6 Tell-Tale Signs You Need To Replace Your Tires--Unless You Want To Drive Like This Guy...

With winter coming up in a few months, it's a good idea to give your tires a good check to see if they need to be replaced, especially if you are not planning to have winter ones put on. 

But how do you know when it's time to replace them? 

Here are some tips that will help you:

1. Measure thickness of tread: The tread on your tires should never fall below 1/16 of an inch (or 1.6 millimetres). For proper traction on the roads, it is best to have at least double that. To check, you can buy a tread meter that will give you an accurate reading, or you can use the penny method: Take a Canadian penny, and place it in the main groove of the tread with the Queen's crown facing down. If you can see the top of the crown, you need to replace your tires. Refer to the chart below for further information.

Tread Depth	Action
6/32"	Your tires have sufficient tread depth
5/32"	Consider replacing your tires if wet road conditions are a concern
4/32" to 3/32"	You should consider a tire replacement or monitor closely
2/32" (1.5mm)	Your tires are considered legally bald and need to be replaced

Graph from Canadian Tire

2. Check the tread wear indicators: Most tires today have tread wear indicators, which are flat rubber bars that run horizontally across the tread of the tire. When the tires are new, the indicators are not visible; however, they become visible when the tires start to wear down. If one or two of these indicators begin to show, then your tires are beginning to ear down.

Tread wear indicators, as seen blocked off by the red squares.

4. Look for any uneven tread wear: Uneven tread wear can indicate issues apart from simple tire wear, such as alignment. If you spot this on your tires, have a mechanic do a series of checks to determine what underlying issue is causing the uneven tread wear before you have new one's installed.

AAA: When to replace your tires

5. Check the sidewalls: It's important to check the sidewalls of your tires for any bulges, cracks, or bubbles. If there is such damage, your tires need replacing--and you should have that taken care off sooner rather than later. Such damage can be caused by having driven through a pothole, driving with low air pressure, or other issues. Whatever the cause, driving with cracks or bulges in the sidewalls is dangerous.

6. Minimum every 6 Years: The minimum time to replace your tires is ever six years, with the maximum ten years. Check your owners manual for specific requirements and recommendations, and always lean to the side of caution and overall safety for you and your passengers.

18 Things About Burn Out You Need To Know But Probably Don't

The end of summer may seem like an odd time for people to experience burn out, but it can hit any of us at any time. Understanding what burn out is will help you either spot it in your own or your friend/loved one's life, and obtain the tools to overcome it. 

Burn out is something that hits many people of different ages and professions; however, one common characteristics seems to be a high-achievement orientation to the world, and a proneness to overwork and push oneself beyond the efforts of the 'average' person. For such people who feel they can do everything, according to Psychology Today, burn out can creep up unnoticed. And because many high-achievers tend to be passionate about what they do, they often do not realize how many extra hours they're putting into their work, and the extra projects they're taking on. 

In a study by the Sloan Work and Family Research Network of Boston College, those who overwork tend to fit the following profile:

• People between the ages of 30 and 49
• Parents of teenagers tend to work longer hours than parents of younger children; and those who are in elder care situations tend to be more overworked than employees without such responsibilities
• Over the past 25 years, dual wage-earners combined work hours per week increased from 80 to 91 hours on average.
• Workers of the Baby Boom generation tend to feel more overworked than those of other generations.
• The largest number of people in work situations of mandatory longer hours are those in executive and administrative occupations
• Small business owners work the most hours (paid unpaid) at their main or only job with 38% working more than 50 hours per week.

Burn out is a state of chronic stress that is comprised of the following:

• physical and emotional exhaustion
• cynicism and detachment
• feelings of ineffectiveness and lack of accomplishment

The New York Times, in an article titled, Dealing With Burnout, describes this condition as "not just when you need a vacation to recharge. It’s when you feel overwhelming exhaustion, frustration, cynicism and a sense of ineffectiveness and failure." It used to be something experienced mostly by people in the human services occupations--health care workers, social workers, therapists, police officers--but has expanded to many other professions.

Psychology Today outlines the following symptoms of burn out:

1. Chronic fatigue: In the early stages, you may feel a lack energy and feel tired most days. In the latter stages, you feel physically and emotionally exhausted, drained, and depleted, and you may feel a sense of dread for what lies ahead on any given day.

2. Insomnia. In the early stages, you may have trouble falling asleep or staying asleep one or two nights a week. In the latter stages, insomnia may turn into a persistent, nightly ordeal; as exhausted as you are, you can't sleep.

2. Forgetfulness/impaired concentration and attention: Lack of focus and mild forgetfulness are early signs. Later, the problems may get to the point where you can't get your work done and everything begins to pile up.

3. Physical symptoms: Physical symptoms may include chest pain, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, gastrointestinal pain, dizziness, fainting, and/or headaches (all of which should be medically assessed).

4. Increased illness: Because your body is depleted, your immune system becomes weakened, making you more vulnerable to infections, colds, flu, and other immune-related medical problems.

5. Loss of appetite: In the early stages, you may not feel hungry and may skip a few meals. In the latter stages, you may lose your appetite all together and begin to lose a significant amount of weight.

6. Anxiety: Early on, you may experience mild symptoms of tension, worry, and edginess. As you move closer to burnout, the anxiety may become so serious that it interferes in your ability to work productively and may cause problems in your personal life.

7. Depression: In the early stages, you may feel mildly sad, occasionally hopeless, and you may experience feelings of guilt and worthlessness as a result. At its worst, you may feel trapped, severely depressed, and think the world would be better off without you. (If your depression is to this point, you should seek professional help immediately.)

8. Anger: At first, this may present as interpersonal tension and irritability. In the latter stages, this may turn into angry outbursts and serious arguments at home and in the workplace. (If anger gets to the point where it turns to thoughts or acts of violence toward family or coworkers, seek immediate professional assistance.)

If you're facing burn out, don't give up--you can get back on your feet and to the level of performance that you are capable of; however, it will take some time and discipline. Here are some ways you can work to overcome burn out, according to Psychology Today:

1. Take an Inventory: List all the things that are causing you stress and anxiety right now. Take your time to make the list--don't rush through it. If new things come to mind in 24 hours, write them down.

2. Itemize: Next to each item, jot down ways that you can change those situations so that they don't feel as stressful--little strategies to get around them and reduce the stress. Again, this is a process, not a race--take your time. If you can't find strategies for some--or all--of them, don't worry; just keep working through them.

3. Just say no: It's good to say no to people and situations if you don't want to do them or you feel obligated to do them. Saying no is a way of gaining back a sense of who you are. Some people prescribe saying no for an entire week, even to things you might want to do, just to get in the habit. 

4. Delegate: You don't have to do everything. Get in the habit of delegating to others, even if they won't do it as well or fast as you. Releasing the burdens will start to take the weight off your shoulders, and help you recover.

5. Take breaks between big projects: Often we are tempted to rush from one project to the next, especially if it promises monetary reward, promotions, or just keeping your position as Alpha Dog. But taking breaks are an important way of regaining your stamina and having the time and space to reflect on your successes and prepare body and mind to move on.

6. Turn off devices: It is not implausible that our devices are the reason for a surge in burn out. We are no longer really in control of our lives--our devices control us, through which we are always on call, always expected to be available, always multi-tasking. Turning off your device gives you adequate time and space to reflect on your actions.

7. Socialize outside of work: If your only source of relationships are work colleagues, then you are ever-mired by the issues and toxins of your workplace. Getting out from under that and hanging out with people of different interests and backgrounds can be very healthy.

8. Avoid bringing work home: Resist the urge to bring work home; you can get everything you need done at the office--the rest is either not that important, or a way of bolstering your ego. We are often validated based on our work, so we do it all the time. Your recovery will require you to rethink your work habits.

9. Effort, not outcome: Be more engaged in process, not product. Enjoy the work, get into its flow; and let the outcome emerge from the joy of the process itself. 

10. Consider a support group: This is a common problem, and there are therapists and communities that can help you rethink and re-prioritize. 

Why Texting And Driving Is Harming You Without You Even Knowing It

We have heard time and time again that distracted driving, particularly with mobile devices, can kill you. We have seen many public service announcements showing the grave dangers associated with driving and texting--both for the driver and those around him/her. And while the importance of these messages is not under challenge here in this post, there is a sense in which we all get it: driving and texting, driving and talking on the phone, driving and tweeting, driving and Facebooking, driving and   fiddling with your iTunes playlist are all dangerous activities (think about the number of times you've changed songs on your iPhone--after, of course, searching for about 10 seconds--and you look up and don't know when the last time was that you saw the road). 

However, there is another serious, perhaps more subtle but just as real, threat to your well-being than simply knocking your vehicle into someone else's, or into the side of a pedestrian or trunk of a tree: that the perpetual engagement of your digital device while driving is taking away important down-time needed for reflection, decision making, and dealing with emotional baggage of the day. In a study at the University of California, San Francisco, scientists discovered that when rats have new experiences their brains show signs of new patterns; but those explorations are processed into persistent memory when the rats have taken a break from those activities. And humans have shown to learn in similar ways: We learn most when we step back from a given activity, and, even unconsciously, have time to reflect on them. The New York Times article in which this study was reported continues,

“Almost certainly, downtime lets the brain go over experiences it’s had, solidify them and turn them into permanent long-term memories,” said Loren Frank, assistant professor in the department of physiology at the university, where he specializes in learning and memory. He said he believed that when the brain was constantly stimulated, “you prevent this learning process.”

The fear with constant distraction from our digital devices is that our brain patterns are literally being shifted in a way that is detrimental to how we have evolved over time as humans. When you are constantly being stimulated, you are unable to back away and reflect in meaningful ways on the interactions and experiences you've had. We may call this constant stimulation "multi-tasking," but according to some brain researchers, such activity is merely repetitious distraction, which, to many, is actually rewiring our brains:

"Our daily routine is filled with repeated distractions from information that demands our attention; making each day the opposite of “ordinary.” Research is beginning to show that our devices affect our minds cognitive ability to function."

What led to the renaissance period in human history was people's profound ability to learn, reflect on their learning, and create amazing works of art, philosophy, and invention (Leonardo da Vinci was not the anomaly that many make him out to be--there were plenty of them around). We are losing the profundity of the reflective life to the false urgency of the digital device. 

What I am getting at here is that the commute to and from work can be a time and space that allows you to reclaim the reflection on your experiences that you desperately need to de-stress, decompress, and just simply process. By remaining hooked up to our digital devices while driving, not only are we endangering our and others' lives, but we are overstimulating our brains, frying our neurons, becoming more stressed, and carrying all that home with us into our families. As one brain scientist responded to a well-known New York Times Op-Ed by popular brain-guru, Steven Pinker, 

"The fact that people who fiddle with cell phones drive poorly shouldn’t make us less concerned about the cognitive effects of media distractions; it should make us more concerned."

The concern is, according to Steven Yantis, a professor of psychological and neuro sciences and Johns Hopkins University, each time you switch tasks and switch back again, your brain has to recall where you were in the previous task. This may cause you to have to work your way back through the problem again, or re-read the previous paragraph, which makes "Deep thinking about a complex topic...nearly impossible."

We are not merely robotic computing machines--we are reflective human beings. We live in a complex world in which stepping back from our experiences, reflecting on them, and making deep decisions on them is critical for our well-being and that of our loved ones, friends, and colleagues. Take the time on your commute, especially home from work, to avoid the device. Consider putting it on 'Do not disturb', and then simply work your to not engaging it at all. For not only does it distract from the immediate task of safely operating a vehicle moving on average 60 kilometres per hour but also from the brains natural function of reflecting on past experiences, learning from them, and planning new ways forward. 

If You Have To Drive At Night, These 11 Tips Could Save Your Life

It's late: you're driving home from your cottage and got held up with family members, or that amazing dinner you just needed a little more time to enjoy. Now you're driving home along highways of variegated lighting--some with none at all--and you're pinching open your eyes to stay awake. There's no help from your spouse whose asleep next to you, mouth gaping open, perhaps even snoring; and your kids have long since escaped consciousness in the backseat, with earbuds still left in their ears. "Did the lady at Timmy's give me freakin' decaf?!" you wonder as you imbibe that double-double yawning widely between ill-fated swigs.

It's lonely out there; you're still two hours to mothership, and the longed-for comfort of bed--

Many of us have experienced this one time or another; and many of us in those moments kick and berate and curse ourselves--we should know better. 

Indeed, night time driving is one of the most dangerous things you can do--statistically speaking. Some studies have shown that sleep deprived driving causes impairment as severe as alcohol. It impairs one's abilities in the following four areas:

• Coordination
• Reflex
• Judgement
• Information retention

Moreover, your chances of coming in contact with impaired drivers, sleep deprived drivers, animals, and just plain weirdos increases the later you're driving. 

For those moments, and others like them, here are a few tips to help you with those late night drives:

1. Check that all exterior lights work properly (front and rear, brake and high beams). If your windshield is dirty, clean it at the next gas station: your ability to see can be compromised if your windshield is full of bug debris.

2. Use your high beams in areas without sufficient light, but not when it's foggy--the light beams will simply reflect back on you further impairing your vision.

3. If your rear-view mirror has a day/night function (usually activated by flicking the knob at the bottom of the mirror itself), use it: someone behind you with high beams on, or a truck whose grill sits nice and high, will blind you otherwise. If someone is coming towards you with high beams on, turn your eyes away from it, and look straight ahead--do not be tempted to look at it head on, which is a natural reflex when we see bright lights.

4. Avoid turning on your interior lights, whether to check a map or otherwise (who uses maps anymore?); and for crying out loud, don't use your mobile device.

5. Keep your eyes moving by checking your rearview, and side mirrors intermittently. This will not only keep you well informed of those around you, but will keep you more alert.

6. Leave more space between you and other drivers, in the event of hit brakes ahead of you. With attention and reflex impairment, you need to give yourself plenty of time to respond.

7. If you have candy or a pack of your kids' bubble gum, use it. Sucking on candies and chewing on gum can increase attention and brain function--same goes for driving. It's good to keep some with you nevertheless as a private stash for just those occasions.

8. Avoid taking any medications that will make you drowsy. If you have to take a medication, try to take it long in advance to allow the initial drowsiness to wear off. There are serious risks involved in drugged driving. 

9. Eat a meal higher in protein, rather than carbohydrates, before hitting the road. If you are out with family or friends, avoid the big pasta dinner, and go instead with the steak and caesar salad--the protein will not make you as drowsy. And avoid all alcohol content, passing that over for a stiff cup of coffee instead.

10. Keep a road side emergency kit, in the event that you God-forbid get into a collision, or get thrown into the ditch by a collision with a lugubrious moose or darting deer.

11. If possible, avoid traveling at night. If you need to be in town the following day for work, consider, if you can, keeping an extra set of clothes, getting some sleep, and leaving early in the morning.  

Check Out Some Of The Cheapest And Most Expensive Cars To Insure In Canada--Especially If You're Justin Bieber

When considering insurance, there are a number of factors, one of which is the kind of car you drive: Is it a sports car or family vehicle? Does it have a high rate of theft? Is it expensive to repair? Is it a new or older vehicle? All these factors weigh upon the amount you will have to pay to insure the vehicle. For instance, if you're buying a new sports car that is highly attractive to thieves, has a statistical record for high-rates of accidents, and is expensive to repair, you'll pay much more for that car than one that is an older family vehicle. 

The Cheapest Cars To Insure In Canada

For a very detailed analysis of vehicles and they're insurance rates, check out the How Cars Measure Up report by the Insurance Bureau of Canada. For the purpose of simplicity, below are top 10 vehicles that are known for having some of the lowest insurance rates in Canada:

1. Mazda Tribute
2. Jeep Compass
3. Pontiac Grand Prix
4. Chevrolet Equinox
5. Subaru Forester
6. Smart Fortwo Coupe
7. Dodge Grand Caravan
8. Honda Odyssey
9. Ford Edge
10. Volvo XC90

The Most Expensive Cars To Insure In Canada

With the cheapest cars to insure out of the way, it remains necessary to list some of the most expensive vehicles to insure, with some being tagged as such for their appeal to car thieves, and others for their capacity for break-neck speed. 

1. BMW M6
2. Mercedes-Benz CL550 4MATIC
3. Audi R8 Spyder Quattro
4. Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG GT
5. Mercedes-Benz G63 AMG
6. Ford F-250 Super Duty
7. Honda Civic Si Coupe
8. Acura MDX
9. Toyota FI Cruiser
10. Toyota Camry

For a detailed list of the cheapest and most expensive vehicles to insure in Canada, check out How They Measure Up: a document put together by the Canadian Insurance Bureau.

4 Simple Tips You Have To Read To Treat A Bee Sting

The bees and wasps are among us; and knowing how to avoid their nests and deal with their stings and bites is an important part of summer life in Ontario.

In a recent Examiner report, a pregnant mother of three, named Sarah Harkins, was in her back yard when she accidentally disturbed a wasp nest, and succumbed to a wasp attack that ultimately led to her tragic death. 

While rather uncommon, there was another wasp death this past July: Lucie Roussel, the Mayor of La Prairie, Quebec, died from 15 wasp bites after inadvertently stepping on a wasp nest at her cottage, according to CBC News. It is unclear from the story whether she was allergic to wasps, or had tragically died from the shock of the bites. While deaths by wasp and bee attacks are uncommon, it remains important to know what to do in the event of a sting or bite. If you have a terrible reaction to a sting or bite, you will need to consult your physician for any signs of allergies; he or she may prescribe you an epipen to keep with you in the event of any future run ins with bees or wasps. 

4 Tips for How to Treat a Bee Sting

1. Remove the stinger: If it is a honey bee, remove the stinger. Simply pinching and pulling it out with your fingers should work, otherwise find something else, like tweezers, to extract it.

2. Check for allergic reaction: If prolonged swelling in the face, mouth, or throat appear, wheezing or difficulty breathing or swallowing, or hives spread out beyond the sting, it is likely there is an allergic reaction. Take an antihistamine, or better yet an Epipen, and get to emergency immediately. 

3. Take ibuprofen, such as Advil, to treat the pain.

4. There are a number of home remedies to treat the bite or sting. You can simply ice the area, or apply a calamine or antihistamine cream. If you're more desperate, or adventurous, try applying toothpaste or honey to the wound. You can even try rubbing a slice of potato on the sting--but make sure it's raw.

3 TED Talks About Risk That Will Strike, Maybe Even Alarm, But Surely Won't Bore You

With the rapid pace of information technology, we have access to all sorts of information. These three TED talks cover issues pertinent to our future. This is an important part of this blog simply because the future is becoming more and more rapidly NOW, especially as technology and human knowledge speed up. 

This is a kind of TED theatre. What's important about the exercise of watching multiple TED talks is not the individual talks themselves, but how the ideas from the collection of talks meld with and bounce off each other to create higher-level questions and observations that ultimately lead to discussions with others. 

It is important that we learn more about the future, especially when we are talking about the broader context of insurance as the act of mitigating and securing against risk. 

1. Hubertus Knabe: Dark Secrets of the Surveillance State: The first talk is about the dark secrets of the surveillance state. With news traveling about the power of Google and how our locations are being perpetually tracked on a daily basis, not to mention the NSA and other organizations, being aware of privacy issues is critical for living in the 21st Century. Hubertus Knabe studied the Stasi, the East German Secret Service, and was even spied on by them. 

 Hubertus Knabe: Dark Secrets of the Surveillance State 

2. Nicholas Negroponte: 30 Year History of the Future: Inventor, innovator, and scholar, Nicholas Negroponte (of the Negroponte $100 laptop computer), talks about predictions he made in the 70s and 80s that came true, and leaves you with a prediction for the next 30 years.

Nicholas Negroponte: 30 Year History of the Future

3. Lorrie Faith Cranor: What's Wrong With Your Pa$$word? Lorrie Faith Cranor has studies thousands of internet passwords and has discovered a number of common mistakes users make when creating them that compromises security. How did she get at these passwords to study them? That's part of the story itself.

Lorrie Faith Cranor: What's Wrong With Your Pa$$word?

9 Tips You've Got To Read Before Hiring A Professional Mover

Moving is a stressful ordeal; it sounds easy enough, but if you've ever tried to move your family home yourself, it's very difficult and physically and mentally taxing. That's where the professional mover comes in: to take over the stress of the actual move in exchange for money. But how do you know what mover to hire? How do you avoid moving fraud, or, worse yet, horror stories of movers that hold your belongings hostage at the door of your new home while demanding more money. 

Here are 10 tips for choosing the best company to help you move into your new home:

1. Do your research: Finding the best mover for you based on price and performance will take some work, especially if you haven't moved in many years or are moving for the first time. You want to find a reputable, professional mover that has an excellent performance and reliability record. Ask family members or friends about their movers, as well as do consumer reports online. Choose at least three prospects and then begin the process.

2. Get more than one estimate: There are different costs that movers charge, from weight of the items to packing materials. A professional mover will come to your home and perform a walk through, getting a good understanding of what you are moving, and approximately the weight. Given that different moving companies will most likely charge differently, it'll be important to have your three choices come to your home and give you their best estimate. 

3. Make sure you know what you will be moving: It might be helpful to have an already prepared inventory list of all the items you want to move before the moving representative arrives. Everything you add after the quote will lead to a higher cost, so try to determine as precisely as possible what you will or will not be moving.

4. Purchase mover insurance: Mover insurance is important to protect your possessions while in tow, especially if there is a long commute such as from one province to another. 

5. Get the lowest price: Moving is very expensive, and there are often hidden costs. Professional movers can be very reliable, but they can also charge a lot. Find the lowest price possible, because the overall cost of moving will be more than you expect, especially if changing provinces.

6. Read, refer to, and keep handy the bill of landing: The Bill of Landing is the contract document between you and the mover. Read it carefully before signing it, and keep it handy during the move for reference, especially if something goes  wrong.

7. Ask questions: While meeting with the movers, make sure you have asked a lot of questions, especially about hidden costs. Also, et a good sense of the contract: what is being charged, the mover's liability for your possessions, and dates for pick up and delivery. If something is fishy, then get clarification; if it still feels fishy, then move on to the next one.

8. Keep your delivery date: If you change your delivery date while the move is in place, your possessions will have to be stored in a storage unit that will cost you more money. Make sure you are certain about a date before locking it in contractually.

9. Check inventory: A good mover will have inventory checkers throughout the process who write down every item that is being moved from one location that is then checked off at the final location. And it's often the case that the home owner is volunteered to help out with checking off the items as their being moved into the new home. Ensure that the mover is doing this, and step in to do it yourself if for some reason that procedure is not in place.

10 Must-Read Ways To Save On Home Insurance

House insurance is necessary for closing on the sale of a property. But how do you know what insurance agency will give you the best rate? And, when you're working with a  broker, how do you get as low a rate as possible?

The following are tips from the Insurance Bureau of Canada:

1. Shop around: If you have been with an insurance company for a number of years, or even on your previous home, it doesn't hurt, and may even beneficial, to shop around for a company that will give you a better rate. There's always the trade-off of more time and effort, but the result may be an extra $20-30 of cash in your pocket per month. As well, while you're talking to a broker, ask about any promotions or discounts.

2. Get a home insurance quote: If you have car insurance, consider taking out your home insurance with that same company. Often insurance companies will bundle home and car insurance to give you a lower rate.

3. Increase your deductible: You can increase the amount you need to pay in the event of an accident which will in turn lower your monthly payment. Make sure, however, that the deductible is an amount that you can actually afford to pay should there be a claim.

4. Take preventative action: You can do things to reduce the risk of accidents and damage to your home that will lower the chance of having to make an insurance claim: installing home security equipment, upgrading plumbing, reinforcing roofing, installing a backwater valve, storm shutters, sump pumps, and a fire sprinkler system.

5. Ask about further discounts: Talk to your insurance companies about any discounts, for instance if you're over the age of 55, or are mortgage or claims-free. 

6. Pay premium annually: You can avoid possible interest or service charges by making your payment annually rather than monthly. 

7. Evaluate your coverage every year: An evaluation of your insurance annually will ensure that your coverage reflects the value of your home, including any renovations, upgrades, or major purchases.

8. Quit Smoking: Many home fires are caused by careless smoking. Insurance companies will acknowledge that non-smokers have a lower risk of house fire than smokers. This simple--but not easy--act will also lower your life insurance premiums, and add years to your life. 

9. Don't over-insure your home: You will pay more if you include the value of the land surrounding the home, rather than just the house itself. Insure for what the house would cost to rebuild in the event of a loss, and not the market value of the surrounding land.

10. Keep your policy until end of term: Terminating your insurance policy before its term is over will result in a cancellation fee. If you choose to be insured with a different company, then wait until your current policy is up for renewal before doing so.

Is The Ebola Virus Really A Global Threat?

Ebola remains a concern in our world, as more bodies die in the streets, health care facilities are looted, and even high-profile doctors fall prey to the virus. 

WHO Calls Ebola A Global Emergency - August 9, 2014

But what do we know about it? In conversations I've had with people, it's unclear how it's transmitted, and how serious it is. 

Here are some things we know about it:

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), Ebola has a 90% fatality rate, and is one of the most virulent diseases;

• The disease emerged in Africa in two simultaneous outbreaks locations in 1976: one in the Congo, near the Ebola river, and the other in a remote area of Sudan;

• Ebola is spread through close contact with the blood of an infected animal (chimpanzees, gorillas, fruit bats, monkeys, forest antelopes, and porcupines);

• It spreads human-to-human through direct contact with blood or other bodily fluids, or between broken skin or mucous membranes between a healthy person and the contaminated possessions of infected persons (blankets, clothes, needles);

• Symptoms include sudden onset of fever, muscle pain, headache, sore throat, followed by vomiting, diarrhea, rash, impaired kidney and liver function, and in some cases, both internal and external bleeding;

• There remains no authorized or licensed vaccine or treatment for Ebola;

• In spite of downplaying in the media, there are some reports that claim that this strain of the Ebola virus may be airborne (transmissible from human to human through the air).

Knowing as much as you can about the Ebola virus can reduce the risk of you coming in contact with it. Just today, health workers in Berlin, Germany (breathing a sigh of relief, no doubt) claimed that a woman who returned from a trip to Africa and collapsed in a job centre. There are entries on this blog that give you tips for pandemics. It is important that you read them, and stay informed in order to reduce the existential risk of this virus, should it spread to North America, which is more than possible. 

The 7 Most Important Safety Tips When Grilling

Grilling food is a wonderful thing, yet not without some risk. Below are some important grilling safety tips to keep the emergency crews away.

1. Propane and charcoal BBQ grills should only be used outdoors: This seems obvious, but what about places like the garage? Does that constitute "indoors" if the garage door is open? Yes. It's advisable to never BBQ in the garage--your insurance company will most certainly frown on it, as well as the fire department.

2. Position the grill carefully: Keep the grill well away from the home, deck railings and out from under the eaves and overhanging branches, lest the heat burns these areas and causes a fire. There are many cases of houses in which the vinyl siding has melted because the grill was too close to the house.

3. Keep children and pets away: This seems like a no-brainer; but being distracted in the heat of the moment can lead one away from the care of children and pets around the grill. If you need something from inside the house, it's better to have someone else bring it out to you, rather than leaving your kids and pets to a flaming BBQ.

4. Keep the grill clean: Grease and fat builds up in the trays below the grill and can cause spread flames that may be difficult to control.

5. Never leave the grill: As with #3, it's easy to get distracted while grilling, such as suddenly wanting to grab that rub or sauce from the pantry, or needing a plate for the burgers while the sausages are still cooking; but again, it's better for someone to bring that out to you rather than leave your grill, in case the fire gets out of control.

6. Let it burn: To get all the gunk build up off the grill during cooking, let the BBQ burn at a high heat for 10 minutes once you've taken the food off--but, again, do not leave it unattended. 

7. Turn gas off first: When shutting off the grill, turn off the propane first, then switch the controls off; this will prevent residual gas from building up in the BBQ. Let it cool down with the lid off, and then brush off the grill to prevent fats and grease from building up and creating unruly flames the next time you cook. 

7 Boating Tips That Will Keep You Safe This Summer--And No, They Don't Promise To Make You Cool Like These Guys

Boating Can Be Dangerous

Boating can be dangerous. Think about it: you're in the middle of Lake Ontario with nothing but fibreglass and some vinyl or leather between you and the frigid temperature of the water, even in the middle of summer. The conditions are always changing to the pressure in the air, the speed of the winds, and even the passing of other boats that, depending on the size, can kick up some serious waves if you happen to be in a smaller vessel. What happens if your vessel capsizes and your thrown into the frigid water? Are you prepared? If you have no food on board, and you're hungry or thirsty, you may not have the strength to swim or stay afloat until help arrives. If you don't have a life preserver on, and are not comfortable even in the shallow end of your sister's swimming pool, then how will you handle choppy waters that are 70-100 feet deep? What about your children who love to sit at the bow of the boat while it's thumping 50 kms/hr across the open water? Are they equipped with life preservers? Have they been taught the safety procedures or rules of the boat? A large, open lake can cause even experienced fishers and boaters anxiety. Don't let a freak accident cause you to say, "Should have/Could have..." 

Simple Boating Tips

1. Get a Boating Licence: It is Canadian law that if you operate a watercraft that you carry with you a Pleasure Craft Operator Card, which is a boating license offered by Transport Canada and valid in Ontario and all other provinces. To acquire one, you have to take a Transport Canada approved boating course, and pass the multiple choice boating exam with a minimum score of 75%.

2. Wear Life Jackets: It's hard to look cool on your sleek sailboat with a life jacket on, but it's indeed advisable. The lack of a life jacket is the number one cause of all boating fatalities. All children and adults must wear life jackets that fit them personally. It's no good to have them on deck unless you wear them; and they'll provide some element of safety in the event of capsizing, or inadvertently falling overboard.

3. Monitor the Weather: You don't want to head out into the lake and drift into a dangerous storm. With cellular networks what they are today, it's easy to stay apprised of the weather before and while you're boating.

4. Know the Area: Make sure you're aware of the depth of the lake, the tides, and the various areas. This will help you when travelling, and in the event of emergency.

5. Share Your Sail Plan: Let others know about where you're going, including the type of boat you have--even if you're only gone for a couple of hours. 

6. Inspect your Boat: Give your boat a thorough inspection prior to taking it out. This includes your first aid kit, tools, and parts.

7. Safety Briefing: Prior to departing, show everyone on your boat where the safety and communications equipment are, and how to use them. 

8. Don't Allow Alcohol on the Boat: Approximately 40% of all boating deaths are alcohol related. Drinking and boating is very dangerous. The lake may not seem like a threatening terrain to the unexperienced eye, but can indeed presents serious danger. Consuming alcohol impairs your eyesight, motor skills, and ability to make careful and spontaneous decisions. 

What Keeps Elon Musk Awake At Night Other Than Electric Cars And Vessels To Mars

Insurance is all about determining points of risk and obtaining the requisite securities that mitigate them--as much as one possibly can.

That said, the changes of our world are happening so rapidly that to understand today requires greater levels of insights into the future. If you dig mildly around the internet, you'll see the top corporate leaders (those responsible for all the innovations we witness emerging around us) engaging in research and development based on theories of the future that to the layperson may seem no less than sci-fi fantasy. Look at those running Google who have been involved in the creation of Singularity University--a post-graduate school for business and thought leaders interested in leveraging tomorrow's technology into today's profits. 

One leader who has emerged dramatically as of late, and become unconventionally, and vulnerably, verbal about both the promises and perils of the future is super-tech entrepreneur, Elon Musk. Indeed, his company Tesla seeks to build the best electric cars in the world; and SpaceX, his custom-rocket company, is a high-profile competitor of the next-gen space race to Mars. In addition to the amazing developments of these two companies, news has been trickling out about Musk's investment in Vicarious: an artificial intelligence company that seeks to build machines that can think and learn like a human. 

Musk has gone so far as to recently tweet a startling statement to his 830K followers: that artificial intelligence is potentially more dangerous than nukes.

Here's an interview clip by Musk recorded a few months ago. It raises some serious and intriguing questions about the future and who's driving it. Musk's motives seem unclear: he is a brilliant entrepreneur and investor, so why would he be investing in a company like Vicarious? Is it to be a watchdog, or to hasten its technological vision for the purpose of power and profit? We cannot really know; and even in this interview, Musk holds to an air of reticence. 

These issues are not only for the corporate owners and high-profile entrepreneurs to be following, researching, and writing about--it is up to lay-people to be aware of these concerns as well, and use these unfolding new stories when planning, and insuring against, one's personal future. 

Why You Should Wait Six Years Before Buying Your Next Vehicle

By 2020, the option of having a self-driving vehicle will be a reality--that's only six years away. According to Kurzweilai.net, most auto manufacturers are "incrementalists," adding automated features such as adaptive cruise control, self-parking, and traffic-jam assist. But, as we've covered in other posts, 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.  

Mercedes Benz S500 Intelligent Drive Autonomous Car

There are three options when looking at automated vehicles: 

• Partially automated: Here a car can take over some aspects of driving, such as speed and steering, but cannot control much beyond that;
• Highly automated: The car can drive itself, but is also equipped with a human over-ride system.
• Fully automated: 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 would have only a split second or two to take over, should the vehicle be unable to handle driving conditions. 

Don Norman: Three Ways Design Makes You Happy

But don't hold off on purchasing that new vehicle just yet; for while it's very likely that highly-automated cars will be on the roads by 2020 and fully-automated by 2030, it remains very difficult to predict the accuracy of these seemingly arbitrary timelines. Many insurance companies, for example, remain unprepared to welcome even incremental hands-free driving, according to a recent article in the Wall Street Journal: "Why buy an autonomous vehicle if you have to maintain control? says Adrian Lund, the President of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety." Lund predicts that autonomous vehicles won't be around anytime soon as a result of barriers presented by the legal and insurance sectors. For while it may be permissible for some experts to test autonomous vehicles, it remains a long-way off for the average person to be permitted to take his or her hands off the wheel for significant periods of time.

There remain a panoply of issues related to autonomous vehicles, but technology marches on. The insurance and legal sectors are some of the slowest moving when it comes to policy adjustments in the wake of new innovations. If I were to place a bet, I'd put it on Google and the technologists; for while there are complex issues surround these technologies, there's nothing like a product oozing with cool-factor shot through with high levels of practicality that can shake up a market and get even the most truculent policy-makers to move their feet and march. Time will only tell...

Do Gamers Really Make Better Drivers?

Video games are often thought of as juvenile and even deviant behaviour; but can they in fact have a positive impact on your decision making and even your driving ability?

It is no question that driving requires making at times very quick decisions to emergent phenomena on the road, whether a pedestrian jumping in front of you, a cyclist veering from the bike lane into yours, or a detour that requires split-second adjustments while flying down the 401. In a study by the University of Rochester, cognitive scientists have discovered that playing action video games trains people to make decisions faster. As the report states, "The researchers found that video game players develop a heightened sensitivity to what is going on around them, and this benefit doesn't just make them better at playing video games, but improves a wide variety of general skills that can help with everyday activities like multitasking, driving, reading small print, keeping track of friends in a crowd, and navigating around town." 

According to the popular book, Blink, by notorious pop-culture author Malcolm Gladwell, spontaneous decisions (what he calls "Thin-slicing") are often better than those wrought from careful planning and deliberation.  If this is the case, then those who play action video games, linking up the Rochester study, are better at making those blink decisions described by Gladwell as the most wise. 

But the Rochester study is not the only one on the positive impact of action video games on the ability to make faster decisions. The cognitive scientist, Daphne Bavelier, has done extensive research on the cognitive benefits of action video games, particularly on decision-making and multi-tasking. Her Bavelier Lab has put out this synopsis of its research: 

"We have recently shown that playing first person point of view action video games affects several aspects of perception, attention, and cognition."

Daphne Bavelier TEDx: Your Brain On Video Games

The report from the Bavelier Lab states that action video games create and enhance the following skills:

• low-level vision (enhanced contrast sensitivity function);
• various aspects of attention (ability to monitor several objects at once, to search through a cluttered scene, to detect an event of interest in fast-forwarding video);
• more cognitive tasks (multi-tasking, task-switching); and
•  a general speeding during decision making. 

Bavelier claims that the average age of video games is 33 years old, and not 8-10 years old as popular perception might have it. She also foresees, according to her research, that seniors will make up the majority of gamers of the future. Why not? If it improves one's cognitive-motor skills, including those needed behind the wheel of an automobile, then more power to them.

Why The Ebola Virus Remains A Concern And What You Can Do About It

The CTV News reported on August 8, 2014 that the ebola virus (spreading through, now, four countries: Guinea, Sierra Leon, Liberia, and Nigeria) is nothing to panic about. That it does not travel "in the air and is not efficiently spread to humans." However, the Daily Beast has reported that the virus is spreading like "wild fire" as a result of West African burial practices in which the bodies of the dead are touched, causing the Red Cross to create the Dead Body Management Team that goes into communities and disinfects bodies and prepares them for burial. Timing is everything, however, simply because there are many communities whose members do not believe the ebola virus to be real. According the the Beast, "Insufficient medical care, shortage of supplies, and lack of money are undoubtedly contributing to an epidemic the World Health Organization has a deemed a 'national disaster.' But with a death toll now topping 1,000 in four countries, it’s the battle over dead bodies that is fueling it."

While we like to believe that the good news is the real news, given the complexity of our globalized world, it is not implausible for North Americans to see people infected with the ebola virus. There is an update as of August 9, 2014 about the patient being tested currently in William Osler Health System's Brampton Civic Hospital who recently travelled to Canada from Nigeria and presented with symptoms including fever, headache and malaise. While there are many precautions being taken, it remains plausible that this individual, if he in fact has Ebola, has already come in contact with loved ones and others. 

Whether you believe the good news by the CTV or not, here is a recap of important tips for surviving a global flu pandemic:

Here are some things you can do to prepare for a pandemic:

1. Stay Informed: Should such a pandemic flare up, the World Health Organization, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Health Agency of Canada will provide information on the spread of disease, as well as updates on vaccines and other medications, tips for keeping safe, and other advisories.

2. Wash Your Hands Frequently: This is the single most powerful defense against avian influenza and many other infectious diseases. Also, keep with you an alcohol-based hand-sanitizer. Be sure not to touch your face while out in public. If you are opening doors, or pressing buttons on the elevator, get in the habit of using a tissue as a buffer between your hands and the handle/lever/button.

3. Food: Ensure you have enough food to last for at least 8 weeks, choosing shelf-stable foods, such as rice, canned goods, dry goods, cereals, and powdered milk.

4. Hydration: Stock up on drinks, water, coffee/tea, and other forms of hydration, including electrolyte replacement drinks, such as Gatorade. At the least, you should have a 2-month supply of water.

5. Medication: Stock up on prescription medications, with a two-month supply. Include in this Tylenol and Advil as forms of fever reduction. Keep vitamins well stocked up as well.

6. Hygiene: Have a two-month supply of hygiene products, such as toothpaste, toilet paper, feminine products, diapers, etc.

7. Practice Social Distancing: Avoid going out in public. The greatest way to prevent becoming infected is to avoid exposure to infected people. Social distancing, especially avoiding contact with large groups of people, is a reasonable precaution to take in the event of a pandemic.

o   Stay at home

o   Try to work from home

o   Keep children home from school

o   Avoid public transportation

o   Stay away from public events

8. Wear a Respirator: These look like surgical masks, but protect the wearer from inhaling germs. You can buy reusable ones with replaceable filters.

9. Wear Medical Gloves: Medical gloves can prevent germs from getting on your hands. They should be removed if torn, damaged, and hands still must be washed after wearing them.

10. Seek Medical Attention at Onset of Symptoms: The effectiveness of antiviral medications decreases as the illness progresses, hence prompt medical treatment is critical. If you’ve come in contact with someone who you think is infected, seek medical attention immediately, even if you are unsure whether or not you’ve been infected.

These are not simple issues. Our world is more complex than it once was. We are under constant threat of pandemics, both those that are known and tracked, and those that are not yet known. To understand that this is one of the most important issues facing the 21st Century and to take the necessary precautions is simply living wisely.