Watercooler Stories

GIRLS NEED BETTER BREAKFAST

Girls need a more satisfying breakfast than boys if they are to perform at their best in the classroom, according to a study by the University of Ulster.

Barbara Stewart led the research project, where pupils were fed a breakfast of toast or beans and toast and then tested on cognitive ability.

The girls performed better with a high-protein, high-carbohydrate breakfast of beans on toast, while the boys did better if they were a bit hungry.

The research, which will be presented at the 9th European Nutrition Conference in Rome, also found those with a better breakfast did better when the questions got more difficult.

SOMETHING NEEDED FOR THE PLATE

More small and medium charities are looking toward automatic monthly payments withdrawn from checking accounts or charged to credit cards, the Chronicle of Philanthropy reports.

The Church of St. Pius X, a Roman Catholic church in Rochester, Minn., has automatic monthly donors, but Denise M. DeRienzo, the church's administrator, says, "People look at you strangely when you don't put anything in the plate."

To help counter such concerns, the church is considering printing a card that would say, "I faithfully gave my offering electronically," which donors could drop in the collection plate.

SOME MARINES PAID MORE

When their tours of active duty in Iraq or Afghanistan are over, honorably discharged Marines may be welcomed back by a higher salary for their Marine Corps experience.

"About one-third of the employers included in the survey data we studied said they see a substantial

economic benefit to hiring Marines and would be willing to pay between 10 percent and 50 percent more to get a person with Marine Corps experience," says Kevin Murphy, study leader and professor at Pennsylvania State University.

However, a majority of employers did not have a clear or positive understanding of the Marine Corps experience. As a result, about two-thirds of employers surveyed said they saw no difference between hiring a civilian versus a post-service Marine.

EARLY MATURING GIRLS AND DELINQUENCY

Girls who go through puberty earlier than their peers are more likely to be involved in delinquency.

Researchers had speculated early developing girls were nudged into delinquency because they had older friends, and more male friends.

An Ohio State University study published in Social Forces suggests the girls are dating and have more friends -- regardless of age -- who were already involved in delinquency.

"Girls who develop early aren't any more likely to have male school friends, or older school friends than their less developed counterparts," says Dana Haynie, study author.