Billy Mays Dead

from the consumerist.com...

"You have to wonder if before going to sleep last night, pitchman Billie Mays thought of Michael Jackson, Farrah Fawcett, and Ed McMahon, and said to himself one last time, "but wait, there's more!"

The OxyClean pitchman was found dead this morning in his Tampa home. No foul play is suspected, although the wires are reporting that Mays might have hit his head yesterday when a U.S. Airways flight he was blew out a tire while landing.


Born William Mays in McKees Rocks, Pa., on July 20, 1958, Mays developed his style demonstrating knives, mops and other "as seen on TV" gadgets on Atlantic City's boardwalk. For years he worked as a hired gun on the state fair and home show circuits, attracting crowds with his booming voice and genial manner.

After meeting Orange Glo International founder Max Appel at a home show in Pittsburgh in the mid-1990s, Mays was recruited to demonstrate the environmentally friendly line of cleaning products on the St. Petersburg-based Home Shopping Network.

Commercials and informercials followed, anchored by the high-energy Mays showing how it's done while tossing out kitschy phrases like, "Long live your laundry!"

Recently he's been seen on commercials for a wide variety of products and is featured on the reality TV show "Pitchmen" on the Discovery Channel, which follows Mays and Anthony Sullivan in their marketing jobs. He's also been seen in ESPN ads.

His ubiquitousness and thumbs-up, in-your-face pitches won Mays plenty of fans. People line up at his personal appearances for autographed color glossies, and strangers stop him in airports to chat about the products.

"I enjoy what I do," Mays told The Associated Press in a 2002 interview. "I think it shows."

Walk Fit Orthotic Insoles

Description
I am always skeptical about health items, especially ones sold on TV. Now this review comes courtesy of my wife. She had been complaining about her feet hurting. She used to work for a podiatrist so she has some general knowledge in the area of the foot (and much more then i have). Hold on you’re saying… a pod what???? A podiatrist is a foot doctor. And as for my knowledge... I know that each foot should have 5 little piggies.

So imagine my surprise when delivered to my home was the Walk Fit™ orthotic insoles by Phase 4™.

From the folks at www.asseenontv.com, The Walk Fit “orthotic insoles help to reduce pain in feet, knees, hips and back. The are arch supports insoles that realign your bones, joint, tendons and muscles helping alleviate heel pain, plantar fasciitis, flat feet, tendonitis, general foot fatigue, knee and lower back pain caused by misalignment of the feet. WalkFit insoles come with 3 arch inserts: Low, Medium and High providing you with customized comfort. You and your feet will notice the increase in arch support and comfort. WalkFit orthotics are perfect for use in all of your shoes. Available in men's sizes 6-14½ and women's sizes 6-12½.”

Who Should Use Walkfit Orthotics?
People with painful feet
People on their feet all day
People with knee, hip, or back pain
People with tired legs, cramping, or poor posture
Anyone who suffers from calluses or blisters
Athletes
People with a weight problem
Senior Citizens
Children

Walkfit Orthotics are:
Available in men's and women's sizes
Able to fit most shoes
Washable
Odor Free
Vented for Cool Comfort
Virtually Indestructible

What It Costs
$19.95 with shipping and handling charges of $6.95.

Ease of use 5 Stars
The premise is simple enough, stick them in your shoe.
Now being skeptical, I know that my shoes already had a bumpy thing (technical term) to support my arch. I am not sure if she had to remove her bumpy thing first.

Actual performance 0 Stars
While walking past the closet the other day I saw them sitting on the shelf. That’s never a good sign. When I inquired, she advised that her feet still hurt while using them.

Final thoughts on practicality
Foot inserts probably are best when a Doctor fits them to the individual. A Doctor can also determine if a foot insert will help with a specific issue.

Perhaps my wife did not give them enough time. I only know that the end result is that they are sitting on the shelf.

Final Score
0 out of 5 stars

Rocket Fishing Rod

Product Description
I live on a lake. A big lake. When I was a young caveboy, my father and uncle would take me fishing. Now that I have grown up, I do the same for my two cave boys. Now the moment my boys saw this advertised on tv, they wanted it. From our friends at http://www.asseenontv.com/, the Rocket Fishing Rod claims to cast with the touch of a button. From their website…

TV Offer–Not Available In Stores! Don't just cast – Blast 10, 20, 30 feet with the touch of a button. Fishing rocks with the Rocket Fishing Rod featuring rocket launch casting system, hi-tech engineering, a patented hook hiding bobber that hides the hook until it hits the water, a secret compartment for weights and lures and a safety release, so it only launches when you're ready! Fishing has never so fun and easy! No more crazy casting, just pump, aim, launch and hit your mark every time!

And it's pitched by Roland Martin, one of the most respected fishing experts of our time.

What It Costs $39.95 + shipping and handling.
The www.asseenontv.com web site claims it’s a TV offer only. Rubbish (not the only time I will use this word in this review), this item is available EVERYWHERE. http://www.walmart.com/ has it for $26.97.

Ease of assembly N/A
There is no real assembly here

Ease of use 0 Stars
The concept is simple enough, even for this caveman. Point and shoot. Of course you need to bait the hook and get it into the bobber. However the reality of this product is quite different.

Actual performance 0 Stars
Rubbish... This item fails on all levels.

They clam that you can cast up to 30 feet. Now first off, 30 feet is not very far in fishing terms. My best efforts yielded about 15 feet. Next the line tangled up in it on the third cast. The final straw was that the bobber would not drop the hook.

Final thoughts on practicality
Fishing is suppose to be fun, not aggravating. This product is rubbish, poorly made and due to its limitations, not very fun. I returned the two I got to the store the day after I got them. The return item counter person said that they get many of the rocket launcher’s returned.

Final Score

0 out of 5

And to Roland Martin... Shame on you for putting your good reputation to this product.

Lionel Railroad Crossing Coin Bank

Product Description
This was given to my older son as a holiday gift. From the www.asseenontv.com website, Standing over 4 feet tall, the Lionel® Railroad Crossing Coin Bank features authentic-looking RAILROAD CROSSING, STOP signs and two flashing red signals. Just insert a coin into the Lionel® Railroad Crossing Coin Bank and watch the signal lights flash red and the whistle sound. And, best of all, the signpost is clear plastic so your kids can actually see their money grow! They'll be absolutely thrilled by this one-of-a-kind bank! Battery Operated with replaceable bulbs.

Features:
• Over 4 Feet Tall
• An Authentic Reproduction
Of Traditional Railroad Sign
• Realistic Railroad-Crossing
Signal Lights and Sounds
• Works With All U.S. Coins
• Clear Plastic Body Lets Your Children
Watch Their Savings Grow
Includes:
Lionel® Railroad Crossing Coin Bank

What it costs $29.95 (plus $9.95 shipping and handling)

Ease of assembly 1 Star
This product falls into the some assembly required category. Unfortunately assembly is not that easy. The parts did not fit together well and it took some time to get it all correct. This bank also requires 3 AAA batteries which of course are not included.

Ease of use 5 Stars
Drop a coin into the bank and watch the lights flash and hear the train noises. As you drop in coins, you can see your coins in the bank so it helps reinforce saving money.

Actual performance 0 Stars
Wow a zero star rating! On the surface it seems like a nice item for my little train conductor in training. Unfortunately, the product is of such low quality that it broke within the first day of use. Now this is targeted to kids so you would expect it to be able to withstand a small amount of kid abuse. This was not the case. My 3 year old knocked it over (while walking by it he bumped into it as all 3 year olds have a tendency to bump into things) and the flashing lights portion broke off. I guess if there is 20 lbs of pennies in the bank that might not happen but when empty, it is easily knocked over.

Final thoughts on practicality
It’s a bank, it’s a BIG bank. It’s a $42.93 bank when you add shipping and handling. If I took that $42.93 and actually put it into a real bank that money would help send my son to college. Now I like train stuff, I had a train track in my room when growing up. However, I am unimpressed with this bank. Cheaply made, poor assembly instructions, and over priced.

Final Score
0 stars out of 5

Grease Bullet

Product Description
I hate dirty dishes and worse then dirty dishes are greasy dishes so when I saw the Grease Bullet commercial I was hooked. From the http://www.greasebullet.net/ website…

Grease Bullet is the Ultimate Cookware Cleaner. Just fill your sink with hot tap water, drop in the Grease Bullet, and soak your toughest baked on cookware.In just minutes, it will sparkle like new, inside and out, without scrubbing!The Grease Bullet cuts thru caked on cookie sheets, grimy glassware, even scorched iron skillets!Grease Bullet is armed with enzymes that eat away baked on grease and grime, making your cookware look like new again. It’s the non-toxic cleaner that’s tough on grease, but easy on your hands.
The Grease Bullet Includes: A 30 day money back guarantee.12 Grease and Stain Remover tablets. Bullet shape container.


What it costs $9.99 (for 12 tablets)
You can get this product in stores or online. If you order online, there is a shipping charge but they will give you a fabulous gift for ordering! (Quick Silver Lightning tarnish remover plate)

Ease of assembly N/A

Ease of use 3 Stars
First you need to have an empty sink. That’s a problem when I cook as the dishes pile up. However, for this I put most of the dishes on the counter (above my dishwasher).

Actual performance 0 Stars
Wait a minute, in the ease of use section I said that I have a dishwasher. Why do I need the grease bullet if I have a dishwasher? I DON’T KNOW, but I do love the commercial…

Anyway, so I fill my sink with hot tap water, and as per the instructions drop in the grease bullet. Almost immediately the sink water starts to change to a bubbly white substance (soap???). I drop my pan into the water and wait, and wait, and wait. Apparently the commercial does not tell you that you need to wait 30 minutes for this to work. Well that gives me time to put the other dishes into the dishwasher…

Finally the half hour is up. I lift out my pan with hopes of a mirror reflection…. Unfortunately the pan looks remarkably similar to what I put in the water. In short, IT DID NOT WORK. Back in for another 1/2 hour but still little change when I remove the pan.

Saddened and bewildered by the betrayal of a TV commercial, I quietly drain the water and put the pan into my dishwasher to clean with the rest of my dishes. Once my dishwasher was done, the pan was clean. Now they claim you can also use the Grease Bullet in the dishwasher, but why bother? The dishwasher got the pan clean witout the Grease Bullet.

As for the remaining Magic Bullets, I place them under the sink in the back corner with my goo be gone and other products that don't work (yet I can't throw out).

Final thoughts on practicality
You need an empty sink and ½ hour of waiting time. I usually don’t have either when I finish cooking. Perhaps the grease on my pan was some sort of super grease, impervious to the magic of the Grease Bullet. I will stick with my dishwasher.

Final Score
0 stars out of 5