The National Association of Home Builders and Wells Fargo have put together an index of the most and least affordable metro areas. The index was created by calculating what percentage of a city’s residents making the median income can afford a house in that city.
texas
Peanut Corp: "Don't Like Salmonella PB? Try Our New Dead Rat And Feathers Flavor"
By 2.13.09
On Thursday, Texas ordered the Peanut Corporation of America (PCA) to recall all products shipped from its plant in Plainview, Texas. The order came after Texas Department of State Health Services discovered dead rats, rat droppings, and bird feathers in a crawl space that was connected to the plant’s ventilation system.
Abel's Copies Won't Issue A Refund Even After Selling You The Wrong Product
By 2.8.09
Abel’s Copies is standing by their strict “No Refunds” policy even after ordering the wrong course packet for reader David. The workers at the off-campus bookstore near the University of Texas at Austin insisted there was only one instructor for David’s course and that they couldn’t order a new course packet unless David paid in advance. When David got home, he realized that Abel’s sold him the wrong packet. He called the store and learned that Abel’s had the right packet in stock for $25 less than he paid—but Abel’s refused to issue a refund…
Texas Family Sad That The Buyer Of All Their Possessions On eBay Will Pay But Not Take Their Stuff
By 2.1.09
Meet Gregg and Brittiny Peters. They’ve had a pretty terrible year. Two of their children were diagnosed with costly medical disorders, and as the bills began to mount, they decided to start over by selling all their worldly possessions on eBay. Enter Donnia and Keith Blair, who upon learning of the Peters’ plight, bid $20,000 and won the auction. Here’s the catch: the Blair’s are willing to pay, but they don’t want to take any of the Peters’ things. This has apparently infuriated the Peters.
Make Your Driver's License A Debit Card And Save 3 Cents Per Gallon Of Gas
By 1.12.09
If you live in or around Austin, Texas, you can save 3 cents or more per gallon by turning your driver’s license into a debit card.
Photo: "All Job Fairs Have Been Cancelled Until Further Notice"
By 1.9.09
Against a a backdrop of cheery balloons, and exclamatory soap opera digest headlines, the signs at this Austin supermarket checkout lines read, “All job fairs have been cancelled until further notice.” Sign of the times, perchance?
To Avoid Paying $25 Million, Insurance Co Claims Smoke Killing 3 In Fire Was "Pollution"
By 12.18.08
An insurance company with a potential $25 million liability from a 2007 Houston office fire is claiming smoke that killed three people was “pollution” and surviving families shouldn’t be compensated for their losses…
Teacher Confiscates Linux Discs, Chides Charitable Computer Group, "No Software Is Free"
By 12.12.08
Recently a Texas teacher confiscated Linux OS discs that a kid was passing out in class. She then sent a nasty email to the nonprofit that built and donated the Linux-loaded computer…
Dallas School District Caught Using Random SSNs For Foreign Workers
By 11.14.08
The Dallas Independent School District has been making up fake Social Security Numbers for foreign hires for years, even after being told in 2004 by the state’s education board to stop because it’s illegal. The numbers were meant to “expedite” the hiring process and get the employees on payroll, but they found their way onto Department of Homeland Security and IRS forms (which are kept in-district but shared with feds upon request), were used for criminal background checks, and in at least 26 cases were numbers in use by real people.
Two More Weeks Of Gas Shortages In The South?
By 9.30.08
The New York Times has quoted an expert from Rice University who thinks that the gas shortages in Georgia, North Carolina and Tennessee could continue for two more weeks.
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!
Stop Whining About Hurricane Ike, You're Scheduled To Work At Walgreens
By 9.15.08
Nearly all of Houston has no power and most has no water. Even though my upstairs ceiling caved in, my manager at Walgreens said “you’re scheduled to work and are expected to be here.”
WHH Ranch Company Uses Shredded Checks As Package Cushioning
By 8.24.08
A Texas cannery has been using shredded checks from the local bank as packing materials for the past twenty years. The WHH Ranch Company claims that Michelle McBride of Kansas is the only customer to ever complain about the checks, which plainly displayed routing and account numbers for hospitals, medicare, schools, businesses, and personal accounts.
Burger King Launches The "Token-Powered Pay Toilet"
By 7.28.08
A Burger King in Houston, TX has had it with bathroom vandalism, so they’ve installed a pay toilet. You can operate it with your own quarters, or you can request a token– but either way you have to feed the machine in order to… you know… says the Houston Chronicle.
How Would You Like Your Inflation Served?
By 7.20.08
The Mexican restaurant chain Chachos is now charging a 7.5% inflation surcharge on all meals with cheese. Skyrocketing commodity prices present restaurants with a menu of unappetizing choices: raise prices, levy surcharges, reduce portions? How would you like your inflation served? Vote in our poll, after the jump.
Texas Law Probably Does Not Require PI License To Fix Spyware-Infested Computers
By 7.9.08
Dries Janssens, a computer repair shop owner in Allen, Texas, is worried that a 2007 law passed by the state legislature requires computer repair technicians to have private investigator licenses to perform “simple computer repairs such as malware removal.” We’re not sure if the law was just badly written or written on purpose at the urging of the state’s private investigator lobby (which Janssens suggests), but it certainly seems like a bad idea. Update: according to this article sent by our weekend editor Carey, it’s just badly written (“It needs some tightening up,” says one lawmaker) and should only apply to the private security industry.
Best Buy Apologizes For Charging You Too Much Tax On Your DTV Converter Box
By 7.7.08
The way coupons are taxed is different in every state— and believe us — it gets really complicated. The general rule, in most (but not all) states is that consumers are taxed on the full amount of the transaction — including any reimbursement that the store gets.
AA Lies About Bad Weather To Deny Reader Compensation
By 6.23.08
Reader S knows his stuff when it comes to his rights as an airline passenger. He was flying on American Airlines (AA) and takeoff was delayed. AA said it was because of thunderstorms in Dallas. He called a friend in Dallas and they said “there isn’t a cloud in the sky.” AA later revealed the flight was actually delayed because they were waiting for a fax. It’s understandable why AA lied. Since this was something they had control over, it meant they owed several things to the delayed passengers. By lying and saying it was due to the weather, they could escape their obligation. The flight finally took off but reader S missed his connection and had to stay overnight in a hotel, a hotel room that American should have paid for. Inside, the letter S executive email carpet bombed after two customer service reps refused to listen to his story on the phone and an online form sent back a robotic received reply with no real results.
