Quick and Dirty Tips

Listen Now: The Broken Constitution
18 Tips to Get Ready for the Holiday Season
Here's Why Giving Is the Secret to Getting Ahead
9 Tips for Perfect Push-up Performance

Posted: 30 Nov 2021 11:42 AM PST

This is The Broken Constitution, a miniseries from Unknown History from Quick and Dirty Tips and Deep Background from Pushkin Industries. Below, you can listen to all three episodes of this special miniseries all about Abraham Lincoln. how he needed to break the Constitution in order to remake it. It's all based on the new book The Broken Constitution: Lincoln, Slavery, and the Refounding of America by Noah Feldman.

This series answers questions like:

Why was the Constitution before Lincoln's presidency a "compromise Constitution?"
How did Lincoln's attitude toward the Constitution change over the course of his presidency?
Why does it benefit us to think of the Constitution as a living document?

Navigate through the playlist above to listen. Be sure to follow Unknown History on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you listen to podcasts for more fascinating history, and if you want to hear more from Noah, check out his podcast Deep Background from Pushkin Industries. On Deep Background, he brings together a cross-section of guests to explore the historical, scientific, legal, and cultural context of today's news.

Want even more? Order The Broken Constitution wherever books or audiobooks are sold.

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18 Tips to Get Ready for the Holiday Season

Posted: 30 Nov 2021 11:00 AM PST

What to know when buying your holiday tree

Opting for a beautiful live tree this year? If you're getting a pre-cut tree, make sure you test its freshness before you buy it—you never know how long it's been sitting in the lot exposed to the elements. Try these quick tests to find the freshest tree possible:

The branch test: Grab a branch firmly between your fingers and gently pull it toward you, then let it go. If lots of needles shake off the tree, it's not fresh enough; if only a few needles fall, the tree is probably still in decent shape.
The fragrance test: Snap a needle in your fingers and give it good whiff—the needle should be moist and deliciously pine-scented. If you don't get a pungent dose of pine, the tree is likely drying out.

Inexpensive tree food

Did you know that sugar works as a tree food? Simply add some to the water each time you water your tree.

How to Enjoy the Holidays Without Wrecking Your Diet

Humidifier for a healthy tree

The heating system in your home can dry out your tree, dulling its color and piney fresh scent. To give your tree a healthy boost of moisture, place a humidifier in the room to counteract the drying heat—it'll stay fresh, and you can soak up the holiday spirit as long as possible.

Easy way to water your holiday tree

If you have trouble getting a watering can to reach underneath the lowest bows of your holiday tree, throw several ice cubes into the base each day to easily keep it watered.

Free tree stand

Instead of buying a stand for your tree, simply fill a bucket with sand. You can still water it, and you won't have to deal with the hassle of re-adjusting the stand so the tree isn't crooked.

Cat danger

Cat lovers, beware! When it's time to trim the tree, never use tinsel if you have a pet kitty. Cats love to play with tinsel and eat it, and it can be deadly if it gets stuck in their digestive system.

How to Simplify Your Holiday Celebration and Save Your Sanity

Popcorn garland tip

Making a popcorn garland for the holidays? Use dental floss! It's stronger than regular string, and less likely to break when you wrap it around the tree.

Save energy this season

Did you know that one strand of traditional holiday lights running five hours a day for 30 days can add up to $10 to your electricity bill? This Christmas, make sure you use LED lights, which will only run you 12¢ for the...

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Here's Why Giving Is the Secret to Getting Ahead

Posted: 29 Nov 2021 08:25 PM PST

With the approach of the American Thanksgiving holiday, many of us are focused on being thankful right now. And being thankful is something we should all do. Gratitude can give our minds and hearts a boost, especially when times are tough.

But "Thanksgiving" is a compound word that combines "thanks"—the gratitude I just mentioned—and "giving." So, let's give giving some air time today. And I'm not talking about the giving that involves financial donations to charitable causes (although, of course, do that if you can!) but the giving of yourself—your spirit, time, wisdom, and insight. Because as it turns out, being a giver at work is actually a competitive advantage. Research shows givers are the real winners.

Today we'll talk about the why, what, and how of being a professional giver. We'll cover strategies you can put to work today. Or at least after the turkey is fully digested.

Giving in action

Years ago, I started a new job. On day one, I met a giver named Ann. She took one look at my deer-in-headlights expression and invited me to lunch. She was generous and candid, sharing tips on how things really got done, offering to make introductions, and advising which pre-packaged items in the cafeteria were likely to induce salmonella.

That lunch was the first of many. Ann showed me the same generosity of spirit throughout my five years at that company. And my time wouldn't have been the same without her.

I've since left that job, but Ann remains a dear friend. She still works there her career has sky-rocketed. She's a senior, highly respected executive who still gives her time generously. Now, she's also, of course, excellent at what she doe—giving alone doesn't ensure success. But in a sea of high-performers, being a giver can offer just the competitive edge you need to win.

If this sounds squishy, rest assured ... I've got data.

What defines a giver?

Research conducted by Wharton professor Adam Grant (as described in this Fast Company interview) shows that people who are givers at work ultimately achieve the greatest long-term professional success. Grant defines success broadly and across industries, looking at measures like productivity and revenue production in business, and patient outcomes in healthcare.

Grant identifies three types of people.

Givers are those who "want to help others independent of an easily foreseeable payback. They...

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9 Tips for Perfect Push-up Performance

Posted: 29 Nov 2021 03:10 PM PST

Push-ups are a popular exercise for building upper body muscle strength and endurance. They work your triceps, chest, and shoulders while also strengthening your core when performed correctly.

For many people, including myself, push-ups are one of the first exercises we learn to perform. It's probably because it's one of the few exercises that's effective, yet doesn't require any equipment and can be performed just about anywhere.

With gyms closed and workout equipment sold out for several months during the early days of the pandemic, it became a staple upper body exercise for anyone wanting to stay in shape. I remember performing a twice weekly strength workout consisting of push-ups, pullups, and lunges with a backpack full of canned goods for resistance.

Although push-ups are familiar to many, few actually perform it in a way that maximizes strength and endurance gains while also reducing the risk of injuries.

9 tips for performing a perfect push-up

Before I delve into the tips for performing a perfect push-up, I'd like to first mention that there are a ton of push-up variations to choose from. For example, wide push-ups, diamond push-ups, incline push-ups, decline push-ups, just to name a few.

My focus here will be on the standard push-up that's performed on a flat surface with your hands directly under your shoulders. Your feet can be together or hip-width apart.

This variation of the push-up is good for just about anyone. Beginners can perform the standard push-up on their knees to reduce the resistance. Advanced exercisers can perform it with a weighted vest, plate, or, like me, backpack filled with canned goods on the back to increase the resistance.

With this in mind, let's jump into the 9 tips for perfect push-up performance.

Tip 1: Keep your middle finger pointed straight forward

With your hands directly under your shoulders, you want to ensure that your middle fingers are pointed straight forward. This...

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Food And Recipe Fusion

Tuesday, November 30, 2021