Movie Review—Widows

Theatrical release poster

by Peter J. O'Connell  

Widows. Released: Nov. 2018. Runtime: 129 mins. MPAA Rating: R for violence, language throughout, and some sexual content/nudity.

Widows, directed and co-written by Britain's Steve McQueen, has a scope and scale that few crime films since Michael Mann's classic Heat (1995) have had. As Widows unspools the planning and execution of an elaborate heist, it weaves in issues of sexuality, gender roles, race relations, political change, and police behavior.

The movie begins in Chicago when a spectacular robbery is spectacularly botched, and Harry Rawlings (Liam Neeson), a renowned thief, is reported killed, alongside his partners Carlos (Manuel Garcia-Rulfo), Florek (Jon Bernthal), and Jimmy (Coburn Goss). The crooks' widows are, respectively: Veronica (Viola Davis), a teachers' union official; Linda (Michelle Rodriguez), a clothing store owner; Alice (Elizabeth Debicki), a “bimbo”; and Amanda (Carrie Coon), mother of a newborn baby.

The women are, in varying degrees, emotionally bereft—particularly Veronica, as revealed in her tender flashbacks to her life with Harry—but they are also in tough financial straits because of debts. The most pressing debt is $2 million belonging to crime boss Jamal Manning (Brian Tyeree Henry), lost in the botched robbery. Manning, an African-American, planned to use the money to finance his campaign for Chicago alderman against Jack Mulligan (Colin Farrell), son of retiring white incumbent Tom Mulligan (Robert Duvall).

Manning wants the widows to make up his lost money—and fast. He makes his wishes manifest by the actions of his brother, Jatemme (Daniel Kaluuya), who carries out various beatings and killings. Jatemme, for example, brutalizes a man in a wheelchair—perhaps a nod to a notorious scene in a 1940s film noir in which Richard Widmark's character shoves an old lady down a flight of stairs, while he laughs.  

Veronica discovers a notebook of Harry's with a detailed plan for a heist worth $5 million. She recruits Linda and Alice to assist her, first in finding out what the actual location of the $5 million is and then in carrying out the plan. Because the Mannings have killed one potential driver, Veronica gets Belle (Cynthia Erivo), Linda's babysitter, to act as their driver.

The heist that the widows will carry out is not a “caper” a la Ocean's Eight, for example, carried out basically for fun. The widows are desperate, and their survival is at stake. But the heist is also an exercise in female empowerment. As Veronica tells her gang: “Now the best thing we have going for us is being who we are.” When Alice asks why, Veronica replies: “Because no one thinks we have the balls to pull this off.”

While the women plot, the Mulligans, father and son, argue. In high dyspeptic dudgeon, Tom denounces his son for being too accepting of the changes in Chicago that are giving power to minorities and migrants over the old guard. And Sgt. Fuller (Michael Harney), a corrupt cop, helps carry out a conspiracy. 

Eventually, the widows' plot goes into operation, with much violence and many surprises for the characters—and the audience. But McQueen handles the twists and turns of the plot adroitly—both the tropes of crime films, such as car chases and gunplay, and such complex topics as sexism, police brutality, and interracial marriage (Veronica and Harry). 

The performances are notable. Davis is both strong and sensitive. Kaluuya does a 180-degree turn from his doe-eyed nice guy in Get Out (2017). Duvall is the way we like to see him—in high dyspeptic dudgeon. And Debicki steals many scenes while in the plot to steal much money. See Widows. The women in it have . . . well, Veronica can tell you!

Photographer Peter Simon Dies at 71

While checking some quotes in my post yesterday about scolloping on Martha's Vineyard I learned that Peter Simon a Vineyard based photographer and Carley Simon's little brother died suddenly.
We feel fortunate that we have several pieces of Peter's work hanging on the walls of our home.
RIP Peter.

Peter Simon, the iconic Martha’s Vineyard photographer whose pictures of people both famous and ordinary, political protests, rock concerts and Island landscapes spanned more than half a century, died Sunday night at the Martha’s Vineyard Hospital.

He was 71 and had been battling lung cancer for some time.

Beginning in the 1960s and running until the time of his death, his prolific photographic career included rock and roll portraits, the civil rights era, hippie heyday, sports, Jamaica and its reggae stars. He had published numerous books, including On the Vineyard I, II and III, and a yearly calendar. His last book, To Everything There is a Season, was published in 2017 and was a retrospective of his life’s work with more than 700 photographs.

He was a reggae music aficionado and for many years hosted a weekly radio show on WMVY. He produced his own record labels, including the Vineyard Sound volumes that featured compilations of well-known singer-songwriters such as Richie Havens, Jonathan Edwards, Maynard Silva, Johnny Hoy, Susan Tedeschi and his sister Carly Simon.

A longtime year-round resident of Chilmark, Peter was a familiar and ubiquitous presence on the Island, where he would wander about with his camera, often barefoot in all but the coldest months of the year. Lucy Vincent Beach was a favorite summer haunt. Click here to continue reading.

Dragging for Gold, Bay Scallopers Navigate Seasonal Ebb and Flow

Here is an article from the Martha's Vineyard Gazette that brings good insight into what goes into getting those delicious scallops on our plates--TG.

It’s November, and that means bay scallop season has arrived on the Vineyard. But by most accounts, it will be an average to poor year for scalloping, both up Island and down.

“It’s been a really slow year,” said Edgartown fisherman Arno Ewing as he steered his skiff into Cape Pogue Pond Monday morning. “But that’s after three really good years in a row. So it’s what you can expect.”

Commercial and recreational scalloping is now open in every Island town. Scalloping is an important winter industry for independent Vineyard fishermen who rely on the Island’s historically rich saltwater ponds to drag or dipnet for the high-demand shellfish crop. But in recent years, pollution and coastal development has threatened the notoriously fickle bivalves, and early reports from Island towns have painted a grim outlook for the 2018-2019 season.

“It’s not a banner year, by any means,” Edgartown shellfish constable Paul Bagnall said this week. “We’re cooking along with 25 to 30 limits a day, which isn’t too bad. But last year we were doing around 45 to 50. It was regionally a good scallop year, and this year, well, it’s looking to be regionally a not so good scallop year.”

Last year, Edgartown issued 100 commercial scalloping licenses. This year, the town has not yet reached 80. Still, Mr. Bagnall said he feels fortunate that there are any scallops at all in Cape Pogue Pond, Edgartown harbor, Katama Bay and Sengekontacket Pond.

“We’re lucky we have them, we just don’t have a lot of them,” Mr. Bagnall said. “There’s never any easy scalloping. There’s just good scalloping, and bad scalloping, and I would put this in the mediocre quality.”

Click here to continue reading.

Don't fall for this computer scam!

Beware message like the one below are being received by people mailing. Do not send any money, Bitcoin or anything. I received three identical messages in one day.

Hello!

I have bad news for you.
19/07/2018 - on this day I hacked your operating system and got full access to your account 

It is useless to change the password, my malware intercepts it every time.

How it was:
In the software of the router to which you were connected that day, there was a vulnerability.
I first hacked this router and placed my malicious code on it.
When you entered in the Internet, my trojan was installed on the operating system of your device.

After that, I made a full dump of your disk (I have all your address book, history of viewing sites, all files, phone numbers and addresses of all your contacts).

A month ago, I wanted to lock your device and ask for a small amount of money to unlock.
But I looked at the sites that you regularly visit, and came to the big delight of your favorite resources.
I'm talking about sites for adults.

I want to say - you are a big, big pervert. You have unbridled fantasy!!!

After that, an idea came to my mind.
I made a screenshot of the intimate website where you have fun (you know what it is about, right?).
After that, I made a screenshot of your joys (using the camera of your device) and joined all together.
It turned out beautifully, do not doubt.

I am strongly belive that you would not like to show these pictures to your relatives, friends or colleagues.
I think $706 is a very small amount for my silence.
Besides, I spent a lot of time on you!

I accept money only in Bitcoins.
My BTC wallet: 1H9bS7Zb6LEANLkM8yiF8EsoGEtMEeLFvC

You do not know how to replenish a Bitcoin wallet?
In any search engine write "how to send money to btc wallet".
It's easier than send money to a credit card!

For payment you have a little more than two days (exactly 50 hours).
Do not worry, the timer will start at the moment when you open this letter. Yes, yes .. it has already started!

After payment, my virus and dirty photos with you self-destruct automatically.
Narrative, if I do not receive the specified amount from you, then your device will be blocked, and all your contacts will receive a photos with your "joys".

I want you to be prudent.
- Do not try to find and destroy my virus! (All your data is already uploaded to a remote server)
- Do not try to contact me (this is not feasible, I sent you an email from your account)
- Various security services will not help you; formatting a disk or destroying a device will not help either, since your data is already on a remote server.

P.S. I guarantee you that I will not disturb you again after payment, as you are not my single victim.
This is a hacker code of honor.

From now on, I advise you to use good antiviruses and update them regularly (several times a day)!

Don't be mad at me, everyone has their own work.
Farewell.

Movie Review: Overlord

   

by Peter J. O'Connell  

Overlord. Released Nov. 2018. Runtime: 109 mins. MPAA Rating: R for strong bloody violence, disturbing images, language, and brief sexual content.

War is a horrible thing, and Overlord, directed by Julius Avery, is a horror film set in World War II, specifically the night before and the day of D-Day. The film begins with a fast-paced, very noisy, quite spectacular sequence of a bombing raid by Allied planes on German positions on the French coast. The planes draw fierce anti-aircraft fire. The sequence is filmed in a garish palette with effects done by pre-computer methods. It's as if the “pictures” in this motion picture are combat posters from the WWII era itself. 

This approach to effects is quite (wait for it) effective in plunging us into the story. “Plunge” is the operatic word, for one of the aims of the raid is to drop a squad of paratroopers near a French town where a radio transmitter important to the Germans is located in the tower of an old church. The squad's mission: Destroy the transmitter.

In classic WWII movie style, the squad features a variety of types: the leader, Cpl. Ford (Wyatt Russell) is a hard-bitten warrior totally focused on the given mission; Boyce (Javon Adepo) is a brave African-American with a sensitive side; Tibbett (John Magaro) is a sniper proud of his shooting skills; Chase (Iain De Caestecker) is a somewhat nervous combat photographer; Rosenfeld (Dominic Applewhite) is a Jewish soldier. Dawson (Jacob Anderson) is a squad member who gets killed early on in a minefield. 

After Dawson's death, the team continues onward, enacting various tropes of World War II movies, but doing so in a style somewhat reminiscent of Robert Aldrich's The Dirty Dozen (1967) and Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds (2009). The G.I.s encounter Chloe (Mathilde Ollivier), a beauteous young Frenchwoman, who takes them into the village where the church with the radio tower is located. The team members are in Chloe's house when a Nazi patrol performs a routine inspection, and the Americans have to hide. But when a Nazi officer, Capt. Wafner (Pilou Asbaek), attempts to rape Chloe, Boyce attacks him, forcing the other G.I.s to take Wafner prisoner. 

Boyce makes his way into the Nazi base, the church, where he learns that Mengele-type doctors are carrying out various experiments in a basement lab, experiments involving a mysterious liquid compound discovered under the church. Guess what? The liquid brings corpses back to life as zombies, with inhuman strength, a resistance to gunfire, and a very, very hostile attitude. As Wafner says: “A thousand-year Reich needs thousand-year soldiers.” 

Overlord now transforms from a war picture to a horror movie, with lots of gore and yucky deformations of faces and figures. (These effects are achieved by brilliant use of makeup rather than by computers.) Zombies destroy and are destroyed (with difficulty), and live persons, both Germans and G.I.s, injected with the liquid turn monstrous. But does the transmitter get destroyed?

Drop in on your multiplex to find out. This hybrid of war and horror is quite exciting and quite entertaining (despite—because of?—the gore and yuck), and it is an imaginative success. A salute to director Avery and his writers and to Javon Adepo, Pilou Asbaek, and Mathilde Ollivier—all of whom you probably will be seeing a lot of in the future!

“Footnotes” to the film: Operation Overlord was the name given to the D-Day invasion. There were, however, no bombing raids on German positions the night before. The Allied commanders would not have wanted to alert the Germans to the possibility of impending landings by making such attacks. Some paratroopers were dropped, however. Also, Private Boyce is African-American, but whites and blacks did not serve together in the same units in World War II. 

Oh no our beloved Rubber Match is closing

While news of stores closing is anything but rare these days I was surprised and sadden to learn that the odd little store on Whalley Avenue, Rubber Match would be closing.  The signs on the building
now promote Futons but history shows that it stated out as a "head shop" and a place to buy concert tickets way before the age of Ticketmaster. Later years the store was known for its large selection of waterbeds and when that rage ended Futons became the main products mostly catering to college kids The Rubber Match is owned  by George Zito who if you me him once you'll remember him forever.
Thank you George!

Here is a great article by Jake Dressler, posted in the New Haven Independent.

With a “heavy heart” Zito announced announced in a Facebook video that he is holding a going-out-of-business sale.

His futon store has served New Haveners for 45 years. Its rich history of rock and roll and outlandish advertising stunts made his operation an unforgettable part of the city’s business landscape.

But the business eventually fell victim to, among other forces, the internet.

Zito was 23-years-old when he opened Rubber Match as a head shop, originally on Edgewood Avenue. After a brief stay on Edgewood, he purchased the iconic Rubber Match building on Whalley Avenue at the corner of Sperry, distinguished by a glass encased patio and Toad’s Place advertisements plastered on the walls. Futons became a staple of the business.

Zito built his local futon empire from the ground up. Following in the footsteps of California, he zeroed in on elusive pop cultural trends like the waterbed craze that tore through the 1980s. At the time, one in every four beds sold was a waterbed, he recalled.

His early marketing tactics are reminiscent of every ‘80s salesman cliché you’ve ever seen. In a picture from a cross promotional ad with A-1 Toyota, Zito is crouched beside a 1980 Camry pointing to its front wheels, which are propped on one of his waterbeds. In the same year, he had waterbeds banned from participating in New Haven’s bed race after one of his burst open during the competition. (He never intended to win that race; he entered for the marketing buzz.)

His “George-O-Pedic” approved mattresses might sound eerily familiar to another big personality in the furniture game: Bob Lapidus, founder of Bob’s Stores. Lapidus had a 20-year head start on Zito with a less psychedelic business model. Zito was too invested in his community to go corporate.

Zito is a true New Havener at heart with a passion for his city that has sometimes been expressed in various forms of vigilantism. He told me a story of how he almost pulled his “biscuit” (gun) on a bike thief who stole a bike from one of his customers. Another time he saved a young woman from being attacked by a gang of bullies and offered her refuge in his store. Click here to continue reading.

Movie Review—Halloween

Theatrical release poster

by Peter J. O'Connell       

Halloween. Released: Oct. 2018. Runtime: 106 mins. MPAA Rating: R for horror violence and bloody images, language, brief drug use and nudity. 

Sequels seldom equal the quality of the original film in a franchise. This year's Halloween, directed and co-written by David Gordon Green, comes close to being an exception to that rule. Appearing 40 years after John Carpenter's iconic original—which introduced many of the tropes used by horror films since and also made a star of Jamie Lee Curtis, who became known as the “scream queen”--Green's film manages to seem both new and (dis)comfortingly familiar. 

That is because Green has dumped all plot developments from the nine sequels between 1978 and this year and made the current film a direct sequel to the original. Laurie Strode, Curtis' teenaged babysitter character then, and Michael Myers (Nick Castle), then and now the relentless, masked, silent, serial killer, once more are in conflict, but 40 years older.

The film begins with two journalists, Dana and Aaron (Rhian Rees and Jefferson Hall), seeking to develop a podcast about Michael and his crimes of 40 years ago. In a visually striking scene at the sanitarium where Michel has been held, they attempt to get the killer to speak before he is transferred to a maximum security prison. 

Dana and Aaron are unsuccessful in getting Michael to speak, so they then visit Laurie to interview her. Laurie reluctantly agrees to talk to them (for $3,000). She explains that she has been dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder for four decades as a result of her experiences with Michael. Paranoia about his possible return to stalk her has led her to acquire guns and learn marksmanship and martial arts and to equip her house with all kinds of security features and surveillance technology.  

Laurie's PTSD also led to the failure of her two marriages and her loss of custody of her daughter, Karen (Judy Greer). Laurie now has a loving but somewhat iffy relationship with Karen and seeks to be very protective of Karen's daughter, Allyson (Andi Matichak), who also loves Laurie but resents her “hovering.” 

When Dana and Aaron ask Laurie to meet with Michael in a final attempt to get him to speak, she kicks them out of the house. She then gives the $3,000 to Allyson, but has a panic attack. Allyson seeks to comfort her. In the meantime, cause for terror beyond panic takes place as Michael escapes from the transport taking him to the maximum security prison, killing several people in the process. Michael's psychiatrist, Dr. Sartain (Haluk Bilginer), is injured in the incident. Sheriff Frank Hawkins (Will Patton) sets out on Michael's trail. 

The next day is Halloween, and Michael starts the day off in a brilliantly brutal scene in which he kills Dana and Aaron in a gas station bathroom and recovers his mask, which the two podcasters had obtained. Michael is now ready for a repeat of his previous killing spree.

While costumed trick-or-treaters roam the town streets Halloween night, the masked Michael uses hands, feet, hammer, knife, and a spiked fence to kill or attempt to kill several anonymous residents and Vicky (Virginia Gardner), Allyson's best friend; Julian (Jibrail Nantambu), a young boy babysat by Vicky; Oscar (Drew Scheid), a friend of Allyson's; Dr. Sartain; Ray (Toby Huss), Allyson's father; Karen; and, of course, Laurie. Sheriff Hawkins meets his fate from a different source than Michael. Events reach a ferocious climax at Laurie's house, whose safe room turns quite unsafe for several of the characters. And some of the characters learn the truth that the fact that you're paranoid doesn't mean someone isn't after you. 

Green's Halloween, despite its strengths, falls short of the almost “spiritually spooky” quality of Carpenter's original. It is essentially just a slasher flick, though a superior one. Curtis' performance as she transforms from PTSD sufferer to woman warrior is totally convincing. The rest of the cast is adequate or better, though Haluk Bilginer overacts compared with Donald Pleasance as the shrink in the original. Also, Andi Matichak looks too old for her part. But Halloween definitely will provide entertaining, though gory, excitement and suspense no matter what time of year. 

Movie Review—Hunter Killer

Hunter Killer

by Peter J. O'Connell

Hunter Killer. Released: Oct. 2018. Runtime: 122 mins. MPAA Rating: R for violence and some language.

The eponymous entity of Hunter Killer, directed by Donovan Marsh, is a type of submarine, in this case the USS Arkansas. The Arkansas, commanded by Capt. Joe Glass (Gerard Butler), is dispatched to the Russian Arctic to investigate the loss of another submarine, the Tampa Bay, while it was shadowing a Russian sub. At the same time, a team of Navy SEALs, under the command of Lt. Bill Beaman (Toby Stephens), is sent to observe what is going on at a strategic Russian base in the same region. 

The discoveries made by Glass under the sea and by Beaman on the mainland reveal developments that threaten to plunge the world into war. The Arkansas finds the remains of the Tampa Bay and also the Russian sub that torpedoed it, now itself a hulk damaged in a manner that suggests internal sabotage rather than external attack. 

In the course of making these discoveries, the Arkansas is attacked by yet another Russian sub but is able to destroy it and rescue survivors from the wreck, including Capt. Sergei Andropov (Michael Nykvist). In the meantime, the SEALs witness Russian Defense Minister Dmitri Durov (Mikhail Goreony) conducting a coup and taking Russia's President Zakarin (Alexander Diachenko) prisoner. The Americans quickly realize that Durov intends to trigger a war. 

At this point, the film starts cutting back and forth between Washington and the Arctic, both mainland and undersea. In Washington officials argue as to what response to make to Durov's coup and capture of Zakarin. Admiral Charles Donnegan (Gary Oldman), the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is more warlike in his advice to the U.S. President (Caroline Goodall) than is Rear Admiral John Fisk (Common) or National Security Agency analyst Joyce Norquist (Linda Cardellini). 

It's finally decided to have Beaman's team rescue Zakarin and take him to the Arkansas. For that to happen, Glass must persuade Andropov to help by providing knowledge of the minefield that is in the approaches to the Russian base. Tension mounts on land and sea, America and the Arctic as the struggle to make all parts of the plan work takes place. While that struggle goes on, Russian and American fleets start to prepare for battle, and individuals must choose amid conflicting loyalties. 

Hunter Killer is consistently exciting, though seldom gripping, despite its competent direction and performances. It may be that just too many movies have made world peace depend on the decisions of a few good men in the field, on opposite sides, such as Glass and Andropov, who respect each other and have to decide whether to go by their instincts forged in experience or by the wishes of their superiors. As the John Crowe Ransom poem puts it: “These armageddons weary me much.” Seeing this movie is entertaining enough for two hours, but if it's not playing nearby, don't kill yourself hunting it up. 

“Footnote” to the film: Alexander Diachenko, as Russian President Zakarin, is such a handsome and healthy looking “hunk” that Vladimir Putin barechested on horseback should eat his heart out (if he even has one) with envy. 

Considering cataract surgery? Here's what you should know

(BPT) - Betty White, 65, is no stranger to poor vision. She has worn glasses for much of her life. But recently, her glasses weren't helping. She could no longer enjoy her favorite pastimes: playing piano and gardening.

"My vision began to limit everything I did," White said. She knew she needed to see an ophthalmologist - a physician who specializes in medical and surgical eye care - to find out what was wrong. But she didn't have the money to pay for an exam.

An Internet search turned up EyeCare America, a national public service program that provides access to medical eye exams for underserved older Americans. After completing an online questionnaire, she was matched with an ophthalmologist near her hometown of Beggs, Oklahoma.

Ryan P. Conley, M.D. diagnosed White with cataracts. Cataracts occur as part of the body's natural aging process. Being diagnosed with cataracts does not always mean that surgery is immediately required. In the early stages, cataracts may not change vision significantly and minor changes may be improved with prescription glasses. But as the cataracts continue to mature over time, they may cause vision loss that can interfere with daily life, just like White experienced.

"Dr. Conley was amazing," White said. "He restored my sight. The surgery was pain free and so successful that I still can't get used to not reaching for my eyeglasses. I worked hard all my life on rotating shifts in factories and thank EyeCare America for caring about people like me. I'm now back to playing the piano, gardening and seeing my son and grandson more clearly."

How to determine if it's time for surgery

Nearly 25.7 million Americans over age 40 have cataracts and the number is projected to increase to 45.6 million by 2050. While the only way to remove cataracts is with surgery, the right time to have surgery depends on the individual patient.

Although the prospect of cataract surgery can be intimidating, the procedure itself is the most common elective surgery among Medicare beneficiaries in the United States. Multiple studies have shown that it can improve quality of life, reduce the risk of falling and the risk of car crashes.

To determine if you're ready for cataract surgery, ask yourself these four questions:

* Are your cataracts impacting your daily or occupational activities?

* Are your cataracts affecting your ability to drive safely at night?

* Are your cataracts interfering with the outdoor activities you enjoy?

* Can you manage your cataracts in other ways?

EyeCare America has helped millions

Getting a medical eye exam can be costly, which is why the American Academy of Ophthalmology launched EyeCare America. Since its inception in 1985, the program has helped nearly 2 million people with sight-saving care and resources; and for many, often at no out-of-pocket cost.

See if you qualify

More than 5,000 volunteer ophthalmologists fuel this program's success. The EyeCare America Seniors program provides a comprehensive eye exam and care for up to one year to eligible patients. Those not eligible for the Seniors program will be screened for the Glaucoma program.

EyeCare America serves U.S. citizens or legal residents who do not belong to an HMO.

Seniors program eligibility:

* Be age 65 or older

* Have not seen an ophthalmologist in three or more years

Glaucoma program eligibility:

* Have not had an eye exam in 12 months or more

* Be at increased risk for glaucoma, determined by age, race and family history of glaucoma

For more information about EyeCare America or to see if you or others are qualified to be matched with a volunteer ophthalmologist, visit aao.org/eyecareamerica. EyeCare America is co-sponsored by the Knights Templar Eye Foundation, with additional support from Alcon and Regeneron.

Tips to give your pet a happy, healthy fall

Fall with our four-legged friends

(BPT) - The dog days of summer are over and your furry family member is up and ready to play! It's the time of year when even pets can get excited about the season and all the autumn outdoor activities families may enjoy. It's also a time of year that can come with some hazards and vulnerabilities for our four-legged friends. Here are a few reminders to keep your pet happy and healthy, as the crisp apple-spiced air makes its fall appearance.

Fall is a great time to take advantage of healthy, active play with your pet to encourage and strengthen the human-animal bond. In addition, active play develops healthy movement and cardiovascular endurance for you and your dog, especially when exercise can tend to decline during the colder months and holiday party season. A simple game of fetch offers both! It's a great way to make fetch happen with your dog's favorite Chuckit! launcher and ball. The essence of fetch play satisfies their natural instincts to chase, while encouraging healthy and happy movement.

Speaking of cooler weather and active play, this time of year can certainly put a little more stress on your pet's joints. It's important to make sure your pets stay well hydrated, and are provided with the right nutrition and supplements to ensure their active bodies are performing at their very best. In addition to a healthy diet, a good bed can go a long way to prevent any painful issues down the road. After an active day of play with your pet, a good place to relax and recuperate will help ease stress on their joints. The orthopedic foam beds by SnooZZy provide excellent support, as opposed to a harder floor surface, enabling your pet to bounce back up much quicker and happier, no matter how old they are.

As the sun sets lower on the windowsill, many cats will try to bask in as much warmth and light as the day will allow. Don't be fooled by the declining strength of the sun's rays. No matter what time of year it is, lighter-pigmented cats can be more prone to sunburn and darker coated cats can run the increased risk of heat stress. Prevent sun damage issues by applying a small amount of pet-safe sunscreen on areas like the nose, ears and underbelly that are susceptible to sunburn, and monitor all sunbathing, particularly when the sun is at its strongest - early afternoon until evening. Providing your cat with another comfortable place to lounge, like the Jackson Galaxy Convertible Scratcher, is an excellent way to coax them out of the hot sun. Your cat will enjoy lounging on the scratcher and its various configurations, while enabling them to tap into their natural instincts to scratch when they want to be more engaged and active.

Another hazard to consider is an increase in pet anxiety due to the new noises that may come with the fall season. For pets prone to anxiety caused by noise (leaf blowers, school bus engines, doorbells and trick-or-treaters), consider keeping them occupied with a solo play toy, like the JW Robobone, for engagement and fun. Interactive puzzle toys from JW can help keep dogs occupied and focused, preventing any new seasonal stress they may experience.

Lastly, despite the declining temperatures, fleas and ticks are still present and a threat. Whether you're partaking in a camping trip or just a quick walk to enjoy the fall foliage, make sure your pets are properly guarded from these pesky insects to avoid serious problems like Lyme disease, or any other issues that accompany these unwanted pests.

All in all, the fall season can be an exciting time for you and your pet. Keep your veterinarian's phone number handy, but be sure to enjoy every moment with your furry family member. After all, they are the sweetest part of the holiday season.

Should grandparents get paid for babysitting their grandkids?

Australian newspaper The Courier Mail started an interesting debate by posing this question: Should grandparents get cash for babysitting their grandchildren? NBC’s Dylan Dreyer, Craig Melvin, Jenna Bush Hager and Stephanie Gosk weigh in on the question. heck it out by clicking here.

Breakthrough Alzheimer’s treatment hinges on diabetes drugs: study

There may actually be a benefit to having diabetes.

Taking high-blood-sugar medication could possibly ease the symptoms of Alzheimer’s disease, according to a Mount Sinai study published Thursday in PLOS One online.

“Our data indicate that the medication does reduce the plaques and tangles that are associated with Alzheimer’s,” the study’s senior author, Vahram Haroutunian, tells The Post.

In earlier studies, Mount Sinai researchers determined the brains of people with both Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes had fewer lesions compared with those without diabetes.

In the new study, they found it was likely the medication those diabetes patients took, such as metformin, that protected them from the lesions.

Researchers examined the tissue and brain capillaries of 34 people with Alzheimer’s and type 2 diabetes. They compared them with tissue from 30 brains of people with Alzheimer’s who didn’t have diabetes — plus a control group of 19 brains without Alzheimer’s or diabetes.

Brain tissue from the diabetics had half the markers of Alzheimer’s disease compared with those who didn’t have diabetes.

Scientists believe those markers start to form “years or decades” before symptoms even appear in Alzheimer’s patients, Haroutunian says. It’s the accumulation of the lesions that eventually leads to memory loss. Click here to continue reading.