Daily Inbox: Daily Tips for a Stylish & Fulfilling Life

Proper Landscaping Offers Numerous Environmental Benefits, Experts Say

23Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

Lifestyle

Proper Landscaping Offers Numerous Environmental Benefits, Experts Say

Xeriscaping, also known as drought tolerant landscaping, is gaining ground in states such as California and Arizona, especially as water bills have residents looking for relief. Landscapers in those areas are working hard to demonstrate that xeriscaping, while focusing on less thirsty plants, needn’t be dull or dry itself. When some people think of desert landscaping, “they picture in their minds rock, gravel and cactus,” Melanie Mackenzie, a landscape designer, told a reporter for the Visalia Times-Delta at the recent Spring Fest Home and Patio Show. “And that’s just not it.” Mackenzie, along with numerous other exhibitors at the California show, are part of the growing movement demonstrating that xeriscaping can include lush vegetation and flowers, as well as prickly cacti. The messag...

Wendy’s Plans to Roll Out Mobile Payment in All North American Locations by 2016

22Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

Business

Wendy’s Plans to Roll Out Mobile Payment in All North American Locations by 2016

Last year, Taco Bell and Starbucks both made waves by introducing mobile apps. This year, Wendy's will jump on the bandwagon by installing mobile-friendly point of sale terminals at over 2,600 locations. The new payment system will complement the existing Wendy's mobile rewards program and open up the possibility of mobile ordering in the future. Wendy's hopes that the new system will provide customers with more ways to order and pay for their food. Eventually, the line should be cut out altogether, and customers will be able to make an order, track it and pay for it from their phones. Right now, the new system is in operation at 957 locations, all the locations operated directly by the company. Mobile ordering is already available at seven locations in Columbus, OH, and service should b...

Hormone Replacement Therapy is Most Effective Treatment For Low Testosterone, Says Medical Experts

20Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

Lifestyle

Hormone Replacement Therapy is Most Effective Treatment For Low Testosterone, Says Medical Experts

Low testosterone, or "low T," is gaining more awareness as the controversy over its exact nature and proper treatment gains traction as well. According to U.S. News and World Report, low testosterone is a serious medical condition that affects 6% of adult men. However, patients should be wary of certain purported "treatments" that some claim are harmful. Low testosterone is simply defined as having an unusually low level of the hormone, which would be considered lower than 250 to 300 nanograms per deciliter (ng/dl). Such levels indicate the patient is at risk for serious medical ailments such as lowered libido, decreased strength and energy, increased body fat levels, sleep problems, depression, and osteoporosis. There are also reports of a causal correlation between low T and lowere...

This Woman’s Celebrity-Inspired Plastic Surgery Will Have You Wondering What Year It Is

19Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

Lifestyle

This Woman’s Celebrity-Inspired Plastic Surgery Will Have You Wondering What Year It Is

Many people who seek a cosmetic surgery procedure ask for the most-envied features of today's most famous celebrities. From Angelina Jolie's signature pout to Beyoncé's radiant glow, it's certainly not uncommon for someone to want to look like his or her favorite modern-day stars. But the fact that one woman recently spent $30,000 on plastic surgery procedures to look just like 90s Baywatch babe Pamela Anderson might have you thinking it's 1995, not 2015. According to In Touch Weekly, 28-year-old Carolyn Anderson, a native of Liverpool, England, said she has dedicated two decades to transforming her look through various procedures, inspired by her dad pointing out her resemblance to Anderson when she was just 10. Anderson -- who isn't related to her idol, despite their shared last...

China’s Once Booming Expatriate Population Continues to Fall, Moving Company Says

19Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

World

China’s Once Booming Expatriate Population Continues to Fall, Moving Company Says

Long regarded as a promised land of sorts for international business and manufacturers, China has always attracted hordes of eager expatriates ready to work alongside the country's billion-plus consumers. According to an international moving company, however, those days could soon be over. A recent study by UniGroup Relocation -- which moves more than 260,000 families worldwide each year for work -- indicates that expatriates to China are undergoing a bit of an exodus. In 2014, twice as people moved out of China than into the country, according to UniGroup's customer data. The increased outflow could be the result of a combination of factors, such as expiring work contracts which can keep expats in China for two to three years, according to UniGroup. Other reasons include the rising cos...

South Dakotan Wine Drinkers Rejoice as Shipping Bill Passes Senate

18Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

Local

South Dakotan Wine Drinkers Rejoice as Shipping Bill Passes Senate

Wine drinkers in South Dakota may have one more reason to raise a glass pretty soon -- a bill that will allow consumer-direct shipping of wine is slated to reach the governor's desk after being approved by the full Senate Tuesday. The Senate approval takes wine aficionados in the state one more step closer to being able to have wine legally delivered to their doors. According to the Rapid City Journal, South Dakota is one of only nine states in the U.S. that outlaw consumer-direct shipping of wine. The initiative began as an effort of South Dakotans for Better Wine Laws, which is a group of Sioux Falls anesthesiologists and nurse anesthetists who enjoy drinking wine. Though the bill was shot down last year, careful study and amendment has helped bring it to reality. Opposition to the bi...

No More E-Cig Use for San Francisco Commuters, Says Transit Authority

18Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

Lifestyle

No More E-Cig Use for San Francisco Commuters, Says Transit Authority

Electronic cigarette users on San Francisco's Bay Area Rapid Transit system are out of luck if they're hoping to vape during their commutes. On Thursday, Feb. 12, the BART directors voted unanimously to ban the devices on all of their trains and in all BART stations. The measure was backed by the American Lung Association and other health groups on the grounds that the secondhand vapors and particle pollution from the e-cigs can harm other passengers. BART directors made the decision to ban use of the devices after getting many complaints from other riders about secondhand vapors, according to BART spokesman Taylor Huckaby. Vaping, or using an Electronic Nicotine Delivery System (ENDS), has caught on in recent years as a smokeless alternative to tobacco cigarettes. Devices range from s...

California Woman Found Living in Garage with 62 Rabbits

18Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

Local

California Woman Found Living in Garage with 62 Rabbits

It started out with just one rabbit and a small garage. It ended with a call to animal services and the discovery of 62 rabbits. A police officer was responding to an unrelated call in Santa Ana, CA when he spotted at least a dozen rabbits wandering near a house on the 400 block of South Broadway. Because local law only permits four rabbits per household, the officer contacted animal services to report a possible rabbit hoarder. Animal Services tracked the rabbits to a detached, 200-square-foot garage where a woman who was only identified as "Blanca" was living with 62 rabbits, some only a few days old. A few of the rabbits were in cages, and there were lights to set up to keep them warm. "There is a pretty overwhelming smell inside," Santa Ana Police Animal Services supervisor So...

Winter Storm Causes Deadly Accidents, Transportation Woes Across Eastern Half of Country

17Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

Local

Winter Storm Causes Deadly Accidents, Transportation Woes Across Eastern Half of Country

The most recent set of storms battering the Northeast and Midwest have caused a number of deadly accidents and road closures across the eastern half of the country. Distracted driving already causes about 20% of all accidents in the United States, and it is easier for those crashes to become serious when slippery winter conditions are involved. As of Feb. 16, The Weather Channel’s website attributed six total deaths to the storm pattern, named Neptune. Three people were killed in accidents in Ohio, including one pregnant woman and her unborn child who were caught in a multi-car pileup on the Ohio Turnpike. In Indiana, a seven-year-old child died in another multi-vehicle accident on US-20. Two people, a woman and a nine-year-old girl, were killed in an accident on the New York Thruway. ...

Driver in Fargo, North Dakota Faces DUI Charge for Operating an Ice Rink Zamboni While Intoxicated

17Feb

By rocitoutNo Comments

Local

Driver in Fargo, North Dakota Faces DUI Charge for Operating an Ice Rink Zamboni While Intoxicated

Driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol is one offense that cops don’t take lightly, especially when children are in danger -- and thanks to one Zamboni driver in Fargo, North Dakota, the country is being reminded that drunk driving charges can occur in the most unexpected situations. According to police reports, the Davies High School girls’ hockey team was playing the Williston High School team on Friday, January 30th, at the Fargo South Sports Arena. A spectator watching the game noticed that the Zamboni, a large machine that cleans ice shavings and smooths the surface of the rink during breaks in play, was being driven in an “erratic” manner. The New York Daily News reports that the Zamboni was “weaving on the ice” during a break, and that it crashed into the sideboar...