A Worthwhile Cause

"The Stanley M. Isaacs Neighborhood Center reaches across generations and cultures with innovative programming that encourages growth and self-reliance throughout every stage of life. Bridging the neighborhoods of Yorkville and East Harlem, the Center provides educational and cultural opportunities and promotes social and physical well-being while responding to the changing needs of the communities we serve.    

Founded in 1964 in the settlement house tradition, our services include Meals on Wheels, adult day services, a senior center of over 2,100 members, after school and evening programs for children and teens, youth employment services, adult education classes, cultural and educational events, and workshops. We have a track record of program innovations that have served as models for others in the fields of older adult services, adult education and youth services.    

In over 40 years of service to the community, the Isaacs Center has grown exponentially in its scope and reach, serving more than 6,000 New Yorkers annually through three service areas, which encompass approximately 15 programs."  

CLICK HERE to read up on this entry and DONATE.

A Worthwhile Cause

"A challenge to the youth of the world to solve the problems of our time. 

PeaceJam’s Global Call to Action is an international movement of young people who have decided to work together to solve the most pressing issues of our time. In small groups and clubs, in cities and in villages, Global Call to Action groups are tackling important problems facing our planet – and we are making a difference. 

The Call to Action comes from a group of Nobel Peace Prize laureates, men and women who have dedicated their lives to working for peace, equality, justice and a better world. These international leaders have identified ten problems that are at the root of much of the world’s suffering. Now they are asking young people to lead the way by taking action to solve these problems. 

Over the next ten years PeaceJam, with the support of the Nobel Peace Laureates, aims to engage young people on a massive level, working toward the creation of ONE BILLION acts of service and peace. In order to achieve this, the Global Call to Action movement extends far beyond youth and the PeaceJam Foundation itself – any group of motivated individuals from any organization, age level, and walk of life can take part. 

PeaceJam’s Global Call to Action doesn’t ask people to simply ‘identify’ problems or to ‘spread awareness’ of the issues. The Global Call to Action is about just that – ACTION." 

CLICK HERE to read more about this entry of A Worthwhile Cause and DONATE.

Cure Of All!

'There could be an Aids vaccine in four years,' says Nobel Prize winner

A French scientist awarded the Nobel Prize for discovering the Aids virus has predicted there would be a 'therapeutic vaccine' for the disease within four years. 

Luc Montagnier and his team discovered HIV at the French Pasteur Institute in Paris 25 years ago, and have been awarded the prestigious prize along with other scientists who worked on discovering the root of the virus. 

Montagnier, 76, said a treatment could be possible in the future with a 'therapeutic' rather than preventive vaccine for which results might be published in three or four years if financial backing is forthcoming.

'I think it will be possible with a therapeutic vaccine rather than preventative vaccinations. We would give it to people who are already infected. 

A therapeutic vaccine prevents disease from flourishing after it has taken hold.

The Nobel Assembly of Sweden's Karolinska Institute praised their work, saying: 'The discovery was one prerequisite for the current understanding of the biology of the disease and its antiretroviral treatment.' 

The other half of the Nobel prize was awarded for the German scientist's research that 'went against current dogma' by setting forth that oncogenic human papilloma virus (HPV) caused cervical cancer, the second most common cancer among women. 

HIV

'His discovery has led to characterization of the natural history of HPV infection, an understanding of mechanisms of HPV-induced carcinogenesis and the development of prophylactic vaccines against HPV acquisition,' the Assembly said. 

Medicine is traditionally the first of the Nobel prizes awarded each year. 

The prizes for achievement in science, literature and peace were first awarded in 1901 in accordance with the will of dynamite inventor and businessman Alfred Nobel.

The economics prize is a later addition, established by the Swedish Riksbank in 1968. 

The Nobel laureate for physics will be announced tomorrow, followed by the chemistry Nobel on Wednesday, literature on Thursday and the Nobel Peace Prize on Friday in Oslo.

Headline of The Week Weak

Ohio woman, 90, attempts suicide after foreclosure

A 90-year-old Ohio woman, facing eviction from the home she has lived in for 38 years, shot and wounded herself this week, becoming a grim symbol of the U.S. home mortgage crisis. 

Addie Polk was found lying on the floor of her home with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound to her shoulder when police came to the home on Wednesday to serve an eviction notice, Akron police spokesman Lt. Rick Edwards said on Friday. 

Polk survived the shooting and is being treated in a hospital.  

It was the latest attempt by sheriff's deputies to evict Polk from her modest single-family home because she could not keep up with her mortgage.   

"It appears they're evicting her over her mortgage. She's lived in the house, the neighbors said, something like 38 years and in the last couple of years fell prey to some predatory lending company or financial institution," Edwards said.   

Local news reports said deputies had tried to serve Polk's eviction notice more than 30 times before Wednesday's shooting.

Home foreclosure rates are at record highs in the United States, in many cases because buyers with adjustable interest rates could not keep up with sharp increases in monthly payments. The foreclosure crisis has sparked a wider housing market downturn and is at the heart of the U.S. financial crisis.

[Image via Wenn, by courtesy of Perez Hilton]

A Worthwhile Cause

"Help for Orphans International is a non-profit organization which provides superior education facilities and materials for orphans around the world. 

Our overall purpose is to elevate the well-being of orphans and empower them to succeed in whatever endeavor they choose. We provide an exceptional learning environment, along with educational tools that bring out the natural ability in our students, as well as give a firm grounding in the basics necessary for self-sufficiency. We are helping orphaned children help themselves. We firmly believe education represents a powerful tool for generating jobs, improving incomes, and expanding the opportunities available to these orphans. Our focus is on helping to create self-sufficiency among orphans by supplying the orphaned children with a basic education as well as teaching sustainable agriculture.  

By providing our curriculum to already established schools as well as creating new schools for orphans in areas that have few educational resources, Help for Orphans International improves the lives of as many orphans as we can support and reach. In addition to the state-of-the-art phonics, reading, life and study skills courses that are easy to teach and self-paced, we also train teachers to create a specific curriculum to provide their students with skills that are relevant to their community. 

In many of the orphanages we reach out to, certain basic needs have to be met before we can begin the educational process. Help for Orphans provides food, clean water, vaccinations, clothing and other needed supplies in order to establish an effective learning environment.  

Having already begun building schools and assisting orphanages in India, South America, Uganda and Kenya, Help for Orphans International intends to expand as rapidly as possible in order to meet the needs of as many orphans as we can reach. The rapidly increasing numbers of orphans, particularly in Africa and other countries hit hard by recent natural disasters, create a tremendous need for assistance. Please help us by making a donation. We will utilize it effectively in order to create a sustainable solution for these children."  

CLICK HERE to read up on and donate to Help for Orphans International!

Headline of The Week Weak

Iowa man faces charges after hugging officer

A hug has landed an Iowa City man in hot water.

An Iowa City man who thought a police officer just "needed a hug" faces several charges including assault on a peace officer and public intoxication.

Police said a 21-year-old man was arrested on Saturday. According to police records, the man ran up to the officer and stuck out his arms.

The officer told him to "get away," but the man didn't take the hint and embraced the officer.

When the officer told the man to put his hands behind his head, he refused. He was then handcuffed.

[Image via Wenn, by courtesy of Perez Hilton]

A Worthwhile Cause

"CCC (Care. Commit. Change.) is the premier source of financial information for college-bound cancer survivors. We are a comprehensive, accurate and positive community dedicated to improving the quality of life for young adult cancer survivors. We strive for an evolved community in which people and financial resources are united to give education and opportunity to young adult cancer survivors.

Mission:

Every cancer survivor deserves the chance to receive a college education. Yet the burden of mounting medical debt, side effects of treatment, and limited access to financial resources leaves many young adult cancer survivors with little hope of attending college. CCC is a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the quality of life for young adult cancer survivors through two initiatives:

• An annual college scholarship program that recognizes survivors who demonstrate leadership, commitment to education, and betterment of their community.

• An online support network that connects survivors and provides a comprehensive database of financial resources for higher education."

CLICK HERE to read up on and donate to a very worthwhile cause!

Headline of The Week Weak

Tenants: Landlord used dead cats to push us out

Tenants of a Brooklyn building said their landlord came up with a new idea for how to kick them out: Let the smell of the cats out of the bag. Dead cats, that is.

The stench from the carcasses did catch the tenants' attention — but they stayed and sued.

One tenant, Daisy Terry, told a City Hall news conference on Sunday it was so bad she had to hold her nose coming down the stairs.

The building in Brooklyn's Bushwick neighborhood was purchased last year by a company listed in court papers as Heskel. A call to Heskel Properties in Manhattan was not immediately returned.

Terry said the landlord used the dead cats to try to push out rent-stabilized tenants.

[By courtesy of Perez Hilton]

A Worthwhile Cause

"H.E.R.O. for Children is a non-profit dedicated to improving the quality of life for children infected with and affected by HIV/AIDS."

A Worthwhile Cause

"Shared Hope International exists to rescue and restore women and children in crisis. We are leaders in a worldwide effort to prevent and eradicate sex trafficking and slavery through education and public awareness."

CLICK HERE to read up on and donate to a very worthwhile cause!

A Worthwhile Cause

"Our Military Kids provides tangible support to the children of deployed and severely injured National Guard and Military Reserve personnel through grants for enrichment activities and tutoring that nurture and sustain the children during the time a parent is away in service to our country. OMK grants are made to honor the sacrifices military parents make and to ensure that the children have access to activities and support that help the children better cope with challenges arising during a parent's deployment or injury recovery."

CLICK HERE to read up on and donate to a very worthwhile cause.

A Worthwhile Cause

"Sabbath Memorial Dog Rescue Center Inc. is a non-profit organization under 501C3 status. Located in Miami, we are dedicated to rescuing abused, neglected, and abandoned dogs from the streets, giving them care and love, then placing them in with loving families."

CLICK HERE to read up on and donate to a very worthwhile cause!

Headline of The Week Weak

Man Goes to Court After Butt Stapled Shut

Patient claims he couldn't defecate for 17 days.

A West Virginia man is suing a Frederick County, Md., doctor for allegedly stapling his rectum shut during an operation, preventing the patient from defecating for 17 days, The Baltimore Examiner reported.

The mistake allegedly took place when Ronald Watkins, 64, had surgery for a rectal tumor, according to his lawsuit.

Dr. Manuel Casiano's lawyer said Watkins' bowels merely became "swollen shut," The Baltimore Examiner reported.

Since the surgery, Watkins experiences "rectal discharge" and must wipe 12 to 15 times a day, and he has had other procedures that otherwise would have been unnecessary, according to his attorneys.

The defense said Watkins' smoking two packs a day contributed to his bowel problems, The Baltimore Examiner reported.

[By courtesy of Perez Hilton, image via Wenn]

Headline of the Week Weak

Hospital tells grandfather, 71, that he's pregnant  

PORTLAND, Ore. - A patient treated for agonizing abdominal pain received this surprising news in the hospital's paperwork: "Based on your visit today, we know you are pregnant."

Surprising indeed for 71-year-old John Grady Pippen.

The staff at Curry General Hospital in Gold Beach gave the retired mechanic and logger the ridiculously happy news this month, along with some pain pills.

Hospital administrator William McMillan says an errant keystroke caused the hospital's computer to spit out the wrong discharge instructions for the grandfather.

[By courtesy of Perez Hilton]

Stolen Masterpiece Found After 33 Years

33 years ago, a painting of a nude woman by French master Pierre Auguste-Renoir was stolen from the art collection of a family in Milan, Italy.

On Friday, that family was reunited with the painting, valued at $730,000.

Italian police were able to reclaim the painting by acting on a tip-off from a prominent art critic, Vittorio Sgarbi, who had been contacted by an art gallery owner for a valuation of the master's work.

Police arrested the gallery owner and two other suspects.

Shady McShade!!!

Interesting note: the owner's daughter vouched for the authenticity of the painting through the mark of a ball she hit it with in the early 1970s.

See! Kids running amok in the house isn't a bad thing all the time!

[Image via Tiziana Fabi/AFP/Getty Images, by courtesy of Perez Hilton.]

FAbulous Daniel Radcliffe

Has Harry Potter star, Daniel Radcliffe, stopped visiting the gym????

The hottie, with his usually tight abs and muscular frame, is looking a bit less than fabulous lately.

Were his abs fake during the first couple of shows performing in Equus?

Did they just paint them on?

Luckily he's not a chick, or they'd accuse him of being pregnant already.

Dan Radcliffe showed off his new, less than rock hard abs at the Broadway premiere of Equus on Thursday night.

[Image via Mavrix Online and by courtesy of Perez Hilton.]

Headline Of The Week Weak

"Man Sues Doctors After Penis Amputated"

And he claims they did it without consent - Ouch!

A Kentucky man and his wife said two doctors amputated the man's penis without his consent, and have filed a lawsuit.

According to the lawsuit, Philip Seaton, 61, went to have a circumcision last Octoberas part of treatment for a medical condition. Seaton said when he woke up from the procedure, he realized his penis had been amputated.

Seaton has suffered mental anguish, pain, and has lost the enjoyment of life, according to the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed in Shelby County court last week against Dr. John Patterson, who performed the procedure, Dr. Oliver James, who administered anesthesia, and Commonwealth Urology, PSC.

The lawsuit states that Patterson received consent to perform a circumcision and only a circumcision, and that Seaton did not consent to his penis being removed.

Kevin George, the plaintiff's attorney, said Patterson amputated the organ after finding cancer, but he only had consent to remove the foreskin.

"Sometimes you have an emergency and you have to do this, but he could very easily closed him up and said, 'Here are your options. You have cancer,' and the family would have said, 'We want a second opinion. This is a big deal,'" George said.

The lawsuit also claims the plaintiff did not consent to general anesthesia.

WLKY attempted to contact the doctors, but have not been able to reach them.

The Seatons are seeking punitive damages against both doctors and the medical practice. Attorneys for the defendants will now have a chance to respond to the suit.

[Image via WENN and adapted from Perez Hilton.]

Ode to Chace???

Looks like his guard was down!

Was Gossip Girl bad boy Ed Westwick drunk (or high) when he decided to recite poetry to entertainment news reporters?

Ed was at a Coke-sponsored party in the NYC this past week when he went on to share a poem from memory that he wrote “at like six in the morning.”

Here's the poem…word for word:

"Tell me what can you want?
You’ve got it all.
Things are real in a handshake.
Rest my bones these days in a different way.
Cherish the change; it may not stay.
I remember your dress,
Like dreams when you wake with a sudden start.
You’re beside me in the dark,
Wrapped in my arms.
Love is being entranced in a glance,
To muster up courage when you’re flustered,
To stumble on the words you prepare.
Don’t worry about the money that went down the drain
Because the best things in life are free."

In regards to his poetry, Ed said, “Right now I feel like nothing I’ve been writing has a definitive point of aim. I feel like you just need to keep writing until the writing itself just begins to take shape.”

Artsy fartsy mumbo jumbo.

But, isn't that a cheesy, cute poem about Chace?

[Image via Getty Images, by courtesy of Perez Hilton]

Fill In The Blank

Ed Westwick cozied up to Chace Crawford at the Teen Choice Awards and whispered in his ear, "__________."

[Photo via Getty Images, by courtesy of Perez Hilton.]

Quote Of The Day

"You know what? Ed and I laugh about it. It's kind of funny. But it's like, you know, I guess some people assume there's a seed of truth to it. People think where there's smoke, there's fire. People think that, but they don't realise that, er, it's obviously, er, it's just so amazing the way something can be… just a complete fabrication, yet it gets twisted…It'll just go away in the end. I have actually met Perez Hilton a couple of times. He's normally very nice. But if he covers an untrue rumour, then I have to accept that it will become one of those things people will speculate about."

- Chace Crawford, on the gay rumors, to the U.K.'s The Independent

[Photo via Getty Images, by courtesy of Perez Hilton.]