As of January 2010, Indonesia planned to raise money for protecting its remaining 400 Sumatran tigers by renting some already in captivity. These tigers would rent for $107,100 a pair - with any cubs produced being government property. The renters would have to be Indonesian; allow quarterly visits by a team of vets, animal welfare officers and ministry staff; and provide cages at least 16 x 19 x 32 feet. However, because the government allows the tigers' natural habitat to be destroyed by concessions to logging companies, renting a tiger seems to lack … "the eye of the tiger".
On January 27, 2010 People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals had its own bad idea. PETA wanted Punxsutawney Phil replaced by a robotic groundhog. According to PETA, it's unfair to keep Phil in captivity, subjecting him to bright lights and huge crowds every February 2nd - Groundhog Day - the day he predicts 6 more weeks of winter if he sees his shadow. According to the President of the Inner Circle of the Punxsutawney Groundhog Club, Phil is well cared for, lives in a climate-controlled environment and is inspected annually by the state's Department of Agriculture. Perhaps PETA was just "groundhogging" publicity.
Then there's TV's very public "The Biggest Loser". In 2010 it received criticism from nutritionists and physicians. First, obesity has serious health risks - heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers. Second, beginning strenuous exercise suddenly can cause problems with hydration, electrolyte balance and cardiac function; but contestants exercise 5-6 hours daily. Third, a 1-2 pound weight loss weekly is considered safe, but the strenuous exercise plus strict diets result in double-digit weight loss. Losing weight too quickly can cause gallstones, mineral deficiencies, loss of muscle tissue and reduced bone density. This makes The Biggest Loser an unhealthy "weighting game".
Writing of unhealthy, a 2010 study in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found 1 in 5 prescriptions weren't filled. Of the prescriptions given to approximately 75,000 insured, Massachusetts patients during one year, 22% weren't filled. With first-time prescriptions the rate was higher - 28%. These unfilled prescriptions included ones for chronic conditions with serious consequences. Between 28% and 31% of new prescriptions for diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol weren't filled. However, the prescription least filled - 55% - was for pain medication. Obviously, pain doesn't motivate people to act in a "painstaking" manner.
A study in the Journal of Clinical Oncology found aspirin reduces the risk of early stage breast cancer spreading and of breast cancer death. Of the 4,164 nurses in the ongoing Nurses' Health Study, those taking aspirin 2-5 times weekly experienced a 60% lower risk of their cancer spreading and a 71% lower risk of dying from the disease. Nurses taking aspirin 6-7 times weekly lowered the risk of spreading by 43% and the risk of dying by 64%. Although most were taking low-dose aspirin to prevent heart attacks, the aspirin was simultaneously battling cancer with "breastworks".
Beer might also have health benefits. An analysis of 100 commercial beers found that beer may be good for bones. The beers contained silicon ranging for 6.4 mg/L to 56.5 mg/L and silicon is a key ingredient for bone health. According to the National Institutes of Health, this soluble silicon could be important for the growth of bones and connective tissue. A past study suggested moderate beer consumption might fight osteoporosis. A 2009 study of approximately 1,700 women showed that light to moderate beer drinkers had much better bone density than non-drinkers. For beer drinkers this is good news - no bones about it.
Happiness, a state of mind, may decrease heart attack risk. In 1995 researchers at Columbia University rated the happiness levels of more than 1,700 adult Canadians who had no history of heart problems. Happiness was measured on a 5-point scale, which was adjusted for things like age, gender and smoking. Ten years later the researchers examined the 145 people who'd developed heart problems and found that happier people were less likely to be affected. Each point on the scale represented 22% less chance of heart problems - that's literally a scale after my own heart.
Finally, even placebos can make us healthier. Research published in the British medical journal Lancet found that although placebos don't help patients' conditions improve, patients' belief in placebos can help. There's increasing evidence that a positive doctor-patient relationship plus the expectancy of recovery can have actual biological effects - enough to change a patient's brain, body and behavior. For example, placebos given to Parkinson's patients led to their brains releasing the feel-good chemical dopamine. Also, for patients with mild anxiety or depression placebos have worked as well as established treatments. It seems placebos do have an active ingredient - the power of positive thinking.
Sweethearts, the heart-shaped candies with phrases printed on them, were revamped in time for Valentine's Day 2010. For the first time in 145 years Necco changed the recipe. To get rid of the admittedly chalky taste, banana and wintergreen flavors were replaced with green apple and blue raspberry. The candies' colors were also brightened; and the new sayings came from a consumer contest, with "TWEET ME" and "TEXT ME" being among the ten sayings chosen. Sweethearts are the #1-selling, non-chocolate Valentine's Day candy with 6 billion made a year. That's a lot of "sweet-talk".
Looking a bit farther into the future Barbie, the world's most popular fashion doll, will have new careers. Over the past 50+ years since being created by Mattel in 1959, she's had many careers, but 2009 was the first year the public voted on them. With over 500,000 votes cast for 2010, career #125 will be Computer Engineer - with binary-code-patterned T-shirt, pink-framed glasses, pink laptop and Bluetooth earpiece. Career #126 will be News Anchor - with pink suit, news folder, camera and microphone. Previous jobs have included princess, ballerina, McDonald's cashier, paratrooper, astronaut, and U.S. president. Didn't anyone but Ken vote for Mother Barbie?
GlowCaps are pill bottle caps that remind people to take their medicine. The caps flash orange when it is time for a pill. If a pill isn't taken within an hour, the cap plays a melody. Anyone still forgetting to take their medicine receives a call or text message within a few hours. Although these caps are sold online for $99, the manufacturer expects in the future they'll be free add-ons to pills distributed by pharmacies. Because the World Health Organization estimates drug adherence is only 50% among chronically ill people, GlowCaps literally encapsulate the hope of wireless technology.
Finally, way into the future is Aircruise, a Seymourpowell concept for a vertical, floating hotel. Ten luxury apartments, dining room, bar and lounge would accommodate 100 guests/crew. The giant, hydrogen-filled airship would be approximately 265 meters tall, with large, hydrogen fuel cells providing onboard power and some drinking water. The cruising speed is calculated to be between 100 and 150 kilometers per hour, enabling the hotel, for example, to cruise from London to New York in 37 hours. Because various views of the world will be seen from thousands of meters above ground, Aircruise vacations will undoubtedly be priced just as high.
The majority of middle-class Americans - according to ABC News - fit the following description. They are part of a 2 parent/2 children family with an income of $50,800-$122,800. They save $1,000-$4,000 yearly, with no trouble paying bills. They send their children to public schools and save $1,800-$6,100 yearly for their children's education. They own their own home or are planning to buy one soon and have 2 or more cars. The rate their quality of life as medium or high, are very satisfied with their job and are a manager or a professional. This is the new "Middle America".
According to the National Center for Health Statistics 2010 report, 61% of adult Americans drink alcohol; but only 5% are heavy drinkers. Twenty percent of adults smoke, 42.5% tried to quit in 2009 and 58.5% never smoked. Thirty percent exercise regularly and 60% get 7-8 hours of sleep daily. Then there's weight. Sixty percent of adults are overweight or obese. Men are more likely to be overweight - 67.9% men and 53% women - but the number of obese adults is about equal - 25.7% men and 25% women. It seems Middle America's middle is getting bigger.
It also seems the stock market affects our health. Researchers at Duke University tallied the number of patients who had heart attacks among those who had come to the university hospital to be tested for heart disease - 965. That number was averaged over a 3-month period and compared to the Nasdaq index. When the stock market went down, heart attacks went up. This finding corresponded with earlier studies showing that heart attacks increased after earthquakes, Hurricane Katrina and World Cup soccer matches. That there are fewer heart attacks when the stock market is up gives new meaning to "healthy economy".
Even in an unhealthy economy meaningful conversations supposedly make us happy. A study published in Psychological Science found that people who have more substantive conversations are more likely to describe themselves as happy. The study eavesdropped on 79 college students - 32 males and 47 females - for 4 days. Regardless of personality or whether the students seemed happy on the outside, the happiest were those who spent 70% more time talking and had twice as many substantive conversations as the unhappiest students. The happiest students also had about one-third less small talk. Obviously, "happy talk" is more substantive than previously thought.
January 10, 2010 was the 9th Annual No Pants Subway Ride. This event originated in New York City and has spread to about 43 cities in 16 countries. All one has to do to participate in the event is ride a subway with a straight face and no pants. In NYC approximately 3,000 participated. In San Diego, a first-time participant in 2010, there are no subways. Instead, approximately 35 people rode pantless on trolleys from 2 to 5 pm. Although one might think these people must have had something better to do, they definitely weren't being "slackers".
January 12, 2010 may have been the first and last British Bobbie Slide. After being caught on video and shown on YouTube, some officers in Oxford, England were reprimanded by their superintendent for taking advantage of the unusual snow and using their riot shields to slide down a hill. The man who shot the video was surprised by the officers' behavior because he thought they were going to reprimand him for sliding down the hill on a kayak. For those who think the British are rigidly reserved people, the answer is obviously - snow.
January 29, 2010 billionaire Richard Branson of Virgin Records and Virgin Atlantic Airways unveiled his underwater plane, "Necker Nymph". Two riders and a pilot can fly underwater in the Caribbean Sea for 2 hours at a speed of 2 to 5 nautical mph and reach a depth of more than 100 feet. An open cockpit provides a 360-degree view. Riders must follow SCUBA procedures, wear a mask when underwater and be trained as or accompanied by a certified pilot. One week's use of the Nymph costs $25,000 plus another $300,000 for a one-week stay on Necker, Branson's private island. It's an underwater vacation that might require floating a loan.
In the summer of 2010 the manufacturer of the colorful building blocks for children is introducing a new line of toys - board games. Lego, which means "play well" in Danish, started in the 1930's in a carpenter's workshop in Billund, Denmark. In spite of the 2009 recession, sales rose 30%, with the company controlling about 4% of the U.S. toy market. The board games - which will cost between $10 and $35 - are designed to test children's memory and logical skills. Parents' trust of classic toys and their sense of nostalgia are Lego's building blocks for future success.
Heart disease is expected to kill 400,000 Americans in 2010. However, a British study found that half those deaths could be prevented if Americans ate healthfully and didn't smoke. Two-thirds of U.S. adults and almost one-third of children are overweight or obese, increasing their risk of heart disease, diabetes and other chronic illnesses. Worldwide almost 1 billion adults are overweight; and if nothing is done, the number will exceed 1.5 billion by 2015. According to the World Health Organization not smoking, eating healthfully and exercising regularly dramatically reduce the risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. It's standard health care everyone can afford.
Standard hospital protocol is for doctors and nurses to wash their hands before and after seeing a patient. Unfortunately, studies show that only about 40% of U.S. health care workers wash their hands as required. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, health-care-associated infections kill approximately 100,000 patients every year. In 2010 health care workers at Baptist Princeton Hospital in Birmingham, Alabama started wearing badges that wirelessly transmit information about when they enter a patient's room and if they wash their hands appropriately. It's hoped that e-mailing or texting non-compliers will motivate them to clean up their act.
Something else that needs cleaning up is double dipping. Whether motivated by laziness or bad manners, putting an already used chip back into a bowl for a second helping of dip is unhealthy. Studies have shown that several dips of previously used chips into a bowl will transfer tens of thousands of bacteria to the dip. Thin dips, such as salsa, hold more bacteria. Thick dips, such as cheese and hummus, seal bacteria on the chip. Double dipping is equivalent to kissing all the other double dippers on the mouth. Single dipping is healthy "dip-lomacy".
Finally, although it's estimated that 80% of people brush their teeth every day, very few brush their pet's teeth. As a result, periodontal disease is the most commonly diagnosed problem in dogs and cats. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, by age two 80% of dogs and 70% of cats have periodontal disease, which has been linked to diabetes, strokes, kidney disease and heart disease. Pets' gums should be pink, without bumps or lesions; and pets' breath shouldn't smell bad. Dry food and chew toys help control plaque and tartar. However, an annual professional teeth cleaning is necessary - not "petty".
Supposedly "Mid-life Crisis" is a myth. The term was coined in 1970, when the quality of life started declining after age 35 and life expectancy averaged only 70 years. Carlo Strenger, a psychologist at Tel Aviv University in Israel, surveyed approximately 1,500 middle-aged people; and most said they were better off, happier and more balanced than they had been when they were 20 years younger. When people are 50, they statistically have as many adult years ahead of them as they have behind them; and living those years is enriched by the previous 50 years of experience. People aren't getting older - they're getting more experienced.
Because of lack of experience, going to a gym can be hazardous to one's health. The federal Consumer Products Safety Commission estimates that more than 50,000 people go to emergency rooms every year because of accidents caused by gym equipment. For example, in 2009 concussions, contusions and sprains caused by using jump ropes caused 169 reported injuries. Free weights and weight machines caused 224 reported injuries. However, treadmills caused the most injuries. Falling off, tripping on or over, trying to move or kicking treadmills caused 575 reported injuries. It seems that most gym accidents are caused by exercisers not exercising good judgment.
The majority of Americans aren't using good judgment when they use one password for everything - online banking, Amazon, Web mail services and cell phones. They do this in spite of being warned by computer security experts that using bank credentials at other sites exposes users to attacks not otherwise possible. A 2010 study by the security firm Trusteer found that 73% of Web users use online banking passwords at other Web sites and approximately 50% of all consumers use both the same password and user name at other sites. Whether this is because of laziness or concern about poor memories, pass words are unintentionally being passed.
It's supposedly because of evolution that men and women disagree about infidelity. For eons men were conditioned to think that sexual infidelity was worse because they couldn't be sure if their children were actually theirs. Women, on the other hand - the hand usually holding a child - were conditioned to think that emotional infidelity was worse because they wanted a partner to help them raise the children. Unfortunately, knowing this difference of opinion evolved over thousands of years hasn't evolved into infidelity being out.
Mukul Asaduzzaman, a New York City cabbie, found a purse containing more than $21,000 in his cab on Christmas Eve 2009. After driving 50 miles to an address in the purse and finding no one home, he left his phone number and a note which said, "Don't worry Felicia…I'll keep it safe". The money belonged to 72-year-old Felicia Lettieri, an Italian tourist, and 6 relatives. Asaduzzaman refused a reward, saying when he was 5 years old his mother told him, "Be honest, work hard and you will raise your station". Obviously, he raised his station - he's looked up to.
Travis Pastrana is a 26-year-old motorsports competitor and stunt performer. On New Year's Eve 2009, as part of Red Bull's "New Year. No Limits" series, he launched his Subaru rally car off a California pier at 91 mph, soared 269 feet into the air and landed on an anchored barge. Although his car skidded sideways on accumulated dew and slammed into a safety wall at the end of the barge, Pastrana ran up the landing ramp and did a backflip into the water. Amazingly, all that was broken was the previous world record for rally car jumping of 171 feet.
Terri Carlson will marry for - health insurance. The 45-year-old divorcee from California has a genetic disorder. C4 Complement Deficiency prevents her immune system from adequately fighting infection. Although she has one year left under COBRA health coverage, she's been issued lifetime denials by every other health insurance carrier. Because she's stuck in the middle of Congress' 2010 health care reform debate, Carlson created her own Web site telling her story. Instead of pictures, she asks would-be husbands for health insurance information. Of the more than 100 proposals she's received, Carlson says the lower their co-pay, the sexier they are.
Andrea Parrish and Steve Geyer are a Spokane, Washington couple who are planning their wedding - a potluck, flowers and home-brewed beer - but even a simple wedding can be an economic challenge in 2010. To pay for their wedding the couple is collecting aluminum cans. With more than 18,000 already in their living room and more being donated by supporters every day, their goal is 400,000 cans. That would equal 5 tons of aluminum and be worth approximately $3,800 when recycled. Although the couple isn't able to set a wedding date yet, one has to admire their "can-do" attitude.
According to the American Heart Association, most 50-year-olds who follow the 7 steps to heart health can live another 40 years without heart disease or stroke. The steps are: not smoking; staying slim; exercising; eating a healthy diet; and keeping cholesterol, blood pressure and blood sugar in check. A 2009 survey found 39% of Americans thought they had excellent heart health. However, 54% of them had a heart disease risk factor, needed to make a lifestyle change or both. Those Americans who don't think these steps apply to them because they are under age 50 - will grow out of it.
According to research published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, there's an 8th step to heart health - not sitting for long periods of time. Even with regular exercise, people sitting for long periods of time are more likely to be fat, have a heart attack or die. Unfortunately, a 2003-2004 study found Americans spend more than half their time sitting. After 4 hours of sitting the genes regulating the body's amount of glucose and fat start to shut down. Although it's not yet known how much sitting is dangerous, we should stand up for our health now.
Then there's running. According to Harvard University anthropologist Dan Liberman, barefoot runners run better. Runners wearing shoes land on their heels, creating a collisional force of 1.5 to 3 times their body weight. Barefoot runners land closer to the balls of their feet, creating much less collisional force. The body naturally tells barefoot runners how to run so they can avoid pain. Barefoot running also allows the arch of the foot and the calf muscles to act as a better spring, providing more energy for the beginning of the next step. It seems the way our ancestors ran for a millions years was "defeeted" by shoes.
Finally, according to British psychologist Richard Wiseman, 88% of resolutions are defeated. Stanford University Professor Baba Shiv says that's because the prefrontal cortex - the part of the brain largely responsible for willpower - isn't strong enough. Shiv asked one group of volunteers to remember a 2-digit number and another group to remember a 7-digit number. After walking down a hall they were offered chocolate cake or fruit. The 7-digit volunteers were almost twice as likely to choose cake. Supposedly remembering the extra digits overtaxed the prefrontal cortex, taking the power out of willpower.
The U.S. Department of Transportation has made another change in its effort to ban cellphone use while driving. As of January 26, 2010 drivers of interstate buses and trucks over 10,000 pounds who text while driving may be subject to civil or criminal penalties up to $2,750. Distracted driving is a major concern of DOT. Drivers who text are more than 20 times likelier to have an accident. Eighty percent of crashes involve distracted driving. In 2008 nearly 6,000 people died in crashes involving distracted driving. Obviously, texting while driving drives up the number of vehicular deaths.
Burger King is changing its menu to include - beer. As of mid-February 2010, the Whopper Bar South Beach in Miami will be the fast-food chain's first U.S. restaurant to sell alcohol. What beer will be sold? The "King of Beers", of course - Anheurser-Busch - as well as MillerCoors. A Whopper with fries and a beer will cost $7.99. This popular chain was incorporated in 1954 and has grown from 5 restaurants in Florida to over 11,400 worldwide. McDonald's is still the world's largest fast-food chain, but selling beer might help Burger King get "a head".
Hookset, New Hampshire is changing snow plowing. Typically snow plows have an 11-foot blade on the front and a 10-foot wing blade on the right. Because the wing's end is behind the driver, both blades can't be seen simultaneously. However, a laser on top of the plow beams a line 6 inches to the right of the wing, ending in a 2-inch circle on the ground 30 feet in front of the plow. If the beam misses things like mailboxes, the wing will too. Because the $2,500 beam isn't visible in daylight, plows are "on the beam" at night.
However, Crayola crayons may be changing too much. When first produced by Binney & Smith in 1903, there were 8 colors. There were 16 colors in 1935, 48 in 1949 and 64 in 1958. Eight fluorescent colors were added in 1972 making 72 colors. In 1990 there were 80, in 1993 there were 96 and in 1998 there were 120. If 13 colors hadn't been discontinued - including Green Blue, Lemon Yellow, Maize and Raw Umber - there would be 133 colors instead of 120. The number of colors has increased 2.56% a year. Is that too much? There's definitely enough Crayolas to draw a colorful conclusion.
