Watch Out For These Dangers While Walking Your Dog

If you’re a dog owner, you would never do anything to knowingly hurt your pooch, and the fact that you make it a point to take your dog on a walk regularly – even when it’s hot, or cold, or wet, or you’re in the middle of a really good Netflix binge – is just one more testament to how you’d do anything for him.

But, what if there were dangers lurking on your everyday trek that could do more harm than you know? There just might be – but after you read through this list, they won’t be able to sneak up on you or your pup while you’re out.

These tips come courtesy of vet Stephanie Liff, so you can trust her advice!

#5. Gum

Photo Credit: Pixabay

If your dog likes to taste every new object he finds, he might accidentally ingest discarded chewing gum. The Xylitol used to sweeten most gums can make your pooch woozy and weak and if he eats enough of it, he can develop liver failure inside of a week. He’ll need to see the vet!

#4. Lawns that have been treated with pesticides.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Most companies that treat lawns professionally will leave little signs letting you know there are pesticides about, and if you see them while out with your dog, it’s best to avoid them. Dr. Liff says they can cause irritated skin or vomiting – you should give your dog a bath or administer something like Benedryl if your pup seems to be suffering.

Also keep an eye out for blocks of rat poison, which can cause internal bleeding in your dog and will require a trip to the vet.

#3. Standing water.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

On hot days, your dog is probably tempted to stop and have a drink from whatever body of water is nearby, but, if possible, don’t let them indulge.

Ponds can contain highly toxic blue-green algae, saltwater can lead to diarrhea and dehydration, and even mud puddles can contain leptospirosis, which can be fatal if your dog isn’t vaccinated against it.

Lesson: carry water with you if you plan to be gone for awhile!

#2. Marijuana

Photo Credit: Pixabay

With more states relaxing their laws, there’s a higher chance of your dog encountering some of the drug while out exploring. Incidents involving pets and accidental ingestion have risen in recent years, and even though most bigger dogs won’t be seriously affected, you’ll want to keep a close eye on smaller pups, which Dr. Liff says could experience low blood pressure and heart rate.

#1. Sun

Photo Credit: Pixabay

You can use sunblock on your dogs with a lot of pink skin showing through, and especially around their noses where fur is thinner. Also, make sure you’re not walking your dog on pavement that’s too hot – if it burns your bare feet, it could burn and blister their pads.

h/t: Mental_Floss

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August 24, 2018

Behold the Greatest Way to Reheat Pizza at Home

Pizza. Just the word makes my mouth water! Few foods are as versatile and delicious as pizza. You can go classic cheese, covered in meat, veggie deluxe, maybe a BBQ chicken or Hawaiian if you’re feeling wild – the possibilities are endless!

Photo Credit: YouTube

If you do it right, there are also always leftovers. And sure, the microwave makes them edible, but those re-heated slices will never be as delicious as the moment they first came out of the oven.

Or will they…?

Photo Credit: Pixabay

According to Food52, there is a way to make your pizza as good as it can possibly get on day 2 – and that’s in the skillet.

According to several pizza experts, including international pizza consultant (that’s a thing?) Anthony Falco, if you want a slice that walks the line between dry and soggy, pop it into a nonstick skillet over medium heat and let it go for 2 minutes. then, add 2 drops of water and cover it with a lid or foil, turn it to low, and leave it for another minute.

Photo Credit: Anthony Falco

Then, it’s time to enjoy!

It’s important to do both steps separately, as the first one crisps up your crust and the second traps the moisture evaporating from the water, which moistens your toppings instead of drying them out like an oven would do.

If you’re too lazy to bust out a skillet (no judgement here) and want to cling to your microwave reheating, check out a crisper pan that can help you accomplish a better nuked slice.

Photo Credit: Amazon

Ain’t technology grand?

Happy pizza-ing!

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August 24, 2018

You’ll Need Your Detective’s Cap to Solve These 4 Riddles

Riddles are a great way to work out your brain while also having fun. Plus, there’s no greater feeling than when you finally solve one!

Check out these 4 mystery-based puzzles to see how well you’d do if the police recruiter came calling!

#4. A Treasure Key

Photo Credit: Pixabay

A man comes upon a treasure chest in a cave, guarded by a pirate. If the man chooses the key that will open the chest – gold, silver, or black – on the first try, he can keep the treasure. If he chooses wrong, he will be killed.

His only clue is this cipher: TGK HOE ELY DEN.

Which key should he choose?

Continue reading when you want to check your answer!

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August 24, 2018

Dad Live Tweets Going on a Field Trip to the Science Museum with 60 Kids, and It’s Hysterical

All parents secretly (or not so secretly) look forward to the time when their kids go back to school. They love their kids with all their heart, but even the best parents need some space. So why would any sane parent subject themselves to chaperoning a school field trip?

Well, why don’t you ask Simon Smith, a dad from the U.K. who recently accompanied his daughter and 59 of her classmates (yikes!) to the Kensington Museum. Along the way, he provided regular Twitter updates on the nightmare that was his day.

This is Simon Smith, a loving dad who volunteered to be a chaperone on his daughter’s school field trip.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

It started off innocently enough…

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

Unfortunately, it wasn’t long before things started going downhill.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

Even though they were told to use the toilet before the trip began, kids are kids.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

That’s when the real nightmare started to unfold.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

Even his daughter turned on him.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

Then, there was puking.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

Possibly the worst part, however, was the string of neverending questions.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

Things didn’t improve upon arriving at the museum, either.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

Simon made sure to document the many gems the kids said to him.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

Here’s how he described his ordeal to his wife:

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

Then it came time to visit the gift shop, which was also predictably disastrous.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

The return trip was also horrible.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

His final tweets pretty much summed things up perfectly.

Photo Credit: Simon Smith

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August 24, 2018

Scientists Have Found a Way to Reverse Aging – In a Lab

Sorry, cosmetics insudtry, but I’m afraid we’ve got some bad news. As for everyone else…it’s time to celebrate! A group of scientists recently published a study in the journal Aging that describes how they were able to make old cells regain the dividing ability of younger cells.

Researchers have been looking into the process of aging in humans for decades, trying to pinpoint when and how things begin to change and degrade, and while this new experiment doesn’t claim to be able to reverse aging, it does claim to have had success in stopping the aging process before it passes the point of no return.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

That is, the point at which cells become stagnant and start to degrade instead of duplicate. It’s important because some researchers believe the accumulation of the stagnant cells in our organs is the key to unlocking the process of aging.

“We still don’t fully understand why cells become senescent as we age, but damage to DNA, exposure to inflammation and damage to the protective molecules at the end of the chromosomes – the telomeres – have all been suggested,” said the authors in a post on The Conversation. “More recently, people have suggested that one driver of senescence may be loss of our ability to turn genes on and off at the right time and in the right place.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Their process included delivering hydrogen sulfide directly to mitochondria. Researchers believe the presence of the hydrogen sulfide molecule in the mitochondria can increase certain splicing factors, which are proteins that switch genes on and off in response to their environment.

The scientists concluded, “We are hopeful that in using molecular tools such as this, we will be able to eventually remove senescent cells in living people, which may allow us to target multiple age-related diseases at once. This is some way in the future yet, but it’s an exciting start.”

Photo Credit: Pixabay

I imagine that, when the time comes for human trials, they won’t have any trouble lining up volunteers. Not many people wouldn’t want to be the tribute in the game of figuring out how to stop the aging process, once and for all.

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August 24, 2018

There’s an Ideal Time to Go Shopping If You Want to Avoid Lines and Save Money

If you go at the wrong time, grocery shopping can be the most stressful experience in the world. The parking lot is full, the aisles are crowded, it’s enough to make a person have a meltdown by the frozen food. And if that wasn’t all bad enough, you might be paying more than you should. According to Ibotta, many items are priced above average on the weekend.

Photo Credit: Unsplash,rawpixel

Ibotta, a shopping app, determined that you should avoid Saturdays and Sundays and stick to grocery shopping on weekdays if you want to save some money.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Here are some of the things Ibotta discovered when they crunched the numbers. Wine is 4% cheaper on Tuesdays. On Wednesdays, beer is 1% cheaper on average and bread goes down by 2%. For you veggie lovers, produce is 3% cheaper on Hump Day.

Photo Credit: Max Pixel

And here’s a huge one: on Fridays, ice cream is down 1%. If you want a stress-free shopping experience, go on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings when the stores will be the least crowded. So now that you’re armed with this information, plan your trips to the grocery store for maximum privacy and to save some cold, hard cash.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

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August 23, 2018

Low Carb Diets May Actually Shorten Your Lifespan

If you’ve ever been on a diet, you’ve probably heard the term “low carb.” The Atkins, Keto, and Paleo diets all have different names but have one major thing in common: they dictate that people should avoid carbs and eat a whole lotta meat.

Photo Credit: Pixabay

A recent study, however, sheds some doubt about how healthy these low-carb diets really are. The analysis, published in The Lancet, found that people who eat a moderate amount of carbs actually live longer than those who avoid carbohydrates.

Photo Credit: iStock

Over 15,000 people participated in the study. Researchers found that people with the longest lifespans receive about 50-55% of their calories from carbs, while those who got 30% or less from carbs live an average of four fewer years. Interestingly, the study also found that people who receive 70% or more of their calories from carbs died one year earlier on average than the 50-55% crowd. When people avoided carbs in favor of meat, their chances of an earlier death rose, but if they shied away from carbs in favor of foods with plant-based fats and proteins, such as veggies, nuts, and beans, their life expectancy went up.

Photo Credit: Public Domain

Bottom line: eating a plant-based diet can help lower your blood pressure and the risk of diabetes and some kinds of cancer. Fad diets (like the low-carb/extra meat) may help you lose weight in the short term, but the long-term results may not be so healthy.

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August 23, 2018

These 10 Facts About the Wright Brothers Will Take You to New Heights

On December 17, 1903, Orville (1871-1948) and Wilbur Wright (1867-1912) established their special place in American history when they became the first humans to successfully fly an airplane.

The brothers led fascinating lives, working with each other for many years on inventions and plans. But they always be remembered for what happened on that day in North Carolina in 1903.

Read on to learn 10 facts about the famous Wright brothers.

1. A toy fueled their passion for flying

The brothers’ father brought a toy helicopter back from France that piqued their interest in flying at a young age. The toy was made from a stick, a propeller, and two rubber bands.

2. They made a living in the bicycle business

Photo Credit: Wikipedia

The brothers operated the Wright Cycle Company, which became profitable and helped fund their flight plans.

3. They didn’t graduate from high school

Photo Credit: Pixabay

Orville Wright dropped out of high school and Wilbur quit after he suffered a bad injury while playing hockey.

4. They published a newspaper

When Orville was only 15-years-old, he and Wilbur began publishing their own newspaper, The West Side News. The neighborhood paper became successful and they eventually renamed it The Evening Item.

5. Their mother was a big influence

Orville and Wilbur’s mother Susan Koerner Wright was reportedly a mechanical genius and could make anything by hand.

6. They picked Kitty Hawk for their flight for very specific reasons

Orville and Wilbur chose this location in North Carolina because a friend told them Kitty Hawk was windy and had soft grounds. It was also very private, which allowed them to test their aircraft away from the public eye.

7. The brothers were opposite in many ways

Wilbur Wright was very serious and was known to be very quiet. He was known as a deep thinker usually consumed by his own thoughts. Orville, on the other hand, was outgoing, upbeat, and talkative. The combination of Wilbur’s business mind and Orville’s mechanical savvy propelled the two into the history books.

8. The famous plane never flew again

After the successful flights in Kitty Hawk, the plane was damaged when heavy winds caused it to flip several times. The plane eventually ended up in the Smithsonian’s Air & Space Museum.

9. The press originally ignored the landmark flights

The brothers’ hometown Dayton Journal in Ohio didn’t even cover the events in Kitty Hawk because the brass there didn’t think the events were important enough to report. Eventually, the Virginia Pilot wrote an error-filled article about the events, and the Dayton Journal responded eventually with a factual story about the historic achievement.

10. They flew their first airplane design four times

Photo Credit: Public Domain

The famous flights in December 1903 consisted of four separate journeys. One of the flights lasted 59 seconds and reached an altitude of 852 feet.

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August 23, 2018

This Artist Made a Real-Life Version of Homer Simpson…And The Result Is Terrifying

Have you ever wondered what your favorite cartoon characters would look like if they existed in the real world? Well, after seeing this, we can’t help but wonder if that would be a bad idea.

Photo Credit: Fox

An artist named Miguel Vasquez created a 3-D, human-like version of our favorite TV dad Homer Simpson and the results are, honestly, pretty creepy. Take a look for yourself.