Mah Editorial Cartoon.

Anaghster here,

Another science thing today. It is an editorial cartoon. Nuff said.

Enjoy,

Anaghster

A Long Day: A Bamfield Story

Anaghster here,

This is a story I wrote about Bamfield. Enjoy!

It was a Tuesday night as we walked into the building, warm air soothing our nerves as we hurried into the long hallway. It felt delightful transitioning out of the harsh, brisk night air into the relaxing, warm, atmosphere in the dorms. As I practically sprinted down the stairs and into another deep hallway, I bursted into the room, slugged my backpack on the ground, and leaped into the bottom bunk of the bunk bed. It came as a surprise when my dorm mates sprang into the room, a few seconds later. The rocky terrain and numerous exercises had taken a toll on by body and mind, and I was looking forward to taking a steamy shower to wash away all the numbness in my body. As I grabbed a towel, a change of clothes, and some body wash, my face felt like it would fall off my head when I noticed that the two showers were taken and there was a lineup of five people. Grouchily, I dawdled back to my dorm. I was instantly hit with a vibe of energy as I remembered that my friends and I had bought candy from a nearby convenience store. Life was good after all.

Cya!

Anaghster

Book Review: The Lost Hero

Anaghster here,

I am going to review a book I read recently titled 'The Lost Hero". I was an avid fan of the "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" series, so I brought this one from the library because it is a continuation of the series. Here comes the review:

Overall it was a good book. I liked the idea of three main characters and each chapter is from a different perspective. It was really creative what they did, and I overall enjoyed it very much. Also, I liked how the author, Rick Riordian, used emotion that the target audiencs, preteens and teens my age, would understand. That is something that you won't find in every book. Ever page is suspenseful, and you keep flipping the pages to find out what is next. I hope that this series continues for a long time to come.

- Peace,
Anaghster

Anaghster Vlogs: Ep 1: The Enbridge Fiasco

Anaghster here,

Here is my first vlog! Sorry for the inconsistency...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I5ysnQ3oZII

Enjoy!!

Genetics: Gene That Causes Skin Disease Discovered?

Anaghster here,

What I am about to post below is a project that I need to post on this blog for humanities. Hope you find this interesting. Enjoy!

Genetics is like science’s new child, It is a very new science and is developing at an extremely fast pace. Genetics is a field of study based of our genes and chromosomes. As said earlier, this is a new field and we have yet to discover so much more about it.

Genetics has helped discover treatments and clues with many terminal diseases, and so I wasn’t surprised when I found an article that states that scientists have now discovered the gene that causes skin disease. “Dundee University uncover gene behind skin disease” is the aptly named title of the article I read. It states that researchers in Dundee University have discovered and figured out how the p34 gene has played a key role in the creation of the disease “PPK” in the human body. 

The research team that had made the amazing discovery was lead by a professor of human genetics, Professor Irwin Maclean. He states “not only have we found this gene but we have (also) been able to figure out how it works, which is very important”. This important discovery will play a major hand in making easier diagnostics for skin disease and will be very helpful to develop new treatment methods for it. 

To start off, I will first give you an idea of what skin disease is and what it does. Punctuate-type palmoplanter keratoderma, a type of palmoplanter keratoderma, is a kind of skin disease. The word "palmoplantar" means having to do with the soles of both your hands and feet, and "keratoderma" means bumps on your skin. So this disease literally means: bumps on your hands and feet. This disease causes “tiny bumps of thickened skin on the palms and soles”, as said on New Zealand Dermatology Society website http://www.dermnetnz.org. There are three forms of punctuate-type palmoplanter keratoderma (Also known as PPK), the first being punctuate PPK, the second being filiform PPK, and the last being marginal PPK. Each is different, either in the way they look or where they grow. This disease occurs during late childhood or early adulthood. Though not many treatment options for PPK are long term, there are ways to make the hardened skin softer and make the bumps less noticeable by using emollients, topical retinoids, and others.

The gene functions just like a normal gene, but when this gene is disrupted the skin on the soles of your hands and feet will grow to fast, causing painful bumps to appear. However, if the gene functions normally, then there is absolutely no problem in your skin. Currently, scientists see this as a target for future drugs that can prevent this horrible disease, although the article states that a little more research needs to be done in order to do so. 

All this problem comes from one small gene, which is hidden among the billions of genes found in just one cell. A gene is a double helix strand that is made up of many nucleotide base pairs and different proteins. Genes make up chromosomes, which are found in the nucleus of a cell, and so on. When the gene that is the focus of the article, the p34 gene, gets disrupted, it causes skin cells to grow rapidly fast. I assume that this disease has something to do with the controlling of skin cell growth, and when the gene is disrupted the skin cells develop at an astonishing rate. The cell’s nucleus is getting different information than before, and that will probably change the way that the skin cell splits. For example, a cell may undergo mitosis twice or thrice as much as usual. 

ANAGH KATYAYAN

BIBLIOGRAPHY

"Palmoplantar Keratodermas (PPK) Fact Sheet." FIRST - Foundation for Ichthyosis & Related Skin Types. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www.firstskinfoundation.org/content.cfm/Ichthyosis/Palmoplantar-Keratodermas-PPK-Fact-Sheet/page_id/903>.

"Punctate-type palmoplantar keratoderma. DermNet NZ." DermNet NZ. Facts about skin from New Zealand Dermatological Society.. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www.dermnetnz.org/scaly/punctate-keratoderma.html>.

"Palmoplantar keratoderma. DermNet NZ." DermNet NZ. Facts about skin from New Zealand Dermatological Society.. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2012. <http://www.dermnetnz.org/scaly/palmoplantar-keratoderma.html>.

"Heredity - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Oct. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heredity>.

The Genetic Basics: What Are Genes and What Do They Do? - A Revolution in Progress: Human Genetics and Medical Research. (n.d.). Office of History, National Institutes of Health. Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://history.nih.gov/exhibits/genetics/sect

Health News - Rare skin disease gene discovered. (n.d.). Health News . Retrieved October 22, 2012, from http://www.healthcanal.com/skin-hair-nails/33057-Rare-skin-disease-gene-discovered.html

Peace Out,
Anaghster

My Rant on Violence

Anaghster here,

Haven't uploaded anything in a while. This feels kind of nice.

Earlier today I was on the internet wanting to buy the new deadmau5 album, "Album Title Goes Here". I later found myself watching one of his music videos, "The Veldt". I read the comments and found out that the song was based off a short story. So guess who did his research? That's right, it was yours truly, the great Anagh. I went online and found the short story , the link is as follows:

The Veld Full Story

Or, if you're a lazy person and hate reading, I found you a plot summary:

The Veldt Summary

NOTE: READ THE STORY BEFORE YOU CONTINUE.

I thought that the story was pretty creepy, and I found out what the meaning of this story may be. I believe that this story is warning us that not everything is perfect, and you can have too much of almost anything. I also believe that I know how this may apply to everyday life. I think that this story applies to young children and violence as well. I know that my little brother is one of these people, he is one of many victims to this. In fact, as I am writing this, he is in the basement playing Uncharted 2: Among Thieves, which is a third person puzzle shooter. He is nine. Funny thing actually, I kinda let him play. But besides that, I think that this is becoming more dominant in our society, and this story is a good example of that. I believe that this is an extreme example which I believe we are heading towards unless we take proactive measures to ensure that our next generation is not a bunch of violent maniacs.

Ever since my brother has been playing these games, I have seen a drastic change in language that he uses, attitude towards others, and most importantly, attitude towards me. I think that this a good sign that no matter what happens, we cannot lose the next generation (why am I saying 'next generation'? I am the next generation!) to technology and to violent movies and video games. And unfortunately, these things are being accepted into society. For example, when I went to see "The Avengers" with a few buddies over the summer, I noticed that there were a lot of toddlers and small children in the theatre. Now, after reading this story, I remember how violent the film was and now I have a headache and I feel bad. I remember when I was nine: I was playing pokemon, trading pokemon cards, and online strategy flash games all day. I can't believe that society has come to this in a time of 4 years. 4.

I have a message for kids out there who play violent games, watch violent movies, and think it is okay, and it is this: It is not okay. Stop doing this before you start doing violent things. You probably don't think that now, but in that nursery in the back of your mind, your little girl and boy run free, with nothing stopping them.

Whoa! I scared myself there. That was pretty scary. Heh.
But I want everyone to know of this problem in society. Pass this story on, and one person at a time, our world will change.

Take care of yourselves,
Anaghster.

FIRST VLOG???

Anaghster here,

UPDATE: I WILL NOT START THIS SUNDAY, BUT INSTEAD ON THURSDAY

To further promote my blog i will start vlogging every Thursday and Sunday. Make sure you check it out. It will kind of be like my blog except it will have links to YouTube videos, have more visuals, and just be plain awesomer. Catch me this Sunday, it will be my first vlog.

BTW, Follow me on twitter: @anaghster

K bai.

Anaghster

One Minute Reviews: 2013 Jaguar F Type

Anaghster here,

Jaguar has returned with a new classy car that looks like anything but a Jaguar. The F-Type is going to precede the once dominant and idealistic E-Type that crowned Jaguar back in the 1960s, all while integrating the latest technologies and styles.

Take a look at this car. I would highly suggest googling it or using the links provided below:

1

2

This is the first car that was developed under the wing of Tata, a huge company in India. I come from India, and I know firsthand that Tata has their fingers in each and every pie available. This is them giving the world a taste of the brilliant past of Jaguar.

Thanks,

Anaghster

BACON SHORTAGE????

Guess what? We're running out of bacon. 

Anaghster here and we are running out of bacon.

There is going to be an unavoidable bacon shortage and there is nothing I can do about it. Or any one of us can do about it. Follow this link:

http://ca.shine.yahoo.com/video/aint-bacon-shortage-may-coming-032800711.html

I like bacon, and if you do too than you're probably mad. The drought in the states last year has brought us nothing but trouble. First veggies, now pigs? The bad part is that it's unavoidable, so you can see why i'm mad. At least there's still bacon, however. It's just a shortage for the next year, so I guess that all us porkers are going to have to hang tight for a bit.

Droughts are evil things. The price of grain has flew up, and grain is a major food for hogs. Farmers have been selling their pigs because the growth of retail price does not cover the costs of the ever-growing price of grain.

All I can say for now is that bacon is still going to be a major part of my diet. 

For now,

Anaghster

Why is Gangnam Style so Popular?

Anaghster here,

You may have heard of the awesome new song by PSY, Gangnam Style. This is the first Korean song that I have heard on any Canadian radio station. What the heck is up with that? I will cover Gangnam Style's rise to international fame.

I found out about this song back in June or something, before it got trendy here in Canada, so technically I started the biggest trend since Madonna. But I promise not to rub it in (too much). Anyways, it came as a shock to me when I heard this song playing on an eighth grader's laptop. I asked him where he heard that, and he said that it's all the rage. WTF? How does that happen?

Possibly because of the video. It's the most random thing I saw all year. It's funny watching a grown man do a horse dance around the Gangnam district of Seoul. Or maybe because it's funny watching an older man try to woo a beautiful young woman.

Or maybe the music. This is much, much, much better than the mainstream crap we listen to. Also, it is hilarious. We don't even understand the lyrics, and that's what makes it so funny. I guess there are many factors that make it such a popular and catchy song, so you can't say for sure. So, the answer, I guess, is the entire song. This is the best song i've heard in a long time. So it's just plain awesome.

P.S. I give out free trendsetting advice, for all you fans.

- Anaghster

Hey Guys!

Anaghster here,

Just wanna let you know that you guys are doing a good job. I'm getting a lot more people each day, and I want to thank you guys. Keep tweeting and posting on Facebook, it may not be much for you guys, but it means the world to me. Keep in mind that this isn't my blog, this is our blog. So don't forget that when reading this stuff.

Thanks Again,
Anaghster

Ranting about the New SRT Viper

Anaghster here,

Several months after the announcement of the new Viper, I finally realize that it is actually the SRT Viper. Why? What was wrong with dodge? Anyways, as you can see I have many problems with the new Viper. Remember when the Viper used to look like this?

I loved this design. Beautiful body shape, signature front and rear headlight and grill design, and topped off with the famous racing stripe. It was the quintessential Viper. Now I'll show you the new design.

I don't know about you, but this pathetic excuse for a Viper looks like a Ferrari that got hit in the face with American design. Seriously, they might as well go and steal all Ferrari's design plans. Compare this to this:

As usual, leave any questions and comments down below.

Bamfield 2012: Haikus and More

Anaghster here,

I recently went to Bamfield, British Columbia with our school to study at the Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre for one week. It was amazing, the ocean, the scenery, the everything. It was just a beautiful experience. Here are a few Haikus and a story I wrote while I was there.

Cooling off my mind
The euphoria begins
Awesome ocean spray

Leaves catch fresh new dew
Glimmering in the bright sun
Morning has begun

And now for the story:

Dusk
By Anagh Katyayan

A chill ran down my spine as I casually strolled onto the rough concrete, the wind wafting over a saline smell and a cool blast of air. As I gingerly tiptoed towards the wooden railing, my senses were instantly snagged by the atmosphere above, painted a dazzling aquamarine which was reflecting into the vast channel that led out into the daunting looking ocean. The trees branched out into the night sky, plastering a beautiful silhouette onto the wonderful bouquet of scenery. The mountains, now just dark mounds in the distance, were slowly sinking away in the night and giving way to a new set of natural beauties: gleaming, dazzling spots of light dotting the sky and glowing with a beautiful energy under the blanket of night. Dusk had begun.

What do you guys think? Please comment for any suggestions and i will kindly listen.
Bye!

One Minute Reviews: 2012 Honda Odyssey Touring

Anaghster here,

I'm going to start with an overview on my families three-month old baby in black: A beast inside, a beauty on the outside, all blended together into the perfect mixture of work and play. Some would call it a minivan, but I call it a first class suite on wheels. It is the 2012 Honda Odyssey, and to put it simply: It is awesome.

Sporting a 3.5L V6 monster under the hood, this van can generate up to 248 horsepower and not make a noise on a highway. The ride is very smooth and gentle, you can finish a 3 hour movie and not even realize you are sitting in a minivan. The 16 inch screen proves to be a serious lifesaver, as you can watch two movies, instead of watching just one.

That's all. Please remember it won't be just about cars.

The Beginning - The Birth of Something Epic

Anaghster here:

This is my new blog. Doesn't look like much, but it's the content that counts. I could just write a bunch of stuff about me and why i'm doing this, but i' really not that type of person. If you wanna know more about me, just click the little RSS button! It's really not that hard! I will be talking about stuff that... happens. At school or at home.

I guess I'll see you around!