thrives in arid wasteland. Lake Tikob, Tiaong,
Laguna

Living with Nature, AVR

Taming the clouds

Abe V Rotor

Detail of Mural Sunken Pier, AVR
Sto Domingo, Ilocos Sur

Giant mushrooms rise with the breeze
And I in Lilliput, they make of me
Cowering under the coconut trees
Lining the shore, leaning to sea.

Faces I see, angels and wild beasts
Changing shapes with the sun;
Doves and eagles flying to their nests,
Until all of them are gone.

The sky falls into shower, erases
And breaks the mirror of Narcissus
Into one thousand and one faces,
Of memories only time knows.

The clouds grow angry as they pass by,
Until a rainbow forms a shawl
Over the old sunken pier, and l
Once more find a Gulliver in my soul. ~

Living with Nature, AVR

What do you know about the pesky mosquito - a practical test (True or False, 25 items)

Abe V Rotor
Living with Nature - School on Blog

Lesson: The mosquito, world's number one killer and man's worst enemy. More humans have been killed by the mosquito than the total death caused by wars and conflicts combined. Alexander the Great was killed by the malaria mosquito.

Answer Key to Know your Mosquito test on Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid, 738 KHz AM, 8 to 9 evening class, Monday to Friday.

Aedes, most common mosquito in the house.

1. The saliva of mosquito contains anaethesia and anticoagulant. True, that's why we don't immediately feel the hurt, until the mosquito is full, and the anesthesia has subsided. Imagine what would happen to this insect-vampire if there's no anticoagulant.

2. Mosquitoes bite only warm blooded animals. False, there are mosquitoes that bite reptiles and amphibians.

3. Both male and female bite humans. False, only the female, the male feeds mainly on plant sap and exudates of other organisms.

4. Mosquitos can travel 50 to 75 miles, and up to 1000 ft. True

5. Mosquitoes bite anytime as long as they are hungry and there is a suitable host. False, mosquitoes by species have their feeding time. Anopheles bites chiefly in the evening and early morning, while theAedes bites during the day.

6. Anopheles and Culex cause dengue and malaria. False, Aedes carry dengue, Anopheles malaria

7. Culex is a carrier of viral encephalitis and filariasis . True

8. The adult malarial Anopheles bites with a vertical position, its larva lies horizontal just below the surface on the water. True

9. Oil kills wrigglers only by its toxic compound. False, oil covers the breathing tube, and results to asphyxiation.

10. In a year's time, there may be from 15 to 20 generations produced, with 100 eggs per generation. A common mosquito can spawn 31 billion decendants in 6 generations . True

11. Mosquitoes fight each other. True, Toxorphynchites has 3 species that feed on the wrigglers of other mosquitoes– now used as biological agents in Hawai, Fiji, Australia and Southeast Asia.

12. The nemesis of mosquitoes is fish, specifically Gambusia and Poecillia. True

13. Mosquitoes prefer to bite people who don't regularly take a bath. True

14. Those wearing white attract more mosquitoes. False, dark colored clothing.

15. People who have relatively higher temperature are preferred by mosquitoes. True

16. If you are fond of staying in a corner, you'll get more mosquito bites. True

17. Mosquitoes prefer to bite peopl;e who have shallow blood vessels. True

18. The antennae has the combined senses of hearing, tasting, smelling - and touch. True

19. The mosquito has two eyes – False, two compound eyes and simple eyes (ocelli).

20. The mosquito has two pairs of wings, hence classified under Order Diptera (two-winged). False, the hind pair of wings has evolved into halteres or balancers.

21. The life cycle of a mosquito is of three atages – egg larva, adult. False, it undergoles pupal stage before emerging into adult.

22. Mosquitoes breed in freshwater, the wrigglers feed on plankton, True

23. Allergy caused by mosquito bite is characterized by swelling and darkening of the affected area. True

24. Bats swoop on flying insects at night, except mosquitoes which are too small to be detected. – False, in fact bats have their fill mainly on mosquitoes on flight.

25. Mosquitoes are relatives of the housefly, dragonfly, and stonefly under Order Diptera. True

Bonus Questions

• British bomber and reconnaissance - Mosquito
• Italians anti-tank rockets - Mosquito

Spiders feed on mosquitoes trapped in their web

Fish are the number one biological agent against mosquitoes.

Frogs feed on adult mosquitoes on land, and wrigglers in water.

Living with Nature in Our Times, UST-AVR 2008

Self-Administered Test on Energy (50 items True or False)

Abe V Rotor

This test was given on Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School-on-Air). This serves as answer key.

Siargao Fall, Surigao. Mural painting by Anna
Christina Rotor and AVR 2007. St Paul University, Surigao.
Hydroelectric power is still the most popular energy source for the
home. Ambuklao, Binga, Chico, Angat, Pantabangan, and Maria
Cristina are the country's leading gemnerators of electricity.

1. You need less energy to boil water on the lowland (sea level) than on the highland (mountaintop). False, at sea level water boils at 100ºC; 3,000m – 90ºC; 6,000m – 81ºC; 9,000m – 75ºC)

2. When water boils at sea level, and you want to increase the temperature, all you need to do is burn more fuel, and even prolong it. False. Water boils at 100ºC, and remains at this temperature, water will simply change from liquid to gaseous form.

3. The temperature of boiling water inside a pressure cooker can be raised higher than 100ºC. True, usually at 120ºC for typical pressure cookers.

4. It is cooler on the mountain top than on the lowland, because the air is thinner. Air absorbs and conserves heat, even if you are closer to the sun at higher elevation.

5. Half of the fossil fuels we use for heating, electricity, machines is lost (50%) True.

6. All over the world, the percent contribution of these main energy sources are as follows: oil and gas 35 %, coal 60%, nuclear 5%. False: oil and gas 60%, coal 35% nuclear 5%

7. Worldwide eighty (80) percent of energy used for cooking come from firewood. True.

8. Generally firewood smoke is harmless to health and thje environment, If fact it drives pest and other vermin, induces flowering and fruiting of fruit trees. True

9. The most popular local firewood comes from madre de cacao and ipil-ipil. True

10. Firewood farming can be integrated with the forestry program, in mixed tree farming, strip and contour farming, helps reduce erosion and siltation, supports. True

11. Energy is neither created nor destroyed.. True.

12. Forests, irrespective of their kind and location, increase O², absorb CO², create a mini-climate, attract cloud and increase rainfall. They provide food, energy, shelter and clothing, restores wildlife, ecological sanctuary, reduces smog (suspended layer of fog and smoke). True

13. Biofuel refers to energy derived from farm waste, oil from plants such as Jatropha, consuelda, castor bean, lumbang, bitaog. True

14. Gasohol or alcogas is a mixture of ethanol and kerosene. False. Gasoline and alcohol.

15. Car maintenance includes observing carless day, planned route, and car pool. True

16. There will be one billion cars in the world by 2018. There are some 600 million cars in the world today which consume 20 million barrels of oil a day. False, consumption is based on one billion cars.

17. Driving at 100 kph on NLEX (super highway) is more economical than driving at 80 kph. False, it's the opposite.

18. It takes 1000 people to travel on 125 cars, 10 buses, 1 train. False 500 only, on the average.

19. House plan and design should be environment friendly, low in energy consumption, and easily and economical maintenance. True

20. A single lightning bolt, if only it can be stored, is enough to light a community for days. True.

21. Practice recycling to reduce energy requirement – water, re-heat food, waste utilization (wood), scrap metal, used tires, plastics, metals (bauxite most efficient in recycled metal). True

22. Austerity in electric energy consumption is necessary. Philippines has the highest cost of electric energy cost, yet it has the lowest GDP per capita. False, exaggerated data. But practice energy conservation, such as fewer and more efficient light bulbs, limit laundry (ex. sun dry, bulk washing and ironing), forego using electricity in bath, pressurized water system)

23. Our major dams - Ambuklao, Binga, Pantabangan, Chico, Angat, La Mesa – are suffering of invariable degrees of erosion, siltation and pollution. True

23. The world continues to build new nuclear power plants, even if the US and Sweden have not built new ones. True. There are 500 nuclear plants all over the world – now there is a slowdown for new ones. France, Germany, Belgium and Japan will produce more electricity from nuclear reactors.

24. The world’s worst nuclear power plant accident (meltdown) happened in Cernobyl, Kiev. True.

25. Energy of falling water is also called gravitational energy. Hydroelectric plants make use of this principle. True.

26. SWIP means Small Water Impounding Project is self contained for small communities providing them electric power generation, irrigation, fisheries and forestry. True.

27. Energy efficiency in agriculture and industry is part of sustainable productivity. It reduces greenhouse effect. True

28. Cars, cars, cars. Here are examples of people to car ratios: 1.8 US; 2.9 Russia 24; Peru 52; China 1374. (2009) True

29. The ultimate end result when energy is transformed from one form to another is low level heat. True.

30. The old Dutch windmills are coming back in the form of wind power farms. (Remember the windmill Don Quijote fought in Miguel de Cervantes’ novel – Don Quijote?) There are only 20,000 wind turbine generators (WTGs) in the world, mostly in California. True

31. Ethanol comes from sugarcane, sugar beets and root crops (cassava). One objection to biofuels is the direct competition between food and fuel, thus affecting food supply and nutrition.
True.

32. Home Biogas generators are most found in China and India. We have in the Philippine a commercial biogas models at the Madamba Maya Farms in Rizal.

33. These are the used of Solar energy: reflected light (mirror concentrator) to generate electricity, desalination for potable and irrigation water, direct drying, solar panels, solar battery/cell. True. (Sunraycer of GM crossed Australia on a desert route at an average speed of 24 miles per hour.)

34. Fire in the Earth means geothermal energy from hot rocks and volcanic vents. Water is pump to the ground circulates in the cracks, becomes hot up to 200 centigrade and comes through a borehole which then turns a turbine that generate electricity. True. Anglo-French link – the Old Red Sandstone – produces 76 ºcentigrade, hot enough to heat buildings. In the Philippines, hot springs in Los Baños and Tiwi in Albay are the most popuilar giothermal projects. True.

35. New sails for sea vessels are being developed – but this is not significant to reduce energy of sea vessels which would rather run on fuel. False. New sails can replace engine power.

36. Surging energy of the sea - waves, tides, heat content, salty water, ocean currents – are just dreams yet to come true as alternative energy sources. False. There are pioneer projects such as gully wave generator, wave power, OTEC Ocean Thermal Energy Conversion, CLAM – British wave pressure system, Japanese osmosis system at estuaries. .

37. Polysaccharides or complex sugars directly release their energy in the body. False. Must first undergo hydrolysis and respiration/oxidation.

38. Nuclear Powers are North Korea and Iran. While they stirred fear and criticism led by the US and Japan imposing sanction on North Korea, South Korea appears undisturbed by the issue of having a bomb at the other side of its fence.. True.

39. Walking saves on energy, in fact it is therapy and leisure when you combine and harmonize your body, mind and spirit with nature. True.

40. Energize, instead of exercise. It is an exercise that restores gait and adds strength, while it brings inner peace. The mind becomes sharper; sensitivity is honed. And just like what the Greeks believed to be the fountain of youth, it could be the missing key to “a healthy mind in a healthy body.” True.

41. Oil from plants lighted the homes of our ancestors. True
Other than the coconut which is the main source of oil in the country, there are plants growing in the wild that yield lamp oil, among them a large tree called palomaria or bitaog (Calophyllum inophyllum) whose large seed is a rich source of oil called domba or “laurel-nut” oil. The seed or kernel yields 70 to 75 percent oil, and is rich in resin (28.5 percent) making bitaog oil an excellent natural varnish. The resin however, is poisonous. Old folks also use bitaog bark for tanning because of its high tannin content (19.12 percent)

42. One source of oil is lumbang (Aleurites moluccana). Its seeds yield 62 percent lamp and industrial oil. Just pick its ripe berry and light it. It produces a bright bluish flame. False You are referring to hanga, a small tree whose mature berries directly burn with bluish flame. It is plentiful in the highlands, such as in Benguet. One can visit the collection of hanga trees at the DENR field station in Loakan, near the Baguio airport.

43. Among the alternative sources of oil which are being investigated in the light of spiraling oil price, are the following species of Family Euphorbiaceae, to which the rubber tree belongs.

• Soro-soro (Euphorbia neriifolia),
• Gatas-gatas (E. pilulifera),
• Consuelda (E. tirucalli),
• Physic nut (Jatropha curcas),
• Castor-oil plant or tangantangan (Ricinus communis) True.

44. Practically the energy we use directly or indirectly came from the sun. True.

45. If you direct all the light of the stars and harness them collectively you will be able to amass tremendous energy. False. No one has succeeded.

46. The human body is a perfect machine in terms of energy conversation and utilization, than no human invention can compare. True.

47. There are now hydrogen powered car running on the streets – the promise to replace fossil fuels. False. Still on experimental stage.

48. Magnetic shield protects the earth from deleterious radiation from space. True. Magnetic lines run from south pole to north pole, creating beautiful aurora borealis and aurora austalis.

49. Living organisms do not use energy during dormancy – aestivation and hibernation. False. Energy consumption fall very low.

50. Hydrogen bomb works on the principle of fusion, while the atomic bomb works of the principle of fission. True.

Rating: 45-50 Excellent; 40-44 Very Good; 35-39 Good; 30-34 Fair; 25-29 Passing.

Reviving the Do-it-Yourself Culture - A Framework Guide

"If you want a job done right, do it."

Dr Abe Rotor 

Advantages, benefits of do-it-yourself culture
1. Wholesome hobby and pastime
2. Teaching children the culture of do-it-yourself
3. Hones talents, creativity
4. Savings
5. Earning and profits
6. Aesthetics and ergonomics
7. Safety and convenience
8. Health and exercise
9. Recycling, repair, restore
10. “Skill is a lifetime, a heritage too.”

A. Parts and fixtures of the house most often require fixing.
1. Lights
2. Roof
3. Door knob and locks
4. Bookshelves and Cabinets ,
5. Gate and doors
6. Wall and table clock
7. Wall
8. Window
9. Fence
10. Garage
11. Chair, bench and table
12. Playground fixtures
13. Working area
14. Façade, frontage
15. Garden
16. Sidewalk and path walk
17. Doghouse
18. Glass pane, skylight
19. Floor
20. Stairs

B. Major causes of damage or need to renovate
1. Termite and fungus
2. Typhoon
3. Heat and cold
4. Obsolesce
5. Wear and tear
6. Defective make or construction
7. Poor/substandard materials
8. Expanding family/Children have grown up
9. Business/office
10. Retirement home
11. Kids’ home (children and grandchildren)
12. Refurbish, remodel, decorate
13. Accident caused/accident prevention
14. Energy conservation
15. Simplify
16. Healthier environment
17. Global warming, pollution
18. Laws and regulation
19. Taste, aesthetics
20. Modernize

C. Common Tools and Equipment to use
1. Handy tools: saw, hammer, chisel, plumb bob. try square, lever, crowbar, cutter, tacker, puncher, file, lagaring bakal,
2. Cutting tools: bolos and knives, saw,
3. Metal shear, scissor, sinsil, cutters, plier, cutter pliers
4. Plumbing tools
5. Car and garage tools
6. Kitchen tools
7. Grinder and sharpener
8. Soldering, glue gun,
9. Riveting
10. Gardening tools
11. Welding
12. Electrical
13. Electronic tools
14. Mechanized tool: drill, planer, sander
15. Finishing: air compressor and painting
16. Sewing machine
17. Crowbar, spade, rake, spading fork
18. Wheel burrow, portable cart
19. Ladder

20. Measuring tools: meter. Tape, nibel

Accessories
1. Tool cabinet
2. Working bench
3. Working table
4. Tool bag/box
5. Safety Devices
6. Fire extinguisher
7. First Aid
8. Exhaust fan
9. Organizer
10. Computer

D. Skills and Training
1. Vocational Courses
2. Elementary Industrial Arts
3. Deep interest/hobby
4. Entrepreneurial
5. Books and Catalogues
6. Shows and exhibits
7. Malls and hardware
8. Growing up with tools
9. Getting an expert – be the “piyon”
10. Apprenticeship
11. Clubs and associations
12. Modeling (sand table, school project)
13. Lecture-Workshops
14. Self-study and practice; practice makes perfect
15. Internet

Reference Living with Nature Handbook, A V Rotor; 
Acknowledgement: Internet

Stream gone wild

Abe V Rotor

Rampage, acrylic AVR 2009

A stream gone wild from imagination,
a paintbrush in my hand;
In rampage over a once fertile land
abandoned by man;
It sweeps down the valley raging
'til everything is gone,
Save in the heart and mind of those
who see a new dawn.

Living with Nature, AVR

Latex paint is preferred over oil for beginners

Abe V Rotor

Summer Art Workshop for Children

What kind of paint shall I use?

Well, use water-based acrylic. In hardware stores, it is called latex paint. It is multipurpose and the most popular paint today - from art and house paint. I prefer latex paint to oil for art painting - especially for children. These are the reasons.

1. Latex is less toxic than oil paint. Both however, contain materials not good to health, like lead, hydrocarbon and dioxide compounds. By the way, there is no paint that is completely safe to health and the environment. The most hazardous is lacquer paint - the one in canister or used on automobile. It is among the CFC materials that destroy the ozone layer.

2. Latex is much cheaper and it does not entail additional costs for solvents like turpentine, linseed oil and kerosene as thinner, spreader and cleaner, and in the case of lacquer, volatile solvents.

3. Latex is easy and convenient to use. Because it is water-based, paintbrush is easy to clean and it will last longer. Stains can be easily removed, especially when paint is still fresh.
Latex paint dries in minutes, oil in hours or days.

4. Waste from latex paint is easier to dispose. Generally let the paint dry first before it is disposed just like any garbage, except of course, when dealing with large quantities. Wash paintbrush in sink, don't wash on waterways and open areas.

5. Latex is versatile and has wider application. It comes in different colors, primary or mixed. It is sold in your nearest hardware stores in different brands and sizes. You can use rollers, paintbrush or palette - or in combination, specially in art painting. It is used on any surface - canvas, wood, concrete - and even metal after a suitable primer is made.

Living with Nature 3, AVR

40 Ways to make the best of Summer

Dr Abe V Rotor

Lesson: Spend summer wisely, leisurely; make it a real vacation. Give yourself a break. Cancel or postpone appointments in favor of yourself and your family. Nothing beats summer better than making it a season for vacation. Learn from what others say.

Children flying kites and fishing, detail of mural, AVR 2009

Summer Home, acrylic AVR 2005

These suggestions were gathered from our audience in Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid (People's School on Air), DZRB 738 AM 8 to 9 evening Monday to Friday. [www.pbs.gov.ph]

1. Going on vacation to the province, pay respects to old folks. It is reunion with family and relatives, and friends - and having new acquaintances.

2. Going abroad, staying with relatives and friends there, seeing places, meeting people. To be in other countries expand our consciousness about different cultures, and discovering how beautiful our country is. It can make one really feel homesick.

3. Homecoming with former classmates. It is attending to a friend's wedding, or seeing one before leaving to live in another place, welcoming new neighbors and members of your organization.

4. Putting on cool clothes, comfortable field shoes, accessories against sun.

5.Enrolling in back subjects – “survival classes.”

6. Having a digital camera and taking photos and arranging them in an album, or in the computer.

7. Not wasting the season watching TV and playing with the computer every day.

8. Getting into some classes in craft, art, sports, dance, driving, and the like.

9. Working on your body at a local gym, play badminton, volleyball, pingpong, other sports.

10. A walk in the park, on the beach, walk with nature – nature trail.

11. Learning to market, to cook and prepare the table – specially for girls.

12. Renting a beach house for the whole family and building a campfire.

13. Having an inflatable swimming pool on the garden, for kids - and adults, too.

14. Planting tree seedlings at the onset of rain, and preparing the home garden as well.

15. Putting up a lemonade stand and going into business. Selling halo-halo, gulaman, buko juice,

16. Relaxing at the beach watching the ocean – meditating and recharging energy.

17. Creative writing – poetry, short story, essay, feature.

18. Writing in your journal – The Story of my Life
19. Giving more chance for the body to recovery faster from ailment and infirmity.

20. Seeing the family doctor, scheduling a thorough checkup – and getting a clean bill of health.

21. Making a family video of an occasion, better still a documentary. It is organizing family photos, report cards, birthday cards, artwork, concert programs and other keepsakes from the past year into a scrapbook.

22. Remembering the departed, offering candles and prayers in their memory; above all a whisper or act of gratitude for all the goodness they did for us.

23. Bonding with pets, making them happy and healthy - and teaching your dog new tricks.

24. Learning a new language. The best way is to go to a place where the language you wish to learn is the only language.

25. Improving your English - speaking and writing. And reviving the art of handwriting.

26. Learning to play a musical instrument. Music enhances the mind in many ways. Studies have shown that children who study music at an early age do better in school than those who don’t. Aside from that, it is also just plain fun.

27. Learning to sew, making and mending clothes. Older and more skilled children can even make their own clothes for the coming school year.

28. Taking a special computer class - but make it fun. Learn to type properly, use a spreadsheet or database, design websites, make presentations, etc. Most jobs these days involve computer use, so knowing as much as you can about computers might help you get a higher salary.

29. Sorting through your stuff . Go through your clothes and things and prune out those you no longer want or need. You could donate the things you no longer need or hold a garage or yard sale and make some money to put into your college or retirement savings.

30. Getting a summer job, “earning to learn,” specially for working students.

31. Indexing your books, other references, documents with the computer or the conventional way.

32. Cleaning out your computer. If there are programs you don’t use, uninstall them. If there are files that you no longer need, delete them. Keeping your hard drive from getting too full will extend its life.

33. Mall Walking - Walking in an indoor, air-conditioned mall is a great way to get exercise away from the heat and smog, and you can also save on sunscreen. You can even window-shop during your walks, but if you think you might get too tempted, leave your money and credit card at home.

34. Learning to swim. Swimming is another low-impact exercise (safer than running) which increases endurance, muscle and cardiovascular strength. Try to swim in an indoor pool whenever possible or wait until early evening to avoid sunburn.

35. Joining prayer rallies, healthy religious activities, bible studies.

36. Making sweet, jams, jellies, for hobby and money. Summer is fruit season.

37. Joining community projects like Clean and Green, supporting environmental campaign such as beach cleaning, prevention of brush fire.

38. Reviving traditional games like kite flying, sipa, spinning top, yoyo – make, don’t buy.

39. Repair, repair, repair. Name it and it needs repair (toys, house, figurine, kitchen wares, china, garden tools, books, etc)

40. Fiestas, celebrations, festivities. It is also a time of retreat and reflection.

From these responses, it is good to keep always in mind this guide.

• Be frugal and simple,
• Be productive,
• Have fun, and
• Share with others.

NOTE: This is an open ended list. Please share your experiences and add them to the list. Our audience will simply be too glad to learn from you. x x x

Tree Surgery

Cement cast for a tree

A new lease of life for this sampaloc tree (Tamarindus indica), thanks to tree surgery. Its damaged trunk was restored with cement cast which the tree later adopted it as it were its own limb. Note the cambium layer slowly enveloping the cement cast. Grand Palace grounds, Bangkok 2009

Anxiety, Phobia and Depression

Anxiety, Phobia and Depression
Abe V Rotor

Welcome to Living with Nature - School on Blog
1,774th post with 92,000 pageviews todate
Exercise on Anxiety, Phoba and Depression

I posted the answers for you to examine each item why it is true or false. This is a reverse test which is an alternative method of learning.

Overcoming fear of children with caring
attitude of parents. Tagaytay Zoo, 2007

1. All of us are invariably victims of anxiety. Our aging parents, retirement benefits, sex life, health – name it, real or imaginary – and you have it, irrespective of sex, age, domicile, profession, work, race, creed, etc. (T)

2. There is something mysterious about anxiety, its dualism. It is a normal response to physical danger so that it can be a useful tool for focusing the mind where there’s a deadline looming. But anxiety can become a problem when it persists to long beyond the immediate threat, which leads to depression. (T)

3. While we worry for certain things and situations, other people simply don’t - they simply don’t care. (T)

4. People who are mediocre – more so if they did not reach higher education – are more subject to anxiety than intelligent and highly learned people. (F)

5. Uneasiness, lightheadedness, clumsiness are the first signs of anxiety. (T)

6. Nausea, panic, fears of losing control or dying are advanced signs and symptoms of anxiety. (T)

7. Sweaty and cold palms and feet may be due to nervousness which is a natural reaction. (T)

8. Dizziness, blurred vision, chest pain are some psychosomatic symptoms. (T)

9. Many of the things we worry about are baseless, if not nonsense. (T)

10. Animals appear to feel anxiety – an instinctive response necessary for survival. (T)

11. Rats and chicken freeze in place momentarily when subjected to sudden fear stimulus. The opossum feigns dead which is actually an involuntary fear response. (T)

12. Anxiety helped in human evolution. Records of anxiety show how humans shared the planet with saber-toothed tigers. Without it few of us would have survive, if at all. (T)

13. Mass anxiety humans suffered during the two world wars was revived by terrorism which attacked the Twin Towers of New York. (T)

14. Anxiety disorder affects 19 million Americans, 25% not having any medical treatment. It is steadily rising in all countries where Western influence is getting stronger.
(T)

15. Mental illnesses account for 5 of the 10 leading causes of disability in Asia (T)

16. In Cambodia an estimated 75% of adults who lived through the Kmer Rouge era suffer from extreme stress or post traumatic stress disorder. (T)

17. Highest rate of suicide: Sri Lanka per 100,000 – 55; followed bt Japan (25.2; S Korea – 19.1; China 17-20; Singapore, India, Thailand, Australia, US and Britain (T)

18. Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder that severely alters the way a person actually thinks and behaves 9hallucinations, delusions, confusion, withdrawal, agitation, emotional numbness – about 100 percent of patient can expect a full and lasting recovery (F 50% only)

19. According to Sigmund Freud, One is more biological in nature and the other is more dependent on psychological factors. (T)

20. Fear – any external stimulus from threatening words to a gunshot, that the brain interprets as dangerous. (F Stress)

21. Stress – The short-term physiological response produced by both the brain and the body in response to stress.(F Fear)

22. Depression – A sense of apprehension that shares many of the same symptoms as fear but builds more slowly and lingers longer.(F Anxiety)

23. Anxiety – Prolonged sadness that results in a blunting of emotions and sense of futility; often more serious when accompanied by an anxiety disorder. (F Depression)

24. Panic disorder – This is recurrent, unexpected attacks of acute anxiety, peaking within 10 minutes. One finds himself in a situation such as in a crowded elevator. If extreme anxiety symptoms appear, the person may be suffering of anxiety disorder that needs medical consultation, even if this is occasionally experienced. (T)

25. Specific Phobia – This is characterized by consuming fear of a specific object or situation, often accompanied by mild to extreme anxiety symptoms. It may just be plain hate, or fear, say heights. Behavioral therapy – gradual introduction of the cause, until enough courage is built; and cognitive therapy – re-orientation of perception or behavior, may be needed independently or jointly. (T)

26. Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - a preoccupation with specific thoughts, images or impulses, accompanied by elaborate and sometimes bizarre rituals. Even if they are irrational thoughts, repetitive ritual (e.g. hand washing, prayer), time consuming – researchers are certain whether of not OCD is genuine anxiety. Whatever it is, it does respond to treatment.(F) Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

27. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder – repeated, anxious reliving of a horrifying event over an extended period of time. It is not anxiety if the experience fades away steadily, but if it may persist, and sometimes PTSD will not appear until six months after the event. This is caused by recurrent recollection or dream of the event, feeling the even to be still occurring, experience reminding you of the event, and difficulty in avoiding thought associated with it. (F) Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

28. Generalized Anxiety Disorder – Excessive anxiety or worry for days or months, but does not affect quality of life. Characterized by restlessness, difficulty concentrating or sleeping, irritability, fatigue, muscle tension. Have three or more of these symptoms confirm a person is suffering of GAD. (T)

29. Anxiety is inherited, thus children suffering of anxiety are most likely candidates of depression. Some people seem to be born worriers. Some anxiety disorders are known to run in the family. If the genes involved are reinforced by environment, the expression become more distinct. (T Nature-nurture)

30. Identical twins are more likely show stronger tendency to suffer from generalized anxiety disorder. However, even one with low genetic vulnerability could develop a fear of something that may even be greater than one with high genetic vulnerability. (T)

31. Many kids outgrow their anxiety disorder to become well-adjusted adults. Anxiety and depression have similar underlying biology. Anxiety may surface early in life and depression later. But researchers are divided in this observation. (T or F)

32. Anatomy of anxiety as explained to the ordinary citizen goes like this - The senses pick up a threat – a scary sight, a loud noise, a creepy feeling – the information takes two different routes through the brain – but it takes the shortcut – the brains automatically engages an emergency hot line to the fear center – the amygdala (T)

33. FFF (Fight, Flight, Fright) - Adrenaline shoots into the muscles preparing the body to do the appropriate action. (T)

34. Digestion Shutdown – Brains stops thinking about things that bring pleasure, conserve energy otherwise wasted on digestion, hence vomiting, defecation, urination may occur. (T)

35. Cognitive therapy – Best for phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder. Panic disorder is to expose patients to a tiny bit of the very thing that causes them anxiety. (F Behavioral therapy)

36. Behavioral therapy– rethinking, behavior modification through proper advice. (F Cognitive therapy)
37. Minor tranquilizers – Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft are best known among the antidepressant drugs The newest group is norepinephrine which control emotion and stabilize mood, thus there is no need of doctors’ prescription. (F these are antidepressant drugs)

38. In Western countries, it is the woman who normally initiate divorce; in Asia it is
the man (F)

39. Lifestyle Changes which include cut back or eliminate the use of sugar, caffeine, alcohol, and recreational drugs, are helpful in overcoming anxiety. (T)

40. The most practical therapy is exercise – talk therapy, simple exercise (at least 30 minutes), brisk walk Exercise releases natural opiates called endorphins, (T)

Reference: The Science of Anxiety Time 39 to 47 pp July 8, 2002; Lost Lives Time November 10, 2003; What Scares you? Phobias Time April 2, 2001

Part 3: Common Cases of Allergy

Abe V Rotor

Corn pollen is a common cause of allergy rhinitis.

Let me present some cases of allergy that are commonly encountered. These were gathered from our radio listeners on Paaralang Bayan sa Himpapawid. (People's School-on-Air)

1. Smoking. Drivers, office workers, mechanics, farmers, writers, teachers, name it, and the habit is widespread. I know one whose only bisyo is paninigarillo. He didn’t live long.

2. “Canned entertainment” such as parties in fastfoods predisposes kids to various ailments and psychological trauma, and to certain kinds of allergy. It is devoid of the natural environment that builds resistance to allergy as the children grow up.

3. Some common allergens are pollen from flowers of trees and annuals - kasoy, kupkupyes, macopa, and tapilan. Lipang Kalabao, a very itchy plant that grows into a tree. The sap of aldelfa and yellow bell may cause paralysis of the pharynx leading to asphyxiation.

5. Mushroom Allergy. There are spores of fungi like Auricularia or “tainga ng daga” and wild tree mushroom even when they have dried up.

Red mushroom is not only poisonous, it causes allergy.

6. Fowls and wild birds are common causes of allergy, from their feathers and parasites, to their droppings. The filthiest bird second to the vulture is the crow carries vermin from carcasses of animals and garbage. Allergy from reptiles – from skin casting to vermin attracted by their food and droppings.

7. Don’t play with spiders. Spiders cause allergy with the hair coverings of their body, and web or silk of certain species. The Black Widow is one of the few poisonous species.

8. Allergic to trees like Ipil-ipil? It’s due to “plant lice” like Psylla, a minute insect pest that wiped out ipil-ipil plantations in the seventies and eighties. They build dense colonies on a single tree, sapping its vitality until it dies.

9. Mealybugs and scale insects (Order Homoptera) produce waxy covering layer for protection and camouflage, as well as casing of their eggs and young. Cottony mealybug (Pseudococcos) on guava leaf; the insect without waxy covering.

10. Pesticide Residue in fruits. Fruits may carry pesticide residues of dangerous chemicals like Folidol, BHC and Malathion. Pesticide residues on vegetables, particularly on crucifers – cabbage, lettuce, pechay, cauliflower – register above allowable levels. Lack of monitoring may predispose consumers to the effects of pesticides.

12. Kapok or Cotton Tree (Ceiba pentandra L) releases seeds covered with lint from the mature pod The fiber is gathered mainly for pillow. It is cool and preferred over synthetic fills. Dehiscence period is towards the end of the year.

13. Fire Tree (Delonix regia) Both flowers and caterpillars attacking the tree may cause allergy. Higad or the hairy caterpillar of Tussock moth causes irritation of the skin which may last for days. A common remedy is to apply vinegar on the affected skin. If the sharp hairs are imbedded, apply candle drops and allow to solidify. Then peel off with the encased hair. Mosses, algae, ferns and short growing annuals may cause allergy, including their substrates that undergo transformation by weathering.

14. Allergic to Termites? It may be the termite or the mushroom in farms in its chamber - or both - that cause the allergy. Termites work with lignin-breaking fungi that soften the wood. Inside their guts are protozoa that break up cellulose, aiding digestion – a classical case of symbiosis.

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Global Warming and Climate Change increase incidence of Asthma and Allergy cases around the world.

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15. Pesticide Residues. Poisonous hydrocarbon and phosphate compounds find their way through the food chain – in the case of frog from sprayed insects that serve as its prey. Pesticide residues accumulate in its tissues and transferred to the its predators, including man.

16. Are you allergic to native delicacies? Sinanglaw (left) is a favorite Ilocano dish from internal organs of carabao or cattle cooked in slow fire and heavily spiced with hot pepper, paminta and ginger. Pinapaitan and kilawin prepared from goat’s meat are a native delicacy in many parts of the country. Other delicacies include kaldereta and soup “number 5.”

18. Tulingan or Tanggigi is a common cause of allergy to many people. It is a practice to drain the blood by cutting the tail, and carefully removing the entrails before the fish is cut and served raw or cooked. The danger worsens when the fish is no longer fresh. There People who are also allergic to tuna.

19. Shellfish – tahong, talaba and halaan may harbor the red tide dinoflagellate is large quantity that may lead to Paralytic Shellfish Poison (PSP) in man. PSP symptoms may first appear as allergy, and may be lethal if not treated immediately.

21. Allergy is caused by insects Banana and mabolo (left) attacked by fruit fly (Dacus dorsalis/cucurbitae). It attacks dozens of popular fruits and vegetables, including mango, citrus, guava, macopa, cucumber, ampalaya.

23. The domesticated honeybee (Apis melifera) normally does not sting unless provoked, unlike the notorious African honeybee which threatens the US honeybee industry today. There are as many deaths due to bee sting as snake bites. People vary in reaction to bee sting, from swelling to difficulty in breathing.

24. Millipedes (Class Diplopods) exude Cyanide gas to stun their prey as well as repel their predators. Thus children should warned not to play with the “diken-diken,” playing possum by curling its body into a tight ring.

25. Skin repellants. Avoid obnoxious and annoying insects - all kinds of bugs, plant lice, aggressive Insects such as wasp and hantik ant. Hemipterans- the bugs – exude an obnoxious odor which is caustic to the skin and eyes, a chemical offensive that wards off would-be predators attracted by their brilliant colors and attractive designs.

26. Perfectly camouflaged, these insects lie surreptitious to their prey and predator and people may be unwary of them. Lepidopterans – butterflies, moths and skippers – are covered with scales of of chitin, a very resistant cellulose-like compound. The practice of releasing butterflies in place of throwing rice on a newly married couple has been discouraged because of the danger the chitinous scales cause such as irritation of the skin and eyes.

27. There are various allergic reactions to fowls and birds, not only for their feathers, but mites and lice belonging to two Orders Anoplura (sucling lice) and Mallophaga (chewing lice) - that reside in their bodies and nests.

28. Ngarasangas is a very small bivalve that occurs in colonies in estuaries. The shells are gathered for food and for ducks in raising balot. Allergy cases have been reported by eating this favorite soup of the Ilocanos. Below, increasing lead pollution has forced the shutdown of many salt beds in the country. Salt made near cities and industrial sites may pose danger to health.

29. Does radiation cause allergy? Radiation emitted by radio transmitters have been found t
to be the cause of a number of ailments from insomnia to sterility. It is also associated
with cancer, abnormal blood levels and heart conditions which may be related to allergy
or allergy symptoms.

30. Danger lurks in murky water – diseases, vermin, etc. Heavily polluted waterways such as the Pasig River contain high levels of Hydrogen Sulfide, Ammonia, Methane, other gases, and toxic metals.

31. Allergy to plastics and other synthetic materials. Stuffed toys may cause allergy, so with many things put into the mouth.

32. Aflatoxin in peanut, corn and others go unnoticed with the preserved food.

33. Believe it or not – kapre lives in old balete tree. Naan-annongan (Ilk) is different from nakasagsagid (Ilk), but the symptoms are quite similar - profuse sweating and feeling of general weakness.

34. Allergy from yeast and young wine.

35. Are you allergic to fireworks, and on New Year’s Eve?

To what extent does nature provide immunity? Fortunately as children grow to maturity, particularly so under natural environment, they acquire the defense the body systems need against a host of health problems from allergy to physiologic and pathological diseases, albeit adaptation to emotional and psychological stress.

Homogenization is likened to Globalization – one economy, one media, one culture, one car, one MRT, one computer, one bank. There’s one thing we are missing – the environment. In fact we are missing Nature in our lives. Our children are now spending more and more waking hours with the computer as if it were man’s best friend.

Come to think of the computer as the root of allergy and many ailments. Spending more time with the computer deprives millions especially children of participating in health promoting games and resistance-building exposure to nature.

It is a scenario that we see everywhere, a scenario of our own making. And yet, like artists before the canvas we have the power to create one that is beautiful and conducive to our well being. But we do not or we refuse to do so, although we are aware that a healthy environment is primordial to good health and a happy life.

Ever wonder what it means to enjoy childhood outside of the confines of air conditioned room? Many children look forward to the first rain in May. Boy scouts and girl scouts do. To the athlete, the naturalist. And many boys and girls wishing to play outdoor.

But our children are no longer children of nature; they are captives of education and media, of malls and cafes. They like to think that the mind is like the computer, that the more information it acquires the better of is the individual. This is not so. Not when it pertains to health, not with the ability to arrive at correct decisions, not when and where survival is the name of the game. And not when it comes to matters of love.

Which reminds me a story of a young man who was in love. So he asked the computer, What love is.

Whereupon, came a prompt answer – not one or two, but in many definitions, technical and literary.

“How does it feel to be in love?” the young man continued.

This time the computer did not respond. He entered his query once more, and again, but still there was no response. After several attempts, the computer finally gave up. “I cannot feel.”

And here are our children spending most of their waking hours with an “intelligent” thing in the shape of a box, a thing that has no feeling at all! Even when the computer can tell us of all kinds of the sickness in the world, it cannot comfort you. Because a robot has no feeling. ~

Living with Nature, AVR