Weekly Legal Roundup

Diamonds, energy supplements and cholesterol reducing drugs made legal headlines in the I-think-you’re-lying-to-me category during the week of February 11, 2013. Two new false advertising actions were filed: It’s a…

Weekly Legal Roundup

During the week of February 4, 2013, digestion, food, and make-up bubbled to the top of the legal I-think-you’re-lying-to-me landscape. Three new false advertising class actions were filed: Maybelline was…

Should Best Lip-Sync Be a New Grammy Category?

There are understandable reasons for lip-syncing—sound quality, predictability, choreography—but in the end, lip-syncing is a kind of lie.

Diet Drug Transfers Fat to Breasts and Tans Skin

First reaction: totally gross. Second reaction: hello Photoshop!

Lance and LIVESTRONG: You Need a Divorce

Lance Armstrong has conned me one too many times.

The Seven Best Things About Super Bowl Ads

Why we love to watch Super Bowl commercials.

Take a Pass on Product Placement in “Hall Pass”

Why is a car the star of this movie?

The Top Five Ways Super Bowl Ads Will Lie to You

Big Mickey is Watching You

MyMagic+ at Disney may mean shorter lines but more direct marketing to guests.

I Was Desperate for a Job, But Not This One

The opportunity of a lifetime? Not so much.

Seriously Siri?

When I watched Samuel L. Jackson talk to Siri in his flirtatious way in the iPhone television commercial and how efficient she  (it?) was in helping him arrange a romantic…

Vacation Deal Gone Wrong – The Dangers of Craigslist

Searching for the perfect all-girls weekend rental, my dear friend came across this ad on Craigslist: Fantastic 5 bedroom . . . house with water views just 300 feet from…

57 Year Old Mom Looks 27!

I feel like the online version of the New York Times has me pegged.  Or to say it another way, NYTimes’ cookies have tracked my online behavior such that its…

What’s Magic about this Ingredient in Energy Drinks?

Your browser does not support the video tag. Shocking news flash: the “energy” from energy drinks comes from caffeine, and not the other fluffy ingredients, such as the “B vitamins…

Yes, Mr. Wilson, Potato Chips are Fattening

I love potato chips.  The ruffled ones with a little onion dip – now that’s heaven.  But though I love potato chips dearly, they only enter our house once a…

A .org Does not a Non-Profit Make

Change.org, among other sites, has turned me into what some might call a charity slacktivist.  Over the past year or so, from the comfort of my own couch, I’ve signed…

Ghost Orchids and Land Scams: A Review

The Orchid Thief, by Susan Orlean, leads us through exotic jungles, backyard gardens, and world-famous greenhouses all in search of the rare ghost orchid, Polyrrbiza lindenii.  Notably, this endangered flower…

Kevin Trudeau – one heck of a salesman or one heck of a liar?

Self-described “consumer advocate” and “exposer of corporate and government corruption,” this convicted felon lost the latest round in his decade long battle with the FTC.  On November 29, 2011, the…

Pop-Ups and the Bimbo Bear

I don’t like An advertisement that pops up in a new window when you’re browsing the internet. ads.  They’re like someone interrupting you in the middle of a conversation –…

The Ugly Truth about the Beauty Industry

Beauty may be in the eye of the beholder but that doesn’t stop American consumers from spending nearly $8 billion on cosmetics every year. Not included in this figure are…