Today's issue of eMaxHealth has an interesting story that an Oregon man has become pregnant and is already 22 weeks ahead in Pregnancy. The man's name is Thomas Beatie who lives with his wife Nancy in Oregon. While the issue of male pregnancy is very intriguing it's also very controversial since a man becoming pregnant is very unique event in the history of human existence.
eMaxHealth story reads that "Mr Beatie is legally male and lives with his wife, Nancy, in Bend, Oregon. Thomas Beatie, of course, is actually a girl. She took some steps toward a sex change operation but did not complete the reproductive goodies."
His wife Mrs Beatie was unable to conceive, having suffered severe endometriosis and undergone a hysterectomy, her husband Thomas writes.
"Therefore, they decided that Thomas Beatie should try to carry a baby. Thomas stopped the hormone injections and his periods returned, he writes. This is how we the story of a man becoming pregnant," continues eMaxHealth.
What is the ethics involved in this story? I feel that this is just an egocentric experience on the couple's side. Thomas Beatie's wife could not conceive and they tried to take an advantage of his previous sex and go back to being a girl or who knows what. Let's say it's even cool. Huge media attention, perhaps some celebrity attributes and a chance to become the "hero" of a very unique experiment.
However, have the pregnant man and his wife ever thought about the future of the child and about the infant's health? How come we learn about this issue when he is already 22 weeks ahead in pregnancy, but not from the outset?
In any case we consider this morally wrong a a game with your own sex and an experiment with your future child.
A huge desire to have children could result in adopting a poor child and making one child from an orphanage happier with a loving family, but not in a way of a woman becoming legally man and then becoming back woman and then being called a pregnant man.
Source: http://www.huliq.com/54928/oregon-pregnant-man039s-action-ethically-wrong
Obama Tax Returns
Here is the Obama’s Tax Returns (in short form) for the last seven years from TaxProf via Instapundit. These are the numbers from the joint filing of Michelle and Barack Obama. Tax Prof noted that the Obama’s didn’t give nearly 10% of their income to Trinity United Methodist Church, or at least they didn’t list it. It is also worth noting that Michelle Obama had a big increase in her salary after her husband Barack was elected to the Senate, and that Barack had a substantial income from his books over the last two years. Barack Obama is now urging Senator Hillary Clinton to show her tax returns.
Barack and Michelle Obama earned close to $1 million in 2006, paid more than $318,000 in taxes and got a $40,000 refund, according to the couple’s tax return released by the Democratic presidential candidate’s campaign on Tuesday.
The Obamas owed the government $277,000 after itemized deductions, which included $60,449 in mortgage interest and $60,307 in charitable contributions.
The Obamas are on vacation in the U.S. Virgin Islands, returning to the mainland on Wednesday. In issuing the returns from 2000-2006, the campaign on Tuesday laid down the gauntlet for Clinton, who said Tuesday she will likely release her records within the next week. The Pennsylvania primary is on April 22.
“I am pleased that Senator Obama has released his tax returns. I think that’s a good first step. Now he should release his records from being in the state senate and any other information that the public and the press need to know from his prior experience, because I think that, you know, we should continue to make available the information that we have,” she said in a press conference.
Obama’s campaign called any effort to demand more from the Illinois senator audacious.
“Senator Clinton can’t claim to be vetted until she allows the public the opportunity to see her finances—particularly with respect to any investment in tax shelters,” Obama Communications Director Robert Gibbs said in a statement.
http://politicalkudzu.com/2008/03/25/obama-tax-returns/
Built-in threat meter coming in future patch
As time moves forward, so does WoW's built-in interface. Last patch we got some big additions in voice chat and guild banks (alright, that's not quite interface, but it's not quite gameplay either), as well as cursors and tracking for various types of objects and NPCs. There's not much in terms of interface news in patch 2.4, but Nethaera has just confirmed that a future patch will bring a big new feature: threat meters. (We first heard about this back at Blizzcon.)
Required by many raid groups, two big threat meter add-ons have been available for a while: KLHThreatMeter (a.k.a. KTM) and Omen Threat Meter. They both work very well (and Omen's new version is going to have some shiny new features), but they share a flaw: they don't have direct access to the game's threat info, relying instead on databases of clever deductions and discoveries painstakingly built up over months. This means whenever a new patch comes out, the developers have to figure out what, if anything, has changed in terms of threat numbers, and how much. Presumably, Blizzard's threat meter will have direct access to the numbers. And hopefully when the threat meter is added to the game there will me methods added to the API for accessing the numbers, so KTM and Omen can become even better alongside the new official meter.
Source: http://www.wowinsider.com/2008/02/27/built-in-threat-meter-coming-in-future-patch/
Falling asleep on the job can improve your memory, study shows
Hamburg, Germany - Falling asleep on the job for a few minutes can improve your memory and mental performance, according to a team of German researchers. Dr. Olaf Lahl at the University of Dusseldorf, Germany, has shown that simply falling asleep does more than refresh the brain - it can improve recall and mental efficiency.
In fact, a six-minute nap can have the same effect as nighttime sleep on memory.
Dr. Lahl's team asked students to memorize a list of vocabulary and tested their ability to recall the list after an hour of playing solitaire.
Volunteers were asked to remember a list of 30 words. They were then given an hour's break before the memory test. During the break, some volunteers were allowed to nap for six minutes, while others had to stay awake.
The researchers found that those who had been allowed to nap displayed "superior recall" in the memory test compared to those who stayed awake.
The researchers said this was the first time that a very brief sleep has been shown to improve memory.
"To our knowledge, this demonstrates for the first time that an ultra-brief sleep episode provides an effective memory enhancement," Lahl he writes in the Journal of Sleep Research.
His researchers found that it was possible that falling asleep triggered a process in the brain that continued regardless of how long the person stayed asleep.
"It seems much more is happening during the initialization of sleep than we once thought," Dr. Lahl says.
"Maybe much of sleep's functional aspects are accomplished at its very beginning," writes in the article.
Source: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/194132,falling-asleep-on-the-job-can-improve-your-memory-study-shows.html
In fact, a six-minute nap can have the same effect as nighttime sleep on memory.
Dr. Lahl's team asked students to memorize a list of vocabulary and tested their ability to recall the list after an hour of playing solitaire.
Volunteers were asked to remember a list of 30 words. They were then given an hour's break before the memory test. During the break, some volunteers were allowed to nap for six minutes, while others had to stay awake.
The researchers found that those who had been allowed to nap displayed "superior recall" in the memory test compared to those who stayed awake.
The researchers said this was the first time that a very brief sleep has been shown to improve memory.
"To our knowledge, this demonstrates for the first time that an ultra-brief sleep episode provides an effective memory enhancement," Lahl he writes in the Journal of Sleep Research.
His researchers found that it was possible that falling asleep triggered a process in the brain that continued regardless of how long the person stayed asleep.
"It seems much more is happening during the initialization of sleep than we once thought," Dr. Lahl says.
"Maybe much of sleep's functional aspects are accomplished at its very beginning," writes in the article.
Source: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/194132,falling-asleep-on-the-job-can-improve-your-memory-study-shows.html
Chase Tatum Former Wrestler Found Dead From Suspected Drug Overdose
Chase Tatum, 34, a former wrestler was found dead Sunday in his home in Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood. Tatum died from suffering an apparent accidental drug overdose. Chase Tatum used to wrestle for the now-defunct World Championship Wrestling organization. More recently, he appeared in the comedy “Who’s Your Caddy?” alongside rapper Big Boi of Outkast.
Source: http://anythinghollywood.com/2008/03/chase-tatum-former-wrestler-found-dead-from-suspected-drug-overdose/
PS3 System Update 2.20 Is Up
Sony Playstation 3 UPDATE 2.20 INCLUDES
Here are some of the other new features/enhancements that will be included in Firmware v2.20:
The ability to copy PS3 Music and Photo playlists to a PSP system. We introduced the ability to create Music and Photo playlists on the PS3 in firmware update v2.0. Now you can easily export your playlists to your PSP.
You can now play DivX and WMV format files that are over 2 GB. In addition, you can now display subtitles when viewing DivX files.
Resume Play - begin playing a DVD or BD disc from the point where you previously stopped it, even if you eject the disc and insert a different movie or game.
Use your PSP as a remote control to play back your music files on your PS3 without turning on your TV
The Internet browser now displays some web pages faster. In addition [Save Target] has been added as an option under file. This option lets you save a file that is linked to a web page to your PS3 hard drive or storage media
There are a few other tweaks and upgrades included in v2.20 - we’ll provide more specifics as the update is about to go live.
Source: http://sonyplaystationthree.wordpress.com/2008/03/25/ps3-system-update-220-is-up/
Mayor Kilpatrick, Christine Beatty Charged
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy has just announced that Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and his former Chief of Staff Christine Beatty will be charged with 15 counts of perjury and must turn themselves in by 7am on Tuesday. Worthy has said if the Mayor and Ms. Beatty do not turn themselves in by this time, arrest warrants will be issued for them.
In a startling decision, totally unexpected by some, Kym Worthy has proven that her office is serious about the text message scandal that the City Council feels has tarnished the city's image.
"This case was about as far from being a private matter as one can get. Honesty and integrity in the justice system is everything. That is what this case is about," Worthy said at a news conference.
"Just when did honesty and integrity, truth and honor become traits to be mocked, downplayed, ignored, laughed at or excuses made for them? When did telling the truth become a supporting player to everything else?"
A perjury conviction could bring up to 15 years' imprisonment and force Kilpatrick to relinquish the mayor's office.
Source: http://www.huliq.com/54665/mayor-kilpatrick-christine-beatty-charged
In a startling decision, totally unexpected by some, Kym Worthy has proven that her office is serious about the text message scandal that the City Council feels has tarnished the city's image.
"This case was about as far from being a private matter as one can get. Honesty and integrity in the justice system is everything. That is what this case is about," Worthy said at a news conference.
"Just when did honesty and integrity, truth and honor become traits to be mocked, downplayed, ignored, laughed at or excuses made for them? When did telling the truth become a supporting player to everything else?"
A perjury conviction could bring up to 15 years' imprisonment and force Kilpatrick to relinquish the mayor's office.
Source: http://www.huliq.com/54665/mayor-kilpatrick-christine-beatty-charged
Man Sells Life on Ebay
After 5 years of marriage Ian Usher just wants to start all over. He's gonna sell his house, car, clothes and even his friends. His ex-wife thinks he's nuts! He hopes that everything is worth $500,000. The auction will start on the 22nd of June.
Taken from his website:
"...Hi there, my name is Ian Usher, and I have had enough of my life! I don't want it any more! You can have it if you like!
No, I'm not contemplating suicide, I am going to sell my life!! I have my reasons, for further details click the "Why" tab below. However, I am still not sure whether this is inspired madness, complete foolishness, or just some sort of mid-life crisis.
Whatever it is, it's all going up for sale in one big auction. Everything I have and everything I am.
On the day it is all sold and settled I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other, nothing else at all, and get on the train, with no idea where I am going or what the future holds for me..."
Check it Out: http://www.alife4sale.com/
Taken from his website:
"...Hi there, my name is Ian Usher, and I have had enough of my life! I don't want it any more! You can have it if you like!
No, I'm not contemplating suicide, I am going to sell my life!! I have my reasons, for further details click the "Why" tab below. However, I am still not sure whether this is inspired madness, complete foolishness, or just some sort of mid-life crisis.
Whatever it is, it's all going up for sale in one big auction. Everything I have and everything I am.
On the day it is all sold and settled I intend to walk out of my front door with my wallet in one pocket and my passport in the other, nothing else at all, and get on the train, with no idea where I am going or what the future holds for me..."
Check it Out: http://www.alife4sale.com/
Girl Whose Disembowelment Led To Pool Legislation Dies
A 6-year-old girl who underwent a rare transplant surgery after her intestines were sucked out in a swimming pool has died in an Omaha hospital.
Abigail Taylor's family said she died Thursday evening. Bob Bennett is an attorney for the Taylor family. He said Abigail's parents were with her when she died at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
NMC's Paul Baltes confirmed to KETV NewsWatch 7 that Abigail died at the hospital, where she has been under care since the operation. Baltes was not sure whether an autopsy or exact cause of death would be released to the public.
Abigail was injured when she sat on a pool drain, and its powerful suction ripped out part of her intestinal tract on June 29. She underwent transplant surgery in December at the Nebraska hospital to receive a new small bowel, liver and pancreas.
Abigail Taylor's family said she died Thursday evening. Bob Bennett is an attorney for the Taylor family. He said Abigail's parents were with her when she died at Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.
NMC's Paul Baltes confirmed to KETV NewsWatch 7 that Abigail died at the hospital, where she has been under care since the operation. Baltes was not sure whether an autopsy or exact cause of death would be released to the public.
Abigail was injured when she sat on a pool drain, and its powerful suction ripped out part of her intestinal tract on June 29. She underwent transplant surgery in December at the Nebraska hospital to receive a new small bowel, liver and pancreas.
Lindsey Paulat, Steeler Girlfriend, and Her 12-Hour Standoff
Showing that they mean business about player conduct, the Steelers have released wide out Cedric Wilson, just a few hours after he was arrested after going after an ex-girlfriend and getting arrested for assault against her. The team sent out a simple, two paragraph statement, not putting down the reason for the release, but of course anyone can put two and two together and figure it out.
The 29-year-old Wilson went after ex-girlfriend Lindsey Paulat last night about 8pm at the Patron Mexican Grille in Pine Township. He saw her at the bar, and then according to Paulat pushed her and then punched her in the left side of her face before taking off from the eatery. Police said that Paulat’s face had redness and swelling.
Wilson was arraigned around 4 a.m. Thursday on charges of simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct and freed on $10,000 bail. The ball catcher was with the Steelers for three seasons, catching 81 passes for 1162 yards and two scores. Last year he had 18 grabs for 207 yards. Paulat and Wilson have had previous go-arounds, and she is the mother of the couple’s 1-year-old daughter.
Source: http://www.steelersgab.com/2008/03/20/so-long-cedrick-wilson-released-following-arrest/
Eagle ray turns killer: woman killed in boat by its barb just like Steve Irwin
A woman was killed by an eagle ray that jumped into her boat; the woman was stabbed with its barb just like Steve Irwin. The freak accident happened just off the coast of Florida Keys.
The Eagle Ray just jumped out of the water and its barb penetrated the woman on some part of her body, this then caused her to fall back where she hit her head. It is not known which of the two caused her death. However some media at the scene said that the Eagles Rays barb had stabbed her through the neck.
The rays often swim near the water's surface and can leap out, especially when pursued, but are generally shy of humans.
Source: http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSN3K32064420080320
Spring Starts with Vernal Equinox 2008
Today is the first day of spring in the North Hemisphere. And it comes with a vernal equinox. It occurred at 1:48 EST marking the beginning of spring 2008. This season will last until June 21, summer solstice.
What is a Vernal Equinox?
According to Wolfram.com
The date (near March 21 in the northern hemisphere) when night and day are nearly the same length and Sun crosses the celestial equator (i.e., declination 0) moving northward. In the southern hemisphere, the vernal equinox corresponds to the center of the Sun crossing the celestial equator moving southward and occurs on the date of the northern autumnal equinox. The vernal equinox marks the first day of the season of spring. The right ascension at the vernal equinox originally was in the constellation Aries and the point of crossing was known as the first point in Aries (now actually in Pisces because of precession).
So, you see, it’s an astronomical event that serves us determine our seasons. In the Southern Hemisphere we can observe the autumnal equinox which marks the beginning of fall.
Source: http://toppayingideas.com/blog/2008/03/20/spring-starts-with-vernal-equinox-2008/
Watch NCAA March Madness on Demand
NCAA March Madness on Demand begins its annual NCAA Tournament coverage today, Thursday. The first game of the tournament will be at 12:20pm as No. 3 Xavier takes on No. 14 Georgia in Washington, DC.
NCAA March Madness on Demand (MMOD) is the online video player that allows users to view all 63 games of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.
MMOD airs every game from the first round of the tournament through the Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, including the Championship game on April 7.
NCAA March Madness on Demand is produced in partnership with CBS Sports, CBS College Sports Network and the NCAA.
Enough bla bla, go to the NCAA March Madness on Demand
Source: http://news.mylocoworld.com/2008/03/20/ncaa-march-madness-demand/
NCAA March Madness on Demand (MMOD) is the online video player that allows users to view all 63 games of the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship.
MMOD airs every game from the first round of the tournament through the Men’s Final Four in San Antonio, including the Championship game on April 7.
NCAA March Madness on Demand is produced in partnership with CBS Sports, CBS College Sports Network and the NCAA.
Enough bla bla, go to the NCAA March Madness on Demand
Source: http://news.mylocoworld.com/2008/03/20/ncaa-march-madness-demand/