Winter or summer – flying can be tough. Their is a new trend called rawdogging, but there are better ways to make flying cough, or gulp, in the middle seat better…

Travel is remaining strong and the airlines are packing in more and more people to the same planes. The average legrooms decreased from a comfortable 35 inches to a cramped 28 inches, often found on low-cost carriers. While the actual seat width has also shrunk by as much as four inches over the past 30 years, leaving many seats with a narrow 16-inch width. So long flights in the middle seat can be a challenge, but the good thing is the right prep and mind set can make it more tolerable.

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There is a new trend among some males called rawdogging. It takes the form of a monk-like asceticism while in the air, denying any entertainment, reading, food and just focusing on the space ahead. Apparently you can stare at the flight tracker as the only distraction. While meditation can make the trip a more enlightened experience, this sounds somewhat awful…especially for flights over 4 hours. Instead, here are the best tips surviving a plane middle seat.

Store your bag in the overhead bin

In order to stretch your legs and have some more space, take out all the items you need – headphones, water, books, tablets – and store your bag in the overhead bin. Just because flight attendants say there’s not enough space in the plane doesn’t mean that you should be in pain.

Have headphones and entertainment in hand

Having a middle seat means you are between two people, increasing the odds of having a talkative neighbor. Have a pair of efficient headphones in order to have an easy way out to talkative neighbors or just escape mental. Ways to lose your way while reading or getting lost in a movie another way.  Load something you have really loved or want to enjoy so you can savor it even in tight quarters. This could be your change to binge watch something on your list.

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Use the restroom before boarding

Before the whole plane boarding mayhem begins, make some time to visit the bathroom. Being in the middle seat means that you’ll likely be awoken by your window neighbor when they’re on their way to the restroom and you’ll have a hard time going there yourself if you’re shy about waking the person that’s on the aisle seat.

Gummies – either CBD or marijuana

Researchers at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Chicago report low levels tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, the main psychoactive compound in marijuana, does reduce stress. A discreet gummy can make the trip more relaxing and you might enjoy your entertainment of choice better. If you want the benefits without the high, consider a CBD gummy.  Just make sure you plan for the timing as most gummies take longer to absorb into the system.

Pay extra and avoid it

If you still find the middle seat too uncomfortable, pay extra for an aisle or a window seat and avoid all of this drama. While getting a seat upgrade generally comes with a significant bump in ticket price, you’ll at least have the space you want for sleeping and stretching.

It is the big American holiday – but did you know these things?

The 4th of July is when the US celebrates its Independence Day. It is the huge summer holiday filled with bbq, fireworks, parades and more.  But did you know these things about the holiday?  The first organized celebration took place in 1777 in Philadelphia and Boston.  Four years later, Massachusetts made it an official state holiday. It wasn’t until almost a hundred years later when made it a federal holiday in 1870.  It was part of a package including New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

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Almost 87% of people plan to celebrate the day.  A whopping 47% plan on purchasing alcohol as one way to mark the founding of the country.  Beer is the top choice, followed by wine and then alcohol.

But despite those big numbers – did you know this is the most popular thing about the holiday – fireworks. They were there at the beginning and remain popular with 60% looking to watch the show. And not just the planned community as seen on TV fireworks. Since Covid, firework sales in America have grown to $2.3 billion, local American pyromaniacs spent three times more on fireworks in 2023 than they did in 2012.

And did you know blue is one of the hardest colors to make in a firework? The Italians in the 1800s figured out how to add colors. Putting metal salts which would glow and emit bright colors when heated created the dazzling spectrums of lights. While the boom is made by the explosion of gunpowder, the snap, crackle and pop are made with a little chemistry. The campfire-like crackle comes from small granules of bismuth compounds. The granules burn quickly, one after the other, giving the famed crackling sound.

The holiday is filled filled with food and 58% of the country will be grilling or barbecuing.  Grocery stories are making a killing selling top favorites of burger patties, hot dogs, deli salads, vegetable trays and mixed fresh vegetables, and potato chips (in that order). In a survey, ketchup is a top condiment for burgers followed by mustard, then mayo. When is comes to what to put on the burger cheese is at 67%, followed by lettuce then tomatoes.

For extreme eating, Nathan’s National Hot Dog Eating Contest can fill you up! The first was held in 1972 and continues at the original location on Coney Island. In the late 1990s and early 2000s, the competition was dominated by the Japanese, but winners have branched out since. It is part of Major League Eating (MLE), the organization overseeing professional competitive eating events and television specials. While there are 150 million hot dogs eaten on the 4th, the world record at the contest is 76 within 10 minutes. Condiments are not allowed.

While the Flintstone’s did a July 4th special when they were in prime time (pre-streaming), the holiday also received a classic Rankin Bass stop-motion special. They squeezed the famous holiday characters Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer into a special to save the 4th. They mixed in a circus, magic, Mrs. Claus and more.

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On the other end of the entertainment spectrum is the famous Boston Symphony Fireworks concert. Started originally in 1929 with the first free Esplanade Concert, it was revived in 1974 and continues on TV to the delight of music lovers.

And lastly, did you know this about the 4th Of July? For the romantic minded, the backdrop of fireworks, beer and burgers make the 4th the 10th most popular day for marriage proposals.