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March Events
Do You Have A Question About Car Maintenance That You Want Answered? We love to hear from all of our good friends and clients who enjoy reading our monthly newsletter. If you have a question about anything related to your vehicle, feel free to give us a call at 510-235-6000 or martysmotors.com Unmarked And Uncertain You're driving alone, at night, and an unmarked police car flashes its lights, signaling you to pull over. But what if it's not really the police? If you're not sure, move to a well-lighted, populated area - such as an open convenience store, police station, or other safe place - before stopping your car. Indicate your lawful intentions by turning on the emergency flashers or turn signals, and obeying all traffic laws. In many states, dialing #77 on your cell phone will connect you to the Highway Patrol, whom you can ask for verification. If that's not available, it's okay to call 911.
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Air Out House to Reduce Indoor Pollution If you suffer from eye irritations, headaches, nausea, or fatigue, your house could have "sick building syndrome" - a coin termed by the Environmental Protection Agency that refers to a phenomenon common in new homes and those that are well sealed against drafts. The biggest contaminants include:
ICE stands for "In Case of Emergency," and the International Association of EMTs and Paramedics,
along with police departments nationwide, urge cell phone users to program emergency contact information under that acronym in their cell phone address books. That way, medical personnel will immediately know whom to contact and their telephone number if the cell phone owner is incapacitated. (Note: Don't "lock" your phone - that is, program it so that it can't be used by anyone but you.) Paramedics suggest using "ICE-wife" or "ICE-Dad" if more than one contact is to be designated.
The Start Of Spring This year, the vernal equinox - the day when night and day are nearly the same length - starts on March 20th. According to American folklore, the first day of spring is the only time that a raw egg can be balanced on end because the sun's equidistant position between the poles of the earth generates special gravitational forces. This notion goes back to 1945, when a reporter for Life Magazine covered a Chinese ritual in which people balanced eggs on the first day of spring. But the Chinese calendar puts the first day of spring in early February, a month and a half before the equinox. This fact didn't stop Donna Henes, an artist and self-described ritual maker, from rallying 100 people in New York City in 1983 to balance eggs on March 20. At the hour and minute of the equinox, she stood her egg on end and announced, "Spring is here." The following year, 5,000 New Yorkers convened at the World Trade Center to repeat the egg ritual, meriting coverage by the New York Times. To this day, many news and radio stations repeat the story and urge people to balance eggs on the first day of spring. But myth busters say the yolk's on them because there are no such special gravitational forces at work on this day. It's possible to get an egg to balance upright on any day of the year - as long as you have the patience to do it.
Thank You!
Ann Vallient, Amanda Brunato, Eve Abbott |
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Thanks For The Kind Words "I went in certain I needed new brakes and a new clutch. He told me that I didn’t need new brakes or a new clutch, but my car needed a new distributor! Now my car is running fabulously. Finally a mechanic I can trust to be honest with me!" LJM Agency Chili Can Warm Your Heart, Chili is not really a Mexican dish. Some say the first recipe was written by a Spanish nun, Sister Mary of Agreda, in 1618. That was just the beginning. By the 1850s, Texas trail cooks planted chili peppers, oregano, and onion in mesquite patches (that kept cattle away) to be used on future trail drives. As a health-conscious cook today, your first priority is to start with good quality ground beef. Choose 83 percent to 85 percent lean in order to reduce fat content. Meat being its main ingredient, chili is high in protein, iron that fights fatigue, zinc that boosts immunity, and vitamins, B-6 for vitality, B-12 for healthy blood cells, niacin for nerves, and thiamine to convert blood sugar into energy. The tomato paste in chili brings abundant lycopene which fights free radicals before they can cause cancer. The onions in chili can raise HDL, the good cholesterol, thin the blood, and prevent hardening of the arteries. And they contain quercetin, a cancer fighter. The capsaicin in chili peppers is an anticoagulant that helps to keep blood clots from forming. It is also used to treat asthma and migraine headaches.
Anaheim Chili Put out this hearty dip for snacking during the Super Bowl: Combine 3 pounds of ground beef with 1 cup of finely chopped garlic. Simmer until the beef is brown, and remove the excess fat.
 For thicker chili, add a small can of
tomato paste or less water. For chili that's not
as hot, use fewer peppers.
Bring all ingredients to a boil and turn
down the stove to low. Simmer uncovered,
stirring frequently, for about 30 minutes.
Serves 6 or more.
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Kids Think 'Inside The Box' You always knew that little kids seem to like the box more than the toy. Now it's official. The National Toy Hall of Fame has given the cardboard box an honored place in its exhibit. At the Parents' Choice Foundation people wonder why it took so long. They say the Jack-in-the-Box and Candyland, which were both enshrined on the same day as the box, were never as attractive to kids. Maybe it's the smell of cardboard that they find so attractive, but it's more likely to be the endless possibilities of a big box. A child can get away from mom and dad, sister, and brother for hours in a box. USA Today's Craig Wilson says his box became a little crowded when his collie and the neighbor kid got in with him, but he didn't mind.Recognizing & Handling Poisons Correctly Every day, parents, grandparents, and caregivers are faced with children who develop new skills, seemingly overnight. We celebrate when they learn to crawl, walk, and climb, but those milestones coincide with the curiosity to explore. Rose Ann Soloway, R.N., Chairman of Poison Prevention Week Council, says one way kids explore is by picking things up and putting them into their mouths. Pills look like candy, cleaning products and automotive fluids look like soft drinks, and wild mushrooms look like food. The most important people in child poison prevention are the adults who care for them and create a safe environment. Some ways to do it:
 Follow the instructions given
to you by 911 or the Poison
Control Center.
Congratulations To Our Client Of The Month!
Every month, we choose a very special client of the month. It’s our way of acknowledging our great clients and saying thanks to those that support our business with referrals and repeat business.
This month’s Client of the Month is
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Do You Want To Win A Free 3-day / 2-night Mini-Vacation?
Take the trivia challenge and you just might win!
"Who is said to have written the first Chili recipe?" (Hint: the answer is somewhere in this newsletter)
Call right now with your answer!
The answer to last month’s trivia challenge was Margaret Pinkham
Serendipity And The Slinky Inventors keep an eye peeled for serendipity, an accidental discovery. They know that an object used for one purpose can become useful for something else. That's what happened in 1943 when Marine Engineer Richard James accidentally dropped a tension spring from a meter used to test battleship horsepower. The spring "walked" end-over-end all across the floor. And it made a charming noise while it was at it. James thought it would make a great toy and two years later, the first 400 were on the market at Christmas time. The slinky recently celebrated its 60th birthday. Today, kids still like them, and adults use them as stress relievers as they pass them from hand to hand.
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Rhyming Riddle Time
1. I'm always old, but sometimes new. Never sad, but sometimes blue. Never empty and sometimes full, I never push, but always pull. What am I?
The Lighter Side As they were driving to yet another dinner, Albert Einstein mentioned to his chauffeur (who resembled him) that he was very tired of speechmaking. The chauffeur said he had heard that speech so many times, he could give it himself. So Einstein let him do it. At the dinner, Einstein wore the chauffeur's cap and jacket and sat in the back of the room. The chauffeur gave a nice rendition of Einstein's speech. Then a pompous professor asked a question about antimatter formation. Without missing a beat, the chauffeur said, "Sir, the answer to that is so simple that I will let my chauffeur answer it!" 
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last update 11/02/05 |
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March 14th — Lunar Eclipse-Penumbral eclipse of the moon