Nov.26,09 yesterday is a happy day! I slept well, I ate well, I worked well and everything turned out well. I did my works well and my day ended well.

I had a call from Jon, funny but true! I do not miss him much,it’s as if he is just near me and we are not that far. He calls, and! Ace sent me his pictures!!! Finally I downloaded them with my new cp!I was so happy. He looks well, I think he gained weight thinking opposite that I am worrying of he might be as thin as me,LOL He looks fine and with military outlook. He has burned his skin into darker brown,expected! I learned that he even jumps off the gate of the camp just to buy food!Food for his own,I told him to be careful and he loves and likes what he is doing!LOL

Now that we know that they were fine there,his mom and I were at peace knowing they can handle it well. I had a good sleep and I thank Jah for HIS works,HIS answers on my every prayers. Thanks Jah,I love you baby,mwah!

यो न निर्गत्य निःशेषां विलोकयति मेदिनीं |
अनेकाद्भुतवृत्तांतां स नरः कूपदर्दुरः ||

- उपमितिभवप्रपंच

If a person never gets out of his home (home town) and sees the world full of surprises, then he is to be considered as a frog in a well.

- Upamitibhavaprapancha

In the midst of such dysfunction, function is necessary. That is what Raju would have said. His voice still rings deep in her consciousness, as she climbs down the muddy staircases down the hill in that hot sunny afternoon. The white clouds are misty and slowly dancing around up in the sky, but she is sure they will dare not meddle with the sun up in her village and down in the well she’s going to. The ‘staircases’, she notices, have lost their structure in some places -  it must have to do with the haphazard scramble-up-the-hill moves the Maoists were forced to last night. The grasses, on the sides, are also uprooted at some places. She finds a chunk of grass uprooted in one of the bends downhill, and puts her gagri* down by the path and bends down with the hope that she would be able to see one of the bullets. The mud is dry and wet. The grass, green and shiny. She pokes her finger around the hole. She even bends over to see if she finds any hole that will ease her search. But she doesn’t see anything. Tired and unsuccessful, she bends back and leans against the terrace to see all rice paddies and the beautiful trees down by the river and her friends’ house way in the distance. The sun is really on today, she thinks, as she lays her feet flat on the path and soaks up the heat while trying to rip up some of the grass beside her.

“Mira! What are you upto?”, she hears.

“Oh, Ram daju*! I was just enjoying the sun a little bit. How are you doing today?”

“I am okay. I just wanted to see how my daughter is doing.”

“Oh. Ramila didi* is fine. I met her earlier while I was getting ready to cut the hay for the cattle. She said that Ravi and Raghav were crying all night long. I couldn’t sleep way till the morning myself,” she said.

“Neither could we! We could hear the gunshots and that blast. That even shook our house. I am pretty sure police station is black and white now.”

“I guess so. My brother used to say that that would be the first thing he and his friends would go after. I thought he’d stop by the house last night. But, I guess not when there are bullets flying everywhere. Our front wall has two of such bullet-holes. But I just hope that Raju’s not hurt.” She added, “But yeah. I am not sure how many people died in the attack. Papa said that the Maoists took all their casualties in big baskets and sacks, and that there are only like three policemen who are really hurt.”

“So, technically, no one knows how many are dead?”

She slightly nods her head in affirmation.

“Ok, I guess, I will go meet Ramila now. I will see you later Mira.”

“See you Ram daju!”

Mira could feel her feet soaking up the heat. Up in the sky, however, the clouds were mischievously getting closer to the sun which was itself trying to hide from her behind the tall trees up in the hill.  She scrambles herself up, dusts off the back of her kurta*, and continues her journey down holding the gagri by the fingers.

The well was down at the foot of the hill, with the trees giving it a very cool shady feel. As she got close to the water, and dipped her gagri down in the water, she noticed that the water looked very unusual and different. In fact, against the bright tingles in her eyes, she could tell that it looked a little red. Then, she got scared. She blinked hard and fast trying to wash the tingles away. When she tried to gaze at the water again, she saw it. A dead body – flat on the ground just by the water. She couldn’t see the face, but she could see that his left arm on top of the bamboo stump was red and had blood dripping all the way down to the fingers and onto the water. Although, she wanted to freak out and run, she walked around the water close to the body. The left side of the face was flat on the mud; but thankfully, from the other half, she knew that it was not his brother. She didn’t know who he was. But, she couldn’t stand the sight any longer. She turned back, grabbed her gagri and then ran up the same path she came from.

She still remembers telling Raju not to join the Maoists. “Think about your family,” she had said. “What would dad do without you? We don’t want to lose you.” She knew what Raju was going to say: “My country is my family now. My brothers here in the village and the towns afar need my support. We have had enough with this shitty government. Ever since there has been democracy here, people are getting poorer and the bureaucracy is rotting every minute. We need communism. I cannot watch my brothers suffer and die alone. I have to help them. You will see the change yourself sister, come 10 months.” It hadn’t even been more than three months that she last heard those words from her brother. She was getting scared as she swiftly climbed the muddy staircase to tell her father of what still remains of the terror last night.

************The End*************

Legend:

*gagri = It is  a special type of water urn, that (nepali) women use to carry water around.

*daju = nepali word for brother (not necessarily own relative)

*didi = nepali word for sister

*kurta = a special light outfit worn mostly by women in Nepal. (Men also wear them in the south of the country and in India).

I’ve been meaning to tell you about the great presents I got at my 6th birthday party!

It was so exciting opening them all…

I got an ENORMOUS teddy from Dizzy Mum’s little human pups (I love it! It is the biggest stuffie I have ever had!)…

…a fluffy yellow ducky from George the Bernese Mountain Dog, which makes a funny “quack quack” sound when I squeeze it…

.

…a soft, cuddly elephant AND a little tennis-ball hedgehog from my new Agility friend,  Scarlett the Shepherd…

.

…a cute bird with beautiful colours from Cookie & Cinnamon…

…and (how thoughtful!) a special medicine to help pets travel well from Finnegan the Sheltie!

(I also got some fishy yummies from Lucky Bear but unfortunately, they have long disappeared in my tummy! )

Both Cookie & Cinnamon and George had also made their own cards for me!

.

Aren’t I a lucky girl?

And then there was the Nina Ottosson “Dog Brick” Interactive Toy that my humans got me all the way from the faraway place called England!

Here is a video of me trying it out:

Hsin-Yi was quite surprised that I wasn’t as dumb as she thought and I actually managed to figure it out quite quickly – ha! ha! Next time they will have to buy the 3 Dog level for me!

Well, I have never had so many new stuffies at one time in my life…I don’t know which one to take to bed with me!

Feel It * Know It * See It

Saturday, November 28 @10am

Your next chance to hear about the 24 Day Challenge. I lost 29lbs and gained Energy I never had felt before. My results started conversations and buzz. Other people wanted to know what I was doing and wanted similar results. The door of opportunity was opened! AdvoCare is now providing me a way to secure my future through paying me 5 ways for doing 1 thing-helping others. Do you desire a lean, more toned body? Would you like to make $900 before Christmas? Or, maybe you’re like me, desiring those things plus the opportunity for an unlimited income. I’ve started building a business-a future for my family and someday their family, to live in freedom. What are your Desires & Dreams?

Join us On Saturday and decide for yourself. It may or may not be for you, but either way it won’t be a waste of your time.

Call (574) 876-6886 or aarondewinter@comcast.net and let us know your name and how many will be attending.

1018 Woodhouse Drive * Mishawaka, IN

Drew Brees Threw for 187 yards and 3 TD’s (still undefeated)

John Carney made 5 PAT and 1 FG (still undefeated)

Josh Brown made 2 FG’s and 1 PAT

Phil Dawson made 2 FG’s and 3 PAT’s

Ryan Longwell was called on to make 5 PAT’s and made all 5

Thomas Jones ran for 103 yards

Wes Welker caught the ball for 192 yards and rushed for 11

*check out the complete list of Product Endorsers-Click HERE-thechampionsstore.com brought to you by thechampionslockerroom.com

Yes, it’s my turn to blog for the QWC Blog Tour, mine, mine, all mine! Bwahahahahahha!

Now that I’ve got that out of my system, I am blogging atchya from the QWC Hachette Manuscript Development Program being held at O’Reilly’s Rainforest Retreat – which is at the very top of a mountain, at the end of a VERY TWISTY TURNY ROAD. When the driver said ‘Just another 11 km to go’, we discovered exactly how long 11km can feel. No one threw up except the driver! But it’s all good – lovely surroundings, quiet and relaxed, the perfect writers’ retreat. Participants are AWESOME, the Hachette Folk (Bernadette Foley, Kate Ballard, Rachel Donovan) and Cameron Cresswell agent Sophie Hamley, were all superb, and our ‘writer-in-residence’ Bec Sparrow is generous,  knowledgeable and an excellent avatar of the space coyote*.

And so, to the questions QWC have asked me to answer:

Where do your words come from?
Erk. I don’t know. I guess when something catches my imagination/interest I start telling myself a story in my head. I see it like a film, then translate it into words. That’s the part I like, that translation process, thinking to myself how can I best describe this to capture how it appears to me? How can I communicate that to someone else? A great experience I had recently was seeing the stills from a short film that’s been made of one of my stories – and one of the charactcers looked exactly as I’d imagined her in my head. Could have been a coincidence, but I like to flatter myself that I did my job as a writer right in the first place.

Where did you grow up and where do you live now?
I was born in Cairns, grew up in Ipswich, Longreach, Cairns again and then Brisbane. I’ve lived parts of my adult life in Brisbane, London, Sydney and the Negev Desert. I currently reside in Brisneyland, which is a pretty river city. I live in a leafy suburb, in an old house with a back deck and a giant jacaranda tree in the backyard, and an overgrown jasmine bush on the front fence that smells great when it’s in bloom and looks delightfully unkempt.

What’s the first sentence/line of your latest work?
My short story collection: “Why are you so dark, Ella?”
My novel: “They buried the Damascene Witches in the sand.”

What piece of writing do you wish you had written?
Aaaaahhhh. Angela Carter’s The Bloody Chamber? Wilbur Smith’s The Sunbird? Kelly Link’s Magic for Beginners? Margo Lanagan’s Singing My Sister Down? Anything from Steve Almond’s My Life in Heavy Metal. Richard Brautigan’s Coffee or The Weather in San Francisco.

What are you currently working towards?
At the micro-level? Finishing Sourdough and Other Stories and getting it off to a publisher; rewriting the novel, Well of Souls and starting to shop it around. At the macro-level, arranging my life so I can be a fulltime writer.

Complete this sentence… The future of the book is…
Mysterious and exciting. We’re seeing the book in so many news forms: ebooks, mobile phone downloads, interactive or augmented reality novels. The content is the same, but we have new ‘containers’ as well as the old version of the book as artefact. It’s books, Jim, but not as we know it!

This post is part of the Queensland Writers Centre blog tour, happening October to December 2009. To follow the tour, visit Queensland Writers Centre’s blog The Empty Page.

Hyperlink: http://www.qwc.asn.au/Resources/TheEmptyPageBlog.aspx

* Yes, it’s a Simpsons’ reference … I see the world through a Simpsons’ filter … and sometimes a Star Trek filter.

Image from baltimoreravens.com.

I had reason to “Feel Good” today; however, we still couldn’t pull out a win. 17-15 Colts. Not going to drag this out because this game has drained me, but I had a few SMH [shaking my head] moments:

• At least once during this game and each of the last few games, we have passed on 3rd and 2. This is a team with Ray Rice, Willis McGahee, and Le’Ron McClain. Why pass on 3rd and 2?? And what happened to the unbalanced line in those types of situations?? That’s on Cam and Harbaugh folks.
• I don’t blame Flacco for much, because he’s still in his 2nd year. However, I don’t care if Cam Cameron did call a pass play in the final 3 minutes of the game within the 20-yard line. A game where a field goal wins it. The pass that was intercepted by the Colts should have never been thrown. Also, see above: Rice, McGahee, McClain. That one’s on Flacco and Cam.
• Ed Reed is notorious for flipping the ball to other players on interceptions and returns to keep drives alive. You know this, AND you have Lardarius Webb who has only been incredibly good on returns this year, but you put Ed Reed back to return in the waning seconds of the game. That’s on special teams coordinator Jerry Rosburg, oh yeah, and Harbaugh.

That’s really all I have to say about this loss. We’re not yet out of playoff contention, but our chances of making the playoffs ain’t looking too good right about now.

Facebook just keeps chuggin’ along doesn’t it? While everyone talks about the latest in this or that, the next greatest innovation in the next greatest thing since sliced bread and all the other fixings that go with Internet marketing and social media hype Facebook just gets results.

Sure there are the occasional misfires on how they handle making changes in policies but in the end there is little or no effect on a few pretty important factors: the number of people actively using the tool AND the increasing number of people coming on board.

One of the results of this continued growth and maturation is the fact that Facebook is now the third most popular place to view video on the web as reported by cnet based on the latest Nielsen VideoCensus numbers. Considering how much video is ingested by Internet users, that is saying something that is actually pretty astounding. Here’s a pretty chart for you

While not a threat to YouTube (it’s actually a bump to YouTube since much of the video is from there to begin with) Facebook is basically cleaning the clock of major media outlets on pure volume of vides viewed.

Now what is not considered in these numbers are the types of video viewed. Many folks on Facebook are not there for hard news so if the content of these videos was sliced and diced I am sure these numbers would look different. For Internet marketers that targeting will mean more about where dollars are spent than just shear volume.

Nonetheless, Facebook is becoming more and more of a force while avoiding the drama of other Internet players like Google, Yahoo et al. The numbers speak for themselves.

According to Nielsen, the “total time spent viewing video on Facebook” grew by 1,840 percent year over year. The number of unique viewers grew 548 percent over the same period. Total streams increased by 987 percent year over year.

“Facebook’s rapid growth in online video during the last year illustrates the site’s evolution from simply a communications focused tool to a media portal,” Nielsen Vice President of Media Analytics Jon Gibs said. “Social networking sites are evolving from a venue for catching up with friends to a platform for personal expression, allowing consumers to share their experiences in the full variety of content formats available online.”

Enjoy your weekend watching video. We know Facebook will love it.

Social Media Monitoring in Just 60-Seconds. Guaranteed!

Feel It * Know It * See It

Presented by Andy Hosier & Aaron DeWinter

• TONIGHT! Tuesday, November 24 @ 7:15pm
• 1018 Woodhouse Drive * Mishawaka, IN
• Bring a friend or spouse

Many people are viewing The Biggest Loser this season, desiring changes in their own health. With the Holiday’s fast approaching more food will be on the tables and the days will only get more busy in the approaching weeks, meaning more mall food and less time to workout. Did you know that starting at Thanksgiving American’s typically consume an EXTRA 600 calories a day until New Years? That is an estimate of an extra 18,000 calories!
Break the all the rules-Shrink while everyone else expands. Be in control while everyone else throws in the towel. have all the answers while everyone else is looking for them. Come check out what the 24 Day Challenge is all about. Our last group of 10 people averaged 17.8lbs and multiple inches lost (yes, in 24 days). Satisfaction guaranteed on all of our products. Find out how you could take the Challenge for FREE!!!

Space is going FAST! For directions contact Aaron DeWinter aarondewinter@comcast.net  (574) 876-6886

As you read this, my hope & prayer is that everyone has 1 or 2 people in your life that add true value and make you a better person. Many people may have a friend that you can count on no matter what. Others may have a Business Mentor that leads with integrity, character, values and focus. And still others  may have someone in their life that speak truth, wisdom, and the love of God’s word into your life. It is rare to have someone that embodies all of these through one relationship.

I’m blessed to have two very important people in my life. God has placed Danny McDaniel and Andy Hosier in my life as two very special people. They both make me a better person because of their friendship, leadership, and by speaking truth into my life. Every once and a while you may meet someone who makes you want to be a better person; in my case a better husband, father, friend, business leader and man of God. I’ve not only had the chance to meet these guys who influence on my life, but I’m blessed to be able to call them my friends whom I get to do life with.

I say all this to not only to publicly acknowledge my appreciation for them in my life and how humbled I feel, but I want to share my excitement. See, although Danny & Andy have an influence on my life, they both live some distance from me, Andy in Indianapolis and Danny in Texas. That was something new and very different for me. But, if I wasn’t open to having friends and mentors in other parts of the country, I would have been missing out. They help keep me on track to being a better person. I learned a lesson that I have to be open to more than just what I think or I’m used to…I stopped growing at some point and once I was open to change, changes took place.

I’m excited to share that one half of this duo, Andy Hosier, will be in Mishawaka next week. I’d love for you to come out and meet Andy. I’m hosting a get together at my home and we’re focusing on better health. You might be saying, “Health? It sounded like you were talking up some sort of fellowship/mentoring group?”  Well, we’re starting with your health. If you’re healthy-you feel better, you’re more focused, you’re more confident, you start changing old ways-you’ll be amazed at how other things in your life start to change. If you desire changes, you have to make changes. If you want to feel or look different, you need to to take some steps towards better health through nutrition and exercise. If you want a life mentor or friend, then you may have to step outside your current circle (comfort zone). Once I started getting healthy, I was better able to see life differently, which led to changes and experiences I desired. Are you open to change and expecting different results? Are you doing anything differently today that will allow for change going forward?

You’re invited to come learn what helped change my life, as well as thousands of others. This event will focus on the 24 Day Challenge and how it can start your life transformation. Feel it, Know it, See it!

Tuesday, November 24 @ 7:15pm , if you’d like to take part in this special event please send me a note by email (aarondewinter@comcast.net) or call (574) 876-6886. We’d love to hang out for an hour and meet you.

when the black meets white
the eye dissolves
in the wetness
that wells
run deep
even if
there is no water.

Do you purchase or make hot drinks to help warm that chill? This drink won’t only warm you up, but it will give you the Focus & Energy you need for your morning, afternoon or evening. More winter-time recipes coming soon! Try this:

Warm 8oz. of water and then add 1 packet of Citrus Spark. Add a dash of Cinnamon & nutmeg if you’d like to spice things up!

Order your Spark by CLICKING HERE!

Salvete  Omnes!  I’m actually alive!!!!!!!!!!!! xD home sick- but alive!!!!! So I decided I should post, Okay so most of you have probably noticed club penguins start up screen:

And for most of you when you see something like this you immediatly think: Something big involving ninjas is happening, to the ninja hideout. Well good that’s what you should think.  There is a video telling you about the game but it is  laggy on my cmptr and my cmptr isnt exactly old so cp needs to  use some lower tech stuff I think. So at the ninja hideout you need to buy a  Amulet which some of us helped gold smith and click the stone fire inscription and a huge door will appear go inside and you will find the still under construction fire Dojo!!!!!

But it loads slowly…….. … Anyways what I know about it is that  it will have four players a game  and is member only!

Mom got me some fire Card jitsu cards the other day so I went upstairs and typed in the code but look!

I e-mailed cp and  Emma said that it would be ready soon. Every time I e-mail club penguin Emma responds….. Odd……. lol

This has been Zumaboy’s CP cheats.

~Zumaboy

Today, a meeting was held in WELL, with geographers, environmentalists, history teachers and primary school teachers. The different groups of specialists were gathered here today to maxmize development of the different aspects of WELL. Ms Tan Beng Chiak, the Subject Head of Innovation of Raffles Girls’ School (RGS), and Mrs Julie Hoo, Principal of RGS, chaired the meeting. They explained why the different individuals were gathered here – for a common purpose, which was to form the WELL committee. They would be able to book the WELL facilities free of charge, and of course, contribute to the development of WELL.

Ms Tan introduced Trailblazers to the different groups of specialists, citing our Nature Adventure Walk (NAW) as a contribution to WELL, and publicizing our NAW to them, extending invitations to them to arrange for their primary school students to participate in our NAW.

After introductions and explanations on the WELL committee, it was time for some hands-on activities – a guided tour of the Wallace Trail by Dr Shawn Lum and Mr Lim Cheng Puay. Trailblazers followed Dr Shawn Lum for a short walk in the Wallace trail, where he introduced the history of WELL as well as some background information of Sir Alfred Russel Wallace. Dr Lum pointed out several interesting plant species throughout the trail, and we even spotted a rare type of fungi that was in a shape of a cauliflower!

While walking the trail, Trailblazers managed to introduce our project to Ms Durai, a journalist with The Straits Times. We gave her a brief overview of our project, about why we chose to work on the problem of children not having enough interaction with nature and to conduct NAW as a solution, our station activities in NAW, how our trial runs of NAW went, as well as our achievements and feedback thus far.

The groups of specialists then broke into their separate groups and discussed about the utilization of WELL, after which some teachers approached our team to learn more about our project, which we introduced using our 3D map of our trail in WELL, our NAW booklet and photographs of our trial runs of NAW as well as our trip to WELL with Malaysian students and our NAW during the Nature Learning Camp. Some primary school teachers were interested in arranging for their students to participate in our NAW and left their contact details.

Mrs Julie Hoo, Principal of RGS, speaking to the groups of specialists

Ms Tan Beng Chiak speaking to the groups of specialists

Ms Durai, a journalist with The Straits Times, sitting at our booth

Dr Shawn Lum bringing us on a guided walk in the Wallace Trail

Trailblazers is glad for this opportunity to publicize our project to different groups of specialists and also to learn about the future utilization of WELL. We look forward to future collaborations with the different groups of specialists, especially the primary school teachers.

We have been receiving positive feedback from primary school teachers about our NAW, and we would be happy to extend our invitation to the public to sign up their children for our NAW. For more information about our NAW, please go here.

The Trailblazers

This is a detailed description of how to check a well for contamination and then clean it if it does prove that the water is not as clean as it should be.  I sold my house on this street in 2007 before the drastic drop in prices. We had run a Bed and Breakfast Inn there for about fourteen years.  Incidentally the web site for that B&B was listed first on Google when B&B Boone NC was searched.

The well on the street serves four houses separated by about a quarter of a mile. Because we had the B&B the county health inspector took a sample of water every year.   After we moved the remaining neighbors asked me to suggest how to take a sample of the well water without introducing bacteria in to the sample. Here is my answer to the neighbors.

The sample needs to be collected in a sanitary fashion.  First you need to get a collection container from the town of Boone water dept. on Deck Hill Rd.  Take the screen off the end of the kitchen faucet or any other so that there is a direct stream of water from the faucet.  Turn the cold water on and leave it run 3 to 5 minutes.  Then with a match or lighter flame the end of the faucet.  Run the water again for a few minutes to clear any soot from the end.  Then take the sample into the container you obtained from the town.  Cover the container with that supplied and take it back to the water dept to be tested.  It will take a day and cost about 10 bucks.

If it shown the water is contamination when the test is complete, have Dewey Wright folks come and chlorinate the well.  If you want to do it yourself get some pills from Dewey Wright or a gallon of chlorine bleach.  Then get some help in taking off the cover from the well.  There should be some fiber glass insulation in the well structure, remove that. There will probably be ants or a snake there also.  I would throw that old insulation away and buy a new roll; it will just fit in the well housing.  Find the top of the well casing and remove the plug that is there.   Put the pills into the casing or if you have chlorine use a funnel and pour it into the casing.  Replace the plug.

Now comes the fun part!  Go to each house and run water until you can taste the chlorine.  That will insure that the lines to the house have been sanitized.   Then run more water from the house farthest from the well till you are satisfied that all the chlorine has flushed from the well and lines to that house.  Then run water at each house to flush those lines out as well.

If you don’t trust your taster you can buy some test strips from a pool supply house to test for the chlorine or lack thereof.

When I was doing it I ran water from the faucet on my deck, overnight, to get rid of the chlorine.  Be careful not to run the well dry.  I have no idea how to do that!  Except maybe keep an eye of the flow from the faucet.  It will be ok to drink the water before the chlorine is all flushed if you don’t mind the taste.  When the chlorine is cleared from the water, retest all over again.

The Man battles the flu.  Tea has become a mainstay.

Poor Mr. M.  Seems always out of luck.

He visited Downtown and got caught in a tree. Searched for Bigfoot, but found nothing.  This time, a simple walk turned into an life threatening moment when he fell into a well.

Fortunately, he didn’t become a media sensation like those stupid poor children before him.  Did he survive?

• Mr. M enjoys the nice fall weather.  He takes a stroll.

•  He trips!  Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!

• He bangs his head, but that’s ok.  He’s inflatable.

•  He wonders why he left his cellphone at home.  There’s no one to help.  He also can’t remember if he turned the iron off.

•  Mr. M pulls himself up with all his might.

•  Almost there.  You’re doing it!

•  Now, he’s thinking Arby’s

Image from baltimoreravens.com.

Finally, we have made it to the 4th quarter of the Ravens/Browns matchup.

Ugly, fugly, atrociously horrid affair. These are the games that test the true fan’s soul.

We’re currently up 16-0 and I don’t know how the game will end, but I’m fading fast so I thought I’d type this up now.

Hopefully, when this game ends, we will have advanced to 5 and 4. Having said that, we need to improve almost beyond imagination if we’re going to run with the AFC big dogs for the remainder of this season.

Finally, Lardarius Webb—surprise surprise—gets the game ball from me. In addition to his many other talents, tonight he sacked Browns QB Brady Quinn. Webb tackles, he returns, he covers, and now he sacks. And oh yeah, he keeps his braids looking pretty tight too LOL. At this rate, why not give him a shot at wide receiver?? Just kidding, but a girl can dream.

To read media accounts relating to H1N1 and seasonal flu one would certainly come to the conclusion that we are under microbial attack.  It is implied in these accounts that if you are prudent you may somehow avoid exposure to the bulk of these disease-causing germs.  The truth is that germs are everywhere, and I mean everywhere. Not only are they everywhere, but they are present in such large concentrations that to think that you can avoid them is about as foolish as thinking that if you run fast you can avoid being hit by rain drops in a torrential downpour- it is simply not possible. 

The good news is that germs are nothing new to us- they were some of the earliest inhabitants of earth and we grew up with them, in an evolutionary sense. They live on our skin and in our digestive tract.  It is estimated that in your gut alone there are over 100 trillion organisms. We are literally swimming in a sea of bacteria, fungi, and single-celled organisms, and yet we usually manage to get along with each other just fine, and even have a mutually beneficial relationship most of the time.  As with all ecosystems, our relationship with germs is a delicate balancing act- sometimes conditions favor certain of them and sometimes it favors us, the host.  What is important to understand is that we are part of the same ecosystem and depend on each other.  To think that we can eradicate them is utter folly, and is not in our long-term best interests anyway.

There are times when they get the upper hand and it is wonderful that we have such things as antibiotics to keep them from killing us outright.  However, to broaden this emergency measure and think that the solution to germs is to kill them all off, simply will not work.  Our feeble attempts to tilt the balance in our favor by wide-spread and excessive antibiotic and antiseptic use has mostly served to accelerate the evolution of these organisms and has made them much more powerful foes.  What we have to do is accept that we are linked through our evolutionary history and accept that, like living with your in-laws, sometimes you just have to make the best of it.  Your real job, especially during this time of year, is to make sure that your body is strong and balanced and thus a  poor breeding-ground for germs.

Here are some things that you can do during cold and flu season to keep your immune system strong:

1.    Avoid sugar and processed foods-these things weaken your immune system.

2.    Get plenty of rest.  A well-rested body is a strong body.

3.    Find ways to reduce stress.  Chronic stress weakens cellular immunity.

4.    Eat a balanced diet.  This is one of your most powerful weapons against disease and infection.

5.    Exercise regularly.  Vigorous exercise has been shown to have a stimulating effect on the immune system.

6.    Take vitamin D-3, especially if you are not getting any sun exposure during the winter.  D-3 has a very potent impact on immune function. Talk to your doctor on dosage.

7.    Take probiotic supplements.  80% of your immune system surrounds your gut and caring for your gut ecology will help you fight disease-causing microbes.

8.    Get adjusted regularly- chiropractic adjustments reduce stress and stimulate immune function.

9.    Wash your hands, but use good, old-fashioned soap and warm water. It can’t hurt to limit exposure because maybe you aren’t perfect at all of the other measures above.

It is, of course, a tragedy when anyone succumbs to the flu or other infectious disease, but I think all of us should remain calm and simply do what we can to fortify ourselves from the inside.  That strategy has always been, and still is, our best assurance of staying healthy.  I am confident that when the dust settles on the H1N1 issue we will look back and find that it was scarcely more severe or virulent than the regular, seasonal flu.  Not that either flu strain should be taken lightly, but it is important to keep things in perspective, especially when the media is in the middle of a feeding frenzy and the pharmaceutical companies stand to make billions- something to ponder.

Be Healthy,

 Tim Fargo D.C.

223 yards passing, 2 Touchdowns 9-0

Colts were in a shoot out with New England, but held onto win 9-0

Kyle threw for 193 Yards and 2 Touchdowns, before suffering and ankle injury.

Ryan Longwell hit 2 FG’s and 3 PAT’s

Thomas Jones ran for 77 Yards and 1 TD

Wes Welker caught the ball for 94 Yards and Returned the ball for 117 Yards.

Seven rare show turkeys stolen from a Hampshire farm are found abandoned on a bridle way…. From BBC News. Full story

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This lab serves to provide field studies education for schools and has the capability to house a class of 40 or more at each time. Courses in basic or advanced environmental studies such as soil studies, aquatic invertebrate studies, quadrat sampling, forest studies can be conducted there.

The environmental laboratory has a nice library with a good selection of natural history and environmental titles and also a good series of documentaries.

-Mr Lim Cheng Puay, RGS Teacher-In-Charge of projects at WELL

Trailblazers collaborated with another CmPS group, Branches, to prepare a BUTTERFLY BOOTH catered to children at the launch of WELL. We prepared decorations for the wall, origami butterflies with step-by-step instructions on how to fold them, a blackboard for visitors to paste their butterflies on it as a pledge of conservation of nature, and other activities for children to do like butterfly colouring and a butterfly 3D puzzle.

All in all, the launch of WELL was a total success! Our butterfly booth was kept busy and was extremely popular  among the school children who came. Shiren and Ankita, the group leaders of Traiblazers and Branches, even got the chance to talk to Mr Mah Bow Tan, the Guest of Honour for the launch of WELL, who is also the Minister for National Development.

Through preparing for the launch of WELL, Trailblazers has learnt much about butterflies, and will be sure to use this knowledge in future activities such as the upcoming Nature Adventure Walk.

Trailblazers is extremely thankful for this chance for collaboration with Branches and NParks, and looks forward to other opportunites for collaboration in the future.

Wall decorated with butterflies

Wallace Education Centre

Wallace Education Centre

The Trailblazers