Olive Garden coming to Hawaii

Olive Garden is planning its first Hawaii location at Ala Moana Center.

After years of its TV commercials running in Hawaii, the Italian-American restaurant chain filed a $50,000 building permit for Suite 3247, which is currently occupied by the Mai Tai Bar.

Representatives of Landry’s, owner of the Mai Tai Bar and nearby Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., did not respond to Honolulu Star-Advertiser requests for comment. An employee for Bubba Gump’s said the restaurant is closing Jan. 26 to make way for Orlando Fla.-based Olive Garden. It’s unclear what will happen to the Mai Tai Bar.

“What a great first location for Olive Garden in Hawaii at the state’s largest and most prominent shopping center,” said Duane Shimogawa, real estate project manager for Avalon Group. “From a real estate perspective, this will only help draw other big-named mainland restaurant and retail chains to Hawaii. Be on the lookout for not only additional Olive Garden restaurants in the state but also others as well.”

An Ala Moana spokeswoman deferred comments to Olive Garden.

Bubba Gump opened at Ala Moana in 1999 as part of a more than $50 million upper-level expansion in the Diamond Head and Ewa wings.

The Rabbit Effect

It was New Year’s Eve, and my friends had just adopted a little girl, 4 years old, from China. The family was going around the table, suggesting what each thought the New Year’s resolution should be for the other. Fei Fei’s English was still shaky. When her turn came, though, she didn’t hesitate. She pointed at her new father, mother and sister in turn. “Be nice, be nice, be nice,” she said.

Fifteen years later, in this dark age for civility, a toddler’s cri de coeur resonates more than ever. In his recent remarks at the memorial service for Congressman Elijah Cummings, President Obama said, “Being a strong man includes being kind, and there’s nothing weak about kindness and compassion; nothing weak about looking out for others.” On a more pedestrian level, yesterday I walked into the Phluid Project, the NoHo gender-neutral shop where T-shirts have slogans like “Hatephobic” and “Be Your Self.” I asked the salesperson, “What is your current best seller?” She pointed to a shirt in the window imprinted with the slogan: “Be kind.”

So I’m not surprised that there’s been a little flurry of self-help books on basic human decency and what it will do for you.

Kindness is doing small acts for others without expecting anything in return. It’s the opposite of transactional, and therefore the opposite of what we’re seeing in our body politic today.

I’d probably pick up any book that includes the words “foreword by Jimmy Carter,” because I know being in his company will make me feel better. OUR BETTER ANGELS: Seven Simple Virtues That Will Change Your Life and the World (St. Martin’s, 240 pp., $24.99), by Jonathan Reckford, C.E.O. of Habitat for Humanity, has such a foreword. When President Carter isn’t writing his own historical or inspirational books, he’s building homes with Habitat for Humanity for those who desperately need them. “Our Better Angels” lays out the seven virtues that can translate into action: Kindness, Community, Empowerment, Joy, Respect, Generosity and Service. This is a nifty way to organize a lot of great stories about people Habitat for Humanity has helped and to drive home the very important point that performing a service helps you, too — even if the service is done out of duty, not love. Because in a certain sense, duty can become love — as the British in general, and fans of “Downton Abbey” in particular, can surely tell you.

Which may be why I was drawn to a book called COSY: The British Art of Comfort (HarperOne, 176 pp., $19.99), by Laura Weir. The American market has been inundated with bossy little books in which other countries tell us how to behave. (Korea, please stop telling me to “empty my mind” so I can begin to claim the power of nunchi. I am 58. I can barely hold on to the few thoughts I have.) But O.K., I’m an Anglophile, and I was drawn to this one. “Unlike hygge, which is beautiful in essence, but too often seen through the lens of interior design magazines, being cosy is completely personal, affordable and democratic. … Cosy is your authentic self undone.” I particularly enjoyed the chapter “Cosy and Kind,” where Weir indirectly lays out the connection between duty and love, with advice like “Become the stealth de-icer: rise early and chuck down de-icing solution on the drives and steps of your elderly neighbors’ homes. They don’t need to know, but you will.” Alas, she also talks a great deal about creating small dolls and knitting woolly hats for charity. My Anglophilia stops short of knitting. Can I just send a check?

Victoria Turk’s KILL REPLY ALL: A Modern Guide to Online Etiquette, From Social Media to Work to Love (Plume, 224 pp., paper, $15.99) is one of the more amusing digital-etiquette books you’ll read. Simply put, social media has created a new universe of ways we can be mean to one another. So digital good manners are a great kindness, whether they apply to friends, work or love. (I like one of Turk’s definitions of love: “Texting them even though your battery’s at 5 percent.”) And now, I know I will never leave anyone in a specific circle of acquaintances out of a group chat, even if I think he or she is uninterested; let that person opt out himself. Let’s say it’s a book club chat. By God, everyone must be in there, even if Janet has questionable opinions about Nabokov and Leslie can turn every club meeting into a discussion of her grandchildren. These, like many of Turk’s lessons, are kindnesses I can live with.

Perhaps the most interesting (because the most personal, while also the most steeped in data) is Kelli Harding’s THE RABBIT EFFECT: Live Longer, Happier and Healthier With the Groundbreaking Science of Kindness (Atria, 272 pp., $27). For instance: In other wealthy nations over the past few years, life expectancy has been rising, while in the politically turbulent United States the trend has moved the other way. In 2016, we ranked 43rd in the world for life expectancy. Coincidence? We spend a fortune on health care, Harding notes. So what’s missing?

Well, as it turns out: everything. To dismiss the role that issues like abuse, discrimination and loneliness play in health, Harding writes, is “like fixing up an airplane engine and ignoring that the pilot is on his third drink at the bar and a massive storm is overhead.”

The book’s title refers to a 1978 study in which researchers were trying to establish the relationship between high cholesterol and heart health. Here rabbits were fed a very high fat diet in an effort to mimic human heart problems. The rabbits did, in fact, get a host of heart problems — except for the rabbits under the care of one researcher who cuddled and talked to them while they were fed. The differences in health were so marked that the study was replicated, with the only difference in rabbit care being some extreme petting and cooing; and the results were the same.

Harding, an assistant clinical professor of psychiatry at Columbia University Medical Center, has long observed in her own practice that illness alone is not a predictor of outcome. There are reams of studies about stressors and hormonal changes in the body with illness, but many boil down to this: Are you alone when you’re sick, or do you have people sending you flowers and bringing you magazines? If you do, you’re going to get better faster. (There was even a study showing that nature makes a difference: Patients with the same illness in the same hospital who look out on trees versus looking out on a brick wall went home a day earlier.) Harding goes on to show how our interconnectedness helps us stay healthier. By the time she got to this piece of advice I couldn’t help tearing up: “If you see a person on the street asking for money, offer her a snack or water. Ask her name. If you don’t have anything, acknowledge her request and tell her you wish you could help. You may be the only kind person she encounters today.”

Fei Fei had it right. Even if, at 4 years of age, she didn’t know she was echoing Henry James, who reportedly once said to his nephew: “Three things in human life are important. The first is to be kind. The second is to be kind. And the third is to be kind.”

-- Judith Newman, New York Times, January 8, 2020

Judith Newman is the author of “To Siri With Love: A Mother, Her Autistic Son and the Kindness of Machines.”

Misfit Spirit by Jay Sakashita

1/8/20 - Confucianism and Cultivating Good Behavior

Wakanda no longer listed as U.S. free trade partner

People were surprised to see the Kingdom of Wakanda listed as a US free trade partner in a tariff tracker on the US Department of Agriculture's website. But officials soon explained that the nation had only been added as part of a test, and removed it from the system.

100 best TV shows of all time

Six years later, another list based on IMDb ratings.

(Personal) Highlights:

93.  Person of Interest
92.  Brooklyn Nine-Nine
68.  Star Trek: The Next Generation
60.  Parks and Recreation
58.  The X-Files
55.  Daredevil (really?)
41.  Battlestar Galactica (2004-2009)
37.  South Park
36.  The Simpsons
35.  House
25.  Seinfeld
22.  The Office
13.  Friends

And now the top 10:

10.  Firefly
9.  Fargo
8.  True Detective
7.  Sherlock
6.  Avatar: The Last Airbender (what?)
5.  The Sopranos
4.  The Wire
3.  Rick and Morty (what again?)
2.  Game of Thrones
1.  Breaking Bad

So much for IMDb ratings.  Far different from this list where I Love Lucy was number 1 beating out Seinfeld, M*A*S*H, All In the Family, and Cheers.

What's the deal with Spider-Man and Sony?

Spider-Man is caught in a tangled web.

After Deadline reported on Tuesday that Sony and Disney were unable to come to an agreement over Spider-Man's movie appearances, Sony released a statement blaming Disney. A Sony spokesperson said that it was the Mouse House's decision for Marvel Studios president Kevin Feige to not be involved with future movies.

"We hope this might change in the future, but understand that the many new responsibilities that Disney has given him - including all their newly added Marvel properties - do not allow time for him to work on IP they do not own," Sony said. "Kevin is terrific and we are grateful for his help and guidance and appreciate the path he has helped put us on, which we will continue."

Spider-Man's big-screen journey has been a roller coaster, and this is just the latest in a series of headaches. To understand the current tug-of-war between Sony and Disney, you need to understand how the arrangement arose in the first place.

Chinese therapy balls

The therapy balls, known as one of the "three treasures" of a province in China, is a traditional product that has been produced since the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), and has been made by Chinese craftsmen for the past 300 years.

Originally, the Therapy Ball was a solid ball of jade or marble but later was designed hollow with a sounding plate in it when technology permitted.  Sold in pairs, one sounds high and one sounds low.  It is a form of exercise to build strength and increase circulation in the hands and arms.   As a conditioning apparatus for older persons it is one of the simplest ways to tone the joints and muscles in the hands, forearms and shoulders.  It is an especially convenient method of obtaining relief from such afflictions as minor arthritis, tendinitis, carpal tunnel sydrome [sic], thoracic outlet repetitive strain injury (RSI), computer strain and other hand/arm/shoulder neck related discomforts.  Many people simply do their "exercises" while watching TV.  It is also a relatively effortless way to increase hand and forearm strength for people participating in weekend sports activities such as tennis or golf.

According to the traditional Chinese medical theory of "Jingluo" (Jingluo refers to the main and collateral channels, regarded as a network of passages, through which vital energy circulates and along which acupuncture points are distributed), the ten fingers are connected with the cranial nerve and vital organs of the human body, including heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys, gall bladder, stomach and intestines, etc.  When moving the iron balls with the fingers, the balls can stimulate the various acupuncture points on the hand, resulting in increased circulation of vital energy and blood in the body.  "It can cause the jingluo (channels) to be cleared, the vital energy and blood to function in harmony, the muscles to become nimble [I'm guessing the word is nimble, but there's a hole in the paper], the bones to strengthen, the mind to clear, the circulation to improve, and can prevent and relieve hypertension and various chronic diseases.  If you keep exercising everyday for months and years, you can get the fine results of keeping your brain in good health with high intelligence and good memory, relieving your fatigue, drowning your worries, and, moreover, prolonging your life."

To exercise, put two iron balls on your palm, and crook and stretch your four fingers and thumb in sequence to cause the balls to rotate and revolve either clockwise or counter-clockwise.  All the joints of the hand will always be in motion; and with the crooking and stretching of the fingers, the forearm muscles are contracted and relaxed rythymically [sic].  At first, you may prefer balls of smaller size for exercise; but as your hand strength and dexterity increase, you can use larger and heavier balls.  You should exercise both hands alternately, and will be amazed at how soon your fingers "learn" to move the balls around your palms.

[transcribed from the "Something Special" instructions, but there were some small holes in the paper, so my transcription might not be 100% accurate]

how's the weather

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Only 200 miles separate Michael Tilden and Miranda Garcia in rain-soaked Iowa. But they are worlds apart when it comes to their opinion of the weather.

Garcia, a 38-year-old former journalist and Democrat from Des Moines, thinks flooding has been getting worse in the state, which just came out of its wettest 12-months on record. Tilden, a 44-year-old math teacher and Republican from Sioux City, thinks otherwise: “I’ve noticed essentially the same weather pattern every single year,” he said.

Their different takes underscore a broader truth about the way Americans perceive extreme weather: Democrats are far more likely to believe droughts, floods, wildfires, hurricanes and tropical storms have become more frequent or intense where they live in the last decade, according to a Reuters/Ipsos poll.

The divergence shows how years of political squabbling over global warming - including disputes over its existence - have grown deep roots, distorting the way Americans view the world around them. The divide will play into the 2020 election as Democratic hopefuls seek to sell aggressive proposals to reduce or even end fossil fuel consumption by drawing links between climate change and recent floods, storms and wildfires.

Nearly two-thirds of Democrats believe severe thunderstorms and floods have become more frequent, compared to 42% and 50% of Republicans, respectively, according to the poll.

Today's Thought

The Rev. Paul Sutekichi Osumi wrote a short, inspirational column six days a week in The Honolulu Advertiser from 1957 to 1993 named Today’s Thought.

These 2- to 3-inch missives meant a lot to his thousands of readers. Many taped them on their desks, walls, refrigerators, mirrors, carried them in wallets or mailed them all over the world. Some called Osumi ’’Hawaii’s best-read author,” and others said the minister “had the biggest congregation in Hawaii.”

His short pieces also appeared in the Hawaii Hochi and the Fairbanks Daily News. Thousands wrote him letters of appreciation.

In the beginning, several ministers from different faiths were asked to contribute to Today’s Thought, Osumi recalled. “I outlasted them all because I didn’t write about my own theology. I wrote about real life.”

By 1959, only Osumi was still writing the column, and he continued to 1993. He died in 1996 at age 90. Here are a few of his writings.

TEN COMMANDMENTS FOR A HAPPY MARRIAGE
1. Remember marriage is a 100-100 proposition. It’s not a 50-50.
2. Neglect the whole world rather than each other.
3. Never meet or part without an affectionate hug or kiss.
4. Each day, say at least one nice thing to each other.
5. Never go to bed angry. Settle all differences before the sun goes down.
6. Do not argue. Always talk things over.
7. Do not nag or engage in fault finding.
8. Never bring up mistakes of the past.
9. When you have made a mistake, say “I am sorry” and ask for forgiveness.
10. Never raise your voice or shout at each other unless the house is on fire.

Learn to Listen
A man in trouble said to his minister, “Thank you very much. You have helped me greatly.” Yet the minister had done nothing except to listen. If we are to do well in this world, we must learn to listen. In times of great stress, words are often futile. Often the only comfort and help we can give our friends in sorrow is to be silent and listen.

Finding Faults
If you seek to find faults in others, you will not be disappointed. You are sure to find them. But if you go out to discover the good in men and women about you, you will find a host of heroes and saints live in your homes and shops and streets. Look for the best instead of the worst.

Resolutions for a Happy Life
No one will get out of this world alive. Therefore …

Thoughts to Live By
Life is what we make of it.
Life is 90 percent attitude: think positively.
You must have something to live for.
Life is a series of ups and downs.
Forget the past and face the future: live each day to the fullest.
Let us always love people, not things.
Your life is measured by what your life meant to others.
Learn to laugh and say kind things.
To be happy, be yourself.
You have only one body; that is irreplaceable.
There is only one race: the human race.

Resolve to maintain a reasonable sense of values
Take care of yourself. Good health is everyone’s major source of wealth. Without it, happiness is harder to attain and sometimes almost impossible.

Resolve to be cheerful and helpful. People will repay you in kind. Avoid angry, abrasive people. They are generally vengeful. Avoid zealots (fanatics, cranks, loners). They are generally humorless.

Resolve to listen more and talk less. No one ever learns anything by talking. Be chary (cautious) of giving advice. Wise men do not need it and fools will not heed it.

Resolve to be tender with the young, compassionate with the aged, sympathetic with the striving, and tolerant of the weak and wrong. Sometimes in life, you will be all of these.

Do not equate money with success. There are many successful moneymakers who are miserable failures as human beings. What counts most about success is how a person achieves it.

New 007

In news that will surely come as a shock to James Bond fans and the film industry at large, it was revealed today that longtime 007 Daniel Craig will pass the Walther PPK to black British actress Lashana Lynch in the iconic role.

For years there has been intense speculation about who would take over the reins of one of the most durable and profitable film franchises in history once Craig stepped aside. Much of that speculation has revolved around whether the series might make a nod toward diversity and cast a person of color or a woman for the first time.

But if the report from UK tabloid the Daily Mail is to be believed, the 007 producers are going for a radical twofer: casting a 31-year-old black female newcomer as Bond’s heir apparent.

According to the report, the upcoming, yet-to-be-titled 25th Bond film will reveal Lynch as the new 007 with Craig’s character coming out of retirement for one last mission.

the end is near

Alfred E. Neuman finally has a reason to worry.

Mad magazine, the class clown of American publishing, is being shuffled off to the periodical equivalent of an old-folks home at the age of 67.

After the next two issues, a publication that specialized in thumbing its nose at authority will no longer include new material, except in year-end specials, according to two people with knowledge of the decision. Instead, the “usual gang of idiots,” as the staff has long called itself on the masthead, will fill the magazine’s pages with old material.

A giddy creation of the staid 1950s, Mad hit a circulation peak of 2.8 million in 1973. Since then, it has steadily lost readers and relevance, a victim of its own success, as its skeptical, smart-alecky sensibility became dominant in American popular culture. “Saturday Night Live,” “The Simpsons,” “South Park” and The Onion can be counted among its heirs, and the magazine influenced a generation of comedians and comic artists, from the late-night host Stephen Colbert to the comics writer Art Spiegelman.

Alfred E. Neuman, Mad’s freckle-faced, tooth-deficient mascot, has served as the magazine’s cover boy from the Eisenhower years to the present, appearing in various guises, including Barbra Streisand, Rosemary’s baby and both President Bushes. His motto was “What, me worry?”

blood sugar and Alzheimer's

In recent years, Alzheimer’s disease has occasionally been referred to as “type 3” diabetes, though that moniker doesn’t make much sense. After all, though they share a problem with insulin, type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease, and type 2 diabetes is a chronic disease caused by diet. Instead of another type of diabetes, it’s increasingly looking like Alzheimer’s is another potential side effect of a sugary, Western-style diet.

A longitudinal study, published in the journal Diabetologia, followed 5,189 people over 10 years and found that people with high blood sugar had a faster rate of cognitive decline than those with normal blood sugar—whether or not their blood-sugar level technically made them diabetic. In other words, the higher the blood sugar, the faster the cognitive decline.

Alice Inoue

Noticed that Alice Inoue (of Go Ask Alice fame) is still writing.  I notice today that her columns have been appearing in the Live Well section of the Star Advertiser.

Here's some of them:

6/11/19 - Humility will help you go far
6/04/19 - Stop 'shoulding' over yourself
5/28/19 - Mindfully move through the day
5/21/19 - Don't stop becoming a better you
5/14/19 - Embrace your form of spirituality
5/07/19 - Enjoy the moment and create positive memories

is fruit bad for you?

In recent months, my dietitian colleagues and I have been encountering more and more people making claims like “fruit is bad for you” or “fruit is toxic.” “What is going ON?” one of them posted on a dietitian Internet mailing list. What’s going on is that the current crop of fad diets, such as paleo, keto, carnivore and pegan — have convinced a lot of people that fruit is a dietary no-no.

There was a time when we didn’t question whether fruit was good for us, when we more or less took “eat your fruits and veggies” to heart. Today, many people are worried that fruit is too high in carbs, sugar and calories. One of my patients wouldn’t eat any fruit other than blueberries because she had bought into the myth — again, promoted by fad diets — that blueberries are the only “safe” fruit to eat because they are “low glycemic” (in other words, they don’t cause your blood sugar to spike). Here’s the kicker: She didn’t even like blueberries.

Berries are the only fruit allowed on the pegan diet, the subtext being that other fruit is a ticket to high blood sugar; but this is a fairly liberal stance compared with other fad diets du jour. For example, many followers of the keto diet and the trending carnivore diet (a.k.a. the “zero carb” diet) call fruit toxic because of its sugar. Now, that’s what I consider disordered eating.

It’s true that whole fruit contains sugar, but it is natural sugar. The sugar we would be wise to limit is added sugar, found in regular soda and many highly processed foods. When you eat an apple, a pear, a peach or some berries, their sugar comes wrapped in a fiber-rich, water-rich, nutrient-rich package. That fiber slows the release of fruit’s natural sugar into your bloodstream, preventing a sugar spike, especially if you eat your fruit as part of a meal or snack that contains protein and healthy fats.

Ditching fruit may mean missing out on some key nutrients. Many fruits are rich not just in vitamins and minerals, but also in phytochemicals, natural plant-based compounds that appear to have a variety of health benefits, including helping to prevent cancer and promote cardiovascular health. Pigment-rich berries and cherries are especially good sources of phytochemicals, but apples, oranges and other fruits contain phytochemicals, too.

no aspirin for you

If you're a healthy older adult looking for ways to reduce your risk of heart attack and stroke, don't turn to that age-old standby: daily low-dose aspirin. It's no longer recommended as a preventative for older adults who don't have a high risk or existing heart disease, according to guidelines announced Sunday by the American College of Cardiology and the American Heart Association.

"For the most part, we are now much better at treating risk factors such as hypertension, diabetes and especially high cholesterol," said North Carolina cardiologist Dr. Kevin Campbell, who wasn't involved in the new guidelines. "This makes the biggest difference, probably negating any previously perceived aspirin benefit in primary prevention."

Doctors may consider aspirin for certain older high-risk patients, such as those who have trouble lowering their cholesterol or managing their blood sugars, as long as there is no increased risk for internal bleeding, the guidelines say. European guidelines recommend against the use of anti-clotting therapies such as aspirin at any age.

Medicare-covered preventive services

You may have heard something lately about “preventive health care.” What does that mean?
At its most basic, preventive health care means living a healthful lifestyle. Eat a balanced diet. Exercise regularly. Maintain a healthful weight. And stop smoking.

Like anyone else, people with Medicare can benefit from healthful living habits. But Medicare covers a wide variety of shots to help you stay healthy. It also covers numerous tests to help detect diseases early, when they’re in their most treatable stages.

You pay nothing for most Medicare-covered preventive services if you get them from a doctor or other qualified health care provider who “accepts assignment,” meaning they accept Medicare as payment in full for their services.

For example, you pay nothing out of pocket when you get a “Welcome to Medicare” physical exam. This one-time exam is offered during the first 12 months after you’ve enrolled in Medicare Part B.
This visit includes a review of your medical and social history related to your health, and education and counseling about preventive services, including certain screenings, flu and pneumococcal shots, and referrals for other care if needed.

If you’ve had Part B for longer than 12 months, you can get a yearly wellness exam. You pay nothing for this visit if your doctor accepts assignment. And the Part B deductible doesn’t apply.

The wellness exam is designed to help prevent disease and disability based on your current health and risk factors. Your provider will ask you to fill out a questionnaire, called a Health Risk Assessment, as part of this visit. Answering these questions can help you and your provider develop a personalized prevention plan to help you stay healthy and get the most out of your visit

Hawaii Five-O (or Hawaii Five-0)

The idea for “Hawaii Five-O” came from Gov. John Burns, who wanted to create a statewide police task force that reported directly to the governor to deal with serious crimes.

He shared the idea with CBS producer Leonard Freeman when the Legislature rejected it. Freeman set the show in Hawaii because his mother-in-law, Amelia, lived here and wanted to see him more often.

Islanders were concerned that a crime show might portray Hawaii negatively. Somehow, however, the 300 million people who watched the show in 80 countries did not see Hawaii as crime-ridden. They saw beautiful beaches and mountains. With the opening shot of a perfectly formed wave at Pipeline, they were hooked.

When “Hawaii Five-O” went on the air in 1968, about 800,000 tourists visited the islands each year. Twelve years later when it wrapped for the last time, 4 million visited.

KHON2 News anchor Joe Moore, who guest-starred in 12 episodes, believes that the economic impact of the original “Five-O” was enormous.

“The huge growth in our tourism can be directly attributed to the exposure given the islands every week on ‘Hawaii Five-O.’ It was an hourlong commercial for Hawaii every week for 12 seasons.”

The names of the original show and the current show are slightly different. You have to look closely. The “O” in the original was the letter. The current show, which began airing in 2010, uses the number, “0.” Both names are a nod to our being the 50th state.

Gregory Peck and Richard Boone were considered for the role of Steve McGarrett before Jack Lord.

Lord was seriously considered for the role of Captain Kirk in “Star Trek.” Lord wanted to co-produce that series and own a percentage of it. The show’s creator, Gene Roddenberry, wasn’t willing to meet his demands and cast William Shatner instead.

Arrow to end

"Arrow" has only a few episodes left in its quiver.

The popular CW series, which helped launch a CW Arrow-verse of shows featuring DC Comics superheroes, will end its run with a shortened, 10-episode eighth season in the fall.

Stephen Amell, who plays Oliver Queen and his alter ego, Green Arrow, announced the impending conclusion on Twitter Wednesday.

"Playing Oliver Queen has been the greatest professional experience of my life... but you can’t be a vigilante forever. Arrow will return for a final run of 10 episodes this Fall," he wrote. "There’s so much to say... for now I just want to say thank you."

Arrow reached a milestone, its 150th episode, earlier this year.

aikido: safe falling for seniors

In the summer of 2017, Bill Doi, a fifth-degree black belt in aikido, taught a group of about 10 senior citizens how to fall. The class emphasized balance and awareness to avoid falls, but since falling is an ever-present threat as people age, and since falling can be so devastating to seniors, the idea was to use aikido techniques to mitigate the damage of falling should it happen.

“In aikido, 50 percent of the time is spent falling,” Doi said, and those falls are taught so they’re executed without injury. If the techniques are practiced enough, they become second nature if a fall should occur.

Word got out about the Safe Falling class, and the instructors were overwhelmed when a hundred new students showed up. There was clearly a desire for this training in the community.

mindful eating

We often talk about the power of mindful meditation to ease stress, improve sleep and reduce emotional issues like depression, anxiety and anger — and to help preserve cognitive function as you age. But an amazing, untapped power of mindfulness is its ability to transform your eating habits.

You can use mindfulness to increase your sensory enjoyment of food’s smell, taste, texture and umami (that elusive quality that provides pleasure when eating).

When you do, you will automatically upgrade your nutrition by exploring the flavors of more fruits, vegetables and whole grains while dumping the artificial, toxin-laden ingredients that are shoved into fast and processed foods.

Like mindful meditation and using deep breathing to help you focus and relax, mindful eating calls for a calm, focused, respectful relationship to food. This focus lets the food talk to you and tell you about its qualities and benefits to body and mind.

As Dr. Mike Roizen and Dr. Michael Crupain say in their book, “What to Eat When,” eating has unfortunately become a vacuum-like process. The sensory experience that should accompany eating is generally lost on 99 percent of you in 99 percent of your meals. We can help you change that.

A lot of mindless eating happens because we eat on the run. No time to savor anything. And that doesn’t just mean you miss out on the sensory pleasures of food, but you also cause yourself health problems. One 2017 study found that those who eat quickly (and quickly pretty much equals mindlessness, not mindfulness) were two to five times as likely to develop metabolic syndrome, a precursor to heart disease and diabetes, over a five-year span than folks who eat more slowly.

New Year's resolutions for health

It’s time to consolidate New Year’s resolutions for 2019. What is most important for the year ahead, amid escalating climate change, political turmoil in Washington, D.C., economic uncertainty across the globe and big questions about the future of health care?

Start with a checkup

Find a primary care provider. If you have one, go in for your annual visit. January is a good time to check in and check up for a year of optimal health. Manakai o Malama typically has an influx of new patients in January and expands staffing.

With joints and tendons, we can typically trust our bodies if pain-free and functioning well. In contrast, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, early cancers and heart, liver and kidney disease are detectable only with a good examination and proper screening. Make that appointment now.

Create a lifestyle plan

>> Tips for success: Set goals that are achievable. Does it fit in the schedule? How far away? Goals should be enjoyable, not humbug. Solid support, whether it is a weight-loss challenge among co-workers, a workout partner or a good coach, is key.

>> Watch the mouth: Remember, no amount of exercise will make up for a consistently unhealthy diet, especially without portion control. Green vegetables are key, but if unaccustomed to raw greens, steam them lightly. Consume lean protein regularly and limit the simple carbs. Go for local, organic and non-GMO. Enjoy the farmers market and make eye contact with the person who grew the food you will eat. Pick a vice and cut back. Give up some sodas, smokes or a scoop of rice.

Tune in to what comes out of the mouth as well. Negative chatter is so habitual. It affects mental health and human relationships and has no upside in business. People who practice not talking stink seem to live in a better place. Still, we need courage for straight talk and for sharing what we truly feel. Yup, suppression also breeds illness. And laugh.

Remember, the mouth and nose are also for breathing. When angry or fearful, we don’t exhale fully. When emotionally down, inhalation is shallow. Try to take five minutes daily to sit and reflect on the breath. Just notice the pattern.

>> Move the body: When Americans think exercise we think “cardio” and “resistance” training. For cardio it’s best to get the heart rate up with a good sweat six days per week. Twenty minutes three times per week is the minimum. If overweight or over 40 and out of shape, first get medical clearance to avoid a heart attack or stroke. For resistance training, weights work if the technique is solid. Swimming is terrific, especially if limited to low-impact activity.

Appreciate the value of flexibility training. It deserves equal time. Yoga is hard to beat if taught by a good instructor, and can be enjoyed by almost anyone. Be cautious with the big yoga chains that have commoditized the ancient art. Yoga is especially important for those who do sports that use one arm or that require the body to twist in the same direction each time such as golf, tennis or baseball. Manakai o Malama continuously sees joint injuries and sprains among those who have omitted a routine of flexibility training.

The determined streak to keep breaking our personal fitness records is a rush, but there comes a point in the life when the priority shifts to staying healthy and pain-free for the long term.

Cultivate the mind

Perspective is everything. I like to fish. It struck me once after pulling a big bull mahi on board that for one person catching a fish is just a trophy, while the next person is harvesting a sacred life to feed the ohana. The point is that perspective is everything, but there is a tendency to be so habituated, so close to it that we fail to recognize what really drives our actions. Take a few minutes each day to reflect, observe and reaffirm those New Year’s resolutions.

--- Ira Zunin is medical director of Manakai o Malama Integrative Healthcare Group and Rehabilitation Center and CEO of Global Advisory Serv­ices Inc.

DC's Legends of Tomorrow continue their battle

The holiday season is shaping up to be a real treat for comic book lovers and superhero fans. This month alone we will see "Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse," "Once Upon a Deadpool" and DC Comics' "Aquaman" hit the big screen. While Spidey and others dominate the cineplexes, relax, catch up with your favorite small screen heroes and enjoy some out-of-this-world action as they continue their battle against the most dangerous criminals in the universe in an episode of "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," airing Monday, Dec. 17, on CW.

For years entertainment pundits have predicted that the superhero bubble would burst. It's just a matter of time, they'd say, as with all entertainment trends, before people eventually tire of these types of stories and move on to something else (see the western). It seems, however, that the general public is quite content with the numerous superhero tales found on the big and small screen these days, and is not quite ready to move on.

We are living in a golden age of television, and that extends to the superhero genre as well. Taking full advantage of the medium's potential, CW and DC have created a rich universe to showcase some of their best and most interesting characters and storylines. Since the debut of "Arrow" in 2012, the series has served as a launching pad for numerous new characters who have gone on to star in their own series, and in turn launch other characters such as The Flash. The Arrow verse is made up of the aforementioned "Arrow" and "The Flash," as well as "Supergirl," "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" and two web series.

In "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," we follow a rag-tag team of dysfunctional time-traveling superheroes assembled by Rip Hunter, the Time Master (Arthur Darvill, "Broadchurch") as they battle havoc-wreaking villains.

The ever-growing Legends team is primarily comprised of Ray Palmer/Atom (Brandon Routh, "Chuck"); Sara Lance/ White Canary (Caity Lotz, "Mad Men"); Martin Stein (Victor Garber, "Alias") and Jefferson "Jax" Jackson (Franz Drameh, "Edge of Tomorrow," 2014), who make up Firestorm; Kendra Saunders/Hawkgirl (Ciara Renée, "Master of None"); Carter Hall/Hawkman (Falk Hentschel, "The Alienist"); Leonard Snart/Captain Cold (Wentworth Miller, "Prison Break"); and Mick Rory/Heat Wave (Dominic Purcell, "Prison Break").

Over the course of three seasons, the Legends have fought many battles against Vandal Savage (Casper Crump, "The Legend of Tarzan," 2016), Damien Darhk (Neal McDonough, "Desperate Housewives") and other dastardly foes, but it seems that they have finally met their match.

Last season ended on a triumphant note as the team celebrated the defeat of the demon Mallus, but unfortunately things aren't as easy as they'd hoped. By defeating the season's big bad, the team created more problems. Bigger problems. The barrier between worlds has softened and magical creatures are penetrating our heroes' world like never before.

This season, the team, along with John Constantine (Matt Ryan, "Constantine"), must contend with magical creatures from myths, fairy tales and legends. These "fugitives," as our heroes refer to them, are extremely dangerous and have only death and destruction on their minds. Will our heroes be able to fend off these monsters? And how will the disintegrating barrier between worlds impact the rest of the Arrow verse? Only time will tell, but what is certain is that it will be a wild ride.

Due in large part to the massive success of the Marvel films, we live in a time of shared universes. Nowadays, everything from "JohnWick" (2014) to "The Conjuring" (2013) is trying to get in on the action by creating series destined to spawn spinoffs, sequels, prequels and even the rare sidequel. Most of these cinematic universes have failed to take off (see the Dark Universe) or have been underwhelming both critically and commercially, but the Arrowverse and "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" have succeeded where most have failed. This success can be attributed to interesting characters, compelling plots and solid villains, among many other factors.

Over the years, DC has earned a reputation for its dark, grim and ultra-serious films such as the recent blockbusters "Man of Steel" (2013) and "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" (2016). Yet the company has taken a completely different approach for its television properties. Unlike Ben Affleck's brooding (and extremely violent) Batman, the heroes seen in the Arrow verse, and especially in "DC's Legends of Tomorrow," are fun, quippy, flashy and absolutely over the top.

Week after week, the time traveling misfits visit new and fascinating places like Victorian London and 17th-century feudal Japan where they take on often ridiculous villains. The way Firestorm and the gang defeat these villains is equally ridiculous. Case in point: last season ended with an epic battle between a stuffed toy (think of a Tickle Me Elmo) and a dragon demon. In short, the series is a unique breath of fresh air that does not take itself too seriously.

On Monday, Dec. 17, recover from the stunning events of the "Elseworlds" crossover and reacquaint yourself with "DC's Legends of Tomorrow" as they take on magical creatures from myths, fairy tales and legends on CW.

-- Francis Babin 12/16/18

deli meats

Q. Is eating deli meats really that bad? Does it make a difference if it’s organic, nitrate-free or uncured?

A. Meat and poultry are excellent sources of protein, B vitamins and certain minerals, but consuming even small amounts of processed meat increases the risk of colorectal cancer.

“We see a 4 percent increase in the risk of cancer even at 15 grams a day, which is a single slice of ham on a sandwich,” said Dr. Nigel Brockton, director of research for the American Institute for Cancer Research. Eating a more typical serving of 50 grams of processed meat a day would increase the risk of colorectal cancer by 18 percent, a 2011 review of studies found.

Unprocessed red meat, by comparison, increases cancer risk only at amounts greater than 100 grams a day, and the evidence for that link is limited, Dr. Brockton said, adding that the institute advises people to “limit” red meat but “avoid” processed meat.

There is some evidence suggesting an association between processed meat and stomach cancer. And a recent study found an increased risk of breast cancer among women who ate the most processed meats.

Processed meat refers to any meat, including pork, poultry, lamb, goat or others, that has been salted, smoked, cured, fermented or otherwise processed for preservation or to enhance the flavor. The category includes hot dogs, ham, bacon and turkey bacon, corned beef, pepperoni, salami, smoked turkey, bologna and other luncheon and deli meats, sausages, corned beef, biltong or beef jerky, canned meat and meat-based preparations and sauces, among others.

Many of these meats tend to be high in salt and saturated fat, though lean and low-sodium options are available.

Processed meats are often cured by adding sodium nitrite, which gives them a pink color and a distinct taste, or by adding sodium nitrite and lactic acid, which provides a tangy taste, according to The American Meat Institute. In the past, nitrates, in the form of saltpeter, were traditionally used. Nitrates or nitrites inhibit the growth of botulism and scientists suspect they may be involved in the formation of cancer-causing compounds in the body. (Vegetables also contain nitrates and nitrites, but eating them is not associated with an increased risk of cancer.)

Some products that claim to be “natural” or “organic” may say they are processed without nitrites or nitrates, and the label may say the item has “no artificial preservatives” or is “uncured.” But nutritionists warn that food manufacturers may still add vegetable powders or juices such as celery juice or beetroot juice that contain naturally occurring nitrates, which are converted to nitrites either in the food itself or when they interact with bacteria in our bodies.

The food label will state that there are “no nitrates or nitrites added,” but an asterisk will often lead to a fine-print addendum with the clarification, “except those naturally occurring in celery juice powder,” sea salt or a vegetable juice.

As a result some “natural” or “organic” roast beef and turkey breast, or other products cured with sea salt, evaporated cane juice, potato starch, or natural flavorings or seasonings, may end up with just as high a nitrite content as meats with sodium nitrite added.

Adding to the confusion for consumers is that the U.S.D.A. requires these meats be labeled “uncured” because they are produced without added nitrites or nitrates.

“The average person goes to the store and sees claims like ‘organic, ‘natural,’ or ‘no added nitrates or nitrites,’ and they assume those meats are safer, and they’re not,” said Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest, a food safety advocacy group.

The bottom line: If you’re trying to avoid processed meats in order to reduce your risk of cancer, it may be hard to know whether products labeled “natural,” “organic,” “uncured,” or “nitrate and nitrite free” fall into this category or not.

The C.S.P.I. has been urging the Department of Agriculture to require labels on processed meats and poultry that identify the products and inform the public that frequent consumption may increase the risk of colon cancer. A spokeswoman for the U.S.D.A.’s Food Safety and Inspection Service, Veronika Pfaeffle, said recently that the petition, filed in Dec. 2016, is still “under review.”

aging well

Getting older is inevitable (and certainly better than the alternative). While you can’t control your age, you can slow the decline of aging with smart choices along the way. From the foods you eat and how you exercise to your friendships and retirement goals — it all has an effect on how fast or slow your body ages. Keep reading for simple ways to keep your body tuned up and your mind tuned in. And the good news is that it’s never too late to get started.

Stan Lee

Stan Lee, the legendary writer, editor and publisher of Marvel Comics whose fantabulous but flawed creations made him a real-life superhero to comic book lovers everywhere, has died. He was 95.

Lee, who began in the business in 1939 and created or co-created Black Panther, Spider-Man, the X-Men, the Mighty Thor, Iron Man, the Fantastic Four, the Incredible Hulk, Daredevil and Ant-Man, among countless other characters, died early Monday morning at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, a family representative told The Hollywood Reporter.

On his own and through his work with frequent artist-writer collaborators Jack Kirby, Steve Ditko (who died in July) and others, Lee catapulted Marvel from a tiny venture into the world's No. 1 publisher of comic books and, later, a multimedia giant.

In 2009, The Walt Disney Co. bought Marvel Entertainment for $4 billion, and most of the top-grossing superhero films of all time — led by Avengers: Infinity War's $2.05 billion worldwide take earlier this year — have featured Marvel characters.

"I used to think what I did was not very important," he told the Chicago Tribune in April 2014. "People are building bridges and engaging in medical research, and here I was doing stories about fictional people who do extraordinary, crazy things and wear costumes. But I suppose I have come to realize that entertainment is not easily dismissed."

Lee's fame and influence as the face and figurehead of Marvel, even in his nonagenarian years, remained considerable.

Beginning in the 1960s, the irrepressible and feisty Lee punched up his Marvel superheroes with personality, not just power. Until then, comic book headliners like those of DC Comics were square and well-adjusted, but his heroes had human foibles and hang-ups; Peter Parker/Spider-Man, for example, fretted about his dandruff and was confused about dating. The evildoers were a mess of psychological complexity.

"His stories taught me that even superheroes like Spider-Man and the Incredible Hulk have ego deficiencies and girl problems and do not live in their macho fantasies 24 hours a day," Gene Simmons of Kiss said in a 1979 interview. "Through the honesty of guys like Spider-Man, I learned about the shades of gray in human nature."

His way of doing things at Marvel was to brainstorm a story with an artist, then write a synopsis. After the artist drew the story panels, Lee filled in the word balloons and captions. The process became known as “The Marvel Method.”

Lee collaborated with artist-writer Kirby on the Fantastic Four, Hulk, Iron Man, Thor, Silver Surfer and X-Men. With artist-writer Ditko he created Spider-Man and the surgeon Doctor Strange, and with artist Bill Everett came up with the blind superhero Daredevil.

Daiso is coming to Hawaii

aiso, one of Japan’s most popular discount retailers, is opening its first Hawaii store in mid- December at the Pearl City Shopping Center.

HouseMart, parent company of Ben Franklin Crafts and Ace Hardware, has an exclusive licensing agreement to open Daiso, which has more than 3,200 stores in Japan and over 5,200 stores worldwide.


The company sells everything from beauty products and household goods to Japanese snacks and stationery. While known as the “Japanese dollar store,” Daiso products are generally $1.50 to $3 on the mainland, where it has more than 70 stores. The store said it is able to keep prices down through high-volume sales that are in the millions for a single product.

Lennon and McCartney double take

Fans of The Beatles did a double take on Monday when Sean Ono Lennon, the only son of the late John Lennon and Yoko Ono, posted a selfie with James McCartney, the son of Paul McCartney and Linda McCartney, to Instagram.

The two famous offspring certainly have some striking similarities to their famous fathers, not least of which is their love of music.

In the shot, which is simply captioned, “Peekaboo,” James is holding his acoustic guitar, and giving a smile just like his dad.

Movies Anywhere

[8/6/18] Today we are excited to announce that the Microsoft Movies & TV app for Xbox and Windows 10 devices now supports Movies Anywhere, which brings your favorite film libraries together in one place.

When you connect your Microsoft account with your Movies Anywhere account, all of your eligible movies from Microsoft can be enjoyed across your favorite screens at no extra cost. This includes Xbox and Windows, iOS and Android, smart TVs, and streaming devices.

In addition, eligible movies you previously purchased from other participating digital retailers will now be viewable through the Movies & TV app on Xbox and Windows 10.

As part of our launch, we have a limited time offer for anyone who connects his or her Microsoft account to Movies Anywhere for the first time. Once you connect, you will receive X-Men Days of Future Past in your digital collection on us. This offer begins today and only runs for a limited time, so head here to connect your accounts today or visit this page for complete details.

***

[3/12/18] Fandano joins Movies Anywhere

***

[10/12/17] Movies Anywhere is a new service that solves a major problem.

Using a single app, you can now access your Amazon, iTunes, Google and Vudu movie libraries. For real. That not only eliminates the hassles of jumping among four different services depending on what you want to watch, but also dissolves some platform barriers. For example, Roku owners can watch movies purchased from iTunes. Amazon Fire tablet owners can watch Google Play movies, and so on.

Ready to get started? Movies Anywhere is free, and when you connect at least two of the aforementioned services (which Movies Anywhere refers to as "retailers"), you'll score five free movies:

• "Big Hero 6"
• "Ghostbusters (2016)"
• "Ice Age"
• "Jason Bourne"
• "The Lego Movie"

[Actually I don't use the Movies Anywhere app.  Your movies largely migrate to all the services, so I generally use Amazon Video, or Vudu, or iTunes.

Most, but not every movie is supported however.  And no TV yet.]

How We Learn

Book Review: 'How We Learn: The Surprising Truth About When, Where and Why It Happens' by Benedict Carey

Carey’s book has four sections. It begins with an introduction of the biological function of the brain and the cognitive science of learning, which are the theoretical foundation of later sections. The second part of the book deals with retention tools and the third part deals with comprehension techniques. The last part of the book explores how we can improve learning subconsciously, or “learning without thinking,” as Carey describes it.

To me, the most useful information of the book is about the common learnings strategies that are now proven less effective.

For instance, it’s widely accepted that it’s better to find a quiet place to study and we should go to this place all the time – making it a routine. Well, according to Carey,

“scientists have found that we work more effectively when we continually alter our study routines and abandon any ‘dedicated space’ in favor of varied locations. Sticking to one learning ritual slows us down."

Take another widely-accepted practice - devoting a dedicated black of time to repetitively practicing a skill (such as long division) is the best way to master a particular skill. Carey points out that this is also wrong as

“studies find that the brain picks up patterns more efficiently when presented with a mixed bag of related tasks than when it’s forced-fed just one, no matter the age of the student or the subject matter area."

Another example comes from digital distraction such as Facebook Twitter and WeChat, which is blamed by many as the biggest hurdle to focus (including myself). While these distractions do harm our ability to focus, they may help (only a brief distraction) “when we’re stuck on a math problem or tied up in a creative knot and need to shake free.

Carey also offers a very interesting theory – the Forget to Learn theory. This theory suggests that “forgetting is the best friend of learning, rather than its rival.” First of all, forgetting acts as a “spam filter.” By filtering out information that we might need, forgetting allows the brain to focus. Another benefit of forgetting is that normal forgetting is helpful for subsequent learning. Carey uses the muscle-building metaphor to illustrate this point – some breakdown must occur for us to gain muscle. Similarly, some breakdown must occur for us to strengthen learning.

It’s good to know that it’s not necessarily a bad thing to forget.

Retention and comprehension tools:

The first principle theory of memory is an enormously important theory, which is “shepherded” by UCLA’s Robert Bjork and his wife Elizabeth Ligon Bjork. The theory says that

“any memory has two strengths, a storage strength and a retrieval strength. Storage strength is a measure of how well learned something is. It builds up steadily with studying and more sharply with use. Storage strength can increases but it never decreases. Retrieval strength is a measure of how easily a nugget of information comes to mind. It,too, increases with studying, and with use. Without reinforcement, however, retrieval strength drops off quickly, and its capacity is relatively small. At any time, we can pull up only a limited number of items in connection with any given cue or reminder. Compared to storage, retrieval strength is fickle. It can build quickly but also weaken quickly.”

An-equally important principle is called the principle of desirable difficulty. The principle states that “the harder we have to work to retrieve a memory, the greater the subsequent spike in retrieval and storage strength (learning).”

Fortunately, Carey has offered us some great retention techniques that can help us learn better.

First of all, “having something going on in the study environment, like music, is better than nothing.” Because the experience of studying has more dimensions than we notice, some of which can have an impact on retention. Subconscious contextual cues such as music, light, and background color are valuable when it comes to retention. It we can multiple the number of perceptions connected to a given memory, we’ll do better. And it’s not that hard. We can switch places – just go to another Starbucks. We can listen to classical music today and jazz tomorrow.

The second technique Carey shares is the distributed learning, or the spacing effect. The spacing effect basically says we learn just as much but retain it much longer when we space our study time than when we concentrate our study time. Studying a new concept right after you learn it doesn’t’ deepen the memory much but studying it an hour later or a day later, does. Scientists have helped established both “minimum intervals” and “maximum intervals” required to keep newly learned facts accessible.

Carey sheds some light on the spacing effect with his own experiences. He used to study difficult materials for an hour and return the next day practically remembering nothing. But now he utilizes the spacing technique – he would treat the first encounter as a casual walk through for about twenty minutes. Then he’ll go through round two and round three with the same material later, each twenty minutes. He hasn’t used more time but he remembers more.

I’ll pause here and share the rest of my notes in the upcoming articles.

Star Wars movie chronology

The “Star Wars” universe has been rapidly expanding in recent years, with the new trilogy as well as standalone films like “Rogue One” and Friday’s release of “Solo: A Star Wars Story.”

But unlike many of its predecessors, deciphering just where “Solo” fits chronologically in the franchise has been a bit of a head scratcher (in part because it’s unclear how old Han Solo is in the prequel).

While die-hard fans may be able to accurately guess where the “Solo” film fits into the bigger timeline, more casual viewers will have a tougher time deciphering the proper order.


With that in mind, here’s a quick movie timeline, spanning from the introduction of a baby-faced Anakin Skywalker to the recent debuts of Rey and Finn, perfect for your next movie marathon.

***

And here's a timeline including the animated shows.

medicare

[4/26/18]   6 key Medicare questions

Learn about Medicare eligibility, choices, costs, and when and how to sign up.

[5/13/13] While some people may have access to employer‐provided retiree health care coverage, the government's Medicare health insurance program is still the primary source of health coverage for American retirees. Most automatically qualify for basic Medicare hospital insurance (known as Part A) as soon as they reach age 65. This coverage costs nothing if you or your spouse paid Medicare taxes during your working years.

On the other hand, Medicare medical insurance (known as Part B), which covers doctors' services, outpatient hospital care, and some other medical services such as physical and occupational therapy and some home health care, is not free. You pay a monthly premium for Part B, and there's no annual limit on your out‐of‐pocket expenses as there is with many private insurance policies.

Medicare Advantage plans combine Medicare Parts A and B and supplemental coverage in a single policy. They are privately managed and can offer lower premiums or better benefits than a traditional Medicare setup where each part is treated separately. But these plans also can limit you to using only network providers.

Prescription drug costs have also gone up; although it is only 10% of total health expenditures, spending on prescription drugs has risen 114% from 2000 to 2010.⁴ To cover prescription drugs in retirement, you also can purchase Medicare Part D prescription coverage to add to Part A, Part B, and your Medigap coverage, or as part of a Medicare Advantage plan.

***

Frequently asked questions.

Bill Cosby

[4/26/18] NORRISTOWN, Pa. (AP) — Bill Cosby was convicted Thursday of drugging and molesting a woman in the first big celebrity trial of the #MeToo era, completing the spectacular late-life downfall of a comedian who broke racial barriers in Hollywood on his way to TV superstardom as America’s Dad.

Cosby, 80, could end up spending his final years in prison after a jury concluded he sexually violated Temple University employee Andrea Constand at his suburban Philadelphia home in 2004. He claimed the encounter was consensual.

Cosby’s retrial took place against the backdrop of #MeToo, the movement against sexual misconduct that has taken down powerful men in rapid succession, among them Harvey Weinstein, Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey and Sen. Al Franken.

[10/7/15] Keshia Knight Pulliam, best known for playing Bill Cosby’s youngest child Rudy in the iconic sitcom The Cosby Show – which was pulled from syndication on a number of networks – does not feel the controversy surrounding her famous TV father should cloud the show’s undeniable legacy.

“You can’t take back the impact that it’s had on generations of kids, and it’s continuing to have such a positive impact on them,” Pulliam, 36, told The Grio. “So I feel like the place that it has in people’s hearts is such a nostalgic part of childhood and beyond, it’s going to be difficult to take back those memories.” She then went on to say that the man the public perceives Cosby to be today is not the person she grew up knowing: someone who is philanthropic and charitable.

“All I can speak to is the man that I know and I love,” she said. “The fact that he’s been such an example, you can’t take away from the great that he has done. You know, the amount, the millions and millions of dollars that he has given back to colleges and education, and just what he did with The Cosby Show and how groundbreaking that was …

[7/9/15] On Monday after documents surfaced in which Bill Cosby admitted to getting quaaludes to give to girls he wanted to have sex with, the comedian lost an adamant supporter who had defended him against brewing sexual assault allegations over the last year. On Tuesday, he lost some more support: His bust in the Hollywood Studios Hall of Fame Plaza will be removed, Disney confirmed to a WESH TV reporter in Florida.

The Associated Press reported Monday that court documents from a 2005 hearing involving one of the more than two dozen women who have accused Cosby of sexual assault indicated that he admitted under oath at the time to getting the drugs for women he wanted to sleep with. Upon hearing the news, singer-actress Jill Scott, who had publicly defended Cosby over the past months, recanted her position and said she was “completely disgusted” with the news.

The 2005 case in which Cosby testified about quaaludes involved a former Temple University employee, who accused the now-77-year-old of assault. At the time, Cosby said that he gave the woman three half pills of Benadryl, and Cosby’s lawyers have repeatedly denied the accuracy of sexual assault allegations.

Cosby has also fallen from grace from Temple University in Philadelphia, his alma mater. His standup special with Netflix has been shelved indefinitely. NBC, which had planned a new sitcom with the comedian, also has backed away from him.

[7/16/15] Former Cosby cast member Joseph C. Phillips speaks out

[7/19/15] He was not above seducing a young model by showing interest in her father’s cancer. He promised other women his mentorship and career advice before pushing them for sex acts. And he tried to use financial sleight of hand to keep his wife from finding out about his serial philandering.

Bill Cosby admitted to all of this and more over four days of intense questioning 10 years ago at a Philadelphia hotel, where he defended himself in a deposition for a lawsuit filed by a young woman who accused him of drugging and molesting her.

Even as Mr. Cosby denied he was a sexual predator who assaulted many women, he presented himself in the deposition as an unapologetic, cavalier playboy, someone who used a combination of fame, apparent concern and powerful sedatives in a calculated pursuit of young women — a profile at odds with the popular image he so long enjoyed, that of father figure and public moralist.

weight loss

Anyone who has ever been on a diet knows that the standard prescription for weight loss is to reduce the amount of calories you consume.

But a new study, published Tuesday in JAMA, may turn that advice on its head. It found that people who cut back on added sugar, refined grains and highly processed foods while concentrating on eating plenty of vegetables and whole foods — without worrying about counting calories or limiting portion sizes — lost significant amounts of weight over the course of a year.

The research lends strong support to the notion that diet quality, not quantity, is what helps people lose and manage their weight most easily in the long run. It also suggests that health authorities should shift away from telling the public to obsess over calories and instead encourage Americans to avoid processed foods that are made with refined starches and added sugar, like bagels, white bread, refined flour and sugary snacks and beverages, said Dr. Dariush Mozaffarian, a cardiologist and dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.

“This is the road map to reducing the obesity epidemic in the United States,” said Dr. Mozaffarian, who was not involved in the new study. “It’s time for U.S. and other national policies to stop focusing on calories and calorie counting.”

Bill and Melinda Gates on Trump and philanthropy

In the tenth edition of the Gates Foundation’s annual letter, Bill and Melinda Gates have chosen a different tact, tackling head-on “The 10 Tough Questions” they’re often asked about their $40 billion foundation.

Questions range from the political to the personal, including,”Are you imposing your values on other cultures?” and, “What do you have to show for the billions you’ve spent on U.S. education?”

However, the most frequently asked question on the Gates’ list is about the current U.S. president: “How are President Trump’s policies affecting your work?”

In the joint letter, Bill Gates, who recently revealed that his father is suffering from dementia, writes that over the past year, he’s been asked “about President Trump and his policies more often than all the other topics in this letter combined.”

The Microsoft founder and billionaire addressed President Trump’s U.S centric foreign policy, writing that “the America First worldview concerns me.”

“For decades the United States has been a leader in the fight against disease and poverty abroad,” he said. “These efforts save lives. They also create U.S. jobs. And they make Americans more secure by making poor countries more stable and stopping disease outbreaks before they become pandemics.”


“The world is not a safer place when more people are sick or hungry,” Gates added.

***

In the letter, the Gates acknowledge the extreme wealth inequality their fortune represents. "No, it's not fair that we have so much wealth when billions of others have so little," says Melinda. "And it's not fair that our wealth opens doors that are closed to most people."

So, "If we think it's unfair that we have so much wealth, why don't we give it all to the government?" asks Bill. "The answer is that we think there's always going to be a unique role for foundations."

Philanthropic foundations can "take a global view to find the greatest needs, take a long-term approach to solving problems, and manage high-risk projects that governments can't take on and corporations won't. If a government tries an idea that fails, someone wasn't doing their job. Whereas if we don't try some ideas that fail, we're not doing our jobs," says Bill.

"We both come from families that believed in leaving the world better than you found it," writes Melinda. "My parents made sure my siblings and I took the social justice teachings of the Catholic Church to heart. Bill's mom was known, and his dad still is known, for showing up to advocate for a dizzying number of important causes and support more local organizations than you can count.


"Our goal is to do what our parents taught us and do our part to make the world better," says Melinda.

free TV shows

[11/29/17] Newest free TV episodes on iTunes: Fixer Upper (s5e01), Barnwood Builders (s6e01), Maine Cabin Masters (s2e01), Mythbusters: The Search (all of season 1).  All also available free on Amazon Video.

[10/19/17] Free TV episodes on iTunes: The Story of Us with Morgan Freeman (episode 1), First Time Flippers (season 6, episode 1), Urban Oasis (season 8, episode 1).

Amazon Video also has them for free and also has episode 2 of the Story of Us for free.
Fandango: Texas Flip N Move, Rehab Addict, First Time Flippers
Vudu: The Story of Us, First Time Flippers, Rehab Addict, Texas Flip N Move

[10/8/17] More free TV shows added last night on itunes: Fresh off the Boat (s4e01), Wisdom of the Crowd (pilot), Ghosted (pilot), The Gifted (pilot), Texas Flip N Move (s7e01), Rehab Addict (v9e01), Hawaii Life (s10e01).

Checking Amazon, The Gifted was apparently available for free, but no longer.  Also not available for free (yet?): Texas Flip N Move, Rehab Addict.
Checking Vudu: Hawaii Life, The Gifted, Ghosted, Wisdom of the Crowd
Fandango: Hawaii Life, Wisdom of the Crowd, The Gifted
Google Play: Hawaii Life, Wisdom of the Crowd, Ghosted, Rehab Addict, Fresh off the Boat, The Gifted
So iTunes actually had the most.

[9/30/17] You can download free TV shows (and once in a while movies) from a variety of places (legally).  The sources I use are iTunes, Amazon.com, Vudu, Fandango, Google Play.  These are usually pilot episodes (that they hope you get hooked on so you buy other episodes).  They're usually only available for a limited time.  But once you buy them, they go into your library and don't expire and you can watch them whenever you want after that.  Usually I see first them on Vudu or iTunes, then I check if they're also available for free on Amazon.

Here's what I have "bought" recently.  (I don't always buy the episodes on all platforms.  But I have bought the below on at least one platform.)

SEAL Team (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Fandango)
The Brave (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Fandango, Google)
The Good Doctor (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Fandango, Google)
Salvage Dawgs, s8e01 (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Fandango, Google)
The Mayor (iTunes, Amazon, Vudu, Fandango)

The Orville (iTunes, Amazon, Fandango)

And some of what I have bought last year
Planet Earth II
Pure Genius
Man With A Plan
Timeless

MacGyver

Lethal Weapon

Pitch

Designated Survivor

Kevin Can Wait

The Good Place

And in 2015

Dr. Ken

The Player

Minority Report

Limitless

CSI: Cyber

And in 2014

Scorpion

Gotham

Then there'a bunch of shows from HGTV, DIY, and the like such as

Property Brothers: Buying and Selling

The Vanilla Ice Project

Caribbean Life

Tiny Paradise

Barnwood Builders

Nashville Flipped
Brother vs. Brother

Good Bones

Vintage Flip

Smart Home 2017

Tiny Luxury

Nate & Jeremiah by design

Stone House Revival

Home Town

First Time Flippers

Dream Home 2017

Love It or Li$t

Tiny House, Big Living

Fixer Upper

Texas Flip N Move

Holmes: Buy It Right

Hawaii Life

Flea Market Flip

Flip or Flop

Raise The Roof

Rehab Addict

Monty Hall

Monty Hall, the original host and co-creator of “Let's Make a Deal,” the long-running game show that debuted in 1963, making kooky audience costumes and carnival-style bartering an institution on daytime television, has died, according to Associated Press. He was 96.

Hall, who was also a dedicated philanthropist, died of heart failure Saturday morning at his home in Los Angeles, according to his daughter Sharon Hall.

One of the most popular TV game shows of the 1960s and early 1970s, “Let's Make a Deal” featured Hall as a fast-talking auctioneer-trader who randomly pulled people from the audience to trade for prizes that could be valuable – or relatively worthless “zonks,” gag gifts such as a barnyard animal or a giant jar of peanut butter.

“People had gotten excited on game shows before, but never to the extent that they did on ‘Deal,’ ” according to the 2006 book “Rules of the Game,” which featured Hall on the cover.

“Let's Make a Deal” originally aired for 13 years, first on NBC and then ABC, and it has been revived in various daytime and prime-time incarnations since.

Over more than two decades, Hall hosted about 4,500 episodes and became wealthy co-producing it. When CBS revived the show in 2009, actor-comedian Wayne Brady stepped in as master of ceremonies. Hall served as a consultant and made the rare guest appearance.

cleaning grout

[9/23/17] The grout on the floor outside the bathtub looks pretty filthy.  Well, I guess the grout in a lot of other places in my house look pretty filthy.

So added to my list: clean the grout.

My first attempt was to use vinegar.

I sprayed the area, let it sit for like an hour, and scrubbed with an old toothbrush.

Sure enough, some brown stuff came off on the toothbrush.  But there was still a dark brown area on the grout that remained dirty.

Next I tried some old Tilex that I had tried earlier on the bathtub that didn't do all that great, but since it was sitting on my bathtub, I tried that.

Once again, brown stuff came off on the brush.  But a small brown spot remained.  It looked even cleaner than the vinegar, so I guess it at least partially works.  But still trying to get the stubbor brown spots out.

[9/24/17] Next on my cleaners to try was Awesome that my sister gave me years ago.  I guess the full name is La's Totally Awesome.  You can buy it on Amazon but you can get it cheaper if you can find it at your local dollar store (apparently not available around her anymore?)

Anyway, I sprayed a dirty section and sprayed that brown spot that withstood the vinegar and Tilex.  After some scrubbing with the toothbrush, the brown disappeared!  So I'd say Awesome is the winner!

cleaning the toilet

My sister says my toilet looks filthy.  When I think about it, I guess she's right.  If I saw my toilet at somebody else's house, I'd think the same thing.

So it's on my list of things to do: clean the toilet!

Tried an SOS pad.  I guess a little better but still filthy.

Then next attempt was to use vinegar.

Didn't seem to do much.  Maybe I have to soak it longer.

Next I tried efferdent since I had a couple of old boxes from my mom

Didn't do much.  Below the waterline it looks pretty good though.
Like the vinegar maybe I have to leave it sitting longer and

The toilet seat is filthy too.  Here are some links that I found (doesn't sound easy).

http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-clean-stains-on-a-toilet-seat/
http://homeguides.sfgate.com/removing-spots-toilet-seat-20516.html
https://bowelology.wordpress.com/2014/04/26/how-to-clean-mesalamine-stains-off-your-toilet/

*** [5/31/18]

Baking soda: A proven virus-killer, it deodorizes and cuts through grime. Mix 1/2 cup baking soda with 1/4 cup vinegar to clean toilets and drains.

how to get a billionaire to give away all his money

Microsoft co-founder and philanthropist Bill Gates has worked with countless billionaires and today, as the founder and chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, he travels the world urging the ultra-wealthy to give money to charitable causes.

On Thursday, Gates visited the Daily Show with Trevor Noah to talk about the importance of international aid and philanthropy.

"How do you get a billionaire to give you all of their money? You say Warren Buffett gave you his money and many other billionaires are just like 'ya take my money?'" asked host Trevor Noah jokingly. "Just say, hypothetically I wanted to get a billionaire to give me all of their money, how do I go about that? How do I start the conversation?"

In response, Gates clarified that he asks for money on behalf of his charity, not to fund his personal lifestyle: "They're not giving it to me."

The secret to fundraising from billionaires, Gates says, is to put money into perspective: "When you have that degree of success you're not really talking about personal deprivation."

Instead, billionaires are thinking about how their fortunes will be passed down to their heirs.

"You have to decide if you're trying to start an aristocratic dynasty so that all the money stays in your family," he says. "And hey, that's OK, you're free to do that. But I think when you're that successful, ideally, you pick a disease, pick a cause, and I think you'll get a lot of fulfillment."

It feels good to make a difference in the lives of others, and these positive feelings drive Americans to be particularly altruistic, says Gates. "Americans are very generous. We have more big philanthropists than any other country. And other countries like China and India are hopeful that the same tradition develops."

Reminding billionaires of their own mortality can be sensitive, but Gates says it's a worthwhile endeavor.

"Some people don't like to think about their death," says Gates. "When you say, 'OK, you're going to have to give it away because you can't take it with you,' it does force them to think about how much they are giving to their kids and that they won't live forever. So I won't say that it's an easy topic to bring up, but I think it's great for people to give it more thought."