- A new study (City University of London) finds 90 percent of young women say they filter or edit all of their photos before posting them online. This includes evening out skin tone, whitening teeth, reshaping jaw or nose lines, and even shaving off some weight.

- Research shows the longer men stay away from their spouses, the more attractive those spouses become (Florida Atlantic University). Researchers say an ancient survival instinct in men makes them find their spouses more attractive after an absence so they will be more inclined to breed when they get home. The absence also makes men more fertile. Sort of nature’s way of making up for lost time. Women do not feel the same way.

- Ever walk into a room and forgot why you went in there? Psychologists (University of Notre Dame) once attempted to study the doorway effect, and they theorized that the brain compartmentalizes much more than we perhaps realize. Here’s the thought: Maybe the plan was to grab your earbuds in the bedroom so you can listen to (your station) while doing the dishes in the kitchen, but by the time you make it to the bedroom, that plan is long forgotten, left behind by the dirty dishes. What happened in the kitchen stays in the kitchen, in a sense.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: DRIVER TICKETED AFTER CRASHING TO AVOID SOFA WILL GET A BREAK _ A couple who was given a traffic citation after crashing their car to avoid a sofa that fell from a truck may be getting a reprieve. After media coverage reported the incident, the Florida Highway Patrol said it will recommend the ticket be dismissed. A trooper issued the $166 citation for failure to drive in a single lane after the couple swerved around the tumbling sofa, lost control of their car and rolled over.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: AMTRAK WORKER ACCUSED OF STEALING 77 CHAIN SAWS _ A longtime Amtrak employee in New Jersey stole several dozen chain saws and hundreds of parts from the railroad and sold them online. Jose Rodriguez sold the items for more than $50,000. In all, Rodriguez sold 77 chain saws, 103 chain saw replacement bars and 163 replacement chains to buyers.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: WOMAN RECEIVED PACKAGE CONTAINING URINE SAMPLES FROM THE MARINE CORPS _ Andrea Fisher took to Twitter on March 1 after receiving a strange package addressed to her with a return address of “Commanding Officer 22th Marine Regiment.” Fisher was shocked when she opened the package to find four separate containers labeled “CLINICAL SPECIMENS – URINE SAMPLES” that were addressed to the Navy Drug Screening Laboratory in Great Lakes, Illinois. A spokesperson for the Marines said they have since picked up the urine samples from Fisher and that the package was not intentionally sent to the wrong recipient.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: PIZZA THIEF CREATED FAKE ONLINE ACCOUNTS _ A New Zealand man used fake names like Jim Beam and Sam Booker to order more than $1,300 worth of pizza using illegally obtained credit card information. Gemini Rerekowhai Dixon entered a guilty plea to a charge of accessing a pizza ordering website and dishonestly getting food and drinks.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: TOILET PAPER LAWSUIT _ A German family claiming damages for food poisoning said they spent $1,000 on extra toilet paper for their diarrhea. A judge awarded the family compensation after they ate food that made them ill but couldn’t compensate them specifically for toilet paper since it was impossible to work out how much extra toilet paper they used and what it cost.

WACKY-BUT-TRUE: COW DUNG CURE LEADS TO ARREST _ A woman was arrested in the capital of Cambodia for allegedly selling cow dung as a cure-all for any number of illnesses. According to police, the woman instructed consumers on how to apply the product. The muck would cure the various illnesses if the person mixed it with water and then either drank it or sprinkled it on his or her body.

Fun Facts

✓ Before crash-test dummies, pig cadavers were used to simulate accident victims.

✓ Hula hoops were once banned in Japan for causing “obscene movements”.

BAD HABITS BY SIGN

All signs have their vices. Fortunately, astrology provides valuable clues for breaking bad habits. Ending these patterns will help you realize your full potential.

• Aries — They have a habit of pushing to the front of the line, both literally and figuratively. And while this quality has helped Aries get ahead, it can also compromise their relationships.

• Taurus — They love clutter. Being surrounded by all their possessions gives them a sense of security. It also creates headaches, confusion, and chaos.

• Geminis — Nail-biters. They are self-conscious about their hands, and need to keep them busy at all times.

• Cancers — This sign loves cookies, candy, and ice cream.

• Leo — It’s only natural that a sign that is blessed with creativity, charm and wit feels tempted to show off. Actually, this desire is rooted in insecurity.

• Virgos — These nit-pickers sometimes compromise their own pleasure for the sake of perfection. Deep down inside, these folks are really sensualists at heart.

• Libras — They gave birth to the term “shopaholic”. These folks have every credit card known to man.

• Scorpio — Nobody carries a grudge better than this sign. Unfortunately, hanging on to resentments has a way of crowding out love, happiness, and trust.

• Sagittarius — Archers have a bad habit of telling the truth.

• Capricorn — This sign is the original workaholic. Many Capricorns fear that poverty will set in the moment they stop toiling.

• Aquarius — Water-bearers get into the habit of creating completely self-sufficient lives. Unfortunately, this makes it difficult for them to achieve intimacy.

• Pisces — As a water sign, it’s only natural that Pisceans find comfort in liquids. When those liquids have a high alcohol content, problems can ensue.

WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW BY AGE 50

A Chicago newspaper guy named Eric Zorn says if when you’re 50 or older, you should know these things.

• It’s better to sing off key than not to sing at all.

• Promptness shows respect.

• You can’t avoid offending people from time to time. When you don’t mean it, apologize. When you do mean it, accept the consequences.

• The most valuable thing to have is a good reputation, and it’s neither hard nor expensive to acquire one: Be fair. Be honest. Be trustworthy. Be generous. Respect others.

• Cough syrup doesn’t work.

• Keeping perspective is the greatest key to happiness. From a distance, even a bumpy road looks smooth.

• Keeping an open mind is as big a challenge as you get older as keeping a consistent waistline.

• It’s never a shame when you admit you don’t know something, and often a shame when you assume that you do.

• Fear of failure is a ticket to mediocrity. If you’re not failing from time to time, you’re not pushing yourself. And if you’re not pushing yourself, you’re coasting.

• If you’re in a conversation and you’re not asking questions, then it’s not a conversation, it’s a monologue.

• In everyday life, most “talent” is simply hard work in disguise.

• Mental illness is as real as diabetes, arthritis or any other disease, and no more disgraceful. It’s the stigma that’s disgraceful.

• All the stuff you have lying around that you’ll never want, need, wear or look at again? It just makes it harder to find what you do want, need or intend to wear. File it, donate it or throw it out.

• Exercise does not take time. Exercise creates time.

• The store-brand jelly, cereal, paper goods, baking supplies and pharmacy products are good enough.

Water cooler question

One in four professional golfers own four or more of these. (Cars)

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