7 Old Wives Tales that are Actually True

Found on http://www.environmentalgraffiti.com/news-9-old-wives-tales-tell-truth on 8/23/11 Written by Michele Collet


Old wives' tales exist in every culture and are often so pervasive that we take them as the truth. Lately, science has shown that most are no more than legends, while surprisingly, others have turned out to be true.  From tales to do with fertility to teeth to cranberries, learn some of the ones your mother taught you that you should be listening to!

1. Drinking warm milk makes you sleepy

Not just because it contains the chemical Tryptophan - the same one found in turkey - which explains why everyone wants to take a nap after a turkey dinner - but because of the nice feeling, surprisingly enough.  There really isn't enough tryptophan in milk to make you sleep, trace amounts only, yet there is evidence that the psychological effect it gives you can make you sleepy. Andrew Klein says:

"Infants often go right to sleep after breastfeeding. When an adult enjoys a warm glass of milk, they may just be taking an unconscious, nostalgic trip back to this 'happy place.'" Who doesn’t enjoy a good suckle?

A study published in a recent issue ofNeuroendocrinology Letters found that infants go to sleep faster after feedings. While no research has yet examined this phenomenon in adults, it’s not unreasonable to suggest that milk-guzzling grown-ups are unconsciously reminded of an infantile state, which causes them to drift off."  Enjoy your warm milk with some honey or a tot in it, relax and drift off to dreamland.

2. An apple a day keeps the doctor away

Not only can apples keep the doctor away by helping your immune system with healthy food but studies at the University of Ulster  have found that apple phenols protect the DNA in colon cancer cells: "Our results indicate that a crude extract of apple phenolics can protect against DNA damage."

Researchers at Cornell University have found that up to six apples a day can prevent breast cancer in primates and believe this can be extrapolated to humans. "Consumption of apples may be an effective strategy for cancer protection," say the researchers. So have a glass of juice or eat one or two apples a day just like your mother told you!

3. Long, hot baths reduce sperm count

Science has found this to be true. A study conducted at the University of San Francisco asked men who normally took hour-long baths to shower instead. The surprising results were that half of the men had sperm counts that rose by 500 percent.

For the smokers out there - the other half were smokers, so that affects your sperm count as well.  Sperm needs to be cool, which explains why testes are outside the body rather than tucked up in the pelvic cavity.

4. Long labor, must be a boy

This one seemed destined for the untruth scrapheap but there may actually be some validity to it.  Researchers at Dublin's National Maternity Hospital published a study done on 8,000 births, showing that mothers of boys were significantly more likely to have longer labor and more complications. (Boys start causing trouble young, don't they?). So next time you are in labor and it takes longer, when you joke it must be a boy, chances are you may be right!

5. Eat your carrots

The old wives have it partly right here! It doesn't make you see any better in the dark to eat your carrots, nor does it sharpen your vision, but it does reduce the risk of getting macular degeneration, which will blind you in the end. Very common for seniors, so eat your carrots starting now.

6. Gain a child, lose a tooth

New York University College of Dentistry did a study of close to 3,000 women and the surprising results showed a link between tooth and gum disease and the number of pregnancies a woman had. Pregnancy actually raises the risk of gingivitis (gum disease).

Dr. Stephanie Russel says it means that the more outbreaks of it, the higher the risk of periodontal disease. It really is interesting to think how women with none of the science knowledge and often little education realized the two were linked a hundred years or more ago!

7. Drink cranberry juice for a bladder infection

This one we have all heard of but may not know why. A study done at Harvard Medical School showed that the properties in cranberries destroy bacteria clinging to the wall of the bladder.  It also works with blackberry juice if you are lucky enough to be able to get that!

16 job search errors often made

Found on http://www.cnn.com/2011/LIVING/08/15/job.search.mistakes.cb/index.html?iref=obnetwork on 8-26-11 By Rachel Farrell, CareerBuilder.com August 15, 2011 9:11 a.m. EDT


STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• Employers share common job search mistakes that prevent job seekers from being hired


• Check your references, keep your options open, don't always take "no" as final


• Don't bring a bad attitude, lack of tact or messy briefcase to interview


• Search yourself on the Internet to see what an employer may find

(CareerBuilder.com) -- Over the years, hiring managers have born witness to every hiring, interviewing, résumé, cover letter and negotiation mistake there is.

You know what these blunders are. Yet you (and hundreds of other job seekers) continue to make common job search mistakes.

From those who see your mistakes over and over, here are 16 common job search mistakes to avoid -- and some of them may surprise you.

1. You don't keep your options open

"Candidates tend to think that if they interview for a job they will get an offer, so they do not apply and interview for multiple positions," says Joanie Spain, director of public relations and career services, School of Advertising Art, a graphic design college. "They wait until one plays out completely, putting their job search on hold until knowing for sure they didn't get the offer."

"By having many more irons in the fire, you diversify the risk and disappointment that is inevitable when any single opportunity disappears," adds Roy Cohen, author of "The Wall Street Professional's Survival Guide: Success Secrets of a Career Coach."

"You also present yourself as a more passionate and energetic candidate. You're in the 'zone' -- a point where you're in the flow of information and ideas -- and that makes you more valuable."

2. You turn up your nose at job descriptions

"Entry-level candidates are reluctant to apply for a position unless the job sounds like their 'dream job' or they have all qualifications listed," Spain says.

"Rather than going on an interview to get more information, they base decisions about applying on the job description alone. They fail to see that all interview experience is good experience, or that, until there is an offer on the table, there is no decision to make."

3. You haven't perfected the thank-you note

"Don't be too verbose with a thank-you note after an interview. Sending out a version of "War and Peace" can come across as desperate and needy for a job. However, sending a one or two sentence thank-you note comes across as flippant, not well thought-out and potentially shows indifference regarding the job to the employer," says Mike Barefoot, senior account manager at Red Zone Resources, a recruitment firm.

"We encourage candidates to keep them to four to eight sentences."

4. You don't check your references

"Always give out references that you've pre-screened. We sometimes see candidates give out references that were never checked with and the references feedback isn't always kind," Barefoot says.

"Also, make sure they're predominantly managers. An occasional colleague is okay, but contemporaries and friends really don't carry that much weight in helping you land a position."

5. You've got poor business acumen

"Managers are becoming more savvy and are taking candidates out to lunch for interviews. They want to see how you treat a restaurant staff and see the 'real' you. If you're rude to them or don't seem appreciative for their hard work to make your meal pleasurable, managers wonder how you'll treat contemporaries you work with," Barefoot says.

6. You have a messy briefcase

"A messy briefcase can imply the person is unorganized, messy and unprepared, and that their work will be less than optimal," says Ronald Kaufman, author of "Anatomy of Success."

"Someone who is neat, clean, organized and prepared in all areas conveys they're serious about getting a job and working."

7. You discount temporary positions

"Many employers coming out of a recession want to hire on a temporary or temp- to perm- basis. We have already seen several contractors be offered permanent positions after they have proven themselves," says Jeffrey Weinstock, Esq. president, Rhodes & Weinstock, a recruiting firm.

"Not only will the temporary position pay some bills, think of it as an audition for a potential perm position, or at least a way to get a good reference for another position."

8. You have a bad attitude

"Poor attitudes come through in telephone calls and in interviews. If you are not positive, why would a potential employer want to hire you?" asks Weinstock. "It may take some time, but by being positive, by doing all the right things, by seeing each position as an opportunity, it will happen."

9. You include too much work history

"Many job seekers over 40 think that they have to take their work history back to their first job out of college," says Cheryl E. Palmer, career coach and résumé writer. " All that is needed is the last 10-15 years of your work history."

10. You use your work email address on your résumé

"Some people do not regularly check their personal email, so they use their employers' email instead," Palmer says. "This sends a negative message to potential employers that the job seekers will not hesitate to use their equipment for personal use."

11. You take "no" as a final answer

"No" usually only means "no" for that position, says Bruce Hurwitz, president and CEO, Hurwitz Strategic Staffing, LTD.

"If you are rejected for a job you should send a thank-you note, thank the employer for the opportunity, and wish them well. No one does that. When the next opening comes around, he'll remember you," says Hurwitz.

12. You lack tact

"Be determined without being pushy. Calling or emailing to ask about the status of your résumé or interview can be a double-edged sword," says Rod Hughes, director of communications, Oxford Communications.

"A tactful follow up can place you top of mind with the hiring manager, while incessant calling or emailing can push your résumé right off the table."

13. You don't search for yourself on the Internet

"Your would-be employer is probably going to look you up online, so you should know what is out there," says Amanda O'Brien, vice president of marketing, Hall Web Services.

"Clean up what you can, check your privacy settings on social networks and if it is something you can't get down off the internet, you may want to consider talking to the company about it."

14. You have a 'death by bullets' résumé

"Bullets are great but they need context. Keep them to one line, focused on a result and include a figure like a fact, percentage or number," says Adriana Llames, author of "Career Sudoku: 9 Ways to Win the Job Search Game." "Or, put the information in a short summary of the position."

15. You've got a scattered strategy

"Looking for a job in any industry and with two or three résumés is going to get the same result as the strategy: scattered," Llames says. "Job seekers with a clearly defined, focused and organized strategic approach to their job search end up with clear results -- and a new job."

16. You think it's about you

It is not about you and your need for a job -- it is about the prospective employer and their need to run a successful business and make money, says Lori B. Rassas, employment attorney and author of "Employment Law: A Guide to Hiring, Managing and Firing for Employers and Employees."

"Many applicants mistakenly believe they will be an appealing candidate if they explain they will accept any type of job offer at any salary because they have been laid off, unemployed for an extended period of time, have children in college, or are having difficulty making the mortgage payments," she says.

"Even if all of those circumstances are true, candidates need to craft a different message, focusing on how they can benefit the employer by saving them money, streamlining processes, creating additional sources of revenue and bringing overall value to the company."

I AM

Sometimes I like to use my blog to share with you inspiring things that I have seen or heard. This documentary, which many of you may already have seen, really struck a chord in me, somewhere so deeply hidden that I had forgotten it was there, and I have only seen the trailer thus far... I am now frantically looking for a place where I can see it or (legally!) download it. I leave you with the official description of the film, the trailer and the hope you will go and see it, pass it on, and that it will change your lives too. Happy trails, Bart.

I AM is an utterly engaging and entertaining non-fiction film that poses two practical and provocative questions: what’s wrong with our world, and what can we do to make it better? The filmmaker behind the inquiry is Tom Shadyac, one of Hollywood’s leading comedy practitioners and the creative force behind such blockbusters as “Ace Ventura,” “Liar Liar,” “The Nutty Professor,” and “Bruce Almighty.” However, in I AM, Shadyac steps in front of the camera to recount what happened to him after a cycling accident left him incapacitated, possibly for good. Though he ultimately recovered, he emerged with a new sense of purpose, determined to share his own awakening to his prior life of excess and greed, and to investigate how he as an individual, and we as a race, could improve the way we live and walk in the world.

Armed with nothing but his innate curiosity and a small crew to film his adventures, Shadyac set out on a twenty-first century quest for enlightenment. Meeting with a variety of thinkers and doers–remarkable men and women from the worlds of science, philosophy, academia, and faith–including such luminaries as David Suzuki, Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Lynne McTaggart, Ray Anderson, John Francis, Coleman Barks, and Marc Ian Barasch – Shadyac appears on-screen as character, commentator, guide, and even, at times, guinea pig. An irrepressible “Everyman” who asks tough questions, but offers no easy answers, he takes the audience to places it has never been before, and presents even familiar phenomena in completely new and different ways. The result is a fresh, energetic, and life-affirming film that challenges our preconceptions about human behavior while simultaneously celebrating the indomitable human spirit.

The pursuit of truth has been a lifelong passion for Shadyac. “As early as I can remember I simply wanted to know what was true,” he recalls, “and somehow I perceived at a very early age that what I was being taught was not the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” He humorously describes himself as “questioning and searching and stumbling and fumbling toward the light.” The “truth” may have been elusive, but success wasn’t. Shadyac’s films grossed nearly two billion dollars and afforded him the glamorous and extravagent A-List lifestyle of the Hollywood blockbuster filmmaker. Yet Shadyac found that more – in his case, a 17,000-square foot art-filled mansion, exotic antiques, and private jets — was definitely less. “What I discovered, when I began to look deeply, was that the world I was living in was a lie,” he explains. “Much to my surprise, the accumulation of material wealth was a neutral phenomenon, neither good or bad, and certainly did not buy happiness.” Gradually, with much consideration and contemplation, he changed his lifestyle. He sold his house, moved to a mobile home community, and started life—a simpler and more responsible life – anew.

But, at this critical juncture, Shadyac suffered an injury that changed everything. “In 2007, I got into a bike accident which left me with Post Concussion Syndrome, a condition where the symptoms of the original concussion don’t go away.” These symptoms include intense and painful reactions to light and sound, severe mood swings, and a constant ringing sound in the head. Shadyac tried every manner of treatment, traditional and alternative, but nothing worked. He suffered months of isolation and pain, and finally reached a point where he welcomed death as a release. “I simply didn’t think I was going to make it,” he admits.

But, as Shadyac wisely points out, “Death can be a very powerful motivator.” Confronting his own mortality, he asked himself, “If this is it for me – if I really am going to die – what do I want to say before I go? What will be my last testament?” It was Shadyac’s modern day dark night of soul and out of it, I AM was born. Thankfully, almost miraculously, his PCS symptoms began to recede, allowing him to travel and use his movie-making skills to explore the philosophical questions that inhabited him, and to communicate his findings in a lively, humorous, intellectually-challenging, and emotionally-charged film.

But this would not be a high-octane Hollywood production. The director whose last film had a crew of 400, assembled a streamlined crew of four, and set out to find, and film, the thinkers who had helped to change his life, and to seek a better understanding of the world, its inhabitants, their past, and their future. Thus, Shadyac interviews scientists, psychologists, artists, environmentalists, authors, activists, philosophers, entrepreneurs, and others in his quest for truth. Bishop Desmond Tutu, Dr. Noam Chomsky, historian Dr. Howard Zinn, physicist Lynne McTaggart, and poet Coleman Banks are some of the subjects who engage in fascinating dialogue with Shadyac.

Shadyac was very specific about what he was after, wanting I AM to identify the underlying cause of the world’s ills – “I didn’t want to hear the usual answers, like war, hunger, poverty, the environmental crisis, or even greed,” he explains. “These are not the problems, they are the symptoms of a larger endemic problem. In I AM, I wanted to talk about the root cause of the ills of the world, because if there is a common cause, and we can talk about it, air it out in a public forum, then we have a chance to solve it.”

Ironically, in the process of trying to figure out what’s wrong with the world, Shadyac discovered there’s more right than he ever imagined. He learned that the heart, not the brain, may be man’s primary organ of intelligence, and that human consciousness and emotions can actually affect the physical world, a point Shadyac makes with great humor by demonstrating the impact of his feelings on a bowl of yogurt. And, as Shadyac’s own story illustrates, money is not a pathway to happiness. In fact, he even learns that in some native cultures, gross materialism is equated with insanity.

Shadyac also discovers that, contrary to conventional thinking, cooperation and not competition, may be nature’s most fundamental operating principle. Thus, I AM shows consensus decision-making is the norm amongst many species, from insects and birds to deer and primates. The film further discovers that humans actually function better and remain healthier when expressing positive emotions, such as love, care, compassion, and gratitude, versus their negative counterparts, anxiety, frustration, anger and fear. Charles Darwin may be best known for popularizing the notion that nature is red in tooth and claw, but, as Shadyac points out, he used the word love 95 times in The Descent of Man, while his most famous phrase,survival of the fittest, appears only twice.

“It was a revelation to me that for tens of thousands of years, indigenous cultures taught a very different story about our inherent goodness,” Shadyac marvels. “Now, following this ancient wisdom, science is discovering a plethora of evidence about our hardwiring for connection and compassion, from the Vagus Nerve which releases oxytocin at simply witnessing a compassionate act, to the Mirror Neuron which causes us to literally feel another person’s pain. Darwin himself, who was misunderstood to believe exclusively in our competitiveness, actually noted that humankind’s real power comes in their ability to perform complex tasks together, to sympathize and cooperate.”

Shadyac’s enthusiastic depiction of the brighter side of human nature and reality, itself, is what distinguishes I AM from so many well-intentioned, yet ultimately pessimistic, non-fiction films. And while he does explore what’s wrong with the world, the film’s overwhelming emphasis is focused on what we can do to make it better. Watching I AM is ultimately, for many, a transformative experience, yet Shadyac is reluctant to give specific steps for viewers who have been energized by the film. “What can I do?” “I get asked that a lot,” he says. “But the solution begins with a deeper transformation that must occur in each of us. I AM isn’t as much about what you can do, as who you can be. And from that transformation of being, action will naturally follow.”

Shadyac’s transformation remains in process. He still lives simply, is back on his bicycle, riding to work, and teaching at a local college, another venue for sharing his life-affirming discoveries. Reflecting Shadyac’s philosophy is the economic structure of the film’s release; all proceeds from I AM will go to The Foundation for I AM, a non-profit established by Shadyac to fund various worthy causes and to educate the next generation about the issues and challenges explored in the film. When he directs another Hollywood movie, the bulk of his usual eight-figure fee will be deposited into a charitable account, as well. “St. Augustine said, ‘Determine what God has given you, and take from it what you need; the remainder is needed by others.’ That’s my philosophy in a nutshell,” Shadyac says, “Or as Gandhi put it, ‘Live simply, so others may simply live.’”

Shadyac’s enthusiasm and optimism are contagious. Whether conducting an interview with an intellectual giant, or offering himself as a flawed character in the narrative of the film, Shadyac is an engaging and persuasive guide as we experience the remarkable journey that is I AM. With great wit, warmth, curiosity, and masterful storytelling skills, he reveals what science now tells us is one of the principal truths of the universe, a message that is as simple as it is significant: We are all connected – connected to each other and to everything around us. “My hope is that I AM is a window into Truth, a glimpse into the miracle, the mystery and magic of who we really are, and of the basic nature of the connection and unity of all things. In a way,” says Shadyac, a seasoned Hollywood professional who has retained his unerring eye for a great story, “I think of I AM as the ultimate reality show.”

Written & Directed by: Tom Shadyac

Producer: Dagan Handy

Editor: Jennifer Abbott

Co-Producer: Jacquelyn Zampella

Associate Producer :: Nicole Pritchett

Director of Photography: Roko Belic

Executive Producers: Jennifer Abbott, Jonathan Watson

Media and PR Coordinator: Harold Mintz

Graphic Designers: Yusuke Nagano, Barry Thompson

Release Dates: March 11, 2011 – Los Angeles, March 18, 2011 – New York

Running Time: 80 minutes

Rating: Not rated

Dave Packard's 11 simple rules

Found on http://www.hp.com/retiree/history/founders/packard/11rules.html on 8-19-11

"Elegant" and "timeless" describe 11 simple rules first presented by Dave Packard at HP's second annual management conference in 1958 in Sonoma, California.
Discovered in Dave's correspondence file, these rules show his philosophy of work and life.

11 Simple Rules

1. Think first of the other fellow. This is THE foundation — the first requisite — for getting along with others. And it is the one truly difficult accomplishment you must make. Gaining this, the rest will be "a breeze."

2. Build up the other person's sense of importance. When we make the other person seem less important, we frustrate one of his deepest urges. Allow him to feel equality or superiority, and we can easily get along with him.

3. Respect the other man's personality rights. Respect as something sacred the other fellow's right to be different from you. No two personalities are ever molded by precisely the same forces.

4. Give sincere appreciation. If we think someone has done a thing well, we should never hesitate to let him know it. WARNING: This does not mean promiscuous use of obvious flattery. Flattery with most intelligent people gets exactly the reaction it deserves — contempt for the egotistical "phony" who stoops to it.

5. Eliminate the negative. Criticism seldom does what its user intends, for it invariably causes resentment. The tiniest bit of disapproval can sometimes cause a resentment which will rankle — to your disadvantage — for years.

6. Avoid openly trying to reform people. Every man knows he is imperfect, but he doesn't want someone else trying to correct his faults. If you want to improve a person, help him to embrace a higher working goal — a standard, an ideal — and he will do his own "making over" far more effectively than you can do it for him.

7. Try to understand the other person. How would you react to similar circumstances? When you begin to see the "whys" of him you can't help but get along better with him.

8. Check first impressions. We are especially prone to dislike some people on first sight because of some vague resemblance (of which we are usually unaware) to someone else whom we have had reason to dislike. Follow Abraham Lincoln's famous self-instruction: "I do not like that man; therefore I shall get to know him better."

9. Take care with the little details. Watch your smile, your tone of voice, how you use your eyes, the way you greet people, the use of nicknames and remembering faces, names and dates. Little things add polish to your skill in dealing with people. Constantly, deliberately think of them until they become a natural part of your personality.

10. Develop genuine interest in people. You cannot successfully apply the foregoing suggestions unless you have a sincere desire to like, respect and be helpful to others. Conversely, you cannot build genuine interest in people until you have experienced the pleasure of working with them in an atmosphere characterized by mutual liking and respect.

11. Keep it up. That's all — just keep it up!

Found on http://www.cnn.com/2011/08/19/travel/popular-travel-scams-bt/index.html?hpt=hp_c2 By Ray Pagliarulo, BudgetTravel.com updated 10:44 AM EST, Fri August 19, 2011

(Budget Travel) -- You may have heard of, or fallen victim to, the old "catch my baby while we pick your pockets" scheme. The new class of tourist rip-off makes that look like chump change.

Orlando

Here's a scam so bad even Mickey Mouse took a stand. Guests in hotels around Disney World have been finding pizza delivery menus conveniently slipped under their doors, but place an order -- and make the mistake of giving your credit card number -- and you'll really pay. The phone number isn't connected to a pizza parlor but to identity thieves. Disney World supported a law designed to crack down on the people handing out the fliers, but Orlando police say the problem persists.

Solution: If you're craving a slice, get a recommendation from the hotel.

Budget Travel: 10 new wonders of the world

Vietnam

In Vietnam, open-ended bus tickets are the best way to travel at your own pace between Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi, and the Sinh Tourist line is widely considered the best. So widely considered, in fact, its many impostors call themselves Sinh Tourist, too. Because of Vietnam's lax intellectual property laws, it's difficult to know which Sinh is the real deal. Take the wrong carrier, and you'll get iffy service or, worse, an unexpected overnight stop at an overpriced hotel in cahoots with the bus line. "In summary," says Stuart McDonald of travelfish.org, a travel advice site covering Southeast Asia, "it is a snake pit!"

Solution: Always use the bus company's official website:thesinhtourist.vn.

New York City

New Yorkers are famously pushy, but Times Square's so-called CD Bullies take the stereotype to new lows. A guy on the corner barks, "Check out my music!" and hands you what seems to be a free copy of his CD. He's so nice, he'll even offer to autograph it. But once the disc is in your hands, the aspiring rapper -- suddenly surrounded by friends -- refuses to take it back. You need to pay $10 or so to stop them from menacing you.

Solution: If the musician won't take the CD, gently place it on the ground and walk away.

Las Vegas

You go to Vegas to gamble, but you don't want to risk your luggage, too. Sin City's cabdrivers are notoriously sketchy; one common scam involves a cabbie who insists on unloading your bags at your hotel or the airport. He says he's in a rush, slams the trunk and speeds away. Only later do you notice that one of your bags is missing. "When you're coming to Vegas, you gotta be on your A-game with your stuff," says Sergeant Jerry MacDonald of the Las Vegas Police Department. "Trust me when I tell you, they'll snatch your luggage up faster than you can blink an eye."

Solution: Note the driver's name, cab number and company when you get in; that way, if anything should happen, you have recourse.

Budget Travel: Secret beaches of North America

United States

Some criminals who want your money are brazen enough to come right out and ask. An increasingly common scam involves hotel guests who receive a phone call in the middle of the night from someone claiming to work at the front desk. There's been a problem with your credit card, they say. Could you read the number back one more time? The scammers are banking you'll do something while half-asleep that you never should -- give out credit card info by phone.

Solution: Hang up and call the front desk directly to make sure the request is legit.

Egypt

The pyramids around Cairo are one of the world's best photo ops, and some tourists up the ante by posing on the back of a camel. Often, there are trainers standing by to coax the eight-foot-tall, 1,500-pound animals to lie down passively in preparation for riding. Once you've paid your $15 and mounted the beast, though, some touts will insist that you pay again to disembark and hold you hostage on the hump until you do.

Solution: "Never just get on a random guy's camel," says Kara Lucchesi of STA Travel. Stick to rides arranged via an established tour company.

Bali

Bali has an altogether unexpected kind of crook -- the monkeys who are so beloved that they have their own sacred forest and temple, where they're allowed to roam free. These monkeys can have sticky fingers, going after food if it piques their interest -- and, worse, valuables. Some enterprising locals are usually on-hand to coax the monkey to give back its plunder, though they'll ask for a small tip of up to $3.50.

Solution: Seek out a staff member for assistance if a monkey snatches something from you. Better yet: hold on tightly to purses and backpacks and remove and secure glasses or anything else that can be easily purloined.

Budget Travel: 12 restaurants with spectacular views

Rome

While some pickpockets make their living on not being noticed, others do it by getting aggressive and in your face -- then ripping you off while you're distracted. Rome is home to the infamous "fake baby" ruse, which sees a woman trip and throw a bundled doll into your arms, or just drop it on the ground, in an attempt to draw your attention away from pickpockets, often children, nicking your wallet or making away with your camera bag.

Solution: Beware of women who "throw" their babies or any other unusual distractions.

Bolivia

The cramped and congested passageways of Cochabamba's famed La Cancha -- the largest market in Bolivia -- make it the perfect staging ground for "the squeeze." Overwhelmed by the chaos and distracted by the overflowing stalls, you might find yourself suddenly pressed among a group of burly men, unable to move your arms. By the time the surprise wears off, the thugs have already rummaged through your pockets and disappeared.

Solution: Pay extra attention at cross-streets, which lend themselves to fast approaches and easy escapes.

Colombia

It costs nothing to spend the day at Barú Island's Playa Blanca, which with its white sands and crystal Caribbean surf might be Colombia's most beautiful beach. Lying on your towel, you might feel a pair of warm hands on your shoulders, and hear the soothing voice of a woman saying to accept this massage as a gift. Tempting, but if you aren't prepared to part with at least $10 in pesos, the price will be an especially histrionic fight.

Solution: Remember, there is no such thing as a free massage.