PlayStation Can Be Life Changing...

     The 24-year-old Hans Smith suffers from spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy, but is a true lover of baseball. Currently a student at Boise State, he is unable to feed or dress himself and uses a wheelchair. Unfortunately for Smith, playing baseball on the field with the rest of his teammates is not an option. Instead he enjoys the game on his PlayStation 3, however at times it can be challenging because he doesn’t have the dexterity to direct his players the way he wants. To benefit others who also suffer from a disability, Smith had an idea to work with the Sony design team to create an A.D.V.A (Association for Disabled Virtual Athletes) mode of the MLB The show, the most popular baseball video game. Smith stated in The New York Times,

“Now, whether you win or lose,” Smith said, “it will be based upon your ability to know the game — to know when you want to do a double steal, to know when you want to do a squeeze play, to know when you want to bring your infielders in — instead of, ‘Oh, no, I can’t hit that button.’”

By developing a new way of playing video games for the disabled, Smith benefited many lives that were restricted by playing the games that they love. Its amazing how technology has such a large impact on not only the disabled but on everyone's life. With these ideas in mind we can alter many activities to help those who suffer from disabilities, and allow them to experience the joy out of it.

Young Life

    At Young Life this evening, some of the leaders and buddies gathered around to discuss the main activities for the night. The theme of the night was based on Winter because of the ski trip that is planned on Sunday. Becky Parr had a agenda to start off with a newspaper dodge ball game, and then a mini snowmen donut contest (basically who can make the best looking snowman out miniature donuts and gum) following afterward. The games are always a good ice breaker and the kids absolutely love it! What I admire the most, is that even if they don't win, they still have a smile on their face and enjoy every moment of it.
     We also got the chance to plan a ski trip up to Tahoe for this coming Sunday. Some of the things we needed to discuss was transportation, arrival and departure time, and the activities for the day. Under the leadership of Becky, we agreed to only make it a day trip so that it would be convenient for everyone's busy schedule. On Sunday, March 27th we would be heading up to Tahoe at 8 in the morning and departing around 8:30 in the evening. The day will be spent going sledding and playing around in the snow. I'm very excited to be apart of this trip because its been awhile since I've gone to Tahoe and I love hanging out with all the kids.
    Its always enjoyable volunteering with Young Life because each week I get to see new faces and meet new people. Its also great just to take a day each week and have fun knowing that you are benefiting and changing all the disabled kids lives just by becoming their new friend. They truly are some of the kindest and sweetest people I have ever met.

Luck of the Irish

         On March 17^th, St Patrick’s Day I spent time with the kids at Young Life, and helped organize a St Patrick’s Day party. All the kids showed up ready to party, wearing green clothes and accessories. Some even took the left over green steamers from the decorations and tied it around their head.  Many of the parents were gracious enough to make desserts that everyone can munch on. The food of course, was also very festive with bright green colors. Even the rice crispy treats were green; which looked rather odd but tasted great!  I got the chance to see some new faces at the party and enjoyed getting to know them better.  After spending the first half hour coloring in rainbows and eating, it was time for the activities of the night to start! First we played the “under over” game, which was pretty interesting trying to pass around a cabbage, a dodge ball and two tennis balls, but my team liked the challenge and ended up winning. Afterward it was karaoke time, as the entire group began dancing and singing to the words of the song. Some kids were brave enough to take the microphone and sing the song for us all to hear. To my surprise, I must say, they had pretty amazing voices. After all the singing and dancing was over the last thirty minutes of the evening was story time. Becky Parr, the leader of the Young Life organization began telling us the origins of St Patrick’s Day.

         As the old story goes, Patrick was born in the 4^th century Roman Britain, into a wealthy Romano-British family. His father and grandfather were both deacons in the Church. At the age of sixteen, Patrick was kidnapped by Irish raiders and taken captive to Ireland as a slave. While in captivity, God came into his dreams, telling him to flee and return back to Britain. After returning he was determined to become a priest and joined the Church in Auxerre in Gaul. In 432, as a Bishop, he was yet again called back to Ireland to Christianize the Irish from their Native Polytheism beliefs.  According to Irish folklore, it tells how one of Patrick’s teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the Christian doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish. The highlight of Patrick’s story is that even after being imprisoned by the Irish, he managed to look past that and help them convert into Christianity. For that, he was held in great esteem in the Irish Church.

        Another tradition on this celebratory day is to “wear green”.  Originally, the color associated with Saint Patrick was blue, however over the years many people began idolizing the shamrock and wore the colors in commemoration of the day.

       These days St. Patrick’s Day can be celebrated by anyone who wishes to, and they don’t have to be Irish. However, those who are Irish do recognize this day more so then those who aren’t.

Qaddafi Will Fight Back

In Tripoli, Libya the day after American and European forces began the series of air strikes against the government of Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. Reported by The New York Times, Qaddafi intends to fight all the way to the end when he declares,

 Speaking of a “long war,” Colonel Qaddafi said: “We will not leave our land and we will liberate it.”

“We will fight you if you continue your attacks on us,” he Qaddafi said. “Those who are on the land will win the battle,” he declared, warning without explanation that “oil will not be left to the United States, France and Britain.”

He is confident that his forces on the ground would win the war in the end. He has just recently opened military depots to his supporters and the Libyan people. Qaddafi is preparing for battle, quickly, expecting to be hit again by the US and its European Allies. However, President Obama already declared that he would use any American ground forces when he says,

 “I am deeply aware of the risks of any military action, no matter what limits we place on it,” he said. “I want the American people to know that the use of force is not our first choice, and it’s not a choice that I make lightly. But we can’t stand idly by when a tyrant tells his people that there will be no mercy.”

With America making attacks from the sky and Libya retaliates from the ground; who knows what the outcome of this war will be. All we know now is that it won’t be pretty. 

Obama Gives Libya A Warning...

  Reported earlier, President Obama ordered Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi to take immediate cease-fire, withdraw his forces from rebel-held cities and to stop all attacks on Libyan residents. Otherwise, Qaddafi will have to face military action from the United States, Europe and in entire Arab Nation. However, Qaddafi refused to listen and Obama went ahead with the necessary precautions and unleashed the first round of warplanes and missiles on Libya. The New York Times, reports the conditions of the airstrike,

The mission to impose a United Nations-sanctioned no-flight zone and keep Colonel Qaddafi from using air power against beleaguered rebel forces was portrayed by Pentagon and NATO officials as under French and British leadership. But the Pentagon said that American forces were conducting a campaign to knock out Libya’s air-defense systems, firing more than 100 Tomahawk missiles from nearby ships against Libyan missile, radar and communications centers around Tripoli, the capital, and the western city of Misurata.

If Qaddafi continues to defy Obama’s orders, this entire situation could get out of hand. The United States and its European Allies only launched the first round of missile attacks, and it managed to injure many people. I can't imagine what the second round of missiles would do to Libya. During this point in time, this situation doesn't look it will improve any time soon. For America at least, these are increasingly difficult times, considering we still have our troops in Iraq. As one war is coming to an end, a new one has just started...

Libyan War Traps Poor Immigrants

    A new refuge crisis is rising on the outskirts of Tripolis, wearing thousands of migrant workers from sub-Saharan Africa have been trapped with limited supply of food and water, no international assistance and little hope for escape. Many of the immigrants are fighting to survive, and trying to live off of what they can. As seen in The New York Times,

"The migrants — many of them illegal immigrants from Ghana and Nigeria who have long constituted an impoverished underclass in Libya — live amid piles of garbage, sleep in makeshift tents of blankets strung from fences and trees, and breathe fumes from a trench of excrement dividing their camp from the parking lot of Tripoli’s airport".

Most of the immigrants are trapped due to lack of passports or other documents that are necessary to board the planes. Many of these immigrants are desperately trying to flee the country, just to get away from the violent outburst that's taking place in Libya.

"The airport refugees, along with tens of thousands of other African migrants lucky enough to make it across the border to Tunisia, are the most desperate contingent of a vast exodus that has already sent almost 200,000 foreigners fleeing the country since the outbreak of the popular revolt against Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi nearly three weeks ago".

Many immigrants can't get out of Tunisia, and at this point, this rate, their odds of ever getting the chance to leave the country look very slim. The option of leaving the airport or going across the boarder didn't seem like something they would do, just because they are fearful of assaults by the Libyan citizens or militia checkpoints. Not even international aid workers can help them, because the Libyan Government made tight security around the Tripoli prevents any of them through. If the immigrants can't find a way out, it won't be a very happy ending for them...

Japan: You Have Our Support!

     The biggest question to ask is, what can we do to help? President Barak Obama gives sincere speech about the disaster that Japan had endured. He says his "thoughts and prayers are with the Japanese people" and wishes them the best while they try to recover from the earthquake and tsunami. US forces are willing to help the people of Japan with whatever they need. Already, the US military forces have joined Japanese rescue and relief teams to deal with the aftermath of Friday's devastating earthquake and tsunami. Hopefully we can start seeing the damage being taken care of and Japan restored to how it once was before. So far, this earthquake will definitely go down in history as being a truly catastrophic event.

Could the Nuclear Power Plants in Japan be a possible threat?

     Recent reports have confirmed more than 3,000 deaths and thousands of missing people during the 9.0 magnitude earthquake and tsunami that Japan endured. Many people are concerned for the damage that was done to the nuclear power plant, located in Fukushima. The tsunami right after the earthquake, made sever damage to the nuclear plants cooling capabilities. This short animation, from New York Times, will demonstrate how the nuclear reactor shuts down and what occurs during a meltdown. The Tokyo Electric Power Co, interviewed by BBC News, had this to say,

“The crisis at the plant - which contains six nuclear reactors - has worsened since the earthquake struck. Explosions rocked the buildings housing reactors one and three on Saturday and Monday.

On Tuesday morning, a third blast hit the building of reactor two, while a fourth damaged the building of reactor four, where a fire also broke out in the unit's spent fuel storage pond.

Reactor four had been shut down before the quake for maintenance, but its spent nuclear fuel rods were still stored on the site.

Officials said the explosions at the first three reactors, and possibly the fourth as well, were caused by a buildup of hydrogen”

This sort of damage to the nuclear plant could be very life threatening. When the nuclear reactors overheat to high temperatures, it slowly releases various amounts of radiation into our atmosphere. If this continues to get out of hand, the radiation could reach unbelievable temperatures that could take the lives of many people living in Japan. Not only that, it would continuously remain in our atmosphere and travel to different parts of the earth. Eventually everyone would experience an increase amount of radiation where they live. This is why it is so crucial for the Tokyo Electric Power Co to keep the Fukushima nuclear plant under control.

Then the Tsunami Hits...

      Reported roughly around 8 am pacific time zone, a massive 8.9 magnitude quake hits the coasts of Japan, causing massive destruction. Shortly after, a tsunami swept inland in various places, flooded major crop fields, homes and people. From BBC News, a map of Japan shows which parts of the country was impacted by the tsunami. Watching Japan suffer in such a tragic way is truly horrifying. All our hearts go out to Japan.

Japan Earthquake and Tsunami

      Having one of the strongest Earthquake security systems in the world, Japan was still not strong enough to endure the quake. So far, it was reported from BBC News, that the Tsunami killed three hundred people in Sendai and more than five hundred people are known to be missing. The only thing we can do now is pray for a safe recovery for Japan.

Anesthesia May Cause Cognitive Risks in Young Children

Could anesthesia in young children be a possible threat to their health? Its been known to be used in millions of surgical procedures, in which in some cases, it could lead to cognitive problems or learning disabilities. A Federal Panel was assigned to meet on Thursday to evaluate the research  that suggests Anesthesia could harm young children. Whether informing parents whose children are facing surgery should know of possible cognitive or behavioral risks is still controversial. Reported in The New York Times, Dr. Rappaport, who is studying this case, goes on to say

“We don’t know what this means for children at this time,” Dr. Rappaport said, adding, “That’s exactly why it’s so critical that we get all of the necessary information.”

In the meantime, he said, “how do we communicate what we do know at this point without causing undue concern in parents and in physicians?” Medical advances are allowing more fragile and premature infants to survive birth, often to require critical surgical procedures.

So far it seems doctors are uncertain what to do at this given point in time. It’s been proven in studies of monkeys and rodents that have shown brain cell death, if exposed to anesthesia at a very young age. However, trying out a test such as thing one, on  humans is far more complex, and often lacks strength because the research doesn’t account for children various experience to whether learning deficits were coincidental. However, Dr. Nancy Glass, a pediatric anesthesiologist  had this to say,

“We’re all concerned,” Dr. Glass said, but “we don’t believe that there is data yet that says to us either that we should change our technique or that we should frighten parents about allowing us to anesthetize their children for necessary surgery.”

It seems to be very uncertain what the outcome of anesthesia actually does to a child’s body, but knowing different types of cognitive and behavioral disabilities, it would be nice to try and prevent more children from getting these disabilities.

True Athlete

The 18 year old Shane Lauer, suffers from Duchenne Muscular Distrophy (DMD), a degenerative disease that affects the muscles throughout the body. The story of Shane Lauer's life, is one that is truly inspirational. Knowing that the life expectancy of DMD is to the mid-twenties, Shane's legal guardians, Ben and Carissa Mortenson believe every child should live a life to its fullest. Founder and director of Athletes Serving Athletes (ASA), David Slomkowski knew Shane had it in him to compete in a race. It was a 4 mile run that Shane ran with Ben Mortenson and said,

"Shane was so competitive ... he's losing control of his hands, but somehow he holds these straps for two hours so I won't have to stop." Mortenson recalled that Shane wore the finishers' medal every day for a month.

During the 2009 Baltimore Marathon, coming in at 3 hours and 47 minutes, Shane had won the race. Pleased to see the results, Slomkowski agreed that it is Shane would is the athlete,

"Shane has the will of a warrior ... I'm just a piece of equipment. My identity is irrelevant."

A truly captivating story of the young Shane Lauer, who was able to face his disability and reach for his dreams. In the Young Life organization, Capernaum is known for meeting and interacting with extraordinary children such as Shane. It’s a true honor to be able to be-friend them and get the chance to interact with them every week. Shane had this to say after he had won his race,

"It's important to trust those who want to help you," said Shane. "Despite my disability, God has given me the ability to race and be competitive."

Just like Shane, it’s important for all of us to strive for the best and overcome our own problems that hold us back.

An Update on the Current Conditions in Libya...

Just recently, it was known world wide that Libya now rises in conflict with itself, as it begins to transition into democracy. Many also question Col. Muhammar el-Qaddfi's claims and purpose in this fight amongst themselves.

A New Discovery in Dieting with HCG

    Considering that American's are constantly obsessed with being healthy and having the "perfect body", this particular article would appeal to many, especially women who are trying to lose weight. The new discovery of a diet plan with hormones, also attracted any skeptics, as well as those individuals that are desperately seeking a way to lose weight. Reported by The New York Times,

"The regimen combines daily injections with a near-starvation diet, and patients, mostly women, are often enticed by promises that they can lose about a pound a day without feeling hungry. Perhaps even more seductively, they are frequently told that the hCG will prompt their bodies to carry away and metabolize fat that has been stored where they least want it — in their upper arms, bellies and thighs".

Any person with some common sense would know that a "near-starvation diet" can't be beneficial to their health. Its been known that an average human body that remains completely motionless, for example, sitting on the couch all day watching tv, would need at least 1500 calories just to allow they body to preform its basic functioning. Starvation for a few days only sheds off excess water weight. It will however, destroy the way your metabolism flows throughout the body, and eventually disable the way your digestive system operates. In combination with hormonal injections and a limiting 500 calorie diet, the new diet plan with HCG does not seem very promising.