WEIRD NEWS
Call It Psychopath City! No, Really!
(Science Alert) Strange new study out from Southern Methodist University which reveals the place with the most psychopaths in America. It's none other than Washington, DC - by far. We're not kidding. The survey doesn't count actual diagnoses but extrapolates from earlier research on the distribution of the "big five" personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience) across the country. Our fine nation's capital came in first place with a score of 3.48, far outpacing the next highest score-1.89 in Connecticut. The ranking is actually in line with the theory that "psychopaths are likely to be effective in the political sphere," according to SMU's Ryan Murphy. After DC, here are the states with the highest and lowest numbers of psychopaths:
States ranked highest in psychopathy:
Connecticut, 1.89
California, 1.21
New Jersey, 1.09
(tie) New York, 1.01
(tie) Wyoming, 1.01
States that ranked lowest in psychopathy:
New Mexico, -1.39
North Carolina, -1.55
Tennessee, -1.58
Vermont, -1.66
West Virginia, -2.11
Seizure Warning... From Disney!
It may be the number one movie in America, but Disney has issued an official seizure warning for Incredibles 2. Both the film and the trailer contain flashing or strobe light effects, which can cause seizures for some epileptic viewers. The Epilepsy Foundation spoke out about the issue, and a petition called for Disney to include a visual warning about the lights. The lights can also affect people who suffer from migraines or have other conditions causing them to be photosensitive. Disney's official memo reads, "Incredibles 2 contains a sequence of flashing lights, which may affect customers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or other photosensitivities." (Newser)
Playing Too Many Video Games is a Mental Disorder Now
Many a parent has watched in horror as a video game seemingly took over their child's life - labelling it "digital heroin." Now, they may have backup: The World Health Organization announced "gaming disorder" as a new mental health condition included in the 11th edition of its International Classification of Diseases, released yesterday (Monday). Dr. Vladimir Poznyak, a member of WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, which proposed the new diagnosis said, "I'm not creating a precedent, rather just following the trends, the developments, which have taken place in populations and in the professional field." He noted that the expectation is that the classification of gaming disorder means health professionals and systems will be more "alerted to the existence of this condition" while boosting the possibility that "people who suffer from these conditions can get appropriate help." There are three major diagnostic features or characteristics of gaming disorder: A) the gaming behavior takes precedence over other activities to the extent that other activities are taken to the periphery, B) Impaired control of these behaviors, and C) The condition leads to significant distress and impairment in personal, family, social, educational or occupational functioning. Poznyak added that overall, the main characteristics are quite similar to the diagnostic features of substance use disorders and gambling disorder. Moral of the story - get your kid Scrabble and Chess next Christmas - and leave Xbox on the shelf. (CNN)
Yes, A Python Can Swallow You Whole
While python attacks on humans are rare, they do happen as was discovered by a 54-year-old woman in Indonesia. She went out at night to check on her crops and was found the next day inside a 23-foot python that had swallowed her whole. Villagers killed the snake and, with cameras rolling, cut it open to find the missing woman inside. The video is online if you can stomach it. Most likely the snake bit the woman then suffocated her to death before swallowing her. (Newser)
Ya'll Watch This Death of the Week
A 22-year-old UK man is dead thanks to a bizarre "Yal'll watch this moment." Authorities in Teesside say that Jordan Easton was at a friend's house and boasting to others about how the vest he was wearing could withstand a stabbing attack. So he took a large kitchen knife and proceeded to stab himself in the chest to prove the point. Turns out the vest was not stab proof and the stunt killed him. Authorities ruled the injuries to be self-inflicted, though unintentional. Assistant coroner Karin Welsh chalked it up to the "foolishness of youth." (Independent)
Christian Psychiatrist Doing Very Un-Christian Things to Patients
Dr. Valerie Louise Augustus - a once highly acclaimed psychiatrist - has been stripped of her license after she spanked at least 10 of her patients with whips and riding crops and compared them to mules. An investigation into Christian Psychiatrist Services in Memphis, found that she whipped several patients on the buttocks in 2015. She also had the riding crop and a whip displayed in her office. Allegedly, Dr. Augustus used a riding crop on a patient who had a history of physical abuse and was battling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Investigation documents also state that she "made contact with other mental health patients with a riding crop, whip or other object." Dr. Augustus had her license suspended for 60 days in June by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. She was also fined $10,000 for her actions, $1,000 per patient she struck. It's a huge fall from grace for the doctor who was once praised as a top mental health practice in the Memphis area. For her part, the good doctor claims her methods are holistic. (TheBlackLoop.com)
7-Time Jeopardy Winner Going to Jail!
A seven-time Jeopardy winner who taught history at a small Michigan college faces up to five years in prison for sneaking into the email accounts of other professors, administrators and students. Stephanie Jass, who taught at Adrian College in southern Michigan, pleaded guilty to a charge of unauthorized computer access. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 20. Authorities said Jass logged into other people's email accounts without permission over a four-day period last year after the college reset everyone's passwords and assigned everyone the same temporary password. Another professor learned what Jass had done and told school officials. She was soon fired. Jass' seven-episode "Jeopardy!" winning streak in 2012 was a record at the time for a female contestant. It was later broken. How could someone so smart be so dumb? (Newser)
What the What?
It seems 19-year-old Kaitlyn Strom went to the Winstock Music Festival in Minnesota where she apparently got drunk, and then got her head stuck in an exhaust pipe! She says she wanted to see if it would fit. At the end of her scientific study, Kaitlyn discovered she could indeed fit her head inside it, but couldn't get it back out. She was stuck for 45 minutes until finally being cut free by firefighters using an electric saw. She later told reporters, "We were just all having fun and I saw this big exhaust pipe and I was like ‘hey, my head could probably fit in that.'" She later apologized to the truck's owner and the pipe has been put on display in Minnesota pub The Darwin Tavern. (Metro)
(Science Alert) Strange new study out from Southern Methodist University which reveals the place with the most psychopaths in America. It's none other than Washington, DC - by far. We're not kidding. The survey doesn't count actual diagnoses but extrapolates from earlier research on the distribution of the "big five" personality traits (extraversion, neuroticism, agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness to experience) across the country. Our fine nation's capital came in first place with a score of 3.48, far outpacing the next highest score-1.89 in Connecticut. The ranking is actually in line with the theory that "psychopaths are likely to be effective in the political sphere," according to SMU's Ryan Murphy. After DC, here are the states with the highest and lowest numbers of psychopaths:
States ranked highest in psychopathy:
Connecticut, 1.89
California, 1.21
New Jersey, 1.09
(tie) New York, 1.01
(tie) Wyoming, 1.01
States that ranked lowest in psychopathy:
New Mexico, -1.39
North Carolina, -1.55
Tennessee, -1.58
Vermont, -1.66
West Virginia, -2.11
Seizure Warning... From Disney!
It may be the number one movie in America, but Disney has issued an official seizure warning for Incredibles 2. Both the film and the trailer contain flashing or strobe light effects, which can cause seizures for some epileptic viewers. The Epilepsy Foundation spoke out about the issue, and a petition called for Disney to include a visual warning about the lights. The lights can also affect people who suffer from migraines or have other conditions causing them to be photosensitive. Disney's official memo reads, "Incredibles 2 contains a sequence of flashing lights, which may affect customers who are susceptible to photosensitive epilepsy or other photosensitivities." (Newser)
Playing Too Many Video Games is a Mental Disorder Now
Many a parent has watched in horror as a video game seemingly took over their child's life - labelling it "digital heroin." Now, they may have backup: The World Health Organization announced "gaming disorder" as a new mental health condition included in the 11th edition of its International Classification of Diseases, released yesterday (Monday). Dr. Vladimir Poznyak, a member of WHO's Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse, which proposed the new diagnosis said, "I'm not creating a precedent, rather just following the trends, the developments, which have taken place in populations and in the professional field." He noted that the expectation is that the classification of gaming disorder means health professionals and systems will be more "alerted to the existence of this condition" while boosting the possibility that "people who suffer from these conditions can get appropriate help." There are three major diagnostic features or characteristics of gaming disorder: A) the gaming behavior takes precedence over other activities to the extent that other activities are taken to the periphery, B) Impaired control of these behaviors, and C) The condition leads to significant distress and impairment in personal, family, social, educational or occupational functioning. Poznyak added that overall, the main characteristics are quite similar to the diagnostic features of substance use disorders and gambling disorder. Moral of the story - get your kid Scrabble and Chess next Christmas - and leave Xbox on the shelf. (CNN)
Yes, A Python Can Swallow You Whole
While python attacks on humans are rare, they do happen as was discovered by a 54-year-old woman in Indonesia. She went out at night to check on her crops and was found the next day inside a 23-foot python that had swallowed her whole. Villagers killed the snake and, with cameras rolling, cut it open to find the missing woman inside. The video is online if you can stomach it. Most likely the snake bit the woman then suffocated her to death before swallowing her. (Newser)
Ya'll Watch This Death of the Week
A 22-year-old UK man is dead thanks to a bizarre "Yal'll watch this moment." Authorities in Teesside say that Jordan Easton was at a friend's house and boasting to others about how the vest he was wearing could withstand a stabbing attack. So he took a large kitchen knife and proceeded to stab himself in the chest to prove the point. Turns out the vest was not stab proof and the stunt killed him. Authorities ruled the injuries to be self-inflicted, though unintentional. Assistant coroner Karin Welsh chalked it up to the "foolishness of youth." (Independent)
Christian Psychiatrist Doing Very Un-Christian Things to Patients
Dr. Valerie Louise Augustus - a once highly acclaimed psychiatrist - has been stripped of her license after she spanked at least 10 of her patients with whips and riding crops and compared them to mules. An investigation into Christian Psychiatrist Services in Memphis, found that she whipped several patients on the buttocks in 2015. She also had the riding crop and a whip displayed in her office. Allegedly, Dr. Augustus used a riding crop on a patient who had a history of physical abuse and was battling with depression and suicidal thoughts. Investigation documents also state that she "made contact with other mental health patients with a riding crop, whip or other object." Dr. Augustus had her license suspended for 60 days in June by the Tennessee Board of Medical Examiners. She was also fined $10,000 for her actions, $1,000 per patient she struck. It's a huge fall from grace for the doctor who was once praised as a top mental health practice in the Memphis area. For her part, the good doctor claims her methods are holistic. (TheBlackLoop.com)
7-Time Jeopardy Winner Going to Jail!
A seven-time Jeopardy winner who taught history at a small Michigan college faces up to five years in prison for sneaking into the email accounts of other professors, administrators and students. Stephanie Jass, who taught at Adrian College in southern Michigan, pleaded guilty to a charge of unauthorized computer access. Her sentencing is scheduled for July 20. Authorities said Jass logged into other people's email accounts without permission over a four-day period last year after the college reset everyone's passwords and assigned everyone the same temporary password. Another professor learned what Jass had done and told school officials. She was soon fired. Jass' seven-episode "Jeopardy!" winning streak in 2012 was a record at the time for a female contestant. It was later broken. How could someone so smart be so dumb? (Newser)
What the What?
It seems 19-year-old Kaitlyn Strom went to the Winstock Music Festival in Minnesota where she apparently got drunk, and then got her head stuck in an exhaust pipe! She says she wanted to see if it would fit. At the end of her scientific study, Kaitlyn discovered she could indeed fit her head inside it, but couldn't get it back out. She was stuck for 45 minutes until finally being cut free by firefighters using an electric saw. She later told reporters, "We were just all having fun and I saw this big exhaust pipe and I was like ‘hey, my head could probably fit in that.'" She later apologized to the truck's owner and the pipe has been put on display in Minnesota pub The Darwin Tavern. (Metro)
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