Sure, you could send some flirty memes or flirty texts, but those don’t always get a reply, and while they may help open the door, they won’t help you get to know her better. Asking the right questions in the right tone, however, can really get the conversation going. “Flirting is the beginning of intimacy, and the right kinds of flirtatious questions can deepen that intimacy,” says Beth Darling, a former divorce lawyer turned sex and relationships counselor and author of The 5 Kinds of Intimacy: How to Keep Your Love Alive. “People think that love is the requirement for a relationship, but truly, love alone isn’t enough. If you don’t have intimacy, you don’t have a relationshipyou have a roommate.”

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How to strike the right tone

OK, so you want to ask questions … but what are the right flirty questions to ask a girl? It depends on the relationship, Darling says. What you ask will be very different for a long-term girlfriend or wife versus someone you’ve just met. For the former, you might also incorporate flirty nicknames for your significant other to make things more intimate, whereas with a newer relationship, you’ll want to keep things lighter.

Her next pro tip: Don’t go straight to sex talk, especially in new relationships. “People hear the word intimacy and assume it means sex, but they’re not the same thing,” she says. “There is a wide range of ways to flirt, and the goal with asking flirty questions is to get to know the other person, not get in their pants.”

Last, base your next move on her response. One girl’s “flirting” is another girl’s “ew, stop.” Test out the waters with a flirty question or two, and if she responds positively, continue the conversation. If she doesn’t, respect her boundaries and move on to a different kind of chat. Here are some ideas to get you started.

Flirty questions to ask a girl you just met

• When is the last time someone made you blush?
• If we could spend the whole night together, what would you want to do?
• If your life was a rom-com, what would your theme song be?
• What is the cheesiest pickup line anyone’s ever tried on you? Did it work?
• Can I see the last selfie you took? Tell me the story behind it.
• Do you believe in fate, or do you think we create our own destiny?
• How direct would you want someone to be if they had feelings for you?
• If you were in a biker gang, what would your nickname be?
• What’s a hidden talent you have that most people don’t know about?
• Are you a morning person or a night owl? And do you prefer morning dates or evening dates?
• What’s your favorite cuisine, and what dish should we try together?
• What was the best thing that happened to you today?
• What’s a song that you’ll never admit to liking but secretly love?
• If you could have a romantic dinner with anyone from history, who would it be?
• What’s one movie you feel super passionate about?
• Has anyone ever told you that you are the most stunning woman in the world?
• Are you a cat or dog person? Would you like to meet my cat/dog?
• What’s your favorite guilty pleasure?
• What’s your favorite way to spend a rainy day?
• What’s one fact you wish every guy (or girl) understood?
• What’s the silliest argument you’ve ever gotten into with a stranger?
• What always makes you laugh?

Trying to break the ice? These cheesy pickup lines are guaranteed to get a laugh.

Flirty questions to ask a girl you have a crush on

• What’s the top song on your make-out playlist?
• Would you rather spend a whole day with me or a whole night with me?
• Do you scream on roller coasters? What if you were holding my hand?
• Who was your celebrity crush when you were growing up?
• Would you be more likely to say yes to bar trivia night or a sunrise hike for a date?
• What’s your favorite couples Halloween costume?
• Have you ever been kicked out of a public place, and if so, what’s the story?
• What’s your idea of a perfect date?
• What’s the most adventurous thing you’ve ever done?
• What’s the best compliment you’ve ever received?
• If you could kiss any fictional character, who would it be?
• What’s your idea of a perfect weekend getaway?
• What’s your go-to dance move, and can I see it?
• What do romance movies get wrong most of the time?
• If you could have any superpower, what would it be?
• What’s the most disturbing thing under your bed?
• If you had to watch the same movie every day for a month, what would it be?
• If you designed your ideal dating app, what would it look like?
• Which is better: makeup sex or breakup sex?
• What’s the worst date you’ve ever been on?

Of course, there’s nothing sexier than humor. These flirty knock-knock jokes just might be the boost you need to get out of the friend zone.

Flirty questions to ask a new girlfriend

• What’s your favorite place to be kissed?
• If you were an ice cream cone, would you prefer to be licked or bitten?
• Little spoon or big spoon?
• Do you think Spider-Man’s upside-down kiss in the rain with Mary Jane was really hot or really gross? Would you ever want to recreate it?
• What’s your favorite way to relax after a long day?
• Which do you like more: good-morning texts or good-night texts?
• Which would you be more scared of: skinny-dipping at a public beach or wearing a snowsuit on a nude beach?
• What’s your go-to outfit for feeling sexy?
• What’s your love language?
• What’s your most romantic travel destination?
• What do you do if you wake up in the middle of the night and can’t go back to sleep?
• What first attracted you to me?
• What’s one movie that you wish could be real life?
• Do you like surprises?
• What’s something that you love but you’re not sure why?
• If you could take off one piece of my clothing, which would it be?
• Do you ever go commando? Would you tell me if you did?
• What do you think about right before you fall asleep?
• What’s your favorite thing about being in a relationship?
• What makes you feel safe with someone?
• What’s your favorite flower?

Once you have that bit of knowledge, you can follow up with a very special flower delivery. (See, you pay attention!)

Flirty questions to ask a long-time love or wife

• Which is sexier: me doing the dishes or me vacuuming?
• Foot rub or back rub?
• What’s a funny signal or word we can use to say we want to hook up without the kids understanding what we’re talking about?
• If you could switch lives with someone for a day, who would it be and why?
• Can you describe your favorite movie kiss?
• Do you remember the first time I told you “I love you”?
• Do you remember the first time you said “I love you” to me?
• If we recreated our first date, would you change anything?
• If I asked you to take off one piece of clothing, what would you pick?
• What’s your favorite thing about being married/partnered?
• What are you most excited about for our future together?
• What do you love about me?
• Can I tell you what I love most about you?
• What is the best gift someone has ever gotten you?
• What smell reminds you of me?
• Lights on, lights off or candles?
• When did you first realize that you were in love with me?
• Want to know when I first realized I was falling for you?
• What’s the best vacation we’ve ever taken together?
• What’s your favorite outfit that I wear?
• Hey, how YOU doin’?? (Wink, wink)

To keep the romance going, check out these date ideas that will strengthen your connection.

Flirty questions to spice up a relationship

• If you could dip anything into chocolate and then eat it, what would it be?
• What’s the top song on your sexy playlist right now?
• What is your favorite part of your body? Can I guess it?
• Are you more turned on by smell, sight or touch?
• What is your ultimate fantasy?
• What is your favorite part of my body, and can you describe it without words?
• What’s your biggest non-traditional turn-on?
• Which Britney Spears song would you most like to act out?
• If you were cake, what kind of filling would you have?
• You have 10 minutes alone with me, and I can’t say no. What do you do?
• Shower, pool or hot tub?
• Back rubs in the front room or front rubs in the back room?
• What’s your favorite kind of foreplay?
• Where’s the craziest place you’ve ever had sex?
• What color underwear do you think I’m wearing right now?
• What question are you hoping I’ll ask you?

If this is putting you in the mood for love, find out the best ways to be romantic and sweep her off her feet.

About the expert

• Beth Darling, JD, Esq., is a former divorce lawyer who decided she’d rather help couples get together than split apart. She now works as a sex and relationship counselor and is the author of The 5 Kinds of Intimacy: How to Keep Your Love Alive and Love and Laughter: Sexy (Meaningful) Fun for Everyone.

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We asked two aviation experts to explain the physics of air turbulence, why it’s getting worse and how dangerous it really is for commercial aircraft and its passengers.

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What causes air turbulence?

Air turbulence is a naturally occurring event caused by a number of environmental factors, says Dan Bubb, PhD, a former airline pilot, current associate professor at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and author of Landing in Las Vegas: Commercial Aviation and the Making of a Tourist City. According to Bubb, it’s a bit like juggling. “Turbulence occurs when you have unstable air,” he says. “If you imagine a juggler juggling balls, some balls will go higher than others. The higher a ball goes, the more unstable the parcel of air becomes, thereby generating turbulence.”

Factors such as thunderstorms, mountain waves and thermals, or rising air currents can cause turbulence. “However, when discussing commercial flights, we most generally think of clear-air turbulence,” says Thomas Guinn, PhD, a private pilot and professor and chair of the Applied Aviation Sciences Department at the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

What is clear-air turbulence?

Clear-air turbulence occurs in cloudless regions (away from storms) and is predominantly created by intense changes in wind direction and/or speed. “This occurs near the jet stream when the wind speeds change quickly with both horizontal and vertical distance,” says Guinn. “When the [wind] shear is strong enough, the air will overturn, creating turbulent whirls that cause the aircraft to experience rapid up-and-down motions. This is loosely similar to how strong winds over the ocean surface can create large crashing waves.”

Unlike turbulence caused by thunderstorms or clouds, CAT is not visible to pilots or meteorologists or even detectable by radar, which means it’s virtually impossible for pilots to avoid. Plus, CAT most often occurs above 18,000 feetthe cruising altitude area of most commercial aircraft.

Why is turbulence getting worse?

The study reanalyzed CAT satellite data collected between 1979 and 2020 and found a marked increase in CAT, especially moderate to severe CAT, or the kind that will rattle not just the plane, but your nerves as well. So what’s the reason behind the worsening of this type of turbulence? Climate change, says the study.

The steadily increasing amount of warm air due to carbon dioxide emissions has kept pace with the rate of CAT increases. That warm air rises into the jet stream, creating invisible wind shears that cause clear-air turbulence. “Climate change is having a significant impact on the frequency of air turbulence because of greater instances of highly unstable air,” says Bubb. “Part of this is due to times when the jet stream is stronger.” But it also occurs at the frontal boundary, where warm and cold fronts meet. As a result, he says, “areas along the frontal boundary can experience severe thunderstorms with considerable rain, winds and turbulence.”

Guinn adds that several studies have indicated turbulence may become more frequent and have greater intensity as climate change modifies both jet stream and thunderstorm patterns. According to one study that Guinn cites, by 2050 to 2080, “winter severe clear-air turbulence events will become as common as moderate turbulence events are currently,” he says.

So where are the most active areas of increased CAT? Over the busy North Atlantic Tracks flight corridor that connects Europe to North America, and across a large swath of the continental United States. (In some areas, there was a 100% increase in the incidence of moderate or greater clear-air turbulence.)

How dangerous is turbulence during a flight?

Despite the dire predictions, experts say that air turbulence, either caused by CAT or more visible storms and cloud formations, is not at all likely to bring down a commercial aircraft. “Turbulence can be extremely dangerous, causing passenger and crew injuries as well as aircraft damage, but it is unlikely to cause a commercial airline aircraft to crash,” says Guinn.

Bubb concurs. “Air turbulence can be severe, but not enough to bring down an airplane,” he says. “Commercial passenger planes are sturdily built and undergo numerous stress tests to ensure their airworthiness before they go into service.”

Injuries related to CAT and storm turbulencemost often head and neck injuriesoccur when the jolt is strong enough to cause passengers to accelerate out of their seats. It’s why the safest airlines have flight safety protocols. The majority of passenger injuries can be prevented simply by keeping your seatbelt fastened at all times, even when it feels like smooth sailing.

“Since turbulence can occur at any time, it’s always best to leave your seatbelt on and minimize walking about the cabin,” says Guinn. “Certainly when the captain turns on the seatbelt sign for turbulence, passengers should take heed, since it indicates turbulence has been observed along the flight path by another pilot or is forecast to occur.”

About the experts

• Dan Bubb, PhD, is a former airline pilot and the current associate professor in residence at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He is the author of Landing in Las Vegas: Commercial Aviation and the Making of a Tourist City, and his research interests include U.S. and world history and commercial aviation and airport history.
• Thomas Guinn, PhD, is professor and chair of the Applied Aviation Sciences Department at the College of Aviation at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. A private pilot, his research areas include aviation meteorology, tropical cyclone dynamics and the pedagogy of teaching atmospheric science.

Sources:

• Advancing Earth and Space Sciences: “Evidence for Large Increases in Clear-Air Turbulence Over the Past Four Decades”
• Advancing Earth and Space Sciences: “Global Response of Clear-Air Turbulence to Climate Change”

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Striking a balance between your work and your life

If you’re a people pleaser who just doesn’t know how to say no, join the club. Far too many of us will take on that extra project or stay late at the office to finish a last-minute assignment even when it cuts into our free time. It can be hard to put ourselves first, but self-care is important. Remember, you can’t do good work unless you feel rested and at easewho can focus at the office after a rough night of little sleep? We’ve put together a list of some of the best work-life balance quotes to remind you how important it is to put yourself before your work.

And let’s face it: Regardless of whether you live in the best U.S. state for work-life balance or the American city best known for its work-around-the-clock attitude, you probably struggle with setting boundaries. But drawing a line between your work life and personal life is essential to building healthier relationships with friends, family, romantic partners and co-workers. It’s also a key to a happier life.

So read on for some work-life balance quotes that’ll inspire you to clock off at a reasonable time and craft a life outside your job.

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How to bring your house luck

The notion of “luck” implies forces beyond our control. For example, we have no control over our birth date, but some of us still get to enjoy having the luckiest zodiac signjust the same. Nevertheless, we all want to figure outhow to get good luckinto our lives, and one easy way to do that is by bringing our house luck with a few strategically chosen items.

You’ve probably heard about feng shui, the ancient Chinese art of arranging objects to achieve harmony and balance. But thats just one of the world views that believes you can utilize good luck charms to tip the scales in your favor and help you attract good fortune, health and wealth. And its easier than you might think. It might mean simply adding good luck plants, a horseshoe or even a bowl of acorns to your home for a little boost and letting the good luck roll in. Heres what to put on your shopping list.

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My friend brought the Amazon Coowoz travel backpack on a girls trip to Miami last year. I looked around in disbelief, trying to see where her carry-on luggage was. She assured me that everything she needed for the four-day trip was in that backpack. And she was right.

What is the Amazon travel backpack?

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Coowoz Travel Backpack

The travel backpack is a lightweight, waterproof travel bag with compartments for clothing, shoes, laptops and more. It's TikTok-viral and can fit as a personal item on most major airlines.

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The viral Amazon travel backpack has captured the hearts of frugal travelers everywhere. Travel writers and influencers on TikTok post careful games of packing Tetris, showing just how handy it is for vacation. From the outside, it looks like a standard backpack. But its actually an incredible space-saving pouch that holds more than meets the eye.

Made of waterproof and durable polyester, the backpack is sturdy and withstands bumps on a flight or road trip. It has several (more like many) pockets for storage and safekeeping and comes in more than a dozen colors. It physically feels a bit bulky and more suitable for a camping trip, but once it’s packed, it’s a great space saver.

Amazon travel backpack features

The best part of the Amazon Coowoz travel backpack is all of its hidden storage. Instead of a half-zip opening like a traditional backpack, this one opens up from end to end, as if youre unzipping a suitcase. The main compartment fits packing cubes and reveals more compartments for laptops, electronics or travel accessories.

A wet bag, made of high-density, water-resistant material, keeps dirty or wet clothes separate. At the bottom of the backpack is a section for shoes, keeping them away from clean clothes. A power bank fits in the lining of the bag to connect and charge your phone. Plus, an anti-theft pocket at the back keeps valuables safe.

The backpack comes in three sizes: large-simple, large and expandable large. It sounds a little confusing, but it’s essentially a small, medium and large system. When empty, all three weigh less than three pounds and align with the personal item dimension requirements of 7 out of 10 major airlines.

How I tested it

For longer, farther trips, I usually travel with my Beis Mini Weekender and a hard shell rolling carry-on. On a recent trip to Florida, however, I didnt want to spend an extra $160(!) on a carry-on with a budget airline. Even with packing cubes and Beiss extra storage compartment, I still had to stuff some things in a friends checked bagmaking me wonder if it wouldve been more worth it to just pay for the extra luggage.

To be fair, my hard shell rolling luggage does fit quite a bit. And if I have the extra spending money, Im happy to splurge. But to give the Amazon travel backpack a fair shot, I strategically laid out everything Id usually pack in my rolling carry-on for a week-long trip and started to fit it in the backpack.

Packing

I fit two maxi dresses, two pajama sets, three tops, shorts, a workout set and two bathing suits in a medium compressible packing cube. My toiletries fit in a large toiletry bag I got on Amazon and my makeup in another. I usually travel with a hairdryer and flat iron, but only packed the latter for space purposes.

My laptop, Kobo Libra 2, chargers, wallet and glasses fit in the inner storage with a pair of slippers in the bottom compartment. As a rule of thumb, I wear my bulkiest items during travel, including sneakers, jeans and a chunky cardigan.

Comparison

After making sure everything was zipped and secure, I realized that I still had empty pockets and wiggle room for more items if I wanted to. The backpack didn’t look bulky or overstuffed at all. I repacked everything into my rolling carry-on to compare (without having to use a packing cube) and wasn’t pressed for room in either bag. A win for personal item travelers, especially on budget airlines!

I suppose with a carry-on, Id be able to bring another personal item. But the Coowoz backpack has a theft-proof pocket for a passport or wallet, water bottle pockets and other hidden pockets for little goods that I’d otherwise pack in a purse. Plus, I’m sure there’d be room for a purse inside as well.

The only problem is the shoe storage compartment. While it does technically fit a pair of sneakers or boots, it takes away from the main storage. A pair of sandals or slippers work best there (which isnt too bad if you follow the wear your heaviest items while traveling rule). And if you stuff the backpack too tight, you risk tearing the fabric or not being able to use the extra pockets. Packing cubes and organization hacks are your best friend here!

For now, United, Southwest, Delta and American Airlines dont charge for carry-on luggage. But if you’re a frugal traveler like me, take advantage of this affordable Coowoz option.

Pros

• Travel backpack with tons of storage and pockets
• Separate shoe storage
• Fits the personal item dimensions on 7 out of 10 major airlines
• Affordable price point
• Back padding makes it comfortable to carry
• Fits a week’s worth of items if you’re a careful packer

Cons

• If youre packing chunky shoes, you have to pack around them in the main compartment, which can get clunky
• Overpacking can affect the seams and material

FAQ

What is the best size backpack for airline travel?

If youre traveling with a backpack, it will probably count as a personal item. Most airlines require a personal item to be smaller than 18 inches long and 14 inches wide. If youre using it as a carry-on, most airlines require it to be smaller than 22 inches long and 14 inches wide.

What size backpack will fit under a plane seat?

This depends on which airline youre flying with. But most standard backpacks will fit under a plane seat.

What other reviewers had to say

I bought it as my main carry-on for work flights (only carrying a purse in addition), and I STUFFED it,” writes five-star reviewer Allison B. “I used packing cubes and packed 3.5 days of professional clothing (skirts, tops, dresses), underwear, socks, a bra, pajamas, my quart toiletry bag and random other things.” She also added a laptop, office supplies, other tech gadgets and two pairs of shoes. “The backpack was very comfortable to carry around, and it fit both into the overhead bins and under the airline seat in front of me.

I had to take a lot of weekend trips earlier this year and the carry-on fees were really starting to add up so I purchased this backpack and solved my fee issues!” says verified purchaser Karen H. “It has a built-in charging spot and fully unzips so you can lay it open when packing, not try to stuff things into a backpack that only opens halfway. There are also several more pockets for personal items. A bottle holder on the side and even a padded spot for your laptop or iPad. If you take weekend jaunts this is the backpack you want!

Took this one to Guatemala for a week last fall with my son. Its deceptively roomy and has a LOT of pockets which is always a requirement for me,” raves five-star reviewer Matt. “Excellent, sturdy material that didnt let water in when it rained. My 7th-grade son now uses it for school because its deep enough for his binders, but not so deep that it looks like hes carrying a carry-on around.

Product comparison

When compared side by side, the Coowoz and rolling carry-on bags technically fit the same items. You just need to be more calculated and deliberate with the Coowoz. Packing cubes, toiletry bags and organization tools are necessary to make the most of its space. It really comes down to your budget and packing needs. If a capsule wardrobe is feasible on your vacation, try the Coowoz.

Other travel backpacks offer compact packing too. But the Coowoz maximizes space and hidden compartments to secure everything in place. And for a price of less than $40, its truly the most cost-effective option.

Final verdict

For any weekend trip or penny-pinching vacation, the Coowoz travel backpack is totally worth the hype. I can fit just about everything I need for a few days (I’d say up to a week at most) and not have to worry about hidden fees, size limits or lost luggage. It fits underneath most airplane seats or even in my lap in the car. The back padding is comfortable and my back thanks me for it!

While this probably wont be my first choice on a longer vacation, it’s a spacious packing solution for weekends (even long ones). Be careful of packing it too tightit’s not indestructible after all. But for the price of this cheap luggage, you really cant go wrong.

Where to buy the Amazon travel backpack

Get the viral Amazon travel backpack, you guessed it, on Amazon. It comes in three sizes and various colorways (all under $45). Consider this pack your new travel buddy!

VIA MERCHANT

Shop on Amazon

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We Tried It

Coowoz Travel Backpack

The travel backpack is a lightweight, waterproof travel bag with compartments for clothing, shoes, laptops and more. It's TikTok-viral and can fit as a personal item on most major airlines.

Shop on Amazon

Shop on Walmart

The post Review: This Viral Amazon Travel Backpack Fits Everything A Carry-On Would appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Best for eco-conscious booze-hounds: Cocktail Grow Kit

Know any cocktail connoisseurs with a green thumb? With this clever grow kit, they can harvest an aromatic happy hour in the comfort of their own home. It comes with thyme, lavender, Thai basil, mint, lemon balm and blue borage seeds to create the coolest cocktails. If your budget for cheap Christmas gifts allows, add asalsa windowsill kit. Hey, everyone needs snacks when sipping!

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Must-read drama books

As a librarian who both loves gossip and has anxiety, the best place for me to get my drama fix is within the pages of drama books. Luckily, there’s a near-endless supply of incredible works of fiction to reach for on our library’s shelves. Drama exists across book genresyou’ll find dramatic tension in fantasy, romance, mystery, thrillers, historical fiction and more. And it generally doesn’t matter if it’s a family saga, dramatic thriller or historical epic, I’ve read it. I’ve been a librarian for almost a decade now, and every job I’ve ever had involved books in one way or another. So if you’re looking for some book recommendations from someone with a true love of reading (I read more than 700 books last year), I’ve got you covered. Which are the best drama books I’ve ever read? Let’s get into it.

What are drama books?

The term “drama books” covers a wide range of topics in fiction: Family, legal, historical, crime, romantic and even horror dramas exist. (In nonfiction, “drama” might be used to refer to books on theater, so we’re focusing on fiction here!) One easy comparison is to consider awards shows, like the Emmys. Television series are split into comedy and drama categories. Lines between the two can be blurredthere are funny dramas and dramatic comedies, after all. But if you’re looking for mostly non-comedic fiction, you’ll find a lot of the best books in the drama category here. These are the top 20 drama books I’ve ever read.

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Although that frothy Starbucks concoction should definitely be off limits, including some pumpkin in your cat’s dietmight actually be a good idea. Of course, there’s a wide variety of pumpkin out therefrom canned pumpkin and pumpkin pie to that fresh pumpkin you’re about to turn into a jack-o’-lantern. Is some of it toxic to cats, or does everything get a vet’s seal of approval? We consulted Leslie Sinn, DVM, a veterinarian and cat behaviorist, about whether you can safely share fall’s favorite flavor with your cat.

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Do cats like pumpkin?

They do! Although cats are obligate carnivoresmeaning they have to eat meat in order to survivethey definitely find pumpkin appealing as well. “Maybe it’s the taste, or maybe it’s the creamy texture,” says Dr. Sinn. “We’re pretty clueless as to why, but most of them do seem to really like it. And cats are pretty particular about the foods they eat, so it is kind of surprising.”

Can cats eat pumpkin?

Yesas long as it’s pure pumpkin. “It needs to be pure cooked pumpkin puree,” says Dr. Sinn. “People sometimes get confused and buy a can of pumpkin-pie filling, which has sugar and spices and other additives in it.” That can be problematic from a health perspective. (More on that below.) But again, as long as you’re careful about the type of pumpkin you’re buying, it’s OK to give it to your catand even good for them! This is different from milk, which you actually shouldn’t give your cat, believe it or not.

What are the benefits of pumpkin for cats?

Like other vegetables, pumpkins are high in fiber and chock-full of vitamins. And because they’re about 90% water, they’re low-calorie tooall of which means there are plenty of good reasons to share this colorful fruit with your favorite feline.

It’s packed with nutrients

A member of the squash family, pumpkin is high in potassium, phosphorus and calcium, as well as a plethora of vitamins that help cats maintain strong bones, shiny coats and a healthy immune system. “Pumpkins have vitamins A, D, E and K,” says Dr. Sinn. “So they’re pretty nutritious.”

It helps with kitty constipation

In the wild, cats eat grass to help keep their digestive systems moving. Because of its high-water and high-fiber content, pumpkin can achieve the same goal. “Because cats like it, pumpkin is often a first line of defense in terms of helping cats that are constipated,” says Dr. Sinn. “It provides water and bulk in their stool to help relieve the constipation.”

It’s a natural hairball remedy

The fiber in pumpkin can also help cats that struggle with hairballs. “It works fairly well to help cats that have hair getting caught up in their GI tract,” says Dr. Sinn. “The pumpkin will smooth that through and help them pass the hair.”

And because most cats will willingly eat pumpkin off their plates, many vets prefer it to hairball-control gels or other medications. “Cats seem to like the taste better than hairball remedies,” adds Dr. Sinn, “which is why we tend to try that first.”

It can aid in weight loss

If your vet has suggested you put your cat on a diet, pumpkin can help there too. Adding a teaspoon or two of pumpkin to your cat’s food every day can help them feel fuller while eating fewer calories. “Because it’s got a lot of fiber in it, the pumpkin will help fill up the cat, so they aren’t so whiny at mealtime,” adds Dr. Sinn. “You just want to make sure that the cat is still getting enough of its regular food so it is meeting its nutritional needs. And you don’t want to give so much pumpkin that they wind up having loose stool or diarrhea.”

Is pumpkin a natural de-wormer?

No. Although some social media posts have claimed that pumpkin seeds can kill worms and other parasites in pets, Dr. Sinn says she’s “never seen any scientific evidence that indicates pumpkin can eliminate parasites from the GI tract. If your cat has worms, you need something more than pumpkin.” Consider that internet cat “fact” debunked.

What kinds of pumpkin can a cat eat?

You can find pumpkin in the produce aisle at the supermarket or with the canned vegetables. It’s also frequently sold as ready-to-bake pie filling, and its seeds are popular as a healthy snack. But not all pumpkin products are good for your cat. Here’s what you need to know.

Canned pumpkin

Canned pumpkin puree is the best kind of pumpkin to give a cat. “The main thing about cooked pumpkin is that the cooking process breaks down the fiber somewhat, so it’s not so overwhelming for their digestive tract,” says Dr. Sinn. It’s also what gives pumpkin the smooth, creamy texture cats seem to like. Just make sure the can you’re buying says it is 100% pumpkin. The ones labeled “pumpkin pie filling” contain sugar and a variety of spices that are not healthy for cats.

Fresh pumpkin

You can also purchase an actual pumpkin and cook it yourself. Pie pumpkins, also known as sugar pumpkins, tend to be smaller, denser and sweeter than carving pumpkins, and their flesh is less stringy, but both kinds are used for baking. To prepare, cut the pumpkin in half, remove the seeds and guts, and then roast in the oven until the flesh is soft (about 45 minutes in a 350-degree oven). Let the pumpkin cool, and then scoop out the flesh and puree it in a blender. Don’t add oil or spices, which can be harmful to cats.

Raw pumpkin is also OK for a cat to eat, though your kitty probably won’t see that jack-o’-lantern on your porch as food. The vegetable’s tough rind and stem would be difficult for a cat to chew, but it wouldn’t present any real danger to them. “Some cats will chew on anything, but I can’t envision a cat actually eating that,” says Dr. Sinn.

Pumpkin seeds

Pumpkin seeds, sometimes called pepitas and sold raw or roasted, would be safe for cats too. “They’re certainly not toxic,” says Dr. Sinn. “I just don’t think most cats would have much of an interest.” Of course, pumpkin seeds, like other seeds, could present a choking hazard to pets. So if your cat is interested in these seeds, it’s better to crush them before offering them to your cat.

What kinds of pumpkin should cats avoid?

Just because pure pumpkin is good for a cat, it doesn’t mean that everything pumpkin flavored is cat-friendly. Obviously that pumpkin spice latte is off limits, but you should also keep your cat away from high-fat, high-sugar pumpkin desserts, including pumpkin pie and pumpkin muffins.

“Getting a single round of pumpkin pie probably won’t be a big issue for a cat, but it’s not a good idea,” says Dr. Sinn. “Many cats are prone to being overweight, so they don’t need the sugar in it.” Sugary pumpkin-flavored treats can also pose a problem for cats with diabetes and chronic gastrointestinal diseases like IBD (inflammatory bowel disorder).

Pumpkin-based baked goods also frequently contain spices like cinnamon and nutmeg. While they’re harmless to cats in small amounts, they could be dangerous if ingested in larger quantities (about a teaspoon or more of the pure spice). So while it’s very unlikely a cat would get a toxic amount of either spice from a pastry or pie, “it’s best to steer away from it,” says Dr. Sinn.

How much pumpkin is too much for a cat?

Most cats will tolerate up to about 2 tablespoons of pumpkin a day. After that, you run the risk of loose stool and diarrhea. Whether you’re giving pumpkin to your cat as a treat or to help with digestion, the general rule of thumb is to start small. “We usually tell people to start out with about 1 tablespoon a day and see how the cat does,” says Dr. Sinn. “By that I mean, observe their stool and make sure it’s not too soft or too hard. If the cat is still having hard stool, you can go up to about 2 tablespoons a day. Most cats will tolerate that well.”

Should certain cats avoid pumpkin altogether?

Even cats with chronic health conditions can benefit from a little pumpkin in their diets. “It’s not contraindicated with any underlying health issue or health problem,” says Dr. Sinn. “Many of the health issues cats have are associated with not having enough fiber in their diet, so pumpkins should be a positive in that regard. For example, for cats with diabetes, often their diabetes is easier to control if they’re on a high-fiber diet.”

What should you do if your cat has eaten too much pumpkin?

Well, first, don’t panic: Even large amounts of pumpkin won’t be toxic. “Mainly be prepared for what’s going to come out the other end,” says Dr. Sinn. “The worst-case scenario is that the cat will develop diarrhea and you’re going to have to wait for him to pass all the pumpkin he ingested in order for things to start firming up again. That’s going to take 48 hours or so.”

While it’s always a good idea to check in with your vet and let him or her know what’s going on, the situation will likely resolve itself with time. “If the diarrhea hasn’t resolved in 24 to 48 hours, then definitely seek veterinary help,” adds Dr. Sinn. “But mainly, you’re just waiting for things to firm up again once the pumpkin passes through.”

About the expert

• Leslie Sinn, DVM, is a veterinarian and the founder of Behavior Solutions for Pets in Ashburn, Virginia. She is also a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Behaviorists.

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Coca-Cola has come out with its latest Coca-Cola Creations offering, Coca-Cola Y3000. The can brags that it’s “futuristic flavored” and was “co-created with artificial intelligence.”

Personally, I’ve seen The Terminator a few too many times and am a little bit terrified of anything created with artificial intelligence. What if the AI looked at Coke, looked at dark-colored earth liquids, and just decided to dump motor oil in there? Or beef gravy? Is someone managing this AI? Making it choose from an ingredient menu? It’s all a bit unnerving. (Learn more secrets Coca-Cola isn’t telling you.)

What is futuristic-flavored Coca-Cola?

The official word on Coca-Cola Y3000 is that it was “the first limited-edition flavor co-created with human and artificial intelligence.” Coca-Cola’s statement says that “insights gathered by both human and artificial intelligence helped inspire the unique Y3000 experience.”

There aren’t a lot of details on how AI helped design the flavor, and honestly, the more I think about what AI could do and what the world might be like in the year 3000, I’m content to not know any more than we already do.

How does Coca-Cola Y3000 taste?

First off, the Coca-Cola Y3000 can is strikingly pretty, like the Coca-Cola Creations usually are. It’s decorated in a swoopy design of sky blue, red and pink. The future has good design sense!

When you open the can, you almost get bowled over by a super-strong fragrance. It made me think of the herbs and spices in chai, maybe marinated in fruit.

Honestly, like its predecessor, Coca-Cola Ultimate, Coca-Cola Y3000 mostly reminds me of the fun we’d have as kids when a restaurant or gas station would let us have control of the fountain-drink machine. A squirt of Coke, one of root beer, one of orange, maybe another of grape. The result was always an indescribable glass of sweetness with no specific flavora comic-book panel blast of kid heaven.

Sipping Coca-Cola Y3000 only confirmed that mishmash flavor. I was kind of surprised the drink poured out with the traditional cola color, because it tasted like all the red soda flavors got together and threw a party. Cherry, strawberry, raspberry, generic “fruit punch”those were the tastes I sensed most. I’m not a big fan of the taste of energy drinks, but the Y3000 did remind me of those too.

I also could relate to the Australian TikTokker who said Coca-Cola Y3000 tasted like you used a sugary lollipop to stir a regular Coke, and then drank it. There’s a real candy flavor here. Sweet rules over spicy for sure. If you like colas for their sharp, peppery edge, you’re not going to want to time-travel to Y3000. It’s not bad, but neither is it clearly describable. I guess the future is still unwritten.

Where can you buy futuristic-flavored Coca-Cola?

Coca-Cola Y3000 will be available in the U.S. in full- and zero-sugar versions. (I tried the full-sugar version only.) It was scheduled to be on store shelves by Sept. 12, and if I know the massive machine that is Coca-Cola distribution, it will appear in stores almost everywhere. But it’s a limited-edition flavor, so try it quickly, and if you like it, hoard some, because it won’t be around forever.

The verdict

You can’t take the flavor names of any of these Coca-Cola Creations seriously. Coca-Cola Dreamworld was supposed to taste like dreams, and instead tasted like all the fruit in the world got into a fight. Coca-Cola Starlight, which was supposed to taste like space, was sweeter than a Pixy Stix milkshake. Coca-Cola Move tasted like bubblegum, and Coca-Cola Ultimate tasted like a fountain Coke spiked with every other soda-pop flavor in the universe. Coca-Cola Y3000 is a worthy new sibling to its playful, if peculiar, predecessors.

I’m a fan of anything Big Corporate Beverage does to shake things up a bit, and the colorful cans, odd names and slightly-but-not-too-weird flavors of the Coca-Cola Creations are always fun to try or taste-test with friends. Once. Don’t buy a couple 12-packs straightaway.

I eagerly await Coca-Cola Ennui, Coca-Cola Synecdoche, Coca-Cola Text Message or whatever creatively crazy flavor comes next.

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“The mind has a tendency to wander,” says Jennifer Heisz, PhD, associate professor of brain health and aging in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. “Mind-wandering is a form of distraction that can interfere with one’s ability to learn and remember new information.”

We all want to know how to be smart, right? So if you’d like to know how to remember names better or want to learn something new every day, you’ll be happy to discover that these goals are perfectly attainable.

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Why do we forget things?

A lot of our minor memory blips can be chalked up to having too many plates spinning at the same time. “Human attention is a limited resource,” says Heisz. “This means that we are unable to process all the information in the environment. We have to select only part of it.”

And by selecting only certain info to retain, our brains let the rest of our daily data seep through them like a sieve. So if you’re on the phone while making dinner and fielding questions from the kids, your busy mind might not hold on to every last word of the phone conversation.

The stage of life you’re in can be a factor too. “As we get into midlife, we have more responsibilities: aging parents, children and more responsibilities at work,” says Jason Krellman, PhD, an associate professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City. All of those obligations can make our memory battery run down faster.

So the upshot here is this: If you learn how to focus better, some of these minor memory slips may start to vanish.

How to remember things

We talked to experts and dug into the science to find tips and tricksboth to use in the moment and to build a sharper brain for lifethat can help give you the memory of an elephant.

1. Use a mnemonic device

Never heard of mnemonic devices before? It’s a memory strategy where we code new information in a way that will help us remember it later.

“Let’s say you have a grocery list of apples, strawberries and milk,” says Krellman. “You can encode that information by picturing the items. That image will be stored in a different area of the brain, and you retain that over time.”

Other people may prefer to make an acronym out of the items: ASM, for the apples, strawberries and milk on your list. Chances are, you’ve already used mnemonic devices, even if you never knew the term. Roy G. Biv sounds like a man’s name, but it’s a device that helps us remember the colors of the rainbow: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo and violet.

“Mnemonics are helpful to make large pieces of information smaller and more manageable to remember later,” Krellman says.

2. Write it by hand

If you’re struggling to remember information you typed onto your computer or tapped out on your smartphone, there may be a reason: Our brains better encode information when we’ve written it by hand. Among the easiest memory-improvement techniques to try is making handwritten lists instead of digital ones.

A 2021 study published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience backs this up. Researchers compared participants’ ability to remember vocabulary terms they’d learned by hand-writing with pen and ink, hand-writing with a digital tablet and pen, or typing on a keyboard. They concluded that the movements involved in hand-writing helped participants better memorize new words.

3. Have a home for everything

If your biggest memory sin is not ever being able to find anything, there’s a simple solution to help you with that: “Everything should have a place, and everything should be in its place,” says Krellman.

So always keep the remote control, say, on the table next to the couch. And to avoid that gutted, end-of-the-world feeling of not knowing where your cell phone may be, make a special point of always taking it back to its charger whenever you put it down. Make sure to have a regular spot for other oft-misplaced items, like your wallet and car keys, too. If you’re not sure where an item should live, think about the spot you’re likely to check first and go with your gut.

“Keeping track of things is about awareness and staying focused to our best ability,” he says.

4. Manage your anxiety

There’s been a lot to think and worry about in recent years, and circling, anxious thoughts that stick with us can have a major impact on how to remember things. “Anxiety is a very memory-intensive program,” says Krellman. “If that program is running in the background all the time, your processor will be very, very low.”

He says that anxiety is also a very powerful emotion that doesn’t get resolved quickly, and it makes it very difficult to concentrate. “Anxiety hijacks your thoughts,” he says. Learning how to meditate properly may help keep your mind more still and better able to remember things.

5. Try a new hobby

Krellman says that hobbies with repetitive taskslike gardening, pottery or knittingcan help improve our mental discipline and boost our memories. “Activities that are motoric can help free up some of your mental resources,” he says.

And there’s science behind his take-up-a-new-hobby advice. One study from the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that older adults who garden had significantly higher levels of brain nerve growth factors after they puttered in their gardens, a big assist in improving cognition and memory. Is gardening not your thing? Here’s some great advice on how to find a hobby that you’ll want to stick with.

6. Volunteer to help others

It may not help you stop forgetting why you walked into a room right away, but doing good for others doesn’t just make you feel good. One of the many benefits of volunteering is that it can also give you a long-term boost in cognitive functioning. A 2021 study from New Zealand found that volunteering at least monthly was associated with better working memoryas well as more social and cognitive activity.

And if you’re wondering how to boost memory while also making yourself happier, look no further than your nearest nonprofit. Volunteering there or with another organization that helps those in need can give your brain a burst of feel-good hormones that give you a sense of well-being.

7. Play word games and puzzles

If you want to learn how to remember things better, it’s time to pick up a pencil and eraseror a puzzle app on your phone, if you prefer the digital crossword options. According to Harvard University, memory and thinking skills may improve when you work the daily crossword. One study found that crossword puzzles can improve thinking and memory almost as much as a prescription memory-enhancing medication.

If crosswords aren’t your thing, riddles might help you sharpen your brain too. Whether you try to solve short riddles or long ones, hard riddles or easy ones, keeping your mind engaged is a memory-boosting tip that pretty much all brain scientists want you to get behind.

8. Go for a walk

Physical activity of any kind increases blood flow to the whole body, including the brain. By getting at least 150 minutes of exercise a week, you can keep your brain healthyand your memory sharp as a tackfor decades to come, says the Mayo Clinic.

But there’s another reason walking is good for memory retention. Remember the old adage that you can clear your mind with a walk? These old sayings stick around for good reason. Experts say that going outside for some fresh air can help diffuse anxiety and keep you more focusedan easy twofer for improving your memory.

9. Pay attention

It may seem like a no-brainer, but paying closer attention to information will make you more likely to retain it. As Heisz notes, distraction is the main reason we struggle to remember things. By concentrating, we give our brains a better chance of holding on to the information we’re taking in.

As a 2018 study by National Institutes of Health researchers found, attention boosts memory by suppressing neuronal activity in a specific area of the brain just before we learn something we want to remember later. The process makes it easier for the information to be encoded into memory.

If you’re struggling with how to remember things better in your day-to-day life, know that juggling too many things may be your biggest enemy. Try monotasking and give each task the focus it deserves. You may be surprised at the memory boost you get in return.

About the experts

• Jennifer Heisz, PhD, is an expert in brain health and an associate professor of brain health and aging in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario. She is also the author of Move the Body, Heal the Mind.
• Jason Krellman, PhD, is board-certified in clinical neuropsychology and is an associate professor of neuropsychology at Columbia University Irving Medical Center in New York City.

Sources:

• Frontiers in Human Neuroscience: “Advantage of Handwriting Over Typing on Learning Words: Evidence from an N400 Event-Related Potential Index”
• Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition: “Volunteering in older adulthood is associated with activity engagement and cognitive functioning”
• Harvard Health: “Have you done your crossword puzzle today?”
• International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health: “Benefits of Gardening Activities for Cognitive Function According to Measurement of Brain Nerve Growth Factor Levels”
• Mayo Clinic: “Memory loss: 7 tips to improve your memory”
• Nature Neuroscience: “Attention improves memory by suppressing spiking-neuron activity in the human anterior temporal lobe”

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Clever Halloween puns always lift our spirits!

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From Away to Monos, there are plenty of luggage options on the market right now, and lots of contenders for the best commuter bag. Out of all the different brands, I opted for Bis, Shay Mitchell’s brainchild, touting products that are tried and true functional travel pieces that won’t break the bank. In particular, The Commuter Tote bag is much lauded for its organization elements, something my trusty tote was missing, so I was excited to give it a try.

What is The Commuter Tote bag?

via Bis

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Bis The Commuter Tote

The Commuter Tote is an everyday bag that combines style and function that's perfect for both work and travel.

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As the name suggests, the Bis Commuter Tote bag is a work bag, but it also doubles as a travel option with many fans of the bag using it for both. And with its many functional features, it wasn’t hard to see why.

One of the things I was worried about was how heavy it would be because of how big it looked. The last thing I want to do is lug around a heavy bag while traveling or commuting, especially with all the things I carry around with me. So, when I unboxed the bag, I was pleasantly surprised at how light it was. The bag’s lightweight quality is also frequently mentioned in reviews.

While I hadn’t had a chance to test it out at that point, the quality smooth nylon material had me feeling confident that if I were to spill anything on it, it would be easy to clean. The wide strap felt secure and stable while the handles were long enough for me to wear it as a shoulder bag.

The Commuter Tote features

First things first, the primary reason why I chose this tote is the compartments. The tote has a main section with one zippered pouch and two water bottle pockets. I love that the pockets are inside as it keeps the exterior looking sleek; plus, I don’t have to worry about someone snatching my stuff.

Sandwiching the main compartment are two quick access sections, one of which has the famous elastic key leash much loved by reviewers. To be honest, I didn’t use this feature as I don’t usually have a problem finding my keys, but I can see the appeal if you’re always rooting around for them in your bag.

As suspected, the sturdy nylon material makes it highly durable and quick to clean when those inevitable accidents happen. I’m not saying I spilled my drink on the bag, but I’m not saying I didn’t either. A quick swipe with a wet wipe had the Bis bag looking as good as new.

This tote has a few hidden features. A nice touch was the exterior sleeve with a zippered bottom which when open, turns into a luggage sleeve. I appreciate it when my products work double duty. I also had never used a bag with a luggage sleeve before, and I will never travel without one again. It’s also so helpful to have the bag secured to my luggage while navigating a carry-on bag through the airport.

Another thoughtfully designed feature is the hidden phone pocket in between one of the side sections and the main compartment. When I needed to be hands-free during travel, it was convenient to slip my phone in there, keeping it secure but easily accessible. The pocket is actually roomy enough that I also kept my passport there as well.

How we tested it

I took the tote bag for its inaugural spin on a weekend trip to L.A. For the trip, I opted to forgo the adjustable strap, and I didn’t bring my laptop (but more on both later). What I fit in my Bis tote: my 6-inch eReader, a plastic bag of liquids, sunglasses, a portable charger, a large toiletry bag and snacks. There was truly a place for everything and it was all easily accessible.

My eReader slipped so perfectly in one of the interior slots that it tickled my brain. I used one of the water bottle pockets as intended, for my water, and in the other one, I slipped in my sunglasses case. I can also confirm that it fit snugly under the seat in front of me so it worked as my personal item on the flight.

Next, I tested out the tote as a work bag. Most of the time, I work from home so I’m not commuting to a physical office. But I’ll often work out of a coffee shop for a change of environment, so I packed up the tote and headed out. This time, I used the strap, and I was a little unsure if I would like it because it was so thick, but the width made it comfortable and evenly distributed the weight of the bag. The extra support was much appreciated because I had packed my 16-inch laptop, which fit in the front sleeve. A little bit of it peeks out but not enough to bother me.

Pros

• Luggage sleeve that doubles as an exterior pocket
• Two interior water bottle pockets
• Hidden phone pocket
• Adjustable and removable strap
• Laptop-compatible
• Metal feet on the bottom
• Easy-to-clean nylon material

Cons

• The zipper of the main compartment doesn’t go all the way across

FAQ

Is a tote bag appropriate for work?

Gone are the days of stuffy old briefcases as the only option for work bags. These days, choices for work (and play) come in all styles and sizes. As long as it holds the essentials you need to get down to businesslike a portable chargerit works as your work bag.

A tote bag is a popular option for a commuter bag as it’s often roomy enough to hold what’s likely the largest item you’ll need: your laptop. Tote bags often also come with removable or adjustable straps, giving you the versatility to wear them as a crossbody or as a shoulder bag with handles.

Are tote bags allowed as carry-ons?

Absolutelya tote bag easily serves as your personal item on flights. But just as carry-on luggage rules vary for each airline, there may be specific dimension restrictions for the personal item so be sure to check with the airline you’re flying with before going on the trip.

How do I clean the Beis Commuter Tote Bag?

The good news is that Bis is a quality luggage brand and the majority of the tote features durable nylon (the exceptions being the straps and bottom panel, which are vegan leather) so it’s super handy to clean. No need to worry about food or drink stains, as they come off easily.

What other reviewers had to say

“I have been searching for the perfect work/travel bag since I started traveling more for work,” begins verified buyer Joanna. “I was having a hard time finding a bag that fit my work laptop and supplies and also look[s] sleek at the same time. This bag changes all that. The compartments are perfect, my 15-inch work laptop fits, obsessed with the thick crossbody strap, the phone slot is just right and the zippered pass-through strap for the luggage is so good.”

This bag even won over backpack enthusiasts like verified reviewer Darcy, “I’m usually a backpack person, but I love this bag. I love the simple compartments. One of my favorite things is the hidden phone pocket. My favorite aspect of the bag is how it stands so solidly, no matter what’s inside. It doesn’t seem to flop over.”

The commuter bag gained Bis a fan in verified buyer Ana M., “I love this bag. It has officially turned me into a loyal Bis customer. I love how there’s a pocket for everything. It’s lightweight and comfortable to carry. I use it for travel but also for school”.

Final verdict

For me, the tote kept everything organized for both travel and work. I especially loved its many compartments and appreciated the thoughtful design features, especially ones that worked double duty. If you’re looking for a stylish, spacious solution for travel, work or both, look no further than The Commuter Tote from Bis.

Where to buy The Commuter Tote bag

via Bis

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Bis The Commuter Tote

The Commuter Tote is an everyday bag that combines style and function that's perfect for both work and travel.

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You can join the waitlist now to get your hands on The Commuter Tote bag for $118 on Bis‘ website in either black or beige. Or you can shop it at Nordstrom or Revolve for $118 in beige right now. Whether you’re boarding a plane or heading to a boardroom, travel in organized style with this commuter bag.

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Guilty pleasures too good to give up

Everyone has a guilty pleasure, an activity you enjoy while also feeling just a bit of shame. For some, it’s a favorite snackor a favorite candy. Others have a trashy show or a favorite book genre they’re a little embarrassed to be seen reading. Whatever your indulgence of choice, it’s common to have a hobby or habit you’d rather keep a secret. But that doesn’t mean you should feel ashamed of it. In fact, guilty pleasures can help you learn how to de-stressand create moments of joy in your day.

Curious about which pleasures you might find the most enjoyable? The answer you’re looking for could be in the stars. Astrology holds the key to life’s greatest mysterieseverything from how to be happier based on your zodiac to your ideal zodiac compatibility. We asked experts to share their opinion on which dirty little secret, decadence or guilty pleasure each of the zodiac signs are most drawn to. Keep reading to discover yours. And don’t worry, we won’t expose you!

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Pumpkin spice and everything nice

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Say what?

We don’t care if it’s 90 degrees and sunny: If it’s on the menu, we’re ordering our pumpkin spiceand the biggest one possible.

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For some of [the kids], this may be the only hot meal they get all week, says Johanna. It was really overwhelming at first I was just trying to get my life back on track.

Serving others isnt just a part-time passion for Johanna. In her job as a Warehouse Supervisor at the Dollar General Distribution Center in Ardmore, OK, she takes care of people all day. Anything my team needs to succeed I am the person thats getting it for them. I cant be successful without them.

It was through Dollar General that Johanna was introduced to The Landing Bridge. With the support from colleagues like Jason Weaver and Landing Bridge Executive Director Amber Chavez, Johanna felt that her job had taken on new meaning. Seeing her experiences at Dollar General and The Landing Bridge come together with both being grounded in extending true kindness to the community has been nothing short of rewarding.

These kids helped restore my faith, she says. They had been through unspeakable things but still have such a capacity to love. If we can keep one child from being an addict or one child from living on the streets, then we have done a good job.

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When I first heard Shark was releasing an air purifier that covers an impressive 1,400 sq. ft (enough for my entire home) with a long-lasting HEPA filter, I knew I needed to try it myself.

I’ve used some amazing air purifiers in the past (and even have air-purifying plants), but the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max comes with some extra features I was really excited to try, like the brand’s Clean Sense IQ that gives a percentage reading of how clean the air is.

What is the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max?

The Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max cleans a home’s indoor air of common pollutants like dust, animal dander and pollen. The Shark air purifier is the brand’s first to use a NeverChange HEPA filter, designed to last for five years of use. We’re always on the lookout for an air purifier that’s a smart value and the Shark certainly fits the bill.

Dr. Courtney Blair is a board-certified allergist and immunologist who says it’s important to choose an air purifier that fits the space you’re trying to keep clean. Thankfully, the Shark air purifier’s coverage of up to 1,400 sq. ft. is likely to work for many spaces and homes.

Melanie Carver, the chief mission officer for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), mentions indoor air quality is worth paying attention to. “Having good indoor air quality is an important part of having a healthy living space,” she says. “People spend more than 90% of their time indoors, and indoor air can be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air.”

Carver mentions indoor air quality is impacted by animal dander, pollen, mold, dust mites, fumes released by cooking, and cleaning products. Since our homes are less ventilated than outdoor spaces, these get trapped inside and pose negative health risks. With new viruses of concern circulating and increasing wildfire smoke hazards, it’s more important than ever to keep indoor air clean.

The Shark air purifier comes with impressive features like an LED screen that gives real-time clean air information. It’s easy to assemble, fairly lightweight to move and gives peace of mind that indoor air quality isn’t an issue.

via Sharkclean

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An air purifier with a HEPA-filtration that guards against odors, dust and dander and captures micropollutants for up to five years in a 1,400-square-foot home.

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Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max features

Shark makes some of the most dependable vacuum cleaners and is part of the same company as Ninja, which makes buzz-worthy Ninja kitchen appliances. Thanks to the SharkNinja’s positive reputation, it’s no surprise the NeverChange Air Purifier comes packed with useful features. The portable purifier’s sleek and clean design feels on par with its high-tech performance and ability to monitor air quality.

Not only does the purifier use a filter that surpasses HEPA standards, two external filters help catch larger particles and pet hair so they don’t prematurely clog the HEPA filter. I found cleaning the external filters with a vacuum to take about 30 seconds on each side.

One of the features I found the most useful was the eco setting on auto mode. Once auto mode is on, the air purifier shuts off the fan once the air quality reaches 100% for at least five minutes. It’ll automatically kick back on once the air needs cleaning. Not only is this an energy-saving mode, it adds to the lifespan of the HEPA filter.

The included Odor Neutralizer Technology cartridge significantly cut down on a musty smell while I was cleaning my basement and I found it did an excellent job with odor control while I was cooking. I also raved about the purifiers’ customization options with three levels of dimness (one being night mode that emits no light) and the ability to mute the air purifier so the buttons don’t beep.

• Uses a HEPA filter that surpasses regulations, capturing 99.98% of air particles
• Eco-mode available to optimize filter lifespan
• Five settings for fan speed
• Dual exterior mesh dust filters capture larger particles like hair
• Odor Neutralizer Technology cartridge releases a fresh scent
• LED screen tracks air quality and indicates three particle sizes (PM1, PM2.5, and PM10)
• Blue, yellow and red ring on the LED screen reflect good, fair and poor air quality

How we tested it

I tested out the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max for two weeks and used it in three environments. The box was large but manageable for one person to move inside. The setup took less than five minutes.

I set it up in my living room, which is the central part of my house, connecting to the kitchen, dining room, bedrooms and bathroomabout 900 sq. ft. in total. The purifier took a few seconds to calibrate my indoor air quality, giving me a reading of 95%. This increased to 100% within minutes.

As someone sensitive to smells, I wasn’t thrilled about the included Odor Neutralizer Technology Cartridge which has a noticeable scent. I was tempted to not even install it, but I wanted to test the air purifier correctly, so I set it to the lowest scent option (off is also an option). To my surprise, the smell was minimal and actually pleasant. After two weeks, I still faintly notice it when I get home and don’t mind it at all.

I also carried it downstairs to my basement while I was doing some sorting of seasonal clothes. I was impressed by the responsive air quality percentage reading which dropped almost immediately when I opened the bins of clothes.

Lastly, I brought it to a cabin in a national forest for a weekend where the air quality dropped to 70% when a neighboring cabin had an evening campfire. Once I closed up the cabin’s windows, the Shark air purifier cleaned the air of the smoke and was back to 100% air quality within 10 minutes.

Pros

• Filters a large areaup to 1,400 sq. ft.
• Long-lasting HEPA filter
• Quiet fan operation with the option to turn control buttons to silent
• Odor Neutralizer cartridges help with pet odor and cooking smells
• Night mode eliminates all lights and display
• Useful air quality reading, broken down into particle type

Cons

• Scent from Odor Neutralizer cartridge could be unappealing to some
• Remote control sold separately

FAQ

Can I leave my Shark Air Purifier on all the time?

Yes, you can leave the air purifier running all the time, but it’ll shorten the lifespan of the HEPA filter. If you leave the unit on all the time, Shark recommends using the auto mode which activates eco mode. This mode kicks on after five minutes of 100% air quality, which turns the fan off until the purifier detects particulate matter.

Dr. Blair says it’s best to run an air purifier all the time, if possible. “Ideally, the filters run all the time,” she says. “But to conserve the filter, running them at night and in a closed room is a good option.”

How long does the Shark Air Purifier last?

The Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max uses the longest-lasting filter of all Shark air purifiers. When powered at Max fan speed for 12 hours per day in a 300 sq. ft. room, Shark says the filter will last for five years. The fragrance from the Odor Neutralizer Technology cartridge will also fade over time, but Shark sells replacement cartridges in a two-pack for about $15. The Shark air purifier comes with a two-year warranty.

Are Shark Air Purifiers washable?

Some components of the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max are washable, but not all pieces. Shark recommends wiping the exterior of the unit with a microfiber cloth and warm, soapy water. To clean the interior, Shark says every two months owners should remove the HEPA filter and vacuum the interior to remove any dust or debris. The HEPA filter itself is not washable and should never come in contact with water.

Clean the Mesh Dust Filters by removing them when the air purifier powers on. Vacuum or wipe any dust, hair or debris off and replace. The purifier will automatically recalibrate the cleanliness percentage of the mesh filters.

What other reviewers have to say

One Shark air purifier reviewer mentioned her family has benefited from a dust-free home. “I felt like the air in our house is always dusty, and I have no idea why. I’ve been using this new filter for a little while, and it’s helped to make a huge difference in our air quality,” says Haley K. “I love that there is a child lock for the buttons and it’s super quiet. I’ve been keeping it on auto mode, and I don’t have to worry about it.”

Another reviewer pointed out her husband’s health has improved with cleaner indoor air. Anna B. says, “Since we installed the air purifier, my husband’s allergies have significantly improved. We have two dogs as well, and I’ve observed that the dust in the home has decreased and it does not smell like dogs anymore,” she wrote. “It goes without saying that the auto setting was quite useful and effective during the day. With simple controls and a washable outer filter, the device is simple to operate and maintain. Particularly for anyone with allergies or respiratory problems, an air purifier is a perfect addition to the home.”

Angel noticed the Shark’s biggest selling pointthe long-lasting filter. “Just the fact that this filter doesn’t need replacing for five years is an absolute win. It also helps keep all the dog hair out of the air. I can smell the difference in my home; it has the same odor neutralizer in it that my Shark vacuum does, and I love it in both products. Nothing makes a mom feel better than her little one going to sleep soundly, breathing in the freshest air possible.”

Final verdict

My overall review of the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max is exceptionally positive. With concern about viruses, pollution and poor air quality, I feel safer knowing the air in my home is healthy and clean. While running the purifier on auto mode, I’m able to consistently keep my air quality over 99%.

I’m especially delighted with the night mode that turns off all lights since I prefer to sleep in a dark room. I’m positive anyone looking for a high-tech purifier will love the features, ease of use and impressive performance of this Shark air purifier.

Where to buy the Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max

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We Tried It

Shark NeverChang Air Purifier Max

An air purifier with a HEPA-filtration that guards against odors, dust and dander and captures micropollutants for up to five years in a 1,400-square-foot home.

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Shop the NeverChange Air Purifier MAX on the Shark website for $330 which comes with free shipping. Breathe easier knowing your indoor air is clean and smells fresh with this powerful air purifier.

About the experts

• Dr. Courtney Blair is a board-certified doctor in allergy/immunology based in Virginia. In 2021, she served as the president of the Greater Washington Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Society. She’s consistently voted as one of Virginia and Washington’s top doctors for over 10 years.
• Melanie Carver is the chief mission officer for the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA), based in Virginia. She is an expert in environmental control for asthma and allergies and serves on the executive management team for the Asthma & Allergy Friendly Certification Program.

The post We Tried It: Shark NeverChange Air Purifier Max Review appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Eighty-two years we waited for the park, says City Councilwoman Lillian Brock Flemming. The little children dont know the history, but they know theyll have a good time when they get there.

Opened in 2022, Unity Park is a60-acre, $60-million marvel of modern landscape architecture in the Southernside neighborhood of Greenville, South Carolina. The city, at the foot of the Blue Ridge Mountains and cleft by the Reedy River, has equipped the park with every bell and whistle imaginable for its 72,000 residents. But the true transformation isnt one of Greenvilles facilitiesits of Greenvilles spirit.

Unity Park now stands where two formerly segregated parks, Mayberry Park and Meadowbrook Park, stood off for nearly a century. Back in 1927, Mayberry Park was the only place in Greenville where Black children could play.

It was all we had, says Mary Duckett, president of Southernside Neighborhoods in Action.

But the city treated the park as its spare room. Greenville took a portion for a police shooting range (kids knew to steer clear during Saturday target practice), and then some more for a Public Works facility, which housed a landfill, trash incinerators and a parking lot for garbage trucks.

Ive heard people describe it as the communitys junkyard, says Greenville Housing Fund President Bryan Brown.

In 1938, the city took half of Mayberry Park to build Meadowbrook Park, a minor league baseball stadium. Mayberry Park was reduced to a sandlot, living in the literal shadow of its neighbors prize colosseumone that explicitly barred the Black residents who had frequented the park for over a decade.

In 1939, when South Carolina was in the clutches of Jim Crow, a man named E.B. Holloway, who was Greenvilles first Black mail carrier, petitioned City Council for a true city park for the Black community.

We want the park because we need it, Holloway wrote to the Greenville Piedmont newspaper. We want the park because our social and recreational life is at stake. Give us a park.

The City Council agreed to build a real park … and then did nothing for nearly a century. So the Unity Park that visitors enjoy today makes good on a promise long forsaken. Fittingly, all who enter are greeted by Holloway himself, along with his wife, Hattie Jordan Holloway. The pair are pictured on a mural under the wordsA Promise Fulfilled. Many of the Holloways descendants attended Unity Parks grand opening.

With its massive green spaces and restored wetlands, as well as walking and biking trails, covered picnic areas, state-of-the-art playgrounds, splash pads, basketball courts, baseball fields and even outdoor classrooms, Unity Park is a utopia of fellowship and leisure far beyond anything Holloway could have dreamed.

But Greenville is aware that thepark will invite gentrification and displacement of longtime Southern-siders.

When you create a new community asset, it always generates investment interest and makes the surrounding area very attractive to people who havent lived there before, says Brown.

Aiming to fulfill Unity Parks namesake promise, the city has donated eight acres of land around the park for affordable housing. Workers have broken ground on four developments so far.

You can never catch up, says Councilwoman Flemming, but its a start.

Look at the word unity. Its the last part of the word community, says Duckett. Southernside has always been the type of community that invited folks in.

In 2023, Unity Parks restoration earned an award from the National Recreation and Park Association.

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Since the day that I was blessed to be drafted to play football for the Bills, the people of Buffalo have embraced me and lifted up my heart.

I didnt know much about this city before then, and at every turn, Buffalo has delivered.

Its not just the passion of the Bills Mafia on game day, or even the wings.Its the people and the way they lift up one another, even before tragedy struck.

Over the past few years, this city has seen so many hard times and so much pain. A shooting that horrified the world, taking lives and stealing dreams. An unimaginable blizzard that brought so much fear. A tragic fire that took young lives. Loss after loss, the challenges seemed to just keep coming. The people of Buffalo have experienced the kind of pain that could have broken them.

But it hasnt.

Today, when Im at home in Buffalo, I meet people full of hope and determination. I see aBuffalo that has chosento come together rather than fall apart. I see why Buffalo is known as the City of Good Neighbors.

Healing takes time, and I see people whohave stayed united and are finding a way to move forward, together. People who step out of their homes to help a neighbor, volunteer and just keep going. And that strength has helped to lift up my own experience.

The people of Buffalo continue to show the world what resilience looks like, and that inspired me during my toughest moments in the hospital, after experiencing cardiac arrest on the field. During that challenging time, my family and I felt the love from this city. As I was healing, every day I received cards and letters, artwork from school kids and news about people praying and supporting us.I saw images of people wearing my number in support.

Buffalos love for me came to life for my family and me in so many ways.I really dont know if I can find the words to explain what it means to me as I heal. But I am certain that Buffalos show of resilience is part of what inspired me during my darkest hours.

On the day I was drafted, my little brother, who was 6 at the time, said, Damar, do they have beaches there?I told him, No, brother, we are going to Buffalo.

There isnt a beach in the world that I would trade for the gift Ive been given to become part of this community and feel its warm embrace. The people of this great city inspire me to keep praying, keep loving, keep going, no matter what the circumstances. To count my blessings and just show up every day with love.

As I look forward, Im grateful to call this city home, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Buffalo is a city of fighters, and Im proud to be one of them.

. . .

Editor’s note: Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin experienced cardiac arrest during an NFL game against the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023,as the world watched. Since then, his charity, Chasing Ms Foundation, has received donations from generous people all over the world, helping him to fulfill his mission of helping kids with camps, toy drives, back-to-school drives and more. Go to chasingmsfoundation.com to join Hamlins journey.

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Its been nearly seven years since a group of volunteers broke ground at What Cheer Flower Farm in Providence, Rhode Island, with a simple goal: get flowers into the hands of anyone in need of a pick-me-up. Best of all, each one of the tens of thousands of bouquets that What Cheer grows and delivers are completely free of charge.

We want to blanket the state with flowers and create happiness and joy, says Erin Achenbach, What Cheers farmer and head florist.

What Cheer regularly delivers blooming joy to people at local hospitals, food banks, hospices, senior centers, recovery centers and moreincluding AIDS Care Ocean State, which provides support to those affected by HIV.

Seeing the smiles on peoples faces who werent expecting itwho just came in to have a meeting with their case manager or take advantage of one of our programsto just see this glow come off their faces is great, says Stephen Hogan Jr. from AIDS Care Ocean State.

Located in Providences industrial Olneyville neighborhood, What Cheers flower beds lie on2.7 acres that once housed a crumbling knife factory. And its safe to say that the What Cheer crew is deserving of some flowers of their own: In May, the nonprofit was awarded a record-high $500,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency for its continued revitalization of a brownfield site (land once abandoned because of industrial pollution).

Not only do we give this space back to the neighborhood by bringing life to space thats quite literally dead, says Achenbach, but were an eco-landing spot with the ability to help local insect and bird populations, and thatll only make peoples lives better. What cheer, indeed!

Whats good about a flower is that it doesnt need anything else, she adds. Your only job when someone gives you flowers is to enjoy them.

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It was 3 a.m. when the flood came on an unseasonably warm night in June, the summer rain melting snow from an unseasonable Memorial Day blizzard. Susan Roberts, new to Red Lodge, Montana, a small town of 2,300, woke from an uneasy sleep. She saw the lights on at her across-the-way neighbors, on the side bordering Rock Creek, a 55-mile river skirting the towns eastern edge.

You could hear the boulders smashing together, says Red Lodge Mayor Kristen Cogswell. It was surreal, like nothing Id ever heard before.

Robertss next-door neighbor, a police officer, was evacuating with his four kids, and he advised Roberts to do the same. So she put her dogs in the car and moved it to an alley behind her home, about 10 feet uphill, as her husband went house to house, waking others.

It was still dark; people were sleeping and didnt realize, says Roberts. There wasnt a public response, it was more people going to each others doors saying, Wake up, you gotta get out.

The couple stayed in their car and on the few feet of dry land surrounding it for the entirety of the next day, watching their house crumble.

As far as 100-year floods go, Red Lodges had it all. Fir trees washed down the towns main drag. Cars floated away. Craters contoured the Beartooth Highway, a major artery connecting Red Lodge to Billings.

Broadway looked like a riverbed, says Cogswell. The whole community was wandering around, trying to grasp what happened.

Then, as suddenly as Rock Creek surged, Red Lodge regained its bearings. The day after the flood, more than 20 peoplefriends, neighbors, strangers, even touristsflocked to help.

People went into our wet, muddy basement and pulled everything out, says Roberts. They sorted and took things home to wash. One person brought a Bobcat to clean up our yard. A mother and her two young children pulled debris from our chain-link fence. Helpers even salvaged her precious photo albums, drying each print before returning it to the book.

And volunteers kept coming every day until summers end.

People would not take no for an answer. If I was like, Oh, were OK now, theyd be like, No. Im gonna do something, she says.

All over town, people mobilized. Volunteer bucket brigades worked quickly to muck out a space within hours. People offered their Yellowstone vacation homes to the displaced at no charge. Restaurant owner Gena Burghoff organized a gift card brigade for people to buy gift cards from local businesses to donate to affected residents. Cogswells husband even saw a man catching fish on Broadway to return to Rock Creek.

Most important, amid it all, Red Lodge remained grounded.

We moved in, and we have to learn to live harmoniously, says Cogswell.

Harmony has been well learned in Red Lodge, a blue town in a red county. Burghoff remembers people publicly forcing their opinions on both sides leading up to the 2020 election.

There was a lot of separation a couple years before, says Burghoff, but people either came to their senses to help one another or were just kind of over the nonsense.

It was a good lesson, she adds.

More than a year later, Red Lodge is still recovering from the floods destruction, but tourist season looks bright. In the spring, Roberts finally moved home, with a freshly poured concrete foundation. And Red Lodge will continue to seek the balance needed to thrive in the Montana wild.

Whats different about Red Lodge is were here because of our respect and compassion for nature. People in Red Lodge will try to understand it and work with it, but every once in a while you need a good talking to, says Cogswell, and that was a good one.

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When Darrell Langworthy was growing up, Thanksgiving meant 30 neighbors sharing a potluck meal in the family driveway.

My parents worked at a golf course. Theyd invite all the workers to Thanksgiving dinner. They would never turn anybody away, he says. If there was a kid in the neighborhood who needed dinner, he got it.

Today, Langworthy carries on the tradition at his restaurant in Colchester, Vermont, where a combination of barbecue and community service has made Mark BBQ a hot spot.

Colchester is a small town on the shores of Lake Champlain, just north of Burlington. Locals know Mark BBQ for its brisket burgers, pulled-pork sandwiches and Tex-Mex meatloaf.

For many, Mark BBQ is also a stop on the road to recovery. Enter: Recovery Kitchen, a program that brings former addicts into the kitchen to build service-industry skills. The effort was inspired by manager Casey DeGuise, who arrived with a troubled history and even more determination.

He had been turned down for 35 jobs, Langworthy says. We said Lets take a chance, and hes never let me down.

Langworthy knows that a little help can go a long way. I had a time when I was definitely drinking too much, he recalls. Now, he offers others the support he once needed. He keeps a cooler by Mark BBQs front door with free food for anyone who wants it. He has handed out more than 170,000 free meals. But his favorite pastime is still watching full plates turn to dirty dishes.

If we can pay the bills and staff, were happy, says Langworthy. If we can help the community, were happier.

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By the time the blizzard hit Buffalo, Craig Elston was the last barber left in his shop. Inside were warmth, safety and a well-stocked candy machine. Outside was a swirling mess of some of the worst that winter can dish out.

It was like nothing Ive ever seen, Elston says. Eighty-mile-an-hour winds. If you went outside, it would just knock you over.

It was Dec. 23, 2022. The day had dawned mild, but by midday, temperatures had plunged, winds were blasting and snow was piling up fast. News reports grew urgent: Get off the roads. Find shelter fast.

Soon neighbors were knocking, desperate for warmth and safety. Over the course of the next five brutally cold days, Elston would help dozens stay warm, fed and aliveat least 40 people, maybe more, he figures.

It wasnt fun or easy. One dude flooded the toilet three times, Elston says. But it had to be done, he adds: Those 40 people could have died out there.

Craig Elston is 38. He grew up in Buffalo, where he runs the C&C Cutz barbershop on Fillmore Avenue. Its the kind of neighborhood where you can get a gun like it was a loaf of bread, says Elstons friend Dwayne Ferguson.

But its also full of hardworking people of all kinds, including new immigrants and families that have lived there for generations. Challenges are nothing new for Buffalo residents like these, says Ferguson. Every day is a blizzard, he says. It just depends on how you deal with it.

Dealing with it has become Buffalos specialty. Not long ago, the city was one of Americas most prosperous. More recently, Buffalo has suffered through some of the nations most painful losing streaks. Long before its football team was infamously losing Super Bowls, the Great Lakes economy was losing jobs and industries. And in 2022, Buffalo witnessed one of the nations most horrific mass shootings, with 10 people killed at the Tops supermarket just a couple of miles from Elstons shop. A final, crushing blow: On the last day of the year, right on the blizzards heels, a house fire on Dartmouth Avenue took the lives of five children and their grandmother.

But for all the troubles, one thing has never changed, says Ferguson. Buffalo is a city of good neighbors, he says. You have a lot of good stuff going on. You just have to know who to ask.

And on that deadly December day, as the biggest blizzard since 1977 rolled in, Elston realized that it was his turn to help. So he went to TikTok to open his doors to Buffalo.

Anybody out there thats stuck, do not stay in your car, man, Elston announced in his video. The barbershop here welcomes you. Get some heat, get some electricity, charge your phone, get in contact with your family.

The historic storm would eventually kill 47 people in and around the city, raging for days and dumping over 50 inches of snow. Temperatures dropped below zero. People died while stranded in cars or walking the streets. One was a friend of Fergusons: He fell down and couldnt make it home.

Elston credits his old coach, Bill Russell, from his basketball team at Buffalos Riverside High School, for inspiring him to step up when his neighbors needed him.

Hes the reason I opened the doors, says Elston. The real key to success is to pour yourself into the people around you. Thats what Coach taught me.

The coach himself weathered the storm in his home, where he was snowed in for a week. Only later did he learn what his former player had done, and why.

Craig has been amazing. Im proud to know him, Russell says. Im not one bit surprised that he stepped up.

Also unsurprised was the Readers Digest reader who nominated New Yorks second-largest city as one of Americas Nicest Places.

That is so Buffalo, said Kathleen Miller when she heard Elstons tale. The thing that has made me a huge Buffalo fan is the people … theyll do anything for you, but they will not brag about it.

“That could’ve been me”

Miller was born in Oregon, but after three decades in Buffalo, she feels like a native. Snow is a fact of life in western New York, but Miller, now a retired business executive, didnt experience her first true blizzard until 2006. It trapped her in her office downtown, giving her a front-row seat to see the Buffalo way in action.

Everybody abandoned their cars in the streets. There were all these strangers going around helping strangers, she says. In the garage under my office, there was a woman delivering a baby. Ambulances couldnt get in,but there were 12 people around this woman, and they delivered the baby that night.

That was her first encounter with the Buffalo way. It really didnt matter who you were, she says. If you needed help, you were going to get it.

Krista Lipczynski, another area resident, says the troubles that have hit Buffalo breed a certain understanding: Were all in this together.

Buffalo really got it bad in the last few years, between the weather and the shootings and all of that, Lipczynski says. The people who died on the side of the road … it didnt matter if you were driving a brand-new pickup or an old beater. You think, That couldve been me. And it might be me next time.

Lipczynski has gotten to know the regions best side through her work with Kindness Buffalo, a volunteer group that organizes fundraisers and commits random acts of kindness like bringing gift cards to people in the hospital. Its efforts bring some sunshine to a region that gets just nine hours of daylight in the depths of winter.

Its hard to live here. Its dark. Seasonal depression is a real thing, says Lipczynski. But I couldnt imagine living anywhere else.

Buffalo sits on the edge of Lake Erie, about 20 miles south of Niagara Falls, near the Canadian border. Some of its roads run atop the ancient paths of the Iroquois people who lived here for centuries before Europeans arrived. Once a capital of shipping and manufacturing, Buffalo has struggled economically in recent decades.

In 1950 the citys population was almost 600,000 people; by 1990 it was down to just over 300,000. That was the same year that Buffalos beloved football team, the Bills, lost the first of four Super Bowls in a row. The one-time Great Lakes powerhouse had become best known for falling snow and falling short.

But the years since have shown that Buffalo has a way of bouncing back, and it starts with neighbors helping neighbors, says Ferguson. What we ask is What can I do for you right now? he says. Im a human like you. Im here with you. Its about meeting that moment.

That attitude has helped the city endure. Buffalos metro region remains home to more than a million people. Its skilled workforce still draws employers and jobs. Its spacious and green, with an affordable cost of living. Manufacturing has dwindled, but Buffalos service economy has grown, anchored by universities and health care. It remains a magnet for students and tourists.

And the entire region is a hotbed of arts, culture, winter sports and water sports. Buffalo winters may be dark and cold, but sparkling summer days on the shores of Lake Erie are hard to beat.

Among Buffalos other cultural calling cards: the stunning cathedral called Our Lady of Victory, the bustling museum district of Canalside and the annual chicken-eating festival that celebrates the citys signature food, Buffalo wings.

And, of course, theres the football team. Everybody here is a Bills fan, says Lipczynski.

You have to be, says Miller, who moved to Buffalo just in time to see the Bills lose the 1993 Super Bowl to the Dallas Cowboys. I felt like I was at a wake, she recalls. Black, White, poor, wealthy, everybody just bucked each other up and said, Our time is going to come.

The storm arrives

The first blasts of snow hit Buffalo around 10 a.m. on a Friday; soon the blizzard gripped the region like a claw. Temperatures plunged. Roads became impassible. Emergency crews rescued 65 people before abandoning the effort as too dangerous. At one point, police logged 1,000 unanswered calls for help. More than 30,000 people lost power.

Much of Craig Elstons neighborhood lost power too, but not his barbershop. The first person to knock on his door was a Middle Eastern neighbor who barely spoke English. Elston didnt need a translator to see the trouble.

He had frostbite on his fingers, on his toesit was really bad, recalls Elston.

Not far away, Miller was about to get her own reminder of the Buffalo way. She lives on 100 acres outside the city, raising horses and cattle, and as the storm blew in, she expected to be cut off from her barns and animals. The handyman who typically helps her had been hospitalized with a bad burn, and she didnt expect to see him. So she gave her animals a double feeding, crossed her fingers and got ready for bed.

All of a sudden my doorbell rings, and there he stands, she recalls. I said, What are you doing? He said, Im getting you out. So I gave him some beer and cookies. It took him 30 minutes to get to the horse barn. Then he took my tractor and cleared out two of my neighbors. That is Buffalo.

Across the region, as emergency vehicles bogged down, other residents stepped up. One was Jay Withey, who broke into a school to shelter himself and 20 other stranded motorists. Before leaving, he wrote a polite note on a whiteboard: Im terribly sorry about breaking the school window. I had to do it to save everyone.

Another was ShaKyra Aughtry, who saved a 64-year-old autistic man from freezing outside her home. I said, Listen, we got to go out and get this guy, she told People. This could be your mom, this could be my dad, this could be anybody.

And then there were Alexander and Andrea Campagna, who shared Christmas Eve with nine Korean tourists who had been headed for Niagara Falls. Other stranded drivers stayed in a local Target; about 100 more stayed at the Alabama Hotel in the nearby town of Basom.

Meanwhile, as squads of volunteer snowmobilers prowled the streets, Facebook groups sent people to safe havens like Elstons barbershop. For five days, dozens came and went from C&C Cutz, including a family with two children.

I had everybody in here, Elston recalls. African people, Arabic people, Hispanic people.

Some stayed to sleep, wrapping themselves in barber capes; some stopped just to charge phones; some came and went as they searched the neighborhood for food or friends in need. It got crowded and sometimes feisty, with worried, hungry people chattering at each other in different languages.

People couldnt understand each other, Elston says. I broke up a lot of fights. It was a headache. It wasnt peaches and cream.

Along the way, barber chairs got broken, the candy machine got raided and the front door was knocked off its hinges. But when it was all over, the barber thought more about the people he didnt save than the ones he did.

There was a girl down on Clinton Street, not too far from me. Maybe I couldve got a crew of people that was in the barbershop and helped, Elston says. She froze to death in her car.

They share food, they shovel driveways”

Nor did the region recover easily. As the storm moved out, tales of tragic deaths poured in. City officials faced tough criticism for being slow to close roads. Cleanup took months.

But along with the tragedies came tale after tale of courage and compassion. Buffalo would spend weeks celebrating its blizzard heroes with official awards and tickets to Bills games. Those heroes invariably shared the credit with the city itself.

Buffalo is a city of good neighbors, great neighbors actually. Were all just a big family, says Withey, who broke into the school. Everyone just sticks together, and were resilient. You cant put us down.

The near-death experience of Bills safety Damar Hamlin only added to the frenzy. Throughout the 2022 season, the team had been one of the NFLs best. But just a week after the deadly blizzard, Hamlin almost died on the field when a hard hit stopped his heart. In a moment, fans around the region went from praying for victory to praying for a young mans life.

It drew everybody together, Miller says. Everybody pulling together, making sure the kids knew what was happening.

The Bills would fall short of a Super Bowl once again, but Hamlin survived. While he recovered, donations poured in to support his favorite cause, a modest online toy drive that would eventually raise more than $9 million. Between the blizzard and Hamlins near-death experience, for a few weeks Buffalo became the center of the media universe. Elston says he talked to at least 100 reporters eager to capture a little bit of the Buffalo spirit.

Worldwide attention. Front page of Yahoo, front page of Google, CNN, ABC, NPR, says Elston. It was kind of overwhelming.

But if the attention was new, Elstons efforts were not. Hed been giving back to his community long before the blizzard hit.

I sponsor a shoe giveaway. I give free haircuts for kids who keep their grades at 90 or above, he says. He does much of that work with Ferguson, a longtime community activist. Last Thanksgiving, Ferguson and Elston helped give away 250 turkeys to needy families.

Craig is one of my great young men, Ferguson says. We do things to impact the community any way we can.

Elston says the inspiration for those efforts began with Russell, his old basketball coach.

I can never pay Coach Russ back, says Elston. Hes the sole reason I am what I am today, helping my neighbors. He was so influential. I had no idea what it took to function as a young man. He drove me to games. Bought me basketball sneakers. One time he drove my grandmother to see me play, the only time she ever saw me play. That night I played my worst game. But I didnt care.

When Russell heard that praise, his heart swelled.

Im about 5 foot 5, but right now I feel about 7 feet tall, he says.

Russell taught math and coached basketball for 25 years at Riverside, a neighborhood public school whose alumni include former NBA All-Star Cliff Robinson. Russell recalls Elston as a hard-nosed, focused player, but hes most proud to see the man that Elston has become.

The things that are important arent records or championships, Russell says. My biggest pleasure is seeing the guys doing well with their families, being leaders.

And its people like Elston who keep Russell in Buffalo. While the blizzard had the coach trapped in his home,he saw his own neighbors doing for each other what Elston did on Fillmore Avenue: shoveling snow, checking on the elderly, sharing a laugh and a kind word.

Buffalos got a lot of really good qualities. Good enough that Ive stayed here myself after I retired, Russell says. People help each other out. They share food, they shovel driveways, they give you a shoulder to cry onthats underrated.

Thats a familiar story to Ferguson, a Buffalo native who spent the storm making sure his 91-year-old mother stayed warm. All around, neighbors were helping one another however they could, he says.

It reminds me of my father. He only had a fourth-grade education, but he was always helping, Ferguson says. He was always building something for somebody, or blowing snow off the sidewalk so people could get to the corner store.

Today, Elston and C&C Cutz are still recovering from the storm. Sheltering people for five days took its toll on his equipment and his wallet. Between the broken gear and his utility bills, Elston figures the effort cost him about $20,000, only some of which was covered by donations to a GoFundMe account.

I spent everything I had. Im still trying to recover, he says. I had to replace almost every chair.

Buffalo, likewise, is still recoveringfrom the storm and violence alike. The blizzard and the Tops supermarket shooting took a particular toll on Buffalos Black residents. Half of those killed by the blizzard were Black, and all 10 of those killed at Tops were Black as well. Around the city, people are having hard conversations about striving to correct inequities.

But as officials wrangle with policy, Buffalos community members are stepping up in their own way. A survivors fund for victims of the Tops supermarket shooting raised more than $6 million. Damar Hamlins team has created a charitable fund called The Chasing Ms Foundation to help distribute the millions donated to Hamlins toy drive.

And down on Fillmore Avenue, the next time Buffalo needs help, Craig Elston will just think about the lessons he learned from Coach Russ.

If I had to open up again, I would do it, Elston says. It was the right thing to do. Im not a hero. Im still just a barber. Just working hard and grinding, same as before.

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So what are these easy fashion ideas that will breathe new life into your look? Bring in richer fabrics like wool, cashmere and leather, incorporate a few trending pieces that are classic and versatile enough to remain relevant over time, and layer fall items with your summer clothes to come up with some nicely textured combos. My philosophy when it comes to style is to play the long game and go for pieces that fit today’s aesthetic but won’t feel outdated next year. And here’s some good news on the fashion front: We’re heading into really chic, cool looks ahead that are polished and timeless, which means they’re totally worth the investment.

Here are my top fall picks that will revitalize your closet and help you avoid some common outfit mistakes. Fads come and go, but these enduring style ideas will help you spend your money wiselyand be on-point for this season and many falls to come.

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Invest in an oversized structured blazer that goes with everything

The modern workplace is evolving, and that calls for an adaptable wardrobe that can swing from ultra professional to cool and casual. A blazer is the perfect workhorse because it completes your outfit and bridges that gap between formal and relaxed. This season, the cut is roomy but still structuredyou may even want to go with shoulder pads. I know, it’s a throwback, but it’s cool again. I love it!

Pick something patterned or solidyour choiceand throw it over virtually anything to tie your look together in a way that’s both classic and contemporary. Basics like a sharp white T-shirt and black pants, for instance, look really tailored with a jacket.

Your blazer is also a fantastic layering piece. Wear it over your summer dresses to transition them into cooler months. You can even do this with shorts for a look that’s easygoing but tidy and thoughtful.

Wear wide-leg jeans to elevate any outfit

Jean silhouettes ebb and flowthey’re super skinny one year, droopy the nextbut I will forever be devoted to the wide-leg cut for fall … and, really, for eternity. This shape just always works, which makes them the best jeans in my book. For optimum versatility, go for styles with a slightly higher waistband and hems that hit around the ankle. They’ll look great with any top and also bring your footwear prominently into the mix. Go with ankle boots for an elevated look, or with a classic white sneaker when you want something sportier.

Opt for sweaters with sculpted sleeves

Little flourishes can make the difference between a look that’s plain Jane and one that feels dynamic, and this fall, it’s all about sweaters with architecture, like puffy shoulders or billowy sleeves. They offer a contemporary twist on tradition, feeling polished without being one bit uptight. In fact, they give off a cool, comfy vibe. Try wearing them with jeans or a slim-fit trouser and pair of ballet flats.

If you’re really not someone who loves a lot of poof, you still have options. Go for a sweater with an interesting neckline or detailing on the back (like buttons) instead.

Go bold with red

Bright tomato red is the season’s definitive hueit was huge on every runway. Plus, it has a rich, warm tone, which works perfectly for fall’s natural color palette. This red, which is more in the orange-tone family than cherry, also happens to be a universally flattering color. And when you wear red on the upper half of your bodyin a blouse, fall dress or sweaterit’ll give your skin a nice youthful glow!

Try “stealth wealth” for ultimate elegance

Sometimes you want a look to speak volumes without shouting, and that means mastering the art of understatement. What I refer to as “stealth wealth” means going for quality over anything with a lot of bells and whistles. Think: simple pieces in high-end fabrics that clearly say you have an aesthetic that’s elegant and classy. I love a clean, classic camel coat, which elevates anything you wear underneathincluding basic black leggings (a combo I’m very into)and will take you into winter looking fabulous.

Pair a silky sheath dress with unexpected pieces

There’s a fluidity in a silky slip dress that makes it a perfect pairing with so many pieces. I love it with your oversized blazer, or a relaxed, slouchy sweater. It’s really all about playing up the contrasts. By mixing the smooth dress texture with the ruggedness of wool or the casual feel of cotton, it gives your outfit some really nice richness and interest while still keeping it pretty simple. Leather ankle boots add some edge and finish the look beautifully.

Nod to tradition with a pop of tartan

This fall, tartan is making its mark everywhere. It’s a timeless pattern that will make your outfit feel totally current and ageless all at once, since it has that added reference to regal history and legacy. You can wear it a million waysdrape a tartan shawl or scarf over the shoulders of a coat or denim jacket. Or go smaller with gloves or a clutch, and pair them with a monochromatic outfit so the design pops. I also love something fun and unexpected, like a standout pair of tartan pants. It’s perfect, in my opinion, for everyone, including those looking for cool fashion over 40.

Add a white shirt for a classic yet versatile vibe

Every closet needs this classic, but this right now, the simple white shirt will especially be your go-to. And if you’re looking for ways to dress to look younger, a clean, crisp white shirt is your champion. It’s a piece that can be worn a gazillion ways and always looks classy. Top off your jeans during the day for a cool vibe, pair it with black trousers or faux-leather pants, heels and a bold necklace for an evening look, or tie the tails or tuck it into a pencil skirtit’s that one piece that just keeps on giving. This season, look for a fit that loosely drapes over the tummy and lands around the hips.

Rock a brooch, the classic old-school accessory

These romantic fashion accessories are making a comeback, and I adore everything about themthe vintage hit, the ability to go bold or subtle, the creative ways to wear them. They’re a finishing touch that gives you so many options for looking tailored and unique, especially since you can choose brooches that resonate with your personal style. Maybe that’s ornate, floral, geometric, big and bold, teeny-tiny or even something that highlights your zodiac sign. Simply pin one to your blazer lapel, use it to hold a scarf together, or add a pretty pop to a simple, solid dress.

About the expert

• Jacqui Stafford is a stylist and TV personality. She is also the author of the bestselling style bible The Wow Factor: Insider Style Secrets for Every Body and Every Budget.

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“A man steals $100 from a shop” riddle

“A man steals a $100 bill from a shop. He then uses that $100 bill to buy $70 worth of goods. The shop owner hands him back $30 in change. How much money did the shop owner lose?”

What you’re thinking

Seeing all those numbers being bandied about, you might assume this seemingly short riddle requires some lengthier form of calculation. Indeed, the shop owner has lost $100 right off the bat, but they get that $100 bill back almost immediately.

Of the $100 stolen from him, the shopkeeper keeps only $70, handing back $30 to the thief. Because this transaction results in the shop owner ending up with $30 less in the cash register, you might be thinking that the answer is $30. Or is it the $70 in merchandise that the shopkeeper will have to replace?

Let’s not forget that when all is said and done, the thief walks away with $70 worth of goods. So you might be thinking that the shop owner is down the original $100 plus that $70 worth of goods, adding up to a total loss of $170. Or perhaps it’s that the shop owner is down the original $100 bill plus the $30 in change he handed over at the end? It could also certainly appear that the shop owner has lost a total of $200, which is the sum of the original $100 bill plus the $70 in merchandise and the $30 he handed to the thief as change.

Like all the best math riddles, the answer to this one is not what it seems. In fact, when you get right down to it, it might not even qualify as a math riddle. Or it might be the simplest math riddle ever.

The answer

What’s the “man steals $100 from a shop” riddle answer? He has lost $100. It’s that simple. If a man walks into a shop, sidles over to the cash register and, unbeknownst to the shop owner, manages to extract a $100 bill, that’s precisely what the shop owner has lost. Yes, it’s a brain teaser, but there’s no actual math calculation required!

The explanation

While the thief goes on to take $70 worth of merchandise, he pays for it with an actual $100 bill, upon which the shop owner hands the thief back $30 in change. The thief has converted his $100 haul into $70 of merchandise and $30 in change, and that is precisely what the shop owner has lost.

To put it in the simplest of terms, if a man steals $100 from a shop, then that is exactly the amount he has stolen and exactly what the shop owner has lost. Whatever happens after that is nothing more than a bit of “shuffling about” of that same $100.

Tired of thinking about numbers at this point? Challenge yourself to one of these “what am I?” riddles.

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Nope, this isn’t another McDonald’s rumor. It’s a cold, hard fact, first reported by the State Journal-Register in Springfield, Illinois. The fast-food giant recently confirmed the news, stating that all McDonald’s U.S. restaurants will be phasing out their self-service beverage stations. “This change is intended to create a consistent experience for both customers and crew across all ordering points, whether that’s McDelivery, the app, kiosk, drive-thru or in-restaurant,” the company told USA Today in a recent statement.

So what exactly does this mean for customers, and when will the machines officially be gone? Read on for everything you need to know.

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When is the change happening?

In an aim to create a more seamless dining experience, McDonald’s has committed to ditching its self-service beverage stations nationwide. As the company reasons, workers are already pouring drinks for customers in the drive-thru line; they may as well pour drinks for dine-in guest too.

You still have a few more years to grab your own drinks at McDonald’s. But by 2032, all the fast-food chain’s U.S. locations will be free of these self-serve machines, and many restaurants have already ditched them. Several franchise owners confirmed the transition to a staff-poured system in interviews with the State Journal-Register.

What can you expect once the change takes effect?

Reactions to this latest McDonald’s change have been mixed, with some happy customers zeroing in on the fact that self-serve beverage stations are typically a mess. Relying on a staff station that may be cleaned more often could be more hygienic, they say.

Not everyone is a fan, though. The move may create a more consistent experience, but it also upsets two major reasons customers love to dine in at the burger chain. The prospect of losing these perks has irked longtime McDonald’s fans.

Easy refills

Free refills aren’t going awayMcDonald’s says refills will be allowed for customers who askbut as customers point out, refilling drinks will be more disruptive with this change. You’ll have to wait in line for a refill, slowing you down and causing delays for the fast-food employees working hard to serve meals within that speedy five-minute average the chain is known for.

“The claim that this will make things more convenient is so much corporate PR speak,” writes Reddit user ProjectNo4090. “Me having to wait in line for a refill, and people in line to order food having to wait for me to get a refill, is NOT more convenient than me walking up to a soda dispenser and getting the refill myself.”

Mix-your-own drinks

Without the stations, customers may not be able to enjoy the experience of mixing and matching drink combos. Although McDonald’s says this allows “too much variation in the overall beverage experience,” customers are already saying they’ll miss this particular perk. “My favorite drink is Coke with a shot of orange Fanta,” writes Reddit user TheQuarantinian. “Guess that’ll be a thing of the past.”

Whether soda combos will be an option with the behind-the-counter setup remains to be seen.

“What is Coke going to do with all those fancy dispensers that allow customers to choose from a bunch of flavors and mix as they please?” asks Reddit user ProjectNo4090. “Are the restaurant employees going to keep using those and indulge every customer’s whims, or are those going to end up in landfills because restaurants are getting rid of self-serve?”

What other changes is McDonald’s making to its drinks?

You have inflation to thank for this latest piece of news: McDonald’s is ditching $1 drinks.

The cold-drinks deal began as a summertime special in 2008 and has been promoted as a year-round feature since 2017. But now, according to the Wall Street Journal, multiple McDonald’s restaurants around the country have stopped promoting $1 drinks, have raised drink prices and are advertising the value menu instead. The OK to get rid of the $1 drinks promotion came down from McDonald’s corporate in January.

With rising food prices, McDonald’s isn’t the only fast-food joint raising prices or dropping popular promos. Chick-fil-A, Wendy’s and Taco Bell, for instance, have also raised their prices.

Is dining in at fast-food joints a thing of the past?

Though McDonald’s cites consistency as the driving force behind the drink-station change, diner use may also factor into the decision. The phasing out of self-service beverage stations is a sign of our post-COVID-19 times: Fewer people are sitting down for a meal at McDonald’s, which means fewer people need to fill their own drinks.

This runs parallel with consumer trends in the fast-food industry as a whole. Between February 2020 and 2022, delivery orders increased by 116%, drive-thru grew by 20% and ordering online increased by 117%.

With fewer people dining in at fast-food restaurants, companies are taking advantage of artificial intelligence to create a speedier, more consistent experience, with a focus on the much-used drive-thru. And major chains are already on board. McDonald’s is testing out AI-powered ordering at the drive-thru, as are Wendy’s, Panera Bread, Carl’s Jr., Hardee’s, Popeyes and more.

So is the removal of self-service beverage stations simply the first step in phasing out dine-in fast-food joints? That remains to be seen, though some customers are sounding the alarm. A drive-thru-only restaurant isn’t accessible for people who don’t have cars, they say.

“Fast-food restaurants with the ability to eat in will be gone in 10 years,” writes Reddit user Justakidfromflint. “It’s unbelievably unfair to those who don’t have vehicles. During COVID, I wasn’t able to get food at a lot of placesno lobby open, even for walk-in; no walking to the window.”

While metropolitan areas will likely have locations with dine-in seating (given that many residents of big cities don’t have cars), many fast-food establishments in rural areas are forgoing the usual dine-in experience. McDonald’s is already testing this model with its CosMc’s restaurant, which follows an express model and offers only drive-thru and carry-out services.

Sources:

• USA Today: “McDonald’s plans to transition away from self-serve beverage stations in US by 2032”
• Reddit: “Good-bye self-serve fountain drink stations, crew pour soft drinks returning to McDonald’s”
• The Wall Street Journal: “McDonald’s Dollar Drinks Deal Fades in the Face of Inflation”
• NPD: “Restaurant Carry-Out Is Losing Out to Delivery and Drive-Thru as More Convenient Ordering Options”
• Axios: “Drive-thru mania pushes chains to rethink restaurants”

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Getaways for your golden years

One of the wonderful things about hitting retirement age is having the flexibility in your schedule to go out and explore the world. If you’re looking for trips for seniors, you’re in luck: InsureMyTrip recently released its list of the top 10 cities around the world for senior travel, making it easier than ever for people over age 60 to find the ideal spot for their next vacation. (We think some of them sound like the best places to retire too.)

To determine the top 10 trips for seniors, the folks at InsureMyTrip evaluated a handful of travel considerations for cities around the world. Those included the ease of walking in the city, access to health care, public transportation, the number of tours for seniors and peacefulness. You’ll notice that many of the best places to travel in your golden years are also great for traveling on a budget.

And before you ask: Yes, travel is a good idea for anyone who’s able, regardless of whether they’re age 60, 70 or beyond. In fact, travel helps keep us young. “We know loneliness affects older Americans disproportionately, and the importance of social connections only increases as we age,” says James Moses, president and CEO of Road Scholar, one of our favorite tour companies. “[Travel provides] enriching, meaningful, stimulating social connections to hundreds of thousands of older adults.”

Ready to find out which trips for seniors over 60 made the cut? Read on for the top picks, in order.

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You probably know about, or have even encountered, bed bugs. But have you ever heard of bat bugs?

Bed bugs are tiny insects that suck the blood of birds and mammals. They’re one of the few species that adapted to living entirely with human beings.

Bat bugs are tiny bloodsucking insects too. But they develop and feed in colonies of live bats, hence the name.

“For much of the second half of the 20th century, bat bugs were more common than bed bugs,” says Katelyn Kesheimer, PhD, an assistant professor at the Alabama Cooperative Extension System, Auburn University, specializing in entomological research. That’s because effective insecticides eradicated much of the bed bug population.

However, in the last 20 years, the world has become more of a global society. With that has come a tremendous resurgence of bed bugs.

“Since bed bugs are so closely tied with humans, we have unknowingly transported them around and around,” Kesheimer says. “This, paired with a buildup of resistance to insecticides, has made bed bugs much more common than bat bugs at the moment.”

Bat bugs vs. bed bugs: What do they look like?

Because bed bugs and bat bugs are “cousins,” it’s not surprising they look nearly identical, at least to the untrained eye.

Both are brownish-red and similar in size, approximately a quarter-inch long. Both have short, broad heads attached to flat, oval-shaped bodies. Because both are hairy, the only surefire way to distinguish between the two is with a microscope. If you look closely, bat bugs have longer hairs around their faces than bed bugs.

Whenever you’re dealing with a potential pest in your home, Kait Chapman, an extension educator of urban entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, recommends properly identifying first. “Knowing exactly what you’re dealing with also lets you know exactly how to handle the problem,” she says. “Bed bugs and bat bugs are treated very differently.”

Bat bugs vs. bed bugs: Where do they live?

Bed bugs and bat bugs can be found on every continent except Antarctica. But bat bugs only flourish in areas with a sufficient population of bats.

Within a warm and cozy home, you’ll find bed bugs where people spend most of their timebeds, sofas, upholstered chairs and the like. Bed bugs can also infect hotels (budget and luxury) and hospitals.

Bat bugs, on the other hand, rely heavily on their hosts. They reside in attics, behind walls, in chimneysanywhere bats might roost. Take away the hosts, and bat bugs can’t survive or reproduce for very long.

“If the bats are removed, the bat bugs will wander looking for a blood meal,” Kesheimer says. “But they will eventually die, as they cannot survive on human blood alone.”

Bat bugs vs. bed bugs: How to get rid of them

Eliminating bat bugs

To get rid of bat bugs, you have to get rid of the bats in your home. If you find a large colony of bats in your attic, contact a wildlife removal expert to help.

Once the bats have been removed, you’ll need to seal up the cracks and crevices to prevent bats from reentering the home. After that, treat the area with an insecticide specially formulated to kill bat bugs.

Eliminating bed bugs

With bed bugs, Kesheimer says the process can be challenging and potentially expensive. Depending on the extent of the infestation, it can cost hundreds or thousands of dollars.

It often takes a thorough, methodical approach with several types of treatmentsheat, chemical pesticides or both. That’s why it’s crucial to take immediate action.

“Many home treatments of bed bugs, including ‘bug bombs‘ or other over-the-counter products, end up making the problem worse,” says Kesheimer. “This is because rather than killing the bed bugs, you are causing them to disperse through the residence and hide further in inaccessible places.”

She recommends hiring a pest control expert specializing in bed bugs, because only professionals stock some of the most effective insecticides against them. Before the pro arrives, you can save money by doing a lot of the prep work yourself, like washing clothes and linens, moving furniture and isolating mattresses.

“Make sure to look through all the crevices and folds of the area, especially upholstered areas like couches and mattresses, where there are bends,” Kesheimer says. “These are great harborages for the bed bugs.”

About the experts

• Katelyn A. Kesheimer, PhD, is an assistant professor and extension specialist at the Alabama Cooperative Extension System at Auburn University. She specializes in entomological research to help Alabama growers with pest problems.
• Kait Chapman is an extension educator of urban entomology at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She provides Nebraskans with educational and research-based information on landscape and household pests.

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Unlike the all-time favorite “what am I? riddles,” the “green glass door” riddle asks you to consider not what something is but rather what a whole litany of things have in common. The object of the “green glass door” riddle is for the participants to identify what can be brought through the doorand what is not allowed.

To get a flavor for the riddle, start your creative engines. Imagine a world where there’s no internet, and yet you can still use Google. Cell phones are all the rage, but tablets are verboten. There are books, but no paper, and for that matter, no writers. That is how life is beyond the metaphorical “green glass door,” where lots of things simply are not permissible. Oh, and the thing about the green glass door is that although it’s green, it could also be yellow, but never red or blue.Confused? Here’s how to play.

How to play the “green glass door” riddle

“There’s a green glass door, and some things can go through it, and some things cannot,” says the riddler. The riddler then offers up a pair of something that establishes the pattern. The pair is related in some obvious way, but only one thing in each pair meets the green glass door standard. The riddler can then offer up more pairs as clues. Then, it’s up to the players to figure out what that standard is.

“Green glass door” riddle examples

• “There’s a green glass door, and you can come through it with a carton of eggs, but not with a box of doughnuts.”
• “There’s a green glass door, and you can come through it with a gallon of skim milk, but not a quart of the stuff.”
• “Do you like houseplants? There’s a green glass door, and you can come through it with bamboo, but not jade, orchids, philodendron or ivy.”
• “There’s a green glass door, and sadly, dogs and cats can’t gounless they’re still puppies and kittens.”
• “There’s a green glass door, and under no circumstances can your pet bird go throughwith the notable exception of parrots and parakeets. But macaws? They’re a no. Same with doves and canaries.”

If you’re a participant, and you think you know the solution, pipe up! Just remember to express it in the same form as the riddle itself. For example, you might say, “Aha! So toddlers can come through, but not babies?” That way, if there are multiple participants, the game can continue even after one of you solves the riddle.

The hint

Before we give away the solution, here’s one hint: The key to solving the “green glass door” riddle can be found in all four of the words that make up the phrase “green glass door riddle.”

The solution

Did the hint give it away? What do the four words in “green glass door riddle” have in common? That would be the presence of double letters. If something is spelled with double letters, it can go through the green glass door. If there are no double letters in its name, then it can’t.

To review, you can bring a game of Scrabble through the green glass door, but not Monopoly. Likewise, the new and highly addictive online word game Connections is welcome, but Wordle, alas, is not.

The “green glass door” variations

One of the best things about the “green glass door” riddle is that it offers brain-teasing entertainment in any number of settings. It’s just a matter of tweaking the proceedings, including the consequences for wrong answers. For example, it could be used as a riddle for teens in a structured setting, such as a classroom. There, a wrong answer could eliminate the player who offered it (kind of like how a spelling bee works).

In a social setting, a wrong answer could require the player who offered it to perform a task of some sort. The type of task will, of course, depend upon the context. For example, if you’re playing with your workout buddies, a wrong answer might require a number of push-ups. In the context of a cocktail party, a wrong answer could come at the price of a dare.

Other solutions

The one downside of the game is that once everyone knows what it takes to get through the green glass door, it’s game over. However, another solution, so to speak, could be to appoint a new riddler to make up a new rule for getting through the metaphorical door. Like, only objects that require batteries (laptops but not desktops) or only words containing the letter “w” somewhere within.

Of course, when you’re out of new ideas, you can always break out these math riddles. Or challenge the group to answer a few logic puzzles or these animal trivia questions.

Source:

• PsychCentral: “All About Apophenia”

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The post Green Glass Door Riddle: Try to Solve the Classic Riddle appeared first on Reader's Digest.

Face it: Finding car names that are not only fun and cool but also perfectly suited to your vehicle is one of the simple pleasures of owning a car. You might need great ideas for red, black or white car names, or maybe you’re hunting for funny car names that’ll make you laugh every time you get behind the wheel.

Whether you drive an SUV or prefer eco-friendly cars, we’re here to help you find a name that fits. Read on for the best names for carsthe right one could even make rush-hour traffic more bearable … maybe.

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What should you consider when naming your car?

No, you don’t need a car name. Your ride will run perfectly fine without a moniker. But coming up with car names for all your vehicles isn’t just fun; it can also help you make an emotional connection to your car.

Larisa Walega, vice president of marketing at car-care company Ziebart, says that our tendency to name cars is tied to our innate, evolutionary human trait of seeing faces in things. In fact, this was once a vital survival skill that helped humans tell the difference between friends and predators.

This human instinct is behind the personalities we attribute to our cars. And since we spend so much time driving, car names help us to further shape our idea of our vehicles’ qualities, behavioral traits and likes and dislikes. What began as an evolutionary advantage has led to Volkswagen Beetles named Lovebug with eyelash stickers over their headlights.

According to Gareth Boyd, editor of the Range Rover Fanatic, the character of the vehicle will often dictate its name. For a sports car, for example, he suggests something sleek and powerful like Flash or Rocket, while old-fashioned names like Belle and Betsy might be better choices for vintage cars.

Of course, the inspiration for the car names you choose can come from almost anywhere: your favorite singer or TV character, a family member who passed away or the type, color, model or age of your car. If you’re known for telling particularly funny jokes, go with a hilarious name. Get picked on for your cringe-worthy bad jokes? You can still have fun with a punny car name.

Why are car names usually female?

Giving vehicles feminine names is a modern take on boat-naming tradition. In history, ships were frequently named after women or goddesses. And it makes sense because ships would routinely carry their crews safely in their bellies, delivering them to ports around the world, just as a mother carries and delivers her child. Plus, as Britain’s Imperial War Museum notes, referring to ships as “she” has to do with beliefs in feminine figures (think: goddesses and mothers) protecting the vessel and its crew.

Fancy names like Athena more closely tie to the tradition, but you may also want to pick a female name that keeps the memory of a loved one alive or reflects your personality and passions, whether you’re a K-pop fanatic or Marvel fan.

Keep reading for 175 of the coolest, most popular car names for any type of vehicle.

Cool car names

Coming up with nicknames for friends? Run them by your pals first. Settling on car names? Don’t worry about what everyone else thinksgo with your definition of cool. If you need some help thinking up the coolest of cool names for your car, check out the ideas below.

• Valkyrie
• Spitfire
• Cyclone
• Gremlin
• Gizmo
• Undertaker
• Chaos
• Ponyboy
• McLovin’
• Judge Dredd
• Beep Beep
• Cannonball
• General Lee
• Ecto-1
• Mad Max
• Optimus Prime

Funny car names

Thinking up hilarious nicknames for your car is as fun as picking funny usernames and group chat names. Chuckle your way through this list, and settle on the one that makes you snort-laugh.

• Shake and Bake
• Little Miss Muffet
• Wienermobile
• Mr. Potato Head
• Law and Order: SUV
• Mr. Bean
• Gru
• Chinchilla
• Frodo
• Wicket
• Dumbledore
• Gandalf
• Doughboy
• Pork Chop
• Squeaker
• Pocket Rocket
• Cheeto
• Nermal

White car names

If you’re stumped for the perfect car name, use its color as a starting place. (Considering the color is a good tactic no matter what you’re naming; just think of how perfect Snowball is as a white cat name.) Boyd has known plenty of people who’ve given their white cars a name that evokes purity, such as Snow and Ivory. Here are some of our favorites:

• Betty White
• The Snow Mobile
• Pearl
• Casper
• Frosty
• Draco Malfoy
• Elsa
• Snowball
• Fang
• Herbie
• Marshmallow
• Abominable
• Bumble
• Jon Snow
• White Witch
• Snow White
• Milkshake
• Great White

Black car names

No matter the product, the color black exudes class, elegance and mystery. The same is true for black car names. And because it’s such a classic car color, these monikers make for ideal used car names too. Considering their tie to the color, not the item, they even work as cool dog names for black breeds.

• Cougar
• Cat Noir
• Ash
• T’Challa
• Blackjack
• Grim Reaper
• Smoke
• Kitt
• Nightcrawler
• Obsidian
• Onyx
• Raven
• Shadow
• Witcher
• Malice
• Morticia
• Selene
• Hades
• Elvira
• Mystique
• Zorro

Blue car names

Just like Disney dog names and book club names, blue car names draw inspiration from movies and pop culture. No doubt one of the nicknames below will be perfect for your ride.

• Sully
• Snow Miser
• Pablo
• Picasso
• Sonic
• Dory
• Poseidon
• Cookie Monster
• Katara
• Bluey
• Blueberry
• Bluedini
• Megamind
• Pandora
• Baby Blue
• Bluebell
• Smurfette

Red car names

If you can’t find the perfect nickname for your red vehicle, think of how fiery, passionate and intense the color can be, says Boyd, who suggests red car names like Ruby and Blaze. Here are more red-inspired car names for your ride. (Psst! Some would even make great Wi-Fi nameswe’re looking at you, Ron Burgundy!)

• Red Velvet
• Ron Burgundy
• Red Bull
• Clifford
• Merlot
• Sheeran
• Lucifer
• Red Devil
• Rusty
• Rudolph
• Fireball
• The Red Baron
• Scarlet
• Ladybug
• Ginger
• Molly
• Daredevil
• Deadpool
• Sangria
• Heat Miser
• Cherry Bomb
• Sriracha
• Scarlet Witch

Girl car names

Whether you pull from Greek mythology, your favorite movies, female athletes or even girl dog names, you’re bound to land on a truly fantastic girl car name. Here are two dozen of the best.

• Swiftie
• Barbie
• Lizzo
• Adele
• Minnie
• Liz Lemon
• Hestia
• Rapinoe
• Athena
• Ariel
• Danica
• Ladybird
• Kitty
• Betty
• Arya
• Black Widow
• Ke$ha
• Harley
• Leia
• Brienne
• Frida
• Hermione
• Bumblebee
• Tinker Bell

Used car names

If your car is vintage or just plain old, there are funny and poignant pet names to give your used vehicle.

• Old Yeller
• Zeus
• Clunker
• Rusty
• Grandpa
• Grandma
• Eleanor
• Rust Bucket
• Victoria
• Edna
• Agnes
• Ethel
• Gertrude
• Myrtle
• Mustang Sally
• Tank
• Old Lady
• Grumpy
• Sparky
• Betty Boop
• Papa Smurf

Sports car names

There’s a wide range of possibilities for sports car names that’ll reflect your vehicle’s aerodynamics, style and, of course, speed!

• Turbo
• Bolt
• Greased Lightning
• McQueen
• White Lightning
• Swoosh
• Zoom Zoom
• Bam Bam
• Vroom Vroom
• Bandit
• Usain
• Comet
• Speedy
• Speed Racer
• Bullet
• Cheetah
• T. Swift

Once you’ve settled on the best car names for all your vehicles, be sure to find the right names for your dogs and cats.

About the experts

• Larisa Walega is vice president of marketing at Ziebart, a company specializing in automotive appearance and protection.
• Gareth Boyd is the owner and editor of the Range Rover Fanatic. He’s a Land Rover fan who has owned several Range Rover models.

Source:

• Imperial War Museum: “Why do ships have a gender?”

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