Life Hacks – Spoken Edition show

Life Hacks – Spoken Edition

Summary: Daily weblog on software and personal productivity recommends downloads, web sites and shortcuts that help you work smarter and save time. A SpokenEdition transforms written content into human-read audio you can listen to anywhere. It's perfect for times when you can't read - while driving, at the gym, doing chores, etc. Find more at www.spokenedition.com

Podcasts:

 How to Score One of 50,000 New Jobs Opening Up at Amazon | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 116

Between their acquisition of Whole Foods, Jeff Bezos’ (hours-long) takeover as the world’s richest corporate overlord, the uninhibited growth of Prime day, and our biggest pop stars maybe or maybe not sizing themselves up for next day shipping, Amazon’s appetite as the planet’s biggest retail behemoth is somehow increasing unabated. On the bright side, this means more jobs—and a whole lot of them. According to a Timereport, 50,000 jobs by next week. Casual.

 Obamacare Repeal Is Dead (For Now)—Here's What That Means for Your Healthcare | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 169

Last night, in a thrilling drama that entertains the sort of people who stay up late chatting on Twitter about Senate votes, three Republicans voted against their party’s third and final health care bill, and the measure is officially dead. So what happens now? Is It Really Over? Probably not. Passing some sort of Affordable Care Act repeal was a major campaign promise for the last seven years, and Republicans in both houses still want to pass something. They just can’t agree on what.

 Use a Makeup Sponge for Mess-Free Period Sex | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 197

The official party line on period sex nowadays is that a menstruating woman’s partner should be cool and chill with this natural human occurrence, and that people who refuse to have sex with period-having humans are immature and ignorant. But for those who prefer mess-free sex, what you need is a makeup sponge. (A former escort told me that the porn and sex work industry run on them.

 Spending Money On Things That Save You Time Makes You Happier | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 73

Cooking for yourself after a long day at work can be annoying, but it saves you lots of money. On the other hand, going to a restaurant or getting takeout takes away the stress of having to figure out what to make (and then make it). So which will it be? Well, consider this: As reported by the New York Times, a study in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences found that spending money on time-saving services makes you happier.

 With New Proof That Football Damages Your Brain, Researchers are Now Concerned About Soccer, Too | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 136

Researchers at Boston University studying deceased football players’ brains released new findings earlier this week on the potential connection between the athletes and long-term neurological conditions, and the results were damning. To wit: of the 111 NFL players included in the study, only one was not diagnosed with chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTW).

 Make a Safety Plan Before You Panic in a Crowd | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 137

If you get panicked by crowds, you might not even know it. You might just tense up or get angry. (I got snippy at the farmers market for years before I noticed the pattern.) And certain crowded spots, like Times Square or an emptying stadium, can freak anyone out. As Dr. Liz Lasky says in Time Out New York, it helps to have a safety plan. One basic way to cut through a crowd is to keep your eyes on your destination.

 Block "Around the Web" Links With the Freedom App | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 154

There’s a second use for Freedom, a simple app that lets you block distracting sites like Twitter for a few minutes, hours, or days. As the app’s blog points out, Freedom also works as a clickbait blocker that hides the gross and misleading “Around the Web” links at the bottom of news articles (aka the chumbox). This is useful if you don’t use an ad blocker, but the principle is the same: Freedom blocks all traffic from a specified domain.

 Learn to Draw the NYC Skyline Better Than Donald Trump | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 95

Every great artist has to get started somewhere, and for Donald Trump that somewhere just happened to be an 8.5” x 11” sheet of paper, a gold marker, and a horrible understanding of the New York City skyline. Trump’s super rare, very important sketch of the city is now up for auction, and it can be yours for a bid of just under $11,000.

 Stop Eating Lunch at Your Desk | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 184

Eating lunch at your desk seems like a good idea. After all, you get more work done, show your coworkers how hard working you are, and you still eat enough to fuel the rest of your workday, right? Stop eating lunch at your desk. Besides maybe not being as productive as you think, eating lunch at your desk is not great for you.

 Hang a Dish Towel Inside the Dishwasher to Show the Dishes Are Clean | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 150

The best thing to do when the dishwasher has finished running is to take out all the clean dishes and put them away. The worst thing to do is to take out just a few clean dishes, and then have someone else come along, get confused, and start mixing dirty dishes in with the clean ones. Then the dishes need to be re-washed and everyone will blame everyone else for it.

 Muzzle Automatically Disables OS X Notifications When You Screen-Share | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 91

When you’re sharing your screen for a business or school presentation, you don’t want any notifications popping up, like a sext, a calendar notification for your therapist appointment, or a Slack DM about the problem client you’re currently presenting to. You could hit “Do Not Disturb,” but what if you forget? While Windows 10 has a built-in option to turn notifications off during screen-shares, OS X doesn’t. The free app Muzzle fixes that.

 Your Blackheads May Not Be Blackheads (and Other Skin Science) | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 118

Most of us deal with acne in some form or another, and blackheads can be particularly irritating because they’re so noticeable. However, SciShow explains that sometimes those blackheads aren’t actually blackheads, and you probably shouldn’t mess with them. Blackheads are clogged pores that get plugged up with oil, dead skin cells, and bacteria.

 What Exactly Is Collusion? | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 203

If you’ve even glanced at the news lately, you’ve probably seen or heard the term “collusion” when referring to President Trump’s senior staff being accused of shady dealings with Russia. But what is collusion? And is it actually a crime? Today, Jared Kushner, President Trump’s senior adviser and son-in-law, stood before Senate investigators and denied any collusion with foreign agents before or after the 2016 presidential campaign.

 Your Best Local Restaurants for Visitors to Go to Instead of Chains | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 384

We asked you what local spots people should go to in your city instead of chain restaurants, and you delivered. We’ve complied suggestions for major metro areas so tourists stop going to awful chains and instead give their money to local places you love. This isn’t just about great local restaurants, but about which ones people should go to as specific alternatives to the major chains, and thus, we tried to keep this list to ones that offer similar cuisine to the big box options.

 How to Choose the Perfect Font for Any Situation | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 218

Ever have one of those days where you’re just sitting around, falsifying documents, and just can’t seem to choose the right font to convey your alleged corruption? It’s cool. We’ve all been there. But how often—be real—do you think about the font you’re using? You’re exposed to words in all shapes and sizes on a daily basis, whether texting a friend, writing a resumé, or jotting notes in your text editor of choice.

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