KNIGHT WATCH

DON'T WE NEED MORE CELEBRATIONS?

In February 2008 Zilly Rosen, an artist from Buffalo, New York, created a combined portrait of Barack Obama and Abraham Lincoln using a unique material – cupcakes. The more than 5,000 cupcakes used to create the remarkable likenesses contained a cream filling and were topped with a colored disc of fondant – a more pliable type of icing made with powdered sugar. When seen from above, each cupcake acted like a pixel in the image. After being exhibited at the Smithsonian American Art Museum, the public was invited to “de-install” the portrait – which literally looked good enough to eat.

Writing of looking good, in 2009 Barbie, Mattel’s iconic doll, had her 50th birthday. To celebrate the occasion 50 American designers – including Diane von Furstenberg, Calvin Klein, Michael Kors and Anna Sul – created outfits for a runway show in which the world’s top models brought Barbie to life. The show consisted of 3 themed wardrobe sets – retro Barbie, Malibu Barbie and future Barbie. According to Mattel, 90% of girls ages 3 to 10 have at least 1 Barbie doll. Considering the original Barbie doll wore a simple black and white striped swimsuit, Barbie’s fashions have kept her in fashion.

The police in South Carolina celebrated Valentine’s Day 2009 in a new fashion – with a program called “Guns for Roses”. At 2 locations in the central part of the state anyone who turned in a gun received a rose. Those who turned in a rifle or shotgun also got a $50 electronics store gift card and those who turned in a handgun got a $100 gift card. The guns were checked to see if they were stolen and later underwent ballistics tests. Considering 75 guns were turned in during the first 90 minutes of the program, perhaps other states should give this celebration a shot.

Love will no longer be celebrated at the Warrington Bank Quay railroad station in Warrington, England. On February 16, 2009 a no kissing sign was posted. The purpose of the sign is to stop people from causing delays by kissing goodbye at the crowded station drop-off point. According to a spokesperson for Virgin Rail, a local business group had said that the station needed to be operated more efficiently. It was suggested that people who want farewell kisses before taking the train should pay to park their cars nearby. Hopefully, that train of thought won’t be leaving the station.

ARE WE MORE ALIKE THAN WE THINK?

According to a survey by Consumer Reports, 75% of Americans put cotton swabs in their ears, risking perforated eardrums and nearly 40% eat raw cookie dough, risking salmonella. The survey also found 61% don’t have a rubber mat in the shower, 58% don’t wear a helmet when bicycling and 27% don’t wear sunscreen. Then there’s the study done in Finland that found middle-aged adults who drink 3 to 5 cups of coffee daily are 66% less likely to get dementia – which could mean they’re 66% more likely to remember to do what’s good for them.

Of the 71 million pet owners in the U.S., approximately 20% do what’s bad for their pets. They smoke. Secondhand smoke increases pets’ risk of lung and other cancers, as well as causing allergies, respiratory problems and eye and skin diseases. Based on a study of 3,293 pet owners, 28% said they’d try to quit smoking to protect their pets and 11% said they’d consider quitting. Among nonsmoking pet owners who live with smokers, 16% said they’d ask that person to quit and 24% said they’d tell that person to smoke outside. For pet owners smoking should be a pet peeve.

Ringtones are more than mobile phone call alerts – they’re personality-driven, fashion statements for phone owners. According to a 2008 study by Ipsos MediaCT, ringtones are the most common mobile music content downloaded. About one-third of mobile phone users download ringtones and about 40% of those users change ringtones frequently. Although customizing a phone with different ringtones for different callers can be expensive - $0.99 to $2.99 each – analysts at Screen Digest predict mobile music sales will double from $1.6 billion in 2008 to $3.2 billion in 2012 – sales that will be music to the providers’ ears.

When it comes to using hands-free devices for mobile phones, a study done at the University of Utah found that the devices are just as dangerous as handheld cell phones when driving. Driving using a headset distracts the brain and delays reaction time. Drivers are more likely to swerve between lanes, slow down and miss important signs. “When you’re on a call, even if both hands are on the wheel, you head is in the call”. In January 2009, as a result of that conclusion, the National Safety Council urged legislators in all 50 states to prohibit cell phone use when driving – this being a call for safety.

ISN'T IT ABOUT TIME?

To improve airport security and deal with travelers’ complaints about being harassed and demeaned at security checkpoints, TSA has initiated a 2-day training program – “Engage!” – and all 50,000 TSA employees must attend. In addition to emphasis on being professional and polite, all employees are now expected to go beyond “stick to the manual” training. They’re encouraged to think more critically, draw on skills of co-workers and make passengers feel more comfortable and involved as participants in the security process. If all goes as planned, TSA will no longer stand for “Travelers’ Security Aggravation”.

For security sake 37 states have laws requiring the sale of self-extinguishing cigarettes. These cigarettes have bands of low-permeability paper which extinguish the flame when it reaches them. When a smoker stops puffing, the cigarette goes out in about 5 minutes. Because of support from fire and public safety officials and because tobacco companies say it’s too much work to make different cigarettes for different states, all cigarettes sold in the U.S. may be self-extinguishing by January 1, 2010. Although smokers complain about the taste and having to relight, self-extinguishing cigarettes could keep 1,000 people a year from going up in smoke.

In spite of cruise lines and resorts slashing prices because of the recession, many people are concerned about paying for a vacation if they’re laid off. Now there’s travel insurance that protects against “involuntary termination of employment”. Most of these policies cost 4% to 8% of the vacation’s full price and usually require purchasers to have worked for their employers 1 to 5 years. Nevertheless, if the insurance is purchased before the purchasers know they are going to be laid off, they’ll be reimbursed 100%. In bad economic times travelers can get a vacation from one worry.

And there won’t be any more worry about what building is tallest. Chicago’s Sears Tower (1730 feet) was considered the world’s tallest building until 1998 when the antennas on Malaysia’s Petronas Towers made them 30 feet taller. As of 2004, Taipei 101 (1671 feet) is considered tallest, but it’s expected to be topped by the Burj Dubai Tower (over 2200 feet). Finally architectural height has been divided into 4 categories: height to highest occupied floor; height to roof top; height to architectural tip – including spires; height to architectural tip – including everything. Hopefully, this will make it easier to know which building is tallest and which are just tall stories.

WHO'S PUTTING THE "I" IN ECONOMIZE?

In the beginning of the economic slowdown business increased at resale shops. Customers were happy to save two-thirds or more off designer retail prices. However, with the economy in a recession customers were lured away by 80% off sales on new merchandise at malls. The Salvation Army – with 1,300 thrift stores across the country – saw sales drop for big-ticket items like furniture and saw donations drop10%. Goodwill also saw both sales and donations drop. Because of the poor economy stores long known for giving good buys are getting good byes.

As the recession continues, customers continue to take advantage of the good buys at McDonald’s. January 2009 same-store sales – sales at stores open at least 13 months – rose 5.4% in the U.S. Meanwhile Starbucks’ same-store sales for the fiscal first quarter fell 10% in the U.S. – the biggest fall yet. In order to have a more recession-friendly image, Starbucks has introduced its version of value meals. At U.S. company-owned stores customers can get oatmeal, a slice of coffee cake or one of two breakfast sandwiches – plus coffee – for $3.95. It seems restaurant signs have become signs of the times.

Another sign of the times is that more than a dozen states are considering primary seat-belt enforcement laws – meaning vehicles can be stopped solely for seat belt violations. Although the 26 states presently with primary enforcement average 13% higher seat belt use, that’s not the reason for the consideration. States that change to primary enforcement by June 30 and issue seat belt citations by September 30, 2009 are eligible for millions of dollars from a 2005 federal incentive program to reduce traffic deaths, medical bills and insurance costs. The money has to be spent on highway-related projects, but seat belts could be used for states’ belt tightening.

Belt loosening might be necessary since the Beer Institute claims that if beer consumption were averaged out, every American over 21 drinks more than 30 gallons annually. That makes the U.S. the world’s biggest beer market and that’s why Corona is building one of the world’s biggest breweries just across the Texas border. When all 4 production lines are running, the brewery will produce 7,200 bottles of beer a minute - enough to supply the entire U.S. market with its most popular, imported beer. Consumers are drinking less expensive brands; but if beer continues to be recession-proof, there won’t be trouble brewing at Corona.

WHAT'S ODD IN ODDITIES?

When scientists discover something new, they get to name it. Fruit fly geneticists traditionally have chosen funny names as jokes. “Cheap Date” has a gene that makes it very sensitive to alcohol. “Out Cold” has a gene that causes it to lose coordination when the temperature drops. “I’m Not Dead Yet” has a gene that enables it to live longer than usual. Because humans have some of the same genes as fruit flies, these names can cause embarrassing problems and thus some names are being changed. For example, the name “Lunatic Fringe” has been changed to “LFNG O-fucosylpeptide 3-beta-N-acetylglucosaminytransferase” – no nickname given.

PETA is the acronymic name for People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and PETA wants to prevent fish from being “victims of many major threats to their welfare and ways of life”. In non-PETA language that means they want to prevent fish from being eaten. To accomplish that the animal rights organization proposes that fish be called “sea kittens”. The hope is that people’s affection for cute, cuddly kittens will be transferred to fish and people won’t want to eat them. Although PETA’s sea kitty Web site has only 4,544 signatures on its name-change petition, sea kittens does seem to be an appropriate name for young catfish.

The Georgia Aquarium – with 80,000 fish and other sea creatures and 8 million gallons of water – is the world’s largest aquarium. Although the poor economy has caused a decrease in out-of-state visitors, there’s been an increase in visitors who live within 100 miles. To keep those visitors coming back the aquarium has introduced a new program – Sunday night yoga classes in front of the beluga whale tank. The slow, smooth movements of the 3 whales supposedly inspire the slow movements of yoga. At $20 per class for aquarium members and $35 for nonmembers, it still qualifies as a whale of a deal.

Three inductees qualified for the 2008 National Toy Hall of Fame. Criteria for induction include being widely recognized; fostering learning, creativity or discovery through play; and enduring in popularity for generations. The 2008 inductees were the skateboard, the Baby Doll and – the stick. The museum’s curators said the stick was a special addition because of its all-purpose, recreational qualities that can be powered by a child’s imagination without rules or instructions. Of course, in 2008 the stick has 2 other important criteria. It’s 100% natural and 100% affordable.

ARE ALL STUDIES STUDIOUS?

The 2009 annual survey on absenteeism done by the Web site CareerBuilder found that 34% of workers played hooky. Among those, 30% wanted to relax; 22% wanted to sleep; and 9% wanted to skip a meeting, spend time working on an overdue project or avoid an angry boss or colleague. When it comes to employers, 31% checked up on employees who called in sick and 18% fired workers who missed work without a legitimate reason. The good news is that 65% of employers thought a mental health day was a legitimate reason. Maybe the other 35% of employers need a mental health day.

Scientists at the University of British Columbia studied more than 600 people as they performed tasks on computers. When the screen’s background was red, people did up to 31% better at tasks like proofreading. When the background was blue, they did better at tasks like designing a child’s toy. Because we associate red with danger and mistakes, it leads to avoidance motivation. Red makes us more cautious and we focus on details. Because blue encourages approach motivation, we relax and become more open to new ideas and creative solutions. Obviously, we should lead more colorful lives.

In a study done at Ohio State University participants were given an inexpensive coffee mug to hold for either 10 or 30 seconds. Then they were asked to bid on the mug in an auction. On average, the people who held the mug longer bid more for it. In fact, those who held the mug for 30 seconds bid more than the known retail price 57% of the time. It seems that just touching an object can make people feel it is theirs and they are willing to go to greater lengths to keep it. That’s a touching thought for retailers.

Researchers at Indiana University showed videos of 24 German speed dates to volunteers and asked if they could tell if the couples were interested in each other. The volunteers’ responses were compared to those of the speed daters. Although both the male and female volunteers were able to gauge the men’s interest in the women, they weren’t able to gauge the women’s interest in the men. According to the researchers, the biological drive behind dating for women is to find an optimal mate for reproduction. Women act elusive to get more information – which makes speed dating a kind of infotainment.

COME HEALTH OR HIGH WATER?

In a federally funded study researchers at Brigham Young University and Harvard School of Public Health studied the relationship between longevity and fine-particulate air pollution in 51 cities. Using various statistical models, they compared the late 1970’s and early 1980’s – when clean air laws were starting to have an effect – to the late 1990’s and early 2000’s. What they found was these cities averaged a 33% decrease in air pollution and that decrease added about 5 months to the average life expectancy in the U.S. Obviously, with clean air you can see a difference.

According to a national study, Kentucky has the highest death rate from smoking - one and a half times higher than the national median. West Virginia had the second highest rate, Nevada had the third. Utah and Hawaii tied for the lowest. These rates were calculated using death certificate data from 2000 to 2004, focusing on lung cancer and 18 other diseases caused by smoking. Although the annual death rates were higher for men in every state, those rates declined in 49 states since the late 1990’s. Rates for women declined in only 32 states. It seems more women are declining to stop smoking.

In a study published in “The New England Journal of Medicine”, researchers analyzed over 6,000 patients undergoing over 14,000 cycles of in vitro fertilization – of artificially created embryos being inserted into women’s uteri. What they found was that after 3 cycles the cumulative live-birth rate was 45-53% and after 6 cycles it was 51-71% for all age groups. This means that after 6 cycles women have the same probability of having a baby as their same-age counterparts without fertility problems. Considering one IVF cycle costs $7,000-$15,000, this study gives birth to much needed information on the accuracy of in vitro fertilization.

A study done at Montreal University found that a concussion early in young athletes’ careers can cause problems as they age. In the study 40 former university-level athletes ages 50 to 65 – all healthy and physically fit – answered questionnaires about their health and took a battery of attention and memory tests, Nineteen of the participants had sustained a concussion more than 30 years before. Those 19 scored lower on the tests. In addition to having cognitive problems, they also had slower reaction times. The study showed that school-level sports can be a school of hard knocks in more than one way.

WHAT CAN ANIMALS TEACH US?

An international team of paleontologists discovered the fossilized skeleton of a snake that slithered through South America’s rainforests 60 million years ago. Based on the size of the vertebrae, researchers estimated the non-venomous constrictor was 43 feet long and weighed 2,500 pounds, making it the largest snake ever identified. Because snakes are cold blooded, researchers calculated this species of aquatic snake would have needed temperatures between 86 and 93 degrees to survive. This means the South American rainforests were once warmer – which means the thought of global warming could make some people’s skin crawl.

Northern rockhopper penguins – like Lovelace in the animated movie “Happy Feet” - aren’t extinct; but their numbers are declining. At one time there were millions of them; but according to a new study, their numbers have declined 90% in 50 years. Eighty percent of the existing population is on 2 South Atlantic islands – an estimated 72,000 to 115,000 penguins. Historically these birds were threatened by human exploitation and wild animals. Today researchers view the threat as being climate change, shifts in marine ecosystems or overfishing. Because more than half the world’s penguins face varying degrees of extinction, we need more than a bird’s-eye view of the problem.

Mosquitoes have no problem mating. In fact, scientists at Cornell University found that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes adjust the sound produced by their beating wings as potential mates approach. A male mosquito’s buzz is about 600 cycles per second. The female mosquito’s buzz is about 400 cycles per second. He makes the sound of a D note. She makes the sound of a G note. When the male brings his sound into phase with hers, they create a near-perfect duet. They create a fainter, higher tone. Only then will these mosquitoes mate – giving new meaning to “making music together”.

For ants, however, mating is restricted to the queen. She mates once in her life and stores all the sperm she will need for the thousands of eggs she’ll produce. A queen that senses competition from another fertile female will chemically mark that female, causing her to be attacked by lower-ranking females. New studies have also shown that ants capable of reproducing emit a hydrocarbon-based odor, causing them to be attacked by other worker ants. Only when the queen dies is there collective breeding and that stops as soon as a new queen establishes herself. Acting antsy isn’t conducive to romance.

WHAT'S GOOD BUSINESS IN A BAD ECONOMY?

Because police departments are trying to save money, many are trying more fuel-efficient cars. Salt Lake City added 5 Toyota Camry hybrids to its fleet hoping to save $20,000 a year. The police chief in Cahokia, Illinois expects a four-cylinder Pontiac Vibe GT to get twice the gas mileage of his Ford Crown Victorias. The police chief of Gulf Breeze, Florida is pursuing a grant to put electric motors in 3 of his 20 Crown Victorias to see if they can handle police work. With 15,000 municipal police departments across the U.S., fuel conservation has become an arresting idea.

Many businesses are using the idea of furloughs to save money. Workers are forced to take a day or two off a month or take a week off a quarter – without pay. In December 2008, 6 million workers were classified as “working part-time for economic reasons because of slack work or business conditions”. That’s almost double the number in December 2007. Furloughs allow companies to avoid laying off workers and having to spend more later to train new ones. Furloughs also help keep companies’ unemployment insurance rates down because most furloughed workers don’t qualify for jobless benefits. It seems furloughs aren’t just for the military anymore.

And luxury isn’t just for prosperous times anymore. A variety of luxury services and goods are doing well in the down economy. For example, the “1-On-1 Self-Indulgence Spa” in Concord MA offers everything from couples massages to chocolate body wraps. Its business is 10% higher than its previous high. Liquor stores are a business doing well nationally. Liquor sales are up as much as 10%. According to experts, people substitute smaller indulgences for larger ones in times of stress like a recession. These substitutions are called “comfort consumption”. They soften hard times.

The sale of pasta products isn’t soft. The sale of U.S. pasta products – frozen, refrigerated and canned pastas; soup mixes; and prepared dinners – rose 5% in 2008 to $6.4 billion. Sales at American Italian Pasta Co., the largest U.S. dry pasta manufacturer, rose 42%. Sales at the U.S. division of Barilla Group, the world’s largest pasta manufacturer, rose 22%. The need for inexpensive meals outweighed both high-protein and low-carbohydrate diets, which have caused a 1% to 2% decrease in pasta sales for years. The 2008 consumption of dry pasta was the highest since 2003 because it helps us get pasta hard financial times.

IS IT FROM HEALTH TO ETERNITY?

According to the American Dietetic Association, adding foods to the foods we usually eat can greatly increase our nutrient intake. For example, adding 3 ounces of canned wild salmon to a salad provides half the weekly recommendation of omega-3 fats, which improve brain and heart health. Adding 6 sprigs of parsley to pasta provides a day’s supply of vitamin K, important for bone health. Adding 1 tablespoon of ketchup to a burger supplies a healthy dose of lycopene, an antioxidant that guards against various forms of cancer. It seems by adding foods we add to our health.

According to the American Cancer Society, people who stop smoking before age 50 cut their risk of dying in the next 15 years by 50%. Because people are trying to stop, 1 in 4 smokers in the U.S. is now an intermittent smoker – someone who doesn’t smoke every day. That’s a 40% increase in intermittent smokers in 5 years. Unfortunately, smoking just 1 to 4 cigarettes a day doubles the risk of heart disease; and all smoking increases the risk of stroke, blood clots and chronic bronchitis, as well as exposing smokers to over 50 causes of cancer. It’s lives going up in smoke.

According to a study in the American Journal of Epidemiology, healthy seniors who consume light to moderate amounts of alcohol reduce their chances of developing physical disabilities or dying in the next 5 years by 23% when compared to heavy drinkers or abstainers. In the study the seniors were over 50 years old. Light to moderate drinkers consumed fewer than 15 drinks a week, heavy drinkers consumed 15 or more drinks a week and abstainers consumed fewer than 12 drinks a year. Unfortunately, seniors not in good health received no benefits from alcohol - not even when they drank to their own health.

According to a study reported in the journal Neurology, 506 elderly volunteers without dementia were asked to fill out questionnaires about their personality traits and lifestyle and then were tracked for 6 years. Although 144 of them developed dementia during that time, the men and women who were more socially active and less stressed were 50% less likely to develop dementia than those who were isolated and prone to stress. An estimated 24 million people worldwide have dementia. Because researchers believe that number could quadruple by 2040, we should be proactive now about being socially active.