Given the hard times–Seattle lost 68,800 jobs last year, by the way, or about 1 of every 25–you’re probably already pinching your pennies. Now Comcast wants to help–by pinching your pennies. The cable provider has announced that it will be raising rates on October 6th. The monthly fee for leasing a modem will be $5 instead of $3, and the entry-level digital cable package will go up from $55.75 to $57.45. Should this make you mad, you can cancel your service, or just get a little vicarious satisfaction by reading (or re-reading) an account of the action-packed Comcast office visit by 75-year-old Mona “The Hammer” Shaw.