Once again, apologies to my regular readers for not having written and/or posted anything recently. As some of you might know, I have been working on several books for the last year. Needless to say, I have been very busy.
I’m going to jump right into this posting’s product review. It is probably the easiest product review that I’ve ever written considering that I have absolutely nothing good to say about this product. This month’s review comes courtesy of Craig Electronics and what passes for their “quality” mp3 player.
I bought a Craig manufactured 2 gigabyte mp3 player from Amazon after reading a couple of good reviews of the product. However, I should have read further reviews because for some reason, positive Amazon listings of products tend to be the first one listed, while those warning would-be buyers of the more negative aspects of a particular product lag behind on the list. Whether by design or incidence, I opted to use my own platform here to warn those in the market for an mp3 player to stay as far away from the piece of garbage as possible.
From the moment I received this product, there were problems, the major one being that it simply did not work (yes, I purchased this product new, not “refurbished”). According to packaged instructions, purchasers should charge player for approximately 10 hours prior to first use—which I did (the player is supposed to be charged with the power switch in the “on” position). After about 12 hours of charging (I left it charged while I went to work during a 12-hour shift), I came back to the product expecting it to function. But sometimes, expectations often exceed reality. This product proved that in spades.
I then charged the product another 10 hours with the power switch in the “off” position, in the hopes that I might have bought the one version of the product that was somehow mis-wired. No go. No lit screen…nothing. After my frustration level shot past the maximum tolerance level, I then contacted the manufacturer’s customer service center for a remedy. I was told that I would have to send the product back to their service center along with $15 dollars to “fix” the problem.
Curious, I went back online to search other sites hoping to pick up more accurate and relevant reviews of the Craig 2 gig mp3 player. Did I ever learn that it pays to read as much as you can about an off-brand product, especially electronics. I found many similar reviews by disgruntled customers of Craig’s mp3 players. Luckily, Amazon was willing to provide me with a refund for the defective product. But I don’t blame Amazon, I blame Craig Electronics for impersonating a manufacturer of working consumer products. Don’t waste your money on this (or any) Craig-produced product.
So disappointed I was with this product that I'm going to convey upon it the first "Golden Turn Award" given away by Beyond Dollars & Sense. Way to go Craig! Please don't keep up the "good" work!
Beyond Dollars & Sense is a forum dedicated to informing American consumers about the best ways to save money, and find the best values in an ever-challenging economy. It is also a source for up-to-the hour financial and business-related news.
Tuesday, April 8, 2014
Saturday, January 18, 2014
Teaching Kids About Money
Just a little something I came across that goes a long way towards helping children understand the value of a dollar.
Thursday, January 16, 2014
J.C. Penny To Close 33 Stores - An Opportunity To Save!
Whenever someone of a particular age groups hears about the closing of a store with history, it tends to evoke thoughts of nostalgia, or memories of simpler times and experiences in that store. When J.C. Penny announced this week that it was closing some 33 stores around the country in an effort to save the struggling retailer some more than $60 million in annual costs and expenditures (and ending some 2,000 positions), this was probably the thinking that entered into the minds of some longtime and loyal customers of the chain. However, what I and other penny pinchers thought upon hearing this news was the opportunity to save money in the upcoming inventory liquidations that are sure to come in the wake of the closings. Granted, some stores will be moving their inventories to higher-performing stores designated to stay open, more isolated stores will probably be the ones to begin slashing prices in order to reduce their stocks in preparations for the closings, which are slated to being this New Year.
Below is a list of the stores slated to close, as reported by the Wall Street Journal yesterday. It is highly-advised that those looking for deals—especially in the vicinity of these particular stores—to keep a sharp eye out for sales indicating the beginning of inventory reduction.
AL
|
Selma
|
Selma Mall
|
CA
|
Rancho Cucamonga
|
Arrow Plaza
|
CO
|
Colorado Springs
|
Chapel Hills Mall
|
CT
|
Meriden
|
Meriden Square
|
FL
|
Leesburg
|
Lake Square Mall
|
FL
|
Port Richey
|
Gulf View Square
|
IA
|
Muscatine
|
Muscatine Mall
|
IL
|
Bloomingdale
|
Stratford Square Mall
|
IL
|
Forsyth
|
Hickory Point Mall
|
IN
|
Marion
|
Five Points Mall
|
IN
|
Warsaw
|
Marketplace Shopping Center
|
MD
|
Salisbury
|
The Centre at Salisbury
|
MI
|
Marquette
|
Westwood Plaza
|
MN
|
Worthington
|
Northland Mall
|
MS
|
Gautier
|
Singing River Mall
|
MS
|
Natchez
|
Natchez Mall
|
MT
|
Butte
|
Butte Plaza Shopping Center
|
MT
|
Cut Bank
|
(N/A)
|
NC
|
Kinston
|
Vernon Park Mall
|
NJ
|
Burlington
|
Burlington Center
|
NJ
|
Phillipsburg
|
Phillipsburg Mall
|
OH
|
Wooster
|
Wayne Towne Plaza
|
PA
|
Exton
|
Exton Square Mall
|
PA
|
Hazleton
|
Laurel Mall
|
PA
|
Washington
|
Washington Mall
|
TN
|
Chattanooga
|
Northgate Mall
|
VA
|
Bristol
|
Bristol Mall
|
VA
|
Norfolk
|
Military Circle Mall
|
WI
|
Fond Du Lac
|
Forest Mall
|
WI
|
Janesville
|
Janesville Mall
|
WI
|
Rhinelander
|
Lincoln Plaza Center
|
WI
|
Rice Lake
|
Cedar Mall
|
WI
|
Wausau
|
Wausau Mall
|
And as with any store closing, prices will invariably being to cut more the closer each store gets to actually shutting its doors. The closing of these J.C. Penny’s stores might actually be an opportunity in disguise to do a little early gift-shopping in anticipation of next Christmas…or to indulge in a little self-pampering with savings on high-end merchandise. Stay tuned!
Tuesday, January 7, 2014
Disaster Planning - Publications Available
I suppose in a sense, this posting for the new year is indirectly related to financial planning. Specifically, it relates to ways to mitigate the financial costs that may be incurred when someone faces the prospect of a natural (or man-made) disaster. Granted, this posting is something of a personal plug, it does have the direct effect of helping people cope with the losses that may be incurred in the event of a disaster.Some of you might have noticed that I haven’t been writing and/or blogging as regularly as I have in the past. Although I still manage to keep abreast of many issues—social, political, and financial—my time been consumed by writing and publishing books. My first (among many future) endeavors is a series of crisis manuals based on a crapload of research I had intended for another project.
The first four of these crisis manuals have already been published, and two of them are already listed for sale on both Amazon.com. and Lulu.com. The first is called “The No-Nonsense Guide To Tornado Safety.” The guide is exactly what it appears to be—an 84-page source of information related to knowing about, planning for, and responding to tornadoes. In addition to providing a survey-level understanding of these potential disasters, the guide provides the most up-to-date advice and suggestions by weather and safety experts about what to do in (planning for in) the event that a tornado disaster. The guide gives a brief history of tornadoes and their effects as it relates to planning, as well as a series of appendixes that list—among other things—where publicly assessable tornado shelters (those operated by local municipalities as well as those privately-run) are to be found in the most tornado-prone regions in the country. There is also a state-by-state (province-by-province in Canada) listing for regional government offices charged with disaster-relief, as well a list for charitable organizations whose functions include the same. I designed these series of books to be a one-stop source of safety information on related disasters.
The No-Nonsense Guide To Tornado Safety
• Paperback: 84 pages • Publisher: lulu.com (November 22, 2013) • Language: English • ISBN-10: 1304648648 • ISBN-13: 978-1304648648 • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounce
Amazon.com
Lulu.com
In addition, three more books in the series are also available for sale, with availability on Amazon projected in the future. I also hope to publish ebook versions of my publications when it becomes feasible given my time constraints. “The No-Nonsense Guide To Blizzard Safety,” a book whose subject-matter has become more relevant in recent weeks, is similarly designed to be a one-stop guide for anything and everything related to blizzard safety as well as planning in the event of blizzards.
The No-Nonsense Guide To Blizzard Safety
• Paperback: 54 pages
• Publisher: lulu.com (December 21, 2013)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 9781304709394
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 0.28 pounds
Lulu.com
The third book in this series is “The No-Nonsense Guide To Flood Safety.”
• Paperback: 60 pages • Publisher: lulu.com (November 22, 2013) • Language: English • ISBN-10: 1304648613 • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
Amazon.com
Lulu.com
The final published book in the series is “The No-Nonsense Guide To Hurricane Safety.”
• Paperback: 59 pages • Publisher: lulu.com (December 20, 2013) • Language: English • ISBN-10: 9781304733030 • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
Lulu.com
I would urge everyone concerned about their safety and planning for their safety as it relates to natural (and man-made) disasters to purchase these books before the seasons for these events are upon us.
Thanks in advance.
The first four of these crisis manuals have already been published, and two of them are already listed for sale on both Amazon.com. and Lulu.com. The first is called “The No-Nonsense Guide To Tornado Safety.” The guide is exactly what it appears to be—an 84-page source of information related to knowing about, planning for, and responding to tornadoes. In addition to providing a survey-level understanding of these potential disasters, the guide provides the most up-to-date advice and suggestions by weather and safety experts about what to do in (planning for in) the event that a tornado disaster. The guide gives a brief history of tornadoes and their effects as it relates to planning, as well as a series of appendixes that list—among other things—where publicly assessable tornado shelters (those operated by local municipalities as well as those privately-run) are to be found in the most tornado-prone regions in the country. There is also a state-by-state (province-by-province in Canada) listing for regional government offices charged with disaster-relief, as well a list for charitable organizations whose functions include the same. I designed these series of books to be a one-stop source of safety information on related disasters.
The No-Nonsense Guide To Tornado Safety
• Paperback: 84 pages • Publisher: lulu.com (November 22, 2013) • Language: English • ISBN-10: 1304648648 • ISBN-13: 978-1304648648 • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounce
Amazon.com
Lulu.com
In addition, three more books in the series are also available for sale, with availability on Amazon projected in the future. I also hope to publish ebook versions of my publications when it becomes feasible given my time constraints. “The No-Nonsense Guide To Blizzard Safety,” a book whose subject-matter has become more relevant in recent weeks, is similarly designed to be a one-stop guide for anything and everything related to blizzard safety as well as planning in the event of blizzards.
The No-Nonsense Guide To Blizzard Safety
Lulu.com
The third book in this series is “The No-Nonsense Guide To Flood Safety.”
• Paperback: 60 pages • Publisher: lulu.com (November 22, 2013) • Language: English • ISBN-10: 1304648613 • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
Amazon.com
Lulu.com
The final published book in the series is “The No-Nonsense Guide To Hurricane Safety.”
• Paperback: 59 pages • Publisher: lulu.com (December 20, 2013) • Language: English • ISBN-10: 9781304733030 • Product Dimensions: 9 x 6 x 0.2 inches
Lulu.com
I would urge everyone concerned about their safety and planning for their safety as it relates to natural (and man-made) disasters to purchase these books before the seasons for these events are upon us.
Thanks in advance.
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