The Importance of Agriculture in the World.

Nowadays we have a busy life in megacities engaged with cars and technology, oftentimes we don’t have time to think about our feeding and health. Why feeding is less important than work, smartphones, cars, etc.? Dalai Lama said “Man, because he sacrifices his health in order to make money. Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health…” when asked what surprise him most about humanity. Every day we eat! Our life depends on food! Therefore agriculture is very important not only to human feed but to take care of the nature and economically.

The first important function of agriculture is human feed and the most famous function, because we know which we need to eat to survive. But in this part have much others characteristic. In agriculture we can produce health food, with less calories, with more vitamins and break the American habit to eat fast-food and caloric things. Fast foods and processed foods have more sodium, calories, Trans fat and sugar, therefore these things can develop diabetes, obesity, diseases and others problems to human health according to Clay McNight in his text “Healthy Food vs Fast Food”. Besides we can develop good food to our herd. When we take care and treat correctly, we can produce good meat and more food to feed the population. According to United Nations World Food Programme one in eight people do not have access to enough food to be healthy, Asia is the continent with most number of hunger (two third of the total). Researchers have been worked in indoor farms to stay close to the big hunger areas like Dubai, Qatar and Abu Dhabi said Tafline Laylin in her text “A Hunger for Solutions”.

Another important function in agriculture is all which involving the nature. “The Mother Nature” as we call! We can’t grow without think in protect her. In the 21^st century we start to hear this word more than other centuries due to greenhouse and deforestation. So, researchers worked to figure out alternative sources of biofuel in order to decelerate the effect of greenhouse gases and which one don’t aggress the earth. Countries like Brazil and U.S.A. have been produced biofuel using sugarcane, corn respectively and another types of material as industrial waste. But that is not the only way to protect the nature, we can use less products in the crops to control pests or weeds. Every year products are developed to protect plants and no affect the landscape, for example pesticide which kill only the pests and it don’t devastates the bees. “If the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe then men would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man.” It is a famous phrase by Albert Einstein.

A third important function in agriculture is economy. The agriculture is the most important source of money in countries as Brazil, where agriculture corresponds to 5.5% to GNP according to Wikipedia and indispensable in U.S.A. and European Union. Among the world’s largest companies many of these work in agriculture like Monsanto, Bayer, John Deere, BASF and much others. This companies work to develop seeds with high technology, each seed have a lot of researches to found the better gene to transform in a great and productive plant; also advance products to plant protection to avoid problems with the nature and human health; fertilizers according to a kind of soil, crops or country and trucks and machines to different operations and situation like pesticide application or harvester of eucalyptus.

From these information we can see how agriculture became important and necessary to the whole society, in several areas. So, we must develop the agricultural full potential in all aspects, uniting technology to sustainability with the intention to increasingly reduce the world hunger without harming nature. 

A Brief Story Behind the Movie "Singn' in the Rain"

Today is impossible imagine someone turns on a TV and he/her sees a movie without sound. But, in the past it was common. Who don't know who Charlie Chaplin are? The famous guy with a short mustache! 

So, before the World War II the countries emerged themselves, rebuilding and developing the technology. With the war, came the changes! And in the industry of movies couldn't be different. The new trend was the talked movie, but it was a big challenge. An important movie which represents that transition of silent movies to talkies movies is the "Singn' in the Rain". A romance musical film was directed and stared by Gene Kelly, a great dancer, choreographer, singer and actor; and developed in the MGM studios. The film was considered "one of the greatest movies ever made about the history of the movies" according to Barry Bradford in his article "Why Singn' in the Rain Matters" until today can breathtaking those who watch. And this fact shows the perfection which this film was recorded.

Not only the film, but the music “Singn’ in the Rain”, after the movie, was very famous and it is known until today. The music was created in 1929 by Arthur Freed and Nacio Herb Brown for MGM’s Hollywood Revue of 1929. In the movie the music was interpreted by Gene Kelly after a meeting, and the music traduces the man’s happiness. Probably he finds his soul mate. He didn’t matter if was raining, because he was so happy. Everyone already saw at least one time, this scene, the man carrying an umbrella and singing in the street.

This is the most famous image of the movie.

Brief history of an important person in the 20 century.

According to Time Magazine, Ernesto "Che" Guevara is in the list of 100 most important people in the 20 century, So, I will talk briefly about his life. 

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna commonly known as “Che Guevara” was born in June 14, 1928, in Rosario about 185 miles from Buenos Aires, the capital of Argentina. He was the oldest son from Ernesto Guevara y Lynch (his father) and Celia de la Serna y Llosa (his mother); they had a bourgeois standard of life. Since “Che” was a child he didn't like go to school and follow the traditional classes, so he had some teachings inside his home. 

After the primary school, "Che" started his studies in a medicine college where had interested in leprosy. So, Ernesto Guevara and his friend Alberto Granados beginning a travel around the South America to help the sick. During their adventure, "Che" begins to discovery the poverty which affects the world, consequent of the power and destruction of capitalism. His adventure ended in Miami where he developed a Anti-Americanism thinking.  So, Ernesto shows the first signs of a communist thinking which will get to him a revolutionary shape.

In 1953 "Che" Guevara went to Argentina and finished his studies in medicine. But, after his travel he decided to left his family again and try to do some important thing to the poverty. So, he went to another countries in South America to help the sick. When he arrives in Guatemala he saw Jacobo Arbenz Guzman be elected in a democratic election. After that he knows Hilda, that in the future will be his first wife, who introduces "Che" to the Arbenz group and after he joined to them. It is in this moment which Ernesto "Che" Guevara knows two exiles Cuban brothers, Raul and Fidel Castro. 

In this period "Che" and Fidel start to think one way to rid Cuba to the American control. So, they form a group of revolutionary men with the purpose to install a new government for the Cuba population. 

In this moment "Che" develop his characteristics of guerrilla, leadership and strategist. And after many battles they win and take control of the country. So, Ernesto is named Ambassador, President of National Bank and Minister of Industry. We can see how "Che" was trusted in the sight of Fidel Castro. So, Ernesto decides left Cuba, where he already achieve his goals, and he goes to Bolivia with the intend to end the imperialism in the South America. But, in October 8, 1967 finally Ernesto "Che" Guevara was arrested and killed for the Bolivian soldiers with the help for the CIA.

So, today "Che" Guevara is the most important symbol of revolutionary and freedom.

And we can find this image in several brand of clothes, social media and dawned on walls of buildings.

 

Sources:

"Episodes of Revolucionary" by Ernesto Guevara de la Serna 

"Political Leaders of Latin America" by Richard Bourne

"Comandante Che" by Paul J. Dosal

Sport Performance and Music

Days ago, when I was see a football game, I noticed which all the athletes before the game was using a headphone. So, I asked myself "Why?". We knew which the music have an amazing power, but I didn't have associate this fact with the sports. So, I found in some websites researches about music and athletes performance.

I didn't have notice that fact until I go to WIU's Rec Center. In Brazil is common the gym play music in the radio, but here we don't have music playing for all people. Each one need to bring his/her own device to play music. But, I didn't have any device neither music in the cell phone. So, I noticed how the music is important to motivate and increase our performance. 

According to Kelly Brooks and her review "Enhancing Sports Performance Through The Use of Music" the music is very important in anaerobic sports like bodybuilder to motivate the athlete and increase the performance.
But, use the music isn't be easy, in the "How to Benefit from Music in Sport and Exercise" by Hannah Farmer, we need to follow some criteria to achieve that benefits, like: "(a) strong, energising rhythm; (b) positive lyrics having associations with movement (e.g., “I’m gonna make you sweat” by Snoop Dogg); (c) rhythmic pattern well matched to movement patterns of the athletic activity; (d) uplifting melodies and harmonies; (e) associations with sport, exercise, triumph, or overcoming adversity (e.g.. Heather Small’s ‘Proud’, used in the London 2012 Olympic bid); and (f) a musical style or idiom suited to an athlete’s taste and cultural upbringing. Choose tracks with different tempi, to coincide with alternate low-, medium-, and high-intensity training."
So, that shows one of the several powers of music. We can use music to achieve personal goals related with training and health. I love music and I use this power daily to do homework and motivate me to go to the gym or to encourage in the day.

 Source: http://performance.fourfourtwo.com/health/psychology/music-to-improve-your-performance

Analyzing a movie/character!

Today I will write specifically about one character and his stereotype! 

What is Nazism? Who practice? Who is the target? Why people do this? Have many questions about this theme and many discussion since World War II. Nazism is a kind of Racism, it was a reason to many people died in the 40’s and left scars in society even today. In the movie “Higher Learning” by John Singleton shows many kind of discrimination and one of this is Nazism represented by a character called Remy.

Remy is a freshman in the Columbus University and all is new for him. He wants to make a fiends, go to parties and have fun. But one day before his first class, his another mates invited a group to drink and listen music, and Remy can’t sleep. So, he called the cops to stop the party. This is the first misunderstanding between Remy and the “Black Guys”.  After that Remy went to another room far from their dorms, but this is not enough to separate Remy and the “Black Guys”. Remy has during the movie another misunderstood with his “friends”, what only feed his hate.

Finally Remy finds a quiet place to read his book, but one guy sees Remy alone and talk with him about his friends and parties, and then Remy’s life change totally. Those guys are Nazi and talk about their goals and philosophy. So, Remy finds an opportunity to have a family and feels important for someone. And gradually he accept the guys and the Nazi. This concept was created after the World War I, and they defend a pure race, the Aryan race, who didn’t be or didn’t agree with them will be killed. They killed a lot of Jews and Black people in World War II.

Now, that concept is totally truth and Remy in his day by day sees another people from another countries, with another skim tone and with another culture, and these things let him annoyed. So, he finds Malik (a black guy) who suffers racism and Remy provokes him, and then start a dispute between Remy and Malik. This situation becomes serious and Remy threats Malik with gun, and then Malik comes back with his group and start a fight with Nazis guys. Remy feels uncomfortable with that situation and he prepares a plan to kill principally these black guys. After he killed a lot of people, including Malik’s girlfriend, Remy try to scape, but didn’t work, he see himself in a hard situation and then he commited suicide.

We can see how Racism, or Nazism can be a serious and tragic history. Remy was looking for a friends and a good life surrounded by people but he had a weak mind. Today we need to educate the next generation about the equally treatment, it doesn’t matter their religion, culture, skim tone; all people deserve respect.

Name of movie: "Higher Learning"

Year: 1995

Director: Johm Singleton

Genre: Drama

Just one History about success in my life!

What do we do every day to win our difficult? Several times we see ourselves in a hard situation! So, how do you do to get success? People have a lot of strategies.

I will tell you guys, how my coach succeeded in motivating me and my mates.

We had 11 years old and we went to another city to play basketball for 3 days. We were very excited about the championship it was our first time away from relatives.

In the first game we can’t keep the focus in the game, so we lost. After this game all of us were saddened. In that night my coach said for us to sleep and rest for another day.

So, in the path to the second game, on the bus, my coach tell for us: nothing is lost! We need to lift our head and show for them our basketball! Listening this song, pay attention in the lyrics! (the song is a Brazilian rap music and says: they thought I was beaten, those who thought was wrong, I came back, I’m here, pay attention and listening: unlike to what you wanted, I’m fine, I am a warrior and not flinch, I am glass hard to break!

It is a slang in Brazil and says I don’t give up easily. We sing this song all the path to the game. I remember when we went to the court, our energy was renewed. I could see in the eyes of my mates, desire to win!! And thus we played and won the other 2 games, with this victories we were champions! After that I never forgot this song!

After one Month!

One year ago I signed up to try study in U.S.A. and improve my English. I do not cared about because in the end of this year I will be graduated, so I passed in the Toefl test and I achieved the prerequisites. In the end of June I received the final result: "I was accepted in WIU". Everyone in my family, friends and girlfriend was happy for me and my future experience!
When I arrived in U.S.A. I was anxious and in the same time scared because I had left all in Brazil and I was alone! So, one month has gone and a lot of experiences I lived in this time. The cultures between U.S.A. and Brazil are clear for me now. For example in the food! We (Brazilians) love to eat in the lunch rice, beans, vegetables and meat but here (in U.S.A.) they like hamburger and pizza, it is rare when we find rice and beans. The food here always be spicy, they loooove pepper! The coffee is very different, in Brazil people drink small amounts commonly and the taste is more intense, in contrast here people drink big amount and the taste doesn't be intense.
People here are very very educated, they respect another people how we have to do. I noticed that when I saw in the street, all drivers stop in the stop sign even when don't have nobody to cross the street! I was shocked! Americans are very friendly and helpful in contrast what I thought before travel to U.S.A.
I am anxious to learn more about English language and culture!

Life's curiosities!!

Who don't like to drink a beer and eat peanut in a sunny weekend? Or eat in the breakfast bread with peanut butter? We hate when the peanut is with bad taste, kind of bitter! Right?!
So, that is because the food was contaminated with a kind of fungi and that fungi produces a mycotoxin which calls Aflatoxin! Yes, it's scary!
That toxin can be very hazardous to animals and humans. The Aflotoxin was discovered in 1960 when more than 100.000 turkey died on farms in England. Researches found toxic substances in a peanut meal which the poultry have eaten. That toxin is probably the most studied mycotoxin in the world, one of the reasons is because the researches found a carcinogenic effect according to researchers of the Cornell University in the article "Aflatoxin: Occurrence and health risks". The contamination depends a lot of factors for example the environment, agriculture practices, if the crops are susceptible to the fungi of the Aspergillus genus.
This contamination can occur before, during or after the harvest; this fungi can spread many crops as corn, peanut, cottonseed, nuts, almonds and another types of food as milk and milk products which that food are the staple food in many countries.
Aflatoxin is considered unavoidable contaminant of food and feed, many process are being developed to reduce the contamination, but it is very hard, so the FDA has established levels to this contamination in foods.
So, in our life have so much things which we can't imagine it is bad for us, we have to investigate and find a solution for the problems. I believe that researchers will find a solution to this problem related to Aflatoxin.

 
Aspergillus flavus seen under an electron microscope.


Infested corn with Aspergillus.

"The Winter Is Coming"

When I received a confirmation about my exchange to U.S.A. I knew, the climate will be a big challenge besides the much others! Because in Brazil I lived in State of Sao Paulo where it is hot and a little bit cold, but in U.S.A. more specifically Illinois the temperature during fall and mostly winter it is very cold (for me) with snowfall! I NEVER SAW SNOW BEFORE OF THIS YEAR!

This year there will be the colder winter than many years ago, Raoul Stockton says in his article "Metereologists Predict Record - Shattering Snowfall Coming Soon". And in Macomb where I live now will be hard, like in all Midwestern and Northeast of the country. Including, in this article he advises about the food, and storage food, because the snow will make a layer and will be impossible go out to buy something and the low temperature it is very dangerous.
So I need to buy things to resist, things like boots, sweaters, cap, gloves all waterproof things and a way to storage food because my room don't have freezer (for now!). I will go to Aurora to buy things in the Outlet Premium with my friends so this week I will resolve this things and I will be prepared to the cold (I hope).

My girlfriend will come to U.S.A. to christmas and new year we will go to Boston which is very cold too, so I hope the snowfall won't mess the flights and she will arrive nicely to we can enjoy this travel.

For more information, this is the website: http://empirenews.net/meteorologists-predict-record-shattering-snowfalls-coming-soon-bread-milk-prices-expected-to-soar/#prettyPhoto




AND.... "THE WINTER IS COMING"!!

The Biggest Outbreak of Ebola!

The outbreak of this year it is the biggest since 1976 (first recognition of the Ebola disease), therefore the global caution with this outbreak.
The Ebola virus propagates by contact with bodily fluids or blood of infected animal or human, it is a extremely infectious but not extremely contagious, this disease kill on average 50% of the infected, minor than the other years ago.
In this year, starts in March 25, 2014 when the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) announced the outbreak in Guinea and the possible cases in Sierra Leone and Liberia.
According to the survey realized in 5 September the number of infected is approximately 4000 and the dead is about 2105, much bigger than any other year.
Great doctors specialists in Ebola were contaminated and killed for this disease in this year.
According to Alexandra Sifferlin, the window to stop the apread of Ebola it is closing, in the article 'Window to Stop Ebola Outbreak is 'Closing Quickly', Oficial Warns'.
So, I think the countries needs to unite the strength and combat this disease before the Ebola virus spreads to all continents and devour the global population.

Follow attached some curiosities about Ebola and the outbreak of this year...

This image compares the outbreak of the other years together and the present outbreak!


http://healthmap.org/ebola/

This link shows the Ebola's evolution with information about the disease in this year day by day since March.

I will hope which you like this post about Ebola...
Thank you!

First post

I know, it’s cliché a little bit but I start introducing myself… My name is Marcelo not Marchelo, in the pronunciation saying only “CE”, I’m from Brazil and the other is a Italian guy’s name. I have twenty four years (yes, I can drink in U.S.A.!!). I have a sister and her name is Moira, isn’t a common name! My parents is waiting for me in my country, my dad’s name is Marcelo too and my mother’s name is Elaine. I have a non-rich family. My dad finished him studies in college and my mother finished only the high school. I talk with my girlfriend every day on mobile since I arrived in U.S.A., her name is Anita like a famous singer in Brazil, she have a female dog and your name is Bibiana, we love her!

My major is Agronomy or Agriculture, I love this course, I love the plants, the field, the earth and all in this area. The world needs food and I believe that I can help. 

I intend learn more about my major in U.S.A. because the agriculture in this country it's very representative in the world, and take knowledge to use in my country.

I guess, for now it's only!

See you...