Resolve to be happy,compassionate and loving in this new year
and your joy will make you invincible

Famous people we lost in 2016



My most hated list for 2016

I just have five people on my list: In order of hatred




* Bashar Hafez al-Assad ... Murders his own people, killed children by the thousands






*Bill Cosby ... He dopes and rapes women ... tricked the world into believing he was a font of human kindness and ideals





* Kim Jong-in ... total  megalomaniac and madman intent on global destruction





*Vladimir Putin ...Remorseless KGB torturer... bombs schools and hospitals ... Robbed his own people of billions




* Donald John Trump ... Misogynist, narcissistic egomaniac, racist, draft dodger and general  bullshitter. But I am withholding judgement to see what he does .... Hahahaha!


SO WHO'S ON YOUR LIST?? AND DON"T TELL ME YOU DON'T HATE SOMEONE.  Nobody really loves evil bastards and assholes ... not even their moms.

According to' Cheat Sheet' - The ten most hated people of 2016

This has not been the best of years by most standards. In 2016, the world has endured wars, controversial referendums, a relentlessly negative presidential race, mass shootings, terrorist attacks, disappointing sequels, prominent celebrity deaths, and much, much more. Of course there’s been plenty of good happening in the world as well, even if it’s not as consistently covered by the media. But near the end of such a dispiriting year, it only seems appropriate to look back at the individuals who made 2016 such a slog to get through. Here are the 10 most hated people of 2016 from least to most.

10. Zack Snyder

For movies, 2016 was a year of blockbuster fatigue that was arguably sparked by the March release of Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, a dark, divisive, and confusing film that was supposed to set the template for DC’s own cinematic universe but instead forced Warner Bros. executives to frantically attempt some damage control.

The man most responsible for the disappointment of such a long-hyped project must be director Zack Snyder, a comic book fanboy who is more concerned with cool slow-mo shots than actual character or story and who seems to fundamentally misunderstand all that Superman is supposed to be about. Who’s excited for Justice League?

9. Justin Bieber

I’ve heard very little of Justin Bieber since his string of public controversies — which included vandalism, driving under the influence, resisting arrest, and taking prescription drugs — quieted down sometime around the end of 2014. In many ways, he earned the mass hatred he inspired in those days, but somehow it continues in 2016 despite the fact that he’s expressed apparently genuine regret for his past misdeeds and done nothing this year besides release new music and collaborations (no worse than any other pop music, and in some cases even better). I guess some people just need someone to hate sometimes. Sorry Bieber.

8. Boris Johnson

For Americans, the shorthand on Boris Johnson is that he’s something like the British Donald Trump — right down to the confounding hairstyle. The U.K.’s Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs’ endorsement of the Brexit campaign is at least partially responsible for its passing, which sent international markets into a steep decline. The move caused what some called “the greatest constitutional crisis of modern times.”

Then, after President Obama urged U.K. voters to stay in the EU, Johnson accused him of harboring “an ancestral dislike of the British empire” due to his Kenyan heritage. See, just like Trump!

7. Kim Jong-in

Finally someone really worthy of all the hate thrown his way — North Korea’s supreme leader Kim Jong-un, a petty dictator who is more concerned with being feared on the international stage than fixing the horrid living conditions of his country’s citizens. Hating Kim Jong-un is nothing new, but in 2016 he continued to provide new reasons to be loathed — among them, continuing threats of nuclear annihilation, ordering the public execution of 64 accused traitors, and lying about North Korea discovering an HIV-curing “wonder drug” (which they of course refused to share, not that anyone ever believed it).

6. Colin Kaepernick

Like thousand of other Americans, Colin Kaepernick, the quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, publicly protested the oppression and recurring police shootings of black men and other minorities. However, he dared to bring politics into sports by kneeling during the U.S. national anthem, causing thousands of (mostly conservative) fans to say his protest was either done at the wrong place and the wrong time, or simply wrong. It was a whole lot of hullabaloo over one man, who happens to throw a football really well, for refusing to stand during a nationally-televised game.

5. Debbie Wasserman-Schultz

The Democratic National Convention (DNC) was supposed to be a show of unity from a party seemingly far more together than Donald Trump’s GOP, but it was shortly preceded by the ousting of DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz after Wikileaks released a series of emails showing the DNC’s bias against Bernie Sanders’s primary campaign. Schultz is now being blamed by many for the results of the election, as many speculate that Sanders might otherwise have clinched the nomination and the election itself.

4. Ted Cruz

In a crowded field of primary candidates, Ted Cruz emerged as the one with the most realistic hope of stopping Donald Trump’s media-assisted march toward the GOP nomination. He presented himself as a small government Tea Party candidate upholding pro-life evangelical values, a platform that earned him support from the right and blind hatred from the left.

In fact, the only people who seemed to hate Cruz more than the Democrats were his peers in the GOP like former House Speaker John Boehner who referred to him as “Lucifer in the flesh.” It’s maybe because Cruz has a long history of being uncooperative with politicians from both sides of the aisle, or maybe because he just has the most punchable face in politics.

3. Martin Shkreli

Former CEO of Turing Pharmaceuticals, Martin Shkreli earned the ire of millions of Americans in late 2015 after buying the manufacturing rights to the anti-parasitic drug, Daraprim and hiking its price up 5,000%. After being arrested for fraud and freed pending his trial, Shkreli seemed to do everything possible to make himself even more hated by the masses.

In 2016, he spent $15 million in bitcoins to become the sole owner of Kanye West’s completed album The Life of Pablo, only to find out, in a brilliant karmic twist, that he had been conned by someone claiming to be “Kanye’s boy.” He did, however, successfully purchase the only copy of the Wu-Tang Clan’s exclusive new release Once Upon a Time in Shaolin, saying he would release the music to the public only if Donald Trump won the presidency. Hopefully no Wu-Tang fans voted for Trump for this reason.

2. Hillary Clinton

Hillary Clinton has enjoyed a long and prominent political career — but that doesn’t mean most of the nation supports or even likes her. Her often contradictory voting history and unfortunate decision to use a private email server as secretary of state followed her throughout the election, including the primaries when Clinton and DNC chair Debbie Wasserman-Schultz alienated much of their own party by conspiring against Senator Bernie Sanders’s competing bid for the nomination. She must be hated to have lost the electoral college (if not the popular vote) to … the most hated man, worldwide, of 2016 ...

1. Donald Trump

You don’t need me to tell you that Donald Trump is hated. Your social media feeds have likely been reminding you ever since he unexpectedly won the 2016 presidential election, to say nothing of the preceding 18 months of his candidacy. Donald Trump is an outrageous serial liar who does just about everything politicians (and often even regular people) are expected not to do, but that didn’t stop a significant portion of the nation from voting him into office. However his presidency plays out (and really, who knows at this point?), it seems safe to bet that Donald Trump will make this list yet again in the coming four years.


Thanx Cheat Sheet


Other ten most hated lists ( and I have checked several) have most of these people on them.  A couple of the lesser hated people are different according to their geography.
 But almost without fail, Justin Bieber and Donald Trump were on almost every list.
 I am surprised there was no Assad or Putin. Go figure people. Bill Cosby topped the 'Most Hated Celebrities' lists followed by...and sometimes topped by Donald Trump, who was on everyone's list.

The Queen's message 2016



Best wishes for a great holiday from

 ⇜Witchy and the Genie⇝

Christmas Classics by original artists

0:00 It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like Christmas -- Johnny Mathis

2:15 Sleigh Ride -- Amy Grant

5:45 A Holly Jolly Christmas -- Burl Ives

8:00 Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! -- Dean Martin

9:56 It's The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year -- Andy Williams

12:29 The Christmas Song - Nat King Cole

15:41 White Christmas -- Bing Crosby

18:48 The First Noel -- All Saints Ensemble

21:24 O Little Town Of Bethlehem -- Bruce Mitchell Choir

23:40 I Saw Three Ships -- Norwich Cathedral Choir

25:47 Home For The Holidays -- Perry Como

28:40 Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer -- Gene Autry

31:50 I Wish You A Merry Christmas -- Bing Crosby

33:45 Christmas Eve (Sarajevo 12/24) -- Trans-Siberian Orchestra

37:07 I'll Be Home For Christmas -- The Carpenters

40:59 It Came Upon A Midnight Clear -- Anne Murray

43:44 Carol of the Birds -- Mannheim Steamroller

45:50 Winter Wonderland -- The Carpenters

51:20 Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree -- Brenda Lee

53:26 Away In A Manger -- Kathleen Battle

55:20 Feliz Navidad -- Jose' Feliciano

58:24 Joy To The World -- Jim Nabors

1:00:44 Do You Hear What I Hear? -- Johnny Mathis

1:04:05 Charlie Brown Christmas Music - Vince Guaraldi

1:06:25 Linus - The Meaning of Christmas

1:08:21 The Chipmunk Song -- The Chipmunks

1:10:41 Good King Wenceslas -- The Roger Wagner Chorale

1:13:45 Deck The Halls -- Mitch Miller and The Gang

1:15:32 Carol of the Bells - Traditional (sorry but CD didn't have artist name)

1:16:58 We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Andre' Kostelanetz

1:19:04 Here Come's Santa Claus -- Elvis Presley

1:21:01 Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer (TV Show Version)-- Burl Ives

1:22:24 Frosty The Snowman -- Jimmy Durante

1:24:58 The Little Drummer Boy -- Ray Conniff

1:28:20 Jingle Bells -- The Barclay Christmas Orchestra

1:30:06 A Marshmallow World -- Dean Martin

1:32:49 Jingle Bell Rock -- Bobby Helms

1:34:59 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing -- Julie Andrews

1:38:32 O Holy Night -- Andy Williams

1:41:55 Silver Bells -- Elvis Presley

1:44:27 Merry Christmas Darling -- The Carpenters

1:47:32 Angels We Have Heard On High -- Chanticleer

1:49:56 Sussex Carol -- Westminster Concert Bell Choir

1:51:44 We Three Kings -- Dan Gibson's Solitudes Chrismas

1:54:42 Pat A Pan -- Mannheim Steamroller

1:59:48 Hallelujah Chorus -- Huddersfield Chorale Society

2:04:28 The Nutcracker/Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy -- Arthur Fiedler

2:05:59 Lo How A Rose E'er Blooming -- New York Choral Artists

2:08:31 I Wonder as I Wander -- Joel Cohen Boston Camerata

2:11:47 O Come All Ye Faithful -- Al Martino

2:14:16 O Tannenbaum -- Rita Ford's Music

2:16:02 Blue Christmas -- Elvis Presley

2:18:12 Adestes Fideles -- Bing Crosby

2:21:24 The First Noel/What Child is This -- Francesca Battistelli

2:25:35 Twelve Days Of Christmas -- Philadelphia Brass Ensemble

2:29:31 Breath of Heaven (Mary's Song) -- Amy Grant

2:34:36 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen -- Kim Hill and Phil Keaggy

2:38:34 What A Wonderful World (Christmas Album Version) -- Russ Taff

2:41:05 We Wish You A Merry Christmas - Home Alone Soundtrack

2:45:16 It Came Upon A Midnight Clear -- All Saints Ensemble

2:47:38 Joy To The World -- Joel Cohen; Boston Camerata

2:49:50 Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas

2:52:54 Grown Up Christmas List -- Amy Grant (This song has been muted by the artist record label. Sorry)

2:57:55 Christmas Message from Elvis -- Silent Night

3:00:18 Auld Lang Syne - Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians

MERRY CHRISTMAS ....HAPPY NEW YEAR

Congratulations, Trump. Welcome to hell: A letter from Kathleen Parker

The Washington Post

Kathleen Parker:

Dear Mr. Trump,
You won. Welcome to hell.
And to think, I thought you’d become president when hell froze over.
Now that the election is finally behind us, may I ask a tiny question: Why did you want this job? Was it on your bucket list? After so many square miles of golf courses, trophy wives, gilt mirrors and crystal chandeliers, was there nothing left to mess with?


I wasn’t surprised, by the way, when you said you’d spend half your time in New York. I mean, it’s New York! And the White House is a tad bourgeois in an Epcot-y sort of way. All that marble, those heavy drapes and selecting new china. Why do we treat incoming presidents and first ladies like they just got married? And who needs a balcony overlooking the Mall when you’ve got a four-corner office in your tower overlooking Fifth Avenue?


Don’t worry about all the whining from New York Mayor Bill de Blasio about the high cost of security. It’s just like a Democrat to want the feds to pay for it, right? All de Blasio has to do is tax facelifts on the Upper East Side and he can build a Trump Armory.
Anyway, I’m writing to say congrats, despite my having done everything in my limited power to block you. When I wrote column after column about why you were unfit to be president and wouldn’t do half of what you were promising, I was serious. And, of course, I was right.


But being a businessman, you know how we say things. It’s not personal. It’s not like you were waking up to a dead chicken in your bed. Besides, I’m pretty sure you didn’t care when I (and many others) called you a con man, a carnival barker, a bully and a snake oil salesman. Admit it. You were thinking: So what? I’m winning!
And so you did. Win.


The reason I knew you wouldn’t do most of what you promised is, one, my BS detector is from the same Queens DNA as yours (via my paternal grandmother, who was quite a dame, by the way). Two, you logically or legally can’t do much of it. Three, you’re Donald Trump, which is synonymous with “whatever works.”
So the anger was a ruse. The promises were slogans. The nasty rhetoric was juice for the base. Not your best moment, Mr. President-elect. And, frankly, not your best timing.
You may have missed the coincidence, but the very day that the electoral college officially affirmed your victory, the world exploded. One after another, whether connected or not, possible terrorists staged attacks in three countries.
In Ankara, a Turkish police officer assassinated Russia’s ambassador to Turkey, shouting, “Don’t forget Aleppo.” In Berlin, a commercial truck crashed through the Christmas market, killing at least a dozen people and injuring dozens more. In Zurich, a gunman entered a Muslim prayer centre attended mostly by Somalis and opened fire, wounding at least three people.


Naturally, you immediately characterized the attack in Ankara as being perpetrated by a “radical Islamic terrorist,” which may be likely given his shout of “Allahu akbar,” the Arabic phrase for “God is great,” but you do realize that as president, you’re going to have to wait for the facts before commenting? Meanwhile, cue media, the assassination is being characterized as a prompt for the United States and Russia to form an alliance in the fight against terrorism. Voila. Just what you and Russian President Vladimir Putin have been angling for.

Anyway, you can now start hanging with Putin. Just don’t look into his eyes, which, apparently, can make you think he has a soul. (It’s an old KGB trick.) You’ll have to figure out how to handle the Vlad and his other pal, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, since the two of them have been mass-murdering the very same people of Aleppo invoked by the assassin. I’m not feeling the love triangle here, but you’re the magician.
Maybe you can convince them that it’s better to kill terrorists than children.

Maybe you and Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim can cut an immigration deal and build a succulent, spiny hedge along the southern border. And just maybe, you and China can renegotiate a trade deal — maybe swap a few resorts for Smithfield Foods, Ingram Micro, General Electric’s appliance business, to name a few of the top U.S. companies that Chinese firms now own.


Good luck with all that. As I said, welcome to hell. And, since you’ve said it’s okay, Merry Christmas. (P.S. Stop tweeting!)

Prince Harry Has an Emotional Reunion with Orphan He First Met 12 Years Ago

Prince Harry‘s charity work affects many people, but him most of all.
The 32-year-old royal appears in an ITV documentary about his charity work in Lesotho, Africa, which features a heartwarming moment in which Harry reunites with an orphan named Mutsu, whom he first met 12 years ago during his gap year and kept in touch with through letters.
Mutsu, now 16, and the prince shared a warm hug when they saw each other again last November. Harry smiled as he lifted the teenager off the ground before they caught up. They crossed paths again earlier this year when Mutsu took his first overseas trip to London to perform at Kensington Palace during a fundraising concert headlined by Coldplay with a choir sponsored by Harry’s charity.

The new documentary centers around Prince Harry’s work with Sentebale, the charity he co-founded with Prince Seeiso of Lesotho in 2006 to improve conditions for those affected by HIV and Aids in the country.
Harry told ITV he has been drawn to Africa since he visited as a young boy.
“I think anybody that I’ve spoken to who has been to Africa, most of the people get it, and Africa gets them,” he said. “For me personally, it’s an escape. And now not only have I found that escape, but I’ve found a way to try and use the name and the position for good.”

The prince shared that anybody can make a difference.
“If you’re me, if you’re an Average Joe, if whoever you are, if you can’t affect politics and change the big things in the world then just do whatever you can do — whether it’s in your local community, your village, your local church — walking down the street, opening a door for an old lady, helping them cross the road. Whatever if it is, just do good. Why wouldn’t you?” he said.

He continued, “The good stories are what make people tick every day, surely? It’s fun to be good and it’s boring to be bad - but you can be naughty as well as good.”
Good old Harry! he just described himself.
'Prince Harry in Africa' will air on Monday (9 p.m. London time) on ITV.

Botox May Have a New Use: Treating Depression

OUCH!

Sure, Botox can help get rid of your frown lines. But can it treat the reason why you’re frowning in the first place?

Science is tantalizingly close, at least according to Jason S. Reichenberg, MD, director of dermatology at the University of Texas-Austin and co-author of a study about the correlation between Botox and depression that was just published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.

“One of the theories about Botox treating depression is that it doesn’t make you smile, but it stops you from frowning,” Reichenberg tells Yahoo Beauty. It’s kind of along the lines of smiling if you’re not happy to boost your mood, or, as Reichenberg puts it, “Fake it till you make it!”

But the study, which was co-authored by his wife, psychiatrist Michelle Magid, set out to test the notion that people would simply feel better if they looked better — and very quickly debunked it.

“Some of the patients in our studies didn’t like the way they looked with Botox, but were likely to see their depression get better,” Reichenberg says, noting that there were others who enjoyed their newly unfurrowed brows but didn’t see any relief in depression symptoms.

Overall, though, the results are promising — Reichenberg and Magid found that depression scores dropped 42 percent in patients who received Botox, compared with only 15 percent in participants who had a placebo. As Reichenberg noted, the Botox’s effect was as good as an anti-depressant.

And there are plenty of other reasons to try Botox for depression that aren’t (ahem) skin deep. Reichenberg says that as many as a third of patients with depression don’t respond to several different kinds of medications and treatments. With an estimated 6.7 percent of all Americans over 18 suffering, and twice as many women as men, according to the National Institute of Mental Health, it’s no wonder that medical professionals are seeking unorthodox treatments to what this complex, widespread disease.

Botulinum-A, the active component in Botox, has a strange history all its own. It’s a neurotoxin that was discovered in the early 19th century from a batch of bad sausages, and was found to treat fine lines and wrinkles by the married doctor duo Jean and Alastair Carruthers in 1992.

Two decades later, the substance, which works by temporarily paralyzing muscles, has made its way into dermatology offices (and the covers of magazines at said doctors’ offices) all over America. In 2002, the treatment was approved for the treatment of lateral canthal lines (crow’s feet), and then again in 2010 for the treatment of migraines. It is also used to treat excessive sweating.

“It’s very exciting to have another possible tool,” Reichenberg says, “but I don’t think it’ll replace antidepressants. I think it means we need to start thinking outside the box.” Or is it outside the Botox?

Either way, having a symptom-free treatment for depression is definitely something to smile about.

Maxy sez :10 High-Sodium Foods to Avoid

By Chris Iliades, MD  Reviewed by Pat F. Bass, III, MD, MPH

Americans love sodium chloride, also known as common table salt — and they consume far too much. Unfortunately for savory-food fans, a diet high in sodium can wreak havoc on your health. According to the Harvard School of Public Health excess sodium increases your blood volume and with it, the strain on your heart and blood vessels. So how much sodium can you safely eat each day? The latest dietary guidelines recommend keeping sodium levels below 2,300 milligrams, or just 1 teaspoon, per day. And the American Heart Association (AHA) has an even lower threshold, encouraging people to keep their intake below 1,500 mg.

While most people already know it's best to steer clear of high-salt foods like movie-theater popcorn and French fries, you also need to be on the lookout for less obvious foods that are loaded with sodium. From canned veggies to bread, here are more salt mines to beware of.
1 . Deli Meats

"Most people know better than to shake table salt all over their food, but there are plenty of hidden sources of sodium in our diets," says Lanah J. Brennan, RD. "Sliced deli meats and hot dogs are packed with sodium." One hot dog can contain up to 700 mg of sodium, while just one slice of regular deli ham can have over 300 mg. "Choose fresh meats or fish instead, and try making an extra serving at dinner and using the rest to make your lunch the next day," she advises.
                                                        2 .    Breakfast Cereals

The average American consumes more than 3,000 mg of sodium per day, but your body only needs about 500 mg, or less than one-quarter teaspoon. Cereals and other processed foods account for a large majorityof our sodium intake. One cup of cornflakes can have more than 200 mg of sodium per serving, which can add up quickly if you aren't measuring portion sizes. And other processed breakfast foods are even worse: "Biscuit and pancake mixes can have up to 800 mg of sodium per serving,” says Brennan. “Instead, try making your own mixes from scratch using low-sodium baking powder and baking soda."
3 .Vegetable Juice

Even a healthy-sounding option like vegetable juice can be high in salt. That's why it is important to read labels closely. Sodium content is listed per serving size; to be considered a low-sodium serving, it should read 140 mg or less. Even a can of tomato juice can be a mini-sodium bomb at up to 700 mg per 8-ounce serving. Your best bet is to squeeze your own fresh vegetable juice — a small tomato has only 11 mg of sodium.
                                                 4  .Canned Soups and Vegetables

Anything in a can could be a sodium bomb. "Check all those can labels and choose products with less sodium per serving," warns Brennan. Some canned soups may contain up to 1,300 mg of sodium. On the other hand, you can make your own soup using low-sodium broth and fresh ingredients. To lower sodium intake, buy your vegetables fresh instead of from a can, and be sure to rinse all canned veggies to remove excess sodium before eating. A half-cup of freshly cooked carrots has only 45 mg of sodium and a cup of green beans has just 1 mg.
5  .Flavor Packets and Condiments

Instead of using the salty flavor packets that come in boxes of macaroni and rice dishes, make your own flavorings with fresh ingredients. By using fresh herbs and spices you can infuse plenty of flavor into your dishes without any additional sodium. Consider seasoning with lemon juice, ground pepper, cumin, garlic, onion powder, and fresh herbs. 

Also, be careful about pouring on condiments. Ketchup has about 150 mg of sodium per tablespoon, and soy sauce can pack a whopping 1,000 mg of sodium per tablespoon.
                                                                6   .Frozen Meals

The frozen foods section of your grocery store can be another hiding place for salt. Frozen meals like pizza or meatloaf dinners might contain up to 1,800 mg of sodium — enough to put you over the AHA's daily limit in just one meal. Excess salt causes your body to retain fluid, which will not only leaving you feeling bloated, but can also lead to high blood pressure. Look for low-sodium options or, better yet, cook your own meals from scratch.
7  .Spaghetti Sauce

Spaghetti may make a frequent appearance in your dinner rotation, but you might want to rethink how you prepare the dish if you are worried about your sodium intake. One cup of spaghetti sauce can have a sodium content of 1,000 mg. If you're a fan of meat sauce you then have to factor in additional sodium for sausage or meatballs. As an alternative, a low-sodium pasta sauce with no salt added can be as low as 100 mg of sodium per cup, or make your own spaghetti sauce from ripe plum tomatoes and fresh basil and garlic. You can also toss spaghetti with fresh veggies and olive oil for a healthy, no-sauce dish.
                                                       8  .Bread and Tortillas

When it comes to breads, rolls, and tortillas, once again, you need to read the labels carefully. Don't assume that all grains are the same. One 6-inch flour tortilla can contain more than 200 mg of sodium, and that number jumps to over 500 mg for a 10-inch tortilla. Instead, choose plain corn tortillas, which contain just 11 mg of sodium for each 6-inch round. And if you're grilling this summer, a hamburger bun can add an additional 250 mg of sodium to your meal. Instead, try swapping in a lettuce wrap or Portobello mushroom bun for added nutrients and flavor, without any extra sodium.
9  .Dairy Products

Dairy is a good source of calcium and vitamin D, but some products may not be a smart choice when it comes to managing high blood pressure. Some dairy foods like cottage cheese, buttermilk, and processed cheeses can be high in salt. "Cheeses, especially processed cheese like American cheese, can contain up to 400 mg of sodium per ounce," says Brennan. For a lower-sodium option, choose a fresh mozzarella at 175 mg of sodium per ounce or Swiss cheese at less than 60 mg per ounce.
                                                                 10  .Salty Seafood

Seafood is a great addition to a heart-healthy diet — prepared in a healthy way, seafood can help lower cholesterol, which in turn helps lower blood pressure. But you need to choose your seafood wisely, as options like shellfish and canned tuna fish are high in salt. Three ounces of canned tuna has 300 mg of sodium, and four large shrimp have 200 mg. Better seafood choices include fresh tuna, salmon, halibut, and haddock.

Maxy sez have a  Merry Christmas  and a Happy New Year  ... Maxy will return with new posts January 8 , 2017 .
Be careful out there .

Babies made from three people approved in UK

Babies made from two women and one man have been approved by the UK's fertility regulator. The historic and controversial move is to prevent children being born with deadly genetic diseases.

Doctors in Newcastle - who developed the advanced form of IVF - are expected to be the first to offer the procedure and have already appealed for donor eggs.
The first such child could be born, at the earliest, by the end of 2017.
Some families have lost multiple children to incurable mitochondrial diseases, which can leave people with insufficient energy to keep their heart beating.

The diseases are passed down from only the mother so a technique using a donor egg as well as the mother's egg and father's sperm has been developed.
The resulting child has a tiny amount of their DNA from the donor, but the procedure is legal and reviews say it is ethical and scientifically ready.

'Historic'

"It is a decision of historic importance," said Sally Cheshire, chairwoman of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA).
"This is about cautious go ahead, not gung-ho go ahead, and there is a long way to go.
"I'm sure patients will be really pleased by what we've decided today."
But some scientists have questioned the ethics of the technique, saying it could open the door to genetically-modified 'designer' babies.
The HFEA must approve every clinic and every patient before the procedure can take place.
Three-person babies have been allowed only in cases where the risk of a child developing mitochondrial disease is very high.
Clinics can now apply to the HFEA for a licence to conduct three-person IVF.

Donors needed

The team at Newcastle-upon-Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust and Newcastle University is expected to be the first to be granted a licence.
It aims to help 25 couples every year.
Prof Mary Herbert, from the Newcastle Fertility Centre, said: "It is enormously gratifying that our many years of research in this area can finally be applied to help families affected by these devastating diseases.
"Now that that we are moving forward towards clinical treatments, we will also need donors to donate eggs for use in treatment to prevent affected women transmitting disease to their children."
Prof Sir Doug Turnbull, the director of the Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research at Newcastle University, said: "We are delighted by today's decision.
"We will also provide long-term follow up of any children born."
NHS England has agreed to fund the treatment costs of the first trial of three-person IVF for those women who meet the HFEA criteria, as long as they agree to long-term follow up of their children after they are born.

How does it work?

Mitochondrial disease is caused by defective mitochondria - the tiny structures in nearly every cell that convert food into useable energy.
One in 4,300 children are born with such severe symptoms they develop muscle weakness, blindness, deafness, seizures, learning disabilities, diabetes, heart and liver failure. It is often fatal.
The aim of the procedure is to get the healthy mitochondria from the donor.
But mitochondria have their own DNA, which is why resulting children have DNA from three people.
However, everything that defines physical and personality traits still comes from parents.

1) Two eggs are fertilized with sperm, creating an embryo from the intended parents and another from the donors 2) The pronuclei, which contain genetic information, are removed from both embryos but only the parents' are kept 3) A healthy embryo is created by adding the parents' pronuclei to the donor embryo, which is finally implanted into the womb

1) Eggs from a mother with damaged mitochondria and a donor with healthy mitochondria are collected 2) The majority of the genetic material is removed from both eggs 3) The mother's genetic material is inserted into the donor egg, which can be fertilized by sperm.


Robert Meadowcroft, from the charity Muscular Dystrophy UK, said: "This historic decision will open the door to the first licensed treatments being offered.
"We know of many women who have faced heartache and tragedy and the sorrow of stillbirths, while trying to start their own family, and this decision gives them new hope and choice for the first time."
Prof Frances Flinter, professor in clinical genetics at Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust, called the decision "wonderful news".
She added: "It is infinitely preferable that the early clinical trials should be done in a tightly regulated system in the UK, with long term follow-up of any children born, rather than in countries where there is no regulation or oversight."
Prof Sir Robert Lechler, president of the Academy of Medical Science, said that the decision means "groundbreaking research can now be translated from theory into practice and transform lives in the clinic".
However, the decision is not universally welcome.
Dr David King, from the campaign group Human Genetics Alert, said: "This decision opens the door to the world of genetically-modified designer babies.
"Already, bioethicists have started to argue that allowing mitochondrial replacement means that there is no logical basis for resisting GM babies, which is exactly how slippery slopes work."
However, the UK will not be the first country in the world to have children born through the three-person technique.
A Jordanian couple and doctors in New York performed the procedure in Mexico and the resulting baby is understood to be healthy.
Don't be afraid to embrace these new technologies when they arrive here. If we can avert tragedies and heartbreak and be sure our babies will be healthy ... it's all good.

GAZE AT THE STARS AND MAKE A WISH
IF YOU DARE
IT'S SURE TO COME TRUE...
THERE IS MAGIC OUT THERE


DEAR SHA
Have a wonderful day and a wonderful year
Lots of love and hugs
Aunt Jeannie

HoHo's

Food for Thought :Try This Sweet Home Remedy That Fights The Flu

The Remedy Chicks
******************************************************By Linda B. White, MD
Sneeze in progress, showing respiratory droplets. CDC Public Health Image library ID 11162, James Gathany

The holidays are a time of warmth and generosity. We share food and exchange gifts, cards, hugs, kisses, and, occasionally, infectious microorganisms. Nothing quite blights a holiday gathering like an outbreak of influenza.

Influenza viruses are highly contagious, spreading easily via respiratory droplets—tiny drops of moisture released into the air when an infected person talks, coughs, and sneezes and inhaled by innocent bystanders.  Symptoms include sore throat, stuffy nose, cough, body aches, headache, fatigue, fever, and chills.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, peak months for influenza are December, January, and February, though cases occur as early as October.  That’s why you should get vaccinated against influenza early in the fall.  Because the viruses change with time, you need a yearly flu shot.

Other preventive strategies include frequent hand washing, staying away from sick people, staying home if you’re sick (no matter how much you wanted to go to that holiday party), and coughing into the crook of your elbow (rather than your hand).

In addition, the  Remedy Chicks recommend you make a batch of elderberry syrup to have on hand should illness strike.  Here’s why: European black elderberries (Sambucus nigra) have immune-enhancing and antiviral activity against influenza and other respiratory viruses. Three small studies have found that special elderberry extracts reduced symptom severity and duration in people with influenza. Two of the studies used a widely available product called Sambucol.

You can make your elderberry syrup.  Though your product won’t be identical to laboratory-made extracts, the creation is easy, gratifying, and delicious. Herb stores and online bulk herb retailers carry dried European black elderberries.  A reasonable substitute is American elderberry (Sambucus nigra, subspecies, canadensis). Verify the species of local varieties before consuming. Use only ripe, black elderberries.  Never eat species bearing red fruit, which are poisonous.

Our recipe also includes cinnamon and ginger, which are warming, immune-enhancing, and antioxidant.  Ginger inhibits some respiratory viruses, though it may not fight influenza viruses. It also counters inflammation, fever, pain, and cough—all of which can accompany the flu.

Elderberry Syrup – from 500 Time-Tested Home Remedies and the Science Behind Them

3     cups water
1     cup dried elderberries
1/8      cup cinnamon chips
1      tablespoon ginger
¾      cup honey

Bring the water to a boil in quart-sized saucepan. Add the herbs. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, for 30-40 minutes until the water level is reduced by half.

Drape a piece of cheesecloth over a large strainer set atop a medium-size mixing bowl. Pour the mixture through the cheesecloth. With clean hands, fold the corners of the cheesecloth and wring out the liquid. Discard the herbs.

Measure the liquid and pour it into a clean saucepan. Add enough honey so that the ratio of herbal tea to honey is 2:1. (If you have 1½ liquid, you’ll add ¾ cups honey.)  Stir on low heat until the honey and tea are well mixed. Voila, you have a syrup!  Add a splash of brandy to preserve.  Jar, cap and refrigerate. After three months, discard unused syrup.

At the first sign of influenza (or after a recent exposure), take 1 tablespoon four times a day.  Give children half that dose. Do not give to infants under the age of 12 months.  (You can also add this syrup to smoothies, fruit salads, and atop French toast.)
Stay well. ----- The Remedy Chicks
The next few months I will bring  you topics on health (men and  ladies) Hope you enjoy  them as much as I  enjoy bringing them to you .

Look for some interesting things next year on men and  ladies health .

A proud Grand-poppa             G.

Where did they get the patience??

Being someone of little patience, I can honestly say that after putting about 50 Lego blocks together...and you know how difficult it is to make those little suckers stick together...I would have chucked the whole project out the window into a snowbank......Make that 25 Lego.



Just a little poke

Governor of Ohio vetoes 'heartbeat' abortion bill

Ohio Governor John Kasich has vetoed the so-called "heartbeat" abortion bill that would have banned most abortions as early as six weeks into pregnancy.

The bill caused an outcry and Mr Kasich said it could be unconstitutional.
But he did sign a 20-week abortion ban, which is similar to a restriction already in place in 15 US states.
Mr Kasich called this bill the "best, most legally sound and sustainable approach to protecting the sanctity of human life".
The "heartbeat" bill is so called because it sets the cut-off point for legal abortions at the first time the fetal heartbeat can be detected. Such development can come before many women know they are pregnant.

Anti-abortion campaigners believe this leaves women with no choice but to continue every pregnancy.
The two bills both fell on Mr Kasich's desk at the same time and had both been approved by the Republican-controlled Ohio Senate.
The "heartbeat" bill would have been passed had Mr Kasich not used his right to veto it.

A 'public interest' decision

Mr Kasich said he believed that its passing would have led to costly legal challenges, which he felt the state had no chance of winning.
"The State of Ohio will be forced to pay hundreds of thousands of taxpayer dollars to cover the legal fees for the pro-choice activists' lawyers," said Mr Kasich, adding that he believed the veto was in the public interest.
Unfortunately, Ohio lawmakers still have the option to override his veto.
Critics of the 20-week abortion ban see it as paving the way for an attempt to overrule a 1973 Supreme Court ruling, known as Roe v Wade, which states that abortion is legal until a foetus is viable, typically between 22 and 24 weeks.
President-elect Donald Trump called for a total ban on abortion during his presidential campaign, but later said he supports an exception in cases of "rape, incest and [to protect] the life of the mother".
US family-planning organization Planned Parenthood say 99% of abortions in the US occur before 21 weeks, and the exceptions only occur in extreme circumstances.

Mr Trump has called for an end for federal funding for Planned Parenthood if the organization continues to support abortions.
I see American freedoms disappearing one by one: freedom of speech, ( i.e. college student Lauren Batchelder who questioned Trump's attitude toward women and whom he attacked on Twitter. Lauren's life was ruined by his attack and she is still receiving death threats.), freedom of the press (unless it supports Trump), freedom to satirize political figures or famous people (i.e., Saturday Night Live) freedom of choice ( i.e., pro choice/life). Just saying.
 I hope Governor Kasich hangs in there and allows women the right to choose their destiny for themselves.

Trump ... otherwise known as Tweety ... and his favorite social medium

Trump's Twitter page in April 2009

 

Trump began criticizing Republicans for plans to get rid of Medicare and President Barack Obama for Obamacare, spending and taking vacations. He tweeted, "China is our enemy, they want to destroy us."
There was also a shift in how often the President-elect tweeted. From May 2009 until the end of May 2011, Trump tweeted a little over 275 times.
He more than doubled that in the last six months of 2011, His Twitter output accelerated from nearly 150 tweets a year to more than 100 tweets a month.
In 2016, he averaged 375 tweets a month through the end of November, according to TrumpTwitterArchive.com, a searchable database dedicated to cataloguing all of Trump's tweets.

Tweets and retweets

Trump announced his candidacy for the president of the United States in on June 16, 2015. Ahead of his announcement, he retweeted more than a dozen tweets celebrating the idea of a Trump run.
Employing a now-outdated form of retweeting, which places quotes around the text you wish to share, Trump has manually retweeted other accounts roughly 10,000 times.
In 2015, staffers at Gawker Media created a bot that tweeted Benito Mussolini quotes and attributed them to Trump. In February, Trump retweeted the account.
In January, Trump retweeted Twitter user "WhiteGenocideTM," whose profile linked to website containing a pro-Adolf Hitler documentary, and whose Twitter feed "was largely a collection of retweets about violence allegedly committed by African-American suspects and anti-Arab posts," according to CNN.
He faced almost immediate backlash, but did not delete the tweet, which attacks former GOP rival Jeb Bush.
Less than a month later, Trump again retweeted "WhiteGenocideTM." The tweet read, "You always have the best crowds. #MakeAmericaGreatAgain," and was deleted two minutes later.
Trump recently retweeted several fans who were mocking CNN reporter Jeff Zeleny
Early in 2015, Trump was asked by a reporter whether he agrees with what he retweets.
"I do retweets, and I mean, to a certain extent, I do, yeah. I think that's right. Do you want me to say no? You know, I retweet, I retweet for a reason," he said.

Methods to his medium

But Trump still prefers Tweets to more traditional media - he hasn't held a press conference since July 27. While he has only given a handful of interviews since being elected, he has tweeted over 130 times about topics ranging from the media to foreign policy to domestic affairs.
Indeed, Trump does favour tweets over contact with the press - a policy he tweeted out, of course
"If the press would cover me accurately & honorably," he tweeted on Monday, "I would have far less reason to 'Tweet'."
On the other hand, his tweets appear to be influenced by the media - his tweet that said flag-burners should be jailed came roughly 30 minutes after Fox News ran a story on flag burners.
And on Nov. 29 Trump tweeted that Green Party nominee Jill Stein's recount effort was a "scam," joined by "badly defeated" Democrats. The tweet, however, followed a Fox News segment reporting that the Clinton campaign would join the recount efforts in Michigan, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin.

Real-life impact

As the President-elect, Trump's tweets have added import.
On Tuesday, Trump criticized Boeing for the price tag associated with the manufacture of Air Force One, which he said would cost taxpayers $4 billion. The company saw a near immediate dent in their share prices, but recovered after Boeing revealed that they do not yet have the contract to build Air Force One. The company instead has a development deal with the government.
"We are currently under contract for $170 million to help determine the capabilities of these complex military aircraft that serve the unique requirements of the President of the United States," said Boeing spokesman Todd Belcher in a statement.
"We look forward to working with the U.S. Air Force on subsequent phases of the program allowing us to deliver the best planes for the President at the best value for the American taxpayer."
It took six years once inaugurated for Obama to give up his Blackberry.  According to senior advisor Kellyanne Conway, who spoke during in an interview with Jake Tapper, it is still undecided whether Trump will continue to have personal access to his Twitter account when he assumes office.
 Didn't he nearly crucify Hillary for using a public server ?? Well, he uses Twitter as his forum for all his personal attacks on citizens and even to disclose his future plans and reveal future policies. He uses Twitter to make dramatic promises and later renege on them. And he uses the medium to malign the press for telling it like they see it, the intelligence agencies of the US for telling the truth and pretty much any person or organization who has the temerity to disagree with him. I think his use of Twitter ranks up there with Hillary's emails.