We stray into politics often at our peril but I had to share this clip of Sen. Franken kneecapping a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute conservative think tank. In what was supposed to be a hearing on the Medical Bankruptcy Fairness Act, Diana Furchtgott-Roth instead used her testimony to pillory against health care reform proposals not even being discussed. After Sen. Whitehouse asks her if she even read the bill at hand, Sen. Franken goes: “You said the way we’re going will increase bankruptcies…How many bankruptcies because of medical crises were there last year in Switzerland?”
videos
VIDEO: Derivatives Are Sort Of Like A Pre-Ordered Turkey
By 10.25.09
The business and financial news are full of something called “derivatives.” But, okay, what is that? You’re not the only one who’s wondering. That’s why Paddy Hirsch from the public radio program Marketplace put together a whiteboard, some stick figures, and a bunch of metaphorical turkeys to explain it all to us.
Consumerist At The White House, Part III: Regulating Credit Bureaus
By 10.21.09
Here’s a question a lot of you asked: How will the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency deal with credit-report agencies like Equifax and TransUnion. Jump in for the answer from Diana Farrell, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council.
You Wouldn't Be Eating Cat Food If We Had Listened To Brooksley Born
By 10.20.09
Meet the canary in the coal mine that no one wanted to listen to: Brooksley Born. As head of the obscure Commodity Futures Trading Commission she sounded the warning in the late 90’s about the need for more transparency and regulation of the derivatives market, but a coalition of Beltway insiders, including the then rock star Alan Greenspan, formed against her to shut her up and shut her out. After the economic collapse, it’s time for them to eat crow. Learn more in tonight’s FRONTLINE presentation of “The Warning” on PBS at 9pm eastern, or watch online.
Consumerist Takes Your Financial Reform Questions To The White House, Part II
By 10.18.09
Last week, we brought your financial reform questions to Diana Farrell, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council. In this segment, we ask how the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency will work, and how consumers will be able to get their complaints addressed.
Consumerist Videodrome #1
By 10.15.09
It’s Consumerist Videodrome #1! Wherein I make several important announcements about new changes coming to the site and show off my new cat.
Consumerist Takes Your Financial Reform Questions To The White House
By 10.15.09
You had questions, we got answers. On Tuesday, we went to Washington and interviewed Diana Farrell, Deputy Director of the National Economic Council, about the Consumer Financial Protection Agency. Here’s a piece of the video of our interview, where Farrell answers your questions about payday lending and protections for underserved consumers.
Ask The White House: Please Submit Your Questions About The Consumer Financial Protection Agency
By 10.9.09
Consumerist is going to interview the White House once again. This time, Consumerist readers get a chance to get answers about the proposed Consumer Financial Protection Agency.
Chipotle Says Their Food Does Not Cause Underwear Blood
By 10.9.09
South Park managed to combine the late Billy Mays, the unfortunately still around Ghost Hunters, and the beloved Chipotle chain in their latest episode, with surprising results.
Woman Arrested For Keeping Rented Movies 10 Years Past Due Date
By 10.5.09
A woman in Iowa was arrested last week for the theft of three video tapes from a local video store. She rented them in May of 1998, and a charge was filed against her in September of that same year after she repeatedly neglected to return them.
Now In Stores: Video/Book Hybrids
By 10.2.09
Great news if you enjoy books, but have the puny attention span of a person raised on television and the Interne—oh, look at the kitten!
Microsoft's Launch Party Video Is Surprisingly Offensive!
By 10.1.09
Okay, now we get the appeal of hosting a Windows 7 launch party. There’s lots of f[bleep]g involved. Lots and lots of it at the skeevy white guy’s party, it sounds like. Watch the clip below to see how much better you can make a corporate video by adding a few well-timed bleeps.
Hidden Cameras Catch LA Valets Breaking All Kinds Of Laws
By 10.1.09
An excellent piece of investigative journalism by NBC Los Angeles catches valets all over the city putting up fake no parking signs, jamming meters, and using customers’ cars to shuttle valets around.
SNL Gold Skit Original Ad Revealed
By 10.1.09
Here at Consumerist, we love gold. Precious, glowing, brilliant, sexy gold. You might be familiar with the Kristen Wiig crazy Monex gold skit on SNL, but have you seen the original Monex commercial it was based on? We present here both the original and the parody for your viewing and comparing pleasure.
Microsoft Wants You To Host Your Own Windows 7 Launch Party, Really
By 9.29.09
Everyone likes hosting launch parties, right?! What? No one likes them? They’re not real parties—just promotional events dreamed up to move units? But Microsoft told me that it’s okay to host my own launch party! It’ll be cool! Just look at these two married couples hanging out and gabbing like a box of birds about how much they love Windows 7.
Infamous Domino's Where Gross-Out Video Was Recorded Closes Doors
By 9.28.09
Remember that Domino’s Pizza, the one in North Carolina where Kristy and Michael recorded themselves doing gross things to the food? The Charlotte Observer has reported that the location has gone out of business, at least for now—”closed signs have been placed in the windows and the phone has been disconnected.”
344 Now 224 lb Reader Featured On TV, In Newsweek
By 9.25.09
Reader Tyler Weeks, who started a blog to chronicle his journey from 344 pounds to his current weight of 224.6, was recently featured in Newsweek and on his local CBS news station for his weight reduction success story. Nice job! Here’s the video.
