So Long and Thanks for All the ... Beer?

Here is to you Pabst Blue Ribbon Coffin Guy. You are only 67 years old, but you've already tested out your coffin. You threw a party and filled your coffin with beer. One day you just might be recycled!

Meanwhile, 650 people could have used a beer or two as their cruise ship was stranded off an underwater sand bank in the Baltic Sea. After 5 hours, the passengers, mostly elderly Germans, were taken to Ventspils, a port city in northwestern Latvia. They are now believed to be inebriated.

Other reasons to drink include the fact that 15,000 people were killed when a cyclone struck Maynmar or the hidden costs of a la carte airline pricing schemes.

Kids: A Special Report

It would seem that the smoking bans seen in more and more cities in the United States are leading to reduced rates of kids smoking. One researcher explained the findings: "When kids grow up in an environment where they don't see smoking, they are going to think it's not socially acceptable... If they perceive a lot of other people are smoking, they think it's the norm.'' While this is sound logic, keep in mind how often kids purposely try to break the norms... or what I have identified as "Don't push the red button syndrome." The children (12-17) were tracked for four years, and only 9% became smokers during this time... keep in mind that a smoker is defined at a person who smokes 100 cigarettes. So really, is it surprising that the study found "Smoking bans had a greater effect on younger teens than on older teens." I don't know about you, but most of the people I know who smoked had not smoked 100 cigarettes by the age of 16.

If you are a kid, stay out of China! Right now 12,000 children are sickened with hand, foot and mouth disease. While it shares a similar name to foot and mouth disease, its not related nor does it effect livestock. The symptoms include fever, mouth sores and rashes with blisters, and luckily it is easily spread by sneezing or coughing! According to the World Health Organization (WHO) there will be more infections to come. But not to worry, there is no threat to the Olympics according to the WHO's China representative, "because the disease mostly sickens young children."

Meanwhile in the United States, we like to dope our kids up. A U.K. study shows that American children are six times more likely to be on anti-psychotics than children in the United Kingdom. Experts say its beside the point... the drugs are being over-prescribed for both U.S. and U.K. children. Some doctors are concerned about prescribing the drugs, "without full understanding about the risks." I recently noticed that out of the people I hang out with most, I'm the only one not on an anti-psychotic. Which begs the question Dr. David Fassler, a University of Vermont psychiatry professor brings up.... "whether or not the right kids are getting the most appropriate and effective treatment possible."