The estate of Ric Weiland, a high school classmate of Microsoft Corp. founders Bill Gates and Paul Allen and one of the first five people to work at the software giant, has left $65 million to gay rights and HIV/AIDS organizations.

The bequests were announced Sunday by the Pride Foundation of Seattle, where Weiland was a board member for several years. The foundation called it the largest single bequest ever given to gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender causes. Read more…

Pets are very similar to humans when it come to reasons and health effects of obesity as well as the remedies for the problem, say researchers.

Dr Craig Thatcher, a noted veterinary nutritionist at Virginia Tech, has found in a study that the prevalence of obesity in dogs is between 22 and 40 per cent.

The researcher says that the causes of obesity in pets may include decreased physical activity, age, and an increased caloric intake. Even genetics can increase a pet’s risk of being overweight, he adds. Read more…

The stuff that put the gloss on your Mary Janes is now adding a little glitz to the home.

Patent leather has sauntered off the fashion runway and into our living spaces, lending its gleam to accent pieces, accessories and even upholstery. It’s still a niche product in the home, but some designers think it’s coming into its own.

In most applications, patent leather plays a supporting role. Think of it as adding a bit of sparkle to a room in the same way the perfect piece of jewelry puts that finishing touch on an outfit, furniture designer James Stuart Duncan says. Read more…

Most of us know that February is Black History Month and National Heart Month. And a few even know it’s International Twit Award Month (more on that another day.)

But if you’re a cat owner or lover, here’s another one you need to know: It’s National Cat Health Month. If you’re like many cat owners who are lax about getting regular checkups for your feline friends, it’s a good time to get them in for a vet visit. Read more…

Forget fairy wings, Bratz bed tents and Thomas the Tank Engine toy trunks, Kids.Modern is about fun, thought-provoking design adults will love and kids remember for life.

Appreciating that children not only deserve modern design, they understand it and can remember it as a positive childhood experience, Showhome has spent the last year sourcing the UK, Europe and Scandinavia to bring together some of the most exciting products from over 50 clever designers and producers at Kids.Modern. Read more…

At one time, the architectural style of a home dictated the way it was furnished. Contemporary homes were filled with modern furniture, and Colonial-style homes contained pieces that reflected the era.

Today, those hard-and-fast rules no longer apply. With a wider choice of finishes and fabric patterns from which to choose, the trend toward mixing and matching home furnishings has been taken to a whole new level. Read more…

Scientists have made the lethal virus Ebola harmless in the lab, potentially aiding research into a vaccine or cure.

Taking a single gene from the virus stops it replicating, US scientists wrote in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences journal.

Ebola, currently handled in highly secure labs, kills up to 80% of those it infects.

However, one expert said the new method may not yet be a fail-safe way of dealing with the virus. Read more…

The anti-HIV medication entravirine has been approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration for adults who have failed treatment with other antiretrovirals.

Sold under the trade name Intelence, entravirine is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor, which helps block an enzyme that the AIDS-causing virus needs to multiply, the FDA said in a statement. This is aimed at reducing the amount of HIV in the blood and boosting infection-fighting white blood cells. Read more…

Shopping for a cuddly creature to put under the tree? Brace yourself for a brave new world of strange breeds that are genetically modified for convenience and cuteness, says Stephen Armstrong

Abandon your search for an iPhone, that elusive Wii console, or those Christian Louboutin leopard-print peep-toe platform pumps. This year’s Christmas must-have is small and inbred with a pointy nose, sticky out ears and fur all down its back. It also has a tail.

Designers, bored with clothes, interiors and gadgets, are turning their attention to nature, and have whipped up some intriguing little oddities for your seasonal delight. Always wanted a pet tiger but worried that a ravenous predator might bring down your property values? Then buy a Toyger, a hybrid domestic cat that’s been bred to resemble India’s most elegant hunter. Read more…

Attend a fashion show to benefit breast cancer research

“Function as Fashion” Show to benefit The Breast Cancer Fund and Healthlinks Foundation will be held Sunday at lululemon Boulder at Twenty Ninth Street.

The fundraising fashion show features fantastic, fitness-minded cancer survivors.

Starting at 6 p.m., local cancer survivors will be strutting their stuff on the runway. They will be sharing their stories of triumph while showcasing lululemon’s functional athletic and casual wear. Read more…