Dallas, TX, USA
"People need to help each other and that's all there is to it," explains Marilyn Mock. That's the reason she gives for a random act of kindness that changed the life of Tracy Orr. Orr attended a foreclosure auction in Dallas today, resigned to seeing her own home sold to the highest bidder. As the auction began, she broke down in tears, catching the attention of a generous stranger. At a bid of 30,000$, Mock won the home she had never seen, and promptly promised to allow Orr to move back in. "I'm still in shock," says Tracy Orr.
To read more and see pictures, visit http://news.aol.com/article/foreclosure-angel-saves-womans-home/226863
Monday, October 27, 2008
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Surfing Your Way to a Healthy Brain
A new study suggests that surfing the web has a positive effect on the brain and can help postpone atrophy, increase cell activity, and ward off dangerous accumulations of Alzheimer’s causing deposits. Activities such as reading and puzzles have already been shown to contribute to the brain’s upkeep as the aging process goes on, and a recent study adds the internet to that list. The researchers used functional magnetic resonance imaging scans (which track how strong a cell’s response to stimuli is) to record subtle brain-circuitry changes in the patients while using the internet veruses the changes when they read passages out of books.
All the study participants showed significant brain activity during the book-reading task, specifically in the temporal, parietal and occipital lobes of the brain, which are involved in controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities. But Internet searches revealed differences between the two groups. While all the participants showed the same activity as during the book-reading, the group of experienced web surfers also registered activity in the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, whereas those new to the net did not. This is because, unlike the act of reading, navigating the Internet requires continuous decision making, such as what to click on—thus engaging cognitive circuits in the brain which control decision-making and complex reasoning.
"Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading — but only in those with prior Internet experience," said study leader Gary Small of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. That being said, with more time and experience, the group that was new to the Web could eventually reap the same benefits as their peers who had been googling away for years. So next time you’re surfing the web, on the prowl for a juicy new GNG update, pat yourself on the back for giving your mind a workout.
All the study participants showed significant brain activity during the book-reading task, specifically in the temporal, parietal and occipital lobes of the brain, which are involved in controlling language, reading, memory and visual abilities. But Internet searches revealed differences between the two groups. While all the participants showed the same activity as during the book-reading, the group of experienced web surfers also registered activity in the frontal, temporal and cingulate areas of the brain, whereas those new to the net did not. This is because, unlike the act of reading, navigating the Internet requires continuous decision making, such as what to click on—thus engaging cognitive circuits in the brain which control decision-making and complex reasoning.
"Our most striking finding was that Internet searching appears to engage a greater extent of neural circuitry that is not activated during reading — but only in those with prior Internet experience," said study leader Gary Small of the Semel Institute for Neuroscience and Human Behavior at UCLA. That being said, with more time and experience, the group that was new to the Web could eventually reap the same benefits as their peers who had been googling away for years. So next time you’re surfing the web, on the prowl for a juicy new GNG update, pat yourself on the back for giving your mind a workout.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Out of the Holocaust, a Hollywood Love Story
At just 12 years old, Herman Rosenblat lived a life of hardships. A Jewish boy in Nazi-occupied Poland, his life and his family dissolved around him each day. He was forced to leave his home with his family and live in a ghetto. Soon thereafter, his father fell ill. The doctor they snuck into their dwelling was unable to help; Mr. Rosenblat was dying of typhus. Before he passed, he said something which Herman never forgot: "If you ever get out of this war, don't carry a grudge in your heart and tolerate everybody." It was hard advice to remember in the coming months, when the rest of Herman's family would be sent to labor camps and he would be separated from his mother forever.
In Schlieben, Germany, nine year-old Roma Radziki posed as a Christian with her family to escape persecution. The Radzikis lived near a labor camp; Roma walked passed the chain link fence every day. Once, she caught the eye of a handsome boy on the other side. Asking herself what she could do to help him, Roma threw the boy an apple she was carrying. It was the beginning of a daily ritual that would last until Herman was scheduled to be transferred to a different camp. He told the strange girl he wouldn't be back at the fence the next day. "I won't see you anymore," she said. "Right, right. Don't come around anymore," he replied. Years passed, Herman's camp was liberated, and the two children forgot each other.
Herman eventually moved to New York, where ran a television repair shop. One night a friend offered to set him up on a blind date. Herman was not enthusiastic about meeting a strange girl, especially without knowing what she looked like, but he agreed. The strange girl was Roma.
After dinner, the two of them got to discussing their wartime experiences. Roma told Herman about the handsome boy who used to catch the apples on the other side of the fence, and Herman was astounded. "That was me," he said. He proposed that night. Roma thought he was crazy. But, two months later, she agreed. This summer, the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
To read the full story, visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/10/13/holocaust.love.story.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
In Schlieben, Germany, nine year-old Roma Radziki posed as a Christian with her family to escape persecution. The Radzikis lived near a labor camp; Roma walked passed the chain link fence every day. Once, she caught the eye of a handsome boy on the other side. Asking herself what she could do to help him, Roma threw the boy an apple she was carrying. It was the beginning of a daily ritual that would last until Herman was scheduled to be transferred to a different camp. He told the strange girl he wouldn't be back at the fence the next day. "I won't see you anymore," she said. "Right, right. Don't come around anymore," he replied. Years passed, Herman's camp was liberated, and the two children forgot each other.
Herman eventually moved to New York, where ran a television repair shop. One night a friend offered to set him up on a blind date. Herman was not enthusiastic about meeting a strange girl, especially without knowing what she looked like, but he agreed. The strange girl was Roma.
After dinner, the two of them got to discussing their wartime experiences. Roma told Herman about the handsome boy who used to catch the apples on the other side of the fence, and Herman was astounded. "That was me," he said. He proposed that night. Roma thought he was crazy. But, two months later, she agreed. This summer, the couple celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
To read the full story, visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/LIVING/personal/10/13/holocaust.love.story.ap/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Hundreds of Penguins Rescued
Brazil
Nearly 400 Magellanic penguins are back on the right track this week, after getting lost during migration and wandering 1,550 miles from their destination. The International Fund for Animal Welfare saw that the wayward flock was relocated via a C-130 Hercules aircraft, an ironic mode of transportation for the flightless birds. After the long journey, the warm-weather penguins rested for 24 hours before waddling eagerly into the see off of Brazil's southern coast. It is believed that they first became confused due to shifting temperature patterns in the oceans which are contrary to the animals' hired-wired migration instincts. With luck, though, this wayward flock will go back to life - and migration - as usual.
To read more, visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/08/rescued.penguins/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Nearly 400 Magellanic penguins are back on the right track this week, after getting lost during migration and wandering 1,550 miles from their destination. The International Fund for Animal Welfare saw that the wayward flock was relocated via a C-130 Hercules aircraft, an ironic mode of transportation for the flightless birds. After the long journey, the warm-weather penguins rested for 24 hours before waddling eagerly into the see off of Brazil's southern coast. It is believed that they first became confused due to shifting temperature patterns in the oceans which are contrary to the animals' hired-wired migration instincts. With luck, though, this wayward flock will go back to life - and migration - as usual.
To read more, visit http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/08/rescued.penguins/index.html?iref=mpstoryview
Tuesday, October 7, 2008
Simple Precaution May Decrease Likelihood of SIDS
USA
A recent study by Kaiser Permanente indicates that using a fan to circulate air over sleeping babies decreases the likelihood of SIDS, (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) also known as crib death. For the past several decades, doctors and scientists have struggled to discover the cause of SIDS, but thus far have only achieved a list of factors which may help prevent the tragic occurrence. Placing babies to sleep on their backs, and keeping cribs free of excessive blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals are some of the measures that have helped decrease the frequency of SIDS in the US by 56% between 1992 and 2003. Doctors theorize that the addition of a fan may help prevent SIDS by ensuring that the carbon dioxide which babies exhale as they sleep is circulated away from their faces, rather than being re-inhaled. The study indicates that the presence of a fan, in addition to the previously known preventative measures, decreases the overall changes of SIDS by 72%. Doctors stress that all the precautions must be used together to achieve the optimal result, end encourage parents to consult their pediatricians before deciding to use a fan.
A recent study by Kaiser Permanente indicates that using a fan to circulate air over sleeping babies decreases the likelihood of SIDS, (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome) also known as crib death. For the past several decades, doctors and scientists have struggled to discover the cause of SIDS, but thus far have only achieved a list of factors which may help prevent the tragic occurrence. Placing babies to sleep on their backs, and keeping cribs free of excessive blankets, pillows, and stuffed animals are some of the measures that have helped decrease the frequency of SIDS in the US by 56% between 1992 and 2003. Doctors theorize that the addition of a fan may help prevent SIDS by ensuring that the carbon dioxide which babies exhale as they sleep is circulated away from their faces, rather than being re-inhaled. The study indicates that the presence of a fan, in addition to the previously known preventative measures, decreases the overall changes of SIDS by 72%. Doctors stress that all the precautions must be used together to achieve the optimal result, end encourage parents to consult their pediatricians before deciding to use a fan.
Monday, October 6, 2008
2 Year-Old Survives 30 Foot Drop, Caught By Strangers
Miami, FL, USA
Sherri Pinkerton found herself in a desperate situation at the central Florida Carnival today, when the "Crazy Bus" ride began to move before all the passengers were safely strapped in. With her 2 year-old daughter, Gracie, Pinkerton was lifted 30 feet into the air with nothing to stop her from falling. Holding to the carnival contraption with one hand, she held Grace in the other. As her strength stretched to the limit, in her own words, "There was nothing I could do. . . I couldn't hold both of us. I held onto her for as long as I could." As luck would happen, fair goers gathered beneath mother and child to catch Grace. ""I let go of her and she grabbed my shirt," Pinkerton explained. "So, I had to pry her hands off my shirt and let her fall." Amazingly, Grace was uninjured. Rescuers used a ladder to access Pinkerton and 6 more children inside the ride, all of whom were recovered safely.
An investigation has been launched to determine whether the ride malfunctioned or there was an operator error.
To read more, visit http://news.aol.com/article/toddler-caught-after-drop-from-fair-ride/201641
Sherri Pinkerton found herself in a desperate situation at the central Florida Carnival today, when the "Crazy Bus" ride began to move before all the passengers were safely strapped in. With her 2 year-old daughter, Gracie, Pinkerton was lifted 30 feet into the air with nothing to stop her from falling. Holding to the carnival contraption with one hand, she held Grace in the other. As her strength stretched to the limit, in her own words, "There was nothing I could do. . . I couldn't hold both of us. I held onto her for as long as I could." As luck would happen, fair goers gathered beneath mother and child to catch Grace. ""I let go of her and she grabbed my shirt," Pinkerton explained. "So, I had to pry her hands off my shirt and let her fall." Amazingly, Grace was uninjured. Rescuers used a ladder to access Pinkerton and 6 more children inside the ride, all of whom were recovered safely.
An investigation has been launched to determine whether the ride malfunctioned or there was an operator error.
To read more, visit http://news.aol.com/article/toddler-caught-after-drop-from-fair-ride/201641
Friday, October 3, 2008
Act of Courage Saves Florida Woman's Life
Chris Mosely is being called a hero for saving a woman's life after she jumped off a bridge in Florida. Onlookers say the woman lay her cell phone down on the side of the road and jumped into the water below the Joe McCorquodale bridge on Highway 43. She fell at least 97 feet before hitting the water. Chris Mosely saw the woman fall and was able to follow a trail below the bridge and jumped in the water to save the woman. When asked what inspired his act of bravery, he responded that he was just doing what he "thought was right thing to do."
"You know I didn't think about it. Nothing like that every crossed my mind I just knew that I was at the time was the only one there she was going to get saved and it was going to be up to me," The woman is currently recovering in the hospital but suffered no critical injuries. We obviously all hope that she will also receive the emotional and mental health services to continue her recovery in all aspects.
http://www.wkrg.com/local/article/bridge_rescue_man_saves_womans_life/19614/
"You know I didn't think about it. Nothing like that every crossed my mind I just knew that I was at the time was the only one there she was going to get saved and it was going to be up to me," The woman is currently recovering in the hospital but suffered no critical injuries. We obviously all hope that she will also receive the emotional and mental health services to continue her recovery in all aspects.
http://www.wkrg.com/local/article/bridge_rescue_man_saves_womans_life/19614/
Wednesday, October 1, 2008
California Menus to Show Nutrition Information
LOS ANGELES, USA
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed a bill Tuesday requiring chain restaurants to put calorie counts on their menus and indoor menu boards, making California the first state to enact such a law in the battle against America's expanding waistline. All restaurants must comply by 2011, and starting in July, restaurants and drive-throughs will have to offer menus that with the nutrition facts for each item.
Schwarzenegger said the legislation was part of the state's push to set a national model for nutrition policy and to fight obesity, which costs the state $28.6 billion in health-care costs, lost productivity and workers' compensation. New York, Seattle and San Francisco have already approved similar legislation and Chicago, Washington and Philadelphia have proposals on the table.
Knowedge!
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/09/30/AR2008093002620.html
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