Chelsea not really convincing last night with a late Lampard penalty grabbing the points from Pompey. Arsenal struggled to a draw whilst Liverpool struggled to a 2-1 win over Wigan. Tottenham marched on with a great 3-0 win over Manchester City.

Does anyone else get irritated by the adverts for after shave or perfume? The beautiful people are seen having orgasms over the bonnets of cars or walking provocatively before the name of the scent is flashed on the screen. Does anyone really buy into this nonsense or have the marketing moguls got this right? Maybe I should try it?

Did you watch the Royal Variety show last night? The Queen looked extremely fit and well and I thought it was a good show. We lost the pictures before Bette Middler but I thought Peter Kay did a good job as compere and my favourite was Michael Buble. I thought Lady GaGa was a non-event apart from the fact that the piano must have been difficult to position. I also thought even Billy Ray Cyrus might have suspected his daughter needed better material! The X-Factor’s dance troupe had me baffled and the comedians were quite good. I was very impressed by the ventriloquist. I then spent time watching how the Exorcist was made followed by a re-run of the movie. It was very interesting and it is an area which fascinates me anyway. The movie was apparently based on a true story.

If you remember the singer Emile Ford then I can tell you that Emile and I had a very long conversation about the forces of good and evil. He has some very interesting ideas about this and I think he also touched on the subject when we spoke on OCI radio. He left me in no doubt that he has a very firm belief in the forces of good and the forces working against good. I think my strict religious upbringing makes me believe in the same. I suppose the very fact that there are always wars in the world tends to prove this in a general sense.

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Some great rugby at La Villajoyosa at the weekend…..  “We are hosting the U/18 South West England selection team next week for a ‘training camp’ tour.  They will be playing the Valencia Selection on Sunday 20th Dec at 12pm at our rugby stadium”

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Here´s an e-mail I received allegedly from my bank this morning……NEVER CLICK ON THE LINK

” For your protection, access to your accounts has been blocked due to a system error! { error code : 0e404p06 }

To re-gain access, you need to click the “Resolve” link below. This will only take a moment.”  Resolve….There´s rain on the way for this weekend so enjoy today if and while you can.

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Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
20° C | 8° C	17° C | 5° C	9° C | 4° C	11° C | 8° C	16° C | 10° C
Scattered Clouds	Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation	Chance of Rain 40% chance of precipitation	Overcast	Partly Cloudy

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El miedo

(myeh’-doh) (noun) – fear

• ¿Te da miedo salir de noche? – You’re scared to go out at night?
• Temblado de miedo. – She was trembling with fear.

• Tengo miedo por ti. – I’m worried about you.
• Hace un frío de miedo. – It is terribly cold.

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for El miedo.

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Longevity Strategies For Your Internal Body

By Mary Treacy

To get the most out of life, it is important to feel well as you age. Your health is the most important asset that you have and, as you age, feeling well is necessary for your morale. So we will start our longevity and anti-age strategies by taking care of our internal body. In order to keep healthy at any age, but especially as you are growing older, you really need to make lifestyle changes and, the earlier you start, the better.

Here are some of the main changes you can make:

* Drink plenty of water, as this will wash toxins from your body, keeping your organs healthy. This will have an influence on your physical.

* Eat a balanced diet, as this will prevent too much weight gain. Obesity can lead to all sorts of problems, putting too much pressure on your articulations, heart and other organs. Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables, if possible at least five portions a day, as they are a source of anti-oxidants that can eliminate free radicals that are the compounds that destroy cells and age your body. Don’t skip meals, as your body will think there is a period of famine and start stocking fat. Make life-style changes that encourage healthy eating over the long term, rather than embarking on strict diets that can encourage the yo-yo effect, and not lead to permanent weight loss. We will go into other diet issues later in this web site.

* Get enough sleep to feel well. Sleeping helps your body and mind to rest and regenerate.

* Have regular check ups. Talk with your doctor and see at what ages and with what regularity you need to see him for total check ups – like revising your car on a yearly basis. Make sure that you also see your doctor if you don’t feel well. This way your doctor will be able to check for the early symptoms of possible incubating diseases and take preventative measures. Ask your doctor or gynaecologist if you can have a test to check that your hormones are present in the normal levels.

* Don’t smoke if you want to feel well. Smoking can increase the aging process and speed it up. It can affect the health of your loved ones, who will inhale the smoke as passive smokers, and pollute the environment. What is worse it is well known now that smoking can lead to lung cancer, a very painful and often terminal disease.

* Exercise regularly, varying cardiac exercise that will keep your heart healthy and prevent weight gain, with exercises to strengthen your muscles. The latter is particularly important in preventing bone loss as you age. Also practise stretching exercises or yoga or Pilates to keep your body flexible. An added bonus of exercise is that the endorphins which it releases in your body will make you feel well, alive and full of the joys of spring.

Marie-Therese (Mary) Treacy

Strategies on aging well including healthy nutrition, regular exercise, the prevention of age-related diseases, and ways to maintain an alert mind and brain.

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50 year Wedding Anniversary … a good one sent to me by Jackie C!!!!

A couple were celebrating
50 years together.  Their three kids, all very successful, agreed
to a Sunday dinner in their honour.

“Happy Anniversary Mum
and Dad,” gushed son number one …. ‘Sorry I’m running late.  I
had an emergency at the hospital with a patient, you know how it is,
and I didn’t have time to get you a gift.”

“Not to
worry,” said the father.  “The important thing is that we’re all
together today.”

Son number two arrived and announced, “You and
Mum look great, Dad. I just flew in from Los Angeles between
depositions and didn’t have time to shop for you.”

“It’s nothing,” said the father.  “We’re glad you were able to come.”

Just then the daughter arrived.  “Hello and happy
anniversary!  I’m sorry, but my boss is sending me out of
town and I was really busy  packing so I didn’t have time to get
you anything.”

After they had finished dessert, the father said, “There’s something your mother and I have
wanted to tell you for a long time. You see, we were very
poor. Despite this, we were able to send each of you to
college.Throughout the years your mother and I knew that we
loved each other very much, but we just never found the time to get married.”

The three children gasped and all said, “You mean we’re bastards?”

“Yep,” said the father. “And cheap ones too.”

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A policeman on his horse was waiting to cross the street when a little girl on her new shiny bike stopped beside him. ‘Nice bike,’ the cop said. ‘Did Santa bring it to you?’

‘Yes Sir,’ the little girl said, ‘he sure did!’

The cop looked the bike over and handed the girl a $5 ticket for a safety violation.  The cop said, ‘Give this to your Dad, and next year, tell Santa to put a reflector light on the back of it!’

The young girl looked up at the cop and said, ‘Nice horse you’ve got there Sir. Did Santa bring it to you?’

Playing along with the girl, he chuckled and answered, ‘Yes, he sure did!’

The little girl looked up at the cop and said, ‘Next year tell Santa; The dick goes underneath the horse, not on top’!!!

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… Here´s a report on how medical imaging after a heart attack can expose you to radiation equivalent to 725 chest X-rays:

http://www.naturalnews.com/027741_CT_scans_medical_imaging.html

Musical Trivia
1960, returning from Hamburg, The Beatles appeared at the Casbah Coffee Club in Liverpool. Chas Newby joined The Beatles on bass guitar (to replace Stuart Sutcliffe, who had remained in Hamburg), a position he would hold for only two weeks and four performances. When Newby bowed out to return to college, Paul McCartney became The Beatles’ bass player.

1963, James Carroll at WWDC in Washington, DC, became the first disc jockey to broadcast a Beatles record on American radio. Carroll played ‘I Want To Hold Your Hand’, which he had obtained from his stewardess girlfriend, who brought the single back from the UK. Due to listener demand, the song was played daily, every hour.

1977, Mr David Ackroyd purchased the one-millionth copy of ‘Mull Of Kintyre’, by Wings in the UK and became the first record buyer to receive a Gold Disc.

Today´s Podcast

Whatever you are by nature, keep to it; never desert your line of talent. Be what nature intended you for and you will succeed. – Sydney Smith, 1771-1845

I love Labradors but I´m afraid there´s a story later in this blog that might just urge a rethink on the breed……I am going to start my blog by welcoming back Sheenagh and Dave from a difficult trip to the UK. I hope you´re both feeling well and Dave will be particularly pleased to see Man United back to their winning ways. Aston Villa are certainly a team to watch at the moment and their succes is rubbing off on Birmingham who are also enjoying a good season. Incidentally, before everyone scoffingly dismisses Rafa Benitez please remember two things. Firstly, he has a great track record. Secondly, people had written off Alex Ferguson who has come through his adversity to become one of the greatest, if not THE greatest, football managers in the world. Here´s an important link for male readers of this blog…..
Cancer researchers announce breakthroughs in natural prostate cancer prevention and treatment.

I must also quickly wish a speedy recovery to my neighbour Jorge who thinks he´s had swine flu. I hope he hasn´t but at least I know he´s on the mend. He doesn´t read my blog so I´m having my own cathartic moment inside my blog. This is getting spooky! I am making my podcast whilst writing and composing this blog and the current song in my ears is Michael Jackson´s Earth Song. He certainly left this life with some great memories. Personally, I prefer the nicer side of his life and I loved his music. I think his personal life was an awful tragedy.It´s also probable we will never know the truth.

Let´s get the weather next. It´s cold and dreary today. We have snow on the mountains and we are on the fringe of the weather system being enjoyed in the UK. We often just hit the edge of these systems and being near the mountains and the sea we often are in the forefront of the weather patterns or paradoxically at the end of other weather fronts. Remember, we do need rain for the reservoirs to face the Spring and Summer ahead and it looks like we´ll be getting some this weekend.

Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
15° C | 9° C	19° C | 8° C	15° C | 5° C	10° C | 2° C	13° C | 7° C
Scattered Clouds	Scattered Clouds	Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation	Rain 60% chance of precipitation	Chance of Rain 20% chance of precipitation

Here´s a poem I have been sent by Ian K

If I could catch a rainbow
I would do it just for you
And share with you
its beauty
On the days you’re feeling blue.

If I could
build a mountain
You could call your very own;
A place to find
serenity,
A place to be alone.

If I could take
your troubles
I would toss them in the sea,
But all these
things I’m finding
Are impossible for me.

I cannot build
a mountain
Or catch a rainbow fair,
But let me be what I know best,
A friend who’s always there.

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Here´s a nice postive story

* Child Entrepreneur Gives Back for Holidays *

In the home of eighth-grader Jason O’Neill, teddy bears are everywhere. They’re white, black or brown. Some have bow ties and some have ribbons. They sit on chairs, tables, counter tops and the floor.

Thanks to O’Neill, a young entrepreneur who started his own company at age 9, they’re all going to sick children for Christmas.

complete story.

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* Half-Naked Santas Run for Charity in Hungary *

Residents of Budapest got to see a whole lot of red — and plenty of skin — during an annual Santa Claus charity run.

About 100 runners wearing nothing but Santa Claus hats and swimsuits jogged for about 1.2 miles through the streets of Hungary’s capital, with temperatures hovering near 40 degrees.

complete story.

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* Recession Gave Me a New Opportunity *

The recession has hit Terry Zimmerman hard. He is out of work, on the verge of being homeless and barely has money for food.

But the 47-year-old Army veteran from Sacramento still has something to be thankful for.

complete story.
** For more positive news, please visit http://www.selfgrowth.com/news.html

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Beauty of Mathematics !!!!!!!

1 x 8 + 1 = 9
12 x 8 + 2 = 98
123 x 8 + 3 = 987
1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

1 x 9 + 2 = 11
12 x 9 + 3 = 111
123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10= 1111111111

9 x 9 + 7 = 88
98 x 9 + 6 = 888
987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn’t it?

And look at this symmetry:

1 x 1 = 1
11 x 11 = 121
111 x 111 = 12321
1111 x 1111 = 1234321
11111 x 11111 = 123454321
111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321

Now, take a look at this…

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:

What Equals 100%?
What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER 100%.

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here’s a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If:
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
Is represented as:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

If:
H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K
8+1+18+4+23+ 15+18+11 = 98%

And:
K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E
11+14+15+23+ 12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:
A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E
1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will
get you there, It’s the Love of God that will put you over the top!

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The Porch

A blonde teenage girl, wanting to earn some extra money for the Summer, decided to hire herself out as a ‘handy-woman’ and started canvassing a nearby well-to-do neighborhood. She went to the front door of the first house, and asked the owner if he had any odd jobs for her to do.

‘Well, I guess I could use somebody to paint my porch,’ he said. ‘How much will you charge me?’

Delighted, the girl quickly responded, ‘How about $50?’

The man agreed and told her that the paint brushes and everything she would need was in the garage. The man’s wife, hearing the Conversation said to her husband, ‘Does she realize that our porch
Goes ALL the way around the house?’

He responded, ‘That’s a bit cynical, isn’t it?’

The wife replied, ‘You’re right.  I guess I’m starting to Believe all those dumb blonde jokes.

Later that day, the blonde came to the door to collect her money. ‘You’re finished already?’ the startled husband asked.

‘Yes, the blonde replied, and I even had paint left over, so I gave it two coats.’

Impressed, the man reached into his pocket for the $50.00 and handed it to her along with a ten dollar tip.

‘And by the way,’ the blonde added, ‘it’s not a Porch, it’s a Lexus

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A guy is driving around the back woods of Montana  and he sees a sign in front of a broken down shanty-style house: ‘Talking Dog For   Sale  ‘ He rings the bell and the owner appears and tells him the dog is in the backyard.

The guy goes into the backyard and sees a nice looking Labrador retriever sitting there.

‘You talk?’ he asks.

‘Yep,’ the Lab replies

After the guy recovers from the shock of hearing a dog talk, he says ‘So, what’s your story?’

The Lab looks up and says, ‘Well, I discovered that I could talk when I was pretty young. I wanted to help the government, so I told the CIA. In no time at all they had me jetting from country to country, sitting in rooms with spies and world leaders, because no one figured a dog would be eavesdropping.’

‘I was one of their most valuable spies for eight years running. But the jetting around really tired me out, and I knew I wasn’t getting any younger so I decided to settle down. I signed up for a job at the airport to do some undercover security, wandering near suspicious characters and listening in. I uncovered some incredible dealings and was awarded a batch of medals.’ ‘I got married, had a mess of puppies, and now I’m just retired.’

The guy is amazed. He goes back in and asks the owner what he wants for the dog.

‘Ten dollars,’ the guy says.

‘Ten dollars? This dog is amazing! Why on earth are you selling him so cheap?’

‘Because he’s a liar. He never did any of that stuff.

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Word of the Day

el gancho gahn’-cho  (noun)

hook, peg; clothes hanger; safety pen; decoy

EXAMPLES

Siempre le compro un gancho nuevo para mi padre para su cumpleaños. – I always buy a new fish hook for my dad on his birthday.

Necesito un gancho para mi falda porque el cierre está roto. – I need a safety pin for my skirt because the zipper is broken.

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for el gancho.

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Spain seeks new anti-smoking law from next year

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2007, Sir Paul McCartney said he left EMI, his record label of 45 years, as it had become “boring” and he had “dreaded going to see” its executives. McCartney told The Times that the company’s handling of his music had become “symbolic of the treadmill”. The ex-Beatle went on to sign a deal with Starbucks’ label, Hear Music.

1934, Born on this day, Karl Denver, UK singer, (1962 UK No.4 single ‘Wimoweh’, 1990 UK No.46 hit ‘Lazyitis- One Armed Boxer’ with Happy Mondays). Denver died on 21st December 1998.

——————Today´s Podcast

La Nucia was almost blown halfway down the Costa Blanca last night. God only knows the speed of the winds but it was pretty horrendous and my heart was in my mouth for most of the evening.This morning has been spent trying to get a little bit of shape back in the garden where most of the trees had taken a battering. I couldn´t help thinking about any fishermen out at sea last night. What an ordeal for them!

BA cabin crew do a great job in general and get 29,000 pounds on average for their job. They have chosen to take a 12 day strike over Christmas which will probably signal the beginning o0f the end for the airline if it goes ahead. When will people ever learn that something is better than nothing. Of course, management can always be better but at 29, 000 I think I would be thinking twice about this action. I would imagine it has crossed the odd BA cabin crew´s mind that they might just be spoiling Christmas for many now and themselves later.I´m not being clever here just reading the news from SpanishVida.…

British Airways´ pension deficit more than doubled to 3.7 billion pounds at the end of March, it revealed on Monday, higher than analysts expected but not seen as big enough to derail a merger with Spain´s Iberia.  Shares in BA were down 0.7 percent at 199.90 pence by 11:55 a.m. while Iberia was 0.8 percent down at 2.01 euros.  “We´re not surprised by this figure. It falls within the expected range,” a source at Iberia told Reuters on Monday. BA and Iberia announced in November that they had reached a preliminary agreement for a merger after months of negotiations. BA´s pension deficit was one of the main stumbling blocks in the merger negotiations and Iberia has reserved the right to back out of the deal if the funding hole turns out to be too big…………

LABOUR TALKS

BA said the airline and pension trustees will work together to develop a recovery plan, a process which will involve the company consulting with employees and their trade unions and which must be completed by June 30, 2010. …………..BA wants three quarters of its crew to accept a pay rise of between 2 and 7 percent this year and next and for 3,000 staff to switch to part-time working, along with a reduction in onboard crewing levels on some flights from London Heathrow.  Unite expects the strike, which sources believe could begin as soon as December 21, to go ahead and bring the airline´s Christmas business to a virtual standstill………….

Analysts estimate that a two-day strike over Christmas could cost the airline around 50 million pounds. Independent pensions consultant John Ralfe said that although Iberia management may have been privy to the new pensions deficit numbers, investors in the Spanish airline would still be shocked. “What a month ago looked like a deal that might work with a following wind … now looks much more difficult,” he said……BA said an actuarial review had revealed a 1 billion pound deficit at its Airways Pension Scheme (APS) and a further 2.7 billion pound black hole at its New Airways Pension Scheme (NAPS). That compares with a funding gap of 1.8 billion pounds identified by trustees at the end of March 2008.

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Let´s get the weather and check the windspeeds….

Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
10° C | -1° C	14° C | 9° C	18° C | 3° C	16° C | 8° C	18° C | 5° C
Cle

Today´s windspeed is given as 30 km per hour coming from the west.

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Word of the Day

El ajedrez ah-he-drez’  (noun)

chess; chess set

EXAMPLES

No juego ajedrez, sino que juego videojuegos. – I don’t play chess, but rather video games.

Mis padres me compraron un ajedrez de vidrio para el Navidad. – My parents bought me a glass chess set for Christmas.

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My sister Mary joins me for this part of the blog…..

Anti-Aging Strategies For the Mind and Brain
By Mary Treacy

Just as physical exercise keeps your body young, mental exercise helps keep your brain working efficiently. Mental stimulation helps keep your memory in good shape and lowers the risk of some forms of dementia, although not all studies agree with this.  Here are some tips for keeping the brain from getting rusty as you age:

.    Keep your diet rich in healthy fats by eating nuts, oily fish, such as salmon, mackerel or sardines and virgin olive oil. If this is difficult, try taking cod-liver oil tablets or products containing omega-3. As well as keeping your brain healthy, this will also protect your cardiovascular system. Eliminate unsaturated fat completely from your diet as far as possible.
.    Turn off the TV. Spending time outdoors especially walking in the country, will help to oxygenate your mind and body.
.    Try to practice several different activities to stimulate different parts of the brain. You could always combine physical with mental activity and learn some new dance moves. Line dancing, for example, helps stimulate the brain as well as being good exercise
.    Buy a daily newspaper or a magazine like Time, Newsweek or the Economist; listen to the news and analytical political programs on the radio and television. This way you will be in touch with what is happening in the world and acquire the tools to exercise your democratic rights knowledgeably. It will also allow you to contribute to conversations when you are in society.
.    Playing cards, especially learning new games keep the brain working and bridge is especially good for this, so think about going to bridge lessons or joining a club if you already know the game.
.    Mensa has some very good logic tests and those who enjoy crossword, suduko or jigsaw puzzles might try these. Borrow your children or grandchildren’s electronic games if they will let them out of their sight for a few hours. Some of them have special programs for stimulating mental activity for all ages and training your brain to function more efficiently.
.    If you have grandchildren or grand nieces and nephews, try to spend time with them learning something new together, playing board games or charades, or help them with their homework. If you don’t understand it, try getting them to explain it to you. Spending time with your younger grandchildren will help you to regain a sense of wonder at the beauty of the simple things of life as you watch them observe the world through a child’s eyes.
.    If you don’t have children in your family and miss this contact, there are probably children in your neighborhood who don’t have grandparents living nearby, and they and their parents might welcome contact with someone from your generation.
Perhaps most important of all is not to forget to see the funny side of life. Laughter is a great stress reliever so cultivate your sense of humor. Keep in touch with the child within and have fun with your grandchildren, your peers or people of a different age group. If you stay young at heart, you will appear younger and enjoy life more.

Mary Treacy For strategies on aging well including healthy nutrition, regular exercise, the prevention of age-related diseases, and ways to maintain an alert mind and brain.

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This is a very interesting article..

Study verifies mammography screenings cause cancer

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On the lighter side of life, this is going the rounds….

Growing Up

Someone asked the other day, ‘What was your favourite fast food when you were growing up?’
‘We didn’t have fast food when I was growing up,’ I informed him.   All the food was slow.’

‘C’mon, seriously. Where did you eat?’
‘It was a place called ‘at home,” I explained. !
‘Mum cooked every day and when Dad got home from work, we sat down together at the dining room table, and if I didn’t like what she put on my plate I was allowed to sit there until I did like it.’

By this time, the kid was laughing so hard I was afraid he was going to suffer serious internal damage, so I didn’t tell him the part about how I had to have permission to leave the table.
But here are some other things I would have told him about my childhood if I figured his system could have handled it :

Some parents NEVER owned their own house, wore jeans , set foot on a golf course, had holidays abroad or had a credit card.

My parents never drove me to school. I had a bicycle that weighed probably 50 pounds, and only had one speed, (slow).

I remember we had a television which was really a piece of polished furniture, the screen seemed about 6″ square (that is 150mm in new money).
It was, of course, black and white, and the station went off the air at midnight, after playing the national anthem and a poem about God; it came back on the air at about 6 a.m. and there was usually a locally produced news and farm show on, featuring local people…

I never had a telephone in my room.The only phone was on a party line. Before you could dial, you had to listen and make sure some people you didn’t know weren’t already using the line.

Pizzas were not delivered to our home… But milk was.

All newspapers were delivered by boys and all boys delivered newspapers –my brother delivered a newspaper, six days a week.  He had to get up at 6AM every morning.

Film stars kissed with their mouths shut. At least, they did in the movies. There were no movie ratings because all movies were responsibly produced for everyone to enjoy viewing, without profanity or violence or most anything offensive.

If you grew up in a generation before there was fast food, you may want to share some of these memories with your children or grandchildren. Just don’t blame me if they bust a gut laughing.

My first burger was a “Wimpy”, however, you had to sit down on a chair, at a table. Then a waitress asked you politely, “what would you like”. Your food was brought to you on a plate and you were also provided with a “knife and fork”. But the strange thing is……you paid for it after you had eaten it!!!!
Growing up isn’t what it used to be, is it?

How many do you remember?

Headlight dimmer switches on the floor.
Ignition switches were on the dashboard and there was a magazine shelf underneath.
Using hand signals for cars without indicators.
You had to pull the “choke” out to start the engine
MOT’s hadn’t been invented.
One license covered everything on wheels.
Bicycle clips for bicycles without chain guards.
Soldering irons you heat on a gas burner.

Older Than Dirt Quiz :
Count all the ones that you remember not the ones you were told about.   Ratings at the bottom.

1.Sweet cigarettes
2.Coffee bars with juke boxes
3.Home milk delivery in glass bottles
4. Party lines on the telephone
5.Newsreels before the main feature film
6 TV test patterns that came on at night after the last show and were there until TV shows started again in the morning. (there were only 3 channels [if you were fortunate])
7.Peashooters
8. Andy Pandy
9. 78 RPM records
10.Hi-fi’s
11. Tin Baths
12. Blue flashbulbs
13. Cork popguns
14. Wolsley, Riley, Austin, Morris, Triumph and Vanden Plas Motor Cars
15. Sweets actually filled the wrappers
16. Washing machines with wringers

If you remembered 0-3 = You’re still young
If you remembered 3-6 = You are getting older
If you remembered 7-10  = Don’t tell your age,
If you remembered 11-15 =You’re older than dirt!

——————————————————————-I can officially tell you that Rockin Rupert is back in Spain and will be seen in Benidorm on Saturday night. As many will know he has not been around for a while as he has obviously been touring. I must admit I am looking forward to seeing his show on Saturday evening.

Today is the birthday of Frank Allen of the Searchers . Thinking of times gone by I read the following and I feel the figures are phenomenal.1980, Yoko Ono called on fans to observe ten minutes of silence in memory of John Lennon. 30,000 gathered outside St George’s Hall in Liverpool, while nearly 100,000 attend a memorial in New York’s Central Park.

2006, the co-founder of Atlantic Records Ahmet Ertegun died, aged 83. Ertegun who founded Atlantic Records with Herb Abramson in 1947 helped make Ray Charles and Aretha Franklin stars and signed the Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin in the early 70s. He suffered a head injury when he fell at a Rolling Stones concert at New York’s Beacon Theatre in October, and died after slipping into a coma.

1919, Born on this day, Max Yasgur, owner of the Woodstock farm where the 1969 festival was held. Yasgur died of a heart attack on 8th February 1973 aged 53.
1922, Born on this day, Alan Freed, American DJ. The man who gave ‘Rock ‘n’ Roll’ its name. Died 20th January 1965.
1939, Born on this day, Cindy Birdsong, The Supremes, (joined in 1967, 1969 UK No.3 single ‘I’m Gonna make You Love Me’). Labelle, (1975 US No.1 & UK No.17, single ‘Lady Marmalade’).
1942, Born on this day, Dave Clark, Dave Clark Five, (1964 UK No.1 single ‘Glad All Over’, 1965 US No.1 single ‘Over And Over’, plus over 15 other UK Top 40 singles).

Latest Podcast

It is throwing it down today and I was tempted to stay in bed all day. But no! I jumped out of bed and did my Wii exercise programme before setting off on my blog. The air conditioning unit had been leaking and I phoned my good friend Mark Carter who arrived to inspect the problem. Mark has always given good service but today was phenomenal. Thanks Mark and assistant Ross.

You might not remember Joan Sotkin but she was a guest on my show as an American money guru. Here´s an interesting angle she has on the recession….

Health Benefits of the Recession

A recent article in Fortune magazine indicated that there are fewer deaths during a recession because people apparently “adopt smarter lifestyles in recessions, especially those people with the worst health habits.”

One reason is that as work hours are cut back or people are laid off, they have more time to spend going to the gym, preparing meals, and getting more sleep.

There’s something else happening too. People are becoming much more conscious about how they spend their money. Consumer sales are decreasing because many are deciding against excess and for frugality. Instead of thinking, “It’s only $20!” and making an unnecessary purchase, often the decision is to not spend the $20 and save it instead. That’s good for a person’s economic health.

As an added benefit, this can lead to a rise in self-esteem. When people get smart about their money, they tend to feel good about themselves and their actions.

At a networking even last week, I asked a number of women entrepreneurs if they were cutting back on personal spending. Every one said that they are. “I really don’t need any more new clothes,” a number of them said.

Apparently, people are examining their values and what they want to spend their hard-earned money on. From my point of view, this is a good thing.

Because the current recession is deeper and longer lasting than those we have seen in the past, it could lead to long-term behavioral changes in our culture. Less waste, more consciousness, and enhanced fiscal responsibility are all positive.

What changes are you making in your life because of current economic conditions. Comment on my blog at www://JoanSotkin.com or on my Facebook profile or Fan page, where you’ll see the headline for this post.

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Let´s get the weather check…..

Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday
9° C | 1° C	10° C | 0° C	13° C | 7° C	18° C | 4° C	18° C | 6° C
Rain	Partly Cloudy	Overcast	Partly Cloudy	Chance of Rain

I receive a missive every month from Fort Perch on Merseyside. If you are on Merseyside this month here´s what going on. Listeners to my OCI shows will remember Ray O´Brien as my weekly guest and I had Dave Hickson on the show. His podcast is here.

Defending Merseyside’s Heritage since 1829

Events…Sunday 13^th December

Xmas Special ‘Blues on the Rock’ – with special guest – Lots of live music plus a bumper raffle, a blues quiz with top prize, blues ‘pass the parcel’, all with wonderful prizes for blues music fans. Plus a free mince pie for everyone! 1pm to 4pm / £4.00 Admission. Great Afternoon!

Sunday 13th December

Dave Hickson – Merseyside’s footballing legend will be interviewed by Ray O’Brien to celebrate Dave’s 80^th year.  Guests will include, Derek Temple & Jimmy Harris. Further information contact Ray Tel: 0151 512 8398 – 1.30pm start. Entrance £10

Friday 18^th December

Tales Around the Fire  – Join our fun variety nights around the fireside. Bring a tale, song or poem to share! – Or just soak up the atmosphere! Theme is “Xmas Cheer” starting at 7.45 -10.30pm.

Free Entrance. Refreshments available. Please be prompt, seats are limited.

For Info contact- 07828 392 788.

Saturday 19^th December

Xmas Special Jazz Time – Traditional Jazz at its best, with special guests joining the Tony Davis Band (Spinners).  Refreshments & Bottle Bar.  Event time 8.00pm. Tickets £8 advance £10 on the door. Contact tonyjdavis@btopenworld.com  Tel: 0151 639 2265 for more details.

Sunday 20^th December

The Merseybeat Story – Monthly live music & info from original bands of the 60’s.  Guest Interview with John Gorman (Scaffold) – “Lillie the Pink years” Hall of Fame induction for

Johnny Hutchinson (The big 3) by Sam Leach. Festive sing-a-long led by Choir Master Mr Tony Davis (The Spinners). Refreshments & Bottle Bar.  Event 1pm till 4pm.  £5 Entry.  Not to be missed!

News…

December 10^th marked the anniversary of the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales. To remember the occasion we have opened an exhibition, which includes a 16ft model of the battleship.

For further information on all events contact Tel: 0797 628 2120   d.darroch@ntlworld.com

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Belly fat increases dementia risk

Lose some weight before you lose your mind.

I can’t put it any simpler than that – especially now that a new study has linked belly fat to an increased risk for dementia.

Researchers in Sweden looked at data on 1,300 women collected over 32 years and found that those who were round in the middle at middle age were twice as likely to have dementia when they were old.

While the study only looked at women, I wouldn’t be at all surprised if the same were true of men.

The researchers say belly fat, and not body mass index, appears to be the key factor for that dementia risk. That makes sense, since BMI isn’t always a reliable indicator of overall health – but fat bellies are almost always caused by diets of trash.

In other words, all that junk making your belly bulge is also rotting your brain. It’s probably happening right now — as you read this — unless you’re one of the lucky few who’s already sworn off the Garbage Diet.

That makes the slow death of obesity that much more frightening. Imagine your mind slowly rotting away as your loved ones look on in horror, all because you refused to give up the Cheetos and Big Macs.

And the best part is that you can get into perfect shape by eating a steady diet of animal fats and proteins, while laying off sugar and other carbs.

Get your body in shape the right way, and you could be keeping your brain in shape too.

Because the mind is a terrible thing to waste,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

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Word of the Day

Vigilar vee-hee-lar’  (transitive verb)

to guard, to keep an eye on, to oversee

EXAMPLES

¿Puedes vigilar mis maletas mientras voy al baño? – Can you watch over my luggage while I go to the bathroom?

Estoy vigilándote muy cerca. – I am keeping a close eye on you.

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for Vigilar.

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If you’ve taken time off work due to a diagnosis of major depression, and if you’re also receiving sick-leave benefits for that time off, it’s better not to post your holiday photos on Facebook.
Nathalie from Canada did just that and her sick- leave benefits stopped coming. When she contacted her insurance company, she was told that the photos proved she was no longer depressed. This probably plunged her into deeper depression.   Nathalie’s lawyer told the Associated Press that her coverage was wrongly discontinued because her doctor recommended the holiday.
Unfortunately, Nathalie also posted other photos on Facebook: pics from her birthday party and a raucous night at a Chippendale’s bar show!
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1932, Born on this day, Charlie Rich, singer, (1974 US No.1 & UK No.2 single ‘The Most Beautiful Girl’). Rich died on 25th July 1995.

1943, Born on this day, Frank Allen, The Searchers, (1964 UK No.1 single ‘Needles And Pins’). Frank has been on my show and here´s the podcast.

1946, Born on this day, Jackie McAuley, Them, (1965 UK No.2 single ‘Here Comes The Night’).

1946, Born on this day, Jane Birkin, actress, singer, (1969 UK No.1 single with Serge Gainsbourg ‘Je t’aime…Moi non plus’, the only French language UK chart- topper).

Today´s Podcast

It´s like Cornwall today. It´s grey and it´s  ´angin´. In other words it´s grey and it´s not moving. It´s also a little cooler at 16 degrees for us. We were sitting on the front in Albir yesterday afternoon and you could almost feel the weather changing. It started with a stiff breeze and then seemed to change. I´ll check the weather in prospect in a moment but let´s first turn our attention to the Spanish language. From Spanish Vida I found the following on the equivalent to English Received Pronunciation.

A new grammar book has been launched in Spain that aims to draw up joint rules for a language spoken by some 500 million people in more than 20 nations. It took the Royal Language Academy of Spain (RAE) over 11 years to complete two volumes covering some 4,000 pages. A third volume is expected to be published within a few months.

The guidelines replace the RAE´s own 1931 grammar, which is said to be out of touch with the way Spanish is spoken in Latin American countries. “Not speaking poorly” “Here are all the voices, all the ways of speaking, coming together in a grand polyphony,” RAE president Victor Garcia de la Concha said at Thursday´s launch of the book in Madrid. “This book comes from the people, and it is to the people that it reaches out,” he added. The new guidelines do not set cut-and-dried dogma on what is correct and what is not. Instead, they make recommendations as to what linguists generally accept to be proper Spanish.

“Rules are set by speakers. What the academy does is observe and document,” the RAE president said. Modern Spanish is full of differences in grammar, pronunciation and vocabulary in Spanish-speaking countries around the world. But until now grammar rules in nations outside Spain had been never acknowledged, said Mexican linguist Rocio Mandujano. “We know now that we are not speaking poorly. It´s only a different grammar,” Ms Mandujano, from Mexico City´s National Autonomous University, told the Associated Press news agency. The new book in its jumbo version costs 120 euros (£109), but it also comes in simplified versions aimed at students and the general public.

Saturday	Sunday	Monday	Tuesday	Wednesday
20° C | 8° C	17° C | 5° C	11° C | 1° C	10° C | 1° C	17° C | 9° C
Clear	Overcast	Chance of Rain 30% chance of precipitation	Clear	Partly Cloudy
Hourly	Hourly

Police across Europe have arrested 115 people for involvement in a paedophile ring circulating images via an Austrian website, officers said today at the end of a two-year operation.  Hundreds of searches were carried out across Europe — in Austria, Belgium, Britain, Bulgaria, Denmark, France, Germany, Hungary, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, Slovakia, Spain, Switzerland, Luxembourg — and in Canada.

Two Austrians, aged 62 and 59, have been charged with producing photos of underage girls and putting them online.  One of them is charged with having sexually abused a 12-year-old girl over a two-year period. Police were alerted in 2007 by an Internet service provider. A total of 221 people were investigated, including 23 in Austria. More than 9,700 images were seized from the website´s server and the majority of the site´s;s users have been handed suspended jail sentences, Austrian police said. The operation, code-named “Typhoon”, has so far identified five children who have been victims of abuse. They are aged between four and 12 years old.

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Here is the challenge Iris set today. Answer is at the foot of the page.

(1)    Are a Rock band formed at secondary school in 1976 in Dublin when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency and were know as “Feedback” until  March 1977, when they changed their name to “The Hype”.

(2)    They again changed their name in1978  to their present name  after a split in the band and they  had their first release an EP entitled Three, it was released in September 1979 and was the band’s first Irish chart success

(3)    Since the early 1980s, as a band and individually they have collaborated with other musicians, artists, celebrities, and politicians to address issues concerning poverty, disease, and social injustice.

(4)    “Beautiful Day” earned three Grammy Awards and they have won 22 in total since, tying them with Stevie Wonder as contemporary artists with the most Grammy’s.

(5)    The band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in early 2005 and in 2006 all four members of the band received ASCAP awards (The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers)for writing the songs, “I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For“, and “Vertigo”.

(6)    Two members of the band are also writing the music to Spider-Man: The Musical, expected to open in February 2010 and one member created the theme song for Season 1 and 2 of the television series The Batman.

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Can exercise keep you young at heart?

If you care more about how your heart looks than how it runs, then by all means, exercise to your heart’s content.

That might sound ridiculous, but when you boil down a recent study presented at the American Heart Association’s annual meeting, that’s exactly what this “prestigious” organization recommends.

The study claims that years of exercise can keep a your heart “young.” Apparently seniors who spent the past 15-25 years exercising had better hearts. And the more exercise they did, the better their hearts.

How much better? Glad you asked… because to these researchers, “better” meant that exercisers’ hearts “looked” more youthful.

That’s right. This study didn’t examine any real-world benefits, like who lived the longest, who was the healthiest or who was most independent. Just whose hearts looked the best – or, more specifically, the most “youthful.”

That’s great if your heart is going into modeling… but if you’re planning to live a long, healthy and independent life, wasting your remaining years in a gym is NOT the way to do it.

Focus more on what you put into your body that what you do with it, and you’ll be fine. Eating few carbs and plenty of animal protein will keep you at the right weight, and do more for your body – including your heart – than all the gyms in the world. And since infection, not fat, is a leading cause of heart disease, make sure your diet includes the nutrients your body needs to keep a strong immune system.

And if you really want to do some useful exercise, you can take this study, carefully rip it out, crumple it into a little ball – and then see if you can toss it into the wastebasket from where you’re sitting.

Bulls-eye!

There – you’ve done your exercise for the day… and you’ve put this tommyrot right where it belongs.

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Word of the Day

entreabierto ehn-treh-ah-byer’-toh  (adjective)

half-open, ajar

EXAMPLES

Dejamos la ventana entreabierta porque hacía buen tiempo. – We left the window half-open because of the nice weather.

Mis ojos solamente estaban entreabiertos al final de la película aburrida. – My eyes were only have open at the end of the movie.

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REMEMBER WHEN
All the girls had ugly gym slips

It took five minutes for the TV to warm up

Nearly everyone’s Mum was at home when the kids got home from school

Nobody owned a thoroughbred dog

You’d reach into a muddy gutter for a penny

Your Mother wore nylons that came in two pieces

All your male teachers wore ties and female teachers had their hair done every day and wore high heels

You got your windscreen cleaned, oil checked, and petrol served, without asking, all for free, every time..

It was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at a real restaurant with your parents

They threatened to keep children back a year if they failed.. . . And they did it!

When a Ford Zephyr was everyone’s dream car…And people went steady

No one ever asked where the car keys were because they were always in the car, in the ignition, and the doors were never locked

Spinning around, getting dizzy, and falling down was cause for giggles?

Playing cricket with no adults to help the children with the rules of the game

Bottles came from the corner shop without safety caps and hermetic seals because no one had yet tried to poison a perfect stranger

And with all our progress, don’t you wish, just once, you could slip back in time and savour the slower pace, and share it with the children of today.

When being sent to the head’s study was nothing compared to the fate that awaited the student at home

Basically we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn’t because of drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and grandparents were a much bigger threat! But we survived because their love was greater than the threat.
As well as summers filled with bike rides, cricket, Hula Hoops, skate hockey and visits to the pool, and eating lemonade powder or liquorice sticks.Didn’t that feel good, just to go back and say, ‘Yes, I remember that’?

How Many Of These Do You Remember?

Coca Cola in bottles.

Blackjacks and bubblegums.

Home milk delivery in glass bottles with tinfoil tops.

Hi-fi’s & 45 RPM records.

78 RPM records!

Adding Machines.

Scalextric.

Do You Remember a Time When..Decisions were made by going ‘eeny-meeny-miney-moe’?
‘Race issue’ meant arguing about who ran the fastest? Catching tiddlers could happily occupy an entire day?

It wasn’t odd to have two or three ‘Best Friends’?
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was’chickenpox’?
Having a Weapon in School meant being caught with a catapault?
War was a card game?
Cigarette cards in the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle?
Taking drugs meant orange – flavored chewable aspirin?
Water balloons were the ultimate weapon?

If you can remember most or all of these, Then You Have Lived!!!!!!!

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Here is the challenge Iris set today. U2

Today´s Podcast

I thought Liverpool might have gone out of the Champions League with a flourish……what a disappointing season! There are far more important things in life and the state of the UK economy is making the news along with further revelations of how the law-makers have abused their positions of trust.

The more you watch the more it is obvious to see the UK economy is going to take a lot longer to recover. It´s like being robbed blind and then suddenly discovering you´ve empty cupboards everywhere. Yet while Alistair Darling squirms in the seat of his financial pants the banks will still award their bonuses. How on earth anyone can justify a bonus on what has happened is beyond me. It´s like popping down to the local jail and giving bonuses to anyone who´s been caught robbing.

Another fine day yesterday but it did get rather nippy during the evening. Let´s get the Alicante forecast.

Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday	Monday
20° C | 8° C	20° C | 8° C	17° C | 9° C	19° C | 6° C	18° C | 4° C

The man who sent me the following has asked not to be named….MALE VS. FEMALE at the Cashpoint Machine

A new sign in the Bank Lobby reads:

‘Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles.

Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts.

After months of careful research, MALE & FEMALE Procedures have been developed. Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender.’

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MALE PROCEDURE:

1. Drive up to the cash machine.

2. Put down your car window.

3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.

4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw.

5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.

6. Put window up.

7. Drive off.

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FEMALE PROCEDURE:

What is really funny is that most
of this part is the Truth.!!!!

1. Drive up to cash machine.
2. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.
3. Set hand brake, put the window down.
4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card.
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.
6. Attempt to insert card into machine.
7. Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.
8. Insert card.
9. Re-insert card the right way.
10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page.
11. Enter PIN.
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
13. Enter amount of cash required.
14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.
15. Retrieve cash and receipt.
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
17. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of chequebook.
18. Re-check makeup.
19. Drive forward 2 feet.
20. Reverse back to cash machine.
21. Retrieve card.
22. Re-empty handbag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided!
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off.
25. Redial person on cell phone.
26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
27. Release hand brake.

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The rebel doctor has been writing about a subject I had not been folowing. It seems an absurd policy America is folowing but don´t let me prejudice your views…..

If immigrant girls don’t need HPV shots… why do ours?

Across the nation, doctors and school districts are trying force little girls into getting an untested and dangerous vaccine that offers only limited (if any) protection from cervical cancer.

Our officials have been bought and paid for by Merck, the pharmaceutical giant behind the medical mistake of the century: the nightmare vaccination known as Gardasil.

In the dollar-driven zeal to jab everyone with pigtails, the Centers for Disease Control even made HPV vaccinations a requirement for green-card seeking gals between the ages of 11 and 26.

But in another sign that it’s an immigrant’s world and the rest of us are just living in it… the CDC quickly backed off after coming under pressure from immigrant groups. That’s right – these non-citizens are already being treated better than many of our own native daughters.

Now the CDC merely “recommends” the vaccine for immigrant girls – but won’t require it.

Meanwhile, in many areas, little girls as young as 11 are being forced to get this vaccine – or they can’t go to school.

Most vaccines are completely unnecessary. Some are unproven and ineffective – and some are downright dangerous, even deadly.

Gardasil is all of the above, and then some.

This expensive vaccine offers only limited protection for an undetermined period of time against only some of the HPV strains linked to cervical cancer. Yet Merck is trying to strong-arm states, counties and school districts into mandating Gardasil shots for all of our little girls.

Meanwhile, dozens of girls have died after getting this vaccine – and thousands more have reported side effects. This vaccine has been linked to severe nerve damage and even ALS – commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

So whether you’re from Maryland, Mexico, or Mesopotamia, no one should be forcing this dangerous vaccine on you or your little girl.

Seeking equal protection for OUR daughters,

William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.

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Boobs vs. Willies
A family is at the dinner table. The son asks his father, ‘Dad, how many Kinds of boobs are there?’
The father, surprised, answers, ‘Well, son, a woman goes through three Phases. In her 20s, a woman’s boobs are like melons, round and firm. In Her 30s to 40s, they are like pears, still nice but hanging a bit.
After 50, they are like onions’. ‘ Onions??’
‘Yes, you see them and they make you cry.’

This infuriated his wife and daughter, so the daughter said, ‘Mom, how many kinds of ‘willies’ are there?’ The mother, surprised, smiles and answers, ‘Well dear, a man goes through three phases also. In his 20s, his willy is like an oak tree, mighty and Hard. In his 30s and 40s, it is like a birch, flexible but reliable. After his 50s, it is like a Christmas tree’. ‘A Christmas tree?’ ‘Yes — dead from the roots up and the balls are just for decoration.’

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Here´s the world´s most intelligent dog. Thanks Ian K.

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1949, Fats Domino recorded his first tracks for Imperial Records. One of those songs was called ‘The Fat Man’, which later became his nickname.
1967, American soul singer, songwriter Otis Redding was killed in a plane crash, aged 26. Redding and his band had made an appearance in Cleveland, Ohio on the local ‘Upbeat’ television show the previous day. The plane carrying Otis Redding and his band crashed at 3.28.pm into icy waters of Lake Monoma near Madison. Redding was killed in the crash along with members from the The Bar-Kays. Trumpet player Ben Cauley was the only person to survive the crash.
2004, one of three RCA microphones used by radio station KWKH for the historic Elvis Presley appearance at the Louisiana Hayride was sold for $37,500. The microphone was one of three used during 50 performances by Elvis Presley when he performed for the radio show in Shreveport from 1954 to 1956.
2007, Led Zeppelin played their first concert in 19 years, at London’s 02 arena. Original band members Jimmy Page, Robert Plant and John Paul Jones were joined on stage by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham. More than one million people had taken part in a ballot for the 9,000 pairs of tickets available for the show.

Today´s Podcast

What’s money? A man is a success if he gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night and in between does what he wants to do. – Bob Dylan

It must be the time of the year but I am watching a few nice films without the violence and gratuitous sex. Last night it was Santa Baby. I didn´t know Santa had a daughter and wasn´t she good at business. She was alerted to her dad´s illness when Santa´s wife needed to write and ask for her help. She had moved away to work in business. On her return she tried to organise Santa´s workforce using big city principles. Needless to say she wasn´t successful and upset the elves in a number of ways. Love was lurking in the form of an old boyfriend and I won´t give the game away. Suffice it to say that she didn´t allow Toyland to be taken over by big business ansd eventually went bakc to her old boyfriend. Is there a moral to the story? Who cares? It´s Christmas.

You probably know I´m not a Man United fan but I was chuffed to bits to see Michael Owen get a hat-trick last night in the Champions League last night. Maybe the moral of that story is to drop all the big stars and save on the wage bill!  But now there comes a story with a moral that has been sent to me.

The Carpenter’s House
By: Unknown Author

An elderly carpenter was ready to retire. He told his employer-contractor of his plans to leave the house-building business and live a more leisurely life with his wife enjoying his extended family. He would miss the paycheck, but he needed to retire. They could get by. The contractor was sorry to see his good worker go and asked if he could build just one more house as a personal favor. The carpenter said yes, but in time it was easy to see that his heart was not in his work. He resorted to shoddy workmanship and used inferior materials. It was an unfortunate way to end his career.  When the carpenter finished his work and the builder came to inspect the house, the contractor handed the front-door key to the carpenter. “This is your house,” he said, “my gift to you.”

What a shock! What a shame! If he had only known he was building his own house, he would have done it all so  differently. Now he had to live in the home he had built none too well. So it is with us. We build our lives in a distracted way, reacting rather than acting, willing to put up less than the best. At important points we do not give the job our best effort. Then with a shock we look at the situation we have created and find that we are now living in the house we have built. If we had realized that, we would have done it differently.

Think of yourself as the carpenter. Think about your house. Each day you hammer a nail, place a board, or erect a wall. Build wisely. It is the only life you will ever build. Even if you live it for only one day more, that day deserves to be lived graciously and with dignity. The plaque on the wall says, “Life is a do-it-yourself project.” Your life tomorrow will be the result of your attitudes and the choices you make today.

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Let´s get the weather

Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday	Sunday
21° C | 8° C	21° C | 8° C	17° C | 8° C	20° C | 6° C	16° C | 6° C
Clear	Clear	Clear	Clear	Overcast

This time of year, the season of lights is celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere when we’re in short supply of the most significant light of our lives: sunlight. Without a moderate daily dose of direct sunlight, vitamin D levels drop and our health becomes more vulnerable. For instance, vitamin D helps your body fight off flu viruses. Yes, even H1N1.

I could stop right there and you’d have reason enough to make sure you’re getting plenty of D from cod liver oil or D3 supplements. But as I’ve mentioned before, vitamin D has also been shown to help maintain strong bones and muscles, support cognitive function, and reduce risk of type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

And then there’s your heart…

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High cost of deficiency
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Six years ago I sent you an email showing that vitamin D deficiency is closely linked to higher risk of congestive heart failure. More recently, in “One Way or Another” (9/14/09), we saw how narrowing of arteries in type 2 diabetics might be delayed and even reversed when D levels are raised. And then there’s the good news about heart disease.

In 2002, a study that followed nearly 10,000 women over the age of 65 showed a link between vitamin D supplement use and a reduced risk of death from heart disease. Seven years later, new research from Utah’s Heart Institute at Intermountain Medical Center expands on that research with impressive results. The Utah team collected blood samples from more than 27,000 healthy subjects over the age of 50 with no history of heart disease. Results for subjects with the lowest blood levels of D:

In this study, lowest D levels were less than 15 nanograms per milliliter.

Talk to your doctor about testing your blood level of vitamin D. Then you can discuss supplement strategies for keeping levels high while we wait for the season of the big light to return.

Only 103 days till spring!

For nine long years, scientists have known about a secret that can help your joints glide along as smooth as silk on silk. This cushioning discovery is locked inside your joints, but there’s never been a practical way to release it — UNTIL NOW.

Discover the NEW breakthrough that leaps over every challenge and helps you bend, crouch and stretch with confidence. Release the smooth secret hidden in your joints today!

Keep reading…

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Desarrollar

(deh-sah-rroh-yarr’) (transitive verb) – to develop; to explain, to expand; to carry out

• Han desarrollado un nuevo model de teléfono móvil. – They have developed a new model of cellphone.
• ¿Podrías desarrollar tu respuesta un poco más? – Could you develop your answer a little more?

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for Desarrollar.

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* Thousands of New Species Found in Deep Sea *

The creatures living in the depths of the ocean are as weird and outlandish as the creations in a Dr. Seuss book: tentacled transparent sea cucumbers, primitive “dumbos” that flap ear-like fins, and tubeworms that feed on oil deposits.

A report released Sunday recorded 17,650 species living below 656 feet, the point where sunlight ceases. The findings were the latest update on a 10-year census of marine life.

Go here for complete news story.

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Four Spanish Civil Guardsmen were seized on Monday evening after chasing suspected smugglers close to the Rock. Gibraltarian police detained the Spaniards and two suspected smugglers, who grounded their dinghy on rocks near a supermarket inside the port.

It was the second diplomatic incident relating to tensions between Spain and Gibraltar in less than a month.

The Spanish interior minister, Alfredo Perez Rubalcaba, made a prompt call to Gibraltar´s Chief Minister, Peter Caruana, to apologise for the breach and the Spanish officers were released shortly after.

“Mr Rubalcaba called me personally last night,” said Mr Caruana on Tuesday. “He said that they deeply regretted the incident and he apologised.”

The Gibraltar leader said he had been assured that there were “no political intentions” behind the incident, the latest in a series of maritime confrontations between Spanish and British authorities amid escalating tensions ovre maritime territory.

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Spanish police found the body of the 48-year-old man who became trapped in the disused well while hunting on the island of Majorca.  It is thought the Spaniard committed suicide after spending at least three days lying injured at the bottom of the 98 ft shaft. Investigators say the man had fractured his legs and arms when he accidentally fell into an open well in a rural area popular with hunters near the village of Sol de Majorca, on the southwestern tip of the Balearic Island.

The victim, a policeman who has been identified only as Antonio M R, was found sitting at the base of the pit with his shotgun at his side. He had shot himself in the head. He went out hunting on November 24 but was not reported missing until seven days later when he failed to turn up for work after annual leave. A rescue team from Calvia Civil Guard found him on Tuesday evening.  The owner of the Can Trujillo estate where the body was discovered said the well had been opened 60 years ago by the previous owner. But it had failed to produce much water and had lain abandoned for decades. The mouth of the shaft had become overgrown with weeds.

Ed. This must have been a horribly lonely and painful death. Let´s hope this serves as a warning to others and prevents anyone else suffering the same fate.

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Today´s Podcast

Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter. – Martin Luther King Jr., 1929-1968

I like this quote because I seem to go in and out of situations at the moment. These start with things that matter to me. They also seem to end because I also see it necessary to act with my conscience rather than follow the herd.  It takes ages to learn and causes great pain to stand against others that don´t see it but money is not everything in life. You cannot take it with you when you go so what is then point in fighting over it when there are alternatives?

I know many of you don´t get the chance to visit the grotto. Let me fix this right now. Click here. Please enjoy your visit to see Santa at my expense!  I´ve also arranged a very special cabaret show for you to watch. If  I have any scousers or fans of great music reading this blog then you must visit this link. It was sent to me by Terry McCusker who you might remember from his days with Colonel Bagshots in Liverpool.

I feel a little emotional right now. Let me explain. I caught a little of the animal welfare programme on the telly on route for my work in my studio. It was the love and affection shown by a dog that was allegedly being mistreated.If mistreatment was the order of the day then the dog certainly didn´t bear any grudges. It was quite touching especially as the dog was obviously malnourished. Then as the tears were being choked back two horses, supposedlyu, wild after being left on their own for three years were approached by three RSWPCA personnel wearing helmets and body protection. On sniff of the carrots and the horses soon calmed down! Do we really deserve such trust?  Yesterday,  I watched two young Mountain Gorillas being returned to the wild. It was like carrying two teenagers down to the local youth centre.It´s a bit nippy in the early morning but it is also nice and bright again. Let´s get the forecast.

Tuesday	Wednesday	Thursday	Friday	Saturday
22° C | 11° C	21° C | 10° C	21° C | 10° C	21° C | 10° C	20° C | 10° C
Scattered Clouds	Clear	Clear	Clear	Scattered Clouds

* Thousands of New Species Found in Deep Sea *

The creatures living in the depths of the ocean are as weird and outlandish as the creations in a Dr. Seuss book: tentacled transparent sea cucumbers, primitive “dumbos” that flap ear-like fins, and tubeworms that feed on oil deposits.

A report released Sunday recorded 17,650 species living below 656 feet, the point where sunlight ceases. The findings were the latest update on a 10-year census of marine life.

Go here for complete news story.

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* Memories May Be Enhanced By Sleep, Study Shows *

For time-starved Americans, few ideas are more appealing than that of learning while sleeping. Why simply doze for eight hours when you can be learning Spanish as well?

The problem, of course, is science, which discredited the idea back in the 1950s. While tapes and CDs for prospective sleep learners are available online, studies have shown that they won’t be very effective.

Go here for complete news story.

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You might remember I did a series of  podcasts with American money gurus. They are all on my website so feel free to visit them. I think this is goodm advice from one ofn these contributors to my show.

The Value of Waiting
Waiting allows energy to mature. If there’s something large you’re trying to manifest that requires a lot of energy, you might have to wait for a long time. During that time you can push and be in a hurry or you can wait, knowing that what you hope to achieve will come to pass at the right moment.

But to get to that right moment, you may have to wait and wait. In the end, you will be rewarded if you are willing to wait while maintaining a positive expectation of the future.

Try this

• Make an agreement with yourself that you will never buy anything when you get that I-have-to-have-it feeling. When the feeling passes, you can make a decision about a potential purchase.
• Sit in a chair with your eyes open doing nothing for at least 10 minutes. Actually, you are doing something. You are waiting. Listen to the sounds around you, and just observe the space you’re in. Repeat this exercise on a different day and sit for a bit longer. Keep doing this until you can sit for at least 30 minutes without feeling that you’re wasting time or experiencing any kind of anxiety.
• Whenever you find yourself pushing to get something done, stop, take a few deep breaths, and wait at least five minutes before moving forward. You will see that the whole world doesn’t fall apart when you wait.
• www.SotkinWeb.com

You know I am a fan of the rebel doctor and I thought you might like to check his biography. Here he is.

I’m William Campbell Douglass I.I., M.D. I’ve been called “the conscience of modern medicine.”

But, I’ve also been labeled a “maverick”, and several less flattering names too, by some of the biggest names in the government and health establishments – but, hey, that’s part of the territory. And my territory is everywhere…

* I’ve flown with US Navy crews as a flight surgeon…
* Saved lives as a long-time emergency physician…
* Battled malaria in bullet-torn regions of Central America…
* Fought deadly epidemics at my own health clinic in Africa…
* Worked alongside doctors at Russia’s renowned Pasteur Institute…
* I’ve even been called before Congress (they never asked me back)…
* And if there’s one undeniable fact I’ve learned in 40 years of treating patients all over the world, it’s that…

There is no such thing
as an undeniable medical fact!

That’s why I keep searching and fighting for the real medical breakthroughs that will keep you on the road to a healthy, length life – a road that can be easier, cheaper and far more pleasant than any health-nag would every lead you to believe. I guarantee it.
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Failed med tested for sexy side effects

What do you do when a med fails to deliver? Market the side effects!

That little trick’s been in the Big Pharma playbook for years… and the latest example is a failed antidepressant called flibanserin.

Researchers claim that although this med didn’t help anyone beat the blues, some of the women who took it noticed an increase in libido.

So now instead of a failure, it’s being touted as the “female Viagra,” as if that’s something to be proud of. But that notion is little more than tricky marketing – because while there’s often a physical reason behind a man’s inability to perform, such as a circulation issue that makes it hard to sustain an erection, women with sexual dysfunction often face another issue entirely: a lack of desire.

And sometimes, a lack of desire simply means a woman doesn’t want to have sex. While I’m all for an active, healthy sex life at any age, using chemical trickery to induce lust is practically pharmacological rape… forcing the body to say “yes” even when the mind says “no.”

Early research found that this med has a range of unpleasant side effects, including headaches, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, diarrhea and urinary infections.

And if it gets approved as a female sex drug, I wouldn’t be surprised if the other side effects include feelings of deep regret and shame when women realize they were chemically conned into sexual encounters.

Ladies, if you want a little help loosening up in the bedroom, try a glass of wine before you turn to any meds. As I wrote a few weeks ago, a drink or two before you hit the sack with your beloved has been shown to help women feel more relaxed and adventurous between the sheets. (Click here to read “Drink up to warm up in the bedroom.”)

You can also try your hand at any one of the many natural aphrodisiacs. There’s a reason strawberries and chocolate have always been linked to romance: The two are naturally loaded with nutrients and amino acids that help boost desire.

Just stay away from failed drugs – and, for the record, that includes Viagra too. That nasty little med was originally designed to lower blood pressure. The side effects included powerful erections – including the kind that can’t be relieved with sex alone, but require emergency-room treatments with sharp instruments.

And I’m not done with bad sex meds yet. Keep reading for the latest stupid bedroom trick…

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Word of the Day

Escribir a máquina ehs-kree-beer’ ah mah’-kee-nah  (verb phrase)

to type

EXAMPLES

Solamente acepto ensayos escritos a máquina. – I only accept typed essays.

Mi madre escribe a máquina con solo dos dedos. – My mother types with only two fingers.

For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for Escribir a máquina.

Today´s Podcast