Trends for June 18, 2001

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, June 18, 2001 | 8:43 a.m.

The heat is on

Have you looked at a calendar lately? If you had, you'd know that despite the scorching temperatures summer does not officially begin until Thursday.

So, we pose this question to the people at the International Bottled Water Association: Have you looked around lately?

The Alexandria, Va., association expects us to believe that because summer is finally upon us, we'll probably start seeing more people drinking bottled water.

Hel-lo, who isn't already sipping from plastic bottles year-round?

Nevertheless, the association deemed it necessary to conduct a survey to learn when and where people would be drinking its members' products this summer. Color us shocked 28 percent of respondents said they'd drink bottled water at the beach or the park.

It also compiled a list of tips for maintaining proper hydration additional information we probably already knew: "Drink at least eight 8-ounce servings of water per day" more if you are an active person.

Also, "Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink water" when you feel thirsty, you've probably already lost at least two cups of your body's total water composition.

Bombs away

And since you'll be outside anyway this summer, you'll need something to keep you busy.

Author William Gurstelle offers a few suggestions in his new book, "Backyard Ballistics" (Chicago Review Press, $16.95).

Danger be damned Gurstelle has gone forward and printed supply lists and instructions for building such devices as the Potato Cannon which (as the name suggests) launches spuds into the air using little more than common PVC pipe and a can of hairspray.

OK, so the author hasn't completely thrown caution to the wind along with the taters. Chapter 1, titled "Keeping Safety in Mind," lists precautions to take during the construction and explosion of the devices and urges readers to build the projects at their own risk.

A ruff day

If there is a nationally recognized day to take your kids to work, doesn't Fido deserve the same? Pet Sitters International thinks so. The organization is encouraging people to celebrate on Friday the third annual Take Your Dog to Work Day. The goal is to "call attention to the benefits dogs provide as pets" as well as encourage their adoption from animal shelters and the like.

But you can't count on Spot to know how to behave in corporate circles. So pet-food makers the Iams Company offers some "pet-iquette" tips: