The First College Graduate

The first person who graduated from a college in America was Benjamin Woodbridge of Newbury, at Harvard University in 1652. He was born in England but came to America in 1634 with his brother. He began his schooling at Oxford in England but chose to complete his education in New England. Mr. Woodbridge went on to become a preacher and a poet.

Now 366 years later, one wonders if it's any easier now than back then, to find a unique and fitting graduation gift?

These days there are so many fascinating fields one can go into and degrees one can earn. A short list might include surgeons, doctors, engineers, physicists, astronomers, dentists, chiropractors and so many more.

The more unusual degrees offered these days include bagpiping, bakery science, auctioneering, nautical archeology, chemical hygiene, puppetry, surfing, farrier science, the art of horseshoeing, and fermentation science for those interested in a career in wine or beer.

Whether your loved one chose a typical or atypical career path, they deserve a special gift to commemorate the hard work and commitment to their chosen path in life.

Gifts for Archeologists

Gifts for Astronomers

Gifts for Audiologists

Gifts for Biologists

Gifts for Chemists

Gifts for Dentists

Gifts for Doctors

Gifts for Engineers

Gifts for Optometrists and Ophthalmologists

Gifts for Paleontologists

Gifts for Physicists

Gifts for Surgeons

Book a Vacation on the Moon

Bored with traveling to the beach, the mountains or even a big resort? Why not book a trip to outer space? Experts say we may soon be able to enjoy a champagne lunch in orbit, spend a week lounging on the Moon or take an adventurous voyage to Mars.

Space travel is no longer the exclusive realm of big governments. In fact, companies, such as major airlines, are making strides toward space tourism.  

Gift Ideas: Space Tourism Shower Curtains, Coffee Mugs

Aside from fun and adventure, regular space travel can have many benefits for an ever more crowded planet with fewer natural resources. Once us humans get the hang of frequent space flight, we can colonize and gather much-needed resources such as gold, silver, tungsten, nickel, aluminum and even clean water from asteroids. And unlike mining on earth, we would not be harming wildlife or rainforests.

Some forward-thinking scientists have even proposed traveling to Mars and beyond aboard an asteroid colony.  We could build an entire city inside a hollowed out asteroid while using its resources.  And possibly explore outer space even further than ever before.

So, start saving now as tickets will likely start around $250,000 and go into the millions of dollars depending on which adventure you choose.

Images of Space Tourism & the Future of Space Travel

 

• Human Space Exploration,  space.com
• Future of Spaceflight, nationalgeographic.com
• Beyond Planet Earth the Future of Space Exploration, amnh.org
• Torah Kachur, Asteroid Mining,  cbc.ca 
• Colonization of Asteroid, wikipedia.com
• Space Tourism, wikipedia.com

The Heartbreak of Psoriatic Arthritis, Seriously

"The Heartbreak of Psoriasis" has long been a punchline in the media, used in a quirky 1960's TV commercial, an avant-garde play, and even a hit song.

But, having psoriasis, and especially psoriatic arthritis is serious. Psoriasis is a non-contagious condition related to immune system function and often runs in families. There is no cure, and the itching, cracked, bleeding skin and embarrassing silvery thick scales brings anguish to those who are afflicted. It can range from the occasional small patch with years of remission to a lifelong full-body debilitating condition.

View Medical Images of Psoriatic Arthritis

Patients with psoriasis are more likely to have other health issues as well. These include an increased prevalence and risk of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD), Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis. Also, a common ophthalmic disease in these patients is uveitis.

Ointments and creams are a helpful treatment for those with mild to moderate psoriasis, but, there has been little help for patients with 10% - 100% of their skin affected. Now a handful of immunosuppressant and biologic drugs offer miraculous relief.

Unfortunately, these effective drugs do come with side effects including an increased risk of cancer, tuberculosis, kidney problems and susceptibility to life-threatening infections.

Some patients prefer exploring alternative treatments. These range from doctor-approved treatments such as phototherapy with UV lights, pine tar derived formulas and weight loss, to more questionable 'cures' such as swimming in the Dead Sea, smearing yourself with vegetable shortening or megadosing on zinc tablets. A popular ancient treatment was a concoction of onions, sea salt, and urine.
Avoiding triggers such as stress, citrus, red wine, processed meats, gluten, dairy, and others may help some. These do not work for everyone and require self-experimentation over months or years to see results.

No matter how mild or severe your psoriasis, there is a large psychological toll. Cyndi Lauper, Kim Kardashian, Art Garfunkel, LeAnn Rimes and other celebrities who speak openly about their battle with psoriasis bring a positive life outlook to sufferers.

Along with continuing medical research, the future holds promise for those with psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis.

National Psoriasis Foundation

A small percentage of psoriasis patients develop psoriatic arthritis, which painfully swells the joints, deteriorates bones and eventually deforms hands, feet, and the spine to crippling degrees. This spinal condition is called ankylosing spondylitis.

• psoriasis,org
• psoriasis severity, psoriasis.com
• Mayo Clinic Staff, Psoriasis diagnosis and treatment, mayoclinic.org
• Psoriasis Hall of Shame, pinch.com

Hanami and Sakura Matsuri

From ancient Japan to hipster Brooklyn, Hanami has captivated the minds of artists, poets and naturalists for generations.

Hanami or the Japanese tradition of flower viewing began in 9th century Japan when Emperor Saga began hosting cherry blossom festivals, attended by artists and poets of the court. Hanami became a metaphor for life – vibrant, beautiful, and ultimately fleeting.

The Shinto tradition held that Kami or spirits resided in the cherry trees, until the flowers bloomed and dispersed, heralding the beginning of spring. During the Edo period, Hanami spread beyond the court and became a nationwide event.

Today Hanami is enjoyed throughout the world, notably at the Brooklyn Botanical Garden, where the festival, Sakura Matsuri is hosted yearly in March and May.

Cherry Blossom Notebooks

Cherry Blossom Tote Bags

The Unbreakable Bond Between People & Bees

A Researcher examines a honey bee.

Over thousands of years, bees and humans have forged an unbreakable bond. We find bees and humans on Ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics, medieval manuscripts, traveling on the Space Shuttle and more recently trained to sniff out explosives. 

Nearly one-third of our food is pollinated by bees. Without pollination, we would no longer enjoy the bounty of apples, cherries, cucumbers and most other fruits and vegetables.  

Bees also make honey and people can use honey to heal wounds. Even the ancient Egyptians knew that honey could help heal cuts and burns, without understanding its antibiotic properties. Today manuka honey is used in hospitals and doctors offices to treat severe burns. And doctors are still discovering new uses, such as fighting peptic ulcers.

Unfortunately, bees face many challenges today; from Colony Collapse Disorder, pesticides, mites, and even climate change. Many people are fighting to keep bees alive by preserving their health and environment.  There's even a smartphone app that warns beekeepers of disease in their hives. 

Explore Stock Images & Stock Video of Bees and People

Insect Selfies Note Books and Other Custom Gifts

• wired.com/2011/07/nasa-oddities-gallery/
• pri.org/stories/2015-12-02/what-we-can-learn-ancient-egyptian-practice-beekeeping
• ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2831240/
• sustainweb.org/foodfacts/bees_are_important/
• greendustriesblog.com/greendustries/2012/04/12/bees-and-survival-of-the-human-race/
• cnn.com/2018/01/15/health/honey-health-benefits/index.html
• guides.library.harvard.edu/c.php?g=310733&p=2072758

A Tragic Family of Diseases - Neurodegenerative Disease

There is a family of diseases with two things in common – they involve the death of nerve cells over time and they have no known cure. They are called neurodegenerative diseases.

Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), and Huntington's 

are a few of the more universally known ones. What they have in common is the progressive loss of structure, function or  death of nerve cells - called neurons.  Neurons are the building blocks of your brain and spinal cord. The body cannot replace or reproduce them,  so once they are damaged, they are lost.

Drugs and treatments are available to provide palliative care. Some may slow the progression or relieve or minimize symptoms such as shaking or pain. As these diseases progress, often over the course of years, they become debilitating and lead to the eventual end of someone's life.

Sadly, at this time there is no known cure for any of the diseases in this family.

The only hope lies in fully understanding the mechanism of these diseases on the sub-cellular level and the neuron circuitry of our bodies on a system-wide level.

Celebrities have brought light to this terrible and tragic condition to help move research forward.  These include Stephen Hawking, Michael J. Fox, Neil Diamond, Muhammad Ali, and Janet Reno. Many of them have used their celebrity to increase awareness and thereby encourage hope for the future.

Alzheimer Foundation of America

ALS Association

Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research

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