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We’ve discovered that a lot of the "mystery meat" in tacos and fast food is really horse meat, despite being labeled as "beef." Here’s the latest example of mislabeling: Two department stores have been caught selling REAL fur coats as "fake fur," probably in deference to animal-loving customers.

The Fur Act of 1951 stipulates that customers need to be told where a fur comes from, what animal it’s made of, whether it has been colored or bleached, and whether it’s new or used.
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Does it sometimes seem like department stores go out of their way to make the shopping experience unpleasant, when you’d think, especially around Christmas, that they’d do just the opposite? There’s a reason for this: It turns out that the less comfortable you are during the seasonal shopping spree, the more money you’ll spend.
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Capitalism would die if we didn’t, but it doesn’t do much for our spiritual life (NOTE: Subscribers can still listen to this show). As "Black Friday"–the biggest shopping day of the year in the US–approaches, it’s something to think about.

In the Guardian, Heidi Moore quotes British comedian Louis CK as saying, "We live in an amazing, amazing world, and it’s wasted on the crappiest generation of spoiled idiots."

Moore quotes product designer Thomas Wensma as saying, "We want something new, something pretty, the next shiny thing." read more

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People are avoiding long lines at the cash register by shopping online this year. A recent survey shows that almost half of all US shoppers say they plan to buy gifts online this holiday season, up from about a third last year. In order to get more Christmas customers into their premises, store managers are trying to make potential shoppers happier while they’re waiting in line.

Meanwhile, the shoppers would like to know the mathematics of shopping efficiency–is it better to stay in the same line or jump to a shorter one? Mathematicians and psychologists are trying to understand how people perceive waiting in line.
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