Afternoon Drive with Jeff & Carly

Merriam-Webster has added one hundred new words to its Collegiate Dictionary.  Here are some of the recent additions:

• dirty bomb — bomb designed to release radioactive material
• edamame — immature green soybeans that are eaten 
• infinity pool — outdoor swimming pool that seems to flow into the horizon
• kiteboarding — riding on a small surfboard propelled by a large kite
• malware — software designed to interfere with a computer’s functioning
• mental health day — taking a day off from work to relieve stress
• netroots — grassroots political activists who communicate online
• pescatarian — a vegetarian who eats fish
• subprime — a type of loan that has a higher interest rate than the prime rate and is especially given low-income borrowers
• Texas Hold ‘em — popular poker game

Subprime, Texas Hold ‘em, infinity pool, edamame and mental health day are all words and expressions I have heard and could define without the use of a lexicon.  But pescatarian?  Malware?  Does the average person actually use these words or even know what they mean?

What new words do you use?  Which ones rub you the wrong way?  Do you “Google”?  Do you “Facebook”?  What leaves you in “shock and awe”?  Do you know someone who makes up words or misuses vocabulary like Ricky from The Trailer Park Boys?  For example, Ricky say he’s not a pessimist, he’s an optometrist. :)  Jeff Brown coined a phrase just the other week - “quack pot”.  As far as I know, it’s someone who is a cross between a quack (charlatan) and a crackpot (lunatic).  Not a good combination!

Your thoughts are welcome, just click on the No Comments/Comments link below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is QUACKPOT.  It will score you points until July 10th. 

From left: Dave Wagner (winner) with Kevin and Ryan

Thanks to Kim Jones, Jack Nation member Dave Wagner’s better half, for sending me this photo. :)  Dave won the Jack FM Canada Day Patio Party at the Wolf and Firkin.  From the “sober” looks on the guys’ faces, it appears they did some “serious” celebrating in honour of Canada’s 141st birthday.  For other Firkin opportunities, check out 925jackfm.com. 

It got me thinking about luck.  Some people seem to win every lottery and draw they enter.  Others, well, should probably just give up.  What’s the biggest prize you’ve ever won?  Were you able to share it with others or did you keep it all for yourself?  Share your hard luck or good luck story by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is HARDLUCK.  It’s good until July 9th.

Do you think businesses that don’t sell food and drink should be obligated to provide washrooms for the public?  City Councillor Howard Moscoe does.  He’s championing a proposal that has been approved by Toronto’s Licensing and Standards Committee and would force stores to grant the public access to their washrooms.  City Council will now be examining this topic.

I guess the real issue is who is going to clean these toilet facilities?  Many businesses that do sell food and drink and therefore must provide facilities limit the traffic traipsing through their washrooms to paying customers.  Presumably part of the purchase price of your item goes toward maintenance of said facility.  By increasing the volume, the washrooms will need more frequent upkeep and there won’t be extra cash to pay for the cleaners.  We could always go back to the days when you had to pay to use the washroom.  Remember that?  It would take a dime or a quarter to open the stall door.

What’s your take on this issue?  Do you feel comfortable walking into a fast food joint and using the toilet without purchasing anything or do you at least buy a coffee?  Do you think you should be entitled to use the washroom at a hardware store or a pharmacy?  Many of the big box stores already allow this, but they’re not usually located downtown.  And I’m assuming that city councillors, whose salaries are paid by our taxes, already share their washrooms with the public, otherwise it would be hypocritical of them to suggest private businesses must do so.  Weigh in on this issue by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is THELOO.  It’s valid until July 6th.  

P.S. Come out and celebrate Aren’t We Naughty’s 25th Anniversary with me on Saturday, July 5th.  I will be at the Brampton location between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.  I’ll also have an extra bonus code handy, so hope to see you there.  Find out more at arentwenaughty.com. 

You don’t really think much about your nose - until it’s blocked.  Hopefully as an adult, that only happens when you have a cold, which is uncomfortable to say the least.  It’s difficult to breathe and your sense of smell all but disappears.  Now think back to when you were a kid.  Your nose was probably plugged on numerous occasions and not necessarily by mucus.  I’m not sure whether the motivator is curiosity or boredom or a cry for attention, but children are fascinated with sticking objects up their nostrils.  As a result, Babyzone.com has published a list of the Top 10 Things Kids Stick Up Their Noses.  Here’s the list:

1. Crayons
2. Beads
3. French Fries
4. Fingers
5. Marbles
6. Spaghetti
7. Tissue (Bits of Kleenex)
8. Cheerios
9. Small Toys (Like Lego)
10. Beans and Peas

Do you remember sticking anything up your nose as a child?  Have your kids done it?  Were they able to blow the object out or did the incident result in a trip to the emergency room?  Share your story by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link at the bottom.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is NOSINESS.  It’s valid until July 5th. 

A friend of mine was hoping to host a garage sale this past Saturday, but she cancelled it when it rained that morning.  Although you can’t control the weather, there are some things you can do to be better prepared for a yard sale.  I’ve re-printed what I think are the Top 5 from TheNest.com.

• Drum up business ahead of time. Take out a classified ad in your local paper, post a notice on a local Internet message board, and canvass the area with flyers. Identify the date of the sale plus the start and end times.
• Don’t get personal with pricing. As you’re surveying your pile of saleable goods, start pricing each item to sell. Remember, just because it pains you to part with your precious (and well-loved) New Kids On The Block T-shirt collection, it doesn’t mean it’s a collector’s item and worth $200.
• Set the mood. The idea is to make some cash, but it doesn’t mean you have to be all business. Cue the music, tie up some balloons, and create a festive atmosphere. Remember, you want to remain available for questions and have the opportunity to say hello and goodbye to everyone — even if they don’t end up buying.
• Slash prices at the halfway point. As your yard sale starts to wrap up, consider cutting prices in half. Make up a sign ahead of time and then bring it out a few hours before you’re ready to wrap up. You’ll increase your sales if people think they’re getting a better deal — everyone loves a bargain.
• Keep the Salvation Army on standby. Inevitably, you won’t sell everything at your yard sale. But don’t commit an organizational sin by dragging all of that stuff back into the house. Arrange a pickup by your favorite local charity and have the remaining stuff hauled away.

Have you ever hosted a garage sale?  Was it successful or did you only make ten cents?  Any words of wisdom to share with others?  Are you a “garage saler” (sailor?) yourself?  What was your best find?  Boast away by clicking on the No Comments/Comments link below.  Today’s Jack Nation bonus code is GARBAGESALE.  Yes, there is a “b” in there because one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. :)  The code will score you points until July 4th.

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.