Sick of all the music you have on your iPhone, and not sure what to listen to next? There’s an app for that! The WhoSampled app will look at the music you have, and suggest tracks to listen to based on what you already like. It gives you access to a library of music through YouTube, Daily Motion and SoundCloud that samples, remixes, or covers the songs in your library. A whole new take on song recommendations all for $2.99.
Category Archives: Wild Cards
Taking Back the F-Word
I recently read Lean In by Cheryl Sandberg, and in one chapter she mentions how her generation chose to distance themselves from feminists, even if their beliefs were aligned. Feminist was seen as something of an epithet associated with bra burning and unshaven legs. While Sandberg has long since realized the error of this stereotype, and happily identifies as a feminist, many other women still avoid being associated with the dirty word. Now, the new site Onward and F-word has emerged to advocate for feminism from men and women, to expand the audience who embraces feminism. They have blog posts, rising women’s rights activists, and additional resources. Check it out!
An Excuse to Eat Cheese
Like I needed one! Cheese is my favorite food. I love all types in all sorts of ways. And now, I have a great reason not to feel guilty for indulging in the high calorie treat. Researchers found that eating cheese is more effective in preventing cavities than it’s high calcium counterparts milk and yogurt. They attribute this to its ability to raise and maintain higher levels of pH in your mouth that create the neutral 7 level which is ideal for tooth health. However, they qualify that it’s the saliva production that helps, so harder cheese are more effective (think cheddar and parmesan not brie). Additionally, eating it with carbs may cancel out the benefit by lowering the pH of your mouth.
Girl Meets World
There’s a new show that you will probably be ashamed to admit in public in on your DVR. But don’t worry, you’ve got until 2014 to become ok with it. For all of you who grew up watching Boy Meets World on TGIF, get excited. Disney signed a new series into production called Girl Meets World. It will catalogue the life of Cory and Topanga’s daughter Riley as she enters 7th grade (hello awkward phase!). She’s all set to have the best middle school experience ever with her hand sidekick/best friend, Maya, but then Cory (her dad) is her history teacher, and Topanga (her mom) owns a place where everyone hangs out after school. What could be more embarrassing than your parents when you’re in middle school? While we’ve got a while to wait, I know I will be tuning in to watch.
Look Better in a GIF
Or in a jiff with these handy gifs from NY Mag the Cut. I cannot get over how big a fan I am of the GIF Lesson series, because am I the only one who can’t follow a series of pictures for something so complex as attaching fake eyelashes or to get just the right shading of bronzer? Instead, this smarty pants website has created a series of animated steps with real people to show you how it’s done. If a picture is worth 1,000 words, these little video shorts are worth a million bucks.
Women Play Video Games Almost as Much as Men
I have always liked to play video games. I grew up playing Zelda with my Gram, and have had every Nintendo gaming system since the classic. My friends have always gently made fun of me for it, telling me I was like a 7-year old boy on the inside. But, it turns out I have a lot of company among the adult, female gender. As survey reported in USA Today (that I read about on The Daily Beast) found that 45% of all video game players are women. However, besides Zelda – who sits in a castle waiting to be rescued by Link- (and my favorite, Princess Peach who actually gets to save the day sometimes), there are not very many female characters and even fewer female protagonists in the actual games. This is a fact that is often attributed to males being a larger proportion of the overall gaming population, but in actuality is due to a lower budget delivered to games featuring women leads. Though, there is hope that the female heroines of The Hunger Games and Game of Thrones will translate into women dominating the fantasy worlds of the video game screen.
Desk with a View = Better Sleep and More Movement
Another reason to get outta that cube farm! A study presented by the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (I read about it on The Scoop) found that people who worked near windows are more active during the day, and get better sleep at night. People who had more light exposure slept up to 46 minutes more on average each night than those who didn’t get any sun. And, they moved their bodies 4 times more than those confined to an office with no windows. If you can’t score a corner office, no need to give up your current gig. Just make it a point to get outside on your lunch break to eat, or take a spin around the block to sleep and feel better!
Links!
Hi everyone! I’ve been busy going to the beach, seeing a battle of the bands, and boating around Lake George then attending a motorcycle rally. What fun! Here’s the links I’ve clicked in between.If I don’t shine, you don’t shine. Why women should support instead of snark their super successful awesome friends.
Just another reason to dislike Fox News –they’re hating on female breadwinners.
Oprah’s advice never gets old. Here’s some gems from her Harvard commencement speech.
Who knew that Kmart sponsored so many hilarious celebrity lines? Leopard print shapewear?
Will Smith and his family, saving the world time and time again.
Crafts are for more than just DIY. How handmade can help develeping areas.
If this rain and gale-force winds are getting you down, here are 16 quotes to brighten your day!
A must read for wedding season! How to pull off a top notch toast.
I want one of these at my next house party.
There is a new, healthier chip in town. The chick pea chip!
In case you need vacation ideas, 20 ultimate bucket list experiences.
I ice cream sandwiches made with french toast cookies?I need to get to Smush immediately.
Ok, so this place is defnitely not for the squeamish, anti-gun campaigners or animal lovers, but after hearing about Joe’s Bar from a friend, it might have to be an oddity on my next road trip through Pennsylvania.
Turns out that smarter people tend to drink more (but you knew that already you smarty pants, right?)
Things have really changed for women in 50 years. Answering a letter to Harvard.
What have you read recently that caught your eye?
How to Haggle for the Right Price
Anyone who has visited Canal St. in New York City knows that half the fun of scoring cheap baubles is haggling on the price. If I can get the pashmina for $3 instead of $5, it is that much more beautiful to me. But on the flip side, I am typically extremely disappointed if someone turns down my offers to bargain and really sticks with their original sticker value. My usual technique is to name a price a bit below what I want to pay, have my high number in mind of what I’ll actually pay to own it, and gradually come up from the low number until we’ve reached a deal. Sometimes they bite on the low number, and sometimes we meet in the middle. Now research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology (that I read about on The Scoop) has some handy tips on how to get the deal you want.
Studies completed by the Columbia Business School found that when hagglers gave a specific figure (think $4.35 instead of $5), they were more likely to receive a price closer to the number they wanted. The exact figure shows the seller you know what you’re talking about, and are sure about what you should pay, while rounding off to a $5 figure implies uncertainty. That being said, whenever you’re negotiating for a price, make sure you’ve done the research, and know it’s real worth. The seller knows its value, and picking a price near that will guarantee you more success.
What’s the best deal you’ve ever gotten after bargaining for the right price?
National Park Service Brings Healthy Food to Concession Stands
One of the hardest things about travel (and especially road trips) is that when you’re stopping for a quick bite on the road, there aren’t a lot of healthy choices. Even if you pull off an exit and look for a restaurant, chance are you’d have a hard time finding healthy fare like fresh fruits and vegetables or lean meats on the menu. While I have noticed that the airports of New York City tend to carry health conscious options like chopped fruit and yogurt, many other places I visit there is a choice between slim jims, taquitos or soft serve. Now national parks, places dedicated to sustaining nature and being active among our country’s beauty, are taking a first step to fix all of that. On June 5th, the National Park Service released an announcement that they would roll out healthy concession items across the country as part of the Healthy and Sustainable Food Program. Parks will still have hot dogs, but will have bison hot dogs as a leaner option available. They’ll carry things like black bean and grass-fed beef burgers, vegetable based soups, and produce gathered from local farms. The menu is priced affordably, and tries to use locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, with the main goal of keeping a healthy vacation – walking around a national park- chock full of healthy benefits.
Glass Half Full 