January 09 NewsletterRANDOM TIPS AROUND THE ISLES & BEYONDBy JK & Steve McCrea

MAGNETIC ALBUMS BAD FOR PHOTOSFlorida is not kind to photos, old documents and other irreplaceable paper based records of family history.  Dryness and heat cause paper to split or break, changes in temperature and humidity swell and shrink delicate paper, and most glue and storage boxes emit destructive chemicals.  Most paper is naturally acidic.  If there is discoloration or torn edges, that document undoubtedly has somewhat acidified.   You can purchase chemicals that neutralize and alkaline buffer papers yourself, but prevention is far easier.  Photos are processed with a variety of chemicals that don’t handle UV rays well.  Always use acid free materials when storing papers and photos. This includes mat boards, glues, photo albums, file folders and storage boxes.  Non-framed photos or papers keep best when stored flat in acid-free boxes with a glassine interleaving.  Be careful when using plastic!  Do not use anything made of polyvinyl chloride (PVC).  Mylar (polyester) is fine.  When hanging photos, use UV protective glass.  Metal frames are best for valuable photos because they don’t emit vapors as does wood.  Use acid free ink to label photo CDs.  Finally, avoid so-called “magnetic” album pages unless they are guaranteed acid free.

SOLID FOOD, SOLID SERVICERestaurant Review:  Smith and Jones has opened in the former Louis Louis’ on 15th Avenue and Las Olas.  It’s a food place for solid food.  The ribs are thick, meaty, with not too much sauce.  There was little fat and they were consistently good both times we tried them (more reliable than rib places on Federal Highway).  We tried three sandwiches:  Philly Cheese Steak, Pastrami on Rye and the Reuben Jones.  Choose the mango coleslaw as a side.  It’s delicious. For something light, we recommend the “organic flatbreads” (personal pizzas) with smoked chicken, basil potato or wild mushrooms.   The inside ambience has been stripped to a nightclub basement look so we preferred the ambience of the outside sidewalk.   It’s a good place for comfort food and reasonable prices within walking distance of Seven Isles.   Look for attentive servers  Mike and Dyania (she’s from Bulgarian with a nice smile).  Affordability:  4 out of 5.  Tasty food:  4 out of 5. 

THIS’LL KEEP YOU FROM SLEEPINGThe average person inhales 40 pounds of dust per year and most of the dust comes from dust mites.  (Todayshow.com)The adult human body contains 100 trillion cells.  But only 10 percent of them actually belong to us.  The rest are germs! (Psychology Today Oct. 08)Grocery carts are more dangerous locations for germs than are toilet seats.  According to the Nov. 11 Today Show, Ecoli can be found on most carts;  83% of

carts tested in Georgia had it, 44% of those tested in California.  The ickiest places were the handles and seat-shelves (where we put babies and perishables). 

STUFF TO DO WHEN YOU CAN’T SLEEP Play on The Web:  Start with AllMyFaves.com and see where the portal takes you.  We discovered an alternative to Weather.com by looking under “Weather” category. Intellicast.com has a “mood index” (search under “mood”) that projects how the weather will affect mental attitude in a region.

See What Other People Are Doing:  Google’s website Zeitgeist.com is a great place to find out what were the top web searches for people around the world.  Sarah Palin and Beijing 2008 had the largest number of web searches as of December, while the top two cocktails searched were the martini and the mojito.  Zeitgeist is a German word meaning the spirit of the age and its society, such as the intellectual, cultural, ethical and political climate. Another good website to have fun with is google.com/trends.  You supply the subject; Google will supply a graph that compares trends and numbers between major countries. 

Check Out Local Wildlife:  Once again, the cooler winter weather brings in some new wildlife.  We counted 15 vultures that settled in at the corner of Desota and Seven Isles.  (See photo).    It’s also a hot spot for a solitary falcon.   Look for the little burrowing owl to appear soon.  As for the iguanas, we’re wondering what they’re eating that’s helping them grow so big!  Besides our garden, that is.

Hunt for Discounts:  Gasbuddy is a good website for finding out where the cheapest gas in your area can be found.  Coupons.com, and Bradsdeals will give you a lot of discount coupons.  Couponmom.com can actually download the coupon onto a cell phone that you can show at the register.  Of course we don’t expect anyone here to admit to using coupons, but you can give them to friends, right?

Be Grateful:  According to the Asian Development Bank, one in six people has no access to safe drinking water.  Approximately 13 percent of Cambodia’s children don’t make it to their fifth birthday.  The leading cause is contaminated water. 

WORLD TRIVIAThe Walt Disney World Resort in Orlando encompasses 27,500 acres (roughly 43 square miles), making it nearly twice the size of New York’s Manhattan Island (22 square miles).Among the Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, the word for tourists is “te hunga topoi.”  This translates as “people who go around being amazed at what they see.”In Burj Al Arab, Dubai, United Arab Emirates, beds rotate in the two Royal Suites.  Now why didn’t we think of that?

(Travia, The Ultimate Book of Travel Trivia)- -- - - - -- - - --- - -

We wish you a healthy year ahead. And while we’re at it, here are some signs that you might live a long time:You had a young mother:  If your mom was under age 25, you're twice as likely to live to 100 as someone born to an older mother. Tea instead of coffee:  Green and black teas have things that protects your heart.  Drink at least one cup a day.   No soda (not even diet):  Research suggests that soda drinkers are used to enjoying natural or artificial sweeteners, which helps the body crave sweeter foods (which may lead to weight gain).   Don’t fall!  When you have good balance and  endurance, you are less likely to break a hip.  Dark food:  Red grapes, blueberries, red wine have polyphenols, the dark color that helps arteries stay open.  Don’t smoke.  Good friends:   Nothing beats stress better than having friends to talk about it with.  You like challenges:  If you try something new, you’ll sustain your acuity. 

Regain Your EnergyNeed more than just a pick-me-up?  The new buzzword is "spent syndrome":  A feeling of being drained all the time.   Start by changing what you eat to develop a healthy intestine (so that more nutrients from food can be absorbed).   Dramatically reduce the amount of sugar.   Yes, we’ve hear it before.  Refined carbohydrates give a quick boost of energy but change proteins in the body. Advanced glycosylation end products (AGEs) accumulate and reduce the elastic nature of skin (increasing wrinkles).  Important additions to the diet include avocados (a source of omega-3 fats that are important for brain health) and whey protein (for amino acids).  The second biggest change is culturally difficult: Lunch should be the largest meal of the day because the digestive system is at its peak during midday.  (This might work in Italy or Spain, places that encourage a post-meal siesta!).  Soft-boiled eggs are digested more easily than scrambled eggs. Dr. Frank Lipman recommends that high-fiber carbs should be featured in the evening meal.  .   Probiotics are suggested instead of yogurt (to boost the friendly bacteria in the gut).  Which is better, artificial sweeteners or sugar? Unfortunately, neither (try L-glutamine to reduce sugar cravings).  Choose tea over coffee (for antioxidants). For better sleep, cover the sources of light in the bedroom, particularly the alarm clock and DVD or VCR player.  (Frank Lipman, more.com).

As always, send your stories, tips and invitations to sendrandomtips@gmail.com.