Monday, December 30, 2013

MEDIA-RELATED STUFF

Last night's episode of "This American Life" took the cake.

Am warming to Dave Schraider as a host of "Coast To Coast."

Was looking up old clips of WUHF-tv Rochester on YouTube Saturday night. I'm curious what those UHF independent stations used to be like before being made affiliates of Fox and other networks.

Couldn't get the Ontars net on 3755.

Saturday, December 28, 2013

HOW TO GROW UP-MENSTRUATION

There are lots of great alternatives to the pads and tampons you see advertised on TV.

There are cloth pads. These are washable pads made out of materials such as cotton and flannel. Girls and women who use them report these pads are softer, drier and just feel more comfortable than disposable pads. Plus, cloth pads don't contain the chemicals disposables do.

Cloth pads are available online and possibly in traditional retail stores. They are also available at certain health food and natural health stores. There are also women who make them as a cottage industry.

One alternative to tampons is the menstrual cup. This is a bell-shaped device made out of silicon. It is inserted in the vagina. It also does not contain the harsh chemicals of disposable pads and tampons.

Menstrual cups are available online and at some brick and mortar stores.

There are also disposable menstrual cups made out of a safe plastic material. These are available online, at certain retail chains in the U.S., at Shoppers Drug Mart across Canada, and at other retail outlets in certain parts of Canada.

I have some posts on this blog with links to places that sell these types of things. Type either cloth pads or alternative menstrual products into the search box on this blog to find them.

If you find yourself craving sweet stuff around the time of your period, reach for honey or maple syrup instead of chocolate because those things are better for you. If you are craving salt, eat sea salt because this contains a lot of beneficial minerals.

There are lots of natural remedies to deal with PMS.

If you stain, do the traditional thing of tying a sweater or jacket around your waste while you walk to the bathroom. Depending on the nature of the stain, however, you could opt not to cover up at all. After all, it happens to a lot of girls and your period isn't something to be embarrassed about.

If you are in a place where you can't change or get a pad, there are ways to improvise these things.

If you're really stuck, look up freebleeding online. I would tell you to be careful about what results you click on, but if you're reading this blog it's obviously useless to tell you not to look up inappropriate things on the internet. (ha ha)

Friday, December 27, 2013

RADIO-RELATED STUFF

Last Sunday's episode of "This American Life" was really interesting.

Been hearing that Spanish numbers lady on shortwave again.

So PopComm isn't going to be published in print form anymore. I guess that means the National Library Service for the Blind down in the States isn't going to be offering it in braille anymore either.

Is it Arcade Fire Day on CBC today? They were featured on Q this morning and now they're on "Canada Live."

Thursday, December 26, 2013

HOW TO GROW UP-CRUSHES

Don't mistake the crushes you're having on boys now that you are a preteen or in your early teenage years with the more serious relationships you'll have when you get into your later teens.

Personally, I don't recommend girls and guys date until they're sixteen, although this can vary with individual teens. This is because before this age, your feelings and attitudes about things are constantly changing. By the time you're sixteen, you have at least a slightly better idea of what you're looking for in a guy.

The purpose of dating is to prepare for marriage. It is a way to weed out the kind of guys you wouldn't want to spend the rest of your life with.

For now, enjoy the crushes you have. However, instead of taking a crush on a date where it's just the two of you, hang out with a group of friends. This will also help relieve the pressure and nervousness an actual date would cause.

At the beginning of any relationship, it is a good idea to kick things off by having the boy come over to your house for dinner, Sunday lunch or some other meal. This way, your parents can meet the boy and give you guidance as to whether he is the kind of guy a girl should truly be with. This may seem annoying and meddlesome, but your parents want you to have a happy life and a happy fulfilling marriage when you become an adult. Taking the suggestion of having a boy you like over to your house will help ensure that.

There is a lot of bad stuff out there these days in the form of music, TV, movies, literature, and websites that glorifies girls going for "bad boys." Don't go out with a bad boy. They may seem exciting, but this will only lead to bad consequences. You could end up being pressured into having sex with him, which is something only married couples should engage in as God originally intended.

Also, the bad boy will probably end up walking out on you at some point in the future, maybe leaving you with a few small children to care for on your own.

Again, I must repeat, don't mistake the crushes you are currently having for the more serious relationships you'll have a few years from now. Besides, when the time comes for those serious relationships to happen, you won't even remember the names of the boys you're presently crushing on anyway.

HOW TO GROW UP-DIVORCING PARENTS

Divorce is a terrible thing. It doesn't just affect the husband, wife and children going through the divorce; it also affects extended relatives and friends of the family.

In the Book of Exodus in the Bible, God's sixth commandment is "thou shalt not commit adultery." (See Exodus Chapter 20.)

Jesus told His followers that anyone who divorces commits adultery. If your parents are going through a divorce or your family has gone through a divorce, I can't speak to your specific situation. However, I can say in general that divorce is wrong.

The Bible says God has a much better way of looking at things than humans, "as the heavens are higher than the earth." God's solution for a couple going through a divorce is for them to remember that He instituted marriage in the first place. A married couple having problems should work out solutions to their problems according to His law and ways.

To prevent divorce from coming up in the first place, people should think long and hard before they get married. Things they should think about should include among other questions whether the person will truly be a good husband or wife, whether they will be a good father or mother and how do they treat the person who is planning to marry them.

HOW TO GROW UP-PARENTS

In the Bible, in the Book of Exodus, God gave His Ten Commandments and the fifth one is that we should honour our mother and our father. The Bible repeatedly says children should obey their parents.

All authority comes from God. The command for children to honour their parents does not give parents the right to be cruel tyrants over their children. If you don't think something is fair, most of the time you can discuss the issue with your parents and come to a peaceful resolution.

Nevertheless, there are many times when, if your parents tell you to do something, you do it without questioning. Most parents want the best for their children and will thus set out fair rules for the household designed to protect children while giving them a good and happy life at the same time.

God's order, set down in the Bible is that Christ is to be the head of every man. The man is supposed to be the head of his home and the children are to be under the husband and wife, the father and the mother. Many times when children are disrespectful and constantly disobey their parents, this is because this order is not in that home.

A girl needs a good mother to show her what kind of woman she should be and a good father to show her what to look for in a man. (Vice versa if you happen to be a guy reading this.)

Granted, there are parents who for various reasons don't know how to train their children in the way they should go as the Book of Proverbs in the Bible says. If you are living in one of these extreme situations, find a male role model in your community or at your school who acts the way a good husband should, and a woman in your community or at your school who acts like the kind of respectable woman someone would want to be.

Monday, December 23, 2013

HOW TO GROW UP-SIBLINGS

Most siblings get over their sibling rivalry by adulthood but some brothers and sisters continue to fight after this point.

In the Bible, in the Book of 1 Corinthians, chapter 13, verse 4, we are told that love is patient and kind. Siblings need to be patient and kind with each other. If you are having problems with a younger sibling, try to remember what it was like to be their age when you didn't know as much, couldn't do as much and weren't as mature as you are now. If you are having problems with an older sibling, remember that since they're older, they are experiencing new things that you haven't yet experienced yourself. Thus, they have more on their minds than you do.

Many times when a group of siblings fight, the problem rests with the order in the home. Jesus Christ tells us clearly in the Bible that he is to be in charge, or the head of every man. The man is then to be in charge of the home with his wife under him. The children are then supposed to be under the husband and wife, their mother and father, of course. Oftentimes when there is intense fighting among siblings, God's order is not in that household.

1 Corinthians 13 4 also says basically that love doesn't put itself above another person and is not puffed up. If you are really good at something and get lots of attention for it remember that your sibling or siblings could feel left out or neglected.

If you are the sibling feeling left out or neglected, remember this. God created each person individually with his or her own gifts, talents and abilities. Just because your sibling is really good at something doesn't mean you're no good at anything. Try to find out what you're good at and, if you already know the areas where your talent lies, take time to become the best you can be in whatever area you do well in.

RADIO-RELATED STUFF

Yesterday afternoon on WTWW 9475 I heard old-time radio shows and "Grandma Got Run Over By a Reindeer." Was it Scriptures for America, Kurt Wilson or WTWW broadcasting these things?

989 The Drive was coming in well last night. WDCX was also coming in but very faint.

Richard Syrett had someone filling in for him last night. I don't know if he's ever done that before.

This Duck Dynasty thing is sure revealing the true colours of many so-called patriot radio hosts.

REPLY AWL

I applaud the editorial in the November 11 issue of Maclean's. Sure, full-day kindergarten advocates, who cares about trivial things such as communication skills and emotional maturity? I think people who are in favour of things like full-day kindergarten think there aren't any parents who practice reading, writing and other skills with their children at home.

I enjoyed the highlights from the list of female entrepreneurs in the December issue of Chatalaine. Good to see women who co-own businesses with their husbands or boyfriends and a woman who ended up taking over her father's business.

Regarding the article about rape on college campuses in the December 2 issue of Maclean's: One day in the not all that far away future rape will be legalized. Actually, what will probably happen is governments will pass a law with a title like "The Complete Sexual Freedom Act" that will legalize almost everything from rape to pedophilia to bestiality.

Sunday, December 22, 2013

HOW TO GROW UP-FRIENDSHIPS

Right now, you might have a lot of friends or maybe just a few friends. Even if you have no friends, the following will apply to you in the years ahead.

You truly will probably have only three real friends in your life at the most. By friend, of course, I mean a truly close friend, the kind of person you can really open up to without fear of ridicule or judgment and the kind of person who will be there in a serious situation. If there is a death in your family or you get stranded on a snowy highway at 3:00 one morning, you know you can count on this friend for support, physical, moral and any other way it's needed.

Throughout high school and college, you will most likely have a lot of "friends." However, most of these people will be friends because you are sharing the common experience of going to high school or postsecondary education.

You will be told in college or university that this is the place where you will form all kinds of lasting friendships and connections with schoolmates that will come in handy for networking in the future. While I am sure this is true for some alumnai, through personal experience and that of people from college I talk with on occasion, I have found this to be a crock. I and others of my classmates tend to have one or two people we keep in regular contact with. I don't do Facebook but people I knew in college who do maybe have a few more of our schoolmates as "friends" on there. The majority of the people we were in class with we don't correspond with anymore.

One reason true friends are so hard to find is because most people only care about themselves and what they're interested in. Therefore, a lot of people who claim to be your friends will just use you for what they can get from you.

Another reason is simply that as people move on from university or college, they advance in their careers, marry and have children. Thus, they get busy with the lives they've carved out for themselves and don't have time to keep in touch with people they knew in high school or university anymore.

I'm not trying to be depressing here. Throughout your life, you'll have buddies, people who share similar interests and are in the same clubs or social circles as you. These people will be a source of great times and may even provide some of the qualities a true friend exhibits. You'll also have acquaintances, people such as co-workers you'll get along with, perhaps even really well. However, I must reiterate, in an age where social networking has caused society to throw this word around, you'll likely only have a few true friends.

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

SOMETHING FAR SHINIER

When you unwrap things, sit for your meal, and gather with family a week today take a moment out to praise. People are overwhelmed by getting and giving that perfect gift. They need not look or think too hard. We have all ready received a wonderful one that outshines those cool new boots, lasts longer than that new flat screen, and is far more wonderful than that delicious spread. What am I talking about? Jesus friends.




When you are seated in your warm house think that he wasn't born in a beautifully bedecked castle, but a humble manger.



So friends like I said take a moment and praise.



Talk soon God bless



Ms. Gillie

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

THE SERVICE PROJECT

Exactly two years ago this very day I, along with my prayer group, went to a youth drop in center to spread not only some Christmas cheer, but the love of Jesus. As we performed the service project, preparing glove and hat sets, serving food, and performing songs for the young people I further realized that everyone has a story.




Later when I was going about my usual stuff, I thought for a moment that one of those teenagers could have just as easily have been me or someone I knew. Friends I want you to take a moment this season to think and count your blessings. Also instead of just hanging around do some service projects. There are many out there, serving food at a shelter, collecting food for a food bank, or even just saying hello and bidding someone good day.



May God bless and keep all of you out there.



Ms. Gillie

Monday, December 16, 2013

REPLY AWL

I found many of the articles in November's issue of Readers Digest quite heartening and interesting.

Scott Feschuk's column in the November 3 issue of Maclean's was also good. Instead of inventing all the things mentioned therein, the Japanese should concentrate on inventing something that can keep the radiation from the Fucashima nuclear power plant from spreading all over the world.

I enjoyed what the Giller-nominated authors had to say in Maclean's as well.

In the December 9 edition of the online Matilda Ziegler Magazine for the Blind there was an article about Tim Bowers, a man paralysed in a car accident who decided to take himself off life support. Part of me says he should have tried to make a recovery and talked to other quadriplegics who were leading fulfilling lives,. Another part of me, more cynical, looks at the fact Bowers was a hunter and avid outdoorsman. What, therefore, could he have gotten into doing if he had recovered, other than sitting around complaining about how life sucks as seems to be the case with so many Ziegler readers and contributors lately?

By the way, to the female reader who responded to the article about Bowers this week: You say only God has the right to decide when to end someone's life, yet you say possitive things about Nelson Mandella, a man responsible for the taking of many lives. How does that work?

TRIVIA NIGHT

I am a grade 12 student at Quinte Christian High School and as part of a business class assignment, myself and three of my classmates are working together with our school's Global Issues Club to plan a trivia night to raise funds for the new Nightlight Drop-In Centre in Belleville.




The Quinte Christian High School Global Issues Club and members of the business class are holding a Trivia Night to raise funds for the new Nightlight Drop-In Centre in Belleville. The event will take place January 14th, 2014and run from 5:00-8:00 pm. A Spaghetti dinner and a movie for children 12 and under will be included in the cost of admission. Admissions are as follows: Adult: $10.00 QC Student: $8.00 Children (12 and Under): $5.00 Family: $30.00 Make a team of 4-7 people and register at qctrivianight@gmail.com. We hope to see you there! Thanks!

Sunday, December 15, 2013

THE MOTHER OF ALL BABY BOOKS-BABY GEAR 101

Car Seats: The fact that the government has legislated older and older children should be in car seats is just ridiculous.

Also, I question how necessary car seats actually are in the first place. Definitely you would want to have your infant strapped into a car seat when travelling on the highway, especially since we have all these people in Canada now who don't appear to have road safety rules where they come from. However, if you're driving somewhere in town or in the countryside, is a car seat really necessary most of the time?

Strollers: Why would you need a stroller if you're going to wear your baby?

Cribs: Are babies really at a much greater risk sleeping in cribs manufactured before 1986? It is high time people start thinking outside the box on these types of things.

Also, couldn't a friend or family member make a crib? This would be a way to save money and beat a big, faceless corporation out of some money at the same time.

Baby Bathtub: Come on, you don't really need a plastic tub for bathing your baby. When he's really little, just take him in the shower with you. When he's older, bathe him over the side of the regular bathtub.

The Diaper Dilemma: Obviously, elimination communication should be used as the primary means of handling your baby's needs in this area. However, if you are using diapers part of the time there are many different kinds of cloth diapers to choose from. These are very utilitarian and quite advanced from the cloth diapers of yesteryear. Many also look quite cute and adorable.

If you cannot afford to buy cloth diapers, you can make them out of things such as old t-shirts or dish towels.
There are also diapers with washable covers and an inner part that gets disposed of in the toilet.

If for some reason you choose to go the disposable diaper root, there are organic disposable diapers. I realize that sounds kind of like organic cigarettes but these brands of disposables don't contain the chemicals of other brands at least.

As far as picking up baby acetaminophen, I would not recommend baby's take pharmaceutical medications at all. Treat your baby's ailments naturally.

YES GIRL YOU ARE LOVED

On October 24th 1979 my parents held me for the first time, and made a vow to love me and take care of my then fragile and helpless form.




Flash forward almost twenty years and that once tiny bundle of helpless has grown in to something hardly recognizable. Someone full of anger and sadness. Someone when asked would tell them that God was to blame.



God though sees this, and feels sadness himself, and links a series of events together to bring the anger out like an infection in a finger.



It is now 2005, and I am sitting in a Sabbath service at an Adventist retreat. The preacher asks anyone interested in receiving Baptism to come to the front. At first I didn't move, but then this tiny magnet, and voice began gently pushing me to the altar call.



On the 7th of July 2007 as I emerged from the waters at the retreat after being Baptized I heard those same words that brought me to that point, "yes girl you are loved.`



May God bless and keep all of you out there.



Ms. Gillie

Friday, December 13, 2013

INTERNET STUFF

I wish all Typepad templates would show a blog's entire archives.

Came across a blog today with over 37 thousand posts in one particular archived year.

Am finding some Wordpress blogs easier to navigate now.

The audio capchas in Blogger are really easy to understand now.

RADIO-RELATED STUFF

RBN needs to update some of their commercials.

It was great to be a caller on "The Morgan Show" last Saturday night.

Dick Smyth's column in last week's issue of "Broadcast Dialogue" was spot on.

Listened to KQED San Fransisco online for a bit today. They had an interesting local program.

THINGS THAT WERE IN THE NEWS AT ONE TIME

I don't buy what Conrad Black said concerning his interview with Rob Ford. If he were some young hot to trot female reporter recently graduated from broadcasting school whose ambition was to get on an entertainment program I could see not asking if Ford meant to imply the Toronto Star reporter was a pedophile. However, Black is an intelligent man and has been in the game for decades.

Australia's highest court has overturned that country's same sex marriage legislation. Thing is, though, it only affects two dozen couples. Just shows you how few homosexuals there are, or at least how few want to get "married."

Apparently James Bond better quit drinking or he'll die at 56. This ranks right up there with Mickey Mouse's birthday being announced on the news.

There was a huge child porn ring busted several weeks ago. I heard one report on "The World At Six" and nothing thereafter. Thanks again, Canadian news media.

CHECK OUT 'TIMES NEUE ROMAN'S' LATEST SINGLE "COME FIND ME"

Their latest offering showcases smooth hip-hop bars seamlessly floating over the hard-fuzzy bass with an easy transition into a chorus filled with trance-like synths. With production and flow style nostalgic of 80's hip-hop and synths that take a page from modern day electronic trance, this single dives head first into the trenches of innovative sound.




Times Neue Roman is three EP's in with unique showcases that have even included 9-piece bands; Never shy to turn their music into objects of art from unique packaging to creative mediums to platform themselves, the duo still keeps it funky.   I did get a kick out of the synths in the chorus and there were some good rhymes in this song.

Thursday, December 12, 2013

THINGS THAT WERE IN THE NEWS AT ONE TIME

So there's another U.S. budget crisis. It's like "I'll gladly get my grandchildren to pay you in the future for a very expensive hamburger today and the same priced hamburger every day for many subsequent days."

A few months ago Ontario premiere Kathleen Win pledged the provincial government would help young adults with mental illness. If the Liberal government of this province would concentrate on actually bringing jobs back here I daresay that would eliminate a lot of mental illness among young people.

CBC will continue to broadcast "Hockey Night in Canada" for the next four years but Rogers Communications will control the broadcast, making all the decisions and leaving CBC with no say. Hmmm, isn't such a system referred to as fascism?

So Toronto mayor Rob Ford is a drunken crackhead, at least a one-time or partial crackhead. Part of our outrage at this whole thing comes from the public's quaint notion that politicians are supposed to be examples, inspiring schoolchildren and all that. Really, I think Rob Ford just wanted to be somebody and he used his connections to that end.

The top story on CJOH's 11:30 newscast last night was that it was cold. If I hadn't tuned into said broadcast, I would never have known that. I can definitely see why ratings for such news programs are falling. Also, for some reason a story about an Ottawa gym where depressed people go to exercise and help eliviate their mental illness was featured in the sports section of the program instead of the human interest section.

Speaking of CJOH's late night news, I saw a story on their in late 2010 with a woman who was instrumental in the "Ottawa diaper drive", providing a specific brand of disposable diapers to poor Canadian families. Why didn't they instead buy the poor parents cloth diapers or teach them elimination communication. That would have probably been much better all round.

On the heels of the revelation of falling sales of pop in the U.S. coincidentally comes a study saying aspertain is safe. According to a statement by one particular entity concerned in this matter, people-probably including scientists-who think aspertain is unsafe are now conspiracy theoriests.

Back to CJOH: asking people how they feel about Canada Post no longer delivering mail directly to homes in urban areas is not actually news.

Friday, December 6, 2013

NO FEAR JUST FAITH

Have you ever met someone who was so gripped with fear it entered the room before that individual did? Did they seem sad as well as frightened?


Ok a little fear is sometimes a good thing, for example when I ran track and would admit to touches of nerves before the races that actually helped me sprint faster. In that case it was helpful in getting those juices required for competition going.



In most cases fear is something Satan uses to keep us from reaching important goals and decisions. What if we just trusted in God and took that leap? Adventures and new ideas and experiences would follow.



Remember God loves you and so do I.



Ms. Gillie

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

BEYOND THE CHAOS

It's that time. You know? When the malls, stores, and parking lots are full of cars, vans, and chaos. It seems like everyone has their mind on one thing and one thing only. Yes. Jr. wants his X Box, and no he won't share with his sister. Yes you also have to buy for that aunt living in Paris, who is making a rare appearance.




Have you made room on your busy schedule to help someone? You probably walk by him/her on your way to work or running errands. That homeless person you largely ignore. Have you ever stopped to think about the fact that he/she probably at one time had a home, a family, and someone who loved him/her?



It is true. We all have a story. I remember doing a service project with my church a couple of years back at a youth drop in center. It made me feel good, but sad because one of those teenagers could have been my sister or I.



So what can you do? Volunteer your time, drop some change in those Salvation Army Kettles, buy that homeless person a sandwich and hot drink, or simply bid someone a good day.



May God bless and keep you, and I'll see you soon.



Ms. Gillie

Sunday, December 1, 2013

PRAY ANYWAY

Have you ever seen or heard of someone on Television that you just thought could use a prayer? Sometimes God places prayer opportunities in front of us at the oddest or most interesting times. Not to mention places.




A few years back, bored off my rear end I surfed the TV for something decent to watch. Finding little more than informercials, and decided to watch this one about a weight loss system. It ran through the usual fifty, seventy-five, one hundred pound losses. I was about to give up on the commercial when a woman came on. She talked about her struggle with weight, and how she was all ready 400 pounds by eighteen. She talked about how at her lowest point she acquired a scale that went to 550, and that wouldn't take her weight. She then told of how she had since lost 365 pounds.



What does this say for us? God does things, and puts even complete strangers in our lives to give us the opportunity to pray more and talk to Him.



Good-bye for now and God Bless.



Ms. Gillie