Something You Should Know

 Everyone knows that coffee can help you think and focus and can even improve your mood – especially that first cup in the morning. Years ago, coffee advertising contained the tagline… “Coffee, the THINK drink.”  But it just may be that all the research showing how good coffee and caffeine are for mental function is flawed. If you are a coffee drinker, you are going to want to hear this. http://ww...

You have probably been eating peanut butter since you were a kid. And that turns out to be a really good thing. This episode begins with a look at the amazing and little known health benefits of eating peanut butter – as long as it is the right kind of peanut butter. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323781#health-benefits Changing someone’s mind is difficult if not impossible - or so it s...

If you have an iPhone, you have likely struggled moving the cursor around in a text message or email. However, there is a very simple way to easily maneuver the cursor to exactly where you want it to go - that many iPhone users don't know. This episode begins with an explanation of exactly how to do that. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uMevwmsbrTk You are deceiving yourself about yourself. Everyo...

If you were to stand in downtown Detroit and start walking south for as long as it took, what is the first foreign country you would encounter? This is one of the fascinating questions/facts that I know you will find interesting – and might even win you a drink in a bar bet. Then, it is so weird what things influence your opinion and enjoyment of the food you eat. You might like to think you are t...

What makes a good dancer? Some of it is subjective but there is one particular body part that seems to make all the difference. This episode begins with an explanation of the magic of good dancing. http://www.nature.com/articles/srep42435 How do you get to be the best at something? You might think those elite performers are just naturally gifted in some way. However, science says no. Anders Ericss...

A lot of items you buy at the grocery store are actually a lot cheaper at the drug store. This episode begins with a look at where the bargains are in your neighborhood pharmacy. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/germs-in-new-clothes Wouldn’t it be nice to get some clear and unbiased advice on nutrition? You are about to. David Katz, M.D. is founding director of the Yale-Gri...

When was the last time you cleaned your credit or debit cards? Or the remote for the TV? There are a lot of things around the house you never think to clean – but you will after you hear this. https://www.fitandfabliving.com/general-health/6435-seven-surprisingly-dirty-surfaces/ How spiritual are you? Psychiatrist Dr. Anna Yusim, author of the book Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can He...

Yawning is contagious. We have all experienced that. What’s interesting though is when you notice how soon someone yawns after you do. This episode begins with an explanation of why some people might yawn right away while others might not yawn for a few minutes after your yawn – and what that means. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4137654/ The world is full of irrational people and th...

When you have a big decision to make, all kinds of things can influence that decision. But one thing I bet you never thought of was the lighting in the room. Yet, it turns out that lighting can have a significant impact on a decision you make. I’ll explain how and what is optimal lighting to make important decisions. http://media.utoronto.ca/media-releases/education/new-research-shows-the-way-a-ro...

Everyone knows that as you age, your mental function declines. But when does that begin? Age 40? 50? I’ll tell you what the science says. http://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/memory-decline Then, we look at the history of your home. Every room in your home has a story to tell. The bedroom is particularly fascinating and wait until you hear about your bathroom! Lucy Worsley, Chief Curator at Histo...

Why should you take a photo of your passport and keep it on your phone? That’s just one of several important travel tips I discuss that you probably haven’t heard before. https://www.dreamandcotravel.com/20-travel-hacks-to-save-you-time-space-money/ You constantly receive criticism and feedback from people – some of it is welcome some not. Some of it is warranted and some of it not. So how can you...

We all make mistakes. However, wouldn’t it be nice if you could make fewer of them? This episode begins by revealing two simple strategies that have been proven to help people make fewer mistakes when they attempt to accomplish a task. (Source: Joseph Hallinan author of Why We Make Mistakes https://amzn.to/39OVFrM) When you have a problem, you need to find a solution. Maybe though, the better cour...

Do you lose most of your body heat through your head? What’s the best way to stop the hiccups? We begin this episode with a look at these and other interesting medical myths and facts. https://www.realsimple.com/health/first-aid-health-basics/old-wives-tales-retold What exactly is the Internet – and where is it located? We think of the Internet as being virtual but there is a physical Internet – t...

What happens if you try to make a photocopy of a $20 bill? This episode begins by revealing why it is so hard to do and why a picture of money won’t open in PhotoShop either. http://www.businessinsider.com/money-counterfit-eurion-constellation-copy-scan-photoshop-2017-1 Financial guru Suze Orman has been preaching the importance of financial responsibility for a long time. Listen as she offers som...

What is the best way to sign-off an email? Well, it depends on what you want the outcome to be but if you re hoping for a reply, there is one sign-off that is more likely to get someone to respond. This episode begins with me revealing those magic words. http://www.businessinsider.com/best-way-to-end-an-email-2017-2 Why is your brain in your head? Why do your eyes face forward but a fish’s eyes ar...

Some people love rollercoasters and scary movies – but why? What is the appeal of being scared half to death? Today, you’ll find out why. http://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2013/10/why-do-some-brains-enjoy-fear/280938/?single_page=true We’ve all been in the situation where we HAVE to perform well and because of that we lose our confidence, get nervous and catastrophize all the horrible thin...

Is all gasoline the same? Actually, there is a difference. This episode begins with an explanation of the difference between regular gas and “Top Tier” gas and why you might want to check out the website https://toptiergas.com/ In life, there are finite games and infinite games. Your career or marriage are examples of infinite games. There is no ultimate winner in those games. It turns out a lot o...

They tell you on airplane that in the event of an emergency an oxygen mask will drop from the ceiling and when you breathe into it the mask may not inflate. Why don’t they know if it will inflate or not? This episode begins with the answer to that and other things about the plane’s oxygen system you should know. http://www.travelandleisure.com/airlines-airports/oxygen-masks-on-planes People spend...

The number of parents of who spank their kids as a means of discipline has dropped significantly over the past several decades – but some parents still do it. And in other countries, spanking is much more commonplace. But for those parents who still spank, there is a new reason to stop – and it has nothing to do with the kid – and all to do with the parent’s well being. Source: “30 Lessons for Liv...

A lot of us tend to over-apologize. This episode begins with an explanation of why we do it and why we should stop doing it. Then when you do have to apologize, I’ll tell you how. (Source: Harriet Lerner author of the book “Why Won’t You Apologize” (https://amzn.to/37NoYug)) Sleep is important. It’s probably more important than most people realize in terms of health, performance and longevity. Joi...

I know you’ve watched a sleeping dog twitch and move it's feet like it is running. So, is it just that the dog is dreaming or is there more to it than that? And should you be concerned if your dog does it? Listen and I’ll reveal what exactly is going on. https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/612590/why-dogs-twitch-in-their-sleep  People claim to want to find love. Then once they find it, it is hard...

New clothes are not necessarily CLEAN clothes. In fact, there is a good chance other people have worn your new clothes before you. We start this episode discussing why and how to wash new clothes before you wear them. http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/home/cleaning-organizing/germs-in-new-clothes Also, how self-aware are you? Do you really understand who you really are and do you understand how othe...

It’s fun to play the lottery. If you do, you probably spend more on it than you think. This episode begins with a look at how much people really spend on lottery tickets and what the real odds are of winning the Powerball jackpot. http://www.fool.com/retirement/2017/01/07/heres-what-americans-are-spending-on-lottery-ticke.aspx eBay has made it a lot easier for people to sell stuff they don’t want...

Don’t you hate it when people ignore your emails? Well, there may be something you are doing in your subject line that increases the odds you will be ignored. This episode starts by revealing what that is – and the simple fix. http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/291896/subject-line-typos-decrease-email-engagementrates.html It appears to be human nature that bad things feel bad more than...

Every credit card bill comes with a due date. And if you pay the balance every month by the due date – you don’t pay any interest. But if you carry a balance month-to-month, the rules are different. You pay interest every day on the unpaid balance. So, the question is, if you make your payment earlier than the due date, do you save money? We start this episode by doing that math. http://www.bankra...