Consumerist
-
relationships
4 Money Conversations You Should Have Before You Commit
Before you tie your destiny and your credit rating to the person you love, there are some decidedly un-romantic conversations that you need to have in order to prevent discord and catastrophe later in life. More » -
badvertising
Microsoft Goes After Malicious Ad Suppliers
If you visited the New York Times website last week, you may have been surprised to have your browsing interrupted by one of those scammy "we're scanning your computer for viruses OH NO YOU HAVE A VIRUS!" ads that overtake your window. Now Microsoft has filed 5 lawsuits in an attempt to fight back against the jerks who may have been responsible for it, and certainly for other ads like it all over the web. More » -
new york times
J.C. Penney In Manhattan Harbinger Of Fashion Apocalypse, Fat Suburbanites
Cintra Wilson set out to write a lighthearted, snarky article about the arrival of J.C. Penney in Manhattan for her "Critical Shopper" series, and somehow ended up insulting nearly everyone who read the article. Those who took offense included, but were not limited to: overweight people, tourists, plastic mannequins, people who are attuned to rampant classism, residents of "middle America," diabetics, and anyone who has ever found an attractive article of clothing at a J.C. Penney. More » -
trustafarians
Investments Are Down - Won't You Hire A Poor Trust-Funder?
It's the end of an era. The parentally-subsidized idle urbanites of New York aren't getting the fundage they used to, and they have to get paying jobs now. Or move in with their parents. (Here I thought living with my parents after college was too much parental subsidy.) While Gawker's coverage of this story is not to be missed, let's look at it through a Consumerist lens, shall we? More » -
rate hikes
ConEd Hikes Rates, But Consumers Could Still See Lower Bills
ConEd has just what you need in the middle of recession: a rate hike! Monthly bills are set to rise between $6-$8 as the energy monster tries to recoup a half a billion dollars to cover the cost of higher property taxes and the usual infrastructure maintenance that utilities never budget for in advance. The perennial optimists at the New York Post still somehow think you'll still end up with a lower bill... More » -
Career Options
Gray Lady To Wall Street Failures: Why Not Become A Clown?!
Hey, Wall Street failures, have you considered an exciting new career as a document shredder? How about working as a butler? Ok, ok. Would you work as a clown? Seriously! According to the Times, it's a perfectly valid "career option" for washed up investment bankers. "Even sad clowns are a hoot at a birthday party." And the Times is full of other helpful suggestions... More » -
consumer protection
Time To Bring Back The Consumer Czar
Last month, several consumer groups sent President-elect Obama a letter detailing a pro-consumer agenda for the new administration and Congress. One of those suggestions, supported by an editorial in today's New York Times, is reinstating the position of special assistant to the President on consumer affairs, also known as the consumer czar. -
Academic and New York Times blogger Stanley Fish kicks off nominations for Worst Company in America 2009 with his account of frustrations—both consumer and grammatical—with AT&T.
-
-
christmas creep
New York Times, 1908: 100 Years Of Christmas Creep!
Reader Annie spotted this early Christmas ad while browsing through the New York Times Machine. It's from November 11, 1908. More » -
shame
Those Damn Europeans Are Taking Over New York
Have you seen them? The Europeans? They're everywhere! In our fancy bistros, on line at the Apple store, spending their fancy-pantzy valuable Euros while we suffer through this intolerable non-recession. The patriots at the New York Times finally sounded the warning call over this European "invasion" that's transforming New York into the "Walmart of hip." More » -
inflation
Consumer Price Index Shows That Consumers Like Eating Out, Gasoline
The New York Times made a pretty cool graph out of the Consumer Price Index, which tracks changes in prices for many consumer goods over the past year. Turns out, gas prices went up. More » -
psychology
Why You Fall For Dumb Things
The New York Times has an interesting series of tests and explanations that show why and how the human brain makes errors in estimating probability—and consequently, why we get suckered even if we think we're overall pretty smart. To start things off, play the Times' online version of the "Let's Make a Deal" game, where you pick one of three doors, then you can read up on how it works. The game brought in a bunch of reader responses (and arguments), so the author, John Tierney, offered a few more thought experiments you can try if you need something to keep you distracted from your job. In today's column, Tierney talks about why so many people naturally make errors with probability and gets a plain-English explanation from a couple of marketing and psychology experts. More » -
op-ed
Government-Mandated Mutual Funds For Everyone! No Thanks.
There was a NYT op-ed last week, "Go On A Savings Spree," suggesting that, as opposed to the tax-rebate stimulus, the best way to heal the economy is for the government to create universal mutual funds for every tax-payer. At one point, author Dalton Conley writes, "Some research suggests that asset-holders behave more responsibly and are more civic-minded than those without wealth. After all, they have a stake in the future of the economy and their community...Investing motivates people of all income levels to defer gratification and become knowledgeable about the economy and society."
This is a misplacement of cause and effect. Giving a man an investment fund automatically makes him responsible and civic just as much as giving a man a fish teaches him to catch his dinner with rod and reel. More »
-
made in china
Breaking News: There Are Sweatshops In China!
Economists and politicians rant about China in terms of jobs lost, currency valuation, and trade gaps. But the New York Times reports that a new metric has been discovered: every year, Chinese workers manufacturing our toys, garments and electronic junk in the Peal River Delta collectively break 40,000 fingers. More » -
marketing
Store Says It Can Prove There Is Seaweed In Its Clothing
The New York Times recently tested some "Vitasea" seaweed clothing from athletic clothing store Lululemon Athletica and could not find any evidence that there was any actual seaweed in the fabric. Lululemon disagrees. More » -
corrections
Candy From Denmark Not As Filthy As Previously Reported
Remember when we said exports from countries not named China were also tainted and filthy? It turns out the exports aren't as tainted and filthy as the New York Times originally reported. The Times explains that a "methodology problem was discovered" after the Danish Embassy complained that their candy was refused by FDA inspectors only 82 times, not 520, as the Times claimed. From the Gray Lady:When the data was re-analyzed, it showed that the number of candy shipments rejected from Denmark had not been higher than the number of seafood shipments rejected from China, as the article stated. The number of shipments rejected from China was also misstated; it was 331, not 391.
More » -
online
Get Free Access To Times Select Using Your College Email Address
If you have access to your college email address, you can get access to the New York Times "Select" articles from their archive without those pesky five-dolla charges. More » -
taxes
Tax Season: IRS Owes You $60 If You Own A Phone
The New York Times reports how our victory in the Spanish American War will save you $60 on this year's taxes. Last year Congress realized that Cuba was no longer occupied by the Spanish Empire. The war, funded by a 3% tax on all long distance calls, is over. No more measly one or two dollar "Federal Excise Tax" on your monthly phone bill. With the empire unlikely to strike back, Congress decided to drop the tax and refund the excise taxes collected over the last three years. More »
new york times
New York, 6:12 PM
Mon Nov 23
20 posts in the last 24 hours
Tip Your Editors:
tips@consumerist.com
tipline: 347-42C-ON95
Co-Managing Editor:
Ben Popken
Email | AIM | Twitter
Co-Managing Editor:
Meghann Marco
Email | Twitter
Senior Editor:
Chris Walters
Email | Twitter
Weekend Editor:
Laura Northrup
Email | AIM | Twitter
Associate Editor:
Alex Chasick | Email
Associate Editor:
Phil Villarreal
Email
