Items

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  2021-10-17

  Fish Food

  Since the Pandemic began and I was moved to remote work I have been spending more time than ever in my apartment. I bought some house plants to liven up my humble abode but they are easy to care for and don't do too much other than exist. I was looking to get a pet to occupy some of my time but unfortunately my building does not allow for cats or dogs, so I went for a fish friend as the lease was ambiguous towards fish. In college my roommate had two fish tanks and cared for them very well. The fish were always big hits with house guests and caring for them seemed easy enough. It was with this in mind that I purchased a male betta fish, which I named Tarzan after the drug smuggler Ludwig Fainberg from the documentary "Operation Odessa" which I highly recommend. However caring for a betta fish is not as simple as I initially thought. Yet with the help of the internet and all its wisdom I was able to do enough research and find exactly what I needed to make my tank as comfortable as possible for Tarzan. I purchased a five gallon tank along with, a filter, a heater (betta fish like it warm), gravel, a background poster, a pagoda, live plants, a net, a gravel pump for cleaning, ph chemicals, a large moss rock and of course fish food. He gets fed twice a day, once in the AM and once in the PM. The tank needs to be cleaned at least once a month and the filter is changed during that process as well. Every time I crack open his food my nose is greeted by a distinct fish food smell that is unmistakable and equally unpleasant. While I do not think that it would be impossible to care for Tarzan if I was still going into the office every day, it is definitely easier now that I am home more often. Cleaning the tank takes about an hour and can get smelly at times depending on how long it has been since its last cleaning. Without the current work from home situation brought on by the pandemic I would not have considered owning any type of pet that I would have to care for on a daily basis. The average lifespan of a betta fish is between three to five years, hopefully with enough care Tarzan can live to the full five and see the other side of the pandemic.
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  2021-03-16

  Mask trash #14

  Black fabric disposable mask draped over a stick at the boat launch near Tempe Beach Park. This photo shows a lot of other trash washed up here, including a dead fish.
• 2020-09-22

  Journey of Quarantine

  This journal entry was written as a part of the American Studies class at California High School in San Ramon, California. Throughout my journey of quarantine and covid-19, I have realized that I have changed a lot since before quarantine. I have also realized that I figured out new things about myself, and I also figured out how to never be bored. I have picked up many new hobbies such as fishing and doing DIY projects. Also, I have gotten much more into lifting and working out, because that was the main part of my life during the quarantine. Over quarantine, my friends and I cleaned my garage out, and made it a chill spot with a couch and also a lifting cage for working out. This did cost a lot of money, so we all pitched in to the cause because we were all going to use the cage on a daily basis. After a month or two, we had completely finished it and it was amazing. I used this place every day for the rest of the summer. Another hobby I picked up was owning a fish tank. I have realized that I am fascinated by fish. I have one freshwater tank right now, but I am looking into getting a saltwater fish tank. This does cost a lot more money, but in my opinion, the saltwater fish are much cooler.
• 2020-10-27

  Hobbies I Picked Up Due to Covid-19

  In the beginning of the global pandemic I remember having the gut feeling of knowing that this will not be over soon so i’m going to have to learn how to occupy myself. During the third week of the pandemic, my brother Luke and I had an idea to pick up mountain biking. We had gathered shovels to build jumps and lots of snacks and water cause we knew it was going to be tiring. Nonstop for 4 days we worked on the track and jump and I remember my hands feeling as if they were going to fall off from holding the shovel for so long. We came back on the fifth day to find that our jumps had been destroyed which was honestly very disappointing but at least we had fun doing it. The next hobby I picked up was fishing. Now this was my best idea yet. We started off with some crappy gear but we were having so much fun. I still can feel the amount of times I hooked my finger or got a gill stuck in my hand. The best part about this hobby was that once my friends and I were allowed to hangout we would always be fishing and it brought all of us much closer. I created new friendships because of these hobbies and I am very grateful because of it.
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  05/19/2020

  Yo con ganas de toser en el super

  Meme making fun of what it feels like to cough in public during the COVID outbreak.
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  05/18/2020

  Feed The Musicians Friday Fish Fry, Sweet Lorraine's, New Orleans, LA

  A Facebook post promoting a free fish fry for New Orleans Musicians at Sweet Lorraine's Jazz Club during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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  05/19/2020

  Does the fish stink?

  My sister buying fish at the market. If one looks at this photo, one would think they are covering their face because of the stinky fish not COVID 19. *Lystria Hurley, Fordham University