LynnF

http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/04/09/cnnhe...lson/index.html and their website http://www.projecthealingwaters.org/

My neighbour behind me is good friends with Jakob's mom and she actually particpated in the "shaving the head" benefit for him and helped out alot with the fundraiser to send him to China. The good news about him is that the parents had a sibling (brother) whose cord blood was frozen and whose stem cells will be used in Jakob's treatment. Jakob has shown tremendous and, almost unbelievable, progress and is already a candidate for the next stage of treatment. They decided to share their plight in the media because they were really trying to get the message out about how stem cell research is so valuable and about how legislation blocking it is so detrimental. Truly their media story had tons of merit and was absolutely appropriate and beneficial - I would have done the same thing. The good news is that with Obama's stance on this issue they may well be travelling just to the States for Jakob's next treatment instead of all the way to China. I say bravo to them. I am still searching for how this particular case of the two babies will benefit from media exposure. I think the father is trying to make sure in every way possible that this other little baby gets his daughter's organs and that by going to the media it will help with that. I can't find any other reason why he would be doing this.

So...I've had the same cell phone # for about 5 years now...maybe longer but that's all my memory seems to recall. NEVER had a telemarketer call at all on my phone. Other than people who I've given my # to, I've not received any calls from people I didn't know. Then I had to switch my plan (kept the # the same) to my company's corporate plan so they could start paying my bill and all of a sudden, lo and behold, about 4 days after switching it I started to get telemarketer calls. The free cruise one, the extended warranty one, the credit card insurance one. Got one again this morning. I call BS when they say they don't sell your information cuz this is too much of a coincidence. I'd love to know who/what they do. Because when I switched from personal account management to corporate it all changed.

I don't advocate anyone sharing these types of personal details with the world - especially when it involves innnocent children and, in this case, young babies who are desperately ill and/or dying. BUT the father brought it to the media - he sought them out and he's the one readily giving them interviews. He was told by doctors to can it and he chooses not to and actually got into a fight with a doctor over all this. Who knows why he is doing this, but he is the sole reason it's in the papers and the fallout and repercussions are his to bear when all is said and done. In these types of situations I always look for something good that can come from this. I'm struggling with this particular story - haven't found anything good yet or what could stand to be gained here. The thing that really disturbed me about the globe article is that when I went to pick up the Globe that was by the elevator yesterday morning, as it was lying on the floor, all I saw was a picture of the baby and the line "the baby that won't die"....until I unfolded it and read the whole headline. But at first glance I thought "what an absolutely horrible headline for the Globe to print". They might have laid it out better because at first glance that's what everyone sees. And the problem I have is that I think that's intentional on their part to sell more papers.

Wow....all you guys living with this type of pain. I only see it in Mike,never having had back pain, so can only sympathize. But I have a friend whose sister has a bulging disc, is hooked on morphine now (seriously) and is waiting for surgery and has been for the last 3 years. Problem being people who have connections getting bumped to the front of the line (and we actually have a friend who went from zero to surgery in 3 months so it does happen within in our wonderful healthcare system). Keep pushing back on your docs otherwise these people with connections will get preferential treatment and take your spot, your appointment, your scan, your surgery. It's a sick cycle of treatment if you ask me. Now...as for core exercises, it is a well known fact that your core supports your back. If you have weak abdominals or carry alot of weight in your front, then you put that strain on your back. By strengthening your core (through whatever exercise or program you can handle), you are doing yourself nothing but favours. A strong core is the key to a strong back - every doctor will tell you that. Pilates and yoga are a great way to do that if you're so inclined. There's scantily clad chicks in those classes if that helps you become inclined Good luck to all of you dealing with this type of pain.

That's exactly what Mike has and this treatment is supposed to be meant for it. I'm in the process of finding out if extended health covers it and then we'll proceed. Quick question - and you've probably already gone this route - but have you had regular chiropractic treatment? Mike gets to the point during his "episodes" where he can't stand straight and can barely walk but a few cracks from the bone doctor and he's good. I don't really "believe" in them, but I see the amazing results he has.

We're looking into that for Mike as well - but his is a nerve issue. However, the reason we found out about it is through my friend who has neck issues due to a herniated disc high up. She absolutely SWEARS this has saved her from surgery so far. And she doesn't care about the $$. It hasn't totally alleviated her pain but she has gone from spending days in bed on a board, unable to move, to being able to work on a regular basis and enjoy life again. If that isn't reason enough to try something, I don't know what is. I'd try just about anything before I let someone open up my back.

Happy Birthday ya old fart. Your birthday butter tarts are on their way to ya.

I ABSOLUTELY agree that the Flames are an inconsistent team - probably even moreso than the Canucks right now. But here's the argument I had with my husband the other day (he's a Canucks fan): Luongo is not the Luongo of last year so you can throw out the assumption that he's gonna be a rock in the playoffs and win it for ya. Goaltending wins playoffs - plain and simple. And the Canucks aren't a shoe-in for anything this year because of that. If Kipper was out for those 20 games that Luongo was there's no way the standings would be an issue. We have no backup goaltending to speak of and they better do something about that during the offseason. You guys have LaBarbera - and he's a great backup right now. But he wasn't there for ya when Luongo was out and that hurt the Canucks. I agree - on paper we're a great team. Iggy hasn't had the year he should have, Cammalleri has dropped off, Jokinen has fizzled...but we're also riddled with injuries to some pretty key guys right now too. If we can play like we did last night with the likes of Regehr, Giordano and Borque out, then we're doing OK. Bottom line: I like our chances better than the Canucks - if only for how easy it SHOULD be to take the division. I think it's funny when I was listening to those morons on the Toronto Sports Network last weekend go ON AND ON about how Vancouver was the hands-down division champions. As inconsistent as we are, never count the Flames out. Just as you should never count on your goalie to pull the win for ya every time. Oh ya...somebody needs to call Vigneault and tell him to quit putting Demitra on the point - that's Vancouver's single biggest mistake every single game right now.

No shame in how the Flames played last night. Bobby Lou is the reason you guys won the game - your defense didn't even show up.....Sedins were flat...it really wasn't a stellar game for your team other than your goalie. If Glencross didn't take that stupid penalty in the third and if we could get our asses in gear on the powerplay it would have been a completely different game. Period for period the Flames brought it last night and didn't give up until the buzzer sounded and I expect that's how it's going to go when they win the division by week's end. Canucks did a good job getting their way to the top - they just lack the consistency and staying power to stay there. You guys had the golden opportunity to lock things up last weekend but your goalie let in 15 goals in 3 games and your team sh*t the bed. Just not good enough at this stage of the game.....and like the other night against the Kings, we'll make ya pay for that.

We will actually do more fishing this year than in years past, I predict. Most of it will be on the Bow now that we've sold our trailer, and I anticipate we will set record $$ contributions to the shuttle services. We have also booked a salmon fishing trip to the QCI in August that was not a small amount of change. I'm in the market for new waders and will definitely buy them this year even though I could Aquaseal the crap out of the ones I have and get away with using them another year. But, by and large, the recession hasn't and won't continue to affect what we do piscatorially speaking. Except that maybe my husband better get tying me some flies so I don't have to go to the store and buy them

Now imagine that sandwich made with a Pannini Press. If you don't have one, it's worth the investment...trust me. And Sarah....any time you come north we'd be so happy to take you down the river. I hope it happens one day.

This is seriously the most whacked threadjack ever on this board.

FFC's own production of Brokeback Mountain and Three's Company: Anglin' and lovin' on the Livingstone Range.

Wow...I might just have to swing on by the R&C for a sammy then soon!

I am not lying when I say that that is something my brother would make and use.

Since the economy tanked, Mike and I have lost 30% of our investment $$. Our financial advisor told us he expects that things will start on the upswing in early fall. I believe him - he's heavily leveraged and quite wealthy from all his years in the industry and practicing what he preaches. That being said though, we did go way more conservative and secure with our contribution this year until we see for sure what's going to happen. I think that's prudent - we've lost enough already and it's going to take better than 3 years to recoup those losses thereby setting our retirement back, potentially. Having said that, on the spending side, we have not been nearly so conservative. This year we travelled to Mexico, will be going to Vegas end of May, salmon fishing end of August, and probably Phoenix or the Dominican in November (hi honey.....we'll talk later LOL). We've spent some big $$ on travel this year did a couple of costly renos and will do some more costly stuff outside the house this spring, but our attitude right now is "f**k it....you can't take it with you and I'll be goddamned if I'm gonna leave it to kids who never worked for it". So....we've been responsible on the savings side so why not a teeny bit irresponsible on the spending side. Also....that being said, I have been laid off twice in the past 5 years. But my "laid off" meant some pretty lucrative packages and I wound up in jobs more financially rewarding that what I was out of. Do I believe that would happen to me now in this economy? Probably not. But I could be out of work for a year without worrying about anything either so I don't really take that into consideration. I guess what I'm getting at is this: if your formula for your financial life is such that you can justify financially and emotionally to buy what you feel you must have or want, then do it. If you have to go into debt to do it and are fine with that, then do it. You just have to be comfortable in your gut with your purchase otherwise buyer's remorse is going to find a way to track you down in that fancy new boat. There again, you could get hit by a bus tomorrow and never know the joy of fishing out of that bad boy. You see....in the end the "life is short" argument always wins!

You have to be 18 before you don't need parental consent. And let me throw this out there now that the subject of parental consent has been brought up. Although piercings in and of themselves carry certain risks - and some certainly more than others depending on where they are - but one I would STRONGLY suggest parents look into is the tongue piercing. A highschool friend and I had a discussion about this girl who was being treated for chronic facial pain for over a year and when she finally wound up in her emergency ward one night it was discovered after many, many hours of testing that the reason for her chronic pain was her tongue piercing. It took the emergency room staff 4 hours (including her as she's a trauma nurse) to figure this out - something her doctor hadn't in over a full year of treating her. I guess there's a nerve/muscle group that is connected or interwined with the facial muscles and nerves and if you strike this with a piercing you can imagine what happens. They took this piercing out and within half an hour had no more severe pain and was completely pain free 2 weeks later when the piercing had healed. Piercings and tats are all fine and dandy if you look after them and know what you're getting in to before you get it done. But some people don't know or refuse to acknowledge the real dangers behind them and get them done on a whim and then don't even look after them. I don't think I'd consent to my son getting one, and I just can't figure out how there are so many kids under 18 out there that are just pierced and tatted beyond reason.

GENTLEMEN AND GENTLEMEN - WE HAVE A WINNER. # 1 really did it for me.

The odd thing is that there must be some wave of "middle aged" crisis going on with this stuff too. I got my nose pierced when I turned 40 - my first peircing other than my ears - and then my first tattoo when I was 42. But, for me, they're both discreet and tasteful and I think that's why I don't regret either of them. Yet. But some of the kids that I know with tongues and eyebrows and labrettes and crap - they either get infected or taken out within a year. May be fun at the time but trying to eat and do other stuff with a big hunk of metal in the middle of your tongue would take it's toll I think and common sense would win out.

Well colour me surprised at the # of ya that wanna float with us....who knew! All kidding aside - we're looking forward to meeting some great folks this year and maybe learning something different - that's really what this is all about. It's like I told Rick - if we're gonna be out there anyways, might as well have a third arse in the seat since our son seems more interested in doing anything but fishing.

Glad you said that...I was going to but I feel I've spent too much time talking about penises today already. Is there a plural for penis? Peeneye?

Oh no Don....I've learned through 2 husbands that you NEVER joke or threaten or even talk about malicious and willful disfigurement of the male genitalia. It's kind of a secret thing I thought. Maybe I"m wrong. Feel free to set me straight. By the way - the same guy that got a PA in the video also had steel ball bearings inserted subepidermically if you know what I mean. I TOTALLY don't get that. If anyone can explain any of this, I'd love to hear the why's.

I was just thinking of something.....how come I know what a Prince Albert is but I had to get someone to tell me what 420 friendly is. I need to edumacate myself better.

I really should get into the habit of saying inflating/assembling the boat...anywhateversnowisgoneandspringishere: since we have sold our trailer and have intentions of fishing the mighty crap out of the mighty Bow this year in said inflated boat, I've decided to take requests to fill the back seat. You may or may not have to share said space (not the seat) with a dog, depending on how said dog takes to fishing. However, we would like to fill it a few times as it is easier for girls to row the boat when the front and back seats are evenly weighted. So....if you're interested in floating the Bow in our boat (with us....that's the only stipulation and possibly the only downfall of this whole offer), then submit your name. Contestants will be chosen based on the following criteria: 1. The type of lunch you're gonna show up with. 2. The type of flies you're gonna share with us 3. How much of the shuttle you're gonna split 4. How good looking you are 5. How much you are willing to teach us, because we know a little less than nothing, even after fishing the Bow for, oh, 8 odd years 6. If you're willing to bring alcohol and keep it under wraps 7. If you promise not to fish and tell 8. If you're willing to fish topless and, finally 9. If you're willing to let me catch the most fish of the day, or allow me to lie about it without argument. Well...on second thought, after reviewing my criteria, I don't think there's anyone on this board that fits the entire bill. So...the new criteria is: if you wanna fish in a boat for a day with 2 idiots, gimme your name.