Long before Dug in Pixar's Up could tell us that he hid under our porch because he loves us, humans have wondered what their dogs are thinking. It would be incredible to speak with our canine companions, and that's exactly what a speech pathologist is doing with her blue heeler mix. Since my dogs are also blue heeler mixes this is incredibly cool for me to read!
Have you heard that rats are now driving cars? Rats in a research lab were taught to drive custom made cars in order to pick up their own food, something that, many have pointed out, many humans seem to struggle with today. It's leading scientists to believe that rats are much smarter than previously thought, which pretty much makes anyone who's been around rats say... duh.
If you thought that hugs were only good for expressing affection and connection, think again: they're a necessary part of brain development. Researchers have discovered that children who are hugged more have more brain development and are more intelligent on average than those that aren't, so if you're a hugger, your kids are benefiting from it.
By now you already know that it's not great to read your phone or other device at bedtime. It's much healthier to shut down your devices at least half an hour or longer before you go to bed to get your brain ready for sleep and promote a good night's rest. But if you do choose to read before bed without a screen, such as a book of poetry, did you know that you'll likely have a better night's sleep?
When a brewery puts the face of a pooch on their can above their own logo, you know they care about animals. That's exactly what Fargo Brewing is doing in order to promote dog adoption. The brewery is putting faces of actual dogs that need adopting on the cans of their product in hopes of getting dogs furever homes.
I always laugh when I mention how good savory crepes are and people make a face. Sure, crepes are wonderful when they're sweet, and many people prefer them sweet over savory, but that doesn't mean that you can't enjoy both! Savory crepes are a delicious meal to enjoy, too.
A bill that makes animal cruelty a felony on a federal level was just passed in the House in a unanimous decision, demonstrating how all parties can work together when they really want to do something. Great, they can all agree that hurting animals is horrible; now why don't they all agree that global warming is, too?
Not every pet owner buys gifts for their creatures in crime, which is fine; pets don't know it's their birthday or the holidas (as far as we know!). But for those of us who love to spoil our critters with something special here and there, it can be really fun to pick out something we know they'll absolutely love. It's fun to watch them enjoy what we pick out for them, too.
Adults like to blame violent video games for the decline of society, but we all know it's much more complex than that. There are a number of factors, from poverty to war, blaming the poor instead of the rich--playing the blame game at all instead of focusing on solutions--and the apathy that seems to grow. It's true that our tech definitely messes with our brains and can cause some damage, especially when the youngest members of our society are exposed to it on a regular basis, but to say that's the end all of it is just naive.
Holiday parties often call for keeping spirits bright--literally--and Total Wine and More in Seattle has everything you need to stay well stocked for company. Not only do they have most major wine, spirits and beer, but they also sell cigars and accessories that you might need for your party.
Looking for a special gift for the Family Guy fans in your life?
Is it just me, or are there always big book releases in November? Every year I seem to have several books that come out in November on my radar, which is always a highlight of the month. This month is especially exciting between The Starless Sea, which I still have yet to read, and Queen of Nothing, which will finish Holly Black's Folk of the Air series and will be released next week.
My teen and I loved doing the Around the World Stories program a couple of years ago, and I think it's one of the best gifts you can get any child for the holidays. Each month, you visit a new country through stories, recipes, videos and crafts, and they extend it to their Pinterest page, which features a bunch of crafts that you can enjoy with or without a subscription.
Do you have a friend or family member who's stuck in the 80s? Heck, as a Milennial, I'm often nostalgic for the days when I could watch Ninja Turtles in my pajamas, too. I suppose I still could!
If I were to tell you that there are Grateful Dead scents that you could be enjoying at home, you'd probably guess one of two smells: general head shop or... something more specific. It makes perfect sense, too. But with so many indie sellers creating unique goodies to sell, designing scents that correspond to our favorite things, including bands, has become a bit of a novelty business.
How would you feel if it turned out that your lost puppy were not only returned, but discovered to have rare dingo DNA? That's what happened when Wandi, a puppy that had been separated from his family, was tested by a local veterinarian.
Are you a sprinkles lover? I love the look of sprinkles, but when it comes to taste, I have to say that I'm a bit picky! I don't like those tiny beaded hard sprinkles, for example, but I like the softer, more elongated sprinkles, and I had no idea that they are so easy to make. If you've never made sprinkles, or if you need some but all you have is icing, you might want to check out this video.
In 2019, we have the chance to not only vote at the booth but with our dollars on a daily basis, hitting the companies whose policies and practices we disagree with hardest at the cash register. Boycotts work and policies get changed by citizen involvement, but you have to care enough to, say, skip that chicken sandwich to ensure the money you spent on it isn't funneled into, say, executing people for being gay.
Adulting is hard, even on a good day, and there are so many things that we're not even talked to about as kids, let alone given the chance to practice, that end up biting us every now and then. These range from life skills to social skills, and recently I had a doozy with some friends that I still don't really know how to handle. They say they didn't mean to hurt me, and while I believe them, it's also hard to believe they didn't know I'd be hurt by their actions.
Have you heard that scientists have developed synthetic leaves that are able to produce fuel like a regular plant with sunlight and carbon dioxide, not only helping to process some of that CO2 from our atmosphere but also potentially providing us with a cleaner source of renewable energy in the future.
