The answer is almost always do NOT regift. If you don’t want it, what makes you think someone else will? But, times are tight so many people may be desperate to cover all their gift bases. If you MUST regift, consider these helpful hints:
How is the condition? Only new, unopened gifts in good condition should be considered for regifting. Never give partially used gift cards. Don’t give items that you have owned for a long time. A general rule of thumb: if you have to dust it off, it is not regiftable.
Is this going to work? Successful regifters use common sense. If you are going to regift, be sure you know who gave you the item, so you don’t return something to the original giver. Only regift items to people who are not likely to see the original giver.
Do you have good intentions? Don’t just give a gift to give a gift. Be sure that the recipient will appreciate the item. Remember, if you feel that an item is undesirable, the recipient probably will too. If you are regifting simply because you ran out of time, gift cards are simple to obtain and always well received.
The smarter thing to do with unwanted gifts is to give them to a charitable organization. Visit this information page by the Better Business Bureau for ideas.
If you’ve heard anything about Tiger Woods’ drama the past few days (and, really, who hasn’t?), you now know that your text messages can haunt you. For example, if you’re cheating on a partner, your text messages could be used against you.
Unlike earlier eras when a dalliance might be suspected but not confirmed, nowadays text messages provide proof. Divorce lawyers say they have seen an increase in cases in the past year where a wronged spouse has offered text messages to show that a partner has strayed. The American Bar Association began offering seminars this fall for marital attorneys on how to use electronic evidence–text messages, browsing history and social networks–in proving a case.
Seriously, who is so naive as to think texts are private? Perhaps they should be. But, in our digital world, privacy can be difficult to maintain. Emails can be found after deleting them. So, even if someone isn’t peeping into your phone’s in-and-out box:
…messages can remain on the sender’s and receiver’s phones, and even if they are deleted, communications companies store them for anywhere from days to a few weeks. AT&T said that, at most, it saved text messages for 72 hours while Verizon said it saved them for 5 to 10 days.
Text away! Just be prepared to live with the consequences.
Some residents of Big Spring, Texas didn’t appreciate one man’s holiday decorations. The man has a statue of Michelangelo’s David in his front lawn. For laughs and holiday cheer, he dressed David up in a Santa hat and beard, which caused some parents to complain. They claim their kids were asking “Why is Santa naked?”
After complaints, the homeowner covered the statue’s bait and tackle with boxer shorts, which you can see here in this photo.
Parents can’t explain to kids that it’s not really Santa and that it’s a replica of a famous statue? Come on, people! Lighten up.
You know, living in a place called BIG SPRING, these townspeople should have appreciated the joke.
When will the trend of having words printed on your butt just go away? I keep thinking it will disappear, like leg warmers and shoulder pads. But, the clothes keep coming and people keep wearing them. I hate to point out the obvious, but is this really an area you want people to be reading on? Not many people can say, “Wow, my butt is awesome! I’d like to call attention to it with special wording.”
I would like to title these images “When nice people make bad fashion decisions”. Or, with regards to this argument, Exhibit A.
Anyone who bet the farm on Susan Boyle’s first album. But, her success isn’t really much of a surprise considering the world’s response to her appearance on Britain’s Got Talent. We’ve been rooting for her since we heard her first note.
Despite complaints, a Connecticut elementary school principal maintains his ban on religious symbols in his public school’s classrooms. Hooray for the separation of church and state!
And, some did not.
An employee of the Arizona school district is accused of using school computers to search for the existence of alien life. It will take over $1 million to fix the problems in the computer system. Can the aliens chip in on this one?
Anyone who buys apparel from White Castle, especially something that looks disturbingly close to a muumuu. Do your dignity a (smaller) favor and buy a Snuggie instead. [Thanks, Consumerist!]
TV viewers tuning into Steven Seagal Lawman who aren’t just gawking at the incredibly absurd. Is it me, or does it seem like someone is going to get inappropriately injured here?
With the holidays upon us, many of you will be at cocktail parties, office gatherings, and seasonal shindigs. It’s a time for seeing old friends as well as meeting new ones. Or, as I like to call it, the Season of Mindless Chit Chat.
If you’re not hugging the wall, chances are you’ll be mingling and chatting people up at these parties. It’s usually fairly easy to tell whether someone is interested in what you have to say or not. (If someone pulls the old “Oh, look at the time” routine, that’s usually a pretty good indicator that you’re not exactly a witty conversationalist.)
However, there are some people who really do seem clueless. To make sure you’re not one of the boring ones, check out this list by Gretchen Rubin at Psychology Today.
Her tips to know if you’re boring include:
Repeated, perfunctory responses. A person who repeats, “Oh really? Wow. Oh really? Interesting.” isn’t particularly engaged.
Simple questions. People who are bored ask simple questions. “When did you move?” “Where did you go?” People who are interested ask more complicated questions that show curiosity, not mere politeness.
Interruption. Although it sounds rude, interruption is actually a good sign, I think. It means a person is bursting to say something, and that shows interest.
Body position. People with a good connection generally turn to face each other. A person who is partially turned away isn’t fully embracing the conversation.
What do you eat while at the movies? Junior Mints? Raisinettes? Nachos? Well, if it’s popcorn, please CLOSE your mouth while chewing. The sound of people loudly munching on popped kernels of corn smothered in fake butter is one of the most annoying disruptions to the movie-going experience. The rustling of the bag is no picnic, either. But, we’ll put up with that in exchange for quiet chewing.
Why do we encourage everyone to chew with their mouths closed EXCEPT at a movie theatre. Well, we’re starting a revolution, people. Eat quietly. That’s all we ask.
LG is doing a PSA campaign with James Lipton (of Inside the Actor’s Studio fame) warning teens to think before texting. I’m not sure it’ll work but kudos to LG for tackling the issue.
There are 4 ads, and Lipton’s beard plays an important role in each. This one is my favorite. Yes, Lipton says “tweets about his beets.”
My grandmother used to admonish me when I took more than I could eat. “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach,” she would say. Apparently, this theory applies to a lot of people in this country. According to a new study, Americans throw out 40% of all food produced in this country. That’s up 50% since 1974.
So, not only do we eat more and weigh more than the rest of the world, we also waste more. Way to aim high, America.
Not everyone can afford to be so cavalier about food, however:
Meanwhile, while some have plenty of food to spare, a recent report by the Department of Agriculture finds the number of U.S. homes lacking “food security,” meaning their eating habits were disrupted for lack of money, rose from 4.7 million in 2007 to 6.7 million last year.
We should all try to do what we can to help those who are hungry, and also attempt to use what we buy. Not novel ideas, but still important ones. For example, do you have a pantry full of canned food you’ll never use? Donate it to a food shelter this holiday season. Always stuck with too many leftovers? Buy a FoodSaver and safely freeze what you don’t eat.
Daily Dose of Common Sense cuts through the crap, hype, and pseudoscience to tell it like it is. Part science, part news, and part, er, common sense, this site may be harsh sometimes but it's just tough love.
The answer is almost always do NOT regift. If you don’t want it, what makes you think someone else will? But, times are tight so many people may be desperate to cover all their gift bases. If you MUST regift, consider these helpful hints:
With the holidays upon us, many of you will be at cocktail parties, office gatherings, and seasonal shindigs. It’s a time for seeing old friends as well as meeting new ones. Or, as I like to call it, the Season of Mindless Chit Chat.
What do you eat while at the movies? Junior Mints? Raisinettes? Nachos? Well, if it’s popcorn, please CLOSE your mouth while chewing. The sound of people loudly munching on popped kernels of corn smothered in fake butter is one of the most annoying disruptions to the movie-going experience. The rustling of the bag is no picnic, either. But, we’ll put up with that in exchange for quiet chewing.
My grandmother used to admonish me when I took more than I could eat. “Your eyes are bigger than your stomach,” she would say. Apparently, this theory applies to a lot of people in this country. According to a new study, Americans 
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