MARCH MADNESS CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETING Original article from

Transcription

1 YNERGY TIMES DATE S + MARCH 2018 SCHED U L E MARCH MADNESS CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETING Original article from Now that it s March, it s time to look ahead to the madness and San Antonio. Selection Sunday will take place on March 11 this year, when the NCAA Division I Men s Basketball Committee reveals which 68 teams have made the field for that year s basketball championships.

2 ROUND SITE DATE(S) SELECTION SUNDAY N/A MARCH 11 FIRST FOUR DAYTON MARCH PITTSBURG MARCH WICHITA MARCH DALLAS MARCH BOISE MARCH CHARLOTTE MARCH FIRST SECOND DETROIT MARCH NASHVILLE MARCH SAN DIEGO MARCH MIDWEST REGIONAL OMAHA MARCH WEST REGIONAL LOS ANGELES MARCH SOUTH REGIONAL ATLANTA MARCH EAST REGIONAL BOSTON MARCH FINAL FOUR SAN ANTONIO MARCH 31 + APRIL 2

3 Recipe of the Month: Braised Corned Beef Brisket CONTRIBUTOR: JONATHAN JJ JEROTZ Original recipe from INGREDIENTS: 1 (5 lb) flat-cut (such as Kitchen corned beeff brisket Bouquet ), or as 1 tablespoon desired browning sauce 1 tablespoon vegetable oil 1 onion, sliced 6 cloves garlic, sliced 2 tbsp water PREPARATION: P R E P T I M E C O O K T I M E 15 M I N S 6:30 H O U R S : M I N S Preheat oven to 275 degrees F (135 degrees C). Discard any flavoring packet from corned beef. Brush brisket with browning sauce on both sides. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and brown brisket on both sides in the hot oil, 5 to 8 minutes per side. T I P Place brisket on a rack set in a roasting pan. Scatter onion and garlic slices over brisket and add water to roasting pan. Cover pan tightly with aluminum foil. Roast in the preheated oven until meat is tender, about 6 hours. *Aluminum foil can be used to keep food moist, cook it evenly, and make clean-up easier

4 Drink of the Month: Pot O Gold Shots CONTRIBUTOR: STEVE EMMINGER CONTRIBUTOR: MARKETING Full recipe on Drink me, I'm Irish! INGREDIENTS: Pineapple or lemon Jell-O Whipped Cream or thawed Cool Whip Water Whiskey Gold Sprinkles Rainbow candy belts P R E P T I M E 5MIN INSTRUCTIONS: 1. Pour water and Jell-O into a pan and heat. Once mixed, turn off heat and add cold water and whiskey. 2. Pour into shot glasses and refrigerate for 1 hour. 3. Add Cool Whip or whipped cream, gold sprinkles and rainbow candy belts. STAYING HEALTHY 20 Surprising Ways to Prevent Colds and Flu CONTRIBUTOR: JEFF BLACKWELL Full article on

5 SNIFFLE SEASON STRATEGIES You ve got to act fast to fight off colds and flu. Case in point: University of Arizona scientists have found that when someone is sick in an office, it takes only four hours (!) for surfaces like coffeepot handles, copy-machine buttons and the fridge door to show traces of infectious virus. Considering that the flu season was one of the worst on record it even reached epidemic status it s well worth arming yourself against aches, cough, fever and general misery. For reality-tested tips that actually work, we turned to doctors, politicians, makeup artists and other brave souls who are exposed to viruses every day. Steal their strategies to win the war against germs this winter. LOSE THE BOOZE When I m on trips, I don t drink alcohol. It interferes with sleep quality, and I m much more likely to get sick when I m sleep-deprived. I ve also read that nightcaps disrupt REM sleep, which is the most restorative part of sleep. Kim Mazzolini, a flight attendant with Alaska Airlines SIP TEA I drink hot black or green tea with lemon and honey. Drinking the tea and breathing in steam stimulates the cilia the hair follicles in the nose to move out germs more efficiently. Lemon thins mucus, and honey is antibacterial. Murray Grossan, MD, ear, nose and throat specialist at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, in Los Angeles GET A PROTEIN FIX Research shows that diets that are too low in protein can deplete the immune system. So I make sure to get protein-rich foods throughout the day, especially fish, eggs and yogurt. Douglas Kalman, PhD, RD, director of nutrition and applied clinical trials at Miami Research Associates WIPE OUT Gyms are crawling with sweaty towels, dirty sneakers and other germy grossness. Instead of sitting directly on a mat or bench, I ll place a clean towel on it first. Any equipment that I have to touch like free weights or bicycle handlebars I ll clean first with antibacterial wipes. Franci Cohen, group-exercise instructor and owner of Fuel Fitness, in Brooklyn, N.Y. SANITIZE YOUR OFFICE SPACE I clean everything that gets touched by lots of people microwaves, fax-machine keys, doorknobs, elevator buttons, the armrests on my chair with a good disinfectant at least once a week, even if it looks clean. It s just basic hygiene. Rhinoviruses can live on surfaces for up to 48 hours! Philip Tierno, PhD, author of The Secret Life of Germs SANITIZE YOUR OFFICE SPACE As a paramedic, I never know what germs I ll be encountering. So I drink water constantly to flush toxins out through the lymph system. During cold and flu season, my EMT partner and I start our day by making and drinking juice. We ll use kale, broccoli, apple, arugula, parsley, cucumber, carrots, Swiss chard, lemon and mint. Since I don t get my recommended nine servings of whole fruits and vegetables every day (who does?), juicing allows me to drink that amount in concentrated form. Kristina Economou, a paramedic in Monterey, Calif. SANITIZE YOUR OFFICE SPACE As a paramedic, I never know what germs I ll be encountering. So I drink water constantly to flush toxins out through the lymph system. During cold and flu season, my EMT partner and I start our day by making and drinking juice. We ll use kale, broccoli, apple, arugula, parsley, cucumber, carrots, Swiss chard, lemon and mint. Since I don t get my recommended nine servings of whole fruits and vegetables every day (who does?), juicing allows me to drink that amount in concentrated form. Kristina Economou, a paramedic in Monterey, Calif.

6 What is My Dog Trying to Tell Me? DECODING YOUR DOG S BODY LANGUAGE Full article on AUTHOR: Sue Alexander CONTRIBUTOR: JAMES CARMODY Think for a moment about going to a bridal shower after a long day at the office, a 90-minute traffic snarl, and four customer service misunderstandings to get your bank card reactivated. Most likely, you aren t in the mood for a fun time. Nevertheless, it s an important event for the bride. Putting on a fresh dress and your best party face, you go, even though you would rather snuggle up with the dogs on the couch and throw in a movie. When you arrive, your sister takes one look at you and says You ve had a rough day! Coffee or wine? How does she know? How do we pick out that the bride is tense, the bride s mother is proud, the maid of honour is excited, and the groom s mother is disaffected? In humans, we send body language signals without even thinking about them, and we read them accurately through long experience and a certain amount of innate knowledge. Although there are some cultural differences in how body language is spoken around the world, for the most part, we have a base language that we all share. Tense people tend to be rigid in their movements, nervous people tend to move quickly and with jerky movements, and relaxed people tend to move fluidly and gracefully. How often do you watch your dog and read him just as well? Dogs have a rich body language that they use to great effect. We can eavesdrop on what a dog is telling you by knowing a little bit about how dogs behave when they are relaxed, happy, nervous, frustrated or angry. Imagine, for a moment, that instead of walking into a bridal shower, you were walking into your living room at the end of the weekend. By considering a dog s posture, path of travel, gait, eye shape, and tongue, you could quickly assess what that dog was experiencing just as well as you read a friend s body language. Standing Still Standing still may only last for a split second, so you have to watch carefully to see what is happening. When a dog is standing still, he bears his weight in

7 Feet four-square and balanced. Balanced on his hindquarters. Balanced in such a way that he can bolt away from you (or what he is looking at). Dogs may stand in a variety of off-balanced ways that show you which way they would like to dart away. Darting away indicates fear, so if your dog is standing off balance, try and determine what is frightening him. When you look at a dog, it is important to consider his emotional state. Human body language tells us if someone is afraid, confident, or relaxed, and we react appropriately. In the same way, we can help our canine friends by reading their bodies carefully. It is unfair to ask a fearful dog to approach things that frighten him, and likewise it is foolish to approach a dog who is broadcasting aggression unless you know more about his intent. Wither Do You Wander? The path of approach tells us a lot about someone s intent. If you are approaching the customer service desk to return a damaged item, you will most likely walk assertively and directly to the person at the counter. If you approach a friend this way, he or she will likely be intimidated and fearful. The same is true of the dogs you meet. If a dog approaches you in a direct line, looking aggressive, turn away, keeping one eye on her. You will often see this sort of rude behaviour from adolescent dogs who are trying out assertive behaviour, albeit in the wrong context. Standing still, looking down at the ground, and yawning may diffuse the situation. A dog that is moving on a curve does not likely intend harm, although with a large dog, she might knock someone over. If you see a dog doing this while playing, it is a good idea to bend your knees in case she slams into you by accident. The Rocking Horse Run When dogs are playing, they run in a very particular way. They move vertically almost as much as they move horizontally, rocking back and forth like a child s rocking horse. Running in this way is inefficient, and reflects that play is all about fun and games, not about running your friends down and tackling them. A dog running towards you in this manner is being playful, but it may not be safe this playful behaviour can be very rough and you can easily be knocked over. The opposite of rocking horse running is flat, efficient movement. When a dog moves in this way, he is in a hurry and going as quickly as he can. We often see dogs doing this sort of movement during an aggressive incident. The Eyes Have It It is said that you can read the soul through the eyes. There is nothing as special as looking at the eyes of someone close to you you can achieve an instant connection. You can also read a lot about a dog s state of mind in the shape and look of his eyes. Almond-shaped, relaxed eyes are a reflection of a calm demeanour. Rounded eyes can indicate arousal and surprise. If you can see the sclera or whites of a dog s eyes, beware; the dog is tense and upset and may bite you. Behaviour specialists call this whale eye. Hard eyes and loose lips are the sort of ambiguity seen in dogs who have been punished for growling in warning. The Tell-tale Tongue Tongues have a lot to say, and they are one of the ways that dogs communicate very differently than humans do. When a dog s tongue and lips are loose and floppy, don t worry about that growl everything is meant in play. When a dog is actually going to bite, he pulls his lips and tongue back and out of the way so that his teeth can do their work. A Tail to Tell As with tongues, tail talk is different than human body language communication. Dogs use their tails the way that people use smiles. The idea that a wagging tail indicates happiness is similar to thinking that every smile means only one thing. A low, fast-wagging tail is like a nervous laugh. A high tail wagging slowly is the confident smile of someone who is going to make you do something you don t want to do. And the middle-level, fast, wide wag where the tail hits or almost hits the body is comparable to the excited grin of a child waiting at the airport for Grandma to come out of the luggage area. When looking at tails, look at the base of the tail where it attaches to the body; a dog with a very short tail has as much to say as a dog with a very long tail, and the base of the tail is more telling than the tip. A tail drawn as low as possible in a long-tailed dog will cover the genitals. A tail this tightly tucked indicates extreme fear. The short-tailed dogs are trying hard, and you can only see that if you look at the base of the tail. A high tail may curve upwards and over the back and this can be confusing in a dog who has a tail that naturally curls over his back, so again, it is important to look at the base instead of the tip to learn the dog s mood and intent.

8 Do You Hear What I Hear? Dogs can move their ears independently and almost 180 degrees from the front to the back. In general, consider that the more forward your dog s ears are, the more confident he is about a given situation. The further back and pinned against his head and neck your dog s ears are, the more fearful he is. However, ears serve a dual purpose and can be a bit difficult to read; just when your dog is using his ears to communicate something, he hears something that causes him to pop them out of an easily readable position. Upright, forward ears are attending to what is directly in front of him. Then the phone rings and one of his confident, forward ears flicks back to listen. Ears pulled back tight against the neck tell us that the dog is nervous and concerned, but then the neighbour s dog barks and the dog flicks one ear forward to listen to that! Pay attention to the general drift of the dog s ear and as with the tail, the base is more important than the tip. When you open the door to reading a dog s body language, you will learn a lot about what they intend, how they feel about their surroundings, and how they interpret your actions. Dogs don t lie with their body language, so they are always telling us exactly what they mean by how they stand, move, look, and act. As humans, we are more aware of our verbal communication than our visual communication. Dogs function in a world that depends primarily upon visual communication, so they often read our body language better than we read theirs, but with a little practice we can hone our skills. The payoff to learning to read what your dog is saying is better responsiveness to the dog s needs. When you respond to your dog s needs, you set up a situation where your dog can gain confidence and your relationship with your dog will improve. Are You Walking Away from Extra Money? THE MORTGAGE CREDIT CERTIFICATE PROGRAM Full article on AUTHOR: Sarah Lindsey

9 I don t know anyone that would say no to extra money so I have another little-known program to share with you that gives just that extra cash. It s called the Mortgage Credit Certificate Program (MCC). This program is a tremendous opportunity for a first-time homebuyer or anyone looking at buying a home that hasn t owned in the last 3 years. If you ve owned a home in the last three years, don t worry there is a caveat, just keep reading. This amazing program increases your take-home income and increases the loan amount you can qualify for all through a tax credit. How it Works: The MCC Program operates as an IRS tax credit. It s a program that survived the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and the specifics vary per state. I m located in San Diego, CA so I m going to give specifics to San Diego, but this information will give you a general idea of the program and you can look up your own state and area information. With a MCC, the qualified homebuyer becomes eligible to take a federal income tax credit of 20% of the annual interest paid on the mortgage each year for as long as they live in the home. For example, a $300,000 home financed at 4.00% is approximately $12,000 a year in interest. 20% of $12,000 would be a $2,400 credit! This dollar-for-dollar credit is applied directly to the buyer s federal tax liability. Basically, it reduces the federal income taxes you have to pay, resulting in an increase in an increase of net earnings and thus increases the amount of a mortgage loan you can qualify for. Amount of 1st Mortgage $300,000 Interest Rate 4.0% First Year Interest Paid MCC Tax Rate 4.0% Amount of Credit for Year Eligible Area: MCC Credit Amount: Income Limit: SAMPLE MCC CALCULATION City of San Diego 20% 1-2 Persons $109,080 ( Limit) 3+ Persons $109,080 ( Limit) Sales Price Limit: Targeted Non-Targeted Application Fee $689,765 ( Limit) $564,353 ( Limit) Standalone $500 With SDHC Loan + Grant $300 X X $300, % $12,000 $12,000 20% $2,400 HOW TO QUALIFY What s the catch? is what I d be asking at this point, so let me lay out the details for qualifying... Your household income and the purchase price must not exceed the limits shown below You must not have owned property in the last three years. When the home being purchased is in one of the sixty-six designated targeted census tracts the applicant is not required to be a first-time homebuyer but cannot own a home at the time of application.you must occupy the home. You must apply for the MCC through a participating Lender (like Synergy One), and pay a non-refundable MCC application fee, amounts listed to the left. All fixed or adjustable loan types are eligible. Including FHA, VA and Conventional. Cannot be layered with mortgage revenue bond financed loans, or negative amortization loans. You must purchase a single-family detached home, condominuium, townhouse, or duplex within the eligible area. There are a variety of specialty programs like this available. The MCC is another example of why you should always choose a real-life mortgage advisor over an online mortgage company. You don t want to leave thousands of dollars on the table, so make sure you get the advice of experts.