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Showing posts from November, 2017

Plan on southbound I-17 weekend restrictions at Seventh Avenue

Consider alternate routes due to bridge repairs in December Southbound Interstate 17 will be restricted near Seventh Avenue south of the downtown area over the next three weekends while the Arizona Department of Transportation completes freeway bridge repairs. Seventh Avenue also will be closed in both directions at I-17 while the weekend work is underway. Drivers should consider alternate routes while the following restrictions are in place this weekend: Southbound I-17 narrowed to two lanes near Seventh Avenue from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday (Dec. 4) for bridge repairs. Seventh Avenue closed in both directions at I-17. I-17 traffic exiting at Seventh Avenue will not be able to make left turns. Alternate routes include Seventh Street or Central Avenue. Drivers also should consider using eastbound I-10 in the downtown area as an alternate freeway route. Similar restrictions also are planned over the weekends of Dec. 8-11 and Dec. 16-17 to allow crews to complete the repair work. Th

SR 67 to North Rim of Grand Canyon will close for winter Tuesday, Dec. 5

Highway reopens in the spring, usually around mid-May PHOENIX ‒ State Route 67 between Jacob Lake (US 89A) and the North Rim of Grand Canyon National Park is scheduled to close for the winter season on Tuesday, Dec. 5. ADOT doesn’t clear snow from SR 67 during the winter since North Rim visitor accommodations are closed. The highway reopens each spring, usually around mid-May. US 89A remains open during the winter. ADOT reminds motorists heading into snow country to drive with caution and follow this advice: Don’t let GPS and navigation apps replace common sense. When a highway is closed, a suggested alternate route involving an unpaved, unplowed road can lead you into danger. Pack an emergency kit, a fully charged cellphone, extra clothing, water and snacks. Slow down. Drive defensively. Be patient and allow additional time for your trip. Never pass a snowplow. Leave sufficient space between your vehicle and those ahead of you. Give yourself plenty of room and time to stop or to avoid

Restrictions scheduled on Interstate 17, Seventh Avenue in Phoenix as bridge repair continues

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Plan for full closure of Seventh Avenue at I-17 this weekend The Arizona Department of Transportation is continuing a critical bridge repair project at Interstate 17 and Seventh Avenue in Phoenix. Crews are scheduled to work this weekend – and for the next two weekends – to complete necessary repairs as safely and efficiently as possible. The following restrictions are scheduled to be in place from 9 p.m. Friday, Dec. 1, through 5 a.m. Monday, Dec. 4, while crews install a new support beam, also known as a girder, and pour a new section of the deck on the I-17 bridge: Southbound I-17 will be narrowed to two lanes at Seventh Avenue (right lane closed). Drivers should slow down and use caution in the work zone. North- and southbound Seventh Avenue will be closed at I-17. Detours: For northbound Seventh Avenue, use the southbound I-17 frontage road to northbound Central Avenue to the northbound I-17 frontage road. For southbound Seventh Avenue, use the northbound I-17 frontage road to sou

SLEEPY HEAD

The ideal amount of sleep is at least six hours and no more than eight hours. The consequences of sleeping less or more than this can be dire -- especially for middle-aged adults. Regularly sleeping less than six hours or more than eight hours is linked to a decline in brain function, according to British researchers at the University College London Medical School. HealthDay News reports that the magnitude of this sleep-induced mental decline is equal to being four to seven years older than your real age. The study found: Women who slept seven hours a night had the highest score on every cognitive measure, followed by women who had six hours of sleep.  Men who slept six, seven or eight hours had similar cognitive function.  Men and women who slept less than six hours or more than eight hours had far lower cognitive scores than those who slept around seven hours.  Many biological processes take place while we sleep. Researchers told HealthDay News, "Sleep provides the body wit

PINK OR BLUE

If you were pregnant, would you want to find out the baby's gender before giving birth? Expectant mothers who choose to find out the baby's sex may be giving subtle clues about their views on proper gender roles, according to researchers from The Ohio State University in Columbus. Moms-to-be who want to know the baby's gender in advance are more likely to be have a need for perfection when it comes to parenting, while those who want the baby's gender to be a surprise are more open to new experiences and view men and women as being equal. Translation: Women who want to know the baby's gender before his or her birth are more likely to want to have the proper clothes, toys and colors that match traditional gender expectations. That is, pink for a girl and blue for a boy. The study found: Mothers who knew the sex of their child tended to be less educated, have lower household incomes and were less likely to be married than women who did not know.  Women who scored hig

THINGS YOU CAN DO RIGHT NOW TO REDUCE STRESS

You don't have to be a yoga girl to quiet your mind during the day -- but it doesn't hurt to take some advice from someone who is. Rachel Brathen, an Aruba-based yoga instructor, has amassed more than a million followers on Instagram with her inspirational (and enviable) images of pretty poses and Caribbean calm. Here are five tips from Brathen to lessen that midday stress -- no mat required. 1. Take a quick "breath break." "If it's one minute of deep breathing or if it's five or 10 minutes of meditation, whatever [kind of break] you can sneak into your day actually makes you more centered and focused and more productive overall," says Brathen of simply "closing your eyes, centering yourself and focusing on inhales and exhales." 2. Spruce up your workspace. "If there's clutter all around and papers and piles of things, it's very hard to find that peace of mind," says Brathen, who suggests replacing a stack of files wi

SIX REASONS YOU REALLY SHOULD OWN A DOG

(Men's Health) John Grogan, author of Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog, submits this list. Don't let anybody - especially yourself - talk you out of it. A dog never asks why you're late, where you've been, why you didn't call. Even when you act badly, he will greet you with unbridled enthusiasm.  Two guys are walking through a park. One is alone. One is with a dog. Beautiful women approaches. Guess which guy she stops to talk to.  He many eat the remote control but will never challenge your authority over it.  Ready for Frisbee, any day, any time.  Will remind you every hour of every day that it is your life and you should live it for yourself, even if that means occasionally telling your boss to go hump a skunk.  When the worst that can happen happens, he will always have your back.

ALTERNATIVE ACTS

Women's Health) Sometimes, you're going to get overwhelmed. The magazine talked to Paula Davis-Laack, the author of "Addicted to Busy" to find out how; what you do next makes the difference between coping and losing your mind. When all you want to do is: Escape to the bathroom to ugly-cry Do this instead-Take 15 minutes to do something creative even if it's just doodling at your desk. Artistic outlets reduce stress and affect the body in ways that are similar to meditation. Down a few glasses of wine when you dropped the ball on a project Do this instead-Set up a weekly or monthly meeting with your boss. Instead of speculating about potential criticisms, you'll get concrete steps to improve your performance. Put a curse on the painfully slow driver who made you late for work Do this instead - Make your computer password motivating, like Stay underscore Positive 3. Incorporating upbeat attitudes into your morning routine can brighten your day. Stay in bed to

KICK THE PLASTIC HABIT

(Yoga Journal) Blogger Beth Terry has spent the past several years eliminating plastic from her life. Let her help you cut back, too. 1. Take the plastic challenge Get help tallying your plastic waste for one week to identify where you can cut back, at myplasticfreelife.com 2. Don't just rely on recycling A lot of plastic we assume is recyclable ends up in a landfill, warns Terry. Buy in bulk whenever possible, and keep Mason jars on hand for storage. 3. Find and avoid the hidden sources Milk, juice, and ice-cream cartons are often lined with plastic, so look for alternative packaging where you can. Many reusable grocery bags are made with polypropylene; opt for cloth bags instead. 4. Don't just buy those reusable containers Keep bags and mugs in your car, bike bag, or wherever you keep your wallet and keys. So throw a few reusable utensils in your purse or backpack. 5. Seek out alternative packaging Find yoga mats made with natural rubber or hemp. Grab sunscreen in an alu

COLORS THAT GIVE YOU A MOOD BOOST

According to psychologist and color experts, the hues you come in contact with during the day from your red nail polish to the earthy tones at Starbucks have an impact on your state of mind. It has to do both with associations you from as a kid and with wavelengths, explains Dewey Sadka, founder of Dewey Color System at deweycolorsystem.com. Each color shoots off a unique variation and may be processed differently in your brain. These colors are proven to work their magic as soon as you lay eyes on them: Red If you want to be focused during a big presentation try wearing red. This bold hue makes you pay more attention to details, according to a study by the University of British Columbia. Red has the longest wavelength in the color spectrum, people might need to look longer to process it, so all eyes are on you. Green If you want to chill the heck out. Most of us associate green with the ahh-inducing vibe of nature a University of Georgia study found that people think of trees and pl

WHAT DID YOU SAY?

When you use the words "weekend," "voicemail," "driving," "okay" or a four-letter word that rhymes with "hit" in your work e-mails, chances are you're sending that message to your boss -- or even higher up the org chart. There are certain words and phrases we use in work e-mails that are actually reliable indicators of whether that correspondence is going to someone higher or lower in the corporate hierarchy, according to a study by Georgia Tech researchers. Led by Eric Gilbert, and after an exhaustive analysis, Gilbert was able to identify the top 100 words that reliably predicted whether e-mails traveled up or down the corporate ladder. The top 5 upward predictors: the ability to I took are available kitchen thought you would Other words and phrases of note that are upward predictors include: Europe, a decision, tigers, please change, a discussion, the calendar, excellent, sounds good and February. The top 5 downward predictors: h

FACTS ABOUT LEFTIES

Between 10 percent and 12 percent of the world population is left-handed, and scientists have no idea why! It could be genetic. It could due to damage in utero. It could be an edge for winning fistfights. And while there are no obvious differences between those who are right-handed and those who are left-handed, we do know that lefties tend to excel at visual and spatial tasks and seem to be overrepresented among geniuses, reports LiveScience.com. What makes southpaws special? Here are ten facts: 1. Just as humans favor one hand over the other, animals also favor one paw over another. But unlike humans, which paw is favored is split about 50-50. 2. Although there is likely a genetic component involved in handedness, environment is also important. For example, researchers have found that identical twins often have different dominant hands. 3. Studies have found that southpaws have higher rates of dyslexia, schizophrenia and autoimmune diseases, such as allergies and lupus. 4. Males are

WEIRD NEWS

Top Baby Names Did you name a new baby this year? Well let's see how you stack up. BabyCenter released its list of the 100 most popular baby names of 2017 yesterday, and while Sophia and Jackson took the top spots for the eighth and fifth years in row respectively, a few more unique names made big jumps. BabyCenter's list of popular names comes from more than 500,000 babies born to parents registered on its website, unlike the official list from the Social Security Administration, which comes from birth certificates. Here are BabyCenter's top 10 names for boys and girls born in 2017: Girls Sophia Olivia Emma Ava Isabella Mia Aria Riley Zoe Amelia Boys Jackson Liam Noah Aiden Lucas Caden Grayson Mason Elijah Logan (Newser) Behave Yourself People! You know when you go abroad you can't act like the dumb American you are over here. The State Department continually cautions US travelers to understand foreign laws before you visit-a warning that one San Diego couple appa

DID YOU KNOW?

15% of people have taken a selfie an average of seven times before they are satisfied with the photo and pose.  27% of men have broken something when they're having a bad day.  It's estimated that about 3000 people working in New York City make a living selling hot dogs.  People who have to drive over 45 minutes to work everyday have a much higher risk for divorce.  Only 10 percent of us say we're able to wake up without an alarm clock on a daily basis.

THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW

Microsoft is planning to knock down and rebuild their main campus so that it can offer buildings of the future to 8,000 more employees than work there now.  The same day that Matt Lauer was fired by NBC for sexual allegations, "A Prairie Home Companion" host Garrison Keiller was fired by Minnesota Public Radio over accusations.  Seattle school bus drivers held a one-day strike yesterday, which sent parents scrambling.  LeBron James was ejected from Tuesday night's game against the Miami Heat, the first time that has ever happened.  The only "Supermoon" of 2017 is this Sunday night.  Nearly 50% of U.S. broadband households use a personal assistant through an application or dedicated device.  A couple who once ate at Olive Garden nearly every day for seven weeks is now planning to name their daughter Olivia Garton.  Starting tomorrow, Hawaii will begin monthly tests of their alarm system that will go off in the event of a nuclear attack by North Korea.  B

ON THIS DAY

Author Jonathan Swift was born on this date in 1667. He had success with the book, "Gulliver's Travels" and thanked all the little people who made it possible.  On this date in 1782, the U.S. and Britain signed preliminary peace articles in Paris, officially ending the Revolutionary War. Almost immediately, red coats were so 1781. And the first series of Time-Life books was born. In 1804, the first U.S. Supreme Court Justice to be impeached, Samuel Chase, went on trial. He was acquitted, but because of his questionable behavior, they named a bank after him.  He was acquitted and went on to lead a Chase and decent life.  He was acquitted so I guess that makes me feel better about my money being in his bank.  When you think about it, that kind of explains where we are today.  Good day for authors: Samuel Clements, alias "Mark Twain," was born on this date in 1835. He kept writing one great book after the other: "Tom Sawyer," "Huckleberry Fi

Music Calendar...

In 1940 Charlie Parker records "I've Found A New Baby" with the Jay McShann Band at KFBI in Wichita, KS. In 1943 Nat "King" Cole and his trio record "Straighten Up and Fly Right." In 1944 "The Trolley Song" by Judy Garland debuts on the charts. In 1965 Sam the Sham & the Pharoahs appear on TV's "Where The Action Is." In 1968 "Son-Of-A Preacher Man" by Dusty Springfield and "Everyday People" by Sly & the Family Stone both enter the U.S. top 40 chart. In 1968 "Love Child" by Diana Ross & The Supremes hits #1 on the U.S. top 40 chart and stayed there for 2 weeks. In 1969 Simon & Garfunkel's first TV special airs. In 1969 Neil Diamond performs on the "Ed Sullivan Show." In 1972 The BBC bans "Hi, Hi, Hi" by Wings for a supposedly subliminal drug message. In 1973 John Lennon's album "Mind Games" is certified gold. In 1974

Today In History...

In 1782 The U.S. and Britain sign preliminary peace articles in Paris, ending the Revolutionary War. In 1803 Spain completes the process of ceding Louisiana to France. In 1804 The first U.S. Supreme Court justice to be impeached, Samuel Chase, goes on trial. (He was acquitted.) In 1900 Irish author Oscar Wilde dies in Paris, France. In 1922 Japan launches the Hosho, the first aircraft carrier. In 1936 London's famed Crystal Palace is destroyed by fire. In 1939 The Russo-Finnish War begins as Soviet troops invades Finland over a border dispute. In 1949 Chinese communists capture Chungking. In 1954 Elizabeth Hodges of Sylacauga, Alabama, is injured when an 8 1/2 pound meteorite crashed through the roof of her house. In 1957 Honolulu has record wind gusts of 82mph and beaches on Kauai report 35-foot waves. In 1958 The first guided missile destroyer is launched, at Bath, Maine. In 1962 U Thant of Burma is elected Secretary-General of the United Nations,

Born On This Day...

In 1427 King Casimir IV of Poland (1447-92) In 1554 English poet, Philip Sidney (Arcadia) In 1667 Author/poet, Jonathan Swift (Gulliver's Travels, A Modest Proposal) In 1809 Publisher, Mark Lemon (founded Punch magazine) In 1810 Rifle maker, Oliver Fisher Winchester In 1817 German historian, Theodor Mommsen (Nobel-1902) In 1835 Writer, Samuel Clemens [Mark Twain] (Tom Sawyer, Huckleberry Finn) In 1874 British prime minister, Sir Winston Churchill (1940-45, 1951-55) In 1892 Financier, Cyrus West Field (laid first Atlantic Telegraph cable) In 1898 Football Hall-of-Famer, Roy "Link" Lyman (Bears) In 1913 TV host/editor, John K.M. McCaffery (American Mecury) [d: 10-3-83] In 1915 Singer/guitarist, Brownie McGhee (Brownie & Sonny) [d: 2-16-15] In 1916 Actor, Michael Gwynn (Dunkirk, Barabbas, Cleopatra) [d: 1-29-76] In 1920 Actress, Virginia Mayo (Out of the Blue, White Heat) [d: 1-17-05] In 1923 Actor, Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (77 Sunset

ENTERTAINMENT NEWS

Million Dollar Listing's Fredrik Eklund Welcomes Twins. Fredrik Eklund finally has his happily ever after! The Million Dollar Listing star announced that he and husband Derek Kaplan welcomed twins, a boy and girl they named Fredrik Jr. and Milla, on social media Tuesday. Dressed in a pair of hospital scrubs and holding their bundles of joy close, Fredrik captioned the precious snapshot, "Happiest moment of my life. Welcome Fredrick and Milla to the world." The accomplished real estate mogul first revealed they were expecting via surrogate in August, two years after their previous surrogate suffered a heartbreaking miscarriage. "We've been blessed two times over - we're six months pregnant with twins, a boy and a girl!" he captioned a celebratory photo of the couple kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower. "It was important for us to take the time to keep the news for ourselves, but now we are ready to celebrate all the love." And over the Thanksgi