Football

There have been some great football games on recently, the Titans made an amazing comeback against the Cardinals when he drove his team on a 99 yard drive down the field with about 2 minutes left in the game. The Titans were down by 4 and had no time to get another possession, so they needed a touchdown to win. The drive was nerve wracking, they had to convert three 4th downs to get to the endzone. The last play of the drive was a 4th and goal from the 10 yard line. Vince recieved the snap and fell back to finally throw a high pass to a jumping Kenny Britt. He received the ball, tucked it, and took a big hit before falling to the turf still holding the ball. The Titans had done it, they had come back and won. Other mentionables include: the Colts making a 21-0 run in a span of 5:32 to turn the game around and defeat the Houston Texans, and the last minute touchdown for Atlanta in their game against the Bucs. All the time I was watching the Titans game, I was supposed to be finishing my anthropology report, but that could wait, and it sure did.

HDTV - Black Friday

On Black Friday, I went out to Costco and bought an HDTV. The decision took a large amount of research and time. It was not the TV I was originally looking at. The TV I was originally looking at was the Sony XBR at Best Buy, but the price went up $100 before I could purchase it. This changed my mind since I could buy an HDTV from Costco for less money that was 5" bigger than the XBR. I ended up purchasing the Vizio XVT 37". It supports full 1080p with a 120Hz processor for smoother operation. On top of all that it has Smooth Motion Technology, a 50,000:1 Dynamic Contrast Ratio, and it is only 2.2" thick. This thing is super thin and I had no problem finding a way to fit in the place of my old CRT model. Another amazing thing the HDTV companies have accomplished is how much lighter the TV's are getting now. My old TV required two people to lift and move, my new TV could be carried by only one person while still in the box. The picture is absolutely beautiful and now I can watch HD in my room as well as play my xbox 360 in full HD without having to hook it up to my HDTV in the playroom. I hope this TV lasts me a long time because I plan on putting in my dorm room when I move into the honors dorm after it opens in the fall of 2010.

Thanksgiving

My thanksgiving was very fun. Other than having to work a ton I enjoyed eating a great dinner with most of my family. The cousins came over, and I expected chaos, but luckily the kids grew up enough that they did not run around. The day was unexpectedly quiet, and I only had to work from 12-5. The best part of my meal had to be the macaroni and cheese and the dressing. If I had to pick between the two I would definitely pick the dressing. It's days like Thanksgiving that makes me thankful that I have a small family. Most of the thanksgivings I can remember were when we had tons of people over and many small kids running around my house screaming at the tops of their lungs. The change was good, and I think with all of the college stress, the silence this year was very welcome.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is approaching quickly, a little too quickly it seems. The days have been flying by as it gets closer to the end of my first semester as a freshman at the University of Memphis. It seems like it was only yesterday that I walked into my first class as a college freshman, now that I am used to it, it is not that scary. I only hope that all the papers that are due near the end of the semester do not cause me any problems. There is also the outside events due in UNHP and English. I have yet to do 3 outside events in English, 2 of which have to be authors, and the 2 outside events about globalization is UNHP. I'm sure I will get through the exams and papers ok.

Malco Craziness

Malco was insane last weekend, there were hundreds of people there to see the opening of New Moon and The Blind Side. Now, I don't know how good the movies are because I have not seen them yet, but I have already started to hate them. The sheer amount of people was astounding, The Blind Side sold out an hour and a half before the 7 o'clock sets on Friday and Saturday. I had to work almost 20 hours last weekend, which does not sound like much, but you have to remember that a weekend is two and a half days. That means that I almost worked an entire day out of my two and a half days of the weekend. Working at malco is not that bad, it is just very tiring when there is an anticipated release, and there were two very largely anticipated releases last weekend. Plus all that work means a very big paycheck, can't wait to spend it all on my HDTV...

HDTV's

For Black Friday, I am thinking of buying an HDTV for my room. I can't seem to make up my mind about which one to buy, but I have narrowed it down to a full 1080p LCD. There are pros and cons for each model and some just don't make the cut. I am currently looking at buying a 32" for around $600. There are two HDTV's that I am currently looking at: Philips 32" 1080p 120Hz (32PFL6704D/F7) for $570 at Target and a Sony Bravia XBR 1080p 120Hz (KDL-32XBR9) for $600 at Best Buy. If you have any suggestions for anything, just let me know. I don't want to pay extra just for a name brand TV, so i'm leaning towards the Philips, but the XBR does sound pretty neat.

Ownership and Use of Tissue Specimens for Research

Ownership and Use of Tissue Specimens for Research

Rina Hakimian, JD, MPH; David Korn, MD

JAMA. 2004;292:2500-2505.

Scientists want better systems for clinically annotated tissue samples. They can use these systems and samples to do much needed research on human diseases. The diseases could be cured very quickly if it was not for the federal regulations and the ownership rights of the specimens. There is no definitive case to tell doctors and scientists the boundaries of their work with tissue samples. It all remains undefined and contentious. Recent examination of these issues by a US federal court ended up with a ruling that individuals do not retain the rights of ownership over their biological materials that have been contributed to research, regardless of whether the company receives capital or not.

drama

Why do so many people watch soap operas? Do they not get enough drama in their lives as it is? I know I have plenty of drama to last me a long time at Malco. Nothing stays a secret at Malco Theaters. There is always something going on that creates tension and turmoil. I could not handle watching anything that is based purely off of ridiculous drama like the soap operas do. It just seems so stupid, but I guess that is what women live off of, drama and gossip.

STS-129

One of the few last missions into space for the Atlantis space shuttle just occurred at 1:28 CST. Atlantis was launched for a 11 day mission which includes three space walks and carries spare parts for the International Space Station (ISS). The shuttle is manned by Commander Charlie Hobaugh, Pilot Barry Wilmore, Leland Melvin, Mike Foreman, Robert Satcher, and Randy Bresnik. The mission will end with the return to Earth after the spare parts, including many important parts such as a gyroscope, have been put on the station and they will return Nicole Stott who has been aboard the ISS since August. After this mission there are only 4 other space shuttle launches scheduled before the space shuttle design is decommissioned in 2010 to make way for the Ares experimental rocket that will hopefully be fully functional by 2012. It will be sad to see the shuttle go, but the new Ares rocket looks pretty neat. Just as the Saturn V was replaced by the Space Transportation System (STS Shuttle), so will the Ares rockets replace the Shuttle.

Spring Semester 2010

My spring semester is going to be packed. I am taking Gen Chem 2, Gen Chem 2 lab honors, Bio 1, bio 1 lab, elementary calculus, elementary german 2, and English, it is going to be very harsh. Seventeen hours isn't my idea of a relaxing semester, but I need to get some Gen Eds out of the way before I start getting into specialized classes. I am not terribly excited about having two science labs in the same semester, but I am sure that I will make it. Is anyone doing the same thing as me? I sure hope I get easy teachers for all of my classes, but that is probably not going to happen. Oh well, that's college for you.

Neurostimulation of the Brain to Supress Parkinson's Disease

Most of this work in progress went in one ear and out the other, it was very hard to follow with all of the big words. I will summarize what I could understand. The part of the brain that makes a neurons known as the dopamine secreting cells in the pars compacta region of the substantia nigra, named for the black area where it is found in the brain. The pathway that these neurons are responsible to send signals along is the main pathway to the ventral nervous system. The blocking or loss of these neurons is a serious problem, a problem commonly known as Parkinson's disease. A subject who is suffering from Parkinson's, those of which include Michael J. Fox and Muhammed Ali, can take dopamine pills to supplement the loss of the neurons. But after a while the dopamine stops working and an alternative must be found. Lately, they have tried installing a neurostimulator to run electricity through the brain at the location where the neurons are supposed to be, this counteracts the effects of the Parkinson's disease. The power of the shock and the frequency needs to be changed every once in a while. The controlling unit was placed in the chest of the subject, but the team who is working on the new neurostimulator have an ingenious plan. They plan to put a microprocessor inside the case that can read certain codes that the sending device tells it to do. A bluetooth capable device is attached to the processor and stimulator so that a doctor may wirelessly change the settings of the stimulator without having to take the object out of the subject. This also lessens the frequency in which the battery fueling the stimulator needs to be replaced. They tested a couple prototypes on mice with mixed results, but it is only in the prototype stage. Hopefully they can perfect this device so that they may be able to alleviate many Parkinson's disease patients of their symptoms after the dopamine supplements fail to solve the problem. There is much money in the future of this device if they can get it working properly.

Puree'd Foods

The first works in progress that I attended dealt with the puree'd foods that are given to the elderly at old folks homes or the sick at hospitals. The man and woman, whose names escape me, where working together to create a dish of puree that not only tasted as good as the standard food, but also looked representable. Most people who have seen puree'd food realize that the food is nothing but that item mashed up and mixed with a liquid to create a paste. The designers were able to create a sandwich and stir fry dish that not only looked edible, but tasted amazing. This, I thought, is a true breakthrough in the food industry. When someone is not well enough to enjoy standard food as we are, should they be forced to eat slop all day? No, they should be able to enjoy their own meals just as they were before the foods were softened. I think that this work in progress has much potential and can be a great money maker.

Chemistry Exam

Well we all have a chemistry exam this Wednesday that I am not prepared for. I have a bad habit of procrastinating with Chemistry. I think it is really funny that the homework for chapter 6 is due after the exam. We need to have a study group and get some studying done for Wednesday because, after that midterm, I could use a good exam grade. I am pretty sure I speak for everyone when I say that I am not looking forward to this exam. I hope we all do well and can continue to do well in Chemistry.

Body Parts: Property Rights and the Ownership of Human Biological Materials

By E. Richard Gold

http://books.google.com/books?id=YHne2bkHd9AC&dq=human+tissue++property+rights&lr=&source=gbs_navlinks_s

Georgetown University Press, Washington, D.C. 20007
Published in 1996

The body has value for everyone, whether it be because it is the physical form through which we act, a source of pride, a reflection of God, or a means through which we can express sharing. We also inherently value the DNA that we carry down from the generations. Human health is valuable, it is a state of being in which we suffer neither pain nor illness. It is also a state of being in which we can accomplish valuable tasks. Thus, the preservation of health becomes not only a task for one's self, but also for one's family and community. There is a fundamental difference between the way we value our bodies as a whole and the parts that make our body a whole. Scientists have found ways to transform our components through biotechnology. Since components are not generally found separate from the body in nature, people do not see the relation between the transformed and untransformed body parts. This difference leads to many not understanding how to value those parts after transformation. The transformation process may not only change the component itself but the ways in which we value it after transformation. Take an example of blood being transformed into blood plasma and into certain enzymes found within the blood. Blood is the symbol of life, even though the blood contains these enzymes and plasma, they are not seen as necessary components of life. We must find a way to bridge the gap between the way we see transformed and untransformed components.

english movie

The movie we watched in English was about the genetic diversity of humans today and where we originated from. The area that we originated from was central Africa. From there we spread and eventually became diverse through many years of being separated in different climates. The climates shaped our bodies to what we needed to survive. In the movie, a geneticist was walking through a fair in Queens where he took DNA samples from random people who were willing to give up their DNA. What mad that place so amazing was the mix of peoples from all over the world. What was even more interesting was finding out where all of these people originated. This all was accomplished through looking at specific genes and finding the signs that led the scientists to be able to tell where they came from. The movie makes me want to find out who my ancestors are and where my genes originated. I don't care as much for the origination part as much as I would like to find out who my recent ancestors are.