The Did You Know

Is Your Surgeon Drunk? - What do you think is the worst job to be drunk at? or is there such a thing?

2012-02-21T19:00:00.000-05:00

Is Your Surgeon Drunk?
Alcohol use disorders are a significant issue among U.S. surgeons, a new survey reveals. The online, anonymous poll indicated that 15% of surgeons appear to suffer from alcohol abuse or dependence: nearly 14% of male surgeons and 26% of female surgeons. Those figures exceed the 8% to 12% figure typically cited for alcohol abuse rates among the public at large, according to the study published in the Archives of Surgery. “But it should be said that a number of studies have shown that direct patient harm associated with impairment due to chemical dependency is very, very rare,” said survey lead author Dr. Michael Oreskovich, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at the University of Washington in Seattle. “The chance of a patient being injured by an impaired surgeon is really very uncommon. Something like one in 10,000. So it just doesn’t happen very much,” he noted.

Bill Clinton Takes Some Heat - Suprised?

2012-02-21T17:00:00.000-05:00

Bill Clinton Takes Some Heat
Former President Bill Clinton knows something about taking heat. He was courtside Sunday as the Miami Heat took on the Orlando Magic. Clinton even caught a deflected ball and flipped it back onto the court. The former prez posed with fans for postgame photos. He also took a snapshot with the officiating crew. Clinton told the refs, “No one in this building, other than me, has been second-guessed more than you guys.” The Heat won 90-78.

White Teacher Sues To Use N-Word In Class - Thoughts?

2012-02-21T16:00:00.000-05:00

White Teacher Sues To Use N-Word In Class
A white Chicago public school teacher is suing the Board of Education after he was suspended for using the N-word during a class discussion about racism. Lincoln Brown teaches at Murray Language Academy, where the majority of children are black. He said he used the word during his sixth grade history class after he caught two students passing a note that quoted rap lyrics and included the N-word. “I asked them, what would you feel if I used that word?” he said. “I used the full word, but I didn’t address it to the students. I was very careful about that.” Brown said that the principal – who is black – walked in during the discussion and didn’t seem to mind. But then Brown found out he was suspended five days for violating CPS policy which says that the N-word should never be used in books, movies or any classroom discussions. Brown says if students want to talk about racial issues and slurs, he’d do it again, because that is what educators are supposed to do. Some parents said Brown is a great teacher who did the right thing. Others said he went too far.

Monaco Prince Hurt In Big Apple Bar Brawl

2012-02-21T15:00:00.000-05:00

Monaco Prince Hurt In Big Apple Bar Brawl
Monaco’s Prince Pierre Casiraghi, 24-year-old son of Princess Caroline, was briefly hospitalized following a Manhattan nightclub brawl. The grandson of Grace Kelly sustained cuts and bruises on his face when he and his friends got into an altercation with former club owner Adam Hock and his entourage at the Double Seven Saturday. The prince was treated at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center for his injuries. Hock, 47, was charged with punching Casiraghi and assaulting three of his friends, who Hock and his companions insist were being obnoxious by insulting women in Hock’s party and drinking from a $500 bottle of vodka on Hock’s table. Hock was released on his own recognizance and is ordered back to court next month.

Mardi Gras History And Trivia - What is your favorite part of Mardi Gras?

2012-02-21T14:00:00.000-05:00

Mardi Gras History And Trivia

It’s Mardi Gras 2012, and people around the world are celebrating the carnival season that comes before Lent. Here are some things to know about Mardi Gras history and in traditions:

The phrase “Mardi Gras” means Fat Tuesday in French, referring to the Catholic tradition of eating richer, fatty foods just before the Lenten fast. The ceremony has since come to be associated with all forms of joy and excess. It is the last hedonistic exercise before the meditation and cleansing of Lent, which lasts from February 22nd to April 7, 2012.
Mardi Gras, also known as Carnival season, came to the U.S. from France, where it had been a tradition since the Middle Ages. Meant to coincide with the Lent, the carnival begins on or just after the Christian feast day of Epiphany and culminates the day before Ash Wednesday. Mardi Gras’s roots, however, may predate those traditions. Many see the carnival as a descendant of ancient tribal rituals of fertility that welcomed the arrival of Spring.
According to most sources, Mardi Gras arrived in New Orleans by way of French explorer Pierre Le Moyne Sieur d’Iberville, who launched an expedition along the Mississippi River back in 1699. He set up camp on the West Bank of the river, about sixty miles south of the present day Louisiana city on March 3rd, the same day Mardi Gras celebrations happened to fall in France. To honor his native country, Iberville named the site Point du Mardi Gras, and celebrations have been held there ever since.
Throwing trinkets into the crowd at Mardi Gras has been a tradition since 1870, and Mardi Gras beads have long been a staple of that tradition. Although the beaded necklaces thrown from the balconies and passed out at events come in all shapes, sizes and colors, everyone tries for purple, green and gold strands. Purple traditionally represent justice, while green represents faith and gold represents power. They bring good fortune to the person who catches them, but will bring bad luck if visitors pick them up from the ground.
King cake, another New Orleans staple, has its own rituals and superstitions. There are actually two kinds of king cake: one in ring form, and one modeled after the “galette de roi” sold in French bakeries. King cakes usually comes stuffed with cream cheese, pecans or a variety of fruits, and are dusted with purple, green and gold sugar. For many years, king cake came with a plastic baby inside to symbolize Jesus Christ, with good fortune brought to the man or woman who found it. Today, to combat choking hazards, the baby is placed on top of the cake, if it is present at all.
In 1857, the Krewe of Comus was formed, and the term “krewe” was added to the Mardi Gras lingo. Comus started many of the traditions we know today, such as having themed parades with floats and holding after-parade balls.

‘Million Mustache March’ - What is the best type of Mustache?

2012-02-21T13:00:00.000-05:00

‘Million Mustache March’

The mustache lobby is coming to Washington. The American Mustache Institute (AMI) is planning a “Million Mustache March” on the nation’s capital, part of an ongoing campaign to convince lawmakers to create government incentives to grow facial hair. Rally organizers plan to mobilize their mustache-wearing compatriots on April 1st at the White House and march to Capitol Hill. Their rallying cry: Pass the “Stimulus To Allow Critical Hair Expenses,” or STACHE Act, which would “provide a $250 annual tax deduction for expenditures on mustache grooming supplies.” According to AMI research, mustached Americans earn 4.3% more money than “clean-shaven Americans” on average per year. They say providing incentives for mustache growth would boost the economy. The subsidy, according to the proposal, would cover all products required for any proper mustache-wearing patriot, including:

Mustache and beard trimming instruments
Weightless conditioning agents and wax
Facial hair coloring products (for men and women over 43 years of age)
Bacon
Mustache combs and mirrors
Burt Reynolds wallet-sized photos

The campaign’s backers have recruited celebrities to help support the cause, including guitarist John Oats, Ellie Kemper of “The Office” and Milwaukee Brewers pitcher John Axford. Each will produce videos to inspire mustached activists to support the STACHE Act. The group has also secured a promise from H&R Block to donate to a charity that provides clean drinking water for each person who participates in the march. Find out more at www.americanmustacheinstitute.org.

Dead Presidents On Twitter - Do you follow anyone from the grave?

2012-02-21T12:00:00.000-05:00

Dead Presidents On Twitter

In the old days, presidents had to rely on written messages and speeches to get their thoughts across. But what if there had been Twitter? Among the many thousands of fake accounts on Twitter are those for at least 28 dead U.S. presidents. Here are some of the more humorous ones:

John Adams: “Could you imagine if that Target commercial with the girl singing Adele on the bus happened in real life? #myworstnightmare”

John Quincy Adams: “Other peoples’ shoes are the best shoes”

Andrew Jackson: “I will personally deed The Hermitage to my 400th follower! Oh wait, no I won’t.”

Martin Van Buren: “Won two bits from A. Jackson on bet that Gadhafi wouldn’t land up here. Old Hickory still a sentimental fool”

James K. Polk: “I’ve decided to flex my executive powers & give myself a nickname..deal with it. Polkster out.”

Millard Fillmore: “First policy point: Bathtubs in the White House. #millardfillmorescorpse2012”

Franklin Pierce: “Tricky Dick was not in my league.”

Abraham Lincoln: “Oh, big deal. You be dead and see if you don’t miss writing a Tweet or two.”

Ulysses S. Grant: “First man to wear four stars. Deal with it.”

Rutherford B. Hayes: "I will be tweeting my State of the Union from my casket tonight. I will discuss: education, economy, lack of air holes in casket”

James A. Garfield: “Pippa Middleton, meh. Mary Todd Lincoln, now she was a fox.”

Chester A. Arthur: “Spending my day off catching up with the Kardashians. See the one where Kris and his sis walked through the park in NY where my statue is?!”

Grover Cleveland: “Me and Taft are having an #occupythebathtub protest.”

William McKinley: "If there were a Vice Presidents Day, I would of course wish a happy one to @Garret_A_Hobart. But there isn’t, because the VP doesn’t matter.”

Theodore Roosevelt: “Many people wondered why I was so keen on liberating Cuba from the Spanish... have you folks ever drank Cuban coffee?! BULLY!”

William Howard Taft: “Crap. Stuck in the tub again. Not the best way to start my President’s Day.”

Warren G. Harding: “WWWAAAAAAAAAAZZZZZZZZZZUUUUUUUUUUUPPPPPPPPPPPPPP?!?!?!?!?!?! @TeddyRoosevelt8”

Calvin Coolidge: “I once watched @WGHarding defeat the Knicks starting lineup in a hotdog eating contest. Needless to say, he had serious Lin-digestion.”

Herbert Hoover: “AC/DC: I never know if my love of them is ironic or not...”

Dwight D. Eisenhower: “Mamie is Loco for Four Loko”

John F. Kennedy: “Ask not what your cold medicine can do for you, but what you can do for your cold medicine.”

Richard M. Nixon: “Who the hell taught George Romney’s boy to speak?”

Late For Work! - What makes you late?

2012-02-21T11:00:00.000-05:00

Late For Work!

Thirty-four percent of employers have terminated an employee for being late to work. How often are you late for work? CareerBuilder conducted a survey and found:

1. 61% are never late for work	3. 12% are late only once a year
2. 16% are late at least once a week	4. 11% are late once a month

The Cost Of Commuting To Work - How do you sut costs in your commute?

2012-02-21T10:00:00.000-05:00

The Cost Of Commuting To Work

Forty-two percent of workers say they would like to be reimbursed for transportation/commuting expenses. A new Accounting Principles’ Workonomics Survey ask Americans how much they spend commuting to and from work.

1. $31-60 per month	4. $30 or less
2. $61-$100 per month	5. Nothing
3. $101-$200 per month	6. $201 or more per month

Most Disappointing Holidays - What do you think is the most Disapointing?

2012-02-21T09:00:00.000-05:00

Most Disappointing Holidays

Nearly 40% of women who had a significant other last year said their mates pulled off a memorable Valentine’s Day. 1-800-Flowers asked women to pick their most disappointing holiday.

1. Birthday (30%)	3. Anniversary (25%)
2. Valentine’s Day (25%)	4. Christmas (21%)

Teens May Need Less Sleep - Teen parents, do you agree?

2012-02-21T07:00:00.000-05:00

Teens May Need Less Sleep
Federal guidelines recommend teens get nine hours of sleep a night, but a new study suggests more sleep can actually hurt a teen’s grades. According to the Brigham Young University study, for older teens, six to seven hours a night was plenty. The optimal amount of sleep for 12-year-olds was higher, about eight hours, while 10-year-olds did best with about nine hours. “So when (parents) read our study and find out that seven hours is really fine, then that makes them feel better about their teenagers sleep patterns,” said Eric Eide, a Brigham Young University economist. The study, the first to analyze the school performance of teens, looked at over 1,700 students.

FDA To Review Inhalable Caffeine

2012-02-20T22:00:00.000-05:00

FDA To Review Inhalable Caffeine
U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials plan to investigate whether inhalable caffeine sold in lipstick-sized canisters is safe for consumers and if its manufacturer was right to brand it as a dietary supplement. AeroShot went on the market late last month in Massachusetts and New York; it’s also available in France. Consumers put one end of the canister in their mouths and breathe in, releasing a fine powder that dissolves almost instantly. Each plastic canister contains vitamin B, plus 100 milligrams of caffeine powder, about the equivalent of the caffeine in a large cup of coffee. AeroShot inventor, Harvard biomedical engineering professor David Edwards, says the product is safe and doesn’t contain taurine and other common additives used to enhance the caffeine effect in energy drinks. AeroShot didn’t require FDA review before hitting the U.S. market because it’s sold as a dietary supplement. But New York’s U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer said he met with FDA Commissioner Dr. Margaret Hamburg and she agreed to review the safety and legality of AeroShot. Schumer said he fears the product will be used as a club drug so that young people can drink until they drop.

Text Neck

2012-02-20T21:00:00.000-05:00

Text Neck
Do you have shooting pains down your neck and arm, as well as numbness or tingling in your fingers and hand? You could have the fashionable new injury among cell phone users: text neck. Back pain clinics and chiropractors in North America and Europe are reporting seeing thousands of text neck cases. One chiropractor, Dean L. Fishman, has seen so many injuries directly caused by over-texting that he now specializes in their treatment, registering the term and opening the Text Neck Institute. He also trains other chiropractors in how to fix it. Fishman calls text neck a “global epidemic” and claims his youngest patient is three years old. According to the Institute’s website, http://text-neck.com, “Looking down at the screen on their hand held mobile device for long periods of time… will cause changes in the curve, supporting ligaments, tendons, and musculature, as well as the bony segments. Eventually there may be nerve involvement, muscle spasms and pain.”

US Airways Worker Caught In Luggage Conveyor Belts Dies

2012-02-20T20:00:00.000-05:00

US Airways Worker Caught In Luggage Conveyor Belts Dies
A US Airways employee died Friday after being caught in luggage conveyor belts, officials said. Robert Demarco, 60, apparently became lodged between the upper and lower belts around noon at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport’s Terminal 4. Phoenix Fire Department personnel were called to the TSA checked baggage inspection area and the man was pronounced dead. Authorities said there was no indication of foul play, but Phoenix police will investigate the death.

Elizabeth Smart Gets Married

2012-02-20T19:00:00.000-05:00

Elizabeth Smart Gets Married
Elizabeth Smart, who was kidnapped at age 14 from her Salt Lake City home, married her fiancé in Hawaii on Saturday. Smart, 24, and Matthew Gilmour became engaged in January, initially announcing a summer wedding. Those plans changed a week ago in order to avoid attention to the unscheduled ceremony in the Laie Hawaii Temple of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Oahu. The couple and family celebrated with a private reception and luau, after which Smart and Gilmour left for an extended honeymoon. Smart was kidnapped at knifepoint in June 2002 from her parents’ home by Brian David Mitchell. Smart was held captive and sexually abused for nine months and forced to wander with her captor from town to town for nine months. In March 2003, Smart was rescued when passersby spotted her with Mitchell and his wife, Wanda Barzee, in a Salt Lake suburb. Mitchell was convicted of kidnapping and rape in 2010. He is serving a life sentence and Barzee is serving 15 years in federal prison. Smart is an activist for children who suffer abuse and has formed a foundation on their behalf. She has worked as a commentator for ABC News. Gilmour is from Scotland. The two apparently met while Smart was serving an LDS mission in France last year.

Social Media Saving Endangered Languages

2012-02-20T18:00:00.000-05:00

Social Media Saving Endangered Languages
A scientist says digital tools including Facebook, YouTube and text messaging will save some of the world’s endangered languages. More than half of the world’s 7,000 languages are expected to be extinct by the end of this century. Experts said some languages are being preserved through elements of the “modern world,” especially digital technology. “Small languages are using social media, YouTube, text messaging and various technologies to expand their voice and expand their presence,” said K. David Harrison, an associate professor of linguistics at Swarthmore College and a National Geographic fellow. Harrison, along with National Geographic, has produced eight audio dictionaries for languages that are in danger of becoming extinct. Harrison said not all languages can survive, but new digital tools offer a way for some languages to live longer.

ESPN Apologizes For Offensive Headline

2012-02-20T17:00:00.000-05:00

ESPN Apologizes For Offensive Headline
ESPN has issued an apology after a racially insensitive headline about New York Knicks star guard Jeremy Lin appeared on their mobile site early Saturday. The headline, “Chink In the Armor,” appeared only on mobile browsers, the network said, and only between the hours of 2:30 a.m. and 3:05 a.m. [ET]. The employee responsible for the headline after the Knicks lost the Hornets on Friday night has been fired. ESPN apologized for that headline, plus a similar reference made recently by ESPNews anchor Max Bretos. Bretos, who uttered the phrase “chink in the armor,” perhaps with no ill-intent, while interviewing Knicks television analyst Walt Frazier, has been suspended for 30 days, ESPN announced. Bretos apologized via Twitter and said he did not mean to offend anyone. “My wife is Asian, would never intentionally say anything to disrespect her and that community,” he added. ESPN said it has been made aware of a third incident, which occurred on ESPN Radio, but the radio commentator is not an ESPN employee.

The Test Tube Hamburger

2012-02-20T16:00:00.000-05:00

The Test Tube Hamburger
The world’s first “test tube” meat, a hamburger made from a cow’s stem cells, will be produced this fall, Dutch scientist Mark Post said. Post’s aim is to invent an efficient way to produce skeletal muscle tissue in a laboratory that exactly mimics meat, and eventually replace the entire meat-animal industry. The ingredients for his first burger are “still in a laboratory phase,” he said, but by fall “we have committed ourselves to make a couple of thousand of small tissues, and then assemble them into a hamburger.” Post, chair of physiology at Maastricht University in the Netherlands, said his project is funded by an anonymous private investor motivated by “care for the environment, food for the world, and interest in life-transforming technologies.” Experts say mass-producing beef, pork, chicken and lamb in the lab could satisfy the growing global demand for meat – forecast to double within the next 40 years – and dramatically reduce the harm that farming does to the environment.

Most And Least Toxic Cars

2012-02-20T15:00:00.000-05:00

Most And Least Toxic Cars
The new 2012 Civic scored best marks when it comes to the level of toxic materials used. The Ecology Center has released its fourth consumer guide to toxic chemicals in cars at HealthyStuff.org, and the Honda Civic is rated as the least toxic car out of 200 2011- and 2012-model vehicles. The study tested for chemicals that emit from parts such as the steering wheel, dashboard, armrests, and seats – the same chemicals that contribute to that new car smell everyone seems to enjoy. Topping the charts this year for least toxic was the Honda Civic, Toyota Prius, Honda CR-Z, Nissan Cube, Acura RDX, Acura ZDX, Audi S5, Smart Coupe, Toyota Venza and Smart Passion. At the bottom of the list was the Mitsubishi Outlander Sport – the most toxic of the popular models that were studied. The report also showed that Volkswagen, Mitsubishi and Ford were the most improved brands compared to their 2009/2010 model counterparts, while Daimler AG and Volvo both saw declining averages over the same time span.

Smoke-Free Beach

2012-02-20T14:00:00.000-05:00

Smoke-Free Beach
Rhode Island State Rep. Richard Morrison wants the Ocean State to be the first to ban smoking on all public beaches. Supporters note that volunteers picked up more than 43,000 cigarette butts in one clean-up day. But opponents say banning open-air smoking goes too far.

‘The Simpsons’ Trivia

2012-02-20T13:00:00.000-05:00

‘The Simpsons’ Trivia

“The Simpsons” aired its 500th episode yesterday. It’s only the third primetime scripted series to have reached that milestone. The others are “Gunsmoke,” which holds the record with 635 episodes and “Lassie,” which had 588 episodes. How well do you know the “The Simpsons?” Here are some trivia questions about everybody’s favorite yellow, 4-fingered family:

In what town does the Simpsons reside? (Springfield)
What is the name of the Simpsons' next door neighbor? (Ned Flanders)
Who founded the Simpsons' town? (Jebadiah Springfield)
How old is Bart? (10)
What is the name of the clown on Channel 6? (Krusty)
What is the name of Lisa's jazz mentor? (Bleeding Gums Murphy)
Who is Mr. Burns' assistant? (Waylon Smithers)
What is the name of the bar where Homer drinks? (Moe's Tavern)
What did the Simpsons get for their first Christmas? (A dog)
What does Bart do in the opening credits? (Write on the blackboard)
What is the name of the minister at the First Church of Springfield? (Timothy Lovejoy)
Where does Marge hide the Christmas money? (In her hair)
Who runs the Kwik-E-Mart? (Apu)
What is the name of the school bus driver? (Otto)
What did Bart name his pet elephant? (Stampy)
What is Chief Wiggum's first name? (Clancey)
What is Marge's maiden name? (Bouvier)
What did Homer smuggle on board the space shuttle? (A bag of potato chips)
What does Smithers collect? (Malibu Stacey Dolls)
What is the name of Bart's favorite comic book action hero? (Radioactive Man)
What is Sideshow Bob's middle name? (Underdunk)
Which famous person does Marge love to paint? (Ringo Starr)
What insect stars on Channel Ocho? (Bumblebee)
Who practices medicine without a license? (Dr. Hibbert)
What is Comic Book Guy's name? (Jeff Albertson)
What is Grampa Simpson’s first name? (Abraham)

Most Oscar Voters Are Old White Men

2012-02-20T12:00:00.000-05:00

Most Oscar Voters Are Old White Men

Have you ever wondered who votes on who wins the little gold men at the Oscars? It turns out it’s mostly old, white men. A study of Academy Awards voters has found that it’s not a very diverse group that hands out Hollywood’s highest honors. The Los Angeles Times found that 94% of the 5,765 voting members of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences are white and 77% are men. Blacks and Hispanics account for only 2% each of academy members. The average age is 63-years-old and only 14% are under 50.

Facebook Phone Loses Out To Amazon Phone

2012-02-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

Facebook Phone Loses Out To Amazon Phone

Rumors surrounding a possible Facebook phone have been swirling for years, and the social networking giant has repeatedly denied reports that it is planning to launch a brand handset. While a number of industry watchers thought the company would fare well with a Facebook phone, a recent survey suggests that consumers are largely uninterested in a Facebook-branded smartphone. Baird Equity recently surveyed 875 consumers and found that just 12% said they were “very interested” or at least “interested” in a Facebook phone, while 73% said they were “probably not interested” or “not interested.” Meanwhile more than 40% of those polled said they were either “very interested” or “interested” in a smartphone from Amazon, and 29% weren’t interested. Amazon has been rumored on several occasions to have a smartphone in the works.

Top 10 Riskiest Online Cities

2012-02-20T10:00:00.000-05:00

Top 10 Riskiest Online Cities

The risk of falling victim to a cybercriminal in Washington, D.C., is the highest in the nation, according to a report from Sperling’s BestPlaces and Norton. The report attributed much of the danger to the growing habit of accessing the Web via smartphones. The gadgets are quickly becoming the new magnet for cybercriminals. Most people have software to protect their computers, but the idea of protecting phones is relatively novel, and the hackers are taking advantage before it catches on. The report determined the rankings by examining several consumer behaviors – from the prevalence of PCs and smartphones to ecommerce, social networking and accessing potentially unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots, among others. The 10 riskiest online cities:

1. Washington, D.C.	6. Denver, CO
2. Seattle, WA	7. Minneapolis, MN
3. San Francisco, CA	8. Sacramento, CA
4. Atlanta, GA	9. Raleigh, NC
5. Boston, MA	10. Austin, TX

Most Desired Brands

2012-02-20T09:00:00.000-05:00

Most Desired Brands

According to a survey released by Buyology and uSamp, both men and women rated Southwest Airlines, Google and Dove among the top 10 brands. But the genders disagree beyond those three. The second annual “Most Desired Brands in the U.S.” measures people’s deepest, non-conscious connections to brands. The full report can be found at www.buyologyinc.com. The study tested more than 220 brands across 10 diverse industries. Results:

2012 Most Desired Brands In The U.S.
Men	Women
1. Southwest Airlines	1. Southwest Airlines
2. Cadillac	2. Google
3. BMW	3. Hallmark
4. Dove	4. Dove
5. Bed Bath & Beyond	5. JetBlue
6. Apple	6. Kohl’s
7. Google	7. Lexus
8. Sharp	8. Target
9. GE	9. Neutrogena
10. Macy’s	10. Crest