Have you ever seen an albino? Have you ever seen an all white dog or other animal? Or even a person who has that really pale skin, bright blonde hair and pale blue eyes (I call them "what Hitler had in mind" people)? Well, if your answer was no to the first question, but yes to either of the second two, then I have news for you, you have seen an albino. I don't know why this is a subject that intrigues me so much, but you have to admit, it's medically and aesthetically facinating. Albinism is a disease caused by a lack of pigment in the skin, hair and eyes and is because of a lack of ability to create the enzyme in the body that produces melanin.
It also turns out that there can be two types of albinism. One that affects the skin, hair and eyes and one that just affects the eyes. The eye aspect of it is what I find most interesting about this disease for some reason. Albinos can have the bright, pale blue eyes (which is usually just a result of Ocular Albinism), but then, there are the more interesting ones (in my opinion) with the bright red, or dark purple eyes.
I was always drawn to, and frightened by, the redness of an albinos eyes. They're just so intresting! Why their eyes are like that are even more interesting though. You see, because of the lack of pigment, which actually gives us our green, blue or brown eye colors, what you are actually seeing when you look into an albinos eyes is the retna. When there is no pigment, the eye is just a transparent "window to the soul"...literally. So, what you are seeing is not a red pigment, but really a lack of pigment and all the beauty that is behind the eyeball.
Albinism is not just in people, but in animals too. I know your pure white French Bull Dog is so adorable, but it is an albino dog. That goes for all the white snakes, mice and any other pure white oddball animal you've seen or googled in your lifetime.
Unfortunately, a plethera of health problems can accompany albinism. Due to this lack of pigment, albinos cannot be in the sun, at least for very long, without burning. It wont kill the person, but the skins inability to block ultraviolet rays can increase their risk for skin cancer. Their eyes are also so sensitive that usually they cannot be around bright lights. The lack of pigment allows more light to be let into the eye which can damage it. Another common side-effect to the disorder, in both human and animal, is blindness. Not a fun thing to have. Although, albinism is more common than people think, just not the degree of white hair and red eyes.
Well, that is my lesson on albinos. I hope you learned something, or at least realized an intrigue in the subject that there are a lot of cool things out in the world.
There is more than just black and white; there is also really really fucking white.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albinism
I can imagine this will probably make or break the likeness of my blog, but I finally have something to rant about.
I hate pot heads. Not weed smokers. Potheads.
Look, I know that a ton of people smoke weed, I myself have a share of friends who do it, but I just cannot stand the constant defense on it. Now, let me specify when I say pot head.
Pothead: noun: A person who not only smokes weed, but feels the need to lecture about the meaning of life and be philisophical and constantly picket for Marijuana being legalized.
I KNOW this is not the case for every person who smokes weed. Although, I know a lot who ARE like this and I know I'm an awful Earth killer, but the hemp lovers shouldn't put themselves on such a high pedestal. I decided that I needed to do some research on the subject, of course, because I know there are pros and cons to the matter. I am more than willing to hear the honest and good effects of cannabis on the body or on the enviorment, but it's hard for me to listen when you are calling me an awful person at the same time. I smoke cigarettes; cigars no less. I know the risks and I know that it can cause lung cancer and other diseases that are not fun, but I am choosing to take that risk every time I smoke. And even though Marijuana may be safer in a sense, I still prefer a cigarette and will always prefer a cigarette. When I get pictures and posts glorifying weed and knocking down cigarettes or alcohol or even prescription pills, it doesn't make me think highly of the illegal drug and especially not of the people putting out those posts. The truth is, the effects of cannabis can relieve the symptoms like nausea, vomiting, pain, anxiety and even depression caused by diseases people suffer from every day such as cancer, AIDS and multiple scelrosis. The thing is, prescription pills can ease these symptoms as well, they are just man made. I have seen posts that precription pills KILL people and weed KILLS NO ONE. I don't completely disagree, but usually people who die from prescription pills are people who overdose on them, either purposefully or accidentally, and that's not really a blame on the drugs part. It is true, smoking weed will not kill you, but, I highly doubt that there has NEVER been a weed-related death ever in the history of the world.
I don't think weed should be legalized. Not yet at least. I think the people who are so into it being legalized will post the facts, but not be necessarily into the facts of it all. Those people (potheads) are into SMOKING weed. If weed was legalized, it would just give them an excuse to keep smoking weed, which they already do. I bet half of them don't really give a damn if hemp can be used for paper and other resources. It's just another excuse to be able to smoke weed and not get shit for it becuase, then, it would be legal.
Like I said, cannabis can have it's positive effects. Paper, relief of pain and other symptoms, but it has it's downsides as well, just like anything. Smoking weed, while not nicotine, is still smoking and can cause acute and chronic bronchitis and even lower the immune system due to damage to the principal immune cells in the air sacs. Also, we all know that smoking weed can cause a case of the "munchies", yes? Well, other short-term effects of smoking the drugs include:
Loss of coordination
Memory loss
Disorientation
Trouble with thinking
Increased heart rate
and Lowered blood pressure.
When the drug is ingested through food (like brownies) the effects can be hightened and even more dangerous because it's harder to judge how much you are consuming. These symptoms can include:
Hallucinations
Impaired memory
Disorientation
and Delusions.
People who smoke Marijuana have same risks to lung infections as people who smoke cigarettes. With the exception of lung cancer. Weed has a one-up on that one.
Anyway, like I was saying, I don't think cannabis is a horrible thing. I believe that the abuse of it is what's bad. If people did use cannabis for food and shelter and paper and supplies that the world could use, then that would be awesome, but I don't believe fully that's what would happen. The potheads would still smoke weed and do what they do every day. The only difference would be they wouldn't have anything to bitch about because the weed legalization rants and campaigns they consume their lives with, would finally be over.
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.resource.php?resourceID=000141
http://medicalmarijuana.procon.org/view.answers.php?questionID=000229
http://alcoholism.about.com/od/pot/a/effects.-Lya.htm
I know I named this blog "I am young, therefore I(think I) know everything, but I must admit, I am not the wisest of them all. Who would've known (based on the title) that I was humble? Well, for the most part. I do think that I know a lot and what I have to say is important and deserves to be heard. Granted, that could just be the ramblings of a 19 year-old college student.
I have another blog [photographybynill.blogspot.com] and the title should be self explanitory. I am a very decent photographer, but I just post the pics with a description. I hardly ever post anything sentimental. A friend of mine was inspired by my blog and started one where she rants, crudely, but very intellectually [tehkennaz.blogspot.com]. In turn, feeling that I had just as much to say, I was inspired by her and thought I would try this blogging thing out. Even if it doesn't, I figure I can use this page to rant about the things I can't post on Facebook.
I don't have as much advice as my friend will have, but I will try to at least post something worth reading, and if not, you have two other links to blogs that will be worth looking at.
Not all my posts will be this formal sounding or appropriate as this one is. I will probably end up treating this like a journal, only less boring, and I will also use this as a way to advertise my photography blog.
Well, I actually have nothing really to say (not good for a first post) and I have class in 15 minutes, but go look at the other two blog links I posted and enjoy! I will get you back with, hopefully, something more interesting.
