As an example the AP cites the following:

These looser standards are especially helpful to a newspaper if it sells an “electronic edition.” That can include a subscriber-only Web site, such as what The Wall Street Journal has, or it can be a digital replica of a newspaper’s printed product. Several dozen publications, including USA Today, sell access to these daily “e-editions” that show how the news was laid out in print.

Under the new auditing standards, if a newspaper sells a “bundled” subscription to both the print and electronic editions, the publication is often allowed to count that subscriber twice.

In has also been reported that Microsoft is trying to make a deal with newspaper organizations by paying them not to be in the search index of Google search. The Redmond giant wants to get the newspapers to use Bing instead. But as newspaper circulation continue to decline, this may not be enough to save newspapers.

What do you think? Do you still subscribe to your local paper and why?

Let us know what you think.

AP Source

According to one news source and also from a CNN report this morning, Kellogg has closed its Atlanta processing plant.

“We are working around the clock to restore Eggo store inventories to normal levels as quickly as possible,” wrote Kellogg spokeswoman Kris Charles in an e-mail. “In the meantime, we’re allocating available product to customers based on historical percentage of business.”

So which regions might get their Eggos back first? Mrs. Charles wouldn’t say, adding only that Kellogg has “loyal Eggo consumers across the country.”

Eggos are in short supply because two of the company’s four frozen-waffle facilities have had operational problems in recent months. In September, Kellogg announced it had shut down its Atlanta plant after a Georgia Agricultural Department test revealed the bacteria listeria in a sample of Kellogg’s Buttermilk Eggo Waffles. Listeria has been linked to meningitis and encephalitis, according to the Food and Drug Administration.

Kellogg issued a recall of two of its products, totaling 4,500 cases, although no illnesses had been reported.

There are also problems at their plant in Tennessee as well:

Meanwhile, “extensive enhancements and repairs” at Kellogg’s largest Eggo-producing facility — in Rossville, Tenn. — also slowed production, according to Charles. Several production lines at that plant are still down, she adds, but all the other lines at the four plants are operational.

It is now becoming a national issue and some people are trying to sell their boxes of Eggo’s on eBay! I am not joking. So how is this shortage affecting your life?

Share your experience with us.

Source

The article states the following:

An Arizona mom says she was flying to Billings, Montana for her birthday — but never got off the ground because the airline kicked her — and her unruly kids off the flight. They were told they could take another flight — if they paid for it. The airline says it’s their policy not to offer refunds.

Apparently, while still boarding their Allegiant Air flight, the woman’s 2-year-old started to cry. While she was trying to calm the toddler down, her 4 year old got “restless” and wouldn’t stay in his seat.

The airline removed the family from the plane and told them they could take another flight but neglected to mention at the time that this flight would cost $900 more. The airline says they will FedEx her luggage back from Montana (it was apparently behaving itself in the cargo hold,) and offered her a credit towards a future flight. She wants a refund.

I can understand the position of the airline when it comes to removing the children and mom from the flight. Not knowing all of the facts, I would imagine this was done to protect the other passengers on-board from being disturbed by the kids. What I can not understand is the fact that Allegiant Air would not provide the mom and kids to take another flight at the same price and now refuses to provide a refund.

In my opinion Allegiant Air is being unreasonable. What is your opinion?

Consumerist site with the story.

But what struck home for me was this one statement:

Behind the decrease is a sharp drop in the wholesale price of natural gas that PSC Chairman David Armstrong said was “artificially high” last year due to what many consider to have been speculative investing in the commodity.

Sounds familiar doesn’t it? Isn’t this the same reason gas prices hit almost $4 a gallon or more? Isn’t this the same reason that California ended up paying triple the cost for electricity when suppliers conspired to cut supplies?

Isn’t it time we stop the practice of commodity investment where few can control the lives of many? When money in the hands of a few is more important than the lives of millions?

Let me know what you think.

Source article.

Made of Superior Grade 18-gauge steel, Lady de Guadalupe’s exterior is hand-painted by experienced craftsman in an exquisite slate blue metallic color, complemented with individual appliqués of the Lady de Guadalupe. The interior bedding, so soft to the touch, is sewn and gathered by hand in a sky-blue chalet crepe adorned by an embroidered figure of the Lady de Guadalupe. High-polished hardware and carry bars for easy handling complete this religious-themed edition.

Made of Legacy Premium 18-gauge steel

Premium one-piece, stationary handles — end-capped — for easy handling.

Adjustable bed and mattress

Gasketed rim

Contains memory tube

Half-couch design with square corners

Embroidered Lady de Guadalupe image on interior lid cap

Exterior dimensions: 28″W x 83″L x 23″H

Interior dimensions: 23″W x 74″L x 12″H

Ships via Federal Express

Made in USA

These caskets are available only online and are not available at your local retail store. You should confirm that you are aware of Walmart’s policy on casket returns:

Due to FTC regulations, Walmart.com can only accept a return of a casket, urn or memorial jewelry due to freight or cosmetic damage from shipping. Walmart stores cannot accept the return of any casket or urn.

I guess that buying a refurbished model is definitely out!

For more information on how to buy a casket from Walmart just check out the link below. You may wish to  keep the deceased on ice until Black Friday when prices may drop further.

Walmart stores online - caskets to go department

PS Shipping to my home was only $99!

PSS There are specials already on two new items. There is a Dad or Mom special for only $895! The price slasher is already at work.

Dad special casket

Mom special casket

The first character we are confronted with is a German Nazi officer by the name of Col.Landa, played by Christophe Waltz. His mesmerizing performance makes this actor the real star of the movie. Col. Landa is charged with tracking down Jews in Nazi occupied France and is extremely capable at his assignment, which he does with a friendly smile that conceals his ruthless hatred of the chosen people.

There were scenes of extreme violence in the movie in which I had to shield my eyes from viewing. But the movie itself is a case of good vs evil and is an alternative ending to one of the worst tyrants that this world has ever seen. Not wanting to spoil the movie for those who have not seen it, I don’t want to cover too much of what I saw.

I do know one thing. The movie ran for 2 hours and 30 minutes and I was riveted to my seat. It was quite obvious that others were as well as no one left during the movie for a snack or a bathroom break. Upon the conclusion of the picture there was a mad dash for the restrooms.

As for my husband, he loved it and thought it was one of the best pictures he had ever seen.  But as far as being the best movie I had ever seen, I liked Julie and Julia better but that is just me. I am not a violent person nor do I condone violence. I also do realize that war is violent and atrocities do happen.

With that being said the acting is superb and I would highly recommend that you see this movie.

If you have seen the movie Inglourious Basterds what did you think? Please, no spoilers!

The study also concluded the following facts:

The pair weren’t interested in the embarrassing photos or overripe profiles that attract so much consternation from parents and potential employers. Instead, they wondered whether the basic currency of interactions on a social network - the simple act of “friending” someone online - might reveal something a person might rather keep hidden.

Using data from the social network Facebook, they made a striking discovery: just by looking at a person’s online friends, they could predict whether the person was gay. They did this with a software program that looked at the gender and sexuality of a person’s friends and, using statistical analysis, made a prediction. The two students had no way of checking all of their predictions, but based on their own knowledge outside the Facebook world, their computer program appeared quite accurate for men, they said. People may be effectively “outing” themselves just by the virtual company they keep.

The work has not been published in a scientific journal, but it provides a provocative warning note about privacy. Discussions of privacy often focus on how to best keep things secret, whether it is making sure online financial transactions are secure from intruders, or telling people to think twice before opening their lives too widely on blogs or online profiles. But this work shows that people may reveal information about themselves in another way, and without knowing they are making it public. Who we are can be revealed by, and even defined by, who our friends are: if all your friends are over 45, you’re probably not a teenager; if they all belong to a particular religion, it’s a decent bet that you do, too. The ability to connect with other people who have something in common is part of the power of social networks, but also a possible pitfall. If our friends reveal who we are, that challenges a conception of privacy built on the notion that there are things we tell, and things we don’t.

“Even if you don’t affirmatively post revealing information, simply publishing your friends’ list may reveal sensitive information about you, or it may lead people to make assumptions about you that are incorrect,” said Kevin Bankston, senior staff attorney for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, a nonprofit digital rights organization in San Francisco. “Certainly if most or many of your friends are of a particular religious or political or sexual category, others may conclude you are part of the same category - even if you haven’t said so yourself.”

Is this guilt by association? I believe it is. I am an devote Democrat but many of my very good friends and relatives are Republicans. We have an unwritten rule when it comes to discussions that we avoid two subjects, religion and politics. We respect each others opinions and do so in a civil manner.

But if these people are my Facebook friends, could one conclude that I am secretly a Republican?

Share your opinion and your thoughts and let us know what you think.

Boston Globe article is here.

The previous recall, announced on Aug. 20, included 1.5 million silver DVD players. Tuesday’s statement expanded the recall to pink and purple versions of the same devices, for a total of 4.2 million players.

The DVD player, imported from China, was sold at Walmart stores from January 2006 through July 2009 for $29.

The DVD player came with a remote control and is silver with a U-shaped opening at the top to insert the DVD.

Consumers should stop using the DVD player immediately and return it to Walmart for a full refund.

If you own one of the Duraband DVD players I highly recommend you stop using the device and return it to Walmart for a refund.

Source

PS I brought my unit back last week and received a full refund.

But the article was never printed and Mr. Gombossy was terminated. Why you ask? Because Sleepy’s was a large advertiser for the Hartford Courant. In an article it also states that:

State Attorney General Richard Blumenthal says he has launched an investigation into consumer complaints that Sleepy’s sold mattresses or box springs that were used instead of new, and in one case infested with bedbugs.

Blumenthal said last month that he has up to 10 recent complaints against Sleepy’s, the largest mattress chain in the United States, with 74 stores in Connecticut.

“We have received a number of complaints, up to 10, that mattresses maybe have been used, with groves and deep depressions,” Blumenthal said in an interview with me.

Prior to that interview I asked Blumenthal to check to see whether any other mattress retailers had complaints filed against them of giving customers used mattresses or of bed bug infestation.

“Sleepy’s was the only one” the attorney general replied.

But it gets better:

Blumenthal’s investigation into Sleepy’s operations is the second in Connecticut since 2004 when the company paid a $4,000 fine to consumer protection.

Two years ago Sleepy’s, according to the Better Business Bureau, paid a $200,000 fine to New York City consumer officials as part of a settlement.

This could explain why the company did not want any more bad press. It appears that they have had problems in the past as well.

Unfortunately the truth may have been buried by the Hartford Courant, but blogs around the Internet are carrying the story and are supporting Mr. Gombossy.

Consumerist story

CT. Watchdog

Other limitations are:

Customers must buy the $599 pass by Aug. 21, and they can book flights within three days of the departure date. All travel using the pass must be booked between Aug. 12 and Oct. 5.

Taxes and fees are included for domestic flights, and changes or cancellations made less than three days before departure cost $100.

One would think that you would have to fly quite a bit during the time period in order to make this a worth while purchase. Since JetBlue also offers flights from around $100, does this deal make sense? Or is it to attract publicity for the airline?

So after reading the press release and coverage by CNN, my question is this. Deal or No Deal?

Let me know what you think.

Comments welcome.

Money article.