Yahoo! Answers

For a limited time, you can earn an extra 2 points for every question you answer.

‘Tis the season for saying thank you, giving gifts and rewarding hard work. Our way of saying “thank you” to you, the Yahoo! Answers community – for your hard work this year – comes in the form of this special bonus. Yes, it’s baaack DOUBLE POINTS for every question you answer – FOUR instead of two.

Why are we doing this?

We know you enjoy earning points on Yahoo! Answers, especially to move up through the levels. But we also know it can feel like slow progress at times, like a marathon. So, for the month of December (31 days), we’re giving you the chance to sprint! With double points up for grabs, it’s a golden opportunity for you to make some big gains and go for the next level.

When does it start and end?

It starts on December 1^st at 12:01am PST and will last until December 31^st at 11:59pm PST.  So please, make the most of it! But please remember to always follow our Community Guidelines.

How do I get started?

It couldn’t be easier to get involved. Just sign-in (or sign-up if you’ve not visited before) and start answering questions. The browse categories page is a great place to start or even try looking at your Recommended tab.

Tell us what you think about Double Points December:

We think offering double points is something you will appreciate… we hope it’s not like one of those terrible presents you receive and return.  So just like last time, let us know what you think below – we won’t be offended, promise.

Thanks for reading,

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Hey Guys,

The holidays are fast approaching and millions of people will put their purchases on plastic. As of 2010, there were more than 600 million credit cards held by U.S. consumers, according to CreditCards.com. How did the trend get started? Who created the credit cards?

Believe it or not, Diners Club was the first real credit card. The story of its invention is the stuff of entrepreneurial lore. A businessman named Frank McNamara was eating dinner at a New York City restaurant called Major’s Cabin Grill. While eating, McNamara realized he’d forgotten his wallet.

McNamara called his wife, who came to the restaurant and helped pay the bill. Understandably embarrassed, McNamara vowed never to be in that position again. He and a partner created the Diners Club, which launched a year later, allowing members to sign a bill and pay later.

Of course, the first cards looked a lot different than they do now. Early Diners Club cards were cardboard and didn’t include a magnetic strip on the back.

Originally, Diners Club cards were accepted at 14 New York City restaurants and were held by just a select few. These days, cards of all sorts are accepted everywhere, from hotels to movie theaters to (much to McNamara’s delight) restaurants around the world.

Thanks for reading,

Mike

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We’ve heard the cliché before, sexy secretary fooling around with her married boss. Whether people were shocked, dismayed or just plain disappointed when news of former CIA director David Petraeus had an affair with his biographer and former military officer Paula Broadwell, Petraeus had officially joined the club of other philandering husbands -Arnold, Spitzer, Tiger, Clinton, etc.

When these affairs surface many emotions are involved, and several questions are posed: “Why?” “How could he be so foolish?” and “Did he really think no one would ever find out and reputations wouldn’t be destroyed?”

There are many reasons people cheat, but certain studies show the more powerful a person the more likely the person will have affairs and that applies to both men and women. “The likelihood [of infidelity] increases the more powerful someone is,” says study author Joris Lammers, an assistant professor of psychology at Tilburg University in the Netherlands. The research was published in Psychological Science. Lammers suggests “that one of strongest effects of power is that it increases feelings of confidence.” The reason there’s fewer philandering wife scandals is because there is a lower percentage of women in positions of power.

This increased self confidence increases your tolerance for risky behavior because you downplay the cons and only think about the rewards. It’s why so many powerful people, become more and more careless with their behavior until finally getting caught.

But if sex and power go hand and hand, where does romantic love come in? Is it possible that with increased power there is a decreased need for a real loving connection with someone?

Please leave a comment below.

Thanks for reading,

GuestBlogger – Ashu

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Here at Yahoo! Answers, we love nothing more than giving you, the community, better ways to share your experience, knowledge and insights.

So, to help you have more fun on Yahoo! Answers we’re pleased to introduce a new event called “AnswerDash”.

What is AnswerDash?

An Answers marathon where you aim to have the most Best Answers on Yahoo! Answers during the 96 hours we are running the event.

How does it work?

1.  Starting Monday, November 26, at 12:01am ET go to Yahoo! Answers and start answering as many questions as you can over the following 4 Days/96Hours

2.  Only answers that are posted within this time frame will be counted as part of the contest.

3.  Be sure to read through the Community Guidelines before you start. No “google it” or “thanks for the 2 points” answers.

4.  The members with the most Best Answers selected during this time frame will qualify for the Prizes

5. By participating in AnswerDash you agree to the Official Rules of the Promotion.

Remember: the more questions you answer, the more chances you have at being selected as Best Answer.

How do you win?

The member who gets the most Best Answers in during the 96 hours that the entry period is open will win prizes. Please remember we will also check the quality of your answers!

It will take the Yamster a few days to count up the numbers (and to measure your quality too!) so we won’t be announcing the winners until Monday, Dec 17 – just in time to make a nice holiday present!

What are the prizes?

One FIRST PLACE winner will receive a Yahoo! Messenger Bag and 1000 points!

One SECOND PLACE winner will receive a Yahoo! Thermos Travel Set and 750 points!

One THIRD PLACE winner will receive a 8 GIG Purple Swivel Drive and 500 points!

Twenty RUNNERS UP will receive 250 points!

Get Answering on November 26 – the clock’s ticking!

Thanks for reading,

*No purchase is necessary to participate in the promotion. The contest is subject to the full Official Rules, so please read them!

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After months of speeches, debates, and commercials, Election Day 2012 is tantalizingly close to being a thing of the past. Of course, no matter what happens, the victor will take up residence in 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Arguably the most famous house in the world, the architect of the White House is considerably less well known.

The White House was designed by the Irish-born James Hoban, who won a contest organized by President George Washington and Thomas Jefferson (then Secretary of State). Kind of like “America’s Got Talent,” only not at all. According to the National Park Service, it is widely believed that Jefferson (himself an accomplished architect) submitted his own plans under a pseudonym. Hoban’s design (which President Washington altered a bit) prevailed.

But while President Washington helped organize the competition, he never got a chance to live in White House. President John Adams and his wife Abigail were the first to call the house a home. The official White House site explains that the Adams family (sorry) moved in to the still unfinished house in 1800. The house was burned by the British in 1814 and then rebuilt (again by Hoban). President James Monroe moved in to White House 2.0 in 1817.

Thanks for reading. Here’s to no more campaigning (for a while).

Mike

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