Skid Lids Helmets

It's helmet time again. I was behind a motorcyclist the other day and noticed a small sticker saying Skid Lid. Though I'd prefer to see a helmet with a bit more coverage, I love the term. And, at least he was wearing one. I continue to be amazed at the number of motorcyclists I see without helmets. A trip to a brain injury unit should be mandatory for those taking the licensure course.

On another twist, Danish police are giving hugs and helmets to bicyclists without. See the video below.

Via Boing Boing

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Banjo Playing During Brain Surgery

"Now you can truly call Eddie Adcock the Bionic Banjo Player --and don't forget Gearhead Guitarist-- as he recovers from some remarkable brain surgeries to control a right-hand tremor.

The three-part surgery, termed Deep Brain Stimulation, involved implantation of electrodes into the brain as well as insertion of a palm-sized battery-powered generator within the chest wall, plus lead wires to connect the two. The technologically-advanced procedure was performed in multiple stages over the month of August in Nashville, Tennessee, at Vanderbilt Medical Center, a teaching and research hospital which is a world leader in neurological studies and surgeries.

Those neurosurgeons were eager to operate on Eddie, with his life-long high level of musical accomplishment and the unique requirements related to his fine motor skills. During the brain-implantation stage of the surgery, he was kept conscious in order to be able to play his Deering GoodTime banjo and assist the team of surgeons in directing the fine-tuning of their placement of electrodes in the brain -- an operating-room 'first'.

According to Eddie, "I came up in music the hard way and learned to be a trouper fast. Some of those early days were pretty rough, and I've been stomped, cut and kicked; but I never went through hell like this -- it was the most painful thing I've ever endured. And it was risky. But I did it for a reason: I'm looking forward to being able to play music the way I did years ago prior to getting this tremor. It means that much to me. I'm far from being done!"

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"My Stroke of Insight" -Jill Bolte Taylor

Firstly, TED stands for Technology Engineering and Design, and "brings together the worlds most fascinating thinkers and doers, who are challenged to give the talk of their lives (in 18 minutes).

Jill Bolte Taylor is a neuroanatomist. I had read about her speaking at TED about her personal experience of having a stroke and watching "her brain functions slip away one by one, speech, movement, understanding--she studied and remembered every moment."
I am so excited that they have posted it to the TED site, so enjoy her fascinating talk.

On this page there was a related video, "My history of Electroshock Therapy" which is the story of a surgeon who has a very intimate experience of electroshock therapy, aka Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT).
Visit TED to view their collection of amazing and fascinating people.