Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 8 (February 2010). Siamese Fighting Fish Care by Charlie (x-gothic-princess-x) The very common Siamese fighting fish, also known as Betta, is a colour fish to the freshwater aquariums. They come from rice paddies in Thailand and Cambodia. They are called "pla-kad" or "trey krem" which means "fighting fish" in native Thai. The fighter fish came from the Belontiidae family of fish. They come in many different colours and tail types and also...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 8 (February 2010). Médecins Sans Frontières By Jessie (Asylum) Doctors Without Borders, known internationally as Médecins Sans Frontières, or MSF, is a non-governmental medical humanitarian organization. MSF was created in 1971 by a group of French doctors with the belief that all people have a right to medical care and that this right supersedes race, religion or political affiliation. "MSF sets out to alleviate human suffering, to protect...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 8 (February 2010). Types of Births By Gidig Having a child can be a frightening experience. Doctors, needles, babies, procedures, and lists of things to remember loom over your head. You’re going to be a mom, bringing a baby into the world. It’s best to be informed about the types of births, where you can deliver, and who can and should be there with you to make the experience as comfortable as possible.

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 8 (February 2010). Understanding Type One Diabetes By Jessi (Spazola) The Big Q: What Is Diabetes? Diabetes (medically known as diabetes mellitus) is the name given to disorders in which the body has trouble regulating its blood glucose, or blood sugar, levels. There are two major types of diabetes: Type One Diabetes, also known as Juvenile or Insulin Dependent Diabetes (treated by manually injecting insulin), and Type Two, which involves...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 8 (February 2010). January 2010 in Review By Jessie (Asylum) Despite its exciting name, we all know that news can be boring. Let’s face it; wading through websites knee-deep in articles on topics you don’t care about is a daunting task any day of the week (unless you like that sort of thing.) For those of you less inclined to dig up the stories on your own (and even those of you who enjoy the hunt), now you have nothing to worry about! Check...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 8 (February 2010). Get Thinking: World Thinking Day by Casey (Cas* ) February 22 is World Thinking Day. World Thinking Day may not be well known, but if you have ever been in Girl Guides or Girl Scouts, you know what I'm talking about. For those of you who don't know, World Thinking Day is when different troops of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts gather together to work and learn as a community. World Thinking Day gives girls and young women around...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 8 (February 2010). Tragedy in Haiti Casey (Cas*) Haiti, the first independent nation in Latin America, still remains the poorest country in the western world. On January 12th, 2010, tragedy struck the island nation. At 4:52 p.m. local time Haiti was hit by an earthquake measuring 7.0Mw on the moment magnitude scale. The epicenter, 25km (16 miles) west of the capital and major port city Port-au-Prince, was near Léogâne. Although a 7.0Mw...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 7 (January 2010). International Creativity Month By Stephanie (Konstantine) January is International Creativity Month, so what better way to start the month and New Year off than with an open and imaginative mind? Since there are many ways to use your imagination and be creative, why not start exploring now? Creativity is important and it’s all around you. It allows you to explore your own unique ideas and thoughts through various methods....

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 7 (January 2010). 2010 Olympic Winter Games By Nat (Strider) The New Year is a time for setting goals and creating opportunities, whether they are about staying active, doing homework, or winning gold medals. It is a time for reaching potential, and striving to have fun along the way. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games is the perfect inspiration for doing something incredible in the New Year, and finding exciting activities to take part in...

Article featured in Avatar - Volume 3, Issue 7 (January 2010). The March of Dimes By Katrina January, the start of the new year, is Birth Defects month. In lieu of this, we have chosen The March of Dimes as our January Cause of the Month. The March of Dimes, an organization that has made many notable accomplishments since it's founding, fights to prevent and raise awareness about three main things: birth defects, premature births, and infant immortality. The March of Dimes actually began...