clear your stuffy nose

Winter is fast approaching, which means it won't be long before you wind up catching a cold. Even if it isn't severe, you'll still likely have to deal with one of the most miserable parts of being sick - the stuffiness. Having your nasal airways blocked is not only frustrating, it's painful since it causes your head to throb from all the pressure on your sinus cavities. You can try nose sprays or decongestants for relief, but it takes time for them to work, if they even do - the FDA recently revealed many are useless. So where does that leave you? Well one doctor is sharing his method on how to clear out clogged sinuses and nostrils in mere seconds.

His name is Dr. Mandell and he posted a video on YouTube that details how you can quickly drain your sinuses, using just your hands. All you need to do is place your thumb on your cheekbone and push in and then outward, all while pulling on your ear. A few seconds of that exercise and your misery should be over.

As for how to help with a stuffy nose, you'll need to squeeze your nose closed while taking in and holding a deep breath as you tilt back your head. According to the doctor, this action sends a message to your brain that triggers a reflex that drains and opens up your nasal area.

The doctor says the method works "like magic" and notes that you can do it as often as it is needed.

Find more tips from Dr. Mandell at his YouTube channel.

SAG-AFTRA reach tentative agreement with Studios

After a grueling 118 days on strike, SAG-AFTRA has officially reached a tentative agreement on a new three-year contract with studios, a move that is heralding the end of the 2023 actors’ strike.

The SAG-AFTRA TV/Theatrical Committee approved the agreement in a unanimous vote on Wednesday, SAG-AFTRA announced. The strike will end at 12:01 am Thursday. On Friday, the deal will go to the union’s national board on Friday for approval.

SAG-AFTRA’s strike, coming as it did amid an ongoing writers’ strike in July, gave the union an unusual amount of leverage early on in its talks with the AMPTP. Almost immediately, most remaining unionized U.S. productions that were operating without writers shut down, including Deadpool 3 and Venom 3. An as the months of the work stoppage stretched on, a strategist at the Milken Institute has estimated that the strikes have cost the California economy alone at least $6 billion.

Now and Then

The day has finally arrived: The Beatles' final song "Now and Then" is here, and it's 46 years in the making. The song made history by having its radio debut across iHeartRadio stations nationwide across multiple formats.

In 1977, John Lennon recorded a demo with vocals and piano at his home at the Dakota in New York City. In 1994, his wife Yoko Ono gave the recording to the band's surviving members Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, and George Harrison, along with “Free As A Bird” and “Real Love.” The latter two were completed as new Beatles songs and respectively released as singles in 1995 and 1996, as part of The Beatles Anthology project. The trio also worked on parts for "Now and Then" but technology at the time restricted them from separating Lennon's vocals from the piano, and they were unable to achieve the clear mix they needed to release it.

Fast forward to 2021, and Peter Jackson's team behind The Beatles: Get Back docuseries found a way to de-mix the film's mono soundtrack. They applied the same technology to "Now and Then" and were able to isolate Lennon's vocals. The next year, McCartney and Starr set out to complete the track, which includes electric and acoustic guitar recorded in 1995 by Harrison, who passed away in 2001; Starr’s new drum part; and bass, guitar and piano from McCartney that matches Lennon’s original playing. McCartney also added a slide guitar solo inspired by Harrison, and he and Starr contributed backing vocals to the chorus.

“There it was, John’s voice, crystal clear. It’s quite emotional," McCartney said in a statement. "And we all play on it, it’s a genuine Beatles recording. In 2023 to still be working on Beatles music, and about to release a new song the public haven’t heard, I think it’s an exciting thing.”

“It was the closest we’ll ever come to having him back in the room, so it was very emotional for all of us. It was like John was there, you know. It’s far out,” Starr added.

George's wife Olivia Harrison spoke about his contributions, saying: "Back in 1995, after several days in the studio working on the track, George felt the technical issues with the demo were insurmountable and concluded that it was not possible to finish the track to a high enough standard. If he were here today, Dhani and I know he would have whole-heartedly joined Paul and Ringo in completing the recording of ‘Now And Then.'"

John's son Sean Ono Lennon also spoke about the track, saying: “It was incredibly touching to hear them working together after all the years that Dad had been gone. It’s the last song my dad, Paul, George and Ringo got to make together. It’s like a time capsule and all feels very meant to be.”

"Now and Then" will be released as a double A-side single along with The Beatles' very first single, "Love Me Do," making it a truly full circle moment. It will also be the final track on a new version of The Beatles' anthologies 1962-1966 and 1967-1970, also known as the Red and Blue albums. The latest edition of the anthologies, featuring 75 tracks, will be released on November 10.

Listen to "Now and Then" below.

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The Beatles are ready to tell the story of "Now And Then," the final song to feature all four members of the band, ahead of its iHeartRadio World Premiere on Thursday morning.

On Wednesday afternoon, the band released a short film explaining the genesis of John Lennon's "Now And Then" as a potential Beatles song, the technical hangup that forced George Harrison, Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to abandon work on it in 1994, and the recent breakthrough that made it possible to finish the song and produce it with a quality befitting the Fab Four.

You can watch the film via the player above!

The documentary includes exclusive footage, as well as commentary from Harrison, McCartney and Starr, as well as Sean Ono Lennon and filmmaker Peter Jackson.

The best diet for life (Mediterranean Diet)

[8/23/09] The Mediterranean diet is among the most highly recommended eating plans. But which of its components brings the biggest benefits? In a recent study in the British Medical Journal, researchers tracked 23,000 adults in Greece. They found that eating a lot of vegetables, fruits, nuts, and legumes (like beans and peas) had the greatest impact on increasing longevity. Also associated with a longer lifespan: consuming moderate amounts of alcohol and less meat. Surprisingly, a high intake of cereals and seafood had little to no positive effect.

[11/1/23] How to follow the Mediterranean diet in 6 easy steps, according to a Spanish dietitian