HEARD IT AND READ IT

Prepared by Bassam Mechammil

October 13, 2007

 

Health:

A-

Insomnia: exercising well before bedtime and then cooling down can beat insomnia. The cool-down period helps you to relax which will prepare you for bedtime and sleep. Exercising much near bedtime is stimulating, causing increased alertness that can interfere with falling asleep.

Best Sleep: Early morning sleep is the most restful. Recent studies show that men who went to sleep at 2 am and awakened at 6 am slept more soundly than ones sent to bed at 10 pm and awaken at 2 am. If you can get only 4 hours of sleep, stay up as late as possible. Caution: This does not replace a full night of sleep.

 

B-

Your heart: A handful of nuts a day can help fight heart disease- if you choose the right nuts and monitor the amount of saturated fats and cholesterol in your total diet. The best ones are almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts. 

 

C-

Mishandling medication: If you are in the hospital ask your doctor to show you the drugs he/she is prescribing to you. Note the shape, color, and size. If a nurse tries to give you an unfamiliar pill or liquid refuse to take it until your doctor has been notified and has approved the medication. In addition, ask your doctor what each pill is for and how often it should be taken.

 

Travel:

A-

Luggage basics: Use an ID tag with your name and business address and phone number- not your home address, which could alert potential thieves that you are out of town. Put one more ID tag inside your luggage in case the outside tag was torn. Mark luggage with color tape or ribbon to make bags easy to find when you arrive.

 

B-

Garage doors: Unplug the garage door openers before going on vacation. Lock the garage door then leave the house through the front door. Reasons: Garage openers use codes that professional thieves can discover by using high tech equipment.

 

Your Home:

A-

Hiring a contractor: To hire a new contractor ask him/her to give you a list of former clients. Then, meet with these clients and ask these questions:

  1. Was the job started on time?
  2. Did workers show up on time?
  3. Did they complete the job on time?
  4. Was the contractor always available?
  5. Did you get what you wanted?
  6. Were there any surprises?
  7. Was the contractor responsive to problems after the job was done?
  8. What would you do differently if you were hiring a contractor again?

 

B-

Cut back vegetation that touches the side of the house otherwise the leaves will trap moisture against the walls and eventually that moisture will cause the paint on your house to peel.

 

Personal:

Protect yourself against beestings and other insect bites while outdoor by wearing light-colored, well fitting clothing. Insects are attracted to bright and dark colors and can get caught in lose clothing. Also, don’t wear perfume or use scented sprays which can attract stinging insects. In addition, insects are less interested in infants and people with dry skin.

 

Internet casinos:

Internet casinos are often scams. Some never pay winners. Others pay months later, hoping that taking long times to pay will cause you to lose your winnings. Some use software that prevents bettors from coming out ahead. Internet betting is illegal in the U.S. and all the sites are based in other countries and are not subject to U.S. law.