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Monday, March 21, 2011
Cover Your Ears
You don’t have to swim to end up with swimmers ear...
Incense Sense
Burning incense can be very relaxing – unless you’ve got asthma. Odors like perfume, air freshener and cleaning products can trigger attacks for someone with asthma – and research says we can now add incense to the list. In a new study, burning incense increased asthma diagnosis in some kids by 36% - and wheezing while exercising for kids whose parents burned incense was 60% more likely.
Grocery Rip-off
The next time you buy a jar of something – check the bottom...
Your favorite jar of peanut butter may have just gotten smaller. It may look exactly the same – but check the bottom. Some manufacturers are packaging their products in jars and containers that are more indented in the bottom. Those couple of ounces can really add up in bulk to beef up their bottom line. Check the price per unit – it’s usually easier to spot than comparing the ounces and prices of each brand.
Hydroplaning
The next time those roads are wet – slow down....
Hydroplaning can happen to anyone. All it takes is a thin layer of water on that surface for your tires to lose their grip. Consumer Reports tested different tire styles to see if there’s a difference. Average all-season tires lost traction at about 47 miles per hour – but some of the tires with better ratings didn’t hydroplane until the test driver hit 55 miles per hour on the wet test track.
Regardless of what kind of tires you have – slowing down is the one sure way to avoid hydroplaning on wet surfaces. Tire maintenance makes a huge difference too. Worn treads are MUCH more likely to lose traction.
Trick Question
Some job applications have question on there like “Have you ever lied?” If you come across one of those – go ahead and tell the truth. Some employers add test questions to job applications to detect dishonesty. The questions aren’t always that obvious – but they’re designed to weed out dishonest people. Keep an eye out for unrealistic questions – and answer them as honestly as possible. Applicants who do are most likely to make it to the next round in the selection process.
Angry Tweeters
Are you perceived as happy – or unhappy?
Was your last social media post positive or negative? Cornell University tracked tweets by mood on Twitter – and found that social media can basically narrow us down into two groups – happy and unhappy. People who are upbeat and positive tend to respond or post to other happy people. The same was true for grumpy tweeters. The responses they received were primarily from other disgruntled or unhappy people.
Misery loves company – and in social media it’s a lot easier for a peppy person to “not notice” or “forget to respond” to something they perceive as a bummer.
Super Moon
How about that Super Moon on Saturday night. It was a sight to behold – the largest it has appeared in 18 years. Although there’s really no scientific evidence to support moon related human lunacy – the full moon does have an effect on a lot of animals. Research found wolves actually hunted LESS during a full moon with more light to blow their cover. Monkeys stay up much later by the light of a full moon – and even sleep in a bit the next morning.
Low Quality Job
Is your job low quality? Having a job you hate can be even worse for your health than having no job at all. Experts at Australian National University measured the well-being of unemployed and unhappily employed workers over a 7 year period. The study described low quality jobs as those with high demands, low job security and very little decision making control. Those with low quality jobs had higher levels of anxiety and depression with more health related problems than those who had lost their jobs all together.
Fattening Moments
If you’d like to lose weight – the first thing you should do is identify your fattening moments. To do this, close your eyes for a minute and think through your day. You will recall the moments that temptation won out over your willpower. If you identify those moments – you’ll be better prepared when they hit. Here are the top 5 for most of us:
• On Vacation – go ahead and indulge – but try sharing or splitting treats.
• After a break-up – find a new routine instead of food to fill that alone time.
• At a party – don’t go hungry.
• Watching TV – use a smaller bowl for snacks.
• At a restaurant with huge portions – avoid them.
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Loving Lies
Have you lied to your partner lately?
Most people tell white lies to avoid uncomfortable conversations – and husbands and wives are no exception. Dory Hollander, author of “101 Lies Men Tell,” has a list of the most common lies men and women tell to spare feelings. First, the men:
• Everything’s Fine.
• I have our finances under control.
• I don’t need to see a doctor.
• That dress doesn’t make you look fat.
And the women:
• Everything’s fine.
• I bought it on sale.
• That was great for me.
• I’m too tired for sex.
Headache Relief
Got a headache? Grab a pencil!
The next time you get a headache – find a pencil – and put it between your teeth. 90% of headaches are tension headaches that cause us to subconsciously clench our jaw. Don’t bite down on the pencil – just leave it there long enough to give the muscle that runs from your jaw to your temple enough time to relax and ease the pain.
Source: Prevention Magazine
Free Time
You probably have a lot more free time than you think...
If you’d like some more free time – there’s a way to find it. Laura Vanderkam, author of “168 Hours,” says most of us lose precious time without even realizing it. Here’s what to do:
• Log how you spend your time in a notebook during a typical week, including any breaks.
• Create a list of 100 dreams – big or small – whatever you’d like to accomplish.
• Finally – combine the log and the list. Chances are you’ll be able to rearrange the time spent doing stuff you HAVE to do to accommodate a few of the things you’d LIKE to do.
Laura says morning is the best time to fit some good stuff in. Consider going to bed and waking up an hour earlier. The first hour of our day is often wasted on stuff we don’t really want to do.
Beer Smarts
You might not believe it this morning – but beer can make you smarter...
If you threw back a few pints of green beer last night – you might not be feeling much smarter today – but research says MODERATE consumption of beer can actually make us smarter. In the study – people who drank moderate amounts scored higher on a cognitive skills test than non-drinkers or heavy drinkers.
Beer has almost no fat and zero cholesterol and is high in water content and relatively low in alcohol content compared to other spirits. Malt is rich in vitamins B6 and B12, the barley has got dietary fiber and the hops can aid digestion.
Source: American Journal of Epidemiology
P.S. Hire Me!
A good cover letter is really important. P.S. Don't forget this...
The next time you write a cover letter – add a P.S. That actually increases the chances of that letter being read by 75%. Make the content of that P.S. count – some people actually glance down and read that first. Using bullet points really helps too – even if you have to drop some content out to fit them in. You’d rather have the reader notice those than toss your letter aside because it’s crammed with information that doesn’t particularly stand out.
P.S. Don’t forget to mention that you’ll follow up. They won’t want to admit they never read your letter when you do.
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