Out Of This World Poop!

NASA is currently in a $30 million competition, sponsored by Google, to preserve lunar artifacts before contenders arrive on the moon within the next two years. 28 teams are competing to send spacecraft to the moon surface for exploration and photography.

Between 1969 and 1972, six crews left behind communication software, rovers, and fecal matter. These artifacts are segments of a larger collection, including Soviet-era spacecraft and previously crashed NASA probes.

What's poop got to do with it? Astrobiologists are interested in studying how bacteria in an astronaut's fecal matter have fared over 40 years and if it endured genetic mutation. Microbes also thrived in food containers, clothing, and other items left behind, which could have also endured mutation.

Rob Kelso, director of NASA's lunar commercial services program, stated, "In a real sense, the hardware that still sits on the moon are ongoing experiments in scientific witness plates, of looking at environmental impacts over time, which can provide significant engineering data about how systems and structures survive." Kelso also stated, "The crews put their feces bags, urine bags, food containers, their clothes, in a bag and would jettison that out of the hatch prior to liftoff as they tried to shed as much weight for ascent performance."

In order to preserve artifacts and prevent potential damages, NASA wants visitors to keep their distance. Buffer zones(between one to three kilometers, 0.62 to 1.2 miles) vary depending on particular relic and historic significance with the Apollo 11 and Apollo 17 garnering the most restricted access.

NASA spokesman J.D. Harrington told Discovery News in an email, "Any future lunar landing vehicle teams can select the level of compliance within their mission design and adopt according to their team plans." Best of luck to you, NASA, and may you win the competition!

link to story: http://news.discovery.com/space/moon-landing-sites-nasa-111024.html#mkcpgn=emnws1

Cystic Fibrosis

I posted a picture of an email I received yesterday on my Google+ page, regarding Cystic Fibrosis. Cystic Fibrosis is currently covered under medicaid. There is a 12, bipartisan senator party that is looking to restructure Medicaid deficit. They are looking to cut funding completely for CF. This is a HORRIBLE decision. CF is not covered under insurance because it is a preexisting condition. Cancer is also a preexisting condition, but that's somehow covered. The purpose of this blog is to inform you all of the cost of CF and why it is important to continue coverage under medicaid. The following information is taken from my best friend's blog. She is a victim of CF.


"The following is a list of the daily medications and supplements kept on-hand to effectively treat my CF with underlying asthma and sinusitis:

• Xopenex 1.25mg/3mL Inhaled Nebulized Solution - 2x Daily ($382 - 30 Day Supply)
• Hypertonic Saline Inhaled 7% 4mL Nebulized Solution - 2x Daily ($30 - 30 Day Supply)
• Pulmozyme Inhaled Nebulized Solution - 1x Daily ($999 = 30 Day Supply)
• Advair 500/50 Asthma Discus - 2x Daily ($275 = 30 Day Supply)
• Xopenex 15GM Rescue Inhaler - As Needed ($62 = 60 Day Supply)
• Creon 24,000U Digestive Enzymes - 5 per Meal, 3 per Snack ($2520 = 30 Day Supply)
• BioK Non-Dairy Digestive Probiotics - 3oz 2x Daily ($60 = 7 Day Supply)
• Allegra Allergy - 1x at Morning ($17.99 = 14 Day Supply)
• Singulair 10mg Asthma/Allergy - 1x at Night ($165 = 30 Day Supply)
• Flonase 16GM - 1 Puff each Nostril 2x Daily ($92 = 60 Day Supply)
• Nexium - 1x Daily ($210 = 30 Day Supply)

ANNUAL BASIC MEDICATION TOTAL = $59,484
(This total does not include multiple antibiotics and steroids used to treat numerous infections over the course of the year such as oral Levaquin, which is $469 for a 7 day supply and may be needed as often as 5-10 times per year).

These medications are accompanied with routine CF specialist check-ups every 3 months which are comprised of pulmonary function tests, sputum cultures and a consultation with the specialist (approximately $1500 a visit); Annual expanded CF specialist check-ups which along with the typical follow-up routine also includes x-rays and bloodwork (approximately $2700 a visit); "Tune-Up" hospital stays which usually last 7-10 days and focus on building the patient up with antibiotics, physical therapy and bed rest (my stay last year totaled $33,774); "Sick" hospital stays which last until you are well enough to be released without fear of relapse (my stay for Pneumonia in February totaled $59,943); And various surgical procedures, in my case being 4 nasal polyp removals over the past 10 years, my latest in September of 2010 (each rounding out at approximately $7000).

MY PERSONAL GRAND TOTAL TO DATE FOR 2011 = $120,927
And it's only May. I still have my annual visitation next month, 2 more routine check-ups, who knows how many more hospital stays and 7 more insurance premiums. AND I have a "mild" case! This comes nowhere close to CFers who are admitted for months at a time, are dependent on daily IV antibiotics and oxygen and have organ transplantation tagged on.

And the real kicker? It is absolutely impossible once diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis to obtain a generic insurance policy, as CF is a pre-existing condition that, unlike others that may have a year or two waiting period until coverage is approved, does not heal over time. In layman's terms, unless CF patients have insurance policies existing when they are diagnosed or their state offers a government-funded insurance plan specifically for pre-existing conditions (such as Texas, thankfully, although the premiums per month, deductible and co-insurance amounts are exorbitant), EVERYTHING IS PAID FOR OUT OF POCKET. If you lose your insurance due to a company filing error (like I did), if you are too old to be covered under your parents' policy or if you are diagnosed at a time when you are uninsured...You. Are. Screwed. To date, I am approximately $250,000 in debt that I am slowly paying off and most likely will be for the rest of my life. It becomes a matter of picking and choosing which treatments and medications are priorities and which ones can be rationed, which is the second highest reason (the first being terminal CFers not receiving organ transplantation in time) for rapid decline and death in CF patients. A health issue that we were born into. A health issue that is not our fault. A health issue we can not get rid of. And we can not save our own lives because of the almighty dollar."

Post Rapture

I am sharing an excerpt from my best friend's blog. I could not have said this better myself. To the Christian man continually giving us a bad rep, QUIT PREDICTING WHEN A RAPTURE IS GOING TO OCCUR.

"By now, I'm sure everyone has heard the big prediction. Arithmetic may not be my strong suit, but I'm 99.9% certain that no matter how "holy" the math that David Koresh wannabe did was, the Rapture is not going to take place tomorrow.

I am a Christian. Not a fanatic. (There's a very fine line.) And it seems that every Christian out there with common sense is thinking the exact same thing: "In the Bible, doesn't it clearly state more than once that no one knows when the Father will return except for the Father Himself?" Preeecisely. You'd think that these extremists, in all of their Bible toting and quoting glory, would be privy to that information.

But as much as I want to roll my eyes and admonish them, I can't help but be more focused on what I find to be the truly tragic part of the equation. Don't get me wrong...Even as a Christian, I don't claim these fruitcakes. (Zing. Sorry.) But you know what? At least they believe in SOMEthing. The only reason this event has my attention whatsoever is because of the multitudes of non-believers that are coming out of the woodworks, the blatant disrespect to their fellow human beings for not sharing in their lack of beliefs and comments that are being posted on message boards across the world:

"When this doesn't pan out, can we finally stop taking the Bible and its wizard in the sky seriously altogether?"

It makes me sad...Heartbreakingly sad...That something as sacred as believing in God is taking the fall for something that man created.

To be a Christian is not to say that I think I am perfect. Far from it. I take the Lord's name in vain in Dallas rush-hour traffic, I party more than I should, I have moments of doubt and I enjoy some extremely shallow and materialistic things. But I also believe with all of my heart, mind and soul that Jesus died for my sins, saved my life and forgives me for being an idiot on a daily basis. It's an amazing comfort, assurance and elation that can not be described in words. Do I believe in the Rapture? Yes. Do I believe in Heaven and Hell? Absolutely. Do I believe that if I don't forward a Facebook post that I will go to said Hell? Not in the slightest.

So to anyone out there who runs across this blog and feels it necessary to chastise me for "believing a fairy story", I don't mind. It will never change my beliefs or the way that I live. Because the bottom line is that I would rather live as if there is a God and find out there isn't than live as if there isn't to find out there is."

"The Discovernator"

I am an avid subscriber to Discovery news and found this email today in the inbox. It's interesting, random facts. I'm not sure about you, but it would be pretty amazing to live nine days without a head. Then again, your brain would be located in your body for that to happen. It wouldn't necessarily be fun but, it would be interesting. I'm reminded of that scene in "Kill Bill Vol. 2" where BB Kiddo pulls out Elle Driver's second eye and she flounders around for a while. I think that's what it would be like living without a head for nine days.


Here is the link to the story. May you also enjoy :)

http://news.discovery.com/games-quizzes/discovernator-crazy-amazing-facts-101411.html#mkcpgn=emnws1

Donner, Party of 81

A new book has been published titled, "An Archaeology of Desperation: Exploring the Donner Party's Alder Creek Camp." For those unfamiliar with this party, they were American pioneers who set out on a journey to California in 1846. Their journey was four to six months and by the end, in February 1847, were snowbound in Sierra Nevada, leaving them stranded and without food. This book analyzes the tragic journey and reveals what was consumed.

The 81 pioneers' menu consisted of family pets, bones, twigs, what was known as the time as "glue", strings, and ultimately, human remains. Cannibalism was deduced due to the lack of human bone fragments identified. With nothing left to eat, historical records indicate some of the snowbound victims resorted to consuming bodies of others who perished.

The 1800's were an extremely tough time in American History. This book, according to co-editor Kelly Dixon, "emphasizes the fact that the historical and archaeological sources present a complicated story about humans doing whatever possible, including eating hide and strings as well as consuming their dogs, before making the desperate decision to cannibalize..." Dixon and co-editors Julie Schablitsky and Shannon Novak identified rodent, canine, deer, rabbit, horse and oxen/cattle bones within 16,000 plus bone fragments. Hair, bones, skulls, and fragments of half-consumed limbs were said to be around the fire. Jacob Donner's body was found with his heart and liver removed and his limbs and arms were cut off.

Concluding thoughts of the book mention that no intact skeletons were found at the excavation site. "If the Donner families consumed only flesh and organs, as would be expected from comparative cases of survival cannibalism, then only soft tissue would have been cooked over a fire or broiled over a pot." "Beyond the cannibal tale, this hero saga reminds us of our own fragility, mortality, and resilience in the face of unfamiliar circumstances and less-than-predicatble futures." Now, who wants to join me for a nice, juicy steak?

link to story: http://news.discovery.com/history/donner-party-cannibalism-remains-111010.html

"They Took Our Jobs!"

This title is derived from an episode clip of "South Park." In this scenario, it is applicable.

I wrote a blog back in August about Steve Jobs stepping down as Apple's CEO and Tim Cook continuing on his legacy. Steve Jobs left behind an extraordinary legacy. He was a strong fighter, innovative thinker, and now after his passing, has some pretty large shoes to fill.

I admit that I made fun of the iPhone 4S release, because it's still lacking, regardless of the fancy new gadgets and updates. This does not change how I felt about Steve as a respectable businessman. It also does not change how I feel about existing Apple products. I am still very much a Macintosh addict. Steve does have large shoes to fill, but that does not mean Tim and the rest of the Apple team are incapable of carrying on such a legacy.

Consumers may not be happy with Apple or its performance over the past several years, but that negative thinking did not deter Steve from accomplishing his dreams. He continued to pave the way for Apple and technology in general. Steve's positive thinking, innovative ideas, and tenacity are what helped turn Apple into what it is today.

I leave you with this quote from Jobs. May you also take away from it. "Your time is limited, so don't waste it living someone else's life. Don't be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other people's thinking. Don't let the noise of other's opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.”

Google, The Other Big Brother

Google just launched a new application called Google Wallet. It stores virtual versions of your existing credit and debit cards on your phone. You tap the phone to pay and redeem offers using near field communication, or NFC.

It will eventually hold majority to all of the cards you keep in your wallet today. Since Google Wallet is a mobile app, currently available only on android smartphones, it will store thousands of payment cards and Google Offers, without the buldge. Eventually, loyalty cards, gift cards, receipts, boarding passes, tickets, even your keys will be seamlessly synced to your Google Wallet. Every offer and loyalty point will be redeemed automatically with a single tap via NFC.

I will not be using this new app, simply because Google already knows us all way too well. Jimmy Fallon said it best on his 30 September 2011 show, "Thank you, the newly released Google wallet app that no longer requires you to carry credit cards. Nice try Google, but you aren't getting your hands on my personal information; except for every word I've ever said in an email, everything I've searched for on the internet, who my friends are, where I'm traveling to everyday, how I got there, and of course, what my house looks like from space. That's it, that's where I draw the line." Spot on, Jimmy.


http://www.google.com/wallet/vision.html