Archive for December, 2006
Did you know that adults with children in the house pack on more pounds than adults without kids? A medical study has found that parents who have their children living with them – no matter what the age, generally eat more saturated fat, too much of which can make one a candidate for heart disease.
How much saturated fat? It will seem like a tiny amount – 2 grams of saturated fat but that’s actually the equivalent of a weekly dose of one whole pepperoni pizza. The problem is that even tiny amounts become big over time. They get piled up and the end result, parents are fatter than they planned on.
Dr. Helena Laroche says that it is not the fault of the children. Rather it is a combination of factors such as high stress lifestyles and eating convenience foods. These processed foods may be quick to serve but in the long run, they add unwanted pounds and inches on the body.
These parents also often have less free time than adults without kids. So far the study show that the food choices made are often poor because of lack of time or because they are swayed by the preferences of the children such as the kids love for greasy food like hamburger and pizza.
The results of the study will be published next week.
The year is almost over and everywhere people are getting ready to countdown to a brand new year. 2006 has been quite an eventual year indeed for many.
There are parties going on everywhere. All the major cities have plans for fantastic fireworks displays and celebrations. Whether you go to London, New York, Paris or down under to Syndey, the new year will be welcomed in with a bang. In New York’s Times Square, plans for 19 stellar performances from some of the Grammy award winners are lined up including Christina Aguilera, the Rascal Flatts and more.
For those who will be joining the London celebration, good news. You need not worry if you don’t have a car since the public transportation system will be running later than usual. In fact, NatWest is sponsoring transportation on the 31st via the London Underground, London Buses, Docklands Light Railway (DLR) and via the tram. Just don’t wait til the last minute since there is bound to be quite a crowd.
You’re sure to be partying hard on this last night of the year but do keep yourself safe. This can easily be done by following a few simple safety tips:
- Stay with your friends. There is always safety in numbers.
- Keep your valuables safely at home or very carefully guarded. There are often pickpockets at crowded events such as these.
- Drink responsibly. No point in getting so drunk you miss out on all the fun. That’s no way to start a new year.
- Wear shoes that you’ll be comfortable in. You’ll have a long night ahead of you. There is no reason not to be both stylish and comfortable.
- Dress warmly. No point in catching a cold when a little common sense will keep you from this annoying bug.
Every year people make a list of things that they will to do, be or have. Very few actually achieve these goals. Sometimes it really is a case of aiming for the impossible. You set your self up for failure at the start of the year – that really sucks!
Rather than make a list of things that you know you won’t really do, how about making yourself just one promise? Make it your new year’s resolution that no matter what, you will keep learning something new everyday. This means that you will keep an open mind to things and maybe be more open to possibilities. You may find yourself feeling younger and a lot lighter because of it. Challenge your mind. That’s always great.
It really isn’t true that you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. You can learn anything you want to, if you set your mind to it. You might still teach these young whippersnappers a thing or two about trends and technology.
From the time we were kids, Christmas has been a time of giving and receiving. It isn’t only the kids who look forward to the joy of ripping the gift wrapping aside and discovering what treasure has been bestowed by our loved ones. It does not matter the price or the size. It is about how well we are loved, that they care to think about what we really want and need.
For some though the receiving truly is less important than the giving. One such couple is Dwayne Wade, Miami Heat’s guard and his wife Siohvaughn. Now that they not only can afford to buy themselves anything they want, they no longer get up early on christmas morning to rip open their presents. Instead christmas for them is about putting smiles on the faces of kids in need.
Giving is what it is all about for Dwayne, his wife and his children. Dwayne Wade says it is about being blessed and sharing those blessings such as they did three days before christmas with these kids from South Florida. His wife Siohvaughn says, “When he does things like this, often he’ll say that if someone did something like it or came where he lived and did something like this for children when he was a kid, that would have made a difference in his life”.
This is the true spirit of christmas. This is what makes the season special.
Every December many children (and a few adults) are hopeful that they will get a visit from Santa. They are each hoping that they made it on the good list and not on the naughty one. Some do not believe that he exists at all.
Well, for those who do believe and hope that they will see him when he comes calling, there is a way to find out where the guy in the bright red suit is. North American Aerospace Defense Command is ready and waiting to help track Santa. Operation NORAD Tracks Santa will begin at 2am MST on December 24, Christmas Eve.
NORAD, and its predecessor CONAD, have been doing this for 50 years. They track Santa using the radar called the North Warning System. It has 47 installations along the North American border. The moment that Santa has been detected taking off from the north pole, the satellite network will now be used to track Santa’s flight. It works using infared sensors which can detect Rudolph’s red nose easily by its infared signature.
There are also Santa cams deployed this year. These high speed digital cameras are scattered around the world. Note that they are only used once a year – on Christmas Eve.
Lastly, there are NORAD (Canadaian and American) fighter pilots assigned to intercept Santa and welcome him at various points. They will fly will fly with Santa and his reindeers part way, taking turns.
Children can call or email to ask about Santa’s location. There will be over 800 volunteers taking turns to answer the lines and respond to the emails. They can also visit the website for updates.
