[or Battlefield: Bad Company Personal Review]

As soon as I first got my hands on my PS3, I had to make sure I would get some game I was going to like and make a good use of it on-line and off-line. Because for the first moments, it would be my only game.

So I went to the series I was already following for many years: Battlefield.

I was VERY curious what this game would bring me because after Battlefield 1942, Battlefield: Vietnam, Battlefield 2, and Battlefield 2142, Battlefield would bring us for the first time, an offline, single player, story mode.

The Story
I’ve find it really cool, that the story was about a very interesting squad formed by guys who have screwed up somehow, and were sent to a squad (the bad company) who performs suicide-like missions instead of going to jail. (Who would complain?)

These guys are: Preston(you) a guy who just wants to get the job done and get over with it. The nerdy Sweetwater, the explosion addict Haggar, and the bossy Sarge.

I got surprised by the  unpretentious jokes these characters make while the game goes on. Laughed a lot.

And the story puts the characters on a lot of ups and downs (like those Guy Richie’s movies when they have the diamond, lost the diamond, and over again) with a very cool ending.

The gameplay
When it comes to FPS, there’s never much difference between most titles. So let’s talk about what made the BFBC shine: Tactical Destruction (or Destruction after all). Thanks for Dice’s new (by that time) technology, the FrostBite, now you no longer needed to risk yourself inside a hostile building to kill an enemy you knew were there. You just had to switch your assault rifle to grenade launcher mode and blow the wall to uncover your unfortunate foe to a nasty bullet rain you could perform just after, with a devious smile in the face. Cool ha? (except for the fact that eventually, enemy tanks could do the same to you if they find you).

But then it comes to the part which i took the post title from:

The online multiplayer mode.
Man, i’ve played it a lot. Killed and got killed thousands of times. Got plenty of different medals (and plenty of the same too). The game have a seductive evolution grade. Unlocking new weapons and war gadgets, for each of the different classes there are on the multiplayer combats.

There are 2 online modes: The classic flag capture CONQUEST, and the new GOLD RUSH where you have to attack or defend gold crates located on the map.

Now i’ll try to be short on the problems this game have (in my opinion).
There’s no way you can go from the spawn point to the objective without being very exposed. The poor level design makes it hard to take advantage of strategy. The vehicles are too hard to destroy unless you get lucky, or the pilot get blind or something. The sniper rifle keeps needing a headshot or it won’t kill an enemy with a single shot.

In the end, I think every one should try this game at least a little, even if only to play the single player mode and check the funny story (that will have an apparently even cooler sequel on Bad Company 2).

The HUGE mistake:
Beside of the game’s qualities and attributes, there’s something that couldn’t be left aside is that EA games and DICE have pissed off, the lot’s of  loyal players who made this series the success it is, by launching the game for Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, and letting the PC (platform where the game was born and well raised) out of it. The players even have come up with a petition to ask them to release the game on it’s mother platform, but nothing came out of it.

Game Title: Battlefield: Bad Company
Category: FPS – First Person Shooter
Game By: Electronic Arts® + Dice®
Played on: Playstation 3®
My Note 1-10: 7

Elton John

Lady Gaga

Hollywood – Elton John, the immensely talented and good looking piano player songwriter who spent a good part of his life in what can be considered for some as a ‘normal upbringing’ with a mom and a dad and maternal grandparents, rose to fame in the 1970’s.

His father was in the Royal Air Force and would have liked his son to enter into the banking business, instead of the music field but John had other ideas and his mother began helping him on his road to learning piano at the young age of 3 years-old and paid for him to have lessons not long afterwards.

What is completely surprising about this performer is that he was born “Reginald Kenneth Dwight” and began his professional piano career at the young age of 15 by singing and playing in a local pub located in the Northwood Hills Hotel in 1962.

But it took him eleven years to become famous and to be known as a “Pop Star” he formed a partnership with Bernie Taupin around 1973 and then, launched a U.S. record called “Crocodile Rock.”

Over the past 35 years, Elton John has created over 40 albums that have been successful in some major way and sold over 250 million records. Most of the albums created with “The Elton John Band” and Bernie Taupin became classic number “1” hits and have lived on in our minds to the point of being able to recite every word to his accomplished sounds.

Songs with completely commercial ‘catch words and phrases’ that have not left anyone’s imagination quickly, have also helped John reach his ultimate fame.

Recently, at the 52nd Grammy Awards show Elton John was paired with a young woman called “Lady Gaga.” Their performance together was outstanding and so accepting to music lovers from at least 4 decades. Her sound was exciting and on key, her piano performance was dramatic and sexy.

John’s experience radiated unequivocal valor and a satisfying, secure self-image that responded keenly to the female venom and sexual thunder propped up on the stage.

Elton John complimented Lady Gaga beyond belief and the awards show made history once again. Only this time, a more unique set of fans combusted to admire this 23 year-old sexy and scantily clad singer/dancer who reached stardom in less than 3 years; and who played in the shadows of a 65 year-old Superstar Legend, that has long been a radio commercial giant forever taking out stock in our minds and who will never be forgotten.

The dance-pop singer’s debut album “The Fame,” led by the hit singles “Just Dance” and “Poker Face,” rose to No. 1 on the Canadian album charts the week of January 9th 2009.

Before the days of outrageous hairdos and avant-garde ensembles, Grammy-nominated Lady Gaga — aka Stefani Germanotta — was just an Italian, Catholic schoolgirl from New York.

“I was a bit insecure in high school,” the 23-year-old star reveals. “I used to get made fun of for being either too provocative or too eccentric, so I started to tone it down. I didn’t fit in, and I felt like a freak.”

But once she started college at New York University, she said she began showing her true colors. “I really let the real me out,” the pop sensation reveals. And clearly the “Poker Face” and “Bad Romance” performer hasn’t suppressed herself since.”

“I’m an outspoken and extreme dresser,” she admits. “I am inspired by photography and art, but mostly by New York.” She defends her quirkiness and explains she does it all for her fans, who can relate to feeling like an outsider.

“This is really who I am, and it took a long time to be okay with that,” she said.

Talent does come in many types of packages. It can heat up and flow out like a volcano erupting without cause or reason. What should take an entertainer more than a decade to accomplish, may very well only take another just a few simple years.

But let it be said that neither is more impactful or wiser than the first; and not one more spectacular or sensually necessary than the latter.

Music is a fascinating high that consumes every individual much like love does and the music industry is a remarkable object of obsession that clearly commands attention.

Elton John and Lady Gaga as seen on the 52nd Grammy Awards show were the likeliest most unlikely pair.

Sources:

Williams, John. Jam Showbiz. “Lady GaGa’s ‘Fame’ rises to No. 1.” January 14, 2009. “http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/L/Lady_GaGa/2009/01/14/8022056-jam.html.” February 8, 2010.

In Touch Exclusive. “Lady Gaga was surprisinging normal!” December 22, 2009. “http://www.intouchweekly.com/2009/12/in_touch_exclusivelady_gaga_wa.php.” February 8, 2010.

Wikipedia. Elton John. “http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elton_John.” February 8, 2010.

For those who were looking for a good start to the day, may want to head to Hawaii. Conditions in Northwest Missouri are far from favorable, and don’t look to get better anytime soon.

For today: Another inch of snow is likely. The bigger concern is the winds and ice build up by noon time. A strong cold front is passing through the area by 10AM, and this will create winds in excess of 20 mph. Wind chills will be harsh, often in the teens to single digits during the busy hours of the day. The recent wet snowfall will ice over making road conditions very slick. Bridges will see quick buildup of Black Ice above and below.

Tomorrow: Snow stops, winds continue. Temperatures during the overnight hours will drop to around 10 degrees. Due to some sunshine, we could see the mid-twenties return. However, wind chills will be in the teens to single digits again. Not fun by any means.

How do you beat the winds? Layers. Wearing layers of clothing will help insulate your natural body heat. Also, cover up exposed skin. This will help prevent minor frostbite and trap more heat for you to stay warm.

I know, this is not the way to start the work week. Had I my way, we’d be back in the mid-forties. From Wednesday on, we will probably see more sunshine, but will see a slow increase of temperatures due to melting snow and more cold air drifting south to our skies.

Bundle up. It’s gonna be a cold one.

Finally, I finished reading all of these:

The Vampire Academy series.

The fifth book, Spirit Bound,  is coming out in May.

And. I. Can’t. Wait.

This is so much better than the Twilight Saga, and before you Twihards stone me for saying that, let me just say that I love the Twilight Saga as well. It’s just that I believe Richelle Mead’s story and writing are so much more pulled together, more coherent. The storyline is great, and the characters are so fascinating.

Oh yeah.

Dimitri Belikov, you can bite me any time, whether as a Dhampir or a Strigoi.

You make Edward Cullen look like a sissy.

Team Belikov all the way.

And Rose Hathaway? The girl can rule the world.

She can break hearts and arms, without any effort.

And she’s sassy, streetsmart,  flirty, and doesn’t apologize for it.

I wish I were more like her—so I can rule the world.

I’ll probably one of the readers who’ll hunt down Richelle Mead with a silver stake if she doesn’t give Dimitri and Rose a happy ending.

]]> http://everydaypooh.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/paper-swordsmen-part-deux/ Fri, 05 Feb 2010 22:26:36 +0000 Frances http://everydaypooh.wordpress.com/2010/02/05/paper-swordsmen-part-deux/

The aftermath.

Too much Louis Cha (Jin Yong) in one evening for Baby Pooh. Frostbite takes over.

So… I’m stuck on the couch, feet propped up on three lumpy pillows, trying to keep them elevated above my heart. I have been in this uncomfortable position for the last four days. I’ve lost count of how many times my ass has fallen asleep and how many hours I’ve now logged watching movies on demand and random cartoons.

Trying to concentrate is pointless. I attempted to write an essay for my English class but after every sentence my eyes would force themselves shut with the weight of too many long nights of trying not to toss or turn in fear of exploding a blister on one of my feet. Too many times while attempting homework I wake up an hour or two later with my hands still on the keyboard and a textbook open on my chest.

So why the hell am I doing this you might ask? Why am I living on my parents couch on the main floor small town house when I perfectly well have my own place down where I went to college? Why don’t I go out with friends? Why don’t I get off my ass at all? Well the answer to these questions is that I can’t walk. Okay, clarification… I can walk; I just don’t want to put pressure on my throbbing feet at this point.

Let’s just say I have a new ending for the joke: ‘what’s black and green and red all over?’ (Or maybe the joke was ‘what’s black and white and read all over? Answer: the newspaper) but my adjustment works for me… MY FEET! Yep, that’s right, my feet are black and green and red all over.  I guess I’m lucky to have feet left though. You see… I got 3^rd degree frostbite and it is NOT pretty… at all. Green is one of my favorite colors and all, but not when it covers all of my toes mixed here and there with blotches of black. Not to mention the gigantic softball size blisters that have reduced me to living on the couch and if I have to go to the bathroom crawling on my hands and knees for this emergency.

I’m trying to look on the bright side of this tragedy; which is quite a challenge in and of itself.  I attempted to keep up with the college classes by keeping in email contact with my teachers. However, it is going to be extremely hard for me to pass any of my business classes via email when some of my teachers are practically 90 years old and lecture from the safety of their cushioned wheelie chair behind an ancient desk. That’s right, my accounting teacher doesn’t use slideshows, no blackboard, hell, he doesn’t even use chalkboards! No, he just sits there, if you look close enough sometimes I swear I can see him gathering dust as he stares at the class with his empty sunken eyes. Hello! Can anyone say Retirement!!!  

But anyway, tonight my parents broke the news to me that they don’t think my feet are going to heal fast enough for me to make a valuable experience from this semester at school. I cried, to be completely honest, i hate crying, I’m not a fan of my classes but I still don’t want to retake them! And I don’t even want to think about all the money I am going to lose because of this. But my parents do have a point, they are smart cookies and I know they are only trying to do what is best for me.

But I don’t want to get all mushy right now. Not at this point. I’ve had enough drama for the day. I used to joke around with my friends that I should drop this semester because nothing has gone right for me. The last weekend of winter break I twisted my ankle and fell down stairs and was on crutches for 3 weeks with a swollen ankle so bad that I couldn’t put on socks and my poor toes looked like baby maple sausage links! EW! My friends started calling me gimpers.  Then I got in a bad fight with my roomies, and felt unwelcome in the room for a little bit. And now… frostbite. A month into the semester and I am going to have to withdraw. I’m going to have to fly my white flag of surrender high and lay low for a bit.

Talking about flying high, these painkillers… I have never been on painkillers other than Advil or Tylenol. The first doctor put me on ibuprofen and vicodin… that didn’t do shit for me so the other ER surgeon gave me an IV of morphine while I was in the emergency room the second time and prescribed me oxycodone… the step up from vicodin I guess? The first night I was home I was hearing music and I kept thinking I was seeing things; which freaks me out because I was watching scary movies with my best friend the night before this whole shindig went down.

Regardless.. This is all I have to say on the subject at this time. More to come tomorrow, you are probably going to become my best friend and sanity over the healing process of this frostbite.

P.S. even though I don’t know you.. Please promise that you will try your hardest not to get frostbite! It hurts like a bitch!

“I’m sorry, I can’t hear you. I don’t have my glasses on.“

This is a strange statement, but I have experienced an interesting correlation between having my glasses on, and my ability to hear well. I cannot explain it, other than to say it is real.

Playing BF:BC2 is kind of like that: some twisted sort of sensory deprivation when one is surrounded by one’s favorite things. I would not argue if someone wanted to give the game a 10/10, but I would insist that they include a negative infinity score for the user interface. Perhaps over the years I have just played to much Call of Duty, and wanting to know how many teammates I have, the state of their connection, and their contribution to the cause – all at the click of a button – is expecting too much from a game. I don’t know. I do know that I felt like my hands were half-tied, my glasses were dirty, and my ears were plugged. I kept reaching for the back button.

The UI was slapped together and I can say that without risking slander. Even the context instructions when you are approach a turret, for example, were wacky:  ”B – Enter”. Ah, I don’t mind “entering” a tank, but I don’t think that “enter” is the appropriate verb for manning a turret. Earth to EA, take a minute to create context-sensitive text for your context-sensitive code.

This UI problem is extremely unfortunate because the game cranks entertainment up to 11. The depth of gameplay is unlike that of any other FPS I have ever played. In a sense, it makes MW2 feel like Pac Man. My first piloting of a helicopter was spectacular with Zoso riding gunner behind me and screamin’ and hollerin’ at the beauty of the world below him. I don’t even know if we got a kill (the UI!) but the controls were complex enough to ensure me that it will be very rewarding to fly once I have mastered piloting the dang thing. Same goes for the tank! A bitch to operate, it will be like a spitting cobra in the hands of a skilled operator. On a very bumpy, motion-sick inducing ride, again with Zoso riding gunner, we stormed and took A base!

BC2 is drop-dead gorgeous with its semi cel-shaded art style and its particle effects (I was so wrong about the textures). Seeing snow-covered pine trees sawed in half from 50 cal machine gun fire, or pushed over by stubborn tanks all weighted and with momentum by the way, is spectacularly fun. The game is a visual extravaganza, and is a pretty as anything out there now.

I kept crying to rED and Zos that my biggest problem with the game was figuring out how I would be able to afford it, and then how I would be able to learn all that it has to offer. I was in great angst.

And to think I wasn’t following this game. I am now officially terrified of 2010. As semi harcore gamers, we’re f..ked!

So, uh, yeah. I’m an idiot.

I find it annoying to zip up my parka. (I overheat really easily and having to keep unzipping/zipping it just bugs me.) So normally I wear a fleece jacket underneath the parka. Today, I was feeling really warm when I left for work and, since I’d planned on taking a cab to and from work, I decided not to wear the fleece jacket. Even as I made that choice, I knew it was a mistake but I pushed on anyway.

After work, there were no cabs at the taxi stand near my building, the taxi stand that always has cars at it. By the time I discovered that, I had three choices: walk back to the office and call a cab from there, stay outside and call a cab, or take the bus home. I decided on the bus. Unfortunately my gloves and scarf were buried under a lot of stuff in my backpack. The idea of standing in the cold and wind digging through everything to find them was not enticing. It’s only going to be a few minutes, says I. So what if it’s -19 Celsius, -32 with the wind chill.

The first five minutes I was actually quite comfortable. (I told you, I run hot.) Then the wind caught me and I started to feel the cold. (I’m sure the people at the bus stop thought I was insane — or ill — standing there with my coat open, v-neck shirt doing little to stop the wind.) Three bus rides, two very chilly transfers, and a loooong walk through the wind tunnel in front of my building, and here I am, with a wind burn* that I didn’t even know I had until I noticed that the tip of my nose really hurt. (Actually, it hurts and it itches

So, yeah. I learned today that standing or walking in -32 degree wind chill without proper clothing is a bad idea. (I know — bit late in life for me to be learning that lesson.) Researchers have apparently determined that below -27, the risk of frostbite increases exponentially — at -40C, it only takes 10 minutes exposure for you to get frostnipped, the precursor to frostbite.

* Did you know that there’s supposedly no such thing as a wind burn? According to many, it’s really just a sunburn, caused by the wind stripping the UV-protecting sweat and moisture from your skin. I think that’s BS. I’ve had sunburns and other heat or scalding burns before. A wind burn is different. It’s more of a friction burn, kind of like a carpet burn.

You’re walkin’ real slow with your shorts hangin’ low

Ya got frostbite on your butt?

Pull up your slacks and ya ain’t gonna get frostbite on your butt….

It’s a work in progress…

A schoolgirl in Sweden is recovering from frostbite after performing cartwheels in the snow wearing just her underwear.

The event was one of a series organised by her High-School student union.

The temperature when the girl performed her cartwheels was -13 degrees Celsius. Not surprising then that she suffered frostbite to her hands and feet. She should consider herself lucky that was all that was frostbitten – imagine if she had fallen on her a*se

Source . . .

…and heck, 50 degrees is downright balmy – so let’s see a big turnout!

— A message from Mike

A typical day on the slopes turns into a chilling nightmare for three snowboarders when they get stranded on the chairlift before their last run. As the ski patrol switches off the night lights, they realize with growing panic that they’ve been left behind dangling high off the ground with no way down. With the resort closed until the following weekend and frostbite and hypothermia already setting in, the trio is forced to take desperate measures to escape off the mountain before they freeze to death. Once they make their move, they discover with horror that they have much more to fear than just the frigid cold. As they combat unexpected obstacles, they start to question if their will to survive is strong enough to overcome the worst ways to die. The version available for download of this 1080p movie trailer has been auto converted from 2D to Stereoscopic 3D in a side-by-side format!!!

Genre: Action, Adventure, Thriller
Director: Adam Green
Cast: Emma Bell, Kevin Zegers, Shawn Ashmore
In theaters: February 5, 2010

- Download Frozen Stereoscopic 3D Full HD Trailer
- Frozen Stereoscopic 3D Full HD Trailer (mirror 1)
- Frozen Stereoscopic 3D Full HD Trailer (mirror 2)
- Frozen Stereoscopic 3D Full HD Trailer (mirror 3)

Today was a productive Sunday in Fussa, Japan. Today I volunteer to work at the Yokota Striders’ Frostbite Run. This is one of the Striders’ biggest fundraisers of the year. This year turn out was average to be 9,000 people who showed up to run Yokota Airbase (owned by USAF). There is 3 diffrent runs: the kids run, 5k, and 10k. The run is mainly Japanese people who run with a few people from other countries. Other private orgs on the base set up stands to sell food & drinks to our local nationals. These events that the base host is a good way to build community relations with the locals of Fussa, Japan.

Now I been up since 5:00 am on a Sunday to go and help make this a successful event. At first I was helping with checking bags that belonged to people who were coming on base. Then at 8:00 am – 1:00 pm I worked the finish line. My job as you can see was to pass out bananas and oranges to the runners at the end. I’m 6′3 and the boxes of fruits were 3 rows deep and it came up to my neck. That’s alot of fruit and yes we pass it all out before the race even end.

A few of the guys I was working with made a little fun out of it. So we paired up and see who can pass out the most fruit. Of course my partner and I won by 2 boxes. We are the best at slanging fruit. I should be CPO for Wal-Mart. CPO; Chief Produce Officer. Lol. But overall it was a productive day in Japan. I’m not mad.

I was at NERYC late this afternoon, and unfortunately, the river is still iced in. Even if it is warmer again tomorrow (Saturday), it isn’t going to melt enough for sailing on Sunday. Maybe if we have warmer temperatures during this next week, things will be clear for sailing on the 24th. I will keep you posted.

M

Avoiding Frostbite

Yesterday we looked at hypothermia. The other real danger in winter and extreme cold weather is frostbite.

Frostbite comes about when the skin tissue is killed because of freezing. Exposed skin is the most susceptible but toes and finger, even when they are covered are also at risk. Other high risk areas are the nose, cheeks, ears and chin. People with poor circulation are at a higher risk for frostbite.

Symptoms of frostbite:

• Discolored skin (white or grayish-yellow)
• Numbness
• Skin that is tough (like leather) or waxy rather than supple

There are three different levels of frostbite:

(taken from Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frostbite)

• Frostnip – Only the very top layer of the skin is affected. There are usually no long lasting effects from this level of frostbite.
• Superficial frostbite – The frostbite goes a little deeper but doesn’t go all the way down
• Deep frostbite – The frostbite penetrates deeply into the skin. This level of frostbite always leaves scaring and may require amputation for widespread area or fingers, nose and toes.

Preventing frostbite:

Staying warm and properly covering all exposed skin is the only way to prevent frostbite. Do not stay in extreme cold for extended periods of time. Cover all exposed skin. Keep moving when in extreme cold to keep circulation going.

Treating frostbite:

• Avoid walking on frostbitten feet and toes, it will increase the damage to the skin
• Do not rub or massage frostbitten areas as this too will increase the damage
• Get inside a warm area to eliminate further damage
• Immerse frostbitten area in warm water that is comfortable to the touch of unaffected areas. Never immerse in hot water.
• Use body heat to slowly thaw out frostbitten areas (put frostbitten fingers in arm pits or between legs)
• Beware of direct heat to frostbitten areas of the skin. Because the skin is numb, it can very easily be burned, increasing damage.

Extreme cases of frostbite can require amputation. Seek professional medical help as soon as possible.

I grew up in Calgary, where winters were defined by snow and snowsuits, giant mitts and yes, that Canadian thing, tuques. As kids our tuques (toooq) were balaclavas. They had an inner piece that could be pulled down over the face. Today they’re called ski masks and have a big opening around the eyes. Ours had two eye holes and maybe a mouth hole. Pretty much  only burglars wear them now. It was nearly worth the risk of frostbite not to wear these horribly uncool and unfashionable items, even at the age of seven, even before seven-year-olds were that fashion-conscious.

There was just no way anyone wanted to wear these things. When nostrils started freezing shut and the air cut as we inhaled, and eyelashes froze our eyes shut, then we would reluctantly pull these things over our faces, dealing with the ice encrusting around the mouth hole every time we exhaled.

I didn’t have a snowsuit but I think there were thick pants over tights and two pairs of socks. Imagine being a kid of six, not particularly tall, struggling through a foot of snow and looking like the Michelin tire man. In my first grade I was late every day for a week because I just could walk any faster through all the snow. That was back when children were allowed to walk to school from grade 1 through 12 and the only ones that were driven were the teenagers who drove themselves.

Winter. How I hated it. My sister and I shared a bedroom in a split-level house, which mean all but three feet of our room was below ground. And the air vent didn’t really work. And the floors were cold linoleum on concrete. Cold. Icy icy cold. My sister and I both hate cold to this day. She has other reasons as she has arthritis as well.

In Calgary we would listen to the radio every morning in winter to find out the temperature and whether the schools were closed. They usually only closed them when the temperature, combined with the wind chill factor, got below -30.  Yeah, we were hardy little buggers. Walk or freeze. My mother would load our little metal lunch boxes with a thermos of hot chocolate and some sort of sandwich wrapped in wax paper, and a fruit or a cookie and off we would go.

I somehow don’t remember winter that well in my teenage years. By then I completely refused to wear those horrid balaclavas. Losing my nose was a risk I was going to take. I had a big puffy downfilled coat and some sort of hat or tuque but without the face part.

In art college I remember the tops of my ears being frostbitten one day because I walked from the college across a very major street to the shopping mall where I worked. I had my hair braided back and it was probably spring. That exposure was enough to do the ears in. My toes were also frostbitten when I got a ride by the Calgary hot air balloon club, in exchange for pictures. Again it was spring and the snow had disappeared from most of the sidewalks. In my runners I rode the balloon and everything was fine…until we landed in a farmer’s field still covered in snow.

The cold I hated the most was the one that seemed to freeze the marrow. Doing photography I would go out and shoot until my camera froze up. There are oils that are in the body for the gears and the lenses so that the focusing ring can be turned easily. When I could no longer easily focus I would go in. On days like that there was a cold beyond shivering that really felt like it was in my bones. It was a terrible deep ache that I could only alleviated by immersing myself in a very hot bath.

It was enough to get me to move to Vancouver, land of green grass and ivy in winter. But Vancouver was a different climate from Calgary. Calgary was dry. Vancouver was humid. I moved here and found mold growing in my shoes at first. Every time I crawled into bed it felt like I was in wet sheets. My face broke out in all these little bumps. After seeing a dermatologist, it was determined that I was using too much lotion, having come from a drier climate.

But Vancouver was warm, and sure it rained like it was time to build an ark, but it was nice. Yes, nice. I’ll take a two-week long deluge anytime. So when it snows here I whine. I whine a lot. Snow is for the mountains, not the city. If our temperature drops below 0, I whine. We’re not supposed to get temperatures that cold and believe me, our pipes are not that deep underground. Last year’s hideous, snowy winter caused my kitchen pipes to freeze. Luckily they’re plastic and we could thaw them with a space heater.

I was born in the clime of true winter but I never took to it. Perhaps my ancestors’ genes had some influence. But one half was Danish and the other Italian. It seems my sister and I take after the Italian side, while my older brother and my mother (born of Italian parents) would prefer to be of the Danish side when it comes to climate.

As we have all probably been made aware, the U.S. is experiencing unusually severe cold weather lately, which has been attributed to several deaths throughout the country. Of course, our hearts go out to these people and their families, and in light of these developments we wanted to highlight hypothermia.

Hypothermia is a medical emergency that occurs when your body loses heat faster than it can produce heat, causing a dangerously low body temperature. It is a gradually worsening and can be characterized by the following signs and symptoms:

• Drowsiness
• Weakness and loss of coordination
• Pale and cold skin
• Confusion
• Uncontrollable shivering (shivering may stop when the body reaches extremely low temperature)
• Slowed breathing or slowed heart rate (bradycardia)

While most of us have heard we should dress in layers in cold weather, and staying dry is very important when exposed to cold temperatures, there are other preventative measures you can take that are not as commonly known, such as staying well hydrated (even in cold weather), staying out of the wind, and avoiding overexertion. If you are driving in cold weather (especially when you have a higher than usual chance of experiencing car trouble such as driving in the snow or ice) carry extra clothing, blankets, or commercial hand / foot warmers, and a well charged cell phone to call for help if needed.

Once you start shivering, find a way to warm yourself immediately.

Be well, stay warm, and do not underestimate the effects of the cold.

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All excerpts are in italics and from THE UNQUIET GRAVE by Steve Hendricks. …and with permission from the author.

These were previously posted on my personal blog ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST but scattered here and there…these posts brought about much conflict and those opposing (FBI groupies) could easily get a rise out of me. I am editing these posts and this time around I hope that they will bring more grace to the situation.

The trial of this case in Rapid City is ongoing and probably one of the most confusing/confounding trials I have ever heard of. If the defendants were white I have no doubt that the trial would not be taking place and if the defendants were white the trial would be reported in mainstream media and in the nightly news with civil rights groups demanding investigations of the FBI. But hopefully this time around there are enough writers/journalists/bloggers paying attention….perhaps this trial will be more fair.

I have no idea who killed Anna Mae Aquash I think it is up in the air FBI? AIM??? Either one or a combination of both would not surprise me.

CHAPTER 1

FBI’s version:

On February 24th 1976 (and they still trying this case) a rancher near the Badlands came across a body found, curled on it’s left side.

Roger Amiotte, the rancher

did not approach the body. He went back to his house, and called the Bureau of Indian Affairs police in Kyle..  The police had an officer at his place in twenty minutes. The officer was followed by deputy sheriffs from Kadoka…then by two BIA investigators and a special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigations from the town of Pine Ridge...

A search of the crime scene showed no sign of the crime: no violence to the body, no bullet casings or gunpowder, no scuff marks in the scrub, nothing so much as a footprint. A few tufts of dark hair clung to the face of the blond embankment, suggesting the unfortunate had fallen over it.

Jane Doe was driven to the Indian Health Service hospital in Pine Ridge…The pathologist judged her an Indian of twenty to twenty-five years, five feet two inches, 110 pounds, and light complexion, though dehydration and exposure had darkened her. She had borne a child or children and had surrendered a gallbladder to a surgeon and, nearer to death, had had sexual intercourse of a voluntary nature. She had died, the pathologist eventually said-…of frostbite and had lain in the elements for seven to ten days. Her decay was so severe that her fingerprints could not be taken at the hospital, so the FBI asked that her hands be chopped off and forwarded to its laboratory in Washington.

…the authorities on Pine Ridge tried to identify the woman…Her decomposition worsening, she was moved to a mortuary, but the body proved too far gone to preserve. On March2, 1976…Jane Doe was given a Catholic service and a pauper’s burial in an unmarked grave by order of the BIA police.

The next afternoon, the FBI Identification Division in Washington called the FBI field office in Rapid City, which over saw operations on Pine Ridge. Washington told Rapid City…..the Identification Division had matched (the hands) to Anna Mae Aquash, a federal fugitive and luminary in the American Indian Movement.

It took two days to find her family in Canada.

That was the FBI’s story….TO BE CONTINUED

children and the 3 c’s in snow.
Being Creative,Braving a Colder Climate,Beware of a Catastrophe.
Mild winter forget it in the uk in 2010. we have never seen so much thick snow around in such a long time. Well keeping the 3 c’s at the top of todays blog we look at how children can be creative, keep warm,keep safe in the cold and how to avoid calamities in the freaky colder climate.You may print and keep this informative blog for future reference.
see this short clip first

1.Tell your children how to keep safe, and warm are paramount in avoiding, hypothermia,frostbite in the extreme weather conditions we are having both now and in the long term winter weather.
2.Hypothermia
In cold temperatures you begin to lose heat faster than you can produce it. Prolonged exposure to cold may result in hypothermia, or abnormally low body temperature. Body temperatures that drop too low affect the brain an make it difficult to think clearly or move quickly. Hypothermia is dangerous because you may not know it’s occuring until it’s too late.

Hypothermia is more likely at very cold temperatures, but can occur even at cool temperatures (above 40°F) if a person becomes chilled from rain, sweat, or submersion in cold water.

Victims of hypothermia are most often elderly or babies and those outside for long periods of time.
3.Frostbite
Frostbite causes a loss of feeling and color in affected areas (nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, or toes). Frostbite can permanently damage the body, and severe cases can lead to amputation.

Signs of Frostbite
The first signs are redness or pain in any skin area. Other signs include:

a white or grayish-yellow skin area
skin that feels unusually firm or waxy
numbness
People are often unaware of frostbite until someone else points it out because the frozen tissues are numb.Get into a warm room as soon as possible.
Avoid walking on frostbitten feet or toes (this increases the damage).
Immerse the affected area in warm (not hot) water.
Warm the affected area using body heat.
Do not rub the frostbitten area with snow or massage it; this can cause more damage.
Don’t use a heating pad, heat lamp, or the heat of a stove, fireplace, or radiator for warming. Affected areas are numb and can be easily burned.
Keeping children warm out and about
Cold exposure prevention:

Wear several layers of loose clothing. Layering provides better insulation. Layers can also be removed if you become too hot.
Tight clothing reduces blood circulation. Warm blood needs to be circulated to the extremities.
When choosing clothing, be aware that some clothing may restrict movement resulting in a hazardous situation.
Boots should be waterproof and insulated.
By wearing a hat, you will keep your whole body warmer. It reduces the amount of body heat that escapes from your head.
Make sure to protect the ears, face, hands and feet in extremely cold weather.
Move into warm locations periodically. Limit the amount of time outside on extremely cold days.
Carry cold weather gear, such as extra socks, gloves, hats, jacket, blankets, a change of clothes and a thermos of hot liquid.
Include a thermometer and chemical hot packs in your first aid kit.
When playing at the park, avoid touching cold metal surfaces with bare skin ie slides,climbing frames.
4. A Catastrophe waiting to happen… police received reports that children were playing on Pitville Lake, which has frozen over. Due to the potential harm that could have been caused a Police Community Support Officer attended and the children were safely brought to safe land to play in the snow.So keep children of all frozen, canals ,ponds etc.
5.Keeping creative get you children to print of a favourite tv character picture and create snow people in the snow around your door and character to keep boredom at bay whilst the schools are closed.
6. Buy some small spades and all the family get to muck in to clear the snow around your drive it will help keep them warm ,fit, motivated and you could always make hot chocolate for everyone afterwards drink outside in mugs yummy. for warm premature baby coats visit cheeky chums store with choices galore at http://cheekychumsonline.co.uk