Winter is cold and flu season – and sometimes, when you start feeling sick, you wonder if it is the flu or just a cold. This episode begins by explaining how early symptoms can help you figure it out quickly so you can seek the appropriate remedy. https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/is-it-cold-flu  During the holidays especially, people sense the need and importance of being connected to others. Perhaps one reason people often feel disconnected and isolated may just be that they don’t have the right social skills. Skills like, how to be a great conversationalist, how to ask for forgiveness, how to break up with someone without breaking their heart, how to sit with someone who is suffering, how to end a conversation gracefully.  These are the skills that allow people to get below the surface and really know a person. Joining me with some wonderful insight into this is David Brooks. He is an op-ed columnist, for the New York Times, a writer for The Atlantic and appears regularly on the PBS Newshour. David is author of the book How To Know a Person: The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen (https://amzn.to/483ge1N). People and dogs have been living together for centuries. It is a bond that seems to benefit everyone. So why is the human-dog relationship work so well? Why do so many people report that having a dog makes their life better? And why is it that having a dog seems to improve people’s mental and emotional well-being? One person who really understands this bond is Jen Golbeck. Her writing has appeared in Slate, The Atlantic, Psychology Today, and Wired. In addition, she and her husband rescue golden retrievers who are senior or who have special medical needs. She is author of the book, The Purest Bond: Understanding the Human–Canine Connection (https://amzn.to/3TeMhre). If you’ve ever wondered about what your dog thinks about you and why you get along so well, you should listen to Jen. Does it really work to put your wet phone in a bowl of uncooked rice to rescue it? Maybe but something else may work even better. Listen and find out what it is. https://gizmodo.com/how-to-rescue-wet-gadgets-5951415 PLEASE SUPPORT OUR SPONSORS! MasterClass makes a meaningful gift this season! .Right now you can get two Memberships for the price of one at https://MasterClass.com/SOMETHING PrizePicks is a skill-based, real-money Daily Fantasy Sports game that's super easy to play. Go to https://prizepicks.com/sysk and use code sysk for a first deposit match up to $100 Zocdoc is the only FREE app that lets you find AND book doctors who are patient-reviewed, take your insurance, are available when you need them! Go to https://Zocdoc.com/SYSK and download the Zocdoc app for FREE. Dell’s Holiday Event is one of their biggest sales of the year! Shop now at https://Dell.com/deals to take advantage of huge savings and free shipping on everything! Spread holiday cheer this season with a new phone! Get any phone free, today at UScellular. Built for US. Terms apply. Visit https://UScellular.com for details.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices