Here’s the story of a guy who had to learn the hard way that “your friend who works at Lowe’s and says he can get you everything 1/2 off” is a liar and a criminal.
pennsylvania
Gorton's Recalls Fish After Consumer Finds Pills Inside
By 3.3.08
Gorton’s said it ordered the recall as a precaution while a laboratory conducts tests to determine the nature of the pills. Those tests should be complete early next week.
Highmark "Healthcare Gift Card" Usable To Buy Cigs, Junk Food
By 1.10.08
A health insurance company is touting what some might think sounds like a great idea, a gift card that can “cover out-of-pocket expenses related to personal health and wellness.” Perfect for sick friends and ailing relatives, right? Well a Pittsburgh paper got one of the Highmark-branded cards and was able to buy from Rite Aid: cigarettes, chewing tobacco, Doritos, fudge brownies, Butterfingers, Hot Pockets, Mountain Dew, and a plastic World Wrestling Entertainment World Championship belt.
Walmart Is Still Selling Recalled Lead-Tainted Bibs
By 1.7.08
Walmart is still selling lead-tainted Baby Connection bibs that were recalled last May. Reader Jeff made the discovery after his wife accidentally purchased two packs of recalled bibs for their 4-month-old daughter while vacationing in the Poconos.
Delete Your Porns: Court Says You Have No Right To Privacy When Your Computer Is Repaired
By 12.20.07
Evidence uncovered by retail store technicians (i.e. kiddie porn), is legally admissible as evidence in court because, “If a person is aware of, or freely grants to a third party, potential access to his computer contents, he has knowingly exposed the contents of his computer to the public and has lost any reasonable expectation of privacy in those contents…,” the Superior Court of Pennsylvania ruled December 5th. The case hinged on the question of whether kiddie porn a Circuit City tech found could be admitted as evidence, overturning a lower court’s decision. The Superior Court of PA also referred to codecs, computer video compression and decompression software, as “code X.”
"Artificial Hormone Free" Milk Labels Soon To Be Illegal In Pennsylvania
By 11.29.07
Consumer Reports says that “without warning or public discussion” 19 dairies in Pennsylvania were notified that their labels were “false or misleading and need to be changed.” What did the labels say?
Police Blotter On Demand? Comcast Helps Catch Bank Robbers Thanks To Bored People
By 11.13.07
Comcast has issued a press release claiming that they’re helping to solve crimes with something called “Police Blotter On Demand” a trial program launched in the Philadelphia area.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center Cracks Down On Drug Reps
By 11.13.07
The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center is cracking down on drug reps, according to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Details are still sketchy, but the general idea is that drug reps will no longer have direct access to doctors, but will instead drop off samples via a central office that will then distribute them to the staff.
Pittsburgh Tries To Publicly Shame You Into Paying Your Parking Tickets
By 10.17.07
In a recent attempt to resolve it’s financial woes, the city of Pittsburgh decided to try and collect on all unpaid parking tickets and other traffic violations since 2003.
Customer Asks Grocery Store Clerk For Change On A $1 Million Dollar Bill Then Freaks Out
By 10.9.07
A unidentified man asked a clerk at a Giant Eagle store in Pittsburgh to make change on a $1 million dollar bill featuring Grover Cleveland’s portrait. When the cashier refused and confiscated the fake money, the man attacked an electronic funds transfer machine and then reached for her price scanning gun.
K-Mart Illegally Taxes Toilet Paper
By 10.6.07
A Pennsylvania K-Mart levied an illegal $0.28 tax on Mary Bach’s $3.99 12-pack of Angel Soft toilet paper. Pennsylvania’s sales tax guide clearly states that toilet paper is a non-taxable item. Mary first spoke with a cashier after noticing the illegal charge. When K-Mart again charged her the tax on a second visit, she decided to sue.
Philadelphia Mayor Cracks Down On Tax Evaders, Finds Out He Is One
By 9.25.07
Philadelphia’s mayor, John Street, also known as the “iPhone Mayor,” (because he camped out for an iPhone) told Philadelphia he was cracking down on tax scofflaws… only to find out that he is one.
Mayor of Philadelphia Camps Out For An iPhone
By 6.29.07
NBC 10 in Philadelphia had some people camped out for an iPhone when what did they see? Wait, is that… the Mayor? It was:
Donning a white baseball hat and warmup suit — complete with an iPod strapped to his arm — a casual Philadelphia Mayor John Street patiently sat on a lawn chair on a South Philadelphia sidewalk, hoping to get his hands on the new Apple iPhone Friday morning.
Snakehead Found In Can Of Green Beans
By 6.15.07
It is a symptom of our curious existence that while processed vegetables and fruits give us the constant convenience of food that has been cleaned and prepared, the truth remains that mechanization and automation of the processing is imperfect, and the price we pay for never having to pull a bean from a garden is that, occasionally, there will be a decapitated snakehead on our dinnerplate.
Surgery With A Warranty?
By 5.17.07
What if your surgery came with a warranty? One group of hospitals in central Pennsylvania is trying it, according to the NYT:
The group, Geisinger Health System, has overhauled its approach to surgery. And taking a cue from the makers of television sets, washing machines and consumer products, Geisinger essentially guarantees its workmanship, charging a flat fee that includes 90 days of follow-up treatment.
Local Government Powerless Against Comcast, Tells Residents To Switch To Satellite
By 3.29.07
“We’re between a rock and a hard place,” Gregor said. “We could drop the franchise, but then a lot of people won’t have television.”
No Sopranos For You: Comcast Says Switch To Digital Or Lose HBO
By 3.22.07
“I guess the thing that bothers me is, the service is bad and rates keep increasing,” said Alan Letofsky, one of many customers who recently received a notice from Comcast saying they would need a digital-cable box to keep HBO, which telecasts The Sopranos. “We just don’t want to give any more money to Comcast.”
