American Treasure

What is sweet, delicious and good for you - but smells like rotting meat? 

Have you ever had a paw paw fruit? This delicious cross between a banana and a mango could be growing near you now. Paw paw fruit is a U.S. native, especially in the eastern states. It’s packed with protein, antioxidants, fiber and minerals and doesn’t get nearly enough attention. Native Americans and early European settlers LOVED the paw paw, also known as a custard apple or Indian banana. George Washington adored them for dessert and Thomas Jefferson grew them at Monticello.

For some reason, paw paw popularity has wilted over the years. Some say it’s because the Paw paw plant produces a beautiful dark red bloom that happens to smell like rotting meat. Bees don’t even like it. The fruit itself isn’t very pretty and bruises easily - but if you get below the surface of the paw paw you’ll be in for some custardy sweetness as American as paw paw pie. 

 

Barefoot Everywhere

You know those laws about not driving barefoot - or eating in a restaurant barefoot? Umm - they don't exist. 

One of the great parts of summer is being able to go barefoot. But some places restrict where you can go and what you can do without shoes. The organization Barefooters.org is on a quest to set the record straight, at least as far as the law is concerned:

- Driving barefoot is perfectly legal in every state in the U.S. There are no laws on the books anywhere that require a driver wear shoes.

- If you see a sign that says "No Bare Feet - by order of the Health Dept" - that sign is bogus. Although individual restaurants may forbid barefoot patrons, it's not because they have to. NO state Health Dept. forbids restaurant patrons from going barefoot. 

- There is no law or Health Dept. regulation that addresses the wearing of shoes in any public place.

Again, individual stores and private locations can regulate - but the law is silent on the subject.

Career Busters

Would you like to RUIN your career? 

Most successful people work hard and value their professional reputation. If that’s not your style, here are some surefire ways to ruin your reputation from career consultant Alison Green:

1. Accept a job offer and then back out later. People sometimes accept one job offer but continue interviewing in case they get an offer they like better, but there's a huge cost to your reputation for doing this; you'll be known as someone whose word is suspect and who cuts and runs.

2. Worse, start a new job and then quit after a month for a different one. 

3. Lose your temper at work. It's normal to occasionally get frustrated, but you're crossing a line if you're yelling, slamming doors or snapping at people. 

4. Lie. Whether it's lying to cover up a mistake or adding a few thousand dollars to your salary history in the hopes of getting a better offer, getting caught lying is a surefire way to fatally harm your reputation.

5. Make commitments that you don't keep. You build credibility by showing people that you mean what you say. But if you do the opposite – you'll ruin your credibility and get a reputation for flakiness and unreliability.

6. Recommend someone for a job when you don't really think they would be right for it. After all, your assessment of someone's work says something about your own work, standards and judgment.

7. Quit your job without notice. Unless you have really, really good reason, quitting your job without notice will burn bridges with your employer and often your co-workers too, and can be the kiss of death for future reference calls. 

8. Send a hostile email after something happens that you don't like. Whether it's jotting off an angry response to a new policy at work or sending a bitter reply after you get rejected for a job, angry letter bombs are hard to live down. 

Hurricane Forecast

The forecast for the 2013 hurricane season is in and it’s not good. 

Hurricane season starts on June 1st and lasts through the month of November and this summer and fall are predicted to be potentially brutal. Scientists from the NOAA, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration say they expect to see 13 to 20 named storms, 7 to 11 hurricanes, with 3 to 6 of them likely to be major Category 3, 4 or 5.

For comparison, the average hurricane season forecast typically includes just 12 named storms, 6 hurricanes and 3 major hurricanes.

Michael Jackson Disorder

Do you know someone obsessed with their looks? 

Most of us check the mirror and primp from time to time - but some preoccupation with that could be a real mental health red flag. BDD, or body dysmorphic disorder, is a psychological disorder that can take a heavy toll on the life of someone afflicted and anyone who cares about them. Those suffering from BDD often become so preoccupied with a feature or aspect of their looks that they begin to perceive it as grotesque or as a disfigurement. While never publicly diagnosed, Michael Jackson is often considered the poster child for BDD.

Warning signs of BDD include extreme self-consciousness, over-use or avoidance of mirrors, excessive grooming or cosmetic procedures, reluctance of appearing in pictures and excessive talk about looks. If you know someone who could be suffering from BDD, they WILL need professional help. Without treatment, this disorder tends to get much worse and can even become life-threatening over time.

Sunscreen Smarts

That expensive sunscreen must be better, right? Wrong! 

Do you have a go-to brand of sunscreen? If not, Consumer Reports put 12 popular brands to the test and rated them from value and protection to which brands stain your clothing. Here are the results:

Six got recommended ratings:

* Target's Up & Up Sport, at the top spot, costs $1.16 an ounce.

* Walmart's Equate Ultra Protection SPF 50 won the CR Best Buy award of the dozen.

* Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50

* Walgreens Continuous Spray Sport SPF 50

* Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch SPF 30

* Coppertone Sport High Performance SPF 30

The six that didn't get recommended cost much more without offering better quality or protection: 

* California Baby SPF 30+, at $6.90 an ounce! (discontinued, but may still be available).

* No-Ad with Avobenzone, Aloe, and Vitamin E SPF 45

* Neutrogena Wet Skin SPF 45+

* Kiss My Face with Hydresia SPF 40

* Badger Unscented SPF 34

* All Terrain AquaSport SPF 30