Beech Tree News Network

Last week, I spent a couple of hours reading MSN and following links. I found several topics that interested me. A few of those are summarized below. If you want more information about a topic, please go to the website listed.
 
President-elect Trump  While campaigning, Donald Trump stated that if elected president, he would decline a salary ($400,000 annually). Based on a recent Forbes’ investigation, the business magazine estimated that Donald Trump’s wealth is around $3.7 billion. According to Snopes.com, both John F. Kennedy and Herbert Hoover donated their entire presidential salaries to charity. Then on Sunday night’s "60 Minutes,” President-elect Trump said “I think I have to by law take $1, so I'll take $1 a year” (http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/will-donald-trump-refuse-to-take-... http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-ill-take-dollar1-a-year-as-...). I admire his intention.

Solution for Left-over Cola  If you have cola that may go to waste, you might use it to make a smoky barbeque sauce instead of pouring it down the drain. The color of the cola gives a dark texture to the sauce while the sugar in the drink will caramelize when grilled. Add cola to a pan along with ketchup, garlic, vinegar, chili powder and whatever else you like your barbeque sauce to have the taste of. Then, simmer until the liquid has thickened (http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/nutrition/21-foods-and-drinks-you-should...). I haven’t tried this, but it sounds easy.

An Apple a Day  Many of us are aware that belly fat is a health risk. “A waistline larger than 35 inches can raise your risk of metabolic syndrome—a combo of high blood pressure, high triglycerides, high cholesterol, and high blood sugar—that can up your chances of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke (http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20411238,00.html). Interestingly, people who eat apples significantly reduce their risks. A recent study found that those who ate apples had less belly fat, lower blood pressure, and a 27% lower chance of being diagnosed with metabolic syndrome (http://www.health.com/health/article/0,,20411238,00.html). Since I like apples, having a reason to eat more of them is great!

Holiday Healthy-Eating Strategies  An Internet article (http://www.msn.com/en-us/health/weightloss/9-healthy-holiday-eating-stra...) listed some tips for helping ourselves avoid overeating during the coming holidays. Also, the article gave some explanation for each tip included. Three of the suggestions included are listed below:
•    Weigh yourself daily and use that number to guide your actions.
•    Before you allow yourself a splurge, do something healthy.
•    Choose your indulgences wisely.
During the holidays, we’ll be confronted with lots of food. This article could help many of us to be thoughtful about our choices.

When to Shop  This year, we’re seeing ads for some good sales prior to Black Friday and Cyber Monday. However, an MSN Money article advised that it’s ok to “ignore the deals being breathlessly promoted by retailers right now. The discounts that will be available in the weeks ahead will certainly be just as good—and, odds are, much deeper markdowns will appear periodically on peak sales days like Cyber Monday” (http://www.msn.com/en-us/money/spendingandborrowing/why-smart-shoppers-s...). The article suggested that we use the current sales as a baseline to compare pricing down the line. This would allow us to see the true deals and know when we’re getting a bargain. Following that advice, I’ve begun taking pictures on my phone of ads displaying one item I’d like to purchase.

Though the information above is not critical, it’s somewhat useful. I learned something from each Internet article. And I still like to learn.