THE CHECK ENGINE LIGHT _ What’s the longest you’ve gone with a check engine light on? Someone asked on social media why our cars don’t tell us the reason the light is on. Especially newer cars, since they all have computer screens and it would be easy for car manufacturers to add a “diagnostics” option that brings up a list of car problems. One mechanic answered that “the car doesn’t always know. And neither does the diagnosing computer in the garage. (Most often.) The check engine light is there to tell you to go see a pro because something is wrong. The machine in the garage tells the pro where to start looking.” Hey auto mechanics, is this true? When you connect your computer to a car it’s not telling you why the check engine light is on?
PHRASES WE NEED TO STOP USING _ Part 1. Part 2 is tomorrow!
• “If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.” — This falls under the “you actually just said nothing” category.
• “I mean…” — Why call attention to the fact that you’re saying what you mean? Do you normally not say what you mean?
• “To be frank/to be honest…” — As opposed to the rest of the things you say, which are evasive?
• “Honestly…” — So what you’re saying is, “Typically I’m lying, but in this case I’m being honest.”
• “Just sayin’.” — Just sayin’ what?! And why do you feel the need to alert people that you are, indeed, speaking? “Just sayin’” is often followed by a rude statement, in a feeble attempt to soften the blow.
• “At the end of the day…” — Formerly known as “when it’s all said and done…”
THE KEY TO A STRESS-FREE VACATION _ Forget the beach. Forget a cruise. All you need for a stress-free vacation is to do one thing: turn off your work email and work-related apps, such as Slack. A study (University of California Irvine and United States Army) revealed that being cut off from work email significantly reduces stress.
