A Swiss company that specialises in robotics has developed the technology for an electric bus that can be charged in just 15 seconds. Based on current battery technology, this is a task that has so far been difficult to achieve by other companies.

The buses would use a method called “flash charging”, which involves the 135-passenger bus stopping at a charge-point along its route. This charge-point generates an impressive 400-kilowatts and is positioned above the bus stop. It would connect via a laser-controlled moving arm and charge the bus’ battery in 15 seconds. The minimalistic design could also improve the urban environment and landscape as it does not need overhead lines.

The idea would be to pump just enough energy into the bus for it to reach the next charging station. Longer stops at the end of each line would allow for a full recharge when it needs to tackle longer routes.

In addition to the quick charging times, the system would use a system called TOSA (Trolleybus Optimisation Système Alimentation), a zero-carbon-emission solution drawing electricity entirely from clean hydro power.

Initially, the company wants to pilot the idea between Geneva airport and the city’s international exhibition center, Palexpo. If tests prove successful, it could be a huge step forward for public transport. A type of transport already touted to be a more effective way to travel in terms of both cost and environmental impact.

Claes Rytoft, ABB’s acting Chief Technology Officer had this to say about the project:

“Through flash charging, we are able to pilot a new generation of electric buses for urban mass transport that no longer relies on overhead lines. This project will pave the way for switching to more flexible, cost-effective, public transport infrastructure while reducing pollution and noise.”

Are you a fan of public transport? Would you be happy waiting for a bus that charged in 15 seconds?

A New Electric Bus That Can Be Charged In 15 Seconds Flat is a post from: The Inquisitr

Nicaragua is reviving century-old plans for a canal that will be built with the help of China. The new canal will bridge the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and come into direct competition with the Panama canal, which until now has been the only waterway between the two oceans.

This soon-to-be-built route through central America will rival the Panama canal in size – even with a planned expansion of the Panama canal in 2015. What this means is that the potential for inter-ocean trade is likely to surge. A second canal means more transport between the Pacific and Atlantic oceans, leading to lower trading costs in the process. Due to it’s larger size, the new Nicaragua canal will also increase the total volume of goods shipped, further reducing shipping costs.

Beyond the commercial implications, there are also military ones. The U.S. Navy’s next generation of aircraft carriers – the Ford Class – could sail through the new canal.

Even though some believe this will give the U.S. military additional flexibility when moving around the world, there are others who think it will only complicate matters. Especially when you consider the costs of patrolling multiple waterways vs. only one. Whether or not this has been taken into account by the Chinese contractors is an entire topic of it’s own.

Although there are clearly benefits to be had from the Nicaragua canal, project experts say it could take 11 years to be built by China. Not to mention, cost $40 billion and require digging about 130 miles (200 kilometers) of waterway which will be 200 feet (60 meters) deep in many places.

If it’s any indicator of the project’s importance, Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, presented the project with the hopes of getting it to an initial vote within one week.

Once the Nicaragua canal is built by China, what do you think the implications will be for the US?

Nicaragua Canal Built By China Will Rival Panama’s is a post from: The Inquisitr

Marine Brandon Garabrant can’t openly wear his service uniform to his high school graduation from ConVal Regional High School in Peterborough, New Hampshire. That’s now the official word in an email that the 18-year-old and his mom Jessie Garabrant received from the high school principal Brian Pickering.

Brandon Garabrant is a particularly high-achieving teen-ager who graduated earlier from his high school course work, allowing him to move forward with boot camp. The busy Marine actually graduated from boot camp in Parris Island, South Carolina on Friday.

Naturally, he’s excited, and he planned to fly home and wear his new uniform to his high school graduation the next day as well.

“Brandon earned this right and he went above and beyond what he needed to do in high school,” Jessie Garabrant said.

The principal didn’t make his controversial ruling against Brandon Garabrant alone. “I felt it was critical to have the perspective of the military with this decision,” Pickering acknowledged.

According to a My Fox Boston report, the graduation committee he consulted included a retired Army Special Forces member and a retired Marine.

In a decision that has divided a town, they agreed that everyone at the high school graduation should wear the same cap and gown uniform. However, Brandon Garabrant is welcome to wear his Marine uniform underneath and to reveal it once he has his diploma.

The problem? “I think covering up with a cap and gown is disgraceful to the uniform,” his mom said.

But one committee member, Sherry Nixon, is also a military mom and she simply doesn’t agree.  “He can celebrate [being a Marine]…next,” she said. “This is a celebration of the Class of 2013 and should be honored first.”

[graduation photo by Michael Ciranni via Shutterstock]

Marine Brandon Garabrant Told He Can’t Openly Wear Uniform To Graduation [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

While Audi works on their self-driving car, the company has added the ability for their cars to find parking spaces for you. This will probably come as a huge relief to those who have spent hours driving around the city trying to find a space without any luck.

Using the car’s navigational system – provided it’s equipped with Audi Connect – driver can now scroll through a list of garages in the area. You can then sort options by price, and location, as well as see the entrance on Google Street View. Provided the data is on the system, it can also tell you how many spaces are available.

The amount of information available depends on how modern the garage itself is. Some use up-to-date technology and can communicate fluently with the database that Audi Connect runs off. Others however, can only display the parking lot’s hours and rates – making it more difficult for Audi to find parking spaces for you.

The database currently lists more than 18,000 garages and parking lots in North America, and 42,000 in Europe. It’s powered by INRIX, a company that provides real-time traffic data, and likely to continue growing as the service is used by more and more people.

Apart from guiding you to the address of the garage, the company boasts that the system can also guide drivers to the actual entrance, which might not always be on the same street as the garage’s address.

Audi will launch the new parking feature as an over-the-air update to any existing and new Audi models equipped with the Audi Connect online service.

While the car can’t actually park itself in the space once you find it, yet… It’s likely that a lot of time, gas, money and stress will be save with this latest upgrade.

Have you ever spent hours trying to find a parking space? Do you trust Audi to find parking spaces for you instead?

Image: via machinehappy.com

Audi Will Find Parking Spaces For You is a post from: The Inquisitr

Nelson Mandela, 94-year-old the former South African president and anti-apartheid fighter, is back in the hospital in Pretoria, South Africa, as a result of a recurring lung infection.

His presidential spokesman Mac Maharaj said he was rushed to the hospital early Saturday morning. Mandela’s condition is now described as “serious but stable.”

As The Inquisitr previously reported, South Africa’s first black president has been hospitalized several times over the past few months for the lung problems. In addition to his age, Nelson Mandela is particularly susceptible to breathing problems because he caught tuberculosis during the 27 years he was in prison because of his opposition to apartheid.

The miserable cell near Cape Town was damp and cramped, creating the perfect conditions for the spread of the contagious disease. Mandela has said that he was completely cured of TB after about four months, but his lungs are still somewhat fragile.

Current president of South Africa Jacob Zuma released this statement:

“During the past few days, former President Nelson Mandela has had a recurrence of lung infection. This morning at about 1.30a.m., his condition deteriorated and he was transferred to a Pretoria hospital.”

Apartheid was an unpopular system of racial segregation enforced in South Africa from 1948 to 1994. It kept the black inhabitants — the overwhelming majority of the nation’s population — from enjoying the same civil rights and social services as the white minority.

After a long fight, including the 27-year prison stint at Robben Island and others, Nelson Mandela was elected South Africa’s first black president in 1994.

The new hospitalization has admirers of the civil rights hero greatly concerned, especially because of his age.

Spokesman Maharaj said: “The most important thing is that we should realize that this is a life that we need to celebrate, even when he’s with us. And we will celebrate it, even when he is not with us.”

Get well soon, Nelson Mandela.

[Nelson Mandela and others photo by South Africa The Good News via Wikimedia Commons]

Nelson Mandela Rushed To Hospital In Serious Condition is a post from: The Inquisitr

Baby names may reveal the politics of the parents — or at least provide some unintentional clues to their partisan beliefs. That’s the conclusion of a new University of Chicago study by political scientists recently presented at the 2013 Midwestern Political Science Association Annual Meeting.

Eric Oliver, Thomas Wood, and Alexandra Bass wrote in their paper:

“We find strong differences in birth naming practices related to race, economic status, and ideology. Although higher status mothers of all races favor more popular birth names, high status liberal mothers more often choose uncommon, culturally obscure birth names.”

The world laughed when outspoken musician Frank Zappa and his wife Gail named their oldest daughter Moon Unit in 1967 — but apparently it isn’t just your imagination that, say, Pat Boone or Ted Nugent wouldn’t have made that choice.

They went on to assert that liberals prefer names that include soft, feminine sounds while conservatives lean toward hard, masculine sounds.

Here they’re wading into some pretty deep water if you ask me. Apparently, certain sounds like “l” are considered soft and feminine, while sounds like “k,” “b,” and “d” are hard and masculine. To me, that’s getting pretty close to woo, but you’re welcome to read the whole thing for yourself and make up your own mind.

The baby names politics paper is even called Liberellas versus Konservatives: Social Status, Ideology, and Birth Names in the United States. Get it? Lots of “ls” for those wimpy liberals, and a hard “k” for those macho conservatives?

The team studied over 540,000 babies born in California in 2004, which meant they covered over 52,000 baby names. Each spelling change was considered a different name.

As an example, if you’re a baby named Shelia, the researchers didn’t assume that your parents were idiots who couldn’t spell Sheila. They counted Shelia as a real, unique name. (My apologies to anyone actually named Shelia.)

I hate to say that the study confirmed most people’s prejudices, but the results showed that the less educated and the lower income the parent, the more likely they were to choose an unusual or even a completely unique name. In the less educated groups, getting creative with a baby name didn’t reveal anything about anyone’s politics.  People on both sides of the aisle did it.

The baby name politics did come into play among college-educated white parents. And it wasn’t a small difference, since parents in liberal neighborhoods were twice as likely to pick an unusual or unique baby name as a parent from a conservative area.

However, educated liberal mothers are not getting creative with the spelling to make their baby’s name stand out. Eric Oliver said, “Educated liberal mothers are not making names up. They’re choosing more culturally obscure names, like Archimedes or Finnegan or, in our case, we named our daughter Esme.”

Lower-status mothers are the ones picking deliberately wrongly spelled names like Andruw instead of Andrew, the study claimed.

So we’re back to that infamous Moon Unit Zappa — easy to spell but still somehow not a name that any other parent will ever choose again in the history of the human race. That’s probably remarkably difficult to do.

Are you surprised by the findings of the baby names politics study?

[crying baby photo by Dubova Via Shutterstock]

Baby Name Politics: Unusual Names More Common Among Liberal Democrats, Says Study [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Justin Bieber may not yet have a diary date for his trip to space, or apparently, a fondue session with Selena Gomez, but he has just unveiled new Believe tour dates.

As promised, the 19-year-old has extended his world tour to include additional shows in Asia, South America, Australia and New Zealand.

Justin Bieber Reveals New Believe Tour Dates, Selena Gomez Isn’t One Of Them is a post from: The Inquisitr

San Antonio, TX – Duct tape seems to be the go-to item when punishing kids these days – especially for teachers as this is one in a string of odd cases implicating the use of it for classroom castigation.

In February, an 8-year-old suffering with Down syndrome in Indiana was secured, ahem ankle-bound with duct tape by school employees – supposedly because of the little girl’s erratic behavior.  A month later, an Illinois educator was reprimanded for allegedly duct taping an 11-year-old child’s mouth shut when he failed to remain quiet in class after repeated requests by the authority to hush.

What happened to just making prom dresses and wallets? Instead, this is the desperate mischief that ensues when educators are pushed to the edge and find they have to be creative when imposing a punishment.

Now another child, within the Judson Independent School District in San Antonio, claims his teacher resorted to the duct tape treatment, binding the 8-year-old to a chair because of he was being too rowdy and, according to reports, couldn’t be controlled.

Christian Crutchfield, a second-grader at Woodlake Elementary School, states back in May his teacher lashed him to a chair in the classroom using the sticky tape and he remained that way for nearly three hours.

“No it’s not right at all. I feel that your child should be safe at school,” Natasha Crutchfield, the boy’s mother asserted following her complaint to district officials.

Both the teacher in question and an aide have since resigned, but authorities are still investigating the incident.

These allegations come nearly a year after another teacher in the same district purportedly encouraged 20 students to strike another 6-year-old classmate who was considered a bully. Cynthia Ambrose, the Ricardo Salinas Elementary teacher who urged students to hit their peer, is awaiting trial on a charge of official oppression.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Kid Claims His Teacher Punished Him With Duct Tape is a post from: The Inquisitr

Heisman Trophy winner Johnny “Football” Manziel  is featured in a new country music video called “Silverado Bench Seat,” written and performed by Granger Smith.

Sarah Savage, Manziel’s girlfriend, also appears in the video as does former Texas A&M receiver Ryan Swope. Johnny Manziel doesn’t sing in the video but is shown tossing a football, signing autographs for kids, and smooching in a truck with Savage.

The video almost seems like a car commercial, but perhaps you have to be a country music fan to fully appreciate it. “Silverado Bench Seat” is one of the tunes on Granger’s new album, Dirt Road Driveway.

Texas native Granger Smith and Manziel have previously struck up a friendship, and Smith’s song “We Bleed Maroon” has become the Aggies’ unofficial school anthem.

Last season, Johnny Manziel led Texas A&M to an 11-2 record while becoming the first freshmen in college football to win the Heisman Trophy. Manziel threw for 26 touchdowns and ran for 21 more in his first college season Johnny Manziel’s eye-popping numbers included 3,706 yards passing with 26 touchdowns and just nine interceptions. He also ran for 1,410 yards and 21 touchdowns. He guided his team to a win over Oklahoma in the 2013 Cotton Bowl.

To say the least, Manziel has been making the most of his college football fame. “Since leading the Aggies to an 11-2 record and a Cotton Bowl victory, the quarterback has embarked on an occasionally controversial, but always entertaining journey that seems like a fantasy bucket list, almost all chronicled on social media.”

Surprisingly enough, appearing in a music video apparently does not constitute an NCAA rules violation. “But generally speaking, athletes are permitted by NCAA rules to appear, when out of season, in films, videos or plays as long as there’s no implied commercial endorsement and as long as they’re not compensated for the appearance. Smith said Manziel wasn’t paid.”

Watch “Silverado Bench Seat” by country artist Granger Smith featuring Johnny Football and others:

Watch: ‘Johnny Football’ Manziel Stars In Country Music Video is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Price is Right appearance exposed a fraud committed by former North Carolina postal worker Cathy Wrench Cashwell. On Monday, she pleaded guilty in federal court to the fraud charges that were first investigated as a result of a 2009 appearance on the game show.

According to local news source WRAL, the unlucky Price is Right fraudster originally filed a worker’s compensation claim in 2004, stating that she could no longer lift mail trays into trucks as a result of a shoulder injury received on the job.

Yet she appeared on the Price is Right in September 2009, where she spins the big wheel twice. On the second spin, the clearly raises both arms above her head to grip the handle.

If you’ve ever had a long-term injury, I think you know that there’s a huge difference between being able to do something once or twice and being able to do it repeatedly over the course of an hours-long work shift. However, federal investigators soon gathered a lot more evidence that Cathy Cashwell was committing an out-and-out fraud.

After the suspicious 2009 Price is Right appearance, the investigators went to work. As a result of their probe,  prosecutors alleged that in 2010 and 2011  Cashwell repeatedly engaged in activities she couldn’t have performed if she was as badly disabled as she claimed.

In 2011, she was seen carrying heavy grocery bags and even furniture. In 2010, she reportedly went ziplining with her husband while on vacation. Ouch.

Yet when she renewed a claim for her shoulder injury in 2011, she again stated that she couldn’t lift, grasp, bend, squat, or carry out other heavy duties that would have been demanded by her former job as a postal worker.

Cathy Cashwell has had no comment to the media. She will be sentenced for the Price is Right revealed fraud in September.

[money photo by turtix via Shutterstock]

‘Price Is Right’ Fraud Bust For Postal Worker’s Injury Scam is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Thor prancercising video either makes the prancercise exercise fad somewhat heroic or it makes you wonder when Thor dropped the hammer and whether we should take Thor’s superhero card away.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, the Thor prancercise video was inspired by a viral video where a woman showed off an exercise routine she says was inspired by horses:

“Prancercising is a springy, rhythmic way of moving forward,” said Joanna Rohrback on her website.  “(It’s) similar to a horse’s gait and ideally induced by elation.”

Ryan Frye is the prancercising Thor. He begins the video by explaining why Thor is prancercising:

“People often wonder how I stay so mighty. I prancercise.”

The prancercising Thor previously reviewed the Iron Man 3 movie, giving it three lightning strikes out of five. The film opened to over $200 million including overseas theaters, which has the movie making more money than The Avengers so far. Prancercise that.

Ryan Frye started his Thor cosplay career in order to raise money for charity. The prancercising Thor is also working on an indie film called Thor Legacy.

So, do I really want to know what you think about the Thor prancercising video?

Thor Prancercising Video Makes The Prancercise Somewhat Heroic is a post from: The Inquisitr

A Vermont marijuana reform law was signed by Governor Peter Shumlin (D) on Thursday. The new bill decriminalizes the possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use. As a result, Vermont is the 17th state to take action to decriminalize the herbal drug — including all of its surrounding states except New Hampshire.

House Bill 200 removes the criminal penalties for possession of one ounce or less of marijuana. However, there are still civil penalties — similar to minor summary offenses like traffic tickets.

In addition, people under age 21 caught with any amount of marijuana, even an ounce or less, will be required to undergo substance abuse screening — just as they would if they were caught with alcohol.

In a perhaps more controversial move, the law will also decriminalize possession of less than 5 grams of hashish, which is a stronger drug made from the same plant.

In any case, be aware that the new Vermont marijuana law is not the same as outright legalization. Both Washington state and Colorado passed well-publicized laws last year allowing adults to use recreational marijuana.

An analyst for the Marijuana Policy Project Matt Simon said that he applauded the Vermont governor’s move: “Decriminalizing marijuana possession will allow law enforcement officials to spend more time and attention addressing serious crimes and prevent people from being branded as criminals just for using a substance that most Americans agree should be legal.”

Gov. Shumlin himself commented that the new law made common sense. “Our limited resources should be focused on reducing abuse and addiction of opiates like heroin and meth rather than cracking down on people for having very small amounts of marijuana.”

The use of medical marijuana under a doctor’s supervision was signed into Vermont law in 2004.

The new Vermont marijuana law goes into effect July 1.

[marijuana field photo by stdesign via Shutterstock]

Vermont Marijuana Law Signed By Governor Decriminalizes Small Amounts [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Dennis Rodman claims LeBron James would be an “average” player if James competed in the more physical 1990s version of NBA basketball. And forget about making any comparisons between James and Michael Jordan.

Rodman, now an international “diplomat” and spelling-challenged Celebrity Apprentice contestant, won three championships with the Chicago Bulls alongside Jordan and Scottie Pippen in the 90s.

In the NBA finals, the San Antonio Spurs defeated James’ Miami Heat 92-88 in game one  on Thursday night; the teams meet tomorrow night at 8 pm Eastern in American Airlines Arena for for game two.

Rodman, who was nicknamed “the Worm” during his playing days, made his feelings about superstars LeBron James and Michael Jordan clear on the Dan Patrick Show yesterday. “It’s really not a comparison. If LeBron was playing in the late ’80s and early ’90s, he would be just an average player. To do what Michael has done … what he did was more charisma, there was more articulating and stuff like that. LeBron is more like … there’s no flash to his game. He’s a great player, don’t get me wrong, he’s a hell of player, I’ll give him that … But to me Scottie and Michael are probably the two best one-two punches I’ve ever seen.”

Today’s NBA players have it comparatively easy compared to the rough-and-tumble NBA of previous years, according to Rodman: “LeBron came into the age of the game at a perfect time. Michael came into the game when back then you could hit people, knock him down, shoot a free throw and get back up. And LeBron can’t do that. All they do today is bitching about a foul. All they do is bitch.”

MJ — who averaged 30 points a game in his career — would thrive even more in today’s NBA, Rodman insisted: “If Michael played today … really? If he played the game today at 28 years old, he would average 40 points a game, probably more .. I’m just sick and tired of people always comparing [James] and Michael Jordan. It’s a whole different era, man.”

As far as a head-to-head matchup between today’s Miami Heat and Rodman’s Bulls, the NBA Hall of Famer known primarily for his rebounding said it would be no contest. “The Heat has better talent than we had, but we had smarter players.”

Dennis Rodman also claimed that in his prime, he could shut down LeBron James: “If I was 28 years old guarding LeBron … are you kidding me? Rodman said. “If he scored on me, I would be like, okay, thanks. Guess what, though? Sooner or later, somebody’s gotta win, somebody’s gotta lose, and most of the time I don’t lose.”

Watch/listen to the Dennis Rodman interview on the Dan Patrick Show:

Do you agree with Dennis Rodman that LeBron would only be average if he played in Rodman’s era? Are you surprised that to some degree the Worm is turning on James?

Dennis Rodman Describes LeBron As ‘Average’ Compared To Jordan is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Obamacare subsidy tax calculator can give you a preview of what the Affordable Care Act will cost your family in extra taxes.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Obamacare starts in 2014, but 54 percent of Americans oppose the implementation of the Affordable Care Act passed several years ago in 2010.

Even before Obamacare starts some doctors are stopping insurance coverage. One doctor claims this allows them to eliminate the insurance paperwork and improve both patient care and the bottom line.

Obamacare starts when in 2014 private health insurance becomes a requirement for all employed United States citizens. But in actuality a huge chunk of Obamacare has already been implemented in the form of taxes and organizational changes within the IRS, which will oversee Obamacare.

The Obamacare subsidies are likely to catch many families by surprise. If citizens who fill out the Affordable Care Act subsidies packet to reduce the cost of healthcare next year do not do so accurately, they could wind up owing Obamacare taxes.

But an Obamacare subsides tax calculator shows how much the middle class will be effected. Beginning in October 2013, middle class people under age 65 can apply for tax credit subsidies available through state-based exchanges.

As a writer/contractor I do not receive health insurance through my employer, nor can we afford health insurance any more, so I thought I’d check out how Obamacare will affect my family. Under the Affordable Care Act I would be expected to pay $2,967 for a Silver Plan in the state run exchange, which is about $250 in extra bills per month. As a comparison, in the past I used to pay $191.95 per month, which also included life insurance. But keep in mind these Obamacare subsidies are estimates that may go up or down in 2014.

One website was nice enough to plug in various income levels to found out what the Obamacare subsidies will cost the middle class in taxes:

$30,000 in income: Medicaid: cost ZIP

$38,000 in income: $16,032 tax credit,…Cost of health premium $1,734

$44,000 in income: $15,240 tax credit…..Cost of health premium $2,526

$88,000 in in come: $9,406 tax credit….Cost of health premium $8,360

$90,000 in income : $9,216 tax credit…Cost of health premium $8,550

$93,000in income: $8,931 tax credit…. Cost of health premium: $8,835

$94,000 in income: ZERO tax credit…. Cost of health premium: $17,766

Do you think the Obamacare subsidies are fair, or do you consider this a redistribution of wealth?

Obamacare Subsidies Calculator Shows Affordable Care Act’s Impact On Middle Class is a post from: The Inquisitr

Amy Poehler and Nick Kroll are America’s funniest new couple. The rumors about the comedy match-up have been brewing for some weeks, but now the pair has officially appeared together on Thursday at the American Film Institute (AFI) 41st Life Achievement Award Gala in Hollywood, California.  Check out the video I posted below.

The event was held to honor another famous comedy icon, Mel Brooks,  one of the most popular and successful comedy directors of the 1970s.  Some of his most popular films include the classics Young Frankenstein and Blazing Saddles.

The 41-year-old Parks and Recreation star separated from her husband Will Arnett last September. The 43-year-old Canadian Arrested Development actor recently told Us that he’d been going to the gym obsessively to work out his emotions after the breakup.

But he still sounded like he’d been unprepared for the split, and Arnett had confessed that he wasn’t yet dating.

By contrast, Amy Poehler has already zeroed in on Nick Kroll.  The younger man now stars in Comedy Central’s Kroll Show.   However, he is likely best known to fans for the role of Rodney Ruxin on FX’s The League.

And, of course, NBC Parks and Recreation viewers will recognize him as “the Douche,” a morning radio shock jock.

In their first public appearance together, Poehler reportedly walked down the red carpet by herself to find the 35-year-old Kroll waiting at her table.  The couple reportedly linked arms and gazed at each other affectionately during the event.

Poehler and Kroll had reportedly been friends for years but the AFI appearance together is the first public acknowledgement that their relationship had developed into something more.

My guess is that the new funny couple is funny to everybody except Will Arnett.

What are your thoughts on the Nick Kroll and Amy Poehler pair-up?

[Amy Poehler photo by Joe Seer / Shutterstock.com]

Amy Poehler, Nick Kroll Debut As Funny Couple At Glamorous Gala [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Canadian researchers have opined, based on results of a rat-model, that high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is as addictive as cocaine – though I’m sure there are many people who are not surprised to find out the cloyingly sweet substance, as well as other types of sugar, can influence our neuroreceptors in a drug-like manner, encouraging repeated consumption.

In the United States, high fructose corn syrup is an alternative sweetener that has primarily replaced sucrose (table sugar) in the food and beverage industry – as HFCS is significantly cheaper in comparison.

HFCS is commonly found in varying quantities in breads, crackers, cereal, breakfast bars, lunch meats, yogurts, soups, canned fruits and vegetables – I repeat, yes in fruits and vegetables that are stored in either syrup or water – canned tuna, salad dressing, and condiments like mayonnaise and ketchup.

In order to achieve the desired level of sweetness, corn syrup undergoes an enzymatic process that converts some of its glucose into fructose.

Research has shown HFCS can influence normal appetite function, and it has been found that some no-calorie sweeteners – which can be 300 to 600 times sweeter than standard table sugar – negatively influence metabolism.

At this time, there’s insufficient evidence to say that HFCS is any less healthy than other types of sweeteners, however, too much added sugar – not just high fructose corn syrup – can contribute unwanted calories which are linked to health problems: weight gain and obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

An addiction to sweeteners can easily translate to an addiction of sugar-rich fast food and junk food – if you can call it food – that has become an American dietary staple. Professor Francesco Leri of the University of Guelph, who carried out the research, suggested their findings about sweeteners could, at least partly, be contributing to the current global obesity epidemic.

[Image via Shutterstock]

Scientists Say High Fructose Corn Syrup Is As Addictive As Cocaine is a post from: The Inquisitr

Anna Duggar has given birth to her third child, adding another member to an already supersized clan.

She and husband Josh Duggar announced the birth of son Marcus Anthony Duggar, who was born June 2. The 25-year-old Josh is the oldest child of Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar, stars of the TLC reality show 19 Kids and Counting and parents to close to 20 children.

Josh and Anna Duggar aren’t quite into the double digits, but they’ve got quite a growing family themselves. Marcus is their third child, as they already have a daughter Mackynzie, 3, and son Michael, who is close to 2.

“We are so excited to announce the arrival of our third child, Marcus Anthony Duggar. Mackynzie and Michael are thrilled to welcome a little brother and we are so thankful that mom and baby are well!” the couple said in a statement to TODAY.com. “We are blessed to have our family close as we celebrate this gift from God!”

Anna Duggar also seems to be starting her own family tradition to match her in-laws. While Michelle and Jim Bob chose 19 names that start with “J,” she seems to be set on naming children “M” names.

Josh and Anna Duggar found out they were pregnant during taping for the 11th season of 19 Kids and Counting. The big reveal was part of the season premiere.

“We didn’t know the results,” 25-year-old Josh Duggar told People. “But we gave them [from the doctor] to the sound guy, Jim, and he planned out this very unique reveal. It caught us off guard in a time and place we least expected.”

Marcus Anthony Duggar could still have a new aunt or uncle. Grandparents Michelle and Jim Bob suffered a miscarriage in 2011 with what would have been their 20th child, but said they are considering adoption.

“We’re praying about if the Lord would want us to adopt,” Michelle said. Jim Bob added, “We have set up our home to be designed for taking care of children. We love children, and we really believe every child is a special gift from God.”

Anna Duggar, 24, takes the same approach. She said she was thankful for each of their children.

“It is not about having a bunch of babies,” she said. “It is about enjoying each child God has given you and focus on every day that you get with your child.”

Anna Duggar Welcomes Baby Boy, Says More Children Likely To Come is a post from: The Inquisitr

Are you a fan of The Walking Dead? If so, you’re probably counting down the days ’til October, when Season 4 debuts, am I right?

Of course I am! That’s why I dug up this “first look” video to hopefully hold you over for the time being. AMC and the executive producers behind the insanely popular zombie drama have revealed a quick peek at what fans can expect out of the upcoming Season 4.

No plot points or spoilers here, just a behind-the-scenes look at how the show will deliver a powerful new season with a new showrunner. Speaking of, Scott Gimple (the aforementioned “new” showrunner) will write the premiere. Executive producer and special effects boss Greg Nicotero will direct.

Though plenty of Walking Dead fans kicked up fuss over Glen Mazzara’s departure, Gimple has the makings of a very effective creative leader for the show. He wrote the Season 3 episode “Clear” (the one which featured the return of Morgan) and the Season 2 episode “Pretty Much Dead Already” (in which Sophia was revealed as a zombie).

So, he’s responsible for writing two of the best episodes we’ve seen so far. I think the show will be okay.

Still, the constantly-changing dynamics of the show’s creative direction have even had us worried before. In just four seasons, Gimple is the third showrunner. AMC fired Frank Darabont after the first season (go watch Season 1 again and tell us that was the right call) and Mazzara left because he never had complete control over the series (his words), though rumor had it he was pushed out as well.

Hopefully they found what they were looking for in Gimple.

Thus far, the only other thing we know about Season 4 is that Larry Gilliard Jr. of The Wire will be joining the cast as an adviser to The Governor.

Check out your first look at The Walking Dead Season 4 below:

‘Walking Dead’ Producers Give First Look At Season 4 [Video] is a post from: The Inquisitr

Cleveland Indians’ pitcher Chris Perez has been charged with misdemeanor possession of marijuana after authorities seized a shipment of pot that was allegedly mailed to his home. Melanie Perez, his wife, is also charged. Their lawyer claims the couple will plead not guilty.

Apparently the package in question was addressed to Brody Baum. Brody is the family dog and Baum is Melanie’s maiden name. Postal inspectors had tipped off authorities to suspicious packages being delivered to their Rocky River, Ohio, residence.

Perez reportedly admitted to drug agents who arrived at his doorstep with a search warrant that he had weed in the house. “Perez responded that he had ‘personal use’ marijuana in the basement and volunteered to direct the officers to the location of it, an investigative report said. He pointed out a number of items of paraphernalia along with two separate ‘mason’ jars containing a green vegetable matter suspected of being marijuana, it said.”

The Indians are currently off to a hot start in the 2013 season, but Perez hasn’t reached expectations as the team’s closer. In 17 appearances this year, Perez sports a 2-1 record with six saves and a 4.32 ERA, which is tied for the highest of his career.

The 27-year-old has blown two saves this season, before going on the disabled list with an injured shoulder, including giving up two runs on May 18 to the Seattle Mariners before the Indians came back to win 5-4 in the bottom of the ninth.

The team’s manager Terry Francona tried to steer clear of the subject of the Chris Perez alleged pot possession: “He’s got some friends that care about him, which makes sense, and I’ve spoken to him a couple times. But out of respect to the situation and the process, we’re really not allowed to talk about it.”

GM Chris Antonetti said in a statement that “Clearly we take these matters seriously and are disappointed whenever there is any negative attention brought to the Indians organization or one of our players. We understand and respect that there is an ongoing legal process that we will allow to evolve.”

Do you think a misdemeanor pot charge is any big deal by today’s standards? And what’s worse, smoking pot or getting it delivered to your home in the mail?

Indians’ Closer Chris Perez Charged With Marijuana Possession is a post from: The Inquisitr

Marvel Comics has unveiled their latest comic book in Mighty Avengers, and it may be a little controversial.

For the second time this month, Marvel has done something that raised a few eyebrows and possibly put a few fans on edge. Earlier this month, an all-female X-Men team was unveiled, making some comic book fans ask if this was inevitable or just to appease the special interest groups.

According to the storyline, the new all-female X-Men team meets an old enemy who seeks asylum from an ancient evil. The team includes Jubilee, Storm, Rogue, Kitty Pryde, Jean Grey and Scott Summers’ daughter Rachel Grey, and Psylocke.

This might seem peculiar except for the fact that some X-Men teams before have been all men, usually consisting of Cyclops, Wolverine, Colossus, Gambit and Iceman or some other classic characters. Most of the time, though, the X-Men have usually always had Storm, Jean Grey, or one of the other women prominent among them.

As previously reported by The Inquisitr, Joss Whedon, director of The Avengers, was upset that there haven’t been enough female super heroes. This may be in answer to his protests, or possibly coincidence.

This time around, it’s Marvel Comics‘ Avengers that has been retooled with some possibly controversial choices. The storyline for Mighty Avengers is that the original Avengers are off planet doing their usual thing, and we apparently needed a second team to fight Thanos in their absence.

Enter the Mighty Avengers. Luke Cage has gathered Superior Spider-Man, Power Man, She-Hulk, White Tiger, Blue Marvel, Falcon, a new Ronin and Monica Rambeau under a new superhero guise. Have you noticed yet that Spider-Man is the only white male member of the Mighty Avengers? Everybody else is African-American or female or both, making us wonder if there wasn’t some kind of agenda to the list. And it seems a bit controversial as well that the logo includes the word “mighty” in a spray-paint font.

Executive editor Tom Brevoort says that the new diversity is no accident, “It feels artificial and ghettoising to me, to have an all-black or all-LGBT or all-Asian Avengers. Putting them together and therefore keeping them away from the other characters — to me, that feels fake. The reality is that people are interested in these characters and want to see heroes that reflect them — and they have a very genuine point.”

In the end, when it comes to Marvel super hero teams, it all comes down to perspective. We should be willing to hand the reigns over to a new team, no matter what their gender or racial background may be.

What do you think of Marvel Comics’ decision toward the casting of the Mighty Avengers? Is it controversial or a welcome change of pace?

Marvel Comics’ New ‘Mighty Avengers’ May Be Controversial is a post from: The Inquisitr