Hutt's Blogesphere - My thoughts today...

A 14 yr old Tennessee teen killed himself recently...

2012-01-30T15:58:00.000-08:00

Caring for the caregiver - symptoms of depression...

2012-01-29T01:47:00.000-08:00

CAREGIVER DEPRESSION
Symptoms and Hope

Have you ever suffered from major depression? Not just a few down days but rather consecutive down weeks in a row, and it isn't a question of your glass being half empty or half full because you can't even see anything inside worth measuring?

If so, you're not alone. Family caregivers suffer from major depression much more frequently than the rest of the population. That's a fact. When a family caregiver suffers from depression, there are two people at risk - the family caregiver and the family member or friend for whom she or he cares.

You will find information about the symptoms of depression, how depression can be treated and how to screen yourself for signs of depression. You will read caregivers' descriptions here of how they view their experience of depression, caregiver-to-caregiver advice, and information that takes into account the reality of what it means to be a family caregiver.

Knowing you are not alone with depression begins right here.

The Depression in the Family Podcast is for family members or friends of someone with depression or bipolar disorder. The podcast features experts and family members who help you learn and feel supported. Scroll down the page and click on Suzanne Mintz to hear the president of NFCA talk about how you can avoid caregiver burn out.

NFCA is grateful to Barry J. Jacobs, Psy.D. and John Rohland, MD for their insights and assistance in the development of these family caregiver depression pages.

GBE2 Blog on: Americans, it is time to remember the words of JFK - What has really changed? ...

2012-01-27T20:38:00.000-08:00


Inaugural Address
Ask Not What Your Country Can Do For You speech Vice President Johnson, Mr. Speaker, Mr. Chief Justice, President Eisenhower, Vice President Nixon, President Truman, reverend clergy, fellow citizens, we observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom - symbolizing an end, as well as a beginning - signifying renewal, as well as change. For I have sworn before you and Almighty God the same solemn oath our forebears prescribed nearly a century and three quarters ago. The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms of human poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which our forebears fought are still at issue around the globe - the belief that the rights of man come not from the generosity of the state, but from the hand of God. We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans - born in this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud of our ancient heritage - and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing of those human rights to which this Nation has always been committed, and to which we are committed today at home and around the world. Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe, in order to assure the survival and the success of liberty. This much we pledge - and more. Read more here: http://www.famousquotes.me.uk/speeches/John_F_Kennedy/5.htm http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ez_paaIqOpc Arguably his greatest speech: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-deWXStkYRU&feature=related http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YPA7nJscUpI Time for Change

9 things that will disappear in our lifetime: A discussion paper for you all..

2012-01-24T22:46:00.000-08:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Image via Wikipedia

9 Things That Will Disappear In Our Lifetime: A discussion paper for you all
Whether these changes are good or bad depends in part on how we adapt to them. But, ready or not, here they come.
1 The Post Office
Get ready to imagine a world without the post office. They are so deeply in financial trouble that there is probably no way to sustain it long term. Email, Fed Ex, and UPS have just about wiped out the minimum revenue needed to keep the post office alive. Most of your mail every day is junk mail and bills.
2. The Cheque
Britain is already laying the groundwork to do away with cheque by 2018. It costs the financial system billions of dollars a year to process cheques. Plastic cards and online transactions will lead to the eventual demise of the cheque. This plays right into the death of the post office. If you never paid your bills by mail and never received them by mail, the post office would absolutely go out of business.
3. The Newspaper
The younger generation simply doesn't read the newspaper. They certainly don't subscribe to a daily delivered print edition. That may go the way of the milkman and the laundry man. As for reading the paper online, get ready to pay for it. The rise in mobile Internet devices and e-readers has caused all the newspaper and magazine publishers to form an alliance. They have met with Apple, Amazon, and the major cell phone companies to develop a model for paid subscription services.
4 The Book
You say you will never give up the physical book that you hold in your hand and turn the literal pages. I said the same thing about downloading music from iTunes. I wanted my hard copy CD. But I quickly changed my mind when I discovered that I could get albums for half the price without ever leaving home to get the latest music. The same thing will happen with books. You can browse a bookstore online and even read a preview chapter before you buy. And the price is less than half that of a real book. And think of the convenience! Once you start flicking your fingers on the screen instead of the book, you find that you are lost in the story, can't wait to see what happens next, and you forget that you're holding a gadget instead of a book.
5. The Land Line Telephone
Unless you have a large family and make a lot of local calls, you don't need it anymore. Most people keep it simply because they've always had it But you are paying double charges for that extra service. All the cell phone companies will let you call customers using the same cell provider for no charge against your minutes
6. Music
This is one of the saddest parts of the change story. The music industry is dying a slow death. Not just because of illegal downloading. It's the lack of innovative new music being given a chance to get to the people who would like to hear it. Greed and corruption is the problem. The record labels and the radio conglomerates are simply self-destructing. Over 40% of the music purchased today is "catalogue items," meaning traditional music that the public is familiar with. Older established artists. This is also true on the live concert circuit. To explore this fascinating and disturbing topic further, check out the book, "Appetite for Self-Destruction" by Steve Knopper, and the video documentary, "Before the Music Dies."
7. Television
Revenues to the networks are down dramatically. Not just because of the economy. People are watching TV and movies streamed from their computers. And they're playing games and doing lots of other things that take up the time that used to be spent watching TV. Prime time shows have degenerated down to lower than the lowest common denominator. Cable rates are skyrocketing and commercials run about every 4 minutes and 30 seconds. I say good riddance to most of it. It's time for the cable companies to be put out of our misery. Let the people choose what they want to watch online and through Netflix.
8. The "Things" That You Own
Many of the very possessions that we used to own are still in our lives, but we may not actually own them in the future. They may simply reside in "the cloud." Today your computer has a hard drive and you store your pictures, music, movies, and documents. Your software is on a CD or DVD, and you can always re-install it if need be. But all of that is changing. Apple, Microsoft, and Google are all finishing up their latest "cloud services." That means that when you turn on a computer, the Internet will be built into the operating system. So, Windows, Google, and the Mac OS will be tied straight into the Internet. If you click an icon, it will open something in the Internet cloud. If you save something, it will be saved to the cloud. And you may pay a monthly subscription fee to the cloud provider. In this virtual world, you can access your music or your books, or your whatever from any laptop or handheld device. That's the good news. But, will you actually own any of this "stuff" or will it all be able to disappear at any moment in a big "Poof?" Will most of the things in our lives be disposable and whimsical? It makes you want to run to the closet and pull out that photo album, grab a book from the shelf, or open up a CD case and pull out the insert.
9. Privacy
If there ever was a concept that we can look back on nostalgically, it would be privacy. That's gone. It's been gone for a long time anyway. There are cameras on the street, in most of the buildings, and even built into your computer and cell phone. But you can be sure that 24/7, "They" know who you are and where you are, right down to the GPS coordinates, and the Google Street View. If you buy something, your habit is put into a zillion profiles, and your ads will change to reflect those habits. "They" will try to get you to buy something else. Again and again.
All we will have left that can't be changed are "Memories".
And then probably Alzheimers will take that away from us too !

Acknowledgements and thanks: Barbara of Taita, Lower Hutt, NZ

http://huttriver.blog.co.uk/2012/01/25/9-things-that-will-disappear-in-our-lifetime-a-discussion-paper-for-you-all-12516271/

GBE2: Blog on. What peeves you off the most...

2012-01-18T15:16:00.000-08:00

Search blog.co.uk

What peeves you off the most? I'll tell you one little thing that gets under my skin: People who wear socks with their jandals(thongs in OZ and flipflops in the UK and US). I detest it, my GS has done it, but I don't like it!! It doesn't seem much but it is one of the things that really do bug me. What do you think?

Whose hue in the car world...

2012-01-18T13:06:00.000-08:00

« More on Understanding a Woman's Language | The Rainbow Warrior: the boat that rocks... »

Whose hue in the car world...
By Peter Petterson
First published at Qondio
The British Royal Automobile Club came up with a list of what a car's color says about the owner. Here is what your vehicle could be telling you.
Black: You're ambitious and status seeking
Green: You're very traditional and an elitist
Blue: You're a team player and very sociable
White: You're aloof dutiful and methodical
Grey: You're understated and cautious
Silver: You have a sense of style, but you can be pompous
Red: You're outgoing, impulsive and easily bored.
Acknowledgements: Chicago Sun-Times
http://communitybloggersevolve.blog.co.uk

GBE2: Blog on: My blogging history...

2012-01-15T00:07:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Image via CrunchBase

GBE2 Blog on: My blogging history...

Just a slightly different stance on history - my blogging, my history during the last five or six years or so - my blogging history!

I fell into blogging when looking at writing sites on the internet. I decided that maybe these weblogs or blogs could be an interesting pastime. Now one of the first of my blogsites was the once popular WritingUp. It had great topics, great threads of discussion and comments. I caused a bit of an uproar on this site when I suggested that radical Islamists were actually Satanists. Why not? They couldn't possibly be mainstream Islam and Muslims could they, not if Islam is a peaceful religion? A thousand comments there on that thread alone! I was accused of hatespeech by a very silly woman there.
During this period Google Adsense advertising was also the way to go to make some money on your blogs - you could make hundreds of dollars, thousands even? Yeah right! But to even start earning you really needed a number of blogs going to get the traffic. I ended up with a number of blogs that I didn't really want in the first place. Some great sites came and went, Blogfeast, Blogcharm and WritingUp crashed. All for different reasons. Then Google suspended my account - I had earned about US$45.00 by that stage; no reason was given - I can only imagine I must have inadvertently clicked on one of my own adverts. I sent a number of messages to Google in the US but they never replied.
I have had a number of Blogger blogs going for a number of years and have a blog at blog.co uk, as well as a few groups I post and comment on there.
Community blogging has been ruined by the many sploggers and spammers who comment on your posts and start up their own blogs which just promote links to money making and at times unsavoury sites on the internet. Blogevolve.com and Blogger Party were two very good blogging sites to be affected. The Admin on Blogger Party eventually took some affirmative action, but most of the good bloggers had given up and gone elsewhere. Blogevolve.com is just the same it was a couple of years ago - its Admin disappeared years ago. Things just run on auto and have no human input. I think there are a great many in this category - just running on auto!
But now of course I can promote my blogs on my Facebook page and get some comment there. I use Twitter, but this site in my opinion is better used on a Smartphone. We now have a number of blogging groups on Facebook which can be used to promote your blogs as well.
I use my blogs to promote my writing and some linked websites which have stories that appeal to me and enable me to reproduce them on my blogs. Not a problem as long as you acknowledge the source and where they came from and what their URL links are.
So my blogging history is reasonably brief as is the history of blogging which commenced around 1999. The software on blogs is always evolving and can make your sites appealing and interesting.
I also value my blogging friends from a number of countries. Some I feel I know well, even if we are thousands of miles apart.
http://nymag.com/news/media/15971/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_blogging
http://anzacbloggersunite.blog.co.uk

Sam Cooke: Chain gang...

2012-01-14T16:52:00.000-08:00

Sam Cooke: Chain gang

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RmZdvVnMXCc

Does cannabis help MS sufferers...

2012-01-14T00:51:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Does cannabis help MS sufferers...

Please read on;

Head of Research at the MS Society Dr Lorna Layward:
"This lends a lot of credence to all the anecdotal reports"
real 28k
The BBC's Christine McGourty
"There's been much debate over the potential benefits of the drug"
real 28k
Cannabis 'helps MS sufferers'
Cannabis has medical uses:
Cannabis has been proven, for the first time, to be an effective treatment for the symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS).
Many MS sufferers have taken the drug illegally, claiming that it has a therapeutic effect.
Now UK scientists have shown that a compound in cannabis can prevent muscle tremor and spasticity caused by MS.
Our research suggests that cannabinoids can play a crucial role in controlling some of the neuro-muscular problems seen with MS
Dr David Baker, Institute of Neurology
They also found that synthetic chemicals mimicking the compound have a similar effect.
This could lead to the development of commercially-available alternatives to cannabis that have the same effect.
MS sufferers usually experience episodes of paralysis, interspersed with periods of remission.
As the disease progresses symptoms of spasticity, or muscle rigidity, and severe tremors may appear.
The researchers, from the Institute of Neurology at University College London, tested cannabis on mice who had been given an animal equivalent of MS. Read on:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/662254.stm
http://www.naturalnews.com/028106_Cannabis_Multiple_Sclerosis.html
Source: Kiwipete

The Mayan End Age: Mayan predictions of what will happen on 12-21-2012...

2012-01-11T20:09:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

In my post yesterday I wrote of predictions made by the ancient Mayans, and suggested that they predicted an 'end times' rather than some catastrophic disaster as allegedly suggested by Nostradamus and some biblical interpretations of impending disaster. So lets spend some time with the ancients and learn exactly what they foretold. But why 12-21-2012? That is when the Mayan calender ended in their year of 5126. An interesting comment that I picked up is this period could see the handing over of power to the feminine - "The reawakening of the divine feminine". What does this mean, I wonder? They also infer that this will be the last chance for humankind to follow the divine cosmic plan. So electing Hillary Clinton as president of the United States of America will not be the answer!
End Age 12-21-2012
Mayan Calender "An Apocalypse (Greek: “lifting of the veil” or “revelation”) is a disclosure of end of times rather than some something hidden from the majority of mankind in an era dominated by falsehood and misconception, i.e. the veil to be lifted." — Wikipedia
"Both the Hopis and Mayans recognize that we are approaching the end of a World Age... In both cases, however, the Hopi and Mayan elders do not prophesy that everything will come to an end. Rather, this is a time of transition from one World Age into another. The message they give concerns our making a choice of how we enter the future ahead. Our moving through with either resistance or acceptance will determine whether the transition will happen with cataclysmic changes or gradual peace and tranquility. The same theme can be found reflected in the prophecies of many other Native American visionaries from Black Elk to Sun Bear."
— Joseph Robert Jochmans
http://www.adishakti.org/mayan_end_times_prophecy_12-21-2012.htm
http://www.mayanpredictions.net/ View and read:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_phenomenon
Kiwipete

Just thinking out loud today - things may well be different by next Christmas 2012...

2012-01-11T00:53:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

So many of my posts here are introduced from my other blogsites, or from various websites around the internet.
But today you will get my thoughts directely transposed onto these blog pages. Is it because I have so much time; some might suggest too much time on my hands, but whatever I'm in a position to think about things. Two or three decisions have been made lately in a number of countries which are not directly connected in themselves, but are very similar in thought and proposed act.
I recently posted about New Zealand's intended, not proposed Food Bill. It has been sitting at a select committee for a year. With NZ not having an Upper House or Senate, all bills are sent through a select committee for consideration. This bill has been just sitting there, and the Opposition Labour Party didn't think it was appropriate or necessary to discuss it during our recent parliamentary elections. I suspect labour didn't want any such ammunition in an election it didn't want to win. These are comments I have already made.
Just a couple or so hours ago I learned of a proposed Bill to go before the US Congress: Allowing corporations or the US Government to control what is published on the World Wide Web - WWW, or the internet.
New Zealand passed legislation last year making it illegal to load down pirated music and videos. But it will take three complaints to be made to your ISP or account before action will be taken. Your internet account could be suspended or cancelled and your could be fined hundreds of dollars. But you could go to another internet provider and start up another account.
In Fiji the dictatorial Commodore Frank Baimimarama who seized power at the point of a gun a few years ago, has actually increased his dictatorial powers to the ultimate power, the ultimate dictatorship - suspending the power of the Fijian High Court, or whatever name it has there. Bainimarama wants to eradicate corruption in high places before returning the right to vote. Yeah right!
Right across Europe countries are in almost economic ruin. Billions of Euros are owed to the banks. The European Union has loaned member states billions of Euros itself. Europe is in danger of catastrophic financial disaster. The USA in in financial strife itself owing the Chinese billions of dollars, or is that trillions? Is there another way around all this?
This year is 2012,the year of predictions of disaster as predicted in the Bible, by Nostradamus and the Mayans. Is it a disaster emanating from deep space, UFO's and little green men? No, it may well be closer to home!
The Mayans predicted a change of times rather than actual physical events. And they may yet be proven closer to the mark.
Are we actually in danger from the implementation of a new political and finacial order - One World Government - New World Order. Debts would be abolished, as would political power and the rights of a a citizen journalist like myself, and hundred of thousands of other bloggers worldwide.
This post is a complete generalisation of course - its all about intense thought, letting your grey matter go in all directions and see just how its reorganised.So one + one = three? Hey it might by the end of the year brother and sister!
http://www.interviewgiants.com/interviewgiants3/index.html?gclid=CMjphNzEx60CFUJMpgodqnmzgg
http://www.interviewgiants.com/interviewgiants3/2012-newworldorder2.htm
Source: Kiwipete

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Mortuary attendant impregnated by corpse...

2012-01-08T23:51:00.000-08:00

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Mortuary attendant impregnated by corpse. Plans to sue the dead man's estate. She will be charged with necrophilia.

http://www.deadseriousnews.com/?p=524

http://communitybloggersevolve.blog.co.uk

GBE2: Blog on. Working for the man...

2012-01-07T15:18:00.000-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Working for the man
We have all had to work for the man in one category or another in our lives to support our families and ourselves, and I recognise that many can't find fulltime employment at times. This is something prevalent in our various societies today. Some of us have managed to work in fields we love, others in areas through necessity, or through lack of choice and because a pay check is a pay check and its all green stuff at the end of the day.

Then the day arrives and we no longer have to get up at the break of dawn or a couple of hours later. We can actually stay in for another hour or two. In New Zealand it is the big 65, and qualification for the universal National Superannuation, or in realspeak: the 'old age pension'. You won't be travelling around the world in a cruise ship on 'super', but at least you are recognised as being a senior citizen and don't have to go downtown to a Work and Income office for a third degree and prove why you should receive a welfare payment. This despite the fact you may have been made redundant after working thirty years for the same company and your redundancy and severance payment had long run out.

Some of us, of course, never stop working. Some continue in volunteer work until they lack mobility, but others of us have taken on roles of care-giving to family members and the magic 65 makes little difference. We, for instance, have raised our grandson since he was eight years old with special needs and learning difficulties. He developed mental health issues at age 15 yrs and the workload increased. but at the age of 20 yrs his reliance on us has not diminished. And is unlikely to change anytime soon. So in a away we are contining to work for the man:

Working Man Blues

Everybody's working for the man again

But we still recall those days when we did work for the man, and our relationships with our fellow employees - our 'workmates'. And sometimes when the working day was done we would all move down to the local bar or tavern for an hour or two for a yarn, a song, recall the past and battles won and lost, and a drink or two before moving off to our families and homes.

Those were the days.

Stay here and drink

Chain gang

http://anzacbloggersunite.blog.co.uk

Grammar tips for you writers...

2012-01-06T22:26:00.000-08:00

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Grammar Tips for you...

1. Avoid alliteration. Always.
2. Never use a long word when a diminutive one will do.
3. Employ the vernacular.
4. Eschew ampersands & abbreviations, etc.
5. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are unnecessary.
6. Remember to never split an infinitive.
7. Contractions aren't necessary.
8. Foreign words and phrases are not apropos.
9. One should never generalize.
10. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
11. Comparisons are as bad as cliches.
12. Don't be redundant; don't use more words than necessary; it's highly superfluous.
13. Be more or less specific.
14. Understatement is always best.
15. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
16. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
17. The passive voice is to be avoided.
18. Go around the barn at high noon to avoid colloquialisms.
19. Even if a mixed metaphor sings, it should be derailed.
20. Who needs rhetorical questions?
21. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement.
22. Don't never use a double negative.
23. capitalize every sentence and remember always end it with point
24. Do not put statements in the negative form.
25. Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
26. Proofread carefully to see if you words out.
27. If you reread your work, you can find on rereading a great deal of repetition can be avoided by rereading and editing.
28. A writer must not shift your point of view.
29. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction. (Remember, too, a preposition is a terrible word to end a sentence with.)
30. Don't overuse exclamation marks!!
31. Place pronouns as close as possible, especially in long sentences, as of 10 or more words, to the irantecedents.
32. Writing carefully, dangling participles must be avoided.
33. If any word is improper at the end of a sentence, a linking verb is.
34. Take the bull by the hand and avoid mixing metaphors.
35. Avoid trendy locutions that sound flaky.
36. Everyone should be careful to use a singular pronoun with singular nouns in their writing.
37. Always pick on the correct idiom.
38. The adverb always follows the verb.
39. Last but not least, avoid cliches like the plague; They're old hat; seek viable alternatives.

Quick and Dirty tips

http://jokerswild.blog.co.uk

Paulinemom's Black Robbers...

2012-01-06T02:04:00.000-08:00

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BLACK ROBBERS
by paulinemom http://jokerswild.blog.co.uk
This one was sent to me by a dear friend...
It is a true story....
On a recent weekend in Atlantic City , a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a slot machine.
She took a break from the slots for dinner with her husband in the hotel dining room. But first she wanted to stash the quarters in her room. I'll be right back and we'll go to eat' she told her husband and carried the coin-laden bucket to the elevator.
As she was about to walk into the elevator she noticed two men already aboard. Both were black. One of them was very tall and had an intimidating figure. The woman froze. Her first thought was: 'These two are going to rob me.'
Her next thought was: 'Don't be a bigot, they look like perfectly nice gentlemen.' But racial stereotypes are powerful, and fear immobilized her.
Avoiding eye contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the elevator doors as they closed.
A second passed, and then another second, and then another. Her fear increased! The elevator didn't move. Panic consumed her. 'My God' she thought, I'm trapped and about to be robbed!
Her heart plummeted. Perspiration poured from every pore.
Then one of the men said, 'Hit the floor.'
Instinct told her to do what they told her.
The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the elevator floor. A shower of coins rained down on her.
'Take my money and spare me', she prayed.
More seconds passed. She heard one of the men say politely, 'Ma'am, if you'll just tell us what floor you're going to, we'll push the button.'
The one who said it had a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying mightily to hold in a belly laugh. The woman lifted her head and looked up at the two men. They reached down to help her up.
Confused, she struggled to her feet. 'When I told my friend here to hit the floor,' said the average sized one, I meant that he should hit the elevator button for our floor. I didn't mean for you to hit the floor, ma'am.' He spoke genially. He bit his lip. It was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing.
The woman thought: 'My God, what a spectacle I've made of myself.'
She was too humiliated to speak. The three of them gathered up the strewn quarters and refilled her bucket.
When the elevator arrived at her floor they then insisted on walking her to her room. She seemed a little unsteady on her feet, and they were afraid she might not make it down the corridor.
At her door they bid her a good evening.
As she slipped into her room she could hear them roaring with laughter as they walked back to the elevator.
The woman brushed herself off. She pulled herself together and went downstairs for dinner with her husband.
The next morning flowers were delivered to her room; a dozen roses.
Attached to EACH rose was a crisp one hundred-dollar bill.
The card said: 'Thanks for the best laugh we've had in years.
It was signed: Eddie Murphy & Michael Jordan (Just had to reproduce Paulinemom's post.)

A new Australian flag - very funny...

2012-01-06T01:05:00.000-08:00

http://www.australianblogs.com.au/blog/new-australia-map/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AustralianBlogs+%28Australian+Blogs+Blog%29

http://anzacbloggersunite.blog.co.uk

Cornish nationalism is calling for more autonomy within the UK...

2012-01-04T23:49:00.000-08:00

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Cornish nationalists advocate either greater autonomy within England; a split to become the United Kingdom's fifth home nation; or status as a Crown Dependency equivalent to the Isle of Man.
Cornwall is considered a Celtic semi-autonomous part of the United Kingdom.
Cornish nationalism is an umbrella term that refers to a cultural, political and social movement based in Cornwall, the most southwestern part of the island of Great Britain, which has for centuries been administered as part of England, within the United Kingdom. It is usually based on three general arguments:
That Cornwall has a Celtic cultural identity separate from that of England, and that the Cornish people have a national, civic or ethnic identity separate from that of English people;
that Cornwall should be granted a degree of devolution or autonomy, usually in the form of a Cornish regional assembly. It has its own flag.

Cornwall is legally a territorial and constitutional Duchy with the right to veto Westminster legislation, not merely a county of England, and has never been formally incorporated into England via an Act of Union.

I know a little about the area: My mother lived on St Marys in the Scilly Isles in the 1950-60's. She remarried, after earlier divorcing my father, to a Cornishman who was the head chef on the liner Port Victor. She had two sons to him, both redheads - typical Cornishmen and Celtics. My stepfather retired and moved his family to Christchurch, NZ.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Duchy_of_Cornwall

http://communitybloggersevolve.blog.co.uk

Marriage is good for you - whether straight or gay...

2012-01-02T23:03:00.000-08:00

Let’s face it; waiting for the world to change is making us sick. Lets get married!

Yes, we could pop pills more often—or we could move to one of six states that support full marriage equality rights, according to a new study published in The American Journal of Public Health.

Researchers from Columbia University surveyed more than 1,200 patients (all of them gay men) and their billing statements at a large Massachusetts health clinic 12 months before and after the state legalized same-sex marriage in 2004

As it turns out, man-on-man matrimony makes us healthier: After same-sex marriage equality passed, researchers saw a 13 percent decrease in doctor visits and a 14 percent decrease in health care costs among gay and bisexual men, particularly for those who reported high blood pressure, depression, anxiety and sexually transmitted diseases.

“What we are saying is that when you legalize same-sex marriage it kind of changes the social environment around gays and lesbians,” lead author Mark Hatzenbuehler said in a news release, as reported by MSNBC. “And that reduces social stigma and stress that has downstream health consequences.”

More and more, America is finding homophobia difficult to explain. Thanks a lot, science!

This is something that hetero society has long claimed. Close physical relationships are good for you - whether straight or gay.

Read the full article here.

http://blogging-along-with-pete.wallinside.com

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Happy New Year to all from Hutts Blogesphere

2011-12-31T00:35:00.000-08:00

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Happy New Year to all around the blogesphere

http://www.123newyear.com/2012/end-of-the-world.html

2011-12-30T00:27:00.000-08:00

My End of 2011 Meme »

12 Days of Xmas with the Pantry
by paulinemom
Ok...
I want a break....so do you all...and the New Year is looming...
The 12 Days AFTER Christmas
The first day after Christmas
My true love and I had a fight
And so I chopped the pear tree down
And burnt it, just for spite
Then with a single cartridge
I shot that blasted partridge
My true love, my true love,
my true love gave to me.
The second day after Christmas
I pulled on the old rubber gloves
And very gently wrung the necks
Of both the turtle doves
My true love, my true love,
my true love gave to me.
On the third day after Christmas
My mother caught the croup
I had to use the three French hens
To make some chicken soup
The four calling birds were a big mistake
For their language was obscene
The five golden rings were completely fake
and turned my fingers green.
The sixth day after Christmas
The six laying geese wouldn't lay
So I sent the whole darn gaggle to the
R.S.P.C.A.
On the seventh day, what a mess I found
The seven swans-a-swimming all had drowned
My true love, my true love,
my true love gave to me.
The eighth day after Christmas
Before they could suspect
I bundled up the
Eight maids-a-milking
Nine ladies dancing Ten lords-a-leaping
Eleven pipers piping
Twelve drummers drumming - well, actually I kept one of the Lord a leaping -
And sent them back collect
Have a great New Year

GBE2 Blog on: 15 Minute free write exercise...

2011-12-28T22:40:00.000-08:00

Moneysupermarket.com/shopping

GBE2 Blog on: 15 minute Free write exercise...

Christmas is coming and I'm looking forward to the family coming home for Christmas dinner. The grown-up children and grandkids from 3 years to 22 years. All that cooking, but not all here at home this time. Sharing it around this year.
Thinking of two of my elder grandchildren. Pride, my 16 year old grandson, the professional rugby league recruit with the Melbourne Storm NRL club in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. First Christmas away from home. Danielle my eldest granddaughter, 18 years old and also first time away from home at Christmas. We'll see Pride at the end of January when he comes back to New Zealand on leave. Danielle will be back in a week.
Oh dear Jesus, two days before Christmas and more earthquakes in Christchurch. Two in 80 minutes over 5.8 and 26 aftershocks in twenty four hours. No serious injuries luckily - but the mess in the eastern suburbs - the liquefaction that oozes out of the ground like stinking mud if its mixed with sewerage. It dries out to silt and sand - and has to be shovelled into wheelbarrows and dumped on the side of the road for contractors to collect. But look at all those volunteers of all ages helping out again? The fourth time. Now this is Christian charity of effort - helping out your neighbors and other people you may not even know.
Now this is Christmas! My family are coming, my family are coming! Christmas is real again, not just some commercial enterprise. Long live the people of Christchurch my home town. My people, my family too! Merry Christmas everybody!!

http://anzacbloggersunite.blog.co.uk

Merry Christmas to my friends and readers..

2011-12-22T23:05:00.000-08:00

Wishing all my blogging friends and their families from around the world a very Merry Christmas and a most happy New Year.

http://www.ruthann1.com/MerryChristmasMyFriend.htm

British men losing their reputation as beer drinkers...

2011-12-21T17:26:00.000-08:00

It has been claimed that Britain is losing its reputation as a nation of beer drinkers.

Beer consumption has apparently fallen by a quarter since 2006, because many men have stopped going down to the local pub, preferring to stay at home with their wives and girlfriends, sharing a bottle of wine, cider or spirits.

I wonder how true this really is? Or has it to do more with economics? Read on:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/lifestyle/news/article.cfm?c_id=6&objectid=10774796

Kiwipete

Graffiti tagging can be a dangerous artform...

2011-12-20T00:37:00.000-08:00

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Image by Franco Folini via Flickr

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Image by NguyenDai via Flickr

Graffiti tagging can be a dangerous artform...

For many decades tagging has been a problem in NZ cities and towns, but was mainly confined to central and local government buildings and usually didn't affect private dwellings.

But about a generation ago, there was a mindset change probably brought about by a growing lack of empathy for even private property by disaffected and bored youth and young adults towards society, triggered perhaps by the advent of hard drugs such as methamphetamine or P, (and local gang prospects trying to prove a name for themselves), as it is known in NZ, Since then the fences of private homes have become fair game and targets of taggers.

Most city councils have carried out their own dedicated campaigns of action to combat taggers and their graffiti. The general belief is that tags should be painted out within 24 hours before there is much public exposure - most tags have a signature to their style. Here in Lower Hutt city in Wellington there has been a team of painters who patrol the city in their van with their paint equipment, deleting tags as they appear. It is very well organised and keeps new graffiti under reasonable control. They have been sponsored by local companies who have often been targets of taggers themselves.

While they can control tagging of public buildings, it can often be more difficult to control that of private buldings because permission is necessary and owners cannot always be contacted.

I think most councils run similar programs to that of the Hutt City Council in Lower Hutt city. Some years ago the Auckland City Council decided to go a step further and keep a record of graffiti by digitally photographing tags and storing them on a council website. When taggers were arrested evidence was much easier to be gathered by referring to what was stored online. As I mentioned earlier taggers have their own style and signature and evidence is much more forthcoming when a comparison can be made. Some say there is a difference between graffiti and tagging. If it is mural painting I would agree. Some murals underneath bridges look quite artistic and seem to discourage random tagging.

Graffiti costs councils and businesses hundreds of thousands of dollars a year in deletion costs. The Auckland City Council lays charges of wilful damage against any taggers who have been caught painting graffiti.

There is concern at the potential violence that could be metered out against taggers if they are caught, and by taggers themselves if they are caught in the act. A 15 year old boy in Auckland was killed by a property owner who caught him and his accomplice in the act. The man chased the boy and killed him with one blow from his 13 cm knife blade. The man was convicted and sentenced to four years in prison for his actions in 2009. Extenuating circumstances apparently downgraded the charge to manslaughter. But why confront a tagger with a knife in your hand? Why not a broom or a 4x2?

Overseas taggers have been run over or hit by vehicles when tagging by freeway overpasses and one man fell and broke his back when tagging on an overpass itself; he was still clutching his spraycan when rescuers got to him. Other taggers have been shot at, stabbed and attacked members of the public who witnessed their grafitti tagging. The potential for violence is always present. Australian councils have had their own problems and have come up with their own solutions which have often mirrored the NZ experience.

Actual classified ads...

2011-12-17T19:09:00.000-08:00

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Our experienced Mom will care for your child. Fenced yard, meals, and smacks included.
Dog for sale: eats anything and is fond of children.
Man wanted to work in dynamite factory. Must be willing to travel.
Stock up and save. Limit: one.
Semi-Annual after Christmas Sale
3 year old teacher needed for pre-school. Experience preferred.
Mixing bowl set designed to please a cook with round bottom for efficient beating.
Girl wanted to assist magician in cutting off head illusion. Blue Cross and salary.
Dinner Special -- Turkey $2.35; Chicken or Beef $2.25; Children $2.00
For sale: antique desk suitable for lady with thick legs and large drawers.
Now is your chance to have your ears pierced and get an extra pair to take home, too.
We do not tear your clothing with machinery. We do it carefully by hand.
For sale. Three canaries of undermined sex.
Great Dames for sale.
Have several very old dresses from grandmother in beautiful condition.
Auto Repair Service. Free pick-up and delivery. Try us once, you'll never go anywhere again

http://jokerswild.blog.co.uk

Don't stone the crows - science has proven they are not bird brains...

2011-12-16T16:44:00.000-08:00

Don't stone the crows - Science has proven they are not bird brains...

By Peter Petterson
First published at Qondio:
Don't stone the crows - science has proven they are not bird brains. Indeed these members of the avian family have a lot more going for them than a lot of their feathered friends. New Zealand scientists and Aesop the famous Greek writer of fables have something in common - don't stone the crows, they are actually cunning birds who appear to understand basic physics
In one of Aesop's fables illustrating the virtue of ingenuity, a crow was able to drink from a half-filled pitcher by dropping stones in it to raise the water level.
Auckland University psychology researchers have recreated the fable, with a tall half-filled tube of water, which had a small piece of meat floating on the surface. The four rooks named Pepe, Caesar, Mimic and Laura were given a collection of stones and learned to drop them into the tube to raise the water level and allowed them to fish out the food.
They proved to be even more cleverer, however, and when given a selection of small and large stones, they picked out the larger ones which displaced more water at once and brought the food within their reach more quickly. The crows showed an immediate preference for the larger stones, two of them actually disregarding the small stones during their first attempt and before they actually observed their effect on the water, the researchers wrote in their notes.
They were also tested with heavy and light objects, choosing rubber cubes over similar sized polystyrene cubes.
The results of the various experiments indicated the birds actually 'understood' their actions, rather than simply doing something because it worked first up.
" The differences between causal and arbitary tasks that we presented to the crows strongly suggest that cognitive mechanisms other than simple associative learning are involved."
The above is what researchers wrote in the now published entry in PLoS One, which is widely seen as one of the world's leading general science journals.
Crows have previously shown they can use stick-like tools to manipulate their environment, such as dropping nuts on pedestrian crossings for passing cars to crack them open, then waiting for the 'green man' signal so they can safely collect their nuts.
Now Aesop was well aware of their abilities 2500 years ago when he wrote "The Crow and Pitcher", about a thirsty crow learning how to raise the water level in a pitcher by dropping in the stone.
This tale concludes with the proverb: "Necessity is the mother of invention" something that most of us have read at some time, some place, and somewhere! Contributor's Note Have a look at a smart rook now!

http://huttriver.qondio.com

http://huttriver.blog.co.uk

"Scary as hell"...

2011-12-12T23:55:00.000-08:00

"Scary as hell". Do you believe in ghosts? View this video and see if you still believe that!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJR5GeCv0q8&feature=related

http://communitybloggersevolve.blog.co.uk

A visit to a 'real' haunted house...

2011-12-12T23:01:00.000-08:00

FindaProperty.com/house

A visit to Thorpe Lodge - a haunted Norfolk house. Real paranormal activity caught on camera. You be the judge. Come along for a visit here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CeXmgSLIlfU&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Aussie train service terminated by giant purple penis...

2011-12-09T22:35:00.001-08:00

Aussie train service terminated by giant purple penis art...

http://news.msn.co.nz/article/8387342/penis-graffiti-causes-sydney-train-to-terminate

http://huttriver.blog.co.uk

The gay escapee...

2011-12-07T21:50:00.001-08:00

A criminal escapes from prison where he has been for 15 years. He breaks into a house to look for money and guns and finds a young couple in bed.
He orders the guy out of bed and ties him to a chair, while tying the girl to the bed he gets on top of her, kisses her neck, then gets up and goes into the bathroom.
While he's in there the husband tells his wife, "Listen, this guy's an escaped convict, look at his clothes! He probably spent lots of time in jail and hasn't seen a woman in years. I saw how he kissed your neck." If he wants sex, don't resist, don't complain, do whatever he tells you. Satisfy him no matter how much he nauseates you. This guy is probably very dangerous. If he gets angry, he'll kill us. Be strong, honey. I love you."
To which his wife responds, "He wasn't kissing my neck. He was whispering in my ear. He told me he was gay, thought you were cute, and asked me if we had any vaseline. I told him it was in the bathroom. Be strong I love you!

What on earth are western troops doing supporting an insidious Islamic Sharia law in Aghanistan...

2011-12-06T23:29:00.001-08:00

What are western troops doing supporting such an insidious Islamic Sharia law in Afghanistan...

An international uproar at the way this innocent woman was treated. Her crime? She was raped and made pregnant by a relative. Read the article below:

Aref Karimi/AFP/Getty Images

Burqa-clad Afghan women walk in the old part of Herat on November 23.

KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan President Hamid Karzai on Thursday pardoned an Afghan woman serving a 12-year prison sentence for having sex out of wedlock after she was raped by a relative.

Karzai’s office said in a statement that the woman and her attacker have agreed to marry. That would reverse an earlier decision by the 19-year-old woman, who had previously refused a judge’s offer of freedom if she agreed to marry the rapist.

Her plight was highlighted in a documentary that the European Union blocked because it feared the women featured in the film would be in danger if it were shown.

More than 5,000 people recently signed a petition urging Karzai to release the woman. She had the man’s child while in prison and raised her daughter behind bars, which is common among women imprisoned in Afghanistan.

A statement released by Karzai’s office says that after hearing from judicial officials, the decision was made to forgive the rest of the sentence she received for having sex out of wedlock, a crime in Afghanistan. The presidential statement did not say when the woman was to be released or how much prison time had been pardoned.

The woman told The Associated Press in an interview last month that she had hoped that attention generated by the EU film might help her get released. With the film blocked, she said that she was losing hope and considering marrying her rapist as a way out. She said her attacker was pressuring her to stop giving interviews.

About half of the 300 to 400 women jailed in Afghanistan are imprisoned for so-called “moral crimes” such as sex outside marriage, or running away from their husbands, according to reports by the United Nations and research organizations. Fleeing husbands isn’t considered a crime in Afghanistan.

The EU welcomed the woman’s release.

“Her case has served to highlight the plight of Afghan women, who 10 years after the overthrow of the Taliban regime often continue to suffer in unimaginable conditions, deprived of even the most basic human rights,” the European Union’s Ambassador and Special Representative to Afghanistan, Vygaudas Usackas, said.

He said the EU hoped the same mercy would be extended to other women serving similar terms. Usackas said he planned to raise the issue of Afghan women’s rights at an international conference on Afghanistan Dec. 5 in Bonn, Germany.

Some of the most severe restrictions women faced under the Taliban, like a ban on attending schools and having to have a male escort to venture outside the home, were done away with when the radical Islamic movement was driven from power in 2001. But Afghanistan remains a deeply conservative and male-dominated society, meaning women are still sold to husbands and rights enshrined in law are often ignored.

Acknowledgements: AP

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The truth as I see it today...

2011-12-04T23:33:00.001-08:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

GBE2:Blog on: The Truth as I see it today.

We have just had an election in New Zealand and, as expected, the right wing conservative National Party was returned in a narrow result with the left of centre block. But our major left of centre party, the historical Labour Party had one of its biggest defeats in its history. We have a proportional system here now, known as MMP. Our system is based on the German system and allows for a variety of interested parties, political affiliations, ethnic and social minorities etc. We used to have the First Past the Post system - winner takes all. But democracy occasionally allows for some political machinations and corruption to some degree or another.
I'm not complaining so much about the result, it was in many ways a foregone conclusion, but for voters to regard it as such and not bother to vote defeats the democratic right to vote - millions in other places around the world don't enjoy that right - and add the apathetic voters to that mix, and you don't have a very good political environment or outcome.
So what have we been promised by the right wingers? Privatisation of state assets, welfare reform to get everybody off welfare benefits: the unemployed, the sick, the invalid, get them all ready for work! I don't have a problem with getting the unemployed to work, to training or up-skilling. They have also indicated that further eroding of the rights of New Zealand workers is on the agenda again - just like the fascist Employment Contracts Act of the 1990's which was used to emasculate the NZ union movement, to create more flexibility in the labour market and allow more casualisation, and to reduce the real cost of wages and salaries.
But where are the jobs for those thousands of semi-skilled workers now that so many industries have gone offshore to places like China? And there are severe economic difficulties being experienced in Europe and to a lesser degree other places too. What sort of employment is there for the sick or invalid? They are on these benefits because health professionals have assessed them unfit to work and needing welfare support.
Those on invalid benefits include the mentally ill, and those with intellectual difficulties. Across the western world mental health hospitals and facilities have been closed and sold off and replaced by emergency units in recent decades. IHC sufferers no longer have IHC Workshops where they could do part time work and meet socially. There are few residential homes in New Zealand for IHC patients. So many are looked after by family members, particularly grandparents who struggle for financial support because society says they are "family" and should do it for love! Fortunately this attitude is changing and there is now a belief that family members should at least be paid the minimum wage for looking after children or family members fulltime. Invalid benefits do not provide all the finance needed to cater for mentally unwell and intellectually deprived and challenged people.
But we don't have such people living on the streets here in this country. Some homeless people are that way inclined, because there is support in New Zealand for the homeless. So somebody living under a bridge is not really an indictment of NZ society.
But in the meantime we will have to suffer fools rather ungladly, those ideologically driven, ignorant politicians who lack first hand knowledge of those people they claim should get back into work and stop using resources that would better (in their opinion) utilised in building more highways and motorways to the beaches and holiday resorts further north, building higher decile schools and private hospitals for the offspring of the privileged sector of New Zealand society.
Until help is really on the way and the left of centre Labour Party is able to rejuvenate itself, we will have to tolerate the inanities and ignorance of the political right here in New Zealand. And that friends, is the truth and nothing but the truth! Every decade the Labour Party has to rejuvenate and reinvent itself as another generation of the politically inane right of centre tries to influence the good people of this fair country, be they farmers, business people, those that service our industries, and those that actually provide the sweat and tears and make the wheels of industry and service go around - the working people of New Zealand.

http://anzacbloggersunite.blog.co.uk

Lady Gaga credits her good skin to orgasms and spinach...

2011-12-03T00:38:00.001-08:00

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Lady Gaga credits her good skin to "orgasms and spinach".

The 25-year-old singer - who is dating 'Vampire Diaries' actor Taylor Kinney - claims having good sex and eating healthily improves her complexion.

Asked for her skincare secrets, she said: "Orgasms, lots of orgasms. Orgasms and spinach. No, what I really mean is hard work and sweat."

The 'Marry the Night' hitmaker also admitted she is still "searching" for love and haand worst relationships she has had.

She told the new issue of Britain's Elle magazine: "I don't know what the greatest love affair I've had is, I'm still searching.

"I don't know which has been the best or worst or in-between. I just know that I don't ever want it to be over. I love the search and ambition of love. The fantasy of life is so beautiful."

While Gaga is unsure about her love life, she admits some of the relationships she had in her teens were "abusive".

She said: "I had abusive relationships; I dated men much older than me – I was 15, they were 30 – which I don't recommend. I was never brave enough to be the person I am today."

A couple of real heroes lost their lives in a helicopter crash trying to save lives...

2011-12-02T16:18:00.001-08:00

Image by CorvinusUK via Flickr

Chopper wreckage recovery today - a couple of real heroes killed when their helicopter crashed in a rescue attempt during a massive and suspicious blaze.

Kaitaia ranger William Macrae (left) and pilot John 'Prickles' de Ridder Shrink
Northland pilot John 'Prickles' de Ridder (inset) was flying into fiery conditions when his helicopter crashed last night. Photo / SNPA Images/Petrina HodgsonWork to recover the wreckage of a helicopter that crashed during a massive blaze in New Zealand's Far North begins today.
Pilot John de Ridder and Department of Conservation worker William Macrae were killed when their helicopter crashed about 350m off the coast of the Karikari Peninsula late on Wednesday.
The Squirrel ZK-IMB helicopter had been assisting firefighters battling a massive blaze that destroyed at least three homes and sent residents scrambling for shelter.
The Civil Aviation Authority said a recovery barge was expected to reach the area early this morning after making the 12-hour journey from Paihia.
A dive team from Paihia would make an initial dive before working with the barge crew and air crash safety investigators to determine best way to winch the wreckage from the water.
The timing of the recovery would depend on sea and weather conditions, but investigators hoped it would be possible some time today.
The helicopter was submerged in about 7m of water.
Investigators were yesterday working to confirm details, including where the wreckage would be taken once recovered.
The men's bodies were found midday Thursday and recovered late that evening.
Acknowledgements: - APNZ

http://huttriver.blog.co.uk

The Magical Minnesota Multi Dimensional Ax...

2011-12-01T23:47:00.001-08:00

By Ken Korczak
Kittson County Top News Examiner
An ax in northern Minnesota was recently sent on an inter-dimensional journey after possibly being stolen by a “shadow entity.” After being missing for two days, the ax returned, but appears to have been slightly altered in shape and form.
The incident occurred in a remote region of Roseau County in early November. The owner of the ax was perplexed one morning when he noticed that the tool had vanished from where he left it lying in his yard – the only evidence that remained was an outline of the ax in the snow.
The owner was mystified because the ax appeared to vanish into thin air – a light snow had just occurred, covering the yard, driveway and entire area where the ax had been lying on the ground. There were no tracks, no signs of disturbed snow – only a mysterious outline.
..
Continue reading on Examiner.com The Magic Minnesota Multi-Dimensional Ax - Minneapolis Top News | Examiner.com http://www.examiner.com/top-news-in-minneapolis/the-magic-minnesota-multi-dimensional-ax?CID=examiner_alerts_article#ixzz1fR10kYYr

Acknowledgements to one of my old blogging friends from the blogesphere.

http://huttriver.blog.co.uk

http://blogging-along-with-pete.wallinside.com

Amazing new memory loss breakthroughs...

2011-11-30T02:07:00.001-08:00

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Amazing new memory loss breakthroughs, natural foods and do it-yourself secrets that disease proof your your brain and keep your memory razor sharp well into your 50's...60's...70's...and beyond.

Great post to read...but at the end of the day there is a cost. As they say there are no free lunches!

http://www.fsponline-recommends.co.uk/page.aspx?u=Disease-Proof_Your_Brain_Against_Dementia&tc=E975MC08&PromotionID=2147067747&u=32183659&g=0&r=Milo&s=535266&o=531336&l=338855&

Pod of dolphins delights Paremata, Wellington, locals...

2011-11-20T00:35:00.001-08:00

This pod of dolphins delighted Paremata, Wellington, locals. They had been fishing under the bridges in the Paremata inlet.

This pod attracted crowds of onlookers and prompted locals to make regular visits and even play music to this endangered species of dolphins. There is a close affinity between dolphins and their human friends.

http://www.stuff.co.nz/dominion-post/6001169/Paremata-dolphin-pod-draws-crowds

Its time to change the New Zealand government on Nov 26 2011...

2011-11-17T23:33:00.001-08:00

Its time to change the government in New Zealand on Nov 26 2011

http://anzacbloggersunite.blog.co.uk

Shocking: The video Sealord and the global tuna industry don't want you to see...

2011-11-16T19:21:00.001-08:00

Image via Wikipedia

Today we've released shocking footage of ocean life dying in gruesome ways at the hands of industrial tuna fishers in the Pacific Ocean. When I first saw it I was outraged by the obscene waste of ocean life shown and I think most New Zealanders will be too.

This is the same destructive fishing method used by the fishing fleets that supply Sealord, New Zealand's biggest canned tuna brand. The widespread use of fish aggregation devices (FADs) with purse seine nets is to blame for high levels of bycatch and even threatens the very future of the fishery itself by catching large numbers of baby tuna. Local tuna brands Pams and Greenseas know this and are phasing out tuna caught this way.

The footage was shot by a New Zealand helicopter pilot turned whistleblower, who undertook aerial reconnaissance for tuna boats in the Pacific in 2009. To protect the pilot from reprisals we've disguised his identity.

It is not for the faint hearted, but here is what many tuna fishing vessels bring up with their catch. This is what fishing on FADs looks like:

Read more and view the video from the whistle-blower's revelations:

http://www.greenpeace.org/new-zealand/en/news/blog/the-video-sealord-and-the-global-tuna-industr/blog/37873/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+gpnzblog+%28Greenpeace+New+Zealand+Weblog%29

Eospree

Planet Green

Kiwipete

The Green Planet

Being a man really has its perks...

2011-11-14T21:55:00.001-08:00

Being a man definitely really has its perks...

1. Your backside is never a factor in a job interview.
2. Your orgasms are real. Always.
3. Your last name stays put.
4. The garage is all yours.
5. Wedding plans take care of themselves.
6. You never feel compelled to stop a friend from having an elicit affair.
7. Car mechanics tell you the truth.
8. You don't give a hoot if no one notices your new haircut.
9. Hot wax never comes near your pubic area.
10. Same work .. more pay.
11. Wrinkles-add character.
12. You don't have to leave the room to make emergency crotch adjustments.
13. Wedding Dress $2000; Tux rental $100.
14. If you retain water, it's in a canteen.
15. People never glance at your chest when you're talking to them.
16. New shoes don't cut, blister, or mangle your feet.
17. One mood, ALL the time.
18. Phone conversations are over in 30 seconds.
19. A five-day vacation requires only 1 suitcase.
20. You can open all your own jars.
21.You get extra credit for the slightest act of thoughtfulness.
22. Your underwear is $10 for a three-pack.
23. If you are 34 and single, nobody notices.
24. You can quietly enjoy a car ride from the passenger's seat.
25. Three pairs of shoes are more than enough.
26. You can quietly watch a game with your buddy for hours without ever thinking "He must be mad at me."
27. No maxi-pads.
28. If another guy shows up at the party in the same outfit, you just might become lifelong friends.
29. You are not expected to know the names of more than five colors.
30. You don't have to stop and think of which way to turn a nut on a bolt.
31. You are unable to see wrinkles in clothes.
32. The same hair style lasts for years, maybe decades.
33. Your belly usually hides your big hips.
34. One wallet and one pair of shoes, one color, all seasons.
35. You can "do" your nails with a pocket knife.
36. Christmas shopping can be done for 25 relatives, on December 24th, in 15 minutes.
37. The world is your urinal.

http://blogging-along-with-pete.wallinside.com

Why I didn't show up for work yesterday...

2011-11-11T20:31:00.001-08:00

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This is why I didn't show up for work yesterday. I was cleaning out my wife's grandpa's cellar and found 12 bottles of his home-bottled grape wine under the steps. My wife told me to empty the contents of each and every bottle down the sink, or else. I agreed to do the unpleasant task.

I withdrew the cork form the first bottle and poured the contents down the sink, with the exception of one glass, which I drank. I extracted the cork from the second bottle, did likewise, and drank one glass, just to check the taste to see if the old fellow knew his wine making. He did.

I then opened the third bottle, and poured it, too, down the sink, but not until drinking one full glass to check the purity. It was very good. I did this, also with the fourth bottle. One glass for myself, and the rest down the sink. I pulled the bottle from the cork of the next, and drank one sink out of it and threw the rest down the glass. I pulled the sink out of the next glass and poured the cork from the bottle, then corked the sink with the glass, bottled the drink and drank the pour.

When I had everything emptied, I steadied the house with one hand, counted the bottles, corks, glasses and sinks with the other, which were 29, and as the house came by I counted them again, and finally had all the houses in one bottle, which I drank. I felt so foolish that I couldn't go upstairs and congratulate my wife to tell her what a great winemaker her grandpa was. I will do that after climbing the basement steps the next time they come by

Wine could also contain a recreational drug - really you may ask?

2011-11-09T14:57:00.000-08:00

Image by Getty Images via @daylife

qondio.com/CBEq

EDIT

Wine could also contain a recreational drug - really you may ask?

By Peter Petterson

Imagine my surprise when I read in my Sunday newspaper supplement that a local wine-writer had discovered and written about the possibility of wine being a drug.

Now I'm not a wine aficionado - I prefer European - style beers myself- but a few of my friends,acquaintances and others definately are.

Research in Britain has shown that there is some minuscule traces of a class B drug Fantasy in wine. Fact or fantasy would be the initial response of many. Just what is this concentration?

It is very difficult I know to accept that a drink that has been around for thousands of years and drunk by millions, has an active ingredient of gamma-hydroxybutyric acid(GHB), or its precurser gamma-butyrolactone(GBL).

The concentration of GHB ranged from 4.1mg to 21.4mg per litre of wine, with the greatest concentration found in reds. Contrast that with the 500mg to 3000mg doses in recreational drugs and what do we really have? Is this a comparatively strong concentration, or a minor one?

Previously buried medical research undertaken in the UK in 2005 came to light showing alcoholic drinks made through the fermentation of white and red grapes actually contained small traces of a drug known as GHB, or Fantasy.

New Zealand researchers subsequently examined ethanol (the normal alcohol in wine) and published their findings in the international Journal of Psychopharmology in 2009. This showed that ethanol posed the same risks to public health as Fantasy.

The UK finding that wine contains Fantasy raises the intriguing situation that NZ wines contained a prohibited Class B drug. It would be appropriate for the NZ government to sponsor further research.

Little is known about the specific synergistic effect effect that ethanol mixed with Fantasy has and exactly what doses the mixture of the drugs is important to researchers.

What is the mixture? 1/50th of an intoxicating dose of Fantasy in a 750ml bottle of wine; more likely red than white. This shows the inconsistency of New Zealand's drug laws. How does the international community stack up against NZ laws?

Scientific information:
GHB has been used in a medical setting as a general anesthetic, to treat conditions such as insomnia, clinical depression, narcolepsy, and alcoholism, and to improve athletic performance.[5] It is also used as an intoxicant (illegally in many jurisdictions) or as a date rape drug.[6] GHB is naturally produced in the human body's cells and is structurally related to the ketone body beta-hydroxybutyrate.

First published at Qondio: http://huttriver.qondio.com

A wine aficionado...

How to lose weight in minutes...

2011-11-08T21:59:00.000-08:00

Image via WikipediaImage via WikipediaImage via WikipediaImage via WikipediaView this video and learn how to lose weight in minutes. Great entertainment and fun as well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yEH4Yum4nN4&feature=youtube_gdata_player

http://www.phoneservice.org/blog/2011/10-great-reasons-to-consider-prepaid-cellular-service/#comment-2492

Always and forever...

2011-11-07T01:15:00.000-08:00

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byBarmac^Pro
THE FINAL INSPECTION
The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.
'Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other cheek ?
To My Church have you been true?'
The soldier squared his shoulders and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I ain't.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of overtime,
When the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here, Lord,
It needn't be so grand.
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand.
There was a silence all around the throne,
Where the saints had often trod.
As the soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
'Step forward now, you soldier,
You've borne your burdens well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell.'
Author Unknown
Acknowledgements: Barmac http://thedailymuse.blog.co.uk

http://www.phoneservice.org/blog/2011/10-great-reasons-to-consider-prepaid-cellular-service/#comment-2492

Texas judge disciplined his 16 yr old daughter...

2011-11-04T02:42:00.000-07:00

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The daughter of a Texas judge who secretly caught him on video beating her as a teenager in a row over a computer game says corporal punishment was a regular feature in her home.
The seven-minute video of William Adams whipping Hillary Adams, now 23, with a belt at least 17 times and shouting abuse at her in 2004 has gone viral on the internet since she posted it online last week.
"It did happen regularly for a period of time, and I could tell because of the pattern that things were escalating again," Adams told the NBC news show Today.
"So I set up my video camera on the dresser and covered the little red light with a scarf. About half an hour after I set the camera up this happened, and it was amazing that I was able to capture such a thing."

The video has touched off a public outcry in the United States, where corporal punishment - outlawed in much of Europe - is legal within homes in all 50 states.
It shows William Adams - now under police investigation - repeatedly hitting his screaming daughter for having played a computer game. Her mother is also seen hitting her once.
Speaking to local television station KZTV outside his home in Rockport, Texas, Adams acknowledged it was him in the video. He added that his conduct was "not as bad as it looks on tape".
Explaining why she let seven years pass before going public with the video, Hillary Adams told Today: "Waiting until today ... has enabled me to pull away and be able to distance myself from the consequences."
Of her father, she added: "I think he's been punished enough just by seeing this go public like this and I think he really needs help and rehabilitation. We need to get him counselling or something."

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Wine could also contain a recreational drug - really you may ask?

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Symptoms and Hope