Don't Ask These Questions During an Interview

Let’s talk about landing your next job. Everyone knows that you’re supposed to do more than answer questions at an interview. You’re supposed to ask them. That shows you’ve done your homework. Is there anything you shouldn’t ask? According to career expert Liz Ryan, the answer is definitely “Yes.” Here’s her list of what’s off-limits:

• “Are you going to do a background check?” Lots of people ask this because they’re worried about a past credit mistake - but it makes you sound like your picture is on the “FBI most wanted” list. If you’re right for the job and there’s something troubling on your record, most employers will give you a chance to explain it during the follow-up interview.
• Don’t ask: “When will I be eligible for a raise?” That’s the same as saying, “I think you’re lowballing me and I’ll be out of here the first chance I get.”
• The 3rd question that can cost you a job? “How soon can I transfer to another position?” If you feel you’re overqualified, don’t be afraid to tell the interviewer the areas in which you excel. That gives them a chance to highlight another job opening that might exist. Try something like, “This job sounds interesting, but I’m a very good supervisor, too. I supervised 15 people at my last job. Could you tell me how to gain that responsibility in this company?”
• Never ask a prospective employer, “Do you allow smoke breaks?” The last thing you want to tell a potential boss is, “I’m such a nicotine junkie that smoking is a priority for me and something I’ll bring up in an interview.” Lots of companies don’t permit smoking anywhere on the premises and in many states, your cigarette habit is a perfectly legitimate reason not to hire you.

Are You Tired All the Time?

From Good Housekeeping magazine:

Here are a few surprising reasons why you’re ready to drop at 4 pm every day, and need to hit the snooze button three times every morning.

• You get by on “good enough” sleep. In other words, you think you’re not sleep-deprived, but you regularly hit the sack too late to get the seven to nine hours of sleep most of us need. The fix: Make your bedroom cool and dark, set a regular bedtime and wake-up time, and do stretches during the day. Studies show that stretching your muscles for 20 minutes on most days makes it 30% easier to fall asleep.


• Another reason you’re always tired: You eat out more than three times a week. Restaurant meals – especially fast food – tend to be low in the nutrients that give you all-day energy. A study in Wales found that people who ate high-fiber breakfast cereal were 10% less tired because the fiber helps the microbes in your gut churn out more energy. So, eat more fruits, veggies and whole grains for fiber, as well as lean protein, and good fats, like olive oil for more nutrients.


• You rarely turn off your cell phone, pager, laptop or BlackBerry. A study of over 1,000 people at the University of Wisconsin found that modern-day multitasking boosts stress and saps your energy. While a little stress can be energizing, constant stress leads to fatigue. So, check your email less frequently, shut off your cell phone when you go for a walk or out to dinner, and turn off all electronics – including the TV – an hour before bed.


• One final reason you could be tired all the time: You exercise intensely– which burns calories, but can burn you out. Researchers at the University of Georgia put tired-all-the-time couch potatoes through high and low-intensity workouts three times a week. The result? The slower-movers were 20% more alert and 15% less fatigued than the high-intensity group. To boost your energy, take easy 30 minute strolls three times a week, instead of pushing your body to the limit.

Foods That Reduce Stress

Did you know that you can lessen your stress by eating? It's true. However, not by eating pizza or ice cream. The next time you feel under the gun, try one of these choices from MSN's food website Delish.com:

• Oranges. A German study that was published in the Journal of Psychopharmacology found that vitamin C helps reduce stress, and returns your blood pressure and cortisol levels back to normal AFTER a stressful situation. Vitamin C also boosts your immune system, and oranges are chock full of it.
• Sweet potatoes. They satisfy the cravings you get for sweets and carbs when you're under a lot of stress, but they're healthy. Sweet potatoes are loaded with beta-carotene, which protects against cancer and heart disease, and the fiber helps your body process carbohydrates in a slow and steady way.
• Dried apricots. They're rich in magnesium, which is a powerful stress-buster and a natural muscle relaxant.
• Nuts. Almonds are packed with B and E vitamins which boost your immune system, and walnuts and pistachios are both good choices to help lower your blood pressure.
• Turkey. It contains an amino acid called L-tryptophan which triggers the release of the feel-good brain chemical serotonin. So, you'll feel calm and relaxed - maybe even tired - after you eat it.
• Eat spinach and other greens. One cup of spinach gives you 40 percent of your daily supply of magnesium. A magnesium deficiency can cause headaches and fatigue. Broccoli, kale, and other dark green veggies are packed with vitamins that replenish our bodies when we're stressed.
• Salmon. It's one of the best sources of omega-3 fatty acids that protect against heart disease. A study published in Diabetes & Metabolism found that the omega-3s also lower stress hormones.
  
  The truth is - there are all kinds of delicious foods that'll help you beat stress. So, make sure to keep your refrigerator and pantry stocked with your favorites.

Everything You Wanted to Know About Sneezing

From Richard Webb, feature editor at New Scientist magazine:

So – can your eyes really POP OUT when you sneeze? Is it true that some people never STOP sneezing? Here’s all you need to know on the subject:

• Let’s talk about your eyes popping out. You can rest easy – this isn’t true. The fluid around our eyes absorbs the air pressure that builds up during a sneeze. For added safety, the blink reflex also helps keep your eyes in their sockets.


• You should never stifle a sneeze. That’s partially true. While reports that a stifled sneeze can rupture blood vessels in the brain are exaggerated, holding both your nose and your mouth shut while sneezing forces the air to find another escape route – through a tube in the ear. The force of the sneeze can travel up to 100 miles an hour. If you hold it in, the force can burst eardrums, break nasal cartilage, and cause temporary facial swelling.


• Another belief is that some people never stop sneezing. Not quite. Yes, sneezing fits – which are actually reflex responses – have been known to last days, weeks, and even longer. The record lies with a 12-year-old English girl named Donna Griffiths. She sneezed every few minutes for 977 days between January 1981 and August 1983, but no one has ever NOT stopped sneezing. Even Griffiths stopped eventually.


• So, is there actually a point to sneezing? Well, New Scientist says it depends on your age. When we’re young, we tend to sneeze through our noses, which helps clear out the nasal passages. By the time we hit adulthood, most of us have developed a habit of sneezing entirely through our mouths, which accomplishes nothing.


• Here’s one last tidbit: Iguanas, like many lizards, are GREAT at sneezing. They do it for a specific reason – to expel excess salt stored in their nasal salt glands.

Angels and Demons

A sequel, by definition has typically been labeled inferior in the film industry. But there are a few exceptions, "The Godfather: Part II," "The Empire Strikes Back," and who could forget "The Pink Panther 2 (Hah)." Ron Howard's screen adaptation of Dan Brown's first literary adventure featuring Robert Langdon, "Angels and Demons" is a very flawed film; but it might contain the gusto to surpass it's predecessor "The Da Vinci Code."
The thing most commented on in the first installment of these features was Tom Hank's apparently terrible hair cut. Well, the hair is gone, but this is just the beginning in terms of the improvements made in both the writing and filming if Akiva Goldman and David Koepp's adaptation. The dialogue is much smoother and easier to follow. The film capitalizes on spectacle and action, avoiding the religious controversy that derailed 'Da Vinci."
The story is set around a crisis in Vatican City. Four cardinals have disappeared just as conclave is about to begin. The threat here is a little known substance called "antimatter," which is said to be more potent than TNT. Hanks returns as the Harvard symbologist called upon to assist due to his "formidable" past. The bomb is set to go off around midnight, leaving Landgon only hours to discover a "path of illumination" to discover the missing cardinals and hopefully, the perpetrator.
His beautiful sidekick is Ayselet Zuror, playing a physicist from CERN, an enormous lab in Switzerland. The story starts quickly, the music is fast and involved and the epic depiction of Rome is worth the price of the ticket all on its own. Unfortunately, every reader when devouring a story casts their idea of how the plot should be divulged; and this book has many readers. As an adaptation, it is satisfying. But like many books that make their way to the screen, the process of condensing a several hundred page book into a concise two hours means that things get cut. For me personally this was frustrating and disappointing, removing a great deal of the meaning behind the actions of the characters.
Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard offer up potent supporting roles, yet the finished product suffers from too much, too fast, and puzzles far too easy to solve. One might call this a classic case of overproduction. The images are lush and beautiful. The cast and crew were forbidden to film in Vatican City, so almost all of the religious environments were recreated on soundstages and the it is awe-inspiring how effective they are. But that is where the strengths of this film lie, in aesthetic and spectacle.
For us die hard fans, the wait is on for Dan Brown's final Langdon installment "The Lost Symbol" on Sept.19, don't bother with the film; it might only detract from the beloved book. For nonfans, perhaps the movie is your ticket to two hours of blissful nonsense.

Do You Have Trouble Falling Asleep?

From Rodale Publishing:

The National Sleep Foundation says that 64% of adults have trouble sleeping a few nights a week, and 41% say it’s a nightly occurrence. So what’s keeping us up? The experts say: Stress! Chronic stress makes your adrenaline and cortisol spike, your heart race and your blood pressure increase. That leaves you feeling like you’re hooked up to a constant IV drip of caffeine. So, here’s how to quiet your mind according to sleep experts interviewed:

• First, if you go directly from your computer to your pillow, stop it! You need to set up a restful routine that gives your mind & body the cues that it’s time to sleep. So take a hot shower or bath about an hour before bed. The reason it works is that warm water relieves tension – then, when you step out, the cold air dials down your inner thermostat, mimicking what your body naturally does when it’s ready for sleep.
  
• Next, if you’re watching the financial news right before bed, you’re not doing yourself any favors. The National Sleep Foundation says 27% of people are kept awake by money worries. Dr. Rubin Naiman is a sleep specialist from the University of Arizona, and he says it’s like eating a spicy meal and then trying to nod off. Instead, watch a comedy before bed. Laughter reduces blood pressure and decreases your heart and respiratory rate. Just don’t watch TV in bed because the blue glow can keep you awake.
  
• Lastly, if you lie in bed making a mental to-do list – move that task up two hours. So right after dinner, write out your to-do list. Doing that earlier in the evening desensitizes your mind to those thoughts later – so they won’t keep you up.
  
• Here’s a basic relaxation technique to use to help you sleep from Donna Arand, clinical director of the Kettering Medical Sleep Disorders Center:
  Slow your breathing. Your respiratory rate drops by 20% during sleep. So inhale and exhale for a count of 6.
  Then picture yourself on a beach. As hokey as it sounds, visual imagery can replace stressful thoughts.
  Flex and relax your muscles – starting with your feet and working your way up. It not only relaxes the body, but it helps put your focus back in the here and now.

Put These Must-Have Numbers on Speed Dial

From Rodale Publishing:
Got a cell phone? Then consider putting these must-have phone numbers on speed dial.

• Put your family on ICE. That stands for ‘In Case of Emergency.’ Paramedics recommend programming ANY emergency contact in your cell phone after the word ICE, as in “ICE-wife” or “ICE-dad.” The idea is that if you get into an accident, police can use your phone to quickly notify someone.
• Another must-have number to put on speed dial is: 1-800-GOOG-411. That’s 466-4411. It’s a Google service that lets you request information just as you would on a web browser. Ask for ‘Italian Restaurants,’ and you’ll get a list of spaghetti and meatball joints within the area code you’re calling from! The best part is that Google won’t charge you – unlike some other 411 services.
• The next number to program on speed dial is: 866-411-SONG. Ever been driving around, and you hear a song on the radio that you’re dying to know the name of? Call this number, and hold your phone up to the speaker for 15 seconds. The service will I.D. any song within it’s database of 2-and-a-half MILLION tunes. Then you’ll be sent a text message listing the title and artist. It’ll even give you an option to download the song onto your phone!
• Next, if you’re always trying to hail a cab, then program this number on speed dial: 800-TAXI-CAB. This is a free referral service that connects you with the closest taxi company within any metro area in North America. They’ll also hook you up with a shuttle service if you’re stranded at the airport.
• If you’re traveling overseas, you must have this number on speed dial: 800-752-6096. That’s a language service that will connect you to one of 170 different translators. Want to know what “la personne la plus futée dans le chambre” means? Then get a French translator on the phone to tell you it means you’re the smartest person in the room! Beware, they’ll charge you $3.95 per minute for that privilege.

The Worst Drive-Thru Foods You Can Eat

From: Yahoo Health, and David Zinczenko and Matt Goulding, who wrote the book Eat This, Not That!

Let’s face it: We all make the occasional stop at the drive-thru, but that doesn’t mean you have to drive away with a set of love handles. So I’ve got a list of some of the worst drive-thru foods you can eat, and what to order instead.

• We’ll start with the worst milkshake. It’s McDonald's Large Triple Thick Chocolate Milkshake. It has almost 30 grams of fat and more calories than TWO Quarter Pounders with cheese! So instead, order McDonald’s vanilla reduced-fat ice cream cone. You’ll save yourself almost 24 grams of fat and over a thousand calories. Even if you made this swap only once a month, you could still lose over three pounds in a year.
  
• What if you’re craving Mexican food? Stay away from the Taco Bell Grilled Stuft Beef Burrito. It contains almost 700 calories. You’d have to play softball for almost two hours to burn that off. Instead, order Taco Bell’s two Grilled Steak Soft Tacos, “Fresco Style.” That basically means the cheese and sauces will be replaced with a chunky tomato salsa. If you make this swap, you’ll pretty much cut the number of calories in your meal in HALF.
  
• What about the worst drive-thru cheeseburger? It’s Hardee's Monster Thickburger. It’s the saturated fat equivalent of 43 strips of bacon! What should you order instead? Go for the Hardee’s Low Carb Thickburger. You’ll save a thousand calories and about 30 grams of saturated fat.
  
• Let’s talk about the worst drive-thru meal of all time. It’s the Carl's Jr. Double Six Dollar Burger with Medium Natural cut Fries and a 32 ounce Coke. This meal contains over 2,600 calories! That’s about as many calories as 13 Krispy Kreme Original Glazed Donuts! So order this meal from Carl’s instead: A Famous Star with a Side Salad with Low Fat Balsamic Dressing and a 32 ounce Iced Tea. You’ll save yourself almost 2,000 calories.

The lesson: Go ahead and hit the drive-thru – just order wisely.

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