GorillaOffTopic, Everything But Gorilla Trades

There are so many advances being made now in medical science and technology it is simply mind boggling isn’t it? One such area of medical technology is the area of prosthetic enhancement. These incredible advances in medicine are enormous contributors to the quality of life for some people. We all know this, but how about for animals?

There have been many prosthetic devices created specifically for animals, but never before has there been a prosthetic made for a sea turtle- but there will be soon! At this very moment, a prosthetic flipper is in the works for an injured sea turtle, who lost three of its four flippers, and without at least one more, she will most likely die in the wild. Allison, a 3 year-old Green Sea Turtle, was only about 5 inches long when she was found. Now she is almost 10 pounds and has a difficult time keeping her head up with only one flipper. At three years of age, she is quite young for a sea turtle (they can grow to be 450 pounds and live to be a century old!), and with her whole life ahead of her, there would be little hope for a quality life, while missing 3 of her 4 flippers- most likely due to a shark attack.

Although she is doing fine now and healing well, her outcome for the future looked dismal. “The wounds have healed very nicely. The problem is she doesn’t swim very well,” said Jeff George, curator at the nonprofit Sea Turtle Inc., a 31 year-old turtle conservation facility that treats and returns injured sea turtles to the wild.  Now her caregivers hope to give her what will most likely be the first prosthetic flipper made for a sea turtle. A group of medical professionals and veterinarians have joined together to try to make a prosthetic flipper for the turtle. They include an assistant professor at the world-renowned University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center and the UT Dental Branch in Houston, and they are all volunteering to help this amazing creature.

University of Texas’ Dr. Sudarat Kiat-Amnuay plans to develop the prosthetic using the same kind of silicon she uses to create facial prosthetics for humans and attach it to a stump, which was left on one of the sides where there was a flipper. Her dental expertise is helpful because she is used to working with dental implants that are the size of Allison’s small bones. Kiat-Amnuay plans to use the same technique she would to create a prosthetic nose or ears for a human patient. She’ll use sculpting wax and molds created from a dead turtle’s flipper and then custom fit one for Allison. “It will be interesting and it will be fun,” she said. And “if you’re able to work on her, you may be able to apply it and work on more turtles.”

The Gorilla finds this kind of generosity and compassion mind-blowing and moving. The Green Sea Turtle is truly one of life’s most gentle and enigmatic creatures. Whenever we come together to promote life for another,  whether it be man or beast, we are working in accordance with Mother Nature and God. But, there is still much funding needed for this project! All of these good doctors are volunteering their time, but there are still costs for the actual procedure and prosthetics. If you would like to help this beautiful creature in its quest for a better quality of life you can donate by going to:  http://www.seaturtleinc.com . Allison thanks you and so does the Gorilla!

If you are a tech junkie like the Gorilla, then you are probably well aware of the victory of the new Blu-ray technology from Sony over the HD/DVD format by Toshiba. It was the biggest battle between two video formats since Betamax lost out to VHS in the 1980s. This is great news for Sony and certainly for those who love the new Blu-ray format over HD/DVD players. But wait…the Gorilla has his own experience that warrants a discussion. When he went into the Sony store over the weekend, he was surprised and disappointed that although the technology is being sold in stores everywhere, it has a bit of catching up to do with the race it was so eager to win.

Case in point was when the Gorilla asked to see the current Blu-ray players, there was only one available in the store. Meaning one type being sold. That’s it! So they have the technology and that is just great, but they certainly don’t have the options to go with that technology as of yet. So, what was the Gorilla looking for exactly? Well, perhaps different sizes to start. In addition, Blu-ray is currently not all that affordable right now, and therefore, not that feasible for most people. A Blu-ray player is currently retails for about $399, versus the current HD/DVD players, which are sold for less than a $100 in some cases. 

This certainly isn’t news to most, and when the HD/DVD player came out, it was also a bit pricey for some. That is typical with most new technology, so that in itself is not that surprising. But Sony is still the clear winner of the race, so eventually there will be other options. The fact that the PlayStation 3 console include a Blu-ray drive is one reason the format eventually won out. Sony Corp. sold 10.5 million PS3 machines since its 2006 debut. But the real bucket kicker for HD/ DVD was the last month’s decision by Warner Bros. Entertainment to drop the format and release only Blu-ray discs and DVDs.

“That had tremendous impact,” Toshiba President Atsutoshi Nishida said Tuesday in Tokyo. “If we had continued, that would have created problems for consumers, and we simply had no chance to win.” And there were other contributing factors as well. Warner joined Sony Pictures, Walt Disney, and News Corp.’s Twentieth Century Fox in shunning the HD/DVD, leaving Universal and Paramount Studios in the HD/DVD camp. Not to mention many retailers, such as Wal-Mart, said it would stop selling the HD/ DVD player altogether to carry Blu-ray players instead.

While all of this is just terrific, it still doesn’t give us many options right now. The good news…well the good news is, it will take about 12-18 months for all of the technology to be synced together, so HD/DVD player owners don’t have to go and throw out their DVD player just yet! The movie companies haven’t taken DVD’s out of their stores, and it most likely will be a gradual process for most, so don’t worry just yet, folks. Just like everything else in life, these transitions take time. Meanwhile, when the new Blu-ray players are more feasible to people, most likely, you will love the clear crisp quality picture you get to enjoy, so be patient!

America is obsessed with its celebrities. So what’s up with that? Is reality so unbearable that we’ve become preoccupied with who George Clooney’s date will be on Oscar night? The Gorilla is almost ashamed to admit it, but even he glances at the Enquirer from time to time, when he is in line at the grocery store. You know, just to check out which celebrity has been impregnated by an alien this week. 

So was he on the edge of his seat wondering if Jennifer Garner would be wearing Oscar De La Renta or Roberto Cavalli on the Red Carpet? Well, not so much. However, the Gorilla’s wife sure was! But then again, she is a bit of a fashionista herself, so it is really not surprising. But Americans certainly do hold their celebrities in high esteem. Much more than in other countries, though it is not entirely our fault. The Gorilla would like to put some responsibility on the media. After all, they are the ones who are chasing the celebrities around, watching and documenting their every move for the whole world to see.

Take a look a Britney Spears, for example. The media has made it appear that we are obsessed with her goings on, but are we? Or is it the media itself, who is obsessed? Is this simply journalism or is this exploitation? To the media, it is simply a money-making opportunity. The media’s job is to take pictures or video in hopes that it will make a hefty profit from the tabloids. If we are the ones who are buying the tabloid publications, and watching TMZ, then it would seem that we are creating the demand. But why? Why do so many people care how these celebrities live their daily lives? Some care more than others.

The Gorilla, for instance, can honestly say that he has never purchased one of those cheap tabloid magazines, with the ridiculous stories posted on the front. Most sensible people realize that much of it is garbage and for the most part, untrue “gossip.”  ”We, as a society, are becoming overly preoccupied with celebrities and the fantasy images it evokes,” says James Houran, a psychologist with the Southern Illinois University School of Medicine.  He says that there is a certain amount of curiosity that we all have about celebrities that is perfectly normal. Wanting to style your hair like Scarlett Johansan’s or buy an outfit like Katie Holmes’ is not really that abnormal. But, Houran’s team of researchers from universities in the U.S. and Britain recently identified a psychiatric condition they have dubbed “celebrity worship syndrome,” which is an unhealthy interest in the lives of the rich and fabulous. He says that many people use it as a sense of escapism.

This makes sense to some degree, when taking into account an economy that’s faltering, dissension in the Middle East, and more crime than we can even take the time to read about. We glorify those people in Hollywood, who give the appearance of “having it all,” especially when some feel as if their lives are lacking. Yeah, the Gorilla gets this to a degree. After all, Brad Pitt certainly does seem ”lucky”  to have Angelina on his arm! So the question is; is this “obsession” harmless or are we desperately seeking the unrealism presented by our beloved celebrities? Well, that’s up to you to decide, but the fact of the matter is, the world was always in love with the Clark Gable’s and Greta Garbo’s of the past, and aside from the fact that we have much more media now, things really haven’t changed in this country all that much! We did then, and we still do, love our celebrities in the U.S. We glamorize them to some extent because it is fun and entertaining for us, and as long as you don’t go overboard, rest assured folks, you are probably just like everyone else.

Americans everywhere are giving up on their faith. At least in the religious aspect. Now that is not to say they are giving up “faith” itself, just their affiliation with a particular faith, it seems. A new study released by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life conducted interviews with over 35,000 people, and indicates that more than one-quarter of American adults have left the faith of their childhood for another religion or no religion at all. If you factor in moves from one denomination of Protestantism to another, the number rises to 44%. One in four adults admits to not being affiliated with any religious institution at all. That’s 25% of young Americans who claim no religious persuasion whatsoever!

Much of the study confirms earlier findings — mainline Protestant churches are in decline, non-denominational churches are gaining, and the ranks of the unaffiliated are growing.  ”In the past, certain religions had a real holding power, where people from one generation to the next would stay,” said Penn State University sociologist Roger Finke, who consulted in the survey planning. “Right now, there is a dropping confidence in organized religion, especially in the traditional religious forms.” The Gorilla sat down to think about this one for a while and then decided to conduct his own mini-interviews to find out why people are leaving organized religious affiliations or switching faiths altogether. Here’s what he found; one person interviewed said that her parents were simply too religious and didn’t give her a choice of what to believe so she became sort of “anti-religion.” Another person had the exact same response, stressing the point that the “overly religious” attitudes and values of their parents pushed them too far the other way, causing them to not want to affiliate with any religions. A third person the Gorilla spoke with said that he just simply lost his faith (no pun intended) in the Catholic Church because of all of the misconduct among many priests in the church-including his own. There were various other factors which contributed to these peoples’ lack of religious affiliation, but these were among some of the main contributors.

So does this mean that Americans have in essence given up on God? The answer is a very definite “no” from all of the people the Gorilla interviewed. In fact all of those people adamantly stressed that they had very strong faith in God. It was nothing personal against God per se, their “beef” or dissatisfaction was just with organized religion- not God. They just weren’t getting what they needed from a church or synagogue. The Gorilla personally knows several individuals of the Jewish faith, who say that they “don’t practice” actively because they derive little or no “spirituality” from the faith. (The Gorilla found that many Jews study the Kabala or Buddhism for more spirituality aspect.) So whatever the reason people aren’t staying with a particular religion, the fact is, they just aren’t! Here’s some interesting facts; Hindus claimed the highest retention of childhood members, at 84%! The group with the worst retention is one of the fastest growing — Jehovah’s Witnesses. Only 37% of those raised in the sect known for door-to-door proselytizing said they remain members.

Have you ever  taken for granted that your business and/or valuable files are safe? How often are you backing up your computer files? If not, then when you read this story, you may want to take the appropriate measures. The Gorilla sure has! You see, a Jacksonville Florida woman, Marie Lupa Cooley, saw a “help wanted” ad that fit the description of her job position, with the phone number of her boss so she thought she was being replaced. On the assumption that she was about to be fired, Marie did the worst possible thing to get revenge; police say she went to the architectural firm where she worked on Sunday night, and erased 7 years’ worth of drawings and blueprints, estimated to be worth $2.5 million. Apparently, she felt that sabotaging her entire office and all it was worth, was the best revenge; after all, she was getting fired-right? 

Well, wrong, actually. It turns out, the ad was for the company owned by her boss’ wife, which shared the same phone number, and the position was the same as hers, but again-for her boss’ wife’s company. So not only did she end up losing her job, but she got arrested in addition! All of this damage was done based on a false assumption this employee made, and it almost ruined Stephen Hutchens’ architectural business.  

Hutchen’s told one TV station he’d managed to recover all the files using an expensive data-recovery service. Thank goodness it wasn’t a total loss- just a big scare and major inconvenience. This story made the Gorilla think because after all, it makes you realize just how vulnerable your business can be! Almost everyone who owns a business has their files stored on computers, so unless you back everything up on a regular basis, this could happen to you!

Computer-related crimes, or “cyber-crimes” as they are more commonly referred to, are on the rise today with cyber security being a bigger concern than it has ever been before! If it’s not hackers trying to break in and steal vital information, it’s situations such as this news story, that are becoming more and more prevalent. The moral of the story here folks is that when it comes to your vital cyber information, have an excellent security system to prevent hackers and thieves from getting in, and make sure in case a crazy employee tries to take revenge on you, that you have a “backup” in place. You can never be too careful with your business!

The Gorilla talks a lot about obesity. It is a subject that he feels quite strongly about; especially where children are concerned. Now, folks, we are not talking about obesity, which is caused by certain conditions and diseases, and therefore, cannot be helped; such as thyroid or pituitary issues, which cause substantial weight gain in some. No, the Gorilla is talking about obesity due to over-eating. This kind of obesity can obviously be prevented. 

As adults, we know what is too much, but unfortunately we create many of our own eating habits based upon how we are taught as children. Yes, many people are, in fact, taught how to eat by watching their parents’ eating habits as children. So when the Gorilla sees an overweight child, he feels a mixture of compassion and anger. Compassion for what that child will be subjected to in school and in life (teasing, health problems. etc.) and anger that the parents could have prevented it from happening in the first place! And yes, parents, you CAN prevent it, or at least correct it if the child is still overweight. Monitoring food intake, in addition to the types of food being consumed, is the key.

A new British study for the American Heart Association just revealed that salty foods may be just the culprit that is keeping our kids fat! They say it is the “hidden epidemic in the obesity factor.”  Okay, so please tell the Gorilla this is not shocking news to you! Salty chips and high sodium food make people fat. They needed a study to conclude this? Actually what the study is suggesting is that it is not a direct result of the salty foods, but rather the thirst it causes afterwards, when kids run to get their high calorie cola to quench their thirst. The two in combination, are a potent mix, and neither one is healthy for our kids. Fast foods are the most obvious, with extremely high levels of sodium per serving, and what do kids order with their fast food meals? Soda, of course. Not only is it high in calories, but it is filled with sugar.

Time and time again, the Gorilla sees kids and parents ordering cheeseburgers and french fries with a coke. Yes, the Gorilla frequents these fast food joints on occasion himself, but except on very rare occasions, he doesn’t order that junk!  There are way too many healthy alternatives so parents who let their kids do this on a regular basis (more than once a week) should be ashamed! But, parents, you can do something about it if you start right now. Studies have shown that even a modest reduction of sodium in the diet lowers blood pressure, which increases the risk of later-in-life heart attack and stroke, researchers say.

So, why not order that grilled chicken wrap meal instead of the cheeseburger (sans the fries, of course!) And what about the responsibility of government? Shouldn’t the FDA have to play a role in making changes? After all, it is not actually a hard thing to do. Reducing salt in manufactured foods can be done gradually, without the public even noticing, said Dr. Feng, the lead author of the study, and cardiovascular research fellow at St. George’s. She said a 10%-20% reduction in salt is not even detectable. But what a difference it could make in our diets!

The UK is way ahead of us on this issue folks! They cut sodium in foods way back in 1996, so why is the U.S. so late to the ballgame? Well, better late than never!  The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is going to start taking proposals on March 28th on how to cut sodium content in foods. In addition, the American Heart Association is urging the government to require strong labeling of high-salt foods because of its connection to high blood pressure. Still, this is no substitute for proper guidance from parents. Doctors and health officials say that parents should read food labels and be aware of the amount of sodium, but kids still need to eat diets rich with fruit and veggies. So, c’mon parents, what are you waiting for? You are your kid’s best example…chances are, if you eat better, they will follow your lead!

What would you think if someone told you that you could clone your dead dog? Yes, it’s kinda creepy isn’t it? But then again, if Fido was your very best friend, and you wanted him back (or at least an exact replica of him), would you do it if you knew it was possible? Like the Gorilla, many of you have probably experienced the loss of a beloved pet at some time in your life. The Gorilla’s one-of-a-kind best friend was named “Jack,” and there has never been a dog since that could compare. He was an amazing pet and companion, and the Gorilla still gets a little weepy when he thinks about that dog! But would cloning be an option? 

For the Gorilla, probably not, but a woman in California sure thought so. The woman, who is handicapped has decided to have her deceased Pit Bull Terrier named Booger, cloned from some ear tissue that she has kept refrigerated from the pet. The South Korean firm, RNL Bio, has agreed to clone the dog for a whopping $150,000 (U.S.).  ”It seems that she had a disability and her dog helped her cope with the problem, so she was eager to get a clone of Booger,” the company’s CEO, Ra Jeong-Chan, was quoted as telling the Korean Times. The cloning will be conducted by Seoul National University, while RNL Bio looks after the business side. Ra says that there are many Western countries that will want to clone their pets and he says that he expects to have 500 orders within a few years from the U.S. and elsewhere. Wow!

Apparently, a team at SNU created the world’s first cloned dog, and Afghan hound named Snuppy in 2005. Since then, no teams have been successful in cloning dogs. This will be the first time that a dog will be cloned in a commercial contract. Now, don’t get the Gorilla wrong here, but he is not really a big fan of the whole cloning procedure. Many people feel that cloning, no matter what the species, is morally questionable and some consider it reprehensible. It has always been controversial, but be that as it may, it is not only possible, but it is a reality for those who can afford it.

Well, that’s really not surprising since it seems that money trumps almost everything these days - morals included! You may be someone who says, “I would never do such a thing” and hey, many people feel that way. Add to the moral issue, a price tag of $150,000, and who could blame them? But let the Gorilla ask you this question; if the price tag was more affordable-let’s say- $1500 or maybe $2500 to clone your dead pet…..would you reconsider? Most likely, many of those who claimed they are dead against it for “moral reasons” when it seemed out of reach, would suddenly make an exception. Weird how that works, isn’t it? You decide!

The Gorilla doesn’t get “wowed” every so often, but this new information he came across just blew him away! The idea is artificial brain implants, and not only are they possible, they are probable. It is a tiny robot of sorts that is implanted in the brain to give signals to those who have handicaps. In fact, a paralyzed man, named Matt Nagle, has already received one of the implants from a lab in Providence, Rhode Island. 

He can now move a robotic arm and use a computer by merely thinking, using the signal from the implant. The technology is simply amazing since it only requires a thought. As with all new technology, it is first and foremost for use in the medical field and will primarily be used for handicapped people. However, scientists are hoping it can eventually be used for recreational purposes. There are a lot of bugs that still need to be worked out with the devices and some are being tested on monkeys. Some of the technology, which uses artificial intelligence, can actually make a bionic eye possible for those with macular degeneration. Prototypes are being worked on right now at Stanford University. They will essentially use a camera to import images to the brain to cause people to see, who otherwise would not. 

Some of the implants will have the unbelievable ability to read you thoughts and send signals to computers based upon them; i.e. “find Google” and it will. The technology is simply incredible and the possibilities of what these devices can do are endless. How nice it would be for the Gorilla to simply think “pick beautiful ripe bananas,” and suddenly a big bunch appears! Well, okay so maybe it can’t perform this type of miracle, but for many recipients of this technology, it will be nothing short of miraculous. Simply amazing!

Will you live to be 100? Could it be possible that this life expectancy will be the future norm? Researchers say it is actually very likely! Well, it sure makes sense to the Gorilla. With all of the innovations in medicine and nutrition, it’s no wonder people are living longer healthier lives! The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) now says that the average life expectancy for Americans is at a record high, with 77.6 years being the average. These number were released just Monday and are based on mortality in 2003, the most recent year for which complete data is available. The figure is up from 77.3 in 2002, and that is despite the fact that obesity is also at an all-time high in the U.S. over the last decade (according to the CDC.)

Researchers say that it could be any number of things, which are contributing to a lower mortality rate and higher life expectancy. For one, people are concerned with health and wellness now more than ever before. They actually have a sense of urgency about diet and exercise that they never had in earlier generations. Perhaps it was because they were simply ill-informed proving that knowledge certainly is power. 
Dr. Laurel Yates, lead author of Harvard’s Brigham and Women’s Hospital says, ”It’s not just luck. It’s not just genetics. It’s lifestyle” that seems to make a big difference. “It’s get your shoes on, get out there, and do some exercise,” she said. “These are some things you can do” to increase the chances of a long life.  Surprisingly,  the U.S. has more than 55,000 centenarians, and Americans age 85 and older are the country’s fastest-growing group of older adults.  So, has America finally found its ”Fountain of Youth?” God knows we have all been looking for long enough! This is exciting news people! Perhaps maybe we will see future generations living to be 120. Hey, you never know!

Ah… Valentine’s day; when love is in the air- or is it? It certainly wasn’t in Saudia Arabia yesterday where in that country, the color red is actually banned from use, because the holiday is considered to be a “sin.”  And it definitely was not in India, where a hard-line Hindu political party made it illegal to show any public displays of affection. And while those cases are extreme in measure, in many cases, the day just brings sour emotions and too much pressure in the first place- so maybe the Saudi’s and Hindu’s are onto something! 

On this special day of “love and affection,” why does it seem that so many men often end up acting like thoughtless idiots? And many women just simply set their expectations too high, so what’s a guy to do? It seems you sure can’t win for trying on a day like Valentine’s! The Japanese seemed to have taken some of the pressure off for men. In that country, the women traditionally buy gifts for their men on Valentine’s Day. (Nice change of pace, huh guys?) Among the most popular items in that country this Valentines; Chocolate covered bugs (or at least chocolates designed to look like bugs!)  But yes, in many other countries, the men often get the short end of Cupid’s arrow! It seems that all the pressure to please is haplessly placed upon them.

The Gorilla finds this extremely unfair, and hey, maybe the Saudi’s, and Hindu’s do as well! Could it be, that it is the real reason for the extreme laws in those countries? Who knows, the real deal, but at least those men are spared from the pain and torture of having to “come through.”  Research shows that men really do try hard to please their significant other on Valentine’s day, with over 60% of them buying their lover’s flowers and/or candy. But sadly, there are many single people who suffer silently on this day for lovers and couples.

Somehow, the Holiday is a stark reminder for some of them that “yes, I am ALONE!”  In fact, eight million Americans have actually sent themselves a gift on Valentine’s Day, according to a survey released this month. Who could blame these individuals for wanting to avoid the potential embarrassment of being thought of as somehow “unworthy” or “undesirable,” while their co-workers are being inundated with gifts and flowers at the office. While Valentines Day is meant to focus on love and appreciation, it doesn’t always end up being the case. The telephone poll of 1,000 Americans, conducted by the marketing technology company Bill Me Later and surveyors, Ipsos Insight, also found 6 million people have broken up with someone on February 14. Now that is harsh! You couldn’t have waited one more day? Yes, dear old Saint Valentine himself would cringe if he could see the commercialization and materialism, (not to mention the extreme pressure) that the day has come to symbolize.

Look folks, Valentine never intended for the day to become a “holiday” and could never have known it would become one of the most commercial holidays ever. The good Roman priest was simply trying to purvey acts of goodness, by performing secret weddings to soldiers and their lovers, who were banned from marriage because the emperor at that time didn’t want his soldiers going away to war pining for their wives. The thought was simplistic as was the idea and intent. So why can’t we all just relax and enjoy the day, regardless of whether we are single or in a relationship? And besides, if you are in a relationship, every day should be a new opportunity to show the one you love and appreciate how special they are. Lighten up people. Love should make you want to sing and dance- not scream and cry!