How good are you at predicting how things will turn out in your life? How often have you said, “If only I get this thing, I’ll be happy...” or “If I lose my job, it will be a disaster…” . Generally, these kinds of predictions are wrong. Things often turn out much differently than we think they will. This episode begins by looking at why that happens. https://drhappy.com.au/2010/11/14/happiness-is-balancing-the-past-the-present-and-the-future/

Did you know that Nat King Cole’s “The Christmas Song” was written on a hot summer day? Or that Brenda Lee was only 13 when she recorded “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree”? These are just a few of the things you will discover as you listen to my guest Annie Zaleski. She is an editor and music journalist who is author of the book This Is Christmas, Song by Song: The Stories Behind 100 Holiday Hits (https://amzn.to/3ZomPBn)

Reducing our reliance on fossil fuels requires us to develop new sources of energy. While solar, wind, lithium batteries and other energy sources are often described as “clean” energy, they are not as clean as you might think. These alternative energies require metals and those metals must be mined and/or recycled – both of which which cause serious damage to the environment that you don’t often hear talked about. Joining me to explain why this should be a concern to every one is Vince Beiser. He is an award-winning journalist who has written for Wired, Harper’s, The Atlantic, and the New York Times and he is author of the book, Power Metal: The Race for the Resources That Will Shape the Future (https://amzn.to/3Vqw42v).

People used to blink more than they do now. You see, when you watch screens like your computer monitor, TV or cellphone, you tend not to blink as much. And there are consequences to that. Listen as I explain the problem and what you can do to help your eyes - since you are likely not blinking enough. Source: Dr. Robert Latkany, author of The Dry Eye Remedy https://amzn.to/4ggSDi5

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Congress Deadlocked As Possible Government Shutdown Looms

The NPR Politics Podcast

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