by Dennis Beaver | employment, investment
March 08, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver If you, or someone you know is seriously considering starting a new business, today’s column is intended to be the kind of sudden awakening that only a splash of cold water or the sound a fire alarm at midnight can produce....
by Dennis Beaver | contracts, invention, investment
March 01, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Obtaining a patent is a virtual guarantee that some company will phone one day and offer to buy or market the item, and is a sure bet on greatly improving your lifestyle. We’ve all heard something along those lines. But is it...
by Dennis Beaver | contracts, invention, investment
February 22, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Late-night TV is packed with commercials for companies that promise to help inventors patent and market their idea or product. Having seen those ads for the past 15 years he has been a patent attorney in Bakersfield, Jim Duncan...
by Dennis Beaver | air conditioning, consumer
February 15, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver When was the last time that you changed your furnace or A/C filters? Do you know why, in addition to controlling furnace and A/C run times and temperatures, filters have a huge impact on energy use and the life of your entire...
by Dennis Beaver | air conditioning, consumer, technology, thermostat
February 8, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver I needed to be at our office at 7 in the morning one Monday when nighttime temperatures in the San Joaquin Valley fell to below freezing. The new thermostat which we were testing for this story was scheduled to give us 72 degrees by...
by Dennis Beaver | consumer, false advertising
February 1, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Following our recent articles on deceptive-range claims made by manufacturers of consumer walkie talkies, we were contacted by “Hank,” a reader in California’s Central Valley whose agriculture and ranching-related business requires...
by Dennis Beaver | consumer, false advertising, technology
January 25, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Have you purchased a pair of walkie-talkies which claimed in bold, large print on the package a range of anywhere from 6 to 50 miles, taken them home, charged the batteries and then discovered that these radios barely let you talk a...
by Dennis Beaver | Article, consumer, false advertising, technology
January 18, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Have you been thinking about buying a pair of walkie talkies, perhaps for use while camping, car-to-car communications or keeping in touch with your kids while they’re out bicycling in the neighborhood? Consumer two-way radios are...
by Dennis Beaver | background checks, employment
January 11, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver Last week we told you about David, an attorney who asked an employment agency to find a part-time receptionist. Shortly thereafter, a job counselor phoned, stating that she had “the perfect candidate,” and emailed her resume. Two...
by Dennis Beaver | background checks, employment
January 04, 2014 • By Dennis Beaver If you are an employer presently using, or considering using the services of an employment agency, our story today could save you hours of wasted time, embarrassment, theft or worse, and we begin with this question: When an...
