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...And Still More Hot Tips from April May

       Great! A way to get rid of the fruit flies on the plants! When potted plants come indoors, they may bring unwanted visitors — those irritating little flies that nest in the soil the plants grow in! The solution? Soak a generous pinch of tobacco in a gallon of water overnight. Strain off the tobacco and use the resulting liquid to water every plant in the house. Within two days — presto! No more little flies. (Don't let anyone drink the infusion, of course, and promptly pour out any leftovers. The stuff kills the flies because it's toxic.)

       Snack tips for dieters: Two tablespoons of peanut butter have 190 calories, 80% of which is fat. Two filled cholcolate cookies have 106 calories, of which 37% is due to fat. When it comes to salty snacks, just one ounce of potato chips contains 166 calories and 66% fat. An ounce of pretzels has fewer 100 calories, and only 7% fat. Popcorn is a puzzler, because it varies so much: three cups of microwave popcorn contain 145 calories, 45% of which come from fat . . . but the same amount of regular, unbuttered popcorn has only 68 calories and a tiny 9% of fat. (Three cups is a lot of popcorn, too!)

       If you're considering having your hair analyzed in order to check your health or nutrition level, you should know that the California Dept. of Health, the State University of New York, and the federal Center for Disease Control got together last winter and looked into that process — and now they're taking a long look at its practitioners. They sent identical hair samples to 6 major laboratories, and can you guess the results? Yes, each lab came up with a vastly different analysis of those identical samples. Hmmmmm. (The AMA Journal suggests that hair analysis is reliable only when testing for arsenic poisoning.)

       Some people lose track of their money can you believe that? Well, it's true, says Jane Bryant Quinn. People move and forget to give their new address to the banks and brokerage houses that hold their property. They know where their money is, but the bank doesn't know where they are. When statements are returned, financial entities eventually mark the accounts "unclaimed," and bye-bye account. Sometimes people leave a job (even leave town) without claiming that last paycheck, pension funds, refunds for phone and electric company deposits. And there are unused gift certificates, abandoned safe deposit boxes. Maybe your Great Uncle Wilberforce had a life insurance policy that named you as beneficiary. How would you know? He never mentioned it, and he died a couple of years ago. Take heart. Unless you live in New Hampshire, which confiscates most assets after 5 years, there's usually no statute of limitations on claiming the money that's yours. So exercise your memory. A little extra cash is always handy!

       Say thank you for the baby gift.” But if you’re really grateful, you can also warm the giver’s heart by including a snapshot of the baby wearing, using, or playing with the gift, whichever is appropriate.

       Do you have a leak? Articles in the Washington Post and in Popular Science indicate that many household appliances constantly leak electricity. Culprits include the VCR, the cable box, answering machines, clock radios, cordless phones, garage door openers, microwave ovens, VCRs, home security systems, your electric range! Most leaks cost only a few pennies a month, but over time the cost (and the waste) adds up, so it's smart to pick energy efficient products.

       The maintenance you do today keeps the repair persons away. To keep the fridge and freezer fit, dust the air grill (usually at the bottom of the unit) every month and vacuum away any lint and other particles. And then clean the gasket that seals in the cold air. Vacuum the back of the unit three or four times a year to improve air flow. Want to see how the seal is working? After dark, put a lighted flashlight in the fridge and close the door. Then turn off all the lights. If you can see light around the edge of the seal, you’re leaking cool air!

       New research suggests that computer workers will suffer less fatigue and strain if the keyboard tilts away from the typist. A 12-degree negative tilt is optimum, according to the ergonomics department at Cornell University. Lowering the keyboard can reduce shoulder strain.

       Oops, dermatologists are casting doubt on whether sunscreen offers complete skin protection. Fair-skinned people should be especially careful to avoid spending too much time in the sun. Even so, Roger Ceilley, the president of the American Academy of Dermatology, says sunscreen is still an important part of sun safety. And he adds, "I wear it every day, year round, and I suggest my patients do the same thing."

       When buying a new car battery, choose one that's been on the shelf less than six months, because idle batteries deteriorate over time. Unfortunately the dates are in code and are located in a variety of places — stamped on the case, on the wrapping or carton, or on a sticker on the battery itself. A common code uses a letter to identify the month when the battery was produced ("A" for January, "B" for February, etc.). K-9 would stand for November '99, for example.


     OK, OK, that's really, really, absolutely all, folks!

A.M.

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