Don't mess with MY flag!!!

Two Fridays ago, an unidentified 21-year-old man forgot his ID and was turned away from a bar where all the local war veterans hang out in Valley Falls, New York (--about 20 miles northeast of Albany).


--So, to show everyone just how angry he was at being denied entrance, the guy cut down the American flag from the VFW's flagpole and SET IT ON FIRE.


--Anyway, members of VFW got pretty mad. So on Sunday, they hunted the man down at a kids' soccer game and gave him three choices:


#1.) They could turn him over to the police for burning the flag.


#2.) They could beat him up.


#3.) Or they could DUCT-TAPE him to a flagpole for SIX HOURS, while wearing a sign around his neck identifying what he did.


--The guy chose option number three.


--According to Nick Nomile, the local VFW post commander and a Vietnam veteran, quote, "He'll never disrespect the flag again, I can tell you that." (!!!) So far, no charges have been filed against anyone. (Albany Times-Union)

Here is the news story from TV10

Hair today...gone tomorrow

Let's face it . . . your average beauty queen is more interested in her HAIR than . . . well, just about everything else. Which is what makes THIS so cool . . .


--Last year, when Tara Wheeler was crowned Miss Virginia 2008, she announced that she was going to SHAVE HER HEAD as a sign of solidarity with kids battling cancer.


--But it seems the 'Powers That Be' didn't want a bald Miss Virginia, and the plan was nixed.


--So after Tara's reign ended this summer, she finally made good on her promise by lopping off all her hair.

(Thanks to the Complete Sheet)

Way to go Tara!!!! Talk about really putting your money where your mouth is. I bet she is one super cool chick!

Tips to a better workout

HERE ARE FIVE WAYS TO BURN AN EXTRA 500 CALORIES A DAY:


In your mid-20s, your metabolism slows down, and your body starts burning fewer calories . . . up to 200 less a day. Then at 40, your body REALLY starts packing it away. But it doesn't have to. Here are five easy ways to burn 500 extra calories a day . . .


#1.) WORKOUT OUTSIDE. You burn 10 percent more calories running outside than you do on a treadmill. Treadmills drag your feet, and you don't have to propel yourself forward. And running into the wind, even if it's a slight breeze, burns more calories.


#2.) ALWAYS WARM UP. Most of us don't take the five minutes to do it, but we should. For every degree your body temperature goes up, your metabolic rate increases by 13 percent.


#3.) RUN AT DIFFERENT SPEEDS. Bursts of intense activity make you burn more fat than running or riding a bike at one constant speed. And even after you're finished, it makes your body burn about 15 percent more fat than it would otherwise.


#4.) DEVOTE ONE HOUR, ONCE A WEEK. Researchers found that people who worked out for an hour burned nearly five times as many post-workout calories as people who only exercised for 30 minutes.


#5.) USE HEAVIER DUMBBELLS. You burn 25 percent more calories lifting 20 pounds five times, than you do lifting 10 pounds ten times . . . even though it's the same total weight.


--And researchers say that even if you can only do sets of 3 to 6 reps with heavier weights, it makes your body burn up to eight percent more calories every night while you SLEEP. (Prevention.com)

She lost 100 pounds.....and kept it off!

Ladies . . . this is just a gentle reminder that it's never too late to take better care of yourself . . . and your family . . . by dropping those extra pounds.


--42-year-old Jill Knapp is five-foot eight-inches tall, and by the time she got pregnant with her second kid, her weight had ballooned to 237 pounds.


--Then she was diagnosed with Type Two Diabetes.


--So Jill made it her mission to get healthy and she lost 100 POUNDS. (!!!)


--Jill even competed in the Mrs. Idaho beauty pageant, and finished sixth out of 16 contestants. More importantly, she's kept the weight off for six months.

Patrick Swayze RIP

Patrick Swayze was sooooooo cool. Loved Red Dawn, Ghost, Dirty Dancing and Roadhouse. Here is Patrick with the late Chris Farley on SNL from years ago.


Chris Farley - Chippendales

Flu Facts

Flu season is in full swing a full two months earlier than normal this year – and nearly all cases are the new swine flu H1N1 strain that so far is targeting mostly children and younger adults. But that doesn’t mean there aren’t a few things we should all be aware of. Here are some questions and the answers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which predicts a long and busy flu season.

Q. Where’s the vaccine, and how many shots will I need?
A. Many people will need to line up twice – one vaccine for the regular winter flu, which is available now, and a separate vaccine for the swine flu, which will be available in October. It appears that adults will need just one dose of the H1N1 swine flu vaccine, but studies are under way in children to see if they will need a second booster.

Q. Why can’t both vaccines be combined into one shot?
A. Bad timing is the short answer. Swine flu didn’t show up until April, after manufacturers had already started brewing this fall’s batch of the regular winter flu vaccine and too late to add into that mix.

Q. How does swine flu compare to regular flu strains?
A. So far it doesn’t seem any more deadly than regular flu, which kills between 35,000 – 40,000 Americans each flu season. But swine flu does appear to have a different target – the young. And it spreads very easily, especially in crowded schools. A University of Washington study found the typical sick school student infects two to three classmates – so keep sick kids home!! By the way, the sad reality is that you can be contagious up to 24 hours before you show symptoms, one reason the flu spreads like a wildfire.

Q. Who’s at highest risk of severe illness or even death?
A. Children under 5. Pregnant women. People over 65. And people of any age with asthma or other lung disorders; diabetes; heart, kidney, liver or blood disorders; or a weakened immune system.

Q. I think I had the swine flu over the summer. Do I still need the vaccine?
A. YES! Other viruses mimic flu so it’s hard to be sure what you had – or didn’t have.

Q. How does swine flu affect children, and what symptoms should prompt a race to the doctor?
A. Symptoms are the same if you’re 5 or 65: Fever; aches, cough, sore throat, sneezing or runny nose, sometimes diarrhea and vomiting.

Q. What are emergency signs for an adult?
A. Difficulty breathing, pain or pressure in the chest or stomach, dizziness, confusion, severe vomiting or a rebound fever.

Q. Will I or my child need anti-flu medicines Tamiflu or Relenza?
A. No. Most won’t, according to the CDC. Most people will recover with rest and fluids – don’t get dehydrated.

Q. How long should sick kids stay out of school or day care?
A. For 24 hours after the fever breaks naturally, not because of fever-reducing medicine. And never give a child aspirin, only non-aspirin fever reducers. For a child under 5, ask a doctor first about type and dose. You’re considered most contagious while feverish. Bush children especially can be contagious for over a week, so doctors say use common sense – stay home if you’re still sick after the fever breaks.

Q. Is it true that not everyone get a fever?
A. Yes. There are no good estimates although the CDC thinks it’s not too common.

Q. Someone’s sick in my office. How long until I know if I caught it?
A. Up to a week.

Q. What do I do if I find out I have swine flu – or the regular seasonal flu.
A. Tell everyone and stay away from everyone – including co-workers, friends and to the extent possible, family.

Q. Can you catch the flu from the flu shot?
A. No. It’s biologically impossible for a flu shot to give you influenza; it’s made with a dead virus. But the flu shot won’t prevent a cold or other flu-like viruses, causing some confusion.

Q. What if I hate shots?
A. There’s FluMist, which is squirted in your nose and available for people ages 2 to 49.

Q. What if I have asthma?
A. Any flu can worsen asthma attacks. Children may be prescribed Tamiflu at the first symptoms, so call your doctor.

Q. What if I have diabetes?
A. Flu can increase a diabetic’s blood sugar, so test frequently and call your doctor about adjusting insulin or other medications

Q. My child was told to bring hand sanitizer to school and use it regularly. Is there any concern with that?
A. No. Just keep the whole bottle away from kids who might try to swallow it.

Q. Where can I find out more information?
A. www.flu.gov.

Voices of Glory

We are interviewing Voices of Glory from the TV show America's Got Talent. They are one of the finalists for the million dollar grand prize. Here is their audition for the show. Very inspiring!