U.S. expat dies in crash on Pacific coast


A United States citizen is dead after his car crashed off the Inter-American Highway in Piedras Blancas, Osa. Officers said they found Christian Phillip Austin, 37, early Wednesday morning inside the wrecked Toyota 4Runner.

A press representative from the Judicial Investigating Organization confirmed that Austin's body was not protected by a seatbelt, although it remained inside the vehicle after the crash.

Judicial investigators said that the man had lived in Quepos for several years.

As of Wednesday evening, investigators and a U. S. Embassy spokesman said any further information was unknown.


Women's group to host story teller


Professional story teller Michale Gabriel will share her techniques with the    Professional Women's Group of the non-profit Women’s Club of Costa Rica June 21 at Tin Jo Restaurant  at 9:30 a.m. The women's group said the topic will be marketing through story telling:  tips and lessons learned in the fine art of communication.

Ms. Gabriel, who now lives in Costa Rica, has extensive experience in the United States and internationally in helping others to communicate effectively. Her company is Story by Design.

The group said that she will offer some practical guidance on identifying and developing personal story material, delivering with intentionality, power and impact and how to connect and build trust by listening for values 

Member's entrance fee to this presentation is 3,000 colons. Guests and non-members pay 4,000, the group said. There is optional coffee and cookies an additional 500 colons.  Guests are welcome to become members, the group said.

Reservations are required in advance online at: http://whoozin.com/W64-3PW-XPAE. more information is available via
email to  pwg.wccr@gmail.com   or by visiting the Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/pwg.wccr


Traffic laws unenforced and meaningless

Dear A.M. Costa Rica:

A couple of comments I would like to make

It appears that the motor vehicle laws in this beautiful country have absolutely no meaning, and no consequences. Hence the many deaths and accidents here. If motorists and cyclists, too were made to pay their fines, have their licenses suspended and their vehicle insurance doubled, there wouldn’t be no where’s near the amount of traffic accidents, deaths, and innocent people maimed for life. Also the courts would have all that extra money to help with the cost of running the government and enforcing these rules.

Many, many of us from the States obey our traffic laws, not because we are so conscientious or so ready to obey the law. We all get the urge to drive faster then we should and make ridiculous maneuvers that are so dangerous to not only ourselves but to so many innocent people. We are extremely aware of the heavy fines that are imposed, points added to our drivers licenses, the cost of paying a much higher insurance premium and jail time. These are things we are not willing to compromise and certainly do not want to be punished. So most of us obey those traffic laws. There are many who don’t, and they either wind up in jail, pay very heavy fines that leave their family in dire need, kill themselves and others or lose their privilege to drive.

Also want to say that the Hospital Calderón in San José has the most disgusting housekeeping I have ever run across in my life and the only place I have ever been in that believe it or not does not have any toilet paper in their bathrooms. It is grossly unsanitary. How do they ever expect patients to get well.

I have been wanting to let someone know of these concerns for a very long time. Not that anything will be done about it. Government here is very strange and does not deal at all fairly with the problems facing them. They allow criminals to make the rules especially those who might have gotten a driving ticket.



Red meat, cancer linked in new study


Eating red meat as an early adult could increase the risk of breast cancer, according to new research.

Researchers from Harvard University analyzed data on over 88,000 premenopausal women aged 26 to 45 who are taking part in the Nurse’s Health Study II and completed a questionnaire on their eating habits in 1991.

The Nurse’s Health study has been monitoring the health of female registered nurses since 1976.

Red meat included unprocessed beef, pork, lamb and hamburger, and processed red meat included hot dogs, bacon and sausage.

For the questionnaire, the nurses were asked to rate the frequency they ate red meat from among nine categories ranging from “never or less than once per month” to “six or more per day.”
 
Taking into account factors like age, height, weight, family history and race, the researchers were able to identify 2,830 cases of breast cancer over 20 years.
 
Using statistical modeling, the researchers say they were able to estimate breast cancer risks for women with different diets. They said that for each increase from among the nine options for red meat consumption, there was an increase in developing breast cancer.
 
Researchers said a higher intake of red meat was associated with a 22 percent increase in risk of breast cancer. Each additional serving per day upped the risk by 13 percent.
 
Substituting chicken for one serving of red meat per day actually reduced the risk of breast cancer by 17 percent, the study said.
 
In concluding, the study’s authors said that eating a lot of red meat in early adulthood "may be a risk factor for breast cancer, and replacing red meat with a combination of legumes, poultry, nuts and fish may reduce the risk of breast cancer."
 
They cautioned, however that further study of the relation between diet in early adulthood and cancer is needed.
 
A diet high in red meat has long been linked to colon cancer and pancreatic cancer, but its relationship to breast cancer has been little understood.
 
Not all were convinced by the study.
 
“As several researchers who have analyzed this study have already pointed out, the totality of the available evidence indicates that red meat consumption has little or no effect on breast cancer risk,” said the American Meat Institute’s vice president for scientific affairs, Betsy Booren, in an emailed statement.
 
“This study with extremely weak associations based on self-reported food intake doesn’t add much to our current knowledge on this complex condition. It is well known that the best steps women can take to reduce their breast cancer risk are maintaining a healthy weight, exercising, reducing alcohol consumption and not smoking.”
 
Another expert said the study was not definitive.
 
"The women who ate less red meat may have a healthier lifestyle, and that reduces their risk of cancer, Stephanie Bernik, chief of surgical oncology at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York City told the Web site Healthday. “The increased risk tied to red meat might only stand in for other unhealthy behaviors," she said. "A healthy lifestyle can lower your risk of cancer in general."
 
Mia Gaudet, director of genetic epidemiology at the American Cancer Society, said that eating red meat as an early adult could be connected to increased risk of developing breast cancer.
 
"Breasts are still developing and are more susceptible to carcinogens before women have their first full-term pregnancy," she said.
 
The American Cancer Society recommends people eat a plant-based diet.

"It's important to have a healthy lifestyle throughout your life and not just as you get older and more worried about cancer," Ms. Gaudet said. "People should perhaps consider ordering a salad or a vegetarian option sometime."