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13 strategies that can help you quit smoking

kliper — Fri, 01 Nov 2024 13:24:16 GMT

Big Sean Announces New Album ‘Better Me Than You’ and Drops Single ‘Yes’ Following Album Leak

kliper — Sat, 20 Jul 2024 13:58:27 GMT

what to expect from the project.

Unfortunately, drama has already surrounded the project after Sean gave his “On the Radar Freestyle” a few days ago, where he rapped, “I got better things to do than find someone to beef with.” Some social media users claimed that it was a shot at Kendrick Lamar. But soon after, media personality DJ Hed tweeted that he spoke with Sean who told him that the bar was not intended for Lamar, but rather a “different Gemini.”

This is how much the average American saves each year

kliper — Tue, 29 Oct 2019 18:52:57 GMT

There are a lot of gloomy headlines out there about how Americans are struggling financially. And while it's true that many workers are not as prepared as they should be (only 28% of Americans are considered to be financially healthy, a report from research company Financial Health Network found), that doesn't mean the average worker isn't setting aside something for the future.

According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the average U.S. adult does have extra cash to save, and it's more than you may think.

The average adult earns about $78,635 per year, the BLS found, or around $67,241 after taxes. Total annual spending comes out to about $61,224, which means the average adult has $6,017 left to save each year.

The data doesn't break down any further to see exactly how Americans are saving – for example, whether their money is going toward their retirement savings, an emergency fund, or the like – but regardless, $6,000 per year is a good chunk of change. And depending on how you invest that money, you could grow a nest egg worth tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars if you save $6,000 per year.

That said, it's important to still set saving goals for yourself and double-check that you're doing enough to prepare for them. It's easy to get lulled into a false sense of security by saving anything at all, thinking that since saving anything is better than saving nothing, you must be on the right track. But do your best to look at your goals objectively.

For example, although $6,000 per year is a lot of money, it's still less than 10% of the average adult's annual income. Most experts advise saving at least 10% to 15% of your yearly wages for retirement, and you might need to save more than that depending on your long-term goals and how much time you have to reach them. So if you let your guard down thinking that you're going to be fine financially because you're saving several thousands of dollars per year, you risk being blindsided when you retire and realize you don't have enough to live comfortably.

Retirement savings: 7 mistakes financial advisers see too often

Social Security: Here's how much your benefits shrink if you file early

Assessing your goals and creating a long-term strategy

To make sure you're saving enough, map out your goals and then establish a strategy to achieve them.

If you're saving for retirement, start by estimating how much you expect to spend each year once you retire. This number may be more or less than you're spending now, so really think about how your expenses will change in retirement. If you simply wing it here, you might end up saving less than you need.

Next, run your numbers through a retirement calculator to get an idea of how much you should aim to save by retirement age, as well as what you should sock away each month until then. You might find you need to save more than 10% of your income to reach your goals, or if you've been diligently saving for years, you might be right on track.

If you find that you need to supercharge your savings to catch up, you have a few options. You can either comb through your budget to make cuts wherever possible, you can pick up an extra job and put all your earnings toward your savings, or you can adjust your retirement expectations so you can live on less. If you're seriously behind on your savings, you might need to take advantage of more than one of these options to ensure you're as prepared as possible for retirement.

Regardless of how you choose to prepare, it's vital to have some sort of plan. Saving what you can and hoping for the best isn't a viable option, and you may not be able to rely on Social Security benefits as much as you think. Your personal savings will likely need to provide the bulk of your income in retirement, so the more you're able to save, the more comfortable your later years will be.

The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Motley Fool is a USA TODAY content partner offering financial news, analysis and commentary designed to help people take control of their financial lives. Its content is produced independently of USA TODAY.

YouTube Aims to Put the Brakes on Online Conspiracies

kliper — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 19:04:46 GMT

YouTube intends to ramp up its efforts to combat conspiracy mongers, perhaps in response to the rash of conspiracy videos that trended following the school shooting in Parkland, Florida, last month.

Among other things, YouTube will supply links to relevant Wikipedia pages and other credible websites to provide viewers with a counter narrative, according to CEO Susan Wojcicki, who revealed the plans earlier this week during a panel discussion at SXSW.

YouTube plans to roll out additional features pointing to third-party information sources over the next few months.

The Wikimedia Foundation welcomed the move, but noted that it had not entered a formal partnership with YouTube and had not received any advance notice of the plan.

"We are always happy to see people, companies and organizations recognize Wikipedia's value as a repository of free knowledge," said Samantha Lien, spokesperson for the Wikimedia Foundation.

Wikipedia is freely licensed for reuse by anyone, and its mission is to facilitate sharing of that content, she told TechNewsWorld.

Wikipedia is based on the contributions of hundreds of thousands of volunteer contributors. She added that they encourage others who share Wikipedia's content to give back.

Like-Minded People

Thousands of videos have been uploaded to YouTube by conspiracy theorists, noted John Paolillo, associate professor of informatics at Indiana University.

They share some common threads, he told TechNewsWorld, as many of them come from survivalists, gun rights activists, InfoWars, the Russian propaganda channel RT, and libertarian commentators.

"Conspiracy theory videos are posted and reposted and seem almost immune to disappearing," Paolillo remarked. "There are thousands upon thousands of these, and reliably identifying them is not that simple.

It's likely that YouTube will face a severe backlash from certain users who may see the crackdown on these sites as a conspiracy.

Difficult Task

Like Facebook, YouTube faces an enormous challenge in trying to weed out fake news, conspiracy videos, and other types of hate speech or misinformation, observed Rick Edmonds, media business analyst at Poynter.

While some Wikipedia entries may not be accurate, there is a method in place for policing information and promptly updating problematic posts, he told TechNewsWorld.

YouTube is one of the key enablers of "micro-propaganda," noted Jonathan Albright, research director at the Tow Center for digital journalism, in a recentpost on Medium.

YouTube was inundated with conspiracy theories following the Parkland shooting, suggesting that the incident had been faked and that survivors who spoke out after the shooting were so-called "crisis actors."

A data set of more than 250 videos were returned from a search of "crisis actor," Albright noted. In that data set, 20 percent of the videos were related to mass shootings, false flags and crisis actors. The other 80 percent were related to historical, religious or government conspiracies.

It was imperative that YouTube take additional steps, including optional filters and human monitors, to monitor its pages for this kind of disinformation, Albright wrote.

Conspiracy videos are part of a wider trend in social media. Fake news, hate speech, hoaxes and other misinformation have been proliferating on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and Google.

After taking a beating over the proliferation of fake news during the 2016 presidential campaign, Facebook recently announced that it would de-emphasize news coverage in Trending Topics in favor of more posts from friends and family members.

CEO Mark Zuckerberg has come under severe criticism for being too slow to recognize Facebook's increasing role and responsibility as a digital publisher, while established media outlets have suffered mightily. The lion's share of digital advertising has been gobbled up by Facebook and Google, leading to severe economic distress for the journalism industry.

Android Oreo is rolling out to Galaxy S8 devices on T-Mobile, Sprint, Verizon

kliper — Mon, 19 Mar 2018 19:01:31 GMT

Samsung has confirmed that it has completed its Android Oreo beta tests and has officially begun sending out the software updates to Galaxy S8 and S8+ devices in the US. “After completing extensive testing and beta tests that are standard when we launch a new Android update or product, we are beginning to roll out Android Oreo to select US Galaxy smartphones, starting with the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8+,” a Samsung spokesperson told The Verge. “Galaxy Note8 will follow shortly thereafter.”

When exactly you’ll see this update depends on your carrier; so far, users have reported receiving their Oreo updates on T-Mobile, Verizon, and Sprint. Samsung briefly halted Oreo rollouts last month after the update cause some phones to randomly reboot.

Samsung’s Android Oreo beta first went live last November, with an official release for S8 devices beginning last month in non-beta markets such as Turkey, Norway, the UAE, India, Belgium, Germany, France, and Poland, reports SamMobile. Users in Canada are also reportedly beginning to see updates as well.

The Android Oreo update for Galaxy S8 and 8+ will also arrive with Samsung Experience 9.0, which brings features like new keyboard shortcuts, improved search interface, and Bixby updates — assuming you haven’t disabled it yet. Most importantly, Samsung Experience 9.0 will mark the official end to its set of emoji that aren’t just different from nearly every other device that supports emoji, but are also fug as hell.

How long do you need to sleep?

kliper — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:18:37 GMT

Ask people how many hours they need to sleep each night and most will not provide the same answer. Some might tell you that they cope well on 5 hours while others respond by saying that they need at least 10 hours sleep or they do not feel human. However, most experts recommend adults sleep between 7 and 8 hours per night, although some suggest that sleeping half-an-hour less or up to an hour more is beneficial. Knowing how much shuteye you are supposed to get can be confusing.

The number of hours scientists and medical professionals propose people sleep stems from evidence regarding time spent sleeping relating to health and mortality. Studies show that people who sleep under 6.5 hours per night, or greater than 7.5 hours, have a shorter lifespan than others do.

Unfortunately, time recommendations do not take into account individual needs. It might be that your genetics or lifestyle makes your sleep requirements different to the norm. However, not enough research has been carried out on the subject in order for people to be certain how to establish the individual demands of their system. Nonetheless, common sense might tell you that if you feel sleepy and groggy during the day when you have had 6.5 hours sleep at night, you probably need to sleep for a longer period. Likewise, if you sleep for 9 hours, but feel bad, sleeping an hour or so less might be wise.

Although it is not sensible to become obsessive and paranoid about whether you sleep enough because stress can make you ill, it is wise to keep a watchful eye on your sleep patterns relating to your health. It might be that you catch colds more often when you sleep poorly, or that you cannot cope with the ups and downs of everyday life. On the other hand, maybe you just cannot get your head together and think straight after having a long lie in at the weekends; adjusting time spent in bed could improve matters.

Adopting a regular bedtime/wake schedule will help you attain similar sleep times each night. However, other factors in your life such as stressful events and excitement, and even what you eat could affect the quality and length of sleep you experience.

You cannot control every aspect of your sleep, but you can be healthily aware of how the length of time you sleep affects you. Going to bed and rising at set times, and adjusting time spent sleeping according to your needs will mean that you get the slumber that you need.

References:
http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1812420,00.html
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/6546209.stm
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/how-many-hours-of-sleep-are-enough/AN01487

5 Ways to Program Your Dreams

kliper — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:13:38 GMT

Have you ever wanted an answer to a difficult, personal question? Perhaps you could not make up your mind about something, or you faced a challenge you did not know how to meet. Alternatively, have you ever wanted to go to sleep and just know that you are going to have a wonderfully enlightening dream? Or a healing dream that replenishes you emotionally? If you have answered yes to any these questions, you can benefit from being able to program your dreams.

Journal your dreams and their intentions.

Keep a journal by your bedside in which you write a dream intention each night before sleeping. Your intention is literally what you want to dream about. In the morning, before you do anything else, write down any dreams you have experienced. If you do not remember your dreams, don’t give up. As you drift to sleep the following night, program your mind by repeating an intention in your thoughts and eventually, you will start to remember your dreams.

Use pictures to visualize your dream.

Before you turn out the light at bedtime, look intently at a picture which represents a topic you wish to dream about. Study the details in the picture and when you close your eyes to sleep, visualize the picture inside your mind and continue to visualize its details.

Set your brainwaves with sounds and music.

You can alter the frequency of your brainwaves by listening to anything from binaural beats (brainwave entrainment) to music. For instance, if you want to experience a relaxing, soothing dream, listen to relaxing, soothing music. It will put you in the right frame of mind to achieve your aim.

You can also listen to white noise, rain, ocean or other water sounds, or simply concentrate on the pure sound of a single note of the frequency you want to adopt. Relax Melodies has over 100 soothing sounds, which you can mix and layer, including several binaural beats. You might actually discover that what you listen to finds its way into your dreams!

Go to sleep with a pleasant scent.

It’s been said that smelling roses before sleeping has been said to promote lovely dreams, while the scent of rotten eggs, unsurprisingly, does the opposite result. Smells have an effect on us in our waking time and are equally potent when we are asleep. While you’ll want to avoid unpleasant odors before going to bed, if a certain scent makes you feel great, smell it just before going to sleep or have an aromatherapy infuser running while you are sleeping. It can’t hurt and could produce a pleasant dream!

Play video games!

People who regularly play video games develop experience in controlling virtual worlds. As a result, some discover that they are good at manipulating their dreams. Lucid dreams, those in which you are in control and aware that you are dreaming, may be enhanced by playing video games. The more you practice programming your dreams, the more likely you are to achieve success. Your brain will program itself to produce results.

Gender sleep gap: the reasons why women need more sleep

kliper — Fri, 09 Mar 2018 14:06:25 GMT

Today is the day to set the record straight. First, we are celebrating overall achievement of all women for this International Women’s day 2018, but we also want to take the time to remind you (or to teach you) that gender gap issues are not only linked with salaries or opportunities: they are also impacting our sleep patterns.

There is scientific evidence that women need approximately 20 minutes more sleeping time every day.

This evidence based on Professor Jim Horne studies, seems surprising at first sight. However, if science is able to acknowledge that the “man flu” really exists (when a man is regarded as exaggerating the severity of his flu symptoms), why not also rethinking our preconceived gender sleeping notions?
It is known that women’s brain activity is different from men. A woman instinctively knows how to switch rapidly between several tasks, which is something good and bad at the same time. Switching also means frequently interrupting the brain’s activity and this could potentially leads to anxiety. Since we sleep to heal and regenerate our brain, it is also obvious that the more the stress, the worst it is for our sleep length and quality.

Another scientific fact: women suffer from insomnia a lot more than men do.

There are many physiological reasons to explain that: periods, estrogens, progesterone, hormonal fluctuations, pregnancy, stress, anxiety, menopause… On top of that, have you ever heard about the “mom’s ears”? In other words, a mom never really sleeps deeply because there is a mysterious physiological internal body clock, that wakes her up at night, to respond to any infant or children’s need. All these wonderful events directly affect women’s ability to sleep or to stay awake.

Now, are there solutions to help improving women’s sleep?

Dear women, we are not going to let you down! Thanks to the National Sleep Foundation, we listed below some of their most relevant tips to improve your sleep moving forward:
• You need to maintain a regular bed and wake time schedule.
• Bedtime routine should be relaxing! You better leave your cell phone and Instagram feed closed…
• Your bedroom should be comfortable, quiet and dark as much as possible.
• Finish eating at least 2 or 3 hours before bed. Nobody ever slept peacefully with bloating discomforts.
• Avoid nicotine, caffeine and alcohol prior to bed (and in general, that goes without saying)
• Sleep on your side for a better breathing.

Ladies, please use our tips and have a good night! We wish you a wonderful International Women’s day.

Best Nokia Phone 2017, List of Upcoming Nokia Smartphones

kliper — Thu, 28 Dec 2017 19:15:53 GMT

Best Nokia Phone 2017, today in this article we are writing about the latest and best Nokia Phone 2017. There are numerous news widely launched and rumoured around the world about announcing new upcoming Best Nokia Phones 2017. So we also trying to collect the short pieces into a single article so all the interested candidates who have been searching for the Best Nokia Phone 2017 can read their features and expected price with the releasing dates etc. As we know that Nokia Brand is famous because of its rigid body and battery capacity that provided efficiently.

How to Relieve Stress Through Music

kliper — Sat, 12 Nov 2016 01:08:07 GMT

Did you know there are simple, easy ways to tackle your stress – without spending a fortune? One of the best ways to relieve stress is through music; and we’ve got the science to back it up.

Music has a way of influencing our emotions, both positively and negatively, depending on the song. Ever notice that you seem happier after listening to your favorite song? It’s more than just a “feeling” – research has actually explained the chemical reactions that music can produce in your brain.

Here’s a closer look at how music impacts your mood, and how you can take advantage of this stress-relieving tactic.

What the Research Says

In one experiment, 30 participants listened to musical excerpts deemed “happy” or “sad.” After listening, the participants were shown photographs of human faces. These photographs ranged from happy to sad expressions, including plenty of neutral expressions. The participants rated the emotional state of the face in each photo, along a seven-point scale; where one represented extremely sad and seven represented extremely happy.

The people who listened to “happy” music rated the happy faces as even happier, while those who listened to “sad” music rated the unhappy faces as even sadder. The researchers found that the mood of the music participants listened to, whether happy or sad, significantly exaggerated their perceptions of those emotions in other people.

Music doesn’t just influence how we feel emotionally; it actually impacts our bodies. A recent study of 117 volunteers illustrated this phenomenon. Volunteers all attended a live concert, featuring music by the same composer. The researchers took saliva samples from each participant both before the performance, and an hour later, during the show’s intermission.

They found that glucocorticoid levels dropped, across almost all participants. This included a drop in levels of cortisol, commonly considered the “stress hormone.”

A steady level of cortisol is important for normal body functions; but when your body enters a “fight or flight” response mode, cortisol levels spike, raising your blood sugar and suppressing the digestive system and immune system. In a brief moment of intensity, this reaction can be helpful. But high levels of cortisol for too long can cause long-term mental and physical issues.

As the concert study demonstrates, live music can lower your levels of “stress hormones” to help you relax. The best part? The researchers found no difference between people of different ages, or musical abilities – suggesting that this response is universal among all concert audience members and music listeners.

Music as a Universal Language

What do music and emotion have in common? They’re both universal languages. Everyone worldwide—no matter their culture or spoken language—understands the six basic (or “universal”) emotions.

In the 1960s, psychologist Paul Ekman showed test subjects various photos of human faces representing different emotions. Test subjects classified the faces into emotional states. Ekman’s team of researchers found that six core emotions that existed across cultures:

Joy
Surprise
Sadness
Anger
Disgust
Fear

No matter where we grew up, all humans recognize these same six emotional states (some people classify “contempt” as a seventh universal emotion).

Emotions and facial expressions aren’t the only types of language that are universal across human cultures. Just as people can recognize emotions in other human faces, people also understand the emotion a musical piece portrays. We all know that sad music uses soft dynamics, a soft tempo, a minor key, and legato articulation (whether we know those specific terms or not, we recognize those sounds and patterns as creating “sad” music). Happy music uses louder intensities, a major key, and staccato articulation.

Psych Central calls this musical language “halfway between thought and phenomenon.” Through the patterns and notes they write, composers are able to manipulate emotions. “Music has the ability to conjure up images and feelings that need not necessarily be directly reflected in memory.”

It doesn’t matter who you are, where you’re from, or what language you speak; music has the power to influence all of our moods. The right composition can make us happier, sadder, and even less stressed.

Ways to Use Music for Stress Relief

Like the idea of using music as an affordable, natural stress reliever? Whether you need a break from your endless to-do list, or you’ve observed your kids becoming increasingly stressed over homework; there are several ways you can integrate music into your own and your children’s lives.

Not only will you improve your kids’ emotional wellbeing; you’ll also foster healthy coping skills, by giving them tools to ease their own stresses and worries. Plus, how many kids will protest to more music in their lives?

Start with these suggestions:

Take your kids to concerts and musicals – Not only is this a great way to get out of the house and relax for a bit, but it also provides a great bonding experience for the entire family. Be selective about the shows you attend. As the research shows, different types of music elicit different emotional responses. Choose something with a soothing, happy tone; a genre that suits your style, and will leave you feeling refreshed and joyous as you walk out of the show.
Perform in shows and musicals – You might be surprised at how much your kids (and even you!) enjoy participating in musical events. Check out your local community theater, and get involved in one of their musicals. Consider signing your children up for music classes and recitals, through your community or school district.
Sing karaoke – Go out of town with friends, or put on a karaoke party in the living room with your kids! Singing upbeat, happy tunes is a great way to let go of your stress, and have some fun. Extra silly karaoke can lead you into a bit of laughter therapy, as well – doubling the stress relief.
Play music in the background – Whether you’re working, cleaning, cooking, or helping the kids with homework; playingmusic in the background can help ease stress while completing various tasks. Put on a soothing tune at a low volume, to decrease your “stress hormones” without distracting you. Focus on instrumental compositions — such as classical songs — rather than songs with lyrics; since the lyrics activate the language centers of the brain, and can distract you from the tasks you’re working on. Experiment with different types of music with your children, to see which songs distract them, and which help them focus.

Knowing that music can influence your mood – emotionally and chemically speaking – is extremely valuable when seeking stress relief. Put these ideas and tips to use, and try purposely listening to pleasant music when you’re feeling depressed, angry or frustrated. Add more music to your children’s lives – in the form of both listening and performing music – to ease their stress levels and help them cope with emotions in healthy ways. Don’t get discouraged if one type of music doesn’t work for you, or your kids; you may have to try several different styles until you find one you personally like.

Featured photo credit: Shutterstock via image.shutterstock.com