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Above And Beyond: Lansinoh Preserves Customer's Faith, 163 Bags Of Breast Milk
Reader Kymberly sent Lasinoh Laboratories a concerned email after noticing that several of her 163 Lansinoh breast milk storage bags began to leak while defrosting:I have in my deep freezer 163 bags of breast milk. I am a working mother and I rely on the frozen milk in order to ensure that my son can have breast milk while at daycare. Unfortunately I an having a problem with bags leaking. I have a serious problem with this because I pay for a product that is supposed to freeze and store milk. The bags are not much use if they leak half the milk they store while they are being thawed. As a Military member who constantly has the possibility of deployment, having a large stockpile of milk is more important to me than most. Every bag of milk that I have in the freezer is one more meal that my son will not have to come from a can. I think that your bags need to be made of a thicker material. Gerber makes a bag that is thick and does not leak (at least the few bags I have); however,...

Good To Know: Surprise: Grocery Store Loyalty Cards Really Do Help People Return Lost Keys
The Colombus Dispatch informs us that Kroger loyalty cards do, in fact, help people find lost keys. The U.S. Postal Service delivers about 100 sets of lost keys each week to the Great Lakes region Kroger headquarters in Westerville, which covers most of Ohio, Michigan and West Virginia. Kroger employees look up customers' addresses and ship the keys and any attachments to their homes, often to very surprised owners."You just sent me a set of keys that I had already written off as gone forever," one wrote. "You people are GREAT! The gesture was just as valuable as the keys you sent back to me!"The key-return perk, touted when store discount cards first became popular about seven years ago at all types of retailers, has been wildly successful. Local postal carriers find six to 15 sets of keys a week in mailboxes, said Ray Jacobs of the Postal Service in Columbus."Any time there's a big event Downtown, we end up with a bunch of them," he said. Aw. That's nice. We always wondered...

Real Estate: Neighbors Complain Of "Unbearable Stench" Coming From Gordon Ramsay's Restaurant
Can having a "nice" restaurant in the neighborhood ruin your property values? Neighbors of Gordon Ramsay's New York restaurant say there is a "stench" coming from the place that is "unbearable." From the Daily Mail:Residents in an elegant apartment block have complained to health inspectors about the stench of duck and bacon from a giant extractor fan.They are also furious about noise from the fan and an airconditioning unit in the kitchen.The racket it makes has been measured at 57 decibels, they say - above the limit for local events such as rock concerts.They claim the row is ruining their sleep and hitting home values. A single restaurant is doing all of this? Apparently. "The fan is this giant contraption that looks like a praying mantis, almost two storeys tall, and the smells from it at times are horrifying."First thing in the morning on the weekend the smell of bacon permeates the air and we can't open our windows."It also is particularly intolerable when they are preparing...

Sad: 25th Anniversary Of Unsolved Tylenol Tampering Case
Medicines have tamper-proof seals for one reason: A 25-year-old case involving cyanide-laced Tylenol that killed seven people in the Chicagoland area during September of 1982. From USAToday:Helen Jensen can still picture the bottle of Tylenol perched in the medicine cabinet. She feels the receipt she pulled from the wastebasket. She hears the pills she poured onto the kitchen table.And she recalls the absolute certainty, even before she finished counting, that pills from the bottle in her hand killed the 27-year-old man who lived there, as well as two of his relatives."Six capsules were missing, and there were three people dead," she recalled thinking.It has been exactly 25 years since Jensen, then a nurse for the Chicago suburb of Arlington Heights who accompanied investigators to the home, played her role in a story that sent shock waves all over the country.In a space of three days beginning Sept. 29, 1982, seven people who took cyanide-laced Tylenol in Chicago and four...

Your Government: The State of Michigan will be shut down due ...
The State of Michigan will be shut down due to a budget crisis at midnight tonight unless lawmakers can work it out. [State of Michigan]

Bartman Not Invited This Time: Hey Comcast, Cubs Fans Want TBS In HD. Right Now.
Comcast will add TBS HD to their line-up in Boston Tuesday, a day before Major League Baseball's playoffs start, but Chicago isn't getting the same treatment according to reader Daniel. He seems very distraught:As you know, the Cubs are in the playoffs. The National League playoff series will be shown ONLY on TBS. Comcast does not carry TBS HD! Are Comcast viewers in Chicago going to get Cubs in HD? Comcast in Boston just added TBS HD for playoffs. What about Chicago?????? Is this what we are paying for? No Cubs in HD????I can't get satellite due to living in an apartment. Help us Consumerist!Dan Watch out, Comcast. Angry Cubs fans will join the Phillies fans and start pelting deep dish pizza and Italian beef sandwiches at you. Hatred of Comcast brings everyone together.(Photo:Meghann Marco)

Tragic: US Airways Passenger Dies In Holding Cell After Airport Arrest
A US Airways passenger who was late for her flight and denied boarding by the gate crew became agitated and caused enough of a stir that she was arrested, according to USAToday. The woman was placed in handcuffs and taken to a holding cell where she was found dead sometime later. It's suspected that she may have been trying to escape the handcuffs and accidentally choked herself to death, but the exact cause of death is unknown.From USA Today:Carol Ann Gotbaum, 45, of New York, was arrested Friday at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport after a conflict with gate crews who refused to allow her to board a plane, said Sgt. Andy Hill, a Phoenix police spokesman.The airline said the plane was already preparing to depart. She was rebooked on the next flight, but "she became extremely irate, apparently running up and down the gate area," US Airways spokesman Derek Hanna said Saturday.Officers handcuffed her and took her to the holding room, where she kept screaming, authorities...

Recalls: Media Roundup: What Should Parents Do About Recalled Toys?
The toy recalls are still big news and something (the autumnal equinox, perhaps?) triggered an avalanche of "Oh, no! What should parents do?" advice stories from the media. Most, if not all, mentioned recalls.org,but you can also subscribe to Consumerist's "recalls" feed. Here's a round up of advice:The New York Times just ran around asking parents, bloggers and toy company owners about the issue:Ms. Nemeth [who founded Discovery Toys in 1978 and sold the company to Avon a decade ago] said that if she had a toddler,"I'd avoid anything that is painted -- I'd just wait until the industry shakes itself out." Besides, she said, "by bringing home wooden blocks that are unpainted, you're probably helping your child's creativity."But plain wooden blocks alone probably will not satisfy most toddlers. Danielle Wiley, a 33-year-old publicist in Chicago, recalls a recent tantrum that her 2-year-old son, Max, had in the bathtub."I knew a new toy would help," Ms. Wiley said, but the only...

Ew: Jones Soda launches dirt, sweat tasting Seattle ...
Jones Soda launches dirt, sweat tasting Seattle Seahawks themed sodas. No thanks. [BusinessWeek]

Bait And Switch: Gas stations along I-80 accused of advertising ...
Gas stations along I-80 accused of advertising one price and charging another will give $5,000 to charity as part of a settlement with Nebraska Attorney General Jon Bruning. [Lincoln Journal Star]

Futility: Should You Test Your Children's Toys For Lead? No.
The Times is reporting that some overzealous parents are manually testing their children's toys for lead. Take Andrew Jones, a well meaning but admittedly paranoid father to a 3-year-old:Like many parents, Mr. Jones said he was suspicious of all of his daughter's toys now that millions of items for children have been recalled for high levels of lead.To put his mind at ease, Mr. Jones bought several LeadCheck swab kits from his local hardware store to test dozens of his daughter's toys. So far, he has not found any lead.After the jump, we explain why this is an utter waste of time.Home testing kits are not reliable. If you want an accurate reading, be prepared to shell out $25,000 for an industrial grade scanner. Don't believe us? How about the CPSC, EPA, and CDC? Oh, you hate the government and only trust the private sector? Fine, let's ask the makers of the home testing devices: "Vendors say that test kits are not intended to gauge lead levels but can be useful for parents."...

Subprime Meltdown: Allan Sloan from Fortune magazine argues ...
Allan Sloan from Fortune magazine argues that Bernanke is the enemy of the prudent investor. [CNNMoney] (Thanks, Michael!)

In Poor Taste: Walmart "Stalking" T-shirt Angers Stalking Victim
A stalking victim that has found she has little legal recourse against her harasser due to North Carolina's weak laws is angry at Walmart for selling a T-shirt that makes light of stalking.The t-shirt reads: "Some call it stalking, I call it 'love'." The Charlotte News&Observer says:For the past two years, this woman has been stalked until she feels like a prisoner in her own life. She has been spied upon, bullied and threatened with her life.She has been in frequent communication with local authorities. Yet, because North Carolina has one of the most vague stalking laws in the nation (a bill is wending its way through the legislature to address that), her recourse has been limited.So when she saw the T-shirts, clearly aimed for the teen-younger adult set, she didn't see the humor."It's reprehensible," said the woman, whose story is well documented but who asked not to be identified for fear that her stalker might retaliate."People don't realize how serious stalking is,"...

Savings: It's already fall - time to start saving ...
It's already fall - time to start saving for the holidays! The holiday shopping season may not kick off for 52 days, but it's never to soon to start saving. By socking $5 away every day between now and Christmas, you can build up a cache of over $400.

RTFM: Lowe's Installers Fail To Follow 9-Step "Easy Guide To Quick Setup," Break Washing Machine
Poor Eric. He only wanted Lowe's to deliver and install a Bosch washing machine, a tall order for any home improvement giant. Eric chose Lowe's to escape Home Depot's notoriously horrible customer service, but Lowe's installers turned out to be just as incompetent. Thanks to their shoddy workmanship, Eric new washing machine has an uncontrollable urge to shake across the room when in use.I finally realized why it was moving; the installer did not read the "Easy guide to quick setup" booklet with only 9 steps to follow through. The most essential step which was in big bold letters stating "removing the transport bolts is VERY IMPORTANT!".Bosch insists that the washer is damaged, but Lowe's refuses to deliver a replacement. Eric writes:Dear Lowes,Please take the time to read my experience, which is only fair because your company took time out of my life which was completely avoidable and unnecessary. My name is Eric and my father John is the person who bought the washer. I have...

No Install: Home Depot Sells You A Deck They Can't Legally Build
Robert and his wife ordered a deck from Home Depot with the understanding that it would be installed around the middle of August. It turns out that Home Depot didn't have necessary certification in order to build the deck. Home Depot is now requiring Robert and his wife wait until around Thanksgiving while their engineer does his paperwork.Robert writes:I have been a long time reader of The Consumerist and I thought that this would be a good time to submit something. In June my wife and I decided that it was time to add a deck onto the back of our house. We had 4 or 5 contractors come out to our house and give us estimates. We decided to go with the Home Depot Deck Division because of their name as well as the quality of deck that we would be getting. We signed the contract on July 2nd. We were told that the deck would be put in around the middle to end of August. We really didn't want to wait, but figured we would have it in time for a Labor Day get-together. We were told...

Real Estate: Advice For Those Who Want To Buy The Home They're Renting
Bankrate has some advice for those of you who want to buy the home you are currently renting. With the market in shambles, renters have some leverage in the negotiations. A rent-to-own arrangement, also referred to as "lease-purchase" or "lease-to-own" deal, is generally a binding agreement for a renter to buy at the end of a set period. In a seller's market it's harder to get landlords to agree to lease-options. But in many respects, the timing seems right for your parents to talk with the owner about structuring an option arrangement.Rent-to-own arrangements are generally structured so the renter/buyer agrees to pay above-market rent (20 percent and up) over a period ranging from one to three years in order to accumulate the equivalent of a down payment. Thus, if your parents are paying $1,200 per month in rent, they may be asked to boost that to $1,500 per month for say, a 30-month period, thus accumulating a $9,000 "down payment" in that period. Typically, the buyout price...

News From The Swamp: The fate of the internet tax moratorium remains ...
The fate of the internet tax moratorium remains uncertain as the Senate Commerce Committee failed last week to extend the ban. Before pulling the measure from consideration, Chairman Inouye was planning to offer a manager's amendment that would have extended the ban for six years, surpassing the four-year extension provided by the Carper-Alexander bill, but falling short of the permanent ban envisioned by the competing Wyden proposal. The two camps will continue to negotiate ahead of the ban's November 1 expiration. [Reuters]

Booing Santa: Comcast Accidentally Angers Philadelphia Sports Fans, Retreats To Secure Bunker
Comcast is holed up in a secure bunker today after accidentally angering some Philadelphia sports fans who were hoping to see the Phillies play the Nationals as they attempt to win the NL East.Instead of the home team call, they were forced to watch the game on MASN2, whatever that is. Lancaster Online explains, sort of:The game, a 6-0 Phillies' win, was on MASN2, which is picked up on Comcast Lancaster on channel 65. The channel is normally reserved for CSPAN2, but is used when the Baltimore Orioles and Washington Nationals are playing at the same time. MASN and MASN2 cover Orioles and Nationals games. Because Philadelphia was playing the Nationals, Phillies fans could see their first-place team as it competes for a National League division title and a spot in the playoffs for the first time since 1993.The Phillies Web site -- Phillies.com -- had the game listed on Comcast Sportnet, further confusing and frustrating local fans. The team changed the listing to CW 57 at 5 p.m....

Success Stories: Executive Email Carpet Bomb Scores Direct Hit On Time Warner
Reader Clayton launched the feared Executive Email Carpet Bomb against Time Warner executives after learning that the cable installation he scheduled for this week would not occur until November. Within an hour of launching the EECB, Clayton received a call from Time Warner promising to reschedule his installation for this weekend. Clayton's EECB:Hello,My name is Clayton. I recently bought a new condo and was excited to finally subscribe to TW cable and internet after I spoke to your customer service representative last Monday, 9/24.Before I ordered cable and internet I asked the representative if they would be able to install my service this coming weekend. I was told that the usual wait was only 3 days, so it will be no problem. Keeping this in mind I ordered a package.When everything was finished and it came time to schedule the installation, I was told that she was mistaken, and the earliest date they could install would be the following Monday, October 1st. Needless...

Pointing Fingers: AT&T To Blame For Memphis Air Traffic Control Snafu
AT&T manages the phone line that went out at a Memphis air traffic control center Tuesday, causing massive delays nationwide. According to acting FAA Administrator Bobby Sturgell the issue was a "BellSouth/AT&T problem."From the AP:"The service disruption was a result of equipment failure ... (and) the company is conducting a comprehensive investigation to determine the cause," according to a statement from AT&T that said no additional information was available. AT&T, which is based in San Antonio, acquired BellSouth Corp. last year.The outage shut down all air traffic within 250 miles of Memphis because the air traffic control center could not fully communicate with flights passing through its airspace. National Air Traffic Controllers union spokesman Doug Church on Tuesday called the outage a major safety problem and said controllers had to use their personal cell phones to talk to other air traffic control centers. Personal cellphones? That's comforting. FAA...

Telecommuting: That call center worker on the phone just ...
That call center worker on the phone just may be wearing a skort now that companies are increasingly allowing workers to field customer service calls from home. [BusinessWeek]

Lawsuits: Apple Sued For iPhone "Price Discrimination"
A New Yorker who waited for hours to be one of the first to buy an iPhone is now suing Apple, says Apple Insider. Dongmei Li of Queens is accusing Apple of various sins such as "price discrimination, underselling, discrimination in rebates, deceptive actions, and other wrongdoings."Li purchased a 4GB model of the iPhone and now is upset that she can no longer resell her purchase for the same profit that someone who bought one after the price drop. She's also upset that her phone has already been discontinued. The $100 store credit offer didn't placate Li because she thought it was unfair that Apple gave full $200 refunds to those customers who purchased their phones within the two-week return window. From Apple Insider:Li included in her 8-page complaint historical stock graphs that show Apple's share price to have risen in between the time it released iPhone in late June and when the company instated the price cut. She argues that this is proof that there was no sound reason...

Health Care: AARP Can Double Costs For Seniors
The L.A. Times is reporting that AARP products are not always the best deal for senior citizens. The American Association of Retired Persons is susceptible to a profit motive; $400 million - 40%, of their annual budget - is generated from "royalties and service provider relationship management fees" gleaned from products, such as Medigap insurance, sold to its 38 million members.There is also a reason AARP's Medigap policies -- sold to Medicare recipients to cover expenses that the federal program doesn't pick up -- aren't the cheapest, Sohn said. AARP is a national organization and wants to offer the same product to residents of every state. But providing health insurance is more costly in some states than in others. These products are regulated on a state-by-state basis, which makes operating in some places considerably more expensive than in others. Because the organization offers the same product everywhere at the same price, policyholders in low-cost states essentially...

Shopping: Are Americans Addicted To Coupons?
Alright consumers, Macy's heard you loud and clear: you want a good deal, not a good price. To celebrate the revelation, Macy's is proud to announce the return of the coupon. Psychological gratification is yours to clip and snip away, 15%-20% at a shot.Despite their dowdy image, coupons remain a huge business. In 2006, companies issued 279 billion of them, or roughly 1,000 per person, up 13 percent in four years, according to NCH Marketing Services in Deerfield, Ill.They remain, above all, a psychological tool, granting shoppers the seemingly illicit -- and gratifying -- right to snag a bargain. (Never mind that stores typically set prices high and budget for the "discounts.")"If you have ever watched a person at a cash register with a handful of coupons, you can see they are so proud," said Jan S. Slater, a professor of advertising at the University of Illinois. "They love taking their coupons out, counting them, showing them off, watching as the tab on the cash register falls."But...