According to a recent study in The Lancet, a weekly peer-reviewed medical journal, living to 100 is expected to become only more and more common. Especially for today’s young. The study reports that half of today’s youth, born since 2000 and living in industrialized nations, will live to hit triple digits. Furthermore, those born since 2007 are expected, on average, to live until the ripe old age of 104. This doesn’t mean extended life in hospital beds either, quality of life is expected to progress as well.

However, some experts are finding the results a bit too optimistic. Dr. Harrison Bloom, a Senior Associate at the International Longevity Center of New York, for example, had this to say: “There’s no reason to think more than half the population living today can’t live until 100. But that would assume better eating habits, a healthier lifestyle and continuing improvements in the environment. That lifestyle would definitely mean less obesity. The diabetes and obesity epidemic today is very real. A lot of people are going to die earlier than their projected life span would have been.”

That said, even the naysayers can’t deny that more and more people will live past their 100th birthday and that their quality of life will increase as well. Which means that changes in life-planning are around the corner. For example, while it makes sense to retire in your 50s if you’re expecting to die in your 80s, that all changes if you’re likely to live past age 100.

(photo courtesy of the NY Daily News)

In celebration of Chic-fil-A’s fifth annual Cow Appreciation Day, the tasty fast food chain is now offering free combo meals for today, and today only, to all participating customers. The catch? You and your family will have to show up to your local Chic-fil-A dressed up as, wait for it, a cow. You know, Cow Appreciation Day and all. Because, as we all know, cows like nothing better than to eat delicious chicken sandwiches. Or at least that’s how I would imagine it.

Now before you start digging for old Halloween costumes, remember, you don’t have to look exactly like a cow. Trust me they’re not too picky. Rather, you’d be just fine wearing a plain white t-shirt, cutting out black construction paper spots, and pinning them to the shirt. And if you were feeling real ambitious, maybe make some ears out of paper too. You could attach them to a headband for extra style points. Maybe even a cut out cow bell?

Or if you’re looking for a sure thing, Chic-fil-A has some costume suggestions on their website.

Beloved pop icon Michael Jackson has just died from a heart attack. The 50-year-old King of Pop suffered a fatal cardiac arrest early Thursday afternoon at his home in Holmby Hills, Los Angeles. According to reports, a 911 call was received at 12:21 PST, just after Jackson had lost conscious. By the time paramedics arrived his pulse was gone. He was still rushed to Cedar-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. in an ambulance during which he received CPR. Unfortunately the paramedics were never able to revive the pop star and he was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Michael Jackson will be survived by his three children, Michael Joseph Jackson Jr., Paris Michael Katherine Jackson and Prince Michael Jackson II.

For more story details, check out Twirlit who has the inside scoop.

Related Story: Michael Jackson Heart Attack?
Related Story: BREAKING NEWS: Michael Jackson Dies of Suicide

Joining the ranks of KFC, Arby’s, Ben & Jerry’s and many more, Glidden has decided to give away one quart containers of their paint for free. In order to qualify for the nationwide promotion, all you need to do is sign up at their website or call them toll-free at 1-800-GLIDDEN and you’ll receive one quart of Glidden paint in any of their 282 colors.

Busy all day? The offer, which officially starts today, will be available until July 2, so you have an entire week in which to sign up. Which might be needed as today’s news has caused a surge in traffic to Glidden’s website, resulting in slow-loading and error-ridden web pages. And according to reports, their phone lines aren’t fairing much better. But hey, it’s free! Can’t complain too much.

Also, while a quart of paint isn’t much when you’re painting an entire room, it does work well for touch ups. Plus, every quart helps, even if you are taking on a large project.

(photo courtesy of dealseekingmom.com)

Earlier today, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled, in an 8-1 majority, that it was unconstitutional to strip search a teenage girl in the pursuit of contraband. The ruling comes from the case of Savana Redding, a teenager from Safford, Arizona, who – at the age of thirteen – was strip searched at her school after school authorities suspected “prescription strength ibuprofen” was hidden in her bra. No pills were ever found.

But while the court did side with Redding, it wasn’t a complete win, as the court also gave protection to the school’s officials who performed the strip search. Which makes for a confusing precedent. It’s unconstitutional to perform a strip-search on a young teen, but you won’t actually get charged for it? Huh.

Here is the court’s description of the case:

“Wilson then had Romero take Savana to the school nurse’s office to search her clothes for pills. After Romero and the nurse, Peggy Schwallier, had Savana remove her outer clothing, they told her to pull her bra out and shake it, and to pull out the elastic on her underpants, thus exposing her breasts and pelvic area to some degree.”

Writing the majority opinion on the case was, soon-to-be-retiring, Justice David Souter. He had this to say, “Savana’s subjective expectation of privacy against such a search is inherent in her account of it as embarrassing, frightening, and humiliating. … Here, the content of the suspicion failed to match the degree of intrusion.”

The sole opposition to today’s ruling was the conservative Justice Clarence Thomas.

While last Friday (June 12) may have marked Jon & Kate’s 10th Wedding Anniversary, there seems to have been little to celebrate as the couple spent the day (as well as the weekend) apart. Reports from both TLC cameramen and paparazzi detail an uneventful weekend in which Kate spent time with the kids – at one point setting up a large castle-themed bounce house – while Jon was nowhere to be seen, giving heed to recent reports of marriage turmoil. While no one – as of yet – knows where exactly Jon spent the weekend, they do know he last visited home on Wednesday, two days before Kate’s birthday.

This isn’t the first report of a M.I.A. Jon either, as he was snowboarding in Park City, Utah for Kate’s 34th Birthday with – if rumor is to be believed – his alleged girlfriend Deanna Hummel. He was also missing throughout the entire Memorial Day Weekend.

As Jon & Kate have agreed to another season, they are still trying to play nice in front of the cameras, but according to the Vancouver Sun, the show’s contract allows for some off-screen infidelity:

“In addition, a contract was said to have been signed, giving Gosselin permission to date others, as long as he pretended all was well for the TV cameras. While the couple have stated that they’re enduring problems with their marriage based around the media attention they receive, they also chose to sign on for another season of their TV show, and have showed nothing but contempt for one another thus far in the season.”

And there you have it. While some have demonized the press (albeit deservedly), when it comes down to it, it’s Jon & Kate that are keeping themselves in the spotlight. Instead of bowing out, for their own sakes if not for their kids, they continue to invite TV cameras and crews into their home, turning their family life into a farce and a lie. It’s about the money.

Last Tuesday, researchers near the Pacific Rim found and captured a rare and strange looking deep-water shark known as Echinorhinus cookei or, more commonly, the Prickly Shark. Named so for the large thornlike spines located on its upper torso, little else is known about the prickly shark but that it is a bottom-feeder with two prominent dorsal fins and that it typically eats fish, squid, crustaceans and octopus as well as other sharks. This recent capture was only the second time in history the prickly shark had been captured, and it resulted in a brief stay at the Monterey Bay Aquarium, located in Southern California.

Placed on exhibit for only fifteen hours, the male shark – used to depths up to 3,000 feet – found the aquarium water too buoyant. A fact that resulted in the six-foot, eight-inch and 189 pound shark to flip upside down and then enter into a hypnotic state. It was after this that marine biologists on staff decided to release the shark back into the water.

So earlier today, the shark was brought back into the Pacific, on the the research boat Lucile, and then released back into the wild. Observers on board the ship reported a healthy swim and exit for the shark. But before that, in an effort to learn more about the mysterious shark, marine biologists had attached a small tag sensor to the shark. This tag will automatically release itself from the shark in six months time, but before then the sensor will record where the shark has traveled, how deep it swam and what the average temperatures of the water were. This information, scientists hope, will help them to learn a little bit more about the mysterious creature of the deep.

Late last night, Anna Hansen, the wife of cycling champ Lance Armstrong, gave birth to a healthy baby boy by the name of Max. Quick to announce the birth of their new son, the happy couple sent a short message through Twitter to let their supporters know the good news. Sent via Armstrong’s account the message read, “Wassup, world? My name is Max Armstrong and I just arrived. My mommy is healthy and so am I.”

A few other tweets arrived throughout the night, letting Armstrong followers know the baby’s size (7 pounds, 5 ounces and 20 inches long) and one that showed a handsome pic of the new kid (pictured to the right). The newborn was also set up with his very own Twitter account @maxarmstrong1, making Max the youngest Twitter user yet. Which is a weird thing to think about.

Now, while there is a lot I found interesting about this story — for example, the fact that it was a natural conception process despite Armstrong’s cancer history and past problems — I especially found it interesting (as a Social Media dude) that @maxarmstrong wasn’t available and that they had to add the number 1 to the account.

Which brings about the interesting question, should parents be keeping Twitter and Facebook accounts in mind when picking their kids name? Or maybe their own personal website (e.g. www.maxarmstrong.com)? It seems absurd, but then again, a person’s web presence will be even more important in the years to come. Something to think about at least.

WNBA MVP and Los Angeles Sparks star-player Candace Parker — often referred to as the “female Michael Jordan” — has just given birth to a healthy and beautiful baby girl. The newborn was born earlier this morning in Los Angeles at 11:29 a.m. and came out at a hearty 7 pounds, 6 ounces and 20 inches.

The happy couple — which includes Minnesota Timberwolves power-forward Sheldon Williams — are both absolutely “thrilled” with the new addition. The 22-year-old Parker had this to say, “We are very excited to be expanding our family. This is such a life changing moment for us, we feel blessed to have a healthy and beautiful baby girl.”

Asked whether the newborn will be joining her All-Star mom on the court, Parker replied “The baby will be along for the ride, with me on trips, at the court…you don’t hear about male players doing that, do you? Women, we just have to balance more things. It’s harder for us. That’s just the way it is.”

For now neither Parker nor Williams have released the baby’s name. Instead they are waiting to tell their family and friends first. An honorable position to take.

Here’s welcome news to empty wallets, fast-food giant KFC has teamed with media-giant Oprah Winfrey to promote KFC’s newest menu item, their Kentucky Grilled Chicken. If this story sounds familiar, that’s because it is. Just last week KFC offered free samples of their grilled chicken as a part of their new “unthink” campaign. Today’s news however is even better.

Instead of a single sample piece of chicken (which was offered last week), today’s offer features an entire two-piece grilled chicken meal. Outside of the two pieces of chicken the meal also includes two sides and a fresh biscuit. A pretty good deal. All you need to do is print out a coupon for the free meal at Oprah.com/kfc to participate.

There is a catch however, you must print out the tickets today and today only and it has to be before 11:00 PM Eastern Time. But so long as you make the deadline you’ll be able to print out up to three coupons (for three free meals!) that will be good from until May 19.

This promotional push is a part of KFC’s attempt to try and change the fast food company’s image from that of a greasy fried chicken spot to that of a more health-oriented chicken spot. As to the truth of the matter? The new grilled chicken is indeed healthier (140 calories), but the sides and biscuit have not yet changed.

So good for the wallet, but still not as healthy as a good home cooked meal (for the most part).

No word yet on if the new grilled chicken recipe is as good as the Colonel’s original — and secret! — fried chicken recipe.

The Tummy Tub was created in the Netherlands and is designed to simulate a mother’s womb, that way the child feels comfortable and relaxed during bath time (a noble idea in of itself). It does this in a number of ways. First of all the Tummy Tub is designed to facilitate a baby in the fetal position (a comforting position for babies) and to keep the baby upright and out of danger from drowning. Second, the tub features a “soft baby-friendly material” that is sturdy yet comfortable. And finally, the Tummy Tub is to be filled with warm water up to the babies shoulders, allowing them to feel enveloped and secure. Much like in a mother’s womb.

As of now the product is very popular in Europe but is now looking to make it’s break into the US market. Currently endorsing the Tummy Tub is a long list of “maternity hospitals, physicians, midwives and child caregivers throughout Europe.” And now as of today, the Today Show.

I’ve yet to try it out myself (kids too old!), but what do you think? Worth the $36 for increased child comfort and security during bath time? OR just another way of wasting good money when the bathroom sink is already available?

While not as well publicized or celebrated as other holidays, May Day has been around for a surprisingly long time. It’s origins are not entirely known, but the spring holiday is believed to have had it’s start as an ancient Celtic or Germanic seasonal celebration. From what historians understand, the celebrations were performed on behalf of the end of the cold and chilly months of winter and was a holiday full of excitement and cheer meant to mark the beginning of summer.

However, a newly Christian Europe viewed May Day as a pagan festival and the midsummer celebration quickly slipped into obscurity. At least for a while.

The resurgence of May Day occurred in the late 1800s and early 1900s, but this time as a part of the labor movement. At that time it was not uncommon for factory workers to work fourteen to eighteen hour workdays (with some working as much as twenty!). This injustice brought about the formation of large labor unions set up to protect the rights of workers. And it was through these unions that the first eight hour workday was established in May of 1886. Since that time May Day has been known throughout the world to be synonymous with International Workers’ Day and to be a symbol of labor’s success against unjust working conditions.

Today May Day shares a little from both of it’s founding traditions, being a day to celebrate the rights of workers as well as a day to celebrate the beginning of summer. For kids the tradition most strongly associated with the holiday is the making and giving of May Day baskets. These baskets typically hold flowers and treats and are left on the doorsteps of neighbors and friends.

How it’s supposed to work is after you leave the basket on their doorstep, you ring their doorbell and run away. And if your neighbor catches you, they give you a kiss. However, this practice is not popular in the United States and I would recommend against trying it out, especially with your kids.

Nonetheless, making and receiving May Day baskets is a great way to celebrate the season and show those around you that you care about them. And if you’re so inclined, May Day also makes for an excellent opportunity to explain how workers rights were first established.