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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check - May 25, 2012
May 25, 2012
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Your Body:
Do you live in fear of missing an email? New research shows that ignoring your inbox may save your ticker! The UK's Daily Mail reports scientists at the University of California /Irvine strapped heart rate monitors to 13 men and women that use computers in the workplace and discovered folks that stay constantly logged into their email accounts had dangerously "high alert" heart rates.
Professor GLORIA MARK was surprised by the results and suggests that bosses give employees a vacation from email. Not only will it give the body a chance to relax, limiting digital correspondence can boost workers' concentration levels. (Lee)Top-10 BBQ guests in history:
So you're doing a lot of barbecuing this summer. Having any company? If you could invite anyone, who'd be at the top of the list? Smithsonian magazine asked its readers and while family was at the top, choices two through 10 were interesting. Imagine the table conversation with this group:
10. Mark Twain
9. Albert Einstein
8. George Washington
7. Leonardo da Vinci
6. John Adams
5. Abraham Lincoln
4. Jesus
3. Thomas Jefferson
2. Ben Franklin
1. Your family
Editor's note: Shockingly, the KARDASHIAN family all failed to make the list. However, they were invited to the nude volleyball game after the barbecue! (Maiman)The Indy 500:
The 101st running (!!!) of the Indianapolis 500 is this weekend. The race used to be held on Memorial Day, which, of course, was May 30 until all the holidays got moved to Monday. Now, it's on a Sunday, because of TV revenue, etc.
Also, although May 30 will mark the 101st anniversary of the annual event, the race was suspended during the war years (as an example to people to save gas) in WWI (1917–18) and WWII (1942–45), and therefore the actual 100th running of the event will not occur until 2016.
The festivities start at the Brickyard with the traditional singing of "Back Home in Indiana." Then, it's "Gentlemen, start your engines!" So, with that in mind, some...Taking everything much too seriously:
A farmer in England has started applying sunscreen to his pigs.
According to Orange.co.uk, 41-year-old farmer GRAHAM WADSWORTH applies sunblock to the ears of three piglets to stop their skin from drying out in the sun. The Belgian Pietrain pigs are known for their pale skin which burns easily Wadsworth says, "We're also making sure they have mud baths which is a natural sunscreen for pigs."
Wadsworth wants to keep the pigs' skin soft so the bacon will be more tender, according to the article. (Still)Fashion Emergency:
Doctors are warning that skinny jeans can actually cause a nerve disorder! It's called merlagia paresthetica. The tight jeans can cause nerve compression that leads to numbness, tingling and pain. And, Fashionista.com says if you prefer to pair your skinnies with stilettos, all that pelvic-tilting and butt-lifting caused by the combination of tight jeans and heels can make the nerve pressure in your legs worse. In extreme cases, surgery is necessary. But if you're experiencing the symptoms of skinny-jeans syndrome, there's simpler solution: just wear more comfy pants. (Bartha)
One on One:
Visiting all 50 states wasn't enough for REID WILLIAMSON: The 64-year-old is one of just 32 "completers," Extra Miler Club members known to have visited all 3,143 U-S counties.
Williamson's quest started at age 14 after he received the gift of an atlas that outlined each of the country's counties.
Toughest state to conquer: Alaska, which required three separate trips, one of which involved 29 flights. "I tried not to think about the money," he says. "I ate canned tuna fish afterwards for a while."
But his quest wasn't just about crossing counties off a list. He tells the Washington Post: "I travel for the purpose of seeing the face of the Earth," he says. But as for some of the more boring parts of Kansas, Oklahoma, and Texas, "I might not have gone to some of them if I wasn't doing this."
Williamson comes from Delaware, by the way, the state with the fewest counties in the nation: Three.
Some Extra Miler "completers" go even further, insisting on crossing every county's border with another county. There are 19-thousand such crossings.
Williamson says. "I'm not doing that one." (Maiman) -
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