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Nature Valley Thinks Granola Will Save the Children

According to a recent viral video campaign, technology is all but consuming America’s youth. In the video, three generations of people were interviewed, and asked what their favorite childhood activities were. Twinkling, whimsical piano plays as the older generations recount their wholesome childhood hijinks of building forts, fishing in the creek, and dodging black bears. Ah, youth.

Predictably, the youngest generations’ answers aren’t as wispy and romantic as their elders’. Rather, the children seem to be terrifyingly attached to the digital world, reporting that they use their phones and tablets up to five hours each day. With a naive smile on her face, one little girl reports, “I would die without my tablet.”

At the end of the video, the parents watch the children answer with shock, expressing their grief for a generation lost to the mind numbing evils of technology. As screen turns dark, Nature Valley asks us to “rediscover nature”, presumably with a shockingly green foil wrapped granola bar in hand.

In some ways, Nature Valley is onto something. With a third of all children in the U.S. considered overweight, childhood obesity is now considered an epidemic in America. This is attributed to not getting enough physical activity, and a diet filled with processed, sugar-filled foods.

Sure, children could stand to get outside more and fill the daily recommended 60 minutes of activity. And of course everyone in America can stand to cut refined sugars and carbohydrates from their diet. It just seems a little counter-intuitive when these recommendations come from a company whose “all natural” products are teeming with high fructose corn syrup, maltodextrin, and high maltose malt syrups–three ingredients that definitely aren’t natural.

In fact, studies show that these highly processed ingredients contribute to childhood obesity, and lead to a myriad of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, hypertension, and cardiovascular disease. Talk about a lost generation, huh?

What’s the Deal with the ‘Guaca Bowle’ on Jeb Bush’s Campaign Website?

Super PACs may be one of the most popular ways for Presidential candidates to raise large sums of money, but Republican candidate and former Florida Governor Jeb Bush seems to have another idea: selling really expensive swag online.

While most of the items on Jeb2016.com have something to do with the campaign, including t-shirts, buttons, and rally signs, the most baffling item of all is unbranded: the Guaca Bowle.

The “Bowle” is designed to look like a molcajete, which is a sort of mortar and pestle often used for making foods like guacamole. Seeing as Jeb and his wife Columba, who is from Mexico, are apparently guacamole enthusiasts, it almost makes sense that the second-oldest Bush sibling would want to sell one.

But not only does the Guaca Bowle have no branding to indicate it’s part of Jeb’s campaign — the black plastic bowl also sells for a whopping $75.

Most people have probably seen such bowls used for salsa or guac in their favorite Mexican restaurants.

Mexican cuisine enthusiasts can buy real (or close to it) molcajetes for less from brands like Williams-Sonoma and Lenox, both of which market high-priced cookware.

In fact, one restaurant supply website sells the imitation molcajetes for $35.99… for a case of 24. Oddly enough, they look exactly the same as the one in the Jeb! store and would only cost about $1.50 per bowl — an amazing savings of $73.50!

Campaign advertising is often competitive, and by the time election season gets into full swing, attack ads dominate every commercial break on TV. One survey stated that 37% of consumers report looking at outdoor ads and business signs most of the time or every time they see one, so Presidential candidates have to look for other means to attract voters.

But the unbranded and substantially overpriced Guaca Bowle is something of a head-scratcher. So far it’s been lampooned all over the internet and on Comedy Central’s @midnight, and Vox.com has referred to it as the “mockajete” and an “abomination.”

Yet perhaps most disappointingly of all, Bush’s website gives this disclaimer: “Jeb’s secret guacamole recipe not included… yet.” It also takes about three weeks to ship.

This week hasn’t been a good week for Bush, who is the brother of former President George W. Bush and son of former President George H.W. Bush. He took part in the Republican Presidential debates on Aug. 6 and was asked about his gaffe earlier in the week, where he claimed that the U.S. may not “need half a billion dollars for women’s health issues.”

Researchers at University of Georgia Find Link Between Opioid Misuse and Heroin Addiction

The pharmaceutical industry is booming in America. In 2011 alone, the U.S. saw pharmaceutical sales total a staggering $231.46 billion.

Unfortunately, many prescription drugs are misused, and may lead to deeper forms of addiction.

A recent study conducted by researchers at the University of Georgia reveals that individuals who misuse prescription drugs are more likely to have a history of abusing illicit drugs, regardless of age.

As reported by Psychiatry Advisor, the manner in which illicit drug abusers depends on the age of the individual. For those age 50 and above, addicts typically received the prescription opiates from a licensed physician. Younger addicts, on the other hand, typically procure prescription drugs from unauthorized sources such as drug dealers, family members, and friends.

To state the obvious, America is amidst a serious opioid crisis.

While heroin was once known as an urban drug, the abuse of illicit opiates has dramatically increased in suburban areas, such as Long Island and Westchester, two areas in downstate New York.

In 2013 alone, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that there were more than 16,000 deaths involving prescription opioids, an increase of 1% from 2012.

The increase in incidence of opiate use and death can be attributed to the low cost and easy accessibility of the lethal and highly addictive substance; one bag of heroin can cost as little as $8.

To conduct the study, the researchers reviewed the survey responses of over 13,000 individuals aged 12 and up from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health. This survey collects self-reported data on a plethora of topics, such as prescription drugs, mental health, and illicit drugs.

Despite the study’s findings, researchers are still unsure what creates the correlation between misusing prescription opiates and using illicit drugs. They surmise that it might be because of chronic or unmanaged pain, or attributed to users’ inherently addictive personalities.

Researchers are also unsure of how these individuals become addicted to drugs in the first place, perhaps because the understanding of how and why someone becomes an addict is multidimensional and complicated.

Many researchers are now examining addiction from a biological point of view, focusing their attentions on individuals who have a predisposed predilection for substance abuse based on genetic or neurochemical attributes.

While there is far more research to be done on the subject of addiction, perhaps this study will allow the world of medicine to begin tailoring treatment and interventions by age.

Ranking the Nation’s Hottest Housing Markets in July 2015

It’s that time of year again. Across the country, real estate markets often see their busiest periods throughout July and August, making summer the hottest season for buying and selling homes.

So far, 2015 is shaping up to be another year of healthy summertime real estate growth, reported Realtor.com, with inventory and demand expected to reach peak levels this month.

Throughout July, the median list price for U.S. homes rose to $234,000, a 1% increase from June and a stunning 7% growth from the same time last year. Median days on market — the number of days it takes for a home to sell — reached 69 days in July as well, another 7% decrease from July 2014.

It’s just more evidence of the steadily growing U.S. housing market. This year’s upward trajectory of growth began in March, when builders broke ground on some 618,000 single-family housing starts.

“This year we’re seeing inventory continue to grow in July, albeit at a slower pace than this spring,” said Jonathan Smoke, chief economist of Realtor.com. “And while demand overall is strong, the trend in median days on market is suggesting that the market is finding more of a balance, which bodes well for more moderate price appreciation in the months ahead.”

So which housing markets are doing better than the rest?

San Francisco continues to be the No. 1 housing market in the nation, HousingWire reported. Homes in this market sell at a median price of $748,000, and stay on the market for an average of 30 days.

Close behind San Francisco are Denver, CO, Dallas, TX, Vallejo, CA and Santa Rosa, CA, which round out the top five respectively. Throughout these markets, demand remains high, allowing for the rapid buying and selling of homes that makes any market healthy. Additionally, these markets are seeing an influx of new home constructions to help meet demand.

“These hottest markets are the best in the country from both a supply and demand perspective,” Smoke said.

As more families rush to close on homes before the start of the school year, it’s safe to say that many of these markets haven’t even reached their peak levels yet this year.

Hundreds Gather Outside Lion Slayer’s Office

With almost 28 million U.S. small businesses to choose from, protesters made their voices heard outside a very specific one this week. According to a report from USA Today, hundreds of people gathered outside the office of Minneapolis dentist Walter Palmer, who killed a protected lion named Cecil in Zimbabwe earlier this month. Toting signs that read “Killer” and “Justice for Cecil,” the protesters also taped messages on the door of the office, with various messages telling him to “rot in hell.”

Palmer reportedly claims that he didn’t know that the hunt was illegal, and had no prior knowledge about the lion’s protection status. He offered remorse in a letter sent to patients of his office, apologizing for the delay in appointments due to the protests:

“In early July, I was in Zimbabwe on a bow hunting trip for big game. I hired several professional guides and they secured all proper permits. To my knowledge, everything about this trip was legal and properly handled and conducted. I had no idea that the lion I took was a known, local favorite, was collared and part of a study until the end of the hunt. I relied on the expertise of my local professional guides to ensure a legal hunt. I have not been contacted by authorities in Zimbabwe or in the U.S. about this situation, but will assist them in any inquiries they may have. Again, I deeply regret that my pursuit of an activity I love and practice responsibly and legally resulted in the taking of this lion. That was never my intention.”

Police were stationed at the office during the protest, but did not intervene, maintaining that the protest was a peaceful one. There are no updates concerning Palmer’s legal status, or whether law enforcement has made any contact for reparations.

Little Boy Demands Personal Injury Lawyer Themed Birthday

There are approximately 45,678 personal injury law businesses in the U.S., according to IBIS World research, with nearly 150,322 personal injury lawyers. But even with all those options to choose from, one little boy in New Orleans knows who his favorite legal representative is.

According to a recent story from the Wall Street Journal, L’erin Dobra threw her two-year-old son Grayson a birthday party with a very interesting theme.

“He’s always been very drawn to Morris Bart commercials,” Dobra described. “He used to watch ABC and color videos, and he used to love those. But now he wants to watch Morris Bart commercials.”

She’s talking about New Orleans personal injury lawyer Morris Bart, who’d recently become a source of great captivation for her son. His snappy “One Call, That’s All!” tagline could be heard in the house on a daily basis, if not on the TV, then on repeat on YouTube. The little boy was so obsessed that Dobra decided to throw him a Morris Bart-themed birthday.

Not only was there a cake with an edible frosting portrait of the local lawyer, but Grayson received a pint-sized Morris Bart t-shirt and a life-sized Morris Bart cardboard cutout. While Dobra contacted Bart’s office to see if he would make an appearance, he did not make it to the party. He did, however, send the family an autographed photo, along with some Morris Bart key chains and another logo shirt.

Bart expressed amusement and a little bewilderment at the strange request, and thinks it could mean trouble for his business down the road.

“This was an unusual request… I’m flattered by it,” said the attorney. “He might be a future lawyer… That could be a future competitor of mine many years down the road.”

Dobra added that while Grayson used to pay his loyalties to Mickey Mouse, he has clearly found a new favorite in Morris Bart. “He still likes Mickey,” she said, but “given a choice between the two, Morris Bart will always win.”

Fridley to Undergo Major Sewer Repair Work

The sewer system in Fridley, Minnesota is about to undergo a massive restoration project beginning next month.

Local newspaper the Sun Focus reports that the Metropolitan Council Environmental Services (MCES) recently announced the project. The restoration work will begin next month and is expected to wrap up by September 2016.

The sewer repair work will affect Fridley Community Park and Plaza Park, among other areas.

The project’s citizen liaison, Tim O’Donnell, says the repair work is way overdue.

“Many of them are in the 50, 60, and 70-year-old range and were made of reinforced concrete and pipe back in that time frame,” O’Donnell said. “We are finding now that they are just falling apart. They are suffering high levels of corrosion on the inside of the pipe. We are really trying to target these areas in critical condition and restore them to a condition that will help them last for another 50 years.”

In addition to improving the sewer’s sanitation capabilities, the project will also help prevent groundwater and stormwater from entering the sewer.

MCES is hiring sewer repair contractor Lametti and Sons, Inc. for the job. Lametti and Sons will first install above ground waste water pumps in order to maintain sewer service during the repair work. The bulk of the repair work will involve a process known as cured-in-place-pipe (CIPP) lining, which involves inserting flexible, seamless new pipes into the existing pipes via manholes and sewers.

“We are using the existing sewer, even though it is damaged, as a mold to create a new pipe,” O’Donnell explained. Because the existing pipe will not be physically removed, the majority of the repair work will be contained in the local manhole sites.

“Once we have that set up, there is no flow going through the pipe and we can clean it, inspect it again, put the liner in and make sure the liner is working well,” he said. “Once the actual sewer repair is done then we can come back and do any restoration work that we need to do if we have to dig across streets or driveways or if we do any minor excavation in the park areas or any other landscape area. We will restore those back to the existing condition or better.”

The “trenchless” method as CIPP lining is sometimes referred to as is a cost effective and relatively quick way of repairing sewer pipes. It has been available for residential use since around 2000.

Lake Elsinore Campers May Be Subject to New Regulations

Lake Elsinore, California city officials hope a compromise will ease relations between residents and the lakefront property owners who use their land for camping after several complaints from the former.

The Press-Enterprise reports that the Lake Elsinore City Council reviewed a proposal regarding camping on such properties on July 27th in a public hearing. The city has received many complaints from local residents over several months about campers leaving trash, being loud, and using glaring lights (among other grievances) on the lakefront properties.

Lake Elsinore’s northeast shore is composed of more than 170 private properties, most of which are uninhabited and sparsely developed due to the lack of infrastructure such as sewer lines, electricity, and Internet access as well as the strict municipal codes that regulate the area.

Instead of developing the lands, many landowners use their parcels for camping. Camping on those lands technically require permission from both the city government and the Riverside County Department of Health, and is restricted to recreational vehicles.

However, city officials such as Community Development Director Grant Taylor complain that few landowners actually seek official approval and that the city has done little to enforce their camping laws.

For these reasons, a compromise proposal was drawn up to satisfy the local residents, government officials, and the landowners.

“I think we came to a pretty reasonable balance that protects everybody’s interests and is consistent with state law and constitutional rights,” Taylor said. “We don’t want people living there year-round and we want to protect against trespass.”

The proposal would remove the requirement of camping permits for tent camping on the condition that campers keep their noise and light levels to a minimum and do not litter. Campers will also be allowed to camp on any weekend. However, campers cannot be on the land for more than 20 consecutive days and must wait nine days between each 20-day visit (excluding weekends).

Landowners who want to rent their properties as campgrounds, however, will still be required to apply for a permit.

“Camping is a temporary use,” Taylor said. “It’s not meant to be housing and we’re trying to discourage that.”

Camping is one of the most popular outdoor activities in the United States. In 2012 alone, more than 38 million Americans went camping.

Illinois Farmers See Destroyed Crops After Rains and Tornadoes This Summer

Farmers in Illinois may be forced to make claims on their farmer’s insurance policies after the season’s severe weather and extreme rains have damaged crops.

Tornadoes and other disasters have destroyed nearly half of the state’s corn crops as of this July, meaning they rate from fair to very poor. The same goes for more than half of the soybean crops in Illinois.

Emerson Nafziger, a crop specialist with the University of Illinois Extension, explained that the problem can be blamed on the rain. “Water has stood on the crop and really destroyed its chance to produce any crop in lots of places,” he told WQAD 8.

The USDA’s National Agricultural Statistics Service reports that more than 40% of the state’s soil has excess moisture. Soybeans are only blooming at a rate of 56%, 10 points below last year’s numbers.

“This is going to be one of those years when people are going to be very grateful for crop insurance and happy they have it,” Nafziger said. He regularly sees farmers come to the university to get advice on growing during heavy rains.

But it’s not only the crops themselves that have been harmed. Approximately 97% of the nation’s 2.2 million farms are family owned, and that goes for the farmers in Illinois, too.

Now many families have to decide whether to rebuild after rains have destroyed crops and winds have taken houses, barns, and other outbuildings.

“How much does it make sense to rebuild?” Wendell Shauman asked after the destruction of his family’s century-old farm in Kirkwood. “Where do you put it? So, we’re sitting down and having those discussions. Just what do you do?”

Meanwhile, Illinois officials are still seeking federal disaster relief for the inclement weather and damage done to farms in the form of low-interest loans.

Mired in Delays and Corruption, Russia Confident It Will Be Able to Host the 2018 FIFA World Cup

Russian President Vladimir Putin assured soccer fans around the world that his country will be prepared to host the FIFA World Cup in 2018.

Yahoo! Sports reports that last Saturday, Putin shared the stage with departing FIFA President Sepp Blatter in St. Petersburg during a preliminary draw for the upcoming World Cup. Putin told audience members that Russia is making preparations for hosting the World Cup a top priority.

“I’d like to emphasize again that all the plans to prepare for the World Cup will be fulfilled,” Putin said. “Hosting it is one of our key tasks.”

Some critics are concerned that Russia will be unprepared to host the international tournament. Russia plans on constructing 12 stadiums in various cities for the World Cup, including one in St. Petersburg known as the Zenit Arena. The Zenit Arena is particularly troubling to observers, considering its construction has been repeatedly delayed since construction began nearly a decade ago. The project looked so bad at one point that Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev publicly commented that it looked “disgraceful.”

However, the 68,000-seat, 38 billion ruble (or $650 million) stadium is 75% complete, according to project chief Vitaly Lazutkin. Lazutkin claims that the rest of the project involves installing seats and working on the stadium’s retractable roof and other sophisticated systems.

Regardless of the stadium’s progress, many soccer fans are also concerned about the state of FIFA itself. Blatter is set to leave office after his organization was charged with several counts of fraud, money laundering, and racketeering by the United States Department of Justice earlier this year. Fourteen FIFA officials were indicted. Many of the charges were related to FIFA’s decision to host the World Cup in Russia in 2018 as well as in Qatar in 2022.

Still, FIFA General Secretary Jerome Valcke is nonplussed by the charges or by Russia’s progress. He deemed the situation “relaxing.”

“Russia is really way on track and I have no concern,” Valcke said. “The next FIFA Secretary General should be happy with the work that I give him because he will have a very organized World Cup.”

Like Blatter, Valcke is set to step down from his position soon.

Soccer is one of the world’s most beloved sports. FIFA estimates that more than 240 million people around the world play soccer regularly.