Community Ch@ - Issue 1

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Happy Father’s Day

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Electronic Community Magazine June 2016

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In this issue...

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15 Awesome Dad-Related Facts Father’s Day Gift Guide Dachshund Careers - CV Advice Kosi Palm Medical Moments from the Cookie Jar Barn Swallow Grace - Hidden in Plain Sight Recipes - Winter Favourites Environmental Are you Raising a Bully?

Studying Getting you Down?

Printed by: Featz Publishing (Pty) Ltd and distributed via email.

Disclaimer: No responsibility is accepted by Featz Publising (Pty) Ltd for claims, errors or omissions made in advertisements appearing in this issue.

All our advertisers are accepted in good faith and we are not responsible for views expressed by contributors or other sources. Reproduction of the contents of this magazine is not permitted without the prior consent of the publisher.

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From the editor...

Eighteen months ago we started a small community magazine called @Garsfontein aimed specifically at the GarsCom community situated in the Pretoria East area.

The magazine grew in popularity and soon we were receiving requests for copies of the magazine from other areas as well.

Approximately two months ago after some complaints on the local Facebook page regarding flyer advertising in our area I drove around and realised that we are facing a major problem when it comes to the masses of printed material dropped off in our mailboxes and stuck to our gates and fences.

I value our environment and decided Featz Publishing (Pty) Ltd will no longer contribute to this problem. We decided that going digital will mean that we will not add to the ever-growing paper pollution and we can also grow our magazine, extend our reach

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and hopefully encourage other companies to stop flyer and sign post pollution!

With that said we welcome you to our first edition of Community Ch@ Magazine. We look forward to your continued support and we trust you will spread the word and have all your friends and family subscribe as well.

Until next time, keep sending us your comments and suggestions.

The Editor

15 Awesome Dad-Related Facts 1. George Washington – the celebrated Father of the Country in America – had no children of his own.

2. Halsey Taylor invented the drinking fountain as a tribute to his father, who succumbed to typhoid fever after drinking from a contaminated public water supply in 1896.

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7th Heaven – Reverend Eric Camden

(10) Full House – Danny Tanner 9. The voice of Papa Smurf – Don Messick – also provided a voice to Scooby-Doo, Ranger Smith on Yogi Bear, And Astra and RUDI on The Jetsons.

10. In 2001, Yuri Usachey, cosmonaut and 3. In Thailand the Kings Birthday also serves commander of the international Space Station, as National Father’s Day. The celebration received a talking picture frame from his 12 will include fireworks and acts of charity year old daughter while in orbit. The gift was and honour- the most distinctive being the made possible by RadioShack. donation of blood and the liberation of captive 11. The only father-daughter collaboration to hit animals. the top spot on the Billboard pop music chart 4. In 1950, after a music critic gave Harry was the 1967 hit single “Something Stupid” by Truman’s daughter’s concert a negative review, Frank & Nancy Sinatra. the president came out swinging: “Someday 12. In the underwater world of the seahorse, it is I hope to meet you,” he wrote. “When that the male who gets to carry the eggs and birth happens you’ll need a new nose, a lot of the babies. beefsteak for black eyes, and perhaps a supporter below!”

13. If show creator/producer Sherwood Swartz had gotten his way, Mike Brady from The 5. A.A. Milne created Winnie the Pooh for his Brady Bunch would have been portrayed by son, Christopher Robin. Pooh was based on Gene Hackman.

Christopher Robin’s teddy bear, Edward, a gift 14. Stevie Wonder’s song “Isn’t She Lovely” is about his newborn daughter, Aisha. If you 6. Kurt Vonnegut was Geraldo Rivera’s fatherlisten closely, you can hear her crying during in-law. Rivera’s marriage to Edith Vonnegut the song. ended in 1974 because of his womanising. Her ever-protective father was quoted as saying – 15. Dick Hoyt has pushed and pulled his son Rick, “If I ever see Gerry again, I’ll spit in his face.” who has cerebral palsy, through hundreds of He also included an unflattering character marathons and triathlons. Rick cannot speak, named Jerry Rivers in a few of his books. but using a custom-designed computer he has been able to communicate. They ran their 7. Andre Agassi’s father represented Iran in the first five-mile race together when Rick was in 1948 and 1952 Olympics as a boxer. high school. When they were done, Rick sent 8. Top 10 TV Dads as per Tivo’s Survey in 2005 his father this message: “Dad, when we were (1) The Cosby Show – Cliff Huxtable running, it felt like I wasn’t disabled anymore!” the boy received on his first birthday.

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The Andy Griffith Show – Sheriff Andy Taylor

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Little House on the Prairie – Pa Ingalls

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Happy Days – Howard Cunningham

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Leave it to Beaver – Ward Cleaver

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Father Knows Best – Jim Anderson

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The Brady Bunch – Mike Brady

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Home Improvements – Tim Taylor

Happy Father’s Day – and a big hug to all the Dad’s out there.

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Dachshund

Dachshund: half a dog high and a dog and a half long” (H.L. Mencken once used this comment)

These little guys are tough enough to take on a badger – which is how they got their name; Dachs – means badger and Hund means dog.

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help but smile when you look at a confident Dachshund.

Dachshunds come in three different varieties – smooth, wirehaired and longhaired and can be either miniature or standard. Originating from Germany, regardless of their size, the Dachshund is a delightful addition to any family, which is why they have ranked near the top of the most popular dogs list since 1950.

Smooth Dachshunds are the most popular. Their coats are short and shiny and they require little grooming. They do however get cold easily and require a jersey in winter.

Common colours are red and black and tan but they can also be cream, black and cream, chocolate and tan, blue and tan and fawn and tan. They can also have patterns on their coats – such as dapple, brindle, sable and piebald.

Their cute appearance and lively disposition has earned them many affectionate nicknames wiener dog, hot dog and sausage dog. You cannot

Longhaired Dachshunds have sleek, slightly wavy hair and can be the same colours as the Smooth Dachshund. They should be brushed every day

to prevent knots from forming, especially around their elbows and ears. It is believed that the longhaired Dachshund has a more docile temperament.

Wirehaired Dachshunds have wiry, short, thick, rough coats with bushy eyebrows and a beard. They are often mischievous. These guys won’t need a jersey in the winter months, but they do need to be brushed regularly.

The Dachshund has often been seen as a symbol of Germany, and because of this association they lost popularity during World War I and II especially in the United States.

If World War I was tough on dachshunds, what came next was just weird. Nazi scientists boasted that they successfully taught the dogs to speak, read, spell, and even communicate telepathically. Germans believed that dogs were nearly as intelligent as humans, so they set up a special program called Hundesprechschule Asra to tap into that asset. Some of the outlandish feats claimed by the program included a dog that could say “Mein Fuhrer” and another that could write poetry. heir cuteness however was too great and soon they won back their popularity. A Dachshund named Waldi was the official mascot for the 1972 Summer Olympic Games.

General Notes:

The Dachshund is a good choice for people with small properties because of their small size. They are generally active indoors and enjoy going on walks. Be careful not to let them go too far or allow them to injure their backs by jumping off furniture, and always make sure you are holding their back when you pick them up. Due to their long backs they are susceptible to slipped or ruptured disks in their back.

They are independent and playful and can often be mischievous. Be patient, firm and consistent when training them.

Although they were originally bred to hunt ferocious badgers and other animals, today’s Dachshunds are ideal family companions. They are hardworking and well-appreciated therapy dogs. This is a versatile companion and with the variety of sizes, colours, coat types and personalities – there is a Dachshund to suit almost anyone.

Dachshunds can be stubborn and difficult to housebreak.

They were bred to be tenacious hunters that hunt and kill their prey. This can lead to digging in the flower beds, relentlessly pestering you for treats and their toys will be “hunted” and “killed” one after the other.

They like to bark They easily become lazy and fat – make sure to monitor his food intake.

By nature they are one person dogs and will be suspicious of strangers.

Vital Stats Height: 20 – 22 cm tall at the shoulder Weight: between 7 and 14.5 kilograms Life Span: 12 to 15 years

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Roslyn Anderson Career Counseling Pretoria

Stop using the same CV you used 10 years ago!

Recruiters receive hundreds of CV’s per position.

Each CV gets a few seconds of reviewing. You need to ‘sell’ yourself in those first few seconds. When a CV is opened on the computer screen one can see the top half of the first page, this is where you need to get all the critical information displayed as concisely as possible.

Gone are the days when you need a cover page with Curriculum Vitae and your name written on the front. Similarly gone are the days when the second page contains a list of all of your particulars, age, marital status, smoker, dependents, religion, address etc.… If you do this, the recruiter has to scroll down for two pages before they get to anything useful.

For the recruiter the most pressing information is: highest qualification, type of jobs you can do, and where you are located as well as how to get hold of you. Ensure that your CV includes your contact details. Don’t assume that because you emailed the CV the recipient will keep your email address, sometimes people print out or forward on CV’s to others and your email address gets lost along the way.

I like the idea of placing a professional photo of you on the CV. However, it needs to be professional, head and shoulders, choose a photo that makes you look professional. Not a ‘selfie’ and not a posed model like photo.

Avoid attaching all of your certificates. This can make your email very large in size and may not go through to some addresses. Some recruiters may open the wrong document first and get irritated that they can’t easily find which document is the actual CV. People can also steal your ID. Be sure that you have the correct contact details for your references. Give them a heads up that you are in the job market, this way if they are phoned for a character reference they won’t say, “John? Oh, John who? Sorry I can’t remember any John’s!” This may reflect poorly on you. Your references need to be people whom you have reported to in the past. For first time job huntersthis can be a bit difficult as you don’t have work experience, so perhaps put the details of a lecturer who knows you, vacation job manager, high school teacher or pastor.

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CV Writing Tips: Avoid labeling your word/pdf CV document “My CV”. On your laptop this is the only CV and it is yours- but on the person who has advertised the position’s laptop, they now have 350 “My CV’s”!!!

Rather label it with your name and surname and possibly your qualification eg: John Smith Mechanical Engineer.

Have a decent sounding email address - hotstuff@yahoo.com or tinkerbell@ gmail.com does not make a good first impression.

Avoid using “WhatsApp” language in your cover letter. Eg: ‘Plz consida my CV for da position’. You must write professionally at all times.

Do the same with your qualifications. eg: 2016 first, working backwards to 2001; Honors Degree, working backwards to Undergraduate Degree and then Matric.

Do not fax your personal information –it could be a scam. If you send your CV in for a job advert and get an automatic reply requesting you to fax your ID photo, qualifications to a certain numberdon’t do it! Be careful what personal information you provide online -identity thieves are out there.

It is amazing how much information people will give away in the hopes to get a job. Avoid putting your ID number, passport, driver’s license number or home address on your CV. Rather just state your age and area you come from, eg: 42 years old, Gauteng.

If you are applying via LinkedIn, be sure that your CV is manually uploaded for every application, it Play your best cards first, don’t tell the reader that does not automatically upload on LinkedIn. Many you enjoy collecting stamps before you tell them times recruiters receive an email with no CV what Qualification you have. attached.

Start from the most recent position/job you have held and work backwards when writing your CV.

Ensure that your CV has page numbers.

Featz Publishing (Pty) Ltd Community Communication Visit our Website and Book your space for the Next Issue of

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food fresh for longer (based on current, ongoing and historic research dating back to the early 1980s).

BabaGrub started off as a small label in 2013 and has, since then, established itself as the go-to brand for parents who are committed to ensuring that their babies and toddlers receive only the purest and best quality food. Its established place in the market has been achieved through dedication, hard work and ensuring an ongoing process of improvement in quality and taste.

As adults, often a lot of thought is put into what we eat. Increasingly, we are realizing exactly how many nasties can be found in readymade meals.

All too often however, we forget to apply the same caution when it comes to choosing store-bought over homemade baby food and purees. There is a growing awareness by parents that the normal healthy store-bought foods may not be the best option for their baby or toddler, potentially containing many hidden ingredients, additives and chemicals. Manufacturers also often push the natural, organic and nothing artificial added angle, providing a “feel good” factor, for parents who offer store-bought processed food to their babies and children as our ever-increasing busy lives leave little time to prepare an array of healthy eats and treats. In addition to this, as many as one in five adults and children, and possibly as many as one in three with behavioural problems, present with allergies or intolerances to common foods such as milk, wheat, yeast and eggs, and common additives and chemicals used to keep

All BabaGrub products use the finest and freshest quality natural ingredients with free-range protein and, where possible, organic fruit and veggies being sourced. All meals are made to order with the greatest of care, packaged once cooled and delivered either fresh or frozen on request. With no added sugar, salt, preservatives, additives, fillers or colorants, BABA GRUB IS the healthy option of informed parents. All of the natural nutrients found in fruit, vegetables and meats are kept intact, along with the tastes, colour, texture and aroma BabaGrub allows your little one to learn the different textures whilst benefiting nutritionally, while mixing different foods to add variety and excitement to meal time. With 4 different meal stages on offer, growing children are fully catered for with all the crucial years of development covered, from 6 months all the way to 4 years.

BabaGrub is also convenient, and hassle free with no fuss to prepare. I have taken the ‘worry’, the ‘doubt’ and the ‘mission’ out of feeding your little ones and replaced those emotions with excitement, fun and love.

BabaGrub has also started catering for upmarket preschools, with lunch meals specially prepared and delivered.

For more information, and to place an order contact Samantha today on

083 6507150 or at samantha@babagrub.com.

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Raphia Australis Kosi Palm

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Tree of the Year – 2006 Palms have the largest leaves of all trees, and the Raphia has the largest leaves of all palms.

One species of these monsters are indigenous to South Africa, and that is the Kosi Palm.

Trees are often up to 16m tall, usually solitary, have separate male and female flowers on the same tree (monoecious) and flowers once and dies (monocarpic).

The natural distribution of the Kosi Palm is restricted to a small area stretching from just South of Kosi Bay to approximately 40km North of Maputo. The population at Mtunzini is descended from cultivated trees. These trees are found on seasonally inundated dunes and have breathing roots (pneumatophores) like mangroves.

It was only in 1968 that the Kosi Palm tree in the Natal Herbarium garden in Durban was seen flowering, and it was realised that this was in fact a new species. Until that time it had been thought that the Mtunzini and Kosi Bay trees were the Southernmost population of the Raphia Vinifera Beauv, a West African species.

There are about 20 species of Raphia, mainly from tropical Africa and Madagascar; one comes from South America, and one is found in Southern Africa, straddling the border between KwaZulu-Natal and Mozambique.

flowering, but the trigger is unknown. Fruits remain on the tree generally until blown down by high winds, which may only happen a year or two after they are ripe. It seems that in nature, they are mainly dispersed by palm-nut vultures.

The Palms at Mtunzini station are declared a National Monument, and at least part of the Kosi population is within a nature reserve. Few uses are recorded for this rather rare palm.

These Palms are dramatic accents in parks and large gardens, but are not suitable for containers or confined areas, and they are far too large for small gardens. Their natural habitat range suggests that they are frost sensitive, but some are to be seen in relatively cold situations around Kloof, Gilletts and Hillcrest in the Durban area.

A witty comment in a horticultural magazine suggested that these are ideal street trees as they grow, flower and die within 20 years – which is about the length of time between road renovations.

Fresh seeds grow easily once the outer scales have been removed. Seedlings need filtered sunlight, plenty water and protection from wind.

Very little else is known about the cultivation of these Palms.

The raffia fibre used by gardeners is derived from a species from tropical Africa and Madagascar which differs from our species.

A West African Raphia holds the record for the largest leaf ever measured; with a rachis over 25m long.

The fruits are an important item in the food supply of the palm-nut vulture. The channelled rachis directs water into the leaf axils, which quickly fill with humus and so become ideal habitat for various epiphytes, mostly ferns and fern allies. Like the Fishtail palm (genus Caryota) the Kosi palm only flowers once at an age of between 20 and 40 years and then dies. The seasons do not seem to be of major importance in initiating

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Medical Moments from the Cookie Jar: hus far in the previous two ‘Medical Moments from the Cookie Jar’, we have deconstructed T the body’s chemistry and physiology behind attraction and lust: an addictive and heady state that swirls us into new romances and reduces us to nervous exhilarated wrecks floating in a parallel

universe. ‘But’ you say as Frankie Blue-eyes warbles out ‘Love and marriage’, ‘is there science behind that transition between lust and love? Between that narcotic-like high and a permanent commitment, a long term attachment and staying together?’

But of course there is! The two major role players in this ‘attachment’ concoction are oxytocin and vasopressin (also known as antidiuretic hormone or ADH). Oxytocin may be seen as the ‘cuddle hormone’, and is released in response to touch, kissing and nipple- and genital stimulation. Its effects are potentiated by oestrogens (and inhibited by testosterone – I’ll leave you with extrapolations), and release of this oxytocin decreases the stress hormone cortisol, promotes feelings of trust, creates the desire for long-term bonding and social interaction, and decreases ‘drug tolerance’ to the other ‘love hormones’ so you stay ‘in love’ longer. The strong link between oxytocin and the establishment of all relationships may be highlighted with disorders such as autism, schizophrenia and that deep dark depression after love’s rejection. Vasopressin is also secreted in response to touch and genital stimulation, and has been labelled the ‘monogamy molecule’.

Endorphins give you that soothing peaceful and secure feeling when in a committed and caring relationship.

Oxytocin causes a woman to be forgetful, decreases her ability to think rationally and causes an incredibly strong emotional attachment to the man she is with. Explains so much!

Vasopressin causes a man to be jealous toward a woman, and inspires him to be loyal.

But oxytocin is also the involved in breast feeding and child birth; vasopressin in response to dehydration to conserve water and concentrate your urine (another reason not to take anyone seriously after too much beer as alcohol inhibits this hormone). But how does one link up these body functions to their emotional and psychological consequences? It is all about the receptors and where these molecules work in the brain. So let me tell you a story.

Once upon a time there was a prairie vole, and he had a very bad cousin, the montane vole. Prairie voles are very sociable, believing in true love and mating for life. Their relatives however

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do not, preferring to be loners and engage in sequential short-term flings, sometimes even concurrently, with little attachment. It turns out, as Insel and his colleagues discovered, that the difference between the cousins’ philosophy regarding their love-lives lay in the areas of the brain in which oxytocin worked1. In order for a hormone to have an action, it needs a receptor: a type of lock into which a certain key fits to produce a biological response. Prairie voles have oxytocin receptors mainly in areas of the brain associated with deep emotion and attachment, such as the prelimbic cortex, nucleus accumbens, and amygdala. The montane vole does not. In addition, the good boys

The Chemistry of Love

Dr. Joji Theron (MBChB, MSC

have a high concentration of vasopressin receptors in their ventral pallidum brain regions which are linked to the dopamine-rich reward and pleasure centres of limbic system. So perhaps long term love does come down to it all being in the mind!

And it gets potentially even more interesting. If the scientists injected oxytocin and vasopressin in high quantities into the specific areas of the brain in the montane voles, they would change;

Part 3

fall in love, propose marriage and even help with the kids. More recently, Kabbaj and his colleagues proved that love actually does change the way you think. The act of copulation together with cohabiting for 6 hours induced epigenetic changes (modifications to chromosomes regulating how genes are expressed) in the above brain areas, thus increasing the number of oxytocin and vasopressin receptors present in the reward and pleasure centers2.

“Mistress, you know yourself, down on your knees, And thank heaven, fasting, for a good man’s love” W Shakespeare. How to know who will be the perfect husband: The prairie vole (Microtus ochrogaster) and his cousin the montane vole (Microtus montanus).

And now to relate the vole story to humans.

Humans also have oxytocin receptors in dopamine-rich regions of the brain which are involved in the reward and motivation circuitry3.

Scientists have indeed proven that love is not equal to lust, as functional MRI (fMRI) scans light up different areas of the brain for lust, love and attachment. And, heart-warmingly, romantic love seems to be more powerful than sex-drive (and on the flip side, has an implication in stalking and suicide). Furthermore, fMRIs showed activity in different areas of the brain when volunteers were look at either a friend or a lover. We can also see that love is a lateralized brain function (like speech), with romantic love being mostly rightsided and facial attractiveness on the left sided.

Lovers gazing into each other’s eyes produced the same fMRI patterns as a mother looking at her suckling new-born…and like cocaine users high on a fix! Not surprisingly then, being dumped causes increased activity in areas associated with physical pain, obsessive compulsive behaviour,

controlling anger, and brain areas used when speculating about what someone else is thinking4. This pattern of neural activity makes it look like you start loving your rejecting partner harder! Scientific analysis thus leaves us with a conundrum in that lust, love and attachment systems are independent and that all 3 can work simultaneously, thus explaining jealousy, adultery, divorce.

Building the climax to this series of articles on the chemistry of love, we end off with the big ‘O’.

Reaching orgasm is a complex interplay between the sympathetic- (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (relaxed and chilled) nervous systems, and Dr Kinsey compared it to sneezing of all things. The Miriam-Webster dictionary defines an orgasm as “An explosive discharge of neuromuscular tensions at the height of sexual arousal that is usually accompanied by the ejaculation of semen and vaginal contractions”, and I’ll leave imagining the logistics behind the experimental conclusions up to you! fMRI analysis shows

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brain activity during orgasm linked to emotions, high activity of pleasure hormone dopamine in the reward centres, muscle coordination and the release of endorphins, oxytocin and vasopressin.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scans reveal that there is not much difference between the male and female brain-response during these moments, and that the lateral prefrontal cortex (the seat of reason and behavioural control) shuts down (so girls, next time you ask your man what he is thinking at these times, ‘nothing’ is really the truth). In fact, it looks like a heroin brain. Females show a decreased activity in brain areas that deal with fear and anxiety.

And of course, one cannot fake orgasms during these investigations!

So as a scientist, all this information may leave you a bit jaded and cynical: we can measure love! Googling these concepts stays amusing, as pseudoscientific application of these concepts are exploited to sell ‘magic fixes’ to love ailments: buy a potion to make him/her fall in love with you; Vero Labs LLC in Florida sells oxytocin spray called Liquid Trust; propensity for infidelity may be identified by a ‘ruthlessness/ bonding’ test kit for humans looking at the AVPR1a (vasopressin) gene; we can cure heart break by using anti-depressants that increases serotonin; not to mention opportunities to market organism enhancers and the like! And then the impish side of me wants to design an application form for marriage, together with special investigations (to answer a host of normal lover’s questions) which would include: genetic screening for vasopressin receptor- expression in the ventral pallidum; fMRI of your brain when looking at a picture of your ex-

lover to see if you’re really over him/her; a brain scan to see if you’re lusting after the au pair; a lie detection PET scan to see if you really do love me; and of course, a PET scan to see if you faking your orgasms! Finally when you can say (and prove) ‘You light up my ventral tegmental area, nucleolus accumbens, ventral palladium and raphe nuclei’, then, and only then, will I say…

‘I Love you too!’

So love, it seems, is just a chemical state with genetic roots and environmental influences. But may it go on and on!

References: 1. Insel TR & Shapiro LE. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 1992. 2. Wang H et al. Nature Neurosci. 2013. 3. Aron et al, J Neurophys 2005. 4.Fisher et al, J Comp Neurol 2005.

Dr Theron is a senior lecturer at the Medical School of the University of Pretoria, and has a background in emergency and pre-hospital medicine.

Please note that the opinion expressed in this article is not necessarily held by the University of Pretoria.

If you missed Part 1 and 2, please visit our website: www.featzpublishing.com you will find the complete article series on our Articles Page

Barn Swallow

Hirundo Rustica The Barn Swallows arrive at Mount Moreland in Spring with numbers swelling to millions of swallows by early November. This Barn Swallow phenomenon attracts visitors from far and wide who come to witness the mass evening swallow display before descending into the reed bed roost for the night.

This awesome spectacle, half an hour before sunset, of the Barn Swallows coming home to roost every night (Nov to April) has become a worldwide attraction and recognized as a Natural Wonder and Global Treasure.

The Barn Swallow is the most abundantly and widely distributed swallow species in the world. It breeds throughout the Northern Hemisphere and winters in much of the Southern Hemisphere.

Barn Swallows once nested in caves, but now they build their nests almost exclusively on manmade structures.

Barn Swallow parents sometimes get help from other birds to feed their young. These “helpers” are usually older siblings from previous clutches, but unrelated juveniles may help as well.

An unmated male Barn Swallow may kill the

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nestlings of a nesting pair. His actions often succeed in breaking up the pair, affording him the opportunity to mate with the female.

According to legend, the Barn Swallow got its forked tail because it stole fire from the gods to bring to people. An angry deity hurled a firebrand at the swallow, singeing away its middle tail feathers.

Barn Swallows forage in open areas including suburban parks, agricultural fields, and beaches and over open water such as ponds, lakes and coastal waters. They range from sea level up to a 10 000 feet. Breeding habitat must include open areas for foraging, structures or cliffs to build nests on and a source of mud such as a riverbank to provide the material for building nests.

Flies of all types make up the majority of the Barn Swallows diet, along with beetles, bees, wasps, ants, butterflies, moths and other flying insects.

Barn Swallows usually take relatively large, single insects rather than feeding on swarms of smaller prey. They will also pick up grit and small pebbles or eggshells (put out by humans) which may help

the bird digest insects or add needed calcium to the diet.

Both male and female build the nest cup using mud. They collect mud in their bills and often mix it with grass stems to make pellets. They first construct a small shelf to sit on, and then build up the nest sides. If built against a wall or other vertical surface the result is a semi-circle, half-cup shape. Nests built on top of the beam or other horizontal surface form a complete cup about 7.5cm across at the rim and 5 cm deep. The birds line the cup first with grass, then feathers, and in colonies may steal nest-lining material from neighbouring nests. When reusing nests, Barn Swallows clean out old feathers and add new mud to the nests rim.

Barn Swallow pairs explore a number of potential nesting spots, flying up and hovering to investigate a location, then moving to another site before narrowing their choice. Preferred sites include eaves, rafters and cross beams of barns, sheds or stables, as wells as undersides of bridges, wharfs and culverts. They may also use nests from previous years, but avoid those infested with mites or other parasites.

Watch for the Barn Swallow’s smooth, fluid wing beats and the way they pull their wingtips back at the end of each stroke. These birds feed almost exclusively in flight, flying lower than many other swallow species. They occasionally feed on sluggish or dead insects on the ground and in cold weather will pluck flies of walls. Barn Swallows also drink and even bathe on the wing, dipping down to take a mouthful of water or touch their bellies to the surface for a quick rinse.

Males defend a small territory around the nest site and aggressively chase away other males, even grabbing them with their feet and tumbling to the ground. Individuals or groups of Barn Swallows mob predators such as hawks, gulls or grackles that approach nests.

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Johan Jordaan

Part 4

Hidden in plain sight This series is about grace and this month we examine how the message about grace could have remained hidden for so long. This is important to know because people reject the gospel of grace on the grounds that it is new – if it was real it would be well established by now. Why would God hide it – it makes no sense? Those are valid concerns so let me explain.

I know that we have a lot of knowledge about the gospel and that not all is hidden, but some of the most important aspects are hidden to this day. What we have wrong are things like the Law, righteousness, covenants, sanctification, works, sonship, the Holy Spirit, etc. These are only being revealed now.

Jesus Himself said that God hides the gospel.

Luke 10:21 On that same occasion Jesus rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said, “I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent, and revealed them to little children. Yes, Father, for this was your gracious will. (NET) That’s it; God hides and God reveals. Not even the wise or intelligent can discover it by themselves – but even children can if God reveals it to them. In Luke 8:10 Jesus says the same thing – He speaks in

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parables so that ‘others’ may not understand. Jesus hides the gospel and Paul plays along. In 1Cor 4:1 Paul says that he is a custodian of the mysteries of God. What is the function of a custodian (steward)? It is to keep the mystery a secret.

Look, Paul could have explained the complete gospel in plain language and cleared up all the points once and for all like I am trying to do now; but he did not. He gave a peek here and a glimpse there so that it takes real study (under the guidance of the Holy Spirit) to find the truth. Since ‘anything can be proven from the Bible’, many lies have also been proven from it. The secret remains; it’s the Spirit who reveals.

How does God hide the gospel?

• Covenants. When we do not understand covenants we do not understand the Bible.

Everything in the Bible is in covenantal context. We read the Old Testament and do not realise that it is over with; a chapter closed.

And even when we do realise this we fail to see that Jesus was operating under the Old Covenant. The New Covenant only kicked in at the cross! That is why Jesus can say to a young man that He must keep the Law for his

passport to heaven. (Luke 18:18-20) But we know that Jesus is the only passport (John 14:6). What Jesus told him was valid under the Old Covenant but not anymore. (Gal 2:16) • Our Paradigms. When we believe something and have believed it for many years it is hard to change our view. Dr. Tim Noakes shook a few paradigms in his life but it was not easy as he explains in his book Challenging Beliefs. It is like we have glasses on that change everything we see to blue. When someone takes our glasses off, at first we cannot accept that everything is not blue. This attitude makes it almost impossible to discover new truths. We live with a veil.

• Parables. Jesus uses parables as we’ve seen (Luke 8:10). This is very obvious and need no further explanation.

• Translations. No translation is perfect. In fact translations contradict each other. Some have texts that others don’t have. As knowledge of the ground texts increases we are able to get better translations. Some translations are not good while others are so far off that they become totally misleading. A case in point as we’ll see is the fact that the word son is substituted with the more politically correct child in most translations. But it is not the same; in Paul-speak of a son is the same as an heir.

• Too different. The gospel of grace is just so far from what we expect therefore we reject it. As humans we are work (service) orientated. But God is faith focused. That is exactly what He means when He says that His thoughts are higher than ours (Isa 55:9). We want to achieve but the gospel of grace says

we must receive. We want to work but under the gospel of grace we must rest.

Yes, to this day people are blinded by their belief system: 2Cor 3:14 But their minds were closed.

For to this very day, the same veil remains when they hear the old covenant read. It has not been removed because only in Christ is it taken away.

15 But until this very day whenever Moses is read, a veil lies over their minds. (NET) Our minds are closed when we come under the spell of Moses.

The smoke and mirrors mesmerize us and our minds get closed so that we cannot see the truth.

This is not me but Paul speaking.

The gospel is hidden and to understand and receive this message you will have to allow Jesus to remove the veil because ‘only in Christ is it taken away’. Beware of Moses! At the transfiguration Moses (Law) and Elijah (prophets) were both present but when God spoke He said: This is my beloved Son; hear Him! (Luke 9:35 KJV) – and both Moses and Elijah disappeared. Not ‘hear Moses’ or ‘hear Elijah’, no ‘hear Jesus’! Moses and Elijah had their run, but it’s over. Now it’s Jesus’ turn. Luke 16:16 The law (Moses) and the prophets (Elijah) were in force until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed... (NET) Yes, John the Baptiser was the last of the Old Testament Prophets.

Next month we will expose the ‘false gospel’ to reveal the real one.

Write to me, engage me and I will try to answer any questions that you might have. My contact details are: Email: featzmags@gmail.com / Subject: Grace

Copies of Part 1, 2 and 3 of this series can be found on our Website

www.featzpublishing.com See the Articles Page

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Winter is a time for warm family meals. Our winter favorites are soups and pies followed by a warm dessert.

Cottage Soup Serves 3-4 / Prep time: 5 minutes / Cooking time: 8 minutes A meal in a bowl, this hearty dish will warm the coldest winter night.

Ingredients • 1 Packet Cream of Chicken Soup

Moroccan Lamb Pie Serves 4 – 6 / Prep time: 30 minutes / Cooking time: 45 minutes This is an easy midweek meal that everyone will love.

Ingredients

• 500ml water or milk

• 750g mince (lamb, beef, chicken or pork – the choice is yours)

• 1 can mixed vegetables – drained

• 10ml crushed garlic

• ¼ can tomato and onion mix

• 5ml crushed ginger

• 2ml peri-peri powder

• 5ml cumin

• 2 cheesy-frankfurters, sliced into rounds

• 5ml coriander

• 1 packet instant cheese sauce

• 10ml cinnamon • 15ml barbecue spice

Method 1. In a medium sized pot, combine the soup powder, milk and mixed vegetables, stirring over medium heat to a thickened sauce.

2. Add the tomato and onion mix, peri-peri and sliced frankfurters and simmer for 5 minutes.

3. Remove from the heat and stir in the sauce (prepare the cheese sauce as per the packet instructions before adding to your soup).

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4. Serve with a Ciabatta bread of your choice.

• 15ml olive oil • 3 grated carrots • 65ml raisins • 60ml fresh, chopped mint • 100g flaked almonds • 45ml butter • 300g phyllo pastry Method 1. Preheat oven to 200°C. 2. Fry the mince, garlic, ginger and spices

in oil. Add the carrots, raisins, mint and most of the almonds (leave a few for garnishing).

3. Reduce heat and simmer for 10 – 15 minutes. Allow to cool.

4. Melt the butter. Brush a loose bottomed flan tin with butter, then layer eight sheets of phyllo pastry at different angles in the tin, brushing each piece with butter. Allow the pastry to fall over the edge. Add the mince on top of the pastry base, then bring the pastry up at the edges. Top the mince with the remaining pastry that is buttered and scrunched.

5. Sprinkle with Almonds.

6. Bake for 25 – 30 minutes or until golden and crunchy.

• 30ml soft margarine • 10ml baking powder • 1 can of apples – chopped • Smooth apricot jam for glazing Method: 1. Preheat oven to 180°C. Grease an oven

dish (700ml capacity).

2. Whisk together the eggs until fluffy and

doubled in volume.

3. Beat in the condensed milk, and gently

blend in the remaining ingredients.

4. Pour the batter into the prepared dish.

5. Bake for 35 minutes.

6. Brush over a little warmed jam.

7. Serve warm with custard if desired.

Apple Sponge Pudding If you feel like a nice warm dessert; try this sponge pudding filled with sweet apple goodness.

Prep time: 15 minutes / Cooking time: 35 minutes Ingredients • 3 large eggs • 1 can condensed milk

If you have a Recipe you would like to share email it to us featzmags@gmail.com Subject: Recipe

• 150g cake flour • 5ml cinnamon • 5ml vanilla essence

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“WE DO NOT INHERIT THE EARTH FROM OUR ANCESTORS, WE BORROW IT FROM OUR CHILDREN”

I am no climate or atmospheric scientist but I do care what happens to this planet we call home. Global warming is happening, if you take the time to read up on the topic you are generally faced with a lot of bad news wrapped into terminology and statics that are almost impossible to understand. I want to use this space to encourage awareness and help develop a basic understanding of what is happening to our world.

Sadly the damage has already been done, humans have already increased the amount of greenhouse gasses in the atmosphere by 35% and if we do not start taking this problem seriously we will see our average temperatures increase even more. An example that shows the effects of global warming is in Montana Glacier National Park, where about 150 glaciers were once located, only 25 glaciers larger than 25 acres remain! Scientists are confident that hurricanes will become more intense and we will see even more weather pattern changes.

I am determined to do my bit to ensure others get to appreciate the beauty and amazing natural phenomena’s that I have had the privilege to enjoy.

So keep an eye on this page for ideas, suggestions and reminders to appreciate what we have.

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ARE YOU RAISING A BULLY? Compiled by Lt Col Gerber and doesn’t take other’s feelings into consideration. He/she learns to blame others for his/her behaviour and takes no responsibility for any action. Bullies usually have high anxiety levels and experience a lot of frustration. The child has a strong need for control in his life and bully to gain some of that control, because at home there’s none…

Bully behaviour is becoming a growing phenomenon in schools. “Bullying happens when one or more people expose another to hurtful actions that can be physical or verbal insults and cause deliberate alienation from a group.

It can be vicious, harmful, and hurtful and may cause serious lasting psychological damage. Not only does it cause harm to those being bullied but to the bullies as well. The negative effects of childhood bullying can develop further into adulthood and can impact on work, relationships and self-esteem” (SADAG: the South African Depression and Anxiety Group). THE SOUTH AFRICAN DEPRESSION AND ANXIETY GROUP THE CONCERN is that research has shown that a child becomes a bully because of the following:

The danger is that (if not addressed) the little bully becomes a grown-up bully. He/ she learns that it is normal to get what he/ she wants by hurting someone or breaking someone down – the senior manager demanding “respect” from the junior personnel through deviant behaviour… Adult bullies try to humiliate and embarrass victims to “show them who are boss”.

The BIGGER danger is that both the bully and the victim can, in adult life, engage in criminal behaviour, because of the normalization of forcefully getting what one wants. Violence is an acceptable way to handle conflict, either at work or at home…

YOU AS PARENT, UNCLE, AUNT and

• Parental negligence – lack of emotional FRIEND… can stop bullying by making sure support, no interest in the child’s life;

that you don’t raise a bully – by setting the • Abusive parents (emotional, verbal or example of what behaviour is acceptable, how we talk to each other and how we physical); support and love each other.

• Parents yelling at each other OR being physically abusive to each other; • Parents approving aggressive behaviour – Movies, computer games, sport, frustration outlet...; • Parents not setting consequent boundaries and discipline.

The created bully struggles to show empathy

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by Alan Walker

Faded

You were the shadow to my light Did you feel us?

Another Start You fade away Afraid our aim is out of sight Wanna see us Alive Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Was it all in my fantasy?

Where are you now?

Where you only imaginary?

So lost, I’m faded Thses shallow waters never met what I needed I’m letting go a deeper dive Eternal silence of the sea. I’m breathing alive Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Under the bright but faded lights You’ve set my heart on fire Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Where are you now?

Atlantis Under the sea Where are you now?

Under the sea Atlantis Where are you now?

Under the sea Another dream Under the sea The monster’s running wild inside of me Where are you now?

I’m faded Another dream I’m faded The monster’s running wild inside of me So lost, I’m faded I’m faded I’m faded I’m faded So lost, I’m faded So lost, I’m faded All lyrics are the property and copyright of their owners.

I’m faded All lyrics provided are for educational purpose only

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Studying Getting you Down?

Ok, so you consider yourself a bright, intelligent young adult – yet every time you get your exam results, they are just not what you hope for. Have you tried to change the “way” you study?

Here’s a little secret, it is not always the brightest students that obtain the highest marks. Teens that ace their exams have 3 things in common: 1. The Motivation 2. The Drive 3. The Knowledge of what works best for them.

The first and most important part of obtaining good results is finding the study method that best suits you! Then all you need to do is understand that if you want it badly enough, you will work for it, and by doing the work, and putting in the time you will achieve. There are websites, educational professionals and various books on the different study methods, we suggest you explore these and test them out to see what works best for YOU! Some ideas: What habits do achievers have that help them

achieve?

1. They know exactly what they need to study.

2. They’re organised.

3. They have a plan – short term and long term.

4. They do the same things over and over again.

5. They are disciplined.

Three Important Studying Rules 1. Identify what you need to know 2. Practice and repeat 3. Study to understand Two things that are guaranteed to make you fail is your own lack of confidence and believing that all you need to do is sit starring into your textbook.

You need to study with purpose. When you sit down at your desk, decide what you are going to learn before you put pen to paper. Start

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with a goal – decide that you will understand the concept / topic / idea before you leave your desk. If you do not have a clear goal at the start of your study session – how can you measure if you have achieved anything?

You have to use your learning style to ensure you achieve the results you want. Find out which learning style works best for you, visual, auditory, read & write or kinesthetic. If you are not sure, send us an email ( featzteens@gmail.com )and we will forward you a link to a free online quiz that will help you establish what will work best for you.

How can you remember the boring stuff? While this will depended on your study style we have a few basic suggestions: Acronyms always help if you can be creative; do you remember your grade 2 teacher making up a rhyme to help you remember the spelling of a word? BECAUSE Betty Eats Cake And Uncle Sells Eggs, you can use that trick in revers too, For example, the most commonly used one in biology is “MRS GREN”. This acronym is used to help remember the 7 characteristics of life

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(Movement,Respiration, Sensitivity, Growth, Reproduction, Excretion, Nutrition) Pictures and diagrams if you can draw it, a picture really can say 1000 words and will help you remember.

Make up songs – how quickly do you memorise your favourite song? Why not use that ability when studying? Take your study notes and sing them to the tune of that new hit.

Add humour finding a way to add humour can go a long way to turning that boring piece of information into a smile you won’t easily forget.

Lastly remember there is no shame in asking for help!

Motivation Drive Knowledge!

Mom, visit our website for some fun printable Angry Birds Pages

www.featzpublishing.com Printable Page

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Book Reviews

by Bianca Adendorff

MY BUSY BOOK: MARVEL AVENGERS ASSEMBLE by

DINOSAUR FACTIVITY

by Gold Stars. Looking for some fun dinosaur facts and activities?

Enjoy this FUNtatstic boxset filled with over 400 dinosaur facts and activities for kids. Let them explore the prehistoric realm and enjoy this exciting journey back in time by completing puzzles, mazes and building a ten-piece triceratops skeleton model! ISBN: 9781472394224 | Published by Parragon Books Ltd | Binding: Boxset with a book containing over 400 facts and activities as well as a 10-piece triceratops skeleton model to build.

LITTLE LEGENDS: THE SPELL THIEF

by Tom Percival. The Little Legends series is filled with wonderful eye-catching illustrations and the exciting adventures of all the fairytale characters we have all come to know and love. These fantastically written stories have a classic fairytale feel and are a must read for a younger audience aged 5+! Kids get ready to meet Jack and his talking chicken Betsy, Red, Rapunzel, Hansel and Gretel and other little legends as they have epic new adventures! (…And don’t forget to download the FREE app Little Legends Race Day at littlelegends.club!) ISBN: 9781447292098 | Published by Macmillan Children’s Books an imprint of Pan Macmillan | Binding: Paperback.

Mom, include a photo of your little one and we will run it in the next issue!

Marvel. The World’s greatest super heroes are back and ready to keep kids, 3 years and older, busy with loads of actionpacked fun! Let them enter the action-packed world of Marvel Avengers with this storybook, 12 figurines and a playmat. ISBN: 9782764324905 | Published by Phidal Publishing, Inc. | Binding: Storybook and toy in one activity kit! My Busy Books offer full-page illustrations, a story, 12 figurines, and a playmat that brings the characters to life and ignite your child’s imagination.

THE HIRED GIRL by Laura Amy

Schlitz. Get ready to feel rather lonely after you have finished reading this great novel set in early twentieth-century America. You will fall in love with Joan Skraggs’ spirit and optimism. As you get to know her, she will become your hero and you will adore her as she is a truly charming and lovable character. You will read a little slower as you won’t want the story to end as you desperately wish for her to succeed. This is definitely a clear sign of this book’s greatness! Read it! ISBN: 978143205192 | Published by Walker Books| Binding: Hardcover.

We have 4 Kids Books to Give Away Stand A Chance to Win Email your name & suburb to

featzmags@gmail.com subject: Bargain Books

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Visit our website: www.featzpublishing.com for a free printable copy

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June 2016 Monday

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by Ed White

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World Ocean Day

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World Blood Donor Day

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Youth Day

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1896 Henry Ford made 1st Ford

1982 Premiere of ET movie

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1977 First Apple II Computer Sold

1929 Ann Frank Born

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Eat Your Vegetables Day

Happy Birthday DAD 1868 Typewriter Patented

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1819 Bicycle Patented

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1938 Superman’s Birth

If you would like to print this Calendar Visit our website: www.featzpublishing.com for a free printable copy

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