Without further ado...

America's Most Stressful Cities:

10. Philadelphia, PA

9. Providence, R.I.

8. Salt Lake City, Utah

7. Cleveland, Ohio

6. San Diego, Calif.

5. San Francisco, Calif.

4. Los Angeles, Calif.

3. Detroit, Mich.

2. New York, N.Y.

1. Chicago, Ill.

The magazine considered unemployment rate, expensive gas, high population density and relatively poor air quality as its criteria for what made one city more stressful than another.

Chicago has a 7.3% unemployment rate, the eighth most polluted air in our ranking and in city where everybody drives to get around, a gallon of gas costs a nickel under $4 dollars.

Omitted from the calculations:

America's Most Stressful Cities [Forbes]
(Photos: Meghann Marco & Meghann Marco)

Even at the low, low price of a double cheeseburger at McDonald's, it took 19 days to find a buyer for a gutted house on Detroit's east side, says the Detroit News. The house in question used to be the nicest house around. After foreclosure, however, vandals stripped the property of everything valuable from the wiring to the kitchen sink.

The home, at 8111 Traverse Street, a few blocks from Detroit City Airport, was the nicest house on the block when it sold for $65,000 in November 2006, said neighbor Carl Upshaw. But the home was foreclosed last summer, and it wasn't long until "the vultures closed in," Upshaw said. "The siding was the first to go. Then they took the fence. Then they broke in and took everything else."
...
"It about doesn't make sense to put the family out," Upshaw said. "Once people are gone, you're gonna lose the house in this neighborhood."

Empty houses are becoming more and more of a problem in Detroit and other cities hard hit by the foreclosure crisis. Banks are so desperate to rid themselves of these properties that they're willing to pay $10,000 to sell a house for $1.

So desperate was the bank owner of 8111 Traverse Street to unload the property that it agreed to pay $2,500 in sales commission and another $1,000 bonus for closing the $1 sale; the bank also will pay $500 of the buyer's closing costs. Throw in back taxes and a water bill, and unloading the house will cost the bank about $10,000.

"It doesn't make sense in some neighborhoods to keep paying costs and costs," Colpaert said. "It can make more financial sense to give it away."

While a $1 house is certainly unusual, even for Detroit, houses can be had for as little as a few hundred dollars these days.

"My 14-year-old son could buy a block of Detroit property," said Ann Laciura, senior servicing specialist for the Bearing Group.

Foreclosure Fallout: Houses Go For $1 [Detroit News]

Did you know that Spirit Airlines is now charging their customers for making a seat reservation — middle seats are $5, Aisle and Window seats are $10 and the "exit row seats" are $15. I was shocked with this change. I didn't make a seat reservation because I already paid the airfare for the ticket, which entitles me to a seat. I know the gas prices are very high, however, this was too little information, not written int he small print (I checked) and only identified when you selected your seat. I tried to call customer service, but was connected to someone in the Far East (they didn't identify the country they were calling from) and their English was so poor I could not understand the person I was trying to communicate with...When I mentioned I lived in Michigan, I was repeatedly asked, "Where, where do you live?"

Then, when, I asked for a "customer service" number in the US and the number I was given connected me to a "pornographic" phone service — I was more than startled!

Do you want this airline to survive?

Please listen to you customers and please answer your telephones with American residents who speak and understand English and know American geography — this is where you customer base lives and supports you...

I called back and got a number for a "customer service" desk at an airport. When I called that number and talked to a very helpful ticket desk Spirit Air Representative named Karen, she gave me a 1-800 number that had me on hold for 35 minutes with no one answering the phone. I finally hung up.

I have been a customer of Spirit Airlines since they starting flying out of Detroit several years ago. What has happened to Spirit Airlines? They off-shored their customer service lines to people who do not know the geography of the US and are not able to provide answers to questions that relate to the United States, the airports here and the service provided.

I had already paid for my (non-refundable) ticket to NY from Detroit, so I couldn't cancel it, but I sure thought about it. I couldn't get information about the seat selection fees until after I had paid for my ticket. This information needs to be provided up front! The baggage information is also troublesome. If you tap the wrong number of bags you wish to "prepay", there is no way to "delete" a bag if you choose not to take 2 bags on the plane.

From information I have gathered on the web, their customer service has deteriorated considerably in the past few months. They are very good at sending e-mails with enticing fares, but their website does not work correctly, it sent me back to the beginning several times, even when I was ready to select and pay for my ticket. The air fare deals does not even connect with their reservation page.

I hope at least the flight that I paid for is safe and will allow me to travel when I scheduled my flights.

- Barbara in Detroit

E-Zip Comfort Electric Bike [Walmart] (Thanks to Jeff!)

Among the big cities: New York came in #82, with 1 foreclosure in 305 households, an increase of 47% from last year. Chicago was ranked #30 on the list, with 1 in 88 households in foreclosure, up 45% from 2006. LA was #29, with 1 in 87 and an increase of 125%.

You can read the full report at RealityTrac's website and see how your neighbors are doing. If you live in Richmond, VA you can relax. Your area has only 1 in 2,319 households in foreclosure, dead last on the list. Congrats!

STOCKTON, DETROIT, LAS VEGAS POST TOP METRO FORECLOSURE RATES [RealtyTrac]
Las Vegas, Detroit foreclosure rates double-report [Reuters]
(Photo:Jim_W)

Jane Waun sued Spirit Airlines in the small claims division of 54B District Court in East Lansing, Mich., as a last resort this spring after trying unsuccessfully to resolve her beef with the airline directly.

She won her case last Monday mainly because Spirit never showed up for the original hearing and didn't have a good excuse. But the judgment reimburses her hotel and meal costs, a lost night at her destination and the four tickets she had to purchase on a different airline.

Will other passengers fed up with airline bad behavior now haul them off to small claims court, too?
"I'd encourage them to give it a shot," says aviation attorney Don Frank of Okemos. Even if you don't win, "it can be cathartic."

In Waun's case, Spirit Airlines likely will pay the judgment "and move forward," says spokeswoman Alison Russell.

Still, Waun, 55, who never sued anyone before, likely won't get the one thing she really wants — an apology.

"If Spirit just would have admitted their error and apologized," she says, "I would have flown them again."

Passenger wins damages from Spirit for canceled flight [USAToday]

"A couple were arraigned Thursday in Livonia on charges they made fake coupons to steal thousands of dollars from Target stores.

Suzanne Celeskey, 49, of Livonia and Stephen Najor, 39, of Clarkston used her home computer to create bogus coupons, which didn't scan properly at Target checkout counters, Livonia Police Lt. Gregory Winn said Thursday.

Winn said Celeskey would make a scene, and cashiers would override their computers and give the discounts. Later, the pair returned the items without the receipts and got back money equal to the full prices.

Since May, they obtained as much as $10,000 from Target stores in the Detroit area, according to Winn, who explained that investigators for the Minneapolis-based chain uncovered the scam with surveillance tapes and by tracking Celeskey's credit card.

In 16th District Court, Celeskey and Najor were charged with using a computer to commit a crime, a 7-year felony, and identity theft and larceny, both 5-year felonies."

Couple charged with bilking Target stores of $10,000 [Detroit Free Press] (Thanks to something_amazing!)

"Comcast has reached out to the customer to apologize for his unsatisfactory experience. We have been in direct contact with the customer and have restored his services to his satisfaction. Providing a positive customer experience and customer care is our number-one goal and priority, and we do not condone what was represented in the photograph. The individual involved is no longer performing work for Comcast."

That's great, but what about resolving the underlying issue? Like issuing these guys collars that delivers an electric shock if its wearer hasn't moved in five minutes?

Previously:
ANOTHER Comcast Tech Asleep On The Job
Pix Of 2nd Comcast Tech Asleep On Customer's Bed

Here's the cameraphone pic of yet another Comcast technician taking a snooze at a customer's house.

He must be really tired. Looks like he's using a metal bar for a pillow.

Previously: ANOTHER Comcast Tech Asleep On The Job (Thanks to something_amazing!)

As Detroit's automakers struggle to keep market share and make money, a new breed of watchdogs is emerging on the Internet. They post regular columns on Web sites and send out e-mail newsletters providing blunt, and often colorful, analysis of the auto industry.

They blast corporate strategy, single out top-level executives for failed projects and provide their own thoughts on what the automakers should do to turn things around. Several sites have developed a loyal following with thousands of regular visitors.

Whether the companies like them or not, the Internet sites are increasingly pushing information to the public, said David Cole, chairman of the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor, Mich. They quickly circulate news and ideas about the auto companies.

Later on an executive complains that these blogs tend to be "mean-spirited", which seems to be industry code speak for blunt criticism. If someone pays 30 grand for a car and doesn't feel they got what they paid for, it's perfectly valid to be mean-spirited about it. It's good, at least, the industry is starting to take notice, even if the way they try to harness is questionable, like the recent Edelmann/Walmart blog scandal.

Link: Blogs change how carmakers deal with media
Related: Detroit Exec Rants At Consumer Reports
Related: PR Agency Steps Up About Walmart Blogging

But? Not this year. In fact, the ritual returning of my mother's misguided gifts went rather smoothly — the lines were long-ish but moved quickly, every major chain had legitimate bargains, and the salesgirls were only mildly retarded (no signs of fetal alcohol syndrome whatsoever). In fact, I left the mall feeling rather accomplished, and this sense of consumer satisfaction terrifies me.