FAA: Children among 17 dead in Montana plane crash

BUTTE, Mont. – A small plane crashed Sunday as it approached an airport in Montana, killing 17 people, including several children, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman said.

The single engine turboprop plane crashed about 500 feet from the airport in Butte while attempting to land, said spokesman Mike Fergus. The Montana Standard reported in an online story that it crashed in Butte's Holy Cross Cemetery.

The aircraft had departed from Oroville, Calif., and the pilot had filed a flight plan showing a destination of Bozeman. But the pilot canceled his flight plan at some point and headed for Butte, Fergus said.

Preliminary reports indicate the dead include numerous children, he said. There were no known fatalities on the ground, he added.

"We think that it was probably a ski trip for the kids," Fergus said.

The plane was registered to Eagle Cap Leasing Inc. in Enterprise, Ore., Fergus said. He didn't know who was operating the plane.

Calls to local authorities were not immediately returned.

Witnesses told the Standard that they saw the plane go into a nosedive into the cemetery.

Martha and Steve Guidoni, who were at a gas station across from the cemetery, said the plane "just nose-dived into the ground."

"My husband went over there to see if he could do anything," Martha Guidoni said.

Fergus said the Pilatus PC-12 aircraft was manufactured in 2001. He said the National Transportation Safety Board has an investigator located in Butte who was thought to be on scene. The FAA's flight standards investigator was en route.

source: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090322/ap_on_re_us/plane_crash_montana;_ylt=AsxEjZV.P5RMysw631x0bs8azJV4

With the Economy Down, Vasectomy Rates Are Up

FRIDAY, March 20 (HealthDay News) -- Doctors around the United States are reporting a sharp increase in the number of vasectomies performed since the economy soured last year, with one noting that many of his clients are from the beleaguered financial industry.

heir best guess is that the trend is due both to a decreased desire to have children because of the expense involved, and an increased desire to get such medical procedures done before their jobs -- and health insurance -- disappear.

Since November, Dr. Marc Goldstein, surgeon-in-chief of male reproductive medicine and surgery at the Cornell Institute for Reproductive Medicine in New York City, said his practice has seen about 48 percent more vasectomy consultations compared to the same time the previous year.

Nearly 50 percent of the patients in 2008 were employed within the financial industry, and more than 36 percent were seen since September, according to unpublished data from the Center for Male Reproductive Medicine and Microsurgery at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Goldstein said his appointment secretary was the first to notice the uptick in the number of men requesting vasectomy consultations.

"I used to do one to two every Friday," he said. "Now I'm doing three on Fridays. There's been a significant increase."

"Nobody came in and said they were having a vasectomy because the [stock] market crashed," Goldstein added. "Most are saying, 'We've been thinking about it for a long time,' and [the crash] influenced their decision. They're saying with the cost of private school for three kids, they can't afford to have another one."

>>>read more

7 tips for fitness beginners

Biggest mistake I see new exercisers make: doing too much too soon. To look and feel great by summer, try these seven surprisingly simple, research-backed strategies that will help you establish a routine you can actually stick with, which is the ONLY way to get lasting results:

1. Learn what "build slowly" means

Be realistic about your abilities. Experts say to progress gradually, but most of us don't know how to translate that into real-life terms -- especially those who used to be active but have gotten out of the habit. If you haven't worked out in years, start with a manageable goal, like 20 minutes of walking or yoga twice a week for 2 weeks. When you're ready to progress, either bump your number of workouts to 3 a week or increase their length to 25 or 30 minutes -- but don't try to do both, which can leave achy and discouraged. This is why experts recommend you change only one thing at a time -- the frequency, duration, or intensity of your workouts. If your new cardio workout still leaves you gasping for air, don't be afraid to slow your pace -- you should be slightly breathless but able to talk. You'll be more likely to follow your program if you exercise at a comfortable level. Strength-training will get easier, too. A study from Ohio University found that muscles adapt to resistance exercises after a mere 2 weeks.

2. Keep an activity log

Hands down, lack of time is the number one reason we struggle to keep exercising. Yet studies find we may have more time than we think. Women ages 45 to 70 spend an average of 28 hours a week in sedentary activities outside of their jobs, such as reading and Web surfing, according to a University of Oklahoma study -- ample time to find at least 2 1/2 hours a week for exercise. Keep a log of everything you do for 3 days, then find ways to sneak in activity. Time in front of the TV can double as a stretching session, while a cell phone headset allows you to power walk while you're on hold with the credit card company.

3. Prepare for post-workout hunger

Exercise can boost metabolism for a few hours, but burning more calories can increase your appetite. To avoid the munchies after exercising (and eating back the calories you just burned), try to schedule workouts so that you have a meal within an hour afterward. Or save part of an earlier meal to eat during that time. Snacks combining carbohydrates and protein -- like a fig bar and fat-free milk, or cantaloupe and yogurt -- are best to refuel muscles and keep you from feeling ravenous later on. If you still feel hungry, wait 10 to 15 minutes before eating more to make sure you're physically, not just mentally, hungry. Distract yourself while you wait: Keep your hands occupied by cleaning out a drawer or giving yourself a manicure.

4. Be alert to prime drop-out time

About half of new exercisers quit in the first few months, research has found. But support, either one-on-one or in a group, can keep your momentum going. If you struggle with exercise, try finding (or even forming) a walking group at work or at your local Y. If you're goal-focused, signing up for an event, like walking a half or full marathon, can be the carrot you need to stay on track.

5. Take breaks

Missed a workout? Don't worry: Your waistline won't notice. Brown University scientists found that people on a 14-week weight loss program that took occasional breaks from working out lost an average of 7 pounds -- about the same amount as those who never missed a day. In the long run, it's the habit, not the individual days that matter. For help, sign up for a weekly e-mail health newsletter: People who did exercised 14% more and ate better than those who didn't get inbox reminders, reports a University of Alberta study.

6. Splurge -- then get up and move

One date with a pint (or even two) of ice cream won't doom your weight loss unless you let guilt keep you off track. In fact, French researchers discovered that obese exercisers who bicycled for 45 minutes 3 hours after a high-fat meal metabolized more stored belly fat than those who cycled on an empty stomach. Although bingeing on cookies before your next workout obviously won't help you slim down, the study is a good reminder that not all is lost when you stray from your diet -- in fact, your body may even kick it up a gear to help with damage control.

7. Put the treadmill in a pretty room

If a workout bores you, don't do it. Research shows that if you enjoy an exercise, you'll stay with it, so keep trying activities until you find something you like. Or jazz up a ho-hum workout with music or audiobooks. Whatever you do, don't exercise in some dark, dreary corner of the house -- especially the basement. You'll be more likely to use exercise equipment if it's in a pleasant space with good light and in easy reach of the radio and TV, like the family room. It's worth investing in a home exercise space that's both functional and attractive, whether by spending a little extra on a treadmill you won't mind showing off or buying pretty baskets to store your workout DVDs and dumbbells.

source: http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/7-tips-for-fitness-beginners-431716/;_ylt=AjH.lYqN2vRU.HICGk.jNk9qbqU5

When It Comes To Shampoo, Less Is More

Americans love to shampoo. We lather up an average of 4.59 times a week, twice as much as Italians and Spaniards, according to shampoo-maker Procter & Gamble.

But that's way too often, say hair stylists and dermatologists. Daily washing, they say, strips the hair of beneficial oil (called sebum) and can damage our locks.

Shampoo Is Big Business

The current trend of frequent shampoos may have started on May 10, 1908, when the New York Times published a column advising women that it was OK to wash their hair every two weeks. At that time, once a month was the norm.

Decades later, TV marketing campaigns began to convince us that daily washing was the thing to do. A 1970s Faberge ad for Farrah Fawcett shampoo is one example.

"All you have to do is watch her running in slow motion on a beach with her hair flopping gracefully in the wind," says Steve Meltzer, a former ad executive. The idea was, "Wash your hair with this stuff, and you, too, can be like Farrah Fawcett," Meltzer says.

Madison Avenue sold people on the idea that they could shampoo their way back to beauty.

Ads also convinced us that daily hair washing is healthy. Remember the Breck girls? Or how about Christie Brinkley's body-building for hair ad with Prell?

>>>read more

When It Comes To Shampoo, Less Is More

Americans love to shampoo. We lather up an average of 4.59 times a week, twice as much as Italians and Spaniards, according to shampoo-maker Procter & Gamble.

But that's way too often, say hair stylists and dermatologists. Daily washing, they say, strips the hair of beneficial oil (called sebum) and can damage our locks.

Shampoo Is Big Business

The current trend of frequent shampoos may have started on May 10, 1908, when the New York Times published a column advising women that it was OK to wash their hair every two weeks. At that time, once a month was the norm.

Decades later, TV marketing campaigns began to convince us that daily washing was the thing to do. A 1970s Faberge ad for Farrah Fawcett shampoo is one example.

"All you have to do is watch her running in slow motion on a beach with her hair flopping gracefully in the wind," says Steve Meltzer, a former ad executive. The idea was, "Wash your hair with this stuff, and you, too, can be like Farrah Fawcett," Meltzer says.

Madison Avenue sold people on the idea that they could shampoo their way back to beauty.

Ads also convinced us that daily hair washing is healthy. Remember the Breck girls? Or how about Christie Brinkley's body-building for hair ad with Prell?

>>>read more

Does anything cure cellulite? Answer: Yes and No

I am about four inches taller than my younger sister, but, other than this, we have very similar bodies. We're both mostly thin women with curvy hips and ample bottoms and, even though we both eat healthy foods and are relatively fit, as we entered our late 20s and early 30s, we both developed cellulite.

I don't know that I can accurately express the horror and disbelief of our initial cellulite conversation, but it involved lots of "Ugh!" "No!" "Why?!" "How did this happen?" and a slew of words that cannot be printed in a family blog.

From there, my sister, who's a scientist, tackled this puckered skin devil with the kind of pragmatism she applies to everything; she calmly resolved to start drinking more water and take up running.

I, on the other hand, felt frustrated and sorry for myself, decided cellulite meant the death of my youth and attractiveness, studied pictures of celebrities' dimpled thighs with rueful glee, haphazardly smeared $65 cream on the suspect areas, perhaps cried and punched the bed, and prayed for it all to just go away.

It's three years later, and neither of our situations has really changed. This is because cellulite, regardless of your fighting-back strategy, really, really wants to stick around.

Cellulite is, in the most simple terms, fat formed under a person’s skin which causes the surface to look lumpy. Contrary to common belief, it is not obesity related (lots of skinny people have it), but instead caused by factors such as age, hormonal changes, genetics, increased water retention, and poor circulation. Even though most of us are incredibly self-conscious and embarrassed about it, cellulite affects 90 percent of women at some point in their lives (but it rarely develops in men, lucky jerks). Our thighs, buttocks and stomachs are the most common areas for cellulite, though it can also develop on upper arms and calves. Oh, joy.

So, back to getting rid of it.

No matter what the cosmetics companies try to tell you, no matter how persuasive they are in their beautiful-skin-can-be-yours ads, there is no lotion, gel, or bottled potion in all the land that is proven to work against cellulite. It's all a big dream-in-a-cream scam. This is important to remember, not only so we stop wasting our money on laughably ineffective products (seriously, those "firming" and "lifting" balms are expensive!), but so we can cease allowing beauty executives to think we're total suckers who will buy any old bunk.

>>>READ MORE

Would you donate your surplus embryos to stem cell research?

Several years ago, when my son was an infant, I befriended another mother in my neighborhood. We had sons the same age, were both stay at home moms at the time, and both wanted an adult along for the ride as we pushed our babies in strollers through the park. We became friends quickly, in part because we had a lot in common. Except, interestingly, how we brought our children into the world.

My friend tried to get pregnant for a few years, even turning to acupuncture, Chinese herbs, and other non-medical ways to make it easier to conceive. When she didn't, she turned to IVF. I've heard her recount her short but intense IVF treatment cycle many times. It wasn't easy physically, emotionally, or financially. But it worked, and as we walked, we often talked about what comes after you have a baby through fertility treatment.

We talked about whether her insurance coverage would afford her the opportunity to have a second child (which it eventually did) and whether it was worth it to go through the rollercoaster ride of shots and hopes and scares again (which, she decided, it was). We also talked about the left over embryos.

When you have a baby without fertility treatment, surplus embryos don't have to be considered. And so I imagine many of us who have had babies that way never do think about it. But as I walked with my friend, I quietly considered what she was pondering out loud: What could she and what would she do with the embryos she and her husband wouldn't be using?

She wanted to donate them to science rather than pay thousands of dollars to store them or discard them completely. As a researcher herself and a believer in the possibilities of stem cell research, she said she'd feel proud to know she could contribute to scientific advancements in some small way.

The thing is, the prestigious university hospital in our city where she had her IVF and where her surplus embryos were being stored while she made her decision about what to do with them next, had funding that stipulated it could not facilitate embryonic donations for research.

My friend was shocked and saddened and left to make a decision with choices that felt uncomfortable. As her friend, I felt for her. As an activist, I was angry along with her. And as a mother, I was admittedly a little relieved I didn't have to make that choice myself.

As it turned out, my friend didn't have to made the decision to discard or spend a lot of money to store surplus embryos. It took all the remaining embryos they had to have a second child. Life or circumstance or luck or whatever it was took that tough choice out of their hands and replaced it with relief and a baby girl.

Still, I wonder how many other couples who have wanted to donate their leftover embryos and have not been able to do that have made their decisions. And as stem cell research opens up in the Obama administration, I wonder how those choices will change.

>>>read more

New Jersey may ban the Brazilian wax

New Jersey has long been known for major hair (blame Bon Jovi and mall bangs for that one)—and a recent bit of news isn't doing much to help that rep.

In a move that's sure to freak out hyper-groomed women in the state, New Jersey's Board of Cosmetology and Hairstyling is considering a proposal to ban Brazilian bikini waxes—a response to the complaints of two women who claim they were injured and hospitalized from botched jobs (ouch!).

According to the Philadelphia Daily News, the up-close-and-personal waxes have actually always been illegal, but the statute wasn't explicitly spelled out. The new proposal would make things perfectly clear by outright banning, ahem, "genital waxing."

The board is set to meet, and presumably vote on the ban on Brazilians, on April 14th. If you live in Jersey, we suggest booking your next (and possibly last) wax before then—and stocking up on a good depilatory just in case.

source: shine.yahoo.com