Ok. If you don't know who Kyle Maynard here's a brief introduction care of ABC news along with the video from 20/20 care of you tube:
Kyle Maynard of Suwanee, Georgia, U.S. was born on March 24, 1986 with a rare disorder called congenital amputation. He has no elbows and no knees, yet he competed in the 2004 Georgia High School Wrestling Championships. He graduated from Collins Hill High School with a wrestling record of 35 wins, 16 losses and a 3.7 GPA.
He is the recipient of a 2004 ESPN Espy Award for the Best Athlete With A Disability and has been featured on many radio interviews, talk shows, and television programs. He has modeled for Abercrombie & Fitch. Currently he works as a speaker for the Washington Speaker's Bureau, specializing in motivational speeches. He is also the author of the memoir, No Excuses: The True Story of a Congenital Amputee Who Became a Champion in Wrestling and in Life (Regnery Publishing, 2005).
Kyle Maynard is attending the University of Georgia, continues to wrestle, and expects to graduate in 2008 with a B.A. in Broadcast News. Also, Kyle has recently began training in Mixed Martial Arts, and there is an upcoming documentary on his story entitled A Fighting Chance.
Now there's no question that this dude is an inspiration. Especially considering his plight. I couldn't imagine losing an arm or leg. Living with out all four would probably be unbearable for me. But here this cat is. Holding it done correct. But let's be honest. Kyle's trying to do MMA. He just had his first fight. I ran across this video on Collegehumor:
Now let's all be honest. He has NO business in an MMA fight. Mad props to the guy he's fighting, whomever he is, because what restraint! I think the rules state you can't kick a downed opponent, but Kyle's opponent cold have gave him more than a few choice wallops to the dome if he wanted. So I just gotta ask why Kyle? I mean yes you are an amazing inspiration and a helluva a story but dude... you're going to get seriously hurt if you keep this up. Just focus on your career and leave the MMA to people who can actually punch and kick. I now it sounds harsh but not everyone's gonna be as nice as the opposition in the fight. I know it sounds bad but if I was fighting him I wouldn't have held back. If you wanna get in a ring and fight you have to be prepared to get your ass kicked. Whether you have are sin legs, arms, intelligence, what have you. Take that degree and use it before you're brain dead too man.
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Thursday, April 30, 2009
Another win for Gay Marriage!
It's looking like New Hampshire is the newest state to change the marriage laws allowing same sex couples the same right as heterosexuals. WOOO!!! Horray for tolerance and common sense! GET SOME!
So we got Iowa(still tripping over that one), Massachusetts(goin strong since 04),Connecticut, and Vermont. And odd assortment of states. Minor props to NY and DC for at least acknowledging those married outside of state.
4 outta 50.
It's not great....
but it's better than 0 right?
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So we got Iowa(still tripping over that one), Massachusetts(goin strong since 04),Connecticut, and Vermont. And odd assortment of states. Minor props to NY and DC for at least acknowledging those married outside of state.
4 outta 50.
It's not great....
but it's better than 0 right?
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Ending Marijuana Prohibition
I watched a documentary not to long ago on MSNBC on the marijuana industry over in California. I can't remember the exact figure but the money accumulated was in the BILLIONS. With our country in dealing with its current economic woes... its' time to legalize marijuana.
Here's some good news tho:
News from NORML
Over the past 24 hours, several state legislatures have taken steps to enact medical marijuana legislation or improve upon existing law. Here is a summary of this latest progress.
New Hampshire: The Senate voted 14 to 10 today in favor of HB 648, which would allow qualified patients to possess up to two ounces of cannabis and/or six plants for medical purposes. Because the Senate made minor amendments to the proposal, it must be re-approved by the House before going to Gov. John Lynch – who has expressed reservations about the measure. Starting tomorrow, our allies NH Compassion will begin airing television ads asking for the Governor to support HB 648.
Minnesota: Also today, members of the State Senate gave preliminary approval to Senate File 97, an act to exempt qualified medical cannabis patients from state arrest and prosecution. The Senate is expected to give final passage to the bill imminently. A companion bill, House File 292, is also expected to be before the House floor shortly.
Rhode Island: Members of the Rhode Island Senate voted 35 to 2 today in favor of SB 185, an act to allow for the distribution of medical cannabis by state-licensed compassion centers.
Pennsylvania: Finally, NORML is thrilled to announce that Rep. Mark Cohen (D-Philadelphia), along with six co-sponsors, introduced legislation today to make Pennsylvania the fourteenth state to legalize the physician-supervised use of cannabis. As introduced — House Bill 1393, The Barry Busch Compassionate Use Medical Marijuana Act of 2009 — would allow state-authorized patients to possess and cultivate cannabis for therapeutic purposes.
So folks are trying. If you want in follow NORML's site here:
http://norml.org/index.cfm
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Something Cigar(ette)Smokers Should Consider....
So if you smoke you know cigarette prices are through the roof due to the recent imposed tax on them... again. Listen, I know it's hard to stop smoking but here's something you should check out. I mean sure we're all gonna die someday but if you're gonna smoke something, why not just get some green and chief out. It's much safer for you and you're not doing anywhere near the amount of damage as smoking cigs. Not that I'm recommending pot or anything. Not trying to be a cigarette Nazi or anything, I'm just saying if you have to smoke, it might as well be worth it.
From the CDC
Fact Sheet
Tobacco-Related Mortality
(updated September 2006)
Overall Mortality
* Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.1 Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 438,000 deaths, or about 1 of every 5 deaths, each year.2,3 This estimate includes approximately 38,000 deaths from secondhand smoke exposure.2
* Cigarette smoking kills an estimated 259,500 men and 178,000 women in the United States each year.2
* More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.2,4
* On average, adults who smoke cigarettes die 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.5
* Based on current cigarette smoking patterns, an estimated 25 million Americans who are alive today will die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses, including 5 million people younger than 18.6
Mortality from Specific Diseases
* Lung cancer (124,000), heart disease (108,000), and the chronic lung diseases of emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airways obstruction (90,000) are responsible for the largest number of smoking-related deaths.2
* The risk of dying from lung cancer is more than 22 times higher among men who smoke cigarettes and about 12 times higher among women who smoke cigarettes compared with never smokers.7
* Since 1950, lung cancer deaths among women have increased by more than 600%.1 Since 1987, lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women.1
* Cigarette smoking results in a twofold to threefold increased risk of dying from coronary heart disease.7
* Cigarette smoking is associated with a tenfold increased risk of dying from chronic obstructive lung disease.6 About 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung diseases are attributable to cigarette smoking.1,7
* Pipe smoking and cigar smoking increase the risk of dying from cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx, and oral cavity.8 Smokeless tobacco use increases the risk for developing oral cancer.8,9
Now compare that to the mortality rate of smoking marijuana which is
0!!!!!!
Stephen Sidney, MD, Associate Director for Clinical Research at Kaiser Permanente, wrote in a Sep. 20, 2003 editorial published in the British Medical Journal:
"No acute lethal overdoses of cannabis are known, in contrast to several of its illegal (for example, cocaine) and legal (for example, alcohol, aspirin, acetaminophen) counterparts."
Joycelyn Elders, MD, former US Surgeon General, wrote in a Mar. 26, 2004 editorial published in the Providence Journal:
"Unlike many of the drugs we prescribe every day, marijuana has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose."
Denis Petro, MD, Founding Director of Patients Out of Time, stated in his 1997 paper "Pharmacology and Toxicity of Cannabis", published in Cannabis in Medical Practice - A Legal, Historical and Pharmacological Overview of the Therapeutic Use of Marijuana:
"The estimated lethal human dose of intravenous Marinol is 30 mg/kg (2100 mg/70 kg). Using this estimation of lethal dose, the equivalent inhaled THC would represent the smoking of 240 cannabis cigarettes with total systemic absorption of the average 8.8 mg of THC in each cigarette.
Since absorption is much less than 100 percent, the amount of smoked marijuana required to reach lethality is on the order of one to two thousand cigarettes.
The physical impossibility of a fatal overdose using smoked cannabis is obvious."
The U.S. Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published a July 2001 report from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), Mortality Data From Dawn:
"Marijuana is rarely the only drug involved in a drug abuse death. Thus, in most cases, the proportion of marijuana-involved cases labeled as ‘One drug’ (i.e., marijuana only) will be zero or nearly zero."
Time Magazine stated in a Nov. 4, 2002 article "Is Pot Good For You?" by John Cloud:
"No one has ever died of THC [marijuana] poisoning, mostly because a 160-lb. person would have to smoke roughly 900 joints in a sitting to reach a lethal dose."
So I say PUT DOWN YOUR CIGARETTES! Stop paying to kill yourself. Find yourself a dealer and have a good ol time. Just watch out for 5-0 yo!
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From the CDC
Fact Sheet
Tobacco-Related Mortality
(updated September 2006)
Overall Mortality
* Tobacco use is the leading preventable cause of death in the United States.1 Cigarette smoking causes an estimated 438,000 deaths, or about 1 of every 5 deaths, each year.2,3 This estimate includes approximately 38,000 deaths from secondhand smoke exposure.2
* Cigarette smoking kills an estimated 259,500 men and 178,000 women in the United States each year.2
* More deaths are caused each year by tobacco use than by all deaths from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), illegal drug use, alcohol use, motor vehicle injuries, suicides, and murders combined.2,4
* On average, adults who smoke cigarettes die 14 years earlier than nonsmokers.5
* Based on current cigarette smoking patterns, an estimated 25 million Americans who are alive today will die prematurely from smoking-related illnesses, including 5 million people younger than 18.6
Mortality from Specific Diseases
* Lung cancer (124,000), heart disease (108,000), and the chronic lung diseases of emphysema, bronchitis, and chronic airways obstruction (90,000) are responsible for the largest number of smoking-related deaths.2
* The risk of dying from lung cancer is more than 22 times higher among men who smoke cigarettes and about 12 times higher among women who smoke cigarettes compared with never smokers.7
* Since 1950, lung cancer deaths among women have increased by more than 600%.1 Since 1987, lung cancer has been the leading cause of cancer-related deaths in women.1
* Cigarette smoking results in a twofold to threefold increased risk of dying from coronary heart disease.7
* Cigarette smoking is associated with a tenfold increased risk of dying from chronic obstructive lung disease.6 About 90% of all deaths from chronic obstructive lung diseases are attributable to cigarette smoking.1,7
* Pipe smoking and cigar smoking increase the risk of dying from cancers of the lung, esophagus, larynx, and oral cavity.8 Smokeless tobacco use increases the risk for developing oral cancer.8,9
Now compare that to the mortality rate of smoking marijuana which is
0!!!!!!
Stephen Sidney, MD, Associate Director for Clinical Research at Kaiser Permanente, wrote in a Sep. 20, 2003 editorial published in the British Medical Journal:
"No acute lethal overdoses of cannabis are known, in contrast to several of its illegal (for example, cocaine) and legal (for example, alcohol, aspirin, acetaminophen) counterparts."
Joycelyn Elders, MD, former US Surgeon General, wrote in a Mar. 26, 2004 editorial published in the Providence Journal:
"Unlike many of the drugs we prescribe every day, marijuana has never been proven to cause a fatal overdose."
Denis Petro, MD, Founding Director of Patients Out of Time, stated in his 1997 paper "Pharmacology and Toxicity of Cannabis", published in Cannabis in Medical Practice - A Legal, Historical and Pharmacological Overview of the Therapeutic Use of Marijuana:
"The estimated lethal human dose of intravenous Marinol is 30 mg/kg (2100 mg/70 kg). Using this estimation of lethal dose, the equivalent inhaled THC would represent the smoking of 240 cannabis cigarettes with total systemic absorption of the average 8.8 mg of THC in each cigarette.
Since absorption is much less than 100 percent, the amount of smoked marijuana required to reach lethality is on the order of one to two thousand cigarettes.
The physical impossibility of a fatal overdose using smoked cannabis is obvious."
The U.S. Office of Applied Studies, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) published a July 2001 report from the Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN), Mortality Data From Dawn:
"Marijuana is rarely the only drug involved in a drug abuse death. Thus, in most cases, the proportion of marijuana-involved cases labeled as ‘One drug’ (i.e., marijuana only) will be zero or nearly zero."
Time Magazine stated in a Nov. 4, 2002 article "Is Pot Good For You?" by John Cloud:
"No one has ever died of THC [marijuana] poisoning, mostly because a 160-lb. person would have to smoke roughly 900 joints in a sitting to reach a lethal dose."
So I say PUT DOWN YOUR CIGARETTES! Stop paying to kill yourself. Find yourself a dealer and have a good ol time. Just watch out for 5-0 yo!
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Swine Flu.... blah blah blah
I'm sooooo tired of hearing about this probable "epidemic" disease. The numbers should speak volumes to everyone. Check this out:
U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
(As of April 29, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States
# of laboratory confirmed cases
Arizona
1
California
14
Indiana
1
Kansas
2
Massachusetts
2
Michigan
2
Nevada
1
New York City
51
Ohio
1
Texas
16
1
TOTAL COUNTS
91 cases
1 death
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Of course it is worse in Mexico where the have actually shut down the schools for a week. Hell, on eof Arsenal's players, the Mexican Eduardo was told he coldn't even come back to North London til they were sure he was clear!
There are reports 150 people have died in Mexico after contracting swine flu, but the World Health Organization has dismissed the toll - saying they've officially recorded only seven deaths and 79 cases of infection. But I've also read that the toll was 99, 78.... it varies based on the source.
WHO has confirmed 40 cases in North and South America, six in Canada, two in Spain, two in the UK and three in New Zealand.
But for the sake of argument let's say... and I know this isn't correct.. but let's just say that 200 people have died worldwide from this "pandemic".
That's 200 out of 6 BILLION. Which is approximately .000000003333% of the Earth's population.
SO WHO THE FUCK CARES!
Cigarettes kill 50% of it's users. Nobody's stark raving mad about that on the news. Then you have gun violence, cardiac arrest. All these REAL threats to health and all I hear about on the news is the blasted swine flu. I swear the news is always the same. I think the formula goes like this...
Missing white girl(age doesnt matter but kids seem to be all the rage these days) + Celebrity bullshit + certain souls unfortunate demise("if it bleeds it leads") + economic woes= People too scared and confused to really worry about actual threats and problems to their lives.
I swear some days I could just drive up to CNN center and pull a Beale good and proper like this...
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U.S. Human Cases of Swine Flu Infection
(As of April 29, 2009, 11:00 AM ET)
States
# of laboratory confirmed cases
Arizona
1
California
14
Indiana
1
Kansas
2
Massachusetts
2
Michigan
2
Nevada
1
New York City
51
Ohio
1
Texas
16
1
TOTAL COUNTS
91 cases
1 death
Source: U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Of course it is worse in Mexico where the have actually shut down the schools for a week. Hell, on eof Arsenal's players, the Mexican Eduardo was told he coldn't even come back to North London til they were sure he was clear!
There are reports 150 people have died in Mexico after contracting swine flu, but the World Health Organization has dismissed the toll - saying they've officially recorded only seven deaths and 79 cases of infection. But I've also read that the toll was 99, 78.... it varies based on the source.
WHO has confirmed 40 cases in North and South America, six in Canada, two in Spain, two in the UK and three in New Zealand.
But for the sake of argument let's say... and I know this isn't correct.. but let's just say that 200 people have died worldwide from this "pandemic".
That's 200 out of 6 BILLION. Which is approximately .000000003333% of the Earth's population.
SO WHO THE FUCK CARES!
Cigarettes kill 50% of it's users. Nobody's stark raving mad about that on the news. Then you have gun violence, cardiac arrest. All these REAL threats to health and all I hear about on the news is the blasted swine flu. I swear the news is always the same. I think the formula goes like this...
Missing white girl(age doesnt matter but kids seem to be all the rage these days) + Celebrity bullshit + certain souls unfortunate demise("if it bleeds it leads") + economic woes= People too scared and confused to really worry about actual threats and problems to their lives.
I swear some days I could just drive up to CNN center and pull a Beale good and proper like this...
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Mind Control Technoogy for... entertainment?
A friend of mine posted this a link to this story on his facebook. It's worth a look. I've always wondered what video games would do next and it seems this may be the new trend. It's cool but a bit ominous to me. What do you think?
nnovation is our new column that highlights the latest emerging technological ideas and where they may lead.
This week, engineer Adam Wilson made global headlines by updating Twitter using his brainwaves. "USING EEG TO SEND TWEET" he explained.
Wilson's achievement was actually pretty trivial. He used a system called BCI2000, found in hundreds of laboratories across the globe, that can do the job of a keyboard for any software program. But it was significant precisely because it was trivial: mind-reading tech is going to have a massive impact this year.
In the coming months, cheap headsets that let you control technology with the electrical signals generated by your firing neurons will go on sale to the general public. Our relationship with technology – and our brains – will never be the same again.
Escaping the lab
Researchers have developed systems that read brainwaves – in the form of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals – in order to help people suffering from disabilities or paralysis control wheelchairs, play games Movie Camera, or type on a computer. Now, two companies are preparing to market similar devices to mainstream consumers.
Australian outfit Emotiv will release a headset whose 16 sensors make it possible to direct 12 different movements in a computer game. Emotiv says the helmet can also detect emotions.
Compatible with any PC running Windows, it will ship later this year for $299 (see image). They have shown off a game where the player moves stones to rebuild Stonehenge using mind power alone (see video).
Californian company NeuroSky has also built a device that can detect emotions: the firm says it can tell whether you are focused, relaxed, afraid or anxious, for example.
Rather than selling it directly to the public, NeuroSky is licensing its set-up to other companies, including Mattel, Nokia and Sega. Mattel, for example, will soon sell a game which involves players levitating a ball using thought alone (see video).
Mind hacks
These devices are remarkably cheap, especially when compared to the price tags on research-grade EEGs, which can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Emotiv's headset will retail for $299, while Mattel's game will cost just $80. At such low prices, these dirt-cheap brain interfaces will likely be popular – and not just with people who want to play with them.
Consider what happened when the most revolutionary interface of recent years appeared – the wireless controller of Nintendo's Wii games console. Legions of hackers started experimenting; and millions of people have now seen how the interface can be repurposed to make an industrial robot play tennis (with video), track a person's head movements and make a normal TV display 3D images (video).
You can expect some similarly mind-blowing hacks to result once Emotiv and NeuroSky release their devices. That'll certainly help make for some compelling viewing on YouTube and accelerate the development of brain controllers.
But the most interesting consequence of the coming flood of brainware isn't technological at all. Parents, and anyone else whose schooldays are fading into memory, will be acutely aware that today's youngsters have a facility with interactive technology that can be acutely disorienting.
There's already speculation about how the internet, gaming and other interactive technology is changing the brains of the next generation – albeit not necessarily well-founded. But for the generation after that, it will be normal to control machines using thought alone. Given the awesome adaptability and plasticity of the human brain, how will our biological hardware and software will adapt?
Check out this video. Crazy son...
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nnovation is our new column that highlights the latest emerging technological ideas and where they may lead.
This week, engineer Adam Wilson made global headlines by updating Twitter using his brainwaves. "USING EEG TO SEND TWEET" he explained.
Wilson's achievement was actually pretty trivial. He used a system called BCI2000, found in hundreds of laboratories across the globe, that can do the job of a keyboard for any software program. But it was significant precisely because it was trivial: mind-reading tech is going to have a massive impact this year.
In the coming months, cheap headsets that let you control technology with the electrical signals generated by your firing neurons will go on sale to the general public. Our relationship with technology – and our brains – will never be the same again.
Escaping the lab
Researchers have developed systems that read brainwaves – in the form of electroencephalogram (EEG) signals – in order to help people suffering from disabilities or paralysis control wheelchairs, play games Movie Camera, or type on a computer. Now, two companies are preparing to market similar devices to mainstream consumers.
Australian outfit Emotiv will release a headset whose 16 sensors make it possible to direct 12 different movements in a computer game. Emotiv says the helmet can also detect emotions.
Compatible with any PC running Windows, it will ship later this year for $299 (see image). They have shown off a game where the player moves stones to rebuild Stonehenge using mind power alone (see video).
Californian company NeuroSky has also built a device that can detect emotions: the firm says it can tell whether you are focused, relaxed, afraid or anxious, for example.
Rather than selling it directly to the public, NeuroSky is licensing its set-up to other companies, including Mattel, Nokia and Sega. Mattel, for example, will soon sell a game which involves players levitating a ball using thought alone (see video).
Mind hacks
These devices are remarkably cheap, especially when compared to the price tags on research-grade EEGs, which can run to hundreds of thousands of dollars. Emotiv's headset will retail for $299, while Mattel's game will cost just $80. At such low prices, these dirt-cheap brain interfaces will likely be popular – and not just with people who want to play with them.
Consider what happened when the most revolutionary interface of recent years appeared – the wireless controller of Nintendo's Wii games console. Legions of hackers started experimenting; and millions of people have now seen how the interface can be repurposed to make an industrial robot play tennis (with video), track a person's head movements and make a normal TV display 3D images (video).
You can expect some similarly mind-blowing hacks to result once Emotiv and NeuroSky release their devices. That'll certainly help make for some compelling viewing on YouTube and accelerate the development of brain controllers.
But the most interesting consequence of the coming flood of brainware isn't technological at all. Parents, and anyone else whose schooldays are fading into memory, will be acutely aware that today's youngsters have a facility with interactive technology that can be acutely disorienting.
There's already speculation about how the internet, gaming and other interactive technology is changing the brains of the next generation – albeit not necessarily well-founded. But for the generation after that, it will be normal to control machines using thought alone. Given the awesome adaptability and plasticity of the human brain, how will our biological hardware and software will adapt?
Check out this video. Crazy son...
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Wednesday, April 22, 2009
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