Ask Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I am petrified  because  of this  Ebola  madness , I live in Texas  for God's  sake .
As it is , I don't  like flying  . Now  I hardly  want  to go out  my house . I'm supposed  to fly to  Washington D.C.  to visit  my family  for  Christmas  and it's time to buy  my ticket .  How  can I know  if  I will be on a flight  that's safe ? What should I do ?
Scared  Flightless
Dear Scared  Flightless,
You should  be  concerned  about  what your  next  steps should be, especially  during  the  holidays . Pay special attention  to the  'Center for Disease Control and Prevention  website'  that will be giving  updates  on travel  recommendations  and Ebola  in general . The  going wisdom  on prevention  of  contracting  this  deadly  disease  is to keep yourself, particularly your hands, antiseptically clean  and stay away  from infected  people  . For  details  , visit   who.int/csr/disease/ebola/fag-ebola/en/  .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I live  in a  large  condo building . Most  of the occupants  are lovely, but one woman  is extremely bossy  and always involved in projects . For  some reason  she expects  me to do all her  legwork  and  of  course, takes full credit .
I work from home . She  doesn't  like  taking  no  for an answer, so she was constantly  texts, calls  and  hounds  me until I give in . How  can I politely tell her  I'm too busy  and would  prefer  that she  leave me along ?
Sick of  being  bossed
Dear Sick ,
You need to acquire a little back bone and stand up for yourself. She will never  give  up  if she knows  you will eventually  give in . She thinks you are a pushover.
Prove her  wrong . Be polite but keep saying  no . Don't answer  her texts  or  calls . Write "Sorry , I can't help you," on a piece of paper  and read it to her  as many times as  necessary . Persevere and eventually it will penetrate a  hide even as tough as hers.
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I appreciate  the information  on ovarian cancer  and that September  was ovarian cancer  month . I am writing to  find out  whether you are aware of any support  walks , bike rides , etc., to advance people's awareness of ovarian cancer ? My aunt  was recently diagnosed  and I have been disappointed  in the lack of information . I recently  moved to Sarasota  and found  out that the only chapter  in Florida  for ovarian cancer  is in Tallahassee . If  you have any thoughts , please  let me  know .
---- S.
Dear S. ,
There  are  various  walks  and rides  for  ovarian cancer  scheduled throughout  the  year, although I cannot promise  that there are any are in Sarasota . For  information, support  and scheduling, please  look into  the  Ovarian Cancer  Research Fund( ocrf.org ),  the Ovarian Cancer National Alliance ( ovariancancer.org ), the National Ovarian Cancer Coalition ( ovarian.org ), and the American Cancer Society ( cancer.org/cancer/ovariancancer ).
Maxy

Your Roving Reporter : Former President Carter to tour local neighborhoods

Former President Jimmy Carter will be in Shreveport on Thursday to help Community Renewal International celebrate its 20th anniversary.

"No American president, either sitting or former, has ever toured the neighborhoods. And this will be the first," said Mack McCarter, founder and coordinator of Community Renewal International. "That’s what I’m excited about."The former president, McCarter and John Dalton, president of the Washington, D.C.-based Financial Services Roundtable’s Housing Policy Council, met in Atlanta in June 2013 to talk about Community Renewal.

"We visited with him for about 45 minutes, and it was then that we invited President Carter," McCarter said. "He was familiar with Community Renewal. And we had wonderful mutual friends by the name of Millard and Linda Fuller, who founded Habitat for Humanity. And they were the founders of the Fuller Center (of Housing for Northwest Louisiana), which is doing the same work as Habitat here."

Dalton, a Shreveport native who serves on Community Renewal’s national advisory board, met Carter in 1975 at a Naval Academy alumni function.

"He had just left the office as governor of Georgia and was running for president," Dalton said. "I had never done anything political before but I was very impressed with him and his candidacy and I supported him."After Carter was elected president, he appointed Dalton as president of the Government National Mortgage Association. Dalton later served as chairman of the Federal Home Loan Bank board.

"We’ve been friends over the years. And since I served in his administration, I’ve also been supportive of the Carter Center in (Atlanta) Georgia that he runs," Dalton said. "He’s helped people in over 80 countries with their quality of life; and we’ve stayed in touch over the years."

During his visit, Carter — who served as president from 1977-81, will tour Community Renewal’s targeted neighborhoods and the Friendship Houses. He also will stop at Bossier Parish Community College; a partnership between Community Renewal and the Bossier City college created the Center for Community Renewal earlier this year. To culminate his visit, Carter will be keynote speaker at Community Renewal’s anniversary celebration in Shreveport’s Municipal Auditorium.

"Carter is interested in helping people, and he recognizes how successful Community Renewal has been in terms of bringing people together and helping people to reach out and be good neighbors," Dalton said. "He recognizes the benefits of that for both the individual and the community at large."Gloria Millender, coordinator Community Renewal’s Adult Renewal Academy, said Community Renewal’s impact is not only national but also international. "It catches on and when you talk to other people, it clicks. So when Carter saw all the the things we were doing, it clicked. We’re stirring up interest around the world."

Mike Leonard, Community Renewal associate coordinator, agrees. "When I really take a deep breath and think about it, it is amazing that a former president would be coming to our city to do anything, much less something I’m involved in," he said. "And when you think about this, this (Community Renewal idea) was something that was written down on note cards in 1994 and one guy was talking about it and now we’ve got a team of more than 30 full-time (workers) and who knows how many volunteers working together to make this community a better place."

And Dalton is looking forward to being in Shreveport again for the 20th anniversary celebration.

"It’ll be a very positive impact on Community Renewal as an organization and the city of Shreveport at large because Carter is a very positive individual who has dedicated his life to helping other people," he said.

Twitter: @sshephardLIFE

IF YOU GO

WHAT: "20 Years of Community Renewal: Rebuilding a caring world, one neighborhood at a time."

INTRODUCTION : Gilberado  Lewis  Carano , II

KEYNOTE SPEAKER: former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

WHEN: 6 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday.

WHERE: Municipal Auditorium, 705 Grand Ave. in Shreveport, Louisiana .

TICKETS: free.

TO LEARN MORE: Call (318) 425-3222.

See You there .

Your 'Roving  Reporter'

Tap Dancing Priests...Internet Hit

A pair of priests from the U.S. are captivating audiences at their seminary in Rome with a tap dance routine that is now garnering hundreds of thousands of hits on YouTube.

Odd Stuff

A STORY THAT TELLS ITSELF



ANY BETS ON WHETHER HE HAD TO CHANGE HIS PANTS ?



PLEASE EXPLAIN WHY SHE DID THIS



"WANNA GO ON A PICNIC LITTLE GIRL"?



NOW I'M JUST CONFUSED



THIS COULD BE MISINTERPRETED

Food for Thought : October is National Chili Month

October is National Chili Month. A hearty chili can be a filling and nutritious one-pot meal that usually can be made with ingredients you have on hand. While most chili starts with a basic base of meat and tomatoes, some can be very complex with vegetables, beans and other ingredients. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy a healthful pot of chili:
1 .   When preparing chili, make sure you wash your hands frequently as you handle hot peppers. If you have sensitive skin, you may want to wear gloves. Be very careful not to touch your eyes, mouth or nose until you have thoroughly washed your hands.

2 .  Choose lean cuts of meat and add lots of beans. Try adding different types of beans such as black, small red beans, kidney beans and pinto beans. If using canned beans, drain and rinse these before adding to the pot.

3 .  Add whole grains such as barley or serve chili over brown rice.

4 .  Add extra vegetables. Onions, bell pepper, zucchini, squash, shredded carrots and celery make wonderful additions to your pot of chili.

5 .  Limit high-fat additions such as cheese, sour cream, and corn chips. A little of any of these is all you need to add a little extra flavor to your chili.

                                 Mouth-watering Chili :

4 slices thick-cut apple smoked bacon, diced
3/4 pound chicken breast , cut into 1/2-inch cubes
1 tablespoon chipotle chili powder
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 tablespoon Emil's Southwest Seasoning, (recipe below )
2 medium onions, diced
1/2 red bell pepper , diced
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1/4 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
1 (14-ounce) can petite diced tomatoes, with juices
4 cups chicken broth 
3 cups water, plus more if needed
1 pound dried pinto beans, rinsed and picked over
3-1/2 tablespoons light brown sugar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
                     Emil's Southwest Seasoning:
2 tablespoons chili powder
2 teaspoons ground cumin
2 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon black pepper
1 tablespoon ground coriander
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon crushed red pepper
1 tablespoon salt
1 tablespoon dried oregano

Directions

1 .   In a heavy Dutch oven over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until the fat is completely rendered and the bacon is crisp, 4 to 6 minutes.
2 .  Remove the bacon using a slotted spoon and set on the side. Add the cubed chuck, chili powder, cumin, and Southwest Essence to the hot rendered fat in the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until the meat is well browned, 4 to 6 minutes. 
3 .  Add the onions, bell pepper, garlic and oregano and cook until soft, about 4 minutes. Add the tomatoes,broth, water and beans and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, partially cover the pot, and cook, stirring occasionally, until meat and beans are tender and sauce is thick and flavorful, about 1-1/2 to 2 hours.
 (TIP: add more liquid if the sauce gets too thick before the beans are tender.)
4 .  When the beans are tender and sauce is thickened, add the brown sugar, ketchup, and mustard and cook until thick and flavors have come together, about 20 to 30 minutes longer.
Serve hot.

                        Emil's Southwest Seasoning:
Combine all ingredients thoroughly.
Yield: 1/2 cup

Words of Wisdom :

For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.

People who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.

Life is a dream for the wise, a game for the fool, a comedy for the rich, a tragedy for the poor.

Life is a song - sing it. Life is a game - play it. Life is a challenge - meet it. Life is a dream - realize it. Life is a sacrifice - offer it. Life is love - enjoy it.

　

A proud  Grandpoppa      G .
　

Does Aluminum Exposure Contribute to Alzheimer's ?

Aluminum is one of the most widely used metals in the world. Consider your morning commute: You hop into your car, where you’re protected from the elements by aluminum body panels. You sip your morning coffee from an aluminum travel mug. You arrive at your desk and pry open your laptop’s aluminum case to check your email.

All of this exposure to aluminum, however, may come at a cost. Research suggests that the metal — a known neurotoxin — builds up in the brain over time, contributing to Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions.

Writing in a recent issue of The Lancet, neuroscientist Christopher Exley made an impassioned case that the modern Aluminum Age, as he calls it, plays a significant role in neurodegenerative diseases. We overlook these risks because aluminum is so common, Exley argued. But there are several explanations for how aluminum may contribute to Alzheimer’s disease. For one, aluminum encourages proteins called amyloids to clump together in the brain, which is a key feature of Alzheimer’s disease. This accumulation may block signals between nerve cells or lead to changes that destroy brain cells.

Aluminum is toxic to the brain, just like mercury, lead, and arsenic, said neurologist David Perlmutter, MD, author ofGrain Brain and the Grain Brain Cookbook.  “Over the past 20 years there have been several important research publications that have drawn conclusions relating Alzheimer’s disease to aluminum exposure,” he added. Studies have linked higher aluminum content in drinking water to higher rates of Alzheimer’s disease, for example. And one of the most promising Alzheimer’s therapies involves removing aluminum from the body, providing evidence that the two are closely connected, according to a research review in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience.

Because aluminum is so pervasive, it’s nearly impossible to avoid completely. But taking certain steps can significantly lower your risk of developing dementia. “The truth of the matter is that there is no treatment for dementia now or at any time in the foreseeable future, and yet dementia, for the most part, is strongly related to lifestyle choices such as diet, exercise, and even preventing head trauma,” said Perlmutter. “This is powerful information as it puts dementia into the same category as heart disease, for example, in which everyone seems to be very aware of the fact that there are things we can do to prevent that issue.”

Follow these tips to reduce your risk for dementia and keep your brain healthy as you age:

1) Watch your blood sugar. “Even mild elevations of blood sugar, well below the threshold for making a diagnosis of diabetes, have now been demonstrated to significantly correlate with the risk of developing dementia,” said Perlmutter. To keep blood sugar under control, limit the amount of carbohydrates you consume and choose healthy fats such as olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, and seeds. If you choose to eat meat, pick grass-fed beef and wild fish, which are higher in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

2) Keep up with cardio. “Physical activity is a wonderful brain activity,” Douglas Scharre, MD, director of the division of cognitive neurology at Ohio State University, told Yahoo Health. Aerobic activity can make your brain more resilient against developing dementia, studies suggest. Perlmutter recommended at least 20 minutes of sustained aerobic activity each day, such as running, brisk walking, or bike riding.

3) Protect your noggin. Even mild head trauma early in life — a hard knock during a high school football game or a rough crash while rollerblading — can set the stage for dementia later on, Perlmutter said. The simple fix: Always wear a helmet when biking, skateboarding, or rollerblading.

4) Sip mineral water. Silicon is a common mineral in tap and bottled water. It also chemically counteracts aluminum and is given to patients treat acute aluminum poisoning. A 2013 study in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease found that drinking mineral water with silicon helped flush aluminum from the body. Check the label on your bottled water, which should list the minerals it contains.

5) Lower your cholesterol. If your cholesterol levels are high, getting them under control may reduce your risk for dementia. “In studies where large groups of people were followed for many years, people in midlife who were taking cholesterol-lowering statin drugs reduced their risk for dementia and Alzheimer’s disease by about 60 to 70 percent compared to those who weren’t taking statins for elevated cholesterol,” said Dr. Scharre.

Okay, the first thing you do is throw out all those old  aluminum pots and pans that you are still cooking with...even the ones your mom gave you. Make that your first step in preventing  Alzheimer’s disease and other neurodegenerative conditions. You will feel you have done something positive.

5 Ways to Tell if He is Cheating

Ever wonder if your significant other isn't being entirely truthful? Unfortunately, there's a good chance you're right. It's perfectly normal to lie. In a study of undergrads, 60% of participants lied at least once during a 10-minute casual conversation with a stranger. But suppose that fibbing extended to important matters, like fidelity, and important people — like a significant other. Science can't tell you if your partner is sleeping around, but recent research has shown we can often detect when someone is hiding something.
Here are five ways to tell if your partner may be keeping something important from you.
1. Ask a friend.
Other people — strangers, even — have an uncanny ability to detect when something's just not right in someone else's relationship. Brigham Young University psychologists tested out this idea in a lab. They had couples partake in a collaborative activity in which they were supposed to draw an object. Before the activity, the scientists had the couples answer questions privately about the relationship, including whether or not they had cheated. Then, they blindfolded one participant — the designated artist — and had the other partner gave him or her directions on what to draw. The researchers videotaped the activity and later showed the footage to another group of volunteers who didn't know the couples. The volunteers were frequently able to tell which of the couples included a partner who had cheated. (Their guesses were not right all the time, but more often than chance.)
While additional research is needed to corroborate this preliminary result, the work suggests that an outsider who observes a couple doing something that requires working together, like cooking or planning an event, may be able to detect infidelity or unhappiness.
2. Mull it over while doing something else. 
People are generally bad judges of character — consciously, at least. When we are given time to process another person's actions subconsciously, however, we are far better at telling truth from deceit. In 2013, a team of psychologists had a panel of student judges watch people give testimony and decide if they had been lying. The students who were given time to think before they made a decision — so long as they were made to think about something other than the case they were assessing — were better at figuring out whether the person they were judging had been lying.
"These findings suggest that the human mind is not unfit to distinguish between truth and deception," write the researchers in the study.
3. Listen to their voice.
Canadian researchers recently had a group of volunteers listen to a pair of voices and rate how attractive each speaker sounded. Then, the researchers asked them to judge how likely each person would be to cheat in a romantic relationship. While the female volunteers were most likely to say the men with lower-pitched voices would cheat, the men typically guessed that the women with higher-pitched voices would cheat. Men with more testosterone tend to have deeper voices, and women with more estrogen tend to have higher-pitched speech. And as it turns out, higher levels of testosterone in men have been linked with higher rates of cheating — though the jury is still out on whether there is any such association in women.
 Hypothetically speaking, a preference for higher voices in women and lower voices in men might "allow us to choose a mate that is likely to stick around and have children, and not do so with other people," McMaster University psychologist Jillian O'Connor told LiveScience.
4. Pay attention to social media use.
Does your partner spend more time tweeting than talking to you? Recent research suggests that people who are highly active on Facebook and Twitter are more likely to have social-media-related conflict, and subsequently more likely to experience "infidelity, breakup, and divorce."
In his study, University of Missouri researcher Russell Clayton looked the social media habits of close to 600 Twitter users. The average person used Twitter close to an hour a day, five days a week. Those who tweeted, responded to tweets, or scanned their Twitter feed more often than that were more likely to get in arguments with their partners, and also more likely to divorce or cheat. The more time they spent on Twitter, the worse relationship outcomes Clayton observed.
It's unlikely that too much tweeting, posting and liking caused other people to cheat, but there is certainly a connection between the two behaviors.
5. Watch for sudden changes in behavior.
If you've been with your significant other for a while, chances are you know how they normally act — what type of foods they eat, how they react to challenges or surprises, how well they listen, etc.
Sudden changes in body language, from facial expressions to patterns of speech, can be red flags for duplicitous behavior, according to research from Lillian Glass, a behavioral analyst who once worked with the Federal Bureau of Investigation to study how to spot signs of deceit.
"Your body experiences these types of changes when you’re nervous and feeling tense — when you lie," she writes in her book, "The Body Language of Liars ."
One telltale sign of lying, she says, is a sudden inability to speak. This happens because our automatic nervous system often responds to stress by starving the mouth of saliva. Another is a change in breathing. This reflexive action can occur as a result of quick changes in heart rate and blood flow which make us feel out of breath.
Other research backs up Glass' findings — psychologists suggest looking out for when someone repeats a question after it's asked or veers into personal attacks rather than answering.


Take this knowledge and use it well. I think there is nothing more dangerous that a well informed, vindictive woman.

I didn't know I was pregnant until I gave birth

The string of "I didn't know I was pregnant until I gave birth" stories continues. The latest is out of Risca, Wales, and involves 24-year-old Clare Evans.
After experiencing stomach pains she called an off-hours hotline, which advised her that it could be a kidney infection. She then called her doctor's office and was told to come in later that day; when she arrived, she was asked to provide a urine sample.

"But when I went to the toilet, my waters broke," she says. A doctor quickly checked her and was able to see the baby's head, reports the South Wales Argus.
Evans was not only pregnant, she was about to give birth. Evans was 9cm dilated, and gave birth 30 minutes later, at 1:24pm on Oct. 6.
The 6-pound, 12-ounce Erin Louise Roberts was the first baby to be born at the doctors' office in its 30 years of operation. It's the first child for Evans, who, as she put it on Facebook, "didn't have a clue she was there"—no morning sickness, and not even a bump.
But the surprise has been a great one for Evans, who says, "I love motherhood, even though it was completely unexpected I wouldn’t change it for the world." (Earlier this month, an Iowa woman who was also experiencing a mystery stomach pain gave birth to rare twins.) See below.

Twins are rare, occurring in roughly 2% of all pregnancies. Of those, monoamniotic twins—in which the babies share both a placenta and amniotic sac—are even more uncommon, happening in fewer than 1% of all instances of twins. But what makes an Iowa woman's pregnancy absolutely singular is that she was pregnant with monoamniotic twins without knowing it. Shelby Magnani was having stomach pains, particularly a "sharp pain" on her left side, so she went to a walk-in clinic. "They said, 'We think you might be pregnant,'" she tells the station. "They told me I was six months [along] and told me to get down to the ER" for an ultrasound. That's when the Ankeny woman and fiance James Croskey learned it was twins.                                                                
This type of pregnancy is highly complicated: The mortality rate is about 50%, with the biggest worry being that the umbilical cords could get tangled in such a small space—the Children's Hospital of Wisconsin likens the cords to a garden hose, explaining that if they "flatten or bend, the supply line can be damaged or cut off," impeding development or even causing death. Dr. Jennifer Krupp explains that "we bring the patients into the hospital at 24 to 26 weeks, so we can monitor the babies several times a day." But as WHOTV reports, Magnani "missed out on the worst part of having monoamniotic twins: the worry." How fast it happened: On Oct. 6, Croskey posted on Facebook that he was throwing a huge Halloween party; three days later, he posted a request for a ride to Mercy Hospital—followed by an album of his girls. The identical Ava and Anna entered the world via C-section on Thursday, weighing 4 pounds, 6 ounces and 3 pounds, 12 ounces, respectively. Though they'll need to stay in the NICU, they're expected to be fine.

Ask Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
In the past year , my mom has lost many of  her childhood  friends .
One lady died  of  cancer  and then her husband  died  a few  months  later . He had  been sick for  years . A woman  from my mom's  church had a heart attack . Then one of her  high school friends  had a  car accident . The list goes on . I know  we should  expect  to hear of  deaths  , given their  ages  ... my mom is  86  , for heaven's sake  ... but it  doesn't make it  any easier  to know that they  are old . How  can I cheer  up  my mom ? She is healthy  and I'm worried  she  will get depressed .
Mom Booster
Dear Booster Mom ,
One tremendous  difficulty in growing  old  is seeing  your  loved ones  pass . Though  inevitable , it is  still hard  to experience . To help your  mother , keep her  active . If  you have children  , make sure  she spends  time  with them . Get her involved  in a senior  center  that includes  exercise  and activity . Help her  design  her days  so that  she is  busy  with  fun experiences .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I've  been in an abusive  marriage  for nearly 15 years  and I can't take another  day  My husband  has  never  hit me . It's all mental  and emotional abuse . He  calls  me  horrible  names in front  of  our  children . He  has constant  tantrums  where  he screams  , throws  things  and threatens me , saying if  I leave  , he'll kill me , destroy my life  and take our  children  away . I have no access to money  and he has driven all my  friends away .
I have nowhere to go  . There are no shelters  in my rural area   and I'm scared of what he  may do  when I leave . However , I'm determined  . I've written  him a long  letter  explaining  why and promising  That I don't  want any money  from him  so he doesn't have to worry  about that . And I plan to give this letter to him  . I don't want to be sneaky  and leave the letter  and walk out the door  . But I am  afraid .
I don't  have anyone to discuss these things with . My mother said  she don't want to hear it  and it was my problem .  Please  help .
Too Scared to Leave
Dear  Too Scared ,
Please  do not do anything  rash . Before you leave  , you need to have  your  next step planned  and ready ,  whether  it is  finding  a shelter  , staying  with friends  or  relatives  , or  leaving town . It would be unwise  to hand  your  abusive husband  a letter  and walk out the  door . I know  you want  to do the  honorable thing  , but  your safety is more important  right now .
I urge you  to call the National  Domestc Violence  Hotline  ( thehotline.org )  at 1-800-799-SAFE . Someone there  will  guide  you theough the  process.
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
My husband and I are retired  and live in upstate  New York  with our  son  and his  family . Our  son broke  his back and neck in an accident . He has  recovered , but now is addicted  to pain medication .
He has  no insurance . Is there any way  to get him  the help he  needs  to be a functioning adult  again ? He would give anything  to be better  , but  can't afford treatment .
Desperately Concerned  Mom
Dear Mom ,
This must be a terribly difficult situation  for everyone  , but the fact  that your your  son wants  to get better is encouraging . Please  look into state-funded  drug  and alcohol rehab centers  through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services  Administration at (  findtreatment.samhsa.gov ) or  call their  treatment  referral line  at 1-800-662-HELP . I'll be thinking of  you .
Maxy

'THE ROVING REPORTER' ...Louisiana State Senator Mary Landrieu's Campaign

 
'THE ROVING REPORTER' is a new feature, principally for Louisianans but certainly of interest to everyone. It will cover entertainment, arts, casinos, state-wide news and politics...and any feature our roving reporter feels will intrigue our readers.
You have already made his acquaintance as the writer of 'Food For Thought'. 
Please enjoy our Roving Reporter,  G ( AKA Poppa )


BATON ROUGE – Former President Bill Clinton praised U.S. Sen. Mary Landrieu’s work for Louisiana but stressed to supporters at a rally that if they don’t vote and get others to vote for her, she could lose this race.

 Landrieu’s campaign is counting on Clinton’s support adding a boost and prompting voters to head to the polls prior to the Nov. 4 election with the opening of early voting.
Having a rally is "all very nice but it won’t amount to a hill of beans if you don’t vote," Clinton told a crowd of Landrieu supporters.

The rally focused on Landrieu’s efforts to improve health care, ease the burden of paying off student loans by allowing graduates to refinance them like any other loan, bring more offshore oil production to the state and restore coastal areas after being devastated by hurricanes.

Clinton said after watching Landrieu’s actions in the Senate while he was president, he knows "She’s going to do the right thing. I saw her fight for 10 years to get revenues from offshore" oil production.

While Republicans paint her as toeing the Democratic Party line, Clinton said she is "one of the most bipartisan and one of the 10 most effective senators."

Performance-wise, "she should be winning this race 10-to-15 percent except for the situation we’re in," he said.

Political forecasters have predicted rough seas for Landrieu as she seeks re-election in a highly conservative state, even though the Democratic Party still leads in voter registration.
Both parties are pouring large sums of money into television advertising.

Republican challengers U.S. Rep. Bill Cassidy and retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness are touting Landrieu’s support of most of President Barack Obama’s policies as a reason to oust her. They’re counting on Obama’s unpopularity in the state to sway voters against her. Landrieu is hoping to capitalize on her rise to a powerful position in the Senate, which will help the state, as a reason to keep her.

Ben Voelkel, spokesman for the National Republican Committee said "Bringing President Clinton to town only underscores how much Mary Landrieu has swung to the liberal end of the Democrat party, as her support of President Obama’s policies 97 percent of the time demonstrates. Landrieu’s rock solid support for President Obama shows that his agenda is her agenda, and Louisiana voters can see through today’s misdirection."

Among those in the crowd to hear Landrieu and Clinton was Mike Belcher, a Baton Rouge Republican who believes his party has gone "way too far out of line" in its fight to unseat Landrieu.

"Frankly, I’m not too happy with her opponents" and "she holds seats on committees we don’t want to lose," he said.

Your 'Roving Reporter'     G.

6 Very Untraditional Bridal Trends

 Think you're the traditional bride? These wedding dress trends for 2015 might have you rethinking that. Designers looked to Hollywood, incorporating crop tops, thigh-high slits, and bare backs into the mix for next year. We think Olivia Palermo may have had a thing or two to do with shorts and sweaters on the runway, too - It seems anything goes these days.

 I have to confess a love for a simple white traditional gown. It is so appropriate for the occasion. A veil is not necessary but a head piece or flowers in the hair are nice and a bouquet of course. Change is good but tradition should be cherished.

Food for Thought : Overnight oats are beneficial to healthy diet

Overnight oats have become an overnight success with many people lately. Overnight oats are basically oats that have soaked overnight to absorb the liquid you put into them. The benefits of oatmeal are well documented. It can help you lower your risks of certain cancers, help to lower your cholesterol, and can help decrease your risk of high blood pressure when consumed with an overall healthful diet that is low in fat. The fiber in oats also helps you feel full longer so they can help you lose weight and eat less. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy overnight oats:
1 .   Use small jars or plastic containers for a grab-and-go breakfast. Use one part raw rolled oats and one part milk or yogurt. Add any toppings or spices you would like, such as honey, brown sugar or cinnamon. Cover and place in the refrigerator overnight.

2 .    Don’t add anything to oats you don’t want to get soggy, such as granola or crunchy cereals. You should add these just before eating.

3 .    Oats can be eaten cold or warmed slightly in the microwave.

4 .    Add fruit such as blueberries, strawberries or bananas. Get creative by adding a little chocolate or peanut butter.

Words of Wisdom :
"People often say that motivation doesn't last. Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily."

"A laugh is a smile that bursts."

"Commitments don't have to be chains. They can be rich with meaning." They can be the wings on which our spirits soar."

A man must be big enough to admit his mistakes, smart enough to profit from them, and strong enough to correct them.

People spend too much time finding other people to blame, too much energy finding excuses for not being what they are capable of being, and not enough energy putting themselves on the line, growing out of the past, and getting on with their lives.







Your roving reporter               Poppa

Tone Your Abs Without Crunches...Five Minute Workout



Delish Muscle Building Desserts

Just because you’re working on toning up your body, doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy deliciously indulgent foods. These super healthy desserts are amazing at building muscle, and all taste fantastic to boot.

Avocado pops

Don’t be put off by the high fat content of avocados – around 70% of that fat content is made up of monounsaturated fats, which help to prevent the breakdown of muscle. A 2014 Swedish study showed that people with higher amounts of unsaturated fat in their diet displayed lower fat levels and more muscle than those who ate primarily saturated fats.
Although it might sound like an alien concept, avocado actually tastes delicious when used to make light and creamy avocado ice pops. All you need to do is blend avocado up with almond milk ( or low fat dairy milk),  a little lime juice and sugar (or natural sweetener) to your taste, until smooth, and then throw the mixture into moulds in the freezer.

Quinoa pancakes

While pancakes are a delicious and filling way to round off a meal or start your day, they’re also making you fat without you even realizing. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the refined carbohydrates often found in pancakes can lead to increased cravings for food throughout the day.
Luckily, these red quinoa pancakes solve that problem, while adding an extra muscle-building boost to this fluffy dessert. Coconut oil and coconut milk are used instead of regular milk and butter, and sugar is taken out of the equation by adding coconut palm sugar. Add red quinoa to the pancake mixture before cooking to give an extra bite and zest to the dish.
Quinoa is a fantastic source of muscle-friendly protein. It’s also unique in that it contains the full range of essential amino acids, which combine to fight off free radicals within the body and improve muscle development.

Pineapple and banana sorbet

If you want to build muscle and you’re planning to start hitting the gym hard, you absolutely have to add pineapple to your diet. Not only is it high in vitamin C to speed up muscle recovery, pineapple also contains bromelain, which helps with protein digestion and reduces muscle inflammation.
You can make a delicious pineapple and banana sorbet by blending pineapple chunks with banana, lime juice and sugar, and then chilling the mixture for three hours before running it through an ice cream maker.
The banana in this tasty sorbet gives you an extra muscle-building bonus. Bananas are great for maintaining optimum glycogen levels, which slows down the break up of protein reserves in your muscle tissue.

Coconut milk milkshakes

Put a healthy, muscle-toning twist on normal milkshakes by creating a delicious coconut milk milkshake. It couldn’t be easier to prepare – if you’ve got coconut milk, banana, vanilla, honey, ice cubes and a blender then you can’t go wrong.
Coconut milk is all about keeping your muscles in peak condition. Its high level of magnesium helps to reduce post-workout muscle soreness and improve the health of your nervous system. Your joints and bones will become stronger as well, because coconut milk contains phosphorous, which works in tandem with calcium to increase bone strength.

Peanut butter protein balls

A tasty dessert that takes 10 minutes to make, doesn’t require any baking, and provides a double hit of protein to build muscle – sound too good to be true? Then you haven’t tried these delicious peanut butter protein balls yet.
It’s just a case of mixing up protein powder, ground nuts, peanut butter and agave nectar (we’d suggest skipping the chocolate chips) into bite-size balls, and then popping them in the fridge.
The protein powder provides the main body-toning power of this dessert, but peanut butter is no slouch either. Each tablespoon of natural peanut butter contains 3.5g of protein, as well as poly- and monounsaturated fats.

Spinach and blueberry smoothie

Seems there really was some truth behind Popeye’s penchant for spinach. In a study at Rutgers University, researchers identified a type of phytoecdysteroid found in spinach that boosts muscle development by 20 per cent.
You can enjoy spinach in dessert form with this sweet but super healthy spinach and blueberry smoothie. Simply whizz some fresh spinach up in a blender with fresh blueberries, a banana, and the fruit juice of your choice – both apple and pomegranate juice work really well.
As well as covering up the distinct taste of spinach, blueberries are packed full of antioxidants, and contain polyphenols, which reduce inflammation and increase muscle recovery rate.
Cottage cheese fruit salad
Cottage cheese has long been a favourite snack of gym-addicts, and for good reason. Because it’s so high in protein (a whopping 25g of protein per 200g serving), cottage cheese increases your body’s production of natural growth hormone. This hormone was found to be a major contributor to both muscle gain and fat loss in a 2009 study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology.
With it’s tangy, salty taste, cottage cheese isn’t up everyone’s street, so try sweetening it up by adding it to a fruit salad. Make sure you mix in the cottage cheese well in advance of eating it, as this gives the cheese plenty of time to absorb the sweet flavours of the fruit.

Ask Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I am due  a promotion  at my  job,  but  I think  I'm the only one  who thinks so . I have  been there for  five years  and I have watched  several people  get promoted in front of me . Whenever  I have said  anything  about it, I get the brushoff . The  last time I spoke to my boss, he said the reason  I didn't  get the latest  promotion  is  because I have a bad attitude . Is that a legitimate  reason  to be passed over ? I can't  help it at this point , I am so angry  that they don't  see my potential, but I can't  figure  out what else I can do to prove it to them . Is it time  for me to look for another  job ? I'm so frustrated .
Pulling Out  My Hair
Dear Pulling  Out  Hair ,
It is  time  for you to listen closely  to your boss  and  your  peers . If you have been passed over  repeatedly, it  can not  be everybody else's issue . You have some responsibility . Review  your behavior. Note  specific  incidents  when your  behavior   has been  questionable . Consider how  you might have handled  the situation  differently .
Request  a meeting with your  boss  to discuss your  future. Ask for  candid  feedback  and  guidance  on what  you can  do to improve  your  skills  and  your  chances for  promotion . Be mindful  not to bring  up other  co-workers  and their progress . Keep your focus on yourself .
I highly recommend  that you work  at your  current  job, if at all possible . If and when  you leave, let it  be with skills  that you have  cultivated  that  make  you more  marketable . Resist the  the emotional reactions that can easily  cause you to be  fired  or be limited  in growth  at your  current  job . Stay calm  and continue  to learn and  grow .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
My family gets substantial financial  aid  from my children's school . We are grateful, especially since it  didn't  start  out that way . We paid full tuition  at first, but when I lost my  job, everything  shifted . I used to  involved in lots of activities  at the school, but now I wonder  if I should continue . I don't  know  if other families  know that we get  financial  aid .  I don't want to  be embarrassed  by our  situation . Should I just  stay quiet  or do you think  it  makes sense to stay involved ?
On the  Dole
Dear On the  Dole ,
You must change  your  mindset . There is  no need for shame  in getting  financial aid . It exists  to support  families  who need  it . There  should be  no stigma  attached  to you  or your family  as a result of it, and chances  are that  has only  happened  in your mind's worst case scenario . By all means, continue  to be active  in the parent body . Your  presence  should  be as appreciated  as  any other parent's .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I appreciate  your  printing  the letter  about  the rare  congenital disorder  schizencephaly .
As a pathologist  with special training  in childhood diseases , I would  also like  to bring attention to the non-profit  organization  known as  NORD  ( national organization for rare disorders ).
They are  headquartered  in Danbury, Conn . Their website  rarediseases.org, has a wealth of information about  rare diseases, most of which become symptomatic  in infancy or  childhood  . Their user-friendly  website  has separate sections  for patients  and their  families, patient  support  organizations  and  medical  professionals .
---JW
Dear JW ,
Thank you. We are very grateful for your much needed input .
This is one  I didn't have.  Again, JW, thank  you .
Maxy

Innocent Woman Finally Released After 17 Years in Prison

Woman Exonerated After 17 Years Of Wrongful Imprisonment Has This Lawyer To Thank

Lawyer Deirdre O'Connor is a true hero. After learning that the key witness in a 1998 murder trial was known to be a serial liar, Deirdre helped Susan Mellen regain her freedom after she spent 17 years in prison for a crime she did not commit. On October 10, 2014, Ms. Mellen was released and finally reunited with her three children. Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric talks exclusively with Deirdre O'Connor about the case and its implications.

In this exclusive interview, Yahoo Global News Anchor Katie Couric speaks with Susan Mellen who was wrongfully accused of murder and just spent the last 17 years away from her family in prison. While Susan now feels thankful and blessed to have regained her freedom, one can only wonder how many other innocent victims are currently imprisoned due to an imperfect criminal justice system.

Drew Barrymore shares her secret to positivity

A true child of Hollywood, Drew Barrymore has spent almost all of her 39 years in the spotlight. Now her makeup line, Flower, is making its Canadian debut. Drew  is interviewed about  her perception of beauty, motherhood, career — and how she balances it all.

 

There’s such a fixation in Hollywood on looking young forever. What are your views on aging?
You’ve just gotta let it happen, and not fight it. I feel bad for people who are struggling with it because there’s just no winning that battle. I think laugh lines are the sexiest thing on the planet — and freckles and gap teeth and wrinkles. Heavy coverage, foundation, Botox — it’s like putting layers on top of this amazing experience, which is so much prettier to me.


You’ve been in the spotlight your whole life. Do you ever get tired of always having to be “on”?
I’ve had a very bizarre life in that way. I feel like Norm from Cheers — everyone recognizes me wherever I go. The only time it sucks is when you’re having a fight with someone, or you’re having a stressed-out moment, or your kids are acting out and you’re going, “Oh my God, everybody’s staring at me, this is awful.” I feel a little raw sometimes, but it’s all worth it.


When are you happiest?
When everything is in balance in my life. If it’s a good morning and I’ve gotten to really spend time with the kids [daughters Olive, 2, and Frankie, 6 months] so they’re happy, and my husband is feeling good, and I’m balancing it all in my house — that’s when I don’t have that worried frown on my face.


We heard you’re learning to cook. What are your go-to dishes?
Pastas and soups. One-pot, one-bowl things. I’ve learned to bake some really great fish dishes — I don’t know how to use a grill, though. But who the hell is grilling at night? It’s nine at night, I’m exhausted, the kids finally went to bed — there’s no grilling tonight. Throw it in a glass dish with some simple seasoning and dinner’s ready. Or better yet, this takeout menu looks amazing, and it will be here in 30 minutes.


What’s your favourite way to stay fit?
A good yoga class will give you a frickin’ glow like nothing else in the world — you need a quarter of the makeup after one. I’m not Miss Exercise Queen; I’m an eat-what-you-want-and-enjoy-life kind of girl, but there’s something to sweating and stretching a little bit.


When you have only 30 seconds to put your face on, what do you prioritize?
That’s me every day! For me, concealer is everything. I feel like I could find berries on a bush to give me some colour, and I could light a wine cork on fire, turn it into charcoal and create a smoky eye, but concealer I cannot find out in the world or nature. Getting that coverage, and a nicer, cleaner canvas, always puts me in a less self-conscious mood. I can do it all with concealer and lipstick.


What prompted you to create your makeup line, Flower?
I’m a girl who dances in my closet — it’s mostly sweatpants in my life, but I think we all need to remember that we’re women and do it up every once in a while. We all want this wonderful glamour, but it should be an attainable glamour. It’s not fantasy scenarios, it’s you. It’s just the best version of you, the happiest version of you, the most empowered version of you — and makeup can do that. It makes us feel good about ourselves.


You’ve been criticized for saying women can’t have it all. What’s your take on work-life balance?
I appreciate why people get so mad when I say that, but I think it’s actually that you can’t do it all. You can have it all, but you can’t do it all. I constantly feel torn up inside. Every time I feel like I’m doing something well at work, it’s time away from my kids. And all the time I spend with my kids — and I’m really giving them most of my time now — I feel like my work is suffering. I’ve definitely had to stop doing certain things in my career. If I did everything, I wouldn’t be with my family enough. You start to prioritize and eliminate. It feels like you’re making sacrifices, and it’s hard, but ultimately being with the people you love has to be the highest priority because it’s going to be the most fulfilling.


You have so many things on the go — from the makeup line to your production company — how do you keep up with it all?
I’m an overachiever in every area, and I expect so much from myself. Most important are my kids, but then I demand so much of myself from my work. I have an ethic where I don’t think that things just come out of hoping or expecting, especially expecting.


You always come across as such a positive, upbeat person. What’s your secret?
It’s other people. I can’t believe how much power there is in people’s exchanges. Everyone is so fast-paced and curt and they’ve got to get to their stuff, but when you just stop and you’re courteous and friendly and your energy shifts from one person to another, you walk away going, “Okay, great! Thank you! Da da da!” Those are my highs throughout the day — positive exchanges with other human beings.

After such a bumpy childhood and rough adolescence, Drew has become a very well rounded, successful individual and good woman. Credit goes to her, entirely. A good example for young women everywhere.

Pride

An aboriginal couple in full tribal regalia, perhaps a wedding photo (circa 1912)

A picture of pride and dignity

Food for Thought : Celebrate Louisiana seafood this month

October is National Seafood Month. This is a time to raise awareness for sustainable fisheries and celebrate the benefits of eating seafood. Seafood and fisheries in Louisiana are an important part of the state's economy. According to the Louisiana Seafood Marketing and Promotion board, one out of every 70 jobs in Louisiana is somehow related to the seafood industry. The seafood industry not only provides jobs, income and tax revenue, but they also produce some of the most healthful and tasty local foods. Here are a few tips to help you enjoy it: Louisiana seafood this month:
1 .   Add fish to your family's menu. If your family isn't regularly enjoying seafood at least twice a week, start out slowly and try new recipes. If adding fish, start with milder tasting fish such as tilapia or halibut.

2 .   Think fresh seafood and enjoy fresh seafood. "Fishy" smells are a turnoff to most people, and for good reason — this is a sign your seafood is not fresh. Fish should smell "briny," like the sea. Note that seafood spoils quicker than meat, so be sure to consume it within two days of purchase.

3 .   Try a new spin on your family favorites. Make homemade fish sticks by dipping strips of cod, salmon or halibut into egg whites, coat with panko or seasoned breadcrumbs and bake. Sprinkle shrimp with seasoning and pan fry or grill then wrap in corn tortillas. Add seafood to salads.

Words of Wisdom :
"True humor is fun - it does not put down, kid, or mock. It makes people feel wonderful, not separate, different, and cut off. True humor has beneath it the understanding that we are all in this together."

"When I look back on all these worries, I remember the story of the old man who said on his deathbed that he had had a lot of trouble in his life, most of which had never happened."

Saint Augustine said, "Patience is the companion of wisdom." Can you relax enough and see your learning through to acquire the understanding and wisdom that is the result of long practical experience?

"Everything can be taken away from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms - to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s own way."

"Our life is our prayer. It’s our gift to the universe, and the memories we leave behind when we someday exit this world will be our legacy to our loved ones. The best thing we can do for ourselves and everyone around us is to find our joy and share it!"

A proud grandpoppa       G.


　

Has this guy found the secret of longevity??...I hope not

This 80 Year Old Man Has Not Taken A Bath In 60 Years. This guy looks like a troll or maybe a creature from The Lord of the Rings. His skin is scaly, you can barely see his eyes and he smells to high heaven. The reason for this is simple, he doesn’t have a skin disease or terrible condition: he has just refused to take a bath for sixty years. It’s hard to believe there is a real human being under all that muck and I just cannot believe he feels comfortable. See for yourself.

Remembering names is all about figuring ways to connect people’s names to their faces. A great trick is to visualize an image that relates to the sound of their name. If you meet a woman named Abby, picture a bee (get it?) stinging her eye. If it’s a guy called Bill, imagine him with a duck bill. Alice? Imagine her hair teaming with lice. Barbara? Her neck is wrapped in barbed wire. Those weird images are indelible associations that will hopefully lead your memory back to the person’s name next time you meet him or her. This method will work when you need to remember almost anything. It is simple image association. The more vivid and funny the image, the better it works. The only danger is accidentally saying the image out loud instead of the person's name. I once called a potential business associate, a Mr Gablock, ....' Mr Grab-cock'. He  forgave me .... once he stopped laughing.

Blood moon images

Photo By John W. Johnson via Virtual Telescope Project

Toronto under the blood moon



Eleven-year-old dancer's fierce moves wow the Web



Taylor Hatala stirred up attention last month with her performance to Nicki Minaj's 'Anaconda.'



Ask Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I am a grandpa  with 16  grandchildren, all of  whom I love  dearly . However, I don't particularly  like  four of  them  . They have a  you 'owe it to me ' attitude  and show absolutely  no respect, not only  to everyone  around them, but also to themselves . That being the case, I prefer  not  to have them associate  with me or attend  any family gathering  where they demand  to be the  center of  attention . I won't  put up  with that . I will, however  focus  my attention  on the remaining 12 . As far as I am concerned , 12  out of 16  isn't  bad .
Grandpa in Hawaii
Dear Grandpa,
You did not ask a specific question, so I assume you are doubting your thinking on this matter.
I  understand  why the behavior  of those  four  grandchildren  makes  you  dislike their  company, but please make an effort  not to let  your favoritism show . And  don't  give up on them . You are in a position  to teach  them how to be decent, compassionate  adults . Apparently, their  parents  aren't  up  to the task , but you certainly seem  capable . Please give them a chance to become better adults. Your reward will be seeing them prosper and return your love .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
My husband  has  been unemployed  for  about  six months  now . He is depressed  since  he is not  able to pay the household  bills  as he usually does  . I have taken  it upon myself  to see if I can  help my  husband  find employment . Do you think I am over-stepping  my  boundaries ?
Wife
Dear Wife ,
It is  a kind and thoughtful gesture  to try to  get work for  your  husband . Men often  take it particularly hard  when they lose  their  jobs  and have families  for  whom  they are  responsible  . Depression  is  often a side  affect  of  unemployment .
Your  husband  needs  your encouragement  and love  . What  you may want to do  is tell  him of  any  job leads you hear of or see advertised, do a little research . Just be very careful  you don't set him up  for a position  that he  may not want to accept  .  Sometimes  when people  do the legwork  for others, it  can backfire .
Maxy

Dear Maxy ,
I  graduated  from  high  school  this past summer  and I went out  of state  to go to  college . My school is  eight  hours  away  from my friends  and family . I am extremely  close to them,  so it seems  like they are on another  planet,  it's  so far  . I am having  a hard time adjusting  to the  university life  because it seems  people  are moving  much faster  than me . Can  you help me develop  a way I can enjoy  my college  experience ?
Off to  College
Dear Off to College ,
It takes  a while to  get accustomed  to living away from  home, meeting  new people  and  feeling  at ease . When  I  first  went away to college, I visited  home  several  times a year  because I was homesick . Over time , I became  more at ease  at school . It was a gradual and natural integration into campus life. I made friends  and I began  to feel like I was  where I was supposed to be .
Give  yourself  time to find your comfort zone...it will come. Meanwhile , use technology  to your advantage . Keep in touch  with your  family and friends  at  home  via  phone , text or  Skype .
As   far  as the pace of college  life at your  school,  you do not  have to move at that pace  for everything . Yes, you have to keep up with your studies  . But as  far  as social life  is  concerned, be sure to pick  and choose what works  for  you . Prioritize  your activities  based on your interests . Be aware that you do not  have to be involved  in everything  that your  friends  are doing . Choose to befriend people who have the same interests and goals. Talk  to your guidance  counselor  to learn  about  what clubs  and activities  are on campus and which ones resonate with you.
You will find your niche; just be patient.
Maxy