Avoid a midday crash by starting the day with foods that have both fiber and protein.
Also: 
Friday, December 24, 2010
'Stroke belt' mystery solved?
A food often considered beneficial may be contributing to these states' serious health issues.
Also: 
IRS: Tax refunds will be late
The agency says more than 50 million returns will be late due to the stall in Washington.
Also: Wackiest tax deductions
You can write off unusual transportation, as long as you're going to a business meeting or event.
Also: New tax law and your return
See what the provisions mean for sales taxes, student loans, and home ownership.
Also: Town that quit paying pensions
Retired city employees in Prichard, Alabama, are struggling since their pension fund ran dry.
Also: Cities that could go bankrupt
Municipalities across the country are scrambling for funds even as the tax base shrinks.
Also: 
Ten Fascinating And Unexpected Origins Of Words
Language is a fascinating thing.
The words we use today are drawn from, and have evolved for, today's usage from a wide variety of sources. One source is someone's name. An eponym is a word that has its origin in a person's name.
Here's a list that contains 10 eponyms and their fascinating origins.
The words we use today are drawn from, and have evolved for, today's usage from a wide variety of sources. One source is someone's name. An eponym is a word that has its origin in a person's name.
Here's a list that contains 10 eponyms and their fascinating origins.
Beatles' Abbey Road zebra crossing gets listed status
The Abbey Road zebra crossing in north London - made famous after appearing on a Beatles album cover - has been given Grade II listed status. The crossing - the first of its kind to be listed - is being recognised for its "cultural and historical importance" following advice from English Heritage. The Beatles were photographed on Abbey Road in Ian Macmillan's iconic cover shot for the 1969 album Abbey Road.
The original zebra crossing, where the photograph was taken, was moved several meters for traffic management reasons more than 30 years ago, and no original features remain. But John Penrose, Minister for Tourism and Heritage, said: "This London zebra crossing is no castle or cathedral but, thanks to the Beatles and a 10-minute photo-shoot one August morning in 1969, it has just as strong a claim as any to be seen as part of our heritage."
Roger Bowdler, head of designation at English Heritage, said: "This is obviously an unusual case and, although a modest structure, the crossing has international renown and continues to possess huge cultural pull - the temptation to recreate that iconic 1969 album cover remains as strong as ever. Together with the nearby Abbey Road studios, also listed at Grade II on our advice, they remain a Mecca for Beatles fans the world over."
The crossing is outside the Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles recorded much of their output. That building was granted Grade II listed status in February. A Grade II listing, the most common protected status, means that a building or monument is recognised as nationally important and of special interest.
The original zebra crossing, where the photograph was taken, was moved several meters for traffic management reasons more than 30 years ago, and no original features remain. But John Penrose, Minister for Tourism and Heritage, said: "This London zebra crossing is no castle or cathedral but, thanks to the Beatles and a 10-minute photo-shoot one August morning in 1969, it has just as strong a claim as any to be seen as part of our heritage."
Roger Bowdler, head of designation at English Heritage, said: "This is obviously an unusual case and, although a modest structure, the crossing has international renown and continues to possess huge cultural pull - the temptation to recreate that iconic 1969 album cover remains as strong as ever. Together with the nearby Abbey Road studios, also listed at Grade II on our advice, they remain a Mecca for Beatles fans the world over."
The crossing is outside the Abbey Road studios, where the Beatles recorded much of their output. That building was granted Grade II listed status in February. A Grade II listing, the most common protected status, means that a building or monument is recognised as nationally important and of special interest.
Rare-violin theft at shop
An internationally acclaimed musician's snack stop may cost her $1.9 million.
Also: The $8 mil iPhone and other wild gifts
Offering an $8 million iPhone or $25,000 game table can help retailers in many ways.
Also: Odd houses that you can buy
A former nuclear missile storage facility and a cave that sometimes sheds dust are up for grabs.
Also: Bled Island
Slovenia's Fairy Tale Isle
Lake Bled in Slovenia has had visitors for thousands of years. Little wonder when you consider its mild climate and beautiful surroundings. The lake has an island, tear-shaped and the only real island in the virtually land-locked country.
When people say that a place is like something from a fairy tale often they are exaggerating. Not so with Bled Island. Formed by a glacier it is every inch worthy of that description.
Chimps Play with Stick Dolls
Why do girls play with dolls and boys with cars (much to the consternation of feminists everywhere)? The answer may be rooted deep in evolution: scientists observed that female chimpanzee youngsters in the wild play with sticks as dolls:The new work by Sonya M. Kahlenberg and Richard W. Wrangham, described this week in the journal Current Biology, provides the first suggestive evidence of a wild non-human species playing with rudimentary dolls, as well as the first known sex difference in a wild animal’s choice of playthings.
The two researchers say their work adds to a growing body of evidence that human children are probably born with their own ideas of how they want to behave, rather than simply mirroring other girls who play with dolls and boys who play with trucks. Doll play among humans could have its origins in object-carrying by earlier apes, they say, suggesting that toy selection is probably not due entirely to socialization.
Reindeers 'Shroomin'
Reindeer tripping on shrooms? Drunk finches and starlings? Goats on speed? Jaguars on yage? In the Pharmaceutical Journal Online, Andrew Haynes presents a fascinating look at animal drug use. Apparently, the animals may have been the ones to turned us on to various recreational drugs.From PJ Online:
One such species, appropriately for a Christmassy article, is the reindeer, which goes to great lengths to search out the hallucinogenic fly agaric mushroom (Amanita muscaria) — the one with the white-spotted red cap that garden gnomes like to sit on. Eating the toadstool makes reindeer behave in a drunken fashion, running about aimlessly and making strange noises. Head-twitching is also common. Fly agaric is found across the northern hemisphere and has long been used by mankind for its psychotropic properties. But its use can be dangerous because it also contains toxic substances. Reindeer seem to metabolise these toxic elements without harm, while the main psychoactive constituents remain unmetabolised and are excreted in the urine. Reindeer herders in Europe and Asia long ago learnt to collect the reindeer urine for use as a comparatively safe source of the hallucinogen.
Another hallucinogen used by wild animals is the African plant iboga (Tabernanthe iboga). It has been reported from Gabon and the Congo that boars, porcupines, gorillas and mandrills will dig up and eat the powerfully hallucinogenic roots.
In the Canadian Rockies, wild bighorn sheep are said to take great risks to get at a rare psychoactive lichen. In scraping it off the rock surface they can wear their teeth down to the gums.
On the prairies of the south-west US, horses and other grazing mammals can become addicted to hallucinogen-containing plants known generically as locoweed. These plants, mainly species of Astragalus and Oxytropis, are normally avoided, but animals that try them can come back time and again for a repeat fix. Symptoms include altered gait, aimless wandering, impaired vision, erratic behaviour and listlessness.
Elusive cheetah photographed
The Saharan animal sighting is so rare scientists aren't sure how many of the big cats exist.
Also: Lost dog who boarded bus to keep warm is reunited with owner
A little lost dog who boarded a bus by himself and refused to leave as temperatures plunged to minus 11C has been reunited with his owner in time for Christmas. The frozen Cairn terrier, named Hamish, was found cowering on the bus in the west end of Glasgow with icicles hanging from his fur. Passengers were astounded when the dog, aged about eight years old, boarded the First bus when it stopped on Dumbarton Road on Wednesday. He was so cold he found a warm spot in the corner and curled up.
The bus driver took the freezing dog along to the local police station and he was then taken to the Scottish SPCA's Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Center. Luckily, his owner Ashley McGuinness heard about his antics on the news and was able to track him down. She said that he had been out in the garden of her home in Drumchapel when he disappeared.
Ashley added: "My sister in law heard on the radio that the Scottish SPCA were looking for the owner of a Cairn terrier who had gone on a bus and I thought it had to be Hamish. He was out in the garden and I think he escaped by going under a fence. I was desperate to get him back home and I couldn't be happier."
Anna O'Donnell, assistant manager at the center, said: "The passengers on the bus must have had a real surprise when Hamish decided to climb onboard. Even in his short time with us he showed he was a cheeky wee character. He certainly must have plenty of spirit about him, especially given his age, to have walked a few miles and then jumped on a bus. "We're just pleased to have been able to look after him and return him to his owner."
The bus driver took the freezing dog along to the local police station and he was then taken to the Scottish SPCA's Glasgow Animal Rescue and Rehoming Center. Luckily, his owner Ashley McGuinness heard about his antics on the news and was able to track him down. She said that he had been out in the garden of her home in Drumchapel when he disappeared.
Ashley added: "My sister in law heard on the radio that the Scottish SPCA were looking for the owner of a Cairn terrier who had gone on a bus and I thought it had to be Hamish. He was out in the garden and I think he escaped by going under a fence. I was desperate to get him back home and I couldn't be happier."
Anna O'Donnell, assistant manager at the center, said: "The passengers on the bus must have had a real surprise when Hamish decided to climb onboard. Even in his short time with us he showed he was a cheeky wee character. He certainly must have plenty of spirit about him, especially given his age, to have walked a few miles and then jumped on a bus. "We're just pleased to have been able to look after him and return him to his owner."
Thursday, December 23, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:If you're feeling pressure to pony up for extravagant gifts, your economical side is likely to rebel.
Sure, lovely things are lovely to give, but practicality is your stock and trade.
And if you apply your surprising creative side to it, you can find something practical and perfect that'll really please.
Who doesn't like a pair of fuzzy slippers, a wonderful book or a certificate for a homemade meal made with love?
Some of our readers today have been in:
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Surabaya, Jawa Timur, Indonesia
Dublin, Dublin, Ireland
Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Sittard, Limburg, Netherlands
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
Watford, England, United Kingdom
Ho Chi Minh City, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam
Santader, Cantabria, Spain
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Gelsenkirchen, Nordrehien-Westfalen, Germany
Bangkok, Krung Thep, Thailand
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Bremen, Bremen, Germany
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Wellington, Wellington, New Zealand
as well as Bulgaria, Israel, Finland, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Sudan, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, New Zealand, Czech Republic and in cities across the United States such as Warner Robins, Twin Falls, Los Angeles, Spring Grove and more.
Today is:
Today is Thursday, December 23, the 357th day of 2010.
There are 8 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
Festivus.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
The North Pole Pub
Yukon Cornelius walks into a North Pole pub and clears his voice to the crowd of elven drinkers. He says, "I hear you elves are a bunch of hard drinkers. I'll give 500 gold to anybody in here who can drink 10 pints of extra stout back-to-back."
The room is quiet, and no one takes up Yukon's offer. One elf even leaves.
Thirty minutes later the same elf who left shows back up and taps the prospector on the back. "Is your bet still good?" asks the elf.
Yukon says yes and asks the pub keep to line up 10 pints of extra stout. Immediately the elf tears into all 10 of the pint glasses, drinking them all back-to-back.
The other pub patrons cheer as Yukon sits in amazement. He gives the elf the 500 gold and says, "If you don't mind me asking, where did you go for that 30 minutes you were gone?"
The elf replies, "Oh... I had to go to the pub down the street to see if I could do it first."
The room is quiet, and no one takes up Yukon's offer. One elf even leaves.
Thirty minutes later the same elf who left shows back up and taps the prospector on the back. "Is your bet still good?" asks the elf.
Yukon says yes and asks the pub keep to line up 10 pints of extra stout. Immediately the elf tears into all 10 of the pint glasses, drinking them all back-to-back.
The other pub patrons cheer as Yukon sits in amazement. He gives the elf the 500 gold and says, "If you don't mind me asking, where did you go for that 30 minutes you were gone?"
The elf replies, "Oh... I had to go to the pub down the street to see if I could do it first."
Pre-'Seinfeld' Festivus origin
The alternative winter holiday was actually first celebrated decades before it appeared on TV.
Also: Christmas In Sweden
And this:Every year on Dec. 24 at 3 p.m., half of Sweden sits down in front of the television for a family viewing of the 1958 Walt Disney Presents Christmas special, "From All of Us to All of You." Or as it is known in Sverige, Kalle Anka och hans vänner önskar God Jul: "Donald Duck and his friends wish you a Merry Christmas."
Kalle Anka, for short, has been airing without commercial interruption at the same time on Sweden's main public-television channel, TV1, on Christmas Eve (when Swedes traditionally celebrate the holiday) since 1959. The show consists of Jiminy Cricket presenting about a dozen Disney cartoons from the '30s, '40s, '50s, and '60s, only a couple of which have anything to do with Christmas.
The show's cultural significance cannot be understated. You do not tape or DVR Kalle Ankafor later viewing. You do not eat or prepare dinner while watching Kalle Anka. Age does not matter—every member of the family is expected to sit quietly together and watch a program that generations of Swedes have been watching for 50 years. Most families plan their entire Christmas around Kalle Anka.
Active Duty US Army Ranger Named #3 Pastry Chef in the World
Master Sergeant Mark Morgan of the U.S. Army Rangers is, according to the World Association of Chefs, among the three best pastry chefs in the world. He won this affirmation in Luxembourg at a competition held every four years:“I’m not as good as I used to be – it’s been 10 years,” the Bronze Star recipient said, referring to the past decade that he served in the 75th Ranger Regiment. He deployed twice to Iraq and four times to Afghanistan in support of Operations Enduring and Iraqi Freedom.[...]
His peanut butter ganache earned him third place among 55 pastry chefs. Morgan also prepared four desserts, which together, were called “Pumpkin and Spice”. They included a spiced pumpkin custard; walnut cake inside a coconut blossom; red currant compote; and a cinnamon beignet on poached pumpkin petals, a trio of cranberry, and honey, yogurt and pumpkin sorbet with a pumpkin-thyme essence.
No-holds-barred exit for senator
Arlen Specter takes a swipe at the tea party before rapping two Supreme Court justices he supported.
Also: Town Learns Lesson
In New Jersey: Bridgewater spends $17K to defend $5 fee it charged resident.
Shown here is a random Bridgewater sign. It could be anywhere. Bridgewater is a common name for towns.A Somerset County town spent more than $17,000 defending a $5 fee it charged a resident for a compact disc of a council meeting.
Tom Coulter filed a complaint with the New Jersey Government Record Council in October 2008, saying he should pay the actual cost of the CD to get the recording.
The state council this year sided with Coulter and found he should have paid about 96 cents.
Bridgewater paid more than $14,000 in legal fees defending the case. It had to pay $3,500 to Coulter for his legal fees and give him a $4.04 refund.
iPhone Found In Prisoner
In Kenya, the little "i" stands for intestines: Cellphone found in man’s gut.
A Kenyan death row inmate has had an operation to remove a cellphone from his large intestine, a prison warder said on Wednesday.
Medical teams at a hospital in Naivasha, north-west of the capital Nairobi, on Tuesday night extracted a cellphone wrapped in a plastic bag from the gut of the prisoner after the device showed up on an X-ray.
“There was a mobile phone in the body and it's worrying the lengths this inmates can go to smuggle things into prison,” prison chief Patrick Mwenda told reporters.
Mwenda did not specify how the inmate, identified as Bernard Kosgey, had introduced the cellphone into his intestine but said doctors established it had been wedged there for a month.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
The Daily Drift
The Daily Drift
Today's horoscope says:Want to see an immediate difference in your work, your home life or a relationship?
Stop putting something off.
You've been meaning to do that extra project at the office, or fix that drippy faucet, or talk to 'em about the way you feel -- why keep postponing?
Even if it's only a small-scale action you take, it'll have a ripple effect in terms of new ideas and bigger, more meaningful positive change.
Some of our readers today have been in:
Santander, Cantabria, Spain
Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Bankok, Krung Thep, Thailand
Surabaya, Jawa Timur, Indonesia
Paris, Ile-De-France, France
Annecy, Rhone-Alpes, France
Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia
Cairo, Al Qahirah, Egypt
Sorel, Quebec, Canada
New Delhi, Delhi, India
Sittard, Limburg, Netherlands
London, England, United Kingdom
as well as Bulgaria, Israel, Finland, Austria, Norway, Georgia, Mexico, Peru, Kuwait, Serbia, Bangladesh, Latvia, Greece, Scotland, Hong Kong, Denmark, Wales, Iran, Singapore, Poland, Taiwan, Sweden, Afghanistan, Belgium, Tibet, Croatia, Pakistan, Romania, Paraguay, Sweden, Vietnam, Argentina, Cambodia, Egypt, France, Estonia, Puerto Rico, Brazil, New Zealand, United Arab Emirates, Slovenia, China, Iraq, Ecuador, Nigeria, Colombia, Chile, Honduras, Paupa New Guinea, Moldova, Venezuela, Germany, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Ireland, New Zealand, Czech Republic and in cities across the United States such as Travelers Rest, Palo Alto, Mays Landing, New Orleans and more.
Today is:
Today is Wednesday, December 22, the 356th day of 2010.
There are 9 days left in the year.
Today's unusual holiday or celebration is:
There isn't one.
Don't forget to visit our sister blog!
Thanks to our readers
Thanks to you we here at Carolina Naturally are about to reach 200,000 readers for the year.
Let's hope we can do it.
Let's hope we can do it.
Storms hammer Western U.S.
Strong rain and heavy snow cause problems from California to Colorado, and more is on the way.
Also: 
A snowdrift inside a house
One couple's house becomes a winter wonderland when they skip town during a huge blizzard.
Also: 
Balcony baffles neighbors
Neighbors are baffled by what appears to be a Brooklyn contractor's construction blunder.
Also: 
Beautiful Lavender Farm
Lavender is a common name for any plant of the genus Lavandula, most of which are native to the Mediterranean region but naturalized elsewhere. Lavenders have clusters of small purplish flowers that yield an oil used in perfumery.
University of Minnesota discovery suggests a new way to prevent HIV from infecting human cells
Researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered how HIV binds to and destroys a specific human antiviral protein called APOBEC3F. The results suggest that a simple chemical change can convert APOBEC3F to a more effective antiviral agent a …
Deficit fixes ignite debate
There's no shortage of creative ideas for fixing the $1.4 trillion gap, readers prove.
Also: 
Jury pool "mutiny" in marijuana case
A jury pool in Missoula, Montana staged a "mutiny" last week when asked if they'd be willing to convict someone for possession of 1/16 ounce of marijuana. The vast majority of jurors agreed that the case was ridiculous. From Billings Gazette:
“I thought, ‘Geez, I don’t know if we can seat a jury,’ ” said (district Judge Dusty) Deschamps, who called a recess. And he didn’t.
During the recess, (Deputy Missoula County Attorney Andrew Paul) Paul and defense attorney Martin Elison worked out a plea agreement. That was on Thursday.
On Friday, Cornell entered an Alford plea, in which he didn’t admit guilt. He briefly held his infant daughter in his manacled hands, and walked smiling out of the courtroom.
“Public opinion, as revealed by the reaction of a substantial portion of the members of the jury called to try the charges on Dec. 16, 2010, is not supportive of the state’s marijuana law and appeared to prevent any conviction from being obtained simply because an unbiased jury did not appear available under any circumstances,” according to the plea memorandum filed by his attorney.
Bad Cops
Virginia cop gets five years in prison for boinking 16-year-old
Two Florida cops are fired for criminal mischief
Ohio police sergeant charged with tampering, falsification
California cop is accused of illegal access of records
West Virginia town pays $1200 settlement for wrongful arrest
10-year veteran Arizona cop quits after being charged with domestic violence
British government trained Bangladeshi paramilitary death squads
From the WikiLeaks File:
Who exactly were these UK troops training before?
The Guardian:
Who exactly were these UK troops training before?
The Guardian:
Members of the Rapid Action Battalion (RAB), which has been held responsible for hundreds of extra-judicial killings in recent years and is said to routinely use torture, have received British training in "investigative interviewing techniques" and "rules of engagement".
Details of the training were revealed in a number of cables, released by WikiLeaks, which address the counter-terrorism objectives of the US and UK governments in Bangladesh. One cable makes clear that the US would not offer any assistance other than human rights training to the RAB – and that it would be illegal under US law to do so – because its members commit gross human rights violations with impunity.
Since the RAB was established six years ago, it is estimated by some human rights activists to have been responsible for more than 1,000 extra-judicial killings, described euphemistically as "crossfire" deaths. In September last year the director general of the RAB said his men had killed 577 people in "crossfire". In March this year he updated the figure, saying they had killed 622 people.
Greg Mitchell's non-stop blogging about Wikileaks
Reminiscent of what Nico Pitney over at HuffPost did covering the Iranian protests.
Colleges where grads earn most
Grads earn the highest salaries from a school that isn’t an Ivy and has just 757 students.
Also: Bankster robberies: Bank of America and friends wrongfully foreclose on customers, steal all their belongings
The NYT reports on a growing phenomenon of wrongful foreclosure by US banks on homeowners who are caught up on their mortgage payments -- and on homeowners who have no mortgage at all. In some cases, homeowners return from vacation to discover their locks changed and their every earthly possession sent to the dump (one woman lost her dead husband's ashes when her bank burgled her ski chalet). Prominent in the list of banksters who rob innocent people of their homes and all their belongings? Those upright guardians of morality at Bank of America, who have decided that their customers can't choose to contribute to Wikileaks's defense fund.
When Mimi Ash arrived at her mountain chalet here for a weekend ski trip, she discovered that someone had broken into the home and changed the locks. When she finally got into the house, it was empty. All of her possessions were gone: furniture, her son's ski medals, winter clothes and family photos. Also missing was a wooden box, its top inscribed with the words "Together Forever," that contained the ashes of her late husband, Robert.
The culprit, Ms. Ash soon learned, was not a burglar but her bank. According to a federal lawsuit filed in October by Ms. Ash, Bank of America had wrongfully foreclosed on her house and thrown out her belongings, without alerting Ms. Ash beforehand.
Avoid credit problems in 2011
Make these five easy moves now to get a higher credit score next year.
Also: Best cities for business in 2011
The top metro area benefited from the government's moves to prop up the economy.
Also: Helpful Hints
Millions of people are cooking with nonstick pots and pans — but in the wrong way.
Also: 
America’s stroke belt partially fueled by fried fish
Eating a Southern staple, fried fish, could be one reason people in Alabama and across the “stroke belt” states are more likely than other Americans to die of a stroke ...
Man has pearl removed from ear after 41 years
Some people carry around mementos from childhood - lockets, medals or rabbit's feet - to remind them of fond memories of their family and friends. Calvin Wright was one of them, only he didn't know it until just recently. Wright had been carrying a pearl from one of his mother's necklaces inside of his ear canal for 41 years. An emergency room nurse discovered the bauble when Wright went to St. Mary's Hospital in Athens earlier this month with an acute case of bronchitis.
"At first she asked if I used Q-tips," Wright said of the nurse who examined his ears and admonished him for sticking things in his ear. When she tried to remove the white mass with tweezers, however, she discovered it was hard and round, not soft and cottony. "She said, "I think it's a pearl," Wright recounted. The pearl got stuck in his right ear when Wright was 5 and roughhousing with his sister, Regina. The family lived in Chicago at the time.
"She had broken my mother's pearl necklace," Wright said. "I can remember (our baby sitter) picking them up off the floor - except for two, of course." Regina stuck those two missing pearls into her older brother's ear. When the kids realized the pearls weren't coming back out, Wright's mother took him to Cook County Hospital. "I was screaming and hollering," he said. "I know it was bad because the doctor gave me two lollipops."
But the doctor retrieved only one of the pearls - the other escaped detection for decades. Wright is not one of those people who avoids doctors. Over the years, when he got sick he went to see the doctor. He's had his ears examined several times, but no one spotted the pearl until the sharp-eyed nurse at St. Mary's, he said. "The doctors said it was amazing that it was down in my ear for all these years and I didn't have any damage," Wright said. He says his hearing is fine, but his barber and his wife notice that he talks a little quieter now that the pearl is gone.
"At first she asked if I used Q-tips," Wright said of the nurse who examined his ears and admonished him for sticking things in his ear. When she tried to remove the white mass with tweezers, however, she discovered it was hard and round, not soft and cottony. "She said, "I think it's a pearl," Wright recounted. The pearl got stuck in his right ear when Wright was 5 and roughhousing with his sister, Regina. The family lived in Chicago at the time.
"She had broken my mother's pearl necklace," Wright said. "I can remember (our baby sitter) picking them up off the floor - except for two, of course." Regina stuck those two missing pearls into her older brother's ear. When the kids realized the pearls weren't coming back out, Wright's mother took him to Cook County Hospital. "I was screaming and hollering," he said. "I know it was bad because the doctor gave me two lollipops."
But the doctor retrieved only one of the pearls - the other escaped detection for decades. Wright is not one of those people who avoids doctors. Over the years, when he got sick he went to see the doctor. He's had his ears examined several times, but no one spotted the pearl until the sharp-eyed nurse at St. Mary's, he said. "The doctors said it was amazing that it was down in my ear for all these years and I didn't have any damage," Wright said. He says his hearing is fine, but his barber and his wife notice that he talks a little quieter now that the pearl is gone.
Eight sneaky sleep stealers
As many as 50% of Americans snore, and for most of them it's no big deal.
Also: 
The 10 best new restaurants in America
An eatery with the "most fascinating pizza toppings on earth" is among the most notable places to nosh.
Also: 
Coburn trying to block 9/11 First Responders bill
The repugicans really are a twisted bunch.
U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, citing cost concerns, is threatening to block a vote on legislation that would provide additional aid to those suffering from illnesses linked to the devastation in New York following the Sept. 11 attacks.
The Oklahoma repugican said yesterday that he is trying to reach an agreement with the sponsors of the $6.2 billion measure that would allow it to proceed. He couldn’t say whether that would happen before lawmakers adjourn for the year.
“We’re working on it,” Coburn said. “It costs too much; it allows things to be covered that should never be covered, like sleep apnea; it pays way too much to health-care providers.”
A Case for 2,000-year-old Pills
In 1989, a shipwreck from about 130 B.C. was discovered. Divers retrieved dishes and other artifacts. One surprising discovery was a chest of vials and containers with tablets in them, some still dry! Evolutionary geneticist Robert Fleischer said they were made of compressed vegetation.“It was assumed the pills were medicines that the physicians were using. There were things associated with this chest that led them to believe it was a physician’s chest,” said Fleischer.Researchers are looking into the ingredients to determine what they were for. Speculation is that the tablets were used to treat dysentery, which was common among ancient sailors.
Using DNA sequencing, Fleischer has identified some of the plant components in the tablets: carrot, radish, parsley, celery, wild onion, cabbage, alfalfa, oak and hibiscus.
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