If you work on your computer all day, then you know how easy it is to lose track of time and skip breaks. Meanwhile, your waistline, muscle tone, eyesight, and creativity suffer.

As you might expect, there are plenty of apps on the market for your smartphone to remind you to take breaks. Some are downright sadistic, calling you names, deducting money from your bank account, or sending messages to your social networks when you don’t follow through.

But for the work world, you want less intrusive apps. Here are two desktop apps for both the PC and MAC, encouraging you to take periodic mental and physical breaks. read more

Do you remember the first time you felt you’d really become an adult? A UK survey of 2,000 people, 18 and older, found that the average age people start to consider themselves to be adults is 29 years old. A large number of people also used lifestyle cues to determine when they felt like they’d become adults. Here are some of those results:

• Buying a home 64%
• Having children 63%
• Getting married 52%
• Having a pension 29%

read more

My college English professor was a hard grader. One February day I received a B-minus on a research paper. In hopes of bettering my grade, I sent her a Valentine’s Day card with the inscription: “BE MINE.” The following day, I received a valentine from the teacher. It read: “Thank you, but it’s still BE MINE-US.”

A couple was having marital problems and went to a marriage counselor. Several visits later, the counselor had discovered the problem. He stood up, went to the woman and gave her a huge hug. She dissolved into grateful tears. “This is what your wife needs once every day,” said the counselor. The husband shrugged and said, “Ok, what time should I bring her back tomorrow?”
read more

When renting or borrowing a car, there’s always that moment when you have to gas up for the first time. So you get out of the car to physically look at which side of the car the tank is on, and it’s always the opposite side of where you pulled up to the pump. Well, this little detail might help you:

If you look at the gas gauge on your dash, you might see a tiny arrow near the gas pump image. That arrow actually points to the gas tank side of the car. Surprisingly, most cars have this handy feature.
read more

For 40 years, two friends lived on adjoining farms, separated by a wide creek. One day the friends began to fight over a petty thing and their long friendship fell apart. The misunderstanding grew into bitter words and finally, silence.

Weeks later there was a knock on John’s door. He opened it to find a man with a carpenter’s toolbox.
“I’m looking for a bit of work,” said the carpenter.

“I have a job for you,” said John. “Look across the creek at that farm. That’s my neighbor, Albert. We used to be good friends, but that’s all over now.” John’s face twisted into a dejected frown. “See that pile of lumber by the barn? I want you to take that lumber and build me a tall fence, so I won’t see his place anymore.” read more