Though he stands accused of a disgusting act, secretly recording a customer taking a shower, Geek Squad Agent Hao Kuo Chi was held in high esteem by customers and among his fellow employees.
Government Policy
The Kind Of Cellphone Geek Squad Might've Taped Showering Customer With
By 4.13.07
If Hao Kuo Chi really did tape the 22-year-old daughter of a customer taking a shower, the phone propped up in the bathroom might have been a PPC-6700. These PocketPC phones are standard-issue to the Geek Squad techs who perform in-home repairs — known as “DA’s” or “Double Agents” in Geek Squad parlance.
FBI Trains Banks To Be Friendlier to Robbers Than to Customers
By 4.13.07
The FBI is training banks to be super-nice to robbers, as the unexpected friendliness can throw thieves off guard and have them walk away from a crime.
…The method is a sharp contrast to the traditional training for bank employees confronted with a suspicious person, which advises not approaching the person, and at most, activating an alarm or dropping an exploding dye pack into the cash.
RIAA Files 23 "John Doe" Lawsuits Against NC State Students
By 4.13.07
From the Technician Online:
Pam Gerace, the director of Student Legal Services at the University, is fighting the lawsuits for her student clients. She advises that the students should remain anonymous.
"Girls Gone Wild" Tax Indictment Teaches Us Not To Deduct Funny-Looking Numbers
By 4.13.07
Joe Francis, the quivering chumbucket behind the “Girls Gone Wild” franchise, got indicted Wednesday for tax evasion, as noted by commenter LAGirl. His story holds a lesson for all taxpayers: when claiming deductions, don’t use funny-looking numbers.
Recalled Pet Food Still On Shelves
By 4.13.07
Potentially deadly pet food affected by a massive recall remains on store shelves, the FDA announced yesterday after conducting a nationwide survey of 400 stores.
Tax Tip Roundup
By 4.13.07
AHHHHHHH OH MY GOD TAXES. Don’t worry, you don’t have to mail them until Tuesday. For those finishing their taxes this weekend, here’s some tips to get you started.
Lawsuit: American Airlines Let Dead Body Sit In Locked Bathroom For 2 Hours
By 4.13.07
The passenger, Taisuke Matsuo, 66, apparently had a heart attack on an American Airlines flight from Tokyo to Chicago during the first leg of a trip home to Indianapolis, according to the lawsuit filed Monday by his wife, Carolyn D. Watts.
FDA Spokesperson: Is Bagged Salad Safe To Eat? "No, I Don't Believe It Is."
By 4.12.07
When NPR asked the FDA “point man” on “all things e. coli” whether bagged salad was safe to eat he replied, “No, I don’t believe it is.” Good enough for us.
Vonage CEO Quits, Company Will Cut Jobs, Marketing
By 4.12.07
Bye-bye, Mike. Vonage CEO Michael Snyder “resigned from the board effective Thursday, and Chairman Jeffrey Citron will be interim CEO until the company finds a replacement,” according to CNNMoney. Vonage will “reduce its general administrative expenses by $30 million through the rest of 2007 by cutting its workforce and consolidating operations.
CPA Answers Blog Readers' Tax Questions
By 4.12.07
I Will Teach You To Be Rich took over 100 reader tax questions and posted answers to the best ones from from David Bergstein, CPA.
Recall: Listerine Agent Cool Blue
By 4.12.07
Johnson & Johnson recalled all bottles of Listerine Agent Cool Blue after tests revealed contamination by microorganisms.
Geek Squad Sued For Videoing Customer In Shower
By 4.12.07
Hao Kuo Chi was paying a house call when Sarah Vasquez says he set his camera phone up in the bathroom, left it running, and recorded her bathing.
Menu Foods Exec Sold Half His Shares 3 Weeks Before Recall
By 4.11.07
The CFO of Menu Foods, Mark Wiens, sold about half of his shares in the company three weeks before the poisoned pet food recall was announced, Canadian insider trading reports show.
New York City Comptroller Requests Investigation Into Walmart Spying Operation
By 4.11.07
In letters to both agencies, Comptroller William C. Thompson Jr., citing a recent article in The Wall Street Journal, said he was “particularly troubled by reports that Wal-Mart engaged in chilling and truly outrageous surveillance activities.”
Should Spyware Distributors Be Locked Up?
By 4.11.07
“Many of most serious wrongdoers we observed in this area, I believe, are only going to be deterred if their freedom is withdrawn,” so it’s important for the FTC to collaborate on its cases with criminal law enforcement authorities, Kovacic said.
What do you guys think? Lock ’em up? —MEGHANN MARCO
Organic Crime: The Raw Milk Underground
By 4.10.07
Hey you, yeah you. Pssst. Over here. We’ve got some milk. Yeah, the good stuff. Unpasteurized. Shhh. Keep it down, the FDA is listening.
Avoid Big Name Tax Places
By 4.10.07
We haven’t been getting many complaints about tax places this year but as far as we know, they still suck. They’re known for messing some people’s returns up pretty bad, or encouraging people to take questionable deductions. Like making up a child, for instance. Here’s a walk down memory lane, a lane that’s definitely shady…
