Pumpkin Shortage? Down Syndrome, “The Simpsons”
Rainy conditions around the midwest this fall have ruined the pumpkin crop,
###
Something new about Down Syndrome.
Doctors say increasing the levels of a message-carrying chemical in the brain may help prevent some of the memory deficits in Down syndrome that hinder learning and make it hard for the brain to develop normally.
They said mice with a rodent version of Down syndrome that were injected with drugs to increase levels of the neurotransmitter norepinephrine showed improvements in their thinking ability.
The finding points to a new way of trying to improve some of the deficits seen in Down syndrome, which affects 5,000 newborns in the United States each year.
The study was published in the journal Science Translational Medicine.
###
A ladies’ man in love with himself is bringing his charms to “The Simpsons.”
“The Simpsons” held a contest to give fans the chance to dream up a new character, and Ricardo Bomba is the winning entry.
He’s the creation of Peggy Black of Orange, Conn.
Black said she decided that “The Simpsons” was lacking a narcissistic Casanova and came up with the character.
He’ll make his small-screen debut in the Jan. 31 episode of “The Simpsons.”
More than 25,000 entries were received in the contest for the show, which is marking its 20th year on TV.
###
Do you think you sound like John Paul George or Ringo?
Not singing. Talking.
They’re holding open auditions for the 3D remake of
“Yellow Submarine,” due from Disney in 2012.
The auditions are the weekend of Nov. 28-29 at a Beatles Convention in Stamford Connecticut
No singing ability required but you have to have a good Liverpool style accent.
Real or Fake.
Details at fabfourcasting@blogspot.com.
###
The Government Accountability Office says some of the money designed to help disabled military veterans who run small businesses isn’t getting where it needs to be due to fraud. The GAO says some companies grabbing parts of the $4 billion pie aren’t small businesses, or even run by veterans.
###
A new study out of MSU says – the more prominent and financially successful a corporation becomes, the more likely it is to break the law.
MSU’s Yuri Mishina and colleagues say that unrealistically high pressure on thriving companies increases the likelihood of illegal behavior, as the firms are faced with continuously maintaining or improving their performance.
The MSU scientists found that high-performing companies tended not to be able to sustain that high level of performance over time. At the same time, high performing and highly prominent companies tend to be the ones that are punished most severely for not meeting performance expectations. And so, Mishina say it becomes a choice: Do I cut corners to try to meet these high performance goals and maybe get caught, or do I accept the results of not meeting my performance goals and be punished for sure.”
###
Activision Blizzard’s “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2” took in a record $550 million worldwide during its first five days on sale, according to internal company figures.
That tops the previous record of just over $500 million set by “Grand Theft Auto IV” last year.
###
Operators of a Catholic shrine in Maryland thought they had been blessed with a big donation this month when a worker found $40,000 worth of rare coins on the grounds.
But officials at Mount St. Mary’s University say that the bags of money had only been left at the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes for safekeeping.
(!)
Shrine Director William Tronolone says the owner returned to retrieve them about a week later.
He says she told him she wanted the Blessed Virgin Mary to watch over her treasure while she was out of town.
###
J.C. Penney is pulling the plug on its “big book” catalogs. The company says consumer habits have changed. So, with more people browsing and buying online, J.C. Penney says there’s less of a demand for its twice-a-year mega catalogs. Elimination of the big books will save a lot of trees, too. J.C. Penney officials figure their paper use will be cut 25 percent to 30 percent next year.