buywithme: $10 for $20 at Boston Burger Company

[thespian.livejournal.com]

$10 for $20 of burgers, drinks and more at Boston Burger Company

sometimes the deals just make me bounce, which disturbs the cats. anyway, this one is extra sweet, as you can buy as many as you like for yourself, but you can also use two if you go with a group of 4 or more.

Local resident lost job because iPhone alarm didn't work on New Year's Day?

[ron_newman]

In the Huffington Post, Lindsay Garvey says that she lost her job "as a server at a popular new restaurant in Somerville, MA" because her iPhone alarm failed to go off as scheduled on New Year's Day.

I don't think I know her, nor do I know what restaurant she worked at, but maybe some of you do. Edit: it's Foundry on Elm, according to a new story on the Somerville Journal website

Edit: there's a real software bug in the iPhone alarms that didn't show up until 1/1/11; here's an article about it and here's another

Somerville YMCA

[leftoverture.livejournal.com]

My horrible contract with Bally's is finally coming to an end soon, and I'm considering making the switch to the Somerville YMCA, which is WAY more convenient for me, location-wise. Looking at their website, however, I'm a little apprehensive about their fees - they are asking $40/mo for the membership that includes use of their treadmills (which is by and large what I use when I go to the gym). My budget unfortunately won't quite accomodate that - I'm not a student, but I do work at a non-profit organization with a non-profit salary.

Does anyone have any experience joining a YMCA? Does standard joining-a-gym fee and contract haggling song and dance apply, or are the prices listed on their website locked in? My google search seemed to indicate that there might be some flexibility with YMCA fees, but I'm curious if anyone has had personal experience with this in Somerville.

Thanks in advance!

A head shop in Davis Square? Could it be true?

[smammy]

A “gift shop” called Buzzy's appears to be operating underneath Bone Appetit (ugh), in the old Your Move Games space. Haven't had a chance to check them out yet, but they advertise glass (pipes, I assume) and accessories. It's about time Davis got a head shop!

( Photo )

Beware of Bally's in the Porter Exchange

[oneagain.livejournal.com]

Apologies, I should have written this months ago and the last entry in this forum reminded me that I had not. I think it easiest just to cut and paste, so here goes:
----------
I'm glad you had a good experience with Bally's. I did not. When I wanted to end the contract, I gave the notice they told me they required, *in the manner* that they verbally said was required, at the front desk, but they kept taking my money, which I found out when my bank charged me exorbitant fees for being overdrawn. When I found this out and took it to the manager on duty in person, I was told that, in order to cancel, I had to call corporate (so, apparently the person I asked to cancel me who thought it was all taken care of was either wrong or lying, as was the person at the front desk who I checked with a week later just to be sure). When I went in there in a huff, that was when I was told I had to contact corporate (which was clearly scribbled written in tiny little letters since asking in person how to end it is clearly not enough). The man at the gym I spoke with when I was furious and trying to figure it out told me a short cut since, it would seem their system is set up to make it close to impossible to get them to actually do what you want when what you want is to cancel (he had to tell me which number to push when I got the recording; I expect I was bitchy enough that he wanted this to be over so he didn't have to deal with me coming back and yelling at him again in front of members. I prefer to be nice, really, but that manner was punished rather than rewarded).

Even when I got someone on the phone, he very *reluctantly* asked me if I wanted to cancel after I told him all that had happened (really? you still haven't figured it out? It's what I have been repeating over and over--not like *I'm* cloaking it in fine print and lying to *you* about it).

In order to get my money back, he told me I had to get bills and all sorts of other verifications, including a statement of all that had happened, and mail it in to corporate. I did this. I still have not heard back from this over 6 months later. I would call back, but it seems like wasting time since they don't really honor their word and I have spent enough time and energy on this. I will not enter into any more contracts with them since they have acted in calculatingly bad faith from the get-go, lying and, as far as I am concerned, stealing.
------
And of course it was only after the fact that I learned that they are known for this behavior, and that many folks don't even catch it because they are not overdrawn or don't keep close check on their account summaries--and when (if) they manage to finally get corporate to cancel them, they don't get any of their money back. Maybe this entry will save someone else from the hassle, unless you plan on staying with them for life. I'm done.

Insulation

[mamajoan.livejournal.com]

I realize that it's probably a dumb time of year to be thinking about insulating my house, but what can I say, now is when I have the money for it.

Can anyone recommend an insulation installer/contractor in the area? Particularly, do you know anything about "All Weather Green Insulation" in Swampscott? They seem to be the nearest company that does Air-Krete.

Cleaning a heater

[hahathor.livejournal.com]

So Nstar just changed my gas meter & they noted that my tenants' heater is letting off C0(2). Not enough to be immediately dangerous, but enough that they suggest I have someone look at it and clean it. Any suggestions for a good contractor to do this would be appreciated.

I Am Furious (Yellow)

[ron_newman]

OK, actually just mildly annoyed. But still: why did you dump at least 96 Yellow Books in the lobby of our 50-unit apartment building? Is there someone we can call to make you pick them back up?

These aren't even the real Verizon Yellow Pages.

I've got wood... scraps

[artguychris.livejournal.com]

Anyone want a box or 2 for their fireplace?

Not Your Typical Library, a sprout spaghetti dinner

[shduff.livejournal.com]

Hi there!

This month's sprout spaghetti dinner is next Wednesday night, January 12 with Food Not Bomb's signature spaghetti served at 730PM and performances at 8PM. As always, the event will be at sprout's studios: 339R Summer St.

This month's theme is Not Your Typical Library.

We all know what public libraries are and that they're in trouble. Even in Somerville, we're hearing about the funding battles and support campaigns underway. At this month's sprout spaghetti dinner, we're going to look at a different set of libraries and library services--not your typical libraries. Maybe they don't traffic in books; maybe they aren't run by the government; maybe they're just bookcases in someone's living room. Whatever it is that sets these libraries apart, we want to hear their stories and how they handle issues that we traditionally associate with Public Libraries: access, censorship, safety, sharing, curation, and more.

Our performers will include ::

+ Sara Peattie and The Puppet Free Library [1]
+ Heather McCann and The Boston Radical Reference Collective [2]
+ Anna Mudd and other members of The Papercut Zine Library [3]
+ personal monologues sharing small-scale libraries in people's homes and workplaces
+ with music from The Moondog Madrigal [4] & The Spaghetti Dinner House Band [5]

( Read more... )