Impressive new U.S. Embassy in London

In an age of extreme security and terrorism watch, a new U.S. Embassy in London has been planned to break ground in 2013. The Philadelphia firm Keiren Timberlake said the design will perform on many levels including sustainability and action as well as values. The new build abroad signifies also the first embassy build for Obama's year-old presidency so far.

The cubic and transparent form it will take will certainly be a drastic change from the last embassy building. Fans of the design, praise the forge ahead of the creation itself as well as the environmental-friendly goals behind it. Critics say the amount of energy efficiency efforts put into the project could be seen as an apology for wasteful American culture.

The 5-acre project will be started in  2013 and it will be facing a river and shimmering with its transparent, boxy, chic look in 2017.

Upstate Medical Center gives out no freebies

The new ethics code for Upstate Medical Center prohibits a student or employee from accepting gifts from medical industry representatives. 

"If I receive a gift from you, I feel obligated," Dr. Gregory Eastwood, professor of bioethics and humanities at Upstate, said. Eastwood says it creates a conflict of interest, and this is why it must be restricted.

The policy was drafted by a group faculty, staff and students. Doctors can still acccept free drug samples but the new policy says that those samples may only be given to patients with no prescription coverage or services. Companies can still do presentations and sponsor educational events but they cannot request that their product be mentioned. 

Gov. Paterson has also proposed in the budget that drug companies would be restricted from giving gifts to doctors.

YouTube: The new college application?

Tufts University in Boston received 1,000 video submissions with applications this year. Yale, Dartmouth and University of Chicago have seen an increase in these YouTube submissions as well. 

Although dean of admissions, Lee Coffin says writing will never be abandoned, "the videos let them share their voice." It is another dimension of applying to college and showing the admissions officers "the real you" and young adults these days are staying ahead of the curve, being technologically savvy as it is. 

These YouTube videos are getting lots of hits and it seems to be spreading across the country. From a day-in-the-life video to a stand-up monologue in a teen's messy room, teens everywhere are getting more creative and more competitive to get their top choice.