It’s the day those ghosts and goblins come knocking on your door. If you’re like me, it’s hard to figure out how many will be coming. Occasionally, I get a couple of dozen. Usually, maybe15 or so. One couple is giving out books. My daughter wouldn’t like that. She told... Read more →
Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep? Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week: My best: Improved communication with a health care provider Last week, I wrote about the difficulty I had communicating with a dermatology office,... Read more →
Last year, these two young guys came to my door, one of my last groups of trick-or-treaters. I didn’t get the costume on the left at the time. Maybe it’s a jihadist, a costume I found on one of the dozen or so lists of the worst Halloween costumes this... Read more →
Most of the time, Halloween happens without any difficulties. However, it’s possible that costumes or decorations could cause burns, falls, or lacerations. The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission urges parents and grandparents to take safety precautions when selecting costumes and Halloween decorations to prevent injuries. Parents who make their kids'... Read more →
About 29 milllion pumpkins will be carved in American homes this year for Halloween. Are you satisfied with your pumpkin carving abilities? Need some tips on how to create the perfect pumpkin? Here are steps to follow to get great carving results: Select a good quality pumpkin and remember not... Read more →
Will you be dressing up for Halloween Sunday? If so, what costume did you choose? What costumes did your children or grandchildren select? For girls, princess costumes are the No. 1 seller this year, followed by the ever-popular Halloween witch. For boys, Spider-Man is the hottest disguise, followed by pirate... Read more →
October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Shouldn’t it be Breast Cancer Prevention Month? National Breast Cancer Awareness Month neglects to inform women how they can reduce their risks of breast cancer, says Samuel S. Epstein, M.D., and Rosalie Bertell, Ph.D., in the Huffington Post article “Breast Cancer Unawareness Month: Rethinking... Read more →
Dollar Tree Stores is recalling about 275,000 Wolverine, Spider-Man, and Iron Man 2 projector flashlights. The flashlights can cause the batteries and/or bulb to overheat, posing fire and burn hazards to consumers. The firm has received three reports of incidents involving batteries overheating in the recalled flashlights. Reported incidents include... Read more →
Which consumer happenings cheered you this week and which ones made you want to scream or weep? Here are my best and worst consumer experiences this week: My best: Getting great photos printed for my greeting cards When I went to the Legislative Gift Shop, the manager selected eight of... Read more →
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission is joining three child safety organizations to launch a crib safety video, “Safe Sleep for Babies,” aimed at helping avoid suffocation, strangulation, and entrapment risks when children sleep. The commission is working with the American Academy of Pediatrics, Keeping Babies Safe, and the New... Read more →