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❖ THE GRIPE ❖
A Personal Affront, Reported Faithfully
The oven on my counter closed its own door on a tray of toast this morning, which I took as a personal remark. Gourmia is recalling about 175,951 of its 9-slice digital air fryer ovens because the spring-loaded front door can shut unexpectedly when bumped. Target sold them for about $150 from October 2021 through June 2026. The company has 57 reports of doors closing on their own, including 40 burn incidents. I checked the model number on the back and it matches. The instructions say to stop using the oven and wait for a free repair kit in the mail. The kit adds a doorstop. I own a doorstop already, and I would have saved the company the postage. The toast goes in the toaster until further notice.
❖ THE DAMAGE REPORT ❖
Today's News, Ranked By How Much It Ruined My Mood
🔥 MOST ENRAGING
Unilever says rising costs tied to the war in Iran could put pressure on prices. ConsumerAffairs reports that shampoo, deodorant, body wash and cleaning supplies could be affected, since many depend on ingredients made from petroleum, plastic packaging and shipping. The company gave no percentage and no date. A warning is the only kind of price notice that arrives before the price does, and I am not grateful for it.
😩 MOST EXHAUSTING
Reuters reports that economists expected 65,000, and the unemployment rate fell to 4.1 percent from 4.2. Treasury yields rose after the release, and bets on a Fed rate hike next month went up. Hiring is up and borrowing is expected to follow, so the good news arrives with a bill attached.
😤 UNREASONABLY ANNOYING
New research from Clever Real Estate found that sellers expected to spend about $26,883. The actual average was $81,918, led by $27,649 in repairs and $27,448 in commissions. Closing costs rose 36 percent to $11,147, and 24 percent of sellers went into debt to cover the total. The estimate was the only number in the process that stayed small.
🤷 SOMEHOW ALSO HAPPENING
Orders go through Amazon.com or the Amazon app, with no Uber Eats account needed, and Amazon estimates members could save more than $175 a year. The article says this does not make every Uber Eats order free of additional charges and does not say what the other charges are. The delivery fee is gone and the rest of the receipt is unexplained.
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❖ AND SOME OTHER STUFF ❖
Briefly, And With Limited Enthusiasm
▸ Gas now takes about 9.5 minutes of median pay per gallon. Pew Research, as reported by ConsumerAffairs, says that is up from about 6.3 minutes in February, before the Iran conflict disrupted energy markets. In July 2008 it took about 16 minutes.
▸ Vanderhall recalls about 190 Brawley GTS electric off-road vehicles over seat belts that lock. The belts can lock in the fully retracted position, so riders cannot buckle up. There were 11 reports and no injuries, and the vehicles sold for about $50,000. The fix is an insert in each belt guide slot.
▸ Dollar General says a holiday spread of sides can cost under $20. The turkey is not included, and the article does not list what is in the spread. A Spend $15, Save $5 offer runs November 8 through December 24 on about 90 products.
✦ THE ONE GOOD THING
Fine. In the Hornstull neighborhood of Stockholm, a shop called The Breath Boutique gives away free toothpaste, toothbrushes and floss to customers whose breath is bad enough. A handheld analyzer rates sulfur compounds from 1 to 4, and stinky enough pays for the products. The Humble Co. opened the shop, and marketing manager Louise Lehmann says the aim is to make the subject less awkward. I will brush for the full two minutes tonight and tell no one why.
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Keep a doorstop within reach of the oven.
THE GRUMP · (AND LARRY)