LeSabre shakes and rattles when it’s not on the roll

I own a 2005 Buick LeSabre with 65,000 miles on it. It has developed a vibration when stopped at a light with my foot on the brake and the transmission in drive. The vibration can be felt in the floor, brake pedal and steering wheel. Three GM dealers and one independent service agency have worked on the car. All four engine/transmission mounts have been replaced but the car still vibrates. Can you offer any suggestions?

While the engine/transmission mounts are always suspect in a case like this, there are several other possibilities. An engine misfire, roughness or vacuum leak can cause an idle shake. Since the power brake system utilizes engine vacuum for its assist, perhaps vacuum is leaking only when the brakes are applied.

In a safe location such as a large, empty parking lot, bring the car to a stop and keep your foot on the brake.

Then apply the parking brake very firmly. Release the brake pedal — hopefully the car won't move. Does the vibration/shake stop? If so, a vacuum leak is highly suspect.

Another possibility is contact between a driveline component such as the exhaust system and the chassis. A physical inspection might reveal rub marks confirming the contact.

L L L

I have a 2001 Pontiac Grand Prix with front-wheel drive. The two front tires are P205/65-R15 in excellent condition. Several days ago I installed two P205/70-R15 tires in the rear, also in excellent condition. Will the slightly different tire size interfere with handling or fuel mileage? To my untrained eye, maybe this wasn't the best choice.

I agree — putting different-sized tires on the rear of your vehicle wasn't the best idea, but it probably isn't a complete disaster. First off, since the larger tires are on the rear of your front-drive vehicle, there shouldn't be any effect on fuel mileage.

The differences in tread width and rolling diameter between the two are relatively small. The rear tires are eight-10ths of an inch larger in diameter when new, but have the same section/tread width, 8 inches. And since the speedometer read-out is based on driveline and front-wheel speed, there won't be any change in speedometer accuracy.

Handling? That's another issue. But while it's never a good idea to mix tire sizes, since the tire size differences are very small and all four tires are in "excellent" condition, I can't see a huge issue.

L L L

I drive a 2001 Hyundai Elantra with 178,000 miles on it. Over the past couple of years all four wheel bearings have been replaced. The first two only lasted one to two days each. The third, replaced along with the drive axle, lasted until April and the fourth went out in mid-May. The replacement lasted until July. What's going on?

Most manufacturers of front-drive vehicles utilize sealed front hub/bearing assemblies that are not serviceable. Hyundai, on the other hand, used a non-sealed hub with replaceable bearings in that vehicle.

Since the bearings were replaced individually, the quality and source of the bearings and the quality of installation are suspect. If the hub/bearing/knuckle assembly is not set up and installed correctly, bearing life will be dramatically reduced.

In addition, in July 2001 Hyundai began installing front-wheel bearing dust covers to keep road debris and contamination from getting into the bearings. If your vehicle was not fitted with these, the dust covers can be added when the bearings are replaced.

Paul Brand, author of "How to Repair Your Car," is an automotive troubleshooter, driving instructor and former race-car driver. Readers may write to him at: Star Tribune, 425 Portland Ave. S., Minneapolis, Minn., 55488 or via email at paulbrand@startribune.com. Please explain the problem in detail and include a daytime phone number. Because of the volume of mail, we cannot provide personal replies.

16.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Long-term jobless to suffer

Federal benefits for the long-term unemployed in Massachusetts are set to be eliminated at the end of this month, a move community leaders and economists say will hurt those who can't find work and is not necessary for the nation's economic health.

People eligible for Emergency Unemployment Compensation, a federal program that paid for 24 additional weeks of benefits for individuals after 26 weeks of unemployment, will no longer receive aid after the program expires Dec. 28.

"It's going to be very hard. I don't know what I am going to do if that happens," said Eric Santos of Malden, who was at a Boston unemployment office Friday. "I haven't found anything."

The Malden resident said members of Congress considering moves to extend unemployment benefits should go to unemployment offices and talk to the people whose lives will be affected.

"They need to help us out," said Santos. "I don't think they realize what we're going through."

Nigel Gault, co-chief economist for the Parthenon Group, said the state of federal spending has made the cuts unnecessary.

"We're not in a situation where it's imperative to make these cuts in order to keep the budget deficit down," Gault said.

Unless Congress votes to extend the benefits, more than 2 million unemployed workers will lose benefits by March. The number of people affected in Massachusetts is unclear, the state said.

"There's a lot of people throughout the country who are going to lose that income, and there's nothing to replace it," said John Drew, president and CEO of Action for Boston Community Development.

To make matters worse, Drew said nearly all of ABCD's job training programs have been eliminated due to sequestration-related cuts. The community organization now only offers one program, and has cut 11.

Barry Twomey of Boston is retired and has a pension, but he had been working for Mission Hill Health running farmers' markets to make ends meet until the markets concluded for the season.

If his unemployment benefits were cut, his pension benefits would leave little beyond the necessities, Twomey said.

"I'd be getting by paycheck to paycheck," he said.

Michelle Amante, director of the state Department of Unemployment Assistance, said her department will try to help those who will be affected by the cuts.

"It is a priority for DUA to ensure claimants know about and are prepared for the end of this federal program," she said.

Some, including Drew, are hopeful that Congress will act to keep the benefits, which have been amended 11 times since 2008.

"I hope that good sense prevails, that they do extend" the benefits, Drew said.

16.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Ireland sees green in growing Boston companies

Ireland's top diplomat in Boston is looking to build bridges to the Bay State's business community as a way to help get his country's economy back on track.

Breandan O Caollai, the Consul General of Ireland in Boston, said local companies could be key to Ireland's continued economic recovery.

"It's a huge potential there," he said.

O Caollai, who started in August, said one of his priorities will be to find economic opportunities for Ireland, largely by convincing local companies to open offices in his island nation. The relationship between Ireland and Boston should be about more than just heritage and history, he said.

"We just don't want to sentimentalize this, we don't want it to just be St. Patrick's Day," he said. "We want it more than that."

As Ireland's economy recovers, the country is hoping American investments can play a part in its continued growth. Last week, the country's unemployment rate dropped to 12.8 percent, the lowest rate since 2009, and down from a high of 15.1 percent.

Companies "can invest in Ireland, you can have your European headquarters in a sympathetic country which has its economy in good shape," he said.

More than a dozen Boston area companies have offices in Ireland, largely technology, life sciences and financial companies, O Caollai said.

He said many companies choose to open offices in Ireland because of the availability of talent, the relatively short travel time and lower corporate taxes than similar countries.

Mike Volpe, CMO of HubSpot, a Cambridge marketing technology company, said locating its international headquarters in Dublin made sense for a number of reasons.

"The biggest thing was the talent pool and the companies that had the models that were similar to ours were right there," he said.

The office, which opened at the beginning of this year, has about 50 employees, and will continue to grow, Volpe said.

"An awful lot of the growth in American investment in Ireland is from companies that are already there," O Caollai said.

O Caollai said he, along with Irish economic development agencies in Boston, will be looking for bio-tech and technology companies to complement the companies that are already in Ireland, such as Boston Scientific, Fidelity and LogMeIn.

On top of established companies, the country is also looking for companies that can mature in Ireland.

"New York and Boston have a thriving internet startup community — we are identifying these companies at an early stage in their development," said Barry O'Leary, CEO of IDA Ireland, a foreign investment department.

16.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Zakim view showcased in Causeway condo unit

This updated condo on the 10th floor of Strada 234 on Causeway Street has a large outdoor terrace whose view of the Zakim Bridge will be maintained when a Lovejoy Wharf condo complex goes up in front of it.

Unit 1003, which has been completely updated within the past few years, is on one of the six stories added in 2004 to the former 1899-built Stop & Shop bakery whose top six floors hold 108 condos. The 12-story building at 234 Causeway St. is on the fringes of the North End near the Charlestown Bridge.

The center portion of the proposed Lovejoy Wharf condo complex will top out just below Unit 1003's 700-square-foot private terrace. But its side view of the TD Garden will be blocked by Lovejoy's 14-story end tower.

The 1,306-square-foot two bedroom unit has been completely updated in the past three years, with oak and cherrywood floors and crown molding, a kitchen with granite counters, glass mosaic backsplash and high-end appliances as well as two bathrooms redone in marble. It's on the market for $1,175,000.

Strada has a gray marble dedicated lobby and a second entrance it shares with commercial tenants that has a 24/7 concierge.

Unit 1003 is off a carpeted common hallway and opens into an oak foyer, with a large pantry closet to the left.

Straight ahead is the open kitchen/living/dining area with oak floors. The recessed-lit living room area features an electric fireplace with a stone mantel on one side and a custom-built oak cabinet built-in on the other. There's a wall of glass, including doors out to a large private terrace renovated three years ago with custom flower boxes and a water fountain that looks directly out at the Zakim Bridge.

Pendant lights were added over the dining area adjacent to a kitchen redone in 2010 with 20 custom cherrywood cabinets, brown granite counters and glass mosaic tile backsplash. A Fisher & Paykel dishwasher was added this year. The other stainless-steel appliances are also high-end, and include a large Jenn-Air refrigerator and a Viking electric stove.

Off the living room is an oak hallway with a closet holding a Bosch stacked washer and dryer added three years ago.

Straight ahead is the master bedroom suite, redone in 2010 with cherrywood floors, crown molding and custom blinds and shades. The bedroom is good-sized with floor-to-ceiling glass windows that look out onto Lovejoy's renovated headquarters for Converse. There's a walk-in closet with built-in shelving. The en-suite master bathroom was totally renovated and enlarged in 2010, and is furnished with white Carrara marble, including floors, a vanity top and a glass-enclosed steam shower with a marble bench.

The second bedroom, currently a home office, also has cherrywood floors and crown molding added three years ago. There's floor-to-ceiling windows and a closet with built-in shelving.

Across the hall, a second full bathroom was also gut renovated and enlarged in 2010 with Crema Marfil floor tile with inlay. There's also a wood vanity with a vessel sink.

The unit comes with one deeded garage parking space under the building with valet service. And there's also a large storage cage for the unit in the basement.

The condo fee includes heat and hot water in an all-electric building, with central air in the unit. Other amenities include a fitness room.

Broker: Jesse MacDonald and Stephen Tucker of Hammond Residential; 
617-337-9000

16.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Stores eye green in black

Retailers are hoping to capitalize on the Black Friday frenzy and defy analysts' predictions of a lackluster holiday shopping season, despite fewer days between Thanksgiving and Christmas this year.

Stores were buzzing yesterday as shoppers hunted for deals, and some retailers were offering aggressive discounts.

"It looked like a very promising Black Friday," said Jon Hurst, president of the Retailers Association of Massachusetts. "I think the season's off to a good start."

Retailers will release official numbers beginning today, but analysts were forecasting only modest gains over last year's Black Friday sales.

"For some chain stores, this is make or break," said Chris Christopher, a retail analyst with Lexington-based IHS Global Insight.

IHS is expecting the weakest holiday season growth — 3.2 percent — since 2009. The National Retail Federation has pegged growth at 3.9 percent, while the Bay State retailers' group is predicting 3.5 percent.

And a calendar quirk also could hurt retailers — a late Thanksgiving means six fewer shopping days before Christmas.

"We're expecting store business to be down 10 percent, but we're expecting sales to be up 2.4 percent," said Bill Martin, founder of shoppertrak, thanks to online sales.

He said Black Friday and the remainder of this weekend will likely be a larger portion of the total holiday sales than usual because of the shorter time frame.

"The calendar's challenging," said Hurst.

Those timing difficulties are on top of shaky consumer confidence, largely due to the government shutdown in October.

Fourth-quarter same-store sales — a key benchmark because they measure sales at stores open at least a year — are forecast to climb a "lackluster" 1.1 percent, according to Swampscott-based Retail Metrics' SSS Index, and 1.5 percent when Walmart is factored in.

Still, Martin said yesterday was expected to be the largest shopping day for the 10th straight year, with a cool $10 billion in sales.

Many shoppers had no trouble finding what they were looking for.

Somerville resident Margot Hanson came to Legacy Place specifically to take advantage of the 50 percent off sale at the Loft.

"Then we impulse-bought at three other stores," she said.

Alex and Gabrielle Jean-Jacques of Hyde Park visited the Walpole Walmart twice yesterday — once early in the morning to watch the Black Friday crowds and again in the afternoon for shopping. "We figured there might have been deals left over," Gabrielle said. "Surprisingly, there was a lot on the shelves. I thought it would be wiped out."

16.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Small Business Saturday puts focus on independent retailers

Mom-and-pop stores today are gearing up for a Small Business Saturday that they hope will top the bustle of Black Friday.

"(Today) for us is usually bigger — by double," said Philip Celeste, owner of On Centre, a specialty gift and accessory store in Jamaica Plain. "We're expecting to have a very good holiday season. Looking at November, we're already way ahead of last year."

On Centre opted not to have a sale yesterday or today, instead relying on their unique products and the know-you-by-name customer service that most big box stores and online retailers simply can't provide.

Down the street, at Boing! Toy Shop, Kim Mitchell and her staff gift wrap every purchase for free and have a loyalty program to reward frequent customers. "I'm also here, and I'm active, and if people have a question or a complaint, they know who I am," she said.

Still, many small business owners are acutely aware that their competition increasingly is not only big box stores but the Internet. So at Fire Opal in Coolidge Corner, Sue Stein has heightened her Web presence and advertises on social media. Stein also has the benefit of being located in a neighborhood that has a strong shop-local ethic.

"People should keep in mind that more than half of the money they spend in a small business stays in their town," said Jack Mozloom, a spokesman for the National Federation of Independent Business. "You're helping your neighbors, you're helping to create jobs in your community."

16.31 | 0 komentar | Read More

Some Black Friday deals are duds

Black Friday is where good technology goes to die. Doorbuster deals are dubious and an "exclusive" is code for an untested product made specifically to get you in the door on this day.

Exhibit A is every too-good-to-be true deal on an HDTV. On Black Friday, the big box stores are full of television brands you've never heard of before. There's a 32-inch LED TV listed for $98 that I would not pick up for free. To play it safe, stick with Samsung, Panasonic, Sony, Vizio and Sharp. And if there's no listing for a brightness or contrast ratio, the number of HDMI inputs and the resolution, you're likely dealing with a sea of motion blur and muted color.

This year features a special level of laptop mediocrity. The worst offenders are those laptops running the Windows 8 operating system without a touchscreen. Those may look tempting, with the lowest prices south of $200. But under no circumstances should you purchase a Windows 8 PC without the touchscreen. The system wasn't designed to be used with a static screen and mouse.

An array of Android tablets with impossibly low prices is another pitfall to avoid. No tablet should be priced below $150, which is the lowest it costs the manufacturer to produce a semi-respectable tablet. If you're looking for a value tablet, check out Amazon for sales on its excellent line of Kindles.

There is one notable exception to today's bleak tech outlook: Black Friday could be your last chance to purchase the universally sold-out Xbox One system before Christmas. If you're headed to the stores today in search of Microsoft's newest gaming system, expect long lines and possibly even waiting lists.

There are some deals worth noting. Though retailers can't slash prices on most Apple products, Target is offering generous gift cards, like $100 when you buy the new iPad Air. Another heartening Target deal is $99 for a Nikon L320 digital 16 MP camera, regularly priced at $229.99. And, Walmart's 70-inch Vizio E701i-A3E television, for $998 instead of $1,698, is worth a shout-out.

And I'll give props to Best Buy for slashing $200 off the 13-inch MacBook Pro with Retina display, on sale for $1,100.

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Reclaimed lumber can be a renovator’s best friend

There's nothing more eye-popping than shimmering wood flooring.

It gives you that wonderful feeling of warmth and the natural beauty of the outdoors into your home or workspace. It's something homeowners and businesses are trying to capture when refining their surroundings while also using eco-friendly products.

One way to magnify the look is to use reclaimed wood - or wood that was used for another purpose.

Using reclaimed wood for renovation projects is an option that gives the old boards new life. It's a piece of the past woven into the present.

One Massachusetts company in particular has been providing premium quality reclaimed lumber to New England's top building professionals for more than 15 years. Based in Chelsea, the Jarmak Corporation has been catering to architects, designers and homeowners for years.

Founder Arnold Jarmak launched his company in 1998 while working with the Amish in Pennsylvania. He got into the trade first working for a demolition company before running a business that purchased lumber. In 2001 he opened an antique lumber sawmill in Lancaster, Pa., on an Amish farm.

With the Amish, he observed how they saved all they tore down. They didn't believe in a crushed-earth policy. They saved everything, the company notes on its website. "Saving building materials meant saving time and money," the company states. Since then, the Jarmak Corporation has been at the forefront of the reclamation industry.

They recenlty opened a wood shop and lumberyard in Oxford, which allows the company to service the entire Northeast providing reclaimed wood products for commercial, retail, dining, home, office spaces and more. It also gives consumers the ability to actually see the products they will use on their own projects first hand.

Their products include Antique Heart Pine, Antique Fir Timbers, Recovered Redwood, Boston Harbor Oak, Vermont Maple Flooring, and Antique Pine Timbers among others.

Think of this company as a junk yard for wood that takes something that's old, dirty and worn and repurposes it into something that's new, clean, warm and bursting with character and charm.

Whether it's wood from a century-old New England farmhouse or the pilings found sitting in the Boston Harbor beneath the old Jimmy's Harborside Restaurant, these guys will transform the product into something magnificent.

It's truly an amazing process that everyone should consider when designing their new home or business as it combines a new thing of beauty with the historical richness of the past in a product that is not only durable but eco-friendly and sustainable.

Charlie Abrahams is a licensed real estate agent in Boston who works with buyers and sellers and can be reached for any additional information at: Bostonrealestate@ charlieabrahams.com

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Holiday shopping season begins on Thanksgiving

NEW YORK — Shoppers gobbled turkey, but saved the pumpkin pie for later on Thanksgiving Day.

As more than a dozen major retailers from Target to Toys R Us opened on Thanksgiving, shoppers across the country got a jump start on holiday shopping. The Thanksgiving openings come despite planned protests across the country from workers' groups that are against employees missing Thanksgiving meals at home.

More than 200 people stood in line at the Toys R Us store in Manhattan before its 5 p.m. opening.

Green Bryant was first in line at 10 a.m. The restaurant manager ended up buying a dollhouse for $129 — $30 off — a Barbie doll and a LeapFrog learning system. Bryant, 28, said she didn't miss Thanksgiving festivities but was going home to cook a Thanksgiving meal for her two children.

"It was worth it," she said. "Now I gotta go home and cook."

At a Target store in Brooklyn about 25 people were waiting in line at 2:50 p.m. for the 8 p.m. opening, an hour earlier than a year ago.

Theresa Alcantaro, 35, a crossing guard, was waiting with her 12-year-old son to buy an Xbox One. It wasn't on sale, but supplies have been scarce. She was missing a gathering of 40 family members but said she would meet up after shopping. She hoped to be in and out by 9 p.m.

"Honestly if I can get a good deal, I do not mind," she said about Thanksgiving shopping. "I see my family every day. They understand."

The holiday openings are a break with tradition. The day after Thanksgiving, called Black Friday, for a decade had been considered the official start to the holiday buying season. It's also typically the biggest shopping day of the year.

But in the past few years, retailers have pushed opening times into Thanksgiving night. They've also pushed up discounting that used to be reserved for Black Friday into early November, which has led retail experts to question whether the Thanksgiving openings will steal some of Black Friday's thunder.

In fact, Thanksgiving openings took a bite out of Black Friday sales last year: Sales on turkey day were $810 million last year, an increase of 55 percent from the previous year as more stores opened on the holiday, according to Chicago research firm ShopperTrak. But sales dropped 1.8 percent to $11.2 billion on Black Friday, though it still was the biggest shopping day last year.

"Black Friday is now Gray Friday," said Craig Johnson, president of Customer Growth Partners, a retail consultancy. "It's been pulled all the way to the beginning of November."

Stores are trying to get shoppers to buy in an economy that's still challenging. While the job and housing markets are improving, that hasn't yet translated into sustained spending increases among most shoppers. Overall, the National Retail Federation expects retail sales to be up 3.9 percent to $602.1 billion during the last two months of the year. That's higher than last year's 3.5 percent growth, but below the 6 percent pace seen before the recession.

Shoppers' financial stress was apparent at the stores on Thursday. "I struggle a lot," said Adriana Tavaraz, 51, of the Bronx, who had spent $100 buying holiday decor on Thanksgiving at a Kmart. "Nowadays, you have to think about what you spend. You have to think about tomorrow."

The Thanksgiving openings are part of retailers' holiday strategy of trying to lure shoppers in early and often during the holiday shopping season. But the stores face challenges in doing that.

Some workers have petitions on change.org to protest against Target and Best Buy. The Retail Action Project, a labor-backed group of retail workers, also is planning to have members visiting customers at stores including Gap and Victoria's Secret in Manhattan to educate them about the demands on workers.

Wal-Mart has been the biggest target for protests against holiday hours. Most of the company's stores are open 24 hours, but the retailer is starting its sales events at 6 p.m. on Thursday, two hours earlier than last year.

The issue is part of a broader campaign against the company's treatment of workers that's being waged by a union-backed group called OUR Walmart, which includes former and current workers. The group is staging demonstrations and walkouts at hundreds of stores around the country on Black Friday.

Brooke Buchanan, a Wal-Mart spokeswoman, said the discounter has received "really good feedback" from employees about working the holiday.

_____

Follow Anne D'Innocenzio at www.Twitter.com/adinnocenzio

16.30 | 0 komentar | Read More

Hub fantasy sports contest co. raises $24 million

The meteoric rise of fantasy sports, especially football, has paid off big time for DraftKings, a Boston company that yesterday announced it had raised $24 million in Series B funding.

"We are really excited about the opportunity to grow both the team and the industry," CMO Paul Liberman said in an email. "We've generated strong results through a lot of hard work, and the large funding is a nice validation of our efforts."

The $24 million is one of the largest funding rounds for a consumer-focused company in Boston this year. The company also raised $7 million in May.

Liberman said the company, which offers users the chance to win money through fantasy sports contests, will use the funding to increase its marketing and hire more employees.

"Our employee base will almost double next year, with the vast majority based in Boston," he said.

The company said its users spend more than five hours per week on the mobile app and website and it has awarded more than 
$50 million in prizes.

Tom Dyal, a partner at Redpoint Ventures, which led the funding, said, "One of the most exciting aspects of venture investing is when we see a company that plays a role in creating a consumer phenomenon. DraftKings is just that sort of company."

16.31 | 0 komentar | Read More