Through the Eyes of a Fighter

The theme of this story is:

Persistence and Sacrifice

To get in the mood for this, please watch the following 24 second video clip:



Now THAT'S exactly what this is going to be about. This blog is going to take you on a journey. A journey through the mind of an MMA (mixed martial arts) fighter during an MMA bout. I will be using fictionalized characters, but the Persistence and Sacrifice will be anything but fiction....if I do my job right, that is.

I apologize to anyone out there who knows MMA (or competes in it) if I don't do my job as a writer, and fail to capture the true essence of the qualities needed to compete in the gruelling sport that is mixed martial arts.

And so, all of the preamble now behind us, let's join our two fighters in the cage. The referee, 'Big' John McCarthy, is about to signal the start of the bout with his famous line:

Gentlemen! Are You Ready? Are You Ready? Let's Get It On, Guys!

MMA Being Ruined By Fans and Refs?

Anyone who has been watching mixed martial arts over the last decade and a half or so will undoubtedly be able to attest to the fact that the sport has grown by leaps and bounds, both in terms of popularity and the level of competition seen amongst the athletes. An MMA fight from 1995 looks a hell of a lot different than an MMA fight from 2011. MMA fights from 1995 looked a lot different than MMA fights in 1999, even. The evolution of the sport has been nothing short of explosive. Rapid advances in training methods and the calibre of fighter/athlete have led to an absolute metamorphosis in the sport. And all of this has taken place alongside an explosion in the number of people taking interest in the sport.

In short, MMA is on fire, and the world is taking notice. Which is great, right?

Er...sort of. 

Ninja Gaiden Sigma Announced for the PSP Vita

http://www.gamefront.com/ps-vita-gets-ninja-gaiden-sigma/

I really, really wish it was Ninja Gaiden Black (the definitive version of NG), but hey, this is still awesome news!

Screens:

New Ninja Gaiden 3 Screenshots

New Ninja Gaiden 3 Screens:

Saving Lives With Biomedical Engineering

When biomedical engineering scientist Erin Lavik received the prestigious New Innovator Award last year from the National Institutes of Health for her work in advancing the development of synthetic (artificial) blood platelets, she was already becoming known in biomedical circles as a rising researcher.

Erin's laboratory at Case Western Reserve University, where she is currently an associate professor of Biomedical Engineering, was attracting attention for its focus on developing new approaches to understand and treat hemorrhaging, spinal cord injury, glaucoma, and diseases of the retina and optic nerve.

Recently (as noted by the New Innovator Award), she and her team at Case Western have received recognition for using nanotechnology -- an emerging scientific field that manipulates material on very small scales -- to build synthetic platelets of biodegradable polymers which are designed to link with the body's natural platelets to slow or stop bleeding faster after injury.

Says Erin: "We were looking for ways to control internal bleeding in our experiments, and we were stunned at how limited the options are, so we built our own system." Synthetic blood platelets made with nanoparticles may help slow internal bleeding, saving lives on the battlefield and following other traumatic injuries such as those sustained in auto accidents.

Can you think of some other applications for synthetic blood platelets?

Read more about AT&T sponsored Nifty Fifty program speaker Erin Lavik here.

And watch Erin's speech on tissue engineering and treatment of spinal cord injury:

Achievements: Earned or Entitled?

Often you'll come across the following type of comments in a discussion about a particular game's achievements/trophies (I'm primarily a 360 gamer, so forgive me if/when I fail to mention trophies when I mention achievements):

Gamer A: “WHAT?!? Beat the game on the hardest difficulty without dying (or any other difficult feat)? What kind of stupid achievement is THAT? How do they expect me to earn that? That's fucking STUPID! Most people won't get that! Why would they make an achievement that's so hard to unlock?"

Gamer B: “Well, shouldn't the people who do that get rewarded for it? I mean, if someone develops the skills/takes the time to do it, why shouldn't they be rewarded? They did something awesome! They actually achieved something.”

Sine Mora: Gorgeous New Grasshopper Manufacture Downloadable Shmup

Check Out This Game:



Damn. 


Gorgeous take on the old school, with a twist (no lives, you are timed, and each enemy killed adds time to the clock).