The Dailies

So you’re between the ages of 13 and 24. What makes you happy? A worried, weary parent might imagine the answer to sound something like this: Sex, drugs, a little rock ‘n’ roll. Maybe some cash, or at least the car keys.

Turns out the real answer is quite different. Spending time with family was the top answer to that open-ended question, according to an extensive survey — more than 100 questions asked of 1,280 people ages 13-24 — conducted by The Associated Press and MTV on the nature of happiness among America’s young people.

Next was spending time with friends, followed by time with a significant other. And even better for parents: Nearly three-quarters of young people say their relationship with their parents makes them happy.

“They’re my foundation,” says Kristiana St. John, 17, a high-school student from Queens in New York. “My mom tells me that even if I do something stupid, she’s still going to love me no matter what. Just knowing that makes me feel very happy and blessed.”

Other results are more disconcerting. While most young people are happy overall with the way their lives are going, there are racial differences: the poll shows whites to be happier, across economic categories, than blacks and Hispanics. A lot of young people feel stress, particularly those from the middle class, and females more than males.

You might think money would be clearly tied to a general sense of happiness. But almost no one said “money” when asked what makes them happy, though people with the highest family incomes are generally happier with life. However, having highly educated parents is a stronger predictor of happiness than income.

And sex? Yes, we were getting to that. Being sexually active actually leads to less happiness among 13-17 year olds, according to the survey. If you’re 18 to 24, sex might lead to more happiness in the moment, but not in general.

From the body to the soul: Close to half say religion and spirituality are very important. And more than half say they believe there is a higher power that has an influence over things that make them happy. Beyond religion, simply belonging to an organized religious group makes people happier.

And parents, here’s some more for you: Most young people in school say it makes them happy. Overwhelmingly, young people think marriage would make them happy and want to be married some day. Most also want to have kids.

Finally, when asked to name their heroes, nearly half of respondents mentioned one or both of their parents. The winner, by a nose: Mom.

Can you believe that Pasay City vice mayor asking the MMDA chief Bayani Fernando to give more time for the squatters instead of agreeing with him that the families squatting under the bridge (that will soon overflow with water from the river due to the recent typhoon) that it’s time for them to leave? The water under the bridge is overflowing and the squatters were actually submerged with flood water already and yet the vice mayor insists that the people should be given more time. More time for what? To stay put and drown?

These people, instead of tolerating their ‘squatting’ activities, should be given by the government decent housing programs that they can avail of. No, please, NOT in Sapang Palay! The people who relocated there are in the metro once again, squatters once more. The place is just too far away and there’s no jobs available for them there. Naturally, those people will go back to the metro to find jobs. What will they do with a decent place to live in when their stomachs are empty.

I am not in favor of the demolition jobs conducted by MMDA. It’s barbaric. There is a much better way of relocating all those squatters, I believe. But this time (it was in the news last night), the MMDA people were right in forcing those squatters to move. They will drown in that place. Tsk tsk… And that vice mayor playing the hero there… He (and the Pasay local government) should have done this job before the MMDA demolition.

I really wish some of the (big) taxes we are paying will go to a decent housing program for the poor. And the government should create jobs near the relocation sites so as not to tempt these people to go back to the metro and squat once again. Squatters clog the metro and they clog the creeks and rivers where rain water should flow to. But since they are there blocking the way together with the metro garbage, well, there goes the flood.

The government should do something about this.

Yes, you read it right. The billionaire author of the 7 Harry Potter books that sold more than 335 million copies worldwide is writing a new novel. This time, it is a detective novel.

Le’s see if this new novel will be received just as enthusiastically as the Potter series.

Read on for the full story…

J.K. Rowling has been spotted at cafes in Scotland working on a detective novel, a British newspaper reported Saturday.

The Sunday Times newspaper quoted Ian Rankin, a fellow author and neighbor of Rowling’s, as saying the creator of the “Harry Potter” books is turning to crime fiction. (more…)

New research suggests that car interiors may be a significant source of indoor air pollution.

You watch what you eat, making sure that the food you serve your family is healthy and, if you’re really diligent, organic. You make sure that the furniture and appliances inside of your home are safe and well maintained. There isn’t a flake of lead-based paint anywhere in your home. But what about the new car in your driveway? Just how safe and non-toxic is the interior of your automobile? Does that “new car smell” contain toxic chemicals that could be bad for you?

According to a recent study by the Ecology Center in Ann Arbor, Mich., the answer is yes. The group analyzed the elemental composition of over 200 late-model cars, trucks and SUVs for off-gassing chemicals from interior auto parts. The chemicals of concern for the Ecology Center were bromine from flame-retardants, chlorine from PVC and plasticizers, lead and other heavy metals. The use of these chemicals has been known to cause birth defects, liver toxicity, cancer and certain allergies. According to the Ecology Center, “since the average American spends more than one-and-a-half hours in a car every day, toxic chemical exposure inside vehicles is a major source of potential indoor air pollution.”

Do you feel like you’re always hungry? Trying to curb your appetite for certain foods? Appetite is different than hunger. Hunger is that physiological growly feeling in your stomach.

Appetite is more about cravings for certain foods. Appetite can be affected by emotions such as boredom, depression, happiness, loneliness, or even by medications. Controlling your appetite can be tough.

But if you can learn to tame your appetite, you’ll be able to choose healthier foods and even to eat less and lose weight. Try some of the following tips to curb your appetite. (more…)

Was “High School Musical,” the Disney Channel sensation that rocked the tween nation, the start of a blockbuster franchise — or just a one-hit wonder? We’re about to find out.

“High School Musical 2″ debuts Friday night, and if it comes anywhere close to approaching the success of its predecessor, it will bop to the top of multiple media platforms and send dollars streaming out of Disney’s mouse ears.

Producers have insisted that the goal coming into “HSM2″ was not to replicate the original, but to let the story evolve and toss in a few surprises along the way. Consider their mission accomplished.

“HSM2″ reunites the entire impossibly cute cast, including Zac Efron as hunky hoop star Troy Bolton and Vanessa Hudgens as his main squeeze, brainy Gabriella Montez. But now the action shifts from clique-riddled East High to the posh Lava Springs Country Club, where most of the gang conveniently lands summer jobs and a rigid social hierarchy comes into play. (more…)

Eyeing that 2007 Mercedes S Class with all the trimmings? Be prepared to pay through the nose for it.

And for the insurance.

It should come as no surprise that the more expensive the car, the more it will cost to insure it. But just how expensive may come as a shock. For modest coverage ($500 deductibles on collision and comprehensive coverage, $100,000 each for personal and property coverage and $25,000 each for medical and uninsured coverage) on this year’s $135,400 Mercedes SL, owners will pay about $22,536 a year.

For pricey cars like this, 20% of the base price is typical. But for those with low monthly payments on high-end cars, that could mean spending more on insurance than on the car itself.

“The cost of the vehicle is primary when setting the price of a policy,” says David Wurster, president of Vincentric, a Detroit-based automotive data firm that studies car- insurance costs. Vincentric gets its data from state agencies and averages these figures in compiling its list of most expensive yearly rates. “But there’s also the type of vehicle it is. Sports-car owners tend to drive them a little more aggressively.”

This, in turn, leads to higher-priced policies. With this in mind, it’s no surprise that racy offerings from Mercedes, BMW and Porsche make for some of the most expensive cars to insure.

Never mind then. I will settle for an Isuzu SUV anytime, thank you very much.

Paris Hilton may be millions of dollars richer after selling her home, but she’s also reportedly looking to make some extra cash on the side.

The celebutante’s Hollywood Hills mansion was recently sold for $4.25 million, Us Weekly reports.

The Spanish-style 1920′s abode, originally purchased by Hilton for $2.9 million in 2004, was sold after being on the market for ten days.

The home, in which she spent her infamous night of house-arrest in June, was reportedly sold in order to find a residence with “more privacy” for the paparazzi-plagued Paris.

(more…)