Today's MCAT topic was Kinetics and I learned how vital the rate determining step is in the progression of a chemical reaction. While studying how reactants advance the activation energy to enter the product state, I began pondering the difference between capitalism and socialism. Money, jobs, and economy are the limiting steps in today's economic society. Unemployment has reached an all time high in the United States and abroad. Upon hearing about Greece's economic collapse followed Portugal's and now possibly Spain's, I was relieved to know that it isn't just capitalism that is failing to deliver- it is also socialism. I truly believed that if implemented correctly, capitalism creates opportunities and delivers the American dream of going from rags to riches. Please excuse my ignorance as I was under the impression that just because these three countries were in Europe they were socialistic economies but according to the World Factbook published by the CIA, all these countries are moderate to fully capitalistic. My stance at this moment is wavering. Could capitalism be the RDS in the gain of economics?
As I'm studying for MCAT, a random thought pops into my head and I thought I'd blog about it. Today's topic is Thermochemistry and while re-learning entropy and enthalpy (heat energy) I came to the conclusion that nature favors being single and free as opposed to being married (committed) and tied down.A chemical reaction is favorable and spontaneous if the value of ∆G is negative from the equation ∆G= ∆H-T∆S, where ∆G stands for free energy, ∆H is enthalpy, T is temperature (K) and ∆S stands for entropy. One way to create a favorable reaction is to increase the enropy of the reaction (assuming all other variables remain constant).
In terms of entropy, which is the measure of randomness (disorder) of a system, the less bound a molecule is and therefore, the more freely it is to rotate about its bonds (has a greater degree of freedom), the greater the entropy- the more favorable the reaction. Cyclic compounds have less entropy than linear compounds because they are not as free to rotate around their bonds. Alkanes are more entropically favorable than alkenes for the same reason.
Although it requires energy to break a bond (breaking up is hard to do), the end product results in a more favorable and spontaneous reaction due to the increase in entropy. Bonds in a solid state (married bonds) are more organized and conformed but once broken (single life) gain more potenial to release that organizational energy in order for a molecule to experience...to journey. In going from a solid phase to a gas phase bonds are broken and entropy is increased, as favored by the universe. Relative entropy increases going from solid to liquid to gas phase.
Once again society has contradicted nature by brainwashing us to believe that being married is more favorable than being single and free! By the laws of thermodynamics- I beg to differ.
*NOTE: this post was only written to help the author, Jezelle, better understand thermochemistry and prodvide a logicaaly explanation for chosing to stay single in the face of suitors.
Ah, Valentine’s Day- filled with love, romance and sex. What’s a single girl to do? Well this single girl was planning on spending the night cuddling MCAT books with a cup of coffee in comfy pajamas. All that changed when my phone rang and on the other end was my ex-boyfriend. My readers who know me personally are probably thinking “Ethan!” Wrong. Not this time, this time it was Jason and our conversation started with me answering the phone,”Hello?” “Hey, what are you up to?” he asked. “Do I need to state the obvious? I’m studying silly, what else would I be doing?” “Wow, you’re really dedicated. I’m proud of you Jez, I mean I have never met someone so passionate, so disciplined, so determined to accomplish a goal. You work hard, very hard, yet make everything look so easy- I guess that’s what I loved most about you.” I really didn’t know how to respond to that so like a dork I just said, “thanks, it’s what we pre-meds do best I guess. So what’s up?” “Um, nothing I just wanted to see how you were doing. I see that you’re doing well so I’ll let you get back to doing what you do best.” “No, wait. I mean I can use a break if you want to chat for a few.” “Sure.” “So that’s why you called? To see how I was doing?” “Well that and um, I was wondering what you were doing tomorrow- you know considering that it’s um February 14.” I laughed and said “Yes, it’s Valentine’s Day and I’m doing what I do everyday-I going to be studying. What are your plans?” He paused for a moment and finally said “how about I take you out? It doesn’t have to be a date. We can catch a movie, dinner- whatever you want.” I didn’t know how to respond so I began mumbling, “I, um, I, um” he cut me off and said “Look Jez, I know we aren’t together anymore and I hate you for that but you were more than just my girlfriend, you were my best friend. Our relationship may have ended but our friendship didn’t. Plus, I think a girl like you deserves to be taken out for Valentine’s Day. So what do you say?” I think that was the sweetest thing anyone has ever said to me. Naturally, I accepted.
Today was a good day. I got a lot done in terms of MCAT studying. I finished stoichiometery and bonding passages after class. I even went ahead and did passages for tomorrow’s lecture- Reproduction and Endocrinology. Just as I was about to call it a night, I decided to write my blog and check my messages. To my surprise I received a message from Ethan saying, “Thinking of you- I know I shouldn’t be but I am.”
*sigh* With exes like mine who needs a boyfriend?
In the morning I gave my husband negative “lame husband points”,…which means he was great! So in our home we have 3 categories of points—Vince can get “lame husband points”, Jez can get “my life sucks” points, and I can get “Willy Wonka factory” points. We give these points as a way to call each other out on stupid stuff. So if Vince makes fun of me or says something rude to me, he gets “lame husband” points. If Jez has one of her horrible days pertaining to men or money, she gets “my life sucks” points. If I say something ditsy or just ridiculous, then I get “Willy Wonka factory” points, because once it was said that I have a Willy Wonka factory in my head on occasion.
Today I gave Vince less “lame husband points” because when I woke up he had placed Roses in a vase on our kitchen table with a Valentine’s Day card. Yes, V-day is tomorrow, but he forgot.
Now, here is some MCAT info. I tried to read from the moment I woke up, but I couldn’t because I had to entertain a guest up until 2pm. Then, Jez came back from her Berkley Review classes and we ate Chinese food for lunch. By 3:30pm we were at our kitchen table reading our biology books. We studied reproduction and embryology…the day before V-day,…how convenient. ; ) We went to the market and spent $10 from of EBT card. Then we came home and Jez made us Tandori Chicken from scratch, since we had been eating Latin for the past 2 weeks, and the shift in flavor was amazing. She used cayenne pepper and yogurt to marinate skinned chicken legs over night, and then today, all she had to do was bake the meat in the oven on a cookie sheet. A quick dinner and now it’s 10:30pm and I am beginning to read Genetics. I was only able to complete 2 chapter quizzes today, but at least I did something.
In the photo is the roses and the NesCafe that I have just become addicted to so that I can make coffee in any instant, which is a total requirement for MCATing. We don't own a microwave though, so it really isn't that "instant", but it tastes great.
