While an optimist says, “This glass is half full,” a pessimist says, “This glass is half empty.” A chronic complainer however, says, “This glass with a small crack holds lukewarm water that’s probably not been treated and contains tons of bacteria that can make people sick, and by the way, I am sick with a cold, probably from this glass of water.” The very essence of a complainer is to announce to the world all the woes and ailments particular to that individual. If you encounter or deal with a chronic complainer on a daily basis, your mood probably shifts violently when they’re around. To keep someone from disrupting your mood every day, follow these essential tips when you have to deal with a chronic complainer. 

Tip #1: Step in their shoes

You don’t literally need to step in their shoes, but you should definitely consider where the complainer is coming from. By understanding their mindset you can respond to them in a meaningful way. In general, people who constantly complain won’t necessarily perceive themselves as negative. Rather, they see themselves as fighting a constantly losing battle, where they can never seem to get ahead far enough to make progress. Complaints can stem from a lot of sources, including stress, financial problems, work, family, grief, loneliness, and the list goes on. As you gain insight into a complainer’s life, you may find more compassion within yourself to provide the person support that they can’t seem to find anywhere else.

In an old folk song about a cobbler who loses his shoe-making job to a machine, Pete Seeger sings, “they invented a new machine…pegs one hundred pairs to my one.” In a 21^st century twist to the machine vs. man theme, the Suzumo SushiBot cranks out one sushi roll every 12 seconds. Making their transition from the manufacturing industry to the food industry, machines have now taken the place of sushi chefs. 

Manufacturing company Suzumo aims to recreate the handmade technique of a sushi chef with its SushiBot, which is currently on display at the 2012 World Food and Beverage Expo in Tokyo. With human assistants who stack fish and vegetables on top of flattened rice and nori, the SushiBot can construct an impressive number of the traditional Japanese delight in rapid-fire succession. Despite the lightning fast technique, some say that the new SushiBot is little more than a “McSushi” machine made for supermarkets, gas stations, and large sporting arenas. 

A Fast Food Approach

The fast food approach has several advantages that may appeal to large food service companies.

The price you pay for homeowners insurance can vary widely, depending on your policy and your policy provider. Consider the following tips as you look for ways to lower your premium. 

-Shop Around.  Spend time researching different providers. To start with, it may be easiest seek advice from friends and family members. You should also consult your state’s insurance department, which usually displays typical rates that major insurers charge and the frequency of customer complaints. You can also check online quote services to get a better idea of your premium. Consumer guides and insurance agents can give you an idea of price ranges and companies with the lowest prices. Aside from low prices, you also want a stable company. It’s important therefore, to check the financial status of the providers you’re considering, using rating companies like Standard & Poor’s and A.M. Best. Rank your top three insurers, and get price quotes from them. 

-Raise Your Deductible.  Your deductible is the amount of money you pay out of pocket before an insurance policy will kick in to pay a claim. The more you pay on your deductible, the less you’ll pay for your premium. The premium is paid either monthly, quarterly, or biannually. If you can afford to raise your deductible, say from $500 to $1,000, you would save 25 percent on the amount paid for premiums. For certain disaster-prone areas, like cities along the Gulf Coast, there may be separate policies for wind damage and hurricane disasters. For most insurers, a higher deductible wouldn’t apply if there were damage due to a common regional threat; which is why they set up a separate policy for frequent threats. When you do raise your deductible, make sure you know exactly what your policy will cover in case you have to file a claim.

After a prolonged hiatus due to the collective bargaining lockout, the 2011-2012 NBA Season is back in full glory, and so are the dunks. In just over a month, there’s already an extensive reel of highlights that transcend into the realm of athletic and artistic perfection. Even though it’s early, here are the best dunks made so far:

10. Corey Maggette of the Charlotte Bobcats started the season with a bang after an alley-oop slam dunk in a match against the Milwaukee Bucks. As Maggette soared through the air, he reached slightly behind his body to grab the ball, and then lurched forward to throw the ball down on the rim.

9. Vince Carter of the Dallas Mavericks predictably comes in the top ten with his master slam dunk skills. In one of the most in-your-face dunks of the season, Carter gracefully weaved around the seemingly stunned Hornets defense to stuff the ball in the net.

8. JaVaie McGee may have been benched by the Washington Wizards coach shortly after a showboating slam, but by all accounts it was worth it. He made for a fast break down court and bounced the ball of the glass before he nailed the dunk.

7. No list of best dunks of the season would be complete without LeBron James. In a late December game against the Timberwolves, James made three sky-high dunks. Then again, it’s just Lebron being Lebron.

If you’re a student shopping for a loan, or a parent who is helping their kid get a student loan, there are some things you need to know to get the best option. Not all student loans are created equal. Here is a guide you can use to make sure you get the best loans at the best rate.

Avoid Private Loans

Private loans, often called alternative loans, can vary widely in rates. Even if they start out with a great low rate, it can change at any time. Also, you may not know the originator of the loan because they may bear the name of the school or some other title that makes them look safer than they are.

Choose Federal Loans

For the best protection, federal loans are your top choice. They don’t change the interest rates from the original, and they don’t base the rates on your credit score. This allows everyone to pay the same rate, regardless of credit history.

Apart from making it on time, the biggest anxiety that most air travelers face is luggage—packing, hauling it around airports, and paying for check-in fees. The following tips from frequent flyers can help you streamline the packing process and save a few dollars. 

Wear Bulky Items on the Plane

If you need an extra sweater or jacket on your trip, carry or wear it to save that extra space in your luggage. The same rule applies to heavy or bulky footwear. Always wear your boots or shoes with the most poundage on travel day.

Pack Only What You Need

Wherever you go, whether it’s for vacation in the Bahamas or a job interview in Washington, D.C., you’ve got to bring everything you need along with you; nothing less, and certainly nothing more, unless you’re willing to pay extra luggage fees. Its good idea to check the weather forecast for your destination, but never so to bring “just in case” items that you likely won’t wear. Lay out everything you’ll need on your bed. That way you can organize the packing process, while slimming down your suitcase. Scan over everything you’ve laid out, pack just what you need for the trip, and nix the superfluous. 

Filings for the most building permits in three years bode well for the nation’s long-suffering housing market. Home builders are preparing for the upcoming construction season with cautious optimism.

Issued to home builders as they prepare to break ground on a new work site, single-family permits are often seen as a barometer for the current state of the housing market. In February, the government reported the strongest reading since October 2008; which marked the beginning of the economic downturn. At a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 717,000, the number of permits filed rose 5.1 percent since January, and over thirty points from previous years.

Local markets across the U.S. are seeing similar numbers and an increased amount of activity. In Colorado Springs, Colorado, permits jumped up nearly thirty points since last year. For the region, the total number of permits rose to 172 in February, marking the highest count since May 2008. While leaders in the local homebuilding industry are optimistic, they know it will be a few years before annual permits can reach their record-setting highs from 7-10 years ago. Ten years ago, permits for new homes in Colorado Springs regularly topped 4,000, and in 2005 a record 5,314 permits were issued.

It doesn’t sound too difficult to buy a gift for the coffee lover in your life, but what if you don’t drink coffee? How do you know which gadgets or products make a good gift for someone? Here is a guide to gifts that will be a hit; and no one will have any idea that you didn’t know anything about coffee.

Aeropress Coffee Maker

This coffee maker uses air pressure to create the perfect tasting blend. Coffee is easy to make and tastes pure. It’s portable, so they can take it anywhere with them. It is also dishwasher safe for easy cleaning. 

The Lavazza Espresso Coffee Machine

For the perfect gift that goes all out for that special coffee lover, this machine is high class. You can create the ultimate espresso with this equipment. For the beginning barista in your life, they can also make cappuccinos and lattes. It doesn’t come cheap, but it is well worth the price once you taste the kind of flavor it can produce.

Popcorn, long known to be healthy for the heart and digestive system, was recently found to have another great benefit: it is high in antioxidants. The low calorie snack contains twice as many polyphenols, or cancer-fighting agents, as an average fruit.

Polyphenols & Ferulic Acid

Polyphenols are chemicals found in plants and plant products; ranging from vegetables to chocolate. These chemicals helps neutralize harmful substances in the body, like free radicals, which can cause cancer. Fruit contains an average of 160 milligrams of polyphenols, while the same serving of popcorn has as many as 300 milligrams. 

Popcorn shouldn’t replace your fruit intake, but it is a great alternative to chips, crackers, and other unhealthy snacks. Polyphenols are usually found in highest concentration in fruit skins and seeds. The same is true with popcorn. Those annoying hulls that get stuck between your teeth are actually the richest source of polyphenols. Because popcorn contains very little water, the polyphenols are concentrated in the grain part of the hulls.

The Hunger Games opened this past weekend in theatres across America, and throngs of young people queued for entrance into midnight screenings. The wildly popular young adult novels-turned-movies follow a Hollywood trend of putting a cinematic spin on popular serial novels. With a huge opening weekend that brought in $155 million for the production company Lionsgate, The Hunger Games have taken people of all ages by storm. 

Novel & Plot

The first novel in the best-selling Hunger Games series, penned by Suzanne Collins, was published in 2008. The novel follows the first-person narrative of Katniss Everdeen, a bold 16-year old girl who lives in a post-apocalyptic world barely recognizable as our own. The centerpiece of the novel forms around the eponymous, nationally-televised games. The disjointed, totalitarian society, made of twelve districts, forces each state to send two young people to participate in the annual Hunger Games. The twenty-four chosen participants then fight each other to the death, and the last one standing is crowned champion. 

If you are the type of person who likes to have the latest in electronics gadgets, you may have a lot of old pieces to get rid of. If they are in good to excellent condition, you can often get money out of them. Here are a few tricks to making money with your old electronics.

Sell on Ebay

Ebay is one of the most popular places to buy and sell used items on the internet. Electronics do well on the site if they are in good condition. Many people want to buy a tablet or mp3 player minus the high price tag for a new device. Ebay is a trusted name and most customers will look there for discounts on almost new items.

The key to selling on Ebay is creating a good profile of the item you are selling, and having a trusted reputation as a seller. You may therefore want to sell some other items and get good feedback before you attempt to sell expensive electronic items.

More car accidents happen in bad weather, even if it’s just raining. The film of water on the road causes tires to lose their traction, making them more likely to skid when the driver tries to stop. Rain also changes the driver’s perception of distance from objects, and decreases visibility. While the number one rule is to slow down when you drive in the rain, there are some other tips you may not know.

Use Extra Caution after Long Dry Spells

This is something many people may not be aware of. Oil and grease gather on the roads until the rain washes it away. The longer it has been dry, the more the build-up of such matter. When it starts raining, the water mixes with the oil to create a slick road. Eventually the rain will wash it away, but the first few hours will increase the danger of accidents.

Watch Your Brakes

Start braking earlier when you want to stop and allow more time to slow down before coming to a complete stop. The rain can cause your tires to skid if you slam on your brakes. Another benefit is that it lets the driver behind you know that you are going to stop, so they can slow down, too. Also, use your signal lights every time you turn, even if you are in a turn lane. The driver behind you may only notice lights instead of signs in heavy rain.

The hype surrounding the release of the iPhone 4S focused mainly on the revolutionizing voice-activated assistant, Siri. The excitement after the initial flare was rekindled with the release of an untethered jailbreak for the device. Cydia introduced tweaks and add-ons that enhanced the capabilities of Siri. For the best new and free add-ons, read further.
 

AssistantExtensions

This Cydia tweak provides developers a plug-in architecture to enhance Siri’s capabilities. Developers can add third-party applications using the platform. AssistantExtensions does come with its own plug-ins. An updated version of the Chatbot Chatty Cathy makes Siri more receptive to casual chit chat. Another plug-in allows users to do voice-activated searches on YouTube. Lingual, an automatic add-on with AssistantExtensions, works as a translator.

SiriToggles

This tweak enables a user to toggle or adjust certain system preferences. With this add-on installed, you can enable WIFI, adjust brightness levels, check battery power, and launch other apps with just a few spoken words. This tweak will grow and likely become integral to the way you use and think about the iPhone.