No, rafiki beads are not given to people saving other people, I just didn't know what other title to give this, but I definitely wanted to talk about it.
    The other day, my boyfriend came to me with this thing he bought for me that his school was selling. It was blue, circular, and  very big when not looped around itself. They're called Rafiki Beads.
    I thought it was surprising, because my boyfriends not the kind of guy to randomly do this. It was even 10 dollars! But then he told me it's not just the beads he thought I'd like, but the fact that the 10 dollars spend on it goes towards supplying someone with water for a full year in a 3rd world country, personally made by a mother in Kenya. When he told me this, it put the biggest smile on my face, because he wouldn't have bought it if not for me, and knew I'd love it.
    It also warms my heart, knowing that he helped a sadly unfortunate person live for an entire year with water. Its fantastic, and I wish I could tell everyone to buy one too. 10 dollars seems so little to us, but makes a huge difference to someone else. If everyone could do this, who knows the difference we'd make.
    I'm told that a lot of things like this happen at his school, and that they have tons of projects to help a lot of problems around the world, and I smile at that too, knowing that someone has cared enough to try and make a difference, and most definitely is.
    Every time I look at my wrist, or sometimes I'll wear it as a necklace, or a headband, I am reminded that I saved someones life, and that really is a good feeling.
    If you want to help the cause, check out this website that sells Rafiki beads online for water in 3rd world countries. It explains all their goals, how their achieving them, and how you can be involved. Check it out :)
                                                    http://www.nikawater.org/about-us/

This is quoted off of the Mars One official website, and holy crap! I can't believe this is actually able to happen!
    For one thing, this isn't government run, it was started by this rich guy who came up with the idea, found people to contribute, and got the proper materials. That's craziness right there! The fact that this guy is being allowed to condemn a group of 5 individuals chosen by him on a planet where we can't do anything but send things to, and record them to see if we can actually inhabit it.
    I think, in my opinion, if we didn't screw up our planet with the pollution and whatnot, we wouldn't need another planet.
    And its crazy how many people actually want to go! No forcing, simply looking through a bunch of applicants and picking and choosing which one suits what he's looking for. What IS he looking for?
    I wouldn't do this for the fact of being alone with 4 other people I don't know. What if we don't get along? What if people go crazy? I probably would. And knowing that I had to follow the same routine each day as a test subject, being recorded all the time and being watched by tons of people, that's a little weird S:
    These people are suppose to be released to Mars in 2023, and are suppose to endure a bunch of training (10 years!) to prepare to live in space. What if they got sick in the middle? Got scared? Didn't meet all qualifications in the middle of all the training? That would suck.
    I guess this will be cool to observe, and to see the outcome really catches my interest.

Here is a link to the official website explaining the whole mission, the technology, the risks, announcements, partners, a place to donate to funding this, a place to contact them, and even a place to apply to go yourself!
                                            http://applicants.mars-one.com/

    Ever heard of varicose (VAR-i-kos) veins? I didn't until I started this assignment. Now, I know aaaaallll about them, and am here to share that with you.
    First off, you won't understand this if you don't understand your blood system, so I'll briefly explain that. When your blood has oxygen in it, the heart pumps this through things called ARTERIES. Your blood then becomes deoxidized, and travels back to your heart through your VEINS. Now, that's not always as easy as it sounds.
    Gravity is constantly pulling you downward, including your blood. So when your oxygen rich blood goes down into your leg and back up to your heart, your VALVES prevent your blood from leaking back into your vein by being these 2 flaps of elastic tissue that get forced together (see picture) When your blood falls and collects in your veins, it causes them to swell and puff up, making them VARICOSE.
    This tends to occur in the thighs, back of calves, or inside of the leg. Some people have had them on the buttocks/vaginal area from pregnancy and obesity.
    Why, you may ask, does this happen? It happens when your valves become weak, disformed, or damaged. This commonly occurs in increased age, but can also be inherited (weak vein walls), a reaction of hormonal changes (pregnancy, puberty, menopause) also medicines containing estrogen or progesterone, and obesity/lack of movement because of the added pressure causing the veins to work harder.
    Some ways you can tell you have a varicose vein, or should be suspicious, are when visible blue veins are raised, could cause discolouration of the skin because of pressure, swelling of the ankle, aching calf after a long day, hard/thickness of skin above the area (known as lipodermatosclerosis), itching due to inflammation or rash, bleeding (also from pressure) and in extreme cases, ulceration where skin can't heal because of excessive damage.
    If you have any of these symptoms, you should go see your doctor, where they will proceed to do a physical of the area and ask you some questions. Based on information gathered there, they might run more tests like an ULTRASOUND that uses high frequency sound waves that create echos and are picked up by the PROBE. Another test they can do is a VENOGRAM thats exactly like an x-ray for your veins, and they become visible by injecting a dye into the corresponding vein.
    Most valves in these varicose veins can't be repaired, and symptom relief is what is aimed for (not always effective) another option is to remove the vein all together by incisions, and your blood will naturally find a way back to your heart. Some risks of that are bruising of the area, cut(s) may become infected. There have also been reports of spider veins occurring around the area that can be removed by laser treatment.
    Another way of ridding your varicose vein is SCLEROTHERAPY, where the doctor will give you injections every 4-6 weeks in the appropriate vein that seals it shut, turns to scar tissue, and eventually fades away. This treatment is often used after a removal of the vein, because they are re-occurring in 1/3 people.
    Some side effects of this would be stinging, raised red patches of skin. spots, sores, brown lines, swelling, blood vessels appear (will go away), or possible trapped blood in the closed vein, but that can be easily taken care of by a pin prick by your doctor. There's also the risk of something going wrong in the process, like hitting a wrong vein, where a blood clot can form.
    Things that may get asked of are some lifestyle changes, and compressed stocking to keep a constant pressure on your veins.
    NOOOWWWW YOOOOUU KNOOOWWWWW\

    Religion, so many different types, beliefs, people, cultures, actions. All of them believing many stories but it all means one moral, really, and that is to be a good person. Not committing 'sins' I guess would be a prime goal for religious people, and even for those who aren't we still avoid stealing, cheating, lying, selfishness, jealousy, anger, laziness, and boasting. But sometimes, you can't help it. Or sometimes, you just don't care enough. 
    But I guess with religious people they are always believing their God is looking down on them and judging their actions, forever determining if that person is condemned to lovely heaven or fiery hell, and that could give some major motivation to be a great person, right?
    I am an over-thinker. I think some things to the point where I scare myself, but also to disbelieve things too. And the idea of there being a mighty,powerful, judgmental being above humanity in a better place then earth is like telling me there's a flying spaghetti monster (Pastafarianism, look it up).
    I have noticed, also, that some religious people tend to judge people a lot more, even on past actions most people have learned and moved on from. This is unfortunate, and sadly divides people so much within communities, schools, workplaces, and on the streets. Some won't even talk to, or take someone seriously if they're athiest, or even  catholic, or jewish, or buddhist, or muslim. All religion does is put a name on us, and separate us.
    That's my opinion on it, I am not dissing people of faith, or people who aren't. This have been my opinion for a while and I thought it needed to be shared. Comment your ideas, I'd be glad to read them.
    Although my understanding of individual religions is limited, I am participating in a world religion course next year to broaden my knowledge, share yours.

How do you keep those damn cats from eating/trampling/crapping in your garden? Try these helpful tips!:
-orange/citrus peels
-cayenne pepper
-lavender/peppermint/lemongrass/mustard oil
-coffee grounds/tea leaves
-pipe tobacco
-herb: Rue or plant: Coleus Canina
-Chicken wire around plants, or have plants sticking through wire
-garlic?
-wooden chopsticks pushed into dirt around garden
-spray cat repellent (pet supply stores or online)
-bark mulch/ blood meal fertilizer
-red wine vinegar
NOTE: mothballs often suggested, but are toxic to cats! But in cheese bag/ tea bag first!

Steps to compost:
1. Construct/Buy a bin to start composting in, it keeps things neater and prevents animals. Depending on the structure, it could help ventilate temperature and moisture. It should be minimum 1 cubic meter (1mx1mx1m).
2. Have a balanced mixture in your compost, you'll want to include:
-GREEN stuff (nitrogen) to activate heat, this includes young weeds, comfrey leaves, chicken/rabbit/pigeon manure, grass cuttings, fruits & vegetables/scraps, coffee grounds, tea bags (remove staple if please), plants/plant remains.
-BROWN stuff (carbon) to act as fiber which includes fall leaves, dead plants/weeds, sawdust, cardboard, old flowers/straw/hay.
-OTHER items that you may have thought couldn't be composted is paper towels, paper bags, torn up cotton clothing, egg shells, hair (any animal),
-AIR: Try to keep your compost ventilated, to avoid bad smell, rot and flies. If you feel it does need more air, turn it over and add more BROWN stuff.
-WATER: your pile should be mildly damp, and if it gets too dry you can add water or put more GREEN stuff in it. A lid on your compost would help keep in moisture, but could also prevent air ventilation.
-TEMPERATURE: heat is the main sign your compost is working, and shows that microbial activity (decomposition) if it isn't hot/warm, you should add more nitrogen rich products.
-A good compost starter would be garden soil or finished compost between layers or sprinkled on top to help out the decomposition. It's not necessary, but a good idea!
-Layer/mix your items in your compost so that they all touch one another, and avoid clumps! This can cause bacteria to grow in one spot and prevent decomposition.
-Try to obtain a 3 parts brown or a half brown and half green mixture going, and remember to sprinkle it with water.
-Turn your pile every week or so to help air flow and keep everything mixed (pitch fork)
-Add dry brown material if too wet, add moist green material or water if too dry.
-Avoid cooked foods, do not compost meat, bones, fish, plastic, oil/fats, feces (unless its herbivore), diseased/seeded plants or weeds, diapers, glossy paper, and cat litter due to health/hygiene/inability to break down.
IF EVERYTHING WORKS OUT: You will have a layer of rich nice soil at the bottom of your compost that you can use in your garden or lawn (: may need to be sifted.
-to aid composting, you may want to add red earthworms, or they may come on their own.
-shred/break down anything added if you can, will help decomposition.
-Bury food scraps to avoid animals.
And good luck!

    As you probably know about me, I try to be eco-friendly with everything. So when I heard about the earth club at my school, and a chance to contribute ideas to people that care and want to help put them in action, I couldn't resist.
    On our very first meeting we were already tossing around a lot of ideas and things we can start doing around our community. I had so many things to say and suggest, and so did many others. In the end, we came up with a little list of things to start, like cleaning up our river behind our school, planting trees/ a garden, putting up bird seed, placing recycling bins beside every trash can, encouraging recycling by hosting events/fundraisers, and many others. You can do these things on your own at home, and help out too. Every little bit, and every persons contribution, helps.
    There's only been one meeting so far, but another comes tomorrow, and I'm as excited as ever to start saving the planet.
    Some things I do at home to help out is: recycle almost everything. My mom thinks this is super easy, and I therefore the only thing she does, but it still helps! In your life about 75% of the things thrown out are in fact recyclable, and thats horrible if were not reusing those materials when we can! I find it amazing we can turn old plastic and glass and paper back into more, we should do it at every chance! If you don't have a recycling bin, you can contact your city workers and they'll supply you with one.
    I am also planning on starting a compost at my home, to break down old, half eaten food into rich, nice soil. I haven't actually done this before, or know how, but I will look it up very soon and post it here so you can start one too (Y) my Grandma once had one, and used it all the time.
    Either this month (April) or next, I'm going to start a garden for fruits, vegetables, and some flowers because I find them gorgeous :) the only problem with this is there's tons of neighbourhood cats around, and I don't want them to eat my plants ): That's also something I'll look up and post here for you readers. Also for my conundrum.
    I will also put up bird feeders around my garden, to encourage a peaceful mood.
    If you have any other ideas/thoughts/experiences in helping out planet, comment them below.

There's been recent talk of North Korea making nuclear bombs and planing on deploying them on the United States. I've also heard that Korea has said it's 'imminent'. So, just in case, I have some pointers and steps to prepare and be ready to survive in a nuclear attack.

1. Watch out for the news- It's likely we will have oncoming information about the whereabouts of the bomb, and it won't be a surprise. It also won't end just like that, there might be a retaliation or even a start of war.
2. If you're at risk, then leave/move!- Try to get as far away from the attack as possible. If no evacuation is available, construct the proper safety shelter.
3. Unplug/Turn off all electrical equipment, besides a radio/TV for news- Some nuclear bombs will shoot out an electromagnetic pulse and you may not want this to damage your items. Use flashlights encased entirely in a metal container.
4. Find shelter immediately after attack-  make sure to be indoors, and get as low into the ground as possible. If not available to you, get inside a car or enclosed area. You're going to want to close all windows, doors and vents. Turn off all ventilation and heating/cooling systems. Don't be surrounded in anything flammable. If not able to get indoors at all, get into a deep area in the earth, lay flat down exposing as least skin as possible, even try to dig yourself further down. DO NOT LOOK DIRECTLY AT BOMB, WILL CAUSE TEMPORARY BLINDNESS.
5. Even when initial blast is over, there's still high contamination- Residual radiation (gamma rays) still travels with the wind for miles, and causes internal organ damage. Also, the blast shot dust and debris into the air which will come down known as 'black rain' and is very deadly, contaminating everything it touches.
6. Build up against your walls- you want to put yourself as far away from gamma rays as possible, and putting as many things as you can between you and where they're located will help. Placing dirt, sticks, or really anything in your home against the walls of a basement will help minimize radiation.
7. Prepare to be there for minimum of a week- this means having enough food, water, first aid, and supplies for all people in your hide-out. Be prepared! Also ration it properly to last this amount of time.
8. Wear layers, cover all exposed skin- avoid any area of skin from being burned or have radiation absorbed by wearing clothes for all places. To decontaminate clothes, shake constantly and wash with water.
9. Be weary of another attack, it may not be one incident- this may be an all out war between countries, so one or more attacks might implode your area, so keep your safe area in tact for possible future use.

Hope this helps. Write it down, have a list of supplies and a place to be safe known! You might not have the internet to help you out either, so keep this handy on paper.
~all information from the website as followed, look on there for extra information and more detailed steps~
http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-a-Nuclear-Attack

    Have you ever heard of Chinese water torture? You may have seen the MythBusters episode where the girl had it some to her, and she went a little loopy.
    Well what it is if you haven't seen it is you are tied down for an extended period of time (varies with torturer, I guess) and have a drop of water fall onto a part of your body, usually your forehead, being sensitive, every couple seconds and eventually driving you crazy.
    Me personally? I think I could do this with no problem at all. It is said that the victim thinks or feels an indent in their head start to form, which isn't actually there. Its a kind of stress that forms from it, and I think I could keep my cool.
    What do you think?
    There's also the idea of solitary confinement; being secluded away from people, society, and all updated news for a long time. Apparently people need and eventually crave interactions with people, and being suspended from this can make you go insane, cause hallucinations, response to stimuli (movement) increases, and memory loss is possible.
    You can also get constant fatigue, headaches, sleep disruption, nervous break-downs, sweaty palms, loss of appetite, nightmares, and depression.
    Now this one, I'm not sure if I could do that, and I think that I would go pretty crazy. I talk to people everyday, all different types and opinions and I share my thoughts all the time, sometimes get excited about it too. My boyfriend on the other hand, not very social at all. We had this discussion on what it would be like and I'm sure he would do fine. Maybe get bored, because in confinement you have nothing to occupy yourself.
    Could you do it?
   

I've had crooked, spaced out, crowded teeth since I was 6 when my eye teeth came in.
    You may ask what they are. Well, they are teeth that grow perpendicular to your eyes above your original teeth on the top row. At first they were weird, covered in gums and very small at first. Now, they're full grown teeth that have shifted the rest of them so that they can sit uncomfortably and unwanted in my mouth -___-
    They get in the way, too. I could never have my monroe pierced (not that I wanted it) because they're in the way. Also, they cut into my upper lip when I talk occasionally.
    Even my bottom row of teeth is squished together. Overlapping and moving, and now my wisdom teeth are growing in on the top and bottom, which is going to screw up my entire mouth, there's barely enough room for the teeth I have!
    All I've ever wanted was straight teeth /: Braces have been talked about since my eye teeth have come in, but never been financially available. But now, my mom and dad both have $2,500 coverage on braces, so it's now cheaper then ever for my family. I've made a couple orthodontist appointments for the next couple months, and am very very nervous.
    I've heard that braces are painful, time consuming, and lots of maintaining. Con stantly pushing your teeth together (or apart, or back, or forward xP) would be soar after a while. I find it hard to drag myself to the washroom twice a day to brush and floss my teeth as it is for 2 minutes, braces I'd be standing there for at least 5 doing whatever needs to be done with them. I've been looking into invisible braces, they're a lot easier to maintain, but my case may be to extreme for them right now, and may be available to me later.
    If you have any advice on braces, and how I should deal with my nerves, please comment and let me know.

Soooooo...... I have this idea

I've already kind-of started it, so there's no going back. I'm going to customize and personalize my own longboard :)

No this does not mean I'm going to make one, I went out and spend $211 bucks on a really nice one that's heavy duty, got fast wheels, and is even eco-friendly (Y)

What I AM going to do is paint it. There's going to be a bunch of                (See above for Picture)                        different cool and interesting things on my deck (which I'll leave for a                                                                 surprise ;D) and I've even kind-of started it. I went to the tech room at my school and was going to originally sand the design off, but instead used a tool called the 'scraper' that peeled the paint off, after some effort and hard work. So now I have my plain, wooden board.

AND NOW THAT ITS FINALLY SPRING I'm gonna start to paint it! Because the roads aren't crappy and I can actually ride it without worrying about every area I ride over, haha.

If you have any idea's or drawings, you can send them to me via a comment or an e-mail: night[email protected]
And have a great day!