'You are responsible' - Dying Iraq war veteran takes parting shot at Bush

March 30, 2013, 6:49 am

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An Iraq war veteran who lost the use of his legs in the conflict has decided to end his life. Tomas Young has also written a letter to former President George W Bush and ex-Vice-President Dick Cheney, accusing them of being responsible for what happened to him and others injured and killed in Iraq.

When President Bush stood on the rubble of Ground Zero just after the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and pledged to go after those responsible, Tomas Young, 22, took up the call and joined the US Army.

But instead of being deployed to Afghanistan to fight al-Qaeda and its allies, he ended up in Iraq in 2004 following Saddam Hussein's capture by coalition forces.

On the fifth day into his deployment, Mr Young's unit came under fire from insurgents in Baghdad. He was hit and his spine was severed.

After his return to the US he campaigned from his wheelchair against the conflict and in 2007 was the subject of a documentary, Body of War.

But now his condition has deteriorated to such an extent that he wants to put an end to his suffering.

"He felt he's gone as far as his physical shell will take him and he is ready to rest," his wife, Claudia Cuellar, tells BBC World Service, speaking on his behalf because he has difficulty talking and tires easily.

"We accepted a certain level of suffering," she says. But last year his pain and discomfort increased dramatically and he grew weary of repeated hospital visits to treat infections and other ailments.

"He didn't want to do any more procedures or surgeries," Ms Cuellar says.

"I felt like I was losing him emotionally and psychologically. I felt that it was just too hard to get through the course of a single day and we had to have the conversation that people have when..." she said, not finishing her sentence.

"I could sense that he was suffering to a level that just wasn't right for us as a couple. I can keep him around for me, but that isn't fair to his journey.

"It's not that he wants to die - he simply doesn't want to suffer any more," Ms Cuellar says.

But she adds: "He's the person I love the most in the whole world. I will miss this person."

In 2008 Mr Young suffered a pulmonary embolism and an anoxic brain injury due to a reduced oxygen supply that impaired his speech and arm movement. A colostomy operation last year provided only temporary relief.

Unable now to eat solid food, he is fed through a tube in his stomach. The skin on his hips is breaking down, exposing raw flesh and bone.

"That's probably the toughest one for me, to see that deterioration," she says.

Medical marijuana eases his discomfort and gives him peace of mind without the side effects of pharmaceutical drugs, Ms Cuellar says.

Mr Young says he wrote to Mr Bush and Mr Cheney on behalf of the wounded veterans and relatives of those killed and injured in Iraq.

"On every level - moral, strategic, military and economic - Iraq was a failure. And it was you, Mr Bush and Mr Cheney, who started this war. It is you who should pay the consequences.

"My day of reckoning is upon me. Yours will come. I hope you will be put on trial. But mostly I hope, for your sakes, that you find the moral courage to face what you have done to me and to many, many others who deserved to live. I hope that before your time on earth ends, as mine is now ending, you will find the strength of character to stand before the American public and the world, and in particular the Iraqi people, and beg for forgiveness."

Cuellar says of the letter: "We just want to share the story of our struggle, which is the story of the struggle and suffering of so many, so that we can begin to look at the realities of the consequences of war."

She says Mr Young, who is virtually bedridden and in hospice care, cannot legally be helped to commit suicide in Missouri and so will have to starve himself to death.Ms Cuellar moved to Kansas City to be with Mr Young after they met while he was in hospital in her hometown, Chicago, in 2008.

He will continue to take food and liquids until their first wedding anniversary on 20 April. After that they will stop talking publicly about his case and spend time together until they feel the time is right for him to end his life.

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Easter Science: 6 Facts About Jesus

March 30, 2013, 9:56 am

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He may be the most famous man who ever lived, but surprisingly little is known about his life.

This Sunday (March 31), more than 2 billion Christians will celebrate Jesus Christ's resurrection from the dead. While there is no scientific way to know whether that supernatural event at the heart of Christianity actually happened, historians have established some facts about his life.

From his birth to his execution by the Romans, here are six facts about the historical Jesus.

1. His birth … in a manger?

Most historians believe Jesus was a real man. To test the veracity of biblical claims, historians typically compare Christian accounts of Jesus' life with historical ones recorded by Romans and Jews, most notably the historians Flavius Josephus and Cornelius Tacitus.

And though a manger may or may not have figured prominently in the birth, scholars do agree that Jesus was born between 2 B.C. and 7 B.C. as part of the peasant class in a small village called Nazareth in Galilee. Historians also back the claim that Joseph, Jesus' father, was a carpenter, meaning Jesus would have gone into the family profession as well.

2. A mystical baptism

One of the pivotal moments in the New Testament is Jesus' baptism in the wilderness by a radical mystic named John the Baptist. Most historians believe this event actually occurred, and that Jesus experienced some sort of vision that led him to begin preaching. In the New Testament, Mark 1:10 (The New American Bible, Revised Edition) describes Jesus seeing "the heavens being torn open and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon him." Jesus is then tempted by Satan in the wilderness for 40 days, the passage continues.

The Jewish historian Josephus mentions the mystical activities of John the Baptist, as well as his execution by King Herod.

3. Reformer

After his vision, Jesus began to preach that the Earth could be changed into a "Kingdom of God." Jesus' message of reform was deeply rooted in the Jewish tradition, and he likely never viewed himself as creating a new religion per se — just reforming the one he was born into, scholars say.

4. A wise teacher

Josephus not only mentions Jesus, in one passage he also describes him as a wise man and a teacher. (The passage is controversial because many historians believe a Christian author later added in phrases such as "He was the messiah" to the text, leading a few scholars to doubt the authenticity of the passage as a whole). Most historians agree, however, that Jesus was viewed as a teacher and healer in Galilee and Judea.

5. Timing of Jesus' crucifixion

Several sources mention Jesus' crucifixion at the hands of Pontius Pilate, the Roman prefect.Christian Gospels say the skies darkened for hours after the crucifixion, which historians viewed either as a miracle or a portent of dark times to come. Using astronomy, later historians have used this mention to pinpoint the death of Christ. Some tie the crucifixion to a one-minute 59-second total solar eclipse that occurred in 29 C.E., whereas others say a second total eclipse, blocking the sun for four minutes and six seconds, in 33 C.E. marked Jesus' death. (C.E. stands for Common Era or Christian Era, and is an alternative name for anno Domini, or A.D.)

Death by crucifixion was one of the goriest ends the Romans meted out, and it was typically reserved for slaves and those seen to be challenging Roman authority.

6. Historical relics

The historical veracity of various physical relics, such as the crucifixion nails and crown of thorns Jesus wore on the cross, have decidedly less historical or scientific backing. Most scientific studies suggest that these relics originated long after Jesus died. But the most famous relic of Jesus, the shroud of Turin, may be on more solid footing: Whereas some parts of the shroud date to A.D. 1260, other analyses have suggested that the shroud is about as old as Jesus.

Another more recent finding, a scrap of papyrus from the early Christian era referring to Jesus' wife was unveiled last year, to much skepticism. Since then, evidence has come out to suggest the so-called Gospel of Jesus' Wife is a forgery, though the jury may still be out on that relic.

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Two former CIA employees whose Kansas home was fruitlessly searched for marijuana claim they were illegally targeted because they had bought indoor growing supplies to raise vegetables

March 30, 2013, 6:21 pm

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Adlynn and Robert Harte sued this week to get more information about why sheriff's deputies searched their home in the upscale Kansas City suburb of Leawood last April 20 as part of Operation Constant Gardener — a sweep conducted by agencies in Kansas and Missouri that netted marijuana plants, processed marijuana, guns, growing paraphernalia and cash from several other locations.

April 20 long has been used by marijuana enthusiasts to celebrate the illegal drug and more recently by law enforcement for raids and crackdowns. But the Hartes' attorney, Cheryl Pilate, said she suspects the couple's 1,825-square-foot split level was targeted because they had bought hydroponic equipment to grow a small number of tomatoes and squash plants in their basement.

"With little or no other evidence of any illegal activity, law enforcement officers make the assumption that shoppers at the store are potential marijuana growers, even though the stores are most commonly frequented by backyard gardeners who grow organically or start seedlings indoors," the couple's lawsuit says.

The couple filed the suit this week under the Kansas Open Records Act after Johnson County and Leawood denied their initial records requests, with Leawood saying it had no relevant records. TheHartes say the public has an interest in knowing whether the sheriff's department's participation in the raids was "based on a well-founded belief of marijuana use and cultivation at the targeted addresses, or whether the raids primarily served a publicity purpose."

"If this can happen to us and we are educated and have reasonable resources, how does somebody who maybe hasn't led a perfect life supposed to be free in this country?" Adlynn Harte said in an interview Friday.

The suit filed in Johnson County District Court said the couple and their two children — a 7-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son — were "shocked and frightened" when deputies armed with assault rifles and wearing bulletproof vests pounded on the door of their home around 7:30 a.m. last April 20.

"It was just like on the cops TV shows," Robert Harte told The Associated Press. "It was like 'Zero Dark Thirty' ready to storm the compound."

During the sweep, the court filing said, the Hartes were told they had been under surveillance for months, but the couple "know of no basis for conducting such surveillance nor do they believe such surveillance would have produced any facts supporting the issuance of a search warrant."

Harte said he built the hydroponic garden with his son a couple of years ago. He said they didn't use the powerful light bulbs that are sometimes used to grow marijuana and that the family's electricity usage didn't change dramatically. Changes in utility usage can sometimes lead authorities to such operations.

When law enforcement arrived, the family had just six plants — three tomato plants, one melon plant and two butternut squash plants — growing in the basement, Harte said.

The suit also said deputies "made rude comments" and implied their son was using marijuana. A drug-sniffing dog was brought in to help, but deputies ultimately left after providing a receipt stating, "No items taken."

Pilate said no one in the Harte family uses illegal drugs and no charges were filed. The lawsuit noted Adlynn Harte, who works for a financial planning firm, and Robert Harte, who cares for the couple's children, each were required to pass rigorous background checks for their previous jobs working for the CIA in Washington, D.C. Pilate said she couldn't provide any other details about their CIA employment.

Pilate said any details gleaned from the open records suit could be used in a future federal civil rights lawsuit.

"You can't go into people's homes and conduct searches without probable cause," Pilate said.

Leawood City Administrator Scott Lambers said Friday that he couldn't comment on pending litigation. The sheriff's office also had no comment.

"Obviously with an ongoing lawsuit we are not able to talk about any details of it until it's been played out in court," said Johnson County Deputy Tom Erickson.

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NY state court says that 9/11 Cross may be allowed in the memorial's museum

March 30, 2013, 6:24 pm

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A New York judge has thrown out a lawsuit filed by a group of atheists, ruling that a pair of World Trade Center beams in the shape of a cross can be included in a memorial museum of the 9/11 terror attacks.
American Atheists filed the lawsuit in July, arguing that the "government enshrinement of the cross" was an impermissible mingling of church and state.

The World Trade Center cross, two intersecting steel beams that held up when the twin towers collapsed on September 11, 2001, is seen as iconic to some.

The cross was moved in July from near a church to its new home at the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, located at ground zero in Lower Manhattan. Father Brian Jordan, a Franciscan priest who ministered to workers clearing the area after the attacks, led a ceremonial blessing of the cross.
Federal Judge Deborah Batts of the Southern District of New York ruled Thursday that display of the beams is permissible because they bear historical importance.

Named defendants included the museum, New Jersey, the city of New York, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie.
"The museum is gratified by the decision," Mark Alcott, the lawyer for the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, told CNN on Friday.
"The plan has been to display this as one of hundreds and hundreds of artifacts ... because it is part of the history of the recovery efforts after the 911 attacks.

"For some of these people, [the cross] had symbolic significance," he continued, referring to first responders. "They treated it as a religious object and it gave them a great deal of comfort at a difficult time. The 9/11 museum is simply depicting what happened."
David Silverman, president of American Atheists, told CNN, "We are angry that we have to have this fight."
Silverman said it was clear that the cross was regarded as sacred, noting that it "was installed in a religious service on consecrated ground by a priest. How anyone could say that is secular is beyond me."
September 11 "affected all Americans, not just Christians," Silverman continued. "We will not sit and let the 500 atheists who died on 9/11 go unnoticed."

Silverman said his group plans to appeal the decision.
"We are confident that we will eventually win this case and that cross will be removed, or atheists will be allowed to have our own symbol in there," he said.

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11 Prescription Foods To Cure Your Illnesses

March 31, 2013, 12:33 am

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Why take pills if you can eat these 11 everyday foods that can help cure most common illnesses?

See what kind of foods you can eat to cure these illnesses:

#1 MUSCLE ACHE
The Solution: Tart cherries—one cup, or two glasses of juice, daily, before and during exercise
The Science: Contains the same anti-inflammatory enzymes as ibuprofen, without the potential kidney and stomach-related side effects.

#2 MEMORY LOSS
The Solution: Sunflower seeds—a quarter cup daily
The Science: These vitamin E-loaded seeds will protect the neurons in your brain from oxidative stress, which means you keep your memory longer.
Discover the secret memory boosting foods that will increase your brain power, which can make your life easier in any situation.

#3 WEAR MUSCLES
The Solution: Apples—one daily
The Science: Leave the peel on—it’s full of ursolic acid, which fuels the production of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF1) and insulin, two hormones important in building muscle.

#4 LACK OF FOCUS
The Solution: Eggs—one daily
The Science: Eggs are packed with choline, a nutrient that boosts the brain’s ability to relay commands to the rest of your body while also maintaining the structure of your brain’s cell membranes.
Slow energy releasing foods such as fruits will keep your energy stable. Lack of focus often comes down to spikes and drops in energy, which occur when eating foods with disproportionate amounts of sugar content relative to the portion, such as cup cakes, and other artificial snacks and treats.
Eat foods that are naturally meant to be eaten in abundance, which keep your energy stable and help you keep focused throughout the day. Discover the power of the simple super foods that keep your body and mind working at optimal levels.

#5 AGING SKIN
The Solution: Oranges—one daily, or six ounces of juice
The Science: Vitamin C helps your body make collagen, the protein that keeps skin elastic.

#6 DEPRESSION
The Solution: Brown rice—one cup of cooked rice daily
The Science: Carbs help regulate the production of serotonin, a key neurotransmitter in controlling mood and suppressing anxiety. A complex carb like brown rice will give you the best high-carb-low-cal combo.

#7 INSOMNIA
The Solution: Chicken—four ounces daily
The Science: Tryptophan is often associated with turkey, but chicken contains more of the amino acid that helps the body produce the sleep-friendly hormone melatonin.

#8 PUFFY EYES
The Solution: Green tea—one cup daily, after a meal
The Science: The puffiness that creates dark circles under your eyes is often caused by fluid retention. Green tea is a diuretic that’ll reduce unwanted swelling all over your body.

#9 UPSET STOMACH
The Solution: Peppermints—one or two after dinner
The Science: Peppermint has long been associated with aiding digestion and has also been shown to soothe inflammatory pain in the gastrointestinal tract. Peppermint tea also works.

#10 LOW ENERGY
The Solution: Bananas—one daily
The Science: The potassium-packed fruit is also a great source of magnesium, a key element in producing and storing energy.
The more energy rich foods you consume, the more energy you will have throughout the day. Follow this philosophy: Eat to live instead of living to eat.

#11 ANXIETY
The Solution: Peanuts—a quarter cup daily
The Science: If you’re not producing enough gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), your brain is more prone to let anxiety run wild. Peanuts are one of the best (and tastiest) sources of glutamine, the amino acid needed to make GABA.

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12 health delusions to ditch

March 31, 2013, 12:39 am

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You may think you are making healthy decisions, but which choices may be hurting you?

It’s one thing to delude yourself into believing you could really win the lottery. It’s another to assume you’re safe from health issues because you read labels, pop vitamins or have genetics on your side. Top experts address the truth behind the most common health delusions.

I lift weights, so osteoporosis isn't a concern

Your twice-weekly weightlifting sessions contribute to bone health, but it’s not the whole bone-building picture. Weightlifting alone does not offer much protection if your diet lacks certain nutrients, says Dr. Patricia Riley, a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at Nazareth Hospital in Philadelphia. "You also need to address nutritional factors, such as calcium and vitamin D intake, smoking cessation, individual bone health and other factors." For strong bones, the National Osteoporosis Foundation recommends (in addition to weight training two to three times a week) that women under age 50 and men under age 71 take in 1,000 mg of calcium a day; women 50 and over and men 71 and over need 1,200 mg a day. Women and men under 50 require 400 IU of vitamin D a day, and those 50 and older need 800 to 1,000 mg.

I eat only 1,000 calories a day and still gain weight, so I must have a slow metabolism

If you track your calories and still can’t lose those last 10 pounds, your problem may lie more with your math than your metabolism. “It’s easy to underestimate calories, especially if you eat a lot of restaurant meals,” says Miriam Pappo, a registered dietitian and the director of clinical nutrition at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. Large amounts of hidden fats -- mainly fats used in cooking the food -- add hundreds of calories per dish. Added butter, milk or cream cannot be seen, which makes it harder to track calorie intake, says Pappo. “In addition, chronic dieting without exercising can slow metabolism, especially as we age.” The American Dietetic Association recommends that women eat between 1,600 to 2,000 calories a day, depending on activity level, and men should take in between 2,000 and 2,800 calories a day.

I eat only "natural" beef and chicken, so I'm safe from antibiotics and pesticides

Reading labels as a way to eat healthier only works if you know the lingo. Choosing foods with a “natural” label, for example, doesn’t mean you’re in the clear from added chemicals. “‘Natural’ has almost no legal meaning,” says Mark A. Kastel, the co-director and senior farm policy analyst for the Wisconsin-based Cornucopia Institute, an independent watchdog organization that monitors and promotes ecologically-produced local and organic food. “The USDA's legal definition of ‘natural’ only means ‘minimally processed and without artificial preservatives.’ Virtually all conventional meat qualifies,” Kastel says. To stay clear of pesticides, antibiotics and other chemicals, look for the green-and-white USDA organic label. “It’s the gold standard of labeling for meat, dairy and eggs,” says Kastel.

Longevity runs in my family, so I'm destined to be healthy to an old age

Just because grandma lived to age 95 doesn’t automatically mean you’ll also live to see your 90s. “Various studies (involving identical twins) suggest that only about a third of the variation in longevity is accounted for by genes,” says Dr. Howard S. Friedman, a professor of psychology at the University of California, Riverside and the lead investigator of “The Longevity Project” (Hudson Street Press, 2011). “The rest is lifestyle and chance,” says Friedman. “But a fascinating finding of my Longevity Project is that many things that seem like chance are really not random; to a surprising extent you can make your own luck by getting on a healthy pathway.” Many people have the capacity to live well into old age, but most do not. Generally speaking, though, knowing how long your parents lived is not a very good indication of how long you will live, says Friedman.

I don't need a second opinion; I trust my doctor completely

No matter how well you trust your doctor, seeking a second opinion when you’re diagnosed with a serious ailment or are considering surgery is simply smart. “It helps you make an informed decision,” says Dr. Thomas P. Schmalzried, the medical director of the Joint Replacement Institute at St. Vincent Medical Center in Los Angeles. “The decision to have surgery is a serious one. I welcome the discussion with my patients who want a second opinion.” In orthopedic surgery, for example, many nuances and subtle differences exist in surgical approaches, including technology and surgical procedures. “It’s always a good idea to understand the differences, and a second opinion may prove to be a meaningful investment,” says Schmalzried.

I take vitamins, so I can eat what I want

It sounds like an easy fix, but popping vitamins does not give you dietary carte blanche to eat junk food and skip fresh fruits and vegetables. “Taking vitamins can provide a false sense of security,” says Lauren Graf, a clinical dietitian at Montefiore Medical Center in New York. “Isolated nutrients found in a pill do not have the same effect on the body as when they are consumed as part of a whole food.” For example, taking a vitamin C supplement can’t compare with eating oranges or berries, which contain antioxidants, phytochemicals (natural chemicals which often act like antioxidants) and fiber, which all work together synergistically. “Vitamins can be part of a healthy lifestyle, but they certainly do not counteract the negative effects of unhealthy foods,” says Graf. Check with your physician before starting any new vitamins or supplements.

I don’t need to work out — I chase around my kids all day long

Running around taking care of kids can certainly burn calories and be physically exhausting. “But all that activity is not specific enough to produce the results — weight loss, muscular definition and improved energy levels — you’d get from a structured exercise program,” says Pete McCall, an exercise physiologist with the American Council on Exercise (ACE). However, those calories burned during daily activity (called NEAT for non-exercise activity thermogenesis), are an effective add-on to an exercise program. To get the best results from an exercise program include cardiorespiratory exercise to improve function of the heart and lungs, resistance training to boost muscle strength and bone-mineral density and some flexibility exercises. “At least two days a week of dedicated exercise can have a significant impact on managing body weight and experiencing other beneficial results from exercise,” says McCall.

I can still lose weight if I eat what I want on the weekends and diet all week

You eat healthy all week long, so you should be able to splurge on weekends and still lose weight, right? Not exactly. “It’s a slippery slope,” says dietitian Graf. “If you have been restricting calories during the week, you may find yourself extra hungry come Saturday morning. As a result, you may end up making up for the calories you limited during the week and then some.” By Sunday night you’re sluggish and bloated. A better bet is to eat healthfully throughout the week and allow yourself a little extra leeway on the weekends, says Graf. “It is still important to eat mindfully even on the weekends.” If you're going out to dinner on Saturday night, eat a healthy, high-fiber breakfast (such as oatmeal and fruit) and lunch (such as salad and sandwich on whole-grain bread), and then allow yourself to indulge in an entree, a drink and a dessert in the evening, Graf suggests.

I don’t need a primary care physician

Annual visits to your gynecologist or other specialist throughout the year are important, but they don’t make up for a primary care doctor. Specialists focus only on a particular body system, says Dr. Chan Chuang, the corporate medical director at HealthCare Partners, a multispecialty medical group. “A primary care doctor is trained to view the whole person, which differs from a specialist’s focus,” says Chuang. “A primary care doctor treats the majority of all health conditions — from skin care to chest pain and everything in between.” In addition, your primary care doctor acts as a health care advocate if you develop a serious illness, referring you to one or more specialists and acting as the coordinator of all the care you receive (e.g., making sure medications from one specialist doesn’t conflict with another). “The better your care coordination, the better your long-term outcome,” says Chuang.

I vent my anger, so I’m less likely to have a heart attack

Primal scream therapy and punching pillows as ways to vent anger are a thing of the past for a reason. They don’t work. “In fact, this type of venting may actually worsen the health impact of anger,” says Dr. Raymond Chip Tafrate, a Connecticut-based clinical psychologist and the author of “Anger Management for Everyone: Seven Proven Ways to Control Anger and Live a Happier Life” (Impact Publishers, 2009). “People who are chronically angry have more health problems than people who are less angry,” says Tafrate. “Anger is connected with surges in blood pressure, and venting anger may actually make it worse. It’s also not very effective in terms of solving life’s problems.” Instead, Tafrate recommends looking at problems more realistically and developing a more forgiving and flexible outlook. In addition, he recommends developing good communication skills so you can negotiate in a reasonable way that considers the other person’s perspective.

It’s over-the-counter medication, so taking a little extra can’t hurt me

If you’re of the mind that since two aspirin are good then three must be better, you may be gambling with your health. “Taking more than the recommended amount of any medication can cause health issues,” says Philip J. Gregory, an associate professor of pharmacy practice at the Creighton University School of Pharmacy and Health Professions in Omaha, Neb. “Over-the-counter does not mean harmless,” says Gregory. “In fact, OTC drugs can and do cause significant side effects, often due to inappropriate use.” For example, acetaminophen (e.g., Tylenol) is one of the most common causes of acute liver failure, often due to unintentional overdose. Over-the-counter anti-inflammatory agents (e.g., aspirin, ibuprofen) can cause stomach ulceration and bleeding, especially when used for prolonged periods or in high doses, says Gregory. “Your best bet is to follow the labeled dosing. If you need something more, check with your pharmacist or physician before increasing the dose.”

I save up my one-drink-a-day allowance for the weekends and enjoy it all at once instead

Numerous studies show the health benefits of a glass of red wine a day. Abstaining from alcohol all week and over-imbibing on weekends, however, is not advisable and could even prove dangerous, says Dr. Stuart Finkelstein, the medical director of the Center for Medical Detoxification at Tri-City Regional Medical Center in Hawaiian Gardens, Calif. “All things in moderation, and that particularly means drinking alcohol,” says Finkelstein. “Even studies that say one drink a day is good for your heart also mention that the one drink a day may also increase your risk of other conditions like cancer.” The one-drink findings were based on the fact that some alcohol may thin the blood a bit and may reduce your risk of blood clots. “Drinking to excess is not good for your heart or any other part of your body and may even increase the risk of a cardiac event,” says Finkelstein.

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10 Things Coffee Does to Your Body

March 31, 2013, 12:41 am

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Caffeine is the most commonly used mood-altering drug in the world, and coffee is one of the most popular means of ingesting it. Over 50% of Americans drink coffee on a daily basis, and that figure is thought to be increasing every year.

But there's more to coffee than its caffeine content, and scientists are perpetually trying to make sense of the various effects that this mysterious brew has on our bodies. Coffee's most recent brush with media attention came just a few weeks ago, with the release of a study that showed women who drank four cups of coffee per day had a 20% lower risk of depression than those who drank a cup or less per week. But coffee isn't always billed as a wonder beverage; caffeinated and decaffeinated versions alike have built up a pretty serious rap sheet over the years. Here are 10 reasons coffee is either an elixir of the gods, or an evil concoction we've all been duped into loving unconditionally.

10) Pro: Coffee + pain medication = extra pain relief
Cutting off your coffee intake may lead to headaches and other withdrawal symptoms, but even if you aren't a regular coffee-drinker, caffeine can actually help speed pain relief. According to WebMD, caffeine can make pain relievers 40% more effective in treating headaches, and also speeds the body's reaction to the medications. This is why many over the counter headache medications also contain caffeine.

9) Con: Just kidding — because coffee is also linked to headaches. Sort of. Probably.
As it turns out, investigations into the relationship between coffee consumption and headache relief go back a number of years, and are full of seemingly contradictory findings.

Take this study, for example, published in 2009 in the Journal of Headache and Pain. The authors found a relationship between high caffeine consumption (~500 mg/day) and headache prevalence, but they also showed that chronic headache symptoms (more than 14 days/month) were actually more common in low-to-moderate caffeine consumers (~125mg of caffeine/day). (As a point of reference, a tall brewed coffee from Starbucks averages around 270 mg of caffeine.) The authors write that "the results may indicate that high caffeine consumption changes chronic headache into infrequent headache." In other words: Fry may very well have been onto something with the idea of a golden threshold of coffee consumption.

8) Con: Those who French-press need to watch their cholesterol
A study conducted in 2007 at Baylor college of medicine determined that ingesting the structurally similar molecules cafestol and kahweol (both of which are found exclusively in coffee beans) can lead to significant increases in LDL levels in humans.

Here's the good news, though: paper coffee filters can actually bind cafestol and kahweol in the course of brewing, so the molecules never make it to your morning cup in any significant quantities. In other words, coffee really only ups your cholesterol if you prefer it prepared sans filter.

7) Pro: Cancer isn't fond of coffee
I almost wrote that cancer hates coffee, but the word "hate" is probably a little too strong. Sure, plenty of studies have demonstrated correlations between coffee consumption and reduced risk of cancer; rates of oral/pharyngeal, esophageal, breast, liver and prostate cancers all tend to be lower among java drinkers. The thing is, none of these studies can speak to causation, and many of them fail to turn up particularly strong correlations. Having said that, the correlations are significant — and it's definitely comforting that the balance tends to tip in favor of coffee having a beneficial impact on cancer incidence.

6) Con: Ulcers
If you've ever had the misfortune of nursing an ulcer, you know how excruciatingly painful they can be. Coffee can wreak havoc on the lining of your gastrointestinal tract, giving rise to ulcers and other forms of gastric irritation and damage. Add to this the fact that coffee consumption can often lead to anxiety and irritability, and you've got a recipe for some devastating stomach pains.

5) Con: Coffee — not so good for the babies
Numerous studies have pointed to a correlation between coffee consumption in pregnant mothers and an increased likelihood of miscarriage. One of the more recent — and arguably most thorough — of these studies was published in 2008 in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and found that the risk of miscarriage is more than double in women who consume over 200 mg or more of caffeine per day. 200 mg/day is also the upper caffeine limit recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists.

4) Pro: Coffee likely has a preventive effect against type 2 diabetes
While the studies on the correlation between coffee consumption and cancer aren't the most compelling, Harvard epidemiologist Frank Hu calls the data on coffee and type 2 diabetes "pretty solid," based on over 15 recently published studies:

The vast majority of those studies have shown a benefit of coffee on the prevention of diabetes. And now there is also evidence that decaffeinated coffee may have the same benefit as regular coffee.

Hu says the drink's benefits likely boil down to its antioxidant and mineral content — the minerals magnesium and chromium, in particular, are thought to help the body make use of the hormone insulin, which helps your body regulate blood sugar.

3) Pro: Same goes for cognitive disorders
Coffee consumption has also long been associated with decreased risks of cognitive impairments like dementia, most notably Alzheimer's disease. A study conducted in 2009, which followed regular coffee-drinkers for 20 years, found that out of 1400 people, those who reported drinking 3—4 cups of coffee per day were 65% less likely to develop dementia and Alzheimer's disease than those who drank 2 cups or fewer.

2) Toss-up : It makes you have to poop
We've all been there. You've just sat down at your breakfast table or favorite coffee shop. You're a few sips into your brew, when the urge to go comes out of nowhere; it can seriously feel like you just mainlined a laxative. (Which is a con, unless you just really need to go; some people even use coffee for enemas, in which case it's definitely a good idea to let it cool off first.)

The basic reason behind why this occurs is that coffee is a stimulant, and one of the things it happens to stimulate is peristalsis — the wave-like muscle contractions in your gastrointestinal tract.

What's interesting, though, is that a lot of people experience the need to go number two only with coffee (but not with, say, energy drinks); and experience the effect with decaffeinated brews, as well. What's more, the urge to go likely comes on too quickly to be directly caused by caffeine alone. According to a study published in the journal Gut:

The speed at which the response occurs (within four minutes after drinking the coffee) suggests an indirect action on the colon as it seems unlikely that coffee would reach the colon in this time either via the intestinal lumen or the blood stream. We suspect that coffee may induce a "gastrocolonic response" by acting on epithelial receptors in the stomach or small bowel. Such a mechanism could be mediated by neural mechanisms or by gastrointestinal hormones. Coffee has been shown to promote release of Gastrin which can increase colonic spike and motor activity.

1) Toss up: Drink coffee, see ghosts?
Seriously. A study conducted at Durham University in 2009 found that people who consumed at least 315 mg of caffeine (about three cups of brewed coffee) a day were three times more likely to hallucinate than more conservative coffee-drinkers. Seeing things, hearing voices, and sensing the presence of ghosts were among the experiences reported by test participants and tallied as "hallucinatory" by the researchers.

According to the researchers, the ultimate question is this: are the hallucinations a result of the coffee-drinking, or is the coffee something hallucinators flock to as a way to help them cope with their experiences?

At least one study, conducted by researcher Harold Koenigsberg back in 1993, seems to support the plausibility of the former conclusion. Koenigsberg and his colleagues discovered that caffeine, delivered intravenously to test participants during their sleep, had the curious effect of inducing olfactory hallucinations; when test participants awoke, they reported experiencing a variety of strange smells. One participant even reported experiencing a scent like that of "plastic or burnt coffee."

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9 Common Foods That Contain Bad Fat

March 31, 2013, 12:42 am

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The bad fat referring here is ‘trans fat’. A shudder-causing ingredient for health experts, trans fat is formed when natural vegetable oil is hardened through hydrogenation to prolong the taste and/or shelf life of certain foods.
Studies show that continued consumption of trans fat—even as little as one gram of it—can increase ‘bad’ cholesterol, put you at a greater risk for heart disease, and be a possible trigger of type 2 diabetes, particularly in women.
It’s rather easy to miss the presence of trans fat in some foods. Here’s a useful guide to help you stay away:

Microwaved popcorn: Popcorn is one of those snacks that gets away lightly—not many suspect it of being fattening. The truth is, microwaved popcorn contains trans fat. Caution: even if a product declares ‘Trans Fat: 0 grams”, it can contain trans fat if one of the ingredients listed is ‘shortening’ or ‘hydrogenated oil.’
Potato chips: they are one of the worst culprits, with one small bag carrying 3 or more grams of trans fat. Munch on almonds or trail mix instead.
Crackers: they look innocuous enough, but ‘saltine’ crackers and ‘animal’ crackers often contain trans fat. Read the labels!
Certain cereals: specially the pebble and pop varieties, though attractive to children, often have harmful trans fat in them. The same goes for many ‘protein bars’ that are marketed as ‘healthy’. Best to stick to good old oatmeal and granola.
Frozen food: those pies, pizzas and waffles are no doubt convenient to serve up, but they often contain high amounts of trans fat. As far as possible, avoid them.
French fries: they are perhaps the most obvious one on this list, but need special mention because just a medium order of fries can load you with an alarming 8 grams of trans fat.(Your daily intake of this fat should be as close to 0 grams as possible!)
Cookies: kids and adults, we all love them, and most of us eat at least 2 to 3 of them at one go. Not a good idea, because just 3 cookies can pack in nearly 3 dangerous grams of trans fat. Similarly, cake mixes, criossants and pies tend to be loaded with trans fats. Aboid the store=bought stuff, and make your own, healthier versions of your favorite bakes.
Vegetable shortening: while shortening prolongs shelf life, it also blocks your arteries. Unless you’re sure a variety of it is trans fat free, stay away.
Margarine Sticks: to stay firm and solid, margarine needs to be hydrogenated. The result: trans fat. Enough said.

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Arizona Wants To See Your ID Before You Use The Restroom

March 31, 2013, 5:42 am

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A prominent Republican lawmaker in Arizona wants to link public bathroom use to birth certificates in what civil rights advocates are calling the nation's toughest anti-transgender measure.

The bill would require people to use public restrooms, dressing rooms or locker rooms associated with the sex listed on their birth certificate or face six months in jail.

The proposal had been scheduled for a vote Wednesday during a House of Representatives committee. But in an unusual scene for the usually staid halls of state government, men in dresses, women in business suits and other transgender supporters crowded into the committee room and the lobby of the House to protest the legislation.

Minutes after the meeting started, state Rep. John Kavanagh said he would delay the debate on his bill because of a paperwork error.

Arizona's measure – and the response it received on Wednesday – reflects a growing national debate over what kind of restroom can be accessed by men and women presenting as a gender other than what they were born as.

With more people identifying as transgender, state and local governments are increasingly banning gender-identity discrimination to ward off legal battles, but opponents and proponents alike complain the laws don't explicitly demand businesses provide equal access for transgender people, creating confusion over how governments, restaurants, clothing stores and other establishments must act.

One local TV station has dubbed Arizona's legislation the "Show Me Your Papers Before You Go Potty" bill, a reference to the state Legislature's sweeping 2010 immigration law.

Among those waiting to speak out against the bill on Wednesday was Phoenix resident Erica Keppler. She was born a man, but doesn't feel comfortable in men's bathrooms or locker rooms with her earrings, long hair and feminine clothing.

If the measure becomes law, Keppler said she will be forced to go to jail or expose herself as a transgender woman each time she uses a public bathroom, dressing room or locker room, which could potentially make her vulnerable to threats from men unsettled by her appearance.

"Most transgender people try to slip through public places without being noticed," Keppler said. "This will turn us into criminals."

The term transgender covers men and women whose identity does not match with their birth-assigned sex, including cross-dressers and people who don't want to alter their bodies hormonally or surgically.

Transgender people often have a hard time changing the gender on a birth certificate because many states require proof of gender treatment surgery, which is expensive and often not covered by health insurance. Other states, including Idaho and Ohio, do not allow birth certificate changes for gender, according to the American Civil Liberties Union.

Discriminating against transgender people is illegal in at least 16 states. The protections vary. Minnesota prohibits discrimination in employment, housing, education and public accommodations, while Hawaii's law only applies to housing, according to the ACLU.

More than 100 cities and counties have passed laws prohibiting gender-identity discrimination, including Phoenix, Atlanta, New Orleans and Dallas. Those laws are also not uniform. For example, Baltimore County in Maryland approved a measure in 2012 protecting transgender people from discrimination. It did not apply to "distinctly private or personal" facilities. Tennessee lawmakers tried going in the other direction with a proposal similar to Arizona's in 2012, but it failed to gain support.

Some state laws are being tested in court. In one case, a Colorado family filed a complaint with the state's civil rights office after their first-grader, who was born a boy, was prohibited from using the girl's bathroom at her elementary school.

In recent weeks, Massachusetts and California took steps to clarify their gender-identity discrimination bans and ensure equal access for transgender students at gender-segregated facilities.

In Arizona, where Republicans control state government, Kavanagh said government shouldn't allow people to use facilities based on "you are what you think you are." He said he was worried an anti-discrimination ban passed in Phoenix last month would serve as a cover for pedophiles who want to expose themselves to children of the opposite gender.

"This law simply restores the law of society: Men are men and women are women," he said. "For a handful of people to make everyone else uncomfortable just makes no sense."

Some fret anti-discriminatory laws force businesses to spend money on renovation projects in order to provide unisex facilities and avoid complaints from customers who don't want to share bathrooms and dressing rooms with transgender people. They say Arizona's proposed law would instead protect businesses from bogus complaints from people who aren't transgender.

"Someone can just say `oh, I feel like I am a woman,'" said Aaron Baer, a spokesman for the Center for Arizona Policy, a powerful conservative group. "That person can just say, `you are discriminating against me.'"

But Masen Davis, executive director for the Transgender Law Center in San Francisco, said Arizona's proposed ban would target people who look different, regardless if they are transgender or not.

"No one should have to live in a world where they have to show their papers to pee," Davis said.

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28,000 Rivers Disappear From China’s Maps - Over 1/2 the rivers are missing, according to 800,000 surveyors, leaving Beijing fumbling to explain why

March 31, 2013, 6:17 am

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ABOUT 28,000 rivers have disappeared from China's state maps, an absence seized upon by environmentalists as evidence of the irreversible natural cost of developmental excesses.

More than half of the rivers previously thought to exist in China appear to be missing, according to the 800,000 surveyors who compiled the first national water census, leaving Beijing fumbling to explain the cause.

Only 22,909 rivers covering an area of 100sq km were located by surveyors, compared with the more than 50,000 in the 1990s, a three-year study by the Ministry of Water Resources and the National Bureau of Statistics found.

Officials blame the apparent loss on climate change, arguing that it has caused waterways to vanish, and on mistakes by earlier cartographers. But environmental experts say the disappearance of the rivers is a real and direct manifestation of headlong, ill-conceived development, where projects are often imposed without public consultation.

The UN considers China one of the 13 countries most affected by water scarcity, as industrial toxins have poisoned historic water sources and were blamed last year for turning the Yangtze an alarming shade of red.

This month, the carcasses of about 16,000 pigs dumped in the river were pulled from its waters, and 1000 dead ducks were found dumped this week in the Nanhe River in Sichuan province.

Ma Jun, a water expert at the Institute of Public and Environmental Affairs, said the missing rivers were a cause for "great attention" and underscored the urgent need for a more sustainable mode of development.

"One of the major reasons is the over-exploitation of the underground water reserves, while environmental destruction is another reason, because desertification of forests has caused a rain shortage in the mountain areas," Mr Ma said.

Large hydroelectric projects such as the Three Gorges Dam, which diverted trillions of litres of water to drier regions, were likely to have played a role, he said.

The census also charted a decline in water quality. The report came as new Premier Li Keqiang pledged greater transparency on pollution, which Communist Party rulers fear is a potential catalyst for social unrest.

"We must take the steps in advance, rather than hurry to handle these issues when they have caused a disturbance in society," Mr Li said, according to state media.

The missing rivers provoked wistful recollections among Chinese internet users. "The rivers I used to play around have disappeared; the only ones left are polluted, we can't eat the fish in them, they are all bitter," a person using the name Pippi Shuanger wrote on Weibo, the Chinese version of Twitter.

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Easter Special: 10 Health Benefits of Chocolate

March 31, 2013, 6:56 am

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While Easter eggs are typically the painted or dyed chicken eggs, but the time has changed that Easter eggs are now kid’s favourite candies and chocolate eggs with colourful dye. Truth to told, our favourite part of Easter Day is indulging in the cute chocolate eggs that we get to eat. Forget about the calories, enjoy the Easter weekend with these health benefits of chocolate goodness!

1. High in antioxidants

Chocolate contains flavonoids which are good for our heart and it helps preventing the onset of cancer. However, it is reportedly the higher chocolate chocolate content is better as it gives a significant boost in antioxidants in moderate doses. Hence, as compared to milk chocolate, dark chocolate is great for reducing blood pressure.

2. Boosts Mood

Ever wondered why most people tend to eat chocolate when they’re feeling down? Chocolate is reportedly to make people feel less stressed and it should be eaten slowly to savour its sweet taste. It is also reportedly that chocolate eases the symptoms of PMS

3. Ease the pain of hangovers

After a night of heavy drinking, chocolate helps to raises our blood sugar that become low in the next morning. The Vitamin B in chocolate reduced the severity of a hangover.

4. Fills us up

One of the many reasons that people who tend to eat chocolate stays skinny is because they eat less after just eating a piece of dark chocolate. Chocolate is rich in fiber that can keeps us feel full and it can reduce the cravings for sweet, salty and fatty foods too.

5. Promotes fertility

As Easter eggs and rabbits are the symbols of fertility, chocolate was also first enjoyed as fertility-promoting beverage by the ancient Mayans. It symbolized life, fertility, health and royalty as dark chocolate without sugar is rich in vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy pregnancy.

6. Protect our skin

Chocolate spa is typically popular in Japan as chocolate can improve their skin condition. This is because the flavonoids in the dark chocolate protect the skin from UV damage from the sun. In fact, it releases endorphins that make us feel good in the end of the day.

7. Boosts Heart Health

Dark chocolate can helps to reduce cardiovascular risk as it helps to lower down blood pressure and improve blood flow. In fact, dark chocolate has lower ”bad” LDL cholesterol and it has inflammation-fighting properties.

8. Cough supressant

Chocolate contains theobromine which helps to reduce activity of the vagus nerve that triggers the coughs. BBC reported that scientists were creating a drug containing theobromine to replace cough syrups that has risky side effects.

9. Reduce the risk chronic illness

Regularly eating chocolate helps to reduce the risk of chronic illness especially heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. The chocolate increases insulin sensitivity that may help reduce the risk of diabetes and a Swedish study found that women who ate chocolate had a lower risk of stroke than those who don’t

10. Improve our vision

As chocolate has the ability to improve our blood flow, the researchers at the University of Reading hypothesized has found out that chocolate may also give vision a boost due to the increase of blood flow to the retina. In fact, chocolate gives off the same effect as caffeine as it helps us to stay awake and alert.

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North Korea: Nukes are our country's 'life'

March 31, 2013, 8:43 am

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One of North Korea's top decision-making bodies is setting guidelines that call nuclear weapons "the nation's life" that won't be traded even for "billions of dollars,” The Associated Press reported.
The statement Sunday came after a plenary meeting of the central committee of the ruling Workers' Party attended by leader Kim Jong Un and other officials, the AP said.
It also followed a declaration on Saturday that it was entering a "state of war" with South Korea, the latest in a string of increasingly belligerent outbursts from the isolated state.

Sunday’s statement says nuclear weapons aren't "goods for getting U.S. dollars" or a "political bargaining chip." Outside analysts have said Pyongyang raises worries over its nuclear ambitions to spur nuclear-disarmament-for-aid talks, the AP said.

As chief Asia photographer for the Associated Press, David Guttenfelder has had unprecedented access to communist North Korea. Here's a rare look at daily life in the secretive country.

It said Pyongyang will also increase work to build up the economy. Kim has made fixing the moribund economy a focus.
On Thursday the U.S. sent two nuclear-capable bombers to South Korea, where they dropped inert munitions in a military exercise. The flight sparked an angry response from the North, which declared on Friday that it was preparing rockets aimed at American bases in South Korea and the Pacific.

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Smoking Immediately Upon Waking May Increase Risk of Lung and Oral Cancer

March 31, 2013, 8:47 am

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The sooner a person smokes a cigarette upon waking in the morning, the more likely he or she is to acquire lung or oral cancer, according to Penn State researchers.

"We found that smokers who consume cigarettes immediately after waking have higher levels of NNAL -- a metabolite of the tobacco-specific carcinogen NNK -- in their blood than smokers who refrain from smoking a half hour or more after waking, regardless of how many cigarettes they smoke per day," said Steven Branstetter, assistant professor of biobehavioral health.

According to Branstetter, other research has shown that NNK (4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-[3-pyridyl]-1-butanone) induces lung tumors in several rodent species. Levels of NNAL (4-(methylnitrosamnino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanol) in the blood can therefore predict lung cancer risk in rodents as well as in humans. In addition, NNAL levels are stable in smokers over time, and a single measurement can accurately reflect an individual's exposure.

Branstetter and his colleague Joshua Muscat, professor of public health sciences, examined data on 1,945 smoking adult participants from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey who had provided urine samples for analysis of NNAL. These participants also had provided information about their smoking behavior, including how soon they typically smoked after waking.

The researchers found that around 32 percent of the participants they examined smoked their first cigarette of the day within 5 minutes of waking; 31 percent smoked within 6 to 30 minutes of waking; 18 percent smoked within 31 to 60 minutes of waking; and 19 percent smoked more than one hour after waking. In addition, the researchers found that the NNAL level in the participants' blood was correlated with the participants' age, the age they started smoking, their gender and whether or not another smoker lived in their home, among other factors.

The team published its results in the March 29 issue of the journal Cancer, Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention.

"Most importantly, we found that NNAL level was highest among people who smoked the soonest upon waking, regardless of the frequency of smoking and other factors that predict NNAL concentrations," Branstetter said. "We believe these people who smoke sooner after waking inhale more deeply and more thoroughly, which could explain the higher levels of NNAL in their blood, as well as their higher risk of developing oral or lung cancer. As a result, time to first cigarette might be an important factor in the identification of high-risk smokers and in the development of interventions targeted toward early-morning smokers."

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World’s top supercomputer from ‘09 is now obsolete, will be dismantled

March 31, 2013, 7:02 pm

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Five years ago, an IBM-built supercomputer designed to model the decay of the US nuclear weapons arsenal was clocked at speeds no computer in the history of Earth had ever reached. At more than one quadrillion floating point operations per second (that's a million billion, or a "petaflop"), the aptly-named Roadrunner was so far ahead of the competition that it earned the #1 slot on the Top 500 supercomputer list in June 2008, November 2008, and one last time in June 2009.

Today, that computer has been declared obsolete and it's being taken offline. Based at the US Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, Roadrunner will be studied for a while and then ultimately dismantled. While the computer is still one of the 22 fastest in the world, it isn't energy-efficient enough to make the power bill worth it.

"During its five operational years, Roadrunner, part of the National Nuclear Security Administration’s Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) program to provide key computer simulations for the Stockpile Stewardship Program, was a workhorse system providing computing power for stewardship of the US nuclear deterrent, and in its early shakedown phase, a wide variety of unclassified science," Los Alamos lab said in an announcement Friday.

Costing more than $120 million, Roadrunner's 296 server racks covering 6,000 square feet were connected with InfiniBand and contained 122,400 processor cores. The hybrid architecture used IBM PowerXCell 8i CPUs (an enhanced version of the Sony PlayStation 3 processor) and AMD Opteron dual-core processors. The AMD processors handled basic tasks, with the Cell CPUs "taking on the most computationally intense parts of a calculation—thus acting as a computational accelerator," Los Alamos wrote.

"Although other hybrid computers existed, none were at the supercomputing scale," Los Alamos said. "Many doubted that a hybrid supercomputer could work, so for Los Alamos and IBM, Roadrunner was a leap of faith… As part of its Stockpile Stewardship work, Roadrunner took on a difficult, long-standing gap in understanding of energy flow in a weapon and its relation to weapon yield."

Roadrunner lost its world's-fastest title in November 2009 to Jaguar, another Department of Energy supercomputer combining AMD Opterons with Cray processors. Jaguar hit 1.76 petaflops to take the title, and it still exists as part of an even newer cluster called Titan. Titan took the top spot in the November 2012supercomputers list with a speed of 17.6 petaflops.

Supercomputing researchers are now looking toward exascale speeds—1,000 times faster than a petaflop—but major advances in energy efficiency and price-performance are necessary.

Petaflop machines aren't automatically obsolete—a petaflop is still speedy enough to crack the top 25 fastest supercomputers. Roadrunner is thus still capable of performing scientific work at mind-boggling speeds, but has been surpassed by competitors in terms of energy efficiency. For example, in the November 2012 ratings Roadrunner required 2,345 kilowatts to hit 1.042 petaflops and a world ranking of #22. The supercomputer at #21 required only 1,177 kilowatts, and #23 (clocked at 1.035 petaflops) required just 493 kilowatts.

"Future supercomputers will need to improve on Roadrunner’s energy efficiency to make the power bill affordable," Los Alamos wrote. "Future supercomputers will also need new solutions for handling and storing the vast amounts of data involved in such massive calculations."

After Roadrunner is shut off today, researchers will spend a month doing experiments on "operating system memory compression techniques for an ASC relevant application, and optimized data routing to help guide the design of future capacity cluster computers." After that, the cluster will finally be dismantled, the end of the world's first petaflop supercomputer.

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Cops bark like dogs, trick burglary suspects into surrendering

March 31, 2013, 7:06 pm

≫ Next: Israel teenage has spent more than 100 days in prison over the past 19 weeks due to his refusal to enlist in Israeli army

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Some cops in Connecticut are more bark than bite. But their animal instincts were exactly what was called for in order to bring down a pair of suspected criminals.

WFSB reports on a pair of masked burglary suspects who had holed up inside a home in Connecticut and were refusing to cooperate with authorities. So, the cops decided the next logical move was issuing a threat to release dogs from their K-9 unit.

However, there was just one problem: None of the dogs were actually on the scene or available to be dispatched in the effort.

So, the New Have Police Department made due with their resources on hand; enlisting several of the dozen officers on site who barked like dogs in an effort to convince the two suspects that a pack of vicious dogs were chomping at the bit, just waiting to be unleashed.

And, in a surprising development, it actually worked. After the men heard the cops barking, they emerged from the home and surrendered to police.

Needless to say, McGruff the Crime Dog would be proud.

“These cops were trained to do stuff like that, right?” said an impressed sounding local resident, Gideon Gurley after witnessing the incident. "I guess that was the best technique to do what they needed to do to get people out."

The suspects, Kwame Wells-Jordan, 20, and Norman Boone, 23, have been charged with car theft and burglary with additional charges expected to be forthcoming.

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Israel teenage has spent more than 100 days in prison over the past 19 weeks due to his refusal to enlist in Israeli army

April 1, 2013, 7:35 am

≫ Next: Was this really the world's first cell phone? Mystery of 1938 film that shows woman talking on wireless device may finally be solved

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It is a routine Nathan Blanc knows well. At 9am on Tuesday morning, the 19-year-old will report, as instructed in his draft papers, to a military base near Tel Aviv. There he will state his objection to serving in the Israeli army. Following his refusal to enlist, Blanc expects to be arrested and sentenced to between 10 and 20 days in jail. He will then be taken to Military Prison Number 6 to serve his time. And then, following his release, the cycle will begin over again.

The reason why Blanc knows what to expect is that this will be the eighth time the teenage conscientious objector has been jailed in the past 19 weeks. Since the date of his original call-up for military service, Blanc has spent more than 100 days in prison; on one occasion, he was released on a Tuesday and re-imprisoned two days later on a Thursday.

Blanc began to consider the possibility of refusing the draft several years ago. "It was a very hard decision, it took me a long time to get to it," he says.

The turning point was Operation Cast Lead, the war in Gaza that began at the end of 2008 and ended three weeks later with a Palestinian death toll of around 1,400. In a statement issued when he was first imprisoned, Blanc said: "The wave of aggressive militarism that swept the country then, the expressions of mutual hatred, and the vacuous talk about stamping out terror and creating a deterrent effect were the primary trigger for my refusal."

The government, he said, was "not interested in finding a solution to the existing situation, but rather in preserving it … We will talk of deterrence, we will kill some terrorist, we will lose some civilians on both sides, and we will prepare the ground for a new generation full of hatred on both sides … We, as citizens and human beings, have a moral duty to refuse to participate in this cynical game."

In an interview with the Guardian, he says: "The war going on in this country for more than 60 years could have ended a long time ago. But both sides are giving into extremists and fundamentalists. The occupation was supposed to be temporary, but now no one speaks of it ending."

The Israeli state, he adds, keeps people "under our control" without democratic rights. Palestinians are subject to "collective punishment" for the actions of a few.

Most Israelis grow up knowing that compulsory military service – three years for boys, two for girls – lies at the end of their school days. "Going to the army" is a deeply ingrained, collective experience in Israeli national identity.

For some, it's an eagerly-anticipated patriotic duty; for others, a rite of passage; for a few, a difficult moral dilemma. But it is rare for people to refuse on grounds of conscience. Blanc says that since November, he has been the only conscientious objector among the 300-400 inmates in Military Prison Number 6.

Most of his friends have come to accept his position – "we had the arguments a long time ago" – and some who are currently serving as combat soldiers now say they admire it. His parents, despite some anxiety, are supportive.

Blanc rejected the option taken by some objectors of claiming a medical condition that would exempt him from military service. "I didn't want to lie. This is a point of principle."

Neither could he seek exemption of the grounds of pacifism. "The army has a narrow definition of pacifism – someone who would never apply force in any circumstances. The [IDF's] conscience committee asks tough questions, and I would not be able to say never. I think force should be used rarely, but it can't be completely ruled out."

Blanc is willing to undertake national service in lieu of the compulsory stint in the army, but thus far the military has refused to countenance this.

In a statement, the IDF said it could not comment on Blanc's specific case, but conscription was a result of Israel's security situation. Although there were limited grounds for exemption, those called up were "fully aware of their responsibilities towards the military and the consequences for failing" to carry them out.

Blanc hesitates when asked if he would describe himself as a patriot. "I feel a strong connection to this country, and I'm proud of it in many ways. But I have an aversion to nationalism."

Prison life has taken some adjustment. Blanc, who shares a tent with around 20 other prisoners, is woken for roll call around 5am and works eight hours a day in the kitchen. The inmates, who wear surplus US military uniforms, can make calls on a public phone but are forbidden to keep their mobiles. There is a prison library, but no gym.

"I have no idea how long this will go on for," said Blanc. "The bad scenario is that I will be put in front of a military court and sentenced to something like a year in prison. The better scenario is that they'll get tired of this, and will let me do national service instead."

It is hard for Blanc to see beyond the game of cat-and-mouse in which he and the IDF are currently engaged, but he says: "I don't want to deal with politics and conflict all my life." He would like to study science or technology at university.

He brushes aside a suggestion that his current stance could harm his future prospects. "I'm proud of what I'm doing. I may have caused some damage to my future, but it's minor compared to the principle at stake."

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Was this really the world's first cell phone? Mystery of 1938 film that shows woman talking on wireless device may finally be solved

April 1, 2013, 7:44 am

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The mystery surrounding the video from 1938- showing a young woman using device that resembles modern day cell phone- seems to have been solved.

In the video, a women is seen talking on a wireless handset device that has an uncanny resemblance to present day mobile phones. The video was shot in 1930s in a factory in the United States.

The video came to light last year and ignited a huge debate about the authenticity of the footage. Some called it an instance of time travelling while others called it modern technology existing way before its time.

One year later, after the video first came to light, a man has come forward with an answer.

According to him, the woman in the picture is his great grandmother.

The user says that the woman really is using a cell - but it's a pre-war prototype developed by a communications factory, owned by US industrial giant Dupont, in Leominster, Massachusetts, according to news report in Daily Mail.

The video was re-loaded by an account called 'planetcheck'. The YouTube user says that the woman is his great grandmother.

'She was 17 years old. I asked her about this video and she remembers it quite clearly. She says Dupont had a telephone communications section in the factory.'

'They were experimenting with wireless telephones. Gertrude and five other women were given these wireless phones to test out for a week.'

'Gertrude is talking to one of the scientists holding another wireless phone who is off to her right as she walks by.'

This is not the first instance when videos- indicating that cell phones existed way before the time they were invented- have surfaced. In 1928, a Charlie Chaplin movie also appears to show a woman using a mobile phone - causing speculation that she was a time traveler, the news report said.

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Colorado pot accidents spur call for childproof packaging

April 1, 2013, 6:15 pm

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From early 2005 to late 2009, Children's Hospital Colorado had exactly zero emergency-room visits by kids who had ingested marijuana. In the following two years, when medical marijuana became legal in Colorado and federal officials backed off prosecution, it had 14.

Pioneering studies of ER charts by Colorado doctors show looser pot laws leading to childhood poisonings, often from mistakenly eating tantalizing "edibles" like gummy worms or brownies.

Those doctors are now helping lead the charge for mandatory safety packaginga s Colorado gears up for even broader legal sales of pot with recreational-marijuana stores.

"We've seen a dramatic increase in pediatric exposure," said Dr. George Wang, a Children's ER doctor who also works with Denver Health's Rocky Mountain Poison and Drug Center.

Calls about potential marijuana exposure at all ages have doubled since 2009 at the poison center.

Safety packaging, as in other medicines, "is a supplement to careful parenting that has been shown to work," said Wang's colleague, Dr. Michael Kosnett. "There are solutions available right now."

And the marijuana industry agrees, up to a point.

Many industry members favor sending goods out the store door under tamper-proof seal. But they would rather not break each individual joint or candy into a high-tech, lockable bag whose cost — up to $7, even in bulk — might approach the price of the brownie inside.

"They'll have to buy so much tamper-proof packaging that people will just make it themselves at home," said Robin Hackett, co-owner of Botana Care, a medical-marijuana store in Northglenn. "The challenge is with a pound of butter and some cannabis, anybody can make edibles."

Hackett and other members of the Medical Marijuana Industry Group say lockboxes and larger locking bags that buyers can use to transport larger purchases home should solve most of the safety problems.

Breaking everything down into smaller tamper-proof bags is a landfill problem and unnecessary expense, Hackett said. Botana Care counsels patients with children about safety, and keeps track of who has kids as a reminder.

"Unfortunately, we can't write laws around 'dumb,' " she said.

None of the accidentally poisoned children has died, Wang and Kosnett said.

There are serious medical consequences for small children, though, even while marijuana advocates say an adult "overdose" of pot is nearly impossible.

Prescribed dosages of THC, the active ingredient in marijuana products used to control nausea from chemotherapy, is between 4 and 12 milligrams for children ages 2 to 4, based on body surface area. Some "edibles" have 300 milligrams of THC, Kosnett said.

The researchers say individual safety packs would be best, but the current recommendation of all items leaving the store in one secure package is "better than nothing."

Because there is no clear reporting category for marijuana poisonings, doctors have to cull through files to count cases. Presbyterian/St. Luke's, which operates Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children, said it does not track similar cases.

The cases studied at Children's included decreased levels of consciousness and breathing trouble. Children can also vomit from ingesting too much of a strong substance and aspirate the vomit.

The median age in the 14 patients was 3 years, and the range was 8 months to 12 years, according to an abstract of the research published in the journal Clinical Toxicology.

Child-ingested pot is also dangerous because ER doctors aren't looking for it as a cause of any symptoms they see, Wang said. That can lead to invasive and expensive diagnostic efforts, such as a spinal tap or CT scan, if parents are embarrassed or scared to mention the true cause.

"When children get admitted to the ICU, that's serious," Kosnett said. Symptoms may appear similar to meningitis, for example.

Safety packaging and parental prevention should be noncontroversial, said Dr. Robert Brockmann, president of the Colorado Academy of Family Physicians, especially as newly legal recreational use will greatly expand the supply.

"None of that information is being disseminated when it's dispensed," Brockmann said. "It's like liquor or prescription medications, or anything else you don't want your kids to get into."

Kosnett likens the social moment to that of the 1970 U.S. Poison Prevention Packaging Act, which launched many of the safety containers now ubiquitous in medical and chemical markets. One standard for packages, Kosnett said, is that no more than 20 percent of 5-year-olds be able to open a container within 10 minutes.

Such measures have cut pediatric poisonings in various categories by 40 to 90 percent over the decades, he said.

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7 “Unhealthy” Foods That Are Actually Healthy

April 2, 2013, 2:07 am

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White Rice

The differences between white and brown rice are small, and really only matter if you’re only eating rice all day, every day, says Alan Aragon, M.S., Men’s Health nutrition advisor. In fact, some research suggests that eating white over brown leads to better nitrogen retention—which can help protect against muscle loss. A Japanese study also found that nutrients like potassium and phosphorus are better absorbed from white rice—the extra fiber in brown rice could make nutrients less available to your body, says Aragon.

Sour Cream

Yes, most of its calories are derived from fat—and while the percentage of fat is high, the total amount isn't. A serving (2 tablespoons) has only 52 calories—that’s half the amount in one tablespoon of mayo. It also has less saturated fat than a 12-ounce glass of 2 percent milk. Unless you actually prefer the light versions, eat the classic version; it tastes richer, and the fat will keep you full longer.

Coffee

Your cuppa Joe will likely do more good than harm. Just keep your fix in check: While researchers at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston found that about two 8-ounce cups of coffee lowered people’s risk of heart failure by 11 percent, more than five cups a day increased the risk. In moderation, researchers believe java’s antioxidants could reduce your type 2 diabetes risk—a common risk factor for heart failure.

Salsa

A plate of nachos might put a bulge in your belly, but don’t blame the condiment! Salsa is packed with vitamins A and C from its tomato base. It also contains the cancer-fighting antioxidant lycopene. Harness the many powers of salsa by adding it to eggs or spicing up the flavor on a fish dish or burger.

Beer

Move over, red wine. According to a recent review of research, beer is just as good for your heart as vino. A little more than a pint a day could make you 30 percent less likely to suffer from a stroke, heart attack, and heart disease than non-drinkers. Credit the alcohol and polyphenols (antioxidants) in beer, but leave the keg stands in your past: Overdrinking—four or more glasses of wine or beer a day—brings you out of the protective window and puts your heart at risk, the research found.

Red Meat

Studies of the cause-and-effect of eating red meat never find any difference in health outcomes between red meat and chicken or fish, says Michael Roussell, Ph.D., author of The Six Pillars of Nutrition. Many times, red meat eaters tend to be unhealthier in general—they smoke, drink, exercise less, and eat fewer disease-fighting fruits and vegetables.

In fact, red meat in a healthy diet could improve cholesterol levels, according to a 2012 study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. Stearic acid (a saturated fatty acid) and oleic acid (a heart-healthy monounsaturated fat) may play a role in those “good” HDL cholesterol changes. “Beef brings a unique, heart-healthy blend of fats to the table that you won’t get from other foods,” says Roussell. Choose lean cuts (strip, sirloin, tenderloin, or T-bone steaks, and 95 percent lean ground beef) to control calories, says Aragon.

Spicy Foods

Researchers at the Chinese University of Hong Kong found that hamsters fed capsaicinoids—compounds that lend flavor to chili peppers and jalapenos—showed lower levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol than animals that ate capsaicinoid-free meals. Capsaicionoids could block the gene that causes your arteries to contract. The result: Relaxed muscles and better blood flow to the heart, researchers say. Spice up a salad with half a chili pepper, and sip that Bloody Mary guilt-free—it’s packed with the capsaicinoid cayenne!

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Benefits Of Tofu

April 2, 2013, 2:09 am

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The highly nutritious, protein-rich tofu is commonly called ‘the cheese of Asia’ and is prepared by curdling soybean milk. It is usually off-white in color and forms an important constituent in the cultural cuisines of many Asian countries, like China and Japan. Though the food is of Chinese origin, certain parts of East Asia and Southeast Asia use tofu to prepare a variety of dishes. Tofu was introduced in Japan during the 8^th century and was originally referred to as ‘okabe’. It was only during the 15^th century that the food became popular as ‘tofu’. The food has high amounts of iron and proteins and is relatively low in calorie content. It also has high amounts of calcium and magnesium levels. Also, tofu contains certain soy isoflavones, which can actually mimic natural human estrogens, causing certain beneficial effects in human body. To know more about the health benefits of consuming tofu, read the pointers given below.

Health Benefits Of Eating Tofu

Tofu has high amounts of the trace mineral selenium which is very important for the proper functioning of the antioxidant system. A good antioxidant system helps reduce the level of free radicals (harmful) in the body. Due to its powerful antioxidant actions, selenium helps prevent the occurrence of colon cancer - by protecting colon cells from cancer causing toxins, reduces asthma and also aids in the prevention of certain heart diseases and arthritic symptoms.
Studies have indicated that a mere 4 ounces of tofu each day provides around 14.45 of the daily beneficial fat requirement. This beneficial fat or Omega-3-fatty acid helps control erratic heart rhythms, reduces clotting of blood inside arteries and improves the ratio of good HDL to bad LDL.
A good source of iron, tofu helps in the process of energy production. The iron present in tofu is mainly used as a part of hemoglobin and helps in the transport and release of oxygen throughout the body.
The copper present in tofu helps in reducing the painful symptoms of Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA). Along with manganese, copper also aids the production of an oxidative enzyme called superoxide dismutase. This enzyme is very important in the removal of certain free radicals produced within the mitochondria.
Tofu contains certain phytoestrogens, like isoflavones, genistein and diadzein, which are very helpful in alleviating the side effects associated with menopause, like hot flashes, and postmenopausal osteoporosis.
The calcium present in tofu helps reduce the rate of bone loss associated with menopause. The mineral is also very useful in arthritic conditions, which result in considerable amount of bone loss from the body.
Recent studies have also indicated that regular intake of soy protein helps reduce total cholesterol levels in the body. Thus, it is seen that tofu is very beneficial for people suffering from atherosclerosis or diabetic heart disease.

Caution

Tofu contains considerable amount of the naturally occurring substance called oxalate. The presence of high amounts of this substance causes its crystallization, resulting in certain health problems. Hence, people suffering from existing or untreated health problems should avoid the consumption of high amounts of tofu. Oxalates also interfere in the absorption of calcium from the body.
Certain allergic reactions may occur as a result of consumption of tofu. Such reactions may be immediate and specific or delayed and general. In such cases, it is always advisable to seek the help of a healthcare practitioner.

Cooking Tips

For making a tofu aoli dip, mix together soft tofu, garlic and lemon juice.
You can also scramble soft tofu together with some vegetables and spice turmeric, to produce a yellow-egg like effect.
In the food processor, blend soft tofu with your favorite fruits and serve as a dessert to your friends and family.

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