If any industry needs a little help to get business to be booming, it’s publishing. And aid is coming from an unlikely source — erotic books could be the savior of the swiftly sinking business of book publishing, MSNBC’s Brian Alexander reports. [More]
Retail Services
States Seek Sales Taxes On Haircuts, Balloon Rides
By 5.1.10
As states across America take a look at their budgets, some are getting creative with sales taxes in an effort to increase their revenue by slapping a tax on some interesting items and services. CNNMoney checked out what’s going down all over America, from magician taxes to hot air balloon ride tariffs.
Tax off the top: In Michigan and Nebraska, legislators are considering extending the state sales tax to person grooming services like getting a trim, because they can be seen as a luxury item.
Krusty the Clown tax: Maine wants to make money off of children! A bill proposing a 5% state tax on entertainment like comedians, clowns, jugglers, ventriloquists, petting zoos, paintball and even haunted hay rides is up to be voted on this summer, and would go into effect in January 2011.
Balloon Boy tax: Hot air balloon rides don’t come cheap, and in Kentucky they could be even pricier: Lawmakers there want to get their hands on $350 to $400 million a year by taxing high-end services like limousine such as limousine and hot air balloon rides, golf green fees, private landscaping, armored car services and professional laundry services. Because these are things rich people use, so, tax’em! [More]
Cougars Buying Up Sexy Lingerie In Devious Seduction Plan
By 5.1.10
Watch out boys, she’ll eat you up: The UK’s Daily Mail says lingerie sales are on the uptick due to women in their 40’s and 50’s looking to seduce younger men. These cougars are on the prowl and they want their lacy bras and garters! [More]
Coffee Cup Designer Leslie Buck Dies At 87
By 5.1.10
Chances are if you’ve ever gotten a cup of coffee to go in New York City at a deli or street cart, it’s been served to you in a familiar blue and white “We Are Happy to Serve You” cup — or you’ve at least seen it on Law & Order. Leslie Buck, the designer of that iconic Grecian caffeine receptacle, known as the Anthora cup, passed away on Monday, )”>the New York Times reports. [More]
Kindle Update Includes Folders, Passwords, Twitter
By 4.30.10
Kindle owners may have had to sit by for a while as iPad owners got all the cool toys like Netflix, games and, oh, a color, backlit screen. But the latest software upgrade for the Amazon e-book reader promises a handful of niceties, including a Twitter client, password protection and better fonts. You can even — drum roll please — organize your books into folders. [More]
Bank America Loves You Too Much To Ever Let You (And Your Checking Account) Go
By 4.30.10
Cassie writes that she is trapped in an extra special circle of banking hell. No matter what she does, Bank of America is unable to close her checking account. Just when she thinks it may finally be dead, the bank charges inactivity fees to her account, which in turn re-activate the account, starting the process all over again. It’s like the worst zombie movie ever. [More]
Join In The Fight To Help Poor DirecTV Customers Get AMC HD
By 4.30.10
If you’re a cable subscriber like me you probably had no idea DirecTV customers didn’t have access to AMC HD. That means they must suffer the indignity of watching Bryan Cranston make meth in his underwear and Jon Hamm sleep with every woman he meets in fuzzy standard definition. [More]
Target: We’re Out Of Scales, So Just Buy A Mirror
By 4.29.10 — Updated: 10.9.13
Hmmm, what should one do if Target is out of scales?
AriZona Iced Tea: Don't Hate Us, We're From New York
By 4.29.10
While there’s much heated discussion about Arizona’s controversial new immigration laws, the folks at AriZona Iced Tea have somehow found themselves caught in the crossfire, with some even calling for a boycott on the beverage brand. That’s why one of the founders of the company wants everyone to know that, just like inauthentic picante sauce, they’re originally from New York City. [More]
Bank Of America Misplaced Divorce Decree, Handed Over All My Money To Ex
By 4.29.10
Deb tells Consumerist that she did the proper thing after her divorce: months ago, she brought a copy of the divorce decree to her local Bank of America branch so they could remove her ex-husband from the account. The branch manager declared the situation taken care of, which is why Deb was horrified to learn last week that her ex’s name had never been removed from the account, and he had transferred its contents–all of her money–into his own account. Yep, the branch manager made a mistake, and no one at BoA will admit that it was their mistake. [More]
Walmart Facing Mega Sex Discrimination Suit
By 4.29.10
The Daily Beast spotlights a woman who joined in on the ongoing Betty Dukes v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. sex discrimination class action suit against Walmart, the largest civil rights class action suit in American history. [More]
Red "Sale" Sign At Kohl's Means Item Is FOR Sale, Not ON Sale
By 4.28.10
Nice try, Kohl’s, but we see through your game. An item isn’t on sale just because you say it is. You have to actually decrease the price. Noah writes that when he found a tag emblazoned with the word SALE, he thought this meant that perhaps the item was on sale. Don’t be silly, Noah. [More]
Even Newspapers Are Going 3D Now
By 4.28.10
Newspaper mad scientist Rupert Murdoch is apparently jumping on the James Cameron bandwagon, because now his British tabloid The Sun is going to go 3D, Deadline Hollywood Daily reports. [More]
Who Keeps Trying To Kill Our Babies?
By 4.27.10
This “Recalled Baby Products 2009-2010” graphic from the website hugamonkey is massive, and it shows how many types of products were recalled over the past 16 months. You can use it as a reference tool to see if there’s anything in your home on the list, or to remind yourself why you’d rather have a houseplant. [More]
Walmart Manager Hates It When You Donate Loss Leaders To Homeless Shelters
By 4.27.10
At Walmart, no good deed goes unpunished. Lisa said she tried to buy up a bunch of health and beauty supplies at Walmart to donate to local homeless shelters, and instead got a lecture in economics from the shift supervisor. [More]
What's The Best Card For International Travel?
By 4.27.10
When hitting the shops overseas, many credit cards will charge you additional international transaction fees. The savvy traveler needs to equip themselves with a credit card that charges low or no fees at all. Here’s the current rates for the seven credit cards with the lowest international transaction fees: [More]
Adventures In Buying A TV From The Rudest Best Buy Staff Around
By 4.27.10
Reader Brian is an ex-Best Buy customer. All he wanted was to buy a TV, but he couldn’t even get the staff to get the one he wanted to buy from the back until his girlfriend actually called the store… from inside the store. [More]
