As a child, I was very inquisitive on mundane subjects, like why is the sky blue sorta questions.  For instance, why are legal pads yellow?  According to Dr. Edna DuShann, yellow stimulates memory.  So writing on a yellow pad may help you retain the contents.  Dr. DuShann completed a 15 year study on the effects colors have on the attitudes and behavior of people.  Here are the findings:

• Red energizes both the mind and body. To work more efficiently, keep a bright red object close by and look at it regularly. You’ll get waited on sooner in bank lines and restaurants if you wear red because it’s a bold color that demands attention.

• Green has a deep subconscious association with wealth. Look at a green lawn or tree leaves to help you generate money-making ideas. When applying for a loan wear green to your interview.

• Yellowstimulates memory. When trying to recall someone’s name or where you put your keys, look at a yellow bandana or an unpeeled lemon. To retain information, write it on a yellow legal pad.

• Blue relaxes us. Look at the sky or at the ocean when you’re dressed. Wearing a blue shirt or sweater makes others feel more comfortable around you.

• Pink has an amazingly positive effect on the immune system. To stay healthy or fight the beginnings of a cold or flu, surround yourself with pink.

• Gray is great for helping you get out of yourself. When personal problems threaten to overwhelm you, look at a charcoal gray cloth or object to slow your self-centered thoughts and make you more objective. Wearing gray can make you blend into a crowd.

• Violet is associated with confidence and personal power. Next time you have to take on a difficult task, especially one involving other people, look at a violet pastel painting or cloth. Violet will also help you command respect from those around you, but don’t overdue it. A violet shirt or jacket is going too far. Better to sport a violet tie or scarf.

• White is the color of purity. Looking at clean white pillowcases, nice fluffy clouds or newly driven snow will help you fight temptation and resist bad habits. For reasons not completely understood, wearing white makes women sexually attractive to men, but women regard men who wear the color as less sexy and more brainy.

You know about the 5 second rule right?  if a food item is dropped on the floor, if you pick it up within 5 seconds it is still OK to eat.  Now I don’t know where the 5 second rule came from or who started it, but I am a firm believer in it!  In fact, a study by Kelton Research found that 60% of Americans adhere to this guide.  Of course, there are my own rules I follow.  For instance, no second rule when out at a restaurant!  Apparently I and 60% of Americans need to forget the 5 second rule altogether, especially after knowing that a typical home carpet has up to 4,000 times more bacteria particles — even after vacuuming — than toilet seats!This is the total number of bacteria particles found on one-inch square samples of different household surfaces. The independent tests were conducted by Dr. Charles Gerba, a microbiologist at the University of Arizona:

• Toilet seat: 49
• Kitchen counter: 1,686
• Kitchen tile: 2,546
• Bathroom floor: 18,025
• Carpet: more than 200,000

A couple of weeks ago, I shared with you some myths that even doctors believe.  Now I turn our attention to the myths about love.   Is there someone out there made just for you?  Do opposites attract?  Social therapy counselor James Piers, a professor of sociology and social work at Hope College in Holland, MI, sorts out the fact from the fiction.

• There is a marriage made in heaven, with each person having one ideal partner on earth. False — “This is not supported by research,” says Piers.

• People will marry someone just like Mom or Dad. True — “Research indicates the parental image theory may be a factor in mate selection,” says Piers.

• Opposites attract. False — “How often do we look at a couple with dissimilar traits, abilities, and interests and wonder how they ever got together? Though we often hear about this ‘complementary needs’ theory, there is little empirical support for it,” he explains.

• Likes attract. True – “People with similar values often appeal to each other,” says Piers. “We like to be supported.”

• You never get something for nothing. True — “This ’social exchange’ theory suggests that mate selection is really barter at a subconscious level,” says Piers. “I’ll share my social status, physical attributes and business acumen with you if you commit your attention to me and share your personality attributes and professional status.”

• You get what you expect. True — “This suggests that we look for a partner who fits our expectations of how life-roles should be performed,” he explains.

• Modern technology can help you find your “perfect” mate. Maybe — “The interesting thing that the computer has allowed to do through dating services is articulate our best traits–if we’re being honest. It has allowed you to refine the search a little bit,” explains Piers. “We probably learn more about each other from that system than some others. My caution, of course, is that most of us tend to lie.”

Share your thoughts by clicking Leave A Comment at the top of this blog post!

Chris

Yes, I purposely miss cell phone calls.  Why not be honest?  I hear my ring tone go off, take a look at who is calling and make the conscious decision to ignore the call.  Now some may see this as being rude, but a new report confirms that I am not alone.  It found that 90% of cell phone users ignore incoming calls on purpose!  To top it off, if it is a family member or friend, the call is even more likely to be ignored!!!  Top reasons as to why calls are ignored, especially by family and friends?  Because the call involves more time and more attention to the conversation.

So what the the most acceptable excuses given to miss a call?  “Did not hear it ring”, “Driving”, “Feeding a pet”, “In a meeting”, “Others might overhear” and my favorite:  “Not in the mood to answer”.  True, it is a cold, harsh and  blunt response, but an honest answer!

Share your excuses by clicking ‘leave a comment’ near the top of this post!

(survey conducted by the University of Salford)

http://www.allheadlinenews.com/articles/7018740216

As I was checking my email the other day, a friend of mine sent me this list from Parenting Magazine of the 6 most annoying things kids say.

1-Mine!

2-It’s not fair!

3-You’re not the boss of me!

4-I want it now!

5-You never let me do anything!

6-I don’t like you

So it leads me to the question, is there any annoying saying you have heard from a kid that missed the list?  Post it & let’s see what we get!

OK, the kids are heading back to school and the pinch is on to squeeze every penny out of those back to school shopping excursions.  The state of Florida is suspending sales tax on certain items 8/13/2010 to8/15/2010.  Here is the official notice from the state of Florida Department of Revenue:

“Florida law directs that no sales tax or local option taxes (also known as discretionary sales surtax) will be collected on sales of books, clothing, footwear, and certain accessories selling for $50 or less, or on certain school supplies selling for $10 or less. This three-day tax exemption is in effect from 12:01 a.m., Friday, August 13, 2010, through midnight, Sunday, August 15, 2010. The sales tax exemption applies to each eligible book or item of clothing selling for $50 or less and to each eligible school supply item selling for $10 or less. The exemption will still apply no matter how many items are sold on the same invoice to a customer.”

For specific question you may have about the holiday, visit this link.

http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/tips/tip10a01-04.html

Should we drink 8 glasses of water a day?  I’ve heard this all my life, even from my doctor.  But a report published in the British Medical Journal is casting doubt on long held beliefs…even by those in the medical community.

• You should drink at least eight glasses of water a day– This advice, often found in the popular press, probably originated from advice given in 1945 stating that a suitable allowance of water per day for adults is 2.5 liters (which is 10.14 cups). The statement also added that most of this quantity is found in food! Remember, drinking too much water can actually be harmful, resulting in water intoxication, hyponatraemia and even death.
• We use only 10 percent of our brains — Erroneously credited to Albert Einstein, this myth is cited by everyone from physicians to comedians. But they’re wrong! MRI and PET scans show that there are no dormant, inactive areas of the brain. Detailed probing of the brain has never revealed the non-functioning 90 percent.
• Fingernails and hair grow after death — Johnny Carson even perpetuated this myth when he joked, “For three days after death hair and fingernails continue to grow, but phone calls taper off.” Forensic anthropologist William Maples told the British Medical Journal, “It is a powerful, disturbing image, but it is pure moonshine. No such thing occurs.” However, there is a biological basis for the myth. After death, the skin around the hair or nails can retract, giving the impression that the nails or hair have grown when in fact the contrasting soft tissues just shrink.
• Shaved hair grows back faster, coarser and darker — Clinical trials conducted as long as 80 years ago show that shaving has no effect on hair growth. More recent research proves that shaving doesn’t affect the thickness or rate of hair growth. Because shaved hair lacks the fine taper seen on the ends of unshaven hair, it can appear to be more coarse. In addition, new hair hasn’t been lightened by the sun, so it seems to be darker than existing hair.
• Reading in dim light ruins your eyesight — Moms have long maintained that children who try to postpone bedtime by reading under the covers with a flashlight will need glasses. That’s not true. Poor lighting can make it seem as if your eyes can’t focus and it makes them feel dryer, but in fact such light won’t permanently harm your eyesight or damage the function or structure of the eyes. Any discomfort or strain is only temporary.
• Eating turkey makes you drowsy– Scientific studies do show that tryptophan, which is an amino acid present in turkey, is involved in sleep and mood control and can cause drowsiness. However, turkey doesn’t contain enough tryptophan to knock you out. Bet you didn’t know this: Turkey, chicken and ground beef contain nearly equivalent amounts of tryptophan, while pork and cheese have more than turkey! If you’re sleepy after eating turkey, chances are you ate a lot more than just the meat. Any large meal can make you sleepy — with or without turkey.
• Mobile phones are dangerous in hospitals — Hospitals may be plastered with warning signs against using cell phones, but not a single death can be attributed to such use. However, less serious incidents causing false alarms on monitors, malfunctions in infusion pumps and incorrect readings on cardiac monitors, have occasionally been reported, reports the British Medical Journal.

A Harris Poll randomly surveyed adults to find out what they’re doing to save money now, and the replies are a step-by-step list on how you can tighten your belt without a lot of sacrifice. Here’s the top 10 best ways to save money now and the percentage of people who are actually doing this:

1. Purchase more generic brands, 65%
2. Brown bag lunch instead of buying it, 48%
3. Switch to tap water and refillable bottles instead of buying bottled water, 39%
4. Go to the hairdresser or barber less often, 38%
5. Cancel one or more magazine subscriptions, 31%
6. Cancel or cut back on cable TV service, 22%
7. Stop buying coffee in the morning, 22%
8. Cancel a newspaper subscription, 17%
9. Cancel landline telephone service and rely only on cell phone service, 15%
10. Carpool or use mass transit instead of driving to work, 12%

Share with me ways you have cut back to save money.  Your strategy may help your neighbor.

So you are thinking of starting a family, but do you REALLY know what is means?  I mean, your friends and family only tell you half the story about raising a family.  I found this helpful, yet tongue and cheek test to see if you and your spouse are up to the challenge

Mess test — Smear peanut butter on the sofa and curtains. Now rub your hands in a wet flower bed and rub on the walls. Cover the stains with crayons. Place a fish stick behind the couch and leave it there all summer.

Toy test– Obtain a 55-gallon box of Legos. (If Legos are not available, you may substitute roofing tacks) Have a friend spread them all over the house. Put on a blindfold. Try to walk to the bathroom or kitchen. Do not scream (this could wake the little ones at night).

Grocery store test — Borrow one or two small goats and take them grocery shopping with you. Always keep them in sight and pay for anything they eat or damage.

Dressing test — Obtain one large, unhappy, live octopus. Stuff into a small net bag making sure that all arms stay inside.

Feeding test — Obtain a large plastic milk jug. Fill halfway with water. Tie jug to ceiling fan blade. Turn fan on. Try to insert spoonfuls of oatmeal into the mouth of the jug while pretending to be an airplane. When finished, dump the contents of the jug on the floor.

Night test — Fill a small cloth bag with about 10 pounds of sand. Soak the bag in warm water. At 8pm begin to waltz and hum with the bag until 9pm. Lay down your bag and set your alarm for 10pm. Get up, pick up your bag, and sing every song you have ever heard. Make up about a dozen more and sing these too until 4am. Set alarm for 5am. Get up and make breakfast. Keep this up for 5 years. Look cheerful.

Physical test — (women) Obtain a large beanbag chair and attach it to the front of your clothes. Leave it there for 9 months. Now remove 10% of the beans.

Physical test — (Men) Go to the nearest drug store. Set your wallet on the counter. Ask the clerk to help himself. Now proceed to the nearest grocery store and do the same. On the way home purchase a newspaper. Go home and read it quietly for the last time.

It is a fear of mine….walking to the spot where I parked my car only to find it has been stolen!  If you own a Cadillac Escalade SUV, it has the dubious honor of being the number one vehicle preferred by thieves. Annually, 10.8 out of every 1,000 late-model Escalades are stolen, broken into or have parts ripped off. Not only is this the highest rate of theft claims of any vehicle in America, but also it keeps happening year after year. The Escalade has topped this list since 2002. The top 10 most stolen vehicles, along with the “theft claim frequency” per 1,000 vehicles, are:

1. Cadillac Escalade, 10.8
2. Chevrolet Silverado, 8.0
3. Dodge Charger, 7.4
4. Chevrolet Avalanche, 7.4
5. Infiniti G47 Coupe, 7.1
6. GMC Sierra Crew Cab, 6.7
7. Nissan Maxima, 6.5
8. Hummer H2, 6.2
9. GMC Yukon XL, 6.0
10. Chevrolet Tahoe, 5.8

How can you protect your car?  Here is some advice from former thiefs from www.carinsurance.com. 

Make your car as secure as possible. This may be common sense but first and foremost lock your car doors. Make sure all the doors are locked and the windows are rolled up. Just a little space made from a window not fully rolled up can allow a thief to get a tool in and jimmy the door open.

Do not leave you keys in the car. This is worth repeating. Do not leave your keys in the car – ever. This is the quickest way in which to get your car stolen. Thieves know the usual hiding places – in the visor, under the mat and so on so do not think an extra set of keys is safe anywhere inside the car.

Park in well-lit areas. If you are able to park your vehicle where there is plenty of light you have less of a chance of getting your car stolen. It is the dark places in which a thief is able to sneak around and spend time breaking into the car unnoticed.

Put personal items out of sight. If you leave out your MP3 player, compact discs, GPS device or any other personal item than you give a thief more of a reason to pick your car to break into and steal not only those items but your whole car. Put these items out of sight or take them out of the car and put them in a safer place.