Mobile Phones, Mobile Germs

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  How Sharing Cell Phones Can Get You More Than Just Roaming Fees Over the last decade, cell phones became a staple of society. Over the last five years, cell phones became a way of life. In just a few short years, they became less about making a call and more about social networking. Now, you can hold the world in the palm of your hands - but it’s more than the Internet you have at the tips of your fingers. That bright, HD screen is also home to thousands of germs and potentially harmful strains of bacteria, all just waiting for you to hit “Send.” The trouble with cell phones is they use energy, and energy creates heat. … [Read more...]

Cross Town…Gross Town Series

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"Competition for the Same Objective or for Superiority in the Same Field" Chicago has one of the greatest rivalries in sports; Chicago Cubs vs Chicago White Sox. Even before their first encounter on the field in 1906, there was tension between the teams. Although the teams themselves have had exchanges with words (and a few punches as well), the rivalry is even stronger between fans of both teams. For those of you who are of the fan-base of either team, or if you have been in the company of a fan from either team; you have most likely witnessed some of this tension. When you have a "Northsider", the cubs, and a "Southsider" the White … [Read more...]

The Pickle Parable

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Mythological, the 5-Second Rule Fast-food. America’s guilty pleasure. Governments and doctors warn us about the dangers of fast-food – to our hearts, arteries, skin, weight, even mental functions. You are what you eat, right? But what about the dangers we don’t hear so much about? Dangers other than high cholesterol and obesity, but dangers that could prove just as fatal… Once upon a time, there was a woman who wanted a burger from a “Fast-Food” restaurant. Promised she could have it her way, this woman requested extra pickles on her burger. Placing her order, she pulled ahead to pay her bill and wait patiently for her … [Read more...]

Our special today is “Germs”

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If you are like me, you probably enjoy going out to restaurants once in a while; maybe on a date or celebration, or maybe just to grab a quick bite to eat. Regardless of the reason, you have probably been exposed to the same things that I have, and I’m not talking about wrong orders and/or poor service. When you sit at either a booth or a table with chairs, look around at your surroundings and you will most likely see the same things that myself and I’m sure just about everyone else will see. There are usually 1 of (in many places all of) 6 items that remain on the table (or booth) you are sitting at;   Ketchup … [Read more...]

Going “Old School”: How nude swim class impacts a generation

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Let’s face it, growing up can be challenging for many of us and high school was a place where many awkward moments came up. Gentlemen; where you ever on a date and all of a sudden, your voice cracked? And ladies; did it ever take you longer than expected to find a guy who was as tall as you were (due to a growth spurt)? Each generation has their own stories of what was popular back then (dear god… bell-bottom jeans), and what was accepted (nude swimming for men). Yes, I just said “nude swimming for men”, no this is not something you need to worry about if you are entering high school; it has been taken away since the mid … [Read more...]

Par for the Course

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The Real Danger of Driving One into the Rough When we think of golf, what do we think about? Images of funny pants and polo shirts might spring to mind; maybe a little drinking during the back nine, or perhaps the many shots that seem to find their way into the water or sand traps. If you’re a golfer, you may think of the green of the grass and the stretch of the fairway; of the open sky and shining sun glinting off the metal of the pole as the flag waves gently in the breeze. But what about some of the other things that go on during the game? What about the things we as players do that we try to keep off the score card and out of the … [Read more...]

Six Degrees (or less) of a beer vender

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For those of you who are too young or who don’t enjoy watching movies; you may not know of an actor named Kevin Bacon (yes you can find him on both Wikipedia and Google). He is a talented actor and has been said to have worked with just about everyone in Hollywood…or someone knows a guy who dated a girl and has an aunt whose husband was an extra in “Footloose”. See, I just connected some guy to Kevin Bacon in only 5 steps! The reason I am writing this article about beer vendors (mostly being spotted at sporting events) is because just like Kevin Bacon, they can be connected to a large amount of people in a mere few hours. How this … [Read more...]

Dirty Dog

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What to Be Aware Of for You and Your Pet’s Health We love our pets. We adore them. If we didn't, we wouldn't keep them, or spend hundreds of dollars on them. But we do. We let them sit on our laps when they’re 80 pounds. We let them lick our faces when we get too close. Some of us even let them sleep in our beds. And while these furry friends want to give us nothing but love, they may be giving us more than they, and we, realize. Canines, felines, birds, reptiles, and small animals can all be carriers of bacteria and parasites that can cause their human owners serious harm, while the critters themselves remain unaffected. The fact … [Read more...]

Why don’t employees have sinks outside of restrooms rather than inside?

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This is a question that I always pondered;  how can we trust each other to take advantage of a sink and soap?  Unless you are in a situation where you either have to pay to wash your hands, or someone is threatening to kill you if you wash your hands; you most likely (or at least should) feel obligated to do so. However, I have been in situations where someone walks right past a sink (which works) and heads for the door instead. I also have been in situations where someone walks past a sink, but then returns to the sink…not to wash their hands, but to check out their hair. It’s bad enough to see a customer do this, but what does … [Read more...]

Come Fly With Me…you germs

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Airports; one of the most stressful places a person will most likely encounter in their life.  Several things make this a stressful event; waking up and leaving on time, traffic, and parking are the biggest concerns for people (also if you are a fan of the movie “Home Alone”, don’t forget your kid). As if dealing with these first issues were not bad enough, what about when you actually get to the airport, then what? First off, you have to remember where you parked so you don’t freak out when you come home and can’t remember if you were in section “Royal Blue” row “12”, or section “Navy Blue” row “21”…it … [Read more...]