Field @ MindSay 
trip
Dixie currently feels:
Explosive 
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White rabbits!
Yeah... That's supposed to bring good luck if it's the first thing you say on the first day of a month.
I don't know if it applies to specific months, or one specific month...
March is the month with my favourite month name.
I mean, how cool does it sound?
MARCH.
Although, white rabbits was not the first thing I said today.
The first thing I said today was:
"...And we'll get your ears through."
You're probably thinking: "...WTF MATE."
Well, that's what I said to Gina as I was putting her collar on.
She doesn't wear a collar in the house - she only wears it when she's outside or on a lead.
She has big floppy ears, and they'd gotten trapped underneath her collar.
I said that to her gently as I tried to free them.
This is Gina - laid on my parents' bed.
She was laid on my bed earlier, when I was cleaning my room. Cheeky cow. 
Gina isn't our pet - she belongs to a friend of my parents.
They're away in India, so we're looking after her - as we often do when they go away.
When we do look after her though, she doesn't eat anything for the first day or two - but once she's accustomed herself to the surroundings, she'll eat something we put down for her.
If we let her eat anything from our hand, or from a plate on the floor - she'll be sick.
My parents took her to my nan's earlier - and apparently she was sick on her rug.
We were looking after Gina in Christmas of 2006 - and we'd put down a plate of turkey for her.
She ate it as fast as is actually possible - walked about four metres, then chucked it straight back up infront of the front door.
It didn't look much different to what it looked like before she'd eaten it.
When both of my parents are at work, I take Gina for a whizz on the field behind our house.
I've been asked by two of my friends why she squats to pee.
Quite simply - because she's a girl.
If you didn't know that - female dogs, or bitches - don't cock their leg to pee.
It's just like us female humans, we don't have a penis to direct our urine spray, so we have to sit or squat.
Whizzing in a forest is the worst for a girl - if you ever have to pee behind a tree or a bush in an emergency resort - you have to keep your balance, make sure you don't dall down with your arse in a pile of leaves and dirt - and you have to hold your trousers and pants back, to make sure you don't pee on them.
It's also a common accident to pee on one's shoes.
So boys - spare a thought for the females, who cannot aim their yellow expulsion.
I liked looking at the snow once Gina had whizzed on it when I took her for a walk on the snow-covered field last year - with a former friend of mine.
It was difficult for us both to stand up on the icy pathways, and I was suprised that Gina actually wanted to stay out in such weather - she doesn't like rain, wind, or fireworks.
I sat with her one night on bonfire night when we were all around my mam's friend's house for a party.
I was a little afraid myself - mainly because Gina kept looking like she wanted to bite me, although I just wanted to help.
Here's an extreme close-up.
- Taken by Adam, this afternoon.
Unless you really dislike dogs, I bet you can't stare into her eyes and not say "Awww!"
Go on. Try it.
Dixie dares you. :P
http://www.athleticsafrica.com/Outgoing/athletesdiary.html
People who suffered from depression around the turn of the century were oftentimes committed to sanitariums and persecuted by both loved ones and the medical profession for their “down” feelings no one seemed to understand. Suicide rates were high as life was harder in those days and previous, and the combination of devastating events with the inability to seek help from professionals, led to the demise of many struggling with clinical depression. Unfortunately, patients with this common mental illness still suffer occasional mistreatment and regular misunderstanding from the public. Why is it that depression struggles to be accepted by the mainstream, and at the same time, what improvements have been made we should all be grateful for?
Everyone endures pain and suffering in life, but those with clinical depression experience mental anguish for weeks (even months) at a time. Perhaps one of the reasons clinical depression is difficult for the public to grasp, is due to our society’s “suck it up” attitude. We expect people to pull themselves up by the boot straps and deal with their own issues without the assistance of others. However, depressed individuals are unfortunately unable to do that. This mental illness can be so debilitating that many begin to cease functioning with even the simplest of life’s tasks such as dressing, showering, and eating. The social stigma of depression causes people suffering from it to feel even more isolated, which in turn furthers the public’s judgment of the disease, since its victims are judging themselves the most harshly.
Another reason depression has not gotten the attention it deserves, is because of fear. The depressed individual is fearful of seeking help, and their loved ones are scared to see someone they care about in such a weak and compromised state. Those who have the support they need, still often do not seek professional help, as the mental health industry has so many hoops to jump through, the patient often does not have the energy nor motivation to seek out treatment.
The bright side of this all? Those who do pursue treatment have plenty of options. More than ever, depressed people have resources to take advantage of. Talk therapy, both individually and within a group, have long been a treatment method. Prescription medication is another popular alternative. However there are other options.
Herbal remedies have become a popular solution in recent years, mainly due to the fact many psychotropic prescription meds can have adverse physical side effects after years of usage. Instead, herbal supplements have been found to be able to control cases of mild to moderate depression. One herb with impressive results is St. John’s Wort. This is available over the counter and does not have the risk of liver and kidney damage that some prescription drugs still carry. Users of St. John’s Wort have experienced a decrease in their level of anxiety, depressive episodes, and even frequency of suicidal thoughts.
Other herbal remedies and alternative treatments such as meditation and prayer have also been proven to help depression. Many people are turning to these new outlooks of treatment to avoid both the health risk and the stigma.
What can you do if someone you know is suffering from depression? The most important thing you can do is to be a listening and encouraging ear. Depressed people often cannot be “cheered up”, however you can remind them consistently they are loved and supported. Another action you are capable of is to never take suicidal threats as insignificant. Many suicidal depressives could have been saved if people had taken their words seriously. The majority of suicide victims either shared their intentions with someone or had written up a letter or plan of execution. Don’t ever take suicide lightly. Lastly, you can support your depressed loved one by offering to be a companion as they seek help. Offer to take them to the doctor, join them for a therapy session, or accompany them to the pharmacy followed by a fun lunch date out. Showing unconditional love and support to a depressed individual can make a world of difference – in both theirs and yours.
Websites like Healthsphere have a wealth of videos and information regarding depression, which can work to educate yourself and be prepared to help your loved one in the best ways possible!
Last Sunday, Nigeria's female sprinters Franca Idoko and Christy Ekpukpon led all comers home at the DLV Gala classics in Wattenscheid, Germany. Weeks before that Ethiopian Kenenisa Bekele smashes the UK's All Comers Record with 7.26.69 in the men's 3000m at the Norwich Union British Grand Prix in Sheffield.
With the World and Olympic 5000m champion, Tirunesh Dibaba already selected to double up in 5000m and 10000m in Osaka, Africa is set to challenge the rest of the world and to once again dominate the long distance races, though Aussie Craig Mottram might have something to say to that.
So what are their realistic chances of podium finishes in Osaka 2007? How many Gold medals do you think African athletes will win at the World championships?
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