Smoking = For Poor & Uneducated?

"Smoking rates by state vary widely, with smoking twice as prevalent in some states as in others. States with the most highly educated residents tend to have the lowest smoking rates and vice versa. Smoking is also lower in states with higher cigarette taxes and broader smoking bans."

http://www.gallup.com/poll/142694/Adult-Smoking-Ranges-Across-States.aspx?utm_source=alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=syndication&utm_content=morelink&utm_term=USA%20-%20Wellbeing

Paper Towels Better Than Hand-Drying?

"The best available evidence suggests that as far as germs go, the method of drying is less important than the amount of time invested: the longer the better."

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/14/health/14real.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb3

"Skishing"

"Practitioners interviewed agree he coined the sport's name: 'skishing.' It's a mix of skiing and fishing. The idea is to hook a fish big enough to tow the angler through the water."

Swimming With The Fishes: Anglers Tangle Over 'Skishing'
by Christopher Rhoads
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703636404575353323048912844.html?mod=djemLifeStyle_h

Can Salt Water Ease Cold Symptoms?

"Gargling with a saline solution can ease symptoms of a cold. "

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/28/health/28real.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb4

It Pays to Know Lawyers

"According to a new survey from Robert Half Legal, lawyers estimate they gave away $5,000 worth of free legal advice to friends, family members and other well-meaning moochers in the last 12 months on average."

http://www.bizjournals.com/washington/blog/2010/09/it_pays_to_know_lawyers.html?ana=e_du_pap

Why America Is Addicted to Olive Garden

http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/137/why-america-is-addicted-to-olive-garden.html?page=0%2C0

The Highest Paid Athlete of All Time

http://www.laphamsquarterly.org/roundtable/roundtable/greatest-of-all-time.php

Food of the Week: Deep Fried Beer

http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/localnews/stories/DN-friedfood_26met.ART.State.Edition2.357c6b1.html

PriceOfWeed.com

Crowdsource marijuana prices...

http://www.priceofweed.com/

The Evolution of Premium Pricing In Japan

http://neojaponisme.com/2010/09/17/the-premium-pricing-problem/

Lobbyists Don't Run DC

"The authors randomly chose 98 legislative fights and then sifted through more than 20,000 lobbying reports and 300 interviews with key players to come up with a suprising result: Usually, the lobbists lost. In fact, the best predictor of action wasn't the money spent or the lobbyists involved. It was the politicians. Action became more likely when major players decided they wanted to act or suddently were given the power to act...Members of Congress don't actaully listen to lobbyists unless they want to..."

Poli Sci 101: Presidential Speeches Don't Matter, and Lobbyists Don't Run DC
by Ezra Klein
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/09/10/AR2010091002671.html

Things Employers Aren't Allowed to Ask You

http://finance.yahoo.com/career-work/article/110601/8-things-employers-arent-allowed-to-ask-you

Is "Forest Bathing" Good for Your Health?

"According to studies, exposure to plants and trees seems to benefit health."

The Claim: Exposure to Plants and Parks Can Boost Immunity
by Anahad O'Connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/health/06real.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb3

Does Accident-Proneness Exist?

"A meta-analysis of the distribution of accidents in the general population showed that the observed number of individuals with repeated accidents was higher than the number expected by chance. In conclusion, accident proneness exists."

http://www.bakadesuyo.com/is-there-really-such-thing-as-being-accident

A Little-Known Wine Trail in Hungary

http://travel.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/travel/25Tokaj.html?ex=1295755200&en=fc244d6758327183&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0728-L20

The Day's Events Are Incorporated Into That Night's Dreams?

"The dream cycle can be much longer than a single night."

The Claim: The Day's Events are Incorporated Into That Night's Dreams
by Anahad O'connor
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/health/07really.html?_r=1&nl=health&emc=healthupdateemb3

The Perfect Salary for Happiness: $75,000?

The Perfect Salary for Happiness: $75,000 a Year
by Robert Frank

"The magic income: $75,000 a year. As people earn more money, their day-to-day happiness rises. Until you hit $75,000. After that, it is just more stuff, with no gain in happiness. That doesn’t mean wealthy and ultrawealthy are equally happy. More money does boost people’s life assessment, all the way up the income ladder. People who earned $160,000 a year, for instance, reported more overall satisfaction than people earning $120,000, and so on."

http://blogs.wsj.com/wealth/2010/09/07/the-perfect-salary-for-happiness-75000-a-year/

But not in Fairfax County...
http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=2075378

The Story Behind the "Stan" Countries

http://www.worldatlas.com/aatlas/infopage/stan.htm

Is "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" Real?

http://open.salon.com/blog/emagill/2010/06/22/the_facts_behind_msg_plus_a_recipe_for_chicken_broccoli

Also see: Can Food Trigger Migraines?

http://consults.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/26/can-foods-trigger-migraines/?ex=1295755200&en=d0c1c5a01c082c9d&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0728-L18

Does Your Language Shape How You Think?

Does Your Language Shape How You Think?
by Guy Deutscher
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/29/magazine/29language-t.html?ex=1298952000&en=2c1293f8a00e0b14&ei=5087&WT.mc_id=NYT-E-I-NYT-E-AT-0901-L13

Too Much Sitting May Hasten Death

Too Much Sitting May Hasten Death
by Linda Searing
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/02/AR2010080203868.html

What Food Expiration Dates Really Mean

http://green.yahoo.com/blog/care2/54/food-expiration-dates-what-do-they-really-mean.html