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Wrote this in an hour

Tue, 04 Dec 2007 21:52:17 GMT

Wrong Bottle to Open

In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is the be all and end all of motivation. If something is convenient, it is viewed as better than comparable, less convenient products. Nowadays, bottled water is a perfect convenience for people on the go, a quick drink of something that the body requires to keep going. But bottled water, for all its convenience, is not necessarily the safe alternative to tap water that most people think it is.

The history of bottled water is filled with rumors and strange ideas of miracle cures and the fantastical powers of fresh spring water, but most scoffed at the idea of ”selling something that God gave everyone for free.” While water has been humanity’s drink for millennia out of necessity, it wasn’t until 1845 that someone came up with the brilliant idea to bottle spring water and sell it as a cure for digestive ailments. The Rickers family of Poland, Maine bought a piece of land near the natural springs and built a resort and bottling facility there, touting their water as “wonderful” and selling it for 15 cents per stoneware jug. Their great talent in selling the water over the years came from masterful publicity, telling anyone who would listen about the water’s ability to retain freshness and its pure, pristine taste (Cleveland 1).

While people slowly became enamored with the idea of this pure, potable potion, they began to forget about the tap water than for so long quenched thirst and fulfilled so many needs. Someone in a rush is much less likely nowadays to fill a glass or thermos with water than to simply pick up a sealed bottle of Ozarka and get to the car. Nearly devoid of taste besides the clean tang of water, bottled water is hyped as the clean alternative to tap water that some people seem to think contains poison or mutagens or some kind of insane chemical castoffs. Tap water tends to have different tastes for the region it comes from, and it carries the hint of underground minerals and maybe even a little bit of gamey, wild scent from nature.

However, the government sets much higher standards for the cities and counties that filter the water that goes into your home than the ones they hold the bottled water companies to, a fact which most people do not know. For example, in 1990 the organic compound benzene was found in Perrier sparkling water, a carcinogenic substance found in gasoline, synthetic rubber and dyes. The FDA and the bottled water industry in general suffered a great deal of scrutiny after the FDA’s failure to find the substance, but while the public outcry against this was loud, it did not end with much of an increase in water safety standards.

Seven years after the FDA was given a list of standards that it was supposed to enact upon the bottled water industry to ensure the safety of consumers, only a few had been put in place. Most of the rules were either ignored, put to the side for later, or were simply not written out for the FDA to rule upon. These standards are such a low priority that the FDA has only an estimated one half of a person dedicated to bottled water regulation.

According to the Natural Resources Defense Council, bottled water is not required by law to meet the same standards as city tap water, a gaping hole in legislation which is supposed to protect consumers. For instance, while the EPA has a prohibition against any confirmed E. coli or fecal coliform bacteria in tap water, there is no such rule on the books for bottled water producers. There is simply a limit to the maximum number of coliform bacteria with no specific prohibition of fecal coliform or E. coli (NRDC c.4).

These are not harmless bacteria that simply exist in all water, they are harmful contagions that can cause gastroenteritis, an inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract which, when untreated, is the worldwide leading cause of death in children. City water officials have to test city water facilities at least 100 times a month for such bacteria, while bottled water technicians only have to test once a week.

Also not required by law for bottled water companies is the testing for Cryptosporidium and Giardia, protozoan parasites often found in untreated drinking water. Note untreated. These parasites can cause severe diarrhea and stomach pains, and while not life-threatening to adults, it can become severe and non-resolving in small children and immune-compromised individuals such as AIDS patients.

DEHP, also known as dioctyl phthalate, a probable human carcinogen, endocrine-system disrupter and a chemical agent produced in plastics manufacture, is a substance regulated by the EPA for city tap water, but oddly enough not for bottled water, which comes bottled in plastic bottles. The FDA has also refused to set standards for the presence of acrylamide, asbestos, or epichlorohydrin, all of which the EPA regulates in tap water (NRDC c.4).

On top of all that, government and industry estimates indicate that about 25-30 percent of bottled water actually comes from a city or town’s tap water, often times without any further filtration or treatment. For instance, Pepsico’s Aquafina brand of bottled water, which pictures beautiful mountains on the label, does not mention anywhere on the label that the water comes from municipal tap water. Some other labels are misleading, like the “spring water” label of a bottled water product in Millis, Massachusetts, drawn from a well located in the middle of an industrial warehouse facility that was contaminated with industrial solvents, including trichloroethylene at levels above FDA and EPA standards.

People throughout the nation buy and drink bottled water under the assumption that is safer than tap water, and while it is usually safe enough to drink and very convenient, there is one thing that most bottled water does not have, and that’s fluoride. The substance added to most city tap water to help strengthen teeth and prevent tooth decay is import to dental health, and parents who give bottled water to their children should either buy fluoridated water, or inform their dentists that the children are not drinking fluoridated water.

While it is not necessary to do away with bottled water altogether, it is more expensive and not by rule a safer product. Tap water from the faucet is more heavily regulated and safer to drink, and only cost pennies a day, while bottled water can contain many harmful chemicals and bacteria and cost as much as four dollars a gallon.

Works Cited

Cleveland, Debbie R. "Poland Spring." Framingham. 23 Nov. 2002. None. 04 Dec. 2007 <http://www.framingham.com/collecting/polandspring.htm>.

Nrdc. "NRDC: Bottled Water: Pure Drink or Pure Hype." Natural Resources Defense Council. 28 Mar.

1999. NRDC. 04 Dec. 2007 <http://www.nrdc.org/water/drinking/bw/bwinx.asp>.

News!

Sun, 09 Sep 2007 05:00:06 GMT

I went to the SMU-UNT football game, and it was a great game. SMU won 45-31.

Also, I uploaded a picture of my newest tattoo, and my new haircut is on the main page.

Mustang Sold!

Mon, 06 Aug 2007 12:12:05 GMT

After several weeks of trying to sell my Mustang, its finally been plucked from the vine. The awesome thing about it is that it was picked up for someone very special.

The folks at Keith Craft Motorsports called me up and told me that they wanted to take a look at the car, and so they came by and inspected the goods. After they decided that it was what they wanted, they made me an offer. When we agreed on a price, we signed the papers and got the check deposited and that's when they told me some cool news.

The car I sold them was going to be rebuilt into the 67-68 Terlingua 1 Racer collection for Carroll Shelby himself. Not only that, but it was going to be in car shows and on TV, in pictures and everything. So exciting!

Shadowrun: A game worth playing

Mon, 25 Jun 2007 23:19:08 GMT

Just in case you have an XBOX 360 or a computer with Vista, Shadowrun is definitely worth buying and playing.

There are plenty of good things about it, such as dwarves, and miniguns, and katanas. On top of all that, you can cast spells, or get cybernetic enhancements. The gameplay itself is great, because it doesn't try to overly complicate anything. You just run around shooting people and sometimes trying to accomplish objectives. Teamwork is emphasized by being able to buy the Resurrect spell, and reviving your fallen teammates. You can also raise a Tree of Life, which will heal your friends and enemies.

new computer

Wed, 06 Jun 2007 20:16:49 GMT

So I got a new computer, and I'm pretty excited about it. 2,4 gig core2duo processor, 2 gigs of RAM, geforce 8800gts, and dual 22" widescreen lcd monitors. its a pretty boss setup I have going.

New photo gallery

Sat, 28 Apr 2007 06:52:54 GMT

Ok, so I added a new section to the mikehouse, and that's my Tattoo Parlor. I uploaded some decent pics of the ink I already have, and I will just keep adding pictures as I get more work done.

The one on my chest is my newest tattoo, only having gotten it done on the 24th.

Mike's Movie Reviews #14: Grindhouse

Thu, 05 Apr 2007 02:48:28 GMT

Let me go ahead and start off with saying that this is an amazing experience, more of one than most movies that are made these days.

That being said, realize that these two movies, Planet Terror and Deathproof both, will fill you with such morbid and blood-loving glee that you will walk out of the theater with a spring in your step and a gleam in your eye.

Planet Terror, a wonderful rendition of zombie magic, creates sickening, undead feasting, gun-toting bliss in the viewer. Over the top action and supreme Hollywood action absurdity make it so you never forget why you love to see dead people die more.

Deathproof will make you want to drive a car really fast and hit something hard. I'm not saying that you will want to go kill people with your car and create havoc on the roadway, but it will elicit terrible urges deep inside you that have wheels.

After all that, you would think that I had covered all the greatness that was Grindhouse, but you would be completely wrong. One of the most beautiful things about the event, as I like to call it, are the amazing previews they show as part of the whole show. I won't give away the titles or plots of any of the fantastic movies they talk about, but let me assure you that they will create euphoria and sensitivity of the nipples.

Overall, Grindhouse was AWESOME!

Mike's Movie Reviews #13: Pursuit of Happyness

Sun, 25 Mar 2007 06:08:32 GMT

Pursuit of Happyness is inspired by a true story about a pseudo-celebrity in the Stock Brokering business. Will Smith plays the lead role, with Thandie Newton playing opposite him, and Will Smith's son Jaden playing his son in the movie.

So he goes through the movie experiences one hardship after another with charisma and determination, vowing to the world to take care of his son no matter what, and of course he pulls it off. This movie is all about inspiration and warming hearts, and I think it does a pretty good job.

I mean, the movie is Will Smith being a good dad and a charming working black man breaking into this rich white guy world, but seriously, if you're going to pick an actor to be a black guy, is it Will Smith? The Fresh Prince of Bel-air. Don't get me wrong, I like the guy, I think he's a good actor and funny, not the best rapper, but whatever.

It's a good movie, rent it and maybe tear up a little bit.

Mike's Movie Reviews #12: 300

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:39:08 GMT

For those of you who haven't gone to the movie theater and seen 300, you're wrong. I will let that sink in.

The movie is about the historic battle at Thermopylae, and it is amazing. This is definitely my new favorite movie, if not the coolest movie I have ever seen.

The fight scenes were epic and vivid, showing every strike in the fore- and background. The landscapes looked like they were painted by master artisans and these Spartans placed there by the gods.

There is literally nothing about this movie I didn't like, besides the fact that it ended.

Mike's Movie Reviews #11: Harsh Times

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 13:06:00 GMT

I got this movie from work, since I have been wanting to see it since the first time I saw the trailers. The reason I was so pumped about seeing this movie is one scene in a trailer where Christian Bale says, "I'm a soldier of the Apocalypse." Things like that get me ready for battle.

The movie is pretty much about this soldier who comes back from Iraq looking for work, this guy being Christian Bale. He is very damaged goods, and the entire movie is about him spiraling out of control.

One thing I can say for certainly is that this movie is quality. It was very different than I expected, since I thought it was going to be about Christian Bale's character being a gang enforcer or something, which isn't the case. Really, the movie is about psychological damage, and how to deal with the real world when you don't have someone running your life for you.

Mike's Movie Reviews #10: Stranger than Fiction

Fri, 23 Feb 2007 01:18:30 GMT

Stranger than Fiction is a movie about a man named Harold Crick, who has somehow become the main character in a story written by author Karen Eiffel. He begins to realize how dull his life is when he is informed that his death is imminent.

The movie is wonderfully written and everything falls into place perfectly. Will Ferrell actually did a really good job, which surprised me, considering the fact that most of his roles don't include much depth to them(Frank the Tank). Fortunately, he played his part to perfection and made Harold Crick a very sympathetic character.

Mike's Movie Reviews #9: the Departed

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:20:54 GMT

The movie is about an undercover cop infiltrating a mafia organization while a mole within the law enforcement agency on the case tries to keep his identity secret.

It is a well-crafted crime movie with great rawness of character. All of the actors in the movie do an amazing job in their roles and the writing in the movie is some of the best I've experienced in a while. Pretty much everything involved with movie is among the best of its kind.

Mike's Movie Reviews #8: Half Nelson

Wed, 21 Feb 2007 11:10:03 GMT

Alright, so Half Nelson is pretty much about a teacher in the inner city who has a wild approach to teaching and forms a special bond with one of his students. He also is semi-confrontational with a drug dealer.

So my opinion of the movie: awesome. It's beautifully dark and tragic, and wonderfully written. I love dark and brooding movies.

Anyhow, it's an amazing movie, and everyone who likes movies should watch it.

Mike's Movie Reviews #7: Ghost Rider

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 04:16:51 GMT

Ghost Rider is a movie based off of a comic book, first off, so it falls into a category of movies that is very hit/miss.

The movie is about Nicolas Cage's character Johnny Blaze, who makes a deal with the Devil. So he becomes the Ghost Rider, a spirit who works for the Devil collecting damned souls. So he rides about on a motorcycle with his head on fire staring at criminals and hitting people with chains, like in the comics.

Eva Mendes is hot, but most of the acting in the movie was pretty bad, which is pretty much what I expect from Nicolas Cage nowadays. Seriously, Johnny and Roxie are supposed to be around the same age, does this movie really intend for the audience to believe that Cage and Mendes are the same age? Cage is old, and looks old, and acts young.

Alright, so pretty much what I'm saying is that if you like Ghost Rider, you'll probably like this movie. If you like Cage, you'll probably like this movie. If you like movies, you probably won't like this movie very much, since it's not really a great one.

My Computer Woes

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 03:46:40 GMT

Several days ago, my monitor stopped recognizing my computer sending it info, and my mouse stopped working, so I figured something was wrong with my motherboard. Turns out I was right.

I took my computer to Fry's Electronics because they have all that neat diagnostic software to figure out what was wrong with it, when it turns out you could actually see the problem on the motherboard itself. The cylinder parts connected to the motherboard had bubbled up and popped, so I guess my motherboard just kind of blew out

Maybe someone knows what would cause that. Hopefully, it won't happen again to the new motherboard I get.

Does anyone have any good suggestions for a motherboard? For intel processors.

Mike's Movie Reviews #6: The Marine

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 07:15:44 GMT

So here I am watching the Marine, this most wondrous of action movies is brought to us by the WWE and John Cena, championship professional wrestler. See, I thought that it would be a typical action movie with bad acting and decent fighting, explosions and chase scenes.

What I didn't expect was the amazingly bad performance in the role of John Triton, good-hearted ex-marine with no respect for authority and nothing to lose. Yeah, I know, you're heard that before. It's called an action movie.

I didn't expect much from this movie, and thank goodness, I wasn't disappointed. He hit stuff, he blew stuff up, and he did it with ATTITUDE!

Mike's Movie Reviews #5: The Prestige

Fri, 16 Feb 2007 08:47:55 GMT

I finished watching the Prestige, and I can definitely say that it is a spellbinding movie. The writing is phenomenal and the actors do a great job in their roles. I am never disappointed in Michael Caine or Christian Bale, and Hugh Jackman made me very happy with his performance.

edit: The movie is about 2 magicians who develop a fierce rivalry with one another, always trying to sabotage the other's magic acts and humiliate him.

Now I know some people say they figure out the plot twist early in the movie, trying to impress others with their skill in mystery unraveling, but I can say with certainty and sincerity that I had a pretty good bead on what was going on before the movie seemed to want the audience to start figuring it out. I know that movies like this want you to watch it a couple of times to be able to navigate the twists and turns in the plot. but I can honestly say that I don't need to.

I'm not saying this in a negative way, I think the movie was amazing. I'm just saying that the writing wasn't as obfuscating as it could have been, which isn't to say that the ending wasn't nice and mysterious. I thought the way that they put all the secrets together was very cool, and I'm a huge fan of the whole rivalry/revenge angle.

Also, I love David Bowie.

So stoked

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 05:15:42 GMT

300 is going to be one of the coolest movie you will ever see. It will boil your brain in your skull.

Seriously, it's gonna be amazing.

[youtube 0gfZnWVoqZ8]

Things that excite me

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 22:16:44 GMT

I know I'm probably not the only one to be pumped about this. but the fact that they are making a movie about the comic "30 Days of Night" gets me super pumped. The horror comic that the movie is based off of is one that I find to be amazingly good and of the best quality. The art is great and the writing/ideas are extraordinary.

David Slade is set to direct with Sam Raimi producing, so it has a good backbone to build a great movie around.

http://www.hollywood.com/movie/30_Days_Of_Night/3462960

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/30_Days_of_Night

Mike's Movie Reviews #4: Hollywoodland

Wed, 14 Feb 2007 10:00:55 GMT

So I just finished watching this movie, and I am very impressed. Depressed and Impressed. I was never really interested in learning about George Reeves' life until now, but it seems like he might have been a fairly tragic figure.

It's hard to think about the man who played Superman without some amount of transference from the character itself and it must have been that very fact that contributed to the events that ended his life.

Overall, I would say that this movie is very good, very sad, and definitely worth watching. I don't know how accurate the movie's portrayal of events is, but then again, I don't really care. All I know is that the movie was engrossing and gave me the impression that tale being told was one that some people were genuinely interested in. Maybe I'm wrong here, but Superman is a very American character, and the end of George Reeves seems to be very American. Sad and self-made.