chapter 3: squawked

Dirt treat was too long...

So I shall continue from there...

This is a macaw.

Macaws prefer the undisturbed rainforest of the Amazon. They eat fruits, nuts, flowers and nectar, and they often eat unripe fruit and nuts that other animals avoid. These macaws also eat thumb-sized lumps of clay each day riverbanks. The clay appears to detoxify the nasty poisons in their diet.

And the make very good pirate pets.

If only they exist in Malaysia... Surely would be national animal! Hmm.. I would have put the flag here. But hor... I don't want to be arrested under ISA! Anyway, check out the colour... uncanny resemblance hor?

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Edited 3X...

Oh.. and I shall end the story just like that:

THE END... That's all folks! :p

Sorry-lar.. When I wrote Chapter 1 and 2, I was a bit messed up with something.. I think, not anymore. Haha! Anyway, there was suppose to be a parrot in the short story..

52

Selamat menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan Ke-52!

the lovely bones

A young girl who was murdered, watches over her family - and her killer - from heaven.

She must weigh her desire for vengeance against her desire for her family to heal.

Based on a best selling book by Alice Sebold...

and a Peter Jackson film,

THE LOVELY BONES

the story of life and everything that came after

I don't normally play trailers on my blog, but O-M-G! I cant wait for this show to come out!! Watch the trailer here or there!

happy birthday MJ

“If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with”

dirt treat

Any idea what are these, being sold in a Sierra Leone market?

This is another clue:-

Okay... this is a big giveaway :p

Yup... CLAY.

It's not uncommon for women to experience cravings for odd foods while they are pregnant, like Juno's strange craving for blue slushie with chocolate sauce on top. But in Sierra Leone and other parts of Africa, the cravings can be for something most people consider inedible... C-L-A-Y.

Some say clay taste like chocolate; real smooth (obviously not the sandy ones), like a candy. But when I think of clay, I think of MUD and hook worms... Just not my kind of desserts... sorry.

The eating of inappropriate objects and material is known as "pica". In Africa, pregnant and lactating women are able to satisfy the very different nutritional needs of their bodies by eating clay. The clays are eaten as desired and often without water. The "cravings" in pregnancy for a varied nutritional intake (during pregnancy, the body requires 20% more nutrients and 50% more during lactation) are solved by geophagy (earth eating). The clay commonly ingested in Africa contains important nutrients such as: phosphorus, potassium, magnesium, copper, zinc, manganese, and iron.

The ingestion of kaolin, also known as "white dirt," "chalk," or "white clay," is a type of pica. Kaolin is a naturally deposited clay used in the manufacture of ceramics as well as in coatings for paper and textiles. It is also a key ingredient used in medicines for diarrhoea. Indeed, Rolaids, Maalox and other medicines recommended for nausea and stomach upset are filled with the same antacid compounds found in white kaolin clays. But if you look at it from another way, kaolin is also capable of causing constipation. Some even suffer ruptured colons. Low blood-hemoglobin levels, a sign of anemia, are common, because the ingestion of kaolin inhibits absorption of iron from foods. Those who eat clay at the expense of healthier foods often develop malnutrition.

However, according to some researchers, by eating dirt, it's possible that the pregnant woman would be strengthening her immune system at the same time she's going to turn antibodies to the child. Another advantage to eating clay during pregnancy may be the calming effect it can have on the mother's gastrointestinal system, which can succumb to bouts of nausea and morning sickness.

Speaking of g-astro, NASA even state that, along with the specific-training regiments, astronauts living in space are required to take calcium rich clay tablets (not just calcium rich tablets) to assist with keeping optimum bone density under conditions of weightlessness. According to doctors, such conditions weaken the body and increase chances that kidney stones may develop during flights lasting months or years. Little or no benefits were noted, when calcium alone was added. This means that the clay supplement contained some factor or factors other than calcium which promoted improved calcium utilisation and bone formation. So clearly it is also possible that this dietary supplement helps against osteoporosis.

To put it simply, many people partake in geophagy, but not in a habitual way. Indeed, taking these supplements can help cure the condition and often iron supplements are prescribed which for some helps relieve cravings.

Dirt anyone?

group B

Among these... who's the top of the food chain??

MANchester United

CSKA MosCOW

BESIktas
(Besi or iron ore in Malay)

Vfl WOLFsburg

Of course MAN! =D For the list of the other Champions League draw, go here.

chapter 2: shape of your eyes

I open my eyes. The shimmering light condenses over my pupils as I struggle to make sense of my surroundings. I blink once more...

"The eyes are the windows to the soul."

- William Shakespeare -

What lies before them, may be something sweet, or dangerous...

May this rough guide be useful to you...

Unevenly-set Eyes - Individuals with this distinctive characteristic are capable of seeing things from a different perspective. They are ingenious, like to analyse (comments and observations) and they use lateral thought processing techniques to resolve problems. In other words, they offer a unique insight on a lot of things. Often you will be amazed at the impromptu insights that they offer. If you are looking for someone with a flair for shifting paradigms - then here's your man or woman. These people become invaluable assets to a company looking for ingenuity in it's approach.

Evenly-set Eyes - Those who have an even space between their eyes have a balanced judgment and a clear view of the world.

Widely-set Eyes - People with eyes set wider apart, may be more tolerant and open minded about life and reality. People of this class may present a flagrant disregard for authority and advice. A delicate blend of firmness and understanding will iron out the initial stresses between you and this type. They often fall into the holistic sciences as a means of self awareness, and find themselves in creative careers that reflect their inner issues. They need space, to be sure and can move on with the drop of a hat. At times these types possess too broad and superficial an opinion. Some have learning challenges, but that does not mean you should be the one to point out their faults, or they will leave. Not bad as friend, but not good in romantic relationships. Pauline Hanson is a case in point.

Closely-set Eyes - Individuals who have close-set eyes look dramatic and sultry on the outside. However, they may not have an open opinion of the world in general. They also tend to be overly dependent to others, and do not deal well with stress. This person may prefer codependent relationships, often remaining at home and not leaving the family once reaching adulthood. This also goes to the person whose life path is parental caretaker. In this case, the person may feel cheated in life, have emotional problems involving moods swings. Professional help should be sought.

Deepset Eyes -This portrays an intense, possessive yet observant nature. Deep-set eyed people are also idealistic, creative, and driven. Often writers and creatively driven personalities possess deepset eyes. This idealism is tempered after the age of 35 and surprisingly, reveals a more than capable ability in financial matters. They are of sound judgment, compassionate and serious minded. They go to deep, intense personality issues. These are the observers who like creative things and inspiring others with artistic expression. They are soul searchers, often here to make a difference with their endeavors. They are romantic to the core and sometimes spontaneous. Val Kilmer and Omar Shariff have this type of eyes.

Slanted Eyes - There are two types of slanted eyes. First, if the eyes are slanting upwards (“cat” eyes), it means that will do almost anything to get what they want. Elle McPherson and Claudia Schiffer possess these eyes. Second, if the eyes are slanting downwards, the person may be a little self deprecating and at the mercy of others. They are hardly able to say “no”.


The afternoon sun shrouds the figure before me, like an eclipse. I am the World, the figure, the Moon. Like focusing the lens of a telescope, there is more clarity to the figure. Then, a perfect outline begin to form. I squint my eyes. And then, I am staring down into hers...

chapter 1: sail away

There are times when I wish I could just forget the world...

If I could lay here; all day long, just lazing under the bright blue sky, with gulls chirping, with the wind against the sail, with the seawater splashing and regurgitating below deck. That will be perfect to my eyes, ears; that will be following my heart. I have no idea if it would be nauseating or not. But anyway, I have my trusty ginger pills stashed in the first aid kit. I just hope it doesn't go overboard, and sink to the bottom of Davy Jones' locker. That is the one of the only booty I brought along to this journey.

All on my own, I will question decisions, find out reasons why people did what they did. I will find what I need. I will find what it takes not to err again. This will be where I would escape for solitude. This is where I will lose my way, myself.

I am afraid. Do you ever feel that life is a constant cycle, each time reminding us of a glory, a mess, a lady, and the rest?

Does it matter that I feel like an ant crawling on the piece of Moebius strip i.e. in the above picture?

“There is the theory of the moebius. A twist in the fabric of space where time becomes a loop, from which there is no escape. When we reach that point, whatever happened will happen again.”

- Lieutenant Commander Worf, Star Trek: TNG, “Time Squared” -

"Why do you look so familiar? I swear that I have seen you before." - Have I? My head is gonna explode. I am ticked, confused. Something just isn't right.

I close my eyes again, trying to comprehend what my subconscious mind is whispering to me. I build a wall around the mess, and swear not to open this Pandora's Box for the sake of my crippled state of mind. I blame the 12th bottle of rum I had... was it last night? Or two nights ago? My mind is hell. Where's the first aid kit?? Something (couldn't be someone) is singing.

Stupid rudder... or was that the thunder? I need to sleep...

coal-mining monkeys

Monkeys are smart!!

Red Colombus Monkeys from the African island of Zanzibar have learned that ingesting charcoal will counteract the adverse affects of toxic substances in their diet (eg., Indian almond and mango leaves).

Like any other mischievous kid, monkeys have been known to snatch chocolates charcoal while our backs are turned, lying near kilns, where they are produced for cooking. They would also nibble the charred wood of burning trees (effects of deforestation). A typical monkey would eat about five grams of charcoal a day. Of course, our commercial powdered activated charcoal works better than these charcoal. But it works quite well for them.

The reason why these monkeys are still chomping those leaves albeit being toxic is because they are high in protein and highly digestible. This would explain the monkey boom in the Indian almond and mango habitat, which are significantly higher than those in the ground water forest.

Even though, our population in their habitats have increased, these monkeys have decided to look the glass at half full with a hint of cheekiness as they learned to coexist with us, by snacking on charcoal. I say well done to the monkeys!

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Activated charcoal has a well-known ability to adsorb toxins and it is effective in treating overdoses and poisonings, and in Europe people use it in liquid form as a digestive aid. Adsorption is the ability of substances, in this case the toxins, to stick to the surface of a solid, such as charcoal.

What does "Activated" mean? Basically it means a raw charcoal product which is purified for internal use. Use the powdered form if possible, as commercial tablets are about half as effective and should be chewed. Read more here.

birthdays

Happy Birthday to these people!

Usain Bolt - after setting a new world record in the 200m race in a time of 19.19s, slashing 0.11s of his old mark he set in Beijing!

Hayden Penettiere - world famous cheerleader.