Sunday, March 29, 2020

Jay Ryan Essays - Oily Fish, Fisheries, Ichthyology, Sport Fish

Jay Ryan 3/25/99 American Enterprise: It's Worth Fishing For It was about 10:00 at night when my father enters my room and awakens me to get ready for our over night fishing trip. A long drive was ahead of us so I took the liberty to get some sleep. We finally made it to the boat dock around 11:00 and ended up leaving the harbor around midnight. Once more I had a long trip ahead of me so again I fell asleep. At around 4:00 in the morning I was awakened to the loud clanging of a bell. I had remembered that the captain of the boat had mentioned that if a bell were to sound that all passengers were to report to the deck immediately. The bell was more or likely a sign of boils. Boils were the bubbles in the water created when tuna was swimming around a school of bait. So of course I jumped up and ran with anticipation that we would be fishing so soon. Yet when I finally reached the deck I had found that the captain was merely having a test on how prompt the passengers were. Extremely disappointed and annoyed that first off the captain had that ner ve to wake me and then there weren't any fish, I retreated to my bunk. Once again I was awakened to the sound of a clanging bell. Unsure what the captain had to offer up on the deck I contemplated whether or not I should return to the deck. Remembering that I was adventurer, I took the risk and quickly jumped up, ran up the stairs, and once more was on the deck. This time I was greeted by a very bright sun and quickly ran to get my pole. Upon retrieving my pole I heard some one yell, "Boils off the bow" with out thinking twice I grabbed the anchovy, baited my hook, and dropped the bait over the side of the boat with high hopes that a tuna fish would find it most desirable. Yet time and time again I was unsuccessful. Seeing that everyone else on the boat wasn't having quite as hard of a time as me I was quickly becoming discouraged. Down to one my last anchovies I decided what the heck I might as well give it one more try. Once more I tossed the anchovy over the side of the boat and watched as it suddenly swam out of sight and then instantly my line began to run in a frenzy. Up and down, left and right, and any which way that fish felt he could get away. Feeling the tension on the string I slowly reeled him in. The closer and closer he got the more of a fight he put up. Adrenaline now took over my system. Seeing the fish I became overwhelmed with excitement, don't forget it had taken me about an hour to finally get a bite. With the fish in my grasp the line suddenly snapped. It was so close; it had to have been at least a 10-pound catch. With the excitement of the previous battle going through my mind I wasn't giving up now. My last anchovy, it's my pride, against the survival of a tuna. I ended that day with a 15-pound catch. It had been the largest fish caught on that boat. While sitting in my economics class, we were asked to evaluate the American Enterprise System and compare it to a modern day scenario. Of course my fishing trip stood out like a sore thumb. I then took each part of the trip and analyzed it. First off the false alarm by the captain represents Communism. Communism gets you all excited and wanting to get started yet when you finally arrive you find nothing. A matter of fact you find your self stranded in the middle of darkness wondering why you even got up. The only thing for a citizen under communist power can do is act much like I did and retreat. Now the American Enterprise System is what I awoke to the next morning. You find that skepticism is present and you don't know whether to lay there in bed or get

Saturday, March 7, 2020

Natural Mosquito Repellents

Natural Mosquito Repellents When I was pregnant, I wanted to avoid using toxic chemical insect repellents, yet the mosquitoes seemed to find me tastier than ever. My solution at that time was to wear what I called my DEET sheet, which was an old cotton sheet that had been sprayed with S.C. Johnsons Off! Deep Woods formula. While this was highly effective, it wasnt practical for use around kids, so I did research into safer, natural mosquito repellents. I learned that many so-called natural mosquito repellents dont repel mosquitoes (e.g., ultrasonic electronic devices), but some are backed by reputable research and really work. Key Takeaways The two ways to repel mosquitoes are to attract them away from you or to repel them directly.Mosquitoes are often repelled by plant essential oils, especially lemon eucalyptus oil.Even the best repellent may be compromised by a reaction with sunscreen, dilution in water, absorption into the skin, or evaporation into the air. Its important to re-apply repellent to maintain its effectiveness. Mosquitoes have complex methods of detecting hosts and different types of mosquitoes react to different stimuli. Most mosquitoes are active at dawn and dusk, but there are also mosquitoes that seek hosts during the day. You can avoid being bitten by making sure you arent attracting mosquitoes, using attractants to lure mosquitoes elsewhere, using a repellent, and avoiding actions that diminish the effectiveness of the repellent. Mosquito Attractants Use this list of items and activities that attract mosquitoes as a list of things to avoid or that can be used as bait to lure mosquitoes away from you. Dark ClothingMany mosquitoes use vision to locate hosts from a distance. Dark clothes and foliage are initial attractants.Carbon DioxideYou give off more carbon dioxide when you are hot or have been exercising. A burning candle or other fire is another source of carbon dioxide.Lactic AcidYou release more lactic acid when you have been exercising or after eating certain foods (e.g., salty foods, high-potassium foods).Floral or Fruity FragrancesIn addition to perfumes, hair products, and scented sunscreens, watch for the subtle floral fragrance from fabric softeners and dryer sheets.Skin TemperatureThe exact temperature depends on the type of mosquito. Many mosquitoes are attracted to the slightly cooler temperatures of the extremities.MoistureMosquitoes are attracted by perspiration because of the chemicals it contains and also because it increases the humidity around your body. Even small amounts of water (e.g., moist plants or mud puddles) will draw mosquitoes. Standing water also a llows mosquitoes to reproduce. Blood TypePerson with type O blood are more attractive to mosquitoes than those with A, B, or AB blood. This blood type is rare, but if you have a friend or family member with type O blood, mosquitoes (and the Red Cross) like them better than they like you. Natural Mosquito Repellents Its very easy to make your own natural mosquito repellent. These natural products will effectively repel mosquitoes, but they require more frequent reapplication (at least every 2 hours) and higher concentrations than DEET. Because of the differences between types of mosquitoes, products that contain multiple repellents tend to be more effective than those containing a single ingredient. As you can see, natural repellents tend to be volatile plant oils. Citronella OilLemon Eucalyptus OilCinnamon OilCastor OilRosemary OilLemongrass OilCedar OilPeppermint OilClove OilGeranium OilCatnip OilTobaccoNeem OilBirch Tree BarkPossibly Oils from Verbena, Pennyroyal, Lavender, Pine, Cajeput, Basil, Thyme, Allspice, Soybean, and Garlic Another plant-derived substance, pyrethrum, is an insecticide. Pyrethrum comes from the flowers of the daisy Chrysanthemum cinerariifolium. Things that Lower Repellent Effectiveness Despite your best efforts, you may be unintentionally sabotaging your repellents effectiveness. Mosquito repellent doesnt play nicely with: Many SunscreensDilution From Rain, Perspiration, or SwimmingAbsorption Into the SkinEvaporation From Wind or High Temperatures Keep in mind that natural does not automatically imply safe. Many people are sensitive to plant oils. Some natural insect repellents are actually toxic. Therefore, although natural repellents provide an alternative to synthetic chemicals, please remember to follow the manufacturers instructions when using these products. Source M. S. Fradin; J. F. Day (2002). Comparative Efficacy of Insect Repellents against Mosquito Bites. N Engl J Med. 347 (1): 13–18. doi:10.1056/NEJMoa011699