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Thursday, December 16, 2010

CPSC Bans Sale of Drop-Down Cribs due to Infant Deaths and Safety

altNewsPage

Published Dec 15, 2010

Reports of more than 30 infant deaths in the last decade and continuing safety issues, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission banned all drop-down cribs.

As a result of ongoing safety issues, the Consumer Protection Safety Commission has officially banned the manufacturing, sales and re-sale of all drop-down style cribs as of December 15, 2010. Safety issues with the drop-down feature, including the rail dropping on infants and suffocation from a gap between the side rail and mattress, resulted in more than 30 infant and toddler deaths in the last ten years.

Drop-Down Crib Recalls Still in Use and for Sale

Although more than 1.5 million drop-down cribs were recalled in 1997, many of these cribs are still being sold at yard sales, thrift stores, eBay and other places. It has been reported that, despite the recalls, such cribs remained in use by daycares and parents who were never informed of the recall.

Parents who are unaware of the safety issues and past recalls often purchase the drop-down cribs due to the convenience. The cribs are designed to allow parents easy access for placing and removing infants and toddlers from the crib by lowering the side rail. In order to prevent further injuries and deaths from these cribs, the CPSC unanimously voted to outlaw any manufacturing and resale of such cribs.

Kids In Danger Supports CPSC to Tighten Standards on Crib Safety

Founded in 1998 after the death of a child who was strangled when a top rail collapsed, Kids In Danger has pushed for higher standards in both the manufacturing and testing of infant and toddler sleep equipment.

According to Nancy Cowles, executive director of Kids In Danger, a total of 5.7 million products designed for infant and toddler sleeping were recalled between 2007 and 2009, despite having met the current safety standards. Although the CPSC increased standards and third party testing, drop-down crib use continues to be a problem.

Reusing, Reselling and Replacing Used Cribs

Infant cribs are expensive, often ranging in price from 200 to 1,000 dollars or more. For many parents, this is a huge expense for something that will not get much use after two years. It is natural for parents to hang on to the cribs for use with future children, pass them down to friends and family, or sell them to recover some of the cost.

Additionally, many parents attempt to replace missing parts or fix the crib when parts stop working. This poses a serious danger to the infant or toddler, regardless of how well the fix appears to be working. It is recommended, as with infant car seats, that used or damaged cribs be destroyed rather than given away or repaired.

Alternatives to one-time use cribs are available, such as those that convert from a crib to a toddler bed, cutting down on the high cost of replacing sleep beds every two years. Only purchase sleep products that are brand new and immediately fill out and return the product registration card. This will keep you informed of any safety issues or recalls.

If you are currently using a drop-down crib, immediately stop using it and find an alternative sleep environment for your child. Destroy the crib and do not attempt to sell or give it away. Not only is it a safety issue for the child, the CPSC’s decision makes it illegal to do so.

References:

“After dozens of deaths, drop-side cribs outlawed”; The Associated Press; Dec. 15, 2010

“Nancy A. Cowles, executive director, Kids In Danger to CPSC Staff Roundtable on cribs and other sleep environments”; Kids In Danger; April 22, 2009

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Wednesday, December 15, 2010

Costly Habits That are Hard to Break

Dec 13, 2010 Greg Johansson

It's all about the Hamiltons - At.morey.tota

There are many things that we get used to doing, which do not necessarily make us bad people but end up turning us into bad spenders. Have you ever considered the amount of money you spend on your daily habits? It is relatively easy to calculate the cost of your daily living.

Here is a collection of some poor habits that you should avoid. You will still end up wasting colossal amounts of money even if you go for the cheapest options.

Soft Drinks

Many people take at least one soft drink per day. If we take the conservative average of $1.5 per bottle, you will use $547.50 in a year. In addition, you will have packed your body with lots of harmful substances that will end up costing you more money.

Gossip Magazines

There are many gossip magazines and you cannot possibly read all of them. So let us take an average of two magazines per week at $3.50 each. This is already $7 every week for fifty-two weeks. Even if you go for a discounted subscription, you will still have paid a lot of money by the end of the year.

You may choose to read the online versions. However, will you remain hooked up to your computer instead of boarding a vehicle to attend that important function?

Coffee

Perhaps you are so used to hearing about the dangers of caffeine that you have become accustomed to it. Consider the cost instead. At an average of $3.95 per cup, you will spend $1,442 in one year. The cost is still $1,031 even if you do not include weekends when you will not be at work.

Playing the Lottery

Perhaps you get comfort in the fact that you will help someone in need even if you do not win a lottery. But have you asked yourself how much actually reaches that person in need? Would it not be better to spend that dollar directly to the person?

If you spend just a dollar per day in the lottery, it translates to $365 per year.

Text Messages

Do not fall for that unlimited text messaging package unless you really send loads of messages. An unlimited text messaging option will cost you an average of $240 per year.

Other habits that will cost you lots of money in the end include smoking, watching porn, playing online poker, lack of car maintenance, and eating fries.

While people are interested in saving both money and time, they usually lose on one or the other. For instance, people tend to pay more to get convenience. While walking out of your hotel to buy a candy bar will require more time, you will spend less than when the candy bar is delivered to your room. If you would like to make financial savings, there are some costly products that you should do away with.

SMS

Cell phone carriers make a 6000% profit on text messages although you think that you are paying less for sms. The text messages are only 160 characters long because they use a secondary channel of data for coordinating voice communications.

600 text messages still contain less data than a minute of phone call. This means that if the rates of text data were applied, just a short telephone call would cost $120. You should therefore not be glad even if you pay only 10 cents per text message.

Bottled Water

The fact that a documentary film has been made on bottled water suffices to tell you that something is wrong. There are estimates that bottled water cost 4000% more than tap water. One plastic bottle requires five bottles of water to make. According to some estimates, prepackaged water costs more than one gallon of gas.

Approximately 40% of bottled water is taken from municipal taps. So, just fill up that bottle at home and carry it along.

Movie theater popcorn

Movie studios make more money from your ticket than the theaters do. The theater owners will therefore try to raise more money through the sale of snacks. The popcorn you buy at the movies costs 1,275% more.

As much as 40% of the profit that theaters make comes from such concessions. That is why they charge lower prices for the movie ticket to encourage more people to come. This provides the opportunity to sell more concessions.

Brand name drugs

Brand names cost relatively more while the essential ingredients are the same as the generics. The costs of generics have dropped while the brand names have increased. You should also check the respective costs of the generics themselves, for there is a great difference.

Other overpriced products include pre-cut vegetables, hotel in-room movies, hotel mini bar, greeting cards, a glass of wine, and a cup of coffee.

The little differences soon add up to significant amounts.

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How much are my comic books worth?

Dec 14, 2010 John Simcoe

Amazing Fantasy No. 15 - Marvel Comics

The value of a comic book is dependent on several factors, primarily the age, the characters it stars, the condition, the artists who created the comic and publisher. Look over these key points of your comic before trying to sell it.

Age of a Comic

The comic book industry has gone through some major changes since the 1990s. Most notably, many comic publishers now offer squarebound reprints of their entire line. This has helped make comics more "shelf-ready" for readers, it made them easier for book stores to carry and, most important to collectors, it pretty much killed off the back-issue market where a comic's value had the potential to increase over time.

Now most back-issue friendly stores carry a modern back-issue stock, where back issues published in the last year or so reside.

Another section includes more "vintage" comics, which usually contains comics from the early 1980s and back. This means that many stores have a noticeable gap between their modern back-issue collection and their vintage stock.

With that in mind, consider this guideline when planning to sell your comics.

If your comic is dated:

Five years ago to this year: You can sell it for $1 or so less than the cover price.
1990 to five years ago: Expect to get less than a dollar per issue
1986 to 1990: Maybe $1 per issue.
1980 to 1986: Expect to get $2 to $3 per issue
1970 to 1980: Expect to get $2 and $15 per issue, though the $15 issues are very rare.
1960 to 1970: This is a very collectible era, so prices can vary quite widely. Comics could go for as little as $15 to $100,000 or more.
1960 or earlier: This is the comic-book industry's "golden age," so comics from this period are rare and beyond the scope of this article. If you have a comic this old, check a price guide or a reputable retailer for guidance.

The Characters

There have been thousands upon thousands of comics published through the years, and most of them have been failures and were unable to gain ongoing attention from the readers. If you don't recognize the characters presented in the comic, you may very well have one of those failures, and you should expect a reduced sale price.

If you recognize a character, you might have a comic worth selling, but don't bet on it. Incredibly popular characters tend to be oversaturated and only their earliest appearances hold a decent value.

But don't give up on your comic just yet. Just because you don't recognize the star of the comic it doesn't mean its a bad comic.

Go to sites such as Wikipedia and Don Markstein's Toonopedia and query the character's name. If your search comes up, read through the entry and you can generally gather the character's significance.

In general also consider the type of comic book it is:

Superheroes: Easily the most collectible comics, but also the most oversaturated with failed books.
Western: Trendy in the 1950s and 1960s, but not so much now.
Movie Stars and other Celebrities: The market for these comics is generally small, since fewer and fewer people are interested in a specific celebrity. The heyday of these comics is long ago and their collectibility is limited to a small population of fans.
Horror: Highly collectible, especially those from the 1960s
Sci Fi: Moderately collectible, but often using unmemorable characters, which limits collecting appea.
Disney: Comics that feature Donald Duck, Uncle Scrooge and Mickey Mouse are often considered highly collectible, but there's only a small group of people collecting those comics.
Funny Animals aside from Disney: Largely non-collectible, unless you recognize the character.
Harvey: Comics with Richie Rich, Casper, Hot Stuff and Wendy are only moderately collectible.
Comic Strips: Comics that offer new adventures (or reprints) of comic strip characters have a low collectible value.
Archie: Archie comics have a low to moderate collectible value, especially those that are pre-1980s.

Condition

For most collectors, a comic's condition is absolutely vital. The value of a comic goes down for any of the following conditions:

Rolled spine: The comic's stapled area is rolled up, often as the result of being read while holding the front cover against the back cover.
Torn cover: The cover has tears or nicks out of it. This can significantly reduce a comic's value.
Writing on cover: This is often considered a minor defect, since newsstand employees often wrote dates on their covers.
Missing cover: If your comic is missing its cover, it's practically worthless.
Yellowed pages: Most comics were printed on newsprint paper, so this is an expected condition, however the whiter the pages, the higher the value.
Coupon cutouts: Often considered a minor defect, but still it reduces the value, especially when the cutout eliminates part of the story.
Stains: Dirt, water, food and other products can stain comics, which limits the value.
Printing errors: In stamps and coins, such an error increases value. This is not the case with comic books.
Taped: Comics that have been taped in an effort to repair them lose significant value.

Artists and other Creators

If your comic lists the creators of the comic, most notably the penciler, be sure to search their name on the Internet. A well-known penciler can significantly increase comics value. Beyond collecting certain characters, many collectors seek out specific artists.

Writers are of less interest to most collectors, and those who specifically collect the works of editors, letterers and inkers are practically non-existent.

Publishers

Some business had to finance all those thousands upon thousands of comics, right? Well, that's the job of the publishing company.

If the comic you're trying to sell is from Marvel or DC, you probably have your best chance of reselling it. Other companies to look out for are Archie, Fawcett, Warren, Charlton, Gold Key, Whitman and Quality. Those companies are often highly sought after.

More modern companies, such as Dark Horse, Mirage, Image, Fantagraphics, Kitchen Sink, IDW, Devil's Due, Dynamite, CrossGen, Malibu, Chaos, Broadway are less collectible, but might generate some interest.

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Free Mammography Screening for Uninsured Women

Dec 14, 2010 Sylvia Cruz

Free Breast Mammograms - dharder@MorgueFile

I recently had my annual mammogram at a local Hospital’s imaging center. While waiting my turn, I talked with a woman who was there for the second time and who turned out to be uninsured. She was forced to pay cash for the first screening and didn’t know how she was going to pay for a follow up mammogram and MRI.

I went home thinking that there has to be a way to get a service as basic as a mammogram at no cost to the uninsured. It turns out that there are some free breast Cancer screening services, including mammograms and MRI for uninsured low income women.

The guidelines for breast cancer screening vary depending on a woman’s age and history of breast cancer in the family. The American Cancer Society provides general guidelines for breast cancer detection. These guidelines include annual mammograms for women 40 years and older. Also, women with genetic markers for breast cancer and family history are recommended to undergo a MRI in addition to the mammogram. The recommendation for MRI testing should be done by a woman’s doctor. These recommendations are in addition to monthly breast self exams.

Free Mammograms for Low Income and Uninsured Women

For women on government programs like Medicare and Medicaid, mammograms and other breast cancer screenings are generally covered. For uninsured women, there are many breast Cancer imaging centers that provide low cost and free mammography.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, funds and provides local breast Cancer screening centers across all states. Using the CDC website, women can find low cost and free mammogram services by location. The CDC can also be contacted by phone at 1866-442-2262 to obtain free mammograms information.

The Susan G. Komen Foundation’s Affiliate Programs

Susan G. Komen is a non profit organization that funds local programs for detection and prevention of breast Cancer. Although the organization does not provide free mammograms directly, its affiliates do. These affiliates receive grants so that they can in turn provide free breast Cancer screening services such as mammograms.

Local breast Cancer detection services can be located using the Foundation’s internet site at ww5.komen.org. The Foundation may be contacted by telephone at 1877-465-6636 to find an affiliate that provides free mammograms and screening services.

Hospitals Outreach Programs for Breast Cancer Detection

Major local hospitals may operate community health outreach programs that benefit low income and uninsured women. These programs may include free and low cost mammograms and other Cancer detection services. To find out about free screening, women should contact major hospitals in their area and request information on free breast Cancer screening.

Women without health insurance should seek help for getting free and low cost annual mammograms. Government, non profit agencies and public and private hospitals provide free breast Cancer screening in local areas.

Women with low income and no insurance should start by talking to their doctor about low cost and free mammography. This is especially important for women 40 years and older and women with a family history of breast Cancer. Women who are determined to be at high risk of developing breast Cancer by a doctor should also seek these services.

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Car Finance: Best Option For Your Dream Car

Dec 13, 2010 Samuel Buaku

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With the current global economic crisis termed as the worst since the great depression of the 1930s leading to lots and lots of people losing their jobs, due several companies filing bankrupt, attaining car finance has really been very hectic not to mention the amount of inquiry interviews you have to go through followed by lots of documentary signature signings.

Nevertheless, there are concepts to-be car finance consumers need to know about before even thinking of applying for one. This is the car finance calculator which basically consists of a vehicle finance calculator to estimate the monthly payments for the vehicle you want to drive. This tool main importance is to help consumers to decide on whether to choose between a car dealer who also does financing or a banking institution.

For used car financing which is somewhat far easier to get than a new one, it is advisable to apply for one close to the Christmas time as that is when most car dealers make promotion to reduce the prices of vehicles for more consumers to buy more. Another option for targeting guaranteed car finance is between July and October because that is the time when dealers look forward to ridding off all their stock prior to getting newer models in. So, all kinds of low discounts are made which most of the time benefit consumers.

For majority of car finance establishments credit score reports is not a prerequisite as is termed by most financing companies. Having a steady job from where you can have an employment letter showing an adequate monthly income is all most of these companies request for prior to the approval of your in-house car finance.

Prior to your car finance being approved, there are certain things that you need to look out for. You must ensure that you what interest rates the package comes with and what repayments will be required from you after using the car finance calculator to know how much it is going to cost you. Once you accept that, you can then make a step further to ensure that you check the terms and conditions to ascertain yourself that there are no hidden costs involved. This is something you must always look out for as these financing dealers are known to be very treacherous.

Now that you know a lot about how to go for car finance, what you can do is to visit a considerable amount of car dealers within your area and apply the above for each, compare them and select the one that meets your affordability. Good luck in your car finance search!!

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Holiday Season Scams: From Fake Charities to Wi-Fi Hackers

Dec 12, 2010 Harriet Cooper

Christmas Scams Lead to Identity Theft - Alan Cleaver

As Charlotte Bumstead reminds us in her article, "McAfee Reveals The 12 Scams of Christmas." (Zoomer Magazine. Dec 9, 2010), the old saying "If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is" is even truer when it comes to anything connected to electronic gadgets and online use. Here are some of this year's Christmas and holiday online scams developed to separate you from your money and steal your identity.

Great Christmas Deals Are Often Rip Offs for Identity Theft

Get a free iPad or other gadget is one of this year's favorite Christmas scams. This offer comes in several flavors. You might see it as part of a deal in which you get a free electronic device if you spend over a certain amount of money or as a thank-you for taking an online quiz or survey. Don't believe it. As part of the scam, you're asked to give your cell phone number. You may find yourself automatically signed up for a cell phone scam that could cost you $10 a week and be hard to get out of.

"Get a free gift card" is a variation on the free gift scam. Facebook scammers set up pages that look like well-known retailers and offer free gift cards to people who sign up to the fan page. Part of the deal is asking for personal information. Instead of a gift card, subscribers find themselves victims of identity theft.

Websites offering unbelievable deals may simply be a way for scammers to draw customers into the websites and then steal their credit card information when they purchase non-existent goods. Only deal with reputable online retailers. If you're not sure, stay away.

False Bank Account Problems and Low-Interest Rate and Loan Scams

Money is often an issue with people at this time of year as they buy presents, go out for dinners or take trips. So, it's not surprising that scammers have found ways to try to relieve you of your money by imitating banks, online retailers and credit card companies.

As more and more people use their online devices to pay for things, scammers are turning that around to try and bilk them out of hundreds of dollars. The most common scam is to send a text message to people saying there is a problem with their bank account or online retail account. Customers are then asked to confirm confidential, personal information, such as account numbers and PINs, at which point their identity is stolen.

Most banks, credit card companies and online retailers tell customers that they never contact them online to request such information. If there is a problem with an account, these companies generally call or send a letter, asking the customer to contact them at a verifiable telephone number to continue the discussion. If you're suspicious, always verify the request by calling the number on the company's website or billing statement.

This is also the time of year when fake banks and credit card companies send out thousands of emails offering prequalified, low rate credit cards and loans. Along with the offer is a request for personal banking information to set up the loan or credit card. Once the scammers have the banking information, it's like giving them a key to your account. Instead of a loan or credit card, you may find your bank account has been emptied or that low rate loan or credit card is actually charging you way above normal banking rates.

Fake Charities and Travel Scams: Stealing Your Money and Identity

Two of the most common scams during the holiday season involve family and charities.

One common travel scam is for someone to send a fake distress message to friends or family, asking for emergency money. Supposedly, the traveler has lost his money, his ticket, or been in an accident and needs money quickly. Any money that friends or family wire or transfer ends up in the pocket of the scammer.

Many people give to charities during this time of year, both for themselves and increasingly instead of gifts. That's one reason why requests for charities go up during the holiday season. Unfortunately, so do scams. Many fake charities spring up at Christmas, often using names that sound similar to real charities, particularly charities for children, veterans or the latest war or disaster relief fund. Some use regular mail; others use phone solicitation.

Always doublecheck the exact name of the charity and don't give money over the phone if you've never dealt with that charity before. The same goes for canvassers who knock on your door. Ask for literature and then think about it. If you do want to donate online, most charities now have secure websites that allow you to do so.

Tis the Season for Wi-Fi Hackers and Identity Theft

It's not only technophiles who love free public Wi-Fi. So do hackers. When you're using public Wi-Fi, be particularly careful. It's easy for hackers to park themselves in these spaces and send other users emails and links, offering great deals that are a prelude to identity theft.

Don't fire up your computer or handheld device just anywhere Wi-Fi is available, Instead, make sure to use trusted Wi-Fi networks and well-established websites. As an added precaution, don’t check your bank accounts or shop online unless you're totally sure about the level of security. If you're not sure, wait til you're home or back at work.

Don't let hackers ruin your holiday season. Beware of too-good-to-be-true deals, don't give out personal financial information over Wi-Fi networks or in emails or texts, and use your head rather than your heart when responding to any request for money. For more information on protecting yourself against identity theft, check out TD Bank Financial Group's "Privacy and Security: Smart Online Usage."

Christmas Scams Lead to Identity Theft - Alan Cleaver
Win Free iPad or iPhone Scam - Yutaka Tsutano
Low Interest Credit Card or Bank Loan - The Truth About
Online Christmas Sale Scams and Identity Theft - Tim Parkinson
Beware of Fake Charity and Traveler Scams - Ryan McFarland

View the original article here

Costly Habits That are Hard to Break

Dec 13, 2010 Greg Johansson

It's all about the Hamiltons - At.morey.tota

Here is a collection of some poor habits that you should avoid. You will still end up wasting colossal amounts of money even if you go for the cheapest options.