Some companies provide employees with rooms full of ping-pong or foosball tables, TVs, and comfy napping pods as a way to relax or kick-back for breaks during the day. Amazon is reportedly taking a more zen approach to inspiring workers: creating a garden/jungle/conservatory-like new workspace. [More]
trees
Lumber Liquidators Pleads Guilty To Selling Hardwood From Endangered Big Cat Habitats
By 10.22.15
Lumber Liquidators has officially pleaded guilty to violations of the Lacey Act, a law that bans illegally-harvested animal and plant products, including trees, from sale in the United States. It turns out that the offending hardwoods were illegally harvested because they were in forests in eastern Russia that are home to two species of endangered wild cats: the Amur leopard and the Siberian tiger. [More]
HOA Fines Homeowner $5K For Planting Trees That Are Currently Too Small
By 11.13.13
The thing about trees is, they grow. But not fast enough for one Homeowner’s Association, which has been fining a man $10 a day until the amount reached $5,000 because he planted trees that are too small. [More]
Check Your Tree For Signs Of Impending Death
By 3.13.12
By the time it becomes obvious that a tree in your yard is dying, it may be too late to save it. In order to avoid a costly, time-consuming removal project, it’s helpful to monitor your trees for signs that they’re embarking on a death spiral. [More]
Planting Trees Increase Value Of Rentals By $21 A Month
By 10.18.11
A new study by the U.S. Forest Service found that planting trees along the perimeter of a rental property increase the rates the landlord could charge by $21 a month. [More]
Homeowners Steamed After Utility Rips Up Old Trees To Install Power Lines
By 8.16.11
A neighborhood is up in arms after, without notice, the utility trimmed several old-growth shade trees to make way for new power lines. They even took one down to the stump. PSE&G says emergency measures had to be taken to address resident complaints about outages. The Montclair homeowners say their street and property values have been damaged to provide power to a tony neighborhood and country club the next town over. [More]
By 12.31.08
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Here are some tips for recycling your Christmas tree.
How To Get Past The UPS Phonebot
By 10.6.08
Luke writes, “I recently had a package delivered to me by UPS, and by ‘delivered’ I mean that they left a little yellow slip stating that they showed up and left.” Thanks to a burst of anger, he figured out how to get past the phonebot that intercepts calls. It turns out you don’t even need to add the curse word to the end.
Homeowners Fined $347,000 For Trimming Trees Without A Permit
By 11.28.07
The Glendale Fire Department sent Ann and Mike Collard a notice informing them that the branches on some of their trees were too close to their home. The notice ordered the couple to maintain 5 feet of “vertical clearance between roof surfaces and overhanging portions of trees.”
National Christmas Tree Association Says Real Trees Are "Green"
By 11.23.07
Apparently there’s some debate about whether or not it’s more eco-friendly to buy a real Christmas tree every year or a fake one once every billion years or so.
Citibank's "All-Electronic Program" Sends Paper Notice Stating Account Is Available To View Online
By 5.12.07
After enrolling in Citibank’s “All-Electronic Program,” FiveCentNickel was surprised to find the following notice in his mailbox:
Your Citibank statement is now available at http://www.citicards.com/. This notification is part of the All-Electronic Program you enrolled in to receive your statements online only instead of in the mail.
How counterintuitive. If Citi needs to send mail, why not send the account statement, rather than a notice that the statement is available online? Better yet, send neither. Or at least change the name to something more accurate, like the “Mostly, But Not Quite All-Electronic Program.” — CAREY GREENBERG-BERGER
Morning Deals Round Up
By 1.31.06
• When you sign up for a free trial at Yahoo! Personals, you’ll also get a free $10 Starbucks gift card. Nothing makes a first date turn into something more like sweaty hands and coppery breath.
