Hannah's Headlines 2/23/2017

Seven Earth-Size Planets Found In Orbit Around Tiny Star

Is there life “out there?” Maybe – and we’re at least a little closer to finding out. This as NASA confirms the discovery of a record seven Earth-size exoplanets orbiting a tiny star in the constellation Aquarius. The find is giving scientists new hope that life could exist outside our solar system.

Astronomers who detected the planets say they could potentially support water on the surface, depending on several other properties of the planets. Three of the planets are within a – quote – "habitable" zone where life is considered possible. The planetsorbit Trappist-One, a low-mass, cool star some 40 light years away.

But don’t start planning your rocket ship trip just yet. While, in astronomical terms, the system of planets is considered to be “close to us,” they’re not exactly “around the corner. These planets are scientifically known as ‘exoplanets’ because they’re located outside of our solar system. How far away are they? About 235-trillion miles…or about 40 light-years from Earth.

Source: NASA


Dating Burnout Is Real And Here’s How You Fix It

Each year when Match.com comes out with their Singles in America survey, we get a little insider information about the thoughts and feelings of single people. One takeaway from this year’s numbers: over half of women - 54% - feel dating burnout from searching. And it’s easy to understand how someone could just be over it after spending so much time doing it and not making good connections with people.

Marriage and family therapist David Klow says dating is harder now than ever before. “We are looking for a partner, friend, lover, companion, potential co-parent,” he explains. “Even a co-CEO of a potential family. In previous times, our expectations in love and marriage were much lower.”

So how can you tell if you’re just frustrated with dating or if you’ve crossed into “burnout territory?” Klow says some signs are if you’re cancelling dates last minute, having the same conversations repeatedly with dates, or don’t feel excited to go out with new people anymore. And if you’ve been looking for love for a while and haven’t found someone, you’re more likely to be overwhelmed by the whole process.

And when you realize you’re burned out, Klow says the best thing you can do is take a break. Stop dating and appreciate what you already have in your life instead of focusing on what’s missing. Then he advises going to new places or sites to meet new people to keep it fresh. Or you could make a bucket list of fun stuff you want to do and just invite your date along, so if it’s a dud, at least you had fun doing something you really wanted to try.

Source: Glamour


Today is National Banana Bread Day

February 23rd is National Banana Bread Day! Originally invented by a housewife during the Great Depression who didn’t want to throw away her over-ripe bananas, banana bread is now one of America’s favorite treats. Bake some banana bread from one of the classic recipes or get creative by adding chocolate, nuts, peanut butter, or cinnamon crumble.

If you want to be super adventurous, include some avocado or zucchini! Either way – a steaming loaf of banana bread is guaranteed to warm up your winter day and add a little sweetness to your life. Do I even have to convince you? Add bananas to anything – how could it not be apeeling?


Today is National Chili Day

This year, February 23rd is National Chili Day! Every year, on the fourth Friday in February, our lives get a little spicier. Get ready for a day peppered with adventure when you celebrate National Chili Day! Chili, often served with a delicious side of cornbread – and sure, it’s considered a “winter dish” by many because it’s hearty and comforting, but most of us enjoy it all year round.

Despite popular belief, chili does not come from Mexico. The recipe has certainly been influenced by Mexican culture, but it also incorporates elements from Native American and Spanish culinary traditions. Many historians believe chili originated in Texas where all three of these cultures intersected.

Spanish priests believed that chili peppers were an aphrodisiac, and called the hot dish “the soup of the Devil.” So go be a sinner and scarf down a steaming bowl of chili. It’ll be sure to spice up your life.


Boston Bars Might Ban Glassware Because Of All The Bar Fights

Bar fights are nothing new, but apparently they're a real problem in Boston. So much so, the city's Liquor Licensing Board is considering banning glassware in certain bars to avoid serious injuries. 

The plan would be for bars with histories of glass-related violence to be forces to use plastic cups, regardless of how fancy the establishment may be. As Christine Puglini, the board’s chairwoman, explains, “You may be high-end, but you’re not acting high-end.”

As you might imagine, not all business owners are thrilled at the idea of gaining plastic. “It makes no sense to offer a legal drug — alcohol — and blame the outcome on packaging,” bar/restaurant manager Michael Anthony explains. “That’s just asinine.”

Source: Boston Herald


You Can Now Post Photo Albums On Instagram

If you love sharing photos on Instagram, but hate that you have to upload one picture at a time, you’ll be thrilled by the latest improvement the social media site is rolling out. 

A new feature, which should be live around the world in a couple of weeks, will now allow users to upload up to ten photos at once, thereby creating a photo album on the site.  It works just like uploading one photo, only now you’ll have the option of a “select multiple” icon, which then lets you choose more than one pic. 

The new feature will still allow users to add filters, and they can also rearrange the photos to their liking simply by dragging them to the correct location. Those looking at the photos will easily be able to scroll through an album simply by swiping, which makes the function similar to a Facebook photo album.

Instagram hopes the new feature will make it “easier to share your experiences with friends,” although it already has some critics.  A tech editor for Mashable noted the albums “are destined to turn Instagram into a place where tedious photo sets from vacations, bar mitzvahs and holiday parties are interspersed with the images users actually want to see." 

Source: Mashable 


Tattooing Your Hairline Is A Thing Now

You’ve probably heard about microblading - the natural-looking tattoos that fill in eyebrows - but did you know you can also have it done to your hairline? It’s big in Korea, where so many beauty trends come from, and for men and women who what to change their hairline, it’s a game-changer.

This procedure is good for anyone who feels their forehead is too big, or who doesn’t like the peaks in their hairline, or for people who want the look of fuller hair. They say hairline microblading can frame the face in a way that eliminates the need for contouring with makeup. And if it’s done correctly, it looks totally natural.

So how does it work? It’s the same as microblading brows, they tattoo one strand at a time onto the hairline. And the ink fades over time, like in the eyebrows, so gradually lightens and fades over time, usually lasting around two years. That’s great news if you don’t love the look.

If you’re considering microblading your hairline, make sure you use a good artist, otherwise it could look unnatural and that’s no good. You also need to avoid direct sunlight, swimming, picking, and don’t use makeup or skincare products on the area for at least 10 days. And if you want to get these results but don’t feel like fully committing to a hairline tattoo just yet, you can always use Hair Shadow for fuller-looking hair that’s temporary.

Source: Byrdie


Need A Strategy for Finding Your Missing Keys?

When your apartment has seemingly swallowed one of your possessions — your keys, say — without a trace, there are a few strategies people tend to fall back on: Look in the last place you had them. Look in the last place you’d ever expect to find them.

Neither of these, as you probably know from experience, is particularly useful. If you knew the last place you had them, well, you’d still have them. And unless you’ve found some weirdly creative uses for your keys, they probably aren’t hiding in the shower or the vegetable drawer. But new research does offer one tip that might actually work: Focus your hunt on where the mess is.

“If you’re looking for your keys you should focus on the areas with the most clutter, because if they were somewhat more obvious, you would have found them by now.” You may get lucky and spot them out of the corner of your eye, just lying on the floor or something, but odds are you’re going to have to get your hands dirty: the laundry piles, the mounds of junk that have amassed on all your surfaces. At least it’s better to know from the get-go that this won’t be fun.

  • Where are the weirdest places you’ve lost/found your keys?

Link: http://nymag.com/scienceofus/2017/02/a-better-strategy-for-finding-your-missing-keys.html


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