Consumerist
Videos
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PSAs
Happy Labor Day
In celebration of labor, we're doing less of it. Half-day of posting today, no posts this weekend or Monday.
You can thank the Knights of Labor for having the first Labor Day parade in 1882, which was not held on Monday, but the day we shall see you next, Tuesday.
"In the beginning, God ordained that man should labor, not as a curse, but as a blessing; not as a punishment, but as means of development, physically, mentally, morally, and has set thereunto his seal of approval in the rich increase and reward. By labor is brought forward the kindly fruits of the earth in rich abundance for our sustenance and comfort; by labor (not exhaustive) is promoted health of the body and strength of mind, labor garners the priceless stores of wisdom and knowledge. It is the "Philosopher's Stone," everything it touches turns to wealth."
- "In the Beginning . . .": A Knight's Sacred Oath. Source: Illustrated "Adelphon Kruptos": The Secret Work of the Knights of Labor [via History Matters]
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Shopping
Morning Deals
- Musicians Friend: Up to 94% Off End of Summer Sale
- ValueMags: Free Year Subscription to Electronic Gaming Monthly
- AMEX: Giant list of extra discounts and deals with merchants for using your AMEX card
Highlights From Dealhack
- Kodak EasyShare Gallery: Save 25% off All Orders Including Prints with Coupon
- Chefs: Save Extra 25% off All Sale Items Plus 1/2 off Shipping
- Apple Store: Back in Stock: Refurbished Core 2 Duo iMacs up to $550 off
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Laws
California Moves To Ban Teen Driver Cellphone Use
A bill banning drivers under 18 from using cellphones passed the California Assembly today. It doesn't even allow hands-free device use. The Highway Patrol asked for, and got, the offense classified as a secondary infraction, which means you can't get pulled over simply for breaking this law. More » -
Health
At Least Nine Cases Of Walmart Flipflops Burning Customers, Here's The Latest
I have the same EXACT condition that Kerry Stiles has, and Fox news did a story regarding the Sun and Sand flip flops last night filed by another lady here in Texas. I purchased the shoes at Walmart in July... I, unlike Kerry, wore the shoes a mere 2 hours.
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Badvertising
Great Moments In Commercial History: Dr. Jang & Associates
Reader Diane calls this Dr. Jang & Associates commercial "a bay area classic!" More » -
Keep Yourself Safe
Let's All Try To Avoid Shooting Ourselves With Nail Guns
Nail gun injuries are on the rise and its not professionals that are shooting themselves—it's regular consumers just like you. More » -
bad news
Medical Records Are The New Credit Score?
Just like an error on your credit report can affect your score, an error on your medical records can have an impact when you're applying for insurance, according to the Wall Street Journal. More » -
Retail
Walmart Shares Fall After Stock Downgraded To "Sell"
Walmart share price falls after Merril-Lynch downgrades stocks to "sell" from "neutral." In a note to clients, a Merril analyst cited shrinking profit margins as a concern for the retailer. This would be the first time in 2007 the stock has been marked as sell.
Guess if you can't import as many cheap and deadly products from China, it's going to undermine the bottom line...
Wal-Mart falls after Merrill downgrades to 'sell' [Reuters]
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Like spending money on rehabbing but not on rent or property taxes? Don't mind rehabbing a property that doesn't belong to you? You'd make an excellent resident curator. [New York Times]
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Someone think of the children
Over 10,000,000 Items Recalled For Lead Contamination In 2007
With the recall of some Thomas & Friends and Sponge Bob toys on August 22, the total number of products recalled due to lead contamination in 2007 reached 10,020,300, according to data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission. None of the items were manufactured in the US, so the recall responsibility and cost falls squarely on the shoulders of the US importers. We took at look back at 2007's lead recalls to try to understand the scope of the problem. More » -
Department of Lies
Don't Fall For The Best Buy, Circuit City "Recovery Disk" Sales Pitch
PC World wants to let you know that you don't need to buy the "recovery disks" that Best Buy and Circuit City are always trying to sell you. PC World says they've heard from consumers that Circuit City is telling people that they need FireDog to create these disks and that they can't do it themselves. More » -
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Videos
Walmart Flipflops Continue To Chemically Burn Wearers
A North Texas woman says her Walmart flipflops gave her a nasty and painful rash, the same as Kerry's from Florida, whose injured feet we featured on The Consumerist. Like Kerry, Walmart told her to file a complaint with the Chinese manufacturer of the bargain sandals. In response to Fox4's inquiry, Walmart said, "Product safety is a top priority at Wal-Mart and we are taking this report very seriously. Of several million of this product sold, we have had only a few similar claims." Oh, ok. The sandals only caused long lasting and severe rashes on a few people. We'll take the matter "very seriously"...after beach season is over. Woman Claims Made-in-China Flipflops Injured Feet [FOX4] (VIDEO)
PREVIOUSLY: Woman Receives Severe Chemical Burns From Flip Flops, Walmart Tells Her To Complain To Manufacturer -
Plugging The Money Leaks
10 Stupid Ways That Smart People Waste Money
Some people are bad with money and they waste it constantly on stupid crap that they can't afford and they are sad all the time and have no friends... That's not you. More » -
A new book, co-authored by Jeff Sovern, of the excellent Consumer Law & Privacy blog, called, "Selected Consumer Statutes," provides 690 pages of statutes, regulations and reference materials regarding consumer law. $31 and free shipping at Amazon.
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Toys "R" Us Imaginarium Wooden Coloring Cases (lead paint), B&F System Emergency Tool Kits (fire and shock), Berko Electric Toe-Space Heaters (fire), Aloha Housewares "Aloha Breeze" Portable Electric Heaters (fire), Life Is Good Zippity Hoodie and Sherpa Full Zip Children's Hooded Sweatshirts with Drawstrings (strangulation).
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Unruly Passengers
American Airlines Flight Grounded After Passengers Complain About Men Speaking Arabic
According to the Associated Press, an American Airlines flight was grounded after passengers complained about 6 men who were speaking Arabic. The men had been hired by a company called Defense Training Systems to train Marines at Camp Pendleton. More » -
Money
Personal Finance Roundup
Stock Pullback Is Buying Opportunity, Not Meltdown [Smart Money] "Meltdown? This hardly qualifies as a correction. Even at the worst of it last week, the S&P 500 never closed even 10% below its highs. If this market move has you freaked out, then you need to find something else to do with your money other than investing in stocks. Ever consider taking up stamp collecting?"
Hot 6-figure jobs now [CNN Money] "Here are 5 areas where the demand for [$100,000 job] talent appears to be outpacing the supply."
7 common insurance mistakes [Bankrate] "Make any one of these mistakes and you could wind up paying too much for insurance or leave yourself severely underinsured."
How to lowball a home seller [MSN Money] "Do your homework and you might be able to make an aggressively low offer that a seller will accept — or at least counter."
Five big mortgage mistakes [MarketWatch] "With housing prices leveling off in many parts of the country, it's a good time for qualified buyers to shop around for a new home. [Here are] five pitfalls to avoid when trying to secure a mortgage."
— FREE MONEY FINANCE
