From TIME Magazine’s Even Girl Scout Cookies Are Victims of the Recession:

“Our top five varieties make up 77% of cookie sales,” Amanda Hamaker, the manager of national product sales for the Girl Scouts, told the Wall Street Journal.  “The others are yummy and fun, but they’re side dressing—leaving councils with an awful lot of alternate varieties left over.”

To be honest, I don’t think I had ever heard of Thank U Berry Munch, so I think I am going to get over the loss pretty quickly.  How are you coping?

Courtesy of CNN Money's "The End of Credit Cards is Coming"

And not because you made a New Years resolution to lay off the plastic!  According to this CNN Money article, “The End of Credit Cards is Coming,” those beloved plastic rectangles that never leave our wallets may be go the way of the vinyl record. Ask someone under 15 about a vinyl record and you’ll get a picture of just how obsolete (and forgotten) they have truly become…

And, no, we won’t all be using cold, hard cash (although Suze Orman would love that)–it’s the Smart Phone that is about to give your credit card a run for its money.

How often do you use your Smart Phone as a form of payment? Or maybe you haven’t made the switch.  Either way, Blake Ellis reports that you might start choosing your phone over your credit card even more in 2011:

You can already use your iPhone, Droid or BlackBerry to buy a hotdog at the ballgame, buy your Starbucks latté, or give a friend a few bucks by Bumping phones. But by the end of the year you may not even think twice about reaching for your phone to pay at the register instead of fumbling for your credit card.

What do you think?  Weird or awesome?

Interesting tid-bit: The top factor for both Should I ask him/her out? and Should I get back together with my ex? is none other than LOVE. Meanwhile, the top factor for Should I tell him/her how I feel is…Avoiding awkwardness.

Summer is well on it’s way, so hopefully you are all making the choice to enjoy yourselves and to find time to relax. And for those of you who either have trouble deciding to slow down or just don’t have the choice, there is always the reliable three-day weekend and national holiday to come to the rescue. And what better summer holiday is there in the U.S. than the Fourth of July? Fireworks, barbecues, family, friends…my mouth is watering just thinking about it!

To get you in the spirit, here are a few articles to help you decide how to spend this July 4th.  Specifically, what to eat and drink, which fireworks to watch, and how to stay safe:

- America’s Best Fourth of July Fireworks Displays

- Fabulous July 4th Party: Simple, Stylish and Affordable

- KidsHealth.com Fireworks Safety

- Fourth of July Recipes, Menus, and Drinks from Epicurious.com

I will keep you posted on other helpful articles as I come across them.  More soon!

I am amazed at how quickly the past year has flown, and how much I have grown in the past year. I owe a big thank you to my team and user community for their continued support. Couldn’t have done it without all my wonderful decision makers!

If you decide to get into the holiday spirit and want some good, clean family fun, you should take a look at the advice in this “Geek Dad” article from Wired.com, 10 (Mostly) Sober Ways to Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Another list of ideas comes from the Washington Post, geared specifically toward college kids: “Happy St. Patrick’s Day!” (very original title, I might add). If you are feeling a little more wild–and don’t mind being tired at work tomorrow, look to your local newspaper or newstations’s website to find out what’s going on in your neighborhood tonight. But, please, be safe!