Afternoon Drive with Jeff & Carly

It’s that time of year again - time for barbecues, bikinis, baseball and body odour!  B.O. is embarrassing, and difficult to battle when the humidity makes the GTA feel like one giant steam room.  Here are some suggestions from Redbook for keeping dry and alluring in the summer heat:

Smelly pits: Underarm products containing both a deodorant and an antiperspirant help mask the odor while stopping wetness, but most of us apply them at the wrong time. For optimum dryness, roll on a sweat stopper at bedtime, when your skin’s dry and the product has more time to penetrate your pores. Then reapply in the morning, if you like, when you’ve sufficiently dried your armpits after showering.

Stinky feet: Wash and dry your feet thoroughly when you shower. Wear shoes made from natural materials — like leather or canvas - that allow feet to breathe. If your feet still get damp, sprinkle on a foot powder or stick an absorbent insole in your shoes. That same antiperspirant you’re applying to your underarms every night will also keep your feet dry.

Beastly breath: Use a scraper or brush on your tongue every time you brush your teeth (at least twice a day or after every meal) to get rid of bacteria. Daily flossing and twice-annual dentist visits are equally important. Low concentrations of carbamide peroxide, a tooth-bleaching agent, can destroy odor-generating bacteria and sulfur compounds for up to a year.

Hopefully you’ll stay dry this weekend!  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is STINKYFEET.  It’s valid until July 1st.

According to a recent survey, 25 percent of respondents said they were unhappy with their physical work environment.  They said their offices are cramped, noisy, smelly, lacking in natural light, short on privacy or poorly ventilated.  A happy employee is a productive employee, so it would be in a company’s best interest to offer pleasant surroundings to their workers.  Here are some of the improvements the respondents would make:

• 37% would like windows that could be opened

• 16% would choose brightly coloured walls

• 11% wanted more attractive colleagues

• 7% were interested in a more pleasant smell

Although more attractive co-workers would be appreciated by both sexes, I’m pretty sure there are laws and policies that condemn hiring based on physical appearance (unless you work in the porn industry).  The only thing I would change about my work environment is the stool on which I sit.  The Jack studio is pretty cool - great posters, lots of natural light - but my stool is difficult to adjust and causes me some neck strain.  If I adjust the stool to the appropriate height to avoid any strain, then my feet don’t reach the comfort bar and just dangle there, eventually falling asleep.

How’s the physical environment at your job?  Is it conducive to your line of work or does it make you want to go postal?  Is it modern and inspirational?  Has it been updated since the 70’s?  Have your say by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link at the bottom.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is DATEDDECOR.  It’s good until June 28th.

Future Rotating Skyscraper in Dubai

It seems like everyone has an opinion on revolving restaurants like 360 at the CN Tower - cool way to see the city versus tourist trap.  Imagine, though, if every floor of your building turned, some floors on command!  Your view would constantly be changing and there would be no need to envy your neighbour’s unobstructed sightlines anymore.  Cool, huh?  This will soon be a reality in Dubai.  Here’s the info from Associated Press:

An Italian architect said he is poised to start construction on a new skyscraper in Dubai that will be “the world’s first building in motion,” an 80-story tower with revolving floors that give it an ever-shifting shape.

The spinning floors, hung like rings around an immobile cement core, would offer residents a constantly changing view of the Persian Gulf and the city’s futuristic skyline.

A few penthouse villas would spin on command using a voice-activated computer. The motion of the rest of the building would be choreographed in patterns that could be altered over time.

What’s the coolest architecture you’ve ever visited?  Was the building still functional or just pretty to look at?  Have your say by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link at the bottom.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is ROTATETHIS.  It’s valid until June 27th.  

Sexy Sailing?

I love Men’s Health.  It’s always a source of entertainment, if not a wealth of information.  Here are the summer activities the magazine suggests put women in the mood:

1. Beach Bonfire (47%)
2. Camping (15%)
3. Sailing (12%)
4. Jogging (10%)
5. Fireworks (9%)
6. Watching Baseball (7%)

Well, three out of six ain’t bad.  Camping?  Nothing is sexier than no shower and black fly bites.  Sailing?  As per popular belief, it is the motion of the ocean, especially if that motion makes you nauseous.  Jogging?  Does tired, sweaty panting lead to more tired, sweaty panting?

Are there certain summer activities that do it for you?  Feel free to share in not-so-explicit detail by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is MOTIONOFTHEOCEAN.  It’s valid until June 26th.

The weather seems to be getting stranger and stranger of late.  Take today, for example.  It was sunny and hot this morning, then it became overcast and poured.  There were even funnel clouds spotted along the 401 in Markham:

Courtesy of City News

If you spot a tornado and you’re inside a building, it’s best to seek refuge in the basement, steering clear of windows (and elevators if in a high rise).  People who are outside should look for a ditch or ravine.  In your car, well, there are two schools of thought - stay in the car with your seatbelt buckled and the doors unlocked or get out of the car and run as far away from it as you can, so it isn’t blown on top of you.

Have you ever been caught in extreme weather?  How did you deal with it?  What did you learn for next time?  Do you have an emergency plan and kit at home?  Share your situation by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is EXTREMEWEATHER.  It’s valid until June 25th.  

It’s Friday!!!!  Time to kick back and enjoy a cold one.  In honour of the weekend, I thought I would share some of Mitch Martin’s Top Drinking Achievements Before You Die.  The words in italics are his, not mine. 

Case In A Day - 24 hours in a day, 24 beers in a case. Coincidence? I prefer to think not. You need to sit down with a couple of friends and a couple of cases and power through the day and the case. People that have never done this think it’s easy and the people that have, know it’s not. Added Difficulty: Keep a hand written journal of what you are doing each time you crack a beer. Bonus Points: If anything is legible after beer 17.

Run The Taps At A Bar… Conditions: must have 12 or more taps. This is pretty self explanatory. Belly up to the bar and order a single pint of every beer they have on tap one after the other. You are going to get to try a lot of new beers and chances are you will be drunk before the sun goes down.

Brew Your Own Beer - Yeah it might not taste that great and you will be “that guy” that makes all your friends try their [crappy] brew but every true booze hound has to give it a shot at least once.

Pub Crawl Conditions: 12 or more pubs covering at least 1 mile. There is nothing better than getting a big group of friends together on a sunny day and catching a buzz while going on a walk. A beer at each stop with a short walk in between and you will be primed for a night of debauchery.

Scotch - learn to drink scotch either on the rocks or neat. Much like golf, it is a pain in the ass to learn, but it will pay off in the business world. While you are at it, learn the difference between bourbon and whiskey so that you don’t look like a total hayseed. If you really want to get a gold star on your chart learn the difference between a blend and single malt as well.

Have you ever attempted any of these?  Were you successful?  Have you participated in other Drinking Achievements, like travelling to Germany for Oktoberfest or learning about wine?  Share your thoughts by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is DRINKINGFEATS.  It’s valid until June 22nd. 

Billy Ray Cyrus with his daughter Miley

Billy Ray Cyrus probably won’t win the Father of the Year Award for leaving his daughter Miley alone during a Vanity Fair photo shoot.  If you were under a rock and missed the whole hoopla, some racy pictures were taken of the 15 year-old Hannah Montana alter ego.  Her Achy Breaky dad recently told the Today show, “I didn’t know they were gonna strip her down and wrap her in a blanket.”  Then he added, “My dad always told me, the more you stomp in poop, the more its stinks.  So I was just, ‘OK, this happened.  We got to deal with it.’  The turkey with the longest neck’s always going to be the one everyone’s shooting at.”

Huh?  Who’s the turkey?  Billy Ray?  Miley?  Anyone who’s in the public eye, I guess.  So don’t stand out and you won’t get shot, that’s what I takre from that.  Oh, and a nice poop visual.  Anyway, it got me thinking about parental advice.  Did your parents or grandparents leave you with any words to live by?  Feel free to share with the rest of the class by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is WORDSOFWISDOM.  It’s valid until June 20th.         

Do you have a hard time saying “no”?  I’m not a martyr, so I usually don’t mind declining if I have good reason to, but sometimes I have a hard time phrasing it in a way that won’t elicit questions or worse - pestering!  According to Glamour, here are some different ways to respond in the negative: 

• I’m just going to have to pass.
• I’d love to, but I just don’t have the time.
• I made a resolution to start saying ‘no’ more often.
• I don’t want to say ‘yes’ and then let you down.
• I’d love to, but my boyfriend/kids/boss would freak out if I took on anything else.
• Not right now.
• Not this year.
• You caught me at a terrible moment.
• I can’t say ‘yes.’
• I don’t want to say ‘no,’ but I have to.
• I’m just not comfortable with that.
• It’s just not right for me.
• Ask another time.
• Please cross me off your list.

Some of these might work on the phone, but not necessarily in person.  I wouldn’t want to say “ask another time” unless it’s truly about timing and not that I don’t ever want to do it.  Blaming it on someone else is cowardly, but if it works it can be a necessary evil.  I also like bringing up comfort level because saying you’re uncomfortable usually makes the person making the request feel awkward and immediately shuts down the interaction.  In rare instances, especially if that person is rude or stupid, s/he will ask why it makes you uncomfortable, which just makes the whole situation even more unpleasant!

Do you have a hard time saying “no” in general?  Are there specific people you can’t say “no” to?  What do you find is the most effective way to do it, other than using four letter words or slamming the door in someone’s face?  Have your say by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link at the bottom.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is JUSTSAYNO.  It’s valid until June 19th.

It’s finally that time of year - the flowers are out, the birds have returned and after the long winter we had, the neighbours have emerged from hibernation.  The people who live next door to you can be a godsend or the bane of your existence.  Thenest.com has categorized those who fit into the latter:

HOW TO SPOT A PROBLEM NEIGHBOUR

The Type: The Kramers

• How to Spot ‘Em: It’s nice when they welcome you to the neighborhood with a pie. It’s a lot less nice when they stop by every evening wondering what’s for dinner.
• How to Handle ‘Em: Decide how much access you’re willing to grant them. If you’re like Jerry Seinfeld, you can handle people who barge in whenever they feel like it and ask intrusive questions, welcoming them with open arms. If you need privacy, politely set boundaries from the beginning to avoid any misunderstandings.

The Type: The Sticklers

• How to Spot ‘Em: Your housewarming party may have gone later than expected…but you were still surprised when the cops showed up in response to all those complaints (every one of which, strangely, came from the same home).
• How to Handle ‘Em: Ask yourselves, “Am I being a bad neighbor?” Your neighbors deserve peace and quiet late at night and early in the morning. But you still have the right to enjoy your property. If you have multiple run-ins with the same neighbors, make a point of talking to them before your next bash (inviting them to join in the fun may make them more reluctant to contact the authorities).

The Type: The Bickersons

• How to Spot ‘Em: While they look like such a happy couple, it doesn’t sound that way when they’re shrieking at each other at four in the morning.
• How to Handle ‘Em: There are few things more awkward than getting involved in someone else’s relationship; however, there’s also something to be said for sleep. Don’t confront them at the time, but the day after a particularly bad incident, stop by and say, “I’m sorry to bring this up, but is everything okay? We heard shouting last night.” Hopefully this will embarrass them into being on better behavior (or even seeking counseling).

Type: The Old Schoolers

• How to Spot ‘Em: Remember Frank the Tank from Old School? This type of neighbor also makes a lot of noise at night, but these sounds are a whole lot happier. Every summer night is an excuse for a pool party (and every winter night is an excuse for hot tubbing).
• How to Handle ‘Em: There’s a chance they genuinely don’t realize how loud they are, so call and politely ask them to keep the noise down (or to shift the action inside at a certain hour). If they don’t comply, call the police about their disturbing the peace or look into soundproofing. Or, if you feel like reliving your glory days, you could always join ‘em!

The Type: The Slobs

• How to Spot ‘Em:You knew when you bought the place that you weren’t moving next to Martha Stewart, but you thought it’d be nice if they mowed the lawn once in a while. Now their yard is strewn with random vehicles and blow-up Santas (and it’s not even Christmas!).
• How to Handle ‘Em: If you’re on good terms, talk to them and express your concerns. If they had been neat and suddenly are letting things go, it may be worth checking to see if they have any health or other problems. If things are already tense between you, contact your block association to see if they’re in violation of any codes — then let the organization take it from there (the one time it might be okay to be passive-aggressive!).

The Type: The Anal Retentives

• How to Spot ‘Em: They walk the fence and obsess over how your bushes spill over on to their immaculately maintained yard…but the thing is you’re pretty sure it’s all on your turf.
• How to Handle ‘Em: Nip this in the bud immediately. All of you should walk the property line together so you can agree on exactly where it lies. If there’s still a disparity, call in a surveyor to settle it permanently.

The Type: The Jerks

• How to Spot ‘Em: Things got off on the wrong foot from the day you moved in, and it’s been downhill from there. Whenever you reach out to them, you just wind up mad at yourself for bothering to make the effort.
• How to Handle ‘Em: Sadly, there are some people who simply weren’t meant to be your pals. If they’re malicious or doing something illegal, report it. Otherwise, make all interactions brief and civil and be glad you get along better with your other neighbors.

Do you live next to Ned Flanders or Fred Sanford?  Share your experiences (and how you dealt with them) by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is NOSYNEIGHBOUR.  It won’t bring you fresh-baked cookies, but it will bring you some Jack Nation points until June 18th.

According to a recent survey, we’re going to spend an average of $94.54 on Dad this Sunday (Father’s Day - yes, it’s early this year).  That’s down slightly from last year, when we were willing to spend $98.34 on Dad.  That extra four bucks must be going toward the high cost of gas or something.

Here’s how we’re spending that cash:

• 68.4% are buying a greeting card
• 41.4% will take Dad out
• 36.5% are giving clothing (like he needs more socks and ties!)
• 32.7% are purchasing gift cards or certificates
• 22.6% said books or CDs
• 18.5% plan on getting Dad something electronics or computer-related

What are you doing for Dad?  What’s the best gift you’ve received?  My dad doesn’t live in T.O., so he’s getting a card with Tim Horton’s gift certificates and a phone call of course.  I don’t know what he’d say was the best gift he ever received (probably finishing the Manitoba Marathon), but I do remember making a pyjama greeting card for him out of J-cloths in Grade 2.  Share your thoughts and memories by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is DEAROLDDAD.  It’s good until June 15th.  Happy Father’s Day!