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10 Types of Sites You Should Block at Work and Why

Employers approach employee internet usage in a variety of ways. Some employers simply provide a written policy stating their rules about internet usage via company computers. This puts the employees on an honor system, but one that can potentially be monitored by the company and enforced by disciplinary measures. Other employers are choosing to block certain types of sites completely, to assist their employees in avoiding the temptation. [via]

If you are considering blocking employee’s access to certain types of sites, which types should you consider?

Gambling – Gambling, regardless of whether it actually involves money or not, can be quite addicting to some people. You may be feeding that addiction if those sites are available to your employees.
Adult – This can be a big temptation for many employees. Loss of time is not your only worry with these sites. Adult sites are notorious for malware and virus attacks on computers. Visits to these types of sites could put your whole network at risk.
Social Networking – Besides the amount of time that can easily be wasted on sites like facebook and MySpace, people do tend to be a bit loose-tongued in reporting their immediate thoughts and feelings over these viral networks. Employee’s may inadvertently post comments regarding their work that you’d rather they didn’t make public.

Many people have access to the internet from their computers at work. The internet can easily tempt workers to waste time online during work hours. Different individuals may be drawn to different activities online. Here is a list of ten different ways that people waste time online while they’re at work.

1. Social Networks – Facebook and MySpace can be quite addicting. It’s easy for someone to logon just to see what new postings are there and end up reading for several minutes without realizing it. Those who use the game apps on the networks having an even bigger draw to keep up with the competition.

2. Personal Email – Most people can check their personal email online. Checking email often turns into reading email and then responding to email. Time can pass much quicker than you realize.

3. Youtube – This has become a popular site to go to for a little stress relief. You can look for your favorite music, nature videos or all sorts of humorous videos that have been posted.

4. Blogs – People have their favorite blogs that they subscribe to. A quick login can lead to clicking on a link that leads to another blog, and another, and another…

12 Best Super Bowl Commercials Ever

Below is the best most well-recognized, heavily-budgeted commercial ad spots ever. And the commercials that stick in the viewers mind can become legendary virtually overnight.

1. “Betty White Plays Football” (Snickers – 2010)

If you value your rapidly disappearing privacy while surfing the Internet you need to know about these tools. Whether you want to protect yourself from snoopers, want to spy on those out to get you, or want to be able to track trends that you know will lead to something big, then these tools will help you get the job done. The best part about them is they are FREE

Without a Trace
If you want to use the Internet without anyone knowing who you are or leave an untraceable phone number or email address, then these tools are for you.

20 Amazing Things Made Out Of Snow

It would take more than a snow day to build one of these amazing creations. These works of art put all of my half-assed snowmen to shame. I wonder just how long it took and how many people to build one of these amazing works of art? Plus how did they keep all the snow white? Usaully the snow art I create is amixture of the two...Enjoy the pics!

10 Best Ben and Jerry Ice Cream Flavors

Funny collection of Lock Fails [pics]

For your amusement, we present a selection of images that highlight the average simpleton’s apparent inability to summon the common sense necessary when securing property with a lock. If you’re in any way similar to us, looking at each and every example will result in a short burst of laughter, quickly followed by a painlessly brief period of depression as the perpetrator’s confused (or not, depending on the severity of his/her idiocy) face is imagined. It’s also worth remembering as you wipe the lone tear from your cheek that this is but a tiny snapshot of a problem that will continue to plague the land for as long as simpletons, locks and personal property exist. (Should you happen to be one of those simpletons: Look @ these lock fails LOL.)

For all the crazy stories you've heard about China, the world's biggest country is going to keep raising an eyebrow or two. [via]

The speed and size of economic development going in China right now has never happened before. In just ten years, a small emerging market has transformed into a geopolitical bruiser that can go toe-to-toe with Ben Bernanke.

Like it or not, China plays a critical role in the global economy from here out. Let's hope it hope doesn't crash.

17. China's economy grew 7 times as fast as America's over the past decade (316% growth vs. 43%)

16. China's GDP per capita is the 91st-lowest in the world, below Bosnia & Herzegovina

15. 85 percent of artificial Christmas trees are made in China. So are 80 percent of toys

1. You will receive a body. You may like it or hate it, but it's yours to keep for the entire period.

2. You will learn lessons. You are enrolled in a full-time informal school called, "life."

3. There are no mistakes, only lessons. Growth is a process of trial, error, and experimentation. The "failed" experiments are as much a part of the process as the experiments that ultimately "work."

4. Lessons are repeated until they are learned. A lesson will be presented to you in various forms until you have learned it. When you have learned it, you can go on to the next lesson.

5. Learning lessons does not end. There's no part of life that doesn't contain its lessons. If you're alive, that means there are still lessons to be learned.

I’ve never claimed to have extensive knowledge of U.S. legislation throughout history, but it’s safe to say that I and most people I associate with are law-abiding citizens … or not. As it turns out, every state in this country has at least one wacky legal stipulation that could land residents in hot water if they don’t comply. Don’t say I didn’t warn you. [via]

Alabama
It’s illegal to wear a fake mustache that causes laughter in church.

Alaska
Whispering in someone’s ear while he’s moose hunting is prohibited.

Arizona
Cutting down a cactus may earn you a twenty-five-year prison term.

Arkansas
It’s illegal to mispronounce the name of the state of Arkansas.

California
You may not eat an orange in your bathtub.

Eating 10 hot dogs in 6 minutes and belching the national anthem may impress your friends, but neither of those feats will do much for your body—at least not much good. [via]

Instead, why not train yourself to do something that may actually pay off?

We're not talking bench presses and interval training (though those do help). You can teach your body to cure itself from everyday health ailments—side stitches, first-date jitters, even hands that have fallen asleep.

Just study this list, and the next time your friends challenge you to an ice cream eating contest, chow down: You know how to thaw a brain freeze—and 17 other tricks that'll make everyone think you're the next David Blaine. But without all that "hold your breath for 17 minutes" mess.

Top 10 Things You Must Know Before Getting A Loan

There are many reasons you may need to get a loan. Whether you are trying to get a personal loan to pay off debt or refinance bills or buy things you need, there are certain considerations you need to think about to make sure you get the right loan for your situation. Read on for the top 10 questions to ask before getting a personal loan. [via]
1. What is my credit score? You should consider this factor before applying for a loan, since it will affect your ability to get credit and it will also affect how much it costs you to do so. If your credit score is low, you should consider trying to raise it before applying for a personal loan. You can raise your credit score by paying down debt, removing incorrect information from your credit report, and making on time payments.

People often post offensive or insensitive things on their Facebook, and sometimes those updates and pictures can be downright criminal - literally. [via]

Check out Techland's list of things you shouldn't do on Facebook, lest you want to face some sort of negative repercussions. Ranging from being convicted of a criminal offense to making yourself a target of a robbery to things that can help you lose your job, here's things that you can easily avoid doing. Try to exercise common sense when using the social network: It's all public knowledge after all.

1. Post About How Much You Hate Your Job

It's tempting to air out your grievances on Facebook, but remember your employer could be watching.

Dr. June Talvitie-Siple formerly of Cohasset High School was asked to resign after she updated her Facebook status to call local area parents "arrogant and snobby" and to refer to some her her students as "germ bags." The statements may or may not have been true, but she should have kept her opinions to herself if she wanted to keep her almost $100,000 a year job.

2. Show That You Support Underage Drinking Through Your Pictures

The police are now scouting Facebook pictures for evidence of underage drinking, so before you post that fun night out, you might want to think twice. Several students at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse faced underage drinking fines after pictures of him at a party surfaced on his Facebook page.

Of age hosts of parties can face legal action too: Theodore and Laura Berent hosted a party where they served alcohol to minors and found themselves in trouble with local law enforcement after pictures ended up on Facebook. And, if your employer finds your drinking questionable, you can be fired. A Barrow County, Ga. teacher was fired because she posted pictures of her drinking at the Guinness Factory and in Temple Bar in Dublin. Although she claims she didn't appear intoxicated in the pictures, she couldn't erase the fact that she used an explicative word on her Facebook, which also led to her removal.

Top 10 Things That Became Extinct in 2010

As another year draws to a close, it's a perfect time to reflect on all the triumphs and new beginnings that the last 12 months has brought. But where's the fun in that? Instead, let's take some time to say goodbye to some of the things that crapped out, gave up, fell apart, called it quits, or just plain failed in 2010. [via]

10. Microsoft Kin

Microsoft may be the biggest computer company in history and Bill Gates may have enough money to buy every single thing in the world and still have enough left over to get a cab home, but you have to feel a little sorry for them this year. Not satisfied with being behind the curve with their underwhelming Zune media player, Microsoft tried this year to join the smartphone party after the fact with their youth-targeted Kin phones. After pouring close to a billion dollars and many years into the phone, Microsoft released the Kin to middling reviews and consumer shrugs. Then, after only 48 days on the market, they discontinued all production and focused on their Windows 7 model. Like the Zune before it, the Kin proved that Microsoft may have an unbeatable stranglehold on the PC market, but they really, really suck at making cool gadgets.

9. a-ha

Source: Ragnar Singsaas/WireImage/Getty Images

For years, philosophers, theologians, and scientists have labored to answer the eternal question of exactly how long a pop group can ride the wave of a single hit. In 2010, Norwegian pop group a-ha has settled the issue once and for all and provided the world with a definitive answer. 25 years. After briefly conquering the music world with their synth-pop ode to bad grammar "Take On Me," a-ha was able to squeeze out 25 more years of a career until finally packing it in for good in 2010. It's perhaps a little unfair to say that they rode that one single for 25 years, but outside of their native Norway and a few other places around the world, nobody was buying their greatest hits albums or going to see them to hear their new stuff. Farewell a-ha, and may all your future endeavors be lovably grammatically incorrect!

8. Saturn

Source: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

When Saturn first joined the crowded car company market in 1990, it heavily marketed itself as something different in the automotive game. Although it was always a part of GM, it rose to national prominence as an individual brand unlike the traditional guys. In a series of heavily-run commercials, Saturn promised low pressure sales from friendly, golf-shirted staff in clean, relaxing showrooms. Unlike regular car salesmen, Saturn staff made a solemn vow never to run over their own grandmothers or drown a sack of kittens in order to make a sale. This radical, non-grandmother-killing, non-kitten-drowning strategy to selling cars made Saturn a household name. Unfortunately, a lot more people enjoyed their philosophy and business practices than actually bought their cars. After several attempts to offload the brand on another company, GM shuttered Saturn for good in October.

7. Air America

Source: Spencer Platt/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Tired of being crowded out of the talk radio landscape for years by right wing nutjobs, a group of left wing nutjobs decided in 2000 that their brand of partisan lunacy deserved a home on the airwaves. That home was Air America, the last bastion of commies, socialists, and everyone else who doesn't agree with Sean Hannity. Debuting with a splash, Air America had shows with big lefty stars like Al Franken, Janeane Garofalo, and Ron Reagan. For the first few years, Air America was a success, coming narrowly close to challenging the right's dominance of the airwaves. Unfortunately (if you're on the left) or awesomely (if you're on the right) the network had a string of bad luck. Popular hosts like Al Franken bolted to save the nation, upper management had more turnover than a badly run Burger King, and the network wracked up debts in fine liberal tax-and-spend fashion. It all came to a head at the beginning of this year when the station folded for good.

6. The Hummer

Source: EyesWideOpen/Getty Images News/Getty Images

Back in 1992, before it became the symbol of everything horrible and misguided about the United States' role in the world, Iraq was a slam dunk. In a riveting display of technical superiority and precise military planning, the U.S.A. kicked ass all over the desert. Back at home, people saw the cool jets, missiles, and ships and felt proud of their country. But most of all, they wanted one of those wicked Humvees. Designed and built as a military vehicle that could go anywhere and do anything, it was only a matter of time before AM General (and later GM) marketed a civilian version called the Hummer. Taking advantage of the booming SUV market, Hummers gained popularity despite their massive size, terrible fuel economy, and spotty safety records. Eventually, bad press and poor sales caught up with the giant gas guzzlers and the cars became a symbol for America's reliance on foreign oil and lack of environmental awareness. Isn't it ironic that the vehicle that helped America in its war for oil became a symbol for its problematic relationship to the very same substance? Ironic, or totally fitting.

5. The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien

Source: Valerie Macon/Getty Images Entertainment/Getty Images

Poor, poor Conan O'Brien. Did anyone else get so royally screwed over in 2010 as everyone's favorite redheaded talk show host? After taking over the storied Tonight Show this year from walking comedy fossil Jay Leno, Conan stumbled to build an audience as NBC did everything in their power to ensure anyone with any measure of taste had long since turned off their network by the time O'Brien's show came on. Unable to believe that their meddling was causing the problem, NBC decided to meddle some more and came up with a cockamamie plan to shift their whole late night schedule back a half hour and give Leno the first slot. O'Brien balked, accepted a huge amount of money to walk away, and NBC kindly asked the viewers to forget that anything had happened. Leno went back to making crummy jokes about small town newspapers, only now he has O'Brien as competition.

4. Giants Stadium

Source: dsearls/Flickr

From 1976 until this year, Giants Stadium served as the home field of the New York Giants and the New York Jets. The first professional field in New Jersey, it was a massive success for the first ten years of its operation. Unlike many arenas, Giants Stadium actually made money. And it gave New Jersey residents something to be proud of besides their awesome pizza slices, pollution, and mobsters. Over the years, the stadium played host to all Giants and Jets home games, concerts by all the biggest names is music, and even welcomed its second highest audience (a U2 concert was the biggest) for a Mass celebrated by Pope John Paul II. It also was home for New York and New Jersey's teams in the WFAL, XFL, and a couple other crappy upstart leagues. It even hosted Pele and the New York Cosmos, although no one gives a crap about soccer. Despite its initial success and all the sporting and entertainment history, Giants Stadium was heavily in debt and forced to close this year. But don't worry, it left a wonderful legacy of athletics and music for the residents of New Jersey to cherish for years. Unfortunately it also left a $13 debt for every man, woman, and child in the state.

3. Hollywood Video

Source: Ed!/Wikipedia/Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported

One day in the not so distant future, we'll tell our grandchildren about the crazy days when people actually had to leave the house and interact with other human beings to watch their favorite movies. By the fireside we'll spin fantastic tales of driving to the video store, walking down a massive wall of new releases, and trying not to kill all the idiots in the store who wouldn't shut up about how much they loved Sandra Bullock movies. Fortunately for our grandchildren, they'll never need to experience the living hell that video and DVD rental was. Unfortunately for Hollywood Video, that's kind of how they made their living. One of the biggest video rental chains in the country, Hollywood Video was second only to industry giant Blockbuster in the rental game. Until this year, that is. In May, Hollywood Video succumbed to the undeniable forces of progress and filed for bankruptcy. Unable to compete with superior Internet services like Netflix and illegal piracy, they closed their stores, sold off their assets, got drunk, and went to the local Blockbuster and told those self-righteous jerks to enjoy their victory, because they're next!

2. Pontiac

Source: Justin Sullivan/Getty Images News/Getty Images

2010 wasn't a good year for cars. Started all the way back in 1926, Pontiac, long a division of GM, was responsible for some of the great American cars of the 20th century. Classic models like the Bonneville, the GTO, the Grand Prix, and last but definitely not least, the scourge of sheriffs all over the south and friend to honest bootleggers everywhere, the Firebird Trans-Am made Pontiac a household name and legitimate player in the American automobile saga. Alas, like so many once great institutions, Pontiac gradually made worse and worse cars, lost market share, and eventually staggered along a shell of its former self for a few years until someone had the decency to finally pull the plug. The writing had been on the wall for Pontiac for a while, but it didn't help matters when the government ordered GM to eliminate brands as part of its bailout of the auto industry. Somewhere on a dusty Southern backroad, a handsome man with a mustache is leaning up against his Trans-Am, cracking open a can of Coors, and crying his eyes out.

1. Sony Walkman

Source: Wikipedia

a-ha weren't the only thing that should have been discontinued 10 years ago to finally give in and face reality this year. After over 20 years of production, Sony pulled the last feeding tube from its venerable Walkman this year. Not the CD-playing ones, the cassette ones. Yes, in 2010, you could still buy a cassette-playing Walkman. Although only available in Asia and primarily marketed to language learners and people who missed the last 20 years of personal stereo technology, sales puttered along strongly enough to keep the player in production while the rest of the world used disc players, and even survived mp3 players changing the market for good. The Sony Cassette Walkman probably should've been deep-sixed years ago, but still, wasn't it nice to know that somewhere in 2010 people were still killing their batteries fast forwarding a well-worn copy of a Huey Lewis tape?

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New Collection of Pictures Caught At The Right Moment

I have seen a lot of pictures in my day as publisher of this site, and in doing so seen a lot of repeat pictures across the net. But below is as nice new collection of the freshest pictures caught at exactly the right moment.

Let us know what your favorite is in the comments below! Enjoy the show

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