Hypemachine, an aggregator of the latest free songs posted on music blogs, has been around for years but I started using it with gusto this week and it’s tight. It scans all those blogs and then streams them for you in a popup radio player, which you can narrow by popular, new, or from the top 25 music blogs. If you like a track you can click through to the source blog and download the mp3. (Most of the time the mp3s have been released onto the internet by the artists themselves. If there’s ever a question, most have an option to buy the song on Amazon or iTunes). A great way to freshen up your music mix without having to think too hard or shell out. [Hypemachine]
BLOGS
This Is Why You're Fat
By 2.19.09
This Is Why You’re Fat posts reader pictures of the incredible calorie bombs they’ve discovered, like The Hamdog, “A hot dog wrapped in a beef patty that’s deep fried, covered with chili, cheese, onions, served on a hoagie bun topped with two fistfuls of fries and a fried egg.” Really, it’s about efficiency. Who has time for all those meals when you can just eat one and get all the calories you need for the next couple of days?
Get $4800 With The Earned Income Tax Credit
By 2.19.09
You could qualify for a maximum tax credit of $4,800 if you made less than $42,000 in 2008. Even if your salary was around $61,000 but you lost your job last year, you could still qualify. It’s called the “Earned Income Tax Credit” and you can find out if you can claim it by taking the IRS’ online EITC quiz. Your tax preparer, be they human or software, can you help determine if you’re worthy (One big one: you must be over 25 but under 65 at the end of the year).
Cash4Gold Counters Critics With Super Polite Blog Posts
By 2.10.09
Cash4Gold has decided to counter a mounting stream of criticism – a Yahoo! tech article, a Red Tapes Chronicle MSNBC article, posts at Cockeyed and an insider confession at Complaintsboard – by putting up a series of debunking posts on their blog. I don’t know about you but the more four-syllable words a questionable company uses and the more their pronouncements sound like an Intro to Rhetoric term paper, the more I trust them. [cash4gold.blogspot.com] (Thanks to Merck23!)
Cash4Kids.com
By 2.6.09
Toothpaste For Dinner has discovered a spinoff of the Cash4Gold empire, Cash4Kids.com. “Fill the envelope with your stubborn or unwanted kid…THEN CASH YOUR CHECK!!!” [Toothpaste For Dinner]
My iPhone Got Jacked At Gunpoint – Help!
By 2.5.09
Reader Dan says he was walking home last night and got robbed at gunpoint, losing his iPhone, which he only got five days ago, in the process. He asks, “Any tips from you or readers? Can it be tracked using the onboard gps? This STINKS!”
M&M's Now Come In Custom Face Flavor
By 2.4.09
You can now order M&M’s customized with faces and phrases of your choice. I forsee amusing stories in the future about what gets allowed and what gets rejected. [Mymms via Boing Boing]
Disney To Sell Eggs For Some Reason
By 2.4.09
I’m not sure why, but Disney is selling eggs. Each egg is stamped with a different Disney character and if you get the additional egg mold, you can make the eggs into little mickey mouse Disney icons. Then gobble them up. Weird. [Jezebel]
Amazon Releases February '09 Coupon Codes
By 2.3.09
Amazon.com has released the latest batch of special coupon codes and Probargainhunter has the roundup.
CPSC Delays Most Of CPSIA By One Year
By 1.31.09
The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) has been delayed for one year for crafters, children’s garment manufacturers and toy makers by the CPSC. Instead of just giving specific exemption for like libraries and Etsy peeps, the CPSC decided to kick the can down the road. At least, however, the lead paint ban and lead in children’s jewelry standards will still go into effect.
You Say Snuggie, I Say WTF Blanket
By 1.31.09
Though you may know and love and/or fear it as The Snuggie, it’s marketed some states north of Minnesoata and east of Kentucky as The WTF Blanket. Here is its ad [NSFW], which, according to unconfirmed outsider sources on non-attribution background, could be angling to snatch up one of the the last Super Bowl ad slots using a modified eBay snipe-bot. [via Bon Jour, Pee Wee]
Cash4Gold Offers Blogger $3,000 To Remove Negative Post
By 1.30.09
Want to get rich in blogging? Just write negative posts about sleazy companies and wait for them to bribe you to take your post down. That’s what the Cockeyed blog learned after blogging about their experience in using Cash4Gold’s servicess…
By 1.26.09
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Contractually speaking, a cruise doesn’t even have to go to where you paid it to go. The Kings paid $2000 and drove from New York to Florida to find this out, and all the got was a $25 “we’re so sorry but not really” on-board credit for their troubles. [elliott] (Photo: jemsweb)
SS Id's Heartland Credit Card Breach Suspect
By 1.23.09
The Secret Service has apparently “pinpointed” the location of a suspect in the massive Heartland credit card database breach. No surprise, it’s international. [Storefrontbacktalk]
Video: The Brooklyn Target, "An Abortion Of Retail"
By 1.20.09
Here’s part 2 of FIPS investigation into why the Target at the Brooklyn Atlantic Center is the Worst Target Ever Created. Their video crew probes more into the shelves that are at best, disheveled, and at worst, empty. When we posted the first video, some said Target should get a break, they’re recovering from the holidays. Well, this one was shot 15 days after the holidays. It still looks like crap. It also looked like crap before the holidays too. The real culprit? Management that doesn’t care and poorly trained employees. C’mon, Target Corp, you need to send an attack squad to fix this store. It looks like a freakin’ TJ MAXX. Video inside [NSFW, curseywords].
4 Ways To Lose Your Rewards Points
By 1.20.09
Part of the new year and the new year is getting rid of unnecessary clutter, like rewards points! Here’s 4 ways to increase your chances of losing your credit card rewards points.
FedMod.com: Loan Mod Scammers Advertising On Network TV?
By 1.14.09
Matt at SteadFastFinances tipped me off to a possible loan-modification scam running ads on network TV.
Just Asking For Pricematch Saves Man $200 On Disney Vacation
By 1.13.09
After chatting with a very nice CSR, we were able to change our package to the “private” offer. The fifteen minute phone call dropped the price of our vacation by $200 plus gave us a $200 gift card. $400 for a 15 minute phone call? No problem!
