WEIRD NEWS
Put Down That E-Cig Sailor!
The Navy has issued a partial ban on vaping after several "mishaps" - as they're calling them. Reportedly there have been 15 incidents involving e-cigarettes between October 2015 and June 2016 - eight of which happened aboard vessels or aircraft, and two involved e-cigarettes exploding while actually in the mouths of sailors. The Navy says "multiple" sailors have been injured by exploding e-cigarettes, including some who've suffered first-degree burns and facial disfigurement. In addition to sailors, the ban - which bars anyone from possessing or using e-cigs on Navy crafts - is meant "to protect the ships, submarines, aircraft, and equipment." The ban goes into effect May 14 and doesn't affect vaping while on shore. (Newser)
Toddler Life in 2017
While it's already been established that screen time in its traditional form - television and video games - is linked to sleep problems in kids, for the first time a study shows that screens are now affecting toddlers! They found a link to poorer sleep, and it starts as early as infancy. Reporting in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers find that the more kids ages 6 months to 3 years use touch screens during the day, the longer it takes them to fall asleep and the less sleep they log in total. The study is observational and does not prove that the use of touch screens causes sleep issues, but researchers say the link warrants further study. Every hour of touch-screen use was associated with about 15 minutes less total sleep. It's unclear why, though artificial lighting has been shown to disrupt the body's circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep. (Scientific Reports)
United Woes Get Evan Worse: Scorpion Chapter
Just when United Airlines didn't think things could get any worse, a scorpion had other ideas. One fell out of an overhead bin and stung a passenger during a United flight between Houston and Calgary. Richard Bell was on his way home from a two-week vacation in Mexico when the scorpion fell onto his head, according to Travel and Leisure. After stinging Bell, the scorpion was crushed by another passenger and thrown in a toilet. Flight crew consulted with a doctor, and the sting was determined not to be life-threatening. Bell declined treatment upon landing in Calgary. It's unclear how the scorpion got on the flight. Other than...oh, it's United. (CNBC)
Biggest Product Fails EVAR!
There's a new list out - of the biggest product fails of all time - and Google Glass wins the grand prize. The list was compiled by 24/7 Wall St. although doesn't share its methodology in compiling the list. While Google Glass faced privacy concerns and public bans, other products on the list suffered from flaws, overpricing, and bad advertising. The 10 worst product flops:
Google Glass (2013)
Apple's Newton personal digital assistant (1993)
Atari's ET the Extra-Terrestrial video game (1982)
Burger King's Satisfries (2013)
RJ Reynolds' smokeless cigarettes (1988)
Frito-Lay's Cheetos Lip Balm (2005)
Fox's Terra Nova TV show (2011)
Clairol's Touch of Yogurt shampoo (1979)
Coca-Cola's New Coke (1985)
Microsoft's Windows Vista (2007)
(Newser)
Witness Sends Teen to Prison - Recants 27 Years Later
In Maine, 44-year-old Anthony Sanborn has served 27 years in prison for the 1989 murder of a childhood girlfriend. But he was released on $25,000 bail Thursday after the key witness in the case recanted. Sanborn had been convicted of killing 16-year-old Jessica Briggs and sentenced to 70 years in prison. At a hearing earlier Thursday, Hope Cady testified that as a troubled 13-year-old she was pressured by police and prosecutors into identifying Sanborn, who was 16 at the time, as the killer. She said she was facing juvenile charges, and authorities threatened to send her away for years. She said she was legally blind when the murder occurred, meaning her vision wasn't good enough to have been able to see what happened. Cady testified that police and prosecutors told her what to say at trial and she had no knowledge of the killing. She said two detectives "stalked" her and shouted at her during an hours-long interview. Justice Joyce Wheeler appeared alarmed by how heavily the state had relied on Cady's testimony. She told Sanborn, "This is only a bail hearing so I cannot apologize to you now." He buried his head in his hands and wept after learning that he could go home. "Finally," he said after leaving the court to be processed for release. (Bangor Daily News)
Saved By the Goat
Meanwhile, in Poinsett County, Arkansas, Speedy, the loud family pet, is now being hailed a hero. Ten-year-old Abigail Bruce was sleeping soundly on the sofa when Speedy started jumping on her legs and then her chest. She finally awoke and saw smoke everywhere. Abigail jumped off the couch and barged into her parent's room. Her father, Nick Bruce, soon realized the garage was engulfed in flames. The family jumped out the bedroom window and onto the front lawn unscathed. The Weiner fire department got to their home minutes later. They were able to get the flames out, but unfortunately, the smoke and soot damaged everything inside. The family said it could have been worse if it weren't for Speedy. Amazingly, he had joined the family just two days before their home caught fire. The goat was an early birthday gift for Abigail. Nick said, "I didn't approve of him at first but he'll be there from now on!" (WREG)
What the What?
Doctors are baffled as to what's going on with a morbidly obese baby girl in Punjab. She inexplicably started gaining weight at the age of four months and now, at eight-months-old, Chahat Kumar weighs around 38 pounds - or about as much as an average four-year-old child. Chahat's mother, Reena Kumar, says that although she was completely normal at birth, her weight started increasing after a few months. Her father, Suraj Kumar, reveals that she gets hungrier than other children her age and demands milk and food often. Her excessive weight has led her to have breathing and sleeping problems. Doctors are unable to diagnose Chahat's condition as she has abnormally hard skin that makes it difficult to take blood samples. Her parents have been advised to take her to a pediatrician at a civil hospital in Amritsar but are unable to do so because of financial constraints. (Deccan Chronicle)
The Navy has issued a partial ban on vaping after several "mishaps" - as they're calling them. Reportedly there have been 15 incidents involving e-cigarettes between October 2015 and June 2016 - eight of which happened aboard vessels or aircraft, and two involved e-cigarettes exploding while actually in the mouths of sailors. The Navy says "multiple" sailors have been injured by exploding e-cigarettes, including some who've suffered first-degree burns and facial disfigurement. In addition to sailors, the ban - which bars anyone from possessing or using e-cigs on Navy crafts - is meant "to protect the ships, submarines, aircraft, and equipment." The ban goes into effect May 14 and doesn't affect vaping while on shore. (Newser)
Toddler Life in 2017
While it's already been established that screen time in its traditional form - television and video games - is linked to sleep problems in kids, for the first time a study shows that screens are now affecting toddlers! They found a link to poorer sleep, and it starts as early as infancy. Reporting in the journal Scientific Reports, researchers find that the more kids ages 6 months to 3 years use touch screens during the day, the longer it takes them to fall asleep and the less sleep they log in total. The study is observational and does not prove that the use of touch screens causes sleep issues, but researchers say the link warrants further study. Every hour of touch-screen use was associated with about 15 minutes less total sleep. It's unclear why, though artificial lighting has been shown to disrupt the body's circadian rhythm and make it harder to fall asleep. (Scientific Reports)
United Woes Get Evan Worse: Scorpion Chapter
Just when United Airlines didn't think things could get any worse, a scorpion had other ideas. One fell out of an overhead bin and stung a passenger during a United flight between Houston and Calgary. Richard Bell was on his way home from a two-week vacation in Mexico when the scorpion fell onto his head, according to Travel and Leisure. After stinging Bell, the scorpion was crushed by another passenger and thrown in a toilet. Flight crew consulted with a doctor, and the sting was determined not to be life-threatening. Bell declined treatment upon landing in Calgary. It's unclear how the scorpion got on the flight. Other than...oh, it's United. (CNBC)
Biggest Product Fails EVAR!
There's a new list out - of the biggest product fails of all time - and Google Glass wins the grand prize. The list was compiled by 24/7 Wall St. although doesn't share its methodology in compiling the list. While Google Glass faced privacy concerns and public bans, other products on the list suffered from flaws, overpricing, and bad advertising. The 10 worst product flops:
Google Glass (2013)
Apple's Newton personal digital assistant (1993)
Atari's ET the Extra-Terrestrial video game (1982)
Burger King's Satisfries (2013)
RJ Reynolds' smokeless cigarettes (1988)
Frito-Lay's Cheetos Lip Balm (2005)
Fox's Terra Nova TV show (2011)
Clairol's Touch of Yogurt shampoo (1979)
Coca-Cola's New Coke (1985)
Microsoft's Windows Vista (2007)
(Newser)
Witness Sends Teen to Prison - Recants 27 Years Later
In Maine, 44-year-old Anthony Sanborn has served 27 years in prison for the 1989 murder of a childhood girlfriend. But he was released on $25,000 bail Thursday after the key witness in the case recanted. Sanborn had been convicted of killing 16-year-old Jessica Briggs and sentenced to 70 years in prison. At a hearing earlier Thursday, Hope Cady testified that as a troubled 13-year-old she was pressured by police and prosecutors into identifying Sanborn, who was 16 at the time, as the killer. She said she was facing juvenile charges, and authorities threatened to send her away for years. She said she was legally blind when the murder occurred, meaning her vision wasn't good enough to have been able to see what happened. Cady testified that police and prosecutors told her what to say at trial and she had no knowledge of the killing. She said two detectives "stalked" her and shouted at her during an hours-long interview. Justice Joyce Wheeler appeared alarmed by how heavily the state had relied on Cady's testimony. She told Sanborn, "This is only a bail hearing so I cannot apologize to you now." He buried his head in his hands and wept after learning that he could go home. "Finally," he said after leaving the court to be processed for release. (Bangor Daily News)
Saved By the Goat
Meanwhile, in Poinsett County, Arkansas, Speedy, the loud family pet, is now being hailed a hero. Ten-year-old Abigail Bruce was sleeping soundly on the sofa when Speedy started jumping on her legs and then her chest. She finally awoke and saw smoke everywhere. Abigail jumped off the couch and barged into her parent's room. Her father, Nick Bruce, soon realized the garage was engulfed in flames. The family jumped out the bedroom window and onto the front lawn unscathed. The Weiner fire department got to their home minutes later. They were able to get the flames out, but unfortunately, the smoke and soot damaged everything inside. The family said it could have been worse if it weren't for Speedy. Amazingly, he had joined the family just two days before their home caught fire. The goat was an early birthday gift for Abigail. Nick said, "I didn't approve of him at first but he'll be there from now on!" (WREG)
What the What?
Doctors are baffled as to what's going on with a morbidly obese baby girl in Punjab. She inexplicably started gaining weight at the age of four months and now, at eight-months-old, Chahat Kumar weighs around 38 pounds - or about as much as an average four-year-old child. Chahat's mother, Reena Kumar, says that although she was completely normal at birth, her weight started increasing after a few months. Her father, Suraj Kumar, reveals that she gets hungrier than other children her age and demands milk and food often. Her excessive weight has led her to have breathing and sleeping problems. Doctors are unable to diagnose Chahat's condition as she has abnormally hard skin that makes it difficult to take blood samples. Her parents have been advised to take her to a pediatrician at a civil hospital in Amritsar but are unable to do so because of financial constraints. (Deccan Chronicle)
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