How We Throw Money Away

As food prices soar and pain at the pump grows to an unbearable level, it's a perfect time to look at the money wasters in our life. So for the third time, we asked our readers what they think are the top ways to waste money. Click through our gallery and see if you agree with this list that we pulled from our AOL message board. Are there worse ways you waste your money?

Convenience Stores
"The reason I refer to convenience stores as "vampires" is because they suck money out of you a little every day. By the end of the month you can't imagine the large amount of money you gave them ... Everything except the newspaper is overpriced in these stores. Even worse is the fact that what they sell is not good for you -- donuts, cupcakes, beef jerky, cigarettes, lottery tickets etc."

Tanning Salons
"I agree on tanning salons [being a waste of money] ... Why not just be what you are? All that tanning will just lead to skin cancer and then you will have an even bigger expense for treatment."

Movie Rentals
"Before you PAY to rent a movie, check first with your local or county library, they have 1000's of movies you can take out for FREE. You are paying for this through your taxes so why not get the benefit."

Disposable Razors
“I'm sorry, but I think it is crazy to spend $10.00 on a razor with blades you throw away and have to spend $10.00 on more blades each month. You can buy a pack of razors for a $1.00 and the whole thing goes in the garbage and save $9.00 or ... spend a little more and buy a good electric razor and save the landfill. Why spend $160.00 a year on blades? You can spend $60.00 one time and buy a good electric razor and have it for 3-4 years and save $580.00."

Pet Clothing
"The prices of pet clothing & accessories are ridiculous. A thread and needle can add a few bells or bows to a collar. A grandmother or friend could knit or crochet a sweater or sew a blanket. A store-bought [pet] sweater could run you $25, or a decorated collar $9 versus a plain one for $4."

Nail Salons
"Routinely spending $60 for a mani and pedi [is a waste of money]."

Eating Out on Lunch Break
"Packing your lunch is not only a healthier choice, but also saves you a good amount of money that could be spent elsewhere. If you're eating out every day, spending about $7 a day, you could save around $700 a year, just by packing your lunch two times per week."

Not Shutting Lights Off
“Not shutting the lights off behind you is one of the biggest money wasters in the U.S. Do all offices buildings work 24 hours? Why can't the cleaning staff turn the lights on and off? Why do buildings need to be air-conditioned at night, especially when there is no one there! Energy saved is energy produced. An average household can save at least 10%-12% off their monthly electricity bills. Offices can save much more!"

Caring for Lawns
"Stop wasting money and resources on feeding, watering and cutting a lawn. Plant trees, bushes and most importantly, vegetable gardens. A lawn is ridiculous. You make it grow so you can cut it down. I've never understood lawn people."

Death Row Inmates
"My biggest issue with wasting money is on convicted murderers [who are] on death row for years, sucking the money out of taxes for horrific crimes that they committed. And we the taxpayers keep on paying each year for thousands of these scum bags! Now, let me tell you how I really feel ... "

Clothes Dryers
"Hang your clothes to dry or use a dryer only for socks, underwear and other small items you would feel odd hanging outside. You can also put a drying rack in the basement. Dryers use lots of electricity and gas, plus ruin your clothes over the long term. Dryer 'lint' is your clothing falling apart!"

Buying a New Vehicle
"You lose a huge chunk of value just driving it off the lot! Buy a 1- to 3-year-old vehicle and you get the same warranties at a much cheaper price!"

Huge Houses
"So many people think that if you have a big house you seem more important. No, you don't. You should buy a house that is the right size for your family. If you have a spouse and three kids you should get a four-bedroom house, not an eight-bedroom house."

Alcoholic Drinks at Restaurants
"It is ridiculous some of the prices [the restaurants] charge. And go ahead and order a margarita, that's where the moneymakers are for the restaurants. Buy two and you could have gone and bought the ingredients to make your own and have a few friends join you at home!"

Over-Packaged Items
"Examples that really bug me are individually-wrapped things, such as cheese. I buy sliced cheese and am perfectly capable of using one slice at a time without extra pieces of plastic to help me figure out how many slices I am using. Quite a few things come in boxes that seem to be almost twice the size of the item ... It also seems like the smaller the item, the greater the chance it will get more packaging to make it look like you are getting more for your money."

Disposable Diapers
"Without a doubt, disposable diapers are a big waste of money, not to say adding to the landfill problem."

Using 'Super Gas' in Your Tank
"Why waste money on higher priced gas? It has no effect on the efficiency of your engine."

Energy Drinks
"Rockstar, Red Bull, Monster ... and so many more. Maybe if people would get off the Internet, stop text messaging incessantly, and go to bed at a decent time of the night, they wouldn't need energy drinks every day to keep them going, which then end up keeping them awake late into the night yet again and causing a vicious cycle. Not to mention the high levels of caffeine are addictive, so people get completely hooked. I know many people who drink 2-3 energy drinks a day at $2-3 each. That's $4-9 a day."

Plastic Cups
"Just use a glass. Why pay for a cup everytime you drink at home? And adding to our land fills??"

Disposable Cleaning Supplies
"Disposable scrubbers, dusters and wipes are the most wasteful items in the store. Swiffer anything, throwaway toilet scrubbers and pop-up wipes are waste in its purest form. Reusable scrubbers, brushes, mops and rags are far more economical and environmentally friendly." Another User Adds:
"You are buying your trash and it's expensive!"

Playing the Lottery
"I cringe when I see elderly people who are cashing their (Social Security) checks then buying their lotto tickets ... I work in a grocery store ... (and see) lonely housewives spending over $50 a day on scratchers and lotto numbers so they can talk to the gals at the service desk about their day/lives/husbands ... I can't see spending hundreds of dollars a month or a week, just to get thrilled over winning $25-50 ..."

The Wedding Industry
"They are making huge money on things like veils. I made my daughter's veil excactly like the veil at the bridal shop that was going to cost us $200. It cost me $7 for some tulle and a couple of combs, and the one I made was actually better made and more finished looking. It took me 45 minutes to do it ... Also (there is) huge money in weddings in general and they only last a few hours ... Keep in mind it is a party that is over in a few hours and you are left with a huge bill to pay."

Convenience Store Drinks
"Buying bottled drinks at the convenience store is the biggest waste of money and adds up fast, if you do it daily!"

Designer Skincare
"The best way to take care of your skin is vitamins, water, sleep, genetics and sunblock. Spending hundreds of dollars on skincare is a waste."

Extended Warranties
"It's a waste of money to purchase an extended warranty for small inexpensive items such as radios, DVD players, vacuums, etc. The manufacturer's warranty is sufficient. Retailers and dealers will always offer extended warranties -- but they are not always necessary."

Brand Names
"We constantly purchase brand names, and I don't mean clothing. Food and medications, just to mention a few. Food brands add marketing and advertising costs just like the big pharmaceuticals. Is Kraft, Goya or Campbell's so much better than supermarket brands? Is Bayer or Advil so much better than "I-don't-know-this-brand" aspirin and ibuprofen. Sometimes it is, but very rarely. Marketing and advertising don't make products taste or work better they just add to the final price of a product."

Luxury Hotels
"Unless you are going to spend 24 hours in your room, why would anyone want to spend $200-$300 a night to sleep?"

Driving a Gas Guzzler
"Buying an SUV or other large vehicle is the biggest waste of money and it will get even worse as oil prices inevitably will keep rising."

Coutesy: AOL Money

The Servers Strike Back

I came across this posting in AOL.

http://food.aol.com/top-11-annoying-restaurant-trends

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Hey, we're pretty easy customers to please. We don't get wacky with special order demands, and always tip pretty darned well. Still, we can't help wishing a few restaurants trends were permanently off the menu. Read on for our thoughts on daily specials, bottled water and the ubiquity of freshly ground black pepper.

Recitation of the Specials
Would it really be so hard to print it out or write it on a board? That way we'd actually remember if the beet 'n chive compote came with the lamb or the duck, and wouldn't have to feel like such a stingy nincompoop for asking the server to say the price out loud.

I'm Sorry, We Just Sold the Last One
Yet you taunted us with the five-minute description just now?

Bottled Water Up-selling
Putting aside the negative environmental impact of all that excess glass & plastic, are restaurateurs implying that the H20 they're using to cleanse the veggies and cook the pasta issomehow sub-palatable, or are they just trying to dunk the customer? We'd rather splash our cash on desserts and apps than pour it out on something that should just flow freely from the tap.

Up-selling In General
While we're certainly sympathetic to waitstaff who, due to the untenable circumstance of sub-minimum wage base pay, rely on percentage-based tips, but really -- if we wanted to start with an appetizer, we would have ordered one.

Every Ingredient
"Organic Peruvian Tangelo Seared Aged Newark Wildebeest on a Bed of Wilted Gowanus Farms Pre-Natal Endive" - We're loco for locavorism and super-psychedfor sustainable organic farming, but it doesn't taste any better just 'cause we know the name of our tenderloin's first cousin and where it went to summer camp.

The 'Tini Suffix
Flirtini. Chocotini. PB&Jtini. Just 'cause it's in the V-shaped glass does not a martini make it. Certainly we're huge fans of the mixological madmen shaking up Lavender Wonderbread Fizzes and Cranberry Clorox Collinses at our favorite gastro-boites, but if there's anything other than gin*, vermouth and an olive or a twistin the glass, it may be a drink, or even a cocktail, but it ain't a 'Tini. (We blame Sex and the City, but that's a whole 'nother story.)

Would You Like Freshly Ground Black Pepper On That?
No. No we wouldn't. And you're scaring us with that Louisville Slugger of a spice grinder.

Trios & Duos
"Heirloom Pork Prepared Two Ways with a Roulette of Seasonal Carrots"
Is the chef hedging his bets? Did he or she run short of some critical ingredient and have to go halvsies? Oneof the bunch is bound to outshine the other, making you wish you'd gotten a stab at a full-sized portion of that instead.

Over-pouring
Attentive service is certainly something to be celebrated, but the slow 'n steady sippers among us are kinda getting corked when we're sharing a bottle of wine with someone who's quicker on the chug than us. If our servers would just give us a chance to catch up instead of topping off after every couple of sips, the whole party might stand a chance of staying sober through dessert.

Prix Fixe Only
We're all for putting our palates in the hands of a capable chef, but do we have to fork over our wallets as well? Prix fixe meals can be a great supplement to an a la carte menu. However,for sharing a meal with folks of far-ranging tastes (not to mention budgets), the inflexibility is often more an ordeal than a deal.

Expensive After-Dinner Tea and Coffee
We get that this stuff isn't free, but when we look over the tab and see that the no-frills cup o' joe guzzled up $6 bucks, we tend to get a teensy bit "tea-ed" off. For that, we could have gone for a Grande Mocha-Choca Ya-Ya Latte at the BigBucks down the street.

And now your favorite Restaurant's Servers Strike Back......

DON'T TALK DOWN TO ME
Quote: "I hate when customers speak down to me like I am a teenager/20-something because I look young. I am 30 years old, and have been serving food for 20 years."
"For those of you who think servers are stupid, ignorant, or somehow below you in class or social standing, etc., let me just say that I am far classier than most people I served. Most of the people I worked with were extremely classy individuals as well. Money does not equal class."

PLEASE DON'T CAMP OUT
Quote: "When it's closing time, please GET OUT. How would you like it if someone came to your office five minutes before you closed and kept you there an extra two hours?"
"Remember that every minute you occupy one of our tables is affecting our income for the night. If you sit for two additional hours chatting after settling up and drinking water, consider compensating us for that time, especially since most good servers will continue to check up on you and refill those sodas and waters. If you buy drinks at the bar and then move to our tables and just sit talking, remember that table represents our livelihood. The longer you sit not tipping us, the less our hourly rate comes out to at the end of the night. Many servers only get between two and five tables to earn off during a shift. If they lose one for a couple of hours to "campers", as we call them, it can make a big impact at the end of the shift."

WE DON'T LIKE RECITING THE SPECIALS, BUT...
Quote: "We used to have our specials typed up on a separate piece of paper that was on the table when the guests sat. 95% of the time, the guests did not see it, or did not care to read it.It is well known that a guest will be more interested in ordering a special when they hear it from the servers mouth."
"Do you REALLY think I want to stand there and recite 10 specials to you, only to have you say "What was the third thing you said?"
"No one pays attention to special boards."

IF YOU CAN'T TIP, DON'T EAT OUT
Quote: "Oh and here's a little tip for those of you who don't know: we don't just want tips for our pocket, we want 'em for the food that Uncle Sam taxes US to feed you. That's right, I get taxed for what I sell. So if you order a huge meal, and then sheepishly tell me that you're sorry but you just don't have enough for a tip, I may smile and say, "That's ok, just get me next time." (Which is exactly what I do.) But inside I'm thanking you for giving me the privilage of paying for part of your meal, and for working for you for free. I'm sure my kids will too."
"Does anyone realize what a waitress/waiter gets paid an HOUR!?!? I work in a restaurant that is like Eat n Park. Make ALMOST $3.00 an hour for wages, but HAVE to pay TAXES on $4.35 an hour! If I do not "bust my butt" and try to get AT LEAST 15% TIP from a table, I am LOSING money!"

JUST TREAT ME LIKE A PERSON
Quote: "I think that a lot of people might really be ashamed of themselves if they could witness their own behavior. for some reason, it has become socially acceptable to treat waitstaff like indentured servants. People should just stop, take away all the tangents and remember that they are dealing with a PERSON, with feelings. It truly is amazing to see how people act, especially when they don't realize they are being watched (or worse yet, when they knowthey have an audience)."
"People seem to totally forget themselves. I have an aunt who is a pretty cool person, until she walks into a restaurant. Is there a sub-culture that gets some secret, subconscious thrill from being able to put themselves on apedastal above another person, just because that person is literally depending on YOU for their very livelihood? Some of the behaviors I have witnessed from restaurant guests is reprehensible, and if some people would stop to chill out and listen to themselves for a minute, they might truly be ashamed."

TAPPED OUT
Quote: "Just so you know, the bottled water service is not meant to rip the money out of your wallets, but a precaution we must take because believe it or not, there ARE people out there who refuse to drink tap water."
"I live in Georgia, and since we are in a drought, it is required by law that I offer you bottled water!"
" As a server I am required -- REQUIRED! -- to ask you if you would prefer bottled or tap water, or I will lose my job. Why? Because some bozos atthe head office ran a report that says the customer will purchase bottled water 75% of the time when I offer it. We all should know that companies are about making money -- which the mark-up on bottled water obviously does."

UP-SELLING IS MANDATORY
Quote: "I'll let you in on a little secret -- we have meetings on up-selling and suggestive selling, and yes we have to go and listen to someone explain the importance of upselling for 2 hours at the butt crack of dawn on a Saturday. Sounds fun doesn't it?"
"All of the restaurants I have ever worked in require the servers to not only up-sell (for example, from tap to bottled water) but also require that they offer specific appetizers, desserts, and alcoholicbeverages. And the consequences for not doing these things can be anything from getting a "bad" section to being fired."

I'M BEING WATCHED
Quote: "At our restaurant (and most other high end major restaurants) we have what we call a shopper. This person basically grades us on our job, without us knowing, and we have to hit several key points. For example, if a couple of people at a table ask for the same glass of wine, we must offer a bottle. And we must tell you about a feature that is off the menu. We must offer cracked pepper. If we do not do this, we are reprimanded and maybe even have some good shifts taken away until you can prove that you are a quality server.
"Anybody can be a secret shopper. If these aren't met the server can be fired on the first offense. think about that next time you think the server might be helping too much. They are not just trying to make more money they also trying to save their job."

PLEASE WATCH YOUR KIDS
Quote: "We would not need to use the sweepers or brooms on the floors, if you and your kids did not act like pigs, throwing everything on the floor, just because you don't have to clean it up!"
"We get tiredof people that allow their kids to throw food everywhere and behave like little animals simply because they don't have to clean it all up (for that big two dollar tip no less)."
"I clean up after kids that are monsters (even puke!). How can you takethem out and let them act like that?"
Please do not let your children run around the restaurant. It's dangerous. Waitresses come by with big heavy trays filled with hot food, and she can't always see a small child.

DEALING WITH CHANGE
(Note - in our blog comments, servers asking if change is needed was the most common customer complaint.)
Quote: "I don't understand the gripes about asking if you need change. I work at a restaurant andif someone has cash (and most of the time I don't know because our checks are in books) I can't read your mind if you have a twenty or a hundred in there and I am not going to look until I get to the register, because it's rude. I ask becausesome people do not need change and get offended if I don't ask. So if you need change say so."
"Many places do not require severs to carry cash on them, SO if you do need change we have to go to the bartender, wait for him/her to see me, wait to give him/her the cash, then wait for it to be returned to me (many times the bartender is busy so this can take several minutes) only to go BACK to your table and have you say "Oh it's for you." I could have helped other tables or done another tasks and could get that change later or at the end of the night. It is NOT our way of asking for a better tip! It is our way of saying "Do you need me to come back to this table anymore?"

WE'RE NOT THE COOKS
Quote: "We did not cook your food. We only brought it to you. It is okay, if the food is not to your satisfaction, for you to tell us this, and we will bring you something else. But please remember we are not COOKS, we are servers."
"A restaurant is not a McDonalds. Our food is not cooked ahead of time so please allow ample time. Most of our food is cooked to order. If your food comes out and its not satisfactory, please tell your waitress. It is her job to take it back and get you what you want, but keep in mind that she didn't cook the food so there is no reason to be nasty about it."
"If you order something well done, duh, it's going to take longer."

We'd like to note that many of the restaurant employees who responded in the blog comments seem to really, truly enjoy their profession and the customers they encounter, and feel that it's just a small minority of patrons who behave badly. Since both sides have had their say, perhaps we all might be more considerate of each others' needs while dining.

DNA seen through the eyes of a coder

DNA seen through the eyes of a coder or If you are a hammer, everything looks like a nail.

http://ds9a.nl/amazing-dna/ Interesting article about DNA structures ...

If you like this article, try out the fiction The Judas Strain by James Rollins

ASHCROFT

ASHCROFT

General Ashcroft is visiting an elementary school in late 2003. After the typical civics presentation to the class, he announces, "All right, boys and girls, you can all ask me questions now."

A young boy named Bobby raises his hand and says, "I have three questions:
1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore?
2. Why are you using the USA Patriot Act to limit Americans' civil liberties?
3. Why hasn't the U.S. caught Osama bin Laden yet?"

Just then the bell sounds and all the kids run out to the playground. Fifteen minutes later, the kids come back in class and again. Ashcroft says, "I'm sorry we were interrupted by the bell. Now, you can all ask me questions."

A young girl named Charlene raises her hand and says, "I have five questions:
1. How did Bush win the election with fewer votes than Gore?
2. Why are you using the USA Patriot Act to limit Americans' civil liberties?
3. Why hasn't the U.S. caught Osama bin Laden yet?
4. Why did the bell go off 20 minutes early?
5. Where's Bobby?

Mexico & Titanic

FOR ALL OF YOU THAT WONDERED....

Most people don't know that back in 1912, Hellmann's mayonnaise was manufactured in England. In fact, the Titanic was carrying 12,000 jars of the condiment scheduled for delivery in Vera Cruz, Mexico, which was to be the next port of call for the great ship after its stop in New York. This would have been the largest single shipment of mayonnaise ever delivered to Mexico. But as we know, the great ship did not make it to New York. The ship hit an iceberg and sank and the cargo was forever lost! The people of Mexico, who were crazy about mayonnaise and were eagerly awaiting its delivery, were disconsolate at the loss. Their anguish was so great, that they declared a National Day of Mourning which they still observe to this day.

The National Day of Mourning occurs each year on May 5th . . . and is known, of course, as Sinko de Mayo.

THERE IS NO CHAIR

THERE IS NO CHAIR
An eccentric philosophy professor gave a one question final exam after a semester dealing with a broad array of topics. The class was already seated and ready to go when the professor picked up his chair, plopped it on top of his desk and wrote on the board: "Using everything we have learned this semester, prove that this chair does not exist."

Fingers flew, erasers erased, notebooks were filled in furious fashion. Some students wrote over 30 pages in one hour attempting to refute the existence of the chair. One member of the class however, was up and finished in less than a minute.

A week later when the grades were posted, the rest of the group wondered how he could have gotten an "A" when he had barely written anything at all.
His answer consisted of two words: "What chair?"