Four For Friday - Test Taster Edition

Q1 - Haircut: When do you make an appointment for your next haircut... a day or two beforehand, before you leave the barbershop or salon, or never because walk-ins are always welcome where you get a haircut?

Q2 - Purchases: Do you believe where you buy something is just as important as what you buy?

Q3 - Tasting: If you could be a test taster of anything, what would it be?

Q4 - Black Box: In the fallout of Toyota's automotive recall, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration is considering requiring black box data recorders for all new vehicles sold in the United States. Advocates of the idea say the black boxes, which are linked to the deployment of airbags, are able to note information like the speed of your car, whether you were applying the brakes, and other facts that can be downloaded and analyzed. Opponents say the measure is a violation of our privacy, and that black boxes would like be used for more than just accident analysis and investigation. What do you think?

Four For Friday for March 5, Two Thousand-ten

Q1 - Dressing Room: When you try on clothes at a store and choose not to buy them, do you return the items to where you found them or leave them in the dressing room (or just outside the dressing room) for someone else to deal with?

Q2 - Cut or Leave: Grappling with a growing budget deficit and an endangered credit rating, a divided Los Angeles City Council voted last month to eliminate 4,000 municipal jobs by July 1. City Administrative Officer Miguel Santana estimated the move would save the City of Los Angeles about $260 million this fiscal year and next. Earlier , Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa declared that layoffs could be minimized if labor unions agree to pay cuts. "If all city employees agreed to a 5 percent pay cut, we could save $150 million," he said. "If civilian employees, firefighters and police officers agreed to a 15 percent pay cut, we could save $450 million." Would you take a 15% cut in pay to keep your current job or save your co-workers' jobs?

Q3 - Say It: How do you pronounce "2010"... Twenty-ten, Two Thousand and Ten, Oh-ten?

Q4 - China vs. Terrorism: More than twice as many U.S. adults (58%) say that debt owed to China is a more serious threat to the long-term security and well-being of the U.S. than is terrorism from radical Islamic terrorists (27%). Interestingly, for those of you who like to politicize everything, Interestingly there was little variation by party identification with a majority of Democrats, Republicans and independents all agreeing that the debt owed by the United States to China poses the greater threat. What do you think... does debt owed to China pose a more serious threat to the long-term security and well-being of the U.S. than is terrorism from radical Islamic terrorists?

Four For Friday - With Video

Q1 - Punch Buggy: About 50 years ago, a single punch launched a game we all know and either love or hate: Punch Buggy (also called punch bug or slug bug). After an exhaustive search, the folks at Volkswagen claim to have found the game's inventor, Sluggy Patterson (see video below). Have you ever played Punch Buggy? Regardless of whether you have or not, do you enjoy car games like Punch Buggy, and if you do, what car game is your favorite?

Q2 - Hometown: On Facebook, all members are asked to list a Hometown. When you're asked online to fill in a location for Hometown, do you put the town where you grew up or where you live? Is your response different if someone asks you in person about your Hometown?

Q3 - State of the Union: According to Article II, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution, the President of the United States "...shall from time to time give to Congress information of the State of the Union and recommend to their Consideration such measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient." Nearly every President since Dr. Thomas Woodrow Wilson has made the State of the Union report in the form of a speech delivered personally before a joint session of Congress. Did you watch President Barack Hussein Obama II's speech on Wednesday evening? If so, what did you think?

Q4 - iPad: Apple unveiled the iPad earlier this week, a 0.5 inches thick device for browsing the web, reading and sending email, looking at photos, watching videos, listening to music, playing games, reading e-books and much more. According to Apple co-founder & CEO Steve Jobs, the iPad is the company's "...most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price." Do you see a "need" for the iPad in your business or personal life? Do you want one?

Four For Friday - The Haiti Edition

Q1 - Tourism: Despite numerous steps to assist with the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti -- including a $1,000,000 donation; donating 100 percent of its net revenue from visits to Haiti; and using its vessels to drop off food, water, lounge chairs and beach furniture -- Royal Caribbean cruise line has come under heavy fire for making a scheduled stop at a private resort in Labadee, Haiti, where it maintains a private beach approximately 60 miles from the earthquake-ravaged city of Port-au-Prince. Do you think Royal Caribbean is right to continue visiting Labadee, Haiti during this period of extreme hardship, or should they divert their ships and go elsewhere?

Q2 - Donations: A new survey finds two-thirds of U.S. adults (64 percent) have given or plan to give to relief efforts following the earthquake in Haiti. Thirty-three percent have already made a donation and another 31% plan on doing so. Have you donated to Haitian relief efforts? If so, what organization did you go through to make your donation?

Q3 - Volunteers: Thousands of aid workers and volunteers from all over the world have flocked to Haiti to assist with earthquake relief efforts. If you could take a week off from work with pay and travel to Haiti to assist with relief efforts, would you?

Q4 - Descent: Approximately 2,000,000 Haitians currently live in the United States and Canada combined. Do you personally know anyone of Haitian descent?

Four For Friday

Q1 - Neighbor: Zillow.com recently released the results of its 3rd annual Neighbor Survey, and Nadya Suleman, Jon and Kate Gosselin, Sarah Palin, Richard and Mayumi Heene, and Kanye West were voted the least desirable neighbors of 2009. If you could choose to live next door to anyone alive today -- celebrity or otherwise -- who would you choose as your new next door neighbor?

Q2 - Financially Speaking: As we begin 2010, nearly half of Americans (47%) say their financial situation is worse now than it was a year ago, a new Zogby Interactive poll shows. Just 19% say their personal finances are better off now than they were a year ago and 33% say their finances are about the same. Looking ahead to the end of 2010, do you think you'll end the year in the same, better, or worse financially as compared to the end of 2009?

Q3 - Undecorate: When do you think people should take down their Christmas tree and holiday decorations... the day after Christmas, New Years Eve Day, January 2nd, or whenever they darn well feel like it?

Q4 - 2020: Nearly one-half of U.S. adults say it is likely that by 2020 there will be regular use of stem cells and cloning techniques to create human organs for transplant. Also, more than one-third say it is likely by 2020 that computer chips will be implanted in humans, robots will perform manual labor jobs, and virtual reality will be a staple of home entertainment. Only 28% think there will be a cure for cancer. What do you think about these findings?

Four For Friday - The Holiday Edition

Q1 - Location: President Obama and his family celebrated Christmas in Hawaii this year. If you and your family and loved ones could celebrate the holiday anyplace but where you currently live, where would you like to go?

Q2 - Mood: Thirty-nine percent of Americans are less "in the mood" to celebrate the holidays this season than they were last year, nearly twice as many as say they are more in the mood (21%), a new Zogby Interactive poll shows. Another 40% say there is no difference in their mood to celebrate the holidays this year compared to last year. How about you... what's your mood this holiday season?

Q3 - Giving: Nearly 70% of Americans participating in a CNN poll say they give to charities during the holiday season. How about you... do you regularly donate money during the holidays, and if so, do you give to the same group(s) each year or do you change it up from year to year?

Q4 - Tradition: Do you have any holiday traditions, like opening one gift on Christmas Eve, or prolonging the gift opening by having each person take a turn opening one gift at a time while everyone else watches?

Four For Friday

Q1 - Uncommon Names: According to research economists at Shippensburg University, the more uncommon a person's first name, the more likely he is to wind up on the wrong side of the law. When comparing crime statistics against a roster of more than 15,000 first names, researchers David E. Kalist and Daniel Y. Le found a distinct "name-crime link" among American males. Do you experience a certain amount of discomfort with saying someone's name when the name in question is highly uncommon? For example, if you learned someone's first name was Universe, Meadow, or Pacific, would you have a certain amount of discomfort when saying their name?

Q2 - Holiday Greeting Cards: Have you received more, the same, or fewer holiday greeting cards this year versus last year?

Q3 - Medical Records: A judge is set to determine whether to allow an Oklahoma law to go forward that will mandate the posting of information online about women who have abortions in that state. Do you think medical records of private citizens should ever be made available to the public?

Q4 - Winter Movies: Which winter 2009-2010 movies are you most interested in seeing... Armored; Brothers; Everybody's Fine; One Peace at a Time; Serious Moonlight; Transylmania; Up in the Air; A Single Man; Did You Hear About the Morgans?; Invictus; Tenderness; The Lovely Bones; The Princess and the Frog; Crazy Heart; Avatar; Nine; The New Daughter; The Young Victoria; Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakuel; It's Complicated; Sherlock Holmes; The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus; Case 39; Crazy on the Outside; Daybreakers; Leap Year; Wonderful Word; Youth in Revolt; The Book of Eli; The Spy Next Door; Extraordinary Measures; Legion; Tooth Fairy; Edge of Darkness; When in Rome; From Paris with Love; I LOve You Phillip Morris; The Wolfman; Shutter Island; A Couple of Cops; Takers.

Four For Friday

Q1 - Prayer: With the many challenges people experience during the holiday season, The Salvation Army in Spokane, Washington, has decided to give the red kettles an additional role: collecting prayer requests from people in the community. Would you place a prayer request into a Salvation Army kettle, and if so, would you feel compelled to make a donation while doing so?

Q2 - News: Katie Couric anchors the CBS Evening News; Brian Williams anchors the NBC Nightly News; and now, Diane Sawyer will be anchoring ABC's World News Tonight. What role does a national or local news anchor's personality play in your decision to watch a particular news channel or show?

Q3 - Taking a Break: Tiger Woods says he's taking "an indefinite break" from professional golf because of, well, you know. If you could choose three other athletes, politicians, or public figures to take a similar indefinite break, who would you like to see on that list?

Q4 - Gift Card: According to a leading research and advisory firm, spending on restaurant, retailer, and other gift cards will fall slightly in 2009, from $91 billion to $87 billion, of which nearly 6% (some $5.75 billion) will go unused by card recipients. When you receive a gift card, do you tend to use it once for a purchase in an amount less than the card's total value and never use the card again, or do you use the card to the fullest extent possible?

Four For Friday

Q1 - Turkey: If you had to pick the biggest business, political, or celebrity turkey of 2009, who would it be and why?

Q2 - Lights: If someone driving toward you has his car's high beam lights on when you feel they shouldn't be on, do you ignore it or do you flash your lights in an attempt to get him to turn them off?

Q3 - Change: When you pay for an item at a store and the amount due comes to something and change (e.g., $5.47), do you attempt to pay the exact amount (i.e. do you dig around in your purse or pockets to find the 47 cents), or do you simply pay with bills and pocket the change for later on? If you're not the kind to pay with exact change, how do you feel about the people in front of you who do?

Q4 - Invention: If you could invent something that hasn't been invented yet, what would you invent?

Four For Friday

Q1 - Sniff & Smell: With so many choices in the shampoo, laundry detergent, deodorant, and soap isles/sections of the grocery store, do you sniff or smell items before buying them, or do you base your purchasing decisions entirely off the name of scent as printed on the packaging?

Q2 - Waiting in Line: A friend recently chose to camp out overnight for a shot at being one of the first patrons at a new In-N-Out Burger near his home in Utah. What store or restaurant opening, sporting event, speech, etc. would you deem worthy enough to camp out overnight for?

Q3 - Purchase: What's the most recent item you purchased online?

Q4 - Place: If I told you that a recent CNN online headline proclaimed "Right-wing activists storm TV station over 'bias,'" in which city and state would you guess this took place? Related: If you saw this same headline and learned -- by clicking through and reading the opening paragraph of the story -- that the report was out of New Delhi, India, would you feel mislead by CNN?

Four For Friday

Q1 - Trigger: Do you have a trigger or tell-tale sign that you're about to get sick (i.e., that you're about to get the 24-hour flu, a massive headache, a fever, etc.)?

Q2 - Award: If you could win any important or noteworthy award, would you choose the Heisman Trophy, a Pulitzer Prize, an Oscar, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, a Wimbledon or French Open championship, a Grammy, the American Academy of Arts and Letters Gold Medal in Graphic Design, World Series MVP, the Google Lunar X Prize, a Purple Heart, National Parent of the Year award, your company's employee of the year award, a Nobel Prize, the George Orwell Award for Distinguished Contribution to Honesty and Clarity in Public Language, something else entirely, or nothing at all?

Q3 - Top Secret: If any of the world's federal governments have evidence of extra-terrestrial visits to Earth, do you feel they have the right to keep it secret?

Q4 - Read: Two books that have already ignited firestorms are set to make their debut this month. Sarah Palin's Going Rogue: An American Life lands on bookstore shelves November 17, while Andre Agassi's Open: An Autobiography was released earlier this week. Do you plan on reading either of these books, and why?

Four For Friday

Q1 - Intervention: If you could single-handedly have stopped one historically or noteworthy tragedy or event, what would you have stopped from happening?

Q2 - Wrong Number, But: If you dialed the wrong number and anyone of your choice answered and spoke with you for 30 interrupted minutes, whom would you choose to answer?

Q3 - Friend: Who is your oldest friend in the world, and how and when did you meet?

Q4 - That's a Relief: Name one thing that would make you sleep better at night (either literally or figuratively)?

Four For Friday - Should death row inmates be offered H1N1 vaccinations?

Q1 - Vaccinations: Do you think H1N1 vaccinations should be offered to Guantanamo Bay detainees or other prisoners serving time in jail for major offenses?

Q2 - You 2.0: How concerned are you about your reputation online... very concerned, somewhat concerned, not concerned at all, I have no idea what you mean by "reputation online."

Q3 - Black Friday: If you don't enjoy the "thrill" of hitting the stores at 4:00 a.m. the day after Thanksgiving (to find the best deals on holiday gifts), some retailers are offering holiday-like deals right now. How likely are you to shop for holiday gifts before Thanksgiving?

Q4 - TV Character: Who is your favorite TV character of all time? Can't name just one... how about your top three, five or 10?

Four For Friday - Solved

Q1 - Solved: Looking back, if you could solve an unsolved caper, murder, theft, political leak, heist or practical joke, which one would you solve and why?

Q2 - Interviewed: If you were nearing the end of your life and were granted one opportunity to be interviewed on camera about anything -- your life, your views, your favorite moments, your regrets, all of the above, something else entirely -- who would you choose as your interviewer and why?

Q3 - Portrait: Set the scene... if you could be photographed anywhere in the world by a world-class photographer, where would you want to be shot and why?

Q4 - Ghosts: Halloween's just around the corner... do you believe in ghosts? (How about goblins, defined as small grotesque supernatural creatures that makes trouble for human beings?)

Four For Friday - The Success Edtion

Q1 - Defined: How do you define success?

Q2 - Yourself: Do you think you're successful?

Q3 - Accomplishment: Name one success in your life most people might not know about.

Q4 - Recipe: Regardless of the endeavor, philosophically speaking, what's your recipe for success?