Pull It Apart

January 19, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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I think I fixed my phone.

Over the last week or two I’ve noticed that my mobile phone hasn’t been holding its charge as long as it should. In fact, if I didn’t recharge it every day it’d run down and switch itself off within twenty four hours.

I checked online for the price of a new battery and was looking at the options, then, for no reason, I decided to try something different. I switched the phone off, took out the battery, put it straight back in and then charged it.

That was about 40 hours ago and it’s still showing an almost full charge. I have no idea how that works but I’m happy to go with it.

I might start offering a new handyman service. If you have an appliance that’s stopped working I’ll come over to your place, pull it apart, put it back together, and charge you for the service.



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Gnomesville

January 17, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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Do you believe that gnomes are magical creatures? I’ve got to wonder if they have magical powers after visiting Gnomesville a few days ago. Why else would I be drawn to wander around in searing heat looking at thousands of gnomes?

Located by the roundabout at the junction of Wellington Mill and Ferguson roads, Gnomesville is the magical home to over 3000 Gnomes who have migrated there from all over Australia and around the world.

Plan to spend a few hours wandering through the villages and glades full of playful, naughty and sentimental gnomes climbing logs, hanging out in trees, playing cricket, even flying planes! You’ll enjoy the clever Gnomish puns and who knows, you may decide to return to contribute a Gnome of your own. Don’t be tempted to take home a souvenir, however, as Gnoman legend has it that bad luck will surely follow! – Ferguson Valley Website

We had a few days holidaying in the Ferguson Valley before I returned to work and part of the visit to our state’s south included a visit to Gnomesville. It’s a strange and wonderful place with many gnomes telling stories of those who have placed gnomes in the past.



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Don’t Give Up On Living

January 16, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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I was watching a Youtube video a couple of days back that showed a rather elderly lady dancing up a storm at a concert. She was extremely agile, not just for someone her age, but for someone of any age. A friend said that he’d like to be able to do that when he reaches her age.

His comment made me think about what I’d like to still be able to do when I reach my senior years. For me it’s always been cycling. I’d like to still be on my bike in thirty or forty years. While I’d like to retire from work at some stage, I don’t ever want to retire from life.

What is it for you? Dancing wildly? Cycling? Some other kind of exercise?

Another thing I want to be doing when I’m much older is enjoying life with my wonderful wife, Pauline.

I’d love to hear from you. Have you seen someone in their senior years and thought I hope I’m still doing that at their age?



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Reducing Breast Cancer Risk

January 16, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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There’s been a lot said about high and low GI foods in recent years. GI stands for Glycemic Index and many experts say that choosing foods based on their GI values can have significant health benefits.

A recently published review of scientific evidence reports that consuming a high GI diet for five years or more may increase the risk of breast cancer by 8%.

It’s a major cause for concern that the average Australian diet contains far too many high GI foods.

1 in 9 women will be diagnosed with breast cancer before the age of 85, with the disease accounting for around 1 in 4 cases of all cancers in women.

While there are a large number of uncontrollable risk factors for breast cancer such as genetics, menopause and family history, there are also a number of lifestyle-related risk factors that you can change. Factors which increase the risk of developing breast cancer include:
· Excessive alcohol consumption
· High-fat diets
· High processed meat consumption
· Being overweight or obese.

Australia’s leading GI researcher, Professor Jennie Brand-Miller, from the University of Sydney, joined me on my radio program this morning to talk about the research findings and what we can do to reduce the risk of breast cancer and other diseases. You can hear our discussion by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

You can get more details about the Glycemic Index at the Glycemic Index website.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR160112_1241.mp3]

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Have we forgotten Haiti?

January 12, 2012
by Rodney Olsen
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It’s a story we seem to have let slip into history. Just before 5:00 p.m. local time on Tuesday the 12th of January 2010, two years ago today, a a 7.0 magnitude earthquake hit just outside Port-au-Prince, the capital of the impoverished nation of Haiti. Within the first fortnight after that event, at least 52 major aftershocks had been recorded.

The quake killed around 220 000, injured more than 300 000 and affected 3.5 million people. Even before the quake, 86% of people in Port au Prince were living in slum conditions. Compassion was there and continues to work with the people of Haiti.

While we heard story after story about the tragedy in the weeks immediately following the earthquake, the plight of the Haitian people has already faded from our TV screens and newspapers. The rebuilding isn’t even close to being finished but we’ve already moved on.

Compassion International has been working in Haiti for over forty years so they were one of the first aid agencies to begin helping the people of the affected area. They’re committed to the people of Haiti and they’ll continue to help them in the years and even decades that it will take to return life to what we might consider normal.

Just ten days after the quake I spoke to Tim Glenn from Compassion live from Haiti. You can hear that radio interview by clicking the play button on the audio player at the bottom of this post.

Over the past couple of months I’ve been looking back at my visit to Haiti and Dominican Republic with Compassion Australia in April 2008. That visit is the main reason I’m passionate about taking park in the 25000 Spins Great Ocean Road Challenge. Next month I’ll be riding 290 kilometres in three days and I need your support. By sponsoring my efforts on the challenge you’ll be releasing children from poverty. You’ll be giving children a real chance at life. Please visit my fundraising page and make a contribution. Maybe you can afford to sponsor me for a dollar a kilometre, maybe 50 cents a kilometre, or perhaps you’d just like to donate $10, $20, $50 or any other amount.

The ride isn’t specifically raising money for Haiti but I know that whatever is raised will go to those who need it most right now. Please consider how much you can afford to give.

[audio:http://mpegmedia.sonshinefm.ws/feeds/MOR220110_0949.mp3]

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