Yak Attack

My Ducks won the Civil War game, also winning the Pac 10 Championship. They are playing in the Rose Bowl on Jan 1, 2010. GO DUCKS!!!

SS: The Game

The Game. THE Game!  The Civil War Game. The game of all games, happens this Thursday, at 6 pm PST, in Eugene, Oregon. This game will decide which school (Oregon or Oregon State) will go to the Rose Bowl against Ohio State, AND which school wins the Pac 10 Championship. It will even be broadcast on ESPN.

The Civil War Games began in 1894, as the rivalry between the Oregon Ducks and the Oregon State Beavers, but it wasn't called the 'Civil War' until 1929 and that name didn't become common usage until 1937. At this time, Oregon is in the lead in the rivalry 56 – 46 – 10. While the “Civil War” usually refers to the annual football game, it can also refer to men's and women's basketball games. Other significant events and games include:

1910: following a 12-0 Oregon victory in Corvallis, fans of both teams began a verbal argument that escalated into exceedingly rowdy behavior as Ducks fans returned to the train station to leave. The UO's public relations department spread stories of (then) Oregon Agricultural College hooliganism to the statewide press, offending students of OAC and causing the rivalry to be suspended for 1911, and the 1912 and 1913 games being played in neutral Albany, OR.

1937: After defeating Oregon 14-0 in Corvallis, Oregon State fans had a large rally the next evening. The following day, about 2,000 OSU students went to Eugene to have another celebration. State police initially stopped the group, then agreed to lead them through the town if they agreed to behave. However, once Oregon students got out of class, the situation escalated with Ducks pelting Beavers with tomatoes and water balloons, some Oregon State students were thrown into the millrace.

1954: 50-60 UO students went to Corvallis and lit the traditional OSU homecoming bonfire early. It had been done before, but this time OSU students captured 15-20 UO students and held them "prisoner". The captured students had their heads shaved, were painted orange and black and some were forced to do menial labor for OSU fraternities.

1960: an Oregon student 'kidnapped' OSU's homecoming queen. She was returned home 30 minutes later,unharmed.

1972: Oregon tore down the south goalpost after defeating Oregon State 30-3 in OSU territory – a brawl ensued when OSU students tried to defend the north goalpost.

1983: "Toilet Bowl," a 0-0 rain-drenched exercise in futility, which featured 11 fumbles, five interceptions and four missed field goals. Did either team want to win? After this, 'overtime' was instituted.

1998: Oregon State wins in double overtime (the first ever overtime Civil War), 44-41. Beaver fans rushed the field after the first overtime, but a penalty gave the Ducks another chance. It took officials 15 minutes to clear the field, after which the Ducks scored to send the game to a second overtime. The Ducks managed a field goal in their possession, but the Beavers scored again to give them an upset win, their fifth win of the season, and their best record since 1971.

2000: Oregon came into the game ranked #5 in the country, Oregon State #8, the only time both teams have been ranked in the top 10. With a win, Oregon would go to the Rose Bowl; the Beavers needed a win to force a tie between the two teams, and keep alive hopes of going to the Rose Bowl. Oregon State won the game 23-13, but was denied the Rose Bowl, because the University of Washington beat Washington State later the same day. Oregon State went to the Fiesta Bowl instead.

2007: OSU snatching the victory in 2007 (at Oregon) in double overtime.

2008: Oregon returning the favor in 2008, beating OSU 65-38 (preventing OSU from going to the Rose Bowl) and winning the Holiday Bowl bid.

                                      
 
So, will the Oregon Ducks have Beaver Stew this week? Or will the Oregon State Beavers have Duck Soup?

Vaccine Revolt!

Why the swine flu vaccine doesn't add up...

So why is the justification for the swine flu so flimsy? It all comes down to these five crucial reasons being pushed by the vaccine industry... but as you'll see below, each of these five reasons is demonstrably false!

Reason #1) The H1N1 swine flu pandemic is dangerous and deadly!

Why it's flimsy: While the infection rate of H1N1 is currently high, the fatality rate is remarkably low. In fact, it's no higher than a normal, seasonal flu.

Reason #2) The vaccine protects you from the virus!

Why it's flimsy: There is absolutely no scientific evidence demonstrating that the swine flu vaccine offers real-world protection against the circulating H1N1 virus. While there is evidence showing that it produces antibodies, as people who have studied vaccine effectiveness already know, the mere existence of vaccine-induced antibodies doesn't directly translate into functional, real-world immunity! Vaccines are often, in effect, fabricated immunity that often don't provide practical immune defense in the real world.

Reason #3) The vaccine is perfectly safe, even for kids!

Why it's flimsy: This reason is truly laughable. None of these vaccines have been properly safety tested by the FDA or the drug companies. They were approved by the FDA with a waiver, utterly bypassing the normal process of long-term safety testing that the public expects the FDA to enforce. In fact, according to attorney Jim Turner, the FDA's baseless approval of these swine flu vaccines is a violation of federal law.

Reason #4) There's nothing else you can do to protect yourself from the swine flu (therefore you must take the vaccine shot).

Why it's flimsy: This reason is an outright lie. In order to sell more vaccines, the pharmaceutical industry (and all its bureaucratic cohorts at the CDC and WHO) are intentionally keeping people ignorant of far safer and more effective options such as vitamin D and anti-viral herbal remedies.

Reason #5) If you don't take the vaccine shot, you're being unethical by placing the shot burden on everyone else without taking it yourself.

Why it's flimsy: Hilarious! This is marketing by guilt -- trying to arm-twist people into the vaccine shot by making them feel guilty if they don't. The truth is that you're being unethical if you DO get the shot because you're financially supporting a dangerous and highly deceptive vaccine industry that's causing tremendous harm to children, expectant mothers and other innocent vaccination victims.

Hoping to improve your health by handing money to the pharmaceutical industry through the purchase of vaccines is sort of like hoping to create world peace by writing a check to weapons manufacturers.

No good reason to get the vaccine...

Is there any good reason to get the swine flu vaccine? Not based on the current situation, no. Unless you have a strong desire to play Russian Roulette with your health, of course...

Of course, if things dramatically change, there could be increasingly strong reasons for considering a vaccine. If the H1N1 virus mutates into a virus with a very high fatality rate, things might be different. If the vaccine were proven safe with adequate long-term testing, that would be something working in its favor. If the vaccines were scientifically shown to actually protect you from the virus, then that would be different, too.

But to date, none of these things are verifiably true! The vaccines haven't been properly tested at all. There's no honest evidence demonstrating that they protect you from the swine flu. And the flu has such a low fatality rate, why does a vaccine matter in the first place?

Keep in mind that over 2,000 people die each year from taking aspirin. Over 100,000 Americans are killed each year from taking doctor-prescribed, FDA-approved prescription drugs. If the people at the CDC are looking for a pandemic, they should be focusing on the pandemic of disease mongering and pharmaceutical pushing that's taking place across the world right now in the context of the swine flu pandemic. 

This is from NaturalNews.com.  Read the entire article here.

A little update

Thank you to my faithful readers...  Since this summer, there has been a lot of difficulty in getting on my blog.  Now, I think I have a *back door* to use, access, and hopefully get back into sharing what is on my mind and heart.  Please check back later this week...

Swine Fly Vax

Will H1N1 Vax Contain Thimerosal (Mercury)? ABC News Answers.

This is a still shot from an ABC News story: Study: Pregnant Women Hospitalized More Often For Swine Flu of Panavax, an H1N1 vaccine currently in testing (there are several.) The label indicates that this is a multi-dose vial containing Thimerosal used as a preservative.  Click the photo to enlarge it. I have Googled Panavax and can not find any info, other than domain name registration to Sanofi Aventis. We present this to you as an "FYI" as info about H1N1 and vaccination options come in, so that you can make informed health care choices for yourself and your family.

This article is reprinted from:  http://www.ageofautism.com/2009/07/will-h1n1-vax-contain-thimerosal-mercury-abc-news-answers.html

Boys and their Toys

Having trouble getting the video in -- please come back soon!

SS: Disconnected

I have felt really disconnected lately -- so many sites are blocked these days, no team, and many of my long-term friends have moved on.  Now that I have found a way 'around' the blocks, I hope to get 'reconnected' with my blog!!! 

Happy Mother's Day!

A friend recently shared this story, and for some reason, I thought it appropriate for Mother's Day.  So, I hope you enjoy reading this true story, especially all the Mothers who read it.  Happy Mother's Day!

Cup of Tea ~ One day my mother was out,  and my dad was in charge of me. I was maybe 2 1/2 years old. Someone had given me a little 'tea set' as a gift, and it was one of my favorite toys. Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening news when I brought Daddy a little cup of 'tea', which was just water. After several cups of tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mom came home. My Dad made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea, because it was 'just the cutest thing!' My Mom waited, and sure enough, here I came down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy; and she watched him drink it up. Then she said, (as only a mother would know), "'Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?"

Cigarette Smoking Encouraged (what's this about?)

Chinese ordered to smoke more to boost economy

Local government officials in China have been ordered to smoke nearly a quarter of a million packs of cigarettes in a move to boost the local economy during the global financial crisis

By Peter Foster in Beijing
Last Updated: 7:45AM BST 04 May 2009

The edict, issued by officials in Hubei province in central China, threatens to fine officials who "fail to meet their targets" or are caught smoking rival brands manufactured in neighbouring provinces.

Even local schools have been issued with a smoking quota for teachers, while one village was ordered to purchase 400 cartons of cigarettes a year for its officials, according to the local government's website.

The move, which flies in the face of national anti-smoking policies set in Beijing, is aimed at boosting tax revenues and protecting local manufacturers from outside competition from China's 100 cigarette makers.

In total, officials have been ordered to puff their way through 230,000 packs of Hubei-branded cigarettes worth £400,000.

China's government has ordered massive government spending at both national and provincial levels to prop up the economy following plummeting demand for Chinese exports abroad, however imposing a cigarette quota is unusual.

"The regulation will boost the local economy via the cigarette tax," said Chen Nianzu, a member of the Gong'an cigarette market supervision team.

China has 350 million smokers, about a million of whom die each year from smoking-related illnesses. Despite anti-smoking campaigns, cigarette taxes form a major component of China's annual tax-take at local level.

Local authorities in Gong'an county are taking the cigarette quota seriously and have established a "special taskforce" to enforce it.

According to a local newspaper account, a teacher from a village middle school said officials burst unannounced into the school at around 3pm one afternoon and started sifting through the ashtray and bins in the staff-room.

Three "non-compliant" cigarette butts were discovered by the "cigarette marketing consolidate team" which informed the teacher he had violated the related civil servants "cigarette usage rule" After some negotiation the school was spared a fine, but subjected to "public criticism" for "undisciplined practices".

SS: Celebrate

What have you got to celebrate?

Thoughts on returning to China First off, I returned to China after a 17 month absence, and 19 months after being attacked by a Tibetan mastiff. I had many fears – can I handle this country and the ruggedness of where my heart wants to live? Will I be able to get clean water? What if the pain comes back? Am I ready to return? etc., etc. 

My fears dissipated very quickly, as I was warmly received by my local and foreign friends. Walking down the streets I saw many familiar places, and was reminded of the smells of Asia (some good and some not so good). The main center of town, Da Shi Zi, used to have a huge circle of cement above the street intersection. This was a great central place to meet people, and a well-known landmark. But after the Sichuan earthquake of May 2008, they took it down, said it was not earthquake proof. Now, they have torn up the center of town and are building an underground circle, so pedestrians won't obstruct traffic. A little inconvenient for now, but will be nice when it is finished.

I love to walk, and am so thankful that I can walk again. It was in November 2008 when I could only stand for 4 minutes before I had to sit because of the pain. Now I go walking through the streets every day, and last week walked for 3 hours! As I take my walk about, I am reminded...

… of how the children love to say “Hello” to foreigners. I love this!
… of Asian throat clearing, like no other place on earth.
… of forgotten words, proverbs and local sayings.
… of how I am so used to seeing black hair every day, and the comfort in that consistency.
… of how horn honking is to tell someone else that you are there, not as an emergency.
… of how much I have missed living in another culture.
… of how much I have missed my Tibetan family.
… of how much I have to be thankful for, and can celebrate today that I am back.

It is great to be back in China. What have you got to celebrate?