Sunday, May 31, 2009

Keep your pet safe

My husband and I has a little chihuahua dog. He is so cute, sweet and smart. We love him so much and we will give everything to him as much as we can. In short he is very spoiled. Well, we can't helped it because maybe we don't have a child yet. We always make it sure that he gets his proper nutrition. He goes to his vet regularly and taking his pills regularly. We want to keep him healthy and avoid any sickness. Being so protective to our little one is our top priority and my husband and I were so glad knowing something that we can use to keep him more safe and guarded all the time. This is the petsafe wireless fence. This is a kind of gadget that sends a signal to a collar that your dog wears. As your dog nears a defined boundary, the collar issues a warning tone. If he/she proceeds further, he/she receives a safe but annoying stimulation that deters his/her from leaving your boundary. No wires to bury, and completely portable. Amazing! This is exactly want we want for him. Have yours too!

Susan Boyle Checks Into Private Clinic After 'Emotional Breakdown'

LONDON — "Britain's Got Talent" sensation Susan Boyle was in the Priory clinic Sunday night suffering from exhaustion.

The singer had an "emotional breakdown" following Saturday's final in which she was runner-up. But the talent show favorite was still eyeing a United States tour. The 48-year-old virgin, tipped to earn about $13 million, survived tears and a tantrum to finish second in Saturday's gripping final of television's "Britain's Got Talent." But the pressure finally showed late yesterday as the Scottish singer — dubbed SuBo by fans was rushed to the private clinic suffering from exhaustion. Show aides had contacted police to say she was acting strangely at her London hotel. Paramedics helped the "spaced-out" star through the lobby and into an ambulance just after 6 p.m. local time. A Met Police Inspector and a police doctor were called to assist. Show aides had contacted police to say she was acting strangely at her London hotel. Paramedics helped the "spaced-out" star through the lobby and into an ambulance just after 6 p.m. local time. A Met Police Inspector and a police doctor were called to assist. The ambulance, tailed by a police car, then took her to the Priory clinic in Southgate, North London. A source at the hotel said last night: "She'd been at the hotel for a few days, but since Saturday's final had been acting strangely, causing a bit of a stir. "The staff were concerned - something wasn't right. "When the paramedics and police arrived she agreed to go voluntarily. She didn't make a fuss. The paramedics calmly took her out through the main lobby and into the waiting ambulance. "It was all done very calmly. They didn't want to stress or upset her. She didn't look well - she looked lost, not all there." A source at the clinic said last night: "I was having a cigarette break when a whole load of ambulances arrived. "Everyone was saying, 'Who's that'? Then I saw her and it was Susan Boyle. I was gobsmacked."

Thursday, May 28, 2009

Plastic And Reconstructive Surgeons Institute - PARS

Breast Augmentation in Beverly Hills is one of most trusted Institute for Plastic and Reconstructive Surgeons. They perform a very high standard, high quality with professionalism work to satisfy their clients. This is not an easy job and it contains high risk but PARS has professional and well experienced team that performs the job with excellence and satisfaction. Yes they provide this kind of services because this is a matter of being you and renewing yourself into a new you, so they are very careful on their process. Many clients trust their team because they have proven their work to a certain degree that clients keeps coming back and were satisfied. Check out their website now!

Gmail in real-time: Google does the Wave

Google is ready to start talking about its answer to demand for real-time--yet organized--Internet communication. Later on Thursday, Google plans to publicly demonstrate Google Wave for the first time at the Google I/O conference in San Francisco. Billed as "the e-mail of the future," Google Wave is the result of a multiyear project inside of Google to reinvent the inbox, blending e-mail, instant messaging, photo sharing, and perhaps, with input from developers, connections to the world of social networking. Google Wave is an attempt to "combine conversation-type communication and collaboration-type communication," said Lars Rasmussen, who launched the project with his brother Jens after Google acquired their mapping start-up in 2004. The brothers Rasmussen said they were inspired by the fact that two of the most commonly used Internet communication technologies--e-mail and instant messaging--are based on relatively ancient offline communication techniques, namely the letter and the telephone. The Rasmussens were given the authority to create "one of the most autonomous independent groups we've had at Google," said co-founder Sergey Brin in a press conference following the demonstration. Given the success the brothers had in developing the technologies behind Google Maps, Brin was inclined to "give them the benefit of the doubt" when Lars came to him pitching a bid to reinvent Internet communication. They came up with Google Wave, which organizes Internet discussions in the trendy stream of consciousness fashion. It's a little bit Twitter, a little bit Friendfeed, and a little bit Facebook all in one service, allowing you to send direct messages to online contacts with real-time replies, share photos or documents, and add or delete members of the conversation as needed. In that sense, it's not a completely public discussion, nor a completely private one. A user creates a "wave" by typing a message or uploading photos and adding contacts to the wave as they see fit. Other contacts can be added later, and those people can add other contacts to the wave unless the original wave starter forbids new entrants. "Each person that we show it too, something different resonates as useful" to their way of communicating on the Internet, said Stephanie Hannon, project manager for Google Wave. At the moment, the functionality is somewhat limited, but Google is introducing Google Wave at its developer conference for a reason: "a lot of this depends on developer uptake," Rasmussen said. The company will release APIs (application programming interfaces) at the conference so that developers can start testing how to build Wave into their own sites, or how to integrate their services with Google's. Google envisions three types of developer projects using Wave. The first is the most obvious; using Wave as a gateway for conversations that you're already having elsewhere on Twitter, Friendfeed, Facebook, blogs, and other social media sites. There are plenty of reasons for Google to try to tap into the "stickiness" of various social networks, where users spend obscene amounts of time. And the company thinks that services such as Twitter recognize the value of letting others build a front end into their services: there are dozens of Twitter apps for PCs and smartphones that grant such access without having to use Twitter's own front end, and those apps don't seem to have put much of a dent in Twitter's overall traffic. For starters, Google Wave will allow users to post new items to blogs created with Blogger from within a wave, and see comments and replies within a wave. The second category involves creating applications that run within a wave, similar to how developers have used Facebook as a platform to create all sorts of applications. Collaborative games are expected to be among the first applications to appear within Google Wave. Lastly, Google wants developers to think of Wave as a possible enhancement to an existing workflow within an enterprise. The example Rasmussen used was a bug tracker used by software developers to identify and assign bugs. Bugs could be organized in waves; participants post the new bug to a global wave, then the team leader can assign bugs to individual team members within the wave, and developers can comment on their fix for a particular bug as they are tackled and cleared, all within the same thread. The software has a long way to go: Google is releasing it as a developer preview on Thursday, and is actively looking for feedback on how it can improve. Sometime later this year Google expects to release it to the general public, but Rasmussen would not commit to a more specific timeframe. Google also plans to open-source the format at the heart of Google Wave as a protocol in order to let developers build their own waves. The company has not determined the license that will be used to open-source the code, Rasmussen said. Developer feedback will be crucial toward gauging the impact of Google Wave in a marketplace crowded with similar ideas. For months, Google has been pressed with inquiries about whether or not it plans to buy companies like Twitter or others that specialize in real-time Internet communication, and thus far, the company has demurred.

Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Speak out!

Everyone of us has it's own views on american political issues. Some may agree to it and some may not. And I know each one of us wants to express ourselves with our views and opinion in some issues in our governance. Well, now is the chance to say what you feel and say what you think of american political issues by clicking the link mention above. Join now!

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Mike Tyson's Daughter Dead Following Household Accident

The 4-year-old daughter of boxer Mike Tyson died at a hospital Tuesday, a day her neck apparently got caught in a treadmill cord at her Phoenix home, police said.
Exodus Tyson was pronounced dead just before noon, police Sgt. Andy Hill said. She had been on life support and police have said their investigation showed her injury on Monday was a "tragic accident. "There are no words to describe the tragic loss of our beloved Exodus," the family said in a statement. "We ask you now to please respect our need at this very difficult time for privacy to grieve and try to help each other heal. "Exodus had been on life support in a Phoenix hospital. Following her hospitalization, Phoenix Police Sergeant Andy Hill said, "Somehow the little girl got something caught across her throat, she became unresponsive, the boy went and got the mother, and the mother came out and found the child." A neighbor had added, "It's just very sad. The mom is very sweet, very doting... they're just lovely, they ride their little bikes down the street."

Sunday, May 24, 2009

Debt Consolidation Connection - DCC

Debt Consolidation is the best way to solve a financial problem especially in today's economy. I think it is the best solution and the best idea that is ever discovered, made or formulated by a certain person to help somebody free from debt. We all know the feeling to be buried in debt for a long time and here comes a best solution to solve is a huge relief for us. One website that is offering a service like this is DCC or Debt Consolidation Connection. They help somebody to get back on track and free from any debt. This site is a resource for financial education, credit counseling, and debt management. You can find help with budgeting, credit card debt, loan modification, and do-it-yourself resources, and keep up with the latest in financial news. I find it so amazing that they do an excellent job to keep everyone on track by their services which really helps a lot for any individual. They have certified credit counselors to help you understand the positives and negatives and review alternative solutions. Unlike other company, DCC work hand and hand on your case and review everything before doing a huge step in fixing your financial problem. Isn't that great. DCC is definitely the right place to go when having credit problems.

Andretti, Rahal, Kanaan crash out of 500

— Three-fourths of the way through the 200-lap Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, pole-sitter Helio Castroneves had regained the lead. Castroneves led the first seven laps, then fell back as far as fifth. But he passed defending champion Scott Dixon after a caution period. Will Power, hired as a backup to Castroneves for Team Penske, was third, followed by Dan Wheldon and Townsend Bell. Ed Carpenter was sixth through 150 laps, followed by Danica Patrick, Paul Tracy, Ryan Briscoe and rookie Mike Conway. Tony Kanaan was running third when he crashed out of the race on lap 98. Jim Nabors had barely finished singing the traditional "Back Home Again (in Indiana)" when two drivers made a quick exit from the race. After the original start of the race was waved off because the field wasn't bunched, the cars of Mario Moraes and Marco Andretti made contact in the very first turn. Moraes' car was taken back to the garage area on a wrecker; Andretti's was receiving repairs in the pits. “The kid doesn’t get it; he never will,” Andretti said of the 20-year-old Moraes. “All the work, all the hopes, it’s over just like that. This place can just be so hard on you.” Moraes and Andretti started the race in the third row, having qualified seventh and eighth, respectively. But they never got up to speed on Sunday. “It’s so disappointing,” said Andretti. “The guy (Moraes) is clueless.” Said Moraes: “I was in front, I was holding my line, and he just hit me.” Andretti was hoping to win the race on the 40th anniversary of his grandfather Mario's lone victory in 1969. On lap 55, another of the young stars of IndyCar racing crashed out. Graham Rahal, son of 1986 winner Bobby Rahal, hit the wall hard for the second consecutive year. He started fourth and was running sixth, but was placed 28th on the grid after the crash. Last year, as a rookie, he started 13th but was the first car out with a crash on lap 36. The stands were full at Indianapolis beneath partly cloudy skies.

A whole new experience and discovery for a get away

For the past days, I have seen an advertisement about a fascinating experience on swimming with dolphins. I find it so hilarious and thrilling just watching that ad and wishing I could be part of it. But anyway, this is something about an animal who has such talent and very friendly to people who they get acquainted with. They are called dolphin or dolphins. This animals are so fascinating and full of excitement when they perform in the water. I was watching one coach one time preparing the dolphins for their upcoming show. Guys, you won't believe it but they are good followers on whatever their coach will tell them to do. Amazing. To me, doing a family activities like this is priceless during summer time. This is something that I am interested in doing because I haven't seen a real dolphin in my life. To swim with them will be much more exciting and a whole new experience for me. Now you already have an idea on what to do with the rest of your summer vacation. Swim with the dolphins. I know it is a new discovery for you too and choosing this kind of activity will be unforgettable and treasure to remember. So what are you waiting for guys, plan for your summer get away now and enjoy the rest of it with new experience and new exciting activity and new discovery to be proud of.

Friday, May 22, 2009

Don't Forget the Lyrics' worth remembering to see tonight

Summertime Fridays are a dead zone for most networks, but Fox is trying. Tonight, it launches the summer run of "Lyrics." Rock star Meat Loaf teams with his daughter, Pearl Aday, as contestants. A week later, a new scripted show ("Mental") will follow at 8 p.m. Filling the spot tonight, Fox inserts a rerun of the terrific "House" season-opener. When the previous season ended, Amber (Wilson's loved one) had died. It was partly House's fault; now Wilson has quit his job and his friendship. Tonight's patient is the assistant to a hard-driving female executive. House spouts some nonsense (as he tends to) against feminism, while diagnosing her. Tonight's Might-See: "Everybody Hates Chris," 7 and 8 p.m., CW. This clever series -- with Chris Rock narrating a comic version of his boyhood -- has spent its fourth season buried in Friday obscurity. Here's a second chance to catch the start of the season. In the first episode, Chris starts high school in an all-white home room with a bigoted teacher. In the second, he'll help a classmate with home-ec skills, in exchange for being hooked up with a hot girl. Meanwhile, Chris' younger sister Tonya has trouble. In the first episode, she's too blunt while helping at the salon; in the second, she's supposed to take care of a neighbor's fish. Also, their mom is annoyed by the return of Tasha's mother, a talkative ex-con. Other choices include: "Ghost Whisperer," 7 p.m., CBS. This rerun offers a fresh worry for online users: A ghost is stalking young women who use a gaming site. Isn't there some sort of anti-virus for that? "Howie Do It," 7 and 7:30 p.m., NBC. In the first episode, a man with no singing or dancing talent is told he's competing in "Unisexy 5000," to form a new pop group; also, Howie Mandel plays an uncooperative concierge. The second includes a botched magic trick; Criss Angel guests. "Fred Claus" (2007), 7 p.m., HBO. Who knew that Santa Claus had a self-centered brother named Fred? He's played convincingly by Vince Vaughn, in a pleasant-enough comedy that has Paul Giamatti as Santa. "Unforgiven" (1992), 7-10 p.m., History Channel. Clint Eastwood directed this cowboy classic and plays a former gunman, trying one last job. The film is slow at times, but beautifully crafted. It won four Oscars (best picture, director and editing, plus Gene Hackman in support) and was nominated for five more. There's great work from Morgan Freeman, Frances Fisher, Richard Harris and more. "Flashpoint," 8 p.m., CBS. This rerun sees a man hold a courtroom captive, while trying to prove he was wrongly convicted."Numb3rs," 9 p.m., CBS. Expensive things are being stolen from a shipping service, in this rerun. Meanwhile, Don loses confidence in the FBI, after a colleague is killed.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Stainless Steel Sink and Faucet

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Aftershock felt in downtown Los Angeles

LOS ANGELES -- A small but widely felt aftershock jolted the Los Angeles region Tuesday, two days after a magnitude-4.7 earthquake struck, but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The magnitude-4.1 temblor hit at 3:49 p.m. and was centered 10 miles southwest of downtown Los Angeles near the Los Angeles International Airport, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. No damage has been reported and there has been no increase in emergency calls, Los Angeles City Fire spokesman Brian Humphrey said. The aftershock occurred near the epicenter of Sunday's magnitude-4.7 quake that caused strong shaking in the beach towns south of the airport. Only light damage was reported. Tuesday's quake was felt in the high desert city of Palmdale about 50 miles to the north and in San Diego, about 120 miles to the south. It was barely felt at the airport, but emergency workers were checking runways and other airport infrastructure just to make sure nothing was damaged, said airport spokesman Tom Winfrey. "It was very slight but as a precaution we always do that check," he said. Esther Robertson, a cashier at a Burlington Coat Factory store near the epicenter in Hawthorne, said customers ran out of the store when the shaking began. "It was terrifying," she said. Scientists said the latest rattle was a typical aftershock. "It's a completely normal sort of pattern," USGS seismologist Lucy Jones said.

Treadmill review

Buying treadmill will be the best option for us to lose some weight. It is proven and tested that you will really lose some weight by using this kind of gym equipment. It will save us more money if we buy our own rather than going to the gym everyday. It will save us lots of trip going back and forth to our session, saves us from paying our instructor and our membership fee. As we decide buying it, we did check some treadmill review just to make sure that we are buying the right product for us.

Monday, May 18, 2009

Dolla

An Atlanta-based rapper was fatally shot at the Beverly Center mall parking garage Monday by a suspect who fled in a silver Mercedes, according to police. Officers later detained a "person of interest" as he approached the ticketing area at Los Angeles International Airport armed with a gun. The shooting occurred around 3:10 p.m. in the valet waiting area of the popular Westside mall, sending nearby diners diving for cover. Dolla, a rapper whose real name is Roderick Anthony Burton II, was shot in the head while he and another rapper, D.J. Shabbazz, stood near the mall's La Cienega Boulevard entrance, according to Dolla's publicist, Sue Vannasing. A friend who was with the rappers at the Beverly Center as well as a Los Angeles Police Department source also confirmed his identity to The Times. Burton, 21, arrived at LAX from Atlanta earlier in the day and went to the Beverly Center to do some shopping, Vannasing said. Burton apparently had a dispute with some people, perhaps at the airport, she added. "They followed him to the mall because they knew he was coming," Vannasing said. Los Angeles police officials could not immediately confirm or deny that account. Burton was rushed a few blocks away to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, where he died, police said. The LAPD has not announced a motive for the shooting or identified any suspects. Detectives are questioning a woman they detained at the scene and a man who allegedly drove from the mall to LAX in a rented Mercedes SUV. About an hour after the shooting, the LAPD issued a bulletin for a 20-year-old man considered a "person of interest" in the shooting. Los Angeles Airport Police officers spotted a man fitting the description in the ticketing lobby of Terminal 1. "The suspect was detained without incident [and] discovered to be armed," said Los Angeles World Airports spokeswoman Nancy Castles.
Police later found the silver Mercedes in an airport parking lot. LAPD sources, who spoke on the condition that they not be named because of the ongoing investigation, said they are investigating whether the man was trying to get a flight out of L.A. Burton was an up-and-coming rapper who had recorded several singles. He was in town to work on his first album, slated to be released this summer on Jive Records, Vannasing said. His first single, released in 2007, was "Who the [Expletive] is that? "He was born in Chicago in 1988 and moved with his family to the Los Angeles area and then to Atlanta, according to a biography on his MySpace.com page. The biography said he lived a life full of misfortune, witnessing his father commit suicide at age 5 and turning to crime to support his family at age 10. He began rapping as 12, and formed a group called Da Razkals Cru, according to the biography. The group impressed the likes of rap impresarios P. Diddy and Missy Elliot. They signed a record contract in 2001. But within two years Burton, who was modeling clothing for P. Diddy's clothing line, Sean John, began a solo career. The shooting rattled shoppers and diners. At a Chipotle restaurant next to the valet area, 10 people were eating when the shots rang out. "The customers were yelling 'close the store, close the store, because somebody is shooting,' " said Elsa Hernandez, general manager of the restaurant. The center is normally quite peaceful, said Hernandez, who's worked at the restaurant for six years. "This is the first time this has happened here," she said. Newton Cacho, 31, who works across the street from the Beverly Center, was stunned by the violence. "I'm very surprised something like this happened here. You come to a nicer part of town and you don't expect this," Cacho said. Del-Vaughn Walker, 44, had just left his car with valets and was heading to P.F. Chang's for lunch when he walked by a woman and three men, one of whom was Burton. There was no sign of an argument. But moments later he heard two gunshots, then three more. He ducked and ran into the restaurant. "I never would have expected this," he said. "You would have expected some kind of verbal confrontation."

Screen Printing Shirt

Way back my high school life, my friends and I use to do screen printing shirt. It is awesome and a fun thing to do. Finding this website about shirt printing is a very nice topic to share. The website is LogoDogz. Just the name of the website alone is already interesting. They are the leader in the printing embroidery and promotional products in the market. They offer incredible pricing, free shipping, no screen charges, no art fees, no set up fees, low 6 pieces minimum and an incredibly quick one (1) weekly turn around time in your orders. That's amazing! Their service are great and hard to find with other company. Check out their website now!

4 design of 2009 Lincoln pennies

The United States Mint will mint and issue four different 2009 Lincoln pennies in recognition of the bicentennial birth of President Abraham Lincoln and the 100th anniversary of the Lincoln cent. While the obverse or heads side of the penny remains unchanged, the new reverse designs beautifully portray facets of Lincoln’s life, with the first cent officially launched into circulation on Feb. 12, at the Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historic Site, in Hodgenville, Kentucky.

2009 Lincoln Pennies

2009 Lincoln Cent Design One


2009 Lincoln Cent Design Four
2009 Lincoln Cent Design Two



When the first 2009 penny was issued on Lincoln’s birthday, Feb. 12, it marked the first redesign of the cent in 50 years. At the time the 2009 Lincoln cent designs were first revealed, United States Mint Director Ed Moy said:

“This is a momentous occasion in the history of our Nation’s coinage because these designs represent the first change in the Lincoln cent in half a century.

These coins are a tribute to one of our greatest Presidents whose legacy has had a lasting impact on our country. He believed all men were created equal, and his life was a model for accomplishing the American dream through honesty, integrity, loyalty, and a lifetime of education.”

Each penny will be released into general circulation at approximately three-months intervals throughout 2009. Although the US Mint has not officially declared exact release dates, the expected launch dates for the second, third and fourth penny are May 14, Aug. 13 and Nov. 12.

At the conclusion of the 2009 Lincoln Bicentennial Program — years 2010 and beyond — the one-cent coin will feature a reverse design that will be "emblematic of President Lincoln’s preservation of the United States of America as a single and united country."

2009 Lincoln Silver Dollars further honor America’s revered leader. The United States Mint has struck collector proof and uncirculated silver coins with a limited total mintage of 500,000.

2009 Lincoln Silver Dollars

Lincoln Silver Dollar Proof Coin
Lincoln Silver Dollar Uncirculated Coin

In the first week of sales alone, 116,558 of the proofs and 61,164 of the uncirculated coins were purchased by collectors. By the second week, nearly half of the authorized mintage was sold.

The Lincoln coins were authorized through the Presidential $1 Coin Act of 2005, which was signed into law (Public Law 109-145) on Dec. 22, 2005 by President George Bush.

Sunday, May 17, 2009

Termite removal

Obviously most of us hate termites and we don't want them around our house. I personally experience having termites around the house and I do my best to always do a termite removal work to get rid of them fast. Or you can do the other way around to call for help to a professional termite removal team to do the job for you.

J.T sole survivor

The ultimate survivor is JT. I just knew it and he deserve it. The game was just a fair and true player won the competition. Wow! a million bucks for J.T and not only that he even won the $100,000 from sprint. Wow! all in all he just won $1.1 million. That's a lot of money. To J.T congratulations and best of luck.

Saturday, May 16, 2009

511 Tactical a trademark

I have heard so much about 511 Tactical before and until now. A lot of buyers had recommended this brand for a long lasting use with a very good quality from all product line. Personally my dad is a loyal buyer of 511 tactical. He is a policeman and he once told me that their product is a great help to his profession and he really found a very comfortable lifestyle to this brand. He said it is very durable and will last even if it is used very often. Truly 511 tactical has mark a good reputation to it's buyers. For more great deals, visit their website now!

Survivor series comes to an end

I was watching the survivor series last night and geee!.. I really like the tribal councils result. Finally "Coach " is out..lol..Now four cast away were left. On Sunday it's the finale of the series and I am excited to know who is the real survivor on this series. What I am hoping to win is JT. He has done a great job on this tribal and his a very tough competitor. Hopefully he will win but all will depend on the juries vote.

Certifcate of Deposit Rates

Do you ever think of finding the best CD Rates in your area? If so, monitorbankrates.com can help you. They will help you find the best Certificate of Deposit (CD) rates for you. On their website you will see the list of different institution who has the rates that will fit best for you. Check it out now!

Friday, May 15, 2009

New Penny Honors Lincoln's Indiana Years

Nearly 3,000 people gathered at a southern Indiana park Thursday for the U.S. Mint's release of a new penny that pays homage to Abraham Lincoln's years as a Hoosier.The penny's release at Lincoln State Park created traffic jams and a quarter-mile-long line filled with coin collectors and Lincoln enthusiasts carrying umbrellas to ward off rain showers, 6News' Ben Morriston reported."I took off running and ran up here so I could be first and I got the pennies. Yep, they're awesome," one woman said.Some waited for hours to get rolls of the newly minted coins that depict on their reverse "tails" side a teenage Lincoln reading a book while taking a break from rail splitting.Lincoln lived from age 7 to 21 in Spencer County in an area about 30 miles northeast of Evansville that was then little more than a densely wooded frontier town.Some collectors said they were stocking up on the pennies to sell later."There's no telling (how much they're worth). Mine are going straight to eBay," one man said.Experts said each coin could fetch up to $40.The Indiana Lincoln penny is the second in a four-part penny series depicting different stages in Lincoln's life being released as part of events celebrating the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Survivor series comes to an end

I was watching the survivor series last night and geee!.. I really like the tribal councils result. Finally "Coach " is out..lol..Now four cast away were left. On Sunday it's the finale of the series and I am excited to know who is the real survivor on this series. What I am hoping to win is JT. He has done a great job on this tribal and his a very tough competitor. Hopefully he will win but all will depend on the juries vote.

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Heel Stick: Genetic Screening

The Heel Stick test is a genetic analysis performed on newborn babies to screen for potentially fatal genetic disorders.

Why do I need a Heel Stick test for my baby?

Although your living family may not have certain genetic disorders it is not out of the realm of possibility that a recessive gene may have become active in your child. The test can prevent permanent disability, mental retardation and in some cases death.

How are Heel Stick tests performed?

The Heel Stick test is done soon after you child is born, usually within the first 48 hours. Your baby’s heel is pricked and a few drops of blood are taken for analysis; the nurse collects nine or ten drops of blood and ships the sample to a lab to get tested. It is often wise to get your baby tested multiple times in order to produce the most accurate results.What disorders are tested for?

There are five categories of disorders that are screened:

Amino acid metabolism disorders
Babies with amino acid metabolism disorders, as the name suggests, have problems metabolizing certain amino acids. Babies born with amino acid metabolism disorders have missing or defective enzymes that metabolize proteins. The amino acids either are not broken down or the body cannot transport the amino acids into the cells. As a result, amino acids or nitrogen (a component of amino acids) build up in the body to toxic levels. Amino acid metabolism disorders include Phenylketonuria(PKU), Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD), Homocystinuria (HCY), Citrullinemia (CIT), Argininosuccinic academia (ASA), and Tyrosinemia type I (TYR I).

Organic Acid Metabolism Disorders

Babies with organic acid metabolism disorders cannot process certain branched amino acids. Babies born with this disorder do not produce the enzymes or have malfunctioning enzymes that do not break down these amino acids properly. As a result, organic acids build up to toxic level in the body. Some organic acid metabolism disorders that your baby might be screened for are Isovaleric academia (IVA), Glutaric acidemia type I (GA I), and Hydroxymethylglutaric aciduria or HMG-CoA lyase (HMG).

Fatty Acid Oxidation Disorders
Fatty acid oxidation refers to the way your body breaks down fat. Fat is broken down in several steps and requires a number of enzymes. If one of the enzymes in this process is not working properly the body cannot turn fat into energy for the body. The body’s main source of energy is glucose, but if there is no glucose available, your body turns to fat for energy. Babies with fatty acid oxidation disorders have malfunctioning enzymes so their bodies cannot turn fat into energy. Some examples of fatty acid oxidation disorders that your baby might be screened for are Long Chain 3-Hydroxyacyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (LCHAD), Medium Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (MCAD), Short Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (SCAD), Trifunctional Protein Deficiency (TFP Deficiency), or Very Long Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency (VLCAD).

Hemoglobinopathies and sickle cell disease
Hemoglobinopathies and sickle cell disease are disorders caused by abnormal hemoglogin, a protein in red blood cells that is responsible for transporting oxygen to the body. Babies with these hemoglobinopathies may have problems with red blood cell production resulting in anemia (shortage of red blood cells) or produce abnormally shaped red blood cells that cause problems in blood circulation and damage easily. These disorders include sickle cell anemia, Thalassemia, and Hb S/C disease.

Other disorders

Other disorders your baby might be screened for include Congenital hypothyroidism (a hormone deficiency that causes problems with growth and brain development), Biotinidase deficiency, Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (an endocrine disorder that affects hormone production from the adrenal gland), or Cystic Fibrosis (a life threatening disease that causes mucous secretions in the lungs to become thick causing severe respiratory problems).

If your baby tests positive during the Heel Stick screening you will need to bring your child in for additional testing. The tests are very sensitive so false positives are a common occurrence. You may need to consult a genetic specialist or pediatrician to entirely diagnose your child.

Friday, May 01, 2009

MU student helps rally for Invisible Children in Chicago

Hundreds of people from across the globe gathered in Chicago on Thursday to spread the word about children's rights in Uganda, Africa. The Rescue of Joseph Kony's Child Soldiers event hosted by Invisible Children was held Saturday in 100 cities across the world, including Huntington. However, Chicago is the last city to be officially rescued, and Invisible Children supporters rallied to the city to help. Brittney Withrow, sophomore international affairs major from Charleston and vice president of the Marshall Invisible Children subchapter, elected to miss all of her classes this week to travel to Chicago to help the city get rescued. "I am the only one from West Virginia here," Withrow said. "There are people here from all over the country. So many college students are here, and they have skipped classes, moved finals and have had papers pushed back. Some have even lost their jobs already. We aren't leaving until we are rescued." Cities must secure media, a government official and a celebrity in order to be rescued. Withrow said the group of about 450 supporters wants either Oprah Winfrey or President Barack Obama to rescue them. Withrow said the group posted a video on YouTube that called for Winfrey to address the cause and rescue the city. The supporters sang, "Oprah, come rescue us in the name of love" in the video. They also rallied outside of Winfrey's office building and broadcast a live newsfeed on www.invisiblechildren.com. The site received more than 1,000 hits per minute, Withrow said. Withrow said she hopes Winfrey or Obama will address the situation soon and said the crises in Uganda are often overlooked. Ian Sullivan, junior history major from Huntington and subchapter president, said Huntington was rescued Monday by U.S. Rep. Nick Rahall. Withrow said she chose to head to Chicago after Huntington was rescued. Withrow said a group of "rescue riders" from various U.S. cities helped rescue Huntington and said she wanted to do the same thing to help out another city. She said the group plans to stay for as long as possible to show its support and encourage others to acknowledge General Joseph Kony's injustices toward children. The group is mimicking what children in Uganda hope for every day - to be rescued. "Giving up on doing this would be giving up on the children," Withrow said.