Look Out for These Health Dangers If You Come Into Contact with Flood Waters

Ideally, flood waters are not presently creeping up your front stoop. But someday it might, either because of a natural disaster or a water main break. Either way, it’s best to be informed about the many hazards of this murky tide—and how to stay safe. 

First, keep in mind everything that the flood could have been in contact with up until the moment you come in contact with it. The bits of garbage, chemicals, sewage, and debris is just the beginning of your concerns. Dangerous bacteria could be permeating the water, pathogens like Cryptosporidium, cholera, E. Coli and Clostridium difficile, (in coastal regions) Vibrio vulnificus, a bacteria commonly found in shellfish, and other dangerous superbugs, according to ABC News. (For a full list of the health risks of flood water, refer to the World Health Organization.)

The water isn’t going to be crystalline by any stretch, so one must keep in mind potential hazards that lurk under the surface. The force of the flood barging into your home could expose nails or other sharp objects that could result in injury. Tread lightly, and make every effort to keep open wounds away from contaminated water.

Sitting water is also a breeding ground for mosquitoes and, in turn, mosquito-borne illnesses. Use repellant, if available, but your best bet is just getting away from the fetid water as soon as possible. 

Be sure to quickly sanitize any object/body part that comes in contact with flood water—and do your best to keep it away from your mouth. Keeping your feet dry is also key, as extended contact with flood water can lead to the development of trench foot, a condition which can cause blistering and decaying of tissue (sort of like Athlete’s Foot, but much worse). Change socks and shoes frequently, and sleep sans-socks.

If your area is issued an evacuation notice, be sure to follow it. Also, don’t forget to do this before you leave your house.  

[Source: ABC News]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2iLSPhy

Read More

This Billion Dollar Hotel Scam Could Have Already Stolen Money from You

Planning a trip used to require a trip in itself—a drive into town to your local travel agent, who would make sure your trip to Kokomo would run as smoothly as possible, for a price. The hassle saved you the hassle, but now the hassle that saved you the hassle has been replaced by travel sites that do the haggling for you.

However, the Internet created a whole new canvas for con artists to paint their webs of deception. It all starts with a simple search; you’re interested in getting away for the weekend, so you type in your destination or maybe even the phrase “travel site” into Google.

You innocently select one of the first sites that come up, and you go ahead and book your well-deserved vacation. While everything may look legitimate on the site itself, that sketchy third party site could be charging you an exorbitant inflated rate (usually a 25 percent bump) and skimming that difference for their own wallets.

If you’re lucky, your reservation will still go through, and you’ll just be out some Benjamins. But in plenty of instances, no reservation will be made at all and that dream you had of a lovely honeymoon at your local La Quinta has flown out the window. 

Each year, 55 million bookings are affected by this scam, leading to around $4 billion dollars lost. In order to evade this scheme, be sure to check the legitimacy of the travel site you’re on. The site may use stolen images and copy from reliable hotel chains, so be sure to make sure that nothing else is amiss, like the site’s contact page, privacy policy, and site map. If you’re still unsure, get in contact with your prospective hotel’s customer service department, and find out if the company has any dealings with the travel site.
Now, if you manage to find your way out of getting scammed during the booking process, you’re still not completely out of the woods. Follow these 22 hotel tips to guarantee a good vacation, or if any old hotel isn’t your bag, try one of these awesome alternative locales.

[Source: Travel + Leisure]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2en6VAS

Read More

If You Received This Phone Call, You Could Be Owed $900

Every day it seems like there’s a new phone scam to watch out for, ranging from the confusing and annoying to the seriously horrifying. However, here’s some good news. If you ever got this annoying phone call, you don’t have to worry about losing money. In fact, you could be owed nearly a grand.

The call in question is a robocall telling you you were eligible for a free cruise. In 2012, a man named Philip Charvat got that call and decided he was sick and tired of it, and so he filed a lawsuit…and was successful! Learn about the company that’s trying to stop annoying robocalls for good.

The party behind the calls was Resort Marketing Group, which owns the major cruise lines Carnival, Norwegian, and Royal Caribbean. The judge ruled that Resort Marketing Group had violated the Telephone Consumer Protection Act by accessing people’s phone numbers without their permission. Creepy, right? (Not as creepy as the fact that your Android phone might be recording you…) So now, Resort Marketing Group is required to compensate anyone who received a “free cruise” call between July 2009 and March 2014.

If you think you might be one of the lucky ones, you can check on the website for the Charvat vs. Resort Marketing Group settlement. You can get back $300 per call for up to three calls, so up to $900! With that much money, you really could go ahead and buy yourself a cruise. But don’t waste any time: You have to file a claim before November 3, 2017 to get your dough. If you do go ahead and book a cruise, here are some tips!

[Source: Today.com]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2en6CpE

Read More

The Healthiest Part of the Avocado Is in Your Garbage

We already know that avocado, sometimes called an “alligator pear,” is full of nutrients like potassium, magnesium, folate, healthy omega-3 fatty acids, vitamins A, C, E, protein, and fiber. It’s even good for your brain! We also know that avocado can be added to almost anything and still taste great (like in these 9 delicious avocado recipes). Salads, sandwiches, pasta, even ice cream—you name it.

But what if we told you this whole time you’ve been throwing out the part that has a plethora of potentially useful molecules? Debasish Bandyopadhyay, PhD, and four of his students at the University of Texas Rio Grande Valley conducted an experiment resulting in some interesting finds (besides these powerhouse benefits).

Bandyopadhyay and his students crushed up about 300 dried avocado seed husks (the middle part of an avocado) into 21 ounces of powder. (By the way, did you know the origin of the word “avocado” is actually kind of dirty?). The powder was then analyzed further, which was found to contain three teaspoons of seed husk oil and about one ounce of seed husk wax. The research group then used a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis to decipher the compounds.

As it turns out, 116 compounds were found in the husk’s oil. Of those 116, some were crucial to the production of certain medications that kill off viruses, prevent the growth of tumor cells (heptacosane is only found in the husk), and reduce the risk of atherosclerosis. The husk’s wax contained 16 compounds, some of which play a role in creating certain cosmetics and making plastic flexible.

“It could very well be that avocado seed husks, which most people consider as the waste of wastes, are actually the gem of gems because the medicinal compounds within them could eventually be used to treat cancer, heart disease, and other conditions,” Bandyopadhyay told the American Chemical Society (ACS).

So, with 1.9 billion pounds of avocados being consumed by Americans each year, will this study put a halt to the husk tossing epidemic? Probably not, unless you’re able to conduct a gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Regardless, it’s another reason to love avocados even more than we already do!

(With avocado prices on the rise, keep yours fresh longer with this simple hack! When you’re ready to eat them, ripen them in under ten minutes by doing this.)

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2enfADt

Read More

You’ll Never Forget Your Important Stuff in the Hotel Safe Again with This Genius Hack

If you ever use the safe in your hotel room, this genius way to never forget to clear it out will surely save you some distress—just like these other 22 tips for a better hotel stay.

We can all be forgetful, but nothing is worse than forgetting important items and documents (you might want to follow these six everyday habits of people with impressive memory skills). This is especially true when you need to catch a plane and don’t have your passport—or, maybe you left your car keys and don’t realize it until you need to drive. Regardless, it’s a huge inconvenience. Fortunately, all you’ll need to remember to check the safe before you leave is some brightly colored string or cords.

Here’s the trick: using a long, bright string or cord, tie one end to the hotel safe’s handle and the other end to something you can’t forget, like your suitcase.

You can’t pack your things and leave without a suitcase, so the string attaching it to the safe is a fool-proof reminder that you locked your belongings in there. And voila! You’ll never forget those important documents or items again.

Now that you know the best way to remember your valuables, be sure to read up on the travel mistakes you should definitely avoid to have the best possible vacation.

[Source: Express.co.uk]

 

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wm49Ww

Read More

5 Things to Buy Before Summer Is Over—and 5 Fall Deals to Get Excited About Now

True bargain-hunters know that the absolute best time to score great deals is at the end of a season. Now, as summer wanes and stores try to lure shoppers with heavily advertised Labor Day sales, you can save big on warm-weather favorites including bathing suits and sunscreen—as well as some bigger-ticket items you might not have though to buy now.

We got the scoop from the shopping experts at BestBlackFriday.com, which tracks sales and deals all year long. Here, according to their analysis of the end-of-summer sales, are five things to buy now and five things to wait for.

Buy Now—Snap These Items Up This Summer

1. Grills. Some diehards cook outside all year long, but for many of us, Labor Day is the last time we fire up the barbecue. So look for big markdowns—from 25 percent to as much as 75 percent—on any leftover inventory at Home Depot, Lowe’s, Sears, and local outdoors and appliance stores. Last year saw Webber grills for $100 off.
2. Lawn mowers. Sorry, but you’re going to need to keep cutting that grass for a while longer! Fortunately, you can find sales of 25 percent or even more.
3. Summer clothes. The best places to outfit kids for back to school are the summer clearance racks. You’ll find staples like t-shirts and shorts for half price or even less. At the end of last summer Banana Republic, Carter’s, and Old Navy all had better-than-average clearance sales. With some smart chopping, you can build a new kids’ wardrobe for under $50. And here are some more smart ways to save on back-to-school items—and they apply year round.
4. Paint. We tend to put off home repairs in the summer when we’re busy outdoors. Now that we’re inside more, it’s hard not to notice that chipped molding or dingy paint. Watch for sales and rebates at paint stores and home improvement centers.
5. Mattresses. It’s hard to compare prices on mattresses because retailers don’t carry the same exact models. But you will find markdowns of 50 percent or even more, sometimes with coupons or rebates. Mattresses start at just $89.99 at 1800mattress.com. If your mattress is more than eight or 10 years old, we’re talking to you!

 Buy Later—Wait for Fall

1. Camping gear. If you can wait until October, when fall is in full swing, you can save as much as 75 percent on tents, hiking gear, and other camping essentials.
2. Smart phones. Rumor has it the iPhone 8 may be released on September 22. That means markdowns are on deck for previous generation phones, including the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus, which might be discounted by $100 or more. You might have to wait until October or November, though. Also, watch for fall sales on other Apple tech too, but at other retailers, not the Apple Store, which doesn’t generally have sales.
3. Jeans. You’ll see lots of denim in stores now, as retailers push back-to-school, but October is the best month to buy, when inventory is still high but prices are lower. Follow our advice for choosing the best jeans for your body type.
4. TVs. Summer sales are so-so, but November is the best time of year to buy a new TV, especially once Black Friday sales start up.
5. Cars. If you’re in the market for a new ride, start shopping now, as 2018 models are showing up and dealers are looking to move older inventory. But if you can, wait to buy until October, when discounts are generally deeper on any remaining stock.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wmh8au

Read More

This Is the Best Time to Exercise to Improve Your Memory, According to Science

Cramming for a big exam, or memorizing a Powerpoint for that important board presentation? Take a quick study break and hit the gym, science says.

No, seriously! According to a new study published in the journal Cognitive Research: Principles and Implications, just five minutes of light physical exercise after any learning session can give your memory a boost. (You should also memorize these everyday habits of people with impressive memory.)

Researchers from the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia, led by Dr. Steven Most, conducted four experiments that included a total of over 250 undergraduate participants. They aimed to test the students’ memories before and after five minutes of exercise.

Through all four of the experiments, an interesting pattern emerged. Researchers noticed that women who performed a mild physical activity after learning something scored higher on memory tests than the women who did not exercise. What’s more, exercise was most effective at boosting memory when participants did so after the learning session. Here’s how you can boost your memory with music and meditation, too.

However, the same trend did not apply to the male participants. Dr. Most speculates that this might have to do with the facial recognition test that the experiments used to score memory levels, which only included male faces. If females respond better to male faces, their reactions might have swayed the results.

“It’s unclear whether this is a true sex difference or whether there was something about the experiment conditions that allowed the effect to emerge among women and not men,” Dr. Most said.

Of course, more research will be needed in the future to determine with certainty that exercise has a positive impact on memory. But this isn’t the first study to make the connection between exercise and memory; in fact, plenty of research indicates that physical activity can reinforce learning. All the more reason to start lacing up your sneakers.

One does not live by physical exercise alone, though. These are the best brain exercises to improve your memory.

[Source: Medical News Today]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wlAdcT

Read More

60 Years Ago Ford Introduced the Edsel—Here’s What It’s Original Ad Looked Like

Sixty years ago, the Ford Motor Co. introduced its ill-fated Edsel with all the suspense of an Alfred Hitchcock movie. Ads promised “a new vista of motoring pleasure, unlike any other car you’ve ever seen.” To heighten anticipation, the cars 
were hidden under tarps during transport, and showroom windows were papered over until 
“E Day.” It worked. People lined up to see the new Edsel when it was unveiled, on Sept. 4, 1957.

To keep showroom traffic flowing afterward, Ford launched a volley of newspaper ads, postcards and promotional fliers touting, “Road-check the big one, get a little one free.”

The giveaway featured gift boxes holding 1/25-scale promotional models, or promos, with durable plastic bodies, metal chassis and moving wheels. Here are some other examples of classic, vintage ads from back then.

What’s that Edsel 
Promo worth Today?

Edsel dealers used turquoise-and-white promos in the test-drive giveaway. Aluminum Model Toys Inc. (AMT), a toy manufacturer, made Edsel promos in a variety of factory colors for dealer use but switched up color combinations or treatments on cars sold in toy stores. (Do you have any of these antiques that could bring in some serious cash?)

• AMT built convertible 
and two-door hardtop promos for all three Edsel model years: 1958, 1959, and 1960.
• Today, the 1960 Edsel promos can run more than $100 apiece.
• An average-condition turquoise 1958 coupe, the most common, 
can garner $30–$35; other colors bring around $60.
• Promotional models 
in unusual colors can 
bring $300–$400.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wmalOi

Read More

Just 10 Minutes a Day of This Activity Can Boost Your Kid’s Brain Power, Says Science

The benefits of exercise are well-known, but a new study has found a notable perk for children who break a sweat. No, it has nothing to do with burning calories or even boosting metabolism, although those benefits come from exercise anyway. For kids, specifically, short bursts of exercise does wonders for their brain power.

Researchers from the University of Auckland took a look at the effects that regular aerobic exercise played in the cognitive function of a group of 318 children, aged 7-13. The kids were given tasks in memory and cognition control then randomly assigned to a placebo-controlled group or put through a HIIT regimen.  The high-intensity training (HITT) regimen consisted of 10-minute bursts of intense workouts each day for six weeks. 

The revealing findings showed that the kids in the HIIT group showed a significant boost in both assessment categories. “‘Our findings highlight the potency of short but intense physical workouts and suggest that aerobic exercise is not the sole means to improve brain power,” says lead researcher Dr. David Moreau.  

While the study’s authors emphasize that exercise shouldn’t be seen as the only remedy for cognitive deficits, it certainly “is one of the most beneficial and non-invasive ways of enhancing cognition.” In other words, get your kid off the couch and moving ASAP, and you’ll have a budding genius on your hands. As the study shows, even 10 minutes of exercise a day goes a long way. 

Besides it’s a way better option than those brain game scams. And when given the option between flash cards and flash dancing, the latter is way more fun, isn’t it? This just adds to the running list of positive things that exercise can do for your body.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2vNiN5K

Read More

11 Stunning, Rarely Seen Photos of Princess Diana

On the 20th anniversary of Princess Diana’s death, the royal family revealed three new photos from her personal album. But that’s not the only thing Princes William and Harry are doing to keeping the memory of the “People’s Princess” alive. Watch their new documentary, released this summer.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wm60uc

Read More

This Airport Is the First in the Country to Make This Big Security Change

Airports continue to modernize. This one is now having robots guide you to your gate. This one is setting the record for largest airport in human history. LaGuardia Airport is making the effort to be less awful. These efforts are bringing air travel into the future, but one airport is making a big security change which is actually winding back the clock.

For the first time since 9/11, Pittsburgh Airport will become the first country to allow non-passengers to pass through security. For the past 16 or so years, the only way that someone could make it through security was if they presented their ticket.

The rule rollback will come through a new program called the myPITpass. The aim of the pass is to allow anyone access the retail and dining options available past security, and also let them have a little bit more runway in terms of waving goodbye to loved ones right at their gate.

The myPITpass can be acquired through a special kiosk at the airport. All someone needs is a valid photo I.D., which allows the airport employee to cross reference the person’s information with TSA’s no fly list. Children younger than 17 are also eligible for the program, even without identification.

The same rules apply when passing through security, however, so don’t go trying to bring your bottle rockets and exotic animals with mini-backpacks full of liquids over three ounces, because you will be flagged—here are 13 other things you probably shouldn’t try to get passed the TSA.

[Source: Travel + Leisure]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wmhspV

Read More

If You Have One of These 711 Million Email Addresses, You Need to Change Your Password Immediately

There’s the average online scam, and then there’s the hacker with a list of 711 million e-mail addresses. That number alone is enough to send chills down anyone’s spine. And unfortunately, the odds are high that your e-mail’s password has been compromised, and one of those accounts is yours. (Here’s why your password is weak, and what to do about it.)

A security researcher called Benkow recently uncovered a list of 711 million email accounts stored on an “open and accessible” server in the Netherlands, ZDNet reported. Apparently, an unknown hacker has been using the addresses to send large amounts of spam, as well as harmful malware, via e-mail. Using legitimate accounts allows the e-mails to bypass spam filters, experts say.

There’s some good news, though—and e-mail users everywhere, you can breathe a little easier. Fortunately, “whilst the ‘711 million’ headline is technically accurate, the number of real humans in the data is going to be somewhat less,” said Troy Hunt, Microsoft regional director and creator of the anti-hacker website Have I Been Pwned. Still, Hunt called the list “mind-boggling.”

“Just for a sense of scale, that’s almost one address for every single man, woman, and child in all of Europe,” he wrote in a blog post.

The spam e-mails appear to contain a small, nearly invisible GIF. If a user opens the e-mail, Benkow wrote, “a request with your IP and your User-Agent will be sent to the server that hosts the GIF. With these information, the spammer is able to know when you have opened the email, from where and on which device.”

Opening the e-mail puts your account on the list of those who will likely receive second emails containing malware. Bottom line: You should never, ever open spam e-mails. Here’s how to avoid these common online scams, too.

Wondering if your account has been compromised? It only takes a few seconds to find out. Simply type your e-mail address into the search bar at Have I Been Pwned, and the website will tell you if your account has been breached. If your e-mail is on the list, fear not; just make a new password. And when you do, this website can help you make a foolproof password to protect you from hackers in the future.

[Sources: Gizmodo, Manchester Evening News, ZDNet]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wm9bCm

Read More

Your Cell Phone Could Help Detect This Type of Cancer One Day

Read More

Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali tip Chris Froome to come back stronger after Vuelta time loss

Read More

Chris Froome grateful to come away uninjured from Vuelta stage 12 crashes

Read More

Oregon School District Staff Exposed to Deadly Asbestos

The maintenance staff at Coos Bay School District was just finishing some routine work around the Harding School building before classes were scheduled to begin. Unfortunately, the District was notified that one of the maintenance employees had accidentally caused asbestos fibers to become airborne. Many school buildings contain some amount of asbestos, which is why teachers and renovation workers are still considered to be high-risk occupations for asbestos exposure.

Why Do School Buildings Contain Asbestos?

Asbestos was once used in many products, especially construction materials, due to its strength and fire-resistance. Some of the common materials that could contain asbestos in schools include:

• Cement pipes
• Pipe covering and insulation
• Fireproofing
• Ceiling, wall and floor tiles
• Plaster
• Boiler insulation
• And others

Asbestos in schools could become airborne if any of the above materials are broken, sanded, crushed or cut. Unfortunately, that is exactly what happened at Harding School in Coos Bay. A maintenance employee was sanding a wax layer that was covering asbestos tiles but went too deep and hit the original tiles with the sander. According to a press release from the District, a total of six employees were potentially exposed to the airborne fibers.

Regulating Asbestos in Schools

Schools that were built prior to 1970, typically contain asbestos. However, this was before the general public became aware of its deadly effects. If the fibers of asbestos are inhaled, it can lead to asbestos-related diseases, such as mesothelioma, asbestosis, lung cancer, or other cancers. These health hazards were recognized by Congress with its passage of the Asbestos Hazard Emergency Response Act, known as AHERA, in 1986. AHERA and its regulations set out complex requirements for public school districts and private schools to inspect their buildings for the presence of asbestos.

Repairing Asbestos vs. Removing Asbestos

While AHERA provides guidance and action plans for handling asbestos, federal regulations do not necessarily require removal of asbestos. For example, if a school's asbestos-containing thermal insulation is damaged, the local education agency is only required to repair the damaged area. The damaged insulation will only be removed if the repair is not feasible for some reason. In the current situation at Coos Bay, the future course of action for the exposed asbestos tiles is still unknown. However, the District has already followed AHERA regulations by hiring a group trained professionals to analyze air quality and safety in the school. This group has already released a statement claiming the area is "safe from contaminants and ready for human occupancy."

AHERA regulations also grant citizens the right to request information about asbestos in school districts. As a parent, it is perfectly acceptable to ask if asbestos is present in your child's school and what the future plans are to remove it.

from California Mesothelioma Law Blog http://ift.tt/2glQgOW

Read More

Eating This One Type of Food Could Increase Your Risk of Cancer, According to a New Study

Before you take another bite of that burger, you might want to keep reading. New research warns that eating junk foods like pizza, burgers, and chocolate could increase your risk of developing cancer—even if you’re not overweight. Uh-oh.

The study, which was published in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, suggests there’s a link between a diet full of high calorie, low nutrient foods and a higher risk of certain cancers, especially among normal weight women above the age of 50. (Avoid these cancer-causing foods that cancer doctors try to never eat, as well.)

Researchers at the University of Arizona collected data on 92,000 women between the ages of 50 and 79 who are part of the Women’s Health Initiative study. Then, they tracked the development of a variety of cancers in the women over the course of 15 years.

Their data shows that eating lots of high calorie foods, including biscuits, chocolate, and pizza, increased the risk of cancer in these women. That even goes for those who maintained a healthy weight, defined as a body mass index (BMI) between 18.5 and 24.9.

Truth be told, having a healthy weight alone might not protect against cancer, the researchers concluded. Rather, it’s what you eat on a daily basis that matters. As for what you should put on your dinner plate? We recommend starting with these 30 foods are proven to prevent cancer.

Correlation does not mean causation, however, and the connections between diet, lifestyle, and cancer outcomes are often more complex than that. What’s more, the study focused only on postmenopausal women, and researchers did not factor sugary drinks and alcohol into their analysis, which tend to be high in calories, as well. Long story short: More research is needed before we can say for certain that high calorie foods increases cancer risk.

Regardless, experts agree that having a balanced diet (and watching your calorie consumption) definitely helps more than it hurts. Your 80-year-old self will be thanking you for having these healthy eating habits.

[Sources: CBS, PubMed Health]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2x6FuWB

Read More

A Good Credit Score Will Get You More Dates Than Being Attractive, According to New Survey

Walking into a bar, spotting an old flame from high school, then dropping a pickup line like, “If you were a vegetable, you’d be a cute-cumber,” just isn’t going to cut it anymore. According to Bloomberg, you’d be much better off using your long and healthy credit history to peacock for romantic interests.

In a recent survey of 2,000 online daters, having a good credit score is considered sexy, but not just mildly so. A sound credit score was ranked as an important quality to 69 percent of survey participants, above sense of humor (67 percent), attractiveness (51 percent), ambition (50 percent), courage (42 percent) and modesty (39 percent).

To take the numbers one step further, financial responsibility automatically bumped an individual’s perceived attributes. People who were financial responsible were viewed as having a good sense of general responsibility 73 percent of the time, a perception of trustworthiness 40 percent of the time, and a perception of high intelligence 38 percent of the time.

Additionally, respondents found financial responsibility to be more attractive than having a nice car 58 percent of the time, more attractive than a fancy job title 50 percent of the time, and more attractive than being physically fit 40 percent of the time.

So, to start, learn what your credit score is and the secret formula behind it. Next, figure out how to keep your credit score high. And lastly, set your fancy car on fire. And you’re all set! (We’re obviously kidding about the car.)

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2x6h3Zr

Read More

Princess Diana Had the Biggest (and Most Hilarious) Surprise for William’s 13th Birthday

Princess Diana’s relationship with her children was a well-documented one. Even after things went wrong with Prince Charles, Princess Diana would frequently be seen with Prince William and Prince Harry out in public, smiling and laughing, enjoying a relationship almost ordinary and unspectacular given the circumstances, a connection which was exactly what it was; a mother and her children who very much cared for each other.

But behind closed doors, it was a bit different. Not so much in the caring front, but definitely on the ordinary front. According to HELLO! Online, Princess Diana had quite the sense of humor and made sure her son William had an unforgettable 13th birthday. Her sly surprise: a birthday cake that looked like a pair of breasts.

Yep, the People’s Princess apparently enjoyed a good joke more than anyone else. But she didn’t stop with bosom-based baked goods. Princess Diana also made sure that supermodels Claudia Schiffer, Christy Turlington, and Naomi Campbell were all in attendance at the palace for the celebration to heighten the stakes even more. Prince William was reportedly beet-red throughout the festivities, probably.

“I came into work that morning and went down to the refrigerator, opened the door and I was just confronted with the biggest pair of boobs I’ve ever seen in my life.” said Darren McGrady,Princess Diana’s former head chef. “The Princess had ordered a boobs cake for William’s 13th birthday.”

There’s not evidence of any royal rules against breast-cakes in the Royal family. Although if there was, it wouldn’t be the first weird rule restricting how they eat. If the princess signed a credit card receipt for the cake herself, she broke ANOTHER regal rule. What a rebel.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2vLDe2Q

Read More

4 Major Scams to Watch Out for In the Wake of Natural Disasters—and How to Avoid Them

Whenever a natural disaster strikes, there are always many affected individuals who need help—and the majority of people genuinely want to provide it. But unfortunately, both disaster victims and would-be givers alike do have to be careful of predatory scammers. Here are the four most common ways people try to profit from crises like hurricanes and tropical storms—and how you can avoid them.

Fake rental listings

If you’re a storm victim, make sure you don’t also become a victim of a scam. Many people whose homes were damaged by the storm will be searching for new places to live, whether temporary or not. If you’re looking for new housing after a disaster, keep these tips in mind.

• Make sure you’ve seen the place you’re renting. Before you hand over any money, make sure that you’ve seen the place—and not just on the Internet. As tempting and convenient as it might seem to hand over a deposit, hold off until you know the renter is trustworthy.
• Make sure you’ve seen the person you’re renting from. Again, seeing is believing. Knowing that you’re renting from a real person is definitely a good sign that you’re not being scammed.
• Don’t provide important information over the Internet. Don’t disclose your bank account information or credit card number over the phone or the Internet, and definitely don’t wire money. Watch out for these 10 phone call scams as well, whether or not there’s been a natural disaster recently.

Fake contractors

Many storm victims haven’t lost their homes completely, but merely need repairs. Enter fraudulent contractors, hoping to take your money without doing any real work.

• Get a recommendation. Your best bet for avoiding scams would be to choose a contractor that either you know and trust, or that someone you trust has used before.
• Check for a license. Though licensing works differently in every state, a contractor who has a professional license is definitely a good sign. Ask for proof of insurance, too, so that you’re not penalized for any contracting accidents.    
• Watch out for a FEMA”endorsement.” This is where it gets really tricky. An “endorsement” sounds totally scam-free, but don’t let this fool you. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) does not certify contractors.
• Don’t pay up front. Any contractor who asks for full payment before any work is done is a major red flag. Don’t hand over all of the money immediately; a shady scammer will take it and run.

Of course, there are plenty of heroes who help out during these disasters too—just look at these inspiring photos.

Fake charities

While not the most damaging of the scams, this is probably the most common: shady people or websites presenting themselves as well-meaning aid organizations.

• Speak up. If a charity organization reaches out to you, don’t be afraid to get in touch with the organization and ask for more details, including the organization’s address. If an organization seemed to suddenly appear out of the blue after a disaster, that’s a major clue that its intentions aren’t good.
• Don’t send cash. Though you shouldn’t give your credit card number to a non-verified organization, paying with a credit card is overall a more foolproof way to make sure your donation reaches people in need. Cash is far too easily misplaced or stolen.
• A charity by any other name… If a “charity”‘s name is similar to the name of a legitimate organization, it’s probably more likely to trick people. Again, call the organization and get details before you send anything. Find out more about how charities spend your money.
• Donate to verified organizations. Despite all this, you definitely shouldn’t let a potential scam stop you from donating altogether. LifeHacker has compiled a list of trustworthy organizations. Also, check out the National Association of State Charity Officials, where you can find the names of legitimate relief organizations in your state.

Clickbait

While, by far, the least harmful of all of the scams, fake news stories and photos are definitely worth mentioning since they’re far too common in today’s digital age. In this case, seeing is not believing. Just take a look at this photoshopped pic of a shark swimming along a Houston highway in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. While not a scam, this is just people grabbing for attention in the wake of a disaster, and you should try to avoid giving them that attention.

Here’s some good (and true) news from the aftermath of Harvey.

 

[Sources: LifeHacker.com, Consumerist.com]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2vKwZML

Read More

This Is the Best Time to Buy These 43 Cheap Finds Throughout the Year

January: Best time to buy a computer, holiday goods

• Other people’s unused gift cards: Consumers with unwanted gift cards hit sites like CardCash.com, GiftCards.com, and even eBay after Christmas to sell them at discounted prices. Find out how else you can get paid for your gift cards and other clutter.

• Wrapping paper: Stores slash prices on gift wrap, holiday cards, and Christmas decorations in the weeks following the busy shopping season. Buy now; they’ll keep till next year. Once they’re shredded, try out these genius uses for leftover wrapping paper.

• Bed linens: Retailers offer deep discounts on sheets, towels, and blankets in January. “White sales” actually date back to 1878, when a Philadelphia department store held a “White Sale” on linens to help keep linen makers in business during a slow period. Just watch out for these things to know when you’re buying new sheets.

• Computer: Starting in January, keep an eye on PC prices; companies offer discounts on older models to prepare for the upcoming release of the newest systems. Find out what tech products you should (and shouldn’t) buy refurbished.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2vGlyWY

Read More

Chris Froome: This is a huge step towards securing Vuelta victory

Read More

Bad weather delivers blow to Nicolas Roche and Esteban Chaves Vuelta hopes

Read More

‘Someone has to try to beat Froome’: Vincenzo Nibali vows to continue to attack at Vuelta a España

Read More

Your Brain Does a Very Strange Thing When You Sleep in a New Place

First night of vacation! You’ve been traveling all day, your body is exhausted, and you feel like you could pass out the second your head sinks into that marshmallowy hotel pillow. You sleep through the night—then wake up the next morning feeling groggy, grumpy, and garbagey. (Those are just a few of the clear signs you’re not sleeping deeply enough.) What’s the deal? This was not in the brochure. 

A new sleep study from Brown University reveals that it isn’t just jet lag that disturbs our dozing on holiday; it turns out many of us sleep poorly on the first night of vacation—or the first night in any unfamiliar room—because our brains actually remain one-half awake through the night when we sleep in a new place.

Sleep scientists call this phenomenon First-Night-Effect (FNE). Researchers have known about it for a while, but only recently discovered what, exactly, is happening in our sleepy heads to cause it. The Brown team, led by researcher Masako Tamaki, used advanced neuroimaging techniques to track brain activity in several sleepers over a few nights. What they found not only confirmed that FNE is indeed a real thing, but that it’s caused by one hemisphere of the brain staying in an active state through the night while the other dozes peacefully. Simply put: one half of your brain plays night watchman for the other half.

In this vigilant state, your partly-awake hemisphere becomes extra sensitive to external stimuli—say, a thump in the hallway, a truck blundering down the road, or a bug buzzing past your ear—preventing your brain from reaching a fully restful sleep. Subjects in the Brown FNE study jolted awake to such “deviant” sounds throughout the first night, thanks to their asymmetrical brain activity. Fortunately, “None of these asymmetries were evident during subsequent sleep sessions,” a spokesman for the Brown study notes. In other words, your first night in a new place may always be rough—and here are the signs you’re headed for an awful night’s sleep—but your brain learns quickly to chill out.

Our nomadic ancestors would no doubt thank their FNE hemisphere for keeping them alert to skulking bears and bogeyman as they camped from plot to plot—but for us sleep-desperate modernists, it’s easy to be annoyed. Is there any way to turn off your brain’s FNE vigilance? Sleep scientists have some insider advice for you, but in the meantime you might try deafening your vigilant brain to external stimuli altogether. To calm your inner watchman, invest in a pair of earplugs, or make these changes to turn your bedroom into the ideal sleep environment.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2xy8F2B

Read More

Five talking points from stage 11 of the Vuelta a España

Read More

Chris Froome extends overall lead on gruelling Vuelta a España stage 11

Read More

Concept Tacx Neo Smart Bike to electromagnetically simulate cobbles

Read More

Strava Live segments are shown more clearly than ever on the new Garmin Edge 1030

Read More

Endura’s new Drag2Zero Aeroswitch helmet can snap in half, offering 2-in-1 versatility

Read More

Team Sky reveal strong six-rider squad for 2017 Tour of Britain

Read More

CeramicSpeed’s new UFO Drip chain coating is supposedly the fastest available – despite becoming solid on the chain

Read More

Tannus launches new 25mm solid tyre at Eurobike

Read More

The wheels and tyres that will get you digging into your wallet at The Cycle Show

Read More

Movistar set to launch new women’s team for 2018 season?

Read More

Zipp goes wider, tubeless and disc brake specific

Read More

Vincenzo Nibali to end his 2017 season with 105km, 3,275-metre hill climb in Taiwan

Read More

Edco appoints aero expert Paul Lew as CEO

Read More

Sep Vanmarcke: ‘I hope Cannondale-Drapac can continue, but I cannot afford to wait’

Read More

Because the world isn’t flat, the new Wahoo Kickr Climb simulates the ups and downs

Read More

New Scott Foil launched with disc brakes

Read More

Can Cannondale-Drapac really be saved by crowd-funding?

Read More

Yes, There Is an Actual Day When Your Partner Is Most Likely to Cheat

Think you have a cheater on your hands? Even if it’s just a hunch, you might want to keep a closer eye on them during these specific days. (You can also watch for these subtle signs your partner is cheating on you.)

New research by the affair-seeking website Illicit Encounters indicates that certain days and times are the most opportune for cheaters. The site collected data regarding the messages people send to arrange their next hook-up, determining a prediction, down to the hour, of when we can expect cheaters to contact their secret lovers.

The days your partner is most likely to cheat on you are—drum roll, please—Mondays and Fridays.

We can get even more specific than that, though. Of about 600 messages sent each day, two different days and times stood out, according to the research. Nearly 2,000 messages are sent between 8 a.m. and 9 a.m. on Monday mornings—the most of any other day or time. The second most popular time? Between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Friday evenings.

Surprised? Probably not. It stands to reason that cheaters are probably busy with their families during the weekends with their family. During their commute to work on Monday morning, though, cheaters might have the opportunity to check back in with their side fling. Add that to the likelihood that their partner won’t be nearby, and you have a recipe for an—ahem—illicit encounter.

If you happen to catch your partner cheating (regardless of the day or time), there are some reactions you should definitely avoid. And chin up, there’s still hope for your relationship! Try to take these 10 steps to heal after an affair.

[Source: New York Post]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wmodGH

Read More

How to Get Kids on a Sleeping Schedule Before the School Year Starts

Introduce a back-to-school sleep schedule gradually

You don’t want your kids to be exhausted during the first few weeks of school, yet you don’t want them to miss out on anything fun during those last weeks of summer. So where do you draw the line and start reinforcing a sleep schedule? Dr. Kristen Gregory, DO, a physician consultant at Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan, says, “It’s important to start reinforcing a schedule at least two to three weeks before school starts. Depending on the age of your child and how much sleep they need, set a bedtime based on the appropriate amount, keeping in mind the time it will take them to get ready to leave in the morning. It’s easiest to make this transition gradually, by having children go to bed 15 to 20 minutes earlier every three to four days until the desired bedtime is reached.”

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wHbLnB

Read More

If You’re a Stephen King Fan, Here’s Your Lucky Chance to Be His Neighbor

There are so many reasons to move to Maine: their delicious lobster and gorgeous seaside views are just a few. But now there’s another one: you can move onto the same street as Stephen King. Yes, we’re talking about the Stephen King who has published 54 novels, over 200 short stories, and sold over 350 million copies of his books—all while keeping us on the edge of our seats with suspense and thrills.

In 1979, King and his wife moved to 47 West Broadway Street in Bangor, ME and purchased their home for $135,000. (Can you imagine how much writing happened in there? Here’s what King’s (and other famous author’s!) daily writing ritual consists of). As you could guess, its value has since skyrocketed to almost $1.3 million, according to Zillow. With no surprise, King added some of his own “flair” to his new residence, which is especially popular amongst tourists: his fence. Detailed with gargoyles, bats, spiders, and webs, you can’t miss the King of Horror’s home.

Located about two hours from King’s hometown of Portland, Bangor has been the site of many scenes from King’s book-based movies. Some sites include Mount Hope Cemetery, which was in the 1989 horror movie Pet Sematary, and the 31-foot-tall statue of the famous lumberjack Paul Bunyan, who came alive in the horror movie It in 1990 (which is said to be one of scariest books of all time).

The quaint town of Bangor is also home to the most impressive library in the entire state of Maine, which happens to showcase the very couch that Abraham Lincoln’s vice president, Hannibal Hamlin, took his last breath on.

Ready to move into the neighborhood? The homes that are currently on the market range from $540,000 to $690,000 and span from 51 to 142 years old. Worried you won’t fit in? Here are some Stephen King quotes about fear and fitting in to help boost your confidence.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wmd8oP

Read More

The Surprising Reason This Mom Isn’t Teaching Her 5-Year-Old How to Read (Yet)

Among the many essential skills children are taught as they grow up, perhaps the most widely endorsed is reading. But one mom has challenged that assumption—and her post has quickly gone viral.

After speaking with a group of mom friends, Crystal Lowery, a comedian and the blogger behind Creepy Ginger Kid, walked away with a new parenting goal. Many of those moms felt that teaching their children to read early had turned the joyful job of parenting into a competition.

“I wanted to remind parents that there are many other things young children are learning besides phonics,” Lowery wrote for TODAY. Here’s what parents of successful kids do, instead.

Although she and her husband had started to teach phonics lessons to their son, she admitted that they did so for their own benefit—not for his. “I realized I had been forcing phonics on my 18-month-old so that I could brag,” she said.

Since then, Lowery has abandoned her approach. Instead of forcing her now five-year-old son to read, she chooses to teach him other kinds of lessons, instead—including skills in emotional intelligence, curiosity, and creativity.

I'm not teaching my 5-year-old how to read.Don't get me wrong, we read him books all the time. We've imagined…

Posted by Crystal Lowery – Comedian on Saturday, August 19, 2017

“He’s learning how to build: from blocks, to sticks, to Legos, he feels the weight of the different materials in his little sausage fingers, and examines the physical integrity of the various structures he has made,” Lowery wrote in a Facebook post. “He’s learning about ecosystems. He looks at bugs, flowers, and thunderstorms. He sees how fauna and flora inhabit the world together interdependently.”

Thanks to her new parenting approach, Lowery hopes her son will one day have “the ability to try new things without getting frustrated. The ability [to] make friends, even though friendship can be a messy business. The ability to listen to others and follow instructions. The ability to problem-solve. The ability to concentrate on a task.” (These are the signs that you, too, are raising an emotionally intelligent child.)

That doesn’t mean he’ll never touch a book, however. In fact, Lowery and her husband read to him often, from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory to Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. “We’re teaching him to enjoy stories, to get lost in characters,” Lowery wrote. She’s just choosing to leave reading skills as a lesson learned best in the classroom.

Plus, she has no doubt that books will continue to play an important role in her son’s education. “I know my child will be an avid reader someday, because science says reading to kids—not forcing phonics on them—is the number one predictor of literacy,” she told TODAY.

And by the way, if your child’s drawings look like this, you could be raising a genius.

[Source: Yahoo, TODAY]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wlYpdL

Read More

The Serious Reason You Need to Stop Keeping Hair Ties Around Your Wrist

When your hair keeps falling into your face while you’re reading, or a walk gets unbearably sweaty, wearing a hair tie conveniently around your wrist can be a lifesaver (especially if you’re in need of some lazy hair hacks). But you might want to stash it in your bag or drawer instead. Not only is tying your hair up a habit that ruins your hair, but even keeping it on your wrist 24/7 could also create some nasty health problems.

After Kentucky woman Audree Kopp left a hair tie around her wrist, she noticed a huge red bump on her wrist, according to CBS News. It turned out to be a life-threatening infection that required emergency surgery, and her doctor said her hair tie probably caused it. “Contracting a dangerous skin infection from a hair tie is rare, but completely possible” says Faisal Tawwab, MD, a family medicine doctor with MultiCARE Physicians, who didn’t treat Kopp.

How in the world could an innocent black band create such a serious health issue? It all comes down to bacteria.

Your skin is your body’s biggest defense against germs, but broken skin can make it less effective, says vascular and radiology expert Adam Gropper, MD, owner of Vivid Vascular. Your typical “ouchless” hair tie likely won’t do much damage, but a fancy glittery ones and elastics with metal can create tiny scratches. And those little breaks in the skin barrier open a door to let bacteria in your body. “Anything on the hair tie that breaks the skins barrier, even a little, is going to increase the risk of an infection,” says Dr. Gropper. For bigger scrapes, watch out for these signs of skin infection.

Because you use hair ties so often, they pick up all kinds of bacteria—but even new ones aren’t pristine. “If the hair tie is brand new, it’s going to have some bacteria on it,” says Dr. Gropper. “If it’s been used in the hair, then it’s going to have more bacteria on it. If it’s on the wrist, it will have even more.” And the longer it’s on, the bigger the chance that it’s picked up a particularly nasty bacteria like E. coli or Staph, he says. (Don’t miss these other items that are way germier than you thought.)

And those bacteria stick around longer if you have a hair tie than if the skin is bare. If you wash your hands after touching germs, your hands will dry but the hair tie will hold on to water—and the bacteria in it, says Dr. Gropper. Bacteria love warm, moist environments, so they’ll thrive in the hair tie around your once-clean wrist. (It’s the same reason you should clean your bath towels way more often than you do.)

But that’s not all—tight hair ties can heighten the risk of infection even more. If you’ve ever spent a week trying to stretch out a new hair tie, you know how tight they can be. A hair tie that leaves indents on your skin or can’t slide on and off your wrist easily could cause circulation issues, says Dr. Tawwab. With the elastic constantly pressing against your wrist, your blood—along with its immune cells and oxygen to promote healing—has a harder time getting to the area, says Dr. Gropper. “All of this creates a perfect storm, under just the right conditions, for an infection,” he says.

Taking your hair tie of every now and then will cut your chances of picking up germs, says Dr. Tawwab. “To avoid the likelihood of infection, remove the hair tie when doing ‘dirty work’ such as changing a diaper or doing dishes,” he suggests. If you think an old hair tie could be carrying germs, toss it in the laundry (along with these other surprising items you can throw in the washer) or just throw it away, he says. Once you do put your hair up, try these life-changing ponytail hacks.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wH4T9v

Read More

8 Signs of Breast Cancer You Might Be Ignoring (Besides a Lump)

Your nipples look scaly

If the skin of your nipple is suddenly dry, flaky, and scaly-looking, and spreads outward toward the areola and breast, this may be a sign of breast cancer. “A lot of people just have dry skin that goes away, but if you notice the scaling and it doesn’t disappear, that’s concerning,” says Sharon Rosenbaum Smith, MD, a breast surgeon at Mount Sinai West in New York City. These are other secrets your breasts wish they could tell you.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2x2q1Xu

Read More

The Dangerous Reason Why You Should Never, Ever Use Public Wi-Fi

Thanks to expensive data overage fees, you might be tempted to log onto that free public Wi-Fi service while you’re out and about. Don’t let convenience outweigh the consequences, though.

“Think about the cost of being connected all the time. Nothing is free,” David Lee, a product manager for Norton, told CNBC. “The biggest threat is your data, traffic, and identity could be completely exposed.” The Harvard Business Review agrees: “You’re rolling the dice every time you log on to a free network in a coffee shop, hotel lobby, or airport lounge.”

Unfortunately, most people are unaware of the dangers associated with this bad habit. According to a survey by cybersecurity company Symantic, 87 percent of U.S. consumers have used a public internet connection. And a privatewifi.com poll found that over 70 percent of respondents checked their personal email through public Wi-Fi, while 11 percent logged onto their online banking account. (Memorize the best ways to protect yourself online right now.)

No matter how safe the Wi-Fi connection seems to be, using it leaves your computer or smartphone vulnerable to hackers and data thieves. You don’t really know who owns and monitors that router, nor who has access to the data that passes through it. Not to mention, hackers have dozens of ways to compromise public Wi-Fi accounts, from creating a network that appears legitimate to creating pop-ups that trick the user into downloading malware onto their computers. These are all of the tricks hackers use to hack your Internet security.

To protect yourself against hackers, experts say your best defense is a virtual private network (VPN), which encrypts your online activity. You can download your very own VPN through an app for Apple or Android gadgets, or by using the free encryption service CyberGhost. Setting up firewalls and antivirus software will also defend your computer against hackers and malware. But before you even start browsing, use this website to make a foolproof password that keeps you safe from hackers.

[Sources: Harvard Business Review, CNBC, USA TODAY]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wH4UKB

Read More

This Is How a Quarter Can Tell You If Your Food Went Bad During a Power Outage

If you’re anticipating a big storm like a hurricane, protecting (and evacuating!) yourself and your loved ones will be your first priority. But that’s not the only way you need to prep for a hurricane. Perishable items like meat and dairy products could be at risk, too; if your home loses power, your fridge won’t keep them cold, and they could spoil.

No need to worry, though. Thanks to this brilliantly simple trick, you’ll know if the power went out while you were gone—and if the food in your fridge is still safe to eat. (By the way, you should also memorize the ways every homeowner should prepare for a power outage.)

For those of you that are evacuating from the coast, I just heard a great tip. It's called the one cup tip. You put a…

Posted by Sheila Pulanco Russell on Wednesday, October 5, 2016

In her Facebook post, Sheila Pulanco Russell explains what you need to do. First, place the cup full of water in your freezer. Once it’s frozen all the way through, take it out and put a quarter on top of the ice. Then, put back the cup—with the quarter—and leave it there when you head out the door.

You might already know where we’re heading with this. Upon returning home, pull the frozen cup out of your fridge again. You’ll ideally want to find the quarter exactly where you left it: on top. Why? That indicates your freezer’s contents stayed frozen the entire time.

The quarter’s location will also be a sign that your power went out, and in that case, your food might no longer be safe to eat. If the quarter has moved to the bottom of the cup, then you’ll know your food became defrosted while you were gone. A quarter in the middle suggests that the food is likely still OK, since it only partially thawed. Still, you should throw it out if you have any concerns, Sheila says.

And if you want to be extra cautious, here’s how to prepare for any everyday emergency you’ll need to handle one day.

[Source: Country Living]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wGYfAa

Read More

If You Have Any of These Nasty Habits with Your Contact Lenses, You Could Be at Risk of Infection

Kudos to contact wearers everywhere; touching your eye every day is a task only for the bravest at heart. But unbeknownst to many, even the most common bad hygiene practices could leave you with an eye infection—or worse.

A recent report by a team at the Centers for Disease Control and Infection found that 80 percent of contact wearers above the age of 12 have at least one habit known to raise the risk of eye infections. Some of the bad habits included not removing the lenses before bedtime, wearing them in the swimming pool, and skipping eye doctor visits. Learn the 11 mistakes all contact wearers make.

Of more than 6,000 people surveyed, teenagers and young adults were more likely to report having a red or painful eye while wearing contact lenses. To researchers, this was a sign that poor hygiene habits could lead to complications down the road. (For starters, here’s what happens when you sleep in your contact lenses.)

“Young adults have been reported to have poor planning and a more impulsive lifestyle in relation to contact lens hygiene, possibly related to crowded living conditions (e.g., dormitories, living with roommates and sharing bathrooms), alcohol consumption and attitudes conducive to taking greater risks,” the researchers said in their report.

But young adults aren’t the only ones with germy contact lenses. The CDC’s 2015 survey found that millions of contact lens wearers had poor contact lens hygiene, causing nearly one-third of them to see an eye doctor as a result.

To avoid the harmful consequences of a lazy habit or two, the CDC recommends avoiding sleeping, swimming, or showering in lenses, as well as replacing them (and their case!) as often as recommended by an eye doctor. What’s more, contact wearers should always wash their hands with soap and water before touching their lenses, rinsing them with disinfecting solution when they are removed, and regularly visit an eye-care provider. You can even get started today with these simple habits to protect your eyes.

[Source: TODAY]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wHmoXa

Read More

The Simple Trick to Upgrade Your Vocabulary and Make You Sound More Intelligent

They go by many names: distracters, credibility killers, fluency disrupters, disfluencies, fillers. Whatever you want to call them, words such as “um,” “uh,” and “like,” are maddeningly common in our modern vocabularies. In fact, they make up about 20 percent of our day-to-day conversations, researchers say.

The bad news is, not only do all of those “um”s and “ah”s make you sound unintelligent, but they could also harm your credibility and distract your listener. Thankfully, you can reduce those annoying oral habits by simply becoming more aware of them—starting now. You’ll also want to know these must-follow secrets to make you sound instantly more articulate.

Paying more attention to what you say is “the first and most important step” to a better vocabulary, according to communication coach Lisa B. Marshall. Although you’ll never be able to banish filler words for good, listening to yourself on a recording or simply taking note of your conversations throughout the day can increase your awareness of your own bad speaking habits. (And during your next conversation, try slipping in these fancy words to make you sound smarter.)

You can use free audio editing software like Garageband or Audacity, or leave yourself notes around your workspace or home to remind yourself to pay attention to how you speak. While you listen, pay close attention to your disfluencies by listing them and/or counting them. If you count over three or four filler words in one conversation, you need to scale back, Marshall says.

Now that you recognize your favorite disfluencies, you can start resisting the urge to use them. You can also replace those words with more interesting transitional phrases like “Let’s move on to” or “Another important consideration is.” Either way, you’ll be on your way to a more fluent, intelligent vocabulary in no time. (Just don’t forget these vocab swaps that will instantly impress.)

[Source: Business Insider]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2wmvNB1

Read More

Nicolas Roche: ‘The move wasn’t planned, I was just improvising and seeing how it went’

Read More

Chris Froome braced for Alberto Contador attack on stage 11 summit finish at Vuelta a España

Read More

Women, This One Hormone Might Be Causing You to Gain Weight

Nothing can be more frustrating than packing on the pounds, but having no clue why. You haven’t changed your diet, you snooze regularly, and you’re just as active as you were 10 years ago. What gives?

Science just might have an answer for you. In fact, recent studies suggest that a single hormone called F.S.H. could be responsible for your weight gain woes. You might also want to take a look at the other things affecting your weight that aren’t food or exercise.

Using mice in the lab, researchers have tracked the hormone’s role during menopause, as women begin to gain belly fat and lose their bone density. They found that blocking F.S.H. in female mice whose ovaries have been removed increased the calories burned, reduced abdominal fat, slowed bone loss, and even encouraged physical activity in the mice, New York Times reports.

The hormone F.S.H. typically regulates the creation of eggs in women and sperm in men; however, as women’s ovaries begin to fail before menopause, blood levels of F.S.H. increase. Over time, their bones become less dense as their bone marrow fills with fat instead of bone cells.

Dr. Mone Zaidi, professor of medicine at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York City, wanted to test whether there is a connection between bone loss and F.S.H. He and his colleagues created an antibody that blocked F.S.H. in female mice whose ovaries had been removed. Like humans, the female mice should have been gaining fat and losing bone density. But rather than developing fat-filled bone marrow, their metabolic rates increased and they lost significant amounts of fat, instead.

Zaidi and his colleagues believe that a lack of F.S.H. caused the mice’s bodies to convert white fat—which stores energy—into brown fat, which burns calories. Thus, the culprit behind menopausal weight gain might have everything to do with the increase in this one hormone. (Beware: These nighttime habits could make you gain weight, too.)

Sadly, the jury is still out on whether a similar treatment could work on humans, too. But Dr. Zaidi plans to put it to the test, and he is already preparing an anti-F.S.H. antibody to try on humans. Until then, you can get a head start with these 42 fast, easy tips for major weight loss results.

[Source: New York Times]

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2x1wHFv

Read More

There’s a Secret Disneyland Restaurant That Has a 14-Year Waiting List

Disneyland may be one of the happiest places on earth, but even the biggest Disney fans won’t be able to get into one of Disneyland’s worst-kept secrets. Tucked away at the top of the staircase in Disneyland’s New Orleans Square is Club 33, an elite 5-star restaurant you can only access if you’re a member or invited by one. For those interested in joining, there’s a rumored 14-year waiting list. But its luxury isn’t the only reason the waitlist is so long; the process to become a member and its history is what makes this club so exclusive.

In 1964, the New York’s World Fair brought in 51 million people—and one of them was Walt Disney. (Check out this mysterious note he left behind before he died.) It was here that Walt began approaching large corporations with a preposition: to create what would be the most popular attractions in the world. Walt teamed up with Ford, General Electric, Pepsi-Cola, and the State of Illinois. The combination of these sponsors and Walt’s creative mind ultimately resulted in rides and attractions like “It’s A Small World,” “Ford’s Magic Skyway,” “Progressland,” and “Great Moments with Mr. Lincoln.”

During Walt’s stay at the 1964 fair, he was invited to the private VIP lounges of these large corporations. It was then that another idea sparked: to create a lounge in Disneyland devoted to his sponsors—and that’s exactly what he did. So in 1967, Walt returned the favor to his sponsors and welcomed them to his private VIP lounge, called Club 33. (Imagine being there the opening day of Disneyland and actually meeting Walt Disney!)

The official story behind the club’s name is because of its address: 33 Royal Street. However, there’s another speculation that it is named after the 33 corporations that originally sponsored Disney.

Want to join? A membership costs a rumored $25,000 plus an additional $12,000 in annual dues. That’s if they’re actually accepting new members; some years no new members are accepted at all. But before that, you must send a written letter of inquiry to the Club 33 services in California. (Use one of Walt’s quotes or some of these impressive words from Disney songs in your letter to really impress them!) If there are memberships available, the management will contact you.

Here are 24 other mind-blowing facts about Disneyland!

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2vBs29P

Read More

This Is What It Means When We Talk About “Mercury in Retrograde”—and Why You Should Care

You can blame an “off-day” on any number of things: lack of sleep, stressful situations, beautiful weather that distracts you from getting anything productive done. Or you can point fingers at the planet Mercury.

Mercury in retrograde is both a real astronomical event and an astrological crisis. Retrograde motion describes when a planet looks like it’s changing its normal orbit even though its really not. In Mercury’s case, the planet looks like it’s moving backwards, but we just perceive it that way because of how Mercury and Earth move relative to the sun.

Mercury completes its orbit around the sun much more quickly than Earth; one year on Mercury is only 88 Earth days. When Mercury passes Earth in its orbit, to us it looks like the planet is moving backwards. The same principle can be applied to when you pass cars on the highway. It looks like the cars behind you are moving backward because you’re moving faster past them.

Mercury’s case, this happens about four times every year and can last between a week and three and a half weeks before the planet appears to move forward again. If you ever want a quick answer to whether the phenomenon is happening, just go to ismercuryinretrograde.com.

For those who follow astrology, Mercury retrograde has an entirely different significance. They believe that the position of the planets can impact your health, your romantic interests, and other parts of your life. So when a planet is in retrograde, it goes dormant, disrupting everything it controls in your life. And Mercury is in charge of a lot of them: intelligence, memory, communication of any kind, listening, contracts, commerce, computers, and transportation.

So what does that mean for you? It’s recommended that people don’t start anything new while Mercury is retrograde—starting a new job, buying a new apartment, traveling to a new place—and instead focus on reassessing parts of your life. Now, astronomers say that the planets zero effect on any part of our lives. However, you can still use this phenomenon as good excuse to reevaluate where you’re heading—in your career, romantic life, or personal well-being—and figure out if it’s where you want to be going.

So if your computer crashes during retrograde, it won’t automatically be fixed when Mercury returns to its “normal” orbit. But blaming a planet for your problems is probably healthier than blowing up at your IT department.

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2x1cuQ8

Read More

Doing THIS with Your Boarding Pass Could Be a Security Risk

Going on a trip is so exciting—but unfortunately it’s also a great opportunity to get scammed. You know why a luggage lock isn’t very secure; you’re neurotic about knowing where your passport and wallet are at all times. But there’s one little item that’s more important than you realized: your boarding pass.

A boarding pass seems innocent enough. The information isn’t particularly revealing…right?

Not so fast. Anyone with their hands on your boarding pass can find out your name and where you’re headed, but even covering part of that can leave that information—and more—out in the open.

Airlines aren’t the only ones that can scan the barcode on your boarding pass. Websites can read the barcodes, giving hackers access to more information than you want. “With simple information from a boarding pass such as the booking number, it’s possible for a hacker to gain access to the traveler’s seat number, frequent flyer details, fare paid and last four digits of the credit card number used to purchase the ticket,” Experian’s vice president of consumer protection, Michael Bruemmer, tells Forbes. Not exactly data you’re itching to give away.

Knowing your frequent flyer number makes it easy for hackers to mess with you. Once they get on your account (it’s easy enough to get through security questions when Google knows more about you than you realized), they can cancel your flight, change your seat, and more. A Guardian reporter was even able to find a stranger’s passport number from a discarded boarding pass in 2006.

Snopes points out it’s unlikely a boarding pass could lead crooks to particularly sensitive information like bank details, and the chance of getting hacked is rare. “I’ve spent almost every day for the last 20 years advocating travel related consumer cases. I have not heard of personal information being compromised in this way,” travel expert and consumer advocate Christopher Elliott tells Snopes. “That said, it is possible that this represents a security risk.”

Just in case, shred a boarding pass at home instead of tossing it in the trash at the airport, suggests Mark Jones on tech insider site Komando.com. But stay private in the digital world, too, by resisting the temptation to show off your boarding pass on Instagram. Even if you carefully cover the text, leaving the barcode in the picture can make all that private information public. (Don’t miss these other photos you should never share on social media.) May we suggest a window shot midair instead?

from Reader's Digest http://ift.tt/2vBAHcd

Read More