Xenia, OH, US
When Karen Shirk was diagnosed with a rare neuromuscular disease which confines her to a wheelchair and requires that she use a respirator, she decided to get a service dog to regain some of her independence. She was dismayed to discover that, over and over again, she was denied the opportunity to do so because she was "too disabled." Eventually, Shirk decided to start from scratch. With the help of a professional trainer, she adopted and trained Ben, a black German Shepherd puppy, to become her service dog. With Ben in her life, she found some hope. According to Karen, "He gave me a reason to get up in the morning. . . I went from existing to living."
Wanting to spread the joy to other individuals deemed too disabled for service dogs, Shirk decided to start 4 Paws for Ability, a service dog program with no limitations. Knowing that many other service dog providers have age limits on who can apply, Shirk reached out particularly to disabled children. She specializes in providing dogs to children with autism. "I knew [autistic children] connected to animals," she says. "I knew that service dogs would be able to help." Over the years, about 70% of Shirk's specially trained dogs are united with autistic children.
Each adoptive family is responsible for raising about 12,000$, and the time it takes to train a dog ranges from nine to 18 months. It seems to be worth it all in the end, however, to bring home a service dog who's been trained for your specific needs. Seeing the children meeting their dogs for the first time is the best part of the program for Shirk, who says "I love to see their faces and know that I was a part of that. It makes me feel good."
To read more, visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/07/16/heroes.shirk/index.html
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Jay Leno Leads By Example
Jay Leno is setting an admirable example for the environmentally aware in his home garage, which he uses to service his enormous collection of cars. Being a millionaire car buff could mean a lot of pollution and energy use, but, as Leno says, "No one cares how much energy you use as long as you make it yourself."
A 54-kilowatt solar panel on the garage's roof, supplemented by a wind turbine, generates almost all of the huge garage's energy. Says the comedian, "I'm almost totally off the grid."
Inside the garage, a water-free foaming hand cleaner, reusable aerosol canisters, and a machine that uses a high pressure sand-and-water jet in place of a metal blade contribute to Leno's environmental efforts. "It creates no pollutants in the manufacturing process, so you can safely drain the runoff," he says. The shining stars of the garage are two deep-cleaning systems for parts such as carburetors. Where heavy-duty solvents once did the job, Leno's ultrasonic cleaner now steps up to the plate. Or sometimes, a vat filled with bacteria that eat oil and grease to reproduce. "These organisms are having sex while my parts are being cleaned," he says. "How fabulous is that?" Pretty fabulous, Jay.
To read more, visit http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-07-16-leno-cover_N.htm
Thanks again for the Gander for this story!
A 54-kilowatt solar panel on the garage's roof, supplemented by a wind turbine, generates almost all of the huge garage's energy. Says the comedian, "I'm almost totally off the grid."
Inside the garage, a water-free foaming hand cleaner, reusable aerosol canisters, and a machine that uses a high pressure sand-and-water jet in place of a metal blade contribute to Leno's environmental efforts. "It creates no pollutants in the manufacturing process, so you can safely drain the runoff," he says. The shining stars of the garage are two deep-cleaning systems for parts such as carburetors. Where heavy-duty solvents once did the job, Leno's ultrasonic cleaner now steps up to the plate. Or sometimes, a vat filled with bacteria that eat oil and grease to reproduce. "These organisms are having sex while my parts are being cleaned," he says. "How fabulous is that?" Pretty fabulous, Jay.
To read more, visit http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2008-07-16-leno-cover_N.htm
Thanks again for the Gander for this story!
New Procedure for Kidney Removal Boosts Recovery Time, Leaves No Scar
Cleveland, OH, US
Brad Kaster, a self-employed optometrist, will be ready to return to work in a little over a week. That's pretty surprising, since the average back-to-work timeline for a kidney donor is 51 days, and Brad donated his kidney to his father last week. His secret? A brand-new kidney removal procedure, which makes the entire operation possible with just one tiny incision.
In the new procedure, doctors remove the donor's kidney through his or her belly button. According to Kaster, the incision point ". . . is so tiny I'm not getting any pain from it. . . I can't even see it." Still, this tiny space is all the surgeons need to remove the donor's kidney. For the 80,000 Americans awaiting kidney transplants, this is very good news.
So far, only 10 donors have undergone the new procedure, but all of them have recovered well, with just a fraction of the pain previously associated with the surgery.
"Will this decrease the disincentive to (kidney) donation? I think the answer is yes," says Dr. Inderbir S. Gill of the Cleveland Clinic. Let's hope so.
To read more, visit
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-17-kidney-bellybutton_N.htm
Special thanks to the Gander for bringing this story to our attention!
Brad Kaster, a self-employed optometrist, will be ready to return to work in a little over a week. That's pretty surprising, since the average back-to-work timeline for a kidney donor is 51 days, and Brad donated his kidney to his father last week. His secret? A brand-new kidney removal procedure, which makes the entire operation possible with just one tiny incision.
In the new procedure, doctors remove the donor's kidney through his or her belly button. According to Kaster, the incision point ". . . is so tiny I'm not getting any pain from it. . . I can't even see it." Still, this tiny space is all the surgeons need to remove the donor's kidney. For the 80,000 Americans awaiting kidney transplants, this is very good news.
So far, only 10 donors have undergone the new procedure, but all of them have recovered well, with just a fraction of the pain previously associated with the surgery.
"Will this decrease the disincentive to (kidney) donation? I think the answer is yes," says Dr. Inderbir S. Gill of the Cleveland Clinic. Let's hope so.
To read more, visit
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-07-17-kidney-bellybutton_N.htm
Special thanks to the Gander for bringing this story to our attention!
Argentine Scientists Devlop Tasty, Healthy Burger
La Plata, Argentina
We Americans have our own love affair with beef, to the tune of 97 lbs consumed by the average individual in 2006. Imagine then the Argentines, who each ate an average of 140 lbs! The tasty diet staple comes with a price, however. Beef's high fat content is a contributing factor to Argentina's high heart disease levels, in addition to other health problems. What's more, healthy alternatives such as soy and fish products - abundant in Argentina - are seldom on the Argentine menu.
In light of all this, scientists at the Center for Research and Development in Food Cryotechnology have spent the past two years in hot pursuit of a new ground beef burger with all the taste and none of the dangers associated with traditional patties. After hundreds of failed attempts, they've finally devised a formula so convincing that it left 40 taste testers hungry for more.
The basic process for developing the new burger was to remove the beef fat from the meat, and replace it with healthier agents such as sunflower oil and fats from seafood. It may not sound appetizing, but according to Alicia Califano, a chemist who helped develop the recipe, "The taste is very similar to a regular hamburger because the oils and fats we've added -- even the seafood oils -- are neutral in taste and smell." She went on to caution, "But if you tried to make a hamburger this lean at home, it would be really hard and dry."
The miracle burgers aren't yet available in stores, as the project's leaders must still negotiate a contract with a mass distributor.
To learn more, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/14/AR2008071401992.html?hpid=topnews
Thanks to Papa Goose for this story!
We Americans have our own love affair with beef, to the tune of 97 lbs consumed by the average individual in 2006. Imagine then the Argentines, who each ate an average of 140 lbs! The tasty diet staple comes with a price, however. Beef's high fat content is a contributing factor to Argentina's high heart disease levels, in addition to other health problems. What's more, healthy alternatives such as soy and fish products - abundant in Argentina - are seldom on the Argentine menu.
In light of all this, scientists at the Center for Research and Development in Food Cryotechnology have spent the past two years in hot pursuit of a new ground beef burger with all the taste and none of the dangers associated with traditional patties. After hundreds of failed attempts, they've finally devised a formula so convincing that it left 40 taste testers hungry for more.
The basic process for developing the new burger was to remove the beef fat from the meat, and replace it with healthier agents such as sunflower oil and fats from seafood. It may not sound appetizing, but according to Alicia Califano, a chemist who helped develop the recipe, "The taste is very similar to a regular hamburger because the oils and fats we've added -- even the seafood oils -- are neutral in taste and smell." She went on to caution, "But if you tried to make a hamburger this lean at home, it would be really hard and dry."
The miracle burgers aren't yet available in stores, as the project's leaders must still negotiate a contract with a mass distributor.
To learn more, visit http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/14/AR2008071401992.html?hpid=topnews
Thanks to Papa Goose for this story!
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Kansas Humane Society Celebrates Special Independence Day
KS, US
The Kansas Humane Society is celebrating July 4th a little late this year, declaring the weekends of the 7th and the 14th to be "Animal Independence Days" and hosting huge adoption events. Being "kitten season," summertime is a traditionally overcrowded time in animal shelters while new pets arrive by the dozens every day, and only a few are adopted.
In an effort to tempt potential pet owners, the Kansas Humane Society has reduced the adoption fees (generally between 45$ and 130$, depending on the pet) to a mere 17.76$. Get it, Independence Day?
The GNG was far from immune to the effects of the event, and this reporter spend a solid 3 hours last Saturday in pursuit of a new furry friend. The good news? Over 40 pets were adopted JUST WHILE I WAS THERE! The cages were emptying out fast as employees and volunteers struggled to meet the demands of hundreds of pet owner hopefuls. It was a great day for the animals, the Humane Society Staff, and the pet owners alike.
Don't tell anyone, but I got the best cat in the joint. Meet Mort, the newest member of the Goose family:
The Kansas Humane Society is celebrating July 4th a little late this year, declaring the weekends of the 7th and the 14th to be "Animal Independence Days" and hosting huge adoption events. Being "kitten season," summertime is a traditionally overcrowded time in animal shelters while new pets arrive by the dozens every day, and only a few are adopted.
In an effort to tempt potential pet owners, the Kansas Humane Society has reduced the adoption fees (generally between 45$ and 130$, depending on the pet) to a mere 17.76$. Get it, Independence Day?
The GNG was far from immune to the effects of the event, and this reporter spend a solid 3 hours last Saturday in pursuit of a new furry friend. The good news? Over 40 pets were adopted JUST WHILE I WAS THERE! The cages were emptying out fast as employees and volunteers struggled to meet the demands of hundreds of pet owner hopefuls. It was a great day for the animals, the Humane Society Staff, and the pet owners alike.
Don't tell anyone, but I got the best cat in the joint. Meet Mort, the newest member of the Goose family:
Readin', Writin', 'Rithmatic... All on the Rise in Baltimore!
Baltimore schools' test scores increased by 'historic' amounts in both reading (11 points) and math (8 points) according to the results of the Maryland School Assessments tests given this year. Fifth, sixth, and seventh graders improved by the largest scores, reversing the usual trend of students lagging behind as they approach middle school.
"There is no way to overemphasize how extraordinary that is," reports city schools chief Andres Alonso (who has been on the job since the beginning of the year), "This just is so incredible."The system is at an all-time high at every grade level in both subjects."
Even more inspiring is the fact that special education students, low-income students and students learning English as a second language had even larger gains than the average.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-te.ci.baltimore15jul15,0,2118177.story
"There is no way to overemphasize how extraordinary that is," reports city schools chief Andres Alonso (who has been on the job since the beginning of the year), "This just is so incredible."The system is at an all-time high at every grade level in both subjects."
Even more inspiring is the fact that special education students, low-income students and students learning English as a second language had even larger gains than the average.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/education/bal-te.ci.baltimore15jul15,0,2118177.story
Sunday, July 13, 2008
Alaska Fishing Boat Rescues 10 from Volcano
Anchorage, AK, US
After an unpredicted volcano eruption in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, the fishing vessel Tara Gaila was able to rescue 10 people, including three children. No injuries were reported as a result of the eruption.
The 10 people, residents of the Fort Glenn ranch (approximately 6 miles from the volcano) were able to make a cell phone call for help before losing their connection. The coast guard contacted the crew of the Tara Gaila, which immediately sprang into action.
The volcano erupted shortly before noon on Saturday, for the first time since 1997.
For details about the eruption and the rescue, visit http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8861354257340046764
After an unpredicted volcano eruption in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska, the fishing vessel Tara Gaila was able to rescue 10 people, including three children. No injuries were reported as a result of the eruption.
The 10 people, residents of the Fort Glenn ranch (approximately 6 miles from the volcano) were able to make a cell phone call for help before losing their connection. The coast guard contacted the crew of the Tara Gaila, which immediately sprang into action.
The volcano erupted shortly before noon on Saturday, for the first time since 1997.
For details about the eruption and the rescue, visit http://www.blogger.com/post-create.g?blogID=8861354257340046764
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