Hang...

My newest fascination... the Hang. A musical instrument in the idiophone class created by Felix Rohner and Sabina Schärer (PANArt Hangbau AG) in Bern, Switzerland. It is made from two deep drawn, nitrided steel sheets that are attached together creating the recognizable 'UFO shape'. There is nothing inside the Hang but air. The top ("Ding") side has a center 'note' hammered into it with seven or eight 'tone fields' hammered around it. The bottom ("Gu") is a simpler surface that has a rolled hole in the center with a tuned note that can be created when the rim is struck.

Here is a video of Hang Massive duo Danny Cudd and Markus Johansson playing the Hang. http://hangmusic.org/music


 

Source: Wikipedia and YouTube

World Blood Donor Day!

Family members from Colorado, Minnesota and Wisconsin join the

“walking blood bank” onboard the hospital ship Africa Mercy

“Every blood donor is a hero” is the theme for the 2012 World Blood Donor Day on June 14. The humanitarian organization Mercy Ships is taking the day to celebrate the heroic role that numerous blood donors play onboard its hospital ship, the Africa Mercy, which is currently docked in the West African port city of Lomé, Togo.

Pat, Michael and Ben Digmann

Mercy Ships provides free surgical, medical and dental care to developing West African nations, along with health and medical training and infrastructure development. Its flagship, the Africa Mercy, is equipped with a state-of-the-art hospital featuring six operating theaters, recovery wards with 78 beds, a CT scanner, an X-ray machine and a laboratory. The ship is staffed by a crew of more than 400 volunteers from over 35 nations, who pay for their own room and board while serving on the Africa Mercy.

Due to space limitations, the ship’s hospital does not maintain a traditional blood bank. Instead, it relies on a “walking blood bank” of pre-screened volunteer donors who are prepared to donate precisely when needed. Since the beginning of the year, more than 200 members of the ship’s all-volunteer crew have signed up for the added commitment to donate their blood to Mercy Ships patients.

Medical Lab Scientist Ben Digmann of Rochester, MN, has donated blood during his current service onboard the Africa Mercy and during his earlier service with Mercy Ships in 2010. Ben is a Laboratory Technologist with the Mayo Clinic Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology in Rochester, MN. His blood type, B+, is in high demand onboard the ship, since it is a common blood type in Africa.

Four-year-old Ellen received Digmann’s donated blood when she underwent facial surgery to remove a tumor on the occipital bone.

“My coworkers in the lab cross-matched me with the patient, as I was the next on the list of our screened donors of that blood type,” says Ben. “Halfway through my lunch break, my coworker Chris Webb found me to tell me that the OR called for a unit of blood. When the OR calls for blood,  that’s an immediate need that can’t wait.  I got up, gave my half-finished plate to the galley staff so they could wrap it in plastic for me to finish later, and went down to donate.”

Ben’s father Michael and his brother Pat also became blood donors when they recently arrived onboard the Africa Mercy. The two Digmanns were part of a volunteer Mercy Team that completed 10 days of service modifying storage shelves onboard the ship and installing windows in a local church. Michael, who lives in West Bend, WI, and Pat, who lives in Boulder, CO, volunteered to be screened for blood donation. Both men are experienced blood donors, and, like Ben, they have the B+ blood type that is frequently in demand.

When Michael and Pat went to the ward to donate their blood, the other members of their Mercy Team went with them. “The donation process aboard the Africa Mercy was unlike anything I’ve ever experienced,” says Pat. “It was a party! The team was busy enjoying themselves and providing entertainment during the whole event.”

Michael’s donation was assigned to a patient named Lina, who needed maxillofacial surgery. Due to blood loss during the surgery, Pat’s unit of donated blood was also used.

 “I have done over 60 donations in the U.S., and this was by far the best,” says Michael. “I was able to see my unit of blood hanging in the operating room, going into the patient. My son Patrick was able to carry his unit into the O.R. and see it being put to use for the same patient. So my blood, combined with my son's blood, has saved the life of someone in Africa. This is truly amazing. But what is even more amazing is that this type of thing happens all the time on the Africa Mercy.”

For lab technician Ben, the greatest difference between a traditional blood bank and Mercy Ship’s walking blood bank is the personal connection of the donors onboard the Africa Mercy. 

“The blood bank here is a community with a common cause,” he says. “If we don’t have enough blood donors to keep surgeries going, all it takes is one announcement over the intercom, and the lab becomes flooded with willing donors. That sense of community extends to the relationships between the crew and the patients. People here are willing to donate because they see the people who need the blood, and they talk to them, and they become friends. Of course you would give your blood to a friend.”   
                     

ABOUT WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY

On 14 June, countries worldwide celebrate World Blood Donor Day with events to raise awareness of the need for safe blood and blood products, and to thank voluntary unpaid blood donors for their life-saving gifts of blood.  The theme of the 2012 World Blood Donor Day campaign, “Every blood donor is a hero” focuses on the idea that every one of us can become a hero by giving blood. While recognizing the silent and unsung heroes who save lives every day through their blood donations, the theme also strongly encourages more people all over the world to donate blood voluntarily and regularly.

Dogs in Cars

and finally, just a dog playing silly!

photos off Pinterest

Awkward Family Photos

I posted about this site before, but were reminded about this recently... http://awkwardfamilyphotos.com/ 

My Personal (May) Newsletter!

CLICK HERE to read my latest newsletter!

It is full of stories of hope and healing!

Cute puppies might be involved...!

READ IT NOW!

Mercy Ships celebrates International Nurses Day

Why do nurses from around the world volunteer with Mercy Ships? Watch as they explain what makes the experience of working onboard the Africa Mercy so special.

If this sounds like an adventure you would like to try, visit http://www.MercyShips.org. If you cannot see the video below... click HERE!

I once was blind...

K-Love's morning show's Amy Baumann recently visited the Africa Mercy docked in Togo, West Africa. This story captures Amy's touching experience of meeting a desperate mother hoping for the miracle of vision for her blind baby. Untold tens of thousands more suffer with blindness due to cataracts. With your help, Mercy Ships can provide life transforming surgeries. if you cannot see the video below, click HERE!

 

Mexico Lindo y Querido

Playing for Change is proud to share a new song/video titled "Mexico Lindo y Querido," that unites musicians across Mexico and demonstrates the beauty of this great country. No matter how many things in this life may divide us, they are never as strong as the things that bring us together. This is the power of music.

A Seafarer’s Heart for Mercy Ships

Mercy Ships, a global humanitarian organization, serves a very unique mission. Mercy Ships operates the Africa Mercy, a state-of-the-art hospital ship that provides free medical care to the poorest of the poor in West Africa. Cataracts, disfiguring tumors, hernias, cataracts and goiters are removed. Burn contractures and misshapen limbs are straightened. Post-childbirth injuries and cleft lips are repaired.

Thousands upon thousands of children and adults have been welcomed back into their homes, communities and livelihoods thanks to the healing provided by Mercy Ships. While the medical service given free of charge by Mercy Ships is quite visible, there is also less visible, but equally essential, work required to support the Africa Mercy’s hospital and her medical crew.

This “out of view” work is found deep within the Africa Mercy. Her internal systems, machines and mechanics are under the care of a cadre of professional mariners. The individuals who comprise the Africa Mercy’s engineering staff complete rigorous academic and technical training, as well as an extensive on-the-job internship. In addition, they continuously hone their expertise through a variety of professional development activities.

An integral member of the Africa Mercy’s Engineering Department is mechanic/fitter Denis Sokolov. Denis hails from a family with deep connections to seafaring, explaining with his signature smile, “I come by my mariner’s heart honestly. My father was a seaman for 37 years. He and my mother met and married while they were both working onboard a cargo vessel.” When Denis graduated from technical school, he initially chose a land-based career.

He relocated to England to work in an automobile repair operation. While in England, Denis learned to speak English, and he also decided that his true vocation was as a seafarer. Although qualified to work in the shipyards when he returned to his hometown of Klaipèda, Lithuania, Denis eagerly took the opportunity to earn his “sea spurs” by working alongside his father on a commercial vessel. “I needed to log the required number of hours of sea experience for my credentials.

My Dad showed me how to innovate solutions and be inventive about making things work with parts and supplies on hand. This year-long mentorship gave me an excellent foundation, so that today I can tackle virtually any mechanical or machine-related issue,” he explains. Hard at work in the Engine Room onboard the Africa Mercy Denis continued his career as a mechanic/fitter on a variety of commercial vessels. “I was now married and had a young son.

Family and my faith are very important to me, so my priority was to get onto a good ship that gave me more opportunities to be at home,” he confides. The ideal ship for a family man came Denis’ way via his manning agent, a company that matches seafarers with positions on ocean-going vessels. “My agent asked me if I wanted to go with the Africa Mercy while she was still being converted from a rail ferry into a hospital ship.

I was only going to stay for three months, but after sailing with the Africa Mercy on her maiden voyage in 2007, I felt called to continue. My work with Mercy Ships is very good. The engines are like my babies, and there are so many things I can do to be of help,” he remarks. The Africa Mercy has turned out to be an ideal fit for Denis. “I knew that a seaman’s life, in addition to the harsh and heavy work, meant many months away from home and family.

I am very grateful that my work schedule with Mercy Ships lets me spend more time at home in Lithuania with my family, especially our thirteen-year-old son, Dmitry.” Onboard the Africa Mercy, the first things everyone notices about Denis are his kind eyes and warm smile.

His solid build and obvious strength signal a comforting certainty that the complex mechanical systems and components throughout the Africa Mercy are in very good hands. In fact, Denis’ skillful and dexterous hands are important assets in his service for Mercy Ships.

Years of experience have enabled Denis to use his hands with surgical precision, much like the hands that bring hope and healing in the Africa Mercy’s operating theaters. Missy Brown, the hospital OR Supervisor, is grateful for Denis’ expertise and versatility. “The core of one of the OR’s surgical mallets broke apart after years of service. Within an hour, Denis had hand-machined a new core in his workshop.

It is a blessing to have someone onboard who can retrofit just about anything,” she explains. Denis SokolovSecond Engineer Joseph Biney, who supervises all of the engine room functions, also appreciates the consistent professionalism that Denis and other engineering crew bring to their roles. “The Africa Mercy, like all marine vessels of its size and capacity, must meet rigorous standards of mechanical fitness.

The standards are closely governed through a regular schedule of on-site inspections, improvement works orders and compliance checks. Thanks to the steadfast efforts of our fine engineering crew, including Denis, the Africa Mercy was recently cleared for five more years of service.” Prior to going on leave, Denis puts in as many hours as needed to finish up major projects and minimize the potential for any issues arising in his absence. “I try to make sure there are no surprises for anyone while I’m away and that there are no surprises waiting for me when I get back!”

Denis also plays an important role in providing guidance and expert advice to engine room crew who volunteer onboard the Africa Mercy. He mentors young marine cadets who volunteer onboard the Africa Mercy for work experience. In addition, seasoned professionals – like Tim Abramoff, who brings a wealth of welding expertise to the Africa Mercy – appreciate having Denis to consult with. “This is my first time working in a marine setting.

Denis is the ideal ‘go to’ person to confirm my thinking about a course of action or to provide input drawn from his years of experience,” Tim comments. Engine Hand Michael Graham has dubbed Denis “the Incinerator Whisperer,” saying, “Like the horse whisperer, Denis has this uncanny ability to know what a machine needs. The repair I thought I had completed on our incinerator didn’t take. Denis walked by, looked at the flame, touched some pipes, read some pressure gages and declared the fix. Within short order, the right fix was completed.”

The hospital onboard the Africa Mercy is the anchor of the Mercy Ships mission to deliver hope and healing to the forgotten poor. The consistent and dedicated service of long-time crew members like seafarer Denis Sokolov make sure those anchors hold fast and stay strong.

Written by Joanne Thibault 
Edited by Nancy Predaina 
Photographs by JJ Tiziou, Debra Bell

Unfortunate Book Titles...

THANKS for the smile Eric K!