What Really Happens to Your Body on a Juice Cleanse

BluePrint Cleanse—arguably one of pioneers of liquid cleansing—offers a few programs designed to help “excavate” your insides. For the Foundation program, an intermediate-level cleanse, a cool $65 gets you one day of juice, around measly 850 calories—and that’s including the “high cal” freshly cold-pressed nut milk. Yes, you can pay roughly seven cents per calorie to experience the joys of a professional juice cleanse … and if you do a six-day cleanse that’s a whopping $380 spent on juice.

The idea of a “detox” via juice is nothing new—even in the nineties health fanatics were all about the wheatgrass. Infomercials boasting the benefits of freshly pressed juice were played on loop during early Sunday mornings in the days of Jack LaLanne (he, of course, was selling his impressive Power Juicer). But in the early aughts, drinking yourself clean suddenly became a thing—instead of drinking a carrot juice in the morning alongside a balanced breakfast, the health-conscious elite started sipping liquified salads and exotic fruit blends in lieu of eating for days on end. And now, juicing is so popular that even Starbucks carries kale-tinted beverages alongside its coffee cakes and yogurt parfaits.

Cardiologist Dr. Joel Kahn, of the Kahn Center for Cardiac Loangevity, doesn’t believe that guzzling green juice is the key to achieving optimal health. According to him, a three- to five-day veggie-based, organic juice cleanse may help “refocus your diet,” but there’s not a lot of scientific evidence to back it up. So is a juice cleanse actually good for you? Here’s the truth about three of the most common claims about juicing.

Claim: It helps you drop weight—the pounds melt off!

False: A juice cleanse temporarily slows down your metabolism, and the only thing you lose is water weight.
If our bodies were basic input-output machines, it would make sense that after a few days of calorie restriction we’d lose weight—but as science has shown, the human body is a little more complicated than simply “calories in, calories out.” And three days of drinking nothing but juice won’t result in lasting weight loss.

What it may help you lose, temporarily, is water weight. Because most programs fall far below the recommended caloric intake for the average adult, the body burns through glycogen (a carbohydrate) that’s been stored in the muscles and liver to maintain energy levels. Glycogen holds on to water, and when it’s used, so is any excess water, which can result in short-term water-weight loss. But as soon as the juice cleanse is over (i.e. the calorie restriction ends), you immediately gain back that water weight.

Claim: A juice cleanse detoxifies your body.

False: To really eliminate toxins, you really need fiber (which juices don’t have).

One of the biggest reasons people choose to cleanse is because they think they need to rinse the toxins out of their bodies. Sure, for those of us who use chemical-based makeup, eat the occasional non-organic apple, and sometimes imbibe in an adult beverage, a little detoxification period can’t hurt. But the best way to do that isn’t by drinking only liquids for 72 hours—it’s by increasing the amount of fiber in your diet.

The liver and kidneys act like the body’s personal filtration system, and they do a pretty good job of clearing any nasty stuff that gets in our bodies. But filling up on junk food, stressing over your job, and everyday habits that aren’t so healthy (like staying up late and snoozing that alarm the next day) can mess with how well that filtration system works—and can back you up, to put it delicately.

Fiber acts like a broom for your small intestine, cleaning you out and taking all of those toxins with it. The easiest way to get more fiber is to increase the consumption of fresh, whole foods. According to Dr. Kahn, Juices are devoid of fiber, which is an essential dietary component. “So juice cleansing is not a long-term solution to achieving optimal health,” he says. “Only a stable and clean diet without processed foods can [do that].”

Juices, unfortunately, usually strain out any of the beneficial insoluble fiber in fruits and veggies, instead leaving behind a liquid that’s high in vitamins and micronutrients but also loaded with natural fruit sugars that have basically the same effect on your body as table sugar. Blended smoothies are slightly better, because they still retain their fiber which means your body will process sugar less quickly (but try to keep them low in fructose anyway!) For true detoxification, try a food-based cleanse that has tons of veggies and healthy fats—both are necessary for healthy, normal elimination.

Claim: A juice cleanse gives your digestive system a break.

True (sort of): Juicing can be great for people with digestive issues, but it’s not a permanent solution.

Despite how it might sound, it’s actually really beneficial for those with tummy troubles to try juicing for a day, or just adding a few cold-pressed beverages in addition to a balanced, wholesome diet. For the same reason that drinking juices isn’t a great way to detox, it’s perfect for giving the digestive system a break. Because there’s almost zero fiber, the stomach and small intestine don’t have to do the usual hard work of breaking down and digesting fiber to absorb micronutrients and vitamins.

Because juice is easier to digest, it’s an easy way to get some extra nutrients for those with digestive issues like IBS, Crohn’s, or Celiac disease. One caveat: Avoid drinks that only contain fruit juices. Fruit-only blends can be very high in sugar, and because they don’t have other macronutrients like protein, fat, or carbohydrates, they can cause blood sugar levels to spike to unhealthy levels.

The main takeaway? Juice “cleansing” isn’t all it’s cracked up to be—but it’s not all bad, either. If a detoxifying program is what you’re looking for you’re better off with a whole foods program, but some with digestive issues might enjoy a short, low-sugar juice cleanse.

TOO MUCH SALT CAUSES RAPID WEIGHT GAIN

Feeling salty about your current weight? Try cutting back on sodium. According to recent findings, it makes us crave fat—like, lots of it.

In your quest to trim down, you’ve cut back on creamy foods, sugary snacks, and even carbs. (Oprah is not so secretly rolling her eyes about that last thing.) But the scale is being more stubborn than ever. Your next strategy? Cut back on salt. According to two studies conducted by Deakin University in Australia, consuming too much sodium can lead to fatty foods cravings and binges, which can definitely cause weight gain. Not cool, salt.

There’s more bad news: Even if you don't think you’re eating that much of the salty stuff, you probably are. (Cue the groans!) The government’s dietary guidelines recommend that adults limit their sodium intake to less than 2,300 milligrams per day. (Which is what you’d find in 2.3 Big Macs or 11.5 individual packets of salt.) Meanwhile, it’s estimated that the average American consumes around 3,300 milligrams of sodium daily, with 75 percent of it coming from processed foods and restaurant meals. 

But back to the studies: Based on previous findings, The Deakin University researchers had a hunch that salt might mess with fat sensitivity, so they set up two experiments to test the theory. During their first trial, they had 49 participants taste a variety of milk-based tomato soups with different salt and fat concentrations. Participants were then asked to rate each, noting their desire to continue slurping. Fat sensitivity was also measured by noting the participants' ability to taste the fatty acids in the milk. According to the data, people really love the taste of salt. In fact, they found that salt was more important than fat when it came to the soups’ yum factor. Even more interestingly, they found that people who were sensitive to the taste of fat preferred the lower-fat soups more than those who are less sensitive—but only for soups with no added salt. Once salt was added to the mix, their preference for a lower-fat version changed, suggesting that salt “masks” our fat preference. Simply put: "The strong effect of salt on pleasantness may indicate that salt is major driver of [cravings for]... savory fatty food[s]," say the authors.

The second study looked at how salt affects the amount of food we consume. The research crew enrolled 48 participants and had them come in on four separate occasions for lunch. They were served macaroni and sauce each day with varying concentrations of fat and salt. The researchers measured food intake each day and discovered that participants consumed 11 percent fewer calories when their meals were lower in salt and higher in fat. They also observed that people ate the most when they were given high-salt, high-fat lunches, indicating that high levels of salt mess with the body’s satiety cues.

"Our body has biological mechanisms to tell us when to stop eating, and fat activates those mechanisms in people who are sensitive to the taste of fat," says the lead study author, Professor Russell Keast. “However when salt is added to the food, those mechanisms are blunted and people end up eating more food." This can cause you to eat more fatty foods and over time, your body adapts or becomes less sensitive to fat, leading you to eat more to get the same feelings of fullness. Though many fats carry health benefits , they’re also calorie-dense, so eating large servings can lead to weight gain.

Eat This! Tip

To cut back on the salty stuff and help the pounds come off, limit your intake of restaurant food, and also cut back on sodium-filled snacks and grocery items 

How to Dye Easter Eggs, Naturally

It’s almost Easter weekend, which means it’s time for Easter egg hunting! One of my favorite Easter activities as a child and as an adult is dyeing Easter eggs, a fun holiday craft project the whole family can easily do together. But rather than buying those store-bought kits with chemical dyes and packaging to dispose of, consider dyeing your eggs with herbs and foods this year. It’s surprisingly easy, fun and interesting, will help connect kids with the wonders of nature, and doesn’t rely on chemicals.  

Here are the best foods to use for dyeing various colors. Please share other foods and herbs you’ve tried with success!

Gold: Handful of yellow onion skins
Yellow: 2 tablespoons turmeric or a handful of carrot tops
Green: Handful of coltsfoot
Blue: 2 cups chopped red cabbage (for best results, add cabbage to water while hard-boiling eggs)
Pink: 2 cups chopped beets
Purple: 1 cup frozen blueberries
Brown: 2 tablespoons coffee grounds or 4 black tea bags 

Instructions for dyeing the eggs:

1. Hard-boil eggs. My favorite method: Place eggs in enough cold water to cover them and place over high heat. As soon as water comes to a boil, cover pot and turn off heat. Allow to cook for about 15 minutes, then remove from heat and soak in ice water to stop cooking.

2. Bring each dye ingredient to a boil with 2 cups of water; strain the dyes into cups and allow to cool. If you’re using cabbage to dye eggs blue, hard-boil those eggs separately and place cabbage in water before boiling.

3. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar to each cup of dye.

4. Dip eggs into cups of dye, submerging completely and leaving until they reach the desired color.
Note: Don’t waste your dyed eggs! Make sure to eat up those hard-boiled eggs sliced in salad, converted into deviled eggs or egg salad, or plain with salt and pepper. To that end, I highly recommend choosing locally raised farm eggs. They deliver much better flavor and nutrition than their factory-farmed counterparts.  

Happy dyeing! 

27 Healthy and Portable High-Protein Snacks

Whether you're fueling up before hitting the gym or taking a midday snack break to avoid the 3 p.m. lull, high-protein snacks are the tastiest way to keep on going. These snacks that pack in plenty of protein along with other nutrients are the perfect way to fill up, and give us longer-lasting energy than carb-heavy options. 

And if you think you're limited to boring hard-boiled eggs, think again. These 27 delicious, healthy, and easy options have even more protein than an egg (one large contains about 6 grams).

1. Nut Butter Boat

Any vehicle for nut butter is perfection in our book. Try loading a few celery sticks with a serving of any nut butter (like almond, cashew, walnut) topped with a few whole almonds or raisins. If you’re not a fan of celery, try scooping out the middle of an apple and filling it with your nut butter of choice.

2 tbsp natural nut butter with 1 cup apple or celery slices: 8.3 grams protein

2. Jerky

Be careful to avoid sodium- and sugar-filled brands, but low-sodium, natural, or lightly-flavored options are a great source ofprotein—here are some of our favorite healthy brands! This chewy snack is also keeps fresh for months when packed properly.

One single-serving pack: 10 grams protein

3. Mixed Nuts or Trail Mix

Mixed nuts provide an easy way to get a delicious dose of protein in a convenient, shelf-stable package. Try a mixed bunch for variety and a combo with dried fruit for some added sweetness. The best bang for your protein buck? Almonds and pistachios. They're higher in protein than their nutty peers.

1 tbsp each almonds, pistachio nuts, sunflower seeds, walnuts, raisins, and chocolate chips: 6.5 grams protein

4. Pumpkin Seeds

Those orange gourds aren’t just for carving. Pumpkin insides, scooped out to make room for spooky faces, can actually make a healthy little snack full of fiber and immunity-protecting zinc once they’re washed, dried, and nicely roasted.

2/3 cup pumpkin seeds, rinsed and coated with 1 tsp curry powder and a pinch of salt, roasted at 300 degrees for 20 minutes: 8 grams protein

5. Deli Rollups

Consider it a sandwich without the bread! This Paleo-friendlysavory snack packs in almost double the protein of a hardboiled egg, and sneaks in a few vegetables to boot! Remember to stick to a lower-salt variety of meat to keep those blood pressure-spiking sodium levels in check.

2 slices deli turkey rolled up with 1 slice cheese and 1 slice tomato:11.9 grams protein

If protein powder is just not your thing, there are plenty of alternatives to creating a high-protein beverage, including this banana-y pick-me-up, bulked up with chocolate milk and peanut butter, which provides both healthy fat and cardiovascular benefits in addition to protein. It’s time to get funky, monkey!

6. Chunky Monkey Shake

1 medium banana, 1 tablespoon of peanut butter, and 1 cup of low fat chocolate milk blended with 1 cup of ice: 15 grams protein

7. Mini Bean-and-Cheese Quesadilla

It might take an extra minute to prep, but combining these two high-protein treats is totally worth it, especially when the resultboasts both fiber and calcium too. Cook it in a dry nonstick pan until the cheese is melted and tortilla is lightly browned, then wrap it in foil and stick in a plastic baggie for easy transport.

1/2 cup black beans, 1 tablespoon salsa, and 1 slice cheddar cheese in a small whole wheat tortilla: 17.9 grams protein

8. Shake it Up

While getting your protein from whole food sources is ideal, an occasional dip into the protein powder canister is also convenient when your protein intake is low, and when it comes to protein shakes, the combinations are endless! Pour yours into a portable tumbler for a sippable snack on the go.

1 scoop vanilla whey protein powder, 1 cup orange juice, and 1 cup ice blended until smooth. (Thanks @JCDFitness!): 18 to 32 grams of protein, depending on brand.

9. One Kind Plus Bar

We're not huge supporters of prepackaged bars, but we make an exception for KIND Plus bars thanks to their all-nut base. When you’re really in a pinch but are reaching “hangry” status, keep one of these stashed in your bag as a quick, nutritious way to quell that grumbling tummy.

1 Almond Walnut Macadamia with Peanuts KIND Plus Bar: 10 grams protein

10. Edamame Poppers

The only thing more fun than how much protein you can get from a serving of edamame is getting to eat these little beans out of their bright green pods. Buy them fresh and steam, or use the pre-cooked frozen variety and briefly microwave to defrost before chowing down.

1 cup edamame pods sprinkled with sea salt: 15 grams protein

How’s this for an unconventional use of a travel coffee mug? Put a few dollops of your favorite hummus in the bottom of the container, stick a handful of vegetable sticks (carrots, celery, and snow peas are a great mix) vertically in the hummus, screw on the top, and throw in a purse or gym bag for an easy, on-the-go, super-healthy snack.

11. Hummus Dippers

1/3 cup hummus with 1/2 cup mixed vegetable sticks: 6.7 grams protein

12. Portable Cheese Platter

Who doesn't love a classy cheese plate? Make yourself a mini version (or fill a Tupperware box) with a cheese stick along with some whole-grain crackers for crunchy carb action, and a few almonds for an all-around protein, healthy fat, and fiber upgrade.

1 stick 2-percent string cheese with 3 whole-wheat crackers and 10 almonds: 9.6 grams protein

13. Greek Yogurt and Granola

Picture sitting on a Greek isle with this snack in hand. Along with a higher level of protein than regular yogurt, the Greek stuff provides plenty of calcium and probiotics to fight inflammation. Now soak in that (imaginary) view and enjoy!

1 single-serving container yogurt with 2 tbsp granola: 16 grams protein

14. Mini PB&J

Sometimes, it’s best to stick to the classics. Downsize this lunch box favorite to make it perfect for snack time—just make sure you use all-natural peanut (or almond!) butter and a fruit-juice sweetened jelly to avoid trans fats and extra sugars.

1 slice whole-wheat bread with 1 tbsp natural peanut butter and 1 tsp all-fruit jelly: 9 grams protein

15. Perfect Parfait

In a transportable container, alternate layers of nonfat Greek yogurtwith a handful of fruit (either fresh or frozen works great!). Then top with a drizzle of honey and a sprinkling of toasted oats to add crunch to this protein- and probiotic-packed treat.

1/2 cup nonfat Greek yogurt with 2 tablespoons oats and 2 tablespoons berries: 12.9 grams protein

No, we're not going back to preschool. But chocolate milk is actually a great source of high-quality protein (especially post-workout). Try keeping a single-serving, shelf-stable box in your gym bag or backpack for snack attack emergencies—just try to find one that’s also low in sugar!

16. Chocolate Milk

1 cup one-percent, reduced sugar chocolate milk: 9 grams protein

17. Gobble, Gobble

It can be Thanksgiving any time of year with this festive favorite. This comforting combination of deli meat, cheese, veggies, and dried cranberries includes a bit of every food group, and the protein-packed final product is guaranteed to hold you over for a good few hours!

One piece whole-grain bread, sliced lengthwise, topped with 2 slices roasted turkey, 1 slice Swiss cheese, 1 lettuce leaf, 1 slice tomato, 1 teaspoon mustard, and 1 teaspoon dried cranberries:20.4 grams protein

18. Tuna and Crackers

Along with protein, canned tuna adds some vitamin D and omega-3 fatty acids to your mid-afternoon munchies. Scooped up with a few whole wheat crackers, it’s a mini-meal that’s both simple and satisfying.

1 single serving (3-ounce) pack of wild albacore tuna salad (try the Starkist brand) plus 11 Wheat Thin crackers: 12 grams protein

19. Toasted Quinoa

Try this unconventional way to enjoy the gluten-free superfood: lightly sweetened, and toasted to crunchy perfection. Pack it in a container on top of yogurt, or like we tend to do with our favorite granola, eat it by the handful!

1/3 cup quinoa mixed with ½ tbsp ground flax, 1 tbsp shredded coconut, and 1 tbsp maple syrup, toasted at 425 degrees for 10 minutes: 9.4 grams protein

20. Basic Burrito

When the mid-afternoon slump calls for something spicy to wake you up, try this bite-sized flavor fiesta. The bulk of the protein comes from the black beans and cheddar, while a spoonful of salsa adds a small but powerful dose of cancer-fighting lycopene. If you want to make it vegan but equally protein-rich, just replace the cheese with extra beans.

1 small whole wheat tortilla, 2 tbsp mashed black beans, 2 tbsp shredded cheddar, 1 tbsp salsa: 8.4 grams protein

Dice a half-inch thick slice of cheddar cheese into squares (you should end up with about 6 small pieces), and alternate the cubes with grapes onto toothpicks. The sweet and savory contrast of the cheese and fruit is super sophisticated (and delicious), and a little bit goes a long way to fit your protein needs.

21. Grape-and-Cheese Sticks

1 ounce cheddar cheese with 6 grapes: 7.1 grams protein

22. Protein Bites

No baking required, only four ingredients, portable, and tastes like dessert? This is our kind of quick-fix treat! Nut butter acts as the binder as well as the source of most of the protein in this recipe, while oats and dark chocolate chips give it its cookie-like quality while adding both fiber and antioxidants.

1 1/2 tbsp nut butter, 3 tbsp oats, 1/2 tbsp honey, 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate chips, rolled into balls: 8 grams protein

23. “Cheesy” Popcorn

When it’s not doused in butter and artificial flavorings, popcorn can be a super healthy snack, thanks to being a fiber-rich, satiating whole grain. Ratchet up its protein content by dusting the kernels with nutritional yeast, the vegan, B vitamin-packed answer to parmesan cheese.

3 cups air-popped popcorn coated with 2 tbsp nutritional yeast and a sprinkle of salt: 8.9 grams protein

24. Healthier Puppy Chow for One

Yup, it exists! This version of the cavity-inducing sweet snack cuts down considerably on the sugar by replacing the powdered stuff with honey and adding protein powder to give it the staying power that the original lacks. While it’s still not exactly health food, the single portion yield is great example of moderation without deprivation.

3/4 cup original Chex cereal coated with a melted mixture of 1/2 tbsp honey, 1 1/2 tbsp peanut butter, 1 1/2 tbsp dark chocolate chips and dusted with 1/2 tbsp vanilla protein power: 10 grams protein

25. “Cheesy” Kale Chips

The ultimate in salty cravings, potato chips are one of the easiest snacks to overdo it on (seriously, who eats just one serving at a time?!). Next time you need a big pile of something crunchy on the go, swap out the store-bought spuds for a baked bunch of homemade kale chips instead. While just as crisp as regular chips, this two-cup serving comes with the added benefits of giving you over 40 percent of your daily value of vitamin A and C, plus a hefty dose of protein from the nutritional yeast topping.

2 cups kale leaves coated with 1 tbsp olive oil and 2 tbsp nutritional yeast, baked at 325 degrees for 15 minutes: 9 grams protein

There’s so much more to chickpeas than hummus, and one of the tastiest ways to enjoy these cholesterol-lowering beans is also the simplest. Roast them with some basic seasonings for an extra crunchy, nutty bite, and carry them in a ziplock or small container to pop a handful when you feel hunger coming on.

26. Roasted Chickpeas

3/4 cup chickpeas roasted for 20 to 30 minutes with 1 tablespoon each olive oil, salt, and cayenne pepper: 9 grams protein

27. Homemade Chia Pod

This one requires some advance planning since it needs to be chilled for at least 4 hours, but we promise the effort is minimal and the wait is well worth it. Soak the chia seeds in non-dairy milk right in a portable container so that all you have to do is grab and go for a snack that’ll give you more than 30 percent of your daily value for calcium, iron, and magnesium.

1/4 cup chia seeds, 1 cup almond milk, 1/2 tbsp honey: 7 grams protein

Petition to White House about Arizona 'voter suppression' hit goal in about 40 hours

Signatures flooded in to urge the White House to investigate Arizona's presidential primary election.

Now, the White House is expected to issue a response. The petition alleges voter suppression in the Arizona Presidential Preference Election, held Tuesday. The petition hit 100,000 online signatures Thursday morning. 

The petition asked the White House to investigate voter fraud and suppression of Democratic voters specifically:

 

Petition to have the Obama Administration investigate the voter fraud and voter suppression on 3/22/2016 in ARIZONA. Numerous voters who switched from Independent to Democrat could not vote and were turned away or given provisional ballots which in turn were never counted. We the people of the United States of America find this act alarming and would like a complete investigation to uncover the violations that occurred during the Arizona voting on 3/22/2016 and prosecute those responsible to the fullest extent of the law.

Voters from both parties called 12 News Tuesday reporting they were given provisional ballots. We received multiple reports from voters who thought they were registered for a party and were told at the polls they were actually registered as Independent.

Whitehouse.gov petitions with 100,000 online signatures are put in a queue to receive an official response from the White House. This whitehouse.gov petition appeared to reach the 100,000 mark at a record pace, compared to other popular petitions.

This petition was started on Tuesday, and hit its goal on Thursday at about 11 a.m., about 40 hours. 12 News has requested confirmation on this figure from the White House, but has not heard back as of this writing.

Other open "We the People" petitions had been posted for at least a month before hitting the 100,000 signature mark.

Another whitehouse.gov petition called for a re-vote in Arizona. It was also started Tuesday and had reached 24,000 signatures at the time of this writing. 

Purcell: We didn't see it coming

In addition to reported confusion about party registration, many voters told 12 News they waited hours in line. The lines were exclusively reported to 12 News to be in Maricopa County, Arizona's most populous county and home to most of the Phoenix metropolitan area.

Maricopa County Recorder Helen Purcell took responsibility for the waits, telling 12 News she "screwed up." Arizona Governor Doug Ducey and Phoenix Mayor Greg Stanton called the long lines "unacceptable." Stanton called for an investigation by the Department of Justice.

Source:http://www.12news.com 

North Korea releases propaganda film showing Washington under nuclear attack

North Korea released a new propaganda video menacingly titled “Last Chance”, showing a submarine-launched nuclear missile laying waste to Washington and concluding with the US flag in flames.

The four-minute video, set to jaunty music, romps through the history of US-Korean relations and ends with a digitally manipulated sequence showing a missile surging through clouds, swerving back to the earth and slamming into the road in front of Washington’s Lincoln Memorial. 

The US Capitol building explodes in the impact and a message flashes up on the screen in Korean: “If US imperialists budge an inch toward us, we will immediately hit them with nuclear (weapons).”

The video was published on the North’s propaganda website DPRK Today on Saturday and shows images from the Korean War, the capture of US spy ship Pueblo in 1968 and the first crisis over North Korea’s nuclear programme in the early 1990s.

Pyongyang has upped the rhetorical ante in recent weeks, with near daily threats of nuclear and conventional strikes against the South and the US mainland in response to large-scale South-US war games.

The threats have turned increasingly personal, and North Korea leader Kim Jong-Un on Friday watched a live-fire long-range artillery drill simulating a strike on the official residence of his South Korean counterpart.

Tensions between the two Koreas been on the rise since Pyongyang carried out its fourth nuclear test in January, and a satellite rocket launch a month later that was widely seen as a disguised ballistic missile test.

North Korea has been pushing to acquire submarine-launched ballistic missile (SLBM) capability which would take its nuclear strike threat to a new level, allowing deployment far beyond the Korean peninsula and the potential to retaliate in the event of a nuclear attack.

The North has conducted a number of what it says were successful tests of a SLBM.

Source:http://www.theguardian.com 

Do not blame Google Maps when you tear down the wrong house

I think it's a good thing to give people second chances, and often even third and fourth chances, and to be accepting of people's mistakes, because mistakes happen and everyone makes them and often life goes on. But if you are tearing down someone's house, please take the time to confirm you are tearing down the correct house. And if you fail to do that — destroying someone else's home in the process — please at least own up to the mistake instead of pinning the blame on Google Maps. 

This absurdity is what is happening in Rowlett, Texas right now, where a woman's duplex was destroyed because a demolition company failed to confirm it was on the right street, according toKERA News. A company making a mistake of this magnitude should probably accept responsibility. It was supposed to demolish one house and clearly demolished another. There is no disputing this. But rather than shouldering the fault for this error, someone from the company apparently pointed to screenshots of Google Maps, which mistakenly lists the woman's duplex at the address that was scheduled for demolition, WFAA reports.

Now it is a very human thing to explain why mistakes were made and that is fine and well, and there are some interesting things to ask, maybe, about our growing reliance on imperfect software that controls our lives. But listen, I don't even trust Google Maps to tell me which direction I'm facing when I get out of the subway. When I really need to get somewhere on time, I get there early to make sure I've been pointed to the actual address. So when you are going to an address to demolish it, I highly suggest confirming with, say, no less than two points of signage that you are at the right address. Asking a human at that location might be a good idea, too.

The demolished duplex's owner, Lindsay Diaz, had just applied for a permit to repair the building, according to KERA News. It, along with many other homes in the neighborhood, had been damaged by a tornado around Christmas. An engineer had declared the duplex structurally sound, meaning it could still be repaired.

Google admitted to CNN Money this afternoon that Maps messed up the address. "Google Maps did indeed show incorrect information for the houses in question," a spokesperson said. "The issue was fixed as soon as it was brought to our attention." As far as things go, this is not a bad statement. Note how Google actively confirms its mistake — it even says "indeed."

Source:http://www.theverge.com