Will Holiday Sales Revive Slow Retail Sales?

With colder than normal and other severe weather conditions hampering retail in the first and second quarters of 2014, economist predict sales will increase in the third and fourth quarters but not enough to offset the slow start. Despite negative projections offsetting holiday retail expectations, the news is not all bad. According to Dan Eaton of bizjournals.com "employment is growing at the strongest pace since 2005, business and consumer confidence is up and manufacturing activity is growing."

While Santa may not exactly be dropping off new Mercedes or even a free month's lease on a Prius this year, overall the economy continues to grow. As a forever optimist, I still see the toilet bowl half full! As for Santa himself, his helpers are doubling up shifts and working twice as hard to fill those etch a sketch and iPad orders.

Are Retailers Going too Far Pushing Holidays and Occasions?

The way many advertisers keep pushing Christmas earlier, you would think the holiday is in July. This year, a well-known retailer began pushing "back to school" practically the day school recessed. How did they get away with it? With a commercial only containing music, this subtle advertising was less distasteful but the implication was still clear. Likewise, when did President's Day become a month long event? If there is a way to stretch the holidays to make a buck, someone has thought of it. By the time Christmas actually does come around, it's almost like, why are they still talking about that? Isn't that an old sale?

Do these methods of getting business ruin it for some? Of course, but the concept of holiday greeting cards was born in commercialism and you cannot separate that fact. It may be a drudge starting the new year with a month long event that never seems to stop but ultimately, businesses need every edge these days to stay afloat. It's not that they want to look untimely but with everyone else doing it, not pushing the holidays can be a fatal flaw.

Real Estate Fraud, Hard to Spot

So you've purchased that perfect house that's been completely remodeled inside and out. Unfortunately, you didn't think to check if the work was permitted. Unbeknownst to many, work that is unpermitted is not only illegal for resale but also a potential liability if it leads to injury for any future resident or guest. Even more disturbing, that newly remodeled kitchen may be hiding knob and tube wiring even though the listing stated new wiring. To fool inspectors, it is not uncommon to find new wiring at the receptacles tied illegally to old knob and tube wiring. Since inspectors cannot see inside walls, such issues often go undetected regardless of the hazard.

Sometimes the signs of fraud actually begin with the agent. That little “oversight” of the type of flooring for example that the realtor didn't want to mention like fact that the flooring is Linoleum instead of ceramic tile or that the GDO (garage door opener) doesn't exist because the overhead door is not automatic. A careful look at listings often reveals not only discrepancies often of household features but also double listings. Ever see a house listed with an exercise room? Most people would assume this is a bonus room but an actual viewing might show the room is really a tiny third bedroom that's been listed twice. You can't have it both ways realtors! If the room has multiple purposes fine, but don't list it separately under two categories! Unfortunately, these are just a tiny fraction of the games some agents will play to sell houses.

Future of Microsoft

With Microsoft laying off more employees, the company has seen brighter days. Some of this was expected as they planned to cut major costs during the Nokia acquisition. However, Microsoft has just announced the closing of its video game production company, Xbox Entertainment Studios. All this comes in the midst of Microsoft's perhaps greatest blunder, Windows 8. Despite setbacks, Microsoft remains determined to reinvent itself as it works to improve its product lines.

If leaked screenshots of Windows 9 mark the direction that Microsoft will be going, they do appear to be making some progress. The new Start menu now appears to have a Settings option as opposed to the less user-friendly name, "Control Panel". It may still go to the same program but they appear to be making things less intimidating particularly to novices. Windows 8 hid settings configurations as well as many other critical functions much to the frustration of traditional Windows users. Moreover, this appears to be a real Start menu and not just the live tiles. The only caveat is that Windows 9 is still in planning and much could change before the final release. Will it truly be better or does Microsoft still need a lesson on who they should be taking advice from? Only time will tell.

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Right to Prompt Service Cancelation

When I canceled my Daily News subscription, I was dismayed about the rigmarole I went through just trying to terminate home news delivery. First, they tried tempting me with a cheaper subscription and when that failed, they went to plan B - make it as hard as possible to cancel. Rather than just allowing me to cancel on the spot, they said a representative would call me back to "confirm my cancellation" over the next few days. Although infuriated, I held my temper and finally agreed to the callback. Suppose I missed the call? Would I be stuck with the paper? After the second representative failed to renew my interest, my subscription was ultimately canceled. Way to go Daily News! You've now guaranteed there is NO CHANCE I will subscribe again! Unfortunately, other companies also play these games. In a recent Comcast service cancellation, a subscriber reported this conversation:

“Why don’t you want the faster speed? Help me understand why you don’t want faster Internet.”

“We are the No. 1 provider of Internet and TV service in the entire country. Why is it that you’re not wanting to have the No. 1 rated Internet service, the No. 1 rated TV service available?”

“I’m just trying to figure out what it is about Comcast service that you don’t want to keep?”

“For nine years, you’ve been a Comcast customer… all of a sudden you’re moving and you want to change?”

“So you’re not interested in the fastest Internet in the country? Why not?”

Personally, I would support a bill that requires prompt cancellations of non-contract agreements without callbacks or harassing sales pitches. I can understand companies should have the right to some form of recourse to maintain customers but cases like these go too far. Meanwhile, Comcast continues to charge excessive rates for channels you don't want all to get a few better choices like the Science channel. Eventually, the gig will be up as more competition enters the market. Until then, buyers beware! You may need ear plugs and a ready supply of Advil just to voice your opinion as a consumer.

Can Smart Phone Breaks Improve Productivity?

Few people would ever think that playing games at work could actually make you more productive. According to a new study, in moderation these little breaks can refresh your head and actually improve work performance. There is a caveat though. The study was limited to just 72 employees and when playing games becomes more of an obsession, certainly an hour lost gaming during the workday would hinder progress. Likewise, undercover surveillance of restaurants and bars also shows that some workers will undoubtedly ignore customers and use cell phones as a way to pass the time. Since coffee breaks can often be just as effective and less likely to cause major work interruptions, the study may be a little misleading. This of course assumes that the break-room area itself is not too much of a social distraction.

Plight of Orca Whales

Small enclosure of orcas in captivity.

In the CNN film Blackfish, Director Gabriela Cowperthwaite exposes the exploitation of killer whales by Sea World Inc. and other companies. Having been to Sea World as a kid, I was shocked to learn about the cover-ups, misinformation and history that lead to both the terrible treatment of these animals and ultimate tragic results of some of their trainers. Captured in the wild and taken from their mothers at an early age, orcas have been traumatized and mistreated for decades. Despite attempts to conceal events, no public relations campaign can undo the sins of the past. For more information, see the Blackflash documentary and YouTube interview with the director:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_gk1sVAyhU

The Twisted Tale of Wilfred

The Enigmatic Wilfred

The FXX dark comedy Wilfred recently began airing its forth and final season. In this hilarious, albeit crude show, the world sees Wilfred as a dog but Ryan sees Wilfred as a half man-like / half dog-like character. Trying to decipher why Ryan is only one of two so far that can see Wilfred in his true form has taken us on a quest where so far we've learned Wilfred likes to mess with Ryan's head, he is or is not a deity and Ryan may be his "chosen one". Is Wilfred a force of good or evil? Is he Ryan's friend guiding him to salvation or a dark destructive force bent set on his destruction? Only time will tell as we follow the series conclusion. I just hope they don't end the series leaving the question open. You hear that you FXX writers!

Things I Think About

Too bad she comes with
strings attached.

Ever wonder who is pulling those puppet wires of the girl in the DirectTV commercial? Sure her husband claims he doesn't mind all those messy wires like the cable company has but what happens when the light goes out? Is it just the two of them or is there a master puppeteer above their bed? Likewise, how do the Slowskies get on those fold-up chairs in the movie theater? Moreover, why does Charlie the talking tuna want to be made into a can of tuna fish? These are things I think about.

The Slowskies in their new business.

How Flipboard Changed Everything

Not long ago, I subscribed to a newspaper to help a local kid get tuition for college. Over the two years of my membership, the paper arrived numerous times wet and retrieving the paper in the rain and snow was no picnic either. Although the policy of the newspaper required double packaging whenever rain was predicted, somehow a little moisture often breached the plastic wrapper. Rather than complaining, I chose the higher road and tipped the carrier more. Shortly afterwards, the paper began arriving with a tighter seal using an elastic band. In fact, it was wound so tightly, that you couldn't even unfold it without the paper rolling up again in a ball! While a simple message to the carrier would have likely solved the issue, the fact is, I only subscribed to help someone with tuition fees and never intended a long term commitment. Very often, I was too tired to read the paper at night and often felt guilty putting the paper in the recycling if I didn't at least glance all the headlines. Although I also recycled the plastic wrappers, each day numerous trees were being cut to print the paper and despite the notion of sustainable harvesting of trees, five minutes at the end of the day glancing the headlines wasn't enough to ease my conscious about the wastefulness of this practice.

Also a concern was the fact that nor rain, nor snow, nor sleet, etc., I still had to drag the wet paper into my house over the hardwood floors no matter how cold and nasty the weather was. In the end, I canceled my subscription and I can't say I miss the pollen, rain, snow, soggy smell or tiny critters occasionally invading my house. Today when I want news, I often turn to Flipboard instead on my tablet. For the few out there that haven't discovered this app yet, Flipboard (available for virtually all mobile devices) allows you to read online magazines and newspapers for free. With thousands of new magazines coming online each day, a world of nearly unlimited, engaging topics is always just a page flip away. No more wasted trees, pollen attacks or snow in my face - just great entertainment 24 hours a day from the convenience of my tablet.

With the advent of Flipboard, anyone can now publish magazine-like content at the click of a button. The app allows you to create your own magazine in minutes and re-feature articles from other Flipboard contributors quickly and easily. You can even link posts from a blog or other type of website with the Flipboard buttonbar. All this power comes at a cost. Traditional content providers like cable news channels and printed media now have to contend with the fact that anyone can look just as professional in minutes. With tons of free content that can also be included in your magazine, now anyone can appear like a media giant with minimal effort. Will traditional content providers be able to survive in a post Flipboard world? Although the app will challenge the livelihood of many, savvy content providers like Haskell New York Inc, have learned not to fight it but to embrace it. With the power of mixing both original and syndicated content together at your fingertips, smaller content providers can now leverage the power of Flipboard and its search to go head to head with even the largest content providers.

Nickeling and Dimming Customers - Is it Worth the Price?

The other day, I stopped by my local Wells Fargo automatic drive-through teller just to check if a new auto-payment I setup went through. Technology can be great but when you see that a $1 fee will apply just to print the last 10 transactions on your account, you feel violated. A dollar is not going to make or break me but the thought that they would actually charge me for something they could do automatically really stuck to the craw.

Why do companies nickel and dime customers when they know sometimes these little charges can do more damage than it's worth? Yes the additional revenue adds up but if I were vindictive, I might consider moving my checking over to someone who doesn't play games. Sure most people don't want to be bothered moving their money but my cousin would spend 100 times more than it's worth just to make a point. Despite this, the nickeling and dimming continues. When will these businesses get a clue?