HAMPSTEAD Roclyn Porter pressed a button to inflate the two lungs on display at the Hampstead Health Fair yesterday.

"One is a healthy lung and the other is the equivalent of smoking a pack a day for 16 years," she said. "The black on the lungs is tar and it doesn't inflate fully. Most people are freaked out. It's a nice visual."

Porter works for Family Mediation and Juvenile Services and explained the organization uses the lungs which are from pigs not humans for tobacco education. Her display was one of 36 different health-related groups at the Hampstead Middle School yesterday.

Nearly 300 people came to the fair, from children to seniors. Organizer Berny Longbook said the Hampstead Health Fair has become a community event after running for 11 years.

"Every year we see the same kids," she said. "They've grown up with the fair. It's become a family affair."

And each year, more local businesses want to participate. This year, the fair had new holistic health options, including Merrimack Valley Acupuncture and a reflexologist, who analyzes different parts of the body.

"There's a lot of networking that goes on at the fair," she said. "That's something the vendors tell us they like."

One booth had a flat-screen TV and Kinect video game system, set up by Ted Curtin, owner of Hampstead Health and Fitness Center.

"We have a kids' fitness center," he said. "They learn to exercise and also to do interactive fitness video games. It's a workout, let me tell you. I'm out of breath."

The children at the event lined up to play a track and field game, running, jumping and throwing in place. Jeremy Wyckoff, 10, of Atkinson threw the longest javelin in the game.

Continued here:
Health fair in Hampstead highlights fitness, holistic medicine

TODAY

Project Healthy Living 2012: Free basic screenings for fitness, obesity, hypertension, vision and hearing. For a nominal cost, blood screenings for gluten, food and seasonal allergies.

St. Peter Lutheran Church, 17051 Twenty-Four Mile, Macomb Twp. Register: 313-531-9108. http://www.projecthealthyliving.net. Free. 8:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Second Baptist Church of Detroit, 441 Monroe, Detroit. Register: 313-531-9108. http://www.projecthealthyliving.net. Free. Noon-5 p.m.

MONDAY

Infant care workshop: Basic newborn care class for expectant mothers and their partners. Focus is on the first two weeks of life. 5:30-7:30 p.m. St. Joseph Mercy Hospital, Ellen Thompson Women's Health Center, 5320 Elliott, Ypsilanti. 734-712-5400. $25. Register yourself only; a partner may attend free.

Joint-replacement

seminar: With Michael Callan, orthopedic specialist for Henry Ford Wyandotte Hospital. Topics include knowing when it's time to consider joint-replacement surgery, the pre- and postsurgical process and more. 6:30 p.m. Recreation Center at Water's Edge Country Club, 25215 W. River Road, Grosse Ile. Register: 734-246-6057. http://www.henryfordwyandotte.com. Free.

Suicide loss support group: An ongoing support group for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. 7-8:30 p.m. the second and fourth Mondays of each month. Life Church, 7001 Haggerty, Canton. 248-348-0115. http://www.newhopecenter.net. Free. Drop in.

TUESDAY

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Upcoming health and wellness events

Vitamins took a beating this year with several new studies that showed supplements can do more harm than good.

Meanwhile, exercise got a new boost with research that found people burn a substantial number of calories hours after a hard workout.

Following is a review of the years diet and fitness news.

Should you take vitamins?

New research raised questions about the wisdom of taking a daily vitamin. One study showed that older women who took a daily vitamin supplement, even just a multivitamin, had an increased risk of dying of cardiovascular disease and cancer.

Another study found that taking vitamin E supplements significantly increased the risk of prostate cancer in healthy men even after they stopped taking them.

The findings highlighted concerns about the long-term use of supplements and vitamins by people who do not have severe nutritional deficiencies.

Hold the chips, fries, soda

Adults gain an average of almost a pound a year as they age, and much of that weight gain is caused by changes in diet such as extra servings of such foods as potato chips, french fries, sugar-sweetened drinks, white bread and low-fibre breakfast cereals, said the largest, most comprehensive study of diet and weight gain in adults.

News and advice

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Health and fitness news of 2011

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Determining your retirement number is like getting on the bathroom scale: Sometimes it's a pleasant surprise; however, more often than not it forces you to face an ugly truth. Just as taking the dreaded step onto the scale is a necessary part of the weight-loss process, so too is crunching the numbers for retirement planning. According to recent research, only 40 percent of American workers have taken the time and effort to complete a retirement needs calculation. Without going through that process, you're flying blind into your retirement. That's why when I field questions about retirement - when to retire, how to invest for retirement - I always reiterate the big picture. Start with a plan, and the rest will become crystal clear!

Joe from NY had done planning, but now must revisit the numbers, after the heavy impact of college education. He's worried that he won't have enough money for retirement and is "not sure what the magic number is." The problem is, the magic number is different for everyone, so its best to crunch the numbers for your specific situation. I like the EBRI Choose to Save Ballpark E$timate, which is easy to use, but your retirement plan/401(k) website probably has a tool available as well.

The retirement outlook looks good for Ralph from Kentucky, but after being spooked by the stock market, he moved to cash and now needs a way to get back into the fray. I have fielded a lot of these questions recently and want to remind everyone that a diversified portfolio can help shield you from making a bad choice at market bottoms and tops. That's why I told Tim to focus less on sector funds and a high concentration in commodities and instead go broad, as in broadly-diversified portfolios. It's also why Phil from Boston and Bryan from CA should stick to the basic bond, domestic and international index funds at Fidelity, when they roll over their old retirement accounts.

With evidence that the housing market is inching towards recovery, the calls about what to do with real estate are on the rise. Wayne, who listens to us on KFGO in Fargo, ND is trying to determine whether to sell land and invest the proceeds, while Jose from CA is weighing the sale of a rental property. You'll hear me provide different advice to each of them.

Jason recently sold his house and is torn between building a new home and buying an existing home in central Arizona. As with most questions on real estate, location really matters. Noe in Houston is choosing between expanding a current home or buying a new home with a small mortgage.

Speaking of mortgages, Todd from Baltimore is about to inherit a chink of money and wants to know if he should use it to pay off his mortgage or if should invest the money? The answer is a bit more complicated, as I essentially ran through a mini-financial plan with him.

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Jill on Money: Retirement number, funds, housing

LOS ANGELES Junior Allyson Anderson led the BYU womens track team with a dominating performance in the javelin at the USC Trojan Invitational.

Anderson set a new personal best in her javelin win with a throw of 51.19m (167-11). Her throw ranks third in BYU history and currently ranks third in the NCAA. Anderson was the lone Cougar to win an event at the meet.

The high jump was also a strong event for the Cougars. Senior Diana Blauer led BYU with a second-place finish after a season-best jump of 1.70m (5-7.00). Ada Robinson and Taylor Stapley tied for sixth in the event with a height of 1.60m (5-3.00).

Angela Shields snagged another second-place finish for the Cougars. Shields finished the 400m hurdles in 1:01.77 to cross the line just behind the winner.

In the 3000m steeplechase, Andrea Nelson managed to finish second in 10:46.45. She was followed closely by teammate Jennica Redd, who crossed the line in third in 11:11.56.

Senior Sarah Edwards finished fourth in the 1500m in 4:24.06. Michaelanne Laurent also competed in the race and finished eighth in 4:28.84.

Also picking up a solid finish on the track was Jenessa Carlson. Carlson competed in the 800m for the first time this year and finished fifth in 2:15.08. In the sprints, Kassie Jensen finished the 100m in 12.25, good enough for eighth, while Aubrey Hale crossed in 12.35 to claim ninth.

Both Diane McAllister-Perry and Nicole Naatjes tied their season bests in the pole vault, with jumps of 3.72m (12-2.50). Mellissa Keltner set a new personal best with a triple jump of 12.05m (39-6.50), good enough for fourth place.

Final results from the USC Trojan Invitational are available on royalresults.com. The Cougars will continue their season at the annual Texas Relays on March 30-31.

Taylor Wilson works for BYU Athletic Communications as a Sports Information Director for women's track and field. He can be reached at wtrack_sid@byu.edu.

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BYU track and field competes at the University of Southern California Invitational

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qqYTRt4k_N8

23-03-2012 04:23 The simple things that show we are being manipulated and controlled. But we are all waking up to the truth. VIDEO SCRIPT:y- People need to understand what's really happening. Whenever there is military the state will use the necessity for "defence" as their excuse for seizing complete and absolute power. This defence is said to be against the crimes of their own people and against attack from foreign countries, if there are no immediate threats, they will create the fear required to take control themselves, and if there are threats, they will advertise them everywhere and constantly in order to gain support to enforce harsher laws, which restrict the freedoms of their people to the highest degree. They achieve this submission by subjecting children to an education system, that employs authoritarian discipline so that they may grow up to be obedient to superiors and heartless to those they consider below them, creating a complete and utter desire for personal success. In school they are taught excessive lies, important truths being distorted or supressed. The media is controlled so that we may learn only what our controllers decide that we should learn. Intricate systems of spying are organised to investigate the lives of the people, monitoring them explicitly and secretly. Terrorism is made legal. Justice administered in secret; the trials being unfair, the penalties viciously cruel. Brutality, captivity and isolation are regularly employed in the so called fight against ...

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Turning The 99% Into Ants- NWO/ILLUMINATI - Video

More than one million students a year fail to graduate with their class. Over the past four years, AT&Ts Aspire program has worked with organizations across the country to help reverse this trend and achieve a national goal of a 90 percent graduation rate by 2020. Although the high school dropout rate has improved, it is still a critical problem, particularly in an era when competition for jobs is intense.

Continuing our efforts to address this critical issue, we are excited to launch a new phase of Aspire a $250 million investment that will build on our existing initiative to help more students graduate from high school prepared for careers and college and ensure our nation is better prepared for global competition. AT&T Aspire has already reached more than one million students with $100 million invested since 2008, and now we are doubling down on American students and Americas future

In Florida, public officials and educators have placed a premium on education, and we have had an opportunity to play a role in their success. The Florida AT&T Aspire investment of almost $5 million since 2008 has benefitted South Florida organizations including Take Stock in Children and the Miami Science Museum.

David Green is an exemplary example of the local impact of AT&T Aspire.

David began the Miami Science Museum program during the summer after eighth grade. He had moved from Jamaica to the Overtown community with his mother, and transitioning into American inner-city culture was difficult. David found himself involved with gangs and after a couple of life-threatening situations, made the decision to leave.

Through support from the Miami Science Museum program activities, David has successfully transformed himself into the valedictorian at Booker T. Washington Senior High in Miami. Hes gained admission to the University of Florida and is awaiting decisions from other top-ranked schools. David was also a Posse Finalist, a finalist for the Dell Scholars program, the Gates Millennium Scholarship, the Coca-Cola Scholarship and has already been awarded over $10,000 in additional scholarship monies. His goal is to become a neurosurgeon.

David has succeeded because of his personal dedication, and adult and peer mentors providing positive influences to guide him in the right direction.

This new phase of Aspire will take a socially innovative approach that goes beyond traditional philanthropy, engaging people and technology to create distinctive solutions to social problems.

Today, the mobile Internet is omnipresent. Students of all ages are using this powerful resource, harnessing its potent power for the cause of education. For example, AT&T Foundry innovation centers will work with educators and other companies to find atypical approaches to help improve education. You can expect to see a particular emphasis on gamification, mobile applications, video and social media the communications environments in which todays students are most comfortable to instill a new level of excitement into learning.

But it will also take people to solve this challenge.

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Helping students aspire to success

Parents and young children poured into Heritage Place on Metcalf Street early Saturday to take part in Conroes annual Morning with Mr. Bunny event.

The free event ran from 10 a.m. to noon. Unlike previous years, where the event featured a large egg hunt, Event Coordinator Rachel Bonnette said theyre instead letting children and parents visit booths featuring local businesses to collect eggs.

The egg hunt was a bit of a mad scramble for the kids, Bonnette said. Having the children visit vendors extends the life of the event and makes sure all of the children are happy.

The free event featured about a dozen different vendors handing out eggs to children and offering information about their businesses to parents. Bonnette said they hoped to increase the number of vendors attending the event as people become more familiar with the new format.

Vendors included Infinity Auto Insurance, ATA Martial Arts of The Woodlands and Spring and Rodgers Stein Chiropractor among others.

Each vendor also donated a basket filled with candy and other goodies. They were given away as prizes to children who were lucky enough to find an egg with a winning paper slip inside of it.

The Morning with Mr. Bunny offered a variety of activities for young children, many of which have become mainstays of the event this includes face painting, bunny hop races and, of course, pictures with Mr. Bunny.

Photographers from the City of Conroe and Pixel Parties from The Woodlands were on hand to take photos of the event and pictures with children atop Mr. Bunnys lap.

Bonnette also said there were a number of new activities at this years event.

This year weve added mini stock car racing. Bonnette said. She also said that in addition to a usual snake exhibit, there was going to be a crocodile on display for children to see.

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New format proves success for Morning with Mr. Bunny event

Enlarge Courtesy of the artist

Melanie Fiona's new album is titled The MF Life.

Melanie Fiona's new album is titled The MF Life.

The MF Life is the second album by R&B singer Melanie Fiona, released this past week. The two-time Grammy winner says the title has sparked a lot of discussion.

"It gets people talking to each other," Fiona says. "I wanted it to be a collection of music and songs that make people think about the things that we actually go through and feel, and to acknowledge that to know that there's someone out there singing their story, as well."

Born and raised in Toronto, with Caribbean roots, Fiona says she inherited her parents' musical tastes artists such as Sam Cooke, Bob Marley, Patsy Cline, Otis Redding and Ben E. King.

"But I'm an '80s baby, so at the time I was born, Whitney Houston was 'the voice,'" Fiona says. "It was just so soothing to me to hear her inflection, her emotion and her control. It is just so magnificent, and it's incomparable, in my opinion, to any other voice that's ever existed. ... I think that had a lot of influence on me, and on why I feel I need to make music that should make people feel passionate about it."

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Melanie Fiona: A Grammy Winner Gets Personal

Video Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Z6UKqClQn0

23-03-2012 10:23 Doctoral student, Leslie, talks about how the supportive staff at AUO helped her get back to school. For more information about Argosy University Online Programs, please visit: bit.ly/AUOYouTube See AuPrograms.info for program duration, tuition, fees, and other costs, median debt, federal salary data, alumni success, and other important info.

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From procrastination to an online education - Video