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Have You Seen This? The best country singer might be Mongolian
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It turns out even the Mongols can sing with as much down-home soul as the King of Country. - photo by Angie Treasure


ULAANBAATAR Im not a big fan of country music.

Its true my first real concert I ever went to was Tim McGraw and Faith Hill, but I didnt really buy the tickets, nor did I have any say in what was playing on the CD in my sisters Volkswagen Jetta when shed pick me up from my friends houses.

I relate to little about country life; riding down dirt roads in blue jeans and every other stereotype are basically just squares in modern country music Bingo to me.

But just because I dont fill my iTunes library with twang doesnt mean its not an American nay a global phenomenon.

Take a contestant from Mongolias Got Talent as a prime example. Enkh-Erdene Otgonbat (or O.Enkh-Erdene as he is sometimes referred) auditioned for the reality show by singing a George Strait song.

Yes, it turns out even the Mongols can sing with as much down-home soul as the King of Country, whose Amarillo by Morning Enkh did justice in his five-minute audition.

The video of the electrician whose father advised him not to pursue a career in singing has recently been circulating around Facebook, though the show debuted in October. You may have missed it, unless you get Mongol TV.

Spoiler alert: O.Enkh-Erdene went on to win the competition and even does a mean Elvis Presley impression. Staggering, considering hes singing in a foreign language.
Its toxic: New study says blue light from tech devices can speed up blindness
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A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers. - photo by Herb Scribner
It turns out checking Twitter or Facebook before bed is bad for your health.

A new study from the University of Toledo found that blue light from digital devices can transform molecules in your eyes retina into cell killers.

That process can lead to age-related macular degeneration, which is a leading cause of blindness in the United States, according to the researchs extract.

Blue light is a common issue for many modern Americans. Blue light is emitted from screens, most notably at night, causing sleep loss, eye strain and a number of other issues.

Dr. Ajith Karunarathne, assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, said our constant exposure to blue light cant be blocked by the lens or cornea.

"It's no secret that blue light harms our vision by damaging the eye's retina. Our experiments explain how this happens, and we hope this leads to therapies that slow macular degeneration, such as a new kind of eye drop, he said.

Macular degeneration is an incurable eye disease that often affects those in their 50s or 60s. It occurs after the death of photoreceptor cells in the retina. Those cells need retinal to sense light and help signal the brain.

The research team found blue light exposure created poisonous chemical molecules that killed photoreceptor cells

"It's toxic. If you shine blue light on retinal, the retinal kills photoreceptor cells as the signaling molecule on the membrane dissolves," said Kasun Ratnayake, a Ph.D. student researcher working in Karunarathne's cellular photo chemistry group. "Photoreceptor cells do not regenerate in the eye. When they're dead, they're dead for good."

However, the researchers found a molecule called alpha-tocopherol, which comes from Vitamin E, can help prevent cell death, according to Futurism.

The researchers plan to review how light from TVs, cellphones and tablet screens affect the eyes as well.

"If you look at the amount of light coming out of your cellphone, it's not great but it seems tolerable," said Dr. John Payton, visiting assistant professor in the UT Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. "Some cellphone companies are adding blue-light filters to the screens, and I think that is a good idea."

Indeed, Apple released a Night Shift mode two years ago to help quell blue lights strain on the eyes, according to The Verge. The screen will dim into a warmer, orange light that will cause less stress on the eyes.