Would You Buy a Haunted House?

For more and more people, the answer is “yes.” According to AOL News, there are even paranormal real estate websites. They list the number of bedrooms and bathrooms a house has, and any suspicious paranormal activity, like drawers opening, or lights turning on and off by themselves. Prospective owners aren’t buying so-called haunted houses for a thrill. They’re doing it to cash in on creepy, like one woman mentioned in the article, who’s making a killing on her house in Minnesota. She’s written two books about how people who spend the night at her house wake up feeling like they’re floating. The buzz from the books has transformed her home into a tourist attraction. Throngs of haunted-house fans show up, wanting to be scared or see a ghost. In fact, the demand was so huge, she created a haunted tea party business at her home.
Two brothers bought a Michigan inn rumored to be the site of unexplained occurrences. Instead of trying to keep its spooky past a secret, to avoid scaring potential guests, they embraced the fright factor. They proudly play up the legend of the ghost in the inn’s restaurant. Of course, there’s no law that requires sellers to disclose to potential buyers that the house has a reputation for bizarre behavior. However, a growing number of buyers are interested in knowing whether a house has paranormal activity. So, the real estate industry may have to create what they’re nicknaming a “Casper clause” to disclose any funny business.
In this scary economy, people are getting more creative to make a buck, and could be pretending a house is haunted to raise its saleability. However, if you’re in an old house and you hear strange noises, it’s probably not a sign that it’s haunted, just a sign you need a handyman

Beware of The New "Places" Tool on Facebook

If you’ve got Facebook on your cell phone, beware: The new “Places” tool is getting a lot of heat. It allows you to “check in” wherever you are through your phone’s GPS, and a map of your exact location appears on your page. All your friends get an update about it too. We’ve already told you the downside of GPS-based location apps. For example, if you use Facebook Places, everybody knows where you are at any given moment. So let’s say this pops up on your Facebook page: “John is at Kohls on First Street” – Now your stalker knows where to find you, and thieves who are following you on Facebook know you’re not home. In fact, they also know how far away from home you are – so they know how long they have to break into your house and get away.
Another downside of the Places feature? You don’t have all the control! Your Facebook friends can also check you into places without your permission! So say your ex has an axe to grind, they could check you in at the movies when you’re supposed to be working. Do your kids have Facebook on their cell phones? Watch out. They could be broadcasting their whereabouts so everyone knows where to find them, including predators.
These aren’t the only problems with the “Places” tool: One of the places you can “check in” to is your own home. If you do that, everybody now has your home address and a map of how to get to it. If you’re on Facebook and don’t want people to know the “Places” you go, you can disable the option

Great Questions to Ask in an Interview

From: U.S. News & World Report

Here’s the scenario: You’re interviewing for your dream job. The interviewer likes you, and you’re shining like the star you are. Then they ask, ‘Do you have any questions?’ You say no. Stop right there! Even if you’ve done your homework, and know all the answers to all your questions, you’ve got to ask something. It makes you look like you’re interested in the position. So what should you ask? Here are some great end-of-interview questions:

Can you describe a typical day for someone in this position? If your interviewer seems nervous about what you might ask, questions about something specific are a good way to get the ball rolling. Plus, you want to know what your day-to-day work life will be like.

Could you talk about the history of this position? What you’re trying to find out is how long the position has existed, how many people have held it, and what happened to the last person who held the job. If they’ve been through six people in a year, that’s a red flag that there’s something wrong.

Another great job interview question to ask: ‘In what area could your team use some improvement?’ That gives you the chance to talk more about how your skills could help with that improvement.

Also ask: What are the prospects for advancement? This question makes you sound ambitious, and makes you look like a person who looks at the big picture.

Try asking, ‘Who are the most successful people in this company and why?’ That way, you’ll find out about the company’s values and culture, and how the powers-that-be measure success.

The final job interview question to ask, ‘Do you have any reservations about me or my ability to perform this job?’ It’s a gutsy move, but consider it. Not only does it earn you points for courage, you’ll be able to squash any negative impression they may have.

Signs You Have an Anger Issue

From CBS News:

We all get annoyed if someone cuts in line in front of us, but there’s a difference between an occasional outburst and being an angry person. Here are four signs you have an anger issue:

Anger issue #1: Getting mad at the little things – like having to wait for an elevator. Dr. Redford Williams is a psychology professor at Duke University and author of the book, “In Control” and he says anger can have a positive effect – and urge us to take action. In fact, without anger, Rosa Parks would have sat in the back of the bus. Racial discrimination is a big issue. When someone gets angry at the little things they can’t control, that’s a problem.

The next anger issue: Interrupting. Angry people tend to be impatient, and have trouble letting others finish what they’re saying. Even when they let someone talk, they might only be pretending to listen.

Then there’s complaining: Dr. Williams says people who spend a lot of time ranting about politics, sports, the PTA, or the shortcomings of other people often have anger management problems.

Another sign of anger management issues: Being easily offended. Comments that others might laugh off can get under the skin of someone who’s on the edge of anger. They’re often waiting for others to mess up so they can pounce.

The final sign of anger management issues: Getting red in the face. Emotional heat can make your face red – just like hot temperatures you can measure on a thermometer. Anger can also cause labored breathing, fidgeting, and pacing back and forth, as well as serious health problems like high blood pressure and a higher risk for stroke, heart attack, and ulcers – because an angry body releases chemicals that reduce blood flow to the gut.

If any of these qualities describe you or a loved one, you can find help at the site Anger-management-Resources.org.