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Spring and Summer Lifestyle Tips of a Budget

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Spring and Summer Lifestyle Tips on a Budget

Here are some common sense ways to save money this spring and summer

Spring and Summer Lifestyle Tips on a Budget

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel with Wes Hessel

 

Mother, May I?

April showers bring May flowers, along with the promise of summer activities and enjoyment. There are very many ways to save money during warmer weather and still have lots of fun:

  1. Take advantage of free movies, plays, and concerts in the park or at your local libraries. Many of these outdoor events have food trucks – the cuisine is usually very good but can be rather pricey. Consider packing a cooler of food to save on funds when attending these festivities.
  2. Water parks are great for summer fun, and now is the time to get your season passes at a potential discount. Many park districts and recreation departments offer pool memberships at a cheaper early bird rate prior to Memorial Day weekend. Several neighborhoods have no cost or low cost splash pads that are like mini water parks, as well. Be careful at the concession counter – prices are higher there and often less healthy options are sold. Ask if coolers with food from home are permitted. Check rainout lines/webpages before using your gas to drive to the facility just to find out it’s closed on a particular day. Of course, if you can bike or walk to the local aquatic center, all the better.
  3. Toes in the sand season is almost here – pedicures are in order, but can be pricey. Consider an online coupon/Groupon, a beauty school mani-pedi, or DIY. Soak feet in warm water, adding in some fragrance or bath oil for a more spa-like experience. Trim toenails straight across with a clipper. Ingrown nails can be treated with a special file available at most big box retailers. Push back cuticles with an orangewood stick or metal implement made specifically for this purpose. Use an oil or cuticle remover for best results. A pumice stone or metal dry skin remover is preferable over a razor for callus and dry skin. Dry well between toes, and if need be, use an antifungal cream or spray. Use toe separators or wind tissue between your toes before you start polishing. Apply a base, two coats of color polish, and a clear top layer for the best look, then finish off with lotion. Dipping a cotton swab in a little nail polish remover and running it around your cuticles will remove any excess polish that may have gotten on your skin. A do-it-yourself pedicure can look great.
  4. Time share rental sites, home swaps, and Airbnb’s can make vacations more affordable, or join a hotel group in email for discount codes. Watch reviews, though, as the quality of a particular stay site can vary widely. airbnb.com, www.redweek.com, www.go-koala.com/timeshare-rentals. A staycation can be just as much fun – check for free local museum days or complimentary events at local parks, beaches, and other public institutions.
  5. Picnics and cookouts during spring and summer are great ways to get together with friends. Ask everyone to bring a dish to share, but be cautious of food safety. Use a meat thermometer before taking any protein off the grill. Do not cross contaminate food – never use the same plates or utensils for cooked items that have come in contact with raw foods, without thoroughly washing them. Keep foods cold – a cooler full of ice will suffice if you are barbecuing in a park where a refrigerator is unavailable. Wash hands thoroughly, antibacterial wipes and hand sanitizer in a pinch can work but I recommend only picnicking where there are bathrooms available. Back yard cookouts are a safer option. Meats should rest ten to fifteen minutes after removing from the cooking source, but never leave any perishable food out longer than a total of two hours. Consider warmer temperatures when choosing baked good to bring. Frostings and chocolate treats can easily melt in the heat. Make sure you stay hydrated, especially in heavy heat. Avoid caffeine and stick with liquids like good ol’ H2O and clear juices. Throw away your trash in provided receptacles if you’re eating at a park or other such location. Wipe down tables in public spaces with a wipe safe for food surfaces or bring a spray bottle of vinegar and napkins or paper towels to clean tables. Consider a table covering to keep the surface safe for consumption.
  6. Use discount sites and price comparison apps to save money on events and hot weather essentials. Spring is a good time to get in on sales before summer arrives. rakuten.com, www.groupon.com, www.joinhoney.com.
  7. Sunscreen is important whenever you are in the sun, but be wary of budget brands and potentially dangerous chemicals. Two years ago, the FDA, based on the currently available scientific data, said that only two sunscreen ingredients could be considered safe and effective – titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. Other UV filter chemicals like avobenzone, cinoxate, dioxybenzone, ensulizole, homosalate, meradimate, octinoxate, octisalate, octocrylene, oxybenzone, padimate O, and sulisobenzone have concerned regulators because of skin absorption. Of those, the worst are oxybenzone, homosalate, and avobenzone – all three of them have been connected to disruption of the endocrine system. The European Commission in 2021 released preliminary reports about the first two, saying they should only be used at most to 2.2% and 1.4%, respectively. Current U.S. regs only cap those concentration percentages at 6% and 15%. Remember dollar stores, as well as some big box stores, often have sunscreens, cosmetics, and other HBA products that are made in China – some of them with recognizable brand names – and these are not regulated. Look at labels – made in China or PRC (People’s Republic of China) pose real safety concerns.
  8. Local beaches and lakes are almost always free – just check bacteria conditions and other water quality standards before plunging into the drink.
  9. If you want to spend your tax refund on some beach or cruise wear, remember budget apparel is fine. Just like holiday clothing, these articles are only wearable for short seasons. Better to spend more on wardrobe staples and keep the trendy spends to a minimum. The same goes for beach towels and totes. Take advantage of end of season sales for next year – that’s a great way to get higher quality things that will last longer. Spend a bit more on swimwear – chlorinated water is hard on bathing suits and trunks.
  10. Remember, simple days and nights on the patio with loved ones, including furbabies, are a wonderful free way to enjoy the spring and summer seasons. A good book on a lounger with a glass of ice tea or lemonade is not just relaxing, but a break from the hustle and bustle of politics, social media, national news, and everyday stress. Relax, unwind and breathe…
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No Other “President” In History

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No Other “President” In History

Trump established many new firsts most of them bad, destructive and downright reprehensible

No Other “President” In History

 

By Cate Rees-Hessel & Wes Hessel

 

First Failure

I vowed when Trump took office to never call him “president”. For the sake of this article, I will loosely refer to him as such. “The Donald” is the first world leader to do many things but none of them are positive. Read on about Trump’s dubious “firsts”, and then vote blue:

No Other “President” In History

  1. First U.S. president to promise to be a dictator. America is a democracy, a republic technically, but still – our forefathers are spinning in their graves at this conduct.
  2. He is the first to want a military parade – not to honor our veterans but to seal the fact he wants to be a dictator.
  3. Refused to attend the inauguration of the newly elected President Biden – first president to not attend his successor’s inaugural ceremony in 152 years.
  4. Claimed the election was stolen from him because he lost, when in fact President Biden received 81,283,098,  a record number of popular votes.
  5. Trump was the first president to claim his predecessor (Obama) was not born in the United States and as such was disqualified from even running for the office.
  6. Has never released any tax returns – the first president in 45 years to have kept them secret.
  7. Lost party control of the House, Senate, and then his own office – first time in 89 years.
  8. Trump was the first president that failed to achieve at least a 50% approval rating at any time during his 4 years in office.
  9. Trump is the first president to openly support ”Christian Nationalism” – a.k.a. “white supremacy”.
  10. The first president ever indicted for crimes; paying off a porn star, mishandling classified documents, election law violations, etc., trying to hide behind an invented presidential immunity claim. At last count Trump had at least 88 felony charges against him, and in the words of Curly in “City Slickers”, “Day ain’t over yet…”
  11. First president to cause a foreign nation to issue a warrant for his arrest.
  12. Invited an insurrection – obviously first (and hopefully only) president to incite violent action against our government.
  13. Promises a national “bloodbath” if he loses the 2024 election.
  14. First former president to run for election after already losing his bid for a second term – first president in 28 years.
  15. Trump is the first former president to hawk bibles and gold painted high top sneakers to a weary late night television crowd.
  16. A Godless man using the faith of other to get votes, selling expensive Bibles to fleece far right wing supporters. Holding a Bible (upside down) he does not read, outside a church he does not attend, to get votes.
  17. Brought the first centerfold “first lady” into the White House.
  18. Insisted on visiting Pittsburgh after the synagogue shooting in the Squirrel Hill neighborhood. Trump disregarded the Jewish mourning process to sit shiva for the deceased, showing disrespect for the Jewish community.
  19. When Trump entered office he dissolved the Infectious Disease Task Force which was put in place by the Obama-Biden administration, to quickly address communicable disease issues. That action crippled the response to the COVID-19 pandemic leading to the death of 1,200,000 (or 120,000 depending again, on your source) in the U.S. He was the first president in a 120 years to preside over a crippling nationwide pandemic.
  20. Trump took credit for vaccines that President Biden was actually responsible for.
  21. Claimed in letters to Americans that he personally was responsible for the  first stimulus checks, when in fact it was the House of Representatives led by Nancy Pelosi that was responsible for the checks.
  22. First president to deliver fumbling, bumbling remarks about Easter, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War with such iron pyrite nuggets such as, “Gettysburg, what an unbelievable battle that was. The Battle of Gettysburg, what an unbelievable-I mean, it was so much and so interesting, and so vicious and horrible, and so beautiful in so many different ways.”
  23. Another first when the former bragged about, “Grabbing  ’em by the p____” .
  24. A serial adulterer during each of his multiple marriages while claiming to be a Christian man.
  25. The first to  brag about overturning established legal precedent. Roe v. Wade was 50 years of established law when Donald’s Supreme Court overturned it. We now have chaos and confusion. leading to dangerous  pregnancy complications going untreated.
  26. Trump wants to see programs for children eliminated. He supports childhood poverty unless they’re white males.
  27. Encourages the repugnant practice of trophy hunting.
  28. Trump is Putin’s puppet – the first president believed to have won election  aided by a foreign power.
  29. Wants to destroy Social Security for seniors and disabled Americans.
  30. The first to mock and make fun of a disabled journalist
  31. Trump appointed Postal Service hater Louis DeJoy to head the USPS. With DeJoy in office, our mail arrives late in the day, if at all. The plan was to line his and wealthy supporter’s pockets with service outsource contracts by privatizing the Postal Service.
  32. The first candidate to advocate for the elimination of Obama Care, Medicare, and Medicaid, effectively making healthcare only for the rich, and the white.
  33. The first candidate who’s election speeches are more like a bad comedy act, threatening retribution and poking vicious “fun,” at the deep state, yet not once giving legitimate reasons to vote for him.
  34. Trump is supporting turning back time on women’s, LGBTQ, children’s, and minorities’ rights.
  35. The first to refuse to allow White House cleaning staff to clean specific areas of the WH, leading to a rodent infestation – of course, Trump is the biggest rat of all.
  36. Claimed victory for an election he didn’t win before all votes were counted – the first president to not concede their loss.
  37. Trump called soldiers “suckers” and “losers”, refusing to go to honor their ultimate sacrifice in WWII.
  38. His policies added nearly 8 trillion dollars to our national debt, the most by far of any president.
  39. Trump was impeached twice, the only president to be so distinguished.
  40. Also, the only president whose own party member voted for his impeachment conviction.
  41. Of all the presidents, he is the first to not sleep in the same bedroom as his wife.

(Thanks to Dan Kunz at the Coeur d’Alene/Post Falls Press for his article highlighting many of these inauspicious firsts.)

Be True Blue

It is imperative we vote blue – we need reelection for President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris; the alternative is unthinkable. Racism, sexism, and anti-Semitism are out of control in our nation. Once the orange haired monster got a taste of power, the floodgates of hate and insanity were opened wide, and it’s very difficult but not impossible to stop the storm. Should “The Donald” be elected for another term, things will be even worse than his first horrific term. Trump is out of control and we just need to send him a clear message that he will never enter the Oval Office (or any other part of the White House) again.

Hasn’t Got a Prayer

Franklin Graham (no stranger to scandal) is demanding we pray for Donald Trump, but he has no right demanding anything. This is the typical arrogant, lemming-like behavior of Trump’s supporters. I pray that the orange monster is convicted of the crimes that he committed and goes to prison. I pray our nation will be finally be rid of him, once and for all. Here are some ways to get involved and ride the blue wave:

  1. Offer to make election calls for Democrats.
  2. Donate what you can to the Democratic election efforts – if you can’t financially support campaigns, give of your time.
  3. Bumper stickers, yard signs, t-shirts, etc. – we can display these things for Democrats with far more dignity and class than MAGA’s in their red hats and gold metallic gym shoes.
  4. Offer your home for Democratic events such as meetings, watch parties, envelope stuffing, postcard writing, and so on.
  5. Don’t engage with MAGA’s – ignore the insanity they spew; it would be a battle of wits with an unarmed person. Let’s concentrate on a Democratic victory in November.
  6. Offer to transport people to the polls.
  7. Volunteer to register folks in your community to vote.
  8. Post on social media positive things that Democrats are doing, and the negative things Republicans are up to.
  9. VOTE!
  10. Do pray that President Biden and Vice President Harris are reelected, and the orange haired monster is convicted of his crimes.

We can do this, together and united we stand for democracy…

Resources: www.democrats.org, www.lincolnproject.us, www.facebook.com/p/Mary-L-Trump-100076207187060/, www.taylorswift.com.

 

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No Worries. Are You Kidding Me?

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No Worries. Are You Kidding Me?

 

Worry is my middle name and I have good reason to be worried

No Worries. Are You Kidding Me?

By D. S. Mitchell

 

Closet Worrier

I never considered myself a worrier; however I have  probably always been a closet worrier. I was the one that would call twice to confirm a reservation and of course I made sure that we always took two of everything (just in case). Now that I’m an elder, and retired, I have found an abundant amount of time to worry and an endless supply of issues to worry about. I have thrown off my shackles and emerged into the light as an admitted worrier.

Growing Louder

What used to be occasional whispers in my busy working mind have grown louder now that I am free of the time clock. I worry about the mutating COVID virus, and do I need another booster? I worry that I forgot to rotate my tires at 5,000 miles. When did I last check the air pressure, I fret. Did I remember to send my forever best friend from high school a card on her birthday? Then there’s climate change, and the rising ocean levels, Russian aggression in the Ukraine, the rape and murder of Israelis on 10/7,  the death of 33,000 Palestinian civilians in Gaza. And we can’t forget the threat of nukes in space, the Chinese on Mars, the speeding up of the Jet Streams, an alien invasion, an AI takeover, nuclear war, and the possibility of an asteroid impact. And what about all those conspiracy theories; are they all wrong; or just partly wrong? Will we ever find Jimmy Hoffa’s bones?

Did You Hear?

Did you see that there was a massive die off of honeybees in the United States in 2023, killing over 51% of the honeybee hives. Furthermore, in case you missed it on the news, the biggest iceberg in history is now floating somewhere in the open ocean south of Australia. I have at my disposal an endless spool of worry; replaying events over-and-over in my head; each exchanging their places in turn, as I worry about each new threat.

I Love Joe

I have recently begun transferring all of these concerns to an off planet storage facility-I think its called the cloud. I want to have plenty of space in my head for election year worries. Don’t misunderstand; there isn’t a single day that goes by that Joe Biden doesn’t prove he’s a better man than Donald Trump ever thought of being. Not one day of Donald Trump’s life, has he ever thought of anyone but himself. As General John Kelly confirmed, Trump “is the most flawed person (I’ve) ever met.” Unfortunately, for the United States, Trump is once again being allowed to run for president; and with the Electoral College system he could easily win.

Not Long Ago

There was a time in the recent past when a candidate for the highest office in our land was not a criminal, a grifter, or wanna-be tyrant; that was of course before Donald Trump came on the scene. Since Trump’s  emergence as a right wing demagogue he has been setting law breaking records; amazing even those who know him best. I realize there are many in the electorate who may have forgotten the list of outrages this one man crime wave has committed. For those amnesic individuals I offer Seth Meyers.

Early to Bed, Ready to Worry

I go to bed early, so, sadly, I miss all the late night comedy shows. But, this is 21st century America and I have YouTube. A recent Seth Meyer’s monologue turned up the heat on my worr-ia-tor. Listen folks, a quick review of the recent past is reason enough to worry about what criminal tactics Trump will use to guarantee his winning the 2024 election. That’s right, folks, I truly believe Trump and his crime associates will try to once again overthrow an election. That would be two in a row. The loss of public morality is shocking and should be a worry for all of us who haven’t been drinking the Kool-Aid or who aren’t looking for a Mango Mussolini to worship.

Seth Meyers Made a List

After coming out on top as the presumptive Republican nominee for president Trump was eviscerated by Late Night host, Seth Meyers. In a near two minute opening monologue, Meyers reeled off a list of outrageous things Donald Trump has done, or has been accused of doing.  Here in Seth’s own words: “Presumptive GOP nominee for president, again, for a third time, despite the fact he is a twice-impeached, four-time criminally indicted and racist who’s been found liable for fraud and sexual abuse. Banned from doing business in the state of New York for three years. Owes over half a billion dollars in fines and judgments. Took millions from foreign governments while he was president. Tried to extort a foreign country to interfere in the 2016 election and encouraged another to help him win in 2020.”

No Stopping Him

Meyers, however, did not stop there. Trump “actively undermined our nation’s response to a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic and let a deadly disease spiral out of control. (He) is about to go on trial for breaking campaign finance laws by paying hush money to cover up an affair during the 2016 campaign. He orchestrated a months-long coup attempt that culminated in a violent insurrection to disrupt the peaceful transfer of power and install him as an unelected dictator. (Trump) stole classified documents and obstructed attempts to get them back. (The man) has never won the popular vote and has been routinely rejected by a majority of Americans in election after election.”

There’s More?

At this point you may think Meyers had covered it all, but that’s when he reminds us of many other bizarre Trump moments. Meyers called Trump “the single weirdest, most off-putting human being on the face of the f****** planet. Trump spews deranged conspiracy theories about everything from climate change to immigration, from vaccines to windmills. Stumbles on three syllable words, two-syllable words and one-syllable words, cheats at golf, calls our dead soldiers suckers and losers, forgets who he’s running against.” At this point, Seth brings up a screen in the studio displaying  examples of Trump’s spelling errors.  “(He) can’t spell his own name, his wife’s name (or even remember it), the words “indicted,” “education,” “unprecedented,” stolen,” “Denmark,” “Kentucky” or “tap,” all spelled wrong, and many more.

Gamer Vocabulary

Myer’s summed up Trump in the following manner, “I’m sorry, but this guy is not a real person, he’s a glitching, (stumbling) NPC from a video game,” Meyers declared. **For the non-gamers out there; Seth’s reference to “NPC” (“Non-Player Character”) is used by him as a metaphor to describe someone he perceives as lacking independent thought.

 

Its Disgusting and Shocking

I worry that any group of people that would support a criminal and insurrectionist as their presidential candidate are likely to break any and all laws to get him back into the White House. Perhaps even “terminate the Constitution.” Bad actors, like Iran, Russia, China, and North Korea are lining up to run misinformation campaigns against Biden and the Dems. Sounds like criminals and thugs sticking together. The fact that the Republican Party is willing to hand over power to a man of  such obvious low character as Donald Trump is both outrageous, and demoralizing. Make no mistake the GOP will be running a ‘dictator for life’ candidate not a presidential candidate.

****

If you want to see the original Seth Meyers rant go to YouTube and put in Trump crimes-Seth Meyers on the search bar and you can watch Seth eviscerate Trump in a two minute rant. Everything he says is alarming and we should all be worried as hell.

And What About Bigfoot?

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And What About Bigfoot?

Are the sightings real or manufactured?

Bigfoot is a legend in the Pacific Northwest. A similar creature has been seen around the world and goes by a variety of names.

 

Is Bigfoot Real or Manufactured?

By D.S. Mitchell

A NW Childhood

I grew up in the Pacific Northwest so I’ve been hearing about Bigfoot since I was a kid along with the legend of the notorious skyjacker, D.B. Cooper. More than most other stories these two have ignited the imaginations of people, not just in my area, but all over the world. As far as D.B. Cooper goes, I think it was the boldness of the crime and the fact that he got away with a bunch of cash and was never caught. An amazing 20th century story of a man who seemingly beat the system.

Mysterious Creatures

Bigfoot, a legendary half man half ape creature is, I believe, more about humanities need to believe in magic and the mysteries of the unknown. I think it’s the same reason conspiracy theories are so popular.  Much like Scotland’s Loch Ness Monster, there is not a single iota of evidence showing that Bigfoot or Nessie are real. No bodies, no bones, no hair, no skin, no DNA; nothing, absolutely nothing, except a few giant footprints and a couple cheezy photos and a grainy video.

Basic Biology

From basic biology it seems that if a population were large enough to propagate it is unlikely, considering their enormous size, that any of these creatures could go undiscovered by scientists, certainly not any band or group of them. I would say the whole thing is impossible. However, many people are fascinated by the possibility of a mythic creature, living wild and free in many isolated parts of the world. Jane Goodall famed anthropologist and conservationist, once said of Bigfoot, “I want to believe.”

Footprints in the Mud

On August 27, 1958 a logging company employee, Jerry Crew, reported having found gigantic foot prints in the mud close to Bluff Creek in northern California while he was clearing brush and stumps near the creek. Several of Jerry’s co-workers also reported seeing mammoth footprints in the area. The news of “Bigfoot” was published in the Sunday edition of the Humboldt Times and the phenomenon known as Bigfoot was born.

Flash Forward

In 2002 one of Crew’s co-workers, a fellow named Ray Wallace, died at the age of 84. It was then that his children revealed he had carved a pair of giant wooden feet and had stomped around the Bluff Creek area leaving the mysterious tracks way back in 1958. “It was just a joke,” they told the press. When news of the hoax hit the airwaves Bigfoot believers barely batted an eye. Despite pranks, hoaxes, and other shenanigans the enthusiasts will not be dissuaded. In fact, there is more interest today than ever before.

One Big Guy  

The most famous suspected hoax came nearly ten years after Wallace’s 1958 prank. Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin produced a 59 second film showing a huge ape like creature walking around the Bluff Creek site identified in 1958. The 1967 film was later identified as a hoax when costume manufacturer, Philip Morris, claimed he had sold Patterson the gorilla suit and even introduced the overly large man who had tromped around in the costume for the camera, to the press.

Hoaxes and Tall Tales

A  prospector named Albert Ostman came forward in the midst of the excitement and told a hair raising story of being abducted from his campsite and forced to live with a Bigfoot family for six days until he escaped. Then in 2008, two Georgia men announced they had found the corpse of a Bigfoot in the Georgia mountains, but after a media frenzy it was discovered the men had bought a Bigfoot costume and filled it with road kill and animal entrails. It seems that the Bigfoot legend is fertile soil for pranksters and scammers.

Conclusion

There is even a Bigfoot Field Research Organization (BFRO) that keeps records of Bigfoot sightings around the United States. There are more than 5,000 “credible” Bigfoot sightings from every state except Hawaii. More than a third of those sightings coming from the Pacific Northwest. Serious researchers plotted Bigfoot sightings and found they correlated roughly to the American black bear’s habitat. Black bears can look frightfully tall and humanlike, it was noted, when standing upright on their back legs. Interesting theory, but most people ignore the science because they want to believe, just like Jane Goodall, that Bigfoot is real.

Bone and Body Strong

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Keeping Bone and Body Strong

Staying strong of mind and body requires a bit of exercise

Keeping Bone and Body Strong

 

By D. S. Mitchell

Health and Well-Being

Regular CP readers know that in addition to being the Editor and head writer here, I’m a retired R.N. Just because I’ve retired doesn’t mean that I’ve stopped caring about people’s health and well-being. I want everyone to feel as well as they can for as long as they can, so whenever I can I pass on any tips or news that might be of interest to my readers I happily pass it on. AARP magazine is a great resource for older folks; in the Dec 23-Jan 24 issue there was an awesome one page article on 5 easy peasy exercises to keep our bones and body strong.

Bone Loss is Not Inevitable

According to the AARP mini-article by Sports Medicine M.D. Pam M. Peeke, bone mineral density begins to decline in our thirties and we lose approximately 1% each year after that, resulting in fractures in our sixties, seventies, eighties and nineties. OUCH. It seems that any movement that causes us to fight against gravity by standing up and moving is good for your bones. There is solid evidence that “if you are physically active on a regular basis, you can optimize your bone health throughout your life. If you would like to amp up that protection offered by exercise,” the good doctor suggested the following five exercises to keep your bones and body strong for life.

Wall Push Ups-As the name indicates, these are pushups done against a wall. Extend you arms and put your hands shoulder width apart on the wall in front of you. Tighten you abdominals and then bend your arms, lowering your body toward the wall. Push away. Repeat 3 to 5 times. Rest. Repeat 2 or 3 times.

Walk and Stomp-Running and hiking will work if you are interested and able. If you, like me, are more of a walker, then you need to change up your routine a bit. It seems that bones need a jolt to stimulate them and that doesn’t happen on the typical walk. So try this. While walking stomp each foot 2 or 3 times every 10 steps or so. Image you are crushing a aluminum can with your foot. **Apparently walking on a treadmill does not offer the same beneficial results as walking on real ground.

Leg Lifts-To begin place your hand on a counter or against a wall for balance. Set your feet hip width wide apart. Shift your weight onto your left foot, then straighten the right leg and lift it off the floor and extend it out in front of you until your right foot is 6 inches off the floor. Do 8 to 12 lifts. Then shift your weight to your right foot and repeat with your left leg. This exercise is intended to strengthen the muscles around your hip bones, which are vulnerable to fractures. Strengthening these same muscles should also improve your balance.

Stair Climbing-When we climb stairs we are increasing bone density, because it forces our body to resist gravity as we climb, while at the same time strengthening the leg and hip muscles that support our pelvic bones. Use a handrail for safety. Add an occasional stomp for more bond stimulation.

Easy Squats-You’ll need a secure/sturdy object to steady yourself. Stand with your feet hip width apart, then bend at the knees and slowly squat down. Squat as far as you can, although doing a deep squat is not necessary for this exercise to be effective. Be sure not to let your bum get below your knees. At the bottom of the squat, tighten your butt and use your buttocks and thigh muscles to return to a standing position. Repeat 8-12 times.

Conclusion

So there you have it, five simple no sweat exercises to keep your bones strong.

 

Believe It or Not, There’s a Word for That!

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Believe It or Not, There’s a Word for That!

It is amazing what tid bits of information can be found in a pile of old magazines

Believe It or Not, There’s a Word for That!

By D.S. Mitchell

Basement Cabinets

I was cleaning out an old cabinet that had been relegated to a darkened corner of my basement when I uncovered a treasure trove of nearly 500 fossilized Reader’s Digest, Vogue, Glamour, O, Style, and AARP, magazines. Yes! What a glorious way to spend a rainy Thursday, scrounging through  dusty boxes of outdated magazines,  I laughed. I gauged how long it would take me to flip through every page of this unanticipated bonanza and figured I could do it in a single day, if I devoted myself to the task fulltime. Obviously, I’ll need pee and refueling breaks.

Pretty Packaging

Why would I be so interested in old magazines, you ask. First of all, I love touching that slick paper that they used to make magazines out of. Second, I love the fact there is this encyclopedia of near useless information, wrapped up in astoundingly pretty packaging. Just Awesome! Anyway, my ulterior motive was to find a few interesting filler topics for my calamitypolitics.com website. I found a motherlode. The first one I decided to share with my readers came from Reader’s Digest, the September 2017 issue (there was no writer credit given in the magazine). A great piece on “whatta’ ya call this?”  In alphabetical order,

  • aglet (aiglet): an aglet or aiglet is a small sheath, often made of plastic or metal, attached at each end of a shoelace, a cord, or a drawstring. An aglet keeps the fibers of the lace or cord from unraveling; its firmness and narrow profile make it easier to hold and easier to feed through eyelets, lugs, or other lacing guides
  • ferrule: the circular metal part holding the eraser to a pencil
  • glabella: the area of skin between the eyebrows and above the nose. The term also refers to the underlying bone that is slightly depressed, and joins the two brow ridges
  • lunule: the white or wedge-shaped part of the fingernail
  • peen: the round or wedge-shaped end of a hammer-i.e., the part that doesn’t hit the nail
  • petrichor: the way it smells when rain falls on parched earth
  • philtrum: the vertical groove between the base of the nose and the border of the upper lip.
  • phosphene: the light you see when you close your eyes and press your fingers to them
  • punt: the indention in the bottom of a wine bottle, a punt is also a wooden boat with no keel, stem, or sternpost, and is constructed like a ladder, and it’s even a football kick
  • rasceta: the lines and wrinkling on the inner surface of the wrist
  • souffle cup: a paper of plastic cup for ketchup, mustard, and other condiments
  • Snellen test: the test during an eye exam involving reading from large to smaller letters
  • tittle: a small written or printed stroke; the dot over a lower case i or j
  • wamble: a weaving or rolling motion, stomach rumbling

That was fun. Did you learn anything? Of the fifteen listed I knew only one.

Diagnosis: Diabetes

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Diagnosis: Diabetes

A diagnosis of diabetes can be a scary thing, but with life-style changes the condition can be improved, or even reversed. Patients do not need to face years of fear, guilt, and drugs.

Diabetes is a scary diagnosis. Make some life style changes and change the prognosis.

Diagnosis: Diabetes

By D.S. Mitchell

A Public Health Emergency

One in ten Americans is living with Type 2 diabetes; that’s approximately 38 millions people. Some might call that a public health emergency. With diabetes comes other life altering diseases; cardio-vascular disease, kidney failure (dialysis), stroke, neuropathy, blindness, and lower limb amputation.

Medical Treatment

Many diagnosed diabetics are on high doses of injectable insulin and multiple oral anti-diabetic medications. Insulin is a hormone that transports sugar out of the blood and into the body’s cells. With diabetes the body can’t manufacture the hormone (Type 1-sometimes called childhood diabetes) or the more common Type 2 diabetes, where the body becomes resistant to insulin’s effects. In both cases, insulin injections are the standard fallback treatment.

Change Your Tactics

It doesn’t have to be this way. Instead of accepting the “inevitable” some patients decide to implement strategic behavioral tactics that have shown to improve the condition and even reverse it. Said more simply, if you’ve been diagnosed with diabetes, you can turn it around. What follows are seven behaviors that can make a difference in your life and your battle with diabetes.

  1. Lose Weight: Do not under estimate the impact of gaining, (or losing), even a few pounds. The physiology of diabetes causes the body to ineffectively regulate blood sugar levels because at the heart of diabetes is “insulin resistance.” With insulin resistance the pancreas is forced to manufacture more and more insulin in an effort to transport sugar from the blood to the cells. What is often misunderstood is that insulin whether manufactured in the body or taken as a medication promotes fat storage and weight gain. It becomes a vicious circle, gain a few pounds and the weight gain will force the body to produce more insulin which in turn causes more weight gain-and so it goes. The good news, however, is that even a 10% weight loss can improve insulin sensitivity by 60%.
  2. Keep Up Your Fluid Intake: Hydration is a pretty big deal, don’t ignore it. With dehydration comes a concentration of sugar in the blood.  Studies show that patients who drink less than a half liter of water per day increased their risk of elevated blood sugar compared with those who drank more. Water, milk, herbal tea all work. Caution for coffee lovers; caffeine is dehydrating, limit the intake to a maximum of three cups per day.
  3. Stay Vaccinated: Many believe that COVID is behind us. Well, for folks with immune suppression, over the age of sixty, obesity, and diabetes the threat remains serious. In fact, studies indicate that COVID damages the pancreas and causes system wide inflammation, which in turn increases insulin resistance. New studies link COVID to new cases of diabetes. If you are in one of the high risk groups get vaccinated and stay boosted. Vaccinations lead to milder cases of the disease which should indirectly result in decreased COVID impact on pre-existing diabetics.
  4. Increase Protein Intake: Protein at every meal, not just dinner. Protein maintains muscle and contributes to blood sugar regulation. Fill your plate with fish, white meat chicken, lean cuts of beef and plant based protein sources such as beans, nuts, quinoa.
  5. Bite-sized Bits of Activity: “Exercise snacking” means spreading short bursts of activity throughout the day. A fifteen minute walk, two or three times per day, may do more to help control blood sugar than one long workout. Remember the 10,000 steps recommendation? In that study there was a link between exercise and improved diabetes control. The goal is to mix various types of exercise. Schedule exercise periods for yourself each day. You might start the day with a fifteen minutes block of strength training, using weights, resistance bands and body-weight moves. Mid-morning do fifteen minutes of aerobic activity such as fast walking, swimming, jogging, or tennis. After lunch try fifteen minutes of stretching which improves joint flexibility, balance, and reduces chances of injury.
  6. Read Labels: Do not focus on sugars, but rather read labels for the “Total Carbohydrate.” This term incorporates both naturally occurring sugars and those added. Women should aim for 30-45 grams of total carbs per meal, and men 60 to 75. A typical reaction after hearing a diabetes diagnosis is to eliminate sugar and carbs. Such behavior can result in nutritional deficiencies, fatigue, and dangerously low blood sugars. Consider talking to a Registered Dietitian and setting up a realistic eating plan. Many insurance plans pay for such training. Ignorance is not helpful, your quality of life depends on understanding how you can best help yourself.
  7. Finally: Losing weight, changing eating patterns, and exercising, are things that a newly diagnosed diabetic, or a long time diagnosed diabetic can do to reverse the disease. However, even with all those interventions, there may still be times when insulin and other diabetic medications have a role to play. Pregnancy is such a situation. Pregnancy frequently elevates the expectant mom’s typical blood sugars, just proving insulin has a secure place in the treatment of diabetes.

 

Russian Dissidents Keep Dying

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Russian Dissidents Keep Dying

Putin Critics Keep Dying

A String of Violent Deaths Follow Putin and Associates

 

By D.S. Mitchell

 

Complete Control 

Russian President Vladimir Putin’s opponents continue to disappear in a pattern of bizarre and sudden deaths. Many of those that have opposed Vladimir Putin during his near 25 years in power have met violent deaths. Alexei Navalny, a striden critic of Putin is his most recent presumed victim. Navalny supporters and many foreign leaders categorically state Navalny’s death was murder. There is no doubt that Navalny was a prisoner under the complete control of the Kremlin. We all know he was banished to a prison camp in the Arctic Circle, where it is known he was regularly thrown in isolation, exposed to the winter elements, beaten, and starved.

Shootings, Exotic Poisonings, and Plane Crashes

The number of Russian dissidents dying is growing. All are suspected victims of Putin and his Kremlin killers. The means of execution has varied; shootings, exotic poisonings, and quite theatrically a plane brought crashing to earth. Many of these deaths are still listed as accidents and suicides. The real question is, how many of his enemies has Putin actually killed; the answer to that question, will  probably never be known.

Alexander Litvinenko

Alexander Litvinenko, was an officer of the Federal Security Service (FSB) and and an outspoken
critic of Vladimir Putin. The FSB is a Russian internal security and counterintelligence service that was created in 1994 as a successor to the old Soviet-era KGB. The FSB is responsible for counterintelligence, antiterrorism, and surveillance of the military. Litvinenko fled Russia in 2000 with his family and sought asylum in London.
Soviet Era Poisons

In 2006, Litvinenko died of polonium-210 poisoning in a London hospital. His killers, were accused of spiking his tea with the deadly radioactive isotope. Before his death, Andrey Litvinenko told reporters that the FSB security service was still operating poison laboratories dating from the Soviet era. The accused killers, Andrey Lugovoy and Dmitry Kovtun had links to the intelligence services. Despite strong evidence against Lugovoy and Kovtun; Russia refused to extradite them for trial.

Justice Delayed

In September 2021, the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled that Russia was responsible for the assassination of Litvinenko and ordered Russia to pay Litvinenko’s wife €100,000 in damages plus €22,500 in costs. The ECHR found beyond reasonable doubt that Lugovoy and Kovtun killed Litvinenko and that Putin probably ordered the assassination.

Natalya (Natasha) Estemirova

Natalya (Natasha) Estemirova, was a human rights defender in Chechnya, documenting kidnapping, murder, rape and other atrocities. On July 15, 2000 she and a close friend were abducted and murdered. Putin has long been associated with her and her friend’s death. 

Yuri Shchekochikhin

Schekochikhin was Deputy Editor of the free newspaper Novaya Gazeta. Schekochikhim was also a writer, a State Duma deputy and a member of the Commission against Corruption. On 3 July 2003, Yuri Shchekochikhin died 12 days after being hospitalized in a Moscow clinic, at the age of 53, of what doctors said was an “acute allergic reaction.”

Sergei Skripal

In 2018, at least a dozen people in the small town of Salisbury, England, were sickened and one died when inadvertently exposed to the nerve agent, Novichok.  Authorities believe it was caused when two agents from the Russian GRU military intelligence agency carelessly handled the toxin causing it to be left on surfaces in their hotel room, a taxi cab, a pub booth, and on an air plane seat. The apparent target of the assassination attempt was, Sergei Skripal.

Doorknob Tampering

Skripal had been convicted in Russia of treason. Skripal was a double agent who worked with UK intelligence for multiple years and whose release to the west came in a prisoner exchange. Skripal and his daughter, Yulia, were nearly killed when they came in contact with the neurotoxin Novichok which had been smeared on the doorknob of their home in Salisbury. The two Skripals spent many weeks recovering in hospital, but survived. Relations between the Kremlin and the UK were severely damaged by the Skripal attack and murders of several high profile Russians living in exile.

Yevgeny Prigozhin

Known as “Putin’s Chef,” Yevgeny Prigozhin caught the attention of the world in June 2023 when his Wagner paramilitary group, in what appeared to be open mutiny, left the front lines of the battle in Ukraine and headed in military procession toward Moscow. Prigozhin was outraged at Kremlin officials, whom he believed were endangering his troops with errant missile attacks. On the way to Moscow Prigozhin’s mercenaries seized the city of Rosrov at which point the march to Moscow was halted and negotiations for a truce started.

A Deadly Truce

Prigozhin appeared to have negotiated a truce with the Kremlin, agreeing to evacuate his Wagner troops to Belarus and to focus the group’s activities outside Ukraine. In August 2023 he was in Moscow to finalize the details of the agreement. After leaving the meeting, somewhere north of Moscow, he and several of his top aides were killed when an explosion aboard his Embraer Legacy 600 business jet sent the plane spiraling to the ground, killing all on board. Soon after, Putin signed a decree forcing Prigozhin’s Wagner troops to swear an oath to him and Russia’s national flag.

Boris Nemtsov  

Boris Nemtsov, a major domestic rival of Putin, died in 2015 right before an opposition rally. Nemtsov was shot in the back of the head four times within blocks of the Kremlin on his way to the rally. Nemtsov was a vocal opposition leader who had served as Deputy Prime Minister under Boris Yeltsin and was seen as a potential successor. A joint investigation by the BBC and the Insider uncovered that Nemtsov had been followed by FBS agents for over a year prior to his murder. The investigation revealed that the agents shadowing Nemtsov were suspected of poisoning several Kremlin critics. Five men of Chechen origin were arrested over the attack, but those close to Nemtsov believed that Putin had given the order.

Anna Politkovskaya

Anna Politkovskaya was one of Russia’s most prominent journalists before her death. The Novaya Gazeta (now Novaya Gazeta Europe) reporter was loudly critical of Putin and Chechen leader, Ramzan Kadyrov. The journalist and human rights activist, was gunned down in the elevator of her Moscow apartment building in 2006. She regularly criticized the Kremlin, particularly regarding policies related to Chechnya. A probe into her death failed to determine who killed her. Her brazen murder had a chilling effect on Russia’s media, causing many free newspapers, including the Gazeta, to flee Russia and publish from outside the country. Putin called for her killer(s) to be arrested, but slammed Politkovskaya herself as contributing “very little” to Russian life.

Boris Berezovsky and Friends

Even rich oligarchs haven’t been safe from Putin’s wrath. It seems multiple Russian executives have died under mysterious circumstances, including suspicious suicides and unexplained falls from tall buildings. Boris Berezovsky was a Kremlin insider turned strident Putin critic who had gone into self-imposed exile in the UK in the early 2000s. In 2013, Berezovsky was found hanged in the bathroom of his Ascot residence. The case remains officially a suicide. An associate of Berezovsky, Nikolai Glushkov another Putin critic was found suffocated in his London home. Georgian billionaire and political opponent of Putin, Badri Patarkatsishvili, was found dead under suspicious circumstances in his Surry, Uk home where he too was living in exile. Further, on Jan 11, 2007 — A founding father of the one-time Yukos oil empire, Yury Golubev, was found dead in his London apartment.

Opposition to Ukraine Invasion

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The Rise of Depression in the United States

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The Rise of Depression in the U.S.

The Rise of Depression in the U.S.

Depression and divorce are up in the United States 

By Jones William 

Depression Affects All Ages

Depression is a mental health disorder and it’s increasing in the United States. Depression doesn’t just affect the brain, the disorder also has physical and emotional effects. Anyone can be affected, children, adolescents, and adults. Despite being one of the most advanced countries in the world, an estimated 30%  of Americans are currently suffering from depression. When compared to 2015 data, this is an increase of 10%; making it the highest rate of depression ever recorded for Americans. A third of American women are victims of depression, that’s about twice as many as men.  Furthermore, individuals aged 18-35 record are subject to higher rates of depression than other age groups.

Factors Contributing to Increasing Prevalence of Depression

Economic Hardship in America: The middle class in the United States has been steadily shrinking since Ronald Reagan. The promise of a better life than that of your parents had is gone. Many “middle-class” people are maintaining the middle class life style by high credit card debt, and home equity loans. Facing disappointing realities, and suffering from financial stress, depression becomes the order of the day.

Poor community ties and shattered relationships: In the last twenty years  church fellowship and neighborhood activities have dramatically decreased. The COVID-19 pandemic has isolated Americans from their support system. We rarely even say hello to our neighbors. Divorce rates have skyrocketed. As those  human networks disintegrate we as a society are experiencing an increased isolating technology boom. This technology boom, including the use of social media, decreases face-to-face interactions. It is difficult to experience healthy relationships, and normal communication when all interaction between individuals are at a distance or on line. As a result, a sense of belonging, the meaning and purpose of life, and familiar human support systems are lost.

Expectations of Americans are too high: Some experts believe that despite mental health communities and schools having good intentions; promoting unrealistic self-positive expectations can be harmful. Fostering the notion that all Americans “can be anything they want or dream” opens the door, especially for adolescents and young adults, to experience disgrace and disappointment, when the reality of their life fails to match what they had imagined for themselves. Sounds like  a guarantee for misery and depression.

Is it possible to lower depression rates and cases in the U.S.?

The United States government and citizens can do several things at societal levels to curb depression. For instance, meeting the basic needs of citizens and improving their interpersonal relationships and community ties can reduce depression rates and cases.

Nurturing Social Connections: Post pandemic America feels different than pre-COVID America. The current high depression rates are likely to decline as the country moves towards “normalcy” and social networks are revitalized. Since human beings are social beings, social isolation and loneliness can cause mental and physical disorders such as depression, headaches, suicide, anxiety, in addition to many other problems. When people are connected to their country, their community, their friends, and family members, reducing depression is achievable.

Meeting Basic Needs: Increased depression rates from food insecurity and homelessness could be  reduced if our government can find ways to meet its citizen’s basic needs. In colleges and universities, three out of five students have basic needs challenges. They suffer from hunger, homelessness, and lack of affordable healthcare services. There is a direct link between financial stress and depression. Furthermore, individuals suffering from mental illness tend not to seek services because of the expense.

Ensuring Mental Healthcare is Available: Accessing mental healthcare is difficult in many areas of the country. Lack of money and insurance coverage prevents many Americans from getting the needed  mental healthcare services. To make matters worse, in many areas of the United States there are no mental health clinics, practitioners, or hospitals. Government funding for mental health services is sorely lacking and with Medicaid and Affordable Care not being available in many states with Republican governors is a big problem.

Conclusion

Depression is a major health concern in the United States. Men, women, and children can all be victims of mental illness. Depression risks among adolescents and young adults have increased dramatically in recent  decades. The question becomes, will our government ever prioritize the well being of the majority of American citizens over the billionaire class? Until that question can be answered we will live with a patchwork of laws and a failure of services.

Sources

https://www.health.com/depression-rates-higher-than-ever-things-to-change-7501286

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/09/140930132832.htm

https://abc3340.com/news/nation-world/depression-on-the-rise-in-the-us-cdc-says-centers-disease-control-prevention-mental-health

http://www.drrevelmiller.com/2019/09/why-is-depression-so-common-in-the-usa/

Remembering Alexei Navalny

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Remembering Alexei Navalny

Remembering Alexei Navalny

One of Putin’s Fiercest Critics has died according to Russian authorities

 

By D.S. Mitchell

Death Reports

It was February 16th, and I was watching MSNBC when a red news alert banner appeared at the base of the screen. “Alexei Navalny, anti-corruption activist and well-known Putin critic reported dead.” Within moments Joy Reid was sharing the dreadful news that the world’s most famous political prisoner was dead at 47, from “sudden death syndrome.” SDS is a common condition amongst Putin opponents.  The pattern of lethal attacks against Kremlin critics is alarming, ranging from gun shots at close range, falls from buildings, and exotic poisonings.

Tears for Alexei

I started to cry. I never met Alexei Navalny, but for the world to lose a man of such courage and charisma is heartbreaking. Navalny’s wife, Yulia Navalnaya, said in a speech in Munich on Friday that if the reports about her husband’s death are true, Putin and his associates “will be brought to justice.” Yulia, who has primarily remained in the background during Alexei’s years of activism, indicates she will carry on his very public work.

To the End

Navalny has been a thorn in the Putin’s side for over a decade. Navalny was a trained attorney, a well-known blogger and YouTuber, and anti-corruption advocate. Prior to his imprisonment Navalny organized several large protests against Putin and the Kremlin. While in prison, he remained a strident political voice, speaking out against Putin and filing lawsuits against Russia’s terrible prison system.

Underpants Poisoning

Navalny survived multiple poisoning attempts, one in which he claimed his underpants had been loaded with the neuroparalytic, Novichok. To each of the various attempts on his life the Kremlin denied responsibility. In 2020 after a dramatic hospitalization in Berlin, Germany for another Novichok poisoning, Navalny decided despite the danger, he would return to Russia instead of emigrating to some “safe country” in the west.

Last Seen

After returning to Russia he was imprisoned on fraud and extremism charges, all of which Navalny denied. He was serving a 30 year sentence at the time of his death. In December 2023, Navalny’s lawyers said that they had lost contact with him. Three weeks after their complaint he was located in a high-security penal colony above the Arctic Circle. His last public appearance was at a court hearing Thursday, February 15, 2024, during which he was seen joking with the judge, according to a video of the hearing published by a Russian news outlet.

Biden & Blinkin Reactions

Biden praised Navalny’s courage. “He bravely stood up to the corruption, the violence and all the bad things that the Putin government was doing,” Biden said. “In response, Putin had him poisoned, he had him arrested, he had him prosecuted for fabricated crimes, he sentenced him to prison, he held him in isolation … Even in prison he was a powerful voice for the truth.”  Antony Blinken, U.S. Secretary of State said: “His death in a Russian prison and the fixation and fear of one man only underscores the weakness and rot at the heart of the system that Putin has built. Russia is responsible for this.”

Anti-Protest Laws

In many cities across Russia, small groups of Russians braved strict anti-protest laws and laid flowers at makeshift memorials to Navalny. More than 400 people have been  arrested, according to OVD-Info, a Russian rights group that tracks political arrests and offers legal aid. Navalny is survived by his wife Yulia and their two children. In a Valentine’s Day post to his wife, he wrote: “I feel that you are close to me every second and I love you more and more.”

Before and After Moment

Supporters and allies were visibly stunned by the news of his death, and many pointed an accusing finger at Putin. Many of his supporters telling western media it was murder. Mikhail Fishman, a journalist, blinked back tears as he said: “We must learn to live with this news somehow. But we understand the scale of what has happened, that we will mark this as a before-and-after moment.”