the bird on fire

Ice Skating: Injuries on Ice

February 7, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Blogger X

Hello guys, this time I am going to share with you the story around my ice skating injury. Ice skating in general is a very dangerous sport, and it can cause serious life-long injuries if you don’t practice the right way. So please, let this act as a reminder of how sports can really be.

It all started like a normal day. I went to school, ate lunch and went to the rink for ice skating practice. My dream was to become a famous Olympic ice skater. But, I was in a bad mood that day. I didn’t feel like ice skating that day. I’d fallen off my skateboard and scratched my knee on the ground earlier–to make the situation worse; but I couldn’t exactly say, “I don’t feel like ice skating today” out loud because I was afraid I’d be scolded by my parents about “not wanting to train hard.” So, I kept the feeling inside me and went to the ice rink.

That day was not my day. I fell out of many jumps, and I could already see my mom’s frowning face at the other side of the ice rink. I didn’t know why, but I felt my throat tighten and fought the urge to cry after failing on my latest Double Lutz jump. I felt so useless and tired, wanting to go home instead of being here shaming myself. I didn’t feel like standing up either. I wanted to keep my emotions under control. One of the clips that was supposed to keep my hair in place fell off onto the ice. Just as I was trying to reach the clip I heard a sound coming toward me, fast. The moment I realized what it was, it was already too late. I crashed with another skater who literally fell over me and landed on the other side. For a second, I couldn’t breathe; as I was trying to get my breathing under control, I felt a paralyzing pain coming from my left leg. I was on the ice, unable to move, and I did not have any ideas as to what was happening to me. I heard my coach yelling. He immediately rushed to my side and picked me up and then immediately skated off the ice. The parents outside of the rink were also panicking because they saw some blood on the ice from where we had crashed. It was unknown if it was mine or the other person’s; just to make sure it wasn’t mine, my coach started to pull up my ice skating pants from the bottom to check for any injuries. He and the parents checked my right leg; it was fine. And then, they moved on to pull up my left leg’s pants; just as they did, they gasped, and my coach covered my eyes right away the second he saw the cut. It was at that moment I knew the blood was mine. My head started spinning, and so was everything around me. I didn’t know what to do or what would happen to me.

By then my parents had rushed to my side; originally they thought it was not a big deal, so they didn’t come over to check on me. But I saw their faces when they arrived at the scene. It was a mixture between shock and agony. My coach handed me over to my mom, and we instantly rushed to the medic room. I was even panickier than before; my thoughts were “Am I going to die?” or “Am I going to the hospital?” The medic had patched my left leg with bandages and said, “It’ll do for now; go to the hospital straight away.” My parents nodded and thanked the medic. A few parents suggested that we call an ambulance, but my parents said it was unnecessary, they’ll get me to the hospital. The parent of the skater who crashed into me let us borrow their car so my parents could drive me to the hospital since their car was parked closer than ours.

On the way to the car I was panicking and didn’t know what to do; it felt like a dream, a painful one. I didn’t feel like I was in the real world; it seemed so fictional. But with my conscious mind I choked out the question for my mom as tears started rolling down my face, “Am I going to die?” She didn’t answer; I panicked as a wave of my emotions swam over me, “Mom! Am I going to die?!” “Shut up! You are not going to die!” She yelled back; I could clearly see her worrisome expression. I stayed quiet for the entire car ride, but I can still hear my dad’s calm and comforting words, “You are going to be fine.” It had given me at least a little comfort as I closed my eyes.

The next thing I knew that I was lying on the hospital bed. The nurses had checked on me and said this isn’t too serious. My mom called the best surgeon she could find and informed me that he was on his way here. Once the surgeon arrived he immediately set into action. He said the cut was not big in size, but it was deep. It was only a few inches away from affecting my tendon under my knee where it could do some real damage–luckily it did not; or else I’d have trouble exercising my entire life.

And without a second word, the surgery began. My dad was with me for the first half of my surgery. But he got nauseous because of the amount of blood on my skin as the doctor stitched step by step into my flesh. So he had to go outside to get some air before he could possibly pass out. My grandpa was with me for the rest of the process. And for some reason, I did not cry during this whole process.

When it was done my vision had all become a blur. I passed out due to mental exhaustion soon after and couldn’t remember the rest of it. I was eight at the time.

What I remembered was my dad telling me to, “Be strong,” as he was holding my hand while the surgeon was doing his job.

Be strong. As I will forever be.

Health and Disease Editor: James Zheng

My Introspection

February 6, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Quintus Ni

In my world, the dark night blinds me from stars all over the sky and deprives me of the vast universe. Only cool breezes blow me awake.

Looking back, my life over the past dozen years knows no dramatic ups or downs; it has only consisted of ordinary memories. I have been undistinguished all along, which tires me tremendously. I do not revolt by grand rebukes, but I write it down and lock it away along with stories that are hard to tell, of course. Meanwhile, I rely on fantasies, dreaming of things that I desire badly that cannot be achieved in reality. After a moment of enjoying the imaginative possession, I inevitably fall to reality. This repeats again and again.

I have a pair of sharp eyes, but I can never see my current situation clearly. Everything seems splendid to me, without knowing that keeping the status quo is followed by thorough darkness. All of a sudden, I find myself good at enduring but poor at controlling myself. When I am alone, I always decorate things that touch my heart with a little bit of fantasy and then keep them under wraps. But, if someone touches upon them unconsciously, I will collapse in public and fall into the abyss that will never return. I will console myself after falling back to loneliness. I know this will not bring me any thoughts or behaviors to improve myself, but I am always too lazy to accept it.

It may dawn on me in one instant, but I usually dispel my insights in the next moment. In helplessness, I finally understand that the word “negativity” is enough to generalize my life. Now, fantasies and silences are also retreating because my “real” self is too far away from reality!

Introspection Editor: Luke Langlois

Quintus’s Guide to Staving Off Diabetes

February 6, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Quintus Ni

Recently, Quintus saw a family member diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes. He has researched ways to avoid and better the situation of Type 2 Diabetes. Some of his recommendations come from Western Medicine, some from Eastern.

Diabetes can be divided into several types: Type 1 Diabetes, Type 2 Diabetes, and Gestational Diabetes. Type 1 is genetic. Type 2 Diabetes accounts for 95% of all diabetics and is acquired through many factors, such as stress, diet, lack of exercise, and disposition, etc.

Here are some suggestions I recommend to stave off Type 2 Diabetes:

Eat nutritious food first after getting up every morning. It is best to eat some millet porridge and rice dumplings. After eating, let the stomach settle for 5 minutes, during which you can clean up the table. Next, exercise. This promotes the important production of insulin. It is best to do aerobic exercise, that is jogging and walking, etc. The exercise does not have to be strenuous. I suggest, at least, you walk in the yard or house and take in some fresh air, which is very beneficial to your health. In addition, you can practice clapping while walking backwards. All the muscles in the whole body will exercise. Moreover, I think it is important for the patient to pay attention to putting on more clothes or taking off some clothes to adjust their temperature. The climate in the northeast changes frequently; sometimes it can be very cold and sometimes hot, and diabetic patients can’t stay in a too cold or hot climate for long.

Relatively speaking, diabetics can not eat sugar. They can not eat sucrose or glucose in their daily diet, but fructose, that does not need insulin to break down in the body, is edible. However, honey is mainly composed of fructose and glucose. So it is best for patients not to eat honey. People say that each medicine has some kind of toxin, but comparatively, the side effect of Chinese Herbal medicine is much lighter. The effects of Chinese Medicine come slowly, which requires the patients to be patient and of good mentality. Good mentality is required at any time. Physical health is of great importance, and of course mental health is also important because it is also a factor in the healing of diseases. There are a lot of hormones, antibiotics and other substances in western medicine and they are extremely harmful to an unhealthy person. For these people, I think, Chinese Medicine is beneficial.

Additional suggestions to keep the diabetic healthy include–

1. In order to reduce the chance of developing retinopathy, don’t turn off the light when diabetics sleep. (Check out WebMD on this.)

2. Stop smoking.

3.When it is too hot or cold, diabetics should avoid exercising. And they should also develop the habit of checking their feet before going to bed and after exercising every day to see if there are injuries, broken skin or long blisters under their feet. Diabetics need to be vigilant protecting their feet due to poor circulation.

4. Diabetics should maintain appropriate and healthy weight.

5. Diabetics should eat each meal on time and according to the planned portion that can not be increased or decreased arbitrarily.

6. Eat less fried food, fewer puff pastries and foods with high oil content like skin of pigs, chickens, and ducks .

7. Use steaming, boiling methods when you cook; dress cold food with sauce; scald thin slices of food in boiling water; roast; stew; and use halogen ovens when you cook. The food should not be too salty. And salt consumption should be less than 6 grams each day.

8. Eat less food with high cholesterol, such as scallop-shaped pork/lamb kidney, animal livers, animal kidneys and other animal internal organs.

9. Use vegetable oil to cook because it is suitable for cooking.

10. Long-term and appropriate exercise, medication and diet control should be combined.

11. Often choose to eat foods with high fiber like unprocessed vegetables and fruits.

12. Foods with high starch content and Chinese and Western-style snacks to stave off hunger should be eaten as the amount planned. Do not eat at will so as to avoid excessive absorption.

13. Eat less food with refined sugars like condensed milk or preserved fruit.

Health and Disease Editor: James Zheng

To Teleport or Not To Teleport

February 5, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

thebirdonfire.org staffers were given the following prompt:

“You can teleport–but only if there is no way for you to be fatally harmed if you can travel to the desired location. You just tried to teleport to the living room from your bedroom, but couldn’t.” What is stopping you?

Editor Katelin Slosky choose and compiled the following excerpts from our bloggers.

Renée Vazquez: “Foreboding Teleporter”

My powers are like those of a few people on earth. We can teleport anywhere we want, anytime we want, except in cases where teleportation would lead to almost immediate fatal injury. I just teleport when I’m tired and I lead a pretty safe life. So you could imagine my concern when I was lounging in my bed and then tried to teleport to my living room, but couldn’t. At first, I was just annoyed, but then it hit me. What is in my living room that could kill me? In my house. Just down the hall. Death waited for me.

Luke Langlois: “Teleporting”

Thirty years ago, Barack Obama came up to me and said, “Luke, you are now granted the power to teleport unless there is fatal harm waiting for you at the destination.” I was surprised that President Obama had the power to bestow upon me this power, but I wasn’t complaining. I was left with great power. . . and great responsibility. I’ve been feeling sick recently. So, being lazy and sick, I tried to teleport to my living room from my bedroom but I couldn’t. Why? I remembered the one condition of this power, but what could possibly be fatal about my living room? . . . . Oh well, I’ve got to move on and do what I have to do for today. The Homeowners Association said something about a possibly dangerous mineral in the walls. Asbestos, or something?

Katelin Mei: “Teleporting”

I was in my bedroom minding my own business. It was 7:30, and I was starting to get hungry. I teleported to the kitchen to make myself dinner. Well, I tried to teleport, but for some reason I couldn’t. I knew that there must be danger, because my ability prevents me from teleporting if I could become fatally injured by doing so.

However, when I crept from my bedroom, through the hallway, and into the living room and kitchen, there was no one and nothing there. Everything was normal. I just thought it was a glitch in my abilities, as I could still teleport outside of my house, and into other rooms, except for my living room and kitchen. I made myself dinner, and put on a show for myself to watch.

I had dinner. I drank, and went to sleep. I never woke up.

James Zheng:

I tried teleporting to the living room; it does not work. The feeling of anxiety grew inside me; I attempted to figure out a way to check out what is there in my living room that could kill me.

It is a risky action for others to do, but I called a food delivery and left the notes ”I cannot move downstairs to get it, so please come in and put the food on the table in the living room.” The delivery guy was reluctant to do it, but I told him I would give him a one star and negative comment if he did not follow my instructions.

So he called me when he arrived at my house.

“Hey Sir, the door is locked.”

“The window in the kitchen is usually open, go there.”

“But sir, this is outside the duty as a delivery.”

“Just do what I say, I will pay you extra after this.”

“Are you sure this is your house, there is nearly nobody…”

“For God’s sake, just put the food in the living room and I will pay you ten times the money.”

Then I heard a sound. He was trying to get in. I heard his steps.

“Ok sir I put your food right here… woah..”

“Hello? What’s wrong? What do you see?” Then I heard chaotic shouting and multiple conversations going on, . . . .

But the signal is cut, the only thing I could do is teleport to the outside of the house and take a glance at the internal situation. So I did it, and then I see those tall guys in black suits with the dark glasses. And they are holding the gun pointing at the delivery guy. As I tried to crawl down and hear the talking.

“You have two seconds to tell us whether you are associated with anything about the host here.”

“I am completely confused by this and I will get out here like right now if you wish.”

“We have heard the host disappeared in this house, we receive the command to arrest anyone who comes here and maintains the obligation to shoot anyone who interferes with our operation.”

So I think they have probably known about my power. But how did they know? When did they know? And also why is there a fatal implication on me when I attempted to teleport if their objective is just arrest me? . . .

I stopped thinking and teleport back, and said to myself.

“Maybe that’s what I need to find out now.”

Chelsea Xu: “Teleport”

Something is in the living room. I do not know who or what, but I can sense it. The smell of death. But there’s no way out, no windows, no way to run. I shakily turn the doorknob, take a deep breath and step out. But there’s no one there, an empty hallway, yet the smell of death strengthened. I do have the ability to defend myself, but I do not dare to teleport to the living room just yet. Something is not right. The house is silent, I cannot hear even the slightest sound. It’s quiet, so quiet that I can hear my breathing and the pounding of my heart. I start to think, if I use my ability to teleport to the living room and then run, using my full speed to the kitchen then I’ll win this game. It’s now or never, kill or be killed. Isn’t this the rules of living? Takes a deep breath and close my eyes.

I never stood a chance in the first place.

In an instant, I ́m there, standing in the center of the living room. In a blink of an eye, I’m lying there in a pool of blood, my blood. The figure is standing before me now, so I can finally see their face. I smiled and said,

¨̈Happy now? My dear self?¨

Doreen Yuan: “Teleporting”

I have the ability to transmit, but one day, I found that I couldn’t transmit from the bedroom to the living room, but because the living room and the kitchen are in the same place, so I went to the kitchen first, and found that the gas in the kitchen leaked, the gas entered the living room with the air, and there is a furnace in the living room, if I come to the living room, I will turn on the fire, and then because carbon monoxide and gas are combustible as a result, the whole living room will explode, and I will die, so my transmission ability will not allow me to go directly to the living room, only to the kitchen, where I will find gas leakage, I will not light up, but I will open the window to breathe.

Quintus Ni:

. . . He was warning me, “If you try to teleport your grandfather, I will kill all of your family.” I was scared. I don’t know what can I do. My third vision mind was back to my head. I was screaming, while I heard an evil voice say, “The sacrifice begins now.” “Ahhhhhh!”

Finally, I wake up, “Just a nightmare. Don’t worry about that, Quintus.” I was talking by myself.

What’s Your Perfect View?

January 31, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

Ms. Zachik asked bloggers to describe their “perfect view.” James Zheng curated the responses.

When recalling our precious memories, there are plenty of moments worthy of sharing with others. And, when it comes to the perfect views we’ve had or wish to have, we have either visualized or gone within the mind to gather the memory shards, and written out the spectacles we admired.–Wednesday Writing Prompt Editor: James Zheng

Quintus’s Perfect View:

Hundreds of flowers blooming, thousands of animals lying in the sunshine. During the night, fireworks run into the sky, people watch fabulous shadow play, children eat cotton candy.

Renée: My Perfect View

Colors, mountains, water flowing

Skies free of pollution

Life quiet but abundant

Doreen: My perfect view is . . .

. . . when I stand on the stage, when the spotlight shines on my body, and there are all people at the foot of the stage. . . . There is a clear little light powder floating around in front of me, like essence. Spirit. At that moment, I felt like I was in a mirage, and I was trapped in the darkness, only I was illuminated by elves in a small piece of light, and only I alone could see these tiny elves.

James: My perfect view . . .

. . . is the view from the Earth. The galaxy is a silver-white ring that goes around the heavens. The wonderfully beautiful sight is the result of countless stars. It was once a fanciful picture within my imagination, but when I actually viewed a picture of the galaxy, it was one of the most absolutely perfect views I had ever seen.

Chelsea: My perfect view . . .

. . . is when I’m on the top of the mountain feeling the wind passing beside my face. I’d love to take a picture of the view and paint it afterwards. . . . I always have a feeling that I want to freefall.

Luke: In my perfect view, I’m sitting on my luxury Yacht in the arctic ocean approaching my secret skyscraper situated on the North Pole. An Adélie penguin from the South Pole is hopping and waving at me. That’s my pet named “Green Alien from Toy Story.” In the background, I see the STARS and Santa’s place of business (shh, don’t tell).

Katelin:

I am standing on a hill facing a forest. I am only allowed in the forest on Wednesdays when the class walks through the forest and the teacher teaches us to appreciate the trees around us. I turn to the right, and there is a parking lot. Cars pull in and out as parents drop their children off at the school. I see my mom and dad leave school, headed to their work. I turn to the right again. There are woods in front of me. The tree trunks of the woods are larger than the trees of the forest; they have been there for a while. We call these woods, “The Bunny Woods,” because someone from a few grades ahead of me claimed to see a rabbit in the woods. I can see the soccer fields just past the woods; there is no wall between the school and field yet. If I turned right again, I would see the playground. It is something I cannot remember in full detail, but I remember the swings. They were a set of 6; 4 were painted black, and 2 were painted blue. To the right and straight ahead was a small school. The hill I am standing on freezes over during the winter, and children at school bring sleds and slide down the hill.

The Review of Fate/Zero

January 30, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

James’s response, when Editor Chelsea ordered him to “Write about animation!” was to turn to Fate Zero (or FZ for the cool people).

By James Zheng

FZ is one of the most outstanding works in the modern anime realm. Many kinds of fictional elements in its works are beloved by the audience, making it a pioneer in the early fantasy-themed animation. After the publication of this work, the Fate series came out as a hit and became one of the most influential works in the animation industry. Its follow-up also extended the game in the basic concept of Fate.

FZ is originally written by Urobuchi Gen. Gen is famous for his unique style of script writing. His works such as Puella Magi Madoka Magica and Psycho-Pass have an exceptionally high rate in the animation forum and realm. Gen’s works will always give people an immensely eye-catching feeling, as well as a completely unexpected story turning point. The extent of story innovation completely captivates the audience and the audience wants to see one episode after another. In 2011, Ufotable produced FZ and released Aniplex. With its overall quality guaranteed, FZ is made into two seasons.

FZ was written before fate / stay night and serves as a sequel, and its story revolves around a crucial object, the Holy Grail. Its power can realize anyone’s wishes. In order to fight for the capture of the Holy Grail, seven participants are required to summon their servants to fight each other. Only one survivor can get the power of the Holy Grail. These servants are all designed based on real historical figures in history, like Alexander the Great, King Arthur, Gilgamesh. Each has different abilities. Due to distinct backgrounds each participant shares, they fight only for their own purposes and beliefs. Kiritsugu Emiya, the protagonist of the story, has a stronger desire for the Holy Grail than anyone and vows to use any means to win it.

The most extraordinary feature of FZ is not only the 3D fighting scenes in which it invested a lot of money, but also it has the gorgeous special effects that make every battle and action scene give people a strong visual enjoyment and an intense sense of reality. Every movement seems to be dynamically smooth.

There is one moment in the story of FZ that contains thought-provoking content that feels like bringing a new dimension. Kirei Kotomine, the antagonist, accidentally participated in the war, but he doesn’t know what he is fighting for. He grew up in a religious family where he was extremely restricted and chained mentally and physically, which caused a defect in his personality. He is numb to everything around him and has a hollow heart. As the twist appears (which is when Gilgamesh, his mentor’s servant convinces Kotomine to find his “essence”), his nature and pursuit of “pleasure” is enlarged. Kotomine eventually betrays his teacher.

FZ has achieved great success in depicting each character. Its borrowing of images of characters from history, such as Alexander the Great and Gilgamesh, achieve an unforgettable impression within the audience.

But the content of FZ is not meant to be fit for everyone. Some of the elements express both transparent and metaphoric satire on humanity and society, and some of them are controversial. But that’s why I recommend it; the whole story could be philosophical. I also think that it’s just a show after all, and we shouldn’t take it seriously. Just enjoy what they bring to us visually.

*Just a reminder Fate/Zero contains occasional violence content and is recommended for those who are seventeen or older.

Animation Editor: Chelsea

What If . . . you are so vital to history, time travelers have been doing everything they can to keep you alive?

January 29, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

In a “Writing Prompts” compilation, Ms. Zachik found the following:

Prompt: “You have narrowly avoided death dozens of times by sheer coincidence. Later, you learn it wasn’t a coincidence; you are so vital to history, time travelers have been doing everything they can to keep you alive.”

Ms. Zachik asked thebirdonfire.org bloggers to contemplate what their time-traveling life would look like. Here are their responses. The excerpts were curated by Editor Quintus Ni.

I came to this world 19 years ago~

I entered primary school when I was 7 years old..

Then I joined middle school when I was 12 years old.

The years go by so fast. When I was 14 years old, that was my first time coming to the United States as an international student..

From 2014 to 2019, my personal life was just like an adventure. I lost lots of happy time with my family; I said lots of “Good Bye’s” to lots of people. Some of them, after I said “good bye,” we never met again…like my grandfather. I missed lots of festivals…I already forgot when it was my first time celebrating the spring festival alone…. Countless nights, I was dreaming of back home, staying with my mom, and hearing her personal stories. So cozy and wonderful….

Sometimes, I regret why I chose to go abroad….I probably should stay at my lovely home, enjoy every day with my family…. If I was a time traveler, I would go back to that summer in 2014. Probably after my mom asked, “Do you want to go to the outside to study?” I would say, “ NO, Mom, I want to stay with you forever..”
If you could be a time traveler, would you want to go back in your history, or keep moving to your next chapter in your life…? —Wednesday Writing Prompt and Time Traveler, Quintus Ni

Bloggers responded:

Renée

Time is a set course. If you go back, whatever you do is what always happened. But what if you could go sideways in time, and save someone else’s world?

Anonymous

I was the only person in this town born from light, not darkness.

. . . .

I step up and shake his hand, agreeing that I will help.

“Sounds like a death wish.”

Doreen

My name is regret medicine. My task is to go through different times and space and create different possibilities.

Chelsea

I am the only person that has a superpower. My ability is to read others’ minds, but the negative side is that if I use my ability too much my brain will explode. As the only person who has a superpower, the government officials have put me on a tight watch and plan on capturing me for human experiment. But I’d rather die than be an experiment, so I used up my ability until my head exploded. I was dead for a while, until they brought me back using a time machine. I am too useful to the human cause, of course. Eventually I am sent to Area 51 where I meet all the aliens and become friends with them.

Luke

Do I even need to write anything about how VITAL I am to history? I am THE™ Luke Langlois. In the year 2525, THE™ Grand General Intergalactic Chief President Supreme Luke Langlois saves the sun people from the invaders of the U.A Inc. (UNITED ALIENS INCORPORATED). In 2327, Earth blew up. Luckily, everyone evacuated to the sun before it blew up. Yeah, we figure out how to live on the sun. No biggie. Also, I am still alive because of cybernetic enhancements. Beep boop beep. I saved humanity. Thanks to the time travelers, the U.A Inc. can’t CATCH ME!!!!!

James

An unknown virus has spread all over to each continent. Scientists claim that this virus can not penetrate into human biological systems. We are told that we are secure. But, after a few days the first wave of victims die. . . . I know the way to cure this virus.

Hypochondriacs BEWARE!

January 27, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org 2 Comments

By Luke Langlois

If you live in constant fear of germs, diseases, amoeba, bacteria, viruses, or various disorders that can transform your internal organs into abstract artwork, this post may not be for you. We are extraordinarily lucky to have an immune system that can effectively ward off the literal gazillions of microscopic villains floating around the rock we call home. Furthermore, the researchers that have developed vaccines and other treatments galore have saved countless lives. But, there are some ailments that (for now) have quite simply stumped the human body. Here are a few of the diseases that have a greater than 99% case fatality rate (CFR), meaning that >99% of people diagnosed with a disease ultimately pass away during the disease.

~99% Case Fatality Rate – Balamuthia mandrillaris: First discovered in the brain of a mandrill in the San Diego Wild Animal Park (frighteningly close), the Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free-living amoeba that causes the lethal neurological condition known as granulomatous amoebic encephalitis. This infection causes necrosis (the injury and subsequent early death) in nervous system cells. While the disease can be difficult to diagnose due to its rare nature, symptoms include severe headaches, nausea, dizziness, irritability, and fever. As the disease progresses, seizures, loss of nerve function, and complete personality changes are common. Existing treatments are often experimental. The only two survivors of this disease suffer from permanent brain damage. In most instances of this disease, the victim had some sort of immunodeficiency.
~99% Case Fatality Rate – Naegleria fowleri: Typically found in natural (or poorly chlorinated) warm freshwater bodies, Naegleria fowleri is a eukaryote straight from your nightmares. Naegleria fowleri is colloquially known as the “brain-eating amoeba” because it travels up your nose and into your brain (by attaching itself to the olfactory nerve). There, it will travel through your brain as it pleases to feed on nerve tissue and rapidly reproduce. The overall condition is known as naegleriasis, or primary amoebic meningoencephalitis. Given its rarity, it is a difficult disease to diagnose, but symptoms include headache, fever, nausea, confusion, hallucination, ataxia (lack of voluntary muscle control), and seizures. Out of 450 documented naegleriasis cases, only seven people have survived. In general, it is a good idea to avoid submerging your head in untreated freshwater bodies. Also, chlorinate your pool!
100% Case Fatality Rate – Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP): This disorder is not a result of a microscopic horror. Rather, FOP is an incredibly rare genetic disorder of the body’s connective tissue. A mutation in the connective tissue’s repair and creation mechanism causes a body’s fibrous tissue to ossify, or turn into bone. Minor injuries can, for example, cause joints to become permanently frozen in place as bone comes into place of muscle tissue. Victims of this disorder are ultimately frozen as the “secondary skeleton” that forms becomes progressively restrictive. There is no cure or approved treatment for FOP, but research is underway. Affected people can live to be 40 years old if properly managed. As it is a genetic disorder, FOP is not contagious, but children of an FOP patient have a 50% chance of manifesting the disorder.
100% Case Fatality Rate – Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies: Rather than being one disease, transmissible spongiform encephalopathies are a group of 100% fatal diseases associated with prions, the most common being Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Prions are misfolded (thus ineffective) proteins in the brain that have the ability to project this shape onto other proteins in the brain, causing an exponentially growing infection. Unlike viruses or bacteria, prions are virtually indestructible. Symptoms include dementia, personality changes, hallucinations, psychosis, and myoclonus (abrupt or jerky muscle movements). Variants of prion diseases can be genetic, but the primary disease, Creutzfeldt-Jakob, is contagious if one were to come in contact with an infected brain. Transmission is not yet understood completely, but know that prion diseases are extraordinarily rare, and universally fatal.

In conclusion, we are fragile mortals. Appreciate your life!

Sources:

https://www.cdc.gov/prions/index.html

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/fibrodysplasia-ossificans-progressiva

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/balamuthia/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/parasites/naegleria/index.html

Health and Disease Editor: James Zheng

A Decade in Review

January 24, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org Leave a Comment

By Luke Langlois

In this era of a 24-hour news cycle, we have a constant amount of information being pushed at us from everywhere we look. Whether it’s our phones, TVs, radios, computers, etc., we are always moving on to the next big story and forgetting about what we read two days ago. As such, I thought I would compile some of the most gripping stories of the decade to remind us of what we may have forgotten over the past years. Please note that this compilation is not all-encompassing.

January 12th, 2010: The island nation of Haiti was struck by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake, ravaging the nation and inspiring a global support effort.
January 2010: Steve Jobs unveils the first Apple iPad. Now, Apple devices are pretty much commonplace in the United States. In 2011, Jobs passed away from neuroendocrine cancer.

April 20th, 2010: The largest marine oil spill in history occurs as the Deepwater Horizon drilling rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. On the sixth anniversary of the explosion, a movie adaptation was released, creatively named Deepwater Horizon.
June 27nd, 2010: The FBI arrested ten Russian spies who were caught living undercover in the United States.
October 13th, 2010: Thirty-three miners are rescued after spending nearly seventy days trapped in a Chilean copper mine. In 2015, a movie adaptation of this event was released named The 33.
February 11th, 2011: The Egyptian President who had held the position for three decades, Hosni Mubarak resigned due to increasing pressure from revolutionaries.
March 2011: The Syrian Civil War erupted after a group of military defectors formed the Free Syrian Army to combat President Bashar al-Assad.
March 11th, 2011: An earthquake in Japan caused a massive tsunami, damaging generators at the Fukushima nuclear power plant. This plant went into nuclear meltdown, prompting the evacuation of about 50,000 residents.
May 1st, 2011: President Barack Obama addresses the nation to announce a successful Navy SEAL raid on a compound in Pakistan, the location of Osama Bin Laden.

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October 20th, 2011: Muammar Gaddafi, Libyan leader of forty-two years, is captured and killed by revolutionaries.
September 11th, 2012: Four United States citizens are killed, including U.S Ambassador Christopher Stevens, after a mob storms the U.S facility in Benghazi, Libya.
October 22nd, 2012: Lance Armstrong is accused of conducting an elaborate doping scheme, prompting his immediate ban from cycling competitions for life.
November 6th, 2012: Speaking of “doping,” Colorado and Washington become the first states who vote to legalize recreational marijuana.
February 28th, 2013: Eccentric millionaire and former NBA star Dennis Rodman travels to North Korea to meet Kim Jong Un, who assumed office in 2011, becoming the first American to do so.

Image result for dennis rodman and kim jong un

March 13th, 2013: Jorge Mario Bergoglio becomes the first South American to lead the Roman Catholic Church as Pope. He assumes the name Pope Francis.
April 15th, 2013: Modified pressure cookers explode at the finish line of the Boston Marathon, injuring more than 250 people and killing three.
June 6th, 2013: Government contractor Edward Snowden leaks highly classified information from the National Security Agency (NSA). Snowden fled the country and was given political asylum in Russia.
December 5th, 2013: Apartheid-shattering Nelson Mandela, South Africa’s first black president, dies at the age of 95.
March 2014: Russia invades Ukraine and annexes Crimea following the removal of pro-Russian president, Victor Yanukovych, by revolutionaries.
March 8th, 2014: Airline Flight 370 of Malaysia mysteriously disappears on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 crew members and passengers on board.
March 23rd, 2014: The World Health Organization (WHO) announces that Ebola has had its largest outbreak in history in the nation of Guinea.
April 2014: The city of Flint shifts to the Flint River as its primary source of water in an effort to save money, leading to the Flint water crisis.
August 11th, 2014: Globally-renowned comic actor Robin Williams was found dead at his home in California at the age of 63.
November 24th, 2014: Sony Pictures Entertainment is hacked by North Korea and has embarrassing company information breached. According to Sony, the hackers intended to push Sony into canceling their movie The Interview in which North Korean leader, Kim Jong Un, is assassinated.
May 2015: An outbreak of the Zika virus spreads in Brazil, eventually moving up into Central America and the Caribbean. The virus was infamous for causing the microcephaly birth defect.
June 6th, 2015: Joyce Mitchell of the Clinton Correctional Facility helps two convicted murderers escape from prison. Both inmates were found shortly thereafter, with one dying in a police shootout.
June 16th, 2015: Donald J. Trump, New York City real estate mogul and reality star, announces his plan to run for President of the United States with a speech at Trump Tower.
June 26th, 2015: The Supreme Court of the United States ruled that gay marriage is legal, legalizing same-sex union nationwide.

July 20th, 2015: The United States and Cuba restore diplomatic ties decades after Fidel Castro’s 1959 revolution with a new embassy in Havana.
December 15th, 2015: Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Disney’s first film from their newly purchased franchise releases and earns more than two billion dollars at the box office.
April 21st, 2016: Music legend, Prince, is found dead in an elevator of his Minnesota estate due to an overdose in the fentanyl opioid.
June 24th, 2016: The United Kingdom votes to leave the European Union (E.U.).
August 5th-22nd, 2016: After controversies over facility quality and possible sanitation issues, the 2016 Summer Olympics are held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

August 26th, 2016: San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick sits on the bench during the national anthem.
November 3rd, 2016: The Chicago Cubs break the “Billy Goat Curse” and win their first World Series in 108 years.
November 8th, 2016: Donald Trump defeats Hillary Clinton in a landmark presidential upset.
January 20th, 2017: Donald Trump is sworn in as the 45th President of the United States

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January 21st, 2017: Hundreds upon thousands of people in Washington D.C and cities around the world take part in the Women’s March to protest President Trump’s election.
July-October 2017: The “#MeToo” movement gains traction as allegations of sexual misconduct emerge against prominent figures in Hollywood.
October 1st, 2017: Fifty-eight people were killed and over 850 injured after a gunman opens fire on a Las Vegas music festival from the Mandalay Bay casino.
October 12th, 2017: President Trump announces that the Pakistani military rescued Canadian-American couple Joshua Boyle and Caitlan Coleman, as well as their children, from the Haqqani network (an Afghan insurgent group), about five years after their capture.
November 15th, 2017: The San Juan, an Argentine navy submarine, sinks to the bottom of the ocean with forty-four crew members due to an explosion inside the vessel.
January 14th, 2018: A teenage girl escapes from her Southern California home, revealing the abuse of her parents to her and her twelve siblings. Both parents were sentenced to life in prison.
February 9th-25th, 2018: The Winter Olympics are held in Pyeongchang, South Korea, in which North and South Korea march under a united flag and compete as one nation.
March 24th, 2018: Hundreds of thousands of Americans take part in the “March For Our Lives” in Washington D.C. as a response to the Parkland, Florida, shooting.
April 13th, 2018: As the Syrian Civil War rages on, the United States, Britain, and France conduct airstrikes against Syria in response to President Bashar al-Assad’s use of chemical weapons against citizens.
June 24th, 2018: Saudia Arabia lifts a law that prohibits women from driving.
July 10th, 2018, Twelve Thai soccer players and their coach are rescued from a flooded cavern after two weeks of being trapped.
September 27th, 2018: More than 20 million people tune in to watch the confirmation of Supreme Court Justice nominee Brett Kavanaugh.
October 2nd, 2018: Washington Post journalist, Jamal Khashoggi, is murdered inside the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul.
March 2019: The Boeing 737 Max aircrafts are banned from airspaces around the world after two crashes in 5 months kill 346 people.
March 12th, 2019: Federal prosecutors in Boston charge at least fifty people in “Operation Varsity Blues,” accusing many wealthy parents of using bribes to get their children into college.

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July 7th, 2019: The women’s national soccer team of the United States wins the World Cup for the fourth time in a row.
August 10th, 2019: Jeffrey Epstein, sex-offender, is found dead in his Manhattan jail cell where he was awaiting trial over his sex-trafficking charges.
October 31st, 2019: The House formalizes its impeachment inquiry into President Donald Trump’s communications with Ukraine.
December 18th, 2019: In a partisan 229-198 vote, President Donald Trump becomes the third president in United States history to be impeached.

End-of-Year Editor: Katelin Mei

~New HeartBeats

January 23, 2020 by szachik@pvs.org 1 Comment

By Quintus

When Editor Katelin said, “Write about New Beginnings,” Quintus went right away to new beginnings of the heart . . . .

Maybe you’ve seen too many tragedies

And had too many grievances

You feared the past and are unwilling to look back

But life is real when it’s full of twists and turns

People get persistent after experiencing pains

And the story hasn’t come to an end

Let’s forget how sad the past was

Open the wounded wings

Put on the fallen crown for yourself

No matter how crazy the world is

We are phoenixes rising in fire

We have new heartbeats after burning

Love becomes vigorous after the hurt

And real after sacrifice

And time hasn’t stopped

Mourn with a smile; death is a precursor to resurrection

Listen to the call of the future; bury the pain and sorrow

Old things don’t matter anymore; everything has come to

A forever full stop

We rose from the dead

We lost and recovered

Old things have passed and all become new

New heartbeats

New Beginning Editor: Katelin