Technology Slice Blog

Dead Fish Wash up in Arkansas - A double mystery shook the US state of Arkansas, as experts tried to figure out the cause of mysterious multiple deaths among birds and fish. In the early hours of New Year's Day, in a small radius of only 1.6 kilometres from the town of Beeb, several thousand red-winged blackbirds and starlings fell from the sky. On Monday, animal protection specialists were on site to assess the conditions of the animals that lay on rooftops and streets. Up to 5,000 dead birds were reportedly found, and several scores of them were taken to state capital Little Rock to be examined. Dead Fish Wash up in Arkansas Initially, the authorities supposed that stormy weather could have led to the mass deaths. Biologists now consider it possible, however, that additional trauma was caused by New Year's crackers and fireworks. Already last Thursday, an estimated 100,000 dead fish were found some 200 kilometres away from Beebe. Mass fish deaths happen every yea...

Sorkin Palin Idiot Mean Woman - Appearing as a guest in a pre-recorded interview on Wednesday’s Parker-Spitzer on CNN to promote his film The Social Network, television and film producer Aaron Sorkin trashed Sarah Palin as an "idiot" and a "mean woman." Sorkin: "Sarah Palin's an idiot. Come on, this is a remarkably, this is a remarkably, stunningly, jaw-droppingly incompetent and mean woman." After the former producer of the television series The West Wing complained that the religious right had attacked the show as "anti-God," he also went after the GOP as the segment neared its end. Sorkin: "But the Democrats may have moved into the center, but the Republicans have moved into a mental institution. Okay? So I'll take the Democrats." As co-host Eliot Spitzer started the interview by asking Sorkin about his views about the Obama administration, the liberal producer seemed to admit to having gotten a "goose bump experie...

Macaulay Culkin Mila Kunis Split - The recent announcement that Mila Kunis and Macaulay Culkin broke up left me stunned. Mila Kunis and Macaulay Culkin were going out? For eight years? How did I miss this? I read People‘s Star Tracks each week. I sneak USWeekly inside my open New Yorker when I’m trying to look smart on the train. Is it possible that my eyes saw them together in the glossy pages and my brain just refused to recognize the reality of their relationship? I mean, I understand he’s 30, but he’s also forever nine years old, due to his cheek-slapping performance in Home Alone. And if you’ve seen Black Swan, then you’ve done your own cheek-slapping about Kunis, but somehow, it’s not the same. Source: http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/01/03/mila-kunis-macauley-culkin/ Macaulay Culkin Mila Kunis Split

"My Princess Boy" Kilodavis - Cheryl Kilodavis’s 5-year-old son, Dyson, has always preferred to wear dresses. And pink sparkly stuff. And bright, bright colors. This distressed the mother of two boys until her then 8-year-old son, Dkobe, told her to back off Dyson. At which point Cheryl Kilodavis realized her son’s flamboyant dress-code was her issue and no one else’s. She not only backed off, but she wrote about boys who like dressing as princesses — for kids. Her book, My Princess Boy, was released in December. The author and her subject went on the Today Show this morning to promote the book and talk about her son’s experiences as well as her own. "My Princess Boy" Kilodavis I think it’s great that the mother is letting her son express who he is. But I wonder if she couldn’t have gone on the show alone to get her point across. Kilodavis is walking the fine line that all of us who write about our children walk — what’s their story to tell and what is ours...

Worst Health Habits - Almost everyone has at least one not-so-stellar health habit: Maybe you've smoked like a chimney since high school, gotten one too many sunburns in your mid-20s, or sworn off milk since the seventh grade. Now you're ready to clean up your act but don't want to slave away at it. We've got good news for you: Believe it or not, you can undo much of the damage caused by the most common health slip-ups in just two weeks--and with minimal effort. Follow our doable fast-fix plan, and you'll be well on your way to reclaiming your health and warding off the scariest diseases out there. Worst Health Habits You've returned from a ten-day vacation sporting some extra pounds. Don't let the weight sit; you may up your risk for developing breast cancer, among other diseases. (Fat triggers an increase in the production of a form of estrogen that promotes rapid cell division.) The good news: You can burn off those pounds quickly. "If you gain ...

Anne Francis Dies - Actress Anne Francis, who was the love interest in the 1950s science-fiction classic "Forbidden Planet" and later was sexy private eye in "Honey West" on TV has died at age 80 in California. Funeral director Bill Guntle in Santa Barbara says Francis died Sunday of natural causes at a local nursing home. Her daughter, Jane Uemura, tells the Los Angeles Times that Francis died from complications of pancreatic cancer. Francis, a famous beauty of the time, had a childhood career in radio and TV and on Broadway before turning to movies. In later years she returned to television, appearing in dozens of series. Source: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5iwwEhgcLJjY1Y0gPAstmMV77ifBw?docId=b1a1b300685249c183f7a10e81cc9865 Anne Francis Dies

Jeannine Edwards Ron Franklin - Jeannine Edwards of ESPN clarified a few things concerning the incident with Ron Franklin. She told USA Today's Michael McCarthy that Franklin called her "sweet baby," not "sweetcakes," and that another employee who was present reported the incident. Perhaps this is an entry better left to one of the big, strong male bloggers, but they're all busy drinking testosterone and talking about tires. ESPN pulled Ron Franklin from its Fiesta Bowl broadcast because of comments made to sideline reporter Jeannine Edwards in a production meeting that also included announcers Ed Cunningham and Rod Gilmore. According to Sports by Brooks, Edwards tried to enter the conversation when the recent election of Gilmore's wife as Alameda, Calif., mayor came up and Franklin reportedly said to her, "Why don't you leave this to the boys, sweetcakes?" Jeannine Edwards Ron Franklin Edwards replied: "Don't call me swee...

May 21 2011 Judgment Day - Stories have shown up in several news outlets over the past couple days about, as the Associated Press says, "a movement of Christians loosely organized by radio broadcasts and websites, independent of churches and convinced by their reading of the Bible that the end of the world will begin May 21, 2011." The San Francisco Chronicle writes that a leading voice in that movement is Harold Camping, who runs the Family Radio evangelical station "that reaches listeners around the world." May 21 2011 Judgment Day Camping once thought that Judgment Day (when some say believers will be taken to heaven and others will be left on earth for about five months of torment) would come on Sept. 6, 1994. According to the Chronicle, "Camping allowed that he may have made a mathematical error. He spent the next decade running new calculations [based on his reading of the bible], as well as overseeing a media company that has grown significantly i...

Lindsay Lohan Released - Lindsay Lohan's a free woman once again. The starlet has been released from the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California after a 90-day rehab stint -- her fifth -- RadarOnline reports. The 24-year-old actress, who reportedly plans to move from her West Hollywood pad to a place in Venice Beach, California, checked into the center in September after she tested positive for cocaine use just weeks after serving a stint in jail and rehab from a 2007 DUI arrest. Lohan, who is due back in court for a hearing February 25, seems to be looking ahead to her future. She posted on inspirational message on her Twitter account Saturday, "Today is the first day of the rest of my life. 'The future depends on what we do in the present.' -Mahatma Gandhi… One step at a time…" Source: http://www.usmagazine.com/celebritynews/news/report-lindsay-lohan-released-from-rehab-201131 Lindsay Lohan Released

Health and Medicine Major Advances 2011 - What significant advances can we expect in 2011? Here are some predictions, provided by experts in these fields who gave MyHealthNewsDaily the lowdown on what might promote our health next year. Results of a promising HIV vaccine will be announced. An American man made international headlines this month when German doctors announced he had been cured of the virus that causes AIDS. The HIV-positive man had suffered from acute myeloid leukemia - a deadly blood cancer - so in 2007 the doctors performed a bone marrow transplant to treat the leukemia. They were lucky enough to find a bone marrow donor with a rare mutation, called Delta 32 that provides natural resistance to the human immunodeficiency virus. Health and Medicine Major Advances 2011 Three years after the transplant, the man continued to show no signs of HIV. But for all the media attention to this case, another scientific advance is likely to help more people battle HIV and ...

Yoga Hangover Cure - The holiday season is a time for friends and family, festive parties, big meals and for some, overindulgence. In this season of giving it is sometimes hard to resist giving yourself one extra helping of dessert or one more glass of "special" holiday eggnog. And when New Year's Eve rolls around, the temptation to overindulge may be too strong -- and so may be the refreshments. But for those who overdo it, there is hope for relief. In fact, Thursday is a day devoted to one of nature's "wonder drugs" that offers relief from a wide variety of ailments, including a hangover: It's Bicarbonate of Soda Day. Yes, before New Year's Eve and the celebration of the end of one year and the promise of a new one, it is time to pay homage to that magical elixir that many have sitting idle in their kitchen cabinets. Yoga Hangover Cure While many use bicarbonate of soda -- or baking soda -- to create delicious baked goodies, that is only...

John Mellencamp Meg Ryan - Could a little pink house be in the future for John Cougar Mellencamp and Meg Ryan? Or, in their case, a big pink mansion? Last week a rep for the 59-year-old rocker said he and his wife of 20 years, model Elaine Mellencamp, were over. The Mellencamps "are proud of their 20 years together and are very happy with their accomplishments both as parents and as a family," he said. John Mellencamp Meg Ryan Now reports are surfacing that Mellencamp may have taken up with "Sleepless in Seattle" star Meg Ryan. The pair was photographed arm-in-arm walking in New York City in late October, and a source told the New York Post that "Meg has been to a couple of recent shows." The Post said that Mellencamp's rep had no comment on the alleged relationship, and Ryan's did not return their calls or e-mails. Mellencamp has been working on a musical, "Ghost Brothers of Darkling County," and Ryan was may have been i...

Quentin Tarantino's Favorite Movies - QUENTIN Tarantino has unveiled his favorite films of 2010! The writer-director recently posted his top 20 films of 2010 over at The Tarantino Archives — and revealed Toy Story 3 is his number one! 1.) Toy Story 3 2.) The Social Network 3.) Animal Kingdom 4.) I Am Love 5.) Tangled 6.) True Grit 7.) The Town 8.) Greenberg 9.) Cyrus 10.) Enter The Void 11.) Kick-Ass 12.) Knight and Day 13.) Get Him To The Greek 14.) The Fighter 15.) The King’s Speech 16.) The Kids Are All Right 17.) How to Train Your Dragon 18.) Robin Hood 19.) Amer 20.) Jackass 3D Quentin recently revealed he’s keen to make a movie that tells a love story. “I’d love to make a romantic comedy and take it out of the ghetto it’s been exiled to,” said the movie-maker. “I have done love stories; they’ve just been in my other movies, “I have done love stories; they’ve just been in my other movies. Source: http://www.showbizspy.com/article/223151/quentin-...

Holmesville Ohio 10-Year-Old - A 10-year-old boy was charged as a juvenile with murder in the fatal shooting of his mother after authorities said he told a neighbor about the killing. The boy appeared Monday in a Holmes County courtroom with his attorney, who entered the juvenile equivalent of a not guilty plea. A judge ordered that the boy remain in Richland County Juvenile Detention as authorities investigate the shooting. Deborah McVay, 46, was found dead of a single gunshot wound to the head Sunday night in Big Prairie, located about midway between Cleveland and Columbus, said Holmes County Sheriff Tim Zimmerly. Paramedics found McVay lying facedown on her living room floor, and she was pronounced dead at the scene, Zimmerly said. Authorities went to the home after a neighbor called a sheriff's dispatcher to say McVay's son had come to her home and said he had just shot his mother. Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/01/03/AR2011010302...

Snow in Los Angeles - Motorists stuck for almost 24 hours by an icy storm resumed their travels Monday as improving weather along Interstate 5 in the mountains north of Los Angeles allowed California Highway Patrol units to escort vehicles over a pass. Hundreds of truckers and motorists returning from the New Year's holiday found themselves stuck after the Grapevine section of I-5 was closed at about 12:30 p.m. Sunday in 4,160-foot-high Tejon Pass, the major route between Southern and Central California. Highway workers toiled through the night to plow about 35 miles of road, and CHP units began escorting vehicles in groups of about 500 around midday Monday, said Officer Patrick Etchebarne. Snow in Los Angeles Earlier blizzard conditions had eased to light snow flurries and then only cloudy skies. The pass closes a couple of times each winter, and last year about 1,000 cars were stranded at one time, Etchebarne said. This time, CHP officers decided to close the roadway e...

Tax the Rich to Balance the Budget - As Washington gears up for a fight over federal spending and the national debt, lawmakers may want to consider some new polling figures. A survey from CBS News' "60 Minutes" and Vanity Fair magazine shows that most Americans, given a set limited choices for balancing the national budget, would prefer to see taxes increased for the wealthy. Tax the Rich to Balance the Budget As many as 61 percent said they would prefer increasing taxes on the rich over three other options: cutting defense spending, cutting Medicare or cutting Social Security. Another 20 percent chose cutting defense spending as the best option. Just 4 percent said they would cut Medicare, and just 3 percent said they would cut Social Security. Perhaps not surprisingly, those with higher incomes were less inclined to say increasing taxes on the wealthy would be the best option. Nevertheless, as many as 46 percent of Americans making more than $100,000 said it wa...

Gorgon Stare Drone - The U.S. military is going to deploy a new drone in Afghanistan in the winter of this year. The drone will be able to track the enemy overseas more effectively than ever before. The Washington Post reports that, thanks to new technology, we'll be able to survey huge areas at once. The drone’s code name is Gorgon Stare, and it relies on nine attached cameras that generate data simultaneously. It will be able to transmit live video images of physical movement across an entire town. Gorgon Stare Drone Analysts will no longer have to guess where to point the camera, said Major Gen. James O. Poss, the Air Force’s assistant deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance. He explains, “Gorgon Stare will be looking at a whole city, so there will be no way for the adversary to know what we’re looking at, and we can see everything.” Critics of the drone worry that military analysts will have to sift through too much data, and that it mig...

Seattle Seahawks Make History - With the NFC West title up for grabs, the St. Louis Rams and Seattle Seahawks didn’t exactly light up the scoreboard on Sunday Night. In fact, the 22 combined points are the fewest in Rams/Seahawks history breaking a record the two teams set earlier this season (23). Despite the anemic offenses (or stout defenses depending on how you look at it) the Seahawks were able to make history in the final game of the 2010 NFL regular season. In defeating the Rams, the Seahawks became the first team in NFL history to win a division title with a sub-.500 record (7-9). It's the club's seventh division title and first since 2007. Coach Pete Carroll returns to the NFL playoffs for the first time since leading the New England Patriots there in 1998 and becomes the 27th coach in NFL history to lead two different teams to the playoffs. Seattle Seahawks Make History Despite entering Sunday with the worst running game in the NFL (85.5 Rush YPG) the Seahawks ...

Pete Postlethwaite Dies - Pete Postlethwaite died in a in Shropshire, England, hospital Sunday after a lengthy fight with cancer. The actor was 64. An Oscar nominee for his role as the father of Daniel Day-Lewis's character in the 1993 In the Name of the Father, the distinctive-looking Postlethwaite also played the menacing owner of a flower shop in last year's The Town, directed by and starring Ben Affleck. In Inception, he was the rich, dying patriarch (his son was played by Cillian Murphy). Pete Postlethwaite Dies Steven Spielberg, who directed Postlewaite in The Lost World: Jurassic Park and Amistad, once called him "the best actor in the world." In response, Postlethwaite – who originally wanted to be a priest – quipped, "I'm sure what Spielberg actually said was, 'the thing about Pete is that he thinks he's the best actor in the world.' " A political activist, Postlethwaite protested the war in Iraq, supported the Make Poverty ...

Zsa Zsa Gabor Hospitalized for Leg - Zsa Zsa Gabor’s ailing health took a turn for the worse Sunday night when she was taken to the hospital to have the lower part of her right leg amputated, People reports. “She developed a lesion on the leg that had swollen a while back and caused her to go to the hospital for treatment, but it has not responded,” said Gabor’s spokesman, John Blanchette. “In fact, it has increased in size, and the doctors have wanted to operate for several days…. [Gabor's husband, Prince Frederic von Anhal] and Zsa Zsa asked if they could spend New Year’s at home, and [they] shared champagne and caviar. The doctors came to the house today [Sunday], and when they unwrapped the bandages, [they saw that] the wound had festered and they were afraid of gangrene developing, which would be life-threatening.” Zsa Zsa Gabor Hospitalized for Leg Gabor will lose the lower half of her leg below the knee. Last summer, Gabor had surgery to replace her hip, which she’d b...

Valerie Bertinelli Married - Valerie Bertinelli married Tom Vitale, her long-time beau, in a rather quaint ceremony on New Year's Day in Malibu. The Jenny Craig spokesperson, who has experienced a mercurial weight problem, is taking life "one day at a time". Her fans came to know her in her breakout role as Barbara Cooper, alongside co-star McKenzie Phillips in One Day at a Time. The popular show ran from 1975 to 1984 before being canceled and relegated to syndication. Not bad for a situation comedy that had stiff competition from peer shows like MASH and Mel's Diner on the limited networks at the time. Valerie Bertinelli Married Bertinelli briefly starred in Touched by an Angel, but she is known today for her role in Hot in Cleveland, and as the spokesperson for Jenny Craig. Before Valerie Bertinelli, 50, was married to Tom Vitale, 49, a successful businessman, she struggled with maintaining a healthy weight. On her Jenny Craig blog, she says: I used t...

Chuck Berry Ill - Chuck Berry collapsed over an accompanist's keyboard while being taken offstage during the packed "Chuck Berry's Winter Dance Party" concert Saturday night in Chicago. The 84-year-old rocker was unable to finish the show. The "Johnny B. Goode" singer, who picked up his guitar again about 15 minutes after falling ill in an attempt to continue the night, was taken offstage again to be examined by paramedics, then returned to thank fans who'd waited around, doing a bit of his signature "duck walk" as he left for good. Chuck Berry Ill He declined to be taken to a hospital after the show, with his rep saying "last-night exhaustion" was to blame. Berry had performed two New Year's Eve shows at B.B. King Blues Club in New York the night before. After starting with his hit "Roll Over Beethoven" and pulling off a couple other songs, things began to deteriorate, the Chicago Tribune said. "Fifteen ...

Reject Victim's Facebook Friend Request - A robber walked out of a Taunton car wash and gas station with a flat-screen TV under his shirt. The robber thought he got away, but the manager of the car wash tracked him down. The manager of Prestige Car Wash and Gas Station, Nicole Telles, showed 7NEWS the men’s restroom where the crime went down, where the 27-inch flat-screen used to hang. But police say a 20-year-old ripped it right from the mount and took off. Telles said he hid the TV under his sweatshirt. “I felt like, if we had all the information … the process would be a lot quicker,” said Telles. Reject Victim's Facebook Friend Request Telles said she didn’t catch the culprit when the crime happened, but she figured she could do some detective work of her own and try to figure out who the suspect was. Surveillance video showed the suspect using a credit card to pay for gas, and he had been at the counter as well. So Telles looked up the transaction and got his n...

Boy Drowns in Manure Pit - A Central Pennsylvania family is mourning the loss of a 4-year-old boy named Josiah Martin after he somehow managed to infiltrate a fenced-in manure pit on the family's farm. 4-year-old Josiah Martin was enjoying a morning of play on his family's farm with his two siblings and a neighbor's child early Saturday when he wandered off, making his way to the family's fenced-off, 8-foot-deep manure pit. Somehow penetrating the barrier, little Josiah tragically drowned in the manure pit. Boy Drowns in Manure Pit Police say Josiah was found face-down in the pit and was immediately pronounced dead at the scene. It was unclear Monday why the children were left to play unsupervised. According to the Associated Press, Officer Troy Deshong says Josiah's mother thinks the boy may have come across the manure pit in his attempts to "retrieve a dog." Source: http://www.postchronicle.com/news/original/article_212341177.shtml Boy Drown...

New Television Series for 2011 - A new year has begun and those midseason television dramas are heading to a living room near you sooner than you might think. Get the scoop on all of the newest TV dramas before you devote an hour of your precious viewing time... 'Body of Proof' - ABC Premiere: March 29, 2011 Starring: Dana Delany as Dr. Megan Hunt, Jeri Ryan as Dr. Kate Murphy, Geoffrey Arend as Dr. Elliot Gross, John Carroll Lynch as Detective Bud Morris, Windell Middlebrooks as Dr. Curtis Brumfield, Nic Bishop as Peter Dunlap, and Sonja Sohn as Detective Samantha Baker Premise: Dr. Megan Fox was one of the country's leading neurosurgeons, but a horrible car accident forever changes the course of her life when she can no longer perform surgery. She takes her medical skills to the medical examiners office, where she solves those tough cases but has "developed a reputation for graying the lines of where her job ends and where the police department’s begins....

10 Things you should Never Say in an Inerview - We've all had them. Those moments during an interview when words come out of your mouth, then you immediately give yourself a mental head-slap and wonder whether you should move to Bali. The reality is everyone says embarrassing things during interviews, tidbits of information they wish they hadn't revealed, but learning from these mistakes can help prepare you for interviews down the road. Following are 10 things you should never say during an interview. 1. "Wait 'til you hear what my last boss did." Stick with your mother's advice and refrain from saying anything about anyone unless it's positive. Job candidates should never complain about old bosses and colleagues, warns Anthony Balderrama of CNN. If you do this during an interview, the manager will think you'll do the same thing to him or her down the line. 2. "I'm a single Mom, so scheduling is sometimes a problem." Talking...

How to Make your Resume Stand Out - The process of getting acting jobs is always a matter of getting noticed and making a good impression. The humble paper resume is no exception to this rule. While the audition is always the biggest defining factor in whether or not an actor gets a role, a good resume can be vital in order to even get an audition in the first place. Therefore, it's important to take the time to make sure your resume stands out. List your stage name prominently (if you use one) in a well labeled and in an easy-to-spot location. Be concise and straightforward. List relevant facts about your career without editorial comment or attempts to impress through persuasion. Listing facts in an objective manner is not only the most professional way to write a resume, it sends the message that you are confident that the details about your career, and eventually, your audition, can speak for themselves. How to Make your Resume Stand Out Select highlights of your work. ...

Fastest-Dying Industries - Another way to avoid disaster? Diversify. In response to decades of declining circulation and shaky print advertising numbers, newspaper publishers are expanding their holdings in non-traditional ways. The two largest, Gannett and Tribune, own a stake Careerbuilder.com, the online job search Web site. In 2005, The New York Times Co. bought About.com, a general information site. Will it work? The jury is out. Worth noting, though--the industry's most successful transition is also its most radical. The Washington Post Co. secured their future by buying Kaplan Learning centers, morphing the company into an "information" firm and leaning on the new entity, rather than their news operations, to drive growth. Fastest-Dying Industries Bowling alleys and arcades have been on a slide for years, but some of the biggest operators believe they have found a recipe for success, in an otherwise struggling industry, by creating broader entertainment comple...

Most Fuel-Efficient AWD Vehicles - When it comes to purchasing a vehicle the one thing most people want to know before they even look at the price is how many miles per gallon of gas the vehicle will get. With the price of gasoline at record highs for the past several months people are spending more on gasoline than ever before. It's only natural that those buying Sport Utility Vehicles are searching for the most fuel efficient SUV's on the market. According to research conducted these ten SUV's are the most fuel efficient on the market today. 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid 4WD With prices starting at $26,505, the five seat 2008 Ford Escape Hybrid is a great choice for the most environmentally conscious consumer. This Fuel efficient SUV offers eco-friendly seating made from 100% post consumer waste plastic and polyester fibers. This model of the Ford Escape is available in AWD and 4WD and in available in 7 exciting colors including vista blue and kiwi-green Fuel Efficiency R...

Best AWD Vehicles - The All Wheel Drive (AWD) concept - which was previously restricted to Sports Utility Vehicles (SUV) and trucks, has made its way to luxury car segment, which according to the auto experts is a welcome change in the world of automobiles. AWD vehicles have numerous advantages over their 2WD counterparts, and the fact that this technology is now available as a standard feature in luxury cars has prompted many people to go for such cars. Those who are not familiar with the concept of all wheel drive cars can go through the following information about it before moving on to the list of AWD vehicles given below. (If you are well versed with what AWD cars are, you can skip the next section and directly go to the list.) AWD Vehicles As its name suggests, an AWD vehicle is a vehicle in which all wheels are powered by the engine. Even though this is somewhat similar to 4WD vehicles, a closer look at AWD vs 4WD comparison shows that the working mechanism in both of these...

Superstitions About Money - Some people have a lucky number, others throw coins into fountains or carry snakeskin in their wallet - all in the name of prosperity and good fortune. But while many of these superstitions can simply be dismissed as cobblers, others have a sound financial rationale behind them. In Russia, many believe you should always take or receive money with your left hand, but give it with your right hand. Some are also convinced that scattering coins in bags, cupboards and drawers will breed wealth as "money goes to money". This may not be one to adopt if you suffer from more than a touch of neuroses about keeping a spotless home and, no, accidentally dropping money down the side of the sofa doesn't count. Superstitions About Money Russian folklore also says you should not count money after dark or lend it in the evening time unless you have a bankruptcy wish. Maybe one to remember next time a friend asks to borrow a fiver after a few drinks in ...

Consignment Shopping Tips - We are heading into the consignment shopping season. Prepare yourself to find tremendous bargains with IKC’s top consignment shopping tips. First, you want to be prepared. You will need to take some time to do a little bit of prep work. Take a look at what you have for the next few months for each child. Then make a list of what you might need. You can even trace your kid’s feet on a piece of cardboard and take it with you to the sale. Many times people don’t think about gifts they might need throughout the year. At the IKC sale, we get plenty of brand new items. So, get some birthday and Christmas gifts crossed off your list. Consignment Shopping Tips Next, you will want to dress for shopping. Make sure you wear comfy clothes and shoes. You should plan on spending a couple hours at the sale. It’s not the sort of thing you run in and out of. If you don’t have to carry your purse, don’t. Put your cash or credit card and driver’s license in y...

Host a Clothing Swap Party - Get some friends together and arrange a swap of clothes and accessories you're sure you'll never wear again. That pashmina that reminds you of your cheating ex-boyfriend could be exactly what someone else is looking for to top off her new duds, sans emotional baggage. Eat, drink, and trade merrily with these tips from Real Simple: 1. Make it a true party: Send invitations, and serve food and drinks. 2: Make it seasonal: Hold your swap party at the start of a new season, when you switch your closets around. Host a Clothing Swap Party 3. Create a virtual-store atmosphere: Set up full-length mirrors and changing areas. When Heidi Hoelzer, 27, hosted a swap party for friends in New York City, she purchased a rolling rack from the Container Store to make it easy to browse clothes.4. Place items in categories: Shoes in one area, accessories in another. 5. Make sure attendees bring only items that they're ready to part with: Nothing is worse...

Most Popular Economy Cars - Although the price for gasoline has come down over the past months, the one question that keeps protracted in car buyers mind is the direction of gasoline prices for the coming months and years ahead. Although no one can predict the future prices at the pump, but with the current recession in the works, many doubts that it will be anywhere but up. Running a check at U.S. Retail Gasoline Prices indicated that from July 2008 until November 2008 the country is currently enjoying the lowest average gasoline prices of $1.93/gallon (regular grade) in November 2008. The second lowest gas price was back in January 2007 at $2.15/gallon. It then rose to $3.22/gallon in May 2007, down to $2.75/gallon in September 2007, up again in March 2008 at $3.30/gallon before reaching its peak of $4.12/gallon in July 2008. Most Popular Economy Cars However can we assume that sale of fuel efficient new and used cars are tied to the price of gasoline. You will be surprised by...

US Cities with Lowest Jobless Rates - The Great Recession has had a greater impact on the Raleigh-Cary labor market than on Durham's, at least when it comes to unemployment rates, according to a new study released Wednesday by Business First of Buffalo, a sister paper of Triangle Business Journal. An examination of October jobless rates each year from October 2000 through October 2010 finds that the Raleigh-Cary market had a slightly stronger labor market than did Durham until the Great Recession started in December 2007. In the three Octobers since then, the Durham area, which includes Chapel Hill, has taken Raleigh-Cary's place as the North Carolina metro with the lowest unemployment. US Cities with Lowest Jobless Rates Both MSAs posted their lowest jobless numbers in October 2000, when Raleigh-Cary's rate was 2.5 percent and Durham's was 2.9 percent. Raleigh-Cary maintained the lower rate through October 2007, when its 3.5 percent slightly bested Durham's ...

100-calorie Packs Diet - Did you know recent studies show chronic dieters tend to consume more calories when foods and packages are smaller? Consumer behavior was observed in the study regarding "mini-packs," 100-calorie food packages that are marketed to help people control calorie intake. The study revealed that one group that over-consumes the mini-packs is chronic dieters - individuals making a conscious effort in trying to manage their weight and food intake. This shows that the distorted perception of small packages may actually undermine dieters' attempts to limit calories. Consider this: Consumers perceive the mini-packs to be a generous portion of food - numerous small food morsels in each pack and multiple mini-packs in each box - while on the other hand, consumers perceive the mini-packs to be diet food. For chronic dieters, this perceptual dilemma causes a tendency to overeat, due to their emotion-laden relationship with food. In a series of focus gro...