News Hugs

NYT has a story on the 11 best foods that you might not keep in your fridge or cabinets. There are some that are edible: canned pumpkin, cinnamon, turmeric, frozen blueberries. And others that aren’t, sardines. Yuck. Swiss chard. That just sounds yucky. 

Read them all here.

Here’s how to get your five servings of fruits and veggies a day.  

A lesson from Diversity.com:

Latino is slightly preferred.

Bottom line: “Latino” and “Hispanic” are terms used in the United States to identify individuals whose ancestry comes from a variety of countries where Spanish is their main language. Both terms are generally acceptable, although in the last 10 years, there is a slight preference for the use of the term “Latino.” There are also some regional preferences that play a role, and when in doubt, you should ask.

Defining some of the most common terms:

·        Latino  An individual with roots that go back to any of the Spanish-speaking countries. Be aware that the term “Latino” may be used for a man only or for a man and woman. Latina is used for women only (never say “Latina women,” as it is redundant). The term “Latino” began to be broadly used in the late 1980s when a younger generation started using it to replace the term “Hispanic.”

·        Hispanic – A term that was originated by the Census Bureau in the 1960s. It was used as a way to capture all the people whose backgrounds included any of the Spanish-speaking countries. The term is gender neutral.

·        Mexican American – An American citizen of Mexican descent. This term gained popularity in 1980s.

·        Spanish – The language of Spain and the language spoken in most of Latin America, except for Brazil, where Portuguese is the main language.

·        Latin – The official and ancient language of the people of the Roman Empire. It is a term that is generally not used to refer to someone who is Latino.

·        Chicano – An American citizen of Mexican descent who has a strong sense of Mexican-American ethnic identity. This term was regularly used in the 1960s, mostly in the Southwest, and by the 1970s it was the preferred term used to refer to Mexican Americans. It isn’t used widely today except in some parts of the country, like Chicago.

As you may or may not know, July 1 means get your hands off your cell phone while you’re driving in California. You can get free headsets, that’s right, free, at freeheadset.org. 

If you’re thinking about switching, or in the mood for a new Mac, now’s the time. They are offering $30 rebates on the Mac and if you buy a printer, you get a $99 rebate, which makes it free if you get the lowest price printer, and this I could hardly believe, but you get either a free Nano iPod or an iTouch, a rebate of $299.

Also, if you are a college student, shop at the education store online and you’ll get $100 off your computer.

Hearing about Microsoft’s Vista operating system, I figured it was a good time to switch cause those are some really good deals. It arrived in 3 days at standard shipping by Fed X and I already applied online for the rebates. So far, I’m impressed with Apple.

Of course, I’ll probably be buying software and accessories that will boost their bottom line and I guess that’s why they offer such a great deal.

I have been a bad blogger but a busy person. Anyway here’s some details on the new X-Files movie. CAN’T WAIT!

While this is not a mythology movie, it’s true to everything that’s come before,” Spotnitz said at the William S. Paley Television Festival. “It’s true to Mulder and Scully, who they are and where they would be this point in their lives and all of the experiences that they’ve had.”

The series first made the leap to the big screen with 1998’s “The X-Files: Fight the Future.” Plans for another film were grounded in 2005 when Carter sued Fox over syndication profits for the show. The lawsuit was later settled.

Carter, who also directs the new movie, said it takes place in the present and uses a story envisioned when the series ended. While the show’s sprawling alien mythology isn’t part of the plot, Carter said there is a reference to Scully’s seemingly supernatural son, William, who was born in season eight and later given up for adoption.

The film is due out July 25.

On 60 Minutes, scientists say new studies are showing that sleep is far more important than most people think.

Millions of go-go people have a “convenient belief” that they do just fine without sleep, according to the researcher. Some wear their lack of sleep like a badge of honor (not me, I like my sleep) but sleep isn’t just for rest, there is a higher purpose to sleep, according to the research.

Consciousness is overrated, says the researcher.

Furthermore, not getting enough sleep might make you fat (slows your metabolism) and cause other health problems. Some of the health problems that we get when we age might not be caused by getting older, but rather the lack of “deep sleep.”

And studies with sleep-deprived male fruitflies shows they have troubles mating. The “successful” male gets enough sleep.

Now, go get some guilt-free sleep.

The Oregon Urology Institute has a March Madness vasectomy special so men can bow out and watch basketball in peace. They can sit around and eat pizza with frozen peas on the tender spots — guilt-free.

I think it’s a lovely idea and apparently it’s a hit.

This from the institute:

Guys, what would you endure for a weekend in paradise? To not only be able to watch a potential of 48 first- and second- round games of the NCAA men’s basketball tournament on TV, but to do so with free pizza and total sympathy from your spouse?

How about a vasectomy?

No, no, no, guys, come back. Take a knee. I heard it advertised the other day on KSCR 1320 AM radio: Oregon Urology Institute’s new “Snip City” campaign.

A little pain, lots of gain. Not to mention a free bag of frozen peas.

Okay. I don’t know how to describe this, other than to say that I heard Leslie Hall on the radio this morning and she makes gem sweaters with bangles and things on them, and sings rap songs and wears gold spandex.

How do people know that they’ve reached senior status? When Elvis comes to gyrate at the nursing home.