I think they need to study a) older drivers (lots of factors involved in teen driving and crashes) and b) drivers in other states (there may be something wrong with the way driver’s ed is taught in Indiana)

If you have a teenaged driver, here’s a link to site with all sorts of useful info!

At least, that is what scientists say. Now, keep in mind, this is from a COMPLETELY biological point of view. It sounds like an interesting study, though. Here’s the article, from the UK’s Telegraph newspaper:

Scientists discovered that being able to pull off dance floor moves with the ease of John Travolta indicates strength and ability to produce healthy offspring

Researchers found that the men who women said looked attractive on the dance floor are actually physically stronger than those who are considered to have two left feet. This in turn indicates an ability to have strong children

Researchers recorded video clips of 40 heterosexual male students dancing to the drum track of the Robbie Williams song Let Me Entertain You.

They found those whose moves were rated attractive and assertive by members of the opposite sex were physically stronger than the others whose gyrations were below par.

Information about the participants’ clothing, their looks and body shape which could have produced bias was disguised by getting them to all wear white overalls.

Hand grip strength was also measured, according to the study published in New Scientist magazine.

Twenty-five female students then viewed the videos and rated the dancers for attractiveness while another 25 judged their assertiveness.

Even after controlling for body weight there were strong correlations between strength scores and both perceived attractiveness and assertiveness.

Dr Bernhard Fink, an anthropologist of Gottingen University in Germany, said: “We already know women use static cues such as facial and bodily characteristics in their assessments of men.

“This study shows dynamic cues such as dancing ability might also be used to assess male quality in terms of strength and dominance – traits which eventually signal status.”

The findings, also published in Personality and Individual Differences, show why uncoordinated men with two left feet and the dance floor prowess of Mr Bean can struggle to attract women.

It was Charles Darwin who first suggested dance was part of courtship rituals – something confirmed in nightclubs every weekend.

Back-to-school shopping can be expensive! (…and if you’re like me, you aren’t even done yet! Yikes!) The website, shopittome.com has been studying retailers patterns and they say there are specific “Savings windows” for everything and if you know WHEN to shop for certain things, you can save a lot of money. For example:

* For the biggest markdowns (41% off) on the most categories of boys’ clothing, Moms should shop on Wednesday.

* Discounts on girls’ clothing items online average 36% off most days of the week, but shop on Saturday for bigger sales on casual pants (63% off) and skirts (47% off).

* The best day to save on boys’ shoes is Friday for discounts on average of 54% off. For girls’ shoes and jeans, however, shop on Tuesday for the best price cuts (49% and 38%).

There is a LOT more over at www.shopittome.com

….and YES, there are best times to buy non-clothes items, too! According to smartmoney.com:

Appliances
When to buy: During a holiday weekend.
Why: You’ll find sales on select models all year long, but retailers bring out the big guns for holiday weekends, says Carolyn Forte, homecare director for the Good Housekeeping Institute. But don’t worry about spending your Fourth of July and Labor Day weekends shopping for a new fridge — smaller holidays like Columbus Day and President’s Day have their share of sales, too.

Baby Clothes
When to buy: During your pregnancy.
Why: Once you know your due date, keep an eye out for end-of-season clearances, recommends Alan Fields, co-author of “Baby Bargains.” “If you’re [newly] pregnant now, you know you’ll be having a baby next summer,” he says. “Well, right now, stores are closing out all the summer clothes.” You can pick up newborn essentials like onesies for less than half price. (For more ways to save, see our column Oh Baby!)

Broadway Tickets
When to buy: Hours before the curtain rises.
Why: How does a $25 front-row seat to the smash musical “Wicked” sound? Several musicals offer same-day ticket lotteries that offer up orchestra seats at inexpensive prices. If you’d rather not gamble on getting a seat, wait in line at the famous TKTS booth in Times Square. There, you can get tickets for hit musicals for up to 50% off. On a recent night, prime seats were available for “Hairspray,” “Rent,” “Sweeney Todd” and “Beauty & the Beast.” (For the right times to drop by TKTS, and other ways to save, see our column A Midsummer Night’s Dream.)

Cars
When to buy: Weekday mornings in September.
Why: By September, all the next year’s models have arrived at the lot, and dealers are desperate to get rid of the current year’s leftovers, says Phil Reed, consumer advice editor for Edmunds.com. It’s the prime time of year for incentives and sales, not to mention bargaining. “Any car that’s been on the lot for a long time loses its value in the eyes of the car salesman,” he says.

Heading to the dealership on a weekday morning also helps because there’s low foot traffic, meaning you’ll have ample time to negotiate and fewer people trying to buy the same car. The more demand, the less willing a salesman is to go down on price, says Reed. (For more, see our column Summer Car Savings.)

Champagne
When to buy: December
Why: Most people assume that because everyone wants a good bottle of Champagne for New Year’s Eve that prices go up during the holidays, says Sharon Castillo, director of the Office of Champagne, USA, which represents the trade association of growers in the Champagne region. But due to fierce competition among the Champagne houses, prices are actually lower during the holidays than they are at any other time of year. (For more on picking the right bottle, see our column Break Out the Bubbly.)

Clothing
When to buy: Thursday evenings, six to eight weeks after an item arrives in stores.
Why: After an item lingers in stores a month or more, retailers start dropping its price to get it out the door, says Kathryn Finney, author of “How to Be a Budget Fashionista.” These season-end clearances tend to be the same month that designers host fashion weeks (February and September) to preview the next fall or spring collections. So smart buyers can check the catwalk to see if any of this season’s trends — say, leggings or military-style jackets — will still be hot next year, and then scoop them up on clearance.

Hitting the mall on a weekday ensures you’ll get a good selection. “On the weekend, you’ll only get picked-over stuff because the stores don’t have time to restock,” she says. By Thursday, most of the weekend sales have begun, but everything available is on the floor.

Computers and electronics
When to buy: Just after a new model is launched.
Why: When the latest and greatest of a product is released, you’ll often see prices drop on what had previously been the best thing out there, says Tom Merritt, executive editor for CNET.

You’ve probably heard Neon Trees song, “Animal” on the Buzz….or on those tv commercials that make you want to visit Vegas…or a number of other places…..it’s everywhere and incredibly catchy!

Neon Trees are here in Portland tonight to play the Dew Action Sports Tour and before they go on stage (10 pm tonight), they stopped by The Buzz to play their song, “Animal” and to talk about their music….their love of Billy Ocean….their random encounters with German nudists….how Jared Leto stays ageless & beautiful….Tyler’s man-crush on Steve Carrell….and a lot more! Click below to listen. The song is at the end, but if you skip ahead, you miss one of the most fun chats I’ve had in a while.

A Chat and Performance from Neon Trees!

Neon Trees Play Animal

This Saturday’s Best Of Oregon Food & Wine Festival will include much more than delicious food & wine. You will also be able to hear 2009 Portland Music Award winners for Best band, Acoustic Minds. Jenni & Amanda Price are Acoustic Minds and they dropped by today to chat and play two of their brand new songs as a preview to what you can enjoy this Saturday at Best of Oregon! Click the link for more info. It’s happening at The Reserve Golf Club and is a benefit for Doernbecker Children’s Hospital.

Acoustic Minds talk Best of Oregon & Burning Man….and play two new songs!

acoustic minds

Katy Perry’s new project, “Teenage Dream” doesn’t come out until the 24th, but everybody’s already talking about one of the new songs that hasn’t yet hit the radio. It’s called “Circle The Drain” and is rumoured to be about her ex-boyfriend, Travie McCoy. If true….it sounds like pills, not cheating is what broke them up. The song definitely reminds me of “You Oughta Know” by Alanis Morissette and I think Katy sounds great with more of a rock edge (wish she would do that more)…. would love to hear your thoughts!

01 Circle the Drain by TPBSecretLeaks

…and since we’re sharing leaked tracks….there are a few more here, including songs that didn’t make it on to “Teenage Dream”. Enjoy!

Mary Roach makes me wish I’d paid more attention in science class. Her book about dead bodies, “Stiff” has earned me a few odd looks on airplanes, but it is one of the most fascinating and entertaining books about human cadavers that I have ever read. Ok, it’s the only book about human cadavers I have ever read, but I can’t imagine any science textbook being half this interesting or funny!

Mary has written a new book about the strange things space travel and zero gravity do to human bodies. It’s called “Packing For Mars” and if you’ve ever daydreamed about space travel, it’s a must read. Mary will be at Powell’s tomorrow (August 12), talking about her book and answering your questions…..but first, I got to ask her a few questions of my own!

Mary Roach talks about “Packing For Mars”
mary roach talks space oddities