The Health Benefits of Potatoes

potatoIt is often forgotten that potatoes are in fact a very healthy vegetable. They are rich in complex carbohydrates which supply energy, but are relatively low in calories. One medium sized potato also contains around five grams of fiber, which is incredibly healthy for the digestive system. Potatoes are also rich in vitamins and minerals.

Potatoes contain the most potassium of all fresh fruits and vegetables, including bananas. One potato has over 800 milligrams, which is close to 20% of the ideal amount to be consumed on a daily basis. Potassium is necessary for body growth and cell maintenance. It’s also important for the functioning of the nervous system, as well as normal muscle contraction, including the heart muscle. It is also an electrolyte which helps to balance fluids in the body.

Potatoes are rich in Vitamin C and B6 as well, which boost the immune system and contribute to the healing of wounds and blood clotting.

Jobs Doll Deal on EBay

Remember that cute Steve Jobs look-alike in plastic which was produced in China without the permission or even the knowledge of Apple’s main man? Recall his dapper jeans, iPhone, removable trademark eyeglasses and sport shoes?

In case you don’t remember, M.I.C. Gadget, headquartered in China, managed to manufacture and sell 300 of the delightful action figures for $99 each before Apple sent a formal complaint to them insisting that the creation of the toy was an “unauthorized use of a person’s name or likeness, subject to a lawsuit under California Civil Code Section 3344.”

Unwilling to go the lawsuit route, G.I.C. halted their manufacture. Now the plastic Jobs doll is a collector’s item, and was recently purchased on eBay at 25 times cost, for $2,500. There are rumors that the sale was bogus, however, something that is not beyond eBay possibilities. Suspicions were aroused due to the fact that there was only one bid on this item, and was sold immediately for the full asking price. Then a few days later another Jobs doll appeared, ready for auction, at the same asking price.

New Cure for AIDS?

German doctors claim to have cured AIDS. The patient, who was infected by both the virus and leukemia, received a bone marrow transplant from a donor who had a genetic mutation which is known to grant immunity to the virus. The mutation affects a receptor, or cellular doorway, that the AIDS viruses usually breach in order to infect the cell. The mutation has been known to researchers since the 90s, and is most common in people of a Northern European descent.

Nearly four years have passed since the transplant, and the patient appears to be free of the virus, and it cannot be found hiding anywhere in his body. The patient has given samples from his colon, liver, spinal fluid and brain; the places where the virus commonly hides before rebounding in patients who have stopped their medication.

The problem with the cure is that is a long, complicated, painful process. “It’s not practical and it can kill people,” Dr. Robert Gallo of the Institute of Human Virology, who helped discover the virus that causes AIDS. “It is possibly a cure, that’s for sure, you won’t know for absolute sure until the person dies and undergoes extreme PCR (genetic) analysis of post-mortem tissue.”

Yahoo Planning Lots of Layoffs

In response to slower than expected growth, Yahoo Incorporated is planning on firing between 600-700 workers this holiday season. The official announcement is expected soon, and the first layoffs could come as soon as this week, according to a person who wishes to remain anonymous.

The layoffs represent about 5% of the total workforce of 14,100 employees, and will be the fourth large layoff event in the past three years.

The two most recent shake-ups occurred under the watch of Yahoo’s current CEO Carol Bartz. Ms. Bartz is a veteran of the Silicon Valley world who has been onboard at Yahoo for the past two years.

The newest trimming of the workforce is most probably going to be concentrated in the U.S. products group. This group has already been having tune-up ever since Bartz hired Blake Irving, a former exec at Microsoft, to run the division about half a year ago.

New Study Shows Benefits of Active Lifestyles

exerciseA new study shows that people who begin an active lifestyle at a young age, and keep it up into their middle years, can greatly lessen mid-life weight gain and other health issues. People generally focus on exercise as a way to eliminate excess weight, as opposed to a way to prevent it. The results of the study show that this may be a mistake. Dr. Arlene L. Hankinson, the lead researcher explained that “it’s not so much about achieving some dramatically high activity level. It’s about maintaining a level of daily physical activity over time.”

Generally, health experts suggest that adults get a minimum of 30 minutes of medium-intensity exercise (such as brisk walking), five days a week. Many people claim that they are too busy for a daily visit at a gym, to which Hankinson says “it should be about finding an activity that you actually like and can maintain. But you should also look into the choices you make in your daily life. Do you walk to the store, take the stairs instead of the elevator, park your car further away so you have to walk more…?”