Good day, bad day: January 5, 2012

GOOD DAY FOR:

Unpredictable advertising

Target was praised for supporting the special needs community after featuring a 6-year-old boy with Down syndrome as a model in its latest catalog. [The Daily What]

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Sharp-witted stoners

British researchers studying the effects of drug use on middle-aged brain function say 50-year-olds with a history of marijuana use scored higher on memory tests than non-users. [Newser]

Bad dogs

A New Mexico couple was delighted to find their missing $4,500 wedding ring — in the stomach of their 10-month-old basset hound. The vet informed them basset hounds have a tendency to eat rocks. [Huffington Post]

BAD DAY FOR:

Going under the knife

Next time you have surgery, you might want to watch your surgeon wash up. Two out of three medical students failed a hand hygiene test given by researchers from Germany's Hannover Medical School. [The Atlantic]

Pop-culture ignorance

Ohio Police arrested and charged a man with felonious assault after he allegedly stabbed another man for not knowing that Beyonce is married to rapper Jay-Z. [BuzzFeed]

Miniscule mistakes

Bank of America rejected a participant in a mortgage modification program after he was short by 80 cents on his second trial payment. The man was trying to pay by phone, and accidentally pressed the wrong button. [The Consumerist]

For more winners and losers see: Good day, bad day: January 4, 2012