Wiki Fact In 2009, for the first time, the amount of data sent with phones exceeded the sum of transmitted voice data. And our calls are getting shorter. A decade ago, we'd spend 3 minutes per call, today the average phone call lasts just 1 minute and 47 seconds.
Expert: Babies Born Today Will Grow Up Without Landlines
A technology expert has compiled a list of things that we take for granted, but a child born today will likely never use. For instance, within a decade, it's predicted that Wi-Fi will be the predominate way to connect with the internet. Same goes with landlines for phones. That's the quickest way to determine which generation you belong: Grandparents have landlines. Or with the advances in phones, it will be the only device you need for photography and videos. Finally, the movie theater may be out-of-business in less than a generation. Streaming video-on-demand may become the norm for that big screen in your home.
Fashionably Frugal: Used Car Owner Saving on Monthly Bills The least expensive car to drive is the one you currently own. Otherwise, it would be a used car, within the past 5 years or so. Truly the most expensive car is the latest model on the car lot. It immediately loses value the moment you drive away. Meaning you're already underwater on the car loan.
Prom 'Dirty Dancing' Earns Teenagers the 'Lysol Treatment' A couple at the prom was treated to a Lysol shower. One of the moms chaperoning the school dance believed the couple's "grinding" was disgusting. So she brought out the industrial-sized can of Lysol and sprayed them down. But not before calling the girl a "slut" and "whore". The chaperones, Jennifer Farmer and Hannah Rockey, told the cops that the kids were (quote) "dancing like they were having sex with their clothes on". This is an apt description for any school dance where grinding is the norm. The police report indicates several girls were Lysol'd. As many as 8 had to be treated for potential poisoning when it got in their eyes and mouth.
5 Steps To Counter $4 Per Gallon At The Pump from bankrate.com
Take out your owner's manual. A lack of familiarity with your car's owner's manual could be costing you money. It tells you what octane level of gasoline to use, the type of oil that's most efficient and your car's optimal tire pressure. Very few auto manufacturers recommend premium fuel. If you put that in, you're unnecessarily spending money. Proper maintenance, such as regular oil changes and air filter replacements, also can save on gas. In fact, you can increase your gas mileage by about 4 percent if you keep your engine tuned to your owner's manual's specifications, according to the Federal Trade Commission.
Remove junk from the trunk. One of the easiest ways to save on gas is to get the junk out of the trunk. Take a few minutes to determine what you need to carry around and chuck the rest. The lighter your car, the less work your engine has to do. The FTC estimates that an additional 100 pounds in the trunk can decrease fuel economy by up to 2 percent.
Adjust your driving habits. We live in a fast-moving society, but you should "plan to spend a little bit longer getting to where you need to go because aggressive driving is a tremendous fuel burner." . Avoid quick starts and stops. Coasting to a stop is more cost-effective than waiting until you get up to a red light to slam on the brakes. You can improve your fuel economy around town by up to 5 percent by driving more gently.
Take advantage of gasoline apps. Thanks to technology, it's easier than ever to pay less at the pump. A number of smartphone apps can show you maps of gas stations in your area and let you sort by price and location. Among those recommended by Schaffels are the free GasBuddy, the free AAA TripTik Mobile and the $2.99 Fuel Finder.
Cash in on rewards and loyalty programs. Some credit cards offer cash back on gas purchases. Likewise, some retailers reward spending with discounts at affiliated gas stations. These offerings can potentially save you money as long as you recognize they're not always the ideal choice. Many gas stations offer a lower price per gallon if you pay in cash so compare the rewards or loyalty discount to the cash option to see which is a better deal.
The 7 Deadly Credit Card Sins from msn.com
1. Gluttony: Bumping up against your credit limit Just because your issuer awarded you a $6,000 credit limit doesn't mean you should max the card out. For starters, those who aren't able to pay off their balances in full increase the likelihood of winding up in debt, since they'll be subject to the interest on their purchases. Secondly, bumping up against your credit limit is likely to have a negative overall impact on your credit score.
2. Pride: Not checking your credit report You might assume your credit score is in fine standing based upon a presumably stellar payment history, but the truth of the matter is that credit reports can easily contain errors. And the more egregious ones, like inaccurate delinquencies or improper credit limit information, can cost you more than a few points on your accompanying credit score.
3. Lust: Applying for too much credit Lucrative sign-up bonuses can certainly be attractive, but that doesn't mean you should apply for every credit card that's touting one. Too many credit card inquiries -- generated by lenders that are looking to see if you deserve a new line of credit -- in a short time frame can also negatively affect your credit score.
4. Greed: Taking out a cash advance It may seem like a great idea to use your credit card to get a cash advance at a casino so you have some cash to gamble with, but in addition to the lousy odds you'll have trying to make the money grow, the paper comes with a price.
5. Envy: Applying for a card that's out of your league Your globe-trotting friend may continually flash a credit card that grants access to swanky airport lounges, earns free airfare and avoids foreign transaction fees, but don't let jealousy lead you to sign up for one of your own. Typically, cards of that caliber contain high annual fees that are worth paying only if you travel enough to justify the rewards.
6. Wrath: Closing all your credit card accounts Those who have gotten burned by their plastic may be inclined to cut up all the credit cards in their wallet and close all the accompanying accounts, but it's best to curb your anger. Closing accounts can negatively influence your credit-to-debt ratio, especially if the one card you're leaving open -- or transferring a balance to -- is bumping up against its credit limit. It's better to keep the account open but not use it, since that will keep your credit-to-debt ratio positively intact and not jeopardize the average age of your credit report.
7. Sloth: Not checking your monthly credit card statements It can be easy to set up automatic bill pay on your account and then forget all about your credit card, especially in instances where you use it infrequently. However, it's a bad idea to skip checking your monthly credit card statements.
Re-Gift Your Mother's Day Present -- Little Kids Won't Notice Did you receive a Mother's Day gift that really stinks? It's perfectly acceptable to "re-gift". There's even a day set aside as "National Regifting Day" (December 20th). Psychologists from America and Europe are trying to break the taboo of re-gifting. After all, what they have found is that most people are accepting of the re-gift, even if they are hurt when it's the gift they gave. A series of experiments shows that "givers assume recipients can do what they wish with a gift". It's the receivers who place restraints on themselves. And when asked their preference about how a gift is used, givers would rather it go to a person who has use for it, rather than sit around collecting dust deep in a closet.
Fashionably Frugal: Shopping Americans Feeling Optimistic Every month, Reuters asks Americans how they intend to shop for the next month. The monthly ranking is called the "Consumer Sentiment Index". In April, it reached a level not seen since well before the economy collapsed 4 years ago. Americans are feeling more optimistic. An economist says (quote) "We're feeling more comfortable. It's pretty good news for consumer spending."
Carey Mulligan Auctions Stunning 'Met Gala' Dress On eBay
At the end of the week, there will be a new owner of Carey Mulligan's fashionable dress that she wore to the "Met Gala". The custom Prada gold and silver scaled halter neck dress is up for grabs on eBay. The top bidder goes home with the size 2 dress and Oxfam America receives the proceeds. The auction ends May19th. Currently, the top bidder is over $2000. However, you can expect that to climb much higher before the auction ends. Carey Mulligan is an Oscar-nominated actress from a little-seen movie called "An Education". She also co-starred with Ryan Gosling in "Drive". And her next film is the re-telling of F Scott Ftizgerald's timeless classic "The Great Gatsby". Bid at eBay CareyMulligan.notlong.com
Lovato Beats 'Miley Cyrus' for 4th Judge On 'X Factor'
*DEMI LOVATO HAS SIGNED HER DEAL AND IS THE FINAL JUDGE ON [WHAT MAY BE] THE FINAL SEASON OF "THE X FACTOR" -- NOW THAT HE'S PAYING BRITNEY $15 MILLION, COWELL HAS TO CUT CORNERS ON SALARIES -- SO TO GET DEMI'S PRICE DOWN, HE SAID HE WAS CONSIDERING MILEY CYRUS -- BUT INSIDERS SAY SHE WAS NEVER IN THE PICTURE: THE ONLY ONE WHO BELIEVED IT WAS DEMI, AND IT WORKED -- SHE BASICALLY SIGNED FOR PEANUTS...
Music, DVDs and Blu-Rays on Sale This Week
ADAM LAMBERT-- TRESPASSING
RYE RYE-- GO! POP! BANG!
CHERRI BOMB-- THIS IS THE END OF CONTROL
MEwithoutYOU-- TEN STORIES
BEACH HOUSE-- BLOOM
KILLER MIKE-- R.A.P. MUSIC
SHADOWS FALL-- FIRE FROM THE SKY
TENACIOUS D-- RISE OF THE FENIX
SOUNDTRACK-- GLEE: GRADUATION
CHRONICLE--Dane DeHaan, Alex Russell, Michael B Jordan, Michael Kelly, Ashley Hinshaw, Bo Petersen and Anna Wood. 1 Hour and 23 Minutes. PG-13.
THE DEVIL INSIDE--Fernanda Andrade, Simon Quarterman, Evan Helmuth and Suzan Crowley. 1 Hour and 27 Minutes. Rated R.
ONE FOR THE MONEY--Katherine Heigl, Jason O'Mara, Daniel Sunjata, Sherri Shepherd and Debbie Reynolds. 1 Hour and 46 Minutes. Rated PG-13.
THE GREY--Liam Neeson, Dermot Mulroney, Frank Grillo, Dallas Roberts, James Badge Dale and Joe Anderson. 1 Hour and 57 Minutes. Rated R.
ALBERT NOBBS-- Glenn Close. 1 Hour and 53 Minutes. Rated R.
RAMPART-- Woody Harrelson, Ned Beatty, Ben Foster, Anne Heche, Ice Cube, Cynthia Nixon, Robin Wright and Steve Buscemi. 1 Hour and 48 Minutes. Rated R.
Fashionably Frugal: Mothers Want a Manicure and Clean Car Mother's Day is the second-biggest spending holiday -- behind Christmas. The National Retail Federation says the average American will spend over $100 on mom for gifts, flowers and Sunday brunch. But when moms were asked what they secretly wanted for Mother's Day, the majority said "pampering". Might we suggest a pedi-manicure. Or consider giving your mom a car wash & vacuum.
Shopping for Father's Day Much More Difficult Than for Mom
Finding it difficult to shop for Mother's Day? Psychologists say it's relatively simple, just as long as you follow a few simple rules. In fact, shopping for your mother is perhaps the easiest. No matter what type of gift you select, she'll still love you.
It's Father's Day you have to worry about. Men are especially picky when it comes to what's inside a wrapped package. It'd better by fancy, expensive, or exactly what he wished for. Otherwise, men will become disappointed and it might even impact your relationship. Studies have shown how young couples broke up shortly after his birthday because he hated his gift.
Mother's Day Facts
- Plastic surgeons say Mother's Day has helped spur a jump in Botox gift certificate sales
- over 1.2 billion calls will be placed on Mother's Day
- The average American will send out 2.6 Mother's Day cards
- 27% of Americans will purchase Mother's Day gifts for their mother-in-laws.
- KFC says Mother's Day is their biggest day of the year. On Sunday, they'll sell over 10,000,000 pieces of chicken resulting in close to $18,000,000 in sales
In Theaters Today: 'Avengers' May Earn Another $100 Million
ALL REVIEWS FROM 'DAILY VARIETY' AND 'THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER'
DARK SHADOWS-- (3760 Screens) . Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Eva Green Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller and Chloe Grace Moretz. 1 Hour and 54 Minutes. Rated PG-13.
GIRL IN PROGRESS-- (Limited Release to 320 Theaters) . Eva Mendes, Matthew Modine, Cierra Ramirez, Patricia Arquette and Eugenio Derbez. 1 Hour and 30 Minutes. Rated PG-13.
Wiki Fact
Facebook polled 1000 people on what they planned to buy for Mother's Day. The #1 gift is flowers, with jewelry and clothing coming in (tied) at a close 2nd.
Three Gifts You Should Never Purchase for a 'Mother's Day'
This Sunday is Mother's Day. Don't get caught flat-footed. Nor do you want to make a mortal mistake and get something that no mother really wants. Sure, when you were younger, she enjoyed your "macaroni art". But you've got to get more creative these days. Just avoid the following bad Mother's Day gifts:
House cleaning equipment. No matter what the price tag, there's nothing about a vacuum cleaner that says "I love you mom".
Kitchen appliances. No bread makers. No Cuisinarts or blenders. She already works hard enough. Don't guilt her into cooking even more.
Lotions and perfumes. This gift just screams that you slipped by the beauty counters in the mall and grabbed the first item you saw.
Fashionably Frugal: Texas is Voted the Business-Friendly Capital
According to a survey published at the website called "Chief Executive", the very worst state for business opportunities is California. Just don't tell Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook that. Nor the Hollywood studio that earned over $200 million in three days with "The Avengers". The very best state for business? That would be Texas, where Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban makes home.
Parents Are Happy in Life (At Least Happier Than Childless)
Based on data from almost 130,000 adults around the globe - including more than 52,000 parents - it seems that happiness doesn't drop so much after having children.
There once was a time when psychology studies revealed that parents felt miserable: They're less happy, more depressed, and have less-satisfying marriages. Though the results presented at the Population Association of America's annual meeting gave a different picture. When it comes to ranking happiness, married couples are at the top and singles without a soulmate are at the bottom. Somewhere in between are those parents struggling in the modern world to raise a family.
Movies Which Open This Weekend
ALL REVIEWS FROM 'DAILY VARIETY' AND 'THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER'
DARK SHADOWS-- (3700 Screens) Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Helena Bonham Carter, Jackie Earle Haley, Jonny Lee Miller, Eva Green and Chloe Grace Moretz. 1 Hour and 45 Minutes. Rated PG-13.
GIRL IN PROGRESS-- (Limited Release to 300 Theaters) Eva Mendes, Matthew Modine, Cierra Ramirez, Patricia Arquette and Eugenio Derbez. 1 Hour and 30 Minutes. Rated PG-13
>Friday Street Closures, from 6 p.m. to midnight, will include Capitol Loop around the Capitol and Capitol Annex.
>Saturday Street Closures, from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m., include Broadway Street, from East Main Street to Washington Street; Catfish Alley, from West Main Street to Broadway; St. Clair Street from West Main to Broadway; and Lewis Street, from West Main Street to Clinton Street.
>Saturday no parking areas, from midnight to 2 p.m., include Ann Street, from Clinton Street to West Main Street; both sides of Broadway Street, from East Main to Washington Street; Lewis Street, from Clinton Street to West Main Street; and St. Clair Street, from West Main to Broadway.
>Public parking will be available at State Office Building, Sullivan Garage, Capital Plaza Tower, High Street and Mero Street lot. Commonwealth Credit Union will be open for accessible needs parking only.
>The downtown trolley will run from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and will pick up on Ann Street near First Christian Church.
>The horse-drawn trolley will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and will pick up near the corner of West Main Street and St. Clair Street.
Jessica Finally Gives Birth, World Asks 'Really, Just One?'
*AS YOU NO DOUBT KNOW BY NOW, JESSICA SIMPSON HAS FINALLY GIVEN BIRTH TO A BABY GIRL, JUST ONE, NOT THE TWINS THAT SOME WERE EXPECTING -- THE MOST SHOCKING PART OF THE STORY IS THAT "IN TOUCH WEEKLY" WAS ACTUALLY RIGHT, WHEN THEY REPORTED ON MARCH 12th THAT THE BABY'S NAME WOULD BE "MAXWELL DREW"
-- AROUND THE SAME TIME THE MAGAZINE RAN THEIR EXCLUSIVE, JESSICA WENT ON "JIMMY KIMMEL LIVE" AND ADMITTED (QUOTE) "I FEEL LIKE I HAVE A BOWLING BALL SITTING ON MY HOO-AH. WHEN MY WATER FINALLY BREAKS, IT'LL BE LIKE A FIRE HYDRANT!
Britney Spears Worth Twice As Much As Gwen Stefani?
*IS ANYONE ELSE SURPRISED THAT BRITNEY SPEARS IS WORTH TWICE THE PRICE OF GWEN STEFANI? -- SIMON COWELL IS DESPERATE TO SAVE HIS DISAPPOINTING SHOW "THE X FACTOR", AND HE'S PAYING TOP DOLLAR TO RESTAFF -- HE'S HEARD THAT NBC IS SCHEDULING "THE VOICE" AS HIS COMPETITION, AND THAT MIGHT BE FATAL
-- SO HE'S PAYING BRITNEY $15 MILLION TO REPLACE PAULA ABDUL, AND HE'S EAGER TO ADD GWEN STEFANI AS ONE OF THE 2 NEW HOSTS -- GWEN'S PRICE IS REPORTED TO BE $7.5 MILLION -- ALSO DEMI LOVATO IS CLOSING A (MUCH CHEAPER) DEAL TO BECOME THE 4th JUDGE
-- BUT THE WILD CARD REMAINS BRITNEY -- THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER SAYS (QUOTE) "INDUSTRY INSIDERS AND PEOPLE IN THE SPEARS CAMP ARE GENUINELY CONCERNED AS TO WHETHER BRITNEY WILL BE ABLE TO COMPETENTLY HANDLE GIVING AN OPINION IN A LIVE SETTING. AFTER ALL, THIS IS A PERFORMER WHO HASN'T DONE A REAL INTERVIEW IN YEARS, AND ONE OF THE LAST PEOPLE REMEMBER-2007's SOBBING SIT-DOWN WITH MATT LAUER-WAS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE A TV DISASTER
Breaking-Up Means Losing Your Lover and 8 of Your Friends When a couple breaks up, it's also their friends who part company. A new look at long-term relationships and social circles reveals that a break-up results in the loss of a lover and 8 of your friends. Relationship expert Chad Schofield says (quote) "When a relationship is falling apart, it's inevitable that some friends get caught in the crossfire, especially if it is a particularly messy break-up. But while all you are concentrating on is your partner and the relationship which is ending, it seems it is also highly likely you could end up losing several friends too. Friends can soon get fed up of being caught in the middle, especially if you force them to take sides."
Changing Your Pillow Could Make Facial Wrinkles Disappear
Instead of paying thousands for a facelift, you might be able to erase wrinkles on your face by simply getting yourself a new pillow. European researchers have developed a high-tech sleeping pillow which they claim will reduce wrinkles and freshen your face by morning. The doughnut-shaped pillow doesn't squish your cheeks. It won't contort your lips or put undue pressure on around the eyes.
Only One Major Movie Released This Week
ALL REVIEWS FROM 'DAILY VARIETY' AND 'THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER'
THE AVENGERS-- (Over 4000 Screens Tomorrow at Midnight)" Robert Downey Junior, Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Tom Hiddleston, Clark Gregg, Cobie Smulders, Stellan Skarsgard, Samuel L Jackson and Gwyneth Paltrow. 2 Hours and 22 Minutes. Rated PG-13.
THE BEST EXOTIC MARIGOLD HOTEL-- (Limited) . Judi Dench, Bill Nighy, Maggie Smith, Tom Wilkinson & Dev Patel. 2 Hours and 3 Minutes. PG-13.
