U.S. Stocks Gain for Month as Airlines, Retailers Rally.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-28/u-s-stocks-gain-for-month-as-airlines-retailers-rally.html

U.S. stocks rose for the week, capping a second straight monthly increase, as global central banks added stimulus and plunging oil prices triggered gains in consumer companies that overshadowed a slump in energy shares.

Airlines surged 17 percent in November, while gauges of consumer shares rose more than 5 percent ahead of the holiday season. Both groups benefited as West Texas Intermediate crude plummeted 18 percent to a five-year low in the month, dragged lower by rising U.S. supplies and a refusal by OPEC to reduce output. That sent energy stocks down 8.9 percent.

The Standard & Poor’s 500 Index has rallied 11 percent since sinking to a six-month low on Oct. 15. The benchmark index has been boosted by better-than-forecast economic data, including an upward revision for third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product. It’s also been aided by China’s decision to cutinterest rates, as well as fresh stimulus from the Bank of Japan and European Central Bank. The index has advanced 12 percent this year.

“Lower fuel prices have amounted to a major injection of consumption for consumers this quarter and higher spending patterns going into the holidays,” Chad Morganlander, a money manager at St. Louis-based Stifel Nicolaus & Co., which oversees about $160 billion, said in a phone interview. The lower energy prices have “thrown a wet blanket on the U.S. energy complex, but there’s monetary stimulus across the globe that’s ginning up confidence,” he said.

Consumer Confidence

Consumer sentiment climbed to a seven-year high in November as Americans’ views of their financial well-being improved, according to the Bloomberg Consumer Comfort Index. (COMFCOMF)Earlier in the month a report showed the U.S. unemployment rate fell to 5.8 percent in October, the lowest since July 2008.

“You look at the combination of improvement in labor and the substantial decline in gas prices and I think we’re in a fortunate state of affairs,” Erik Wytenus, a Palm Beach, Florida-based global investment specialist at J.P. Morgan Private Bank, said in a phone interview. The division oversees more than $1 trillion in client assets. “With good economic performance and positive stories in the labor markets, we maintain a firm-footed position in how we engage risk markets.”

Retailers Gain

Target Corp. and Best Buy Co. led gains among retailers, climbing more than 15 percent in November. Ross Stores Inc. and Dollar Tree Inc. increased more than 12 percent.

Airline stocks led a 2.8 percent monthly rise in S&P 500 industrial companies as Southwest Airlines Co. climbed 21 percent, while Delta Air Lines increased 16 percent. The Bloomberg U.S. Airlines Index surged 17 percent in November.

Whole Foods Market Inc. (WFM) led gains in the S&P 500, rising 25 percent for its biggest monthly increase since February 2010. The grocery-store chain posted better-than-forecast quarterly profit as it slashed prices to win over bargain-hunting shoppers.

The Secrets of Surviving the 10 Most Nightmarish Airports This Thanksgiving.(1)

http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2014-11-24/a-survival-guide-to-the-10-worst-airports-in-north-america#p1

Some 3.55 million people are expected to fly this Thanksgiving weekend, making this year’s busiest travel weekend the most crowded since 2007, according to AAA. (If it’s any consolation, the roads will also be jammed.) It’s going to be just as bad as it sounds: the new Bloomberg Airport Frustration Index reveals that some of the more annoying airports in North America—including LaGuardia, O’Hare, Miami, and LAX—are also among the most heavily traveled.

To give airports a Frustration Score, we measured how long it takes to reach them during rush hours, compiled on-time arrival and departure data, and weighed comments and opinions from an online survey of more than 3,000 travelers. And while our respondents had some choice words for their favorite airfields—one traveler’s advice for LaGuardia’s central terminal: “Close your eyes”—they also had tips. The most frustrating airports tend to be disliked because of one or two specific problem areas, be it delayed or cancelled flights, long treks or public transportation shortcomings. That means there are ways to massage the pain points. If you find yourself at one of these top-10-and-not-in-a-good-way airports, here’s what you need to know.

New York City’s LaGuardia Airport has earned its special place in U.S. aviation by combining horrendously crowded gate areas with miniature, foul restrooms and a lack of convenient transportation access.  No subway gets near it, leaving taxis, buses and pricey private car services as the main public options to get there. Arriving at LaGuardia at certain times of the day means taxi lines a mile long. Still, seasoned travelers know they can find a taxi stand with a shorter line  just a few feet to the left or right, and standing in line is infinitely better than paying double for one of the gypsy cabs soliciting passengers.

LaGuardia, however, is not uniformly frightening. Terminal D, which Delta Air Lines (DAL) and concessions operator OTG have tried to modernize, has an array of trendy eateries and shops, along with hundreds of iPads for Web surfing—a glimpse of what other, better airports do. Delta has the best LaGuardia real estate and may be a better carrier choice than some of the others there. Still, if you must traipse into the ancient Central Terminal for an American (AAL), Southwest (LUV) or United(UAL) flight, well, there’s nothing you can say about it that Vice President Joe Biden hasn’t already.

12 Problems Only Women Who Work Out in the Cold Understand.(1)

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/cold-weather-workouts

The weather outside is frightful, and you're running right through it.

Al fresco running is never without its challenges, but as the days grow darker and colder, the running game changes—in a big way. Here are 12 problems only the bravest (and most wind-burnt) runners out there can truly understand:

1. Trying Not to Freeze Your Butt Off—or Overheat Under All Your Layers
Your sweat is freezing into icicles. Then melting. Then freezing again.

4 Reasons You're Still Struggling with Acne.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/adult-acne?cm_sp=Hotlist-_-Beauty-_-4ReasonsYoureStillStrugglingwithAcne

Nix these behaviors to score beautiful skin.

You expect to have to load up on zit cream when you’re in high school. But heading to the checkout lane with anti-acne treatments in your 20s and 30s—or beyond—just seems like a cruel joke.

Dermatologist Bobby Buke, M.D., is the section chief of dermatology at Mount Sinai School of Medicine; chief science officer for skin-care brand First Aid Beauty, and has a private practice in New York—so he knows a thing or two about adult acne. And unfortunately, he says you may be to blame. Okay, your beauty habits, but still.

Are you using any products with 10 percent benzoyl peroxide? Or covering up acne marks with concealer? If so, you’re probably undermining your own efforts to get great-looking skin. Check out the video below to see what other common behaviors may be working against you.

9 Genius Tips for Making the Most of Thanksgiving Leftovers.(3)

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/what-to-do-with-thanksgiving-leftovers

65 percent of Americans look forward to it as much as they do the main feast.

3. Keep your fridge temperature at a max of 40°F. This will keep edibles out of the temps at which bacteria grow most rapidly.

Snakes are closely related to Lizards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Snakes are closely related to lizards, having branched off from a common ancestral lineage during the Cretaceous period, and they share many of the same features. The skeleton consists of a skull, a hyoid bone, spine and ribs though a few species retain a vestige of the pelvis and rear limbs in the form of pelvic spurs. The bar under the second fenestra has also been lost and the jaws have extreme flexibility allowing the snake to swallow its prey whole. Snakes lack moveable eyelids, the eyes being covered by transparent "spectacle" scales. They do not have eardrums but can detect ground vibrations through the bones of their skull. Their forked tongues are used as organs of taste and smell and some species have sensory pits on their heads enabling them to locate warm-blooded prey.

Lizards have skulls with only one Fenestra on each Side.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy


Lizards have skulls with only one fenestra on each side, the lower bar of bone below the second fenestra having been lost. This results in the jaws being less rigidly attached which allows the mouth to open wider. Lizards are mostly quadrupeds, with the trunk held off the ground by short, sideways-facing legs, but a few species have no limbs and resemble snakes. Lizards have moveable eyelids, eardrums are present and some species have a central parietal eye.

Tuataras superficially resemble Lizards.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Tuataras superficially resemble lizards but the lineages diverged in the Triassic period. There is one living species, Sphenodon punctatus. The skull has two openings (fenestrae) on either side and the jaw is rigidly attached to the skull. There is one row of teeth in the lower jaw and this fits between the two rows in the upper jaw when the animal chews. The teeth are merely projections of bony material from the jaw and eventually wear down. The brain and heart are more primitive than is the case in other reptiles and the lungs have a single chamber and lack bronchi. The tuatara has a well-developed parietal eye on its forehead.

Anatomy of a Snake.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Anatomy of a snake. 1 esophagus, 2 trachea, 3 tracheal lungs, 4 rudimentary left lung, 5 right lung, 6 heart, 7 liver, 8 stomach, 9 air sac, 10 gallbladder, 11 pancreas, 12 spleen, 13 intestine, 14 testicles, 15 kidneys.

Turtles are notable for their protective Shells.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Turtles are notable for their protective shells. They have an inflexible trunk encased in a horny carapace above and a plastronbelow. These are formed from bony plates embedded in the dermis which are overlain by horny ones and are partially fused with the ribs and spine. The neck is long and flexible and the head and the legs can be drawn back inside the shell. Turtles are vegetarians and the typical reptile teeth have been replaced by sharp, horny plates. In aquatic species, the front legs are modified into flippers.

Skeleton of a Snake.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

                                                          Skeleton of a snake, drawn byRichard Lydekker, 1896.

The heart resembles that of the Amphibian.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

The heart resembles that of the amphibian but there is a septum which more completely separates the oxygenated and deoxygenated bloodstreams. The reproductive system is designed for internal fertilisation, with a copulatory organ present in most species. The eggs are surrounded by amniotic membranes which prevents them from drying out and are laid on land, or develop internally in some species. The bladder is small as nitrogenous waste is excreted as uric acid.

The Teeth are conical and mostly uniform in size.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

The teeth are conical and mostly uniform in size. The surface cells of the epidermis are modified into horny scales which create a waterproof layer. Reptiles are unable to use their skin for respiration as do amphibians and have a more efficient respiratory system drawing air into their lungs by expanding their chest walls.

Reptile Anatomy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Reptiles are a class of animals comprising turtles, tuataras, lizards, snakes and crocodiles. They are tetrapods, but the snakes and a few species of lizard either have no limbs or their limbs are much reduced in size. Their bones are better ossified and their skeletons stronger than those of amphibians. 

In frogs the pelvic girdle is Robust.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

In frogs the pelvic girdle is robust and the hind legs are much longer and stronger than the forelimbs. The feet have four or five digits and the toes are often webbed for swimming or have suction pads for climbing. Frogs have large eyes and no tail. Salamanders resemble lizards in appearance; their short legs project sideways, the belly is close to or in contact with the ground and they have a long tail. Caecilians superficially resemble earthworms and are limbless. They burrow by means of zones of muscle contractions which move along the body and they swim by undulating their body from side to side.

Thanksgiving Deal Hunt Draws Millions Away From Dinner.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-28/thanksgiving-deal-hunt-draws-millions-away-from-dinner.html

Terrance Martin, a 42-year-old truck driver, lined up at a Best Buy Co. store in Paramus, New Jersey, at 7 a.m. yesterday to score an almost $350 discount on a 50-inch Panasonic television.

“It was worth it for that kind of deal,” said Martin, who’s from nearby Fair Lawn. Even though he spent almost 10 hours waiting for the store to open, he didn’t miss the holiday entirely: His sister brought him turkey and yams.

Martin was one of the 25.6 million Americans that the National Retail Federation expected to hit the stores or shop online yesterday, drawn by stores offering discounts on holiday gifts earlier than ever. Millions more are projected to shop today through Sunday, kicking off a holiday season that the NRF forecasts will be the best in three years, helped by falling unemployment, rising wages and lower gas prices.

Shoppers seeking bargains yesterday had plenty of options. J.C. Penney Co. (JCP) unlocked its doors at 5 p.m., compared with 8 p.m. in 2013. Macy’s Inc. (M) and Target Corp. opened at 6 p.m., two hours earlier than last year.

“Being first is incredibly important,” said Pat Dermody, president of Retale, a mobile application that aggregates circulars from major retailers. “If you’re first, you’ve got customers who are full of spirit and full of cash.”

Many consumers already may have begun shopping as retailers experimented with spreading their deals throughout the week. Express Inc. (EXPR) began offering 50 percent off everything starting Nov. 25 through noon today, and Target rolled out pre-Black Friday deals of up to 60 percent off on some items.

Wal-Mart Deals

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. (WMT) is meting out its holiday bargains over the course of five days. The retailer’s “New Black Friday” event includes sales in stores and on Walmart.com that began at 12:01 a.m. yesterday and run through Cyber Monday.

“They took what was a small, compressed event and made a week out of it,” Rod Sides, who tracks retail for consulting firm Deloitte LLP in Charlotte, North Carolina, said in an interview. “Everybody used to have a battle strategy. Folks are not as focused on Black Friday as they once were.”

About 140 million people are expected to shop in stores and online yesterday through Sunday, about the same number as last year, according to the NRF, a Washington-based trade group. Retail sales in November and December may rise 4.1 percent this year, beating last year’s 3.1 percent gain, the organization said.

Discounting Frenzy

Sales already are getting a hand from consumer sentiment that’s the highest since before the recession, boosting confidence that the trend will continue through the holiday season. Consumer spending, which accounts for about 70 percent of the economy, grew at a 2.2 percent annualized rate last quarter, exceeding estimates for a 1.8 percent improvement. The gain was spread across durable and non-durable goods.

Consumer spending also may be buoyed by gasoline dropping below $3, a psychological barrier that may help open up wallets, said Bob Drbul, a New York-based retail analyst at Nomura Securities International. The average cost of a gallon of regular gasoline was $2.81 earlier this week, the lowest level in four years, according to the automobile group AAA.

To capitalize on the extra spending money, retailers are trying to one-up each other. Wal-Mart will sell an RCA tablet for $29, DVDs for $1.96 and a 50-inch high-definition television for $218. Best Buy (BBY), meanwhile, will offer a 55-inch Samsung 4K television for $899, down from $1,400.

Not that the discounting frenzy is anything new, said Retale’s Dermody, who’s based in Chicago.

“I wouldn’t say, on a category basis, there are discounts that are outrageous this year compared to what they were last year,” she said.

Holiday shopping is key for retailers, with sales in November and December accounting for about 19 percent of annual revenue, according to the NRF. The term Black Friday is believed to derive from the myth that retailers didn’t become profitable until this day each year.

Customers walk through a Macy's Inc. store ahead of Black Friday in New York, U.S., on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2014.

Customers walk through a Macy's Inc. store ahead of Black Friday in New York, U.S., on Nov. 27, 2014.

A customer loads a television into a shopping cart at a Target Corp. store ahead of Black Friday in Mentor, Ohio, U.S., on Nov. 27, 2014. 

Shoppers wait in line as snow falls outside a Target Corp. store ahead of Black Friday in Mentor, Ohio, U.S., on Nov. 27, 2014.

The Top Nutrition Mistake New Moms Make.(2)

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/new-mom-diet-tips

According to the author of What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Those aren't the only reasons to focus on getting adequate amounts of all your essential nutrients when you're a new mom, though.

"Probably some of the most important research [conducted since the last edition of the book came out] has been around the impact of mom's eating well on a baby's development and future health, particularly during the first 1,000 days," says Murkoff. "Once solids are introduced—at six months—a baby begins to model eating habits that tend to stick, for better or worse."

Murkoff recommends making it as simple as possible to eat well. "Having ready-to-grab healthy snacks on hand is key," she says. "And take shortcuts to healthy meals—make extra chicken breast to freeze, buy bags of ready-to-eat veggies and salad, cans of wild salmon." 

9 Genius Tips for Making the Most of Thanks giving Leftovers.(2)

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/what-to-do-with-thanksgiving-leftovers

65 percent of Americans look forward to it as much as they do the main feast.

2. You have three to four days to safely gobble up refrigerated leftovers. Freeze 'em, and they should be safe indefinitely.

The One Change That Guarantees a Healthier Diet.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/cooking-at-home

No fancy tricks required.

Of course, this isn't an excuse to overload on a bunch of homemade nachos or triple-stacked burgers (especially since you can find healthier alternatives to those). But it is heartening to know that one change can still bring results—even if you kind of don't know what you're doing yet. Need a place to start? These healthy dinner ideas are super-easy and good for you.

Buccal Pumping.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Amphibians breathe by means of buccal pumping, a pump action in which air is first drawn into the buccopharyngeal region through the nostrils. These are then closed and the air is forced into the lungs by contraction of the throat.They supplement this with gas exchange through the skin which needs to be kept moist.

Their ribs are usually short and may be fused to the Vertebrae.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Their ribs are usually short and may be fused to the vertebrae. Their skulls are mostly broad and short, and are often incompletely ossified. Their skin contains little keratin and lacks scales, but contains many mucous glands and in some species, poison glands. The hearts of amphibians have three chambers, two atria and one ventricle. They have aurinary bladder and nitrogenous waste products are excreted primarily as urea.

Anatomy of Frog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Anatomy of frog 1 Right atrium, 2 Lungs, 3 Aorta, 4 Egg mass, 5 Colon, 6 Left atrium, 7 Ventricle, 8 Stomach, 9 Liver, 10 Gallbladder, 11 Small intestine, 12 Cloaca.

Surinam horned Frog.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

                                                                           Skeleton of Surinam horned frog.
                                                                                   (Ceratophrys cornuta)

Amphibian Anatomy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Amphibians are a class of animals comprising frogs, salamanders and caecilians. They are tetrapods, but the caecilians and a few species of salamander have either no limbs or their limbs are much reduced in size. Their main bones are hollow and lightweight and are fully ossified and the vertebrae interlock with each other and have articular processes. 

The bony fish lineage shows more derived anatomical traits.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

The bony fish lineage shows more derived anatomical traits, often with major evolutionary changes from the features of ancient fish. They have a bony skeleton, are generally laterally flattened, have five pairs of gills protected by an operculum, and a mouth at or near the tip of the snout. The dermis is covered with overlappingscales. Bony fish have a swim bladder which helps them maintain a constant depth in the water column, but not a cloaca. They mostly spawn a large number of small eggs with little yolk which they broadcast into the water column.

Butterfly Fish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Skeleton of a butterfly fish showing the vertebral column and fin rays.

Cartilaginous Fish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Cartilaginous fish produce a small number of large, yolky eggs. Some species are ovoviviparous and the young develop internally but others are oviparous and the larvae develop externally in egg cases.

Sharks and rays are Basal Fish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Sharks and rays are basal fish with numerous primitive anatomical features similar to those of ancient fish, including skeletons composed of cartilage. Their bodies tend to be dorso-ventrally flattened, they usually have five pairs of gill slits and a large mouth set on the underside of the head. The dermis is covered with separate dermal placoid scales. They have a cloaca into which the urinary and genital passages open, but not a swim bladder. 

The Fish heart has two Chambers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

The heart has two chambers and pumps the blood through the respiratory surfaces of the gills and on round the body in a single circulatory loop.The eyes are adapted for seeing underwater and have only local vision. There is an inner ear but no external or middle ear. Low frequency vibrations are detected by the lateral line system of sense organs that run along the length of the sides of fish, and these respond to nearby movements and to changes in water pressure.

Australian Cricketer Phil Hughes Dies at 25 From Head Injury.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-27/australian-test-cricketer-phillip-hughes-dies-from-head-injury.html

Phillip Hughes of Australia looks on during Day Five of the First Test between Pakistan and Australia at Dubai International Stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, on Oct. 26, 2014.

Australian cricketer Phillip Hughes has died after he was hit by a ball while batting, becoming one of only a handful of professional players to suffer a fatal head injury on the field within the last century. He was 25.

He died in Sydney’s St. Vincent’s Hospital, where he had been placed in an induced coma following surgery to relieve compression on the brain, Tony Grabs, a surgeon at the hospital, said at a press conference today.

Singapore Civil Servants Win or Lose Bonuses on the Economy.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-27/singapore-civil-servants-win-or-lose-bonuses-on-state-of-economy.html

In Singapore, civil-servant bonuses rise and fall with the economy’s performance, and the latest payout shows the island’s growth is cooling.

The government declared a year-end bonus this week equal to 0.8 of a month’s salary for civil servants, bringing the full-year package to 2.3 months. That compares with 1.1 months at the end of 2013 and 2.5 months for all of last year.

Singapore is bracing for slower global growth with the government predicting Nov. 25 that the island’s expansion will slow to about 3 percent this year from 3.9 percent in 2013 and the recovery beyond will be uneven. The nation, which has some of the highest-paid ministers in the world, links civil servants’ bonuses to how well the $298 billion economy does.

“This is in line with the slower pace of growth this year,” said Irvin Seah, an economist at DBS Group Holdings Ltd. in Singapore who used to work for the city’s trade ministry. “Business activity this year is also slow. I would not be surprised that even private-sector bonuses may be trimmed.”

Civil servants are typically paid a variable incentive twice a year, on top of a fixed one-month bonus. The mid-year payment was skipped in 2009, when the economy contracted during the global recession.

Growth Peg

“Singapore may be one of the few countries that explicitly pegs bonuses to growth,” said Vishnu Varathan, an economist in Singapore at Mizuho Bank Ltd. “That means it’s got less scope for bouts of populist adjustments, which tend to happen with electoral cycles.”

The government said this week the nation’s 2015 growth outlook “remains modest,” with a tight labor market domestically restraining construction, retail and food services. It also cited the risk that the euro zone economy will fall into a deflationary spiral, the possibility of an unexpected tightening of U.S. monetary conditions and the threat from geopolitical tensions.

With price pressures easing, scope is growing for the central bank to ease monetary policy at its next decision in April. Core inflation eased to 1.7 percent in October, falling below 2 percent for a second straight month, and the odds of a shift in stance will rise if the gauge slips to 1.5 percent or below, said Chua Hak Bin, an economist at Bank of America Merrill Lynch in Singapore.

Services Slow

The smaller government bonuses this year could also mirror a weakening of pay increases among Singapore companies, said Wai Ho Leong, a Singapore-based economist at Barclays Plc. The “property cycle is slower, tourist arrivals are also slower, so that could be why many firms in the services industries may see slower levels of activity and slow wage growth this year,” he said.

Fewer than half of the 1,030 financial services professionals surveyed by eFinancialCareers in September and October in Singapore and Hong Kong expect a higher bonus this year, according to the Dice Holdings Inc. company’s website.

Singapore’s government has said its high ministerial salaries prevent corruption and help attract and retain talent. The island’s parliament in 2012 agreed to cut the prime minister’s annual income by 36 percent to S$2.2 million ($1.7 million) and that of new ministers to about S$1.1 million, down from S$1.58 million.

Singapore Foreign Minister Affairs and Minister for Law K. Shanmugam, center, Minister for Trade and Industry Lim Hng Kiang, right, and Defence Minister Ng Eng Hen, left, attend a meeting with Australian counterpart at the foreign ministry building in Singapore on Aug. 22, 2014. Singapore’s ministers are among the world’s highest paid and the government has said their salaries prevent corruption and help attract and retain talent.

The Top Nutrition Mistake New Moms Make.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/new-mom-diet-tips

According to the author of What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Most women's priorities after having a baby are pretty predictable: Nurture and care for their little bundle of joy, get as much sleep as they can, and get back to their pre-pregnancy weight ASAP. Putting that last item on your to-do list, however, is one of the biggest mistakes that new moms make, says Heidi Murkoff, author of What to Expect When You're Expecting.

Recently, Murkoff released a new edition of What to Expect the First Year (which hasn't been updated in 11 years!). And this time around, nutrition—both for baby and mom—was a big focus.

"Eating well has so many benefits for busy new moms," says Murkoff, who notes that getting the right nutrients gives mothers the stamina they need to function. "Energy depends on a steady flow of fuel." But skipping meals or skimping on nutrients in an attempt to lose pregnancy weight is a fast route to exhaustion. 

What's more, trying to lose weight too quickly could backfire: "Good nutrition speeds recovery, and when part of an overall healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, it can help you lose the baby weight at a steady rate," says Murkoff.

9 Genius Tips for Making the Most of Thanksgiving Leftovers.(1)

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/what-to-do-with-thanksgiving-leftovers

65 percent of Americans look forward to it as much as they do the main feast.

Sure, dinner may be the main event on Thanskgiving. But everyone knows that leftovers are just as delicious—and part of the holiday's allure. Whether you want to reimagine yours or help use them to feed someone else, we've got tons of leftover ideas you probably haven't considered before.

1. Make a Turkey Bahn Mi sandwich.
Love Your Leftovers author Nick Evans shakes up turkey on white with this recipe:

1 cup shredded turkey, warmed
Dash of soy sauce
Pinch of brown sugar
Spicy mayo
Toasted baguette
Any crunchy veggies you have, shredded

Combine the first three ingredients. Spread mayo on baguette; add meat and veggies to bread.

The One Change That Guarantees a Healthier Diet.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/nutrition/cooking-at-home

No fancy tricks required.

To come to this conclusion, researchers looked to data from the 2007-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey from more than 9,000 participants aged 20 and older. Participants recorded total calories, grams of fat, sugar and carbohydrates per day, as well as how much fast food and frozen meals they ate. Turns out, the more often participants cooked at home, the fewer calories, grams of fat, and grams of sugar they consumed. To compare: The adults who cooked dinner no more than once a week consumed an average of 2,301 total calories, 84 grams of fat, and 135 grams of sugar per day—whereas those who cooked dinner six to seven times a week consumed 2,164 calories, 81 grams of fat, and 119 grams of sugar on an average day.

The main skeletal element is the Vertebral Column.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

The main skeletal element is the vertebral column, composed of articulating vertebrae which are lightweight yet strong. The ribs attach to the spine and there are nolimbs or limb girdles. The main external features of the fish, the fins, are composed of either bony or soft spines called rays, which with the exception of the caudal fins, have no direct connection with the spine. They are supported by the muscles which compose the main part of the trunk.

Organs of a Fish.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Fish Anatomy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Skeleton of a butterfly fishshowing the vertebral column and fin raysOrgans of a fish
The body of a fish is divided into a head, trunk and tail, although the divisions between the three are not always externally visible. The skeleton, which forms the support structure inside the fish, is either made of cartilage, in cartilaginous fish, or bone in bony fish.

Mouse Skull.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Sturgeon and the Coelacanth.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

However, a few vertebrates, such as the sturgeon and the coelacanth retain the notochord into adulthood.Jawed vertebrates are typified by paired appendages, fins or legs, which may be secondarily lost. The limbs of vertebrates are considered to be homologous because the same underlying skeletal structure was inherited from their last common ancestor. This is one of the arguments put forward by Charles Darwin to support his theory of evolution.

The mouth is found at the anterior end of the Animal.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

The mouth is found at the anterior end of the animal, and the anus at the base of the tail.The defining characteristic of a vertebrate is the vertebral column, formed in the development of the segmented series of vertebrae. In most vertebrates the notochord becomes the nucleus pulposus of the intervertebral discs.

The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral Column.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

The spinal cord is protected by the vertebral column and is above the notochord and the gastrointestinal tract is below it.Nervous tissue is derived from the ectoderm, connective tissues are derived from mesoderm, and gut is derived from the endoderm. At the posterior end is a tail which continues the spinal cord and vertebrae but not the gut.

All vertebrates have a similar basic body Plan.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

 All vertebrates have a similar basic body plan and at some point in their lives, (mostly in the embryonic stage), share the major chordate characteristics; a stiffening rod, the notochord; a dorsal hollow tube of nervous material, the neural tube;pharyngeal slits; and a tail posterior to the Anus.

Vertebrate Anatomy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

                                                                      The three germ Layers.

Neurons can be connected together in Ganglia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anatomy

Neurons can be connected together in ganglia.In higher animals, specialized receptors are the basis of sense organs and there is a central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) and a peripheral nervous system. The latter consists of sensory nerves that transmit information from sense organs and motor nerves that influence target organs.The peripheral nervous system is divided into the somatic nervous system which conveys sensation and controls voluntary muscle, and the autonomic nervous system which involuntarily controls smooth muscle, certain glands and internal organs, including the stomach.

It’s Most Wonderful Time of Year for Retail Job Seekers.

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2014-11-26/it-s-most-wonderful-time-of-year-for-retail-job-seekers.html

Wanda Tucker was hired on the spot for a part-time job with Gap Inc.’s Banana Republic chain earlier this month after searching for a full-time position since April.

“I thought I was just going in for an interview,” said Tucker, 53, of Rex, Georgia, who’d finished five years of Army Reserves postings before entering the workforce. “It has been a blessing to have some money coming into the household.”

Workers are facing the most favorable job market for seasonal work since the 18-month recession that started in December 2007, getting hired with fewer interviews and in some cases with higher pay.

About 821,000 workers will be hired for retail seasonal jobs this year, up 11 percent from a year ago and the highest since records were started in 1990, estimates Michael Niemira, former director of research for the International Council of Shopping Centers Inc. and now founder of economic forecasting firm The Retail Economist LLC in Tucson, Arizona.

Big retailers Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp., Kohl’s Corp., J.C. Penney Co. and Amazon.com Inc. will hire 304,000 compared with 283,000 last year, he said. The estimate doesn’t include United Parcel Service Inc. in Atlanta, which has said it will add as many as 95,000 temporary workers, and caterers, who are expecting an increase in holiday parties.

“I don’t want to say there is pressure on wages but there is an alignment of wages with demand,” said Jack Kleinhenz, chief economist with the National Retail Federation in Washington, who is estimating as many as 800,000 workers will be added. “There is some tightening” in the job market.

Wage Increase

The unemployment rate for the retail and wholesale trade sector fell to 5.1 percent in October, the lowest since early 2008 in the initial months of the recession, Labor Department figures show. Wages and salaries for retail workers rose 2.5 percent in the third quarter from the same period in 2013, the biggest increase in more than four years, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics data.

Seasonal job seekers using the website Snagajob.com are finding work in an average of 28 days this year compared with 45 days last year, company Chief Executive Officer Peter Harrison said. The Richmond, Virginia-based online matching service focuses on part-time and hourly positions.

Consumer Confidence

Consumer confidence rose in November to the highest level in seven years, according to the Thomson Reuters/University of Michigan preliminary sentiment index, reported Nov. 14. A separate report by the Conference Board yesterday showed an unexpected decline from October, which was a seven-year high, while a gauge of consumers’ willingness to buy appliances rose to its highest level since at least 2010 and purchase intentions for televisions were at a two-year high.

UPS Deliveries

UPS expects to deliver 585 million packages in December, or the equivalent of 1.9 packages for every person in the country. The company peaked at 31 million packages delivered in a single day last holiday season; this year it expects six days to surpass that single-day figure.

 I am sure on Friday the sales are going to be just crazy.

Employees assist shoppers at a Wal-Mart store in Los Angeles.