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, $250. [More]
winter
Flu Spreads By Who Kids Play With, Not Sit Near
By 2.8.11
A new study debunks some commonly held believes about how kids pass on the flu to other kids, and to their parents, NYT reports. [More]
Should I Worry That My Townhouse Neighbor Has Disappeared?
By 10.7.10
Grant tells Consumerist that his next-door neighbor disappeared…maybe because of an impending foreclosure, maybe not. No one knows where she has gone. They do know that the house is unoccupied, and Grant worries that the ravages of a Midwestern winter might burst a pipe or cause other damage to the empty home. Why does he care? They’re townhouses, and whatever happens to the house next door could affect him. [More]
Did NBC's Coverage Of The Winter Olympics Suck?
By 3.1.10
As a product, NBC’s broadcast of the 2010 Winter Olympics seemed pretty disappointing to a lot of online users. TechCrunch points out that a recent analysis of comments on Twitter, blogs, and forums, shows a wide range of dissatisfaction with NBC’s coverage, with the biggest percentage focused on content: 19% of the complaints were about the tape delay of events (what a former NBC sports exec once called “plausibly live”), and 20% were about there not being enough actual sporting events shown. [More]
How To F@#$ing Shovel Snow
By 2.11.10
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 1.5.10
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 12.22.09
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 2.19.09
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FUN FACT: Sawdust is an accepted industry analog for snow when testing snowblowers. (Photo: thievingjoker)
Three Cheap Recipes For DIY Windshield De-Icers
By 1.17.09
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 12.22.08
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 9.6.08
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 2.27.08
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.”
Gas Company Abandons Plan To Report Delinquent Customers To Credit Agencies
By 2.12.08
Last fall, CenterPoint Energy—Minnesota’s largest natural gas supplier—announced it was considering reporting the payment histories of its customers to credit reporting agencies in an effort to reduce delinquencies.
Get 100 Gallons Of Heating Oil For Free
By 1.12.08
Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez wants to give you 100 gallons of free heating oil to help survive the cold cruel capitalist winter. The hogshead of liquid warmth is available to anyone enduring a financial hardship who fills out a handy online form.
Best Time To Shop For Seasonal Bargains
By 12.26.07
Air conditioners, bicycles and outdoor gear, boats, and carpet and flooring.
8 Sensible Gift Ideas For Outdoor Enthusiasts
By 12.21.07
Here are some practical gift ideas that your family can use the next time they go looking for a Christmas tree and get trapped in the snow for three days. Unlike too many of the “gift lists” the media spits out each December, these are fairly affordable items—most of them are priced between $20-$40. Or if you’re really on a budget, you can go for the $4 gift and give your loved one a Spork XM, made from a “durable polycarbonate that brings its weight down to a half-ounce.”
How $100/Barrel Oil Will Affect You
By 11.13.07
Oil is poised to break the century mark, and SmartMoney has a short article that examines the effects it will have on the average American’s budget. A couple of reasons why we haven’t felt more of these effects so far is that the rising cost has largely been eaten by oil refining companies and their gas stations, and because consumers have actually begun to reduce their gas consumption. However, if the price-per-barrel continues to rise, the U.S. faces a cold winter, and the dollar continues its anemic performance, you can look forward to the following consequences:
By 10.17.07
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Not freezing to death is expensive! SmartMoney offers up its own advice on how to cut heating costs this winter—mostly the usual stuff about shopping around for a supplier, upgrading old equipment, and winter-proofing your house. Also: new insulation may qualify you for a one-time tax credit of $500 if you do it before the end of the year. [SmartMoney]
