You don’t need to wait until sweater weather to take that family photo for your holiday card. We all want to be captured at our best, so why not take that family photo now? If you have an average-sized family, chances are you can’t squeeze everyone into a photo in your New York apartment, so grab your spouse and the kids and head on over to these picturesque city backdrops.

Bowery St. and Houston St. mural

The mural on Houston and Bowery changes every one to three months.
Credit: EV Grieve

Even if you’re a native New Yorker you might not recognize the wall on Houston and Bowery because it periodically gets a makeover. Every one to three months or so, a new artist leaves their mark on the concrete slab in the Lower East Side, so you can take photos in the same spot for years without them getting repetitive. The art itself is usually in such a style where it provides the perfect background for any portrait without stealing the spotlight from the piece’s main focus: you!

Governors’ Island

The view from Governors Island is great as a background for family photos.
Credit: NYClovesNYC

Governors’ Island is a great place for a photo shoot because the tall, shiny skyscrapers of the Financial District evoke the city more subtly than tourists’ snapshots in front of the Empire State Building or Brooklyn Bridge. On a sunny day, the way the natural water and grass contrasts with the man-made buildings as the sun reflects off them is any photographer’s dream.

Metropolitan Museum of Art roof

Depending on what you prefer, you can angle your family photo to be of the city skyline or Central Park.
Credit: Getty Images

The roof of the Met is ideal for family portraits because, like the mural, its art changes every year. You’ll never forget when you took the photo because all you have to do is research the art piece behind you (or under you, as is often the case when the museum commissions a structure piece). Alternatively, you can angle the photo such that Central Park is your background.

On your stoop

Sometimes, the best family photo is taken right at home on your stoop.
Credit: BradandHeather

If you’re lucky enough to have a stoop, why go anywhere? Your steps provide a means of staggering family members on different levels so that no family member’s face is covered. For families that move a lot, a stoop photo is a good option because it’ll serve as a memento from the house without reminding you of the clutter inside. Best of all, taking a photo in front of your own building means you don’t even have to leave home!

The post The best outdoor spots to take family photos appeared first on Metro.us.

There can be other causes for sweating a lot than the warmer weather.
Credit: Creatas

Question: I sometimes arrive at work drenched in perspiration. How do I know if I sweat too much?

Perspiration, or sweat, is the body’s way of cooling itself by evaporation of a slightly salty, water-based fluid secreted from glands in the skin. The amount of perspiration depends on how many sweat glands a person has; women have more than men, but men’s sweat glands are more active. Sweat glands are located in the palms of the hands and feet, as well as in higher concentrations in the armpits and groin.

Sweating is usually a response to higher ambient temperatures. When it is hot outside, you sweat more! Increased humidity also makes it feel as if you are sweating more — when there is more moisture in the air, there is less evaporation from the skin.

Sweating is controlled by the autonomic nervous system as an involuntary response to the environment or other factors, such as diet (caffeine, spicy foods, alcohol), anxiety and stress, pain, low blood sugar, hormonal fluctuations and fever from an infection. Emotional stress often causes sweating that is isolated to the palms, feet, armpits and groin, whereas sweating for cooling purposes occurs all over the body.

The fluid secreted by sweat glands is largely water with a low concentration of dissolved electrolytes, minerals and fatty acids. On a particularly hot day or in response to vigorous exercise, the body can lose up to 2 liters of fluid per hour, so it is essential to drink water or an electrolyte-rich sports drinks to avoid dehydration.

Excessive sweating, known as hyperhidrosis, may be caused by a number of medical conditions, including nervous system disorders, infections, hormonal imbalances, medication side effects and anxiety. Though there’s no baseline for how much sweat is too much, there could be a concern if you’re sweating for no apparent reason. If you suspect that you sweat more than is appropriate due to weather or exercise, or at inappropriate times, then a physician can conduct a purposeful history and physical exam to determine if there is a problem.

Dr. Mark Melrose, DO, is a board-certified emergency physician at Urgent Care Manhattan. E-mail him your questions at askdrmark@metro.us.

The post Are you sweating too much? appeared first on Metro.us.

Parents say the darndest things. If you want someone self-depricating to commiserate with, add these five moms and dads to your Twitter feed. Want to be on this list? Tweet your parenting woes and words of wisdom tagging @metronewyork with the hashtag #metroparenting and your tweet could end up in the paper next week.

Kelly Oxford
@kellyoxford

Kelly Oxford is the author of the New York Times best selling book “Everything Is Perfect When You’re A Liar.” She’s a blogger and stay-at-home mom, who lives in Canada. Expect lots of witty observations about pop-culture –  and of course kids – to pop up in your feed after adding her.

Amy Flory
@FunnyIsFamily

Amy Flory has her own blog, Families in the Loop, and is also a writer for The Huffington Post. She doesn’t mind embarrassing herself for a laugh, which is what makes her tweets so entertaining.

James Breakwell
@xplodingunicorn

Humor writing comes naturally to this funny dad, who has his own blog and writes his own Web comics. He’s the guy that everyone wants at their kid’s  birthday party to help liven things up.

Johanna Stein
@johannastein

In her Twitter bio, actress Johanna Stein refers to herself as a “writer/mom/idiot,” but her tweets prove she’s quick with the quips. The author of the hilarious new mommy memoir, “How Not To Calm A Child On A Plane,” Stein is quick to laugh at  her parenting missteps; ones you’ll totally relate to.

Stephanie McMaster
@smethanie

Comedian and mom Stephanie McMaster is just as funny on Twitter as she is on stage. She tweets often and you’ll be tempted not to favorite every single one of her tweets. Basically, she gets you.

The post The funniest parents to follow on Twitter appeared first on Metro.us.

Weight-loss surgery is not recommended for all obese diabetic patients under current guidelines.
Credit: ThinkStock

Two small studies provide more evidence that weight-loss surgery may benefit people who are obese and have diabetes.

Both studies found that blood sugar levels were more likely to improve among people who were randomly assigned to have surgery than among those who went through intensive diet and lifestyle programs instead.

The studies included people on the lower end of the obesity spectrum, some of whom wouldn’t be recommended for surgery under current guidelines.

“In appropriate patients, this is something really worth considering,” said Dr. Allison Goldfine. She worked on one of the studies at the Joslin Diabetes Center and Harvard Medical School in Boston.

Obesity and diabetes are known to be closely linked. But there is a lack of long-term evidence on whether weight-loss surgery helps alleviate diabetes and related complications, researchers say, especially among people who are obese but not morbidly obese.

In one of the new studies, Dr. Anita Courcoulas from the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center and colleagues tracked 61 obese people with diabetes who were randomly assigned to undergo gastric bypass or gastric banding surgery or to complete a weight control program.

One year later, half of gastric bypass patients and about one-quarter of the gastric banding group had at least partial remission of their diabetes, meaning their blood sugar levels were closer to the normal range and they didn’t need diabetes medications.

No patients in the non-surgery group saw their diabetes go into remission.

In Goldfine’s study, researchers randomly allocated 38 patients – all obese, all with diabetes – to gastric bypass surgery or a group weight loss program. One year later, 11 out of 19 gastric bypass patients met the goal for a drop in blood sugar levels. That compared to three out of 19 in the other group.

The studies included people with a body mass index, or BMI, between 30 and 40 or between 30 and 42. The National Institutes of Health and other groups say weight-loss surgery is an option for people with a BMI of 40 or above who have no weight-related complications or a BMI of 35 or higher if they also have diabetes, sleep apnea or other problems.

Weight-loss surgery requires a drastic change in eating habits and can come with complications such as hernias, leakages and gallstones, as well as nutritional deficiencies.

“Right now people with lower BMIs would not typically be covered by insurance, but there is this growing body of data that potentially supports the use of these procedures” among people with diabetes and a BMI of 30 or above, Courcoulas said.

“It’s going to take putting several of these trials together in order to determine whether these recommendations should be moved,” Goldfine added.

She said that it’s important for people to consider surgery not just as a weight management issue, but as a diabetes management issue as well.

The post Diabetes remission achieved with weight-loss surgery appeared first on Metro.us.

Unusual sweat could be an indicator that something is wrong.
Credit: ThinkStock

I sometimes arrive at work drenched in perspiration. How do I know if I sweat too much?

Perspiration, or sweat, is the body’s way of cooling itself by evaporation of a slightly salty, water-based fluid secreted from glands in the skin. The amount of perspiration depends on how many sweat glands a person has; women have more than men, but men’s sweat glands are more active. Sweat glands are located in the palms of the hands and feet, as well as in higher concentrations in the armpits and groin.

Sweating is usually a response to higher ambient temperatures. When it is hot outside, you sweat more! Increased humidity also makes it feel as if you are sweating more — when there is more moisture in the air, there is less evaporation from the skin.

Sweating is controlled by the autonomic nervous system as an involuntary response to the environment or other factors, such as diet (caffeine, spicy foods, alcohol), anxiety and stress, pain, low blood sugar, hormonal fluctuations and fever from an infection. Emotional stress often causes sweating that is isolated to the palms, feet, armpits and groin, whereas sweating for cooling purposes occurs all over the body.

The fluid secreted by sweat glands is largely water with a low concentration of dissolved electrolytes, minerals and fatty acids. On a particularly hot day or in response to vigorous exercise, the body can lose up to 2 liters of fluid per hour, so it is essential to drink water or an electrolyte-rich sports drinks to avoid dehydration.

Excessive sweating, known as hyperhidrosis, may be caused by a number of medical conditions, including nervous system disorders, infections, hormonal imbalances, medication side effects and anxiety. Though there’s no baseline for how much sweat is too much, there could be a concern if you’re sweating for no apparent reason. If you suspect that you sweat more than is appropriate due to weather or exercise, or at inappropriate times, then a physician can conduct a purposeful history and physical exam to determine if there is a problem.

Dr. Mark Melrose, DO, is a board-certified emergency physician at Urgent Care Manhattan. E-mail him your questions at askdrmark@metro.us.

The post Is it just summer, or are you sweating too much? appeared first on Metro.us.

Basically, everything about office work is slowly killing us all.
Credit: moodboard

Office workers who spend long hours looking at computer screens have changes in their tear fluid similar to people with the disease known as dry eye, according to a study from Japan.

The protein MUC5AC, secreted by cells in the upper eyelid, makes up part of the normally occurring mucus layer, or “tear film,” that keeps the eye moist. But study participants with the most screen time had MUC5AC levels nearing those of people with diagnosed dry eye.

“To understand patients’ eye strain, which is one of major symptoms of dry eye disease, it is important that ophthalmologist pay attention to MUC5AC concentration in tears,” said Dr. Yuichi Uchino, an author of the new study.

Uchino is an ophthalmologist at the School of Medicine at Keio University in Tokyo.

“When we stare at computers, our blinking times decreased compared to reading a book at the table,” he told Reuters Health by email.

People staring at screens also tend to open their eyelids wider than while doing other tasks, and the extra exposed surface area in addition to infrequent blinking can accelerate tear evaporation and is associated with dry eye disease, he said.

Dry eye may be chronic for some but can be managed with over the counter or prescription eye drops.

Past research suggests that up to 5 million men and women over age 50 in the United States suffer from dry eye disease, the researchers write in their report. In Japan, tens of millions of people report some dry eye symptoms, often associated with computer work, they add.

The study team tested the tears from both eyes of 96 Japanese office workers, about two-thirds of them men, and measured how much of the total protein content of the tears was MUC5AC.

Workers employed in jobs involving computer screens filled out questionnaires about their working hours and symptoms of any eye problems.

Seven percent of men and 14 percent of women were diagnosed with ‘dry eye disease,’ meaning they reported symptoms of eye problems like irritation, burning or blurred vision and had poor quality or quantity of tear film, according to the tests.

Overall, participants looked at screens for work for just over eight hours a day and had an average of about 6.8 nanograms of MUC5AC per milligram of protein in each eye.

However, people who worked with computer screens for more than seven hours per day had an average of 5.9 ng/mg of MUC5AC, compared to 9.6 ng/mg for people who spent fewer than five hours daily with screens.

Similarly, people with definite dry eye disease had an average of 3.5 ng/mg of MUC5AC compared to 8.2 ng/mg for people without the disease.

“Mucin is one of the most important components of the tear film,” said Dr. Yuichi Hori, who was not a part of the new study. “Mucins (like MUC5AC) function to hold water on the ocular surface of the epithelia that synthesize them, hence, they are major players in maintenance of the tear film on the ocular surface,” Hori told Reuters Health by email.

He is chair of the department of Ophthalmology at Toho University Omori Medical Center in Tokyo.

Concentration of the protein was also lower for people with symptoms of eye strain than for people without symptoms, according to the results published in JAMA Ophthalmology.

People with dry eyes at work tend to be less productive and are more likely to be depressed, according to previous studies, Uchino said.

Office workers who are worried about dry eye can make some simple changes to decrease their risk, Uchino said.

“The exposed ocular surface area can be decreased by placing the terminal at a lower height, with the screen tilted upward,” Uchino said.

Doctors also recommend using a humidifier at the office and avoiding being in the direct path of the wind from an air conditioner, he said.

“We advise the office workers suffering from ocular fatigue and dry eye symptoms that they should blink more frequently in an intended manner during (screen use), and that they should use artificial tears,” Hori said.

“And they should ask an eye care doctor if their symptoms still remain.”

The post Staring at a screen all day changes your eyes appeared first on Metro.us.

Visitors admire the plants on display in The Great Pavilion at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show on May 20 in London.
Credit: Matt Cardy/Getty Images

Stacy Keibler, George Clooney’s former flame, recently Instagrammed a photo with the caption: “Sun, sand and serenity — the perfect #babymoon.” Indeed! Days spent basking in the sun, 30 weeks pregnant, heat and humidity, 20 pounds heavier, beads of sweat accompanying labored breathing… wait, that sounds awful. Meditative garden walks on occasionally overcast days, topped off with comforting cups of tea? That’s more like it, and that’s what you’ll find in England.

Like motherhood, gardening is about cultivating life, and there are no bigger gardening aficionados than the English. This has been blatantly apparent every May, for the last 101 years, when the insanely popular RHS Chelsea Flower Show comes to London. Fortunately, you don’t have to know a single thing about gardening to enjoy the breathtaking temporary displays or the permanent gardens on the hospital grounds. Can’t get to London in May? RHS, the Royal Horticultural Society, has four gardens you can visit year-round. The one closest to the capital, RHS Garden Wisley, includes a stunning glass house that showcases exotic species you have likely never seen before.

A few hours to the north, Yorkshire is home to RHS Garden Harlow Carr. Stroll through time, with gardens representing a certain era or season. Time-traveling is exhausting and, fortunately, Bettys is on hand to offer sandwiches, baked goods and cups of that liquid comfort. When night falls, sleep soundly at Wood Hall Hotel & Spa, an English country manor that predictably exudes an air of refinement, but the stuffed toy badger that greets you in your room stops you from mistakenly thinking that you’re anywhere stuffy. Don’t forget the spa, where a pregnancy massage or facial beckons.

When you’ve had your fill of flowers, England has no shortage of destinations steeped in history, from Windsor Castle to Hatfield House to the walled city of York. After stopping to smell the roses and sipping well-brewed tea, you should be sufficiently relaxed and ready to tackle the role of new motherhood.

Tour operator Collette and RHS Garden Holidays have partnered to create horticulture-themed tours throughout Europe. To book a babymoon similar to this trip, look for The Gardens of London or The Beauty of Britain package.

While in London

Simpson’s-in-the-Strand
Ever have roast rib of Scottish beef aged 28 days, accompanied by roast potatoes, Yorkshire pudding and homemade horseradish? At Simpson’s you can, and you should. Your unborn child will thank you.

Rosewood London
For five-star treatment in a five-star building, look no further than Rosewood London. Less than a year old, the UK outpost of the luxury hotel group cuts no corners when it comes to service, beautifully appointed accommodations and top-notch dining. As is fitting for one last hurrah, make sure to splurge on one of the 44 suites; “home away from home” is only an apt description if your actual home has a marble bathroom, the most comfortable bed in the world and a butler. The hotel’s Sense Spa, a secluded oasis, offers a prenatal massage that puts the mother-to-be in a zen-like state, one that will be all too rare in a matter of months.

Spring for a suite at the Rosewood London.
Credit: Janet Choi

The post Take a #babymoon among England’s blooming gardens appeared first on Metro.us.

Make your own hot tub at Hot Water Beach in New Zealand.
Credit: Getty Images

It’s finally summer — time to swim, sunbathe and surf. While many people dream of white sand, palm trees and clear water, we’d like to shift the focus to the more unusual beaches out there, where dinosaurs once roamed and the sand is the color of another planet’s seashore. These places prove that Mother Nature has some surprises in store. Here are five strange and beautiful beaches around the world.

Chandipur Beach

Don’t bother looking for Chandipur Beach on the Bay of Bengal at low tide—you won’t find it. Twice a day, the water recedes up to three miles from the Indian seashore, leaving long tracts of sand where you can spot horseshoe crabs, seashells, and driftwood. If you hang around for a while, you can watch the sea slowly returning—a strange phenomenon to observe.

Hot Water Beach

If you ever wished you could soak in a hot tub right on the beach, Hot Water Beach on Coromandel Peninsula, New Zealand, is the place for you. Naturally occurring hot springs bubble up under the sand between high and low tides. For a natural spa-like experience, people dig holes in the sand and lounge in the mineral waters, which reach 150 degrees.

Jurassic Coast

Geologists and fossil hunters travel from far and wide looking for specimens on this beach spanning Dorset and East Devon, England. In addition to the coast’s rugged cliffs and coves, 185 million years of the Earth’s development are on display here. Because of erosion, fossils are continuously being identified, and visitors can go on guided fossil walks.

Pfeiffer Beach

Big Sur is known for its natural beauty, and Pfeiffer Beach is especially stunning. This hard-to-find California beach features purple sand thanks to the manganese garnet found on cliffs by the ocean. The road leading to the beach is unmarked, so keep an eye out for it near Pfeiffer Big Sur State Park on Highway 1.

Hyams Beach

Of all the beautiful beaches on Australia’s coast, only Hyams Beach holds the Guinness Book of World Records title of the whitest sand. Crystal-clear water, forests, and wetlands only add to Jervis Bay’s appeal. Inhabited by Aboriginals for thousands of years, the area boasts important archeological sites, like rock art, stone artifacts and axe-grinding grooves.

The post 5 unique beaches from around the world appeared first on Metro.us.

Dr. Oz cooks with daughter Daphne on the delicious talk show “The Chew.”
Credit: Lorenzo Bevilaqua/ABC via Getty Images

Dr. Oz defended his promotion of weight-loss supplements such as green tea extract before a Senate panel.

“I actually do personally believe in the items that I talk about on the show,” said Oz, a Columbia University professor.

The host of “The Dr. Oz Show” says the products he endorsed gave people hope to keep trying to lose weight. With the rate of overweight or obese Americans nearing 70 percent, Oz said the hottest topic of conversation on his website is weight loss.

He acknowledged that the products often don’t have “the scientific muster” to back up their claims, but that he gives his audience the same advice he gives his own family. “I have given my family these products.”

Missouri Democratic Sen. Claire McCaskill, the chairwoman of the Commerce subcommittee on consumer protection, said Oz had a role in perpetuating weight-loss fraud through his show.

“When you call a product a miracle, and it’s something you can buy and it’s something that gives people false hope,” she said, adding that Oz’s promotion tended to boost sales and prompted scam artists to sell questionable products using deceptive ads.

Part of the hearing focused on green coffee extract, a dietary supplement Oz touted in 2012 as a “miracle.” The show heightened interest in the product, and Oz testified he devoted much of a second show to telling viewers how his name was being used unscrupulously to sell it.

Mary Koelbel Engle, an FTC official, testified that the agency filed suit over the supplement, charging deceptive claims and promotion.

A 2011 FTC survey of consumer fraud showed more consumers were victims of bogus weight-loss products than any other frauds covered by the survey, she said.

Americans were forecast to spend $2.4 billion on weight-loss services last year, and the figure was expected to rise to $2.7 billion in 2018, she said.

The post Dr. Oz defends ‘miracle’ products at Senate hearing appeared first on Metro.us.

When you’re away from your significant other it’s luckily easy to stay in touch with apps like Snapchat, Instagram, text messages and so on. But it actually just got a little easier with a new app called “You & Me.”

The app basically combines some of the best sharing features on social media app – everything from videos, pictures to sharing a favorite song with your boo. You start off by writing the name of yourself and your partner.

Then the app creates a cute logo with the first initials of your names. After that you are ready to share whatever with your loved one. It’s like sending a text message, but everything is here: the pictures, the videos, the songs, the voice and the secrets.

When you take a photo, there are different filter options like you know from other picture apps like Instagram. That way you can always look your best when you send your boo a selfie. The app is also connected to Spotify so you can send the perfect love song to keep things sweet between just the two of you.

A really fun feature is “The Secrets.” You send a picture (maybe with a note), and your partner has to wipe the screen to see the picture and note. You can watch the picture again and again, but it will stay hidden for everyone around you, until you wipe. This is your chance to get creative with love notes or silly photos.

The only unnecessary feature in the app is the “Halfsie.” It’s a picture where you combine your own body with your partners face or vice versa. The idea might have seemed good in theory, but it’s not something you will use more than once or twice.

You can download the app for free in App Store and Google Play.

The post It just became easier to be ‘You & Me’ appeared first on Metro.us.

At summer camp, you can’t plug your devices into a tree (yet?).
Credit: Roslan Rahman / AFP

Tired of the social media treadmill and hoping to unplug for a couple days? At a summer camp three hours outside of San Francisco, the first ritual involves handing over your personal electronics to volunteers in white lab coats.

Camp Grounded, now in its second year, offers hyperconnected attendees a brief respite from the incessant noise of Facebook, Twitter and a plethora of other media relentlessly battling for their attention.

The rules of this “digital detox” camp are clear: No work talk, no alcohol, no first names or discussion of ages, and most importantly, no phones, computers, tablets or watches.

Co-founder Levi Felix, who goes by the nickname “Fidget Wigglesworth,” has stressed it is not just an experience for tech workers, although current and former Facebook Inc, Google Inc and Microsoft Corp employees were represented. This year, campers ranged from hipster college grads to recent retirees, he said in an interview with Reuters at the Navarro, California camp.

The project has gained rapid popularity, reflecting a growing need to unwind from the stresses associated with the Bay Area’s tech boom. From just one weekend in the summer of 2013, this year’s has grown to three consecutive weekends with several hundred people attending each session.

To be sure, the experience is limited to those who can afford it – it costs $570 for camping, meals and activities.

“I don’t remember the last time I went for four days without checking a notification,” said Facebook designer Connie Yang, who tried out Camp Grounded this month.

Yang, who described the experience as “powerful,” said she intends to check her phone far less frequently. She may even experiment with incorporating new product ideas into the Facebook experience to help people “scale back.”

In recent years, the unplugging movement has been gathering steam, although it has been criticized by the press for stirring “postmodern techno-anxiety” and failing to recognize the positive impacts of technology. Each March, thousands of people unplug from their devices for 24 hours, as part of an event organized by nonprofit organization Reboot.

Brian Solis, a principal analyst for Altimeter Group specializing in digital trends, expects that experiences like Camp Grounded will become more commonplace.

“If these technologies don’t have your attention, they can’t scale,” he said, describing the camp as a potential antidote.

Solis said it’s unlikely that tech companies will tinker with products to make them any less habit-forming. But he predicts that consumers will increasingly crave experiences that help them “reset” for a more balanced lifestyle.

David Stewart, founder of SocialStudio, a company making social media applications, said it can be a challenge for developers to strike a balance between engaging users and spamming them with notifications.

The former vice president of product management at Microsoft-owned Yammer said he was not surprised that the digital detox camp was teeming with techies. Stewart himself attended Camp Grounded in early June.

“People designing addictive products are the most aware of the occasional human need to be free from them.”

The post Developers find benefits of digital-free life appeared first on Metro.us.

New York is the 22nd state to legalize some forms of marijuana for medical use.
Credit: Linda Davidson / The Washington Post

New York state lawmakers gave final approval on Friday to a bill that would allow limited access to medical marijuana in New York, joining 22 other states where cannabis has been legalized for therapeutic purposes.

The bill, passed on a 49-10 state Senate vote, embodies a deal reached on Thursday between Gov. Andrew Cuomo and lawmakers that would allow patients to inhale vaporized extracts of pot’s active ingredients or to eat them in food, but prohibit smoking of marijuana itself.

Exactly how medical marijuana products will be formulated in New York will be left up to the state’s Health Department under the program, which the governor would have discretion to halt at any time, and which will expire after seven years, unless lawmaker reauthorize it.

Cuomo, a Democrat who had long resisted proposals to legalize medical pot, in part because of law enforcement issues, said the compromise bill balances public safety with the health needs of individuals seeking relief from serious ailments.

The state Assembly passed the measure early Friday by a vote of 117 to 13, hours before final action in the Senate. Cuomo is expected to sign the measure into law.

The post New York legalizes some forms of medical marijuana appeared first on Metro.us.

Colleges around the country are increasingly assigning summer reading to incoming freshmen.
Credit: Fuse

Months before the official start of the semester, many of New York City’s incoming first-year college students are already hitting the books.

Several local colleges and universities assign suggested summer readings to freshmen well before they arrive on campus. We take a look at what some of the hundreds of students about to start their college careers in New York are reading.

Columbia University

Liberal arts students at Columbia have traditionally always read the epic Greek poem the Iliad, which is part of the school’s core curriculum. Homer’s Trojan War-era tale of the battles that took place during a dispute between King Agamemnon and Achilles. As for Columbia’s engineering and science students, they’ll checking out Jon Gertner’s “Idea Factory: Bell Labs and the Great Age of American Innovation.” The book details the history of the lab that invented the transistor and changed the worlds of laser and cell phone technology.

New York University

Across town, incoming freshman at NYU’s College of Arts and Sciences, students will be picking up a copy of the Pat Barker novel “Regeneration.” First published in 1991, the book tells the story of British Army officers being treated for shell-shock during World War I.

Students at NYU’s Steinhart School, who will be studying education or music, will be reading Cheryl Strayed’s best-selling memoir “Wild.” The book covers Strayed’s decision to travel along California’s Pacific Crest Trail in her 20s.

“‘Wild’ is about a journey to a new place, about the challenges, surprises, and tribulations that make us stronger and that ultimately teach us how to live our lives,” says Patricia Carey, Steinhart’s associate dean for student affairs in a statement.

St John’s University

“Walk in Their Shoes: Can One Person Change the World?” by Jim Ziolkowski is the pick for students about to arrive at St John’s. The memoir details Ziolkowski’s choice to leave the corporate world in order to found a nonprofit that works with urban youth.

Follow Lakshmi Gandhi on Twitter @LakshmiGandhi.

The post Here’s what incoming freshmen are reading this summer appeared first on Metro.us.

Isaiah Austin’s condition wasn’t discovered until a standard physical exam before the NBA draft.
Credit: Getty Images

A projected first-round pick in the NBA draft just days away, Isaiah Austin will instead end his career after receiving a devastating diagnosis of Marfan syndrome.

The genetic disorder affects connective tissue by raising the level of a protein called growth factor beta, which causes problems throughout the body, according to The Marfan Foundation. The most commonly affected parts are blood vessels, bones, joints, eyes and the heart, primarily because of enlarged aortas.

The former Baylor University star’s condition was revealed during a pre-draft physical exam when an EKG showed abnormalities in the arteries of his heart, according to ESPN. Austin’s doctors have advised him to stop playing basketball, or he could risk his heart literally bursting.

“They told me that my arteries in my heart are enlarged and that if I overwork myself and push too hard that my heart could rupture,” Austin told ESPN. “The draft is four days away, and I had a dream that my name was going to be called.”

The condition affects about 1 in 5,000 people, and can involve several associated disorders. Though people are born with the syndrome, it can manifest in infancy, adolescence or even adulthood, and can worsen with age.

Some features of Marfan syndrome are visible. They include:

• Long arms, legs and fingers
• Tall and thin body type
• Curved spine
• Chest sinks in or sticks out
• Flexible joints
• Flat feet
• Crowded teeth
• Stretch marks on the skin that are not related to weight gain or loss

Other signs can include sudden lung or eye problems. Austin has been blind in his right eye since age 16 because of a detached retina, ESPN reported.

Despite the career-ending diagnosis, Austin is staying positive, telling his fans via Twitter that this is the beginning of a new path for him.

I would love to thank EVERYONE who has reached out to me. Toughest days of my life. But not the last! Life goes on. GOD IS STILL GREAT!

— God’s Child (@IsaiahAustin) June 22, 2014

The post What is Marfan syndrome? Isaiah Austin gets career-ending diagnosis appeared first on Metro.us.

Harry Potter has some devoted fans — and good advice, too.
Credit: Getty Images

As a psychotherapist who works with young adults, I often use metaphors from pop culture in my private practice. So when my 20-something client and professed Harry Potter devotee grew anxious about a dreaded visit to her “Dementor” of a mother-in law in Los Angeles, I naturally inquired, “What would Harry Potter do?”

“Well, of course, he would conjure his Patronus,” she replied.

A Patronus is a charm that wards off Dementors, specters that “drain peace, hope and happiness.” The only way to ward against a Dementor is with the Patronus charm, which requires “the concentration on a powerfully happy memory” – in other words, the power of positive thinking. Apparently, Potter creator J.K. Rowling was not only a genius of fantasy children’s fiction, but also a sorcerer of pop psychology.

Rowling’s therapeutic savvy further reveals itself in the spell to defend against Boggarts. A lesser menace in the wizarding world, these shape-shifting creatures assume the form of their observer’s worst fear — but evaporate at the recitation of “Riddikulus!” which transforms the Boggart into something amusing instead.

Fortunately, Rowling’s charms are not purely fantasy; they also work their magic in the therapy room. 

The Patronus in practice

Sarah, my aforementioned client, was a writer whose self-revelatory blog posts addressed racism and religious hypocrisy. On a weekly basis, she received an esteem-boosting slew of emails from her growing fan base. Her confidence eroded, however, in the presence of her wealthy mother-in-law, who didn’t share the same appreciation for Sarah’s talents.

As her visit to California approached, we began to brainstorm how she might summon her own version of a Patronus to confront her own personal Dementor of a mother-in-law as she began to drain her vitality.

Although Patronuses typically appear as shimmering animal silhouettes, Sarah took certain liberties with her talisman. Calling to mind her fan mail and emotionally supportive marriage, which felt strained during these visits, wasn’t enough. She needed to anchor herself in something physically tangible.

After tossing around a few ideas, Sarah returned home and assembled a collage of photographs of loved ones, including her and her husband in their happiest times. Next, she cut out the grateful emails and wove them around the photographs, interlaced with powerful images and affirmations that she cut out from magazines.

Sarah was encouraged to meditate on her makeshift Patronus so that she could conjure it in her mind at will. Additionally, she brought her collage to Los Angeles.

The experiment was a success. Granted, it didn’t work miracles in every encounter with her nemesis. But when dark thoughts began to creep into her consciousness after spending the day with her husband’s family, Sarah studied her Patronus propped up on the dresser, and felt better.

The Boggart in practice

By assuming the shape of our worst fears, Boggarts mirror our insecurities and unhealed emotional wounds.

An adolescent client of mine imagined a high school bully as a Boggart. The magic of pop culture references, which work particularly well with adolescent clients, is that they normalize the experience of being afraid yet offer playful responses.

Although therapists are often expected to be wizards of sorts – to read minds and invoke incantations that banish our clients’ demons – Rowling reminds us that true magic lies within each of us when we focus on the positive and recognize the absurdity of our irrational fears.

Kim Schneiderman’s book, “Step Out of Your Story: Writing Exercises to Reframe and Transform Your Life,” is being published this summer. Email your questions to askkim@metro.us and check out her website, Novel Perspective.

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The city that never sleeps has been named one of the best places for singles.
Credit: Getty

You don’t need to move to Paris to dwell in a “city of love.” Turns out there are plenty of chances for romance right here at home.

Rent.com has New York City coming in second in its new list of “Top 10 Cities for Singles.” Based on rental data from Rent.com and demographics from Onboard Informatics, factors like concentration of single adults, safety, nightlife activity, variety of dining and coffee shop density were evaluated on a 1,000 point scale to find the top ten cities for seeking out a significant other.

The Big Apple ranks second only to San Francisco. With a whopping 38 percent of its booming population consisting of single adults and a perfect score of 1,000 in the “nightlife options,” “restaurant options” and “frequent coffee shop goers” indices, Manhattan is overwhelmingly equipped to satiate any taste and meet any budget. If you want a city with endless opportunities to meet new people, and places to take them, New York is your bet. However, you’d better brace yourself for some steep living costs – New York’s “median rental rate” is the highest on the list, at about $3800 for a 1-bedroom.

Jersey City also squeezes onto the list, coming in at number 9. While some might say that Jersey City’s biggest asset is its vicinity to Manhattan, making an effort to cross the Hudson has undeniable benefits of its very own. For one, it’s the only place you can take someone to see a movie at the landmark Loew’s Jersey Theatre, or take advantage of the 1,550 acres of parks the city has to offer. With a lower median rental rate and comparable safety and frequent restaurant goers indices as Manhattan, NYC singles just might want to consider taking the ferry over – you don’t have to be Snooki to have a good time in Jersey.

Rent.com’s full list of the best cities for singles is below.

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A big rig hauling a massive trailer rolled into the north end of Union Square a little after midnight on Tuesday morning. This was no ordinary cargo container. Rather, the 80-foot long behemoth is the world’s largest meat smoker and grill, brought here by the History Channel for their Cross-Country Cookout promotional tour.

At 2 a.m., the fires were lit. First, in went 200 pounds of brisket, followed an hour later by 150 pounds of pork ribs. By 12 p.m., 10 salmon and at least 500 pounds of sausages would join the lot. By 6 p.m., they will have served nearly 500 people and packed to head to their next destination.

The 55-foot long Ultimate Smoker and Grill is the baby of Texas native Trace Arnold, also known as the Rib Whisperer, a moniker his wife gave him years ago. Arnold, a large jovial man with a friendly Southern smile, is a barbecuing veteran who co-owns the 3 Stack Smoke & Tap House in Texas.

Arnold created the truck four years ago complete with a prep kitchen, six huge smoking ovens and a wood-fired grill under the hydraulic lid that can cook 1,000 hotdogs, 500 burgers or 200 16-ounce steaks at once. He is perpetually upgrading it and recently added a Big Green Egg ceramic cooker. “If you’ve got it good, make it great,” he said. “If you’ve got it great, make it outrageous.” He brings his own exclusive blend of jalapeno-cheddar and hickory smoked sausages for these events all the way from Texas, while sourcing other ingredients locally.

New York is the shortest and most hectic leg of the trip for History Channel’s promotional tour, now in it’s third year. Starting from North Carolina, the Ultimate Smoker and Grill has made its way through Tennessee and New Hampshire, and will end in Pennsylvania. It is accompanied by games themed around shows such as Top Gear, Swamp People and American Pickers.

Arnold’s barbecue is the central draw of the event. “He’s one of our character without even being on television,” said Jennifer Hayes, marketing manager at History. “This is his history show right here.”

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Spin the wheel to get “lucky” at Gotham Beauty Lounge this summer.
Credit: Provided

Summer heat means your best accessories are the ones you’re already wearing.

Pretty up your hands and brows (and more!) for free beginning Friday between noon and 2 p.m., when Gotham Beauty Lounge brings out its Lucky Looks wheel. Spin for your chance at men’s and women’s beauty services like a manicure, eyebrow shaping, men’s haircut or a $15 discount on future treatments.

But as with every wheel of fortune, there’s a chance you’ll walk away without a prize — but not Metro readers. Just tell them “Metro Loves Gotham” to keep spinning until you land on a service, and once you do score a winning turn you can choose from any of the offers on the wheel!

The promotion continues through Aug. 1, but get there this Friday, June 27, to score Metro’s exclusive rewards.

Gotham Beauty Lounge
Bryant Park Place
32 W. 40th St., West Lobby
212-921-2002

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The pop-up orchard featured some unusual fruit.
Credit: Provided

Did you notice a little more greenery in downtown Manhattan yesterday?

The pop-up orchard near Madison Square Park debuted Smucker’s Fruit-Fulls, a new line of all-natural applesauce mixes, which could be picked from the trees.

The snack, which comes in four flavors made from blended fruits with no added sugar or preservatives, comes in squeezable pouches and is available now at grocery stores.

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For World Cup viewers checking out the guys on the field for reasons other than their soccer-playing skills, Cool Blades, a UK-based beauty salon supply company, put together a list of the most memorable hairstyles in football/soccer, past and present.

Pablo Osvaldo
All photos courtesy of Cool Blades

Cool Blades says: Unfortunately the handsome Mr Osvaldo has been sent packing back to Serie A after a promising spell in the Premier League ended prematurely with a training ground bust-up. Still, with a practical bun for match days and flowing shoulder length locks for relaxing in the Italian sunshine, this Johnny Depp look-a-like will have landed on his feet.
Metro says: Who cares if this guy can play soccer? Look at him!

Edinson Cavani

Cool Blades says: You might be mistaken for thinking the cheek bones are the star here, but what about those locks! Edinson Cavani is further proof that a disproportionate number of football’s best haircuts originate from South America.
Metro says: And did you see the chin dimple?

Sergio Ramos

Cool Blades says: We diverge from long flowing locks temporarily to introduce Sergio Ramos, a hirsute centre-back who used to rock a rather straggly and slick affair, but has now gone back to basics with this practical and perfectly-coiffed do.
Metro says: This is a huge improvement on his long-greasy-locks-with-headband phase.

David Beckham

Cool Blades says: O.K., O.K., so Beckham isn’t in the World Cup this year, but it would be impossible to celebrate great footballing hair without harking back to the original chic midfielder. Here’s a longer do for David; bleached blonde, heavily styled and very boy band-esque…
Metro says: We like when he used to match his hair cut and color to wife Victoria (who we still prefer to think of as Posh Spice).

Rio Ferdinand

Cool Blades says: One more blast from the (recent) past! Rio may now be sporting a stylish crop, but his old cornrows are still an absolutely iconic footballing look. They were short, long, bleached, zig-zagged, whether you loved them or loathed them, Rio’s rows were pretty much an institution (also, have you ever seen them loose? Eek…).
Metro says: Did he bring a stylist with him to games for touch ups?

Alexandre Pato

Cool Blades says: Another miraculous mop originating from South America. This former wonderkid left Milan with tousled curls in tow to return to his home country of Brazil, where he now plies his trade for Corinthians. All that sunshine seems to be working wonders for his lustrous locks.
Metro says: What shampoo is he using? Can we get it in the U.S.?

Andrea Pirlo

Cool Blades says: A picture speaks a thousand words, so sit back and enjoy Andrea in silence. The only reason Pirlo doesn’t top the standings is because at 34 years old, we felt it was time to give someone else their moment in the limelight. Bravo Pirlo, Bravo!
Metro says: Now this is how you keep it classic.

Arda Turan

Cool Blades says: Back to basics with Arda Turan’s short crop and beard combination. Are we slightly biased because of his sublime wing play? Well yes, perhaps we are, but Turan shows that short can be just as sweet.
Metro says: Doesn’t that beard get itchy?

Benoit Assou-Ekotto

Cool Blades says: Whether it’s tied back in cornrows or left to roam free as an exuberant, super-sized afro, Benoit’s mane always looks great. From highlighting his fabulous bone structure with a pulled back look or letting his locks go wild, this is a head of hair to be proud of.
Metro says: You can tell he’s French with that effortless style.

Leighton Baines

Cool Blades says: That’s never a current player you might think, but allow us to introduce the 70′s own Leighton Baines. The Everton and England left back might look like he’s from a bygone era, but it’s simply down to his mod-like do.
Metro says: Maybe it’s time to try a different trend? We could see him sporting a faux hawk.

Gerard Pique

Cool Blades says: Shakira’s a hot tamale, so it stands to reason that her significant other, Barcelona centre back Gerard Pique, is pretty sizzling too. Short, sharp, chic and contemporary, Pique will cut a suave figure at this year’s World Cup.
Metro says: He’s a little too GQ for our taste in this photo, but he and Shakira make a very hot couple.

Marco Reus

Cool Blades says: Short back and sides with plenty of length on top is de rigeur at the moment, and with this highlighted haircut, Reus has got it just about spot on. With speculation linking Reus with a move to Old Trafford, we might just get a closer look at this blonde bombshell next season.
Metro says: We like this messy version of the updated “Mad Men” ‘do everyone is rocking these days.

David Beckham

Cool Blades says: We’re sorry, but we couldn’t end a footballing haircut story without another spectacular do from the former king of pitch-side style. Here’s Becks rocking a Kurt Cobain do which only a man with a very handsome face and a very handy right foot could ever pull off. Kudos, David.
Metro says: We totally understand the second Beckham inclusion.

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