Top 10 List | Top Ten Lists

In a society where the media constantly informs people about the dangers of vices like smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, reality distorting drugs and engaging in numerous other high risk behavior, there are still unknown or at least less known threats lurking in the shadows. It would appear at first glance that basically anything you do nowadays is bound to kill you, some of them sooner and some of them in a couple of years.

Even the most common daily activities that people share fall under this category, as you are about to find out. However, we’re not going to discuss the obvious one like the dangers of eating junk food on a daily basis, working in a high stress environment or overindulging in sweets. There are far more subtle potentially harmful factors masquerading as “normal” and “harmless” in our daily routine.

1. A fish-based diet

Fish meat has long been advocated as providing great health benefits, especially in terms of improving brain functions, in addition of course to being absolutely delicious. While normally the fish meat – safe of course for the species that are naturally poisonous – does not contain any harmful toxic elements, it does show a great propensity towards absorbing the toxins present in their habitat. Therefore, a vast majority of oceanic fish will contain a substantial amount of mercury, whereas the non-oceanic species (particularly farm bread ones) are intentionally spiked with pesticides to control the spread of sea lice. Take your pick.

2. Tap water and even its bottled version

PFOA and PFOS are as dangerous as they are omnipresent in virtually all products, especially electronic devices, rugs, food wrappers, etc. However, while you could avert contact with them by steering clear of the aforementioned items as much as possible, water is not exactly avoidable. And, the bad news is that in spite of the risks posed by exposure, the U.S. federal authorities have not implemented laws to determine water providers to control the amounts of PFOA and PFOS.

3. On the same subject, hot water bottles

The materials utilized for the hot water bottles, more exactly the polycarbonate plastics, contain another dangerous substance – Bisphenol A (BPA). Tests conducted on laboratory mice have displayed shocking results, as the specimens held in cages constructed from these fabrics exhibited a 40% chance of developing chromosomal mutations. In addition, other research studies indicated a direct connection between BPA exposure and carcinoma (particularly breast/prostate forms), endocrinal dysfunctions and brain damage.

4. Utilizing dental floss and shampoo

PFC or Peri-Fluorinated Compounds are widely utilized in various industries due to their ability of making a surface resistant to stains and adhesion. Since the PFCs are very hard to break down and due to their high toxicity levels, they have no place in products like dental floss, soap or shampoo. Unfortunately, the proven link between kidney/liver failure and the usage of PFC based cosmetics is ignored by the manufacturers, as well as their high toxicity for newborns/fetuses. Moreover, in the U.S. the number of PFC products is higher than for any other part of the world, due to the absence of its mention in the legislation.

5. Television, bad for you on many different levels

Naturally, spending most of the time in front of the television set is not exactly considered healthy by anyone, especially since the behavior is associated with a sedentary lifestyle, junk food, alcohol/tobacco consumption, etc. But recently, Queensland University finalized a rather comprehensive study which shows that an individual’s lifespan decreases proportionally with the number of hours spent in front of the TV at a rate of 22 minutes per hour. This means that you aren’t just wasting your life watching TV, you are also shortening it.

Happiness is truly the best measure of personal growth. Making other people as happy is the highest expression of success, but it’s almost impossible to make others happy,  if you are not happy yourself.

Keeping this in mind, here are Top 10 changes that you can make to your daily routine that will immediately make you feel happier in life:

1. Begin each day with expectations.

If there’s any big truth about life, it’s that it typically lives up to (or sometimes down to) your expectations. When you get out of bed every morning, make your first thought: “something wonderful is going to happen today.” Guess what? You’re probably right. If you take your mind out of the gutter, your dreams will come true and you will be able to help others.

2. Carefully plan and prioritize.

The most common source of stress is the perception that you’ve got too much work to do and there’s too little time to do it. Rather than whine and get angry  about it, pick one thing that, if you get it done today, will move you closer to your highest goal and purpose in life. Then do this first. You are only human and you can do so much in one day. You cannot be a renaissance man/woman.

3. Give a gift to everyone you meet.

I’m not talking about a formal present that is wrapped up in a boy. A gift can be a smile, it can simply be a thank you or some words of encouragement. A gesture of politeness and even a friendly nod can go along way to help others feel good about themselves. And never pass beggars without leaving them something. Peace of mind is worth more than a couple of change.

4. Deflect partisan conversations.

Arguments about politics and religion never have a “right” answer but they definitely get people all riled up over things they can’t control. When such topics surface, bow out by saying something like: “Thinking about that stuff makes my head hurt.”

5. Always assume people have good intentions.

Since you are not a mind reader, you don’t really know why people do what hey do. Imputing evil motives to other people’s weird behaviors adds extra misery to life, while assuming good intentions leaves you open to reconciliation.

Driving your personal car might be the simplest and fastest way to get from point A to point B, but it is also an activity that demands your full concentration. Not surprisingly, many driving “veterans” are the ones responsible for numerous accidents, precisely due to their overconfidence behind the wheel. They believe – erroneously I might add – that maneuvering the vehicle becomes a reflex after a while and therefore, they don’t need to focus their full attention span.

While it is true that a driver with an extensive experience will generally be able to take adaptive actions much quicker than a newbie, unforeseen situation can and will happen. If you are paying attention to other activities rather than the road and the traffic, it is highly unlikely that you will be able act fast enough to avoid an accident.

Alternatively, if you break all traffic rules and you expect the other cars to avert a collision, what guarantee do you have that all the other drivers have keen reflexes? But what exactly are the most dangerous behaviors behind the wheel nowadays?

1. Talking on the phone

As mentioned, some people automatically believe that once they have gathered sufficient road experience, they are free to multitask while driving. In the busy world of today, many of us would like to utilize the time spent on the road for taking care of office business, chatting with our friends/spouse, placing orders, etc. over the phone. The reason why this is completely unadvisable does not only reside in the distracting nature of the activity, but also in the inability to use both hands for steering, signaling, changing gears, so on and so forth. While you should refrain from conversing on the phone completely, if it is an absolute necessity, then the least you could do is use a Bluetooth hands-free.

2. Running stop signs

Stop signs are there for a reason and even if you think that you can run them because the coast is clear, don’t. These traffic signs are generally installed in tricky areas or zones with limited visibility in order to prevent the so-called “T-bone” collisions. At the same time, Stop signs are used in high pedestrian/cyclist traffic zones and running them might result in hitting an inattentive passerby. For the 4 way stops, remember that the car on the right side always has the right of way.

3. Not signaling your turns properly

You simply cannot expect the other traffic participants to guess your intentions, no matter how obvious they seem to you. As of such, don’t act like the Secret Service and use the lights to properly signal your turns or line changing in a timely manner. If you signal at the very last moment, then the other drivers might not have enough reaction time to adapt accordingly, so don’t risk it. Remember, you are signaling to let the other drivers know what you are ABOUT TO DO, not what you are ALREADY DOING.

4. Running the red light

Nobody says that you shouldn’t step on the gas a bit when the light has just turned yellow, but never ever push the red light. Not only do you risk a considerably fine, but also a T-Bone collision and your vehicle already has enough velocity – you accelerated to catch the yellow traffic light, remember? – to cause significant damage and even casualties. The same applies for turn arrows, when drivers still stream in after the “GO” light is off. In this case, the risk of collision is also accompanied by the traffic jams their reckless actions determine.

5. Exceeding the speed limit

The speed limits are enforced because of the nature of the street, which typically involves pedestrian crossings, dangerous curves, poor road conditions or all factors combined. They are not set arbitrarily, as you might think, but rather based on the optimal speed that would allow you to maneuver the vehicle effectively. It is also necessary to note that you should regularly check the speedometer, because modern cars confer an extremely quiet and smooth driving experience, which sometimes makes it very difficult to accurately estimate the velocity.

If you think that convenience and the ability to organize your time as you see fit constitute the main reasons why people prefer working from home rather than spending 9 to 5 in office settings, think again. The truth is that many of us give up the office life because of the irritating routine of our coworkers. The behavior of certain employees seems to indicate that their job is to drive us insane through any possible means and the worst part is that they don’t even realize it. Let’s find out the top ten things that get on people’s nerves in the workplace.

1. Finger drumming while you think of something

Few people can attest to having worked in an office without encountering a professional finger drummer. It also seems that the propensity your coworkers have for the annoying habit of drumming on any surface available increases whenever you have a lot of minutely work to complete. Not does the finger drummer have the ability to spontaneously kill your concentration, but the sound is so frustrating that special agencies like the CIA utilize it as a suspect interrogation technique.

2. Raising your voice beyond the acceptable decibel limit when you’re on the phone

In spite of the fact that the telephone has been around for more than a century, some people still haven’t figured out how it works. Rather than accept that their voice is transmitted via electric impulses and not vibrations, they still yell instead of speaking in a normal tone whenever they make or receive a call. No, the other person won’t hear you easier if the problem is caused by a faulty connection, there is no reason for everyone in the office to learn about your friend’s cheating husband.

3. Abusing perfume

There is always that one employee who thinks his job is to act as the office air freshener and, because he wants to impress, slaps on a ton of perfume/cologne. When confronted, this particular specimen will generally reply that he is wearing an extremely expensive and refined fragrance. Yes, nobody’s arguing quality here, just quantity. Even the most subtle perfume is intolerable if you marinate in it.

4. Smashing the keyboard when typing

This stereotype is generally proprietary for people who used a typing machine before keyboards. You might think that the transition from one input method to the other was not that brutal and the fact that typing machines became obsolete decades ago would have allowed them enough time to adjust. Wrong again! Similar to employees who feel that yelling on the phone helps receptions, keyboard smashers consider that exercising more force improves their typing rate and accuracy. Enjoy the symphony in QWERTY minor!

5. Employees who spend more time on break than at their desk

Few thinks can be catalogued as more infuriating than seeing members of your team on full time smoke and lunch breaks, particularly before the deadline of important projects. Although taking a break every once in a while to clear your mind and rest your eyes is indicated and guaranteed by the work contract, abusing this privilege just means you’re dead weight for the team. Everyone would prefer to work as a professional smoker or an expert lunch eater, but unfortunately the job perspective in these fields is quite limited.

When I was first learning to drive, I remember in my driver’s handbook there was a very good quote “When you drive there is always risk, but you don’t have to be a risky driver!” This is probably the best quote about driving I have ever heard! One of the ways you can be a less risky driver is to develop safe driving habits. If you develop safe driving habits you can prevent accidents and not getting into accidents prevents repair costs, injury and it may even safe you money on insurance. Here are some habits that can help you become a safe driver.

1. Learn Defensive Driving

If you didn’t do it when you got your license may be take a defensive driving course. Not only will it make you a safer driver on the road but it will lower your insurance costs as well.

2. Watch out for other bad drivers

This may be hard at times, but try to avoid bad drivers on the road the best you can.

3. Avoid in car distractions

Avoid in car distractions such as talking on your phone, texting, watching a movie, loud music or fooling around in your car.

4. Don’t drive when tired

Make sure you get enough sleep or that you are well rested before driving. The last thing you would want to happen is to fall asleep at the wheel.

5. Use your turn signals

You may think this is common sense, but a lot of drivers when they get older get lazy. They use their turn signals less and may cut someone off and cause an accident because of it. So always use your turn signals when changing lanes or turning.

Don’t you hate when your child does something gross? Which parent’s mouth would not drop to hear their child say something they never expected them to say? We all have. The reality is that many children pick up on bad habits and addictions. Here are just 10 worst habits children have. As parents, we should adjust our parenting styles to ensure these habits are eliminated.

1. Picking their noses

This is a disgusting habit children have and sometimes carry to their adulthood. North American children created a song for those who pick their noses, “circle, circle dot, dot, now I got the coodie shot.” Those coodies in the nose are there to protect the child/adult from viruses and infections. Always have a tissue to clean the finger and try to divert the child’s attention away from the habit.

2. Scratching behinds

There is a saying that stipulates that children have needles in their behinds. Something is scratching all the time and makes them move around. Scratching behinds, similarly, is another habit that is done in the home and on the street. Gross.

3. Thumb sucking:

This habit begins when the child is a baby. They usually gain this habit because of teething issues. If your toddler is still sucking their thumb, parents should gradually teach them not to. Otherwise, all the bacteria on children’s hands are going into their mouths.

4. Bad Language:

Children pick up cues and language of adults fast. Albert Bandura’s experiment with the Bobo doll is an example of that. If a child hears parents use bad language, they are prone to repeat it in their day to day conversations.

5. Eating junk food:

Children are prone to be addicted to fast food. Just look at the streets in Canada and the United States and you will see what I am talking about. Obesity is on the rise. Some children prefer burgers made by fast food restaurants over homemade ones. That is usually no fault other than the parents who spoil them.

Do you sometimes feel frustrated with friends and family members over their lack of etiquettes and good manners? I sometimes blush and have to duck my head a bit to spare myself the humiliation. Adults are no better than kids, especially in the following situations. Here are top 10 bad manners adults have, as described in situations.

1. Greeting:

I was once at an airport picking up a couple of friends coming back from vacation. Looking around, I saw two people I knew starring at me. I was saddened by the bad manners and lack of greeting. You expect a hello from everybody but sometimes you do not get one. Some adults just do not have the appropriate level of manners in this world. I sometimes have to repeat myself asking “aren’t you going to say hello.” I’ve said this more times than I have fingers and toes on my body.

2. Burping:

I am sitting down with an acquaintance in a downtown restaurant. Although it is not one of those high class restaurants, it is classy to say the least. We start talking about life and things we plan to do, while eating the contents brought to our table. All of the sudden I hear a burp. Ladies and gentleman, this was no ordinary burp. It was the type of burp, Homer Simpson does when he finishes a beer. Burping in public places is one bad manner adults have. The only country to accept belching as normal is East Timor.

3. Please and Thank you:

You are sitting with a bunch of friends at a small diner. You order food and have not yet said that you would like to share with others. Your friend is intrigued by your sandwich. He does not like his sandwich he ordered and wants a piece of yours. Before even asking if he could have one, he puts his hand on the sandwich. What happened to please and thank you, in today’s world? Some people just have bad manners.

4. Dinner Table Discussions:

You are with your friends watching sports and eating pizza and drinking beer. While eating…one friend brings up several inappropriate topics at the table. These topics make you want to puke. You really cannot and would not want to imagine what this friend is describing. Doesn’t anyone have their dinner table manner? I guess not.

5. Flatulence:

I call these people stinkerman or stinkerwoman, if you know what I mean. These are the people who decide to spray a foul smell in public. The worst is when you are in enclosed area. Things do happen but at least can they say excuse me? This is one bad manner parents never debunk.

The term ‘superstitions’ is used to describe those beliefs that are not rational and have been passed on from generation to generation.

1. Friday the 13^th

Almost everybody believes this superstition- that Friday the 13^th of any month means bad luck. This superstition is so common that a number of hotels are known to have been built without the 13^th floor and airlines don’t give tickets for the 13^th row. It has been believed that the 13^th guest during the Last Supper was Judas and Friday was the day that Christ got crucified. Basically- quite an unlucky day all in all.

2. An Itchy Palm

It is believed that if your left palm itches, it means that you will lose money but if your right one does, you will earn, inherit or receive money. However, you must let it itch because if you go ahead and scratch it, you may end up countering the effect.

3. Walking Under a Ladder

Most rational people don’t walk under ladders lying about because they feel that something may fall on their heads and leave them unconscious. However, those who like to go along with the herd believe that walking under a ladder is equal to bad luck. The “logic” behind this belief is that you will end up awakening evil spirits when you walk through the triangle that the ladder makes with the wall.

4. Breaking a Mirror

This superstition hardly needs an explanation. Basically, if you break a mirror, bad luck will get attached to you for seven years. In the past, it was believed that a mirror reflects the person’s soul and if you smash it, the soul will get hampered as well. In case you break a mirror, you can take the broken mirror outside, dig a hole and throw the pieces inside. Don’t forget to cover it with mud or the bad luck will come after you for sure!

5. Finding a Horseshoe

If you find a horseshoe in an open field- you should consider yourself to be extremely lucky. When you find it, you are required to use your right hand to pick it up, cover one end with your spit, wish for something spectacular and then throw it over your shoulder- make sure it is the left one because otherwise, all that activity will bear no fruit.