The Random Guy's Guide

Ouch: How to prevent or repair a split or broken fingernail or toenail

2009-04-12T18:28:00.000-07:00

Try aggressive filing across the entire surface and especially at the tip, followed by clear nail polish to smooth over the split so it can't catch on anything.
At your salon, ask for an application of gel overlay, a nail-polish-on-crack painted over an existing, broken nail. It grows out with your own nail and doesn't damage the existing nail.
Repair with superglue or nail glue.
Repair with clear "hard as nails" polish over the nail.
To prevent splits, avoid prolonged contact with water (doing dishes and taking long baths).
Nail polish remover can encourage split fingernails. Use it no more often than every two weeks and avoid polish with acetone.
Split fingernails generally aren't a sign of vitamin, mineral or nutritional deficiencies, according to the Mayo Clinic.
Wear rubber gloves when using chemicals or soap and water for extended periods.
Use moisterizing lotion on your nails.
Limit manicures and keep nails trimmed and tips rounded.
For a big split, use 3M-brand Micropore paper tape to hold a split fingernail or toenail together while it heals. It's much better than a band-aid. Micropore is a latex-free, hypoallergenic paper tape, available in white or tan, that is flexible and breathable yet sticks well and leaves minimal adhesive residue upon removal.

Updated: April 12, 2009

Lip balm addiction

2008-11-12T19:00:00.000-08:00

Notes from The Baltimore Sun
November 10, 2008

Kevin Crossman was a lip balm addict who founded Lip Balm Anonymous. He's clean now."Crossman is one of millions who are, attached to their lip balm. According to ACNielsen Co., sales of lip balms grew last year to more than $378 million.

On Facebook, there are groups dedicated to lip balm, many of them addiction-oriented. They include: "I Think I Might Die Without Lipgloss, ChapStick or Some Form of Lip Balm," "Lip Balm Appreciation Guild," "I forgot my lip balm, my life is over!" "I Think I'm Addicted to Lip Balm," and "Addicted to lip balm like CRACK."

Lipbalmanonymous.com hit a nerve. People from all over the world have visited it, and although Crossman hasn't been actively updating it for years, people are still tracking him down to talk about it.

Dr. Marcia Driscoll, a clinical associate professor of dermatology at the University of Maryland, says lip balm addiction is real. Driscoll estimates about 80 percent of her cases are women.

Causes for the chapping of lips come from all corners. Wind, sun, cold and dry air can wreak havoc with the lips. It's a problem that can strike, particularly during months chilly and dry.

Lip licking when you get a little dryness, breathing with an open mouth and, dehydration all can cause chapping.

Many women suffer chapped lips because of poor cosmetic choices. Lipsticks, glosses, moisturizers and medicinal balm have numerous ingredients with the potential to irritate.

Among the most common allergens in general, not just for lips, are fragrances in many products. Laundry detergents, scented soaps and lip glosses infused with aromas It's also possible that chapped lips are a symptom of a more pervasive skin ailment. Those with sensitive skin, with tendencies toward dermatitis or eczema also tend to get chapped lips. If chapping is severe and doesn't respond to treatment, doctors advise seeing a dermatologist.

How to patch a swimming pool

2008-09-07T21:42:00.000-07:00

If your tile border is old and faded, apply adhesive swimming pool tile borders available online through swimming pool web sites. Borderlines adhesive swimming pool tile borders come in different patterns, are peel-and-stick and look great.

Celebrity baby names

2008-08-03T16:53:00.000-07:00

Zev Isaac, son of Dancing With the Stars' Marissa Jaret Winokur and King of the Hill writer Judah Miller, July 25, 2008

Harper Rosie, daughter of Dixie Chicks' Martie Maguire and actor Gareth Maguire, July 25, 2008

Knox Leon and Vivienne Marcheline, son and daughter of Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, July 12, 2008

How to stop snoring, ways to stop snoring

2008-05-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

GQ magazine in its April 2008 issue talked with Joyce Walsleben of the NYU Sleep Disorders Center about effective ways to stop snoring now. Here's a summary:

Change positions. It doesn't necessarly mean you should sleep on yourstomach; turning on your side also can be useful.

Lose weight. Your tissues get floppy; losing a little weight can make abig difference.Drink Less. Alcohol swells mucous membranes, increasing chances you willsnore or make it worse.

Try Breathe Rights and Steroids. Anecdotal reports suggest that Breathe Right strips stop snoring and steroidal nose sprays reduce swelling ormucous membrane irritation.

Consider surgery. Surgical attempts to remove tissue where you breath canhelp, although surgery doesn't always find the offending site.

Try Continous Airway Pressure. CPAP is an air pump that sits on yournight table, pumps room air to a pressure that's prescribed for you anddelivers it via a flexible hose to your nostrils. It pushes the tissuesout of the way and people breathe and sleep well.

40 Winks: 40 ways to a deeper sleep, how to sleep better, sleep aids, tips to sleeping better

2008-05-03T18:00:00.000-07:00

From GQ Magazine, April 2008:

1. Seven to nine hours is what you need. Only then can you be sure you've had enough complete 90-minute sleep cycles during the night.

2. Most high-end hotels sell sheets, comforters and mattresses online.

3. A cooler core body temperature means better sleep. So no exercise, hot showers or baths before bed.

4. Likewise, keep your bedroom around 68 degrees or cooler.

6. Blacking out your room won't make for a better sleep; it'll just make you groggier when you awake. Whether it's drapes, shades or blinds, your window coverings should filter light, not block it.

From Dr. Robert Fayle, medical director of The Sleep Center at Park Plaza Hospital and Medical Center in Houston, Texas.

6. Sleep only as much as you need to feel refreshed the next day.

7. Get up at the same time, 7 days a week.

8, Exercise regularly.

9. Make sure your bedroom is comfortable and free of disturbing light and noise.

10. Make sure that your bedroom is at a comfortable temperature during the night.

11. Eat regular meals

12. Do not go to bed hungry.

13. Avoid excessive fluids in the evening.

14. Cut down on caffeine products.

15. Avoid alcohol, especially in the evening.

16. Avoid smoking; it may disturb sleep.

17. Don't take your problems to bed.

18. Train yourself to use the bedroom only for sleeping and sexual activity.

19. Do not TRY to fall asleep.

20. Put the clock under the bed or turn it so that you cannot see it.

21. Avoid taking naps.

How to do a pushup; the art of the pushup; a symbol of strength and vitality

2008-03-22T13:14:00.001-07:00

A New York Times article summary:

As a symbol of health, nothing surpasses the simple push-up. It’s a good indication of your physical condition.

The push-up tests the whole body, engaging muscle groups in the arms, chest, abdomen, hips and legs. It requires the body to be taut like a plank with toes and palms on the floor. The act of lifting and lowering one’s entire weight is taxing even for the very fit.

You are just using your own body and your body’s weight. If you’re going to demonstrate any kind of physical strength and power, that’s the easiest, simplest, fastest way to do it.

Health and fitness experts, including the American College of Sports Medicine, have urged more focus on upper-body fitness. The aerobics movement has emphasized cardiovascular fitness but has also shifted attention from strength training exercises.

In a 2001 study, researchers at East Carolina University administered push-up tests to about 70 students ages 10 to 13. Almost half the boys and three-quarters of the girls didn’t pass.

Push-ups are important for older people, too. The ability to do them more than once and with proper form is an important factor in withstanding aging.

Researchers who study the biomechanics of aging note that push-ups can provide the strength and muscle memory to reach out and break a fall. When people fall forward, they typically reach out to catch themselves, which mimics the push-up. The hands hit the ground, the wrists and arms absorb much of the impact, and the elbows bend slightly to reduce the force. In studies of falling, researchers have shown that the wrist alone is subjected to an impact force equal to about one body weight.

Natural aging causes nerves to die off and muscles to weaken. People lose as much as 30 percent of their strength between 20 and 70. But regular exercise enlarges muscle fibers and can strengthen muscle you have left.

Women are at a particular disadvantage because they start off with about 20 percent less muscle than men. Many women bend their knees to lower the amount of weight they must support. And while anybody can do a push-up, the exercise has typically been part of the male fitness culture.

Based on national averages, a 40-year-old woman should be able to do 16 push-ups and a man the same age should be able to do 27. By the age of 60, those numbers drop to 17 for men and 6 for women. Those numbers are just slightly less than what is required of Army soldiers in regular push-up tests.

If the floor-based push-up is too difficult, start by leaning against a countertop at a 45-degree angle and pressing up and down. Eventually move to stairs and then the floor.

Pushup Calculator for ages 15 to 69

http://www.exrx.net/Calculators/PushUps.html

Summary from the Los Angeles Times, July 2008. Jay Blahnik, a Laguna Beach-based personal trainer and IDEA Health & Fitness Association spokesman, has appeared in more than 25 videos and is the author of "Full-Body Flexibility." He can be reached at jay@jayblahnik.com or health@latimes.com.

The push-up can improve muscle tone and bone density while reducing the risk of osteoporosis. The primary muscles used during a push-up are the chest, front shoulder and triceps muscles.
As a push-up requires you to hold your body in a stable, horizontal position, you also engage your neck, core, hips and legs. Although the push-up is simple, many people do it incorrectly.

* Focus on using your arms and keeping your body in a straight line throughout. Avoid lifting your butt or hunching your neck and shoulders. Go slowly and exhale while pushing up.
* Stop when your chest is 2 to 3 inches away from the floor tol protect your shoulders yet provide plenty of range of motion to make the exercise effective. Place something under your chest to remind you when to stop lowering.
* If unable to complete a full push-up, push up from your knees or place your hands on the edge of a sofa or bench. These positions allow you to build strength; progress to a traditional push-up when you able to complete 8 to 12 repetitions of this version.
* If push-ups bother your wrists, hold onto small dumbbells on the floor instead of placing hands directly on the floor. This allows you to straighten your wrists and minimize pressure.
* It's important to also exercise the "pulling" muscles such as pull-ups, pull-downs or rowing exercises to ensure balanced upper-body strength.

How to fall asleep, how to sleep better, 50 ways to fall asleep

2008-03-22T13:12:00.000-07:00

1. Don't count sheep, according to a study that says.

2.

How to copy, transfer, move songs from an iPod to a PC or Mac computer

2008-03-09T16:38:00.000-07:00

You'll need to install software, because Apple has never allowed iPod-to-computer copying of MP3s and only recently enabled transfers of songs purchased from the iTunes Store.

From the Washington Post's Rob Pegoraro comes this advice: For Windows, try Music Rescue . It's free to try but will periodically remind you to pay (about $20 at current rates). Music Rescue also comes in a Mac version, but the free Senuti is a simpler option if you don't need features such as checking for duplicates between the iPod's collection and the computer's iTunes library. With each program, you have to enable an iPod's "disk use" option to make it appear as an extra hard drive on a Mac or PC's desktop. To do that, connect the iPod, let iTunes start up. Make sure you decline its offer to "Erase and Sync" your iPod. Select your iPod from the left-hand column and click the "Enable disk use" checkbox. (In versions older than iTunes 7, click the iPod icon in the bottom-right corner to change your iPod settings.)

About.com has many more choices for copying Songs from Your iPod to a Mac or PC.

EveryiPod.com has useful information about the transfer between computers.

Copying Content from your iPod to your Computer - The Definitive Guide takes an academic approach, with good troubleshooting comments at the end.

Lifehacker provides a straightforward approach for Windows users to transfer music from an iPod to a hard drive and invites reader comments. This is from 2005.

A guide to iPodRip, with lots of user comments having problems with the program.

How to remove paint with infrared heat, how to strip paint, Silent Paint Remover

2008-03-09T12:22:00.000-07:00

The This Old House website discusses a product that uses infrared rays to heat the substrate behind exterior house paint, loosening its bond to wood or metal. A product known as The Silent Paint Remover heats to a maximum temperature of only 500° F, well below wood's immolation point, it says.

Hold it over an area for 20 to 30 seconds, give it a quick scrape, and all the paint layers come off down to the bare wood.

As with all stripping methods that involve scraping down to bare wood, some sanding is necessary before the first coat of primer goes on. Scrapers have a tendency to burnish the wood, making it too smooth and shiny to take paint. Hit all the surfaces with a random-orbit sander and 80-grit paper to get good tooth for that first coat of primer.

Make your own infrared heat paint removal tool

A professional house painter describes making a lightweight version of the professional model by using an old heater. (Go to section 4.5). The site has lots of great information about painting houses.

Make your own infrared heat paint removal from scratch

A man restoring a home desribes in great detail how to make a infrared heat removal tool for about $115.

How to shave your face

2008-02-18T21:48:00.001-08:00

Esquire magazine reports on how to shave with a straight razor for 'eerily smooth results." To summarize:

1. Wet face with warm water and use a glycerin or lanolin-based shaving soap or paste.

2. Take a razor, like one at the artofshaving.com, so the blade sits at a 30-degree angle on the skin's surface. Shave with long, slow strokes; go with the grain. Start with cheeks and move to chin, lip, and neck.

3. Change hands when switching to the other side of the face, with your right hand working the left side and vice versa. Use your free hand to pull skin taut.

4. If you get cut, splash with cold water to tighten capillaries. Use a styptic pencil to clot bleeding.
5. Rinse, dry, apply alcohol-free aftershave or moisturizer.

Here are some good web sites for wet shaving:

1. Badger & Blade

2. ClassicShaving.com