Venditoris

Update: Chicagobreakingnews is reporting that the standoff is over, and the gunman has been found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No one else was harmed. Earlier today a man entered a Farm King farm supply store in Macomb, IL, and opened fire, although so far no deaths have been reported. He left five hostages go earlier--two women, two men and a small child, reports the Associated Press--and two other people left the store earlier in the day. Tri States Public Radio says there's a store manager who is still unaccounted for. From the AP article: Witness Richard Moulton was ... [Link] [Cache]

The Providence Journal of Rhode Island filmed a service director at a Toyota dealership fixing an accelerator pedal. If you own one of the recalled models, Consumer Reports' Cars blog recommends that you learn the warning signs of pedal trouble and get to a dealership as soon as possible if you notice any of them. "At Toyota in Warwick, the fix is in and it's not that hard" [projo.com] Thanks to ElizabethD! "DOT Secretary retracts advice to stop driving recalled Toyotas" [Consumer Reports] [Link] [Cache]

A woman in Philadelphia says her neighbor just laughs every time he sees her now, because his insurance company refused to pay a claim on her car that he hit. The company told her that the man won't answer his phone, so there's nothing they can do. Update: Right after I posted this, the OP emailed with an update. See the bottom of the post. Here's her email: I live in Philadelphia where there is street parking. One morning, I was taking out the trash and I saw someone trying to parallel park his giant new Ford Expedition directly in ... [Link] [Cache]

Comcast has decided to give up and rebrand its cable and internet offerings as "Xfinity," which to us sounds like a company that would make porn. Sorry, but it does. Comcast says: XFINITY represents the future of our company and it’s a promise to customers that we’ll keep innovating. When we launch XFINITY in a market, we’ll rebrand our products: XFINITY TV, XFINITY Voice and XFINITY Internet our company, of course, remains Comcast . This transition is already well underway across the country. Next week, XFINITY will roll out in 11 markets including: Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, Washington D.C., Chicago, Portland, ... [Link] [Cache]

A Greyhound security guard threatened a stranded passenger in Memphis that if she spoke with a reporter from the local news, he'd kick her out of the bus station. The reporter was there to look at why a group of passengers had been left stranded for 2 to 4 days without any communication from Greyhound, and without any sort of meal or lodging help. When Action News 5 interviewed another stranded passenger, Cynthia Caponey, a security guard threatened to not let her back inside the station, claiming Greyhound "has that right." [...] Despite the security guard's threats, Caponey decided to ... [Link] [Cache]

If you can't actually manage to get an ad placed during the Super Bowl, the next best thing is to get it rejected by the network so you can make a big deal about it online. The Daily Beast has put together a list of 12 ads that were rejected for a variety of reasons. Well, actually in most cases it comes down to gay stuff, cussing, or sex. One thing you'll notice, though, is that most of the rejected spots aren't very well-made to begin with--I'd be happy if they were banned just for that. "12 Banned Super Bowl ... [Link] [Cache]

It's time for the annual round of outrage at the fact that the people who wrecked the economy are getting huge bonuses. Kenneth Feinberg, the "pay czar" says the bonuses are "outrageous" but unavoidable. Meanwhile Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner says that the proposed "bank fee" will stop this sort of thing. From the WSJ: "If you join with us in passing this proposed fee on our largest financial institutions, you'll be able to say as we do, that the American taxpayer will not pay a penny" to reward executives at AIG and others who had a role in the financial ... [Link] [Cache]

You're mad, you're annoyed, or you've been ripped off. So you decide to take action, and open up your word processor or e-mail client to write a complaint letter. But that doesn't mean you actually want anyone to take you seriously, or to help you. Follow these tips to make sure your complaint goes nowhere near anyone in power. Make your letter as long as possible. Cram every little bit of detail you can in there. Mention every interaction you have had with this company since your birth, or possibly your conception. Tell random, vaguely related stories about your career ... [Link] [Cache]

The Comcast/NBC merger probably sucks for consumers, but it sure as hell sucks for other cable companies. Like, for example, WOW!. They are a smallish cable company that competes with Comcast in Chicagoland and in Detroit. From Reuters: "This is an unprecedented deal, which, if consummated, would substantially increase the market power of Comcast, threatening consumer and competition in the traditional and the rapidly evolving Internet content and distribution areas," according to written testimony from Colleen Abdoulah, president of WOW!, which competes with Comcast in Chicago and Detroit. "Comcast has proven itself particularly adept at weakening or even rendering meaningless ... [Link] [Cache]

Here's another consumer trend that should surprise absolutely no one. According to the Boston Globe, Americans are shedding their brand loyalties and flocking to generic products. What? No way! Apparently, many Americans are just now discovering the savings available to those who ignore labels and just grab the cheapest thing on the shelf. “Store brands used to be nothing you wanted to buy. It was a compromise you’d make in quality in order to get something cheaper,’’ said Alan Klein, of the Marketing Agency Paris New York, a consultancy. “But the recession has been an awakening for some consumers. They ... [Link] [Cache]

A proverb goes that “man without aim like a ship without rudder”. Similarly a man without an aim cannot reach his goal. He stumbles in his way of life. So everyman should have a definite aim, but nothing is more difficult than the choice of an aim. Every man fined it very difficult because there are many paths or course open to them; it seems difficult that which one they should choose. At present time our job sectors are so much upgrade and it is developing day by day. A good job can help to reach his goal which he ... [Link] [Cache]

Every man should have a definite goal in his life. Without a definite goal none can reach the height of glory in his life. It acts the guiding force of man to reach his goal in life. A man without a definite plan can hardly reach the goal of life. Different persons have different aims. For example we can say somebody desires power, some desires wealth, some craves for honors and high dignity in society. But if man wants to reach his goal. he must take a decision for future. . At present time our job sectors are so much ... [Link] [Cache]