The road leading to Brgy. Maradodon, Cabugao, Ilocos Sur

The task force children of the storm composed of delegations from Metro Manila-based child rights organizations such as the Children’s Rehabilitation Center (CRC), Association for the Rights of Children in Southeast Asia (ARCSEA), SALINLAHI Alliance for Children’s Concerns together with the Gabriela Women’s Party (GWP) conducted relief and psycho-social  activities in  Ilocos Sur and La Union last  November 20-22, 2009.  The relief operation and children’s activities were made possible through the help of  the CRC-Ilocos outreach program, local leaders of Gabriela Women’s Party and the Ilocos Center for Research, Empowerment and Development (ICRED).

Members of the task force together with local leaders from Vigan, Ilocos Sur, atop a truck full of relief goods.

The first stop of the group’s relief distribution and psycho-social  activity was in Barangay, Maradodon, Cabugao, Ilocos Sur.  The community is located in the eastern mountainous part of Ilocos Sur, near the geographical boundary of Abra province in the eastern part and Ilocos Norte in the northern part.  The team was able to reach the area after a one hour ride in a long rough bumpy road.

Residents eagerly await the distribution of relief goods by staff' of ICRED

Brgy. Maradodon is composed of 5 sitios: Bio, Maradodon Proper, Kasilagan, Olayos and Caset  which was the most heavily devastated by tropical storm  Pepeng.  For one week, the sitio was isolated from the whole barangay.  Almost all rice fields were submerged in flood waters and the roads and bridge were destroyed.  Almost 300 household residents lost nearly 70% of their produce. The ICRED distributed 250 relief packs and the remaining relief packs was provided by the Gabriela Women’s Party.

Mother and child patiently wait for their turn during the relief distribution.

A representative from the local chapter of the Gabriela Women's Party and members of the Task Force distribute relief packs.

Assisted by student volunteers from Vigan, the psycho-social debriefing for children was a successful activity.  The psycho-social team trekked for almost one hour to get into another sitio where the Maradodon public elementary school, the venue for the debriefing activities, was located.  Children were able to express their feelings, thoughts and anxieties in the aftermath of typhoon Pepeng.  More than 100 children actively participated in activities which include group dynamics activities, games, drawing to express their experiences and community mapping.

Children patiently wait for the team's arrival in Maradodon Elementary School.

The Task Force’s second stop was in Barangay Sta. Cecilia, Aringay. La Union.  Five hours away from Vigan and 30 minutes ride from the main highway.  The team reached the place, a typical farming community; which was submerged in almost 20 feet high floodwaters when the Aringay River swelled at the height of typhoon Pepeng.

According to the local leaders of the community, at the height of Pepeng’s fury, the river swelled at a very fast rate and the worst part was, it happened at night time.  Noted casualties in Brgy. Sta.Cecilia were three  persons, two of them drowned and  the other one died due to depression.  Many houses particularly the ones near the river were swept away or destroyed by the raging flood waters.  Farm animals like cows and carabaos were also drowned and swept away to the seaside near the capital town of San Fernando.  The residents evacuated in houses that were more sturdy and had second floors.  Many of them evacuated from one house to another to escape the fast swelling of the river.  Many stayed in rooftops praying that they would survived the disaster.  Fortunately the floodwaters subsided after almost five hours, but their belongings and livelihood did not escape the storm’s fury.

Mudstains remain visible on the walls of the Sta. Cecilia Elementary School. The school building was submerged in flood waters during typhoon Pepeng's onslaught.

Results of the psycho-social therapy and counseling revealed that most children did not notice the calamity. The reason: it was night time when Pepeng came.  But  they clearly drew dark images of cramped houses, people in  the rooftops and rains.  These observations were evident in children who are old enough to comprehend what happen at that time.  Generally, children showed frustration upon seeing their family’s and community’s loss after the typhoon.  Such observation was clearly evident even in Ilocos Sur.   But children in both areas had high hopes and  showed positive coping mechanisms in the face of the calamity.

After the children’s activities, the Gabriela Womens Party distributed relief packs to almost 100 school children.

Meanwhile, the psycho-social team of the task force in Metro Manila, conducted its continuing debriefing session in Talanay evacuation center last November, 22, 2009.  The debriefing activities are already in the last phase of the  module, which is cognitive mastery.  This was after the completion of the meaning construction phase where the effects of climate change were explained.  It also pointed out the responsibility of the government and the people in protecting the environment from further degradation of unscrupulous individuals and  big businesses, like mining companies, logging and even dams that produces energy and irrigation supposedly for the benefit of the poor.

The last part of the module’s cognitive mastery encourages children to continue working towards a brighter and safer future.  The planned output for this will be lanterns that will symbolize their wishes for themselves, for their family, for the community or for the country, especially this coming Christmas.  The lanterns will be part of a lantern parade, as a culminating activity for psycho-social debriefing sessions come December 5, 2009.

Still, many children victims especially from the Ilocos region are wishing that their school belongings will be replaced as all of their school supplies were destroyed and washed away by the floods.  The task force will continue the relief distribution in Ilocos through the CRC-Ilocos Outreach Program until December.

A Christmas Party and gift-giving activity for the children-victims in Metro Manila is on the planning stage.  Meantime, psycho-social debriefing activities in other areas in Metro Manila and Ilocos Region (where relief distribution is still ongoing)  may continue even until the first quarter of 2010.

MORE PHOTOS….

Maradodon, Cabugao, Ilocos Sur

Sta.Cecilia, Aringay, La Union

Children power. Children carry a sack full of relief packs

Bahay, bagyo, bata, a game originally created by CRC in the early 90's

Francine Knowles had another valuable article in yesterday’s Sun-Times.  The “Money” page’s main and more depressing story (also penned by Knowles) talked about the state’s high unemployment rate (No, I’m not going to repeat the number.  You are not a statistic.).  Wrapped inside that story was a little gem with a much more productive message:  “Get out of the house.”

Knowles quotes Judith DeVries, an executive coach at Challenger, Gray & Christmas, who urges job seeker to stay active and avoid the depression that comes from staying at home.  Another expert, Tom Gimbel, CEO of the LaSalle Network, recommends staying around positive people.  The experts suggested actions like making your own gifts, treating yourself (within reason), and not letting negative job market news get you down.  This advice is good, but we can take it farther.

Exercise.  Even if it is only to take a long walk every day and clear your head.

Cook more, or learn to cook.  We have to eat.  Cooking will let you save money and enjoy a new, challenging activity.

Volunteer.  There are organizations all over your community that need help.  Some volunteer activities could help in your job search.  Any kind of activity that you find fulfilling will help keep your outlook balanced.

Join a club that will let you meet new people.  You will approach you job search with a fresher perspective if you stay social and active.

Go to the library and take out a book you have always wanted to read.  Don’t get trapped looking at the same things on your computer screen.  You can also save money by borrowing videos and music from most libraries.

Be realistic about your job search, and keep moving – physically and mentally.

T’was the night before Tabaski and all the through the house, not a creature was stirring… except for a sheep!

Last night we tossed and turned as the mournful wails of sheep danced in our heads.  We tried not to count of the number of head that traversed our dreams – we are, after all, trying to get accustomed to our new surroundings.

No, we do not live next to a livestock market.  But yes, we do have sheep next door!  Actually, it would be more accurate to say that baahhs are coming from every “next door”.

You see, today is the holy day of Tabaski or Eid al-Adha.  Here it’s known as fête des moutons and all our Muslim neighbours have bought themselves a sheep or two to slaughter and share with their friends and family.  This marks the willingness of Abraham to sacrifice his son to show his commitment to God.

Our day dawned at 6:30 and we began a pilgrimage, following the sounds of the flock to their source – Maroua’s special Tabaski sheep market.  As we approached, the bleating intensified and flowed towards us as motorcycle-riding sheep appeared out of the haze that hovered over the early-morning streets.

Motorcycle-riding sheep?  Wait a second…  Is that legal?  I’ll have to ask my friend the region’s transportation delegate about that one…

But first, back to our moutons.

With so few cars on the roads of Maroua, motos carry all sorts of cargo – live sheep include.  How, you ask?  It’s easy!

First position the driver and then the passenger.  Next, a third person lifts the bellyaching bleater – belly up – onto the passenger’s lap.  Stop there?  Nah.  Because fête des moutons lasts three days, one sheep is rarely enough.  Therefore, a second animal joins the musical ride – this time belly down and facing the opposite direction.

Voila!  Packed and ready to go!

Having witnessed this for ourselves, the pandemonium of the market made a bit more sense.  The panicked calls of sheep blended into a hum of human voices all heading towards the city’s largest mosque.  Once again, we trusted our sense of hearing and followed the din through Maroua’s unpaved backroads.

Human rivulets merged into streams and streams became rivers.  Presumably the flow eventually reached the mosque. For us it remained hidden beyond a wall of trees far ahead.  Instead, we stopped amidst a sea of the faithful who diligently laid out their prayer mats facing towards Mecca.

Calmly, quietly and with serene beauty, all 50,000 of Maroua’s Muslims completed their religious devotions.  Not so calmly – nor so quietly – they all boarded their motos and belched their way home amidst less-than-beauteous clouds of exhaust.

Time to cook the moutons!

Following our noses this time, we gradually made our way to gorge on the sacrificial flesh.  Boubakari, the coordinateur of the organization we both work at – RESAEC – graciously invited us to share the feast with him and his family.

Indeed, the honour was all ours – and many tender morsels of mouton passed our lips.

What are my considerations about a Nursing school?

Reputation/accreditation
If it isn’t accredited, I’m not going. But will I be considered for jobs once I graduate?

Graduate test scores
If people in the program can’t pass the test at the end, then what’s the point

Cost
Ah… here’s the rub. The CC where I live is so cost effective. I look at some other schools and they’re four times as much.

Location
I really don’t much care. I think I would go anywhere in the country.

Pre-requisites
Every school has different pre-requisites. Right now I’m trying to maximize my acceptance into my local CC program for the application due June 1, 2011. I’ll be done with all those pre-reqs by Dec. 2010. I have an opportunity in the meantime to apply to any other school I also meet the minimums for. But all the requirements are so different.

ADN vs. BSN vs. Accelerated MSN
The most exciting thing I’m looking at is these accelerated MSN programs for people without RNs and Bachelor’s degrees in other fields. That’s me! They’re designing these programs for me. After I finish Physiology in May, I can apply to many of these programs (if I take the GRE). Shouldn’t I? But then again, the accelerated ADN at my local CC is also more or less designed for me. It’s just I will “only” have an RN at the end of it.

Thoughts
If I knew that I wouldn’t flip out the first year of work and decide to quit the medical field forever, I don’t think I’d blink at spending $40k to get an MSN. This is why I see the PCT class I’m signed up for as so crucial. If I can handle that, then I will feel so much more confident that I can handle the profession.

I shouldn’t doubt myself so much.

Orrrrrr…. if I knew for sure what specialty I wanted to go into, I’d feel more confident taking the jump to the MSN programs. But I don’t know. I feel this draw to mental health. But I’m uncertain right now. I’ve never worked in a mental health ward.

It’s just too early. I have at least three or four months before I feel more pressure to decide. Being able to quit my full time job is a biggie. It will make it so much more possible for me to take heavier loads of classes. So I’m hoping that works out for me.

A nurse aid at work told me that the next time I volunteer when she’s working, I can shadow her the whole shift. I’m very grateful to her.

Leer esta entrada en español

“For me the experience has been invaluable. Although, working in the office, I’m not directly working with families or building homes,  I’ve found it fulfilling to be able to help out behind the scenes  and allow the team here to get out into the field and do what they do best: coordinating construction, supporting families, coordinating and hosting  volunteers.”

I had never volunteered before. I had thought about it, but was always too busy with work and life getting in the way. But when I recently gave all that up and had the opportunity to move to Costa Rica I realized that this would be my chance to get involved with some type of NGO. I also selfishly thought it would be a great way to learn about the country outside the isolated ex-pat community we had moved into.

For me the experience has been invaluable. Although, working in the office, I’m not directly working with families or building homes,  I’ve found it fulfilling to be able to help out behind the scenes  and allow the team here to get out into the field and do what they do best: coordinating construction, supporting families, coordinating and hosting  volunteers. 

I’m inspired by the Habitat for Humanity Costa Rica staff and the work they are doing.  They are so dedicated to the cause, so interested in the families they are helping and so determined to find new ways to bring hope to people it’s contagious and I’m learning that the rewards are so much more gratifying than the ever changing bottom line of the corporate world I came from.

Besides all of that, my Spanish is improving. I’ve learned a lot about Costa Rican culture and continue to learn more about the country and the people every day.

I’m grateful to be part of organization with such a spirit of generosity, kindness and such high levels energy and engagement from Habitat staff and supporters.

Christine Rothdram
Costa Rica

I can’t imagine anything I’d rather do less than fight the crowds at the mall to get a deal on something I don’t need anyway. If you feel the same, here are some ideas for giving back locally today and for the rest of the year.

DC Central Kitchen: Prepare and distribute meals for the homeless.

Food & Friends: Prepare and deliver meals to people living with HIV/AIDS and cancer.

Greater DC Cares: Help restore a park, work at a homeless shelter, help out at an animal adoption center, and more.

So Others Might Eat: Cook and serve food, tutor children, provide a holiday basket for a low-income senior.

If you prefer to spend your time outdoors, consider volunteering at a community garden. DC Urban Gardeners is a great resource for finding community gardens, school gardens, and other outdoor projects in the DC area.

You can also search for volunteer opportunities by location and the type of volunteering you’d like to do.

Peru is a country with an amazing array of bio-diversity, Peru is considered as one big habitat for humans, flora and fauna. It is situated in South America and has the South Pacific Ocean on one side and the mighty Andes Mountains on the other. As a result of being close to the sea as well as the mountains, Peru enjoys several micro-climates like no other. Some of the main attractions apart from the famous Inca Trail and Machu Picchu include the pre-Columbian cultures, the cuisine, the natural resources and the exquisite colonial architecture.

Why Volunteer In Peru
Volunteering in Peru is like being the closest you can be to nature and civilization, both of which has supported each other well through millions of years. As a volunteer in Peru, you will not only get an insight into the lives of the Peruvian people but also get to enjoy the many colors of their culture and tradition. It is a unique experience that you will be able to re-live time and time again and the warmth of the people of Peru will not remain just as a moment in time it will become a timeless treasure.

Types Of Projects Available in Peru
As a part of volunteering in Peru, you will get to choose the kind of project you are interested in. The different types if projects available include:

- Conservation Project: When in Peru, you will be able to spend a lot of time trekking through the beautiful and captivating landscape as a volunteer in a conservation project. Peru has a wealth of natural resources and the variety of flora and fauna is probably more than anywhere else in the world and hence there is a huge responsibility of preserving the natural habitats. As a volunteer in Peru, you will play a definitive role in conservation of Amazon rainforests as well as the higher and lower regions of the Andes, the varied wildlife, and the historical sites. This is one of the most interesting volunteer programs.
- Internship: There are different types of programs available under volunteering in Peru. You can volunteer for a program for 2 weeks or work as an intern for 1 year. Under the internship program, you will be working with the local people and get to understand and experience their culture from up-close. You will get to understand their problems and find meaningful solutions that can be applied practically.

- Volunteer with Orphanages: There are several orphanages in Peru and as a volunteer in Peru, you can choose to work with any one of them. You will have to care of the children whose age can vary from 1year to 10 years or more. You will have to teach them languages, take care of their educational and health requirements, teach them sports and get involved in extra-curricular activities.

- Health Care: Most of the health care volunteer programs in Peru deal with curing preventable diseases. The medical or health infrastructure in the rural areas is understaffed and not well equipped. As a medical volunteer in Peru, you will be able to make contribution towards strengthening the Peru’s medical infrastructure in the rural areas. Health care can vary from technical areas like nursing and surgery to taking care of mentally ill or HIV patients.

- Sustainable Development Projects: These are specialized projects where some areas might require you to have prior experience and knowledge while in other areas, you don’t require any prior experience. Most of the sustainable development projects deal with four important sectors and they are Environment, Education, Health Care, and Business.

Volunteer in Peru Requirements
Age: The minimum age for volunteering in Peru should be 18 or older.

Some of the volunteer programs will require a 2-4 week training program before you start working on the project. The training will be provided by the volunteer organization.

Fee and Other details
There is a fee attached to each of the projects that you volunteer for. The fee is charged in advance and is charged for the following:

1. Accommodation: There are different types of accommodation available in Peru. This includes Host family normal, Host family plus, Host family matrimonial and apartments. Of course the type of accommodation varies from organization to organization.
2. Food/meals
3. Travel insurance
4. Transportation within the region
5. Emergency support

Conclusion
Volunteering in Peru has its own benefits as it will open your world to some of the most beautiful aspects of nature that you have probably seen before only in the National Geographic magazines. Projects can vary from 7 days to 4 weeks and depending on the type of volunteering work you are interested in, you can submit your resume with the respective organization and begin the journey.

Would you like the chance to assist Threshold?
As I am sure you all know, Threshold do great work to prevent homelessness by providing housing advice to tenants.
The charity need the voluntary services of an actor, someone who will wear an oversized star costume which states “Be the Hope Star” along with a contact number as Threshold are launching a text messaging fundraising and awareness campaign for Christmas.

The idea is that donors can text a number, donate €2 and they receive a Christmas stars wallpaper to their mobile saying “Keeping the hope star shining for Threshold this Christmas”.
Obviously their resources are stretched to the limit due to the recession so this campaign is extremely important.

To launch and promote the text number, Threshold would like to find their “star”, the beauty of the idea being that the star can go into all sorts of places that posters or traditional media can’t & will bring lots of attention to the campaign because its quirky and the star would also be interactive.

They would be looking for a tall actor with a outgoing personality. The volunteer would ideally be available to be involved in a press launch on 8^th December and to wear the star around town on some of the shopping evenings coming up to Christmas e.g. on 17^th December we’re in Blanchardstown Shopping centre with a choir fundraising

Contact Grainne at Threshold on 01 6353607 or @ grainne@threshold.ie

The underground Cyberspace Dictatorship

The human biological phenomena of advertising is the most powerful and sustained system of propaganda in human history and its cumulative cultural effects, unless quickly checked, will be responsible for destroying the world as we know it.

It has taught us how to live, what to be afraid of, what to be proud of, how to be beautiful, how to be loved, how to be envied, how to be successful.. Is it any wonder that the American population tends increasingly to speak, think, feel in terms of this jabberwocky? That the stimuli of art, science, religion are progressively expelled to the periphery of American life to become marginal values, cultivated by marginal people on marginal time?”

Kids are among the most sophisticated observers of ads. They can sing the jingles and identify the logos, and they often have strong feelings about products. What they generally don’t understand, however, are the issues that underlie how advertising works. Mass media are used not only to sell goods but also ideas: how we should behave, what rules are important, who we should respect and what we should value.

Read the whole article @ Comfortnetworks.nl

http://gino.comfortnetworks.nl/index.php/2009/11/27/commercial-child-exploitation/

Disney stars including: Demi Lovato, Doug Brochu, Allisyn Ashley Arm and Moises Arias all gave their thanks by giving back to local community members this Thanksgiving. With smiles and green aprons, the actors donated their time and services to serve Thanksgiving meals to the less fortunate around Los Angeles. It’s always refreshing to see compassion and good works displayed. What great young people.

Kahapon nagtext sa akin si Irish kung mag-eexam ba ako sa AFP Medical Center ngayon. Ang sagot ko lang, “Tignan ko.” At kapag ganun ang reply ko sa text malamang tinatamad akong magpunta sa exam. Kailangan ko ng trabaho, OO. Pero kailangan ko rin ng trabahong may sweldo or kahit food allowance lang masaya na ako.

Hindi ko sigurado ang patakaran sa AFP pero narinig ko sa mga kasamahan ko dati na libre ang six months training hindi tulad sa ibang hospital. Ok na yun, kaysa naman magbabayad kami ng isa, tatlo o limang libo para lang sa training or in another words volunteer work. Pero kagabi hindi ako mapakali…Alas kwatro na nga yata ako nakatulog (kaya hindi ako nagising para sa 8am exam) sa kakaisip kung anu ba talaga ang gusto kong gawin. Una, kung magtraining ulit na walang sweldo or Pangalawa, maghintay ng tawag sa ibapang hospital na pinagpasahan ng resume (weh, parang andami ng hospital na yun.haha) Isipin mo, kung yung una ang pinili ko…

1. Anim na buwan na naman akong walang sweldo.

2. Anim na buwan na maghihirap na wala man lang kapalit. (Sabihin na nating ok na ang THANK YOU mula sa pasyente pero iba pa rin kapag nakakatanggap ka ng pera buwan buwan dahil may pinaghirapan ka.)

3. Anim na buwan na namang hindi istambay pero minsan hindi naman considered na experience and pagiging volunteer so parang naging tambay ka pa rin. (hay…:()

Kung pangalawa naman yung pinili ko…

1. Ang unang tanong…TATAWAGAN BA AKO?

2. Kung tatawagan man ako at ma-hire, swerte ko.

3. Kung ma-hire man ako, sa susunod na buwan hindi sayang ang paggising ko ng maaga, pagsakay ng jeep sabay langhap sa maitim na usok, pagkain sa karinderya, pakikinig sa demand ng mga doktor at pasyente, pagcha-chart, pag-compute ng gamot at IV, at kung anu-anu pa. Kung ma-hire man ako pagkatapos ng isang buwan na pagtitiis makakatikim na ako ng SWELDO. Ang sarap naman ng feeling nun!

At dahil sa number two ang pinili ko…maghihintay muna ako. Sana tawagan ako. Sana ma-hire ako. Ang hirap ng walang sweldo eh. Naawa na ako sa tatay ko, makakalbo na wala pa rin akong sweldo kahit pangbayad lang sana sa internet at kuryente.

In no particular order.

Ali: She was the first face we met and is all kinds of awesome. Ali is our site coordinator and resident cat herder. Filled with a bottomless reserve of energy she dances and shimmies her way through the days. Best of all her enthusiasm is contagious.

Ana-Maria: Coordinator/Spanish teacher extraordinaire. Her laughter fills the room and our hearts. She gave us the skills to go out into the treacherous world of Peruvian kids babbling in Spanish!

Maria: Cook, housekeeper and sparkling personality. She has filled our stomachs will delicious Peruvian food and filled our souls with her joie de vivre (Llena de vida) .

Lauren: Independent spirit. She has no qualms about heading into the unknown on her own. We should all be so brave. She’s also a bit of a musician (guitar) and we love her for it.

Megan: Youngest in age but certainly not in spirit. She must have an old soul because she is wise beyond her years… but more importantly fun as -expletive deleted-. Her taste in music is beyond compare so we all cried a little when her mp3 player died. She’ll be volunteering down here until March 19th (speaking of brave). That’s a long f*ing time, but a whole lot of good done thanks to her.

Jennifer: Our Albertan counterpart (from Calgary). Jennifer’s her name, fitness is her game. Her attitude is inspiring and the perfect kick in the arse you need to get up and get going.

Romy: English teacher by day, guide by night. Her encyclopaedic knowledge of the history of Peru is amazing. She has taught us so much about the culture and heritage of this wonderful country, but, more importantly, she has taught us to love Peru as much as she does (almost-nobody loves Peru more than Romy). She has also taught us to love Pisco. Soooooo good!

Cat: Chris’s British counterpart, she works at a place here called South American Explorers where travellers of all kinds can stop in and get oriented. She has shown us corners of Lima we never would have come across otherwise. Also, we’ve never come across someone quite like Cat. She is by any and all standards unique. A perfect storm of chill and excitement.

Ginene: Although we only got to spend a week with the lovely Ginene she has left an indelible mark on us. B.C spirit through and through.

Shelley: If all nurses were like her this world would be without pain… or at least not for long. High energy and always ready to sing her heart out, I cannot help but believe that she is a karaoke star in the making. Also she walks REALLY F*ING FAST.

Kate: The lone American in the group, she is what makes her country great . She is perhaps the most benevolent of us all. From her work back in Pennsylvania to her work here in Peru she is making a difference beyond imagination. A heart as big as… uh… well… Machu Picchu. Another long term stay, she will be here until March 26th.

Hyo: Although not a volunteer she has been staying with us as a guest and has shown us an interest in the culture and language that is enviable to say the least.

A man spends most of his life searching for a muse, any muse to inspire him to great things. We’ve somehow been fortunate enough to find a dozen down here in Peru. Each one is beautiful inside and out and have filled us with the want… no… I say the NEED to do more. To give more, to live more, to contribute more, to BE more in this world.

We have been irreversibly changed during our experience here thanks in large part to the people we’ve come across in our travels. We thank them from the very bottom of our hearts… maybe in our cockles.. or maybe even in the sub-cockle area… maybe even… in the colon.

130 Miles from Iowa, USA – Big Earl’s clubs in Iowa are putting a new spin on Thanksgiving stuffing, with a new twist on the big, beautiful woman scene and Tony Batman and Schevelle will be your master and mistress of ceremonies for the big event.

Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28, 2009, there will be no fluff as plus-size dancers take to the stage at Big Earl’s locations in Des Moines and Davenport, competing for the chance to win a $1000 prize.

Batman is looking forward to the event, “Friday we will hold the contest for the Des Moines ladies, then we move to Davenport for the second contest. This is going to be a huge event and Schevelle and I are happy to be invited. I stole this gig from my buddy, Ron Jeremy and I think he’s going to envy me the experience of a lifetime this presents. . . Kidding Ron!

“Seriously though, this is a great opportunity for girls that have wanted to dance, but didn’t think they could fit into the showgirl mold to start building experience and a following. Schevelle and I will be giving the entrants our full support during these two contests and I think Big Earl’s has a great idea in opening up to the BBW girls and their fans.”

This dynamic duo isn’t going to let the opportunity to spread good will end with the contests, and plan something more. “Tony and I are going to spend our day on Thanksgiving volunteering at a shelter, dishing up meals for people that otherwise wouldn’t have a Thanksgiving of their own,” said Schevelle.

Batman agrees, “Yes, we are doing some good works for our holiday weekend. Schevelle and I are scheduled for interviews with WGGO Classic Rock with Clutch, Kiss 107.5 and Lazer 103.3, where we will not only talk about the contests and our travels on the show circuit, but also about voluntarism. We are very happy that we have gotten so much coverage for our time here. In Iowa, three radio stations interviewing us is pretty much a media blitz!”

Big Earl’s Goldmine is located at 4745 NW 2nd Avenue in Des Moines. Phone 515-237-9902. Big Earl’s Amsterdam is at 643 East 59th in Davenport, Iowa. Phone 563-468-4653.

Read more of Batman and Schevelle’s travel logs at www.tonybatman.com.

Friends, Family and Volunteers,

We have scheduled a search and canvassing effort for the Victoria and Esquimalt area (as defined by the map below) in order to help spread the message about Pierre. We will be putting up posters, talking to people and businesses.

General Request for Volunteers: We are looking for volunteers in the Victoria community to help. If you are available, please join us on Saturday. We won’t know exactly how many volunteers we have until we perform a headcount in the morning, but will split into teams covering each zone and distribute the kits (maps, posters and contact numbers).

If you expect to show up after the search begins, please e-mail Dylan (dylan@findpierre.com) with your contact information so we can get in touch. When you arrive you will be directed to join a team.

• When: Saturday November 28th
• Time: 10 AM sharp
• Location: Capital Iron Parking Lot (located across the street from Capital Iron, look for beige Ford Ranger truck in the parking lot)
• Clothing: Warm waterproof clothing, sturdy footwear
• Bring: Cell phone, staple gun/tape, money for parking (if driving)

What better day than Thanksgiving then to share a story about volunteering! Great Volunteer Managers area Great because they are volunteers themselves. They are out there making a difference on their own, feeling the pulse of the people, finding their interests and sharing their time and resources.

I remember a few years back, I decided that during the Thanksgiving holiday, I’d make pumpkin pies. I’m not talking one or two, I’m talking Henry Ford Assembly line of pies~ enough to rival Sarah Lee herself! I baked pies for me,  the domestic violence shelter, the homeless shelter, a couple churches serving Thanksgiving dinner, and some mini pies for the Nursing home where my uncle would be living as his Alzheimer’s had become more and more difficult for my Aunt to have him at home.

After hours of preparation and baking, the pies were done, and they looked beautiful! I delivered them to their destinations and the last place I went to was my Aunt and Uncle’s house so I could sit and visit and bask in my baking glory. My uncle was in his leather chair and I sat with him for a bit while my Aunt cut the pie onto her china dishes. She served me and she sat and took one bite and SPIT IT OUT!

“What’s wrong???” I blurted out, startling my uncle from his snooze…          “It’s just a little bland..that’s all”, she quickly grabbed the china plates and went in to the kitchen, cinnamon, ginger, cloves…all came tumbling out of her cabinet. She scooped out the entire pie into a bowl, mixed in the spices and returned the mixture to the crust with a little spoonful to taste…             “Ahhh! There we go…Perfect!”. As if nothing happened we finished our pie and our visit and I went home.

When I came into my kitchen, pushed back by the mixing bowls was a mixing bowl full of the spices! I had left it out of ALL the pies! That moment, I realized ALL the people who were eating my pies!!! My BLAND, TASTELESS PIES! I was mortified….and then the Thank You Cards started rolling in over the next week…

“Thank You for taking the time to make us such a delicious dessert.”

“Just like my Gramma used to make”

“It was so thoughtful for you to think of us during the tough time we are going through…”

Kindness must be a spice of its own and even in abundance, you can never have too much. It’s the efforts that we give and the memories of helping others that we cherish.

Cesar Millan, star of the hit series Dog Whisperer, and his wife Ilusion Millan have established THE CESAR AND ILUSION MILLAN FOUNDATION, a national, non-profit organization designed to aid and support the rescue, rehabilitation, and placement of abused and abandoned dogs.

“The Foundation, which has long been a dream of ours, is intended to benefit needy shelters and rescue organizations throughout the United States. Our many years of experience in the rehabilitation of dogs of every breed and background has taught us that most animals can make excellent companions, and all that many of them need is the proper care and a second chance.”  … Cesar & Ilusion Milan

Go to Millan Foundation to see how you can help.  You can become an Ambassador Volunteer or a Foundation Partner.

Flora, the 18th donkey in the donkey-paradise.   Last week we went into Posada de Llanes to collect a new donkey. Her owners, four elderly women of whom one was bedridden, had looked after her very well for more than 20 years, but now could no longer. Flora lived in a dark corner of a stable and had no movement whatsoever. Ever since she arrived in the paradise in Arobes, she has been looking around with large eyes and an amazed expression: “What is this?? Where am I?? Walking around in a meadow!! Eleven other donkeys with me in the stable!!” Flora loves to lie down every now and then, and also to roll over in the grass – a thing she hasn’t been able to do for a long time… She loves her new diet of carrots, apples and mixed cereals, but will have to lose some weight …

Flora - They will miss her

when i was in college, a group of friends who lived in the west coast didn’t go home for thanksgiving. instead they stayed at the school dorm. such was the fate for some of my college friends so they took it upon themselves to make their own thanksgiving dinner — and the all-men posse can cook!

one year, i came back to school the day after thanksgiving. i visited my friends and had their leftovers for dinner. what a spread — turkey, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce — the works!

as my gf and i talked about our school days the week before thanksgiving, she came up with the idea to make a thanksgiving meal for students from our alma mater who didn’t go home for the holiday. her hubby was one of the all-men posse that cooked the amazing feast. i thought it was a great idea. my gf called our alma mater and finally reached the dept of student affairs. they were very excited about the idea and posted the offer to students. unfortunately it only a few days before the holiday weekend but still, we got 2 takers.

my gf is an awesome cook and has made many a traditional american thanksgiving dinner. she made all of the main dishes (turkey, gravy, mash potatoes, cranberry sauce, stuffing, corn and peas, apple cranberry pie and pumpkin pie).

i contributed a few dishes:

• sausage and broccoli pasta
• oven roasted corn
• pumpkin loaf cake

my gf picked up my dishes. then she and her family drove all of our dishes to the students. we also benefited from each other’s cooking. she gave me some of her feast and i packed her some of my dishes. YUMMY!

next year my gf plans to contact the dept of school affairs early in the semester and give them advance notice. we’ll see how many takers we have next year. if we get a lot of takers, my gf found out you can order a thanksgiving feast from waldbaums for $50. then we’ll get other alumni involved in taking part of this. who knows, this event can become our annual tradition!

it felt nice to give something, even if was for someone we didn’t know. this is part of what makes this holiday my favorite of holidays.