Student Allegedly Pushed in Front of Oncoming Train for Saying 'No'

donderdag 26 september 2013

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by Ericka Sóuter 3 hours ago

It's one of those freak tragedies that sends chills down your spine. A 21-year-old college student on her daily commute is waiting for a train. While standing on the platform, she has a brief exchange with a homeless man, who allegedly then suddenly pushes her in front of an oncoming train. It's a horrifying crime -- and even more so when you learn what motivated this man's vicious attack.

The man, 39-year-old Howard Mickens, was reportedly angered when young Maya Leggat declined to give him any money. Other would-be passengers immediately went to help, following Mickens and subduing him until police arrived. Fortunately the impact did not kill Legget, but it did leave her legs badly mangled and she suffered a head injury. A family member said she will need several surgeries. It's a miracle that she survived.

It's so dismaying that this girl's life was put in danger simply because she said, "No." According to the New York Post, this man had been loitering at the station and harassing people for months. He even had 11 previous arrests. This is just a horrible reminder that danger can lurk in the most unexpected places. We have to be vigilante about our safety and, sadly, always on the defensive when it comes to strangers.

There seem to be a rash of cases in New York City where a person on their way to work or home is pushed on the tracks by a deranged stranger. It's frightening. For now, Mickens has been charged with attempted homicide. If found guilty, they should lock him up for a very long time.

Do you find this story startling? Or have you heard of a similar incident?

Image via Phillip Capper/Flickr

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ericka Sóuter

is a veteran pop culture and celeb news writer. That experience boils down to two things: she knows way too much about the Kardashians and she dominates on Trivial Pursuit's arts and entertainment questions.

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6 Things Your Lunch Choices Could Be Saying About You (PHOTOS)

dinsdag 17 september 2013

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by Rebecca Stokes 1 hour ago

Lunch is a tricky meal. Most of us eat it frantically, either over our desks or on the go throughout our day. At breakfast we can often eat at a more leisurely pace. At dinner we have time to have fun and explore different recipes to be shared with the whole family.

But this doesn't mean our lunch has to be joyless! In fact, our lunch can provide a pretty interesting window into our personalities. Read on to find out what your lunch says about you!

Are you super-organized? Maybe you're a health-conscious luncher. I bet there's a fair number of you who don't remember to eat lunch at all! We've put together a slideshow of 5 common types of lunches. See if your next midday meal is revealing something surprising about you.

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Your motto: A place for everything, and everything in its place. Not only are you more likely to prep your lunch the night before work, but you probably race to get the empty containers into the wash when you get home. Frugal, thoughtful, and meticulous -- you are organized above all else. You probably always have a stain stick, Tylenol, and Band-Aids on hand. You're a good luncher to know, my friend!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Rebecca Stokes

Rebecca is a writer who lives in Brooklyn with her cats. She is probably even at this moment spilling food on herself.

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The Truth About Okra Will Make You Stop Saying ‘Ew, Yuck’

maandag 19 augustus 2013

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by Adriana Velez 2 hours ago

Okra has a public relations problem. Bring it up with most people and they'll wrinkle their noses. Okra? Eww! That weird, slimy vegetable? Why not eat your own mucus? The word "nasty" comes up a lot. And that's how I used to see okra, too. But lately friends of mine have been urging me to give it another chance -- so I have. And you know what? Okra haters are missing out. It doesn't have to be slimy, but it can be fantastic. Here's what you should know about this poor, misunderstood vegetable.

It's all about how you cook it. Cook it for a long time, and the seed pods inside would melt into that viscus goo everyone hates. But stir-fry it, deep-fry it, or try it roasted, and it's a whole 'nother vegetable. Marinating it in salt and vinegar is also supposed to cut down on the slime.

And now, the health benefits of okra. Here's why your body will thank you for giving this vegetable a try. It's loaded with fiber and Vitamins A, C, and B6. It has beta carotene. It can promote a healthy pregnancy and helps prevent diabetes. It will feed your skin and it may even help with respiratory issues like asthma.

Roasted: I never would have thought to roast okra, but this Mediterranean roasted okra recipe looks fantastic.

Deep-Fried: The secret here is, again, not to cook it too long. By the way, a quick fry in very hot oil actually means your food absorbs less fat. This deep-fried okra recipe looks great. This deep-fried okra recipe calls for 3-6 minutes.

Grilled: Of course you can grill okra! It makes a great side dish for barbecue. Here's how -- grilled okra recipe.

Poached: This Japanese okra salad recipe is a very light take on the vegetable.

Stir Fried: I threw this together the other day, and it's not exactly a recipe. Chop your okra into bite-sized chunks. In a wide, shallow pan add a splash of sesame or vegetable oil, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. When it's hot, throw in your okra and cook, stirring, until just barely done, about two minutes. Remove it immediately. When I made this, I happened to have some shiso leave, so I topped with that. Mint or cilantro would also be tasty.

Do you like eating okra?

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Adriana Velez

is a staff writer who dabbles in food, parenting, news, entertainment, molecular biology, and anything else that that pops into her head. She lives with her elementary school-aged son in Brooklyn, land of urban farms and artisan everything.  

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Lea Michele and Cory Monteith's Family Go Through the Painful Steps of Saying Goodbye

donderdag 18 juli 2013

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by Emily Abbate 12 hours ago

For what feels like the thousandth time since I heard the sad news late Saturday, again I will say rest in peace to Cory Monteith. After the Glee actor's unexpected death Saturday, Monteith's cause of death was confirmed by the British Columbia Coroners Service as "mixed drug toxicity, involving heroin and alcohol." Today, news comes out that Cory Monteith's body was cremated in Vancouver following a private viewing with his family and Lea Michele, his girlfriend.

One person not in attendance at the viewing? His estranged father Joe Monteith. Joe tells TMZ that he wasn't told about the cremation until after the fact. Apparently, Joe is "totally devastated" he didn't get to see his son a final time.

We don't know much about Cory's interactions with his father or the relationship between Cory's mother and father, post-divorce. What do we know? That handling an unexpected death is never easy, and Cory's is no exception.

Handling the loss of someone close to you is heartwrenching. When that loss comes at a time you least expect it, it's almost unbearable. It's clear with the pace of things that happened following Cory's unexpected passing that his family and Lea are really "in it," so to speak. They're going through the motions.

Plain and simple: During a difficult time like this, it's so hard to catch your brain and heart up to the unfathomable events at hand. Regardless of the fact that there's no way they're used to Cory being gone and probably won't be for some time, they were forced to face the process. I'm sure that the media circus surrounding Cory's death and the information about how he passed being so public doesn't make it easier for them. To Cory's family and so many of his fans, he will always be an amazing man, a talented man, and a man with a good heart.

My thoughts and prayers are with Cory's family and especially Lea Michele.

Are you still in shock over Cory's death?

Image via Pacific Coast News

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