Adam Sunny Flanders

The Fall semester is over and we’ve just begun winter break. Not sure what I’ll be doing yet, but I’d like to share the following information – it’s a basic presentation about transgenic plants AKA GM crops. Plant genetic engineering is the focus of my academic studies and what I’m doing now builds the foundation upon which I will eventually establish a full career. I’m one year away from my BS degree, then I’m getting my Master’s.

It’s important for me to show people that GM food is not dangerous – genetic modification occurs naturally and GM plants are just as organic as any other. In fact, GM plants are good for the environment because they relieve farmers of the need for synthetic pesticides that harm many plants, animals, and often humans as well. Since the Summer I’ve been working with Japonica rice and studying the techniques of DNA transfer. I’d like to share my presentation with you so that you can understand the basics of plant genetic engineering and see that GM foods are perfectly safe, healthy, and 100% organic.

The video plays very fast, so you will need to pause it to absorb all the information properly. All images and photographs are © Adam Flanders.

A new film is coming out that directly examines the relationship between homosexuality and the Bible. It looks to be humorous, but also very serious in the way it debunks the 7 lines of scripture in the Bible that supposedly condemn gays and lesbians. We’ve always known that fundamentalists pick and choose scripture – in the Bible, the Lord calls eating shellfish an abomination more than so-called homosexuality. I think this will prove to be yet another piece of literature showing that anti-gay rhetoric is on its way out as gay and lesbian people are increasingly accepted in American society, and as we move toward full equal rights, including marriage equality.

Second only to Gibran’s The Prophet, Richard Matheson’s What Dreams May Come is my favorite book. A lot of you have probably seen the (also awesome) film starring Robin Williams (Chris) and Annabella Sciorra (Annie), in which they both die and find one another in the afterlife because they are soulmates, proving that not even death can end true love. Chris goes on a journey to save Annie from the Hell she’s created for herself by committing suicide. “Across whatever distance there is, I send you my love.”

A lot of people don’t know that Matheson’s book is primarily a work of non-fiction. That is, everything in the book is based on research and extensive anecdotal reports. At the end of What Dreams May Come, Matheson lists a very thorough bibliography of all his books, and encourages us to read every one (there are A LOT). I have decided to do just that, starting with Appleman’s Your Psychic Powers and Immortality, which I just got in the mail today. It was hard to find this book, published in 1968, but it came from this little private bookstore in Tennessee and the author actually signed the front cover. Books are always better if they have a history.

I’ve always been interested in the supernatural and spirituality. I definitely recommend reading What Dreams May Come – the story goes so much deeper than the film and explains so much about the afterlife and what it means for all of us. Reading between the lines, there is also an important message about living life to the fullest as well, and that we create our own destinies with the choices we make. If you’re a heavy reader like me, you’ll also want to work your way through Matheson’s bibliography the way I have begun. Below is a direct excerpt from his prologue:

“Because its subject is survival after death, it is essential that you realize, before reading the story, that only one aspect of it is fictional: the characters and their relationships. With few exceptions, every other detail is derived exclusively from research. For that reason, I have added, at the conclusion of the novel, a list of the books used for this research. As you will see, they are many and diverse. Yet, despite their wide variation with regard to authors and times and places of publication, there is a persistent, unavoidable uniformity to their content. You would, of course, have to read them all to prove this to yourself. I urge you to do so. You will find it an enlightening–and extraordinary–experience.”

I’ve always liked this little saying. I’m not sure who started it, and there are many versions, but it reminds us that we should be thankful for all the good things in our life, even when they don’t seem like blessings. Near the end is especially true – I’ve got a ton of laundry to fold, lol. Happy Thanksgiving!

I AM THANKFUL

• for the wife who says it’s hot dogs tonight,
  because she is home with me, and not out with someone else.
• for the husband who is on the sofa being a couch potato
  because he is home with me and not out at the bars.
• for the teenager who is complaining about doing dishes
  because that means she is home not out on the streets.
• for the taxes that I pay
  because it means I am employed.
• for the mess to clean up after a party
  because it means I have been surrounded by friends.
• for the clothes that fit a little too snug
  because it means I have enough to eat.
• for my shadow that watches me work
  because it means I am out in the sunshine.
• for a lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning, and gutters that need fixing,
  because it means I have a home.
• for all the complaining I hear about the government
  because it means that I still have freedom of speech.
• for the parking spot I find at the far end of the parking lot,
  because it means I am capable of walking and I have been blessed with transportation.
• for my huge heating bill
  because it means I am warm.
• for the lady behind me in church who sings off key,
  because it means I can hear.
• for the pile of laundry and ironing,
  because it means I have clothes to wear.
• for weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day,
  because it means I can still work hard.
• for the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours,
  because it means that I am alive.

Happy Birthday to me! Can’t believe I’m 23 already. Thanks for all the bday wishes everyone! Thought I’d post some cute pomeranian videos I found on YouTube, just for fun. I love animals, especially little dogs (we have 4). Instead of having a party for myself, I think it would be more fun to dress up all our poms and sheltie with hats and special poocademon cakes, and then have a poocademon partie – that would be sooo precious! They’re vicious baby wolves!

I’ve been playing around with Blender 3D some more, this time doing fluid tests. They’ve come out really cool. I’ve embedded them below. You can check out my design section to see other animations I’ve done with Blender. Not exactly related to my major, but it’s still useful.

Speaking of which, I’m getting my degree next year! I have a couple more semesters to go. My uncle wants me to move to Southern California where he lives, but I’m still considering other locations. Last year I was accepted into HPU, but much like Maine, most of Hawaii’s economy is based on tourism, so there aren’t many lab opportunities. States like California, Florida, and the Carolinas have really good labs, assuming I choose to stay in the US. I’m really enjoying the lab I’ve been working in on campus – we’re studying rice genomics.

Today the Rainbow Pride Flag was raised on campus as a tribute to GLBT equality and our efforts to attain marriage equality here in Maine. UMaine voted 81% NO. Over 50 people attended and our Dean gave an inspiring speech about how intolerance and discrimination, hate and bigotry, will never be acceptable here on campus. UMaine already grants equal protection for same-sex employees.

You’ve probably seen the trailer for the upcoming film, Where the Wild Things Are. I’m really excited to see it October 16th, and I’ve already made up my mind to be Max for Halloween. My roomie helped me pick out all the fabric & fur – I hope my sewing machine can handle it! Being an elementary school teacher, my mom practically brought me up on the book. I think it may be the most highly regarded children’s book of all time. If not, it’s definitely up there. I always thought it was a little scary, but not as bad as a Bambi….oh Bambi (glee joke, sorry, lol). Below is an alternate trailer, but I like it a lot better than the one on TV.

Let the wild rumpus start!

I love FOX’s new show, GLEE. It’s about a high school in which one very devoted teacher is attempting to reestablish the student GLEE club. Sort of a mix of Canada’s Degrassi: The Next Generation and High School Musical, but with a lot more dry humor and fictitious characters/situations, but it’s still very funny and real to life. Kurt is really cute and just starting to come out – Episode 4 (the latest release) is very touching. He’s just awesome!

You can catch the show Wednesday nights at 9pm on FOX. If you’ve missed episodes or just want to watch them again, you can watch them on HULU or FOX – I definitely recommend starting off with the Episode 4, Clip 1 if you have any doubts (see pic below).