Friday 8/9/24
Celebrate:
Book Lovers Day
International Coworking Day
International Day of the World's Indigenous People
National Hand Holding Day
National Polka Day
National Rice Pudding Day
National Veep Day
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New at the Theater
Borderlands - Based on one of the best-selling videogame franchises of all time.
Starring Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Gina Gershon, and Jamie Lee Curtis.
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There's a new report out on bargain hunting, and it includes lists of things that are priced TOO HIGH . . . and stuff where the higher prices are WORTH IT.
Maybe not surprisingly, the "priced too high" list is topped by GAS. The current average price is $3.47 a gallon, which is down 9% from last year at this time when it was $3.83.
Fast food is the runner-up on the "too expensive" list, followed by: Meat / fish . . . automobiles . . . smartphones . . . eggs . . . clothing . . . personal care items . . . snacks . . . and medicine.
But despite those prices, there are things people are willing to splurge on.
When asked what's WORTH paying more money for these days, smartphones came in at #1. People don't care if there are cheaper phones out there, they want to shell out TOP DOLLAR for the best.
Appliances are the next-most worth it, followed by computers and laptops . . . personal care items . . . TVs . . . "laundry materials" . . . coffee . . . clothing . . . shoes . . . and skincare.
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Today's Reddit Thread, "What's the ONE thing you would never say 'NO' to?" Here are the best responses:
1. A paid day off.
2. A nap.
3. A breath mint or gum. "If it's being offered, chances are there's a reason."
4. Pizza.
5. Money. Or someone offering to pick up the check.
6. Flowers.
7. Ice cream.
8. Cute pets . . . or specifically, "the opportunity to pet a cat."
9. "Someone asking me to go for a car ride. I don't care where we're going, hell yes I wanna go."
10. A joint. "Never a bad time for that."
11. An invitation to go shopping.
12. An invitation to have a beer.
13. A hug.
14. The "Lord of the Rings: Extended Edition".
15. Mushroom ravioli.
See the thread here
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskReddit/comments/1ehk8wf/what_is_the_one_thing_you_would_never_say_no_to/
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There's a ridiculous "controversy" over U.S. Olympians Simone Biles and Jordan Chiles bowing down to Rebeca Andrade from Brazil, after she won gold in the floor final.
But Simone says it was a show of good sportsmanship. (I agree..good for them)
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Someone asked productive people for their best tips on staying focused. Here are a few you might want to try . . .
1. Take five minutes at night and make a to-do list for the next day. Then start with a few easy things to keep yourself motivated.
2. Maintain a clean workspace. And organize it so everything you need is within arm's length . . . except maybe your phone. If your phone distracts you a lot, keep it a little farther away.
3. Use a notepad to jot down reminders and other random stuff. Don't let those things sidetrack you when you're trying to focus on something. Just write them down so you can come back to them later.
4. Start your day with a brisk 20-minute walk. It sharpens your mind without tiring you out.
5. Make sleep a real priority. More REM sleep tends to equal better focus.
6. Play music when you're doing chores. See if you can finish a project before a song ends.
7. Don't overeat at breakfast and lunch. Eat well, just not so much that it makes you sleepy.
8. Add some background noise. A person who can't focus in complete silence said they play YouTube videos of coffee shop sounds.
There's even a website called The Sound of Colleagues. Where you can control the sounds like coffee machine, printer, telephone, and even the office dog.
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Taylor Swift's three shows in Vienna, Austria are canceled because they were the target of a terrorist attack. The two men who were planning the attack were arrested.
They both have a sworn allegiance to ISIS and, according to an Austrian newspaper, were, quote, "radicalized on the Internet".
Interestingly, in a 2019 interview, Taylor said a terrorist attack at one of her concerts was her "biggest fear."
Terrorists would love it because it would be so high profile..which is exactly what they want.
Sad state of affairs for the world.
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Today's Useless Fact of the Day - So what are the Olympic medals worth? Not much, based on the materials used.
The gold medals haven't actually been pure gold since 1912. And this year's are 95.4% silver. Their value is about $950.
A silver medal is worth $486, and a bronze will only get you $13 at the scrapyard.
But this year all the medals contain original iron that was used in the construction of the Eiffel Tower, which is pretty cool.
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