The Times Dispatch Blogs

2008 has been declared the year of the frog by environmentalist groups across the planet. For several years scientists have noticed that the frog population has been dying. The loss of habitat and environmental pollutants were first thought to be the cause, but even in seemingly pristine habitats frogs were dying.

The culprit has turned out to be a parasitic fungus called chytrid. The fungus is currently unstoppable and can kill up to 80 percent of the population once a habitat has become infected. It is deadly to hundreds of species of amphibians.

The Amphibian Ark was formed to try to save the worlds amphibian population. The AArk is a joint effort of three principal partners: the World Association of Zoos and Aquariums (WAZA), the IUCN/SSCConservation Breeding Specialist Group (CBSG), and the IUCN/SSC Amphibian Specialist Group (ASG).

The group believes that without immediate action the world could see the largest mass extinction since the dinosaur. In a press release AArk said without intervention up to half of the amphibians could be extinct after 360 million years of existence.

The only solution thus far has been is to isolate the amphibians from the wild. Holding environments have been created to protect and preserve a variety of frogs, salamanders and other amphibians from infection.

For more information on the amphibian crisis visit the AArk website at www.amphibianark.org.

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I have always felt blessed to be a pretty much sickeningly healthy person. I am grateful that I rarely catch the bugs that are going around and I have had no major health problems, having only been in the hospital to be born and to give birth twice.

In recent months, my gratitude for my health has increased even more. One co-worker, Howard Golden, lost his wife, Darlene, earlier this week after a battle with cancer. Another, Amber Adams, was recently diagnosed with Addison’s Disease, an auto immune disorder, which has left her sick more often than not over the past year.

It is easy to feel sympathy for people when you hear about their health problems and struggles, but when close friends or family members are dealing with problems, you begin to feel empathy. While I cannot say I know what either of my co-workers are going through, I can feel their pain and look forward to times when I can share their joy.

I know there are no guarantees in life, and I could be facing health issues myself some day. Knowing that makes each day even more precious, and I hope I can make the best out of each one I am given.

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What makes children the way they are? I am just baffled at the differences in our girls. Shelby, six, has always been pretty well mannered, never causes much reason for discipline – usually a talking to and an explanation was all it would take for her.

Now Alison, three, she is an entirely different story and has always been. We can talk until we are blue in the face, put her in time out and wear ourselves out going back and forth putting her back each and every time she would get up before her time is up. Putting her in her room does not work well unless you physically hold the door shut until she stops throwing her fit (which I personally hate). And there is spanking. I will admit I believe in spanking when it is necessary, but if you can discipline without it then that is better.

Seems whatever we do is a fight with Alison. We are not able to get through a meal without some kind of outburst from her. It can be anything from sissy sitting close, to Shelby got the plate she wanted, something was put on her plate that she does not like to her drink was put in the wrong cup.

She is always doing something to hurt Shelby like scratching her face, hitting her with a toy or pushing her out of a chair and now she has started pinching. This is something I have a hard time spanking for because it seems as if you are saying that is okay to hit.

I have wondered if what some have said about things you go through while you are pregnant affecting a child in this way are true. While I was pregnant with Alison I had to keep a child with ADHD a lot, and my dad was diagnosed with cancer and had to live with us for his last six months. In addition one of my older brothers stayed with us through my dad’s illness, and then a younger brother the last two to three weeks. Plus we had visitors every weekend for the last two to three months of dad’s life. Alison was four months old when dad died.

If anyone has any ideas or words of support they would like to share with me, they would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

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The Arkansas Razorbacks looked terrible in the Cotton Bowl, and I’m not just talking about their dismal on-field performance. For the first time in school history, the team wore all red uniforms, or more specifically, red pants to go along with their red jerseys and helmets. They’ve worn red pants before in the past, but always with their road white jerseys, and even then only rarely. Before Tuesday, they had never worn the red pants with their home red jerseys.

Personally, I thought they looked like a bunch of hot dogs. When I say “hot dogs,” I don’t mean showboaters or trash talkers. I mean actual hot dogs. Big red weenies.

Interim head coach Reggie Herring said they wore the all red unis because they wanted to do something special to honor Frank Broyles. Broyles is one of the most successful coaches/administrators in the history of college athletics. If the team wanted to honor Coach Broyles, why didn’t they play with a sense of pride and passion? They should have played like they cared if they won or lost. Instead they went out and played like, well, like a bunch of weenies.
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An estimated time of departure has been announced for the local National Guard unit. When they leave this time, they will not return before departing for their second deployment to Iraq.

Hopefully those of us who are able can line the streets and let these soldiers know they will be in our thoughts and prayers while they are gone.

The current plan is for the soldiers to leave Robert Armory at 10 a.m. on Monday morning. They will travel south through Hoxie on their way to Mississippi.

Get out your flags, your patriotic shirts and your yellow ribbons and let’s send our soldiers off right!

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