  Ok, it’s a long one today because I went home last night and found some interesting things on the Internet, but first, I’d like to make a correction to yesterday’s post. “A Simple Life” starring Paris Hilton and Nicole Richie is not an MTV production, nor is it showing on MTV. It is showing on the Fox Channel, though it is by the same creators as MTV’s The Real World, Road Rules, etc. Glow-in-the-Dark pet fish coming soon: The nation's first genetically altered household pet -- a fish that glows in the dark -- is set to begin appearing in stores next month everywhere except perhaps California, the only state with a ban on lab-engineered species. I’m tempted to get one of these fish just to see it glow in the dark, but I’m also afraid that Berg will make a quick dinner out of him regardless of how much it cost me.
An Australian launched the latest accessory for pampered pooches Tuesday -- bottled water in flavors like chicken and corn, liver and bacon, or beef. The purified Dog Plus K-9 water went on sale in pet stores at $2.10 for 1.3 pint plastic bottle. "It's like a sports drink for dogs," said Andrew Larkey who thought up the idea. "Dogs get bored with plain water -- they deserve variety just as much as people.
" Larkey plans a similar line of drinks for cats, in roast chicken and pork flavors early next year. People can safely drink it as well, he said, but it probably won't be a hit with humans. "I've actually developed a bit of a taste for it myself, but I think most people's first reaction is to be a little suspicious," he said. He said each bottle also contains half a dog's recommended daily intake of vitamins B1, B3, B5, B6 and C. (courtesy AP newswire) Huh?
I would ask who might be crazy enough to buy this BS, but I have a feeling people I actually know might buy this stuff. Scary, kids. Scary. A new study revealed the U.S. rate of teenage births fell a staggering 31 percent from 1991 to 2002. The rate declined from 62 births per 1,000 girls to 43 per 1,000. The study also contained some revelations on regional and racial differences regarding teenage sexuality and motherhood. New Hampshire had the nation's lowest teen birth rate in 2001, with 21 births per 1,000 girls between ages 15 and 19. The worst was Mississippi, with a teen birth rate more than three times higher, at 67 per 1,000. Interestingly, of the 11 states with the top teen birth rates, all but New Mexico require that abstinence be stressed in sex education.
In all, 22 states have such laws. Overall, Southern and Southeastern states had the highest teen birth rates, while New England states, except Rhode Island, had five of the six lowest rates. Other findings included a marked racial difference as to whether girls and boys were equally likely to have sex early in life. Among teens who had sex before age 15, white girls were just as likely as boys to have sex. But black or Hispanic girls were less than half as likely as black or Hispanic males to do so.
Hispanics had the highest teen birth rates, with nearly three times more than the 30 per 1,000 reported for whites. (courtesy NYPost.com) FOOD FACTS & FICTIONS (courtesy NYPost.com) Just in time for the holiday season of stuffing your face! MYTH: If you eat late at night, the food turns straight into fat. FACT: It's how many calories you eat - not when you eat them - that counts. MYTH: Foods like grapefruit, celery or ice-cold water can burn fat and calories. FACT: No food can burn fat. (If only! ) MYTH: Raw vegetables are better than cooked. FACT: Cooking carrots and tomatoes helps to release cancer-fighting substances called carotenoids and lycopenes, so the body can absorb them more easily. In fact, packaged, heat-processed tomato products such as spaghetti sauce can deliver six times more lycopene than the equivalent amount of fresh tomatoes, according to the American Dietetic Association. What's more, some beans such as red kidney beans contain natural toxins, which can cause diarrhea if the beans aren't cooked properly. Boiling them for 20 minutes makes the food safe to eat. MYTH: Boiling vegetables is better than microwaving them.
FACT: The longer you cook your food, the more nutrients it can lose. MYTH: Cravings are your body's way of telling you it needs something. FACT: You wish. Chances are, you're craving the pleasure and comfort you feel when you eat those foods - not a specific nutrient in them. MYTH: Any type of water is always better than soda. FACT: Although regular water is calorie-free, some trendy vitamin waters contain as many as 100 to 125 calories per bottle.
Keep in mind that a 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola carries 140 calories. MYTH: Food labeled low-carb means it's healthy. FACT: Check the label: There's no governmental standard for low-carb the way there is for low-fat or organic, and even if a product touts that it's low in carbs, it may be packing in the calories. MYTH: Vegetarian meals are healthier than meat dishes. FACT: To compensate for lack of flavor, some meat-free dishes are loaded with sodium, fat and calories.
MYTH: Nuts are evil and should be avoided if you want to lose weight. FACT: Although nuts are high in calories and fat, most varieties have low amounts of saturated fat, which is linked to an increased risk of heart disease. They're also a good source of protein and have no cholesterol. Lingerie becomes anti-drug weapon: They have tried aerial assaults and stiff jail sentences. Now Colombian officials have a new and unlikely weapon to combat the cocaine trade: push-up bras and thongs. Some 900 peasant women in Colombia are set to make racy lingerie and sell it to French supermarket chain Carrefour under a U.N.-backed program aimed at encouraging impoverished farmers and their families to stop growing drug crops. (courtesy MSNBC.com) I wonder if they get to keep any of the articles that they make? But then their problem might not be drugs but birth control. Oh well. 
