Final Blog

Remedy for a Rabbit Tummy Ache!

By, Brennan Cackett (official rabbit owner, 15 and counting!)


Have you ever had a stomach ache and wished you could just snap your fingers to make it disappear? Well, you will be loved forever by the rabbits of the world (famous ones’ included like, Bugs Bunny (“What’s up doc?”), Br’er Rabbit, Peter (he always has one!), The Easter Bunny (too many jelly beans!), The Energizer Bunny (he’s always asking!), The Velveteen Rabbit, The White Rabbit (too much stress!), Roger and Thumper (Disney favs!), The Were-Rabbit (too many vegetables!) and last but not least The Trix Rabbit (he never remembers, “Trix are for kids!”) if you can help them out when they get a tummy ache, which in the rabbit world can be quite frequent. Think about it, they can’t talk or use hand signals to tell you, so how do you know when your cute, little bunny rabbit has a stomach ache? Here’s how in a few easy steps.


Supply List

Cans of pineapple and/or pineapple juice.
Chewable papaya enzyme tablets (Wal-mart or health food store)
Fresh Kale (produce dept of your local grocery store)
Timothy hay (local animal feed barn)

Step 1

Daily observation of your rabbits is a must, as is fresh water. If your rabbit is eager to eat, playful, and observant, these are all healthy, good signs your rabbit is well.

Step 2

In your daily observation if your rabbit is disinterested in food, lethargic, laying out or has a swollen tummy, your bunny probably has a tummy ache.

Step 3
Get to work! Remove any old food that your rabbit has not eaten and exchange it with, chunks of pineapple and a few enzyme tablets. Then replace their water with ½ water and ½ pineapple juice.

Step 4

Keep a watchful eye on them and continue step 3 for a few days. If they are eating the pineapple and/or tablets, this is a good sign.

Step 5
If after a few days your rabbit is hungrily eating the pineapple and enzymes tablets you can begin to introduce kale or timothy hay into his or her diet.

Step 6
Reintroduce rabbit pellets once again when your rabbit resumes moving around and has successfully eaten the pineapple, tablets and hay.

Step 7
At this point your rabbit’s tummy ache is gone. Remove water with pineapple juice and refill with regular water. Feed and groom normally. You’ve just successfully helped your rabbit to feel better by stimulating their digestion system with live enzymes. They will thank you by being healthy, loving pets with a sparkle in their eye. You have a happy, grateful rabbit!


Tips & Warnings

It’s generally best not to handle your rabbit during this time as they might bite due to their discomfort.

Make sure your feeding your rabbit with fresh, healthy pellets from a local, feed store. Sometimes, cheaper versions of the rabbit pellets are produced bigger, causing your rabbit to get a blockage in the intestine.

Be sure and check your rabbit’s cage regularly for any foreign objects. They are resourceful little creatures and can grab items outside their cages that you think they can’t reach. They related to the rodent family, thus they love to chew. Make sure they have something safe and healthy to chew on.

If you want to learn more about the health and well being of your rabbit, general rabbit books are available at your local library or feed stores. Internet sites are helpful but generally it’s a good idea to stick with books as a more reliable source.

If your rabbit refuses to eat the pineapple, tablets, hay, kale and/or water, check his or her tummy to see how swollen it is. If possible, gently press on it to check the rabbit’s discomfort level. If the rabbit is completely lethargic or appears in pain you might have a more serious problem and should immediately check with your local vet or 4-H specialist.

Use common sense, parental supervision is advised if children under age 12 own the rabbit. Enjoy your bunnies, they are wonderful pets!

dream project (tutoring)

Extra Credit Blog: Night & Day



This was a very enjoyable community service for me to do. I tutored two boys from my neighborhood that were as different as night and day. One of the boys is seven and has been having some trouble with reading. I had him read to me from his reading book and I read to him from Beatrix Potter’s classic work, which he thoroughly enjoyed. He
especially enjoyed the story about Hunca Munca and Tom Thumb. This little boy wants to read so much. He has a short attention span so it’s hard for him to sit still. I think it encouraged him having an older peer take an interest in the work he is involved with. I tried to encourage him, with the more he practiced, the better he would become at reading.
The other young man I spent time with is eleven. He is in a totally different bracket.
Learning comes very easy for him, he was reading fluently by four years old. Presently, he is studying Rome and its culture. He wanted to read the paper I just did in my Greece and Rome class and believe it or not, he enjoyed it! I think this boy is going to surpass me in a few years! We went over a book I had about Rome, and I basically tried to hit the high points in Rome’s history and culture. He especially liked the gladiators. It was great conversing with him and answering his questions.
The mom homeschools both children. She really appreciated me taking the time to help her boys and it gave her a much needed break too, she has a very busy three year old running around the house. I think I just might be doing this again!

new yorker

from The New Yorker
http://manwithoutqualities.files.wordpress.com/2007/12/new_yorker_cartoon_1000.jpg



On a crisp day in September (much like today) I was walking down a friendly street in the windy city; not much was on my mind that day and I had not a care in the world. I nodded a greeting to a bearded hobo on the street and continued on my way to no where in particular. I passed by an ally and thought nothing of it till I had taken a few steps further on, perplexed I retreated back a few steps and peered into the ally. Strange, I thought, it was in fact a wonderfully sunny day, yet the ally remained dark in a dreamily sort of way.
Having nothing to do that moment I decided to investigate this strange occurrence. Before I stepped in to the ally I turned just in time to see the bearded hobo break into a lively jig dancing to an unheard ballad, ohhhh kaaaay, I thought and stepped in to the darkness of the corridor.
As I walked through the strange passage I noticed the walls were covered with a sort of paper, stepping over to the wall I held up my cell phone and peered at the wall. As I looked further, I saw the walls were covered floor to bricked ceiling with old comic strips, some dating back to the 1940’s and others from just the day before. Hmm I said, and continued on my way. After I had walked for some time I saw a light in the distance and picked up my pace, within a few seconds I had stepped out into a foggy, gray cityscape.
It was devoid of much color and off in the distance I noticed three human shapes standing by the side of the road. As I walked towards them I thought to myself, what a strange place you have wandered into Brennan; well, I thought back to myself, it’s better than watching old re-runs of Battlestar Galatica!
I approached the three individuals, two men and a woman, they stood stock still and uttered not a word; only stood there holding signs as if protesting or on strike (across the street was a banner that read, (PHILOSOPHERS ON STRIKE). The man who had a baseball hat on carried a sign which read, “Support Epistemologists local 191 of United Federation of Philosophers.” This I found odd since most philosophers are individuals who disagree with so much they can’t join together on anything. The woman’s sign read, “No More Search For Truth Until Our Demands Are Met.” This too was odd since, how can a philosopher force his view of truth on others when the other’s view may in fact be the truth! And last but not least, the bearded man’s sign stated, “We are RIGHT and I can logically prove it.” I thought, well how illogical is that! After some time of staring, I looked down at my watch to check the time, strangely the hands had stopped moving; I quickly realized I needed to be getting back. I walked back to the tunnel and noticed that the gray sky had given way to darkness, it settling over the landscape and was now so dark I could not see the three figures in the distance anymore.
Within a few moments I had made my way back out of the tunnel and had exited just in time to see the heel, kicking finale of the hobo’s dance. Wow, I thought to myself, that trip took less time than I thought! With that thought, I turned and headed up the street looking for the nearest bookstore with a dictionary, what does epistemology mean anyhow?

extra credit blog

“Be still.” What an oxymoron those words present in the culture we live in today. How do you be still, in a state of perpetual motion? Where do you go to be still and once there, how does one accomplish such a feat in a world that never slows down and is constantly humming the beat, “do more, do more?”

God spoke these words to us thousands of years ago because He obviously understood our penchant of busyness. We have provided for ourselves every kind of technology available to keep every part of our body busy, computers for our brains, Ipods for our ears, phones for our mouths and fingers and cars for our feet (so we don’t have to do the walking!) But I think it goes much deeper than what we’re actually doing—I believe it has to do with our “being”, a state of consciousness.

Psalm 46 is a short, 11 verse prose, penned by the psalmist; it’s power-packed with words of comfort and strength. He was obviously composing it during troubled times asserting to the reader, help in time of trouble, No Fear, waters roaring, mountains shaking, heathen raging and kingdoms moving! In the midst of all that, the writer tells us there is a river and the streams of that river make glad the city of God. He reminds us God is in the center of that city and it will not be moved. At the end of the psalm comes the command to, “Be Still” and know who is in control and command of these situations; life’s complexities, of finals and grades at year’s end.

I am reminded that no matter what situation I find myself in, finals, relationship issues, or world crises, that I need to STOP, wherever I am, and “BE STILL.” I need to drink from that river, spoken of in psalm 46; I need to remember that it’s in utilizing that river that I will be glad and will have peace. God’s command to “Be still” brings my soul back into balance, back to where it should be, resting in Him.

final blog

Around a cheap, rectangular, pressed wood table in a tall dreary office building; five miserable individuals began yet another day, of dismal office meetings. At the head of the dirty, coffee-stained table, the embodiment of all evil sat, the pointy-haired boss!
Around him drooped the sad figures of, Dilbert, pink-headed man, Mr. bald-but-I don’t-know-it, and the newly hired accountant, Bob.
With an evil grin filled with malice the pointy-haired boss gazed at the newly hired accountant and asked for the estimates of the monthly budget. The newly hired accountant looked white as a sheet, “Whaatt”, he stammered, “I, I, forgot to total the cost estimates.” As the newly hired accountant was sweating in his seat, Dilbert and the others stared passively into space.
Suddenly Bob, with white, knuckled hands gripped the table and screamed, “gaaaa!!!! You’re going to fire me; I’m the next casualty of the frail economy.” Meanwhile, Dilbert and the others continued to stare off into space seemingly oblivious to the terror swirling around them.
Instantly, as if awakened from a trance the pointy haired boss stated, “Maybe we could finish this by e-mail.” At this, Bob leaped from his chair and started marching around the room waving his hands in nonsensical sign language. All the while he kept repeating, “Must improve Street mime skills!!!” Despite this, the others including Dilbert, continued staring at the dirty coffee stained table.

This is from the dilbert comic on Monday April 20th

How to find a great Martial Arts studio!

How to find a great Martial Arts studio!

By, Brennan Cackett (Black Belt in Ta Kwon Do)


Have you ever watched a movie and wished you could be like the hero in the film; could fly through the air, leveling bad guys by the dozen? And with just a few well placed kicks and punches too. Well who says you can’t! With just a few years of training in the Martial Arts you too can walk down the streets of Harlem at midnight; with your only fear being that the cops may catch the bad guys before you do!



Step 1
Go to a library and check out a book on the Martial Arts. You do this in order to identify what style of Martial Arts you want to study; do you want the graceful, yet deadly, style of Kung Fu or the gritty, street fighting, of Chang Moo Kwon?


Step 2
Once you have chosen the style of Martial Arts you wish to study, you should look it up on the internet or yellow pages, and then call the studio. It is also helpful to find out if any of your friends take Martial Arts so you can then go for a visit. As a side note, many churches will offer self defense classes or Martial Arts programs with a Christian perspective.


Step 3
Once you have chosen a studio that teaches your style of Martial Arts, you should schedule a time to meet with the Master and visit the students.


Step 4
Find out the kind of classes they offer such as, age range, self defense, weapons classes, or traditional. Then choose a class best suited for you and go and visit the class and observe the other instructors.


Step 5
Once you’ve decided which studio and which classes are for you then it’s time to sign up! There is usually lots of paperwork so don’t be intimidated by this. It’s for your protection and the studio’s. Make sure to check for any specials that might be going on and be sure the class times aren’t going to be changing anytime soon. It’s important that you schedule times that work for you so you will be able to go every week.



Step 6

The Gee. This is a very important part of the Martial Arts experience. One, it needs to fit properly, because when you’re learning the moves in Martial Arts you need to have flexibility and be able to completely focus on the training not on the Gee. Make sure you buy one size too big because they will shrink. The more you wash it, the softer it gets, so don’t be surprised if it’s quite stiff when you first purchase it. Sometimes when you sign up you receive your first Gee free.


Step 7
Now that you’ve chosen your studio, signed up got your classes in order and bought your Gee, you are ready to go. Get ready to be that street wise champ you’ve always wanted to be!


Tips & warnings

Always follow what your instructor says (that’s why it’s so important to find one you are comfortable with).

Always bring enough water to keep you hydrated.

Always wash your Gee after every workout and shower. You may be practicing techniques named after animals but that doesn’t mean you have to smell like one!

my spiritual journey

Charity, salt and risk, what in the world does this have to do with eternal life?
Hello let me introduce myself. My name is Brennan Cackett; come with me on an interesting journey into my Salvation experience.
It all started with the three words, charity, salt and risk. For my entire life, I was raised in a Christian home and was very familiar with children’s Bible stories. I am sure you remember your Mother reading you stories such as; Noah’s Ark, Joseph and his Multi-colored Coat and Daniel and the Lion’s Den. My Mother did everything she could to expose me to the Gospel at a young age. It all came together when I was four years old. For several years, I had liked the Children’s music group, Psalty the Singing Songbook & Friends. One evening my Mother took me to a Psalty concert at Melodyland Christian Center, through the course of the evening Psalty, his friend Charity church mouse and his nemesis Risky Rat entertained us with song and message. At the end of the evening Psalty inquired if anyone wanted to ask Jesus into his or her heart; I responded by raising my hand. My mother then asked me if I wanted to go forward and pray; my reply was, “yes I would!” Thus began my journey with God.
Over the years, I grew in my relationship with Jesus; I attended church, went to Harvest Crusades, and went on exciting mission trips. I was in my tween and teen years when difficult times began happening to my family. My Father was out of steady work for several years and during that time God did many, many miracles for our family. We rented our home because we could not afford anything else; I cannot tell you how the rent was paid every month but God always provided for us. We never went hungry during that time and I came to believe first hand that God is a God of miracles. Like the Psalmist David once said, “I have been young, and now am old; yet have I not seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread” Psalm 37:25. During that time, my faith in a real and living God was cemented!
The great promises God gives of eternal life and salvation are thrilling ones. My favorite scriptures for these promises are, Romans 10:9, John 3:16, Titus 1:2, and 1John 2:25 The assurance of eternal life is an incentive to follow Jesus; I mean who doesn’t want to live forever but as you grow in your relationship with Christ it’s not just living forever that you want but to live with Him forever! I look to the Bible for my assurance of eternal life and salvation; reading these scriptures has been a comfort to me. I believe God’s promises not only because of the Bible but because I have witnessed first hand God keeping his promises to me. All in all God has made me what I am today. As the popular song by the group Mercy Me states, “You are to blame for everything that is good in my heart”.
Charity, salt and risk, those three words now mean something completely different to me as a young adult. Charity is the great Love of God shown to me through Jesus. Salt reminds me I am to be salt and light to a dying world, and lastly risk, that four-letter word that says it all, it is a huge risk not to follow Jesus!