September 2019

3Apr

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

TECH

What to look for in a wireless speaker

Wi-Fi speakers connect to your home network; they usually run on AC power, so they require an outlet. Bluetooth speakers are paired directly with a device like a phone or a laptop. Wireless speakers come in all shapes, sizes, styles and strengths. The trick is to muddle through the many product options and discern the right wireless speakers to purchase. First, however, is information regarding distinction between the wireless routes: Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Consumer Reports explained the difference in its “Choosing the Best Wireless and Bluetooth Speaker” report: “Wi-Fi speakers connect to your home network; they usually run on AC power, so they require an outlet. Bluetooth speakers are paired directly with a device like a phone or a laptop.” Planetwifi.org in December offered Bluetooth sp...

Strategies for handling back-to-school stress

12Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

MENTAL HEALTH

Strategies for handling back-to-school stress

With the start of a new academic year come increased appointments, chaotic schedules and new environments. Millions of high schoolers and college students are already back in classrooms. With the start of a new academic year come increased appointments, chaotic schedules and new environments. Helpful strategies minimize stress and frustration build-up. Real Simple’s tips include: ‒ Get enough sleep. High schoolers need a solid eight to 10 hours, according to the National Sleep Foundation. ‒ Plan ahead. A whiteboard in a prominent place, featuring a week’s worth of appointments, practices, classes, tutoring, etc., is a visual reminder. A study of 197 college freshmen published in 2017 by the National Institutes of Health determined that ”... increased stress level was significantly assoc...

Fun new tabletop games for families, couples

17Sep

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

GAMES

Fun new tabletop games for families, couples

Five new tabletop games that are both fun and have a broad appeal to players of all ages and interests. Last century I made my living writing for and designing tabletop games, and Gen Con was the center of my professional life. As I moved into developing video games, I stopped going, so I haven’t been to the self-proclaimed “Best Four Days in Gaming” in over 20 years. Since then it’s moved from Milwaukee to Indianapolis and more than tripled in size. This year saw 70,000 gamers come together and play thousands upon thousands of games. It was a joyous sight to behold. Gen Con has become a prime stage for publishers to show off new and forthcoming games, and for players to demo them before they buy. I spent a lot of time in the First Exposure hall, where developers were playtesting ga...

Eating bugs: Nutrition is proven but not their effects

12Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

NUTRITION

Eating bugs: Nutrition is proven but not their effects

Nytimes.com last September shared that the American market for edible insects exceeded $55 million in 2017 and is expected to keep climbing as more companies create nutritionally appealing products. Bugs: We squish them, spray them and shoo them. But eat them? A large percentage of the world’s population — an estimated 2 billion people, in fact — already eat insects because of nutritional content and accessibility, according to anthropology resource sapiens.org: “In Thailand, street vendors push carts stocked with trays of deep-fried grasshoppers, water bugs and other seasoned insects. In Mexico, chefs mix cream-colored ant eggs into omelets and whip up guacamole with crunchy grasshoppers. In Zambia, the Congo and other parts of Africa, locals snack on insects harvested from the wild.” How...

What to know about EMDR therapy for PTSD

12Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

MENTAL HEALTH

What to know about EMDR therapy for PTSD

While there is medication and counseling to assist individuals who suffer from PTSD, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is also a treatment option. Post-traumatic stress disorder is so common there is a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs center devoted to understanding it and sharing information with the public. In fact, around 8% of the population will have PTSD at some point in their lives, according to the National Center for PTSD. And while there is medication and counseling to assist individuals who suffer from PTSD, Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing therapy is also a treatment option. The American Psychological Association informs that the therapy focuses directly on the memory, “to change the way that the memory is stored in the brain, thus reducing a...

Alzheimer’s in the US: Women more likely to develop disease

11Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

SELF-CARE, VIDEO REELS

Alzheimer’s in the US: Women more likely to develop disease

Two-thirds of the people living with Alzheimer's in the US are women. New research is telling us why women in the United States are more likely to develop Alzheimer's. Almost two-thirds of those with the disease are female and understanding why this is the case is key to improving treatment. by Kristen Saloomey Al Jazeera's Kristen Saloomey reports from New York, in the US.

9Dec

By THEIRL1ADMIN01No Comments

FINANCIAL HEALTH

What Low-Wage Work Does to Us

A huge share of U.S. employment is in low-wage jobs where workers are pushed to their limits to maximize profits for massive corporations. “Cyborg jobs” is the term Emily Guendelsberger uses in her new book, On the Clock: What Low-Wage Work Did to Me and How It Drives America Insane to describe the low-wage, high-stress jobs that make up a large portion—something like 47%—of employment in the United States. You could say they’re jobs determined by algorithms. Cyborg jobs are designed through data analysis to boost profits by getting the maximum out of workers. Staff scheduling is tight to avoid slow periods, so workers spend much of the day rushing to where they’re needed. Bathroom breaks are limited and timed. Workers’ movements and performance are monitored throughout t...