Saturday, November 20, 2010

Global 2010: 4 Things Not to Buy at Costco

NASDAQ in Times Square, New York City, USA.Image via Wikipedia
You head to Costco (Nasdaq: COST - News) to stock up on staples -- say, paper towels and cleaning supplies -- but you walk out with three salmon filets, a tub of cream puffs, and a ream of printer paper. Why?

Most of us are notoriously poor at assessing a true bargain, says C.W. Park, professor of marketing at the Marshall School of Business at the University of Southern California, and editor of The Journal of Consumer Psychology. Seduced by the prospect of saving money, we give in to impulse buys. Eventually, we regret the purchase or throw much of a past-its-prime product away. It's called the Costco Effect, and it's actually part of the store's incredibly successful retail strategy. But the effect on your wallet is that you spent more than you would have if you'd never seen that "bargain."

1. Designer Clothes

2. Imported Shrimp

3. Sheets and Towels

4. 12-Pound Crates of Navel Oranges

http://finance.yahoo.com/family-home/article/111341/things-not-to-buy-at-costco


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Friday, November 19, 2010

Global 2010: 5 tips for bonding with her better

Freezer with open door.Image via Wikipedia
6 tricky problems your freezer can easily solve.

1. Eliminate unpopped popcorn

2. Remove wax from candlesticks

3. Extend candle life

4. Unstick photos

5. Clean a pot

6. Remove odors



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Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Global 2010: Electronics Shopping: Should you buy online or in a store?

Portable DVD playerImage via Wikipedia
If you’re in the market to buy an electronics product this year—and our holiday shopping poll says 62 percent of you plan to give a gift from that category—it’s plenty early enough to think about buying online. For some products, that’s fine—but not for all. .

Regardless of what you’re buying, you can often find better selection and prices online. And many Web retailers scored very high in our recent Ratings of places to buy major electronics and computers. But the hottest products this year—tablets, smart phones, and 3D anything —are relatively unfamiliar. Many buyers will benefit from experiencing them first-hand. That’s where brick-and-mortar stores hold the advantage.

Cell phones: Try before you buy.

TVs: Online is fine.

Digital cameras: Try before you buy.

Blu-ray and DVD players: Online is fine.

Headphones: Try before you buy.

Computers: Online is fine.


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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

Global 2010: What one’s favorite color signifies

Me playing with a plasma ball and a cameraImage via Wikipedia
Red
What it represents: Ah, the color of passion, anger and high blood pressure. Red is a primal color. It represents primal urges, like lust (“I must have you now!”) and fury (you know the phrase “seeing red,” right?). Yes, red is a commanding color: think of how stop signs get you to halt in your tracks and how you stand back when a red fire engine goes whizzing by. 

Orange
What it represents: OK, orange is not exactly the easiest color to wear and it’s not the most common favorite color, but guess what? Orange is as sensual as it gets. Orange is a mellowed red — and it takes primal, lusty urges and mellows them with a softer vibe. Orange is the color of early attractions, emotional responses, and inner magnetism. Oh, and one other thing: orange is also close to gold, the color of success and wealth. 

Yellow
What it represents: Yellow is the color of the sun, vitality, power and ego... but it’s not a great indicator of romance. Watch out for self-centered, “me first” energy when someone prefers yellow to the rest of the rainbow. 

What it represents: Here is the heart of the matter: green is the color of love. (It’s no coincidence that we make our money in the same color...) Green is the color of life and abundance — leaves, grass, plants — it’s all about growing, expanding, and living. So why don’t we give ferns instead of roses on Valentine’s Day? Because green is about expansive, humanistic love and acceptance, not bodice-ripping romance. What’s more, green is a nice-person color, a “do-gooder, be-gooder” kind of color. This person has a warm heart. Passion is probably in there somewhere, buried under their integrity and honor. 

Blue
What it represents: Blue is a color of clarity, communications and charm. And regardless of the shade, this hue says: “I like to be understood.” On the downside, under stress, a “blue” person can send mixed messages, have trouble making up their mind, or just space out during conversations. 

Purple
What it represents: Purple evokes the energy of illusion, imagination and fantasy. Or should we say purrrrple? Purple tends to inspire coyness, romance, flirtation and teasing — it builds anticipation with a dash of playfulness. The downside of purple is unrealistic expectations. Is it easier to live in your fantasy world than the real world? Some purple-lovers prefer it. 

White
What it represents: White is light — the combination of all colors. White symbolizes purity (the traditional bridal dress, the christening gown) and spirituality. There’s a simplicity to it, too. 

Black
What it represents: Like white, black is a combination of all colors, but instead of purity, it represents the unknown, the unseen — mystery. Black basically holds back information... but there’s no denying that it has strong associations in our culture with “the dark side” and evil. 


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Monday, November 15, 2010

Global 2010: Drinking Water Before Meals Aids Weight Loss

Clean drinking water...not self-evident for ev...Image via Wikipedia
THE FACTS Late November marks the start of the gluttonous holiday season. But a simple step might help keep food intake in check: a glass of water before meals.

Dieters have been encouraged to employ this trick for ages, with the reasoning quite simple: the water fills the stomach, thus reducing hunger. But only in recent years have studies borne this out.

In the most recent, a randomized trial published in the journal Obesity in February, scientists at Virginia Tech followed a group of overweight subjects age 55 and up on low-calorie diets for about three months. Half the people were told to drink two cups of water before every meal. At the end of the study, the water group had lost an average of 15.5 pounds, compared with 11 pounds in the other group.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/16/health/16really.html?no_interstitial


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Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Global 2010: Gamer makes a cool half-million by selling virtual property

asteroid 1Image via Wikipedia
Think the rent is, in fact, too damn high? Then stay as far away from online world Entropia Universe as possible, because its real estate prices will drive you insane.

Take, for instance, what just went down on Planet Calypso, where one of Entropia's wealthier players has sold off his interests in a "resort asteroid" for an eye-popping $635,000.

The seller is Jon Jacobs, also known as the character 'Neverdie'. He originally purchased the asteroid in 2005 -- eventually converting it into the extravagant resort 'Club Neverdie' -- for the then-record price of $100,000. For those keeping score, that's a gain of over $500,000 in just five years. In nerdier terms, that's an ROI of 535%. Match that, Citibank.

Though its exorbitant real estate transactions have earned it headlines, Entropia is otherwise similiar in form and function to massively-multiplayer games like World of Warcraft. Set in a sci-fi future, the game casts players as colonists who must fight creatures, collect and trade precious materials, and explore planets. Currently, Entropia is experiencing a 'Harbinger Event' whose outcome will be dictated entirely by its players.


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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

Global 2010: 5 Reasons Women Are As Shallow As Men (According to Science)

Romantic Comedy (film)Image via Wikipedia
Thanks to romantic comedies and crappy comedians, we know that men are crude, shallow boors that only care about sex, and women are weepy sensitive hippies that only care about poetry and what's on the inside.

Like everything else in romantic comedies, this is bullshit. Some men are shallow and so are some women.


No, women are shallow in completely different ways, and it involves things like...

#5.
The Color Red (and Other "Power" Indicators)

#4.
Looks (but Not the Same Looks )

#3.
Muscles (but Not Too Much)

#2.
Money (but Not... Actually Yes it's Just Money)

#1.
Penis Size (but Not Length)


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