Is It Treasure Or Trivia?

Although the Energy Act of 2005 extended Daylight Saving Time from early March to November 1st, no studies have shown it saves real energy. Although one Energy Department study showed electricity use declined .03%, most comprehensive studies show people drive more during DST - increasing energy consumption. The sale of charcoal for barbeques also increases during DST. So do gardening and golfing businesses. Nevertheless, despite the lack of energy saving and having to adjust clocks and co-ordinate flight times with non-DST parts of the world, DST survives because we feel it lights up our lives.

Barbie dolls have lit up the lives of girls for 50 years. Every second three people in the world buy a Barbie doll, making her the world's #1 fashion doll and toy. Now Mattel has built its first "House of Barbie" in Shanghai. The multi-million-dollar, six-story, hot pink store was built there as Mattel aggressively pursues developing markets. Barbie's first flagship store offers more than 100,000 Barbie products for children and adults, a Barbie cafe and for older customers there's a spa and a cocktail bar. Nevertheless, Barbie's U.S. sales have been down an average of 12% for the past 5 years as Mattel toys with new ideas.

Snoring isn't new. In fact, it becomes more common as we age. By age 60 more than half of adults snore. Snoring is the result of air moving through narrowed or floppy, soft passages in the mouth, throat and nose. Sometimes the air is obstructed by oversized tonsils or uvula. Men are twice as likely to snore because of fat distribution. Men usually gain weight in the neck, upper torso and abdomen. Fat in the neck can constrict airway passages and lead to increased snoring. Women usually gain weight in the hips and thighs - creating "thighs" of relief that men snore more.

According to autograph dealer Stuart Lutz, John F. Kennedy's signature is worth more than any other modern U.S. president's. It's worth $2500 if it just says "happy birthday". Second in value are Ronald Reagan's signatures, which start at $750. Third are Bill Clinton's signatures signed when he was president, which are worth $500 or more; and fourth are George H.W. Bush's signatures on presidential letterhead, worth $300-$500. As for Obama's slightly illegible signature, after his inauguration his signature averages in the high hundreds - with one exception. President Obama's signature on the stimulus packages is worth trillions.