This city embedded traffic lights in the sidewalks so that smartphone users don’t have to look up

Few nations in the world take red traffic lights more seriously than Germany.

Foreign visitors frequently wonder why crowds of Germans wait for traffic lights to turn green when there are no cars in sight.

That is why officials in the city of Augsburg became concerned when they noticed a new phenomenon: Pedestrians were so busy looking at their smartphones that they were ignoring traffic lights.

The city has attempted to solve that problem by installing new traffic lights embedded in the pavement — so that pedestrians constantly looking down at their phones won't miss them.

"It creates a whole new level of attention," city spokeswoman Stephanie Lermen was quoted as saying. Lermen thinks the money is wisely spent: A recent survey conducted in several European cities, including Berlin, found that almost 20 percent of pedestrians were distracted by their smartphones. Younger people are most likely to risk their safety for a quick look at their Facebook profiles or WhatsApp messages, the survey found.

That problem may be even more widespread in the United States: A survey by the University of Washington found that 1 in 3 Americans is busy texting or working on a smartphone at dangerous road crossings. The Department of Transportation has established a clear connection between such habits and an increase in pedestrian deaths.

According to the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung, not everyone thinks the new lights are a good idea. Some commentators have complained that the project was a waste of taxpayers' money.

"Until now, I didn't even notice them," one young pedestrian told the local Augsburger Allgemeine newspaper after reporters made him aware of the lights.

But city officials say their work is justified: The idea to install such traffic lights came after a 15-year-old girl was killed by a tram. According to police reports, she was distracted by her smartphone as she crossed the tracks.

"It creates a whole new level of attention."

Germany; traffic Lights; floor; pedestrians; smombies;


Here are all the ways you could lose your seat on an airplane

When you pay for an airline ticket, the expectation is simple: You'll be allowed to board the plane and fly to your destination.

But airlines reserve the right to bump you off a flight for plenty of reasons, all of which you sign off on when you book the flight.

1. Overbooking. One of the most notorious explanations for bumping passengers is overbooking -- when an airline sells more tickets than there are seats. If too many passengers show up, some will be offered travel vouchers in exchange for taking a different flight.

One airline, JetBlue, advertises its policy to never overbook flights as a selling point. But even its passengers are at risk of being denied boarding for other reasons.

2. Safety reasons. Airlines sometimes need to swap out a bigger airplane for a smaller one due to mechanical issues, reducing the number of seats available.

Companies may also need to reduce the amount of weight on board if an airplane is too heavy to safely take off, land or carry enough fuel.

3. Employee transportation. An airline could need to bump passengers to make room for crew members who need to fly to another airport in order to work. That's what happened Sunday when an unwilling passenger on a United Airlines flight from Chicago to Louisville was physically removed from the plane.

4. Breaking airline rules. Airlines also require ticket buyers to follow rules that govern behavior. American Airlines, for example, says it may refuse to allow you on board, if you refuse to give them identification or if your conduct is "disorderly, abusive or violent."

If an airline has to bump passengers because a flight is too full, there are certain rules to follow which vary by carrier.

United's contract says it bumps people with disabilities and unaccompanied minors as a last resort. Delta Air Lines says it considers check-in order and loyalty status.

There are also federal rules that require airlines to first ask whether anyone will give up his or her seat, according to the Department of Transportation. The volunteer is usually given a travel voucher or gift card.

If no one volunteers, an airline can involuntarily bump passengers. But carriers must provide extra compensation if they take more than an extra hour to get to their final destination.

All the ways you could lose your seat on an airplane

Airlines reserve the right to bump you off a flight for plenty of reasons, all of which you sign off on when you book the flight.


A student at Connecticut’s Sacred Heart University is now on the other side of accusations of wrongdoing after police charged her with filing a false report of rape against two college football players.

In 2016, student Nikki Yovino, 18, told police in Bridgeport, Connecticut, that she was raped in the bathroom of a house where a party was raging. Afterward, Yovino accused two members of the school’s football team of repeatedly raping her that night, the Connecticut Post reported.

In short order, both football players were removed from the team, lost their scholarships, and were kicked out of school over the accusations.

Now police are saying the players are innocent because Yovino recanted her rape accusation after police discovered inconsistencies in her testimony. Police also found at least one witness who said he heard Yovino talking about how she wanted to have sex with the football players.

For their part, the two players admitted having sex with Yovino but always maintained it was consensual.

A police affidavit noted that Yovino admitted to lying about the rape.

"She admitted that she made up the allegation of sexual assault against (the football players) because it was the first thing that came to mind and she didn’t want to lose (another male student) as a friend and potential boyfriend. She stated that she believed when (the other male student) heard the allegation it would make him angry and sympathetic to her," the affidavit said.

Yovino could face up to five years in prison if convicted of second-degree false reporting of an incident and tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.

College Student Who Accused Football Players with Rape Now Charged with Lying

A student at Connecticut's Sacred Heart University is now on the other side of accusations of wrongdoing after police charged her with filing a false report of rape.

Crime, evidence tampering, Rape, Sacred Heart University, second-degree false reporting, sexual assault,Big Government, Law Enforcement, Pre-Viral,rape


A restaurant worker puts up a banner to declare "South China Sea is China’s territory" in Beijing on July 13. China warned other countries that day against threatening its security in the South China Sea after an international tribunal ruling July 12 handed the Philippines a victory by saying Beijing had no legal basis for its expansive claims there.

What’s the next step for China after the international tribunal’s July 12 ruling on the South China Sea

As anticipated, the Chinese government declared the ruling " null and void ," and without any "binding force." Along with Chinese strategic interests in the South China Sea, the popular pressures on President Xi Jinping to respond are likely to be influenced by the words and actions of the rest of the world.

Yes, Chinese people feel strongly about China’s island claims.

Nationalist sentiments represent both an opportunity and a challenge for the Chinese government, which wants to harness public opinion but fears its power to destabilize the regime. So far, Beijing has reiterated that the islands in the South China Sea have belonged to China " since ancient times " and unequivocally rejected the jurisdiction of the international tribunal. As Chinese censors work to rein in the most extreme online voices calling for war, it remains to be seen whether popular nationalism over the South China Sea will pose a net benefit or liability to the Chinese leadership.

The Chinese government’s bluster and patriotic propaganda can be effective at rallying popular support, as I note in a working paper with Allan Dafoe. In two national survey experiments we ran between October 2015 and March 2016, we found that Chinese Internet users or "netizens" approved of symbolic expressions of government resolve, even when tough action did not follow tough talk on China’s maritime and territorial disputes. And those netizens who were primed with reminders of China’s "national humiliation" by foreign powers between the 1840s and 1940s were also more likely to approve of the government’s current foreign policy performance.

But by fanning nationalist sentiment, the Chinese government has also amplified the domestic risks to the regime. In a parallel paper , we find that disapproval of the government increased when netizens were reminded that the United States had sent B-52 bombers through China’s air zone in the East China Sea and defied Chinese warnings against close-in reconnaissance flights, a pattern that escalated with the EP-3 collision and death of a Chinese fighter pilot in April 2001. By rolling out our survey in real time, we found that public approval dipped after each of the U.S. military’s freedom of navigation patrols through the South China Sea on Oct. 27, 2015, and Jan. 30, 2016. These patrols were both innocuous and legitimate to Washington and its allies, but Chinese state media denounced the "provocative attempts to infringe on China’s South China Sea sovereignty."

In anticipation of the July 12 ruling, the Chinese government and media repeatedly rejected the tribunal’s jurisdiction, perhaps to ease the blow of an adverse ruling. Many of our survey respondents expected a hypothetical arbitration of China’s territorial disputes to favor Beijing, with roughly 60 percent expecting a total or partial victory, 20 percent expecting an even compromise, and 20 percent expecting a partial or total loss. (Perhaps due to this optimism, a majority of respondents supported international arbitration.)

How should we interpret Beijing’s signals and actions?

Since Xi Jinping assumed power in 2012, the Chinese government has been effective at both stoking and quashing nationalist sentiment over the South China Sea, as I note in a recent book on China’s management of anti-foreign protests. The government has fanned patriotic sentiment through the media — but kept it online rather than in the streets.

Chinese police intervened when demonstrators tried to protest when the Philippine navy detained Chinese fishing boats in Scarborough Shoal in 2012 , and repressed anti-Vietnamese demonstrations after Vietnamese protests killed several Chinese workers during the 2014 oil rig standoff . Protests by Vietnamese and Filipino activists have prompted Chinese scorn rather than countermeasures, as John Ciorciari and I write in a Security Studies article published last week.

The Chinese government is likely to suppress grass-roots expressions of nationalism when it wants freedom to maneuver and to signal reassurance . Police were reportedly stationed outside the Philippine Embassy in Beijing this week, and no protests materialized.

On WeChat, a popular social messaging service with more than 600 million users, Chinese state media have stressed that the best response is to ignore the verdict , while insisting that China is prepared to take whatever measures necessary to halt "any provocation whatsoever" by the United States and its allies. If we see Chinese protests in the coming days and weeks against the United States or its allies, we should take them seriously as a sign of China’s resolve.

Whatever actions the United States and its allies take in the wake of the ruling, a minimum of publicity and a clear legal rationale is likely the most effective course of action. The more we trumpet China’s defeat or loss of face, the more domestic pressure or temptation the Chinese government will feel to respond with more than bluster.

Here’s what China’s people really think about the South China Sea - T...

Chinese authorities are keeping a leash on nationalist reactions


Nurse accused of killing 38 patients she thought were annoying

A nurse in Italy is accused of killing 38 patients because she thought they were "annoying."

Daniela Poggiali was arrested Friday on murder charges, Italian newspaper Corriere di Bologna reports. The 42-year-old nurse caught the attention of authorities after the April death of 78-year-old Rosa Calderoni, according to the Independent’s translation of Italian newspaper Libero Quotidiano.

Calderoni was admitted to a hospital in the town of Lugo with a diabetes-related ailment, and died from what officials believe was a fatal injection of potassium chloride. Prosecutors say that their investigation is more difficult because potassium chloride fades from the bloodstream within a couple days, making it hard to detect.

Calderoni’s death occurred while Poggiali was on duty, and the resulting investigation found that 37 other patients also died mysteriously on her watch. Authorities now suspect that Poggiali may have killed them all because she thought that they or their families were irritating.

Police say the nurse’s cell phone included a photo of her making the thumbs-up sign next to a patient’s corpse, according to the New York Post. She may face additional charges for disrespecting the dead.

Nurse Accused Of Killing 38 Patients She Found Annoying

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Creationists Are Flipping Out Over This Google Doodle

The Google Doodle on Tuesday celebrates the anniversary of a remarkable discovery in the study of evolution. Naturally, everyone is furious.

Today’s doodle, the nickname for the modified version of its logo Google puts on its homepage, shows the evolution of one of our ancestors into a human being. It marks the 41-year anniversary of the discovery of Lucy, an ape-like species that helped scientists understand how modern humans evolved. Lucy was so remarkably well-preserved when she was discovered that scientists were able to determine Today’s doodle, the nickname for the modified version of its logo Google puts on its homepage, shows the evolution of one of our ancestors into a human being. It marks the 41-year anniversary of the discovery of Lucy, an ape-like species that helped scientists understand how modern humans evolved. Lucy was so remarkably well-preserved when she was discovered that scientists were able to determine she stood on her hind legs in Ethiopia 3.2 million years ago

But not everyone loves Lucy. A swarm of creationists took to Twitter, objecting to Google’s presentation of evolution. Creationists generally believe God created the world in six days, like the Bible says. Ninety-eight percent of But not everyone loves Lucy. A swarm of creationists took to Twitter, objecting to Google’s presentation of evolution. Creationists generally believe God created the world in six days, like the Bible says.. Ninety-eight percent of scientists disagree

More Google Enrages White Supremacists With Its Veterans Day Doodle

This is not the first time Google has experienced political opposition to its Doodles. On Veterans Day earlier this month, This is not the first time Google has experienced political opposition to its Doodles. On Veterans Day earlier this month, a Doodle showing veterans of multiple races angered white supremacists who thought it was an affront to white veterans.

Google thinks that we are descendants of apes, huh? NOT! We were created in the image of GOD. Google thinks that we are descendants of apes, huh? NOT! We were created in the image of GOD.. https://t.co/VUkXCIc11U — Evangelist KL Rich (@EvangelisKLRich) — Evangelist KL Rich (@EvangelisKLRich) November 24, 2015

GOOGLE pushing their Evolution LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. God created the Heavens and the Earth and everything in them.. GOOGLE pushing their Evolution LIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!. God created the Heavens and the Earth and everything in them.. pic.twitter.com/vkOwXo6fdN — JesusSavess (@spreadthemesg) — JesusSavess (@spreadthemesg) November 24, 2015

seriously google keep your monkey theories to yourself — GSP-199 (@GSP199) seriously google keep your monkey theories to yourself — GSP-199 (@GSP199) November 24, 2015

Google: why are you trying to make a monkey out of me? — Norman Sullivan (@normansullivan) — Norman Sullivan (@normansullivan) November 24, 2015

Scientists are also taking issue with the Doodle—for an entirely different reason. As some are pointing on Twitter, the image suggests that species evolved directly from one another in a single linear progression, which is not the case. Rather, they share a common ancestor.

Evolution Google Doodle Angers Creationists, Scientists

Vocativ uses intelligent technology, smart journalists and the wisdom of the crowd to find story leads and angles no other news organization can.


This 100-carat diamond just sold in under 3 minutes »

100-carat diamond sells for $22M Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 | 7:45 AM ET | 00:41

A "perfect" 100-carat diamond sold for $22.1 million within three minutes of bidding starting on Tuesday evening, making it the most expensive colorless diamond ever auctioned in New York.

The large emerald-cut jewel was described as "an internally flawless, type IIa stone"—one of the purest and most valuable type of diamonds—and was the main attraction of the 370 lots on sale in Sotheby's "Magnificent Jewels" auction.

Ahead of the auction, the diamond was seen fetching between $19 million and $25 million.

The winning bidder took part in the auction via telephone and wanted to remain anonymous, Sotheby's said.

Read More10 mind-blowers that only the super rich know

According to the Sotheby's, only six "perfect" diamonds weighing over 100 carats have sold at auction in the last 25 years.

Giant 100-carat diamond sells for $22.1M

A "perfect" 100-carat diamond sold for $22.1 million within three minutes of bidding starting in an auction in New York on Tuesday.

Wealth, Wealth, Sotheby's, business news


What Happened to Frank Ocean's Staircase?

Frank Ocean’s stairway to heaven. The spiral staircase. Around 140 hours of Ocean’s sweat. The stairway out of Frank’s contract with Def Jam. The staircase to nowhere. Some 20 plywood boxes, stacked on top of each other.

When Frank Ocean’s 45-minute stream Endless appeared on his website—a black-and-white video where the artist builds a spiral staircase from scratch in a bare warehouse—all anyone could talk about was that staircase, and what it meant.

Now those items have been thoroughly dissected, fans are beginning to wonder again: what happened to the staircase?

Will it be sold for a profit, displayed, dismantled? Or perhaps fitted at Frank’s house?

New York-based artist Tom Sachs was an obvious place to start.

He helped Frank with the build, it was He helped Frank with the build, it was his boombox sitting in the corner of the workshop in the stream, and it was he who spoke at length to Pitchfork about the meaning of what he called the "stairway to heaven.."

Sachs recently displayed his boomboxes at the Brooklyn Museum—could Frank’s staircase be displayed there, too?

A phone call to the Tom Sachs Studio gleaned that the staircase was categorically not at the studio at 245 Centre Street, New York. Any further questions would have to be directed to Frank Ocean’s people.

Frank’s people were contacted. Requests from the shoot’s assistant editor, the director of photography, and the video effects guy yielded no initial reply, or a simple response to the effect of, "Sorry, I signed a nondisclosure agreement."

Later, Sachs would email to advise that he wasn’t sure what was next for the staircase.

A phone call to A phone call to Paper Mache Monkey , the art department that worked on the shoot, was polite, but unhelpful.

A spokesman said he was not able to talk about the staircase, and we would have to go through Frank’s people to get sign-off for him to talk.

We phoned the construction company Endless credits under "set construction"—and finally started to get somewhere. An assistant wasn’t sure, but she thought the staircase may have been dismantled. We phoned the construction company TMG —listed on theEndlesscredits under "set construction"—and finally started to get somewhere. An assistant wasn’t sure, but she thought the staircase may have been dismantled.

She put me on to TMG partner Martin Lazor.

Lazor was similarly hesitant to talk about the staircase without sign-off from Frank’s management, Lazor was similarly hesitant to talk about the staircase without sign-off from Frank’s management, Three Six Zero , but was able to offer a few clues.

Firstly, the staircase was not discarded. It was taken to a workshop, he could not say where.

Secondly, and intriguingly, Lazor said there may be plans to re-use the staircase for "another application."

While he could not share specific details, he believed there was a concept drawn up to use the staircase in an upcoming installation in Frank’s apartment.

The details were shaky, it appeared to be a display where the staircase spiraled up from a workshop below into Frank’s apartment above.

After we spoke with Lazor, Frank’s management and producer on Endless Wendi Morris came back to us.

She said the staircase is "stored safe, archived for now, along with [Frank’s] other specialty builds/collections."

When asked about the plans to use the staircase for a display in Frank’s apartment, Morris was tight-lipped.

"Rumors, no plans to discuss," she said.

So there you have it. Currently, the staircase is being stored in a workshop, along with other Frank Ocean treasures.

But keep an eye out for the staircase in the future—if the rumors are true it may just be appearing again, and potentially at Frank’s house.

We asked around to find out what the plans are for the stairs that Frank built..


Adam Levine Performs "Purple Rain," but What He Does with His Hands Is the Most Impressive Part!

In 2014, radio legend Howard Stern turned 60 years old, and SiriusXM threw him a pretty spectacular "Birthday Bash," which was attended by adoring fans and celebrities alike. Besides just attending, some extremely talented musicians performed for Howard at his epic party, including pop rock band Train and Maroon 5’s lead vocalist, Adam Levine. Among other numbers, Train performed Prince’s "Purple Rain," for which In 2014, radio legend Howard Stern turned 60 years old, and SiriusXM threw him a pretty spectacular "Birthday Bash," which was attended by adoring fans and celebrities alike. Besides just attending, some extremely talented musicians performed for Howard at his epic party, including pop rock band Train and Maroon 5’s lead vocalist, Adam Levine. Among other numbers, Train performed Prince’s "Purple Rain," for which superstar singer Levine was asked to feature on as lead vocalist and guitarist.

While the performance was extremely impressive at the time, the footage wasn’t actually released for public view until April 22nd, 2016 – just one day after musical legend Prince While the performance was extremely impressive at the time, the footage wasn’t actually released for public view until April 22nd, 2016 – just one day after musical legend Prince tragically passed away . Upon hearing the news of Prince’s death, the Howard Stern Show decided to release this collaborative number with Train and Adam Levine. And we are so thankful that they did.

Although this was two years before Prince would pass away, Levine sang the song with an fierce passion, truly feeling the lyrics as he sang them. And while he sang the vocals fantastically (he’s Adam Levine, of course he did), what we were truly impressed by was the Although this was two years before Prince would pass away, Levine sang the song with an fierce passion, truly feeling the lyrics as he sang them. And while he sang the vocals fantastically (he’s Adam Levine, of course he did), what we were truly impressed by was the guitar solo that Levine completely nailed.

The song starts off nicely, with the audience singing along to the iconic lyrics, and Levine leading Train in the vocals. Finally, a little later in the number, lead singer for Train, Pat Monahan makes an appearance, hitting Prince’s incredibly high, screeching notes effortlessly. Once Monahan arrives to take over on vocals, Levine suddenly launches into an The song starts off nicely, with the audience singing along to the iconic lyrics, and Levine leading Train in the vocals. Finally, a little later in the number, lead singer for Train, Pat Monahan makes an appearance, hitting Prince’s incredibly high, screeching notes effortlessly. Once Monahan arrives to take over on vocals, Levine suddenly launches into an amazing guitar solo which starts at minute 3:45 in the video.

We all know that Levine is a talented performer (his band, Maroon 5, has been making smash hits for decades and he himself is a music icon) but this solo is astonishing. Truly, it is so much more than we were anticipating. The emotion that Levine puts into every riff and the fantastic way his fingers fly over the guitar strings is enough to make my jaw drop.

With the impressive vocals and killer guitar solo, this collaborative number is a really beautiful tribute to this musical legend. We’re very glad the Howard Stern Show decided to release this video – which now has close to 24 million views – to honor Prince with this amazing performance.

This is an especially important video to Adam Levine who, like many modern musicians, was deeply inspired by Prince.

After Prince passed away on April 21, 2016, Levine told People , "[I’ll remember] just the great times that we had and just constantly being inspired by how he did things his way [and] never let anybody deter what he wanted to accomplish creatively and musically. As a musician, I can’t tell you how much that’s rubbed off on me." After Prince passed away on April 21, 2016, Levine told, "[I’ll remember] just the great times that we had and just constantly being inspired by how he did things his way [and] never let anybody deter what he wanted to accomplish creatively and musically. As a musician, I can’t tell you how much that’s rubbed off on me."

Clearly, Prince was a friend of Levine’s as well as a musical role model. That makes this powerful performance that much more touching.

What do you think of this amazing number by Adam Levine and Train? Did it give you the goosebumps like it did for us? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Adam Levine Performs a Cover of "Purple Rain"

To honor the late musical genius, Prince, Train performs a tribute cover of "Purple Rain." But guest Adam Levine steals the show with his fancy finger work!

fun,music,cover,prince,prince tribute,maroon 5,adam levine,guitar,purple rain,singing,song


You’ll never believe what else your gut bacteria can do

It’s like something right out of Star Wars – a classic battle between good and evil, with life and death hanging in the balance.

And, believe it or not, it’s happening right inside your gut!

You see, there are two opposing types of bacteria growing and flourishing in your gut: one that promotes inflammation, and another that reduces inflammation.

Your gut is at war, and whichever side wins out at any given time can determine the course of your overall health.

As I’ve shared with you before, giving your gut a healthy dose of good bacteria can help ward off everything from depression to diabetes.

And now, according to a new study published in PLOS ONE, having some control over your gut’s bacterial population might actually prevent cancer....and save your life.

The study focused on mice that had a specific gene mutation that’s basically a stepping stone to cancer.

But in the lab, gut flora appeared to actually influence whether those cancer-causing genes expressed themselves or not. Despite the fact that all of the mice were genetically predisposed to develop lymphoma, it took twice as long in the group given "good bugs" versus the group whose gut bacteria was a typical mix of good and bad.

The mice given exclusively good gut bacteria also had less DNA damage...and lived four times longer.

Perhaps, as the researchers suggest, we can learn to prevent cancer – or, at least, delay the inevitable – by manipulating the composition of microbes in the gut. And while lots more studies are needed (and on humans) before we can say anything is proven, this is unquestionably good news.

In the meantime, you can bulk up on good bacteria NOW by consuming fermented foods and drinks like kombucha, sauerkraut and other pickled veggies, yogurt, and kefir.

If none of those are your cup of tea, try taking a probiotic supplement. Just look for one that contains multiple strains of bacteria, which should be easily available at your local health food store or pharmacy.

We know that gut bacteria influences metabolism and mood, but now it also appears to stop the development of cancer.


You won't believe how many calories you can burn in the bath

Slogging it out in the gym, peddling as fast as you can on your bike or going for a long brisk walk is a sure fire way to burn heaps of calories, but what if we told you there was an even easier way to do it and all you had to do was sit back, relax and enjoy a peaceful moment to yourself.

No, it’s not too good to be true, because recently experts from Loughborough University found that simply lying in a 40 degree bath can be more effective than a brisk walk for calorie burning and lowering blood sugar.

Supposedly the magic is in heat shock proteins, which are released when your body temperature is raised significantly and in turn lowers your blood sugar levels. So an hour long bath is actually the equivalent to a 20 -30 minute walk and can burn around 126 calories. In the study, Steve Faulkner from Loughborough University in the UK followed 2,300 middle-aged male participants for 20 years on average who were fitted with monitors and found that a hot bath increased blood flow and burnt energy.

Now, this isn’t to say that we can all go out and consume whatever we want, so long as we have an hour long bath everyday, but it does mean that you should start embracing your tub as part of your daily health routine. Question is, will you last in a 40 degree bath for an hour? We’re not sure we could handle it.

You won’t believe how many calories you can burn in the bath

Experts from Loughborough University have found that simply lying in a 40 degree bath can be more effective than a brisk walk for calorie burning and lowering blood sugar.


He Did It Again: With Only Months Left, Obama Makes HUGE Move To Fix The World

President Barack Obama only has a little more than five months left in his final term, a period in which other two-term leaders have simply set themselves in neutral and coasted to the finish line. Even as his presidential approval rises and the economy improves, Obama has chosen a different path on his way out.

On Saturday morning the world got more evidence of his decision to get as much done in the time he has left as the U.S. and China announced a major agreement to reduce carbon emissions and combat climate change.

At a ceremony on the sidelines of a global economic summit, Obama and Xi, representing the world’s two biggest carbon emitters, delivered a series of documents to U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon. The papers certified the U.S. and China have taken the necessary steps to join the Paris accord that set nation-by-nation targets for cutting carbon emissions. "This is not a fight that any one country, no matter how powerful, can take alone," Obama said of the pact. "Some day we may see this as the moment that we finally decided to save our planet."

Other countries need to sign on to the agreement, but America and China are the two most consequential. Both countries are responsible for 38 percent of man-made carbon emissions in the entire world. By making this agreement, the two nations are setting the tone for everyone else.

Climate change, which has been verified by scientific study after scientific study, is still rejected by Republicans who are compromised by donations from big business. The current Republican presidential nominee, Donald Trump, takes this opposition to science even further with his conspiracy theory that climate change is a completely made up idea from the Chinese government.

President Obama has embraced science, as have most Democrats – including Hillary Clinton. Instead of twiddling his thumbs as the situation worsens, he’s chosen to do something towards the end of his presidency about a critical issue. He isn’t done. Not yet.

President Obama still hasn't given up, he just made a major move to fix the entire world.

Barack Obama, China, climate change, global warming, Paris Climate Accord, science


Guess who’s coming to the primary: Va. Dems get unexpected candidate

CHARLOTTESVILLE — Just like that, Virginia has a governor’s race worthy of the intense national scrutiny it’s going to get.

Former congressman Tom Perriello rattled the Democratic establishment Thursday by unexpectedly declaring that he would seek the party’s nomination for governor. That not only upset the plan for the earnest, low-key Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam to unify the party as its anointed candidate, it also plunged Virginia into an intriguing story line that echoes the recent presidential contest..

Like a Netflix reimagining of November’s election, Virginia now features, on the Democratic side, a well-funded but unexciting establishment candidate (Northam) challenged from the left by a surprising upstart (Perriello).

On the Republican side, the well-connected Ed Gillespie, a longtime strategist for national candidates and adviser to President George W. Bush, is trying hard to seem inevitable. But he faces an X-factor challenge for the nomination from Corey A. Stewart, the Prince William County supervisor who led Donald Trump’s campaign in the state until he got too rogue even for the unconventional Trump operation.

And state Sen. Frank W. Wagner (R-Virginia Beach) is a dark-horse candidate who has strong support in the populous Hampton Roads region. Both parties will hold June primaries.

"Perriello is definitely spitting in the face of Virginia’s Democratic political leadership, because they surely did not want this," said University of Virginia political scientist Geoffrey Skelley. "It’s going to be really fascinating."

As one of only two states to feature gubernatorial elections in 2017, Virginia’s contest has been shaping up as a proxy for the identity crisis both major parties face after last year’s stunning presidential outcome. The national parties are expected to pour money and attention into Virginia.

Democrats who wonder if — just maybe — the anti-establishment Bernie Sanders could have beaten Trump may see an opportunity for a do-over in Perriello. And Republicans uneasy with the direction Trump has taken their party might look for solace with the steady Gillespie.

Until now, most of the hand-wringing in Virginia has been on the Republican side, which looked to have a nasty internal fight on its hands between the mainstream and the Trump insurgency.

Gillespie, who has led in fundraising and endorsements, must figure out how to run as a Republican in the Trump era. He earned goodwill across the party’s establishment and tea party wings by nearly unseating Sen. Mark R. Warner (D) in 2014. But after keeping his distance from Trump last year, Gillespie could have a harder time with some of the incoming president’s supporters.

But now there’s a little glee that the Democrats are facing the same kind of reckoning.

"This is really the first battle in a war that will play out over the next few years over who will control the very heart and soul of the Democratic Party," said Phil Cox, a national Republican strategist who managed the campaign of former Virginia governor Robert F. McDonnell and is a senior adviser to Gillespie. "For Republicans sitting on the sidelines watching, it’s going to be highly entertaining."

While Republicans control the Virginia legislature, Democrats own the executive branch and the state’s two U.S. Senate seats. Republicans have been hoping 2017 is their chance to take the governor’s mansion and consolidate power. Perriello’s entry shakes up their calculations.

Perriello, 42, grew up in Charlottesville and held the sprawling 5th Congressional District seat for one term before losing in the 2010 general election.

He went on to work for the Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, before joining President Obama’s State Department in 2014. He later served as a special envoy for the Great Lakes Region of Africa until stepping down in December.

An early and prominent Obama ally during his time in Congress, Perriello blindsided state Democrats on Wednesday night with a round of phone calls notifying them that he was planning to run for governor. He said Thursday that he had been prohibited by the Hatch Act from pursuing a campaign while he was a federal employee. It was only in the past 10 days, he said, that he and his family decided to go for it and he began assembling a staff.

Perriello formally announced Thursday morning with a slick campaign video that hit on populist themes and with an appearance in a coffee shop near the North Carolina border — a region of the state hit hard by the loss of manufacturing jobs.

"We started in Danville today because it used to be the heart of the Virginia economy but like too many VA communities, has been left behind," Perriello tweeted to his 16,400 Twitter followers. (Northam has fewer than 6,300 followers and uses Twitter far less.)

The name of the Danville shop — Brewed Awakening — jibed with the jolt Perriello was delivering to Democratic leaders, who for more than a year had been confident that Northam would have no opponent for the June 13 primary.

At midday, Perriello spoke to a hastily assembled crowd of 80 or more in Charlottesville, pulled together mainly through social media. His mother, Linda, introduced him — the first step in what will have to be a whirlwind introduction of the candidate to voters statewide.

Linda Perriello cast her youngest son as "an enormous risk- taker. He used to jump off of eight-foot brick walls in a Spider-Man costume." As he grew older and came under the influence of his father and sports and the Catholic Church, he "developed a strong moral core," she said. "And let me tell you, being a risk-taker with a strong moral core is very powerful."

Here is where Perriello deviates, a bit, from the replay-of-2016 script: While he touts himself as a progressive, some of his positions during his two years in Congress, on topics such as abortion and guns, were more conservative than Northam’s.

"Certainly as a congressperson who represented part of rural Virginia, he had a position that was not fully in line with urban Democrats," former Virginia Commonwealth University political scientist Bob Holsworth said.

Perriello himself rejects any comparison to Sanders.

"I’m most associated with Barack Obama," Perriello said after his event in Thursday, adding — when asked — that he would welcome Obama’s help on the campaign trail.

That, of course, is another juicy story line in the race: Northam is the successor chosen by current Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D), a close confidant of Bill and Hillary Clinton and wielder of their election money and machinery.

Perriello is admired by Obama, who campaigned for him in the 2010 congressional race and assuaged his loss with a diplomatic posting.

Those alliances raise the specter of the old Clinton-Obama rivalry that permeated national Democratic politics a decade ago.

Clinton still has a lot of support among state Democratic leaders, who were proud of Virginia being the only Southern state to tilt her way in the election. And Northam is a standard-bearer who lacks any of the Clinton baggage.

He is a Virginia Military Institute graduate, Gulf War veteran and pediatric neurologist who hunts, fishes and speaks with the folksy drawl of an Eastern Shore native. Supporters say his biography and collegial manner could play well across an increasingly polarized state, where Democrats have dominated Northern Virginia and other urban centers but have little following elsewhere.

For now, though, Virginia Democrats are just beginning to absorb this unexpected spectacle.

At the Charlottesville announcement, Jon Chasen, a 40-year-old financial adviser and member of the Albemarle County Democratic steering committee, said he was intrigued by the new development.

"I’m a fan of Northam," he said. "He’s a great Virginia gentleman, but he may be just too boring for the electorate. Tom is young and a little different. I don’t know if you can run on that or not. . . . But I’m open to both at this stage."

Last year’s election clearly demonstrated the public’s appetite for something outside the mainstream, Chasen said. But the first few months of the Trump administration will show how that translates into reality and what it means for politics. "We’ll see if people are comfortable with that," he said, "or maybe they’ll move right back to establishment candidates on both sides of the aisle."

A surprise candidate brings 2016 presidential dynamics to Virginia governor’s race

Former congressman Tom Perriello jumps into the widely watched contest and upends plans in both parties


How This Woman Lost 243 Pounds By NOT Dieting

Ever since she was in second grade, Clara Williams has struggled with her weight and, like many of us, has had a hard time staying away from candy, chips, and other processed foods. By the time she was 20, Clara weighed 220 pounds. Five years later, she gave birth to her daughter and her weight climbed to 300 pounds.

"My weight went up and up and up until I saw my highest recorded weight at the doctor's office in 2010: 426 pounds," Clara told Yahoo! Health. "I was wearing the biggest jeans available at women's stores and was having a hard time fastening them."

It wasn't until her daughter gave birth to her grandson that she decided that enough was enough.

"I knew that I would not be around for him, or the rest of my family, if I didn't get my weight under control," Clara said. "It was hard to even get up off the couch by myself, let alone hold a baby in my arms. I was sick of being sick and tired. So I decided to fight."

And so she did. Clara sought inspiration and advice from her dad, who had lost 100 pounds, and support from her friend Patty. In 2011, Clara and Patty joined TOPS Club Inc. (Take Off Pounds Sensibly), a non profit weight-loss support group, and began sitting in on weekly meetings.

"We took part in contests to keep us motivated to move and lose," Clara explains. "The support from the group gave me all the encouragement I needed, and in so many ways, it saved my life."

Using what she learned from the meetings, Clara began replacing junk food with whole natural foods. She started eating more salmon, chicken, veggies, and Greek yogurt in place of snacking on potato chips and candy. But the surprising thing that Clara discovered was that eating healthier never actually felt like she was "dieting."

"It was a daily choice and I realized along the way that in order for me to make lasting changes, it had to be about waking up everyday and making the best healthy choices," Clara said.

The same was true for her exercise routine. She began doing Leslie Sansone's walking tape with coworkers on her lunch breaks and going on evening walks with Patty. Her progress felt slow, but she says she knew she'd eventually achieve her goal if she stuck with it.

"Facing the scale at TOPS each week held me accountable," Clara said. "I always reminded myself that I was better than where I started."

Today, Clara has lost 243 pounds and is enjoying her much healthier lifestyle. To maintain her figure, Clara runs, uses her MyFitnessPal app to track her calories, and aims to do one hour of cardio and weight-lifting exercises two to three times every week. So far, she says her efforts and perseverance have definitely paid off.

"When I lost the weight, I finally felt free of the limits that being overweight had put on my body," Clara says. "My back and knee pain decreased. I could go to the park with my grandson and play with him for hours."

When Clara looks in the mirror, she sees a much healthier person and hopes to inspire others with her story.

"I am a testament to the fact that small changes will bring you great rewards. Make a choice each day to eat healthy foods that are good for your body and move each day," Clara advises. "Never put off until tomorrow what you can do today."


THIS "Healthy" Drink is Destroying Your Bones!

Do you ever crave a nice, cold glass of cow’s milk? Maybe when you are eating breakfast, indulging in a delicious dessert or when you grab a box of cereal from the cupboard? We’ve all heard about the supposed benefits of milk, especially for growing children — "it does a body good," it builds strong bones" — and you probably had your fair share of milk growing up, at the firm advisement of your parents. The ‘Got Milk’ campaign, aimed at getting the consumer to drink more milk, launched in 1993 when milk sales were steadily dropping. We saw the popular milk mustache on athletes and celebrities, smiling and chugging away with the promise of strong bones and teeth. Milk is a must-have item on grocery lists nationwide, but what is it really doing to our bones?

The cow’s milk sitting on the refrigerator shelves at the grocery store is pasteurized. Pasteurization is a process that applies heat to destroy pathogens in food, with the goals of killing disease-carrying germs and preventing milk from going sour too early. During this process, every particle of the fluid is heated to a required temperature then rapidly cooled. Here’s the problem: pasteurization also kills off the beneficial bacteria (probiotics), and even destroys some of the nutritious content in milk, like vitamin C and iodine. It also destroys the enzymes in milk. These lost enzymes make it harder on your body to get calcium and phosphorus out of the cow’s milk. Countries with the highest rate of dairy consumption, (the U.S. and countries in the European Union) also have the highest rate of osteoporosis. We’ve been told for years that drinking plenty of milk will ensure that our bones stay strong and healthy, but these recent studies show the exact opposite to be true.


The Real Life "Fault In Our Stars" Couple Face Tragic, Heartbreaking End

This story about a couple whose love has been compared to The Fault in Our Stars will absolutely break your heart into a million pieces.

on Katie and Dalton Prager, a married couple who both have cystic fibrosis and both had lung transplants last year. After fighting hard with insurance companies for their respective transplants (and successfully getting them), the young couple — Katie is 26 and Dalton is 25 — planned to travel together to every state and write a book about their epic love story. CNN reports on Katie and Dalton Prager, a married couple who both have cystic fibrosis and both had lung transplants last year. After fighting hard with insurance companies for their respective transplants (and successfully getting them), the young couple — Katie is 26 and Dalton is 25 — planned to travel together to every state and write a book about their epic love story.

However, last week, Katie was put into hospice care when it was found that her lung transplant didn't work and her doctors said they couldn't do anything else for her.

"My body is just so tired," said Katie, who is currently out of the hospital and at home in Flemingsburg, Kentucky.

The couple is currently unable to be together because Dalton is in a hospital near his family in St. Louis. He contracted lymphoma as a result of his transplant, and is currently fighting pneumonia and a virus.

"I told Dalton I'd rather be happy -- like really, really happy -- for five years of my life and die sooner than be mediocre happy and live for 20 years," Katie said. "That was definitely something I had to think about, but when you have those feelings, you just know."

The plan is for Dalton to join Katie in Kentucky as soon as possible.

An update posted three hours ago to An update posted three hours ago to Dalton and Katie's Transplant Facebook page said

Katie has been out of the hospital since last Friday. She has good days and bad days. She has had several visitors this past week and she has loved seeing everyone. She didn't feel well this morning but after dialysis, she is feeling somewhat better. The hospice nurse came by 3 times this week. Katie loves her hospice nurse, so we are all happy about that. We hope Dalton is able to visit soon. Please keep praying for Dalton to feel better soon and for Katie to be as comfortable as possible. -Debbie

If Dalton's discharged next week, the hope is he can make the one-hour drive to Katie's home in Kentucky so they can be together.

"If we only get to spend a day and a night together, we'll be happy with that," Katie said.

Katie Prager,Dalton Prager,cystic fibrosis


Former mayor tweets poetry after heart attack scare

Former Minneapolis Mayor R..T. Rybak suffered a massive heart attack Saturday morning, KARE-TV reported.

According to CBS Minnesota, Rybak was cross-country skiing when he began suffering from shortness of breath. He appeared to be in good spirits from the hospital, tweeting out some poetry tied to the harrowing health scare.

My cardiac surprise/Gave me quite a start/But it proves this politician/Has a great big heart — R.T. Rybak (@R_T_Rybak) January 4, 2014

By the way the ski trails at Wirth are awesome today — R.T. Rybak (@R_T_Rybak) January 4, 2014

Rybak finished his 12th year as the city's mayor just five days earlier. In total, 35 candidates ran to fill his seat, with Councilwoman Betsy Hodges emerging as the winner and taking over on Jan. 1.

Former Mayor Hospitalized After Heart Attack, Tweets Poetry About The Scare

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Gigantic Dog Jumps On Grandma, But Wait Til You See What He Does Next!

We’ve witnessed it with this pup seeing his military dad coming home after being overseas, and this dog that was reunited with his owner after being stolen for seven months — without fail, canines show unconditional love whenever possible.

But the term "gentle giant" definitely applies to this next adorable dog that just can’t contain his happiness when Grandma comes over!

Snickle Fritz the dog was found in a cardboard box on the side of the road when he was just a puppy. A school teacher picked him up, and a student persuaded her family to bring the puppy home with them.

They didn’t realize just how BIG Snickle Fritz would get!

The family lives next door to the children’s grandma, and Snickle Fritz visits very often — and why wouldn’t he? She scratches his belly and lets him give her kisses, and he is in paradise whenever she’s around!

Sweet Gigantic Dog Loves To Visit Grandma’s House

No matter how big or small a dog is, they can never contain their happiness whenever they see a human they love. We’ve witnessed it with this pup seeing his military dad coming home after being overseas, and this dog that was reunited with his owner after being stolen for seven months — without fail, canines show unconditional love whenever...


You won't believe what the most expensive video game console ever is

Any gamer can tell you: Video games ain't cheap. But some systems are certainly more affordable than others.

Quartz reporter Mike Murphy compiled a new collection of data showcasing the price of video game consoles, adjusted for inflation. The results certainly put the $599 Oculus Rift into perspective, as the all-time priciest system is the relatively obscure Neo Geo, which launched in 1990 for the equivalent of $1,179 today. (It was $649.99 back then..)

At least you were getting your money's worth from the Neo Geo. Somewhat unbelievably, the system was still supported as late as 2004, when its final game -- "Samurai Shodown V Special" -- was released.

The chart also reveals that Nintendo systems have always been pretty good values. All things equal, Nintendo consoles fall toward the bottom of the list, perhaps because the company places such emphasis on first-party software like "Mario Kart" and "Super Smash Brothers." The company makes a lot of money on its own games and original properties, in other words.

Some might complain Nintendo's systems also seem a bit outdated by the time they're released -- in terms of sheer horsepower, the Wii lagged behind the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360, much as the Wii U is technically less impressive than the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Still, kids might do well to take this list to heart when composing their birthday wish lists. "But mom, the Wii U is a good value, I swear!"

You Won't Believe What The Most Expensive Video Game Console Ever Is

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So who's the buyer of the world's most expensive painting?

Last week Francis Bacon's "Three Studies of Lucian Freud" was purchased for a record-breaking $142,405,000 at Christie's, becoming the most expensive painting ever sold at auction. In typical art world fashion, the piece was sold to Acquavella Galleries on behalf of a very "secret" buyer.

Rumors have since swirled over the anonymous purchaser, with both Steve Wynn and Roman Abramovich's names passed around as potential bidders. And this Tuesday the New York Post "exclusively" announced the alleged identity of the lucky collector who brought home the Bacon as Qatar’s Sheikha Mayassa.

But, in what could be some of the most predictable news delivered across the internet, it turns out Page Six's claim is probably false. Bettina Prentice, a representative of Acquavella, explained to The Huffington Post that "the rumors circulating are incorrect." According to the gallery, Mayassa's not the winning Bacon bidder.

So why did Page Six pin the Bacon tail on Mayassa?

She is the daughter of the former Emir of Qatar and sister of the current Emir, most recently recognized as the woman who beat out mega-gallerists Larry Gagosian and David Zwirner for the title of most powerful person in art this year. At only 30 years old, she's in charge of the Qatar Museums Authority, which is designing a national museum to be opened in 2016. The QMA aims to turn the Arab state into an artistic destination. "Above all, we want the QMA to be a ‘cultural instigator', a catalyst of arts projects worldwide," a QMA trustee told The Economist.

So it wouldn't be all that surprising if Mayassa was the woman behind the monumental sale. Qatar's royalty have garnered a reputation for contemporary art splurges in the past (take, for example, when the royal family purchased Paul Cezanne's "Card Players" for a whopping $250 million in 2011).

Alas, after reaching out to Christie's for comment on the potential purchaser, the auction house explained that only Acquavella Galleries knew the identity of the new Bacon owner. So, it looks like Page Six's "exclusive" was probably a miss and the true identity of the buyer remains unknown.

Check back to hear more on this evolving story.

Buyer Of The World's Most Expensive Painting Is Probably Not Sheikha Mayassa

Last week Francis Bacon's " Three Studies of Luc...

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A 6-month-old girl whose professional water-skier parents put her on junior-size water skis last week glided 686 feet across a man-made lake in what her parents say sets a youth record.

The 30-inch Zyla, who doesn’t yet walk, skied across Lake Silver in Winter Haven, Florida, last Thursday.

She stood on junior-size water skis that were attached to each other by wood. She gripped a handle bar attached to the skis.

USA Water Ski spokesman Scott Atkinson didn’t return a phone call and email inquiry about whether Zyla had set a youth record.

This is the worst sports highlight of the day..

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This woman is 'hugely proud' to have a baby with her brother

A "hugely proud" sister is set to donate her eggs to her brother so that he may have a child with his partner.

Australian siblings Samuel and Bronte Leighton-Dore will each provide an element of parenthood to the child Samuel is planning to have with his long-term boyfriend, Bradley Tennant.

Bronte will donate an egg that will be implanted with Bradley's sperm, so that her brother Samuel and he will both be genetically linked to the child they bring up together.

The embryo will be implanted in a surrogate mother - rather than in Bronte, to avoid emotional complications - and brought up by Bradley and Samuel, with Bronte as a very "special aunt". The family is currently based in Sydney.

Samuel said he and Bradley, his 27-year-old partner of three years, had realised they would both liked to be genetically related to any children they had.

Samuel with his partner of three years, Bradley Tennant

"We'd been discussing the prospect of having kids, and when you're in a same-sex relationship it takes on a different element - you can't just accidentally fall pregnant," Samuel told The Independent.

"A bit like buying a house, it's a question of how and when and the expense too.

"Our family are very close, and we realised that doing this with Bronte was the only biological means of me being related to the baby too. It was a way of doing that."

The arrangement may simplify Australia's laws surrounding adoption, IVF and surrogacy for same-sex couples. Current laws, which differ across each state, generally recognise the rights of birth mothers over co-fathers.

The sibling's mum, who with their father is very supportive of their plans. Australia has not yet legalised same-sex marriage despite numerous challenges to the law. (Samuel Leighton-Dore)

Samuel said both his parents were supportive of the idea - having taken some moments to "get their head around it" - given that their son and daughter had always been close.

The plan is set to go into action in the next couple of years, as at 22- and 25- years old Bronte and Sam are in no immediate rush to add the sound of tiny feet to their lives as yet.

15 show all The top 15 worst countries to be gay in Europe

6/15 10. Latvia This content is subject to copyright.

"Bronte takes huge pride in being able to give that for us. She and I have been close our whole lives. She hasn't shown so much interest in having a child so far and she wants to do this for us," said Samuel, adding that hereditary diseases and other genetic issues were also reduced.

"There's less risk involved than using a stranger. It's still in the family."

Same-sex marriage is not yet legal in Australia, with the country's 1961 definition of marriage as between a man and a woman challenged 16 times over the course of 2015 but as yet to no effect.

The current coalition government, led by Malcolm Turnbull of the Liberal Party, has pledged a national plebiscite in the footsteps of Ireland on the question of gay marriage in 2016 or 2017. The Labour Party has said the issue could divide the public and it should be decided by Parliament.

Meanwhile, same-sex couples were given the right to adopt children in 2010. But laws surrounding surrogacy and assisted reproductive technologies is decided on a state-by-state basis but generally recognise birth mothers as a legal parent.

Samuel said there was still "a long way to go" for the LGBT community to feel as protected under the law as everybody else in Australia, adding there was sometimes an "undertone of homophobia" to current political rhetoric.

Family celebrates second twin's arrival - two years after the first

Of his own situation, he said the idea gay parents might both want a genetic relation to their child did not always occur to the public.

"People don't always think that sometimes same-sex couples might both want to be biological parents," he said.

"So I think it's shocking to people at first. But once they work it out, it's a really nice thing."

Australian woman 'hugely proud' to donate her eggs to her gay brother'

IVF, gay parenthood, LGBT, LGBT Rights, homophobia, Australia, Parenthood, Siblings, Family, Adoption, Surrogacy, Children, Australasia, World, News


About 30,000 cases of precut vegetables are being recalled in many Southeastern states because they could be contaminated with Listeria . But how, exactly, do these bacteria get into veggies?

This week, the food manufacturer Country Fresh announced a recall of several of its vegetable products — including precut onions, mushrooms and peppers — after one of its products being sold in a Georgia grocery store tested positive for Listeria bacteria. The recall affects products sold at a number of grocery stores — including Walmart, Harris Teeter and Winn-Dixie — in nine Southern states (Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia).

Listeria is found naturally in soil and water, and animals can carry the bacteria without appearing sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Raw vegetables can become contaminated with Listeria either through contact with soil or with animal manure that is used as fertilizer, according to the Mayo Clinic. [ Listeriais found naturally in soil and water, and animals can carry the bacteria without appearing sick, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Raw vegetables can become contaminated withListeriaeither through contact with soil or with animal manure that is used as fertilizer, according to the Mayo Clinic. [ Top 7 Germs in Food That Make You Sick

From there, Listeria may get into a food processing factory, where it might live for years on equipment, according to the CDC. Unlike many other types of bacteria, From there,Listeriamay get into a food processing factory, where it might live for years on equipment, according to the CDC. Unlike many other types of bacteria, Listeria can grow in the colder temperatures of refrigerators and freezers. "It’s a pathogen that’s particularly problematic in food-processing plants because it really likes cold, moist, dark environments," Benjamin Chapman, a food safety expert at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, told Live Science in a 2015 interview.

Other foods that have been historically linked with Listeria outbreaks include raw milk, Other foods that have been historically linked withListeriaoutbreaks include raw milk, unpasteurized soft cheeses and deli meats, Chapman said.

So far, there have been no reported cases of anyone becoming sick with Listeria from Country Fresh’s recalled vegetables, Country Fresh So far, there have been no reported cases of anyone becoming sick withListeriafrom Country Fresh’s recalled vegetables, Country Fresh said in a statement

But Listeria infections can be serious, and even deadly, particularly for certain groups of people, including young children, pregnant women, the elderly and people with weakened immune systems. The infection can cause fever, muscle aches and diarrhea, and in pregnant women, it may cause miscarriage or stillbirth, the CDC says.

The CDC offered the following general recommendations to reduce the risk of Listeria infection:

Rinse raw produce, including fruits and vegetables, before eating, cutting or cooking. Use a produce brush to scrub firm vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers.

Use a produce brush to scrub firm vegetables, such as melons and cucumbers. Dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel.

Dry produce with a clean cloth or paper towel. When preparing food, separate uncooked meats from vegetables and cooked foods.

When preparing food, separate uncooked meats from vegetables and cooked foods. When you handle uncooked foods, be sure to wash your hands afterward, as well as the knives and cutting boards you used for the foods.

When you handle uncooked foods, be sure to wash your hands afterward, as well as the knives and cutting boards you used for the foods. Do not drink unpasteurized milk.

Do not drink unpasteurized milk. Heat ready-to-eat foods and leftovers until they are steaming hot.

Heat ready-to-eat foods and leftovers until they are steaming hot. People at higher risk of infection, such as pregnant women, should not eat hot dogs, luncheon meats, cold cuts or other deli meats unless they are heated to an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit (74 degrees Celsius). They should also avoid eating soft cheeses, unless the label says it’s made with pasteurized milk.

Original article on Live Science . Original article on

Listeria infections can be serious, and even deadly.

Living Well, listeria,food recall,food poisoning outbreak


3 things that could be making you unhappy

Dr. Alan Schlechter, author of "U Thrive: How to Succeed in College (And Life)," is also the professor of the most popular elective class at New York University called "The Science of Happiness." He explains the things you should stop doing if you want to be happier. Following is a transcript of the video.

Dr. Alan Schlechter: The first one would definitely be the level of self-critical thought that people get caught up in. We have these things called thinking traps, and when we're having a lot of native emotions we tend to catastrophize. We get lost in these thinking traps of beating ourselves up and we begin to have this mental filter where we only see the negative things and ignore the positives. We forget about gratitude.

And that kind of leads to the next thing that I think people ignore a lot which is many people have heard of the fight-or-flight response. There's a cousin to the fight-or-flight response. It's called the tend-and-befriend response, and that is an innate quality of us to reach out to someone for help. We have a hormone even built into us called oxytocin that is expressed, and it's telling us "reach out for help, call a friend, tell someone what's going on." And when we do that, our cortisol levels goes down. We feel better.

The third thing that contributes to unhappiness that I see is the way we ignore our body. The way we grow our brain cells, the way we tell our brain to grow is we have to move. We are meant to move, and the second we sit down for more than 20 minutes our body begins to shut down. We are not meant to be still.

Dr. Alan Schlechter teaches the popular course The Science of Happiness at NYU. He explains what you should stop doing if you want to be happier.


Boy Or Girl? Rob Kardashian And Blac Chyna Are Having A....

Blac Chyna announced that they were expecting a new addition to their family, the world has eagerly awaited the big gender reveal. Well, it looks like the news is finally out - it's a girl! Ever since Rob Kardashian andannounced that they were expecting a new addition to their family, the world has eagerly awaited the big gender reveal. Well, it looks like the news is finally out - it's a girl!

The news comes courtesy of an anonymous source close to the couple, US Weekly reports, who says that they're both super excited about the news.

"Rob couldn't be happier," said the source.

"Kris has been giving him baby advice," they continued, and added that Kris and Chyna have been bonding lately as well. "They get excited talking about the baby."

Baby Kardashian is due in October, and the couple is reportedly preparing an "over-the-top extravagant" nursery.

Rob and Chyna have yet to confirm news of their baby's gender on social media, however (though they haven't refuted anything, either) so stay tuned!


Here's What Scientists Found When They Opened A Cave That Had Been Isolated For More Than Five...

Close-up of a Criptos anomalans centipede (left) confronting a smaller pseudoscorpion. Both these species are found only in the Movile Cave. Patrick Landmann/Science Photo Library

The inhabitants of the Movile Cave are like no others. The "otherworldly" conditions of this Romanian cave, just a few miles west from the Black Sea, have been sealed up for around 5.5 million years. Although the air is poisonous and unbearably humid, this cocktail of factors has created a goldmine for biologists.

Fewer than 100 people have ever delved into the cave, according to BBC Earth . It was only discovered by humans in 1986, when workers of the Socialist Republic of Romania were looking for new ground to build a nuclear power plant. Nowadays, it is blocked off by the authorities and only accessible with special permission, although the central caverns are naturally "guarded" by a series of vertical shafts and narrow limestone tunnels.

Once in the depths of the cave, the air contains half of the amount of oxygen than usual and is high in carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulfide. It is also pitch black and hasn’t seen sunlight for at least 5.5 million years.

But within this harsh environment, scientists have so far identified 48 species. Among the creatures are an array of spiders, water scorpions, pseudoscorpions, centipedes, leeches, and isopods – 33 of which are totally unique to this one cave.

Most of the creatures in the cave have no vision and lack pigment. After all, who needs sight or to be pretty in the pitch darkness? They’re also, on the whole, a spindly bunch, with extra-long limbs and antennae that help them navigate in the darkness.

As if this world was not alien enough, it’s one of the only known ecosystems that relies on chemosynthetic bacteria. Most ecosystems use photosynthesis to harness energy. However, since there’s no natural sunlight in the cave, the bacteria need to get their energy and carbon directly from chemical reactions, such as the oxidation of sulfide or the oxidation of ammonium.

Close-up of an Armadillidium sp. woodlouse found only in the Movile Cave, Romania. Patrick Landmann/Science Photo Library.

But how the animals ended up in the cave and became isolated remains unclear to scientists.

"It's very likely that the bacteria have been there a lot longer than five million years, but that the insects became trapped there around that time," J. Colin Murrell, a microbiologist from the University of East Anglia, said to BBC Earth . "They could have simply fallen in and become trapped when the limestone cast dropped, sealing the cave until it was discovered again in 1986."

There are still many mysteries that lie deep within the Movile Cave. But even after just 30 years of knowing it exists, researchers still have many more inhabitants to discover, some of whom could hold massive insights into evolutionary biology and even the nature of life itself.

Here's What Scientists Found When They Opened A Cave That Had Been Isolated For More Than Five Million Years


Lena Dunham's history with South By Southwest goes all the way back to 2009, when she screened her short film "Creative Nonfiction" at the festival. In 2010, Dunham premiered her award-winning feature "Tiny Furniture" in Austin, Texas. Two years later, it was Dunham's HBO series "Girls" that made a splash at SXSW. Next year, Dunham will return to South by Southwest once again, this time as a keynote speaker, the first time SXSW Film has included those kickoff sessions as part of its lineup.

"Though our conference has long featured dynamic speakers, we’re kicking it to a new level this year. By adding a daily Keynote, we aspire to further highlight and draw all eyes to creators who impact our culture in diverse and fascinating ways," Janet Pierson, Head of SXSW Film, said in a press release. "Our first three keynotes epitomize the root of what SXSW Film stands for: singular vision, DIY creation, and gleefully coloring outside the established lines."

In addition to Dunham, keynote addresses will be provided by producer Jason Blum ("Paranormal Activity," "Insidious") and filmmaker Casey Neistat. According to SXSW, "each Keynote session, held at 11:00 a.m. from Saturday, March 8 through Tuesday, March 11, 2014, aims to galvanize and empower our audience to do the same."

For more on SXSW Film, including the first round of panels at next year's festival, head to SXSW.com.

Lena Dunham, Jason Blum Among Keynote Speakers For 2014 SXSW Festival

Lena Dunham's history with South By Southwest goes all the way back to 2009, when she screened her short film "Creative Nonfiction" at the festival. In 2...

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Oscars 2017: 10 things you need to know, from the epic mix-up to Viola Davis’s speech

Before the most epic mix-up in Oscars history occurred in the closing moments of the 89th Academy Awards ... some other things happened, too! Here are the highlights of everything you need to know:

1) Faye Dunaway announced the wrong winner for best picture.

Okay, you probably know that, right? The cast of "La La Land" got on stage. Then they were informed "Moonlight" really won. It was mortifying and riveting and totally confusing. Read a minute-by-minute breakdown here.

Davis is famous for amazing speeches, and the Oscars was no exception. Davis, who won best supporting actress for "Fences," earned plenty of cheers from the audience. "People ask me all the time — what kind of stories do you want to tell, Viola? And I say exhume those bodies. Exhume those stories — the stories of the people who dreamed big and never saw those dreams to fruition, people who fell in love and lost," she said, adding, "I became an artist and thank God I did ... because we are the only profession that celebrates what it means to live a life." (Afterward, Kimmel informed the crowd she "won an Emmy" for the speech.)

Read his most biting jokes here — Kimmel jumped into the political commentary: "I don’t have to tell anybody the country is divided right now. I’ve been getting a lot of advice of people telling me, ‘You need to say something to unite us.’ Let’s just get something straight off the top — I can’t do that," he said. "There’s only one ‘Braveheart’ in the room, and he’s not going to unite us either, okay?" The camera, of course, cut to Mel Gibson.

4) "The Salesman" director didn’t attend — but wrote a scathing statement.

Iran’s "The Salesman" won for best foreign language film, though director Asghar Farhadi wasn’t in attendance: he said he would not attend the ceremony after President Trump’s executive order that blocked people from seven Muslim-majority countries, including Iran, from entering the United States. Instead, Anousheh Ansari (an Iranian American and the first female private space traveler) delivered a speech on his behalf:

"My absence is out of respect for the people of my country and those of other six nations whom have been disrespected by the inhumane law that bans entry of immigrants to the U.S.," the statement read in part. "Dividing the world into the ‘us’ and ‘our enemies’ categories creates fear. A deceitful justification for aggression and war. These wars prevent democracy and human rights in countries which have themselves been victims of aggression."

5) Kimmel’s many (many) digs at President Trump.

Kimmel took multiple shots during his monologue ("Some of you will get to come up here on this stage tonight and give a speech that the president of the United States will tweet about in all caps during his 5 a.m. bowel movement tomorrow"), as well as throughout the show. Kimmel ordered that CNN, the New York Times and Los Angeles Times all be removed from the ceremony; he offered faux-concern to a Swedish cinematographer about the terrible thing that happened in Sweden; and even tried to goad Trump by tweeting directly at him on stage.

— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) February 27, 2017

6) Mahershala Ali’s win for best supporting actor.

Ali was a lock to win for best supporting actor for his role in "Moonlight," as a drug dealer who mentors a young boy bullied for his sexuality. So while no one was necessarily surprised when his name was called, Ali’s sweet speech charmed everyone; he started by joking that his grandmother would want him to button up his jacket, which had come undone. He thanked his teachers as well as his wife, who just gave birth to their daughter four days ago. "I just want to thank her for being such a soldier through this process ... and really carrying me through it all," he said.

7) Kimmel and Matt Damon continued their feud.

Viewers not in on the years-long "feud" between Kimmel and Damon were probably very confused — but the host antagonized the actor through the entire show, starting with the monologue: "I’ve known Matt for a long time. When I first met Matt, I was the fat one." When Damon presented an award with Ben Affleck, the announcer declared them "Ben Affleck and guest" and played Damon off with music even while he was just presenting.

8) Sound mixer Kevin O’Connell won his first Oscar after 21 nominations.

The longest losing streak in Oscar history? It was broken after O’Connell finally scored a trophy after 33 years of being nominated: He won for his work on "Hacksaw Ridge" and dedicated the award to his mother.

In another Kimmel bit, he paraded "regular" people into the Dolby Theatre to gawk at the celebrities in the front row. One guy was Gary from Chicago, and he immediately became a meme.

#GaryFromChicago is winning the #Oscars. pic.twitter.com/KIi0TujORh

— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) February 27, 2017

I think it's pretty safe to say Gary from Chicago had a pretty good day 😂👏 #Oscars pic.twitter.com/CxiAR0ogaC

— Shujaat Shah (@ShujaatShah13) February 27, 2017

Justin Timberlake opened the show with a performance of "Can’t Stop the Feeling!," his high-energy tune from "Trolls" that was nominated for best original song. From Nicole Kidman to Octavia Spencer, stars in the audience couldn’t help but dance along — Taraji P. Henson was especially feeling in the music.

Yes! @TherealTaraji can't stop the feeling! #Oscars pic.twitter.com/Iz8flzK0os

— Good Morning America (@GMA) February 27, 2017

Plus, Kimmel's monologue jokes and a scathing statement from the director of 'The Salesman.'

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How Does 'Overwatch' Hold Up On Consoles?

At times, it feels like Overwatch has been in beta for as long as gamers have known about it.

Blizzard clearly wants to make sure its first new IP in more than 15 years knocks it out of the park: not only have select fans been able to test the game out a number of times over the past year, but the Overwatch team has been quick to incorporate and respond to feedback. Long story short, you simply don't see this sort of long-term, hands-on development cycle very often..

Then again, that last statement really only applies to the PC side of things. Obviously, Blizzard is making sure that the game is the same across all three platforms, but until the recent open beta, console players never had a chance to play Overwatch. PC players knew that the game would be good going in ... but what about fans with an Xbox One or PlayStation 4?

Let's be honest: there's a very good chance that Overwatch will be remembered as a PC game more than anything else. Blizzard is a company that was defined by its library of amazing PC games, and it wasn't until recently that the studio's games even appeared on consoles at all. Thankfully, Overwatch is just as strong on consoles as it is on PC - though fans should expect to see a few differences between the platforms.

If you've played Overwatch on more than one platform, then chances are the first thing you noticed were the differences in presentation. With a decently powerful rig, Overwatch looks absolutely gorgeous: effects and explosions are particularly impressive, though the high-res textures and lighting systems deserve mention as well. It may feature a stylized presentation, but that hasn't stopped Blizzard from making yet another stunning game.

For the most part, the same could be said of the console versions. Both the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One manage to hit the 60 fps benchmark and hold it, only dropping a few frames when explosions and Ultimates start flooding the screen. Even then, the frame drops are small and inconsistent - unless you're looking back through recorded footage, chances are you'll never notice it.

The only thing that doesn't seem to hold up is the anti-aliasing: while PC players can choose which settings work best for their system, the Xbox One and PlayStation 4 versions suffer from a bit of aliasing. Again, you won't really notice it if you're not looking for it, though it does stick out as the only notable visual difference.

To this day, the debate between using a mouse-and-keyboard versus playing with a controller still rages on. Some will still say that PC hardware provides the most accurate aiming possible, while others prefer the comfort and simplicity provided by a controller.

Overwatch fans using a mouse-and-keyboard setup probably won't notice anything out of the ordinary. Overwatch plays like any other FPS out there: point, click and hope that your opponent drops before you do. The control scheme may be different than others in the genre, but the actual mechanics of aiming remain the same..

Thankfully, the same could be said when using a controller. While you may have to tweak the sensitivity to your liking, Overwatch still plays beautifully with a pair of analog sticks. It does give the game a slightly different feel, and auto-aim may rub a few people the wrong way, but Blizzard has done a great job of giving console players the same level of control (no pun intended) as PC players.

In most console shooters, players are basically locked into a control scheme - Blizzard, on the other hand, has given console users the ability to completely customize their controls. It may sound simple, but the fact that players can set up separate horizontal and vertical look sensitivities is a big deal - and it could go a long way toward making the game that much more accessible for new players.

It should come as no surprise that Overwatch is a great game. This is Blizzard we're talking about, a company that's willing to completely cancel a game and scrap years of work before releasing a bad game. On top of that, PC players have known that the game was fun ever since the first beta dropped late last year.

However, console players have been burned before.

Overwatch has garnered more than a few comparisons to Team Fortress 2, and for good reason. However, while Team Fortress 2 is still a staple of PC gaming, the sub-par console version died a quick, painful death. There are plenty of players who worry that the same would happen to Overwatch.

While it's still too early to tell what the future holds for Blizzard's new shooter, console fans can rest assured that the game is definitely worth playing on their platform of choice. Overwatch may be known as a PC-centric title now, but we wouldn't be surprised if a dedicated console community popped up, too.

For the time being, we'll just have to wait and see: Overwatch is set for release on May 24.

© 2017 Tech Times, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.


This indigenous dad wrote a perfect response to racist comments at a restaurant

Last Thursday, Jarred Walls was at lunch with his partner and two children in a suburb of the Australian city of Perth when he overheard the two elderly women sitting next to him making disparaging remarks about Aboriginal (Australian indigenous) people.

"When a conversation starts out as ‘I’m not racist, but this is how they got into power, because of the color of his skin’, it’s not the most positive kind of conversation you’re hearing. It spiraled from there in terms of lots of talk about Aboriginal people and what we do and generalizing things," Walls, a 31-year-old Aboriginal man, "When a conversation starts out as ‘I’m not racist, but this is how they got into power, because of the color of his skin’, it’s not the most positive kind of conversation you’re hearing. It spiraled from there in terms of lots of talk about Aboriginal people and what we do and generalizing things," Walls, a 31-year-old Aboriginal man, told The West Australian , a local newspaper.

What he did next was a quiet but pointed rebuke: he sent the two women a pot of tea, with a note that read, "Enjoy the tea! Compliments of the 2 aboriginals sitting next to you on table 26 :)".

He #englishbreakfasttea " He posted a photo of the bill for the tea he sent over and talked about the experience on Facebook, writing, "I could have unleashed a tirade of abuse but that wouldn’t have helped. Instead, I did something nice and bought them a pot of tea and left a little note on the receipt. Maybe these ladies will be a little wiser and think before they speak. Hopefully there won’t be a next time! #blacklivesmatter

Walls went on to tell the paper, "If I had of gone over there and blasted them and said whatever there is to say, I don’t think that would had much of an impact, it probably would have solidified their views. I didn’t want to just sit there and say nothing–that’s how nothing changes."

Indigenous dad responds to racism in Perth cafe

Jarred Walls responded to two elderly women making racist comments about Aborigines in an East Fremantle cafe with a simple, classy gesture.


How often do George Lucas and J.J. Abrams talk?

George Lucas may have bowed out of the "Star Wars" game, but that doesn't mean he's out of the loop while work on the new trilogy unfolds. During an interview with Flicks and the City, Lucas' son, Jett, who was in "Attack of the Clones" and "Revenge of the Sith," detailed his father's involvement with the new movies.

"He's constantly talking to J.J.," Jett said, referring to director J.J. Abrams. "Obviously J.J. was handpicked. He is there to guide, whenever. He'll help where he can. At the same time, he wants to let it go and become its new generation."

Jett compares George Lucas' passing of the torch to that of a parent struggling to watch his or her 18-year-old leave the house. He's happy to see the series go yet still mourns the loss.

Watch the entire interview to see Jett Lucas discuss some of the speculation surrounding the "Star Wars" movies, including Saoirse Ronan's audition and his own involvement. "I already know what happens," he said. "I'm happy with what's going to happen."

George Lucas And J.J. Abrams Are 'Constantly Talking' About New 'Star Wars' Trilogy, Says Jett Lucas

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Joanna Gaines Just Shared the Most Brilliant Decorating Trick Ever

Joanna Gaines has shared her tips for cleaning, gardening and even parenting but the HGTV star still has a few more tricks up her denim sleeves. The co-host of Fixer Upper just revealed how she nails her summer flower arrangements, and it's a secret even the shiplap-adverse will like.

Instead of tossing leftover basil, she pops the kitchen staple into a bouquet for extra fullness, with the added bonus of a fresh scent.

Leftover basil makes for a good filler in a summer arrangement and it smells so fresh! A post shared by Joanna Stevens Gaines (@joannagaines) on Jul 30, 2016 at 1:56pm PDT

Even if you're not cooking, trimming your basil plant becomes necessary once it starts to flower. A healthy pruning encourages the plant to grow more leaves, and it comes back bigger and healthier than before.

On the flipside, if you've used up all of your basil for homemade pesto (yum!), other herbs will do the trick. Experiment with sprigs of rosemary, mint and thyme to get the same lush and sweet-smelling effect.

Accent greenery with white ranunculus, poppy pods and fresh lemons. Punch a skewer into the fruit to prop it up against the blooms.

Feeling inspired to make a bouquet of your own? Check out our 50 favorite flower arrangements for more gorgeous ideas.

Joanna Gaines Shares Her Tip for Flower Arrangements

Joanna Gaines just revealed on Instagram how she nails her summer flower arrangements.

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@VictoriasSecret model announces her pregnancy with stunning nude photo

The Victoria's Secret stunner made the big announcement on Instagram Thursday (Feb. 6) with a nude photo unveiling her blossoming belly. In the tasteful shot, Kroes stands holding her bump and looking at the camera.

"This is not a #throwbackthursday this is now! So happy to share with you that we are expecting," she captioned the pic..

This is the second child for the 29-year-old beauty and her husband, DJ Sunnery James. The couple, who married in 2010, welcomed son Phyllon in 2011.

James also shared the joyful news on his Instagram, writing, "Super happy to announce that we're expecting new love in our life! My beautiful wifey is pregnant. #Family #Love."

Doutzen Kroes Announces She's Pregnant With Stunning Nude Photo

Supermodel Doutzen Kroes is pregnant!

The Victoria's Secret stunner made the big announcement on Instagram Thursday (Feb. 6) with

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An important critic leaves the The New York Times

According to multiple sources, Cathy Horyn, The New York Times long-standing and much respected chief fashion critic, is leaving the newspaper just days before New York Fashion Week is set to start, citing the ill health of her partner, Liz Claiborne co-founder Art Ortenberg.

Cathy Horyn, Venerable Fashion Critic, Leaves The New York Times

According to multiple sources, Cathy Horyn, The New York Times long-standing and much respected chief fashion critic, is leaving the newspaper just days ...


Fan's dark theory about Grease's Danny and Sandy will change way you watch it

We've all seen the film Grease. It's a classic.

The cult movie gets a repeat showing on our TV screens every few months and has even the most stony-faced singing along to its tunes - even the rude ones we didn't realise had dodgy lyrics.

But some fans of the film with a bizarre theory have piped up and will probably change the way we watch the movie FOREVER. Seriously.

Posting to Reddit, the fan questioned how the car flew at the end of the film before offering their own explanation.

"At the start of the film, we see Danny and Sandy meeting on the beach. Later, Danny explains through song that they first met when Danny "saved her life - she nearly drowned."

The theory? "Sandy actually did drown on the beach that day.

"As she drowned, her brain deprived of oxygen, she had a vivid coma fantasy involving her summer fling, Danny, where they shared a magical year of high school together.

"The visions get increasingly outlandish as time passes, until finally, as Danny desperately tries to resuscitate her on the beach, she sees herself flying into Heaven in her dying moments.

"The entire movie was a drowning woman's coma fantasy."

poll loading What do you think about this Grease fan theory? 1000+ VOTES SO FAR It's ridiculous OMG IT'S AMAZING

Another Reddit user, Randomd0g, offered a similar explanation: "I have a similar one to this which makes it so it's not just a complete "all in her head" theory.

"Sandy kills herself towards the end of the movie and the entire last scene is her dying thoughts (and/or a dream sequence of some kind).

"Evidence: The last line of "Look at me I'm Sandra Dee (Reprise)" is "Goodbye to Sandra Dee"

"Everything that happens in the last scene is just a little TOO perfect. Danny and Sandy are back together despite everything, Rizzo SUDDENLY isn't pregnant AND Kenickie suddenly decides that he actually loves her, the geeky kid gets onto the sports team, EVERYTHING is suddenly OK, just the way that sweet, innocent Sandy would have wanted it to be.

"And in the last shot of the movie, she flies up to heaven with her dream boyfriend in her magic flying car."

duderino13 had a far more normal theory about the car: "I thought it was more that the car was fixed up to be so incredibly smooth it's as if you're flying above the clouds."

And many called the theory ridiculous, but they certainly won't be able to forget it next time they watch.

We'll certainly be going over it with a fine toothcomb next time it's on TV on a Sunday evening to look for more evidence of this.

Fan shares dark theory about Danny and Sandy in Grease


Simone Paget, Special to Postmedia Network Sep 30, 2016

Travis and I met online and quickly bonded over our shared love of Caribbean food and Seinfeld reruns. We spent the next month hanging out, cooking together and eating at our favourite restaurants.

Travis was a good companion. I really wanted to make things work between us, but when it came time to get intimate, everything just felt off. The way Travis kissed me (too much tongue, too much saliva - just too much of everything).

His smell: A popular cologne from the ‘90s that reminded me of a high school ex-boyfriend. The ambiance in the room was Guy Fieri’s voice reverberating throughout the apartment; an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives playing loudly in the background. In the past, I might have ignored these other details, choosing instead to focus on the fact that Travis seemed like such a sweet guy, but instead I decided to speak up.

"I’m sorry but I can’t do this," I said as I rolled away from him and off the bed.

Travis was livid, as he stomped around his apartment, calling me "a tease" among other things. Then, he threw a pillow at my head! Unsettled, I quickly called my best friend to come pick me up.

I could have just stayed with Travis that night, faked my way through what would have been a very awkward sexual encounter and written it off as just another instance of bad sex - something I’ve done many times in the past - but, I didn’t.

There’s a myth that women fake orgasms to stroke the egos of their male partners, but there have been times I’ve faked it just to get out of scenarios like the one I described above. Apparently, I’m not the only one.

According to a recent Canadian study presented at the British Psychological Society's Psychology of Women, some women fake orgasms because they're uncomfortable and want their partners to finish — or because, in some cases, they didn't even want to have sex in the first place.

The small study featured interviews with 15 women between the ages of 19 and 28, all of whom had been sexually active for at least one year..

Originally, the researchers set out to interview women about the reasons why they faked orgasms during consensual sex. Yet they found that the women were faking orgasms as a way to get out of troubling, or, in some cases, borderline non-consensual, sexual encounters.

What women described as "bad sex" typically fell into two categories: Unsatisfying or unwanted. The reasons why the sex was unsatisfying varied widely, from pre-existing health issues to poor male sexual performance. However, the women who described sex as unwanted said they felt pressured by their male partners, who ranged widely from husbands and boyfriends to one-night hookups.

To gain some insight I spoke to Deborah Mecklinger, who is a therapist, mediator and life coach based in Toronto. As she explains, "pretending to laugh at the joke that she doesn’t find funny, professing to like his music, food preferences or his sport of choice, feigning interest in a conversation that she really finds dull and/or faking an orgasm all connect to women not feeling entitled to have their needs met." As Mecklinger shares, some women also fake orgasms "because it seems easier than letting their partners know what pleasures them."

We can’t expect to have positive sexual experiences unless we take responsibility for our own pleasure and emotional wellbeing. So, why is it so hard for us to speak up about what we need?

I think part of this has to do with the fact that as women, many of us are raised to be pleasers and nurturers, who put other people’s needs before our own. However, being honest about your sexual and emotional needs is a vulnerable experience which can feel really scary- regardless of your gender.

So, how do we fix this? We become kinder to ourselves, we treat our partners with patience and we create safe spaces where one person can say, "Hey, I’m not really feeling this" without being smacked in the face with a pillow.

Lifestyle's Love & Sex section offers a variety of content, articles, videos, photos, about love, sexuality, romance, relationships, sex habits, dating advices and weddings.

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