Call it the war against Christmas lasting six months. The Scrooges and Grinches are surfacing early this year, mainly to complain that the winter holiday shopping hubbub is surfacing so early this year.
Prepaid Debit Cards: Buyer Beware, Be Really Aware
Prepaid debit cards are attractive to certain consumers—immigrants and low-income people in particular—because they can be purchased quickly and easily in drugstores or Wal-Mart, and there’s no I.D. or paperwork necessary. What people who use these reloadable cards often fail to understand is that they’re …
Mastering the McDonald’s Monopoly Game
The McDonald’s monopoly game starts up this week. If you’re going to play, why not play to win?
Officiating the Krugman vs. Chicago debate
My throwaway line that some people at the University of Chicago “reeeeaaaally didn’t like Paul Krugman’s article about the state of macroeconomics” has gotten so much traffic, thanks to a link from Krugman, that I feel obliged to go a bit deeper. My observation was occasioned by a conversation with a couple of mild-mannered, open-minded …
The Plain English Campaign: Waging War Against Gobbledygook
Why are government documents and the fine print in bank agreements and credit card offers littered with undecipherable phrases like “collateral debt obligations” and “sector-specific benchmarking” and “amorphous challenges”? Perhaps because the organizations creating these ugly phrases are purposefully trying to confuse consumers and taxpayers.
It’s a Deal: $800 Worth of Gift Cards and Services for $30
The best part: All of the proceeds go to the American Cancer Society. The Big Bundle, as this special offer is being called, includes gift cards and certificates to vendors like Papa Johns and ShoeBuy.com, subscriptions to services such as Zagat.com, and discount coupons to retailers like The Gap and Nordstrom. The value totals just …
Barter Bonanza
Swapping your stuff for someone else’s has never been easier. There are now fairly simple ways to barter for home appliances, video games, clothes, even car leases and the services of accountants and hair dressers.
With Saturn All But Gone, the Mourning Begins
I’m not the only one saddened by the demise of Saturn, the once-innovative auto brand that was created—and also killed—by GM.
Is buy-and-hold due for a comeback?
I’m a big fan of the monthly newsletter authored by Jim Paulsen of Wells Capital Management. You’ve got to love the fevered way he draws all over his charts (I’ve reproduced a sample at the end of this post). Then there’s his punctuation, extremely heavy on the exclamation marks and scare quotes. Finally there’s what he says, which, …
Runner Trend: Going Barefoot
A small but growing number of runners are going au naturel from the shin down. Running barefoot, they say, feels better and is better for you, your feet, your joints, everything. It’s also a fairly obvious way to cut back on the cost of footwear.
It’s a Deal: Two Kids Eat Free at Boston Market
Through October 31, two kids’ meals (for children up to age 14) will be given away free of charge for each adult purchase of $6 or more at Boston Market. No coupon necessary, but kids must be present to get the freebies. More details here.
Burgers and private equity
For two days running, the NYT has given us epic explanations of how the sausage of modern American capitalism is made. First, on Sunday, came Michael Moss’s harrowing tale of where the burger that paralyzed Stephanie Smith came from:
The frozen hamburgers that the Smiths ate, which were made by the food giant Cargill, were labeled
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