PenStarRob Mediocrity…the American Dream #DWTS -

adimike55 @samchampion looks like #DWTS has jumped the shark. Not a dance comp anymore. Guess a “party” needs 2 control everything & hurt real talent

dina_1 bristol palin is in the finale of dancing with the stars? this is wrong on so many levels #DWTS

@bjwanlund: Wow. I’m 150% shocked right now. Really #DWTS voters? You REALLY put Bristol thru instead of @4everbrandy????? You’re a bunch of idiots.

XCal86 Washington Post – glitch in voting system allows unlimited votes for bristol palin!! WTF. Bottom of article. http://wapo.st/a20cNI

SuzetteMeade Suzette Meade  Derek Hough’s open-mouth face after tonight’s #DWTS #elimination says it all! #Brandy and Maks demand a recount!! Really @ABC really?!?!

Fans of Brandy took to Twitter in outrage.  And some even referred to those people upset at mediocrity triumphing over talent as “libtards:”

GregWHoward Greg Howard
A normal person would be embarrassed to act the way libtards are acting tonight, but hey, they’re libtards. #p2

So, let’s, for a moment, imagine a hypothetical situation:  Joe Biden’s daughter or Robert Kennedy Jr.’s daughter or, hey, maybe Nancy Pelossi’s daughter has been a contestant on Dancing With the Stars.  Daughter has displayed a likable charm factor but considerable woodenness and lack of genuine ability.  Said daughter would have been voted off in episode two or three – maybe four.

I know, I know.  It’s a real stretch.  The Biden or Kennedy or Pelossi kids would not be traveling the country trumpeting sexual abstinence (what is this?  1956?) and participating on a trashy reality show.  Instead they’d be in college, earning their degrees.  Or maybe working as a human rights activist or a documentary filmmaker or an environmentalist.

Oh, but, gee, I forgot!  In the “tea partiers” world actually getting educated is considered elitist!  Oh, riiiight, actual accomplishments and ability are verboten in “tea party” land!

Nope, the fact is that Dancing With the Stars is a DANCE competition everybody.  Sure popularity plays a role but, in the end, it should be about … uh, DANCING.  As in who can actually dance.

On the other hand, if you want to make this political, looks like the Republican “tea partiers” have cheated once again, judging by the Washington Post article pointing to a flawed online voting system.

Maybe Bristol should take a cue from her mother and throw in the towel.

You are left with a sense of emptiness even though you’ve accomplished everything on your list.

Lists generate a lot of activity that is largely unfulfilling. Let go of busy-ness. Spend your time engaging in meaningful activities that nourish your life.

Completing your most fulfilling tasks first sends a message to your being that you are successful. It reinforces that you can accomplish what you set your mind to. It gives you the confidence needed to reach your goals.

Identify what is important to you and do the activities that support this idea first.

Build Mental Space

Mental space gives you the capacity to hold the complete picture in your mind, yet execute effectively in the moment. At any point you are fully engaged in the task at hand, and in your mind there is a clear mental picture of all that is necessary for you to succeed.

It gives you the ability to move with ease and grace throughout your activities without being overwhelmed.

Interconnect Your Life

When you weave your life together, the party that you have to go to for your spouse’s friend becomes social time for you as well. Rather than sit on the sidelines watching the kids play, spend some time engaging in conversation with the hosts. Get together with the moms alone so that you can enjoy the friendship these women offer.

An integral life that is woven like a tapestry is stronger and more fulfilling. You leverage your time because you are completing multiple tasks. In addition, the whole activity is more enriching than the sum of the individual tasks.

I don’t know about you, but I’ve never known anyone who was pro-abortion – even the woman I knew nearly 40 years ago who almost died from an infection following an illegal abortion. I doubt if even George W. Bush’s college sweetheart, who, thanks to her boyfriend’s money and connections, was able to obtain a safe – if illegal – medical procedure, would call herself pro-abortion.

Nice how this so-called “news” station likes to manipulate and frame their viewers views.



Sex has many apparent health benefits. Studies suggest sex can boost your immune system and reduce stress.

2. Keep your teeth clean

Diabetes, low birth weight babies and heart disease have all been linked to gum and bone disease in your mouth. Even heart attacks have been linked to bad dental hygiene.

3. Use the sun

A little sunshine is good for your mood and allows your body to produce necessary vitamin D, which is lacking in some 70 percent of American kids these days.

4. Drink less

After years of hearing that moderate drinking is good for your health, a study in November, 2009 found that having a drink or two each day might be something that healthy people do, rather than the drinks being the cause of their good health. And if you’re having more than a couple drinks a day, then you’re at higher risk for liver damage and diabetes.

5. Wash your hands

Hand washing remains the best prevention against the flu and many other diseases.

6. Get some rest

Serious lack of sleep — less than six or seven hours a night — has been associated with increased risks of high blood pressure, hypertension, obesity, diabetes and cancer. Lack of sleep can also contribute to auto accidents and on-the-job injuries.

7. Stop smoking

About half of all smokers die from smoking, and of these, about half die around age 50 or sooner.

8. Don’t stress

Stress kills. It causes deterioration in everything from your gums to yourheart and can make you more susceptible to a range of ills, from colds to cancer.

9. Exercise

Over and over, studies find a host of exercise benefits, not just for your body: It can raise kids’ academic performance and stimulate adult brains. Exercise makes bones stronger and alleviates many types of chronic pain. Regular exercise has even been associated with a lower risk of cancer.

10. Eat better

Choose real food instead of sugar laced with traces of real food. Cook at home rather than eating fast food, and use spices, rather than gobs and gobs of oil or sugar, to spice up your meals.

Sources:

Live Science December 30, 2009

This is an excellent, empowering list for the New Year, one you can use to improve your health by leaps and bounds. The reality is that more than any pill or medical “treatment,” your lifestyle is what will determine your level of health now and in the years to come.
It was the ancient Roman poet Martial, wise beyond his time, who first said:

“Life’s not just being alive, but being well.”

This is still true today, many centuries later. Your health is a gift that cannot be bought, and once it’s lost it may be impossible to get back.

So I urge you to do some serious contemplating on what really matters in your life, and then make a commitment to doing all you can to support and nourish your health. Whether you realize it yet or not, you have at your disposal numerous methods to influence your physical and mental well-being, and ultimately take control of your health.

You are Not a Victim to Your Genes

Before I delve into more detail about exactly how you can change your lifestyle for the better, I first want to dispel the myth that you are a captive to your genes.

For some of you reading this, this may be a weight lifted off your shoulders. If your mother suffered from breast cancer, or you have a family history of diabetes or obesity, for instance, it does not mean that you are destined to have that same fate.

As proven through the massive genetic study, the Genome Project, each one of your genes can create up to 30,000 proteins, any and all of which can create a different outcome. So the fact that you may have a genetic “predisposition” for a certain illness does not mean that you are doomed to develop it.

Rather, there is something that either activates or suppresses your genes, and that “something” is usually lifestyle-related. If you are constantly stressed you will likely have a different genetic expression than if you focus your thoughts in a positive direction.

Likewise, if you eat healthy, fresh, whole foods you will have a different genetic expression than if you rely on sugar and fast foods.

Ultimately, this is great news, as it means you can make the choice to help your genes express themselves in a positive, disease-fighting way.

Which Diseases Can Your Lifestyle Help Prevent?

A far more appropriate question would be, “What can’t it?” — because the choices you make on a daily basis truly influence just about every disease known to man, and probably more than handful of those yet to be discovered!

Here is just a short list of some of the major diseases your decision to eat well, exercise, reduce stress, and so on will help to ward off:

Cancer
Heart disease
Diabetes
Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases
High blood pressure
Hormonal imbalances
Again, this is by no means an exhaustive list. If you name a disease or illness, there’s a good chance your lifestyle can help prevent it or influence it in a positive way.

My Top Lifestyle Recommendations for a Healthy 2010

The start of a new year is always a good time to evaluate your past mistakes and make a fresh start. So if you haven’t been leading the type of lifestyle you’d like to be, I give you permission to wipe the slate clean right now.

Today is a new day, and today can be the day you start leading a lifestyle of health and wellness. With that in mind, here are my top recommendations to make 2010 your healthiest year yet.

1. Learn How to Effectively Cope With Stress

In my past experience treating patients with serious chronic illnesses, the vast majority have previous emotional stress that contributed to their problem. And for most of the serious illnesses, the trauma stems back to their childhood.

But according to at least one recent study, it doesn’t take serious trauma to cause these changes. Even normal “everyday” emotional experiences can have a detrimental impact on your future health.

Meditation, prayer, physical activity and exercise are all viable options that can help you maintain emotional and mental equilibrium. I also strongly believe in using tools such as the Meridian Tapping Technique (MTT) to address deeper, oftentimes hidden emotional problems.

2. Get Optimal Exposure to Sunlight

Vitamin D, often referred to as “the sunshine vitamin,” is different from other vitamins in that it influences your entire body. Vitamin D receptors have been found in almost every type of human cell, from your brain to your bones, so its power to optimize your health is truly great.

Please remember that vitamin D will optimize over 2,000-3,000 genes in your body or 10 percent of your total genes!

Studies have shown you can decrease your risk of cancer by MORE THAN HALF and lower your risk of many other common diseases simply by optimizing your vitamin D levels with sun exposure.

3. Eat a Healthy Diet That’s Right for Your Nutritional Type

My nutrition plan, based on natural whole foods, is your first step toward increasing your chances of living a longer, healthier life. The heart of my program is the elimination, or at the very least, drastic reduction of grains and sugar in your diet, while focusing on the foods that are right for your unique biochemistry.

4. Eat Plenty of Raw Food

One of the most important aspects of a healthy diet that is most frequently overlooked is the issue of eating your food uncooked, in its natural raw state.

Unfortunately, as you may be aware, over 90 percent of the food purchased by Americans is processed. And when you’re consuming these kinds of denatured and chemically altered foods, it’s no surprise we have an epidemic of chronic and degenerative diseases.

Ideally you’ll want to eat as many foods as possible in their unprocessed state; typically organic, biodynamic foods that have been grown locally, and are therefore in season.

But even when you choose the best foods available you can destroy most of the nutrition if you cook them. I believe it’s really wise to strive to get as much raw food in your diet as possible. I personally try to eat about 80 percent of my food raw, including raw eggs and meats.

5. Optimize Your Insulin and Leptin Levels

Eating sugar and grains will increase your insulin level, which is one of the fastest ways to premature aging. Leptin is another heavyweight hormone associated with the aging process.

Like your insulin levels, if your leptin levels become elevated, your body systems will develop a resistance to this hormone, which will wreak havoc in your body.

Ron Rosedale, MD, who is one of the leading experts on leptin, does an excellent job of explaining the links between insulin, leptin, your weight and your overall health, and has done so in numerous articles posted on my site.

Your diet, as discussed in steps three and four above, is the key to maintaining the balance of these two hormones.

6. Exercise

The benefits of exercise are staggering, and if you think you can achieve or maintain optimal health without it, you’re deceiving yourself. For example, it helps you to:

Sleep better
Lose weight, gain weight or maintain weight, depending on your needs
Improve your resistance to fight infections
Lower your risk of cancer, heart disease and diabetes
Help your brain work better, making you smarter
If you’ve fallen off the exercise wagon, watch my Primary Principles of Exercise video to get back on track.

7. Consume Healthy Fat

The science is loud and clear on this point: omega-3 fats are essential for optimal health.

The omega-3 found naturally in fish and seafood is high in two fatty acids crucial to human health, DHA and EPA. These two fatty acids are pivotal in preventing heart disease, cancer, and many other diseases. Your brain is also highly dependent on DHA — low DHA levels have been linked to depression, schizophrenia, memory loss, and a higher risk of developing Alzheimer’s.

Unfortunately most fish commercially available today (even wild-caught varieties) are polluted with mercury, PCBs and other toxic substances, which is why I recommend you take a supplement like krill oil instead of getting it from your food.

8. Limit Your Exposure to Toxins

The number of toxic chemicals and their sources is so large, addressing them all could easily require an entire library, but I believe you can help you keep your toxic load as low as possible by becoming an informed and vigilant consumer.

This includes tossing out your toxic household cleaners, soaps, personal hygiene products, air fresheners, bug sprays, lawn pesticides, and insecticides, just to name a few, and replacing them with non-toxic alternatives.

For a review of some of the most common sources of household dangers, I suggest you review this previous article, or search my site for any number of different toxins by name.

9. Make Pure Water Your Primary Beverage

Every day your body loses water through urine and sweat, and needs to be replenished. You can actually survive without food for months, but without water you’d die after a few days, so needless to say, water is absolutely essential to life.

You can easily tell what your water requirement is by using your thirst and the color of your urine as guides. Your urine should be a very light-colored yellow. If it is a deep, dark yellow then you are likely not drinking enough water.

Further, if you are healthy, then drinking whenever you feel thirsty should be an adequate guide of how much water you need. You can confirm that you are drinking enough water by looking at the color of your urine, as mentioned above.

As for obtaining clean, pure water, installing a water filter in your home is your best bet. For the latest recommendations on the methods that work best to remove impurities and toxic byproducts caused by water chlorination from your tap water, please review this previous article, Tap Water Toxins—Discover Your Three Best Solutions, Straight From the Experts.

10. Get Plenty of Quality Sleep

Scientists have discovered that your circadian rhythms regulate the energy levels in your cells. In addition, the proteins involved with your circadian rhythm and metabolism are intrinsically linked and dependent upon each other.

Therefore, when your circadian rhythm is disrupted, it can have a profound influence on your physical health. For example, research has also linked disrupted sleep cycles to serious health problems like depression, coronary heart diseases, and even cancer.

If you have any kind of sleep problem, whether you’re having trouble falling asleep or staying asleep, my article 33 Secrets to a Good Night’s Sleep is packed with great tips to help you finally get some good rest.

1.    It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas – Johnny Mathis
2.    The Christmas Song – Nat King Cole
3.    White Christmas – Bing Crosby
4.    Baby It’s Cold Outside – Dean Martin/Martina McBride
5.     ‘O Holy Night‘ – Nat King Cole
6.    ’Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree‘  – Brenda Lee
7.    Merry Christmas Darling – the Carpenters
8.    Blue Christmas – Elvis Presley
9.    Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow! - Frank Sinatra
10.    Christmas Wrapping – The Waitresses
11.    ‘It’s Beginning to Look a Lot like Christmas‘ – Perry Como
12.     “All I want for Christmas is You” – Mariah Carey
13.   I’ll Be Home For Christmas -   Elvis Presley
14.    Winter Wonderland – Frank Sinatra
15.    Feliz Navidad – Jose Feliciano
16.   Christmastime Is Here (Vocal)   -  Vince Guaraldi Trio
17.    The Chipmunk Song (Christmas Don’t Be Late)  – The Chipmunks
18.    Joy to the World – Mannheim Steamroller
19.    Happy Xmas (War Is Over) – John Lennon
20.   Santa Claus Is Coming To Town – Jackson Five

I was reminded of this quote in the past week when in search of a logo for a new product that I am introducing next month.

As a divorced mother of two who receives no child support and has one daughter in college, my funds are limited.  I know exactly what kind of text-based logo that I want – I know, too, that if I was still in possession of the Adobe Illustrator software that resides on my old dead mac, I could produce what I want in a manner of minutes.

So, I posted an advertisement on craigslist advertising for a graphic designer to produce a text-based logo and offered the princely sum of $25.

Of course, I am well aware that a good logo is worth a good deal more.

I used to be a graphic designer myself and charged approximately $75 an hour and this was years ago and prior to the economic crash.

However, $25 is all that I can presently afford.  And, should I find a good designer, I am one of those folks who rewards – with bonuses and future work (at a higher price).  Which I explained in my advertisement.

My inbox was flooded with replies.  Many were obviously beginners, testing their wings but possessing nowhere near the degree of professionalism I require.

And then there was the scattering of rude replies, one fellow noting that he could do it for $25 a month for three years.

Pulease.

One fellow even wrote sarcastically that I should “Do it yourself, It will only take you a few minutes.”

Yet there were also at least 15 responses from highly qualified designers, with great portfolios and samples as well (oddly enough, the complainers didn’t even deign to include samples of their work).

My ultimate selection?  A designer whose work I found the most exciting and in the direction of what I’m looking for.  The price?  $50.  Yes, twice the price I had advertised.  Still on the low side, I realize, but twice what I’d budgeted.

What did this designer offer?  Great designs, an intuitive knowledge of what I was looking for, and an awesome attitude.
The lesson?  A good attitude never hurts – and just might help, particularly in today’s economic climate.

Without meaning to brag, at 52 I am virtually wrinkle free and pore less with a porcelain complexion.

I’d be lying if I didn’t tell you that staying out of the sun has played a major role in my youthful skin.  I’m a natural redhead and cannot tan to save my life.  Fortunately I gave up even trying while in my teens.

However, I recently watched an about.com video – from a dermatologist no less – on how to wash your skin and found it so filled with misinformation that I decided to write this article.

First off, as a teen and even through my twenties, thirties and forties, I had an extremely oily complexion, owing mainly to genetics.  Having such oily, acne-prone (and we’re talking cystic acne here) taught me, early on, the real secrets to good skincare.

So, what is my main secret?  Absolutely scrupulously clean skin at all times.

You don’t get scrupulously clean skin by a few splashes over a basin.  If you did, you wouldn’t be able to use a clarifying lotion, such as Clinique’s, following “washing” your face, only to have your cotton ball come away filthy with grime.

I shower.  Twice a day.  During my shower I wash my face two to three times.

In my younger days I used a Buff Puff to exfoliate.  When I got older I used a milder Buff Puff.  I now use a complexion brush.  Until I was 50 I used an oily skin formula soap.  Now I use a milder soap, but I still do use soap.  I don’t believe that you get scrupulously clean skin with any cleanser.

I follow up with a light, oil free moisturizer, such as Nars Vitamin Serum.  Lately I’ve been using Osmotics serums.

I wear an oil free foundation and never, ever go to bed with makeup on.

My second secret is knowing that what goes into your body is as important as what goes onto your skin.  I supplement daily with a hefty dose of fish oil.

And that’s it.

I remember picking up moderate weight lifting after reading that Marilyn Monroe had used weights.  I was rather skinny in those days and longed for a curvier figure.  For many years I used my little five pound “girlie” dumbbells and ankle weights.

And then came Jane Fonda.  She pretty much revolutionized home exercise – and I was a devotee, doing her workout back when it was on vinyl three to five times a week.

Then along came The Firm.

I can still remember being entranced by the commercial on television, featuring a young Susan Harris in yellow leotard doing aerobic exercises with weights.  The videotape cost $49.99 – quite a fortune in those days – but I convinced my husband to “let” me buy it.  When it arrived in the mail, I could hardly wait for my little one’s nap time so I could test it out.

The instructions stressed:  “Beginners – do NOT use weights.”

But, hey, I wasn’t a beginner!  I was running five miles a day in those days – and working out with Jane!  I pulled out my five pound dumbbells and ankle weights and went to it …

WOW!  What an amazing workout!  I’d never been worked out like that in my life and I felt wonderfully energized.  The music, the sequencing, the cast, the production values – this workout was well worth the $49.99.

When I could scarcely walk the next day I knew that this was the workout for me.

For well over a year I worked out to Susan Harris and volume one at least five days a week.  I had a figure that – seriously – could stop traffic.  My butt became round, tight and lifted … I had SHOULDERS for the first time in my life!  I actually LIKED wearing a bathing suit!

And, for many years I did nothing but Firm workouts, buying every new workout as they came out.  The Firm workouts featured fantastic casts, music and sequencing and were beautifully filmed.  They appealed to my love of beauty – as well as my love of working out – and actually getting RESULTS from my efforts (as Susan Harris used to say “Results you can SEE!” – and I did).

Working out to The Firm gave me a unique combination of feeling strong and powerful – and feeling deliciously feminine as well.  Whenever I’d finish a Firm workout, no matter how I’d felt when I’d started, by the end I’d feel like Shania Twain used to sing:  “Man, I feel like a woman!”

In 1995 I got my first computer and somehow found an online listserv devoted to The Firm workouts and, thanks to that great bunch of women, I shifted from evening to morning workouts and began working out every day at 5 am.

When The Firm’s Tortoise and Hare workouts came out, led by Tracie Long and featuring Anna Benson’s innovative “ballroom aerobics” they were rather panned by some – but I, typically a bit of a klutz, loved the “ballroom” step aerobics and even the Charleston, interspersed with traditional weight work.

In the years to come, The Firm listserv introduced me to the workouts of Cathe Friedrich.  While I never became a fan of her highly choreographed step workouts, still preferring to get outside and run, I loved her weight workouts and began supplementing my Firm habit with Cathe workouts.

I learned, too, that heavier weights gave me better results.  Eventually I was using 25 pound dumbbells and a barbell loaded up to 65 pounds.

Even years later, I would still find inspiration in the ahead-of-its-time  “20 Questions About Fitness” video that the Benson sisters produced early on, which described the science behind their workouts.

Working out in the privacy of home – rather than a gym – was always my preference and The Firm and Cathe Friedrich made it possible for me to exercise at home without sacrificing results.

I would, in fact, still be exercising to the classic Firm workouts if the limited space of my current home didn’t preclude  it.  I now hit the gym on a regular basis – but still miss Susan Harris at 5:00 am.

When I learned yesterday that Anna Benson, who, together with her sister Cynthia had created the original (and best) Firm workouts, had passed away at 59 of stomach cancer, I was deeply saddened.

Tracie Long, one of Anna’s workout stars and a fitness queen herself, posted the following eloquent tribute on her website:

It is with a heavy heart I am notifying our forum members of Anna Benson’s passing.

Anna was living in Panama, Central America. As far as I can tell she had a small fitness studio where she was teaching classes daily.

Anna passed away yesterday, November 23rd in the afternoon.
It is my understanding she was surrounded by loving people who took care of her in her final months.

About a month ago I got a call from Nancy Tucker who told me Anna was terminally ill with cancer. The type of cancer she had is not 100% clear to me. It sounds like a form of stomach/intestinal cancer that had spread by the time she was properly diagnosed. It does not sound like there were many options for treatment at that point.

It is my understanding she will be cremated and her remains sent home to Columbia, SC where her family will have a private burial & memorial.

I was fortunate enough to have contact with Cynthia Benson last week. She gave me Anna’s contact information but I’m not sure my messages were received.

Anna loved me like a daughter. Though we went through many ups and downs together, over our 15 years, and were estranged for the last 5 years, she is my mentor and taught me everything I know. If I were to be very honest I would say she could be very difficult to love at times but my love for her was unconditional and I will never forget her. She remains a part of me & I will continue to express her talents & love for fitness through my work to carry on her legacy.

I can only hope the impact she had on the lives of so many will never be forgotten. I’m not sure Anna really ever got the credit she deserves for the work she did. Please use this forum thread to express your memories, stories and love for Anna.

If I am able to share any information about services, flowers, donations etc…I will pass it on to you first, here on this forum.

And the family posted this official obituary on Anna’s site:

Anna Lynn Benson died on November 23, 2009, in Boquete, Panama. Born in Columbia, South Carolina on December 19, 1949, Anna was a sixth generation Columbian and lived most of her life here. She attended Heathwood Hall Episcopal School and was graduated from Dreher High School in 1967. She continued her education at Stratford College in Danville, Virginia, and was graduated from the University of South Carolina, where she earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English, a Master’s Degree in Library Science, and a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology. Anna was a member of Trinity Episcopal Cathedral.

Blessed with intelligence and creativity, Anna developed her interests in fitness and history into many prestigious, noteworthy accomplishments. Always an ardent exerciser, Anna taught swimming lessons as a teenager to many of Columbia’s children. In 1979, she founded the very successful and popular exercise studio, The Body Firm, in Charleston and Columbia. For more than 20 years, she created award-winning exercise techniques and trained numerous instructors in instructional performance. Beginning in 1986, Anna collaborated with her former husband, filmmaker Mark Henriksen, and her sister, Cynthia Benson, to create a best-selling library of exercise videos entitled The Firm. This ground-breaking series generated ongoing business with media giants such as Time- Life, BMG and Broadway Books; world-wide sales of The Firm have exceeded 100 million copies since the release of the first video. Anna also addressed specific needs of older exercisers with her later videos FitPrime and Fitness Favorites. Fitness favorites will continue to operate under the direction of her son Byrd Henriksen, Annette Bethel, and Ezequiel Diaz.

Based on her special interest in the history of the South, Anna also created, in collaboration with Mark Henriksen and Cynthia Benson, two internationally award-winning documentary films about the history and culture of the two Southern cities: The Key West Picture Show (1978) and Dear Charleston (1980) received multiple first-prize awards and five-star reviews from notable sources including the New York Times and the American Film Institute. Reflecting Anna’s insightful interviewing skills and vibrant, energetic perspective, these fresh and entertaining films remain in print today.

Anna is survived by her husband, Herbert Jabloner; her father, Herbert L. Benson, Jr., and his wife, Barbara Quick (Long) Benson; her mother, Anna Marian Stanley Tucker, and her husband, Hubert W. Tucker; her sons, William Byrd Stanley Henriksen and Mark Herbert Phillips Henriksen; and her sisters, Cynthia Benson Clarke of Columbia, South Carolina, Frieda Benson Grimball of Norfolk, Virginia, and Sara Elizabeth Benson of Chicago, Illinois. In addition to the generation of instructors who continue to build on her legacy of achievement in exercise science, Anna also leaves behind countless exercise enthusiasts who continue to use and enjoy her informative, entertaining works.

The family in Columbia wishes to thank Herbert Jabloner, Scott Williams and the doctors and nurses at Chiriqui Hospital in David, Panama, for their expert care and compassion. Memorials may be made to the Oliver Gospel Mission, PO Box 7791, Columbia, SC 29202, or St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 1715 Bull Street, Columbia, SC 29201, or to the Building Fund, Trinity Episcopal Cathedral, 1100 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29201. Friends may call at the homes of her parents.

A memorial service for the family and friends celebrating her life will be held Tuesday, December 1, 4:00 PM at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Columbia, South Carolina, The Reverend Dr. Tony A. Metze, pastor, officiating. Interment will be scheduled for a later date. Shives Funeral Home is assisting the family.

What a lady.  What a life.  Rest in peace, Anna, and know that your innovations changed the lives of thousands of women.

Please write back to confirm that you want us to remove all of this information. If you’d rather make this information private and not remove it completely, let us know when you write back.

It went on to say:  Please note: this e-mail was sent from an address that cannot accept incoming e-mail.

And no instructions were given as to how to contact Garwood D, my amazon representative.

It could be worse.  I could be dealing with eBay’s customer service.

So I guess it shouldn’t have surprised me when, shortly after moving here from the relatively clean Midwest in 1983, I began experiencing a series of upper respiratory ailments.

Things like strep throat, bronchitis, ear infections, sinus infections and pneumonia, which I had never even had as a child, occurred with enough regularity that I was treated with antibiotics at least once a year for over ten years.

It wasn’t until I was hospitalized for nearly a week about four years ago with severe gastroenteritis that I began to question all that antibiotic use.  Just prior to becoming ill with the stomach ailment I had been treated, yet again, for yet another sinus infection with yet another antibiotic.

Apparently this time the antibiotics did a number on my intestinal tract.  While I was fairly savvy about supplementing my diet with vitamins, I was unaware that antibiotics kill off the “good flora” in body, causing various biological systems to not work properly.

As a result I suffered with diarrhea for over three weeks before entering the hospital, and lost over twenty pounds.

Through trial and error (rather than a doctor’s intervention), I healed my body and now only suffer a rare recurrence of the gastroenteritis.  When I do, I am able to address it quickly with the use of a strong probiotic treatment.

Unfortunately, though, I still do reside in Philadelphia, which means I still can’t get a decent breath of fresh air and still do suffer the occasional sinus infection.

What’s a healthy, enlightened soul to do?

Well, I have developed what I refer to as “Pam’s secret cocktail.”  It includes a capsule of oregano oil mixed with olive leaf, 1-2 1,000 mg vitamin C capsules, 1 capsule of zinc and 1 capsule of garlic.

I take it before bed and, while I might occasionally smell like a pizza, this supplement cocktail seems to help ward off the sinus infections and colds.

Another discovery?  The Neti pot!

Neti is the practice of nasal cleansing and it has been used by practitioners of Ayurveda and Yoga in India for thousands of years. Alternative health practitioners throughout the world recommend the regular practice of nasal cleansing using a saline solution as part of a regular regimen of health and wellness, a basic health-maintenance activity equal to flossing your teeth. Neti is a gentle, safe, efficient way to deliver a good cleansing dose of saline to the nose.

After reading about the benefits of Neti, I decided to try it.  Alas, my local Whole Foods was selling Neti pots for around $20 a pop (not to mention the “Neti pot solution”) so I decided to see what I could come up with at home.

Would you believe that you don’t have to spend the money for a Neti pot or the “Neti pot solution?”

Make your own solution at home and save your money… get some baking soda and salt. 1/4 tsp of each (I actually use a bit more salt than that) mixed with 8 oz. of warm water, put in an empty and well-washed dishwashing soap bottle, and viola!  Your own homemade Neti pot.

In one nostril, out the other.

Never suffer another sinus infection!

To your good health …

ONE. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully.

TWO. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other.

THREE. Don’t believe all you hear, spend all you have or sleep all you want.

FOUR. When you say, ‘I love you,’ mean it.

FIVE. When you say, ‘I’m sorry,’ look the person in the eye.

SIX. Be engaged at least six months before you get married.

SEVEN. Believe in love at first sight.

EIGHT. Never laugh at anyone’s dreams. People who don’t have dreams don’t have much.

NINE… Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt but it’s the only way to live life completely.

TEN.. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling.

ELEVEN. Don’t judge people by their relatives.

TWELVE. Talk slowly but think quickly.

THIRTEEN. When someone asks you a question you don’t want to answer, smile and ask, ‘Why do you want to know?’

FOURTEEN. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk.

FIFTEEN. Say ‘bless you’ when you hear someone sneeze.

SIXTEEN. When you lose, don’t lose the lesson.

SEVENTEEN. Remember the three R’s: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions.

EIGHTEEN. Don’t let a little dispute injure a great friendship.

NINETEEN. When you realize you’ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it.

TWENTY. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice

TWENTY- ONE. Spend some time alone.

54 percent of Americans

are concerned about the level of stress in their everyday lives.

62 percent of Americans say work has a significant impact on stress levels.

73 percent of Americans name money as the number one factor that affects their stress level.

Increasing numbers of children, teenagers and college students report feeling under stress.

We’ve all got our own ways of coping with stress. A great workout usually helps me. An awesome run is a sure stress reliever. I confess that yoga has yet to become a major stress reliever for me, but I’m working on it (I think that I’m just too conditioned to faster exercise and yoga is taking some adjusting for both my mind and body). Frankly, a nap with my cat, Ned, is also a sweet stress reliever.

But, when I have simply got too too too much to do, my all-time favorite stress reliever is to bake.

From scratch.

Be it buttermilk biscuits (which I have only just perfected in the past couple of years), a great pie, cookies or a cake, nothing relieves my mind of all the worries and cares of the world quite like baking.

And the number one stress cure?

Baking brownies.

Who doesn’t adore warm, chewy, chocolaty nutty brownies?

My family and friends will tell you that I make the best brownies, bar none (is that a pun?). I can also tell you that I have personally tested hundreds of recipes before settling, at long last, on the best, which I present to you now:

Supernatural Brownies

Adapted from “Chocolate: From Simple Cookies to Extravagant Showstoppers,” by Nick Malgieri (Morrow Cookbooks, 1998)

Time: About 1 hour

2 sticks (16 tablespoons) butter, more for pan and parchment paper
8 ounces bittersweet chocolate
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup dark brown sugar, such as muscovado
1 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 cup flour
1/2 cup chopped walnuts or 3/4 cup whole walnuts, optional.

1. Butter a 13-by-9-inch baking pan and line with buttered parchment paper. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In top of a double boiler set over barely simmering water, or on low power in a microwave, melt butter and chocolate together. Cool slightly. In a large bowl or mixer, whisk eggs. Whisk in salt, sugars and vanilla.

2. Whisk in chocolate mixture. Fold in flour just until combined. If using chopped walnuts, stir them in. Pour batter into prepared pan. If using whole walnuts, arrange on top of batter. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until shiny and beginning to crack on top. Cool in pan on rack.

Yield: 15 large or 24 small brownies.

Note: For best flavor, bake 1 day before serving, let cool and store, tightly wrapped.

Don’t skip the parchment paper (parchment paper is my latest “must have” baking accessory) and, hey, you don’t even need to mess with this recipe, but if you do, add 8 oz. of chocolate chips.

Prepare for brownie nirvana …

Still not convinced? Here are five findings that prove the power of positivity.

1. Optimism can lead to longevity. Several studies have confirmed that those with a positive attitude often live longer than their gloomier counterparts. A study performed at Wagening University in the Netherlands examined nearly a thousand men and women. The predicting factor of their longevity was their agreement with the statement – “I still have goals to strive for.” When subjects were tested nine years after the original survey, the death rates of the optimistic men were 63 percent lower than those who had not agreed with the optimistic statement. Women were 35 percent lower. Scientists believe that optimists who have more to live for often make more positive lifestyle choices that may help prolong their life.

2. Optimism can boost sales. A study of the sales personnel at Metropolitan Life Insurance were tested for optimism and success ratios. Those who scored the highest level of optimism sold a whopping 37 percent more life insurance than those who were identified as pessimists. Not too bad for your bottom line, right?

3. Optimism may improve your ability to do business in other ways. One of the most dreaded parts of running a business is collecting from delinquent customers or clients. But a 2000 study done on debt collectors in a large, competitive agency found that the most successful collectors in the agency were shown to have much higher scores in the areas of optimism, independence, and self-actualization. All great traits that can boost your success in business and in life.

4. Optimism nurtures healthy relationships. According to author and Harvard medical professor Dr. George E. Vaillant, our greatest source of resilience comes from our internal capacity for optimism. In his famous book The Wisdom of Ego, Vaillant writes that the healthiest, most resilient people possess “both the capacity to be bent without breaking and the capacity, once bent, to spring back.”

5. Optimism is contagious. A physician and social scientist at Harvard Medical School studied nearly five thousand people and their connections with family, friends, neighbors, and coworkers over the course of twenty years. The outcome? According to the study, which was published in the British Medical Journal last year, our next-door neighbor’s joy increases the likelihood that we will also be happy by up to 34 percent. The study also found that our level of happiness impacts not only those in our immediate circle, but also people two and three degrees removed from us.

Optimism allows us to successfully navigate life’s greatest challenges. Remember, we have the power to be aware of our thoughts and to choose optimism every single day.

© 2009 Ali International, LLC

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Self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur and Inc. 500 CEO Ali Brown is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at www.AliBrown.com

I can hardly believe the number of hits it has already gotten, merely because of the “Missoni” label.

It’s a fairly standard little square scarf, lovely really, but nothing special.

In fact, considering that it came from my mother-in-law’s collection of tons of gorgeous scarves (she was a decorator, a graduate of Moore College of Art and the consummate fashionable dresser), it isn’t even in my top ten of her scarves.

Looking over her clothing, jewelry, accessories, handbags – it’s clear my mother-in-law was all about quality, style and cultivating a timeless elegance.

She was not about brands.

But, for millions of sheeple – those women who won’t wear anything unless it has a brand label, Chanel or Ralph Lauren or Coach or whatever – Missoni means something and this scarf will probably sell for more than the others.

I’ve taken the most beautiful of the scarves for myself.

Me, I personally am more attuned to finding my own individual style. I know what works for me and I know what doesn’t.

If anything, a “designer” label turns me off.

Here it is:

I began “forgetting” my homework and stopped studying for tests so I could fit in with the popular crowd. Then my Spanish teacher cornered me privately to ask why I was holding myself back. I burst into tears, but she made me realize that my actions were only hurting my future, not helping me become popular. That conversation still serves as a reminder to me that there’s nothing wrong with being true to yourself and letting your own light shine. In fact, that can lead you to even greater success.

Many smart, successful women once shared this same fear of being seen as conceited. Even Oprah Winfrey recalls a time in third grade when she earned praise from a teacher and the other students whispered, “she thinks she’s so smart.” Although Winfrey hated to be seen as full of herself, she has worked through those feelings because she understands the truth about hiding your light.

Too much humility can hurt your business.

I see many adults, especially women, still struggling to let their light shine (or not trying at all). One of my coaching clients, whom I’ll call Kristy, has a six-figure business, but she shared with me her desire to grow her business to even greater heights. Each session, we’d outline steps that would help her grow her business, and she’d agree to them. Then we’d meet again, and she’d admit that she hadn’t moved forward. Something was holding her back. As we dug deeper, we discovered that Kristy’s fear of being called too big for her britches or overly ambitious kept her business from taking off.

Only when I convinced her that achieving success and helping more people was her destiny did she agree to truly step it up and work toward her goals.

It’s time for you!

Every one of us is born with a gift to share with the world. Many people choose mediocrity, because that makes it easier to fit in at school and in the wider world. But mediocrity does not lead to success. If you’ve begun to feel restless or wonder if there might be something more out there, it’s not too late.

I’ve found that allowing myself to shine has come more from letting things go than from taking more things on. Ponder these questions: what doesn’t fit you anymore? Your current business? Job? Friends? Activities? Responsibilities? Hobbies? Clothes? Let go of what doesn’t feel like the true you, and soon you’ll find your true self emerging.

I now realize that my (and everyone’s) true purpose is to be filled with all of who I am. To truly shine brightly.

© 2009 Ali International, LLC
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This article courtesy of Ali International, LLC. Self-made multimillionaire entrepreneur and Inc. 500 CEO Ali Brown is devoted to creating financial freedom for women globally through the power of entrepreneurship. To learn how to create wealth and live an extraordinary life now, register for her free weekly articles at www.AliBrown.com

I think not.

Aside from the fact that I might gag if I ever see another pink ribbon, I also find the entire recent breast cancer awareness (why is it never breast cancer prevention, huh?) campaigns focusing on “boobies” to be rather juvenile and stupid.

C’mon women. They are breasts.

And if you use them as nature intended – by nursing your kids – and stay off all of those artificial hormones big pharma wants to pump you full of, and quit eating crap, you might find that your breasts are still intact at the end of a long healthy life.

Today was such a morning.

It started with a wonderful leg workout – I’m in the midst of a Bodybuilding.com rotation from their Transformation series. It’s a “Women Over 40” workout, a four day per week weight routine with two days of upper body and two days of lower body. I’m finding that I really enjoy this particular rotation and, even better, am seeing some results! I also had a half hour training session with my personal trainer, Harry. Harry led me through some total body exercises and finished me off with some grueling ab work.

But, ah, I had promised Samantha a run, so, when I arrived home she and I set out to conquer the 2.5 mile nature trail nearby.

Sam’s pace is a good quicker than mine so I let her run on ahead. Gorgeous day. Autumn is just beginning to touch the air and the leaves and most of the mud from yesterday’s rain had dried up.

I started out at an even slower pace than usual and realized pretty quickly that this would not be a full 2.5 mile run for me – I was simply too wiped out from my earlier workout. So, when a couple appeared on the path with an adorable yellow lab mix, I had to stop to greet him. He had the gangly long legged look of a colt and the face of a puppy with oddly “old soul” eyes. The couple and I chatted a bit, about art and local museums, and when I set out on my way again I was refreshed and able to pick up the pace.

I finished up my run – alas not 2.5 miles but at least a respectable mile and a half – and stopped at the pond to watch a fellow feeding the ducks and geese. And there, right before my eyes, stood a glorious blue heron. I’ve never seen one so close up and he was a sight to see. The gentleman shared his bread with me and I fed the birds as well before heading on home – feeling wonderfully refreshed and grateful for the blessings of life.

Worked out wonderfully until I logged onto gmail one day to find that, lo and behold, amazon had permanently suspended my account.

It turned out that a nitwit in Jersey, who had bought a DVD from me on a Friday and not received it by the following Monday had posted bad feedback. That feedback came on the heels of another recent bad feedback (the item was lost in transit and I issued a refund but not before the bad feedback was left) and, without any warning whatsoever, amazon suspended me.

Once you’re suspended from amazon, you’re toast. I spent some time trying to get back on, calling the powers that be, using my daughter’s account to sell … all to no avail. I missed the $200-600 a month that amazon used to bring me. Not to mention my book habit.

Then I happened upon paperback book swap.

This site is totally awesome! You merely create a free account, post books that you have available to send out and wait. Within a day or two (sometimes an hour), you’ll receive a request for a book. You print out the packing slip, using paperbackswap.com’s handy little software, apply postage and viola’! you have a credit for a free book.

Yesterday a nearly new copy of The Time Traveler’s Wife arrived in my mailbox.

I’d heard good things about it, done a search on paperback book swap, found that no one had it available and posted it to my “wish list.”

Within days it was available and on its way to me!

I’ve even made a cool new friend, a lady by the name of Barbara who had requested a nonfiction book I had available about the real life “Two Mrs. Grenville” murders – Ann and Billy Woodward.

We struck up an email chat of sorts and it turned out that she is a published author. She sent me a signed copy of her own book!

Paperbackswap is a nifty site for the avaricious reader on a budget and I highly recommend it to all. Head on over! www.paperbackswap.com