The music continues in Carpinteria, despite the COVID-19 pandemic.

The emerald ash borer (EAB), Agrilus planipennis, has been a cause for concern for foresters and landowners alike in the United States. The beetle originated in Asia and was first observed in the United States near Detroit, Michigan, in 2002. It killed nearly 99% of ash trees near its place of original introduction. By 2018, EAB has been observed in thirty-five states and has killed hundreds of millions of ash trees in North America.

The COVID-19 crisis has been a shock to our system. No one could have predicted what 2020 would have in store for us, but perhaps we shouldn’t be so surprised. Scientists have been warning us of the growing possibility of a pandemic for years. Human interaction with wildlife and the environment has a role to play in producing pandemics.

All around the globe, there are ruler, presidents, and kings that are trying to rule their territory, and possibly even the whole world. But is their purpose and goal is to follow the constitutional principles of democratic government? Authoritarianism was a scary figure in the past, especially during the Holocaust. Is Trump heading the same way for authoritarianism? Let's first see what history was like and how it reflects our world today.

Do you think the government is doing enough for the Black community? De-escalation is definitely what we need during all these protests and rioting because all this country need is justice. To get justice, it's important for not only the government, but also the police to listen and try to understand what the purpose is for the Black Lives Matter movement so that no unnecessary harm will occur and affect innocent people. But is it that easy?

With the protests going on, Omar Jimenez, was arrested while doing what was good for the country. He was on the good side, but cops saw him as a bad guy. Here are several stories and references of what's it's like to have a badge, but be black as well during the black lives matter movement and police brutality protest.

God is always good, but that doesn't mean He's always safe. This post dares readers to pray three bold prayers: search me, send me, and break me. Dare to read this, and your life will take a scary-good term.

We all have our own story and purpose in life, but sometimes we can get lost and confused about what we truly need to conquer in life. Together we can learn the importance of spending time with Jesus and the scripture. This way we will experience the truth that Jesus changes everything, especially if we love and rely on Him. In Jesus we are reset.

It's hard to believe, but one word can really help you simplify your life by focusing on just one word for your life. The simplicity of discovering for a word that God has for you makes it catalyst for life-change. Clutter and complexity lead to procrastination and paralysis, while simplicity and focus lead to success and clarity. This post will show you how to cut through to the core of your intention for a one word vision for the year.

Asian Americans lives are shaped by many different factors that are affected by history till this day. While some change has occurred, past perceptions of Asians still exist in people minds that can be seen through the historical, social, cultural, political, and institutional forms.

Microaggressions are daily verbal, behavioral, or humiliation, that conveys hostile and derogatory insults towards minorities. Many perpetrators make statements that are racist without them knowing it. It’s due to the lack of education and awareness of other cultures that they feel the need to ask racial questions or comments. I will take a look at microaggressions at an institutional level, specifically the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Due to these understatements, many POC feel aggravated, oppressed, alienated, and unsafe on campus. Given the long history of white supremacy and exiling out minorities, these stereotypical ideas still exist in the minds of people today. Microaggressions occur because of insufficiency of education of minorities’ history and culture.

Recently, I have been listening to relationship problems from friends and family. I’ve noticed that during these situations active listening doesn’t take place, which escalates the issue further and typically ends messy or bad. I’m sure everyone has experienced these types of situations before, which I believe stems off of miscommunication, poor communication, and not actively listening. There can be many reasons and situations, but it all really comes down to these two important tools. These two tools are the basis of solving problems, so the situation won’t end with bitter feelings towards each other.