On Wednesday evening with temperatures in the 70's and a gorgeous Nebraska dusk in the making, the Lincoln cycling team - TeamFire - set out for a 25-30 mile ride to Sprague, Nebraska.  The ride was entitled, "no rider left behind".  As a launch activity for this ride, the team held a "sponsor meet and greet" at the Southpointe Starbuck's - a favorite spot for nanobugs employees and consultants. As a sponsor for this cycling team, the nanobugs logo is strategically located on the back of their biking shorts for maximum viewing with their "dairy in the aire" as they ride throughout the Lincoln area.  We are proud to be associated with this group and their healthy lifestyle. 

TeamFire was organized 3 years ago in order to attract and instruct novice cyclists.  It has grown to 25 cyclists both male and female who range in age from 16 to "40-something".  They ride 4-5 times each week between March and until the snow flies.  On Saturdays they ride between 60 and 70 miles and they race in both local and out of state races.  For more details about TeamFire, check out their website: www.teamfirecycling.com

 

  

On Wednesday Hannah and I attended classes and obtained a food handler's permit from the City of Lincoln, NE.  Why am I, a registered nurse and certified infection control professional, boasting of this new credential? Actually, we have no intention of handling food in a restaurant in the city of Lincoln.  With foodborne illness outbreaks popping up across the country - salmonella in the peanut butter, E. coli O157:H7 in spinach and lettuce, and Norovirus all over the place - we thought it might be wise to "get inside the food industry" in this way and search for opportunities for nanobugs to contribute to better outcomes in the area of food safety.  The experience turned out to be valuable for us.

The room at the Irving Recreation Center was packed for the Wednesday afternoon session.   I didn't count but it looked like 40-45 people of a wide span of ages, both genders and a variety of cultures attending.  The schedule for the class was really tight - one hour of lecture presentation facilitated by a 55-slide PowerPoint, an old (but effective) video produced by the National Restaurant Association , a very short Q&A session, a 25-question multiple-choice exam, grading of the exams, collection of the $10 fee and issuing the permits.   All of this was efficiently accomplished in 1.5 hours.   Only 2 people failed the exam (passing grade was 70% or greater) - they appeared to be husband and wife (who brought their baby with them) and English was their second language.  I think they were from West Africa - either Ivory Coast or Sierra Leone and French was their native language.  The exam is offered in English, Spanish, and Arabic - but not French.  This could have been the problem for them or maybe the fact that the teacher had to speak very rapidly (in English) to cover all the necessary content of the presentation in the short time.  Some people were taking the course for the required annual update so this was review for them; however, it seemed most of us were first-timers.   I was impressed with the amount of material that could be covered in the allotted time (the teacher was an experienced presenter and made the content as interesting as possible).  I worried about retention and assimilation of the information if this is the only exposure to the information over 12 month period.  But hopefully, MOST restaurants and companies have further training on this information as part of their new employee orientation.  We were told that the most common foodborne illness in Lincoln area over the last year was related to Norovirus and several of the outbreaks sited (of course, without naming or blaming any specific business) were transmitted by catering businesses and especially from employees working when they are sick, or returning to work still sick.   SO....please stop blowing your horn in the drive-thru line at your favorite "burgerdoodle" and thus pressuring the reigning supervisor or manager to keep the sick employee filling those orders between trips to the restroom! 

Hannah and I concluded that we have found a vast new potential market for nanobugs - especially the foodborne nanobugs.  More on that later...

I was a global mission volunteer for one year (August 1999 to August 2000) in war-torn Liberia, West Africa.  My mission project, funded by the Danish government, was to reopen a school of nursing and paramedical training programs.  This life-changing experience made me eternally grateful for the simple pleasures of life.  I was fortunate to have a porcelain toilet in my little guest house but I was aware that so many Africans only dream of one day having a permanent mud brick house and a latrine of their own.  In 2005, I returned to Liberia at the invitation of the Liberian Council of Churches to serve as an international observer for the presidential election.  The election process produced the first woman president of an African nation - Ellen Sirleaf Johnson (recently listed as #100 of the 100 Most Powerful Women by Forbes magazine)   What a huge job this woman faces - putting the small country about the size of Ohio, once known as the Switzerland of Africa - back  together.   So much healing of the people is needed after civil war, creating a new government that serves all the people and then the re-establishing of electricity and water in the capital city and community resources to the rural areas.  During this 2005 visit to Liberia, I met a woman, Sara Wiles, president of the Ecumenical Women Organization.  The organization is engaged in a project to build latrines and dig wells to provide safe drinking water for people in rural areas.  It only takes $25 to create a latrine - there is plenty of willing and qualified men to dig the hole and build the platform.  Separating sewage from drinking water is critical - diarrhea is the #1 killer of children under 5 years in the world.  Wells are needed to provide clean water for drinking and cooking.  I think every human being on this planet deserves a toilet and clean water so I want to commit myself and some of the eventual profits from Nanobugs, inc.  to this cause.  Anyone interested in helping?  I promise to seek out honest people and organizations to support this vision beginning in West Africa.  Starbucks has a program to provide safe drinking water for children - bottles of Ethos Water are sold at Starbucks stores and 5 cents from each bottle is set aside for this purpose.  I like that and so I drink Ethos Water after I having my favorite beverage - a skinny green tea latte with no syrup.  (try it - it's wonderful!)  But if nothing else - buy a bottle of Ethos Water from time to time and make your contribution in that way.  And always generate thoughts of gratitude when you drink clean water or other beverages made from clean water. 

 

The nanobugs have invaded Starbuck's coffee shop at Barnes and Noble.  No - it is not a foodborne illness outbreak.  Kirk Kuenzi, nanobugs artist and art director, is the featured Lincoln Artist Guild artist for the September art exhibit at Barnes and Noble Southpointe in Lincoln, NE, USA.   Ten pieces of original art and 4 prints depict 14 different nanobug characters in the display.  Kirk will also be drawing quickie caricatures (free) for Barnes and Noble customers in the Starbuck's coffee shop at various times this month.   Free nanobugs temporary tattoos are also available to add to your nanobugs experience.   

The nanobugs original framed artwork and prints are available on this website in our store.   Talk about unique art and a great conversation piece for your office wall !  (or maybe your boss' or colleague's office).   Kirk can draw your favorite nanobug and have it professionally framed as described in the store ....or... you can negotiate via email to have your favorite nanobug drawn (or a print made) to a specific size and you can frame it yourself.   The goal is to let these microbes show off their attitude....and maybe a little of yours, too.