Tiffany Shepherd back in the News

Ya'll might remember her from awhile back (Normally I do not talk like that.) Tiffany Shepherd is the Florida teacher who was canned from her job as a teacher when bikini clad pictures of her appeared on the internet.

The school board insists they fired Tiffany Shepherd because of her many late and no shows for work. Tiffany Shepherd, on the other hand, is insisting it was because of her breasts appearing semi clad on the internet.

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Many things have happened since this first hit the news earlier this year with an interview on CNN. Since then, Tiffany Shepherd has appeared on the Howard Stern Show, the Tyra Banks show and many other media outlets including an HTBW blog all about her at http://tiffanyshepherd.blogspot.com

Whatever the cause of her firing, Tiffany Shepherd's 15 minutes of fame has definately been kept in after class.

Dallas - Fort Worth area Hit with 2 Earthquakes

Two minor earthquakes shook the Dallas-Fort Worth area late on Thursday and early on Friday, but no significant damage was immediately reported.

The U.S. Geological Survey said an earthquake with a 2.5 magnitude was reported at 11:25 p.m. Thursday, centered in the Grand Prairie area.

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The agency said a slightly stronger quake, at 3.0 magnitude, occurred at 12:01 a.m. Friday, centered in Irving about 10 miles west of Dallas.

USGS geophysicist Randy Baldwin said aftershocks could last several days.

Law enforcement agencies across northern Texas received some 911 calls from people who had felt the quakes.

An April 7 earthquake in southern Texas had a 3.7 magnitude.

Estelle Reiner Dies at 94

Estelle Reiner, who died on October 25 aged 94, uttered one of the most famous lines in modern cinema – as a customer in a New York deli in the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally she observed Meg Ryan's character faking an orgasm at a nearby table and told the waiter asking for her order: "I'll have what she's having."

The line makes the scene, lifting it above the crude, and has become this romantic comedy's best-remembered moment. Estelle Reiner – who appeared only in that one cameo – was the mother of the film's director, Rob Reiner, and married to the actor, director and producer Carl Reiner, famous for his partnership with Mel Brooks.

She used the fame bestowed on her by her scene in When Harry Met Sally to embark, in her mid-seventies, on a career as a jazz singer, recording and performing until last year.

She was born Estelle Lebost in the Bronx on June 5 1914, and as a girl spent much of her time at the Apollo Theatre in Harlem; she was also offered spots singing on the radio. Having studied at the National Academy of Design in Manhattan she joined the Sperry Corporation as its first female isometric draughtsman, preparing blueprints for submarines and aircraft.

On Christmas Eve 1943 she married Carl Reiner, eight years her junior, who was on Army leave and had given up repairing sewing-machines to seek a career in showbusiness.

As his career prospered Estelle brought up their two sons and one daughter in Beverly Hills. Later there were occasional film parts. Mel Brooks's wife, Anne Bancroft, gave her a part in Fatso (1979). She also appeared in her husband's picture The Man With Two Brains, with Steve Martin, and was Gruba in Mel Brooks's serviceable remake of To Be or Not to Be (both 1983).

As a singer, Estelle had recorded an album, Just In Time, in 1984. Thanks to the scintilla of fame which followed her small triumph in When Harry Met Sally she was able to record a further six. She also performed at clubs in New York and Los Angeles, delivering a nifty version of Don't You Feel My Leg. If heckled, she gave as good as she got, demanding of her tormentors: "Don't you ever go to the men's room?"

Estelle Reiner is survived by her husband and by their three children.

Earthquake in Pakistan Kills Hundreds - Germany offer's Aid

A powerful earthquake jolted parts of southwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, leaving at least 150 people dead and hundreds more injured, officials said. The death toll was expected to rise.

The 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan, and several districts of the province between 4:30 a.m. and 5:10 a.m Wednesday, causing widespread destruction, the state-run news agency reported.

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Nine aftershocks had been felt by 11 a.m., the officials said.

"It was a shallow earthquake, which are very destructive. The aftershocks will be felt for a week with more or less the same intensity," Qamar Zaman Chaudhry, the director general of Pakistan's Meteorological Department, said.

The epicenter was 112 kilometers, or 70 miles, north of Quetta. Chaudhry said the area was prone to earthquakes.

Army troops and medics were moved in two helicopters from Quetta to the villages of Warchoom and Kawas in the Ziarat District, one of the worst-affected areas, a military spokesman said. Other districts affected were Kuchlak, Pishin, Chaman, Mastung and Loralai.

Rescue teams scrambled to help the people in those areas as an emergency was declared in the province's hospitals.

Panic spread through Quetta on Wednesday morning as people spilled into the streets after the earthquake.

"It was scary," Malik Siraj Akbar, a resident of Quetta and a journalist for the Daily Times, an English-language newspaper, said by telephone.

"The walls of the apartment complex where I live shook so hard that I just closed my eyes and waited for the roof to collapse. I feel so lucky to be alive," Akbar said.

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"My computer, my books, fell from the table. Everything was scattered."

He said many people who fled into the streets remained outside for hours. "Most were reluctant to go back inside the apartment complex," he said.

Junaid Tariq, an administrator at the Women's University in Quetta, said many of the houses in the villages hit by the earthquake are made of mud brick and wooden logs, and collapse easily. He said there was no electricity in Quetta.

Local television news networks showed people sitting under the open sky, shivering in the cold in the far-flung districts of the impoverished province. Women huddled together in groups with their frightened children.

Hundreds of mud-brick houses were leveled. People were seen rummaging through the rubble, looking for survivors and belongings.

Baluchistan is a mineral-rich area mainly of dry, mountainous terrain. A low-level insurgency has long simmered there as Baluch nationalists have taken up arms demanding greater autonomy and a share of the national wealth.

Pakistan lies in a high seismic activity area, the officials said. In 2005, a 7.8-magnitude earthquake killed more than 75,000 people in the northern region and the part of the disputed Kashmir region it administers.


Germany offered cash aid to Islamabad on Wednesday after the earthquake in Pakistan.

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In Berlin, the Foreign Ministry said 250,000 euros (315,000 dollars) would be available to relief organizations to supply tents, blankets and food to the devastated area.

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who had visited Pakistan on Tuesday for political talks, sent a message to his Pakistani counterpart, Makhdoom Shah Mahmood Qureshi, voicing condolences to the victims.

The pre-dawn earthquake killed at least 160 people, media reports said Wednesday.

Rain and Snow Force cancellation of World Series Game 5

Plans to restart game five of the 104th World Series at Citizens Bank Park were washed out after gusting winds, rain and even snow swept throught the Philadelphia area on Tuesday.

The bad weather arrived early Monday but didn't lead to the suspension of game five between the Philadelphia Phillies and the Tampa Bay Rays until the players had slogged through five and a half innings on a waterlogged field. The game was tied 2-2 when MLB finally suspended play at 10:40 (02:40 GMT).

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There was no letup on Tuesday as driving rain and gusty winds saw temperatures dipped to four degrees Celsius (39F) but with the wind chill it was below freezing.

Major League Baseball commissioner Bud Selig said they would try to finish game five on Wednesday, weather permitting, but there were no guarantees.

"While obviously we want to finish game five as soon as possible, the forecast for today does not allow for us to continue the game this evening," Selig said.

"We are closely monitoring tomorrow's forecast and will continue to monitor the weather on an hourly basis. We will advise fans as soon as we are able to make any final decisions with respect to tomorrow's schedule."

The Phillies lead the best-of-seven series 3-1.

Another Hit to the Financial Market as Fidelity Mutual Funds looks at Cost Cutting Measures

The world's biggest mutual fund company, which employs 44,500 people globally, has already reduced its workforce by about 1,000 jobs in three rounds of cuts in the past year, but there have been no cuts in its main money management business.

Mutual fund newsletter Ignites said on Monday that Fidelity was preparing to cut as many as 4,000 jobs in two rounds starting this quarter.

Fidelity spokeswoman Anne Crowley called the report "speculation," but did not explicitly deny it.

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"Our business leaders are currently evaluating all of their operations -- company by company, division by division -- to make sure they are correctly positioned for the future," she said in an e-mail.

"Naturally, those reviews include an examination of all of our expenditures, as well as staffing, to determine if they are appropriately aligned for our business needs," she added.

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U.S. money managers have announced big layoffs recently as investors worldwide pull record amounts of money from stock mutual funds amid turbulence in financial markets, a trend that will cut deeply into fund companies' earnings.

Investors pulled out a record $104.4 billion from U.S. mutual funds in September alone, according to research firm Lipper Inc. Dismal numbers are also widely expected this month given the continued slide in stock prices.

The industry generates the bulk of its revenue on fee income based on a percentage of assets under management, which have withered in recent weeks.

Janus Capital Group last week said it was slashing 115 jobs, or 9 percent of its workforce, and AllianceBernstein Holding said it would make an unspecified number of cuts, the biggest in its 40-year history.

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The cuts are in stark contrast to a hiring binge in the industry between 2005 and 2007 when investment firms added more than 21,000 workers to their payrolls, reaching a record 168,000 employees, according to the fund industry trade body, the Investment Company Institute.

What time is it Mr Wolf?

A few years ago you might remember some little fiasco where George W Bush the Great idiot decided in his infinite stupidity he would save the environment by changing the time. Although George would like to think the contrary, he didn't actually change the way the Earth rotates around the Sun (I'm sure he blew as hard as he could though), what Georgie really did was to change the time we spring ahead and fall back. The result being (in his mind) a longer summer and no real change that would offend his gas guzzling chronies in Texas.

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Here is the "Act"

The bill amends the Uniform Time Act of 1966 by changing the start and end dates of daylight saving time, beginning in 2007. Clocks were set ahead one hour on the second Sunday of March (March 11, 2007) instead of on the first Sunday of April (April 1, 2007). Clocks were set back one hour on the first Sunday in November (November 4, 2007), rather than on the last Sunday of October (October 28, 2007).

So what does this mean for you, the person searching for various time related keywords like daylight savings time, time change 2008, daylight savings time 2008 usa, fall back 2008, daylight savings time change, daylight savings time, daylight savings, when is daylight savings time, what time is it, time, time change fall, time change 2008, daylight savings time 2008, time change, daylight saving time, daylight savings time, daylight saving time, standard time, world time clock, time and various other related search terms....

Well, it isn't an hour back yet, it is the same time it would have been yesterday in relation to the relative position of the sun and the earth. If that still confuses you, you don't have to change the time of your VCR unless it was one of those fancy ones that was manufactured prior to Dubya pretending to be god and it adjusts itself automatically. Maybe you hav an older alarm panel that still adjusts based on the old time, well that time is wrong.

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Maybe you have windows XP and it is still adjusting for the old time.

The long and short of it is, that old analogue clock on your kitchen wall is probably the most accurate. Of course, depending on your cell phone company, you could always look at your cell phone. (That's what I did before I got this headache)

In honour of Dubbya, and as a public service to the masses, let the Pigs tell you the real time.

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PACIFIC STANDARD TIME (PST)


EASTERN STANDARD TIME (EST)


MOUNTAIN STANDARD TIME (MST)


So if you did think the time fell back this morning.... Get off the toilet and get ready for work.... You are late!!!! Well, that is if you work today. George hasn't changed Sunday to Monday (to boost productivity) YET.

Marcia Brady, Maureen McCormick SEX TAPE

Maureen McCormick's shocking sex tape revealed!




Brady Bunch star Maureen McCormick is terrified a shocking sex tape she made back in her wild drug-using days will appear on the Internet - where it would fetch a huge selling price, sources report. In her no-holds-barred memoir Here's the Story, Maureen revealed she made the X-rated video after her days as a Brady, when she fell spiraled deep into the Hollywood drug scene.
"It's Maureen's worst fear in the world that this tape will surface, either on the Internet or in a sleazy porno flick," a source close to the 52-year-old actress told sources. "It could be worth a half-million bucks or more to a XXX-rated film producer. And now that the book is out and her secret's revealed, porno Web site operators are searching feverishly for it and are willing to pay big money.

"Maureen is scared to death that, if it did surface, it could destroy her sobriety and plunge her back into deep depression." In the tell-all, Maureen reveals her need for drugs became so desperate that she contacted "an older man who had coke and chased young women" that she met at the Playboy Mansion. "Using coke as a lure, he got me to undress and lay on his bed. Then, he videotaped me," she wrote.

"Until that point in time, I would have denied ever having put myself into a compromising position to get drugs. "But I was desperate, and desperate people get into trouble because they don't think. It's one of the things I'm still most ashamed of. I knew it was wrong and disgusting. "I knew I had sunk to a new low."

Maureen is reported to have said she knew there was still a chance the video could still be discovered and exploited for a handsome payoff. "Yeah, it crossed my mind when I wrote about that," she said. "It crossed the publishers' minds, everybody's mind."

Julia Hudsons' Mother and Brother Murdered in their Chicago Home

The mother and brother of Oscar-winning actress and chart-topping singer Jennifer Hudson has been found shot dead at the family's Chicago home, according to Hudson 's publicist and authorities.

A Chicago police department spokesman said the murders appeared to be the related to a domestic incident, but would not identify the victims.

Hudson 's personal publicist Lisa Kasteler confirmed that the victims were Hudson 's 57-year-old mother, Darnell Donnerson, and her brother 29-year-old brother Jason Hudson.

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Donnerson suffered a gunshot wound to the head. Hudson was shot in the chest, according to the Cook County Examiner's Office.

There were no signs of forced entry to the home, according to Joseph Patterson, deputy chief of patrol of the Chicago Police.

Neighbors reported hearing gunshots at Donnerson's home in the gritty Englewood neighborhood on the city's South Side between 8:00 or 9:00 am (1300 GMT) on Friday, but no one raised the alarm until around 3:00 pm (2000 GMT), authorities said.

It was Julia Hudson who made the gruesome discovery after returning home from her day shift at a bus company. The older sister of Jennifer Hudson summoned the police and also reportedly told them that her seven-year-old son was missing.

Authorities immediately issued an all points bulletin for the missing boy, Julian King.

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Police said the missing youngster might have been abducted from the home and could be in the company of William Balfour, a suspect in the double homicide, who should be considered armed and dangerous.

The bulletin said Balfour, 27, could be driving a white Chevrolet Suburban truck. The truck was registered to Jason Hudson, the slain brother of the singer, records showed.

Neighbours and news reports identified Balfour as Julia Hudson's estranged husband and the step-father of her son.

On his MySpace page, Balfour described himself as a "proud parent" and played up his links to Jennifer Hudson.

"I might as well let you all know that Jennifer Hudson is my wife's sister. I'm proud of her and wish her nothing but the best in what she do. But don't hit me up asking 'bout her, other than that it's on!" he wrote.

A slide show on the same site featured family snaps of Jennifer alongside shots of a bare-chested Balfour flexing his muscles for the camera.

Balfour is currently on parole after serving six and a half years for attempted murder, according to TMZ's website. He also has a conviction for possession of a stolen motor vehicle.

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At one time he listed Donnerson's home as one of his previous addresses.

The ex-con was taken into custody by police late on Friday, according to the Chicago Tribune newspaper.

Balfour was not co-operating with investigators and was not disclosing the whereabouts of the seven-year-old boy, FOX News reported. Chicago police would not confirm these reports.

Jennifer Hudson was reported to be flying home to Chicago from Tampa , Florida.

The 27-year-old singer shot to nationwide fame on American Idol, the wildly popular television talent show.

In 2007, she earned an Oscar for supporting actress for her turn in "Dreamgirls," alongside Beyonce, and Jamie Foxx.

Her debut album came out September 30 and she is currently riding high in the charts with a number one single on the Billboard R&B charts, called 'Spotlight'. In recent weeks she has been promoting her latest film project, "The Secret Life of Bees."

In interviews, Hudson credited her mother with helping her launch her career by pushing her to apply to American Idol, and said her siblings kept her rooted and down to earth.

Julia Hudson's MySpace page testified to the same deep affection for her mother. In response to a pop quiz asking who she most admired, Julia had written: "MY MOM, WHAT A WOMAN!"

In response to another question, asking who of her closest confidantes was most likely to get arrested, she had written: "WILLIAM."

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For Jennifer Hudson, two life themes appear again and again: her love of music and love of family.

"One reason my dreams have been able to come true is because of the people in my life," she said at a ceremony at the United Nations last year. "They've always believed in me, and had hope for me, and loved me."

The tragedy comes at a time of personal triumph for Hudson, still riding the wave of recognition that came with her best supporting actress Oscar in 2007 for her role in "Dreamgirls."

Hudson's single "Spotlight" is No. 1 on Billboard's Hot R&B/Hip-Hop songs, after 23 weeks on the chart. Her first, self-titled album debuted four weeks ago and has held the No. 2 spot ever since on Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The album currently ranks fifth overall on the Billboard 200.



Last month, Hudson's boyfriend David "Punk" Otunga (also a Chicago native and reality TV personality) proposed to the singer/actress on her 27th birthday. Hudson said, "Yes."

In her newest movie, " The Secret Life of Bees," released last week, Hudson plays the motherly figure to a young white girl ( Dakota Fanning) during the 1960s in racially charged South Carolina.

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"It was fun to go back to my mother's time," she recently told PlanetOut.com. "Like, 'Wow, is this what my mom looked like? Is this the type of clothing she wore? Was this her style?' Especially in that scene with the bob haircut? That was so my mother."

It was Hudson's mother, Darnell Hudson Donerson, who encouraged her daughter to pursue a singing career.

"My mum tells this story of when I was a baby in church," Hudson told Australia's Sunday Telegraph Magazine last month. "They were teaching the choir a note, and they couldn't hit it. I was just 8 months old, but I hit the note. Apparently, my godmother looked over to my mother and said, 'Mark my words, this child is going to sing.' "

The youngest of three, including sister Julia and brother Jason, Hudson grew up in Englewood, on the South Side. Her father, bus driver Samuel Samson, died when Hudson was in her teens.

Hudson graduated from Dunbar Vocational Career Academy. She has ties to both the Progressive Baptist Church, near U.S. Cellular Field, and Pleasant Gift Missionary Baptist Church. Up until a few years ago, Hudson still lived with her mother. As of 2003, Hudson's singing experience was limited to the church choir, a stint performing on a Disney cruise ship and a 2001 production of "Big River" at Lincolnshire's Marriott Theatre.

Still, Donerson encouraged her daughter to fly to Atlanta and audition for the third season of "American Idol."

She made it. In 2004, after a vigorous competition, Hudson was voted off the show in seventh place. Judge Simon Cowell was particularly cruel to her, telling her she was "out of her league" and her outfit resembled "something you should wrap a turkey in."

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Hudson's resilience won out when director Bill Condon hired her for the role of Effie White in "Dreamgirls," a musical riff inspired by the career of The Supremes. Perhaps in a bit of poetic justice, Hudson beat out 781 others who auditioned for the role including, reportedly, 2004 "Idol" winner Fantasia Barrino.

Hudson has been careful not to complain about her "Idol" history and instead remained grateful for the experience.

Hudson told the Tribune she believes in God's overall plan for her. "It wasn't a big deal for her because one of her dreams had already come true," Hudson's older sister, Julia, told the Tribune in 2007. "All she wanted was for the world to hear her singing."

Hudson won both a Golden Globe and Academy Award for the performance—her first ever on film.

"She's the same Jennifer," Julia Hudson told the Tribune after her sister's Oscar win. "She wants to stop and talk to every fan she can and come home [to Chicago] every time she can."

She went on to positive reviews in "Sex in the City: The Movie" and continued to credit her success to the support of her family. Hudson visited Chicago last week when she was honored at the 44th Chicago International Film Festival's Black Perspective Tribute alongside Sidney Poitier.

"Family is everything. My family is definitely what keeps me grounded," she told the Sunday Telegraph in September. "They keep things in perspective and balanced. When I'm in Chicago, my life is normal. I have to get up and make my own breakfast, and I'm told the truth. I'm very normal—it's my career that's not."

Been Caught Cheating - The Dr. Phil Story

Is Dr.Phil spending late nights at the office, working out a little extra at the gym. If you care about Dr. Phil, than you’ll love this cover from the National Enquirer. According to the tab, Dr. Phil was caught cheating and the other woman “tells all.”

Phillip Calvin McGraw (born September 1, 1950), best known as Dr. Phil, is an American television personality, psychologist and author who is the host of the psychology themed television show Dr. Phil. He gained celebrity status following appearances on The Oprah Winfrey Show

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The man who made his pile of millions helping (supposedly ????) white trash families wash their dirty linen online is himself caught in the vortex of cheating affairs and divorce.

Beyonce Knowles Version 2.0

Beyonce. She already has a one word name that everyone on the planet recognizes. Now she has ‘pulled a Diddy’ by revealing her alter-ego’s new name: Sasha Fierce.We know about Eminem’s ‘Slim Shady,’ and Prince’s ‘The Artist formerly known as…’ and even Garth Brooks as ‘Chris Gaines.’ Now Beyonce Knowles reveals her own alter ego that for years, seems to just take over when she’s on stage and performing. It’s Sasha Fierce. In fact, she’s even named her new album after her alter ego! The album, ‘I Am … Sasha Fierce,’ is due in stores on November 18th.

Here’s how Beyonce describes ‘Sasha’:“Sasha Fierce is the fun, more sensual, more aggressive, more outspoken side and more glamorous side that comes out when I’m working and when I’m on the stage,” the statement from the former Destiny’s Child front-woman reads.“I have someone else that takes over when it’s time for me to work and when I’m on stage, this alter ego that I’ve created that kind of protects me and who I really am.

Glowing Cats Batman

New Orleans — Everyone knows that cats can see in the dark, but that wasn’t good enough for some New Orleans scientists. They produced Mr. Green Genes, a cat that glows in the dark and is destined to be more than just a novelty for Halloween parties.

He’s a nearly 6-month-old orange tabby but, under ultraviolet light, his eyes, gums and tongue glow a vivid lime green, the result of a genetic experiment at the Audubon Center for Research of Endangered Species.

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Mr. Green Genes is the first fluorescent cat in the United States, said Betsy Dresser, the center’s director.

The researchers made him so they could learn whether a gene could be introduced harmlessly into the feline’s genetic sequence to create what is formally known as a transgenic cat. If so, it would be the first step in a process that could lead to the development of ways to combat diseases via gene therapy.

The gene, which was added to Mr. Green Genes’ DNA when he was created earlier this year in the Audubon center’s laboratory, has no effect on his health, Dresser said.

Cats are ideal for this project because their genetic makeup is similar to that of humans, said Dr. Martha Gomez, a veterinarian and staff scientist at the center.

Why a glowing cat?

To show that the gene went where it was supposed to go, the researchers settled on one that would glow.

The gene “is just a marker,” said Leslie Lyons, an assistant professor of population health and reproduction at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis, who is familiar with the Audubon center’s work.

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“The glowing part is the fun part,” she said.

Glowing creatures made international news earlier this month when the Nobel Prize in Chemistry was awarded to three scientists who had discovered the gene through their work with jellyfish. They used the gene, whose formal name is enhanced green fluorescence protein, to see how things work inside animals and even inside cells.

Mr. Green Genes — his name comes from Mr. Green Jeans, a character on the long-departed “Captain Kangaroo” television show — is deeply suspicious of strangers. He spends most of his days napping, and he doesn’t like being held when he doesn’t want to be cuddled.

In normal light, the 7-pound cat, who lives at the center, looks and acts like any other feline.

But turn out the room lights and switch on some black light, and you can see glowing ears, nostrils, eyes and gums. Those body parts light up because the protein is more likely to express itself in mucous membranes, Lyons said.

“You can’t lose that cat at night,” said C. Earle Pope, the center’s senior scientist.

“The frozen zoo”

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In theory, his litter box could glow, too, because cat droppings include epithelial cells, where the gene can be found. But there is entirely too much other stuff around them to allow for readily visible glowing without messy lab work, Gomez said.

The Audubon center started its animal-cloning experiments in 2001. Two years later, Ditteaux, an African wildcat, was born there. He was the world’s first cloned wild carnivore.

Cloning starts with cells — generally skin cells, Gomez said, because retrieval isn’t too invasive — and the cells’ genetic material is stored in a tank of liquid nitrogen where the temperature is 316 degrees below zero. The Audubon center has 12 such tanks of genetic specimens awaiting use; Dresser calls them “the frozen zoo.”

For work with felines, eggs are collected from a donor cat — usually a domestic cat — and the DNA is removed and replaced. To create Mr. Green Genes, the fresh DNA included the fluorescent gene.

Then the fertilized egg is inserted into a surrogate mother cat for a pregnancy lasting 65 to 70 days.

After Ditteaux’s arrival, Gomez was invited to discuss it before a group of gene-therapy specialists, who, she said, were interested in the prospect of creating a genetic model for fighting diseases.

A tool to spot cystic-fibrosis

The Audubon scientists want to use their technique to develop a gene-therapy treatment for cystic fibrosis, an incurable hereditary disease for which, Gomez said, there are no gene-therapy models.

The fluorescence gene will go alongside the cystic-fibrosis gene and make it easy to spot. The long-term goal of this process, for which there is no timetable, is the production of what Gomez calls a “knockout gene.”

Work on this project is under way, she said. “We are getting some preliminary data, but we don’t have the full funds for it.”

Mr. Green Genes’ next role for the center will combine science and sex. He will become a stud so the Audubon team can determine whether the fluorescence gene can be transmitted. That should take no more than two breeding cycles, Gomez said.

“If he is fertile and if the female is fertile, it should be quick,” she said. “The idea is not to have a lot of green cats around, but to demonstrate that the gene can be passed.”

After that, he will retire to Gomez’s home, where two cats already live.

“I feel that he is my baby,” said Gomez, who led the team that created him.

“You have to realize that this is our first transgenic cat,” she said. “I don’t want him to go to just anybody. I feel he is mine.”

Spider Eating Bird, Bird Eating Spider - Giant GOLDEN ORB SPIDER EATS FINCH

I hope you aren't eating breakfast. The internet seems a roar with people searching for PICTURES OF a GIANT ORB SPIDER EATING A FINCH.
Photographs of a mammoth spider devouring a native bird in a Queensland backyard published on ninemsn yesterday have sparked worldwide attention but the photographer remains anonymous.

The spectacular shots showing a native finch suspended in the web of a Golden Orb Weaver spider have attracted attention on British news websites.

The images first appeared on website forum Ars Technica on October 16.

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User 'Twit', who posted them on the site, told ninemsn they included a caption stating a friend's dad took the photos in his backyard in Atherton, near Cairns.

But ninemsn has followed the email trail back to a recipient in Canberra.

Ninemsn also contacted three Atherton newspapers, two pubs, two schools, the police station, a local vet and Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service in search of the photographer, without success.

Associate Professor Ron Atkinson — who has conducted extensive research on spiders and toxicology of spider venom at the University of Southern Queensland — said the spider was capable of immobolising large insects but posed no known threat to humans.

Dr Atkinson, who created the Find-a-Spider guide for Australian spiders, said the Golden Orb Weaver spider (Nephila pilipes) was "very efficient at catching insects".

"Their venom quickly immobilises them," he told ninemsn.

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But he said it was unlikely it was potent enough have any serious effects on humans and he was not aware of any instance of human envenomation on record.

"I have never heard of anyone being bitten by one and certainly not anyone who was made ill as a result of such a biting," he said.

An emergency consultant at Cairns Base Hospital said anecdotally no one had been treated there for a Golden Orb Weaver spider bite but he had treated one in Newcastle, NSW.

"It's a painful bite but [there is] no serious toxicity… people may feel some nausea. Treatment is pain relief and ice to the bite," he said.

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As for the bird, Dr Atkinson said it probably died of fright, dehydration, or exhaustion from its entrapment, rather than direct spider attack.

"However, it does appear that the spider has decided that good food shouldn't go to waste and is therefore attempting to eat the bird, which I find entirely believable," he said.

Golfer Seve Ballesteros' brain tumor

Seve Ballesteros' brain tumor is cancerous and he will undergo another operation.

La Paz Hospital said Thursday that the surgery is "of great complexity." The procedure Friday is designed to relieve pressure on his brain caused by swelling and bleeding that have recently developed.

The remaining parts of the malignant tumor, located in a very deep part of the brain, will be removed.

The 51-year-old Ballesteros was in stable, but serious, condition before the operation, the hospital said.

Based on an analysis of cells already moved, the tumor is classified as an oligoastrocytoma, a type that affects "cells that cover and protect the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord," the hospital said.

Ballesteros was admitted to the hospital Oct. 6, and 10 days later a sizable part of the tumor was taken out.

Part of his skull was removed — a procedure known as decompressive craniotomy — to allow room for a swelling brain to expand. Doctors said it was not uncommon after such complex operations.

Ballesteros, who won three British Opens and two Masters, briefly lost consciousness while at Madrid's international airport Oct. 6.

In a personally signed statement from his hospital bed, Ballesteros said he faced the "hardest challenge of my life."

Ballesteros, who won a record 50 tournaments on the European Tour, retired last year because of a long history of back pain and has since concentrated on golf course design.

Ballesteros transformed European golf. After the Ryder Cup was expanded to include continental Europe in 1979, Ballesteros helped beat the United States in 1985 to begin two decades of dominance. He also captained Europe to victory in 1997 at Valderrama, Spain.

Ballesteros and Jose Maria Olazabal made one of the most formidable partnerships in Ryder Cup history, with 11 wins, two losses and two halves.

Galdiator who Inspired Russell Crow Character in Movie "Galdiator" unearthed

The tomb of Marcus Nonium Macrinus, the general who served as the inspiration for the main character in the film Gladiator, has been unearthed in Rome. "[This is] the most important ancient Roman monument to come to light for 20 or 30 years," said senior archeologist Daniela Rossi. Macrinus was a favourite of Emperor Marcus Aurelius and achieved major victories in Europe. He is reportedly the template for character Maximus Decimus Meridius, played by Russell Crowe in Gladiator.

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However, the real Roman general is not believed to have been sold into slavery as portrayed in the 2000 movie, which won five Academy Awards including best picture and best actor for Crowe. The tomb was discovered along Via Flaminia where construction work has been taking place. Workers renovating a stadium uncovered a vast complex of tombs that imitate the houses and streets of a real city. The site's marble columns, inscriptions and decorations have been well-preserved, according to archeologists, thanks to the mud caused by a centuries-old flood of the River Tiber.

"Perhaps we will also find the sarcophagus. It's also too early to say how big it is, but it appears there was a row of columns at least 15 metres long, so it was quite huge," noted Rossi. Inscriptions on the tomb detail the life of Macrinus, revealing that he came from Brescia in northern Italy, was a police commissioner, magistrate, a consul of Asia and a confidante of Emperor Aurelius.

Faith Hill Poses in Bikini as a Birthday Present to herself

Country singer Faith Hill decided to give herself an unconventional gift for her 41st birthday this year: posing in a bikini on the December cover of Shape Magazine.

According to a report in People Magazine, the star was brave enough to grace the cover because of a rigorous Pilates routine.

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"I could bend in ways I haven’t been able to since I was a teenager," People quoted Hill as saying. "My husband [country singer Tim McGraw] loves it!"

Hill says she was always athletic, but as she got older and became a working mom, she found her workouts became sporadic.

But after she turned 40, she decided to make a lifestyle change and took up Pilates, People said.

"It was so hard, but ultimately so worth it. My core is much stronger, and my arms are more toned. In fact, wearing a bikini on a magazine cover is my 41st birthday present to myself."

To see the FAITH HILL BIKINI PICTURE as well as several other pictures of the country Beauty Click here

More Chinese Garbage Recalled - Delta Crib Recall

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Delta Enterprises has announced a voluntary recall of all Delta cribs made between the years 1995 and 2000, which adds up to about 1.6 million cribs. Delta Enterprises, while based in New York, has their products manufactured in China, sparking more criticism of China's products. The Delta Enterprises crib recall is one of the largest recalls in America's history, aside from the lead-based paint scandal out of the China.

The recall was announced Monday morning after reports of two infant deaths, with assembly of the crib being the source of the problem.

For more on the Delta Crib Recall story visit

Proposal 1 offers relief, compassion, safeguards for the sickest patients

Here is an interesting article from Dr. George F. Wagoner

Michigan voters will have the opportunity to protect seriously ill patients from the threat of arrest and jail for using their doctor-recommended medicine. Voting "yes" on Proposal 1 is about compassion, common sense and providing a measure of relief for some of our sickest friends, neighbors and loved ones.

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Study after study has shown that medical marijuana can be remarkably effective at treating the symptoms of certain debilitating diseases and conditions, including cancer, multiple sclerosis and HIV/AIDS, as well as countering the side effects of certain treatment regimens themselves. Indeed, medical marijuana often works for patients where conventional drugs fail.

Medical marijuana laws are on the books in 12 other states, and the sky hasn't fallen. These compassionate programs protect patients who use medical marijuana under the recommendation of a licensed physician and are largely operating without the range of unintended consequences opponents of Proposal 1 like to invoke. What's more, Michigan has learned from these other states' experiences and has safeguards that are included under Proposal 1.

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For instance, unlike some of the earliest medical marijuana laws like California's, Proposal 1 requires a statewide registry of patients and ID cards so law enforcement can easily tell who is a legitimate patient. It also provides for steep penalties for fraudulent cards and false statements so that the law does exactly what it's intended to do: provide legal protection for the seriously ill while guarding against abuse.

Also, unlike California, Proposal 1 does not allow for dispensaries, so the opposition's overheated rhetoric about "pot shops" is without basis.

In addition, the existing medical marijuana states have not shown increases in teen use -- in fact, use has declined in many of them since the passage of their laws. Proposal 1 in no way affects existing regulations against public use, restrictions on employees or laws against driving under the influence.

These objections are scare tactics meant to distract voters from the central issue: compassion for the sick and dying.

More than 1,200 medical professionals in Michigan, as well as prominent groups like the Michigan Nurses Association, have publicly endorsed Proposal 1. The American College of Physicians, the largest specialty physician group in the country, has acknowledged and supported the efficacy and medical applications of marijuana, as have the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, the American Public Health Association and many others.

It's time we listened to these expert voices and exhibited real compassion for the seriously ill. If a physician feels medical marijuana is appropriate for a patient, the law shouldn't stand in the way. And for a limited number of suffering Michiganders, medical marijuana will provide safe and effective relief to the symptoms of hideous illnesses.

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We owe it to these most vulnerable members of our communities to vote "yes" to Proposal 1 on Nov. 4.

Dr. George F. Wagoner is a retired obstetrician-gynecologist in Manistee.

Jennifer Aniston Pregnant with John Mayer's baby

Jennifer Aniston is reportedly pregnant with John Mayer's baby.

The former 'Friends' actress, who recently rekindled her relationship with the 'Gravity' singer, is believed to have decided to give their romance another try after discovering she was expecting her first child, according to Australia's New Weekly magazine.

A source said: "Jennifer is over the moon. She doesn't want to be a single mom, so she is willing to give John the chance to prove his parent potential."

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The couple have been seen out on several dates recently, while Jennifer's figure is said to be looking a little more rounded than usual.

It was recently revealed John penned Jennifer a love song and promised to cut out his unhealthy vices to cement their romance.

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A source said: "John has written a song about their time together and played it to Jennifer who was incredibly touched.
"He has cut right back on his drinking and has pledged to quit smoking roll-up cigarettes - two things that really annoyed Jennifer."

The couple sparked speculation they had reunited after they were seen passionately kissing at a Ray LaMontagne concert before sharing a private plane to Los Angeles.

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John was also seen "sneaking out" of Jennifer's home last week, while the 39-year-old actress helped her 31-year-old lover celebrate his birthday later in the week.

Nailin' Paylin - First Look at Hustler Sarah Palin Porno - 1 Min 12 Sec Safe for Work

The wait is over, MILF Hunters and Republicans alike can now celebrate the release of the trailer for the upcoming HUSTLER SARAH PALIN PORNO "Nailin Paylin" or Nailin Palin for those who missed the intentional spelling change.

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In this Clip, Sarah Palin is seen greeting the Russians at her door. A little sceptical at first, Sarah Palin takes a look outside to see they truly do have a broken down tank at her cold and icy Alaskan doorstep.

In the name of foreign relations, the ample breasted Sarah Palin then decides to let the Russians in. As they warm up so does Sarah Palin. There are several gratuitous cleavage shots which elude to what is to come in the Full Feature Porno NAILIN PAYLIN

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For more pictures of, Lisa Ann, the Star of Nailin Paylin fully nude and uncensored

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Anne Pressly - Arkansas News Anchor and "W" Star brutally beaten

Anne Pressly an Arkansas television anchor who filmed a bit role for the movie "W." was found in her home early Monday suffering from life-threatening injuries caused by a brutal beating. Anne Pressly, 26, the morning anchor for KATV-TV in Little Rock, was found by her mother at about 4:30 a.m. lying in her bed and bleeding from "severe injuries," police said.

"We do believe she was beaten," Sgt. Cassandra Davis of the Little Rock Police Department told FOXNews.com. She said the injuries were to the upper body and included stab wounds. Pressly was listed in critical condition, Davis said. Anne Presslywas taken to St. Vincent Infirmary Medical Center. Anne Pressly may have been attacked during a robbery, as her purse is missing. But Davis said that police haven't found any forced entry to her home on Club Road in Little Rock.

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"It’s not a neighborhood known for any violent crime," Davis said.

Police do not have suspects in the case, but said they were questioning neighbors, friends and co-workers, Davis said.

Anne Pressly was seen in "good condition" at 10:30 p.m. and her mother, who normally gives Pressly a wake-up call, found her daughter, Davis said.

"She didn’t get an answer so she went to the address on Club Road, and she found her daughter inside the residence lying in the bed suffering from some severe injuries," Davis told FOXNews.com. Anne Pressly's dogs, which were also missing, have been found. Early Monday afternoon, a man who answered a phone listed for Pressly's mother, Patricia Cannady, said the family had no comment.

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According to her resume on the Internet Movie Database, the ABC anchor played a news commentator in Oliver Stone's new movie, "W." She also played a sorority girl on the soap opera "As The World Turns." Anne Pressly won her role in "W.", which was filmed in Shreveport, La., when she went to the city for a story on the movie and Shreveport's film industry. She appears briefly as a conservative commentator who speaks favorably of President Bush's "Mission Accomplished" speech.

KATV's Web site notes that Anne Pressly's most notable interview was with Vice President Dick Cheney. Pressly was returning from a story in Humphrey and traveling through Stuttgart, where the highway was blocked in front of hunting supply store Mack's Prairie Wings.

It turned out that Cheney, an avid hunter, was inside. Anne Pressly asked for an interview, which she conducted on the ammunition aisle.

Anne Pressly is a 2004 graduate of Rhodes College in Memphis, Tenn.

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During its 11:30 a.m. newscast, anchor Jason Pederson read a story about the attack and said Anne Pressly was hospitalized. "We would ask that you keep Anne in your thoughts and, especially, in your prayers," Pederson said.

Her fans had created a Anne Pressly Facebook prayer page Monday afternoon.

Chrysler Scaling back Operations at Windsor Ont. Plant

Chrysler will layoff workers on one shift at its Windsor, Ont., assembly plant on a rotating basis over the next three weeks. The automaker says it will eliminate the afternoon shift for the first two weeks, then lay off the midnight shift in the third week. The assembly plant produces minivans and has about 5,000 workers, with between 1,200 and 1,500 workers per shift.

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Chrysler says it will re-evaluate the situation after three weeks, but the local union president says he fears the layoffs will be extended. Rick Laporte of Canadian Auto Workers Local 444 says it's his understanding that minivan sales have fallen off 25 per cent. He says there are no new orders for minivans and dealers are fully stocked with vehicles.

Sarah Palin on Saturday Night Live - 2 Video's

The Republican vice-presidential candidate, Sarah Palin, has made a much-anticipated appearance on the US comedy show (SNL) with her chief mimic, Tina Fey.
Fey and Palin appeared together only fleetingly, to the disappointment of the Washington Post's campaign diary, The Trail, which complained that she appeared as a "bystander" rather than a participant.

Palin was kept away from Fey, for all but a moment, and the producers also ensured she never met the show's guest host, Josh Brolin, the star of Oliver Stone's new movie about President Bush, W, according to the Trail.

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Later in the show, SARAH PALIN was seen dancing in her seat and waving her hands in the air to a rap song by Amy Poehler. The lyrics satirised both her and her home state of Alaska and featured a man in a moose suit and prancing Eskimos.

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To some Huffington Post contributors it was the highlight of the show, even if it made Sarah Palin look like a "laughing stock". "Sarah walked right into a den of thieves, her ego too large to back down," said one post.

The New York Post loved Palin's appearance: "Was she funny? You betcha!"

The paper said she "raised the roof" on her SNL debut, "yukking it up with actor Alec Baldwin and executive producer Lorne Michaels as she watched dead-ringer Tina Fey lampoon her at a fake news conference".

There was surprise on the blogs that Sarah Palin was up for going on the show. "I finally picked my jaw up off the floor and accepted the fact that this is what we do in America when times get tough," said one respondent to TalkLeft's blog on the show.

Another blogger said Palin's appearance showed her lack of judgement. "I hope this awful sight gets on YouTube and is shown everywhere, so people really see how dangerous someone like that with that lack of judgment is."

A more typical response on TalkLeft was that Sarah Palin showed she could join in on the jokes at her own expense. "Can't say she doesn't have a sense of humour or is unwilling to laugh at herself," said one.

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What did you think of Sarah Palin's appearance – was she a good sport or has she turned herself a laughing stock? Was it an error of judgement or has she boosted her ratings in the polls? Let us know what you think.

More on Sarah Palin
Hustler coming out with Sarah Palin Porno

British Couple Arrested for Having Pre-marital Beach Sex in Dubai

Dubai court on Thursday sentenced two Britons to three months in prison to be followed by their deportation for having sex on a beach in the booming Muslim Gulf emirate. Michelle Palmer, 37, and Vince Acors, 34, were found guilty of having sex in a public place on July 5 after drinking heavily. Both are still free on bail and were not in court to hear the verdict in the highly publicised case.

The defence vowed to appeal and said the relatively moderate ruling suggested that they only committed an indecent act in public and did not actually have sex. But the prosecution said there was evidence they did have sexual intercourse and that it might appeal the "light" sentence. "The sentence is rather light. I expect the prosecution to appeal," a prosecution official told AFP, speaking on condition of anonymity.

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Under the laws of the United Arab Emirates, of which Dubai is part, the maximum sentence for sex outside of marriage is one year imprisonment and the minimum is three months, the official said. The same applies for committing an indecent act in public. "The least they should have got is six months for the first charge (sex) and three months for the second (indecent act in public)," the official said.

Judge Hamdi Abul Khair also fined Palmer and Acors 158 pounds each for drinking alcohol. Both Palmer, a publishing executive was sacked from her job following the case, and Acors, who was visiting Dubai, have been barred from leaving the UAE.

The prosecution official dismissed a suggestion that the judge might have shown leniency because of the defendants' nationality or to avoid the negative publicity that a harsher sentence could have provoked in Britain -- a country that enjoys strong ties with the UAE. "No way" can there be a link between the sentence and their nationality, he said.

The couple have 15 days to appeal, and defence lawyer Hassan Matar told AFP they would do so "as soon as possible." "The verdict shows that the judge was convinced that they did not have sexual intercourse but he punished them for the indecent act of kissing (in public)," Matar said. He said he did not think the prosecution would appeal. A court official familiar with similar cases agreed.

When the trial opened on August 12, Palmer denied having sex with Acors, saying they were simply "kissing and hugging." A medical report handed to the judge last month said she was undergoing treatment for "depression and anxiety," but Matar said she was now in good shape.

Acors pleaded not guilty to having sex, but a prosecution official was quoted as saying he initially admitted the offence before changing his story. Matar has insisted that the results of a medical test on Palmer just hours after they were arrested showed "she had not engaged in recent sexual intercourse," while the medical report for Acors was inconclusive.

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The case has received extensive coverage in the British press and turned the spotlight on the lifestyle of the 120,000-plus British residents of the UAE, around 100,000 of whom live in Dubai.

The bustling tourist hub is hugely popular with Britons. Dubai hosts hundreds of thousands of Western residents and tourists, but the city state still adheres to certain strict Islamic rules, and bans sex out of wedlock.

A British embassy spokesman declined to comment on the sentence, but said the case did not appear to have scared off Britons from coming to the UAE.

"We can't interfere in the judicial process of other countries, much as we don't expect other countries to interfere in ours," Simon Goldsmith told AFP.

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Asked if the case had had any impact on Dubai's popularity among Britons, he said: "Around a million visitors from the UK come to the UAE every year. We haven't seen anything to suggest a change in those numbers."

The Bew Flu Shot is in - Many Ask "Will it work this year?"

Operating room nurse Pauline Taylor knows her refusal to get a flu shot is based on faulty logic.


But ever since she got sick after getting a shot a few years ago, she's sworn off the vaccine. "I rarely get sick. The only thing I could narrow it down to is that I had gotten this shot," said Taylor, who works at University Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City. "I know that it's not a live virus. It just seemed pretty coincidental."

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Such stories frustrate Dr. William Schaffner.


As chairman of the Department of Preventive Medicine at Vanderbilt University, he hears that kind of talk frequently and knows it's in part to blame for a surprising statistic - nearly 60 per cent of health care workers fail to get a flu shot.

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That's despite recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that all health care workers get vaccinated, from hospital volunteers to doctors.


"It is a professional obligation on the part of health care workers to make sure that they are as protected against influenza as possible," Schaffner said.


Schaffner argues that getting vaccinated for the flu should be standard for doctors and nurses, just like washing their hands. That's because the flu virus can be spread so easily.


"Being in close proximity to patients, having conversations with them, bending over their bed, seeing them in the clinic while you're doing procedures, you would be breathing out viruses and spreading influenza into your patients," said Schaffner, who is also president-elect of the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases.


The non-profit group educates the public and health care industry about the causes, treatment and prevention of infectious diseases. It gets about 75 per cent of its budget from major vaccine makers, but executive director Len Novick said the money comes with no strings attached.


Despite the attention given to the problem, there are few well documented cases of flu outbreaks caused by health care workers.


Schaffner said that's because it's tough to prove sick health care workers are to blame for hospital outbreak.


According to the foundation, likely cases of flu outbreaks between health care workers and patients include:


-19 babies in a neonatal intensive care unit in Ontario, infected in 2000; one died. Health care workers, only 15 per cent of whom were immunized, were the likely source.


-65 residents of a nursing home in New York got the flu during the 1991-1992 flu season, and two died. Only 10 per cent of health care workers had been vaccinated before the outbreak, according to a report by the CDC.

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Schaffner said health care workers opt not to get vaccinated for the same reasons others are hesitant. Some also don't realize how easily they can spread the disease, sometimes before they know they're infected or even if they have only a mild case.


And, he said, there's the "myth" that you can get flu from the vaccine.


The CDC recommends that health care facilities offer free flu vaccines to employees annually at work, and that hospitals obtain signed statements from workers who refuse.

The CDC also recommends a flu shot for people age 50 and over, the chronically ill, and women who will be pregnant during the flu season. This year virtually all children from six months to 18 years were added to the list.

Several states have laws requiring hospitals to make the vaccines available.

In Iowa, University Hospitals requires documentation that all health care workers were offered the vaccine, but workers are free to decline, as Taylor, the ER nurse, did. Dr. Patrick Hartley, who heads the hospital's employee health clinic, said in the last flu season, 84 per cent of employees got their flu shots.

At Allen Hospital in Waterloo, Iowa, the flu shot is mandatory for those with direct patient contact and recommended for everyone else. Those with allergies to the vaccine or other conditions can take a pass, but they must supply a note from their doctor. The hospital says the vaccination rate is 93 per cent.

Some hospitals take a tougher stand on vaccinations.

In Seattle, at Virginia Mason Medical Center, even sales reps, vendors and volunteers must be vaccinated unless they seek exceptions for religious or medical reasons. Even then, those who don't get a shot must wear a mask whenever they are in the hospital during the flu season.

About 99 per cent of the hospital's more than 5,000 employees were vaccinated.

Dr. Joyce Lammert, the hospital's chief of medicine, said they lost around seven employees when the policy took effect four years ago.

"A lot of reasons we heard about people not wanting flu shots was all about them - it's my freedom, I don't want to get it, I get sick when I get it," Lammert said. "Now, the culture has really changed to thinking about patients. This is what we do to protect our patients."

Lammert said patients should ask their doctors if they've gotten their flu shot.

"I wouldn't go to anybody who didn't," she said.