You’ve got mail and an STD in Brazil

August 21, 2009 by Nick

RIO DE JANEIRO – You’ve got mail — and possibly an STD. The Brazilian Health Ministry has created a Web site to let people inform partners they’ve got a sexually transmitted disease via an e-mailed virtual postcard. The official in charge of the ministry’s STD and AIDs programs notes that many people have a hard time telling partners they’re infected. Read the full story

Getaway Cab for Bank Robbery

August 26, 2009 by Nick

ROSELLE, N.J. – Police said a New Jersey man who told a cab driver to stop at a bank so he could take out some money failed to mention that he was going to rob it. Michael Restaino Jr. was arrested shortly afterward Monday when a police officer stopped the cab he was riding in several blocks from the Roselle Savings Bank. Police say the taxi driver was apparently unaware of what his passenger had done. Read the full story

WASHINGTON — A third of the most popular children’s toys in the United States this year contain harmful chemicals including lead, cadmium, arsenic and mercury, a US consumer group said Wednesday.

The Ecology Center, which published its findings on the website HealthyStuff.org, tested nearly 700 toys ahead of the Christmas shopping season and found that 32 percent contained one or more toxic chemical. Read the full story

Cairo, December 2nd, 2009 – Egypt’s leading Egyptologist, Dr Zahi Hawass, has revealed that an excavation team under his charge are investigating an ancient tomb at the centre of claims regarding the alleged discovery of a cave underworld beneath the Pyramids of Giza.

In August British writer and explorer Andrew Collins announced that he had rediscovered the entrance to a previously unexplored cave system, entered via a mysterious tomb several hundred meters west of the Great Pyramid.

The cave entrance was found following clues left in the 200-year-old memoirs of British diplomat and explorer Henry Salt, who recorded how in 1817 he and Italian explorer Giovanni Caviglia had investigated cave “catacombs” at Giza for a distance of “several hundred yards” before coming across a “spacious” chamber. Read the full story

1. Don’t

2. Drive slower

3. Don’t tail gate. And don’t drive beside people.

4. Beware of bridges (over and under), declines, and inclines.

5. If you lose traction and there is snow nearby, try to veer toward the snow gently. Read the full story

Homeless brothers in line to inherit billions

Hungarian cave-dwellers could split grandmother’s $6.6 billion fortune

BUDAPEST, Hungary – Talk about a reversal of fortunes.

Two brothers who are so poor they live in a cave on the outskirts of Budapest and get by selling scavenged junk are in line to receive a $6.6 billion inheritance from a long-lost grandmother, the U.K. Daily Telegraph reports.

Zsolt and Geza Peladi have been informed that they are entitled to the fortune, along with a sister who lives in the United States, the newspaper reported Wednesday. Read the full story

In a year that has seen truTV reach new heights in popularity, the network scored another triumph Wednesday night with the premiere of its original series CONSPIRACY THEORY WITH JESSE VENTURA.  The premiere episode was watched by 1.6 million viewers, truTV’s biggest audience ever for a new series launch.

“CONSPIRACY THEORY is the latest success story in a year that is well on its way to being truTV’s best ever,” said Marc Juris, executive vice president and general manager of truTV/IN SESSION.  “We couldn’t be more thrilled with the success of this show, and we’re very happy to be working with Jesse Ventura.” Read the full story

On Monday night, French media giant Vivendi and NBC parent company General Electric agreed to terms that clear the way for US cable giant Comcast to take a controlling stake in NBC Universal. An announcement from Comcast is expected within days. The proposed merger would create a media behemoth, and clear the way for an unprecedented era of media consolidation across cable, the Internet and broadcast television.

Be afraid. Comcast is both the largest cable company and the largest residential broadband provider in the United States: a $34-billion business with 24 million subscribers, reaching nearly one out of every four homes in the country. NBCU owns NBC, MSNBC, CNBC, Universal Studios, 27 television stations, and a host of other properties. Read the full story

By JEFF BAENEN (AP) – 8 hours ago

MINNEAPOLIS — Jesse Ventura is back for another stab at TV stardom, this time hosting a program that digs into conspiracy theories, including alternate views of what was behind the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and the purpose of a sprawling research center in remote Alaska.

The former Minnesota governor, professional wrestler and Navy SEAL stars in “Conspiracy Theory With Jesse Ventura,” which premieres Wednesday night on truTV. The cable network, part of Turner Broadcasting System Inc., has ordered seven episodes of the hourlong weekly series. Read the full story

It looks more like the Starship Enterprise sinking in the sea – but this huge vertical vessel could be the future of ocean exploration.

Called the SeaOrbiter, the huge 51m (167ft) structure is set to be the world’s first vertical ship allowing man a revolutionary view of life below the surface.

Although currently only a prototype its inventor Jacques Rougerie thinks his international oceanographic station will soon be setting sail. Read the full story

Undoubtedly by now you’ve heard about Tiger Woods’ car crash. Early reports had him in serious condition (which remember, is better than critical condition) after he apparently hit a fire hydrant and a tree while leaving his home in his SUV. The latest reports say he has been released from the hospital and is “fine.” But I’m not going to speak to any of that because that’s not what we do (you can find out more here). Read the full story

Drinking alcohol every day cuts the risk of heart disease in men by more than a third, a major study suggests.

The Spanish research involving more than 15,500 men and 26,000 women found large quantities of alcohol could be even more beneficial for men.

Female drinkers did not benefit to the same extent, the study in Heart found.

Experts are critical, warning heavy drinking can increase the risk of other diseases, with alcohol responsible for 1.8 million deaths globally per year. Read the full story

Did you know that LA sits on top of the third largest oil field in the country? Did you know oil rigs are scattered covertly throughout the city, placed near schools, malls and even a farmer’s market? HuffPost Green did not know about this until we watched this awesome short from Palladium Boots about the secret, underground network of the LA oilfields and rigs hidden in plain sight as fake office buildings and flower-painted sculptures.

You have to see to this to believe it.

Dozens of protesters in Sao Paulo demonstrated Thursday against President Shimon Peres’ visit to Brazil and Israel’s actions in Gaza.

“War criminal, go home” the protesters shouted at Peres as he arrived in the city to give speak at a conference of local industrialists. Some of demonstrators held signs equating Peres with Hitler; others waved Lebanese and Palestinian flags.

Earlier Thursday, Peres with the world-renowned Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo, and invited him to visit Israel for a friendly soccer match between Israeli and Palestinain children. Read the full story

One of the best annual meteor showers will peak in the pre-dawn hours Tuesday, and for some skywatchers the show could be quite impressive.

The best seats are in Asia, but North American observers should be treated to an above average performance of the Leonid meteor shower, weather permitting. The trick for all observers is to head outside in the wee hours of the morning – between 1 a.m. and dawn – regardless where you live.

The Leonids put on a solid show every year, if skies are clear and moonlight does not interfere. This year the moon is near its new phase, and not a factor. For anyone in the Northern Hemisphere with dark skies, away from urban and suburban lighting, the show should be worth getting up early to see. Read the full story