Here’s some fun little findings from a survey that shows people would rather do anything else than give up their cell phones...
Survey: People hate to give up their phone UPI
NEW YORK — Most Americans would rather give up alcohol for a week than give up their cell phone for the same time period, a survey conducted for Best Buy indicated.
Nearly 60 percent of respondents said they'd rather abstain from drinking rather than put away their cell phones for a week, results released Tuesday of the survey by GFK Roper showed. Respondents also said they'd rather give up television for a week, 33.1 percent; survive on bread and water, 11.5 percent; even have their teeth drilled by a dentist, 14.5 percent, than do without their mobile phone.
The weekly survey of 1,000 adults for the big-box retailer also indicated consumers age 65-plus don't darken a mobile phone retailer's door — 62.1 percent said they never shopped for a mobile phone.
Thirty-seven percent said respondents said they text because they want to avoid long or tough conversations, while another 27.2 percent said they just don't like phone conversations.
The biggest, baddest behavior involving a cell phone by far — 51.4 percent — reading a text while driving. About a quarter of the respondents said they secretly read text messages of their significant others or their children.
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How about you? Can you live without your phone? If not, what would you rather give up other than your cell?
What do you mostly use your cell phone for? Calls? Text messages? E-mail? Internet? Music?
What ODD phone behaviors or etiquette have you seen? Any ODD ringtones?
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O&E image of the day: Head-tilting BEES
Our get together at Ryan's this past Tuesday night. Four hours of fun! From left, clockwise: che, Masako, M, Rodney, Paula, Kage, Ukuhead, opso, The Dork Knight, Melissa (of Caring for Hawaii's Elders blog), HNL2LAS and me.
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Lucky comment numbers for today (besides #1, #88 and #100): #138 and #247
Can you be blamed for an error when your intention was good? That fear probably stops some people from trying to do the right thing as Americans are all about lawsuits.
Accidents happen all the time. We do our best to make things right, help others, be a Good Samaritan. And we definitely need more of these kinds of people in the world...
Worker gave dropped ring to wrong person UPI
COMMACK, N.Y. — Authorities said a Commack, N.Y., Target employee who witnessed a customer drop a $19,000 diamond ring mistakenly handed it to the wrong person.
Police said the ring slipped off the 42-year-old woman's finger while she was at the store May 6 and the employee ran out into the parking lot to find her, the New York Post reported last week.
However, he did not actually find the ring's owner, but a woman in a similar hairstyle and coat who claimed the ring as hers after the employee showed it to her and asked if she had dropped it.
Police said the woman used cash to pay for her purchases at the store so they are trying to identify her via security camera footage.
The true owner of the ring said it had been a 10th anniversary gift from her husband.
"The ring meant a lot to me," she said. "My husband worked hard to buy me that ring. No matter what the circumstances, it's not hers. The insurance company paid me, but I don't want the money. I want the ring back."
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First off, that’s a pretty pricey “anniversary” ring. Wonder how much her engagement ring cost. Secondly, what was that lady buying just at Target?
But the real story here is about employee mistakes.
What kind of mistakes have you made at the workplace? Do you have forgiving colleagues and bosses?
If you are a manager, do good intentions outweigh negative outcomes?
Do you feel companies hold workers too responsible for things given the dwindling resources and nonexistent on-the-job training?
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O&E ODD image of the day: Who's got other great office slogans?
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Lucky comment numbers for today (besides #1, #88 and #100): #42 and #178
It may not be one of the bigger holidays to deck out your place, but do you plan to share your patriotic enthusiasm for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday?
It might be hard to find someone who may disapprove of a display of flags and stars and stripes, but you can never tell...
Woman says she was evicted over Easter decor Associated Press
BOULDER, Colo. — A woman is going to court claiming she was wrongly evicted from her apartment because she kept her Easter decorations on her door for two weeks after the holiday.
Carol Burdick claims her landlord unjustly told her to remove a display of Easter stickers, plastic grass, and Peeps marshmallow candies from her door a few days after the April 12 holiday this year.
"An Easter decoration is a religious statement and should be protected — even if it is just bunnies," said her attorney, John Pineau.
Burdick, 59, is not asking for monetary damages but wants jurors to find that she's not liable for more than $2,000 in rent and late fees that she refused to pay. Jury selection is set for this week.
Pineau told the Daily Camera newspaper that when Burdick refused to remove her display, apartment managers posted a notice saying she was violating her lease, which says balconies, patios and other areas must be kept "in a clean sanitary condition."
Pineau said that amounted to calling Burdick's Easter display "garbage."
He said the landlord removed the display, Burdick stopped paying rent, and she was evicted in May.
Burdick's lease was with the Meadow Creek Apartments and the AIMCO corporation, which owns and operates apartment communities. AIMCO spokesman Cindy Duffy told the Daily Camera she wanted to research Burdick's case before commenting.
Information from: Daily Camera, http://www.dailycamera.com/
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What questionable or ODD decorations have you seen on your neighbor’s lawn or front door?
One of my neighbors recently celebrated his birthday. His girlfriend (or some woman, of that I’m sure) posted some shiny gold paper covering half his door with a sign saying “Happy Birthday (his name)!”
I guess he’s more proud than embarrassed as the decoration is still up and it’s been almost a month...
Do you enjoy decorating your home to celebrate the various occasions?
And for those wondering how to celebrate Fourth of July in Hawaii, check out this listing of local events.
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O&E ODD image of the day: Busting out the balloons!
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Lucky comment numbers for today (besides #1, #88 and #100): #18 and #124
Ah, office attire. Some overdress, others under dress and many don't know how to dress!
Besides asking for appropriate clothing, should companies — or government — mandate what you can and cannot wear? Like underwear? Some really don't want to show panty lines...
City to employees: Wear underwear UPI
BROOKSVILLE, Fla. — The City Council of Brooksville, Fla., has approved a citywide dress code requiring city employees to wear underwear, deodorant and properly fitted clothes.
The dress and appearance policy, which also requires all tattoos and scars to be covered up during work hours, was approved 4-1, with only Mayor Joe Bernardini voting against the dress code due to concerns about interpretation and enforcement of the new rules, the St. Petersburg (Fla.) Times reported.
"They said you had to wear undergarments," Bernardini said, "but who's going to be the judge of that? Sometimes when it comes to certain people going bra-less, it's obvious. But who's staring to see if that person doesn't have underwear on?"
However, officials said the dress code is part of an overhaul of the city's policy toward its employees that was developed with help from city officials, attorneys and other sources. The officials said they want public employees to maintain the city's "public image."
"The policy is there if something becomes an issue or problem," City Manager Jennene Norman-Vacha said. "Then we want to be able to address it. It's just good policy."
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I can understand about a company wanting to maintain a certain image. Still, the policy seems a bit ODD.
Does your workplace have a policy on office attire and do many folks follow it? In your opinion, are your co-workers usually appropriately dressed? What ODD office wear have you seen over the years? Do you hear gossip about people's fashion sense?
What about tattoos? Is it unprofessional to show them at the workplace?
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O&E ODD image of the day: Shirt seen worn on the Big Island (thanks, NKHEA!)
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Lucky comment numbers for today (besides #1, #88 and #100): #48 and #126
Some things were just meant to come in pairs. Peanut butter and jelly. Milk and cookies. Master and slave. Just kidding on the last one!
So how was it possible to have a wedding if only the bride was in attendance to say "I do"? Have you ever heard of saying your vows by proxy? The next legal step for this couple is now the courts...
Divorce wrangling over groomless wedding UPI
KISSIMMEE, Fla. — A Florida couple are wrangling in the courts about a wedding that featured only the bride in attendance but still ended in a legal marriage.
Matthew Ditzel, 30, told an Osceola County court that Heather Bowser, 31, had their marriage license notarized despite the fact that he was not in attendance at the May 24, 2008, ceremony, the Orlando (Fla.) Sentinel reported last week. Bowser, however, contends Ditzel agreed in advance to the proxy ceremony.
Court notes say her legal team has "witnesses to state that Mr. Ditzel made (the) announcement that they were married, there is a celebratory dinner, announcements made about rings, and they consummated like bunnies."
Veronica Gonzalez, a friend of Bowser's, lost her state notary commission for falsely certifying that she married the couple and she was put on a year's probation after pleading guilty in April to false acknowledgment by a notary public, a misdemeanor.
Circuit Judge Jeffrey Fleming denied Ditzel's request for an annulment and observers say the divorce is likely to go to trial, the Sentinel reported.
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Were you ever in a situation where a deal was sealed without one party (that’s you!) being notified? Ever got signed up to do a job you never agreed to?
On a less serious note, how about people making your responsible for things you never wanted a role in? Booster club president? Head of the huli huli chicken sale? Chief of the school carnival cleanup?
And what are some other classic or famous pairings? Think of any ODD ones?
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O&E ODD image of the day:
From an art gallery in Kapahulu, (Thanks, bamboohouse808)
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Lucky comment numbers for today (besides #1, #88 and #100): #49 and #138
