If you're traveling in other English-speaking countries, you might be surprised to find that common foods and ingredients have completely different names. In the UK, an eggplant is an aubergine and arugula is rocket! The traveling chefs at Stack Exchange help us across the pond.
Follow your dreams. Stop caring about what most people think of you. Don't marry that person. We've all (hopefully) received valuable advice in our lives. What's the best you've been given so far?
Whenever you shop online, you could be earning cash back, travel miles, and other rewards if you start at a shopping portal. But finding the best one to use to get the biggest rebates isn't easy. Enter Cashback Monitor.
It's not a great idea to argue in a negotiation , so investor and entrepreneur James Altucher has a better idea: get the other side to negotiate with themselves and reap the benefits of a good deal.
Rather than expand breakfast into lunch time, Burger King is making burgers part of breakfast.
The Burgers for Breakfast sandwiches are not new burgers or breakfast-type variations on BK standards. It’s literally just the chain’s signature burgers — Whoppers, Double Whoppers,the Big King, Whopper Jr., cheeseburgers, double cheeseburgers, Bacon Double Cheeseburger — along with the Original Chicken Sandwich and french fries. So it’s basically the core of the lunch menu, just served during breakfast hours.
According to BurgerBusiness.com, a number of Burger King franchisees have been violating the company’s standard 10 a.m./10:30 a.m. start to the lunch menu by offering burgers early, so this official rollout of Burgers at Breakfast just gives corporate blessing to something that is already happening.
BK says that 5,000 of its restaurants have already agreed to run the Burgers at Breakfast program, but not all of those locations are offering the mixed menu just yet. Some franchisees are waiting for official marketing materials, like drive-thru signage, to arrive before they start offering the menu to customers.
“Selling Burgers at Breakfast at Burger King restaurants allows our guests to start their day being their way,” a shill for BK tells BurgerBusiness.
(Twitter user: RareBleuSkittle)
FoodBeast reports the test product has been spotted at a McD’s in Stockton, CA.
What has us concerned about this idea is that the customer is supposed to use his or her McDonald’s bag in the seasoning process. As you can see from this photo posted by a customer on Twitter, you’re supposed to put your fries in the bag, then pour in the seasoning packet, then shake it all together to coat the fries.
But anyone familiar with McDonald’s paper bags is probably aware that they are not always structurally sound. A little weakness or tear that might not be seen before the fry-seasoning could be exploited during all that shaking, resulting in a fry-splosion.
And how many parents are going to let little Timmy do the shaking? Except Timmy may not know his own strength, or have the forethought to respect the delicacy of the fast food paper bag.
In either situation, your fries and seasoning could end up all over the place if you’re not too careful.
So please, season with caution.
@GrubGrade McDonalds testing Seasoned Fries in Stockton, CA. Parm Garlic, Zesty Ranch, Spicy Buffalo varieties. http://t.co/MBd7ReJeN9—
Mike Du Pont (@RareBleuSkittle) May 07, 2014
At least 50% of Consumerist editors enjoy marshmallow Peeps, and the others are wrong. However, even we have to admit that making smaller versions of the snack available year-round is a terrible, delicious, terrible idea. What makes the sugar-encrusted sugar fluff so special, is that it is special: even though they’re available more or less year round, each variety is at least loosely tied to a holiday. Until now.
Yes, non-holiday-themed miniature Peeps have been spotted at Walmart. Turns out they were announced before Easter, but the product, Peeps Minis, have just recently fluttered into stores. A reader over at The Impulsive Buy noticed them on the shelves..
Unlike regular Peeps, at least, these do come in a resealable bag. Flavors include watermelon (watermelon?!), strawberry creme, and chocolate. The candies themselves are small versions of the bird-shaped Peeps, about 40% smaller, and come 24 to a bag.
The product’s slogan: “With PEEPS Minis, every day is a holiday!” No. No, it is not.
When families go on vacation, parents get to drive around a shiny and different vehicle, but what do kids get to drive? Nothing! It happened that toy-maker Mattel and car-renter Europcar are clients of the same ad agency, and they formed an interesting idea: what if there were a counter where children could rent cars, too? Pocket-sized cars, that is. Hot Wheels.
The companies set up Hot Wheels rental counters in six busy Europcar locations in France. The concept was simple: the Hot Wheels rental process was exactly like the car-rental process. Kids could choose their vehicles and options from an in-store catalog or pre-book online, and even join their own loyalty program. They could return their Corvette or Batmobile…or decide to keep it, and the car would be charged to a parent’s credit card. Families purchased about 45% of vehicles.
The idea wasn’t to sell millions of cars: selling some of them wouldn’t hurt, but the point of the rental program was to introduce the brand to as many kids as possible, putting toy cars into the hands of children who are probably more used to video games and more complex toys.
The agencies declared the experiment a success, but didn’t say whether they plan to continue or expand it. Or whether they’ll rent toy cars to adults, for that matter.
Mattel Teams Up With Car-Rental Agency to Rent Hot Wheels to Kids [Advertising Age]
Gleevec is a notable example of this phenomenon for one scary reason: patients who take it stay on the medication for years on end. Bloomberg Businessweek spoke to one patient who has been taking the pill since it was introduced in 2001. He pays $7,676 for a one-month supply, but the drug only cost one-third as much thirteen years ago. Why?
Because Novartis can. When drug companies merge or acquire each other, it’s helpful to their bottom line. When they sell more drugs in a given category, that puts drug companies in a better negotiating position with health insurers. Insurance companies “only” pay about $100 per pill for Gleevec.
The market for prescription drugs is unusual: normally, a product being on the market for a longer period would lead to lower prices, not higher ones. Having more competition would lower the price, not raise it. The business model of using hit products to subsidize the development of others that are less popular or don’t work as expected is effective and profitable, but is it moral?
In the case of Gleevec, this doesn’t matter so much: it loses patent exclusivity this year, and generics will give patients some relief. Novartis is ready: they’ve been encouraging Gleevec patients to switch to a similar drug, Tasigna, that is supposedly more effective.
Big Pharma’s Favorite Prescription: Higher Prices [Bloomberg Businessweek]
Police in Jacksonville, Fla. say a 62-year-old woman was fed up with the folks living next door, and hired a heavy equipment operator that she owned their trailer, reports the Florida Times-Union.
As if there could be no consequences for such a thing, she allegedly instructed the contractor to destroy the trailer and its septic tank, the arrest report says. She even had a key to the place, and showed him that no one was living inside before he started his work this week.
But alas, the owner returned, as owners are wont to do, and called the police. The owner said she’d owned the mobile home since 2006 and had never had a problem with her neighbor, but that she’d definitely never given her a key, either.
The suspect was arrested and charged with criminal mischief, a third-degree felony. In the arrest report, it’s noted that the suspect had the trailer destroyed because the people who lived in it were unsavory, and she thought they’d broken it into her car. So it was a favor to the neighbor hood, she allegedly said.
Police: Upset with neighbors, St. Johns woman bulldozes their mobile home [Florida Times-Union]
Many Americans legitimately use service dogs to help them get through life with post-traumatic stress disorder. The animals help their owners not by providing emotional support (they do that, too) but by disrupting terrifying stress reactions. This qualifies many PTSD animals as service dogs under the Americans with Disabilities Act, but some companies refuse to agree. Like American Airlines, which kicked an Army retiree and his dog off a flight between two cities in Florida.
The vet depends on his dog not just for psychiatric support, but to perform physical tasks as well. He had never had trouble taking her on planes before, and had been assigned a front row (bulkhead) seat where the dog could lie on the floor.
“The flight attendant told me she said the policy states no pets in bulk-heading,” he told CBS Miami. “I said, ‘again, Bella’s not a pet. She’s a service dog.’” Yet the man says that he and his wife were asked to get off the plane. They rented a car and drove home instead.
“I was beyond humiliated. My wife and I had to walk back down the jet-way past all the other passengers in complete, just, humiliation.”
American Airlines offered the family a refund, and told the veteran’s wife that they will re-train their staff on the concept of “service dog.”
Veteran Claims Airline Refused To Allow Service Dog On MIA Flight [CBS Miami]
Animals seized from Nokesville stables now up for adoption Inside NoVA Shannon Porter brought her daughters, 5-year-old Kaiyoni Johnson and 2-year-old Nasirriah Floyd, to the Prince William County animal shelter Wednesday afternoon to look for a bunny to adopt. “There's almost too many to choose from,” Porter said, as her ... Animals seized in Prince William Co. cruelty case now available - DC News FOX ...MyFox Washington DC all 2 news articles » |
Does it matter if you sign your credit card, write "See ID," or leave it blank? There are lots of rumors out there about what you should do on the back of your card to keep it secure. The plastic aficionados at Stack Exchange answer your question
Networking is perhaps one of the most valuable career-building skills a person can develop. When it comes to fleshing out your professional contacts, one of the best ways to improve your network is to introduce them to each other.
    
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Did you know that some colleges and universities rent out their rooms in the summer? It makes sense for them because their lodging facilities are less crowded then—and it could mean big savings for you.
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Bob Costas fans rejoice! The International Olympic Committee has only chosen venues for its summer games through 2020, but that hasn’t stopped the IOC from quietly striking a nearly $8 billion deal with Comcast to grant NBC exclusive U.S. rights to Olympics broadcasts through 2032, meaning children conceived in the afterglow of Team Canada’s dual Curling wins at Sochi will be adults before they even have the chance to see the games broadcast on another network.
According to the AP, the $7.75 billion accord between Comcast and the IOC has been going on in secret for about six months, during which time no other networks were given a chance to bid.
To repeat: The IOC only negotiated with Comcast for U.S. broadcast rights… for a 10-figure deal… that doesn’t sound like a solid business practice to us; nor does it sound like the U.S. media market is terribly competitive.
It extends NBC’s existing deal, signed in 2011, that had already guaranteed Olympics coverage to the network through the 2020 Summer games in Tokyo.
“This agreement is excellent news for the entire Olympic Movement as it helps to ensure its financial security in the long term,” said IOC President Thomas “Sebastian” Bach, presumably while waiting on the phone to speak to a Comcast customer service rep about the install tech who’d missed his appointment. “The IOC has worked in close partnership with NBC for many decades, and we are thrilled we will continue to work with them through to 2032.”
In an indicator showing just how overly huge Comcast is and how it has virtually no competition in the media world, Bach said he saw no reason to open up the bidding process to other networks.
“We wanted to build on this long-term partnership with NBC,” he explained. ‘We could be sure, we are sure, that the Olympic Games will be presented in a way the Olympic spirit requires and how we see it… We didn’t see any reason to take any risk with regards to broadcast and presentation of the Olympic Games in the United States.”
A snapshot report [PDF] released by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau highlights the mortgage debt challenges faced by older Americans, including an increase in debt, less affordable housing options and a greater risk of foreclosure.
While older Americans have the highest rate of homeownership of all consumers – 80 percent of the 41 million Americans 65 and older own their home – the percentage of those consumers carrying mortgage debt has grown steadily over the last decade.
Nearly 30% of seniors age 65 and older carry mortgage debt – representing an 8% increase in the last 10 years. Seniors aged 75 and older with mortgage debt nearly doubled during that same time period.
In the last 10 years, the median mortgage debt for seniors increased by 82% from $43,000 to $79,000, while many homeowners have accrued less home equity.
More than 4.4 million retired homeowners with mortgage debt spend 30% of or more of their household income on housing related costs, putting themselves at greater risk for financial harm, the CFPB reports.
Because of these issues the number of seniors facing delinquency and foreclosure has increased. From 2007 to 2011, the number of homeowners ages 65 to 74 who were seriously delinquent in paying their mortgage – meaning they were more than 90 days late or in foreclosure – increased from 0.85% to 4.96%. For homeowners over 75, the increase was from 1.01% to 5.87%.
The CFPB reports older consumers have greater difficulty recovering from foreclosure than their younger counterparts due to their increased incidences of health problems, cognitive impairment, and difficulties returning to the work force.
The report attributes the increases to the refinancing boom of the 2000s and a general trends to buy homes later in life, provide smaller down payments and borrow against the equity of homes to cover other expenses.
To assist older consumers facing issues pertaining to mortgage debt the CFPB suggests they consider these issues while managing mortgage debt in retirement:
Mortgage pay-off date: Because mortgage debt can be a consumer’s most costly monthly expense, consumers should carefully consider the burden of mortgage payments while living on a fixed, retirement income.
Home equity: Dipping into the equity already built-in a home can carry risks. The money put into a home can be an important asset and security, especially considering Americans are living longer and often face large health expenses in later life. Older consumers should carefully consider their options before taking out a home equity loan or refinancing.
Retirement income and expenses: Generally, people have less income when they retire. Consumers should know their retirement income and expenses, especially if they are retiring with a mortgage.
“A home can be a place of security for older Americans in their retirement years – a roof over their heads as well as a valuable asset,” CFPB Director Richard Cordray said in a news release. “But as more seniors carry significant mortgages into retirement, they put themselves at risk of losing their nest eggs and their homes.”
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau Spotlights Mortgage Debt Challenges Faced By Older Americans [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]
College graduates with private student loans know the importance of staying current on their payments. But a new report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau finds that even consumers who pay their loans on time are finding themselves placed in default when the co-signer of their loan dies or declares bankruptcy.
The CFPB’s recently released mid-year report [PDF], which analyzes more than 2,300 complaints and more than 1,300 debt collection complaints related to private student loans filed in the past five months, found many borrowers face significant challenges when it comes to working with their loan servicer to payback their debt. Nearly 60% of complaints involved problems communicating with a loan servicer regarding co-signers.
The CFPB estimates that the combined total for federal and private outstanding student loan debt reached nearly $1.2 trillion in 2013. The majority of this debt is from federal loans, which borrowers typically take out on their own. However, when students need to cover a gap in tuition, they often turn to private student loans, which typically require a co-signer.
In 2011, nearly 90% of all student loan were co-signed, typically by a borrower’s parent or grandparent. The practice of employing a co-signer can often lead to lower interest rates on student loans, because the co-signer is on the hook to pay the loan if the borrower can not.
While many loan issuers advertise the option of releasing a co-signer from their obligations after a borrower meets certain requirements — often making a certain amount of on-time payments — consumers have reported it’s not an easy task.
In one case, a borrower reported that at the time of origination, the lender stated they could release his co-signer after he made 28 on-time payments. however after making those payments, the borrower learned that 36 payments were required. After making the additional payments, he was told that 48 payments were now required.
In other instances, borrowers reported that required forms were not available on websites or in electronic form. The inability to release a co-signer can often lead to unattended consequences for a borrower.
The CFPB reports that certain situations or changes in the co-signer’s life — such as death or filing for bankruptcy — have significantly negative impacts on the loan borrower.
Contracts often permit the lender or loan servicer to place a loan in default or accelerate the full balance of the loan upon the death or bankruptcy filing of a co-signer, regardless of whether the loan was in good standing.
The CFPB consistently receives complaints from consumers who discover they are in default with their private student loans after their co-signer has died. While many consumer believe the death of a co-signer would result in a release of the co-signer’s obligations to repay, the simply isn’t the case. Instead of continuing to pay their loans as they normally would, borrowers reported they received notice to pay in full after a co-signer’s death.
Additionally, borrowers whose loans are current filed complaints with the CFPB after receiving phone calls from debt collectors notifying them their loans are in default because their co-signer has filed for bankruptcy protection. Borrowers also reported they were unable to receive billing statements, pay for their loans online or request additional information once the co-signer’s bankruptcy proceedings began.
While these automatic defaults are no fault of the borrowers, their consequences can be felt far in the future. Student loan services are reporting these automatic defaults to credit bureaus negatively impacting the borrower’s credit profile, which, in turn, makes it challenging to qualify for future loans and purchases or even to obtain employment.
In an attempt to scale back the burden placed on borrowers when a co-signer is unable to uphold their obligations, the CFPB issued several alternatives for loan issuers to consider:
Consumer advisory: Co-signers can cause surprise defaults on your private student loans [Consumer Financial Protection Bureau]
An illegal stil seized in Alabama (Alabama ABC Board)
USA Today takes a look at the thriving illegal liquor trade in Alabama, where Woods Whiskey, White Lightning or anything else you can call Moonshine is still very much on the market.
A special unit of the Alabama Alcohol Beverage Control Board calls itself the Moonshine Task Force, and it’s trying to stop the flood of black market booze.
“On the street a gallon of woods whiskey will go for about $30,” saiod an ABC Board agent and member of the task force. “In Atlanta, it’ll got for $60. A moonshiner will have $6 or $8 in costs for each gallon, depending on if he cooks it himself, or hires a still hand to cook.”
Unlike in days of yore, it’s not about whether people should be drinking or not, it’s more that it’s illegal revenue that’s going untaxed. And when done incorrectly, it can do serious damage.
“But the biggest reason is this is dangerous stuff. If the cooker doesn’t know what they are doing, or doesn’t care, lead salts poisoning is a very real possibility for the drinker,” explains a member of the task force. You can go blind, get irreparable brain damage or die from lead salts poisoning.”
Because while there are certainly dedicated, discerning liquor folks who have learned their craft as it’s been passed down over generations and “wouldn’t do anything to hurt their customers,” there are also plenty of unfeeling shmucks out there just trying to make a buck.
“The other ones are out for money. They’ll use old car radiators to run the whiskey through. That’s where you pick up your lead salts,” another task force member says. “They don’t care what kind of critters are crawling in their mash, or what kind of critters have died in their mash. We hit a still in Macon County where the water was coming out of a septic tank. Now how would you like to take a big swig of that whiskey?”
The time to go after those types is now, the task force believes, because eventually the small-timers will move up and into bigger things, which could include arming themselves.
Since the four-person task force was formed last October, the group has seized about 500 gallons of moonshine that would sell on the street for about $13,425, along with the ingredients to make another 1,428 gallons. The team has since added three more agents to keep up the bootleg busting.
“There’s always been a illegal liquor trade in Alabama,” one member explains. “It doesn’t matter what the economy does. You may see some times when cooking is up a little, or down a little. But it’s always taking place.”
All I know about (legal) moonshine is that if it tastes like blueberries, you’ll want to drink more of it. So be careful.
Alabama liquor board chases illicit hooch makers [USA Today]
Our protein-packed colleagues down the hall at Consumer Reports tried this out in their test kitchens, measuring the yield of super-thick yogurt and comparing the price per ounce to pre-strained yogurts available in stores. Their verdict? Straining your own yogurt can be cheaper, but isn’t necessarily. Organic plain yogurt from Stonyfield Farm cost more than the Greek variety. Store brand plain yogurt from Stop & Shop cost 38% less, and name-brand Dannon cost 15% less.
To be clear, the price calculations come from comparing the price of 32 ounces of Greek yogurt to 64 ounces of regular yogurt.
Their method was simple enough: you need a bowl, a strainer, and some paper coffee filters. Lay the coffee filters out covering the strainer, put the strainer in the bowl, then dump in the yogurt. Cover, refrigerate, and let the filters work their magic for at least six hours.
The disadvantage: you’ll have to make room in the refrigerator, dispose of a bunch of yogurt-covered paper filters, and get rid of your own acid whey.
Make your own Greek yogurt [Consumer Reports]
