Fools and their Money - Secret Shoppers

http://newsblaze.com/story/20091220071213mcco.nb/topstory.html

The next consumer column covers the truth and
lies about "secret shoppers."

John Mccormick my new Practical Consumer Column on Newsblaze.com

I've been a consumer reporter for decades mostly related to high technology but now I have an opportunity to point out fraud and deception in everyday ads which cost consumers billion$ every year.

 http://newsblaze.com/story/20091217133012mcco.nb/topstory.html

The first issue explains why it is dumb (really dumb!) to pay more than about $30 for an electric space heater.

I'll be covering a lot of common problems such as work-at-home and secret shoppers (good and bad), how to buy and sell gold.

Puppy mills and pet stores.

 

Siliconsamurai


--
John

Certified Reuters Insight Expert Consultant
www.newmedicineonline.com
www.helpdotcom.com
www.countrycraftstore.com
www.15767.com

Some of my recent newsblaze.com stories
Economist Always Tell the Truth? Trust Me
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090315113354mcco.nb/topstory.html
Mattress Money?
The Silhouettes in October 1957: 'Get a Job'
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090316104929mcco.nb/topstory.html
Easter Egg Hunt Goes to the Dogs in Indiana Pennsylvania
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090413100027mcco.nb/topstory.html
Gas and Oil Companies Fail to Prepare for Next Energy Crisis
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090414091614mcco.nb/topstory.html

Statin drugs shown to reduce death rate from flu

The very latest report from Vanderbilt University and the CDC is that common statin drugs
used to reduce cholesterol, also cut the mortality rate from H1N1 by half.

Statins reduce inflamation in the body and that is considered the likely reason.

http://www.cidrap.umn.edu/cidrap/content/influenza/swineflu/news/oct2909idsa2.html

John McCormick

Giant Sports Car Show In Indiana This Weekend!

The giant british car show is in Indiana this weekend with the cars in downtown
on Saturday!

http://newsblaze.com/story/20090806073910mcco.nb/topstory.html

no local postal closings planned

With the USPS loosing billion$ there is a proposal
 to close a number of post offices but
the current list of offices being studied
for possible closing doesn't include any local post offices.

The study seems to be focusing on urban
and suburban areas where there are a number of
offices available to take over for any closed offices.

See http://www.prc.gov/prc-pages/default.aspx?AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1
for a link to the latest list.
--
John

Coffee Fights Alzheimer’s

Coffee, more precisely, the caffeine equivalent of 5 cups of coffee has been shown to help prevent Alzheimer’s and memory loss, it can even help reverse the terrible condition.

The amount needed is 500 milligrams per day for an adult human – this isn’t specific to coffee, caffeine pills, or colas also work and this isn’t just due to the stimulus effect,  it is a chemical reaction in the brain.

Journal of Alzheimer’s Vol. 17, No.3 http://www.j-alz.com/issues/17/vol17-3.html “moderate caffeine administration protects/restores cognitive function and suppresses brain amyloid-β”

BBC story http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/8132122.stm

The Health Care Scare

My editorial on the health care reform situation.

http://newsblaze.com/story/20090721055715mcco.nb/topstory.html

Stim-Money in Jefferson Co.

recovery.org/For_Businesses.aspx?gloc=JEFFERSON%20[PA]*CNT:42065&mloc=PA$065

$5.18 M

--
John

Certified Reuters Insight Expert Consultant
www.newmedicineonline.com
www.uraniumtoday.com
www.helpdotcom.com
www.countrycraftstore.com
www.15767.com

Some of my recent newsblaze.com stories
Economist Always Tell the Truth? Trust Me
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090315113354mcco.nb/topstory.html
Mattress Money?
The Silhouettes in October 1957: 'Get a Job'
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090316104929mcco.nb/topstory.html
Easter Egg Hunt Goes to the Dogs in Indiana Pennsylvania
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090413100027mcco.nb/topstory.html
Gas and Oil Companies Fail to Prepare for Next Energy Crisis
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090414091614mcco.nb/topstory.html

Paper is money, not currency. Trees are cheap. -jm

"No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts" Article 1, Section 10, Clause 1, Constitution of The United States of America

Paper is not gold or silver coin. Now, what is so difficult to understand? -jm


New mobile sites in development:
mobipitt.mobi
mobiboston.mobi
mobicambridge.mobi
mobicmu.mobi
mobipa.mobi
mobiseattle.mobi
mobipittsburgh.mobi
mobipennstate.mobi
mobioakland.mobi
mobigeek.mobi

NEW STORE Items:
http://search.stores.ebay.com/The-Country-Craft-Store__W0QQfclZ3QQfrppZ30QQfrtsZ0QQfsooZ2QQfsopZ2QQsaselZ103157995QQsofpZ0

Stim-Money in Indiana Co.

http://www.recovery.org/For_Businesses.aspx?gloc=INDIANA%20[PA]*CNT:42063&mloc=PA$063

$7.9 M
-- jm

Brookville Laurel Festival

June 15 through 21, 2009

You can see a good clear schedule at
http://www.historicbrookville.com/


--
John

GM closes 1100 dealerships - more to come?

Gm, which is closing close to 1,100 dealerships by letting their contracts lapse in a year or two, won't release that list, so, of course, partial confirmed lists are circulating on the Web.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/05/15/gm-dealerships-closing-se_n_204031.html

According to the supposedly confirmed list from Huffington Post include in PA include (so far):
 
Williams Auto Group, Sayre, Pennsylvania

J.L. Freed and Sons of Lansdale, Pennsylvania

Videon Chevrolet in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania


--
John

Certified Reuters Insight Expert Consultant
www.newmedicineonline.com
www.uraniumtoday.com
www.helpdotcom.com
www.countrycraftstore.com
www.15767.com

Some of my recent newsblaze.com stories
Economist Always Tell the Truth? Trust Me
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090315113354mcco.nb/topstory.html
Mattress Money?
The Silhouettes in October 1957: 'Get a Job'
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090316104929mcco.nb/topstory.html
Easter Egg Hunt Goes to the Dogs in Indiana Pennsylvania
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090413100027mcco.nb/topstory.html
Gas and Oil Companies Fail to Prepare for Next Energy Crisis
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090414091614mcco.nb/topstory.html

Paper is money, not currency. Trees are cheap. -jm

"No State shall enter into any Treaty, Alliance, or Confederation; grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal; coin Money; emit Bills of Credit; make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts" Article 1, Section 10, Clause 1, Constitution of The United States of America

list of chrysler dealers to close

Kuntz is NOT on this list and I couldn't locate any dealer closer than Altoona who was dropped

Go here
http://llnw.static.cbslocal.com/station/national/docs/2009/05/chyrslerdealershipsclose.pdf
for a current listing.
.



--
John

Certified Reuters Insight Expert Consultant
www.newmedicineonline.com
www.uraniumtoday.com
www.helpdotcom.com
www.countrycraftstore.com
www.15767.com

Some of my recent newsblaze.com stories
Economist Always Tell the Truth? Trust Me
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090315113354mcco.nb/topstory.html
Mattress Money?
The Silhouettes in October 1957: 'Get a Job'
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090316104929mcco.nb/topstory.html
Easter Egg Hunt Goes to the Dogs in Indiana Pennsylvania
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090413100027mcco.nb/topstory.html
Gas and Oil Companies Fail to Prepare for Next Energy Crisis
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090414091614mcco.nb/topstory.html

Swine Flu Hoaxes, lies, and misstatements do masks work? do hand sanitizers do anything?

Swine Flu Hoaxes, lies, and misstatements
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090430064911mcco.nb/topstory.html

--
John

Certified Reuters Insight Expert Consultant
www.newmedicineonline.com
www.uraniumtoday.com
www.helpdotcom.com
www.countrycraftstore.com
www.15767.com

Some of my recent newsblaze.com stories
Economist Always Tell the Truth? Trust Me
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090315113354mcco.nb/topstory.html
Mattress Money?
The Silhouettes in October 1957: 'Get a Job'
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090316104929mcco.nb/topstory.html
Easter Egg Hunt Goes to the Dogs in Indiana Pennsylvania
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090413100027mcco.nb/topstory.html
Gas and Oil Companies Fail to Prepare for Next Energy Crisis
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090414091614mcco.nb/topstory.html

H1N1 Swine flu updates from my newsblaze stories

Swine Flu Threat - NOT the Feared H5N1 Bird Flu
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090425073754mcco.nb/topstory.html

Swine Flu - Prevention
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090425164857mcco.nb/topstory.html

Swine Flu Confirmed in Europe
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090427110701mcco.nb/topstory.html

Why Does Swine Flu Kill Healthy People?
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090427092841mcco.nb/topstory.html

Swine Flu Update – CDC Community Guidelines
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090427074802mcco.nb/topstory.html

NewsBlaze.com Online News Service

I am the new garden columnist for
newsblaze.com

Small Scale Gardening for beginners
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090323080910mcco.nb/topstory.html


AND OP ED contributor
Safe Place For Your Money
http://newsblaze.com/story/20090312105927mcco.nb/topstory.html

free oneday pass to sams club discounts

go to the allstate site
http://ingoodhands.com/
and click on the sams club special offer

this probably won't work with a dial up connection

--
John

Indiana Update

WJAC-TV is reporting that several thousand
individuals definately headed onto
Philadelphia St. in Indiana in
the middle of the night
and lit a number of fires.

Sounds like a Super Bowl celebration
got out of hand.

My contacts report calm but
because of the events overnight
it would be a bad place to try and
party today.

Avoid Indiana

While Punxsutawney is the place
to be this morning, Indiana PA
is definitely NOT the place to
celebrate and I strongly
recommend avoiding the
downtown area.

While I am 30+ miles away
at the Knob and downtown today,
so I haven't seen this in person,
TV stations in the region are
reporting that thousands
of rowdies have been giving
cops a hard time, setting fires
in college town Indiana.

No sign of Harvey the Pooka
who, along with favorite son
Elwood P. Dowd (Jimmy
Stewart) once put Indiana
on the map as the perfect
example of small town America,
 a place rapidly being usurped by
Punxsutawney.

Phil Sees Shadow More Winter?

Despite heavy overcast with
light snow, Phil somehow
saw his shadow and thereby
predicted six more weeks of
Winter.

Of course GHD is set close
to mid-Winter.

Big Crowd Greets Phil

Well GHD is big at the Knob
this morning with a LOT of people
attending this year's celebration,
possibly in part because of the
big Super Bowl win, but a party
is a party and Punxsutawney is crowded today.

nothing seems to be going on this year

I'm really sorry to put this out but I am a journalist and
personally, I'd skip Punxsutawney entirely this year.
Most of the "events" listed are crap and most of the
sponsored "happenings" are little more than
advertisements for fast food.

I'm staying home and watching the 10 seconds of Phil
on TV and the rest of the day watching the super bowl
at home or possibly on a sports bar.

As far as groundhog day goes, it hasn't been worth
attending for several years. I kept hoping it would
recover and sincerely hope the
CoC turns this around but downtown is dead and
GHD is dying.

GHD used to be a LOT of fun.

Punxy is a nice small town, a wonderful place to live,
but all it really offers on GHD NOW is a place for a few
old folks to show their kids and a few
drunken college kids to get faced and the town has
been cracking down on that so much it really isn't much
fun unless you are under 10 or over 25.

I remember when tens of thousands showed up- it was a fun party
 and also, more recently when you could sit in Barkely
Sq. and not see anyone walk by for 15 minutes.

Sorry, GHD is DEAD. I really, REALLY hope it gets revived someday.

Obviously, I'm not particularly popular in town these days.
--
John

GHD Weather

For now it looks like GHD weekend will be mild,
some snow flurries, and temps will run in the mid 20's to
low 30's

--
John

GHD EVENTS

There are a few things to do if you show up on Friday, January 30
but most events begin on Saturday.

Start at Barclay Square in the center of Punxsutawney
and adjacent to the Groundhog Museum (Punxy Library)
also a few blocks from the community center where
you can crash for the night.

On Sunday you get the Super Bowl on a large screen
at the community center followed by
the movie Groundhog Day

--
John

Certified Reuters Insight Expert Consultant
www.newmedicineonline.com
www.uraniumtoday.com
www.helpdotcom.com
www.countrycraftstore.com
www.15767.com