New driving guidelines issued for seniors with dementia

On Monday, the American Academy of Neurology released new guidelines to help family members conclude when it is appropriate to take driving privileges away from relatives who are suffering from Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia.

While admitting that no one source of information is capable of determining when a senior citizen should stop driving, lead guideline author Donald Iverson and his colleagues found that a specific dementia test and the input of family members are the two best ways of making an informed decision.

After scrutinizing more than 400 studies, the investigators determined that families should identify relatives as unsafe to drive by utilizing the Clinical Dementia Rating (CDR) scale, which can be accessed through any personal care physician.

They also stressed that family members should trust their instincts and not rely on driving tests. One study that the team examined found that as many as 76 percent of people with dementia can still pass driving tests, even though they are at a elevated risk of getting into an accident, according to Health Day News.

“As a doctor, I absolutely have to rely on the family’s observations,” said David Knopman, a professor of neurology at the Mayo Clinic.”The brain supports the capacity for insight into your own actions or capabilities. That is critically eroded in patients with Alzheimer’s.”

High-performance BMWs destined for NY auto show stolen from New Jersey lot

Even though the New York International Auto Show concluded nearly a week ago, the annual car expo is continuing to make headlines. As local authorities attempt to clean up the legal mess caused by the post-show riot that occurred in midtown Manhattan late Sunday night, they now have a new case on their hands.

The New York Post reported on Thursday that a group of thieves stole six BMWs late last month that were scheduled to be on display at the Javits Center on April 3rd. Apparently, the Beemers were taken during three separate heists from a Port Authority-owned parking facility in Jersey City.

Among the vehicles that were stolen was an extremely limited edition 550i Sophisto – a vehicle that was expected to be a main attraction at the 2010 show. The $90,000 sedan, which is thought to be the only one of its kind in the country, is still unaccounted for.

“We provided all the information to the authorities,” a BMW spokesman told the news source. Local police are still looking for at least three suspects who they believe are responsible for each heist.

New report proclaims it a good time to buy used cars

Over the years, consumers have viewed used cars as an excellent means of keeping costs down when shopping for a new car. According to a new release from noted customer advocates Consumer Reports (CR), not only are used cars more affordable, they may also be more reliable.

In its Annual Auto Survey, CR found that 5-year-old vehicles have about one-third fewer problems than their newer counterparts, and that only around 1 percent showed any kind of major engine or transmission problems.

The best value for automotive shoppers was found to be 2- or 3-year-old models. These vehicles are seen as just on the other side of the steep value depreciation curve that all cars go through, and contain many of the most modern safety features, according to the Hartford Courant. Three-quarters of the owners surveyed reported no problems over the previous year of ownership, with the most common problems being relatively minor issues, such as squeaks and rattles with power windows and locks.

“That means that buying used,” writes the news provider, “isn’t the gamble [shoppers] might have thought, especially if [they] steer clear of trouble-prone models.”

Jay-Z teaches wife Beyonce to drive in NYC

Despite having a busy professional life and upcoming concerts to prepare for this summer, rapper Jay-Z apparently still has time for the little things in life, like teaching his pop star wife Beyonce Knowles how to drive.

Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, was reportedly giving driving lessons to Beyonce whois apparently doing so well that the rap mogul is already looking for his girl’s first new ride.

UK newspaper, The Sun, reported that Carter is looking at a Bentley for Knowles, but that she insists she wants something smaller.

“Money isn’t an issue but she doesn’t want to feel like she’s driving a tank, an unnamed source told the Sun. “She does want a car that is big enough to take out her family and friends if she needs to, though.”

The source added that Carter conducts his personal driving school around “mid-morning when it’s quiet.”

Jay-Z has an affinity for Bentleys, and has featured them in some of his music videos. Currently, Beyonce is sharing a pop hit with Lady Gaga for their single “Telephone,” which is accompanied by a music video that is approximately 10 minutes long and features the two singers in a Grindhouse-esque short film.

Tiger participates in first press conference since his accident

Tiger Woods made his first professional appearance of the year on Monday at the Augusta National Golf Club, a full four months after his infamous November 27 car crash. Although the world’s number one golfer read a prepared statement approximately one month ago, Monday was the first day that he fielded questions from reporters since the news of his multiple infidelities was reported.

Woods expressed contrition regarding his extramarital affairs and his deceitful behavior, even going as far as apologizing to his fellow competitors for creating a media frenzy.

“I lied to a lot of people, I deceived a lot of people,” he said. “I rationalized. I kept a lot of people in the dark. I even lied to myself.”

Meanwhile, Woods vehemently denied receiving performance enhancing drugs from Dr Anthony Galea, who is currently under investigation by federal authorities providing athletes with human growth hormone, an untraceable steroid. Woods was treated by Galea in 2008 after having surgery on his knee following his U.S. Open victory.

Tiger and the rest of the playing field will tee it up on Thursday at the Masters Invitational, the first major tournament of the year.

Small riot spoils successful 2010 New York Auto Show

The New York International Auto Show has a history of being one of the most exciting and transcendent public events in the area each year. With record-setting crowds and a plethora of innovative technologies on display, the 2010 show was no different.

Unfortunately, last weekend’s event was marred by a string of violent incidents that occurred not far from the Javits Center soon after the show concluded.

According to the Associated Press, hundreds of young men reportedly left the auto show and were caught brawling in the streets in midtown Manhattan late Sunday evening.

New York Police Department chief spokesman, Paul Browne, said that the mini riot resulted in 54 arrests, mostly on charges of disorderly conduct. Brown also noted that four people were shot during the melee and several alleged gang members were taken into custody. He added that those who were arrested were a bunch of “young men looking for trouble.”

It is still unclear whether the people who fired the shots were among those locked up for the evening. None of those who were injured are considered to be in life-threatening condition.

The high number of arrests may have been due to the fact that local police were on special alert, as this is not the first time that violence has broken out after the auto show.

In 2005, approximately 80 gang members of the Crips and Bloods engaged in a massive fistfight inside the convention center during the event. One year later, nearly 200 “rowdy teens” in the area created enough trouble that “the NYPD raised the white flag and told Times Square businesses to close for their safety,” according to The New York Post reports.

Unfortunately for the organizers of this year’s event, the riot spoiled what commentators called the best show in the six-year history of the car expo.

“We had an amazing crowd, a very family-oriented crowd,” said auto show spokesman Chris Sams. “The type of person who makes an auto show great, people listening to the presenters.”

Officials with the auto show also noted that the riot broke out nearly a mile away from the event, and that there has been no confirmation whether all of those who were arrested had attended the expo.

K-Rod flies back to Venezuela following brothers’ car crash

Early last week, Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez left the team’s training facility in Florida to head back to his native Venezuela for “personal reasons.” Over the weekend, various media outlets broke the news that K-Rod was forced to fly home to tend to his two brothers, who were involved in a serious car crash.

Apparently, Rodriguez’s two younger brothers – Leandro and Erik – were in the middle of a 10-hour drive across Venezuela when the accident occurred. Erik had just taken the wheel at approximately 3 AM on Wednesday when he fell asleep and lost control of the family’s truck, flipping it multiple times. The vehicle eventually came to rest at the bottom of a ravine and burst into flames soon after all the passengers were able to extricate themselves from the cabin.

“They were sitting on the side of the road for four hours until somebody stopped by and picked them up and took them to the hospital,” said Rodriguez. “That’s when I found out and headed back [home].”

While Erik’s injuries were limited to a broken arm, Leandro suffered a broken ankle, knee and arm as well as fractures to both legs and hips, ESPN.com reports.

Rodriguez was back with the Mets on Sunday and is expected to be ready for the season opener Monday.

How to fix a scratch on your vehicle

With summer just around the corner, April is the time that most car owners get around to assessing their vehicle’s exterior and fixing any problems that may have occurred during the winters months. In the Northeast, dents, dings and scratches are bound to happen when snow hits the ground. With a few helpful tips, even the deepest, most obvious scratches can easily be removed.

The first thing that any car owner should do when encountering a nick or scuff mark is to go to the local auto parts store and purchase the materials necessary for the job. The three main ingredients that are needed are primer, body compound and paint in your vehicle’s color.

To obtain the correct shade, check your vehicle’s identification number, which is stamped into the dashboard on the driver’s side in most cars, according to EHow.com. Provide this number to your auto parts store and they can match the exact shade of paint for your vehicle. If possible, never choose a color using an eye test – a mismatched paint job will often look worse than the scratch itself.

After purchasing your tools for the job, wash the scratch and the surrounding area with a mild laundry detergent to remove any excess wax. Next, take a small section of sandpaper and grind away any rust that has accumulated. If the scratch is fresh, this step may be avoided.

At this point, you will want to take some masking tape and newspaper and isolate the scratch, says Christopher Bibey of Associated Content. After sealing off the area, take a plastic knife and apply body compound to the area. Make sure not to use a metal knife or you could significantly damage the paint job.

Let the body compound dry and then sand the area flat to create an even surface to paint on. Next, apply to primer to the scratch and give it time to dry.

Finally, take the smallest paint brush that you own and gently paint over the scratch. Be certain not to use too much paint or it may give the car an uneven look.

If you hang on to all of the materials that you purchase, you can fix most any scratch an no cost for the life of your automobile.

Sandra Bullock makes first appearance since the news of her husbands affair

For the first time in more than two weeks since the news broke of her husband’s affair, movie star Sandra Bullock made a public appearance. Unfortunately, instead of accepting an award or showing off at a movie premiere, Bullock was photographed covering her face while being hassled by a group of paparazzi.

Wearing a large hat and draping a coat over her head, The Blind Side star tried to slump down in the seat of her chauffeured Mercedes-Benz to escape the madness.

“When you’re at your most vulnerable or least tolerant, that’s when the paparazzi come after you,” Lt. Jeff Dunn, who runs an anti-stalking unit for the Los Angeles Police Department told ABC News.

Meanwhile, her husband Jesse James, who was recently busted having an ongoing affair with a fetish model, faces a vandalism charge after allegedly damaging the car of a photographer who was apparently stalking him in Los Angeles. James, who is currently in rehab for sex addiction, has since been accused of cheating on Bullock with three other women over the past few years.

Although the National Ledger reports that James’ friends are referring to him as a “broken man” who is desperate to rekindle his relationship with his movie star wife, various media reports indicate that a divorce is imminent.

Study: 97.5 percent of motorists can’t safely drive while talking on the phone

Although talking on the phone while driving may be safe for a select few, new research has found that an overwhelming majority of motorists are putting their life in their hands by using their cell phone in transit.

According to a recent University of Utah study, only 2.5 percent of people – known as supertaskers – can successfully drive while simultaneously using their cellular telephone, Health Day News reports.

“Given the number of individuals who routinely talk on the phone while driving, one would have hoped that there would be a greater percentage of supertaskers,” said study co-author and psychologist Jason Watson.

“And while we’d probably all like to think we are the exception to the rule, the odds are overwhelmingly against it,” he added.

In the study, the research team analyzed 200 people who took part in a simulated freeway driving session. Watson and his colleagues were shocked to find that nearly every participant took 20 percent longer to hit the brakes while talking on the phone than they did while driving normally.

Moreover, their memory performance, math skills and ability to properly follow the vehicle in front of them suffered considerably.