Pancreatic Cancer

It has been a rough few months for me. I have held a very close relationship with my Nana (as I called her) all of my life. I stay the weekend at her house at least once a month, and she even comes down to San Diego to visit me occasionally. I don't know much else for family since my Papa passed away about five years ago. My Nana got sick and went down hill rapidly. She was diagnosed with COPD which is basically a lung problem that many smokers get, yet my Nana never smoked a day in her life, however she was a rock hunter, and a jewelry maker, so she was often around toxic dusts that have shown the test of time on her lungs. She was also diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. This silent disease is curt and unkind. It was a matter of a few months that my Nana needed oxygen and was unable to leave the house to when she took her last breathe. She will always live on in my heart and missing her is something that will take me a while to get used to, especially with the holiday season coming up. I donated some of my inheritance to Pancreatic Cancer research since it is one of the most underfunded cancer research projects. Pancreatic cancer claims the lives of an estimated 44,030 people in 2011 according to SEER Stat Fact Sheet. 75% of people diagnosed with pancreatic cancer do not live past the one year mark. That is an astonishing number and honestly, I blame lack of money. Breast cancer used to claim many more lives then it does now, now we have treatment options and prevention methods and early detection methods. There is not one single early detection method for pancreatic cancer. The past ten years we have learned a lot about a lot of different types of cancer, but it is time pancreatic cancer gets a little spot light, and a little funding. If you are interested in learning more, or making a donation in honor of my Nana (or someone else you know effected by pancreatic cancer) please visit the Lustgarten Foundation. I researched the different funds for pancreatic cancer, and the Lustgarten Foundation is the most reputable and beneficial since 100% of the donations they collect goes directly to the cause.

I will always miss and love you Nana. I will always carry part of you with me, where ever I go."I love you, a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck."
Virginia Livingston 9/12/1934-10/16/2011

A sad day for The Cove

Warning: These videos are graphic, viewer discretion is advised. 

Whale slaughter

First dolphin slaughter of the 2011/2012 season

Simply put, my heart aches for the pain these poor creatures have to go through. Awareness must continue to be raised. Since you (my readers) and I are aware, it is our duty to end this. I will be posting throughout yet another year of this injustice. Please refer back here for any information and make sure to follow Save Japan Dolphins Blog for information straight from the ghastly site in Taiji, Japan.

Fighting for our Oceans...

September 1st was International Save Japan Dolphins Day. Congrats to everyone who participated from those of you on the shores of Taiji to those of you who wore your memorabilia and spread the word locally. Everything counts. Let's keep our fingers crossed that this year the cove will not bleed red with the blood of our friends. So far there has not been a lot of action going on in the cove, so lets hope it stays like this throughout the slaughter season.


California Coastal Clean up Day is approaching fast! September 17th, 2011 from 9am to noon, volunteers from around California will be cleaning up thousands of pounds of trash from our water shed systems. Last year alone in San Diego, 8,800 volunteers came together and removed 200,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from over 165 miles of shorelines. It makes a difference. This huge event is once a year (although other clean up days are bimonthly if your interested). Not only is CCD (Coastal Clean Up Day) a fun and rewarding event, but it also reminds other people who see us volunteers that every little piece of trash makes a difference. If you are interested in volunteering please refer HERE. I hope to see you all there!

8/13/2011 Coastal Clean up

Did you know that more than 80% of marine debris starts on land? Today, two people in the time span of an hour and 20 minutes, were able to collect over 42 pounds of trash from Carlsbad Tamarack Beach. Most of you who are native to North San Diego often think of Carlsbad as being one of the nicer, well kept of our beaches, and yet it took no matter of time at all to collect that much trash. The number one item picked up was cigarettes; in which we collected over 300! Clothes, blankets, flip flops, bottles, straws, forks, spoons, Styrofoam, paper, plastic, rubber, cans were among the plethora of items we found. It takes a matter of an extra few seconds and a tiny shred of dignity to simply leave nothing but your foot prints when you go to the beach, yet why do so many people find it incomprehensible to take what they bring. Trash cans line our beaches, there is no excuse. Do your part. Those of you smokers looking for a way to carry those used cigarettes? Try pocket ashtrays to carry in your pocket or purse to eliminate waste entirely.

My personal favorites...

I get a lot of questions about what my favorites are so here it is. Please feel free to let me know if you have been inspired to explore one of my favorites and have found it just as enjoyable as I have.

Movie: "The Cove" not only because I got the honor of interviewing the co-found of the Oceanic Preservation Society, but because of the fact that it is the only movie that has brought tears to my eyes and at the same time made me feel so empowered that I wanted to hop on a ship to stop these fisherman myself.


Song: Michael Jackson's "They Don't Really Care About Us" for so many reasons. It is just the right amount of realism without being to sugar coated in optimism or too doused in pessimism. This man is an inspiration to me and many more across the world and his innocence and strength is missed.

Book: This is a really hard one for me because I am a bit of a book nerd but for the moment I have picked my top book, although please excuse the fact that it is very tentative. "The Whale Warriors" by Peter Heller is a captivating text about Peter's exploration on an Eco-pirate ship to stop the slaughter of whales and other sea life. This book also plays into my fantasy of living on a ship for a years length conquering the world with direct activism.

Food: Avocado because it is amazing just plain with a spoon and a little salt. I could live off these delectable morsels.


Animal: Either a whale or a cat. I can't decide. A cat represents independence, grace, beauty, and many cultures even worshiped cats to the extent of preserving them after death. Whales are so majestic to me, living in a place that we as humans know little about, and so in control of there own life that they can decide if it is time to take another breathe of air.

Place to Visit: This is an easy one for me. I dream of visiting Egypt however I have not had the chance to yet, so until then Haiti is the most wonderful place I have ever visited. It is so beautifully rural and enchanting is the best word I can think of to describe it.

Theme Park: Six Flags Magic Mountain. The rides are thrilling and I am beyond proud when I go on them because they horrify and excite me at the same time.

Person you look up to: Bill Maher because he ventures to say what people are thinking but are too afraid to actually say.

Got any more good idea's?

Happy World Ocean's Day

Happy World Ocean's Day! Officially started in Canada and than identified by the United Nations, this wonderful holiday is one of awareness and conservation, with a dash of honor to the worlds most crucial resource. Our oceans face difficult obstacles everyday from pollution to human's over consumption of fish. This year's theme is, Our Oceans: Greeting the Future.

What a better way to greet the future than to take a step in the right direction of conservation. Last week a bill cleared the senate that would prohibit food and other vendors from using Styrofoam products by 2014.  It passed by a 21-15 vote. Styrofoam is an abundant product for consumers and is nearly indestructible, making it the second most common type of beach debris in California, according to the Southern California Coastal Water Quality Research Project.  


"The superior man seeks what is right; the inferior one, what is profitable." — Confucius

A fresh start everyday...

Many of you loyal newsletter readers have been asking where I get the inspiration for all the wonderful quotes that appear on each months newsletters. A lot of my inspiration and push for further research comes from a wonderful daily email I signed up for about a year ago called "Daily Inpirational Quotes and Thought of the Day" from this wonderful website. Everyday (and don't worry, it is literally once a day, you will not be flooded with multiple emails filling up your inbox) an inspirational quote is sent with a matching picture to enlighten and invigorate you. The quotes range accross a very wide spectrum of authors and are sure to make you think. Some of my recent favorites include:

Thinking will not overcome fear but action will.
- W. Clement Stone 

The truly rich are those who enjoy what they have.
- Yiddish Proverb

The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance;
the wise grows it under his feet.
- James Oppenheim 

Thank you  Jonathan Lockwood Huie for the daily inspiration. Everyone feel free to check out his website and make sure you sign up for his daily email!

What is in your Water?

What is in your Water?

Although the information regarding what is in our water is public information, it is not as easy to figure out as pulling up the California Department of Public Health’s website. 

With an over abundance of tables and charts brimming with clever abbreviations and measurements unfamiliar to the average student, it is no wonder that most have no clue as to what is in the water that they consume daily. According to the California Department of Public Health, we should be doing our research.

“Read consumer confidence reports, be informed consumers,” Matt Conens of the California Department of Public Health commented, “What is in water can affect your health if it doesn’t comply with water quality regulations.” 

The Public Utilities Department’s report on water quality relative to public health goals (PHG report) is offered as public domain annually. The most recent PHG report said that San Diego’s water violated only one public health goal; uranium. Although the amount found in drinking water exceeded the goal, it does not “constitute a violation of drinking water regulations or indicate the water unsafe to drink,” according to the PHG report. 

Since this contaminate was found in the drinking water, the PHG report proposed a way to reduce the levels with the best available technology using reverse osmosis. The estimated cost for the treatment plan solely is between $147.2 million and $281.7 million per year for the life span of the system. The PHG report concludes by saying that no further action is proposed for now to reduce the already below maximum contaminate level of uranium. 

While our water here in the United States is often considered the safest in the world, a warning is also issued to individuals who may be more vulnerable to contaminates in the water than the general population, such as those who are pregnant or those who are undergoing medical treatment. In the 2009 Annual Drinking Water Quality Report, individuals are urged to speak to their healthcare providers about drinking tap water. 

Is bottled or vended water any safer? According to the California Department of Public Health’s website, bottled or vended water is regulated differently than standard tap water since the source is different. While tap water comes from places like lakes and rivers, bottled and vended water is derived from approved sources including licensed private water sources. 

Retail water facilities treat approved water to improve the quality. They often use various filtration processes such as reverse osmosis and disinfection such as ultraviolet light to do this. These processes are done mainly to improve the clarity, flavor, and taste. All water is regulated to ensure our safety, but it is up to us as individuals to know exactly what those standards are. 

“I think it’s important to know what impurities are in their water because water is an essential part of human’s lives. We must be informed of unclean water,” Palomar College student Mardee Littrell said, “We have to be aware of our health.”

"Food, Inc." Movie Review

Emmy award winning Director Robert Kenner spent a large sum of his film budget on legal fees to protect himself from the powerful companies he exposed in the captivating documentary “Food, Inc.”

Whether you choose to categorize this film as a documentary or a horror is up for debate while narrators Michael Pollan and Eric Schlosser take viewers on an astonishing journey into the corruption behind the American food industry. Participant Media, well known for the production of Al Gore’s “An Inconvenient Truth”, take a blunt approach to divulging the truth behind the cheap and contaminated production of our food supply.

The films begins with an in depth look at the fast paced production of meats by going inside a repulsive chicken farm owned by one of the main producers in the United States.  As the film progresses a theme quickly emerges about the over production and use of genetically modified corn products in everything from meats to sodas and its detrimental affect on the health habits of Americans.

“Food, Inc.” producers interviewed many experts in the field of food production, although the most notable companies such as Tyson and Monsanto declined to be interviewed for obvious reasons that the film unveils. As employees of these large corporations jeopardize their jobs to tell the story of what Americans really are eating, it is enough to make anyone thrash apart their pantry in search for a food item without this infamous genetically modified corn.

This film is a must see for all ages and demographics because it has a factor we all share in common, food. With the startling knowledge and dogged investigative journalism, “Food, Inc.” is sure to be a film that will change the way you look at things that are produced and consumed.

Greatest moments in my life thus far...

I wanted to say a formal thank you to Lauren Ramirez for always being my little helper and Lew Nottke for always loving and supporting me. You both have helped me accomplish so much, you should be proud of yourselves on so many levels. People should aspire to be like you.

Refuse to H8 National Demonstration 11/15/2008

3/12/2011 Coastal Clean up with my dearest Lauren

4/24/2010 Crew for Xmas in April registration

4/24/2010 Lew and I at the Xmas in April house

4/24/2010 Newspaper picture

9/17/2010 Coastal Clean up Day with Dorothy and Lauren.
"California Coastal Cleanup Day is the premier volunteer event focused on the marine environment in the country. In 2010, more than 80,300 volunteers worked together to collect more than 1,100,000 pounds of trash and recyclables from our beaches, lakes, and waterways. California Coastal Cleanup Day has been hailed by the Guinness Book of World Records as "the largest garbage collection" (1993). Since the program started in 1985, over 800,000 Californians have removed more than 15 million pounds of debris from our state's shorelines and coast." (According to the CCC website)

9/17/2010 Lauren and I collecting 27 lbs of trash!

4/25/2009 Lew and I at Xmas in April

4/25/2009 Xmas in April aftermath

Brit and I alongside 25,000 other people against hate on 11/15/2008

Interview with Oceanic Preservation Society

Oceanic Preservation Society

71 percent of the earth’s surface is covered in seawater so it is no wonder that organizations such as the Oceanic Preservation Society have sparked the interest of millions of people worldwide.

Viki Psihoyos started out her professional career by dancing ballet for 13 years. Although she gained popularity through her dancing, it was not until she and her husband Louie Psihoyos decided to found the Oceanic Preservation Society that she really took center stage.

Viki claims it was an organic journal. "Like most of us, I loved visits to the beach but with my husband, I became a diver" she said, "That is when you really get to see what lives, or no longer can live, in the ocean. After several dive trips to depleted areas, we joined forces with several parties to create the Oceanic Preservation Society."

The most rewarding moment thus far in Viki's life came in 2009 when the Oceanic Preservation Society's first film, "The Cove" won the Oscar for best documentary. “The Cove” is an action packed film about the investigation of the dolphin slaughter in Taiji, Japan that claims the lives of about 23,000 dolphins annually. 

"Although the social media strategy of The Cove is receiving recognition," said Viki, "I always feel like there is more to learn. There is so much to learn in this evolving field."

Currently, Viki and the team are working on their next film titled "Singing Planet". This film will focus on the next mass extinction event to occur on earth. It will be the sixth in earth's history, but the first caused by one species: humans. This movie is expected to hit the big screen next year. 

Viki and the rest of the Oceanic Preservation Society have done their best to live up to their name.

"Everyone has their personal 'homework.'" said Viki, "We went solar a few years ago, no regrets. This is a result of us reviewing ourselves, as a company, and Louie realized that making a film on the environment is one of the dirtiest things you could do, flying massive crews and gear around the world. We felt the need to offset that."

We all can take part in the preserving the oceans like Viki. Every choice we make is an extension of our values. Viki suggests that those who are looking for a way to reduce their carbon footprint should simply lessen the abusive practices that they employ.

Please Pardon my Absence...

Sorry for my absence loyal readers. Although I have not been posting religiously lately, I have been mulling over all the wonderful ideas I have, and through school, I am pushing myself to really expand my horizon so-to-speak. I wanted to share this exciting news with everyone first hand. Tomorrow afternoon I have an interview (as a journalist-in-the-making) with the co founder of the Oceanic Preservation Society, Vicki Psihoyos. I am so glad that she has agreed to take the time to speak with me. After her affluent involvement with her husband in directing the Oscar award winning movie, "The Cove", I am estatic to have a one on one with such a phenominal person!
If you haven't seen "The Cove" contact me for the next viewing party and please take a minute to check out the website that started it all, Oceanic Preservation Society.

Wish me luck!
(and don't worry, regular weekly posts are on the way starting next week!)

Lower Levels of that Good Ole' Fluoride

Today is a good day, a day when the United States government takes a small step in the right direction in admitting, well partially admitting, their faults. According to the Department of Health and Human Services, The Environmental Protection Agency, and publicly supported by the American Dental Association, fluoride levels are a little too high in our water. Fluoride has been put into our water since 1945, forcing about 73% of Americans to regularly consume fluoride when they drink their water. Currently, the recommended levels of fluoride in our public water system are between 0.7 and 1.2 ppm, although many studies have shown that most cities are fluoridated at 1.2 and higher, all the way to 4 ppm. Now the government is recommending we lower that to the bottom end, and put 0.7 ppm as the maximum parts per million.The Department of Health and Human Services has conducted studies showing that too much fluoride causes children's teeth to be weak, brittle, and/or discolored. It also causes bones to be brittle in adults, a gift that is already magnanimous to people over 50. It took them about 60 years to come to this conclusion, not exactly news that makes you want to continue to blindly trust the government. See the CNN article here.

I personally avoid fluoride at all costs, but why (other than the obvious, just in news)? 

• Well, first and foremost, fluoride is not the only way to prevent cavities. Compounds in Alvera are said to prevent tooth decay just as well as fluoride. I make my own mouthwash using this recipe and absolutely love this toothpaste. Both are non fluoridated. My teeth are white, and cavity free.
• Fluoride was used as the key chemical in the production of the atomic bomb. (don't just take my word for it!) 
• Not that I plan on having kids of my own, but fluoride is also linked to birth defects. Chile even banned fluoridation because of research by the world-renowned researcher, Dr Albert Schatz, which showed a link to infant deaths due to fluoridation (as seen here).
• See the full list of places where fluoride is banned here.
•  It is bad for the environment for obvious reasons, dumping it causes a whole slew of harm. 
• Fluoride is a bi-product of aluminum. Studies show that the brain absorbs more aluminum when people consume fluoride, which is one of the main symptoms in Alzheimer's patients. 
• Lastly, and most importantly, IT IS UNETHICAL! Forced medication is unethical if given from a doctor, but from the government it is supposed to be okay? It is an unfair double standard. Just because they "say" it is good for my health, does not mean I should be forced to take it!

 You still have control over what goes into your body. Take small steps in eliminating fluoride from your life. Skip the fluoridated toothpaste and other fluoridated dental care since their are plenty of alternatives, and drink filtered water. A standard carbon filter does not remove fluoride, so the most effective way to eliminate it from your water is through reverse osmosis. Refer to this wonderful website on what filters to use. Remember, don't just take my word for it, search around, the world wide web is a wonderful place to do research, just always remember to not only look at the actual information, but also look at the source. You can find anything on here these days, even....well I could point out countless examples, but for fear of offending someone, I will let you find your own. =)

Wild Tigers Extinct?

According to the World Wildlife Fund, wild tigers are on the verge of mere existence. It has been determined that there are only about 3,200 tigers in the wild, worldwide today, which is less then the number held in captivity in the United States alone. So, why have the wild tiger numbers gone down drastically from 100,000 to the ghastly number is it today? The illegal trade, poaching field, and habitat loss are to blame directly, but the world turning their back to this issue seems to be the real perpetrator.

Without the tigers in our world, we are left with much less biodiversity, and thus meaning other species will die off or over produce. The whole ecosystem can be thrown off if one piece is missing. When was the last time you could drive your perfect new car with only 3 tires instead of four? Sure, maybe you could go a few feet on mere push, but soon the whole car falls apart and becomes useless, much like the world would without its biodiversity.

In some parts of the world tigers are worth more dead than alive. Their teeth are used as jewelry and currency, while their skins are used as clothes and home decor. In China, they believe that tiger bones can cure illnesses, much like we believe that McDonald's food is good for us.

It is time we step up, just as we did when the American symbol, the bald eagle, neared extinction, and create awareness and conservation. We can stop the elimination of these beautiful creatures, a symbol of not just the United States, but the world, a world where they live, without boundaries. Visit World Wildlife Tiger Adoption to see what you can do!