The Miracle Blood

I was stumbling again, when I came across this really interesting story about a 74 year old man who has saved an estimated 2.2 million babies. James Harrison has a special antibody in the plasma of his blood that cures babies that are dying from Rhesus disease. This antibody was found during a routine blood donation and since that discovery, Harrison’s blood has been given to hundreds of thousands of women. He has made a habit of donating blood every couple of weeks ever since he was only eighteen.

Harrison had a major surgery when he was only fourteen years old that required a large amount of donated blood. Since that experience, he decided to be a lifetime blood donor and has a whopping total of 984 donations and counting.

Saving someone’s life can be as easy as sitting in a chair and getting poked in the arm. There is nothing complicated about giving blood. It is necessary to save lives and it is very easy to do. Who knows, they might find some special cell in your blood that could be responsible for saving the lives of hundreds or thousands of people. Take the time out of your busy week and donate blood and save somebody’s life.

The World’s Game: South Africa 2010

“It’s not about politics, or religion, or the economy. It’s not about borders, history, trade, oil, water, gas, mineral rights, human rights, or animal rights. It’s not about global warming, global pandemics, globalization, GDP, NATO, or Kyoto. It’s not about elections, sanctions, proliferations, he said, she said, my land, your land, no man’s land. It’s not about the stock market, black market, orange alerts, green homes, hope, change, fear, or loathing, It’s not about communism, socialism, or capitalism, war or peace, love or hate. This is about the one month, every four years, when we all agree on one thing… Thirty-two nations, one world watching.”

The 2010 FIFA World Cup is being held in South Africa this summer with 32 participating teams from 32 countries. This is the biggest stage to play the world’s game. Every nation is beaming with pride, thinking that this is our turn, our time to show the world what we can do. This tournament is one of the most widely watched events in sporting history and it brings a great deal of national pride. Watching countries compete against each other for the title of World Cup Champions makes this one of the most interesting and compelling sporting events in the world. Nations set aside disputes and the world comes together to support the sport and all of the competitors.

The World Cup is proof that there can be healthy relationships between nations. All of the nations have a common love for the game of soccer and this unites the world for a period of time. This is the most popular sport in the world, the World’s Game, and it has the power to create champions while bringing the world together by a common love.

Textbooks: College's Biggest Rip-Off

Chances are you have seen the outrageous cost of going to college. And the basic price of tuition is not the only thing that causes us to cringe when handing over a check. Textbooks have become increasingly and ridiculously high. The average amount of money that each student will spend on textbooks each year is around $900. I’m no expert, but that seems a like a bit too much. Surely there is some way to lower the cost of printing and distributing these books so that it is not such a financial hassle to buy these supplies.

The worst part about the price of textbooks is the fact that the books themselves hardly ever get used! Be honest, how many times do the textbooks a student buys ever get used, or even opened? Some of the books I bought this year were opened once, maybe twice. Most students just turn to what they know and love, the Internet. Instead of searching through pages and pages of books, students can just get on the Internet and find what they are looking for in a matter of seconds. So what is the point in buying these expensive books if nobody uses them?

Next year, when it comes time to buy books and supplies again, the best idea would be to wait for a couple of weeks before buying books. Gauge whether or not the textbook will be required or useful. If it won’t be helpful, then don’t waste your money. Another helpful option is to borrow a friend’s book or share one and each pay for half of the book. These are just a few ideas of how to save some cash and not waste any money.

The Best Way to Spend Your Money

Again, I was stumbling around the Internet when I stumbled upon this website that made me think a bit. It was a list of little quotes to live by and inspirational phrases. Most were pretty cliché, but I found one that I felt should be further discussed. It read:

“If you have to choose between buying something or spending the money on a memorable experience, go with the experience. The things you own can’t make you as happy as the things you do.”

I stopped and re-read this again and I decided that I would have to agree with this completely. I would much rather spend a huge amount of money on a trip with good company rather than buy a new car. Cars, boats, houses, and TVs are nice and I would love to have all of them, but laying down some cash on a great experience is more satisfying than a 60 inch plasma could ever be.

Some of the best times in my life are when I was on vacation away from home doing something I don’t get to do every day. If at all possible, having your friends there with you to enjoy the great time together makes a huge difference. The stories and memories of a great experience will last longer and be more valuable than any new car or house. So the next time you find yourself with a couple hundred bucks burning a hole in your pocket, be sure to spend it on something worthwhile.

Just something to think about…

Rookie of the Year

So it’s the end of March, which means the time has come for baseball season, but honestly, is anybody that excited? March madness is coming to a close and football is still a few months away, so we, the sports nation, are stuck watching 162 games and 60000 hours of baseball highlights on ESPN. Normally, the only thing exciting enough to wake me up during the baseball season is the playoffs, which are still a series of the best of five or seven games.

However,there might be something out there that can grab the sports world's attention. I was doing a little stumbling and I stumbled upon this little five year old kid that can hit an 85 mph fastball from either side of the plate and can field the ball on defense and even make the throw to first. I was skeptical at first, but this kid truly is talented.

Even in the midst of this little youngster’s exceptional ability, there seems to be some harsh criticisms about his parents and coaches. Some say that he is being pushed too hard to become this next “LeBron-like” star.

Nobody knows if this kid will ever be in the majors or if he will give up the game forever when he turns twelve. This kid has amazing talent for his age, but I think he will burn out quickly from the pressure of his coaches and parents.

He's Baaaaaaaaaaccckkkkkkk

Tiger has recently announced his long-awaited return to the golfing world, causing a nation-wide debate of how he will perform with the looming presence of his very much publicized affair with his wife, Elin.

Everybody knows the story: Tiger had his 19 or so mistresses, Elin found out and was PISSED, Tiger tried to drive away but crashed into a fire hydrant, she smashed his car windows and his face with a 9-iron, Tiger’s world came crashing down around him.

I’m not here to reprimand him or criticize him for what he did or why he did it. I just don’t understand why people are so obsessed with all of this. Tiger did what he did. Get over it. Tiger’s daily life does not affect me in any way, so why would I waste my time worrying about how many chicks he banged?

What I am interested in, however, is his return to the golfing world in the sport’s most prestigious and most celebrated tournament, the Masters. Tiger, who has been known for his focus, calm emotions, and aggressive play, will be put to the test as he stands toe to toe with the worlds greatest.

Some doubt that Tiger will be able to perform half as well as he normally does. They say he will crack under the pressure from the ever lurking media and that he will not even make the cut to play in the final round on Sunday.

That’s a load of bullshit. We are talking about TIGER WOODS, THE WORLDS GREATEST GOLFER. He has been nothing but a stone-cold killer in the golfing world ever since he appeared on the scene. This guy has had a golf club glued to his hands ever since he was 4 years old. He made his first hole in one when he was 6! Sure, he had a whole busload of distractions and his family life was in shambles, but the man took over five months off and got his life back together. That was a longer time not playing in a tournament than when his father passed away. But do you really think the world’s best is not going to practice at all for 5 months?

I am willing to put money down that Tiger comes out for his first round on Thursday as focused as ever. He entered into the Masters and he is going to play his best to get that green jacket and he will not let anything get in his way.

Hey... It Was Spring Break

SPRING BREAK 2010

With the sunny days just looming around the corner, many students are practically giddy with excitement. And why shouldn’t they be? Spring Break is a time to get away from all of the hassles of schoolwork and normal life. It’s a time to get a little wild and crazy for a week. Being in college can cause a great deal of stress on most students and Spring Break is a well deserved relief.

So I’m here today to provide you all with some expert advice on how to have a SAFE and FUN Spring Break…

1. Always use the buddy system.
2. Staying in groups helps too.
3. Make sure you are always with people you can trust.
4. Always apply sunscreen before long hours in the sun.
5. Not everybody has a super model body like these sexy ladies, so please choose a swimsuit that is both tasteful and fashionable.
6. Don’t do anything that your mother wouldn’t be too proud of.

Most of all have fun this Spring Break. Wherever you decide to go, realize that you are only this young for a short period in your life. This is the prime time folks. The big leagues. This is the only truly acceptable time to make huge mistakes and get away with it completely by simply shrugging and saying, “Hey… it’s Spring Break….”

Soon you will all be in that awkward phase, when you are at the beach party and everybody is kind of staring at you, saying to their friend, “that creepy guy over there is like 40 years old,” and your Spring Breaking days will be over for good. Have fun sipping that piña colada by yourself at the end of the bar staring at the young babes you creepy shit.

So now I end this post by saying get out there and live it up this Spring Break and go do something stupid and regrettable…

Just remember, what happens on Spring Break, stays on Spring Break… Actually no it doesn’t, people are always taking pictures and that stuff will be up on Facebook the next day. It will make a good story, though. But hey… it was Spring Break.