What’s the best seat in a movie theater? While people do have their own preferences, there actually is one “best seat in the house” at least for the audio. You see, theaters are calibrated for sound from one seat in particular. This episodes begins by telling you which seat that is and where to sit if someone is already sitting in it. https://www.vulture.com/2016/10/how-to-find-best-seat-movie-theater.html?mid=twitter_vulture Can you change your life in four seconds? Yes you can and that is just...
Oct 30, 2021•45 min•Ep. 649
What’s the difference between an antique, a collectible and a vintage item? This episode begins with a brief and helpful explanation. https://www.antique-hq.com/the-difference-between-antique-vintage-and-collectible-item-127/ Since we don’t swear on this podcast, we won’t use the word that BS stands for - but we all know what it is. As you are aware, a lot of people fling BS around to try to make themselves look good or try to sell you something. So, how do you tell what is true, what is a lie a...
Oct 28, 2021•55 min•Ep. 648
If you are booking a commercial flight, what is the best seat to choose? You might want to look at row 49. Listen as I explain why flight attendant Sandra Jeenie Kwon (who has 7 million social media followers) says row 49 is where you will find the best seat on the flight. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-10115201/Flight-attendant-reveals-best-seat-plane-four-rows-back.html Who hasn’t thought, “ I could stand to lose 5-10 pounds”? It seems like everyone wishes they weighed less. Yet, a...
Oct 25, 2021•55 min•Ep. 647
Is it possible to work and stay focused in a messy office or environment? This question has actually been tested by researchers at Princeton to see. Listen and find out what they discovered. https://aurorastorage.com/resources/additional-resources/workspace-clutter-reduces-focus-and-productivity/ For centuries people have used storytelling as a powerful way to communicate. The reason is - it is very effective. That is why great speakers and leaders use stories to make their point and win people ...
Oct 23, 2021•52 min•Ep. 646
There are a lot of benefits to being a happy person. This episode begins by discussing one more reason to look at the bright side of life that can really pay off in your later years. https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2021/09/421506/happiness-early-adulthood-may-protect-against-dementia The only way medicine makes advances is by testing new drugs, vaccines and procedures on people. It's very risky and comes at a steep price according to Dr. Paul Offit an attending physician in the Division of Infectious ...
Oct 21, 2021•53 min•Ep. 645
Becoming a homeowner is a big goal for so many people. It is part of the American dream. But is owning a home always better than renting? This episode begins with some interesting facts that may make renting more attractive. https://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/so-you-think-owning-a-home-will-make-you-happy-dont-be-too-sure/ Also, here is the link to the home ownership/rental calculator: https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2014/upshot/buy-rent-calculator.html What is your consciousness? W...
Oct 18, 2021•55 min•Ep. 644
It is called the “psychology of requests.” That is, if you want someone to do something for you, it is all about how you phrase it. This episode begins with a discussion on the best ways to ask people, so they respond the way you want and do things you want them to. http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2016/09/persuasive-techniques-that-actually-work.html Every day you are presented with problems. According to my guest Marie Forleo, all those problems can be solved with the right attitude and the right ...
Oct 16, 2021•49 min•Ep. 643
Passwords are a real pain. If it is too random, you can’t remember. If you it too easy, you could easily be hacked. So this episode begins with a simple formula to create a new password that you will remember and no one else will ever guess. Source: Eran Katz author of Where Did Noah Park The Ark (https://amzn.to/3at5fmx). When you are asked to make a choice, your decision on what to choose is influenced by so many things including how the options are presented to you, who is presenting them and...
Oct 14, 2021•55 min•Ep. 642
Taking a daily multivitamin seems like it might be good insurance - but is it? This episode begins with a discussion about what taking a multivitamin does or does not do for you or your kids. https://www.fredhutch.org/en/news/releases/2009/02/multivitamins.html With online dating and all the dating apps, it would seem that dating should be a lot easier. After all, you can meet an endless number of people you would never meet otherwise. Is online dating a great way to meet people? Or is the old-f...
Oct 11, 2021•53 min•Ep. 641
I’ll bet there have been times when someone has offered to help you and you declined. You probably said something like, “No, that’s ok I got it.”? Well, why say that? Why we are so reluctant to ask other people for help when we likely could use it? This episode begins with a discussion on why asking for help is hard and yet it is one of the smartest things you will ever do. http://rd.com/advice/relationships/phrases-make-people-trust/ Your Life is ruled by chance and probability. Yet how much do...
Oct 09, 2021•50 min•Ep. 640
Can you actually get sick from being sad? Can prolonged sadness shorten your lifespan? A lot of people think so. This episode begins by looking at the scientific link between sadness and health. http://www.ox.ac.uk/news/2015-12-08-happiness-and-unhappiness-have-no-direct-effect-mortality It would be great if people noticed how competent you are on their own. But that rarely happens. If you want to be seen as confident and competent you have to project that image out to the world. Listen as I spe...
Oct 07, 2021•47 min•Ep. 639
It’s called The Pink Tax. It’s when the women’s version of a product (like razors) costs more than men’s even though it is exactly the same - except maybe the packaging and the color. It happens with a lot of products from toys to clothes - to razors.. This episode begins with an explanation of which women’s products cost more and why it might be better to buy the men’s version. https://www.voanews.com/a/usa_all-about-america_does-pink-tax-force-women-pay-more-men/6177789.html People like to mov...
Oct 04, 2021•52 min•Ep. 638
Can your employer boss spy on you? You bet they can! This episode begins by explaining just how far an employer can go to keep tabs on you and what you are up to. http://workrights.us/ Do you have a lot of self-confidence? Could you use a little more? We probably all could and Lana Otoya author of The Mindset of Self Confidence: Why Self Confidence Has Nothing to Do with Speaking Up or Standing Straight (https://amzn.to/2yKXqWu) joins me to explain how self-confidence works, what it is and how t...
Oct 02, 2021•49 min•Ep. 637
The #2 pencil is the one most of us use most of the time. So, why not a #1 pencil? Is there even such a thing? This episode begins with some remarkable facts about the humble pencil such as why we prefer #2 pencils, how many words the average pencil will write, why the vast majority of pencils are yellow and more. https://www.straightdope.com/21343238/how-come-you-see-2-pencils-but-no-1-pencils Watch the news and you will often see a story about someone who “snapped.” Whether it’s road rage or w...
Sep 30, 2021•55 min•Ep. 636
Jet lag can cause a trip to get off to a tough start. This episode begins with some simple and effective ways to minimize the effects of jet lag so your trip can get good, right from the start. https://www.webmd.com/sleep-disorders/features/jet-lag-remedies Despite all the advances in health and medicine, one thing that has gotten substantially worse is the overweight and obesity problem. Why is it that in the 21st century, so many people make food choices that cause them to be gain weight and b...
Sep 27, 2021•49 min•Ep. 635
I bet everyone has flushed the toilet with their foot to avoid the germs on the handle. I know I have and it turns out to be one of many well-intentioned but flawed techniques to steer clear of germs lurking in nasty places. This episode begins with some ways people try to avoid germs that fail and better ways instead. http://www.menshealth.com/health/things-that-do-not-protect-from-germs/slide/2 Smart people often do stupid things. I bet you have done dumb things and you KNOW you should have kn...
Sep 25, 2021•47 min•Ep. 634
“You’re call is very important to us…” Don’t you just hate hearing that? Having to call customer service can be a long and frustrating experience. So, this episode begins by discussing how to make that experience a little bit smoother. https://www.realsimple.com/work-life/life-strategies/customer-service-tips If you didn’t experience pain, would you appreciate pleasure as much? Do humans actually want and need pain? It’s a fascinating topic that Leigh Cowart has explored. She has put herself thr...
Sep 23, 2021•54 min•Ep. 633
What is the purpose of that ball of cotton in your bottle of pills? You probably think you know but I bet you don’t. This episode begins with an explanation of why that cotton is in there and what you should do with it. https://www.businessinsider.com/why-huge-cotton-ball-comes-pill-bottles-medicine-health-pharmacy-prescription-2017-5 I am sure you have wanted to ask someone to do something for you but felt reluctant. It seems we hate to ask people for things. Even when we do, we often say, “Gee...
Sep 20, 2021•50 min•Ep. 632
How could using reusable grocery bags affect your body? f you take your own bags to the grocery store, there may be an unintended health consequence – and it’s not good. Listen as this episode begins by revealing what happens to some people who use reusable grocery bags. https://grist.org/food/are-your-reusable-grocery-bags-making-you-fat/ Every driver has a real impact on the flow of traffic according to Tom Vanderbilt, author of the book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What It Says Abo...
Sep 18, 2021•40 min•Ep. 631
You make a countless number of decisions every single day, from what to have for breakfast to what toothpaste to buy. This episode begins with a discussion on how humans make decisions and choices and how to recognize which ones you are probably spending too much time worrying about. https://fs.blog/2014/09/the-history-of-cognitive-overload We all spend a good portion of most days in conversations with other people. Yet, we seldom really understand what goes on “under the radar” in those convers...
Sep 16, 2021•51 min•Ep. 630
Have you ever felt that urge to snoop or eavesdrop on someone? Actually, everyone does it. This episode begins with a brief discussion on why humans and most other creatures eavesdrop and the purpose it serves. Source: John Locke author of the book Eavesdropping (https://amzn.to/3l7rIud) When you think about all the tasks you do throughout the day, there are probably some you could do better, easier and more efficiently. So, Erin Ruddy interviewed some top experts to find out how for her book, T...
Sep 13, 2021•53 min•Ep. 629
What could be cuter than a young child and a dog together? Yet, it could be a very dangerous situation. This episode begins with a warning about leaving young children alone with a dog even if the child and dog are familiar with each other. https://drsophiayin.com/blog/entry/kids-and-dogs-how-kids-should-and-should-not-interact-with-dogs/ Do you ever wish you had more willpower? It does seem that some people have a lot more of it than others. Psychologist Kelly McGonigal says you probably have m...
Sep 11, 2021•49 min•Ep. 628
Putting nitrogen in your car’s tires (instead of just plain air) is kind of a trendy thing. If you ever see those green caps on the tire’s valve stems - that is supposed to indicate a tire with nitrogen in it. Since it costs money (up to $10 or more per tire) to fill it with nitrogen, this episode begins with a discussion on what the supposed benefits are and whether it is worth it. https://www.consumerreports.org/tire-buying-maintenance/should-you-use-nitrogen-in-car-tires-a6260003694/ The scie...
Sep 09, 2021•53 min•Ep. 627
Want to be really happy? If so, it makes sense to ask happy people what makes them happy. So we begin this episode by revealing what happy people say are the things that makes them so happy so you can be happy too! Source: John Izzo, author of The 5 Secrets You Must Know Before You Die (https://amzn.to/2DdJDLA) The one word you likely hear more than any other throughout your life is – NO! For some people no means no but for others it means something else entirely. BJ Gallagher, author of the boo...
Sep 06, 2021•48 min•Ep. 626
Here’s a question for you if you wear a watch. Have you washed it recently? I bet not. So, this episode begins with just how gross and disgusting the surface of your watch and watchband are and why they need a bath right now – today! http://www.ladbible.com/news/uk-watches-three-times-dirtier-than-toilet-seats-study-finds-20190623 There are some people believe vaccines cause autism – science says no. Some people believe in ghosts and UFOs – science says no. But just because science can’t explain...
Sep 04, 2021•47 min•Ep. 625
You already know how important a good night’s sleep is. But how much is enough? This episode begins with some startling information about how just 15 minutes more sleep per night can make a big difference. https://conservancy.umn.edu/handle/11299/162769 We all want pleasure in life. In fact, most of us have a lot of pleasure. Maybe too much pleasure. And all that pleasure can make you miserable according to Dr. Anna Lembke. She is a psychiatrist and medical director of the Stanford Addiction Med...
Sep 02, 2021•51 min•Ep. 624
We all want to save energy and money - but does doing things like turning off lights or unplugging appliances really do much or are there other things you could do that have more impact? This episode begins with a look at what does and doesn’t do much to conserve energy and reduce your utility bill. https://www.pnas.org/content/107/37/16054 Some people seem to excel under pressure while other choke. Why? Listen as I talk with Dane Jensen, a consultant and CEO of Third Factor (https://www.thirdfa...
Aug 30, 2021•51 min•Ep. 623
When you think about preventing skin cancer, you most likely think about sunscreen and limiting sun exposure. But what about diet? Could the right diet help prevent you from getting skin cancer? This episode begins with a brief discussion on some interesting research about diet and skin cancer. https://www.skincancer.org/blog/can-your-diet-help-prevent-skin-cancer/ Imagine if you could start a successful side business with little money and get it up and running in 30 days. Does it sound impossib...
Aug 28, 2021•51 min•Ep. 622
Not all that long ago, just about everyone had a landline home telephone. It had one phone number and everyone in the house used that number. Things sure have changed. How have they changed? This episode begins by discussing how many U.S. homes still have landlines, how many don’t and (surprisingly) how many U.S. homes have no telephone of any kind at all. https://nationalinterest.org/blog/buzz/study-only-40-percent-us-households-have-landline-135212 Body language and nonverbal communication can...
Aug 26, 2021•53 min•Ep. 621
Interruptions can be infuriating - especially at work. They can ruin your concentration and your productivity. However, there may be an upside to getting interruptions that balance out those negatives. I begin this episode with information about a new study that shows that interruptions have a silver lining. https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2021/08/210803175253.htm Is being an introvert or extrovert determined by conditioning or are you born that way? And is being one better than the other?...
Aug 23, 2021•51 min•Ep. 620
