Talx Corporation: Contesting Jobless Claims Becomes A Boom Industry

New York Times:

With a client list that reads like a roster of Fortune 500 firms, a little-known company with an odd name, the Talx Corporation, has come to dominate a thriving industry: helping employers process -- and fight -- unemployment claims.

Read the whole story: New York Times

Softbank's Brad Pitt-Sumo Ad

If you've ever wanted to watch Brad Pitt feed a 500-pound man, here's your chance. Pitt plays personal assistant to a silent Samoan sumo wrestler in this commercial for Japanese banking giant Softbank directed by Spike Jonze.

Quiznos' "Crazy Talk"

Seeing an imaginary talking toaster during a psychotherapy session is a probably a sign of a mental illness. (We're just guessing here). Or, it's a sign extreme hunger for a $3 sandwich called the "bullet."

Teva's "The Naturist: Honey"

Gavin McInnes, a co-founder of Vice Magazine, pokes fun at TV nature experts in this spot for Teva. In "The Naturist," McInnes steals honey from a bee hive and rubs wild herbs on his face, with not-so-desirable results.

Archrival's "Personal Things" Video

Personal Things from Daniel Sheppard on Vimeo.

After the success of the 'Life of an Intern' rap video, a pair of Nebraska marketing interns have cut their own painfully honest, auto-tuned ode to intern life.

Internships The New Form Of Slavery

nyunews.com:

Interns, on the other hand, are expendable and exploited. Internships keep you imprisoned as the corporate errand boy with the tenuous promise of maybe being able to use the big, shiny photocopier one day if you can master the outgoing mail. And while it may come as a shock to hear that you were never part of Morgan Stanley's 10-year plan, the employer is not the only one complicit in this dupe of an internship.

Read the whole story: nyunews.com

Unpaid Internships Investigated: 'Mostly Drudgery' Means Employers Must Usually Pay, Say Regulators

New York Times:

Convinced that many unpaid internships violate minimum wage laws, officials in Oregon, California and other states have begun investigations and fined employers. Last year, M. Patricia Smith, then New York's labor commissioner, ordered investigations into several firms' internships. Now, as the federal Labor Department's top law enforcement official, she and the wage and hour division are stepping up enforcement nationwide.

Read the whole story: New York Times

How To Get Your Credit Report For Free

Now that it will be easier to find your free credit report, you may be curious about who else can see it and how it can be used.

Starting Friday, a new Federal Trade Commission rule will require Web sites advertising free reports to direct consumers to the government-approved . TV and radio ads must do the same starting Sept. 1.

http://www.annualcreditreport.com

The problem is that these ads typically don't disclose that the advertised free reports are part of a package of services that can cost as much as $14.95 a month. Consumers may not realize they can get free reports with no strings attached.

Once a report is in hand, however, it only raises a slew of other questions. Here's what you need to know about credit reports and scores.

THERE'S MORE THAN ONE FREEBIE A YEAR

Let's start by clarifying when you can get free credit reports.

You're entitled to a free copy every year from each of the credit reporting agencies – Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Off the bat, that means you get three free reports a year.

On top of that, you can request free reports if you're the victim of identity fraud or unemployed and looking for work. In the latter case, the idea is that you should know what's on your report in case a potential employer wants to pull it. You're also entitled to free copies if you think your report has errors or if it's ever used against you.