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SEPTEMBER 09 Final
RANDOM NEWS & TIPS AROUND THE ISLES AND BEYONDBy JK and Steve McCrea
Late summer Florida is no place for wimps. With a average of 1.4 million lighting strikes a year, humidity hovering around 80% (Nat’l Weather Service) -- not to mention winged or scaly wildlife -- it’s time to think SURVIVAL. Let’s turn to lighter thoughts, like fashion. Why ruin shoes in the Whole Foods parking lot when there are campy colored folding boots for pockets and glove compartments? Shuella’s $50 boot comes in hot colors from black to pink. (Shuella.com) There’s a new Crocs high heel for the same price. Sensible guys and gals get equal protection from Totes boots for around $20. FOR THE HOME SURVIVALISTStoring fresh water uses a lot of space. It’s also not easy to sterilize a bathtub. Check out the award winning Watersafe “Bathtub Bladder.” Sterile, strong and compact, the Watersafe folds away until needed. Fit it into the bathtub and it keeps up to 65 gallons of H20 clean enough for drinking and bathing. Three models range from 5 gallons to 65 gallons with prices from $12.99 - $34.99. (watersafe.com)
OY, THAT CAN HURTA full bladder, the human kind, is roughly the size of a soft ball, with a capacity of 300 to 1000 ml, although some can hold as much as 2000 ml. (Wikipedia) Pressure at the bottom of the Marianna Trench is about 1000 times that of the surface. That’s as heavy as 50 jumbo jets! (History Channel 4/26/09)
YOU DID WHAT?Don’t Hold It A storm hits, someone cuts a foot, the pharmacy is closed; what to do?The answer? Pee on the cut. Fresh urine is mostly pure and will actually kill bacteria and fungus (Chacha.com, among others). For thousands of years many cultures including the Ancient Egyptians, Aztecs and American Indians have used urine therapy. (Wikipedia) Although fresh urine is sterile, left standing it provides an excellent medium for bacterial growth. We suggest you only use fresh. Don't try to keep it in the 'fridge overnight or for when guests drop in. (Heartland Healing)Crocodile Hunter Passes the BatonAfter safety and fashion, one should think about food. Now’s the time to check out the yard. Dinner is probably sunbathing at the pool. Yes, it’s those nasty iguanas. Eat well and rid yourself of iguana poop at the same time. Iguana hunter George Cera recommends we grab a pellet gun and fire away. Then reach for Cera’s cookbook, "Eat an Iguana, Save Florida." Cera has killed more than 16,000 Boca Grande iguanas since 2007 and was featured on NBC 6 demonstrating the best in iguana meat tacos. Buy the cookbook at www.iguanacookbook.com ($28.15 postage paid). Comments? Write [email protected], not us. Author Note: There is no existing reliable iguana repellant or trap on the market although one is currently being tested at Hugh Turner Pest Control. Let us know if you find one that works.
WHEN TECHNOLOGY FAILSForecasters always remind us that the most dangerous threat from a hurricane is not the wind but the storm surge. While the expected storm surge in a Category 2 storm is 6-8 feet, stronger storms can generate an 18-footer. (The Florida Quiz Book by H. Temple)
“When Technology Fails” author Matt Stein advises everyone to keep an ax and life preserver in the upper story or attic of their home for just such times. Find more free survival tips on Stein’s website, www.Whentechfails.com.
SWEARING NEW FORM OF FIRST AIDA new study suggests that curse words can reduce pain and increase endurance. Researchers at England’s Keele University had subjects submerge their hands in ice water for extended times. Sometimes with cursing and other times without. Those who used genuine swear words could better endure pain. Scientist suspect it’s because swear words tap into a different area of the brain than everyday language, the area centered on emotion.
READY TO RUN?Mexico City has a deal for you. Desperate to win back tourists after the swine flu scare, the government of Mexico City is offering free health insurance including hospitalization, medicines and even transportation home for visiting tourists who fall ill or are involved in an accident. The offer is good until the end of the year. Some higher end properties aren’t taking part. (Houston Chronicle 08/03/09) But remember, there’s more to flying than a ticket. American Airlines, United Airlines and US Airways topped the worst airline meal list. Rated best for in-flight meals are Singapore Airlines, Air France and local airline Continental. United, American and US Airways were cited for having the least comfortable economy-class seats as well as the rudest flight attendants. (SeatGuru.com June ’09)
TOP SPAS OFFER GREAT SEPTEMBER DEALSTake advantage of any of 12 of Fort Lauderdale’s finest spas during the month of September with their special $99 spa treatment deals. Places like the Ritz Carlton, W Hotel, Diplomat in Hallandale, and the Hollywood Beach Marriot are aching to get their hand on you. Go to Sunny.org/SpaChic to select from massage, facials, aromatherapy to loofah treatments plus overnight specials. Don’t miss the video instant relaxation yoga exercises by Ina Lee on the same website.Upcoming October Deals35 top Broward restaurants are offering 3-course $35 menus Oct. 1 -- Nov. 12. View the offers at Sunny.org/dineout.
The AuthorsJK and Steve Mccrea are professional writers, marketing consultants, educators, photographers and lecturers. When we can’t sleep, we do websites: RoadLovers.com; TeachersToTeachers.com; FreeEnglishLessons.com; JKmccrea.net; and Cruisetalks.net.Use [email protected] for suggestions, praise and party invitations. Criticism will be ignored.OCTOBER 09 Final
RANDOM NEWS & TIPS By JK and Steve McCrea
THE FLAP OVER FLIP-FLOPSFlorida beaches and flip-flops are almost synonymous. Those beloved shoes are also magnets for unhealthy bacteria. Two reporters with the New York Daily News wore flip-flops around the city for four days. The rubber sandals were then tested at a lab. They
were covered with as many as 18,000 types of germs including potentially dangerous fecal matter, skin and staph germs. The message is wrap those flip-flops before bagging them.
FIRST DOESN’T MEAN BESTForbes Magazine has rated Miami-Fort Lauderdale-Pompano Beach as number 20 out of their 40 most stressful US cities to live (forbes.com 08/09). We beat out San Diego at #16, followed by Tampa as #17 although Orlando was better at number 28. Chicago and New York headed the list in that order. Factor used to determine this were median home price drop, sunlight, air quality, cost of living, unemployment and population density. Austin, Texas came is as the least stressful. Lake Mary, Florida, is number 96 in Money Magazine’s rating of 100 least stressful US cities with populations under 50,000 (Money.com). Miami received recognition from Men’s Fitness Magazine as the nation’s 7th fattest city.
HELP FOR THE HEFTYThe caffeine in about 2 cups of coffee boosts metabolism for at least 1.5 hours afterward, according to Skidmore College researchers. Sugar or cream blunts the effect. The same researchers found that people who got 40% of their daily calories from protein lost significantly more body fat than those whose diets had only 15% protein with the identical number of calories. Still Hungry?Bite into the latest weight loss product, “Huge Lips Skinny Hips,” a diet lip gloss containing the appetite suppressant Hoodia. On the other hand, if you can’t stop those hunger attacks you might prefer Po Zu edible shoe polish. The product uses natural “green” ingredients that manufacturers insist are good for skin care, in drinks and “on toast” (Greenfibres.com). By the way, in 2004 the Federal Aviation Administration increased its estimate of the average male’s weight from 170 to 184 lbs.
THE COUPON GAMEMany online products show a box labeled “coupon” on the order page. You might do better at Retailmenot.com. Enter the name of the website or product. The website has coupon codes and printable retail coupons for over 30,000 websites and stores. Numerous offerings include drinks, grocery products, computers, shoes etc.
DID YOU KNOW THIS?A Federal Reserve study found that people earn an average of 1.8% more per every inch they are taller than the national average. It was also found that attractive people earn 5% more than the median salary, while unattractive people earn up to 9% less than average (Federal Reserve on current.tv). Roman soldiers were paid in salt, hence the word “salary” (history.com). The 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic killed almost 20 million people, more than twice that of WW1 (history.com). The most popular TV series worldwide is “House,” followed by “Desperate Housewives” (Eurodata TV Worldwide). Meteorites are commonly worth about $.50 to $1,000 gram. In comparison, a one carat diamond weighs about 1/5 of a gram.(meteorlab.com).
LET THE CHIPS FALLAccording to Eat This Not That author David Zinczenko, 80% of the salt we take in comes from processed foods. For every gram of sodium you consume, the body hangs on to 3 grams of water (Dr. Nancy Snyderrman, NBC Today).
FORGET SOMETHING?Older people fail to recognize someone they’ve seen before 43% of the time. Odds of remembering a face are better for those 36 and under. Scientists think memory starts to go between ages of 40-60 (Health.com-Journal of Neuroscience). Where were we? Oh yeah, an Australian study has shown that clouds make us smarter. Researchers found that people remember more when days are cloudy, as opposed to sunny (NBC Today). Chewing gum might also help as it’s been found to stimulate and improve concentration (Big Changes Big Results by Ellie Krieger).
FLORIDA FACTSFlorida is not the southernmost US state; Hawaii is. There are more than 800 Florida Keys, some very tiny and as far as 180 miles into the ocean. Gatorade was developed in Gainesville, Florida, originally for the UF “Gators” football team (about.com).
35 for $35 – GREAT MEALS FOR LESSDon’t forget that $35 gets a 3-course gourmet meal at 35 of Fort Lauderdale’s finest restaurants. Offer is good through November 12 (sunny.org/dineout).
The AuthorsJK and Steve Mccrea are professional writers, marketing consultants, educators, photographers and lecturers. When we can’t sleep, we do websites: RoadLovers.com; TeachersToTeachers.com; FreeEnglishLessons.com; JKmccrea.net; and Cruisetalks.net.Send suggestions, praise and party invitations to [email protected]. Criticism will be ignored. Past issues can be found at randomnewsandtips.com.
