The new La Cave des Fondus in New York is serving wine in baby bottles. It’s a high-lowbrow collision in your mouth, and it’s hilarious! [Diner’s Journal via Dr. Vino] (Photo: ljwrighty)
NEW YORK
Shoppers Cracked Jokes As Trampled Walmart Worker Died
By 12.8.08
The Seattle Times has a disturbing story the describes the scene at the Valley Stream, NY Walmart, where worker Jdimytai Damour died of asphyxiation. Shoppers were apparently cracking jokes and making fun of him as paramedics struggled to save his life.
Reporter Pays Double MSRP For G1 Phone, Uses Flashmob To Get Revenge
By 12.4.08
A Time Out New York reporter paid nearly double MSRP for a new G1 phone she bought off Times Square from Cellular Stop. After she realized she’d been had (internet access and texting were sold to her as “add-ons”), she went back to the store asking for an explanation. Instead, she says, six clerks began circling her and her friends, screaming and cursing and threatening to “break” their “fucking faces.” Her friend was tossed against a wall and another clerk tried to smash her camera.
You Can Steal The Empire State Building In Only 90 Minutes
By 12.3.08
The Daily News has stolen the Empire State Building, and it only took 90 minutes. They made up some fake paperwork and successfully got the deed to the 102-story landmark transferred to a fake company called “Nelots Properties LLC.” Get it? Nelots? Stolen? The information provided to the city register was laughably fake — King Kong star Fay Wray was listed as a witness.
It's A Trap!
By 11.25.08
In Brooklyn, NY there’s a bike lane that directs cyclists onto the sidewalk — and into the waiting arms of the police. (Riding a bike on the sidewalk is illegal.) Whoops. [Gothamist]
Even Debt Collectors Are Having Trouble Paying Their Bills
By 11.24.08
You would think tough times would be boom times for debt collectors, but debt collection company First American Recovery Services is filing for bankruptcy. “The amount of debt out there is 10 times what it had been, but the ability to pay is less,” Tim Smith, FirstSource Advantage collections vice president told The Buffalo News. Don’t dance on their grave quite yet. The debts will just get sold to someone else, and usually each generation of debt owners has successively less scruples. But you have to wonder, how long before there is just too much debt that’s just too hard to collect in time before the statute of limitations expires?
Dealership Demands BMW Back, Then Claims You Never Returned It
By 11.20.08
Two years ago, an arbitrator ordered a car dealership in Queens, NY to refund a customer’s money under the “lemon law.” You’d think that would be the end of the story, but no… it’s the beginning. Jessica Harrison says she returned the “lemon” 2004 BMW to “Planet Auto Mall” but the dealer claims that they don’t know what happened to the vehicle. Now Jessica has to keep making payments on the missing BMW.
Why Doesn't Costco Accept Food Stamps?
By 11.19.08
The New York Times City Room blog asks an interesting question. Why doesn’t Costco accept food stamps? Even farmers markets accept them! What’s the deal, Costco?
Artists To Stage Literal Meltdown Of American Economy
By 10.21.08
On October 29, the economy will melt down. Not the general economy per se, but a 5 foot tall, 15 feet wide, 1,500 pound ice sculpture of the word “ECONOMY” in Manhattan’s Foley Square, relatively near to Wall Street. Artists Ligorano/Reese say, “this sculpture metaphorically captures the results of unregulated markets on the U.S. economy.” October 29 also happens to be the 79th anniversary of Black Tuesday.
AIG Says It Will Try Harder To Cut Costs, Begins By Canceling $10 Million Severance Package
By 10.17.08
AIG has been repeatedly called on the carpet over the past week or so for indefensible “business as usual” expenditures—a lavish corporate retreat, an executive hunting trip, and severance packages costing tens of millions of dollars. Now, after a meeting with NY Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, they’ve announced they’ll start trying harder to monitor and stomp out unnecessary expenses.
By 10.9.08
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Delta is selling airline tickets from New York City to Chicago for $79 each way. You must depart October 11th and return between October 13-14th. [TravelZoo via their Twitter feed]
Our National Debt Has Outgrown The 'National Debt Clock' In NYC
By 10.8.08
Now that we’ve hit double-digit trillions, the “National Debt” clock that’s been running constantly since 1989 in New York City’s midtown can no longer properly display the total. Brian Williams says they’ve had to temporarily adjust the display while they build a new one, slated to go up next year. We’re not sure anyone should be spending money on a fancy new hi-tech clock right now—maybe they should just hang a big chalk board, and hire an unemployed investment banker to write the new debt each day. See the video below.
Contractor Scams 88 Year-Old Out Of More Than $80,000
By 10.7.08
Contractor scams are some of the most heartbreaking because of the potential for the scammer to obtain large amounts of money from the victim. About two weeks ago, the NY Attorney General’s office announced the arrest of a Western New York home improvement contractor for “repeatedly pressuring an 88-year-old widow into paying more than $80,000 for home improvements that were never done”, or were so poorly done as to be worthless.
MyPhil Lets New Yorkers 35 And Under Build Affordable Concert Subscriptions
By 10.4.08
MyPhil from the New York Philharmonic lets anyone 35 or younger build their own concert series for $29 per ticket. Nearly every Philharmonic concert is eligible for purchase, and the cheap tickets don’t land you in the cheap seats.
NBC Stations Will Ditch Time Warner Cable Unless They See Some Cash
By 9.29.08
Cable companies compensate most of the channels they offer, sharing a portion of the money they get from subscribers with the individual stations– but apparently Time Warner Cable doesn’t share the wealth with broadcast networks — and Austin, TX NBC affiliate KXAN is having none of it. They want some money!
Comcast Joins NY's Anti-Newsgroup Crowd, Shuts Off Access
By 9.19.08
Comcast has joined pretty much every other ISP in New York by shutting off access to newsgroups, effective two days ago, although current users will still have access through October 25th. A lot of stories on this topic have focused on how New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo has led the overall “crackdown” due to kiddie porn, but we think this is really just a politically convenient business decision to cut costs on a service that’s declining in popularity. DSLReports seems to agree, and they offer some advice on where you can get affordable newsgroup access now that your ISP is no longer footing the bill.
By 9.18.08
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Passed by a WaMu on my lunchbreak as I wait to see if I will have jury duty – the place looked no busier than a normal bank during lunch hour. No runs on the bank here in Brooklyn so far.
Dear Verizon: I Am Canceling FiOS Because Of Your "Ridiculous And Unacceptable Billing Practices"
By 9.15.08
Reader Rob has cc’d us on the Executive Email Carpet Bomb that he launched on Verizon due to the fact that he has been unable to get them to send him a bill. Each month (for the past 3 months) Verizon has been deducting random amounts of money from his checking account, and when he asks them to send him some sort of bill (electronic or paper) they assure him they will — and then they don’t. By his calculations, Verizon has overcharged him $117.68 over the last three billing cycles.
