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From A Friend.
We want dead gadget stories!
We would love to receive stories showing clearly how products simply can’t be fixed or upgraded, because of clear choices made by the product designers.
Please send your stories to Stories@deadgadgets.com and include the following information:
•Make and model
•Year they bought it. Is it under warranty?
•Why it’s dead. (Doesn’t turn on, won’t reboot, can’t upgrade it to run certain software, etc)
•Steps taken to try to fix it, or cost to fix it. (Making the call to get an estimate on what it would cost to fix it (vs replace it) is good. But actually getting the company to say they WON'T sell you a replacement part gets to the heart of the issue. So that’s an extra step, but if you could ask them to document this, it will help us tell this story. Feel free to include whom they spoke with at the companies, so there can be no question of misunderstanding.)
•Picture of the dead gadget. (Be sure we can see the manufacturer name or logo!) For our dead gadget gallery (soon to come).
Saturday, March 29, 2008
Got Dead Gadgets?
Day 88 - Saturday 3/29/08
Today's Haul:
- 2 lollipop sticks and wrappers - garbage
- 2 plasticaoted Dixie plates - garbage
- 1 napkin - worms
- 3 candy wrappers - garbage
- 1 plastic drinking cup PS 6 - recycle
- 1 plastic fork - recycle
Day 87 Friday 3/28/08
Today's Haul:
- 1 beer bottle w/cap - recycling
- 1 napkin - worms
- 1 library receipt - worms
- 2 plastic popsicle wrappers - recycle
- 1 cardboard tissue box - recycle
- 1 m&ms package - garbage
- 4 pieces scrap paper- worms
- 1 plastic bag (ripped) - recycle
- 1 piece chewed gum in wrapper
- 1 plastic milk bottle cap ring - recycle
- 1 plasticoated gum box - garbage
Friday, March 28, 2008
Day 86 Thursday 3/27/08
Today's Haul:
- 2 video tape wrappers - recycle
- 1 plastic tofu tub HDPE 2 - recycle
- 1 cardboard/paper plate - recycle
- 1 trail mix bag with lost of stickers - garbage
- 1 plasticoated machincs floor mat for car - garbage
- 1 plasticaoted tea bag packet - garbage
- 1 tea bag - garbage
- 1 paper string end from tea bag - worms
- 1 pizza box...mmmmm..pizza - recycle
Day 85 - Wednesday 3/26/08
Today's Haul:
- 3 aluminum cans - recycle
- 1 local paper - recycle
- 1 rubber band from local paper - repurpose
- 2 beer bottles and tops - recycle
- 1 car headlight package - recycle
- 1 used car headlight - ewaste
- 1 scrap piece of paper - worms
- 1 paper towel - worms
Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Plumbing Woes and How Cheap Stuff Is
So I had a plumber come in the other day as we had more than a few plumbing problems going on and I figured it was worth it timewise. He's a cool guy and gladly saved the trash for me. The thing that bums me out is that he had to replace flush mechanisms on both toilets, one of which I had replaced in January. The flapper wasn't even a problem in the second toilet, but the chain on it was wearing and it's made in such a way that it's easier/cheaper to replace the whole thing than just the chain.
Day 84 - Tuesday 3/25/08
- 1 cardboard blintzes box - recycle
- 1 chips bag - garbage
- 2 wrappers (1 candy one biscotti) - garbage
- 1 piece chewed gum in wrapper - garbage
- 1 "freshness seal" from mayonaisse jar - garbage
- 1 piece of used dental floss - garbage
- 1 paper towel - worms
- 1 receipt - worms
- Misc Plumbing Stuff (see pic) - garbage
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Eat Well....easily!
Here's a cool website I came across recently. The Eat Well Guide is an online resource where you type in your zip code and they come up with a list of different companies in your area that serve healthy organic foods. A quick type of my zip came up with 1 Baker, 1 Farmer, 49 Stores, 1 Co-Op, 21 Restaurants, and 1 Organization all within 20 miles of me. And they even have ratings like a water droplet to indicate establishments that are water conscious. Very cool and anything that makes it easier to make informed choices is, in my book, a good thing. Of course, you should check into the establishments yourself as well, but from what I saw of the places I know, this is a pretty good dealio.
Dave
Peanuts! Get Yer Red Hot Packing Peanuts!
Packing peanuts. If you are anything like me you hate these things, but somewhere deep in the recess of a closet, you have a large bag of them waiting to be sent off to some unknown destination. Come on, you know who you are.
Well fear not, friendly peanut hater. While they may keep coming at ya whether you like it or not, there are now options. For starters, stop buying so much stuff online (kidding, well, not really, but....anyway). Check out the Plastic Loose Fill Council which believe it or not actually offers a hotline and online resource to find places to return these things where they will actually get re-used. Get that, re-used, not recycled or re- whatevered, but re-used for the purpose they were originally made for. Cool huh? I wish they'd stop making these things in the first place but if they are going to, at least they can get re-used so less of them need to be made.
And if you're looking to gripe on the subject, check out this I Hate Packing Peanuts website.
Dave
I dig my mechanic
I knew I had found a good mechanic the first time I went into my (now) friend Jose's place shortly after I had gotten my car. I was hearing a clunking sound and he went for a test drive, put it up on the lift, found a loose bolt in the rear shock, replaced it, and told me I didn't owe him anything as he wasn't too busy at the moment. Since then, he has always been unflappable (truly, he has no flap).
When i first brought my car to him after changing it over to run on used veggie oil, I briefed him on what i had done, fully expecting the usual "I won't touch your car" mentality. Instead, he was fascinated, told me he had heard of this, but didn't know much about it, and spent an hour going over everything with me so he'd understand it better down the road.
Well, yesterday I brought my wife's car in for a 60K maintenance, and true to form, Jose had no flap (see above). I quietly explained to him what i was up to and without even blinking an eye, he asked if i wanted the air filters too as he would have to check them, and then apologized that legally he couldn't give me the old fluids. He then went off to explain what was up to his guys and at the end of the day, handed me almost everything back (minus two boxes, but who's to argue). Very cool.
Dave
Day 83 - Monday 3/24/08
Today's Haul:
- 1 cardboard instant pudding box - recycle
- 1 plasticoated paper instant pudding package - garbage
- 1 plastic ring from milk jug - recycle
- 1 cr2032 battery - ewaste
- 1 package from new cr2032 battery - garbage
- 2 used q-tips - worms (cut up)
- 2 pieces scrap paper - worms
- 1 used oil filter - ewaste
- 1 used fuel filter - ewaste
- 2 used auto air filters - garbage
- 1 air filter cardboard box - recycle
- 1 plastic bag for holding used filters - ewaste
- 1 air filter cardboard box - unaccounted for
- 1 oil filter cardboard box - unaccounted for
- 1 fuel filter cardboard box - unaccounted for
- Brake fluid - unaccounted for
- Old synthetic oil - uanccounted for
Week 12 Pics
Well, believe it or not, I finally got around to cleaning up a bit. Not a huge improvement, but i feel a bit better about things anyway. As you can see the worm bin is back downstairs, mainly due to the fact that it's BEEN ALMOST 100 DEGREES a few days this week!!! It's only March!!!
Not too much new in the e-waste pile. I got an email back from someone at the e-waste facility so I will hopefully be heading their shortly to check it out.
The garbage box in all its glory.
Bagso o bags, cardboard and paper, and the dreaded wallpaper form my first week (whihc seems to have paper in it now that i notice).
I think the recycle odds and ends box is just about reaching capacity so I'll be looking on craigslkist for another. Anyone local want to donate an extra to the cause?
As part of my cleanup efforts, I decided that the bottles would look visually better on the stairs. I don't know how long i can keep this up as they will eventually prohibit safe travel on the steps, but for now, i like the new look of them.
Sunday, March 23, 2008
Day 82 - Sunday 3/23/08
Today's Haul:
- 1 plastic wrap from vegan ground beef - recycle (cleaned first)
- 1 cardboard "wrapper" from above - recycle
- 2 paper towels - worms
- 2 plasticoated toy tags - garbage
- 1 plastic wrap from cookies - recycle
- 1 plastic tray from cookies - recycle
- 1 cardboard drinking cup - recycle
- 1 plastic cup top PS 6- recycle
- 1 plastic drinking straw - recycle
Day 81 - Saturday 3/22/08
Today's Haul:
- 1 beer bottle - recycle
- 1 beer bottle cap - recycle
- 1 toilet paper roll - recycle
- 1 lollipop wrapper - garbage
- 1 lollippop stick - garbage
Day 80 - Friday 3/21/08
Today's Haul:
- 1 piece plastic freeze dried fish wrapping - disposed of for health reasons
- 5 small metaliccy chips bags - garbage
- 1 paper tray liner - worms
- 4 cardboard "hot dog boats" - worms
- 3 paper towels - worms
- 2 plasticaoted drink cups - garbage
- 2 plastic drink tops - recycle
- 2 plastic drink straws - recycle
- 1 can of peanuts - garbage
- 1 plastic peanut top - recycle
- 3 metallicy candy bar wrappers- garbage
- 3 large cellophane gift wrappers - repurposed for future gift wrapping use
- 1 box raisins - garbage
- 1 box candy - garbage
Day 79 - Thursday 3/20/08
Today's Haul:
- 1 paper/cardboard plate - recycle
- 1 cardboard juice container - garbage
- 1 waxy dixie cup- garbage
- 3 paper towels - worms
- 1 plastic wrap from tissue box - recycle
Day 78 - Wednesday 3/19/08
Today's Haul:
- 1 plastic bagel spread container PP5- recycle
- 1 large plastic trailmix bag - recycle
- 1 small plastic sour cream container PP5 - recycle
- 1 cardboard mac and cheese box - recycle
- 1 metallicy mac and cheese cheese packet - garbage
- 1 paper bag, wrapper and napkin from takeout - worms
- 2 plasticoated business cards- garbage
- 1 scrap paper- worms
- 1 plastic takeout drink PETE 1 - recycle
- 1 plastic straw- recycle
Day 77 - Tuesday 3/18/08
Today's Haul:
- 1 cardboard pasta box - recycle
- 1 cardboard cereal box - recycle
- 1 wax cereal bag - recycle
- 1 plastic juice bottle PETE 1 - recycle
- 1 paper sign from basement (finally ripped it off) - recycle
- 1 toilet paper roll - recycle
- 1 coffee bean bag - garbage
- 1 glass safflower oil bottle with cap - recycle
- 1 plastic pretzel bag - garbage
- 1 plastic sour cream tub PP5 - recycle
