Oct 26

Online Dating Study Determines Users Have Only .03% Chance of Finding Lasting Love

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CHICAGO  –  Many people will agree that scouring dating websites looking for love can be frustrating.  And now a group of U.S. psychology professors released a study on Tuesday exposing that the dismal results are not worth that frustration.

“Online dating seems to offer the promise of unlimited opportunity for singles to meet.  But the reality is that the long-term success of these pairings is about .03%,” study author Sal Stein, a professor of psychology at Brighten University, said in an interview.  That is about one third of one percent.

The study defined “lasting love” as any relationship that resulted in long-term dating of six months or more.  For every 350 dates that were set up online, only one led to relationships that lasted to the six month mark.

FAIL

In comparison, meeting someone through other means, such as family, friends, work, school or at a bar resulted in a 29% chance of long-term dating.  That is nearly 1,000 times more successful than a dating site connection.  And it shows that there is no substitute for meeting face-to-face.

Stein also explained that there are significant problems with online dating.  Foremost, people are overwhelmed by seemingly endless lists of profiles.   Second, these profiles are often filled with misrepresentations.

When there are a lot of choices, people think of their matches as readily disposable.  After a couple of dates someone who frequently uses online sites is likely to dismiss a possible mate in favor of someone new from the bottomless pit of possibilities.

The investigation also revealed that online profiles contain substantial embellishments.  “People lie about their height, financial success and also say that they are younger,” Stein stated.  This leads to disappointment and mistrust.

Online dating regulars tend to be unrealistic in their expectations.   Stein explains, “these men and women think that they are more desirable than they actually are, and that they rate better looking matches than they are getting.  Reality never hits them the way it would at a physical venue.”

The bottom line?  If you are single and looking for love, you should head out to a local bar or ask your friends and family to match you up.  Do not look for your next date on the internet.

Oct 20

Five Common Flea Market Finds That Can Be Worth Thousands

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Stories of the flea market Picasso purchased for $14 or the Superman #1 found on Craigslist for $5 make good entertainment, but are more rare than being hit by lightening.  Realistically, these sort of finds are a long shot.  However, here are five relatively common, yet overlooked, flea market and Craigslist regulars that could net you thousands of dollars profit.

Be sure to do some research before you purchase items so that you know what values you can expect and what to look for when identifying items.  Item prices can fluctuate in different markets.

  1. Sonic TV Remote Controls.  Today most wireless products are controlled by infrared remotes. However, the sonic controlled remotes from the 1950’s-1980’s are worth at least $50 to collectors, and some can fetch several thousand dollars depending on branding and condition.   Watch for these old remotes at flea markets; sometimes you can purchase an entire box of them at one time.
  2. Light Emitting Diode (LED) Digital Watches. These futuristic

    LED Watch

    timepieces became popular in the 1970’s but were replaced by the more practical LCD watches that are still used today. These watches have a button on the side that you push for them to light up and display the time.  These vintage LED watches are highly collectible and working pieces can fetch much as $3,000 for a rare model.

  3. 11″ Cathode Ray Tube (CRT)  Monitors.  Yes, we are talking about the clunky old computer screen that was replaced by the flat screen display.   It is common to see old CRTs for sale, unfortunately most sizes are nearly worthless.  But because of the industrial applications of the 11″ size, this sized monitor can frequently be resold for $1600 or more, depending on condition.  When you see people selling old monitors, the 11″ size is mixed in with the others, so you need to check carefully.  The monitor will either be marked on the side or the back, or you can measure diagonally from one corner of the screen to another using a small ruler.

    Japanese Barbie

  4. Japanese Barbie Dolls.  Many older Barbie Dolls are collectible, however a surefire way to cash-in is to check Barbie’s butt.  If it is marked “Japan” the doll is worth at least $2500 to collectors.  Many times these Japanese Barbies will be mixed in with the other dolls so you will need to sort through them.  Do not be afraid to look under the doll’s clothes in order to check for the “Japan” stamp.
  5. Non-Polaroid Instant Film.  Many companies, such as Kodak, infringed on Polaroid’s patent for instant cameras and were shut down.  You may see these instant cameras for sale, but they are not worth much.   However, unopened film is rare, even though it is expired.  Non-Polaroid instant film can be worth up to $450 a pack.

This is the first in our series of “Common Flea Market Finds That Can Be Worth Thousands.”  Be sure to subscribe to our RSS feed or check back for the next installment  to help you make the most of your buying dollar.

Sep 15

Traver Food Group to Offer Candy Version of Tide Laundry Detergent Pods

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In the wake of the rash of recent poisonings from the brightly colored bite-sized packages of Tide Laundry Detergent Pods, the country’s  third largest confectioner, Traver Food Group, plans to capitalize on the gel laundry detergent’s appeal to young children.

Tide and other manufacturers with similar product have been scrambling to rethink the packaging and design of their laundry and dish-washing detergents as children have been poisoning themselves by eating them.  There have been several instances of sickness since Tide Pods were launched in February.

Tide Pods

The packets cut down on mess and spills, but the American Association of Poison Control Centers reports they have received many calls after kids have eaten them and become violently ill.

“Children like the bright colors and squishy feel of the packets so they’re eating them and getting very sick,” Sally Craig, director of drug information at the New York Poison Center, told Skew News.

The National poison control center reported that it first started to connect children’s poisoning with the Tide Pods in early May, after there were close to 200 calls that month reporting severe nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Tide plans to have new safety packaging in place by this summer that should prevent children from eating the packets.

According to Peter Madison, Traver Food Group’s head of product development, his company’s candy version of the toxic Tide Pods will provide a safe alternative to eating laundry detergent.  Madison also said the Traver version would be in similar packaging to Tide Laundry Detergent Pods because, “the children seemed to find it easy to open and attractive.”  But he added, “of course these will be filled with sugary liquid gel and be perfectly safe.”

The new confection has not yet been named, but should be available nationwide by August.