Common Household Items You Need to Recycle

From Yahoo Green:

Should you trash it or recycle? Beware! It’s illegal to toss some items because they can harm the environment. So, here’s a list of common household items that need special treatment – and where to dispose of them.

- First, batteries and electronics must be recycled. That's because they contain toxic metals and other pollutants. In fact, throwing away rechargeable batteries – including car batteries - is illegal in 41 states. Retailers like Staples, Best Buy and Radio Shack will take them back for free. They’ll also usually take old computers, cameras, televisions, and cell phones – but charge fees depending on the brand.

- You also need to recycle oil-based paint, which can be taken to your local household hazardous waste center. You can use latex paint as primer. Or donate it to a charity like Habitat for Humanity, or a school theatre group. If it’s completely dried up, you can just toss the can.

- Florescent bulbs should be recycled because they contain tiny amounts of mercury that can leak out if broken. Any Home Depot or Ikea will recycle them for free. If you absolutely have no way to recycle, the EPA suggests sealing the light bulbs in two plastic bags before tossing them in the trash.

- Aerosol cans should also be recycled in your curbside bins, because pressurized cans sent to a landfill can explode in a fire.

- Finally, don’t flush bacon grease or cooking oils down the sink, because it can clog up your pipes and back up sewer systems even if you use hot water. Your best bet: Absorb the grease in shredded paper or kitty litter before tossing it in the trash. Or pour bacon grease in a coffee can and toss it once it solidifies.

If you’d like to go further, visit EPA.gov, and click the section for Household Hazardous Waste.

Perception of Time Can Increase Stress

By Selena Chavis:

In the driven U.S. social scene of full-time jobs, after-school children’s activities, volunteer obligations and just managing the day-to-day, many find that they are under increased stress.
Research conducted by a faculty member at New Jersey-based Rowan University suggests that the way people perceive time can either increase or decrease that stress.
Dr. Tejinder Billing, assistant professor of management in the Rohrer College of Business has studied the correlation between stress, time and work-family conflict in three different countries: the U.S., her native India and Venezuela.
Through her research, she has determined that while objective workload may represent a certain reality, the perception of that workload by an individual is more important.
“Individuals have a threshold level for workload, beyond which work is perceived as overload. When an individual’s workload exceeds the optimal level that he or she is comfortable with on a daily basis in the work situation, then psychological strain is the likely outcome,” she said
A silent variable in this equation of work and perception of work, according to Billing, is time.
“The essence of work overload is to do too much work in given amount of ‘time.’ Although we all continually refer to time, we quite easily forget about it when reflecting on stressful events,” she said.
Billings’ studies into time and workload commenced while she was studying at the University of Memphis and realized that people in the U.S. are “driven by the clock.”
“I actually didn’t find one single room in my school that didn’t have a clock. In India, clocks are not of such importance,” she noted, adding that cultural differences and attitudes toward time affect the way people manage time and deal with stress.
While Latin American and Asian cultures view time as an abundant resource, their Western counterparts are much more sensitive to the boundaries of time, Billings said, adding that people need to be aware of these differences when dealing with other cultures.
“If I’m not sensitive toward time like in Western countries, I can be in trouble when everyone is sensitive,” Billing said. “If I’m time-driven and you’re taking me to Latin America where perception of time is abundant, I’ll be stressed out.”
Billings said that people in the U.S. who put high emphasis on planning are better able to deal with work overload than those who do not emphasize planning and scheduling of activities in both their work and non-work lives.
In both the Indian and Venezuelan cultures, though, planning did not produce the same positive impact, which points to impact of perception of time across cultures.
Billings suggested that a key finding of the research is that people in the U.S. can manage and reduce stress more effectively by planning. “For individuals who emphasize planning and scheduling, the strength of the relationship between stressors and psychological strain is weaker than for individuals who do not emphasize planning and scheduling,” she said.
Research indicates that other factors influence our perception of time such as whether we were brought up to do things in sequential order or multi-task.
“We all have different attitudes toward time. We have different senses of time. And as a result we perceive and use time differently,” Billings noted.
One concept about time and perception rang true for all three cultures. Research revealed that people in the United States, India and Venezuela all feel stress when they perceive themselves as having too much work and too little time in which to get it done.
The differences are revealed in how they experience stress.

Birth Order and Personality

Experts tell NBC News that their place in the household is intertwined with everything - from their hobbies to their grades to how much money they’ll make as an adult. For example: The firstborn is used to being the center of attention because they had their parents all to themselves until a younger sibling came along. In fact, researchers say firstborns get 3,000 more hours of quality time with their parents than later-born kids. Firstborn children also tend to be overachievers, score higher on IQ tests, get more education, and are more likely to make six-figure salaries. However, all that success comes with a price. Firstborns tend to be inflexible, they don’t like change, and can be downright bossy because they’re given a lot of responsibility at home. They also have an intense fear of failure. So for some, nothing they accomplish feels good. Dr. Kevin Lerman is the author of “The Birth Order Book.” He says it’s important to let your firstborn know it’s okay if they don’t succeed at everything.

Next in the birth order: middle children. Middle kids go-with-the-flow and constantly negotiate and compromise in order to “fit in.” Since “mid-kids” get less attention at home and can feel left out, they form stronger bonds with friends. The fix: Occasionally put your middle child in the spotlight by letting them pick where to eat out or what movie to see, so that they get to feel in control of the family from time to time.

Finally, there’s the baby of the family. Experts say the baby generally isn’t the strongest or the smartest kid, but they find ways of getting attention. They’re natural charmers with an outgoing personality, and take a lot more physical risks when they play. Since their parents have already gone through older children learning to walk, talk, read and ride a bike, last-borns can feel that nothing they do is important. Experts say treat the youngest like they’re just as special as their siblings, and expect them to follow the same rules, too.

Would You Buy a Haunted House?

For more and more people, the answer is “yes.” According to AOL News, there are even paranormal real estate websites. They list the number of bedrooms and bathrooms a house has, and any suspicious paranormal activity, like drawers opening, or lights turning on and off by themselves. Prospective owners aren’t buying so-called haunted houses for a thrill. They’re doing it to cash in on creepy, like one woman mentioned in the article, who’s making a killing on her house in Minnesota. She’s written two books about how people who spend the night at her house wake up feeling like they’re floating. The buzz from the books has transformed her home into a tourist attraction. Throngs of haunted-house fans show up, wanting to be scared or see a ghost. In fact, the demand was so huge, she created a haunted tea party business at her home.
Two brothers bought a Michigan inn rumored to be the site of unexplained occurrences. Instead of trying to keep its spooky past a secret, to avoid scaring potential guests, they embraced the fright factor. They proudly play up the legend of the ghost in the inn’s restaurant. Of course, there’s no law that requires sellers to disclose to potential buyers that the house has a reputation for bizarre behavior. However, a growing number of buyers are interested in knowing whether a house has paranormal activity. So, the real estate industry may have to create what they’re nicknaming a “Casper clause” to disclose any funny business.
In this scary economy, people are getting more creative to make a buck, and could be pretending a house is haunted to raise its saleability. However, if you’re in an old house and you hear strange noises, it’s probably not a sign that it’s haunted, just a sign you need a handyman

Beware of The New "Places" Tool on Facebook

If you’ve got Facebook on your cell phone, beware: The new “Places” tool is getting a lot of heat. It allows you to “check in” wherever you are through your phone’s GPS, and a map of your exact location appears on your page. All your friends get an update about it too. We’ve already told you the downside of GPS-based location apps. For example, if you use Facebook Places, everybody knows where you are at any given moment. So let’s say this pops up on your Facebook page: “John is at Kohls on First Street” – Now your stalker knows where to find you, and thieves who are following you on Facebook know you’re not home. In fact, they also know how far away from home you are – so they know how long they have to break into your house and get away.
Another downside of the Places feature? You don’t have all the control! Your Facebook friends can also check you into places without your permission! So say your ex has an axe to grind, they could check you in at the movies when you’re supposed to be working. Do your kids have Facebook on their cell phones? Watch out. They could be broadcasting their whereabouts so everyone knows where to find them, including predators.
These aren’t the only problems with the “Places” tool: One of the places you can “check in” to is your own home. If you do that, everybody now has your home address and a map of how to get to it. If you’re on Facebook and don’t want people to know the “Places” you go, you can disable the option

Great Questions to Ask in an Interview

From: U.S. News & World Report

Here’s the scenario: You’re interviewing for your dream job. The interviewer likes you, and you’re shining like the star you are. Then they ask, ‘Do you have any questions?’ You say no. Stop right there! Even if you’ve done your homework, and know all the answers to all your questions, you’ve got to ask something. It makes you look like you’re interested in the position. So what should you ask? Here are some great end-of-interview questions:

Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position? If your interviewer seems nervous about what you might ask, questions about something specific are a good way to get the ball rolling. Plus, you want to know what your day-to-day work life will be like.

Could you talk about the history of this position? What you’re trying to find out is how long the position has existed, how many people have held it, and what happened to the last person who held the job. If they’ve been through six people in a year, that’s a red flag that there’s something wrong.

Another great job interview question to ask: ‘In what area could your team use some improvement?’ That gives you the chance to talk more about how your skills could help with that improvement.

Also ask: What are the prospects for advancement? This question makes you sound ambitious, and makes you look like a person who looks at the big picture.

Try asking, ‘Who are the most successful people in this company and why?’ That way, you’ll find out about the company’s values and culture, and how the powers-that-be measure success.

The final job interview question to ask, ‘Do you have any reservations about me or my ability to perform this job?’ It’s a gutsy move, but consider it. Not only does it earn you points for courage, you’ll be able to squash any negative impression they may have.

Signs You Have an Anger Issue

From CBS News:

We all get annoyed if someone cuts in line in front of us, but there’s a difference between an occasional outburst and being an angry person. Here are four signs you have an anger issue:

Anger issue #1: Getting mad at the little things – like having to wait for an elevator. Dr. Redford Williams is a psychology professor at Duke University and author of the book, “In Control” and he says anger can have a positive effect – and urge us to take action. In fact, without anger, Rosa Parks would have sat in the back of the bus. Racial discrimination is a big issue. When someone gets angry at the little things they can’t control, that’s a problem.

The next anger issue: Interrupting. Angry people tend to be impatient, and have trouble letting others finish what they’re saying. Even when they let someone talk, they might only be pretending to listen.

Then there’s complaining: Dr. Williams says people who spend a lot of time ranting about politics, sports, the PTA, or the shortcomings of other people often have anger management problems.

Another sign of anger management issues: Being easily offended. Comments that others might laugh off can get under the skin of someone who’s on the edge of anger. They’re often waiting for others to mess up so they can pounce.

The final sign of anger management issues: Getting red in the face. Emotional heat can make your face red – just like hot temperatures you can measure on a thermometer. Anger can also cause labored breathing, fidgeting, and pacing back and forth, as well as serious health problems like high blood pressure and a higher risk for stroke, heart attack, and ulcers – because an angry body releases chemicals that reduce blood flow to the gut.

If any of these qualities describe you or a loved one, you can find help at the site Anger-management-Resources.org.