It's CHRIStmas day!!
Merry Christmas everyone!
God bless you alL!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Super Junior, Breaks up???
On the heels of the scandalous antics of Kangin, another Super Junior member is making headlines the press uncovered late that Hankyung wants out of his contract with management company SM Entertainment.
According to Chinese press, “Super Junior member Hankyung has filed for provisional disposition for his exclusive contract with SM Entertainment at the Seoul Central District Court.”
The media added that, “details surrounding the invalidation of the exclusive contract cannot be revealed, but the cause for legal proceedings may be due to the unreasonable contract terms with SM Entertainment.”
Hankyung follows in the footsteps of Dong-bang-shin-ki’s Hero JaeJoong, Xiah JunSu and Micky YooChun, who have brought their management company to court for their lifetime contract.
Yuri of Girls Generation, Turn Sexy!
Taking a page out of Kara’s look, Yuri shows off her tight bodyline at the Girls Generation (SNSD) “1st Asia Tour Concert-Into the new world” on December 20th.
To whip her body in shape, Yuri underwent tough training that involved a personal trainer and consuming a strict 1200 calorie diet via 4 to 5 portions a day. The recent news that the girls were put on an 800 calorie diet is an exaggeration.
This is Girls Generation first concert since their debut in August 2007.
What a Surprise!
...This day is one of my most surprising days!
...Wanna know why?!?
...'cuz my brother and his girlfriend came home from
...Gosh! I was so surprised to see them!
...So surprised because I really thought that they are not going home this Christmas...
...Last night, I cried thinking that my brother will not be here with us to celebrate this Christmas.
...Just this day, we went to
.. I was confused when we went to Sasa (in
…We waited a few minutes for that "someone" to arrive in the said meeting place...
...I was shocked when that "someone" pala are my brother and his girlfriend...
...Just then I found out that all of them, those people who were with us when we went to
...I didn't know that my brother and his gf are coming home because when I called my brother and asked him if they're coming home, he said they are not going to make it because of financial problems...
..I also asked my mother if they're coming home and she gave me the same answer...
...It was just this morning when I saw my brother and his girlfriend I found out that they were all fooling me!
...Naks..I hate it...
...They we're all planning to surprise me about my brother and his gf's coming home…
And it was really surprising...
But I am happy to know that my brother will be here with us to celebrate this Christmas.
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Christmas is here!
What does Christmas symbolize to you?
For me, Christmas symbolizes Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the king of kings and the god of the gods.
Because Christmas season is the season where people are happy and they are merry making.
I like listening to the songs little children sing when they are carolling during the Christmas season.
I especially like the Christmas season because students always have Christmas vacations.XD
One week before the celebration of Christmas, I am always awakened by the beautiful Christmas songs my mother always plays every morning.
Five days to go, I'll be very happy celebrating the Christmas day!
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
What's the HOT and the not???
What do you think is the hot and the not??
hmm..
What's Hot is the newest sim card i'm using right now..It's the Sun Cellular sim card!
Sun cellular sim has the newest, very afforable and efficient promos...Marvelous!
A friend of mine suggested me to try Sun Cellular sim card and i really liked it as it has many features which a cellphone user like me will really like..
This sim card network will allow you to reach your loved ones even those who are in the farthest places with their efficient and affordable promos.
One of this promos is the 24/7 Unlimited Call and Text promo which amounts only twenty five pesos.Very affordable,isn't it?
With this 24/7 Unlimited Call and Text promo, you can call anyone you want with non-stop conversation,unless you get tired of talking?hehe
And now..What's NOT hot is the former sim card I use which has promos that almost teenagers like me cannot afford..hmm..it's not good,is it?
Even some of my friends say that the current sim card they use (not Sun Cellular sim) is not good which makes them change to the HOT one;the Sun Cellular sim card.
Now, I and my classmates can call each other whenever we want and not bother to always make text messages again which will just make our fingers tire.
So, what are you going to do now?!?
I think it's best for you to go to the nearest store and buy the Sun Cellular sim card now and dump your old, boring sim card.
Updated
Blog updated!
Yes!I finally updated my blog..I've been busy lately doing school works..sooo busy..
naks..
I had eaten my supper late just to finish updating my blog.
Guys, please view my blogs regularly..I'll greatly appreciate your views..
And also please pray for me to perfect our up and coming map test..yahh..
God bless you all
and advance Merry Christmas!
Monday, December 7, 2009
Balance of Nature
Balance of Nature
The natural environment is the environment which encompasses all living and non-living things occurring naturally on Earth.
Our nature now is not in balance because of the extinction of living organisms that live on Earth.
A species becomes extinct when the last existing member of that species dies. Extinction therefore becomes a certainty when there are no surviving individuals that are able to reproduce and create a new generation. A species may become functionally extinct when only a handful of individuals survive, which are unable to reproduce due to poor health, age, sparse distribution over a large range, a lack of individuals of both sexes (in sexually reproducing species), or other reasons.
Extinction of a species (or replacement by a daughter species) plays a key role in the punctuated equilibrium hypothesis of Stephen Jay Gould and Niles Eldredge (Niles Eldredge is an American paleontologist, who, along with Stephen Jay Gould, proposed the theory of punctuated equilibrium in 1972).
There are a variety of causes that can contribute directly or indirectly to the extinction of a species or group of species. The causes for each are varied—some subtle and complex, others obvious and simple". Most simply, any species that is unable to survive or reproduce in its environment, and unable to move to a new environment where it can do so, dies out and becomes extinct. Extinction of a species may come suddenly when an otherwise healthy species is wiped out completely, as when toxic pollution renders its entire habitat unlivable; or may occur gradually over thousands or millions of years, such as when a species gradually loses out in competition for food to better adapted competitors.
Humans can cause extinction of a species through overharvesting, pollution, habitat destruction, introduction of new predators and food competitors, overhunting, and other influences. Extinction is also caused by human activities such as that humans have aggressively worked toward the extinction of many species of viruses and bacteria in the cause of disease eradication. For example, the smallpox virus is now essentially extinct in the wild —although samples are retained in laboratory settings, and the polio virus is now confined to small parts of the world as a result of human efforts to prevent the disease it causes.
Recent technological advances have encouraged the hypothesis that by using DNA from the remains of an extinct species, through the process of cloning, the species may be "brought back to life". Proposed targets for cloning include the mammoth, thylacine, and the Pyrenean Ibex. In order for such a program to succeed, a sufficient number of individuals would have to be cloned, from the DNA of different individuals (in the case of sexually reproducing organisms) to create a viable population. Though bioethical and philosophical objections have been raised, the cloning of extinct creatures seems a viable outcome of the continuing advancements in our science and technology.
Currently, environmental groups and some governments are concerned with the extinction of species caused by humanity, and are attempting to combat further extinctions through a variety of conservation programs. Only not the environmental groups and some governments should not be concerned with extinction but all of us, every single human being living on Earth, should be concerned with this matter. We can help prevent the extinction of organisms through many ways and also through your own little ways... Some of this ways are planting tress to provide shelter for some animals, prevent contributing in pollution, and also through helping in campaigns that stress the not to conversion of forest areas into residential, commercial or industrial areas. Through this ways, you can help save the mother earth.
Pain in people's Hearts
To the Filipinos, this is one of the worst happenings in the Philippines...
Many people lost their loved ones because of this tragedy.
Many people are now suffering and mourning for the lost of the important people in their lives..
The massacre happened in Maguindanao, specifically in Barangay Saniag, Ampatuan town last November 24, 2009.
The two sides, the Mangudadatu and Ampatuan, are both involved and are both competing in politics.
IT drives some politicians crazy!..haha
Trying to kill each other for their own benefits!
So in this coming election, people should really vote wisely!
They should have a background about the person they wanna put in the specific position especially if it's for the presidential position...
A Family
A mother...
A mother is a star,
That's a light from a far.
She will give you the care,
That will never falter.
She's a somebody,
Who'll be your best pal forever.
She will love you completely,
And will care for you solely.
A father...
A father is like the Sun,
Who will light the wonderful land,
He can always withstand,
Life's trials and demands.
He's a somebody,
That's a friend to everybody.
He will always be there,
And never will fail.
Together,
A mother and a father make up afamily.
A family that can be happy,
No matter what tirals there may be.
Real You (my newly made song)
Real You
Hey you
Why are you hiding?
There's someone great
Hiding behind that mask.
Show them
Show them what you've got.
Gotta let them know
That you're awesome
In your own ways.
Chorus:::
Tear that mask off
Let them see,
Let them know
and
Let them feel
The real you.
Show them
Show them what you've got.
Gotta let them know
That you're awesome
In your own ways.
In your own ways
Chorus:::
Tear that mask off
Let them see,
Let them know
and
Let them feel
The real you.
The real you..ohooh
The real you..
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
(Before they were stars) Sunny and Ga-in in middle school
Are you telling me these little girls turned into THESE girls?
Girls Generation’s Sunny and Brown Eyed Girls’ Ga-in revealed their middle school graduation pictures on SBS’s “Strong Heart.” Sunny was very shocked to see the photo. Ga-in also was embarrassed, stating, “I also can’t even look at this picture for more 3 seconds.” That’s a serious image issue!
These photos reveal the “touch-ups” (plastic surgery) these girls made to their faces since the middle school days, especially changing the nose and jawline.
Do you see any other “improvements” the girls made? Personally, I think their hairstyles improved a lot!
Jessica’s shocking photo
You guys are probably dying to see this sad little picture of Jessica. Go ahead, check it out.
Jessica, member of girl group, Girls Generation, gave out a blood-curdling scream as soon as her picture from the past was revealed on the variety show, “Strong Heart” on November 24th for the whole nation to see.
Q&A: Dennis Sewell on Charles Darwin's Legacy
This year marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, and Nov. 24 marks the 150th anniversary of the publication of On the Origin of Species, the landmark work in which Darwin laid forth his theory of natural selection. While celebrations have emphasized the British naturalist's giant role in the advancement of human progress, British political journalist Dennis Sewell is not convinced. In a new book, The Political Gene: How Darwin's Ideas Changed Politics, he highlights how often - and how easily - Darwin's big idea has been harnessed for sinister political ends. According to Sewell, evolution is scientifically undeniable, but its contribution to human well-being is unclear.
Should we reassess Darwin's legacy?
Bicentennial celebrations have portrayed Darwin as a kindly old gentleman pottering around an English house and garden. What that misses is the way his ideas were abused in the 20th century and the way in which Darwin was wrong about certain key issues. He asserted that different races of mankind had traveled different distances along the evolutionary path - white Caucasians were at the top of the racial hierarchy, while black and brown people ranked below. [Racism] was a widespread prejudice in British society at the time, but he presented racial hierarchy as a matter of science. He also held that the poor were genetically second-rate - which inspired eugenics. (See a photo-essay on Darwin.)
In your research, you found vestiges of this warped way of thinking in an unexpectedly modern setting: school shootings.
Pekka-Eric Auvinen, a Finnish schoolboy who murdered eight people at his high school in November 2007, wrote on his blog that "stupid, weak-minded people are reproducing ... faster than the intelligent, strong-minded" ones. Auvinen thought through the philosophical implications of Darwin's work and came to the conclusion that human life is like every other type of animal life: it has no extraordinary value. The Columbine killers made similar arguments. One of the shooters, Eric Harris, wore a "Natural Selection" shirt on the day of the massacre. These are examples of how easily Darwin's writings can lead to very disturbed ways of thinking.
You believe that Darwin should continue to be taught in schools. But how can we teach Darwin and also teach that humans are somehow exceptional in the natural world? Wasn't his great breakthrough to show that humans, like all animals, share a common origin?
I think we have to decide what status we are going to give to the human race. Most of the world's religions hold that human life is sacred and special in some way. In teaching our common descent with animals, we also have to examine what is special about human beings, and why they deserve to be treated differently and granted certain rights.
Are you concerned that your ideas will be trumpeted by the creationist movement?
Science is a big enough interest group. It can look after itself.
We understand now that eugenics was an illegitimate science, so why even worry about it today?
The thinking behind eugenics is still present. Many senior geneticists point to a genetically engineered future. As the technology for this falls into place, there has also been an explosion of the field of evolutionary psychology that tries to describe every element of human behavior as genetically determined. What we will begin to see is scientists arguing for the use of genetics to breed out certain behavioral traits from humanity.
Is it that you oppose artificial selection in principle, or that you feel scientists are still too far away from a full understanding of genetics to be making such decisions?
Who is going to make the value judgment of what is human enhancement and what makes a human better? I don't feel comfortable with such judgments being left to scientists.
All things considered, do you believe Darwin was a great luminary in the path of human progress?
What has the theory of evolution done for the practical benefit of humanity? It's helped our understanding of ourselves, yet compared to, say, the discovery of penicillin or the invention of the World Wide Web, I wonder why Darwin occupies this position at the pinnacle of esteem. I can only imagine he has been put there by a vast public relations exercise.
Rihanna's 'Good Morning America' Wardrobe Delay: 'I'm A Little Too Fat Right Now'
Rihanna performs on "Good Morning America."
ABC/Ida Mae Astute
Rihanna, who, it must be pointed out, looks as slim as always, also talked about the emotions she was feeling in the studio while making the album, alluding to the turmoil caused by her breakup with her abusive ex-boyfriend, Chris Brown: "It was the one place where I didn't feel judged or criticized; I just wanted to sit and make great music. Every emotion that I was going through at the time throughout making the record went into that album, and you can hear it in the songs."
Rihanna sang three songs on "GMA": "Wait Your Turn" and "Russian Roulette" from her new album, and the hit that made her a household name, "Umbrella."
Man marries a videogame character
What??? Is this for real??
In another sign that the world is about to collapse, multiple blogs are reporting that a fan of the Nintendo DS dating sim Love Plus (you know, the really creepy one) liked his virtual lady so much that he decided to marry her. For real.
Apparently, a Japanese gamer known as 'Sal9000' was officially wed to Nene Anegasaki, one of the game's three virtual girlfriends, in what must have been the weirdest ceremony in the history of ceremonies. We can only assume that Ms. Pac-Man was the maid of honor.
While the two aren't planning a honeymoon -- after all, one of them is a VIDEO GAME -- they did hold a small 'reception' in Japan for friends, family and the media, indicating that this is most likely little more than the looniest video game publicity stunt we've seen in some time.
Day of mourning declared for massacre victims
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo has declared Thursday, November 26, 2009, as national day of mourning for the more than 50 victims in last Monday's gruesome massacre in Maguindanao province.
President Arroyo on Tuesday placed the entire province of Maguindanao - as well as the neighboring Cotabato City and Sultan Kudarat - under emergency.
As of last count Wednesday noon, a total of 52 bodies, most of them bullet-riddled, have so far been recovered from the "killing fields" in Salman village in Ampatuan town.
President Arroyo said that she has already sent Interior and Local Government Secretary Ronaldo Puno and Justice Secretary Agnes Devanadera to Maguindanao to help in the swift resolution of the case.
No fear
The victims were all in a convoy bound for Shariff Aguak to file a certificate of candidacy on behalf of gubernatorial aspirant Ismael "Toto" Mangudadatu.
Among those killed were journalists covering the event and several motorists who happened to pass by the road where the convoy was blocked reportedly by a large group of heavily armed men allegedly associated with the Ampatuan clan.
Amid clamor to investigate the Ampatuan clan, a known Arroyo ally, President Arroyo reiterated that no one would be above the law. The Mangudadatus are known political rivals of the Ampatuans.
Maguindanao killing field death toll rises to 46
The number of bodies recovered from the grisly Maguindanao massacre has now reached 46, an Army officer said Tuesday evening.
Authorities had earlier recovered on Monday the bodies of 22 victims killed in the politically-motivated massacre. They were among a group of some 50 men and women, including lawyers and journalists, who were abducted by an estimated one hundred armed men reportedly belonging to the camp of Governor Andal Ampatuan of Maguindanao province.
They were about to file a certificate of candidacy in behalf of Esmael “Toto" Mangudadatu, vice mayor of Buluan town, who planned to run against Ampatuan’s son Andal Jr. for the gubernatorial post.
Among them are Toto’s wife, Genalyn Tiamzon-Mangudadatu, and Toto's sister Eden Mangudadatu, the incumbent Vice Mayor of Mangudadatu town in Maguindanao.
Cataluna also said that survivors in the fateful incident have yet to surface as of posting time.
President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo placed the provinces of Maguindanao and Sultan Kudarat as well as Cotabato City under a state of emergency to prevent violence from further erupting following the incident.
The digging and recovery operations have been halted Tuesday evening due to difficulties of working in darkness.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
From Brain Surgery to the Ball Field: The Luck of a Teen Athlete
Cameron Hall is injury-prone. "Everything he does is full tilt, and he gets hurt all the time," says his father, Phil. Cameron is also a teenager. The combination of unstoppable energy and teenage thoughtlessness has led to some harrowing moments for his parents, especially on athletic fields. "When I play sports, I don't think," Cameron says. "I just do." The summer before his senior year of high school, his propensity for injury saved his life.
"I thought I'd never play baseball again."
Halfway into the game, Cameron had another idea his dad would have vetoed. Bored with touch football, he asked the guys, "Do you all just wanna play tackle?" And teenagers being teenagers, the boys instantly said yes. A few plays later, Jacob Beauchamp, Cameron's friend since age four, jumped up to catch a pass. Cameron ran hard to tackle him, hitting Jacob in the legs—with his head. Cameron fell down but quickly got up. "We were like, 'Oh, good hit,' " Jacob says.
But then Cameron collapsed. He lay on the grass, unconscious, bleeding from his ear; in the 20 seconds before he came to, his friends thought he was dead. One boy carried Cameron to a car and drove him to an urgent-care center. They were immediately directed to the emergency room.
Cameron called his mother, Brandy, 50, from the ER at Emory Eastside Medical Center. He was dizzy and scared—he'd never been knocked out before, and he dreaded the "I told you so" lecture from his dad—but tried to sound positive. "Don't worry. I'll be fine," he said. "I'll go to the showcase tomorrow."
By the time Brandy arrived, Cameron was on a gurney being wheeled down the hall for a CT scan. They both expected the doctor to come back and say Cameron had a concussion. But the doctor was gone 10 minutes, 20, then 40. If this is a concussion, why is it taking so long? Brandy wondered.
After an hour, the doctor returned to say he'd consulted with neurosurgeons at Emory University Hospital. A concussion, it seemed, was the least of Cameron's problems. At minimum, the doctor said, he would have to put his baseball career on hold. Cameron broke down and cried. The news got worse: Cameron had a colloid cyst—a rare, potentially fatal brain tumor.
Before barreling into Jacob's legs, Cameron suffered from frequent headaches. He thought it was his allergies. "They weren't big headaches where I couldn't open my eyes in light or anything like that," he says. Every time he got one, he took three or four Advils, which eased the pain.
Phil had driven five hours back from his business trip the day of the diagnosis. Now, a week later, in the office of an Emory neurosurgeon, he and his wife and son heard Costas Hadjipanayis, MD, 37, explain how serious the problem was. Colloid cysts, which represent less than 1 percent of brain tumors, are usually found at the center of the brain, where two fluid-filled chambers, called ventricles, drain into a third. If the fluid can't drain, it backs up and causes the brain to swell, often causing frequent headaches. Without treatment, they can become extremely painful, distort vision, and, in rare cases, lead to stroke and death.
As Dr. Hadjipanayis held up the CT scans, the Halls could see that the left side of Cameron's brain was much bigger than the right. The third ventricle was 90 percent blocked. "We were lucky to catch this at the right time," Dr. Hadjipanayis said. He needed to operate on Cameron's brain—soon. On the hour-long drive home, nobody said a word.
Brain surgery, like everything in medicine, evolves. For decades, a surgeon treating a patient with a colloid cyst has performed a craniotomy—removing part of the skull and exposing the brain, then digging in and removing the cyst. A full recovery can take six months to a year. Memory loss is common. Some patients have to relearn basic motor skills, like walking up stairs. A craniotomy was not something Cameron wanted to consider. He hoped to play baseball again. He wanted to graduate with his class and attend college.
But by making the appointment with Dr. Hadjipanayis, the Halls got lucky. He's one of the few surgeons in the world who operate on colloid cysts without a craniotomy. Instead, he drills a small hole in the patient's forehead and slides a six-millimeter-wide tube called an endoscope inside. Then he inserts several two-millimeter-wide tools through the endoscope and into the brain, removing the cyst.
Knowing Cameron wouldn't need a craniotomy didn't reduce the Halls' nervousness. They're still going into my son's brain, so I'm going to worry, Phil recalls thinking. Cameron tried to stay positive. The night before the surgery, he said to his father, "Dad, let's go to the park and throw." He wasn't sure when he'd be able to toss a baseball again.
The next morning, Cameron's parents, aunts, uncles, and closest friends crowded into his hospital room. His pitching coach had been there since 6 a.m. "I'm not leaving until I know my buddy is okay," he said.
Nurses shaved Cameron's head and positioned tiny circular markers around his skull so his brain could be monitored in the operating room. "It looks like he stuck his head in Cheerios," Brandy said, trying to lighten the mood.
Before Cameron went into surgery, everyone commented on how calm he seemed. Afterward he would say he couldn't bear to see his family break down, so he did his best to remain composed. "I was trying to keep myself from thinking that something bad was going to happen," he says. "I was pretending it was surgery on my foot or something." Cameron's parents, though, had to take anxiety medication to remain calm. They told their son they loved him as he was wheeled away. And then it was their turn to wait.
In the OR, Dr. Hadjipanayis studied Cameron's scans to determine the best place to enter his brain. The blockages made going in on the left side a little easier—because of the swelling, there was more room to maneuver the endoscope—but the brain's speech functions are there, so the easier route was also riskier.
Dr. Hadjipanayis found a path through the right side and began drilling. Only an hour after their son was wheeled into the OR, Phil and Brandy were astonished to see the surgeon coming toward them. Had something gone wrong? "Everything went great," he reassured them. They were free to see their son.
By mid-afternoon, Cameron was in a recovery room with his family. Dr. Hadjipanayis asked him to point out his parents. Check. What school did he go to? Brookwood. Check. He spent the next two days in intensive care—in pain, sitting motionless in a chair, a tube in his brain draining blood to prevent swelling. On day three, the pain began to subside. Nurses removed the tubes, and Cameron was able to walk around.
He was transferred to a regular room, and the first thing he did was smack his head on the door. Brandy said, "Oh, dude. You just had brain surgery." They laughed.
"So that's my luck, but I guess there's good luck too," Cameron said.
Luck. There had been a lot of that. When Cameron went home, four days after the operation, the Halls were finally able to reflect on their good fortune—all the little doors, as Brandy put it, that had to be open to find Cameron's tumor before it was too late: Phil had to be out of town; there was no way Cameron would have played football if he'd been home. Cameron had to suggest switching the game from touch to tackle. And he had to be playing defense when Jacob went out for a pass and jumped in the air just high enough so that Cameron's head smashed into his legs.
At an appointment six weeks after the surgery, Dr. Hadjipanayis asked Cameron whether he'd thrown a ball yet. He hadn't—he was nervous and awaiting the okay. The surgeon smiled and said, "Give it a try." So Cameron and his dad went home to get their gloves. On the drive to the park, Phil worried that Cameron's depth perception would be off. And then his son threw the ball—and kept throwing. "It was like nothing had ever happened," Phil said.
The first night Cameron pitched for his high school team the next spring, people in the crowd cried. And then the game became what it was—a regular game. The team finished fourth in the state. After being pursued by several colleges, he landed an athletic scholarship at Georgia Perimeter College. The only way anyone would know he's had brain surgery is by looking closely at the right side of his forehead, which has a faint scar less than an inch long.
Cameron is back to being concerned not with a tumor but with daily life as a student athlete: getting good grades and playing baseball. "I'm gonna keep playing," he says, "as long as I can."
Cameron called his mother, Brandy, 50, from the ER at Emory Eastside Medical Center. He was dizzy and scared—he'd never been knocked out before, and he dreaded the "I told you so" lecture from his dad—but tried to sound positive. "Don't worry. I'll be fine," he said. "I'll go to the showcase tomorrow."
By the time Brandy arrived, Cameron was on a gurney being wheeled down the hall for a CT scan. They both expected the doctor to come back and say Cameron had a concussion. But the doctor was gone 10 minutes, 20, then 40. If this is a concussion, why is it taking so long? Brandy wondered.
After an hour, the doctor returned to say he'd consulted with neurosurgeons at Emory University Hospital. A concussion, it seemed, was the least of Cameron's problems. At minimum, the doctor said, he would have to put his baseball career on hold. Cameron broke down and cried. The news got worse: Cameron had a colloid cyst—a rare, potentially fatal brain tumor.
Before barreling into Jacob's legs, Cameron suffered from frequent headaches. He thought it was his allergies. "They weren't big headaches where I couldn't open my eyes in light or anything like that," he says. Every time he got one, he took three or four Advils, which eased the pain.
Phil had driven five hours back from his business trip the day of the diagnosis. Now, a week later, in the office of an Emory neurosurgeon, he and his wife and son heard Costas Hadjipanayis, MD, 37, explain how serious the problem was. Colloid cysts, which represent less than 1 percent of brain tumors, are usually found at the center of the brain, where two fluid-filled chambers, called ventricles, drain into a third. If the fluid can't drain, it backs up and causes the brain to swell, often causing frequent headaches. Without treatment, they can become extremely painful, distort vision, and, in rare cases, lead to stroke and death.
As Dr. Hadjipanayis held up the CT scans, the Halls could see that the left side of Cameron's brain was much bigger than the right. The third ventricle was 90 percent blocked. "We were lucky to catch this at the right time," Dr. Hadjipanayis said. He needed to operate on Cameron's brain—soon. On the hour-long drive home, nobody said a word.
Brain surgery, like everything in medicine, evolves. For decades, a surgeon treating a patient with a colloid cyst has performed a craniotomy—removing part of the skull and exposing the brain, then digging in and removing the cyst. A full recovery can take six months to a year. Memory loss is common. Some patients have to relearn basic motor skills, like walking up stairs. A craniotomy was not something Cameron wanted to consider. He hoped to play baseball again. He wanted to graduate with his class and attend college.
But by making the appointment with Dr. Hadjipanayis, the Halls got lucky. He's one of the few surgeons in the world who operate on colloid cysts without a craniotomy. Instead, he drills a small hole in the patient's forehead and slides a six-millimeter-wide tube called an endoscope inside. Then he inserts several two-millimeter-wide tools through the endoscope and into the brain, removing the cyst.
Knowing Cameron wouldn't need a craniotomy didn't reduce the Halls' nervousness. They're still going into my son's brain, so I'm going to worry, Phil recalls thinking. Cameron tried to stay positive. The night before the surgery, he said to his father, "Dad, let's go to the park and throw." He wasn't sure when he'd be able to toss a baseball again.
The next morning, Cameron's parents, aunts, uncles, and closest friends crowded into his hospital room. His pitching coach had been there since 6 a.m. "I'm not leaving until I know my buddy is okay," he said.
Nurses shaved Cameron's head and positioned tiny circular markers around his skull so his brain could be monitored in the operating room. "It looks like he stuck his head in Cheerios," Brandy said, trying to lighten the mood.
Before Cameron went into surgery, everyone commented on how calm he seemed. Afterward he would say he couldn't bear to see his family break down, so he did his best to remain composed. "I was trying to keep myself from thinking that something bad was going to happen," he says. "I was pretending it was surgery on my foot or something." Cameron's parents, though, had to take anxiety medication to remain calm. They told their son they loved him as he was wheeled away. And then it was their turn to wait.
In the OR, Dr. Hadjipanayis studied Cameron's scans to determine the best place to enter his brain. The blockages made going in on the left side a little easier—because of the swelling, there was more room to maneuver the endoscope—but the brain's speech functions are there, so the easier route was also riskier.
Dr. Hadjipanayis found a path through the right side and began drilling. Only an hour after their son was wheeled into the OR, Phil and Brandy were astonished to see the surgeon coming toward them. Had something gone wrong? "Everything went great," he reassured them. They were free to see their son.
By mid-afternoon, Cameron was in a recovery room with his family. Dr. Hadjipanayis asked him to point out his parents. Check. What school did he go to? Brookwood. Check. He spent the next two days in intensive care—in pain, sitting motionless in a chair, a tube in his brain draining blood to prevent swelling. On day three, the pain began to subside. Nurses removed the tubes, and Cameron was able to walk around.
He was transferred to a regular room, and the first thing he did was smack his head on the door. Brandy said, "Oh, dude. You just had brain surgery." They laughed.
"So that's my luck, but I guess there's good luck too," Cameron said.
Luck. There had been a lot of that. When Cameron went home, four days after the operation, the Halls were finally able to reflect on their good fortune—all the little doors, as Brandy put it, that had to be open to find Cameron's tumor before it was too late: Phil had to be out of town; there was no way Cameron would have played football if he'd been home. Cameron had to suggest switching the game from touch to tackle. And he had to be playing defense when Jacob went out for a pass and jumped in the air just high enough so that Cameron's head smashed into his legs.
At an appointment six weeks after the surgery, Dr. Hadjipanayis asked Cameron whether he'd thrown a ball yet. He hadn't—he was nervous and awaiting the okay. The surgeon smiled and said, "Give it a try." So Cameron and his dad went home to get their gloves. On the drive to the park, Phil worried that Cameron's depth perception would be off. And then his son threw the ball—and kept throwing. "It was like nothing had ever happened," Phil said.
The first night Cameron pitched for his high school team the next spring, people in the crowd cried. And then the game became what it was—a regular game. The team finished fourth in the state. After being pursued by several colleges, he landed an athletic scholarship at Georgia Perimeter College. The only way anyone would know he's had brain surgery is by looking closely at the right side of his forehead, which has a faint scar less than an inch long.
Cameron is back to being concerned not with a tumor but with daily life as a student athlete: getting good grades and playing baseball. "I'm gonna keep playing," he says, "as long as I can."
Saturday, November 21, 2009
SHINee heads to Philippines!
Referring from PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal), SHINee will be heading to the Philippines on November 27th to perform a free K-pop concert for the fans. Also from the article:
“For Pinoy K-pop fans, November is the season to be jolly. To cap the year-long celebration of 60 years of diplomatic relations between Korea and the Philippines, the Korean Embassy will hold on November 19-27 the Korean Cultural Festival, which will let Filipinos have a taste of Korean food, dance, music, theater, and arts.
But the most-awaited event in the week-long festival is the free K-pop concert scheduled on November 27. It will feature popular Korean front acts like boyband Shinee, jazz band Winterplay, and energetic rap duo Mighty Mouth. In an email message to PEP (Philippine Entertainment Portal), Blaise Regacho, Executive Assistant on Economic & Cultural Affairs for the Korean Embassy, said the concert was borne out of several petitions by avid K-pop fans in the country, to bring Korean stars to the Philippines. Shinee was the first group they were able to get, she added.”
Hopefully, Onew is fully recovered by then!
Friday, November 20, 2009
Hero's Welcome For Boxing Champ Pac-Man
Thousands of Filipinos have lined the streets of Manila to welcome home boxing champ Manny Pacquiao after his record-breaking welterweight win.
The 30-year-old claimed victory over Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto last week to become the first fighter to win world titles at seven different weights.
The Philippines almost ground to a halt as millions - including president Gloria Arroyo and militants based in the south - watched the 12-round fight on TV.
The Pac-Man, as he is known, was clapped and cheered as he toured the nation's capital mounted on the back of a truck.
With his battle wounds still evident - a bandaged ear and right hand in a splint - Pacquiao said he was going to take some time out relaxing at home on the southern island of Mindanao.
But he had some cheeky fighting talk for his potential next opponent, American Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Earlier this week, Mayweather told USA Today he wanted to fight Pacquiao but the Filipino did not seem interested in a match-up.
"I have yet to hear him actually say, 'Yes I want to fight Mayweather'," the American said.
Pacquiao told reporters in Manila: "We are not forcing a fight with him.
"It is right that he is the one challenging me, because my fights score more on pay-per-view."
A devout Roman Catholic, Pacquiao then went on to take part in a mass, where he delivered an inspirational message.
"I live my life like every day is the last. I am proud for having attained this record," he said.
"It is because of God and your prayers that I succeeded in my fights. I believe in the power of God, 100%."
Widely considered the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, there is another arena Pacquiao wants to dominate - politics.
The boxing legend has long-hoped for a seat in the Philippines' lower house, with an unsuccessful bid in 2007.
But with the country due to go to the polls next May, he will need to file his candidacy sooner rather than later.
Robert Pattinson
Robert Thomas Pattinson (born 13 May 1986) is an English actor, model and musician. He is best known for playing Edward Cullen in the film adaptation of Twilight, based on the novel by Stephenie Meyer, and for the role of Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire.
Pattinson was born in London, England. His mother, Clare, worked for a modeling agency, and his father, Richard, imported vintage cars from the U.S. Pattinson attended Tower House School and Harrodian School.He became involved in amateur theatre through the Barnes Theatre Company. After some backstage experience there, he took on acting roles. He caught the attention of an acting agent in a production of Tess of the D'Urbervilles and began looking for professional roles. Since then he has performed in an amateur version of Macbeth at the Old Sorting Office Arts Centre, as well as trying his hand at modeling.[citation needed] Pattinson has two elder sisters.
Pattinson began his modeling career when he was twelve years old, but it wound down only four years later. He has blamed his lack of work as a model on his masculine appearance. Pattinson explained in December 2008, "When I first started I was quite tall and looked like a girl, so I got lots of jobs, because it was during that period where the androgynous look was cool. Then, I guess, I became too much of a guy, so I never got any more jobs. I had the most unsuccessful modeling career."
Pattinson plays guitar and piano, and composes his own music. He also appears as the singer of two songs on the Twilight soundtrack: "Never Think", which he co-wrote with Sam Bradley, and "Let Me Sign", which was written by Marcus Foster and Bobby Long.[23] The songs were included in the film after director Catherine Hardwicke added Pattinson's recordings into an early cut without his knowledge, and he agreed that "one of them specifically, it really made the scene better. It was like it was supposed to be there."[4] The soundtrack for the film How To Be features three original songs performed by Pattinson and written by composer Joe Hastings.
Aside from recording for the soundtracks, Pattinson has said, "I've never really recorded anything - I just played in pubs and stuff", and when asked about a professional music career, he said, "Music is my back-up plan if acting fails."
Pattinson has admitted to taking a quarter of a Valium to calm his nerves before auditioning for Twilight, and to smoking.[27] He was named one of the "Sexiest Men Alive" in 2008 by People magazine and in 2009, through a poll conducted by Glamour magazine. On having a girlfriend, Pattinson states, "I don't [...] have people's phone numbers. I almost don't want to have a girlfriend in this environment." Pattinson currently resides in Los Angeles.
New Moon Talkback: What did you think of the movie?
By the time you read this, you’ll have had a chance to watch New Moon at one of the midnight showings across the globe!
So now that the movie is finally out, what’d you think? Is it what you expect? What were some of the higlights? What missed the mark? Talk about it here!
Also, don’t forget to share your New Moon premiere experiences in this blog.There have already been some great stories so give us one from you!..
But what did you think? Did you enjoy New Moon?
Kristen Stewart
Kristen Jaymes Stewart (born April 9, 1990) is an American actress. She is best known for playing Bella Swan in Twilight, and will reprise her role in New Moon and Eclipse. She has also starred in films such as Panic Room, Zathura, In the Land of Women, Adventureland, and The Messengers.
Stewart was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. Her father, John Stewart, is a stage manager and television producer who has worked for Fox. Her mother, Jules Mann-Stewart, is a script supervisor originally from Maroochydore, Queensland, Australia. She has an older brother, Cameron Stewart.Stewart attended school until the seventh grade, and then continued her education by correspondence. She has since completed high school.
Stewart currently lives in Woodland Hills in Los Angeles, California. In a 2008 interview with Vanity Fair, Stewart stated that she was dating actor Michael Angarano, her co-star from the movie Speak. Stewart has expressed a desire to live and work in Australia, saying, "I want to go to Sydney University in Australia. My mom's from there." Apart from acting, she is also interested in attending college in the near future, saying, "I want to go to college for literature. I want to be a writer. I mean, I love what I do, but it's not all I want to do — be a professional liar for the rest of my life."Stewart is a guitar player and singer.
New Moon
On Isabella "Bella" Swan's 18th birthday, Edward Cullen, the vampire she loves, and his family throw her a birthday party. While unwrapping a gift, she gets a paper cut, which causes Edward's adopted brother, Jasper, to be overwhelmed by her blood's scent and attempt to kill Bella. To protect her, Edward decides to end their relationship, and the Cullens move away from Forks. This leaves Bella heart-broken and depressed.
In the months that follow, Bella learns that thrill-seeking activities, such as motorcycle riding, allow her to "hear" Edward's voice in her head. She also seeks comfort in her deepening friendship with Jacob Black, a cheerful companion who eases her pain over losing Edward. Bella later discovers that Jacob is a werewolf. He and his fellow werewolves protect Bella from the vampires Laurent and Victoria, the latter of whom seeks revenge for her dead mate, James, whom the Cullens killed in Twilight.
Meanwhile, a series of miscommunications leads Edward to believe that Bella has killed herself. Distraught over her supposed suicide, Edward flees to Italy to provoke the Volturi, vampire royalty who are capable of killing him. Alice and Bella rush to Italy to save Edward, arriving just in time to stop him. Before leaving Italy, the Volturi tell Edward that Bella, a human who knows that vampires exist, must either be killed or transformed into a vampire. When they return to Forks, Edward tells Bella that he has always loved her and only left Forks to protect her. She forgives him, and the Cullens vote in favor of Bella being transformed into a vampire, to Edward's dismay. However, Edward gives Bella a choice: either she lets Carlisle change her after her graduation, or, if Bella agrees to marry him, he will change her himself.
The Signs Your Crush Likes You
Here are some other signs that your crush likes you:
1. Your crush is aware of who you are and knows a few things about you.: If you've never actually talked to your crush before, it might be really hard for him or her to like you back because they don't even know you! If you've never said more than Hello to each other its time to break the ice and get to know each other a little better!
2. He or She makes regular eye contact with you.: Do you notice he or she is staring at you or looks directly in your eyes when talking to you? It could be a sign your crush is thinking about you A LOT or genuinely wants to hear what you have to say.
3. Your crush seems nervous around you: Sometimes being around someone you like does weird things to you - you can't talk right anymore, your brain doesn't think, your heart starts pounding. If yourcrush seems nervous around you, it may mean he or she is starting to like you.
4. Your crush's friends act weird: Sometimes your crush will tell friends something and you'll start noticing friends start acting weird. A friend might say "Why Don't You Sit Next to So-and-So?" or "I'll let you two be alone" or other strange things that might give some clues that yourcrush told that friend he or she likes you.
5. Open body language: Your crush might pat you on the back or accidentally bump into you. He or she has open body language, which means arms and legs are not crossed, he or she turns towards you, or he or she might even start mirroring the same things you are doing. If however yourcrush is sitting with arms or legs crossed or not facing towards you while you're talking with them, it could be they're not interested.
6. Your crush makes extra effort to talk or be with you.: Do you notice yourself accidentally running into your crush in strange places? Does your crush stop a conversation with someone else to start one with you? Could be signs your crush likes you!
7. Your crush hangs out with you: Many people start hanging out together before it's officially a "date" - maybe you go out to lunch or out some evening with friends. If you start hanging out a lot and on a regular basis, it could mean a friendship and possibly something more is developing.
8. Your crush calls you: Is your crush calling you with lame excuses like "Hey, what's the name of that book you were telling me about?" or "Do you know how to get past level 37 in this video game?" it's a good chance yourcrush is really just looking for a reason to talk to you - especially if they stay on the phone longer than it takes just to answer the question.
9. He or she acts differently around you then they do around others: Do you notice your crush acts differently around you than they do other girls or guys? It could mean they feel differently about you than they do others as well!
10. You Talk to Your Crush and He or She Says Yes: Sometimes a crush needs an extra push. While many people are afraid of rejection, rejection may be a lot less painful in the long run than constantly obsessing over yourcrush and if he or she likes you or not.
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