You Paid for It! Stimulus Dollars Fund Studies into Sexual History and Erectile Dysfunction

The federal government gave two grants totaling nearly $1.5 million dollars distributed to the University of California San Francisco. The money was part of the federal stimulus program and went to studies into the erectile dysfunction of overweight middle aged men and the accurate reporting of someone's sexual history.

Grant number 1R01HD056950-01A2

was among the thousands of grants funded, receiving $1.2 million dollars. This grant studied how to improve the accuracy of how people responded to questions about their sexual history.

For $1.2 million dollars, taxpayers funded a study that included 200 videotaped interviews at $6000 per interview.

There was never any accounting of how many jobs the grant created.

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Eating too much sugar can eat away at your brainpower, according to US scientists who published a study Tuesday showing how a steady diet of high-fructose corn syrup sapped lab rats' memories.

Researchers at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) fed two groups of rats a solution containing high-fructose corn syrup -- a common ingredient in processed foods -- as drinking water for six weeks.

One group of rats was supplemented with brain-boosting omega-3 fatty acids in the form of flaxseed oil and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), while the other group was not.

A closer look at the rat brains revealed that those who were not fed DHA supplements had also developed signs of resistance to insulin, a hormone that controls blood sugar and regulates brain function.

In other words, eating too much fructose could interfere with insulin's ability to regulate how cells use and store sugar, which is necessary for processing thoughts and emotions.

High-fructose corn syrup is commonly found in soda, condiments, applesauce, baby food and other processed snacks.

The average American consumes more than 40 pounds (18 kilograms) of high-fructose corn syrup per year, according to the US Department of Agriculture.

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A startup called

I Dream of Space <http://www.idreamofspace.com/> sells $10 posters that come with a chance at winning a much more expensive ride on a suborbital spaceship.

"It's pretty simple really, most people LIKE the idea of going to space -- but can't afford a ticket ... so every time someone buys a $10 poster from us, we put them into a draw to win a REAL ticket to space," the startup's website says.

The money I Dream of Space collects could go toward a $200,000 ride on Virgin Galactic's SpaceShipTwo or a $95,000 seat on XCOR Aerospace's Lynx.

The site claims the drawing will take place after 25,000 people enter. It claims that it is not a lottery or raffle but a sales promotion to get around online lottery rules.

It may be years before one of those spaceflight companies makes a commercial flight, but Ruben Metcalfe, a 25-year-old New Zealander who co-founded I Dream of Space, is confident his lofty plan will pan out.

The startup says on its website that it has not locked in an official partnership with one of those private companies yet, but claims it has spoken to spaceship operators who say they will honor a ticket bought for the raffle's winner.

The site has not released any information on the number of people willing to fork over the $10 but it's Facebook page had 122 likes on Tuesday afternoon.

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Technology addicts may be at risk of sagging jowls, according to aesthetic experts.

It is believed that smartphone and laptop use, could cause facial skin and muscle to lose its elasticity as people spend an increasing amount of time sitting with their heads bent.

It is now believed that the phenomenon, dubbed 'smartphone face' could be behind the growing trend for skin tightening treatments and chin implants.

According to statistics released by the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) 'chinplants' are becoming the fastest growing cosmetic surgery trend.

In 2011 its popularity grew more than breast augmentation, Botox and liposuction combined.

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Keithan Manuel is learning the hard way that a sense of humor is very subjective, but that's what happens when you attempt to rob a police station.

Manuel walked into a police station in suburban Dallas on Saturday evening with a white towel covering his hands and told the dispatcher to hand over money

Although Manuel has claimed that he was just pulling a practical joke, Police Chief Victor Kemp said the suspect didn't seem to be acting like a jokester.

Police took Manuel down and determined he did not have a weapon. Meanwhile, he denies saying he was carry a gun.

Manuel was arrested and charged with robbery and theft. He is currently being held in Dallas County Jail with bonds totaling $300,000.

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Tanning Mom ....I'd Totally Do Playboy ... If They Asked

Name:

Tanning Mom ... aka Patricia Krentcil
Measurements: Don't wanna think about it
Turn Ons: UV Rays, carcinoma, cameras
Yes, Tanning Mom says she's willing to flaunt her sizzlin' hot body for Playboy ... if only they would ask. She's even been practicing her sexy poses.

But if a clothed Tanning Mom is more your speed ... you're in luck -- TM says she's been approached by multiple people interested in featuring her on a reality show.

God help us....

An 18-year-old Utah man was arrested on suspicion of burglary after police say he left his homework at the crime scene.

Police in Orem say they tracked a USB drive found at the burglarized home to Dallas Naljahih. They say the computer hard drive contained his homework and was in a backpack abandoned in the backyard.

A 75-year-old man and his wife reported their home had been burglarized early Saturday. The husband says he was woken up by a light in his office, and found a man who was looking through a desk.

The suspect punched the man and fled on foot.

Police say that Naljahih was found asleep at his house along with evidence connecting him with the burglary.

A hazardous drug that eliminates free will and can wipe the memory of its victims is currently being dealt on the streets of Colombia.

The drug is called scopolamine, but is colloquially known as ‘The Devil’s Breath,' and is derived from a particular type of tree common to South America.

Stories surrounding the drug are the stuff of urban legends, with some telling horror stories of how people were raped, forced to empty their bank accounts, and even coerced into giving up an organ.

According to the British Journal of Clinical Pharmacology, the drug - also known as hyoscine - causes the same level of memory loss as diazepam.

In ancient times, the drug was given to the mistresses of dead Colombian leaders – they were told to enter their master’s grave, where they were buried alive.

In modern times, the CIA used the drug as part of Cold War interrogations, with the hope of using it like a truth serum.

However, because of the drug’s chemical makeup, it also induces powerful hallucinations.

The tree common around Colombia, and is called the ‘borrachero’ tree – loosely translated as the 'get-you-drunk' tree.

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A homeless man from Anderson, South Carolina, charged with killing and dismembering his friend has offered to show the prosecutor the location of the victim’s left foot in exchange for a plea deal.

During a recent jailhouse interview, suspected killer Leslie Sandoval said that while he cannot recall much about the killing, he does remember where the severed extremity has been hidden.

Sandoval says that in January, he went on a drinking binge with Seth Foster, who was also a vagrant.

Weeks later, his friend’s decomposing torso was found under a vacant house in downtown Anderson, while his head, hands and right foot were discovered under a nearby building. The man's left foot was never found.

Police arrested Sandoval, 45, on February 25 and charged him with murder and possession of a weapon in a violent crime two days after the gruesome discoveries were made.

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Despite the fact Barack Obama is married with two children, Newsweek magazine is dubbing him "The First Gay President" on its latest cover, crowning him with a rainbow-colored halo.

The cover comes in the wake of Obama’s newly declared support for homosexual marriage in America.

The edition, which hits newsstands Monday, features a column by Andrew Sullivan, an openly homosexual self-titled conservative political pundit.

Obama’s declaration that he’s now backing same-sex marriages is the first time a sitting president has expressed such an opinion.

Obama’s announcement came just days after Vice President Joe Biden indicated he was "absolutely comfortable with the fact that men marrying men, women marrying women and men and women marrying are entitled to the same exact rights, all the civil rights, all the civil liberties."

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Fifteen years ago, when advertisers got wind that Ellen DeGeneres was going to "come out" on her popular sitcom show "Ellen," some advertisers fled.

One of them was JC Penney.

Flash forward to one of their newest clothing ads in the May catalog. It features a real-life same-sex couple. The photograph is of two models identified as Wendi and Maggie holding their two daughters.

Both women appear be wearing wedding bands.

Quietly, gradually and largely without protest, advertising is starting to reflect new attitudes and new realities about who we are.

There are gay couples on prime-time television shows, and now gay couples are coming out of Madison Avenue’s closet.

The JC Penney ad has stirred some controversy. It was attacked by the conservative group One Million Moms for what the organization said was "taking sides" in the culture war.

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Apparently owning a smart phone does not boost its user's intelligence.

Two men who told police that prostitutes stole their iPhones allegedly started a sex-worker shootout at a California motel on Thursday.

Cesar and Jasiel Salmeron, 28 and 25, were reportedly trying to get their phones back when they approached a Stockton motel room door. One of them allegedly fired a round at the door to get the women to come out.

What they didn't expect was that the prostitutes were also packing heat.

Someone inside the Stockton motel room fired a round back through the door, injuring one of the men.

The Salmerons showed up to a nearby hospital for treatment, and were subsequently arrested.

They face charges of assault with a deadly weapon and negligent discharge of a firearm.

JetBlue Airways released a statement late Thursday afternoon and cited "a computer glitch" as the reason behind the removal of an 18-month-old girl from a flight leaving Fort Lauderdale on Tuesday night.

The toddler and her parents were asked to get off the plane after they had just boarded the flight to Newark, N.J.

"We were put on display like a circus act because my wife wears a hijab," the baby's father said, adding that he thought his family was being profiled because they're of Middle Eastern descent.

Part of the Jetblue statement read, "We are investigating this particular incident. We believe this was a computer glitch.

The family also said it has still not received an apology and they are uncomfortable about getting back on the same airline for the flight home.

They are worried about the safety of the aviation security system that mistakenly allowed a toddler's name on a watch list and let their luggage fly to New Jersey when they did not take the flight.

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Forget dangerous driving, pedestrians are the new threat to street safety — phone calls, texting, music and wandering into traffic. Now, one New Jersey town is cracking down on the practice.

Fort Lee’s police chief has seen his share of

careless pedestrians texting or talking on the phone in his own town. He said he has counted 23 pedestrian accidents since January, ranging from minor bumps and bruises to three fatalities.

After trying pamphlets and brochures, he’s ordering his officers to ticket careless pedestrians on the spot.

Unlike careless driving, there’s no specific charge for being a careless pedestrian, but Chief Ripoli said his officers are watching, adding they’ll know it when they see it.

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Americans consume 80 percent of the world's supply of painkillers -- more than 110 tons of pure, addictive opiates every year -- as the country's prescription drug abuse epidemic explodes.

That's enough drugs to give every single American 64 Percocets or Vicodin. And pain pill prescriptions continue to surge, up 600 percent in ten year, thanks to doctors who are more and more willing to hand out drugs to patients who are suffering.

As more people get their hands on these potentially-dangerous drugs, more are taking them to get high. Their drug abuse leads to 14,800 deaths a year -- more than from heroin and cocaine combined.

Nationwide, police are reporting increases in robberies and other crimes by people who are addicted to oxycodone and hydrocodone, the key ingredient in most prescription pain pills.

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He may be an illegal alien with a drunk driving bust under his belt, but President Obama's uncle can get back behind the wheel - and it's legal.

Onyango 'Omar' Obama, the half-brother of the president’s late father, was hit with a 45-day licence suspension stemming from a drunken driving arrest last year.

The Boston Herald reported

that the suspension ends on Friday, when Mr Obama, can re-obtain his licence at any motor vehicle office.

According to the paper, Mr Obama, 67, can legally do so as long as he has a Social Security number.

Obama, of Kenya, is also appealing a deportation order that dates back to 1992, when he failed to renew his application to remain in the U.S.

The Washington Times reported that when officers asked Mr Obama after he was arrested if he would like to make a phone call, he replied: 'I think I will call the White House.'

Mr Obama, whose whereabouts was long unknown, was referred to as 'Uncle Omar' in the President's 1995 book Dreams from My Father.

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Mother's Day is approaching, and if you're too much of a deadbeat to send your mom some flowers or pick up the phone to say "I love you," maybe you should consider some of these moms...

1.

Sarah Burge aka "The Human Barbie"

This is the British mum who presented her 7-year-old daughter with a gift certificate for liposuction.

2.

Gloria James, mother of LeBron James

Her NBA superstar son may be the king of the basketball court, but Gloria James has made some court appearances of her own. LeBron's mom struck a deal with prosecutors this year to avoid jail time after she slapped the face of a valet worker.

3.

Patricia Krentcil aka "Tanning Bed Mom"

This New Jersey mom became infamous overnight after being arrested for allegedly placing her 5-year-old daughter in a tanning bed. She denies the charges and calls the whole thing a "witch hunt."

4.

Alicia Silverstone

Alicia Silverstone might have made this list just for naming her kid "Bear Blu." But if you think that name is silly, wait until you see the pre-chewed feeding method she employs. Or just take our word for it. It's gross.

A New Jersey woman admitted Wednesday to sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl she was allegedly babysitting and putting a video of the assault on the Internet.

Jennifer Mahoney, 33, pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court to sexual exploitation of a child.

She faces between 15 and 30 years in prison when she is sentenced Aug. 22, and will have to pay restitution to the victim.

As part of the plea, Mahoney agreed 30 years is the appropriate sentence, although the judge will have the final say.

Mahoney admitted to sexually assaulting the girl and streaming the assault live over a video chat service on the Internet. She also admitted to abusing the girl on another occasion, recording the abuse on a camera phone and emailing the video to at least one other person. Finally, Mahoney admitted to viewing other videos of child sexual abuse streamed to her using a video chat service.

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Authorities in Mexico's Gulf coast state of Campeche said Wednesday they are investigating how a porn video was made by sixth-graders inside their school.

State Education Department spokesman Omar Kantun said the video was apparently made in an empty classroom during recess in late April.

The incident occurred in late April at a grade school in the town of Calkini, which is in a relatively conservative and heavily Indian area. Three boys are seen on the video engaging in oral and anal sex recorded on a cellphone by a fourth person, apparently another student.

The mother of one of the boys saw the video on the Internet and notified authorities, Kantun said. He said the video had since been taken down.

Authorities didn't announce the students' ages, but sixth-graders in Mexico are generally 12 or younger.

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324,000 women dropped out of the nation’s civilian labor force in March and April as the number of women not in the labor force hit an all-time historical high of 53,321,000, according to the

Bureau of Labor Statistics .

The civilian labor force consists of all people in the United States 16 years or older who are not in the military, a prison, or another institution such as a nursing home or mental hospital and who either have a job or are unemployed but have actively sought work in the previous four weeks and are currently available to work.

This year (in both January and April), only 57.6 percent of the women in the civilian noninstitutional population were in the labor force. That is the lowest rate of labor force participation by American women since April 1993.

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A self-portrait of Amy Winehouse

that was made out of her own blood will be auctioned off by friend and former rumored lover Pete Doherty .

Multiple sources are reporting that the former lead singer of Libertines will sell the painting, a small piece entitled "Ladylike," alongside items such as instruments, diaries and articles of clothing.

The auction will be held at the Cob Gallery in London on Friday, as part of an exhibition of Doherty’s blood-infused works called "On Blood: A Portrait of the Artist"."

The self-portrait is anticipated to earn over $100,000.

A portion of the proceeds will reportedly be donated to a foundation created in her name.

Winehouse died approximately one year ago at the age of 28 from accidental alcohol poisoning.

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Mother's Day is one of the biggest gift-giving days of the year -- and definitely the least imaginative.

Moms, more than anyone, help us define our identity and uniqueness, but when it's time to honor her, most people stick to boring meals at a safe chain restaurant, flowers or even housecleaning, instead of looking for gifts that express the one-of-a-kind personality of the woman who gave them life.

I have a few modest suggestions...

1. Suction-Powered Lip Plumper

Now any mother can get the plump, bee-stung look with

Luscious Lips, a suction-powered lip plumper that fits over the lips and works by using a technology similar to bicycle pumps or those weird-sounding flutes used in bad animated cartoons.

2.

Waistline Stretcher

Mom has a big heart and, if she's like millions of Americans, probably a big waistline.

The Inchmaster helps Mom stretch dollars (and her wardrobe) a little by slowly stretching her pants so she can comfortably eat a few more Cheetos.

3.

Cleavage Pillow

Pillows are nice and cleavage is nice, but so far there hasn't been anything combining the two (other than tacky slang words for breasts). However,

the Intimia provides a soft place for cleavage and also helps treat the heretofore unknown problem of cleavage wrinkles. Your mom and her "girls" will be happy.

4.

Divorce Ring

Even the best moms get divorced, but rather than show animosity toward her for pushing Dad into the arms of his much-younger secretary, why not give Mom a boost of confidence with a

divorce ring? This beautiful ring features the words "trade up," so that your future stepfather is aware that your mom doesn't plan on settling for Mr. Right Now.