Here’s more proof that America’s pet obsession just keeps getting stronger: The line between our dogs’ names and our kids’ names keeps getting blurrier.

Rover.com just released a report on the most popular dog names of 2015 . . . and human names dominated. 49% of dogs got a name that’s also on the list of the most popular baby names. That’s up from 21% last year.

The top 10 most popular names for male dogs this year are: Max . . . Charlie . . . Buddy . . . Cooper . . . Jack . . . Rocky . . . Toby . . . Duke . . . Bear . . . and Tucker.

The top 10 most popular names for female dogs this year are: Bella . . . Lucy . . . Daisy . . . Molly . . . Lola . . . Sadie . . . Maggie . . . Sophie . . . Chloe . . . and Bailey.

The report also found that 10% of all dog names come from pop culture. Names based on “The Hunger Games” like Katniss were up 19% . . . “Harry Potter” names like Luna were up 10% . . . and “Star Wars” names like Chewie were up 5%.

What’s the big Christmas present you’re giving your significant other this year? A giant new TV? Dinner at a fancy restaurant? A trip to Hawaii?

If so, congratulations. Apparently you’re part of this year’s new trend called “boomerang gifts” . . . and you may not even realize you’re doing it.

A boomerang gift is when you give someone a present that also benefits you. Taking someone to a couples spa also benefits you . . . getting them a sweet new iPad also benefits you . . . five seasons of “The Wire” also benefits you.

A new survey found it’s becoming more and more popular . . . to the point where the majority of people are doing it now.

The top boomerang gifts are box sets of TV shows, boxes of chocolate, and movies. But really . . . who buys box sets of TV shows anymore?

There might be something that feels wrong about tricking people into liking you . . . but whatever. Who has time to establish real connections these days, right?

Here are six scientifically proven tricks you can use in conversation to make people like you . . .

1. Encourage people to talk about themselves. It gives their brain the same sensation as eating good food or getting money.

2. Ask for advice. Believe it or not, asking for advice helps make you seem more equal with people in more powerful positions than you.

3. Repeat the last three words of some of their sentences. It’s a technique even hostage negotiators use to build rapport and it’s surprisingly effective.

4. Gossip . . . but only about positive things. When you gossip about how attractive or smart or funny someone is, the other person will subconsciously associate YOU with those traits too.

5. Ask about something positive in their life before you ask other questions. Like, asking about their kids first will make them more positive about everything else.

6. Use questions to help people come up with ideas and answers themselves. They’re less likely to feel threatened or criticized.

Mothers and their teenage daughters pretty much never get along . . . so when a bonding opportunity comes up, I guess you gotta jump on it.

Mug Shot Of Egging Mom Jennifer Terry

44-year-old Jennifer Terry of Ogden, Utah had a night of bonding with her daughter and her daughter’s friends back in August . . . when she drove them around to egg houses with them.

Jennifer drove the girls through several towns, and they egged between 10 and 20 houses. Which caused several thousand dollars in damage.

But the cops investigated, and eventually traced the eggings back to Jennifer and the girls.

Jennifer was arrested on Sunday, and she’ll be in court this week facing a misdemeanor charge of causing a catastrophe. Yes, that’s really what the crime is called.

There’s no word on whether the girls are facing juvenile charges.

Standard Examiner

If you’re looking for an excuse to get out of decorating your house this Christmas, here’s one your family will totally accept. They might even thank you for your laziness.

Your Christmas lights could screw up your Wi-Fi.

A British tech company studied how Christmas lights affect your Wi-Fi, and found that the electromagnetic interference from the lights might slow it down. So if your Netflix gets choppy, maybe it’s your decorations.

They also might not, since there are a ton of factors at play . . . but they might! And is there any possibility that’s more frightening?

They say things like baby monitors and microwaves can also mess up your Internet speed. So, um . . . I guess let your baby fend for itself and stop eating Hot Pockets?

The Guardian

Every year around this time, the people at PNC Wealth Management calculate how much it would cost to buy all the stuff from “The Twelve Days of Christmas”.

And this year, it’ll cost you right around what it would’ve cost you last year. If you’d bought all the stuff. Which you didn’t. Because you’re not romantic. Or insane.

The total this year is $34,131 . . . that’s just 0.6% higher than last year, when it was $33,933.

Only three of the 12 items had price jumps this year: A partridge in a pear tree is 3.5% more expensive . . . two turtle doves are up 11.5% . . . and 10 lords-a-leaping will cost 3% more. Apparently demand for old jumping men has slightly gone up?

The most expensive thing on the list is the seven swans-a-swimming. They’ll run $13,125 . . . or $1,875 per swan.

For comparison’s sake, when PNC first calculated the prices in 1984, the entire list only ran $12,674.

A recent survey asked people to name the best Christmas gifts they’ve gotten from a co-worker, and office supplies somehow made the list. Here are the top five . . .

1. Gift cards. Which is nice because they’re easy. 25% of the people surveyed said it’s their favorite thing they’ve gotten from a co-worker before.

2. Food or alcohol, 11%. So a bottle of wine might work.

3. A gadget, or something else that has to do with technology, 8%.

4. Office supplies, 5%. So apparently if you gave Dave in accounting a three-hole-punch last year, you nailed it!

5. Something homemade, 3%.

The survey also found that 93% of the people who plan to give a co-worker a gift said it’s because they consider them a “friend”, not just someone they work with.

There are plenty of bad holiday movies, but what are the worst?  Here’s a list somebody came up with.  It’s not clear how much opinion went into the list, but they definitely took bad Netflix and Rotten Tomatoes ratings into account.  As far as I know, they’re not actually ranked, but Tim Allen has two movies on the list . . . Read More »

Another Black Friday is behind us, and hey . . . no one died!  That’s what progress looks like, America.

But that doesn’t mean everything went smoothly.  Here’s my four point round-up of Black Friday 2015 . . . Read More »

If you’re in charge of the turkey this year, this might help you out.  If you’re not . . . then use it to annoy the person who IS by second-guessing everything they do.  It’s eight common mistakes people make with their Thanksgiving turkey . . . Read More »