The China Connection

My mystery novel, The China Connection is a fictional account of how the Chinese government might have been responsible for the United States’ opioid drug crisis. Turns out I was right. In the New York Times Sunday Magazine of October 20, 2019, there is an article entitled “The China Connection: One D.E.A. Agent Cracked a Global Fentanyl Ring.”
Sometimes fiction may be ahead of reality.

Making Flying Easier

The summer vacation season is almost upon us. Soon, many of us will be off to the seashore or the mountains. Or maybe just to see grandmom. Wherever we are going, many of us will choose to fly there. Maybe it’s because of the distance involved or maybe you just prefer flying to sitting in a cramped car with the kids and luggage.
But as we all know, flying today comes  with its.own perils. Who hasn’t found themselves impatiently crawling along in an interminable security line only to find out you just missed your flight by a millimeter?
Well, today, you are in luck. The New York Times recently published an article on how you can make flying easier. Notice I said easier not easy
Just copy the following link to your browser.

https://www.nytimes.com/guides/travel/how-to-fly?utm_source=sharetools&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=website&emc=eta1

The Chinese and the drug called "spice"

Here is an interesting article from today's New York Times that discusses the connection between the Chinese and a very powerful and dangerous new drug that is available in the United States and which has caused hundreds of deaths.http://www.nytimes.com/2015/05/29/us/arrest-opens-window-on-chinas-role-in-designer-drug-market.html?_r=0

The reason I am referencing the article is because the new story has many parallels in my new mystery/thriller, "Dead in the Water." Take a look at my book (available on Amazon for Kindle for only $2.99) and you will see why my book looks like it was taken directly from today's headlineshttp://www.amazon.com/Dead-Water-J-Basinski/dp/1503270726/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1432925033&sr=8-6&keywords=dead+in+the+water.

Can You Lose Weight Just by Exercise?

Can you lose weight just by exercise?  Well, the answer appears to be, it depends.
In an article in the Sunday New York Times Magazine, "The Appetite Workout," Gretchen Reynolds reports on a study conducted by researchers at the University of Wyoming. The study was based upon a group of women who were asked to run or walk on one day and then rest on the next day.

The researchers found that those who ran did not consume as many calories as those who walked.  According to the article, the women who ran at a brisk pace consumed fewer calories because of certain hormones in the body that told them when they had eaten enough food.  On the other hand, those who walked, were more hungry because of an increase in the body of a hormone called ghrelin. Ghrelin was also increased in those who ran but apparently that increase was offset by the other hormones.

So what does this mean for you and me?  If you are seeking to lose weight, more strenuous and longer exercise will probably be probably be your best bet.  This may seem rather obvious, but many people think that walking alone may bring about weight loss and this study suggests that this may not be so. Now walking undoubtedly has many other health benefits, but weight loss may not be one of them.

For the complete article, see www.nytimes.com.

Boomers Beware: Reverse Mortgages Can Be a Disaster

We have all seen the ads on television where celebrity spokesmen tout the benefits of reverse mortgages for those individuals who are 62 or older and own their homes. These mortgages are supposedly free money as they allow the owner to borrow against the value of their home and not have to pay the money back until they move or die. The spokesmen tell us that the money can be used for vacations and other fun things.  What they do not tell the viewer is that there are fees associated with those mortgages which if not paid can lead to eviction.

The New York Times today reports that the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau is preparing new rules to help regulate those mortgages.  According to the Times, there are more than 750,000 such loans outstanding.  See "Loan Lifeline for Retirees is Taking Toll," www.nytimes.com.

If you have a reverse mortgage now or are considering obtaining one, take a look at this article as soon as possible. And remember, "there is no such thing as a free lunch."
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