Consumerist
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hummer
GM, Tengzhong Close To Hummer Brand Sale
So long, Hummer. Sort of. GM and Chinese company Tengzhong are closer to their deal to sell the Hummer brand. More » -
one man's trash
China Wants Us For Our "Jumbo, Juicy" Chicken Feet
The waters of international trade with the Chinese are perilous and murky to say the least. Sometimes it seems that all we do is buy, buy, buy. Not so. We do have something that the Chinese want. Chicken feet. Apparently, our chicken feet are awesome. More » -
Great news, homeowners! Drywall manufactured in China from waste byproducts may have a horrible stench and corrode everything in your house, but the Consumer Product Safety Commission has concluded that at least it's not radioactive. [Consumer Reports Safety]
(Photo: Velo Steve)
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tragic
Chinese Police Say Walmart Shopper Beaten To Death After Botched Receipt Check
Chinese state media says that a woman accused of shoplifting was allegedly beaten to death by 2 employees of a Walmart in eastern China. A police report says that the employees stopped the woman on the street near her home (which is also near the Walmart) and demanded to see her receipt. One report says she refused because she was unsure of the employee's identities, another says she handed it over, then took it back. More » -
window shopping
IKEA In Beijing Is More Like A Giant Public Living Room
On our last visit to IKEA earlier this summer, we noted with sadness how there was a certain GAP-like feeling about a lot of the merchandise, by which we mean it seemed dull and forgettable. But maybe we've been approaching shopping at IKEA the wrong way. More » -
weddings
1.3 Mile Long Wedding Dress Shows China Is Ready For Gross Consumerism, Too!
A Chinese bride recently walked down the aisle wearing a 7,083-foot-long wedding dress that took 200 guests over three hours to unfurl. The $5,800 dress could be a sign of China's potential to threaten America's reigning status as the capital of gross consumerism, if only the bridegroom hadn't personally designed the dress with his family's help. Explaining the lavish garment, he said: "I do not want a cliche wedding parade or banquet." More » -
apologies
Who's Responsible For The Chinese Poison Train? Us!
Apparently we were wrong about this whole "Chinese Poison Train" thing. It turns out that it was "filthy U.S. inspectors" who were tainting "pristine Chinese shipments" all along, according to The Onion. More » -
new and exciting products
Chinese Discount Airline To Sell Standing Room Tickets
Spring Airlines, a discount Chinese carrier, plans to ask the government for permission to sell standing room tickets. The plan will likely win approval, since Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Dejiang was recently quoted as saying: "for a lower price, passengers should be able to get on a plane like catching a bus, with no seat, no luggage consignment, no food, no water, but very convenient." More » -
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chinese poison train
Radioactive Chinese Drywall Is Stinking Up U.S. Homes
The government thinks radioactive industrial waste from China is responsible for a recent sulfur stench that has plagued hundreds of Florida homes. Demand for Chinese drywall spiked during the housing boom, but federal regulators believe the drywall contained phosphogypsum, a banned waste byproduct that features prominently in Chinese construction. When used in drywall, the probable carcinogen can corrode "air conditioners, mirrors, electrical outlets and even jewelry." More » -
globalization run amok
Clothing Sold In Africa Made in China... India... Somewhere
A few weeks ago, we brought to you a story of counterfeit antimalarials from China being labeled as "Made in India," then sold in Nigeria. Turns out it's not just drugs. More » -
the china syndrome
New Book: Poorly Made In China
Want to know how that lead got into your kid's toys? Why brand-name goods come in containers that fall apart. Or how radioactive cookery ended up on store shelves? A new book out by Paul Midler, Poorly Made In China, promises the inside scoop on why products made in China are as shoddy (and often as dangerous) as seemingly possible. More » -
chinese poison train
Counterfeit Drugs Made In China Relabeled "Made In India"
The Chinese poison train makes plenty of stops outside of the United States. When those stops are in developing countries, bad things can happen. Even worse things happen when dangerous products from China are intentionally mislabeled as being from another country. Say, India. More »
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mattel
Mattel Will Pay $2.3 Million Penalty For All Those Lead Toys
Remember back when lead toys were all the rage? Oh, those dangerous days, when you couldn't lick a Dora the Explorer doll without fear of memory loss! Well, Mattel and the Consumer Prouct Safety Commission (CPSC) have reached an agreement on how much Mattel should pay for importing toys that exceeded U.S. lead safety guidelines, and the amount is $2.3 million. Maybe now the CPSC can use some of that money to grease the DC wheels and get their new chair nominee confirmed.
"Mattel to Pay $2.3 Million Penalty for Toy Hazard" [Bloomberg]
(Photo: IntangibleArts) -
Chinese truckmaker set to buy Hummer The Hummer will go well with the rest of China's portfolio. [Consumer Reports Cars]
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Looking for updates in the New Zealand bank error fugitives case? According to various news reports. the couple have split up to evade capture, the sister who posted the fateful Facebook message is back in New Zealand, and the couple face seven years in jail once they are caught.
Meanwhile, the bank has started legal action against the Macau casino where the couple had what was presumably a very, very nice time. [The Sun] [NZ Herald} [Sydney Morning Herald]
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censorship
No More Erections In Love Land: China Demolishes Sex Theme Park Filled With Giant Statues Of Genitalia
Bad news for those of you planning a trip to "Love Land", China's first sex theme park: it's been demolished before it could even open. Now the only giant balls the locals will see are government-administered wrecking balls. More » -
stupid criminals
New Zealand Bank Error Fugitives Foiled By Facebook Status Update
You know how it goes. You go out and have too many beers, then post a Facebook update with a bit too much information about your evening. Maybe you take it down once you sober up the next day, but not before the damage is done.
Then, if you're Aroha Hurring of New Zealand, Interpol uses your status update to track down you, your sister, her boyfriend, and the millions of dollars his bank mistakenly deposited in his account. More »
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chinese poisson train
Use Free Trade To Promote Food Safety
National Journal has an interesting article about the intersection of free trade and globalization with increased food safety abroad and at home. Rather than reject shipments of Chinese fish for being raised in disgusting environments, the US should require trading partners to set and enforce their own strict food safety standards and use globalization as a way to promote better standards worldwide, instead of a race to the bottom. More »
china
New York, 7:12 PM
Sat Nov 7
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