Archive for December, 2009

Ginkgo Doesn’t Slow Age-Related Mental Decline

Ginkgo has been used in Chinese medicine for more than 5,000 years to help older people overcome memory lapses by improving the circulation of blood, particularly to brain cells. However, a new clinical study has shown that the top selling herbal supplement doesn’t slow age-related mental decline.

An extract derived from the ginkgo tree, ginkgo biloba has been touted since the 1970s by the supplement industry and others as an aid to improving memory, cognitive impairment, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.

A research team from the University of Pittsburgh studied data in an eight-year randomized, double-blind placebo-controlled trial called the Ginkgo Evaluation of Memory (GEM) study, for which half of the 3,069 participants were given daily doses of ginkgo biloba and the other half were given a placebo.

“Measuring the effect of ginkgo in a big trial in older people, we didn’t see any effect of the drug on slowing down or delaying normal age-related changes of cognition,” said lead researcher Dr. Steven T. DeKosky, vice president and dean of the University of Virginia School of Medicine in Charlottesville.

The results of the study show that Ginkgo biloba. had no effect on subtle changes associated with early symptoms of dementia or normal ageing, the researchers said. The researchers noted that the study was limited because the first several years of treatment were not captured by detailed cognitive evaluations. It is also limited in its generalizability because of a lack of ethnic and cultural backgrounds.

Taco Bell Diet: Goodbye Jared Hello Christine

The new Taco Bell drive thru commercial says a person can lose weight while eating at their restaurant. The pseudo-Mexican fast food chain has a new commercial starring a woman named Christine Dougherty, who says she lost 54 pounds on what the company calls the Drive-Thru Diet – a nickname for the seven items, including tacos and burritos, that the chain is offering, each with less than 9 grams of fat. Christine lowered her daily caloric intake by 500 calories, to 1,250 calories a day.

Taco Bell Fresco Menu items are a less fattening than their regular menu items from a calorie and fat stand point. The Fresco Menu offers seven food options to choose from:

Fresco Crunchy Taco – 7 grams of fat – 150 calories

Fresco BURRITO SUPREME® – Chicken – 8 grams of fat – 340 calories

Fresco BURRITO SUPREME® – Steak – 8 grams of fat – 330 calories

Fresco Bean Burrito – 8 grams of fat – 340 calories

Fresco Soft Taco – 7 grams of fat – 180 calories

Fresco Grilled Steak Soft Taco – 4.5 grams of fat – 160 calories

Fresco Ranchero Chicken Soft Taco – 4 grams of fat – 170 calories

The website of Taco Bell stresses on the importance of exercise and eating healthy for losing weight.

“Drive-Thru Diet is not a weight-loss program,” the company’s legal disclaimer reads. “For a healthier lifestyle, pay attention to total calorie and fat intake and regular exercise.”

iphone sales to NYC residents halted in the wake of the after-Christmas shopping frenzy

AT&T Inc., the exclusive U.S. provider of Apple Inc.’s iPhone, has mysteriously halted sales to those who put in a New York City residential zip-code.

The company has only released a very vague statement about how they are planning on modifying their, promotions and distribution “channels”. In the wake of a mad dash for holiday gifts, after money and gift certificates are being redeemed and spent to make large purchases, this will hinder quite a few buyers who would otherwise be purchasing an iPhone from the more-convenient online store.

“We periodically modify our promotions and distribution channels,” spokesman Fletcher Cook said in an e-mail. He declined to explain further.

Others have suggested the possibilities of credit-card crime, and that the hold on online sales in NYC is a security measure to curb fraud through online purchases. This would make some sense, as the iPhone can still be bought in physical stores.

This could lead to several customers who wanted the device in the Big Apple having to go into the store to purchase the product in-person, and while the convenience and expedience of online buying is forsaken in light of this news, the people who really wanted to get the iPhone will no doubt get their hands on the product. However, impatient online shoppers may be forced to turn to the iPhone’s competitor, Google Android, in frustration.

Mammograms Save Womens Lives But at What Cost?

Is the statement that mammograms save womens lives really true? Surely a widespread method of checking for breast cancer is a good thing, right? Surprisingly no one is certain how the guidelines should be structured.

Setting aside the issue of the added cost in health dollars there are other factors to consider. The primary concerns are the accuracy and safety of a mammogram. In fact when routine mammography was first suggested many people reacted in a negative manner. They voiced worries about the effect of long term radiation exposure and incorrect diagnoses and these concerns are still valid.
A false sense of security has also affected a majority of US females. Some women have even given up doing self breast exams because they have such faith in the mammogram results.

It is true that mammograms save womens lives each year, but only 1 in 2000 cases show any type of abnormality. The current recommendations being made by the US Preventive Services Task Force now state that females younger than 50 do not require annual screens unless they have a strong family history of the disease; started their period before age 12; or had their first child after the age of 30. Women ages 50 to 75 are being advised to have mammograms every other year.

Apple’s new tablet computer being called the “iSlate”

Since the iPod was released several years ago, Apple has continued to make ground breaking innovations with technology. Recent evidence of this can be seen by looking no further than the tablet that the company is rumored to be working on. Various rumors have begun to surface from some company insiders and iPhone component makers that the company is gearing up for a major product launch in January.

While the company has refused to comment, there is rampant speculation that the new device will allow users to browse the internet, watch videos or download books and magazines. Being called the iSlate, this new tablet will be a fully functioning computer.

The new iSlate will have either a 10 inch or seven inch screen and there will be no keyboard. Instead, the device will use the same hands free technology currently being utilized on the iPhone. There have also been reports that the company is in negotiations with Disney and CBS to provide programming to the new product that the company is working on.

Apple is continuing to dominate the world of technology with new innovations since Steve Jobs returned to the company. A sign that Apple is continuing to evolve to adapt to the changes that are taking place in the world of technology.

NORAD Used To Track Santa

In 1955 a misprint in a Colorado Springs newspaper for the Santa Hotline began the tradition of tracking Santa Claus. CONAD was the original tracker for Santa in 1955 and today the tracking device has evolved into NORAD. The North American Aerospace Defense Command tracks Santa for children using their technology. NORAD tracks the location of Santa throughout the world so children can see his progress in delivering those wonderful presents on Christmas morning.

Google is following in the footsteps of NORAD and this Holiday tradition by using their own 2D and 3D Google Earth technology to show Santa’s position on lifelike maps. The excitement of tracking Santa has delighted children everywhere and the tradition just keeps getting better. Children with the help of parents can log on to noradsanta.org throughout the holiday season or they can email noradtrackssanta@gmail.com to get updates sent to their inbox.

Santa is back home this holiday season preparing next year’s presents and goodies for the children of the world and giving his reindeer and sleigh a much needed rest. So children of the world better be nice this coming New Year in order to get Santa’s best presents and Holiday treats for next Christmas.

Where To Go To Recycle Your Christmas Tree

Christmas is over, lights are being taken down, presents are being played with, and your tree is ready to be taken out. Before you head to the trash with your Christmas tree, consider recycling your tree and giving it a new purpose.

Most major areas now offer recycling centers where you can take your glass, plastic, and paper trash. During the Christmas season many also accept real trees. Your Christmas tree is composted or mulched then used in local gardens and city-owned flower planters. Contact your local recycling center to see if they are accepting trees and where you can take them.

Local nature conservations groups may also be a place to look for recycling your tree. Dead trees can be used to provide shelter for animals during the winter or tossed into ponds to provide nesting places for fish. If you live near a large park or wildlife reserve contact them to see if your tree can be recycled into a new animals home.

Once the holidays are over you can keep the spirit of giving going longer by recycling your Christmas tree. Recycle your tree into landscape mulch, compost or a wildlife habitat and out of the landfills.

NORAD Successfully Tracks Santa Claus

Last night a crew of volunteers at the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) successfully tracked Santa over the span of 31 hours as he crossed the globe at speeds up to 2,326,413 miles per hour. Considering that the speed of sound is 768 miles per hour, it is safe to say that Santa’s sleigh is fast.

Rudolph and his fellow reindeer definitely earned their carrots for the work they did last night. NORAD has continuously tracked Santa’s annual trip for over 50 years. Tracking Santa’s progression around the globe is a time-honored tradition at NORAD that began in 1955 when Sears and Roebuck & Co. accidentally used NORAD’s phone number in an advertisement for Santa. Ever since then, NORAD has used 47 radar installations, countless satellites, Santa cams, and unarmed fighter jets to determine Santa’s whereabouts.

The final report from NORAD this morning confirmed Santa’s triumphant return to his home at the North Pole where his wife was patiently awaiting his arrival with a steaming cup of cocoa overflowing with marshmallows. He will need all of the rest that he can get in order to repeat his trip next year while maintaining a pace that is faster than lighting.

NORAD: Tracking Santa Around the World

NORAD (North American Air Defense Command) is back this year to help boys and girls - and of course their eager parents - figure out where in the world Santa is during Christmas eve.

Kids and their parents can get online and track Santa the high-tech way by visiting www.noradsanta.org, watching the television for periodic updates, or simply calling NORAD. Tracking him online is enjoyable and live, showing where Santa has already been and where he is heading next.

NORAD (and its predecessor CONAD) has been around for over fifty years. Starting out as a mistakenly misprinted phone number in a Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement, people have called NORAD in an attempt to find out where Santa is at any given moment. They track Santa with four various radars so that no detail is missed. The North Warning System (with 47 different radars) begins the process, in which men and women watch for when Santa leaves the North Pole. Satellites then watch for Rudolph’s bright infra-red nose, followed by the Santa Cam network in which digital cameras take pictures of Santa and his reindeer. Finally, fighter pilots in the United States and Canada welcome Santa and his team into North America.

NORAD and Google Provide Online Santa Tracker

Santa Cams, fighter jets, satellites and radar are all used by NORAD to track Santa’s progress on Christmas Eve. Santa and his reindeer takes a different route each year so NORAD has to use the most up to date technology to track his flight.

The process begins with monitoring the radar at the North Pole to determine when Santa starts his voyage delivering gifts to the world’s good boys and girls. The satellite system then begins tracking the flight path using the infrared signal and heat put off by Rudolph’s nose.

Next the Santa Cams capture pictures of Santa as he delivers gifts.The cameras were added in 1998 when the Santa Tracker moved to the internet. December 24th is the only day of the year these cameras are used.

The fighter jets are used once Santa enters North America. They fly with Santa and the reindeer to ensure their safe passage through North America.

Since going online, NORAD has partnered with Google to provide the server for NORAD’s Santa Tracker website (www.noradsanta.org) and Santa’s Gmail account. Google Earth provides 3-D photos and video of Santa at street level. There is even an application for following Santa’s progress on your cell phone.