Do different occupations drive differently?

Have you ever looked at people driving cars and wonder what they do for a living?  Think their occupations have anything to do with their driving style?  It does.  Makes sense, right?  Let’s take the medical profession.  Does a dermatologist drive differently than a surgeon?  A study that focused on fast driving, luxury car owners and their medical specialty gave us the answers.  All of this information was learned during speeding traffic stops.  As it turns out, orthopedists are the fastest drivers.  Psychiatrists are next, followed by general surgeons, who are being tailgated by cardiologists, who, incidentally, drive the most expensive cars.  It makes sense that personality is a major factor in choosing professions, and those personality factors influence driving styles.  Hmmm…I wonder if NASCAR drivers speed on the interstate?

Your childhood lunchbox

Remember that lunchbox you carried to school?  Or, did you have a brown paper bag like me?  The one that was reused until it became too tired to safely carry my sandwich anymore.  Maybe you had one of those cool domed Disney School Bus domed metal boxes.  Wow!  Six million were sold from the early 1960’s.  Lunchboxes designed for kids hit the market in 1902.  They were shaped like a picnic basket and had pictures of kids playing on it.  Designer lunchboxes hit the market big time in 1950 when the tv cowboy Hopalong Cassidy was featured.  Dr. Seuss was one of the few celebrities allowed to design his own.  So fun!  But, the party was over when, in 1987, parents’ groups started complaining that metal lunchboxes could be used as weapons.  It’s always something, isn’t it?

Teens share too much online

Think your teen isn’t sharing private information online?  Think again.  Just because your little darling is very smart and seems mature for her age, don’t think she has the wisdom and judgment she needs to protect herself.  But, it’s not just her.  About 75% of teens, ages 13 to 17, report that they’ve given their full birth date, address and importantly, the school they attend.  They’re so accustomed to sharing everything with their friends that their awareness isn’t as sharp as it might otherwise be.  While they think they don’t share too much, most of them think their friends share way too much personal info.  Sit them down once a month and talk about what they can share safely and the data they cannot share.  Make sure they understand that their personal information is also the family’s personal information and careless sharing could endanger the family.

A messy kitchen can make you fat

Is your kitchen a disorganized mess?  If so, it might be adding to your waistline.  People with chaotic kitchens frequently have out-of-control feelings of stress that make them hungry.  Their thoughts go something like this...”Life is hard.  I’m really stressed.  I deserve a treat”.  Oh yeah, and what happens next?  They get really stressed again and they go looking for food in their totally messed up kitchens.  We get good at what we practice and when we practice feeling sorry for ourselves, we might just dive into that carton of ice cream.  Then, we feel terrible and the kitchen doesn’t get cleaned up and neither does the rest of the house.  We feel out of control and the kitchen is screaming at you saying, “You’re out of control.  Just look at me!”  Women who feel stressed eat twice as many snacks in a chaotic kitchen as those in a quiet, organized space.  Clean up your kitchen.  Quiet your mind and lose weight.

Marijuana in dispensaries is stronger

Got a prescription for pot?  If you get that filled at a medical marijuana dispensary, you’re likely to get a stronger dose than the doctor prescribed.  A lot stronger.  Doctors typically prescribe 5% THC and a survey of products at dispensaries revealed that the THC level is at 10%.  Side effects such as anxiety and paranoia, plus the tendency to develop a tolerance, increases with dosage.  Don’t think you can inhale a little less to offset the increase in THC, because a single puff of a potent cannabis product could put you over the edge.  You got the pot because you’re anxious and yikes, your anxiety has skyrocketed and now, you’re a little paranoid.  You’re miserable.  If this happens, call your doctor.  Perhaps your dispensary can make changes so that the THC is closer to 5% so you can benefit from it.

Are middle names necessary?

How many people know your middle name?  Are you ashamed of it, delighted by it?  Middle names are phasing out.  125 years ago, most Congressmen used their middle initial and now, most don’t.  But that’s Congress.  In ancient Roman times, only the elite had middle names.  The first name was for the individual and the last was for the family.  The middle name was a nickname of sorts.  Come the 1200’s in Italy, only the upper class had middle names, but that didn’t last long.  Two hundred years later, middle names became popular among all people.  The middle name offers an advantage to help us stand out amongst others with whom we share our first and last names.  In our current society, we’ve become numbers and that’s how the system tells the difference.  If you’ve given your child a name that they don’t love, they can always use their middle name.  Just a thought.

Women with thinning hair

Disney princesses.  Hollywood celebrities.  Yep, they’ve set us up to believe that all women should have full, lush hair.  The way it works is that when we reach 30, about a third of us will have noticeably thinning hair.  It’s normal to lose between 50 and 100 hairs every day, but if you start losing upwards of 150 hairs, you’ll notice.  The condition also includes hair miniaturization which means that your hairs will have a smaller diameter.  At that point, you’re well into the female pattern of hair loss.  You can’t avoid it.  It’s inherited from your Mom or Dad.  The good news is that you won’t go bald and your hairline won’t recede.  But, hair loss starts at the crown and you’ll see a widening of the part.  Early treatment gives the best results.  See your doctor right now to get Rogaine.  You’ll be using it the rest of your life or the loss will continue.

They apologized, but I’m still really mad

Your feelings are really hurt.  They apologized, but you’re still angry.  Was the apology all it should’ve been?  There are 5 critical elements of a “healing apology” that ease the hurt and repair the relationship.  One, the offender must acknowledge the reasons for your pain and own their actions.  Two, they must accept blame instead of putting it on you with that, “Gee, I’m sorry your feelings are hurt” stuff.  Three, they don’t take an accusatory stance.  Four, the apology isn’t conditional.  There are no strings attached.  And five, the entire apology effort doesn’t leave you feeling worse about yourself.  If you’re still angry, then there are issues that need to be addressed.  Does this person treat you poorly way too much?  Is the relationship unhealthy?  If you’re still angry, accept that it’s valid and take action.  Apologizing fully and sincerely is an art.  Teach your children well.

The most unusual jobs in America

There’s a job for everyone, I guess.  Some “unusual jobs” are more unusual than others.  Would you like to be a professional snuggler?  They make upwards of $80 for a 90-minute snuggle.  How about a golf ball diver or a pet food taster?  Would you prefer to test beds or sniff paper towels to see if they have just the right scent for your kitchen?  Hate to wait in line?  You can pay someone to do that for you.  If you’re a kid at heart, you can test water slides.  Love skin care products?  Companies always need people to feel customers’ faces to see if there’s any improvement.  If you have beautiful hands or a perfect body, you can be a body part model.  Even if you have ugly hands or feet, you’re hired!  And finally, if you’re really brave, you can be an armpit sniffer for deodorant manufacturers.  There is truly a job for everyone!

Sitting up straight and crossing your arms works wonders

Science proved it.  When you’re faced with a challenging task, people who sat up straight and crossed their arms stayed with it for nearly twice as long as those who didn’t assume such a determined stance.  When you change body postures, breathing patterns, muscle tension, facial expressions, gestures, movements, words and even vocal tones, there’s a surge of chemicals that change our internal state.  The same thing happens when you smile.  Smiling can trick your mind into feeling happy, simply by moving your facial muscles.  Smiling activates a positive series of reactions in the brain.  When your muscles say you’re happy, you’re more likely to have positive experiences with others.  Facial expressions contribute to how you feel, they don’t cause feelings.  So, control the controllable and “assume the position” of happiness or confidence when you’re faced with difficult situations.