Blog 8_Horror disease hits Uganda

There always seems to be a something, whether it be a disease or a natural disaster, that is diminishing the human race; there was the two world wars, SARS, the earthquake in Haiti and many more. Now there seems to be something new: a horror disease that rots away the victim's body. This vicious disease has recently appeared in Uganda, already killing 20 people and sickening 20,000 people in just two months. The disease is passed by jiggers, small insects that look like fleas. Jiggers usually enter through the feet and suck all the blood, multiplying by the hundreds. All body parts affected rot away, including lips, fingers, and even eyelids.

To add on top of this tragedy is that many of the Ugandans believe that this disease was a curse and decide to wait for death, instead of seeking for medicine or medical services. One 60-year-old stated that "For the last three years I have been suffering from jiggers....They were sent to me by my neighbor who wants to grab my piece of land." Due to this misconception, more people are dying than needed to.

Whenever I hear stories about people dying, I try to look on the bright side; there are more lives born than dead each second. Four babies are born every second while about 1.8 people die each second. Although many pass away, many more are born and they all bring hope to this world and make it a better place.


http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20101022/ap_on_he_me/af_uganda_the_rot;_ylt=ApsAgtOwaKeLiCEMvkoZGtbVJRIF;_ylu=X3oDMTJtbWhjN3QzBGFzc2V0A2FwLzIwMTAxMDIyL2FmX3VnYW5kYV90aGVfcm90BHBvcwM1BHNlYwN5bl9hcnRpY2xlX3N1bW1hcnlfbGlzdARzbGsDaG9ycm9yZGlzZWFz

Blog 7_Woman whose house burned down wins $80,000 in lottery

       "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." As cliché as it sounds, it's one of my favourite phrases. Reading about the woman whose house burnt down last month winning the lottery, I felt so happy for her. When she realized she had won $80,000, she was devastated; she believed her lottery ticket was laying in ashes in her house. Without the ticket, she cannot claim the prize. However, life has its ways and she soon realizes she had placed her ticket at her parent's place. Now she can afford to pay off her debts and even rent a new house to live in. It's new stories like this that moves me. 
       Life is never fair and not everything goes your way; we have to take life as it comes. God always surprises us with vast oceans to swim across and tall mountains to overcome, but we have to have faith in Him, knowing he would lead us on a new path, towards a new direction. God has plans for all of us.
      I am blessed with a loving family, the best friends anyone could have, a superb education, and everything I could ever ask for. Sometimes I fail a test and I grow melancholy. Sometimes I get into a fight with my mum over the most trivial things and I hate my life. Sometimes I grow so tired of studying for exams and I want to give up. The thing is, these are merely tiny obstacles in life that we cannot let defeat us.  These things are what will shape who we become in the future. We should always keep in mind that when a door closes, another window opens.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/39581878/ns/us_news-wonderful_world/

Blog 6_Chinese Nobel prize winner's wife detained

    http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/10/china.nobel.wife/index.html?hpt=T1
   On Friday, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese human rights activist who has been imprisoned since 2009, for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights in China." The Chinese government is very upset at the win and is worried that it could harm relations between China and Norway. His wife, Liu Xia, was allowed to tell her husband about winning the Nobel Peace Prize but she has also been detained in her apartment. When Liu Xiaobo heard the news, he began to cry and said "This is for the martyrs of Tiananmen Square." Liu Xia, on the other hand, is prohibited to leave her house, have any visitors, use the telephone or cellphone. However, she is allowed a little bit of freedom-her Twitter. 
    Liu Xiabo and his wife deserve a lot of respect. They believe in their cause and are not afraid to speak their minds. They are willing to do anything to promote their cause in hopes of giving the Chinese people more rights. Even though China is a major growing power today, there is still a lack of democracy and human rights. It's not right to prohibit freedom of speech or even religion. I believe Liu Xiaobo and his doings genuinely deserve this year's Nobel Peace Prize, regardless of what the Chinese government say. He's a role model we should all look up to. Even though he was the one who won the prize, he did not take the credit; he dedicated it to the martyrs at Tiananmen Square. This demonstrates his love for his nation. I hope the Chinese government soon realizes they need to catch up with the rest of the world and allows more human rights.
   Another thought that popped into my mind was that despite the fact she cannot leave the house or use the phone, Liu Xia could tweet. Tweets can say a lot of things and other people can see what she has to say. After reading the article, I have decided to look for her her on Twitter and hopefully follow her as well.

Blog 5_Tennis players who grunt do have advantage, study says

Tennis players who grunt do have advantage, study says

    Canadian and American researchers conducted tests that showed that "extraneous sounds" made from tennis players interfere with the opponents' performance, making their responses  slower and less accurate. 33 students in the University of British Columbia were shown clips of tennis players grunting and they had to figure which direction the players were heading. Results show that the participants were slower to react and more inaccurate. Some tennis players argue that grunting is unfair and should be banned.Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal are the two most well-known grunters.

    As a frequent grunter myself, I believe grunting should not be banned from matches. My coach taught us that grunting helps us regulate our breathing and use our strength more easily. It also boosts our confidence and our stamina. At the start of the match or when I am behind, I grunt. It really helps me.

   Although grunting helps the player, it would definitely extremely unfair if grunting gave the player an advantage and disturbed the opponent. Like any other sport,different players have different habits, whether it be wearing a headband or kissing the court before the game; grunting is also a habit. Nonetheless, interfering with the other opponent is unsportsmanlike. If the results of this study is actually true, then I'm afraid certain rules should be created, such as not making noise louder than a certain amplitude.