If some alchemy of floor plan design, insulation and ventilation makes one room in your home colder than all the others, you can even things out by installing a supplemental heating system. A quick home improvement project can make the room more livable. [More]
3 Ways To Keep The Heating Bill Down
By January 16, 2012
When the temperature drops, the heating bills surge. But there are more ways to stay warm than figuratively setting your money on fire. [More]
Tips To Sell Your Home During Cold Months
By January 9, 2012
It’s tough enough to sell a home when the weather is cooperating, and more difficult still when the cold keeps prospective buyers withdrawn and sluggish. But no matter what factors are stacked against sellers, some will find a way to get rid of their homes. [More]
5 Ways To Keep Your Dog Warm During Cold Months
By December 12, 2011
Dogs are better equipped to handle the cold than humans, but Jack Frost can still put the hurt on pooches. If you own a dog who spends a lot of time outside, there are things you can do to make sure he stays warm when temperatures bottom out. [More]
Get Your Car Ready For Winter
By November 18, 2011
The changing weather means a different set of challenges for your car. In order to do what you can to prevent yourself from getting stranded in the cold in the coming months, it makes sense to give your vehicle a once-over. [More]
Federal Assistance Cuts Could Literally Leave Poor In Cold
By November 3, 2011
Low-income residents who rely on federal assistance to keep the heat on may be in for a rough winter. Because the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’s allotment for heating assistance has plunged to $1.7 billion this year from $4.5 billion last year, thousands of homes may not be able to keep the heat on. [More]
Contractors Bill Old Man $4,800 For Snow-Clearing
By February 8, 2011
A group of contractors is traveling around targeting the elderly and overcharging them for snow removal. Last week they charged a 78-year-old man $4,800 for clearing the snow off his roof. Cops intervened after his daughter reported the ripoff and made them return the money and charge a more reasonable rate, $250. [More]
Flu Spreads By Who Kids Play With, Not Sit Near
By February 8, 2011
A new study debunks some commonly held believes about how kids pass on the flu to other kids, and to their parents, NYT reports. [More]
Should I Worry That My Townhouse Neighbor Has Disappeared?
By October 7, 2010
Grant tells Consumerist that his next-door neighbor disappeared…maybe because of an impending foreclosure, maybe not. No one knows where she has gone. They do know that the house is unoccupied, and Grant worries that the ravages of a Midwestern winter might burst a pipe or cause other damage to the empty home. Why does he care? They’re townhouses, and whatever happens to the house next door could affect him. [More]
Did NBC's Coverage Of The Winter Olympics Suck?
By March 1, 2010
As a product, NBC’s broadcast of the 2010 Winter Olympics seemed pretty disappointing to a lot of online users. TechCrunch points out that a recent analysis of comments on Twitter, blogs, and forums, shows a wide range of dissatisfaction with NBC’s coverage, with the biggest percentage focused on content: 19% of the complaints were about the tape delay of events (what a former NBC sports exec once called “plausibly live”), and 20% were about there not being enough actual sporting events shown. [More]
How To F@#$ing Shovel Snow
By February 11, 2010
There’s a lot of snow in parts of the country that don’t seem to get snow that often. Thankfully, The Awl has some f*cking instructions about how to f*cking shovel the snow. [More]
Cold Weather Means You'll Pay More For Breakfast
By January 5, 2010
Yeah, you’re freezing your butt off and getting tired of digging your car out — and it’s only early January. But the real crisis is coming later this year, when this cold winter will cause prices of orange juice, bacon and cereal to skyrocket. That’s right: when it comes to commodity futures, it’s all about breakfast. [More]
The Necky: A Smaller, Stupider Snuggie For Your Neck
By December 22, 2009
The Necky is apparently for the person who keeps strangling himself when he tries to tie his scarf. There’s nothing I can write about this that would make it more absurd than it is in real life, so just go watch the video if you haven’t already. [More]
By February 19, 2009
FUN FACT: Sawdust is an accepted industry analog for snow when testing snowblowers. (Photo: thievingjoker)
Three Cheap Recipes For DIY Windshield De-Icers
By January 17, 2009
Throwing vinegar or alcohol on your frozen windshield might be more efficient than hacking away with an ice scraper and cursing the snow, according to Wisebread. Inside, three easy do-it-yourself de-icing recipes that are sure to make those frigid mornings a little more bearable.
Greyhound Abandons 60 Passengers In Seattle, Locks Up For The Night
By December 22, 2008
Unsafe road conditions in Seattle brought Greyhound’s fleet to a standstill on Sunday, which apparently is why they abandoned riders outside in 25 degree weather last night.
Sears Offer To Mail Customer Missing Key To Floor Model Snowblower
By September 6, 2008
Aaron visited Sears to pick up a new Craftsman snowblower he bought for 10% off on Sears.com, but the store only had one floor model in stock. Aaron agreed to take the unit after staff assured him that it came with a warranty, manuals, and all the things normally bundled with new snowblowers. Of course, Sears couldn’t find either the manual or the keys. A salesman promised that “Ray from Lawn & Garden” would mail the key whenever he returned, an offer Aaron refused. The salesman then offered a key from another snowblower, promising “the keys are basically universal.” That key didn’t work because, as a different associate later discovered, the unit was missing its electric start socket.
Traveling Gas Sellers Rip Off Homeowners In Michigan
By February 27, 2008
Universal Gas & Electric, a Canadian company, sends out door-to-door salesmen who lie to homeowners about the imaginary “savings” they’ll enjoy if they switch gas suppliers, when in reality Universal is currently about 50% higher than the default supplier. One former Universal employee says, “I’d have people ask, ‘What am I paying now?’ and they’d look at the bill and it’s right there in front of them and they don’t know where to look and I would avoid telling them that.”
