loving art, science and creative kids
4/24/2015 1:40:38 PM
Changing City Scape
As wooded areas become high rise condominiums, noise levels and pollution escalate. Garbage, mail trucks and automobiles flow through residential areas from before dawn ‘till late at night. Music blasts from open windows, while rooftop parties contribute to the the din of carousing revelers.
Humming in the Background
In my house there is a running debate about background sounds. Thinker craves music or TV voices humming softly, filling the room’s silence, while Forceful prefers to live in a home devoid of extraneous noise. It is not that he does not like music, but when he listens to it he gives it complete attention. “If it is not quiet then I can not hear myself think,” he complains.
Geeker wants loud Metallica music playing throughout the house, claiming it is a necessary background sound for doing homework. Forceful, as you might imagine, threatens to move out if the noise stays booming . . . a problem easily solved with ear buds. So now Geeker wears them at what is probably ear damaging decibels.
Thinker is an artist and always paints with the radio on, tuning out her immediate surroundings, oblivious to the rest of the house with its extraneous noises. Forceful is also an artist but works without electronically produced sound. He is very sensitive to what is going on in the neighborhood…dogs barking, birds chirping, cars rolling by, people walking and talking, etc. He is always berating Thinker for not hearing things. Thinker thinks that Forceful is much too tuned into neighborhood happenings and gossip. “So what if the garbage truck goes by? Ignore it.” she advises.
Sleep-time presents other issues. Thinker’s daughter, Dreamer, turns on a fan or some artificially produced soothing sound to help her fall asleep. She also trained her children to go to bed listing to white noise. Thinker prefers to fall asleep hearing background voices that are so quiet that the words are indistinguishable. The TV or radio tuned quietly does not disturb her as long as the words don’t make sense. She has tried concert music but that keeps her awake because she pays too much attention to what is playing. Forceful, of course, wants silence so he can hear the owls and coyotes howling.
Audiologists have been complaining for some time that children are listening to music that is too loud. A generation of young adults is now dealing with severe tinnitus, vertigo and hearing loss. Did you know that wearing headphones over 2 hours a day can damage hearing according to recent study by the “Centers for Disease Control.” Loud music also has other ramifications? Because of loud music youth are less tuned into each other and the world around them. They are non-communicative at concerts and become isolated when tuned into their ear plugs. Now that cell phone texting has taken the place of telephone calls, life is more complicated, for children listen to music while sending messages at the same time. Trying to get the attention of someone who is listening to music on their ear phones or gazing at their smart phone is not easy.
I became curious about what decibels I hear in a typical walk-about-day. According to Marshall Chasen at the Center for Human Performance and Health, a normal conversation taking place between 3-5 feet is at 60-70 dB, piano practice is the same. The dial tone of a telephone is at 80 dB, a power saw at 110 dB. Pain begins at 125 dB which is at the level of a pneumatic riveter. A violin has a very high decibel rating at 84-95 dB. Symphonic music peaks at 120 dB but it does not usually last very long at that volume so the public is safe. However, musicians in the orchestra often experience hearing loss due to extended hours of playing. Amplified rock music at 4-6 ft is 120 dB and goes to a peak of 150 dB, a damaging number.
The environmental protection agency recommends that neighborhoods be no louder than 55 dB during waking hours. Prolonged exposure of 85 dB and higher will result in hearing loss so protection is advised. At 90 dB (example-lawn mower, router, snowmobile or hair dryer) you are taking a risk if listening to the sound for more than two hours, so ear plugs are advised. Rock concerts? According to the center for Disease Control and Prevention, exposure for more than 30 seconds can cause loss.
Chronic hearing loss is irreversible. Researchers recommend that noise canceling headphones be used instead of buds and that headphones not be used for more than one hour a day at levels below the 60% of maximum volume. This does create a problem for image conscious teens who find headphones a bit more costly, large and cumbersome.
You might be interested to know that nearly 13 percent of children have noise-induced hearing loss? To deal with this poor statistic some establishments are making changes to the noise level inside their pubs and restaurants. One recent response to painful and prolonged decibel defying sounds shows employers of dance halls handing out sound reducing headphones to staff. There are even concert venues that distribute ear plugs or, for a rental fee, ear buds that bring music directly to you, eliminating background sounds and enabling the concert to be heard at a lower decibel rate. However, beware! Because ear buds are placed directly into the ear they can boost the sound signal as much as six to nine decibels.
This summer when the concert series gets in full swing, be sure to pack your ear plugs. It only takes one hour of listening to a concert that is over 105 DB to damage your ears. Even MTV is telling people to “Turn it Down!” With a bit of foresight you can enjoy your summer and your favorite band and still be able to hear the birds in the forest the next day.
Please let me know your experience with noise pollution by responding below.
Art work is always for sale. Contact me at marilynne@ eichingerfineart.com.
If you want more information about the decibel level of both occupational and non-occupational sounds go to www.http://e-a-r.com/pdf/jhearingcons/noie_Naf.xls.
4/17/2015 1:32:05 PM
Girl with Pearls - Her eyes are covered as she goes through life unable to absorb the overlapping universes of each individual.
Living Vicariously at the Center of Your Universe
Anatole France once said, “Even a little dog is the center of his own universe.” These words were posted on wall of my college dorm room challenging me to remember that everyone sees the world from their own perspective. The only way I could enter another’s universe was to live with them vicariously through imagination. A few of my favorite actors and actresses, like Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, have strong empathetic personalities that make them able to slip inside another person’s skin, so why shouldn’t I try?
The first time I realized that I was truly living vicariously was when my first born was nine months old. As a spring baby, he had never experienced snow, so when the first flakes descended I bundled him up and went outside to introduce him to the falling flakes. At first he became very quiet, looking around the yard in awe, eventually reaching out to catch the elusive patterns with his chubby hands. It was then that I knew that with his birth an additional gift had been given to me. His existence was going to enable me to relive childhood and expand my own universe as he developed his.
I was fortunate in having six children, five biological and one adopted child in later life. With my oldest son I experienced strength and vigor. His fantasy world of Dungeons and Dragons held all of the intrigue of a hollywood spectacular and I became captured by the intensity that he and his friends exhibited when playing. His earnestness permeated his waking moments and carried on to other activities in later life. I remember visiting his first apartment at a time he was learning to play tennis. Signs were taped to his bathroom mirror that said things such as, “I am a winner. I focus and am not distracted.” Whether learning to fly a plane, play guitar or ride a bicycle, he does it with total physical and emotional involvement, and each time, though not an expert, he becomes competent. Through him I sensed what it is like to jump into the fray wholeheartedly.
Shortly after my son’s birth I had a daughter who inspired me with her feistiness and astute brain. She understands psychological spheres in great depth, yet sees humor in most situations she encounters, enabling her to gain perspective on life’s unexpected happenings. When she was only seventeen she left college for a year to accept a job as a purchasing agent for a bank and its numerous branches. Sales people would call on her with bribes of gifts and luncheon invitations. She would laugh about their offerings, and demonstrated to me what it takes to stand firm and act ethically in the face of shady business practices. She did this without damaging an ongoing working relationships.
My second daughter helped me to hear more clearly. She has perfect pitch and while practicing the violin I knew that I was listening to a pure note. When she sang there was a smile in her bearing and it was as though the windows opened to spring flowers even on a dark, dank day. Since I was born unable to carry a tune, she gave me insight into what it was like to have expansive auditory senses and experience pleasure from sound. Her access to the world was a path that was foreign to me, but I rode piggyback in order to feel the vibrations of her emotion.
Empathy and caring were gifts my fourth child carried into the birthing room. From a young age this daughter was able to see into the souls of animals. She bleeds inside when an creature is ill and spends hours working to help it survive. With her tales I feel happiness, anxiety and sorrow as she adopts various animals into her life. Her sensitivity produces strong emotions, for she has never erected a protective barrier between herself and the suffering of others. She enables me to see frailty in the animal kingdom and continuously demonstrates that it is important to pay attention to small cues.
Number five offspring, a son, once told me, “ You and Dad work too hard. I’m not going to be like that.” And he is not. He does work with fervor, but is equally engaged with friends in creative activities. He embraces playful endeavors that combine artistry with technology, making him a master tinkerer. My son welds, wires, creates electronic light and sound shows, and fixes engines when not programing computers. Through him I have learned the value of play and of being with friends, getting rid of the guilt that came from having a stubborn work ethic. I vicariously enjoy his ever expanding universe as his circle of friends and unusual projects continue to grow.
The sixth child is a young man who entered my life when he was nineteen. Having lived a difficult childhood, he overcame horrendous beginnings because of an innate desire to survive. He demonstrated that people of every socioeconomic background act in their own self-interest when placed in dire situations, but he also showed me that when given a chance, inner strength can overcome adversity. His appreciation for the assistance he received over the past years has made him generous to those less fortunate. This young man believes that everyone should have a chance to prove his or her self worth, and now so do I.
My family and friends are good models for the theory of an ever expanding cosmos. Each time I vicariously enter their centers to be surrounded by their universes, my understanding of the natural world swells. My blinders are continuously widened when imagining myself in their heads, trying to see through their eyes. My greatest gifts have come from those who over the years let me share the depths of their souls before climbing on their shoulders to look further afield.
Please share your own stories about those who have allowed you to visit the center of their universe.
Artwork is always for sale. Go to eichingerfineart.com for more information.
4/11/2015 2:37:48 PM
Nurturing
Our environment does make a difference to the genetic makeup of the next generation.
Epigenetics: Why Care?
When my husband was asked why he found me attractive, his reply always was, “ because she has good genes.” To my ears it was not a very romantic answer, but he sincerely meant what he said. He told me that when he had decided to get married he started looking for a woman with characteristics that he hoped would carry on to the next generation. I suppose something carried on because several months ago my granddaughter circulated a picture of three generations of women in our family. It showed us all sporting big smiles topped with cascading dark curly hair. Of course, as Garrison Keillor would also add, “we’re all above average,” but that does not show in the photo. There was no doubt in anyone’s mind, we looked like family. I was never sure if it was the curly hair or something else that my husband found attractive.
Geneticists have been working for years to determine the relative importance of nurture (environment) and nature (genetics). The first words spoken by those visiting new parents are often, “Who does she look like?” The answer, “Oh, Aunt Bessie or Uncle Gary . . . just look at the resemblance!” In addition to understanding human genetics, genetically modified crops and animal husbandry are the targets of complex genetic research. Since the completion of the sequencing of the human genome we have learned even more about our own condition.
Do you remember Mendel’s peas? When I was in school, genetics was a matter of identifying what would happen to the next generation after cross fertilizing peas. Now students learn of how their cells carry instructions formed on a double helix which hold nucleotide bases. They study that the sequence of these nucleotide bases along with the DNA strands are directions for all development and maintenance of life. If you think this information is a lot to comprehend, just consider that there are 3 billion bases and over 20,000 genes, most making proteins that trigger the biological functions we call life.
So what is epigenetics? According to the Oxford dictionary, “it is the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the gene code itself.” Remember the old question of what was more important, your environment or genetic makeup? My friends and I used to spend hours debating the issue, especially when we knew someone who had strange behaviors. “Were they born that way or was it the way they were raised?” we would ask. Well it turns out, the two are both important and certain environmental happenings can cause genes to operate differently than they are genetically directed to do. They can become dormant or active depending on where you live, what you eat, your sleep patterns, exercise regime, and even your friendships. These every day occurrences can, over time, change the way genes operate without changing the sequence of the gene. Complex diseases, such as cancer and Alzheimer’s, are thought to be caused, in part, due to genes that have been switched from what was once a healthy state to something with more dire consequences. What is happening is that chemical modifications leave marks on segments of the DNA without changing the DNA sequence or related proteins that control these off/on switches.
Now for the important observation. Scientists now believe that genes modified by environment can be inherited by the next generation. And it is this uniqueness of inherited genes, modified by environment, that scientists now agree can be carried on to the next generation. You might think that mapping every single cause and effect of every possible epigenetic combination could help keep the good and get rid of the bad genes, to slow aging or stop obesity, but it is an impossible task as we know it today. No orchestra leader has stepped forward with a way to conduct this rich genetic music. Methods of control are being tested with plants and animals but in the human condition still remain for science fiction writers to contemplate.
Why do we care? In an article written for Public Health Ethics, Michele Loi writes from Portugal that, “ recent epidemiological reports of associations between socioeconomic status and epigenetic markers that predict vulnerability to diseases are bringing to light substantial biological effects of social inequalities.” She goes on to say that there are moral consequences of these findings due to inequality in health care. In my mind, epigeneticists have issued a challenge to socially minded people and policy makers.
We now know that the epigenome is highly sensitive and responsive to environmental influences, including toxic exposures, dietary factors, and behavioral impacts. For example, stress may not only affect the adult parent who experiences ulcers, but resultant changes in DNA markers can be carried on to the next child conceived. Intellectual disabilities and immune and psychiatric disorders are all potentially affected by epigenetic changes. Epigenetic effects are especially sensitive during fetal development and in newborn infants. Living in poverty without proper nutrition or medical care while pregnant could permanently affect the genetic makeup of the child. Smog, water quality, overpopulation, and crime ridden cities potentially can cause epigenetic scars that are carried into future generations and could have huge consequences for society.
The connection between the social and natural or biological world is important to consider as we work to build the type of society we want. By not paying attention to perinatal health, early childhood development and environmental issues we are accepting great risks to the human population as a whole.
Art work is always for sale. For information go to eichingerfineart.com
I enjoy your comments. Please respond to this blog below.
For a greater understanding of epigenetic and social consequences go to the following sites:
http://www.whatisepigenetics.com/fundamentals/
http://phe.oxfordjournals.org/content/6/2/142.full
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3034450/
4/3/2015 9:23:08 PM
hope, love, health, together we survive
painted when my son was first diagnosed with cancer
Dealing with Bad News
“It's not what happens to you, but how you react to it that matters.”
attributed to Greek philosopher Epictetus.
None of us sails easily through life. At one time or another we will have to confront unpleasantries. It may be loss of a job, a natural disaster, divorce, illness or even death. How we deal with these occasions presents defining moments, and no matter how hard you try to prepare yourself, it will be difficult.
The first time I had to confront serious illness was when my son was diagnosed with Hodgkins disease. My initial reaction was visceral, a wildly beating heart, spiked adrenaline, sweaty hands and increased blood pressure. I then became angry. What I was hearing was not fair. “ Maybe the doctors have it wrong.” I thought. Luckily I knew enough not to drive a car immediately upon hearing the news, having once backed out of a doctor’s office into another vehicle after receiving a questionable test result. Taking a few deep breaths and waiting a half-hour calmed me down enough to participate with my husband in developing a plan of action. My original fight and flight response had worked well to motivate my next moves. The doctor continued by telling us that Hodgkins was a diagnosis for which there was a lot of research, and most people are fine after a grueling round of chemotherapy. We followed her directions, and fortunately all ended well for our son, though it had been difficult to sit in the waiting room during chemo sessions and speak to parents who were facing a less optimistic outcome. I became a supporter of the I Have a Wish Foundation.
Several years ago, when my own body rejected me, it came with a double whammy. The first news, a diagnosis of breast cancer, was later followed by words by my physician spoken at my final appointment. “You will not die of cancer, but you may die of heart failure because you have a leaky aortic valve. You need to see a cardiologist.” So, I went from one office visit to the next, and followed one surgery with another.
Throughout it all, though, I had the confidence of youth (at the age of sixty-eight). I felt healthy and did not believe anything bad would come of it. I laughed when my son presented me with a toy that mooed after a cow’s valve replaced my own. From that day on, I became more conscious of the need to appreciate each day as it comes, making the seconds of each day count. I also made a pact with myself to never worry twice. This meant, not to fret in anticipation of bad news, but to relax and get prepared for whatever the outcome.
How do I relax and keep my mind from racing? As I have mentioned in previous blogs, I am a meditator, and that helps— but not always. Another technique I use is to bury myself in reading a juicy, junkie book, one that I do not want to put down. When facing surgery the book goes with me until the last minute. I stop at a page that compels me to pick it up as soon as possible afterwards in order to discover the ending. Another remedy is to get the bad karma out of my body and on to canvas or in writing. The picture above was one I did when my son was first diagnosed. Once the news was delivered I immediately went to my studio to work it out in my mind.
There are those who employ prayer, perhaps even asking others to pray for them. They give their sorrows over to another entity and clear their body channels of pooled stress. They acknowledge that what will happen is not completely under their control, but on-the-other-hand they usually accept responsibility to confront and right the situation to the best of their ability. Step by step, little by little, friend with friend they progress on the path of living fully until the crisis is over.
Facing minor disasters, such as the tree that landed on my house, though not as critical as illness, is also stressful. In these situations, I have to slow down my go-go, get it done quickly attitude and work on patience. As I engage contractors and insurance agents, I look at it as a game to be played where worry has no place. “Overcoming ordinary problems is what makes life interesting,” I say to myself, “and practice in handling adversity with items that are not life threatening can help me learn to deal with more difficult situations. “
In the United States, we are fortunate not to be facing nightly bombing raids or mass executions like those that occur in Syria. Our run-of-the-mill life and death issues are expected as part of the cycle of life. One of the reasons family and friends are so important is that there are times when sharing bad news experiences not only provides practical information, but it helps you to realize that what you are going through is part of the human experience. It is important to remember that most people like to help others. It makes them feel good. So, when assistance is needed, the mask of I can do it myself has to come off and the cloak of good will by others must be worn with grace.
Please let me know your thoughts.
Art work is always for sale at eichingerfineart.com. Questions? contact me at [email protected].
