If you’ve ever wondered how Dalmatians got that coveted spot on the fire truck, you’re about to find out...

Dalmatians are synonymous with firefighting and that tradition dates back more than a century. 

While their role has transitioned into more mascot and companion, they played a vital role in past. In the 1700s, dalmatians were the preferred breed for aristocrats, serving as carriage dogs. Because dalmatians get along swimmingly with horses and form strong bonds, they were used to keep pace, running alongside or closely behind the horses on long carriage rides. In the days of horse-drawn firefighting wagons, dalmatians were well suited for the job. Horses are afraid of fire and were less likely to be spooked or distracted when escorted by one or more of their canine buddies into a chaotic fire zone. 

If you’ve ever heard dalmatians are kept at firehouses because they’re deaf and unaffected by sirens, that’s an old wive’s tale. According to Chris Benoit, president of the Chicagoland Dalmatian Club, there are some hearing issues associated with the breed but it’s their loyalty, gentle disposition and proud history that has earned them a spot at the station or on the truck.

What do pharmacists take when they get sick?

If you’re not sure what to take for what ails you – ask the pharmacist. 

The American Pharmacist Association recently asked 1,000 of them what they take when their sick and here are their favorite fixes for adults:

• For a regular headache, most pharmacists reach for Tylenol. The runner up is Advil.

• For a sinus headache, the winner is Advil Cold and Sinus. It’s non-drowsy, opens ups the sinuses and blocks the pain. The runner up is Sudafed 12 Hour Pressure + Pain.

• For a cold, the pharmacists take Mucinex Cold, Flu & Sore Throat. It’s a powerful potion that targets coughing, congestion and pain. Runner up - Tylenol Cold Multisymptom.

• The go-to for the flu is Micinex D. It helps fight the funk. At night, they like Tylenol Cold Multi-Symptom Nighttime. The runner up is good old NyQuil.

Do you buy “heart healthy” cereal? Why that claim is a moot point...

Some cereal boxes are full of promises – but don’t fall for the hype. 

Consumer Reports looks at a few catch phrases on that box that really don’t mean much:

• Stay full longer: Protein does help accomplish that but you’re better off getting that through Greek yogurt or eggs. Cereals high in protein are often high in sugar too.

• Provides essential vitamins and minerals. Most cereals do. The brands bragging about it tend to have a lot of non-essential junk in there too.

• Heart healthy. The FDA requires a cereal making this claim to be low in saturated fat and cholesterol. But most cereals are, so one without the claim may be just as good for you.

Could you spot counterfeit money?

Counterfeit currency is hard to spot – but you really need to check. 

Some businesses try to pass on the funny money to their customers so they don’t have to deal with it. If you’re caught passing it on, it’s a crime and could wind up being a huge hassle. If anyone ever challenges you on the authenticity of your bill, you’ll need to notify the police. It’s you’re best chance to recover the real deal. The U.S. Secret Service has some counterfeit characteristics to look for:

• The portrait. Compare it to another bill. The face on real currency stands out and fake bills will look more flat.

• The border. The fine lines on a real bill are very clear and sharp. Those details may be a bit blurred on bogus bills.

• The serial number. Genuine numbers are printed in the same ink as the Treasury seal and are evenly spaced. Counterfeit numbers may be a slightly different color or uneven.

• The paper. Real money paper has tiny red and blue fibers embedded in it. Fake cash often has those fibers printed on.

If you’re making a transaction involving significant cash, be sure to do it at a bank. Have the person paying you convert the cash into a check or money order. If you do wind up with counterfeit money, you won’t be reimbursed. You may be able to recover your loss through your homeowner’s policy, without having to pay the usual deductible.

If you plan to do housework or yard work – you need protection.

If you’ll be using a leaf blower, lawnmower or vacuum cleaner any time soon, get some ear plugs. 

The noise from those household helpers can really do a number on your hearing. The National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders says it’s imperative that we wear protective headphones or earplugs when operating household machines. Recreational activities can put you at risk for damage as well. Protect your hearing while riding snowmobiles, target shooting, attending concerts or if you play in a band. 

Looking for a diet you can really live with? Think French.

If you like cheese, you’ll love this diet. 

According to Dr. Will Clower, author of “Eat Chocolate, Lose Weight,” the French have the right idea by enjoying full-fat cheese with just about every meal. He says full fat is easier to metabolize and that chemicals in fat-free foods can actually disrupt the hormones and metabolism which can lead to weight gain.

Chess is high in protein and calcium and helps you to feel full longer. Look for unprocessed cheese and just have a few bites. And of course you’ll want to finish that off with some chocolate. Dr. Clower says the people who lose weight eating chocolate are those who eat it the most consistently. The higher the cocoa content, the more you can eat. Always opt for solid, dark chocolate and try ¼ ounce a day.

Wash it all down with some French Champagne. Two glasses a week can help protect your brain from age-related memory loss.

An apple a day – improves your love life?

There’s something sexy about an apple. 

That’s according to a recent Italian study published in the Archives of Gynecology and Obstetrics. It found that women who ate one or two apples a day reported increased desire and satisfaction. 

It turns out the sex appeal is in the apple skin. Apple peels contain a phytoestrogen that amplifies your own estrogen. The other “forbidden fruit” compounds help to improve blood flow to all the right places.

There’s no escaping germs, especially at work.

As the temperatures drop, cold and flu germs spread like wildfire. 

Charles “Dr. Germ” Gerba recently revealed the results of his study looking at where it all starts – in the office. One sick employee can spread viral germs to 60% of fellow workers within just four hours. The most contaminated areas are the kitchen and coffee-break area. They’re worse than the restrooms because most people wash their hands before leaving the bathroom which is not the case before and after they’ve touched the communal coffee pot, refrigerator or microwave. 

If you’d like to get a jump on preventing flu season germs from brewing in your office, put a bottle of hand sanitizer near the coffee pot where your coworkers will see and use it. It can reduce the spread of virus by 99%.

Is there any truth to the saying “happy wife, happy life?”

Happy wife, happy life. It turns out there could be something to that. 

A recent study by Rutgers University found that a happily married woman has a significant impact on marital success, regardless of how he feels about the marriage. Not surprisingly, the study also determined that an unhappy wife often means trouble. That marriage is more likely to be fragile or end badly.

While it’s important that both husband and wife are happy in marriage, the results of the research suggests that unhappy husbands are more likely to harbor unhappiness, avoid the topic or ride things out, while unhappy wives tend to be more confrontational and willing to share the unhappiness. Generally speaking, a happy wife tends to offer more emotional support to the husband and children which ups the odds of happily ever after. 

Have you checked your iTunes lately? How U2 got there and how to get them off...

If you’ve got an Apple device, you probably now have the new U2 album on your iTunes. 

Apple thought slipping you the old U2 might make your day – but not everyone is in love with the idea. It was the number 2 of the 1 - 2 promotional punch after U2 appeared at Apple’s unveiling of the iPhone 6. 500 million iTunes users wound up with the band’s new “Songs of Innocence” album on September 15th.

After a backlash from unappreciative non-U2 fans, Apple decided to release a support page with an option to undo the U2ing. You can find that at iTunes.com/soi-remove. “Songs of Innocence” will stay free for until October 13th, after that, you’ll have to pay for it the old fashioned way. If you would like to prevent future forced free downloads, go to your iTunes settings, scroll down to Automatic Downloads, and turn that off.

Did you like to do cartwheels as a kid? Why one school has banned them...

No more cartwheels? 

A lot of schools have already removed some of our favorite old-school playground equipment, citing safety. Now one school in Australia has banned the beloved cartwheel. A letter sent to parents from the Sunshine Coast state school stated the following: 

All students have been advised that under no circumstances are they allowed to perform cartwheels, handstands or any other type of gymnastic move at school unless they are properly supervised by a trained PE teacher. It would be appreciated if you could remind your children about the safety issues involved with these types of moves.

Here in the U.S., you’ll be hard pressed to find some childhood favorites on the playground. Most schools have already banned the merry-go-round, while teeter-totters, monkey bars and even swings and slides have been deemed too dangerous by some.

How would you like to send your child to college – for free?

If you’ll be looking at colleges this year, you might want to consider Iceland. 

Sure, it’s far, but it’s free. According to Consumer Reports, that’s just one of the countries that allow American students who apply and are accepted to earn a college degree at the same price the locals pay – zero. Some more options abroad include:

• Brazil – but Portuguese is the language of instruction.

• Czech Republic – you’ll need to speak Czech.

• Finland – English classes are available, but it’s dark.

• Germany – world-class higher education, with many programs in English, for free.

• Greece – study in the birthplace of academia but brush up on your Greek first.

• Panama – Spanish speaking students can enjoy the free ride.

There are some other countries worth looking into that cost a little more than nothing, but considerably less than the U.S. They include Argentina, Austria, France, Malaysia, Mexico, Spain and Turkey.

What is it about comfort food that makes us feel better?

Everyone knows that a little comfort food can lift your mood a little. 

Well, according to psychologist Traci Mann, “Everyone” may be wrong. Her new study finds that so-called comfort foods are no more effective at lifting moods than any other food – and we might be giving them credit they don’t deserve. 

The researchers had groups of participants watch a depressing video and then rate their moods. One group enjoyed chocolate, ice cream and cookies, another group had neutral foods like a granola bar, and the third group just had to sit there in silence for three minutes. All three groups reported roughly the same mood improvement after their sessions. While comfort food in a lab setting failed the test, the researchers plan to conduct another study under real-life social circumstances. 

Are you ready for some tailgating?

If you’re invited to a tailgating party – enjoy. If you’re in charge of it – prepare! 

To tailgate right, you’ve got to be at the top of your game and some tailgating pros have this advice:

• You'll probably need to show up about 3 to 4 hours before the game to set up. That should give you plenty of time to cook the food, play some games and just hang out with your group. Don't forget to factor in some time to break everything down once you're done.

• Pick a prime location. If you can, look for a parking space right next to a grassy area so you'll have more space to spread out and one less car next to you.

• Make friends with the other football fans parked around you. Who knows? You might even decide to plan your next tailgate party with them.

• Play by the rules. When you're tailgating, remember that the parking lot or facility where you're partying probably has rules. This could be simple things like making sure to clean up after you're finished, no unattended grills or, as on some college campus parking lots, no alcoholic beverages.

• Try to think of everything you'll be doing when you're tailgating and make a list of everything you'll need and delegate who brings what.

• When it comes to tearing down your tailgating site, apply the camping rule that says you should take out everything you bring in. You might be able to find some trash cans nearby, but then again, you might not. Make sure to pack some garbage bags, just in case. 

When it comes to eating fish, bigger isn’t better.

When we think of sardines, we think of tiny fish crammed in a can. 

Sardines are described as small, oily, silvery fish related to herring. They travel in schools and grow fast and the bigger, fresh variety are delicious. Both canned and fresh sardines are considered some of the healthiest fish in the sea. They pack a nutritional punch with healthy omegas, calcium, iron and potassium. Because sardines are low on the oceanic food chain, they have lower amounts of mercury and PCBs than the big fish and are especially good for children and pregnant women.

Canned sardines are reasonably priced, about the same as canned tuna. The price of fresh sardines varies with availability but are usually less expensive than the other fresh fish on display in the market.