WebProNews

Author: Lacy Langley

  • Is Acetaminophen, AKA Tylenol, Causing Asthma Rise?

    On Monday, The Daily Mail reported that children who were given liquid Paracetamol for pain relief, in the form of a drink such as Calpol, just once a month were five times as likely to develop asthma as children not given paracetamol. For those of us who live in America, Paracetamol is just another name for Acetaminophen. Also known as the generic name for TYLENOL! While the research is not conclusive, this is disturbing news for parents who must give their children relief from the pain of an illness.

    Asthma rates have been steadily on the increase for several decades. Many experts around the world are looking for reasons that could explain this trend. Concurrently, Paracetamol, aka Acetaminophen, has become the most widely used, and widely considered safe, treatment for fever and pain in children. So, are these factors related?

    The study was published last year in the European Journal of Public Health, in which scientists in Spain examined paracetamol use by more than 20,000 children and teenagers in Galicia. They found that Paracetamol consumption was associated with a significant increase in asthma symptoms and the effect was greater the more often the drug was taken.

    “All the asthma symptoms analysed increased significantly with paracetamol consumption,” they wrote. “The effects appear stronger in 6- to 7-year-old children, where the taking of paracetamol at least once a month in the last year is associated with a five times more probability of having asthma symptoms, compared with those children who had never taken paracetamol.” For teenagers, having paracetamol at least once in the previous year was associated with an increase of 43% in exercise-induced asthma.

    This is not the only study to be done on the Paracetamol and asthma link. In 2009, scientists at the Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute in Canada carried out a meta-analysis of existing research and found an increased risk of asthma in children and adults who took Paracetamol. In 2010, researchers at Imperial College London delivered a study surrounding more than 11,000 children. They found that taking paracetamol in the first six months of life was associated with higher instances of asthma and wheezing.

    Also occuring in 2010, scientists in New Zealand found that using Paracetamol before the age of 15 months was associated with a higher risk of children being predisposed to allergies at the age of six.

    The New Zealand study was covered extensively in media. Because of that the NHS Choices website issued an explaination of the potential links between paracetamol and childhood asthma. “Parents should not be concerned by this research or assume that Paracetamol-based medicines may give their children asthma,” they concluded.

    “This [NZ] study has only found associations between paracetamol and asthma symptoms in a cross-sectional analysis, meaning that it has not established any cause-and-effect relationship between the two. As it stands, it may be the case that children with symptoms such as wheezing, a potential sign of asthma, were given paracetamol due to their existing symptoms. The study has a number of further limitations that mean its results need further verification, ideally through good quality clinical research.”

    However, this was what is known as a cross-sectional study. The authors themselves were cautious not to over-claim in their paper. “Our study has some limitations,” they wrote. “On one hand, on being a cross-sectional study, a causal relationship cannot be established. On the other hand, the possibility of ‘inverse causality’ must be considered.”

    To make it clear, it might be that children with asthma are more likely to pick up coughs and colds that require painkillers. However, the researchers add that, “this [reverse causality] should not influence the prevalence of eczema, which was also increased in children who took more paracetamol.”

    The UK’s government body that regulates the use of pharmaceuticals is the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA). In light of the Spanish study, a spokesman said: “The safety of Paracetamol, as for all medicines, is kept under review by the MHRA. We are aware of the reported possible association between Paracetamol and asthma symptoms in children and have been carefully reviewing data on this issue as it emerges. The MHRA, with advice from our independent advisory committees, will carefully consider the findings in this latest study to determine what, if any, regulatory action is needed.”

    Image via wikipedia

  • Elizabeth Hurley and Shane Warne on the Rocks?

    Elizabeth Hurley flew in to New York just days after speculation about trouble in her relationship with fiancée Shane Warne. The rumors started after Hurley posted a insinuous tweet to her Twitter feed.

    Warne, on the other hand, met rumors head on with a blatant “rubbish” label on reports that they were calling it quits.

    A source told the Daily Mirror the actress is “pretty fed up” with the relationship and has “had enough.”

    “She was infatuated with Shane but after their latest row, feels she has had enough and, quite frankly, has grown a bit bored with him and some of the things that come out of his mouth,” the source added.

    “‘The constant travel and work commitments for both Elizabeth and Shane are taking their toll. They have not been able to spend much time together, but they are going to try and work things out.”

    Warne reportedly jetted to Hurley’s side to desperately try to repair the relationship. Joined by his three kids, Shane left Melbourne airport Wednesday, cryptically telling the swarm of reporters at the airport, “We’re going to have a good time – we’re going to be away for ages.”

    Rumors suggest that Warne’s relationship with his ex-wife and mother of his children, Simone Callahan, could be to blame for the supposed split. Others suggest it was probably Warne’s wandering eye that did them in.

    A source said: “Shane still desperately loves Elizabeth and wants to make a go of things. The long distance wasn’t helping so he decided to book plane tickets, and make the effort to see her. Their work schedules of late haven’t been compatible so he is looking forward to spending some proper time with her. At the moment Liz is pretty fed up though. She was infatuated with Shane but after their latest row, feels she has had enough and, quite frankly, has grown a bit bored with him and some of the things that come out of his mouth.”

    Image via wikipedia

  • Kieren Romney: Has Dark Skin, Name Means “Black”

    Mitt Romney has a new adopted grandchild and that baby has a very descriptive name. The new baby, son of Ben and Andelynne Romney, Mitt’s son and daughter-in-law, is named Kieren which is a derivative of Kieran, a Gaelic name that means “black”. The baby has dark skin and was born via a surrogate.

    The birth of little Kieren made the 22nd grandbaby for Mitt and Anne Romney. Or did it? Earlier this week, Mitt said the same thing for his last grandchild. Romney’s son Josh and his wife Jen gave birth to a little boy this summer — born the same day as royal baby Prince George — prompting Mitt to send a proud tweet welcoming grandchild “#22″.

    So which grandchild can claim spot #22? Politico found that Mitt and Ann Romney had grandkids No. 17 and No. 18 during the 2012 presidential election season, when their son Tagg and his wife Jennifer welcomed twins via surrogate. Then, early this year there arrived another set of twins, No. 19 and No. 20 in February, when son Craig’s wife Mary gave birth to twins.

    So, by that count, little Kieren can proudly claim spot number 22 on the long list of Romney heirs, and in all fairness, you can’t blame poor Mitt. It’s 22 children! Most people probably would lose count. Let’s just wait and see if he can remember all of their birthdays!

    Image via Wikipedia

  • KU Professor Blames NRA for Navy Yard Shooting

    A free-speech argument erupted Friday when Kansas University placed a journalism professor on administrative leave. The Topeka Capital-Journal reports that David Guth, who has been at the University since 1991 and has tenure, lashed out against the National Rifle Association in a tweet earlier this week right after, and in response to, the Navy Yard shootings on Monday. The Tweet has stirred controversy and has supporters on both sides of the issue.

    One free-speech organization said professor David Guth had the right to speak his mind on his personal Twitter account, the university and the Kansas Board of Regents condemned his comment. Others are calling for him to be fired. Guth has since closed his Twitter account, but the Tweet stated that the blood “is on the hands of the #NRA.” and “Next time, let it be YOUR sons and daughters. Shame on you. May God damn you.”

    Gary Brunk, executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas and Western Missouri, said Friday that while he personally didn’t agree with what Guth said or how he said it, the content of his tweet was “absolutely protected speech.”

    “The response of the university is absolutely appalling,” he said.

    The university issued a statement on Thursday distancing itself from Guth’s controversial tweet, including comments from two officials who said that while Guth had a First Amendment right to express his personal views, the tweet had violated the rules of civil discourse. They made it clear that Guth’s tweet didn’t represent the university. KU followed its condemnation of Guth’s tweet by announcing Friday morning that he had been placed on administrative leave. Chancellor Bernadette Gray-Little said in a statement that action was taken “in order to prevent disruptions to the learning environment for students.”

    After a closed-door meeting Friday, Andy Tompkins, president and CEO of the Kansas Board of Regents, issued a statement on behalf of the regents condemning Guth’s comments.

    “The Board of Regents expresses its disgust and offense at the statement made by David Guth,” the statement said, also saying the regents agreed with the statement made by Ann Brill, dean of KU’s School of Journalism, that “while the First Amendment allows anyone to express an opinion, that privilege is not absolute and must be balanced with the rights of others.”

    Guth on Thursday told The Associated Press in a phone interview that his tweet “got a conversation going — that was exactly what I wanted to do.” On Friday, he wrote to the AP saying the university’s action was appropriate in light of email threats he and others at KU had received.

    “It is in the best interests and peace of mind of our students that I remove myself from the situation and let cooler heads prevail,” Guth wrote. “I know what I meant. Unfortunately, this is a topic that generates more heat than light.”

    An angry entry to Bluth’s blog expressed sadness and frustration after the events at the Navy Yard. He said the “time has passed for niceties,” and the NRA has blood on its hands.

    “I don’t wish what happened today on anyone,” he wrote. “But if it does happen again — and it likely will — may it happen to those misguided miscreants who suggest that today’s death toll at the Navy Yard would have been lower if the employees there were allowed to pack heat. Those fools don’t get it.”

    Image via Twitter

  • Jessica Biel, Justin Timberlake Go for the Twin Win

    Jess came out—and looked amazing—in a matchy-matchy suit that closely resembled hubby Justin Timberlake’s suit. According to E! Jessica’s ensemble was a feminine take on Justin’s black pants with a white shirt underneath the black jacket.

    Both Timberlake, 32, and Biel, 21, wore tuxedo jackets, white shirts and fitted trousers. According to US Weekly, Biel’s menswear-inspired look resembled closely her husbands, except that her shirt was noticeably more sheer, and was cinched and clasped at the waist. Her suit is from Dolce & Gabbana and she accessorized the look with mini-briefcase-like Mark Cross “grace box” bag, which retails for $2,250. The 7th Heaven alum wore very little makeup, and completely the boyish look by wearing her hair slicked back in a tight bun to compliment Justin’s slick ‘do. She also wore beautiful Martin Katz jewelry.

    She was there to support her handsome husband, who stars in Runner Runner alongside Ben Affleck. In the film, Timberlake plays a poor college student in who gets cheated out of his tuition money in a game of online poker. When he tries to confront the site’s owner, played by Ben, he ends up teaming up with him. Things take a dangerous, dramatic turn, though, when an FBI agent tries to turn Justin’s character against Ben’s.

    Unfortunately, this is not the only instance of matchy couple cuteness between the duo. People reports that they went straight for the twin win during London Fashion Week in February, too. Both of them sported silky blue blazers at the Tom Ford show and even posed with matching flutes of champagne. Then there’s the casual stroll through N.Y.C. basically looking like they planned it, in long jackets, jeans, sunglasses and black boot with even their strides matching. I wonder which one of them plans the outfits?

    I’m guessing Justin, simply because of the awesome fashion…situation…from 12 years ago with Britney Spears and the infamous matching denim suits. Yikes. That, and by herself Jessica Biel is usually quite the fashion maven.

    Image via wikipedia

  • Hello Kitty Plane Makes Visit to L.A.

    Hello Kitty fans are ecstatic about Taiwan-based EVA Air’s Hello Kitty-themed plane that will be flying to and from the United States on three of the carrier’s 17 weekly flights between Taipei and L.A.. EVA Air’s chairman said he originally came up with the idea of Hello Kitty-themed planes “to make flying fun,” but the airline said it chose Los Angeles as its first long-range Hello Kitty Jet route “to not only attract more passengers from the United States but also to demonstrate the importance of the route.” NBC reports

    But the new Hello Kitty plane is more than a paint job, it’s an “experience”. Before boarding a Hello Kitty plane, passengers receive adorable Hello Kitty boarding passes and baggage stickers. In the plane, the cabin crew don pink aprons that have Hello Kitty designs and during the flights, passengers use over 100 purr-ific in-flight service items, including Hello Kitty headrest covers, pillows, tissue, hand cream, hand-washing liquid, napkins, paper cups, utensils, snacks and meals.

    The concept is far from cheap, but it is profitable. The airline pays licensing fees to use the Hello Kitty image on the plane and on in-flight items but, according to the March 2013 EVA Air in-flight magazine, when the Hello Kitty jets were first launched in Asia, load factors on the routes flown went up 3 percent and duty free sales were six times higher than on others.

    On Wednesday, K.W. Chang, the chairman of EVA Air, and also an accomplished pilot, flew a Boeing 777 painted with the brand-new “Hello Kitty Hand-in-Hand” livery from Taipei, Taiwan to Los Angeles. The cute scene shows 19 Hello Kitty characters marketed by the Sanrio company, which has made Hello Kitty famous worldwide. The image stretches along the entire length of the aircraft and “has been designed to bridge cultural barriers and invite new friendships from around the world,” the airline said.

    Because the 777 flies at higher altitude and over longer distances than the shorter range jets, EVA used a painting process for the livery that was different and more detailed than the process it used to illustrate its A330s. A crew of 35 engineers spent almost two weeks painting the aircraft livery instead of using aviation-grade adhesive to put the characters in place.

    “You either love it or hate it,” said Raymond Kollau of Airlinetrends.com. “EVA Air has tapped into this cultural phenomenon in a clever way in order to get noticed.” As an added bonus, “many parents looking to book a ticket will be happy to book a flight on the Hello Kitty express as it will keep the kids occupied during the flight.”

    Image via Facebook

  • Cher Attacks Miley, Then Grovels

    Cher Attacks Miley, Then Grovels

    While it’s shocking that people are still reacting to Miley Cyrus’ VMA performance with Robin Thicke, Cher’s reported recent criticism of the troubling starlet and her quick withdrawal of said comments are pretty shocking in themselves.

    “I’m not old-fashioned,” Cher told USA Today in an interview published Tuesday. “She could have come out naked, and if she’d just rocked the house, I would have said, ‘You go, girl.’ It just wasn’t done well. She can’t dance, her body looked like hell, the song wasn’t great, one cheek was hanging out. And, chick, don’t stick out your tongue if it’s coated.”

    Yikes! Some would cry if the mighty Cher dug her claws into us like that. But Miley doesn’t seem to care so much and is keeping busy enjoying the rewards that seem to come from grotesque and disturbing behavior.

    By the way am I the only one wondering who Cher is to be disgusted by exposed buttcheeks? I think we all remember this gettup:

    Also, Cher is 67. Her body probably doesn’t look 20 anymore. However, in Cher’s defense, she is right about the song. But, perhaps it was Miley’s silence on the attack or the guilty conscience of a star that didn’t support one of her own that prompted a few sequential apology tweets like:

    Well, my mama always told me, “If you can’t say anything nice, don’t say anything at all.”

    Image via twitter

  • 5.3-Magnitude Earthquake: No Damage to Nuclear Plant

    An earthquake with a magnitude of 5.3 shook the island of Japan at about 1:25 EDT (2:25 am Friday Japan time), and the troubled and now famous Fukushima Nuclear Plant. However Reuters reports that Tokyo Electric is quoted in Japanese media saying there is no damage to the plant and no tsunami warnings have been issued.

    The focus of the quake was around 20 km (12.4 miles) underground in the prefecture, which houses Tokyo Electric Power Co., Inc.’s Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

    On Thursday, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe ordered Tokyo Electric to decommission the remaining two reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, where four other reactors were devastated by a massive earthquake in 2011.

    The 2011 disaster caused three reactors to melt and damaged a fuel cooling pool at another. Officials have acknowledged that radiation-contaminated groundwater has been seeping into the Pacific Ocean since soon after the meltdowns.

    The region lies on the “Ring of Fire”, an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that runs around the Pacific Rim. About 90 percent of all the world’s earthquakes occur in the region.

    Image via wikipedia

  • JonBenet Ramsey: Boulder Reporter Sues DA

    The Daily Camera reports that reporter Charlie Brennan and the Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press filed a lawsuit against Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett Wednesday. They are suing the Boulder County district attorney for the release of the secret 1999 grand jury indictment of JonBenet Ramsey’s parents, who were never prosecuted in the death of their daughter. Garnett has already refused to release the indictment twice.

    The Daily Camera said that two members of the grand jury confirmed they had voted to indict John and Patsy Ramsey on charges of child abuse resulting in death, but that then-D.A. Alex Hunter had refused to sign the document.

    “The plaintiffs believe… that the indictment is a criminal justice record that reflects official action by the grand jury, and accordingly that it is subject to mandatory disclosure upon request,” attorney Thomas B. Kelley wrote in the filing. “Alternatively, they argue the indictment should be disclosed to the public because such disclosure would serve the public interest in government transparency and not be contrary to the public interest nor cause undue adverse effect upon the privacy of the individual.”

    Tru TV reports that JonBenet Ramsey was found dead on December 26, 1996 in the basement of the Ramsey home after her mother, Patsy Ramsey, now deceased, called 911 to report her missing and told dispatch that they had found a ransom note. It was while the police were waiting for the call that they made several critical mistakes. They did not conduct a proper search of the house. The home was not sealed off and friends walked in and out at their leisure. No moves were made to protect any forensic evidence.

    The big picture of just how many mistakes Boulder police made became clear later that afternoon when a detective asked Fleet White, a friend of the Ramseys, to take John and search the house for “anything unusual.” They started in the basement. Later, during the documentary Who Killed JonBenet?, made by Channel Four in London, John Ramsey describes what they found:

    “As I was walking through the basement, I opened the door to a room and knew immediately that I’d found her because there was a white blanket — her eyes were closed, I feared the worse but yet — I’d found her.”

    The case went to Grand Jury in 1998, but in 1999, District Attorney Hunger announced that the investigation would be closed due to lack of evidence.
    However, In 2008, the Boulder District Attorney’s office announced that a DNA specimen taken from an unknown male’s blood left on JonBenet’s underwear had exonerated both John and Patsy Ramsey, as well as their now-adult son, Burke. Boulder police officially reopened the case in 2009.

    image via wikipedia

  • Kate Moss Posing for Playboy Just Before Her 40th!

    Kate Moss is doing something most 40-year-olds don’t do to celebrate topping that hill. She’s going nude for Playboy magazine, according to E!, and she’s going to show the world what 40 can be. You know, if real life had airbrushing.

    The issue also celebrates the magazine’s diamond anniversary-60 years of Playboy. The British beauty turns the big 4-0 on January 16th, but the issue comes out in December, and will look back on 60 years of Playboy, starting with the first Playmate, Marilyn Monroe, in 1953. Oh, and let’s not forget the great articles…

    Moss has the approval of Hef. “She’s a worldwide celebrity and iconic and crosses the boundaries from sexual imagry to upscale modeling,” he told the Los Angeles Times, which broke the story on Tuesday.

    “This is a massive global brand,” Jimmy Jellinek, Playboy’s editorial director said of the magazine. “You need a global icon in order to celebrate that — that was the impetus. You’re talking about the face of Burberry, the biggest supermodel in the world on the cover of Playboy. She’s the perfect partner for us to help launch the next 60 years.”

    Kate, who has been the face of high profile campaigns for such designers as Dolce & Gabbana, Calvin Klein and Bulgari, among many others, will reportedly go full frontal, accessorised with cuffs and bunny ears. She shot to fame in the ’90s with her “heroin chic” look, all thanks to her waif-like frame, which makes her one of the top-earning models in the business, earning nearly $20 million in 2012.

    The spread will be shot by fashion favorites Marcus Pigott and Mert Atlas and will be the photo tandem’s first assignment for the recently rebooted and newly upscale Playboy. Fashion fans were first tipped off to Moss’ Playboy shoot with rumors earlier this year that were confirmed in June when Oribe Canales, Kate’s mouthy hairdresser, accidentally divulged that he had worked on her shoot.

    “This creates a heat for the brand globally,” Jellinek said. “It started with Marilyn Monroe on the cover of Playboy 60 years ago, an icon for her time. Now we’ve got Kate Moss!”. Over 60 years, the magazine has provided a reliable cover showcase for nude supermodels with such fashion luminaries as Cindy Crawford, Elle MacPherson, Naomi Campbell, Claudia Schiffer, Stephanie Seymour and Eva Herzigova.

    And for her part, Moss, who’s currently married to Jamie Hince, guitarist for the alt-rock band the Kills, but more famously Johnny Depp’s ex, is no stranger to modeling. The British model has stripped down in the past for Love magazine, Vogue Brazil and the Pirelli calendar as well as ads for David Yurman jewelry and St. Tropez tanning products.

    But Moss’ Playboy cover slot puts her in the company of such curvy cover models as Pamela Anderson, Dolly Parton and the Barbi Twins, all of whom served as the magazine’s forward faces over the years, but all with different shapes, leading to a certain recognition of beauty in all forms.

    Image Via Twitter

  • Jon Gosselin: Waits Tables, Lives in a Cabin

    Jon Gosselin is no longer living the high life at the expense of full exposure and damage to his children. Entertainment Tonight reports that he is now waiting tables and living the simple life in a cabin in Pennsylvania, a far cry from dwelling in the $1.3 Million dollar home he had while filming the ridiculously popular reality show Jon & Kate plus 8.

    Jon says his circumstances are due to the near impossibilty of finding employment after his messy divorce and the implosion of his reality show. He now serves the locals at a restaurant called Black Dog. Jon tells ET‘s Brooke Anderson,

    “At first I was nervous because I was like, ‘How are people going to react?’,” explains Jon of his initial hesitancy to take the job. “But then I’m thinking, ‘Well it’s fun and I get to talk to people.’ And they technically already know me … they’re like ‘Are you the guy?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah, I’m the guy.’”

    With the dramatic drop in the income he earns Black Dog from his previous situation, Jon lives without some creature comforts like internet and television. Though he’s hit rock bottom “about 20 times” since his high-profile split from wife, Kate, he says he is happy and trying to make the most of what he’s got.

    “I [party] now on a different level,” he tells ET.

    However, Jon tells ET he has no regrets about signing up for “Jon and Kate”. He said, “I don’t regret anything. You learn from your mistakes. That’s what builds you to who you are today.”

    Jon reportedly has zero relationship with his ex-wife Kate Gosselin who he does not pay child support to.

    “[Kate and I] both support [the children] financially because she takes care of school and all that stuff, but I take care of the exact same things she takes care of,” he said. “I buy their own groceries. They have their own groceries at my house, their own bedrooms, their own stuff. It’s doubled.”

    “I don’t have a relationship with Kate. There is no relationship. Text and email. That’s it,” Gosselin told Anderson, noting that it’s been that way for four years. The two don’t even cross paths when Gosselin goes to pick up their children. “The nanny comes out and I exchange the kids at her gate or at the bus stop,” he explained. “I don’t physically see her.”

  • Alzheimer’s May Be Diagnosed Sooner with New Scan

    Alzheimer’s May Be Diagnosed Sooner with New Scan

    According to CBS, researchers used a new imaging technique that they claim can spot physical brain changes in Alzheimer’s as they occur. Alzheimer’s causes brain changes that eventually lead to the loss of memories and abilities to perform everyday functions. Many of these debilitating changes can be seen in the brains of people who have already passed on from the disease or are in advanced stages, however, there was no clear way to spot these disease signs early as they’re first occuring. That is, until now.

    The brains of people with the disease often show physical damage, like abnormal clusters of built-up proteins called beta amyloid that form brain plaques and dying nerve cells full of tangled strands of protein called tau. The new imaging technology developed by these researchers targets tau proteins because those proteins are linked to the negative memory effects of the disease.

    The study was led by Dr. Makoto Higuchi, a researcher at the National Institute of Radiological Sciences in Japan. During the research, scientists developed fluorescent compounds that bind to tau proteins. That way, the proteins could easily be picked up on PET (positron emission tomography) scans, which create 3D images of the brain by picking up radioactive tracer materials that get absorbed into the brain. The signals are then turned into 3D images by computers.

    Researchers tested both mice and humans, and garnered promising results. The researchers were able to correlate the spread of the tau tangles within a brain to signs of Alzheimer’s disease progression in both animals and elderly people with the disease.

    “This is of critical significance, as tau lesions are known to be more intimately associated with (brain neuron) loss than senile plaques,” wrote Higuchi.

    The new imaging concept may also help improve diagnoses of other conditions associated with tau tangles, like Parkinson’s disease or non-Alzheimer’s forms of dementia that don’t involve the telltale plaques.

    If a scan could track progression of these tau protein tangles, it could possibly allow doctors to diagnose the disease earlier or help monitor treatments to make sure they are working. The findings could open up new avenues of research, the study authors wrote.

    The National Alzheimer’s Plan kicked off in May 2012 as part of a collaborative effort of the government and Alzheimer’s researchers to find other ways to diagnose the disease earlier and develop better treatments by 2025. The Obama administration also made available a $100 million initiative to map the brain, similar to how government scientists mapped the human genome. They were mapping the brain in order to learn more about neurological diseases.

    According to the Alzheimer’s Association, about 5.2 million Americans suffer from Alzheimer’s or another form of dementia, and that number is projected to increase to 13.8 million by 2050, considering the aging baby boomer population.

    Alzheimer’s is the sixth-leading cause of death in the United States.

    Image via wikipedia

  • Dairy Queen Employee Shines in Act of Kindness

    Joey Prusak, an employee at a Hopkins, Minnesota Dairy Queen is being praised for a brave act of kindness, reports Yahoo. When a visually impaired customer accidentally dropped a $20 bill, Joey said he was shocked by what happened next.

    “The lady behind him just picked it up and put it in her purse,” he told Yahoo News. “As if no one saw it.”

    Prusak, who has been an employee at the Hopkins Dairy Queen since he was 14, said that he recognized the visually impaired customer. “He’s a regular and he always pays with a debit card,” he said. “He doesn’t use a wallet, so when he pulled out his card, the cash fell to the ground.”

    After the woman picked up the $20 and stuffed it in her purse like nothing happened, Prusak said he confronted her about it. “I said, ‘Ma’am, can you please return the gentleman’s money?’”

    The woman had the guts to deny that she took the cash. “There was kind of a scene,” Prusak said. “I told her what she did was extremely disrespectful and she had to leave.”

    She left, but she refused to return the money. So, Prusak walked to the customer who had lost the $20 and gave him $20 from his own pocket.

    “I felt it needed to be done,” he said. The man thanked him, and Prusak didn’t really think anything of it, and he went back to his job.

    What Prusak did inspired one witnessing customer to write an email to the store manager, praising the 19-year-old for his kindness. The email went to Reddit, was picked up by the Daily Mail and spread like wildfire. If only more people had this kind of justice instinct…

    Image via Facebook

  • Crocodile Under Bed for 8 Hours Before Man Woke Up

    Guy Whittall was staying in a Humani, Zimbabwe hunting lodge when he woke up to find an 8-foot, 330 pound crocodile under his bed. The 40-year-old former coach of the Zimbabwe cricket team and current director of the hotel didn’t know about the hiding croc until the housekeeper screamed, according to New Zimbabwe.

    “The really disconcerting thing about the whole episode is the fact that I was sitting on the edge of the bed that morning, bare foot and just centimetres away from the croc,” Whittall said.

    Though the crocodile resisted, Whittall and some staff were able to pull the beast out from under the bed and free it in the nearby Tugwe river. He explained that crocs are naturally quiet hiders. “That’s why they have survived on Earth for so long and why they are the ultimate killers in water,” he added.

    “I just remember thinking goodness gracious, that’s one for the books. I’m pretty sure everyone in Humani checks under their bed before going to sleep now anyway,” he said.

    Image via wikipedia

  • Northampton Clown Creeps Out Twitter Users

    A creepy clown has been stalking around the town of Northampton in the UK. So far reports are getting a little strange. From just being to creepy, to saying, “beep, beep” (a reference to Stephen King’s “IT”) when you pass by, all the way to having the clown knock on doors in the middle of the night or even that he carries a knife and has deviant intentions, the rumors about this creeper are getting out of control.

    The clown reportedly has his own Facebook page. One status update reads like this :

    (function(d, s, id) { var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0]; if (d.getElementById(id)) return; js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id; js.src = “//connect.facebook.net/en_US/all.js#xfbml=1”; fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs); }(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));

    Post by Northampton Clowns.

    I’m not sure how I feel about this. While I love a little nonsense as much as the next girl, could I see this clown on the corner and sleep that night? Probably not.

    Twitter feeds from Northampton are pouring in, and they give a clear (sometimes disturbing) picture of the human psyche.

    Image via facebook

  • Kidnapped 5-year-old Girl From Arizona Found Alive

    A 5-year-old girl from Arizona, Aleeha Green, was found alive in Utah after being kidnapped by her biological father on Tuesday, according to ABC 4 in Utah. The family owes their thanks to the Utah Highway Patrol. The Amber alert came out last night from Yuma, Arizona, but she was found all the way over in Saint George, Utah. Police suspect her father was on his way to Montana.

    After the Amber alert came out, the Utah Highway Patrol was on high alert for Aleeha’s non-custodial father’s truck, believed to be lime green with purple flames. They tracked 47-year-old Jeff Green down at around 1:30 and arrested him at the Utah-Arizona border at 3:30, eventhough he had disguised his truck. “He white-washed his truck. He painted it white with white primer,” said Utah Highway Patrol Sergeant Danny Ferguson, one of the officers responsible for finding Green, arresting him, and taking Aleeha to safety.

    “He didn’t want to harm his own daughter. He actually pulled over when he realized we were coming after him,” said Ferguson. “He had few comments. “My life is over… what’s the difference?”

    Ferguson says he was mostly worried about the five-month-old. “She was fine in the car seat up in the truck. She looked great actually. She was fine. She was happy,” said Ferguson.

    Sergeant Ferguson thanked Green for not hurting his little girl, something he rarely does to suspects. Green is now sitting in the Washington County Jail on $100,000 federal warrant for kidnapping.

    Image via wikipedia

  • Kevin Trudeau Can’t Pay Deceptive Marketing Sanction

    Shady T.V. pitchman Kevin Trudeau is reportedly in custody at a jail in Chicago in federal custody, according to ABC, for failing to pay a $37.6 million dollar sanction against him for deceptive marketing, which is not that big of a surprise. However, in August, a federal judge sided with the Federal Trade Commission in granting a court-appointed receiver broad authority to marshal assets and take over Trudeau’s businesses that the judge determined were controlled by the infomercial king.

    The contempt finding was the fourth for Trudeau during his career, which is also overshadowed by $2.5 million in prior settlements with the FTC for allegedly misleading claims for a host of products he pitched in infomercials. Trudeau’s record also includes two felony fraud convictions from the early 1990s, for which he spent nearly two years in federal prison.

    In his appearance before U.S. District Court Judge Robert Gettleman today, Trudeau was found in contempt for violation of the asset freeze and receivership by transferring close to $20,000 from an Australian account and also for using a debit card tied to that account to buy things beyond what is ordinary and necessary living expenses.

    Trudeau claimed that he spent the money because he had no cash or credit cards and hadn’t yet received his monthly allowance from the receiver. “I thought I was following the order,” he said today in court. “I would ask the court to let me work with the receiver. I can be helpful.”

    The money Trudeau allegedly spent after the asset freeze, included $894 at a liquor store, $359 for two haircuts at Vidal Sassoon, $1,057 for meats ordered online and $920 on cigars. There was also an $18,642 transfer from the Australian account that was paid to a lawyer who worked on Trudeau’s taxes, which was paid without the judge’s approval. Poor guy…

    Trudeau’s lawyer Thomas Kirsch maintained that there “isn’t a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow” and that the receiver will not find hidden assets anywhere in the world, which has been the position of Trudeau’s law team all along.

    But Gettleman rejected the pleas, saying “This isn’t an infomercial, Mr. Trudeau. You can’t talk your way out of this one.”

    After the ruling, the infomercial king was turned over to two U.S. Marshals, who waited impatiently while the Trudeau removed his belt, cuff links and shoelaces. He was then led out a side door of the courtroom and taken to the Metropolitan Correctional Center, where he will spend the night. The receiver will meet with him later to determine his level of cooperation.

    The government, however, remains skeptical of Trudeau’s promises. After all, for the better part of the past 14 months, Trudeau has been locked in an acrimonious dispute with the FTC over the agency’s allegations that he was concealing assets that should have been used to pay the sanction.

    Trudeau’s next court appearance will be Thursday morning at 11 a.m. He can have the contempt charge overturned and get out of jail if he satisfies the judge that he’s being forthcoming and honest. Good luck with that!

    Image via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kevin_Trudeau”>wikipedia

  • Jennifer Garner Snaps Picture of Paparazzi

    Jennifer Garner, star of Dallas Buyers Club and Alias, turned the tables on an obnoxious shutterbug that followed her and her three children on an outing to the Pacific Palisades Farmer’s Market. She pointed her phone at him and snapped a picture. Apparently he was filming them walking down the street.

    That picture won’t be worth anything, but documenting a situation like this could assist Garner in her crusade against unwelcome paparazzi. The actress has three children — Violet, 7, Seraphina, 4, and Samuel, 17 months — with husband Ben Affleck, and has been working with Oscar winner Halle Berry to enact more strict anti-paparazzi laws.

    In August, the two A-listers addressed the California State Assembly Judiciary Committee on Public Safety in an effort to criminalize the taking of unauthorized photos of children. The result was senate Bill 606. The bill is meant to alter the legal definition of harassment and would add photographing or recording a child without the permission of a legal guardian.

    “I am an actress, but I am a mom first,” Garner told the committee. “Being stalked has been hard for me, but it’s beyond what a child should have to endure. The price paid for pictures of celebrity children is now absurdly high. They have a bounty on their heads every day. Literally every day there are as many as 15 cars of photographers waiting outside our home. Large, aggressive men swarm us, causing a mob scene, yelling, jockeying for position, crowding around the kids.

    “My children aren’t actors or celebrities, they are just kids like your kids or anyone else’s,” Garner continued. “And just like you want to protect your children, I want to protect mine. I chose a public life,” she said (via the New York Daily News). “My three children are private citizens. I love my kids. They’re beautiful and sweet and innocent, and I don’t want a gang of shouting, arguing, law-breaking photographers who camp out everywhere we are all day, every day, to continue traumatizing my kids.”

    Image via wikipedia

  • Green River Killer Wants to Help Find Lost Victims

    Serial “Green River Killer” Gary Ridgway told KOMO radio that the Green River Task Force mostly kept him in a van in 2003 when he directed the police to sites in the Seattle area where he dumped numerous bodies in the 1980s. Ridgway now says he’d like to revisit every site on foot and says he could have had as many as 80 victims that were never found. Watch a riveting documentary on Gary Ridgway:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hUvAwcST8Z0

    Ridgway was arrested in 2001 after advances in DNA technology helped authorities to link a 1987 saliva sample to some of the bodies. He pleaded guilty to 48 murders two years later, and agreed to assist authorities in locating as many remains as possible. He also pleaded guilty to a 49th murder in 2011.

    “Ridgway is a sociopath and pathological liar” who likes notoriety, said King County sheriff’s Sgt. Katie Larson, who was a key member of the Green River Task Force. “It’s possible he killed more than the 49 women for which he was convicted”, she said Tuesday. However, investigators are very confident they did everything possible to recover all of his victims.

    The SeattlePI.com reports that “The contentious plea deal struck by former King County Prosecutor Norm Maleng required Ridgway to admit guilt in all his King County killings. In exchange, Maleng agreed not to seek a death sentence, so long as Ridgway pleaded guilty to the charges. Additional charges elsewhere in the state or country, which are not precluded by the agreement, have not followed. The serial killer remains a suspect in dozens of other disappearances, but has yet to face charges elsewhere.”

    KOMO plans to air more of the exclusive interview with Ridgway, 64, who is serving a life sentence at the Washington State Penitentiary in Walla Walla.

    Mugshot via wikipedia

  • Jessa Duggar Enters Courtship with Boy from Church

    Jessa Duggar, the third daughter in the famous Duggar familiy, has entered courtship with a young man she met at church, Ben Seewald from Hot Springs, Arkansas. There is a two year difference between the two, Jessa being 20 and Ben, 18, but that doesn’t seem to be a problem.

    “We are so excited for Ben and Jessa,” Jim Bob, Jessa’s father and patriarch on the show 19 KIds and Counting tells PEOPLE. “They are enjoying getting to know each other and are recommending sermons to one another.”

    So what exactly is courting and how is it different from dating?

    Jim Bob explains: “Courting is getting to know each other in a group setting, both families spending time together and the couple setting goals together to determine if they are meant to marry. With dating, a couple will often pair off alone and that sometimes leads to a more physical relationship.”

    Michelle adds,”Courtship is not just about having fun,” she continues. “You are really considering if this person could be your life partner – you pray about it and see what happens.”

    Jessa’s older brother Josh, now married with children also had a courtship that was featured on the long-running reality show. But, his first kiss with his now-wife, Anna, was saved for their wedding.

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nkEXmsOnqTY

    “Dad allowed them to do a side hug when they were officially courting,” Michelle, 47, explains about Josh and Anna. “Jessa and Ben have said that was the only contact they would have, when they initially greet each other, when he comes to visit for their first hello, they have a quick 30 second or less side hug and a goodbye side hug and they agreed that would be the only contact they should have.”

    “They want to wait on the physical relationship until later,” she adds. “If there is an engagement that comes about, they will work together on their goals and standards for that.”

    “It is sweet as a mom to watch Jessa go through this,” says Michelle. “She’s always been the organizer in our family unit and right now she is a little distracted. She and Ben are open to encourage others who may be considering relationships that you can stay morally pure and wait for the one God has for you and then on your wedding day, begin the physical aspects of your relationship.”

    Ben has asked the parents, Jim Bob and Michelle to be allowed to communicate with Jessa by phone and text. He was granted permission and the family is very pleased with how things are going. “Jessa has a very steady personality,” says Michelle. “It has been interesting to watch their interactions because for her personality type, they share very similar beliefs. It has been fun to watch them and both of our phones are going off back and forth, ping, ping, ping.”

    They mostly talk about scripture and theology.

    Many a young man have approached Jim Bob to ask if they could begin courtship with Jessa, as well as his other older daughters, but Jim Bob says that Ben is the first to make the cut.

    “He’s the first one she has shown interest in that has a spiritual focus and legitimate calling about ministry work,” he says. “When a guy is pursing your daughter, you want to check him out and see if there are any red flags and with Ben, there hasn’t been. He is very sharp. It appears like a match made in heaven.”

    Jim Bob said, “All of our family is involved in this relationship. It is an exciting time.”

    Image via facebook

  • Liam Hemsworth: Has He Moved On Already?

    Liam Hemsworth: Has He Moved On Already?

    As news of the great split of Miley and Liam floods news outlets, it seems that Liam may have already moved on. According to the Daily Mail, He was spotted getting very close to Mexican actress Eiza Gonzalez, also 23, as he partied at VIP club Bungalow in Las Vegas on Saturday night.

    The actor appeared happy as he arrived at the Party for the Floyd Mayweather fight in Vegas. He, along with about five friends and a couple of ladies, including Liam’s lady of interest, reportedly went to their VIP table near the DJ booth before heading back to a more private VIP cabana near the pool.

    Sources say Liam and Eiza never left each other’s side during the night. The pair reportedly enjoyed some drinks, Liam smoked a cigarette and they talked and flirted very close in the the VIP section of the club and Eiza was seen sitting on a cabinet, flashing her legs in her short dress as Liam stayed standing.

    It’s no wonder that she had his full attention. Eliza looked stunning and was putting out her best for Liam in a bright orange strapless dress with sky high black patent leather stilettos and a gold choker necklace. Liam went casual for the outing, but looked handsome nonetheless in a white T-shirt, grey trousers and a unbuttoned black shirt.

    Eiza was in Vegas the same weekend as Liam, partying with some friends. She posted pictures of herself on Twitter poolside on Sunday, posing in a bikini with a pal. On September 11, the brunette beauty mused about her love life on her Facebook page, leaving a somewhat cryptic post about being in love with somebody that was in love with someone else.

    Eiza González Reyna is an actress and singer from Mexico, and the daughter of former model Glenda Reyna.She lent her voice to the Spanish-speaking version of 2013 3D computer-animated adventure comedy film,The Croods, and has also released two studio solo albums and two Telenovela soundtracks. She rose to fame at the age of 16, playing the role of Lola, the lead character of Mexican telenovela, Lola…Érase una vez (Lola…Once Upon A Time). She has since starred in five Spanish television series and two movies, and is now a huge star in her native Mexico.

    The spicy star is single for now, after announcing on her Twitter account in August that she broke up with her boyfriend of two years, Mexican entrepreneur Pepe Díaz. “Let me tell you that I’ve been single for more than a month! I´m happy and closing this cycle because here comes an incredible one that is getting me very excited,” she tweeted at the time.

    She may not be single for long, however. According to reports, Liam and Eiza left the club together at 2am.

    Image via wikipedia