TRUE FRIENDSHIPS ARE HARD TO FINE TODAY

IT TAKES A FRIEND, TO ...
Well ladies, here is February 1st, 2009. One month down and eleven more to go before we say good bye to 2009.Anyone out there feeling that they have been used or hurt by someone they trusted. Well if you are like that then sit back and read something that I discovered.Firstly, there is no true friend in this world anymore. Everyone is out to blast someone. Everyone is out to get what they can from someone and everyone have an issue and if they are like some people I met well…… then you are in for a long haul.I met this woman back in November of 2007 and from what I could see she seem okay. Then in September of 2008 she was back and once again she seemed fine. We became friends and would chat for long period of time. Then I had the bad luck of fining out she is just like all the other women who come around. In fact, because of her my life took a change that I am still trying to comprehend. Today I have stopped talking to her and have avoided being where she is. I need to tell someone that she is not all she pretends to be because she has told me some things that make her to be just like all the other gold diggers around who are out to find what they can get from those who feel they need to help others. Then she went and did the unforgiveable and she knows what I am talking about. I have no intention of keeping in contact with a fake and now I feel I should tell the person she is using that she is not the woman she wants us to think she is.What I have to say about this sort of “friendship” is WE DON’T NEED IT. And if the person really does get more from us than we get from them, then we can leave and never look back. I am giving my so called “friend” the silent treatment. I may never visit her home and I may never buy her meal again. She proved to me that she was not a friend and I am sorry but this world is filled with persons who are looking for someone to share good and bad time that we don’t have time for those who lie and cheat.Something to ponder on:How do we know if we have a true friend? The signs will be there. You will be able to see it in their actions more times than not. But the bottom dollar is we have to learn to read the signs. They are everywhere.

ALL EYES ON BARACK

Yesterday the 44th President of the United States of America took office. President Barack Hussein Obama and First Lady Michelle will now grace the White House and the USA with their presence.

There is great expectations and anticipations of what this, the first black American will do as President of this great nation that is presently under economical duress.

Needless to say, the world looks on in awe. The world expects more than ever before. And so we wait, and hold our breath as we wish Barack and Michelle all the best.
God Bless this new president. God bless his family and God Bless America.

BRIDES TO BE SHOULD TAKE FOLIC ACID

WASHINGTON (UPI) -- Before brides-to-be say "I do," they should be taking a daily multivitamin with 400 micrograms of folic acid daily, U.S. researchers said.

Folate is a water-soluble B vitamin that occurs naturally in foods, such as leafy green vegetables; but folic acid is the synthetic form of folate that is found in supplements and added to fortified foods. Elizabeth T. Jordan, a perinatal clinical nurse specialist and member of the National Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies Coalition Board of Directors, said that this essential B-vitamin helps build and maintain healthy cells, which is especially critical for the developing fetus.

"We know that nearly half of all pregnancies in the U.S. are unplanned and that the average woman is getting less than one-third of the recommended amount of folic acid," Jordan said. "We also know that the odds of having a baby born with an neural tube defects could be greatly reduced by women of childbearing age getting the recommended amount of folic acid."

Despite the food fortification program that began in 1998, which enriched breads, cereals, flours, corn meals, pastas, rice, and other grain products with folic acid, the average non-pregnant Caucasian woman gets only 128 mcg per day of folic acid from fortified food, a study published in the May 2007 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Jordan said.

Copyright 2008 by United Press International

Diabetes Tied to Early Cognitive Slowdown

EDMONTON, Alberta (UPI) -- Talking, planning, organizing and paying attention to details are worse in people with type 2 diabetes than in healthy adults, a Canadian study indicated.

The University of Alberta study, published in the journal Neuropsychology, also found that mental deterioration was no less in younger diabetics than in an older group, suggesting the damage is done early in the disease and remains stable thereafter.

"The good news is that, at this point, the cognitive slowing would not be notable in most older diabetes patients' everyday life activities," said Roger Dixon, a cognition and aging researcher and the report's co-author.

"It may be noticed, however, if the patient is involved in technical psychomotor tasks (such as video games) requiring quick and accurate responses or monitoring," he said in a Times of London report.

"The bad news is that this slowing may indicate the 'leading edge' of progressive cognitive decline occurring with diabetes, and it will likely get worse without careful disease management," he said.

Dixon urged people with serious cases of type 2 diabetes to be screened for cognitive changes to make sure they get the right medication and advice on diet or mental training.

Type 2 diabetes is a chronic, lifelong disease marked by high blood sugar. It begins when the body does not respond correctly to insulin, a hormone released by the pancreas.

Ninety percent of the estimated 23.6 million people in the United States diagnosed with diabetes have type 2.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

Healthy Monday gives 52 chances for health

NEW YORK (UPI) -- The prefect day to start on the road to health is the first Monday of the year -- and every succeeding Monday as well, a group of researchers suggest.

Healthy Monday is a project of Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health in New York, Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore and Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communications.

In 2005, 22 people gathered at Columbia University to discuss the idea of a day devoted to health. Not just one day once year, but a weekly occurrence, and Healthy Monday was born. A growing number of organizations have joined the national movement and integrated "Monday" into their health improvement programs.

Healthy Monday was founded by leaders in the field of public health dedicated to improving the health of Americans by providing a framework for the delivery of innovative, evidence-based health campaigns aimed at reducing morbidity and mortality associated with the four leading causes of preventable disease in the United States -- poor diet and inactivity, smoking and alcohol misuse.

The researchers suggest starting Monday Mile to increase activity, enjoy a Meatless Monday to reduce saturated fat, use Mindfulness Monday to reduce stress, or simply resolve to use Monday to begin a new healthy behavior or stop an unhealthy one like smoking.

More information is at: http://healthymonday.org.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

Discovery Could Be Key To Metastasis

LONDON (UPI) -- Stopping a molecule may stop metastasis -- the ability of cancer cells to spread to distant sites -- British scientists suggest.

Study leader Marco Falasca of Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry says stopping metastasis stops cancer from killing people -- and this discovery could lead to metastasis-blocking drugs.

The researchers investigated the role of the enzyme in cell invasion and find it is required for breast cancer cell invasion activation of the protein Rac1. They revealed a functional link between the enzyme and Rac1 that provides insight into processes regulating cell invasion.

"Consistent with these data we detected an increase in the enzyme expression in metastases compared to primary tumors in breast cancer patients," Falasca says in a statement.

"Therefore the enzyme is critical for metastasis formation, and development and inhibition of this enzyme has a therapeutic potential in the treatment of metastasis dissemination."

The findings were published in Cancer Research.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

Liposuction Weight Loss May Not Help Heart

DALLAS (UPI) -- Liposuction may provide a quick fix to reduce waist size but the loss of weight may not help the heart, U.S. researchers advise.

Dr. Amit Khera, who directs the University of Texas Southwestern program in preventive cardiology, says belly fat, or waist circumference, is more closely associated than other distributions of fat with heart disease or risk factors for heart disease.

However, how one gets rid of the fat seems to matter in terms of reducing these risks.

"Diet and exercise certainly can reduce abdominal fat and reduce heart disease risk, as can surgical procedures like gastric bypass, which limits caloric intake," Khera said in a statement.

"Interestingly, studies looking at liposuction do not seem to show the same benefits. Fat reduction by liposuction does not seem to reduce a protein in the blood called C-reactive protein, which is a measure of inflammation and heart disease risk."

This may be because liposuction targets the subcutaneous, or outer, layer of belly fat but does not reduce the visceral fat that surrounds the intestines and abdominal structures, which is more closely associated with risks for heart disease, Khera says.

Copyright 2009 by United Press International

HAPPY NEW YEAR, CAROLYN, MIYA AND CIARRA

Dearest Carolyn,

This was the first year I was unable to be with you all for Christmas and New Years Day is here and I am filled with so much love and wishes for you. Daughter, you have been and will always be the joy of my life. You have been loved from the moment I found out I was carrying you in my womb. The love your father and I had for each other and the love we had when you arrived was special.

Over the years I became a single parent and that did not stop me from seeing you through high school, Sixth Form and University. Today you are thousands of miles away in Georgia, USA but you remain in my heart as the ray of sunshine that has brighten and guided me over the years.

I wish you all the best, Bibs. If Tia Brenda and Chichi were alive I know they would be so proud of all that you have achieved. I know that I am proud of you and have always been proud of you. Your successes are my successes. Keep on attaining that star that shines in your eyes and heart.
As we move into 2009, I look forward to seeing you and being with you. Keep on smiling and joking and being the best friend a mother could ask for. Baby girl, you are my greatest achievement. You are the best poem I have ever written, the best song I have ever sung and the best speech I have ever given. Reach for the unreachable and remember that you can be all you want to be.

Just say I CAN and you will be surprised at how much you will be able to do.

I love you and always will,

Mama

Ciarra, my little princess,

From the first moment I held you in my arms I knew you were grandma's girl. You are my joy and my peace. You are my blooming lily, my walking happiness. God Bless you my little angel. You are loved and you are cared for. Keep on making us proud of you. Keep on smiling and keep on learning.

Your journey of life has just began. You have much to achieve and you will!
I love you and I miss you.

Grandma's special little star, know this: I will always be there for you. Reach out and take my hand.

All my love and kisses,

Grandma Brenda

Dearest Son-in-Law,

You are the son I never had. You are a joy and a blessing to Carolyn's life. Keep on loving and caring for her. Together you both have so much to recieve.

All my love during this time of the year and always,

Love, Ms. Brenda

HAPPY NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!

IT IS FINALLY HERE. THE TIME WE THOUGHT MIGHT NEVER HAVE COME.

TODAY WHEN WE GREET 2009 LET US THINK BACK TO THE YEAR 2000 WHEN WE WERE TOLD THE WORLD WOULD END. NOW WE ARE THREE YEARS AWAY FROM THE END OF THE WORLD ACCORDING TO THE MAYAN CALENDAR. LORDY, LORDY. CAN'T NO ONE EVER JUST LEAVE THINGS ALONE AND LET US EXIST WHILE WE DO?

ANYWAY, LET'S LOOK BACK ON OUR PAST AND TRY TO MAKE A BETTER FUTURE. LET US WORK FOR BETTER FOR OURSELVES AND OUR FAMILIES.

GIVE LOVE AND BE LOVE. AND MOST OF ALL REMEMBER THAT TO GIVE LOVE WE MUST LOVE OURSELVES FIRST. BE HAPPY WITH WHO YOU ARE. BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU DO. BE HAPPY.

HAVE A BLESSED DAY.

ENJOY THE HOURS AS TIME PASSES YOU BY.

ENJOY GOOD FRIENDS, GOOD FOOD (WHATEVER YOU HAVE), GOOD MOMENTS AND KEEP ON SMILING.

ALL MY LOVE,

BRENDA