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Funny Business with Jane Wells

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  Friday, 1 Mar 2013 | 11:53 AM ET

Is Silicon Valley Home to Sugar Daddies?

Posted By:
Source: Sugardaddie.com

A dating website matching wealthy older men to attractive young women has picked an odd target for a publicity stunt.

SugarDaddie.com is offering the town of Woodside, Calif. $11.65 million to change its name to "SugarDaddie.com, USA" for ten years.

Chump change. Wrong target. Very funny.

»Read more
  Thursday, 28 Feb 2013 | 8:30 AM ET

Million Dollar Idea? Battling Dog Breath

Posted By:
The Fight Against 'Doggy' Breath
One of the quirkiest personal hygiene companies on the Web has moved into pet products. CNBC's Jane Wells takes a look at the offerings of Orabrush, a company which makes tongue cleaners for humans.

Here's a story about a personal hygiene startup with a sense of humor, which may have figured out the way to big profits is through a dog's mouth.

»Read more
  Wednesday, 27 Feb 2013 | 11:12 AM ET

Telecommuting Experiment: My Day Working From Home

Posted By:
CNBC

So Marissa Mayer thinks too many Yahoo employees could be deadbeats because they "work" from home, and their absence may be one reason the company's lost its way.

We've been reporting that she's ordered all telecommuters back to the office, because that's where the magic happens. She kind of reminds me of the boss everyone is excited about at first, until you realize, "Oh, this is not going to be fun."

(Read More: One Perk Gone: Yahoo Says No to Telecommuting)

I work in a bureau for a large news organization, so I have some understanding of what it's like to telecommute. I'm based in Los Angeles, and my bosses are in New Jersey. I can't talk face-to-face with the producers who decide what stories air on a daily basis. That puts me at a disadvantage, but not to the point where I want to trade in my 75-degree February day to move east.

»Read more
  Thursday, 21 Feb 2013 | 5:19 PM ET

Jumping Into Oscar Buzz: Aflac for Affleck

Posted By:
Source: Aflac

Oscar season! One of the biggest media events of the year!

How can an insurance company with no connection to the film biz find a way to exploit the buzz?

It's all in a name.

»Read more
  Thursday, 14 Feb 2013 | 5:39 PM ET

Hey Psy, Move Over for the Harlem Shake

Posted By:
Source: Psy | Youtube
Gangnam Style

"Gangnam Style," by Korean pop/rap star Psy, is the most watched YouTube video ever. In less than a year, it's racked up over 1.3 billion hits. Billion. The entertainer's pony-riding dance and sarcastic attitude have hit a universal chord.

(Read More: 'Hey! Sexy Lady!': 'Gangnam Style' Artist Hits the US.)

Well, sexy lady, Gangnam Style is so 2012.

Here comes the "Harlem Shake." The new dance craze hit YouTube less than two weeks ago and already has over six million hits.

»Read more
  Thursday, 14 Feb 2013 | 1:24 PM ET

The Worst Valentine's Day Ever

Posted By:
Martin Harvey | Photodisc | Getty Images

Nothing says "I love you" like a cockroach.

The Bronx Zoo, still recovering from an escaped cobra, has come up with a unique fundraising effort tied to Valentine's Day. It does not involve romantic walks through the zoo with a "birds and bees" theme. There's no lingering around pens where animals are lovingly snuggled up in a nap.

This V-Day idea involves roaches, because, like a roach, love never dies.

»Read more
  Wednesday, 13 Feb 2013 | 1:57 PM ET

Happy Cows Come From California

Posted By:
The 'Ultimate' Cow Smile Producer
Jane Wells from the World Ag Expo looking at "udderly" cool ways that people help cows keep clean. In this video, the Cow Brush company rep says he's never seen a cow as happy as when they're using his brush.

They say that happy cows come from California.

They just got happier.

»Read more
  Wednesday, 13 Feb 2013 | 11:39 AM ET

Celebrating the Year of the Snake With a $500 Dinner

Posted By:
The $500 Chinese New Year Dinner
CNBC's Jane Wells gets a first-hand look at the Chinese New Year dinner at the Bellagio in Las Vegas, which costs $500 per setting.

I'm not a fan of snakes.

Unless they're made of 100 percent chocolate.

A private dining room inside the Bellagio in Las Vegas has been transformed into the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing. Later this week, the casino resort will be hosting Chinese New Year dinners here for $500 a plate. (There are still a few openings so don't delay!)

»Read more
  Friday, 8 Feb 2013 | 1:28 PM ET

The Name Game: Finding a Storm Named Nemo

Posted By:
Kelvin Ma | Bloomberg | Getty Images
Boston

Nemo? Really? Why do the worst storms have wimpiest names? Sandy … Katrina …

Sandy and Katrina were names given by the National Weather Service for tropical storms and hurricanes. The NOAA does not name winter storms.

(Read More: 'Dangerous' Snowstorm Nemo Finds the Northeast.)

So Nemo comes from our sister network, The Weather Channel, which started naming winter storms last year to highlight awareness, and perhaps boost ratings. It's a fun marketing move.

»Read more
  Thursday, 7 Feb 2013 | 2:28 PM ET

Valentine's Day: The Cost of Showing Some Love

Posted By:
gpointstudio | Stockbyte | Getty Images

Money can buy you love.

How much money? $218.

That's the amount your average man will have to spend this Valentine's Day to get "lucky."

»Read more

About Funny Business

If it was up to Jane Wells, she’d spend her entire day combing Mother Earth for stories and observations just for this blog. She has more fun writing Funny Business than anything else she does... professionally, that is. Funny business is whatever Jane considers hilarious, strange, fishy, or ridiculous, which pretty much covers everything on Wall Street. It is her hope this blog makes you smile, even when the news is grim. After all, it's only money.
  • Based in Los Angeles, Wells is currently a CNBC business news reporter and also writes CNBC.com's “Funny Business.”

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