The end of the year sometimes marks the prospect of a raise in 2013. If you're wondering how much the average raise is this year, turns out the number is three percent, according to predictions generated from compensation surveys.
What about you — how much of a raise did you get this year?
Every time a well-known company plans to sell its shares to the public a.k.a. IPO, it always generates an enormous buzz in the media. After all, everyone wants to cash in.
But as we all know, the hottest IPO doesn't always mean the best investment. Despite all the estimates of Facebook IPO-ing at $104 billion, the social media company raised $16 billion, which is still a hefty amount considering that it is the biggest tech IPO and the third largest in US history. Keeping in mind that popular IPOs can sometimes mean overhyped — is there a company that went public in 2012 that you would want to invest in?
There's a new trend that's causing some discomfort among library patrons — bedbugs are making their way into library books, then crawling into borrowers' homes, reports the New York Times.
“There’s no question in past few years there are more and more reports of bedbugs showing up in libraries,” Michael Potter, a professor of entomology at University of Kentucky in Lexington, tells the Times. In fact, there have been quite a few complaints of bedbugs in libraries in Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York.
Of course, there are ways to lower the risk of bedbugs entering your home — such as checking with your local library about bedbug infestations, heat-treating the books before you take them into your home, or borrowing popular books that constantly travel in and out of different homes. There is also the option of just borrowing ebooks from your library.
Does the threat of bedbugs make you want to scurry away from your local library?
Black Friday might be known as a shopping holiday here in the US, but it's also infamous for chaos and unruly crowds. With alternatives like pre-Black Friday sales and Cyber Monday, we want to know: will you be shopping the big event this year?
Never come between people and their Twinkies. Apparently, the announcement of Hostess Brands closing its factories has sparked such a panic among consumers that boxes of the iconic yellow snacks are being peddled on eBay at inflated prices.
One eBay seller is even selling boxes of Twinkies for $60 each. Believe it or not, the seller has already sold one despite the staggering price tag.
Do you think it's a brilliant idea to cash in on the Twinkies frenzy or just silly?
Wouldn't it be nice if you could spend some time with a renowned expert? Well, that's exactly what I'll be doing when I attend the O You! conference on Oct. 20 in downtown Los Angeles. With talks from Dr. Phil to sex and love relationship expert Dr. Laura Berman, attendees will get to see these experts up close and personal.
If you could pick any of them, which of these celebrity speakers would you like to grab lunch with?
If you take a look around the next time you're on a plane, you'll notice at least one person that's on his gadget during takeoff.
Although the Federal Aviation Administration warns against leaving your gadgets on during a flight's takeoff and landing, the Wall Street Journal reveals 40 percent of people admitting to not turning off their phone completely during takeoff and landing. If electronic devices really interfere with radio signals, the WSJ says, then "navigation and communication would be disrupted every day on domestic flights. But we don't see that."
The FAA warning is apparently based on anecdotal evidence by pilots and flight attendants back in 1991 that said the devices disrupted a plane's communication and navigation equipment during takeoff and landing, and there isn't any strong scientific evidence to back up those claims.
What's your opinion — does turning off your gadget affect the plane?
I was watching The Suze Orman Show when she divulged a pet peeve she's never revealed before: people raising pets who can't afford them. She then went on to advise those who are struggling with debt to give away their pets to homes who can afford to raise and take care of the animals.
Having animals is a big expense. Not only do you have to deal with the day-to-day costs such as food, but you also have to take care of medical bills if your pet ever gets sick. And those vet bills can get quite pricey.
If you were struggling financially, would you consider giving away your pet?
Travel bargain hunters were jumping for glee last week when they were able to a book a United Airlines flight from the US to Hong Kong for just four miles, in addition to taxes and fees. This deal seemed too good to be true, and it was — there was a glitch in the airline's systems that caused this dramatic drop in airfare.
United has since said that it will honor tickets of those who have already flown but will be canceling the tickets of those who have not. However, the Department of Transportation is currently investigating the matter and may be able to overturn United's decision since there's a federal rule that does not allow ticket prices to increase after they've been booked.
There are two opposing views on this issue. On one hand, some think it's unethical to take advantage of "error" fares, while others think that companies need to be responsible for their mistakes. What's your take?
Although wedding gifts are always nice, sometimes what you really need is help with paying off your mortgage or funding your honeymoon. I've been in situations where I was asked to give money and personally I didn't find it offensive. I was just glad that my monetary gift will be put to good use by the newlyweds. What about you — do you think it's tacky to ask for money instead of gifts?
Source: Etsy user pinktexas
