A new study has found that electromagnetic brain stimulation can help obese people lose weight, partly by changing the composition of their intestinal bacteria.

Unlike deep brain stimulation, the technique the researchers tested, called deep transcranial magnetic stimulation (dTMS), does not require an operation or implantation of electrodes.

It simply involves an noninvasive electromagnetic coil placed on the scalp to send magnetic pulses to stimulate specific deep regions of the brain.

It seems not a day goes by without a new article appearing about our how our gut bacteria can make us overweight.

It has spurned a host of books, diet plans and supplements all geared towards balancing your microbiome and resetting your metabolism.

Now this research has expanded understanding of the relationship between the brain and gut flora when it comes to weight loss.

Author of the study, professor Livio Luzi, head of endocrinology at the IRCCS Policlinico San Donato and the University of Milan, said: 'We need new safe and effective therapies for obesity.

'Despite numerous preventive and therapeutic interventions, none has stopped obesity from reaching epidemic proportions.'

Scientists believe an underlying cause of obesity may be an impaired gut microbiota composition - an imbalance in the complex mix of 'good' and 'bad' micro-organisms in the digestive tract.

Our microbiome plays a role in regulating blood sugar and metabolism, and sends signals to our brain that can affect appetite.

A bad diet, stress, alcohol and lack of sleep can upset your microbiome, creating imbalances.

Professor Spector, a professor of genetic epidemiology at King's College London, argues changes to our microbiomes due to diet and lifestyle may be fueling the obesity epidemic.

'We know that the more diverse their microbiome, the healthier people tend to be,' he said.

'But modern diets and lifestyles work against this diversity and, from studies, we can see that the variety of microbes in our bodies is roughly 30 per cent lower than it was 50 years ago, which may contribute to the obesity epidemic.'

Luzi said an imbalanced gut microbiota can alter the brain's signals for appetite and satiety, or fullness.

He and his co-workers discovered that dTMS could improve the gut microbiota composition in obese people.

In the study three obese men and 11 obese women, aged 22 to 65, with a BMI of over 30, were randomly assigned into two groups. Over five weeks, one was given 15 sessions - three times per week - of dTMS (to the insula and prefrontal cortex deep in the brain) or a sham stimulation as a control.

After treatment, those receiving dTMS lost more than 3 per cent of their body weight and more than 4 per cent of their fat - significantly more than controls did.

Before and at the end of treatment, subjects provided stool samples for microbiota analysis.

Results of the fecal analysis demonstrated that dTMS-treated subjects had greatly increased quantities of several beneficial bacterial species with anti-inflammatory properties.

The control group, however, had  significant alterations in their microbiota.

The team also measured blood levels of glucose (sugar), insulin, pituitary gland hormones and neurotransmitters such as norepinephrine.

Pituitary hormones play a key role in regulating appetite, and recent research shows that norepinephrine and other neurotransmitters affect gut flora.

The group that dTMS also saw improved metabolic and hormonal parameters, including glucose, insulin, several pituitary hormones and norepinephrine.

'These changes suggest a beneficial effect of dTMS on both weight loss and change in microbiota composition,' Luzi said.

The brain technique has been approved in the U.S. for treating major depression and is being studied in some countries for the treatment of other neuropsychiatric disorders, including addiction.

Researchers now estimate that a typical human body is made up of about 30 trillion human cells and 39 trillion bacteria.

These are key in harvesting energy from our food, regulating our immune function, and keeping the lining of our gut healthy.

Interest in, and knowledge about, the microbiota has recently exploded as we now recognise just how essential they are to our health.

A healthy, balanced microbiome helps us break down foods, protects us from infection, trains our immune system and manufactures vitamins, such as K and B12.

It also sends signals to our brain that can affect mood, anxiety and appetite.

Imbalances in the gut are increasingly being linked to conditions ranging from irritable bowel syndrome to diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and obesity.

Disruption of the gut microbiota might contribute to a variety of conditions including childhood asthma, obesity, colitis and colon cancer.

Last year, scientists at California Institute of Technology found the first ever link between the gut and Parkinson's symptoms.

The composition of our gut microbiota is partly determined by our genes but can also be influenced by lifestyle factors such as our diet, alcohol intake and exercise, as well as medications.

Is this the most bizarre weight loss technique ever? Scientists discover simple magnetic pulses to the brain can make gut bacteria healthier and reduce food cravings

Researchers at IRCCS Policlinico San Donato and the University of Milan discovered a technique using coils on the scalp can improve microbiota and cause weight loss.


Scientists have found a human protein that blocks Zika virus replication and prevents brain cell death

Zika virus has emerged as a severe health threat with a rapidly expanding range. The IFITM family of restriction factors inhibits the replication of a broad range of viruses, including the closely related flaviruses West Nile virus and dengue virus. Here, we show that IFITM1 and IFITM3 inhibit Zika virus infection early in the viral life cycle. Moreover, IFITM3 can prevent Zika-virus-induced cell death. These results suggest that strategies to boost the actions and/or levels of the IFITMs might be useful for inhibiting a broad range of emerging viruses.

Zika virus has emerged as a severe health threat by virtue of its fast paced global spread and its associated morbidities, including microcephaly and Guillain-Barre syndrome. Zika virus was initially isolated from an infected macaque in Uganda in 1947, and the first human cases were reported in 1952. Similar to the closely related dengue virus, Zika virus is primarily spread via the bite of an infected Aedes mosquito. In 2007, Zika virus emerged in Micronesia and expanded its range to Southeast Asia. Zika virus was identified in Brazil in May 2015 and has since led to widespread infection in Central and South America.

Zika virus illness has been described as self-limited and moderate in severity with the common findings of malaise, headache, fever, joint aches, a maculopapular rash, and inflammation of the conjunctiva (Haug et al., 2016, Lazear and Diamond, 2016). However, an alarming number of birth defects, including microcephaly, have been attributed to Zika virus infection occurring in the first two trimesters of pregnancy (Driggers et al., 2016, Haug et al., 2016, Rasmussen et al., 2016). In addition, an upsurge in reported cases of Guillain-Barre syndrome, which manifests as a symmetric ascending flaccid paralysis, have recently been associated with Zika virus infection. Multiple reports have demonstrated that Zika virus can be sexually transmitted via infected seminal fluid, with resultant infection of pregnant mothers

the risk of sexual transmission may persist for months after remission of clinical illness (D’Ortenzio et al., 2016). These events have led to Zika virus being declared a public health emergency by the World Health Organization.

We and others have found that the small membrane-associated interferon-inducible transmembrane proteins (IFITMs) can inhibit the replication of a wide range of pathogenic viruses, including all flaviviruses tested to date, including West Nile virus, dengue virus, and reporter viruses carrying the envelope of the Omsk hemmorhagic fever virus (Bailey et al., 2014, Brass et al., 2009, Chesarino et al., 2014a, Chesarino et al., 2014b, Chesarino et al., 2015, Everitt et al., 2012, Huang et al., 2011, Perreira et al., 2013, Tartour et al., 2014). Murine models of Zika virus pathogenesis require an absence of type I interferon (IFN) signaling, suggesting that IFN-stimulated genes (ISGs) can prevent heightened levels of infection (Lazear et al., 2016). Further evidence for the protective role of ISGs comes from work showing that placental cells can resist Zika virus infection due to actions of IFN-λ (Bayer et al., 2016). In light of these data, and given that IFITMs are potent inhibitors of flaviviral infection, we wished to determine their effect on Zika virus replication. Using both loss- and gain-of-function examples, we found that both IFITM3 and IFITM1 inhibit the replication of a prototype lab strain of Zika virus first isolated in Africa in 1947 (MR766) (Dick et al., 1952), as well as a more recent strain isolated from a child in Cambodia in 2010 (FSS13025) (Haddow et al., 2012). We found IFITM3 to be more potent than IFITM1 in its inhibition of Zika virus replication. Consistent with this, the loss of a specific endocytosis motif required for the proper localization of IFITM3 is necessary for maximal viral restriction (Jia et al., 2014, John et al., 2013). We also revealed that Zika virus causes a cytopathic effect in HeLa cells and that IFITM3 modulates this phenotype. These data examine the role that specific ISGs might play in the intrinsic immune system’s defenses against Zika virus and further extend the important role played by the IFITMs against viral infection. Our data, and those of others, also suggest that methods of enhancing the actions of IFITMs could serve to ameliorate the global impact on human health created by the expansion of Zika virus, as well as the challenges posed by other emerging viral infections.

IFITM3 Modulates Zika Virus Replication and Cytopathicity

In view of the established role of the IFITMs in the anti-viral response against multiple flaviviruses, we wished to examine the effect of IFITM3 on Zika virus infection (Brass et al., 2009, John et al., 2013). We found that depletion of IFITM3 via a stably transduced short hairpin RNA (shIFITM3) in human cervical carcinoma (HeLa) cells increased Zika virus replication as demonstrated by increased expression of Zika-virus envelope (E) protein staining with a flavivirus cross-reactive antibody that recognizes the E protein, 4G2 (Figure 1A). We obtained similar results by assessing viral double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) with a recombinant J2 (rJ2) monoclonal antibody (data not shown). In keeping with these results, IFITM3-overexpressing cells potently blocked viral infection as compared to the shScramble control cells (Figure 1A). We note that the shIFITM3 used in this study spares IFITM1 expression but targets a nearly identical region of both IFITM2 and IFITM3, which differ by only 11 amino acids (Figure S1A) (Feeley et al., 2011, Perreira et al., 2013). Furthermore, we have not found an antibody that can discriminate between endogenous IFITM2 and IFITM3, therefore the increased susceptibility of the shIFITM3 cells to Zika virus infection represents the depletion of both endogenous IFITM2 and IFITM3, with the latter likely playing the predominant role (see Discussion).

Zika virus infection has been reported to cause the death of Vero cells but not of human or murine fibroblasts (Way et al., 1976). We therefore wanted to confirm that Zika virus infection caused the death of HeLa cells and whether the loss or gain of IFITM3 impacted this effect. We found that there was a moderate amount of cell death detected after Zika virus infection of the shScramble control cells and that this effect was ameliorated with overexpression of IFITM3 (Figures 1B and 1C). Importantly, the loss of IFITM2 and IFITM3 (shIFITM3 cells) enhanced the susceptibility of the cells to viral cytopathic effect. We saw similar results when using both the MR766 and FSS13025 strains, with the MR766 strain displaying a stronger cytopathic effect. We conclude that IFITM2 and IFITM3 are required for cellular resistance to Zika virus replication and cytopathicity and that the overexpression of IFITM3 can potentiate this protection.

IFITM1 Inhibits Zika Virus Replication, and the Proper Localization of IFITM3 Is Needed for Its Full Restriction of Viral Replication

We next tested whether overexpression of the IFITM3 paralog, IFITM1, impacted Zika virus replication. IFITM1 and IFITM3 have been shown to have partially overlapping specificities of viral inhibition, with IFITM1 being more potent against viruses that enter at the cell surface or in the early endosomal pathway and IFITM3 preferentially acting more strongly against viruses that enter in the late endosomal pathway, such as dengue virus or influenza A virus (Bailey et al., 2014, Chesarino et al., 2014b, Perreira et al., 2013). In keeping with these observations, overexpressed IFITM1 did inhibit Zika virus replication (MR766 and FSS13025 strains), but to a lesser extent than IFITM3, with the caveat that we cannot compare the levels of these two untagged proteins directly (Figures 2A–2C). An IFITM3 mutant, Y20A, which harbors a mutation in a clathrin-mediated endocytosis motif required for proper protein localization in the endosomal pathway, also demonstrated a moderately reduced ability to block viral replication (Jia et al., 2014, John et al., 2013).

Deletion of the Murine Ifitm3 Locus Leads to Increased Zika Virus Infection In Vitro

Murine Ifitm3 has been shown to prevent viral replication in vitro and also to stop severe influenza in vivo (Brass et al., 2009, Everitt et al., 2012, Feeley et al., 2011). Therefore, we compared Ifitm3+/+, Ifitm3−/−, and Ifitm3−/−Ifitm3 mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFS) in the setting of Zika virus infection (MR766 strain), with the latter null cells complemented in trans with a stably transduced murine Ifitm3 cDNA (Lin et al., 2013). These studies revealed an increase in infection in the Ifitm3−/− cells, which was prevented by exogenously expressed Ifitm3 (Figures 3A–3C). We conclude that Ifitm3 protects mouse cells from Zika infection, similar to its role in human cells.

IFITM3 Inhibits the Early Stages of Zika Virus Replication

The IFITMs have been shown to restrict viral replication by blocking fusion-pore formation and the entry of the viral genome and its associated proteins into the cytosol (Bailey et al., 2014, Brass et al., 2008, Feeley et al., 2011, Li et al., 2013, Lin et al., 2013, Perreira et al., 2013). Therefore, we tested whether altering the levels of IFITM3 could inhibit the early stages of Zika virus infection by using an imaging assay we designed to detect Zika virus RNA. Zika virus (MR766, MOI 50–100) was incubated on ice with HeLa-shScramble, -shIFITM3, and -IFITM3 cells to permit viral binding but prevent endocytosis. Warm media was then added, and at the indicated time points, the cells were washed with cold PBS, incubated with or without trypsin, fixed, immunostained, and confocally imaged with a probe set that recognizes Zika virus RNA. We found that the loss of IFITM3 resulted in increased viral RNA signals (in terms of both intensity and number) as compared to the shScramble control cells (Figures 4A and 4B , Figure S1B). Consistent with this, the overexpression of IFITM3 resulted in little to no detectable viral RNA signals in the cytosol. Given that IFITM3 prevents the fusion of multiple viruses, these results suggest that this assay only recognizes viral RNA once it has exited the viral particle and entered the cytosol subsequent to fusion-pore formation

attempts to detect viral RNA fixed to the cell surface in time-zero samples not treated with trypsin showed little to no viral RNA signal, supporting this notion (data not shown). However, we cannot rule out the possibility that some viral RNA transcription occurred at these early time points post-infection, and thus it remains possible that the IFITMs act after viral fusion but prior to early viral RNA transcription.

Of note, at time zero we saw no differences in viral binding (either in signal intensity or number) to the cell surface across the three cell lines when using samples that were incubated with virus then immediately fixed and immunostained for viral E protein (Figures S1C–S1F). We also estimate that the larger "spots" of viral signals (E protein and viral RNA) represent multiple viruses or viral RNAs that are close together and beyond the resolution of this assay, which is 360 nm for the E protein and 400 nm for the viral RNA. Therefore, with individual Zika viruses estimated to be ≈50 nm in size, our imaging assays are not capable of discriminating between individual virions and are thus useful for evaluating the relative level of viral signals rather than their absolute numbers. Taken together, these studies reveal that IFITM3 inhibits the early stages of Zika virus infection that occur after viral-host binding but before either the viral RNA’s cytosolic entry or its early transcription.

The IFITMs Inhibit Zika Virus Replication


This is what Christmas is like when you've just won £1m on a scratchcard

Disneyland Paris, pigs in blankets and plentiful prosecco

Natalie was at a playcentre with the couple’s three-year-old daughter when Andrew called to tell her the incredible news that they’d won the money.

"I just put the kettle on and made a cup of tea and went and sat down," she explains, revealing that neither of them could believe what they were looking at.

Finally able to afford the wedding they’d always wanted, Andrew proposed to Natalie that evening - he’d already bought the ring, but the win gave him the push he needed.

"It was my Nana’s engagement ring and he’d had it reset. It was really lovely," Natalie told Refinery 29.

Despite their newfound riches, the family hasn’t had any huge extravagances over the year except for a trip to New York and some home improvements.

It could have been tempting, however, to blow a lot of the money over Christmas.

But aside from a festive trip to Disneyland Paris "as a special treat for our daughter," the couple decided to keep their Christmas much like every other year.

"We have 13 people coming round to ours this year and that’s what we always do. We’re very down-to-earth people," Natalie explained before the big day.

That said, the couple did treat themselves a bit - they ordered a bigger turkey, more pigs in blankets and a few extra bottles of prosecco.

With all your family and friends knowing about your windfall there must surely be a lot of pressure to buy expensive presents for everyone though?

Not for Natalie and Andrew, who decided not to spoil anyone really. "Our daughter needs to understand that nothing has changed, really," Natalie said, adding that "Disneyland is a big treat."

Encouragingly for mankind, Natalie revealed that no one had actually asked them for anything, and the couple seem to have their heads firmly on their shoulders: "Obviously it’s an amazing amount of money but you have to be really, really sensible with it to make sure it lasts for you and your family. You could quite easily spend a million pounds these days."

It's like the Grinch says: maybe Christmas doesn't come from a store.

What Christmas is like when you’ve just won £1m on a scratchcard

Indulgent food, drinks, parties, travelling and presents make Christmas an expensive time of year, so imagine how great it would be to have won £1m in the run up? For one lucky couple, that’s exactly what happened. Last February, 31-year-old Natalie and her husband Andrew from Blackpool won £1m on a scratchcard after Andrew randomly decided to buy one when picking up teabags.


The city that may soon lose its "skyskraper crown" to NYC:

Can NYC leapfrog HK to take skyscraper crown? Wednesday, 22 Apr 2015 | 8:46 PM ET | 04:22

Skyscraper rents in Hong Kong are still the world's highest, but the city is in danger of losing its crown to New York, Knight Frank said.

"New York is closing fast," Knight Frank said in a report Wednesday. "While Asia may be building apace, economic recovery in the U.S. is buoying demand for towers from investors and tenants in the big North American cities."

Read MoreNot just the tallest, but also the techiest

Hong Kong's office skyscraper rents are around $250 a square foot, up 11.3 percent from July 2014, boosted by a low vacancy rate and limited space in the central business district (CBD), the report said. But New York's skyscraper rents surged 20 percent over the same period to $150 a square foot.

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The Pirate Bay has returned, but does it even matter?

The Pirate Bay has been back online for roughly a month, after a Swedish raid knocked it offline for two months. But does it even matter?

The site's comeback has been fraught with problems from the get-go. In the days before it relaunched, the placeholder site was hosting malware. The malware issue seemed to be cleared up with its launch, but other problems have cropped up. The site still isn't accepting new user registrations, citing "security concerns"; its entire moderation team was fired (they have since returned); and conspiracy theorists believed the site was perhaps being run by the FBI.

Things haven't gotten any smoother. The Pirate Bay has had trouble finding a stable web host, going through four separate hosting providers in the last month, according to filesharing news site TorrentFreak. Reddit posts about the site are mainly of the "is-the-site-down-again" variety. While reporting stories about the site, I've noticed it has fallen offline several times.

Monday, TorrentFreak reported that a Portuguese court ordered local ISPs to block the site in the country, and new uploads to the site are also currently broken.

Meanwhile, the Pirate Bay appears to have been replaced in popularity by sites like Kickass.to, which went down earlier this month but resurrected itself within a matter of hours, showing a kind of resiliency that the Pirate Bay became infamous for. Kickass is now believed to be the world's most popular torrent site.

There was a lot of hype in the lead up to the Pirate Bay's return, but the filesharing masses, it seems, learned to make do without it. The site's founder, Peter Sunde, wrote in a blog post shortly after the site initially went down that he didn't care that the site was raided, and that he didn't care whether or not it came back up, partly because the site became something of a money grab that was littered with ads.

"I once learned that it's great to burn great things up," Sunde wrote in December. "At least then you can quit while you're on top. I think I left TPB just a little bit after that top, and not when it's as shitty as it was when it was closed today."

At the time, lots of people disagreed with him. Now, considering that the site remains a shell of its old self, it seems hard to still feel that way.

The Pirate Bay's Return Continues to Be a Trainwreck

The embattled torrent site continues to face a whole litany of issues.

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Why George Clooney won't give Ben Affleck any Batman advice

"Batman is still the biggest break I ever had and it completely changed my career, even if it was weak and I was weak in it," Clooney told Total Film in a 2011 interview. "It was a difficult film to be good in. I don’t know what I could have done differently."

With that kind of perspective on things, did Clooney offer Ben Affleck -- Clooney's producer partner on the Best Picture-winning "Argo" -- any advice about taking the Batman role in "Man of Steel 2"?

"I am the least qualified person to comment on anyone playing the role of Batman since I so terribly destroyed the part," Clooney said to Empire magazine (via The Playlist).

Despite that, Clooney did provide some comment to those Batman fans who were so enraged by Affleck's casting in the first place. "I tend to look at it like this -- let's just see what the movie is before everyone starts beating him up," he said. "He is a smart man, he knows what he is doing."

Clooney's comments echo Matt Damon's words of support from back in August, when the Batfleck controversy was still quite fresh.

"I think it will be great. It will be terrific. I know there are a lot of people grousing on the internet. I just think it's kind of funny. You know, he's not playing King Lear. It's Batman!" Damon said to the Times of India. "[That's] certainly within his skill set. If anybody saw 'Argo' or 'The Town,' and all the work he's been doing lately, it's way more nuanced and interesting and way more difficult than Batman! Batman just sits there with his cowl over his head and whispers in a kinda gruff voice at people. Bruce Wayne is the more challenging part of the role, and Ben will be great at that."

Affleck will play Batman in Warner Bros.' "Man of Steel" sequel. The film is due out in theaters on July 17, 2015.

George Clooney Says He's 'Least Qualified' To Comment On Ben Affleck Playing Batman

George Clooney is a pretty great movie star who also happened to be a pretty bad Batman.

"Batman is still the biggest break I ever had and it complete...

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Science Explains Why Cats Are Always Knocking Over Your Stuff

Cats are among the most divisive pets that a person can own. Cat haters tend to cite their temperamental behavior and misanthropy, while cat lovers claim they are as capable of love as any other animal (or they agree with the haters’ assessment and just choose to ignore those traits).

But those familiar with cats can attest that, intentional, spiteful, or otherwise, felines have a proclivity to bat things over with seemingly no provocation or regard. Are they just being jerks?

Not really, claims Katherine Houpt, a Cornell University professor of veterinary behavior. She says, "This tends to happen a lot in the middle of the night—when you’re trying to get some sleep."

The reasons for this wanton disregard for their owners’ breakables is two-fold. First of all, they are attempting (and succeeding) in getting their owners’ attention. Just about the only thing a cat can’t do in the confines of a house or apartment is feed itself, so it’s likely trying to say it’s hungry. Sure, they could approach their owner and purr, but why be subtle when it comes to matters of hunger?

Secondly, they bat things around in the apartment because they’re instilled with the predatory instinct to hit something with their paws. Obviously, they’re not hunting a cereal bowl on your kitchen counter, but they might be doing something else – practicing. House cats use scratching posts to keep their claws sharp and exercise because they are natural predators, even in a domestic environment, so it stands to reason that they would be eager to practice their swiping skills as well with the objects at hand.

So while this doesn’t give you the tools necessary to trump a cat’s hunger or millennia of genetic behavior, you might not be so inclined to take it as an act of meanness. However, you should know that whatever the cause, deaf cats are far more likely to engage in this type of behavior since they can’t get startled by the sound of their actions.

So, know it can be worse. Unless you have a deaf cat. That’s as bad as it gets.

To practice predatory skills, and to get your attention. #StopClickBait


This Is the Saddest Song in the World, According to Scientists

Listen to the song in the video above, and pay close attention to how it makes you feel. Are you relaxed by the sweeping sounds of string instruments? Does the song's tone make you feel frightened or uneasy? Or maybe the music actually moves you tears?

Don't be embarrassed if you got a little weepy: It turns out that researchers have been using this instrumental piece (which is called "Discovery of the Camp" and, as you can see, was featured in the TV show Band of Brothers) to "induce sadness" in participants across several studies the past few years. And the most recent study results suggest that a strong emotional reaction to the song is actually linked to empathetic traits and "sensitivity to emotional contagion."

Music researchers asked 102 people between the ages of 18 and 67 to listen to "Discovery of the Camp" before answering questions about how it made them feel. Based on those answers, researchers divided the participants into three separate groups: those who experienced "relaxing sadness" (the song made them feel at peace), those who experienced "nervous sadness" (the song made them feel anxious or scared), or those who experienced "moving sadness" (the song made them feel intensely, well, sad). Then the participants completed a series of tests designed to measure empathy.

Ultimately, the researchers found that people who experienced moving sadness while listening to the piece were more likely to have high empathy scores than those who experienced relaxing or nervous sadness.

Of course this study has many limitations and doesn't mean having a strong emotional reaction to music is proof that you're empathetic. But it does give us a good retort the next time the Titanic theme song comes on and someone judges us for getting misty: "Leave me alone, I'm sensitive to emotional contagion!"

People who were moved by this song were more likely to have higher empathy scores, researchers say.

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Discovery Of The Camp from the Band of Brothers TV Show. (Link in comments) #StopClickBait


You're not going to like the latest changes coming to Instagram

The company's director of business operations, Emily White, told the Wall Street Journal that the popular photo-sharing service should be ready to start selling ads by the end of this year.

White told The Journal's Evelyn Rusli that her team is looking to place ads in a few corners of the app: In the Discover function, where members can find popular photos and videos, and in search results.

The move should not be surprising. When Instagram announced it was adding video capabilities in June, it conveniently capped the length of videos at 15 seconds -- the normal runtime of most television ads. That same month White discussed how she wanted to protect Instragram, which is owned by Facebook, from ad backlash, telling Fast Company:

Despite being a newbie, White is already protective of the Instagram experience. "If people see super spammy ads in their feeds," she says, "it's going to be destructive." She's also started parroting [Instagram CEO Kevin] Systrom's belief that there's no reason the advertising can't be as luscious as the content, saying that Vogue magazine, a rich, glossy publication where that virtue is certainly evident, could be its model.

Every major advertising addition to Facebook or Twitter has generated negative reaction, but Instagram's case is unique, which may explain the extra attention on style. Its cohort of amateur artisans, which numbered 150 million as of Sunday, seem acutely sensitive to corporate gestures. In December, a seemingly mild change to Instagram's terms of service that let Instagram use people's photos and likenesses in ads kickstarted a grassroots campaign that seems poised to get novice photographers to quit the app en masse. Co-founder Kevin Systrom was eventually forced to alter some of the document's language.

But eight months after those terms of service went into effect, that mass exodus has yet to happen. Instagram has grown 50 percent since February. It seems that for every person compelled to flee the service, many, many more don't know or care enough to leave.

Even if there's backlash against Instagram's ads, its parent Facebook has proven adapt at inserting ads into its own network while retaining members. White's interview in The Journal doesn't mention any of the particularly invasive types on ads, like Facebook's infamous "Sponsored Stories" where a members' likenesses were used to promote a brand. It doesn't even mention the possibility of ads in Instagram's main feed.

The Instagram community may not even be Systrom and White's biggest hurdle. It may be the fact that de facto ads are already thriving on Instagram. Brands like Nike, Starbucks, Victoria's Secret and Forever 21 already have million-person followings -- all without paying a cent for ad space.

Brace yourself. Ads are coming to Instagram.

The

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A Shockingly Easy Way to Avoid Wasting Thousands of Gallons of Water a Year

Beautiful woman under splash of water against blue background

Photo Credit: Yeko Photo Studio/Shutterstock

"Typically 20 percent of every shower, the duration, is essentially lost," said Jonah Schein, technical coordinator for homes and buildings for the EPA’s WaterSense program. "The average shower is a little over eight minutes long, so that’s a good chunk of the shower that we’re not actually being able to utilize."

The EPA says a five-minute shower uses between 15 to 25 gallons of water. According to the agency, Americans go through 1.2 trillion gallons of water every year just for showering. That's enough to supply the water needs of New York and New Jersey for a year.

But there’s a super simple shower hack that, if everyone would do, would help save 1.4 trillion gallons of water every year: Switch to a low-flow showerhead.

The findings are part of a new study conducted by Angie’s List, an online home services marketplace. Simply by switching from a conventional showerhead to a low-flow showerhead, your daily shower water usage will drop from around 20.5 gallons to 5.1 gallons—a savings of more than 15 gallons every day.

That amounts to saving more than 5,600 gallons of water a year—and over 386,000 gallons over your lifetime.

Some conventional showerheads pump out as much as 2.6 gallons per minute. But low-flow showerheads that are approved to carry the WaterSense label meet the EPA's water-saving standard of no more than 2 gpm.

The study also includes an analysis of potential monetary savings by state. New Yorkers could each save about $70 a year by making the switch. The most savings would be in Hawaii, where residents could prevent nearly $110 each year from going down the drain.

Iif everyone made the switch, the country would save around $14.5 billion a year, enough to pay the average annual wage for 312,000 Americans.

Want to find out the difference you can make by switching? Just plug your numbers into the water savings calculator below and find out.

A small change to something you do every day can make a big difference—and save some money, too. According to new research by Technavio, a London-based market research firm, the global bath and shower products market is expected to exceed $10 billion by 2019.But while we are increasingly interested in new products to use in the shower, are we also thinking about all the water that’s wasted while we’re showering?

get a low-flow showerhead (or stop showering)


Bill Clinton Never Expected To Get This Disease!

I’ve suffered from seasonal allergies since I was a kid, so I always assumed that life was designed to be a painful, nasally-congested experience for two months out of every year. As I got older, my symptoms got worse. Things eventually got to the point where I would spend almost 24 hours a day in bed during allergy season, trying as hard as I could to breathe through the firmly shut passages in my nostrils. I tried every medication I could get my hands on but they offered minimal improvements at best. I spent my second semester of my junior year at college studying abroad in Italy for six months. I lived in a small town and studied at the local university. A few weeks into the semester I noticed that my allergies had begun to improve. I stopped needing to use my sinus rinses every night before bed and was no longer blowing my nose or hacking up mucous every two minutes. After a few months my allergies had basically disappeared. I couldn’t believe that life could be experienced at this level. I thought such amazing energy was reserved for super heroes, angels and reality TV stars. For the first time since I could remember, I was waking up every morning feeling... energetic. And happy. I started working out in the mornings because I had to find a way to deal with this newfound energy. My friends, teachers and even random people on the street started treating me differently as my social alertness and positive energy came bursting through my pores. My flight back home to Boston at the end of that semester was the culmination of a transformative journey to a higher quality of life. Not just physically, but emotionally as well. It’s hard to realize that you’re depressed if you’ve always been that one way. I didn’t have many friends when I was younger. I had a terrible seIf-image and non-existent self-esteem. Only after coming back from Italy did I realize how much life I had been missing out on. But the joy was short-lived. Visit the link in bio and navigate to our Inspiration section to read the rest of Max’s story. #healevate #howihealed

Celebrities with Serious Health Conditions

It's a list of 62 celebrities with health conditions, and Clinton's is "a number of heart hearth issues"


"How Anne Hathaway Became Hollywood's Most Hated Celeb"

While winning an Oscar forLes Miserableswas obviously a huge moment for Hathaway, it was also an insufferable one for those who had to sit through her endless string of awkward acceptance speeches. Take, for example, the time she called out the Broadcast Film Critics Association for spelling her name wrong while casually mentioning it was the second time they had given her an award. Or how about her nails-on-a-chalkboard, overly theatrical acceptance speech at the BAFTAs, during which she thanked herself for having laryngitis because otherwise she might burst into song?But none of those aforementioned moments compared to her inevitably groan-worthy Oscar speech . "It came true," Hathaway awkwardly quipped, referencing the iconic song she sang in the movie, "I Dreamed a Dream." The immediately cringe-worthy instant felt equal parts corny and way too rehearsed, to the point where it continues to be mocked all these years later. Suddenly, her dream became everyone's worst nightmare.

How Anne Hathaway became Hollywood's most hated celeb

Over the years, people have grown to hate Anne Hathaway so much that the term "Hathahate" was coined to describe the movement. How did this happen?

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Some people think she's too fun and energetic.


New Internet Favourite To Play James Bond Is Pretty Surprising

The ongoing debate over who should be the next actor to play James Bond was ramped up recently after Daniel Craig reportedly turned down a £68 million to reprise the role.

Although subsequent reports insist Craig has not made his final decision, bookies have actually called off bets on Tom Hiddelstone to replace the 48-year-old, reports the Daily Mail.

But, even though Hiddelstone is clearly the bookmakers favourite, it seems like the good people of the Internet have a very different idea of who they would like to take on the iconic role.

A fan petition using #NextBond is currently making the rounds calling for non other than Gillian Anderson to play the famed secret agent.

According to Screenrant, the campaign was jump-started by this image:

However, it didn’t take long for Gillian herself to hear what was going on, taking to Twitter to say:

It’s Bond. Jane Bond. Thanks for all the votes! (And sorry, don’t know who made the poster, but I love it!) #NextBond.

Thanks for all the votes! (And sorry, don't know who made poster but I love it!) #NextBond pic.twitter.com/f8GC4ZuFgL — Gillian Anderson (@GillianA) May 21, 2016

She’s had recent roles in TV series The Fall and Hannibal, and her profile is on the up following the revival of the X-Files.

Casting her would definitely give a brand new spin to the role and in fact, Daniel Craig has already said he’d be on board with a ‘Jasmine Bond’.

The film industry is slowly beginning to introduce more diversity on screen – so a Jane Bond may not be entirely outside the realms of possibility...

It would certainly be very, very different...

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State official offers ABSURD reasoning for gay marriage ban

When April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse's case goes to trial in Detroit this fall, it could mean the end of Michigan's ban on gay marriage. But that hasn't stopped the state's top lawyer from pushing back against the lawsuit with a recent filing arguing the gay marriage ban allows the state to "regulate sexual relationships."

The lesbian couple initially sued over a law banning joint adoption by same-sex couples: DeBoer has adopted a 3-year-old girl and Rowse has adopted 3- and 4-year old boys. But U.S. District Court Judge Bernard Friedman, a conservative, recommended they instead challenge the constitutionality of Michigan's ban on gay marriage.

Earlier this month, Attorney General Bill Schuette filed a brief in the case in which he claimed the state's definition of marriage was needed to "regulate sexual relationships" and their "unique procreative capacity":

Responsible procreation and childrearing are well-recognized as legitimate State interests served by marriage. One of the paramount purposes of marriage in Michigan -- and at least 37 other states that define marriage as a union between a man and a woman -- is, and has always been, to regulate sexual relationships between men and women so that the unique procreative capacity of such relationships benefits rather than harms society. The understanding of marriage as a union of man and woman, uniquely involving the rearing of children born of their union, is age-old, universal, and enduring. As illustrated by a plethora of research, social scientists have consistently recognized the essential connection between marriage and responsible procreation and childrearing.

In a statement, LGBT advocacy group Equality Michigan Managing Director Emily Dievendorf countered that Schuette's stance was "hypocritical" and not aligned with the Supreme Court's ruling against the Defense of Marriage Act.

"The U.S. Supreme Court ... found that regulating sex for the purpose of procreation is not a role for our government," Dievendorf said in a statement. "Marriage is about more than just procreation, as the Supreme Court said this June, 'marriage is a way for couples to define themselves by their commitment to each other.' Suggesting the benefit of marriage is limited to just producing children is more insulting and damaging to the institution of marriage than anything Schuette fears."

This is not Schuette's first opposition. When he filed a motion to dismiss the case in July, Friedman denied it, writing that DeBoer and Rowse were "entitled to their day in court and they shall have it."

After the Supreme Court struck down DOMA in June, Schuette reiterated that the ruling had no effect on Michigan's gay marriage ban.

"Michigan’s Constitution stands and the will of the people to define marriage as between one man and one woman endures in the Great Lakes State."

But the "will of the people" may have changed since 2004, when the constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage passed with 59 percent of the vote. A statewide poll published by the Detroit News earlier this month found that 57 percent of Michiganders support same-sex marriage, a 12.5 percent increase from 2012. However, a poll last month showed that a small majority in Michigan, just over 51 percent, of 600 likely voters would oppose legislation or a ballot measure seeking to allow same-sex marriage.

For some Michiganders, Schuette's brief felt deeply personal. Chris Lacefield is trying to adopt a child with his partner. In a blog post Tuesday, he wrote that the state is failing its LGBT community, as well as some of its children:

"We want to welcome a child into our home, because we want to start a family," he wrote. "Despite the fact that the state we call home does not recognize our relationship and would not recognize our family, we, like many couples our age, feel the basic human need to provide for the next generation. There are children in Michigan who need loving, stable, two parent homes. And Michigan fails them."

"Rather than focusing on the ability of a couple to procreate, perhaps we should be focused on the ability of a couple to provide love, education and moral structure to the children who are already part of our population," Lacefield said.

Michigan Gay Marriage Ban Needed To 'Regulate Sexual Relationships': State Official

When April DeBoer and Jayne Rowse's case goes to trial in Detroit this fall, it could mean the end of Michigan's ban on gay marriage. But that hasn't sto...

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Could this limit mass animal extinctions?

OSLO, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Ancient farming practices, such as raising fish in rice paddies in China or Aboriginal Australian fire controls, will get a new lease of life under plans to slow extinctions of animals and plants, experts said on Monday.

Turning to traditional farming is seen as a way of limiting what U.N. studies say is the worst spate of extinctions since the dinosaurs vanished 65 million years ago, driven by a rising human population that is wrecking natural habitats.

A 115-nation group seeking to protect the diversity of wildlife, which underpins everything from food supplies to medicines, will look at ways to revive and promote indigenous peoples' practices at talks in Turkey from Dec. 9-14.

"Indigenous and local knowledge ... has played a key role in arresting biodiversity loss and conserving biodiversity," Zakri Abdul Hamid, founding chair of the Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES), told Reuters.

The idea is partly to compare traditional farming around the world and see if the practices can be used in other nations.

Among ideas, raising fish in the waters of rice paddies, a practice used in south China for 1,200 years and in some other Asian nations, can reduce pests. Most modern rice paddies are not used to raise fish.

Farming the two together "reduces by 68 percent the need for pesticides and by 24 percent the need for chemical fertilizer compared with monocultures", an IPBES report said. Pesticides often kill many more species than those targeted.

And in countries including Australia, Indonesia, Japan and Venezuela, traditional burning of small patches of countryside can create a mosaic of firebreaks that prevents the spread of devastating blazes in the dry season, it said.

Small fires mean that wildlife can get out of harm's way more easily than in a big fire, reducing risks of extinctions.

In Australia, such protection generates carbon credits for Aborigines by slowing deforestation - a source of up to a fifth of man-made greenhouse gases blamed for causing global warming.

In June, Australia's Indigenous Land Corporation said it sold 25,000 tonnes of carbon credits for savannah burning, the first such open market sale, to Chevron for more than $A20 ($18.20) a tonne.

Trees and other plants absorb carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas from human activities, from the air as they grow and release it when they burn or rot.

Sam Johnston, an Australian expert at the U.N. University's Institute for Advanced Studies, said carbon markets might be used elsewhere. "We've found almost identical conditions in parts of Africa and Latin America," he told Reuters.

Other examples of traditional knowledge include pits dug on Tanzanian hillsides to collect rainfall in the rainy season to limit erosion, or weather observations by Inuit people in the Arctic to complement satellite data about melting ice.

And many Pacific island communities safeguard fish stocks around coral reefs, for instance by declaring some areas sacred sites that are then off limits to fishing.

Anne Larigauderie, incoming executive secretary of IPBES, said indigenous peoples often felt ignored by government planners. "There is a great need for recognition and acceptance of their knowledge," she said.

Other efforts to slow extinctions include creating more protected areas and enforcing laws on wildlife protection. ($1 = 1.0991 Australian dollars) (Reporting by Alister Doyle; Editing by Alistair Lyon)

Traditional Farming Techniques Could Help Limit Mass Animal And Plant Extinctions, Experts Say

OSLO, Dec 9 (Reuters) - Ancient farming practices, such as  raising fish in rice paddies in China or Aboriginal Australian  fire controls, will get a...

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Chick Fil A Did WHAT After Gay Club Shooting? Why Isn’t This Viral?

Chick Fil A has made national news for its owner’s stance on gay marriage. Anytime they do something even remotely non-PC, their supposed slip up goes viral. Hash tags pop up all over the place.

So why is that what they have done in the wake of the Orlando nightclub shooting, hasn’t received a single mention on the mainstream news channels?

It’s probably because people like New York City Mayor, Bill DeBlasio, might have to eat crow instead of chicken. DeBlasio has said that Chick Fil A spreads a message of hate.

Not so yesterday. In a shocking move the Orlando location, at University and Rouse Road, fired up its grills on Sunday. The chain is notorious for not being open—ever—on the first day of the week. Employees cooked up hundreds of their famous chicken sandwiches. They brewed dozens of gallons of sweet tea.

Then, instead of making a single dime, they crated the product of their labor to the One Blood donation center. The food and drinks were handed out, free of charge, to all the people who had lined up to donate blood.

So far, the only mention of the incident has been from individuals on Facebook. They have posted photos thanking the restaurant for their thoughtfulness and generosity.

But wait, those people were waiting to give blood to victims that were mostly gay. Doesn’t Chick Fil A hate gays? That’s what we keep being told.

Turns out that while the founders definitely don’t approve of the gay lifestyle, they believe in compassion. Who knew? A bunch of people claiming to be Christians, caring about others even when they don’t agree with them. These employees took time out of their personal schedules, volunteering to feed those who were donating blood, that was desperately needed by the hospital to treat the severely injured survivors.

On top of that, the franchise located on Wells Road in Orange Park is even offering coupons for a free frosted lemonade. The coupon will be available to anyone who donates blood on June 14, 2016 while the One Blood mobile unit is at their location.

So much for "Chick Fil hAte" becoming a thing.

Chick Fil A Did WHAT After Gay Club Shooting? Why Isn't This Viral? ⋆ Dc Gazette

What Chick Fil A did in the aftermath of the Orlando gay club shooting will completely shock you!

Opened on a Sunday to donate food and drink to blood donors after Orlando shooting.


A former building superintendent working for the Trumps explained that he was told to code any application by a black person with the letter C, for colored, apparently so the office would know to reject it. A Trump rental agent said the Trumps wanted to rent only to "Jews and executives," and discouraged renting to blacks.

Donald Trump furiously fought the civil rights suit in the courts and the media, but the Trumps eventually settled on terms that were widely regarded as a victory for the government. Three years later, the government sued the Trumps again, for continuing to discriminate.

In fairness, those suits date from long ago, and the discriminatory policies were probably put in place not by Donald Trump but by his father. Fred Trump appears to have been arrested at a Ku Klux Klan rally in 1927; Woody Guthrie, who lived in a Trump property in the 1950s, lambasted Fred Trump in recently discovered papers for stirring racial hatred.

Yet even if Donald Trump inherited his firm’s discriminatory policies, he allied himself decisively in the 1970s housing battle against the civil rights movement.

Another revealing moment came in 1989, when New York City was convulsed by the "Central Park jogger" case, a rape and beating of a young white woman. Five black and Latino teenagers were arrested.

Trump stepped in, denounced Mayor Ed Koch’s call for peace and bought full-page newspaper ads calling for the death penalty. The five teenagers spent years in prison before being exonerated. In retrospect, they suffered a modern version of a lynching, and Trump played a part in whipping up the crowds.

As Trump moved into casinos, discrimination followed. In the 1980s, according to a former Trump casino worker, Kip Brown, who was quoted by The New Yorker: "When Donald and Ivana came to the casino, the bosses would order all the black people off the floor. ... They put us all in the back."

In 1991, a book by John O’Donnell, who had been president of the Trump Plaza Hotel and Casino in Atlantic City, quoted Trump as criticizing a black accountant and saying: "Black guys counting my money! I hate it. The only kind of people I want counting my money are short guys that wear yarmulkes every day. ... I think that the guy is lazy. And it’s probably not his fault, because laziness is a trait in blacks. It really is, I believe that. It’s not anything they can control." O’Donnell wrote that for months afterward, Trump pressed him to fire the black accountant, until the man resigned of his own accord.

Trump eventually denied making those comments. But in 1997 in a Playboy interview, he conceded "the stuff O’Donnell wrote about me is probably true."

The recent record may be more familiar: Trump’s suggestions that President Obama was born in Kenya; his insinuations that Obama was admitted to Ivy League schools only because of affirmative action; his denunciations of Mexican immigrants as, "in many cases, criminals, drug dealers, rapists"; his calls for a temporary ban on Muslims entering the United States; his dismissal of an American-born judge of Mexican ancestry as a Mexican who cannot fairly hear his case; his reluctance to distance himself from the Ku Klux Klan in a television interview; his retweet of a graphic suggesting that 81 percent of white murder victims are killed by blacks (the actual figure is about 15 percent); and so on.

Trump has also retweeted messages from white supremacists or Nazi sympathizers, including two from an account called @WhiteGenocideTM with a photo of the American Nazi Party’s founder.

Trump repeatedly and vehemently denies any racism, and he has deleted some offensive tweets. The Daily Stormer, a neo-Nazi racist website that has endorsed Trump, sees that as going "full-wink-wink-wink."

(Update: After this column was published, the Trump campaign emailed me the following statement: "Donald Trump has a lifetime record of inclusion and has publicly rebuked groups who seek to discriminate against others on numerous occasions. To suggest otherwise is a complete fabrication of the truth.")

My view is that "racist" can be a loaded word, a conversation stopper more than a clarifier, and that we should be careful not to use it simply as an epithet. Moreover, Muslims and Latinos can be of any race, so some of those statements technically reflect not so much racism as bigotry. It’s also true that with any single statement, it is possible that Trump misspoke or was misconstrued.

Here we have a man who for more than four decades has been repeatedly associated with racial discrimination or bigoted comments about minorities, some of them made on television for all to see. While any one episode may be ambiguous, what emerges over more than four decades is a narrative arc, a consistent pattern — and I don’t see what else to call it but racism.

Clues come from decades of words and actions.

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Pewdiepie kicked out of his recording studio due to this outrageous reason

YouTube’s most successful celebrity, PewDiePie, is to be evicted from his apartment, amid neighbors’ complaints of excessive noise and anti-social behavior.

Uploaded on Friday, PewDiePie created a video discussing the events leading up to the eviction notice. The video in question contains footage of his landlord calling him a "faggot," which PewDiePie further clarified in the following tweet.

To be clear: I made a video, landlord thought I was having gay sex. Comes down to call us faggots. Next day evicted w/o previous notice. — Felix Kjellberg (@pewdiepie) June 17, 2016

It wasn’t long after that he was given an official eviction notice, requiring his departure by the 29th of June. Funnily enough, he actually received a noise complaint after the eviction notice.

Usually, PewDiePie creates his content in a soundproof room, built specially to withstand all his screaming and shouting. Sometimes he’ll need more space, though – like the kitchen, where neighbors’ can hear him just fine.

Speaking about how his landlord handled the situation, he said:

If you’re gonna be a landlord in Brighton, the gay capital of UK, maybe try not be a fuckin’ prejudiced piece of shit, how bout that?

Landlord, fuck you. Luckily for us, it’s really easy to move. It’s not a problem. We have the resources, and we can just do it. I imagine for another normal person this would throw them out on the streets.

And seemingly, it was really easy to move. PewDiePie can be seen in his new place at the end of Friday’s video, which you can check out below. He predicts that "so much shitty content is going to be made" there, so fear not, Bro Army.

YouTube's most successful celebrity, PewDiePie got kicked out of his recording studio because of this.

Excessive noise and anti-social behavior. #StopClickBait


'I've looked at over 40,000 résumés, and these are the 3 most annoying things I've seen'

"I realized people simply did not know how to market themselves or their achievements," Nicolai tells Business Insider. "And that's how I knew there was a market to educate job candidates at all levels and in all industries."

"Since launching my company, I've read over 40,000 résumés," she says. And there are a few things she's seen over and over again that are "pretty irritating."

She says: "These are the three most annoying things I've seen: Summaries that are way too long; overused résumé jargon; and appearing too formal and rigid."

Summaries are annoying, she explains, when they are written in a formal tone and include too many adjectives. "After a while, the summaries can read like a lengthy chapter in a book. It's better to list a few bullets with pointed achievements and a branded tag line stating, 'known for achieving XYZ.'"

Meanwhile, résumé jargon such as "out-of-the-box," "team player," and "exceptional communicator" are "baseline expectations in today's market," Nicolai says. "A person who truly is a 'unique problem solver who works well in teams' will convey this succinctly and creatively on their résumé through a combination of few words and imagery."

Lastly, she says she finds overly formal résumés annoying, because they're not engaging and don't allow the reader to get a good sense of the applicant's personality.

The next time you go to submit your résumé, make sure it's clear of these three things.

When Tina Nicolai began working as a recruiter for Walt Disney World in the late 1990s, she noticed that many job seekers were submitting flawed résumés.

From Yahoo Finance: When Tina Nicolai began working as a recruiter for Walt Disney World in the late 1990s, she...

"Summaries that are way too long; overused résumé jargon; and appearing too formal and rigid."

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Medical marijuana dispensaries in this city say they're losing money

"All medical marijuana businesses are operating at a loss," D.C. dispensary Capital City Care's general manager David Guard told the Washington Times.

"So far, all we have been doing is bleeding cash," Bob Simmons, with one of D.C.'s six approved cultivation centers, Alternative Solutions, said to the paper.

D.C.'s medical marijuana program has been operational for some three months now. In that time, only 59 patients have been added to the registry of legal buyers, reports the Washington Post:

The city’s pioneering dispensaries say they are losing money; doctors remain fearful to write prescriptions; and patients with HIV or cancer who may legally obtain the drug say they have been stymied by lengthy applications and warnings that the purchases remain illegal under federal law. Those were among the many warnings that advocates for a robust medical marijuana program ticked off Monday at a hearing, as they urged D.C. council members to relax the city’s strict medical marijuana standards.

Advocates are asking that the District's program be expanded, since current regulations allow medical marijuana to be prescribed only to patients with cancer, glaucoma, HIV/AIDS or a condition that causes severe muscle spasms. D.C.'s program is among the country's most restrictive; other jurisdictions are far more expansive, allowing marijuana to be prescribed for such conditions as anorexia and migraine, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, nausea and Hepatitis C.

Another limitation: Few doctors in the nation's capital are now able to prescribe medical marijuana. Via Washingtonian:

Najma Roberts, a spokeswoman for the Department of Health, said that since the program launched, only 62 physicians of the approximately 1,400 accredited by the city have picked up the recommendation forms. And of those, only 39 have actually filled them out.

The low participation is said to be at least partly due to doctors' fears of breaking federal law.

D.C. Councilmember Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 7), who chairs the Council's health committee, said she was amenable to growing the District's medical marijuana program -- with reservations.

"We already have a lot of HIV, cancer, glaucoma -- there are thousands in the district," she said, according to the Washington Post. "We’re talking about expanding, but we’re not really utilizing it to the full extent currently."

"The reality is that it just takes time to get all the pieces in place and build a sustainable model for medical marijuana in D.C.," says Capital City Care spokesperson Scott Morgan. "I think everybody understood it would take time for the businesses to become profitable. What we didn't necessarily expect was that patient participation would be as low at this time."

Morgan, who tells HuffPost that his dispensary services 33 -- more than half -- of the District's current medical marijuana patients, is heartened that stakeholders are working together to "come up with solutions" to the problems now restraining the program's growth.

D.C.'s Medical Marijuana Dispensaries Say They Are Losing Money

WASHINGTON -- You might not think it would be possible to lose a buck in the marijuana business. In the nation's capital, you'd apparently be wrong.

"...

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The one marriage rule you absolutely positively must follow

If there was one piece of marital advice I'd want to give you, I still wouldn't. Not because I want to keep you from the "Top 20 Ways to Improve Your Marriage!" or the "3 Tricks Guaranteed to Keep Him Happy in the Bedroom!" I wouldn't share it with you because, like your preferred brand of no-cal sweetener, we all have our own preferences and some of them cause tumors in rats.

I don't know -- the yellers, the cuddlers, the daters who never talk about the kids when they go out for dinner and the couples with separate bank accounts -- they all freak their own freak and seem to have just as much success (or failure) as anyone else. So spoon in your sleep, if you must, if that keeps you and your partner bonded. I'd knee Tim in the groin if he tried to fling a leg over me while we slept, but maybe you're into that sort of thing.

I base a lot of my approach to commenting on other people's marriages on something my mother once told me when I was about to meddle with a friend's dating life in high school. She said, "Don't." She was right. After months of knowing a girlfriend was seeing someone else on the side, I spilled the secret to her boyfriend, assuming I'd saved him a lot of heartache. Turns out he'd been cheating on her as well and both of them -- their delicate balance disrupted -- hated me for getting involved.

"I wouldn't even meddle in my sisters' marriages," my mother explained. What we outsiders think we understand about what's going on in someone else's relationship is often a far cry from reality.

So, be the couple that eats off of each other's forks, if that works for you. Be the couple that fights over money or politics or favorite brand of laundry detergent. Be swingers, for all I care; I will sit back and judge you in silence, like God intended.

Except that if there's one rule you absolutely, positively must follow, it's this: Don't let your spouse be your everything. No one person can be your everything. No, no one person should have to be your everything. That's a hell of a lot to ask.

That's all I have to say about that. I mean, I won't tell you what you should do because this is 'Merica --

But, you should also avoid saying the first thing that comes to mind in the event that you find yourself in an argument with your spouse. If you're arguing over who needs to scoop the dog poop in the backyard, it is not the time to say, "I've always hated your mother!"

But that's it. Two pieces of advice. Not really advice, common sense.

You should have a will. I know that seems morbid, but have you talked with your spouse about what will happen when you die? Or when he dies after you smother him in his sleep for saying your homemade fruit leather was "just OK"?

That's not me telling you what's what, that's just sound planning, that. You need nothing else, really, for a successful marriage. Don't make your spouse your everything; try not to fight dirty; make sure you have a will. Just a suggestions, is all.

If there's just one more thing you really, absolutely ought to do? It's share your story and listen to other stories. Marriage is a marathon and telling your marriage tales and hearing about others is like bringing along a fanny pack full of Power Bars for the slog.

That's why Jen of People I Want to Punch in the Throat, the writer behind the best-selling parenting-humor anthology I Just Want to Pee Alone, has compiled another book of hilarious essays for her follow-up, I Just Want to Be Alone. It's a book about relationships, namely, how husbands are ruining them.*

How do I know it's a great book? Because I'm in it with over 30 other Super Cool Lady Bloggers. And for my very last bit of non-advice, I think you should pre-order I Just Want to Be Alone right now on Amazon.com.

*Well, it's not like it's my fault he doesn't know I'm always right.

This post originally appeared on Moms.FortWayne.com.

How I Make My Marriage Work (And So Can You)

If there was one piece of marital advice I'd want to give you, I still wouldn't. Not because I want to keep you from the "Top 20 Ways to Improve Your Mar...


You Won't Believe How Many Bodyguards Mark Zuckerberg Needs When Jogging

When Mark Zuckerberg goes for a run, he’s not alone.

The 31-year-old Facebook mogul was spotted going for a jog in Berlin this week — along with five bodyguards.

But five is only a small portion of his security team.

Page Six recently reported that Zuckerberg has a 16-person team protecting his $10 million home in San Francisco because of all the threats he receives from angry Facebook users.

You Won’t Believe How Many Bodyguards Mark Zuckerburg Needs To Go For A Jog


This Is When Cristiano Ronaldo Will Return To The Pitch

Although Cristiano Ronaldo was very happy that Portugal beat France to win Euro 2016, he'll be disappointed to have picked up an injury in the first half.

The Real Madrid star did try to carry on injured but it was simply impossible for the forward, who left the pitch in tears. There had been rumours that Ronaldo would be out for 'four to five' months, however, we've today been given an injury update.

According to Spanish paper Marca, Ronaldo will be out for a month but will not play for Madrid under after the first international break.

Ronaldo is expected to return for Madrid against Osasuna on September 11, missing the whole of pre-season.

Ronnie was injured in the Euro 2016 final

Ronaldo is expected to return for Madrid against Osasuna on September 11 #StopClickBait


The Reason Why Zlatan Ibrahimovic Has Delayed Manchester United Move

Zlatan Ibrahimovic hasn't stopped teasing us about his move to Manchester United and yesterday at his clothing brand launch the Swedish international revealed we would have to be patient.

The 34-year-old is available on a free transfer and it was reported that a number of clubs from the Chinese Super League and MLS were interested. However, it appears his next destination will be the Premier League with Jose Mourinho's Manchester United. But what's holding up the move?

According to The Telegraph, United are prepared to delay the signing until next month so that the striker can collect a large loyalty bonus from Paris St-Germain.

Ibrahimovic is expected to sign a one year deal with Manchester United worth £220,000-per-week, with the option of a further 12 months.


@TheEllenShow gives a grateful formerly homeless man check for huge amount

Every Monday night, Derrick Walton shuts down his Iowa restaurant to feed people in need -- no matter how much the generous deed costs him.

It’s a hefty sacrifice, but one he always vowed to fulfill if he had the chance, because Walton knows what it’s like to go without.

The Des Moines, Iowa, pizza shop owner was once homeless after making a series of "poor choices" as a teen, and slept in abandoned cars and houses, he told DeGeneres on Wednesday. While trying to lift himself out of poverty, he pledged to help others if he ever had the means to do so.

"I made a promise that if I ever got in a position where I could help somebody, I would give something back," Walton told Yahoo’s Good News blog.

So when Walton opened Chef D's Pizza House earlier this year, one of the first ideas he put into practice was closing the shop on Monday nights to give free food to anyone who needs it -- even if he can’t always afford to do so.

When DeGeneres caught wind of Walton’s story, she decided to step in and help.

The talk show host invited Walton on her show on Wednesday and presented him with a $10,000 check. She also urged her viewers to patronize the giving pizza parlor.

"My hope with having you on is to have lines around the block and have it so packed that you can afford to close on Monday nights," DeGeneres said, "and do what you’re doing because it’s such an amazing gesture."

Ellen Gives A Very Grateful, Formerly Homeless Man $10,000 To Help Him Feed Hungry

Every Monday night, Derrick Walton shuts ...

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Does Hillary Clinton really hate water? Or does she?

Politico came out on Monday with at tick-tock of Hillary Clinton’s big sick day. There didn’t seem to be too much new to report about the Democratic presidential candidate’s case of pneumonia, her overall health, or what it might mean for her campaign.

Clinton’s pneumonia isn’t severe, according to two people with direct knowledge of the candidate’s condition, and she is expected to return to the campaign trail as early as this week. The real issue is chronic dehydration, exacerbated by her lung problem and Clinton’s reluctance to drink water, which has become a source of tension with her staff.

"She won’t drink water, and you try telling Hillary Clinton she has to drink water," said a person in her orbit—who described a frenzied rehydration mission that included multiple bottles of water and Gatorade.

But wait, isn’t water the source of all life and how we replenish our precious bodily fluids? And as a human, wouldn’t Clinton be a regular consumer of water out of pure necessity?

It turns out that, as of 2008 at least, yes, Hillary Clinton did drink "tons of water." This was according to an interview she gave to Katie Couric the last time she was running for president (italics mine):

I take—I take vitamins. I—I drink tea, not coffee anymore. I have really stopped drinking diet drinks. Because I found that they gave you a jolt, but they weren’t good over the long run. I used to drink a lot of them. I drink tons of water. Just as much water as I can possibly drink.

I suppose it’s possible that Clinton’s water consumption habits have changed in the last eight years, possibly due to a change in bladder proportions or some other unforeseen factor. But given campaign’s oft-criticized penchant for obfuscating the truth on issues of great controversy, isn’t it possible that her staff is lying—or that Hillary was lying in 2008?

Here is some startling evidence that it was the former:

Video footage of Hillary drinking water, apparently from 2013.

Video footage of Hillary possibly drinking water, from a debate with Bernie Sanders earlier this year.

Finally, Hillary drinking water after suffering from coughing fits within the last week.

Whatever the real truth, this scandal needs a name. I propose "Waterghazi" or "Wetwater" because nothing more obvious comes to mind.

Politico came out on Monday with at tick-tock of Hillary Clinton’s big sick day. There didn’t seem to be too much new to report about the Democratic pr ...


And the most Googled reality TV star of 2013 is...

"Teen Mom" star Farrah Abraham has had quite the year, between shooting a sex tape with James Deen, casting molds of her privates for a line of sex toys, and auditioning for "Days of Our Lives" on two separate occasions. She received plenty of criticism for her choices and, along with that, lots of media coverage. All of the attention has made her the most Googled reality TV star of 2013, according to Google's metrics and end of year lists. She beat out Kim Kardashian, Lamar Odom, and Honey Boo Boo for the top spot, as well several other hot names.

We have a feeling Farrah will give the Internet plenty to talk about in 2014...

Farrah Abraham Tops Google's List Of Most Searched Reality TV Stars

All press is good press, right?

"Teen Mom" star Farrah Abraham has had quite the year, between shooting a sex tape with James Deen, casting molds of h...

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Kevin James has the best career switch in mind

Before you go, we thought you'd like these...

Kevin James, who has four kids with wife Steffiana de la Cruz, can imagine his life if the whole acting thing ended tomorrow.

"I'd spend time with the family. What other job would I get? Depends on what I was capable of doing. I'd be a bat boy for the Mets. I'm a Mets guy," says the comedian, who starred in "King of Queens" from 1998 to 2007.

"I guess I would do whatever it takes to get things done. You pick up these side gigs. I'd go into some bad investments, like a deli."

Now, he's back on primetime in "Kevin Can Wait," playing a newly-retired police officer who has restart his professional life. The show airs Mondays on CBS.

His return to TV wasn't anything complicated. "I wanted to come back and do it on Long Island and do it the right way with the right team. That's it," says James.

"A lot of my buddies from Long Island are retired New York cops and firefighters. They retire and they're younger than me. They're pressing reset on their life. They're trying to enjoy their retirement and life gets in the way. A lot of them get side jobs, too. That appealed to me, too," he says.

OnlyOnAOL: You won't believe Kevin James' dream job

The comedian and star of 'Kevin Can Wait' says if the whole acting thing ended tomorrow, here's what he would do.

He'd be a batboy for the Mets. #StopClickBait


Someone asked Rachel McAdams about her favorite "Mean Girls" quote

Rachel McAdams was at the Sundance Film Festival this year to support "A Most Wanted Man," Anton Corbijn's slow-burn espionage thriller with Philip Seymour Hoffman and Robin Wright in starring roles. But why talk about that film when the "Mean Girls" anniversary is happening soon? Chelsea Briggs from HollyWire TV spoke to McAdams on the red carpet at Sundance and was able to ask Regina George to reveal her favorite quote from the 2004 teen classic.

"I guess, I like the toaster strudel part. I thought that was pretty funny," McAdams said during the interaction with Briggs, a reference to Gretchen Wieners' father, the inventor of toaster strudel. The star also singled out "Is butter a carb?" as another classic. No mention of that disgusting vest, however, so McAdams can't sit with us, but we'll do an awesome shooter in her honor anyway.

Rachel McAdams' Favorite 'Mean Girls' Quote Is Not Trying To Make Fetch Happen

Rachel McAdams was at the Sundance Film Festival this year to support "A Most Wanted Man," Anton Corbijn's slow-burn espionage thriller with Philip Seymo...

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Michelle Obama's movie request might surprise you

As if Carine Roitfeld needed more validation of her fashion world prominence, the former Paris Vogue editor has just received the ultimate validation, courtesy of Michelle Obama.

The first lady reportedly requested a copy of "Mademoiselle C," the new documentary chronicling Roitfeld's CR Fashion Book launch, to watch privately at the White House. The film's director, Fabien Constant, confirmed the news to Fashionista.

We knew Mrs. O was chummy with American Vogue's Anna Wintour, but who knew her love of fashion industry insiders extended across the pond? Unlike Wintour, Roitfeld hasn't talked politics much or courted her country's first ladies quite as fervently as her American counterpart has. (Though Roitfeld once remarked of then-first lady Carla Bruni: "She is very glamour. She can fit in the clothes.")

As for FLOTUS, it's not really a mystery why she would want to catch all of the behind-the-scenes style action in "Mademoiselle C" -- judging by the way she dresses, the woman clearly has a keen interest in fashion.

We can just imagine Michelle, Sasha and Malia cozying up in comfy leggings with some snacks to watch the fashion doc. Think they switched on "Unzipped" and "The September Issue" afterwards?

Mrs. O knows a thing or two about fashion...

Michelle Obama Requested 'Mademoiselle C' To Watch Privately At The White House

As if Carine Roitfeld needed more validation of her fashion world prominenc...

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The 10 most valuable brands in the world

According to Wikipedia, the brand is a manufacturer's mark and a trademark having a high reputation among consumers.

We should note that the concept of the brand is much narrower than that of a company

a company may possess several brands, for example, Google is a brand, and Alphabet Inc. is the company owning that brand.

In this article, we collected the current information on the most valuable global brands as of 22 May 2020.

We suggest you have a look at it and compare it with our list of the largest companies by market capitalization.

Industry: Electronics, information technology.

Products: Personal computers and tablets, mobile phones, audio players, and others.

Apple is the most valuable brand in the world. Today the company's logo is recognized by a lot of people, as Apple truly became the most successful and powerful brand ever. Its value is estimated at $205.5 billion by rating agencies experts.

The company was established on 1 April 1976 by Steve Wozniak, Ronald Wayne, and Steve Jobs. The trio initially engaged in the assembly of home computers and the production of proprietary models of PC. But their greatest success came in recent years when Apple introduced its line of mobile products to the world — iPhone smartphones and iPad tablets.

Nowadays, the range of Apple products is wide and includes smartwatches, computers and laptops, tablets, smartphones, and more. However, the hallmark of "apple" gadgets' popularity is high quality, stylish design, and a brilliant marketing program by Steve Jobs.

Today the company has thousands of offices, brand stores, and service centers worldwide with a staff of nearly 132,000 employees.

The headquarter is located in Cupertino, California, USA.

As it is the most used search engine on the internet, probably all users of the global network know Google. That is why the "Google" brand is one of the most expensive in the global ranking.

The experts estimate its value at $167.7 billion, which makes it the second most expensive brand in the world.

The company was established in 1993 by Sergey Brin and Larry Page. It provides the search service that processes billions of queries per day. Because of its advanced search engine, the Google creators managed to implement one of the most powerful advertising aggregates on the Internet, which generates the single largest share of the revenue for the company.

However, it is not the only product of the company. Alphabet Inc. constantly develops new projects. For example, Google currently releases mobile gadgets of its own making, creates software (e.g., Android OS) intended to work with them, and owns many popular Internet services such as YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Google AdWords and so on.

Headquarter is in Mountain View, California, USA.

Products: Microsoft Office, Microsoft Windows, Xbox.

The internationally famous Microsoft Corporation was founded in 1975 by Bill Gates. At that time, Microsoft was the first software developer that suggested using packaged software for personal computers (PC) that would thereby make the PC experience user-friendly and intuitive. This software – the Windows operating system – was a real breakthrough since it allowed ordinary users to master PC skills easily. The system brought the company an incredible success and huge profits.

Today Microsoft is one of the leading companies in the PC software market as well. It releases the new-generation Windows operating systems, a set of applications to work with documents called Microsoft Office, and many other software programs. Besides, Microsoft produces own mobile devices and accessories, video, audio, and office equipment.

The headquarter is in Redmond, Washington, USA.

Being the 4th largest brand in the world, Amazon also ranks fourth as the most expensive company by market capitalization.

Amazon is the American biggest retail company selling and delivering various goods over the Internet.

Internet users, suppliers, and producers can sell any goods on their own by using Amazon’s website as an online platform. So, the company’s major business line is the sale of products. The popularity of the service soared due to high-quality goods, low prices, prompt delivery, and a wide assortment.

The company was established in 1994 by Jeff Bezos. Amazon is headquartered in Seattle, Washington.

According to overall estimations, the company employs about 647,500 employees and has more than $162 billion in assets. Its annual turnover amounts to approximately $232 billion.

Facebook was developed by Mark Zuckerberg in February 2004. The Facebook social network is currently being visited by more than 2 billion people every day. The value of $88.9 billion is simply an astronomical indicator of the popularity and demand for an Internet project.

Today Facebook yields more than $22 billion net yearly profit thanks to online advertising.

The headquarter is in Menlo Park, California, USA.

Coca-Cola is the most famous worldwide carbonated soft drink that brings more than $6 billion in net profit for its company per year.

The famous beverage brand was established in 1882. Today the company’s product suite also includes Fanta, Sprite, Diet Coke, and Schweppes.

Due to the large value of its assets, high profitability, a huge staff, and high profits, the value of the "Coca-Cola" brand is estimated at $59.2 billion.

The headquarter is located in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Products: Electronics, household appliances, shipbuilding, aircraft engineering, finances, chemicals, and entertainment.

Samsung is globally known as a consumer electronics producer.

The company was established in South Korea in 1938. In 1969 Sanyo merged with Samsung, which gave birth to Samsung Group and changed the marketing approach and company mission.

In 1980, the first models of Samsung air conditioners appeared in the market. This was the beginning of the successful development in the European and Asian markets of climatic equipment.

In 1983, the Samsung company started the production of personal computers. By 1991-1992 the development of the first product line of mobile phones was completed. And in 1999, Samsung Electronics won the Forbes Global award in the category of consumer electronics manufacturing.

Nowadays, Samsung Group has plenty of lines for various kinds of products.

The company is headquartered in Suwon, the provincial capital of Gyeonggi-do, Republic of South Korea.

Industry: broadcasting, animation, movie-making, and theme parks.

Products: feature-length animated cartoons.

The brand was created back in 1923 by Walt Disney and his brother Roy Disney. The brand started as a small animation studio and is now one of the largest in Hollywood.

The company also owns 11 entertainment parks, two water parks, and ABC – the major television and radio broadcasting network.

The headquarters and primary production facilities are located in Burbank, California, USA.

Toyota is a Japanese company founded in 1924 by Sakichi Toyoda. It is interesting that initially he didn’t even engage in the manufacturing of automobiles, but was producing weaving looms.

His son, Kiichiro Toyoda, took an interest in automobile manufacturing and established the division with the funds received from selling a patent on an intelligent production machine.

Global annual sales of Toyota cars almost reached $272 bln. in 2018. And, as car sales in Japan declined significantly, it is a testimony to the company’s activity in the global market.

The headquarter is in Toyota, Aichi, Japan.

McDonald's is a worldwide chain of fast-food restaurants that places 10th in the ranking of the most valuable brands. The company’s current estimated value is $43.8 billion despite its capitalization decreased in 2015 by 11% as a result of a series of incidents.

The company was founded in 1940 by two brothers, Mac and Dick McDonalds, who opened their first restaurant in San Bernardino, California.

TOP 10 World's Most Valuable Brands in 2020

Google overtook Apple in the rankings but Amazon is on track to be number one in 2018.

#1 Apple inc.
#2 Google
#3 Microsoft
#4 Amazon
#5 Facebook


Sick of excessive traveling for work? Perhaps you have a case in court

Quietly dreading your next business trip? You're not alone. A recent study found that employees who frequently travel may be sick of their "hypermobile" work lives, but don't address the issue because they feel powerless.

The new research from England's University of Surrey determined two types of employees: the flourishing hypermobile and the floundering hypermobile.

"Those 'flourishing' viewed business travel as a source of happiness and a valued part of their identity," said Dr. Scott Cohen, lead author of the research and head of the department of tourism and events at the University of Surrey. "Those 'floundering' saw it as a source of unhappiness, and a danger to their health and family/social life."

Frequent travel can take its toll on anyone, so it's no wonder that employees may be struggling with it.

"Business travel can be disruptive to employees' regular sleep, exercise and eating — all of which can take a toll on their overall health and well-being," said Dr. William Siegart, medical director at travel risk management provider On Call International.

What's more, when you're on the road, the concept of a 9-to-5 day goes out the window.

"Working long hours well beyond the typical 9-to-5 are par for the course, and flight delays and logistics compound the stress," said Joost Schreve, co-founder and CEO of the travel platform kimkim, adding that even ostensibly glamorous trips, like a week in Tokyo, can be exhausting and "wreak havoc on everything from your sleeping and eating habits to relationships with friends and family."

Employees who feel they're spending too much time on the road, and/or that their health is at stake from frequent business travel, could have a case in court.

"Litigation is certainly possible," said Thomas Joo, a law professor at University of California, Davis. "It's well accepted that air travel has possible health effects. Starting about 10 years ago, we saw some lawsuits including class action [concerning] deep-vein thrombosis against airlines. There were a lot of settlements, and it was a big deal. If you see that there's a health problem association with flying, and that your bosses are exposing you to a health hazard, [that can serve] as logic to sue an employer."

But we have yet to see lawsuits filed against companies specifically based on the accusation of excessive business travel. This is because there's no law against such travel.

"There is no U.S. law that in general places limits or conditions on the travel associated with work," said Richard Reice, partner at Hoguet Newman Regal & Kenney, LLP. "Even in this day where there is greater awareness of a positive work-life balance, there is no cause of action for 'excessive business travel' and determining how much is 'too much' in order to establish a violation."

What's more, the health hazards associated with flying are still controversial. Reice notes that there is "an absence of definitive research on the negative health impacts of excessive travel."

And then of course there's the problem that the study noted: the floundering hypermobile is unlikely to confront his or her employer.

"People see themselves locked into business travel as part of the job, and speaking out might put them in the 'slow lane' to job progression," study author Cohen told NBC News.

So, what's going to happen? Those of us who aren't suited for or are worn down by frequent business travel are just going to stay miserable? Or look for work that doesn't require so much time on the road? Possibly. But we should also put the pressure on companies to do right by us. This doesn't necessarily mean reducing our travel; it can simply mean improving the conditions of our travel.

"Companies should consider ways to make traveling for their road warriors more palpable," said Craig Fichtelberg, president and co-founder of AmTrav. "Many companies require tight travel polices that limit the amount that can be spent on an airline or hotel stay. The more rules they pile on, the more stress and strain this puts on the traveler."

Loosening up the reins, allowing for flexibility in schedule, and springing for upgrades can make a positive difference.

"Consider allowing travelers to be bumped up to economy-plus seating or even business class depending on the length of the flight," suggested Fichtelberg. "Consider four-star hotels as opposed to two- or three-star hotels, [and] even allow for an extra personal day on the road for the traveler to get acclimated. The old school mentality was to tighten the rules to save money on travel, when in essence it makes more economic sense to loosen the rules. Business travel should be perceived as a company benefit — not a liability."

Let's be realistic though, what average company is going to spring for fancy hotels and personal days abroad when it's flying people out on a routine basis? And what already inhibited employee is going to step up and ask for more? Something's got to give, and it's probably going to give in the courtroom.

Since there's no law against excessive business travel, an employee would need to show proof in the courtroom of the negative effects of excessive business travel, which could then lead to a law against it.

"The tipping point for employers will be when there is successful litigation causing an employer to pay out for damaging the health of an employee by forcing him or her to travel too frequently," said Cohen. "Then we'll begin to see the rush by employers to put safeguards in place, so that it doesn't happen to them."

Could There Be a Law Against Excessive Business Travel?

Could employees who feel they spend too much time on the road, or that their health is at stake, have a case in court?


Singapore beats NYC Paris for this distinction

Singapore has been named the "best-value city for foreign business" by Bloomberg this week, after a new report revealed the Southeast Asian city-state offers businesses the best property-rental value compared to other major business hubs around the world.

The report, put together by global real estate company Savills, involved calculating total costs to set up a business in 10 major cities, dividing that number by the per-capita gross domestic product of each city or country, and then comparing each location on a "value for money" scale.

Of the 10 cities measured, Singapore had the best -- and lowest -- score (16.1), while Mumbai had the worst (74.7). Sydney and Moscow also fared well.

"The value of real estate is higher where more corporate revenue can be generated," Yolande Barnes, director of Savills world research, said in a news release. "It is worth paying more to accommodate an executive team in Singapore with its high GDP than in the low GDP Mumbai."

For years, Singapore has been recognized as a great place to do business. According to Singapore's Economic Development Board website, the island nation has, for 16 consecutive years, ranked second in the world as the city with the "best investment potential." It is also said to be the world's easiest place to do business, as well as Asia's "most network-ready" and "most transparent" country.

Go to Bloomberg to see how all 10 cities placed on the scale.

Singapore Named Best 'Value For Money' City For Foreign Business

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Best-value city (out of 10) for foreign business


Yes! In fact, North America, including United States, Canada, Mexico, and Greenland, could easily fit inside Africa with plenty of room left to add Central America, Argentina, Chile, and Bolivia too.

Most of the maps we use day to day distort the relative sizes of countries, making countries near the equator look relatively small and countries near the north and south pole look relatively huge. However, we can compare the true sizes of countries by using a different type of map.

Sweden vs Madagascar Australia vs Antarctica Europe vs Brazil United States vs Australia South America vs Greenland Brazil vs United States Africa vs North America Africa vs Russia Saudi Arabia vs Alaska Europe vs Antarctica

Drag on the small world maps to compare different parts of the world.