LA County Considers Putting the Breaks on Food Trucks Amid Growing Safety Concerns

Residents in Los Angeles County are looking for answers. The county, home to Tinseltown, is a thriving center of the growing food truck movement in the United States. At present, the county hosts more than 3,200 food trucks, selling everything from tacos to sushi. For the most part, L.A. County residents are perfectly happy to have such a successful, economically viable new food-scene. That being said, there is growing concern among residents and the county’s Department of Public Health that food trucks are serving a little bit more than their customers asked for.

A number of L.A. residents are reporting that after eating at some of the city’s popular food trucks, they came down with some nasty stomach bugs. Now, you might be thinking that getting an upset stomach from a bad piece of sushi is to be expected from time to time, but what if you heard that it could probably have been avoided? Consider, according to a recent report, 40% of the county’s food trucks haven’t been inspected in three years. The other 60% were only inspected once in the last year, despite state mandates calling for at least two annual inspections.

Because food trucks are inherently mobile, surprise inspections, a tactic the DPH relies on to get a real picture of an eatery’s compliance, are nearly impossible. For now, as the county mulls over greater oversight, the Department of Public Health is advising patrons of the food truck scene to visit the DPH website and take a look at the list of recent inspections, ensuring that the vendor they’re about to buy from is up to date.

Foodborne Illness is a Constant Concern in the States
For many, the lack of inspection of these mobile establishments is a non-issue. After all, a plethora of countries across the world allow their citizens to run unregulated restaurants on the streets without issue. Japan, most notably, let’s residents serve food for money out of their homes with minimal issues. For many in the worldly Los Angeles, complaints from the Department of Public Health and others are simply overreactions.

It’s important to note, however, that foodborne illness in the United States afflicts millions of people every year. The most recent statistics from the Centers for Disease Control show that 48 million Americans become ill after eating bad food each year, with 128,000 needing to seek medical treatment. While annual deaths from foodborne illness are relatively low, only measuring around 3,000 annually, there’s no denying that food poisoning is a real issue.

Increased Oversight isn’t Going to Stop the Food Truck Revolution
In the end, increased oversight and enforcement of public health laws needs to become a reality in L.A. County and throughout California. Critics of instituting any new rules against what has traditionally been a volatile, sensitive market say that increased oversight will hinder the growth of a micro-economy that has been a great source of income for the county.

However, those criticisms are likely unfounded. Food trucks throughout the United States have gained stable footing, now generating an estimated $650 million in revenue per year. Whether at New York’s award-winning Red Hook Lobster Pound, winner of the Daily Meal’s coveted number one spot for best food truck in the States or at Kogi BBQ, L.A.’s own golden child, a little oversight isn’t going to be slowing anybody down. Delicious food that’s safe to eat, it’s no stretch to say, will likely improve the fate of the food truck movement overall.

‘Real Housewives’ Stars Joe and Teresa Giudice Still Owe Millions Worth of Debt After Filing Bankruptcy

“Real Housewives” stars Joe and Teresa Giudice aren’t out of hot water yet. According to a trustee’s final report, the couple still owes $13.4 million to creditors — and that’s after filing for bankruptcy. Bankruptcy satisfied just $7,500 of their current debts, NJ.com reported Wednesday.

Teresa and her husband filed for bankruptcy in 2010. Their piling debts, they claimed, were a direct result of the recession and ensuing losses from Joe’s construction company. It is not altogether unusual that filing for bankruptcy did not erase the stars’ debts. Chapter 7 bankruptcy removes select debts only. Claimants are still responsible for money owed to the government, such as overdue taxes and student loan payments. The couple did not rely on bankruptcy alone.

“When John Sywilok, their court-appointed trustee, alleged that the couple had hid assets and income, Joe Giudice in 2011 invoked the Fifth Amendment against self-incrimination and agreed to a settlement in which the court denied discharge of his debts,” NJ.com explains. “His wife later followed suit.” In a rare twist of fate, however, filing bankruptcy — in their particular case — may have been their undoing.

The bankruptcy resulted in ongoing investigations and charges (pending) of financial and bankruptcy fraud. “It was a terrible decision to file for bankruptcy. They might have gotten away under the radar otherwise,” attorney Ronald LeVine tells NJ.com. “Joe Giudice faces a recommended sentence of 37 to 46 months, while Teresa Giudice faces up to 27 months,” the news site continues. Courts will make a final decision on July 8.

Eye Care Specialists Now Fitting Patients with Lenses for Google Glass

Since the Google Glass Explorer program first rolled out, participants have complained about the lack of prescription eyewear available for their face-mounted computers. Thankfully for these users, Google announced early last month that it will finally begin offering new options for prescription eyeglass wearers in a move that’s designed to make their face-mounted computers more fashionable, appealing, and–above all–consumer friendly before its mainstream release.

Each pair of frames from the Titanium line will cost $225 each. There are four choices available, which are called: Bold, Thin, Curve, and Split. Though the exterior of the frames is gray, users have a choice of four accent colors for their frames’ interior.

Google also offers three sunglass options at $150 each, which is fairly important considering the fact that UV rays can cause cataracts, macular degeneration, and even vision loss. The three sunglass styles are called: Classic, Active, and Edge.

Google made eye doctors a particularly important part of the Titanium line’s rollout, according to Dr. Stephen Bolick, founder of Eye Care Associates and one of the select few who’s allowed to fit users for prescription pairs of Google Glass. “From our perspective, anyone who wears prescription glasses, you’ll need to have your prescription lenses mounted on the frame to see the display,” he said.

The Glass hardware itself isn’t a prescription lens, and merely attaches to the frames, offering users the ability to take pictures, update social media, and project information like directions, sports scores, or e-mails on a small display. The hardware’s last update was back in October, when Google wanted to make sure that it could properly attach to the new Titanium frames.

Right now, the hardware still makes Glass users stand out. However, the future may bring a more subtle design to Google Glass, which would allow users to be invisible to the untrained eye. Of course, Glass could also offer hardware that’s more distinct, giving users the choice between subtle or obvious looks.

Regardless of the direction that Google Glass takes in the future, offering prescription lenses was definitely a smart move. It’s more important to focus on the current iteration of Glass and how the public will receive it. Google Glass spokesperson Chris Dale said, “I think you need to give the technology a chance to breathe and evolve.”

Girls May Be Suffering More Severe Concussions Than Boys, New Study Finds

There’s an old Gatorade commercial where all-star basketball player Michael Jordan faces off with pro women’s soccer champion Mia Hamm in a variety of athletic showdowns to determine, once and for all, whether guys and girls are really equal as far as sports are concerned. The music says it all, featuring a hard-rock version of the old Broadway musical song “Anything You Can Do.” The point of the ad, other than selling the popular sports drink, is that men and women truly are equals when it comes to athletic competitions.

While that might be true, a new study shows that boys and girls have different ways of dealing with concussions. Worse yet, the findings suggest that girls who suffer head injuries that result in concussions tend to suffer worse than boys, with more severe symptoms that last longer.

The study, released recently by Dr. Shayne Fehr of the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin, found that the 235 girls who participated in the research took over three weeks longer to recover from their concussions than the 314 boys did. As the American Academy of Pediatrics reports, a concussion is any injury that disrupts the brain’s normal function, typically resulting from any collision involving the head and common in contact sports like hockey, soccer and football.

In Fehr’s study all the patients were between the ages of 10 and 18 and were treated between 2010 and 2012. On average, the girls reported their symptoms took about 56 days to completely subside, while the boys said theirs were gone in about 44. Over three-quarters of the injuries were related to sports.

Most people think of concussions only taking about a week to 10 days to get better, but research shows that for younger athletes, it can be far longer than that. Then, there are the post-concussion dealings to worry about. As the Mayo Clinic documents, post-concussion syndrome involves a piling-up of different symptoms like headaches and dizziness that can last for weeks or even months. And the younger the injured person, the greater the chance for serious brain damage down the line.

These latest findings are all in keeping with an NBC News report from two years ago which found that concussions in teen girls’ soccer games were alarmingly on the rise. One doctor even referred to it as a “concussion crisis” and pointed to statistics that showed girls facing sports-induced concussions at a rate of nearly twice as frequent as boys. The worst of it, in addition to soccer, seems to come from the other two sports mentioned above — hockey and football.

So, what’s to be done? For starters, coaches need to be aware of the dangers so they may provide their players with the immediate help they need if they face an injury. On top of that, the athletes should be left in the care of their doctors, not their coaches, when it comes to determining the right time to reenter the game. After all, nothing’s more important than your health.

String of Miami Burglaries Target Laser Hair Removal Machines, Worrying Clinic Owners

Remember the classic viral video from 2010 featuring Antoine Dodson? After a would-be rapist broke into his sister’s bedroom and tried to assault her, Dodson warned his fellow Alabama neighbors to “hide your kids, hide your wives and hide your husbands” in order to protect them from similar attacks.

Now, instead of hiding spouses and children, certain establishments in Florida have steps taken to hide their laser hair removal machines. That’s because a series of break-ins in Miami-area cosmetic skin centers and spas have led proprietors to tighten up their facility’s security measures.

In January, burglars hit the Spyros Laser Medspa and smashed the clinic’s front windows before making off with the large piece of machinery, estimated to be worth between $70,000 and $100,000. That set off a string of 12 similar robberies throughout the state, with criminals targeting either laser hair removal machines or other valuable technological appliances like laptops. The owner of Spyros Laser Medspa said the machine was insured, but the incident led to a week’s worth of lost business.

So far, police have identified a list of individuals they believe to be involved with the burglaries and attempts. Those who lifted the hair removal machine from Spyros Laser Medspa attached it to a dark-colored Ford F-150 pickup with the license plate 190XBD, according to police. That bit of information has helped investigators slowly piece together who may be responsible. One of the suspects, Kelsey Williams, was booked by police last week in Miami Beach and charged with burglary, grand theft and criminal mischief.

As for why police didn’t arrive to stop any of the burglaries, the owner of Spyros Laser Medspa says his clinic has an alarm system, but the criminals were in and out in less than three minutes.

Laser hair removal is a cosmetic medical procedure that’s been gaining popularity since its initial commercial introduction in the 1990s. Instead of trimming the hair with blades, the laser removal process uses a pulsating beam of light to remove unwanted hair from arms, legs, armpits and parts of the face. When the light beam reaches the hair follicle at its growing point, the heat destroys the follicle instantly.

CBS’ Miami affiliate was granted an inside look at the property and evidence room of the South Miami Police Department, where two recovered laser hair removal machines currently reside. That’s a good sign, police chief Rene Landa says, but there’s more work to be done to right what’s been wronged with the other break-in sites.

Going Brown? Drought-Resistant Lawns Becoming Popular During Dry Spell

California is firmly entrenched in a harsh drought, and lush green lawns might fall victim to the lack of rainfall, especially in Sacramento. Despite the fact that the city does not get much rain regularly, many yards are modeled after those that would be seen in England, where rain is the norm. But concerns over water shortages might be leading to changes in residents’ priorities.

With influence from local governments who are concerned about the water shortage, homeowners are showing a willingness to install drought-tolerant landscapes despite the fact that, as Hudson Sangree notes, “The capital’s turf tradition is deeply rooted and is even enshrined in the bylaws of various homeowners associations.”

“We’re on the cusp of change. It’s definitely here,” said, northern California president for The New Home Company Kevin Carson.

Thomas J. Mickey, author of America’s Romance with the English Garden, also adds that “In America, the lawn was linked to social class. It really took off when people had the money to move to the suburbs. Real estate agents would say, ‘Now you can have a lawn.'”

Interestingly enough, a nice lawn can add up to 15% to a home’s value, according to Gallup studies, so the idea of having a beautiful landscape comes from more than just wanting a place to relax. But since lawns are so desirable, it can be a challenge to convince homeowners to switch to designs that are more sustainable in a dry climate.

A major unknown for the future is whether or not homeowners will be willing to buy places that don’t have lawns. Carson says that the challenge lies in convincing potential buyers of the advantages to new types of landscaping and hoping that public preferences change as water conservation becomes paramount.

“Consumers’ tastes do have to change, but we have to give them some different opportunities,” he said.

Interestingly enough, some companies are actually seeing a boost in business during the drought. Paul C. Woltze has run his own landscaping business for more than 40 years, and expressed that the drought has helped his company.

“A lot of people are taking out their lawns and putting in drought-tolerant landscape. Water rates are going up, and people want to save money,” he said. “Seventy-eight percent of the water in California goes to feed the outdoor environment, and the use inside is a pittance,” he said.

Whether or not consumers will keep those priorities when the drought finally subsides is hard to say. But those who are willing to break away from traditional lawns might find themselves better able to cope with the extensive drought.

New Legislation May Help Kansas Residents Avoid Fraudulent Roofing Contractors

Fraudulent contractors who don’t deliver the results that they initially promised are a thorn in the sides of homeowners from all over the country. The problem has gotten so bad in some areas, like Topeka, that new legislation has been enacted to help protect homeowners who hire contractors. Last year, legislators approved the Roofing Contractor Registration Act that requires every contractor that charges for a roof to obtain a registration certificate from the attorney general’s office.

The law originally took effect on the first day of July last summer. Since then, some 700 roofers had registered, according to Attorney General Derek Schmidt.

Shmidt hopes to encourage homeowners to use the law as a resource when they need to renovate or install a new roof, especially with the spring storm season arriving. Homeowners should ask for a copy of their contractor’s registration certificate and see if they can find it in the online directory maintained by Schmidt’s office.

It is particularly important for homeowners to protect themselves from uninsured roofers to make sure that they get what they pay for. Contractors might promise fast and cheap installation of additions like slate roofing, which requires little to no maintenance, only to take weeks to finish, if they do at all. By using the registry, Kansas residents will be better able to protect their investment and make sure the roof they install will withstand the stormy weather.

In Frankfort, Kentucky, similar problems have resulted in a contractor has pleaded guilty to theft by deception, a class D felony. That prompted Attorney General Jack Conway to give homeowners in the state notice to be careful about the contractors they hire in a news release.

“Never pay in advance for labor,” the statement says. “Scam artists often take advance payments from consumers and never return to complete the work. If an advance is needed to purchase materials, offer to purchase the materials yourself.”

It also says, “Use local, reputable contractors for repairs, if possible. If local contractors bring in out-of-town workers, ask who will be responsible for their work if it is not satisfactory.” And, like Schmidt, he says homeowners should ask if the contractor is licensed, bonded, and insured.

Unfortunately, there are lots of contractors in the U.S. who commit fraud and fail to deliver what they originally agreed to and rip off thousands from homeowners. Hopefully, new legislations and careful homeowners can put an end to that troubling trend.

Despite Certain Setbacks, US Economy Shows Signs of Growth

The United States regained 8.8 million private sector jobs, previously lost in the recession, suggesting the economy is finally on the mend. “The participation rate is rising again — which is a sign that Americans are feeling more confident about the economy and are coming back into the market to look for work,” ABC News reported Monday. American industries also created 192,000 jobs in March — a slight, but notable record.

“Despite less-than-encouraging news from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics’ recent jobs report, Gallup’s Job Creation Index shows Americans’ perceptions of the job market have improved,” Gallup adds. Perhaps as a result of this confidence, a growing number of young Americans are braving the job marketing and actively pursuing jobs, financial experts add. The introduction of 8.8 million private sectors jobs was no small feat. The regrowth took “a painfully slow six years,” according to ABC. Lower debts, climbing prices and values on the housing market, and rising stocks are stabilizing American household funds. This stabilization will lead to increased spending and a job growth rate of an estimated 225,000 new positions per month, economists project.

The promising news comes with several caveats. The U.S. population also experienced considerable growth. For that reason, the unemployment rate remains solidly at 6.7% — despite economic gains and the creation of nearly 9 million new jobs. Public sector jobs are still considerably behind — with 400,000 jobs still lost to the recession. Staples, for example, announced that it will be closing 225 stores in March, thereby eliminating thousands of jobs. Shares have already dropped by as much as 10%.

Experts add that lower-paying industries also added the most jobs, while higher-paying ones added an insignificant amount or — in some cases — even cut jobs in the recent fiscal year. Even so, economists remain confident. “Steady hiring, greater business and consumer confidence, and fewer government spending cuts should accelerate growth to about 3 percent for the rest of this year,” ABC News predicts.

Actress Claims Collagen Drink the Secret to Healthy Skin

Actress Millie Mackintosh recently debuted a brand new look on Twitter. The former Made in Chelsea star credits collagen drinks for her new, glowing complexion. Mackintosh, 24, admits “an intense workout regime and super lean and green diet” are also largely responsible for recent changes in her physical appearance. Mackintosh’s chosen drink contains collagen as well as “omega 3 and 6, vitamin C, the amino acid l-lysine, and B complex vitamins,” The Daily Mail reports. A monthly supply costs 90 pounds — roughly $170!

“I have seen friends who swear by collagen drinks and supplements and have amazing glowing skin,” beauty expert, Elsa McAlonan, tells The Daily Mail. “But it could be down to a number of factors — for healthy skin you need plenty of sleep, exercise, a good diet, regular facials — plus drink plenty of water — and follow a good skincare regime, of course.” Studies published in journals Skin Pharmacology and Physiology showed daily collagen supplements improved skin elasticity and reduced the appearance of wrinkles by 20%.

How does it work? Collagen is a protein that naturally occurs in the human body. In fact, it accounts for 30% of the protein in our systems. As we age, we lose the ability to naturally produce collagen — and this ultimately results in the formation of loose skin, fine lines, and wrinkles. Peptides in collagen drinks and supplements start production back up again, and — as a result — skin looks firmer and, according to some, shinier and livelier.

Fox News admits doctors’ opinions on collagen drinks and supplements, like the one preferred by Mackintosh, are divided. “Collagen supplements are a point of debate among dermatologists and doctors because collagen is a protein that, when it enters your stomach, is largely broken down before ever making it to your skin,” Fox News says. New products contain peptides that are more easily digested, however. This allows them to penetrate deeper into the skin and have a more direct impact on skin’s elasticity and firmness.

Spiders prompt second Mazda recall

The Mazda company has brought into the notice of federal officials that it is recalling almost 42,000 Mazda6 sedans from Monday. The company has said that there is an issue of fire and we have intimated to all vehicle owners to send their vehicles back to the company. The spokesman of the company said that “we are recalling models from 2010 to 2012 and this issue has occurred second time in the last three years”.

Jeremy Barnes the spokesman of Mazda said that “there may be air blockage issue in the tank which results in cracks and possible fire”. He further said that we are not aware of any dues pertaining to this issue and we have not received any claim so far.

It goes without saying that Mazda had designed its cars with regard to preventing the spiders but sometimes they find their way to get into the tank. Barnes said that “Mazda has started installing springs in the cars but software is yet to be installed”.  He said that we made the decision of recalling after receiving 9 complains about tank cracks and we have assured our customers that their all grievances shall be addressed.

Last but not the least, he said in his press conference that customers are requested to bring their vehicles to the dealers after beginning of this month and we would try our best to resolve their issue at short notice.