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Overnight Briefing & General Reality Check
November 11, 2009
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How Veteran's Day came about:
Many people don't know that Veteran's Day was founded because this is the day in 1918 that World War One ended. At 5 am that morning, Germany, having exhausted manpower and supplies and faced with imminent invasion, signed an armistice agreement with the Allies in a railroad car outside Compiègne, France. The following year, Armistice Day was declared a national day of mourning by then-President WOODROW WILSON.
The First World War left nine million soldiers dead and 21 million wounded, with Germany, Russia, Austria-Hungary, France, and Great Britain each losing nearly a million or more lives. In addition, at least five million civilians died from disease, starvation, or exposure. It was supposed to be the war to end all wars. If they only knew then.
I'm a Poll Man:
The "happiest" state in the U-S? It's Utah, according to the latest Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index (HERE). The index measures six key factors of well-being in each state, including emotional and physical health, healthy behaviors (smoking, etc.) and job satisfaction. The least-happy U-S state? West Virginia. The top-10 with it's "happiness index" following:
10. Arizona: 66.8
8. (tie) Massachusetts and California: 67
6. (tie) Maryland and Washington: 67.1
4. (tie) Minnesota and Colorado: 67.3
3. Wyoming: 68
2. Hawaii: 68.2
1. Utah: 69.2 (Pacelli)
Those @$#%* Foreigners:
Japan with a weight problem?
As American lawmakers consider penalizing obesity through taxes and incentives, the much slimmer Japan has beat them to it.
Despite an obesity rate less than 5 percent --compared with nearly 35 percent in the U-S-- Japan is worried about "metabo," or metablic syndrome, "a combination of health risks, including stomach flab, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, that can lead to cardiovascular disease and diabetes."
With low birth rates and a rapidly aging overall population, the country isn't taking any risks with metabo: The government enacted a "maximum waistline" law last year and plans to penalize companies with too many overweight employees. Critics argue that the law does more to promote anorexia than prevent obesity and that the principal measurement, waist size, has not be properly standardized. (Maiman)
Trash talk and satellite dish:
Who makes the most money on TV these days? That would be British import and "American Idol" judge SIMON COWELL, who pulls down $75 million a year, according to Forbes magazine. Number two: DONALD TRUMP, who apparently makes most of his money now from product endorsements that use his name and hosting "The Apprentice." The rest of the top-10:
10. David Caruso, "CSI: Miami," $9 million
9. Hugh Laurie, "House," $10 million
8. Comedian and game show host Jeff Foxworthy, $11 million
7. "24" star Kiefer Sutherland, $13 million
6. Howie Mandel, $15 million
5. "The Office" actor Steve Carell, $20 million
4. "Two and a Half Men" star Charlie Sheen, $21 million
3. "American Idol" host Ryan Seacrest, $38 million
2. Donald Trump, $50 million,
1. Simon Cowell, $75 million.You Are What You Eat:
Researchers have identified another consequence of obesity: They need longer needles to give injections in the rear end.
That sounds like someone's punch line but it's true. In a study involving 50 patients, researchers from the Adelaide and Meath Hospital in Dublin found that two-thirds did not get a full dose of medication because a standard size needle wasn't long enough to penetrate the fat of their buttocks to reach muscle tissue.
FYI: Your butt is a good place for intramuscular injections because there are relatively few major blood vessels, nerves and bones back there that can be damaged by a needle. (See what you can learn from this program! --Maiman) -
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