SEASON GREETINGS

At this time of the year, with pain in my heart and tears in my eyes at the loss of my best friend and soul companion, I reach out across the miles to greet all my blog readers. I promise to return in the new year with a vigor and the passion I once had. Now I wish to thank you for your support. MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! GOD BLESS AND KEEP YOU ALL WELL.

IN LOVING MEMORY OF ABEL DESESTRESS

NOVEMBER 14, 1955 - OCOTBER 18, 2009


TU AMOR VIVE HOY EN TODO LAS PERSONAS QUE TE QUIEREMOS
SIEMPRE EN MI CORAZON. LIVING THE NOW!!!

LAS 12 FLORES MAGICAS LLEGA A MEXICO Y BELICE!!!!

Interested in being relaxed and energized for school? Well, look no more. Two aromatheraphy fragancies have arrived to help you through the day.

Come visit us and find what you have been looking for. All the way from Europe to your home!!

For sale at PrehiSPAnic, Corozal Spa.

I am looking for female vendors also!!! Make money while you study.

Call 607 8315 in Corozal, Belize or 9831315669 in Chetumal, Mexico on Thursdays and Fridays. You won´t regret it!!!

Washington couple take home baby giraffe

SPOKANE, Wash. (UPI) -- A Washington state couple said they drove to Virginia and back for their latest exotic pet -- a 26-day-old giraffe.

John and Jane Schreiner said they paid "a large, large sum" for Karson, a baby giraffe born at the Natural Bridge Zoo near Roanoke, Va., and arrived home with the animal Friday after a cross-country drive, The (Spokane, Wash.) Spokesman-Review reported Tuesday.

The couple said Karson will live in their Spokane County home for about four months before moving to the 12,000-acre Schreiner Farms ranch, which John Schreiner co-owns with his brother Joe.

"He may be the only giraffe ever to be raised as a pet in Spokane," John Schreiner said.

The ranch already houses three adult giraffes, in addition to zebras, bison and camels. The couple said they do not believe local officials will have any objection to Karson staying in their home while he grows.

"He's not a carnivore, which is the one concern the county and states are right to control people from raising," John Schreiner said. "I can't see any reason we can't keep him. He's intelligent, gentle and a wonderful creature," he said.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

BOY,2, HAS PACK-A-DAY HABIT!!!

TIANJIN, China (UPI) -- The parents of a 2-year-old in China who smokes at least a pack of cigarettes a day say they are seeking advice to help the toddler quit. Toddler Boy, 2, has pack-a-day habit
TIANJIN, China (UPI) -- The parents of a 2-year-old in China who smokes at least a pack of cigarettes a day say they are seeking advice to help the toddler quit. Toddler Tong Liangliang of Tianjin, China, was allowed to begin smoking by his father more than a year ago to help control pain from a hernia with which he was born, but his parents say the toddler's habit has gotten out of control, China Radio International reported Tuesday. The boy's father said he made the decision because the toddler is too young to have an operation to correct the hernia. However, the parents told the Bohai Morning Post Liangliang's habit has gotten out of control and they are seeking methods of helping the toddler quit. Copyright 2009 by United Press International, was allowed to begin smoking by his father more than a year ago to help control pain from a hernia with which he was born, but his parents say the toddler's habit has gotten out of control, China Radio International reported Tuesday. The boy's father said he made the decision because the toddler is too young to have an operation to correct the hernia. However, the parents told the Bohai Morning Post Liangliang's habit has gotten out of control and they are seeking methods of helping the toddler quit.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

Survey: People hate to give up their phone

While this survey was conducted in the USA, I am sure we can safely say the result would be the same in other parts of the world. Our cellular phones are has connected to us as our heart!!!!
Ms. B

NEW YORK (UPI) -- Most Americans would rather give up alcohol for a week than give up their cell phone for the same time period, a survey conducted for Best Buy indicated. Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they'd rather abstain from drinking rather than put away their cell phones for a week, results released Tuesday of the survey by GFK Roper showed. Respondents also said they'd rather give up television for a week, 33.1 percent; survive on bread and water, 11.5 percent; even have their teeth drilled by a dentist, 14.5 percent, than do without their mobile phone. The weekly survey of 1,000 adults for the big-box retailer also indicated consumers age 65-plus don't darken a mobile phone retailer's door -- 62.1 percent said they never shopped for a mobile phone. Thirty-seven percent said respondents said they text because they want to avoid long or tough conversations, while another 27.2 percent said they just don't like phone conversations. The biggest, baddest behavior involving a cell phone by far -- 51.4 percent -- reading a text while driving. About a quarter of the respondents said they secretly read text messages of their significant others or their children.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

AFTER READING THIS YOU WILL REALIZE THAT ENGLISH ISN´T AS EASY AS WE ALL MAKE IT OUT TO BE. YOU SHOULD STUDY FOR ENGLISH TESTS!!!!!

Which linguistic potholes shake your chassis? Are you impacted by the use of "impact" to mean "affect"? Are you all, like, rattled when, like, teenagers use "like" as a verbal filler? Do you think the overuse of "best practices" isn't the best practice?

You're not alone. (And it's a good thing you're not a loan because, these days, many of them aren't being paid.)

Readers from Down Under to Up Over have sent me their pet peeves. Surely, you'll find one of your own bugbears here -- and, Shirley, you will, too.

The phrase "at this point in time" is redundant enough, but Anthony Youell of Brisbane, Australia, reports that politicians are now saying, "at this particular point in time." Errrggg.

Kay Williams of Carthage, N.Y., is concerned about TV weather forecasters who omit "is concerned," as in, "As far as your Monday's temperature, it will be cold." Kay wants them to say, "As far as your Monday's temperature is concerned , it will be cold." (Actually, she wants them to say, "it will be warm.")

As far as the compression of "all right" into "alright" is concerned, Hazel Martin of Kennett Square, Pa., isn't all right with it. And her feathers are ruffled by the misuse of "laying" for "lying," as in "she was laying in the street." Hazel writes, "What was she laying? An egg?"

Bob Staneslow of Cheshire, Conn., says people lay an egg when they use plurals like "phenomena" and "criteria" as singulars ("this phenomena," "this criteria").

Tonya Parham of Memphis, Tenn., literally explodes when she hears people use "literally" to mean "figuratively." And for her, pronouncing the "l" in "salmon" is as welcome as salmonella.

Gloria Sprouse of Bullhead City, Ariz., she detests the redundant pronoun used by local newscasters, e.g. "The robber, he was wearing a blue cap."

Alam Clem of Vermillion, S.D., doesn't think it's that great an idea to say to insert an unnecessary "of" before a noun phrase, as in, "It's not that great of an idea."

Gerald Hebert of Murrysville, Pa., says he's gonna go crazy if hears one more person say, "gonna."

Marcia Peck of Minneapolis has found a bushel of sentences like this one: "All people don't speak correctly," which should be rendered "Not all people speak correctly." Judging from these examples, perhaps the first sentence is accurate after all.

Rob Kyff, a teacher and writer in West Hartford, Conn., invites your language sightings. Send your reports of misuse and abuse, as well as examples of good writing, via e-mail to Wordguy@aol.com or by regular mail to Rob Kyff, Creators Syndicate, 5777 W. Century Blvd., Suite 700, Los Angeles, CA 90045. To find out more about Rob Kyff and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

Copyright 2009 Creators Syndicate Inc.

IF WE READ MORE, WE CAN ENRICH OUR MINDS AND SOULS

These quotes are really great. Read and analyzing them can help you increase your knowledge. Remember: Reading is Succeeding.

Classic Quotes by Franz Kafka (1883-1924) Czech writer

A book must be an ice-axe to break the seas frozen inside our soul.

A book should serve as the ax for the frozen sea within us.

A first sign of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die.

A man of action forced into a state of thought is unhappy until he can get out of it.

All human errors are impatience, a premature breaking off of methodical procedure, an apparent fencing-in of what is apparently at issue.

Anyone who cannot come to terms with his life while he is alive needs one hand to ward off a little his despair over his fate... but with his other hand he can note down what he sees among the ruins.

Anyone who keeps the ability to see beauty never grows old.

By believing passionately in something that still does not exist, we create it. The nonexistent is whatever we have not sufficiently desired.

Every revolution evaporates and leaves behind only the slime of a new bureaucracy.

Evil is whatever distracts.

A LITTLE JOKE IS ALWAYS GOOD!!!

MAN WILL AWAYS FIND A WAY OF DOING THINGS DIFFERENTLY AND THE RESULTS MAY NOT ALWAYS BE THE ANTICIPATED. (Brenda A. Ysaguirre)

LONELINESS... A MICHAEL JACKSON SYNDROME COMMON IN MANY PEOPLE TODAY

I was reading this article and found it to be very interesting especially as we go through so many difficulties today with the world economy in titters. So I have placed it on my blog today with the hope that it will help all of us who feel lonely to understand better how we can help ourselves overcome the trials of life. Remember, if you want to overcome loneliness and unhappiness it is all up to you. LOVE YOURSELF, RESPECT YOURSELF. ALL THE REST WILL FALL INTO PLACE.
All my love,
Ms B

Overdosing on Loneliness
By Robert Ringer

Michael Jackson's close friend Uri Geller, talking to Fox News by phone after Jackson's death, said that one time when Jackson was sitting on a couch in Geller's living room, he asked the "King of Pop" if he was a lonely man. According to Geller, Jackson paused, then slowly looked up and said, "Uri Geller, I'm a very lonely man."

After decades of observation, I have concluded that Jackson's sad response could have come from any one of millions of people. A lonely person's giveaway is his eyes. No matter what happy disguises he may wear, his eyes betray him.This brings back memories of John Belushi, Freddy Prinze, Andy Gibb, Marilyn Monroe, and, more recently, Anna Nicole Smith. We only know what we've read and heard about these tragic figures who were so revered by those afflicted with Tinseltown Derangement Syndrome, but what we've read and heard is pretty grim.

The truth about these false idols should give people in the world today hope as they watch the economy push them from false prosperity into poverty. While vacation cruises, golf outings, and fine dining continue to disappear from our lives at an accelerating pace, it's helpful to remember that material wealth has failed to buy happiness for many of the rich and famous.And what they all seemed to have in common was loneliness. Who but the most narcissistic among us would not trade fame and wealth for love? The tabloid crowd provides a lot of laughs for folks at the checkout counters, but their marriage-divorce... marriage-divorce... marriage-divorce cycles are not at all humorous.

When I think of Angelina, Britney, Lindsay, and Madonna, I think of loneliness. All of them appear to be Michael Jacksons waiting to happen.I recall a brief encounter I had with Sammy Davis Jr. in the early 1980s when we were sitting next to each other on the dais at a charity event in Los Angeles. He was a warm and gracious man with many similarities to Michael Jackson - African-American, slight of build, multi-talented, and a life of nonstop troubles. In a birthday tribute to Sammy, Jackson sang the heart-wrenching song "You Were There."Years earlier, I had read Sammy's memoir, Why Me? It just as easily could have been Michael Jackson's memoir. In the book, Sammy was forthright about his addiction to a life of drugs, booze, chain smoking, kinky sex, and lavish spending. One story, in particular, that I recall from Why Me? is about a multi-girl orgy Sammy had arranged to have set up in his hotel suite after a performance in Las Vegas. When he entered the bedroom, he found the girls already "engaged" with one another. He said it made him sick to his stomach, and he walked out of the room feeling like the loneliest man in the world.

But when it comes to loneliness, Elvis was The King. We've all heard his ex-friends talk about how, after every show, he would have parties in his hotel suite that lasted till dawn. The word from those closest to him was that he couldn't stand the thought of being alone.

It's no wonder that so many songs have been written about loneliness. People can relate. It's a common problem. More often than not, I suspect the songwriters and performers themselves feel very lonely. Which brings me to Neil Sedaka. I don't know how much loneliness he may have experienced in his life, but he sure grabbed us with his classic song Solitaire:"There was a man, a lonely manWho lost his love, thru his indifference.A heart that cared, that went unsharedUntil it died within his silence."And solitaire's the only game in town,And every road that takes him, takes him down.While life goes on around him everywhere,He's playing solitaire."And keeping to himself begins to deal,And still the king of hearts is well concealed.Another losing game comes to an end, And he deals them out again."Heavy words. Great songwriters write to a broad audience - and the audience for a broken heart and loneliness is very broad indeed. In the final analysis, perhaps all of us simply expect too much from life, thus setting ourselves up for disappointment when it fails to deliver the endless happiness we envisioned when we were young.Nineteenth century German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer summed up this discouraging reality when he wrote:"There is only one inborn error, and that is the notion that we exist in order to be happy. ... So long as we persist in this inborn error... the world seems to us full of contradictions. For at every step, in great things and small, we are bound to experience that the world and life are certainly not arranged for the purpose of maintaining a happy existence... hence the countenances of almost all elderly persons wear the expression of what is called disappointment."(From The Consolations of Philosophy, Alain de Botton)Granted, Schopenhauer was not the kind of fellow you would have wanted to invite over for an evening of small talk and laughs, but he may very well have zeroed in on an underlying cause of the many early deaths that followed a meteoric rise to fame and fortune.Weighing in on the Michael Jackson tragedy, renowned psychiatrist and bestselling author Dr. Keith Ablow spoke of "people who are not at one with themselves," mentioning their inability to feel comfortable with their age, gender, race, and sexuality, among other factors that contribute to their feelings of isolation. In other words, their inability to accept themselves as they are. I think most of us would be far better off if we focused on getting to know ourselves better rather than placing so much emphasis on having an active social life. After all, if you can't enjoy your own company, why should you expect others to enjoy it? Fittingly, I shall defer to Thoreau for the final word on this subject: "I never found the companion that was so companionable as solitude."

[Ed. Note: To learn how to survive and prosper during the turbulent years ahead, check out Robert Ringer's powerful audio series Succeeding in a World of Chaos. And be sure to sign up for a FREE subscription to his one-of-a-kind e-letter A Voice of Sanity in an Insane World.]

SHAME ON DENMARK!!!!!

The sea turns red, but not due to climate effects of this nature. Take look at all these photos!!!!!

It is due to the cruelty of civilized humans who kill hundreds of famous and really clever dolphins.

All this happens year after year on Faroe Island in Denmark, and why are the young primarily involved in this slaughter???... Because it demonstrates that these same young people have already reached the age of "adult" and how possess maturity!!!!

This is a regular celebration and the "fun" is not to be missed by anyone. All are involved in one way or another by killing or by "endorsing this cruelty as a spectator."

It is noteworthy that these dolphins, like almost all other species of dolphins, approach man only to interact and play with them as a gesture of friendship!!!

So as we "play" at being humans, we finish spoiling everything either violently or destructively.

And how cruel can these people of Denmark be? These dolphins do not die instantly. They are stabbed again and again with sharp hooks and in those moments the dolphin produces sounds so much like a baby crying !!!!!!....

There is suffering as the dolphin slowly bleeds. It becomesdocile and suffers from terrible wounds as it dies in its own blood.

Finally, these heroes of the island are now full-fledged reasonable adults, who have shown "maturity"!!

Enough !!!!!!!....... Recirculate this message until it reaches some animal protection association because if we are only going to look on as this occurs it makes accomplices in the form of SPECTATORS.

Please pass on my blog address so others can see and read for themselves. WE OWE IT TO NATURE

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ZENI

HOPE YOU ENJOY TODAY MORE THAN YOU DID ALL YOUR OTHER DAYS FOR TODAY YOU ARE BLESSED BY GOD WITH THE LOVE OF TWO WONDERFUL CHILDREN AND A PARTNER WHO ADORES THE GROUND YOU WALK ON!!! HAVE A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY, FRIEND!!!

LOVE ALWAYS, MS B

WRITTEN IN BOTH SPANISH AND ENGLISH SO YOU CAN ALL ENJOY!!! EN ESPAÑOL Y INGLES CON TODOS EN MENTE

Hallan fósil de dinosaurio con cuatro alas
Investigadores chinos han desenterrado el fósil de un dinosaurio con aspecto de pájaro con cuatro alas en el noreste de China, que según sugieren es un eslabón perdido en la evolución de los dinosaurios hacia las aves.En un artículo de una revista local, los investigadores dijeron que encontraron el fósil, bien conservado, del "Anchiornis huxleyi", que vagó por la tierra hace unos 160 millones de años, en una formación geológica en la provincia de Liaoning.Con un tamaño parecido al de una gallina, el cuerpo del fósil tiene una longitud total de menos de 50 centímetros, y un cráneo de unos seis centímetros de largo, detalló el principal investigador, Xing Xu, en la Academia China de Ciencia en Pekín, en un correo electrónico.En un comunicado, los investigadores explicaron: "Largas plumas cubren los brazos y cola, pero también los pies, lo que sugiere que pudo haber existido una fase de cuatro alas en la transición hacia las aves".La transición de los dinosaurios a los pájaros sigue sin conocerse muy bien por la falta de fósiles bien conservados, sin embargo, científicos dicen que los dinosaurios parecidos a las aves aparecen demasiado tarde en el registro de fósiles para ser el verdadero antecesor de los pájaros.

Fossil of dinosaur fossil with four wings found
Chinese researchers have unearthed the fossil of a dinosaur-like bird with four wings in northeast China, which they suggest is a missing link in the evolution of dinosaurs and birds.In an article in a local magazine, the researchers said they found the fossil of the "Anchiornis huxleyi well preserved. This dinosaur roamed the earth some 160 million years ago, in a geological formation in Liaoning province.With a size similar to a chicken, the body of the fossil has a total length of less than 50 cm, and a skull of about six inches long, detailed the principal investigator, Xing Xu, the Chinese Academy of Sciences in Beijing, in an email.In a statement, the researchers explained: "Long feathers cover the arms and tail, but also the feet, suggesting he could have been a four-winged stage in the transition to birds."The transition from dinosaurs to birds very well remains unknown due to the lack of well-preserved fossils, but scientists say the bird-like dinosaurs appear too late in the fossil record to be the true ancestor of birds.

CARNIVAL IN BELIZE 2009

HEALTHY EATING!!!!

10 Easy Tips to Boost Fiber
By EatingWell , EatingWell.com

Eating enough fiber is important for helping to prevent chronic diseases like diabetes, heart disease and certain types of cancer. Research also suggests that consuming fiber-rich foods might boost weight loss by helping you to feel fuller after you eat. But most of us eat only about half as much fiber as we should. Nutrition guidelines recommend 25 to 38 grams per day; the average American consumes only about 14 grams. It’s not hard to boost your fiber intake. Do it easily with these 10 simple tips.

Choose whole fruits. Pure fruit juice, though often rich in the same vitamins, minerals and disease-fighting phytochemicals as the whole fruits it’s made from, doesn’t contain fiber. Most fruits contain between 2 and 8 grams of fiber.

Eat beans. Beans are a terrific source of fiber: a half cup of cooked navy beans packs a whopping 7 grams of fiber, while the same amount of lentils and kidney beans provide 8 and 6 grams, respectively. Much of this fiber is the soluble kind that benefits blood cholesterol levels. Add beans to soups and salads; serve them as a side with dinner.

Buy a better breakfast cereal. There are plenty of tasty fiber-rich cereals out there. Shop around until you find one that you enjoy that also provides at least 8 grams of fiber per serving.

Go for whole-wheat pizza crust. You’ll boost your fiber intake by 50 percent. Many pizza joints are offering to serve their pies on whole-wheat dough. Also, whole-wheat pizza dough—fresh or frozen—and premade whole-wheat crusts are widely available in large supermarkets.

Switch to whole-wheat pasta. Or, if you’re reluctant to make the switch directly to whole-wheat pasta, transition over by starting with a whole-wheat/white blend.

Trade white potatoes in for something sweeter. Sweet potatoes deliver double the fiber of white potatoes. Roast them with a bit of olive oil and sprinkle with sea salt; add them to stews.

Choose your daily bread wisely. Look for whole-grain breads that provide at least 3 grams of fiber per slice.

Eat from an edible bowl. All squash varieties are rich in fiber; some make perfect serving bowls. Hollow out a buttercup squash half and use it to serve a veggie-rich soup or stew. Once you’ve reached the bottom, you can dig into the fiber-rich bowl for "dessert."

Snack on popcorn. The crunchy whole-grain snack satisfies a "salty" tooth. Four cups of air-popped corn (120 calories) delivers 5 grams of fiber.

Bring on berries. Raspberries, blackberries and blueberries are all great sources of fiber (8 grams per cup). Off-season, frozen berries are more widely available and less expensive than fresh ones. Keep a bag or two in the freezer for a quick, healthy snack. Spread the frozen berries on a baking sheet to thaw for half an hour before adding a handful to fat-free yogurt or stirring into your oatmeal.

KNOWLEDGE IS ALL YOU NEED TO GROW WITH

Is typing good for you?
There are 110 calories per hour consumed during an hour of typing -- only 30 more than those used while sleeping.

How did Gothic architecture get its name?
Gothic was originally a term of criticism among the Italian Renaissance artists who coined it. The term implied that, compared to superior classical buildings, the Gothic medieval cathedrals were so crude that only a Goth could produce them. By indirectly condemning the Goths, the Italian architects revived an old hatred. The southward migration of these warring, loathsome German barbarians in the fifth century A.D. had contributed to the decline of ancient Rome.

Is Lake Erie higher?
Lake Erie is about 326 feet higher than Lake Ontario. The Welland Canal provides a navigable waterway between the two. The Canal stretches 27 miles and uses 8 locks to raise and lower the ships. More than 3,000 ships pass through the waterway annually.

How large is the Hermitage?
The world's largest art gallery is the Winter Palace and Hermitage in St. Petersburg, Russia. Visitors would have to walk 15 miles to see the 322 galleries which house nearly 3 million works of art.


Who put the sweetener in the chewing gum?
Sugar was first added to chewing gum in 1869 by a dentist (William Semple).

VOCABULARY FOR Sept 24, 2009

Today's Word "Panacea"
panacea \pae-neh-SEE-eh\ (noun) - A remedy for everything, for all problems or difficulties; a cure-all, a catholicon. "What's wrong with producing a 'panacea for all human woes' or 'the secret of human happiness?'" -- Will Ferguson, 'Happiness' From Latin "panacea," a herb Romans believed could cure all diseases. The word was borrowed from Greek panakeia "universal cure," the feminine of the adjective panakeios "all-healing" from pan "all" + akos "cure." The Greek adjective pan "all" also appears in Pandaemonium, the all-demon city in the Hell of Milton's 'Paradise Lost.' It is productively used to create adjectives like "pan-Arab," "pan-African," "pan-American," whose abbreviation, "Panam" underlies the name of Panama. "Pan" can also be seen in panegyric "elaborate oration of praise" from Greek panegyris "public festival," originally based on pan- + agora "assembly" + -ikos "ic."

AND CARNIVAL PRESENT IN COROZAL, 2009

Scenes of Carnival Past in Corozal

As we look at these pictures of Carnival, I take great pleasure in wishing every Belizean a HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY!!! We are now 28 and we are moving slowly but surely to better times. Three cheers for Belize. Three cheers for the blue, white and red. Three cheers for freedom. Three cheers for Corozal!!!! Hip Hip Hooray!!! Hip Hip Hooray!!! Hip Hip Hooray!!!

CARNIVAL DAY... A HISTORY IN THE MAKING OF CARNIVAL BELIZE STYLE

I have taken this article from BELIZEAN JOURNEYS. It was written by P. Arana and covers the carnival history in Belize so well that I just had to make sure more people read. it. Thanks to P. Arana. You aere a proud image of Belize!!!

Every so often one, but usually more, of the eager spectators stops and peers down the street, scanning the horizon expectantly for signs. This extended glance is usually followed closely by similar gazes down the line in domino-like effect until, of course, a police car is spotted. At this time, excited whispers will ripple along the line like shivers down a spine. Unuttered, but at the back of everyone's mind, are the words: "Let the partying begin!"
Born as the Latin pagan custom, carrus navalis (ship of fools) in which a magnificently-decorated ship on wheels was pulled to the temples, it grew into the Italian carne (flesh or meat) vale (goodbye) in which agitators unmanageable by the Church, celebrated Bacchanal. The day of unbridled merrymaking so named in honor of Bacchus (Roman god of wine), marked Shrove Tuesday (also known as Fat Tuesday or Mardi Gras), the eve of Ash Wednesday and the beginning of the forty Lenten days of eating, drinking and sexual restrictions.

In some parts of the world, that's how carnival started; but in Belize, it was five spirited women who gave birth to the movement. In 1975 Ms. Crystal, Ms. June, Ms. Alice, Ms. Maude and Ms. Myrtle got together on a Sunday as they had done on numerous occasions before that. What was different on this particular afternoon social was the heated discussion of how to spice up the Tenth of September Celebrations. They left bubbling with the excitement of an idea that was still brewing in their heads. None of them envisioned that an acronym formed from their names, C-JAMM, would one day become a household September word in Belize.

Calling themselves the Belize Women for Cultural Preservation, the five mothers from Sixth Street in the King's Park area of Belize City sold their idea to their children, who in turn brought neighborhood friends. That September the costumed group danced through the main streets of Belize City, inadvertently selling their show; the rest of Belize City bought into it. In fact, the concept created such an impression that for the next 25 years, the "Sixth Street Masqueraders", as they were dubbed, saw more neighborhoods forming bands, creating costumes and floats to join in the Carnival parade.

Today, during the designated day in September, 70,000 plus inhabitants and visitors line the streets of Belize City, from Central American Boulevard to the Marion Jones Sporting Complex, to witness the spectacle. As you elbow your way through the crowd, slicing trough the excitement hanging in the air, a few people mumble in protest. Once you move on, though, they return to their happy chatter, assured that no brazen latecomer has succeeded in cutting in and blocking their view. Very few, if any, give thought to carnival's rebellious teenage years.
In the 1980s, the Belize Women for Cultural Preservation was given the task of taking a group of roughly eighty dancers to showcase Belize's culture on the streets of Miami. Dressed in costumes portraying the wildlife of the rainforest, Belize's beasts met the Caribbean's beauties. This affair became a turning point in Belize's carnival history.

Like true adolescents, the dancers returned to Belize demanding why. Why did they have to wear those wretched long skirts? Why couldn't they get costumes that kept them cool in ninety-degree weather? Why did they have to attend those two-hour long practices to learn synchronized dance steps? Why couldn't they just show up on the day of the carnival and dance their hearts out? And why, for heaven's sake, couldn't they have hip names like Gem or Cultural Heritage or C-JAMM? When the parents stopped frowning, they adopted the five-letter acronym and revisited the costume designs. In subsequent years, carnival entered a metamorphic phase. Costume bottoms shortened from the modest ankle-length to conservative knee-length to the provocative bikini-length.

Clearly influenced by carnival in the Caribbean, carnival in Belize is an engaging experience in music, dance, and costumes. It is here that the resemblance ends because carnival in Belize has evolved into its own. An absence of the million-dollar machinery that drives the most famous Caribbean carnivals has left Belizeans with no option but to use head and heart to power the carnival engine.

It is a determination whose embers are fanned inside buildings called camps, months in anticipation of the actual event and far from the eyes of the embracing community that comes out to share in its success. Drawing on such inspiration as history, culture, and nationalism, the groups raise funds, design and make costumes and mobilize the business community to pull off the best free and most anticipated cultural production in Belize. Today that show continues to emerge each year. As a result, carnival in Belize has grown up, giving birth to her own offspring.

Carnival in the northernmost town of Corozal is reminiscent of its earlier days in Belize City. Adults make costumes, host practices and organize the road march while children and teenagers are the dancing stars. Since participating groups represent the various elementary and secondary schools in the district, the carnival itself has been made into an educational experience. While floats and costumes depict the Maya, Mestizo, Garifuna, Chinese, East Indian, Creole and Mennonite cultures, this educational focus does not take away from the festive mood. From Santa Rita Hill to Corozal Bay, carnival in Corozal Town is one non-stop jam session.
In neighboring Orange Walk (a.k.a. Sugar City), the ten member committee of the Orange Walk Carnival Group has followed in the footsteps of the Belize Women for Cultural Preservation. Though it cannot accept credit for starting carnival, the committee, including coordinator Flavia Burgos and Production team (Minioli Alonzo, Lupe Salas and Tiburcio Hernandez), has catalyzed the carnival experience in Orange Walk Town. The majorettes and marching bands are still present as they have been since anyone in Orange Walk can remember carnival, but this group has added a new ingredient.

Focused on building and maintaining cultural awareness, the group conducts extensive research to recreate for the performers and audience the connection to their heritage. At the end of each carnival they store the costumes and floats, thus building a visual archive of carnival and of the cultures they have showcased. For them, carnival is not merely limited to the street parade; carnival is an opportunity to learn and pass on traditions. Since this new flavor was added to the pot last year, the group has been spotlighting their Mestizo and Maya culture on the streets of Orange Walk. Judging from the increasing popularity of Orange Walk carnival, the "Latin" flavor has certainly caught Belize's attention.

Whether you choose the Corozal, Orange Walk, or Belize City experience, Carnival is about letting go of your inhibitions. From a distance it looks like a frenzy of colors spurred to movement by towers of speakers pumping out lively soca beats. From the sidelines it becomes a revelry of brightly colored costumes moving with the gyrating seemingly possessed bodies that inhabit them. The jerky, rotating, and trembling dance movements are further accentuated by swaying beads, shimmering materials, and feathered projections adorning the costumes. The masqueraders dance themselves into a high that feeds on itself like an insatiable cycle, keeping fatigue at bay in a move to outbid itself. The soundtrack is hype, energetic, persuading all within earshot to "jump", "mash it up", "raise yu hand", "wine yu waist", "tremble it", and any combination thereof. In response arms flail, feet kick, lifting bodies off the ground, bodies shiver, faces contort and butts jiggle in synchronized motion giving way to cathartic relief reminiscent of some physiological functions. If this sounds unreal to you, come experience it for yourself!

A MESSAGE TO STUDENTS AS THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR GETS UNDERWAY

Most of you have now been back at school for two weeks and by now are settling in to the new school year, new teachers, new subjects and new friends. ALL NEW!!! Wow!! What an exceptional year it can turn out to be.

Yes, I said IT CAN TURN OUT TO BE.

Why did Ms. B say that you may be wondering. Well, as time and space has shown us over the years people are prone to doing things and saying things that can affect their lives even though they are not sure at the moment it occurs why it did. What is my point then? What am I writing about today?

TODAY IS SPECIAL. TODAY IT THE DAY YOU WILL SET NEW GOALS. TODAY IS THE DAY YOU WILL LISTEN TO YOUR TEACHERS. TODAY IS THE BEGINNING OF THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. TODAY YOU WILL MAKE THE CHOICE OR CHOICES THAT WILL AFFECT YOU FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE. Now that is a big step. That is the big FOOT FORWARD!!!

So, are you ready to make that POSITIVE step in the RIGHT DIRECTION.

THINK: EDUCATION IS THE KEY THAT WILL OPEN EVERY DOOR FOR ME!!!

WELCOME TO THE 2008 – 2009 SCHOOL YEAR!!! WELCOME TO LEARNING. WELCOME TO ALL STUDENTS AND TEACHERS OF THIS BEAUTIFUL WORLD. TO THOSE OF YOU WHOM I HAVE TAUGHT, I WISH YOU WELL THIS YEAR. TO THOSE OF YOU I KNOW BUT DID NOT HAVE THE PLAESURE OF TEACHING I WISH YOU THE SAME: HAVE A GREAT TIME IN SCHOOL. TO THOSE OF YOU I DO NOT KNOW BUT WHO SEEK KNOWLEDGE: GO FOR IT OPEN MINDED AND OPEN HEARTED. HAVE A WONDERFUL TIME INSIDE AND OUTSIDE THE CLASSROOMS.

Man´s desire for success must not come at the price of failure but at the glory of knowledge!!! (Brenda A. Ysaguirre)

VOCABULARY - KNOWLEDGE AT YOUR FINGER TIP

Today's Word "lexicography"
lexicography \lek-suh-KAH-gruh-fee\ (noun) - 1 : The writing or compiling of dictionaries; the editing or making of dictionaries. 2 : The principles and practices applied to writing dictionaries. "I am of course stopping short still of the needs of practical lexicography in one conspicuous respect : I am attending only to the cognitive side..." -- W.V. Quine, 'Theories and Things' Lexicography is derived from the Greek lexicon (biblion), a word- or phrase-book (from lexis, a phrase, a word) + graphein, to write. A lexicographer (thought to be formed on the pattern of geographer) is a compiler or writer of a dictionary -- as defined by Samuel Johnson in his own Dictionary of the English Language, "a writer of dictionaries, a harmless drudge."

LEADERS AND TEAMPLAYERS - WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE ROLES CHANGE?

In a world where everything seems to fall under the opinions and the actions of others, there seem to be little hope for the average person who is a follower. Leaders are in abundance and they seem to survive because there are those who will always be teamplayers. But what happens when the follower decides it is time to lead, it is time to make a mark in life, it is time to BE??Trust me, that is when all hell breaks loose and that is when conflicts begin.There will always be those who believe that they are to be leaders forever and that all that they do is right and must be followed. These leaders cannot for one second accept that sometimes it would be nice to sit back and let others run the show. They cannot for one minute aceept that the world will still turn whether or not they are in it, leading, guiding, listening or doing nothing.Picture the leader who suddenly is faced with the realization that his follower(s) want to make a mark of their own. Why do they get upset? Because the idea of losing power and control, of being the head at the top of each and every decision leaves them worrying that they will have no place in the community!! When I say community, I am referring to whereever it is that he or she has ruled.I have been known to be a leader for many years. I have led and I have conquered many in battles of undefined and defined nature. I have also been a teamplayer and lately I have decided that it is time to be a leader again. Time to BE!!! Time to BE ASSERTIVE. Time to GROW. Time to take up the reins of leadership and do that which I was born for - to lead. Will this be greeted with open arms by all. NO WAY!!! But who cares? Everyone has to BE! Everyone has to DO! Everyone has to... because only then will fulfillment be attained for oneself.THINK ABOUT IT. IS IT YOUR TIME TO LEAD OR TO FOLLOW??? YOU DECIDE.

HOMER

(Dates of birth and death unknown)
Very little is known about Homer, save for the fact that he was blind and is believed to have been born in what is now western Turkey. His name is Greek for "hostage," which may mean he was descended from prisoners of war. He is best known for his epic poems "The Iliad" and "The Odyssey," which may have been told on the spur of the moment from fragments of pre-existing stories. He is believed to have had many students and disciples who, while very few are known by name, became poets in their own rights after his death.

School doors glued shut

I wonder what would happen if... hahahahahahaha ( I know, I´m bad and I have added thoughts you wouldn´t believe!!!!) Ms B

DELTONA, Fla. (UPI) -- A Florida school began classes 90 minutes late Tuesday because officials were struggling to open doors that had been glued shut by teenagers. Nancy Wait of Volusia County Public Schools said a surveillance video recorded three teenagers gluing the doors of Pine Ridge High School in Deltona shut overnight and officials are working to identify the culprits, WKMG-TV, Orlando, Fla., reported Tuesday. Wait said the incident is not believed to have been a senior prank. Copyright 2009 by United Press International

What to do if mower severs finger or toe

I am posting this info since many of my students do gardening as a means of extra income and also tend their own gardens at home. Just in case...

DALLAS (UPI) -- There are more than 200,000 gardening accidents annually, including ones that resulted in severed fingers or toes, U.S. researchers said. Dr. Maureen Finnegan of the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas said whirling blades can send projectiles like rocks and sticks flying. They can also cut fingers, toes and feet. "If you do accidentally sever a finger or toe, it's important to cleanse the amputated part with saline water, wrap it in gauze and put in a watertight bag," Finnegan said in a statement. "Place the bag over ice and take it with you to the emergency room." Better, of course, is to avoid injuries. Finnegan said this can be done by concentrating on the task at hand and using common sense when operating machinery. Some basic safety measures Finnegan recommends include: -- Wearing sturdy shoes rather than sandals or flip flops. -- Checking the yard for debris that could be potential projectiles. -- Always turning off the mower before clearing the blades when something is caught.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International

Race may have impact on teachers

ITHACA, N.Y. (UPI) -- A U.S. study found high-quality teachers may tend to leave schools that experience inflows of black students, researchers said. Study author C. Kirabo Jackson of Cornell University said the study suggests a school's racial makeup may have a direct impact on the quality of its teachers. "It's well established that schools with large minority populations tend to have lower quality teachers," Jackson said in a statement. "But it is unclear whether these schools are merely located in areas with a paucity of quality teachers, whether quality teachers avoid these schools because of the neighborhood or economic factors surrounding a school, or whether there is a direct relationship between student characteristics and teacher quality." Jackson said the findings suggest it's not neighborhoods keeping high-quality teachers away. "This is particularly sobering because it implies that, all else equal, black students will systematically receive lower quality instruction," Jackson said. The study of the Charlotte-Mecklenberg school district in North Carolina ended its race-based busing program in 2002 and some schools had a large and sudden inflow of black students -- but the racial makeup of the neighborhood and economic factors were the same. The study, published in the Journal of Labor Economics, found the black teachers were slightly more likely than white teachers to stay in the schools that experienced a black inflow. However, those black teachers who did leave black schools tended to be the highest qualified.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International

EATING FRUITS .......

It's long but very informative :We all think eating fruits means just buying fruit, cutting it and just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's important to know how and when to eat. What is the correct way of eating fruits? IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. If you eat fruit like that, it will play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities. FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD. Let's say you eat two slices of bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented from doing so. In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid. The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil. So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals!
You have heard people complaining - every time I eat watermelon I burp, when I eat durian my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat! Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weight. When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins. But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it. You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits and drink fruit juice throughout he 3 days and you will be surprised when your friends tell you how radiant you look!
KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium, vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange. APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon cancer, heart attack & stroke. STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals. ORANGE : Sweetest medicine. Taking 2-4 oranges a day may help keep colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as well as lessens the risk of colon cancer. WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C & Potassium. GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners for their high vitamin C content.. Guava is also rich in fiber, which helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good for your eyes. Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer!
Can you believe this? For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup,warm water or warm beer after a meal. A serious note about heart attacks HEART ATTACK PROCEDURE': (THIS IS NOT A JOKE!)

Women should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting. Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.. You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack . Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms.. Sixty percent of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know the better chance we could survive...

A cardiologist says if everyone who READS this tells it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life.

VOCABULARY OF A DIFFERENT SORT

Words Not Yet In The Dictionary
ELBONICS (el bon' iks) n. The actions of two people maneuvering for one armrest in a movie theater.

ELECELLERATION (el a cel er ay' shun) n. The mistaken notion that the more you press an elevator button the faster it will arrive. FRUST (frust) n. The small line of debris that refuses to be swept onto the dust pan and keeps backing a person across the room until he finally decides to give up and sweep it under the rug.

LACTOMANGULATION (lak' to man gyu lay' shun) n. Manhandling the "open here" spout on a milk container so badly that one has to resort to the 'illegal' side.

NEONPHANCY (ne on' fan see) n. A fluorescent light bulb struggling to come to life.

PEPPIER (pehp ee ay') n. The waiter at a fancy restaurant whose sole purpose seems to be walking around asking diners if they want ground pepper.

PETONIC (peh ton' ik) adj. One who is embarrassed to undress in front of a household pet.

PHONESIA (fo nee' zhuh) n. The affliction of dialing a phone number and forgetting whom you were calling just as they answer.

PUPKUS (pup' kus) n. The moist residue left on a window after a dog presses its nose to it.

TELECRASTINATION (tel e kras tin ay' shun) n. The act of always letting the phone ring at least twice before you pick it up, even when you're only six inches away.

USEFUL INFORMATION YOU MAY YET TO LEARN

What color is an airplane's 'black box?'
The "black box" that houses an airplane's voice recorder is orange so it can be more easily detected amid the debris of a plane crash.

What's on top of Mauna Kea?
The 4,200-meter-high summit of Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano, on the island of Hawaii hosts the world’s largest astronomical observatory, with telescopes operated by astronomers from eleven countries. The combined power of Mauna Kea's telescopes is fifteen times greater than that of the Palomar telescope in California -- for many years, the world’s largest -- and fifty times greater than that of the Hubble Space Telescope. Since astronomers observe the skies at night and car headlights interfere with observations, it is preferred that visitors drive to the summit area between sunrise and sunset. Daytime visitors are also welcomed.

What happened to Alexander after he died?
After his death, Alexander the Great's remains were preserved in a huge crock of honey. Among the ancient Egyptians, it was common practice to bury the dead in this manner.

Where were the first klompen made?
The first wooden shoe comes from the Netherlands. The Netherlands have many seas, so people needed a shoe that kept their feet dry while working outside. The shoes were called klompen and they had been cut of one single piece of wood. Today, the klompen are the favorite souvenir for people who visit the Netherlands.

How many Concordes were there?
Only sixteen Concordes were ever made, the last in 1980. On New Year's Eve 1994, one Concorde plane carried wealthy revelers on a 32-hour trip to nowhere. These travelers, who paid $23,000 apiece for the trip, rang in the New Year twice because they twice crossed the International Date Line.

GRAND SEPTEMBER PROMOTION

ARE YOU A STUDENT OF TEACHER IN BELIZE???? WELL I AM EXTENDING THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER´S PROMOTION TO YOU!!! CALL FOR YOUR APPOINTMENT AND COME ON DOWN TO COROZAL TOWN. TRUST ME IT IS A MASSAGE TO DIE FOR!!! NO ONE HAS GONE DISSATISFIED YET!!!! SO CALL ME TODAY!!!

WE´RE CLOSED ON THURSDAYS AND MAY BE OUT SOMETIMES DURING THE WEEK TOO AS I HAVE TO TRAVEL ACROSS THE BORDER. MY MEXICAN CELLULAR NUMBER IS 0050219831315669!!!

WE´RE OPEN SUNDAYS!!!!!

SOME INFORMATION TO INCREASE YOUR KNOWLEDGE

How did Metallica lead to Megadeth?
In early 1982, desperate for a full time lead guitarist, Ulrich advertised in a local newspaper. Dave Mustaine responded and Ulrich and Hetfield were so impressed they asked him to join before immediately. However, shortly after arriving in New York in 1983, Ulrich and Hetfield decided that Mustaine's aggressive and disruptive behaviour (relating to his extensive alcohol and drug problems) was becoming too much to handle and he was asked to leave the band. Mustaine would go on to create the hugely-successful band Megadeth.


What other cultural touchstone has Bugs Bunny managed to achieve?
In 1997, Bugs appeared on a U.S. postage stamp, the first toon to be honored, beating even the iconic Mickey Mouse. The stamp is number seven on the list of the ten most popular U.S. stamps, as calculated by the number of stamps purchased but not used. In 2002, TV Guide compiled a list of the 50 greatest cartoon characters of all time as part of the magazine's 50th anniversary. Bugs Bunny was given the honor of number one. In a CNN broadcast on July 31, 2002, a TV Guide editor explained why Bugs pulled top billing: "His stock...has never gone down...Bugs is the best example...of the smart-aleck American comic. He not only is a great cartoon character, he's a great comedian. He was written well. He was drawn beautifully. He has thrilled and made many generations laugh. He is tops."

When did the renewed interest in the Shroud of Turin begin?
On May 28, 1898, amateur Italian photographer Secondo Pia took the first photograph of the shroud and was startled by the negative in his darkroom. The negative gave the appearance of a positive image, which implies that the shroud image is itself effectively a negative of some kind, as a negative of a negative is a positive. Observers often feel that the detail and heft of the man on the shroud is greatly enhanced in the photographic negative. Pia's results intensified interest in the shroud and sparked renewed efforts to determine its origin.


What are the origins of alchemy?
Western alchemy has always been closely connected with Hermeticism, a philosophical and spiritual system that traces its roots to Hermes Trismegistus, a syncretic Egyptian-Greek deity and legendary alchemist. These two disciplines influenced the birth of Rosicrucianism, an important esoteric movement of the seventeenth century. In the course of the early modern period, as mainstream alchemy evolved into modern chemistry, its mystic and Hermetic aspects became the focus of a modern spiritual alchemy, where material manipulations are viewed as mere symbols of spiritual transformations.

What do the different colored jerseys in the Tour de France signify?
The maillot jaune (yellow jersey), which is worn by the overall time leader, is the most prized. It is awarded by calculating the total combined race time up to that point for each rider. The maillot vert (green jersey) is awarded for sprint points. At the end of each stage, points for this jersey are earned by the riders who finish first, second, etc. The "King of the Mountains" wears a white jersey with red dots (maillot a pois rouges), referred to as the "polka dot jersey". At the top of each climb in the Tour, there are points for the riders who are first over the top. The maillot blanc (white jersey) is like the yellow jersey, but only open for young riders who are under 25 years old on January 1 of the year the Tour is ridden. Finally, the "fighting spirit" award goes to the most combative rider of the previous stage. Each day, a group of judges awards points to riders who made particularly attacking moves the day before, and the rider with most points in total gets a white-on-red (instead of a black-on-white) identification number.

KNOWLEDGE IS ALL YOU NEED IN THIS CRUEL WORLD

Was Joel feeling better?
On his deathbed, writer Joel Chandler Harris (1856-1931), creator of the "Uncle Remus" stories, was asked whether he was feeling better. His last words were, "I am about the extent of a tenth of a gnat's eyebrow better."

How deadly was WWI to Britain's youth?
One out of every three British males between the ages of 17 and 35 was killed in World War I.


Which dwarves didn't make it?
No one can say just when Walt Disney began to think about undertaking his biggest project to date, Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs, but by the summer of 1934, his ideas were beginning to take concrete form. An exploratory outline that he distributed to his animation staff, dated August 9, 1934, included the following discussion of the dwarfs' names: "The names which follow each suggest a type of character and the names will immediately identify the character in the minds of the audience." Some of the names that were considered then discarded included Scrappy, Doleful, Crabby, Wistful, Dumpy, Soulful, Tearful, Snappy, Helpful, Gaspy, Gloomy, Busy, Dirty, Awful, Dizzy, Shifty, and Biggy-Wiggy.

How did Egyptian women wear their hair?
In 1500 B.C. in Egypt, a shaved head was considered the ultimate in feminine beauty. Egyptian women removed every hair from their heads with special gold tweezers and polished their scalps to a high sheen with buffing cloths.

Who designed Nike's 'Swoosh?'
The Nike "swoosh" logo was designed by University of Oregon student Carolyn Davidson in 1964 — four years after business undergrad Phil Knight and track coach Bill Bowerman founded the company they originally called Blue Ribbon Sports. Ms. Davidson was paid $35 dollars for her design.

Here, Here! 13 Years Of Perfect Attendance.

Md. Senior a Get-Up-and-Go Teen
By Daniel de Vise
Washington Post Staff Writer Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Cal Ripken, Iron Man of the Baltimore Orioles, played in 2,632 consecutive baseball games.
Stefanie Zaner, Iron Kid of Darnestown, is closing in on her 2,340th straight day of public school.
The 18-year-old is unlikely to get the standing ovation afforded Ripken for his streak when she arrives at Northwest High School on Friday for the last day of senior classes in Montgomery County.
But hers is a rare accomplishment. Not once in 13 years was Stefanie marked absent: not for a cold, a family vacation, a college visit or a senior skip day. She once went on a freshman trip to Shanghai with the school marching band and boarded the plane with her clarinet only after securing written assurance from the principal that the trip would not count as an absence. She has never broken a bone, thrown up or caught the flu or even a bad cough, she said.
"There were days in high school when I thought she was too tired to get up," said Debbie Zaner, Stefanie's mother. "But by high school, it was up to her. It wasn't up to me."
Perfect attendance for even one year is an elusive goal. Schools are germ factories. Kids play hooky. Families travel. Religious holidays sometimes require attendance elsewhere. Even conscientious students take the occasional personal day to prepare for a test or catch up on homework.
An informal survey of 20 local school systems turned up just one other graduating senior with perfect attendance since kindergarten (officially, 180 days a year, for 13 years, although the exact annual total hinges on snow days): Kristen Waddle, 18, of Brentsville District High School in Prince William County. A third student, Austin White of Mountain View High School in Stafford County, hasn't missed a day since first grade. There might be others.
Kristen's attendance effort in elementary school was nothing short of heroic: She showed up every day despite moving twice and changing schools three times. Staying home was boring -- or so she heard from her brother. There was a no-TV rule, strictly enforced.
"We could sit in our room and read. That was it," she said.
The Prince William senior remembers nearly ending her streak once or twice in high school from sheer exhaustion. An after-school job kept her out until 10 some nights.
"I have these days where I'm like, 'I do not want to be here,' " she said. "I'm just the kid who shows up on those days."
Austin, 18, thinks he knows the moment he decided nothing would keep him from school. It was about fifth grade, the night before a standardized test. "I was puking buckets, and my Mom asked, 'Do you want to stay home?' And I said, 'No, I've got to go to school, I've got to take the test.' "
To keep the streak alive, the Stafford teenager has passed up national baseball tournaments. Even an ankle sprain sophomore year, he said, "wasn't a good-enough reason to stay home."
Stefanie, like Kristen and Austin, didn't enter kindergarten intent on never missing school. The goal crept up on her. Her principal at Darnestown Elementary School, Larry Chep, gave out annual awards for perfect attendance. She won a couple, then found she "really liked being recognized for something." By the end of fifth grade, when Chep recognized her for six consecutive years without absence, Stefanie stood alone.
Chep remembers her as "one of those kids you want in your school." Stefanie returns to Darnestown Elementary each spring to help her fourth-grade teacher take down her classroom and organize her closet.
Iron Man Cal earned his nickname by playing through injury. So did Stefanie, in a way, coming to school sick or, more often, dead tired. She's never had a serious illness or a high fever, she said, a claim to which friends and teachers attest. If anything, sniffly classmates fretted about making her sick. Austin and Kristen, too, are preternaturally healthy.
Stefanie will attend the University of Maryland in its honors program. She wants to be a doctor. She is a straight-A student.
"That's since third grade," her mother said in the family kitchen.
"Since fourth grade," Stefanie interjected.
And just what sort of person earns straight A's for 10 years -- make that nine -- without missing a day of school? A perfectionist. A worrier. An overachiever. Stefanie is all of those, by her own account.
The quest for perfection begat hardship and regret. "I didn't get to do any senior skip days," Stefanie said. "I didn't get to do any college visits."
The past two years "have probably been the most stressful years of my life," she said. It wasn't just the homework, the strain of taking multivariable calculus and studying for Advanced Placement tests. It was the mounting pressure to stay perfect, to get to school every day, to earn only A's.
"There were times I felt completely overwhelmed and thought I was never going to be able to maintain this image that everyone had of me," she said.
Stefanie came to school early many mornings and visited the classroom of Carolyn Diggs, her sophomore math teacher, who became her confidante. She would vent to Diggs when things weren't perfect. The teacher helped her learn to lose a few battles and focus on winning the war.
"Nothing less than 100 percent is good enough for her," Diggs said.
Stefanie seems to draw her motivation from within, although her mother is a former PTA president known for working through daily task lists. Debbie and Rob Zaner, a dentist, recall leaning more on Stefanie's older brother, Jordan.
"Jordan would say, 'If I get the B, I'm happy,' " Rob Zaner recalled. "Stef would say, 'If I don't get the A, my life is coming to an end.' "
Stefanie's friends like her partly for her imperfections, such as her weakness for bling and propensity to show up at tennis practice "diva'd out," in the words of longtime friend Chelsea Hoggle, 17.
Chelsea also recalls the hours Stefanie toiled last year creating photo albums for friends as graduation gifts and the many lunch periods her friend spent visiting teachers and tutoring classmates.
"She doesn't do things halfway," Chelsea said.

MY LIFE AS A TEACHER

I have done many crazy things in my life. I have many more to do yet, I think, but there are certain things I can say with my head held high that I did not do as a teacher:

1. In the world where so many teachers are having affairs with their students, I can proudly say that I have NEVER had a affair with a student!! Hell, they all love me to bits and pieces but our love is of student for teacher and teacher for student. We have helped each other by being there for each other.

2. I have never taken money for courses and not given the course. Under review I found out that this was a fabrication of one evil mind. Note: if we stop listening to rumours and making up rumours, life could be far better for each and every one of us.

3. Check back to my days at CCC Day. I never gave a free period to my students and yet they loved and still love me!!

4. I have never been on a drinking spree with my students. We can all name a few teachers that do that.

5. I have never caused teachers under my supervision to feel threatened. WE ALL KNOW SOMEONE WHO DOES!!

6. I have never forced students or teachers to accept my philosophy.

DARN IT!! I AM GOING TO STOP BECAUSE IF I CONTINUE IT WILL SEEM AS IF I AM A GODDESS OR A SUPERMAMA!! AND OF COURSE, I AM!! hahaha

HAVE A GREAT DAY AND REMEMBER, SPREAD SUNSHINE NOT GLOOM TODAY!!

MORE INTELLIGENCE FOR INTELLIGENT, QUESTIONING PEOPLE

How much solar energy goes into evaporation?
One-third of the solar energy reaching the Earth is used in evaporating water; about 95,000 cubic miles each year. This is equivalent to 30 lakes the size of Lake Superior.


How shy was Henry?
Henry Cavendish, one of the great scientists of the 1700s, was painfully shy and could barely speak to one person – never to two. He was so timid in the presence of women that he communicated with his female servants by notes only. If one crossed his path in his house, she was fired on the spot. He built a separate entrance to the house so that he could come and go without meeting anyone. In the end, he insisted on dying alone.


What is a popular component to clean clothes?
In many countries, urine was used as a detergent for washing. One of urine's major components, ammonia, is used in cleaning products.

How common are foot problems?
About 75 percent of Americans will have foot problems of one sort or another at some time in their lives.


Who came up with milk chocolate?
The early eating bars of chocolate were made of bittersweet chocolate. Milk chocolate was introduced in 1875 when Henry Nestle, a maker of evaporated milk and Daniel Peter, a chocolate maker, got together and invented milk chocolate, which today is preferred by 80% of the world's population.

INTERESTING INFORMATION WE SHOULD ALL LEARN ABOUT

What bird did the Wright Brothers study?
The Wright Brothers spent time observing the flight of the buzzard to help them solve the mystery of flight. They realized that the bird retained balance in the air by twisting the tips of it's wings. By creating a wing warping method based upon this observation, the brothers were able to obtain a remarkable degree of maneuverability.

When is Mother's Day celebrated in Mexico?
In Mexico, Día de la Madre -- Mother's Day -- is celebrated on May 10th. In some areas it is a huge gala event, with mariachis starting at noon and family festivities throughout the day.

Why is a Chiapas shawl so treasured?
In the highlands of Chiapas, Mexico, weaving skills are treasured, and a colorful, well-made shawl worn by an unmarried woman advises potential husbands of its wearer’s dexterity.

Did Charles VIII die of fear?
King Charles VIII of France, who ascended to the throne in 1483, was obsessed with the idea of being poisoned. As his phobia grew, the monarch ate so little that he died of malnutrition circa 1498.

How many molecules are in the human body?
The human body consists of about 60 trillion cells, and each cell has about 10,000 times as many molecules as the Milky Way has stars.

HERE ARE SOME TRIVIA Q AND A TO MAKE YOU SMARTER!!

How did Bic pens get their name?
More than 14 million BIC pens are sold daily in 150 countries. "BIC" is actually a shortened version of founder Marcel Bich's name.

Which seahorse carries the embryo?
The male seahorse, not the female, carries the embryo of the species. The female fills the male's brooch pouch with eggs, which remain in the swollen sac for a gestation period of eight to ten days.

How high should a tennis ball bounce?
According to the U.S. Lawn Tennis Association, a tennis ball is supposed to bounce between 53 and 58 inches when it is dropped on concrete from a height of 100 inches. The concrete surface should be 4 inches thick.

How populous is New York City?
There are more people in New York City (7,895,563) than there are in the states of Alaska, Vermont, Wyoming, South Dakota, New Hampshire, Nevada, Idaho, Utah, Hawaii, Delaware, and New Mexico combined.

Which will bounce higher -- a ball or rubber or a ball of glass?
A ball of glass will bounce higher than a ball of rubber. A ball of solid steel will bounce higher than one made entirely of glass.

YOU ARE NEVER TOO OLD TO LEARN

Three sisters in 40s graduate together
RALEIGH, N.C. (UPI) -- North Carolinian Valerie Noel says graduating from the University of Phoenix with her two younger sisters was the culmination of a collaborative dream. Noel said she and her sisters obtained human services/management bachelor's degrees at the Raleigh, N.C., campus of the for-profit educational institution thanks to their ability to lean on one another in their individual times of need, The (Raleigh) News & Observer reported Sunday. "When you didn't think you could go on, we could call on each other," she said. "We could help each other." Noel said she and her sisters Jeanette and Delores, all in their 40s, initially learned about the university, which also offers courses online, from their friend, Hazel Henry. While the sisters celebrated with Henry and one another after Saturday's graduation ceremony, Noel admitted the true motivating force for the siblings was missing. "He was an inspiration," she told the News & Observer of the sisters' father Arthur, who died of cancer in 2007.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International

Meditation may lead to a bigger brain

LOS ANGELES (UPI) -- Push-ups may lead to a better body, but meditation may lead to a better brain, researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles, said. The researchers used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging to scan the brains of people who meditate. The study, published in the journal NeuroImage, found certain regions in the brains of long-term meditators were larger than in a control group. "We know that people who consistently meditate have a singular ability to cultivate positive emotions, retain emotional stability and engage in mindful behavior," lead author Eileen Luders, a postdoctoral research fellow at the UCLA Laboratory of Neuro Imaging, said in a statement. "The observed differences in brain anatomy might give us a clue why meditators have these exceptional abilities." Those who meditated showed significantly larger volume of the hippocampus and areas within the orbito-frontal cortex, the thalamus and the inferior temporal gyrus -- all regions known for regulating emotions. Luders and colleagues examined 44 people -- 22 control subjects and 22 who had practiced various forms of meditation -- including Zazen, Samatha and Vipassana, among others.
Copyright 2009 by United Press International