How to Read People

Can you guess something, according to recent studies, that most of us have been doing quite more than usual in this era of social distancing? Eating? That's probably true, but it isn't what I'm alluding to. The same goes for using Facebook and binge-watching shows on Netflix. While these may certainly apply, I'm talking about something we hardly report doing, at least in normal times. Give up? I speak of dreaming,  whereby a series of ideas, emotions, images, and sensations occur involuntarily in the mind during the REM phase of sleep. Sometimes the dreams are positive, sometimes they're negative, and sometimes they make absolutely no sense -- and that's if we can remember them vividly enough to make such a characterization once we wake up! As it turns out, the stress and anxiety precipitated by the pandemic are behind this high incidence of dreaming, not to mention an increased prevalence of insomnia. We use dreams to cope with intense emotions,...

Aside from masks, disinfectants, toilet paper, and other health-oriented items, can you guess which product is flying off the shelves at grocery stores big and small, near and far? I'll give you a hint: It's something you'd expect people to consume when they're feeling down, as many in this lockdown are. If you said beer, you hit the nail on the head! Indeed, Americans' thirst for booze has actually increased since the coronavirus began spreading across the U.S. in mid-March. Beer, a beverage that was once falling out of favor with consumers as their tastes shifted to such low-calorie drinks as spirits and spiked seltzer, is surely benefiting. In particular, home-grown budget beer brands have spiked in sales over the past two months. For instance, sales for Anheuser-Busch's Busch Light have gone up 44%, thanks largely to amusing promotions like implementing price cuts depending on how much snow has fallen. Other brands have recorded similar do...

If you'd asked me a few months ago what I think of Zoom, you'd be met with a look of bewilderment. I'd neither used nor heard of the application until two weeks ago, when my departing boss's daughter threw her a virtual retirement "party" that I and several other co-workers were invited to attend. I must say, it quickly grew on me. The coolest feature in my estimation is the ability to change out your background, making it appear as though you're at Walt Disney World, in the Simpsons' living room, or wherever else tickles your fancy. And, this past weekend, I joined the wifey for a Zoom chat with a close friend and colleague of hers. There's no denying that Zoom is all the rage now. With the coronavirus pandemic forcing us to stay indoors, everything from birthday celebrations to corporate budget meetings are being carried out through the service. Surprisingly, though, people have told me that while while these platforms offer convenien...

You've likely read at least a few posts on this blog that stress the importance of letting go -- both for your health and well-being. But what does letting go really mean? In truth, there is more to it than just telling someone you never wish to see them again. In fact, you can let go of someone without removing them from your life entirely.  It's not so much about physically letting go, but mentally disconnecting in a way that loosens the individual's hold on you. Examples include: Changing the labels you place on a person or an event.  Perhaps you call Josh "loudmouth" because of his penchant for spewing bunk at work. Or, you've labeled the upcoming birthday family party you're dreading having to go to as the "party from hell."      By assigning these descriptors, you've given       them permission to to aggravate you. In       essence, you've given them far too much      importance....

Chances are, when talking to friends, family, or co-workers via text or IM (or, perhaps even in person), you've used abbreviations for common phrases like "LOL" (short for laughing out loud) and BRB (an acronym for be right back). Now, I asked you where OMG -- short for "Oh my God" originated, what would you say? Perhaps you may point to the internet chatrooms that became popular in the 1990s through services like America Online. If you were born in the 2000s, you might guess it started with texting or email. Actually, you'd have to go back further -- to the first half of the 20th century, that is. Indeed, "OMG" dates back to World War I. The first known use of OMG to abbreviate "oh my God" appears in a letter from Lord John Fisher to Winston Churchill, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 and again from 1951 to 1955: "I hear that a new order of Knighthood is on the tapis -- O.M.G. (Oh! My God!)...