The Anti-Bully Blog Series Edition #24

WOW so I almost forgot ALL about the blog today! And what a shame it would have been! I've been talking with a listener over the last couple days about an issue she's having RIGHT NOW! So typically speaking when a listener talks to me about their issues with bullying, I'm kind of nervous, mostly because they typically ask for advice...and I'm not qualified to do that. I don't want to give bad advice, so usually I tell them WHO they can contact. Well this was an exception to the rule. I've gotten to know this listener well enough I don't mind chatting with them, and she wasn't so much looking for help as much as just needing some one to talk to. So I promised not to say her name or where she goes to school but she DID say I could use the story.

So she started out by telling me, she had been really stressed in the last while, and she did something stupid (her words). She tried weed. And somewhere in there her mom found out, and called the school, in turn the school called the other girl's parents. Pretty standard stuff if the rents find out right? And NOW I guess this other girl is bullying the listener I talk to, threatening her and verbally attacking her mom too.

Now how the parents handled it I'm not sure and to be honest, it's really none of our business, that's between them. BUT I guess since then it's been harassment for my listener, so bad that she'd had enough and flat out told the other girl "Y'know what, just hit me"...and apparently she did.

Since then Her mom has been looking into a transfer to get her daughter out of a situation where she is being harassed. Her daughter has also told me she feels she has no close friends there anymore so of course she's miserable.

BUT the school will not support the transfer apparently...because she instigated the "fight" when she said hit me...REALLY?!

PS her mom has called the school and they've done...you guessed it...nothing!

This is going on RIGHT NOW! These laws against bullying CANNOT come into play soon enough! I really don't know WHAT to say about this at all. Granted I'm getting one side of the story to be fair...but really? I've said it before I'll say it again...School is supposed to be a SAFE place, and this girl is being denied that. It's really the same old song and dance, the school fails the student...I wanted to share this story with you. It's not making headlines, but y'know what, it's happening, and shouldn't be!

K100's IWK Radiothon

So tomorrow is the IWK Radiothon we've been talking about FOREVER! I call it K100's, it's not just K though, Big John AND CFBC are in on this. I've mentioned on air how much behind the scenes stuff there has been. I've chatted with SEVERAL people HERE in OUR community that have had to use the IWK, and know that above and Beyond Care that the IWK gives, and how VERY appreciated it is. If you've missed me talking about this in the past, I myself am a former patient. So no, I'm not JUST SAYING that because I'm in the studio, in front of a Microphone and told to say that. I've lived it. I often wonder if the people who work there REALIZE that the level of PERSONAL care they provide DAILY is considered above and beyond, because it seems to come naturally. Leading up to this Radiothon, I've learned how much further that above and beyond care goes. There are so MANY local families touched by the IWK! I'm not sure how many people realize just how VERY lucky we are to have a place like the IWK to give that care, and while families are going through treatment (because you effect one in a family, you effect the WHOLE family) how much they do to make it easier on parents, and other siblings as well as the patient! There is SO much going on with the Radiothon over the next few days, we'll hear stories from people in our OWN community who know how the IWK does EVERYTHING they can to help you not just with care, but with other aspects of your life that are impacted by a child's stay there. THIS is why we're doing what we're doing. THIS is why we're asking you to come out to McAllister Place at SOME point tomorrow or Friday and help us help the hospital that has done SO much and saved SO many Children from right here at home. The MAIN goal is of course to raise money for the IWK but if the meeting I was in today is ANY indication, it's going to be and INTENSE and FUN 2 days. So make sure you pop out! Can't wait to see you!

Cheap and Easy #6

logo credit Nate Williams

Thanks again to Nancy Delong for sending me this AWESOME dinner recipe, here's this week's Cheap and Easy Recipe

Mexican Rice

8 ounces boneless chicken (I use breast)
1 can chicken broth
1 cup salsa
1 1/2 instant rice (I use brown)

Cut chicken into bitesize (or smaller) pieces, cook in frying pan with a bit of oil or spray. Once chicken is cooked add can of chicken broth and salsa. Bring to a boil. Add rice, bring to a boil again. Once boiling reduce heat and cover. Simmer on low-med until most of liquid is absorbed. I usually stir a couple of times. Enjoy!

The Anti-Bully Blog Series Edition #23

Logo credit Nate Williams

So you may be seeing this and thinking..."hmmm did I get the day wrong? Is it ACTUALLY halfway through the week? " and start dancing a jig...sorry to burst your bubble...it's Monday. So what is an Anti-Bully Blog doing up? Well some times you need to colour outside of the lines...what that means, is there was something I needed to talk about RIGHT AWAY pertaining to the blog, and for that reason you're seeing the blog today.

So I've mentioned in the past how friends help me with the blog, in a few different ways, one is sharing stories with me. One literally hit my inbox 15min ago, that turned my stomach. Unfortunately in SEVERAL posts I've done over the year there have been a LOT of cases where the school FAILED the kid getting bullied...well it's looking like it may have happened again. So there's this kid, he's 16, and his name is Brenden. He and his family have been getting threats amd harassment since October. It was time for the family to take some DRASTIC measures. Brendan is no longer going to GO to that school, or ANY OTHER school in this province, he's headed to NS. It hasn't been released where he's headed, but to be honest in this case it's good it hasn't (not to mention, it's no ones Business). He's not getting a simple transfer...LEAVING THE PROVINCE! It has to be PRETTY bad to go that far. Now his family is HOPING that he'll be able to come BACK to NB by the Fall, because well it's his HOME! By then there will be some new bullying laws being put in place.

It's taken FAR too long for Anti-bullying legislation to be brought in, but in the case of RECENT events it IS supposed to be coming THIS SPRING, so there just may be a better place for Brenden to come back to. The Problem is it should have happened BEFORE a kid got Harassed and threatened for Months, or had their hair cut, or lit on fire, or a parent had to hire a freakin BODYGUARD for their child. There is a comedy movie based around this idea (Drillbit Taylor), so the thought of it being NECESSARY is RIDICULOUS! What has taken us THIS FAR?! Anyway, I wanted to share this story and my TOTAL disgust with the situation. I should still have your Wednesday edition of the Anti-bully blog (because unfortunately something will likely pop up to talk about).

Remember any time you have questions or something you'd like to contribute to the Anti-bully blog you can FB or e-mail me nancy.wood@mbsradio.com. Everything is confidential until I have permission from you!

Cheap and Easy #6 Ingredients!

Logo Credit

SO this week I WAS going to do another recipe, but only 1 ingredient was on sale, and well it's a cheap recipe sales or not, so I can save it for another week. SO this was given to me by Nancy Delong! Thanks Nancy, I'm amped to try this one out over the weekend! Here are your ingredients, and where you can get your deals

Chicken Breasts 3.77/lb @ Sobeys

Can of Chicken Broth 1 @ Sobeys 10 for 10!

Salsa

Rice

That's REALLY it! nice huh?! Watch for the recipe Tuesday!

SO a couple months back I'd talked on air about a restaurant in Vegas called the Heart Attack Grill. They have a burger on their menu called the "Triple bypass burger" and the menu claims their food is "A taste worth dying for". Well...it almost came to that, I guess a man ordered this burger...and had a heart attack. Now when I talked about it a couple months back, it was kind of a light story, one of those "Really"? stories...well my circumstances have changed slightly because of this. I'm going dark here...my dad had blockages in his arteries...and it killed him. One thing my family is pretty good for...is being blunt so we're all aware that it was a combo of his diet, and his smoking. What's more, dad would have admitted that too. Because he has 3 close blood relatives left (myself, my brother and my uncle) we were told to watch ourselves because this stuff is genetic. So needless to say we're all looking at topics such as this FAR more seriously. I think of the 3 of us I was...or even could still be the least healthy of us. Something like this DEFINITELY puts things like taking care of yourself into perspective.

I'm not getting preaching and telling you "NEVER EAT HAMBURGERS, ONLY EAT HEALTH FOOD", that would make me a hypocrite...I was eating a bag of chips on my way into work today . What you eat is your business. But I would hope if you're making food choices, you know HOW to make the right ones. This is where I'm like, what is the deal with this restaurant? See that pic at the top? That's from their business! The Single bypass? Ok, that looks kind of cool, but past that one? they start to look like, "we're just going to make you stuff your face and look like a pig, oh don't worry if you drool it adds to the image"!

While I think the idea of the restaurant is flat out STUPID, why is it THEY are the ones under fire for this? The guy ordered a burger called the TRIPLE BYPASS BURGER! How the HELL is THAT a good idea?! Hope you enjoy your boiled tofu and lentils, because that's LIKELY what you'll be eating the rest of your life dude.

I really hope no one thinks I'm being preachy here...I'm not saying nix bacon...good lord, I could NEVER say that...I'm just saying there's indulgence... and then there's ASKIN for it...

The Anti-Bully Blog Series Edition #22

Logo credit Nate Williams

Is it just me or is this getting WORSE?! We're now hearing of kids who are lighting other kids hair ON FREAKIN FIRE! Kind of starting to wonder if there is like an underground bully conspiracy going on! Now more than ever the time to fight AGAINST bullying is SO important! In my edition last week, I forgot to mention another Anti-bully...supporters. I have a few of my friends who fire me off stories ALL the time to help me with the blog. These are also Anti-bullies, because they're helping with this awareness. ONE sent me a story here earlier this week that I REALLY need to talk about today!

Apparently there is something called a "Bully circle" (confirming further my conspiracy theory). And that's apparently the LITERAL term. A group of bullies (Or more likely a bully and their little minions) they haul in a kid, and start pushing them around and stuff until they're hurt and or down...This could be COMPLETELY random...so there may be no "Warning signs". I know my stomach just turned too.

I DO however have some GOOD news, not all doom and gloom. Well it's good, but unfortunate it got to this point. If you've read some of my EARLY posts on the Anti-bully blog, the interviews, there was a VERY unfortunate trend. When I asked them, what did the school do, most times the school system FAILED that person (I don't think any of the schools were local but still). While you're dealing with kids, I would THINK we'd like to keep it at a school level...but with things getting worse...it calls for slightly stricter measures.

I guess earlier this week the Saint John Police spoke at a school about this issue. They went in and told kids where they could turn and I guess that if the bully is over 12, it will be looked at as a criminal offence. Sucks that it's HAD to go there, but good that something is being done!

For the Kids who read this here's a bit of an explanation for you

Pushing, kicking, hitting, etc= Assult

Cyberbullying = Threatening, and/or harassment

Name calling= Harassment

Police are apparently saying that these criminal behaviors will not be tolerated by the school, the police, OR the community! This is actually REALLY good news, as harsh as it may seem to some. So this is the news I wanted to share, because the unfortunate reality of this blog is typically, it's not good news on here...

QUICK reminder, if you have questions or something you'd like to contribute to the Anti-bully blog you can FB me http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100000717438391 Or e-mail me nancy.wood@mbsradio.com Everything is confidential unless you give me permission to use the info and or your name.

Also Join the movement, I'm an admin on an Anti-bully group on Fb. We discuss, inform and do our little bit to stand up against bullying Anti Bullies Unite