Plants that clean your indoor air

Well with the budget for space exploration as low as it currently is NASA has been working on a lot of other projects. Okay, the following project does make sense for NASA considering clean air is important no matter where you are - Earth, the moon, or otherwise. Continuing from some research they'd done in the 60's and onward is a great study on indoor air pollution. Good news everyone - plants can help!

Bamboo Plant

These plants help absorb benzene and formaldehyde. The study placed the plants in plexiglass chambers which were then injected with various substances.

This is taken directly from the report which you can find here.
"Formaldehyde is a ubiquitous chemical found in virtually all indoor environments. The major sources, which have been reported and publicized, include urea-formaldehyde foam insulation (UFFI) and particle board or pressed-wood products. Consumer paper products,including grocery bags, waxed papers, facial tissues, and paper towels, are treated with urea- formaldehyde (UF) resins. Many common household cleaning agents contain formaldehyde. UF resins are used as stiffeners, wrinkle resisters, water repellants, fire retardants, and adhesive binders in floor covering, carpet backing, and permanent-press clothes. Other sources of formaldehyde include cigarette smoke and heating and cooking fuels such as natural gas and kerosene.

Formaldehyde irritates the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, and throat. It is a highly reactive chemical that combines with protein and can cause allergic contact dermatitis. The most widely reported symptoms from exposure to high levels of this chemical include irritation of the upper respiratory tract and eyes and headaches.(2,3) Until recently, the most serious disease attributed to formaldehyde exposure was asthma..."

"Benzene is a very commonly used solvent and is also present in many basic items including
gasoline, inks, oils, paints plastics, and rubber. In addition, it is used in the manufacture of detergents, explosives, pharmaceuticals, and dyes.

Gerber Daisy

Benzene has long been known to irritate the skin and eyes. Furthermore it has been shown to be mutagenic to bacterial cell cultures and has shown embryotoxic activity and carcinogenicity in some tests. Evidence also exists that benzene may be a contributing factor of chromosomal aberrations and leukemia in humans. Repeated skin contact with benzene causes drying, inflammation, blistering, and dermatitis. Acute inhalation of high levels of benzene has been reported to cause dizziness, weakness, euphoria, headache, nausea, blurred vision, respiratory diseases, tremors, irregular heartbeat, liver and kidney damage, paralysis,and unconsciousness. In animal tests, inhalation of benzene led to cataract formation and diseases of the blood and lymphatic systems. Chronic exposure to even relatively low levels causes headaches, loss of appetite, drowsiness, nervousness, psychological disturbances, and diseases of the blood system, including anemia and bone marrow disease."

Peace Lily

Top 10 most effective plants
Bamboo Palm - Chamaedorea Seifritzii
Chinese Evergreen - Aglaonema Modestum
English Ivy Hedera Helix
Gerbera Daisy Gerbera Jamesonii
Janet Craig - Dracaena “Janet Craig”
Marginata - Dracaena Marginata
Mass cane/Corn Plant - Dracaena Massangeana
Mother-in-Law’s Tongue Sansevieria Laurentii
Pot Mum – Chrysantheium morifolium
Peace Lily - Spathiphyllum
Warneckii - Dracaena “Warneckii”

If you have pets one thing to keep in mind is which plants are toxic to cats and/or dogs. My options so far are either the bamboo palm or Gerber daisies. Play it safe and look up any plants you want to buy before you bring them into your home. The ASPCA has a searchable list with all the toxicity warnings for pets: ASPCA Plants

The dirty dozen and the clean fifteen

The Environmental Working Group is a non-profit organization that publishes findings related to consumer health and awareness. They sponsor a number of projects and present the info in easy to understand ways for your average shopper.

One example is this great little shopping list that tells you which produce have the lowest pesticide levels and which have the highest. It's a great money-saver considering how expensive some organic fruits and vegetables can be.

There's the dirty dozen and the clean fifteen. It's good to know we can save a few bucks on most of the thicker skinned fruits and some less susceptible veggies.

The dirty dozen are:

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries (Domestic)
6. Nectarines
7. Bell peppers
8. Spinach
9. Cherries
10. Kale/Collard greens
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes (Imported)



The clean fifteen are:
1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn (Frozen)
4. Pineapples
5. Mango (Subtropical and Tropical)
6. Sweet Peas (Frozen)
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi Fruit (Subtropical and Tropical)
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe (Domestic)
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet Potatoes
15. Honeydew Melon

The full list can be found here. If you want the cute lil' shopping list you can find it here.

Happy shopping!

In-Between Girl

"I am the in-between girl. I come right after the girl who broke your heart but right before your next girlfriend.

You don't date me.

We sleep together in the off time so you feel a little less lonely. You call me in the middle of the night to talk about her.

Often. 

Then either you fall for me but run in the other direction to that nice, safe relationship or you forget about me and move on to some other girl who'll actually get a label from you.

She's the one you can introduce to your friends and family but I'm the one you'll still be thinking about when you're lying next to her."


In-Between Girl by laubauzz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

Heartbroken Harlot

The cold air was slamming against my skin as I stomped down the street. My heels clicked and my legs shook with each step. I had my shoulders thrown back to try and put the best of me forward. I knew they were watching so I didn't hold back at all that night. I stopped to adjust my thigh-hi's, letting my hair fall across my face and stick to my lips; they liked when I did that. I lifted my head up and arched my back then went back to prowling. The wire was starting to sting, but I cherished that pain. I felt like I fucking deserved it.

I reached the corner. The sick yellow light buzzed and cast a falsely angelic glow on my body. The stretch of my skirt was tempting and they were still looking, but no one would come. I could tell tonight would be slow. The only ones on the street were the pathetic losers. They were always intimidated by me, thought even I would turn them down... No, I got my work from the heartbroken, the ones who used to be strong. Those who were sick of feeling fucked around with. For a night I was just their plaything, they could be in charge.

Finally. A man walked towards me, a customer. He was dressed in a black suit with white stripes dripping down it. His stride was proud... Too proud. Wait, what was he doing on my street? Cautiously, I reached my hand into my bag trying to grope for my gun. Something was wrong, he didn't belong on a street like this. He could have any woman he wanted. 20 feet away. 10 feet. 5.

"Hello darling," I dared. He arched an eyebrow seductively and walked around me in a circle.

He spoke. "I have a proposition for you."

"Sorry, sweetie, I don't make deals," I replied. I followed him with my eyes, entirely unsure of his next move.

He let out an arrogant laugh. "This time, you don't have a choice." Then he came at me. I knew it. I pulled out my gun but he grabbed my wrist and twisted it sharply away from me. I was pinned against the wall quicker than I could even believe. "If you can tell me something beautiful about yourself, I'll let you go..." he hissed into my ear. "But all I can see is a sad, ugly whore."

He was right.


Heartbroken Harlot by laubauzz is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.

The name change game

We've been married for about a month and a half now and probably twenty people have asked my what my new last name is. My last name is the same was it was two months ago, five years ago, and 21 years ago. There is now law requiring me to change my name.

I've said several things - I kept my name so it's easier at school, I'll change it when I have kids, etc. People do it for a variety of reasons - some for tradition, some for ease once children are born, some in order to honor a family they feel did a lot for them. Look it up. More men are taking women's last names than before, many stating that their in-laws helped them through hard times or something similar. Other couples have been combining their names, breaking the hyphenation rule and even blending them into one. A well-known example is Mayor Villaraigosa. He and his wife combined their names.

Aside from those innocently asking for my new name I've been bothered already by my university's financial aid office. They asked me several times to submit my legal name change and my new Social Security card. I got so exasperated I finally went to the office in person. I explained to the woman at the desk I hadn't changed my name. She smiled and very genuinely asked if it stayed the same because, by coincidence, my husband had the same last name as me. 

My brain jumped to, "Is this really the only way she could believe I kept my name?" I told her it was too complicated to change it at school and that maybe I'd change it when we have kids. There I went, spitting out the same old excuse. She seemed appeased by this though. She made me submit a handwritten and signed/dated statement that I had not changed my name then sent me on my merry way.

I'm keeping my name because I feel that I've accomplished enough under my current identity that I want to keep it as-is. Also, it was my father's last name and he passed it down to me. My husband is a great part of my life but my dad dedicated eighteen years to raising me. Maybe when Felix has put in his 18 years I'll reconsider.

Meeting our lawyer

After tons of research online for which lawyer we should use I found Blake Nordahl. He came highly recommended by former clients and peers alike. He seemed liberal since had been on the news speaking out against Arizona's recent legislature. He also is a professor at McGeorge so he's invested in Sacramento on several levels. Here's his website: Nordahl Law

Felix and I met him at 4PM right off University Ave. He met us right up front and as we were his last appointment of the day and we could tell he was tired. We started joking with him about how we'd been up since 5:45AM so we'd try to go easy on him.

Once we got back to his office we started all the serious business stuff... except he made everything sound easy and not scary. It didn't feel like business at all. I'm not feeling particularly articulate tonight so I'm just going to transfer my notes from our meeting into here:

1. When can we start the process of adjusting his status?
• Right now - we could have started the day after we got married
2. What is the breakdown of the total costs?
• $100 consultation fee is applied to our total case cost
• Usually he charges $2500 for our kind of case
• BUT he's taking of $500 since we're students!
• He'll also knock off another $100 if we pay in full up front instead of making payments so down to $1900 now
• It's about $1365 for all the filing fees with the government
• Another $250 or so for Felix's physical, more if he needs shots
• So the grand total we should expect, low end is... $1900+1365+250... the total cost is about $3515
3. What is the timeline of the adjustment of status process?
• Once we pay they start working on the case immediately. It takes about one month to assemble the first package that needs to get sent off to ICE. From there it's about three more months tops. So all in all he'll be legal about 4 months from our start date!
4. Not working isn't an option - so what do we do?
• Ideally he should quit his job since he's working with a made up SSN but honestly ICE won't care too much about that when he becomes a resident. He isn't using someone else's SSN and he doesn't owe taxes so he should be fine. Just quit the job as soon as he is legal and seek proper employment with the new and correct information.
5. I didn't change my name... will that hurt us?
• Nope, not at all. Booyah now I'm never changing my name.
6. What else should we be doing to get started?
• We already have a lease together as well as a joint AT&T account
• Get a joint bank account and actually use it, don't just let it sit there
• If possible get on shared health insurance but since we can't it's good he has my Power of Attorney

He reassured us that everything will be fine. He doesn't foresee any issues coming up since Felix entered the country legally, went to high school here and has his diploma, attends college legally, and come on he wants to be a firefighter, how can you say no to this guy?

So yay! We'll keep you posted on everything. We just need to figure out the money stuff.