Noah's First Round Of Golf

Noah and I got an opportunity to play miniature golf this weekend and he was as cute as ever.... By the way, we played 36 holes, he got 2 holes in one.... I got 0 holes in one.... I must be a really good teacher.... Yeah.... That's it....

Noah stumped by the swinging log.

Noah lines up his putt.

Noah collects his golf ball after a very tricky putt.

Noah celebrating his first hole in one!

After celebrating his first hole in one, Noah has a moment of modesty.

Noah celebrating his second hole in one!

Noah celebrating his win!

Brown Widow Update

Remember those pictures of the brown widow spider that were posted here last week? I found another one.... It's abdomen was about four times the size of the other spiders that I saw last week. I hate spiders.

Here's a close up of that giant beast.

Mga Kuwentong Larawan: Tales of Hope and Grief in the Aftermath of Ondoy

The aftermath of Ondoy is a visual spectacle of devastation, sadness, and ultimately hope and heroism. I have personally interviewed many of the families hard hit by this terrible disaster, and each time the interview ended, my heart filled with sadness that these happened especially among the poor people. The families thought that telling their stories can somehow assuage their pain and suffering. As a writer and photographer, there is only so much that I can handle lest I begin to question the validity of my faith. Yet, I know that the task of the documentary photographer is to dig deep into the heart of things. I have to make a sense out of this chaos.

What follows is a photographic account of what I have seen when I surveyed the devastated landscape in the aftermath of Ondoy. Each portrait tells the viewer a thousand words, but only those who experienced the disaster can ever know of the suffering and grief they experienced during one of the most tragic natural calamities in recent history.

Mang Boy looks resignedly at his washed out possessions. Marikina City.

Scene after the deluge. The flood reached up to the very roofs of these houses. The residents stayed all night waiting for rescue on top of the roofs. Marikina City.

Cleaning the mud


There is still hope for better days. The good thing about the Filipinos is that they can still managed to smile after the disaster.

Evacuation Center in Barangay Bagong Silangan, Quezon City. The place is now home to some 700 families.



Some children start to suffer from diarrhea, dengue and other diseases.









No food to eat.





Relief goods in very short supply.


Aling Maria Luz Magallanes,53, mother of 18-year-old Muelmar Magallanes who perished during the deluge. Muelmar Magallanes was a hero in this tragic story. A powerful swimmer, Muelmar managed to save more than 30 people from drowning, before a wall collapsed that instantly killed him.






Felix Saloma, 45, survived the ordeal during the terrible night of September 26, when his house was totally submerged by the deluge. He had his common-law wife in a tight grip when he suddenly smashed in a solid wall, severely injuring him. He lost his wife in the flood but hopes that she survived. The wife had already been missing for five days and each day that passes makes slimmer hope that she will be found alive.


Lola Maria, 77, lost everything but hope. No relief goods have arrived yet, though.


Looking for a girlfriend and her sister.


Lolo Mauricio Comprendio, 66, lost all five grandchildren during the deluge:Cielo, 10, Lawrenz, 6, Alyssa, 5, Mark, 3, and a newborn baby whom he only remembers as named "baby". The children's father (Mang Mauricio's son) also drowned. The mother survived but was attending to his husband's remains in the nearby funeraria. Mang Mauricio hopes there will be kindhearted soul who will help him transport his six dead in his native Iloilo.

Take That Dallas Cowboys

Damn it! Chicago is now out of the running to host the Olympic games in 2016! Maybe they'd have had a different opinion if America had a few fans like this.... All we'd do is the stupid wave.... Maybe Jerry Jones can install them in Cowboys Stadium.

Dog vs. Cat - Cute vs. Cute Title Fight

It's like Ali vs. Frasier! It's the 'Thrilla In Manilla' of cuteness! It's 'Bulldog Who Can't Roll Over vs. Thirsty Cat In Sink'! They might be the cutest videos of all time! You decide.... It's come down to a vote by the judges..... That's right..... It's all in your hands now....

vs.

Neurocutaneous melanosis

Findings

On T1-weighted images, foci of hyperintense signal are identified within the bilateral amygdala.
Axial T1-weighted image demonstrates abnormal high signal in the region of the right amygdala.
Axial T1 image demonstrates a focus of high signal in the medial aspect of the right temporal lobe.
On axial T2-weighted images the lesions are not well seen.
There is no enhancement present on the axial T1-weighted fat saturated image with contrast


Diagnosis: Neurocutaneous melanosis


Neurocutaneous melanosis is a rare form of a congenital, nonfamilial neuroectodermal dysplasia in children, who may demonstrate intracranial symptomatology, usually within the first decade of life. It has been identified in patients with von Recklinghausen’s disease and Sturge-Weber disease. The congenital skin lesions may occur as multiple or giant hairy pigmented cutaneous nevi.

The leptomeningeal involvement is suspected by demonstration of melanocytosis in cerebrospinal fluid and confirmed by the biopsy of the brain or spinal cord.

Melanocytes occur normally in the CNS, most commonly in the pia mater covering the cerebral and cerebellar hemispheres, anterior surface of the brainstem, basal surface of the brain and anterior surface of the spinal cord. Benign leptomeningeal melanosis occurs when there are areas of proliferation of sheets or nests of melanocytes without frank malignant change. Malignant leptomeningeal melanosis occurs when there is brain and/or spinal cord invasion or the melanocytes demonstrate malignant changes. Leptomeningeal melanosis is malignant in 40-50% of patients with neurocutaneous melanosis.

Parenchymal involvement is demonstrated as hyperintense signal on non-contrast T1-weighted MR images. The free radicals within melanin are paramagnetic, thus producing T1 and T2 shortening. Lesions generally appear hypointense on T2WI. Parenchymal lesions generally do not enhance on contrast enhanced T1-weighted images, while leptomeningeal lesions usually demonstrate marked enhancement.

Patients commonly present with signs and symptoms related to hydrocephalus. Treatment is palliative, with no significant alteration in the course of the disease.

Medulloblastoma

Findings

The head CT shows an approximately 2 cm mildly hyperdense mass in posterior fossa, slightly eccentric to left. There is mild hydrocephalus of lateral and third ventricles, with small 4th ventricle suggesting a 4th ventricle obstructing mass. The head MRI shows a mass arising from the 4th ventricle with mild increased T2 signal and enhancement. Extensive leptomeningeal thickening and enhancement.
The MRI of the cervical and thoracic spine shows complete encasement of spine cord (intradural, extramedullary) with abnormal enhancing soft tissue (“sugarcoating”). Abnormal increased T2 signal of entire cord compatible with myelomalacia.

Differential diagnosis
- Medulloblastoma
- Ependymoma
- Pilocytic astrocytoma
- Atypical teratoid/rhabdoid tumor


Diagnosis: Medulloblastoma


Key Points

WHO Grade IV PNET tumor
Comprises 15-20% of all pediatric tumors, 30-40% of all posterior fossa tumors (most common site)
1/3 will have subarachnoid metastatic disease at presentation
Presentation usually nonspecific: headache, ataxia, vomiting
Usually 6-11 years old, M>F by 2-4:1
Treated with combination of surgical excision and adjuvant chemotherapy


Radiologic overview of the diagnosis

Classically: Round dense mass arising from 4th ventricle (roof)
CT: Almost always hyper dense, 50% with cysts/necrosis, calcifications in 20%
Dilated lateral and 3rd ventricles secondary to obstruction

MRI:
- T1WI = hypo intense to gray matter
- T2WI = isointense to gray matter
- DWI = restrictive diffusion
- T1 + Contrast = almost always enhancing, usually heterogenous
- Leptomeningeal and spinal metastasis are seen in up to 1/3 of disease, so MUST image entire spinal column