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19 Nov 2011 18:55

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U.S.: Study: Drug usage, high childhood IQs may go hand-in-hand

  • Don’t be lulled by your kid’s good academic performance to think that they are not experimenting with drugs. It is commonplace with peers and it is naive to think that because you have a good, smart kid that they will not be curious.
  • Glen Oaks, N.Y., substance abuse official Bruce Goldman • Discussing a study that shows a connection between high childhood IQ and drug abuse. The study of 8,000 people showed that those who had high IQ scores when they were younger were more likely to use some illegal drugs at age 16 and at age 30. Despite this study, we still think kids should try their hardest in school; this isn’t some kind of crazy, blank check endorsement to dumb kids down even more. source

19 Nov 2011 18:36

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U.S.: Reno firefighters make major progress on wildfire, save many homes

  • good The Reno wildfire, which has left some crazy pictures, a pretty insane resident-filmed video, and stunning damage in its wake, is roughly 80 percent contained, authorities say.
  • better While the fire damaged five homes and made 32 others uninhabitable, firefighters have saved roughly 4,500 others on Friday. Next time you’re in Reno, give a firefighter a high-five for a job well done. source

19 Nov 2011 18:33

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Politics: Top-secret Obama security detail found lying in a gutter

  • Somebody’s getting a stern talking to: In a kind of amazing story that, for some reason, absolutely nobody is reporting, a classified copy of President Obama’s security detail was discovered lying in a gutter outside Australia’s parliament on Wednesday. The 120-page document contained seating arrangements of the presidential motorcade, and details of how exactly the Secret Service goes about protecting the president. Thankfully, it was discovered by reporter Dylan Welch who, as one would expect, wrote an article about it (after the president left the country, which he was visiting as part of his tour of the Asia Pacific) . But what if it had fallen into the wrong hands? Coming days after a man was charged with attempting to assassinate the president, this doesn’t look make anybody look good. The White House hasn’t commented on the incident. source

19 Nov 2011 16:50

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Culture: J.J. Abrams: “Super 8” child casting agent was former sex offender

  • It’s shocking and it’s devastating, not just as a filmmaker but as a father and someone who is entrusted to make sure that everyone I work with, especially children, are safe. To think that someone like this was among us is unthinkable.
  • J.J. Abrams • Discussing his feeling after discovering that the casting agent he used on his most recent movie, “Super 8,” was a registered sex offender who spent six years in prison for molesting an eight-year-old boy in 1996. The man, Jason James Murphy, got around the limitations of his conviction (which would have prevented him from doing his job) by changing his professional name to Jason James. Among the other films he’s worked on? “Bad News Bears,” “The School of Rock” and “Cheaper by the Dozen 2” — all films with large numbers of child actors. While Murphy hasn’t been accused of committing any crimes during his time as a casting director, his previous conviction wasn’t exactly off the radar — it was featured on an episode of “America’s Most Wanted.” Abrams only learned about the casting agent’s background this week. So wow. source

19 Nov 2011 16:15

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World: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi captured alive, complete with iconic photo

With perhaps the most iconic photo to come out of a capture since Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Gaddafi’s most notorious son, fearing for his safety, gave himself up without a fight early Saturday. source