(2 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

A quote for discussion:

Most people can probably remember the moment when they first realised the seductive power and global pervasiveness of American culture.

I had bought a bootleg CD of The Beach Boys’ surfing songs in the remote north-eastern Russian republic of Sakha and had my photograph taken with a goat herder in Djibouti who was wearing a Six Million Dollar Man T-shirt.

It is an extraordinary form of soft power which will endure even if the looming powerhouses of China, India and Brazil come to overshadow America’s global economic dominance.

After all, even when you’re watching a Chinese flat-screen TV and driving an Indian car powered with Brazilian biofuels you almost certainly won’t be wearing Indian-style clothing or humming Chinese pop songs as you go. Or watching Brazilian movies either.

Next time you see television pictures of an anti-American demonstration anywhere on earth look closely at the crowd. Among the flag-burners you’ll almost certainly see someone wearing an LA Lakers shirt or a Yankees baseball cap.

My first exposure to American culture came back in the Doris Days of the early 1960s, growing up in a Britain that was still shaking off the lingering effects of rationing and the costs of post-war reconstruction.

We had Elvis, of course, and Hollywood but the world was a lot less global then. It was still possible, for example, for British recording artists to have hit records by simply recording their own versions of songs that were already hits for American stars on the far side of the Atlantic.

Spam Central

But the flagship of American influence in my own life was Spam, the bright-pink pork luncheon meat that was a staple of the British working-class diet for several decades.

…

It is not much use as a nation-building tool in America’s modern wars in Iraq and Afghanistan for example (pork, remember) but these are tough times in America and domestic sales are going rather well.

How the US cemented its worldwide influence with Spam

By Kevin Connolly, BBC News, December 26, 2010

This is your morning Open Thread. Pour your favorite beverage and review the past and comment on the future.

Find the past “On This Day in History” here.

December 26 is the 360th day of the year (361st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. There are five days remaining until the end of the year.

On this day in 1776, Gen. George Washington wins first major U.S. victory at Trenton

At approximately 8 a.m. on the morning of December 26, 1776, General George Washington’s Continental Army reaches the outskirts of Trenton, New Jersey, and descends upon the unsuspecting Hessian force guarding the city. Trenton’s 1,400 Hessian defenders were still groggy from the previous evening’s Christmas festivities and had underestimated the Patriot threat after months of decisive British victories throughout New York. The troops of the Continental Army quickly overwhelmed the German defenses, and by 9:30 a.m.Trenton was completely surrounded.

The image of ragged farm-boy Patriots defeating drunken foreign mercenaries has become ingrained in the American imagination. Then as now, Washington’s crossing and the Battle of Trenton were emblematic of the American Patriots’ surprising ability to overcome the tremendous odds they faced in challenging the wealthy and powerful British empire.

The Battle of Trenton took place on December 26, 1776, during the American Revolutionary War, after General George Washington’s crossing of the Delaware River north of Trenton, New Jersey. The hazardous crossing in adverse weather made it possible for Washington to lead the main body of the Continental Army against Hessian soldiers garrisoned at Trenton. After a brief battle, nearly the entire Hessian force was captured, with negligible losses to the Americans. The battle significantly boosted the Continental Army’s flagging morale, and inspired re-enlistments.

The Continental Army had previously suffered several defeats in New York and had been forced to retreat through New Jersey to Pennsylvania. Morale in the army was low; to end the year on a positive note, George Washington-Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army-devised a plan to cross the Delaware River on Christmas night and surround the Hessian garrison.

Because the river was icy and the weather severe, the crossing proved dangerous. Two detachments were unable to cross the river, leaving Washington and the 2,400 men under his command alone in the assault. The army marched 9 miles (14 km) south to Trenton. The Hessians had lowered their guard, thinking they were safe from the American army, and did not post a dawn sentry. After having a Christmas feast, they fell asleep. Washington’s forces caught them off guard and, before the Hessians could resist, they were taken prisoner. Almost two thirds of the 1,500-man garrison was captured, and only a few troops escaped across Assunpink Creek.

Despite the battle’s small numbers, the American victory inspired rebels in the colonies. With the success of the revolution in doubt a week earlier, the army had seemed on the verge of collapse. The dramatic victory inspired soldiers to serve longer and attracted new recruits to the ranks.

 1481 – Battle of Westbroek: Holland defeats troops of Utrecht.

1613 – Robert Carr, 1st Earl of Somerset, marries Frances Howard.

1776 – American Revolutionary War: The British are defeated in the Battle of Trenton.

1790 – Louis XVI of France gives his public assent to Civil Constitution of the Clergy during the French Revolution.

1792 – The final trial of Louis XVI of France begins in Paris.

1793 – Second Battle of Wissembourg: French defeat Austrians.

1805 – Austria and France sign the Treaty of Pressburg.

1806 – Battles of Pultusk and Golymin: Russian forces hold French forces under Napoleon.

1811 – A theater fire in Richmond, Virginia kills the Governor of Virginia George William Smith and the president of the First National Bank of Virginia Abraham B. Venable.

1861 – American Civil War: The Trent Affair: Confederate diplomatic envoys James M. Mason and John Slidell are freed by the United States government, thus heading off a possible war between the United States and Britain.

1862 – American Civil War: The Battle of Chickasaw Bayou begins.

1862 – Four nuns serving as volunteer nurses on board USS Red Rover are the first female nurses on a U.S. Navy hospital ship.

1862 – The largest mass-hanging in U.S. history took place in Mankato, Minnesota, 38 Native Americans die.

1870 – The 12.8-km long Frejus Rail Tunnel through the Alps is completed.

1871 – Gilbert and Sullivan collaborate for the first time, on their lost opera, Thespis. It does modestly well, but the two would not collaborate again for four years.

1898 – Marie and Pierre Curie announce the isolation of radium.

1919 – Babe Ruth of the Boston Red Sox is sold to the New York Yankees by owner Harry Frazee.

1925 – Turkey adopts the Gregorian Calendar.

1933 – FM radio is patented.

1941 – U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt signs a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day in the United States.

1943 – World War II: German warship Scharnhorst is sunk off of Norway’s North Cape after a battle against major Royal Navy forces.

1944 – World War II: Patton’s Third Army breaks the encirclement of surrounded U.S. forces at Bastogne, Belgium.

1945 – CFP franc and CFA franc are created.

1948 – Cardinal Mindszenty is arrested in Hungary and accused of treason and conspiracy.

1966 – The first Kwanzaa is celebrated by Maulana Karenga, the chair of Black Studies at California State University, Long Beach.

1972 – Vietnam War: As part of Operation Linebacker II, 120 American B-52 Stratofortress bombers attacked Hanoi, including 78 launched from Andersen Air Force Base in Guam, the largest single combat launch in Strategic Air Command history.

1975 – The Tupolev Tu-144 goes into service in Soviet Union.

1976 – The Communist Party of Nepal Marxist-Leninist) is founded.

1980 – Aeroflot puts the Ilyushin Il-86 into service.

1982 – Time Magazine’s Man of the Year is for the first time a non-human, the personal computer.

1986 – The first long-running American television soap opera, Search for Tomorrow, airs its final episode after thirty-five years on the air.

1991 – The Supreme Soviet of the Soviet Union meets and formally dissolves the USSR.

1994 – Four Armed Islamic Group hijackers seize control of Air France Flight 8969. When the plane lands at Marseille, a French Gendarmerie assault team boards the aircraft and kills the perpetrators.

1996 – Six-year-old beauty queen JonBenet Ramsey is found beaten and strangled in the basement of her family’s home in Boulder, Colorado.

1996 – Start of the largest strike in South Korean history.

1997 – The Soufriere Hills volcano on the island of Montserrat explodes, creating a small tsunami offshore.

1998 – Iraq announces its intention to fire upon U.S. and British warplanes that patrol the northern and southern no-fly zones.

1999 – The storm Lothar sweeps across Central Europe, killing 137 and causing US$1.3 billion in damage.

2003 – A magnitude 6.6 earthquake devastates southeast Iranian city of Bam, killing tens of thousands and destroying the citadel of Arg-e Bam.

2004 – A 9.3 magnitude earthquake creates a tsunami causing devastation in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, the Maldives and many other areas around the rim of the Indian Ocean, killing over 250,000 people including over 1700 on a moving train.

2004 – Orange Revolution: The final run-off election is held under heavy international scrutiny.

2005 – Boxing Day shooting on a busy shopping street in Toronto.

2006 – The 2006 Hengchun earthquake with 7.1 magnitude hit Taiwan.

2006 – An oil pipeline in Lagos, Nigeria explodes, killing at least 260.

Holidays and observances

   * Boxing Day, except when 26 December is a Sunday Boxing Day is transferred to 27 December by Royal Proclamation. (Commonwealth of Nations), and its related observances:

         o Day of Good Will (South Africa and Namibia)

   * Christian Feast Day:

         o Abadiu of Antinoe (Coptic Church)

         o Earliest day on which Feast of the Holy Family can fall, celebrated on Sunday after Christmas or 30 if Christmas falls on a Sunday.

         o James the Just (Eastern Orthodox Church)

         o Stephen (Western Church)

         o Synaxis of the Theotokos (Eastern Orthodox Church)

   * Independence and Unity Day (Slovenia)

   * Mauro Hamza Day (Houston, Texas)

   * Mummer’s Day (Padstow, Cornwall)

   * St. Stephen’s Day (public holiday in Alsace, Austria, Catalonia, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Ireland, Luxembourg, Poland and Slovakia), and its related observances:

         o Father’s Day ([Bulgaria)

   * Thanksgiving (Solomon Islands)

   * The first day of Kwanzaa, celebrated until January 1 (United States)

   * The first day of Junkanoo street parade, the second day is on the New Year’s Day (the Bahamas)

   * The second day of Christmas (Western Christianity)

   * The first of Twelve Holy Days (Esoteric Christianity)

   * Wren Day (Ireland and the Isle of Man)

(2 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

Doing some reading before bed last night and opened nyceve’s diary over at dKos titled In 2011, these people will launch holy war against the health insurance Industry.

I get here, where she writes:

As insurers continue to raise premiums and cut benefits, Health and Human Services is relegated to pleading, cajoling and threatening, but in the end, can do little to control them. This is an uncontrollable industry.

… and my head explodes: they can’t they be controlled???? Why is that?????? Isn’t that what we should focus on???

nyceve… she’s great, heroic even… out there fighting to make things better. But there’s this one little thing: we are engulfed in lawlessness and lack of accountability. Nobody… nobody… is enforcing the law or holding the powerful accountable.

What does this have to do with health insurance?

Just . . . everything.

cross-posted at writing in the rAw and at dKos

I know I am not the most eloquent of writers. Or the most clear. But I’ve said it a hundred times, although, by now, the point ought to be making itself:

It does not matter what policy is enacted… or what legislation is passed… or what laws may be on the books… or what regulation exists. None of it matters. Because the criminals are running the show. The people who have robbed you, me, us, this country and its treasure in blood and gold… are in charge. They do what they want with health care rates and there is nobody to stop them. There’s nobody to stop them from taking our soclial security either. At this moment, we have no tools: we can not stop them.

I know health care is important. But it is moot. It’s a diversion. It pales in comparison to the usurping of our laws and the undoing of our Constitution by the bad guys. And that is why, as nyceve writes, the health care industry is uncontrollable.

They along with all the other power players are un_controll_able. Let me repeat: because the laws on the books have absolutely no impact on their actions. They face no consequences. The can do whatever the fuck they want.

You want to change this game? Because as timid as you, me, we might be… this game is going to change. It’s going to change… what impact will we have on the outcome?

I predict this: if we keep focused on single issues, like health care,  the environment, social security et al, we will lose.

There is only one issue, as it has always been: accountability to the law. We need to reinstate accountability to the law. We need to reinstate consequences to the might-is-right crowd. Democrat, Republican, I don’t care. The people who crashed a world financial market and continue to cripple it further need to be stopped. It’s that simple.

Focus. We need to get this straight. The facade is more fragile than ever and that makes this all the more dangerous. If we want to have influence, then we need to exert pressure and create platforms of influence at the right places. And in a fucking hurry.

Health care, civil rights, human rights, animal rights, the environment… all of it succeeds only when we reinstate the rule of law and reinstate and/or create common sense/fair regulations on all industry. And when we force/insist/demand CEOs and politicans to adhere to the LAW.  Without it, everything else is just camping out.

Be prepared. It’s going to be a bumpy ride.

“Punting the Pundits” is an Open Thread. It is a selection of editorials and opinions from around the news medium and the internet blogs. The intent is to provide a forum for your reactions and opinions, not just to the opinions presented, but to what ever you find important.

Thanks to ek hornbeck, click on the link and you can access all the past “Punting the Pundits”.

The Sunday Talking Heads:

This Week with Christiane Amanpour:Ms Amanpour focuses on the problems and stresses of today’s war vets with a report from Bob Woodward on Iraqi vets returning to homelessness. She also interviews with Army Vice Chief of Staff, General Peter Chiarelli on stresses facing vets, and First Lady Michelle Obama and the Vice President’s wife, Dr. Jill Biden on what we can do to help.

New York Times war reporter David Rohde, held hostage by the Taliban in Afghanistan for seven months until his daring escape while his captors slept, and his wife, Kristen Mulvihill, discuss their new book, “Rope and a Prayer”.

ABC Nightline anchor Terry Moran profiles an Israeli and a Palestinian who through their deep loss are trying to bridge the gap that has defined the most intractable war.

Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer: Tis week Mr. Scheiffer will host a Roundtable with CBS News Washington Correspondents on The Year in Review and what’s ahead in 2011: Chip Reid, Chief W.H. Correspondent, Lara Logan, Chief Foreign Correspondent, David Martin, Nat’l Security Correspondent, Nancy Cordes, Congress Correspondent and Sharyl Attkisson, Investigative Reporter.

The Chris Matthews Show: Tweety will discuss the best and worst of 2010. The panel include Howard Fineman (Huffington Post), Katty Kay (BBC News), Joe Klein (Time) and Norah O’Donnell (NBC News).

Meet the Press with David Gregory:”Lurch” will have an exclusive interviews with Valerie Jarrett, President Obama’s advisor, about what the White House will face in 2011.

Taking stock of 2010: the passage of health care reform, the oil disaster in the Gulf, the rise of the Tea Party, and the on-going economic crisis. How has it all impacted the country politically, and what does it mean for the future of bipartisanship in 2011? will be discussed by NBC News’ Tom Brokaw, Presidential Historian and Author, Doris Kearns Goodwin, Wall Street Journal Columnist Peggy Noonan, and Washington Post Associate Editor Bob Woodward.

State of the Union with Candy Crowley: This Sunday, we hear from two major players in the Obama administration. First, we talk to White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs about President Obama’s legislative victories: the tax cut deal, the repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell, and START. Then we talk to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano in an exclusive interview about the reports of terrorist threats this holiday season and the uproar over the TSA. We end the hour with a look at the terrorist threat worldwide with Former CIA Director Gen. Michael Hayden (Ret.) and Former Director of National Intelligence Vice Adm. Mike McConnell (Ret.).

Fareed Zakaris: GPS: This Sunday night on GPS: A special edition of Fareed Zakaria GPS: “How To Lead”.

This special features interviews on what makes a great leader with 5 leaders from diverse arenas (global politics, national politics, military, business and academia).

Sitting down with Fareed this week to share their vast experiences are: Tony Blair, the former British Prime Minister on how he steered a nation; Lou Gerstner, who has taken some American corporate icons from the brink of bankruptcy to billions in profits, on leading through crisis; Former Governor of the NJ Christie Whitman on how a woman can lead in world that is often still male-dominated; Rick Levin, the President of Yale University, on leading by persuasion and Admiral Mike Mullen, Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, on not just how to lead, but how to command.

Nicholas D. Kristof: The Big (Military) Taboo

We face wrenching budget cutting in the years ahead, but there’s one huge area of government spending that Democrats and Republicans alike have so far treated as sacrosanct. . . . . .

This is the one area where elections scarcely matter. President Obama, a Democrat who symbolized new directions, requested 6 percent more for the military this year than at the peak of the Bush administration.

“Republicans think banging the war drums wins them votes, and Democrats think if they don’t chime in, they’ll lose votes,” said Andrew Bacevich, an ex-military officer who now is a historian at Boston University. He is author of a thoughtful recent book, “Washington Rules: America’s Path to Permanent War.”

William Rivers Pitt: All I Want for Christmas

I’m not tremendously religious by any measurable standard, but the guy who got nailed to that tree had some deeply valid points to make, and if you believe what you read, He was murdered for trying to tell people about it. Emperor Constantine stole December 25th from his Pagan political opponents in a power consolidation move, so even if you believe in the existence of the guy who got nailed to that tree, you won’t be celebrating His birth on the 25th…but that guy had some good things to say, regardless of the garbled historical record, and if you can cut through the nonsense and bedlam of this season, those lessons are well worth remembering, especially in a year when the rest of us got royally screwed so rich people could get fat tax breaks they don’t need.

If you have two cloaks, give one away. Someone might even call that “socialism.” But it is winter, after all, and the snow has begun to fall, and there are a lot of people who need those cloaks. Remember them.

Take care. Enjoy the snow.

Help someone if you can.  Hold close to you who and what you love.

Be fiercely present in these mad days, to whatever extent is reasonable for you.

Remember what we can do, together, if we lean in to the task.  

This is all I want for Christmas:

Lean in.  Lean hard.  

You won’t be alone.

I promise.

John Nichols: A Christmas Carol of Conservatives and Liberals

Charles Dickens would find these times rather too familiar for comfort. In seeking to awaken a spirit of charity in his countrymen, the author called attention to those who callously dismissed the poor as a burden and the unemployed as a lazy lot best forced by hunger to grab at bootstraps and pull themselves upward.

So Dickens began his “A Christmas Carol,” a book very much in keeping with the radical tenor of a time when the world was awakening to the truth that poverty and desolation need not be accepted by civil society — or civilized people. The language employed by Scrooge was not a Dickensian creation; rather, it was a sort of reporting on the political platforms and statements of those who opposed the burgeoning movements for reform and revolution, which were sweeping through Europe as the author composed his ghost tale.

Ultimately an optimist, Dickens imagined that spirited prodding from the ghosts of Christmas Past, Present and Future would change Scrooge — just as there are those today who imagine that a bit more enlightenment might cause even the most rigid Republican to reconsider his disdain for the unemployed, the underemployed and the never employed.

Rchard Cohen: “It’s a Wonderful Life”: The most terrifying movie ever

Underneath the warm fuzzies, Frank Capra’s holiday classic is a tale of hunger, greed and a troubled America

I don’t care what your parents told you. “It’s a Wonderful Life,” that reassuring holiday spectacle, is really the most terrifying Hollywood film ever made. It’s one of a handful of masterpieces directed by Frank Capra, an Italian immigrant who loved America because America saved him. Capra lived through the Depression, then through the rise of terrible ideologies. He knew how bad things could get. He knew, too, that the United States was not immune and this knowledge spiked his love with the worst kind of fear. The result was that special melancholy, blue shot through with black, that runs through his films, the best of which are parables that operate on various levels, some of which were probably unknown to Capra himself.

Justin Elliot: Doubting Sarah

A chorus of criticism and doubt about Sarah Palin is emerging from an unlikely and telling source: Republicans

Sarah Palin is widely considered to be a leading candidate for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. And while an October story in Politico made a splash (and drew Palin’s wrath) by quoting anonymous Republican “insiders” attacking Palin, we’ve noticed a different, striking pattern in recent weeks: More and more prominent Republicans are publicly voicing doubts about Palin.

When you gather together, as we have below, the recent criticisms and misgivings voiced by Republican operatives, politicians and commentators, it becomes clear that Palin, if she has presidential ambitions, has a serious obstacle to overcome even within her own party. It also suggests that Palin would perhaps not be the powerhouse front-runner of a GOP primary that some have made her out to be.

The Congressional Garage Sale  



Those Sneaky Lobbyists Buying Your Government

Numerous times this year, members of Congress have held fundraisers and collected big checks while they are taking critical steps to write new laws, despite warnings that such actions could create ethics problems. The campaign donations often came from contributors with major stakes riding on the lawmakers’ actions.

For three weeks in June, for instance, the members of a joint House and Senate committee worked to draft final rules for regulating the financial industry in the wake of its 2008 meltdown.

What’s The Best Way To Silence The Out Spoken?

 

Use A Law from The British Mandate  

The Israeli military is making rare use of an emergency regulation enacted by the British Mandate in 1945 to order the temporary banishment of a Palestinian activist from his home city of Jerusalem.

Adnan Gheith, 35, faces expulsion for four months from the city because of his part in protests at mounting encroachment by Jewish settler groups in the politically ultra-sensitive Silwan neighbourhood of inner-city Arab East Jerusalem.

Silwan is the primary flashpoint in the struggle between the settlers and Palestinians for control of key sectors of East Jerusalem.

Robert Mugabe President Of Zimbabwe?



OK! Its De-facto Dictator  

HARARE, Zimbabwe – The warning signs are proliferating. Journalists have been harassed and jailed. Threats of violence are swirling in the countryside. The president’s supposed partner in the government has been virulently attacked in the state-controlled media as a quisling for the West. And the president himself has likened his party to a fast-moving train that will crush anything in its way.

After nearly two years of tenuous stability under a power-sharing government, fears are mounting here that President Robert Mugabe, the autocrat who presided over a bloody, discredited election in 2008, is planning to seize untrammeled control of Zimbabwe during the elections he wants next year.  

Somehow All Is Not As It Seems



The Taliban Still Fight On Undeterred    

JUMAH KALA, Afghanistan –The villagers gathered on mounds of dirt to watch as the American armored vehicles rolled in. The streets were narrow and banked by high mud walls; the bulky vehicles could barely squeeze through. The villagers had not seen a coalition patrol here in at least two years, they told the American commander as he stepped out to greet them.

“And how long has it been since you’ve seen the governor?” the commander, Capt. Aaron T. Schwengler, asked the villagers as they crowded around him.

“Ten years,” one man said through an interpreter.

When Christians Invade  

 

An Atheist Country  

She attended a morning church service, joining in the carol singing led by a cassock-wearing choir, and then watched a nativity play performed by children from the congregation.

But Miss Zhang’s Protestant church is an illegal one, and its 1,000-strong members have grown used to worshipping in a variety of office buildings across Beijing in an effort to avoid the scrutiny of the authorities.

A 25-year-old graduate and junior manager in an engineering company, Miss Zhang has been a Christian for four years. She says many people, including her parents who are local government officials and members of the communist party, think she’s “crazy” and question both her faith and the wisdom of being a Christian in a communist country.

You Mustn’t Investigate Allegations Of Torture



Because It’s Against The Law

It was three months into Barack Obama’s presidency, and the administration — under pressure to do something about alleged abuses in Bush-era interrogation policies — turned to a Florida senator to deliver a sensitive message to Spain:

Don’t indict former President George W. Bush’s legal brain trust for alleged torture in the treatment of war on terror detainees, warned Mel Martinez on one of his frequent trips to Madrid. Doing so would chill U.S.-Spanish relations.

Perhaps you think it’s  all about stuffing the things that don’t fit or you don’t want back in the boxes and returning them.  People who work for a living know different.

At some point I’ll talk to you about eating serf food, but today is not it.  I will give you my retail ranger tips.

Expect store credits not refunds.  You will be dealing with a supervisor or regular because temps are not taught how to do returns.  Every return has to be processed through the warehouse so you won’t get a size 10 even if there’s a stack of them next to the register.  Retail is not a swap meet.

I understand there will be discounts, but perhaps not as many as you expect.  In bad times you tighten inventories and limit selection.

My recommendation is that you spare yourself unless shopping is a sport and watch some Throwball ahead of next year’s lockout.

New Tools.  Previous entries.  Instant gratification-

Zap2it TV Listings, Yahoo TV Listings

Holiday 24 hour coverage ends today.  Regular Prime Time tomorrow.  Good through 8 pm.  Done.

6 am

• AMC– Three Stooges marathon until 8:30 am

6:30 am

• Turner Classic– Old Yeller (Disney Day)

7 am

• ABC Family– Jack Frost
• FX– Kung Fu Panda
• History– Modern Marvels marathon until 11 am

7:30 am

• Nick– Fairly OddParents
• TBS– Daddy Day Camp

8 am

• Bravo– Bad Boys
• Turner Classic– Pollyanna

8:30 am

• AMC– The Princess Bride

9 am

• ABC Family– The Little Rascals
• Animal Planet– Whale Wars marathon until 6 am
• Disney– Phineas and Ferb until 10:30
• FX– America’s Sweethearts
• Oxygen– Beaches
• Travel– Paradise marathon until 6 pm
• USA– NCIS marathon until 6 am

9:30 am

• TBS– Ghost

10 am

• Discovery– American Chopper marathon until 3 am
• Sci Fi– Dog Soldiers
• Turner Classic– The Apple Dumpling Gang

10:30 am

• AMC– Mrs. Doubtfire

11 am

• ABC Family– Richie Rich
• Comedy– Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey
• E!– Knocked Up x 2 until 4 pm
• FX– Tomcats
• Lifetime– Her Perfect Spouse
• TNT– Sahara

11:30 am

• Oxygen– Ocean’s Twelve

Noon

• A&E– Scarface
• History– History on Tap (premier)
• Nick– iCarly marathon until 2 pm
• Sci Fi– Thor: Hammer of the Gods
• TBS– Phenomenon
• Turner Classic– Swiss Family Robinson
• True– Conspiracy Theory With Jesse Ventura marathon until 4 pm

12:30 pm

• History– Modern Marvels marathon until 7 pm

1 pm

• CBS– Throwball, Ravens @ Browns or Patriots @ Bills or Jets @ Bears or Titans @ Chiefs
• FOX– Throwball, ‘9ers @ Rams or Lions @ Dolphins or ‘skins @ Jaguars
• ABC Family– Good Burger
• Comedy– The Girl Next Door
• FX– 27 Dresses
• Lifetime– The Perfect Assistant

1:30 pm

• AMC– Airplane
• TNT– The Mummy Returns

2 pm

• Nick– Spongebob marathon until 4 pm
• Oxygen– Titanic
• Sci Fi– Shark Swarm (again)
• Turner Classic– The Love Bug

2:30 pm

• TBS– My Cousin Vinny

3 pm

• NBC– Snowboarding
• ABC Family– Coming to America
• ESPN2– World’s Strongest Man marathon until 9 pm (all premiers)
• Lifetime– The Perfect Wife

3:30 pm

• Toon– Johnny Test

4 pm

• CBS– Throwball Texans @ Broncos or Bolts @ Raiders or Chargers @ Bengals
• NBC– Skating
• FOX– Throwball Giants @ Packers or Seahawks at Buccaneers
• FX– Made of Honor
• Turner Classic– The Parent Trap
• TNT– The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
• Toon– Johnny Test

5 pm

• Bravo– Real Housewives marathon until Midnight
• Disney– Phineas and Ferb until 6:30
• Lifetime– The Perfect Marriage
• TBS– You’ve been Gumped
• Vs.– Rocky III Triple Feature

5:30 pm

• ABC Family– Trading Places
• AMC– Road House
• VH1– ATL

6 pm

• FX– Forgetting Sarah Marshall
• Oxygen– Just Friends
• Sci Fi– Jurassic Park III

6:30 pm

• Disney– Toy Story Double Feature

7 pm

• ABC– The Sound of Music
• History– Top Gear
• Lifetime– The Perfect Nanny
• TLC– Sarah Palin’s Alaska (Camping with Kate)
• Toon– Open Season 2
• Vs.– Rocky IV

8 pm

• NBC– Throwball Vikings @ Eagles (postponed until Tuesday because of the weather in Philly)
• FOX– Simpsons Christmas Special
• ABC Family– Along Came Polly x 2 (until Midnight)
• AMC– Crocodile Dundee Double Feature x 2
• Disney– Toy Story 2
• History– Ax Men (last week’s)
• Nick– Rugrats Movie
• Oxygen– My Boss’s Daughter
• Sci Fi– National Treasure
• Spike– Independence Day x 2 (until 3 am)
• TBS– Monster In Law x 2 (until Midnight)
• Turner Classic– Escape to Witch Mountain
• TLC– Sarah Palin’s Alaska (last week’s)
• TNT– The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King x 2 (until 3:30 am)
• VH1– Hustle & Flow

8:30 pm

• FOX– [Cleveland Show Cleveland Show] Christmas Special
• ESPN– College Throwball, Little Caesars Bowl: Florida International v. Toledo
• FX– Pineapple Express
• Toon– Johnny Test

9 pm

• History– Ax Men (premier)
• Lifetime– The Perfect Teacher x 2 (until 1 am)
• TLC– Sarah Palin’s Alaska (Penultimate premier)
• Vs.– Rocky V

9:30 pm

• Disney– Phineas and Ferb

10 pm

• AMC– Crocodile Dundee II
• History– Top Gear (premier)
• Oxygen– Just Friends (again)
• Turner Classic- Return from Witch Mountain
• Toon– Self-Medication

10:30 pm

• VH1– ATL

11 pm

• FX– 27 Dresses
• Sci Fi– Jurassic Park III (again)
• TLC– Sarah Palin’s Alaska (Penultimate premier)

11:30 pm

• Comedy– Futurama until 1 am

Midnight

• Bravo– Bad Boys
• History– Ax Men (last week’s)
• Oxygen– My Boss’s Daughter (again)
• TBS– Glory Daze (this week’s)
• Turner Classic– The Wizard of Oz
• Toon– Childrens Hospital, Frankenhole

12:30 am

• AMC– Crocodile Dundee Double Feature

1 am

• History– Ax Men (Instapeat)
• Sci Fi– Cerberus
• TBS– Gumped again
• Turner Classic– The Red Balloon (very depressing)
• TLC– Sarah Palin’s Alaska (last week’s)
• Vs.– Rocky V

2 am

• History– Top Gear (Instapeat)
• Turner Classic– The Bicycle Thief
• TLC– Sarah Palin’s Alaska (Camping with Kate)
• VH1– Hustle & Flow (again)

2:30 am

• AMC– Crocodile Dundee II
• Toon– Childrens Hospital, Frankenhole

3 am

• ESPN– College Throwball, Little Caesars Bowl: Florida International v. Toledo
• Sci Fi– Minotaur

3:30 am

• E!– The Soup
• Toon– Self-Medication

4 am

• Turner Classic– Beware of Pity

(8 pm. – promoted by ek hornbeck)

_________________________________________________________________

Rummaging through ornaments, I pick up three of my favorites. A trio of polar bears, made from a kind of velvet elvis-like material. They all have this innocent hey lady, where’s the hot chocolate and cookies look when really, they’re eyeing the red-lacquered wagon. And they do it every year … ha! One bear climbs in as the other two take up positions pulling and pushing the wiggly little cart across the window sill. It’s a sweet little vignette until the “it’s my turn to ride in the wagon” starts. But we’ve all been there…

The snowmen, generally a more gentlemanly bunch, find a place around a sparkly tree on a quiet sill away from the bears. Greenery gets hung around the fire place and candles lit in the hearth. The collection of Santas, with big bellies and spindly legs, have gathered around the wood-cut fir to admire the fine glass sleigh parked there and piled high with packages. Christmas music is playing and this year, snow surrounds our little place.

_________________________________________________________________

There’s nothing sadder in this world than to awake Christmas morning and not be a child.  ~Erma Bombeck

I like believing in Christmas. I need the magic of toys, spinning tops, and familar ornaments coming back every year. And I love the idea of Santa Claus as someone who always has faith in what kids believe, seeing beyond wish-lists and into their hearts. The right jolly old elf doesn’t just leave a doll or stuffed animal, but playmates who never tire of tea parties, building forts in forests, or turning sticks into swords . These rag-tagged companions never object to being dragged along on all the Lewis & Clark-like expeditions kids love to make.

Evening Edition is an Open Thread

1 More than 80 dead in Pakistan suicide bombing and raids

by Nasrullah Khan, AFP

Sat Dec 25, 10:21 am ET

2 Ivory Coast fearful as Gbagbo rejects intervention threat

by Thomas Morfin, AFP

1 hr 10 mins ago

3 West African leaders threaten force if Gbagbo stays

by Susan Njanji, AFP

Fri Dec 24, 10:27 pm ET

4 Fresh attacks on Christians mar Christmas celebrations

by Catherine Jouault, AFP

1 hr 31 mins ago

5 Christmas attacks kill at least 38 in Nigeria

AFP

1 hr 18 mins ago

6 China hikes interest rates in battle to curb inflation

by Allison Jackson, AFP

Sat Dec 25, 6:45 am ET

7 Burqa-clad suicide bomber kills 40 in Pakistan

By Sahibzada Bahauddin, Reuters

Sat Dec 25, 6:10 am ET

8 China fights inflation with Christmas rate rise

By Ben Blanchard and Zhou Xin, Reuters

Sat Dec 25, 9:18 am ET

9 Pope Christmas message urges peace, admonishes China

By Philip Pullella, Reuters

Sat Dec 25, 6:39 am ET

10 World economy can withstand $100 oil price: Kuwait

By Shaimaa Fayed and Amena Bakr, Reuters

Sat Dec 25, 9:17 am ET

11 For many troops, a last Christmas in Iraq

By Serena Chaudhry, Reuters

Sat Dec 25, 12:36 pm ET

12 Medvedev says more time needed for reforms

By Alissa de Carbonnel and Steve Gutterman, Reuters

Fri Dec 24, 12:23 pm ET

13 Karzai warms to idea of talking to Taliban in Turkey

By Simon Cameron-Moore, Reuters

Fri Dec 24, 3:31 pm ET

14 "Christmas of misery" for many in calamity-hit Haiti

By Joseph Guyler Delva, Reuters

Fri Dec 24, 1:14 pm ET

15 Female bomber kills 45 at food center in Pakistan

By ANWARULLAH KHAN, Associated Press

35 mins ago

16 Top US gen. visits GIs in Afghanistan on Christmas

By ELENA BECATOROS, Associated Press

1 hr 38 mins ago

17 Pope urges courage for Catholics in China, Iraq

By FRANCES D’EMILIO, Associated Press

1 hr 1 min ago

18 Civil War message opened, decoded: No help coming

By STEVE SZKOTAK, Associated Press

Sat Dec 25, 11:13 am ET

19 Haitian orphans settling in with adoptive families

By DAVID CRARY, AP National Writer

Sat Dec 25, 12:21 pm ET

20 Iraqi Christians mark somber Christmas in Baghdad

By REBECCA SANTANA, Associated Press

Sat Dec 25, 10:47 am ET

21 West African leaders threaten force in Ivory Coast

By MARCO CHOWN OVED, Associated Press

Sat Dec 25, 12:39 pm ET

22 Jimmy Carter vs. guinea worm: Sudan is last battle

By MAGGIE FICK, Associated Press

Sat Dec 25, 10:40 am ET

23 EPA moving unilaterally to limit greenhouse gases

By MERRILL HARTSON, Associated Press

Sat Dec 25, 3:55 am ET

24 Beer heir is in the headlines after woman dies

By JIM SALTER, Associated Press

Fri Dec 24, 5:26 pm ET

25 Bethlehem celebrates merriest Christmas in years

By TIA GOLDENBERG and DALIA NAMMARI, Associated Press

Fri Dec 24, 5:57 pm ET

26 Schwarzenegger leaves mixed legacy in California

By JULIET WILLIAMS, Associated Press

Sat Dec 25, 1:25 pm ET

27 SPIN METER: Lame-duck Congress charts own course

By ALAN FRAM and JENNIFER AGIESTA, Associated Press

Sat Dec 25, 12:39 pm ET

28 Calif. officials could put end to high-paid city

By JOHN ROGERS, Associated Press

Sat Dec 25, 12:30 pm ET

29 New tax law packed with obscure business tax cuts

By STEVE OHLEMACHER, Associated Press

Sat Dec 25, 3:34 am ET

30 Tragedy turns parents into successful activists

By LINDSEY TANNER, AP Medical Writer

Fri Dec 24, 2:37 pm ET

31 Accountants, Texas board still at odds over Enron

By DANNY ROBBINS, Associated Press

Fri Dec 24, 3:31 am ET

           FEBRUARY

Because nothing says “security” like around-the-clock surveillance

A neighborhood association coughed up ¥2.85 million to install 16 security cameras in an effort to advertise Akihabara as “a safe place that people can visit with a sense of security.”

A boost for the ladies

A Kyoto-based underwear manufacturer has begun renting high-end bras to fashion-conscious but cash-strapped women for ¥727 a month.

Apparently, the other 30 percent enjoy holding a burning mass of tobacco close to their face

A survey revealed that 70 percent of Japanese smokers in their 20s are addicted to nicotine.

Transcendental mediation

It was reported that the tech-savvy monks at Jodo-Shinshu Honganji, Japan’s largest Buddhist sect, have set up a suicide prevention hotline.

           MARCH

Oh, right, “spices”…

A 31-year-old Iranian man who owns a spice trading company was busted in Osaka for being involved in a drug trafficking ring.

“Give me your tired, your geeky, your huddled masses…”

In a bid to lure international fans of Japanese subculture, the city of Kitakyushu is planning to build an “otaku complex” that will include a manga museum.

For example, you would never pet a stick

In awarding damages against a transportation company whose truck killed a seeing-eye dog, a court in Nagoya said, “Guide dogs are not just walking aids for the visually impaired and are distinctly different from walking sticks.”

Apparently, parts I and II were lighthearted romps

A new book called The Great Tokyo Air Raid: Records of Korean Victims, Part III was described as the “first comprehensive study of the damage done to Korean residents in wartime Tokyo.”

“Sorry, we can’t cure stupidity”

The newly established Consumer Affairs Agency is mulling whether to cancel an information hotline that was intended to combat a rise in food mislabeling scandals. Instead, the agency said that “two-thirds of the about 500 cases reported each week were general consultations or complaints, such as being tricked into buying an expensive item.”

I’m Pouting

Now I’m Stomping My Feet

Taking Gifts

No One Will Notice  

The Cats

Made Him Angry  

Welcome to the Stars Hollow Health and Fitness weekly diary. It will publish on Saturday afternoon and be open for discussion about health related issues including diet, exercise, health and health care issues, as well as, tips on what you can do when there is a medical emergency. Also an opportunity to share and exchange your favorite healthy recipes.

Questions are encouraged and I will answer to the best of my ability. If I can’t, I will try to steer you in the right direction. Naturally, I cannot give individual medical advice for personal health issues. I can give you information about medical conditions and the current treatments available.

You can now find past Health and Fitness News diaries here and on the right hand side of the Front Page.

People make the party, but blini are always an exciting addition. As Martha Rose Shulman writes in this week’s Recipes for Health:

  If you want something fun for a New Year’s Eve buffet, look no farther than these yeasted buckwheat pancakes. Although they are traditionally served with caviar and sour cream, blini also can be topped with delicious, healthy alternatives.

Here she offers a range of toppings for these famous Russian treats, excellent as finger foods or as part of a sit-down meal.

Family Stress Linked to Angina Pain

Study Shows Demanding Relationship With a Partner May Have an Impact on Heart Health

Dec. 23, 2010 — Just in time for those holiday family gatherings comes news that family stress — especially stress involving spouses and children — may hurt the heart.

People in a Danish study who reported having a worrisome or demanding relationship with a partner had a more than threefold increased risk for developing the severe chest pain condition known as angina.

Angina is both a warning sign and symptom of heart disease.

Researchers followed more than 4,500 men and women in their 40s and 50s with no known heart problems for six years. Those with the most stressful close family relationships had the highest risk of developing angina.

Study researcher Rikke Lund, MD, PhD, says it has long been known that positive social relationships are good for the heart. “We wanted to look at it another way and examine the impact of difficult social relationships on cardiovascular risk,” she tells WebMD.

Genetic Defect at Work in Deadly Brain Tumors

1 in 4 Glioblastomas May Have Newly Discovered Fault in Gene

Dec. 22, 2010 — Scientists say they’ve discovered a genetic defect that may contribute to the development of as many as one in four cases of glioblastoma, the most common and aggressive type of brain tumor.

The defect, a deletion in a gene known as NFKBIA, prevents cells from making enough of a protein that acts as a natural tumor suppressor.

Without the protein, called I-kappa-B, cancer cells become particularly aggressive and difficult to kill.

The study, which was published online Wednesday in The New England Journal of Medicine, found that patients with the NFKBIA deletion had significantly worse responses to treatment and much shorter survival times than those whose tumors did not have the defect.

Gardasil Approved for Anal Cancer Prevention

HPV Vaccine Prevents Anal Cancer in Women and Men

Dec. 22, 2010 — The FDA today approved Merck’s Gardasil HPV vaccine for prevention of anal cancer in both males and females ages 9 through 26 years.

HPV — human papillomavirus — is a sexually transmitted infection. It most commonly causes genital warts, but it also causes several cancers and precancerous lesions.

Gardasil already is approved for preventing cervical, vulvar, and vaginal cancer in females, and for preventing genital warts in both males and females.

However, the vaccine is routinely recommended only for girls. It remains optional for boys. Another HPV vaccine, Cervarix, is approved only for cancer prevention in girls.

Death Rate High Among People With Persistent Seizures

Children With Epilepsy Have Higher-Than-Expected Risk of Death in Adulthood

Dec. 22, 2010 — Researchers who followed 245 children with epilepsy into adulthood found that 24% died over a 40-year period, a rate that was three times higher than expected in the general population.

More than half (55%) of these deaths were related to epilepsy, says researcher Shlomo Shinnar, MD, PhD, director of the comprehensive epilepsy management center at Children’s Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center in New York City.

The increased risk of death was limited to people who had not been seizure-free for at least five years and those who had another neurologic condition, particularly severe cognitive impairment, he tells WebMD.

Psoriasis, Heart Disease, and Diabetes: What’s the Link?

Metabolic Syndrome, a Risk Factor for Heart Disease and Diabetes, More Likely in People With Psoriasis

Dec. 20, 2010 —  Having psoriasis appears to double the risk that a person will also have a dangerous clustering of risk factors for heart disease and diabetes known as metabolic syndrome, a new study shows.

Previous research has found patients with psoriasis to be at higher risk for getting diabetes and high blood pressure, but the new study, which is in the Archives of Dermatology, is one of the first to document the broader complement of cardiovascular risks associated with the disease.

Quitting smoking improves cholesterol

(Reuters Health) – Smokers who successfully quit may enjoy yet another health benefit: improved cholesterol profiles. A boost in “good” cholesterol comes with quitting despite weight gain after putting out the last cigarette, hints a new study.

If confirmed in future research, the finding could shed light on the strong, yet somewhat mysterious relationship between smoking and heart health. Up to 20 percent of heart disease deaths are currently blamed on smoking, but researchers haven’t yet had a clear understanding of what lies behind the effect. Smoking likely affects the cardiovascular system in a variety of ways, including lowered oxygen levels and wear and tear on the heart itself.

Some small studies have also shown that smoking lowers good cholesterol (HDL) and raises bad cholesterol (LDL), lead researcher Dr. Adam Gepner of the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, in Madison, told Reuters Health in an e-mail.

Drug overdoses on the rise in most age groups

NEW YORK (Reuters Health) — More and more people are dying from abusing or misusing drugs, including both prescription and illegal drugs, new research suggests.

In some groups, deaths from “accidental poisonings” — most the result of drug overdoses — are more than ten times higher than they were in the late 1960s, the study found.

While the notoriously drug-loving baby boomers account for part of the recent increase as they age and embrace prescription medications, death from accidental poisoning is higher across almost all age groups than it was a few decades ago, especially among white Americans. And the upward trend doesn’t appear to be leveling off.

“I went in expecting to see a blip (in increased accidental poisonings) with the baby boomer(s),” Dr. Richard Miech, the study’s lead author and head of Health and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Colorado Denver, told Reuters Health. After all, he said, “you’ve seen pictures of Woodstock.”

Recall of Defective Glucose Test Strips

FDA Says Faulty Strips Could Give Diabetes Patients Inaccurate Reading of Glucose Levels

Dec. 22, 2010 — The FDA says it is working with Abbott Diabetes Care to recall 359 million defective glucose test strips — sold under a variety of brand names — that  may make blood glucose levels look lower than they really are.

The FDA says the defective strips “can lead users to try to raise their blood glucose when it is unnecessary or to fail to treat elevated blood glucose due to a falsely low reading,” and that “both scenarios pose health risks.”

Lipitor Recall Grows by 19,000 Bottles

Smelly Bottles Plague Popular Cholesterol Drug

Dec. 21, 2010 — The Lipitor recall continues with Pfizer’s recall of 19,000 more bottles of the popular cholesterol drug.

A musty smell has led to four recalls, totaling 345,000 bottles since August 2010.

The latest recall is dated Dec. 17 on Pfizer’s web site. The 19,000 bottles represent a single lot of Lipitor. Pfizer says one customer complaint spurred recall of the entire lot.

Sears Canada recalls shopping bags

(Reuters) – Retailer Sears Canada Inc issued a safety recall for certain reusable shopping bags sold at its stores between July and December, due to the presence of higher levels of lead.

Flu kills 27 in Britain, spreading in Europe

(Reuters) – Flu has killed 27 people in Britain since the influenza season began in October and transmission of the virus is picking up across the European Union, health officials said on Thursday.

Latest data from Britain’s Health Protection Agency (HPA) showed that 24 people died with the H1N1 flu strain that spread around the world as a pandemic in 2009, and three with from a strain known as flu type B. Eighteen of those who died were adults and nine were children.

“The level of flu activity we are currently seeing is at levels often seen during the winter flu seasons, but due to the fact that H1N1 is one of the predominant strains circulating at the moment, we are seeing more severe illness in people under the age of 65 than we would normally expect,” said John Watson, head of the respiratory diseases department at the HPA.

Haiti urged to halt cholera anti-voodoo lynchings

(Reuters) – The head of Haiti’s voodoo religion appealed to authorities Thursday to halt bloody lynchings of voodoo priests by people who blame them for causing the Caribbean country’s deadly cholera epidemic.

Since the epidemic started in mid-October, at least 45 male and female voodoo priests, known respectively as “houngan” and “manbo,” have been killed. Many of the victims were hacked to death and mutilated by machetes, Max Beauvoir, the “Ati” or supreme leader of Haitian voodoo, told Reuters.

Do all contraceptives lower ovarian cancer risk?

(Reuters Health) – Birth control pills have long been known to reduce the risk of ovarian cancer, but a new study suggests any type of contraceptive – even, surprisingly, vasectomy – may also be protective.

After comparing women with ovarian cancer to those without, researchers found that women who used any type of contraception — birth control pills, tubal ligation (getting your “tubes tied”), intrauterine devices (IUDs), barrier method (such as diaphragms) or male vasectomy — had between a 40 and 65 percent lower risk of ever developing ovarian cancer.

It’s not a surprise to see an association between birth control pills and ovarian cancer, and even to see one for tubal ligation, since other studies have shown the same thing, study author Dr. Roberta Ness of the University of Texas School of Public Health told Reuters Health.

Odds of a Healthy Baby Increase With Single Embryo Transfer

Double Embryo Transfer Increases Risk of Complications Related to Multiple Pregnancy, IVF Study Finds

Dec. 21, 2010 — Women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) are nearly five times more likely to carry a baby to term if they undergo a single embryo transfer instead of a double embryo transfer, according to an international study.

Researchers led by D.J. McLemon, an investigator at the University of Aberdeen in Scotland, and colleagues conducted a review of medical literature that included 1,367 women from eight different clinical trials. Half of the women underwent single embryo transfer and the other half underwent double embryo transfer.

New Insight on Benefits of Breastfeeding

Researchers Shed Light on What Makes Breast Milk Unique

Dec. 22, 2010 — Although women have been breastfeeding for generations and groups such as the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of a child’s life, researchers are finally beginning to get a better handle on exactly what makes breast milk unique and beneficial.

The new article appears in the December 23/30 issue of Nature.

Is Alternative Medicine Risky for Kids?

Researchers Say Parents Need to Be Aware of Potential Side Effects of Alternative Medicine

Dec. 23, 2010 – The growing numbers of parents who turn toward complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) to treat their children’s illnesses may often assume that “natural” means safe and harmless.

But new research in the Archives of Childhood Diseases suggests that many complementary and alternative remedies can have significant — even fatal — side effects.

Complementary and alternative medicine includes vitamins, herbs, and special diets.

Alissa Lim, MD, a pediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne, Australia, and colleagues tracked and analyzed all CAM-related adverse events reported to the Australian Paediatric Surveillance Units from January 2001 through December 2003.

Breastfed Kids May Get Higher Test Scores

Study Suggests Benefits of Breastfeeding Last Into the School Years, Particularly for Boys

Dec. 20, 2010 — Breastfeeding babies for longer than six months may give them a brain boost that lasts well into their school years, a new study suggests, and this benefit may be particularly important for boys.

The study, which was published Monday in the journal Pediatrics, found that 10-year-olds who were breastfed for longer than six months as infants scored higher on standardized math, reading, writing, and spelling tests than children who were breastfed for less than six months.

Exercise, Vitamin D Reduce Risk of Falls in Elderly

Researchers Say Number of Falls, Costs Expected to Rise

Dec. 20, 2010 — A federal task force’s review finds that for Americans 65 and older, exercise and vitamin D supplements can help reduce the risk of falling.

The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force reviewed findings from 54 clinical trials to determine the benefits and possible harmful effects of interventions aimed at preventing falls in elderly people.

More Fried Fish Eaten in ‘Stroke Belt’

Frying Process Negates Some Health Benefits of Fish

Dec. 22, 2010 — Eating fried fish is more common in “stroke belt” states than other states, which may contribute to the higher rate of fatal strokes in those states, a new study indicates.

The omega-3 fatty acids in fish, especially fatty fish, have been associated with a reduction in the risk of stroke, studies have shown. However, research indicates that the process of frying fish causes a loss of these beneficial fatty acids.

The stroke belt states include North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Louisiana. People living in the stroke belt states are more like to have a stroke and to die from stroke than people living in other states, the researchers say.

The scientists also identified a region they called the “stroke buckle,” which includes the coastal plain region of North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. People in the stroke buckle are even more likely than those in the stroke belt to have fatal strokes, the researchers say.

The Deadliest Diets

Study ID’s 2 Eating Patterns That Make Older Adults Die Sooner

Dec. 22, 2010 — Two specific eating patterns increase the risk of death for older adults, a 10-year study finds.

Compared to people who ate healthy foods, men and women in their 70s had a 40% higher risk of death if they got most of their calories from high-fat dairy foods or from sweets and desserts.

University of Maryland researcher Amy L. Anderson, PhD, and colleagues monitored the eating patterns of 2,582 adults aged 70 to 79. They found that these diets fell into six patterns or clusters.

After adjusting for risk factors such as sex, age, race, education, physical activity, smoking, and total calories, “the High-Fat Dairy Products cluster and the Sweets and Desserts cluster still showed significantly higher risk of mortality than the Healthy Foods cluster,” Anderson and colleagues found.

Weight Loss During Marathon Improves Running Time

Study Suggests Less Fluid Intake May Improve Performance for Marathoners

Dec. 20, 2010 — Marathoners who lost the most body weight during a race finished more quickly, even though their weight loss exceeded the amount typically recommended for best running performance, according to a new study.

The weight loss reflects a lower level of fluid intake or a faster rate of fluid loss.

Most runners are cautioned to ”hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.” But the new study suggests that might be too much of a good thing for performance results.

“The clear evidence is that drinking just to thirst is the optimum strategy,” says researcher Timothy Noakes, MD, the Discovery Health Professor of Exercise and Sports Science at the University of Cape Town in South Africa.

Dairy Fat May Lower Diabetes Risk

New Research Suggests That a Fat Found Primarily in Dairy Foods May Lower Diabetes Risk

Dec. 20, 2010 — Experts recommend avoiding high-fat dairy products to lower diabetes risk, but a new study suggests this advice may be wrong.

Researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health say they have identified a substance found primarily in dairy fat that appears to lower the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Known as trans-palmitoleic acid, it is present in the fat of ruminant animals such as cows, sheep, and goats.

In the Harvard study, people with the highest levels of the fatty acid in their blood had a threefold lower risk of developing diabetes over time than people with the lowest levels.

They also had healthier HDL, or good, cholesterol levels, lower body fat, and less insulin resistance.