Mornings with Chris & LaRae

Too Early Trivia Tuesday, December 22nd, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 14:35:00 +0000

Question: Another perk to kissing on New Year's Eve? Burning calories! How many calories does a one-minute kiss burn?

Answer: 26 calories

Too Early Trivia Monday, December 21st, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Mon, 21 Dec 2009 13:54:00 +0000

Question: Today is National___________________Day?

Answer: Humbug or Flashlight

Too Early Trivia Wednesday, December 16th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 14:01:00 +0000

Question: Today is National_______________Day?

Answer: Stupid Toy Day or Chocolate Covered Anything Day

Too Early Trivia Tuesday, December 15th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Tue, 15 Dec 2009 13:50:00 +0000

Question: From a survey in Travel and Leisure magazine, what is the Friendliest U.S. City?

Answer: Nashville

What Your Christmas Tree Says About You....According to A Self-Proclaimed Expert

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:34:00 +0000

He claims to be a Christmas Tree Prognosticator. He can tell a lot about a person’s life and personality by their Christmas tree.

~~ARTIFICIAL OR REAL

There are two types of people: Real Christmas tree people and artificial tree people.

One is not better than the other, just different.

If you are a person who likes real trees you probably like the outdoors. You enjoy creating an ambience that invokes smell as well as sight.

Real tree people think that the experience of searching out the Christmas tree, chopping it down and dragging it back to the old homestead is all part of the fun.

If you like artificial trees, you like an investment that lasts. You want something pretty, but don’t want to make a lot of fuss.

Artificial tree owners can also be perfectionists. They don’t like to deal with gaps in the branches or dropping needles of a real tree.

~~WHITE LIGHTS OR MULTICOLORED LIGHTS

If you have white lights on your tree, you think of each light as a tiny star. White light people like simplicity.

White lights convey the serenity of an “Oh, Holy Night.”

Conversely, multicolored lights say, “Rocking Around the Christmas Tree.”

People who like multicolored lights are party people. They like the festive feeling of multicolored lights because it reminds them of a disco or Las Vegas.

To them, the holidays are one big party and everyone is invited. And it wouldn’t be too far out of the realm of possibility that when the holiday party rolls around, they might even don a strand of multicolored lights as if it were gay apparel.

~~MATCHING OR ECLECTIC ORNAMENTS

If you have a tree with an eclectic assortment of ornaments, each one having a special meaning or story, you value your past and family history.

Each one is different; each one is special. They may not match, but it doesn’t matter to you.

The decoration of an eclectic tree is often a group effort. Some people hang the ornaments as others string popcorn and cranberries. Even the littlest elves in the house take part in decorating the eclectic tree.

A matchy-matchy ornament tree is usually a one-woman (or man) show: a person with a vision of what a perfectly coiffed tree should look like.

Matching ornament people like order and consistency. They usually have a theme for their Christmas tree, such as Victorian, Old World or country.

~~ANGEL OR STAR

Angel people believe in a higher power guiding their lives and directing their path. Angel people might have, at some point, imagined what it would have been like to be in that choir of angels, as told of old, who sang to shepherds guarding their flocks by night that a babe was born in Bethlehem.

Star people are the hopefuls, they hope for a better, brighter tomorrow.

They are sign seekers. They lead their lives by sometimes imperceptible directional arrows.

Star people will follow that little nudge inside of them that says, “Take cookies to your neighbor (peanut butter cookies with the chocolate kisses on top),” or “slip $20 into the bell ringer’s red bucket.”

That’s it. That’s all you get for your free sampling.

Source: http://www.gjsentinel.com/news/content/news/opinion/stories/2009/12/12/121209_HG_Payne.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=9

Too Early Trivia Monday, December 14th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 13:32:00 +0000

Question: What is said to be the first original fruit pie ever made?

Answer: Cherry

Too Early Trivia Friday, December 11th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Question: On this date in 1869 this state became the first to give women the right to vote.

Answer: Wyoming

Too Early Trivia Thursday, December 10th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 13:37:00 +0000

Question: In the world, how many people are born each second?

Answer: 5

Great Time Waster

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:48:00 +0000

Type in “6 out of every 10” into Google, and get the following:

~~Six out of every ten new jobs are computer-related.

~~In the US, six out of every ten couples buy a diamond ring for their engagement.

~~ Six out of every ten Americans live in areas that violate federal air quality standards.

~~ Six out of every ten U.S. smokers started smoking before age 14. Nine of every ten smokers became addicted before reaching age 19.

~~ Only six out of every ten… children will graduate from high school in New York – the third highest dropout rate in America.

~~ A study of US workers has revealed that six out of every ten employees surveyed stole company data upon leaving their job in the last year.

Too Early Trivia Wednesday, December 9th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Wed, 09 Dec 2009 13:47:00 +0000

Question: Today is National________________Day?

Answer: Homemade Gift Day and Pastry Day

Too Early Trivia Tuesday, December 8th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Tue, 08 Dec 2009 14:07:00 +0000

Question: Some cities are in the holiday spirit year-round! How many U.S. cities are named "Holiday"?

Answer: One....Holiday, Florida

Too Early Trivia Monday, December 7th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 14:42:00 +0000

Question: What is the best selling cereal of all time?

Answer: Cheerios

The Things That People Find Most Annoying

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:54:00 +0000

Consumer Reports did a survey to find what annoys people the most.

Noisy neighbors, traffic jams, and long checkout lines were all on the list, but what really ticks people off are all those hidden fees in our bills!

Other annoyances included:

1. unscooped dog poop

2. not getting a human on the phone

3. incomprehensible bills".

4. tailgating

5. cell phone use by drivers

6. waiting for repair people

7. Very slow drivers

8. poor airline service (16th).

9. unreliable Internet service

10. Spam

11. passwords and PINs

Too Early Trivia Friday, December 4th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 13:52:00 +0000

In 2007, 90 percent of companies held employee holiday parties. What percent plan to do that this year?

Answer: 62 percent

Too Early Trivia Thursday, December 3rd, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 13:28:00 +0000

Question: What percent of households bought a new board game during the holidays last year?

Answer: 33 percent

Too Early Trivia Wednesday, December 2nd, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 14:11:00 +0000

Question: Today is _________________Day?

Answer: Play Basketball

Too Early Trivia Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 14:09:00 +0000

Question: What percent of Americans say they couldn't live without their microwave?

Answer: 86 percent

A Brief History of Black Friday

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:52:00 +0000

Black Friday is the unofficial start of the holiday shopping season--often referred to as the busiest shopping day of the year.

But where did this tradition start, and just how big is it?

~~How did Black Friday became such a big shopping day?

It’s hard to say when the day after Thanksgiving turned into a retail behemoth, but it probably dates back to the late 19th century. At that time, store-sponsored Thanksgiving parades were common, and once Santa Claus showed up at the end of the parade, the holiday shopping season had officially started.

In those days, most retailers adhered to an unwritten rule that holiday shopping season didn’t start until after Thanksgiving, so no stores would advertise holiday sales or aggressively court customers until the Friday immediately following the holiday. Thus, when the floodgates opened that Friday, it became a huge deal.

~~So retailers were always hoping for an early Thanksgiving?

You bet. They weren’t just hoping, though; they were being proactive about it. In 1939, the Retail Dry Goods Association warned Franklin Roosevelt that if the holiday season wouldn’t begin until after Americans celebrated Thanksgiving on the traditional final Thursday in November, retail sales would go in the tank.

Roosevelt saw an easy solution to this problem: he moved Thanksgiving up by a week. Instead of celebrating the holiday on its traditional day—November 30th that year—Roosevelt declared the next-to-last Thursday in November to be the new Thanksgiving, instantly tacking an extra week onto the shopping season.

~~ Brilliant! How did that work out?

Not so well. Roosevelt didn’t make the announcement until late October, and by then most Americans had already made their holiday travel plans.

Many rebelled and continued to celebrate Thanksgiving on its “real” date while derisively referring to the impostor holiday as “Franksgiving.” State governments didn’t know which Thanksgiving to observe, so some of them took both days off. In short, it was a bit of a mess.

By 1941, though, the furor had died down, and Congress passed a law that made Thanksgiving the fourth Thursday in November regardless of how it affected the shopping day that would become known as Black Friday.

~~ Why call it Black Friday?

If you ask most people why the day after Thanksgiving is called Black Friday, they’ll explain that the name stems from retailers using the day’s huge receipts as their opportunity to “get in the black” and become profitable for the year. The first recorded uses of the term “Black Friday” are a bit less rosy, though.

According to researchers, the name “Black Friday” dates back to Philadelphia in the mid-1960s. The Friday in question is nestled snugly between Thanksgiving and the traditional Army-Navy football game that’s played in Philadelphia on the following Saturday, so the City of Brotherly Love was always bustling with activity on that day.

All of the people were great for retailers, but they were a huge pain for police officers, cab drivers, and anyone who had to negotiate the city’s streets. They started referring to the annual day of commercial bedlam as “Black Friday” to reflect how irritating it was.

~~ So where did the whole “get in the black” story originate?

Apparently storeowners didn’t love having their biggest shopping day saddled with such a negative moniker, so in the early 1980s someone began floating the
accounting angle to put a more positive spin on the big day.

~~ Do retailers really need Black Friday to turn an annual profit?

It’s certainly the day of the year in which you’re most likely to be punched while grabbing for the latest Elmo doll, but it might not be the busiest day in terms of gross receipts. According to Snopes.com, Black Friday is generally one of the top six or seven days of the year for stores, but it’s the days immediately before Christmas when procrastinators finally get shopping that stores make the serious loot.

Black Friday may, however, be the busiest day of the year in terms of customer traffic.

~~ But Black Friday tells us how the holiday season will shake out, right?

Again, not necessarily. According to a 2007 Time story, even if Black Friday goes swimmingly for retailers, it doesn’t really tell analysts much about how the holiday season will look. The National Retail Federation said that since the bulk of holiday shopping still occurs in the week leading up to Christmas, those days are far more important for retailers’ bottom lines than Black Friday is.

That week coupled with the steep discounts most retailers start offering on the day after Christmas end up determining how well the holiday season goes for retailers.

~~ What’s the story on Cyber Monday?

It’s obviously a bit tough for online retailers to cash in on the retail bonanza that their brick-and-mortar counterparts enjoy on Black Friday; you can’t really have a doorbuster sale when you don’t have any doors to bust.

In 2005, though, Shop.org, the online arm of the National Retail Federation, started promoting the Monday immediately following Black Friday as “Cyber Monday,” Black Friday’s tech-savvy cousin for online retailers.

~~ So is Cyber Monday the biggest online shopping day of the year?

Like Black Friday, Cyber Monday probably isn’t quite the e-commerce boom that you’d expect. According to Snopes, the first few years of Cyber Monday looked a lot like Black Friday. Sales were certainly higher than normal, but the biggest e-commerce days were still usually a couple of weeks before Christmas.

Basically, online shopping’s big days are governed by the same keep-putting-it-off impulse that shapes traditional retail’s best revenue days, only the online jackpots come a little earlier as procrastinators have to allow for shipping time.

Source: http://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/41432

The 12 Biggest Scams To Look Out For This Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:50:00 +0000

1. Charity phishing scams.

During the holiday season, hackers take advantage of people by sending e-mails that seem to be from legitimate charities. But they are really fake Web sites that steal donations, credit card information and people's identities.

2. Fake invoices from delivery services.

During the holidays, cybercriminals send fake invoices and delivery notices that look like they're from FedEx, UPS or the US Customs Service. The e-mail asks consumers for credit card details, or ask them to open an online invoice or Customs form to get the package. After the people fill out a form, their information is stolen or malware is automatically installed on their computer.

3. Cybercriminal "wants to be your friend."

Cybercriminals send authentic-looking "new friend request" e-mails from social-networking sites. Clicking on links can automatically install malware on computers and steal personal information.

4. The dangers of holiday e-cards.

Cyber thieves cash in on people who send holiday e-cards to try to be environmentally conscious. Last year, there was a worm disguised as Hallmark e-cards and McDonald's and Coca-Cola holiday promotions.

5. "Luxury" holiday jewelry can come at a high price.

There's a new holiday campaign that leads shoppers to malware-filled sites that offer "discounted" luxury gifts from Cartier, Gucci and TAG Heuer. Cybercriminals even use fake logos of the Better Business Bureau to trick shoppers into buying products they never receive.

6. Online identity theft in open networks.

Online holiday sales will go up this year because more people will look to the Web for deals. While users shop on open sites, hackers can spy on them and try to steal their personal information. Never shop online from a public computer or on an open Wi-Fi network.

7. Christmas carol lyrics can be dangerous.

During the holidays, hackers create holiday-related Web sites for people looking for a holiday ringtone or wallpaper, Christmas carol lyrics or a festive screensaver. Downloading the files could infect a computer with spyware, adware or other malware.

8. Job-related e-mail scams.

Scammers are preying on job-seekers and promise high-paying jobs and work-from-home opportunities. Once people send in their information and pay their "setup" fee, criminals steal their money.

9. Auction site fraud.

Scammers hang out on auction sites. People should look out for auction deals that look too good to be true.

10. Password stealing scams.

Password theft is huge during the holidays. Thieves try to get a person's password and send out malware to record the keystrokes. Once they have access to one or more passwords, they get access to someone's bank and credit card details and clean out accounts within minutes.

11. E-mail banking scams.

Cybercriminals trick people into giving out their bank details by sending official-looking e-mails from financial institutions. They ask users to confirm their account information, including a user name and password, with a warning that their account will become invalid if they don't reply. Then they sell the information through an underground online black market.

12. Your files for ransom.

Hackers get control of people's computers through holiday scams and act as kidnappers. They hijack computer files and encrypt them and make them unreadable and inaccessible. The scammer holds the files for ransom and asks for a payment in exchange for getting them back.

Source: http://articles.moneycentral.msn.com/SmartSpending/blog/page.aspx?post=1398291&_blg=1,1398291

The 5 Biggest Thanksgiving Food Myths

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:48:00 +0000

1. The Bigger the Turkey, the Better

Turkeys with big breasts don't have much flavor. You should compare the size of the breast to the size of the rest of the bird. Larger-breasted turkeys are new breeds that were made to produce a larger amount of meat, but not a better flavor. The smaller the breast meat to the whole bird, the closer the turkey is to the original model and the more old-fashioned flavor. Go with a fresh heritage turkey or crossbreed turkey.

2. Fresh Pumpkin is Better Than Canned Pumpkin

"Canned" isn't a bad word. Canned pureed pumpkin from the grocery store creates a more reliable result, especially in baking. If you want to use fresh pumpkin be sure to use sugar pumpkins.

3. Turkey Makes You Sleepy

If you find yourself passing out on the couch after the Thanksgiving meal, don't blame the turkey. It's true that turkey has tryptophan but there's not enough tryptophan in roasted turkey to make you tired. In fact, there's more tryptophan in cheese and chicken breast than there is in turkey. The real reason you're sleepy is because it's probably the stress of the holiday, the hours spent cooking, the wine and all the fat and calories you just crammed down your throat.

4. Stuffing is the Same as Dressing

Dressing and stuffing are similar, but not the same. The difference is in how they are prepared. Stuffing is stuffed inside the bird, while dressing is usually cooked in a casserole dish.

5. Pop-up Plastic Thermometers Work

Pop-up thermometers are unreliable. Not only do they pierce the skin and let flavorful juices escape, but they can also malfunction and leave you with an under- or overcooked bird. Use a probe thermometer instead.

Source: http://shine.yahoo.com/event/thanksgiving/the-5-biggest-thanksgiving-food-myths-debunked-546148/

Too Early Trivia Wednesday, November 25th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 13:47:00 +0000

Question: How many minutes per day do women think about their hair?

Answer: 47 minutes

Too Early Trivia Tuesday, November 24th, 2009

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 13:16:00 +0000

Question: If you bring your lunch to work instead of going out to eat, how much can you save on average each month?

Answer: $80

Holiday Tipping Guidelines

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:51:00 +0000

This holiday season, a leaner budget means figuring out how much to tip people in your life. FYI, you won't be alone if you scale back.

A new survey shows that about a quarter of folks plan to tip less this holiday season than they did last year. Only 6 percent plan to give more.

If you're on a tighter budget, here's how you can save without appearing cheap:

• There are no set rules, but year-end tips are generally the cost of a single session. So if a haircut costs $40, that's how much you could give as a tip.

• Holiday bonuses are generally reserved for people you've relied on for at least six months, so don't feel obligated to tip a hairdresser you've only been to a few times.

• For someone like a paperboy, they may not be able to accept cash. Grab them a gift for $20 or less... that could include a gift card.

• Teachers generally can't accept cash either. The rules vary, so be sure to check with the school.

Source: http://www.myfoxdc.com/dpp/news/dpg-Holiday-Tipping-Guidelines-mb-200911181258610916396

10 Annoying Phrases That Serve No Purpose

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:50:00 +0000

10. It is what it is
This newcomer is the epitome of an ear-grating phrase that means nothing.

9. It's all good
The inclusion of "all" only accentuates how much you don't mean what you are saying.

8. To be honest
Not only is this phrase usually followed by something best left unsaid, but it also implies everything else you say is dishonest.

7. No offense
A phrase even more insincere than it is superfluous.

6. Whatever
In a recent survey, 47 percent of Americans chose this word compound as the most annoying phrase of all. Meaning you have permission to smack anyone who uses it and isn't a 12-year-old girl. (And it's a close call on smacking any 12-year-old girl who uses the "w" word.)

5. Don't get me wrong
Isn't it implicit in most human communication that your intention is always to be correctly understood?

4. With all due respect
Really?

3. Everything happens for a reason
A completely worthless utterance that probably doubles as a vicious taunt to those who have undergone terrible hardships.

2. At the end of the day
At the end of the day, you will be preparing for bed.

1. Going forward
Saying this is like announcing your next footstep.

Source: http://www.asylum.com/2009/11/18/10-annoying-phrases-that-serve-no-purpose/

How To Get Work Done On Your Car Without Being Scammed

noreply@blogger.com (Chris and LaRae) — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 13:48:00 +0000

Get a recommendation: Ask someone with a similar income level and car type if they have a good relationship with their mechanic.

Use the owner's manual: You should never, ever walk into a mechanic and say, "I need a tune up." A mechanic may see this as an open invitation to charge you up to $1000 for random services like spark plug replacements when you don't need them. Your manual will list the necessary services according to the mileage you have on your car.

Get an estimate: Make sure the mechanic gives you a detailed parts-and-labor estimate so you'll know exactly what he plans to do. Never accept a verbal estimate. Make sure you sign the itemized estimate and walk away with a signed copy.

Ask questions: Never be afraid to ask, "Do I really need that?" or "Is work on that part absolutely necessary right now?" If your mechanic makes a generalization like, "The part is old," ask for details. Then ask to see the part.

Common traps:
• Drastic statements like, "We need to tow your car out of here because we don't want to be responsible for you driving it," are almost always a scam.
• Coolant and power steering flushes are common services some of the larger mechanic chains will propose in order to make money.
• A muffler that lasts a lifetime does not exist. Many of the larger companies give you free replacements and make their money on expensive exhaust system repairs.
• The $55 brake pad job is also a scam nine times out of ten. No shop can make money on a $55 dollar brake pad replacement job. It's an excuse to suggest the replacement of other parts when you don't need them.

Source: http://consumerist.com/5407641/warning-signs-that-your-mechanic-is-scamming-you