Targeted Shopping

Google’s New Phone

Stay tuned for Google’s announcement today of their highly anticipated competitor to the iPhone!

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Learn a Useful Language

Although many of us do not want to admit it, the U.S. has become a weak link in the global economy due to governmental mismanagement by obvious players. The 5 largest American investment banks don’t even exist anymore! Why? Whose fault is it? Does BUSH ring a bell? How ’bout the American government? Anyway, while the U.S. is withering away in power on various levels (and has practically become a “Banana Republic” no thanks to Dubya), China has suddenly gained an enormous financial and social level, never before experienced in history. Their power sort of crept up on us, didn’t it? Pretty amazing, huh?

I find it very unpleasant that this has happened and I am fairly bitter that China produces practically everything on earth and the quality is crap, and sometimes they decide to put toxic chemicals in foods and baby toys, furniture etc., but whatever. The world allowed this and so must assume its actions. What’s to do now?

Adjust to it, whether reluctant or not. China is here to stay and if we can’t accept that, we’ll have to move to another planet. For businesses, I’d think something like language learning would be in order. Billions of people on earth speak Chinese, and to grow your business internationally, you would be remiss to avoid China. That being said, they have a reputation of working unethically and dishonestly. That happens everywhere, so if you do your homework, you should be able to locate the best people to work with you and your company. While English is a language of business, many Chinese people do not speak it and so if you’d like to do business with them, you will have to take the initiative and learn Chinese. A few courses can do wonders.

Who has time to learn a language? I know, it takes time but if you get excellent language learning DVDs, you can work with your own schedule and Learn Chinese at your own pace.

Posted in DVD, business, efficient, good value, spare time | No Comments »

Infant Car Seats on Sale until September 30

The Amazon Baby Store is offering a special promotion during September. The special sale - 10% off regular price on all Britax car seats sold by Amazon.com starting Monday, September 15 through September 21, 2008 while supplies last. Whether your customer is purchasing for a newborn, infant, or older toddler, Britax car seats are made to be comfortable from day one and adjust to stay that way while baby grows.

Check it out here

Posted in baby / babies, cars / automobiles, coupons / deals / sales, family, good value, kids, parents, truth | No Comments »

Get 55% Off Groceries at Amazon

Wow. This is a pretty good sale going on at Amazon. Get 55% off groceries and use this code to get your discount: CLRNCFTY

Now. Go to Amazon right now!

Posted in chocolate, coupons / deals / sales, family, food and drinks, food industry, good value, kids | No Comments »

Who Doesn’t Like Pizza? No one.

Ok, ok, there are probably some party poopers out there who don’t like pizza. I know! That’s hard to believe and frankly, I can’t be friends with them because I will never understand them.

Anyway, it’s really fun to make pizza at home but you really require a good, solid pizza oven that will do the job like no other oven. It’s totally worth spending a little extra cash so you and your family can enjoy scrumptious pizzas from here on in.

This oven is perfect for small applications and spaces. Pizza, pretzels and bread products can be cooked directly on the baking surface. The timer can be set for up to 15 minute increments and allows for continuous use. It comes with two Corderite ceramic baking stones. This unit is designed for pre-baked crust only and is not recommended for fresh dough or pan pizza baking. In stock and ready to ship. Features: Stackable oven. Exterior and door are constructed of 20 gauge stainless steel. The interior is constructed of 18 gauge high heat aluminized steel.

Get one now (see photo)

Related: More than 60 Recipes for Delicious Homemade Pizza

Posted in Do it yourself - DIY - Home made, efficient, electronics, equipment, family, food industry, kids, kitchen appliances and gadgets | No Comments »

Get to Know Your Presidential Candidates: Biography DVD about Barack Obama

From amazon:
“This cable-television biography about the life of Illinois senator Barack Obama was made before he began campaigning to be the Democratic party’s candidate for the 2008 presidential race. Still, the program suggests Obama has one or another kind of profound, American destiny as a mixed-race activist who never comfortably fit into one or another group, and had to look deep into his own roots to understand his identity. The son of a white American mother and black Kenyan father, Obama was abandoned by the latter when he returned to his native country to work for its improvement. Raised by his mother–whom Obama credits with teaching him many of his values–and his grandmother, Obama lived in Hawaii as a child but moved to Indonesia for a few years when his mom remarried. There, Obama saw cyclical poverty and the underlying factors that perpetuate it before returning to Hawaii. Interviews with childhood friends and his sister describe Obama’s restlessness before attending Harvard law school and propelling himself into a life of public service and community activism. Often accused of lacking enough political experience to qualify him for the White House, Obama comes across in this show as a visionary and experienced consensus-builder who can reach across opposing points of view.” –Tom Keogh

Get the DVD now

Related: The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

Posted in DVD, books, people, television / film | No Comments »

Get Your Guy a Watch That Will Last Forever

Yes, Rolex watches are a bit more expensive than your average watch but it will last forever, and that is something to remember when making this purchase. So many things are meant to be thrown away these days, even washing machines don’t last as long as they used to. That is because the world has adopted the notion of “planned obsolescence,” which means that the things you buy will not last very long because they were made that way. Why? So you buy another one. And another one. And another one. Forever. I hate this idea because it’s bad for the environment and you really end up spending so much more over time.

Why do that? Why waste money and contribute more trash that goes into landfills, which then creates physical waste pollution and later on, air pollution?

Quality items are rare these days, which is why I’m recommending a watch that will last forever.

See a picture of it and order one

Posted in efficient, electronics, gifts, good value, jewelry, men, practical, watches, women | No Comments »

September 2008 Amazon Coupon Codes

Amazon coupon codes for September 2008 (most expire by September 30, 2008):

$5 off Sea2O Organic Energy Drink Code: SEA2OGO5

$5 off Nature’s Envy Apple Chips Code: APPLECH5

$5 off $25 Mix 1 Products Code: MIXLIFE2

$10 off $29 Panda Confections Code: PANDAL33

$10 off $29 Shibolim and Grainosh Code: GRAINOSH

$10 off $29 Revolution Teas Code: REVTEA44

$10 off $29 Peeled Snacks Code: PEELSNK3

$10 off $29 Fox River Rice Code: OXRICE6

$10 off $29 Dilmah Spiced Teas Code: TEAPROMO

$10 off $39 Kaboom Energy Code: KABOOM22

$15 off $39 Petite Cuisine Cat FoodCode: PCUISINE

$15 off $39 Bear Naked Granola Code: Code: BEARNKED

$15 off $39 Stacy’s Chips and Crisps STACEYDL

$15 off $39 Stretch Island Fruit Strips Code: ISLANDST

$15 off $39 Kashi Natural Foods Code: KASHIDIS

$15 off $39 Pear’s Gourmet Coffee Code: MARTHN39

$20 off $49 Kellogg’s, Keebler, Carr’s, Famous Amos and more. Code: KELOGKEB

$20 off $49 G’Day Gourmet Code: SALMONO8

$20 off $49 Gatorade Performance Series Code: GATPERFM

$20 off $79 Bertolli, Wish Bone, Lipton, Hellmann’s and more. Code: UNILDEAL

$25 off $75 Slim-Fast, All, Dove, Lever 2000, Degree and more. Code: SEP8UNIL

10% off Dirty Sue Martini Mix Code: DIRTYSUE

15% off Palm Island Sea Salt Code: EASALT3

20% off Ener-G Foods Code: ENERGFD2

25% off Feed Granola Code: FEED9895

25% off Food Should Taste Good Code: TASTEGD2

25% off ConAgra Brands Brands Code: SNSSTACK

30% off Havana Beverage Code: HAVBEV3O

30% off Caffe Appassionato Coffee Code: COFFEECO

35% off Torani Syrups Code: SYRUPFOR

35% off Reese Artichokes Code: REESEART

35% off Zoe’s Energy Bars and Granola & Granola Code: ZOEFOOD9

35% off Horizon Organic Milk Code: MILKDISC

35% off Silk Soymilk Code: DEALSILK

40% off Rush!, Ntrinsic, Comotion or ACUTEfruit Code: MONARCHI

50% off O.N.E. Coconut Water Code: ONEWORL2

50% off PG Tips Tea Code: PGTIPS51

Happy Shopping!

Posted in coupons / deals / sales, good value, practical | 1 Comment »

10 Important Things Your Bank Will Not Tell You…But Should

From smartmoney:

“1. “Our branches are there to sell you, not serve you.”
In the late 1990s bank branches were considered outmoded relics soon to be replaced by ATMs and Internet banking. But just the opposite happened: In 1998 there were 89,000 bank branches in the U.S.; by 2007 there were 97,000. Why? The industry realized consumer banking was profitable and that despite the predictions of Silicon Valley wonks, the main criterion consumers use in choosing a bank is proximity, says SNL Financial analyst Jennifer Payne.

But branches aren’t just about convenience; they’re a bank’s primary sales floor. Brochures for services as varied as retirement accounts and home loans are on display, and everyone from the teller on up is trained to make a sale. That’s because in the current low-interest-rate climate, it’s harder to generate revenue from interest alone. Many players in the industry have been trying to boost fee- and service-based income, so if a teller sees you have a mortgage, he might suggest you meet with a loan officer to discuss a home-equity loan. Says Greg McBride, a senior financial analyst at Bankrate.com, “The more products a customer has with a bank, the more likely he is to stay with that bank.”

2. “Our fees will only go up.”
With the economy slowing and big losses looming in the mortgage market, banks are looking for reliable revenue streams. Hence punitive fees — for overdrawing your account, say, or using a competitor’s ATM — are increasing. The average ATM service charge doubled between 1998 and 2007, and overdraft fees brought in $17.5 billion in revenue in 2006, up from $10.3 billion in 2004, according to the Center for Responsible Lending. Rubecca Hegarty, a married mother of three in Woodridge, Ill., says she often pays upwards of $100 a month in overdraft fees to Chase, since, like most banks, it changes the order of purchases so that large debts get paid first — increasing the likelihood of incurring fees on smaller purchases. JPMorgan Chase says it does this because big payments like a mortgage are more important to consumers, so they get priority.

Revenue from penalties can be addictive for banks, says Harvard Business School Professor Gail McGovern, but “they’re going to face problems from angry customers, which leads to big call-center bills, employee dissatisfaction and turnover.”

3. “We change our interest rates all the time.”
Regardless of what your credit card agreement says, you can never be sure how much interest banks will charge you. For example, nearly all cards have a default rate — as high as 30 percent — which banks apply when you’ve done something wrong, usually after two late payments in 12 months. But some banks have cut that to one, says Curtis Arnold, founder of CardRatings.com.
Banks can also change the terms of your agreement, raising rates when they like (though you can opt out and pay off the balance at the old rate as long as you never use the card again). Bank of America did that recently, upping many cardholders’ rates from 10 or 12 percent to 27 percent or more, even though they’d done nothing wrong. “There’s no clarity on what criteria can lead a bank to raise interest rates,” says Robert Manning, director of the Center for Consumer Financial Services at the Rochester Institute of Technology. “It’s a black box.” A Bank of America spokesperson says the company periodically reviews the credit risk of its accounts and adjusts rates accordingly, adding that in the past year 94 percent have had no increase.

4. “College campuses are a gold mine for us.”
Students are the customers of the future, and banks are increasingly courting them, sometimes right on campus. More than 120 universities have cut deals with banks to issue student-ID cards that are also ATM and check cards. Schools can make millions from these deals, sometimes even taking a small cut of individual purchases.

tudents are also a hot market for credit card issuers; banks will make private deals with alumni associations to get contact info for students, parents and even ticket buyers to university athletic events. Card companies cut deals to set up booths on campus, and Chase even inked a deal with Facebook to display ads and set up a Chase group on its Web site.

The problem? Mounting credit card debt among college kids, for one. “Universities don’t negotiate on behalf of students,” says Manning. “They’re negotiating the best deal for the university.” A spokesperson for the National Association of Independent Colleges and Universities says don’t blame schools — banks would market to students anyway, and universities at least try to get the best rates they can for students.

5. “In debt? The courts won’t help.”
Since the late 1990s banks have been including mandatory arbitration agreements in their contracts for many of their products, including auto loans, checking accounts, home-equity loans and credit cards. Such agreements prohibit you from suing and instead require you to use an arbitrator — someone picked by the arbitration firm named in your credit card contract to hear the dispute and decide the outcome.

While these clauses were originally designed to thwart class-action suits, the banks have also been using them for debt collection, says Paul Bland, anattorney with consumer-advocacy group Public Justice. There are even times when consumers, often victims of identity theft and unaware of the debt, aren’t present when awards are handed down against them.

A recent suit against an arbitration firm brought by the San Francisco city attorney noted that arbitrators ruled in favor of banks in 100 percent of the 18,045 California cases brought against consumers from January 2003 through March 2007. “From the consumer perspective, it’s a nightmare,” says Bland. If a bank brings arbitration against you, hire a lawyer and request a hearing — in person…..” Read the rest

Posted in banks, business, family, parents, people, truth, warnings | No Comments »

Dog Smell Filling up Your Car?

You love your cute Fido or Rover or Hamilton or Betty (you know, whatever you’ve named your dog) and you take him everywhere. Why shouldn’t you? Pets are members of the family and where ever you go, your pet should go. I have no problems with that. In fact, I encourage it full heartedly. The thing is, your car is starting to stink so much, no one wants to get inside of it. Even you! That dog smell is taking over your car and your life, and well, it stinks. You’ve tried vacuuming; you’ve tried all kinds of so called miraculous cleaning products on the the upholstery and everything else inside that seemingly has absorbed your dog’s “essense.” But to no avail. It still reeks, which is wreaking havoc on your nose! And everyone else’s. Pew.

The reason the smell is embedded in everything is probably because your dog just went into your car directly on the seats with no protection. As a result, his hair got into everything, which we all know is very difficult to remove. The worst scenario is when Fido has taken a swim in the lake and gets into the car afterward. Yuck! Anyway, if you protect your seats properly, it will combat this olfactory issues that makes you a lone driver (since no one wants to get into your noxious car). Here’s an idea: get a seat cover!

The Guardian Gear Car Seat Covers protects the upholstery of rear car seats to reduce the need for costly upholstery cleanings. It fully covers the back seat, floor area and the back of the front seats. Additionally, the hammock style seat helps to keep pets safely in the back, where they should be. Made of black, heavy-duty, scratch-resistant nylon this gear also includes covers to protect headrests. It attaches securely to seats with bungee cords and the cover unzips to allow a passenger to sit alongside pet if necessary. You can install it very easily into cars or SUVs that have front and rear headrests. The seat cover is machine washable. Measures 63″L x 57″W.

See a photo of it and get more info

Posted in cars / automobiles, dogs, efficient, equipment, family, practical | Comments Off