you can stop screaming now folks

ok sorry bout that last post! it was late and i was not in a good mood ok!

Quack! Virus alert!

Hi there.  It's me again, Nicole Hoetker, reporting with my faithful assistant, Ducky.  (Quack!).  After our last few posts, we realized that as a public service announcement, we should probably do some reporting on the H1N1 influenza virus that has been going around this flu season.  Many people, including my brother, have gotten sick with it, despite the constant washing of hands and endless chapping.  Many people have been fortunate enough to get the vaccine. But it is not always effective, because certain viruses are rapidly mutating.  Fortunately for us, a company called Zirus (http://www.xvivo.net/zirus-antivirotics/) has come up with a new way to fight viruses.  The way a virus reproduces is by highjacking the host cells equipment (kind of like when your brother or classmate decides to start stealing you pencils or calculator.)  So, how do we stop viruses? Easy.  We just shut down certain things in a cell that the virus needs to reproduce, but the cell can live without, such as proteins on the surface of the cell that allow the virus to enter.  The cell doesn't need those, but the virus does.  There are also certain things that are needed to send off the viruses.  Once again, the cell does not need those and with the right type of medication, those can be shut down.

But still although we're getting a good start, we are not quite there yet.  I mean after all, the human body is made up of millions, even billions of cell, and to modify all of them is almost impossible with the current technology.  For now, your best bet to avoid getting the flue is to eat healthy, get plenty of sleep and most importantly wash your hands or at least use alcohol based handwash.  But, preferably wash your hands...there's really no substitute for that.  And try to not sneeze in people's faces.

If you want to find out more for yourself, just click on the link!

P.S. Random fact of the day:  In 2030, there is a highly possibility that as part of our daily routine we will be able to check our entire body for disease with just a single drop of blood on a special panel.  Crickey!

Salmon Burgers

Hihihihihi!

I had the best lunch ever yesterday!  Me and my mom made salmon burgers...yaaay! We ate them with lettuce and buns and apples.  Not only that, we didn't have to use our expensive salmon filets, because we can use canned salmon for salmon burgers.

I really like salmon burgers because they don't take as long to cook as plain old salmon, and they're great for things like cookouts and for times when you don't feel like eating fancy but you don't feel like eating a hamburger.  Besides, they're really healthy for you, like all fish, because they're big on omega-3 fatty acids and other good stuff for you as well.

It's recommended that you eat fish at least twice a week to stay healthy, but don't eat it every day because you might turn into one (giggle, giggle!).  I think that people should eat more fish to be more healthy.  Besides they're yummy.  But due to dwindling resources in in our oceans and rivers the best choice for fish would probably be farmed trout.  Why?  Because trout are small they are much less likely to have harmful chemical or waste in them like mercury (yuk!).  And, trout are very good at turning feed into body fat.  Salmon aren't so good at that.  Besides, think of how many sardines you'd have to grind up to turn into salmon chow when people could eat them.  Not very efficient if you ask me.  In all truth, you should compare farming big fish to farming lions.  I mean, think about it.  Lions are big powerful animals that don't like being confined to small spaces much like salmon and tuna.   Trout, however, are small, easy to contain and don't mind being in close proximity to their peers.  And if you're going to buy farmed fish I recommend that you buy American, since while we're not perfect, it's way better than other farm methods.

Ciao!