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January 2000



Post-Holiday De-Stress

Taking time to relieve stress and find peace amid the tumult of everyday life can be difficult. Yet finding out how to reach serenity can be as simple as choosing the right kind of music to listen to, or watching the langorous moves of a cat, according to Spiritual Healing.

The American Medical Association has stated that stress plays a role in most human illnesses. But typical stress-reducers such as exercise and meditation must be approached carefully or they can actually lead to more stress, says site author Jim Hartmann.

Meditation should be practiced with the least amount of sensory input in order to quiet the mind. Having total darkness and complete quiet can help, he says. Exercise can calm the soul of sedentary people, but for the person already overworked and physically drained, it makes no sense to add additional workload, Hartmann opines.

Music can be soothing or nerve-wracking. Some meditation tapes can be just as disturbing to the body as hard rock or heavy metal. On the contrary, many selections of Celtic or Native American music with loud drums or flutes were found to be very soothing. The best example of enlightened relaxation may be a feline curled up in sunlight near your bedroom window.




If your wardrobe is a virtual mess, then you'll want to visit the Virtual Closet at Womenswire.com. You'll get handy hints on how to pull off that polished look.

Start by choosing a fashion type -- professional, casual or funky and click around the site to get handy tips from experts on what should be in your wardrobe. You'll see that you don't have to be stodgy to pull off the high-powered professional look.

Then, when you're through with the professional side of your personality, go crazy and explore what "funky" things are a must for the days you let your hair down. Then move on to your casual self. There's even a quiz to help you figure out your sense of style.




Counting on the year 2000 to boost your investment average? Take a gander at the method called Dogs of the Dow.

These aren't the pooches that droop behind, but those leading the pack at the close of trading
Dec. 31. Choose the 10 exhibiting the highest dividend yield, invest an equal amount in each and hang on through the year, is the advice.

Had you invested that way each year since 1973, your portfolio would have out-performed the D-J Industrials as a whole and would have realized an average annual return of almost 18 percent.



Interesting sites to visit on the web

Official NASA Mars Polar Lander Site
Internet Christmas Tree
Christmas Page
The Christmas Tree and Ornaments
Christmas customs around the World
More World Christmas customs



Download of the Month

Need a great way to stay organized without having to put real sticky notes on your monitor?
TurboNote
TurboNote
uses small colored notes for reminders, messages, phone numbers, to-do lists, and more. You can modify the color and size of your notes at will and temporarily move notes off the screen by minimizing them. Because the notes automatically save, they'll be there when you turn your computer back on. Lots of other cool features make TurboNote an indispensable versatile program.


Know Thy Table Settings!

You may know your salad fork from your soup spoon, but can you remember exactly where all those utensils all go on the dinner table? If you need a road map to set your table for a dinner party, the Waiter's Digest has all the answers.


 


Leftover Millennium Madness!

All those late-night phone calls to the local deejay, the daily toll of Total Request Live, the years of American Bandstand--they all add up. And nothing more so than "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'."

Righteous BrothersThe tune made famous by the Righteous Brothers is the most played song on U.S. radio and TV this century, according to BMI, the performing-rights organization.

By BMI's count, the song, penned by Barry Mann, Phil Spector and Cynthia Weil, has been spun on radio or heard on TV more than 8 million times since its mid-1960s debut. That's more than 45 years of back-to-back-to-back play.

While the Righteous Brothers' original chart-topping version is the best known, everyone from Elvis Presley to Hall & Oates to Tom Jones has offered up takes. This, from a song that, at almost four minutes long, once was considered a dicey prospect for radio play.

Top 100 songs of the century



TOP TEN

The Best Pictures Never Nominated for Best Picture

"We wuz robbed!" seems to be the plaintive wail you hear about four hours into each year's Academy Awards show--about the time the Best Picture Oscar is announced.

But the truth is, the worst travesties happen long before the Big Night. That's when, for reasons known only to the asylum escapees who vote in any given year, outstanding productions that should be contenders get a one-way ticket to Best Picture Palookaville. Hollywood is full of horror stories. Countdown the 10 worst here.

They're Stone Cold,
But They're Still Red Hot!

In life, they had, well...presence. And they still do. Oddly, being dead hasn't slowed their careers. They're the musicians, actors and comedians whose bodies may be in compost production, but their celebrity is still heating up.

Now, we're not talking about the immortal dead--icons like Elvis or Marilyn or James Dean. No, we're digging up a fresh crop of star muerta. Some are newcomers, so to speak--folks whose stars have risen even more since their demise. And others are persistently percolating old-school types who just won't go away (not that we'd ever want them to).

Although the competition was--er, is--stiff, these Top 10 are those very special performers whose absence has given them even more presence.



Dear Miss Yenta,
WTF am I supposed to do with this snake basket I got for Christmas. I have a snake phobia and every time I look at it, it creeps me out.

The friend who gave it to me will be coming over to visit occasionally, and I am sure will notice it's missing. Although I don't think there was ANY thought put into the gift at all. I think he was either 1) recycling a gift HE didn't want or 2) just NOT sure what to get and is a bad gift giver.

Can you recommend something artistic I can do it or with it so that it isn't just a "snake basket"?

Thanks. And and may your shoes always match your outfits. <g>
Mary Xmas


Dear Miss Xmas,
Obviously gracious gift receiving is not one of your strengths. The person who gave the snake basket to you is trying to tell you that he wants to "slink" all over you. However, knowing that snakes turn you off, may I suggest you invite the gift giver to dinner. Some suggestions for the meal:

snake burgers
snake stew
bacon, lettuce and snake
snake melt
snake and eggs

This will undoubtedly show the generous gift give that it is indeed better to give than to receive.

Hoping this helps,
The Yenta (who is NOT Gabby and has no need for matching shoes)


Got a problem? Ask The Yenta! She's all-knowing and will tell it like is.
Email:
AskTheYenta@aol.com


Celebrate the New Year in style! This month's recipes are geared toward the healthy lifestyle we all crave. Umm...that was YOUR resolution, too, wasn't it?

Super Subs (Sorta)

1 loaf (9 oz.) French bread, cut into 1/2-inch slices
1/2 cup Honey Dijon Fat Free Dressing
2 packages(6 oz. each) Oven-Roasted Fat Free Turkey Breast
1 1/2 cups shredded Sharp Reduced Fat Cheddar Cheese
1/3 cup Sweet Pickle Relish

Arrange the bread slices in a single layer on a cookie sheet. Lightly spray the bread with no stick cooking spray. Bake at 350ºF for 5 minutes or until golden. Cool. Spread 1 teaspoon dressing on each bread slice. Fold each turkey slice in half, then into thirds to form triangle; place on dressing. Sprinkle with cheese. Garnish with 1/4 teaspoon relish. Place the cookie sheet on the rack of your broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from heat 3 minutes or until cheese is melted. Serve immediately. These are great for a Super Bowl party!

Turkey Waldorf Sandwiches

3/4 cup light mayonnaise or salad dressing
1/3 cup Chopped celery
1/3 cup Chopped walnuts
1 teaspoon Lemon juice
Lettuce
3/4 of a pound Sliced turkey
Apple slices
Bread of choice

Combine mayonnaise or dressing with celery, walnuts, and lemon juice. Layer lettuce, turkey, apple slices, and mayonnaise mixture between toasted bread slices of your choice. Garnish the plate with a twisted orange slice for color!



Hello! Welcome to the second installment of Seth's Silver Sounds. Since the music industry doesn't release many titles around the Christmas holiday, there really isn't anything out there to review. Instead I thought I would give you an idea of the artists whose CDs are selling like hotcakes at the CD store where I work.

The most popular sellers in the pop category are, of course, The Backstreet Boys, Nsync, 98º, Britany Spears, Many Moore and Christina Aquilera. Mariah Carey is also holding her own on the pop charts with her new CD titled "Rainbow".

In the Rap section of the store, Dr. Dre is in the running with his newest CD. Also; Nas, Sisqo, Tu pac, Notorious B.I.G., Juvinile, Jay-Z, and DMX are big sellers.

Over yonder in the Rock section, you'll find Santana. His latest CD is flying off the shelves. Along with Santana we have Korn, Creed, Metallica, Rage Against the Machine, Nine Inch Nails, Dave Matthews Band, and Limp Bizkit.

For all you country fans, Shania Twain has released a new Remix of her "Come on Over" album. Leaan Rimes, Tim mcgraw, Alan Jackson, Faith Hill and the Dixie Chics are also very popular.

The Latin Scene has produced such favorites as Ricky Martin, Enrique Iglesias, Marc Anthony, and the ultimate party song... Mambo #5 by Lou Bega.

My last section is Classical. The most popular artists in classical music right now are Andre Rieu, Charlotte Church, Andrea Bocelli, Helmutt Lotti, and Sara Brightman.

That's it from here for now. Be sure to check back for more tidbits about the music scene next month!