Overstock.com has periodically made false statements and misleading ad campaigns that exaggerated the discounts it gave on its lineup.

Utah-based Overstock.com Inc. is currently under attack as district attorneys from different counties in northern California claim the discount retailer has made several misleading and false statements regarding its promotions and deals.

In the 33-page complaint lodged at the Alameda Country Superior Court, the district attorneys asserted that starting from the year 2006, Overstock.com has periodically made false statements and misleading ad campaigns that exaggerated the discounts it gave on its lineup.

The complaint stated: “Overstock’s misrepresentations about its pricing were likely to mislead consumers into believing that [its] prices would always be significantly lower than the prices offered by other merchants for the identical products.”

The lawsuit argues that such misrepresentations discouraged consumers from seeking other stores both online and offline in search for lower prices.

However, Overstock.com general counsel Mark Griffin said although there were flaws in the pricing processes of the company, it still does a good job as a whole.

“The bottom line is that people shop our website in large part because of the prices we offer,” said Griffin. “So we have to be as accurate as possible because we know that our customers can easily check the prices that are available elsewhere.”

According to the lawsuit, the company made it seem like it offered big discounts on its products by stating the product’s highest price on the market and using it to calculate how much discount the company was offering.

“Overstock’s untrue and misleading representations accompanied virtually every product listing on its site beginning no later than Jan. 1, 2006,” said the lawsuit.



Related Overstock.com Articles:

• Overstock.com Being Sued For Misleading Pricing (lockergnome.com)
• 7 Northern Calif district attorneys sue Overstock.com ()
• Overstock.com Responds to Action Filed by Alameda County (prnewswire.com)

Bristol Palin becomes a finalist in “Dancing with the Stars”.

Tea Party activists might be celebrating Bristol Palin’s journey towards the semi-finals, but contrary to what people may think, the reason for the victory of Sarah Palin’s daughter in becoming a finalist in “Dancing with the Stars” is not vote manipulation.

Hillbuzz.org, a conservative website, affirmed that it was possible to hack into ABC’s online poll through registered fake e-mails. With this technique they said, it was possible for one person to vote for Palin 300 times in a span of 3 hours.

However, producers of the high-rating dancing reality competition said it was impossible. Conrad Green, the show’s executive producer said in an interview with the Daily News: “If that does happen, we wipe out [those votes]. We have a number of security checks to identify people trying to multiple vote.”

Although he declined to reveal more details to ensure the security of the shows schematics, he did disclose that all phone calls, emails and texts undergo a completely secure system. Although people may attempt to vote more than once for the same contestant by using their cellphone and landline phones, Green said this was rarely done, as shown by the breakdown of votes.

Brandy, and her partner Maks garnered high scores from the judges, but was booted out of the competition last Tuesday. Dismayed viewers questioned the voting system and threatened to boycott the show.

Reports said that one disgruntled man in Wisconsin shot at his television after the show.

However, Green dismissed the controversy and maintained that the voting system for this season was no different from the system implemented during the previous seasons.

Bristol Palin and Mark Ballas Tribute

Related Dancing With The Stars Bristol Palin Articles:

• ABC Acknowledges ‘Dancing’ Voting Problems (huffingtonpost.com)
• Dancing With the Stars Producers Deny Bristol Palin Conspiracy at Work (thehollywoodgossip.com)
• Palin ‘Dancing’ up a political storm (washingtonpost.com)

As the 35th Great American Smokeout approaches, people often wonder if the smokeout is indeed effective at encouraging others to quit.

In 1972, high school guidance counselor Arthur Mullaney encouraged all the people in his community in Randolph, Massachusetts not to smoke for just one day and give all the money they regularly spent on buying cigarettes to a scholarship for the high school. The movement earned them $4,500 and became a US public health tradition.

Although it seems that the current status of cigarette smoking is bad, it was worse 35 years ago when even pregnant women and pre-adolescents lit a stick or two. Because of anti-smoking laws and health education campaigns, more people have quit smoking than those who decided to keep the habit. One of these campaigns is the Great American Smokeout. Still, there are over 440,000 smoking-related deaths in the US alone.

As the 35^th Great American Smokeout approaches, people often wonder if the smokeout is indeed effective at encouraging others to quit. The American Cancer Society’s spokesperson, Busola Afolabi, cited a study which said 45 percent of all smokers in America try to squelch the habit at least once last year.

Dr. Edward Partridge, the ACS national volunteer president, said: “Quitting smoking is a very important step in reducing cancer risk, as tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and death in the US.”

The ACS web site is the best place to start for people who want to stop smoking. The site contains on-line tools, which can help set a realistic rehabilitation program for those who are determined to live a healthy life.

Related Great American Smokeout Articles:

• Smokers Urged to Join Thursday’s Great American Smokeout (nlm.nih.gov)
• “Great American Smokeout 2010: Take the challenge!” and related posts (blogs.babble.com)
• Now is the Time to Quit Smoking (livesolara.com)

China dismissed allegations made by the US that it intercepted highly classified internet traffic earlier this year.

Today, China dismissed allegations made by the US that it intercepted highly classified internet traffic early this year. Said traffic including several emails sent and received by US military websites.

According to a yearly security report received by the US congress last Wednesday, a Chinese government-owned telecoms company gained access to 15 percent of internet traffic worldwide, and with it several highly classified emails between the US army and NASA, last April for 18 whole minutes.

The report cautioned that the captured traffic could give China the opportunity for severely malicious behavior. China Telecom, the aforementioned Chinese company denied today that they hijacked global internet traffic.

Experts on online security said this incident may very well be “one of the biggest hijacks” in the history of the World Wide Web in terms of intercepting classified information.

US-China relations has always been tense in matters involving the internet. The two countries are the two topmost countries when it came to number of internet users.

Earlier, US tech company Google wanted to stop making restrictions on search results for its Chinese search engine after a supposedly government-sponsored sophisticated cyber attack on Google. This led China to castigate the American government for stating “groundless accusations” regarding the country’s supposed restrictions on freedom online.

According to the US report, 15 percent of internet traffic globally passed through Chinese servers in April, raising concerns among US government agencies that China now had access to highly sensitive correspondence. The routing of internet traffic started at IDC China, a small ISP in China, before it was rerouted through China Telecom.

China Denies Internet Hijacking Accusations

Related China Hijacking Internet Traffic Articles:

• China Telecom Denies U.S. Government Report That It Hijacked Web Traffic [Voices] (voices.allthingsd.com)
• China rejects U.S. web hijack allegations (canada.com)
• China denies ‘hijacking’ internet traffic (guardian.co.uk)

Leading the pack in the array of Black Friday Promos and deals are stores like Macy's, Target, Old Navy, Sears, Walmart and Toys R Us.

This year, Black Friday and Thanksgiving Ads have littered the streets and invaded televisions, luring people with promises of surprises and low, low prices. Leading the pack in the array of promos and deals are stores like Macy’s,  Target, Old Navy, Sears, Walmart and Toys R Us.

For the first time in history, Toys R Us will be open during Thanksgiving Day so they can get an early start on Black Friday. The shopping frenzy will begin as soon as the store opens its doors to the public at 10:00 pm. Also, Old Navy will do its usual “Gobblepalooza” sale, where it opens its doors at midnight every year for this big event.

Sears will also be open on Thanksgiving Day, the first in its 85-year history, but its store hours will start early and end just as early. The retail store will open at 7am but will close at 12noon in line with the company’s tradition of giving their employees time during the holidays for their loved ones.

Walmart is also in the race to gain more customers for Black Friday. The store will open on Thanksgiving night at around 11pm, and will be open throughout the night. It aims on getting a head start on the Christmas shopping rush by offering several pre-holiday deals.

Target is hoping to lure the buying public with its “Doorbuster” sale, where Chefmate appliances like two-slice toasters, sandwich makers and electric handmixers can go as low as $3.

Macy’s will open an hour earlier on Black Friday at 4 am.

Sales on Black Friday will hopefully give the economy a well-needed boost before Christmas arrives.

Related Black Friday Articles:

• What to expect on Black Friday (blogs.consumerreports.org)
• Black Friday 2010: What to Expect (socyberty.com)
• Black Friday, All Month Long (newsy.com)

House of Representatives did not pass the extension for jobless benefits to February 28, 2011. Currently the deadline is November 30, 2010.

On Thursday, the House was unable to pass the bill which would have extended the filing dates for unemployment benefits by three more months.

The legislation was supposed to extend the filing deadline for federal unemployment claims to  February 28, which would have allowed more people to avail of the benefits. Currently, the deadline is on November 30.

Federal unemployment payments last up to 73 weeks, which is what people fall back on after the 26 weeks covered by government funding expire. The benefits are separated into tiers, with unemployed individuals having to apply every time they transfer over to a new tier.

The House of Representatives extended the deadline for the filing of applications a total of four times last year. The last extension for jobless benefit applications cost $34 billion and lasted for almost half a year, which at first was heavily opposed by Capitol Hill due to budget concerns before it was passed in July.

The bill, which will cost the state $12.5 billion, was deliberated on by the House on Thursday. With a vote of 258 to 154, it didn’t reach the 275 votes, or two-thirds of the House, needed to gain approval.

However, this isn’t the last anybody’s seen of the bill. There will surely be more attempts to extend unemployment benefits filing, which will help the millions of jobless people in the US. Although there is no clear indication of what’s to come, it is possible that attempts to extend the filing will resurface in the form of a larger and more comprehensive bill – maybe one that will also touch upon the extension of Bush’s tax cuts.

Related Unemployment Articles:

• Jobless-benefits bill fails in House (marketwatch.com)
• House GOP Blocks Bill to Extend Jobless Benefits (abcnews.go.com)
• House Votes Against Jobless Benefits Extension (blogs.abcnews.com)

Sarah Palin hints at 2012 presidency run.

Sarah Palin has made it clear that she wants to seek the presidency in 2012, although she also said she was gonna consult her family regarding this decision.

The strategy of the former governor of Alaska to gain a steady national following was trampled upon when the vote count for a seat in the Senate in her home town greatly favored Lisa Murkowski, a write-in candidate. Murkowski defeated Joe Miller, a member of the Tea Party and the one Palin was rooting for.

Palin, who served as John McCain’s running mate back in 2008, said in an interview with the New York Times that she was currently meeting with colleagues and family members in her hopes to get a Republican nomination. She said,  “I’m engaged in the internal deliberations candidly, and having that discussion with my family, because my family is the most important consideration here.”

However, Palin’s final decision whether she would run or not could still take months and ultimately, she will have to factor into her decision the fact that although she is liked by a lot of members of the Republican party, she is considered unelectable.

She knows she has very influencial and powerful critics right within her party. These critics have questioned whether Palin was serious about public service and whether she has enough experience to be effective at her desired post.

“I know that a hurdle I would have to cross, that some other potential candidates wouldn’t have to cross right out of the chute, is proving my record,” said Palin. “That’s the most frustrating thing for me‚ the warped and perverted description of my record and what I’ve accomplished over the last two decades.”

Related Sarah Palin Articles:

• Sarah Palin admits she IS thinking of running for president in 2012 (dailymail.co.uk)
• Sarah Palin poised to run for president in 2012 (guardian.co.uk)
• What Do You Think: Could Sarah Palin Beat President Obama in 2012? (abcnews.go.com)

Eva Longoria files for divorce from Tony Parker.

The dream marriage between actress Eva Longoria and basketball player Tony Parker fell apart in the blink of an eye for the same reasons that ruined Tiger Wood’s marriage – too much attention from women who are obsessed by the thought of being with famous sports figures.

Longoria was just parading her perfect marriage this month during the MTV Europe Music Awards, where she was the host. Reports said she felt devastated when she found out her husband had been sending SMS to women while they were still married.

After a few awkward days, Longoria’s rep came out and vehemently denied that the marriage was indeed on the ropes.

However, today court papers surfaced saying that Longoria filed for divorce at the Los Angeles Superior Court. The actress wants spousal support, although it is believed that the two had a prenup.

The marriage and how it ended is eerily similar to the sex scandal that destroyed Tiger Woods’ marriage. Woods was guilty of having affairs with over a dozen women during his marriage to Swedish model Elin Nordegren.

After the scandal broke out, more women came out and said they had affairs with the golfer, and even showed text messages and emails to prove it.

As for Parker, two more women have surfaced, both saying that they’ve been sexually intimate with Parker.

According to a source, “Eva is heartbroken by the betrayal.” Longoria confronted her husband, who came clean about the text messages.

The split came as a surprise to everybody as it was common knowledge that Parker wanted to relocate to France after his stint with the NBA. The couple even went on an extended vacation in Europe during the summer.

Eva Longoria Files Divorce Papers

Related Eva Longoria and Tony Parker Articles:

• Eva Longoria Divorce Papers Filed Tony Parker Caught Cheating? (binsidetv.net)
• It’s true! Eva Longoria and Tony Parker are getting divorced! (pinkbananaworld.com)
• Tony Parker Eva Longoria Divorce: Longoria Bolts As Parker Cops To Cheating (popcrunch.com)

'DWTS': Brandy Eliminated, Bristol Palin Goes to Finale

The contestants who will make it to the finals of the reality show, “Dancing With The Stars” are decided via public voting. However, critics assert that the voting may have been manipulated by tea party activists.

After Bristol Palin was voted into the finals of the ABC show “Dancing With the Stars”, violent reactions were noted both online and in the streets. In a matter of minutes, several people put their two cents in through blogs and forums on the internet.

This marks the 7^th consecutive time that Bristol was able to beat her opponent even though she received low marks from the judges during this season of television’s second most-watched show. “Dancing With The Stars” garners an average of over 20 million viewers.

According to frustrated viewers and critics nationwide, the apparent reason behind Bristol’s success and luck was an aggressive campaign launched by tea party activists that continually pulls a lot of vote’s in favor of Bristol, Sarah Palin’s daughter.

The conflict centers around one of the oldest battles in reality shows between popularity versus talent, as most shows involve public voting. This gave Bristol a steep advantage over her competitors as the name Palin became famous throughout the country just this month after what was a very eventful election.

The uproar began just minutes after Bristol was called on to be a finalist in “Dancing With The Stars”. Celebrity websites cried out that the Palins were cheating. Others are speculating that with the aggressiveness of the campaign the tea party activists had put up, they might as well give Bristol the grand prize.

Mark Ballas On Bristol Palin: “She’s The Most Normal Person We’ve Had On The Show”

Related DWTS Bristol Palin Articles:

• ‘DWTS’ Dirty Politics? Rage Behind Bristol Palin’s Success Intensifies (abcnews.go.com)
• Is there a Bristol Palin-Dancing With the Stars Tea Party Conspiracy? (politics.usnews.com)
• Steven Cowan Shoots TV over Bristol Palin’s DWTS Success (blippitt.com)

Google and Apple find it difficult to see eye-to-eye with CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and Company.

The CEO of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, may root for the underdog, but his way of thinking may become a liability when it comes to working together with popular websites.

Google and Apple, two of the biggest names in the technology industry, find it difficult to see Zuckerberg and Company eye-to-eye, and the end result of which are applications that fall short of their full potential.

Apple had launched Ping, a social network devoted to music, as part of the iTunes update which is linked to Facebook. However, Apple was forced to sever the integration with Facebook just hours after the launching of Ping. Last week, Ping found a new partner in Twitter.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs criticized the Facebook team for what was said to be “onerous terms”. When Zuckerberg was asked to comment on this during the Web 2.0 Summit on Tuesday in San Francisco, he simply shrugged it off and said, “It’s fine.”

Zuckerberg also pointed out that Apple and Facebook collaborate in other ways. One example is that the Facebook application can be found in almost all iPhones, said Zuckerberg during an event at the California headquarters of Facebook earlier this month.

However, all is not well between Google and Facebook, who are in the middle of a squabble regarding the importation and exportation of user’s personal data between Facebook and Gmail. A similar email service was launched by Facebook on Monday and so migrating addresses to and from other apps is now quite difficult.

Although stubborn when it comes to dealing with large companies, Zuckerberg has a different attitude towards striving entrepreneurs and underdogs. Small-time developers are allowed to freely make use of the Facebook platform, while large companies should work directly side-by-side with Facebook unless they want to be locked out.

Related Facebook Articles:

• Zuckerberg: Facebook blocked Ping over data reciprocity (zdnet.com)
• Zuckerberg says Apple needs to ‘get on the bus’ for social (electronista.com)
• Mark Zuckerberg: Your Map Is Missing ‘Uncharted Territory’ (techcrunch.com)