THE Christmas season is here. What does that mean to you, your family, and your associates? Is it a spiritual occasion, or is it only a festive and merry period? Is it a time to reflect on the birth of Jesus Christ or not to be concerned about Christian norms?

 

In considering those questions, bear in mind that Christmas traditions may differ according to where you live. For instance, in Mexico and other Latin-American countries, even the name is different. One encyclopedia points out that the English name Christmas "is derived from the medieval Christes Masse, the Mass of Christ." However, La Navidad, or the Nativity, as it is called in these Latin-American lands, refers to the nativity, or birth, of Christ. Take a moment to consider some details from Mexico. This may help you to shape your own opinion about this holiday season.

The Posadas, "the Three Wise Men," and the Nacimiento

The festivities begin on December 16 with the posadas. The book Mexico’s Feasts of Life comments: "It is the time of the posadas, nine magical days leading up to Christmas Eve, which commemorate the lonely wandering of Joseph and Mary in the city of Bethlehem and the moment when they at last found kindness and shelter. Families and friends gather together nightly to reenact the days preceding the birth of Christ."

 

Traditionally, a group of people carries images of Mary and Joseph to a home and in song asks for shelter, or posada. Those in the house sing in reply until the visitors are finally given admittance. Then begins a party, where some—blindfolded and with a stick in hand—take turns trying to break the piñata, a large decorated earthenware pot that hangs from a cord. Once broken, its contents (candy, fruit, and the like) are gathered by the celebrants. This is followed by food, drinks, music, and dancing. Eight posada parties are held from December 16 through December 23. On the 24th, Nochebuena (Christmas Eve) is celebrated, and families make an effort to be together for a special dinner.

Before long comes New Year’s Day, celebrated with very noisy parties. On the evening of January 5, the Tres Reyes Magos ("three wise men") are supposed to bring toys for the children. The climax is a party on January 6, when a rosca de Reyes (ring-shaped cake) is served. As this pastry is eaten, somebody will find in his piece a little doll representing the baby Jesus. The finder is obliged to organize and host a final party on February 2. (In some places there are three little dolls, representing "the three wise men.") As you can see, the partying in connection with Christmas goes on and on.

During this period, the nacimiento (Nativity scene) is quite prominent. What is involved in this? Well, in public areas as well as in churches and homes, scenes are set up with figures (large or small) made out of ceramic, wood, or clay. They represent Joseph and Mary kneeling before a manger that holds a newborn baby. Often there are shepherds and Los Reyes Magos ("the wise men"). The setting is a stable, and some animals may round out the scene. The central figure, however, is that of a newborn baby, called in Spanish el Niño Dios (the Child God). This key figure may be placed there on Christmas Eve.

A Closer Look at Nativity Traditions

Concerning the Christmas celebration as it is generally known all over the world, The Encyclopedia Americana says: "Most of the customs now associated with Christmas were not originally Christmas customs but rather were pre-Christian and non-Christian customs taken up by the Christian church. Saturnalia, a Roman feast celebrated in mid-December, provided the model for many of the merry-making customs of Christmas. From this celebration, for example, were derived the elaborate feasting, the giving of gifts, and the burning of candles."

In Latin America, those basic Nativity customs may be followed, along with additional ones. ‘From what source,’ you might wonder. Frankly, many who want to adhere to the Bible recognize that some customs are nothing but Aztec rites. El Universal, a newspaper in Mexico City, commented: "Friars from different orders took advantage of the fact that festivities of the Indian ritual calendar coincided with the Catholic liturgical calendar, so they used this to support their evangelizing and missionary work. They replaced the commemorations to the pre-Hispanic divinities with festivities to Christian divinities, introduced European festivities and activities, and also took advantage of the Indian festivities, which resulted in a cultural syncretism from which authentically Mexican expressions have arisen."

The Encyclopedia Americana explains: "Nativity plays early became a part of the Christmas celebration . . . The representation in church of the crèche [the manger scene] is said to have been begun by Saint Francis." These plays featuring the birth of Christ were performed in the churches during the beginning of the colonization of Mexico. They were organized by Franciscan monks in order to teach the Indians about the Nativity. Later the posadas became more popular. Whatever the original intention behind them, the way the posadas are held today speaks for itself. If you are in Mexico during this season, you can see or sense something that a writer for El Universal highlighted in his comment: "The posadas, which were a way to remind us of the pilgrimage of Jesus’ parents looking for a shelter where the Child God could be born, are today only days of drunkenness, excesses, gluttony, vanities, and more and more crime."

The idea of the nacimiento emerged during Colonial times from the original live representations in churches. While some find it attractive, does it correctly represent what the Bible says? That is a valid question. When the so-called three wise men—who in fact were astrologers—visited, Jesus and his family were no longer living in a stable. Time had passed, and the family was living in a house. You will find it interesting to note this detail in the inspired record at Matthew 2:1, 11. You can also note that the Bible does not say how many astrologers there were.

In Latin America, the three wise men replace the idea of Santa Claus. Still, as is done in other lands, many parents hide toys in the home. Then on the morning of January 6, the children look for them, as if the three wise men brought them. This is a money-making time for toy sellers, and some have made a fortune on what many honesthearted people recognize is just a fantasy. The myth of the three wise men is losing credibility among a goodly number, even among little children. Though some are displeased that this myth is losing believers, what can anyone expect of a fantasy maintained only for the sake of tradition and for commercial convenience?

Christmas, or the Nativity, was not celebrated by early Christians. One encyclopedia says about this: "The celebration was not observed in the first centuries of the Christian church, since the Christian usage in general was to celebrate the death of remarkable persons rather than their birth." The Bible links the celebration of birthdays with pagans, not with God’s true worshipers.- Mattew 14:6-10

This does not, of course, mean that it is not beneficial to learn and remember the actual events involved in the birth of the Son of God. The factual Bible account provides important insights and lessons for all those who want to do God’s will.

 

SOME WOULD BE SURPRISED In his book The Trouble With Christmas, author Tom Flynn set out conclusions reached after years spent researching Christmas: "An enormous number of traditions we now associate with Christmas have their roots in pre-Christian pagan religious traditions. Some of these have social, sexual, or cosmological connotations that might lead educated, culturally sensitive moderns to discard the traditions once they have understood their roots more clearly."—Page 19. After presenting a mass of supporting information, Flynn returns to the basic point: "One of the great ironies of Christmas is how little of its content is truly Christian. Once we dispose of the pre-Christian elements, most of what remains is post-Christian, rather than authentically Christian, in origin."—Page 155.

Can We Save Our Marriage?

Is There Reason for Hope?

 

"One problem in distressed marriages is the strong belief that things cannot get better. Such a belief thwarts change because it robs you of the motivation to try anything constructive."—Dr. Aaron T. Beck.

Imagine that you are in pain and go to the doctor for a checkup. You are anxious—and understandably so. After all, your health—even your very life—may be at stake. But suppose that after the examination, the doctor gives you the good news that while your problem is by no means trivial, it can be treated. In fact, the doctor tells you that if you carefully adhere to a reasonable program of diet and exercise, you can expect a full recovery. You would undoubtedly feel greatly relieved and would gladly follow his advice!

Compare this scenario to the subject at hand. Are you experiencing pain in your marriage? Of course, every marriage will have its share of problems and disagreements. So just having some difficult moments in your relationship does not mean that you have a loveless marriage. But what if the painful situation persists for weeks, months, or even years? If so, you are rightly concerned, for this is no trivial matter. Indeed, the quality of your marriage can touch virtually every aspect of your life—and that of your children. It is believed, for instance, that marital distress can be a major factor in such problems as depression, low worker productivity, and children’s failure at school. But that is not all. Christians recognize that the relationship they have with their mate can affect their very relationship with God.—1 Peter 3:7.

The fact that there are problems between you and your spouse does not mean that the situation is hopeless. Facing the reality of marriage—that there will be challenges—can help a couple to put their problems in perspective and work toward solutions. A husband named Isaac says: "I had no idea that it was normal for couples to go up and down in their level of happiness over the course of a marriage. I thought there was something wrong with us!"

Even if your marriage has deteriorated to a loveless state, it can be saved. Granted, the wounds resulting from a troubled relationship may be deep, especially if problems have persisted for years. Still, there is strong reason for hope. Motivation is a crucial factor. Even two people with serious marital problems can make improvements if it means enough to both of them.*

So ask yourself, ‘How strong is my desire to attain a satisfying relationship?’ Are you and your mate willing to put forth effort to improve your marriage? Dr. Beck, quoted earlier, says: "I have often been surprised at how an apparently bad relationship can be helped when partners work together to correct deficits and reinforce the strong points of their marriage." But what if your spouse is reluctant to join in? Or what if he or she seems oblivious to the fact that there is a problem? Is it futile for you to work on the marriage alone? By no means! "If you make some changes," says Dr. Beck, "this in itself may prompt changes in your partner—it very often does."

Do not hastily conclude that this cannot happen in your case. Such defeatist thinking may in itself be the greatest threat to your marriage! One of you needs to take the first step. Can it be you? Once the momentum is established, your spouse may see the benefit of working along with you toward building a happier marriage.

What can you do, therefore—either as an individual or as a couple—to save your marriage? The Bible is a powerful aid in answering this question. Let us see how.

 

DIVORCE bad for the Environment

The surging divorce rate worldwide is hurting the environment, since it results in increased consumptions of limited resources. Divorce leads to more households, decreased household size, and higher consumption per head, says a study printed in the . "Divorced households in the [United States] could have saved more than 38 million rooms, 73 billion kilo-watt hours of electricity, and 627 billion gallons of water in 2005 alone in their resource-use efficiency had been comparable to married households.’ in the year 200, there were 6.1 million "resource-efficient" households of this kind in United States.

Can We Save Our Marriage?

Trapped in a Loveless Marriage

"In a high-divorce society, not only are more unhappy marriages likely to end in divorce, but in addition, more marriages are likely to become unhappy."—Council On Families In America.

It has been said that much of life’s happiness and much of its misery emanate from the same source—one’s marriage. Indeed, few things in life have the potential to provide as much ecstasy—or as much anguish. As the accompanying box indicates, many couples are having more than their share of the latter.

But divorce statistics reveal only part of the problem. For each marriage that sinks, countless others remain afloat but are stuck in stagnant waters. "We used to be a happy family, but the last 12 years have been horrible," confided a woman married for more than 30 years. "My husband is not interested in my feelings. He is truly my worst emotional enemy." Similarly, a husband of nearly 25 years lamented: "My wife has told me that she doesn’t love me anymore. She says that if we can just exist as roommates and each go our separate ways when it comes to leisure time, the situation can be tolerated."

Of course, some in such dire straits terminate their marriage. For many, however, divorce is out of the question. Why? According to Dr. Karen Kayser, factors such as children, community stigma, finances, friends, relatives, and religious beliefs might keep a couple together, even in a loveless state. "Unlikely to divorce legally," she says, "these spouses choose to remain with a partner from whom they are emotionally divorced."

Must a couple whose relationship has cooled resign themselves to a life of dissatisfaction? Is a loveless marriage the only alternative to divorce? Experience proves that many troubled marriages can be saved—not only from the agony of breakup but also from the misery of lovelessness. The next article answers the question: Why does love fade?

Divorce Around The World

Australia: The divorce rate has nearly quadrupled since the early 1960’s. Britain: According to predictions, 4 out of 10 marriages will end in divorce. Canada and Japan: Divorce affects about a third of marriages. United States: Since 1970, couples getting married have no more than a 50-50 chance of staying together. Zimbabwe: Divorce ends about 2 out of every 5 marriages.

 

I woke up at the wrong side of the bed this morning.  Our house is a mess and the kids are making it messier.  My eldest daughter spilled her hot chocolate over the carpet and my youngest has milk all over her dress.  My husband forgot to throw the garbage and my electric bill is due.  I thought this day will be one of those super busy days of my life.  It was really a tough cleaning morning for me.

As I took my morning break, I opened my blog and my Social Spark’s Account then blah, I read about this opportunity regarding the Reader’s Digest. I clicked on to the RD Laughs Main ’s joke on “Bad Day” and my stomach really crammed as I laughed aloud.  I thought I had a Bad Day yet I found out that some people have worse. So, it made my day lighter and emotional colors are starting to make rainbows in my head. Thanks to the Reader’s Digest Jokes….

So, if you have a bad day like me today, you better visit the ReadersDigest.com Widgets.  You may download their widgets to your blog or website for your daily dose of laughter. I like also the Funny Cartoons and Stand-up Videos of the Daily Laughs widget. I just embedded mine in this post.  You must secure yours also and let’s make this world a happy one.  

As the old saying goes… “Laughter is the Best Medicine…”

So, see you next time because today Thursday and Thursdays are Laundry Day. See yah! 

 

What you can do

• Consult a doctor or go to the emergency room of the nearest hospital if you think you have dengue fever or dengeu hemorrhagic fever.

What your doctor can do for you 

• Determine if you have dengeu fever or dengeu hemorrhagic fever. Early detection and treatment of the symptoms can be life-saving.
• Admit you into hospital to monitor your blood pressure and blood count, and to watch out for complications. Complications include severe inernal bleeding ( in dengeu hemorhagic fever), which could be fatal if not treated aggressively. Fluids, blood, or plasma must be replaced quickly.

Prevention tips

• Get rid of stagnant water in your premises, e.g. canals where the Aedes aegypti mosquito can breed.
• Disrupt possible breeeding places, e.g. water vasaes, drums, tin cans and containers and unused old tires with water.

 

 

 How Safe Is Your Food?

Do you eat three meals a day? If so, by the time you are 70 years old, you will have consumed over 75,000 meals. For a typical European, that will mean eating—among other things—some 10,000 eggs, 5,000 loaves of bread, 100 sacks of potatoes, 6 sides of beef, and 2 sheep. Does all that eating amount to a chore? Far from it! How we relish hearing such expressions as "enjoy your meal" or "guten Appetit" or "bon appétit"! The head of a cooking school went so far as to say: "Food is the essence of life."

Most of the time, we may tend to take it for granted that the food we consume is wholesome and healthful. But if just one of those 75,000 meals were to contain something harmful, we could get seriously ill. Can we be sure that what we eat is safe? These days, more and more people seem to have doubts on that score. In some countries food safety has become a major concern. Why?

Causes of Concern

Each year, food borne illness affects about 15 percent of the population of Europe. In the early 1980’s, for instance, toxic cooking oil in Spain killed about 1,000 people and made another 20,000 seriously ill. In 1999 the population of Belgium was aghast when it was reported that such items as eggs, poultry, cheese, and butter were possibly contaminated by a poison called dioxin. More recently, Britain’s consumers were horrified—and its beef industry was shattered—when cattle became infected with bovine spongiform encephalopathy (mad cow disease). Then there was an outbreak of foot-and-mouth disease, which required the slaughter and disposal of millions of cows, sheep, pigs, and goats.

Grave though such risks are, there are other factors that worry people when it comes to food. Consumers are troubled by new techniques that are now being used in the growth and processing of foodstuffs. The European Commission wrote in 1998: "Novel technologies like food irradiation and genetic engineering of food crops have caused a lot of controversy." Do such modern scientific techniques improve our food or adulterate it? And what can we do to increase the safety of our own food?

Appeared in Awake!  December 22, 2001

 

When I was a little girl, I was so fond of watching movies, specially the cartoons from the Disney World. I remember the time when my mother used to sit beside me and accompany me in watching Sleeping Beauty again and again. Of all the Disney Movies then these are my favorites;  

1. Winnie the Pooh
2. Sleeping Beauty
3. Ratatouille
4. Robin Hood
5. Mickey Mouse Universe
6. Pocahontas
7. Lilo & Stitch
8. The Lion King
9. The Little Mermaid
10. Dumbo
11. Finding Nemo
12. 101 Dalmatians
13. Aladdin
14. Alice in Wonderland
15. Beauty and the Beast

Do you remember your favorite Disney Movies and Characters too? Can you write at least 5 of your favorites and we’ll compare them with mine? Surely we will have common Favorite Movies together. My little girls loved my favorite movies too. We have some common films to watch together and some common Disney Characters that we play together in our New ScreenLife Game Disney Bingo DVD game. It’s a fun game because all my favorite Disney Characters from my Top 15 Favorite Movies are there. You must try to play the New ScreenLife Game Disney Bingo DVD game too. Surely you will love it and your whole family will enjoy sharing your precious gaming moments with you. You really have to have your own Disney Bingo game, it is really worth it. You can purchase it at Amazon.com or Drugstore.com.

 

I’ve just read one article on how nature was designed for it’s very important purpose or role. I will discuss you one of what I’ve read.

If you have ever watched a sheep, a goat, or a cow giving birth, you have probably marveled at how quickly the newborn gets to its feet and finds its way to the udder for milk. All mammals feed thier young on milk. But in the case of young ruminants, such as lambs, kids, and calves, there is another, unseen marvel.

Consider: Cows have a four-chambered stomach for he multiple processes needed to digest grass and forage. But newborns feed only on milk, which does not need all those processes for digestion. So when the newborn suckles, a special bypass tunnel opens to allow the milk to go directly to the last chamber.

If millk where to find its way into the first chamber, called the rumen, the calf would suffer because the rumen is where hard-to-digest food is broken down by bacterial fermentation. Fermenting milk produces gas that the newborns cannot eliminate. However, when young ruminants drink milk, whether from nipple or a bucket, a reflex action snaps shut the entryway to the rumen.

Remarkably, Something different happens when a newborn drinks water. It needs plenty of water in its rumen so that the bacteria and microbes ther can multiply, ready for when the youngster begins to live on forage. Although milk goes directly to the stomach’s final chamber, plain water enters the rumen. The calf’s amazing bypass is for milk only.

Wouldn’t you agree that it is a wonderful design?

BEFORE the advent of modern dentistry, people commonly suffered toothache and tooth loss from their youth on. Many were disfigured by dark, crooked, or missing teeth. Toothless senior citizens suffered malnutrition and early death because they were unable to chew. Today, most dental patients can be free of toothache, keep their teeth throughout their life, and have a pleasing smile. How did modern dentistry achieve these three remarkable feats?

Preventive dentistry, emphasizing education and regular checkups, has been a key factor in avoiding toothache and tooth loss. Jesus said: “Those who are healthy do not need a physician.” (Luke 5:31) Thus, some have benefited so much from education in oral hygiene that they rarely need dental treatment.* Nevertheless, many people avoid the dentist. Some neglect dental treatment out of indifference. Others are deterred by the expense. Still others are afraid. Whatever your circumstance, it is worth asking: What can the dentist do for me? Is a visit worthwhile? To appreciate the importance of preventive dentistry, we need to understand what dentists are trying to prevent.

Healthy Tooth Anatomy

1.  Enamel
2.  Dentin
3. Gum tissue (gingiva)
4.  Pulp chamber with nerves and blood vessels
5.  Crown
6.  Root
7.  Bone

 

How the Damage Is Done

Dentists can help to prevent the torment of toothache and tooth loss. With your cooperation, dentists try to fight the effects of plaque, a soft film of bacteria that sticks to your teeth. The bacteria thrive on food particles. They convert sugar into acids that attack the tooth enamel, making it porous. Eventually, caries, or tooth decay, results when the porous area collapses to form a cavity. You feel no discomfort at this stage, but when the decay reaches the central pulp of your tooth, you may suffer acute pain.

The bacteria that form plaque have another way of tormenting you. If plaque is not carefully brushed away, it hardens to form a calcified deposit called calculus, or tartar, which may inflame the gums and make them pull away from the tooth. This results in a gap between tooth and gum where trapped food provides a feast for bacteria that may infect your gums. Your dentist can help control this condition, but if this is not cared for, the tissue surrounding your teeth may become so damaged that your teeth actually fall out. More teeth are lost this way than through tooth decay.

Your saliva provides a measure of protection from this double attack of bacteria. Whether you have eaten a full meal or just a cookie, your saliva needs between 15 and 45 minutes to clear away food particles and neutralize the acid in the plaque on your teeth. The time depends on how much sticky sugar or food debris clings to your teeth. Apparently, it is during these minutes that your teeth are damaged. Thus, the amount of damage done to your teeth may depend, not on the quantity of sugar you eat, but on the frequency of your meals and sugary snacks. Since saliva flow is low while you sleep, one of the most destructive things you can do to your teeth is eat or drink sugar and then retire for the night without brushing your teeth. On the other hand, chewing sugar-free gum after meals is said to increase saliva flow and help protect your teeth.

Tooth Decay

 Cavity

 A filling stops cavities from growing

Gum Disease

 Plaque should be brushed or flossed

 Calculus, or tartar, is difficult to remove and makes the gums recede

 Receding Gums

Preventive Dentistry

Dentists recommend having regular checkups once or twice a year, depending on the condition of your teeth. During the checkup your dentist will likely take X-rays and examine your teeth carefully for caries. Using a local anesthetic and a high-speed drill, he can usually fill any cavities he finds without causing you pain. For those who are especially fearful, a few dentists now use lasers or decay-dissolving gel, which can reduce or even eliminate the need to use a drill or a local anesthetic. With children, dentists pay special attention to the newly erupted molars to see if they have any fissures or grooves on the biting surface that will be difficult to clean with a toothbrush. The dentist may recommend covering such grooves with a sealant to make the tooth surface smooth and easy to clean, thus protecting it from decay.

With adult patients, dentists are especially concerned about preventing gum disease. So if the dentist finds any deposits of hardened calculus, he will scrape them away. Most people tend to miss certain areas of their teeth each time they brush them, so your dentist may point out how you can improve your brushing skills. Some dentists refer their patients to a specially trained dental hygienist for this important service.

Restoring Damaged Teeth

If you have damaged, missing, or crooked teeth, you will be pleased to hear that dentists have many new techniques for restoring them. However, restorative treatment is expensive, so you should beware of spending beyond your means. Nevertheless, many people feel that restorative treatment is worth the expense. Perhaps the dentist can restore your ability to chew. Or he may be able to make your smile more attractive—a matter of no small importance, since disfigured teeth can affect the quality of your life.

For broken or stained front teeth, a dentist may recommend a veneer, perhaps made of translucent porcelain that appears very similar to natural tooth enamel. Veneers are bonded to the surface of the damaged tooth, giving it a new shape and appearance. For more severely damaged teeth, a dentist may recommend a cap, often called a crown. This entirely covers what remains of the tooth and provides it with a complete new surface, either of gold or of a material with a natural appearance.

What can your dentist do about lost teeth? He can fit a removable partial denture, or he can provide a fixed bridge that caps a tooth at each side of the gap and holds one or more false teeth in position. Another option that is becoming popular is an implant. The dentist inserts a titanium anchor into the jawbone where the tooth used to be, and when the bone and gum have grown back into place, he attaches an artificial tooth to the anchor. It is almost like having a real tooth.

Restoring Teeth

 A veneer bonds to the tooth

 A cap

 An implant

 A fixed bridge caps a tooth at each side of the gap and holds a false tooth in position

Crooked teeth can be embarrassing and hard to clean, making them prone to disease. If teeth do not come together properly, they may be painful and make chewing difficult. Happily, dentists can usually correct such problems with braces. As a result of recent advances in design, modern braces are less obvious and need less-frequent adjustment.

Some dentists are giving increased attention to the treatment of bad breath. Most people have bad breath occasionally, and some regularly. There are several possible causes. Some dentists are equipped to diagnose the specific cause. In many cases it originates with bacteria, often at the far back region of the tongue. Brushing or scraping the tongue can help, as can increasing your saliva flow by chewing sugar-free gum. Cleaning your mouth is particularly important after consuming milk products, meat, or fish.

Coping With Fear

If visiting a dentist makes you especially anxious, your dentist will want to help you to cope with your fear. So tell him how you feel. Talk with him about a hand signal you can use to indicate that you feel pain or are afraid. Many patients have found that this gives them more confidence.

Perhaps you fear being scolded. You may worry that the dentist will belittle you for not taking better care of your teeth. However, since such comments are bad for business, your fear of being chided is probably unfounded. Most dentists have an interest in speaking kindly to their clients.

Many people avoid the dentist because they fear the expense. But if it is possible for you to have a checkup now, you may avoid problems and expensive treatment later. In many places there are different levels of dental services to suit every pocket. Even the most basically equipped dental office will probably have X-ray equipment and a high-speed drill. Dentists can perform most procedures with very little discomfort to the patient. The cost of local anesthetic is low enough for most people to afford, even those with limited resources.

Dentists are dedicated to relieving pain, not causing it. Dental treatment is no longer the traumatic experience that your grandparents probably remember. Since healthy teeth contribute to improved general health and can help you to enjoy life more fully, why not pay your dentist a visit? You may be pleasantly surprised.

Appeared in Awake!  May 2007

 

 

 

Complications 

Dengue hemorrhagic fever:

• Shock (paleness, rapid breathing, cold sweat, clammy skin, drowsiness, fasat pulse rate, and loss of consciousness.)
• Jaundice (yellow eyes and skin), in rare cases.
• Death

 

Causes 

•  Infection by one of several strains of the denue virus. The virus is transmitted by an infected Aedes aegypti mosquito, which bites mostly during daytime.

 

Notes 

•  Dengue fever usualy has no serious complicatons. Symptoms normally sybside after 3 days, recur after 1 some days, the so-called "saddle back", then subside again. Full recovery comes after 7-14 days.

 
My next article will discuss what we can do and the doctors can do and what are some prevention tips.

Of all the recipes of sea foods, I love the Pan Roasted Glazed Rockfish with Peas and Carrots which Chef Tafari Campbell of Maryland made. It is really a Superb cook off recipe for me and my whole family will vouch on that too. I found it at the www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com website. Pan Roasted Glazed Rockfish with Peas and Carrots is not only a great tasting sea food yet it is also a very nutritious one.  It has Protein from the Crab meat, Vitamins from the Peas and Betacorotine from the carrots, Lycopene (anti-oxidant) from the tomatoes and so many more. As a mother, it is best if fresh domestic seafoods will be used. The freshness of the seafoods adds savory flavor to the food and it is sustainable and cheaper also.  It is also a recipe which you may alter some of the ingredients depending on its availability and the current price.  You may use shrimps instead of crabs. I tried salmon fish and it is still a mouth watering one like that of the crabs also. Its kinda fun cooking, you know.

 

I would like to encourage everyone to visit the best tasting recipes of www.GreatAmericanSeafoodCookOff.com, surely you will find a recipe there that will fit your taste and certainly your family will love it also.  You may also vote for your favorite recipe there and have the chance to win a trip to New Orleans. I just voted for my family’s all time favorite, the Pan Roasted Glazed Rockfish with Peas and Carrots. You should vote for your favorite too.

Most of the early symptoms of dengue fever/dengue hemorrhagic fever are similar to those of flu:

• high fever
• bone and muscle aches
• burning sensation and redness in the eyes
• cough and runny nose
• diarrhea
• rush/skin flush

Dengue hemorrhagic fever only:

• abdominal pain and vomiting(lasting 2-4days)
• Severe bleeding-nosebleeds, bleeding from the gums and under the skin, vomiting of blood, rectal (back passage) bleeding, black stool, internal bleeding.
• red pinprick-sized spots on the skin due to spontaneous bleeding

These are some information about the symptoms. I’ve got it from the moms and babies book, a health guide publication.

I will tell you again soon about the complications. My children now are sick. I need to log off.

Learning is a lifetime process. It is very near for those who really wanted to learn. I remember when I was at school spending much time and money just to be at my class lesson. But, when I stopped going to school because of financial shortage, I was always looking for the way of learning without spending too much time and money. I need to use my saved effort for the most important things. Then I found out more educating myself in my home or wherever my situation may require. One exemplary is the online school. Mostly, the very popular now is the medical assistant school. More and more today are taking their career outside countries. They are taking medical assistant commonly for nursing. You can now take medical assistant training online. With that kind of schooling, I and my siblings made our course despite of not having an allowance for transportation or lodging fee for very far distant schools.

Imagining what kind of home I would spend my whole life dropped me from thinking first the house that I dreamt once. I’d like the house not very expensive but very elegant. Those materials would be made from very natural and very common resources here in our place. Well, of course, I want to make it by my own style with my own creative interior design. See this picture:

This would be it, but not that small. The composition might be like that. I want it bigger with more rooms for everyone to be comfortable to stay with. It seems to be like this:

 

This nipa hut looks very peaceful, cool, and refreshing. Inside, I will add some stuff that would make it more elegant. Then, I would plant more beautiful flowering plants outside. I want swimming pool also, not that so large and wide, just like that I can barely swim. Heh! See?!! Nipa Hut Bungalow to be exact.  

"Hundreds of minister and pastors desperate to reach young congregants have drawn concern and criticism through their use of an unusual recruiting tool"-an "immensely popular" but "violent video game," reports The New York Times. The game in question is intended for mature audiences. In it the player, who takes on the role of a soldier, has to kill in a number of different ways. This has not prevented the organizers of several Protestent and evangelical youth groups from "stocking their centers with multiple game consoles so dozens of teenagers can flock around big-screen televisions and shoot it out," says the newspaper.

Love and compassion for pets can serve to draw one to worship the Creator. Bible stated more how an early human have a very good relationships with animals and throughout history they showed tender compassions.

In our recent time pets can help the disabled and the elderly. Love for pets is widely spread. There are other people who took an effort to humanize them. But, pet cannot fulfill one’s needs the way fellow humans can.

Pets are provided for man’s good. They can help people to do their works and they will serve as a companion. Sadly, there are problems with pets today. Millions of pets in shelters put to death each year. Author and animal expert Dr. Jonica Newby says: "Living creatures have become throwaway items to be cuddled when cute and abandoned when they become inconvenient. Such disregard for animal life pervades and erodes our culture." It is important for us to consider important factors in owning or adopting a pet. Particularly for city dwellers, owning a pet may require much more than many realize.

 We need to balance the view of a challenge and put into more considerations; because, animals or pets is a pleasure forever.

A growing number of children are victims of identity theft, with potentially devastating impact on their future credit rating and relationships, says The Wall Street Journal. Such crimes, usually committed by a family member, can go undetected for decades. " Most people don’t realize that someone has been illegally using their identity…until they apply for their first job, a driver’s license, a student loan or a mortgage," explains the newspaper. Some find out earlier if a credit agency attemps to collect debts that have accumulated in the victim’s name.-Watching The World, Awake 08/2008

Yesterday I heard the news about dengue fever. That is always alarming me and everybody else here in our place. Here is some information I’ve got from searching.

(Dengue hemorrhagic fever)

Also known as ‘H-fever’, dengue fever is an acute viral infection transmitted to humans by the Aedes aegyptii mosquito, which breeds in places where there is stagnant water. One of the symptoms is extreme muscle pain. Although no specific treatment or vaccine is yet available for dengue fever, it is not life threatening. However, dengue hemorrhagic fever, a severe form of the disease that affects children and young people, causes heavy bleeding and can be fatal. 

I will write again some added information about the symptoms, complications, causes, what we and the doctors can do, and some prevention tips.

In 2007 some 47 million Chinese suffered shortages of drinking water resulting from the worst drought in a decade. Meanwhile, 42 million were affected by typhoons, and 180 million by floods. - XINHUA NEWS AGENCY, CHINA