Don't Get Caught Holiday Shopping Without This Critical Mall Survival Kit

It's American Thanksgiving, which means one thing for Canadians (and no I'm not talking about Black Friday deals): That the holiday rush will officially begin sometime this weekend; and that means one thing: that unless you're doing your shopping online you're going to be hitting the malls--along with everyone else (with the exception of those like my mother who have their shopping done by August).

Now for some, this is the most wonderful time of the year; but for others, it means a nerve-shooting cocktail of claustrophobia, agoraphobia, sensory overload, and indigestion from overdosing on food court fare.

So, in the spirit of holiday consumption, here are the essentials that will make up your shopping survival kit:

1. Layers of clothing: There's nothing worse than sweating to death in line at Lululemon because you've got your parka on. By wearing layers, you can get from your car to the mall without your heavy jacket, and then, if need be, get down to your t-shirt once the heat of the shopping begins.

2. Bottled Water: No, I'm not talking about the kind you have to line up at the food court to buy, but a Nalgene bottle brought from home. You might also want to include, if no health hazards are posed, Vega in the water, or some light juice to give you added vitamins.

3. Vitamins: Take a few vitamin C tablets and a recommended dose of Vitamin D--as a simple starter. Vitamin C is known to decrease stress, and Vitamin D is loaded with health benefits. Given that vitamin D deficiency is a result of lack of sunlight, trudging through the mall can easily leave you deficient. Including a Cal-Mag supplement, especially if you're drinking a lot of coffee to keep you in the flow.

4. Deodorant: For those long-hauls, this might be a good thing so that you don't smell like you haven't showered in several days--especially if you're meeting up with loved ones or friends for dinner.

5. Sound-Proof Headphones: If you experience what you think to be sensory overload, it may just be the case. With the incessant holiday music blasting and lights raging in hallucinogenic fashion, you need to get away. One way is to just get out of the mall and walk around outside. Another way, if this just isn't an option or something you care to do is a pair of sound-proof headphones like those you'd use on an airplane. You can find a place to sit, and chill out for a while to clear your mind and re-energize your body.

6. Mobile Device Power Cord: The last thing you want is to have to make a call to get a taxi or meet up with a friend and your phone is out of battery. Take a power cord with you and plug in when you're taking a break.

7. Eye Drops: Are your eyes strained from staring blankly at merchandise or little price tags through glass shelves and cases? Some eye drops can easily clear that up, and get you back on track.

8. Aspirin: Not only good for headaches, but also for your heart (it's a known tonic) for those moments when you add up all that you've spent and feel like you're going into cardiac arrest. Take a half tablet, and you'll be good to go. Alternatively, carrying a small bottle of Advil with you to alleviate headaches can be beneficial.

9. Sunglasses: If you find the lights too bright, you can always make like Jack Nicholson and dawn your shades. Might make you even look more important than you are and get you better deals. A simple baseball cap might do just as well as a visor for blinding lights.

10. Anti-Bacterial Hand Lotion: This is a must, for of all the thousands coming through the mall from all over North America, and the world for that matter, it's good to just keep your hands bacteria free. The smallest vile of this stuff, the better.

11. Messenger Bag: Where else are you going to put all this stuff? In your jean pockets? A small messenger bag will do the trick, and there are many out there, for guys, that look masculine enough to not be considered a man purse.

You Won't Believe What Common Foods Are The Worst Choking Hazards

According to the National Safety Council, choking is the 8th leading cause of death among adults. It happens, and whether child, elderly, or adult it can happen to anyone. 

In October 2013, a woman in an Indian restaurant tried a lamb dish that, according to her partner, was all fat and gristle. He spat it out, but his wife wanted to try. She took a bite, and went to spit it out, but the piece slid down and got lodged in her throat. She began choking, and at one point, while she was projectile vomiting, she was pounding on her back. The partner was urged to take her to the washroom where he called the paramedic for help. Before help arrived, she had suffered from a heart attack, and died, in hospital, only 48 hours later.

Choking occurs when an object, food, or liquid becomes lodged in the throat. And adults often choke when eating and drinking too rapidly. Elderly folk can easily choke, especially if wearing dentures: Whether the food is too tough or cut in pieces too large, they can have problems chewing, and end up choking. 

Here are some common choked-on foods, according to Livestrong:

1. Peanut Butter: Do like making those extra gooey peanut butter sandwiches with extra soft baguette bread? Well this is one of the greatest choking hazards, for the peanut butter can easily get lodged in your throat, and that chewy white bread certainly won't help. And forget about drinking to get it all down--that can actually make it worse! Best to spread the peanut butter thinly so you can chew it before swallowing.

2. Meat: When not cut properly, meat can easily cause you to choke, especially if its gristly. For those with dentures, it is particularly hazardous. When eating meat, make sure you cut it up properly into smaller pieces, and avoid drinking alcohol heavily when eating it, for your lowered judgment combined with a major choking hazard can lead to a trip to emerg--at best. And hotdogs are just as much of a choking hazard for adults as for children, so if you're getting a dog at the game with your kids, be careful that with all the fussing with condiments and napkins and drink spillage that you're focusing on your chewing and swallowing.

3. Baked Goods: You know that picture-perfect esculent plate of chocolate brownies and tall sweaty class of cold white milk (or for those lactose-intolerant, almond milk)? Repeat after me: Choking hazard! There are a few major dynamics happening in this scenario: first, no one nibbles on a soft double chocolate browny; in fact, it's not uncommon to forget that you're eating it while you're eating it, because it just goes too fast--this rapid wolfing down of the browny can be, in itself, a choking hazard. Second, that tall sweaty glass of cold milk only makes the whole endeavour even more treacherous: for the milk (or any liquid for that matter) causes the browny (or cookie or pie or cake or any other baked good) to expand, thus increasing the risk of the whole sweet mass getting lodged in your throat. Imagine that--near-death by brownie? 

4. Fruits and Vegetables: That fruit and vegetable platter can be a major choking hazard if you haven't cut the pieces small enough--especially hard fruits and vegetables. Pineapple, though wonderful to take juicy bits of, can be easily stuck in the throat; and the same for apples, and even bananas, melons and berries, and carrots and celery. And if the good times are rolling, with those extra-large bottles of Zinfandel served forthwith, then the risk is even higher caused by excessive giddiness, laughter, and inebriation. 

5. Cinnamon Challenge: This one had to be included, for those idiotic enough to actually take it. This challenge, for those who haven't heard of it, is to swallow a table spoon of cinnamon in 60 seconds. The problem is that the inhalation of the cinnamon can cause asthma and choking. It's always boggled my mind: first, that someone would think of inhaling powdered tree bark (but let's face it, humans have inhaled much worse), and second that this every-day spice could cause such damage to the lungs. Best to leave the cinnamon for the latte that you will drink with, but not simultaneous to, that chocolate brownie...

Best things to avoid choking are making sure you cut your food, avoid excessive eating and drinking at the same time, and having too much laughter and Zinfandel with your friends around the fruit and vegetable platter...

What Would George Clooney Do? 7 Simple Ways For Knowing It's Time To Go To The ER

Have you ever driven yourself to the emergency unit of your local hospital only to wonder, while sitting there for three hours at 11:00 at night, that you could've just stayed at home?

Alternatively, have you ever sat at home believing that the pain in your chest is merely indigestion only to realize that a rapid trip to the ER was absolutely critical?

How do you know when you or a friend or loved one should go to ER and when not to? Are there certain symptoms that you should just give the benefit of the doubt to, and, if so, what are they?

Here is a simple list of symptoms that should alarm you that it's time to get to ER:

1. Chest Pain or Pressure: Yes, this could be too much caffeine or too rich a meal--or both--or just feeling run down after having a cold and still working 80 hours over the past week. However, it could just as well be a heart attack or other heart issue. Don't mess with this one--best to get checked out.

2. Uncontrolled Bleeding: This one should be obvious. Whenever things on House MD go wrong and the whole story turns and makes your break out into a cringe, it's when someone starts spontaneously bleeding out of their nose, mouth or further south-- Not good. If you suddenly start bleeding uncontrollably, get plenty of gauze and linen, and get to the ER.

3. Sudden or Severe Pain: We've covered off chest in #1; but other severe and sudden pain isn't good either, such as abdomen, which could alarm you to an appendix attack or abdominal aneurism.  If you're a female with sudden and severe abdominal pain, and your pregnant, it's important to get to the ER: you could be having a miscarriage or an ectopic pregnancy.

4. Coughing or Vomiting Blood: This again falls in the House MD crisis criteria. If you, following #2, start to spontaneously cough and/or vomit blood, go to the ER.

5. Sudden Dizziness, Weakness, or Blurred Vision: These could be signs of stroke. Many people tend to ignore these signs because they tend to come and go; but if a blood vessel is blocked and there's a lack of oxygen to the brain, the stroke could take place even 23 hours from the initial symptoms.  Better safe than sorry.

6. Severe and Persistent Vomiting and Diarrhea: With Ebola still being an issue, this one is particularly salient. If you are experiencing these symptoms, you have to get yourself to the hospital, and limit your contact with other people.

7. Mental Confusion: This could be the sign of a number of things, such as low blood sugar, stroke, psychosis, seizure. If you experience this, and are aware that you are experiencing this, or you have friends and family who are worried about you, just go to the ER.

8. Complete Immobility: If you are having, for example, back spasms and severe back pain, and can't get up off the floor without feeling that you'll have a stroke or heart attack from the pain, it's time to call 911 and get to the hospital for tests and medication.

The most important thing in all of this is if you feel that you need to go, just go--don't second guess it. Just by being in a safe place with all kinds of doctors around with sophisticated equipment could be enough to help you feel better. When in doubt, go.

Find Out What Country Has The Highest Obesity Rate. Hint: Would Make Richard Simmons Cry (OK, That Doesn't Really Say Much...)

Obesity is a big problem, and the numbers continue to rise. If nothing is done about it, some claim that by 2030 half of the U.S. population will be obese. While this is only a projection, and just as likely that if there is a global collapse then people will actually be getting thinner from lack of food, it is telling of a problem. Globally, the number of obese people is topping 2.1 Billion, according to the BBC. 

There are so many different factors involved in this complex issue, one of which is socio-economic: those of lower socio-economic class, with only high-school education and earning $15,000 and less per year, have a greater chance of obesity. One explanation is that people who are lower wage earners, if earning wages at all, are not able to afford good quality food, and thus settle for cheap, high calorie food. There's not much surprise there; all it takes is a walk through your local Whole Foods or Planet Organic to see how expensive living healthy really has become. Socio-economics can also lead to higher levels of depression that people often sooth by opening up the fridge. Here's a report from Reuters:

"Obesity has long been associated with education and income. The report found that about one-third of adults without a high school diploma were obese, compared with about one-fifth of those who graduated from college or technical college.
          And one-third of adults who earn less than $15,000 per year are obese, compared to one-quarter of those who earned $50,000 or more per year. The obesity-poverty connection reflects such facts that calorie-dense foods are cheap and that poor neighborhoods have fewer playgrounds, sidewalks and other amenities that encourage exercise."

Here are 10 countries with the highest obesity rates (for population age 15 years old and over), as of June 2014, according to the OECD:

1. United States: 35.3% 
2. Mexico: 32.4%
3. New Zealand: 31.3%
4. Hungary: 28.5%
5. Australia: 28.3%
6. Canada: 25.4%
7. Chile: 25.1%
8. United Kingdom: 24.7%
9. Ireland: 23%
10. Luxembourg: 22.7%

In another study, reported by both the BBC and US News, it's the U.S. leading the pack with China in 2nd position:

1. United States 
2. China
3. India
4. Russia
5. Brazil
6. Mexico
7. Egypt
8. Germany
9. Pakistan
10. Indonesia

Let's shift from the collective to the individual, and outline ways in which you can change your life if you have a problem with obesity or controlling your weight. There are very simple ways you can do it--3 in fact:

1. Limit your intake of sugars and fats: Easier said than done, I know. If you've been brought up by parents who ate a lot of sugar and fatty foods, it's become something habitual; but you can break the spell by simply choosing not to, knowing that your health and life is at risk if you continue. 

2. Increase your intake of vegetables, fruits, rice, legumes: They are not very expensive, and easy to cook. There are countless vegetarian recipes on the internet that you can simply print out and cook up. 

3. Begin exercising once per day: This is a simple solution too; for you don't have to go out and buy an expensive membership at the local YMCA--you simply get out for a walk, which is one of the best forms of exercise: it strengthens your heart, lowers risk of diseases, easy on your joints, reduces osteoporosis, it tones your legs and stomach and arms, it gives you energy.

We don't have to be at a 50% global obesity rate by 2030. The solutions are very easy. If you feel you have a problem, begin these three easy steps today. 

Which One Of These Reckless Snow Squall Drivers Are You?

It's amazing that during a snow squall there remain those who drive as if it's a blithe afternoon in July. There are different kinds of drivers who act recklessly or idiotically during snow storms, a number of which are listed below. If one or more of them describe you, then hopefully this post will serve as a mirror from which you just can't hide--ya right!

1. The Bay Watcher: Those who believe it can remain summer through sheer willpower and denial, especially in the wardrobe department; they're the ones who wear flimsy shoes while driving in snow storms, or light bomber jackets or no jacket at all. As covered in earlier posts, it's critical that you drive prepared for the worst, which includes wearing appropriate clothing in the event that you get stuck in a snow bank, or, worse yet, you're involved in an accident.

2. The Alaskan: Characterized by layers of snow covering the windshield, back and side windows, and several feet deep on the roof. These are also the vehicles that blow blinding clouds of snow into your windshield, thus severely restricting your visibility. This is not cool--ironically enough... It's not only aesthetically uncool--who wants to look like a giant igloo floating down the 401--it's also dangerous, to yourself and others. Take a few minutes before leaving and get the snow off your vehicle.

3. The Curler: Think it's time to change those tires whose surface is as bald as your aunt Bertha without the wig? These drivers think it's ok to drive with suboptimal and warn out tires through a snow squall; and not only do they endanger the their lives and others, there is an expectation to receive a push up their street and into their driveway while spinning smoke rings out their tires. We all have to suck it up sometime and buy new tires. It's better than getting into a collision.

4. The Blizzard: These are the drivers who storm past you on the highway, going 140 kms/hr up your back tailpipe before veering out into the left lane and sweeping past you in a cloud of snow (they are usually cross-characterized by the Alaskan). It's a wonder where they could be going at such a speed in a snow squall. It's dangerous--that's all that needs to be said. You should be driving at least 10 kms/ hr under the speed limit in a squall, not as if you're on the Autobahn in July.

5. The Honky-Tonker: You're just trying to make your way around the roads in the snow squall, when suddenly the person behind you is honking--seriously? This happened to me once at a Hospital I was parking in front of. My kids were in the back seat, and I was adjusting the vehicle to get into better position by the front door, when suddenly, "Honk honk!"--it was the guy behind me! What was the point of that? We're both trying to get to the same place--the honk was unwarranted. All it does is work the person up some more. 

6. Butt Slinger: You've gotta be addicted to cigarrettes to be dangling one out of the 1 inch crevice you rolled down in your side window. Is it really doing it for you? And then of course when you're done, you throw the the butt out the window. This is really annoying--and looks ridiculous. As well, the second-hand smoke that's clinging on to the interior of your car is putting others who ride in your vehicle at risk of lung cancer. 

If you fit any one, or more, of these profiles, then you need to start putting it into practice--it'll do wonders for you and those around you.

10 Rules For ER Only House MD Can Teach

1. Check your brain at the door: Doctors are specialists--you're not. While you may have an opinion, it's not an educated one. 

2. Forget the internet: I've worked with a number of doctors in consulting, and many--not just House MD--say the same thing: that the Internet is the greatest source of misinformation, and the biggest impediment to healthcare staff being able to do their job.

3. If you have checked the Internet, keep your mouth shut about it: Medical websites are no less than countless shelves of medical texts and journals that require medical specialists to fully navigate and utilize. The human body is a complex organism--what may seem obvious to you may certainly be much more complicated. The last thing a medical specialist wants to hear is that you've been poking around medical sites and blindly self-diagnosing.

4. Don't lie: Doctors are using every bit of information possible to formulate a diagnosis; if you lie about something, you can't expect the diagnosis to be accurate. House MD's axiom was "Everybody lies," which was key to him being able to solve 90% of the cases. Even if it's embarrassing, or litigating, if you want to get better, you've got to be honest.

5. If you're a parent, don't get in the way: This goes back to #1: The doctor is the specialist, and you're not. Think Tiger Woods sinks 30ft putts 90% of the time by working at an accounting job all week? While you're sitting behind your desk, Tiger's out there putting in the hours to master his craft. That's why he hires an accountant. Get the point? By being a helicopter parent, you're impeding the healthcare specialist from doing his/her job. 

6. Don't hit on the staff: Let's face it, it's awkward. It happened to House MD sometimes and it was never good (remember the trouble the 3-weeks to 18 girl caused him?). Hitting on your doctor/nurse sets up an immediate conflict of interest that puts him/her in a very difficult position that can compromise your care.

7. Keep hope alive: If there's a take-away from House MD it's that the light at the end of the tunnel may be an actual opening, even if it looks like freight train. If you have faith use it--if you don't, find it. 

8. If you're seeing a hot-shot doc, expect brilliance with variable narcissism: They're not the top of their profession for nothing, and there are often other traits that are both strengths and weaknesses. Expect abrasiveness at times and even passive aggression; but don't worry--their brilliance will more often than not lead them to the solution.

9. Everyone's flawed: We're all human--even doctors. Expect mistakes, oversights, and time-lags. Try to stay calm and trust the process. If you can accept that everyone's human, then you'll be able to get through the process without losing your mind in the meantime.

10. If you're given a period of time to live, get a second opinion: In conversations I've had with doctors specializing in intensive care, it is very difficult to know when a patient will die; and the really good ones will avoid making claims in that regard altogether. If you have been given a period of time to live, get a second or third opinion before you go out and make drastic changes like cashing in your stocks or RRSPs. 

10 Important Tips If You Are Terrified Of City Driving

A friend of mine is terrified of driving in the city--and on major highways, for that matter. It's a combination of the unfamiliarity of the surroundings, the spontaneous one-way streets, the congestion of cars and crowds of people, and the pressure of the drivers around him. It's all too much--he can't handle it.

Does this also sound like you? It's ok--driving in large cities like Toronto, especially in the core, can be very stressful, even for those for whom it's familiar. There are so many things you have to keep your eye on, and the pace of it can be erratic and all too rapid. 

While this may not compel you to get in your car and head on to Yonge and Dundas for a leisurely drive, here are a few tips to help if you live outside a major city and planning to make a trip in, whether for a business meeting, or some form of entertainment. 

1. Take It Slow: It's not a crime to drive slowly in the city--there are speed limits you know. Often the limit is 50 or 60 kilometres per hour, which really isn't that fast. I know it's easy to feel the pressure of the guy in the Audi R8 zipping up behind you, and those flying past you staring scornfully into your car, but it's really not your problem. If other drivers are agitated, it's because the pressure of the city can do that to the best of us. 

2. Stay In Right Lane: There are a lot of stops and stops in this lane, which is precisely why you want to be there--it'll give you more time to find your street, or parking for the venue you're going to. 

3. Give Yourself Time: If you have to make a left hand turn that is coming up, give yourself plenty of time to get into the left hand lane and prepare for the turn. If traffic is heavy through the light, don't panic--eventually the cars will have to stop for the yellow/red combination, at which time you can safely make your turn. 

4. Keep Your Eyes Open For Pedestrians: This is one of the most important things in city driving, simply because pedestrians are everywhere, especially if you're in a place like the the downtown core of Toronto. If you have to make a right hand turn on a green light, don't get hung up across the crosswalk--you could have some angry pedestrians knocking on your car and saying things that will only amp up your cortisol levels. There is so much stimulation in the city--cool architecture, bright store-fronts, crazy hair-dos, etc--that can be a major source of distraction, and can lead to a collision with a pedestrian. Keep your eyes alert.

5. Use Your GPS: If you have a GPS, use it--especially if it gives voice instructions. This will allow you to find your way while keeping your eyes on the road and not having to stare down at instructions. If you don't have a GPS, and are working off a print-out from home or written instructions, get a good feel for them before you leave, or simplify them down to as few parts as possible. 

6. Avoid Rush-Hours and High-Congestion Times: When my friend mentioned above has to go to the city--those odd occasions, maybe once a year--he never goes when it's busy. If he is going to a concert or some other engagement, he will go as early as possible and leave later to avoid the high-congestion times. If you can't avoid it, the best thing you can do is just be patient, take it slow, and stay relaxed. 

7. Do Not Text Or Stare At Your Phone: Trouble can spring up on you in a heart beat when you're driving in the downtown core--it is not a place to text or stare at the GPS on your phone. Even texting at an intersection can divert your attention from what is happening around you: pedestrians, cyclists, bad drivers, you name it. You need to stay totally and completely alert. 

8. Cyclists Have Rights Too: Just because you don't come across cyclists that often in your suburbs and towns, doesn't mean you can be ignorant when in the city and not be mindful of cyclists. Indeed, cyclists have as much rights to the road as possible. If they make you totally nervous, or you think they have a chip on their shoulders--which they often do after months and years of hassle from motorists--check out this post. Being mindful of them and ensuring their safety, and yours, is all part of the obligations when driving downtown.

9. Avoid Confrontation: The city is full of people in high-stressed jobs, strung out on chemicals, and just plain jacked up from the pressure of city life. You don't know who the guy in front of you is, or the woman behind you; and you don't know what they are capable of. If someone cuts you off--just take it. If a cyclist gets in your way or waves his fist at you--apologize and move on. If a pedestrian knocks on the hood of your car because you've crossed into the cross-walk turning right--leave it alone. The key is to get to your destination safely and with your full wits about you.

10. Enjoy: The city is an amazing place, and driving it under the right conditions can be one of life's great pleasures. While it can be full of stress and unpredictability, it's also a place of opportunity, culinary delight, and architectural awe. If you would like to feel more comfortable driving in the city, get out when you can and drive it. Get a sense for its different neighbourhoods and villages. Walk it as well. If there is a subway or light rail system, take it. When you've walked it enough, and have a sense of the roads, you'll be able to navigate it better. 

Think This Guy Left Home Unprepared? Get Your MacGyver On and Gear Up Your Vehicle Safety Kit

With the weather cooling down, and winter approaching in about 6 weeks, it's time to plan your vehicle safety kit--the gear you'll need in the event you get stuck on the highway, on a country road, or, worse yet, fall prey to a vehicle collision. Yes, jumper cables are important, but that's not all.

Here is a list--not a comprehensive list by any means, but a place to get started if you don't have a vehicle safety kit, or, if you have one already, a source of new information.

Gear For Your Vehicle Safety Kit

1. Food: Having to shovel yourself out of a ditch, or fix a tire, will tax you physically. If you have some energy bars on hand, you can quickly fuel up rather than having a search and rescue crew pull your fainted body out of a snow bank. 

2. Water: Plastic bottles might be the bane of enviro-activists everywhere, but they are good for subzero temperatures given that they won't break like glass will. The key here is to change the bottles every six months.

3. Blanket and layers of clothing: A blanket might be fine at -5, but if you're stuck in -30, you'll need to layer up. Having your snowmobile pants in the trunk and a toque or two, plus a pair of boots (if you insist on wearing your dress shoes to work) will be important.

4. First Aid Kit: This can be as light as a bunch of band-aids, gauze, polysporin, and rubbing alcohol, or as detailed as the following:

• Good Flashlight
• True Utilities Fire Stash
• Duct Tape (you can wrap some around an old credit card for portability)
• Gauze--at least 2-3 rolls
• Electrical Tape
• Antiseptic swabs
• Burn dressing
• Large sharp tweezers
• Bandaids in all assortments and sizes
• First-Aid booklet
• Fresnel lens (a very fine lens that helps you see very small wounds)
• Dr. Schole's Moleskin sheets: for blisters
• Tylenol, Advil, Aspirine

5. Candle in a deep can and matches: In the event you didn't go for the fancy $50 True Utilities Fire Stash, a simple lighter will do as well as some back up matches. Why the deep can? First to keep the wind from blowing out the candles, and second in the event your car is stuck and you need to melt some snow.

6. Whistle

7. Roadmaps

8. Portable cellphone charger

9. Sand, Salt, Kitty-Litter: This stuff can help you melt snow under your tires, or give you some traction to get out of an icy situation. 

10. Anti-freeze/Windshield Wiper Fluid: Nothing worse than your windshield whitening out under an inch-thick layer of road salt and having no wiper fluid. 

11. Jumper Cables

12. Fire Extinguisher

13. Warning Light, Road Flares, Pylons: These will help you get the attention you need, as well as signal to people on the highway that you're on the shoulder. Many accidents occur when people are pulled over on the side of the highway and get run down by an unsuspecting motorist.

14. Multi-Tool: McGyver fantasy stuff, something like a Leatherman Skeletool CX, or a product by Bear Grylls. Following the McGyver theme, a good Swiss Army Knife will do as well. Make sure, however, that whatever tool you get that it has a very very sharp serrated or partially serrated knife in the event you have to cut through a seat belt.

Driving's No Fun--Here Are 6 Tips For Dealing With The Stress Of That Realization

What attracts me to driverless cars is not having to actually drive--a fantasy I have maintained since my blithe university days taking the subway: that I could get on the train, sit down, and open a book that would slowly put me to sleep and have the luxury of someone else worrying about my next stop, in retrospect, was a dream. 

Driving a car does not necessarily mean freedom--in fact there are serious restrictions imposed on drivers that are in place to truncate freedom, such as speed limits, highways that have very definitive directional limits, not to mention width limits, traffic lights, construction, and so on. What creates a problem is that the culturally induced myth about driving is that it is indeed something that enhances freedom; it is a symbol for open roads, clear skies, infinite possibilities. Some go so far as to say that driving represents democracy itself, and ought to be guarded as a basic human right. In this regard, and where my conference of freedom to the autonomy of a vehicle breaks down, is  the concern I have that driverless cars will ultimately lead to a legislation against humans driving their vehicles. That said, the fantasy persists of being able to get into my car, put my feet up, open a book or video game or movie or knitting for that matter--for those Luddites out there--and let the car do all the maneuvering, detouring, stopping and going all the way to my destination.

Another down side to driving, apart from the illusion of freedom, is that it is no longer fun: the roads are either too congested, under construction, radar-trapped--or all three. Driving is too complex, risky, and the chances of collision all too high. More often than not, driving is a total drag. And it is because of this lack of fun that driving has become something else--highly stressful; indeed, one of the most stressful things one can do in a given day. 

If you find yourself stressed out beyond comprehension, and yearning for a driverless car (which you'll alas have to wait another 3-5 years for), here are 6 tips that won't bring the fun back, but might help you deal with having a total freakout behind the wheel.

6 Tips for Keeping It Cool Behind the Wheel

1.   Create a Relaxed Environment: Skip the rambunctious rush hour radio programs, and instead play calming music. Try things like massaging seat covers and essential oils. Rid yourself of distracting objects, such as cell-phones, reports, newspapers, or grooming products.

2.   Start out Calm: Clear your mind of problems before starting your vehicle, so you can focus on the road and hazards ahead. Don’t drive if you’re sleepy or angry. Don’t dwell on negative thoughts.

3.   Plan Your Route Beforehand and Leave Extra Time: Heading somewhere late can heat up the stress levels. Stay calm by allowing yourself extra time, and plan out your route beforehand if you’re, say, going somewhere to a meeting for the first time. If you’re running late, remind yourself that being late is not as bad as causing a potentially fatal accident.

4.   Keep your Kids Entertained: Bored, noisy children can cause the blood pressure to rise. Quiet children make for a relaxing drive. Keep them occupied with audio books, video games, or other forms of entertainment.

5.   Do a Routine Check-In with Yourself: “How am I feeling? What’s my posture? What thoughts are rolling around my mind?” Take a deep breath. Relax your hand on the steering wheel. Sit back in your seat. Roll your shoulders and head, wiggle your jaw around, and chill your body out. 

6.   Avoid Aggressive Drivers: If you encounter an aggressive driver, simply let them pass, or get out of their way. Don’t bother with them by making eye contact or honking your horn—this can cause road rage and even a collision.

One man, one mission, one ultimate weapon: Lamborghini Huracan

Following these 6 tips won't bring the joy back--indeed, only a Lamborghini Hurcan on an open Autobahn would--but it might help you cope all the way, safely, to your destination.

Michael J--We've Got A Better Car For You Than That Rigged Up Old Lotus. This Is AeroMobil 3.0--A Real Flying Car

We've covered a bit of Elon Musk's ultrasonic sonar electric cars, and gushed about its cool features like the multi-sensors and autopilot mode. And while Tesla is no doubt one of the coolest and progressive companies in the world, I was struck today by something I had never seen before, beyond of course a mere schematic: The flying car. 

Perhaps you've seen this already before, but for those who haven't, this is an amazing glimpse not only into the distant future, but the future being created right now. 

The problem with so many predictions about the future, as has been mentioned in this blog, is that people falsely believe the future will be much like it is today; they make the mistake of projecting in a linear, rather than an exponential fashion. In articles I've read about the future of driving, much of the technology looks too much like today, especially when the article attempts to project to 2050--a futile and ridiculous task if you are not able to push your imagination into the almost inconceivable. 

Putting all that aside, here is the AeroMobil 3.0, which made its debut at the Pioneer Festival in Vienna on October 29, 2014. AeroMobil is a company based in Slovakia that has been designing and prototyping their version of the flying car since 1989. 

The AeroMobil 3.0 Official Demo Video

From the company press release, the AeroMobil 3.0 will serve the following two purposes:

First, it will be used to test and improve the final performance, features, and characteristics. Second, it will be used for initial marketing purposes, including presentations at major trade shows.

Not stopping there, the team at AeroMobil have set their goal to having the flying car regulated under European Union regulatory requirements both for a vehicle and light aircraft:

The AeroMobil 3.0 prototype has been largely developed in such a way that would enable the company to certify (homologate) the vehicle in the European Union, according to the existing car and airplane regulatory requirements for a small series category M1 car and light sport aircraft (LSA).

The AeroMobil 3.0 Specifications

While this particular flying car will not be for sale, AeroMobil is filling a gap in the flying car prototype that is as attractive as a land vehicle as it is as a flying one. And you can see why that is when reading, e.g., about Stefan Klein, the Co-Founder and CTO of AeroMobil who, having graduated from Slovak University of Technology in 1983, studied at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (AFAD), and also at the École des Beaux Arts et Design, Saint Étienne in 1993. A rich education of both the technical and the aesthetic.

Perhaps like Musk's team at Tesla, those at AeroMobil have an amazing vision for a flying car that we should all take note of. If I had a choice, what would I choose? A Tesla or an AeroMobil? Seeing the car in the video taking off that lush grassy runway into the idyll of sky and cloud was no less than inspiring. Imagine being able to drive to a site and then with a push of a button transform your car into a plane and spend the afternoon flying... 

And what will such a thing look like in 2050? Might look like a concept car these days from the 1950s--or like no less than a horse and buggy... 

Don't Be Shallow Hal About Your Driving Decisions--I Mean, Maybe An Autonomous Car Isn't Such a Good Thing After All...

By 2020, the option of having a self-driving vehicle will be a reality--that's only six years away. According to According to Kurzweilai.net, most auto manufacturers are "incrementalists," adding automated features such as adaptive cruise control, self-parking, and traffic-jam assist. But, what we know about technology is that it is spiky, not linear. this means that the latest technology builds on the advancements and strength of the previous technology. It thus can spread very fast.

Ray Kurzweil on the exponential growth of computing

There are three options when looking at automated vehicles:

1. Partially automated: Here a car can take over some aspect of driving, as we've show in other posts, such as speed and steering, but cannot control much beyond that;

2. Highly automated: The car can drive itself, but is also equipped with a human over-ride system;

3. Fully automated: The car drives itself without human over-ride.

Don Norman, a professor of design from University of California, San Diego and author of the Design of Everyday Things, gave a lecture endorsing Google's project for fully automated vehicles in which he claimed that a highly automated car would be less safe than a fully-automated one. Airplanes, Norman pointed out, have been highly automated for years; however, the over-ride system provides several minutes for the pilot to take over control. The problem with cars, at least thus far, is that one would have only a split second or two to take over, should the vehicle be unable to handle driving conditions.

Don Norman, The Design of Everyday Things

Has the Google forecasts been pre-empted by Tesla, whose new vehicle, as we've seen in a previous post, the Model S already has an autopilot setting that was brought to market faster than anticipated. It consists of four parts:

1. Long-range radar that can see through anything,

2. Camera with image-recognition, so that it can read stop signs, distinguish pedestrians,

3. 360 degree long-range ultrasonic sonar (how cool does that sound!) that establishes "a protective cocoon around the vehicle and make a smart move by looking at the ultrasonics, and

4. The navigation and GPS and real-time traffic.

Elon Musk and Tesla Model S

All this sound way too cool, especially for a quasi-Ludite like me. But the question that some are asking is whether this move toward autonomous vehicles is actually something that we as free human beings want. It sounds cool, it sounds convenient (I mean, why wouldn't you want your car pulled out of the garage 2 minutes before you have to leave for work, with the climate set at a perfect 73 degrees and your favourite Duran Duran tunes running in the background?), but are we getting ourselves into a situation in which our freedom to drive is being slowly taken away? 

If a computer can drive safer than you, and put less people at risk on the roads, then as a human you are a liability, and thus unfit to drive. In 2020 are we going to be facing these legal issues? Will insurance companies lean toward insuring 'Hal' the vehicle automated driving system over you the human being? And if so, where is your freedom to drive? Is driving even something worth having freedom to do? 

These are very important questions to ask ourselves, again, as we are dealing with exponentially growing, unpredictable technological tools.

You Think The Cable Guy Is Weird, Wait Till You Get To Know Your TV--Or: Why You Need To Think Twice Before Buying Or Keeping A Smart TV

If I were to tell you that in the next 5 years your technology will be smarter than you, you would probably scoff and slough it off as some conspiratorial scare-tactic; a ploy to manipulate you into reading further through this blog.

The problem is that our technology already is smarter than we are, and we don't even know it.

Two stories have leaked out onto the internet today that should make those of us who have smart TVs and use simple Apple products concerned. 

A report came out today that smart TVs are able to record conversations of people around it, and even have facial recognition software, the information from which it then sends off to third parties. Here is an excerpt from Michael Price, counsel in the Liberty and National Security Program at the Brennan Center for Justice at NYU School of Law, writing for Salon Magazine:

The amount of data this thing collects is staggering. It logs where, when, how and for how long you use the TV. It sets tracking cookies and beacons designed to detect “when you have viewed particular content or a particular email message.” It records “the apps you use, the websites you visit, and how you interact with content.” It ignores “do-not-track” requests as a considered matter of policy.

     It also has a built-in camera — with facial recognition. The purpose is to provide “gesture control” for the TV and enable you to log in to a personalized account using your face. On the upside, the images are saved on the TV instead of uploaded to a corporate server. On the downside, the Internet connection makes the whole TV vulnerable to hackers who have demonstrated the ability to take complete control of the machine.

     More troubling is the microphone. The TV boasts a “voice recognition” feature that allows viewers to control the screen with voice commands. But the service comes with a rather ominous warning: “Please be aware that if your spoken words include personal or other sensitive information, that information will be among the data captured and transmitted to a third party.” Got that? Don’t say personal or sensitive stuff in front of the TV.

CNN Money: NSA Watching You Via Your SMART TV

What's alarming about this, and a sick joke really, is that in the past companies would pay people for information through questionnaires, blind tests, etc. Now, we the consumer are paying the companies to take our personal information and use it to sell us more product. If you have a smart TV, you need to very carefully read the privacy statement and make a clear decision whether or not you want to keep it. 

In a related article, it has been revealed that Apple products, by default, send unsaved files--from Pages documents, Notes, and Text Edit--directly to iCloud (not to your hard drive), without you even knowing it or being prompted otherwise. While this may seem to be a recent issue, it's been happening since December 2013, according to Slate Magazine.

To get around this feature, if what you set actually holds, is by doing the following: 

System Preferences -> iCloud -> Documents & Data, then check off the box.

But it's just the beginning: last month was the IoT conference, or the Internet of Things conference. This is emergent technology in which the various appliances in your house are and will all be hooked up to the internet via wifi. There are already reports about spam attacks being sent through an unsuspecting person's refrigerator. As this report from Wired Magazine states: "CIA Chief: We'll Spy On You Through Your Dishwasher." 

If you have smart devices or are considering purchasing one, think again. There are no apologies being made any more about the collection of private data--even homestead conversations--by companies and governments. You may not think you have anything to hide, but that's not the point. We are allowing machines to enter our homes that have eyes and ears; and we need to be aware of that fact before we open the door and let them in.