English 1010-004

Final Draft Research Paper

2009-12-16T08:55:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Government tightly regulates the production and dispensing of prescription medications. However, these same medications are not regulated as contaminates in municipal water supplies. Pharmaceutical contamination has been found in water across the country and around the world, from rivers and streams to water from the tap.

Contamination of water by pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical like compounds has been found to be widespread. Between 1999 and 2000 an initial survey of trace contaminates was conducted by USGS scientists. Samples were taken from 139 waterways in 30 states suspected of possible contamination. 80% of samples taken had at least one or more of the 95 contaminates being tested for in the study.(Kolpin D.E.2002)

More recently the Associated Press conducted an investigation in which it was found that federal testing revealed such trace contaminates in drinking water in 24 out of 28 cities. The A.P. estimated that 46 million Americans are affected.(Assosiated Press,2008) These numbers are quite startling but even more shocking is the magnitude of pharmaceutical contamination outside the U.S. In Patancheru, India recent testing of treated wastewater show levels that are equivalent to that of clinical doses. Patancheru also is the home to approximately 90 pharmaceutical manufacturers who are suspected of contributing to the sever problem. Drugs such as ciprofloxin where found in the water along with 20 other pharmaceutical. One of the concerns scientists have is that if the entire population of an area receives and equivalent clinic dose or more of ciprofloxin and other antibiotics everyday, bacteria in the area could become resistant to such treatment and may be able to spread unchecked. A great deal of the drugs produced in the factors in Patancheru are shipped to the U.S.(Mason, M.2009)

The source of pharmaceutical contamination is not limited to polluting drug companies or unmetabolized medications excreted in human waste. It has been demonstrated that so called concentrated animal feeding operation(CAFO) are to blame for antibiotics and hormones in wastewater too. An example given in a Frontline documentary is the industrial producers of chicken contract to farmers to raise their animals, in many cases the company owns everything; the animals, feed, shelter and , property but many companies put the responsibility of disposing the animals waste to the farmers. These companies then are free any legal responsibility to dispose of said waste properly. This type of animal waste not only contains hormones and anti biotics but when it is released into waterways the nitrogen found in this animal waste promotes the growth of certain is types of algea. In some cases this algea growth removes the oxygen from the water creating huge "dead zones"completely void of life. There is a dead zone at the mouth of the Mississippi river that is estimated to be the size of Massechucetts.(Frontline,2009) Test have also shown that pharmaceutical contamination is not limited to the U.S. and developing nations. Pharmaceuticals have been found in locations in Asia, Europe, and Australia. as well.

The effects of this class of contaminates are more visible and dramatic in the wildlife that inhabit the affected areas. It is thought that as little as 1 ng/liter of hormones or hormone like compounds is enough to illicit a physiological response in fish. In many lakes and streams around the United States fish and other aquatic life have been found with both sex organs due to exposure.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife scientists have been examining the effects of pharmaceutical contamination on fish in Lake Mead and the Colorado River. They have found that several endangered fish as well as non endangered fish have felt the effects, such contamination is being blamed for dramatic reproductive problems. In the cases of the Razorback Sucker and the Male Fathead Minnow, both endangered, have been found with damaged sperm or low sperm count. Males of other fish species have been feminized, so called feminization occurs when male fish produce yolk protein normally only produced by female fish. At this point it is appropriate to mention that along with dumping treated waste water into Lake Mead Las Vegas also draws water from the lake for municipal use as potable water. In other instances the ratio male to female fish has been found to be abnormal. in yet other instances female fish have been found with male genitalia.

And it is not just what goes down our drain many types of industrial waste has been found to disrupt the endocrine system, so called endocrine disruptor are compounds that are similar to natural hormones that humans and animals use for all types of vital physiological functions, reproduction being among these.(Arnold, Robert G.2002)

These type of chemicals can block certain receptors, rendering them useless to respond to stimulation in a normal way. Hormones are the messengers of the body and if these messengers can't function it becomes very hard for the body to function in a normal way. When an embryo is developing in the womb, for example, is the release of certain hormones at certain critical times that causes the embryo to develop in specific ways. One could imagine the havoc that these endocrine disruptor could play on an embryos development, in the case of aquatic life the eggs of fish and amphibians are developing directly in the contaminated water.

The effects are not just limited to fish. A wide variety of life have felt the effects including vultures who eat contaminated animals, toxins build to high levels and the animal dies of kidney failure, mussels and algae have felt the effects too.
In boulder Creek, Colorado 50 out of 60 white suckers caught down stream of a waste treatment plant were female while up stream the ratio was approximately 50/50.
Bull Sharks nursing in Florida's Caloosahatchee River were tested with the first 9 out of 10 sharks tested showing positive for pharmaceutical presents in blood and liver samples. According to an environmental contaminates specialist with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, results are similar almost everywhere you look.

While you can surmise the ramifications that this may have, the exact effects are largely unknown in humans or the synergistic effects of a large variety of these chemicals may have in the presents of one another. Few studies have examined this issue. One study that I found while doing my research examined the possible connection of the high rate of breast cancer in Cape Cod residents to contaminated drinking water, the study could demonstrate no such connection. While another study did get preliminary positive reactions. This study was performed by Francesco Pomati at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Pomati exposed a human kidney tissue to the same types of pharmaceuticals found in Italian water at similarly small dose. In some cases the kidney growth slowed by up to one third, showing that these drugs in tiny doses and in the presents of one another illicit a physiological response in human tissue. Another interesting finding of Pomati's work seems to indicate that some drugs have an effect at low doses that is not seen at higher doses. It is important to mention that these results are preliminary and are not necissarily representative of tissue responses in the human body.

One fact that is concerning is that some of the higher concentrations of estrogen found by the USGS survey were around 2mcg/liter, when compared to the clinic dose of estrogen for contraceptive purposes at 25-35mcg/day it becomes more clear what type of threat such contamination poses. So if a person consumes 2 liters of water a day they are getting nearly 20% of the minimum clinical dose(Arnold, Robert G.2002) This is of coarse an adult dose, it is disturbing to think of a child getting 20% of this dose.

All of the information cited above leads one to ask the obvious question; what action is being taken to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies and public health? According to the Associated Press' investigation The EPA does not require testing of potable water supplies for pharmaceutical contamination, nor have they established minimum safe levels. In this investigation 52 providers of city water where contacted, one in each state and 2 in Texas and 2 in Missouri and none test for such contaminates. When such testing is performed the result generally are not shared with the public.(Assosiated Press,2008)

One technique that has show success in removing pharmaceuticals from waste water is called reverse osmosis. This is being used in a sate of the art facility in Southern California. Although this method has been show to be affective it has many drawbacks. It is very expensive to build and operate, and for every gallon of usable water it produces 3 gallons of unusable sludge water. The additional water use The EPA has set no standard for minimum safe levels of pharmaceutical contamination in municipal water supplies: While the EPA acknowledges this problem exists it has yet to act, citing lack of conclusive evidence of effects to human health. The EPA has however started to encourage proper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals and has set up disposal sites for such leftover drugs in several states for Earth Day. The Federal Government has set some preliminary guideline for home disposal of unused pharmaceuticals. Some of these guidelines include; 1)keeping medications in the original containers for identification purposes. 2)Removing the name of the recipient of the prescription. 3)In the case of solid medication a small amount of water should be added to partially dissolve tablets, in the case of liquid medications an amount of salt or flour should be added.(these measures are to discourage use after disposal) 4)The container should then be wrapped in bubble wrap or some type of padding and placed in a secondary container to prevent the container from rupturing in a municipal landfill. The EPA has also purposed designating pharmaceuticals as universal waste. Items also included may be more damaging to the environment than the pharmaceutical contamination, according to some scientists.(Associated Press) In this special designation are batteries, lamps(light bulbs)mercury containing items and other household hazardous waste. This purposed rule would encourage the generators of such waste i.e. medical and veterinary facilities to collect unused drugs for proper disposal.

Other water treatment methods are mostly to wholly ineffective at removing such contaminates and in some cases may be doing more harm than good, that is as far as drug contamination is concerned. For example chlorination, acetaminophen in the presence of chlorine forms two know toxic chemicals. In the case of other drugs the effect of chlorine is unknown.(Associated Press)

The magnitude of this issue is incredibly daunting. However, if we use a multilateral approach to addressing this problem it can be resolved or at leased greatly diminished. If we first are cognisant of our own actions and second encourage water providers, providers of pharmaceuticals and government agencies to take a more aggressive stance toward keeping such chemicals out of the environment a great amount of this issue would be resolved. Public thought is already moving in that direction with state and local governments taking the lead and the federal government following behind. The only question that remains is one of time, will such changes take place before the damage done makes recovery impossible.
Bibliography:

Environmental Science & Technology: Kolpin, D.E., Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999-2000: A national reconnaissance, v. 36, no. 6, p. 1202-1211, 2002 (see http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/FS-027-02/index.html).

Arnold, Robert G. "Pharmaceuticals without a Prescription." Journal of Environmental Engineering Oct. 2002: 907. Military & Government Collection. EBSCO. Web. 12 Nov. 2009.

Burkholder, JoAnn, et al. "Impacts of Waste from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations on Water Quality." Environmental Health Perspectives 115.2 (2007): 308-312. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Nov. 2009.

"Poisoned Waters." Dir. Rick Young. Frontline. PBS. WGBH, Boston,
21 Apr. 2009. Television.

Margie Mason. "THE WORLD; 'Ecological sacrifice zone' in India; Water in a town with pharmaceutical plants that supply the U.S. is tainted with antibiotics and other strong drugs. " Los Angeles Times 8 Feb. 2009,Los Angeles Times, ProQuest. Web. 17 Nov. 2009.

Brody, Julia Green, et al. "Breast cancer risk and drinking water contaminated by wastewater: a case control study." Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 5.(2006): 28. MEDLINE. EBSCO. Web. 22 Nov. 2009

Leonnig, Carol D. "Area Tap Water Has Traces of Medicines." The Washington Post. 10 Mar. 2008: B1.retrieved from the web on 11/21/2009 at www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/03/09/ST2008030901877.html

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/pharmawater_site/

First Draft Research Paper

2009-12-03T19:55:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Government tightly regulates the production and dispensing of prescription medications. However, these same medications are not regulated as contaminates in municipal water supplies. Pharmaceutical contamination has been found in water across the country and around the world, from rivers and streams to water from the tap.

Contamination of water by pharmaceuticals and pharmaceutical like compounds has been found to be widespread. Between 1999 and 2000 an initial survey of trace contaminates was conducted by USGS scientists. Samples were taken from 139 waterways in 30 states suspected of possible contamination. 80% of samples taken had at least one or more of the 95 contaminates being tested for in the study.(Kolpin D.E.2002)

More recently the Associated Press conducted an investigation in which it was found that federal testing revealed such trace contaminates in drinking water in 24 out of 28 cities. The A.P. estimated that 46 million Americans are affected.(Assosiated Press,2008) These numbers are quite startling but even more shocking is the magnitude of pharmaceutical contamination outside the U.S. In Patancheru, India recent testing of treated wastewater show levels that are equivalent to that of clinical doses. Patancheru also is the home to approximately 90 pharmaceutical manufacturers who are suspected of contributing to the sever problem. Drugs such as ciprofloxin where found in the water along with 20 other pharmaceutical. One of the concerns scientists have is that if the entire population of an area receives and equivalent clinic dose or more of ciprofloxin and other antibiotics everyday, bacteria in the area could become resistant to such treatment and may be able to spread unchecked. A great deal of the drugs produced in the factors in Patancheru are shipped to the U.S.(Mason, M.2009)

The source of pharmaceutical contamination is not limited to polluting drug companies or unmetabolized medications excreted in human waste. It has been demonstrated that so called concentrated animal feeding operation(CAFO) are to blame for antibiotics and hormones in wastewater too. An example given in a Frontline documentary is the industrial producers of chicken contract to farmers to raise their animals, in many cases the company owns everything; the animals, feed, shelter and , property but many companies put the responsibility of disposing the animals waste to the farmers. These companies then are free any legal responsibility to dispose of said waste properly. This type of animal waste not only contains hormones and anti biotics but when it is released into waterways the nitrogen found in this animal waste promotes the growth of certain is types of algea. In some cases this algea growth removes the oxygen from the water creating huge "dead zones"completely void of life. There is a dead zone at the mouth of the Mississippi river that is estimated to be the size of Massechucetts.(Frontline,2009) Test have also shown that pharmaceutical contamination is not limited to the U.S. and developing nations. Pharmaceuticals have been found in locations in Asia, Europe, and Australia. as well.

The effects of this class of contaminates are more visible and dramatic in the wildlife that inhabit the affected areas. It is thought that as little as 1 ng/liter of hormones or hormone like compounds is enough to illicit a physiological response in fish. In many lakes and streams around the United States fish and other aquatic life have been found with both sex organs due to exposure. And it is not just what goes down our drain many types of industrial waste has been found to disrupt the endocrine system, so called endocrine disruptor are compounds that are similar to natural hormones that humans and animals use for all types of vital physiological functions, reproduction being among these.(Arnold, Robert G.2002)

These type of chemicals can block certain receptors, rendering them useless to respond to stimulation in a normal way. Hormones are the messengers of the body and if these messengers can't function it becomes very hard for the body to function in a normal way. When an embryo is developing in the womb, for example, is the release of certain hormones at certain critical times that causes the embryo to develop in specific ways. One could imagine the havoc that these endocrine disruptor could play on an embryos development, in the case of aquatic life the eggs of fish and amphibians are developing directly in the contaminated water.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife scientists have been examining the effects of pharmaceutical contamination on fish in Lake Mead and the Colorado River. They have found that several endangered fish as well as non endangered fish have felt the effects, such contamination is being blamed for dramatic reproductive problems. In the cases of the Razorback Sucker and the Male Fathead Minnow, both endangered, have been found with damaged sperm or low sperm count. Males of other fish species have been feminized, so called feminization occurs when male fish produce yolk protein normally only produced by female fish. At this point it is appropriate to mention that along with dumping treated waste water into Lake Mead Las Vegas also draws water from the lake for municipal use as potable water. In other instances the ratio male to female fish has been found to be abnormal. in yet other instances female fish have been found with male genitalia.

The effects are not just limited to fish. A wide variety of life have felt the effects including vultures who eat contaminated animals, toxins build to high levels and the animal dies of kidney failure, mussels and algae have felt the effects too.
In boulder Creek, Colorado 50 out of 60 white suckers caught down stream of a waste treatment plant were female while up stream the ratio was approximately 50/50.
Bull Sharks nursing in Florida's Caloosahatchee River were tested with the first 9 out of 10 sharks tested showing positive for pharmaceutical presents in blood and liver samples. According to an environmental contaminates specialist with U.S. Fish and Wildlife, results are similar almost everywhere you look.

While you can surmise the ramifications that this may have, the exact effects are largely unknown in humans or the synergistic effects of a large variety of these chemicals may have in the presents of one another. Few studies have examined this issue. One study that I found while doing my research examined the possible connection of the high rate of breast cancer in Cape Cod residents to contaminated drinking water, the study could demonstrate no such connection. While another study did get preliminary positive reactions. This study was performed by Francesco Pomati at the University of New South Wales in Sydney. Pomati exposed a human kidney tissue to the same types of pharmaceuticals found in Italian water at similarly small dose. In some cases the kidney growth slowed by up to one third, showing that these drugs in tiny doses and in the presents of one another illicit a physiological response in human tissue. Another interesting finding of Pomati's work seems to indicate that some drugs have an effect at low doses that is not seen at higher doses. It is important to mention that these results are preliminary and are not necissarily representative of tissue responses in the human body.

One fact that is concerning is that some of the higher concentrations of estrogen found by the USGS survey were around 2mcg/liter, when compared to the clinic dose of estrogen for contraceptive purposes at 25-35mcg/day it becomes more clear what type of threat such contamination poses. So if a person consumes 2 liters of water a day they are getting nearly 20% of the minimum clinical dose(Arnold, Robert G.2002) This is of coarse an adult dose, it is disturbing to think of a child getting 20% of this dose.

All of the information cited above leads one to ask the obvious question; what action is being taken to ensure the safety of drinking water supplies and public health?
According to the Associated Press' investigation The EPA does not require testing of potable water supplies for pharmaceutical contamination, nor have they established minimum safe levels. In this investigation 52 providers of city water where contacted, one in each state and 2 in Texas and 2 in Missouri and none test for such contaminates. When such testing is performed the result generally are not shared with the public.(Assosiated Press,2008)

in this special designation are batteries, lamps(light bulbs)mercury containing items and other household hazardous waste. This purposed rule would encourage the generators of such waste i.e. medical and veterinary facilities to collect unused drugs for proper disposal.

One technique that has show success in removing pharmaceuticals from waste water is called reverse osmosis. This is being used in a sate of the art facility in Southern California. Although this method has been show to be affective it has many drawbacks. It is very expensive to build and operate, and for every gallon of usable water it produces 3 gallons of unusable sludge water. The additional water use The EPA has set no standard for minimum safe levels of pharmaceutical contamination in municipal water supplies: While the EPA acknowledges this problem exists it has yet to act, citing lack of conclusive evidence of effects to human health. The EPA has however started to encourage proper disposal of unused pharmaceuticals and has set up disposal sites for such leftover drugs in several states for Earth Day. The Federal Government has set some preliminary guideline for home disposal of unused pharmaceuticals. Some of these guidelines include; 1)keeping medications in the original containers for identification purposes. 2)Removing the name of the recipient of the prescription. 3)In the case of solid medication a small amount of water should be added to partially dissolve tablets, in the case of liquid medications an amount of salt or flour should be added.(these measures are to discourage use after disposal) 4)The container should then be wrapped in bubble wrap or some type of padding and placed in a secondary container to prevent the container from rupturing in a municipal landfill. The EPA has also purposed designating pharmaceuticals as universal waste. Items also included may be more damaging to the environment than the pharmaceutical contamination, according to some scientists.(Associated Press)

Other water treatment methods are mostly to wholly ineffective at removing such contaminates and in some cases may be doing more harm than good, that is as far as drug contamination is concerned. For example chlorination, acetaminophen in the presence of chlorine forms two know toxic chemicals. In the case of other drugs the effect of chlorine is unknown.(Associated Press)

The magnitude of this issue is incredibly daunting. However, if we use a multilateral approach to addressing this problem it can be resolved or at leased greatly diminished. If we first are cognisant of our own actions and second encourage water providers, providers of pharmaceuticals and government agencies to take a more aggressive stance toward keeping such chemicals out of the environment a great amount of this issue would be resolved. Public thought is already moving in that direction with state and local governments taking the lead and the federal government following behind. The only question that remains is one of time, will such changes take place before the damage done makes recovery impossible.
Bibliography:

Environmental Science & Technology: Kolpin, D.E., Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999-2000: A national reconnaissance, v. 36, no. 6, p. 1202-1211, 2002 (see http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/FS-027-02/index.html).

Arnold, Robert G. "Pharmaceuticals without a Prescription." Journal of Environmental Engineering Oct. 2002: 907. Military & Government Collection. EBSCO. Web. 12 Nov. 2009.

Burkholder, JoAnn, et al. "Impacts of Waste from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations on Water Quality." Environmental Health Perspectives 115.2 (2007): 308-312. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Nov. 2009.

"Poisoned Waters." Dir. Rick Young. Frontline. PBS. WGBH, Boston,
21 Apr. 2009. Television.

Margie Mason. "THE WORLD; 'Ecological sacrifice zone' in India; Water in a town with pharmaceutical plants that supply the U.S. is tainted with antibiotics and other strong drugs. " Los Angeles Times 8 Feb. 2009,Los Angeles Times, ProQuest. Web. 17 Nov. 2009.

Brody, Julia Green, et al. "Breast cancer risk and drinking water contaminated by wastewater: a case control study." Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 5.(2006): 28. MEDLINE. EBSCO. Web. 22 Nov. 2009

Leonnig, Carol D. "Area Tap Water Has Traces of Medicines." The Washington Post. 10 Mar. 2008: B1.retrieved from the web on 11/21/2009 at www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/03/09/ST2008030901877.html

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/pharmawater_site/

Paper Outline

2009-12-01T19:34:00.000-08:00

The Problem of Pharmaceutical Contamination is Widespread.
- Between 1999 and 2000 A USGS survey tested 139 waterways suspected of being contaminated. Most all of the waterways tested had at least 1 of the 95 contaminates being tested for.
- In a federal study of city drinking water. 24 out of 28 municipal water supplies had these types of contaminates present.
- According to a L.A. Times article waterways around pharmaceutical manufacturers in India are so heavily contaminated that drinking water out of the river is as good as taking Cipro tablets.

The effects of pharmaceutical contamination have been found in wildlife but health risks posed to humans are yet to be determined.
-It has be determined by the USGS that fish are seriously affected by minute amounts of hormones found in rivers and streams, such as fish and amphibians found with both sex organs.
- The has been no conclusive evidence of the effects of such contaminates on human health
- A study investigated the possible connection of high rates of breast cancer on Cape Cod with contaminated water, the study concluded that no connection was observed.

The EPA has set no standards for these types of contaminates.
- According to the AP investigation there has been no min. safe level established.
- The great majority of water treatment plants do not test for pharmaceutical contaminates nor is the technology in place to remove such contaminates if they were detected.

Student Choice #4, Multiple Perspective Free Write, and Introductions

2009-11-24T21:21:00.001-08:00

Student Choice #4

http://hosted.ap.org/specials/interactives/pharmawater_site/

This web site give a full description of a 5 month long Associated Press investigation into pharmaceutical contamination in treated drinking water. The question asked by the contributing writers was; Are treated drinking water sources contaminated with pharmaceuticals, if so how widespread is the contamination, and what are the health risks posed to humans. The evidence presented was quite startling, the AP conducted testing across the U.S. and found that many metropolitan area tap water had low levels of pharmaceutical contamination. This contamination affected approximately 40 million people. This investigation consisted of many articles which were written for a general public audience. The conclusion was that the EPA has no standards set for minimum safe levels of such contaminates nor is there any requirement to test for such compounds. Such standards and testing requirements need to be mandated by the Federal Government.

I believe, after having reviewed many articles on the subject, that the assertions to be accurate. I also believe that the large amount of evidence collected in this investigation to be convincing and useful. However, due to the number of articles, writers and information collected I am not certain what I will end up using, so I have given the web site where the information is made available and I will cite the specific author and articles used in my final paper.

Multiple Perspective Free Write

Perspective #1: A resident using public water supplies contaminated with pharmaceuticals.

I am very concerned for my personal health and the health of my family. A family has no alternative but to use municipal water supplies. We could buy bottled water but even that I heard is not safe from these type of contaminates. How can I feel good about letting my child bath in water that could have drugs in it, especially if the effects on human health are not known.

Perspective #2: Persons in charge of ensuring safe drinking water on a local level

It is difficult to feel like you are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of the water when the proper resources are not at your disposal. Technology to test for such trace amount of pharmaceuticals and other similar compounds was only developed
10 or so years ago by the USGS. It is somewhat difficult to do but not nearly as difficult as it is to remove such contaminates once you have determined their presents. Nationwide almost no municipal water treatment plant has the technology to remove such contaminates. I feel the only way things are going to change is if the public starts to put pressure on Federal, State, and local officials to take action.

Perspective #3: Federal EPA Regulator

We are now looking very closely at these emergent contaminates. We are investigating aspects such as risk to human health and risks to wildlife. It is still not known what the effect on human health may be or what synergistic effects the contaminates may have on one another. Given that, it becomes difficult to set national standards.
Cities and Towns across the country are facing budgetary shortfalls this year, if we set a standard prematurely local governments most likely will not be able to abide by such standards due to monetary constraints. We must proceed slowly and deliberately to make sure we get it right.

Introductions

Into #1
Are you tired of pay for birth control for yourself or your partner? Well no need to worry just drink water from your tap. That may sound absolutely ridiculous but in some parts of the country it is not far from the truth.

Intro #2
The first national reconnaissance for contamination of trace amounts of pharmaceutical and pharmaceutical like compounds was performed by USGS scientists in 1999-2000. !39 waterways were tested and most had at least 1 of the 90 chemicals being tested for present. Since then numerous other studies have been completed in many location nationwide and around the world with startling result. An Associated press investigation lasting over 5 months revealed that these types of contaminates are present in various levels in the drinking water of approximately 44 million Americans.

Intro #3
It is illegal and dangerous to take some medications without a prescription but these same drugs are found in drinking water in many parts of the country. The EPA has failed to established any regulation or guidelines in this matter at all. They do not know what health risks these trace contaminates pose or what levels are safe and which may be hazardous.

Annotated Bibliography #5 and Student Choice #3

2009-11-21T22:44:00.000-08:00

Annotated Bibliography #5

Brody, Julia Green, et al. "Breast cancer risk and drinking water contaminated by wastewater: a case control study." Environmental Health: A Global Access Science Source 5.(2006): 28. MEDLINE. EBSCO. Web. 22 Nov. 2009

The question posed in this study was; is there a correlation between the high rate of breast cancer in Cape Cod and exposure to contaminated drinking water?
The evidence cited in this study were the cases of approximately 800 residence of Cape Cod that had been diagnosed with breast cancer. The study identified a marker compound, Nitrate-N, that is present in contaminated waste water. The participant were then tested for this marker compound. The audience for this study would be professionals involved in environmental and health sciences. The conclusion of this study was that there was no evidence found of a connection between an elevated rate of breast cancer and exposure to contaminated water supplies.

I believe the assertion was accurate. The authors of the study were careful in not saying there is no connection but there was no evidence found of such a connection. The evidence was convincing, the sample group was large and many aspect were examined in order to make the study as accurate as possible. I am not in the audience. The study was helpful, this was the first study that I have found that investigates this particular question of the effects of emerging contaminates on human health. I am not certain if I will us this study in my final Paper.

Student Choice #3

Leonnig, Carol D. "Area Tap Water Has Traces of Medicines." The Washington Post. 10 Mar. 2008: B1.retrieved from the web on 11/21/2009 at www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/03/09/ST2008030901877.html

The question posed by this article is; does the recent discovery of certain types of Pharmaceutical compounds in Washington D.C. area tap water reason for concern? The evidence cited were an investigative report done by the Associated Press and the USGS survey of various waterways across the U.S. The audience in this case is the general public, specifically Washington D.C. area residence. The article concludes that for the moment these findings do not warrant concern due to the very low concentration found, but it furthers states that the effects of long term exposure to such compounds at low doses is not know. the article goes on to say that it is also not known if these drugs may have a synergistic effect.

After researching this topic I believe the assertions of this article to be true. I also believe the evidence to be convincing. The Washington Post is a reputable newspaper and the article names most of its sources so one could independently verify the facts being stated. I am in the intended audience of the article and I will use the information in my final paper because this article was the first I had heard of tap water being tested and getting positive results. All other information I had read to this point cited findings of pharmaceuticals in ground and surface water only.

Annotated bibliography #4 and Student Choice #1 and 2

2009-11-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

Annotated Bibliography #4

Burkholder, JoAnn, et al. "Impacts of Waste from Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations on Water Quality." Environmental Health Perspectives 115.2 (2007): 308-312. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 17 Nov. 2009.

The question posed by this article is; what are the effects of concentrated animal feeding operations on surface and ground water quality. Specifically raising questions of fecal and pharmaceutical contamination. The evidence cited in this paper is quite convincing, and had an entire page of references. This paper had many more references than all the papers I have cited combined. Ranging from citations on the physiological effects of such pollutants to raw data gathered in the field. The audience for this article are professionals in the field of environmental science, wildlife biology and individuals involved in public health. The conclusion of this paper was a bit like the others I have read in that an effect on the water(surface and ground) and wildlife is clearly demonstrated. The effects on human health however, is a little less certain.

I felt the assertion in this article was accurate and the evidence was convincing. I was not in the intended audience, but even still this article was very useful to me, if for no other reason the the vast amount of references cited. I will most likely us the information in this article for my final paper.

Student Choice #1

"Poisoned Waters." Dir. Rick Young. Frontline. PBS. WGBH, Boston,
21 Apr. 2009. Television.

In this PBS documentary the question asked is in what state are our countries water ways and estuaries. The Chesapeake Bay and Puget Sound were the primary areas of focus for this documentary. The evidence used in this film were many first had accounts and video documentation of the effect of pollution on the fisheries and other marine life in the areas mentioned above. The audience in this case would be the general public or anyone interested in the environment or public health. The conclusion is that without serious help these areas will fall victim to continuous algae plumes and almost no marine life in the water due to lack of oxygen. One of the most striking statements in this film was that 40% of the Chesapeake Bay was already a so called "Dead Zone" or an area void of life and oxygen in the water.

I believe this film's assertion to be accurate. The films video footage of these "Dead Zone" were quite convincing as well as first hand accounts of Professional fishing operators going out of business due to lack of fish, crab, and oysters. I would be in the intended audience, I found this film to be useful although it did not focus specifically on my topic I will most likely use some information in my final paper.

Student Choice #2

Margie Mason. "THE WORLD; 'Ecological sacrifice zone' in India; Water in a town with pharmaceutical plants that supply the U.S. is tainted with antibiotics and other strong drugs. " Los Angeles Times 8 Feb. 2009,Los Angeles Times, ProQuest. Web. 17 Nov. 2009.

The question posed in this article would have to be; how diligent are pharmaceutical manufacturers at preventing there products or bi products from leeching into the environment? This article specifically addressed problems and concerning Indian pharmaceutical companies. The intended audience for this article is the general public. The conclusion of this article is that the Indian populations' fight against industrial pollution is an old and ongoing struggle and that these types of problems need to be addressed.

I believe the assertions made in this article to be accurate and the evidence is convincing. However, some of the sources were not cited. I am included in the intended audience. I believe this article will be useful in the final draft of my paper, and I will most likely cite this article.

Annotated Bibliography #2 and #3

2009-11-12T11:40:00.000-08:00

Annotated Bibliography #2

Arnold, Robert G. "Pharmaceuticals without a Prescription." Journal of Environmental Engineering Oct. 2002: 907. Military & Government Collection. EBSCO. Web. 12 Nov. 2009.

First it is important to mention that this article is an editorial published in a professional journal. The question posed in this article is what affect are pharmaceutical pollutants and pharmaceutically active compounds having on the environment? Specifically, what are the health risks to humans.

The evidence presented is that of results of studies done by the USGS. The author compares levels of pharmaceutical contamination to that of therapeutic doses of the corresponding drugs. The audience of this article would be professionals in water and environmental sciences. The conclusion reached by this article is that the effects of such pharmaceutical contaminants at levels found is unknown but that levels found in the USGS study do not reach that of therapeutic doses. The author further concludes that these levels are sufficient to effect fish and other wildlife and have be demonstrated that such effects are taking place. The author further states the potentially disastrous effects if the level of these type of pollutants is allowed to increase.

I feel that the assertions made by the author are accurate and that the evidence presented is convincing.
I am not part of the intended audience. However I found the article useful. Specifically the author has constructed a table of the USGS findings compared with therapeutic doses of the same drugs. The dosing information was taken from the Physicians Desk Reference or PDR. This is the primary piece of information I will use in my final paper.

Annotated Bibliography #3

Baker, Michael E., et al. "Analysis of Endocrine Disruption in Southern California Coastal Fish Using an Aquatic Multispecies Microarray." Environmental Health Perspectives 117.2 (2009): 223-230. Academic Search Premier. EBSCO. Web. 14 Nov. 2009.

The question posed by this article was; How are hormones and hormone like chemicals(endocrine disruptors)affecting fish and other marine life off the coast of Southern California? And is the a quantitative metod for detecting such effects. The evidence used in this article is a large amount of raw data put together in such a way as to show trends in change to exposure to such chemicals and to investigate if there are any physiological changes produced by exposure to these types of chemicals and can these changes be detected using specific methods cited in the article. The audience for this article would be scientists involved in the environmental and biological sciences. This article concludes in general that there are physiological changes marine life due to exposure of the above listed chemicals but the question of how widespread contamination is and the totality of changes in biology of marine life is yet to be determined.

The assertions made by this article I believe to be accurate and convincing due to the large amount of data gathered from many sources. I am not part of the intended audience. this article demonstrated that new methods of detecting effects of these types of pollutants was effective and this is helpful to me in that it demonstrates effects already taking place and the very real possibility that these types of chemicals may be having an effect on human populations, but these effects have yet to be determined with any type of completeness.

Research Guide and Annotated Bibliography # 1

2009-11-07T21:00:00.000-08:00

1. What do I already know about the issue?
-I know that there have be small amounts of pharmaceuticals and other Pharmaceutical like chemicals found in ground water.

2. What questions do I have about the issue?
-What effect are pharmaceutical contaminants having in groundwater and surrounding environments?
-How widespread is pharmaceutical contamination?
-Are pharmaceutical contaminants found in municipal water supplies?
-Is so do technologies exist to remove such contaminants? Are they in use?
-Are these types of contaminants generally tested for in drinking water supplies?
-If such contamination is found to exists do the levels of hormones and pharmaceuticals reach that of clinical doses?

3. Who is interested in this issue
-I believe those that would be interested would include everyone who uses municipal water supplies, as well as clinicians providing public health support and biologists studying effected ecosystems.

4. Where do people read, write, talk, or hear about this issue?
-I first heard about this issue by means of a news documentary. Other places where this topic might be discussed would include news periodicals, scientific journal, Government web sites dealing with water quality and hydrology and possibly
environmental wed sites and blogs.

5. Where will I look to find secondary sources?
-I believe my principal source of secondary sources will be library databases of journal articles as well as university press releases.

6. Will I conduct primary research?
-Yes, Primary sources will be obtained from databases and Government websites .

7. Research Timeline: I will post my Annotated Bibliography on or before the due dates for each so as to have adequate time to search for the best and most relevant sources.

Annotated Bibliography #1

Environmental Science & Technology: Kolpin, D.E., Pharmaceuticals, hormones, and other organic wastewater contaminants in U.S. streams, 1999-2000: A national reconnaissance, v. 36, no. 6, p. 1202-1211, 2002 (see http://toxics.usgs.gov/pubs/FS-027-02/index.html).

The question posed by this publication is,"How wide spread is contamination by pharmaceuticals, hormones and other organic compounds in U.S. streams and rivers"
The evidence used in this study are water samples taken from 133 rivers and streams throughout the United States. Levels of specific contaminates are listed using a range, measured in micrograms/liter. This publication, I believe, Is for use by scientists in various disciplines. This is just a preliminary study, the focus was broad and listed sampling results from a variety of locations.

This study does not make an assertion other than the evidence found warrants further and more in depth study. I felt like the source was objective and the findings of the study convincing. I am not part of the audience the study was intended for. This information was very helpful for me in my initial search for data. The study areas were marked on a map of the U.S. this will give me further leads in future research. I believe I will reference this study in my final paper.

Final Analysis

2009-11-01T22:49:00.000-08:00

Angel episode: Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?

The title of this episode suggests the time in which this episode takes place, the 1950s, specifically making reference to the question posed to many witnesses testifying in the McCarthy hearings on Communism. The title hints to the main idea or plot of this story, which is, I believe, how easily people are manipulated when they are fearful and paranoia infiltrates the environment they are in.

In this episode Angel asks his investigative team to look into the history of the Hyperion Hotel in Los Angeles. In the flashback scenes we learned that he(Angel) was once a resident at this hotel and that his presence was not exactly welcome. We learn further that there is a demon that inhabits the hotel. He feeds on the negative emotions of the hotels occupants, specifically fear and hate. In the period of time Angel was living in this hotel he was very much in the midst of a personal struggle. In a transition from the vampire he was to the being he is at present. Perhaps this was the reason behind his less than forthcoming attitude toward this particular investigation. Possibly he was embarrassed or ashamed of this period in his life.

Angel, eventually leaves the hotel and its occupants to the Demon. This was the part that puzzled me the most. Angel knew that the Demon was highly manipulative and he even told Judy that "There's something in this Hotel, something that's making people crazy." So, it seems somewhat strange to me that Angel is surprised when Judy betrays him as being guilty of the murder of the candle salesman, after all he must have had some idea that the suicide was provoked by this presence, especially given the fact that there had been two other suicides at the hotel in the past 3 months. If this Demon could drive someone to kill himself it could certainly be the primary reason Judy betrays him in the end. Also, while consoling Judy when she is recanting the reasons she was fired from her position at the bank in Kansas, Angel stated "Fear makes people do stupid things," in reference to Judy's supervisors. This also seemed a little out of place given how Angel behaves during his first interaction with the Demon after his attempted hanging. Is Angel manipulated by the Demon? I would say not in the sense that the hotel guests are. Watching the first exchange between the Demon and Angel it would certainly seem, by the look on Angels face, that he did feel let down by his new friend. I would say that most certainly the Demon was manipulating Angel but I would also say that Angel allowed himself to be manipulated, because the Demon certainly didn't have the same power over Angel as he did over the hotel residents. Maybe this is going out on a limb here but for one moment consider what the life of a vampire must be like, I wonder how many unpleasant encounters with people Angel had had up to that point in his life, probably quite a few. I would guess that his unpleasant dealings with people were the reason he was portrayed as so reclusive at the beginning of the episode.

I believe that Angel was partially, if not fully, aware of the Demon's intentions to manipulate him. After all he was returning to the Hotel(1952 Angel)with implements to kill the Demon, clearly the Demon was aware of this. I would suspect that Angel would have known that the Demon would try and resist his own destruction, by using his strongest weapon, his influence on the people surrounding Angel. Given the above cited points I found it strange Angel would have given up so easily. The conclusion that I came to was that he left the hotel and its occupants to the Demon because he just didn't care about people enough at this point in his life to stick around and defend them, especially, one could assume, after a lifetime of being persecuted by people. Wanting to correct this wrong, and I believe having changed over time, led Angel back to this hotel to confront this demon and possibly his own demons.

There is, however, another way of looking at this. If you believe that the power of manipulation the Demon had over Angel was complete then it would stand that the majority of Angel's actions in this episode are influenced by the Demon. From Angel's initial defense of Judy to his purchasing of items to kill the Demon. One thing that Angel said that may support this idea was in response to the bookstore owner's question," So why does a vampire want to help a bunch of humans?" Angel responds that he wasn't sure. It could be that the Demon would benefit from equally or possibly more to Angel's fear, paranoia and eventually hatred even though his fears and paranoia were based in reality. If you think about it Angel's behavior could be compared to the behavior of the other hotel residence. The difference being that he was somewhat aware of what was taking place and the occupants of the hotel were not.

If I had to guess, I would say it's more the former perspective rather than the latter but it is impossible to say with any type of accuracy due to the fact that we are not vampires or demons, nor do we live in 1952. So our analysis is only as good as our own personal experiences and while I feel this episode is a metaphor and obviously not based on events that could take place, one could still place oneself in the shoes of the characters and try and think like they think (or might think) if they weren't fictional.

Final Reflection

2009-11-01T18:19:00.000-08:00

The crux of our journey was fighting our travel fatigue and crossing the border into Ecuador at a small town called Tumbes. Tumbes is like many other border towns in that it seems lawless, remote, and dangerous. This town is not without significance, it is the location where Pizarro and his Conquistadors first landed in South America in 1532. This marked the beginning of the end for indigenous people living on the continent. It was hard for me to imagine, as our bus crossed the vast lifeless desert that comprises most of the northern coast of Peru, how Pizarro was able to traverse this area with relatively few men and go on to determine the fate of millions of people. It took us nearly 8 hours to cross the most hostile landscape that I had ever seen. This region is almost completely void of anything but rocks, sand and the Pacific Ocean.

I had crossed the border at Tumbes several times before and it was never a pleasant experience. This time it would be worse. After a total of 16 hours on a bus we reached Tumbes early in the morning. The bus station had high walls and no one dared leave the safety of the bus terminal. After an hour we were able to arrange transportation to the actual boarder crossing which is a few miles away from the town. Once we reached the customs office we got our exit stamps from the Peruvian side and made our way to the Ecuadorian customs office. It was here that we learned there was a transportation strike in Ecuador and the whole area was paralyzed. At this point we had two options, either wait in Tumbes for the strike to resolve itself, which could take days, or try and make our way through the area in spite of the strike. I was less than enthusiastic about our choices but that is the reality of travel in developing nations. I had a reoccurring fantasy of lying on a beach in the sun sipping a LARGE cocktail. We would have to run through the strike in order to make this come to fruition.

Outside the Ecuadorian border office we ran into two pushy and somewhat shady guys who offered to take us through the strike and into a town called Machala. It was against both of our better judgments but what choice did we have, so off we went on foot. In the distance we could see the smoke rising from burning tires and large mounds of dirt and rocks piled on the road in order to barricade traffic. As we walked my brother and I discussed strategies in the event the situation went south. We have both been the victims of violent muggings and we were not excited at the possibility of repeating those experiences. In reality, if they had decided to rob us there was very little that we could have done. I suppose we only talked about what we would do to make ourselves feel better about the potentially perilous situation we were entering. We crossed the first barricade to find several trucks waiting, shuttling people between obstacles set up by the strikers or in some cases taking dirt roads into banana fields or the scrubby tropical growth that had replaced the bleak desert. We repeated the process of jumping in and out of the backs of trucks, bouncing along back roads,and walking at times for a few hundred meters in between the earthen barriers topped with burning tires. Through the entire process we were hypersensitive, to the point of being paranoid, to changes in the body language of our companions, trying our best to predict any trouble that might be awaiting us around the next bend. It was cloudy, very humid and at times raining and it wasn't long before we were soaked. At this point we had not slept for more than 24 hours and the environment that we found ourselves in was made even more surreal by our sleep deprivation. I recall as we walked seeing the enormous carcasses of snakes that had been hit by passing vehicles,the largest as I seem to recall was 10 feet in length. Our companions informed us that these snakes are very common in the banana fields that surrounded us.

The rain set in as we crossed yet another barricade, I notice small stones littering the area around the earthen mound from what I can only assume were from clashes between the protesters and police or possibly the strike runners such as ourselves or our new friends. It has been my experience in Latin America that small stones were the preferred weapon of unruly mobs of protesters. It began to rain with more force now, the rain drops stinging slightly as they hit my face. There were no trucks to give us a lift so we continued to walk, soaked to the bone. I observed Semi trucks with loads of gasoline waiting for the strike to break so they could deliver their cargo. Apparently, the strike had persisted for days and gas stations tanks had run dry in the effected areas. After walking for approximately 3 or 4 miles we reach a round about in the road and a few waiting pick up trucks, after debating price for a bit we found a driver that would do it for a reasonable price considering the circumstances. After a bit of time in the back of the truck the green countryside started to give way to more buildings and houses, soon we were at the edge of the city, Machala. The truck driver dropped us off and we walk around for a bit looking for suitable accommodations. Once we found someplace that was to our liking and had been shown to our room we called the front desk and had them bring a few Clubs, the Ecuadorian beer of choice, up for ourselves and our companions. Cheers! Here's to earning it. I'm not even sure it was much past noon but hey we were on vacation right.

Final Observation

2009-11-01T16:29:00.000-08:00

This past Friday I came to the conclusion that a bit of exploration was in order. I decided to try and hike up a drainage called Hogum Fork. This canyon cuts a deep gash in the south facing aspect of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Its most impressive feature is the canyon's west slope, a massive buttress of white granite shooting, what seems almost vertically, from the “u” shaped canyon bottom. I was aware of the canyon's location but had no idea where the actual trail began. I parked at a pull off a bit down canyon from the mouth of Hogum Fork. I knew that there were quite a few trails running up and down Little Cottonwood Creek. My plan, if you can call it that, was to simply make my way up the initial steep slope at the canyons entrance. Once I reached the upper valley, the actual trail would become apparent, and I would have an easier time getting back down, a fairly sound plan by my measure.

I got out of the car, threw my pack on my shoulders, and began walking down a wide trail that lead from the road toward Little Cottonwood Creek. After about a hundred yards this trail joins another trail, this one is also nice and wide and almost runs the entire length of the canyon. This trail is popular with mountain bikes so it is important to keep an ear out for riders charging down the trail, at ridiculous speeds I might add. I didn’t really feel like becoming road kill to a mountain biker so I quickly took the first exit. The small trail I chose meandered its way through a forest of towering Douglas Fir and White pine interspersed with smaller Quaking Aspen. The trail was headed in the direction I wanted to go… sort of, so I continued on for 15 or 20 minutes until it reached the creek’s edge. I sat there a bit and looked at the water. It seemed an unreal blue, almost turquoise. This time of year the majority of the water in the creek is spring fed as opposed to run off from melting snow. In the spring the creek is difficult and dangerous to cross, but being late summer I was easily able to find a spot where I could leap from boulder to boulder, crossing in just a few bounds. The smooth granite is slippery and crossing wasn’t completely uneventful, but for the sake of my pride I won’t elaborate. Once reaching the other side the trail greatly diminished. Fortunately, I was able to hear the stream that ran out of Hogum Fork. I followed the sound now on what could only be game trails. As I followed these slight trails cutting through the under brush, I began to see more wild life and signs they had left behind. I startled a small fawn or rather it startled me or I guess you could say we scared the shit out of each other if we’re going to be honest.

Upon reaching Hogum Creek, I followed it for a time as it rose ever steeper to the mouth of its origins. I saw a garter snake along its banks. I stopped for a quick break to graze on some wild raspberries. Soon the creek became too steep to follow almost becoming a low angle waterfall. From the crest of the canyon's steep entrance to the confluence of Little Cottonwood creek, Hogum creek must drop, I’m estimating of course, a solid 1000 vertical feet or more. At this point the going got a lot tougher. The under growth was extremely thick and it all seemed to be consciously conspiring against my forward progress, its branches grabbing at my clothing and Prime Rose thorns clawing at my face. The only viable route through this jumble were the faint paths blazed before me by what seemed to be deer, elk and possibly mountain goats, although mountain goats usually leave a little bit of white fur here and there, of which I saw none. These paths at times were nothing more than tunnels through the dense brush. I heard thunder overhead. I could also feel the humidity rise. I began to sweat profusely as I struggled onward and upward. Any time now I felt certain that the angle would relent and I would come to the crest of this steep treacherous incline, No…not even a bit. In fact the terrain became even steeper and the thick brush started to give way to bands of coarse granite cliff and long talus fields. My progress slowed even further as I picked my way through large boulders and loose rock, stopping frequently to scout the best route. I flushed a snowshoe rabbit from its hiding place. This time of year their fur is a modeled brown and gray but with the arrival of winter it will soon turn white. After a few hundred yards, I could tell by looking at the tops of the pine trees that finally the angle of the slope was relaxing, still no sign of the trail.

I struggled over the long sought after crest there were large talus fields of granite boulders red with oxidation. These fields of stone were surrounded by thick old pine and Quaking Aspen. I sat down on one of the larger boulders, thoroughly soaked with sweat. There was a cool breeze and it felt good to take off my pack. My heart was still pounding in my chest. I could clearly feel my carotid arteries in my neck pulsating to the extent that it felt as though they may burst at any moment. After catching my breath, I took out my binoculars to see if I could spot the trail from where I was sitting. The canyon was narrow at this point and if there was a trail I should be able to see it. I could not even see a hint. It was getting late and I wouldn’t have time to get down before dark if I went much higher. I could see just a hint of the beautiful valley that lay just a short distance ahead but the majority of my view was obstructed by trees. It was looking like I would have to go back down what I just came up. The area was, needless to say, very rugged and riddled with jagged towering cliff. If I tried to find an alternative descent, the danger was that the slope in some areas may have continued to steepen until it rolled off a large cliff, in that case one would have to back track up the steep slope of loose debris above a cliff, not a fun place to be. I decided I would try and descend areas with less vegetation trying to stick close to the assent route, using the trees as a gauge for the slope in front of me. I again found numerous game trails that I followed although at times they ended at the edges of small cliffs or zigzagged in strenuously tight switch backs.

At certain points the vegetation was so thick it was hard to even see the ground, there were several occasions where I started to walk off the edge of car sized boulders before realizing the ground had dropped away beneath my feet. I had made good time on the descent half walking and half sliding down game trails. I was hopping from one boulder to another when I felt my leading leg give way and a warm searing pain shot through my lower right leg. I fell to my side and just lay there for a few seconds assessing the seriousness of my injury. My ankle had rolled to the outside and I could feel blood rushing to it as it began to swell. Although initially painful and requiring a minute or two to recover I began to limp slowly down this treacherous terrain I had gotten myself into. Luckily, I was more than half way down. Even given my somewhat injured state my descent was still much faster than the assent and I soon reached the wild raspberry patch and relatively flat ground. This time I found a stout dead branch to aid my crossing of Little Cottonwood Creek, no wet feet on this crossing. I took a seat on a boulder near the bank, once again taking time to reflect on the surreal hue of the water and the adventure that had just taken place.

I stood once again and made my way back to the car. I reached the car at about 5:30, took of my sweat soaked pack and drove home. Before I went in the house I emptied my shoes of debris that I had picked up on my little adventure, a surprising amount of dirt, rocks, pine needles and small sticks came tumbling out. I sat down in the most comfortable chair in the house, yet I did not feel complete, something was missing, a frosty cold adult beverage. After retrieving such a beverage from the fridge, I thought now my adventure is complete.

Analysis #2

2009-10-24T22:03:00.000-07:00

Angel episode:Are You Now or Have You Ever Been?
The title of this episode suggests the time in which this episode takes place, the 1950s, specifically making reference to the question posed to many witnesses testifying in the McCarthy hearings on Communism. The title hints to the main idea or plot of this story, which is, I believe, how easily people are manipulated when they are fearful and paranoia infiltrates the environment they are in.

In this episode Angel asks his investigative team to look into the history of The Hyperion Hotel in Los Angeles. In the flashback scenes we learned that he(Angel) was once a resident at this hotel and that his presents was not exactly welcome. We learn further that there is a demon that inhabits the hotel, he feeds on the negative emotions of the hotels occupants, specifically fear and hate. I felt that in the period of time Angel was living in this hotel he was very much in the midst of a personal struggle, in transition from the vampire he was to the being what he is at present and perhaps this was the reason behind his less than forthcoming attitude toward this particular investigation. Possibly he was embarrassed or ashamed of this period in his life.

Angel, eventually leaves the hotel and its occupants to the Demon. This was the part that puzzled me the most. Angel knew that the Demon was highly manipulative and he even told Judy that "There's something in this Hotel, something that's making people crazy." So, it seems somewhat strange to me that Angel is surprised when Judy betrays him as being guilty of the murder of the candle salesman, after all he must have had some idea that the suicide was provoked by this presence, especially given the fact that there had been two other suicides at the hotel in the past 3 months. a If this Demon could drive someone to kill himself it could certainly be the primary reason Judy betrays Him in the end. Also, while consoling Judy when she is recanting the reasons she was fired from her position at the bank in Kansas, Angel stated "Fear makes people do stupid things." in reference to Judy's supervisors. This also seemed a little out of place given how Angel behaves during his first interaction with the Demon after his attempted hanging. Is Angel manipulated by the Demon? I would say not in the scents that the Hotel guests are. Watching the first exchange between the Demon and Angel it would certainly seem, by the look on Angels face that he did feel let down by his new friend. I would say that most certainly the Demon was manipulating Angel but I would also say that Angel allowed himself to be manipulated, because the Demon certainly didn't have the same power over Angel as he did over the Hotel residents. Maybe this is going out on a limb here but for one moment consider what the life of a vampire must be like, I wonder how many unpleasant encounters with people Angel has had up to that point in his life, probably quite a few. I would guess that his unpleasant dealings with people were the reason he was portrayed as so reclusive at the beginning of the episode.

I believe that Angel was patially if not fully aware of the Demon's intentions to manipulate him. After all he was returning to the Hotel(1952 Angel)with implements to kill the Demon, clearly the Demon was aware of this and I would suspect that Angel would have known that the Demon would try and resist his own destruction, by using his stongest weapon, his influence on the people surrouning Angel. Given the above sited points I found it strange Angel would have given up so easily. The conclusion that I came to was that he left the hotel and its occupants to the Demon because he just didn't care about people enough at this point in his life to stick around and defend them, especially,one could assume, after a lifetime of being persecuted by people. Wanting to correct this wrong, and I believe having changed over time, led Angel back to this hotel to confront this demon and possibly his own demons.

There is, however, another way of looking at this. If you believe that the power of manipulation the Demon had over Angel was complete than it would stand that the majority of Angel's actions in this episode are influenced by the Demon. From Angel's initial defence of Judy to his purchasing of items to kill the Demon. One thing that Angel said that may support this idea was in response to the bookstore owner's question So why does a vampire want to help a bunch of humans? Angel responds that he wasn't sure. It could be that the Demon would benefit from equally or possibly more to Angel's fear,paranoia and, eventually hatred even though his fears and paranoia were based in reality. If you think about it Angel's behavior could be compared to the behavior of the other hotel residence. The difference being that he was somewhat aware of what was taking place and the occupants of the hotel were not.

If I had to guess I would say it's more the former rather than the latter but it is impossible to say with any type of accuracy due to the fact that we are not vampires or demon nor do we live in 1952. So our analysis is only as good as our own personal experiences and while I feel this episode is a metaphor and obviously not based on events that could take place, one could still place yourself in the shoes of the characters and try and think like they think or might think if they weren't fictional.

Analysis #1

2009-10-20T10:44:00.000-07:00

Reflection #2

2009-10-15T10:35:00.000-07:00

The crux of our journey was fighting our travel fatigue and crossing the border into Ecuador at a small town called Tumbes. Tumbes is like many other border towns in that it seemed lawless, remote, and dangerous. This town is not without significance, it is the location where Pizarro and his Conquistadores first landed in South America in 1532, marking the beginning of the end for indigenous people living on the continent. It was hard for me to imagine, as our bus crossed the vast lifeless desert that comprises most of the northern coast of Peru, how Pizarro was able to traverse this area with relatively few men and go on to determine the fate of millions upon millions of people. It took us nearly 8 hours to cross the most hostile landscape that I had ever seen, almost completely void of anything but rocks, sand and the Pacific Ocean.

I had crossed the border at Tumbes several times before and it was never a pleasant experience. This time it would be worse. After a total of 16 hours on a bus we reached Tumbes early in the morning. The bus station had high walls and no one dared leave the safety of the bus terminal. After an hour we were able to arrange transportation to the actual boarder crossing which is a few miles away from the town. Once we reached the customs office we got our exit stamps from the Peruvian side and made our way to the Ecuadorian customs office. It was here that we learned there was a transportation strike in Ecuador and the whole area was paralyzed. At this point we had two options, either wait in Tumbes for the strike to resolve itself, which could take days, or try and make our way through the area inspite of the strike. I was less than enthusiastic about our choices but that is the reality of travel in developing nations. I had a reoccurring fantasy of lying on a beach in the sun sipping a LARGE cocktail. We would have to run through the strike in order to make this come to fruition.

Outside the Ecuadorian border office we ran into two somewhat pushy and possible shady guys who offered to take us through the strike and into a town called Machala. It was against both of our better judgments but what choice did we have, so off we went on foot. In the distance we could see the smoke rising from burning tires and large mounds of dirt and rocks piled on the road in order to barricade traffic. As we walked my brother and I discussed strategies in the event the situation went south. We have both been the victims of violent muggings and we were not excited at the possibility of repeating those experiences. In reality, if they had decided to rob us there was very little that we could have done, I suppose we only talked about what we would do to make ourselves feel better about the potentially perilous situation we were entering. We crossed the first barricade to find several trucks waiting, shuttling people between obstacles set up by the strikers or in some cases taking dirt roads into banana fields or the scrubby tropical growth that had replaced the bleak desert. We repeated the process of jumping in and out of the backs of trucks, bouncing along back roads,and walking at times for a few hundred meters in between the earthen barriers topped with burning tires. Through the entire process we were hypersensitive, to the point of being paranoid, to changes in the body language of our companions, trying our best to predict any trouble that might be awaiting us around the next bend. It was cloudy, very humid and at times raining and it wasn't long before we were soaked. At this point we had not slept for more than 24 hours and the environment that we found ourselves in was made even more surreal by our sleep deprivation. I recall as we walked seeing the enormous carcasses of snakes that had been hit by passing vehicles,the largest as I seem to recall was 10' in length. Our companions informed us that these snakes are very common in the banana fields that surrounded us.

The rain set in as we crossed yet another barricade, I notice small stones littering the area around the earthen mound from what I can only assume were from clashes between the protesters and police or possibly the strike runners such as ourselves or our new friends. It has been my experience in Latin America that small stones were the preferred weapon of unruly mobs of protesters. It began to rain with more force now, the rain drops stinging slightly as they hit my face. There were no trucks to give us a lift so we continued to walk, soaked to the bone. I observed Semi trucks with loads of gasoline waiting for the strike to break so they could deliver their cargo. Apparently, the strike had persisted for days and gas stations tanks had run dry in the effected areas. After walking for approximately 3 or 4 miles we reach a round about in the road and a few waiting pick up trucks, after debating price for a bit we found a driver that would do it for a reasonable price considering the circumstances. After a bit of time in the back of the truck the green countryside started to give way to more buildings and houses, soon we were at the edge of the city, Macala. The truck driver dropped us off and, we walk around for a bit looking for suitable accommodations. Once we found someplace that was to our liking and had been shown to our room we called the front desk and had them bring a few Clubs up, the Ecuadorian beer of choice, for ourselves and our companions. Cheers! here's to earning it. I'm not even sure it was much past noon but hey we were on vacation right.

Observation #2

2009-10-11T20:27:00.000-07:00

This past Friday I came to the conclusion that a bit of exploration was in order, I had decided to try and hike up a drainage called Hogum Fork. This canyon cuts a deep gash in the south facing aspect of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Its most impressive feature is the canyons west slope, a massive buttress of white granite shooting, what seems almost vertically, from the “u” shaped canyon bottom, “u” shaped from tens of thousands of years of glacial abrasion. I was aware of the canyons location but had no idea were the actual trail head began. I parked at a pull off a bit down canyon from the mouth of Hogum Fork. I knew that there were quite a few trails running up and down Little Cottonwood Creek, my plan, if you can call it that, was to simply make my way up the initial steep slope at the canyons entrance, then once I reached the upper valley the actual trail would become apparent and I would have an easier time getting back down, a fairly sound plan by my measure.

I got out of the car, threw my pack on my shoulders and began walking down a wide trail that lead from the road toward Little Cottonwood Creek. After about a hundred yards this trail joins another trail, this one is also nice and wide and almost runs the entire length of the canyon. This trail is popular with mountain bikes so it is important to keep an ear out for riders charging down the trail, at ridiculous speeds I might add. I didn’t really feel like becoming road kill to a mountain biker so I quickly took the first exit. The small trail I chose meandered its way through a forest of towering Douglas Fir and White pine interspersed with smaller Quaken Aspen. The trail was headed in the direction I wanted to go… sort of, so I continued on for 15 or 20 minutes until it reached the creek’s edge. I sat there a bit and looked at the water. It seemed an unreal blue, almost turquoise. This time of year the majority of the water in the creek is spring fed as opposed to run off from melting snow. In the spring the creek is difficult and dangerous to cross, but being late summer I was easily able to find a spot where I could leap from boulder to boulder, crossing in just a few bounds. The smooth granite is slippery and crossing wasn’t completely uneventful, but for the sake of my pride I won’t elaborate. Once reaching the other side the trail greatly diminished, fortunately I was able to hear the stream that ran out of Hogum Fork. I followed the sound now on what could only be game trails. As I followed these slight trails cutting through the under brush I began to see more wild life and signs they had left behind. I startled a small fawn or rather it startled me or I guess you could say we scared the shit out of each other if we’re going to be honest.

Upon reaching Hogum Creek, I followed it for a time as it rose ever steeper to the mouth of its origins. I saw a garter snake along its banks. I stopped for a quick break to graze on some wild raspberries. Soon the creek became too steep to follow almost becoming a low angle waterfall. From the crest of the canyon's steep entrance to the confluence of Little Cottonwood creek, Hogum creek must drop, I’m estimating of course, a solid 1000 vertical feet or more. At this point the going got a lot tougher. The under growth was extremely thick and it all seemed to be consciously conspiring against my forward progress, its branches grabbing at my clothing and Prime Rose thorns clawing at my face. The only viable route through this jumble were the faint paths blazed before me by what seemed to be deer, elk and possibly mountain goats, although mountain goats usually leave a little bit of white fur here and there, of which I saw none. These paths at times were nothing more than tunnels through the dense brush. I heard thunder overhead. I could also feel the humidity rise. I began to sweat profusely as I struggled onward and upward. Any time now I felt certain that the angle would relent and I would come to the crest of this steep treacherous incline, No…not even a bit. In fact the terrain became even steeper and the thick brush started to give way to bands of coarse granite cliff and long talus fields. My progress slowed even further as I picked my way through large boulders and loose rock, stopping frequently to scout the best route. I flushed a snowshoe rabbit from its hiding place. This time of year their fur is a modeled brown and gray but with the arrival of winter it will soon turn white. After a few hundred yards I could tell by looking at the tops of the pine trees that finally the angle of the slope was relaxing, still no sign of the trail.

I struggled over the long sought after crest there were large talus fields of granite boulders red with oxidation. These fields of stone were surrounded by thick old pine and Quaken Aspen. I sat down on one of the larger boulders, thoroughly soaked with sweat. There was a cool breeze and it felt good to take off my pack. My heart was still pounding in my chest I could clearly feel my carotid arteries in my neck pulsating to the extent that it felt as though they may burst at any moment. After catching my breath I took out my binoculars to see if I could spot the trail from where I was. The canyon was narrow at this point and if there was a trail I should be able to see it. I could not even see a hint. It was getting late and I wouldn’t have time to get down before dark if I went much higher. I could see just a hint of the beautiful valley that lay just a short distance ahead but the majority of my view was obstructed by trees. It was looking like I would have to go back down what I just came up. The area was, needless to say, very rugged and riddled with jagged towering cliff. If I tried to find an alternative descent the danger was that the slope in some areas may have continued to steepen until it rolled off a large cliff, in that case one would have to back track up the steep slope of loose debris above a cliff, not a fun place to be. I decided I would try and descend areas with less vegetation trying to stick close to the assent route, using the trees as a gauge for the slope in front of me. I again found numerous game trails that I followed although at times they ended at the edges of small cliffs or zigzagged in strenuously tight switch backs.

At certain points the vegetation was so thick it was hard to even see the ground, there were several occasions where I started to walk off the edge of car sized boulders before realizing the ground had dropped away beneath my feet. I had made good time on the descent half walking and half sliding down game trails. I was hopping from one boulder to another when I felt my leading leg give way and a warm searing pain shot through my lower right leg. I fell to my side and just lay there for a few seconds assessing the seriousness of my injury. My ankle had rolled to the outside and I could feel blood rushing to it as it began to swell. Although initially painful and requiring a minute or two to recover I began to limp slowly down this treacherous terrain I had gotten myself into. Luckily I was more than half way down. Even given my somewhat injured state my descent was still much faster than the assent and I soon reached the wild raspberry patch and relatively flat ground. This time I found a stout dead branch to aid my crossing of Little Cottonwood Creek, no wet feet on this crossing. I took a seat on a boulder near the bank, once again taking time to reflect on the surreal hue of the water and the adventure that had just taken place.

I stood once again and made my way back to the car. I reached the car at about 5:30, took of my sweat soaked pack and drove home. Before I went in the house I emptied my shoes of debris that I had picked up on my little adventure, a surprising amount of dirt, rocks, pine needles and small sticks came tumbling out. I sat down in the most comfortable chair in the house, yet I did not feel complete, something was missing, a frosty cold adult beverage. After retrieving such a beverage from the fridge I thought now my adventure is complete.

Reflection

2009-09-13T22:58:00.000-07:00

The crux of our journey was fighting our travel fatigue and crossing the border into Ecuador at a small town called Tumbes. Tumbes is like many other border towns in that it seemed lawless, remote, and dangerous. This town is not without significance, it is the location where Pizarro and his Conquistadores first landed in South America in 1532, marking the beginning of the end for indigenous people living on the continent. It was hard for me to imagine, as our bus crossed the vast lifeless desert that comprises most of the northern coast of Peru, how Pizarro was able to traverse this area with relatively few men and go on to determine the fate of millions upon millions of people. It took us nearly 8 hours to cross the most hostile landscape that I had ever seen, almost completely void of anything but rocks, sand and the Pacific Ocean.

I had crossed the border at Tumbes several times before and it was never a pleasant experience. This time it would be worse. After a total of 16 hours on a bus we reached Tumbes early in the morning. The bus station had high walls and no one dared leave the safety of the bus terminal. After an hour we were able to arrange transportation to the actual boarder crossing which is a few miles away from the actual town. Once we reached the customs office we got our exit stamps from the Peruvian side and made our way to the Ecuadorian customs office. It was here that we learned there was a transportation strike in Ecuador and the whole area was paralyzed. At this point we had two options, either wait in Tumbes for the strike to resolve itself, which could take days or run the strike. I was less than enthusiastic about our choices but that is the reality of travel in developing nations. I had a reoccurring fantasy of lying on a beach in the sun sipping a LARGE cocktail. We would have to run the strike in order to make this come to fruition.

Outside the Ecuadorian border office we ran into two gentlemen who offered to take us through the strike and into a town called Machala. It was against both of our better judgments but what choice did we have, so off we went on foot. In the distance we could see the smoke rising from burning tires and large mounds of dirt and rocks piled on the road in order to barricade traffic. As we walked my brother and I discussed strategies in the event the situation went south. We have both been the victims of violent muggings and we were not excited at the possibility of repeating those experiences. In reality, if they had decided to rob us there was very little that we could have done, I suppose we only talked about what we would do to make ourselves feel better about the potentially perilous situation we were entering. We crossed the first barricade to find several trucks waiting, shuttling people between obstacles set up by the strikers or in some cases taking dirt roads into banana fields or the scrubby tropical growth that had replaced the bleak desert. We repeated the process of jumping in and out of the backs of trucks, bouncing along back roads,and walking at times for a few hundred meter in between earthen barriers toped with burning tires. Through the entire process we were hypersensitive to changes in the body language of our companions, trying our best to predict any trouble that might be awaiting us around the next bend. It was cloudy, very humid and at times raining. At this point we had not slept for more than 24 hours and the environment that we found ourselves in was made even more surreal by our sleep deprivation. I recall as we walked seeing the enormous carcases of snakes that had been hit by passing vehicles. Our companions informed us that these snakes are very common in the banana fields that surrounded us.
The rain set in as we crossed yet another barricade, I notice small stones littering the area around the earthen mound from what I can only assume was from clashes between the protesters and police or possibly the strike runners such as ourselves or our new friends. It has been my experience in Latin America that small stones were the preferred weapon of unruly mobs of protesters. It began to rain with more force now, the rain drops stinging slightly as they hit my face. There were no trucks to give us a lift so we continued to walk, soaked to the bone. I observed Semi trucks with loads of gasoline waiting for the strike to break so they could deliver their cargo. Apparently, the strike had persisted for days and gas stations tanks had run dry in the effected areas. After walking for approximately 3 or 4 miles we reach a round about in the road and a few waiting pick up trucks, after debating price for a bit we found a driver that would do it for a reasonable price considering the circumstances. After reaching Macala we walk around for a bit looking for suitable accommodations, once we found someplace that was to our liking and had been shown to our room we called the front desk and had them bring a few beers up for ourselves and our companions. Cheers! here's to earning it. I'm not even sure it was much past noon but hey we were on vacation right.

Observation

2009-09-05T22:14:00.000-07:00

This past Friday I came to the conclusion that a bit of exploration was in order, I had decided to try and hike up a drainage called Hogum Fork. This canyon cuts a deep gash in the south facing aspect of Little Cottonwood Canyon. Its most impressive feature is the canyons west slope, a massive buttress of white granite shooting, what seems almost vertically, from the “u” shaped canyon bottom, “u” shaped from thousands of years of glacial abrasion. I only knew the canyons approximate locaton but had no idea as to the actual trailhead location. I parked at a pull off a little down canyon from the mouth of Hogum Fork. I knew that there were quite a few trails running up and down Little Cottonwood Creek. My plan, if you can call it that, was to simply make my way up the initial steep slope at the entrance, then I thought once I reached the upper valley the actual trail would become apparent and I would have an easier time getting back down, a fairly sound plan by my measure.

I got out of the car, threw my pack on my shoulders and began walking down on a wide trail from the road toward Little Cottonwood Creek. After about a hundred yards this trail joins another trail, this one is also nice and wide and almost runs the entire length of the canyon. This trail is popular with mountain bikes so it is important to keep an ear out for riders charging down the trail at ridiculous speeds. I didn’t really feel like becoming road kill to a mountain biker so I quickly took the first exit. The small trail I chose meandered its way through a forest of towering Douglas Fir and White pine interspersed with smaller Quaking Aspen. The trail was headed in the direction I wanted to go… sort of, so I continued on for 15 or 20 minutes until it reached the creek’s edge. I sat there a bit and looked at the water. It seemed an unreal blue, almost turquoise. This time of year the majority of the water in the creek is spring feed as opposed to run off from melting snow. In the spring the creek is difficult and dangerous to cross but it being late summer I was easily able to find a spot where I could leap from boulder to boulder, crossing in just a few bounds. The smooth granite is slippery and crossing wasn’t completely uneventful but for the sake of my pride I won’t elaborate. Once reaching the other side the trail greatly diminished, fortunately I was able to hear the stream that ran out of Hogum Fork and I followed the sound now on what could only be game trails. As I followed these slight trails cutting through the under brush to my surprise I began to see more wild life and signs they had left behind. I startled a small fawn or rather it startled me or I guess you could say we scared the shit out of each other if we’re going to be honest. Upon reaching Hogum Creek, I followed it for a time as it rose ever steeper to the mouth of its origins. I saw a garter snake along its banks. I stopped for a quick break to graze on some wild raspberries. Soon the creek became too steep to follow almost becoming a low angle waterfall. From the crest to the confluence of Little Cottonwood creek, Hogum creek must drop, I’m estimating of course, a solid 1000 vertical feet or more. At this point the going got a lot tougher. The under growth was extremely thick and it all seemed to be consciously conspiring against my forward progress its branches grabbing at my clothing and Prime Rose thorns clawing at my face. The only viable route through this jumble were the faint paths blazed before me by what seemed to be deer, elk and possibly mountain goats, although mountain goats usually leave a little bit of white fur here and there, of which I saw none. These paths at times were nothing more than tunnels through the dense brush. I heard thunder overhead. I could also feel the humidity rise. I began to sweat profusely as I struggled onward and upward. Any time now I felt certain that the angle would relent and I would come to the crest of this steep treacherous incline. No…not even a bit. In fact the terrain became even steeper and the thick brush started to give way to bands of coarse granite cliff and long talus fields. My progress slowed even further as I picked my way through large boulders and loose rock, stopping frequently to scout the best route. I flushed a snowshoe rabbit from its hidding place. This time of year their fur is a modeled brown and gray but with the arrival of winter it will soon turn white. After a few hundred yards I could tell by looking at the tops of the pine trees that finally the angle of the slope was relaxing, still no sign of the trail.

I struggled over the long sought after crest there were large talus fields of granite boulders red with oxidation. These fields of stone were surrounded by thick old pine and Quake Aspen. I sat down on one off the larger boulders, thoroughly soak with sweat. There was a cool breeze and it felt good to take off my pack. My heart was still pounding in my chest I could clearly feel my carotid arteries in my neck pulsating to the extent that it felt as though they may burst at any moment. After catching my breath I took out my binoculars to see if I could spot the trail from where I was. The canyon was narrow at this point and if there was a trail I should be able to see it at some point. I could not even see a hint. It was getting late and I wouldn’t have time to get down before dark if I went much higher. I could see just a hint of the beautiful valley late lay just a short distance ahead but the majority of my view was obstructed by trees. It was looking like I would have to go back down what I just came up. The area was, needless to say, very rugged and riddled with jagged towering cliff. If I tried to find an alternative descent the danger was that the slope in some areas may have continued to steepen until it rolled off a large cliff, in that case one would have to back track up the steep slope of loose debris above a cliff, not a fun place to be. I decided I would try and descend areas with less vegetation trying to stick close to the assent route and using the trees as a gauge for the slope in front of me. I again found numerous game trails that I followed although at times they ended at the edges of small cliffs or zigzagged in strenuously tight switch backs.

At certain points the vegetation was so thick it was hard to even see the ground, there were several occasions where I started to walk off the edge of car sized boulders before realizing the ground had droped away beneth my feet. I had made good time on the descent half walking and half sliding down game trails. I was hopping from one boulder to another when I felt my leading leg give way and a warm searing pain shot through my lower right leg. I fell to my side and just lay there for a few seconds assessing the seriousness of my injury. My ankle had rolled to the outside and I could feel blood rushing to it as it began to swell. Although initially painful and requiring a minute or two to recover I began to limp slowly down this treacherous terrain I had gotten myself into. Luckily I was more than half way down. Even given my somewhat injured state my descent was still much faster than the assent and I soon reached the wild raspberry patch and a bit later relatively flat ground. This time I found a stout dead branch to aid my crossing of Little Cottonwood Creek, once again taking time to reflect on the surreal hue of the water and the adventure that had just taken place.