BLOG

Virtual Reality…or at least the virtual reality that we know today began somewhere back in 2012 when a teenage kid by the name of Palmer Luckey started a Kickstarter campaign for his VR headset, The Oculus Rift, that raised $2.4 million. Two years later, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerburg, bought Palmer’s company for $2 billion.

Now that the very short history lesson is over the question comes up “Will Virtual Reality change your life?” Virtual reality is no longer just about video gaming; it holds promise as nothing short of revolutionary for just about every other industry, as well. Today we are going to focus on the healthcare industry.

Healthcare is one of the biggest adopters of virtual reality which encompasses surgery simulation, phobia treatment, robotic surgery and skills training. One of the advantages of this technology is that it allows healthcare professionals to learn new skills as well as refreshing existing ones in a safe environment. Plus it allows this without causing any danger to the patients. So if you get worried about young baby faced student teachers coming in to treat you, very soon you will have to worry no more.

One of the biggest uses with VR is in robotic surgery. This is where surgery is performed by means of a robotic device controlled by a human surgeon, which reduces time and risk of complications. Virtual reality has also been used for training purposes, and in the field of remote telesurgery, in which surgery is performed by the surgeon at a separate location to the patient. The main feature of this system is force feedback, as the surgeon needs to be able to gauge the amount of pressure to use when performing a delicate procedure.

As with every new technology, of course, there are some issues of time delay or latency which is a serious concern as any delay, even a fraction of a second, can throw a surgeon and interrupt the procedure. Hence there needs to be precise force feedback in place to prevent this.

Another great use for virtual reality is in PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) with veterans or really anyone with the symptom. Clinicians can place patients within realistic and immersive scenes that can trigger anxieties or fear within the patient. The patient can then be guided through the scene so that they can cope with the situation within which they are placed.

All in all this is a very new technology that is just getting the ice burg tipped in its applications.  And as said before, with any new technology there are going to be kinks. In the digital age we live in it is great to know that a technology mainly invented for gaming and the potential for an augmented life out side our own. People much smarter than me can take it and adapt it to help people and potentially make their lives better. How do you feel about Virtual Reality? Would you use it to help change your life?

Houston, the Patriots have landed! Just when you thought the Atlanta Falcons would win their very first Super Bowl, Tom Brady and the New England Patriots come back from half time with an incredible performance. History was made at Super Bowl LI for being the first time a Super Bowl game went into overtime. The Patriots were down 28-3, Tom Brady makes a historic comeback rallying 25 points and scoring the two point conversion that tied the game. The Patriots had the ball, and as they had done so many times in Brady’s career, marched down the field going 75 yards in 8 plays and winning on James White’s 2–yard touchdown run. Brady set a new record with 5 Super Bowl wins and 4 MVP’s. Did Tom Brady just cement his legacy as the greatest quarterback of all time??

The Pro Football Hall of Fame Class of 2017 was announced and there were a few surprises. The biggest surprises were when former Wide Receiver Terrell Owens and former Safety Brian Dawkins did not make it in. The class did have a pair of inductees from the running back position in both LaDainian Tomlinson and Terrell Davis. Quarterback Kurt Warner, Kicker Morten Anderson, Safety Kenny Easly, DE Jason Taylor, and owner Jerry Jones of the Dallas Cowboys were a few others that were also inducted into the Hall of Fame. “LT” LaDainian Tomlinson was one of the bigger highlights as it was his first year for eligibility and a no brainer that he got in, as he was consistently one of the best Running Backs in the league for majority of his career while he was with the San Diego Chargers.

So all in all this 2016/2017 season has brought us a whole lot of thrills, chills, and wows. There were teams that were undefeated or only having one loss that did not make it to the playoffs or lost just after the 1st round. Tom Brady, now 39 years old, is the oldest QB in the NFL and has no plans of retiring after winning Super Bowl LI, but will embark on the next season and play all 12 games. He is definitely a Hall of Fame QB who will be aiming for his 6th ring. Will he do it again? Can Bill Belichick and the Patriots be stopped? This is something to look forward to in the 2017/2018 season.

It’s that time of year again. Winters wrath is starting to wind down into Spring. But its not quite time to completely let go of the warming comfort foods in these inconsistent forecasts. That why I did some digging and found some recipes that capture the best of both seasons.

Let’s start with a tangy appetizer that has just enough heat to warm your insides to make the chilly air bearable. I have a love hate relationship with Rhubarb. My mom would make it into pies growing up and after a while I got sick of eating it. But putting it in this Tangy Rhubarb Salsa sounds like a merriment made to be devoured. Give it a go, you will be surprised!

Rolling into the side dish is this Sweet Pea Risotto. When I think spring I think fresh flavors and not much epitomized that like biting into a fresh, sweet, baby pea. This Sweet Pea Risotto does it for me yet still is hearty enough to fill you up and keep you feeling comfortable to go out and shovel that last bit of snowfall off your sidewalk.

Its finally time. The main event! Super fast and easy Maple Dijon Chicken. Maple syrup is a massive part of spring. I remember sitting up late at night down in the sugar shack boiling off sap and turning it into liquid gold. It’s an extremely versatile ingredient that can be used for a lot more than just drizzle over breakfast breads. The only downfall would be that the syrup will cost more than your chicken will. But its worth it!