Author: Chris Morran

Having a bit of chocolate when you’re down is something just about everyone has done at some point in their life. But a new study shows that those people who demonstrate signs of depression tend to eat 50% more chocolate than those who don’t.

The study published in the Archives of Internal Medicine looked at 931 men and women, none of whom were taking antidepressants. Researchers asked them how much chocolate they consumed on a regular basis and also measured their level of depression.

What they found was that the subjects who were diagnosed with depression were eating an average of 8.4 servings of chocolate each month, while those who were not depressed at only 5.4 servings per month. And those demonstrating the highest levels of depression consumed around 11.8 servings of chocolate per month.

The researchers also tested depressed subjects who were on antidepressants at the time and found that they ate the same amount as those who were not on medication.

In spite of the stereotype of the sad woman who craves chocolate, the study found that gender was not an issue.

Also, of the foods included in the study — fish, coffee, caffeine, fruits and vegetables — researchers only saw a difference between depressed and non-depressed subjects when it came to chocolate consumption.

Researchers say more study is needed to pinpoint the reason for the link between chocolate in depression, saying it could be anything from a form of self-medicating to an actual cause of depression.

One expert who wasn’t part of the study, Dr. Lorrin Loran of Stanford University, has this to say:

It is available, cheap, does not lose its pleasure-inducing quality with repeated use, does not require relating to other people and is culturally approved as a source of legitimate pleasure, he said.

‘I strongly doubt that chocolate either induces depression or interferes with recovery from depression,’ Koran said. ‘If either idea were true, this would long ago have become obvious given the ubiquitous use of the substance over the last 500 years.’

Chocolate a Sweet Pick-Me-Up for the Depressed [U.S. News & World Report]

A 69-year-old woman in Frisco, Texas, now has a pile of rubble to call home after a bulldozer operator screwed up and leveled her house instead of the one across the street that was supposed to be demolished.

The house across the street had been slated for demo after repeated violations including high grass and weeds, outside storage, junked vehicles and failure to secure the structure. That homeowner had been notified in January of the need to repair or face demolition.

Last week, the demo company got the permit to raze that house and notified the utilities to cut service.

And then they flattened the wrong home.

“I don’t have the words to say,” explained the wronged homeowner, whose family had lived in the house for 47 years. “I just want this house put back together… I think I need a lawyer.”

She says that she has been made offers of $5,000 or a new home.

Like the house that was supposed to be demolished, this house had been given a warning about violations at a recent hearing. The homeowner promised to make repairs by July 15, but that might be a little difficult now.

Lucky for her, a City Council rep says the homeowner can file for an extension.

Home totaled in mix-up [WFAA.com]

Thanks to Kris for the tip!

Apparently jealous of the attention KFC was getting with the Double Down, IHOP (or International House of Pancakes if you’re not into the whole brevity thing) has rolled out Pancake Stackers — a five-layer calorie bomb that dares to sandwich cheesecake between two pancakes.

So yeah, it’s a pancake, then cheesecake (with the crusts cut off), another pancake, then one of the following: strawberries, blueberry or cinnamon apple compote, then whipped cream topping.

Explain your devilish creation, IHOP:

With our latest promotion, IHOP took the value we’re known for and topped it with one of America’s favorite flavors — cheesecake… We’re pleased to offer guests a delicious new way to stack up the fun this spring as they celebrate moms, dads, grads, or just a simple escape from their every day.

The Pancake Stackers are only available through June 20, but only because those of us who choose to eat them will no longer be able to leave the house.

IHOP Layers on the Cheesecake With New Pancake Stackers [Marketwatch]

Brazilians are a passionate people. Unfortunately, they are also a people with high blood pressure. But the country’s health minister is telling Brazilians that a good place to fight heart problems is between the sheets.

Speaking yesterday in Brasilia to announce a new national campaign against high blood pressure, minister Jose Temporao ran down the regular list of ways to ways to reduce blood pressure — diet, exercise, regular blood-pressure checks — and he also reminded everyone that one way to get a good cardiovascular workout is with more sexytime, adding, “always with protection, obviously.”

According to the Health Ministry in Brazil, in just three years the rate of high blood pressure in the South American nation has risen from 21.5% to 24.4%.

For what it’s worth, the American Heart Association estimates that over 70 million adults in the U.S. have high blood pressure. So maybe it’s time we got our collective swerve on… in the name of healthy hearts everywhere.

Brazilian official urges countrymen to have more sex to fight high blood pressure

Tiring of pilots overshooting their destination by over 100 miles because they were busy fiddling with their laptop, the FAA has asked all airlines to create and enforce policies to minimize distractions in the cockpit.

“There is no room for distraction when your job is to get people safely to their destinations,” said DOT Secretary Ray LaHood. “The traveling public expects professional pilots to focus on flying and on safety at all times.”

The FAA reminded carriers that unecessary distractions, including pilots’ use of personal electronic devices, in the cockpit can “constitute a safety risk.” They point to the Northwest flight from October 2009, where a plane that was supposed to land in Minnesota went 150 miles too far because the pilots were engrossed in using their laptops for personal reasons.

“Every aviation professional needs to take the issue of distractions in the cockpit seriously,” said FAA Administrator Randy Babbitt. “And when there are two or more professionals on the flight deck, they must hold each other to the highest safety standards. Allowing distractions is unacceptable.”

FAA Calls on Airlines to Limit Cockpit Distractions [FAA]

Where some people just see a detour sign and say “argh,” the owner of a California A&W franchise sees an opportunity to grow his customer base.

Taking advantage of some free space on the detour signs placed in the vicinity of his eatery, Peter Knight placed signs pointing hungry drivers in his direction.

“We’re trying to be as aggressive as possible,” he explains. “We had to get some kind of sign out there.”

According to Knight, his signs are working as people who would never have thought to stop by his A&W are now popping in for a bite.

“We’ve actually seen some new customers because we’ve directed traffic in a different direction,” he says.

Creative A&W Restaurant Owner Takes Advantage Of Detour Signs [Fox40.com]

The idea of eating a platter of shrimp pulled from the same water where a sunken oil rig continues to leak 42,000 gallons of oil each day may not be appetizing to some, but some guy who claims to know a lot about the topic says you need not fret.

Says Mike Voisin, past president of the National Fisheries Institute:

No one should be worrying about whether the shrimp they’re having for dinner is going to have oil on it… First, no company wants to put that kind of product on the market… And those areas that have oil in them will be blocked by state health officials and not harvested.

Voisin also claims that fish like tuna and shrimp will instinctively migrate away from the oil spill. He did admit that oysters are the most at risk because they lack the ability to move.

Though a good chunk of domestically caught seafood comes from the Gulf of Mexico, 80% of the seafood consumed in the U.S. is imported.

But if the spill moves further toward land it could wreak long-term havoc on the ecosystem and the Gulf fishing industry.

“We’re very concerned that east of the Mississippi River, based on currents and winds we’re dealing with now, this oil will reach the shore,” says Chuck Wilson, a Louisiana State University oceanography and coastal sciences professor. “That could be a huge environmental problem and a significant financial blow to fisheries… But your food will be safe.”

Seafood safe despite oil in Gulf of Mexico, experts say [CNN]

For anyone who thought that mammoth megacorporations behaved anything like adults, they should just check out the Twitter account for Verizon, who saw fit tonight to have a little fun at the expense of Worst Company In America winner Comcast.

Verizon, who managed to bow out of the tournament gracefully by losing to AT&T in the first round, took to its official Twitter page to write:

“One of the few times you’ll hear us congratulate Comcast. Consumerist readers have spoken…” followed by a link to the announcement of Comcast’s victory.

While we always appreciate a little good-natured ribbing, Verizon should consider themselves warned that, of all the companies in the country, they did make our bottom 32.

Continue to rub consumers the wrong way and it could be Comcast Frank who’s Tweeting about your inglorious victory next year.

Verizon Twitter account

After two years as a bridesmaid in Consumerist’s Worst Company In America tournament, it was finally the cable company’s time to walk down the aisle when it was handed the WCIA crown this morning. And now that Comcast has tasted victory, it’s not asking for seconds.

In a statement released after hearing this morning’s news, a rep from Comcast says the company is taking it seriously:

We’re working everyday to improve our customers’ experiences with us, including offering a Customer Guarantee that’s backed by significant operational changes. We’ve taken steps over the past two years to improve our product reliability and service, and if a problem does occur, we work to quickly to resolve it, find the root cause and make changes so it won’t happen again.

Do you believe Comcast has the ability to turn things around and escape the WCIA finals next year? Or are the problems too ingrained to be repaired in such a short time?

And what of the NBC Universal acquisition? Comcast has said nothing here to quell reservations and concerns about the consolidation of a major broadcast and cable network with the country’s largest cable provider.

We genuinely hope that Comcast isn’t merely paying lip service to the negative PR of being crowned Worst Company In America. Because, as you may have noticed, our readers don’t care about rep statements or good intentions; they just want you to provide a quality service for a reasonable price.

Comcast ‘wins’ Consumerist worst-company tournament [Washington Post]

It was a bad day for Walmart in the courtroom, as a California appeals court granted class-action status to a gender bias lawsuit against the retail giant. That means that over 1 million current and former female employees are now able to join their names to the largest case of its kind in U.S. history.

The plaintiffs in the suit allege that Walmart has made a practice of both paying women employees less money and offering them fewer promotions than their male counterparts. The original suit was filed nine years ago by six female employees.

Giving the case class-action status means that every woman who as worked at for Walmart since 2001 now has the option of being part of the lawsuit.

Said an attorney for the plaintiff:

Wal-Mart tries to project an improved image as a good corporate citizen… But no amount of PR is going to work until it addresses the claims of its female employees.

Walmart has denied any discriminatory policies and had hoped to fight each case individually.

Wal-Mart Workers Can Sue as Group in Gender Bias Case [BusinessWeek]

There have been a lot of boneheaded business decisions over the years, but the folks over at MSN seem to think they’ve distilled it down to an elite 8 of nearsighted, addle-brained, wrong-minded missteps. See if you agree.

Herewith, the list according to MSN:

1. Former $35 billion search engine company Excite, who spent billions acquiring every site under the sun, opting not to purchase then-upstart Google for $1 million in 1999.

2. Ross Perot not being able to come to a deal to buy Microsoft in 1979. Perot says the asking price was between $40-$60 million while Bill Gates says it was between $6-$15 million.

3. Decca records rejecting the Beatles after an audition in 1962.

4. Apple founder Steve Jobs being ousted by John Sculley, the CEO he hired, in 1985.

5. AOL and Time Warner’s merger at the peak of the first dotcom bubble in 2000.

6. Building the tallest building in the world in Dubai as the city-state sank into billions of dollars worth of debt amid a collapsing real estate market.

7. ABC passing up on a chance to air The Cosby Show, which would become one of the biggest and most era-defining TV hits of the 1980s.

8. Edwin Drake’s failure to patent his groundbreaking (literally and figuratively) method for drilling oil.

I was going to make this a poll, but I have a hunch that there are plenty of bad biz moves that people think are more deserving of a spot on this list…

The 8 Dumbest Business Decisions [MSN]

Consolidation continues to hit the rental car market as Hertz announced today that it has agreed to a $1.2 billion purchase of Dollar Thrifty Automotive Group.

When completed, it should make Hertz the second-largest rental car company in the country in terms of market share. Currently, Enterprise dominates the market with a 53% market share, followed by Avis’ 20% share. Adding Dollar Thrifty should give Hertz a 23% share and allow it to jump ahead of Avis.

Says the guy from Hertz:

Dollar Thrifty also has a strong international presence, complementing our global footprint, which enables us to utilize a recognized brand to accelerate our leisure rental strategy in Europe and other markets

Hertz to buy Dollar Thrifty for $1.2 billion [Reuters]

Consumerist reader Frank recently wrote to Bank of America — copying us — on behalf of his girlfriend. Seems that BofA was conscientious enough to not only notify her of suspicious activity on her debit card, but also to credit her account for the fraudulent ATM withdrawals… Only to take it all back a week later.

A couple weeks back, Frank’s girlfriend got a call from Bank of America to let her know they believed her debit card had been compromised following two suspicious withdrawals totaling $960.00 from BofA ATMs outside her immediate vicinity.

After verifying to the bank that she had not made the withdrawals and signing a document to that effect, she was told that everything was going to be okay and BofA credited her the $960.00.

Here’s Frank’s version of what happened next:

We thought ‘wow they really helped you get out of a problem fast.’ Not so; on Saturday April 24th we received a letter from the Fraud Dispute Department, and it stated, “After conducting a thorough investigation of the above reference claim it has been determined that no error has occurred in this instance our records show that transaction in question was authorized and posted or billed correctly to your account.”

Um wait what? You’re the one that called her to tell her account was compromised and now you tell her that it was her stealing her money, come on. How are you going to tell her this when we can verify that money was stolen from her account?

She calls the dispute hotline to find out what has happened during the investigation. We are told the investigation is closed and that no fraud was found. We ask if we can speak to the investigator, because no one ever called her… We are told that no we can’t.

This investigator knows nothing about her or her spending habits so how does he close it in less than 7 business days? Oh by the way BofA ATM’s were used to take the money — Did anyone verify from the many cameras around BofA ATM’s?

The operator on the phone said that a new investigator would be put on our case. My girlfriend asks for the exact times these ATM transactions happened so we can prove to them that she was at work with a signed document from her superiors but BofA will not give us this information.

She was told initially on the first call that a police report was going to be made, but since BofA closed the case there is none.

We ask about filing a our own police report. We can so we head immediately to our local precinct, where we are told by an officer at a desk that we need to have BofA fax over a document stating fraud was committed in these amount of charges on this day at this time.

BofA will not send this information because to them there is no fraud. So now it feels like she is getting screwed, you’re not helping her out, AND YOUR PRETTY MUCH CALLING HER A LIAR, WHICH IS NOT GOOD BUSINESS. People don’t pull out $960.00 in two days and forget about it.

As in most situations where consumers believe their bank is at fault, we suggest the following:
• Contact the bank, not just the branch, with a formal complaint. You can do this in writing, or by email. Keep a copy of this complaint for your records.
• Figure out which agency regulates your bank by calling or using FDIC’s Bank Find.
• Write a formal complaint letter to the bank’s regulatory agency. Follow the FTC’s instructions for writing a complaint.

This document also has the correct contact information for the various regulatory agencies. Keep a copy of this complaint for your records.

According to the FDIC, “The regulatory agencies will be able to help resolve the complaint if the financial institution has violated a banking law or regulation. They may not be able to help where the consumer is not satisfied with an institution’s policy or practices, even though no law or regulation was violated. Additionally, the regulatory agencies do not resolve factual or most contractual disputes.”

By filing a complaint, the regulating agency will investigate whether the bank actually violated any banking regulations.

Just buying something from an anonymous seller on Craigslist — or any number of other sites — can be a risky proposition in its own right. But police in Oakland say there’s been a rash of recent incidents where victims purchased items off Craigslist only to be robbed at gunpoint when they show up to take receipt of their purchases.

To help cut down on the number of these incidents, the police have issued the following four tips for how to minimize your odds of becoming a victim:

1. Do not agree to meet in a secluded or residential area. Highly populated and well-traveled areas are better.

2. Do not travel to any location with a large amount of cash.

3. Leave if someone or something looks suspicious.

4. If you are robbed, give the subjects the property they are asking for; your life is worth much more than your property.

Rash of holdups prompts Oakland police to caution online shoppers [Oakland Tribune]

While Walmart has managed to install outlets in just about every major city in the country, the retail behemoth has never been able to crack the shell of New York City’s five boroughs, though it has tried on two recent occasions. A new report claims that Walmart is hoping the third time is the charm, as they look into a spot for a new store in Brooklyn.

Explains some guy from Walmart:

We know that New Yorkers want to shop and work at Walmart, and as a result, we continue to evaluate potential opportunities here… New Yorkers want quality jobs and affordable groceries, and it remains our goal to be part of the solution.

The rumored location is the Gateway II shopping center near Jamaica Bay — far from the chic shops of Manhattan, but still within the city limits.

Unlike past failed efforts in Queens and Staten Island that required City Council approval because of new construction, the decision to move into the already-approved Gateway II could allow them to get around that hurdle.

However, that doesn’t mean people won’t put up a fight. “They’ll have the battle of their lives,” said City Councilman Charles Barron. “Walmart exploits workers… and we want no part of that.”

Opponents also say that the approval of the Gateway II plans should be revisited because they did not account for the full environmental impact a store like Walmart could make in the area.

Walmart eying Brooklyn shopping center for first New York City location [NY Daily News]

Have you ever wondered what would happen if you were to take a KFC Double Down — the bacon sandwich that uses two pieces of fried chicken as the “bread” — and you were to sandwich it in between two halves of a Krispy Kreme donut? Of course you haven’t. Luckily, someone has.

Over at TopCultured.com, they provide step-by-step instructions — and, not for the faint of heart — pictures of how to make one yourself.

The verdict?

What you end up with is over 900 calories of tongue flipping delight. This thing will not only supply you with enough calories, sodium, sugar and fat for a good part of your day it will keep you up and running for a bit. The inevitable afternoon crash was not the best though…as there is now a brick in the belly. I do highly recommend you give this a shot though. I know it sounds far fetched but it’s actually quite delicious.

We’ll take your word for it.

Will They Build It? KFC & Krispy Kreme (Luther Double Down) [TopCultured.com]

As any dedicated Consumerist follower knows, our readers generally fall down pretty squarely on the side of not having to show your receipt when you exit a store. That being said, we should always welcome the dissenting view, especially from a respected journalist.

Thus, we’d like to draw attention to a recent column written by longtime Onion columnist, Jim Anchower, who recently detailed his recent experiences as a receipt checker… and just what a pain in the butt it is when people refuse to show their receipts.

Quoth Mr. Anchower:

I’ve been working plenty of hours at the warehouse discount place. I even got a little overtime. We were short-staffed because a bunch of people were out sick back in November, so they made me stand up front and look at people’s receipts.

I actually wound up getting into it with some guy because he told me I didn’t need to check his receipt, and I said bullshit I didn’t and that he should get his ass back here, otherwise I would have to take him down. He went for it, so I went for it, and a manager came and had to break us up. I didn’t punch the guy or anything, but I wasn’t going to let him disrespect me like that, because I was right and he was being a dick.

After that, they decided they didn’t want me working with people, so they moved me to the bakery.

Now, before it’s pointed out by a few dozen commenters, yes, we know Mr. Anchower isn’t real (or at least we’ve been lead to believe he isn’t real). But does that make his point of view any less valid?

Okay, well yes… it probably does.

Please join us next week, when Myron Reducto explains the pros and cons of the grocery shrink ray.

I Still Ain’t Sure About This Socialism Medicine [The Onion]

It’s been a bad day for Blippy.com, the site lots of people hadn’t heard of until it managed to leak the whole credit card numbers of four users to the entire internet. Now, one of the four people whose digits are in the public domain has come forward to talk.

The Blippy user, a 38-year old firefighter, found out that his credit card number was public knowledge when people started Tweeting him the bad news.

“Luckily, it was only four people affected, but that doesn’t make me feel any better,” he said. “Just to see my name pop up on all these Web sites and to see all these articles written about it, it’s just a little shocking… It’ll make me think twice before signing up for anything else.”

As for how he ended up on Blippy, where people share info about what they just bought with their friends and the world, he recalled. “It was just one of those things that you sign up for and forget about until something happens like today.”

So far he says he hasn’t seen any fraudulent purchases show up on his account and — at least for now — he has no immediate intention to take legal action against Blippy.

Blippy Overshares, Reveals Credit Card Info [MainStreet.com]

Have you always wanted a plane but didn’t want the hassle of the whole hangar thing? Well, the folks at Icon are showing off their Icon A5, which has wings that fold up for convenient storage right next to the Bowflex you never use.

The travel-writin’ peeps at Jaunted.com snapped some pics of the A5, which is currently on display at the JetBlue terminal at JFK International Airport in New York.

This puppy will set you back $135,000, but you won’t have to worry about carry-on fees… mostly because you can’t bring more than 60 lbs of baggage on board.

Go over to Jaunted to check out their gallery of the A5.

Remember yesterday, when we wrote about some major TV networks balking over whether or not to air a sexy Lane Bryant lingerie ad? Well, it looks like Fox — the arbiter of good taste in prime time — has decided to not be so prim and proper, and will actually air the commercial.

According to BrandWeek, the spot will run during the April 28 broadcast of American Idol. “Following Lane Bryant’s refusal to make requested edits, Fox agreed to air the unedited ad during the last 10 minutes,” the site quotes a source as saying.

Meanwhile, ABC, who Lane Bryant said would only air the ad during the final seconds of Dancing With the Stars, denies the allegations:

Their statements are not true. The ad was accepted. Lane Bryant was treated absolutely no differently than any advertiser for the same product. We were willing to accommodate them, but they chose to seek publicity instead.

Whatever. Here’s the ad again:

Exposure: Fox to Air Lane Bryant Spot [BrandWeek]

Thanks to HennyPenny for the tip!