Life is Healthy

Wishing all of us good health, good tidings and an abundance of love and joy in 2008.

I made no resolutions for the New Year. The habit of making plans, of criticizing, sanctioning and molding my life, is too much of a daily event for me. ~Anaïs Nin


I think in terms of the day's resolutions, not the year's. ~Henry Moore


One resolution I have made, and try always to keep, is this: To rise above the little things. ~John Burroughs


I do think New Year's resolutions can't technically be expected to begin on New Year's Day, don't you? Since, because it's an extension of New Year's Eve, smokers are already on a smoking roll and cannot be expected to stop abruptly on the stroke of midnight with so much nicotine in the system. Also dieting on New Year's Day isn't a good idea as you can't eat rationally but really need to be free to consume whatever is necessary, moment by moment, in order to ease your hangover. I think it would be much more sensible if resolutions began generally on January the second. ~Helen Fielding, Bridget Jones's Diary

Christmas is a wonderful time of year for some, and I hope it is for you. Sadly for me Christmas has never been a time for celebrations, instead usually family arguments, leaving home, the memory of my brothers death (1 week before Christmas; thanks to a dickhead drunk driver), and now the loss of access to see my daughter (after bringing her up for 8 years), because her mom is..... (fill in the blanks), so as you can see not alot of reasons to be happy at Christmas.

This year was no different, what a fiasco it turned out to be - I booked my trip arrived as expected, had to stay with another friend because the one I expected to stay with didn't answer their phone, messages or emails: thanks!

I got to see China and as expected the atmosphere was frosty (even for this time of year), I took her out for the day and got her to help me choose what she wanted for Christmas, last year I went a little crazy with the presents, but this time I took it easier - I managed to spend around 8 hours with China before returning her home, which again was no simple task.
If you ever have had to leave someone behind you care for so dearly you will know how hard this is, to walk away knowing the next time you see them could be months from now.

My ex decided she wanted to "chat" as she had company there I declined (when I say company her new guy) - then got loads of phone calls 'telling me' what I MUST do, sorry to say once I left that relationship I have no responsibility to her, only China. Which I try to do what I can but when I don't get the simple things like time with her, it makes me bitter to even do that.

Anyway very long story short - it ended in a full blown row on the phone the conclusion been - "you can no longer see your daughter" (said my ex) - GREAT !! Merry Fucking Christmas!!! Why is it that the person that matters always loses out? Why is it when you treat someone well they shit on you? Why is it life is so unfair?

Well the long and short of this week is this I shall not be returning to the UK at all next year (unless its an emergency), I simply cannot put up with this bullshit anymore. I have tried to be cordial, I have helped, I have tried to make the most of what we have and its never enough, so no more!

On the flip side of the trip I got to catch up with my cousin who sadly needs some guidance in her life as she is surrounded by nobodys and people going no where fast - No I'm not saying I'm all that, but at 18 you do need some guidance, and I really hope she gets it. Her boyfriend is a knob and a waste of oxygen, her mom is trying hard but keeps falling, its a shame that the family unit in England isn't like that of Indians or Spaniards because they stick together and help each other get what they need; family is the MOST important thing in their culture, in English culture, no! Its who has the most Bling or the best this or that, sad really!!

Question: Why is it we put up with things that don't make us happy?? Yes it would be far harder to change it for something else or go it alone, but why stay in a situation that you are miserable with?? Is it ultimately worth it -=- When I have changed my situations I usually feel far better for it and usually regret not doing it sooner, so why do some people stick in a bad situation?

This is Eli.

He is asleep on the dog bed that J-Dog got for Christmas.

J-Dog really likes his bed but Eli really, really likes it, too.

Eli weighs 10 lbs.

J-Dog weighs more than 50 lbs.

But J-Dog always defers to Eli, who I recently decided is related to the Fishing Cat.

My spouse left the kids in the back yard while he went to shovel the front walk. When he returned, D. was digging and shovelling looking focused and determined. Nine year old S. was nowhere to be seen.

Turns out he was completely buried in snow.

I am choosing not to be disturbed by this (although D. did look like he was really enjoying himself) and instead, to be pleased that they were playing together without fighting.

This is another rare sighting of my children playing together.

And this is where it all falls apart.

And this? It's a picture of my dog having his Christmas dinner with all the trimmings. Except cranberry sauce. Because that would be excessive.

Just asking.

A harbinger of global climate change that is happening too rapidly all across this world to be just natural. But will the cause really matter should the millions of people who depend on these glaciers for water to survive no longer have it because the world was too busy debating instead of doing something to address it?

Thanks to the 804 people who answered the first poll. The question was - How Many Pounds Do You Want to Lose?



The results were surprising as I had thought a larger percentage of people would have wanted to lose more than fifty pounds. But it turns out that 65% of the readers here want to lose less than 50 pounds.

I haven't focused too much on weight loss success stories which involve losing less than fifty pounds. So as a result of these poll results, expect to see more of these stories here soon, though I realize everyone (like me) is inspired by the really big weight loss stories and these are also easier to find and write about. But for anyone who has succeeded in their goal to lose 10 to 50 pounds, please let me know about it if you'd like your story featured here.

Thanks again for voting.

Wishing everyone very happy holidays ahead.

I'll be back to posting in a few days. Thinking of New Years resolutions yet anyone?

The poster here is Santa Skiing.

2007 has been Blogger's most amazing year yet! As you'll remember, we began it just after we had taken the new version of Blogger out of beta. Here's a quick run-down of many of the fun things we did since then:

• Domain association and purchasing
  
• Hindi transliteration
• Blogger Photos in Picasa Web Albums
• 26 new languages
• widgets: Videobar, Newsreel, Header Images, Polls, Search Box, Google Gadgets, Slideshow, Subscriptions Links
  
• 1000th Blog of Note
• Old Blogger shut down, New Blogger for all, and Blogger's 8th birthday
  
• Autosave
• Profile Search
  
• Blogger in Draft
• Video Upload
• Feed Enclosures and Redirects
• Blogger Play
• Comments: Subscribe via Email, OpenID

Two fixes just went live, before we sign off for a brief holiday break:

• Unregistered commenters can once again provide an auto-linked URL [Help Group Thread]
  
• Images in the Header page element will no longer be cropped vertically [Help Group thread]

A rather scruffy cuddly dog, wearing a striped scarf with a bobble. Dropped by a passing child, unwanted by a nearby householder or just out for a walk and it stopped to cock its leg?

Day 1


Day 2


Day 3


Alas, it was not to be another five week epic. Let's hope that the child found him before the street sweeper.

That's it for the year from me. Season's Greetings to you all. Sorry that the posting got a bit sporadic after MY LOVELY BABY was born, but then so did the sleep. Thank you as ever for all your comments. It really makes a difference knowing that people enjoy the silly stuff that I come up with. From considering going back to C++ last January, I think I've got seven writing jobs on the go next month, one of which came in a totally unexpected way from the space I have to try ideas out here, so I have much to be grateful for. But mainly MY LOVELY BABY!!!11!!!!1!!

This week I decided to go back to Vaughan Town as an anglo just as I started one year ago - since then I have done 20 programs, and have enjoyed each of them, its good to see how much I've grown looking back.

The week was full of talented people from all over the world and each person participanted fully, which made the week fly by - as usual it hard to say goodbye at the end but there were a few 'master' students who I'm bound to see again as they have to do 4 programs before they finish.

So what did the week have install? Well we did a Christmas theme Vaughan Town - Marissa read Twas the night before Xmas in Spanglish! We had carols, a Xmas tree and eggnog!

I did my dance in a mask which was very funny - got a standing ovation; but nearly died in the process as i couldn't breath - and trust me doing 48 dances in 6 minutes you NEED to breath!! hehe - but it was SO worth it. Having thrown down that gauntlet Rob had to pull out something big - no not that!!!!

He did a portrait of yours truly in 5 minutes!! and it was awesome: its now on my wall at home - this was his present to me for Xmas which got me a little teary. Rob being Rob also gave something to everyone else - A VIRUS!!! This time it was just the flu - the antibiotics cleared up the other one ehh mate!?! (just kidding)

As usual the photos of the week are HERE

Where ever you are from - Feliz Navidad - Merry Christmas - Joyeux Noël et Bonne Année!

Meet Loni Swain...She's sassy, fun-loving, and she's never met a stranger! As one of the hottest PYT's on the airwaves, her voice is her money-maker. Let's chat with Loni and learn how she gets in where she fits in on the radio scene.

What is your current role?
I am working at FOXY 95.5 WFUN-FM in Saint Louis, MO. I am the host of Loni's Love Lounge...all the slow baby makin' love songs! Mon-Fri 6p-12a. You can also listen LIVE online at www.foxy955.net.

How did you get your start in radio? (Hint, hint - did any peer help you out? :)
I got my start in radio thanks to the B-Life's founder and my dear friend Jen! :) I started, as most in the entertainment industry, as an intern in the Promotions department at Q93 WQUE-FM in New Orleans,LA in 2001. After doing that for 6 months WITHOUT PAY...just a couple free cds here and there...I got hired PART TIME. This industry is big on making you pay your dues! And I am still considered a rookie with 5 years under my belt!

What did you have to do to prove yourself as a serious on-air personality?
Aside from "paying my dues" ( interning without pay, working the grave-yard shifts, and filling in for people at the last minute), I mainly had to show my dedication to the job. This is a job where you are CONSTANTLY having to prove yourself on a daily basis! Its a 24 hour job that you have to remain passionate about. Consistently being up-to-date on current events and things relative to my audience, putting in the extra hours, doing community service, creating a name for myself amongst my listening audience as well as my co-workers by promoting myself and events that I am a part of and last but certainly not least..NETWORKING!!! Meeting and maintaining communication with other people within the industry will help you out A LOT! and the more people you know...the more people speak about you and your work ethic...the better!

Which parts of the job are glamorous?
Meeting the celebrities of course... Attending award shows, boxing matches in Vegas, staying at the W Hotel in Hollywood for movie premieres and more...all for $FREE.99! Getting free cds, movie passes, concert tickets, VIP status at the clubs...but the free trips are my fav! Plus a lot of listeners look up to you as though YOU are a celebrity...people hear your voice everyday! you are a part of people's lives!!! pretty cool! :)

Which parts of the job are unglamorous?
The PAY can be very UNGLAMOROUS! Especially when you first start out. They figure the free stuff is compensation enough... SOMEBODY LIED! lol...Plus...because it can be considered very glamorous for most, they know there are plenty of people in line who would do the job for little to nothing! Its highly competitive! Also, because some people consider you a celebrity and see you get the hook-up, you have to watch for the fake friends and groupies that just want to hang out with you so that they can get " the hook-up too!"

Tell us something that we don't know about the radio business?
Because no one ever sees radio personalities...alot of us go to work lookin' TOE-UP! despite our glamorous appearances when we are on the social scene! :)

What is your dream job? I always say...anything that doesn't deal with math or science!!!!
Honestly, I don't know. In the near future, I plan to pursue some television aspirations. Possibly news anchoring or being a vee-jay. However, I change my mind everyday and sometimes dream of being a pre-school teacher! I know it would have to be something where I interact with people on a daily basis...plus I like to talk!

What advice do you have for those who may want to break into the radio biz. or show business in general?
Be persistent!!!!! Stay encouraged! Know that you will have to pay dues...do grunt work and possibly take a job making coffee for the boss to get your foot in the door. BE WILLING TO LEARN EVERYTHING! to make yourself more valuable to the company. You also have to have tough skin or be willing to get some...because this industry is based on OTHER PEOPLE's OPINION of YOU! And ALWAYS stay HUMBLE! This is a JOB...like any other JOB...you could be HOT today...and GONE tomorrow!

What makes you good at your job?
I am a naturally friendly person...and I smile a lot...so I usually have no problems meeting new people and making new friends...personally and professionally...this biz is all about networking and building relationships!

Where do you go from here?
Hopefully UP! :) My short term goal is to break into television while doing radio simultaneously....take over your airwaves AND TV! Soooo...hopefully you will be hearing me on your radio and seeing me on a TV near YOU!

“The Biggest Loser” finale is on TV tonight. One of the four finalists - Hollie, Isabeau, Julie or Bill will win $250,000.


A lot of people seem to think Bill will be the winner. If you've been following the series and have a firm opinion on who's going to win, go place your vote for the winner here.

Update: Bill is the winner. He lost 164 pounds for a current weight of 170.

Here's a photo of Bill before his weight loss.

Mexico, U.S. Suffer As Rio Grande Sucked Dry

By Robin Emmott Sun Dec 16, 8:19 PM ET
EJIDO LA LAGUNA, Mexico (Reuters) -

Julian Rosales' farm is within a stone's throw of one of North America's biggest rivers, but the Mexican landowner fears he will not be able to sow his crops next year for lack of water. Rusty tractors plow Rosales' parched earth along the banks of the Rio Grande on Mexico's border with Texas where thousands of local farmers say their livelihoods are at stake because Mexico was this year forced by a bilateral treaty to transfer millions of liters of water to the United States.

While farmers and lawmakers in arid northern Mexico seek to challenge the water payment in an international court, the farmers' plight is a symptom of a much bigger problem: the Rio Grande and its underground aquifers are being sucked dry on both sides of the frontier.
The eastern border region is slowly heading toward a water crisis.

"They have taken our water and these lands are dying. Our children are emigrating to the United States, some illegally," said Rosales, who grows the animal feed sorghum in the desert lands of Mexico's Tamaulipas state on the Gulf of Mexico.

Under a 1944 treaty, Mexico is required to transfer water to the United States every five years from the two dams the countries share on the Texas border. For farmers in Tamaulipas, that means ruined harvests and hardship every time the transfer is made.

The landscape is now dotted with abandoned farms and villages unable to enjoy the artificial irrigation that is central to agriculture in a desert region with sporadic rains. In a last attempt to save the farmers, lawmakers in Tamaulipas have called on Mexico's Supreme Court to rule on whether this year's water transfer was lawful. They argue the treaty stipulates the payment should be made with water from six Mexican tributaries further west along the border that feed the Rio Grande, not with surface water from Tamaulipas. If they win, lawmakers aim to take the United States to an international court to force it to return the water.

End of excerpt.

U.S. To Deny Mexico Water?

My previous entry about this from August, 2006 with more information on the 1944 treaty. And once again, greed takes precedence over human rights.

Kevin is a chef in a Four Seasons Hotel. He has succeeded in losing 85 pounds in the past nine months. The pounds crept on as he was sampling most of the food that was created in his kitchen. He had a weakness for the muffins, danishes and croissants.

But he finally made the decision to lose weight after he saw how he had no energy to play with his four year old son. He is 6'1 and used to weigh 355 pounds. Today he weighs 270 and his health is greatly improved. See the chef's weight loss story here.

The above poster is Muffin Man by Barbara Olsen.