Branson is calling his new space tourism company Virgin Galactic and expects to charge people $200,000 for short trips into space.
His SpaceShipTwo tourist rocket will start test flights later this year.
"We really do want to have a situation where hundreds of thousands of people who want to experience space travel are able to do so," said Branson. "$200,000 is still too expensive for the majority of people, but within five years of launching, I would hope the price would come down fairly dramatically."
Bucks for a buck!
Starbucks announced it will be testing $1 cups of coffee and free refills.
The coffee chain is experimenting with selling the $1 "short" brew in its hometown of Seattle.
Though the company wouldn't elaborate on its plans, the $1 coffee is even cheap compared to McDonald's or Dunkin' Donuts -- whose regular coffees start in the low $1-plus range. So, the question is, will a dollar brew get you in the door?
Wall Street rallies late Wednesday.
The Dow Jones industrials, down more than 323 points in earlier trading, ended the day with an advance of just under 300 points, according to preliminary calculations.
"You might say this is a belated reaction to what the Fed did this week, compounded by hopes for the Fed to do more next week," said Peter Cardillo, chief market economist at Avalon Partners.
The Dow Jones industrial average rose 298.98, or 2.50 percent, to 12,270.17.
Millions of young people abusing cough medicine.
According to the government, about 3.1 million people between the ages of 12-25 have used cough and cold medicines to get high.
The 2006 survey found that more than 5 percent of teenagers and young adults had misused cough and cold medicines.
The number of young people who abused over-the-counter cold medicines is comparable to use of LSD and much greater than that for methamphetamine among the age group, according to the federal Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
When taken in large amounts DXM, a cough suppressant, can cause disorientation, blurred vision, slurred speech and vomiting. DXM is in more than 140 over-the-counter cough and cold medications.
Surgery for diabetes?
A new study shows the strongest evidence yet that an obesity surgery can cure diabetes.
According to Australian researchers, patients who had stomach reducing surgery were five times more likely to see their diabetes disappear than patients who received standard diabetes care. (Over the course of two years.)
Most of the surgery patients were able to stop taking diabetes drugs and achieve normal blood tests.
"We have traditionally considered diabetes to be a chronic, progressive disease," said Cummings of the University of Washington in Seattle. "But these operations really do represent a realistic hope for curing most patients."
BEER PRICES ARE RISING
There's bad economic news everywhere you look. The dollar is sinking. The threat of a recession looms large. And, the stock market continues to be unpredictable.
Making matters worse is the fact that it's getting more and more expensive to drown our sorrows in beer because the price of beer continues to rise.
Key ingredients of beer have increased in price over the past couple years...
Brewers are worried about a worldwide shortage of hops -- a plant used in brewing that adds bitterness, aroma and flavor to the final product.
The cost of wheat and barley, also used to make beer, are also at near-record highs.
And, fuel, aluminum and glass prices have been rising too.
Suggestions:
Beer
Cigarettes
Cable TV
Fast food
Jim Hilker, an agricultural economics professor at Michigan State University, said hops and wheat prices are increasing because the crops aren't as attractive to farmers as they once were.
Jim places most of the blame for wheat and hops price increases on booming ethanol production, but said factors like volatile weather and a bustling world economy - which requires growing more food - have also contributed to the shortages.
The big national breweries like Anheuser-Busch and Miller have not been as affected by higher costs because they tend to brew their beers using fewer hops than smaller breweries. They also have long-term contracts with set prices for their ingredients.
Experts say popular baby names from the past, like Matthew and Olivia, are being replaced by by "weird" names at an alarming rate.
Diana Goodman, who runs the "Baby's Got a Bad, Bad Name" Web site, said "weird" names are spreading.
"Weird beats normal by at least 2-to-1, increasing rapidly each year," she said. "In 2001, weird and normal were almost even. Since then, weird names have taken over."
Here are some "weird" names that have recently spiked in popularity:
Aisleigh
Brielle
Laken
Shyler
Brenner
Diana Goodman's website points out some names that are even more bizarre:
Aiken (As in aches and pains?)
Chance
Maxigan
Attica -- (Yes... It's a prison in New York.)
Orion
PSYCHOLOGIST SAYS BOYS AND GIRLS SHOULD ATTEND DIFFERENT SCHOOLS
According to psychologist Dr. Leonard Sax, boys and girls should attend different schools.
He's alarmed that boys and girls are taught in the same way and in the same classrooms -- and says it's no wonder that boys are unmotivated and uninterested in the subjects being taught.
Sax says boys and girls should be educated in separate classes because their brains are hard-wired to learn in different ways.
For the past decade parents and teachers have been getting more and more worried about boys, who are now often falling behind girls at every level -- and who are getting less and less motivated to achieve.
Dr. Sax says too many schools are creating an environment that is actually "toxic" to boys, turning them off learning and leaving them quite unprepared for adult life. In his book Boys Adrift, Dr. Sax argues that this gender gap is the result of different learning styles of boys and girls, and that most classrooms play to the strengths of girls.
"In the co-educational classroom so many of the choices we make are to the advantage of girls, but disadvantage boys," he said. "The fact that girls are doing well is not the problem. The problem is, why can't their brothers do as well?"
Boys vs. Girls...
There is not much difference in how girls and boys think, but there are differences in how they see and hear.
Boys do not hear as well as girls. So a female teacher with a soft voice may believe that a boy who is not paying attention is goofing off -- when actually he cannot hear her properly.
Boys' eyes respond better to movement and direction, while girls' eyes are more affected by color and texture.
Most girls can sit still from a young age, but most boys need to be active to discover their own pace.
Because of these differences, Dr. Sax wants to put boys and girls in their own classrooms.
"Let boys tap the table. Let them jump up from their seat when asked to spell a word. It won't disturb the boy next to them. Girls are bothered by extraneous noise levels 10 to 40 times lower than the levels that bother men. Girls are aware of what is going on around them. Boys are oblivious," Dr. Sax says.
Frozen Pipe ... House In Flames
Lima, Ohio ... A man using a propane torch to thaw a frozen water pipe wound up setting fire to his house.
According to fire officials John Miller Sr. was working with the propane torch in a crawl space when a wall caught on fire, filling the house with smoke. Miller, who managed to flee the home before firefighters arrived, said the flame of the propane torch had been on the water pipe for only a few minutes.
"I've done it a hundred times and never had a problem," Miller said.
Reportedly, damage to the house was several thousand dollars.
One Legged Man Charged With Crutch Assault
East Price Hill, Ohio ... A one-legged man is facing a felony assault charge after allegedly attacking a female relative with his crutch.
Charles Kraft, 43, could face up to 10 years in prison if convicted of hitting Jennifer Hutching, 21, with his crutch during an argument over a card game, The Cincinnati Enquirer reported.
A Horse Is A Horse ...
Akron, Michigan ... Kristen DeGroat wanted to sell her horse to another animal lover, so she paid for a classified ad in two newspapers. Unfortunately, her ad wound up listed under "Good Things to Eat."
DeGroat says about a third of the 60 or so calls she received were from people interested in buying horse meat. She also received dozens of calls from unhappy animal lovers.
DeGroat's ad, offering the horse for $200 or the best offer, was intended to run Sunday and Monday under the classified ad heading for horses and stables in The Saginaw News and The Bay City Times.
But a mistake landed the ad under the food heading in the classified sections of both newspapers -- which have a jointly run classified ad department.
Both papers corrected the error, and DeGroat, 25, eventually sold her 3-year-old mare, Foxy, to a man who wanted a live horse for his grandkids
MICHELLE WILLIAMS' FATHER MAKES A STATEMENT ABOUT HEATH
Michelle Wiliams's father, Larry Williams, has spoken out about the death of Heath Ledger ...
"I think Tennyson got it right in the poem when he described someone as having died at a young age but burning the candles at both ends, and oh what a beautiful flame he made. That was Heath -- what a beautiful flame he made and a great talent. My heart goes out to everyone in his family and my family. The saddest thing is his daughter whom he just loved dearly."
MAKE IT EASY AND JUST GIVE ME MY BABIES, Y'ALL
So BOTH Britney and Kevin requested an emergency hearing yesterday (Wednesday) in L.A., and guess what? Kevin showed, but Britney didn't quite make it there -- yet again! "Very unusual events today," court public information officer Allan Parachini told PageSix.com. "Britney was escorted into the courthouse by several sheriff's deputies. She made it through the weapons screening area, then turned toward a deputy and said, 'I don't want to go up there.' And she left." An insider told Pagesix.com, that Commissioner Scott Gordon is "exasperated over the situation."
Kevin was asked a few questions by the judge, but when asked about Britney's behavior, Kevin shifted on his feet and said, "The event speaks for itself." Exactly. Two more hearings are scheduled in February.
SHOCKER!
The wife of Adnan Ghalib, Britney's paparazzo "boyfriend," has filed for a legal separation after four years of marriage. Azlynn Elizabeth Berry cites "irreconcilable differences" (meaning: Britney took my man) as the reason for the split and is asking for spousal support and attorney's fees, according to papers filed on January 18.
However, Adnan's employer said they had been separated for more than a year, and Adnan himself told TMZ, "This is old."
Meanwhile, Adnan told The Insider, "This relationship is far from over," concerning him and Britney and when asked if he would marry Britney if she proposed, he replied, "Would anybody say no? Oh, and those pregnancy tests the two were spotted buying on January 14? "I think she was hoping she was pregnant with my child," Adnan said of the purchase.
BUSTA BUSTED
Did you hear about Busta Rhymes getting three years probation and ten days of community service for assaulting his former driver and a fan?
Busta was also fined $1,250, plus court costs, for driving while intoxicated and with a suspended license. He pleaded guilty to the charges, which stemmed from four separate incidents. Oh, and he also has to enroll in a DUI program.
SIGNS OF CHEATING
You're suspicious, but not sure he's fooling around on you. But ever stop to think WHY you're suspicious? That's your gut trying to tell you something. Always listen to your gut. It's rarely ever wrong.
Here are the signs your spouse is cheating
(from MSN.com)...
1. It's taking too long to accomplish simple tasks. He'll say he's going to work out or going to the store, and it takes, like, two and a half hours.
2. He showers immediately after getting home.
3. Cell phone bills also can provide plenty of evidence of an affair. If you take a look at his cell phone bill, you may see a "strange number all over it.
4. Out-of-town trips can be a sign. He'll go on "hunting trips" so much more often than he used to.
WHY?
There's just no explaining some of the things celebrities do -- but these experts took a stab at it...
Q: Why are stars always skinnier after a breakup? "It's the revenge body. Some feel they have to get slimmer than before." --Gunner Peterson, celeb trainer
Q: Why don't drunk stars just use drivers? "Alcohol can create a sense of invincibility. Celebrities especially don't want anyone to think they might not be able to do something." --Dr. Drew, addiction specialist
Q: Why do starlets skip underwear? "Panty-line fear is legitimate, but this is meant to provoke a reaction. You don't just forget panties." --Kendall Farr, author of The Pocket Stylist
FIT GUYS LIVE THE LONGEST
It is in most guys' best interest to live a long life.
Whereas women lose their looks, and therefore become more unattractive, as they get older, guys can ride a wave of mojo into their golden years because they can -- and usually do -- continue to make more money. And, as we all know, money is the ultimate aphrodisiac.
So, what does it take for guys to live a long life?
More and more studies are showing that it has little to do with weight or history of heart disease. Instead, it's simply the fittest men who tend to live the longest.
The researchers have one piece of advice for guys who want to live long -- Start and maintain a physically active lifestyle consisting of moderate-intensity activities. This includes brisk walking or similar activities.
It's Just a J-O-B:
"This job is killing me!" Who hasn't said that? Well, now a new medical study is saying it.
The study of British civil servants suggests on the job stress raises the risk of heart disease by disrupting the body's internal systems. An epidemiologist at London's University College says it also raises the issue of whether stress-induced biological changes play a more direct role on the body than previously thought.
Scotland Yard has started an investigation into a video that shows singer AMY WINEHOUSE smoking crack.
The London Sun released grainy footage showing Winehouse sucking on a crack pipe. It was reportedly shot in the early morning hours before she attended a court hearing for her jailed husband. (Maiman)
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TED CASABLANCA of E! Online.com claims that EVA LONGORIA is becoming a diva. The gossip guru reports the 'Desperate Housewife' brought along an entourage which included her fluffy white dog and hairdresser, KEN PAVES, to shoot an Italian chocolate commercial. To make matters worse, word is she was also a little snippy with the director. (Lee)
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Is GEORGE CLOONEY moonlighting as a Union mediator? RUSH and MOLLOY of the NY Daily News report that the actor was noticeably absent from doing interviews on the day that his film, "Michael Clayton," was nominated for numerous Academy Awards. His rep says he's not making any statements about his whereabouts, but rumor has it he was immersed in a top-secret meeting to hammer out a deal to put an end to the writer's strike. (Lee)
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WILL SMITH can manage stardom, marriage and children, but can't handle his liquor! Ireland Online reports that EVA MENDES, his co-star in "Hitch," spilled the news that Will's a lightweight and gets buzz after three sips of a drink. And, despite his macho reputation, he enjoys "girly" beverages like pina coladas and daiquiris. (Lee)
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SALMA HAYEK is trying to milk her way back to her old body. Sources tell Star magazine that since having her daughter, VALENTINA, she's been breastfeeding constantly to drop the pounds after friends suggested it was a great way to lose baby weight. Word is she's taking it a little far by constantly being hooked up to an industrial-size pump and freezing "endless amounts" of breast milk. (Lee)
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The National Enquirer claims that OPRAH WINFREY is fed up with her protégé, Dr. PHIL. Insiders say the queen of daytime is "furious" since he went public about trying to help the SPEARS family in the wake of BRITNEY's hospitalization and thinks the situation is out of control. Word is the big O knows she's made mistakes, but has always had the sensibility to admit them, apologize and move on. (Lee)
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PAMELA ANDERSON uses a lot of caution to avoid passing on her medical condition to anyone else. The NY Post's Page Six gossip column claims she turned down the chance to wear earrings that cost $100,000 while at a fundraiser due to having Hepatitis C. (Lee)
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OK! magazine reports that TONY ROMO is getting tired of JESSICA SIMPSON's diva demeanor and her father, JOE, being a constant companion. Insiders tell the mag that the quarterback tried to break up with her on January 17th and hoped they could stay friends, but she refused to let it end. In other news, CINDY ADAMS of the NY Post claims Jessica is "tired of boys" but loves having "a man." (Lee)
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Like many young stars in the media today, NICOLAS CAGE admits he battled drug abuse while he was in his 20's. He tells Ireland Online that he wound up in a spiral of depression after experimenting, but continued using and drinking until he woke up and realized this life just didn't work. (Lee)
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CINDY ADAMS of the NY Post reports that SIDNEY POITIER has started doing public speaking engagements. Word is the actor reveals the story of his rise to fame, where he started out as a dishwasher who couldn't read a newspaper. Attendees who saw the 81-year-old inspirational speaker in Naples, Florida called his talk "spectacular." (Lee)
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KATHLEEN TURNER holds no punches in her new autobiography, "Send Yourself Roses."
The NY Post's Page Six gossip column claims the legendary actress accuses NICOLAS CAGE of being a troublemaker who got two DUI's and stole a dog while on the set of "Peggy Sue Got Married."
BURT REYNOLDS allegedly put her through the wringer while filming "Switching Channels" by telling her the sound of her name made him want to vomit; while she claims WILLIAM HURT was a womanizer, drinker and druggie while making "Body Heat."
Nic shot back that he's never been arrested and thinks she should do some fact-checking, for the record he recalls her being a "great lady" and "wonderful actress." (Lee)
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MISCHA BARTON is desperate to take her fame and wealth to the next level. CINDY ADAMS of the NY Post reports the hard-partying actress wants to produce her own movies like DREW BARRYMORE, JENNIFER ANISTON, and REESE WITHERSPOON so she can find her own parts. (Lee)
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VALERIE BERTINELLI is cheating on Jenny Craig. According to Star magazine, the diet spokeswoman indulged in all her favorite treats over the holidays and was even spotted eating See's Chocolates while shopping at the mall.
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CASEY AFFLECK is sensitive about his height. Star magazine reports that BEN's brother always wanted to be a baseball player until he realized that he was too short. He tells everyone he's six feet tall but he's more like 5' 7".
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SARAH JESSICA PARKER's son has gotten his first movie role. According to Star magazine, little JAMES WILKE has a role as an extra in Central Park in his mom's "Sex and the City" movie.
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Did JOE JONAS of the JONAS BROTHERS get plastic surgery? According to Star magazine, Joe was caught leaving a surgeon's office with big sunglasses on and his hair hiding his face.
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KATHERINE HEIGL is trying to quit smoking. Star magazine reports that the "Grey's Anatomy" star has to pay her husband JOSH KELLEY $20 bucks everytime she smokes in front of him. (Myers)
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Small town, small people:
PETE PRITCHARD got a shock when he dialed the number listed in the phone book for Maryland Gov MARTIN O'MALLEY and got a phone sex hotline.
A woman with a sultry voice answered the phone. "Mmmm, hi sexy! Barely legal babes! They're waiting for you. We'll do anything you want."
Pete, both rocket scientist and solid citizen that he was, hung up, realizing he most definitely hadn't reached the governor's office in Annapolis.
As the Washington Post explains, thanks to a misprint in the local phone book for Cecil County, MD, Pritchard called a phone sex line that charges $1.99 a minute.
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Hopefully, would-be suicide bombers didn't notice that the TSA failed to spot a cat in the luggage of SETH and KELLY LEVY. The South Florida Sun Sentinel reports that the couple's 10-month old cat, GRACIE MAE, sneaked into their suitcase as they were packing for a trip to Dallas. After flying there, and back home to Florida, Kelly noticed their cat was nowhere to be found. She and Seth tore their home apart looking for Gracie Mae; they even put "lost cat" signs around the neighborhood.
But then they got a call. The guy on the other end of the phone said "Hi, you're not going to believe this, but I am calling from Fort Worth, Texas, and I accidentally picked up your husband's luggage. And when I opened the luggage, a cat jumped out." The stranger graciously paid $80-dollars to have the kitten flown back home properly, and Kelly can't stop smiling. "Thanks to the wonderful good Samaritan who took care of my cat and even bought her a pet taxi for the flight home." The guy never left his name, and won't answer any phone calls, so Seth and Kelly may never know who it was that kept their cat alive and well. (Couchman)
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10 Best movie weapons of all time:
Gizmodo readers voted on a list of 50 items and narrowed it down to the following:
10. Bowler Hat (James Bond "Goldfinger")
9. The Death Star (Star Wars")
8. Machine Gun ("Scarface")
7. Bow and Arrow ("Robin Hood")
6. Golden Gun (James Bond, "Man with the Golden Gun")
5. Chainsaw ("Texas Chainsaw Massacre")
4. Samurai Sword ("Kill Bill")
3. Bullwhip ("Indiana Jones")
2. .44 Magnum ("Dirty Harry")
1. Lightsaber ("Star Wars")
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