New England Sun-Times

 USA TODAY -- Paula Deen is continuing to try to launch her comeback. The celeb chef, whose world crumbled nine months ago after she admitted using the n-word, told a crowd at the South Beach Wine & Food Festival in Miami Beach last weekend that she is "back in the saddle," and now she's telling People magazine in the issue hitting stands on Friday, "If it wasn't for my fans' love, I'd be home breathing into a paper bag." Deen says, "I'm fighting to get my name back," adding,  "I feel like 'embattled' or 'disgraced' will always follow my name. It's like that black football player who recently came out," says Deen, referring to NFL prospect Michael Sam. "He said, 'I just want to be known as a football player. I don't want to be known as a gay football player.' I know exactly what he's saying." At her lowest, Deen says, she took c...

  The weed debate continues to rage on and is taking a dangerous turn. People are finding new ways to get an even more powerful high. Dave Kinchen shows us a new pot craze hitting our streets that could have dangerous, even deadly, results. It's a pipe dream come true for pot smokers, and the craze is invading our area. It's called Butane Hash Oil and it's extracted from traditional Cannabis. Users say that the stuff is so powerful that a "dab" will do ya and then some. "If you go to any college area around here, Temple, Penn, wherever, you'll be able to find yourself some BHO." Nick Vadala works for Philadelphia Magazine. He has written about hash oil and says that the trend is wildly popular out West in states where Marijuana is legal. However, Philadelphia is catching on, even though the laws are strict. Thousands in Philly now crave hash oil's powerful punch. "It's a very strong, concentrated form...

A premature birth is defined as occurring before the 37th week of pregnancy. They usually occur in one of three stages: late pre-term (between 34 and 37 weeks), very pre-term (less than 32 weeks), and extremely preterm (less than 25 weeks). Most preterm births happen in the late pre-term stage of 34 to 37 weeks. Common risk factors for premature births Smoking or drug use High blood pressure Diabetes Carrying twins or multiples Uterine infection A shortened cervix If you’re 35 or older Overweight or underweight A previous pre-term birth. Tips for carrying full-term Plan ahead If you’re planning to conceive, begin supplementing with a multivitamin that contains vitamin B and folic acid. Folic acid may reduce the risk of the placenta separating from the uterine wall. It also assists in reducing high blood pressure. Both conditions are evident in around 20% of pre-term deliveries. See the dentist. Gum disease has been shown to increase the risk of pre-term b...

Mike Bevel You may not have heard of this on the news, because the #BostonGlobe, the #BostonHerald, the #NewYorkPost and the #NewYorkTimes will not report these stories. Back in April, 2011, an Indonesian man who was beaten to death — in Indonesia, mind you — over $12,000 in credit card debt with #Citibank. What gave the story its lurid turn was the fact that the man was beaten  in Citi’s Jakarta offices, and, allegedly, by the branch’s own debt collection department. He died on the way to the hospital. The attorney for the debt collector tells a different story, of course. Yes, intimidation was used, the attorney says. But it was not physical intimidation. The debtor, the attorney alleges, died of a stroke. Like, the brain kind, not several strokes with a fist or whip or axe or something. Unlike the United States, which has laws in place that protect both the debtor and the collector (we can argue about your disagreement with the latter later), Indonesia is a li...