It's not a tumor!

A four-year study in the UK has found that there is no link between using cell phone and the increased risk of brain tumors. Apparently, no matter how long you use your cell phone or how frequently, our risk does not increase. The study was prompted by reports that glioma patients had an increased growth of their tumors on the side of their heads they most often used for their phones. An overview of the results to the study are posted on the Institute of Cancer Research Web site. What do you think?

I think:
Boy, that makes me feel good. I use my cell phone a lot and I'm glad that I most likely won't get a brain tumor from using it. But it is funny to me that whenever there is a new technology, someone always freaks out about its effects on our bodies. I know that there has been some research done with electromagnetic fields (EMF) and health, like linking people who live close to power lines and their increased risk for cancer, but come on people! Chill out!

Fact or Fiction: A Million Little Pieces

No doubt you've heard about A Million Little Pieces, the "memoir" by James Frey that recounts his crazy life as an alcoholic and drug addict and chronicles his way back to sobriety. Oprah Winfrey had him on her show claiming that he "kept her up for two nights" while she read his book. Now, there are rumors that this best seller isn't really a memoir and that some of the details in his book have been "embellished" to make it more exciting. TheSmokingGun.com, a Web site that seeks to provide the truth by publishing government and law enforcement documents, published a document that exposed Frey's book as fraud and the author as the "man who conned Oprah." What do you think?

I think:
I went out and bought this book after seeing it on Oprah (yes, I'm a groupie). I'm always looking for good books to read and all the ones I've read that Oprah suggests ARE GOOD. Now, with that said, I think it is deceptive to market a book as a memoir when pieces of it are fictional. That's just bad advertising, and in my opinion, Frey not only wanted a best selling book, he wanted to catapult himself to stardom since he's the "main character" in the book. He might have been better served (and could have avoided all this controversy) if he wrote the book based on his own story about a fictional character, not himself.

Oprah has finally broken her silence on the Larry King Show and said that the rumors are "much ado about nothing." But this doesn't really bode well for her in that it seems like she was duped by some con-artist. Either way, I intend to read the book I bought but I will now view it as fiction, not a memoir. And time will tell if this scandal actually helps or hurts Frey's book sales. If it helps, maybe it was a good strategy. If it hurts, I hope Frey enjoys his 15 seconds of fame while it lasts.

It's Confirmed: Bradgelina is On The Way

Today, People Magazine announced that Angelina Jolie confirmed she is pregnant with Brad Pitt's child. "Yes, I'm pregnant," Jolie told a charity aid worker in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Monday. The pregnancy has since been confirmed by representatives of both stars. Jolie is currently in the Dominican Republic filming The Good Shepherd with Matt Damon. She is also working with Yele Haiti, a charity for the empowerment of Haitian citizens. The progeny of the two hottie stars is expected this summer. What do you think?

I think:
Whew! Boy, am I glad Angelina got that off her chest. Now we can all get on with our lives.

SUVs: No Safer Than Cars for Kids

A new US study reveals that the mass Urban Assalt Vehicles err. . . Sport Utility Vehicles (SUVs) on the road today are no more safe than regular cars when it comes to kids' safety. The study, published in this month's Pediatrics journal, found that the risk of injury to children wearing appropriate safety restraints was about 1.7 percent regardless of vehicle type. Child injuries from rollover accidents were more common in SUVs and outweighed the safety benefits of larger, heavier vehicle frames. What do you think?

I think:
I know that Americans want their BIG automobiles with lots of room for the kids, the dog, and all the crap that people lug around with them but that's what station wagons were for, and minivans. SUVs are a waste of money and environmental resources and anything that gives them bad press is a good thing in my opinion.