Fidgety Flyer?

Few people like air travel for long periods, but you can do a few things to minimize discomfort.:

Travel sick: Take-off, turbulence and landing promote queasiness. Choose seats over the wings (most stable) and focus on a still object until the feeling passes.

Exhausted: To minimize fatigue, once on board, switch to your destination's time zone and try to sleep or rest according to that.

Uncomfortable: Move around regularly and do stretching exercises in your seat. The risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT), although small, is higher for those with pre-existing conditions, so seek medical advice before traveling.

Hungry: Inactivity makes it harder to digest food, so avoid excessive snacking. Humidity levels in the cabin are low, so drink plenty of water-tea, coffee and alcohol will dehydrate you. » Continue reading

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Coping with kids in transit

Planning a long car journey?

Limit children's "Are we there yet?" moans with these distraction tips:

• Plan the journey in advance and mark it on a map, so the children can follow your progress. Highlight landmarks so they can point these out too.
  
• Make regular short stops -- even if you stop on the side of the road. Fresh air will revive all of you.
  
• Music passes the time. Give everyone in the car a song request to avoid arguments.
  
• Try playing word games, such as I Spy. If kids are alert, car sickness and boredom are less likely.

» Continue reading

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Beware the Online Quack

Loonies and tricksters have always been ready to sell us "miracle cures", but the Internet has made it so much easier. Dr. Stephen Barrett has spent 30 years campaigning against dodgy tests and cures and now does it online at www.quackwatch.org. Here are some of his warning signs to watch out for:

• Claims that most diseases are caused by diet or can be cured with supplements.
  
• Pseudo-medical jargon, eg, offers to "detoxify" or "balance" your body.
  
• Anyone claiming that doctors, drug companies or the government want to suppress their find.
  
• "Secret cures" -- quacks only keep them secret to stop others proving they don't work.
  
• Products claimed to work against many unrelated diseases.
  
• Encouragement to ignore established scientific thinking and "think for yourself."
  
• Testimonials or (misquoted) scientific references.
  
• Allowing desperation to cloud your judgement.

» Continue reading

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Maps to download to your Phone and MP3 Player

Forget carrying around chunky guidebooks. Several websites now offer maps that can be downloaded to your phone or MP3 Player, Choose from thousands of diagrams of cities and transport networks from all over the world. You can even zoom in and locate the closest ATM or hotel, and customize your map to suit your itinerary. For starters, try:

• mgmaps.com
  
• ipodsubwaymaps.com

» Continue reading

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Why of the Wag

How to interpret some common dog tail wags.

Perhaps the most common misinterpretation of dog behavior is the myth that a dog wagging its tail is happy and friendly. While some wags are associated with happiness, others can mean fear, insecurity or even a warning that if you approach, you're apt to be bitten. Here's how to interpret some common tail wags:

A slight wag, usually seen during greetings, is a tentative "hello there" or a hopeful "I'm here."

A broad wag is friendly: "I am not challenging or threatening you." It can also mean, "I'm pleased" - the closest to the popular notion of the happy wag, especially if the tail seems to drag the hips with it.

A slow wag with tail at "half-mast" is less social than most other tail signals. Generally speaking slow wags with the tail in neither a particularly dominant (high) nor a submissive (low) position are signs of insecurity.

Tiny, high-speed wags that give the impression of the tail vibrating are signs the dog is about to do something -- usually run or fight. If the tail is held high while vibrating, it's most likely an active threat.

Stanley Coren, PETS Magazine » Continue reading

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Catch an Online Fibber

We connect with others online more than ever, making it tougher to tell when someone is lying, says communications professor Jeff Hancock of Cornell Univesity. The main tipoffs:

Wordiness: Liars use more words and details to try to sound believable. If a colleague emails from home how bad her cough sounds and how clogged her head feels, chances are she's not that sick.

Avoidding I's: Liars use more he, she, they and we pronouns than I. "We're late because the cabdriver didn't know where he was going" is more likely to be a lie than "I couldn't get a cab." » Continue reading

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Money savers for your trip

It's hip to clip. Before you leave, surf for printable coupons for attractions, hotels and restaurants.

Take a pass. Destinations such as London, Venice and Paris offer fixed-price passes for museums and attractions, allowing you access to as many as you'd like over a set period of time.

Be a guinea pig. Stay at a new resort and you may reap the benefits of special introductory rates. Check hotel's website for such offers and keep an eye on hotelchatter.com

Greet the street. How about a gratis tour guide? Cities such as Chicago have greeter programs (www.chicagogreeter.com), where a streetwise local volunteer shows you round town. Your new best friend can even show how not to get lost riding the subway.

Shop stateside. When in the US compare airfares for flights departing from your nearest airport. The price difference may make border-hopping worth it. » Continue reading

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