XIAM007

Making Unique Observations in a Very Cluttered World

Friday 16 August 2013

Sugary drinks linked to aggressive behaviour in young children: U.S. study -

Sugary drinks linked to aggressive behaviour in young children: U.S. study - 



New research conducted in the United States has found that young children who consume four soft drinks a day are more likely to be violent, moody, and have difficulties concentrating.

The study, done by researchers at Columbia University, asked mothers of five-year-old children how many sugary drinks they consumed each day over the previous two months, as well as how their behaviour was over that same period.

Almost half of the 3,000 children drank at least one soft drink per day. Approximately 120 children consumed four or more soft drinks a day.

The link between the soft drinks and aggression was “strong and consistent,” said the researchers, even when other factors like socioeconomic status, domestic violence, and the amount of sugary snacks the kids consumed were taken into account.

Regardless of gender, the study also found that the more sugary drinks a child consumed, the worse their behaviour was likely to be.

Despite this, researcher Shakira Suglia said she cannot prove conclusively that the soft drinks were making the children violent. She did, however, suggest that cutting down on sugary drinks could lead to improved behaviour.

Dr. Sarah Schenker of the British Dietetic Association recommends giving children milk or water instead of sugary drinks. Fruit juice is OK, if consumed in moderation.

Read more -

New rule bans Georgia drivers from paying toll of next driver -

New rule bans Georgia drivers from paying toll of next driver - 



No more paying it forward for the driver behind you at the Georgia 400 toll plaza.
A new rule from the State Road and Tollway Authority bans drivers from paying the toll for the person behind them in line.
That became something of a local tradition over the last 20 years. But The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that some drivers had recently complained that cashiers were pocketing the extra 50 cents when they didn't see their money being tossed into the coin basket for the driver behind them.
The deputy executive director of the State Road and Tollway Authority, Bert Brantley, says a driver might not see the extra money being thrown into the change basket because the next motorist sometimes declined the money, allowing it to be passed to another driver.


Read more: -

Key Congressional Staffer Goes To Work For Student Debit Card Firm She Investigated... -

Key Congressional Staffer Goes To Work For Student Debit Card Firm She Investigated... - 



As a former legislative assistant for Sen. Dick Durbin, Joanna Serra was part of an investigation into Higher One. Now the company turned around and hired her.

The notorious revolving door between Congress and the industries it oversees has opened for a company that makes its money off student loans.
The controversial, New Haven-based Higher One, which has been criticized by politicians and consumer advocacy groups for onerous practices related its student debit cards, has poached a key staff member from one of its harshest congressional critics.
Joanna Serra, who was a legislative assistant and the primary staff member on education issues for liberal Democratic Sen. Richard Durbin, is now working in government affairs for Higher One. A representative for Durbin confirmed that Serra left in July. She started working at Higher One on July 15, a company representative told BuzzFeed.
Her responsibilities, according to a job listing posted by Higher One, include working “as a company representative for federal and state lobbying efforts and trade associations” and monitoring “state and federal legislative and regulatory issues.”
Higher One’s primary business is the disbursement of student financial aid and providing students with debit cards with financial aid money. Both Higher One’s marketing of those debit cards — students often receive them without signing up or requesting them — and the fees associated with them, such as when PINs are used to make debit purchases or using non-Higher One ATMs, have been criticized by consumer groups, among them the U.S. Public Interest Research Group. HigherOne disburses financial aid on campuses with around 4.5 million students enrolled and has 2.2 account holders.
Messages left for Serra went unreturned.

Read more - 

Big baby boom: Supersize deliveries have doctors worried... -

Big baby boom: Supersize deliveries have doctors worried... - 




A month after delivering a 13-pound, 12-ounce baby girl, Pennsylvania mom Michelle Cessna is reveling in the healthy arrival of her “little blessing” while also scrambling to re-stock her diaper supply.

“We had to exchange all our little diapers for bigger ones,” Cessna, 37, says with a laugh. And baby Addyson shot right past newborn clothes and left the hospital dressed in an outfit meant for a 3-month-old.

Addyson Cessna joins a small but growing club of giant babies making headlines. So far this summer, a German baby girl weighed in at nearly 13 and a half pounds; a California woman had a 13-pound, 10-ounce girl; and just last week, a British mom in Spain gave birth to a 13-pound, 11-ounce daughter. 

And back in March, a British mom gave birth — naturally — to a 15-pound, 7-ounce son.

All these whopping newborns are starting to leave moms-to-be a tad nervous — and some doctors concerned. 

Read more - 

Reporter created website to explain his Suicide... INCLUDED GPS COORDINATES OF $200K BURIED TREASURE... -

Reporter created website to explain his Suicide...  INCLUDED GPS COORDINATES OF $200K BURIED TREASURE... - 



60-year-old Martin Manley committed suicide on 8/15 in front of the Overland Park police station. But before doing so, he did what no other person who’ve taken their lives have done. He put up a website attempting to explain his decision.

It’s a memoir of sorts which goes through his past, present and future and tries to build an understanding of what he was going through and why he decided to kill himself. He was suffering from grapheme-color synesthesia and his mind was deteriorating rapidly.

I began seeing the problems that come with aging some time ago. I was sick of leaving the garage door open overnight. I was sick of forgetting to zip up when I put on my pants. I was sick of forgetting the names of my best friends. I was sick of going downstairs and having no idea why. I was sick of watching a movie, going to my account on IMDB to type up a review and realizing I’ve already seen it and, worse, already written a review! I was sick of having to dig through the trash to find an envelope that was sent to me so I could remember my own address – especially since I lived in the same place for the last nine years!

The site is here but you may want to try the mirror that can be found here.

It’s no doubt an interesting read but one part of the website is starting to overshadow the rest. The location of his buried treasure. That’s right. Martin Manley left the GPS coordinates to his wealth.

I had no financial problems. I sold my house which was completely paid for in 1998. The same year I bought $30,000 in 1/10 ounce gold coins and pre 1965 silver coins. Gold was $300/ounce when I bought it and silver was $4/ounce. Gold went up to $1,700 and Silver to $44 making my stash worth over $200,000.

38.800542, -94.687884

That bit of info has now brought citizens and police to a forest in Kansas City in search of Curly’s Manley’s gold.

Read more - 

Sea Snail Hatches In Little Boy's Knee - keeps it as a pet - called "Turbo".... -

Sea Snail Hatches In Little Boy's Knee - keeps it as a pet - called "Turbo".... - 



A four-year-old boy from California has come home from a family beach holiday with a rather unusual souvenir - a sea snail which hatched and grew inside his knee.

Paul Franklin, from Aliso Viejo in Orange County, fell and grazed his knee on rocks whilst on a summer camping trip.

His parents became worried as the wound started to become swollen and infected.

Three weeks later, the boy's mother, Rachael, decided to squeeze the sore on his knee - and out popped the sea-snail.
"His knee was size of orange, and hot to the touch and he's limping.

She said what came out "looked like a rock - it was a black thing and I put it on paper-towel and it had whirls and I turned it over and it was a sea-snail and I just like had to laugh".

The family have now put the creature into their fish-tank and named it Turbo.



Read more -