How About That...
Scientist
have discovered that flushing toilets spray diarrhea-causing bacteria up to 10-inches above and around the toilet seat...
Yesterday UPS delivered a record number of Christmas gifts...back to online stores! Returns were up 8% to more than 550-thousand. A record.
You'll be happy to know that our scientist friends at NASA
say the world will NOT end on December 21st, 2012. The Mayan calendar proclaims that as the day another planet will collide with earth and...well, lights out. NASA says there are no objects headed out way over the next year.
(even so... I'm still not starting my Christmas shopping until the 22nd.)
Entertainment stories you may have missed
- Tom Cruise's "Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol" was number over the weekend with another $38.3 million in the bank. It's the second week on top for that flick
- "I know we'll remain friends," Brand told the AP regarding his divorce to Katy Perry. The two were married 14 months.
- Wynonna Judd is engaged...again. Her boyfriend, drummer Cactus Moser, proposed on Christmas Eve. This will be her 3rd shot at marriage
- Michael Jordan popped the question to long-time girlfriend Yvette Prieto. Of course she said yes
- Sinead O'Connor now admits that it wasn't her wedding night search for marijuana that ruined her marriage, but her taste for crack cocaine. Her husband, by the way, is a drug abuse counselor. Not a very good one, apparently.
How to Make Over Your Finances in 2 Hours
40 Minutes to save $400
Look at your previous 3 months of bank statements and check out how much you've been paying in fees. Between account maintenance and ATM fees, you're giving up a lot of extra money. Avoiding ATM fees alone could save more than $300 a year.
20 Minutes to save up to $300
Check your credit card bill monthly for any extra charges. Signing up for a free trial of one thing, could automatically sign you up for another. Example - a free security trial software automatically opts you in for insurance at $10 a month. That is what's called a "gray charge," and discovering a couple of them early can save a lot of headache.
25 minutes to save $1,000 a year or more
Put $42 a month into a savings account and use that money for the expenses you can't avoid like car repairs and children's birthday party gifts. Then sign up to automate deposits into your savings account to build up an emergency savings account in case you get laid off.
35 minutes to save $1,000 or more
Check out how much you're saving for retirement. If you make $50/grand, and put 4% into your 401(k), your company most likely throws in an additional $1500 a year. Raise that contribution to 7% ($58/month), and you'll save $6,125 a year.
Source:
Good Housekeeping
3 Worst Tech Predictions in 2011
For every tech prediction that came true last year, a dozen were flat wrong. Here the top three:
1. The "ultra sexy" iPhone 5
The iPhone 5 was supposed to be thinner with a larger screen and rounded tear-drop shape profile. Not only was the iPhone 5 NOT sexy, but there was no iPhone 5.
2. Amazon will never make a tablet.
The Kindle Fire, priced at $200, sold 5-million units in its first month.
3. Facebook's Netflix impersonation.
Bloggers were sure Mark Zuckerberg would announce a Netflix style service for Facebook last September. Not even close. At least not yet.
source
Lost and Found
Lost: Engagement ring after it fell into the bathroom toilet at Donna and Terry's home in Montana.
Found: Engagement ring lodged in the same toilet 36 years later!
Terry happened to be working on a roof across the street from his former home when he saw the owners taking an old toilet outside. He asked if he could have it. He took it home and busted it open and there it was, still good after 36 years. "We cried and we laughed. We giggled and danced. It was great," said Donna. Let's hope they gave it a good scrubbin' before the dance... that's 36 years of flushes! Yuck!
source
Primetime, Baby!
ABC: Last Man Standing (NEW), Work It (PREMIERE), Celebrity Wife Swap (PREMIERE), Body of Proof (NEW)
CBS: NCIS (NEW), NCIS: Los Angeles (NEW), Unforgettable (NEW)
NBC: The Biggest Loser (PREMIERE), Parenthood (NEW)
FOX: Glee, New Girl, Raising Hope
CW: The Secret Circle, The Secret Circle
Joke of the Day
A preacher was walking down the street when he notices a little boy trying to ring the doorbell but it's just out of his reach. he watches his efforts for some time and walks over to press the the bell. After he pressed it he leveled down to the boy and asked' "Now what?" to which the boy turned and shouted, "NOW WE RUN!!"
Grab this App!
There's no doubt that life is good once the Krispy Kreme doughnuts roll out of the oven. Your timing has to be just right, though, and that's where the miracle of modern technology saves the day.
Hot Light is an app that alerts you when your nearest Krispy Kreme fires up the "Hot Now" neon sign. The app lets you know when the glaze is melty fresh!
Note From DaveThanks for the really nice feedback over the holidays! I did a little travelling and, like you, was busy with the kids and relatives. So I'm sorry if I didn't get back to you, but know this -- I appreciate you very, very much. There were a couple of interesting questions I'd like to address real soon. One was how to get more Facebook followers on your station's page. I have a few suggestions. Some things that worked for us, and I'll have those this week... stay tuned!
-Dave
