Wednesday, July 27, 2011

Ice Melt Poses Obstacles For Polar Bears


Polar bears are swimming longer distances because of melting sea ice, according to a new study conducted with satellite tracking devices. The research, presented by U.S. Geological Survey biologist Anthony Pagano at the International Bear Association Conference, identified 50 long-distance swims by adult female polar bears between 2004 and 2009 in the southern Beaufort and Chukchi seas. There are 20,000 to 25,000 polar bears worldwide — they are listed as threatened under the U.S. Endangered Species Act and experts said they routinely swim 10 miles or more. Researchers collected data from 68 GPS collars attached to bears over the course of six years, and combined that information with satellite imagery of sea ice. Twenty bears in the survey swam more than 30 miles at a time. The longest-distance swim was 426 miles; the longest-lasting swim was 12.7 days, with a few brief breaks on drift ice. Eleven of the bears that swam long distances had young cubs when researchers attached the collars, and five of those mothers lost their cubs while swimming.

Tattoos For Back To School?!


Parents plan to spend the bulk of their beefed up back-to-school budgets on the usual items including clothing and computers, according to a survey by NRF and American Express. More unusual investments also made the list: teeth whitening and tattoos appeared alongside haircuts in the “cosmetic services” category. The majority of consumers with children in preschool through high school expect to spend more or the same per child on back to school shopping this year compared to last year. The average family of four will spend $550 preparing for their kids’ return to the classroom. While 39% of Americans plan to spend more on back to school shopping this year than in 2009, 63% say they will have a set budget. Clothing, shoes and school supplies are the leading anticipated back to school expenses.

Clothing 88% $240

Shoes 86% $100

School Supplies 85% $90


34% of parents say electronics are on their back-to-school shopping list. The largest single purchase 18% of parents will make is a new computer or laptop, spending an average of $530. Other electronics on the shopping list include:

Calculators 16%         E-Readers/iPads 5%

Cell phones 11%        Printers 5%

MP3 players 7%

Barber shops, nail salons, and even spas will be stops on the back to school shopping circuit with 45% of parents intending to spend on cosmetic services and 37% expecting to spend on beauty products as part of their kids’ back to school preparation:

Haircuts 89% $40

Hair Styling (highlights/straightening) 37% $60

Manicure/Pedicure 24% $50

Teeth Whitening 18% $70

Spa Services (facial/body treatment) 12% $80

Waxing 11% $50

Tattoos 9% $70

Outside the classroom, parents will spend plenty on extra-curricular activities. Specifically:
Sports/Athletics 35% $150

Art Classes 14% $90

Music Lessons 12% $280

Tutoring/Test Prep 8% $160

Getting News Online


More than half of Americans, 56%, go online once or twice per day for news, and nearly one-third go online for news three or more times per day a new survey by Ongo shows. Other findings:


•34% of Americans go to two news sites daily to stay informed, followed by 26% relying on three sites and 24% who go to four sites or more.

•37% of Americans spend between 15 and 30 minutes reading news online each day; 26% spend between 31 minutes and one hour; and 21% spend up to 15 minutes.

•The three most important news categories for Americans are national news (77%), followed by world news (75%) and local news (73%). Health and politics were the next most important news categories, at 50% and 49% respectively.

Americans Want More Chocolate, Less Celebrity News


Americans want more chocolate, vacation and sleep, but less celebrity gossip and reality TV, but keep in mind that the survey was conducted by 3 Musketeers. The survey found that while more than 90% of Americans want more chocolate, vacation and sleep, nearly an equal amount of those surveyed (89%) indicated that they’ve had enough of the bicep-bulging, fist pumping, feuding, shore-loving men. The survey also found:

•With nearly 1,000 channels available on cable and satellite systems, 58% of Americans want more TV channels.
•Two out of three Americans want less dancing celebrities, amateur singers and fashion or culinary hopefuls on TV.

•As crucial and cool as technology has become, 54% are interested in having less Gs, Ds, Apps and other technology.
•An average of $200 million is being pumped into summer blockbuster movies; but 66% of Americans would like to watch less super hero-themed movies.

•Before campaign season officially begins, nearly 90% of those surveyed would like to see less bickering elephants, donkeys and tea cups. Also, 82% of respondents would like to see less politically slanted cable TV shows.



Gained Weight? 50% Chance You’ll Be Dumped


Results of a survey shows that 48% of men would break up with their girlfriend if she gained weight compared to only 20% of women who would do the same. Askmen.com in partnership with Cosmopolitan.com surveyed 70,000 people on whether or not they would dump a partner for weight gain, as well as 38 other relationship questions. The only common ground that men and women seemed to agree on was soon-to-be developed male birth controls pills: 50% of women advocate their partner’s taking of birth control while more than 60% of men would want to take it. Other findings:

•Two-thirds of men said they had fantasized about their partner’s friends, while only one-third of women had done so.

•39% of men chose family as their top choice of the ultimate status symbol. By contrast, 43% of women selected a beautiful home, compared to only 6.5% of men. One-quarter of women named a successful partner as a top status symbol.
•38% of women think each should pay their own way on a date, versus 33% who think men should foot the bill. But 59% of men think they should cover the tab, at least until a relationship is established.

•Nearly 80% of men said they feel cheated by the divorce courts.

•Women are also far less comfortable with their mates keeping in touch with their ex. More than two-thirds of men are okay with their partner friending an ex on Facebook, as opposed to 38% of women.

•Three-quarters of men surveyed said they consider sexting cheating.
•85% of men said that they would be okay with having a partner who makes more money than they do; 73% of women say that they would be okay with having a partner who makes less than them. And 12% of female respondents are already in a relationship where they make more money than the guy.
•50% of men in their 30s have met a woman online – the highest percentage of any age group.
•30% of men between the ages of 20-24 and 28% of men between the ages of 25-28 wouldn’t rule out the internet as a way to meet a woman if they’ve never done online dating before – the highest percentages of any age group.

Tops Cities For Bachelorettes


Phoenix is the top city for bachelorettes, according to a new survey by Rent.com. Phoenix topped the list thanks to its high male-to-female ratio and a low cost of living. “Add in plenty of sunshine and warm-weather activities and your dating life is already looking up,” Rent.com added. The top 10 cities for single women:

1. Phoenix        6. Chicago

2. Seattle          7. Los Angles

3. Austin           8. Las Vegas

4. Denver          9. New York

5. Washington, D.C. 10. San Jose

Tuesday, July 26, 2011

Breathalyzer For Breast Cancer?


Researchers in South Korea say they can detect breast cancer at the earliest stage by analyzing a person’s breath. RNL Natural conducted a study of 35 women diagnosed with breast cancer and 35 healthy women without breast cancer. The study found breath analysis – inspired by a dog’s ability to recognize distinct scents in an extremely sensitive manner – can help physicians screen breast cancer patients at a very early stage. The testing method uses a breathalyzer that recognizes patterns of volatile organic compounds. A patent is pending and the findings are scheduled to be published by the end of this year.



NFL Lockout Over


National Football League officials announced a deal yesterday to end the 136-day lockout. Player reps unanimously voted, 32-0, to ratify terms to a new 10-year collective bargaining agreement. Players can return to their team’s facility starting today for volunteer workouts since being banned from entering over four months ago. A key sticking-point for the deal was that the players could use their team’s facility to hold meetings in order to recertify as a union. Up until now, the owners had denied that request. Players will now be allowed to use the facilities to tentatively discuss topics they were previously not allowed to discuss. Once a union again, player reps can vote on topics like player discipline fines, league drug programs and workers comp. Owners can point to victories, such as gaining a higher percentage of all revenue – they get 53%, players 47%; the old deal was closer to 50-50. There’s also a new system that will rein in spending on contracts for first-round draft picks. Players, meanwhile, persuaded teams to commit to spending nearly all of their salary cap space in cash and won changes to offseason and in-season practice rules that should make the game safer. One important compromise came on expanding the regular season from 16 to 18 games, which owners favored. That can be revisited for the 2013 season, but players must approve any change.



400 Richest Americans Pay 18% Tax Rate


The 400 richest Americans used to pay 30% of their income on the average to Uncle Sam. Today, they pay 18% on average, according to Steve Ratner, a Wall Street financier, who just presented the numbers to MSNBC. The main reason for the drop in their tax rate of some 40% is the tax cuts by George Bush in 2003, taking the rate paid on dividends and capital gains down to 15%. This reduction in the investment class’s taxes powered the bull market in stocks from the fall of 2003 until the fall of 2007.



Top Value Cities

Kiplinger’s Personal Finance has named its top 10 cities that provide the best value, and Omaha tops the list. The site took into consideration economy, living costs and available amenities. The list cites Omaha’s revamped downtown and waterfront area as factors in attracting entrepreneurs and businesses such as Paypal. Here’s Kiplinger’s Best Cities of 2011:


1. Omaha, NE                           6. Lexington, KY

2. Charlotte, NC                       7. Little Rock, AR

3. Nashville, TN                        8. Wichita, KS

4. Colorado Springs, CO          9. Cedar Rapids, IA

5. Knoxville, TN                     10. Cincinnati, OH

Best Cities To Raise Your Family

Any place you choose to put down roots will have pros and cons. Parenting magazine recently examined American cities to come up with the best paces for families. Factors included great schools, affordable homes, low crime rates, plenty of jobs, and lots of parkland. Here are the top 10 cities to raise a family in 2011, according to Parenting magazine:


1. Washington, D.C.                                  6. Madison, Wisconsin

2. Austin, Texas                                        7. Honolulu, Hawaii

3. Boston, Massachusetts                          8. Omaha, Nebraska

4. St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota            9. Seattle, Washington

5. Des Moines, Iowa                              10. Louisville, Kentucky

Top U.S. Cities For Singles

Looking for Mr. or Ms. Right? Head to New Orleans. In this year’s America’s Favorite Cities survey, readers evaluated 35 cities on boutique hotels, coffee bars, mass transit, and how bar scenes lend themselves to meeting new people. NOLA is holding tight to its No. 1 spot from last year: it’s also No. 1 for cocktails and fascinating people. Mingling there is not just about trading Mardi Gras beads, either. If you want to check out the scene beyond Bourbon Street, go to Frenchmen Street, popular with the locals for live music, dancing and bars. New Orleans also ranked first for its neighborhood cafés. The best cities to be single include:
1. New Orleans, Louisiana     4. New York, New York

2. Austin, Texas                     5. Chicago, Illinois

3. Las Vegas, Nevada

Social Media Regret

Have you ever put something on the Internet you later – or immediately – regretted? If so, you’re not alone. A new Marist College poll finds 18% of Americans have regretted a posting they put on the Internet. The survey found 24% of Internet surfers younger than 45 have the most regrets. The poll also found 21% of men say they sent something they wished they didn’t, compared to 15% of women. Overall, half of Internet users said social media like Facebook and Twitter, which helped sink former Rep. Anthony Weiner, do more harm than good. About one-third (33%) say social media does more good than harm; 17% are unsure.



Doggone Fun Cities!


DogFriendly.com’s Top 10 Dog-Friendly Cities in the United States for 2011 gives you a wide variety of pet-friendly places to visit. At No. 1 is Portland, Oregon, home to the famous and dog-friendly Rose Gardens and the Lucky Lab. The top cities were chosen for their pet-friendly accommodations, transportation, beaches, park, attractions, stores, dining and more. Here are the remainder of this year’s Top 10:

2. Chicago – Visit the Navy Pier, dine in elegance, cruise on a pet-friendly tour boat or walk the parks.

3. San Diego – The country’s best dog beaches and trails and world class pet-friendly shopping centers.
4. Seattle – Take public transportation with your leashed dog. Many pet-friendly venues.
5. Philadelphia – Get a famous cheese steak. See historic early American sites and stay in a downtown luxurious hotel with Fido.

6. Minneapolis – Great hiking trails, parks and pet-friendly dining.

7. Austin – Dog-Friendly parks, outdoor cafes, and you can take tours and see the Zilker Gardens and Congress Street bats.

8. Alexandria/ D.C. – See the capital’s sites, walk in charming Old Town, or take a dog cruise on the Potomac.

9. New York – Luxury hotels welcome dogs, Central park beckons, off-leash parks everywhere.
10. Indianapolis – Many historical sites, nature preserves, trails and parks.

Honorable Mentions: Charlotte, Dallas, Nashville, Orlando, Raleigh. Find out more at www.dogfriendly.com/top10.

Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Behind The Potty Door


Would it surprise you to know that one in five adults leaves the washroom without washing their hands? The busiest room in the house may also be the least efficient, according to a recent study by Delta Faucet. The brand recently teamed up with Savvy Mommy Victoria Periconto to launch a nationwide survey to uncover Americans’ bathroom behaviors. Findings included:

  • Nearly 75% of households have at most two bathrooms, which each person uses more than 5-10 times each day. The average American household has 2.6 residents, meaning those rooms are visited 13-26 times daily.
  • Nearly one in five Americans neglect to wash their hands after using the bathroom, with women only slightly more likely to wash than men.
  • Respondents who were married wash their hands less compared to those who were single.
  • Other groups who wash their hands less frequently include those among the highest income bracket ($75K+) and parents with young children.
  • Millennials wash their hands the least, lathering up 10% less than Baby Boomers.
  • 57% of people consistently neglect to turn off the water while brushing their teeth or shaving.
  • Most consumers have not installed a water-saving faucet or aerator in their home. In fact, most Americans have not even replaced their bathroom faucet in more than 10 years.

Let Grandma Drive

A study on grandparent drivers has researchers doing a double-take over the results. The study found that kids may be safer in cars with grandma or grandpa at the wheel instead of mom or dad. The results from an analysis of State Farm insurance claims for 2003-07 car crashes in 15 states found that, overall, 1.05% of kids were injured when riding with parents, versus 0.70% of those riding with grandparents, or a 33% lower risk. The difference was even more pronounced – 50% – when the researchers took into account other things that could influence injury rates, including not using car seats, and older-model cars. The findings fly in the face of previous evidence that car crashes are more common in older drivers, mostly those beyond age 65. Researchers speculate that grandparents are extra-cautious when tasked with driving their grandchildren.

10 Useless Résumé Words

You’ve beefed up your résumé, but are you just saying the same thing everyone else is? “Generic hyperbole belongs on cereal boxes, not on résumés,” says Duncan Mathison, a career consultant and co-author of “Unlock the Hidden Job Market: 6 Steps to a Successful Job Search When Times Are Tough.” Mathison adds, “If it does not pass the ‘So what, anybody can make that claim’ test, leave it off.” Instead of being another candidate professing to be a “hard worker,” scan your résumé for empty, overused words such as:

1. Outstanding 6. Excellent
2. Effective 7. Driven
3. Strong 8. Motivated
4. Exceptional 9. Seasoned
5. Good 10. Energetic

On the flip side, certain words can make hiring managers do a double take. Catch their attention with these 10 words and phrases:

1. Created 6. Researched
2. Increased 7. Accomplished
3. Reduced 8. Won
4. Improved 9. On time
5. Developed 10. Under budget