Happy Fat Tuesday Ya'll!!!!!!

LAISSEZ LES BONS TEMPS ROULER!!!!!

Neither Rain, Cold, Strike, Or Hurricane's Might!

Crewe Of Pegasus 2006

Gettysburg Endangered!

Gettysburg Named Endangered Battlefield
By KIMBERLY HEFLING (Associated Press Writer)
From Associated PressFebruary 28, 2006 2:59 PM EST

WASHINGTON - Gettysburg was the site of one of the largest battles fought on American soil, but today it is playing host to a different type of fight: Whether slot machines should come to town.
A proposal that would bring gambling a little more than a mile away from the Pennsylvania battlefield propelled it to the top of a preservation group's list of the 10 most endangered Civil War battlefields released Tuesday.
Proposed development was one threat cited by the Civil War Preservation Trust in the naming of the 10 sites located in Pennsylvania, New Mexico, Georgia, Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Washington, D.C.
"Hallowed ground, where more than 600,000 Americans gave their lives, is being paved over in favor of shopping malls, housing tracts and even gambling casinos," the trust's president, James Lighthizer, said Tuesday during a news conference.
Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina were blamed for some of the disrepair at Fort Morgan, Ala., and two forts outside New Orleans. Sprawl and a lack of money have also contributed to many of the problems at the sites, Lighthizer said.
The site in Glorieta Pass, N.M., is referred to as the "Gettysburg of the West" and is where Union forces were able to turn back the Confederate invasion of New Mexico. The trust blames neglect and public indifference for problems such as the weakening of a structure that served as a field hospital.
The other sites are the Shenandoah Valley, Glendale, and Wilderness in Virginia; the Chattahoochee River line in Georgia; Circle Forts in Washington, D.C.; and Raymond, Miss.
The three-day fight at Gettysburg was a tide-turning battle in 1963 that sent Confederate soldiers into retreat and left 50,000 troops dead. It is also where President Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address warning about the destruction of the nation, and asking that the troops who died there not be forgotten.
Last year, a group of investors from an entity called Chance Enterprises unveiled plans to boost economic development by seeking a slot-machine license from Pennsylvania gambling regulators to anchor the proposed Crossroads Gaming Resort and Spa. State regulators are expected to rule sometime later this year.
The investors released a statement Tuesday accusing the preservation group of lying about its proposed plans so it can raise money.
"It is amazing how the Gettysburg Battlefield has gone from not even being on the trust's list of 25 most endangered battlefield to the top of the list overnight, even though our resort has been a subject of debate and discussion for nearly a year," said David LeVan, the investment group's chief executive officer, in a statement.
"Clearly, the trust is lining its coffers," LeVan said.
---
On the Net:
Civil War Preservation Trust: http://www.civilwar.org

"Our ignorance of history causes us to slander our own times."
Gustave Flaubert

Who I Am Hates Who I've Been By Reliant K!

I watched the proverbial sunrise
Coming up over the Pacific and
You might think
I'm losing my mind
But I will shy away from the specifics
Cause I don't want you to know where I am
Cause then you'll see my heart
In the saddest state it's ever been
This is no place to try and live my life
Stop right there
That's exactly where I lost it
See that line
Well I never should've crossed it
Stop right there
Well I never should've said that
It's the very moment that I wish that I could take back
I'm sorry for the person I became
I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change
I'm ready to make sure I never become that way again
Cause who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been
I talk to absolutely no one
Couldn't keep to myself enough
And the things bottled inside
Have finally begun to create so much pressure
That I'd soon blow up andI heard the reverberating foosteps
Sinking up to the beating of my heart
And I was positive that unless
I got myself together
I would watch me fall apart
And I can't let that happen again
Cause then you'll see my heart
In the saddest state it's ever been
This is no place to try and live my life
----(Radio edit doesn't have this verse!)----------------------
Stop right there
That's exactly where I lost it
See that lineI never should've crossed it
Stop right there I never should've said that
It's the very moment that I wish that I could take back
Stop right there
Thats exactly where I lost it
See that line
Well I never should've crossed it
Stop right there
Well I never should've said that
It's the very moment that I wish that I could take back
I'm sorry for the person I became
I'm sorry that it took so long for me to change
I'm ready to make sure I never become that way again
Cause who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been
And who I am will take the second chance you gave me
Who I am hates who I've been
Cause who I've been only ever made me
I'm sorry for the person I became
So sorry that it took so long for me to change
I'm ready to make sure I never become that way again
Cause who I am hates who I've been
Who I am hates who I've been

Trying To Love You! For My Family!

by Trisha Yearwood

I blew out all my plans
The world fell in my hands
The day that I began
Trying to love you
The secrets I have kept
The nights I haven't slept
I've laughed until I've wept
Trying to love you
Trying to love you...No one's come as close or gone so far
Trying to love you...I've lost and found myself in who you are
Trying to love you...So easy and so hard, trying to love you
I've watched myself get stuck
Squandered all my luck
Almost given up
Trying to love you
Trying to love you...It broke my heart, it's chipped away my pride
Trying to love you...Everytime I'd see that faultline slide
Trying to love you...I've crossed the great divide trying to love you
Trying to love you...I've screamed your name, I've slammed a thousand doors
Trying to love you...I've worn a million miles across the floor
Trying to love you...Still I could not ignore trying to love you
It's pulled the best from me
For all the world to see
I guess I'll always be
Trying to love you

The Voice Of Truth!

By Casting Crowns

Oh what I would do to have
The kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat
I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is
And He's holding out His hand
But the waves are calling out my name
And they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me
Time and time again.
"Boy, you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
Chorus:
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says,
"Do not be afraid!"
The voice of truth says,
"This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth
Oh what I would do to have
The kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant
With just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors
Shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand
But the giant's calling out my name
And he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me
Time and time again.
"Boy you'll never win!"
"You'll never win!"
But the stone was just the right size
To put the giant on the ground
And the waves they don't seem so high
From on top of them lookin' down
I will soar with the wings of eagles
When I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus
Singing over me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth

Top Ten Presidential Blunders

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (AP) --
From engaging in sexual relations with an intern to letting the Vietnam War escalate, U.S. presidents have been blamed for some egregious errors. So who had the worst blunder? President James Buchanan, for failing to avert the Civil War, according to a survey of presidential historians organized by the University of Louisville's McConnell Center.
The survey's top 10 presidential blunders were announced Saturday during a President's Day weekend conference called "Presidential Moments."
"We can probably learn just as much -- or maybe even more -- by looking at the mistakes rather than looking at why they were great," said political scientist and McConnell Center Director Gary Gregg.
Scholars who participated said Buchanan did not do enough to oppose efforts by Southern states to secede from the Union before the Civil War.
The second worst mistake, the survey found, was Andrew Johnson's decision just after the Civil War to side with Southern whites and oppose improvements in justice for Southern blacks beyond abolishing slavery.
"We continue to pay" for Johnson's errors, wrote Michael Les Benedict, an Ohio State University history professor emeritus.
Lyndon Johnson earned the No. 3 spot by allowing the Vietnam War to intensify, Gregg said.
Where does Bill Clinton's Monica Lewinsky scandal rank? Many scholars said it belonged at No. 10, saying that it probably affected Clinton's presidency more than it did American history and the public.
The rest of the top 10 blunders:
4: Woodrow Wilson's refusal to compromise on the Treaty of Versailles after World War I.
5: Richard Nixon's involvement in the Watergate cover-up.
6: James Madison's failure to keep the United States out of the War of 1812 with Britain.
7: Thomas Jefferson's Embargo Act of 1807, a self-imposed prohibition on trade with Europe during the Napoleonic Wars.
8: John F. Kennedy allowing the Bay of Pigs Invasion that led to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
9: Ronald Reagan and the Iran-Contra Affair, the effort to sell arms to Iran and use the money to finance an armed anti-communist group in Nicaragua.

It's Not Only Ok To Be Touchy, Feely, Snuggly, Wuggly....It Is Good For You!

Hold hands. Hug. Kiss in the morning. Kiss good night. Cuddling is not only good for relationships, but also helps reduce the physical effects of stress, reports USA Today of new research from the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill's School of Medicine.
Just a little loving contact early in the morning before you dash out of the house can have protective benefits on your heart and blood pressure throughout the day, asserts psychologist and study leader Karen Grewen.

The experiment:
Under the direction of the UNC-Chapel Hill researchers, 100 adult volunteers, all of whom were married or long-term partners, held hands while watching a pleasant 10-minute video. Then they hugged for just 20 seconds. A second group of 85 people rested quietly without their partners. At the end of this time, all of them were asked to talk about something that happened to them recently that made them angry or upset. Typically, such discussion would cause an increase in heart rate and blood pressure.
The results:
Blood pressure rose dramatically in the group of people who had no contact with their partner--more than double the blood pressure rise of the "huggers."
Those who had no partner contact experienced an increased heart rate of 10 beats a minute, compared with just five beats per minute for the "huggers."
Face it, we're social beings. We need each other. USA Today reports that a different study from the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School concluded that when we touch someone else it lowers the stress hormone cortisol. That sets off a chain reaction in our bodies. The dip in cortisol creates a boost in serotonin and dopamine, two chemicals that make us feel really good.
Still, the best touch of all is from a lover. Touch from friends can be helpful, but it doesn't have the same effect as a lover's hug or kiss or consoling pat, according to psychologist Kathleen Light, co-author of the UNC study.
The study findings were reported to the American Psychosomatic Society in Phoenix.
--Cathryn Conroy

CHOICES COUNT!!!!!!

Thanks to Tammy and Audrey For Sharing This Wonderful Email With Me!

READ THIS. LET IT REALLY SINK IN. THEN CHOOSE.

Michael is the kind of guy you love to hate. He is always in a good mood and always has something positive to say. When someone would ask him how he was doing, he would reply, "If I were any better, I would be twins!" He was a natural motivator. If an employee was having a bad day, Michael was there telling the employee how to look on the positive side of the situation. Seeing this style really made me curious, so one day I went up to Michael and asked him, "I don't get it! You can't be a positive person all of the time. How do you do it?" Michael replied, "Each morning I wake up and say to myself, you have two choices today. You can choose to be in a good mood or ... you can choose to be in a bad mood. I choose to be in a good mood." Each time something bad happens, I can choose to be a victim or...I can choose to learn from it. I choose to learn from it. Every time someone comes to me complaining, I can choose to accept their complaining or... I can point out the positive side of life. I choose the positive side of life. "Yeah, right, it's not that easy," I protested. "Yes, it is," Michael said. "Life is all about choices. When you cut away all the junk, every situation is a choice. You choose how you react to situations. You choose how people affect your mood. You choose to be in a good mood or bad mood. The bottom line: It's your choice how you live your life." I reflected on what Michael said. Soon hereafter, I left the Tower Industry to start my own business. We lost touch, but I often thought about him when I made a choice about life instead of reacting to it. Several years later, I heard that Michael was involved in a serious accident, falling some 60 feet from a communications tower. After 18 hours of surgery and weeks of intensive care, Michael was released from the hospital with rods placed in his back. I saw Michael about six months after the accident. When I asked him how he was, he replied, "If I were any better, I'd be twins Wanna see my scars?" I declined to see his wounds, but I did ask him what had gone through his mind as the accident took place. "The first thing that went through my mind was the well-being of my soon-to-be born daughter," Michael replied. "Then, as I lay on the ground, I remembered that I had two choices: I could choose to live or...I could choose to die. I chose to live." "Weren't you scared? Did you lose consciousness?" I asked. Michael continued, "..the paramedics were great. They kept telling me I was going to be fine.But when they wheeled me into the ER and I saw the expressions on the faces of the doctors and nurses, I got really scared. In their eyes, I read 'he's a dead man'. I knew I needed to take action." "What did you do?" I asked. "Well, there was a big burly nurse shouting questions at me," said Michael. "She asked if I was allergic to anything. 'Yes, I replied.' The doctors and nurses stopped working as they waited for my reply. I took a deep breath and yelled, 'Gravity'." Over their laughter, I told them, "I am choosing to live. Operate on me as if I am alive, not dead." Michael lived, thanks to the skill of his doctors, but also because of his amazing attitude... I learned from him that every day we have the choice to live fully. Attitude, after all, is everything.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own." Matthew 6:34.

After all today is the tomorrow you worried about yesterday.

You have two choices now:
1) Live Life
2) React To Life

What do you choose?

Hard To Find The Time

Between soccer practic twice a week, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Violin Lessons, And Homework... I am finding it harder and harder to hit the treadmill at the YMCA these days! I was walking three miles 4 days a week and 5 miles on Friday well now IF and I said IF I get out there three times a week I am LUCKY! We are still doing the ABS DIET WORKOUT DVD but not like we ought too... we have been doing science fair projects and reading fair projects! I am getting lazy too! I am getting lax in working out and in dieting but my 6 jeans were loose today so I guess I can slack off a little on the weekends LOL! But I have a LOT of guilt when I don't walk and when I eat more calories than I should! So hopefully I won't fall off the wagon.... I NEVER want to go back to where I was before this diet ..... NEVER! So pray for me to find the time someway to walk and to keep up the will power that God gave me! Thanks for listening everybody!

Let The Good Times Roll!

What is Mardi Gras And Where Did It Come From

Mardi Gras came to New Orleans through its French heritage in 1699. Early explorers celebrated this French Holiday on the banks of the Mississippi River. Throughout the years, Orleanians have added to the celebration by establishing krewes (organizations) which host parades and balls. Carnival quickly became an exciting holiday for both children and adults.
Mardi Gras means "Fat Tuesday" and of course is celebrated on that day of the week. The date can fall between February 3 and March 9 depending on the Lunar calendar, used by the Catholic Church to determine the date of Easter. Mardi Gras is always 47 days before Easter Sunday.
The official colors for Mardi Gras are purple, green, and gold. These colors were chosen in 1872 by the King of Carnival, Rex. He chose these colors to stand for the following:
Purple represents justice
green stands for faith
gold stands for power
The Mardi Gras season begins on January 6 and continues until Fat Tuesday, the day before Ash Wednesday. On the Christian calendar, the twelfth day after Christmas is known as "Epiphany", "Twelfth Night", or "Kings Day." It is the day the gift-bearing Magi visited the baby Jesus, and is celebrated with its own unique rituals.

CAN FAST FOOD BE DIET FRIENDLY?????????

4 Ways to Make Sure Your Fast Food Salad Is Diet Friendly
by Lynn Grieger, R.D., C.D.E.

You'd think that a salad just has to be healthier than a burger and fries, right? After all, how many calories can lettuce, veggies and chicken contain?
The answer might surprise you.
Fast food restaurants have joined the healthy foods bandwagon. They're rolling out great-looking new salads and boasting that this new fare is lower in carbohydrates and fat. I do love the fresh, crunchy veggies, and eating fast food salads can be a quick, easy way to boost your daily intake of vitamins, phytochemicals and antioxidants in one simple meal. You don't even have to do the dishes!
But what the fast food purveyors don't advertise is how many calories are in these salads -- sometimes more than their usual burger-and-fries combos! Most fast food choices are also much higher in sodium than foods you'd eat at home, a definite negative for anyone concerned about blood pressure levels.
But don't be too alarmed. You can enjoy a delicious and even healthy salad instead of red meat on a bun at your local drive-thru -- but follow our four tips to make your meal as low in calories and as good for you as possible.
1. Low net carbs is great, but it doesn't mean low calorie.Frequently, foods are advertised as low in net carbs (the total grams of carbohydrate minus the grams of fiber). But even with few net carbs, foods can still have surprisingly high calorie counts. Take Subway's three Atkins-friendly fresh salad offerings, for example. The Grilled Chicken and Baby Spinach Salad contains five grams of net carbs, yet it also has 420 calories! That's more than the 390 calories in the Classic Club Salad (nine grams net carbs) and almost three times as many calories as the Mediterranean Chicken Salad (six grams net carbs). Why the calorie explosion? The culprit is the fat. The Grilled Chicken and Baby Spinach Salad has 26 grams of fat (about half of what most women need in one day). By contrast, there are 21 grams of fat in the Classic and only 4.5 grams of fat in the Mediterranean Chicken Salad. The take-home message is simple: Look at both carbohydrate and fat grams to make the healthiest choices.
2. Salad dressings contain more calories than you want to believe.It's hard to believe that one little packet of salad dressing could contain all that many calories. After all, it's portion controlled, right? Wishful thinking! A typical salad dressing packet contains 150 to 250 calories. When you consider that many salads already have around 400 calories without any dressing, you can see how fast the calorie count can mount. To keep it from adding up to diet destruction, you have three options: learn to enjoy salads without dressing, make a habit of using moderate amounts of fat-free salad dressing (usually less than 100 calories per serving) or bring your own favorite low-calorie dressing from home.
3. Crispy adds calories (and unhealthy fat).Most of us love crispy chicken -- that crunchy coating satisfies some deep internal craving. Yet opting for crispy instead of grilled chicken atop your salad adds 100 calories -- or more. The salad's total fat and carbohydrate content doubles, and you actually get less protein from the crispy chicken than you would from the grilled. McDonald's Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad has 200 calories, but the crispy chicken version racks up 310. When you eat the grilled chicken salad, you consume 6 grams of fat, 9 grams of carbohydrate and 29 grams of protein, but the crunchy option has a hefty 16 grams of fat, 20 grams of carbohydrate and only 23 grams of protein! Do you need more reasons to always say "Grilled, please"?
4. South of the border tastes great, but beware of shell shock.Okay, are you sitting down? If you order a Taco Salad at Taco Bell, you can expect to consume 790 calories. That's about half of what an average woman needs for an entire day. Don't eat the shell, and you save 21 grams of fat and 370 calories, for a total intake of 420 calories, which is comparable to many salads at other fast food restaurants. For an even healthier lower-calorie salad, choose grilled chicken instead of ground beef, ask for salsa instead of sour cream and avoid those crispy taco chips and deep-fried shells like the plague.
Lynn's fast food salad recommendations:I'm a sucker for rating lists. The Physician's Committee for Responsible Medicine rated some common fast food salads based on their total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, fiber and sodium content. The top salad choices include Au Bon Pain's Charbroiled Salmon Filet and Yellow Peppers Salad and Subway Club Salad with Fat-Free Vinaigrette Dressing. And the Center for Science in the Public Interest ranked Wendy's Mandarin Chicken Salad as one of the overall best fast food choices.

BEST OF THE BEST
Healthy Fast Food Choices
By Sabrina Rogers
Askmen.com
In my last article, I addressed some of the Worst Fast Food Choices on the market. But I wasn't going to leave you hanging like that; of course you'll be able to set foot in McDonald's or Burger King again without having an instant heart attack.
In fact, most fast food chains have added healthier options to their menus in the past couple of years. No, I'm not talking only about bland salads without dressing; you'll see that there are many juicy, tasty items to choose from. Before I get into specifics, though, there are a few basic rules you should keep in mind when trying to pick healthy fast foods.

Remember that good options include:

The smallest size of burger

Grilled chicken sandwiches or salads

Low-fat dressings and sauces (or none at all)

Diet soft drinks or water
A few things to avoid:

Super sizes of anything

Fried or breaded chicken or fish

Chicken nuggets

High-fat sauces and dressings

Onion rings

Extra cheese
That said, here is the lowdown on the best fast food choices. Although burgers are never a very healthy option, I know guys need that burger fix every so often, so I tried to provide you with the best possible options. But in exchange, I did stick you with a few salads. Try one; you'll be surprised how tasty and satisfying some of them are.Finally, keep in mind that if you must have side orders like fries with your meal, choose the smallest size possible, or try a plain baked potato or vegetables instead.
Note: When necessary, modifications are specified; otherwise, the nutrition information is for the item as prepared by the restaurant.
Sandwiches
Order
Calories
Fat (saturated fat)
Carbs
Protein
Sodium
McDonald's Chicken McGrill (no mayo)
305
4.5g (1g)
37g
27g
940mg
Subway 6" Roast Beef Sub (on whole wheat bread with veggies, no sauce)
290
5g (2g)
45g
19g
920mg
Wendy's Ultimate Chicken Grill Sandwich
360
7g (1.5g)
44g
31g
1,100mg
Carl's Jr. Charbroiled BBQ Chicken Sandwich
367
4g (1g)
48g
35g
1,072mg
Burgers
Order
Calories
Fat (saturated fat)
Carbs
Protein
Sodium
Burger King Original Whopper Jr. (no mayo)
310
13g (5g)
31g
17g
510mg
McDonald's Hamburger
260
9g (3.5g)
33g
13g
530mg
Wendy's Jr. Hamburger
280
9g (3.5g)
34g
15g
600mg The healthiest salads, pizzas, desserts, and more... Next at AskMen.com

SEVEN SNACKS FOR DIET SUCCESS

Think you can't snack when you're trying to lose weight? Think again. These healthy, low-calorie snacks will satisfy your diet cravings and help you reach your weight-loss goals.
By Lisa Kovalovich Whitmore


For many women, dieting equals food restriction. Snacks? They usually get eliminated in the name of saving calories. But snacking when you're watching your weight is actually a good idea. "[When dieting,] people often wait too long in between meals, so by the time they eat, they're so hungry, their portions or choices are out of control," says Linda McLachlan, RD, CDN, a New Jersey dietitian with Nutrition Matters, LLC. "Snacking helps keep you satisfied and wards off cravings."

Here, seven low-calorie snacks to help you with your diet goals:

Homemade Trail Mix
"Diet-friendly snacking doesn't necessarily have to be low-fat," says McLachlan. What's more important: Portion size. A homemade trail mix of walnuts, mini chocolate chips, and raisins is a snack that's satisfying (thanks to the sweetness and fat) and healthy for a dieter if portion sizes are kept in check. "Mix a palm full of walnuts with a pinch of chocolate chips and a pinch of raisins -- it's not always realistic to measure," says McLachlan.
Recommended serving size: about 1 ounce of walnuts and about a teaspoon each of raisins and chocolate chipsCalories: about 250
Apple Slices with Lowfat Cheese
Packed with fiber, water, and antioxidants, fruits and vegetables are great choices for diet-friendly snacking. But the standard banana or carrots and ranch dip can get old quick. Instead, try a sliced apple with a lowfat cheese wedge, like Laughing Cow Light. "Having a little extra fat is good in a snack because it sustains you longer," says McLachlan.
Recommended serving size: 1 medium apple with 1 Laughing Cow Light cheese wedgeCalories: about 105
Graham Crackers with Peanut Butter
Feeling in the mood for cookies? While one standard Oreo or Chips Ahoy won't likely derail your diet, it's tough to stop at one. That's where a good substitute comes in. McLachlan recommends 2 graham cracker squares spread with light peanut butter. You'll get a mix of sweet and salty flavors, plus a protein and fat boost from the peanut butter, which will keep you full till your next meal.
Recommended serving size: 2 graham cracker squares with 1 tablespoon light peanut butterCalories: 155
Tomato Soup with Baby Carrots
A mini-meal snack is a good idea when dinner is a long way off. The combo of tomato soup and baby carrots is not just filling; it also gives you lots of body-healthy nutrients, like potassium, cancer-fighting lycopene, and beta-carotene. Try a microwavable soup cup that you can stash in your car's cup holder. (Concerned about sodium? Pour about a quarter of the soup down the drain and dilute the rest with water, says McLachlan.)
Recommended serving size: 1 Campbell's Soup at Hand Tomato Soup and 1 cup baby carrotsCalories: 190
Frozen Tamale Pie
Believe it or not, a calorie-controlled frozen meal can be a great afternoon snack! Amy's Mexican Tamale Pie, for example, is chock-full of great carbs (in the form of beans and polenta) to give you energy; protein, to keep you satisfied; and veggies, to contribute antioxidants and vitamins. What's more, it's low-fat and filling!
Recommended serving size: 1 Amy's Mexican Tamale PieCalories: 150
Egg Salad
If you need your snack to have real staying power, go for a combo of good protein and a little bit of fat. A homemade egg salad is a great choice. Chop up one whole egg and one egg white, then mix with a tablespoon of reduced fat mayonnaise. The high-quality protein in the eggs will fuel your body for hours, while the fat helps slow digestion, so you'll feel full and energized longer.
Recommended serving size: 1 whole egg and one white plus 1 tablespoon reduced-fat mayonnaiseCalories: 145
Canned Mandarin Oranges with Light Whipped Topping
For a sweet fix, try mixing mandarin oranges canned in their own juice with a couple tablespoons of light whipped topping. The oranges give a great hit of vitamin C and other antioxidants, and the light whipped topping gives the snack an indulgent feel (a feeling you often miss when you're watching what you eat). "This is a good substitute for ice cream when you're dieting," adds McLachlan.
Recommended serving size: 1/2 cup canned mandarin oranges with 2 tablespoons light whipped toppingCalories: 50
Originally published on FitnessMagazine.com, January 2006.

13 Dieting Tips

13 Weight-Loss Tips for People Who Love to Eat
By Norine Dworkin-McDaniel/Reader's Digest


When did eating become such an all-or-nothing proposition? It seems that Americans are either gorging on gargantuan portions of unhealthy, highly processed foods and getting fatter all the time, or they're starving themselves on the latest hyper-restrictive diet that no one could stay on for more than a few weeks without feeling miserable and deprived. Whatever happened to just enjoying good food, in moderation, without guilt? If we buy into the common-sense wisdom found in books like the bestseller French Women Don't Get Fat by Mireille Guiliano, it's clear that the way to be thin and still have some joie with our meals is to adopt a more traditional, and worldly, way of dining. Moderate portions, fresh whole foods, relaxing and lingering with family and friends at the table-it's what they do not just in France, but throughout the Mediterranean, Latin America and Asia. These are places where obesity rates have historically been low (at least until the global spread of fast food and sedentary lifestyles boosted obesity everywhere). It's where the "gym workout" was a bicycle ride to work or school, or where eating a low-fat diet meant Mom stretching the meat by stuffing cabbage or grape leaves. This reminds us that it is possible to eat what you love without feeling guilty, deprived or going on any restrictive regimen.
Here's how:

1. Start with soup. This Japanese tradition is one of the best weight-loss strategies. That's because eating soup, particularly the broth-based vegetable kind, before your entrée fills you up so you eat less during the meal, explains Barbara Rolls, Guthrie professor of nutrition at Penn State University in University Park, and author of The Volumetrics Eating Plan (Harper-Collins, 2005). A two-year French study of 2,188 men and 2,849 women found that those who ate soup five to six times a week were more likely to have BMIs below 23 (considered lean), compared with infrequent- or noneaters whose BMIs tended to be in the 27 range.

2. Mix up the flavors. In ayurveda, including the six basic tastes-sweet, sour, salty, bitter, pungent and astringent-is the key to a satisfying meal that won't leave you craving junk food later, says Workman. Not sure where to start? This will cover all the flavor bases: Try salmon with yogurt dill sauce along with some sautéed kale topped with mango chutney, a sweet potato sprinkled with sea salt and a little clarified butter, and finish with a cup of chai and a small piece of dark chocolate.

3. Go for color. The Japanese have a saying: "Not dressing up the meal with color is like going out without clothes." Not only does color make food more attractive, but consciously seeking out colorful foods is a great way to bulk up your meals without a lot of calories. A Cornell University study of 6,500 adults in rural China found that while the Chinese ate about 30 percent more than the average American male, they weighed about 25 percent less, largely because they ate a lot of plant-based foods. The Japanese aim for five colors at each meal: red, blue-green, yellow, white and black, including things like red peppers, squash, broccoli, onions, black beans or black olives. "We're variety seekers, so instead of seeking a variety of, say, cookies, get the variety from these low-energy dense foods," Rolls says.

4. Drizzle on the healthy oils. Healthy fats like olive oil, a staple of the Mediterranean diet, and canola oil, a staple of Okinawans, make vegetables tastier, so you're likely to eat more of them. According to data from the Catalan Nutrition Survey done in Spain, people who ate the most olive oil also consumed more vegetables than those who consumed the least olive oil. And, as we know, eating a diet rich in produce is key to maintaining a healthy weight. In a study of more than 74,000 female nurses conducted over 12 years, Northwestern and Harvard University researchers discovered that those who added the most fruits and vegetables to their diets lowered their risk for major weight gain by 28 percent.

5. Make lunch your main meal. Although they do this throughout Europe, a good explanation for eating your big meal at midday comes from ayurveda, India's 5,000-year-old approach to wellness. "According to ayurveda, we're actually designed to eat the larger meal at lunch because our digestive 'fire,' called agni, is strongest between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., so we digest more efficiently," explains Jennifer Workman, a Boulder, Colorado-based ayurveda specialist, registered dietitian and author of Stop Your Cravings (Free Press, 2001). "I've seen people in my practice lose 5 to 10 pounds just by doing this."

6. Think quality, not quantity. The French snub processed "diet foods" not found in nature, opting instead for high-quality meats, fish, produce, dairy, even desserts. When food is fresh and flavorful, you can be satisfied with smaller portions. This is the opposite of the American approach, which is to fill up on bland diet foods, then gorge on sweets later. "The French set the standard for small portions with their haute cuisine," says David Katz, MD, author of The Way To Eat (Source Books, 2002). "If we consider that part of eating is to induce pleasure, if you can get there with quality of choice, you get there in fewer calories."

7. Chow down only when you're hungry. Americans eat for all sorts of reasons besides hunger, especially from boredom, loneliness, stress or fear, a foreign concept in other cultures. "You can't make food the solution to every issue in your life and expect to be thin," says Dr. Katz. "If you eat from boredom, find a hobby. If you eat to relieve stress, learn meditation or yoga."

8. Dine with others. Eating with family or friends vs. alone in your car, at your desk or on the couch is part and parcel of traditional cultures. Not only does camaraderie make the meal more enjoyable, it's slimming. "Eating with others restrains your own behavior," notes Dr. Katz. "You eat more slowly, which increases the likelihood that you'll register when you're full before you've eaten more than you should."

9. Have a glass of wine. A staple of French and Mediterranean tables, wine adds joie to the meal, and because it contains potent antioxidants, is at least partly responsible for why these cultures traditionally have lower rates of cardiovascular disease and mortality despite their higher-fat diets. And while some studies show that we tend to eat more when we imbibe, a Finnish study actually found that male drinkers were leaner than abstainers.

10. Get moving. People in Asian countries, France and the Mediterranean tend to be slim because they're more active. Not that they spend hours at the gym; they simply walk a lot. It can work for Americans too. A study of 200,000 Americans at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, found that city dwellers were six pounds lighter than their suburban counterparts, largely because, instead of driving, they walked more. "You're not working out," says Dr. Clower. "You're just moving."

11. When you're eating, just eat. No other culture multi-tasks meals the way Americans do with our TV dinners, fast-food drive-throughs and grab-'n-go food that's designed to fit into a car cup holder and be eaten with one hand. In Japan, it's considered rude to eat while walking. And you'll never catch the French gulping coffee in the car. "In France, there are no car cup holders because you don't drink coffee while driving," explains Will Clower, PhD, author of The Fat Fallacy: The French Diet Secrets to Permanent Weight Loss (Three Rivers Press, 2003). "Eating and drinking aren't errands. It's not what you do on the way to something else." Good advice. When you're distracted by work, traffic or the TV, you're apt to overeat without even realizing it, notes Dean Ornish, MD, author of Eat More, Weigh Less (Perennial Books, 2001). "If you really pay attention to what you're eating, you enjoy it more fully and don't need as much food."

12. Enjoy regular meals. One reason French women don't get fat is because French women eat three meals a day. You may think skipping meals cuts calories, but all it does is evoke a primal "fear of hunger response" that causes overeating later, explains Dr. Katz. "Throughout most of our history, we had too little to eat. So when you go for long periods without eating, you stir up all that native programming, which says eat like crazy when you can, because all too often you can't." Start with breakfast. Studies show that breakfast-eaters are slimmer than skippers.

13. Stop eating before you're full. The Okinawans, whose average BMI is 21.5 for those who eat a traditional diet, call this hara hachi bu, or eating till you're 80 percent full. Of course, we're not suggesting that you leave the table hungry. But eating until the buttons pop stretches the stomach by about 20 percent each time you do it, so you inevitably need more food to feel satisfied, explains Bradley Willcox, MD, co-author of The Okinawa Diet Plan (Random House, 2004). He says that putting your fork down "when you feel that first twinge of fullness" gives your brain a chance to realize that you are full before you overdo it.

Willy Says It BEST!!!!

Sonnet 116
Wm Shakespeare

Let me not to the marriage of true minds admit impediments.
Love is not love which alters when alteration finds, or bends with the remover to remove;
OH NO!!!!
It is an ever-fixed mark that looks on tempests and is never shaken;
It is the star to every wandering bark, whose worth's unknown, although his height be taken.
Love's not time's fool. though rosy lips and cheeks within his bending sickle's compass come:
Love alter's not with his brief hours and weeks,
But bears it out even to the edge of doom.
If this be error and upon me proved,
I never writ, nor no man ever loved...

Of Love And Things....

There are many things in life that will catch your eye but only a few will catch your heart! Unknown

Love deeply and passionately; you might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely!
H. Jackson Brown Jr.

We don't love qualities, we love a person.... Jacques Mairtain

In dreams as in love there are no impossibilities
Janos Avary

Let your heart lead you. It whispers so listen carefully
Unknown

Happy Valentines Day!

XVII
Pablo Neruda

I do not love you as if you were salf rose,
Or topaz, or the arrow of carnations the fire shoots off.
I love you as certain dark things are to be loved,
In secret, between the shadows and the soul.
I love you as the plant that never blooms but carries in itself the light of hidden flowers;
Thanks to your love a certain solid fragrance, risen from the earth, lives darkly in my body.
I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where.
I love you straightforwardly, without complexities or pride;
So I love you because I know no other way than this:
Where I do not exist, nor you, so close that your hand on my chest is my hand,
So close that your eyes close as I fall asleep!

Why Dogs Don't Live As Long As Humans

Thank you Martha Evans for this touching email: Makes me think of how short our 16 years with Noble were! I still miss my Nobster Lobster!

Being a veterinarian, I had been called to examine a ten-year- old Irish Wolfhound named Belker. The dog's owners, Ron, his wife, Lisa, and their little boy, Shane, were all very attached to Belker and they were hoping for a miracle.
I examined Belker and found he was dying of cancer. I told the family there were no miracles left for Belker, and offered to perform the euthanasia procedure for the old dog in their home.
As we made arrangements, Ron and Lisa told me they thought it would be good for the four-year-old Shane to observe the procedure. They felt as though Shane might learn something from the experience.
The next day, I felt the familiar catch in my throat as Belker's family surrounded him. Shane seemed so calm, petting the old dog for the last time, that I wondered if he understood what was going on. Within a few minutes, Belker slipped peacefully away. The little boy seemed to accept Belker's transition without any difficulty or confusion.
We sat together for a while after Belker's death, wondering aloud about the sad fact that animal lives are shorter than human lives. Shane, who had been listening quietly, piped up, "I know why." Startled, we all turned to him. What came out of his mouth next stunned me. I'd never heard a more comforting explanation.
He said, "People are born so that they can learn how to live a good life -- like loving everybody all the time and being nice, right?" The four-year-old continued, "Well, dogs already know how to do that, so they don't have to stay as long."
Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply, Speak kindly. Leave the rest to God!
AMEN! What an excellent answer.

Are You Ready For Some FOOTBALL!!!!!!!!!

MSU's 2006 football schedule

Date
Opponent
Aug. 31
S. Carolina (Thurs.)
Sept. 9
Auburn
Sept. 16
Tulane
Sept. 23
at UAB
Sept. 30
at LSU
Oct. 7
West Virginia
Oct. 14
Jacksonville St.
Oct. 21
at Georgia
Oct. 28
Kentucky
Nov. 4
at Alabama
Nov. 18
Arkansas
Nov. 25
at Ole Miss

Sgt. Shane Pugh To Get Silver Star!

The family of a combat medic killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq will receive his Silver Star today.

The medal is recognition of Sgt. Robert Shane Pugh's bravery in instructing other soldiers about how to care for a wounded comrade even as he lay dying.
Pugh, a Mississippi Army National Guard soldier from Meridian, died March 2, 2005, after helping save the life of Sgt. 1st Class Ellis Ray Martin.
"It means a lot that he died for us over there. I didn't want him to go, but it was something he knew he had to do," said the soldier's wife, Amanda Pugh. "He went beyond his call to help that other soldier, and that's why he's getting this award. It means a lot to me."
Col. Mike Thorton, a deputy brigade commander, has said Shane Pugh seemed to sense he was mortally wounded by the explosion but was able to direct a group of primarily combat engineers to stabilize Martin, who had a piece of shrapnel in his stomach.
For his actions, Pugh will be given the highest honor of any soldier in the 155th Brigade Combat Team.
The brigade, which included almost 3,500 Mississippians, deployed to Iraq in January 2005 from Camp Shelby, a Guard base near Hattiesburg.
The unit spent a year in the war-torn country and was credited with capturing 1,500 suspected insurgents, uncovering massive weapons caches and providing security during Iraq's first free elections.
The 155th was recommended for a Presidential Unit Citation and individual medals given to soldiers include 123 Purple Hearts and 328 Bronze Stars. The Silver Star is the third-highest medal awarded by the Army for gallantry.
Pugh, 25, was buried just weeks before what would have been his first wedding anniversary.
He was a licensed paramedic and worked as a phlebotomist for United Blood Services in Meridian.
"Shane was a gentle, fun loving person. He was more than just a friend. He was family," said Terry Jones, Pugh's supervisor at United Blood Services. "He always kept you laughing. He was one of the funniest guys I've ever met, and when he came around, he lit up the room."
Maj. Gen. Harold A. Cross, Mississippi's adjutant general, will present the medal to Pugh's family in a ceremony at the Guard Armory in Meridian.

Don't Cheat Your Sleep!

Sleep This Long And You Might Lose Weight!
Doctors have previously proven that when we sleep too little, we gain weight. Now a research team from Laval University in Quebec City has shown the ideal sleep zone for weight loss: seven to eight hours a night.
Sleep just five to six hours and you can expect to gain weight even if you don't change your diet or exercise habits. Why? Leptin, a hormone that regulates hunger, is manufactured in fat cells. The Laval research team, led by Jean-Philippe Chaput, a doctoral candidate in kinesiology, found in a study of 323 men and 417 women from Quebec province in Canada that those who reported sleeping fewer hours also had lower leptin levels than they should have.
Would that doctors could just tell us to go to bed to lose weight! It's not quite that easy. Even if you faithfully give yourself the gift of eight hours of nightly slumber, you aren't guaranteed to lose weight. Still, the study found that those who slept between seven and eight hours each night were also the slimmest, something to keep in mind as you indulge in late-night TV.
Most of us are so busy we don't think we have time to sleep seven or eight hours every night. But chronic sleep loss not only can lead to weight gain, but also contribute to other health problems, including high blood pressure and a decrease in the immune system's power.
Don't shortchange yourself on sleep! Here are six reasons the Harvard Women's Health Watch newsletter offers to get enough sleep:
Learning and memory: Sleep helps the brain commit new information to memory through a process called memory consolidation. In studies, people who slept after learning a task did better on tests later.
Metabolism and weight: Chronic sleep deprivation may cause weight gain by affecting the way our bodies process and store carbohydrates and by altering levels of hormones that affect our appetite.
Safety: Sleep debt contributes to a greater tendency to fall asleep during the daytime. These lapses may cause falls and mistakes such as medical errors, air traffic mishaps, and road accidents.
Mood: Sleep loss may result in irritability, impatience, inability to concentrate and moodiness. Too little sleep can also leave you too tired to do the things you like to do.
Cardiovascular health: Serious sleep disorders have been linked to hypertension, increased stress hormone levels and irregular heartbeat.
Disease: Sleep deprivation alters immune function, including the activity of the body's killer cells. Keeping up with sleep may also help fight cancer.

172nd Brings Injured ABC News Due Home!

172nd Airlift Wing of the Mississippi Air National Guard has transported two ABC journalists from Iraq to the United States, Lt. Col. David Buck said Wednesday.
Anchorman Bob Woodruff and cameraman Doug Vogt were injured in Iraq on Sunday night after their convoy was hit by an explosive device about 12 miles north of Baghdad.
Woodruff and Vogt returned to the United States on Tuesday and are being treated at the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Md.

STEELERS WIN!

Steelers beat Seahawks to win Super Bowl 40!

Laughter Is The BEST Medicine

The Unexpected Effect of Funny Movies
Watching comedy films is as good for your heart as a workout on the treadmill and may even help you live longer.
How?
Laughter boosts the flow of blood, according to a new study from the University of Maryland Medical Center in Baltimore. In fact, enjoying a good comedy has the same effect on the heart as aerobic exercise or starting a course of heart treatment drugs called statins, report Reuters and the BBC News.The study: Twenty healthy young adults were recruited to watch 15- to 30-minute clips of funny and sad films that were shown 48 hours apart. Using several noninvasive techniques, the researchers measured the participants' blood flow in the brachial artery of their arms before and after they watched clips from the humorous "Something About Mary" and the distressing "Saving Private Ryan." The volunteers did not drink alcohol, take vitamins or engage in aerobic exercise the evening before the experiment as these can impact blood flow. The results: On average, blood vessel dilation was more than 50 percent better after watching a comedy, compared with watching a depressing film. "The extent of the impact of watching a sad film was of the same magnitude as remembering episodes of anger and doing mental arithmetic, while the impact of watching a funny film was equivalent to a bout of aerobic exercise or starting on statin treatment," lead study author Dr. Michael Miller told the BBC News. Still, he cautioned that watching funny movies should never take the place of regular exercise. Instead, try this: Watch a funny movie while you're jogging on the treadmill for twice the benefit!Why does laughing boost blood circulation so much? The researchers say it's not clear, but it's possible that laughing counters the effects that stress hormones can have on the blood vessel function, reports Reuters. Laughing seems to widen the arteries, making it easier for blood to flow through them. Also, laugher may cause the body to boost the production of nitric oxide, a chemical that helps to dilate the blood vessels.
The study findings were published in the medical journal Heart.

Rock On !!!!!!!

Want to Feel Happy Right Now? Do This!
It doesn't matter if it's rock or classical, listening to music will give your soul a quick jolt of happiness. That's the word from researchers at Pennsylvania State University in Altoona who have shown that when we hear music we like, bad moods are banished and good moods are enhanced.What music does: It makes listeners more optimistic, joyful, friendly, relaxed, and calm, and helps vanish feelings of pessimism and sadness.What music doesn't do: It won't ease feelings of fear, sadness, hate, or aggression, and it does nothing to increase feelings of love. Led by psychology professor Valerie N. Stratton and music professor Annette H. Zalanowski, the study required 47 college students to keep music-listening diaries for two weeks. They were instructed to report their moods before and after each musical episode. "Not only did our sample of students report more positive emotions after listening to music, but their already positive emotions were intensified by listening to music," Stratton explained in a news release announcing the study findings.It made no difference what type of music the students chose--rock, pop, soft rock, easy listening, oldies, classical, or New Age. In addition, it didn't matter where they listened to the music or what they were doing while it was playing, be it studying, driving, dressing, or socializing.
The study findings were published in the Psychology and Education: An Interdisciplinary Journal.

Do These 10 Things Daily For True Happiness!

What does it take to be truly happy and have feelings of joy permeate your everyday life? The answer is that it takes a lot less than you might think.
Six British experts from a variety of disciplines--a psychologist, a psychotherapist, two workplace specialists, a social entrepreneur and an economist--worked together in an unusual three-month experiment to help the people living in the English town of Slough find happiness. What they found were 10 simple steps we can all take to make our lives happy, reports the BBC News.
The team determined that the "seeds of happiness" are in this 10-point plan. Do all of these regularly and you'll soon be smiling.
1. Plant something and nurture it.
2. Count your blessings--at least five--at the end of each day.
3. Take time to talk. Have an hour-long conversation with a loved one each week.
4. Phone a friend with whom you have not spoken for a while and arrange to meet up.
5. Give yourself a treat every day and take the time to really enjoy it.
6. Have a good laugh at least once a day.
7. Get physical. Exercise for half an hour three times a week.
8. Smile at and/or say hello to a stranger at least once each day.
9. Cut your TV viewing by half.
10. Spread kindness. Do a good turn for someone every day.