Maybe you’ve got a few things you’d like to weigh in on via a national show on a major network, like CNN or Oprah Winfrey’s eponymous entity. But believe us when we say, if the Rachael Ray people or Today want to get you on TV as an expert, it’ll be free. In other words, you shouldn’t be paying a PR firm hundreds of dollars to appear on talk shows. [More]
put the spoon downThe thing about being a vegan is, you don’t want to eat any animal products. Not an egg, not a chicken, not a thing that is made from or by an animal. To that end, Whole Foods issued a warning to its customers last week, saying it had mixed up the labels on vegan and chicken salads at about 15 locations. Non-vegans could have an allergic reaction to the soy in the vegan salad, whereas vegans could react adversely to the egg in the chicken salad. And also the chicken. [via the Associated Press]
ABC To Begin Streaming Its Entire Broadcast Schedule Online (But You’ll Still Need To Have Cable)
By May 13, 2013
Starting tomorrow, people in New York City and Philadelphia with iOS devices will be able to access ABC’s entire network schedule live online, as the broadcaster tests out a new cloud-based service intended to compete with Aereo and others. [More]
If People Want To Drink Raw Milk, Should Dairy Farmers Be Able To Sell It To Them?
By May 13, 2013
Let’s say you’re a dairy farmer in oh, how about Wisconsin, and you’re thirsty. You can go out to one of your cows, milk it, and drink what comes out. But turning around and selling it to customers craving raw milk, well in most states, that’s illegal. While food safety regulations are of the utmost importance to consumers, should you be able to purchase products like raw milk and drink at your own risk? [More]
When Billionaire Airline CEO Richard Branson Loses A Bet, People Pay To Shave His Legs
By May 13, 2013
Sir Richard Branson might be “sir” and founder of the Virgin Airlines empire, but he’s not one to rely on all those piles of money to save him when he loses a bet. After wagering against AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes and coming out a loser, he donned the garb of a female flight attendant and got to work. [More]
AppleCare Changes Will Save Money, Maybe Make Customers Happier
By May 13, 2013
When you visit the Genius Bar at your local Apple Store with a complaint about your portable iDevice, if it’s in warranty, they’ll generally hand you a new-to-you refurbished device and send you on your way. AppleInsider reported this weekend that for some basic repairs, that’s about to change. [More]
Mother’s Day Cards For Dads: A Sweet Gesture Or Holiday Double-Dipping?
By May 13, 2013
“Leave it to Hallmark to double-dip on holidays,” reader Mark noted when he snapped a picture of this card using our Tipster App. “Father’s Day is next month, people.” Well, yes, but there are also legitimate reasons why someone would buy a card like this. [More]
Kmart Gives Me BP Coupon For 30 Cents Off Gas. Excluded Items: Fuel
By May 13, 2013
When Scott checked out at Kmart, a pretty sweet coupon printed out. What was it for? Thirty cents off per gallon (limit 20 gallons) at his local BP gas station! That’s actually a pretty good deal, and a nice Kmart/BP cross-promotion. Then he noticed the exclusions. Good coupons almost always have a lot of exclusions, so it’s smart to check them before heading for the newest BP. Scott didn’t expect the coupon to just cancel itself out, though. [More]
Man Who Exercised 1st Amendment Rights By Stripping At Airport Still Owes TSA $1K
By May 10, 2013
Remember the man who stripped down to his birthday suit at an Oregon airport to express his First Amendment rights? We know we sure do. And while a judge said that act was totally protected by the Constitution, he’s still got a pesky $1,000 fine from the Transportation Security Administration hanging over his head. He says he’s ready to fight that, too. [More]
How Much Does A Free Pair Of Gloves Cost? 60 Cents
By May 10, 2013
Walgreens, it’s great that you’re trying to encourage sales of your “Nice!” house brand by giving away free coordinating stuff with, say, a bottle of dish soap. It’s the part where you’re underestimating their intelligence that’s kind of bad. For example, charging an extra 60 cents, then saying that something is on “sale” and comes with free stuff. [More]
guerrilla marketingBefore last summer’s horrific fatal shootings at The Dark Knight Rises screening in Colorado, hiring costumed “gunmen” to walk into a crowded movie theater as a marketing stunt would have merely been a bad idea that might have made the local news. Post-Aurora, it’s the kind of idiotically ill-advised idea that results in multiple 9-1-1 calls and the theater having to apologize to outraged customers. [Reddit via Gawker]
Marijuana Vending Machine Looks Like A DVD Dispenser But Spits Out Pot Brownies Instead
By May 10, 2013
We first heard from the makers of one of the world’s first marijuana vending machines, Medbox, back in January. Back then we could only imagine what such a thing could look like, how it would work or what exactly, it would hold. And now due to the ever-churning news cycle, we’re getting a glimpse of what could be the future in states like Colorado and Washington. [More]
Baker’s Chocolate Shrink Rays Package From 8 Ounces To 4, Raises Price At Least 50%
By May 10, 2013
Julia was baking from scratch with her kids, and she dispatched them to the store to buy a glorious quantity of chocolate. Two boxes of Baker’s unsweetened chocolate. You know, sixteen ounces. The kids came back with two boxes of chocolate, but only eight ounces total. Julia reports that she had paid $3.99 for the eight-ounce bar, and her kids paid $3.38 for each four-ounce bar. That’s a pretty potent blast from the Grocery Shrink Ray. [More]
JCPenney Coupon Code Results In Rush On “Free” Towels And Washcloths
By May 10, 2013
In what is either a mistake that will probably result in angry customers and canceled orders or a deliberate effort to rid its warehouses of towels and washcloths, JCPenney issued a coupon code earlier today for $10 off purchases of $10 or more. [More]
We’re Never Going To Stop Getting Excited About Flying Car News Until We’re All Flying One
By May 10, 2013
It’s 2013. I’m supposed to be riding in a flying car. You are, too. That was the promise we absorbed as children, our imaginations stoked by sci-fi stories, The Jetsons and Marty McFly in Back to the Future Part II. We aren’t in flying cars yet, however, which is why every scrap of news related to them is another ray of childish hope. The latest news has those rays flying around in abundance. [More]
Sen. McCain Back In Anti-Bundling Saddle With New Bill Pushing A La Carte Cable TV
By May 10, 2013
Back in 2006, Sen. John McCain tried and failed to get Congress on board with a bit of legislation that pushed “a la carte” cable TV — programming that consumers could pick and choose instead of being forced to have 300 channels they don’t watch just to get the few they do. He’s not giving up the fight, it seems, as his office introduced a new bill to put the heat on pay TV providers to allow the a la carte option. [More]
How Unscripted Are Those Kids’ Responses In The AT&T Ads?
By May 10, 2013
We’ve certainly made no attempt to hide our distaste with some of AT&T’s business practices, but we are all stupidly charmed by those seemingly improvised AT&T ads in which youngsters in a classroom respond to questions like “Who thinks more is better than less?” But considering how amusing some of these ads can be, we’ve been curious about just how scripted those kids’ replies are. [More]
Amazon Maintains Equilibrium, Sends Out Comically Under-Packaged Boxes Too
By May 10, 2013
We are glad to see that, in an effort to keep things consistent across their global retail operation, Amazon is also comically under-packaging some boxes. Reader EG’s box of light bulbs bumped their way to his house, and he is not pleased. [More]
