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FLAG DAY
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SPRING FORWARD

Posted On: March 03, 2015

WHY DO WE CHANGE THE CLOCKS ?

 

Some things always seem to signal the change from winter to spring. The first crocus. The sound of birds chirping. Turning the clocks ahead an hour.

On Sunday, March 8, at 2 a.m., people in most areas of the U.S. will turn their clocks ahead one hour to Daylight Saving (not “Savings”) Time.

You may have already noticed that it’s staying lighter later, thanks to the normal course of the Earth’s movements in relation to the sun, but Daylight Saving Time turbocharges this process. Of course, no daylight is actually being saved. We’re just moving an hour of daylight to later in the day — so, for example, on March 8 when the clock reads 6 p.m., it will look pretty much as bright as it was at 5 p.m. the day before. By the time June is here we’ll be able to enjoy the twilight well into the evening.

Not everyone participates in this temporal engineering. A handful of U.S. states and territories, including most of Arizona, Hawaii, American Samoa, Guam, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands, stick to Standard Time. 

Many people welcome the tradition of “springing” forward. It means an extra hour of daylight in the evenings, and signals the approach of spring and summer. So what’s the problem?

Well, some people complain about the lost hour of sleep (although they’ll probably be back on their game within a day or so), as well as the dark mornings for early-bird commuters. And be careful: Some studies show there’s an uptick in morning accidents after the switch because people aren’t used to traveling in the darkness.

Haters can start counting down the days until we (in the U.S.) turn our clocks back an hour and “fall” back to Standard Time on the second Sunday in November.

So even though we still have a few weeks to go until it’s officially spring, and in much of the country a lot longer until it actually feels like spring, celebrating Daylight Saving Time is a first step.

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DOES STRESSING OUT CAUSE YOUR HAIR TO TURN GREY?

Posted On: January 27, 2015

DON’T STRESS THE GRAY HAIR      

 

Read this today on Yahoo….

According to the article from ABC Newsbusters

There are No 50 shades about it - grey can be a difficult color to pull off. Especially when it’s on your head.

So is the only way to avoid grey locks to live a life free of stress and strain?

Turns out, Each of us have two chemicals in our bodies: melanin, which is the pigment in our hair, and hydrogen peroxide. Early in life, it seems that melanin overpowers the hydrogen peroxide - allowing us to have a colorful head of hair.

Later in life, though, the hydrogen peroxide seems to overtake the melanin, causing a loss of pigmentation and a greying of the hair. “But,” Dr. Michael Stern, an Emergency Medicine Physician at New York Presbyterian Hospital says “in terms of stress causing grey hair, there is no scientific proof whatsoever.”

So what does this mean, well for starters, you can apologize to your significant other, and you may now resume your stress-filled lives without the added weight of worrying about hair color.

O, and be glad the hair is still there in the first place. LOL!!

 

 

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WINTER HELP FOR OUR PETS

Posted On: January 13, 2015

 Your pet needs protection from the cold

 This week the cold and stormy weather seems to have really set in. While we bundle up, our pets are sometimes not given the appropriate attention.

 Here are some tips for keeping our pets safe and healthy.

           Keep them inside when the temperature drops below freezing.

  • Bang on the hood of your car before starting it to scare away stray cats that may have sought warmth from the engine.
  • Never let your dog off the leash on snow or ice, especially during a snowstorm, when dogs can lose their scent and become lost. More dogs are lost during the winter than any other season, so keep ID tags on a well-fitting collar.
  • Wipe off your dog's paws, legs and belly after a walk to remove ice, salt and antifreeze. Make sure a freshly bathed dog is completely dry before taking it outside.
  • Put a coat or sweater with a high collar on short-haired dogs.
  • Check your dog's paws frequently for signs of cold-weather injury or damage, such as cracked paw pads or bleeding. During a walk, sudden lameness may be due to ice accumulation between the toes.
  • Postpone housebreaking puppies during the coldest months.
  • Don't leave a pet alone in a room with a space heater. It could get knocked over and start a fire.
  • Dogs that can tolerate long, cold walks -- the larger breeds with thick fur -- will need to eat more high-protein food.
  • Pets need a place to sleep off the floor and away from drafts.
  • Dogs that spend any time in the yard must have a dry, draft-free shelter large enough to lie down in, but small enough to retain body heat. The floor should be a few inches off the ground and covered with cedar shavings or straw. The doorway should be covered with waterproof burlap or heavy plastic. Do not use metal bowls for food and water.

           

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WINTER WARMTH TIPS

Posted On: January 08, 2015

How to keep warm outside: 5 science-based tips

 

Wondering how to keep warm in frigid, soul-shattering temperatures? You're not alone.

Thanks to Chris Gayomali the science and technology editor for TheWeek.com

Here are a few practical, science-based tips for keeping warm:

  1. Stay dry

THE GOLDEN RULE to stay warm is "Don't get cold in the first place."

That's obvious, you say. But is it? The cold can sneak up on you, especially if you're tromping through icy puddles or sweating in that big parka. So stay dry, especially by dressing in layers. Try layering with a "synthetic, wicking base layer to pull the moisture off your skin." Then on top of that, you'll need a layer that insulates. "Heat tech" base layers — tights, leggings, form-fitting undershirts, etc. — are lightweight, easy to throw on underneath your normal work clothes, and most importantly, keep you toasty with minimal discomfort. Try not to let cotton (which can absorb sweat) touch your skin, if you can help it. Sorry Mom.

2. Protect your core
The average human core temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit; hypothermia occurs when body temp dips below 95 degrees. Obviously, keeping your torso insulated is the best thing you can do to keep the rest of you warm and humming along, especially if you pack on a few extra winter pounds.

For example, when people lose fingers, toes, and other extremities to frostbite, at work is one of the body's natural self-preservation systems: It simply stops sending blood out in order to protect the vital organs. So, as counterintuitive as it sounds, keeping your torso warm is the number one way to keep your hands and feet feeling warm, too. (More on that in a bit.)

3. The "winter hat" might be a myth
Good news for people with great hair: The assumption that 70 percent of a person's body heat escapes through their head is patently false. University of Michigan professor Andrew Maynard debunks the popular "dancing naked with a winter hat" myth, and explains that body-heat loss relates to "how much skin is exposed, not which part of the body you're exposing." That said, wearing a warm hat can and definitely will help you keep warm. (The more skin you cover up the better.) But a hat shouldn't be depended on in lieu of down coat or jacket with good insulation.

4. Mittens keep your hands warmer than gloves
Protecting your core should be your number one priority. But you need to cover your skin to keep it from getting frostbitten. Remember: The less skin you have exposed the better. If you don't mind having less mobility in the cold, mittens may be preferable to gloves, since clustering the fingers together helps to produce more insulating body heat.

5. Drink water
Summit-trekking adventurers agree: Water is actually amazing for retaining body heat. Simply put, the more you have in your system, the easier it is to keep warm. Stay hydrated — especially before you dash out into the frozen slush every morning.

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