WalletPop Blog http://www.walletpop.com/blog WalletPop Blog http://www.walletpop.com/blog/media/feedlogo.gif WalletPop Blog http://www.walletpop.com/blog en-us Copyright 2009 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/Gorging on Thanksgiving can quell impulse buying on Black Fridayhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/gorging-on-thanksgiving-can-quell-impulse-buying-on-black-friday/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/gorging-on-thanksgiving-can-quell-impulse-buying-on-black-friday/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/gorging-on-thanksgiving-can-quell-impulse-buying-on-black-friday/#commentsFiled under: ,

thanksgivingWant to avoid overspending on Black Friday? An amino acid you ingest in Thanksgiving dinners with lots of carbs and turkey could help you fight off that urge to impulse buy, according to a study by two researchers from the University of Utah's School of Business.

Aril Mishra and Himanshu Mishra suspect that the effect is chemical. Turkey and other traditional Thanksgiving foods contain the amino acid tryptophan, which increases the levels of serotonin in the brain.

Serotonin is a neurotransmitter which aids the passage of messages through the brain, influencing many functions including sleep, memory, learning, sex drive, mood, and appetite. The body uses trytophan to make serotonin.

Continue reading Gorging on Thanksgiving can quell impulse buying on Black Friday

Gorging on Thanksgiving can quell impulse buying on Black Friday originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>black fridayBlackFridaybudgetsoverspendingserotoninthanksgiving mealThanksgivingMealtryptophanTom BarlowThu, 19 Nov 2009 15:00:00 ESTNew Minute Maid juice packaging -- can it avoid the Tropicana disaster?http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/new-minute-maid-juice-packaging-can-it-avoid-the-tropicana-di/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/new-minute-maid-juice-packaging-can-it-avoid-the-tropicana-di/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/19/new-minute-maid-juice-packaging-can-it-avoid-the-tropicana-di/#commentsFiled under: , ,

orange juiceIn the world of advertising, the Tropicana disaster of 2008-09 is already legendary.

The orange juice container redesign by controversial brand guru Peter Arnell eliminated the familiar straw-in-an-orange image in favor of a photo of a glass of OJ. This killed the brand recognition developed over many years, resulting in a 20% drop in sales and the loss of millions of dollars within two months. Tropicana beat a hasty retreat to the old design.

Now, according to Advertising Age, Coca-Cola is taking a similar risky step, re-branding its Minute Maid line of juices. The company wants to eventually harmonize the images surrounding the brand and the others it owns, including Del Valle, Andina and Cappy.

The new orange juice design features whole oranges, slices, and leaves to suggest the groves from which it comes. As you'll see from the pictures above, the new packaging has more green, and the blue is gone. I like it.

Continue reading New Minute Maid juice packaging -- can it avoid the Tropicana disaster?

New Minute Maid juice packaging -- can it avoid the Tropicana disaster? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 19 Nov 2009 13:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>advertisingmarketingminute maid redesignMinuteMaidRedesignorange juiceOrangeJuicetropicana disasterTropicanaDisasterTom BarlowThu, 19 Nov 2009 13:15:00 ESTHolidays increase risk of burglary: here's how to better your oddshttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/18/holidays-increase-risk-of-burglary-heres-how-to-better-your-od/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/18/holidays-increase-risk-of-burglary-heres-how-to-better-your-od/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/18/holidays-increase-risk-of-burglary-heres-how-to-better-your-od/#commentsFiled under:

burglaryThe holiday season is full of parties, travel and gift-giving. According to noted security expert Chris E. McGoey, AKA the Crime Doctor, these same joys can also make your home a more alluring target for burglars.

Fortunately, he has suggestions on how you can minimize the risk.

How is the risk of burglary increased during the holidays?
  • Many of you will have carpet cleaners and other strangers in to help spruce up the house for the holidays.
  • You or you children may be hosting parties attended by people you only casually know.
  • Many of you will travel overnight, leaving your home vacant.
  • You'll be piling new, alluring presents under the tree, and burglars like presents, too.
  • Schools will be on holiday, leaving teens with lots of free time.
  • December nights are the longest of the year.
  • The UPS and FedEx people may be delivering boxes of goodies to your door.
  • You may be hosting overnight guests unfamiliar with your security system.

Continue reading Holidays increase risk of burglary: here's how to better your odds

Holidays increase risk of burglary: here's how to better your odds originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>breakinsburglaryChris McGoeyChrisMcgoeycrimehome safetyhome securityHomeSafetyHomeSecuritytheftTom BarlowWed, 18 Nov 2009 15:00:00 ESTWine scammer pleads guilty to setting California cellar firehttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/18/wine-scammer-pleads-guilty-to-setting-california-cellar-fire/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/18/wine-scammer-pleads-guilty-to-setting-california-cellar-fire/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/18/wine-scammer-pleads-guilty-to-setting-california-cellar-fire/#commentsFiled under: ,

wineThe largest wine scam in the history of the United States was partly resolved this week with Mark Anderson's plea of guilty to numerous counts associated with torching a wine storage facility in the San Francisco area in 2005 to cover the tracks of his wholesale theft.

The blaze destroyed 6 million bottles of top-drawer wines worth an estimated quarter of a billion dollars.

Continue reading Wine scammer pleads guilty to setting California cellar fire

Wine scammer pleads guilty to setting California cellar fire originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>wine cellar firewine scamwine scandalwine tragedyWineCellarFireWineScamWineScandalWineTragedyTom BarlowWed, 18 Nov 2009 14:00:00 ESTCash, credit cards to give way to cell phones? Not tomorrowhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/16/cash-credit-cards-to-give-way-to-cell-phones-not-tomorrow/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/16/cash-credit-cards-to-give-way-to-cell-phones-not-tomorrow/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/16/cash-credit-cards-to-give-way-to-cell-phones-not-tomorrow/#commentsFiled under: ,

Free range cash has several drawbacks. For the user, carrying a wad of cash can be hazardous; for banks, cash is cumbersome and offers no opportunity to charge interest; to the merchant, paying cash turns buyers annoyingly frugal; for the government, cash greases illicit business operations.

Credit and debit cards are better, but still require a physical item that can be stolen, scratched or altered.

In a digital age, therefore, you should expect a digital solution to transactions, and it looks like it might come in the form of the cell phone.

Continue reading Cash, credit cards to give way to cell phones? Not tomorrow

Cash, credit cards to give way to cell phones? Not tomorrow originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 14:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cell phone purchasingCellPhonePurchasingcredit card alternativesCreditCardAlternativessmart phonesSmartPhonesTom BarlowMon, 16 Nov 2009 14:15:00 ESTTwitter: Time's Person of the Year or yesterday's fad already?http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/16/twitter-times-person-of-the-year-or-has-been/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/16/twitter-times-person-of-the-year-or-has-been/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/16/twitter-times-person-of-the-year-or-has-been/#commentsFiled under:

twitterAccording to Folio magazine, the Internet microblogging site Twitter is in consideration to be named Time Magazine's Person of the Year (yeah, I think the idea is silly too).

However, the magazine's timing could be poor, as Mashable.com has pointed out that Twitter visitor numbers have plateaued and even declined slightly in the past five months. The site hit 23,579,044 unique visitors in August. By October, this number had dropped by over half a million.

Continue reading Twitter: Time's Person of the Year or yesterday's fad already?

Twitter: Time's Person of the Year or yesterday's fad already? originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>microbloggingsocial networkingsocial siteSocialNetworkingSocialSitetwitterTom BarlowMon, 16 Nov 2009 11:00:00 ESTSubway wants your breakfast businesshttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/11/subway-wants-your-breakfast-business/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/11/subway-wants-your-breakfast-business/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/11/subway-wants-your-breakfast-business/#commentsFiled under:

In our homeland of the obese, the lunch and dinner business is saturated, so fast food retailers are looking to the breakfast market to make better use of their retail locations.

I wonder, however, about the prospects of Subway as it attempts to grow its share of that market. Where are the ads, I wonder, for $5 foot-long omelets?

Breakfast is a fickle market. Wendy's, the third largest burger chain in the country, recently crapped out in its second foray into this market.

Subway, according to Advertising Age, is jousting with already established breakfast retailers such as McDonald's, and others attempting to redefine themselves with wider a.m. menu selections (Dunkin' Donuts.)

Continue reading Subway wants your breakfast business

Subway wants your breakfast business originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>breakfast diningbreakfast mealsbreakfast menuBreakfastDiningBreakfastMealsBreakfastMenuSubwayTom BarlowWed, 11 Nov 2009 17:00:00 ESTIndiana clinic lets patients pay off debt with volunteer workhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/11/indiana-clinic-lets-patients-pay-off-debt-with-volunteer-work/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/11/indiana-clinic-lets-patients-pay-off-debt-with-volunteer-work/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/11/indiana-clinic-lets-patients-pay-off-debt-with-volunteer-work/#commentsFiled under:

volunteersThe town of Goshen, Indiana was named one of CNNMoney's best places to live in 2008, and the Maple City Health Care Clinic may have played a role in that distinction.

The clinic, a not-for-profit community initiative, has an innovative program that allows the poorest of its patients to pay off their medical tab by doing volunteer work.

Continue reading Indiana clinic lets patients pay off debt with volunteer work

Indiana clinic lets patients pay off debt with volunteer work originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 11 Nov 2009 14:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>bartering for health careBarteringForHealthCarefree clinicsFreeClinicshealth careHealthCareMaple City Health Care ClinicMapleCityHealthCareClinicTom BarlowWed, 11 Nov 2009 14:30:00 ESTPreposterous Products: Shower Shock, the caffeine soaphttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/10/preposterous-products-shower-shock-the-caffeine-soap/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/10/preposterous-products-shower-shock-the-caffeine-soap/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/10/preposterous-products-shower-shock-the-caffeine-soap/#commentsFiled under:

Sleepy in the morning but too rushed for a cup of coffee? How about caffeinating yourself as you shower? Here's our take on Shower Shock, the caffeine soap from thinkgeek.com.




Continue reading Preposterous Products: Shower Shock, the caffeine soap

Preposterous Products: Shower Shock, the caffeine soap originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>caffeine productscaffeine soapCaffeineProductsCaffeineSoappreposterous productsPreposterousProductsTom BarlowTue, 10 Nov 2009 10:00:00 ESTIntroducing the Dreamie -- It's like a Snuggie that you sleep inhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/09/introducing-the-dreamie-its-like-a-snuggie-that-you-sleep-in/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/09/introducing-the-dreamie-its-like-a-snuggie-that-you-sleep-in/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/09/introducing-the-dreamie-its-like-a-snuggie-that-you-sleep-in/#commentsFiled under:

Say hello to the spawn of Snuggie: The Dreamie. This person-pocket sleeping bag is the latest branch in a family tree of products that cost virtually nothing to make and depend heavily on adjectives and money-back guarantees to sell.

The Dreamie is essentially what we used to call a sleep sack when we spent nights in youth hostels. Take two small sheets, sew the sides and bottom together, fold over the top of one sheet a pillow's length and sew it on both side to form a pocket, and you have a Dreamie. The unspecified fabric is described as silky, which I'd guess is ad-speak for polyester. (There's also the option to upgrade to fleece.)

Continue reading Introducing the Dreamie -- It's like a Snuggie that you sleep in

Introducing the Dreamie -- It's like a Snuggie that you sleep in originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 09 Nov 2009 13:52:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Dreamiesleep sackSleepSackTV productsTvProductsTom BarlowMon, 09 Nov 2009 13:52:00 ESTOMG: Text message tax spreading through Californiahttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/03/omg-text-message-tax-spreading-through-california/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/03/omg-text-message-tax-spreading-through-california/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/03/omg-text-message-tax-spreading-through-california/#commentsFiled under: ,

Like H1N1, the notion of taxing text messages and other new electronic forms of communication has taken root and is threatening to go pandemic.

The city of Vallejo, Calif. is voting today on expanding utility taxes to include text messages, pager messages and VOIP calls. The measure would lump these together with gas, electricity, water and other utilities, while lowering the overall utility tax rate from 7.5% to 7.3%.

This follows the example set by Sacramento and 40 other towns in California which have added electronic communications to their taxable utilities, both to reduce the burden on those clinging to land-lines and to increase city revenue.

According to the San Francisco Chronicle, Vallejo's general fund has lost $18 million in the past two years. It declared bankruptcy in 2008.

While officials contend that the change will have only a minimal impact on a typical resident's utility bill, some locals are concerned that the measure opens up the door for taxes on other forms of communication not presently taxed. I'm wondering about passenger pigeons.

As more and more people abandon land-lines, many communities will be looking to replace lost tax revenue by charging for text messages, voice-over-Internet calls, e-mails, and IM conversations. If they could, some would probably charge by the syllable for face-to-face coffee house conversations. If so, we'd probably learn to abbrev wht we sed 2 sv $.

OMG: Text message tax spreading through California originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>instant message taxInstantMessageTaxPager message taxPagerMessageTaxtext message taxTextMessageTaxutility taxUtilityTaxVOIP taxVoipTaxTom BarlowTue, 03 Nov 2009 16:30:00 ESTSwine flu proving to be a killer -- to the hog industryhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/03/swine-flu-proving-to-be-a-killer-to-the-hog-industry/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/03/swine-flu-proving-to-be-a-killer-to-the-hog-industry/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/03/swine-flu-proving-to-be-a-killer-to-the-hog-industry/#commentsFiled under:

porkWhat's in a name? The pork industry is discovering the wrong name can become a multi-billion dollar calamity.

Since April, when many of us first heard the name "Swine Flu" used for the H1N1 virus, the pork market has been in a tailspin.

According to the National Pork Producers Council, this is the second body blow absorbed by hog farmers in the last two years, resulting to date in $5.3 billion of lost revenue.

The first was the sudden dramatic increase in the price of corn, which almost doubled within the six months following September 2007. The second blow was the Sw*** flu, a misleading moniker for a virus that you cannot, cannot, cannot contract by eating pork.

Continue reading Swine flu proving to be a killer -- to the hog industry

Swine flu proving to be a killer -- to the hog industry originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 16:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>hog pricespork pricespork productionPorkPricesPorkProductionswine fluSwineFluTom BarlowTue, 03 Nov 2009 16:15:00 ESTAARP offers help to young people planning their financial futurehttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/aarp-offers-help-to-young-people-planning-their-financial-future/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/aarp-offers-help-to-young-people-planning-their-financial-future/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/aarp-offers-help-to-young-people-planning-their-financial-future/#commentsFiled under: , ,

LifetunerIn 1999 the American Association for Retired People officially changed its name to AARP to avoid the misconception that it was only for retired persons. Since that time, it has vigorously pursued baby boomers as they enter their golden years.

Now, the association seems to be reaching even further down the ages, all the way to young people interested in gaining financial wisdom, by unveiling a new Web site, LifeTuner.

LifeTuner is "an online personal finance community site born out of a growing recognition that young adults need to take a much more active role than previous generations in planning and preparing for their own financial security."

The site contains the usual personal finance background information, calculators and other tools, expert Q&A and a community section where users can engage with one another. Like most AARP products, it seems well thought out and professional, and will probably be as good a resource as any for young people who want to start down the road of financial independence.

Continue reading AARP offers help to young people planning their financial future

AARP offers help to young people planning their financial future originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>AARPFinancial educationfinancial planningFinancial toolsFinancialEducationFinancialPlanningFinancialToolsLifeTunerTom BarlowMon, 02 Nov 2009 18:00:00 ESTHow to trim utility costs, even in Marylandhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/how-to-trim-utility-costs-even-in-maryland/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/how-to-trim-utility-costs-even-in-maryland/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/how-to-trim-utility-costs-even-in-maryland/#commentsFiled under: , ,


I had the opportunity recently to speak with WhiteFence.com's CEO Franc Arbride about home utilities and how we might trim these expenses. He describes his site as "a comparison shopping engine for utilities and other home services," which allows the user to input his address and receive detailed comparisons of terms offered by competing utilities.

I called Arbride after reading a WhiteFence report that showed the huge difference in utility bills from city to city.

Who pays the most? This is one crown that I doubt that those of you in Baltimore, Maryland will enjoy wearing, but the average bill, according to WhiteFence.com, in the summer quarter of 2009 was $390.44.

The same report should put a smile on the faces of those of you in Los Angeles, Minneapolis, Indianapolis, Denver and San Francisco. L.A. was the least expensive at $192.97, less than half of those in Baltimore. Fortunately for the East Coaster, the cost of housing is skewed in the opposite direction.

Continue reading How to trim utility costs, even in Maryland

How to trim utility costs, even in Maryland originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>cable televisionCableTelevisionelectricityinternet servicesInternetServicesnatural gasNaturalGasutilitiesWhiteFence.comTom BarlowMon, 02 Nov 2009 16:30:00 ESTPlayboy Mansion job offer was too good to be truehttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/scam-you-arent-really-being-hired-to-guard-the-playboy-mansion/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/scam-you-arent-really-being-hired-to-guard-the-playboy-mansion/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/11/02/scam-you-arent-really-being-hired-to-guard-the-playboy-mansion/#commentsFiled under:

PlaYBOY There's something about cleavage that moves simple men to accept the most preposterous notions. Witness the witless people who were scammed last week by a perp who offered them jobs as security guards at the Playboy Mansion Halloween bash.

According to KTLA News, several people showed to meet their boss at the appointed time and place (a Denny's), after paying the cons who posed as organizers an upfront fee of $225 each for uniforms and security passes.

After hanging out at the restaurant waiting until 1 a.m. it finally occurred to them that they had been scammed. No job, no booty, nothing but another lesson on the benefits of thinking with your brain rather than your libido.

After all, for a job working security at the Playboy Mansion, you'd have to pay a lot more than $225, right? At auction, I bet the positions would sell for thousands.

Playboy Mansion job offer was too good to be true originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Mon, 02 Nov 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>expire-images:2010-8-29playboy guardsplayboy mansionplayboy security job scamPlayboyGuardsPlayboyMansionPlayboySecurityJobScamTom BarlowMon, 02 Nov 2009 12:30:00 ESTDentists will buy back your Halloween candyhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/30/dentists-will-buy-back-your-halloween-candy/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/30/dentists-will-buy-back-your-halloween-candy/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/30/dentists-will-buy-back-your-halloween-candy/#commentsFiled under: ,

candyHalloween trick or treat night night came early this year at our house, and thanks no doubt to the H1N1 flu scare, we were visited by very few ghosts and goblins. We were despairing (drooling) over the amount of candy left over to tempt us, until I discovered Halloween Candy Buy Back, a program by dentists to buy candy from kids and their parents and send it to soldiers overseas.

Continue reading Dentists will buy back your Halloween candy

Dentists will buy back your Halloween candy originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Fri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>halloween and dentistsHalloween candyhalloween candy buy backHalloweenAndDentistsHalloweenCandyTom BarlowFri, 30 Oct 2009 12:00:00 ESTDon't fall for this email hoax to fight cancerhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/29/dont-fall-for-this-email-hoax-to-fight-cancer/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/29/dont-fall-for-this-email-hoax-to-fight-cancer/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/29/dont-fall-for-this-email-hoax-to-fight-cancer/#commentsFiled under: , ,

JackassWe all want to see breast cancer cured, so it's no surprise that people respond to an email that tells them that sending a single text message or email to a friend would cause a large national company to donate a buck to cancer research. Unfortunately, it's not true.

The email, according to Snopes.com, encourages the recipient to email or text this message to a friend: "What if it was ur grandmother, ur mother, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, cousin or ur best friend that had breast cancer? How would u feel?"

It promises that, for each email or text message sent, Verizon, Sprint/Nextel, T-Mobile, AT&T and MetroPCS would donate a dollar to the Susan G. Komen Foundation. The Komen Foundation is the largest fund raising organization for cancer research, having raised over a billion dollars since 1982. It does not deserve to be besmirched by this hoax. If you want to donate to this organization via a text message, it has a link for that.

I haven't found any reports that this message contains a virus or other malware; it appears to be simply a stupid stunt.

The hoax is a new iteration of an old theme. In the 1950s, cigarette companies included coupons with each pack of smokes that were redeemable for "gifts." At that time, an oft-repeated rumor claimed that these could be donated to one charity or another which would redeem them for iron lungs. Another version substituted seeing-eye dogs. Yet another claimed that pull tabs on cans (back when they pulled entirely free of the can) could be used to buy time on a dialysis machine.

I fail to see the humor in a hoax that takes advantage of our concern about such a killer as breast cancer.




Don't fall for this email hoax to fight cancer originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Thu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>hoaxKomen foundation:email for breast cancerKomenFoundation:emailForBreastCancerscamtext for breast cancerTextForBreastCancerTom BarlowThu, 29 Oct 2009 11:00:00 ESTFun Halloween facts to get you to buy chocolatehttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/28/fun-halloween-facts-to-get-you-to-buy-chocolate/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/28/fun-halloween-facts-to-get-you-to-buy-chocolate/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/28/fun-halloween-facts-to-get-you-to-buy-chocolate/#commentsFiled under: ,

If you want to be popular on Halloween night, give out chocolate. That's among the many fun Halloweeen facts I found on the spooky night.

  • The Census Bureau estimates that 36 million kids between the ages of 5 and 13 will trick-or-treat this year on Halloween. (Many of the ghosts and ghoulies that visit my house are under five, while some are old enough to drive from house to house, so the total number of TOTers is certainly higher.)
  • There are 111.4 million occupied housing units in the country, also known as targets to this ravenous horde.
  • 41% of givers scarf down some of the candy they bought for the night, and 90% of parents admit to stealing some of their childrens' plunder.
  • Chocolate is the most common handout (52%). Thirty percent of households give out hard candy or lollipops. One in four spring for full-sized candies. The rest hand out the misnamed "fun" size.
  • The most popular candy gifts as ranked by children:
  1. Chocolate, 68%
  2. Lollipops, 9%
  3. Gummy candy, 7%
  4. Gum, 7%
I wonder if I'm making a mistake by handing out dental floss this year?
  • Happily, 93% of people residing in households consider their neighborhoods safe. I wonder how many nations in the world can match that?
  • The U.S. grew 1.1 billion pounds of pumpkins last year, equivalent to over 1,100 B-747s. The most gourd-friendly state? Illinois, which produced almost half of the Jack-o-lantern blanks.
  • The average American consumed 23.8 pounds of candy last year. Yes, I did my share of the work.
  • We will spend around $2.23 billion on candy during the seven days leading up to Halloween, according to a spokesperson for the National Confectioners Association.
  • The Jack-o-lantern is a tradition brought to the U.S. by Irish immigrants, who back home had carved them out of rutabagas and other root vegetables.
  • The pumpkin originated in Mexico around 7,000 B.C.
  • The winning pumpkin in the Circleville Ohio Pumpkin festival this year weighed 1,635.5 lbs., more than the combined weight of the Cleveland Cavaliers starting lineup plus their coach.
You might wonder what could be done with such a pumpkin? How about this?

Fun Halloween facts to get you to buy chocolate originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>halloween candyHalloweenCandymost popular candyMostPopularCandyPumpkinsTom BarlowWed, 28 Oct 2009 12:30:00 ESTChrysler to announce Fiatification plans: say arrivederci to some brandshttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/28/chrysler-to-announce-fiatification-plans-say-arrivederci-to-som/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/28/chrysler-to-announce-fiatification-plans-say-arrivederci-to-som/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/28/chrysler-to-announce-fiatification-plans-say-arrivederci-to-som/#commentsFiled under:

Fiat 500In an announcement that should come as no surprise to anyone who has followed the woes of Detroit's Big Three, Chrysler Group LLC is dumping product lines while making room on its showroom floors for products from Fiat. There was no reason that Fiat SpA would have partnered up with the dinosaur if not to gain a foothold in the American market.

According to the Wall Street Journal (subscription required), the auto maker will announce in early November plans to begin building upscale Alfa Romeos, a Fiat-owned brand, in North America to distribute through the Chrysler network by 2012. The MiTo compact is scheduled to be the first off the assembly line.

On the import slate for 2011 is the 500, a minicar in the class of the VW Beetle and BMW Mini, built by Fiat in Poland.

Continue reading Chrysler to announce Fiatification plans: say arrivederci to some brands

Chrysler to announce Fiatification plans: say arrivederci to some brands originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Wed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>Alfa RomeoAlfaRomeoautomobileschrysler:Auto industryChrysler:autoIndustryFiatTom BarlowWed, 28 Oct 2009 09:00:00 ESTNews of the expected: Microsoft drops plans to sponsor Family Guy cast specialhttp://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/27/news-of-the-expected-microsoft-drops-plans-to-sponsor-family-gu/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/27/news-of-the-expected-microsoft-drops-plans-to-sponsor-family-gu/http://www.walletpop.com/blog/2009/10/27/news-of-the-expected-microsoft-drops-plans-to-sponsor-family-gu/#commentsFiled under:

My jaw hit the floor when I read the "what could they be thinking?" announcement that Microsoft had commissioned an entire half-hour special by the maker and cast of the adult cartoon hit "Family Guy". The show was to include plugs embedded in the narrative extolling the virtues of its new Windows 7 operating system.

Had they ever watched his show, I asked myself? Apparently they have now, as the company announced it is dropping the idea.

Gee, I wonder what part of Family Guy creator Seth McFarlane's oeuvre offended their Microsensibilities?

Continue reading News of the expected: Microsoft drops plans to sponsor Family Guy cast special

News of the expected: Microsoft drops plans to sponsor Family Guy cast special originally appeared on WalletPop Blog on Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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]]>CartoonsFamily GuyFamilyGuyMicrosoftSeth McFarlaneSethMcfarlaneWindows 7Windows7Tom BarlowTue, 27 Oct 2009 15:15:00 EST