The real reason Macaulay Culkin turned down Big Bang Theory casting 3 times

The former child star whose 1990 Christmas movie classic is required watching during the holiday season was this close to becoming one of the biggest names in television. 

Home Alone actor Macaulay Culkin revealed during a recent appearance on Joe Rogan's Joe Rogan Experience podcast that the minds behind CBS' The Big Bang Theory offered him a part on the show – but he turned it down three times. 

The reason? He was put off by the series' concept — and wasn't interested in being a part of a sitcom or television show in the first place. 

"I couldn't see myself doing a sitcom or a television show kind of thing. A good one, I'd do. Like, NewsRadio is a fantastic show," Culkin explained, referencing the '90s sitcom on which Rogan starred as electrician and handyman Joe Garrelli. "They pursued me for The Big Bang Theory. And I said, like, 'No' … 'cause it was kinda, like the way the pitch was, was kinda just like, 'Alright, these two, like, astrophysicist nerds and then a pretty girl lives with them—yoinks!' That was the pitch … I said, 'Yeah, no, I'm cool, thanks.'"

Culkin continued, detailing CBS' inability to take "no" as a valid answer. 

"They came back at me again, and I said, 'No, no, no. Again, flattered, but, like, no.' Then they came back at me again, and even my manager was like twisting my arm," the actor said. 

After finally backing down and accepting that Culkin wasn't going to agree to starring on The Big Bang Theory, CBS and the series' creatives ultimately selected Johnny Galecki to play experimental physicist Leonard Hofstadter, Jim Parsons to portray theoretical physicist Sheldon Cooper, and Kaley Cuoco to play their bubbly, girl-next-door neighbor Penny. 

Galecki, Parsons, Cuoco, Simon Helberg (who plays Howard Wolowitz), and Kunal Nayyar (who portrays Rajesh Koothrappali) are some of the highest-paid actors working in Hollywood today — with Parsons reportedly earning $27.5 million a year and each of the five actors taking home an estimated $900,000 per episode.

So, does Culkin regret turning down the gig — particularly now that he knows how massive his paychecks could have been?

Surprisingly, not at all. The actor got candid in explaining that, for him, the drawbacks of accepting the job far outweigh the financial upside. 

"I'd have hundreds of millions of dollars right now if I did that gig," Culkin said. "At the same time, I'd be bashing my head against the wall."

Culkin shied away from the limelight after starring in 1994's Richie Rich — the 15th movie he made in just 7 years — but returned to acting in 2000, circling back to the movie scene three years later as Michael Alig in the Fenton Bailey and Randy Barbato-directed film Party Monster. In the decade and a half since then, Culkin has appeared in a handful of movies, guest-starred on a few television shows, released a semi-autobiographical novel, and formed and toured with the now-defunct comedy rock band The Pizza Underground. 

Today, Culkin looks forward to starting a family with his girlfriend, actress Brenda Song, and anticipates the release of his newest movie (and his first in three years) Changeland, written and directed by Seth Green. Not too shabby for a guy who could have been TV's brightest star, huh?

NHS issues warning after increase of blood-sucking Blandford fly bites in lead up to summer

Sun revellers are being warned by NHS England to be on alert for the blood-sucking Blandford fly, after cases related to the insect bite have dramatically increased in recent months. 

The fly bites can potentially leave victims seriously ill, with extreme reactions resulting in swelling in the groin and a fever. 

Other symptoms include swelling and blistering. 

Increase in cases 

The warnings come after several cases were reported in Herefordshire earlier this month. 

The 2-3mm black fly thrives in warm weather – and the recent rise in temperatures has ripened conditions for the bloodsucker around the south of England. 

Karen Wright, director of Public Health for Herefordshire, said as the mercury rises it is likely there will be more cases of Blandford fly bites. 

Beware rivers and streams 

She said: “We encourage people to take precautions if they’re out and about on rivers and streams, especially over the forthcoming bank holiday weekend. 

“If you do get bitten, it can often feel very uncomfortable with swelling, blistering, joint pain and sometimes high temperature.

” The NHS recommends people cover up arms and legs and use insect repellent when out and about near affected rivers and streams. 

Ms Wright added: “There’s normally no need to visit a GP. 

Ankles targeted 

“If you do feel unwell after a bite, please call NHS 111 or visit your local pharmacy for advice on how to ease your discomfort. 

“For the majority of people, the symptoms will only last a few days before clearing up.

” The Blandford fly usually targets the ankles and legs while flying low to the ground, and some of the most serious reactions to its bites include swelling in the groin, fever and painful blisters.

The notorious pest got its name after an outbreak of residents being bitten around Blandford in Dorset in the 1960s and 1970s.

4 Ways Yoga Can Make Your Sex Life Better

Whether or not you're a yogi, you’ve probably heard about the mega health benefits yoga offers, from better energy to less stress to more restful sleep. But what about mind-blowing sex? Yep, that too—and it's partly due to the fact that yoga and sex have key things in common.

Funny Kitten Names

Funny Kitten Names

Have some fun with your kitten's name with one of these ideas.
Names That Play on Words

• Apricat
• Captain Kitty
• Cat Benatar
• Faux Paw
• Great Catsby
• Imakat
• Katy Purry
• Kitty Kurek
• Ali McClaw
• Catpuccino
• Furnando
• Kali Cat
• Katy Kirstie
• Alley Kat
• Kit Kat Kitty
• Lickerish
• Mr. Puddycat
• My Cat
• Putty
• Snapcat
• Tweetie Pie
• Walter Croncat
• Leonardo diCatprio

Other Funny Names

• Adipose
• Bugs
• Buttons
• Chewy
• Furby
• Fuzzmeister
• Gizmo
• Hunter
• Killer
• La Luna
• Luster
• Meowzer
• Mouse
• Mr. Meow
• Mr. Thumbs
• Pipsqueak
• Poopsie
• Scratch
• Shamu
• Sir Purr A Lot
• Squeaky
• Tickles
• Tootles
• Yeti
• Your Highness
• Yum Yum

How to get rid of sunburn pain: The answer could be sitting in your fridge...

As the sun continues to shine across the country, millions of Britons forget one vital necessity - suncream.

As a result, thousands have gone back to work today with their skin left red, peeling and painful to the touch.

Not to fret, as doctors say the secret sunburn cure is probably sitting in your fridge.

According to New York dermatologist Dr Joshua Zeichner, cold milk is the number one way to soothe painful sunburns.

Mr Zeichner said the sunburn care protocol would be to take a cloth and dip it in cold milk, wring it, and place it on the sunburnt areas of your skin.

He told the Mail: "A milk compress can help calm inflamed skin as well, as proteins in the milk coat and soothe the skin."

The ingredients in milk, vitamins A and D, amino acids, lactic acid, fats and whey and casein proteins, soothe the skin and help it to heal.

Vitamins A and D help the skin to repair, while lactic acids helps inflamation and sheds off dead skin cells leaving the body working less to repair them.

Dermatologists say yoghurt or cream are also good alternatives.

Make sure the cloth is cold before placing it on your skin, as cold helps to reduce inflammation.

Once the milk is soaked into the cold cloth, press the fabric against your skin gently.

Do not rub the area or apply too much pressure as this can aggravate the burns and cause more pain.

Sunburn occurs when UV rays damage the surface layer of the skin, increasing your chances of skin cancer.

Your skin darkens as a result of your body's auto-immune defense to protect your skin, but also becoming more damaged in the process.

The aftermaths include red, inflamed, sore and scaly skin.

In severe cases, skin can even blister and peel, which can be very painful.

Very low carbohydrate diet may improve blood sugar control in type 1 diabetes

 low carbohydrate diet

According to an on-line patient survey, improved blood sugar control was achieved with low rates of hypoglycemia and the other complications generally reported among people with the condition.

Dr. Richard Bernstein (a well-known advocate for low-carbohydrate diets for diabetics) was co-author of the study, which was led by Pediatrics Instructor Belinda Lennerz and Professor of Pediatrics David Ludwig.

Of 493 people who completed the survey, the researchers were able to confirm diabetes diagnosis, blood sugar control measures, metabolic health measures and other outcomes for 138 individuals.

Participants had an average carbohydrate intake of 36 grams per day, which represented around 5% of their total daily calorie intake. This is in contrast with the American Diabetes Association, which recommends that carbohydrates make up around 45% of total calorie intake.

As reported in the journal Pediatrics, the participants self-reported their haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, the primary measure of blood-sugar control.

The target HbA1c level is below 7% and the average level reported by the participants was in the normal range, at 5.67%.

The daily dose of insulin required was lower than average, at a mean of 0.40 U/kg/day, and participants for whom data were available had favourable measures of insulin sensitivity and cardiometabolic health.

Following a very-low-carb diet as an approach to controlling blood sugar in type 1 diabetes has triggered safety concerns, mainly due to an increased risk of hypoglycaemia (a dangerously low blood sugar level).

However, in the current study, the rates of hospitalization for hypoglycaemia, diabetic ketoacidosis and other complications associated with diabetes were lower than those usually reported among people with type 1 diabetes.

Since this study was observational and not controlled, the authors are calling for a randomized controlled trial for the diet so that it’s safety and efficacy can be rigorously tested.

Top 10 Best Dressed Stars at the Met Gala 2018

Secrets Your Teachers Don't Want You To Know ~Video~

 Secrets Your Teachers Don't Want You To Know - Watch Video

Man mauled to death after attempting to take selfie with bear -Video-

A man was mauled to death by a bear after he reportedly tried to take a selfie with the creature in India.

According to a report, the man spotted the injured bear on his way home from a wedding in the Nabaranpur district of Odisha.

Despite being warned by his companions, he sidles up and the bear struck and a struggled ensued.

A stray dog reportedly tried to help the man during the attack, but its intervention failed to deter the larger animal.

India had the highest rate of deaths linked to selfies for the two years between March 2014 and September 2016.

In 2016, a teenage boy in India died after accidentally shooting himself in the head while taking a selfie.

The 15-year-old was posing with his father’s .32 calibre pistol when he accidentally pulled the trigger.

At the same time, in March this year, a Zimbabwean man was killed while trying to take selfies with a hippopotamus.

The animal reportedly charged and fatally injured the man at a water source near his village.

WARNING: Video contains graphic content and may disturb some viewers.

WATCH: Bear attacks man trying to take a selfie with it.

The 5 Best Positions for Couch Sex

Aside from your bed, the couch is probably the most comfortable piece of furniture in your home—the place where you're most likely to share space with your partner. That means plenty of lazy moments reading, scrolling Instagram, binge-watching ... and then suddenly realizing you're in the mood.

So next time you're hanging on the sofa and feeling sparks, skip the clumsy walk to the bedroom. strip off your clothes, and give one of these positions a try. Some are super intimate (your couch's tight quarters offer snuggly closeness); others are down and dirty. All will show you why rocking the cushions can lead to a deeper connection and plenty of orgasms too.

1-Couch spoons

“Spoon-style sex can be super intimate, warm, and cuddly,” says Anne Hodder, ACS, a multi-certified sex educator. Spooning on the couch has even more advantages: It forces you to meld your bodies tighter and closer, offering more opportunities to touch and kiss. The firmness of the back of the couch supports the big spoon's obliques. Meanwhile, they can reach around and play with your breasts or clitoris, or gently nip the back of your neck as you revel in the pleasure.

Couch spooning has another advantage for male partners. Hodder points out that this position, “can feel especially nice for the penis because the vagina’s entryway is narrower due to the positioning of you legs.”

2-Sofa-style oral sex

Moving oral sex from the bed to the couch is all about comfort: no more back or neck pain or deadened knee caps for the giving partner. Hodder suggests this move: Sit at the end of the couch, your back against the armrest and your body turned so you're facing the opposite armrest, your feet up on the couch cushion. Your partner then lies perpendicular to you on their stomach, their mouth strategically ending up in your lap.

It's comfy, easy, and both giver and receiver can last a long time. This position also gives your partner "nice access without having to kneel, fold in half, or experience too much neck strain—and you get to sit back, relax, and receive,” Hodder says.

3-Over the armrest

Maybe your bed is just a bit too low for doggy style to really work for you. That’s where the firm armrest of the couch comes in. It's more likely to be just the right height for you to bend over comfortably and spread your body without having to balance on your knees or bend in an awkward, libido-killing pose.

Couch doggy style has a few fun variations. You can lean over the armrest, then have your partner stand and enter you from behind. As they thrust, you've got lots of soft cushioning to use for hands support. Or try this twist: Kneel on the cushions facing the back of the couch. Your partner then kneels behind you; you can both grab the back of the couch for support and start bumping and grinding.

Either way, both styles provide the right support for quick and long in and out thrusts, and they reduce pressure on your knees, says Alicia Sinclair, certified sex educator and CEO of The Cowgirl, b-Vibe, and Le Wand. The less painful pressure, the more you can make the action last.

4-Couch cushion standing sex

Sure, the couch is comfortable—but you can also use it as a prop for a move that's partly done on the floor. For this position, stand on the couch cushions with your legs spread apart. Have your partner stand on the floor facing you. “The couch will offer the height you need to align your pelvises, but it can also offer a slightly sturdier surface than a bouncy mattress,” says Sinclair.

Depending on the height difference between you and your partner, you may need to adjust how wide your legs are spread or bend your knees a bit to get in a receptive position. Once you find the right alignment, though, take advantage of the fact that your hands are free. Use them to grip your partner's shoulders or butt. Grab deep and use your hands to guide their pacing.

5-Couch cowgirl

Ultimately couches are for sitting, which is why this woman on top spin is a super appropriate way to abuse your sofa. Have your partner sit upright on the couch, then straddle them, bending your knees at their sides or (if you're flexy) wrapping them around their body. Then, take control.

“The couch is the ultimate prop for an awesome on-top ride,” says Sinclair, noting that you can grip the back of the couch for sturdy balance as you rise and fall on top of your partner. But it's not all about being rough and wild. This position is ideal for sharing slow, intimate kisses, as well as breast touching and caressing, she adds.

Mumps, Measles, And Whooping Cough Are Making A Serious Comeback

It's a virus. You'll just have to wait it out. That's what Jess Butler was told when she went to her GP last November with a dry cough.

Two weeks later, the 29-year-old had bruised ribs from the intense hacking bouts, which often made her throw up. This time the M.D. said it was bronchitis.

It wasn't until a week later that the true culprit was ID'd: pertussis (a.k.a. whooping cough), a disease that was mostly foreign to her. "I thought it was just for people on the Oregon Trail," she says. Even with the right meds, her cough lingered until New Year's.

Athletes should avoid keto diet

Atheletes should avoid the ketogenic diet, new research suggests.

The low-carb, high-fat eating plan makes them perform worse, a study found.

Just four days after eliminating carbohydrates, a sportman’s running distance is reduced by 15 percent and their strength by up to seven percent, a study found.

Although it is unclear exactly why this occurs, keto diets are thought to affect people’s anaerobic energy, according to the researchers.

Study author Dr. Edward Weiss, from Saint Louis University, said: “This diet is especially hot among people who are trying to optimise their health.

“What this study tells me is that athletes should be advised to avoid these diets.”

The Keto diet, which is favored by the likes of Halle Berry, forces the body to burn fat, rather than carbohydrates, for energy, which effectively starves it of carbs but not calories.

How the research was carried out. The researchers analysed 16 adults who underwent exercise training after four days of following a keto or high-carb diet.

Cycling and high-intensity interval training was included in the exercise regimen.

The findings were published in The Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness.

This comes after research released last February suggested keto diets may slow ageing.

What is the keto diet? The ketogenic diet defines a low-carb, high-fat way of eating.

Weight loss Programs Are Hard To Find, Brian Flatt Takes The Guess Work Out Of Diet Plans With His 3 Week Diet System

Brian Flatt creator of The 3 Week Diet explains in simple terms why most diets fail — they do not produce results fast enough. It’s no fun to eat small portions of food that don’t satisfy our hunger cravings. It’s no fun to go to the gym day after day — and when you are doing all of this and the scale is barely budging, it can be incredibly discouraging.

20+ Idiot Cats That Will Make You Laugh Out Loud

People are always going on about how cunning and clever cats are. Sometimes we forget that they, like us, are more than capable of being a bit of a goofball from time to time, and when it does happen, their dramatic personalities make it all the funnier!

We here have put together a list of cats who temporarily forgot how to cat. When they stopped being the sleek, graceful hunters that they usually are, and ended up looking hilariously stupid. Don't worry though, all these cats are just fine, and suffered nothing more than a bruised ego. It probably even did them a little good!