Lofty Matters

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Cheers! It’s the weekend again!

College Freshman Is a Senior Citizen

Jack Slotnick is the oldest incoming student in Lynn University’s history.

According to the American Association of Retired Persons, 7 percent of people over 65 pursue higher education.

Since joining the freshman class at Lynn, Slotnick has declared a major and has plans for what to do with his degree. Slotnick is working toward a psychology degree and plans to use it for counseling today’s soldiers as they return from Afghanistan and Iraq.

Naringenin is an antioxidant derived from the bitter flavor of grapefruits and other citrus fruit. This chemical may cause the liver to break down fat while increasing insulin sensitivity (naturally occurs during long periods of fasting).

Naringenin activates small proteins called nuclear receptors causing the liver to break down fatty acids. It mimics the actions of other drugs, such as the lipid-lowering Fenofibrate and the anti-diabetic Rosiglitazone.

The liver behaves the same way as during fasting, breaking down fatty acids instead of carbohydrates.

Jessica Pryce-Jones, author of “Happiness at Work” and CEO of iOpener, points to a correlation between happiness and productivity.

“Happiness at work is closely correlated with greater performance and productivity as well as greater energy, better reviews, faster promotion, higher income, better health and increased happiness with life. So it’s good for organizations and individuals, too.”

• Diabetes Easier to Combat with Healthy Diet Options
• Happy Weekend! Good News for February 6, 2010
• Happy Weekend! Good News for June 12, 2010
• Happy Weekend! Good News for July 25, 2009
• Otto…The World’s Oldest Dog

Starbucks is launching a new digital network to try to make customers’ experience a little more social. How does free Wi-Fi and an in-store digital network offering news and entertainment sound? Customers will be able to access this network later this fall.

The network will serve as marketing and will also produce income for Starbucks through revenue sharing with some of its partners when Starbucks customers buy downloads or subscribe to partners’ services. Wonder where the barcode scanners will be…

Predictably, Starbucks will watch for potential laptop gridlock in its stores.

• Comcast and file sharing
• Salesconx Development
• Cable Companies Voluntarily Delay Digital Switch
• Time for a new watch
• Theaters Use Latest Technology to Offer New Services

Looking for cheap insurance companies and got sidetracked…

Tsunamis occur when rock and water collide. Outer space would seem like the last place to use an instrument to detect a tsunami…or would it?

Tsunamis produce “internal gravity waves” in the atmosphere. These waves of energy ripple up through the sky. Above the Earth in the ionosphere these waves jostle electrons and charged particles in a pattern that GPS satellites can detect.

A large group of GPS satellites hover over the Pacific. Researchers believe they’ve found a useful new way to issue tsunami warnings. Current systems include mid-ocean buoys and sea floor pressure gauges. These systems do a very good job of identifying whether a wave has been generated, and how big it is. Using GPS satellites can improve warnings.

• Mathematicians Provide New Insight Into Tsunamis
• An “Unlimited Supply” of Disease-Free Blood?!?
• Recording Industry Halting Lawsuits
• Got a Gruene Steam Cleaner?
• A new way to poison our children…

Some trees growing in nutrient-poor soil may get what they need by cultivating specific microbes to create compounds they need. These microbes are very efficient at turning inorganic minerals into nutrients. Think of it as a health savings account
for forests!

Certain microbes are efficient at breaking down inorganic minerals into nutrients. This process is called mineral weathering. It is especially important in acidic forest soils where tree growth is often limited due to a lack of these nutrients.

• Happy Saturday! Good News for September 27, 2008
• More Food For Less Money
• Happy Saturday! Good News for October 18, 2008
• Good News for July 18, 2010
• Alienware Computers Get You the Technology You Want

The new baby is now one month old. How fast time flies. Needing good news? Here’s some food for your soul.

NASA Helps Celebrate 100 Years of Scouting

Scouting is endemic to NASA’s astronaut corps. More than 200 astronauts were Boy or Girl Scouts.

Every four years in Virginia scouts hold a jamboree. This year’s jamboree features NASA traveling exhibits from the Glenn Research Center and Marshall Space Flight Center. Campers participate in hands-on activities and presentations designed with the scout badge requirements in mind.

Bee Venom Derivative Targets Cancer Cells

A toxic protein in bee venom can significantly improve the effectiveness of liposome-encapsulated drugs used to treat or diagnose cancer.

Modified melittin may revolutionize treatments for cancer and other conditions like arthritis, cardiovascular disease, and infections.

This discovery may help in the design of more personalized treatment regimens that can be targeted to tumors and other diseases.

Lunch Ladies Going Gourmet as Food Gets New Look
With childhood obesity rates climbing, the demand for healthier foods in schools is placing attention on the culinary skills of those charged with preparing school lunches.

It’s more work to cook from scratch, no doubt,” said Dawn Cordova, a school cafeteria worker attending Denver Public Schools’ first “scratch cooking” training this summer.
Cordova and 40 other lunch ladies spent three weeks mastering knife skills, baking and chopping fruits and vegetables.

“We used to cook this way a long time ago, and I think it’s great,” said Marlene Camdelaria, a high school cafeteria manager. “I have no idea why we went to all the processed stuff. This is so much better.”

• Happy Weekend! Good News for February 14, 2009
• Job Opportunity
• What To Do in the Event of the Unthinkable
• Back to School With Microsoft Office and CostCaptain
• Happy Saturday! Good News for July 19, 2008

Yep…friends are more important than your ugg boots.

A recent report has determined that social connections (friends, family, neighbors or colleagues) improve odds of survival by 50%.

Comparison of social interaction to more well-known risk factors:

- Equivalent to smoking 15 cigarettes a day
- Equivalent to being an alcoholic
- More harmful than not exercising
- Twice as harmful as obesity

Modern conveniences and technology can lead people to think that social networks aren’t necessary.
Constant interaction is not only beneficial psychologically but directly to our physical health.

• Happy Saturday! Good News for December 6, 2008
• Happy Weekend! Good News for February 13, 2010
• Sublingual B12 Energy Booster
• Classical Music Can Lower Cholesterol
• Prostate Surgery Performed by Supercomputer

Amazon books…one of my very favorite online sources for book shopping. Have you looked at their selection and prices lately? Shipping is fast and reasonable also. They also have an affiliate program if you think you might be interested in placing ads on a website to earn money. Easy money if you have good traffic on a website. Worth a look!

• New API and Affiliate Program
• Looking for internet income?
• Glam it up!
• Disturbing Trend
• Shangby’s Revolutionary Online Shopping

Not sure how I happened upon this as I was searching for holiday invitations, but this is funny…

The sandwich in a can.

Why a can? Because an aluminum can keeps food fresh for a year or longer.

To demonstrate the virtues of his product, the inventor sent two peanut-butter-and-jelly Candwich samples to TODAYshow.com. After sampling them writers determined that they weren’t bad at all. In fact, they tasted like standard peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwiches made with hot-dog buns.

The inventor foresees his products selling in soda vending machines for $3 and in grocery stores and convenience stores as well.

• Deep-Fried Butter??
• Colorado Schools to Eliminate Sale of Sodas
• Over the Top
• Economy Freefall
• Black Friday Deals

Happy Weekend to you!

A new study indicates that overweight women who suffer from hot flashes can reduce these hot flashes if they lose weight.

Hot flashes (associated with sleeping problems, anxiety and depression) are the most common symptom of women during menopause. They often continue for five or more years past menopause.

Women with a higher body mass index (BMI) have reported more frequent or severe hot flashes compared to women with lower BMI.

Squirrels Show Softer Side by Adopting Orphans

Red squirrels will adopt pups that have lost their mother if the pups are related to them. Red squirrels live in complete isolation and they are very territorial. The only time they will allow another squirrel on their territory is when the females are ready to mate or when they are nursing their young.

These squirrels will only adopt an orphaned pup when the costs of adoption are low and when the orphans are related…such as siblings, nieces or nephews rather than more distant relatives.

Remarkably, these squirrels are able to assess which pups are related.

Beach Boys Consider 50th Anniversary Reunion

The Beach Boys are going to reunite for at least one concert next year to celebrate their 50th anniversary.

The lineup will include Al Jardine, Brian Wilson, Mike Love, Bruce Johnston and possibly guitarist David Marks.

Says Jardine: “I want to see a 100-date anniversary tour,” he says. “I want to go all around the world, but if this is the way it has to be, then so be it. We’re going to have to rehearse one hell of a show. My point is, if we’re going to rehearse and make this such a wonderful show, we should take it on the road…”

• Current Exercise Recommendations May Not Be Enough
• Celebrating In a New Way
• Marriage Milestones
• Happy Weekend! Good News for February 6, 2010
• Losing Weight

Scanning the web for weight loss pills and found this instead!

Swimming has helped a cat walk again after being paralyzed.

Nazzaning, a 6-year-old cat, was injured in June and could not move her left side. Her owner took her to the hospital and was told that Nazzaning’s condition was very serious. After an initial hospitalization, the owner inquired about physical therapy for Nazzaning and was told that hydrotherapy might help.

Nazzaning’s treatments consist of 30 minutes of walking on a treadmill beneath 4 to 5 inches of water.

After the treadmill, Nazzaning swims in a 4 1/2-foot pool supported by a therapist to help strengthen her limbs.

Now her balance is better and she is walking unassisted.

• Happy Saturday! Good News for Saturday, February 28, 2009
• How does this sound?
• Woman Finds $357,959 Cashier’s Check and Returns It
• Classical Music Can Lower Cholesterol
• Enchilada Casserole