Starting Now, Commercials Have to Stop Being So Freakin' Loud:
For a while now, there's been talk about stopping advertisers from jacking up the volume on their commercials . . . and now it's finally happening.
Congress recently passed something called the CALM Act, which requires ads to remain within just two decibels of the programming around them.
The rule went into effect last night at midnight.
If you catch any blaring ads, you can report them by calling 1-888-TELL-FCC.
Here's Your Definitive List of the Top 11 Things People Hate About the Holidays:
Here's the definitive list of the top 11 things people hate about the holidays, courtesy of a poll by Harris Interactive.
#1.) Crowds . . . including traffic, crowds in parking lots, and people in stores.
#2.) How early stores start putting out holiday decorations and displays.
#3.) A focus on gifts and not the spirit of the holidays.
#4.) People cutting in line.
#5.) Travel prices being so incredibly high.
#6.) Too much holiday music everywhere.
#7.) Pressure to give gifts to more people than you really want to.
#8.) People leaving their Christmas decorations up until February or March.
#9.) People who double dip at holiday parties.
#10.) Stores that don't give out gift boxes.
#11.) Family members or friends who don't bring anything when you're hosting a party.
A few things that came close but didn't make the list include hangovers, gaining weight, people being artificially friendly, TV commercials where cars are wrapped in giant bows, and taking down decorations and lights.
The survey also found 11% of people say they don't have ANY issues with the holidays.
A Man Dies Doing the "Gangnam Style" Dance at His Office Christmas Party:
How many more lives must "Gangnam Style" ruin?
46-year-old Eamonn Kilbride of Burnley, Lancashire, England is an IT manager at a local brewery.
On Saturday night, he was at the company's Christmas party at a country club, and "Gangnam Style" came on. Eamonn got up on stage and started doing the "Gangnam Style" dance for everyone, and people LOVED it. Then he COLLAPSED.
He was rushed to the hospital . . . where he was PRONOUNCED DEAD from acute heart failure.
And yes, the minor physical exertion from "Gangnam Style" was the cause. If you're not used to exercising, even pretending to rhythmically ride a horse might not be good for your heart.
Eamonn had a wife and three kids. His wife says Eamonn, quote, "was always the life of the party and loved dancing."
The Worst Baby Names Parents Gave to Babies in 2012 Include Monalisa, Thinn, Burger, Espn, and Haven'T:
The website Babycenter.com put together a list of the most unusual baby names of 2012. At least two parents independently reported giving every name on the list, which means none of the names are a one-off fluke.
Here are our picks for the 10 worst girls and boys names of 2012.
For Girls: Excel, Jagger, Kaixin, Monalisa, Queenie, Rogue, Shoog, Thinn, Yoga, and Zealand.
And for Boys: Burger, Cajun, Cello, Cobain, Donathan, Espn, Four, Goodluck, Haven'T, Hippo.
The "World's Best Beer" is Finally On Sale in the U.S.:
According to beer experts, the BEST BEER IN THE WORLD is a beer called Westvleteren Twelve. It's made by monks in Belgium, and the only place you can buy it is at their abbey in Saint Sixtus, Belgium.
UNTIL NOW.
The Westvleteren brewery just put the beer on sale worldwide, and that includes here in the U.S. They say it's a one-time-only thing to fund some renovations at the monastery.
The brewery has shipped out gift boxes that include six bottles and two glasses. The boxes go for $85, but I'm guessing you can get a lot more for them on eBay.
The only place to get the gift boxes are at some selected retail stores. You can find the list of stores on Westvleteren's website.
As for WHY Westvleteren Twelve is the best beer in the world . . . we're sure it's got an incredible taste and balance and aroma and everything, but the mystique is definitely part of it.
(ABC News)
Half of Women Flirt to Get Their Way . . . and One in Three Use Sex as a Reward:
According to an unsurprising survey by Confused.com, women sometimes use flirting and sex to get what they want.
More than HALF of all women say they've flirted to get their own way in their daily lives. And one in five say they flirt at work to get preferential treatment.
And it won't come as a surprise to anyone that it probably WORKS: 57% of employers say that they've given special treatment to more attractive employees.
It even works on the commute . . . 42% of men say that they've given a woman the right of way because she was attractive.
In their home life, flirting may not work as well . . . but one in three women admit that they've used sex as a REWARD for their husband or boyfriend after getting their way.
A Man Tries To Prove He Can Do Housework . . . and Ends Up Mistaking the Iron For His Phone and Burning His Face:
32-year-old Tomasz Packowski of Elbag, Poland was getting a lot of heat from his wife, Lila, about being USELESS around the house. So he decided to prove that he could do housework.
He grabbed all their clothes that needed ironing, set up the ironing board in front of the TV, turned on some boxing, and cracked a beer. Then he started ironing while he watched and drank.
At some point, his cell phone rang. And adding that FOURTH multitasking element was too much. So when he went to answer the phone, he accidentally held THE IRON up to his EAR instead.
When he ran to the bathroom to splash some cold water on it, he accidentally ran into the door, and got a black eye.
He was hospitalized with serious burns on his face, but is expected to fully recover. And he says he's never doing housework again . . . quote, "It's harder than it looks. I really respect what my wife does now."
