Stem Cell Research for Spinal Injury

The medical world is in luck! A biotech company is going to start the firts ever study of a treatment based on embryonic stem cells. They are planning to use this research to help heal spinal cord injuries. They got permission from the government this week to inject about 10 patients with cells that came from embryonic cells. The patients are paraplegics, which means that they can use their arms but not their legs. Some doctors overseas claim to already use embryonic stem cells, but it couldn't be proven. Embryonic stem cells can develop into any cell in the body, which is really cool. Medical experts hope to use that ability to their advantage by using stem cells to replace muscle tissues that have been lost because of diseases. It seems that once the patient is injected, the stem cells will mature and repair insulation around damagednerves, helping the nerves big time. The study that the biotech company is performing will follow each patient for a year. In addition to this being completely awesome, it will be affordable!
For more information on the stem cell research, go to:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090123/ap_on_sc/sci_stem_cells;_ylt=AtlGdBISV91CGFKkOUOVmkcPLBIF.
For more information on stem cells, (I've never heard of them either) go to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Embryonic_stem_cell.

Obama Gets Inaugurated!

I'm sure you must have seen it on Fox, MTV, or CBS, but Obama got inaugurated! On January 20, 2009, the first Black president was sworn into presidency and probably the biggest house I've ever seen. I'm telling you: this man will change America and make it a better place.
First of all, let's talk about his speech. Wasn't it great? I thought it was absolutely masterful. It blew me away! Did you know that Obama's speech was actually co-written by a 27-year-old named Jon Favreau in a Starbucks? How whack is that? Actually, Favreau wrote a few of Obama's speeches while Obama was still running. Jon Favreau is now the youngest chief speechwriter in the White House, ever. Obama had his reasons for choosing Favreau. Obama knew that, facing our current crises, such as the economy and the two wars going on, he would need to kick-start his presidency my motivating the American people. His inaugural speech could pretty much determine how the public responds to him during his first 100 days. I think that the key theme to this speech was was restoring responsibility. That responsibility includes the responsibility of ordinary citizens to get involved with what's going on around them. This guy, Jon Favreau, has been studying Obama's speech patterns and could write a speech that seems as if Obama himsellf wrote it. That is pretty cool. If you want to learn more about Favreau, go here: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/jan/20/barack-obama-inauguration-us-speech.
Now lets talk about the inauguration itself. It was history in the making! It set a new tone to Washington D.C. Obama's inauguration to become the 44th president took place just days before Abe Lincoln's 200th birthday. The theme for the entire inauguration was "A Birth to New Freedom." The ceremony was held on the West Front of the U.S. Capitol, and the National Mall served as the public observation area. Obama was sworn in by Chief Justice John Roberts, while Biden was sworm in by Associate Justice John Paul Stevens. Obama actually used the same Bible that was used by Abraham Lincoln when he was sworn in! After he was sworn in, Obama recieved a 21-gun salute. Obama's inauguration was so famous, it caught international attention. An inaugural ball was held in London, and over 1,300 people attended. Pope Benedict XVI sent a telegram to Obama to congratulate him. Two major news stations in China provided a live telecast, censoring the part where Obama talks about communism. The Prime Minister of the Solomon Islands also congratulated Obama immediately after his inauguration. That night, Obama attended 12 inaugural balls. That must have been tiring for him. For more on Obama's inauguration, go to: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barack_Obama_2009_presidential_inauguration.

Wow! I know I'm never running for President!

Exotic Species Feared to Invade Great Lakes

Foreign, or nonnative, species could invade the Great Lakes soon and that would cause significant environmental and economical damage. The National Center for Environmental Assessment gave this warning in a study they conducted. They found 30 nonnative species that pose a threat to the Lakes and 28 other species that are already in the Great Lakes and could spread like wildfire. Feared species of fish include the blueback herring, the monkey goby, and the tench. Some of the busiest ports are potential spots for invading species. These ports include Toledo, Ohio; Gary, Indiana; Duluth, Minnesota; Superior, Wisconsin; Chicago, and Milwaukee. There are already at leats 185 exotic species in the Great Lakes, but only 13 are known to have caused harm to the environment and economy. American and Canadian agencies are already being cautious but it seems that exotic species are still arriving in the Great Lakes. Well, all we can do is hope that nothing happens to the Great Lakes...

For more information, click this link:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090108/ap_on_re_us/great_lakes_invasives;_ylt=AvVATGufrEtV_1niZhvE72gPLBIF