Lighten Up People!

On December 9, 2016 By ls1228In election, entertainment, Extreme Blonde Moments, headlines, Pisses Me Off, TechnologyLeave a comment

blazingsaddles Before special interest groups began dictating the tenor of the news, the 24 hour cable news cycle, cell phones (with instant video to internet upload ability), and social media’s ability to take a story worldwide in milliseconds, things that weren’t politically correct were funny. It’s okay, you can admit that you laughed at the off-color humor of the 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s everyone did.

Whose dad didn’t come home from a night out with the boys with a bad joke or two?
Who didn’t laugh at the dozens of “Revenge of the Nerds” type movies that filled the theaters?
“Blazing Saddles” and it’s blatantly racist humor?
What about the “Cheech and Chong” movies?
How about the very raunchy stand-up routines of Steve Martin, Robin Williams, Bobcat Goldthwait, Andrew Dice Clay, Richard Pryor and others of the era?
Who didn’t see (and die laughing at) the VERY R-rated Eddie Murphy “Delirious” and “Raw”?

Today if you admitted to laughing hysterically at any comedy of that type, at minimum, you’d be accused of being (depending which comic you were describing) any one of:

Racist
Sexist
Xenophobic
Anti-Establishment
Discriminatory (Against the disabled or intellectually “challenged”)
A Pedophile
Abusive (Spousal or otherwise)
Homophobic
Alcoholic
A Drug Addict (or finding the practice/behavior acceptable)

babes-of-the-sunset-strip Envision your 1980’s party-girl bestie, who years ago would have been laughing beside you. Now she’s among the modern-day helicopter parenting, wine drinking /judgment passing disguised as women’s bible study night, soccer-moms who, rather than just ignore jokes or delete things they’ve decided they “can’t” publicly find funny anymore:

Spread emails publicly shaming a person who shared an off-color joke or meme
Encourage mutual friends to cut a person from social circles for the same
No longer allow their children to associate with the person’s children at or after school
Have contacted Human Resources to report the “inappropriate” behavior at work as harassing, gotten them reprimanded, and even fired
Have spread the gossip to their places of worship, children’s sports teams and other participatory organizations, making the person and their family feel so unwelcome they leave and even more from their home.

All of this stemming from having the nerve to have a sense of humor and realizing that there is still a First Amendment. How one person’s right to share and enjoy humor has gone from people just deleting the offending or not funny email or just giving the person a courtesy laugh or politely asking not to hear that type of joke/language to the extremes above is everything that our society was never intended to be. Our Constitution and protections of the many rights allowed to us within the Bill of Rights is exactly why we have gone to war. #PeopleNeedToLightenUp

You might wonder what made me go Hmmm about this today. Well, it was seeing another stupid headline about Donald Trump’s Twitter war with the way that he is being characterized on Saturday Night Live. #SatireIsProtectedSpeech

snl

When Saturday Night Live was actually funny (from 1975 through the 1980’s) everyone tuned in to see the double entendres that Chevy Chase, Jane Curtin, Dan Aykroyd, Gilda Radnor, John Belushi, Eddie Murphy, Phil Hartman, Adam Sandler, Tina Fey, and dozens of others over the ensuing decades tossed out that danced just below the censor line.

Based on the personal offense that the President-Elect is taking to the lampooning Alec Baldwin’s almost weekly Saturday Night Live performances are giving him, he must have forgotten the very nature of the show he admitted to enjoying before he actually won enough electoral college votes to earn the job he was seeking. Saturday Night Live has always made its laughs at the expense of the folly of politicians (including past Presidents), celebrities, sports figures and other notorious media personalities.

For a while (read that, when it served his benefit) Trump was in on the “joke.” Trump appeared as a host on SNL multiple times, largely to take the wind out of SNL’s anti-Trump sails. He refused to poke fun at himself and was only interested, when he hosted in 2015, in an appearance that was widely criticized, in downplaying his inflammatory campaign trail statements about Mexican and Muslim immigrants. Now he seems much more interested in wielding whatever power he retains at NBC by making veiled threats that SNL, which has survived 42 years and 7 Presidents, is on the way out.

This quote from the June 10, 2015 edition of Salon Magazine perfectly sums up my feelings on critical opinions of satire and comedy:

Know the performer you are watching on TV, listening to or seeing live
If you’re in the public eye and don’t like what’s being said about you, especially if the truth hurts, #ChangeTheChannel
If you don’t enjoy raw, politically honest, racial, sexual, vulgar and other taboo topics that might be in a show, DON’T GO SEE THAT COMEDIAN OR ANYTHING THEY ARE IN! #FreedomOfChoice
If people you know enjoy that type of comedy you don’t have to stop being their friend, but you don’t have any right to pass judgement on their taste in entertainment. They have no right to choose your shoes, your home, your car or your husband/wife – the same logic applies: #ToEachTheirOwn

Lisa Lampanelli, “The edgy comic wrote a piece in the Hollywood Reporter titled “How Political Correctness is Killing Comedy,” writing “Here’s the problem: Comedy, probably more than any other art form, is subjective. What jokes crack up your mom, your little brother, and your gay best friend will be completely different — unless it’s a video of a guy getting hit in the gonads with a piñata stick. That’s funny to everyone….If you like safe, generic comedy, that’s fine. Go on a cruise ship and crack up listening to the comedian point out the hilarious differences between loafers and shoes with laces. But don’t go to one of my shows and be outraged by what you hear. Going to my show and expecting me not to cross the line of good taste and social propriety is like going to a Rolling Stones concert and expecting not to hear ‘Satisfaction.’”

fpbaar Closing with a return to the theme of #PeopleNeedToLightenUp, if my kid were still small and asked for this toy, I would totally buy it if it was real! As kids we played house in a real playhouse. Mom and dad left for work during the day and went out on dates at night. Well, it’s 2016, dates are now happy hour after work and my girlfriend owns two of the bars I like: that’s real life small business ownership in today’s society people! I couldn’t care less if people agree with my humor or not. #IWouldBuyTheFisherPriceHappyHourPlaySet

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Do You Work At A Desk All Day?

On December 7, 2016 By ls1228In Exercise, Extreme Blonde Moments, Fitness, health, Helpful TipsLeave a comment

duck-foot-mobile If you work at a desk all day do this quick test.

Stand up and look at your toes.

Are they pointed out like a ducks feet?

I probably don’t have to tell you this, but you have tight hip flexors, which is one way your body is harmed by sitting at a desk all day. It’s time for you to start stretching.

This October 24th article from Men’s Health Magazine is one you might want to take a look at or you can read on and watch the video below. I’d actually rather you read on 😉

In just a few one minute sessions throughout your day you an undo the tangle your muscles have become while sitting at your desk which will ease the pain in your knees, hips & back and improve your results at the gym.

The stretch is called the “elevated pigeon stretch.” The elevated pigeon stretch:

opens hips
helps get “duck feet” realigned when standing
reduces lower back pain
reduces knee pain
improves performance on squats and dead lifts
helps you run faster
helps you jump higher

If you are at all familiar with Yoga, then you recognize this as a variation of pigeon pose. Changing the height can alter how it feels in your hips.

You can do it during the day in minute breaks at your desk, before a lower body workout, or even during commercial breaks while you’re watching TV.

“You’ve Come A Long Way, Baby!”

On December 6, 2016December 7, 2016 By ls1228In election, Extreme Blonde Moments, headlines, Pisses Me OffLeave a comment

kennedys In January of 1961, President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, moved their young family into the White House. Instead of a lavish mansion, the new First Lady was horrified to find that once beautiful artifacts were worn or broken, furnishings were badly in need of repair, and that the Truman administration had used modern fabrics and commissioned cheaply made knock-offs! Believing that the appearance of class, elegance and grandeur at the White House must be restored immediately, Mrs. Kennedy made it her top priority. She would have extremely limited funds, but was sure that her upbringing, fine arts education and social ties would make that a minor obstacle. In her mind it was paramount that the White House be restored as authentically as possible so that once again the White House would be seen:

Befitting the residence of the sitting President of the United States of America
Honoring Past Presidents of the United States
As an ever evolving, living, breathing testimony of American history

Mrs. Kennedy used her wits and wiles to retrieve era appropriate artifacts and raise the needed funds to restore the White House as she set out to, and did it in record time. She brought glamour into evenings at the White House and helped move protocol out of the stoic 1940’s style and into the modern times. The White House became a place that intellectuals, artists, entertainers, and leaders of the world all wanted to be invited.

ST-218-1-62 (crop) Mrs. Kennedy stepped out of her husband’s shadow and created a position of power for herself as First Lady that lasted well beyond her years in the White House. Although she relished the spotlight the role she created for herself provided, it wasn’t for political gain. Jackie Kennedy was shrewd. She sought connections with people of wealth, influence and international notariety that they would be able to call upon and leverage in the years to come, never knowing, of course, that their time in the White House (and time together) would be cut so dramatically short.

national_organization_for_women_logo The end of the Kennedy era ushered in the Women’s Right’s Movement of the late 1960’s / early 1970’s. Over the next four decades glass ceilings of corporations and governments around the globe shattered and the emergence of women as international executives and world leaders became the norm.

2016 was going to be the year that Americans finally joined the rest of the world in recognizing and rewarding the most qualified and prepared person to ever be in competition for the highest office in our land, President of the United States, and that person was female: Hillary Rodham Clinton!

She’d proven more than worthy of the job by showing strength in International political circles as Secretary of State;
She’d proven she could and would cross the aisle to get things done as a two-term Senator from the state of New York;
She’d proven tenacious when fighting for women and children’s causes in her long law career;
She’d proven a supportive, forgiving and loyal wife when tested beyond the limits most women could take, when publicly lied to and humiliated by her husband’s infidelity under the harshest spotlight one could ever imagine, as the First Lady of the United States; and
She was running against a non-politician, a racist, a liar, a business failure, someone defending himself against many lawsuits including one for fraud (that he lost and paid tens of millions of dollars to settle), a man accused of sexual assault, a man awaiting civil trial for rape, a man on camera admitting to sexual assault – there was no way she could lose to this baffoon…Hmmm

We all know what happens to expectations and assumptions.

Only half of those eleigible to vote in the United States turned out
Of that 1/2: 2.5 Million more than that 50% voted FOR Hillary Clinton BUT
The Electoral College electorates are not distributed equally amongst the states and more electoral college votes were awarded (as of today, but are not yet official) to Donald Trump (the electorates from each state cast their votes on December 18th)

This President-Elect is known to live in homes adorned with self portraits, gaudy trumpapartment furnishings and walls covered in gold, he refuses to sit for daily intelligence briefings, he refuses to follow established Presidential protocol, he has named a white supremacist to his cabinet, is flying by the seat of his pants into one political landmine after another, he is Tweeting bald-faced lies to the American public, he still has multiple lawsuits pending against him, and, to top it all off, he has a wife who isn’t intending to live with him and perform the many daily and ceremonial duties as First Lady at the White House! All of this in less than a month after the election and just six weeks before he is officially to take office! WTF? Will no White House traditions survive?

That sound you hear is Jacqueline Kennedy-Onassis rolling over in her grave in Arlington National Cemetery.

Because men have held a majority of the elected positions of political power since the inception of the United States as a Nation, fashion’s influence hasn’t been one of the more focused upon aspects of politics. Of course it has received passing historical commentary that was appropriate for the era and/or if there was an obvious show of poverty or wealth during the campaign, but essentially, aside from times when shown in their military uniforms, men have generally worn some version of the standard tailored formal suit and tie combination and women (mostly in their roles as spouse or hostess) whatever the popular gown of the era.

I am a proud member of the Pantsuit Nation group on Facebook, but I do admit to laughing at the jokes made by and about Hillary and her attachment to the non-descript (but obviously well made and expensive) pant suits she wore on the campaign trail. I also admit that the sometimes frumpy and shapeless pantsuits paired with the vicious #FalseNews stories that the real press wouldn’t de-bunk as loudly as the Trump campaign, the internet, and Fox News/CNN and others spread them, might just have been what ultimately cost Hillary half the public’s trust and the election.

hillary_clinton_official_secretary_of_state_portrait_crop I truly believe that Hillary Clinton not appearing as she did at all three debates, beautifully made up and glamorously styled as she showcased her intellectual and political strengths, contributed to her issues in connecting with people. The likeability factor, that I dismissed, mattered a whole lot more to middle america than I realized. Had she appeared everytime we saw her looking as she did at the debates, there might have been some who would have given her ultimate truths more of a chance to be heard instead of listening to the continual lies Trump-eting from other sources.

Unless there is a great moral and ethical shift within the voters who comprise the Electoral College on December 18th, in which they could decide that what they have seen and heard so far, in the first 6 1/2 weeks since the election, is just more than the United States bargained for or can sustain for 4 years, and decides to #VoteTheirConscience and swing their votes to the better qualified Hillary Clinton, I’m afraid that the long way that we appeared to have come from 1960 to 2016 might just take some steps backward. Hmmm indeed.

Make-A-Wish Foundation Gives 12 Year Old Boy Explosive Best Day Ever!

On December 2, 2016December 2, 2016 By ls1228In charity, Extreme Blonde Moments, health, SafetyLeave a comment

The Make-A-Wish Foundation is one of those charities that I truly admire. They have entirely altruistic intentions and I’ve never heard of an athlete, celebrity or organization that has turned down a request to help grant the wish of child suffering from a life threatening illness or injury. In the United States alone, on average, a Wish is granted every 35 minutes! Since it started in 1980, they have granted more than 270,000 wishes!

“A wish come true helps children feel stronger, more energetic, more willing and able to battle their life-threatening medical conditions. For many, the wish marks a turning point in the fight against their illnesses. Doctors, nurses and other health professionals say, the wish experience works in concert with medicine to make their patients feel better emotionally and even physically. That is why wishes matter. That is why we grant wishes.”

Did you know?

johncenamawf Professional wrestler John Cena holds the title for the most wishes granted by a single individual, with over 500 wishes. Singer Justin Bieber has volunteered in over 250 wishes.

I saw this article about a recently granted “Wish” in Men’s Health Magazine and Dan Roe did it so well I’m sharing it in his exact words!

12-Year-Old Leukemia Patient Blows Stuff Up In Most Epic Make-A-Wish Ever

Like any good kid, he just wanted to see some explosions

By Dan Roe December 2, 2016

“My name is Declan, I’m 12, and my wish was to blow something up.”Those were the words of a young leukemia patient from Sydney, Australia, who had just undergone 7 months of chemotherapy. During his chemo treatments, Declan was approached by the Make-A-Wish foundation, which wanted to know about his idea of the best day ever. He responded as any young boy—hell, any grown man—would: He wanted to get his pyro on and see some dope explosions, according to Metro in the U.K

This I Did Not Know

On November 26, 2016 By ls1228In entertainment, Extreme Blonde Moments, Helpful Tips, SafetyLeave a comment

disneyland-tips-tricks As a someone who spent the bulk of my growing up years in Southern California, I went to Disneyland a lot. I then worked there for 4 Summers and holiday breaks as what they called a “Seasonal Cast Member,” so I thought I knew most of the Disneyland rules and regulations. According to Mandy Kennedy of www.twentytwowords.com, I was so wrong. Hmmm

Apparently there are 24 very specific things you cannot do when you are a guest at Disneyland.

You can’t fly a drone. Well DUH! I would imagine you can’t even get one through the gate let alone think about flying one, running it into an unsuspecting guests head, crashing it into a ride or using it as part of any other nefarious plot. As if…
Adults can’t wear costumes. Hello, creep much? This is wrong for so many reasons: pedophiles, closet creep-os, wanna-be employees, nope.
No folding chairs. Back to explanation #1 – how would you even get one through the gate? I can’t see security being overly excited about chairs being able to be thrown into the middle of the parade, unfolded in the middle of a long ride line, or anywhere else for that matter.
Give a speech or hold a demonstration. It’s the “Happiest Place on Earth” it’s no place for free speech, megaphones, or picket signs people. 😉
You can’t blow up a balloon. Deflated balloons are a choking hazard so only already inflated balloons are sold in the Park.
You can’t bring a non-service animal into the Park. Too many people, too many opportunities for people to get entangled in your pet’s leash and trip/fall, or maybe your dog bites, or scratches, or causes some other injury that Disney might have to take financial responsibility for….it’s all about the legal liability here people.
No wearing non-medical masks. See #2 for explanation. It’s all about the creep factor here.
No large tripods. If you have to ask, “how large is large?” you already know your answer. This is to ward off professional photo shoots in the Park that would impede the general public from access to and enjoyment of all areas of Disneyland. People could trip over and be injured by the tripods and assume that Disney authorized the photography sessions, putting them at financial liability. It also comes down to Disney controlling and collecting fees from anyone being professionally photographed on their property and protecting use of their copyrights.
No profane language. It’s the Magic Kingdom not the WWE or a Raiders game.
No outside alcohol allowed. Disneyland wants to be able to control how much you drink and overcharge you for the drinks you are allowed to buy from their properties at the connected properties: Disney’s California Adventure and Downtown Disney.
No skateboards, hoverboards or Segways. Self explanatory. The only non-foot transportation shall be via the rides in the Park.
No Shoes, No Shirt, No Service.
No Weapons.
Your stroller can’t be bigger than 36″ x 52″ even if you have a stroller made for 6. The stroller can’t be wider than the sidewalks people.
No running! I’m talking to you 52 year old man pushing the children out of the way to beat them to Space Mountain! If you’re not participating in the Disney 1/2 Marathon you better slow down!
No flash photography! I’m sorry you can’t get a great picture in “Pirates of the Caribbean” but your flash gives away the behind the scenes Disney magic and ruins it for everyone else.
No exposed inappropriate tattoos. We don’t need to see that when you bend over you send a cheeky hello to your Mom.
No feeding the animals. America has an obesity problem, Disneyland would like their animals to continue to not be part of that epidemic.
No bags, backpacks or coolers larger than 24″ x 18″ x 15″ allowed in the park. We live in a heightened security age, which we all know, but those large bags also take up space that makes it hard for people to move freely.
Smoking only allowed in designated areas. Laws are not in favor of public smokers anymore, secondhand smoke and all.
No glass containers, except baby food, allowed into the Park. It might break and hurt someone you know. DUH
The no tripod ban also includes no student movies, commercials or any other non-home video type filming….Disney frowns on this bigly 😉
No filming on rollercoasters. Well that one sucks. I’ve always wanted to scream and barf while filming on my iPhone so that I can share my embarrassment on YouTube! and, this one’s a biggy…
No cutting in line, holding a spot for others or joining others further in front of the line. People tend to get really crabby when they’ve waited over an hour and you waltz in front of them and jump right onto the ride.

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Dress up Holiday Hostess Gifts

On November 18, 2016 By ls1228In DIY, Extreme Blonde Moments, Helpful Tips, holiday projects, SewingLeave a comment

I love bringing wine when I am a guest for a meal or an evening of other treats and libations, but hate to bring the boring wine bag I grabbed on the way out of the grocery or wine store. I know that they are cute and people don’t really expect more, but they are putting in a great deal more time and expense when hosting, so I like to make the effort when I can.

There is just one problem: I have very limited creative skills. I can’t draw, paint or do any type of art. I can build things and my grandma did teach me to sew, so when time (and fabric on hand) allows, I love whipping up a quick & fancy wine bottle gift bag to add that little personal touch.

Supplies

1 piece 14″ by 16″ Holiday or other themed (if you want) fabric
1 piece 14″ by 16 ” Contrasting fabric (of a heavier weight if you have it on hand)
15″ to 18″ piece of Ribbon, Jute, or Fabric for tying the bag

Directions

On both pieces of fabric, press the right side of top raw edge about 3/8″ onto the backside (like a hem). You will be leaving this top part open.
Fold each piece of fabric right sides together the long ways so that each piece measures 7 x 16 inches.
Sew down the long raw edge and across the bottom using a 1/2 inch seam allowance.
Trim to 1/4″
Pinch in from the corners and sew across at about 1+1/4″ to form a box bottom.
Take a pair of scissors and clip both corners off making sure not to cut through the seam you sewed together earlier.
Turn the fabric that will be the outside of your wine bag so that it is right side out.
Leave the inner fabric so that it is still wrong sides out (You want the right side to be the inner bag).
Place the inner fabric bag inside outer fabric bag making sure the seams match up
Then fold each raw edge inward about 1/2 inch and pin together. I did this starting at the seam so that I knew they would be matched up as I pinned around the circle.
Topstitch along the edge – I stitched about 3/8″ down from the top and let a bit of the pleather inner fabric peek above the top.
Insert your bottle in the bag
Tie your ribbon, jute or fabric around the bag.
Fold the inner bag down so the top of the bottle and your liner fabric are exposed

Organize This Chaos

On November 12, 2016November 12, 2016 By ls1228In election, Extreme Blonde Moments, headlines, Helpful Tips, Pisses Me Off1 Comment

hatecrimevote

This Blonde has had enough of the hateful personal attacks coming out of the woodwork, the attic, crawling out of the sewers and the swamps, falling from the skies, and everywhere else.

Many people who claim to be your friends aren’t. They hold racial, gender, sexual, and religious biases that differ with your beliefs. Deal with it, erase them from your life or learn to agree to disagree if that’s possible, but you are not going to change them anymore than they are likely to change you.

America, because tens of millions of people seem to need a refresher course in U.S. History, was founded on a few basic principles that are stated quite clearly in The Declaration of Independence: “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”

The government of the people, by the people and for the people is clearly outlined in the Declaration of Independence, “governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness.”

All that said, this Blonde has a few things to get off her chest: lamarch

Peaceful protest is a First Amendment right
Vandalizing property, assaulting citizens and committing other crimes of opportunity are not
Peaceful protests and petitions can result in desired change: A Texas Electoral College Member (a state that was awarded to Trump) has publicly stated he is considering a change in his vote on December 19th, and a petition circulating on Change.org, asking the Electoral College #VoteYourConscience and follow the will of the Popular Vote to award the election to Hillary Clinton, has (as of 12:30 PST) gathered 3,620,136 signatures.
Protests that stray from the intended purpose and spiral into lawless riots turn people against your cause

Police in the cities where days of protests have been happening are being supportive of Constitutional rights and doing what they can to keep the protestors safe, but when they turn the switch and become thugs and criminals they are playing right into the playbook of the voters whose votes they are protesting.

antitrumplapd

Instead of inflicting damage which will cost cities money to clean it up, think about other ways to protest that may get the point across.

If a company where you regularly shop, dine at or otherwise patronize supports values, laws and lawmakers that you don’t, then change your spending habits. Shop, dine and spend your money with companies that share your values.
If the house of worship you pray in has deviated from the righteous path that you try to follow, then join another congregation that more closely aligns with your beliefs.

Major sports leagues, the NCAA, corporations, organizations, recording artists and others have moved their events away from states that enacted legislation that was Anti-LGBTQ. By doing so, hundreds of millions of dollars in spending was directed away from those economies. In the end the almighty dollar is a much greater sword to wield when the intention behind the loss of revenue is known.

The estimate in lost revenue to North Carolina alone was a HALF A BILLION DOLLARS. Several companies intending to move their corporate headquarters or build regional facilities canceled their contracts costing jobs, tax dollars and they still did not, and have not, changed their Anti-LGBTQ legislation. In fact, they have diverted $500,000 from the state’s disaster relief funds (funds that are sorely needed to repair massive storm damage) to fight litigation against their Anti-LGBTQ legislation! HMMM

If you don’t like that your City, County or State voted to elect a Councilman, Mayor, Commissioner, Assemblyman, Senator, Representative or yes, President, then let your money, as well as your voice and future vote do your talking.

Enough with causing chaos in the very cities you claim to be speaking for
Don’t contribute to your party the next time they come calling
Write letters to your representatives
Send letters to the editor of your local and regional papers
Start a grassroots movement “Bernie-Style”
Remember that mid-term elections are only 2 years away

In 2018, 33 of the 100 Senate seats are up for re-election. Currently Republicans hold 52 seats and 8 of those will be up for grabs: Arizona, Nevada, Mississippi, Nebraska, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, & Wyoming. If any Senators die in office or are otherwise unable to serve before that, there can be special elections, so there is no reason to wait until then to get involved if this really matters to you.

Vitamin D Does What?

On November 7, 2016November 7, 2016 By ls1228In healthLeave a comment

gotmilk2

When I was little my Mom told us we needed to drink our milk to grow big and strong. And, over the years there have been catchy advertising campaigns asking if we, “Got Milk?” and reminding us that, “Milk, it does a body good.”

But besides building strong teeth and bones with all of the calcium that I knew milk had, I never had a clue what other benefits came from getting the Vitamin D that dairy is a primary provider of.

Without adequate Vitamin D, your body cannot absorb calcium for building teeth and bones and keeping them strong
Scientists have linked low Vitamin D levels to certain cancers, heart disease and other chronic diseases
Obese men, women and children are 35% more likely to be lacking Vitamin D than normal weight people
A 2000 study in the American Journal of Obesity found that obesity makes Vitamin D deficiency worse because being obese limits the body’s ability to properly convert sunlight and dietary food sources into a useable resource
A 2015 Spanish study in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism linked lower Vitamin D levels in those with Diabetes or considered pre-Diabetic, especially if they were obese
Lupus, a chronic inflammatory disease where the body’s immune system attacks itself, is closely tied to a deficiency of Vitamin D that comes from the patient’s inability to absorb it naturally from the sun combined with the used of corticosteroids which further deplete the body of Vitamin D
Expectant mothers who maintain high Vitamin D levels are less likely to deliver pre-term babies
Patients stricken with Multiple Sclerosis who maintained higher Vitamin D levels at 6, 12 and 24 months saw a slower progression of the disease
Women between the ages of 27 and 44 with the highest intake of Vitamin D (in addition to higher calcium) see the lowest incidence of debilitating PMS symptoms
Some scientists believe that there is a link between low levels of Vitamin D and the occurrence of Inflammatory Bowel Disease
Women who experience excessive hair loss often have an accompanying Vitamin D deficiency
Eczema symptoms worsen in the drier months of winter when there is less sun to get Vitamin D absorption and can be easier to live with if an oral supplement is taken
80% of hip fracture patients are Vitamin D deficient
Children who took 1200 IU of Vitamin D each day for 4 months during the winter were 40% less likely to contract Influenza Type A
Nearly 1/3 of Americans are Vitamin D deficient

It is estimated that nearly 50% of adults worldwide suffer needlessly from Vitamin D deficiency. The body can produce sufficient Vitamin D3 with sun exposure on bare skin for 5-10 minutes 2-3 times per week. Those with darker skin tones and those who wear a SPV of 30 or more get 95% less Vitamin D from the sun. In order for the body to make the maximum use of the UVB rays necessary to produce Vitamin D in the body, there needs to be direct skin exposure. Another way to increase the body’s Vitamin D stores is to consume a daily Vitamin D3 supplement or any of the foods high in Vitamin D like:

Cod liver oil, 1 tablespoon: 1,360 IU
Herring, fresh, raw, 4 ounces: 1,056 IU
Swordfish, cooked, 4 ounces: 941 IU
Raw maitake mushrooms, 1 cup: 786 IU
Salmon, sockeye, cooked, 4 ounces: 596 IU
Sardines, canned, 4 ounces: 336 IU
Fortified skim milk, 1 cup: 120 IU
Tuna, canned in water, drained, 3 ounces: 68 IU
Egg, chicken, whole large: 44 IU
Vitamin D and Calcium Fortified Orange Juice

The ideal daily levels of Vitamin D are currently set at:

Infants 0-12 months – 400 IU (10 mcg)
Children 1-18 years – 600 IU (15 mcg)
Adults to age 70 – 600 IU (15 mcg)
Adults over 70 – 800 IU (20 mcg)
Pregnant or lactating women – 600 IU (15 mcg).

My doctor has me take 2000 IU of Vitamin D3 daily and also has me take 250 mg of Magnesium to help my body absorb the Vitamin D. The limit recommended for vitamin D is 4000 IU per day. National Institutes of Health (NIH) says that vitamin D toxicity is unlikely at daily intakes below 10,000 IU/day.

Benefits of Backing In

On October 30, 2016October 30, 2016 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, Helpful Tips, Pisses Me Off, SafetyLeave a comment

cars-in-parking-lot How much time do you spend in your car circling to find somewhere to park? If you live in a crowded state, like California, where people tend to drive everywhere, it’s probably a lot of time.

Inevitably, once I find a spot, there are cars like me waiting, turn signals on, anxious to zip into any empty space to get on with whatever task, appointment or meeting has caused the need to fight for parking. Once the spot opens up in we head, nose first, squeezing in to a spot barely large enough for the car, let’s not even talk about the need to open a door to get out or unload anything or anyone that may be accompanying you from the car.

Once your tasks are completed and the time comes to leave the same perilous journey begins again in reverse. You are virtually stalked by drivers who, anxious to acquire your parking spot, creep along behind or beside you as you make the trek back to your car. God help you if you do not immediately load your car, get in and, as fast as possible, start and slam the car into reverse so that they are not caused any delay in getting their car into your spot. It’s amazing how much road rage you can encounter when you don’t move quickly enough in to or out of a parking space.

blind-zone-chart Sometimes, if I am not in my large SUV where I can see over everyone, or in my husband’s larger sedan with it’s myriad of cameras, it’s really hard for me to know that it’s safe to back out of a spot. If I am in my very small sports car and there is a large truck, SUV or other longer vehicle beside me, I am virtually blind when backing out. Other drivers can become quite impatient and nasty as I creep out to make sure that I don’t get hit by anyone and don’t hit pedestrians or any vehicle that may be darting by without looking for me.

Not surprisingly, a study by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety in 2001 and 2002 found that 14 percent of all damage claims involved crashes in parking lots. More seriously, there is a whole category of crashes, often fatal, tracked by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, called “backover crashes”: These typically occur in driveways and parking lots, often involve children, and happen most often to drivers of SUVs.

Considering all of that, it occurs to me that backing in to parking spots is a far safer way to park than head in. Apparently there are many reasons to consider backing into spots instead of parking head in:

1 in 7 vehicle accidents occur in parking lots
There is a smaller field of vision when backing up
If you are at work, or at home for that matter, and there is a need for emergency evacuation, it’s much quicker to get into your car and drive straight out. You can also see the faces of other drivers parked similarly and can wave to each other and maintain order.
If your car won’t start it’s easier to get a jump when you are backed in
If you back into your garage at home, there is far less likelihood of backing over a bicycle (or God forbid a child) in the driveway, because you have a larger field of vision through the windshield

In my own experience, I much prefer backing in:

Spots are particularly narrow in a business parking structure – this way I can put the passenger side of my car closer to the passenger side of the car on my right so that I can give myself more room to exit my car and give the same to the driver of the car on my left. With any luck this will cut down on the risk of me getting a ding from the door of the car beside me.
If there is a solid (especially concrete) wall that I will be parking against. My parking assist will help guide me close enough and, with the very narrow spaces and very large cars that generally park on either side of me, I will feel more secure pulling straight out of the spot.
If there is no parking barrier in between two stacked spots. I will pull straight through to make exiting easier.
If I am attending a sporting event, concert or other event where there will be a large crowd and traffic exiting at the same time, which could make backing out difficult.

Had my husband taken the time to back into his parking space, or even done a pull through to be facing forward in the spot in front of him, he could have avoided being hit by a FedEx truck which resulted in $19,000 worth of damage to our car. Even more distressing, had a friend backed into his driveway, he might have been able to see his child playing there and could’ve avoided backing over him. His son survived, but his injuries were severe and the incident was terrifying.

It’s worth the few minutes of time it takes to have the best view possible when you are leaving to assure your safety and that of others you might not even know are there.

reverse-parking

It takes only a couple of seconds more and goes a long way to making everyone safer – especially by keeping you safer from those who aren’t paying attention! Hmmm

Post Vacation Stress Busters

On October 28, 2016 By ls1228In Extreme Blonde Moments, Helpful Tips, Pisses Me Off, Product Endoresements, SafetyLeave a comment

I love traveling:

Seeing parts of the world, or even the country I live in, that I haven’t seen before;
Unplugging from my far-too-technological existence;
Disengaging from my too-many-things-to-do not-enough-time-to-do-them days;
Escaping reality for days in the sun and sand with a cocktail just a waiter call away

But there are so many things about coming home that can make me hate traveling too:

chaos that occurred in my absence
pets that weren’t cared for in the manner that I care for them
chores or tasks that weren’t tended to
mail or deliveries that went askew
perhaps a weather or other catastrophe occurred
break-in, theft, vandalism or other casualty related property loss

I don’t know about you, but every time I get back into whatever mode of transportation will be returning me to “the real world” I instantly begin feeling less relaxed and begin wondering what “treat” will be awaiting me at home.

Some past coming home mishaps have included:

Returning from a weekend in Oklahoma to find the entire living room and master bedroom under 2 inches of still running water with my brother sound asleep on the living room couch amid the flood!
Returning from my 2 1/2 week honeymoon to find that my wine rack had been raped & pillaged (including a bottle we’d saved for our 10th anniversary), my son had spent most of the time next door instead of with the person I’d hired to stay with him at our house, and that my cat had disappeared for 3 days!
Returning from a 2 week trip to Hawaii to find out that my girlfriend had left my son “on his own” for 3 days during which time power had gone out (unbeknownst to anyone?) and food in the freezer and refrigerator had gone bad.

There have been many more experiences like these (and a few worse) and we’ve certainly learned our lessons on who to call for travel caretaking help. Thankfully I’ve also come across some really handy things we can all do to make coming home to the inevitable post-vacation surprises a little less stressful.

Fill a cup with water, put it in the freezer until it’s solid, then pop a coin on top. Leave it in there, and when you get back, check. If the coin is on the bottom of a now-frozen cup of ice, the power went out—long enough for the ice to melt back to water in your freezer, the coin to fall through, and then the power came back and the water re-froze. If the coin is where you left it, the power stayed on, or only went out for short periods. Obviously if the coin is at the bottom, you need to throw out all of the perishable food in your freezer and refrigerator. Thanks Lifehacker!
Let’s face it, our friends and family are well intentioned, but can be flakes! Guarantee that your furry friends won’t be neglected by buying a self cleaning cat box (they have one that self-cleans, uses the toilet to rinse/dispose and you don’t d anything with it except refill bio cartridge every 3 months!) and automatic pet feeders of all kinds that guarantee your furry friends aren’t left to starve in your absence. If they show up and provide companionship, exercise and empty the collection bin/scoop the yard, that’ll just be a bonus!
Although it’s always nice to have your kids in the comfort of their own beds, but leave them at the grandparents or at the home of the person responsible for them. It makes it much more likely they are being supervised.
Leave your lights on timers that are set to different times on different days and have radios set to come on loud in rooms near the front door as well. Many home security systems have this option in their user panels.
Let the newspaper, post office, UPS/Fed Ex and any other routine delivery services know that you will be away. Tell the drivers in the weeks leading up to your vacation so they can note it on their route charts.
Take a bottle of wine or two to a trusted neighbor and ask them to check your driveway/porch and mailbox daily for any errant deliveries. Ask them to also put your trashcans out on trash day and to return them to your storage spot so things look normal.
Invest in a RING or other doorbell system that allows you to “answer” your door from your smartphone. I have one at two of my homes and swear by it! I have answered my door in LA from hundreds of miles away as if I was just cooking there in the kitchen and couldn’t get to the door. No one was the wiser and the people left. It does interface if you are an ADT customer, but you do not have to be. Do it for your peace of mind!
Have your gardener come on the regular schedule and arrange to have your housekeeper come the day you are coming home, have her make sure trash is emptied, plants watered, and dishwasher emptied so you return to a clean house.

Keep a video inventory, as well as a digital camera photo disk inventory of your valuables, what the inside and outside of your home looks like and update it when you make any major purchases, receive any expensive gifts, get a new car, boat, or RV that you may store at home.

Put both in a fire and waterproof safe/document box. You can get these kind of boxes at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Amazon.com, or other stores of this type.
Also include in this box irreplaceable jewelry, spare keys to all vehicles, RVs, boats, all properties you own, etc., take pictures of the bottles of all prescriptions your family takes, insurance policies, passports (if you aren’t traveling abroad) photocopies of all credit cards, ID for all family members, social security cards, original birth/death/marriage certificates, military records, etc.
Put that box in your attic or in the rafters of your garage. The idea is to put it someplace that burglars wouldn’t look. This is not something you are going to access very often at all. Do not put it in a closet. Also put some cash in case banks are temporarily affected by power outages and ATMs are unavailable.
Engrave your Name and Cell Phone Number on the Box, and that of your emergency contact as well, in the event the box is separated from your home (i.e. flood or hurricane). Do not use ink! Even permanent ink can wash away with high pressure fire hoses and lashing storm waters. Engraved letters and numbers are a much better option.
In the event of a break-in, catastrophic fire or other home damaging disaster while you are gone, there is every likelihood that the box will survive and you will have proof for insurance adjusters

If these also look like good ideas for things to do in case of a natural disaster where you might have to evacuate, it’s because they are – they’re a great reminder as we enter the stormy winter months.

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12-Year-Old Leukemia Patient Blows Stuff Up In Most Epic Make-A-Wish Ever

Like any good kid, he just wanted to see some explosions

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