Physical Therapy and World Health

Hey! I Can See That Leprechaun's Butt Crack!

2006-03-18T20:38:00.000-05:00

Happy St. Patricks Day!

(The day after.)

Thanks Dave for showing us the Irish undercarriage of Portland.

Noah, I hope you're not dead.

I would like to highlight a few of the funnier points of last nights festivities:

-Modeling the Eddie Bauer tapered leg, pleated, over waist high pants (high heels included).
-Waiting in line at Gritty McDuffs in negative 10 degree weather with a bunch of people in green, sparkly bowler hats and blinky green pins.
-Being introduced to the "Grateful Dead" and joining "Club Drunk". I came back tan!
-Coming face to face with the "3 Doors to Hell" and, I think, choosing the correct one.
-Kareoke.
-Tracy and her essence of bleach. (Dave suggested Crystal Meth?)
-Garlic Breath.
-Dumb losers dancing on the bar.
-Rounding out the evening with an hour in the parking garage. Lots of peeing, mixed nuts, and honking!

Good bye St. Patrick! We'll see you next year!

$1.99 Lunch Special: 2 Lesbians & a Soda

2006-03-13T19:36:00.000-05:00

Donald Stinebaugh.

Please close your eyes and gather a mental picture of what YOU would imagine someone with the name Donald Stinebaugh looking like.

Really sound out the name.....Don-ald Stiiiiiii-ine-baugh......Stine-baugh........

Perfect. Now you've got him.

There is something so iconic about the name "Donald Stinebaugh." If he was someone you had gone to elementary school with, you would probably always remember the name "Donald Stinebaugh." Just because it kind of epitomizes "that kid" that we all went to elementary school with. He probably ate paste. He probably smelled like meat and syrup. He probably brought a knife to 2nd grade. He probably had greasy hair. He probably had I.S.S. every thursday. He probably came from a pretty rough family.

Well, while home in Pennsylvania over spring break I was out to lunch at the local Pizzeria and was pleasantly surprised when the One-Donald-Stinebaugh's sister, Linda, approached our table to take our order.

Now, please take a moment to picture what you would imagine LINDA Stinebaugh looking like.

Nice! She was wearing a Slap bracelet!

As we had just been wondering about the legend of Donald Stinebaugh, we were excited to inquire as to his whereabouts. Was he living in Bali, swimming with dolphins? Was he combing mayonaise out of his flaxen locks in Germany? Did he live in Beartown, cultivating his My Little Pony collection?

Alas we were disappointed to find out from Linda that he was married, had a little girl, and was managing a Red Lobster. BOR-ING.

BUT. Linda continued on that Donald's brother, Mike, was still living in Waynesboro.
Oh, and "He's a little weird....." Linda said.

It seems Mike is the father of six children.

Six children.

All to different women.

Three of them lesbians!

Two of which were now a couple and raising the children he had spawned.

Hmmmmm.

It seems like we should spend a few moments conjuring up a mental picture of Mike.

And his family picture at Christmas.

Crackers and Salty Pete.

2006-02-24T14:25:00.000-05:00

Here are a few of the things I've been thinking about the last couple of days on my drive back and forth to school.

A lot of times my ideas start in the middle. Like, I think of something really great but I can't remember how I got there. This post is a little like that.

We'll see where this goes.

#1-
I was reminded of this story by my friend Jon from home.
A few years ago, in my hometown of Waynesboro, PA there were a barrage of Yeti sightings. And we're not talking a small Yeti, we're talking a HUGE yeti. There were footprints, hair, blood, dead chickens......it was the real deal. Bigfoot had come to PenMar (That's what we call the border of PA and MD where I come from) and the PenMarvians were scared.
Rumors flew like wildfire as men in flannel shirts, budweiser cans in one hand, metal detectors in the other, deemed themselves experts with college degrees. They vowed to find "Sas" (as they called him) before the "fucking yankee pin-sticker scientists" did. Which is funny, because I'm pretty sure Pennsylvania is in the "North".
Anyway, it got ugly. Fights broke out. Locals tasted the sweet nectar of fame in finding him. They formed search parties and hid in trees at night. The local paper, The Record Herald, kept a daily front page chronicle of Sas updates and sightings.
But, alas, Sas eluded them.

In the end it turned out to be a couple of fifteen year olds with size 16 Reeboks and some opossum hair.
People were real pissed.
In fact, when I gaffawed at the subject of Sas to my friend Jon, he told me that just because I was living up north with all the liberals it didn't mean I could just belittle Sas like he was nothing and I should just stay out of it.
Oh small towns.

#2- I would like to say for the record that vulnerabity and doubt are two of the most heinous feelings out there.
Go fuck yourselves vulnerability and doubt! Losers.

#3-
Growing up is weird.
My grandmother recently passed away.
Of cancer.
And it wasn't pretty. It was painful and horrible and slow.
She was 76, which isn't that old. I mean, it's older, but when you're 76 it seems like you still have some good time left.
The thing of it is, she didn't feel old. She didn't want to die. She said she still felt 40. She wanted to keep living. Like, some people say, "Oh they're old. They've lived a good life. It's time." Well, she didn't want to die. She was really sad about it.
So what? What the hell? I just don't know! She wasn't sad because she didn't accomplish all the things she wanted to accomplish. She was sad because she was going to miss it. She was going to miss us and my Grandfather and the beach and singing while she did the dishes.
That's what it is I guess. Seeing pictures of her from when she's 27. Or pictures of her wearing a cheerleading costume at the age of 50. Or pictures of her with my Dad when he was little. Because they're all snapshots of a life. Her life. And I see myself and my pictures and it makes me understand how fast life goes.
I know. That sounds so depressing! But it's not really.
I have just been thinking, driving back and forth to school, that I want, for her, to be happy and do nice things for other people.

#4-
I don't want to write about here.
Well, I do, but I don't know what to type.
But I will say this:
I like that 6'4" parrot.

Very much.

20 Points in 3 Minutes.

2006-02-15T17:32:00.000-05:00

This is awesome! I love stuff like this.

http://kutv.com/topstories/topstories_story_054093634.html

An Easy Way to a Fun Time. My Internal Debate.

2006-02-01T21:08:00.000-05:00

Like the receding Everglades, the disposable mentality of humans is slowly seeping out all over the world. Especiallly in the U.S., things don't have the value they once did. And I'm talking about things like relationships, food, love, possessions....etc. We are all under the umbrella that there is always the next best thing or if it's broken throw it away. We're lazy and it's harder to really WANT something. And then work for it and keep it.

My dangerous question is: "Is the disposable nature of our society reversible?" or more importantly "Is it enivitable?"

I don't know.

It's my internal debate.

The Fickle Fancy of the Wizard Beast.

2006-01-11T20:00:00.000-05:00

I went to see a Washington Wizards game this past Monday. They played the Utah Jazz and although the Wizards were consistently down 22 points most of the second half, they pulled it together at the end with a margin of 6 and made the game a little interesting. They did lose, but the crowd was at least into it.

Good ol' Antawn Jamison had 30 points. You go guy!

The hilarious highlight of the evening was that I purchased $10 nose bleed tickets because I can't really offered anything else. Do you know how high up the nose bleed section is? It's high! We were looking down through the scoreboard. The one that hangs over the court. And there weren't really any other fans around us. In fact, there wasn't anyone in our entire section. And the players looked like ants.

When I was in college, my roommates dad my Junior and Senior year, was the VP of Security at Madison Square Garden. So I became a little spoiled by the fact that as soon as we walked into the building there was a line-up of free drinks at the bar and security guards would escort us down to our courtside seats. As I was sitting next to Spike Lee and P. Diddy, I never really thought about the cost of those seats. Or how hard it is for the common man to get them.

So I was slightly put out by our "sky seats" at the Wizards game and was exploring all options to score a better vantage point in the MCI Center. But alas, this proved much harder then expected (security guards in DC do NOT appreciate dumb white girl pleading...just an FYI) so I decided to just enjoy it for it was and settle in to watch the big screen instead of trying to focus on the miniature court.

And then the God's of NBA Basketball sent an Angel.

This Angels name was Jessica Savitz and she worked for the Wizards. Why she chose us I will never know. But she did. She did, damnit.

She sat down beside us and asked if wanted better seats, courtesy of the Wizards.

Uh, no Jessica. Sitting up here is actually GREAT.

YES!

So she handed us new tickets
and just as quickly as she appeared, she was gone.

And just like THAT we were sitting courtside.

Karma, man. Karma.

The Dogs of Hazzard.

2006-01-01T14:01:00.000-05:00

Above is Emmie. She belongs to my Mom and Dad. They rescued her from Tennessee. Apparantly she was not a good hunter so up she came to Pennsylvania to have her own Easy-Chair and lay by the fireplace. Just like a good dog should.

This is Keels. This picture really shows off her sonic ears. She is C.U.T.E.!

These are my Sister's weird-ass dogs. Bitsy and Ruki. Really, all they do is sit around and snort. I mean, come on! That one laying down looks like a seal!

Life in Pennsylvania.

2005-12-31T14:49:00.000-05:00

These are our front neighbors. The horses. When I was taking their pictures they were bucking around and acting a little frisky.

Is that a horse or a dog? A horse!

Haaaaayyyyyyy!

Our neighbors to the left. They were sheared yesterday. There is a baby one, but you can't see it. The mom's face is painted blue so they knew who the baby belonged to when they were shearing her. She looks like Batman the Sheep. Or Captain Sheep.

Stream at our house. Those dots in the back are duckies.

Glorious sunset.

Nanotechnology. Written in Nano.

2005-12-27T15:52:00.000-05:00

Chad Mirkin, director of the International Institute of Nanotechnology at Northwestern University, and his colleagues are changing the future of diagnostic medicine with two nanoscale technologies. The first, called bio-bar-code assays, relies on nanoparticles designed to attach themselves to specific disease-causing proteins; these will vastly improve a doctor’s ability to detect diseases like cancer and Alzheimer’s in their early stages and to identify pathogens like anthrax. The second technology, called dip-pen nanolithography, works like an array of minuscule fountain pens that lay down lines 15 nanometers wide of practically any soluble material on a surface. The idea is to lay down a tiny strip of genetic material on a chip, to which only specific pieces of DNA can bind, and then stick a sensor on each side of it. If the target germ is present, its DNA will adhere to the strand on the chip and change its chemical properties, thereby triggering a warning signal.

Dip-pen nanolithography will allow researchers to prepare the highest-density gene chips the world has ever seen. A Holy Grail in this area is to create one chip capable of detecting any DNA sequence. To do this, one needs a spot of DNA for every possible combination of a 17-base-long sequence [enough to identify key elements of a germ genome]. That’s 417, or nearly 20 billion spots. With current microscale technology, this chip would be the size of a tennis court or at the very best a large-car parking space—too big to ever be practical. But with the resolution afforded by dip-pen nanolithography, one can prepare that kind of sensor chip in an area about the size of a penny.

Bio-bar-code assays have been used to detect biological markers for HIV, Alzheimer’s disease, mad cow disease, prostate cancer, and ovarian cancer. They will have major applications in blood screening, bioterrorism defense, infectious-disease screening, and cancer research. Conventional technology does not have the sensitivity to identify such markers in the blood, let alone to quantify their amounts. Once it is completely developed, such sensor technology should make it possible for a doctor or other individual to screen a patient for many infectious and genetic diseases in the course of an ordinary office visit.

Bush vs. Science: Round Five Jabs

2005-12-27T15:38:00.000-05:00

Another year, another round of accusations that the Bush administration is politicizing science. Despite administration denials, the voices from the scientific community this year were louder, the charges more hostile. The anger was spurred largely by news stories of questionable decisions—or deception.

Some examples:

The Environmental Protection Agency: Career scientists said they were pressured by political appointees to ignore or omit research that ran counter to President George W. Bush's plan to slow the reduction of mercury pollution at coal-burning power plants. The Government Accountability Office later confirmed the scientists' claims.

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: In a survey, the Union of Concerned Scientists found 128 of 291 scientists had been told to refrain from making findings that would require further protections of wildlife and vegetation.

The White House: In June The New York Times reported that an administration official, who had previously worked as an oil industry lobbyist opposing limits on greenhouse gases, edited federal climate-change reports to minimize connections between gas emissions and global warming. The official resigned.

Administration officials rejected most criticism. "President Bush believes policies should be made with the best and most complete information possible and expects his administration to conduct its business with integrity and in a way that fulfills that belief," said Dr. John Marburger, the president's science adviser. "I can attest from my personal experience and direct knowledge that this administration is implementing the president's policy of strongly supporting science and applying the highest scientific standards in decision making."

Oh, Bother.

2005-12-27T12:47:00.000-05:00

I just set out for a nice 5 mile run and half-way down the driveway stuck my foot in a pot-hole and sprained my ankle.

I would like to take this 30 minutes while I'm icing my R lateral malleolus to explain how much this pisses me off.

I may have a small problem with being a "little" competitive. Just a little! I mean, it's not really that bad...... although I have ruined EVERY game of Trivial Pursuit and kickball I've ever played with my family, but I've totally got it under control.

Or not.

As I heard the tendons and muscles tearing in my ankle just now, I screamed the "F" word so loud that it scared the sheep next door. But this outcry was not in pain, it was for the pure annoyance that my training schedule is now off.

Which is, for an athlete, totally normal.

But what is not so normal is my behavior when I lose. I'm a little better about it now that I'm older, but I can distinctly remember being like 8 years old, losing in backyard kickball and hiding in a closet for 2 hours to mourn my teams behavior (sorry mom but you're not a very fast base runner). This progressed into my high school days where you could find me on the bus after a loss staring out the window with my headphones on, ignoring the rest of my teammates who had already forgotten about their less then desirable performances and were singing along to Cher.

I think it has something to do with the fact that I don't like to feel vulnerable and I may have some control issues. But that is a fish of another color.

Moral of the Story: My ankle is swollen, this ice is cold, but I may have to try jump roping on one leg after dinner.

Skywalk of Death

2005-12-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

Grand Canyon Skywalk

Scheduled to open Jan. 1, 2006 on the Hualapai Indian Reservation
-Juts about 70 feet into the canyon, 4000 ft above Colorado River
-Built with more than a million pounds of steel beams, and includes dampeners that minimize the structure's vibration
-Designed to hold 72 million pounds, withstand an 8.0 magnitude earthquake 50 miles away, and withstand winds in excess of 100 mph
-The walkway has a glass bottom and sides...four inches thick.

Only four inches of glass seperating me 70 feet out, 4000 feet above the Colorado River.......

How do you say "F-ing crazy white people" in Hualapai?

The Ghosts of Christmas Past.

2005-12-24T18:20:00.000-05:00

Last night I went to the one bar in town where everyone goes when home for the holidays. As I was sitting there talking to a friend of mine, a very large, muscular, vaguely familiar looking...uh, man? came up beside me.

(A meat-head if you will.)

"Heeelllllloooooooooo there", he said.

"Hi." I said back.

"I don't think I know you. What's your name?"

"Jenn." I said.

"Well, Jenn" he said, "If I may say so, you are really hot" (10 points for style! Nice and creative. Right to the point.) "And I would like to buy you a drink."

Although, this method of directness and cockiness will usually win me over, (no it won't) it was at this time that I realized who he was and that I used to baby-sit him when he was 7.

I told him this and after a few stunned seconds with jaw dropped and mutterings of "Uh....I....oh....what?" I thought maybe we would all have a good laugh over it.

But then I felt a hand on my lower back and, "BARTENDER!".

Well played Meat-Head-Boy-I-Used-to-Baby-Sit.

Well played.

Oh PBS. You've Done it Again!

2005-12-21T12:25:00.000-05:00

Closer to the Truth: Science, Meaning, and the Future.

Great series, great website.

http://www.pbs.org/kcet/closertotruth/

I really like them all but "How does the Autistic Brain Work?" is right up my Clinical Psychology alley......

I also really like "How Weird is the Cosmos?"....

Okay, okay! But what is closest to my heart is: "What Makes Music So Significant?"

Music, music, music.

High Tech Hottie

2005-12-19T16:33:00.000-05:00

Let us pause for a moment and dedicate a few thoughts to the most popular jacket of 2005:

The Billabong Bomber Jacket.

It did wonders for my roommate Jess.

But sorry. You can't have it. It's sold out.

Jack Handey.

2005-12-13T21:22:00.000-05:00

HILARIOUS.

I bet when the Neanderthal kids would make a snowman, someone would always end up saying, "Don't forget the thick, heavy brows." Then they would all get embarrassed because they remembered they had the big hunky brows too, and they'd get mad and eat the snowman.

When Gary told me he had found Jesus, I thought, Yahoo! We're rich! But it turned out to be something different.

He was a cowboy, mister, and he loved the land. He loved it so much he made a woman out of dirt and married her. But when he kissed her, she disintegrated. Later, at the funeral, when the preacher said, "Dust to dust," some people laughed, and the cowboy shot them. At his hanging, he told the others, "I'll be waiting for you in heaven--with a gun."

I remember that one fateful day when Coach took me aside. I knew what was coming. "You don't have to tell me," I said. "I'm off the team, aren't I?" "Well," said Coach, "you never were really ON the team. You made that uniform you're wearing out of rags and towels, and your helmet is a toy space helmet. You show up at practice and then either steal the ball and make us chase you to get it back, or you try to tackle people at inappropriate times." It was all true what he was saying. And yet, I thought something is brewing inside the head of this Coach. He sees something in me, some kind of raw talent that he can mold. But that's when I felt the handcuffs go on.

Love can sweep you off your feet and carry you along in a way you've never known before. But the ride always ends, and you end up feeling lonely and bitter. Wait. It's not love I'm describing. I'm thinking of a monorail.
========================================
This is a funny, FUNNY video that Vin and I used to watch at the Vew Do office when we were bummed out......

http://www.funnyhub.com/videos/page.cgi/home-shopping-sword

2005-12-11T13:49:00.000-05:00

Dear Santa:
This is what I really want for Christmas.
Nigerian Dwarf Goats!
And while you're at it, I'll take some land for them to go on.
And while you're at that, I would like for that land to have a stream or river on it.
Thanks!
Love,
Jenn

My Dad.

2005-12-11T10:29:00.000-05:00

My dad is really great and he can do anything.

He's just really, really smart and well-rounded.
He used to braid my hair when I was little. He built our house. He can fix cars. He almost has his doctorate. He coaches football. He runs. He can play the guitar and banjo. He is kind. He cooks dinner. He has an incredible work ethic. He builds furniture. He's really good with computers. He is completely selfless and giving. He knows a lot about science and history. He likes to garden. He can wire a house. He can install a hot water heater. He does nice things for us just because he wants to. He can build treehouses and hang swings. He loves me a lot and has always stood by my side...even when I was a jerk in High School and didn't really deserve it.

I'm really thankful that I have a solid example of a good man in my life. It gives you hope that there are guys out there that can just be.....smart and strong and will protect and love you unconditionally forever. I'm thankful that I know what a really good man is and that if you don't measure up to my Dad, there is someone else out there that will.

The End of an Era?

2005-12-07T08:41:00.000-05:00

"When Clark Foam started, it was a far different California," says surfboard blank provider Gordon Clark, owner of Clark Foam in Calfornia, who was recently shut down due to a series of ongoing environmental and safety concerns. "Businesses like Clark Foam were very welcome and considered the leading edge of innovation and technology. Somewhere along the way, things have changed."

Yeah.

Like somewhere along the way you started using toxic chemicals that cause reproductive problems in your workers.

Toluene diisocyanate, or TDI, is primarily used as a chemical intermediate in the production of polyurenthane products. Toluene diisocyanate is extremely toxic from acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term) exposures. Acute exposure to high levels of toluene diisocyanate in humans, via inhalation, results in severe irritation of the skin and eyes and affects the respiratory, gastrointestinal, and central nervous systems (CNS). Chronic inhalation exposure to toluene diisocyanate in humans has resulted in significant decreases in lung function in workers, an asthma-like reaction characterized by wheezing, dyspnea, and bronchial constriction.

Animal studies have reported significantly increased incidences of tumors of the pancreas, liver, and mammary glands from exposure to toluene diisocyanate via inhalation. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) has classified toluene diisocyanate as a Group 2B, possible human carcinogen.

It's funny where money will take you. From tree to sea. From Foam to sea. From Foam to tumors of the pancreas and liver.

Maybe the next time you paddle out, give a thought to Juan out in California who dedicated the last 45 years to sucking in toluene diisocyanate at Clark Foam.

And catch one for him.

**********************************

Okay, that was dramatic. I'm not blaming the surf industry. There are SO many companies that are not up to par on enviromental and safety regulations.....it's just ironic that surfing is just you and the water....and surfers are so concious of leaving the ocean as they found it.....and little did they know.....the price some were paying for that.

Bottom line is people:

Think about what you're putting into your body and be concious of where things come from.

The Burrito Stands Alone, Part II

2005-12-04T11:22:00.000-05:00

The burrito is still sitting at the table where I left it, next to the computer, two days ago.

I was checking my email this morning and there he was, just shivering and blinking at me. So I felt obligated to ask him a question. Just because how could I check my email and just ignore the poor guy?

"Burrito", I said, "How are you feeling?"

"Oh, I'm okay." he replied. "Some waves of anxiety every once in a while. And I woke up early with the most excited feeling, like it was Christmas morning. But then a sense of dread overcame me."

"Burrito," I said, "I feel so guilty and wretchedly hideous for putting you in this position. It's me that has done this and I'm sorry. How can someone be so selfish?"

And the Burrito looked at me. He looked at me and we looked at each other for a long, long time. Because I knew that two-day-old Burritos fate. Either you end up in the garbage, or the dog gets to eat you.

When you are a two-day-old burrito, nothing can trump that fate. There's only one answer.

And I think he knew that too.

Finally, after an hour of looking into his hamburger eyes, the Burrito spoke.

"You know, Jenn" he said, "I am only a Burrito. And you are only a girl. Our existence in this world is very small compared to the grand scheme of things. Life is life and it is what you make of it. Stepping outside of your box into a world of unknown is what makes your life, your life. It's what makes it yours. Sometimes you have to just do what ya gotta do. Sometimes you gotta put it all out there into the universe and just wait and see what comes back."

With that, he sat up, walked to the edge of the table, slid down its leg, pushed open the back door, and walked out into the snow.

And there I sat. Shivering and blinking.

Just like I had left him, by my computer, two days ago.

The Burrito Stands Alone.

2005-12-02T18:58:00.000-05:00

I don't really know enough about physics.

Does anything move faster than light? I don't think so....maybe in theory?

And if something does move faster than light....something that has mass, I believe, that it can't go as fast because of the pull of gravity....right?

And I think we have people that have theorized spacecraft that could potentially go faster than the speed of life, but the problem is they are too heavy and can't keep up with the speed of light because of their size.

So, is it possible to send something that doesn't have mass, like music for instance.....into the future? Like, can you encode information onto light.....or somehow send information faster than light.....ahead, into the future?

I was just unloading the dishwasher and was thinking about that.

Join the climateprediction.net experiment!

2005-11-29T14:41:00.000-05:00

http://climateprediction.net/

Or donate your computer to other research:

http://boinc.berkeley.edu/

I personally like http://www.worldcommunitygrid.org/

DO IT.

Is Earth in a Vortex of Space-Time?

2005-11-28T11:48:00.000-05:00

We'll soon know the answer: A NASA/Stanford physics experiment called Gravity Probe B (GP-B) recently finished a year of gathering science data in Earth orbit. The results, which will take another year to analyze, should reveal the shape of space-time around Earth--and, possibly, the vortex.

Time and space, according to Einstein's theories of relativity, are woven together, forming a four-dimensional fabric called "space-time." The tremendous mass of Earth dimples this fabric, much like a heavy person sitting in the middle of a trampoline. Gravity, says Einstein, is simply the motion of objects following the curvaceous lines of the dimple.

If Earth were stationary, that would be the end of the story. But Earth is not stationary. Our planet spins, and the spin should twist the dimple, slightly, pulling it around into a 4-dimensional swirl. This is what GP-B went to space to check.

The idea behind the experiment is simple:
Put a spinning gyroscope into orbit around the Earth, with the spin axis pointed toward some distant star as a fixed reference point. Free from external forces, the gyroscope's axis should continue pointing at the star--forever. But if space is twisted, the direction of the gyroscope's axis should drift over time. By noting this change in direction relative to the star, the twists of space-time could be measured.

In practice, the experiment is tremendously difficult.

The four gyroscopes in GP-B are the most perfect spheres ever made by humans. These ping pong-sized balls of fused quartz and silicon are 1.5 inches across and never vary from a perfect sphere by more than 40 atomic layers. If the gyroscopes weren't so spherical, their spin axes would wobble even without the effects of relativity.

According to calculations, the twisted space-time around Earth should cause the axes of the gyros to drift merely 0.041 arcseconds over a year. An arcsecond is 1/3600th of a degree. To measure this angle reasonably well, GP-B needed a fantastic precision of 0.0005 arcseconds. It's like measuring the thickness of a sheet of paper held edge-on 100 miles away.

GP-B researchers invented whole new technologies to make this possible. They developed a "drag free" satellite that could brush against the outer layers of Earth's atmosphere without disturbing the gyros. They figured out how to keep Earth's penetrating magnetic field out of the spacecraft. And they concocted a device to measure the spin of a gyro--without touching the gyro.

Pulling off the experiment was an exceptional challenge. A lot of time and money was on the line, but the GP-B scientists appear to have done it.

"There were not any major surprises" in the experiment's performance, says physics professor Francis Everitt, the Principal Investigator for GP-B at Stanford University. Now that data-taking is complete, he says the mood among the GP-B scientists is "a lot of enthusiasm, and a realization also that a lot of grinding hard work is ahead of us."

A careful, thorough analysis of the data is underway. The scientists will do it in three stages, Everitt explains. First, they will look at the data from each day of the year-long experiment, checking for irregularities. Next they'll break the data into roughly month-long chunks, and finally they'll look at the whole year. By doing it this way, the scientists should be able to find any problems that a more simple analysis might miss.

Eventually scientists around the world will scrutinize the data. Says Everitt, "we want our sternest critics to be us."

The stakes are high. If they detect the vortex, precisely as expected, it simply means that Einstein was right, again. But what if they don't? There might be a flaw in Einstein's theory, a tiny discrepancy that heralds a revolution in physics.

- science.nasa.gov, November 16, 2005

Oh and P.S. hippie-haters:

A single second of video tape contains about 22 megabytes of data, the very rough equivalent of about thirty copies of a 200 page book.

Tiny, prickly, and cute: the Echidna.

2005-11-28T10:08:00.000-05:00

The Echidna and the Platypus share the distinction of being the only two surviving monotremes, a primitive link between the reptiles and the other more advanced mammals. Like the Platypus, the Echidna lays eggs.

Echidnas are widely distributed throughout Australia, and New Guinea. They look like a hedgehog or porcupine but are not related. Their backs and sides are covered with spines and coarse hair. They have small eyes and the ears have no outer part, being mere vertical slits. It has a long, black, tubular snout with a small mouth and long narrow, sticky tongue to gather up their food. The nostrils are at the tip of the snout. It has no teeth. The Echidna has short strong feet with sharp claws. It waddles when it walks!

Echidnas are solitary and restricted to a home range. They rest in hollow logs, under stones, clumps of vegetation or in short burrows. Unlike other Australian mammals, it can be seen during the daytime. Their pattern of activity appears to be influenced by the temperature, and they may be active by day or by night. In the hotter parts of the continent they tend to be nocturnal. They are rarely seen during winter.

The Echidna is not agressive and rolls itself into a ball when it feels threatened. It can dig itself into sand or earth with a great rapidity. If disturbed, the Echidna's instant reaction is to burrow straight downwards. Once half buried, with the massive claws of its incredibly strong limbs hooked under roots or rocks, it is almost impossible to lift up or turn over.

Echidnas in captivity have lived for up to fifty years!

I love you Echidnas.

The Long Ride Home.

2005-11-27T17:11:00.000-05:00

To Him.

I hope one day I can know all about you and understand where you’ve come from. How you’ve gotten to where you are. Now you are getting old and she is leaving. All these years gone by with someone lying in your bed, you choose now to be the man you’ve never been.
I hope that you can look into each others eyes, see a lifetime of memories and happiness, and smile. I hope that you can make a silent peace.

I imagine that it all goes so fast.

To You:

I wish you could be here.

No, not here, HERE.

Right here next to me.

I need the strength from those shoulders of yours.

And coming soon!

2005-11-18T23:00:00.000-05:00

Monotremes Oviparous.

He's small and cute....he has a snout....and just happens to represent the birth of mammals!

The reptilian mammal/mammalian reptile!

The Australian Echidna!

The root of it all.

2005-11-18T22:52:00.000-05:00

Who’s really going to read this thing anyway?
Already it’s boring so I’m going to say what I really think.
I mean, really.

I believe that George W. Bush put it best in Bentonville, Arkansas on November 6, 2000.

“They misunderestimate me.”

I’m going to save the world. No I’m not! But I would like to reevaluate the world. That is why I started this blog (which I kind of think blogs are queer but it is kind of fun to just type things about nothing sometimes). I want to help other people. And I feel like my way, will be to provide some sort of “care” to people that need it. So, yes, I would like it (this blog) to be a place that will eventually house my research for PT in rural areas/remote care, but first, I would like to say a few things and ask you a few questions about human beings. You know! Human Be-ings?

I’m not sure I understand human relationships. I mean, I thought I did, but maybe I don’t.

Relationships, human relationships are so crazy and mind boggling. It’s like when you look at the vastness of the night sky and try to fathom time and distance. It’s really hard to wrap your brain around it. And I’m not just talking about men and women/single vs. married. I’m talking about ALL relationships. Mothers and daughters, fathers and sons, fathers and daughters, husbands and wives, the man sitting next to you on the subway, your accountant, the woman across from you at the gas pump….these people you interact with. What and who makes you become you and when? Is it cyclical or can we throw a wrench in it? (are we always going to be like our parents? Eventually?)

And for that matter, what are relationships and why do they exist? Are humans supposed to get married? Why don’t gorillas get married? Or snakes for that matter? Because they don’t have ring fingers? Are we really supposed to be with someone for the Rest. Of. Our. Lives? One person? What causes emotional pain, and how can it be fixed- by medications or simply by listening? How should we raise our children and what should we teach them? Finding the answers to these questions is not just some Oprah episode. We see the need for this knowledge everyday and we see the bitter effects of its lack. People who do not respect the laws of momentum will break their bones and people who do not grasp the basic principles of “love” waste their lives and break their hearts. The evidence of that pain surrounds us in failed marriages, hurtful relationships, neglected children, unfulfilled ambitions and broken dreams. And yet, in numbers, ESPECIALLY in the United States, these injuries combine to damage our society.

And I guess THAT is the root of it all. We are failing to see the faces that line the windows of the double-wides in Kentucky and the thatched huts in Mozambique. We are failing to "love" each other. And I see this and I see a pretty simple solution. I want to help them. I want to listen to them. I want to say, “I see you are hurting, and I want to help you”. I don’t care if you are dirty or smelly or if all you need is someone to talk to.

We understand.
We will help.

Delivering the Goods

2005-11-16T16:57:00.000-05:00

At the dawn of the 21st century, we can prevent, treat or cure most of the deadliest diseases known to humankind — and yet millions die needlessly every year because the benefits of modern medicine and public health fail to reach them. What are the obstacles to providing care to populations in need? From the villages of the Gambia to the cities and towns of Thailand, from the sun-scorched refugee camps of Chad to the teeming streets of Bangladesh there are innovative health programs and charismatic leaders who, against all odds, are Delivering the Goods to millions of individuals — and inspiring a new vision for the future of global health.

PT's Abroad

2005-11-15T15:10:00.000-05:00

I would recommend you join the American Physical Therapy Association's Cross Cultural and International Special Interest Group (CCISIG) (a part of the Health Policy and Administration section) (http://www.apta.org/ and then click on join a section) - we have recently started a new listserv to share information like this. The CCISIG will also be offering presentations at Combined Sections Meeting in February as will Health Volunteers Overseas (http://www.hvousa.org/) - these are good places to network with folks interested in international work. Both groups will have booths set up as well. Faculty interested in service-learning are part of the CCISIG - so perhaps you could speak to faculty who might give you ideas that you could present to your faculty about international options as part of your schoolwork. Finally, you might be interested in joining a medical team of Healing Hands for Haiti Foundation (http://www.healinghandsforhaiti/) - although I am not sure if they have resumed trips yet after the political problems. In general, it is difficult to find programs interested in taking a student unless you can provide your own supervisor......

PT/PTAs providing remote access healthcare

2005-11-13T16:05:00.000-05:00

I would like to focus on remote access PT in rural areas of countries that cannot easily get medical care. Places like India, Africa, and Hondoras to name a few. I think it would be pretty helpful to maybe get an idea as a student of what these places are like but there aren't many resources for PT or PTA students to pool information and findings. I have been in touch with a few Physiotherapy professers at Cape Town University in South Africa as well as with Rachel Moore at the World Physical Therapy Association. But, nobody really seems to know the bestplace to start. So, I've started this blog to post research.