Wednesday, November 21, 2012

We have had colours and memories as writing exercise, how about momentous occasions in your life...

The TEV Wahine lists heavily to starboard as i...
The TEV Wahine lists heavily to starboard as it sinks in Wellington Harbour. Lifeboats from the ship can be seen to the left. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

We have had colours and memories as writing exercises, how about momentous occasions in your life...


What are the most momentous occasions you can remember from your childhood, youth and in recent times? Things that have stuck vividly in your memory for years. I'll tell you about a few of mine:
As a child I: as a young Kiwi lad in a young country emerging from its dependence on Britain and things so inately British, still remember the coronation of Queen Elizabeth the Second - the pomp and pageantry and the glory of the Empire. Of course there was no television, just radio and a few weeks later the news reels down at the picture theatre - the cinema, the movies! But there was a fly in the ointment, a colonial British one, but still a fly - Ed Hillary.
Do you remember the name? The tall young lean and gangly beekeeper who became the greatest mountaineer in the world when becoming the first man to scale the highest peak in the world along with Sherpa Tensing - Everest. The man who in his own words on radio exclaimed, "We knocked the bastard off". So directly Kiwi.
This momentous occasion pushed the coronation off the news for a few days. We had to wait a few weeks to see this on the news reels as well.
The young Queen has been on her throne for over 50 years now, and the tall gangly beekeeper became a knight - Sir Ed, a legend and an icon in New Zealand, and sadly died just over a year ago.
Later there was the tragedies: Tangiwai: where a volcanic eruption caused lava and mudflows that took out the Tangiwai Bridge just as the Auckland-Wellington Limited Express train went over - dozens were killed. In Maori, 'Tangiwai' means weeping waters; how appropriate.
Then in 1968 the new ferry, Wahine, was caught in one of the worst storms in living memory, and floundered on the rocks and capsized in Wellington Harbour, just a few hundred yards from the safety of the shore. These images were available on television. 51 people died.
There was the image from the Vietnam War - a young Vietnamese girl fleeing from the napalm bombs. So starkly vivid in my memory!
The assassination of John F Kennedy - seen over an over, and over again, as the years roll on. The young president who saved the world from World War 3. It was a visiting policeman on a door to door enquiry who told me about this tragedy.
And so on to 9/11 - another stark memory of those aircraft crashing into the twin towers. I was at home and was called to watch the television with these words I will never forget, just like the image, "They are attacking America!.
And so friends, just some of my personal memories that were etched into my memory banks.
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Thursday, November 1, 2012

Learning about mental health disorders through a family member

English: Galltfaenan Hall. The hall, near Tref...
English: Galltfaenan Hall. The hall, near Trefnant, is now used as a residential home for people with mental disorders and learning difficulties. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

Learning About Mental Health Disorders Through a Family Member...


A brief backgrounder on our mentally unwell and intellectually challenged grandson. Our past problems and the challenges for his future:
I never really thought too much about mental disorders when they affected somebody else's family member. I really had no reason to. That was somebody else's problem - another family's problem, not ours, not mine!
We have been bringing up our grandson for over nine years now. He was a youngster of only eight and a bit years when our local state child welfare agency, Child Youth and Family, asked us to take him into our care at that time. He had been diagnosed with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder), and a couple of other associated disorders as well, at the age of six years old. He had serious learning disorders and was totally illiterate. He could perform his mathematics ie - arithmetic etc, to a higher level than his reading and writing which was at a learners level. He has learned to spell his own name through repetition and use it as his signature. During his assesment it was also discovered he had a minor intellectual problem which may well have some involvement in his disorders.
A month or to short of his fifteenth birtday he had the first of his psychotic episodes, which resulted in a stay at a youth psychiatric hospital outside of Wellington, New Zealand. Of course he was introduced to medication as a means to bring him back to reality. He has been on medication ever since. After a few weeks in the hospital he returned home and back to his secondary school. He had always been a special needs student and found his schooling extremely difficult and stressful. Just how stressful we would learn in later years. The reasons for his mental illness may have been through the accumalative affect of alcohol, drugs and a lack of sleep.
He would later run foul of the school authorities who just had no clue about his problems and that his real need was not only special education but the need to be in a special school all together, not just in some class or unit. There was an incident which resulted in his being suspended permanently or expelled from school. In New Zealand a school has to find another school for a student they wish to suspend permanently. We knew there wan't another school he could go to, and we tried a couple of special units, one at another secondary school, but it was totally unsuccessful. New Zealand made a number of changes a couple of decades ago, but they have proven to be a disaster for a minority of special needs students. There is no doubt that the changes were based on money, not in the real interests of special needs students.
He wasn't able to move out into the community and spent his time confined to home. He would only go out on outings with family members. He continued to be treated by a psychiatrist and on his psychotic medication. About 18 months ago he had a second psychotic episode after displaying deteriorating levels of behaviour for over three weeks, but his support team from the local hospital refused to listen to our concerns. This was an extremely serious breakdown which resulted in his admission to an adult psychiatric unit because there were no beds in the youth unit at another hospital he had spent time in previously. He was an extremely sick young man. After a couple of months of treatment he was released and sent home. His medication had been increased and extended. We refused to let the previous support group monitor hs progress after he had left hospital; we had totally no faith in their ability to look after his interests.
He continued to be homebound and had no contact with outside groups other than his support team and doctor. A few weeks ago he suffered a relapse and had to be admitted to the local hospital psychiatric unit. He had some extensive treatment over a few days, had his medication changed, and spent most of his time on home leave. There was an incident in the unit which I won't elaborate on here - it was an out of character incident involving psychiatric nurses having to physically restrain him and put him in isolation. He has returned home but his behaviour at times is marginal, but has not yet resulted in him having to go back to hospital.
He is 18 years old in a couple of weeks and an adult by law and legally responsible for himself. We have grave concerns for his future well being and doubts about where he will live in the future once we, his grandparents, are no longer able to look after him. We are unsure whether any member of the family, including his mother, will be in a position to look after him. We are now into a new year and possibly a new phase in this now young man's future.
We now have some experiences of looking after somebody with a mental disorder and the challenges involved. When it is part of your own family it comes as shock, especially some of the behaviour connected with this condition.
He has had another assessment which may prove to his advantage; the results being released only in the last week or so. His low IQ rating should ensure he gets the help and support he needs, including future residential care which is unavailable for those with only psychiatric problems. Small mercies, but some progress.

 First published at  Blogevolve
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Florida's Giant Cane Toad - a beneficial garden critter or exotic pest

Cane Toad
Cane Toad (Photo credit: blundershot)

Florida's Giant Toad - a beneficial garden critter or exotic pest..


First published at Qondio
:
The Giant Toad (aka Marine Toad or Cane Toad) is reportedly the largest of the Florida frogs and toads. When this non-native species feels threatened, it secretes a highly toxic substance from its large paratoid glands in the back of its head. This secretion will burn eyes, may inflame the skin and can kill cats and dogs if they ingest it.
It was originally released in canefields to help control rats and mice and is now commonly found in Florida yards. It breeds all year round in standing water, streams, canals and ditches.
It is known scientifically as Bufo Marinus, the Cane Toad, Giant Toad or Marine Toad and is native to an area extending from Mexico and central America to the Amazon basin.
Florida's first Giant Toad population was accidently established by a release at Miami International Airport. Others spread by a pet dealer escaped through canals to other areas.
This Giant Toad is related to the Australian Cane Toad which was also spread after being released in cane fields in Queensland in the 1930's. They are now in epidemic proportions in that state and are spreading northwards and westwards endangering small native animal life.
They too are regarded a pest on a par with wild rabbits which have created an environmental wasteland in some areas of Australia.
Read more here

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Water, water the staff of life, but are we running out of water?..

English: Bottled water fills an aisle in a sup...
English: Bottled water fills an aisle in a supermarket (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Water, water the staff of life, but are we running out of water...


 
First published at Yahoo Voices:

Water, water the staff of life, but are we running out of water?
"The challenge of securing safe and plentiful water for all is one of the most daunting challenges faced by the world today...often where we find water, we find guns." Ban Ki Moon, UN Secretary General.
According to an Uzbek saying,"if you run out of water, you run out of life." Some experts would probably say that those words seem more prophetical than proverbial. Each year about two million people die as a result of poor sanitation and contaminated water, and 90% of the victims are children. Suffer the poor children!
"The Aral Sea in Central Asia was the fourth largest lake on the planet in 1960. By 2007 it had shrunk to 10% of its original size." - Scientific American.
"The five great lakes of the United States and Canada - Lakes Erie, Huron, Michigan, Ontario and Superior - are shrinking at an alarming pace." - The Globe and Mall.
At one time, Australia's Deniliquin mill processed enough grain to meet the needs of 20 million people. Now, however, the rice crop has been reduced by 98%, and the mill closed in December 2007. The cause? Six long years of drought." - The New York Times.
I acknowledge the excerpts from the above newspapers:
Draining dry the rivers and streams:
"Africa's Lake Chad, once a landmark for astronauts circling the earth, is now difficult for them to locate. Surrounded by(Cameroon), Chad, Niger, and Nigeria...the lake has shrunk by 95% since the 1960's. The soaring demand for irrigation water in that area is draining dry the rivers and streams the lake depends on for its existence. As a result, Lake Chad may soon disappear entirely, its whereabouts a mystery to future generations. - Plan B 2.0 - "Rescuing a Planet Under Stress and a Civilization in Trouble", by Lester R. Brown.
America's Thirst for Water:
"America's thirst for bottled water seems unquenchable, reaching nearly 30 billion bottles a year," according to US News and World Report. Many consumers did not realise, however,that most bottled water is simply tap water, so "anyone who is opting for bottled over municipal(water) for health reasons is misguided," said the above magazine. What flows out of the tap in many countries is monitored to ensure uniformity to strict standards. And when compared with the 'outrageously expensive' bottled alternatives, tap water is practically free."
In my opinion the global bottled water industry is nothing more than blatant exploitation of water resources.
The standard of tap water is so high in New Zealand, it would be simply stupid and a waste of money to buy 'bottled tap water'. You just need only to run the tap until the water is nice and cool, fill a used soft drink or soda bottle, and leave it in the fridge until you go out for your daily jog or walk!
The water crisis is global. It poses health risks to billions of people around the globe. Many steps have been taken to bring water supply and water use back into balance in some areas of the world, but not in others. This global balance is a vital necessity if we are not to have an acute water shortage in certain areas.
Each country seems to have its own method of dealing with the the water crisis. In some lands where favourable winds regularly blow, windmills raise water to the surface and also serve to generate electricity. In wealthier nations, desalinisation of seawater is also viewed as a viable solution. In many places huge dams retain river water and rainwater - a measure that has proved somewhat effective, even though reservoirs in arid areas may lose about 10 percent of their water through evaporation.- "Awake" Jan uary 2009.
But are we running out of water?
The Green Planet

"Yahoo Voices"

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Gotta light mate...

English: Evan Williams Bourbon
English: Evan Williams Bourbon (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Gotta light mate..

Humour

 
First published at Qassia:

Three young friends were caught allegedly spying in China over a decade ago:
The judge sentenced the three men to ten years imprisonent, but with one proviso - they were allowed to take one thing into jail with them!
Joe the Kiwi took a ten-year supply of books.
Louis the Yank took a ten year supply of bourbon whisky.
Larry the Aussie took a ten year supply of cigarettes.
Ten years later and the three friends were released. Joe the Kiwi spewed out facts and figures like an encyclopedia; Louis staggered out drunk as a skunk; while Larry the Aussie poked his head out and asked," Gotta a light mate?"
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The Trinity debate reaches Petes Writing...

Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglica...
Stained glass at St John the Baptist's Anglican Church http://www.stjohnsashfield.org.au, Ashfield, New South Wales. Illustrates Jesus' description of himself "I am the Good Shepherd" (from the Gospel of John, chapter 10, verse 11). This version of the image shows the detail of his face. The memorial window is also captioned: "To the Glory of God and in Loving Memory of William Wright. Died 6th November, 1932. Aged 70 Yrs." (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Trinity debate reaches  Petes Writing Place...


This is an old post which I don't believe I have posted here before:
The following has proven very popular at other blogsites. Please read on:
Should we believe in the Trinity - the Trinity debate?
Do you personally believe in the Trinity? I was actually brought up to believe in it from my earliest days at Sunday School, so many decades ago, when most of my generation attended regularly every Sunday morning.
It appears to me that it has always been a central doctrine of the church.I believe that it has always been there, just like the Cross. Should it be a subject that is more than just a passing interest? So I looked for some information from an organisation that obviously knows a little bit about the subject.The following is from The Watchtower magazine, with thanks!
Various Trinitarian concepts exist. But generally the Trinity teaching is that in the Godhead there are three persons, Father,Son and Holy Ghost; yet together they are but one God. The doctrine says that the three are co-equal, almighty, and uncreated, having existed in the Godhead.
Others, however, say that the Trinity doctrine is false, that Almighty God stands alone as a separate, eternal, and all-powerful being. They say that Jesus in his pre-human existence was, like the angels, a separate spirit person created by God, and for this reason he must have had a beginning.They teach that Jesus has never been Almighty God's equal in any sense; he has always been subject to God and still is.They also believe that the Holy Ghost is not a person but God's spirit, his active force.
Supporters of the Trinity say that it is founded not on religious tradition but also on the Bible.Critics of the doctrine say that it is not a Bible teaching, one history source even declaring:" The origin of the Trinity is entirely pagan." - THE PAGAN IN OUR CHRISTIANITY.
If the Trinity is true, it is degrading to Jesus to say he was never equal to God as part of the Godhead. But if the Trinity is false, it is degrading to Almighty God to call anyone his equal, and even worse to call Mary the " Mother of God". If the Trinity is false, it dishonors God to say as noted in the book of Catholicism: "Unless people keep their faith whole and undefiled without doubt they shall perish forever- lastingly.And the Catholic Faith is this: we worship one God in Trinity."
How is the Trinity explained?
The Roman Catholic Church states: The Father is God,the Son is God, and the Holy Spirit is God, and yet there are not three Gods but one God, In this Trinity...the Persons are co-eternal and co-equal: all alike are uncreated and omnipotent - the Catholic Encyclopedia. Nearly all other churches in Christendom also agree.
But wait a minute there, Jesus is the Son of God, not God the Father. How can he be the Father of Himself?
Furthermore,Islam believes that Jesus was but one of the great Prophets, not the Son of God, just to throw another spanner in the works!
What do you believe?

 
 


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My 50th birthday idea - what will i do this year?

English: Icebergs are breaking off glaciers at...
English: Icebergs are breaking off glaciers at Cape York, Greenland. The picture was taken from a helicopter. Français : Icebergs issus des glaciers à Cape York. La photographie a été prise depuis un wikt:fr:hélicoptère. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

My 50th birthday idea - what will I do this year?


Some old Huttriver fiction - All rights reserved:

"My 50th birthday idea - what will I do this year?"
My family reminded me that I will be 50 years old next week. Not fourty, but fifty! We want you to have a birthday treat; you decide and we will pay for it they said.
I agreed, but I didn't have a clue. Not a clue. Not one iota of a clue. I was totally clueless ! What on earth could I do to do something completely different? Dinner. Movies. A trip out of town. The theatre. A night at home with some DVD's? NO! No! What then? Come on you silly old bugger( I'm nearly fifty, is that getting old?) think now!
Bowling. Darts at the Pub. Down the club. A barbeque.Something I've never done? Oh come on. Think now! I saw a tourist magazine on the coffee table in the lounge. It was open but I couldn't quite make out what was in the picture - a man of about fifty appeared to be getting strapped up for some reason. What on earth was it? No way, no way. Not a bloody bungey jump! I tried that a few years ago and it nearly terrified me getting all strapped up to...jump into space. Mind you, it was an exhilerating flying through the air at a thousand miles an hour...well not quite that fast though.I came to a sudden halt just when I thought I was going to fall into the river and drown.
Now there has to be something that is really me. But just what could I do... come on now...think! I looked at the newspaper on my coffee table and saw an article and photos of icebergs floating off the coast of New Zealand." The first time this phenomenon has accurred for seventy five years. Come down to the South Island and take a helicopter ride to the icebergs - get out and walk on ancient ice that has been around for tens of thousands of years." All this was written in the newspaper, and I think I know where I'm going on my 50th Birthday! I'm off to the icebergs in New Zealand. I'm going to take a stroll on ancient ice. I'll take a flask of Whiskey and have Scotch on the rocks, away down under in New Zealand!

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