Thursday, February 27, 2014
Monday, February 24, 2014
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
BILLY RAY CYRUS RELEASES HIS SEQUAL TO ACHY BREAKY HEART (With Rapper)
I always wondered what he thought about Miley. The apple doesnt fall far from the tree.Woman Hits $29 Million Jackpot On Faulty Slot Machine, Casino Offers Her Two Steak Dinners
An apparent software glitch in a slot machine at Blue Chip Casino in Michigan City, Indiana awarded a woman nearly $29 million on January 11. She left empty-handed.
According to reporting from a local ABC station, Jennifer Carmin sat down at the penny slot and before she knew it, the machine was flashing a number with a lot of digits and commas.
“I was scared,” Carmin said. “I put my hands up. I didn’t know what was going on. [The floor supervisor] said ‘We don’t know how this happened, what’s going on…’ My heart, it just felt like it was pounding out of my chest. I said ’I’m a very excitable person and you are causing me stress right now. You’re kinda scaring me.’ He said, ’Don’t touch the machine! Clear the machines! We have to shut down the machines!’”
Instead of being handed any part of the $28.9 million the machine said she had won, the casino offered her and her boyfriend a couple of steak dinners.
“I mean what are two steak dinners? I don’t even like steak. I tried to explain that to them; they thought that was funny. I said I don’t think that’s funny,” Carmin said.
She reportedly is fighting for the money.
When asked if she thinks she deserves the money, she replied: “They’re always taking my money and I don’t say: ‘Umm is that computer wrong or did you overcharge me?’”
According to the report: “…Blue Chip Casino executives [said] the slot machine manufacturer has already fixed whatever software bug caused the problem. But the Indiana Gaming Commission hasn’t [yet] figured out what caused it or what should be done. The state gaming director [said] he can’t remember a claim of this magnitude by a casino patron.”
for more info :http://www.cardplayer.com/poker-news/16799-woman-hits-29-million-jackpot-on-faulty-slot-machine-casino-offers-her-two-steak-dinners
Sunday, February 9, 2014
Awesome Things About Google
What would the internet be without Google? Sure, there are other search engines out there, but the world’s biggest and arguably its best one serves up over one billionresults out of Mountain View, Calif., every day to people in 146 countries.
Its founders’ mission back in 1995 — aside from not being evil — was to implement a page ranking system based on the rules of academic citation. In academia, citations are like currency. Your publication will stand in higher esteem the more other publications cite it. As graduate students at Stanford University, Larry Page and Sergey Brin created their search algorithm with the idea of ranking pages based on how often other pages “cite” them — or, in this case, link back to them.
And that’s the very, very basic premise of the site that few of us could do without. But are you really getting the most out of it? Take a look below to find out!
1. Google indexes 60 trillion individual webpages…
Can you imagine that number? 60 trillion seconds is 1,892,760 years. 60 trillion dollars is almost 3.5 times the U.S. national debt. 60 trillion red blood cells is three times the number in your body. Maybe that’s not helpful. Just know it’s a lot.
2. And sometimes turns them into a game.Type “Atari Breakout” into the search bar, and you’ll see this easter egg created in honor of the game’s 37th anniversary last month. Use your directional keys to control the paddle. When you advance to the next level, Google will perform a random search, using those images as bricks.
3. Find more about a certain picture by clicking the camera
icon on Google Images. It brings up this box:
This gives you the option to upload an image from your computer or insert an image URL. If you’re using Chrome, right-clicking on a picture will also give you an option to “Search Google for this image.”
So next time you see an adorable dress on Pinterest with no credit information, use Google to track it down.
4. You can also narrow down an image search by clicking the “Search Tools” menu.
Looking for a black and white cityscape? Drawings only? Most recent photos of Beyonce’s hair? You can even use Google to look for GIFs — just select “Animated” under the “Type” menu.
5. If you’re on a site with a terrible search function, make
Google do the work for you.
6. It can also help you filter out some other riffraff…
Use a dash, or “minus,” to help filter out any unwanted search results. Typing “Paris -Kardashian” will make sure the gossip on Kimye’s wedding plans stays out of your way as you plan a vacation.
7. And locate files to download.
Entering “filetype:pdf” before your search query, for example, will give you only PDF documents. Other common ones are .docx, .pptx and .xlsx. (Music files are a bit harder to look for, sorry!)8. Here’s some next-level Googling: A search for a recent New York Times article on endangered South American species.
9. If a certain webpage is down, just search for it within Google’s cache.
Say you need information on sloths. Because reasons. Entering “cache:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sloth” into the Google search bar will give you the static snapshot of the Wikipedia page Google has saved on its servers. That snapshot may be a little old, however, so if you’re looking for up-to-the-minute news, the cache won’t really help.
10. Google’s your best friend when you need to get around paywalls…
And don’t want to, you know, pay. Trick the site with Google Translate by dropping a page URL into the translate box, setting the translated language to English and the source language to anything other than English, say, Japanese. Then just click the new link in the translated section.
Alternatively, you can use Google Mobilizer or Modules.
11. Or reminisce about the year 1998.
Typing “Google in 1998″ into the search bar brings up a retro version of the site. Sadly, it doesn’t actually function — entering any other query into the old-school search bar will bring you back to the present.
12. It’ll quickly tell you what time it is in Brazil…
Just type “time Sao Paolo” into the search bar and stop doubting your skills in basic addition or subtraction. (It works with any city, too!)
Speaking of times, if you want to know showtimes for movies nearby, just type a movie currently in theaters with “showtimes” and Google will bring up some options.
13. Or when the sun will set…
Or rise. Type “sunset Sao Paolo” or “sunrise Sao Paolo,” for example, to find out.
14. Or which team is winning the game right now.
Typing the name of your team or “Seahawks vs. Broncos,” for example, will give you the score. Google pulls the information from Stats LLC.
15. Speaking of games, here’s another one you can play when you’re bored.
Type “Zerg rush” into Google. A Zerg rush, for the uninitiated, is what it’s called in the game StarCraft when you gather forces of alien arthropods known as Zergs to decimate the enemy. Double-clicking turns your cursor into a weapon against the oncoming Os — Google’s version of Zergs.
16. Listen to your fav musician right on your search results page.
Searching for “songs by Lorde” brought up the list above, along with a brief bio of the New Zealander. Clicking on individual tracks brings up YouTube music videos, with some songs available to play just through Google.
17. The “I’m Feeling Lucky” button is estimated to cost Google $110 million in lost ad revenue each year.
The button skips over the search results page, and all its paid advertisements. In 2007, former Google executive Marissa Mayer expressed reluctance to kill the button completely, since “it’s possible to become too dry, too corporate, too much about making money.”
18. Originally, the site was named BackRub.
BackRub? What? In 1996, Page and Brin created what they called a “web crawler” that operated on Stanford University’s servers until it took up too much bandwidth.
19. And its homepage design is so sparse because Page and Brin didn’t know too much HTML.
It wasn’t because the two were proponents of minimalism — until the “Submit” button was added, users had to hit their return key to perform a search, Mayer once explained in a 2005 talk. The copyright line at the bottom was only added after the site founders observed users staring at the sparse homepage “waiting for the rest of it to load,” Mayer told Businessweek. It serves as a sort of signal that the page is ready to go.
20. But nowadays, Google can even solve all your math problems…
Do you even own a calculator anymore? Never fear — type “calculator” into Google’s search bar and this spiffy one will be provided to you. You can also just type in basic math into the search bar, like “60 x 12 million,” and you’ll get a numerical answer. (720 million!)
21. Including conversions.
Typing “Celsius to Fahrenheit” gets you the handy converter above. Google can convert measures of mass, volume, speed, area, temperature and digital storage. It will also tell you the going rate of conversion between U.S. dollars and Indian rupees (or between any other currencies).
22. And show you what movies that one actor has been in…
Typing “Jennifer Lawrence movies” into Google will bring up a nifty little slideshow of her filmography. Same goes for musicians’ discographies — try searching for “The Beatles albums.”23. Including their Bacon number!
Typing any actor’s name plus “Bacon number” gives you their degree of separationfrom being in a movie with Kevin Bacon — a game borne out of the “six degrees of separation” theory that any two people are linked by the acquaintances of no more than six others.
24. Use Google to show you the weather…
Just type “weather” plus your city into the search bar, and Google will compile the weather forecast from other sites in one neat package.
25. Or to define a word for you…
26. Or to find pizza nearby.
Type “pizza” plus your zip code. You can also search for other types of takeout foods, restaurants by cuisine, bars or locate retail establishments like the nearest grocery or convenience store.
27. It’s estimated that an ad on Google’s homepage would cost $10 million.
But it’s not for sale, Mayer once told Businessweek.
28. You can also set your Google homepage language to Klingon.
Or Latin. Or Pirate. Or one of the over 150 other languages available under the “Language” tab on your Settings page.
FOR MORE INFO: http://pinoria.com/awesome-things-google/?_nospa=true
WHAT DOOR WOULD YOU CHOOSE ?
Pick the door that looks the most appealing to you. This might reveal a few things about your personality. Let us know what door you picked and if the answer was accurate for you. Feel free to SHARE!
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1 - You are a fun individual that likes to keep things light and airy. You are all about nurturing others and appreciating the simple luxuries in life; such as your fine dishware, favorite candle or eating artisan bread from the local bakery. You most likely have a love for traveling and other cultures. You truly want the best for everyone and love creating a welcoming atmosphere. It is important to remember that if you ever feel that you need help or support, it is OK to just ask someone.
2- You are clean and simple and don’t like any frills. You might strive to have a clean and perfect existence; but is it totally worth it? Don’t you feel that there is something missing? You are all about your personal achievements and you take pride in your work or career. Although you might be on track with your career path or have a few diplomas/ certificates on your wall, you need to spend more time on developing yourself as a person. Remember... the real you. Life is all about creating balance, surrounding yourself with color and creating memorable adventures. If you are finding that you have been taking the safe road lately, try veering off the beaten path. You might surprise yourself!
3 – It is obvious you are a quirky individual and very interesting to the people that you let into your life. You are good at many things... a “Jack or Jill of all trades”. You are an artistic individual that expresses yourself in many ways. You can make something out of anything and are not a stranger to your local thrift shop. You can basically make vintage “new” again. It is easy to get stuck inside the house or inside your urban bubble; but remember that you have to get out and connect with nature. It is time to come down out of the clouds and get grounded!
4 – You are an old soul that can be slightly dramatic. You are a very artistic person that loves to express yourself through writing, music, art or some kind of expression. You are a dichotomy; for you can be very open and friendly, yet closed and deeply private. You often have your guard up, keeping your thoughts and troubles to yourself. Although you might think that nobody will truly understand you, if you allow yourself to open up and share your feelings, you will feel so much better. Deep down you are not aright with any imperfections and you feel the need to come across as “the rock” in any group situation. Know that people are willing to share their feelings with you and want you to share your feelings with them.
5 – It is very important for you to fit in and feel as though you are a major contributor in every situation. You always have things going on, for being productive is what makes you feel at ease. Your busy-ness can sometimes cause the need for you to become more aware of what is really going on around you. What does your body want you to be doing? It is alright to relax on a Monday and simply just BE. Feel free to take some time to figure out what you really love to do. Possibly try some new hobbies or activities that are out of your normal routine. Explore being you, even if that means relaxing. Life is not just about how many muffins you can make in a single batch or how many fit-it jobs you can do in one day.
6 – You are a confident person with an eye for detail. You can come across as someone who is all together and exciting; yet you are just YOU on the inside. You care about your appearance and how the world sees you, yet the inside your home or car is probably a total mess! Your personality can be self destructive, for you could turn against yourself when the going gets tough. The life of a person who is a living a total contradiction... has got to be a difficult one. Remember to breathe and just relax. Life is not just about pleasing others. Truth is, the world isn’t always watching... Take time to reflect on who you truly want to be? What is it that you truly want to do?
7 – You are a simple minimalist that always has important things to do. You care for others and find your time anything but your own. You surround yourself with meaningful things, for you are very sentimental. Family and friends are very important to you and you would do anything for them. Not putting yourself first has made your life a safe and complacent one. What is it that can enrich your life today? What will make your life more colorful and enjoyable? Even though life gives you labels such as a mother, father, wife, husband, teacher, manager, etc; remember that your life is still YOUR life. Take a moment to decide what you want your future to look like. It is perfectly acceptable to want wonderful things to happen to you. Carpe Diem.
8 – Your fun and playful personality keeps you young and youthful. Although you are easy going, you tend to have lower self-confidence and anxiety about specific things in your life. You are usually unorganized; yet don’t even know where to start to help yourself to fix the messy problem. You are a proud individual but you need to learn to love yourself more. You need to take the time to find yourself through self expression. How are you currently expressing yourself to the world? Remember that there are people around you that can help you, but you need to let them know you are willing to receive help. Life is easier when you let people in.
9 – You are a quirky person that is always making things work. You are an amazing problem solver that prides yourself on your thrifty living. You like to live an uncomplicated life and usually get by with the basics. Why would you need anything else? You are very easy to please and love doing things for others. Whether it be fixing your neighbors toilet, building a bird house for your mother out of reclaimed wood or helping your friend find a great living room set at the thrift shop; you are always there to lend a hand. Remember that life is special. It is OK to treat yourself to amazing things. You are special too!
10 – You are one who truly appreciates stability and wholeness. You are a reliable person that takes pride in their love of quality and detail. Some might say “cookie cutter”, but you say dependable! You always know what you are getting because you have checked the consumer reports. You love safety and security in all parts of your life. You prefer not to have anything frivolous or extra, if you can’t see the use for it. Chances are you have some sort of creative side that you have curbed in some way. You might love scrap-booking, music or art; yet would never try to make it your career. You feel your problems are your own and nobody needs to be burdened with them. Just keep in mind that exposing your true self to the world (or your neighbors) is not a crime. We are all human.
Source: Connection To Creative - www.connectiontocreative.com
10 Magical Effects Music Has On The Mind
Practising the piano won’t just improve your musical abilities, it can also improve your visual and verbal skills.
A study of 8 to 11-year-olds found that, those who had extra-curricular music classes, developed higher verbal IQ, and visual abilities, in comparison to those with no musical training (Forgeard et al., 2008). This shows the benefits of learning an instrument are not purely musical, but extend into cognition and visual perception.
The effects of music on cognition extend even to neurological wiring. According to research, calming sounds – especially the piano masterpieces of Mozart – can significantly reduce seizure-causing signals in as short as five minutes. The song’s effect on the cerebral cortex is so profound, that it has made 23 of 29 significant seizure activity decreases possible. The dramatic results are published in the 1998 experiment entitled “Mozart Effect on Epileptiform Activity.”
2. Feeling the chills
Have you ever felt chills down your spine while listening to music? According to a study by Nusbaum and Silvia (2010), over 90% of us have.
How much you feel, though, depends on your personality. People who are high in one of the five personality dimensions called ‘openness to experience’, are likely to feel the most chills while listening to music. In the study, people high in openness to experience were more likely to play a musical instrument, and more likely to rate music as important to them.
3. Active listening amps up happiness
If you’re not feeling the chills, perhaps you should try a little harder.
A recent study contradicts the old advice that activelytrying to feel happier is useless. In research by Ferguson and Sheldon (2013), participants who listened to upbeat classical compositions by Aaron Copland, while actively trying to feel happier, felt their moods lift more than those who passively listened to the music.
This suggests that engaging with music, rather than allowing it to wash over us, gives the experience extra emotional power.
4. Singing together brings us together
Since music is often a social activity, making it together can help bring us together.
A study of almost one thousand Finnish pupils who took part in extended music classes, found they reported higher satisfaction at school in almost every area, even those not related to the music classes themselves (Eerola & Eerola, 2013)
Explaining the results, the lead researcher Päivi-Sisko Eerola, said:
“Singing in a choir and ensemble performance are popular activities at extended music classes. Other studies have established that people find it very satisfying to synchronize with one another. That increases affiliation within the group and may even make people like each other more than before.”
5. Music treats heart disease
…or at least it can help with the stress and anxiety associated with having treatment for coronary heart disease.
A review of 23 studies covering almost 1,500 patients found that listening to music reduced heart rate, blood pressure and anxiety in heart disease patients (Bradt & Dileo, 2009).
6. Why sad music lifts you up
‘Mood management’ is the number one reason people love music.
And, all music fans know that music can have a cathartic effect. But, it’s still odd that, for some people, sad music can, under the right circumstances, improve their mood. Why? According to a study by Kawakami et al. (2013), sad music is enjoyable because it creates an interesting mix of emotions; some negative, some positive.
Crucially, we perceive the negative emotions in the music, but don’t feel them strongly.
(Read more: Why Do We Enjoy Listening to Sad Music)
7. Seeing happy faces
Music may make you feel different, but as little as 15 seconds of music can change the way you judge the emotions on other people’s faces as well.
A study by Logeswaran et al. (2009) found that a quick blast of happy music made participants perceive other’s faces as happier. The same was true for a snatch of sad music. The biggest effect was seen when people looked at faces with a neutral expression.
In other words: people projected the mood of the music they were listening to onto other people’s faces.
8. The colour of music
Music naturally makes people think of certain colours. Across different cultures, people pair particular types of music with particular colours.
In a study by Palmer et al. (2013), people from both Mexico and the US showed remarkable similarities in connecting duller, darker colours with sadder pieces of music and lighter, more vivid colours with happier music. A follow-up study showed that these music-to-colour associations were seen because of the emotional content of the music.
9. Could music bring back your vision?
In 60% of people who have a stroke, the visual areas of the brain are affected.
This leads to ‘visual neglect’: the patient loses awareness of objects on the opposite side to where the brain has been damaged. But, studies have found, when patients listen to their favourite music, some of their visual attention is restored (Tsai et al., 2013). So, music can be an important tool in rehabilitation for stroke patients.
10. Babies are born to dance!
Infants as young as five-months-old respond rhythmically to music and seem to find it more interesting than speech.
In a study by Zentner and Eerola (2010), the babies spontaneously danced to all different types of music, and those that were most in time also smiled the most. Maybe music really is in our genes!
Sources:
Article found on PSY Blog, written by psychologist Dr. Jeremy Dean
- See more at: http://www.spiritscienceandmetaphysics.com/10-magical-effects-music-has-on-the-mind/#sthash.Ay0rVbqG.dpuf
Friday, February 7, 2014
SOCHI HIJACK ATTEMPT ON TURKEY BOUND PLANE (BREAKING NEWS)
A plane has made an emergency landing in Istanbul after a passenger claimed there was a bomb on board and demanded to be flown to Sochi.
Turkey scrambled two F-16 jets to force down an airliner from Ukraine after an apparently drunk would-be hijacker ordered it to Sochi, where the Winter Olympics' opening ceremony was under way.
Officials say the Ukrainian man, brandishing what he said was a detonator, tried to gain access to the cockpit of the aircraft, which had 110 people on board.
The Interfax-Ukraine news agency reported that the man was inebriated.
The agency and Istanbul's governor, Huseyin Avni Mutlu, said he had neither a gun nor explosives.
"A Ukrainian man, born in 1969, was in an advanced state of drunkenness and tried to get into the cockpit, shouting, 'Let's go to Sochi'," Interfax-Ukraine quoted Ukrainian security services as saying.
"The man will answer for his hooligan behaviour."
In the air, the pilot transmitted a hijack alert and the Turkish military F-16 jets were scrambled.
The Pegasus Airlines Boeing 737-800 landed at Istanbul's Sabiha Gokcen airport at 6.05pm (0305 AEDT).
The plane was immediately stormed by anti-terrorism commandos, reports said.
Turkish television showed images of the aircraft surrounded by ambulances, fire engines and police vehicles with flashing lights after it touched down.
Istanbul's governor said the man had been taken into custody and all passengers were safe and sound.
After landing, the man "thought at first that he had landed in Sochi. It took some time for him to realise we were in Istanbul," Mutlu said.
The aircraft had taken off from Kharkov, Ukraine, for the scheduled flight south over the Black Sea to Sabiha Gokcen. The man wanted to divert it east to Sochi, the Russian city on the Black Sea coast.
Television channels showed a still image of the would-be hijacker with short hair and wearing what looked like a red, white and blue ice-hockey shirt with the number 11.
The incident happened as the opening ceremony was taking place for the Sochi Olympic Games, which 40 heads of state and leaders, including UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and Chinese President Xi Jinping, were attending.
article originally posted at : http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2014/02/08/drunken-sochi-hijack-bid-ends-turkey
MCGRUFF THE CRIME DOG HAS TO GO AWAY FOR A WHILE?
ORIGINAL ARTICLE LINKhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/02/07/mcgruff-the-crime-dog-sentenced_n_4745690.html
Hypocrisy reached cartoonish levels this week when the actor who played McGruff the crime dog received a lengthy prison sentence.
CBS Houston reports that John R. Morales was sentenced to 16 years behind bars after he finally accepted a plea deal related to his 2011 arrest in Galveston, Tex. during which cops found "1,000 marijuana plants, 27 weapons – including a grenade launcher, and 9,000 rounds of ammunition."
As TIME points out, it was, oh so ironically, a drug-sniffing dog that tipped cops off to Morales' weed stash.
U.S. District Judge Vanessa Gilmore told Morales before sentencing him that, ”Everything I read about you makes you seem like a scary person.”
Perhaps it's just us, but McGruff always had a somewhat menacing presence even before his criminal lifestyle was exposed.
Tot killed, body stuffed in suitcase, freezer
Sara Krueger’s mother spoke exclusively with KRON 4′s J.R. Stone Wednesday. Police say Krueger and her boyfriend Ryan Warner stuffed Kayleigh’s body in a suitcase and placed inside a freezer in the days before leaving their Napa apartment.
When J.R. asked the grandmother about that allegation, her response was simply “(Sara) didn’t do it.”
The victim’s grandmother cried throughout the interview which was not on camera. J.R. took her through the allegations from police who say the child was beaten to death.
“My daughter didn’t do that,” the grandmother said. “She couldn’t have done that. She loved her daughter.
Sara Krueger’s mom admits she didn’t know a lot of the details about her daughter’s relationship with Warner who she described as a “scary guy” and a “monster.” She says she thinks Sara was too afraid of Warner to tell her what was going on.
A Napa judge Wednesday refused to allow Child Protective Services to release information about its history with the family. Napa police say they answered nearly a dozen calls for service at the apartment where Krueger and Warner lived with Kayleigh.
Krueger and Warner remain held without bail on special circumstances murder charges in the Napa County jail pending a hearing later in the month.
J.R. also talked with a number of neighbors who know Kayleigh’s grandparents. Many say they can’t believe what has happened. One neighbor describes Sara as a “good mom.” Members of the Slusher family didn’t want to talk about the case.
(Copyright 2014, KRON 4, All rights reserved.)
Can Psychopaths Be Rehabilitated?
I spend an inordinate amount of time thinking about psychopaths.
It started when I covered the trial of a sadistic kidnapper named Cameron Hooker, who grabbed a hitchhiker and held her captive for seven years, most of the time in a coffin-sized box. He tortured her in every way he could devise.
This was my first close encounter with a living, breathing psychopath. I tried on the heavy ‘head box’ he used in her abduction, visited the basement where he kept her captive, and had nightmares long after he was sent off to prison.
I thought nothing so vile would ever hit headlines again. But I was naïve. Perhaps you’re nodding your head, remembering Elizabeth Smart, Jaycee Dugard, Natascha Kampusch, three women rescued last year from an Ohio basement, and a recent case of slavery in London.
Over the years, I’ve become obsessed with this type of crime. I’ve researched psychopaths, studied captivity syndromes, and thought a great deal about punishment and retribution. Nietzsche warned that we gaze into the abyss at our peril, but it’s a primal necessity. We analyze terrible crimes in much the same way we heed other means of escaping death. We automatically put ourselves into the shoes of survivors. We scrutinize an airplane’s charred wreckage, amazed that anyone walked away, because, yes, that really could have been you or me.
Elizabeth Smart uses her experience as a cautionary tale. She recently published her memoir, My Story, and she speaks extensively, promoting a self-defense program for children called RadKids. The core message is that, no matter what your age, yelling, kicking, and fighting back is the best way to foil an abduction.
Finding other lessons in these crimes is trickier, but just as important. The victims of these criminals deserve more than a startled gasp and a breathless news cycle. And basic public safety demands that we ask how to stop those who are driven to commit such extremely heinous crimes. Kidnapping and imprisoning victims is not a rash act. It requires an extraordinary amount of dedication, planning, and effort. And the captive’s misery is either of zero consequence or is a source of pleasure.Cameron Hooker—the sadistic kidnapper I researched years ago—is set for release in just a few years, several decades shy of his 104-year sentence. It’s galling to imagine his name simply added to a registry of sexual offenders. Such was the case with Phillip Garrido, who served a fraction of a 50-year sentence for rape and kidnapping. Shortly after Garrido’s release, he kidnapped 11-year-old Jaycee Dugard, whom he held captive—under the noses of his parole officers—for 18 years.
There’s constant deliberation over whether such men (and they are overwhelmingly male) ought to be classified as psychopaths, sociopaths, narcissists, or some subset of mentally disordered sex offender. Forensic experts analyze brain imagery and administer tests, grasping for clinical diagnoses. But whatever terminology is used, the criminal justice system is tasked with confining such criminals amid ongoing controversy over the length and conditions of their confinement.
What causes their behavior? Is it willful, or is it a symptom of mental illness? Professionals who face these criminals daily disagree.
An authority close to the Hooker case blames the kidnapper’s behavior on “an accident of internal wiring.” Dr. Paul R. Lees-Haley, a forensic psychologist, confides that the most apt definition for these types of criminals is “evil.” And Dr. Bruce Gage, chief of psychiatry for the Washington Department of Corrections and clinical associate professor at the University of Washington, compares psychopathy to colorblindness, explaining that, just as some individuals cannot see the color red, others are blind to human emotions such as sympathy and compassion.
(One caveat is that psychopathy exists on a spectrum. Some psychopaths are law-abiding. Psychopaths are not necessarily sadists or kidnappers. But they make up a disproportionate percentage of the criminal population.)
Having treated and evaluated a wide range of criminals, Dr. Gage notes that psychopaths typically demonstrate a “failure to take responsibility” for their actions. They often display callous, unemotional traits and indifference to others. Further, they tend to lack fear and have a “reduced response to punishment.”Dr. Martha Stout, author of The Sociopath Next Door, would agree. Stout says that psychopaths have a “tragic deficit” in the paralimbic system (the brain’s emotional area), which prevents them from forming bonds or caring about others. “Where emotion is concerned, psychopaths can see it in others when they make a concerted conscious effort,” Stout says. “They just don't care to do so unless they can use it to their own advantage.”
But others, such as Jennifer Skeem, professor of psychology and social behavior at the University of California, argue that psychopaths are just misunderstood and can be rehabilitated. “Psychopathy tends to be used as a label for people we do not like, cannot understand, or construe as evil,” Skeem says.
The controversy will doubtless continue. Experts disagree over how violent psychopaths should be housed and whether they can be rehabilitated. Studies are cited by both sides. But such is the subtle nature of human behavior that, while the science may be objective, the results of such studies are often open to subjective interpretation.
Meanwhile, the justice system is burdened with the practical issues of keeping these criminals behind bars. In some cases, sexually violent predators are detained not in prisons, but in mental institutions. Such confinement, termed “civil commitment,” became federal law with the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act of 2006, and is also employed in 20 states.
But this, too, is controversial. Many believe mental health institutions are not the proper place for dangerous criminals, who are better suited to correctional facilities. And some argue that their civil commitment is unfair to mental health professionals and to patients diagnosed with severe, persistent mental health problems.
Since California uses civil commitment, it’s possible that once Cameron Hooker has served his time in Folsom Prison, he’ll be deemed a “sexually violent predator” and transferred to forensic lock-up in a mental institution. But this isn’t mandatory, and no one can predict whether he will qualify for civil commitment. It’s possible that he’ll be set free to stroll the streets.
Dr. Robert Hare, who is perhaps the leading authority on the subject of psychopaths, created the most widely used tool for keeping criminals like Hooker behind bars. The Psychopathy Checklist, also called the PCL or PCL-R, is considered the gold standard in assessing psychopathy. In his book, Without Conscience: The Disturbing World of the Psychopaths Among Us, Dr. Hare states that there “is ample evidence that a careful diagnosis of psychopathy, based on the Psychopathy Checklist, greatly reduces the risks associated with decisions in the criminal justice system. Properly used, it can help to differentiate those offenders who pose little risk to society from those who are at a high risk for recidivism or violence.”
Perhaps, properly used, the Psychopathy Checklist can remove the guesswork over which individuals are most dangerous. But of course, no punishment can truly fit the crime. No pound of flesh or pile of cash can buy back years of being chained in the dark.
READ MORE AT: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1NSaSV/:iQY.39By:d0_Uz58H/www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/02/can-psychopaths-be-rehabilitated/283300/
Thursday, February 6, 2014
SELENA GOMEZ BAILED ON REHAB
Selena Gomez ignored the advice of medical professionals and waltzed out of rehab just 14 days into a 6-week program ... over the strenuous objections of the rehab staff ... TMZ has learned.
Sources close to Selena tell us just after New Year's she checked into a program at The Meadows called DAWN -- for alcohol, pot and Rx Ambien -- in addition to what her people believe is an unhealthy union with Justin Bieber.
But 2 weeks in, Selena bailed so she could go the Sundance Film Festival for her upcoming movie. She told her people she would return to the rehab facility after Sundance, but when it was over Selena decided she was cured and there was no reason to return.
Problem is ... that's not the way the medical staff at The Meadows sees it ... the treatment program is 45-days and Selena bailed four weeks early. We're told the staff feels it's essential in any recovery to complete the therapy.
Selena is telling her people ... she completed the toughest week, which the facility calls "Survivor's week" so everything is fine.
read more at tmz.com
From Its Bread That’s Also Used To Make Yoga Mats (WOW)
Buzz feed article - original link here :
http://www.buzzfeed.com/tasneemnashrulla/subway-plans-to-remove-a-chemical-from-its-bread
Subway, the world’s biggest sandwich chain, said it was in the process of removing a chemical called azodicarbonamide from its bread, the Associated Press reported.
Subway’s announcement came a day after popular food blogger, Vani Hari, started a petition on her website foodbabe.com asking Subway to stop using the chemical in their bread.
Stop using dangerous asthma causing chemicals in your bread@Subway! #NoWaySubway Join petition: http://t.co/rVobDH8UZN via@thefoodbabe
In her petition, Hari said the chemical Subway used in their bread was the same chemical used to make yoga mats, shoe soles, and other rubber-based objects.
She also stated that the chemical which Subway used to produce its bread faster and cheaper, was banned all over the world as it was linked to asthma, allergies, respiratory problems, and in some cases, cancer.
People flooded Subway’s Facebook page with comments asking them to stop using the chemical in their bread.
Several people on Twitter criticized Subway and shared the petition using the hashtag#NoWaySubway.
I'm not fond of eating plastic yoga mats @Subway! #NoWaySubwayJoin petition: http://t.co/z3vtSG3qNj via @thefoodbabe
Say no to azodicarbonamide (used to make yoga mats) in your sandwiches! http://t.co/jX2QqmNQtO #FoodBabeArmy#NoWaySubway
My son used to say @Subway was "the best restaurant in the world;" looking for another until they stop using azodicarbonamide.#NoWaySubway
Why do we accept being poisoned? Sign petition if you want change.#NoWaySubway #KillingUs http://t.co/1PfSfeTvfx
Dude @SUBWAY, what the heck with azodicarbonamide??? That's why some sandwiches have that yoga mat taste. @thefoodbabe#NoWaySubway
A Subway representative told the Associated Press that the change to remove the chemical was underway before the petition was launched, but did not give details on when it would be complete.
“The complete conversion to have this product out of the bread will be done soon,” Subway said in a statement. Facebook: subway
Subway is known for projecting a healthy image and using only the freshest ingredients.
Last week, Michelle Obama ate lunch and gave a press conference at a Subway outlet in Washington D.C., to announce Subway’s three-year commitmentin support of her health initiative.
First Lady Michelle Obama orders a Subway announcing Partnership for a Healthier America
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