Month: November 2021

Never Wear This Type of Clothing on a Plane

Slide 1 of 5: With holiday travel in full swing, you've likely already noticed that those security check-in lines at the airport are much longer than usual. From getting to the airport at least two hours before your flight leaves to double-checking that you have all your essentials in your carry-on bag, it's always smart to make sure you're fully prepared for your trip. But being ready for your flight goes far beyond how well you manage your time and packing. According to flight attendants and travel experts, how you dress for your flight matters, too, and it can have an impact on how comfortable and safe your time in the air is. As it turns out, there's one particular piece of clothing that would be better off left in your suitcase. Read on to learn the one thing you should never wear on a plane because of a serious health risk.RELATED: Never Ask for This One Favor on a Plane, Flight Attendants Warn.Read the original article on Best Life.

With holiday travel in full swing, you’ve likely already noticed that those security check-in lines at the airport are much longer than usual. From getting to the airport at least two hours before your flight leaves to double-checking that you have all your essentials in your carry-on bag, it’s always smart to make sure you’re fully prepared for your trip. But being ready for your flight goes far beyond how well you manage your time and packing. According to flight attendants and travel experts, how you dress for your flight matters, too, and it can have an impact on how comfortable and safe your time in the air is. As it turns out, there’s one particular piece of clothing that would be better off left in your suitcase. Read on to learn the one thing you should never wear on a plane because of a serious health risk.

Never wear skinny jeans on a plane.

Whether you’re right next to the window or stuck in the middle of two strangers, sitting on a plane usually means you’re in a fairly compact space. With limited legroom and other people surrounding you, there’s not much of an opportunity to stretch out, unless you leave your seat. That’s why what you wear on a flight can make a difference to how cramped you feel. Specifically, there are certain pants that you shouldn’t wear when flying to your next destination.

“It’s best to avoid wearing skinny jeans on a lengthy flight,” says Molly Fergus, general manager of the travel site TripSavvy. “They limit movement and are likely more annoying to deal with in cramped, dirty airplane bathrooms.”

Some passengers experience bloating in their stomach during flights.

Air travel can affect your body in different ways. During flights, some passengers experience discomfort and bloating, known as “jet belly,” due to the increase in air pressure. In a 2016 interview with Condé Nast Traveler, Peter Hackett, MD, director of the Institute for Altitude Medicine in Telluride, Colorado, explained that “gas in the intestines will expand about 30 percent with a cabin altitude of 7,000 feet.”

And while not everyone feels this discomfort on a plane, tight clothing can exacerbate the problem. “Bloating is a major issue, even for flight attendants, so wear something comfortable around your waist like elastic,” Andrea Fischbach, American Airlines flight attendant, told Who What Wear in October.

Skinny jeans on a plane can also put your health at risk.

Experts say that wearing tight pants on a plane can put your health in jeopardy. In fact, skinny jeans can increase your risk of developing a blood clot, generally in your legs, known as deep vein thrombosis (DVT). Symptoms of this medical condition include swelling, pain, or discoloration of the leg, along with your leg feeling warm, per the Mayo Clinic.

“DVT is a rare but serious condition that is more likely to occur when you’re sitting in one position for long periods of time—like on a long-haul flight,” Fergus explains. “Constricting, tight clothing can also increase the likelihood of developing a blood clot, so it’s not a good idea to mix the two.”

In order to prevent any potential health complications, be sure to give yourself as much room as you can while in your seat. “It’s very important to be able to move around a bit in your seat—very difficult, I know—and keep your blood flowing,” Fischbach told Who What Wear. “If you are tall, travel a lot, or are on a long flight, this is extremely important because you face the risk of developing DVT.”

There are other clothes that you shouldn’t wear on a plane.

Skinny jeans aren’t the only items you should avoid wearing on a plane. In a TikTok video posted in July, flight attendant Tommy Cimato explained a few things you shouldn’t do on a plane, including wearing shorts. He pointed out that you never know what touched your seat or how many people wiped their hands on it. So, for sanitary reasons alone, be sure to keep your legs covered.

Article by Amber Raiken for BestLife©

Source: Never Wear This Type of Clothing on a Plane, Experts Warn (msn.com)

Too Much of This Supplement Makes Your Cancer Risk Soar

Slide 1 of 5: On top of a healthy diet, taking daily supplements can be an easy way to ensure your body gets enough of the vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly. It's also reasonably common: According to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 57.6 percent of U.S. adults had used one of the pills at any point in the past 30 days. But just like over-the-counter medicine, it's crucial to follow instructions whenever you're taking them to make sure you're not overdoing it. Research has shown that taking too much of one supplement in particular could increase the risk of one type of cancer. Read on to see why you should double-check your daily dosages.RELATED: If You Drink Your Coffee Like This, You May Be Increasing Your Cancer Risk, Study Says.Read the original article on Best Life.

On top of a healthy diet, taking daily supplements can be an easy way to ensure your body gets enough of the vitamins and minerals it needs to function properly. It’s also reasonably common: According to a recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 57.6 percent of U.S. adults had used one of the pills at any point in the past 30 days. But just like over-the-counter medicine, it’s crucial to follow instructions whenever you’re taking them to make sure you’re not overdoing it. Research has shown that taking too much of one supplement in particular could increase the risk of one type of cancer.

Taking too much selenium and vitamin E raises your risk of cancer considerably.

According to research, it turns out there can be too much of a good thing when it comes to taking a selenium and vitamin E supplement. In one study published in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in March 2014, researchers analyzed data from the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT). In total, the team used data from toenail samples collected from 31,117 men to explore whether baseline selenium levels in the body could affect prostate cancer risk.

Results found no correlation between existing levels of selenium or vitamin E in the body and prostate cancer risk. However, the researchers did make a connection between men with high levels of selenium in their systems who took a selenium supplement—whether alone or in combination with vitamin E—finding that such patients were twice as likely to develop high-grade prostate cancer than patients who were taking a placebo, Nature reports.

Taking a vitamin E supplement alone also raised the risk of cancer in some patients.

But there wasn’t just a connection formed between taking a selenium supplement and the risk of prostate cancer. Results also found that just patients who had low baseline selenium levels in their systems and took vitamin E supplements alone were 111 percent more likely to develop high-grade prostate cancer than patients taking a placebo during the study.

Researchers also found that men who started with high selenium levels were no more likely to develop prostate cancer than men who began with low levels. The team says this establishes that added selenium in supplement form and not from food was the reason for the increased cancer risk.

Article by Zachary Mack for BestLife

Source: Taking Too Much of This Supplement Makes Your Cancer Risk Soar, Study Says (msn.com)

If You’re Offered This on a Plane, Just Say No, Flight Attendants Warn

Slide 1 of 5: With holiday travel back in full swing, you've probably noticed that your flights home are just as packed as they've ever been, if not more so. But whether your trip is a mere two hours or a whopping 14, you should try to make your flight as comfortable as possible. Flight attendants will do their best to aid you in that pursuit: From a can of soda to a pair of headphones, they offer everything that they can to make sure that passengers have a smooth ride. At the same time, there are some in-flight amenities that you shouldn't take advantage of. According to flight attendants, if you're offered certain items on a plane, you're better off turning them down. Read on to find out what you should just say no to.RELATED: Never Ask for This One Favor on a Plane, Flight Attendants Warn.Read the original article on Best Life.

With holiday travel back in full swing, you’ve probably noticed that your flights home are just as packed as they’ve ever been, if not more so. But whether your trip is a mere two hours or a whopping 14, you should try to make your flight as comfortable as possible. Flight attendants will do their best to aid you in that pursuit: From a can of soda to a pair of headphones, they offer everything that they can to make sure that passengers have a smooth ride. At the same time, there are some in-flight amenities that you shouldn’t take advantage of. According to flight attendants, if you’re offered certain items on a plane, you’re better off turning them down. Read on to find out what you should just say no to.

Slide 2 of 5: Once you board a plane, you may be in for quite a long flight, depending on your destination. To make yourself comfortable for the next however many hours, you might want to make use of some of the amenities being offered to you, including the complimentary pillows and blankets that are often left on your seat. However, you should think twice before getting cozy with these items. In a 2019 interview with Inside Edition, flight attendant Jamila Hardwick revealed that you should never use the blankets and pillows that are on a plane."Bring your own," she said. "These [blankets] get washed, but we're not sure how great they get washed, right. Same for the pillows."RELATED: Never Do This on a Plane, Infectious Disease Doctor Warns.

Never use the blankets or pillows you’re given on a flight.

Once you board a plane, you may be in for quite a long flight, depending on your destination. To make yourself comfortable for the next however many hours, you might want to make use of some of the amenities being offered to you, including the complimentary pillows and blankets that are often left on your seat. However, you should think twice before getting cozy with these items. In a 2019 interview with Inside Edition, flight attendant Jamila Hardwick revealed that you should never use the blankets and pillows that are on a plane.

“Bring your own,” she said. “These [blankets] get washed, but we’re not sure how great they get washed, right. Same for the pillows.”

The blankets and pillows aren’t washed until the end of the day.

The pillows and blankets provided for you aren’t cleaned nearly as often as you’d think. Flight attendant Linda Ferguson told Business Insider in 2018 that these items are reused from flight to flight, without being properly washed until the day is over. So, if you’re on the very first flight of the day, you’re more likely to be supplied with freshly cleaned pillows and blankets. However, if you’re not, these items can essentially become an easy way for germs from another passenger to be passed onto you.

“I see people wrap their feet in the blankets, I see people sneeze in the blankets,” Ferguson said.

Pillows, like the neck ones, are sometimes changed in between flights, but only to a certain extent. Airlines “will take the lining off the pillow and give you a new one,” Hardwick added. “But you still have the pillow in there that’s dirty.”

There are many areas on a plane where you’re susceptible to germs.

Pillows and blankets aren’t the only unsanitary items on your flight. In July, flight attendant Tommy Cimato detailed the dirtiest spots on airplanes in a TikTok video. He explains that passengers should not fall asleep or lean their heads on the window because “you’re not the only one who has done that.” And you never know how many people have wiped their hands on your makeshift pillow.

Cimato also recommends that when going to the bathroom, you never touch the flush button or lever with your hands. Since you don’t know what germs could be there, use a napkin or tissue to flush instead.

Article by Amber Raiken for BestLife©

Source: If You’re Offered This on a Plane, Just Say No, Flight Attendants Warn (msn.com)

Drafty Windows? Try These 12 Solutions for Every Budget

Slide 1 of 13: Drafts got you down? As outside temperatures plummet, leaky windows can make the inside of your home feel downright frosty—to say nothing of costing you money as your hard-earned heating dollars fly right out the window. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, reducing drafts in a home can result in energy savings of between 5 and 30 percent per year, while also keeping your family snug and cozy. There are many ways to cut your heating bill, ranging from installing simple weather stripping to entire window replacement. Ahead, we’ve assembled a list of solutions to fix those drafty windows that suit budgets both large and small.

 © istockphoto.com

Stay Warm and Save Money

Drafts got you down? As outside temperatures plummet, leaky windows can make the inside of your home feel downright frosty—to say nothing of costing you money as your hard-earned heating dollars fly right out the window. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, reducing drafts in a home can result in energy savings of between 5 and 30 percent per year, while also keeping your family snug and cozy.

There are many ways to cut your heating bill, ranging from installing simple weather stripping to entire window replacement. Ahead, we’ve assembled a list of solutions to fix those drafty windows that suit budgets both large and small.

Easy ID

First, spot the sources of drafts in your home. If you can feel a breeze or draft as you pass or hold your hand near a window, it’s time to address the problem. Other signs are fogged glass or condensation inside windows, between the panes. This means a seal is likely compromised and the windows are not insulating as they should. Finally, visible damage to weather stripping (interior or exterior) likely means frigid air is getting in.First, find the source of drafts in your home using a matchstick or candle. Slowly move the flame around the window frame. If the flame bends or flickers at any point, use a small sticky note to mark the spot so you can come back and seal it.

If still uncertain—and especially if your energy bills have risen with no clear reason—you can check for window drafts using a matchstick or candle. Slowly move the flame around the window frame. If the flame bends or flickers at any point, use a small sticky note to mark the spot so you can come back and seal it.

Snake Surprise

The bean bag sock snake is a classic solution for drafts, but you typically see it used on doors. This draft stopper from Home Intuition, available on Amazon, works with windows as well by blocking cold air creeping in through the crack between the sash and the sill.

This model is sized to fit windows at 36 inches long. With its 4-inch thick size, fleece material, and polyester fill, it provides an ample barrier against Old Man Winter. Hanging loops are a nice touch, making it easy to store when not in use.

Storm Stoppers

Though more of an investment than other solutions, storm windows, like the Larson aluminum storm windows, are the most effective way to stop drafts. Aluminum storm windows mount to the outside of the window casing, providing an additional insulating pane of glass that prevents cold air from infiltrating the home.

Adding storm windows to your existing windows costs more than most other solutions, and they are more difficult to install. The upside is that they can save you as much as 30 percent on heating and cooling costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Modern Shrinky Dinks

Online and off, most home improvement stores stock plastic shrink film insulation kits. Like other similar products, the 3M Indoor Window Insulator Kit includes all you need to apply insulating film over as many as five standard windows. Double-sided tape holds the film in place until the last step in the quick and easy installation process, when you use a hair dryer to shrink the film to achieve an airtight seal.

Close the Gaps

Repair, replace, or add weatherstripping around drafty windows and doors. Duck Brand Heavy-Duty Self Adhesive Weatherstrip Seal works well, costs little, and comes in various sizes. Plus, its rubber construction provides excellent draft protection.

That said, there are many types of weatherstripping worth considering—felt weatherstripping (sold in rolls), V-seal weatherstripping (sold in both plastic and spring-metal versions), and expanding spray foam weatherstripping (sold in aerosol cans).

Caulk Those Cracks!

Window caulking serves as a first line of defense against cold air. Unfortunately, caulk degrades over time, inevitably developing small cracks and gaps that allow in cold air. Inspect your drafty windows, checking around the window frame for any signs of failure.

You can repair small openings with inexpensive, user-friendly rope caulk, such as this caulking cord that requires only your fingers to install. Larger openings, meanwhile, necessitate the complete removal and replacement of the original, no-longer-viable caulk.

Draft-Stopping Decor

Seasonally swap out your lightweight curtains for heavier, insulation-boosting window treatments like draperies, layered curtains, honeycomb shades (which trap air between layers of fabric) or Roman shades. This set of thermal curtains uses three layers of fabric to provide insulation over the window (when curtains are closed, of course), helping to cut energy bills. They also contribute to the room’s decor.

Article by Tony Carrick and Bob Vila for BobVila©

Source: Drafty Windows? Try These 12 Solutions for Every Budget (msn.com)

NASA successfully launches mission to slam into an asteroid

The SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket launches with the DART spacecraft onboard. 
Credit: NASA / Bill Ingalls

Folks, we’re off to slam into an asteroid.

For the first time ever, NASA launched an almost year-long test for deflecting an asteroid on Wednesday, the first planetary defense method of its kind.

Launched at 1:21 a.m. ET, Nov. 24 aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Vandenberg Space Force Base in California, NASA’s DART mission will intentionally collide with an asteroid to change its orbit. As Mashable’s Mark Kaufman perfectly put it, they will “slam a spacecraft the size of a vending machine into a space rock the size of a great Egyptian pyramid.”

The DART mission (or Double Asteroid Redirection Test) was built by the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory, and is meant to protect Earth from potential asteroid or comet impacts (though NASA is not currently tracking any, so don’t freak out just yet).

DART’s target is the asteroid system Didymos, specifically a 530-foot-wide (160-metre) moonlet. The system is hanging out near Earth but isn’t a threat, so has been picked for a safe test.

At 2:17 a.m. ET, DART separated from the second stage of the rocket, and mission operators received the first transmission of data, then started to move the spacecraft to a safe spot to deploy its solar arrays.

And it did! It took about two hours, but the spacecraft unfurled its 28-foot-long solar arrays, which will power the craft and NASA’s awesomely named evolutionary xenon thruster — a commercial ion engine, and one of a bunch of tech that’s being tested on this mission for future use.

You’re not going to see any asteroid collisions for a while — it’ll take almost a year. The spacecraft will catch up with Didymos between Sept. 26 and Oct. 1, 2022, and then intentionally body slam it at about 4 miles per second (6 kilometres per second). According to NASA, this impact will cut short the asteroid’s orbit by minutes. After the impact, the asteroid’s changes will be studied and used in future models to determine how effective this method is at averting potential asteroid collisions with Earth.

If you want to track the DART mission yourself, follow @NASA, @AsteroidWatch, and @JHUAPL as it travels to Dimorphos.

Article By Shannon Connellan for Mashable©

Source: NASA successfully launches mission to slam into an asteroid (mashable.com)

Pet poodle killed by neighbor’s dog on Far South Side, owner cited

A few days ago. I posted an article about the deadliest dog breed to own. This is the dog breed that’s attacked the most people – TUTORING YOU

Based on the number of deaths attributed to this breed (421), the Pit Bull is by far the deadliest dog to own. I don’t have the number of other dog breeds that have been killed or injured by this breed, however it happens more frequently than attacks on humans. Here is a report on the latest attack from ABC 7 news:

“Cynthia Bailey said when she let her toy poodle Caeser out around 6 a.m. Tuesday, a neighbor’s dog was in her yard.

She said that dog attacked Caesar once, then came back after him again.

Baily said she tried to fight off the dog, but Caesar died from his injuries.

“I’m screaming and yelling for help, but he’s just constantly attacking, you know, my dog,” Baily said. “Nothing I did touched him. He didn’t flicker at all.”

The owner of the pitbull, cane corso mix told officers the dog had gotten out of the house.

The owner was cited, according to police.”

Just to reiterate, got kids? Beware of this breed!

Nice doggy!

Here’s everything new coming to Netflix in December 2021 (and What’s Leaving).

Here’s everything new coming to Netflix in December 2021 — and what’s leaving

© netflix

Netflix Inc. has a ridiculous amount of original content coming in December, including new seasons of some of its most popular series, Oscar-contending movies and a slew of holiday specials.

The fantasy epic “The Witcher” (Dec. 17) returns for its second season, as monster-hunter Geralt (Henry Cavill) encounters assorted elves, sorceresses and royalty in his adventures; “Money Heist” (Dec. 5) concludes with the second half of Season 5, as the Professor and his ever-dwindling crew try to escape the besieged Bank of Spain with their haul of stolen gold; “Emily in Paris” (Dec. 22) is back for Season 2, promising more fun, fashion and faux pas as the all-too-American Emily (Lily Collins) tries to find her footing in Paris; “Queer Eye” (Dec. 31) is back for its sixth season, making tear-jerking transformations in Texas this time around; and Season 4 of “Cobra Kai” (Dec. 31) sees Daniel (Ralph Maccio) and Johnny (William Zabka) join forces in an attempt to win the ever-important All-Valley Under-18 Karate Tournament.

On the movie front, Netflix has a pair with serious Oscar buzz in “The Power of the Dog” (Dec. 1), a family drama directed by Jane Campion and starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Jesse Plemons as brothers running a Montana ranch in the 1920s; and “Don’t Look Up” (Dec. 24), Adam McKay’s star-studded (Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Lawrence, Timothée Chalamet, Meryl Streep and many more) sci-fi comedy about astronomers who discover an asteroid is going to hit Earth.

And there are plenty of seasonal offerings, like “Single All the Way” (Dec. 2), a holiday rom-com starring Michael Urie, Philemon Chambers and Luke MacFarlane; the fourth installment of “The Great British Baking Show: Holidays” (Dec. 3); and family fare such as “Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas” (Dec. 3) and “David and the Elves” (Dec. 4).

Here’s the full list of what’s coming and going, as of Nov. 23 (release dates are subject to change):

What’s coming in December 2021

Dec. 1JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure: Stone Ocean — Netflix Anime

Kayko and Kokosh — Netflix Family

Kayko and Kokosh: Season 2 — Netflix Family

Lost in Space: Season 3 — Netflix Series

The Power of the Dog — Netflix Film

Are You the One: Season 3

Blood and Bone

Body of Lies

Bordertown: Mural Murders

Chloe

Chocolat

Closer

Death at a Funeral

Dr. Seuss’ The Cat in the Hat

The Final Destination

Final Destination 3

Final Destination 5

Fool’s Gold

The Fourth Kind

Ink Master: Season 3

Ink Master: Season 4

Knight Rider 2000

Knight Rider: Seasons 1-4

Law Abiding Citizen

The Legend of Zorro

Life

Looper

The Mask of Zorro

Minority Report

Pet Sematary (1989)

Premonition

Sabrina (1995)

Soul Surfer

Stepmom

Stuart Little 2

Sucker Punch

Think Like a Man

Tremors

We Were Soldiers

Wild Things

Wyatt Earp

Dec. 2The Alpinist

Coyotes — Netflix Series

Single All the Way — Netflix Film

The Whole Truth — Netflix Film

Dec. 3Cobalt Blue — Netflix Film

Coming Out Colton — Netflix Series

Jurassic World Camp Cretaceous: Season 4 — Netflix Family

Money Heist: Part 5 Vol 2 — Netflix Series

The Great British Baking Show: Holidays: Season 4 — Netflix Series

Mixtape — Netflix Film

Money Heist: From Tokyo to Berlin: Volume 2 — Netflix Documentary

Shaun the Sheep: The Flight Before Christmas — Netflix Family

Dec. 5Japan Sinks: People of Hope: Season 1 (episode 8)

Dec. 6David and the Elves — Netflix Film

Voir — Netflix Documentary

Dec. 7Centaurworld: Season 2 — Netflix Family

Go Dog Go: Season 2 — Netflix Family

Nicole Byer: BBW (Big Beautiful Weirdo) — Netflix Comedy

Dec. 8Carolin Kebekus: The Last Christmas Special — Netflix Comedy

Dec. 9Asakusa Kid — Netflix Film

Bathtubs Over Broadway

Bonus Family: Season 4 — Netflix Series

The Family That Sings Together: The Camargos — Netflix Documentary

Dec. 10Anonymously Yours — Netflix Film

Aranyak — Netflix Series

Back to the Outback — Netflix Film

How to Ruin Christmas: The Funeral — Netflix Series

Twentysomethings: Austin (formerly Roaring Twenties) — Netflix Series

Saturday Morning All Star Hits! — Netflix Series

The Shack

Still Out of My League — Netflix Film

Two — Netflix Film

The Unforgivable — Netflix Film

Dec. 11Fast Color

The Hungry and the Hairy — Netflix Series

Dec. 12Japan Sinks: People of Hope: Season 1 (episode 9)

Dec. 13Eye in the Sky

Dec. 14The Future Diary

Russell Howard: Lubricant — Netflix Comedy

StarBeam: Beaming in the New Year — Netflix Family

Dec. 15Black Ink Crew New York: Seasons 3-4

The Challenge: Season 12

The Challenge: Season 25

Elite Short Stories: Phillipe Caye Felipe — Netflix Series

The Giver

The Hand of God — Netflix Film

Masha and the Bear: Nursery Rhymes: Season 1 Part 2

Masha and the Bear: Season 5

Selling Tampa — Netflix Series

Teen Mom 2: Seasons 3-4

Dec. 16A California Christmas: City Lights — Netflix Film

A Naija Christmas — Netflix Film

Aggretsuko: Season 4 — Netflix Anime

Darkest Hour

Puff: Wonders of the Reef — Netflix Documentary

Dec. 17Fast & Furious Spy Racers: Season 6: Homecoming

The Witcher: Season 2

Dec. 18Bulgasi: Immortal Souls — Netflix Series

Oldboy

Dec. 19What Happened in Oslo — Netflix Series

Dec. 20Elite Short Stories: Samuel Omar — Netflix Series

Dec. 21Jim Gaffigan: Comedy Monster — Netflix Comedy

Grumpy Christmas — Netflix Film

Dec. 22Emily in Paris: Season 2 — Netflix Series

Dec. 23Elite Short Stories: Patrick — Netflix Series

Dec. 241000 Miles from Christmas — Netflix Film

Don’t Look Up — Netflix Film

Minnal Murali — Netflix Film

The Silent Sea — Netflix Series

Stand By Me Doraemon 2 — Netflix Film

Vicky and Her Mystery — Netflix Film

Zach Stone is Gonna Be Famous

Dec. 25Single’s Inferno — Netflix Series

Jimmy Carr: His Dark Material — Netflix Comedy

Stories of a Generation – with Pope Francis — Netflix Documentary

Dec. 26Lulli — Netflix Film

Dec. 28World Party Presents: Math! — Netflix Family

Dec. 29Anxious People — Netflix Series

Crime Scene: The Times Square Killer — Netflix Documentary

Dec. 30Kitz — Netflix Series

Hilda and the Mountain King — Netflix Series

Dec. 31Cobra Kai: Season 4 — Netflix Series

The Lost Daughter — Netflix Film

Queer Eye: Season 6 — Netflix Series

Stay Close — Netflix Series

Seal Team — Netflix Film

What’s leaving in December

Dec. 3The Last O.G.: Seasons 1-2

Dec. 4The Guest

Dec. 7Before I Fall

Dec. 8It Comes at Night

Mariah Carey’s Merriest Christmas

Dec. 13Halt and Catch Fire: Seasons 1-4

Dec. 14Fifty: The Series: Seasons 1-2

Saint Seiya: Seasons 1-6

Dec. 15Lee Daniels’ The Butler

Maps to the Stars

The Theory of Everything

Dec. 21Jacob’s Ladder

Private Practice: Seasons 1-6

Dec. 25Captain Fantastic

Dec. 30Winchester

Dec. 31A Cinderella Story

American Gangster

Beethoven

Beethoven’s 2nd

Charlie’s Angels

Cold Mountain

Defiance

The Devil Inside

Do the Right Thing

Don’t Be a Menace to South Central While Drinking Your Juice in the Hood

Double Jeopardy

Forensic Files: Collections 1-9

Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood: Parts 1-5

Fullmetal Alchemist: Season 1

Ghost

Gladiator

The Great British Baking Show: The Beginnings: Season 1

House Party

House Party 2

House Party 3

Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life

The Last Airbender

Like Crazy

Love Don’t Cost a Thing

Love Jones

The Lovely Bones

The Machinist

Magnolia

Memoirs of a Geisha

My Fair Lady

Mystic Pizza

Pan’s Labyrinth

Puss in Boots

Rumor Has It…

Serendipity

Spy Kids

Spy Kids 2: The Island of Lost Dreams

Spy Kids 3: Game Over

Stuart Little

The Strangers

Titanic

Tommy Boy

Underworld

Underworld: Awakening

Underworld: Rise of the Lycans

What a Girl Wants

What’s Eating Gilbert Grape

There you have it. Get ready to binge!

Article by Mike Murphy for MarketWatch©

Source: Here’s everything new coming to Netflix in December 2021 — and what’s leaving (msn.com)

5 Ways to Survive Your Next Family Gathering

Just in time for the upcoming holiday !

Like it or not, to grandmother’s house we go! Martha Beck has some sanity-saving strategies to pull you through not-so-silent nights and days with the family.

Photo: Thinkstock

In the Uncle Remus story of the tar baby, Brer Rabbit picks a fight with a lifelike doll made out of tar and turpentine. The tar baby is so gluey that when the rabbit punches it, his fists get hopelessly stuck. He tries to kick his way free, trapping his feet, then finishes off with an infuriated head butt that renders him utterly helpless.

I can’t think of a more fitting metaphor for family life in the 21st century. There’s nothing in the world as sticky as a dysfunctional family. You can put half your life’s savings into therapy—good therapy, effective therapy—and, 15 minutes into a holiday reunion, you still become hopelessly enmeshed in the same old crazy dynamics. Your assertiveness training goes out the window the minute your brother begins his traditional temper tantrum. A mere sigh from your grandmother triggers an attack of codependency so severe you end up giving her your house. For many people, family get-togethers require strategies for staying out of such sticky situations. Before you head over the river and through the woods, give some thought to the following suggestions.

Strategy #1: Give Up Hope

Most of us go home for the holidays thinking (along with comedienne Abby Sher), God, grant me the ability to change the things I cannot accept. Even if we don’t consciously realize it, we want our families to cease and desist from all the things that affect us like fingernails on a chalkboard. We don’t ask much—just socially appropriate behavior, dammit, and minimal reparations for the more damaging incidents in our past. Although come to think of it, things would certainly go better if our relatives would listen openly, communicate honestly, and agree with us on all significant issues. And possibly offer money.

The hope that our families will act perfectly—or even reasonably well—sets us up to whack the tar baby, to be incapacitated by the dysfunctions we’ll almost certainly encounter. Before you meet your relatives this season, take a few moments to sit quietly and acknowledge what you wish they were like. Then prepare to accept them even if they behave as they have always done in the past. At best you may be surprised to find that they actually are changing, that some of your wishes have come true. At worst you’ll feel regrettably detached from your kinfolk as you watch them play out their usual psychoses.

Strategy #2: Set Secure Boundaries

Given that your family members will probably go on being their same old selves, you need to decide how much contact with them you really want. Are there certain relatives you simply can’t tolerate? Are there others you can handle in group settings but not one-on-one? How much time and intimacy with your family is enough? How much is too much?

It’s crucial to answer these questions before, not during, a family gathering. Prior to the event, think through various boundary options until you come up with a scenario that makes you feel comfortable. Would you be more enthusiastic about a get-together if you planned to leave after no more than four hours? Or three? Two? One? Would you breathe easier if you rented a car so that you could get away without relying on relatives for transportation? Would it help to have a friend call you on your cell phone halfway through the evening, providing an excuse for a graceful exit?

Strategy #3: Lose Control

You’re in the middle of a holiday feast, enjoying your favorite pie and eggnog, when your mother leans over and whispers, “Honey, have you tried Weight Watchers?” Those six words may wither your very soul, challenging every ounce of self-acceptance you’ve gleaned from myriad self-help books, support groups, and several enlightened friends. You might feel desperate to make Mom recognize all the hard-won truths you’ve learned about the intrinsic value and beauty of your body. You’ll want to argue, to explain, to get right in there and force your mother to approve of your appearance. You are coming perilously close to whacking the tar baby.

Remember this: Any attempt you make to control other people actually puts you under their control. If you decide you can’t be happy until your mother finally understands you, her dysfunction will rule your life. You could spend the next 20 years trying to please her so much that she’d just have to accept you—and she still might not. Or you could hold her at gunpoint and threaten her into saying the words you want to hear, but you’ll never control her real thoughts and feelings. Never.

The only way you can avoid getting stuck in other people’s craziness is to follow codependency author Melody Beattie’s counterintuitive advice: “Unhook from their systems by refusing to try to control them.” Don’t violate your own code of values and ethics, but don’t waste energy trying to make other people violate theirs. If soul-searching has shown you that your mother’s opinions are wrong for you—as are your grandfather’s bigotry, your sister’s new religion, and your cousin’s alcoholism—hold that truth in your heart, whether or not your family members validate it. Feel what you feel, know what you know, and set your relatives free to do the same.

If you’ve been deeply wounded by your family, you can stop trying to control them by accepting full responsibility for your healing. I’m not suggesting you shoulder all the blame, but rather that you acknowledge that you and only you have the ability to respond to injury by seeking cures instead of furthering pain. Whatever the situation, accepting that you can control only your own thoughts and actions will help you mend more quickly and thoroughly.

Strategy #4: Become a Participant Observer

Some social scientists use a technique called participant observation, meaning that they join groups of people in order to watch and report on whatever those people do. Back when I was training to become a sociologist, I loved participant observation. People I might normally have avoided—criminals, fundamentalists, PTA presidents—became absolutely fascinating when I was participant-observing them. Almost any group activity is interesting when you’re planning to describe it later to someone who’s on your wavelength. Here are some approaches to help you become a participant observer of your own family.

Queen for a Day
This little game is based on the old TV show in which four women competed to see who had the most miserable life. The contestant judged most pathetic got, among other things, a washing machine in which to cleanse her tear-stained clothing. My version goes like this: Prior to a family function, arrange to meet with at least two friends—more, if possible—after the holidays. You’ll each tell the stories of your respective family get-togethers, then vote to see whose experience was most horrendous. That person will then be crowned queen, and the others will buy her lunch.

Comedy Club
In this exercise, you look to your family not for love and understanding but for comedy material. Watch closely. The more atrocious your family’s behavior is, the funnier it can be in the retelling. Watch stand-up comics to see the enormous fun they can have describing appalling marriages, ghastly parenting, or poisonous family secrets. When you’re back among friends, telling your own wild stories, you may find that you no longer suffer from your family’s brand of insanity; you’ve actually started to enjoy it.

Dysfunctional Family Bingo
This is one of my favorite games, though it involves considerable preparation. A few weeks before the holidays, gather with friends and provide each person with a bingo card, like the one on page 93, only blank. Each player fills in her bingo squares with dysfunctional phrases or actions that are likely to surface at her particular family party. For example, if you dread the inevitable “So when are you going to get married?” that question goes in one square of your bingo card. If your brother typically shows up crocked to the gills, put “Al is drunk” in another square, and so on.

Take your finished cards to your respective family gatherings. Whenever you observe something that appears on your bingo card, mark off that square. The first person to get bingo must sneak off to the nearest telephone, call the other players, and announce her victory. If no one has a full bingo, the person who has the largest number of filled-out squares wins the game. The winner shall be determined at the postholiday meeting, where she will be granted the ever gratifying free lunch.

Strategy #5: Debrief

Even if you don’t play any participant observation games, it’s crucial to follow up on family events by debriefing with someone you love. If your brother really “gets” you, call him after a family dinner you’ve both survived. If you don’t trust anyone who shares a shred of your DNA, report to a friend or therapist. Generally speaking, you can schedule a debriefing session for a few weeks after the holidays, when everybody’s schedule is back to normal. However, you should exchange phone calls with your debriefing partners within a day or so of the family encounter, just to reconnect with the outside world and head off any annoying little problems, such as ill-considered suicide.

All of these strategies, from relinquishing hope of transformation to mimicking your relatives in riotous conversations with your friends, are designed to help you love your family unconditionally, in whatever way works best for you. They help you greet the tar baby with genuine affection, then walk away clear and happy. And that, in the end, may be the best holiday present you’ll ever give to the people you cherish most.

Article by Martha Beck.

Source: Dealing with a Dysfunctional Family During the Holidays (oprah.com)

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