Tuesday 11/19/24
Celebrate:
"Have a Bad Day" Day
Equal Opportunity Day
International Men's Day
National Blow Bagpipes Day
National Camp Day
National Carbonated Beverage with Caffeine Day
National Entrepreneurs' Day
National Macchiato Day
Play Monopoly Day
World Toilet Day
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America's golden girl Betty White is being honored next year with her own stamp. She's among the first 2025 designs that the U.S. Postal Service announced Friday.
Betty was chosen as an icon of American television who, quote, "shared her wit and warmth with viewers for seven decades."
The USPS added, quote, "The comedic actor, who gained younger generations of fans as she entered her 90s, was also revered as a compassionate advocate for animals."
Speaking of the Post Office, I got their flyer with important dates over the weekend.
2024 Holiday Shipping Dates for Contiguous U.S. (Lower 48 States)
Recommended send-by dates for expected delivery before December 25
USPS Ground Advantage® Service Dec. 18
First-Class Mail® Service Dec. 18
Priority Mail® Service Dec. 19
Priority Mail Express® Service Dec. 21
Best date for international and military mail is Dec 9th.
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Why is it that you can sleep in front of the TV on the couch or recliner, but when you finally get into bed you can't?
"Sleep pressure" is one reason why you fall asleep on the sofa. This refers to the strength of the biological drive for sleep. The longer you have been awake, the greater the sleep pressure.
A quick dose on the couch won't dent this too much, but a longer sleep will, causing you to have less sleep pressure when you crawl in bed.
Also, when you get up, you might clean up, have to brush and do pre bed things, all that sort of wake you up.
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A poll found the average person spends 40 minutes a day wishing they were somewhere else, or thinking about their next vacation. The average is 4 hours and 42 minutes a week.
As the weather gets colder, we think about it even more. The average in winter is 46 minutes a day.
Here are the Top 10 places we wish we were right now . . .
1. The beach
2. On a road trip
3. In the mountains
4. On an island
5. Camping
6. On an "adventure"
7. At a theme park
8. At a cultural or historical location
9. At a festival, concert, or sporting event
10. Somewhere that involves really good food
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A happiness expert, you can actually learn to be happier.
Here are five habits to increase your happiness . . .
1. Find things you can become fully absorbed in. When you're fully engaged in something, you don't notice the passage of time. It's called a "flow" state, and it's associated with more joy.
2. Practice random acts of kindness. It can make you feel generous and capable, and bring more joy to your life.
3. Nurture your relationships. Research shows they can be more important to happiness than money, your job, or even your health.
4. Express gratitude. Count your blessings and be thankful for them.
5. Celebrate good news. Give yourself a pat on the back when you've earned one. And celebrate other people's wins too. Again, it's about being grateful and fostering community
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When you text "LOL," how often are you REALLY laughing out loud? A new study found you might want to dial back your use of abbreviations like that. They can make you seem like a big PHONY.
Researchers tracked text exchanges of more than 5,000 people, and found we're seen as less sincere when we use shorthand phrases like "LOL" and "OMG."
The researchers were surprised. They assumed most people were cool with those abbreviations because they seem friendlier and less formal. But it turns out they can make people feel like you don't really care.
If you want someone to know you really did find something funny, you're better off using full words. Instead of "LOL," say something like, "I'm cracking up."
Context is important too, and it matters less if you already have a close relationship with the person. For example, using "LOL" with your best friend lands differently than using it with someone you just started dating.
99% of people in the study said they use abbreviations in their texts sometimes. So it's something that pretty much everyone does now.
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Today’s Useless Fact of the Day - Reese's Pieces aren't made with the same filling as Reese's Peanut Butter Cups, which explains the creamier consistency.
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Check out the web version of this briefing, along with The Anniversary Song of the Day and more content, on the web at https://bribriny.wixsite.com/brianbriefing
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