'Soup Nazi' to reopen Original SoupMan in Midtown

Michael Schmelling/Associated Press

By Morgan Rousseau

Published July 14, 2010 Examiner.com (original link)

NEW YORK CITY --- The original "Soup Nazi," Al Yeganeh, will reopen his Original SoupMan shop on 55th street. Yeganeh was made famous in Seinfeld's Soup Nazi episode, in which he was portrayed as a stern ladler of soup who would sometimes fly off the handle and shot, "no soup for you!"

The New York City soup legend opened for business in 1984, at Soup Kitchen International at 259A West 55th Street (between Broadway and 8th Avenue). In 2004, after his Seinfeld fame rocketed him as a food-culture icon, Yeganeh closed the storefront in pursuit of a nation-wide franchise.

His Original SoupMan brand and frozen soup production business were successful, but on July 20th, he will open his original location. According to the franchise website, all customers visiting the reopened location that day will receive a free T-shirt.

Representatives say the reopened location will still function under the franchise umbrella, but the soups will still be made from scratch, on the premises.

The original location will feature some new additions to the menu, such as asparagus caviar soup and Mexican tortilla soup.

Yeganeh has told media outlets that he plans to make sporadic appearances at the reopened location.

Become an original SoupFan by signing up on originalsoupman.com to order online and stay up-to-date on the menu choices. The site also includes rules for customers in 11 languages.

New York to Allow No-Fault Divorce

By Morgan Rousseau

As published 7/9/2010 on The Examiner.Com (original link)

ALBANY -- New York is about to become the last state in the country to enact no-fault divorce, which means a spouse will not have to cite legal wrongdoing in order to obtain a divorce.

Governor David Paterson (D) is expected to sign the legislation into law soon. This coming 57 years after Oklahoma became the first state to allow no-fault divorce. Some view the benefit of no-fault divorce is in the speediness and simplicity of the process.

As of now, married couples must cite legal misconduct, like adultery, or endure a court-sanctioned one-year separation agreement if they want a legal divorce.

But if Paterson signs the legislation, and supporters are optimistic he will, one party in a marriage can end their union at any time, for any reason.

Those opposed say that no-fault may raise New York’s annual divorce rate, which stands at a low three percent. Others are concerned that the legislation could hurt the spouse with the least income, typically the woman.

Prominent women’s activist Marcia Papas, who runs the National Organization for Women in New York state, told amNY that “women will have to spend more to prove they deserve damages and make it easier for men to walk out for capricious reasons.”

The Catholic Church stands opposed to no fault divorce, saying it sends the message that marriage is a “disposable institution.”

Still, supporters say disputes between couples seeking a divorce will be minimized, as spouses split on irreconcilable differences rather than assigning fault.

Growing Rate of Senior-Aged STDs: Viagra, Healthy Life to Blame

By Morgan Rousseau

Published July 7, 2010

Orginal link to Examiner.com

A new report says the rate of sexually transmitted diseases in older men taking erectile dysfunctions drugs like Viagra is twice as high as men not taking the medications. But doctors say that for men in both groups, the number of STDs is soaring higher than ever before.


According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, there were more than six new cases of STDs per 10,000 men over 40 years of age in 2008, which is up almost 50 percent since 1996.

Younger adults still have far more STDs than older adults, but the numbers are growing at a far higher rate in elders. The reason for this development is not yet understood, but more divorces and better health may be contributing to a boost in sexual activity among older people.

The issue of unprotected sex is obviously a problem for senior-aged people who are not accustomed to using condoms. Researchers say that 50-year olds are six times less likely to use a condom than men in their 20s.

Dr. Anupam B. Jena of Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston told Reuters, “We are typically unaccustomed to practice safe sex over the age of 50, because the risk of pregnancy is eliminated.”