Ms. DAVIDSON: I don't know if it's deception, but it's kind of a cheap trick.

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It was, and the crowd at the Hammerstein Ballroom roared as Lee Ving of Fear, Rick Nielsen of Cheap Trick, Brad Wilk of Rage Against the Machine and others took the stage.

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In most cases, it is a cheap trick (or an expensive one, depending on how you look at it) that will eventually backfire, especially as Twitter improves its ability to judge users by the quality of those who follow them.

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And blatant sexism seems to be the latest cheap marketing trick.

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The real trick to getting cheap fares is to travel during the so-called shoulder season, according to Anne Banas, executive editor of SmarterTravel.com.

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