Need to renew your passport?

You'll want to do it sooner rather than later. Don't let your summer vacation plans be impacted.

Nearly 49 million passports are set to expire within the next three years. That's why government officials are issuing the warning now to expect a flood of renewal requests through 2018.  The US law that went into effect in 2007 is to blame. It requires all U.S. citizens to use a passport when traveling to Canada, Mexico, the Caribbean and Bermuda.

 As a result, nearly 18 million passports were issued that year alone. Since passports are only good for 10 years, all those 2007 passports are about to be up for renewal.  You'll also want to factor in the fact that many European countries won't accept passports within six months of their expiration date.

The State Department started urging travelers to renew early back in September, which is Passport Awareness Month.  Renewing a passport book costs $110 and can be done by mail. First-time holders must apply in person at a designated post office, court or other agency, and that fee is $135.  Children's passports are only good for five years, and must be applied for in person, with the consent of all legal guardians.

State Department officials said they expected to issue more than 17 million new passports and renewals this year. Experts advise that getting your passport could take six weeks or longer.

Winter is in full force. The days are shorter and the nights get colder. Its’ hard for even the best of us to not get a little down. The "winter blues" are characterized by the mild depression, lack of motivation, and low energy that many people experience during this cold season.

Luckily, there’s some things you can do to prevent the blues from coming on and get yourself back to normal if they’re already here.

1. Exercise

Exercise isn’t only for maintaining your weight and staying healthy.  It’s great for relieving the stresses of life. Plus, the effects of a good workout can last for several hours after you hit the showers.  Exercise also helps your mind by releasing those "feel good chemicals" that improve your mood. 

2. Eat a Healthy Diet

What and when you eat has a great affect on your mood and energy. Avoid refined and processed foods (like white breads, rice, and sugar). These foods are not only devoid of the nutrients your body craves, but they zap your energy levels and can affect your mood—causing depression, lack of concentration, and mood swings. These healthy foods provide your body (and mind) with nutrients, and stabilize your blood sugar and your energy levels. 

3. Get Some Sun

Most people know that sunlight provides us with Vitamin D. But did you know that it also improves your mood? Winter days are shorter and darker than other months, and because of the cold weather, a lot of people spend less and less time outdoors. Lack of sunlight can cause many people to become depressed—without knowing why! Similar to exercise, sunlight exposure releases neurotransmitters in the brain that affect mood. Try to spend a little more time outdoors.  Keep your shades up during the day to let more light in. Sit near windows in restaurants and during class. Try changing the light bulbs in your house to "full spectrum" bulbs. These mimic natural light and actually have the same affects on your mind as the real thing. 

4. Act on your Resolutions

A recent study from the CDC showed a strong link between healthy behaviors and depression. Women who exhibited healthy behaviors (like exercising, not smoking, etc.) had less sad and depressed days than those whose behaviors were less than healthy. Although researchers studied women, the results are likely similar in men.

5. Avoid Binge Drinking

Staying in with a cold beer or a nice glass of wine may seem like the only thing to do in the winter months, and many people who feel down also tend to turn to alcohol when they’re feeling down. But alcohol is actually a depressant, and rather than improving your mood, it only makes it worse. Avoiding alcohol when you are already depressed is a good idea. Moderate drinking is fine for most people

Nobody Is Happy With Disney's No-Fly Zone

Did you know Walt Disney World had a no-fly zone?

Well, they fought for it. Now, they're finding it's a pain in Mickey's ass

The designation typically reserved for locales like the White House and Congress has been in force over the Magic Kingdom since 2003

At the time, and since then, the park touted the measure as a necessary precaution against air terrorism.

"We believe the airspace restrictions over large gathering places like sports stadiums and our theme parks continue to make sense for enhancing public safety," a Disney spokesman told Fox News in 2014. 

But now, the House of Mouse is looking for another special exception. In addition to being the only theme park in the United States with a no-fly zone, Disney is now also petitioning the government for an exception to their exception by allowing the park to fly drones over their airspace. Of course, the drones would only be Disney drones — no others would be permitted and the rest of the no-fly zone for everyone else would remain intact. 

According to the Washington Post, the new plan by Disney calls for up to 50 drones that could be flown above the park by Disney during evening firework shows. The park is claiming that the exemption is safe because the drones would be small, and traveling at low altitude and speed.

People size you up in seconds, but what exactly are they evaluating?

I always felt like this is true. Guess I was right.

That's according to  Harvard Business School professor Amy Cuddy, who  has been studying first impressions alongside fellow psychologists Susan Fiske and Peter Glick for more than 15 years,  has discovered patterns in these interactions

In her new book, Presence,  Cuddy says people quickly answer two questions when they first meet you:

• Can I trust this person?
• Can I respect this person?

Psychologists refer to these dimensions as warmth and competence respectively, and ideally you want to be perceived as having both.

Interestingly, Cuddy says that most people, especially in a professional context, believe that competence is the more important factor. After all, they want to prove that they are smart and talented enough to handle your business.

But in fact warmth, or trustworthiness, is the most important factor in how people evaluate you. "From an evolutionary perspective," Cuddy says, "it is more crucial to our survival to know whether a person deserves our trust." It makes sense when you consider that in cavemen days it was more important to figure out if your fellow man was going to kill you and steal all your possessions than if he was competent enough to build a good fire.

While competence is highly valued, Cuddy says it is evaluated only after trust is established. And focusing too much on displaying your strength can backfire.

These overachievers are in for a rude awakening when they don't get the job offer because nobody got to know and trust them as people.

Taken from an article from Business Insider by Jenna Goudreau

AP Photo/Ben Margot

Monster 60-foot waves pound Northern California surf spot

Did you see these waves out on the west coast?

HALF MOON BAY, Calif. (AP) — Monster waves the size of a six-story building broke at Northern California's perilous Mavericks surf spot.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports  the waves on earlier this month drew professional big-wave surfers from around the world.

But conditions were too chaotic for an annual surfing competition for top riders. The Titans of Mavericks was postponed but could be held later this season, depending on conditions.

The window for the exclusive, one-day contest closes March 31.

The Mavericks surf spot near the San Francisco Bay Area city of Half Moon Bay is known for treacherous conditions. The Chronicle reports waves at the break can easily top 60 feet, and they pound the underwater reef with such force they can be recorded by seismographs.

This week, powerful El Nino-driven storms drenched California, lashing coastal areas with big waves.

Ringling Bros. Elephants Get Early Retirement

The creatures will leave the circus in May 2016. Childhoos memories will be changed forever.

ELLENTON, FL — Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus fans who love to see Asian elephants on parade don’t have much longer to do so.

Feld Entertainment, the parent company of Ringling Bros., has announced a faster time table for taking the creatures out of its act. Feld revealed its plans to expedite the removal of elephants from its circus acts on Monday morning. The creatures who once performed will be move permanently to the Ringling Bros. Center for Elephant Conservation in Polk County in May 2016.

Ringling announced last March that it would stop using Asian elephants in its acts by 2018. The decision was prompted by growing public concern over the treatment of the animals on the road.

Alana Feld, the company’s executive vice president, acknowledged at the time that many people weren’t “comfortable” with the idea of the circus traveling with its elephants.

 “This decision was not easy, but it is in the best interest of our company, our elephants and our customers,” Kenneth Feld, chairman of the company, said in a statement last March.

In announcing the faster time table for the elephants’ retirement, Feld said the company’s staff had been able to make “necessary plans and preparations to move the elephants to the Center for Elephant Conservation much sooner than anticipated.”

“Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey brings families together to share in pure fun and wonder through live entertainment,” Alana Feld said in a statement about the new May 2016 deadline. “From now until May 2016, our elephants will continue to be a part of that wonderful experience, and we invite families that want to see our amazing elephants perform one last time to have an opportunity to do so.”

Moving the elephants to the conservation center will enable Ringling to advance its breeding program, Alana Feld said, while also helping with the center’s pediatric cancer research.

Since cancer is less common in elephants than in humans, studies of the creatures’ DNA are ongoing. Scientists have discovered a cancer-suppressing gene in elephants that may one day lead to better treatments in humans

2016 is a Leap Year

This year you may have also noticed that February 29th has made an appearance on your calendar..

We all probably know of at least one person born on February 29th that has to endure jokes about how old they are. In all seriousness, Most people are familiar with Leap Years but may not know why we have them.

What are Leap Years ?

The Earth’s axis is tilted. The axial tilt is why we have seasons not proximity to the Sun. Many people think that Earth is closer to the Sun during the summer and that is why it is hotter. Not so. It may be counterintuitive, but the perihelion happens in January. (perihelion, the point in its orbit where it’s closest to the Sun)  At that moment the center of the Earth will be 147,100,176 km (91,403,811 miles) from the center of the Sun………..

Why are we closer to the Sun now than other times? Well, if the Earth orbited the Sun in a circle, we’d always be the same distance from it (in one way, that’s the definition of a circle). But our orbit is ever so slightly elliptical, so sometimes we’re closer to the Sun, sometimes farther We typically refer to a “year” as the length of time required for Earth to orbit the Sun. Our modern Gregorian calendars tell us that this takes 365 days. Ah, but there is a subtle difference in these two representations of a “year.” The time length of Earth’s orbit around the Sun is called a “tropical” or “solar” year. This period is typically measured from Spring Equinox to Spring Equinox. This amount equals 365 calendar days, but there are roughly 5 to 6 hours of extra time because in reality the length of time that we consider a “day” (time it takes for Earth to revolve one time on its axis) is just short of 24 hours (approximately 23 hours, 56 minutes, and 4 seconds). To summarize, it takes the Earth around 365.242199 days to go around the Sun, but the calendar only has 365 days.

The New York Boat Show January 6 – 10, Javits Center

Thinking of a boat, or think you know how to sail one, try this out!!

NEW! Boating Simulator—Test your Boating Skills

Take the helm of a virtual boat to practice basic boating maneuvers and improve your boating skills—without leaving dry land. The United States Power Squadrons® new Boating Skills Virtual Trainer (BSVT) makes learning fun! It features a steering wheel and a real Mercury throttle you use to “drive” a 20-console boat on a lake with other powerboats, sailboats, navigation aids and a marina.

Training options include close quarters maneuvering, docking and more. Instructors can adjust current and wind direction and velocity, and day/night settings to vary the degree of difficulty and challenge you whatever your skill level.