Anger...

Whether you agree or disagree with her, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s presumed entry into the presidential race will make the 2020 Democratic nomination more interesting. She’s exceptionally smart, passionately committed to progressive principles, and has a deep understanding of policy. 

Like all candidates, she’ll make mistakes, as she did with her ill-timed DNA test last fall. But her strong grassroots following and passion for the issues likely means she starts this race as one of the legitimate front-runners.

Can she expand her appeal beyond those who are angry about the economy?

Finding the right balance between anger and aspiration is key. Technology and globalization have been profoundly disruptive, shrinking the opportunity to succeed to a small slice of people and places.

If Warren — or someone else — can convince voters that she has the ideas and the will to fight every day to ensure that everyone has a real opportunity to earn a good life, that candidate will unite traditional progressives, moderates and independents to cruise to the nomination.  Hard to do.

Tabata...

Inactivity has been dubbed the biggest public health problem of the 21st century. The latest reports suggest that around the world it was responsible for 5.3 million deaths in 2008 – around one in 10 – more deaths than smoking.

Not only does exercise make you fitter, it can also ward off numerous and often unexpected diseases, from heart attacks, to diabetes, some forms of cancer and dementia. There are tentative signs it might even make you cleverer, by boosting cognitive performance and brain function.

Latest government guidelines recommend adults under 65 should do 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week, in bouts of at least 10 minutes. Worryingly, only a fraction of the population manages even that. In the UK just 14% of adults exercise regularly. 

However, a growing number of sports scientists advocate brief intensive training sessions to achieve the same health gains. So do any, slow, medium or fast.

The latest class to hit London's is called Tabata,

Hands on...

A child was injured after falling into a rhino exhibit at the Brevard Zoo in Melbourne, Florida.

The toddler, 2 years old, and the mother were taken to Arnold Palmer Hospital For Children, Brevard County Fire Rescue said.

The child fell during the "Rhino Encounter," a "hands-on, educational experience with Brevard Zoo’s white rhinoceroses," Brevard Zoo said, adding that the program has been operating since 2009 without incident.

"During the encounter, participants and the rhinoceroses are separated by a series of steel poles."

 According to witnesses, the child stumbled and fell in between two of the poles and at this point, the snout of at least one of rhinoceroses made contact with the child." Holy rhinoceros.

Shults...

Tammie Jo Shults (née Bonnell; born November 2, 1961) is an American commercial airline captain and retired naval aviator. Known for being one of the first female fighter pilots in the United States Navy.

She subsequently became a pilot for Southwest Airlines.^[2] On April 17, 2018, as captain of Flight 1380, she safely landed a Boeing 737-700 after the aircraft suffered an engine failure with debris causing a uncontrolled decompression of the aircraft.

Truckin...

Short...

Sen. Elizabeth Warren announced that she was formally establishing a presidential campaign exploratory committee. 

A former Harvard law professor and champion of consumer protection, Warren is  on the shortlist of potential 2020 Democratic candidates. Her fundraising prowess and popularity in progressive circles has left many in Washington referring to her as one of a few early front-runners as well, though more than two dozen other Democrats are also rumored to be considering presidential runs. 

The video message out features childhood pictures. Warren discusses her life growing up in Oklahoma where her mother worked a minimum wage job and her introduction into politics, when she helped President Barack Obama establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau after the 2008 financial crisis.   She is 69 years old.  

Talks...

The talks were not the first between the Taliban and Iranian officials.  Iran's National Security Council confirmed in Kabul that such talks have taken place in the past and would continue.  Iran has tried to facilitate talks between the insurgents and government of Afghanistan.

The developments come against a backdrop of near-daily attacks in Afghanistan, where the Taliban hold sway over nearly half the country. The Taliban have recently held talks with representatives of several regional countries amid U.S. plans to withdraw up to half the 14,000 American troops from Afghanistan.

Two weeks ago, the Taliban held another round of talks with U.S. officials, this time in the United Arab Emirates and also involving Saudi, Pakistani and Emirati representatives.

In 1998, Iran held the Taliban responsible for the deaths of nine Iranian diplomats who were working in its consulate in northern Afghanistan and sent reinforcements to the 950-kilometer- (580-mile-) long border that Iran and Afghanistan share. 

There is no way around it, the Taliban will rule the country and they will fight the Iranian from here till the end of time. We don't have the right to decide for the Afghan people who to rule. 

Just a thought.

Banned...

New York City pharmacies won't be allowed to sell cigarettes or other tobacco products starting Tuesday. The Wall Street Journal reports the ban also includes businesses that contain pharmacies, such as supermarkets and big-box stores.

The city's health department says the change will affect about 500 pharmacies currently selling tobacco products.

The new rules follow a ban on electronic cigarette sales at pharmacies that took effect in late August.

The owner of the St. George Pharmacy on Staten Island says cigarette sales had drawn customers who ended up making other purchases. Al Gentile says the government shouldn't ban certain stores from selling tobacco products that can be purchased elsewhere.

Will, then can they sell Marijuana? This rule should be challenged. Just a thought.

Avoid...

Sodium is a salt, but there are "salt substitutes" that are also salts and can contribute to hypertension. The CDC recommends no more than 1500 milligrams daily sodium intake.

Processed foods are frequently laden with salt.  More than 75% of the salt in your diet comes from packaged foods.

Delicatessen meats and bacon are seasoned and preserved with salt. One serving size of Genoa salami has 910 milligrams of sodium, 3 slices of turkey breast, can contain over 1000 milligrams of sodium.  

Bread is also laden with sodium! Each slice of bread may have around 200 milligrams of sodium and this amount can add up during the day. 

Pickles are made by curing them in a salty brine. An entire pickle can contain half of your daily recommended sodium serving.

Although it might be obvious that sugar can lead to weight gain and obesity, high sugar intake is also associated with high blood pressure. The American Heart Association recommends limiting your added sugar to 9 teaspoons daily​.

limiting Salt and Sugar is the start to a good year and a healthy one.

Overweight...

More than 2 billion adults and children globally are overweight or obese and suffer health problems because of their weight, a new study.

This equates to one-third of the world's population carrying excess weight, fueled by urbanization, poor diets and reduced physical activity.

The United States has the greatest percentage of obese children and young adults, at 13%, while Egypt led in terms of adult obesity, with almost 35%, among the 195 countries and included in the study.

An increasing number globally are dying from health problems linked to being overweight, such as cardiovascular disease, said the study, published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

Almost 40% of the 4 million dying as a result of their higher body mass index were not yet obese, highlighting that deaths are occurring almost as often in those considered overweight as those considered obese.