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1 hour ago

Taking (or giving?) One for the Greater Good

Remember when you were a kid and they had the sponsored runs at school. You went around and got the neighbors and your family to... more

eldamon
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Fatal fall into vat of chocolate

A man has died after falling into a vat of melted chocolate in a New Jersey processing plant. The accident happened on Wednesday... more

mrcas213
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Modern Bedfellows: LSD Inventor Wrote to Steve Jobs, Asked for Support

Apple CEO Steve Jobs is rumored to have dropped a little acid in his day, and apparently Albert Hofmann, the inventor of LSD, knew... more

ras_menelik
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Steve mcnair Sahel Kazemi vacation photos

Check out the pictures Steve McNair & Sahel Kazemi during a vacation. They were spotted enjoying ..

celebglitz
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the United States is .......

Since 1945, by deed and by example, the US has overthrown 50 governments, including democracies, crushed some 30 liberation... more

Highr0ller
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Democracy vs Sleep?

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ras_menelik
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Can you see the Virgin Mary in this tree stump?

Because I sure as hell can't.

emmahill
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Peeling bananas: you're doing it all wrong!

Monkeys peel bananas in a different way to humans and seeing as they eat twice as many as us and they invented the computer,... more

richjm
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More Cash Than Gotti?

Nice beat found it on the tube. I believe the guy in the picture is E Torres. Check it out

2muchinfo
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Turtle Brigade Delays Flights at J.F.K.

Dozens of turtles, presumably on a mating spree, shut down a runway at John F. Kennedy International Airport Wednesday morning for... more

singrrr
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New Words Added To Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Merriam-Webster Inc. has added more than 100 entries to the latest edition of its Collegiate Dictionary. Here are some, along with... more

singrrr
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People from Mississippi are fat. With an adult obesity rate of 33%, Mississippi gobbled its way to the "chubbiest state" crown for the fifth year in a row, according to a new joint report by Trust For America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. Alabama, West Virginia, and Tennessee aren't far behind, with obesity rates over 30%. In fact, eight out of the 10 fattest states are in the South. The region famous for its biscuits, barbecue and pecan pies has been struggling with its weight for years — but then again, so has the rest of the country. Wisconsin loves cheese, New Yorkers scarf pizza, and New Englanders have been known to enjoy a crab cake or two. So why is the South so portly? For one thing, it's poor. Mississippi is not only the fattest state in the nation but also the poorest, with 21% of its residents living below the poverty line according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Alabama and West Virginia, the second and third fattest states, are tied for fifth-poorest. With a poverty rate of 14%, the South is easily the most impoverished region in the country. "When you're poor you tend to eat more calorie-dense foods because they're cheaper than fruits and vegetables," explains Jeff Levi, executive director of Trust for America. Poor neighborhoods also have fewer grocery stores, even in the rural South. A 2004 study by the University of South Carolina found that most food-shopping options in rural areas fall into the "convenience store" category because grocery stores are located too far away. But although poverty puts people at risk for obesity, it doesn't determine their fate. A number of impoverished states — including Montana, Texas and New Mexico — have relatively low levels of obesity. There must be something else. Maybe it's the culture. Southerners definitely enjoy their fried chicken (not to mention fried steak, fried onions, fried green tomatoes, fried pickles, and fried cornbread). Even when their food isn't fried, they like to smother it in gravy. But while nutritionists frequently blame Southerners' large guts on their regional food choices, the accusation is a little unfair. Just as Californians don't actually live on wheat grass and tofu, Southerners don't really sit around eating fried chicken every day. "I've not come across anything that says the diet in the Southeast is worse than the rest of the country," says Dr. David Bassett, co-director of the University of Tennessee's Obesity Research Center. "We're definitely in what I like to call the 'stroke belt,'" he explains, referring to the Southeastern states' high percentage of heart disease and hypertension, "but I think that has more to do with Southerners' lack of physical activity rather than the food." Bassett isn't just talking about neglected gym memberships and people who sit on the couch all day. Physical activity can be something as simple as walking to the bus stop. That's another problem, by the way: the South doesn't have many bus stops. Public transportation is paltry, and for most people the best way to get around is by car. "You don't really think of riding the train as exercise, but at least you have to walk a few blocks to get to the stop," says Bassett. States like Mississippi and Tennessee also have a surprising lack of sidewalks, discouraging even the most eager pedestrians. Many roads are narrower than those in the North — where streets have wider shoulders to accommodate winter snow — and people who want to bike or jog find themselves uncomfortably close to traffic.

But who wants to exercise when it's 100 degrees outside? The South is really hot and humid. Nobody in Mississippi goes running in the summer — at least, nobody sane. Bassett points out that Colorado, the state with the lowest obesity rate (18.9%), is relatively affluent and has a temperate climate and plenty of trails that lend themselves to outdoor activities.People from Mississippi are fat. With an adult obesity rate of 33%, Mississippi gobbled its way to the "chubbiest state"... more

singrrr
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11 hours ago

Japanese Dentists practice on robot patient

Trainee Japanese dentists now have a way to avoid causing pain and damage if they mix up their molars - by practising on a robotic patient.

The robot, called Simroid, has sensors in its teeth and body which feed back on how well the dentist is doing. Movements such as blinks and muffled gurgles are designed to show normal patient responses such as fear, discomfort, pain and tension - without putting any real person’s mouth at risk.

“I made this robot so that students can understand patients’ feelings,” said Professor Naotake Shibui of the division of pediatric dentistry at the Nippon Dental University Hospital in Tokyo.

“Then they become a dentist who doesn’t just concentrate on technique but also understands the patient. Everyone is a little afraid when they come to the dentist, and we should appreciate that,” he told BBC World Service’s Digital Planet programme.

Sensors in the robot’s teeth trigger red lights to illustrate when a drill has gone too far.

However, the robot, which is designed to look like a female, has sensors in other areas on its body too, to provide feedback about the patient’s whole experience.

“The whole training session can be recorded and you can review it anytime you want,” he added. “We can stop the video and tell our students, ‘you had a red light because you touched the patient here’.”

The robot has also been designed so that when it speaks, it does so with the open-mouthed series of grunts familiar to anyone who has sat in the dentist’s chair with a mouthful of foam.

Dr Shibui, who has been working on the project for two years, said that treating the robot as a real patient was essential to training.

“Actually talking to the patient makes you understand their feelings,” he said.

A new version of the robot, Simrod II, is now being worked on by the same companies that created the first - a combination of J Morita WFG, Nissin Dental Products and Kokoro Company.

Simroid II will have an improved response, automatic voice recognition and speech synthesis.Trainee Japanese dentists now have a way to avoid causing pain and damage if they mix up their molars - by practising on a robotic... more

ClipsFC
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11 hours ago

Moore tackles financial meltdown in 4th film

Award-winning film-maker Michael Moore has announced the title of his forthcoming documentary, which looks at the global economic... more

ClipsFC
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10 responses

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11 hours ago

Third day of 'cyber attacks' hit S Korea

South Korea is experiencing a third wave of suspected cyber-attacks - co-ordinated attempts to paralyse a number of major... more

ClipsFC
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12 hours ago

Mystery surrounds Jackson burial

It is not clear where his golden coffin was taken to after it was removed from the Staples Center in Los Angeles. And, in the... more

ClipsFC
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4 responses

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12 hours ago

Eternal Moonwalk - a tribute to Michael Jackson

In honour of the recently-dead Michael Jackson comes this brilliant website featuring a seemingly endless supply of people, pets... more

richjm
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2 responses

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12 hours ago

College officials charged using funds to buy liquor and pay parking tickets

The former chancellor at the City College of San Francisco has been charged with making illegal campaign contributions and steering public funds to a secret account used to buy liquor and pay parking tickets, prosecutors said Wednesday.

District Attorney Kamala Harris' office said it filed eight felony counts Tuesday against former Chancellor Philip Day Jr., including conspiracy, grand theft, misappropriation of public funds and using college funds to support a political campaign.

Two associate vice chancellors currently employed by City College — Stephen Herman, 61, and James Blomquist, 62 — also face charges.
Day, 63, was chancellor of the 110,000-student college from 1998 to 2008 and now heads the National Association of Student Aid Administrators in Washington.

Prosecutors allege that Day and Herman directed vendors who owed money to City College to make contributions totaling $70,000 to campaign committees for San Francisco community college bond measures in 2001 and 2005. They're also accused of diverting $28,000 to a committee promoting a statewide community college bond measure in 2006.

In addition, the men are accused of steering $45,000 in City College funds to a slush fund at the college's foundation that paid for alcohol at parties, parking tickets and a private club membership for Day.

Prosecutors say Blomquist asked a vendor to pay $10,000 owed to City College to the 2005 San Francisco bond campaign committee.

Michael Sweet, an attorney for Herman, said his client is innocent and has been cooperating with the investigation for the past two years.

Jim Collins, an attorney for Blomquist, said he has not seen the complaint, but "I don't believe that Mr. Blomquist did anything intentionally wrong."

Day and his attorney did not immediately respond to requests for comment Wednesday.

If convicted of all counts, Day and Herman face up to nine years in state prison and more than $300,000 in fines, Harris said. Blomquist faces up to three years in prison and $30,000 in fines, she said.

"We will not tolerate people abusing their positions of power and trust for personal benefit," Harris said. "In this age of diminished public resources, there can be no tolerance for that kind of behavior and activity."

All three men are being ordered to surrender to authorities by Tuesday. Bail was set for $75,000 for Day, $65,000 for Herman and $10,000 for Blomquist, according to the district attorney's office.The former chancellor at the City College of San Francisco has been charged with making illegal campaign contributions and... more