Reports by Consumers

Blue Hippo targets credit-impaired borrowers, hoping they also are math and shopping-impaired. Google it and you will find complaint after complaint about being ripped off by Bluehippo. Even the State of Illinois has filed a lawsuit against Bluehippo. Yet their advertising blitz continues unabated. It is little more than a form of extortion. Would television and radio carry an ad that said, "Not good with finances? Call us and we will rip you off some more"? Of course they wouldn’t, but they do every time they broadcast an ad for Bluehippo.

Finally a reason to move one’s lazy ass and make something in the kitchen (and no I’m not talking about a mess). The European company called Dualit, known for their kitchen products, just ventured into the consumer electronics market with the DAB kitchen radio. No it’s not a toaster that moonlights as a radio (though that would have been cool); it’s just a radio that looks like a toaster.

Today, the array of available appliances run from small and simple, with a one quart capacity and little or no ornamentation, to large and very expressively decorated, even themed. The largest slow cookers for residential use have a 7-quart capacity. Would you like a crockery cooker with race cars on the sides or in the shape of a football? They are available. The lids, sizes, and actual temperatures of the heat settings can vary. For me, the only important thing when it comes to a slow cooker is that the ceramic insert is removable. Cleaning up is so much easier when it can be washed in the dishwasher.

Last year, we bought a Tivo that came with a special deal - buy a year of service in advance and get a Tivo for free. So we did it. Now I need to set it up - but I can’t give myself the Tivo Rewards points. So, anyone want to trade? I’ll give you my points if you give me yours when you get a Tivo. (In other words, you need a Tivo already. And you need to be a Tivo rewards member already.)

TiVos and other “Personal Video Recorders” (PVR) have been out for a while now and seem to be quickly replacing VCRs. A year or so ago I looked into purchasing one but decided against it not only because of the high retail price, but because of all the restrictions, the minimum subscription cost of $17 a month, and limited expandability. TiVo didn’t allow me to add on modules, customize it the way I want, nor did it give me the networking capabilities I wanted. A year later, the TiVo hasn’t improved much. So, for the cost of a tv-tuner card, I decided to build my own instead.

we got assigned our client for our national campaign in advanced media strategies class yesterday. we working on a media plan for method (the company that makes household products). looks like it’s going to be a great client, it’s a brand that’s going to be fun putting a media plan together for. so much growth potential there. even more exciting is the agency that we’re working with: crispin porter [burger king, volkswagen, among other greats]. seriously, that just insanely exciting. tomorrow is our conf. call with the agency, got to do some research so i’m prepared. my group that we have picked out is awesome and this is looking like it’s going to be great. at the recruiting happy hour last night we were all hanging out and had a great time and got along well so i’m very pleased with that.

We ended the session ealier than what was published on the schedule with a show-and-tell of podcasts and vodcasts of 3rd grade students on handhelds and 6th grade Social Studies podcasts. A Saturday morning well-spent!

I have no pictures to share quite obviously. I don’t think that you want to see a picture of my desk, my washing machine, my dishwasher, or my bed…and that’s pretty much the only places I’ve been frequenting lately. Perhaps this weekend I will take an excursion, just my new camera and I. I will take stellar outdoor mood shots, and you will all marvel at the amazing degree of detail that my new camera of love and goodness captures. Perhaps.

I’ll be picking up a 1 ton “cube van” at 8am and bringing it to the Chilliwack house to load up all our big stuff. It should all pretty easily fit into the truck so it should only take one trip. We’re still not sure if we’re bringing our couches as we’ve been offered a super deal from one of the new tenants who works at The Brick. If we leave the old couch/loveseat for them he’ll get us his employee cost for a replacement (new) set. We’re not totally sure we will, even if we find something we like. It’s a bit of money at an already expensive time of the year for us. The deal is great though, so we might just be maxing out the credit card to make it happen.

Net dollars invested into variable annuities dropped nearly 50% in 2005 over the prior year, in what I hope is a sign that investors are finally wising up to the oppressive taxation, numbing complexity, and crushing costs associated with most of these products. Such annuities essentially wrap mutual funds inside (often-unneeded) life insurance, and expose investors to taxation at levels as high as 300%+ over those for more straightforward investments.

We talked about this on last weeks show. Microsoft’s Origami product, the handheld to beat all handhelds. Don’t know if you’ve seen the microsite teaser for the product. Not really worth your time but seems they’re trying hard so ooh I’m tingling with anticipation. From all accounts the product seems to fall short on expectations except on the price which is estimated at around $1000.

I am totally sold on the idea though and promise to work on my squeamishness in honor of dedicated composters everywhere.

I loved my Apple Newton. I bought it on opening day. Don Box ordered one (from me) immediately.

Despite increased consumer awareness, the identity theft business is alive and well, according to Eric Sites, a research engineer at Sunbelt. Sites is one of the leading authorities on the Cool Web Search family of malware, and has spent the past few months researching a ring of identity theft Trojans. In an interview for my new podcast, OnSecurity, Eric said that identity thieves may only be limited by their ability to sift through the mountain of data they are harvesting. In just one example, he recently downloaded more than 80 Gbytes of stolen data that had been aggregated from one variant of an identity theft trojan.

Now it's true, "she believes deeply in living green." She thinks that plain soap does just as well as antibacterial soap. (And well it should, since soap is an antibacterial by definition, a point that seems to have eluded both Gordon and the story's author.) She avoids plastics and cleans her home with vinegar and lemon juice instead of household products.

There should really be a comedy about a guy trying to cram lumber, hot water heaters and other awkward large items from Home Depot into his car.