Carl Sagan — Pale Blue Dot

In doing research for this blog, I often come across fascinating articles, amazing videos and compelling information. When I found this video, I knew right away I wanted to share it with you. Please view and listen to Carl Sagan's Pale Blue Dot.

He puts the earth and everything on this third rock into a perspective I find more compelling each time I listen to it.

Besides getting mesmerized by his great voice, he has given me a fresh viewpoint I find absolutely amazing because he has made me look at myself in a way I had never done before. Listen and think and see if it affects you:




Any comments?

Later,

Mike

Canadians Make Stem Cell Breakthrough

Several weeks ago, I told you I did a lot of research for blog posts while I was in the hospital. Here's one of the articles I came across from our friends north of the border. I believe you will find it very interesting.

Originally published Sunday, March 1, 2009, it was updated on April 10th in Toronto's The Globe And Mail. You can read the entire article by clicking here.

I find it fascinating how quickly researchers are finding breakthroughs with the science of stem cells and all of their qualities. This paragraph comes directly from the article:

“We hope these stem cells will form the basis for treatment of many diseases and conditions that are currently considered incurable,” says Andras Nagy, of Toronto's Mount Sinai Hospital. He is the lead author of a groundbreaking paper published online Sunday by the journal Nature.

I have always said it's just a matter of time! What an amazing time we live in!

As always, feel free to comment.

Later,

Mike

I Lied!

I lied about making my last post for the first half of the year! I was interviewed for this article on spinal cord injuries and it's now online. I just received the article from She Knows.com magazine and they quoted me accurately, twice! I had to share it with you.

You've heard the phrase, "Any pub is good pub." Well, I'll take it. You can read the entire article in She Knows.com by clicking here. Don't worry, it's short.


I welcome your comments.

Later,

Mike

The Longevity Game

I thought I would end the first half of 2009 with a fun, little post.

I came across this game the other day and decided to put it up so everyone can try it. It's done by an insurance company, so take it for what it's worth. You know what they say about getting what you pay for. Some of you may like the results, and, obviously, some of you may not.

Personally, I liked the results. But, I know my results are going to be a bit skewed since I don't think they have made any allowance for spinal cord injuries and all of the health issues I've had to deal with. However, they do have a disclaimer on pre-existing conditions before you play the game.


You can take The Longevity Game by clicking here.

Remember, if you don't like the results, don't get mad at me. I didn't live your life and answer the test for you. I'm just the messenger!

As always, I welcome your comments.

Later,

Mike

The "Invisible Workforce"

I have been disabled for almost thirty-eight years and have been dependent on someone to help with my daily needs every one of those days. I could not survive without my personal care attendants (PCA's). Recently, our governor has decided to cut funds to the state-run program that pays for the roughly 40,000 PCA's in Minnesota.

Those people take care of approximately 14,000 Minnesotans who are in need of daily assistance much like I do. There is a tremendous difference in age and what these people need. But, the point is, we all need help of some sort or another.

It seems to me a very short-sighted solution to a problem that will get much worse if we cut back on this program and the people with disabilities who benefit from them end up in hospitals and long-term care facilities because their needs are not being met which leads to more problems that don't allow those individuals to live in their own homes.

Gail Rosenblum wrote a great piece in the Minneapolis StarTribune last month outlining the issue. You can read the article by clicking here. There are also some good comments following her column.

One of the things I especially liked about the column was the fact Bridget Siljander was quoted. I'm proud to say Bridget was one of my PCA's when she first started in this field twelve years ago. It's very rewarding to see how she has grown into a responsible and tireless advocate for her peers and people with disabilities.

She has even gotten very involved in the leadership of a national organization for direct service professionals called the National Alliance for Direct Support Professionals. You can learn more about their organization by clicking here.

I welcome your comments.

Later,

Mike

I'm Not A Green Bay Packer Fan, But ...

This story takes place in Green Bay, Wisconsin and has nothing to do with the Packers. I've just always wanted to write those seven words.

I was talking to my mother tonight and she told me about young Kennedy Corpus who skipped school on the last day of fourth grade to go to an event with her father, John.

I hadn't heard of the story, so I decided to see just what happened. It turns out, she got a note for her teacher that was a once-in-a-lifetime event for ten-year-old Kennedy.

Since I rarely watch the main stream media any more, I get most of my news from the Internet and discussions with friends and family. Yes, Google is my friend. This is a precious video and story from the Green Bay Press-Gazette on June 11th. To read the story and watch the video, click here.

I'm guessing young Kennedy had a hard time sleeping that night.

I welcome your comments.

Later,

Mike

National Sports Center For The Disabled

In 1980, I had the opportunity to go downhill skiing in Winter Park, Colorado at an organization called the National Sports Center for the Disabled. Little did I know just how large and successful it would become. Now, almost thirty years later, they are an incredible organization with year-round activities in Winter Park. They also have offices in Denver and Kansas City.

You can learn all about their summer and winter programs by going to their website. Just click here.

Their website reads, "The NSCD offers a variety of exciting winter adventures, including alpine skiing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, Nordic hut trips, snowshoeing, and ski racing ... The NSCD offers a variety of exciting summer adventures, including NSCD Sports Camps, rafting, kayaking, canoeing, special camps, horse pack trips, therapeutic horseback riding, mountain biking, overnight river trips, fishing, camping, and rock climbing."

I love to see how programs and organizations for people with disabilities that were started around the time I had my accident, are prospering and helping people with many different issues. It's great to see people with disabilities being offered new and exciting opportunities.

I think this is a FANTASTIC picture:

If you have a disability, check out their website, see what's available, what activity may interest you and take advantage of their programs. Or, if you are able-bodied and you know someone with a disability, send him or her the NSCD's website.

There is another similar organization right here in Minneapolis doing many of the same activities and then some. They have trips that go all over the world! Check out Wilderness Inquiry and see what they are doing. Just click here.

I welcome your comments. Especially, if you have experience with either organization.

Later,

Mike

Walk On D.J.

We all have challenges, some seem greater than others. For D.J. Gregory, walking is very difficult. So, what did he decide to do? Why not walk every hole, every day of every PGA golf tournament in 2008?

A friend sent me this video and I did a little research about his quest. I just Googled "D.J. Gregory golf" and there was a ton of information about his walk that left a trail. It's an incredibly inspiring story about someone with a disability who set a goal for himself and then went out and accomplished it!

D.J. was thirty last summer and walked in 44 tournaments in 45 weeks. That's 180 rounds, 3256 holes and more than 900 miles on the eleven-month tour! None of the professional golfers did what D.J. did! None of them golfed in every tournament. It's a great video. I encourage you to watch it and see if you agree with me. You can view it by clicking here.

I look forward to your comments.

Later,

Mike

Friends Are Important

According to an article in the NYTimes.com on April 20, 2009, our friendships are incredibly important in our overall health. This quote comes directly from the article you can read in its entirety by clicking here.

“In general, the role of friendship in our lives isn’t terribly well appreciated,” said Rebecca G. Adams, a professor of sociology at the University of North Carolina, Greensboro. “There is just scads of stuff on families and marriage, but very little on friendship. It baffles me. Friendship has a bigger impact on our psychological well-being than family relationships.”

Personally, I have friends from nearly every stage of my life, from as far back as elementary school, junior and senior high school, to college in Worthington, UC Berkeley and the University of Minnesota. I don't always keep in touch with some of them as much as I'd like, but from past experience, I know I can reach out to many of them with a phone call or an email, and we can pick up like we have never been apart.

With living in eight towns and going to school in five different districts before I was fourteen, I made a lot of friends at an early age. They come from many different backgrounds and I can count many people as friends, some going back more than forty-five years!

I have also made many friends with people from all areas of my adult life. I'm happy to say each one of those relationships has helped me to shape who I am. To site a quick example of that, in my recent hospitalization, I had visitors, emails and phone calls from friends from many stages of my life.

Please feel free to comment on how your friends have affected your life. I look forward to reading them.

Later,

Mike

Kidney Stones And Children

In the many sleepless hours I spent in the hospital, I spent a lot of time doing research for this blog. One of the sites I spent perusing was the New York Times online. I know it's a credible source and a tremendous wealth of information.

I came across this article and want to share it with you. According to this article by Laurie Tarkan from October 28, 2008, there is a tremendous rise in kidney stones in children as young as five and six years old! You can read the entire article by clicking here.

She gives some incredible numbers and reasons for this dramatic rise in a disorder once considered a problem for middle-aged adults.

One of the most disturbing reasons she sites for this problem is what is causing these kidney stones. She writes, it's food and drinks with high salt content. Drinks like Gatorade, and salty foods like sandwich meats, chips, canned soups, packaged meals and french fries.

One of the major reasons is the fact children are not drinking enough water. These two paragraphs came directly from the article:

Children also tend not to drink enough water. “They don’t want to go to the bathroom at school; they don’t have time, so they drink less,” said Dr. Alicia Neu, medical director of pediatric nephrology and the pediatric stone clinic at Johns Hopkins Children’s Center in Baltimore. “Instead, they are likely to drink only once they’re thirsty — but that may be too little, too late, especially for children who play sports or are just active.”

“Drinking more water is the most important step in the prevention of kidney stones,” Dr. Neu said.

I seem to have written a few posts on food lately. I'm not entirely sure why. Maybe I'll go have a sandwich and a Gatorade and think about it. (He said sarcastically.)

Your comments are always welcome.

Later,

Mike