Big surprise, right? Hawaii. That last minute addition to the union in 1959 was a good call after all, as Hawaii has won “happiest state” for the third year in a row in a national poll of happiness in US states. Once again, sun, surf, and swaying palm trees, for some reason, make people feel whole and complete.

Data was gathered via a telephone survey of more than 350,000 adults. The questions posed concentrated on emotional health, work environment, basic access to health care, a doctor, a safe place to exercise and walk, community satisfaction, and self-evaluation for the present and five years down the road.

Who came in after Hawaii? In an interesting trend (and a consistent one over the past four years) Western and Midwestern states did well on the happiness index, taking up nine spots on the top 10 happiest states list. Another interesting note: Southern states account for half of the bottom 10 states with regard to happiness.

Happiest states (out of a possible score of 100) follow: Hawaii with 70.2, North Dakota with 70.0, Minnesota at 69.2, Utah at 69.0, and Alaska at 69.0.

Unhappiest states clock-in as follows: West Virginia with 62.3, Kentucky with 63.3, Mississippi with 63.4, Delaware with 64.2, and Ohio with 64.5.

Well, I’m convinced. Time to relocate. I’ve never been very good at anything other than writing (and even that is kind of spotty) but I’m sure I could learn to play a ukelele.

Who wants to move with me?

Which State in the US is Considered the Happiest? is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s still likely 10 years away from approval but researchers at the University of Kansas are confident enough in their male contraceptive pill that they plan to seek FDA approval in the near future so human testing trials can begin.

Researchers claims that the compound has proven to be safe in rats, mice, rabbits and monkeys. According to biologist Joseph Tash

“It’s 100% effective and 100% reversible.”

Tash and his team spent 10 years creating what they hope is the perfect adjustment to the chemical compound H2-gamendazole. That particular chemical stops sperm from growing in the testes.

The idea falls in line with other research projects that are attempting to create pills that block the protein receptors needed to make sperm, to stop sperm from reaching the egg and to affect hormones instead of targeting sperm. In another project researchers are hoping to zap a males testes with ultrasound to stop sperm production over the short term.

In testing the new product on rats researchers found “no change in their behavior” in terms of mating practices.  Tash adds:

“And it’s 100 percent effective and 100 percent reversible.”

Human testing is already underway for male birth control that relies on hormones in the same way women contraception relies on changing hormones in women.

How long it will take to gain FDA approval for sale of the male birth control drug is not known since side effects could be discovered and because researchers may have to make changes to their compound as trial tests reveal any potential issues.

If the male birth control pill becomes a reality would you rather purchase a pill that affects hormones or a pill that stops sperm from becoming viable?

Researchers To Seek FDA Testing Approval For Male Birth Control Pill is a post from: The Inquisitr

While it would be nice to even have any money to think about saving there is no doubt that we all make silly spending choices, whether it being an app buying crazed person or having to have the latest fashions that really don’t suit you anyway.

When it comes to saving money it isn’t always about the big things in our lives but about the small things that we don’t even think twice about as we zip our credit cards through the cash register instead if paying cash and dealing with as well as a hundred other little things at the end of the month when the credit card bill comes in – you know, the one charging a ridiculous percentage and fees.

To help point out some of the smaller things to keep in mind when it comes to saving money the folks at CouponCabin put together this infographic for you to help figure out some of the areas were you can save some money and not have you collapse onto the ground whimpering.

via visual.ly

Some tips on saving nearly $5,000 without even trying [Infographic] is a post from: The Inquisitr

The results of a phase 2 trial indicate that a new drug to treat type 2 diabetes shows promise in improving the blood sugar of patients without increasing risk of low blood sugar, or hypoglycemia.

Type 2 diabetes is the one often referred to as “lifestyle-related” diabetes, and is linked with obesity and often other habits. More than 90% of diabetes in general are type 2, with a far smaller portion being type 1 or what has been called juvenile diabetes. According to US News and World Report, type 2 diabetes often “involves a gradual decline in how insulin responds to changes in blood sugar,” or glucose, and the medication used in the trial could be more efficient at treating the condition specifically.

The new drug, TAK-875, responds to changes in blood sugar rather than affecting insulin when blood sugar is well-regulated, slicing the risk of hypoglycemia in type 2 diabetics. The study involved more than 400 patients whom the study identified as “not getting adequate blood sugar control through diet, exercise or treatment with the first-line diabetes drug metformin.” 303 patients were given TAK-875, 61 received a placebo and the remaining patients were treated with another diabetes drug, Amaryl.

Dr. Minisha Sood is an endocrinologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City, and Sood commented:

“…given the rising global incidence of type 2 diabetes, the medical community is eagerly awaiting the development of novel agents to add to our existing armamentarium of anti-diabetic agents… though this study includes a small sample size followed for a short period of time, the results are promising in that TAK-875 appears to be effective for glycemic [blood sugar] control without significant risk for hypoglycemia or weight gain.”

Sood noted that further study is needed, particularly when patients with heart disease are concerned.

Diabetes Drug in Trial Stages Shows Better Glucose Control is a post from: The Inquisitr

“There was something about the embroidery of this dress,” Chastain told The Hollywood Reporter. “It felt larger than life — and this is a larger-than-life moment. I always wanted to be an actor. Most little girls dream of their wedding dresses; I grew up dreaming of my Oscar dress.”

Along with fellow up-and-coming actresses Emma Stone (in Giambattista Valli) and Rooney Mara in Givenchy, praise for Jessica Chastain’s choice of outfit appears to have been universal as Twitter users all seemed to agree that she outranked Michelle Williams, Penelope Cruz and even Miss Piggy as “Best Dressed” for the night.

The gown and diamonds however, weren’t the only things that drew attention to the actress.

Jessica Chastain, who was nominated in the Best Supporting Actress category, for her role in The Help, shared her moment in the Oscars spotlight with her grandma.

“I’m getting to see it through her eyes, and it’s making the whole thing so much sweeter,” Chastain said of bringing her grandmother as her date to the event. “All her friends are watching at home.”

Jessica Chastain talks about her Oscar nomination for “The Help” in the clip below:

Jessica Chastain also starred – along with Brad Pitt – in The Tree of Life, which was nominated for the Best Picture Oscar, though that award went to the evening’s biggest victor, The Artist.

Besides The Help and Tree of Life Chastain played roles in the 2011 movies The Debt and Take Shelter and also has a part in the upcoming Broadway play The Heiress.

via Contact Music

Jessica Chastain Oscars Dress: ‘Help’ Star Raises the Fashion Bar at 2012 Oscars is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s not news to say that the debates over homosexuality, transsexuality, bisexuality, and plain old heterosexuality rage on and on. But are all of the groups present and accounted for? One, generally absent, is emerging: asexuals. Asexuals are casually defined as people who have no interest whatsoever in sex of any kind, and they represent about 1% of the population. Like other groups before them, asexuals have found community on the Internet, and are using it to find their voice and organize.

“Theoretically the absence of sexual desire shouldn’t be a problem,” says one sex researcher. “But ours is a media which suggests hypersexuality is the norm. Potentially, asexuality has become a ‘problem’ as it became more visible, and in a sense it’s become the new stigma.”

One online asexual group, Asexual Visibility and Education Network, boasts more than 50,000 members. Advocates are quick to point out that even though people identifying as asexual are uninterested in sex, they still possess normal emotional and relational needs and desires. “Living in a world that holds the romantic and the sexual as the highest ideals possible is difficult,” says a 20-year-old biology student. “The most pervasive effect on my life at the moment is how many conversations revolve around sex and the sexual attractiveness of certain people that I just don’t really want to join in with.”

Potentially assisting in the groups’ “coming out” in the future are several high-profile celebrities who identify as asexual. Among them are: Tim Gunn, The Smiths’ Morrissey, musician Nicki Minaj, and, for a time, David Bowie.

Do you know anyone who identifies as asexual?

Asexuality: The New Taboo? is a post from: The Inquisitr

A man who lost both of his arms and legs at 13-years-old received the world’s first quadruple limb transplant in Turkey on Saturday.

Doctors tell Sky News that the surgery was performed in Ankara over 20-hours with more than 50 doctors working on the patient throughout the procedure.

Now 27-years-old Sevket Cavdar must wait to see if his new arms and legs accept the transplant:

“We have good results but maybe we will lose all of the limbs,” one surgeon says. “Maybe (we’ll) lose only one or two, we have to wait, but I think for now we have good results.”

The main concern right now are complications that arise as doctors wait to see how well the surgery holds. To help the man if complications occur doctors have been asking members of the community to provide blood donations for emergency backup purposes.

In the meantime brother-in-law Cengiz Cavdar tells teh Daily Mail:

“(He) has only been seeing himself walking in his dreams,” he says. “We hope that he will be able to walk one day in real life. … He always wanted to become a driver one day.”

Two months ago a Turkish hospital in the province of Antalya attempted a triple limb transplant that ultimately failed as the patients body refused to accept the new appendages.

Do you think doctors have went to far to the extreme in attempting to make a patients body accept four new limbs at one time?

World’s First Quadruple Limb Transplant Performed In Turkey is a post from: The Inquisitr

Health insurance costs are on the rise again, and businesses in California will be turning to high deductible medical insurance plans in an effort to stem the cost of group plans. Many of the largest health care providers in California, such as Anthem, will be raising their rates by an average of 8 to 14 percent for thousands of policy holders with individual coverage. This is causing companies who are required to offer benefits to their workers to only give the options for high-deductible plans, in an effort to shield themselves from higher costs.

These hikes in medical premiums will surpass the national average cost of health care by 3.5%. As an individual who pays over $100 for the bare essentials of medical care per month, the thought that costs will be raising again this year is frightening. Imagine if the prices for groceries were to rise as fast as those of medical insurance.

To give you an example, my medical insurance (with a provider I will not name), went from $113 to $132 from the 2010 to 2011 fiscal year. That’s a raise of $19. Imagine going to the grocery store one day, and spending $75 in groceries, then going back the next week, only to find out that the same exact order costs 14.5 percent more (the percentage the unnamed company raised the premium rate). That same order, just one week later, would cost a little bit over $85.

Do you think that what the health insurance providers are doing is right? Are they really considering their customers when they hike their rates up so much, causing both businesses and individuals to pay the price? Or is there more to the story than this?

Businesses Turn to High Deductible Medical Insurance is a post from: The Inquisitr

So, what do we know about climbing Mount Everest?

It’s a big deal, one of those things some people are driven to do before they die- a massive undertaking, to be sure. We know that now you can check-in to a social network or location aware app from the upper reaches of the mountain, thanks to enhanced data signals now available. And we know that it can be a considerably deadly task, trails littered with the corpses of those who succumbed to the elements in their quest to reach the top of Mount Everest. (In fact, one of the funnier comments I saw once on the internet said that there is an easy way to avoid dying climbing Mount Everest, simply by not climbing Mount Everest- a preventive cure that is 100% effective.)

Massive adventurous expeditions have always been the domain of the wealthy and ennui-ridden, to a degree, as well, because the rest of us have jobs and mundane lives to contend with- try telling your Walmart general manager you need a few months off to scale Everest and see if your job is waiting when you come back. But this week, Outside magazine looked at the actual cost outlay for climbing the mountain, and it turns out that even if most of us had the time and inclination, the happy little jaunt would be out of our financial depths.

According to experienced climber Alan Arnette via TIME, the manual transmission, no leather version of an Everest climb will run you about thirty-five large:

According to Arnette’s estimates, the absolute lowest possible cost, without sacrificing safety, would be around $35,000. And that’s if you go as part of a seven-person team. To fly solo, expenses would total around $60,000. Gear, food, oxygen and tents aren’t the only necessities, Arnette explains. Each expedition must also pay for a permit, liaison officer, visa, park fee, waste deposit, insurance — not to mention a ticket to Nepal. Climbing solo could cost you up to $83,000. In other words, two years at NYU or five Toyota Corollas.

Arnette says climbers with experience can shave about five grand from their trip cost, but that still leaves the price tag at more than what many Americans make in a year. However, if you have beaucoup bucks and dream of climbing Everest, a more luxurious trip can be had, and run you about $100K. Would you drop $35,000 or more to climb Mount Everest before you die, or is the money better spent on cocaine and loose women?

Mount Everest Climb Costs More Than a Sports Car is a post from: The Inquisitr

With her extremely successful House Of Harlow 1960 accessories line, her Winter Kate collection, and her A Pea In the Pod maternity line under her belt, Richie is now looking to create a line that is the opposite of her namesake: affordable.

Richie unveiled her new “Bohemain Chic” clothing line, The Nicole Richie Collection, at the Four Seasons Hotel during last night’s “The Buzz On The Red Carpet presented by QVC.

For more information (and images) on the new collection – which consists of leather hobo bags, kimono jackets and maxi dresses  – head over to Nicole’s official website here. Prices for the Nicole Richie Collection will reportedly begin at $75 dollars (so much for affordable).

Of her teamup with QVC, Richie, 30, explained:

“QVC is a well-oiled machine and to be in business with them is so exciting because it gives me an opportunity to design for a much broader range of women. I wanted you to be able to walk into your closet with your eyes closed and pick something special.”

Other celebs who showed up to support QVC included Kim Kardashian and Kris Jenner (debuting their K-Dash line), George Clooney’s love Stacy Keibler, Emily VanCamp, Modern Family’s Eric Stonestreet, Precious star Gabourey Sidibe and Kimora Lee Simmons.

Nicole Richie talks about teaming up with QVC to launch her new clothing line in the video below:

Nicole Richie Debuts New Clothing Line at QVC’s “Buzz on the Red Carpet” Event is a post from: The Inquisitr

Painkillers might be used for physical pain at the moment but a group of researchers believe they could also be used to slow and even stop the pain of social rejection.

The study found that the human brain handles physical pain and the feelings we receive through rejection in similar ways. Researchers determined the connection by examining brains scans from people who suffered from social or physical pain.

Research found that physical pain has an emotional aspect as the brain begins to weight on the gravity of the situation causing the pain. Likewise when the brain experiences emotional pain part of our brains sensory pain center ignites.

The study also found that people who are more susceptible to physical pain also tend to be more easily connected to emotional damage.

The lead researcher says painkillers aren’t the best way to deal with rejection in their current state because numbing emotional pain could prevent a natural learning process which in turn may lead to similar emotional pain in the future.

Regardless of  realizing that current painkillers are not up to par with dealing in emotional rejection “the research is sort of validating,” says the lead researcher and it “suggests that there is something real about this experience of pain that we have following rejection and exclusion.”

I’ll take naturally learning from my mistakes or rejction any day over a painkiller. Would you be willing to pop a painkiller to avoid social rejection?

Painkillers Could Be Used To Ease Pain Of Social Rejection [Study] is a post from: The Inquisitr

High unemployment rates and a still uneasy economy has tightened up bank credit lending and the fertility industry is reaping the benefits.

Known as “Fertility finance” firms are handing out loans to children seeking parents so they can undergo in vitro fertilization procedures which can cost more than $20,000.

Speaking to the Wall Street Journal an industry insider says the fertility financing industry is expected to soar in 2012, as they put it the practice is ”pretty much a recession-proof business, since the biological clock doesn’t stop.”

To put the industry in perspective $4 billion in loans were handed out in 2011, an increase over 2010.

While the industry is doing well for many families some doctors are refusing to allow financing directly from their offices, fearing that the industry is taking advantage of parents desire to have kids.

As one doctor points out:

“These patients are very vulnerable to predatory lending.”

Unlike the ability to buy a car the biological clock of some parents lead them to accept extremely high loans for the chance to conceive, in some cases a first round of in vitro fertilization isn’t enough and loans can quickly mount or leave parents with a high payment and no child at all.

Loans from the programs can carry up to 22% interest rates, far higher then the 17% national average for credit cards.

Do you think fertility finance agencies are using a new type or predatory lending to go after parents desperate to have children?

Fertility Financing Is The New Credit Boom And It’s Predatory is a post from: The Inquisitr

…DUH!

But seriously, a new study does indeed show that smoking marijuana is linked to decreased motivation in the workplace. Funny part is, the scientists on the study aren’t sure who to blame. It’s a chicken-or-egg scenario: is marijuana to blame for the decreased output of worker productivity, or are the people who frequently smoke pot lazy-asses in the first place? Or is it possible that work drives certain people to pot? It certainly drives some to drinking!

“There’s a popular belief that people who smoke cannabis are slackers and that they don’t want to work,” researcher Christer Hyggen said. Hyggen’s research comes from detailed questionnaires concerning subjects’ pot smoking and attitude toward their jobs.

Another ‘surprise’: people who confessed to smoking marijuana also admitted that they’re not as dedicated to their jobs as the abstainers tended to be, even accounting for other factors such as mental health, emotional well-being, etc. The study’s findings also suggested that over time, “people who quit smoking cannabis increase their work commitment, and people who take up smoking cannabis reduce their work commitment,” said Hyggen.

Hyggen also stated that it’s not overall a bad idea to stay away from recreational drug use, marijuana included. “At the same time I don’t think we should be overly afraid of people experimenting with drugs in youth,” he said.

Well, this is all news to me. Truly. I’m going to take Hyggen’s endorsement of drug-use though. Let me know if it improves my writing.

What say you, reader? News to you?

New Research Says Smoking Pot Decreases Work Performance… is a post from: The Inquisitr

Although a diet higher in fruits and veggies has been linked with lower stroke risk in the past, new data indicates that a diet higher in citrus- oranges and grapefruits in particular- may reduce risk of ischemic stroke.

The study compiled data culled from nearly 70,000 women across 14 years, and researchers looked into the relationship between six flavonoids- flavanones, anthocyanins, flavan-3-ols, flavonoid polymers, flavonols and flavones and the risk of ischemic, hemorrhagic and total stroke. What they ultimately found was that women who consumed higher quantities of citrus fruits like oranges and grapefruits had a 19% lower risk of blood clot-related strokes.

The study was published in the journal Stroke and funded by the US National Institutes of Health, and a press release on the data read in part:

“Studies have shown higher fruit, vegetable and specifically vitamin C intake is associated with reduced stroke risk,” said Aedín Cassidy, Ph.D., the study’s lead author and professor of nutrition at Norwich Medical School in the University of East Anglia in Norwich, United Kingdom.

“Flavonoids are thought to provide some of that protection through several mechanisms, including improved blood vessel function and an anti-inflammatory effect.”

University of Miami epidemiologist Hannah Gardener was not involved in the research, but she commented on the study, saying:

“There are several studies that have shown that greater consumption of fruits and vegetables has been linked with reduced risk of stroke… It underscores the importance of fruit and vegetable intake… [further, it] provides evidence that citrus fruits in particular may be important in terms of reducing stroke risk.”

New dietary guidelines updated in 2011 indicate that fully half of daily food intake should be comprised of fruits and vegetables.

Citrus and Stroke Risk: Good News For Fruit Fans is a post from: The Inquisitr

If you’re seeking an honest opinion, Youtube probably isn’t the place to get it. The notoriously nasty commentators now hold the self-esteem of several pre-teen girls who are posting “Am I Ugly Videos” to the site.

If you search for “Am I Ugly” or “Am I Pretty’ on Youtube you’ll see dozens of results from young girls who ask the internet community to judge them. Some comments are kind, some are nasty, and some are downright cruel or inappropriate. The “Am I Ugly” videos have drawn racist comments, inappropriate sexual comments (these girls are about 12), and unnecessarily mean comments that could further damage the self esteem of these girls.

An apparent middle schooler who uses the Youtube name “sgal901″ posted a video asking “Am I Pretty or Ugly?” Her video has been seen more than 3.5 million views and has close to a million comments. The comments range from “you are SO pretty” to “Your ugly as hell. You should go ahead and end your life.”

But who’s to blame? Are these girls asking for trouble by posing a personal question to such a wide audience? Should we expect a little bit more from the average internet troll?

The San Francisco Chronicle writes:

“A 12-year-old isn’t mature enough to deal with vicious remarks made by their mean-spirited peers and sick-minded internet trolls.”

Jezebel adds:

“Leave it to anonymous internet commenters to make middle-schoolers feel worse about themselves than they already do.”

Sgal901 says in her “Am I Ugly” Video: “I just wanted to make a random video seeing if I was, like, ugly or not… Because a lot of people called me ugly and I think I am ugly, ’cause I think I’m ugly and fat.”

What do you think of the “Am I Ugly” videos? Do you see a problem with these young girls seeking validation on the internet?

At 12-years-old (I’m guessing) they should be worrying about something else other than if they’re pretty or not. But the real sick part about these videos are the commentators? Who would tell a little girl to go kill herself?

Am I Ugly Videos Illustrate Disturbing Tween Trend is a post from: The Inquisitr

You may have noticed migraine headaches (severe and often crippling attacks that frequently leave sufferers vomiting and sensitive to light and sound) tend to strike more in females than males- but researchers have identified a possible new link between migraines and depression as well.

In fact, three times as many women are migrane sufferers than men- but the depression link is a newer discovery that researchers believe patients and doctors should be aware of for better preventive care. Results from the new study will be presented at the American Academy of Neurology in April, but have not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal.

The data comes from the study of over 36,000 women over the age of 45 who “were categorized either as having active migraine with aura (visual disturbances such as flashing lights or temporary loss of vision); active migraine without aura; prior history of migraine; or no history of migraine.” The women in the study had no previous history of depression, but provided information about subsequent bouts of depression or diagnoses.

Of the 36,000 participants, 6,400 were active or previous migraine sufferers, and of those women, 4,000 reported developing depression after the study began. Dr. Tobias Kurth, a neuroepidemiologist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and senior author of the study, commented:

“We believe the most important aspect of our study is that migraine patients and their physicians should keep this potential link in mind.”

The study ultimately found that women with any history of suffering migraine headaches had a 36% increase in risk of developing depression.

[Image: Shutterstock]

Depression and Migraines Linked in Women is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s strange to think that not too far back in our human lineage, certain very unique phenomena were just accepted and dismissed with little available to explain it- take for instance, the Appalachian blue-skinned family of just a few generations ago.

Thanks to genetics, we now have a bit more of an understanding of certain traits and characteristics and how recessive genes play a part in foregrounding genetic legacies that may have been dormant for some time, and the blue-skinned family of Troublesome Creek are a good example of information unlocked. The tale of the blue-skinned family goes back six generations and begins with a French immigrant who settled in the isolated Appalachian mountains, and his blue-skinned wife and children.

The cause of the family’s unusual hue was a mystery for decades, as their descendants still exhibited the same traits as their predecessors- albeit in a far less dramatic way. An ABC spotlight on the blue-skinned family begins with the tale of one man from the blue-skinned line who was born in 1975 and rushed to the hospital due to the unusual and alarming blue color of his skin. Eventually, the condition was pegged as methemoglobinemia, and the site explains:

In methemoglobinemia, the hemoglobin is unable to carry oxygen and it also makes it difficult for unaffected hemoglobin to release oxygen effectively to body tissues. Patients’ lips are purple, the skin looks blue and the blood is “chocolate colored” because it is not oxygenated, according to [hematologist Dr. Ayalew] Tefferi.

“You almost never see a patient with it today,” he said. “It’s a disease that one learns about in medical school and it is infrequent enough to be on every exam in hematology.”

Doctors now know that the original French immigrant, Martin Fugate, carried the recessive gene- marrying Elizabeth Smith, another carrier of the blue-skinned gene. The pair had seven children, four of which were blue. Interestingly, the condition persisted among the blue-skinned family and their kin in the area due to inbreeding and lack of genetic diversity. As the blue-skinned family’s descendants began to filter out of Appalachia and into the world, the condition disappeared.

You can read a lengthier account about the blue-skinned family over on ABC.

Blue-Skinned Family a Mystery Finally Solved By Geneticists is a post from: The Inquisitr

Despite a general decline in numbers of churchgoers across all religions, Catholic churches have seen rising attendance- and initiatives like the unique approach one parish is taking to Ash Wednesday might be a clue as to why parishioners are finding ways to flock back to the church in record numbers.

Many “relapsed Catholics” have a bit of apprehension about being out of touch with church traditions, or recall a time when the Catholic Church was a bit more draconian and intimidating, with the swinging of the incense and the Latin and the half-day-long mass jaunts. But in recent years, the Pope has urged priests to adopt social media as another way of speaking to the flock, and the church is making efforts to adapt old traditions to fit a connected and strapped for time world.

Ash Wednesday is upon us, the less talked about and conversely somber foil and precipitate for Mardi Gras celebrations. (For the uninitiated, Mardi Gras and its ilk in different countries/cultures is a kind of ‘last hurrah’ for eating and sinning before the fasting associated with Ash Wednesday and the subsequent Lenten season.) But an Ohio Methodist church created an innovation of which many progressive Catholic churches probably are envious- a drive-thru ash dispensary for time-strapped parishioners.

The Rev. Patricia Anderson Cook of Mt. Healthy United Methodist Church told press that the unorthodox ash ceremony will begin at around 5PM in the church’s parking lot, and that the initiative was aimed at those who are busy or “get a little intimidated walking into a church.” Would you drive-through for ashes on Ash Wednesday if the service was available at your church?

Ash Wednesday Drive-Thru at One Ohio Church is a post from: The Inquisitr

Gambling addicts, financial market traders who take risks without worry about the potential for losses and other people who have the potential to lose massive amounts of cash and potentially their lives could soon be helped with their gambling and other risk addictions thanks to a recent breakthrough study.

Scientists discovered in their researcher that risk seeking individuals have higher levels of the neurotrasmitter norepinephrine or noradrenaline. The chemical messenger is responsible for creating our response to losing after taking risks that adversely affect our everyday life.

Using that information scientists believe they will be able to develop drugs that target that chemical messenger, reduce it’s presence in the brain and thus causing gamblers to lose their ability to avert failing risk factors.

Julio Licinio, editor of the Molecular Psychiatry journal told Reuters:

“Pathological gambling that happens at regular casinos is bad enough, but I think it’s also happening a lot now at Casino Wall Street and Casino City of London.”

The breakthrough study included scanning the brains of 19 healthy men using positron emission tomography (PET) scans after completing a gambling task.

Interestingly the study found that loss aversion in people with high levels of the chemical messenger were willing to take a gamble even if the chances of winning more money then they could lose were not on the table.

Before drugs can be created researchers will of course need to determine what effects might occur if a pill or other form of treatment caused noradrenaline levels to fall.

Would you take a drug to treat increased levels of risk?G

Gambling Addiction Drug Could Become A Reality Following Breakthrough Study is a post from: The Inquisitr

In the past determining your sperm count meant heading to the doctors office, taking a sperm test and then waiting around for results at ridiculously high prices but now the first FDA-approved version for sperm testing is available over-the-counter and it will only cost you as little as $30 per test with 98% accuracy.

The home-based sperm test is simple to use, just fill the “semen transfer device” up to the fill line and then add the included solution mixture. Mix the solution and let it stand for two minutes. Next add six drops of the testing solution mixture to the well and wait 7 minutes for the sperm test to be completed

The new test is an added convenience in the quest for some couples to determine their likelihood to conceive. In the past men could go to the doctor’s office but few have actually chosen to undergo testing.

The FDA approved option is known as the Spermcheck Fertility Home Sperm Test and is already available on the CVS.com and Walgreens.com websites although you’ll pay $10 more at Walgreens. The new test will also be made available at other stores nationwide in April.

Sure you won’t find out your sperm count by the millions but it will let you know if your little swimmers are at high enough levels to possibly conceive a child with fewer issues.

Will you be running out to get your hands of the first commercially available home sperm test.

FDA Approves Sperm Count Test For Home Use is a post from: The Inquisitr