1. Go on a missions trip

This one I’ve already done and I have to tell you that it is one of the most rewarding experiences. I personally went to Haiti, but there are many different places that you can check out to go and help out.

2. See for yourself that the earth is round

This one will most likely take some time but I’m certain that in my lifetime I will have the opportunity to go into space and see for myself that the earth is round. There are already flights that take people to the edge of space so you can experience weightlessness and see the curvature of the earth. Too bad that these flights are too much money for most people to afford them, but they’ll come down in price in the future.

3. Leave something behind

When I say “leave something behind” I mean do something that will stay after your gone. This could be something as simple as painting some graffiti on a wall which will last for quite sometime, or going even further and leaving a book written by you. Something like this may not be much, but someone will find it and know you were here.

4. Set foot on every continent

This one should be a must with how easy it is to travel. Its well worth the experience to see as much of earth as you can including Antarctica. Don’t forget to take a few pictures.

5. Swim with something much, much larger than yourself

In my experience there aren’t many feelings that rival the feeling of being humbled. Swimming alongside a whale shark, blue whale or some other giant of the seas would make you feel extremely small and I’m sure you would feel humbled by the experience. This is something that I cannot wait to encounter.

6. Take part in a triathlon

I choose doing a triathlon for a couple reasons. For one, something like this will get anyone in shape which is always a great thing. Second, triathlons seem to push someone to their limit. They can break the strongest and stop the fastest. Taking part in something like this would push me to my limit and I’m sure that would be a great feeling when you complete a triathlon.

7. Be a mentor to someone

Many people I find go through life without giving back. I believe that truly experiencing life has nothing to do with how much you get out, but how much you put in. With that said, helping someone else, such as being a Big Brother, would create a very rewarding feeling and make a life complete.

8. Climb a mountain

Every now and then I go rock climbing at a gym and getting to the top creates an almost unparalleled feeling of victory. Going one step further would be to climb an actual mountain. For me, it doesn’t have to be the tallest or the hardest, but something that is challenging would be enough to create the experience of a lifetime.

9. Go on a holiday with no luggage

This may not be for everyone as I know some people would lose their mind if they had to travel with no organized plan. For me, it would mean the trip of a lifetime. I look forward to the day when I can just go to the airport, jump on a plane and go wherever and then buy whatever I want when I’m there including food, clothes and whatever else I need.

10. Test drive a car you can’t afford

I don’t mean go look at a great BMW or even a Porsche; those cars are too cheap. I’m talking about test driving a car that is WELL beyond your wallet. Go out and test driving a Lamborghini, Bugatti or anything else that has a price tag of over $300,000. You may want to rent a suit so you don’t look so cheap though.

We found some bottle caps drilled into one of the cut tree logs around us. We added the Bud Light Lime one but the rest were all from before us.

Another image of the beer bottle caps (Courtney took this one)

My favorite beer is Molson Canadian so of course I had to take this picture (we didn’t drink thaaat much)

I never thought about taking a picture of wood after its been burned but I thought it was pretty cool when Courtney took this picture.

My friend has a rock collection… yaaayy…

The following three images were taken at the beach which was part of Lake Huron. There were tons of rocks and drift wood which made for a few interesting images.

Finally, using my macro filter I found a tiny bug and snapped a few images of it.

I hope you enjoyed these a bit. If you want any of these in full resolution, I usually don’t mind if you ask for them!

Below are a few business cards that really stand out for me, as always click the image to see the picture in a bigger size.

Mark Johnson | Graphic Designer

Socialthing | Website Simplification

Wildorb | Website Developer

Solitaire Collective | Design and Photography

Paul Wilson | The Real Hustle Tv Show

Paperplane | Graphic Design

RDA | Carpenter

Blushing Pearl | Letterpress

Hope you liked them.

I’ve pulled together some great wallpapers for you. Hope you love ‘em. Like always, click the picture to get the full sized image.

The Tenth Anniversary Book

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There’s Treasure Everywhere

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Calvin and Hobbes Shallow Swimming

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Bored at School

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The Lazy Sunday Book | Spiff In Space

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The Days Are Just Packed

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The Tenth Anniversary Book

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Yukon Ho

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The Authoritative Calvin & Hobbes

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Oh Boy Oh Boy

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Lets Go Exploring

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Hope you like them as much as I do. If you have never read one of these books I recommend that you go buy one right now. I guarantee you won’t be disappointed.

There are three billion people affected, 250 million people infected and one million people killed every year by Malaria¹. In developing countries such as those in Africa, Malaria kills one in every five children¹ and affects people of all ages and sex. The disease effects are found most in Africa where 89% of Malaria cases take place and, next to AIDS/HIV, is the leading cause of deaths in Africa⁴.

At first, the disease was thought to originate about 10, 000 years ago; the same time that agriculture was being formed. However, new research as recent as June 2010 indicates that this is not the case. It is now speculated that the disease originated as far back as 80, 000 years ago and evolved along with our ancestors before being spread around as human migrated out of Africa⁴.

The disease is caused from a parasite, formally called Plasmodium, which lives in humans and the female Anopheles mosquito. The Plasmodium parasite is a eukaryotic cell and is one of the smallest eukaryotic cells known. To put it in contrast, its mitochondrial genome is the smallest of all eukaryotes; containing only 6 kb and codes only three proteins². The small size allows the cell to live inside other cells as if it were just another organelle, allowing it to feed off the host cell nutrients, multiply itself and even affect the host cell functions in many ways. Even though this cell is so small, it can have dire consequences on an infected person.

There are four different types of Plasmodium: P. falciparum, P. ovale, P. malariae and P. vivax⁴. Once the Plasmodium parasite enters the blood stream it can take up to 14 days for any symptoms to occur. It takes this long because the parasite requires this time to duplicate itself in its host before it can cause any damage. Some of the major symptoms of Malaria are headaches, high fevers, abdominal pain, chills and sweats, diarrhea as well as dizziness⁴. If P. falciparum is the infecting stream, more advanced symptoms can occur including extreme tiredness, comas, kidney failure and anemia⁴. The exact causes of these symptoms will be discussed later.

As earlier stated, Malaria has been around for quite some time and as a result has been researched and studied for thousands of years. As far back as 800 BC, people had associated mosquito bites with fever, disease, and shivering⁶. Modern day scientists have been trying to find treatments of Malaria and, in 1987, Dr. Manuel Elkin Patarroyo developed a vaccine⁶ to battle the Plasmodium falciparum. Understanding the cause of this disease can lead to better prevention, treatment and control of the spread of Malaria. While trying to understand the disease more, it was discovered that the parasite lives in a cycle involving two hosts: the mosquito and humans. It cycles between the two hosts and is constantly transforming into different forms of itself throughout many different stages.

Malaria’s lifecycle starts with the female Anopheles mosquito. This mosquito normally eats sweet nectars and fruit juices except when it is pregnant. While the female Anopheles is pregnant, it feeds off of human blood to supply its future progeny with nutrients. During the feeding process, the mosquito transfers saliva into the human and as a result injects sporozoites⁷ (an asexual form of the Plasmodium which is long and thin) into the human blood stream. Right away these sporozoites are directed to the liver where they enter into the exoerthyrocytic stage.

The exoerthyrocytic stage of the parasite takes place only in the liver. Here, the sporozoites, which are small eukaryotic cells, replicate themselves in the liver cells cytosol. The new cells are called merozoites and are more round than their previous form which was long and skinny⁷. The new merozoites escape the host liver cell to go and infect other liver cells. This process can take eight to fourteen days because it can take long periods of time to replicate the parasite the amount of times necessary. When there are enough newly formed cells, the merozoites are triggered to leave the liver cells. They leave the liver cells by way of exocytosis; they wrap themselves in the membrane of the liver cell and create a transport vesicle. The wrapping of the livers membrane around the cell allows the cell to evade the immune system of the human because the immune system is misled to think it is a liver cell, therefore doing nothing to stop the parasite³. Once the merozoites exit the liver cell, they find their way to the blood stream where they enter into the erythrocytes stage.

The word erythrocyte means red blood cells, indicating that the next stage takes place in red blood cells. Once the parasite enters the blood stream, it must recognize and enter into a red blood cell (RBC). Several signaling proteins are used by the parasite to find where the RBCs are, but what proteins are used in the signaling process is still unknown⁸. Once the protein finds an RBC, it binds to the signaling receptors on the surface and starts the invasion process. Invading starts when the merozoite creates a vacuole from the plasma membrane of the RBC⁸. Using a moving junction, the parasite enters into the vacuole and then enters into the RBC.

Now that the parasite is inside the RBC, it has two main functions to serve: one is to reproduce itself, and the other is to not get destroyed. Reproducing is relatively easy because the RBC provides all the nutrients (such as amino acids in hemoglobin and other proteins⁹) required for replication. Not being destroyed by the immune system is a more difficult. The RBC acts as a shield to any antibody because an antibody cannot recognize the parasite. However, an RBC follows a path around the body and will eventually end up going to digestive organs that can detect and break down the parasite (such as the pancreas). Therefore the parasite must find a way to stop the RBC from moving around.

Red blood cells move throughout the blood stream by rolling and turning. They have proteins (intermembrane proteins) on the surface that helps them achieve this movement. They also have two specific proteins on the surface that help them be stationary by binding to other cells. To activate these stationary proteins on the surface, the Plasmodium parasite encodes a protein called PfEMP1 (Plasmodium Falciparum Erythrocyte Membrane Protein 1). PfEMP1 is a larger protein that ranges in size between 200 and 350 kDa¹⁰. Its purpose is to control and take over certain functions within the RBC, including the proteins on the RBC surface to help the RBC bind to endothelium cells and other non-infected RBCs (termed resetting) initiating adhesion¹⁰ and stopping movement of the host RBC. Figure one shows the modified proteins and how they bind to other RBCs and endothelium cells.

Now that the RBC is in a stationary phase, the parasite no longer has to worry about being detected or moving throughout the body and can concentrate on duplicating itself. At this point the merozoite expands and transform again: this time into a trophozoite. A trophozoite is ring shaped and has a nucleus that divides asexually to produce many nuclei (this form is called a Schizont)⁷. The Schizont then divides to produce many more merozoites.  With so many merozoites now in the RBC, the cell bursts releasing the merozoites to infect other RBCs and starti the erythrocyte process again on all nearby red blood cells. This bursting also releases toxins into the body which produces the fever and chills that are commonly found as a result of Malaria. In further developed cases of Malaria, the sudden bursting of many RBCs creates a drop in the number of RBCs in the body and is the result of anemia. Not having enough RBCs in the body leads to less oxygen transport throughout the body and can lead to increased sweating, vomiting and heartburn.

The final stage of the Plasmodium occurs when they enter a final transformation into gametocytes⁷. A gametocyte is either male or female and resides inside red blood cells. What triggers this final transformation is not entirely known, but it is hypothesized that it happens when a merozoite enters a younger RBC¹¹. A younger RBC is found to be less dense than mature a RBC as well as contain more RNA and still synthesize hemoglobin¹¹. This will provide a better environment for the parasite to develop because there are more nutrients. As well the 10 day transformation is more likely to occur here than in a mature cell because the lifespan of RBC is only ~120 days¹¹. When the female Anopheles mosquito ejects blood out of the human it can also eject gametocytes into its blood stream. The mosquito is immune to the parasites harmful effects, but the gametocytes mate in the mosquito to produce sporozoites. The sporozoites are targeted to the salivary glands in the mosquito⁷, completing the cycle as the mosquito will inject its saliva into the next human it feeds on, spreading the parasite to a new human host.

The Plasmodium parasite lives within the human constantly disrupting cellular activities within the blood stream and liver. It has the ability to make an individual extremely ill and, if left untreated, can be fatal to a human. It is imperative to disrupt the spreading of the parasite and treat the infected before it causes more damage. For decades, researchers have been looking for treatments for the disease with some success. The drug of choice, for its availability and effectiveness on most strains of Plasmodium, is Chloroquine. Taken worldwide, Chloroquine enters a RBC by diffusion, and then transforms itself so it can no longer diffuse. Once permanently inside the cell, Chloroquine caps hemozoin¹², which is a toxic byproduct of Plasmodium. Hemozoin is normally broken down, but with a cap on it, Plasmodium parasites can no longer break down leading to a buildup of the toxin¹². This buildup serves fatal to the parasite and it eventually dies. Unfortunately, newer streams of Plasmodium are arising and the effectiveness of Chloroquine is slowly becoming weaker. Newer drugs are being researched, but are more expensive and they tend to be effective on single streams of the parasite.

The best way to stop the spread is through preventative measures. Something as simple as using a mosquito net at night can block mosquitos from transferring the parasite. In the most affected areas, these can be very expensive, but more initiatives are being brought forward to help make mosquito nets more affordable for developing countries where malaria is most prominent. Also, malaria pills can help stop the parasite from infecting humans and these are taken as an effective measure before travelling to susceptible countries.

In conclusion, the cycle of the Plasmodium parasite is one that can stop normal function of red blood cells and in affect, cause a variety of symptoms. If not treated fast, the parasite can lead to destruction of bodily function and can be fatal. In order to prevent further spread of the disease, action should be taken to protect ourselves and others and hindering the spread of the parasite from the mosquito to humans.

References

1) No Author (March 2009). 10 facts on malaria. World Health Organization. Retrieved November 24 2010, from http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/malaria/en/index.html
2) Cooper G., Hausman R. (2009). The Cell: A Molecular Approach, Fifth Edition. Washington, D.C.: ASM Press.
3) Sturm A, Amino R (August 3 2006). Manipulation of host hepatocytes by the malaria parasite for delivery into liver sinusoids. PubMed. Retrieved November 24 2010, from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16888102
4) No Author (June 17 2010). New research shows malaria threat is as old as humanity. BBSRC. Retrieved November 24 2010, from http://www.bbsrc.ac.uk/news/health/2010/100617-pr-malaria-old-as-humanity.aspx
5) Dr. B.S. Kakkilaya (No Date). History Of Malaria: Scientific Discoveries. Malaria Site. Retrieved November 24 2010, from http://www.malariasite.com/malaria/history_science.htm
6) No Author (No Date). Malaria. Canada.com. Retrieved November 24 2010, from http://www.bodyandhealth.canada.com/channel_condition_info_details.asp?disease_id=85
7) Malaria: Life Cycle of Plasmodium, Online video. The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. No Date. Retrieved November 24 2010, from http://highered.mcgraw-hill.com/olc/dl/120090/bio44.swf
8 ) David J. Weatherall, Louis H. Miller, Dror I. Baruch, Kevin Marsh, Ogobara K. Doumbo, Climent Casals-Pascual, and David J. Roberts (2002). Malaria and the Red Cell. Hematology. Retrieved November 24 2010, from http://www.asheducationbook.hematologylibrary.org/cgi/content/full/2002/1/35
9) Miguel C Fernandez (May 29 2009). Malaria. eMedicine. Retrieved November 24 2020, from http://www.emedicine.medscape.com/article/784065-overview
10) Noa D. Pasternak, Ron Dzikowski (July 2009). PfEMP1: An antigen that plays a key role in the pathogenicity and immune evasion of the malaria parasite Plasmodium falciparum. The International Journal of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Volume 41 Issue 7, Retrieved December 1 2010, from http://www.sciencedirect.com/science
11) William Trager (June 2005). What triggers the gametocyte pathway in Plasmodium falciparum? Trends in Parasitology, Volume 21 Issue 6. Retrieved December 1 2010, from http://www.cell.com/trends/parasitology/fulltext/S1471-4922(05)00098-X
12) Ernst Hempelmann (November 2006). Hemozoin Biochrstallization in Plasmodium falciparum and the antimalarial activity of crystallization inhibitors. Parasitology Research. Retrieved December 1 2010, from http://parasitology.informatik.uni-wuerzburg.de/login/n/h/j_436-100-4-2006-11-17-313.html

The DNA from a Mycoplasma Capricolum cell was removed and viruses were used to insert a new bacterial genome into the cell. The new genome was differentiated from the original by adding watermarks. These watermarks had the cell’s website, 3 quotes, the name of the scientists involved in producing it, and the alphabet, all coded into it using DNA bases. Once the DNA was inserted, the cell, now called Mycoplasma Laboratorium, recognized the synthetic DNA as its own, continuing cell division and synthesizing proteins. The significance in this lies in the ability to tailor-make whole organisms, by choosing specific genes of interest which could be inserted into the organism to elicit certain functions. Some potential functions could involve the production of biofuels to be harvested as alternative fuels, or the even the reverse; the breaking down of compounds, such as fuels, used in cleaning up environmental disasters like the BP oil spill or sequestering carbon dioxide from the atmosphere to help fight global warming. The production of pharmaceuticals could be aided with these custom organisms by having organisms producing large amounts of drugs. This would lower production costs and raise percentage yield of a compound produced. Because it is so easy to buy DNA synthesizers (ie. off of ebay), anyone with the right tools and the right knowhow could make their own viruses, which could cause a large amount of injury or even death. The fact that there are DNA databases online (NCBI) providing full genomes and even individual gene sequences for free makes, it is even easier for someone to have access to potentially harmful genes. For now its mostly just the scientific community using these databases for research, but eventually screenings will need to be put into place to monitor who accesses what. The applications to these synthetic organisms are limitless and with the rate of advancements in biology, who knows how our lives may or may not be improved.

Cheetah Sprinting After Prey

My favorite animal in the African Safari would have to be the cheetah. There whole body is built for speed: from their tail that keeps them stable, their spring loaded legs, to even their whole breathing system which allows them to take in oxygen more efficiently as they reach their top speeds of over 60 MPH.

The Lioness

The power of lion is one of the greatest in the animal kingdom. I’ve seen videos of lions bringing down animals as big as elephants.

Don’t Mess Around

If the teeth aren’t good enough reasons to stay away, the eyes of this lion may do the trick.

Elephant At The Drinking Hole

The book I was referring to by Nick Brandt was “A Shadows Fall”. The next few images are based from that book, including this one which spots itself right on the cover.

African Buffalo

These beasts scare even the toughest of carnivores with those huge horns.

The Rhinoceros

Final one by Nick Brandt here, he really takes some amazing photos.

Another African Elephant

It amazes me that people hunt these beautiful animals just for their tusks. Shame.

The Tall Giraffe

This picture was taken at a zoo, but it still shows some great detail and I think it was a great shot of an African animal.

Cutest Thing Ever!

The baby giraffe is so cute!

Black and White Zebra

You can’t think of African without thinking of zebra. They are amazing looking creatures.

Hippo Yawning

These creatures are very cute looking, but don’t get too close to them as they can be one of the most territorial animals in African and account for a lot of human deaths.

Nile Crocodile

These hunters are most dangerous in the water and are often found killing any animal that gets too close to them. This is a great photo of them on land.

The Great White Shark

Living just off the coast of South Africa, the Great White Shark is the most feared shark in the world. It can has the speed and strength to jump out of the water up to 15 feet. It does this when it comes up below its prey and nabs it at full speed just before the water breaks. Simply awesome.

Thats all for now!

Porsche 911 Turbo

My favorite car company is of course Porsche. They are one of the best car companies that Europe has to offer and is showered with racing history. The 911 Turbo is my favorite car from this company. The look and feel of this car is amazing and it is a beast under all the beauty.

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Porsche 911 Turbo Sunset

Part two of this beautiful car.

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Porsche 911 GT3

435 HP will get you to 60 MPH in 4.1 seconds and will keep on going up to 195 MPH before it’s top speed is reached.

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Mercedes Benz SLS AMG

The maximum output of 563 hp is achieved at 6800 rpm. The maximum torque rating of 479 lb-ft is reached by the 8-cylinder, naturally aspirated engine at 4750 rpm.

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Aston Martin DB9

Aston Martin was founded in 1913 and remains one of the most prestigious car companies in Europe.

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Aston Martin DB9 Interior

Someone once asked “But is it classy”. The interior of this amazing sports car is very, very classy.

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Bugatti Veyron

Once the fastest car in the world, this car is capable of speeds of up to 267 MPH. It will get you to to 60 MPH in 2.5 seconds and will only set you back about a million dollars.

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Lamborghini Writings

One of the most well known car companies in the world: Lamborghini. This is a macro up-close shot of the writing that goes on the back of their cars.

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Lamborghini Gallardo Superleggera

Yes.

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Volkswagen Scirocco

I think the Volkswagen Scirocco is one of the best designed cars by Volkswagen. I’m happy that they are finally bringing this car back into production.

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Ferrari 458 Italia

The colors in this wallpaper give the picture an old style look and make this car already seem like a classic.

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Ferrari Fiorano

The landscape make this picture great… oh and the car does a pretty good job as well.

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Jaguar XKR 175

My most favorite car of all time is Jaguar XJ200 however I love many cars from Jaguar, including this brand new Jaguar XKR 175.

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Land Rover Range Rover Evoque

Even though they are owned by Ford now, Land Rover has its roots in Europe and is one of the best SUV’s that you can buy. The Evoque looks absolutely stunning.

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Audi TT Clubsport Quattro

You can’t do a post like this without mentioning one of the fastest growing car companies: Audi. The TT has been around for sometime but it still makes for some great photographs and wallpapers.

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Audi R8

Not much to say about this car, its just utterly amazing. The look and sounds of this car land it in my top 10. Seeing it in person makes it even better.

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BMW

I have to say something: I love BMW’s very much as they make some pretty awesome cars and they have a sweet rivalry with Mercedes Benz. However, the drivers of BMW’s always seem to be the biggest a-holes on earth… we get it, you drive a BMW, congrats! Anyways, I like the reflection off the car in the wallpaper hence why it is here.

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Lotus Evora

British car maker Lotus creates some of the most unique looking cars. These cars also some of the best handing on a track and great racing machines.

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Maserati Gran Cabrio On The Docks

Maserati is a division of Ferrari and they make some very classy cars. The Gran Cabrio also has some guts with 462 HP this car will burn away most competition. What do you expect from Ferrari though.

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Rolls Royce Phantom Emblem

Welcome to class of the classy. Roll Royce is known for high quality, expensive cars. There is carpet on the floors, umbrellas that come out of the doors and everything else to accommodate a multi-millionaire.

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I’ll do more sometime, I hope you liked these.

World War II

Welcome to Hell. The picture directly below is of the entrance to Auschwitz: the largest concentration camp during World War II. Over three million people died just beyond the gates. This was just one of the horrors that was left in the wake of World War II. Adolf Hitler’s war machine tried to take over the world and exterminate everyone they deemed an infection to humanity. The Allied forces were fortunate enough to stop the tyranny of Hitler and Germany, however it came at a cost with millions of people dying defending freedom and the land they love and came from.

Vietnam War

The Vietnam War began in 1955 and ended in 1975; US military involvement peeked during 1968. There were over one million people injured, over 300, 000 causalities, and over 300, 000 were reported missing at the end of the war. After the US withdrew, the North Vietnamese had declared victory and there was a unified North and South Vietnam under North Vietnam rule. The end result was catastrophic on the country and its people. Many people were displaced, left homeless, left injured or worse. One of the worst parts about this war was Agent Orange: a toxin the USA used to destroy plants and trees so they could trek through the jungles of Vietnam faster. This was deadly for the foliage in Vietnam, but it also distributed radiation to the public and the soldiers fighting in Vietnam, injuring many and the generations still to come.

Rwanda Genocide

During a dark time in 1994, about 800, 000 people were killed in Rwanda. The massive slaughter took place over the course of about 100 days. It was a conflict between the Tutsi Tribe and Hutu Tribe. The Tutsi Tribe didn’t like the power and lifestyle that was given to the Hutu and as a result, did what they thought was necessary to balance the two groups. The result was many men, women and children slaughtered or left homeless and orphaned.

Iraq War

Starting March 20th 2003, the Iraq War is still going on between the USA and Iraq. Starting with the accusation that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and that these weapons posed a great threat to the USA and UK, the troops were sent in and later captured Hoosein. With many killed, this has been one of the most expensive wars in history and has put a toll on the worlds economy. It is said that by the end of 2011, the troops will be pulled out of Iraq and the country will be able to sustain itself without US military presence.

More..

Troops enter into a helicopter during the Korean War.

Photographers try to capture a moment during a shoot out on the streets.

After a car bomb goes off, a photographer gets the shot.

“You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.”
Albert Einstein

Back to the meaningful graffiti. There are many artists that showcase their talent around town who actually have something to say, and instead of just saying it they put their words into art.

One of the best in the world is an artist named Banksy from Bristol, England. You may not agree with everything he believes in and does, but there is no denying that he knows how to create some of the best artistic graffiti in the world. Take a look at some of his work and see for yourself.

Here is a little video I found of Banksy about what people think of him as well as some of his views on the Bristol Museum.

The official Banksy website.