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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check
October 29, 2009
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Health and Medical Briefs:
As it turns out, you may have to go no further than your kitchen to find the cure for cancer. Researchers believe a spice contained in curry could kill cancer cells.
The spice turmeric is the key ingredient found in curry. Researchers believe there may be a chemical in turmeric that is the key to fighting cancer. They found that esophageal cancer cells treated with the chemical curcumin began to die off within 24 hours. Writings in the British Journal of Cancer explain the chemical also made the cancer cells start digesting themselves.
Researchers say their findings could lead to new treatments for esophageal cancer, which is great news for the 500-thousand people who die from the disease worldwide every year. (Page)
Good timing award:
Did you hear about the kid who was awarded unlimited free flights from an airline?
Agence France-Presse says the baby boy was born last week aboard an AirAsia flight over Malaysia. The budget airline says that qualifies the child and his mother for complimentary tickets for life.
31-year-old LIEW SIAW went into labor, causing the crew to make an emergency landing. She managed to deliver her baby just before the plane touched down in Kuala Lumpur. Liew was so excited by the whole thing, she named the baby after the airline. The boy's name is ASIA LIEW YA HANG. Ya Hang means "Air Asia" in Chinese. (Still)
Don't Try This at Home:
This just might qualify as the craziest stunt of the year.
Agence France-Presse is reporting a 26-year-old daredevil jumped his dirt bike over a hovering helicopter in Australia yesterday (Wednesday). TRAVIS PASTRANA cleared the rotating chopper blades by about 4-feet in front of Sydney's Harbor Bridge. That sounds like a comfortable distance, but Travis says he actually cut it a little close. He added, "There was a little bit of turbulence up there I wouldn't recommend it to anyone." The stunt rider says he did it to help promote the new MTV show Nitro Circus, which airs next year. (Still)
Grace Notes:
DONNY OSMOND with tattoos? This week, a series of email blasts went out to radio stations and news outlets slowly revealing a photo of a man with multiple tattoos. The final reveal came yesterday that it's Donny Osmond! He has a new single out called "I Have You To Thank" and it rocks thanks to contributions from RICHIE SAMBORA of BON JOVI and GAVIN DeGRAW. But, Donny is a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or Mormons, and the religion frowns upon body art, especially tattoos. Back in 2006, The Salt Lake City Tribune ran a quote from the now late Mormon leader GORDON B. HINCKLEY where he said tattoos are (quote), "graffiti on the temple of the body." So what's with the photo of an inked-up Donny? Industry sources say his record label, in2unemusic, just added the tatts without asking Donny's permission. (Marino)
Top-Earning Dead Celebrities:
Source: Forbes magazine
New list of the top-earning dead celebs is out, and (quel surprise!) MICHAEL JACKSON made the list for the first time. The rest is filled with authors, music stars and, surprisingly at the top --a fashion designer.
13. Andy Warhol, $6 million
12. Jimi Hendrix, $8 million,
11. Aaron Spelling, $8 million,
10. Michael Crichton, $9 million,
9. Albert Einstein, $10 million,
8. Dr Seuss, $15 million,
7. John Lennon, $15 million,
6. Charles Schultz, $35 million,
5. J.R.R. Tolkien, $50 million,
4. Elvis Presley, $55 million,
3. Michael Jackson (debut), $90 million in just the four months since his death.
2. Broadway legends Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein, $235 million,
1. Yves Saint Laurent, $350 million.FYI: Falling off this year's list: Marilyn Monroe, James Dean, Steve McQueen and Heath Ledger.
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