Getting Old is BAD

Don't listen to anyone who says old age can be fun. It is absolutely not true. They should not be called the golden years - they should be called the rusted years. Even if you're in good health, at age 75, you always know in the back of your mind that as soon as you're gone, no matter how GREAT you were, NOBODY will remember anything you did.  Of all the billions of people who ever lived, not even one tenth of one tenth of one tenth of one tenth of one percent are still regularly talked about - perhaps one hundred historical figures in various fields: science, art, politics. You cannot enjoy anything when you're dead and you KNOW you'll be dead soon. People treat you with respect but only out of respect, not genuine interest. You are basically shoved aside. You become obsolete in front of your very eyes. You also look horrible - wrinkly and crooked. If you get sick, things are only worse. You spend a lot of time just worrying about whether you'll get sicker. You get depressed easily. You spend too much time with doctors, looking for a cure for the incurable. The only good thing about growing really old is that you might get to see a lot of your friends die before you do. That's it. Then, it's your turn. Death is NOT normal and it is never fun. Old people know all of this but they just pretend things are ok and that they are fine with old age. They are NOT. Getting old is bad - really bad. Let us not pretend otherwise. It is a CURSE but people just insist on looking on the bright side.  In this case, there isn't any. hahaha

Health care anyone???

I just ran into an old TIME Magazine cover story on health care - it was from July, 1998. They were making a big deal out of some problem with health care back then. Things just never change. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

Hospitals

There is a long article in the New York Times today about infections people get in hospitals. Imagine that. They get into people through careless health workers. Imagine that. They are also deadly because the bacteria are resistant to drugs. More than 99,000 die from such infections per year. Try to stay away from hospitals - and doctors too. This topless woman is healthy - let's hope she stays that way.

Eating dogs and cats

I read in a news story that China is about to outlaw the eating of dog and cat meat. Why? Why are they doing this? Chinese people have been eating dog and cat meat for generations. Now, all of a sudden, it will be against the law and people who eat it will be fined. Animal lovers say it is cruelty against cats and dogs to eat their meat. What about steak and fish? This is terribly confusing. Will the cat and dog population in China suddenly explode? This topless woman probably doesn't care either way.

Billions sold

From a story somewhere on the internet: “LONDON – In the last two decades, the world has spent more than $196 billion trying to save people from death and disease in poor countries. But just what the world's gotten for its money isn't clear, according to two studies published Friday in the medical journal Lancet. U.N. agencies, universities and others working on public health routinely take from 2 to 50 percent of a donation for "administrative purposes" before it goes to needy countries. Others said there is little incentive for health officials to commission an independent evaluation to find out what their programs have achieved. "The public health community has convinced the public the only way to improve poor health in developing countries is by throwing a ton of money at it," Stevens said. "It is perhaps not coincidental that thousands of highly paid jobs and careers are also dependent on it." That kind of expenditure translates to $27,223,000 PER DAY, in case anyone really cares. The money creates jobs for health professionals but it does not help unhealthy populations all that much – that’s for sure. If you want to stay healthy, just wash your hands frequently, and stay away from sick people and from doctors. Please.

Tallerant

From some news story somewhere: “MELBOURNE (AFP) – Tall people earn higher wages than their vertically-challenged counterparts while being obese does not mean a slimmed-down pay packet, according to a new study in Australia. The researchers found a strong link between wages and height, particularly for men, with each additional four inches of height adding three percent to hourly wages.” The same thing is true of beautiful people. Tell me something I don’t already know – this is SO OBVIOUS. Next thing they will tell us is that according to some university study, higher prices cause inflation. Please.

Old Age remedies 2

From an article on Yahoo!: “New research reveals that two of the most boring-sounding personality traits can actually help you live a healthier, happier and longer life. It turns out that people who are ambitious and disciplined live up to four years longer than more impulsive folks. A study from the University of California at Riverside found that conscientious types--the kind of people who have their nose to the grindstone and always pay their bills right on time (or early!)--are more likely to have stable relationships and are less tempted by health-dampening drugs, alcohol and other risky behaviors. People who were less conscientious were 50 percent more likely to die at any given age, on average, than those who were highly conscientious. Order and achievement were the top two traits associated with having a long life, but that doesn't mean that you have to be a snooze to reach the ripe old age of 100. "Conscientious does not mean boring or humorless," said lead study author Howard Friedman. Want to boost your conscientiousness? Surround yourself with friends who are good influences and consider investing in a day planner or an online calendar to stay organized.” How about people who take Yahoo! articles seriously? This woman looks like she’ll live to be 99.

Lilli Ewing 3

Working out is hard to do - especially if you don't make a habit of it. Bobby Fischer (the late chess player) used to prepare himself for grueling chess matches by working out in the pool - swimming dozens of laps - and drinking lots of orange juice. One cannot be in good mental shape unless one is in great physical shape. A sound mind in a sound body, remember? If you find yourself in an obesity rut, do what Lilli Ewing does - work out and make it part of your routine. Would you like it if someone gave you a ten pound sack of potatoes and forced you to lug it around for no reason? If you are over your sensible weight, that's exactly what you're doing - burdening your body and your precious heart. Acai berries might help, too. I shouldn't be talking - I'm four pounds overweight. In case you are wondering - that's Lilli Ewing on the left - she lives in Seattle - champion bodybuilder.

EASIYO and Lilli Ewing

Now hear this: "The food we eat, the life we lead, illness and the ageing process can all disrupt our internal balance. Eating freshly-made EASIYO yogurt every day could really help. EASIYO is Nutrient-dense. For relatively few calories, freshly-made EASIYO yogurt is full of protein, calcium and essential vitamins and minerals to help provide the elements for growth and a good constitution." I got this from their own advertisement. I had never heard of this yogurt brand since I buy mine at Wal-Mart - it looks mighty interesting. Look Lilli Ewing up on MySpace and get yourself motivated to exercise, too. You will be very glad you did. A good diet and lots of exercise - what more do you need? Money?

Lilli Ewing 2

I used to think bodybuilding was an odd thing to do but not anymore. Look at Lilli Ewing - champion bodybuilder. If all young people (and older people for that matter) followed her example, this country would not have an obesity problem. It would also not have so many health issues. We would feel spectacularly well. It's not necessary to develop your body to the extent Lilli Ewing has - she does it because she is a professional trainer and a competitor (Like Arnold, the Governor of California) - but we can all benefit greatly by taking exercise more seriously. And the discipline that working out develops will help us tremendously as well. See for yourself - http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/LilliMarlene/

Your body

This is Lilli Ewing - she is a bodybuilder. I have no idea how a woman can be such a great bodybuilder and still be as feminine as she is. I don't need to know. All I can say is that it is possible. I admire Lilli Ewing's dedication to her chosen field. She is a great athlete. She is one of my friends on MySpace and (of course) she has her own terrific website and videos on YouTube (http://bodyspace.bodybuilding.com/LilliMarlene/). With just half her motivation I would really be something.

Stock Market Up

I told you so. Today, the market is at 9325 and going up steadily. If you didn't buy at least 100,000 shares when I first advised you three weeks ago, it is a little late now. Sure, the market will continue to go up, but only a little at a time. The time was ripe when the market hit 8500. If you don't have a broker, go outside and look for the hemlines on ladies like the one on the left. That is the only sure indicator of where the market is headed. I told you so.

Acai Berries

Be careful with the ad for Acai Berries. It's a good deal if you're getting the bottle for shipping cost only, but read the fine print. You might even be charged just $1.00, as I was. However, if you don't cancel within the fourteen day trial period, your card will be charged for one month's supply which will be shipped automatically - about $90.00. That's a forty five day supply for $90.00. If it works as well as they say, maybe it will be worthwhile - that's $2.00 per day. Good luck and good health to you.

Biggest loser

Jillian Michaels has these tips for us. Enjoy

1.) DON'T APOLOGIZE FOR SELF-PRESERVATION. "Why should we apologize for the practices that help us manage the symptoms while we deal with the real reasons we eat? I pour candle wax on my food at restaurants," Jillian admitted. "Not wanting to 'waste food' is a poor excuse for ending up far worse off later on, dealing with all the health problems that come with obesity."

2.) RUN. I asked Jillian if running really is the best form of cardio for weight loss. "Absolutely," she said. "There are lots of great ways to get your heart rate up, but if you want to see the pounds melt off, running is the fastest way. But I get that not everyone is built for it--knee problems, tight IT bands, heel spurs; I get it." Whatever you do, she said, "Don't forget the weights! The more muscle you build, the faster your metabolism will run."
3.) THE BIGGEST LOSER IS NOT REALITY. "You don't watch the Olympics and think, Hmm, I should swim for 6 hours a day like Michael Phelps, do you? But you might think about joining a pool and swimming a few times a week," she said. That's what Jillian wants people watching TBL to think, too: "If these people can lose ten pounds in two weeks, maybe I can lose ten pounds in a couple of months." She adds: "I want people to realize their own potential; I meet people all the time who never thought of themselves as athletic, but now? They truly are athletes."
4.) FORGET WILLPOWER. "Losing weight is not about willpower--it's about moments of bravado, like the moment when you ask your waiter to take the bread away from the table right away."
5.) JUST SAY THANK YOU. When I told Jillian how much weight I've lost, she congratulated me. And then (as I always do), I added, "But I still have a long way to go." "Cool," she said.

Healthy Foods

According to many nutritionists, these are the top ten must-have foods, in no particular order: TOMATOES, BLUEBERRIES, OLIVE OIL, GARLIC, RED GRAPES, SPINACH, WHOLE GRAINS, TUNA, NUTS, and TEA. I have no clue how many servings of each you should have or at what time of day you should eat them or anything else. I looked and looked but could not find beer (nor pizza) on the list. I would go easy on the NUTS, the OLIVE OIL, the GARLIC, and the WHOLE GRAINS. For further information, look at other websites - for serving portions and recipes and so forth.