Lifestyle

The most famous llamas in recent memory are ultimately being retired from public life -- much to their owners' disappointment. Last month, the llamas created a social media frenzy after escaping and running around an Arizona neighborhood, but USDA regulations dictate that they cannot be shown in public without the proper licensing. Before the event, the llamas were routinely used for therapy and educational purposes and were brought to schools, events, and elderly living homes. After the escape debacle, the USDA approached the llamas' owners, Bub Bullis and Karen Freund, and informed them that they would need a license to show them. The owners aren't happy about the decision. "If this opens up a can of worms where everybody across the country gets shut down doing this, that's real...

The only things that most app games can offer by way of prizes are places on high score leader boards, in-game currency, or bragging rights. Glu's Kim Kardashian: Hollywood game, though, offers something quite a bit better. The freemium mobile game developer recently announced that whoever plays the game between March 20 and March 30 will have a chance to meet the real Kim Kardashian. "We're excited to offer players of Kim Kardashian: Hollywood the potential opportunity to meet Mrs. Kardashian West," said Niccolo de Masi, CEO of Glu, in a statement. "This transmedia offering, connecting Kim's virtual and physical worlds, is unique to Glu's celebrity gaming platform. Fans of the game have been unwavering in their support and their ongoing feedback continues to shape future updates. To all...

Using solar energy, the state of California could increase its electrical output to three to five times more than its current consumption levels. That is what some researchers are saying, at least, according to the Washington Post. Scientists from Stanford University and the Carnegie Institute for Science have recently published a study regarding the potential growth of solar power in the state. Already one of the leading proponents of clean energy in the United States, California could potentially produce enough energy to exceed its total consumption (which includes residential, commercial, transportation, and industrial use) in 2011. The study, published in Nature Climate Change (a sister publication of the scientific journal Nature), is welcome news to a state that is already heavily ...

In the tail end of winter, it might be difficult to focus on anything related to your home's maintenance. But as soon as all that snow starts to thaw, the excess ground water has nowhere to go but into your home's basement. What results is much worse than the nuisance of a flooded basement -- when water seeps through your foundation, it can cause a fair amount of damage that wreaks havoc on your home's structural integrity if left untreated. That's why February and March may be the best months of the year to purchase a flood insurance plan, according to a Consumer Reports article. National flood insurance takes effect 30 days after the policy is purchased, which means an insurance policy bought in February or March will be activated just as the snow begins to melt. Getting a flood insur...

Drinking between three and five cups of coffee each day may lead to cleaner arteries, a new study from South Korea has found. This is significant because clogged arteries are a known sign of heart disease. For the study, researchers assessed routine medical scans taken at workplaces for more than 25,000 employees, both male and female. The researchers looked specifically for calcium deposits in the coronary arteries, which supply the heart. These deposits are an early sign of coronary heart disease. Although none of the study’s subjects showed outward signs of heart disease, more than 10% had calcium deposits in the arteries. When these results were compared with the employees’ daily coffee consumption (which was self-reported), the researchers found that those who drank a few cups of c...

Mortgages adapt to the 21st century as more and more mortgage lenders offer their services online. The New York Times reports that investments into online mortgage vendor start-ups are increasing, as potential home buyers from the "millennial" generation demand online services for acquiring a mortgage. Jason van den Brand, the CEO of Lenda, an online mortgage lender based in San Francisco, says that the next generation of homeowners desire the "ease of use and transparency" that the online services they have become accustomed to offer. "They do not want to go through the same methods that their parents went through," he remarked. A recent survey conducted by Discover Home Loans confirms his conviction. More than half of current home buyers claim that they filled their mortgage applicati...

For many Americans, homeowner insurance is a useful way to protect themselves against a variety of potential problems, ranging from fire damage to vandalism and theft. Often, these insurance plans will also include liability coverage, which helps cover medical costs, repair bills and legal charges if someone is injured in the home. However, many Americans are finding that a key member of their family may not be included under this coverage: increasingly, American insurance providers are refusing to cover certain dog breeds, with some even considering homeowners ineligible because of their pet. In 2013 alone, U.S. insurance companies collectively paid $483 million for 17,369 claims related to dog-bite injuries. According to the Insurance Information Institute, these injuries comprised mo...

A study conducted at two retirement homes in Nebraska suggests that “happiness training” can have a significant impact on quality of life for seniors. Professors and students from the University of Nebraska -- Kearney implemented a program called the Wonderful Life Project at one senior home, Riverside Lodge, while another home, Northridge Senior Living, was used as a control. The researchers announced March 2 that after a year of happiness coaching, seniors at Riverside Lodge had maintained their activity levels, while seniors at Northridge had dropped their activity levels by two points on a 20-point scale. This is significant, they said, because activity levels correlate to happiness as well as self-care ability. “If we can help to manage a decline in activities of daily living, then...

This season’s premiere of The Voice introduced yet another inspiring contestant to fans when Treeva Gibson, a 16-year-old Maryland native, was put through to the top 48 despite contending with hearing loss. Though one in four people in the U.S. above the age of 65 struggle with disabling hearing loss, it's extremely difficult for teenagers to cope with this problem -- especially while trying to perform. The singing show works by having contestants audition for famous musicians, who then act as coaches and choose singers to compete against each other. A combination of the judges’ opinions and public voting determines who stays on the show and who is kicked off after the initial auditions. The show started its eighth season Feb. 23, and will conclude in May. Gibson’s hearing loss prevents ...

Need a way to turn up the heat and burn more calories? Consider adding more hot chili peppers to your diet. University of Wyoming researchers believe that capsaicin -- the fiery component that gives peppers their heat -- can potentially override a high-fat diet. As Medical Daily reports, the researchers added 0.01% of capsaicin to lab mice that were on high-fat diets, and found that the weight of the mice plateaued in those carrying the TRPV1 protein, despite the fatty diet. The researchers believe that capsaicin converts fat-storing white cells into fat-burning brown cells through the process of thermogenics, which is what happens during exercise. Once it's been activated, brown fat can burn up to 300 calories in 24 hours. Studies have also shown that brown fat can also help the body c...