Is He Dead?

After collapsing from an asthma attack, a South African man was declared dead and taken to the morgue, where he woke up the next day, very much alive.Undertakers heard screaming from the other room and were initially scared to act, thinking the noises were made by a ghost. The man would not allow the release of his name, but described himself as a grandfather in his 60s. The man spent at least 21 hours in the morgue refrigerator, and recalled nothing from between the attack and the moment he woke up, confused, and very cold. This is an important incident because it exposes a very real problem with the way bodies are taken care of. Medical professionals were not called in for this particular incident, and instead, undertakers were called directly and performed only a brief check for vitals. Sizwe Kupelo, of the Eastern Cape Health Department says, "Those guys aren't trained paramedics. They're about business." Without an official death certificate from health services, events like this can become a relatively common occurance. Last month a Russian woman was declared dead after suffering a hearth attack, and woke up at her own funeral, the shock of which caused her to die for realz.




http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-07-26/news/29836816_1_dead-man-dead-body-elderly-man

Potato Bug Adds Twist to Man's Morning "Grub"

McDonald's has been the clear choice for local gourmet dining for years. And since last week, its credibility has only increased. LinkBoyJT is the username of the Reddit user who posted an image of the salty surprise he found in his McDonald's hash brown Wednesday morning, which appears to be some sort of deep fried cockroach or moth. 
"I took the thing and showed it to the manager and she marked my receipt so I could get the same meal for free the next time I come in for breakfast. She didn't really seem all that concerned" says LinkBoyJT. 
It turns out, he is not the only victim of these so-called "mealbreakers." Claims have been made worldwide about finding insect parts in fast food meals. One man in Ontario even claimed to have found over 50 dead ants in his breakfast burrito. 


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/16/cockroach-mcdonalds-hash-browns_n_1520862.html?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl6%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D161463

Fat Cat Dies, Millions of Americans Left Distraught

39 lb Meow's struggle with obesity ended abruptly on May 5th, when he died. Meow's asthma and other respiratory problems, caused by his immense weight problem, proved too much for the two year old cat to deal with, and he died the night before his next weigh-in. Mary Martin of the Santa Fe Animal Shelter  says that Meow's death came as a shock, as he had recently been "walking up stairs and seeking affection," which were out of the ordinary, but positive new behaviors for this fat feline. Fortunately, he did not die for nothing. Meow's story captured the heart of millions and brought light to the problem of animal obesity. Thank you, Meow. We will remember. 

Bad Mom?

Over the past few years, pageant shows have sparked major controversy over parenting methods, causing mothers across America to ask, "How young is too young for makeup?" Lindsay Cross stumbled into the issue herself when she posted an entry on a Mommy Confession blog, admitting that she and her daughter, four year old Brenna use cosmetics as a bonding technique. Cross says that every time there is a recital, picture day, or "any other event she deems fancy," she and her daughter sit down to curl her hair and apply a full face of makeup. While Cross says her daughter is only playing dress up, and make believing that she is older than she is, Brenna says she does it because, "It makes me pretty." It is this kind of thinking that causes child psychologists like Henry Paul to deem these habits unhealthy. Pressures from magazines and television instill poor self esteem and self image because of the constant struggle to reach "perfection" and "beauty," as labeled by the media.The "I'm only as good as I look" attitude is a big part of what causes psychological disorders in America's youth, particularly young women, such as depression and eating disorders. While Lindsay Cross may only think she is only allowing her daughter to have a little fun, she may inadvertently be causing the low self esteem she would normally not encounter until her early teens.

http://gma.yahoo.com/four-old-young-too-young-072532737--abc-news-topstories.html

Fat Cat

Two years old and 39.1 lbs, Meow (That's his name. The owners got real creative there.), a flabby tabby from Santa Fe is now up for adoption.Without the resources to care for this continuously feeding feline, the owner was forced to leave him to be cared for by the Humane Society, with only a few parting comments. "He was a fit  kitten," she says, "Then suddenly.... ballooned." Meow does not play with mice like a normal cat would, and is unable to fit through the toy tunnels provided to him by the shelter. According to his veterinarian, Meow is supposed to weigh about 12 lbs. Instead, he is over three times that, the feline equivilant of a human weighing 600 lbs. Meow is at serious risk for heart problems, and is being put on a diet. Though vets are baffled by what his previous owners had been feeding him, he has already lost 2 lbs, taking one short, earth-shattering step in the right direction.

Not Your Average Lemonade Stand

Three months ago, six year old Drew Cox learned that his father had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. After publishing his father's story on an online support blog, Drew opened a lemonade stand in his small Texas town. Little did he know, his innocent effort would go a long way.People across the country read Drew's story and drove miles to donate to the young business man. In one day, the stand raised over ten thousand dollars, all of which will go towards helping Drew's dad. Drew describes his father as his hero, stating, "He's so important to me. We love to play with each other, lots of times. We play games." The moral of the story? It turns out that even a six year old's lemonade stand can do more to cure cancer than hundreds of people "liking" or sharing the same disturbing Facebook photo.

http://www.aol.com/video/6-year-old-sets-up-lemonade-stand-to-save-sick-dad/517337636/?icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl22%7Csec1_lnk3%26pLid%3D153019

Almost Justice

Being a national issue, most of us have probably heard about the outrageous travesty that resulted in the death of an innocent and defenseless teen, Trayvon Martin. Now, a month and a half after committing unprovoked murder of 17 year old Martin in Sanford, Florida, George Zimmerman has finally been charged for his crimes. Zimmerman is being charged with second degree murder, indicating that there was an element of malice involved when Martin was shot. Zimmerman is pleading not guilty to these charges, claiming that he shot the teen in self defense, after being involved in a life or death struggle with Martin. A life or death struggle that resulted in no visual injuries whatsoever to Zimmerman, according to an ABC News surveillance tape taken merely four hours after Martin was shot, that is. If convicted, Zimmerman faces up to a lifetime in prison, which is certainly more than his victim was allowed. Until then, demonstrations and public outcry are an ongoing occurance across the country. No matter how you look at it, Martin's death was an unnecessary tragedy, and justice must be sought so that gross contradictions of the equality and compassion America stands for, like this one, may never be committed again.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/george-zimmerman-trayvon-martin-charged-second-degree-murder_n_1417198.html