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Know It: Cancer – an in-depth cancer resource

As part of The Oklahoman and NewsOK.com’s new monthly special project, ‘Know It…’, we are proud to present our first topic this month.

Search ‘cancer’ on NewsOK.com to explore Know It: Cancer.

The special Web site is an online resource on everything you’d need to know about cancer – living with it, getting treatment, supporting someone with it, choosing a physician, finding cancer-related events and so much more.

One of the key parts of the site is the hundreds of links that our researchers put together to give you a starting point for any cancer-related topic you are looking for. The Web site also offers interactive forums to discuss various aspects of cancer with other people.

The video player offers vignettes of people who have cancer stories to tell to compliment our comprehensive range of cancer stories told on a very personal level.

Related articles from The Oklahoman and from all over the Web are automatically fed to the page, so whether you look at the stories today or in six months from now, the content will be up-to-date and give you the most current information you need.

Everyone is touched by cancer in some form or another. Know It: Cancer is the place where you can gather all the information you need to help your situation when cancer gets close to you.

- Lindsay Hodges, Web editor

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Did you miss Doctor’s Day?

You can be forgiven for thinking yesterday was anything more than a nice day to watch college hoops.

It was, but it also was National Doctor’s Day.

The American Medical Association uses the day to honor the more than 900,000 physicians in the United States.

“On this day of tribute, Americans can express appreciation for physicians’ continued commitment to providing exceptional medical care,” according to an AMA release.

The nation’s doctors, throughout almost 1 billion patient visits annually, are called to be healers, confidants and advocates, the AMA says.

The organization also says two-thirds of U.S. doctors provide some form of charity care and in 2006 were ranked the nation’s most trusted occupation.

Furthermore, the AMA says:

• Ninety percent of patients say they are very satisfied with their doctor.
• Americans’ life expectancy has increased by seven years since 1960.
• There has been a 77 percent decrease in the infant mortality rate since 1950.
• There has been a 63 percent decrease in the overall death rate for heart disease since 1950.
• There has been a 72 percent decrease in the overall death rate for stroke since 1950.
• There has been a 14 percent decrease in the overall death rates for cancer since 1990.

Do you consider the medical profession admirable and respectable? Do you respect your physician? Are you satisfied with him/her? Drop me a line at The Medicine Bag blog at http://blog.newsok.com/health.

Now back to basketball!

Jeff Raymond, Medical Writer

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The weekly news quiz

It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.

1. According to an Associated Press report, millions of people around the world are learning what language, which some say could become the next global language?
a) Mandarin Chinese.
b) Swahili.
c) Spanish.

2. Besides the Dalai Lama, who is China blaming most for Tibetan protests?
a) Yao Ming.
b) Tom Coburn.
c) House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

3. What last-minute strategy did Sherri Coale use in the first round of the NCAA women’s basketball tournament that paid off in a win for the Sooners?
a) Fouling to stop the clock.
b) Switching to one-on-one defense.
c) Not passing to a star player.

4. Which animals enjoyed an Easter Egg hunt at the Oklahoma City Zoo?
a) Primates.
b) Pachyderms.
c) Reptiles.

5. Wes Brown, Southmoore High School’s first baseball coach, spent the last nine years where?
a) Westmoore High School.
b) Vinita High School.
c) University of Oklahoma.

6. What was missing for a while from J.L. Mitch Park in Edmond?
a) The Edmond band gazebo.
b) A bronze statue of a Girl Scout.
c) A statue of Edmond’s first mayor.

7. A company with offices at Tinker Air Force Base landed a contract to build what?
a) An air tanker.
b) A top-secret bomber.
c) A new smart bomb.

8. Which Kennedy will speak about environmental issues at OU in April?
a) U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy.
b) Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
c) Baseball player Adam Kennedy.

9. Crews worked in Payne County to relocate what historic object?
a) A Pistol Pete statue.
b) A commemorative plaque near State Highway 51.
c) A truss bridge on State Highway 51.

10. An ice shelf in the Antarctic recently broke free. How big was it?
a) 2 square miles.
b) 35 square miles.
c) 160 square miles.

11. Vince Gill played a benefit concert to aid the elementary school he attended. What is the school’s name?
a) Coolidge Elementary School.
b) Cleveland Elementary Arts and Science Specialty School.
c) Hayes Elementary School.

12. What group did Oklahoma educators meet with to discuss ways to help students succeed?
a) Military community.
b) Rodeo participants.
c) Members of the clergy.

13. Sheriff’s deputies in Cotton County set a single-day record for what?
a) Traffic tickets.
b) Drug arrests.
c) Miles driven.

14. A former barista for Starbucks has filed a lawsuit against the company in Massachusetts. What reason did he give?
a) He had to share his tips with supervisors.
b) He now has an incurable addiction to espresso.
c) He disliked using tall, venti and grande as drink sizes.

15. Why have the owners of Cheever’s Cafe decided to restore a 1935 Phillips 66 gasoline station on NW 23?
a) They plan to use it as space for their catering business.
b) The old building will be used to sell gasoline and diesel fuel.
c) It will serve as a Route 66 museum.

How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-A; 2-C; 3-C; 4-A; 5-B; 6-B; 7-A; 8-B; 9-C; 10-C; 11-B; 12-C; 13-B; 14-A; 15-A.

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Week in review

Sometimes it’s easy to miss an event, so here’s a look back at the past week or so to help bring you up to date.

The town trustees of Jones considered disbanding the town’s police department after finding out the police force had joined a union. They were considering contracting with the sheriff’s department instead.

An apartment building in Mustang was bulldozed because it became unstable from fire damage. The damage was estimated at about $1.5 million in the accidental fire. No one was hurt in the blaze.

The state Alcoholic Beverage Laws Enforcement Commission voted to keep a rule that permits strong beer manufacturers to tell distributors how to take care of their products.

An Arkansas proposal to create a state lottery could reduce Oklahoma’s education proceeds by $3.5 million a year. And that’s a best-case scenario, according to Oklahoma lottery officials.

Many city nightclubs scarred by violence are doing their best to keep trouble at bay. All are manned by stalwart doormen. Law enforcement officers blame the violence that happens inside clubs and in their parking lots on youthful immaturity and alcohol, the city’s growing gang problem or the number of guns on the street. But solutions to the growing problem remain elusive.

A plan to keep the state-owned golf course open at Foutainhead State Park may lie in the hands of a tribe that already owns land in the park. The Muscogee (Creek) Nation expressed an interest in taking over the lease from the state.

A gunfight erupted at Cilix, an all-night pool hall at 3900 S High Ave., injuring two people including a security guard. An armed security guard working inside the club returned fire. Investigators believe the motive was robbery.

An explosion at a meat packing plant caused an ammonia gas leak that forced 180 people from their homes in Booneville, Ark. The explosion occurred in the freezer section of the Cargill Meat Solutions plant, authorities said. No injuries were reported.

The Supreme Court turned down an appeal from an Arizona county sheriff who objects to transporting jail inmates for elective abortions.

Oklahoma is predicted to have about 100,000 people with Alzheimer’s disease by 2030, according to data released by the Alzheimer’s Association.

Protesters disrupted the Beijing Olympics flame-lighting ceremony in Ancient Olympia, Greece, and a Tibetan woman covered in fake blood briefly blocked the path of the torchbearer.

NBA Commissioner David Stern, impressed by a tour and presentation by city leaders, said he expects the relocation subcommittee to approve the Seattle SuperSonics’ request to move to Oklahoma City.

A parachute discovered in Amboy, Wash., may help solve the mystery of what happened to hijacker D.B. Cooper. The parachute was discovered earlier this month by children after their father had been grading a road. It was stamped with “307551 … Feb. 21, 1946,” and is similar to one that Cooper jumped from a hijacked plane with in November 1971.

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The weekly news quiz

It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.

1. John Taylor Hammons is making waves in Muskogee. What is the 19-year-old doing?
a) Running for mayor.
b) Training for the Olympics as a swimmer.
c) Building a skate park.

2. Purcell resident Mark Milster recently won his second national title in what sport?
a) Wakeboarding.
b) Forging horseshoes and shoeing horses.
c) Horseback riding.

3. The Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago offers a four-week “boot camp” program to help patients deal with what?
a) Chronic pain.
b) Breast cancer.
c) Dementia.

4. Organizers in Bricktown served what food to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day?
a) Green milk and buttered toast.
b) Green cheese and crackers.
c) Green eggs and ham.

5. Oklahoma City boxer Oisin Fagan scored a second-round knockout last week against Brian Carden of Missouri. Where did the fight take place?
a) Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas.
b) Madison Square Garden in New York.
c) An events center in Oklahoma City.

6. Alan “Ace” Greenberg, the former chairman of Bear Stearns, is a native of what city?
a) Lawton.
b) Oklahoma City.
c) Enid.

7. Safety officials from across Oklahoma are urging state lawmakers to support legislation that would do what?
a) Fund municipal road and bridge projects.
b) Allow people who are assisted by guide dogs to get driver’s licenses.
c) Keep people convicted of arson locked up longer.

8. Forrest cheered up the depressed Sandy as well as other residents at Boys Ranch Town in Edmond. Forrest is a:
a) Boy.
b) Dog.
c) Camel.

9. What did Rivals.com call Oklahoma running back DeMarco Murray?
a) The seventh “best groomed player.”
b) The seventh “scariest offensive player.”
c) The seventh “best post-touchdown dancer.”

10. Which is NOT true about New York’s new governor, David Paterson?
a) He is New York’s first black governor.
b) He represented Harlem in the state Senate.
c) He is the nation’s first legally blind governor.

11. Hobby Lobby stores have pulled plastic eggs from store shelves. Why?
a) They are not selling well.
b) Students at an Ohio university found lead in them during tests.
c) Dealers are using them to hide cocaine.

12. A museum and hall of fame is planned in Chandler to honor:
a) Professional bowlers.
b) Law enforcement.
c) Chandler Baseball Camp alumni.

13. PreHire Screening Services, a company that does background checks on prospective employees for other companies, may lose business soon. Why?
a) New Oklahoma Supreme Court rules may limit access to court records.
b) A Senate bill would prohibit the practice.
c) Companies prefer to do the checks themselves.

14. A group in Durant is looking for volunteers to do what at Lake Texoma?
a) Find children lost while on nature hikes.
b) Clean up campgrounds flooded last year.
c) Fillet fish caught by Texas tourists.

15. What did Lt. Gov. Jari Askins do recently to support the Oklahoma State women’s basketball team?
a) Traveled to Kansas City, Mo., to cheer for the team in the Big 12 tournament.
b) Wore orange face paint while at the state Capitol.
c) Served as honorary coach during a scrimmage.

16. Which state has gotten Oklahoma officials’ attention by proposing a lottery?
a) Texas.
b) Kansas.
c) Arkansas.

17. What action did the Federal Reserve take last week in response to a credit crisis?
a) None, because it believes JPMorgan Chase’s purchase of Bear Stearns is enough.
b) It dropped a key interest rate by three-quarters of a point.
c) It raised interest rates across the board in an effort to rejuvenate lenders.

18. Spring “green-up” is arriving earlier every year, research shows. Some scientists blame it on what?
a) Global warming.
b) Volcanoes in Asia.
c) Too-frequent political debates.

19. Since 1928, OSU fan Leon McDonald has attended every NCAA championship — except during World War II — in what sport?
a) Basketball.
b) Track and field.
c) Wrestling.

20. U.S. auto manufacturers say they are prepared to weather an economic downturn if necessary. How do they plan to do this?
a) Trimming the work force and cutting factory capacity.
b) Making vehicles less expensive.
c) Giving CEOs huge bonuses and looking for foreign buyers.

How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-A; 2-B; 3-A; 4-C; 5-B; 6-B; 7-A; 8-C; 9-B; 10-C; 11-B; 12-B; 13-A; 14-B; 15-A; 16-C; 17-B; 18-A; 19-C; 20-A.

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Week in review

Sometimes it’s easy to miss an event, so here’s a look back at the past week or so to help bring you up to date.

NBA owners are scheduled to vote next month on a proposal by the owners of the Seattle SuperSonics to move the team to Oklahoma City. A letter of intent has been drafted to allow the team to use the Ford Center.

One third of women in the military and 6 percent of men said they were sexually harassed, according to a recent Pentagon survey. There were 2,688 sexual assaults reported last year by people in uniform.

NewsOK.com launched the Going Green Web page, designed to provide information and advice for readers to adopt a green lifestyle.

University of Oklahoma President David Boren called on lawmakers to defeat legislation that would allow concealed weapons on college campuses, saying it had the potential to “create chaos in a crisis situation.”

“American Idol” winner and Oklahoman Carrie Underwood was invited to become a member of the Grand Ole Opry. Her official induction will be May 10.

Chinese troops enforced a strict curfew in Tibet’s capital, Lhasa, after protesters burned shops and cars to vent their anger against Chinese rule.

A national poll conducted by Accountemps, a staffing service for temporary accounting, indicates most executives see Tuesday as the most productive day of the workweek.

A bill that would have created a special license to hunt bear in Oklahoma was killed over claims that there weren’t enough bears in the state. Bill sponsor Rep. Joe Dorman, D-Rush Springs, said he would request a study this summer to determine whether there are sufficient numbers for a controlled hunt.

A financial policy that allowed McAlester’s former city manager to embezzle nearly $500,000 continued for more than a year after he went to prison, and officials are worried a taxpayer lawsuit may cost as much as $10 million.

Sydney Dailey of Tulsa was stabbed to death in what police said was a quarrel with another girl over a boy. The victim was 13; the girl accused of killing her is 14.

The NCAA tournament known as March Madness started. The University of Oklahoma was tabbed as No. 6 seed. Among teams not playing in the NCAA tournament, Oklahoma State University was tabbed as No. 5 seed in the NIT.

Fears about the status of major investment banks — after JPMorgan Chase & Co. bought out Bear Stearns Co. — were identified as reasons global markets tumbled in the week’s early trading.

Hours after taking office as New York’s latest governor, David Paterson admitted to having extra-marital affairs during a rough spot in his marriage. His wife, Michelle, also acknowledged an affair at the same time.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments on the Second Amendment’s “right to bear arms” while considering the constitutionality of a 32-year-old handgun ban in Washington, D.C.

After a rally of about 300 people calling upon state Rep. Sally Kern to apologize for calling homosexuality the biggest threat facing America, she made no comment about the demand but did say she may tone down the rhetoric.

Aircraft diverted from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport because of severe weather landed at Will Rogers World Airport, bringing about 600 passengers to the terminal.

A U.S. investigator said antiquities stolen from Baghdad’s National Museum may be helping finance Iraqi extremist groups.

In the five years since the war in Iraq began, thousands of Oklahomans have served there; 64 have given their lives.

Today, about 2,500 members of the Oklahoma National Guard are serving in the Baghdad area.

Scientists say plants have been blooming an average of eight hours earlier every year since 1982 north of the Mason-Dixon line, and indicate human-caused climate change is a factor.

Consumers have cut back on gasoline consumption by 1 percent during the past eight-week period, as compared with the previous year; what is remarkable is that consumption was expected to be rising 1.5 percent annually to keep up with the population.

Canadian County was listed by the U.S. Census Bureau as the fastest-growing state county between 2000 and 2007, with 18.1 percent growth, or 15,862 new residents. Eight counties, mainly in the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metropolitan areas, grew by at least 11 percent.

Oklahoma Gas and Electric Co. filed an application with the Oklahoma Corporation Commission seeking preapproval to buy a 1,230-megawatt natural gas-fired power plant near Luther. The company wants to recover the costs of the purchase from its customers at an estimated average amount of $2.82 a month.

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The weekly news quiz

It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.

1. The Oklahoman’s OU basketball insider, Scott Wright, says which of the following could affect Blake Griffin’s decision whether to return next season or enter the NBA draft?
a) His performance when double-teamed.
b) Knee injuries.
c) His free-throw percentage in the NCAA tournament.

2. Israel has announced plans to build hundreds of homes where?
a) The West Bank and east Jerusalem.
b) Gaza Strip.
c) The moon.

3. Some parents are worried the frequency in which vaccinations are given to children can lead to or exacerbate symptoms of what disorder?
a) Bipolar disorder.
b) Autism.
c) Attention-deficit disorder.

4. A man from Roosevelt has been spending time restoring what type of antique automobile?
a) AMC Gremlins.
b) Duesenberg Model J’s.
c) Ford Model A’s.

5. According to a report from the Southern Poverty Law Center, what groups are on the rise?
a) Hate groups.
b) Religious groups.
c) Study groups.

6. Youths are competing for awards and scholarships until Thursday in what event?
a) Oklahoma Youth Expo, the world’s largest junior livestock show.
b) American Youth Expo, the world’s largest academic decathlon.
c) Oklahoma Cow Chip Throwing contest.

7. Which female pop singer headlined this year’s inductees for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?
a) Madonna.
b) Cher.
c) Britney Spears.

8. After surviving a serious staph infection, Edmond teenager Max Yardley says he wants to become:
a) A medical doctor.
b) A Catholic priest.
c) A veterinarian.

9. Devon Energy Corp. Chairman Larry Nichols said an early version of House Bill 1804 may have forced the company to:
a) Conduct all business transactions in multiple languages.
b) Fire all managers who had hired illegal immigrants.
c) Leave the state, because it couldn’t pay dividends to illegal immigrants.

10. House Bill 2969 would require state agencies to buy U.S. flags made where?
a) At a plant in Guthrie, the original state capital.
b) China, because it makes the cheapest flags.
c) Anywhere in the United States.

11. Why did authorities close an elevated section of Interstate 40 on Tuesday?
a) A hole was discovered.
b) There was a severe accident.
c) There was an impromptu St. Patrick’s Day parade a few days early.

12. The Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation has made a $6 million gift to the Oklahoma Medical Research Foundation, which will be used to pay for what?
a) Research professorships.
b) Mice for experiments.
c) A new research tower.

13. Which of the following is invading Belem, Brazil’s largest city in the eastern Amazon?
a) Rebels from Alderaan.
b) Washed-up actors.
c) Snakes.

14. Devon Energy plans to build Oklahoma City’s tallest building. How many stories will it have?
a) At least 37 stories.
b) No more than 20 stories.
c) More than 50 stories.

15. New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer resigned after getting caught in what?
a) A call-girl scandal.
b) An AMC Gremlin.
c) Smoking in a no-smoking area.

16. Boeing is protesting a contract awarded to a European company and Northrop Grumman. What was the contract for?
a) Military space shuttles.
b) A quiet fighter jet.
c) Air Force refueling tankers.

17. Legend holds that St. Patrick drove what out of Ireland?
a) Termites.
b) Snakes.
c) Rats.

18. How does the Oklahoma County assessor’s new Web site help users snoop on their neighbors?
a) It has live Web cams trained on neighborhoods.
b) It links to images on Virtual Earth, Yahoo Maps and Google Earth.
c) It includes information on homeowner salaries.

19. Oklahoma State’s women’s basketball team lost to which team in the Big 12 tournament finals?
a) Texas A&M.
b) Oklahoma.
c) Kansas State.

20. Many Oklahoma parents are concerned because of a controversial court decision that ruled parents in what state must be credentialed to legally homeschool their children?
a) Texas.
b) California.
c) Oregon.

How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-B; 2-A; 3-B; 4-C; 5-A; 6-A; 7-A; 8-B; 9-C; 10-C; 11-A; 12-C; 13-C; 14-A; 15-A; 16-C; 17-B; 18-B; 19-A; 20-B.

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Week in review

Sometimes it’s easy to miss an event, so here’s a look back at the past week or so to help bring you up to date.

A jury of seven men and five women decided on the death penalty for Kevin Ray Underwood in the April 2006 death of Jamie Rose Bolin. The jury deliberated for more than eight hours on the punishment phase.

Daylight saving time went into effect three weeks earlier than it has in recent years. The U.S. Energy Policy Act of 2005 extended it in the hopes of decreasing the need for artificial light in the evenings and thus saving electricity.

Oklahoma City is owed $3,671,148 for 77,482 outstanding parking tickets dating from 1998 to Feb. 25. Arrest warrants are issued for those who don’t pay the tickets on a timely basis.

The FBI is investigating circumstances surrounding the sale of 64 acres at Hugo Lake for $110,000 in 2004 and the resale of most of the property to a developer for $500,000 two years later.

Alicia Ochoa, an Indiana woman who was seriously injured in a traffic accident in 2005, is looking for a man who held her hand and comforted her until an ambulance arrived. The accident occurred on Interstate 40 near Canute on June 30, 2005, involving a motorcycle and a pickup used by an oil-field company.

Oklahoma’s two largest cities stand to lose nearly a collective $30 million in sales tax revenues if a measure is approved to redistribute municipal sales tax collections to help small cities. Rep. Steve Martin, R-Bartlesville, said the measure would “level the playing field” for communities that have lost independent businesses and stores, forcing residents to go to bigger cities for shopping and entertainment.

A five-month study by the Associated Press found that the government doesn’t require testing and hasn’t set testing limits for pharmaceuticals discovered in water supplies. Antibiotics, anti-convulsants, mood stabilizers, sex hormones and over-the-counter medicines are among the prescription drug residues discharged in human waste that are contaminating the world’s watersheds, rivers, lakes and oceans. The pharmaceuticals are being blamed for animal ailments and severe reproductive problems in many types of fish.

After having clinched the Republican presidential nomination, John McCain finds himself having to compete for the spotlight with potential challengers Sens. Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Obama, as the latter two continue to battle for the Democratic party’s nomination. “It makes me have to work harder, obviously, to make sure that we maintain the visibility,” he said.

The Southern Poverty Law Center’s report, “The Year in Hate,” said it counted 888 hate groups in its latest tally, up from 844 in 2006 and 602 in 2000. The largest categories of hate groups were said to be neo-Nazi, white nationalist, racist skinheads and those with links to the Ku Klux Klan.

Thirty soldiers of the Oklahoma National Guard’s 645th Personnel Services Company soon will deploy to the Middle East in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. The unit’s troops primarily will be based in Kuwait, but some members also could be sent to Iraq.

Pop singer Madonna, John Mellencamp and the British band, The Dave Clark Five, were among those inducted into the Rock’n’Roll Hall of Fame.

Devon Energy is pursuing plans to build a new “iconic” downtown corporate headquarters — one that would be the tallest building in Oklahoma City. The proposed structure would be at least 37 stories, located on Sheridan Avenue between Hudson and Robinson.

Residue from an engine of the Cessna 500 Citation I that crashed recently, killing five men, has been sent to a bird specialist in hopes of determining whether a collision with a bird or flock of birds might have caused the accident.

Sen. Tom Coburn criticized the Internal Revenue Service for spending $42 million to notify taxpayers that they’ll receive an economic stimulus check if they file a tax return this year. “The IRS should instead ask Congress for permission to use this funding to crack down on fraud and close the tax gap,” he said.

Rep. Sally Kern, R-Oklahoma City, said she does not plan to apologize for controversial comments she made about homosexuality. Kern drew national attention by calling homosexuality “the biggest threat our nation has, even more so than terrorism or Islam.”

At least one in four teenage girls in the United States — more than 3 million — has a sexually transmitted disease, according to a study released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. State officials said Oklahoma’s statistics mirror the national ones.

The Environmental Protection Agency tightened its ozone emission standard, which means Oklahoma, Tulsa and seven other state counties will be out of compliance. The standard was established at 0.075 parts per million, down from the current 0.084 parts per million standard.

Sen. Glenn Coffee, the Senate’s co-leader said state Supreme Court rules blocking public access to court records online has not been received well by many people. “I think it’s a little bit of an overreaction,” Coffee, R-Oklahoma City, said of rules the court said were designed to balance privacy rights and public access to court documents. The rules, which take effect June 10, would block people who file court documents such as an attorney from including personal information such as birth dates, Social Security numbers and home addresses.

A presidential panel says U.S. schools can improve students’ math scores by working on the basics, such as addition and multiplication. The National Mathematics Advisory Panel also advised an increased focus on fractions and some geometry. The panel said the mastery of fractions was important to success in algebra.

Dr. Bernard Harris Jr., the first black American astronaut to walk in space, spoke with students at John Marshall High School, encouraging them to “dream the biggest dream possible.” He said studying math, science, technology and engineering would give them a boost in college and their future careers.

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The pope thinks you’re a sinner

That is, if you excessively pollute.

The Vatican has named the seven modern deadly sins and pollution is right up there.

The full list is:

- Environmental pollution

- Genetic manipulation

- Accumulating excessive wealth

- Inflicting poverty

- Drug trafficking and consumption

- Morally debatable experiments

- Violation of fundamental rights of human nature

According to the BBC News article, “in an interview with the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano, Archbishop Girotti said he thought the most dangerous areas for committing new types of sins lay in the fields of bio-ethics and ecology.”

Catholic or not, it is hard to deny that the fact that the Vatican is getting involved in environmental causes speaks loudly to the current worldwide concern for the future of the planet.

What do you think about pollution being seen as a deadly sin? Should the Catholic church weigh in on this topic or stick to matters of religion?

- Lindsay Hodges, Web Editor.

For more environmental news, see the NewsOK Go Green blog here: http://blog.newsok.com/gogreen

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The weekly news quiz

It’s time to see how much attention you’ve been paying to the news in the past week or so. From The Oklahoman’s news copy editors and designers, here’s a quiz.

1. Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad made a historic visit to which country?
a) United States.
b) Iraq.
c) Tajikistan.

2. Local organization Paws for Friendship takes Nina, a large white dog, to Oklahoma Heart Hospital to help cheer patients. What breed is she?
a) German shepherd.
b) English bulldog.
c) Great Pyrenees.

3. Along with St. Patrick’s Day, the small town of Shamrock is preparing to celebrate what?
a) Incorporation as a town.
b) Its centennial.
c) March Madness.

4. The IRS says that so far this year, one out of four income tax returns have been filed by what method?
a) Fax.
b) Computer.
c) Carrier pigeon.

5. As part of a national celebration of Dr. Seuss, more than 1,000 people in Marlow donned whiskers in order to do what?
a) Get on a reality TV show.
b) Set a world record.
c) Raise money for the local animal shelter.

6. What was significant about Lacy Ramon’s trip with the Norman Tigers to the state basketball tournament?
a) Last year, she was the team’s mascot.
b) She’s won a state title before, but with a different team.
c) She picked up a basketball for the first time only six months ago.

7. Oklahoma City voters approved a 1-cent sales tax for improvements to the Ford Center. When will the tax take effect?
a) Immediately.
b) Jan. 1, 2009.
c) When an NBA team agrees to move into the Ford Center.

8. Now that the NBA has reinstated Chris Andersen, which team has rights to sign him?
a) Denver Nuggets, the closest team to his home.
b) New Orleans Hornets, his last team.
c) Whatever team ends up in Oklahoma City, since that’s where he last played.

9. What was released into the Grand Canyon?
a) Rainbow trout.
b) Tourists in boats.
c) A lot of water.

10. Devon Energy Corp. has sold its oil and natural gas business in what African country?
a) Zambia.
b) Ivory Coast.
c) Chad.

11. OPEC oil ministers declined to boost output. What reason did they give?
a) They are planning an oil embargo.
b) Their wells are drying and they want to preserve as much as possible.
c) Crude supplies are plentiful and demand is expected to weaken in the second quarter.

12. A cowboy from California who has begun a horse ride around the world recently stopped in Oklahoma City. Why is he riding so far?
a) To practice for a cattle drive re-enactment.
b) To exercise a superhorse.
c) To raise money for pediatric medical research.

13. Former Oakland Raiders tight ends coach Jay Norvell has returned to Oklahoma for what job?
a) Tight ends coach for Oklahoma State University.
b) Assistant offensive coordinator and receivers coach for the University of Oklahoma.
c) Gov. Brad Henry’s personal chef.

14. Sen. Jim Inhofe and Rep. John Sullivan introduced legislation to prevent the federal government from recouping money from what entities?
a) Hospices.
b) Hospitals.
c) Haunted houses.

15. What Canadian football team signed former OU running back Quentin Griffin?
a) Roughriders.
b) Argonauts.
c) Eskimos.

How did you do on the quiz? Here are the correct answers:
1-B; 2-C; 3-B; 4-B; 5-B; 6-B; 7-B; 8-B; 9-C; 10-B; 11-C; 12-C; 13-B; 14-A; 15-A.

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