HealthCare.gov Website Problems, Can’t Handle The Traffic on Last Day For Sign-Up

The HealthCare.gov website having problems yet again, and can’t handle the traffic as it was out of service for nearly four hours on last day for new sign-ups.

Visitors to HealthCare.gov on Monday morning saw messages that the site was down for maintenance. At times the visitors were also directed to a virtual waiting room â€" a feature designed to ease the strain on the site during periods of heavy use.

Administration spokesman Aaron Albright said the website undergoes “regular nightly maintenance” during off-peak hours and that period was extended because of a “technical problem.” He did not say what the problem was, but a statement from the Department of Health and Human Services called it “a software bug” unrelated to application volume.

HealthCare.gov website can’t handle the traffic. Image Courtesy: Wikipedia

Albright said consumers seeking to sign up will be able to leave their email were to be “invited back” when the system got up and running again.

Officials said the website wasn’t hacked. The site, which was receiving 1.5 million visitors a day last week, received about 2 million a day over the weekend.

Albright said the website is typically down for maintenance during the period from 1 a.m. to 5 a.m. EDT, and that as a result of the technical problems the site was down for close to four additional hours before returning to full strength Monday morning.

The sign-up website had been taken down briefly Friday, with consumer interest surging. Lately the site has been getting about 1.5 million visits a day.

A recent analysis for The Associated Press by the performance-measurement firm Compuware found that the government site runs slow compared with health insurance industry peers.

HealthCare.gov Website Problems, Can’t Handle The Traffic on Last Day For Sign-Up.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Does Marriage Help Your Heart? Studies Suggest Yes

Does marriage help your heart? According to a recent study conducted by the NYU Langone Medical Center the answer is yes. The study revealed that those with a spouse had ,on average, a 5 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who do not have a spouse.

Does marriage help your heart? New studies say yes â€" photo courtesy of Wall Save

Though the study did not say exactly why this is, it was pointed out that the quality of the marriage or civil union is an important factor when it comes to reducing the risk.

“There is probably several reasons why this is so. One is that married couples help each other to eat better, exercise, avoid smoking and alcohol, they serve as a buffer for stressful life events for each other, they encourage each other to take their medications, go to doctors appointments and they may even recognize symptoms that their doctor doesn’t,” said cardiologist Dr. Tara Narula in an interview with CBS.

3.5 million people of all ages were surveyed across the United States in 20,000 different centers. The strongest benefit was found to be for married couples under 50 who saw a 12 percent decrease in risk for heart disease.

Even though planning a wedding has been notoriously known to be a very stressful event, it seems as though if the marriage is a quality one, it could very well be worth it in the long run. It is also well known that more than half of marriage in the U.S ends in divorce, so it is difficult for these couples to maintain the happy marriage over longer periods of time.

Be sure to check out the interview below for more details.

YouTube video courtesy of CBS This Morning

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Royal Family Portrait: 8 month old Prince George, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Dog Lupo

(Photo by Jason Bell/Camera Press via Getty Images)

Royal Family Portrait: 8 month old Prince George, Prince William, Kate Middleton and Dog Lupo 

 

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, better known as Prince William and his bride, the former Kate Middleton, released a formal portrait of Prince George of England, age eight months, and his attentive black pooch.

As photos go, this one appears ordinary at first glance. A man. His wife. Their baby. A dog.

But stare long enough and the casual touches recede and you realize this is a formal portrait for an informal age: Prince George of Cambridge, age 8 months, and his attentive black pooch, both watched over by smiling parents.

The photo â€" released Saturday by Britain’s Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, better known as Prince William and his bride, the former Kate Middleton â€" is just the third official photo of the monarchy’s prince, snapped at their mottled brick-facade home in Kensington Palace, once the domicile of William’s mother, Princess Diana.

Taken by Jason Bell, who also took Prince George’s christening shots last fall, the photograph neatly frames the quartet in a white window, their images stark against a jet black background. Kate and William smile contentedly, while their son appears distracted by the family dog â€" a black cocker spaniel named Lupo, or “wolf” in Italian â€" who returns the baby’s direct gaze.

He’s a well-dressed baby, already wearing bespoke fashion. He’s got on a baby blue sweater (or jumper, as the British call it) with his name emblazoned in white across his chest. The Daily Mail, of course, tracked down the details: It’s cashmere, believed to be from the royal favorite wool mill, Johnstons of Elgin, Scotland.

Although the royal family will be traveling to New Zealand and Australia from April 7 to April 25, it remains to be seen how much residents of those former British colonies â€" both of which have strong historical and emotional ties to England â€" will see the wee prince.

“George being just a little over eight months old by the time they travel, I’m sure you will appreciate that the couple will have to make a final decision on those moments much closer to time,” Prince William’s private secretary, Miguel Head, announced earlier this month.

New Zealanders in particular may be hoping that history repeats itself; Prince William was photographed taking his very first steps while on a visit to Auckland with his parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, in 1983. ) (USA TODAY)

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Ready for the 24 karat SOLID GOLD THREAD FACELIFT?

Ready for the 24 karat SOLID GOLD THREAD FACELIFT? 

AN UNUSUAL new treatment which weaves a web of solid gold beneath your skin and claims to make you look eight years younger!

Solid Gold Facelift (YouTube Video)

The non-surgical facelift, which claims to reduce wrinkles, eliminate dark circles and tighten your jawline, is the latest concept in fighting the signs of ageing.

“This procedure took 20 years to develop and perfect and we are confident that it is a huge step forward in non surgical procedures,” said Dr. Pawel Koziczynski, who developed the GoldThread Rejuvenation Procedure.

The £3,600 natural facelift involves a 99.9 per cent pure gold thread, 0.1mm thick, sewn into the layer just below the skin. Your body then has a slight allergic reaction to the thread and swells creating plumper, firmer, younger looking skin. Specific wrinkles can also be targeted by stitching the glistening thread across the target area, which channels the swelling fill to wrinkle.

However there is no instant gratification as the reaction takes a while to kick in. Doctors say the complexion will begin to improve after about two weeks and wrinkles will lighten around three months after the procedure.

But the best results are achieved between six and 12 months after the treatment, when patients can look up to eight years younger.

The treatment is conducted without any anesthesia and 65 per cent of patients who underwent the facelift said they felt no pain at all. It also leaves no scars or bleeding so no one has to know you’ve had a little help.  Depending on each individual’s immunity, the implanted gold thread will remain in the body of the patient for around eight to 12 years (smoking, drinking and other unhealthy living habits will shorten the period of effectiveness).

Having more gold thread sewn under the skin every three to five years will boost the results of the original procedure. A gold web is weaved beneath the skin which makes it appear plumper and tighter.

“Previous implementations of the technique were good for their times, but they required much more recovery time for patients. Now they needn’t lay low after visiting the clinic.”

The gold thread facelift was introduced to the UK after Irina Gorianova, a Manchester-based beauty clinic owner, tested it on her own skin and was delighted with the results.

Source: Express

Ready for the 24 karat SOLID GOLD THREAD FACELIFT? 

 

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Oil Pulling Makes Coconut Oil the New Listerine!

Oil Pulling Holds Antibacterial Benefits, Coconut Oil May be the New Listerine

Oil pulling, a new mouth detoxification trend that has its roots dating back to over 2000 years, may actually hold antibacterial benefits for the mouth, experts believe.

Oil pulling basically involves the use of coconut oil or any other food oil to be swished around in the mouth for 20 minutes a day in an attempt to deal with many forms of oral health problems- a practise recommended by the ancient Indian Ayurvedic practitioners. Earlier, this practise was believed to help dental caries and provide relief from tooth pain, but the experts today strongly believe that this practise could actually brighten up your smile and curb hangovers.

Oil Pulling Holds Antibacterial Properties

This practise reportedly gained its much deserved importance after celebrity health nut Gwyneth Paltrow’s interview, where she confessed trying this practise to improve her skin health and whitening her teeth.

“It’s improving blood circulation,” Rakesh Modi, a resident of India who practises Ayurvedic medicine himself, explains. “You’re getting oxygen in your blood into the local area, which is required for the healing process.”

To find out if this practise actually works, a Leslie Liang, an assistant professor of dentistry at the University of Toronto, conducted a short study and asked 12 patients to try out this oil pulling technique. “Not only did they find their mouths felt a lot moister, they also noticed that whatever teeth they had left â€" because they might have been decayed â€" they looked brighter,” Liang explained. “There seemed to be a glossiness to them which they wouldn’t have had with a dry mouth.”

Looks like the ancient Ayurvedic practises do have a certain amount of credibility to their offerings after all!

Oil Pulling Holds Antibacterial Benefits, Coconut Oil May be the New Listerine

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Medtronic Nonsurgical Heart Valve Repair Shows Promising Signs

Medtronic Inc. has been testing a nonsurgical way of repairing heart valves and the results are showing from the new procedure are showing a higher survival rate than open heart surgery.

Instead of performing dangerous open heart surgery the study testing an artificial valve from Medtronic Inc. that can be placed through a catheter. After one year, 19 percent of the surgery patients but only 14 percent of those given the catheter valve had died.

Medtronic’s artificial heart tube shows promising signs. Image Courtesy: Facebook

The new study gives a boost to fixing a bad aortic valve, the heart’s main gate, without open heart surgery. Survival rates were astonishingly better one year later for people who had a new valve placed through a tube into an artery instead.

Several hundred thousand Americans have bad aortic valves, which can stiffen and narrow with age and not let blood through as they should. The only solution used to be open heart surgery to replace one.

The results were reported Saturday at an American College of Cardiology conference in Washington. 

The Fortune 500 company Medtronic is based out of Fridley, Minnesota and is the fourth largest medical device company in the world.

Medtronic’s mission statement from its co-founder Earl Bakken: To contribute to human welfare by application of biomedical engineering in the research, design, manufacture, and sale of instruments or appliances that alleviate pain, restore health, and extend life.

Traditional open heart surgery to repair the aortic valve is very dangerous, because surgeons have to open up the patients chest and hook them up to a heart-lung bypass machine, which does the work of the heart while the heart is stopped.

The risks of infection from the incision are very high after the surgery, along with increased risk for blood clots developing, heart rhythm problems, kidney failure, and chest pains that can last for up to six months.

This new study is showing promising signs that nonsurgical heart valve repair may help to save a lot of lives and reduce the risks associated with open heart surgery.

Medtronic Nonsurgical Heart Valve Repair Shows Promising Signs.

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Philips launches 4K UHD TVs

 Philips launches 2014 UHD TVs powered by Android.

Philips was the last name on techno fans minds last year when it came to TV.  They were all focused on Google.  They were expecting Google to dump GoogleTV because they had not met with much success.

Now Philips has unveiled a new line of televisions powered by Android.  The TVs power source will actually be very similar to the operating system in Android phones and related mobile devices.  In fact, Philips will be offering a number of new products based on the Android operating system probably in the second quarter of this year.

Philips

The new 8109 series and the new 8209 series are 48 inch and 55 inch television sets respectively.  They output programs in 1080p (full HD) and will reportedly “feature a very responsive gaming capability”.  They will also include quad-core processors.

Philips will also be offering their new 55 inch 8800 series which will also be powered by Android.  It will output content in Ultra HD. To tech fans that means 3840 x 2160 pixels or 4K resolution.  It will have an as yet to be specified hex-core processor.

The Philips televisions will also include Android 4.2.2 (Jelly Bean), Chrome, Music, Play Movies, YouTube and still more pre-installed media apps.  Philips also announced that the TVs will also include full Google Play Store integration.  To those not in the (techno) know, this means users will be able to download and stream content from numerous other media providers like Netfix.

Early reviewers note that each TV includes “only 2.7GB worth of storage space for extra apps and media content.”  They also note, however, that “the range of USB ports and WiFi connectivity” will allow users to “connect an external drive” elsewhere.  Philips also notes that these TVs feature a selection of ports and interfaces and can download additional content with the Philip’s Remote app, SimplyShare and Wi-Fi Miracast which also makes them capable of streaming content to and from other compatible mobile devices.

Online sources opine that “the Android TV branding” that was so much in the news last year might end up replacing GoogleTV.  Of course, they also admit GoogleTV isn’t down for the count yet either despite the fact that there has not been “any mention of Android TV with the release of these Philips televisions.  At this point, the only other thing that is certain is that the new Philips line is slotted in to ship as far as Russia during the second quarter of the year.

(Image courtesy of CanalTech)

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Saying “I Do” is Medically Good for the Heart

“Where there is love there is life”-Mahatma Gandhi

Heartache and love are two powerful happenings; either can make you stronger, or weak at the knees, soften or harden the soul. Today, researchers prove marriage is good for the heart.

A study found married people are less likely than singles, divorced or widowed folks to suffer any type of heart or blood vessel problem.

“It might be that if someone is married, they have a spouse who encourages them to take better care of themselves,” said Dr. Jeffrey Berger, a preventive cardiologist at NYU Langone Medical Center in New York.

But “we can’t prove by any means cause and effect,” he said.

This is the largest look at marriage and heart health, said Dr. Carlos Alviar, a cardiology fellow who led the study with Berger. Previous studies mostly compared married to single people and lacked information on divorced and widowed ones. Or they just looked at heart attacks, whereas this one included a full range from clogged arteries and abdominal aneurysms to stroke risks and circulation problems in the legs.

Researchers used health questionnaires people filled out as they sought various types of tests in community settings around the country from an Ohio company, Life Line Screening Inc.

The study authors have no financial ties to the company and are not endorsing this type of screening, Berger said. Life Line gave its data to the Society of Vascular Surgery and New York University to help promote research.

Researchers studied the results from people who sought screening from 2003 to 2008.  Their average age was 64; nearly 2-thirds female and 80 percent were white.  Personal information collected included: smoking, diabetes, family history, obesity and exercise.

The study Uncovered:

â€"Married people had a 5 percent lower risk of any cardiovascular disease compared to single people. Widowed people had a 3 percent greater risk of it and divorced people, a 5 percent greater risk, compared to married folks.

â€"Marriage seemed to do the most good for those under age 50; they had a 12 percent lower risk of heart-related disease than single people their age.

â€"Smoking, a major heart risk, was highest among divorced people and lowest in widowed ones. Obesity was most common in those single and divorced. Widowed people had the highest rates of high blood pressure, diabetes and inadequate exercise.

Not included in the study was how long participants were married or how recently they were divorced or became widowed. But the results drive home the message that a person’s heart risks can’t be judged by physical measures alone â€" social factors and stress also matter, said Dr. Vera Bittner, a cardiologist at the University of Alabama at Birmingham.

She heads the heart disease prevention committee of the American College of Cardiology. The study results were released on Friday ahead of presentation this weekend at the group’s annual meeting in Washington.

“We don’t really have a clear explanation” for why marriage may be protective, Bittner said.

“You may be more willing to follow up with medical appointments,” take recommended drugs, diet and exercise if you have a spouse, she said.

Facts contributed to this article by the Associated Press.

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Off Duty Police Officer and Two Other Men Gunned Down In a Bar in Fremont, OH

Early Sunday morning a off duty police officer and two other men, were gunned down in the Last Call Bar in Fremont, OH.

Elmore Police Officer Jose Andy Chavez, 26; bartender Ramiro Sanchez, 28; and customer Daniel Ramirez, 25, were gunned down in the nightclub shooting.

Off duty police officer gunned down in a bar. Image Courtesy: Associated Press

Detectives working the case are still looking for the unidentified shooter. Police Chief Tim Wiersma believes that gunman was a patron at the bar having a few drinks, when things went horribly wrong. The police suspect that a fight broke out amongst the bar patrons, which led to shooting.

“It is sad that an altercation in a bar went so terribly out of control. I am sad for all of the victims and their tragic deaths,” Wiersma said. “All of the victims were from our community, and, yes, one being a fellow police officer makes it even harder.”

Young officer Chavez leaves behind a wife and two small children. His superior officer Sgt. Jeffrey Harrison said in a statement, that Chavez was an outstanding officer who had served on the force for two years.

Police Chief Wiersma urged any members of the public to come forward with information regarding the shooting. He said, ”We are actively investigating leads from people who were at the scene upon our arrival and need witnesses to come forward with information.”

25-year-old Ramiro Arreola, a fourth victim in the shooting was flown to a nearby hospital in critical condition.

Detectives are hopeful that when Arreola wakes up he will be able to shed some light on the case and identify the shooter. Police are still searching for the shooter and no arrests have been made.

The Last Call Bar has not answered any phone calls in regards to the shooting.

Off Duty Police Officer and Two Other Men Gunned Down In a Bar in Fremont, OH.

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Phil Mickelson makes it to weekend in Phoenix Open

By JOHN NICHOLSON

AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. (AP) â€" Phil Mickelson made it to the weekend in the Phoenix Open, a week after withdrawing at Torrey Pines because of back pain.

The defending champion shot a 4-under 67 in his afternoon round Friday at cool and breezy TPC Scottsdale, leaving him eight strokes behind leaders Bubba Watson and Matt Jones.

Watson and Jones were 12 under. Watson followed his opening 64 with a 66, and Jones had his second straight 65 â€" both in calmer conditions in the morning.

The 43-year-old Mickelson felt soreness in his back two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, and pulled out of his hometown event at Torrey Pines after making the 36-hole cut. He flew to Georgia to see back specialist Tom Boers and was told his facet joints locked up.

This entry passed through the Full-Text RSS service â€" if this is your content and you’re reading it on someone else’s site, please read the FAQ at fivefilters.org/content-only/faq.php#publishers.

Source: Phil Mickelson makes it to weekend in Phoenix Open

    

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Dangers Of Raw Milk: 1 In 6 Get Sick From Raw Milk New Study Says

• Dangers of raw milk may outweigh any reported benefits

• Many cases of illness from raw milk thought to be unreported

The dangers of raw milk may outweigh any potential benefits.  On average, one out of six people can develop illness from drinking raw milk, however that number is thought to be greater due to unreported and unconfirmed cases.

Some of the dangers of raw milk include bacterial infections from culprits such as Salmonella, E. coli and Campylobacter .  Some even become ill with the parasitic infection cryptosporidiosis.  The instances of illness were reported in a study conducted from 2001 to 2010 by the Minnesota Department of Health, and published in Emerging Infectious Diseases on December 11^th.

The primary symptoms of illnesses caused by drinking raw milk are diarrhea, stomach cramps and vomiting that typically lasts a week.  However, they can cause more severe symptoms and long term diseases.

The authors state that, “The results indicate that the number of sporadic raw milkâ€"associated illnesses is likely substantial, greatly exceeding the number of cases linked to recognized raw milkâ€"associated outbreaks.  [T]he number of cases associated with reported raw milk consumption appears to be increasing, just as the movement to relax regulation of raw milk sales appears to be gaining momentum in many states.”

Dr. Deborah MD argues against the dangers of raw milk on her site stating that, “The real issue is not whether raw milk obtained from grass-fed cows is safe. Rather, it’s that milk from commercially raised cows is actually dangerous to consume unless it is pasteurized.”  She claims that, “Numerous studies document the benefits of raw milk, including the “milk cure” used by the Mayo Clinic in the 1900s for diseases ranging from cancer to weight loss to chronic fatigue.”

The researchers did note that their study is by no means definitive, and further research will need to be completed in order to confirm the link between the instances of illness and consuming raw milk.

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Taco Bell Reveals Innovative New Breakfast Menu, Debuting March 27

Taco Bell is stepping their menu up a notch by adding the addition of breakfast to their menu debuting March 27, as part of the first national breakfast menu in the company’s long 52-year run. In a conference call with reporters February 24, president Brian Nicol first announced that breakfast would be an added addition to the Taco Bell menu.

“I think one thing that’s been lacking in breakfast has been innovation, and putting a little twist on the ordinary,” Niccol said. “We’re going to do what we always do: we’re going to innovate. You’re going to see breakthrough products that, frankly, nobody has seen at breakfast in the past 40 years.”

The first innovative product that many may notice on the new Taco Bell breakfast menu is the Waffle Taco, a breakfast sandwich of sausage and eggs wedged into the crevice of a folded waffle, then doused with maple syrup. In addition to the sure to be popular waffle taco is the breakfast version of Taco Bell’s best-selling Crunchwrap and other variations on a breakfast burrito, as well as bite-sized pastries called Cinnabon Delights as well as the breakfast staple coffee sourced in collaboration with the Rainforest Alliance.

Image courtesy of Taco Bell.

Chris Brandt, Taco Bell’s chief marketing officer, has said that the Taco Bell breakfast menu’s pricing will be “very competitive,” though he declined to give any further information away. The breakfast menu will be available from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. at most Taco Bell locations.

Taco Bell’s announcement comes on the heels of McDonald’s reveal that they are considering offering extended hours for their own breakfast menu. However, Chipotle, Taco Bell’s competitor in fast food Mexican cuisine, has maintained their stance that they have no plans in the future to launch a national breakfast menu, even though they recently started selling coffee at a handful of locations.

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LG Lucid 3 leaked online

According to “leaks” from various online sources, LG will be releasing a new follow up phoneâ€"the LG Lucid 3â€"to its mid-range Lucid 2 smartphone and it may be heading to Verizon Wireless.  Since the news is unofficial it is no surprise that details about a specific release date, hardware “specs” or even pricing is still unavailable.  Nevertheless, information about an obvious design change for the LG Lucid 3 is prevalent.

The leaked image of the new LG Lucid 3

The [popular belief that the LG Lucid 3 will be heading for Verizon is quite likely since the LG Lucid 2 has already been out for about a year.  Online experts suggest “a hardware refresh” would be far from out of the question.  Assuming the leaked image is indeed accurate it appears that LG has chosen to take their design cues from its G-series.

The LG Lucid 3 has a curved back and rounded corners.  It has a construction similar to LG’s F70 and F90 from their new F-series.  Other details discernible from leaked images include a physical home key reminiscent of a Samsung product unlike the LG 2 which had capacitive buttons.

Early critics are already pointing out that the LC Lucid 3 would not be the first company smartphone to have a physical home key or to have this apparent design.  The new F-series debuted at the Mobile World Congress held in Barcelona, Spain, last month sported a similar look.  Some claim that the LG Lucid 3 will do little more than follow in “the footsteps of mid-range mediocrity” upon release.  They also speculate that since the Verizon and LG logos are already pictured on both sides of the device that it is highly possible that the LG Lucid 3 could be on Verizon’s 4G LTE network within mere weeks.

(Image courtesy of  Twitter/Evleaks)

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Little In Girl In Hawaii Dies After Dental Procedure

Three year old, Finley Boyle, dies after a dental procedure in Hawaii. The girls parents are suing the dentist for careless procedures and not using the proper sedatives. Finely suffered massive brain damage after a dental procedure done in December.

Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

The family is suing Dr. Lily Geyer and her dental practice for mixing and using the improper sedatives for the dental procedure. The allegations of the lawsuit are that Dr. Geyer administered the wrong medication without knowing how it would affect the little girl’s body. During the dental procedure young Finley suffered cardiac arrest and Dr. Geyer did not have any plans in place to deal with with medical emergencies that might occur during the procedure. Fortunately, there was a pediatrician down the hall in the building that was able to perform CPR on the little girl. 

“Little In Girl In Hawaii Dies After Dental Procedure”

Finley’s mother had originally taken the little girl in and told that she needed to have several root canals and fillings taken care of. According to allegations of the lawsuit, young Finely was left under sedation and left alone for 25 minutes, while being treated for the root canals. Finely was taken to the hospital when she went into cardiac arrest and was placed on life support because she was unresponsive after she had been given the sedatives for the dental procedure. Doctors at the hospital later informed the little girl’s parents that she had suffered massive brain damage and was in a vegetative state. Later in December Finley’s parents made the difficult decision of taking her off  life support and she passed away.

Neither Dr. Geyer or her Hawaii based lawyer, John Nishimoto have commented to the press or public. Her dental practice in Hawaii has recently closed and is only available for contact via email.

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Just Married! Bachelor Cast-Off, Renee Oteri, Ties the Knot

Bachelor cast-off, Renee Oteri, may not have received the final rose from Juan Pablo Galavis, but she’s grinning from ear to ear as she found her happy ending and is now a married woman.

On Thursday, Renee Oteri tied the knot with her “best friend of 22 years” Bracy Maynard, only weeks after publicly revealing she was engaged.

Bachelor Cast-Off Renee Oteri Marries her Best Friend of 22 Years, Bracy Maynard.
Courtesy of Instagram

The 32-year-old married her childhood sweetheart and proudly posted pictures on her Instagram account of the blissful event.

The bride was beaming in a simple white dress that she paired with tan heels while holding a small bouquet of pink flowers. Her long brown hair was curled and flowing past her shoulders, and she wore just a hint of make up. Renee captioned one of the pictures saying ”THAT just happened! I married my best friend of 22 years.”

The Florida mom’s 8-year-old son, Ben, from a previous relationship also joined in the celebration by fulfilling the very important role of serving as best man.

From the photographs, it appears their intimate ceremony took place at the local courthouse or City Hall.

Desiree Hartsock, a former “Bachelorette” was possibly present for the nuptials as she sent out a special tweet that read “I just witnessed the most romantic elopement ever! Congrats to the newlyweds. You know who you are.”

Since Hartsock resides in Seattle with her fiancé, Chris Siegfried, this only makes sense as it has been reported that Renee recently moved to Washington to be with Bracy, who is employed there.

Although Juan Pablo sent her packing after the hometown dates, Renee Oteri remained her classy self and said she harbors no ill will, describing him as “a great guy with a great personality.” She told Chris Harrison during The Bachelor: Women Tell All special that she had already moved on and was “ in a situation”.

Good for you Renee…Bachelor Nation is cheering you on!

Just Married! Bachelor Cast-Off, Renee Oteri, Ties the Knot

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Washington Landslide Death Toll Rises to 8, 18 Still Missing

A Washington landslide Saturday buried homes and cars under mud and debris up to 15 feet deep and also claimed the lives of eight people. Eighteen people are missing at this time, authorities said on Sunday.

Eight people were also injured when the drenched embankments along State Route 530 near Oso, Washington, approximately 55 miles northeast of Seattle, gave way on Saturday morning and washed out at least six homes.

The death toll for the Washington landslide rises to 8, 18 still are unaccounted for.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia

A spokesperson for the Snohomish County Sherriff’s Office said a total of eight bodies have been recovered in the square mile (2.6 square km) of scattered debris, rocks, trees, and mud by nightfall.

“We didn’t find anybody alive. There was no sign of life,” Snohomish County Fire District 21 Chief Travis Hots told an earlier news conference.

The number of missing will likely grow, Hots said. The rescue mission was called off for the day around dusk because of treacherous, quicksand-like conditions, and will resume at dawn on Monday, Hots said.

Some rescue workers have been up to their armpits in mud and had to be dragged to safety, authorities said.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee flew over the damage on Sunday. He said in the news conference, “I have a sense that we’re going to have some hard news here.”

The Washington landslide in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains along the Stillaguamish River piled up mud, debris, and rock up to 15 feet deep in some spots. It in turn blocked the flow of the river, creating floods and a backup of water behind a natural dam of mud and debris, but the threat to people downriver had begun to ease, Inslee said.

The Snohomish County sheriff’s office has asked people who have been affected by the Washington landslide to report to the Red Cross so they have an accurate count of the missing.

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Aroldis Chapman Suffers Facial Fracture After Being Hit By Line Drive

If you ever thought about becoming a baseball pitcher than you don’t want to hear about what happened to Cincinnati Reds pitcher Aroldis Chapman.

@Fox19/Twitter

During a spring training game with the Kansas City Royals Wednesday night the hard throwing Chapman was struck in the face by a line drive hit by Salvador Perez. He immediately went down and was tended to on the field before being taken off on a cart and transported to the local hospital.

How hard was the hit? Wellâ€"when you consider that the pitch was a 99 mph fast ball hit directly back at him (so it was pretty hard).

“Not good,” Reds manager Bryan Price said. “He left the field on a stretcher, took a line drive just above his left eye is what it looks like â€" a contusion, a laceration, and certainly needs to be taken to the hospital and checked. We’ve got Tomas Vera, an assistant trainer, is going to be with him. And then we’ll get our updates from there.”

Chapman ended up suffering broken bones around his left eye and nose. He was taken to Banner Good Samaritan Medical Center where he was kept overnight for observation.

The incident is likely going to reignite debate over how to better protect pitchers during games. With the speed that hit balls typically travel it is close to impossible for them to move when a ball is hit in their direction. Last season Tampa Bay pitcher Alex Cobb was hit by a pitch as was Blue Jays pitcher J.A. Happ. Both had to be taken to the hospital.

As harsh as these injuries are exactly what MLB can do or should remains to be seen. Any kind of helmet will affect how a pitcher throws, and no one wants to do anything that could affect the outcome of games. These sorts of pitches are also few and far between. Of the roughly 700,000 pitches thrown a season only one in every 300,000 are hit back at the pitcher (Forbes).

Even though these incidents are not common it is something that the league needs to at least look in to for no other reason than to keep anyone else’s family from having to see this happen:

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She’s One Smart Cookie! Girl Scout Breaks Cookie-Selling Record

A young Girl Scout from Oklahoma has broken a decades-old record for the most boxes of Girl Scout cookies ever to be sold in the history of the organization.

The official record was broken by Katie Francis, a Hefner Middle School student from Oklahoma City. The twelve-year old sold an astonishing 18,107 boxes of cookies for her troop since the sales launched on February 7.  The previous record, according to ABC News, was 18,000 boxes. The cookie sales take place over a span of seven weeks.

Oklahoma Girl Scout breaks all time record for selling the most Girl Scout cookies
Courtesy of Facebook

“I was just really, really happy,’ said Katie. “I started dancing around. I was excited that I had made it,” she enthusiastically told KOCO-TV in Oklahoma City.

So what’s the secret to her success? Well Katie shared her strategy with The Oklahoman newspaper last month, “There’s three ingredients to selling cookies: There’s a lot of time, lots of commitment, and I have to ask everybody that I see to buy.”

KOCO  added that “Along with her mother, Katie pushes her wagon of cookies all over the Oklahoma City metro. The family’s SUV is stuffed with boxes of cookies, so Katie can make a sell anywhere from school to dance class.”

Last year the sixth grader sold an astounding 12,428 boxes of cookies and next year her goal is to sell 20,000 boxes.

Katie’s troop earns a percentage of the profits from the fundraiser sales. The troop plans on donating a portion of their earnings to breast cancer research.

Thus far the Girl Scout organization has remain mum in regards to Katie’s momentous accomplishment. Jaimie Siegal, director of marketing and communications at Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma, said they want to wait until the selling period is over before commenting on Francis’ success, ABC News reported.

Go Team Francis â€" such an enterprising and admirable young lady with a bright future ahead of her.

She’s One Smart Cookie! Girl Scout Breaks Cookie-Selling Record

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NASA finds new gully on Mars

NASA recently released an image of a large new gully taken by a spacecraft on Mars.  The picture was taken by the HiRISE camera located on NASA’s MRO (Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter).  The new gully is located on a crater wall slope in Mars’ mid-southern latitudes and actually photographed on May 25, 2013.

The new gully, which is very similar to a river channel here on Earth, appears to have been formed in the last three years.  NASA officials reported that the new gully wasn’t present in HiRISE photos of that area taken on Nov. 5, 2010.  A NASA release states: “The dates of the images are more than a full Martian year apart, so the observations did not pin down the Martian season of the activity at this site.”

Mars Gully

NASA officials note that the new gully was probably “not carved out by flowing water.”  They stated that “before-and-after HiRISE pairs of similar activity at other sites demonstrate that this type of activity generally occurs in winter, at temperatures so cold that carbon dioxide, rather than water, is likely to play the key role.”

Despite this NASA scientists seem to be keeping an open mind to other possibilities.  After all, they have previously reported that the Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) has captured images of other Martian features that do appear to be associated with liquid water such as RSL (recurring slope lineae) or “dark slopes”.

In fact, the recurring slope lineae creep down crater walls and similar slopes during warm weather on Mars.  Some of the research team believes the dark slopes are caused by a specific kind of briny water that includes some sort of iron-based antifreeze.  Additionally, NASA’s Curiosity rover found an old lake-and-stream system close to its landing site on Mars that researchers believe could very well have “supported microbial life billions of years ago.”

At this time, however, there is no direct or conclusive evidence of any water at these dark slope sites.  Scientists continue the elusive search, however, because if water does indeed flow anywhere on the surface of the present-day Red Planet it would indicate that Mars would be much more likely to host life.  After all, life on Earth is present anywhere one finds liquid water.

 (Image courtesy Sott/NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona)

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Why Is The Sky Blue? – ‘The Why’

Welcome to the latest edition of The Why.

Everywhere you look the media is pushing you telling you who to follow, what to watch and when to watch it.   You’re even sometimes told how to do it all.  Truth is, here at American Live Wire we do a bit of that too.  The big difference is we also tell you why.

You ask the questions.  We provide the answers.

“Why is the sky blue?”

“Why is the sky blue?” you ask?

This question has been asked so many times that surprisingly even online sourcesâ€"the University of California, Why Is The Sky Blue (clever name), Science Made Simple, etc.â€"all agree on the answer.  (Amazing, isn’t it?)  Mind you, they have had plenty of time to reach a consensus.  After all, people have been researching this at least as far back as Sir Isaac Newton who employed a prism to separate the different colors and so formed a spectrum.

“Why is the sky blue?”

First off, no, the sky is not always blue but for the sake of answering the question let’s assume it’s a clear sunny day.  You know, the kind that’s so beautiful even this column won’t keep you from putting away the electronics and doing something even more enjoyable than being on ALW.  The sun is shining, your choice of deity is in his/her/its heaven, all is right with the world and the sky is the perfect shade of blue.  The stage is set.

The scientific term for why the sky is blue is called Rayleigh scattering.  Transmitted light (from any sourceâ€"fire, light bulbs, the sun and so forthâ€"is made up of a broad spectrum of colors.  The longest wavelengths of light sit on the red end of the light spectrum and the shortest wavelengths are located on the blue-violet end.   As the light moves through our atmosphere, the majority of the longer wavelengths go right through.  Most of the orange, red and yellow light is not influenced by the air.

Blue Sky

When transmitted lightâ€"in this case sunlightâ€"comes into the atmosphere it strikes the nitrogen and oxygen atoms there.  Colors with shorter wavelengths are scattered more by the impact.  Since blue has a shorter wavelength the sky takes on a blue-violet appearance.

Human eyes have thousands of cones and rods which work as light receptors but the truth is they are significantly more sensitive to blue as opposed to violet light so we see the sky as blue.  Since blue is one of the primary colors it is more easily activated and viewed by human eyes.

Again, “blue” light from our sun collides with the molecules in the air; it scatters and is perceived by our human eyes to be blue.  In a way, it’s “blue” because we say it is.  That one was easy, huh?

“Why is the sky blue?”  Now you know.

(Until next time, Mr. Blue Sky . . .)

You ask the questions.  We provide the answers.

American Live Wire . . . Listen and be heard.

(Image courtesy of HelloWellness and YouTube)

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Deadly Mudslide Claims the Lives of 2 People in Washington

A deadly mudslide in Washington state claimed the lives of 2 people and injured at six more.

The massive mudslide in Snohomish County also destroyed six houses that were its path. An estimated mile-long slide of dirt, trees, rocks and other debris hit just before 11 a.m. Saturday.

Deadly Mudslide in Washington

Snohomish County spokeswoman Shari Ireton says a 6-month-old infant was among those injured. Authorities believe the slide was caused by ground water saturation from recent heavy rainfall.

Deadly mudslide in Washington killed two people and destroyed homes. Image Courtesy: Associated Press

The mudslide has completely blocked State Route 530 near the town of Oso, about 55 miles north of Seattle.

The deadly mudslide also blocked is the North Fork of the Stillaguamish River, which is expected to cause flooding in the area.

Two people died in a massive mudslide in Washington state on Saturday, and others were injured, the Snohomish County sheriff’s office reported.

Sheriff’s spokeswoman Bronlea Mishler says two died after an estimated mile-long slide carried a house with people inside across a rural road north of Seattle just before 11 a.m. Saturday.

The five people injured in the mudslide have been brought to a nearby hospital for treatment, said spokeswoman Jennifer Egger of Cascade Valley Hospital in Arlington.

It’s unclear if the two killed are among those injured, or if any of those people were inside the house that was swept away.

Cascade Valley Hospital was expecting more injured people, but Egger said she didn’t know how many and couldn’t comment on the condition of those already at the hospital because they were still being evaluated.

The American Red Cross has set up at the hospital and is seeking donations of food, water, blankets and clothing, Egger said.

The Daily Herald reported that as of 1 p.m., officials were moving rescuers back from the scene, citing concerns of the North Fork Stillaguamish River rising because of the mudslide.

“Initial reports were that a house was stuck in the slide, and someone was calling for help inside,” Trooper Mark Francis said.

Search-and-rescue operations are underway by Snohomish County crews and the Washington State Patrol.

The Washington Department of Transportation says mud, trees and building materials are blocking both directions of State Route 530 near the town of Oso, about 55 miles north of Seattle.

Heavy rain over this past week likely contributed to the mudslide. Saturday’s weather was sunny and clear.

Spokesman Bart Treece of the Washington State Department of Transportation said he doesn’t know how long the two-lane rural road will be closed. Drivers are advised to find another way to get between Darrington and Arlington, he said.

“We’re standing by ready to help out where we can,” Treece said.

Deadly Mudslide Claims the Lives of 2 People in Washington.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Father Dies Tragically While Chaperoning Daughter and Friends on Spring Break Trip

What started off as a wonderful spring break get away to Florida, ended when a 62-year-old father died tragically after falling from the 12th-floor balcony while chaperoning his daughter and her friends.

Thomas Saunders, from Southlake, Texas, is believed to have fallen from the 12th-floor balcony onto the first floor roof at approximately 9:30 a.m. on Wednesday morning. He was pronounced dead at the scene outside the Holiday Inn Resort in Panama City Beach, Florida per CBSlocal.

Thomas Saunders pictured with daughter, Rachel Saunders, dies tragically while chaperoning daughter’s spring break trip
Courtesy of Facebook

Captain Robert Clarkson with the Panama City Beach Police Department, says there is no indication that foul play was involved or that alcohol played a factor in his death.

Close family friend, Greg Piper, said that Saunders had been drinking coffee with his girlfriend while sitting out on the balcony of his hotel room. His girlfriend went inside and Saunders stood up, but never made it in, according to Piper.  ”Its a shock to everybody” says Piper, who also lives with Saunders.

Police Captain Clarkson says  “Every indication is that he had a horrible accident and fell over the railing.”

The investigation is ongoing to determine how and why he fell.

Thomas Saunders, worked as a Boeing 777 captain for American Airlines. He is survived by his three daughters. Rachel Saunders, the youngest, was on the vacation in Florida with her dad and girlfriends, as her father agreed to chaperone the trip.

When the tragic incident occurred, Rachel and her friends were fast asleep in their hotel room. She expressed her shock and heartbreak over his death through a tweet saying “I can’t believe this…It doesn’t feel real.” Rachel followed with another touching comment later in the day revealing “I didn’t know it was possible to feel this heartbroken.”

Coincidentally, this is the second North Texas man to fall to his death recently while on vacation. Just four days prior to Thomas Saunders fatal incident, John Anderson, 53, from Grapevine died tragically from a 350-foot fall at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon.

Father Dies Tragically While Chaperoning Daughter and Friends on Spring Break Trip

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9/11 Ground Zero air pollution linked to disease

According to a study conducted by researchers from Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, first responders and people at Ground Zero when the 9/11 attacks took place in 2001 may have long-term health concerns not previously considered.  Those who were exposed to the huge dust cloud of air pollution could have inhaled significantly high levels of particulate matter which may have a negative impact on their cardiovascular health.  They may also be more likely to develop other health issues including PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), obstructive sleep apnea and heart disease.

This is not an entirely new area of research or concern in fact as the Mount Sinai’s WTC-CHEST Program has linked particulate matter exposure to heart, lung and kidney disease abnormalities in the past.   The new research, however, has revealed even more very real health concerns.  Those present at Ground Zero, especially first responders, were reportedly exposed to different amounts of a massive dust cloud that contained cement dust, glass fibers, heavy metals and smoke.

Cardiologist Mary Ann McLaughlin

Cardiologist Mary Ann McLaughlin, the principal investigator for the WTC-CHEST Program at Mount Sinai reports that she and a team of researchers examined over 800 participants between January 2011 and September 2013 who had experienced varying degrees of exposure to the particulate matter.

McLaughlin reported: “Elevated exposure to the particulate matter from 9/11 caused upper airway inflammation and is a significant contributing factor to the pathogenesis of obstructive sleep apnea.”

Their research also confirmed connections to multiple health issues.  They were able to specifically link the inhalation of particulate matter inhalation to a high risk of PTSD.  McLaughlin stated: “Our study shows high exposure to the massive dust cloud of air pollution at Ground Zero has increased the risk among first responders of both obstructive sleep apnea and PTSD.”

The researchers discovered that WTC Ground Zero responders with PTSD also registered higher biomarkers for “increased cardiovascular disease risk” with “hsCRP” or high sensitivity C-reactive protein which is a major “red flag” biomarker of the inflammation which indicates the increased cardiovascular risk.

As their presentation of this research at the American Heart Association’s special scientific session in San Francisco, California, yesterday came to a close McLaughlin concluded: “We plan to further closely monitor our WTC first responders for heart disease warning signs.”

(Image courtesy of Mount Sinai)

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Why There Are 24 Hours In A Day – “The Why”

Welcome to the latest edition of The Why.

Everywhere you look the media is pushing you telling you who to follow, what to watch and when to watch it.   You’re even sometimes told how to do it all.  Truth is, here at American Live Wire we do a bit of that too.  The big difference is we also tell you why.

You ask the questions.  We provide the answers.

“Why are there 24 hours in a day?”

“Why are there 24 hours in a day?” you ask?

If you think this is a stupid question then consider this.  We live in a world where everything is based on “10”.  Seriously, for my younger readers, here’s a bit of ancient American history that some of us actually experienced in person.

Why are there 24 hours in a day?

Much of the world uses something called the metric system. Back in the 1970s there was a major move to get the US to ditch our system of measurement for this world-wide “ten-based” system.  While we dodged that metric bullet, today the decimal system runs rampant and the binary system is responsible for where this article was written and where you are reading it.

So, seriously, why are there 24 hours in a day?  Online sources do not actually all agree on an answer.  One belief is that it came from the Greeks.  Another gives full credit to the Sumerians.

Several sources, however, including ABC Science, credit the Egyptians.  The ancient Egyptians divided day-time into 10 hours that they measured with things such as shadow clocks.  They added a “twilight hour” at the start and another at the end to create a period of 24 hours in a day.

Dr Nick Lomb, a consultant curator of astronomy at the Sydney Observatory, explained:  ”Night-time was divided in 12 hours, based on the observations of stars. The Egyptians had a system of 36 star groups called ‘decans’ â€" chosen so that on any night one decan rose 40 minutes after the previous one.  Tables were produced to help people to determine time at night by observing the decans.”

So, didn’t Egyptians use the decimal system too?  Where do Sumerians fit in here?  Research has  shown that as far back as 3000 BC Egyptians did indeed use a base-10 decimal system.  Their base-12 clocks, however, is believed by many to have come from a Sumerian counting system.  The Sumerians counted on their fingers.

Don’t laugh yet.  They counted not by the finger but by individual knuckles.  A Sumerian would open his left hand and count by touching the tip of his left thumb to each of the three knuckles in his four left fingers.  It comes out to 12.

The Egyptians counted this way as well.  This influenced their way of thinking.  They divided the day into 2 12-hour halvesâ€"more specifically the day was ten hours, the night was 12 hours and there were two hours of twilight.

Ah, but what about the Greeks now?  While the calendar the Egyptians developed out of this simple counting method worked well enough for them it was far from perfect.  The Greeks required something that that would include fixed-length increments.

Their best astronomer, Hipparchus, stepped in and merged the Egyptian system with ideas of his own to create the standardized equinoctial clock used today where each segment of light and dark .we use today, wherein each period of light and dark is divided into 12 segments of  equal-length.

Why are there 24 hours in a day?

Are there always 24 hours in a day?  Is it a perfect system? No.

Michael E. Wysession, Ph.D., associate professor of earth and planetary sciences in Arts & Sciences at Washington University in St. Louis, Missouri, told The Daily Galaxy: “”Earth’s 24 hour day is a transient thing.  It actually takes 23 hours, 56 minutes and four seconds to make one revolution around its axis â€" that is, to go all the way around so that the stars will appear in the same point in the sky day after day.”

Still, this column isn’t about critiquing the system.  It’s about how it came to be.  There are 24 hours in a day because of the Sumerians, the Egyptians and the Greeks.

“Why are there 24 hours in a day?”  Now you know.

(Isn’t it about time?)

You ask the questions.  We provide the answers.

American Live Wire . . . Listen and be heard.

(Images courtesy of Colourbox)

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Another Child Diagnosed With the Mystery Polio-Like Virus, This Time in Southern California

A two-year-old toddler from Moorpark California has become the latest child to fall victim to the on-going mystery virus that closely mimics the symptoms of polio.

It all started when Lucian Olivera was 11 months old. He had what doctor’s diagnosed as an ear infection with fever, sadly, within days, the young child couldn’t stand or use his legs per ABClocal.

Doctors at Stanford University confirm latest case of Mystery Polio-Like Virus
Courtesy of Wikipedia

It was ongoing for months as doctors were baffled as they scrambled to figure out what exactly was wrong.

“I felt helpless. It was extremely frustrating. It was hard to sit and not be able to help him,” the toddler’s mom, Erin said per CBSlocal.

This week, doctors at Stanford University Medical Center were able to confirm the official diagnosis, that being,  California polio-like syndrome.

“You don’t realize what you have until something goes really, really wrong,” Erin said.

There have been 20 cases of the paralyzing mystery virus reported in California thus far. However, doctors believe that this is the first case to be confirmed in Southern California.

“We are at no way at an epidemic level and there does not appear to be concern that this is rapidly spreading through the community,” Dr. John Dingilian, with Simi Valley Hospital said.

The vigorous research is ongoing as doctors and specialists investigate all the possibilites.

“Really, it’s unknown the severity of this for each individual. The thought is that it is permanent, but we don’t know all the things that will happen to every patient,” Dr. Dingilian said.

For now, Lucian requires a brace for his left leg, as the paralysis is considered to be permanent, and it’s likely that he will never be able to walk on his own. He is currently undergoing physical therapy to strengthen his muscles, and the hope is that one day he will be able to walk using a cane instead of a walker.

Throughout this heart-breaking ordeal, the toddler’s mom does her best to remain optimistic and says her son’s smile and determination keeps everyone going.

“When you’re having a moment of down, he’ll go, ‘Momma, I love you more than a camel.’ And you just melt,” said Erin. “We have to remain strong for him.”

Another Child Diagnosed With the Mystery Polio-Like Virus, This Time in Southern California

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Fred Phelps Dies: Preachers Hateful Protests Might Have Helped Promote Gay Rights

Fred Phelps dies Wednesday at age 84, the preachers hateful protests might have created sympathy for gay rights. Religious leaders who oppose gay marriage also said the pastor’s tactics clouded the debate over such issues and put them on the defensive in discussing both policy and faith.

But in targeting grieving families of troops killed overseas, taunting people entering other churches and carrying signs with anti-gay slurs and vulgar language or symbols, Phelps and his Westboro Baptist congregation created public circuses that may have helped the gay-rights movement.

Fred Phelps Dies

Preachers hateful protest might have created sympathy for gay rights. Image Courtesy: Associated Press

Phelps’ protests sparked outrage, with the federal government and lawmakers in more than 40 states passing specific laws to limit the protests and local residents using various tactics â€" including lining up to block views of the protesters â€" to protect grieving families.

Gay-rights advocates, meanwhile, were assessing Phelps’ place in the history of their movement.

“An obscene footnote” is how Tom Witt, executive director of Equality Kansas, the state’s leading gay-rights group, believes Phelps and his followers will be remembered. Witt said progress began well before Westboro’s protests and will continue long after Phelps’ death.

James Esseks, director of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Project at the American Civil Liberties Union, acknowledged that he eventually saw Phelps’ protests as helping his own movement.

He would show up with his extreme anti-gay views, and a bunch of people in the middle would think, ‘If that’s what it means to be anti-gay, I want no part of it,’” Esseks said.

Conservative religious leaders regularly denounced Phelps, worried that his relentless attacks would be perceived as representing the Christian case against same-sex relationships. At the 2003 annual Southern Baptist Convention, leaders spent a session drawing a distinction between their opposition to same-sex unions and Phelps’ protests.

Fred Phelps professed not to care what anyone thought of his church. He said in a 2006 interview with The Associated Press that no minister could “preach the Bible” without preaching God’s hate. Westboro spokesman Steve Drain said in an email a few days before Phelps’ death that the church’s doctrines weren’t changing.

Phelps founded the church in the 1950s, and it has drawn much of its small congregation from his extended family. Its rise to national and even international notoriety began in the early 1990s, as it picketed against gays and lesbians, then protested funerals of AIDS victims and, eventually, fallen soldiers.

Fred Phelps Dies: Preachers Hateful Protests Might Have Helped Promote Gay Rights.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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First Day of Spring 2014, Spring Equinox is Here

The first day of spring has finally sprung, six weeks after Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow, signifying that winter has finally come to a close. The first day of spring falls today, March 20, 2014, with signs that higher temperatures are on the horizon.

For those in the Northern Hemisphere, the vernal equinox (or spring equinox) takes place in March after the sun passes over the celestial equator per the Huffington Post. This year, the sun is scheduled to move across the invisible line between hemispheres at 12:57 p.m. EDT.

The first day of spring is March 20, 2014.
Image courtesy of Wikipedia

Equinoxes and solstices take place four times a year, when Earth experiences astronomical events. These signal the end of one season and the beginning of another.Equinoxes take place in March and September and herald the spring and fall, which solstices happen in June and December â€" indicating the beginning of summer and winter. People south of the equator enter autumn at this time, while people in the Northern Hemisphere welcome spring.

Many believe that the length of the day is equal to the length of the night on the annual spring equinox. This myth is not entirely accurate, it turns “days of day-night equality” take place just before the vernal equinox, National Geographic notes. Geoff Chester, a public affairs specialist with the U.S. Naval Observatory, said that it all depends on location.

“Exactly when it happens depends on where you are located on the surface of the Earth,” Chester told National Geographic.

Another myth people believe? That spring equinox takes place on the same day each year. The spring equinox does tend to occur in late March, however the exact date differs each year, much like Thanksgiving. This is due to the number of calendar days rather than the equinox itself. The Gregorian calendar rounds down to 365 days and does not account for the extra 0.256 days. So the spring equinox may fall on March 20^th for several years in  a row then occur on March 21 a year later.

How will you celebrate your first day of spring?

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Sea snakes don’t drink salt water

While sea snakes live all their lives in sea water,  a University of Florida biologist has discovered that the actually will dehydrate for months just waiting for the next rainfall when they can drink their fill of fresh water.  Professor Harvey Lillywhite, a University of Florida biologist whose research was just released in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the flagship biological research journal of the Royal Society, says that his discovery contradicts the once unquestioned belief that marine vertebrates evolved to consume salt water.

In a recent news release he stated: “These snakes refuse to drink salt water, even when dehydrated.  They need fresh water to survive.”  Lillywhite reiterated that in spite of what current physiology textbooks state “no sea snake we have tested drinks sea water.”

Yellow-Bellied Sea Snake

Lillywhite and his international team of  researchers from the US, France and Australia, and a research team engaged in field studies and conducted experiments with the yellow-bellied sea snake (Hydrophis platurus) over a period of three years.  They studied sea snakes in Guanacaste, Costa Rica and learned that these reptiles have a camel-like quality in that they can for up to seven months without drinking water during the country’s dry season.

The snakes dehydrate very slowly.  During this process they can lose approximately 25 percent of their body mass.  When fresh water is available they will drink almost the same amount of mass in fresh water.  Their main source of fresh water is rain.

Rain is not as dense as sea water and it creates a “lens” on the surface of the sea.  Lillywhite and his research team report that snakes sense when rainfall is due and they swim towards the surface.  He reported: “We think they almost certainly know that it rains because their behavior changes during the approach of a tropical storm as the atmospheric pressure changes.”

Lillywhite added that decreasing rainfall could be the cause of diminishing populations of sea snakes in some places such as drought-stricken Northern Australia, where the sea snake numbers have been lessening for a decade and two local species are now believed to be extinct.

Lillywhite states that if the global climate change makes drought conditions worse, sea snakes and possibly other marine vertebrates that rely on rain for fresh water could be adversely affected.  He concludes: “Understanding the water requirements and drinking behaviors of marine vertebrates could help with conservation efforts.  In areas of intensifying drought, they will need to move or die out.”

(Image courtesy of EarthlyNation)

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Jason Segel Pulls Off Stunning Resemblance To David Foster Wallace

Jason Segel is getting into character to play the late writer David Foster Wallace and he has pulled off a stunning resemblance.

In his upcoming movie End of the Tour, which is an adaption of David Lipsky’s book, Although Of Course You End Up Becoming Yourself: A Road Trip With David Foster Wallace; Jason will portray David who is followed on his book tour by journalist David Lipsky, who will be portrayed by Jesse Eisenberg in the movie.

When it was first announced that Jason would play David Foster Wallace in the upcoming movie, critics were extremely doubtful that Jason would be pull off any resemblance to the late writer.

It appears as though the critics were wrong, Jason has pulled off a stunning resemblance to the popular American novelist.

Jason Segel pulls off stunning resemblance to late writer. Image Courtesy: Instagram

A few lucky fans were able capture some pictures of Jason and Jesse at the Mall of America, when Jason was in full costume for his upcoming movie.

Late writer David Foster Wallace. Image Courtesy: Wikipedia

David Foster Wallace is the author of Infinite Jest, which was referred by Time magazine as one of the 100 best English novels. In 2008 the influential writer committed suicide by hanging himself.

According to David’s father the writer had suffered from a long bout of depression and he was taking antidepressant medication that caused some severe side effects.

He left behind an unfinished novel The Pale King, which was later published and became a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize.

It sure looks like Jason Segel has managed to look like the late writer, wearing his signature bandana, hopefully the movie won’t disappoint. The movie is still in production and filming, look for it later this year.

Jason Segel Pulls Off Stunning Resemblance To David Foster Wallace.

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Jim Irsay Tweets Thanks to Fans for Support Following Release From Jail

St. Patrick’s Day was a long day for the owner of the Colts, Jim Irsay. He got to spend most of the day in jail after being arrested earlier that morning.

@ColtsFan12/Twitter

Irsay had been arrested at around 3 AM Monday morning for driving under the influence and possession of a controlled substance. he was later charged with four felony counts of drug possession after police found several different prescription medications in his car.

After spending what had to be a soberingâ€"literally and metaphoricallyâ€"day Irsay was released on bail after being charged with operating a vehicle while intoxicated and four counts of felony possession of a controlled substance. As long as the day had to be for him he still took to Twitter to send the fans a message:

Deepest thx to family, friends, fans, colleagues for the messages of support, thoughts and prayers. Impossible to tell u how much this means â€" Jim Irsay (@JimIrsay) March 17, 2014

Throughout the day the media was flooded by countless stories of ‘sources’ talking about how their has been concern over Irsay’s behavior and prescription drug abuse for sometime. There were several claims that the organization had been trying to get him some helpâ€"at the least a driverâ€"but for some reason all efforts were unsuccessful.

Irsay has admitted to having issues with pain killers in the past (back in 2002), but claims that he kicked the problem. His rather wild tweets and some of the pictures he’s posted on Twitter in the past have led to speculation of drinking; something he claims he has not done in over 15 years.

What will be interesting going forward will be how the NFL handles the situation on their end. While making sure that Irsay gets the help that he needs is the most important thing at some point there is bound to be some sort of punishment levied.

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Over 100 People Discovered in Suspected Stash House

A small house crammed with well over 100 people presumed to be illegal immigrants of the U.S. was discovered just outside of Houston on Wednesday, a police spokesman said.

The search for a 24-year old woman and her two children, a 7-year old girl and a 5-year old boy reported missing by their family, has reportedly turned into a whole lot more than a missing persons case. Police entered a home looking for them and uncovered a suspected stash house. There were many people dressed only in undergarments found in the home that authorities say appears to be part of a human smuggling operation.  The conditions of the home were filthy, as trash bags and old clothing lay everywhere. The missing mom and her two children were reported missing on Tuesday, because a man failed to meet them as planned at an undisclosed location on the city’s north side, said John Cannon, a spokesman for the Houston Police Department per ABC News.

Houston Police Uncover a Suspected Stash House

Upon entering the home, the police found “a large, large group of people, some sitting on top of one another, very confided spaces,” Cannon said. “They yell out the woman’s name to see if she is in there, and she emerges with the two children. They’re OK.”

Cannon reported that the house is a single family home located in southern Harris County and is approximately 1,500 square-feet. When police initially entered the home, they only found a single mattress on the floor along with a refrigerator in an exterior room. The police did not immediately locate the large group until they went further into the house where they found 94 men dressed only in undergarments and without shoes, 15 women along with the missing woman and her two children. They were all lying amongst extreme filth in several small rooms with only one bathroom available and no hot water.

Many of the women reportedly had been there as many as three to four days with one women telling authorities she had been at the location for 15 days.  All of them said they were starving, dehydrated and exhausted.

“It was just filth, very squalid-like conditions inside. Trash bags with clothing piled as high as you can see,” Cannon said. “They were very surprised at the numbers of people inside. Some were just sitting on top of one another because there was just no room.”

Five men have reportedly been arrested.

The investigation has been turned over to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Houston Police said. ICE spokesman, Greg Palmore, said it has been five years since officials uncovered a house in the Houston area with this many people inside. In 2012, a house with 86 people was discovered, he said.

Palmore said that ICE removed the people from the home and have taken them into custody where they will be questioned and fed. Most of the people were from Guatemala, Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador, he reported. Two of the people were taken to the hospital, but it was unclear why. One was a pregnant women and the other a male. According to Palmore, it is too early in the investigation to to assume that this was part of a human trafficking operation, however, he did say it appeared that way.

Because of where Houston is situated, being just seven hours from the Mexican border,  it makes it a popular route for immigrants, Palimore explained.

“Houston is significant for the highway corridors that make up Houston, I-45 and I-10. With those two traffic corridors, you can pan out anywhere in the United States,” Palmore said. “And it’s very easy to assimilate into the communities here.”

Over 100 People Discovered in Suspected Stash House

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Infomercial Fraudster Kevin Trudeau Sentenced to 10 Years Prison

You probably knew by now that there are a lot of poor quality products that are being sold on TV using infomercials. There have even been some downright scams touted on the Television that use infomercials to help build their credibility. Kevin Trudeau is being sentenced to a long and harsh prison sentence for having misled consumers into buying his book over the TV and delivering contents that were contrary to his advertisements.

This ruling may have some pitchmen wondering if they should be worried about any of their products backfiring on them and causing them to face the judge for fraud. Kevin Trudeau is being sentenced to 10 years in prison, plus an additional 5 years of supervision after his eventual release. This will make the now 51 year old businessman/con artist a very old man by the time his full sentence is completed.

This was not the first time that Kevin Trudeau had gotten himself into trouble by misrepresenting his products, and that may be the exact reason that the judge was so intent on delivering a severe sentence. Trudeau’s business life had been full of legal battles and court orders attempting to stop him from misleading people into buying some of his products. The product that finally got him in big trouble this time was his weight loss book titled “The Weight Loss Cure ‘They’ Don’t Want You To Know About.” During his infomercials he claimed that we are all being mislead to diet and exercise to lose weight, and by reading his book we would learn his secret that would allow us to lose the weight without doing either of those things. Unfortunately for those that bought it, the contents of the book described that someone must perform mild exercise daily, as well as severely limit their caloric intake in order to lose the weight. After making over $30 million dollars from the sale of his book, he tricked many consumers into believing that he had discovered some knowledge that was worth paying money to find out the answer to.

Featured image from Wikipedia.

Infomercial Fraudster Kevin Trudeau Sentenced to 10 Years Prison.

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