Calculating Odds
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Calculating Odds
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Gayest city 2012
Gayest Cities in America, 2012
Our Honorable Mentions
16. Washington, D.C.
17. New Orleans
18. San Francisco
19. Pittsburgh
20. Salem, Ore.
21. Madison, Wis.
22. Eugene, Ore.
23. Oakland, Calif.
24. Boston
25. Kansas City, Mo.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Favorite Books of the Famous
Favorite Books of the Famous
Favorite Books of the Famous
Favorite Books of the Famous
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Woman sues over smelly car
Woman sues over smelly car
Friday, December 2, 2011
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
10 Brand Names Gone But not Forgotten
10 Brand Names Gone But not Forgotten
Some products are steeped in nostalgia, even many years after they disappeared from the market. Here are some of the most memorable ones.
Old brands never die -- they just fade from view until someone figures out a way to capitalize on the nostalgia for them.
If you live in New England, or are passing through, you may encounter Narragansett Beer. No, not the original; that brew debuted in 1890 and virtually disappeared after being acquired but neglected by mega-brewer Falstaff Brewing in 1965. The brand was reborn in 2005, after Mark Hellendrung, the former director of regional beverage maker Nantucket Nectars, led a group of investors that bought back the beer from Falstaff.
Auction specialist Racebrook last year said it was selling 50 "classic American brands" it had acquired over the years, including Handi-Wrap, Victrola, Braniff International and Shearson.
"In recent years, there has been renewed interest in branding that evokes nostalgia," said John Cuticelli, Racebrook's chief executive. "These brand names have been, and will become again, globally recognized by consumers."
There was a time when predicting the demise of Woolworth would have been unthinkable. The retail giant, for years one of America's biggest businesses, was among the so-called five-and-dime stores that used their buying power to undercut competitors' prices. Started in 1879, Woolworth is credited as being the first general merchandise store that kept its goods out in the open, letting shoppers handle, inspect and compare items.
For decades, shoppers across the country and overseas flocked to Woolworths to shop and snack at their beloved food counters, which often were community gathering spots. The company's success established a blueprint for the national discount retailers that followed.
So what happened to Woolworth? Simply put, it collapsed under its own weight -- expanding beyond sustainability and moving away from its five-and-dime roots and toward a department store model.
The end came in 1997 when its parent company pulled the plug and evolved into Foot Locker devoting its energy to athletic footwear and other sporting goods.
Other computer makers have come and gone, but the Commodore Amiga still commands a place of reverence among tech aficionados. As The New York Times once put it, "Amiga loyalists fanatical bunch who make Apple partisans look apathetic."
The first Amiga, made by Commodore as a follow-up to its Commodore 64, hit stores in 1985 as a top-of-the-line personal computer. Its various incarnations sold extremely well in the United States and Europe; users were enthralled by its fast processor, top-notch graphics, audio- and video-editing capabilities and its proprietary operating system.
Over time, competition from Apple and IBM cut into Amiga's share of the PC market. But a funny thing happened on the way to extinction: People held on to their machines, so much so that an estimated half-million are still in use. Websites and Internet message boards bring Amiga fans from all over the world together to offer advice, develop new programs and trade software and parts.
The computer's legendary status has led to a reincarnation. A-Eon Technology is a private company founded with the sole intent of developing hardware for the Amiga operating system.
If you were a fashionably dressed teen in the '80s, you probably relished a trip to the mall. Girls would head to Merry-Go-Round to pick up their Cyndi Lauper-inspired fashions, and the boys would load up on whatever they thought their pseudo-Valley Girl would like. If the outfit was really, like, oh my God, radical, it would be off to Glamour Shots to be immortalized in soft focus.
Fashion is fickle, and styles constantly change. Most retailers are able to adapt by rotating merchandise. But Chess King and Merry-Go-Round, owned by the same parent in their later years, seemed trapped in the amber of the New Wave era. Once the market for parachute pants, suspenders and Velcro wallets dried up, they went out of business in 1996.
If you were a somebody in the '60s and '70s, you probably flashed a Diners Club card when picking up the check. You may not see too many people paying with the card today, but it holds an important place in history; it helped launch the massive credit card industry we have today.
The origins of the card began when a man named Frank McNamara had dinner in a New York restaurant but left his cash in another suit. The embarrassing situation gave him the idea for a "charge card" that could be used for payment. In 1950, Diners Club International launched the first card of its kind, with members required to pay off the balance upon getting their monthly statements.
Over time, American Express horned in on its market, and there was additional competition from a new breed of "revolving credit" cards offered by the likes of Visa and MasterCard.
Those feeling nostalgic for their first charge card can take some solace in the fact that Diners Club, though rarely seen, still exists. It is owned by Discover Financial Services, which bought Diners Club International from Citigroup for $165 million in 2008.
As kids, many of us guzzled soda. It is no surprise, then, that cola brands trigger warm, fuzzy memories. PepsiCo recently tapped into such nostalgia when it introduced the Throwback lines of Pepsi and Mountain Dew beverages, packaged with retro labeling and featuring real sugar instead of high-fructose corn syrup.
Tab started the diet cola craze. Marketing slogans included "A Beautiful Drink for Beautiful People" and "One Calorie -- Beautiful."
The familiar pinkish can with simple white lettering has become a symbol of the 1970s aesthetic. TV shows and movies set during this era often include a Tab can in one scene or another.
Alas, Tab in its original form had a hard fall from '70s stardom. To start with, there was that whole cancer thing. To produce a tasty but low-calorie beverage, Tab included the artificial sweetener sodium saccharin. Tests on lab rats suggested that the sweetener could cause cancer. Those concerns led to mandatory, off-putting warning labels.
The bigger problem was the global power of the Coca-Cola brand. Soon after its introduction in 1982, a product called Diet Coke became the soda standard for calorie counters, and the company focused on it rather than its older Tab product.
Tab, which hit shelves in 1963, never regained its popularity. Nevertheless, it is still available in the United States if your grocer is inclined to carry it
Once upon a time, going to a steakhouse didn't mean dropping a week's pay at Morton's or the Palm. Middle America flocked to a variety of affordable, family steakhouses with names like Bonanza, Ponderosa and Sizzler, which still dot the landscape. Less durable was the Rustler Steak House, which thrived as an after-church, Little-League-victory, Uncle-Jim's-birthday-party kind of place for those in the mid-Atlantic states.
The beginning of the end for Rustler came when Marriott bought its parent company, the Gino's fast-food restaurant chain, as part of a move to extend its Roy Rogers brand. That plan fell apart when Marriott sold the Gino's chain to Hardee's, which, in turn, sold off the properties to McDonald's, Wendy's and Boston Market. A similar fate befell the family-friendly, cafeteria-style chain of York Steak Houses, many of which were found alongside shopping malls.
Popular in the '70s and '80s, York was owned by General Mills, which shuttered most of the steakhouses by 1989. The parent company also jettisoned other food brands, including Betty Crocker and Tree House, and in 1995 spun off the Red Lobster and Olive Garden chains into Darden Restaurants.
Today only one York Steak House remains, near the Westland Mall in Columbus, Ohio.
As kids we used to sneak a quick read of our mothers' copies of McCall's magazine. We weren't looking at the popular housekeeping-themed magazine for centerpiece ideas or sewing tips. Our focus was on the "Movie Guide for Puzzled Parents," a column intended to alert America's moms as to what releases had violence, nudity, swearing and gore. It unwittingly advised us which movies were worth sneaking into.
That might not be a great example of why this particular magazine was so iconic in its day. But it does illustrate something important: All of our moms either subscribed to the magazine or snatched up copies from supermarket checkout lines. It started in 1870 as a promotional tool to advertise sewing patterns, and by the 1960s, owing to the growth of middle class suburbia, it had nearly 8.5 million readers.
Over the years, the magazine remained popular despite multiple owners. Then along came Rosie O'Donnell. The success of the former VH1 VJ as a daytime talk show host gave the comedian Oprah-like aspirations to cross over into the world of publishing. In 2000 she was taken on as editorial director at McCall's, and the following year it was renamed Rosie, featuring O'Donnell on all subsequent covers. The change was ultimately a failure, and the magazine ceased publication.
Think of the great movies of the '70s and '80s -- "Star Wars," "Jaws," "E.T.," "Raiders of the Lost Ark" -- and the odds are good you will remember standing in line for tickets outside a General Cinema.
The theater chain opened in 1935 and helped usher in the era of the megaplex. While the movies were what we went for and remember most, the chain had its own flourishes that left us with fond memories.
There was its traditional animated Popcorn Bob and his Candy Band, who marched and danced while telling us not to talk during the show and reminding us of the snacks we could buy in the lobby. There was also the famous animated logo that preceded each film, the G and C merging into an abstract movie projector while a syncopated jazz jingle played: Doo doo doo doo doo doo doo doo.
After filing for bankruptcy in 2000, the movie chain was sold to rival AMC Theaters in 2002.
Think back to when the "friendly skies" were really friendly. When you could board an airplane without a strip search or carry on more than 3.4 ounces of water, and took your shoes off only if you wanted to.
There was a time when men wore suits and women wore their Sunday best when they boarded an airplane -- sweatpants or jeans were simply uncouth. Smoking? Sure thing. In fact, a lovely young stewardess would light your Chesterfield as she handed you another scotch and soda.
A lot of airlines have come and gone since the days when boarding an airplane was still an adventure and true luxury. TWA is MIA, and Braniff is perhaps remembered by many only because its TV commercial is part of the end credits of "South Park." Pan American World Airways, better known as Pan Am, still inspires happy memories, however.
What's so special about Pan Am? Aside from its starring role in the "glory days" of aviation, it pioneered many things we now take for granted, from jumbo jets to computerized reservation systems to in-flight snacks (back then they were meals).
This fall, ABC-TV is looking to tap into memories of those good old days with the series "Pan Am," a drama populated by the pilots and stewardesses of the famous airline.
Chiclets are those tiny, tiny pieces of gum, covered in a candy shell. Now owned by Kraft Foods. Chiclets are no longer easy to find in the United States. But the rest of the world, in particular the Middle East, still gobbles up the tiny treats.
Don't count Chiclets out just yet. As with so many candies, you can pretty much count on their return at some point, just like others that were snatched from the abyss to capitalize on nostalgia, such as Pop Rocks and Wacky Packages.
Monday, November 28, 2011
Hottest Toys for the Holidays
Hottest Toys for the Holidays
Hottest toys of 2011.Hottest Toys for the Holidays, Every year certain toys are tapped as the hottest presents for the holidays, and this time around there's quite the collection of cool, crazy and clever gift ideas on offer. From playful plush dolls to cutting-edge electronics, plus some new takes on old classics, we've got the goods for giving.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Famous bald men
Famous bald men
Monday, October 10, 2011
Facebook scams
Facebook scams
Sunday, October 2, 2011
Frugal celebrities
Frugal celebrities
Kristen Bell's breakout TV show put her career into high gear, but she actually got her start on Broadway. A starring role in a romantic comedy raised her stock even higher.
Warren Buffett could hardly be called stingy . If you need a little investment advice, you might find a few tips in his book.
Carey dominated the charts in the '90s . The new mom is reportedly going back to work.
The English billionaire (sold his business in 2006 . His current partner is a former model.
Cosby's career spans from brilliant standup to one of America's favorite TV shows . In 2009, he won a prestigious award, and this year he took home a very different kind of honor.
Former NFL cheerleader and "Desperate Housewives" star Teri Hatcher will soon be looking for a new job. Whom is she dating these days?
Poor Mick Jagger . He's worth $265 million, but his ex-wife says he was a real tightwad. The 68-year-old rocker's latest music endeavor is sans Stones .
The Miami Heat star and Olympic medalist was booed in a recent exhibition game in Philadelphia. James bought a house with his girlfriend last year.
"Tonight Show" host Jay Leno says he's tightfisted, but he still manages to maintain one pricey hobby. What did he argue with Michele Bachmann about recently?
Madonna has reinvented herself so many times you wonder if she can even remember who Louise Ciccone is. And what's with her love/hate relationship with hydrangeas?
He may be a hottie blood-sucker, but Robert Pattinson is a soft touch for his rumored co-star love interest. Read about a recent scuffle.
After a whirlwind romance with a much younger actress, Penn has a new woman in his life. The actor had a role in the recent release of two Americans from an Iranian jail.
Piven got his TV start on an HBO comedy show and has appeared in quite a few movies . The "Entourage" star was recently the butt of a Jane Lynchjoke.
This Indian billionaire turned a cooking oil business into a global technology services giant. He has been recognized as a leader in education through the work of his foundation.
TV chef Ray came by her trade naturally – her family owned several restaurants . In the mood to try something new? Browse her recipes.
In addition to picking up most of the tab for the royal wedding this past summer (how much was that?), Queen Elizabeth made royal cutbacks recently .
Britney Spears' Mouse Club days are far behind her . The little girl in this video grew up to be the woman in this one.
The entertainment diva by which all others must be measured, Streisand (photos) has garnered Grammys, Oscars, Emmys and a Tony in her long career . She released her 33rd studio album in August.
Usher released his first album as a teenager . Fifteen years later, he helped jump-start the career of another young artist.
Could it get any worse for Tiger Woods ? Probably. Some of his alleged mistresses say he was an extreme cheapskate – and his game has been off for some time.
Source: msn.com
Saturday, October 1, 2011
2011 September product recalls
2011 September product recalls
2011 September product recalls, Here September 2011 popular search product recalls. Companies issued recalls on everything from cantaloupes to lawn tractors this month. Find out which other popular products were deemed defective in September.
Jensen Farms recalled its Rocky Ford cantaloupe after it was linked to a multi-state outbreak of listeriosis.
Additional recalls:
All 16-ounce packages of Del Bueno's Queso Fresco Casero Fresh Cheese . Why?
Strong America's 5.28-ounce packages of Huipu Chinese Wolfberry (see photos) due to undeclared sulfites.
Sanith Ourn Farm (map it) recalled 390 pounds of fresh hot basil herb because it may be contaminated with salmonella .
Approximately 1,423 cases of frozen avocado pulp and 1,820 cases of avocado halves distributed in California in 2010. See the product codes. Why?
SunRidge Farms All Natural Milk Chocolate Cranberriesdue to an undeclared ingredient.
Multiple lines of Chocolate Decadence chocolate products, because they may contain undeclared milk. What could happen?
Approximately 1,535 units of individual 7.7-ounce containers of SoyNilla protein powder (see photos). What's the problem?
BUI Natural Tofu Shrimp Salad Roll and Vegetarian Salad Rolls , due to undeclared soy and wheat. Where were they distributed?
Best Food Cash & Carry's 14-ounce packages of Deer Raisin Golden raisins , because of an undeclared ingredient.
Quaker Oats 8-count Chewy Smashbar Graham Pretzel snack bars (see photos), due to an undeclared allergen (which one?).
Weehoo recalled about 2,700 of its iGo bicycle pedal trailers because of a faulty receiver. No injuries have been reported.
Additional recalls:
Approximately 180 American Woodcrafters wood twin and loft bunk beds due to a possible fall hazard. Was anyone injured?
Children's toys and clothing
Pottery Barn Kids recalled about 81,000 Chloe, Sophie and Audrey soft dolls in the United States due to a possible strangulation hazard. Were any injuries reported?
Additional recalls:
About 3,500 Twirlla wooden rattles , because a possible choking hazard. What could happen?
Little Tikes has recalled about 1.7 million toy workshop and tool sets . Some parts pose a choking hazard.
Pharmaceutical products
Qualitest Pharmaceuticals recalled multiple lots of its oral contraceptives because of a packaging error.
Additional recalls:
Slim Forte Slimming Capsules and Slimming Coffee and Meizitang Botanical Slimming 100% Natural Soft Gel have been recalled for containing a controlled substance.
Meat and seafood products
Cargill Meat Solutions recalled approximately 185,000 pounds of ground turkey products due to possible salmonella contamination. Get the establishment number.
Additional recalls:
Approximately 11,000 pounds of chicken, beef, veal and pork dumpling products (from which company?), due to an undeclared allergen.
Close to 40,000 pounds of frozen ground beef produced by Palo Duro Meat was shipped to warehouses in Georgia before tests revealed a possible contamination.
Tyson has recalled over 130,000 pounds of ground beef due to a possible e coli contamination. Get the package code.
Electrical items
Target stores recalled approximately 304,000 Chefmate six-speed blenders because of a possible laceration hazard. How many injuries were reported?
Additional recalls:
About 98,000 Goldstar and Comfort-Aire dehumidifiers after nearly 30 fires causing more than $1 million in damage were reported. Was anyone injured?
About 10,000 LED night lights distributed as free promotional products due to a burn hazard.
Vehicles
John Deere recalled about 5,200 of its D100 series lawn tractors (see photos) after reports of faulty brake assemblies surfaced. What could happen?
Additional recalls:
About 36,500 John Deere X300, X300R and X304 series lawn tractors , due to overheating and fire hazards.
About 6,100 Kubota riding mowers , due to a faulty fuel hose clamp that may pose a fire hazard. Was anyone hurt?
About 15,500 John Deere D100 series lawn tractors , due to a laceration hazard. What's the problem?
About 6,117 KTM North America off-road motorcycles , because of problems with the handlebar clamp. How many injuries reported?
Approximately 190 2011 BMW 328i and 335i cars, due to faulty driveshaft bolts.
About 205,233 model years 2007-2008 Hyundais , because of airbag problems.
Approximately 10,631 model years 2007-2008 Kia Sorento SUVs . Why?
About 69,590 2011 Subarus , due to problems with the moon roof.
Approximately 30,294 Volkswagen Jettas , because of a potential burn hazard.
Approximately 195,080 model years 2010-2011 Subarus, due to faulty windshield wipers.
Nearly 300,000 Subaru Imprezas and Foresters , because of suspension control arm problems.
Target recalled Embark resistance cords and cord kits (how many?) after reports of consumers being struck in the eye by the ball. How serious were the injuries?
Additional recalls:
Approximately 2 million units of pourable gel fuels by nine manufacturers after reports of flash fires. How many injuries were reported?
Source: Msn Special
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