Business and Data Science News

Sunday, December 10^th, 2023 – Saturday, December 16th, 2023

Sunday, December 10^th, 2023

Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time where possible) in order of increasing popularity:
- Number 5.
  - Attend live theater, an opera house, a play, or a musical production
    - New York City / Los Angeles / San Francisco / San Diego / Richmond, Virginia
- Number 4.
  - Attend ice skating events
    - Indoors and outdoors including arenas and rinks and skating on a frozen lake, river, or pond
      - Red and white striped scarves in terms of themed attire was a favorite
- Number 3.
  - Shopping (Brick & Mortar stores)
    - Items purchased most often (in order of increasing purchase volume)
      - Socks [mid-calf height / packs of 6 / warm for winter use / varieties with rubber soles for grip]
      - Underwear
        
        Men’s / 3-pack / $24.99 U.S. Dollars (USD) retail price
        
        Women’s / 8 piece / $40.00 USD retail price
      - Televisions
        
        Intent of purchase:
        
        As a Christmas present for themselves (41%)
        
        As a Christmas or Hanukkah present for others (21%)
        
        All other television purchases (38%)
        
        Best Sellers:
        
        43” OLED 4K Smart TV (most popular)
        
        50” LED 4K Smart TV
        
        60” LED 4K Smart TV
- Number 2.
  - Attend or host a Christmas tree decorating party [friends / colleagues / family]
  - Groups of 6 – 9 were the most common
  - Complete with Christmas themed music, appetizers, and beverages
  - Alcoholic beverages prepared and served (in order of increasing popularity):
    - Gin and Tonic
    - Bellini
    - Cosmopolitan
  - Non-Alcoholic Beverages (in order of increasing popularity):
    - Pop water (carbonated water, premium variety)
    - Texas Sunrise (orange juice, pineapple juice, grape juice, and grenadine)
    - Surely Templetons
- Number 1.
  - Purchase an engagement ring in context of a forthcoming engagement and wedding
  - Record breaking in terms of sales in the last 14,405 days and +8058% over the same date and time period in the year 2022
    - Band material
      - Platinum (most popular) > Yellow Gold > White Gold > Silicone > Resin > other material
      - 14 karat (most popular) > 12 karat > 18 karat > 8 karat
    - Gemstone
      - Emerald (most popular) > Ruby > Sapphire > Topaz > Citrine > Diamond (colored, pink)
    - Cushion setting / Cushion cut
Things people are planning for New Year’s Eve celebrations
- A house party or private gathering at a private residence
  - A group of 14 – 24 individuals are invited [friends / acquaintances / colleagues]
  - Formal dress code
    - Black tie or tuxedo (men)
    - Evening gown / ball gown / stately attire (women)
  - Planning and budget meetings are scheduled and are attended by all invitees in early to mid-November
    - Costs are allocated per person per line item
  - Appetizers / Dinner / Dessert / Night Cap / Beverages / Punch are line item requirements for hosting
    - It is a catered event with food being delivered to the house venue and with set-up done by the caterer
    - House bar is available
  - The following items are being purchased as investment items. They will be used this year and also at parties that will be group hosted in the coming 4-5 years
    - Tables [round > rectangular]
    - Chairs [6 per table > 5 per table > 8 per table > 10 per table]
    - Linens, including tablecloths and napkins
    - Glassware
    - Stemware
    - Place settings, including flatware / silverware
  - Average budget per party is $9,000 USD
Internet (Cyber) Safety & Security
- Voice recognition software must be compliant with the HTML Standard 5.9 as of January 2031
- A 19-syllable password or passphrase will be required for encryption, back encryption, and authentication
  - Contraction words have the same number of syllables as the individual uncontracted words
  - An example of a suitable 19-syllable password (passphrase) in context of voice recognition might be:
    - “Else is no, yes there’s a cat, ninety-nine and there’s a cat on the wall.”
      - “There’s” is a contraction word for “There is”
      - “There’s” and “There is” each contain 2 syllables
  - Voice recognition passwords (19-syllable / 48-point verification) and facial recognition ideals (48-point verification) may be used together in context of two-factor authentication (2FA)
Greeting Cards (Christmas / Holiday / Seasonal / Winter / New Year’s Eve / New Year’s Day themed)
- To accompany a purchased gift:
  - Consumer ideal budget is: $4.95 USD retail price
- To enclose a cheque, gift card, or monetary gift:
  - Consumer ideal budget is: $3.95 USD retail price
- To send or give or use to enclose school photos or Christmas with Santa photos:
  - Consumer ideal budget is: $29.99 USD retail price for a box of 10 cards
Invitations (Christmas / Holiday / Winter / New Year’s Eve / New Year’s Day themed events)
- Preference is to purchase premium, lightly themed invitations in boxes of 8
  - Consumer ideal budget is: $24.99 USD retail price per box
- Printed, personalized varieties (using a word processor and a high-quality laser printer and a downloadable formatted template) with vellum overlay are best sellers

Monday, December 11^th, 2023

Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time where possible) in order of increasing popularity and purchase volume:
- Shopping [Sporting Goods & Equipment / Department / Specialty / Thrift / Antique]
  - Purchase Sporting Goods & Equipment
    - Hockey skates
    - Basketball hoop [mounted > free standing with base] and basketball
    - Floor hockey sticks (8) and nets (2) and balls (2)
  - Purchase a fine china set for 4
    - Including dinner plates, salad plates, salad bowls, and soup bowls
    - These china sets also include a teapot and teacups as well as service for milk, cream, and sugar (a tea set) but they do not include flatware / silverware or serving utensils
    - Average consumer budget is: $499.99 USD retail price
    - Pattern or print preference in terms of color palette are:
      - Pink, dusty rose, purple, bronze finish
    - Consumers have decided to wait until the style, selection, and features of available flatware / silverware sets are of better quality and are more appropriately matched to the complete china set before making a purchase of flatware / silverware [*people are looking for flatware / silverware to match the tea set specifically]
      - Average consumer budget for flatware / silverware is: $499.99 USD retail price
  - Purchase Women’s Clothing / Intimate Apparel
    - Bodysuits in a quantity of 2
      - For use under formal wear, business attire, and casual wear
      - Average consumer (ideal) purchase price is: $39.99 (each) USD retail price
What people ate for breakfast today at restaurants (record breaking statistics):
- Crépes [Strawberry / Banana Cream Pie with Chocolate Spirals / Raspberry]
- Avocado Waffles with Chicken [Breaded and Baked / Breaded and Deep-fried]
- Shrimp Frittatas
- Hamlets [Scrambled Eggs, Ham, Bacon, Crumbled Sausage, Red Peppers, Green Peppers, Onions]
In the last 24 hours, Gym / Fitness Center new membership sign-ups have increased by +14,095% compared to the same 24-hour period last year.
Travel booking websites in context of accommodations and hotel reservations – 19 websites are involved
- Many instances of travellers / guests arriving at the hotel / property and their reservation (by way of a confirmation number) cannot be found by customer service personnel / concierge / hotel staff when a “search” is performed using the hotel’s computerized database system
- The problem has to do with a “switch-router” mismatch in terms of password
  - A “switch” is a device that facilitates one way flow of information, unlike the more common “router” that allows “here and there” or a “to and fro” transfer of data
  - If either the DEFAULT password for the “switch” or the USER DEFINED password for the “switch” (IT personnel) does not EXACTLY match the password for the “router(s)” there can be no communication between the travel booking website and the hotel property computer network to “reserve” the room. In these cases, the confirmation number generated is a “dummy” and is created “randomly” (month-date-year-time24hourclock-#numberoftimesthisproblemhashappened)
  - The solution is to ensure that the password for the “switch” and the “router(s)” at the hotel / property are identical to each other (precisely). The connected computers / network enabled terminals / kiosks / other connections that are a part of the operation should then be power cycled (restarted)
  - With special note of the toggle tabs in the system setup for the “switch” and the “router(s)” and with further reference to the 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz panes
Record breaking sales over the past 24 hours in terms of purchase volume:
- Disc players
  - Combined video and audio capability and with a blue field laser
  - +8,091% compared to the same date and time period in the year 2022
- Bear claws (pastry / dessert)
  - Raspberry (most popular) > Chocolate > Vanilla Sprinkle > Cherry > Danish-Flavored
  - +109,019% compared to the same date and time period in the year 2022
  - Consumer ideal budget is: $7.00 USD retail price
- Tractors (farm / commercial use)
  - +1,928% compared to the same date and time period in the year 2022
  - Average consumer budget is: $59,000 USD retail price
Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
- Where can I rent a movie?
- How do I make mini cheesecakes cherry?
- Does rideshare guarantee you get to the airport on time?
Misunderstood words and phrases in context of online discussions:
- “Vanilla Extract”
  - A baking ingredient and added in minute quantities when called for by recipe
  - Comes from vanilla beans which originate on the gum tree
  - Confusion surrounds the slang (colloquial) use of the word “vanilla”, where it may be synonymous with “plain”, “unexciting”, or “boring.” When a recipe calls for “vanilla extract”, it is in context of an ingredient that is to be added per measure and it is not in reference to an (alternate) easy way to complete the steps in the recipe

Tuesday, December 12^th, 2023

Record breaking sales over the past 24 hours for the time period starting at 12:00 p.m. noon yesterday and continuing until 12:00 p.m. noon today:
- Candy canes
  - +1,098% compared to the same date and time period in the year 2022 in terms of purchase volume
  - Boxes of 6 (most popular) > Boxes of 7 > Boxes of 9 > Boxes of 8 > Single unit
  - Flavors are listed in order of increasing sales and popularity:
    - Tutti-Frutti (mini size / 2.75”)
    - Peppermint (red, white, green / mini size / 2.75”)
    - Butterscotch (large size / 6”)
    - Cotton Candy (large size / 6”)
    - Peppermint (red, white, and green / large size / 6”)
Record breaking number of gingerbread “houses” were built in the past 24 hours
- Second place finish: “A Day at the City Zoo”
  - The finished piece included an animal enclosure and a zookeeper building and a conservatory built out of gingerbread (thick molasses), icing (blue), gumdrops, peppermint patties, red licorice, lemon drops, white pearl onions, lemon curd, shoestring licorice, and buttercream frosting (yellow)
- The secret ingredient for the gingerbread house assembly was anchovy paste
Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
- How do I make peanut butter fudge?
- Can I make an assortment of rainbow-colored candy-coated candy at home and how do I do this?
- Can I buy bubble blowing solution and make bubbles outside in the winter?
Record breaking sales in terms of purchase quantity and dollar (currency) value this afternoon between the hours of 3:00 p.m. and 4:00 p.m. local time (time shifted):
- Gift cards
  - +219,841% compared to the same one-hour time period on this date in the year 2022
  - Compared to all days and all one-hour periods in the month of December of all time (same metrics), the most gift cards ever sold was on December 19^th, 2001 between the hours of 5:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m.
  - During the date period between December 11^th – December 19^th, and during the time period between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m. on each of these dates, gift card sales are the highest [Holiday / Christmas / Hanukkah / Ramadan / Kwanzaa / New Year’s Eve / Winter] since inception of the gift card in the year 1991

Wednesday, December 13^th, 2023

Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, engagement, or purchase:
- Number 4.
  - Attend a live amateur sporting event as a spectator, organizer, or supporter
  - Mountaineering (including short ski option), luging, bobsledding, ice fishing derby, lake fishing contest, downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, half marathon, hockey game, figure skating
- Number 3.
  - Purchase items related to Squash (the racquet sport)
    - Racquet, ball, eye protection (goggles / face shield), gym bag, membership at a private squash (raquet sport) club for at least 3 consecutive months
    - +14,000,005% compared to the same date and time period in the year 2022
    - +13,841,002% compared to the same time period on any date in the month of December in the year 2022
    - +8,051% compared to any date and time period in the month of December all years considered
    - 14,091 day record for sales
- Number 2.
  - Hardwood floor replacement (Teakwood) for interior / residential use
    - Purchase (or near purchase with transaction to be finalized during business hours today) of materials, such as pallets or packs of hardwood flooring and related tools, as well as home installation packages
    - Average budget per household is: $12,000 USD retail price
- Number 1.
  - Purchase remote car starters and installation packages
  - Average consumer budget per vehicle is: $600 USD retail price
Record breaking sales in terms of both quantity and dollar [currency] value this afternoon between the hours of 2:00 p.m. and 3:00 p.m. local time (time shifted):
- Joysticks (Home Gaming / Video Games)
  - Joysticks purchased for use with a personal computer (PC) had more sales compared to those purchased for use with branded game consoles
  - 1200 day record for sales

Thursday, December 14^th, 2023

Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance or purchase volume:
- Number 7.
  - Purchase video game consoles with 1 TB (terabyte) of storage
    - +560% compared to the same 12-hour time period on the same date in the year 2022
    - +319% compared to any 12-hour period on any date in the month of December in the year 2022
    - 191 day record for sales
- Number 6.
  - Purchase plane tickets (airfare) and finalize flight (air travel) arrangements online (internet-based)
    - Trips for 2 (most common) > Trips for 9 > Trips for 7 > Trips for 4
    - Tahiti (most common destination) > St. Lucia > Cabo > Puerta Vallarta > Las Vegas > Cancun > Geneva (Ski the Swiss Alps)
    - Number of days between return flights:
      - 9 days (most common) > 19 days > 11 days > 14 days > 3 days > 7 days > 4 days > 16 days
    - For travel in the following months (in decreasing order of popularity):
      - February 2024 (most popular)
      - March 2024
      - July 2024
      - April 2024
      - January 2024
      - September 2024
      - December 2024
      - November 2024
      - January 2025
      - January 2026
      - February 2027
    - Average consumer budget per person per return flight is: $900 USD
- Number 5.
  - Purchase trip excursions (things to do and see in context of an itinerary for scheduled travel plans). This list is presented in descending order in terms of popularity and purchase volume and dollar [currency] value:
    - Soccer game (most popular and most ticket sales)
    - Downhill skiing
      - Lift pass or lift ticket (3-day weekend variety)
    - Inner tube rafting (tubing)
    - Whitewater rafting
      - [10-person raft / 8-person raft / 12-person raft / 6-person raft]
    - Guided backcountry (wilderness) camping
      - [2 overnights / 1 overnight / 5 overnights / 3 overnights]
    - Climb the Eiffel Tower
    - See the Golden Gate Bridge
    - Drink from the Hoover dam
    - Swim with the killer whales
    - Zipline adventure habitat (3 days overnight for 2)
    - Wander the rope bridge of Saigon
    - Drink tea in Mumbai
    - Sleep temples in Cairo
  - Average budget per person per excursion is: $400 USD with an average purchase of 2 excursions per person per itinerary
- Number 4.
  - Purchase cruise wear (apparel / accessories) for cruises that have not yet been booked, purchased, or formally scheduled (travel plans have not yet been finalized) but with the following anticipated sailing dates in decreasing order of popularity:
    - September 2029 (most popular)
    - October 2025
    - December 2025
    - January 2025
    - December 2024
    - January 2027
    - February 2025
  - Cruise wear apparel and accessories purchased in decreasing order of purchase of volume and dollar [currency] value:
    - Sunglasses
      - Aviator style (most popular)
      - Wrap-around cellophane (2^nd most popular)
      - Average consumer (ideal) purchase price is: $99.00 USD retail price
    - Swim (sea) goggles / mask
    - Swim (sea) snorkel with a pair of foot flippers
    - Flip-flop sandals
    - Bucket hats
      - Red (most common color) / White / Green / Blue sailboat print
    - Lip balm
      - Cherry Danish flavor 5-pack
- Number 3.
  - Make handmade snow globe ornaments [Christmas / Hanukkah / Winter themed] as gifts for friends and family
  - 1294 day record in terms of production and assembly
- Number 2.
  - Purchase (same-day delivery) and stack pre-chopped firewood
  - +1918% compared to any 12-hour period in the month of December in the year 2022
  - 19191 day record in terms of purchase and the stacking process
- Number 1.
  - Attend the dress rehearsal for an upcoming dance recital

Friday, December 15^th, 2023

Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
- Where do I buy make-up remover wipes?
- How can I order new tires online for my vehicle?
- Where do they make pink and blue candy floss in a bag?
- How old do I have to be to buy toilet paper?
- Is there a difference between thread counts?
- What time does the mall open on Boxing Day?
- Is there somewhere I can go to hang on to Christmas presents before Christmas Eve?
- Who is the best person to call when the heat goes out?
- What do I wear to the ballet opera and is pants the right thing?
- How much is too much to pay for a pair of skate shoes?
- Is the best seltzer water the one with the pop lid?
- Can you have delivered the sheet pan dessert they make at the bakery house?
- I want to make ice cream with a pan and a scooper in the freezer will this work or no?
- Where can I buy and make my own ruffles? (sewing / fashion design / apparel / accessories)
- Pinto bean in a can for dinner in the oven or no?
- What is the reason for darning socks?
Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, purchase volume, and dollar (currency) value:
- Number 8.
  - Go out to eat at a restaurant for a late lunch or dinner or coffee & dessert or appetizers and a night cap
  - Top 5 Cuisines:
    - 1. Mexican
    - 2. Chinese
    - 3. Cantonese
    - 4. American
    - 5. Sudanese
- Number 7.
  - Attend a town hall meeting pertaining to issues surrounding drinking water, water quality, and the piped water system to the homes and businesses in the municipality
- Number 6.
  - Buy stocking stuffers
    - Lottery tickets were the most popular item purchased
- Number 5.
  - Participate and compete in a co-ed mixed Paintball tournament
- Number 4.
  - Attend a year-end dance recital in context of dance classes or competitive stream
- Number 3.
  - Play foosball and win
- Number 2.
  - No-bake or bake homemade dessert to be served after dinner tonight
    - Mini cherry cheesecakes
    - Brownies topped with crushed pecans
    - Rum raisin ice cream and blondie bars
    - Peppermint white chocolate (almond) bark
    - Birthday cake batter cupcakes with candy flavored sprinkles
    - Chocolate dipped macaroons
    - Peanut butter pretzel fudge
    - Chocolate covered almonds
- Number 1.
  - Make (prepare ahead of time) stuffing that will be served alongside turkey on Christmas Day or Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day or Boxing Day
    - Most popular stuffing ingredients included:
      - pumpernickel bread / whole wheat loaf / rye bread
      - raisins / cranberries / blueberries / currants / dried maraschino cherries
      - nutmeg / allspice / cinnamon / thyme / basil / rosemary

Saturday, December 16^th, 2023

Topics of conversation over the past 24 hours on the various internet chat forums:
- Who is the best person to ask for things about strudel (cherry)?
- If I need to get a baby-sitter for New Year’s is there a minimum age I can ask?
- Is there broccoli in risotto or no?
- What is puff pastry making?
- Why do people like owls?
- Is there a place to buy soap on a rope?
- Is there a minimum amount I have to make to make macaroni & cheese?
- Why can’t you put diesel in a gasoline powered car or truck?
- Is there a way to roll knead bread like they do at the bakery house?
- What happens after the year 2031?
- What is the cheapest place to buy packs of oatmeal apple cinnamon?
- How do I serve sherbet?
- Is eggnog OK for kids?
Things people did for leisure and entertainment sometime yesterday afternoon or evening or into this morning between the hours of 4 p.m. and 4 a.m. (time shifted to local time) in order of increasing attendance, purchase volume, and dollar (currency) value:
- Number 9.
  - Purchase pool (billiards) related items for use in recreational and competitive leagues:
    - Pool cues
      - Purchased in quantities of 2
    - Pool balls
      - Snooker / Table / 9-Ball
    - Table Rack
    - Pool cue chalk (for the tip end of the cue)
    - Books [print / audio / podcast]
      - How to do “trick shots”
      - Rules of the snooker game
    - League sign-up (registration fee / membership fee / dues)
      - Average (ideal) consumer purchase price for 6 weeks and for 2 – 4 hours per week of league play is: $199.00 USD per participant
- Number 8.
  - Purchase a solid state external hard drive with 2 TB (terabytes) of storage
    - Preference is for HDMI and USB peripheral outputs
    - Average consumer budget is: $499.99 USD retail price
- Number 7.
  - Purchase tickets and then go on an outdoor sleigh ride
    - The sleighs were pulled by horses, tractor, or truck
    - Average ticket purchase price (USD):
      - Children under 2 years of age (free)
      - Children 2 – 12 years of age ($4.99)
      - Young adults 13 – 17 years of age ($17.99)
      - Adults 18 – 64 years of age ($24.99)
      - Adults 64 years of age and older ($17.99)
- Number 6.
  - Purchase tickets and then go see a movie at the movie theater
    - Preferred runtime for these showings: 69 minutes
    - Average ticket purchase price (USD):
      - Children 5 – 12 years of age ($9.99)
      - Young adults 13 – 17 years of age ($14.99)
      - Adults 18 – 64 years of age ($27.99)
      - Adults 64 years of age and older ($19.99)
- Number 5.
  - Purchase a punch bowl with cups and a mixing utensil
    - Preferred capacity is 24 cups (2.9 liters)
    - Average consumer budget is: $99.99 USD retail price
- Number 4.
  - Purchase a bottle of wine
    - White (most popular)
      - Average consumer budget is: $49.99 USD retail price
    - Red
      - Average consumer budget is: $49.99 USD retail price
    - Rosé
      - Average consumer budget is: $49.99 USD retail price
- Number 3.
  - Attend a wine-tasting event
    - Average purchase price per person per ticket is: $29.99 USD
- Number 2.
  - Attend a work-related Christmas, Season’s Greetings, or Winter-themed holiday party
    - Hosted by the employer or contract administrator
    - Average amount spent per full-time employee is: $9.99 USD
- Number 1.
  - Go out to a restaurant for dinner
  - Top 7 Cuisines:
    - 1. Mexican
    - 2. Sudanese
    - 3. Chinese
    - 4. Cantonese
    - 5. Hawaiian
    - 6. Italian
    - 7. American
  - Average tab per table of 4 is: $119.99 USD including gratuity

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