Want to drive past Meredith Grey's house?

Sorry, Tom Hanks and Meg Ryan. You've been replaced by Meredith Grey and Derek "McDreamy" Shepherd.

Used to be, or so I've heard, that visitors to Seattle would want to see the "Sleepless in Seattle" houseboat from which Hanks wooed Ryan in the 1993 movie.

But I've lived here for a decade now, and the people who come visit me are much more interested in seeing locations from the ABC doctor drama "Grey's Anatomy."

It's actually a little tougher than you think. "Grey's" uses some exterior scenes shot in Seattle, and the crew travels here about once a television season to get a few more. But most of the scenes, especially the hospital interior, is shot on a studio lot in L.A. I've been on that set, and although the inside is decked out with posters for Seattle events and takeout menus from city restaurants and copies of Seattle Magazine sit on the coffeetable, you walk outside into Southern California sunshine, not Pacific Northwest rain.

And the setting that interests most people ? that long glassy atrium of Seattle Grace Hospital, where it just so happens nearly every doctor must stop and have a heart-to-heart? That's shot at a Veteran's Administration building in Northridge, Calif.

But back in Seattle, I can drive my "Anatomy" loving friends past the home whose exterior was filmed as Meredith Grey's house. It's in the Queen Anne neighborhood. Needless to say, we never bother the residents of the $1.3 million home. It's a quiet neighborhood and you can snap a photograph or two, then walk on. The exterior's hardly seen on the show, but still, it's a popular trip.

I can also take them to KOMO-TV downtown. The local TV station has a helipad that stands in for the Seattle Grace rooftop when emergency cases are seen flying in. As far as we know, "SGH," for "Seattle Grace Hospital," isn't actually painted on the helipad permanently.

And of course, the famous Space Needle and city skyline are seen in almost every episode. They look pretty good at night, I must say. If you're an Elvis fan, rewatch 1963's "It Happened at the World's Fair" before you visit. He rides the monorail and dines in the Space Needle restaurant.

The "Sleepless in Seattle" houseboat still floats on Lake Union ? it was up for sale just a few years ago for $2.5 million. But you don't have to buy it to get a decent view. If you take one of the touristy Argosy Cruises on the lake, your boat sails right by it, and the owners might give you a wave if they're around.

Slideshow: Most romantic movies of all time (on this page)

Other popular pop-culture sites with my crowd? Lakeview Cemetery in the Capitol Hill neighborhood, where Bruce and Brandon Lee are buried. The home where Kurt Cobain killed himself is all but hidden from sight, but benches in nearby Viretta Park serve as graffitied memorials to the singer. Fans of "Singles" can check out numerous locations, including the main apartment building.

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And day trips to Roslyn ("Northern Exposure") and North Bend ("Twin Peaks") are also much in demand for those with a little time to spend in the car.

If you really don't mind driving, head out to Forks, where the "Twilight" films are set. That town is really tourist-friendly. The house used as Bella's home in the films has a sign out front reading "Home of the Swans," and there's even a sign at the local hospital marking reserved parking for Dr. Cullen, vampire Edward's doctor dad.

Slideshow: ?Twilight? stars light up Hollywood (on this page)

Seattle's souvenir stores have capitalized on the popular shows and movies. Before heading home, you can stock up on Seattle Grace scrubs, "Sleepless in Seattle" pajamas and "Twilight" candy hearts.

And if you happen to see McDreamy hanging out somewhere in my city, please give me a call.

Gael Fashingbauer Cooper is TODAY.com's movies editor.

? 2011 MSNBC Interactive.? Reprints

Source: http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/44963344/ns/today-entertainment/

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Low birthweight infants five times more likely to have autism, study finds

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2011) ? Autism researchers at the University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing have found a link between low birthweight and children diagnosed with autism, reporting premature infants are five times more likely to have autism than children born at normal weight.

The children, some born as small as about a pound, were followed for 21 years making this study, published in the journal Pediatrics, one of the most remarkable of its kind. The infants were born between September 1984 through July 1987 in Middlesex, Monmouth, and Ocean counties in New Jersey at birthweights from 500 to 2000 grams or a maximum of about 4.4 pounds.

"As survival of the smallest and most immature babies improves, impaired survivors represent an increasing public health challenge," wrote lead author Jennifer Pinto-Martin, MPH, PhD, director of the Center for Autism and Developmental Disabilities Research and Epidemiology (CADDRE) at Penn Nursing. "Emerging studies suggest that low birthweight may be a risk factor for autism spectrum disorders."

Links between low birthweight and a range of motor and cognitive problems have been well established for some time, but this is the first study that establishes that these children are also at increased risk for autism spectrum disorders (ASD).

"Cognitive problems in these children may mask underlying autism," said Dr. Pinto-Martin. "If there is suspicion of autism or a positive screening test for ASD, parents should seek an evaluation for an ASD. Early intervention improves long-term outcome and can help these children both at school and at home."

In future studies, Penn researchers will investigate possible links between brain hemorrhage, a complication of premature birth, and autism by examining brain ultrasounds taken of these children as newborns.

The researchers, including a team at The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, followed 862 children from birth to young adulthood finding that five percent of the children were diagnosed with autism, compared to one percent of the general population in what researchers called "the first study to have estimated the prevalence of ASD . . . using research validated diagnostic instruments."

The $3 million study was funded by the National Institute of Mental Health.

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Journal Reference:

1. Jennifer A. Pinto-Martin, Susan E. Levy, Judith F. Feldman, John M. Lorenz, Nigel Paneth, Agnes H. Whitaker. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder in Adolescents Born Weighing . Pediatrics, 2011; DOI: 10.1542/peds.2010-2846

Note: If no author is given, the source is cited instead.

Disclaimer: This article is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ScienceDaily or its staff.

Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017092239.htm

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Duff McKagan, rocker, and now writer (AP)

NEW YORK ? Rock stars who pen their autobiographies are pretty common. Rock stars who write columns for alternative weeklys and ESPN.com? Not so much.

In the years since Duff McKagan left Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver behind, he has emerged as something of a renaissance man. He writes about sports for ESPN.com, has his own wealth management company, Merdian Rock, for musicians, and now, is an author with the book "It's So Easy (and Other Lies)," which was recently released by Simon & Schuster. And he still rocks out with his group Loaded.

The book takes its name from a Guns N' Roses song, and details McKagan's triumphs and struggles. The Seattle-born rocker rose to fame in the late 1980s with Guns N' Roses, but would eventually become addicted to drugs and alcohol, until an epiphany one day changed McKagan's life.

McKagan, who's married with children, talked about that life-changing moment, his writing career, Guns N' Roses and his fantasy football nightmare during a recent interview with The Associated Press.

AP: The title of the book is "It's So Easy," and yet it hasn't been so easy. What made it hard?

McKagan: The band started to take off, and moving to L.A. was great. But I suffered panic attacks, young. And I found that drinking would dampen down the panic attacks. And I always thought to myself, "When I get up some free time, I'll deal with this," but as the band started to take off more and more, I got the panic attacks greater and greater, and I was drinking more and more. And then I found drugs, cocaine. I could drink more if I did cocaine, but cocaine would give me more panic attacks, and it would be this caustic kind of stew of action and reaction.

AP: What made you change?

McKagan: I found reason in the hospital. My mom ? I'm the last of eight kids ? had Parkinson's (disease) at the time. She came to the hospital, and she was suffering Parkinson's shakes and she was in a wheelchair. I'm the youngest son. I realized then and there that order of things was wrong. I was supposed to be taking care of her.

AP: You have said that kickboxing turned your life around. How did that happen?

McKagan: I looked like hell and there were boils coming out of my skin from drugs like leaving my body and this trainer said, `There's somebody I want you to meet,' and they took me to this dojo ... He introduced me to sensei (teacher) Benny, and I could tell right away that he could see right through me, down inside of me and knew instantly. Still to this day, he's been my sensei for 16 years, 17 years, and I can tell you in that time, I've said no more than 500 words to him.

AP: How comfortable was it for to put your life in a book?

McKagan: While it may seem like I revealed a ton in writing, you can reveal what you want to reveal. I keep my private life as private as I can. I revealed the important things as they relate to this book and the subject matter of this book.

AP: You do quite a bit of writing, how did that start?

McKagan: In 2008, I started writing for Seattle Weekly. I thought that maybe I would last a couple of weeks and I'd screw it up and they'd find somebody else. But I really found a voice and I like it. Those first two weeks turned into four, then six and eight. Now I'm there 170 weeks or something like that. After about a week, Playboy.com asked me to write a financial column because they knew I went to business school.

AP: Now that you're a writer, what comes first?

McKagan: Music takes precedence over everything. Writing is something you can do on the road, backstage, on the tour bus, on a plane. I get some of my best writing done on a plane. My bandmates are so used to me writing.

AP: Do you feel you're breaking the mold of what a rock star is thought to be?

McKagan: I think the mold was formed, especially in America, by some outlandish characters that became a stereotype and a pigeonhole and all of that. A lot of the most prolific musicians I know are the smartest, most sensitive people that should be running the world.

AP: Any chance Guns N' Roses would get back together?

McKagan: Of course there's a chance. I don't know how real that chance is. It's not something I ever write about or talk at home about or with any of those principal people about, ever.

AP: But you have played with Axl (Rose) recently?

McKagan: Just one. I played a couple songs and he was in London (at the) same hotel and one thing led to another.

AP: You play fantasy football. Who's in the league?

McKagan: Jerry Cantrell, actually all of the Alice (in Chains) guys. Jay Ferguson, ESPN guy; Jim Wilkie, ESPN guy; Anne Wilson, from Heart. She's killing it. There's a comments board, and Anne Wilson can throw down. She knows what she's talking about.

AP: Who's on your team?

McKagan: Ben Roethlisberger is my quarterback.

AP: And finally, how are you doing this season?

McKagan: I'm 0-4. Sean Kinney (from Alice in Chains), who doesn't know anything about football, drafted a kicker in the second round. His team beat me.

___

Online:

http:// www.duff-itssoeasy.com

___

John Carucci covers entertainment for The Associated Press. Follow him at http://www.twitter.com/jcarucci_ap

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/music/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111019/ap_en_mu/us_music_q_a_duff_mckagan

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One in four children exposed to some form of family violence

ScienceDaily (Oct. 17, 2011) ? More than 1 in 4 children have been exposed to physical violence between their parents at some time, 1 in 9 of them during the past year, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire Crimes against Children Research Center.

The research was reported in a new bulletin released by the U.S. Department of Justice. The bulletin was part of The National Survey of Children Exposed to Violence.

Although children get exposed to violence between parents in a variety of ways, such as hearing it, getting told about, or seeing the consequences, the vast majority of exposed children -- 90 percent -- were direct eyewitnesses to at least one incident, according to the researchers.

"Not surprisingly, given this high rate of eyewitness exposure, children had strong reactions to the exposure. Almost half yelled at their parents to stop, more than 2 in 5 tried to get away from the fight, and nearly 1 in 4 called for help," said UNH Crimes against Children Research Center research associate Sherry Hamby, lead author of the study and research associate professor at Sewanee, the University of the South.

Male parents and caregivers were identified as the perpetrator 69 percent of the time, female parent figures were identified 23 percent of the time, and both male and female perpetrators were identified by 9 percent of youth. Noncohabiting boyfriends of mothers, for example, were 11 percent of identified perpetrators.

"We want people to recognize that children's exposure to violence in the family is not limited to fights between parents. They also see parents physically assault siblings and teens or adults physically assault other relatives," Hamby said.

Taking these other forms of family violence into account, the study suggests there are approximately 18.8 million children who have been exposed to some form of family violence in their lifetime.

"We want to encourage people who have contact with children in a variety of settings -- including teachers, pediatricians, nurses, child protection workers, and domestic violence advocates -- to consider more comprehensive, collaborative assessments of the safety issues and needs of all family members," Hamby said.

To facilitate more comprehensive assessments, the UNH Crimes against Children Research Center is debuting a new website that provides free access to the Juvenile Victimization Questionnaire and provides information on how to use it in a variety of settings. The link is http://www.unh.edu/ccrc/jvq/index_new.html.

The study was conducted in 2008 and involved interviews with caregivers and youth about the experiences of a nationally representative sample of 4,549 children ages 0-17. In addition to Hamby, the authors include David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes against Children Research Center and professor of sociology; Heather Turner, professor of sociology at UNH; and Richard Ormrod, research professor of geography at UNH.

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Source: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111017124342.htm

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Apple?s iPhone 4S might be tempting buyers to drop their other phones (Appolicious)

It seems that as the iPhone 4S continues to sell like crazy, the latest iPhone might be poaching customers from other mobile platforms, such as Google?s Android and Research In Motion?s BlackBerry.

At least, that?s according to a story from Reuters, which conducted an informal survey of some 127 iPhone buyers and found that at least a portion ? 28, in fact ? were jumping ship from another kind of mobile device and switching to Apple?s brand.

Now, admittedly, the numbers in this story are pretty much useless, and the evidence Reuters found is purely anecdotal. The news service spoke with iPhone 4S buyers in the U.S., Japan, Australia, Germany, France and Britain, and it found some interesting stories among those switching to the iPhone from another camp. Most of the people Reuters spoke with were upgrading existing iPhones, but a big portion of buyers Reuters talked to were also new customers.

Pre-orders already sold out

We?ve heard that Sprint, Verizon and AT&T had sold out their pre-orders of the new iPhone, and Apple saw huge lines last Friday when the device was released. Online, Apple?s pre-orders for the iPhone 4S filled up quickly (it sold a million on the first day the orders were available, a week before the phone?s launch) and latecomers will be waiting at least a week or two for their new iPhones. Many of these sales are coming from iPhone owners, and undoubtedly many are also coming from Sprint and Verizon, since both carriers are new or relatively new to offering the iPhone to customers. But it?s also possible that other companies? misfortunes are Apples? gain. Sprint reported it had made sales records with the iPhone 4S by 1 p.m. on Friday.

RIM?s BlackBerry device owners have been suffering lately from a massive outage of service all over the world. As Reuters reports, massive issues like that one are likely sending people who have been BlackBerry loyalists to check out new devices, and the hype surrounding the iPhone 4S is likely enticing many of them.

Nokia?s uncertain future; WP7 still small

Apple probably is also benefiting from Nokia?s recent sweeping changes to its business. The company announced just a few months ago that it would be abandoning its Symbian and MeeGo operating systems in the future and selling phones running Windows Phone 7 instead. The uncertain future of Nokia devices, or just the fact that Microsoft?s Windows Phone system is largely unknown among many consumers, may also be sending customers elsewhere.

These recent changes in the business work heavily to Apple?s favor when it releases a new, popular device to a lot of hype. BlackBerry users and Nokia owners due for an upgrade are probably seeing a big opening. And even users of Google?s Android operating system aren?t immune to the promise of iOS 5 and new features such as Siri. And then there are current iPhone owners, who are subject to the ?stickiness? of Apple?s operating system. The more content those users own from iTunes and iOS, which only works on other iOS devices, the more likely they are to keep buying iPhones in order to keep their apps and music handy.

All this has apparently combined in different measures to create what might be Apple?s greatest ever iPhone launch for the 4S. We?ll have to wait for some further analysis of the numbers when Apple and its carriers release them (should they choose to), but at least right now, the iPhone 4S is a force to contend with in the smartphone world.

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/applecomputer/*http%3A//us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/external/appolicious_rss/rss_appolicious_tc/http___www_appolicious_com_articles9901_apples_iphone_4s_might_be_tempting_buyers_to_drop_their_other_phones/43285348/SIG=13kolj4a3/*http%3A//www.appolicious.com/tech/articles/9901-apples-iphone-4s-might-be-tempting-buyers-to-drop-their-other-phones

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Adam Levine & His Russian Girlfriend Get Naked For Vogue

Adam Levine & His Russian Girlfriend Get Naked For Vogue

Maroon 5 lead singer Adam Levine has stripped down yet again, appearing on the cover of Russian Vogue with his girlfriend Anne Vyalitsyna. Levine and [...]

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Liberia opposition cites flaws in poll, pulls out (AP)

MONROVIA, Liberia ? A group of Liberian opposition parties said Saturday they are pulling out of a recent presidential poll and threatened to refuse the results over allegations that election officials are skewing the outcome in favor of the president.

Saturday's statement was signed by eight parties, including those of second-place challenger Winston Tubman and third-place contender Prince Johnson. The latest partial results gave President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf a narrow lead in the race.

In a statement, the group claimed "massive fraud being carried out by the National Elections Commission in the handling and reporting of the presidential election results in favor of President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf and the Unity Party."

"We direct all our party agents assigned at (the electoral commission) in all capacities to withdraw effective immediately," the statement read. "If the process continues we will not accept the results."

The parties said they could offer photographs and witnesses to back their claims. They also called for a Sunday rally but did not specify a time or place.

International and local election observers said Tuesday's election was peaceful, and there were no major breaches in voting and no serious incidences of violence.

Electoral commission spokesman Bobby Livingstone did not immediately address the allegations.

"The commission is going to come up with a position on this later," he said. "There may be some legal implications."

Johnson and other politicians spoke after the statement was read.

"It is a sad day for Liberia," Johnson said. "In 1985 when Madame Sirleaf won a seat in the senate, she did not take it because she felt the election was rigged and that brought trouble to this country. Now, to see this strong woman who advocated for peace, justice, transparency and accountability to now be the one to rig elections through the election commission is sad thing indeed."

Johnson, whose rebel army invaded Monrovia in 1990, videotaped himself ordering his men to cut off the ears of the country's captured former president Samuel Doe, who later died.

Johnson has tried to refashion himself as a politician, and became a born-again Christian after the war, then went on to be elected senator of his home county.

On Saturday, he appealed to Liberians to remain calm.

"We want peace for Liberia," he said. "We want stability. We call upon all Liberians to remain peaceful as we find peaceful solutions to this situation."

Wilmot Paye, the secretary-general of the ruling Unity Party, said the party was not surprised by the allegations.

"What they have done today is something that we had anticipated," he said. "They are doing this thing because it is not going their way. That's why they want to create chaos."

Also on Saturday, police said an office occupied by the ruling party burned down overnight. Police spokesman George Bardue said police were pursuing suspects but have made no arrests.

Counting is ongoing. Sirleaf led late Friday with 45.4 percent of the vote, falling short of the majority needed to avoid a runoff, according to partial results.

The Harvard-educated Sirleaf, who was Africa's first democratically elected female president, faced 15 challengers. She is viewed abroad as a reformer and was awarded this year's Nobel Peace Prize for her role in stabilizing Liberia after a 14-year civil war.

The results had been tallied from 2,242 polling stations representing more than half of the nation's 4,457 voting centers. While Sirleaf led with 265,883 votes, the party of Tubman and soccer star George Weah trailed with 172,681 votes, or 29.5 percent. Johnson came in third in the race with 66,419 votes, or 11.4 percent, and said he is looking forward to playing the role of kingmaker.

This is not the first time challengers have claimed fraud in a Liberian election. After the country's first postwar presidential poll in 2005, Weah ? who ran for president ? alleged massive fraud and contested the ballot. International observers said the vote was largely clean.

"We were given the right to exercise our civil liberty to go and vote, and our votes should be counted right," Weah said Saturday. "Madame Sirleaf does not have to be president of this country if the people don't want her to be. We are asking the international community to go back to the drawing board."

Source: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/rss/africa/*http%3A//news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20111015/ap_on_re_af/af_liberia_election

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