Real Mates vs Roommates

Symptoms of depression are more common among the single and divorced than among married couples, says American sociologist Patrick McKenry, who analyzed surveys from 5991 people aged between 19 and 80. Tying the knot provides a "protection effect." And men and women living together but unmarried score the same on a depression scale as single people.

Why doesn't cohabitation grant the same benefits that marriage vows do? McKenry speculates that unmarried couples may lack the institutional and familial support, and the commitment that gives married couples a greater sense of well-being. » Continue reading

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Plan to Relax

Vacations should reduce -- not induce -- stress. Take these steps to get the best out of your days away.

1. Put your work in order and allow time to decompress before taking off.
   
2. Review your vacation goals. What do you really want -- time in the backyard to read a book or an exotic getaway?
   
3. Be flexible. You may have a mental image about how your time off should go, but chance will intervene. Consider vacations a little more like "adventures."
   
4. Leave your work at work. Resist calls and emails. Your job is to relax and have fun.
   
5. Plan re-entry. Give yourself a transition day before returning to the job.

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Safe online shopping with Webcard

Buying stuff on the internet isn't popular because of the growing incidence of credit card fraud.

Enter the "webcard" -- already available in the UK from the Internet bank Cahoot. Each time you want to buy something, you log on to your Cahoot account and it issues you with a credit card number you can use for your purchase. Unlike a normal credit card, this number is different every time -- so it can't be used again if it falls into the wrong hands. You can even specify a spending limit to prevent a site from over charging you. More information and a demo at www.cahoot.co.uk » Continue reading

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Contact lenses bugging you?

Your cleaning regimen could be the culprit. Lenses that are covered with mucky deposits or left in your eyes too long could irritate the cornea, leading to itching, infection -- even, in rare cases, blindness. Try doing these:

1. Cook the case: Boil for 5 minutes every month to kill bacteria; air-dry.
   
2. Don't mix it up: Use one type of cleaner for each pair. Chemicals can get stuck inside soft lenses, and competing brands could cross-react and irritate your eyes.
   
3. No swapping: Resist the urge to borrow your buddy's novelty lenses for the big game -- or you may end up sharing more than team spirit.

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What causes colorblindness?

Colorblindness is usually a genetic condition passed on the X chromosome from mother to son. It affects up to one in 10 men and one in 100 women. The most common form is the inability to distinguish red from green (that's why traffic signals are always in the same order every where). Colorblind people are banned from such jobs as fighter pilots and police officers -- and (we hear) from picking out their own clothes. Take a test using the circles below.

Normal people should see A=8, B=5, C=29, and D=74. Color deficient people may see A=3, B=2, C=70, or D=21. » Continue reading

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Wanna Bet?

Need to settle a trivia dispute fast? Richard Blewett, a "Trivial Pursuit" question editor for the games company Hasbro, suggests these websites:

Movies: IMDB.com posts film facts. Were you aware that Tom Hanks is a descendant of Nancy Hanks, Abraham Lincoln's mother?

History: Bartleby.com is an online reference publisher and features historical facts and quotations. The home page also features a list of links to other reference-book sites.

Celebs and TV: Hollywood.com can tell you in which film Jennifer Aniston was menaced by a killer leprechaun, and other details about celebs.

Music: Billboard.com's "Music Info Search" lets you keep up the names of recording artists, song titles and lyrics. » Continue reading

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You need a vacation

Here is a quick list of annual public holidays by country:

Italy	42
Brazil	40
France	36
Germany	35
Britain	30
South Korea	26
Canada	24
Japan	23
US	20
India	43

Source: World Tourism Organization
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