News: Oral sex cancer virus is more of a boy thing

Virus that causes oral sex cancer strikes boys more

The human papillomavirus, which can cause oral cancers spread by oral sex, affects 10 percent of men and 3.6 percent of women according to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association. The virus, linked to throat cancer, is becoming a more common cause than smoking itself. Bloomberg reported:

The virus, called HPV, is the most-common sexually transmitted virus in the U.S., where half the population will be infected at some time in their lives, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. It is known to cause cervical, vulvar, vaginal, penile and anal cancer. The higher HPV infection rate in men explains why their head and neck cancer rates are greater, said Maura Gillison, a professor at the Ohio State University College of Medicine in Columbus.

“This provides pretty strong evidence that the higher infection rate is the reason why,” said Gillison, the study’s lead author, in a telephone interview. “This is a jumping board for additional research.”

Around 80 per cent of girls in Australia are vaccinated against the virus, though far fewer boys are because the vaccine is not subsidised by the Federal Government. A recommendation by the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee (PBAC) might soon change this.

The making – and breaking – of Kyle Sandilands

You might have caught the profile by Caroline Overington in the Australian Magazine at the weekend. A fascinating insight into the glass-jawed shock jock who, it is said, can’t take criticism and whose ego might consume his own career. It paints a portrait of a young Brisbane kid devastated by his parent’s divorce who later ‘slept rough’ on the streets (though his dad disputed the severity of Kyle’s version of events) when his mother and father turned him away after he held a secret party. And so he lived with his aunt in North Queensland where he landed a gig on local 4TO radio and was offered the chance to take a presenting gig. By all accounts his talent as an announcer was prodigious. But Overington’s profile discusses the damage done when a star is created. The scandals, the indulging of personal whims for the ‘talent’ far beyond any normal employee. It lists moments that stand out. Like the Austereo interns Kyle persuaded to strip naked for a promotion. When told not to, he sent another naked woman into a manager’s office. There was the 2009 affair when a 14-year-old girl admitted on air to being raped. And of course the 2011 saga involving his vitriolic attack on a journalist for questioning his new show. The golden microphone provided for him and him alone, the negotiated contract that allowed Sandilands to do the breakfast show from LA at 11am … or even 1pm. A former producer justified the ‘indulging’. “Whatever else you say about him, do not underestimate his radio genius … He really has no equal in Australia.” The feature talked of the ‘body count’ behind Kyle: those employees who walked away because he was too difficult to work with. But also of the stories of his generosity. Shouting work drinks, offering up his LA home for friends to stay in and so on. So the question remains: is Kyle Sandilands just a misunderstood bloke who wants so much to be loved he can’t take the criticism of being in the public eye? Or is he, as others would readily assert, just a misogynist bully?

Change your kid’s diet to make them smarter

New research shows an apparent link between low Glycemic Index (GI) / high carbohydrate foods and increased academic performance. Foods like wholegrain cereals, multigrain breads, natural muesli, baked beans, poached eggs, fruit and plain or diet yoghurt are great examples of the low GI mix which help regulate starch and glucose levels in blood sugar. Alan Barclay, chief scientific officer at the Glycemic Index Foundation, a partnership between the University of Sydney and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, said parents wanting to improve their childrens’ school performance should give them a breakfast with about 35 to 40 grams of carbohydrate with a low GI. ”That should translate into improved performance in various tasks at school which ultimately should lead to better marks at the end of the year. Glucose is the primary fuel for our brain. If we don’t have enough in the right amounts over the right period of time we basically can’t think properly and can’t remember things.”

Opposition calls for investigation into Australia Day protest

UPDATE: The AFP has said it will not investigate.

“The AFP subsequently evaluated the information and no evidence of a criminal act was identified.

“As such, the AFP is not conducting an investigation.”

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The Federal Coalition will officially ask the Australian Federal Police to investigate the apparent security breach which led to the Prime Minister and Opposition leader Tony Abbott surrounded by Aboriginal tent embassy protestors in a glass-walled restaurant on Australia Day. The protest was sparked by an interview Mr Abbott had given earlier that day saying it was time to move on from the issues that saw the embassy created 40 years ago. But it was a senior media advisor in Ms Gillard’s office who tipped off a union secretary, who in turn tipped off protestors, as to Mr Abbott’s whereabouts that day. That advisor, Tony Hodges, resigned shortly after rumours began to circulate about his involvement. Mr Abbott said yesterday: ”The Prime Minister clearly does have to tell us what she was told verbatim by her office and by her former staffer; we need to know who knew what when and exactly who said what when.” The news comes as the first poll of the year shows Kevin Rudd as preferred PM. The Australian reports: “Mr Rudd’s huge 52-30 lead over Ms Gillard as preferred leader will trigger headaches in Labor HQ. But party strategists are pleased with the first Galaxy poll of the year, which shows a five point rise in the ALP’s primary vote from 29 to 34 per cent. The Coalition’s primary vote has also fallen from 51 to 48 per cent, which still leaves the opposition with a big 54-46 lead in the two-party-preferred vote.”

Kids under 10 committing serious crimes

Police in Victoria have reportedly called young criminals under the age of 10 the ‘Untouchables’ because the law states they do not know right from wrong. Leaked statistics show there were 288 under 10s investigated for 305 ‘serious offences’ in Victoria over the past five years. The statistics show 254 boys and 34 girls, aged nine and under, were processed for 11 sex crimes, including rape, 36 burglaries, five counts of stealing a motor vehicle, three drug possessions, or using drugs, and three counts of being armed with weapons or explosives. Police Association spokesman Bruce Mckenzie said such serious crimes were passing “without consequence” and called for the law to be reviewed. “We are acutely aware of the situation and it is extremely frustrating for our members when more and more young people are committing more and more serious crimes, yet there is no consequence and no deterrent,” he said.

Wife of controversial business man Alan Bond dies

Theatre producer Diana Bliss has passed away at her Cottesloe, Western Australia, home at the weekend. She was 57. Police confirmed yesterday the coronial investigations unit was investigating the death of 57-year-old Diana Gweneth Bond and that there were no suspicious circumstances. But it was reported Ms Bliss had battled depression and mental illness in the months before her death. The SMH reported: Tony Bonney, who produced shows with Ms Bliss in Perth and knew her for more than 15 years, said her death had come as a shock but things ‘added up’. “The last time I spoke to her at any great length was a few months ago, it was obvious that things were getting harder for her,” Mr Bonney said. “It was a shock, but when you piece it all together, you kind of know. It’s a terrible shame.” Alan Bond briefly spoke to the media and said he had lost his ‘beautiful wife’.

Cops with ink might be banned

A draft policy in the ‘final stages’ of approval for the New South Wales Police Commissioner proposes a ban on visible tattoos for all serving police and future cadets. The document, written by Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy and Assistant Commissioner Paul Carey, recommends a new standard for cadets, meaning that anyone with prominent body art trying to join the police could be denied entry to the academy. Of course, you can’t retrospectively ban tattoos on officers who already have them but even they may be forced to cover-up with long sleeves or, in extreme cases, have them removed.

“This is about professionalism, it’s about proper discipline and how you carry yourself in public,” Mr Corboy said. “We’ve identified more recruits coming in with full arm tattoos, or tattoos on their legs, and obviously some are on their necks and faces. Does the community want someone knocking on their door with a Mike Tyson tattoo on their face or neck? I don’t think so.”

And for a little fun, here are the red carpet looks from the Screen Actors Guild awards.

What else is in the news and on your mind?