‘Tis the season for holiday cheer, large amounts of food, and obviously nasty electrical gremlins to pop up and bite us in the ass at inopportune times. We are currently experiencing a power outage to one part of our house. Whilst trying to locate the problem, we discovered that we still have old knob and tube wiring mixed in with newer wiring, even though everything is tied to a modern breaker. We have been searching high and low for a loose wire somewhere, but now fear that the old knob and tube wiring has finally just fried itself leaving us in the dark. Can anyone in the PDD community recommend a good local electrician with a vast knowledge of the old-school knob- and tube-style wiring?

For the past 10-ish years I’ve had nothing to do with landlines and been strictly with Verizon and its growing nationwide dominance. I’ve been hesitant to bow to the smartphone revolution, but I think it’s about time to make the switch. Mostly because upgrading to a non-smartphone leaves me with little options for stepping up to something better than I have now.

Anyway, I’m curious about all the little places opening that seem to pop up and cater to upgrading and whatnot. Verizon proper vs. Big Blue Worst Buy Satellite Mall location, the little shops in strip malls … what’s the difference, and who’s got the better deals? Does it matter? Is there anywhere I should avoid? Help me out people!