Holy Batmasks!
...There´s a new blog and a new podcast. I hope you find them interesting.
This day hasn´t quite made up its mind which way to go yet. It´s warm and it´s cloudy but I have a feeling the sun will break through. Certainly, as ever, it seems sunnier in Benidorm which experiences a micro climate thereby making it a great choice for a tourist.
We´ll start today by looking at an article on slimming.
Low-carb living tops nasty weight-loss pill
Fads, gimmicks, drugs...I've seen all the screwy diet trends come and go. But there's one lifestyle that beats all of them every single time.
Of course I'm talking about low-carb living. And I've got the research to prove it.
When researchers compared the popular new weight-loss drug orlistat -- sold as Alli and Xenical -- to a low-carb diet, not only did the low-carb group lose more weight, they also lowered their blood pressure in the process.
That's the power of an honest-to-goodness steak for you. (And remember: the fattier, the better!)
Here's the details: Researchers studied 146 dieters with an average age of 52 and body mass index of 39 (that would put a 5'10" man at 271 pounds). After 48 weeks, the low-carb eaters lost an average of 9.5 percent of their body weight while enjoying some of the best food of their lives. The drug-takers managed to lose 8.5 percent of their body weight in between bouts of the gas, incontinence and diarrhea that often accompany this med.
To the researchers, that was a tie...but once you factor in blood-pressure readings, it wasn't even a fair fight -- the drugs never had a chance. Low-carb dieters lost an average of 6 points off their systolic and 4.5 points off their diastolic readings.
The pill-poppers, on the other hand, had almost no change in blood pressure at all, according to the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. But they probably did get more bathroom reading done. After all, this med has one of the most disgusting diet mechanisms imaginable.
Orlistat works by forcing dietary fat right back out the other end -- sometimes quickly and dramatically. Stick close to the toilet when you take these pills -- you might even want to eat your meals there, just to be safe.
William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Word of the Day
arrugar ah-rroo-gar' (transitive verb)
to wrinkle, to crease; to crumple; to knit; to screw up
EXAMPLES
En mi frustración, arrugué el papel y lo tiré en la papelera. - In my frustration, I crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash.
Arrugó la nariz. - She wrinkled his nose.
For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for arrugar.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alan Gee sent me the Stella Awards
It's time again for the annual 'Stella Awards'! For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Lie who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico , where she purchased coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right? That's right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U..S. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy.
Here are the Stella's for the past year:
* SEVENTH PLACE *
Kathleen Robertson of Austin , Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.
* SIXTH PLACE *
Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles , California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.
* FIFTH PLACE *
Terrence Dickson, of Bristol , Pennsylvania , who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut.
Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish.
* FOURTH PLACE *
Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.
* THIRD PLACE *
Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tail bone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. What ever happened to people being responsible for their own actions?
*SECOND PLACE*
Kara Walton, of Claymont , Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000....oh, yeah, plus dental expenses. Go figure.
* FIRST PLACE *
This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , who purchased new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned.
Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set.
The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down?
$1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two crackers from Ian K
After spending a great evening chatting the night away, the next morning John's grandfather prepared breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. However, John noticed a film like substance on his plate, and questioned his grandfather asking,
'Are these plates clean?'
His grandfather replied, 'They're as clean as cold water can get em. Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!'
For lunch the old man made hamburgers..Again, John was concerned about the plates, as his appeared to have tiny specks around
the edge that looked like dried egg and asked, 'Are you sure these plates are clean?'
Without looking up the old man said,
'I told you before, Sonny, those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them.. Now don't you fret, I don't want to hear another word about it!'
Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town and as he was leaving, his grandfather's dog started to growl, and wouldn't let him pass.
John yelled and said, 'Grandfather, your dog won't let me get to my car'.
Without diverting his attention from the football game he was watching on TV, the old man shouted!
'Coldwater, go lay down now, yah hear me!'
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Black Bra (as told by a woman)
I had lunch with 2 of my unmarried friends. One is engaged, one is a mistress, and I have been married for 20+ years.
We were chatting about our relationships and decided to amaze our men by greeting them at the door wearing a black bra, stiletto heels and a mask over our eyes. We agreed to meet in a few days to exchange notes. Here's how it all went.
My engaged friend:
The other night when my boyfriend came over he found me with a black leather bodice, tall stilettos and a mask. He saw me and said, 'You are the woman of my dreams. I love you..' Then we made passionate love all nightlong.
The mistress:
Me too! The other night I met my lover at his office and I was wearing a raincoat, under it only the black bra, heels and mask over my eyes.. When I opened the raincoat he didn't say a word, but he started to tremble and we had wild sex all night.
Then I had to share my story:
When my husband came home I was wearing the black bra, black stockings, stilettos and a mask over my eyes.
When he came in the door and saw me he said........................................................
"What's for dinner,Batman?"
Music Stuff February 25th
1956, Elvis Presley had his first nationa lNo1 with ‘I Forgot To Remember To Forget’
1964, The Beatles finished recoding their next single ‘Can't Buy Me Love’, at Abbey Road studios, London. The B-side was ‘You Can't Do That’ .
1965, The Seekers No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I'll Never Find Another You '
1977, The Jam signed to Polydor Records UK for £6,000
1981, winners at this years Grammy Awards included Bob Seger who won Best Rock performance for 'Against The Wind',
1984, 'Jump', by Van Halen No.1 on the US singles chart, a No.7 hit in the UK
1989, Simple Minds No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Belfast Child.' At 6 minutes 39 seconds it became the second-longest running No.1 after The Beatles 'Hey Jude.'
1995, Madonna No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Take A Bow
1995, at a private party for 1,200 select guests on the closing night of the Frank Sinatra Desert Classic golf tournament, Frank Sinatra sang before a live audience for the very last time. His closing song was ‘The Best is Yet to Come.’
2000, the five original Spice Girls were facing a bill of up to £1 million after losing a legal battle against the sponsors of their 1988 world tour.
2004, The Rolling Stones topped a US Rich List of music’s biggest money makers. The list was based on their “Forty Licks” tour which made them £124.7m in ticket, CD, DVD and merchandise sales. The three million fans who went to the shows spent an average of £6.47 each on merchandise.
2006, The 4th Annual TRL Awards were held in New York City. Madonna won the Lifetime Achievement Award and Bono won the Most Inspired Artist/Humanitarian Award.
2006, George Michael was found slumped over in a car in Hyde Park, London. A concerned person spotted the singer and called police who after being checked by paramedics was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs and then released on bail. Michael made a public statement about the incident and said "I was in possession of class C drugs which is an offense and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout." He also said that the event was "my own stupid fault, as usual."
2007, Kaiser ChiefsNo.1 on the UK singles with 'Ruby'
2009, President Obama honoured Stevie Wonder, his musical hero, with America's highest award for pop music at the White House. The president said he doubted that his wife would have married him if he hadn't been a fan. Wonder’s song ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ had been the theme song during Obama's presidential campaign.
2009, Winners at the 2009 NME Awards, held at London's O2 Academy included Oasis who won best British band
Birthday Boys and Girls February 25th
1931, Faron Young, country singer, songwriter
1943,George Harrison –
1948, Elkie Brooks, (Elaine Bookbinder)
This day hasn´t quite made up its mind which way to go yet. It´s warm and it´s cloudy but I have a feeling the sun will break through. Certainly, as ever, it seems sunnier in Benidorm which experiences a micro climate thereby making it a great choice for a tourist.We´ll start today by looking at an article on slimming.
Low-carb living tops nasty weight-loss pill
Fads, gimmicks, drugs...I've seen all the screwy diet trends come and go. But there's one lifestyle that beats all of them every single time.
Of course I'm talking about low-carb living. And I've got the research to prove it.
When researchers compared the popular new weight-loss drug orlistat -- sold as Alli and Xenical -- to a low-carb diet, not only did the low-carb group lose more weight, they also lowered their blood pressure in the process.
That's the power of an honest-to-goodness steak for you. (And remember: the fattier, the better!)
Here's the details: Researchers studied 146 dieters with an average age of 52 and body mass index of 39 (that would put a 5'10" man at 271 pounds). After 48 weeks, the low-carb eaters lost an average of 9.5 percent of their body weight while enjoying some of the best food of their lives. The drug-takers managed to lose 8.5 percent of their body weight in between bouts of the gas, incontinence and diarrhea that often accompany this med.
To the researchers, that was a tie...but once you factor in blood-pressure readings, it wasn't even a fair fight -- the drugs never had a chance. Low-carb dieters lost an average of 6 points off their systolic and 4.5 points off their diastolic readings.
The pill-poppers, on the other hand, had almost no change in blood pressure at all, according to the study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine. But they probably did get more bathroom reading done. After all, this med has one of the most disgusting diet mechanisms imaginable.
Orlistat works by forcing dietary fat right back out the other end -- sometimes quickly and dramatically. Stick close to the toilet when you take these pills -- you might even want to eat your meals there, just to be safe.
William Campbell Douglass II, M.D.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
| Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | Monday |
 23° C | 14° C |
 19° C | 10° C |
22° C | 11° C |
 17° C | 9° C |
18° C | 9° C |
Word of the Dayarrugar ah-rroo-gar' (transitive verb)
to wrinkle, to crease; to crumple; to knit; to screw up
EXAMPLES
En mi frustración, arrugué el papel y lo tiré en la papelera. - In my frustration, I crumpled up the paper and threw it in the trash.
Arrugó la nariz. - She wrinkled his nose.
For more information and examples, visit the SpanishDict.com entry for arrugar.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Alan Gee sent me the Stella Awards
It's time again for the annual 'Stella Awards'! For those unfamiliar with these awards, they are named after 81-year-old Stella Lie who spilled hot coffee on herself and successfully sued the McDonald's in New Mexico , where she purchased coffee. You remember, she took the lid off the coffee and put it between her knees while she was driving. Who would ever think one could get burned doing that, right? That's right; these are awards for the most outlandish lawsuits and verdicts in the U..S. You know, the kinds of cases that make you scratch your head. So keep your head scratcher handy.
Here are the Stella's for the past year:
* SEVENTH PLACE *
Kathleen Robertson of Austin , Texas was awarded $80,000 by a jury of her peers after breaking her ankle tripping over a toddler who was running inside a furniture store. The store owners were understandably surprised by the verdict, considering the running toddler was her own son.
* SIXTH PLACE *
Carl Truman, 19, of Los Angeles , California won $74,000 plus medical expenses when his neighbor ran over his hand with a Honda Accord. Truman apparently didn't notice there was someone at the wheel of the car when he was trying to steal his neighbor's hubcaps.
* FIFTH PLACE *
Terrence Dickson, of Bristol , Pennsylvania , who was leaving a house he had just burglarized by way of the garage. Unfortunately for Dickson, the automatic garage door opener malfunctioned and he could not get the garage door to open. Worse, he couldn't re-enter the house because the door connecting the garage to the house locked when Dickson pulled it shut.
Forced to sit for eight, count 'em, EIGHT days and survive on a case of Pepsi and a large bag of dry dog food, he sued the homeowner's insurance company claiming undue mental Anguish. Amazingly, the jury said the insurance company must pay Dickson $500,000 for his anguish. We should all have this kind of anguish.
* FOURTH PLACE *
Jerry Williams, of Little Rock, Arkansas, garnered 4th Place in the Stella's when he was awarded $14,500 plus medical expenses after being bitten on the butt by his next door neighbor's beagle - even though the beagle was on a chain in its owner's fenced yard. Williams did not get as much as he asked for because the jury believed the beagle might have been provoked at the time of the butt bite because Williams had climbed over the fence into the yard and repeatedly shot the dog with a pellet gun.
* THIRD PLACE *
Amber Carson of Lancaster, Pennsylvania because a jury ordered a Philadelphia restaurant to pay her $113,500 after she slipped on a spilled soft drink and broke her tail bone. The reason the soft drink was on the floor: Ms. Carson had thrown it at her boyfriend 30 seconds earlier during an argument. What ever happened to people being responsible for their own actions?
*SECOND PLACE*
Kara Walton, of Claymont , Delaware sued the owner of a night club in a nearby city because she fell from the bathroom window to the floor, knocking out her two front teeth. Even though Ms. Walton was trying to sneak through the ladies room window to avoid paying the $3.50 cover charge, the jury said the night club had to pay her $12,000....oh, yeah, plus dental expenses. Go figure.
* FIRST PLACE *
This year's runaway First Place Stella Award winner was: Mrs. Merv Grazinski, of Oklahoma City , Oklahoma , who purchased new 32-foot Winnebago motor home. On her first trip home, from an OU football game, having driven on to the freeway, she set the cruise control at 70 mph and calmly left the driver's seat to go to the back of the Winnebago to make herself a sandwich. Not surprisingly, the motor home left the freeway, crashed and overturned.
Also not surprisingly, Mrs. Grazinski sued Winnebago for not putting in the owner's manual that she couldn't actually leave the driver's seat while the cruise control was set.
The Oklahoma jury awarded her, are you sitting down?
$1,750,000 PLUS a new motor home. Winnebago actually changed their manuals as a result of this suit, just in case Mrs. Grazinski has any relatives who might also buy a motor home.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Two crackers from Ian K
After spending a great evening chatting the night away, the next morning John's grandfather prepared breakfast of bacon, eggs and toast. However, John noticed a film like substance on his plate, and questioned his grandfather asking,
'Are these plates clean?'
His grandfather replied, 'They're as clean as cold water can get em. Just you go ahead and finish your meal, Sonny!'
For lunch the old man made hamburgers..Again, John was concerned about the plates, as his appeared to have tiny specks around
the edge that looked like dried egg and asked, 'Are you sure these plates are clean?'
Without looking up the old man said,
'I told you before, Sonny, those dishes are as clean as cold water can get them.. Now don't you fret, I don't want to hear another word about it!'
Later that afternoon, John was on his way to a nearby town and as he was leaving, his grandfather's dog started to growl, and wouldn't let him pass.
John yelled and said, 'Grandfather, your dog won't let me get to my car'.
Without diverting his attention from the football game he was watching on TV, the old man shouted!
'Coldwater, go lay down now, yah hear me!'---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Black Bra (as told by a woman)
I had lunch with 2 of my unmarried friends. One is engaged, one is a mistress, and I have been married for 20+ years.
We were chatting about our relationships and decided to amaze our men by greeting them at the door wearing a black bra, stiletto heels and a mask over our eyes. We agreed to meet in a few days to exchange notes. Here's how it all went.
My engaged friend:
The other night when my boyfriend came over he found me with a black leather bodice, tall stilettos and a mask. He saw me and said, 'You are the woman of my dreams. I love you..' Then we made passionate love all nightlong.
The mistress:
Me too! The other night I met my lover at his office and I was wearing a raincoat, under it only the black bra, heels and mask over my eyes.. When I opened the raincoat he didn't say a word, but he started to tremble and we had wild sex all night.
Then I had to share my story:
When my husband came home I was wearing the black bra, black stockings, stilettos and a mask over my eyes.
When he came in the door and saw me he said........................................................
"What's for dinner,Batman?"Music Stuff February 25th
1956, Elvis Presley had his first nationa lNo1 with ‘I Forgot To Remember To Forget’
1964, The Beatles finished recoding their next single ‘Can't Buy Me Love’, at Abbey Road studios, London. The B-side was ‘You Can't Do That’ .
1965, The Seekers No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'I'll Never Find Another You '
1977, The Jam signed to Polydor Records UK for £6,000
1981, winners at this years Grammy Awards included Bob Seger who won Best Rock performance for 'Against The Wind',
1984, 'Jump', by Van Halen No.1 on the US singles chart, a No.7 hit in the UK
1989, Simple Minds No.1 on the UK singles chart with 'Belfast Child.' At 6 minutes 39 seconds it became the second-longest running No.1 after The Beatles 'Hey Jude.'
1995, Madonna No.1 on the US singles chart with 'Take A Bow
1995, at a private party for 1,200 select guests on the closing night of the Frank Sinatra Desert Classic golf tournament, Frank Sinatra sang before a live audience for the very last time. His closing song was ‘The Best is Yet to Come.’
2000, the five original Spice Girls were facing a bill of up to £1 million after losing a legal battle against the sponsors of their 1988 world tour.
2004, The Rolling Stones topped a US Rich List of music’s biggest money makers. The list was based on their “Forty Licks” tour which made them £124.7m in ticket, CD, DVD and merchandise sales. The three million fans who went to the shows spent an average of £6.47 each on merchandise.
2006, The 4th Annual TRL Awards were held in New York City. Madonna won the Lifetime Achievement Award and Bono won the Most Inspired Artist/Humanitarian Award.
2006, George Michael was found slumped over in a car in Hyde Park, London. A concerned person spotted the singer and called police who after being checked by paramedics was arrested on suspicion of possessing drugs and then released on bail. Michael made a public statement about the incident and said "I was in possession of class C drugs which is an offense and I have no complaints about the police who were professional throughout." He also said that the event was "my own stupid fault, as usual."
2007, Kaiser ChiefsNo.1 on the UK singles with 'Ruby'
2009, President Obama honoured Stevie Wonder, his musical hero, with America's highest award for pop music at the White House. The president said he doubted that his wife would have married him if he hadn't been a fan. Wonder’s song ‘Signed, Sealed, Delivered’ had been the theme song during Obama's presidential campaign.
2009, Winners at the 2009 NME Awards, held at London's O2 Academy included Oasis who won best British band
Birthday Boys and Girls February 25th
1931, Faron Young, country singer, songwriter
1943,George Harrison –
1948, Elkie Brooks, (Elaine Bookbinder)
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