Search found 847 matches

by Puakinekine
Thu Jan 18, 2024 12:30 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: convert iBonds from paper --- how long is too long?
Replies: 67
Views: 8239

Re: convert iBonds from paper --- how long is too long?

Yesterday, I finally got through to TD and have found out that the bonds I sent in on 14 September 2023 and that arrived on 18 September 2023 are not to be found by TD. No apology, no explanation, just a direction to the lost bonds form page. The more I thought about it, the more enraged I became with the entire process and am wondering how being told you can just walk into your bank and redeem, when I bought these, turned into this logistical fiasco. How is this even legal? I have many paper bonds still to be converted. It will take hours of my rapidly decreasing time on this earth time to go through the process, which i now know is not to be trusted, again and again. As a warning, copy each bond before sending them in, copy your manifest,...
by Puakinekine
Mon Nov 28, 2022 2:08 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Sad news - Sheepdog passed away
Replies: 135
Views: 25666

Re: Sad news - Sheepdog passed away

This is very sad news. I had always enjoyed his thoughts. I hope his family knows how well appreciated he was here.
by Puakinekine
Mon Apr 25, 2022 9:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dublin to Belfast Travel
Replies: 17
Views: 1917

Re: Dublin to Belfast Travel

The drive is a fairly easy one, less then 2 hours, even for those of us who are used to driving on the right, as it is mostly motorway. Although, getting out of Dublin airport onto the motorway is an adventure, when you have flown in from the US and have to deal with traffic and making sure you are driving according to local custom simultaneously. Also, car rental in the Ireland is more expensive then elsewhere. Make sure your contract allows you to take the car into the North, apparently some don't. The car would be a liability in Dublin for sure, and most likely in Belfast. So, if you are only planning on being in Belfast, I might cut my losses and take the train. There is a train that looks quite easy and is not costly at all. It takes a...
by Puakinekine
Wed Mar 30, 2022 9:05 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can We Retire in Hawaii? Please Critique
Replies: 214
Views: 37515

Re: Can We Retire in Hawaii? Please Critique

Well, we are not there yet, but have experienced great weather like yourself when we go. As for the vog, we looked at historical vog patterns and saw that if you are near Hilo on the NW and N side, you can pretty much have close to zero vog days. Kona was by far the worst area for vog as it was close to being in the center of the vog cone. The vog is on the windward side as well as the Kona side. When the winds come out of the south, which happens much more often then it used to, it influences the health of people here, especially those with COPD. The further up the coast you go, the better off you will be, but Hilo is definitely not vog free. You may not be able to see it, but it is there. When you look at vog pattern measurements, you ar...
by Puakinekine
Fri Mar 25, 2022 7:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Replacement for Iphone SE?
Replies: 46
Views: 4462

Re: Replacement for Iphone SE?

I bought my daughter the 13mini in December. She has very small hands and did not want to get anything larger then her old SE. I talked her into it as the 13mini is a much better phone and the size difference is minimal. She is very happy with it. She has not noticed the size difference at all.
by Puakinekine
Tue Nov 16, 2021 4:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Are 4 days and nights enough to explore Oahu, Hawaii?
Replies: 42
Views: 4905

Re: Are 4 days and nights enough to explore Oahu, Hawaii?

Totally not sure how the state department decides how to rate countries, but current case rates in Portugal and Hawaii are nearly the same. The case rate in Bermuda is half of those other two. Vaccination rates are 86% in Portugal, 80% in Bermuda, and 60% in Hawaii.

If COVID safety is a big part of your decision criteria, Puerto Rico should be on your shortlist.



The completed vaccination rate for Hawaii of the population over the age of 5 is 77% and 72% for the total population. The rate on Oahu is 80% for the over 5's and 75% for the total population. This is according to the stats on the CDC website today.

Four days is definitely not enough for that kind of flying.
by Puakinekine
Sat Oct 30, 2021 4:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Getting a Windows Laptop
Replies: 32
Views: 2293

Re: Getting a Windows Laptop

If you want the build quality of an Apple product, the Microsoft Surface product line is the one. As the family IT person over the past 18 years or so, my opinion is that Apple products do not last any longer then comparable Windows products. In our experience, they die even faster. The Windows OS is most likely the sticking point for you, but they seem to be merging into one user experience anyway, much to my personal dismay. BUT, there are a lot of not so good, you get what you pay for Windows products out there. If you want a quality product you need to pay for it. I recently purchased the soon to be discontinued Surface Book 3 (i7 32gb RAM, 512 gb storage) on sale at Best Buy, as the newly announced replacement product for that line is ...
by Puakinekine
Tue Jun 29, 2021 4:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPod Classic -- "dying" battery
Replies: 21
Views: 2438

Re: iPod Classic -- "dying" battery

I use both my Android phone and my Ipod classic for music and audio books. The Ipod is a far more elegant player for downloaded files. I use the Ipod as a sleep aid, and if I wake up at 3am and want to listen to a mellow book to put me back to sleep, I can operate the Ipod by feel rather then having to look at it. If I do need to look at it, the lighted screen is small and dim and it does not wake my bed mate if I am careful. For streaming books and music, I use my phone, but the player is is almost always clunky no matter non-streaming app I use. That being said, it is easy to change the battery on the Ipod classic with a kit. Or, as others have said, find a small shop that does this sort of thing. But, a warning, now the headphone jack is...
by Puakinekine
Wed Feb 03, 2021 2:15 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Recovery Rebate Credit
Replies: 41
Views: 2760

Re: Recovery Rebate Credit

anon_investor wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:50 pm
howard71 wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:40 pm
cheese_breath wrote: Wed Feb 03, 2021 1:13 pm TurboTax calculated mine for me. I just told it how much I already received, and it calculated the credit.
Interesting. When I logged in to Turbo Tax using the same account my daughter used last year there was no mention of it anywhere as far as I could see.
Did you get to the end before you did the final review? On the disc/download verison of TurboTax the questions about the credit are not asked until the very end right before the final review.
This. It was how I finally found it after spending a fair amount of time searching. It was especially annoying as Turbo Tax said in all their blurbs that they would ask you at the beginning of the questions.
by Puakinekine
Mon Jan 25, 2021 12:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mail to Canada problems
Replies: 9
Views: 772

Re: Mail to Canada problems

I have been mailing items in conjunction Canada Post for 42 years now. Every once and a while, things work the way they should. Most of the time they do not. I have had mail get to the recipient in Canada within a week and vice versa, but most of the time it takes 3 to 5 weeks. The USPS is usually excellent at getting the mail to Canada, but Canada Post is notoriously bad and has been for as long as I have been dealing with it and, from all accounts, for a much longer time period. Of the six items we mailed to Canada in late November, five arrived last week, and one is still sitting in Vancouver, where it has been since early December. It made me absolutely crazy when I lived there years ago, now I've found better things to get crazy about....
by Puakinekine
Fri Sep 11, 2020 7:02 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Canadian bank account
Replies: 11
Views: 1189

Re: Canadian bank account

This information is not very current, but the last time I dealt any of the major Canadian banks, they would not open accounts to people from the U.S., unless you were a resident of Canada. You might take a look at Toronto Dominion (TD) as they have branches in the States and talk about "Crossborder" services, but those may only go in one direction.
https://www.td.com/ca/en/personal-banki ... r-banking/
by Puakinekine
Mon Jun 15, 2020 12:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Trip to SLC , Utah
Replies: 27
Views: 2491

Re: Trip to SLC , Utah

Nine days is a long time to be in Salt Lake. It is an isolated place. But if you have to be in the city for the entire time, I suggest slowing down and finding simple things to do. We go about once a year to visit family and always include a trip out to Antelope Island State Park. It is an eerie strange landscape, and the locale of my once a year buffalo burger. I also enjoy going to Red Butte Garden on the University of Utah Campus, which sits next to the Natural History Museum of Utah. You might want to take an interest in your family history before you go, as the Family History Library in Salt Lake is an incredible resource, where people are extremely helpful in assisting you with research. In general, I have found Salt Lake a good place...
by Puakinekine
Sat Apr 25, 2020 2:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [recommend a basic] refrigerator
Replies: 22
Views: 2341

Re: [recommend a basic] refrigerator

We bought his one about 6 months ago when it was on sale and are pleased with it. To avoid future problems, we never connected the ice maker or water dispenser and just fill the ice tray with bagged ice from the grocery store. Or you could use the ice tray space as more freezer space. We bought this because it was the only decent bottom freezer unit that would fit into the space we have without sticking too far out into the room. https://www.homedepot.com/p/GE-18-6-cu-ft-French-Door-Refrigerator-in-Stainless-Steel-Counter-Depth-GWE19JSLSS/303345832?mtc=Shopping-VF-F_D29A-G-D29A-Multi-Multi-NA-Feed-LIA-NA-NA-MajorAppl_Major_Appliances&cm_mmc=Shopping-VF-F_D29A-G-D29A-Multi-Multi-NA-Feed-LIA-NA-NA-MajorAppl_Major_Appliances-71700000059090...
by Puakinekine
Sat Feb 22, 2020 6:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Microsoft OneDrive questions
Replies: 48
Views: 3522

Re: Microsoft OneDrive questions

Yup. You can see files from any device that supports One Drive. One Drive also has something within it called "Personal Vault" which they've designed to be even more secure then the plain vanilla One Drive. If I was going to keep sensitive or financial information on One Drive, that is where I would put it. I don't keep sensitive or financial information on One Drive or anyplace else in the cloud, though. That sort of thing I keep on my C Drive and then it gets backed up automatically to the D drive which is a removable sd card. I also am a keeper of paper records. One Drive is a fabulous tool, but it does have it's complications. You can choose to keep a file totally in the cloud so even the file name cannot be seen on your devic...
by Puakinekine
Sun Feb 02, 2020 2:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Coffee related question - what's the best milk frother?
Replies: 12
Views: 1705

Re: Coffee related question - what's the best milk frother?

We use an old cheap French press to froth whole milk that has been heated on stove. Heat milk until bubbles form on the edges of the pot (3 minutes for 2 cups of milk on our stove) then fill the French press a little less then half way and pump up and down. A count of 20-30 works for us. We have been doing this for years. We also have a Capresso milk frother, but like the foam from the French press better. Using the Capresso takes just about the same amount of time as the heat milk/French press method, but requires less attention. The wands are good for travel, but they go through batteries very quickly and make a mess if--make that when-- you get distracted.
by Puakinekine
Fri Dec 13, 2019 3:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Summer trip to Germany ideas requested
Replies: 50
Views: 3292

Re: Summer trip to Germany ideas requested

I just want to thank everyone again for all your advice. My mom can walk and move and such, she's just very slow due to a combination of pain from her arthritis and a medication she takes that slows down her heart so much that she gets winded if she walks fast. Usually when I walk with her, I let her walk a step in front of me so I can follow at her speed (otherwise, even when I feel I am walking slowly, I leave her in the dust). She can do things like steps and such, but she moves slowly and doesn't go very far without having to rest. For this reason, I decided direct flights only (I don't want to stress her out trying to rush to a gate). I think that will help. So that limits us to Frankfort and Munich. Is Frankfort so bad that you would...
by Puakinekine
Fri Dec 13, 2019 11:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Summer trip to Germany ideas requested
Replies: 50
Views: 3292

Re: Summer trip to Germany ideas requested

One recommendations is to avoid Frankfurt airport. Super long line and super busy. Blame Britxit, Frankfurk is the new financial center of Europe, aka European NYC. I doubt that Brexit has anything to do with it, Frankfurt has always been a nightmare. Coming into Frankfurt from the US is often not too bad, if you are not connecting on. But, this is a big but for someone with mobility issues, many flights coming into FRA and other Euro airports have you disembark onto the tarmac and then be bussed at break neck speeds across the tarmac to the terminal. The buses are full and most likely there will be no seats when you get down the steps with your carry on and to the bus with your mother. After that there are multiple levels to change and di...
by Puakinekine
Sat Dec 07, 2019 11:37 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Blue Light Blocking Glasses?
Replies: 39
Views: 4773

Re: Blue Light Blocking Glasses?

Windows 10 has an automatic blue light filter, not sure about earlier versions of Windows.
Open the Start Menu.
Click the gear icon to bring up the Settings Menu.
Choose System.
Select Display.
Toggle the Night light switch to On.
Click Night light settings to adjust the level of blue displayed, or determine the time for Night Light to activate automatically.

Apple has a similar sort of thing, as does Android.

I also vote for no caffeine after noon.
by Puakinekine
Wed Nov 13, 2019 7:15 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Would you buy a Galaxy S9 now?
Replies: 31
Views: 2515

Re: Would you buy a Galaxy S9 now?

The S9 has 2 advantages in my view over other phones: an SD card slot and a headphone jack. Wanted to point that out in case those are important to you as well. yup the headphone/earbuds jack is important - that was one of my must haves which eliminated several models at the same price point. Thank you I have one and love it but I would wait till BF for a deal on the S10e . This is what I might do. If the deal is not good enough during the BF sales, Samsung's website drops the prices from time to time as the phones get older. I bought my S9 a few months after a friend bought his for about $200 less. I prefer the S10e design to the S9 as it is slightly shorter and wider. I find the height of the S9 awkward, especially with the added case. A...
by Puakinekine
Mon Feb 26, 2018 12:35 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689762

Re: Netflix, Your Current Favorite Show

The Stranger aka Bimilui Soop or Hidden Forest on Netflix. Excellent. I have not binge watched this much since The Wire . It is in Korean with subtitles, but well worth the extra effort. The first five minutes are a little cheesy in the way the main protagonist's character is explained, but after that it takes off. I gave up on it after 3 episodes. I watch lots of subtitled shows (currently watching Dark and Suburra ), but the dialogue for this one would flash on the screen faster than I could read it and take in what was happening. Sorry to hear that. I watched it on a relatively small screen (Surface Pro) so it was easier to scan the subtitles quickly. Even so, at times I was not fast enough to make it to the end of the sentences. I fini...
by Puakinekine
Sat Feb 24, 2018 2:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689762

Re: Netflix, Your Current Favorite Show

The Stranger aka Bimilui Soop or Hidden Forest on Netflix. Excellent. I have not binge watched this much since The Wire. It is in Korean with subtitles, but well worth the extra effort. The first five minutes are a little cheesy in the way the main protagonist's character is explained, but after that it takes off.
by Puakinekine
Thu Jan 18, 2018 10:46 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can We Retire in Hawaii? Please Critique
Replies: 214
Views: 37515

Re: Can We Retire in Hawaii? Please Critique

I normally hesitate to chime in on these Hawaii threads. There are always many opinions bandied about and it makes me weary to read them. I also know that most people are going to do what they want to do, no matter what you tell them. When asking your opinion, they are often asking for your confirmation. This is a place that of course has many commonalities with life experiences on the Mainland and other places, but much that is unique to here. Also, Hawaii Island is not Oahu. All I will say, and I say this very strongly, please come and rent for a while. Find out if this is really the place for you and your wife , without the possibility of a huge financial hit. Visits don't cut it, you have to be doing the day to day for at least a year,...
by Puakinekine
Wed Jan 17, 2018 1:33 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Can We Retire in Hawaii? Please Critique
Replies: 214
Views: 37515

Re: Can We Retire in Hawaii? Please Critique

I normally hesitate to chime in on these Hawaii threads. There are always many opinions bandied about and it makes me weary to read them. I also know that most people are going to do what they want to do, no matter what you tell them. When asking your opinion, they are often asking for your confirmation. This is a place that of course has many commonalities with life experiences on the Mainland and other places, but much that is unique to here. Also, Hawaii Island is not Oahu. All I will say, and I say this very strongly, please come and rent for a while. Find out if this is really the place for you and your wife , without the possibility of a huge financial hit. Visits don't cut it, you have to be doing the day to day for at least a year, ...
by Puakinekine
Sat Dec 23, 2017 11:22 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Ever tempted to shut it down once you have “enough”?
Replies: 37
Views: 5480

Re: Ever tempted to shut it down once you have “enough”?

I guess you could say we shut it down as we have had a 80% fixed income/20% equity allocation for many years. We have a quite a bit more then when we started withdrawing seven years ago at retirement, BUT have only a 2% withdrawal rate. I only look at what we have for bookkeeping purposes, as the arbitrary ups and downs of the equity markets are not critically important to us. When the equity dive occurred in 2008, we (temporarily) lost over 50% of our equity, but beyond my deep fears for the economic system in general, I was not worried about us in particular. If you have enough behind you, this is a very comfortable place to be.
by Puakinekine
Fri Dec 22, 2017 11:52 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: A meal with friends yields a financial revelation
Replies: 95
Views: 15807

Re: A meal with friends yields a financial revelation

I thought that perhaps someone would post this idea but I did not see a mention of it in my quick skim through. There are a lot of people not any where near this level of comfort for whatever reason. I don't really care at this point as to the why. But, please, all of you who can now not worry about money, help those who worry every second of the day. Many of you remember what it was like. If it is easy to spend a couple of hundred dollars on a restaurant meal, it is equally as easy to contribute an equal amount of money to a local food bank. Those of us who have made it, no matter what our definition of making it is, can now afford to be kind.
by Puakinekine
Tue Dec 12, 2017 9:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Dad Needs Help Buying Wedding Liquor
Replies: 76
Views: 11097

Re: Dad Needs Help Buying Wedding Liquor

Two of my favorite winter cocktails require vermouth. Manhattan's (rye, vermouth, cherry, bitters) are an excellent, though strong, drink and Negroni's (gin, Campari, vermouth, orange peel) are also to my liking when I want something that tastes strong, but really isn't. Manhattan are quite popular, Negroni's not as much. Also, I have no experience with other types of Kirkland Liquors, but I like their made in France Kirkland Vodka (runs between $18-$25 Per 1.75 liter) much more then the very expensive 1.75l bottle of Grey Goose we were gifted with--- 1.70l remaining a year later. Bulleit makes a very decent rye and bourbon and Costco sells the 1.75l bottle of both for a very good price. Remember you mixers and garnishes and plenty of ice. ...
by Puakinekine
Sat Dec 09, 2017 9:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 4WD necessary/recommended on Big Island, HI
Replies: 39
Views: 5750

Re: 4WD necessary/recommended on Big Island, HI

This is a but off topic, but nonetheless, I just want to give a warning that since the end of November we have already lost 3 visitors in drowning deaths. All of these deaths were a result of people going in or near the water when they should not have. Just because you read about something in a guide book, it does not necessarily mean it is a good or remotely safe thing to do, especially with children.

On topic, IMHO you don't need a 4-wheel drive.
by Puakinekine
Wed Dec 06, 2017 4:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: A Trip to Russia
Replies: 81
Views: 8258

Re: A Trip to Russia

I've been to St Petersburg twice, once about 17 years ago, and then within the past 3 years. My husband has traveled there for work without me. Our first trip to St Petersburg, we had a guide for most of our sight seeing and it was money well spent. Previous to this, I had been the sort of person who poo pooed the guide idea, but our guide proved invaluable. She knew the ropes and we were able skip long lines and use semi-private doors. The Hermitage would have been a very different experience without her. In terms of safety, she continuously pointed out places where we should not go, and told us of things we should not do. She did not want to be paid until the end of our two days and only when she was in a safe place. On the next trip, my ...
by Puakinekine
Thu Nov 09, 2017 1:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What backup service to use?
Replies: 94
Views: 14270

Re: What backup service to use?

OneDrive for everything but financial and health files. OneDrive also syncs flawlessly (so far--3 years now) to my phone and other laptops/pcs. I would not backup anything private to any cloud service, for those I go the old fashioned way of the external hard drive. I also do a complete backup of all devices about every two months or so to external hard drives.
by Puakinekine
Mon Oct 02, 2017 2:39 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Retirement Class of 1998 (Sheepdog)
Replies: 94
Views: 22887

Re: Retirement Class of 1998 (Sheepdog's Experience)

Thank you Sheepdog for this wonderful post. We must have started at the same time and in the same way. Perhaps you started off with more knowledge about investing then I did, but I knew next to nothing. So with some new time on my hands and the future starting to seem more and more of a reality, I too got my first education through the old Morningstar site and forums, and then came over here when this Boglehead group was founded. Taylor with his age advice, Mel with his I-bonds, and so many, many highly intelligent, articulate and civil voices advised me in how to simply and calmly go about preparing for the financially stress free retirement we have today. I believe I remember that you were one of the people who rather (sheepishly?) admitt...
by Puakinekine
Sat Jul 22, 2017 11:27 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Commuters (that drive), what do you listen to?
Replies: 60
Views: 5711

Re: Commuters (that drive), what do you listen to?

I would go for audio books or podcasts for the easy parts of your commute and music (or nothing) for when you need to concentrate on your driving. Audible is great for selection but can get pricey after a while. Most US public libraries have audio books for free download through Overdrive and or OneClick.
by Puakinekine
Sat May 06, 2017 12:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Road trip to western states
Replies: 38
Views: 3670

Re: Road trip to western states

We did a roadtrip through Southern Utah area and as a nature person, it was one the most memorable and enjoyable trips I've done. We did a loop hitting Zion, Bryce, Capitol Reef (via US 12 which was a beautiful drive), Moab (Arches and Canyonlands), over to Telluride (Via US 46/90, which was another stunning drive) , Mesa Verde, Monument Valley, then Grand Canyon. The scenery was incredible and it gave me a renewed appreciation for our country's natural beauty. Driving the 2-lane highways, no traffic and minimal crowds (outside of Zion and Grand Canyon) made for a very relaxing and enjoyable time. We just did a similar trip in the first two weeks of April. But we had a different experience in terms of crowds. Yes, the two lane roads were s...
by Puakinekine
Thu Apr 27, 2017 12:22 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bed comforter for spring / summer / fall in Maine
Replies: 14
Views: 1839

Re: Bed comforter for spring / summer / fall in Maine

How does one select a down comforter for a bed? I am in need of six (three twin, three queen) for a summer cottage in Maine. There are literally dozens from which to choose online - from Ikea ($99-150) to Feathered Friends ($460) and everything in between. Can't seem to find any reliable information about the differences. Obviously want to save as much money as possible but also need to stay comfy and warm, and want them to last for decades not years. Any advice? I have purchased from Macy's (their brand) and LL Bean. The oldest is about 30 years old, the newest about 15. Both retailers offer discounts. Right now Macy's is running a 30% off just about everything sale (on-line & free shipping over a certain price)if you have their credi...
by Puakinekine
Sun Jan 29, 2017 4:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Drivers License May not be good for air travel?
Replies: 47
Views: 7100

Re: Drivers License May not be good for air travel?

baw703916 wrote:One issue is when you need to renew a passport, you have to send the old one in, and it typically takes an extended time for the new one to show up in the mail. So how would someone who travels regularly handle this without being grounded for an indeterminate period?
You can ask for expedited service for a fee. Or you can order your passport at a non-busy time of year. Mine was to expire to April but I decided to renew now before the tourist travel season. It took nine days door to door without expediting using priority mail. I received the passport yesterday. I live in a place where it takes one more day each way for any mail.
by Puakinekine
Thu Jan 26, 2017 5:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPhone: Are Apple Maps as good as Google Maps?
Replies: 30
Views: 4937

Re: iPhone: Are Apple Maps as good as Google Maps?

I use Here Maps (originally Nokia), preferring it over Google. They were far ahead of Google for quite a while in terms of ease of downloading maps for use off-line and in the accuracy of their mapping, at least in Europe, where I mostly used them. I also prefer the design of their maps. They seem cleaner and easier to see and comprehend. The graphics and the verbal directions are always spot on in my experience. But to each her own, I imagine Google maps do the job as well, but I am doubtful about Apple. I might put at least Here Maps and Google Maps on your phone and perhaps the Apple version, and just try them all out, and see which you prefer. A link for the app for Iphones: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/here-wego-city-navigation/id95...
by Puakinekine
Mon Jan 23, 2017 12:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Subaru + Mazda
Replies: 44
Views: 6751

Re: Subaru + Mazda

As a tall person who has spent a fair bit of time changing baby's diapers and clothing in the opened back of SUV's, I might recommend a higher vehicle. It is also much easier to get babies/small children out of their car seats if you are not bending over while twisting in a cramped space. It is also easier to get groceries, strollers, whatever, out of the back when you have a child on one arm or in hand. You will be amazed at how much of your life is spent maneuvering baby/child and stuff in and out of vehicles and how much your back starts to feel it.
by Puakinekine
Fri Jan 13, 2017 12:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Trip to Kona, Hawaii - Suggestions
Replies: 44
Views: 4679

Re: Trip to Kona, Hawaii - Suggestions

I found Kona too hot for my taste. It was 105 degF in the daytime. Maybe that was unusual. The AC in the condos I stayed at could not keep up with the heat. Otherwise, tons of good things to see and do. I ended up buying a small cooler and blue ice packs so I would have something cold to drink while I sight-see'd. I am wondering at the 105 degree number as it there are no recorded incidences of it ever getting that hot anywhere in Hawaii. Perhaps someone put a thermometer on black lava in the sun? There is a chart on this page containing highest monthly temperatures from 1981-2010--sorry, best I can do right now, as I am rushed--but you can see, it had never gotten above 95 at Keahole Airport which is a black paved place sitting in the cen...
by Puakinekine
Fri Jan 13, 2017 11:29 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Retiree health care premium before reaching medicare age
Replies: 17
Views: 2315

Re: Retiree health care premium before reaching medicare age

ACA for one person, age 63, $778 per month, $7150 deductable, bronze plan Without ACA, I am guessing it will be higher, if they are willing to insure you or your family members. (This includes a dental plan plus fees)

This might help you to see what they rates are now in Hawaii.
https://hmsa.com/health-plans/individua ... lic-plans/
by Puakinekine
Thu Jan 12, 2017 12:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Trip to Kona, Hawaii - Suggestions
Replies: 44
Views: 4679

Re: Trip to Kona, Hawaii - Suggestions

Not to put a damper on all of this enthusiasm, but be aware of your driving times. It is a good 2 hours or more one way right now from Kailua -Kona to Hilo because of road construction on the Saddle Road. The South Point route and the Hamakua route are just as slow. It is another 40 minutes up to the HVNP visitor's center. It is another 50-60 minutes down to where the lava reaches the ocean and a 4 mile hike in, coming back in the dark. The roads are mostly two lanes, winding, and sometimes badly banked. It is not mainland driving. There most likely will be unexpected rain and fog at some point. I would recommend a night in a B&B in Hilo or Volcano. It is worth the extra $100. Also, you will be missing some beautiful scenery, if you dri...
by Puakinekine
Sun Jan 08, 2017 9:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The funk - gym clothes
Replies: 46
Views: 6313

Re: The funk - gym clothes

Don't know about other washers, but the "Sanitary Cycle" on my LG washer takes care of this issue. The machine heats the water to a higher temperature then the normal "hot". It works like a charm.
by Puakinekine
Sat Dec 10, 2016 12:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: travel to Istanbul
Replies: 41
Views: 4674

Re: travel to Istanbul

I have been to Istanbul several times, but not in the winter. I recommend bundling up and getting out on the water on a ferry or a boat tour, moving from east to west approaching the Sultanamhet before sunset to see the city turn to gold. It is achingly beautiful when the light conditions are right. Coincidentally, I have almost completed listening to the audio version of Midnight at the Pera Palace: The Birth of Modern Istanbul by Charles King. It is a history of early 20th century Istanbul in it's transition from capital of the Ottoman Empire to being the major city of the Turkish Republic. It is an easy, enjoyable and informative read and available through Overdrive at my public library, perhaps also through yours. It would make good air...
by Puakinekine
Sat Nov 19, 2016 4:38 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Transferring money from US to Canada every 4 months
Replies: 20
Views: 4958

Re: Transferring money from US to Canada every 4 months

Starting this September 2017, I will be paying off about 350k in student loans obtained from banks in Canada. I'm a Canadian living and working full time in the US and used the loans for school down here. I plan on sending about $16,000 USD every 4 months for a total of $48,000 USD per year and hope to pay off my loan in about 5-6 years. Have you spoken to your loaner bank in Canada about this problem? Some Canadian financial institutions allow you to send a $US check to them, whereupon they do the exchange at a relatively fair rate. We paid a whole life insurance premium for years this way. We also paid college tuition bills this way to three separate universities. I might give the bank a call and present your problem to them. In my perso...
by Puakinekine
Mon Aug 08, 2016 1:37 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Professor having to buy his own computer for work
Replies: 93
Views: 9957

Re: Professor having to buy his own computer for work

My daughter's 3 year old Macbook died recently. It is not impossible. She bought a new one, which offers little more then the old one, but for a working motherboard and a better screen. This was the second death for this machine, but the first time it fried itself it was under warranty. It was the families first foray into Macbook land and I am not impressed.
by Puakinekine
Sat Apr 09, 2016 3:32 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: All electric car - what if get stranded?
Replies: 34
Views: 4441

Re: All electric car - what if get stranded?

Toons wrote:Call Triple A.
:D
That really did make me LOL. Excellent answer.
by Puakinekine
Fri Jan 29, 2016 12:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: wife needs phone. Android, iPhone or Windows phone?
Replies: 49
Views: 5634

Re: not Windows phone

I'm not really wanting to go here, but "The Verge" is known to be highly critical anything but Apple products. I do agree, though, that MS have not marketed or supported the Lumia line to its potential. And who knows what they are going to do in the future? They are full of surprises lately for better or for worse. But, what does it matter right now, if the OP is talking about a $40 to $100 phone? Or for that matter, even the new Lumia 950, as most phones become obsolete within 2-3 years... In itself a case for most people buying the cheapest reliable phone that will do what they need.
by Puakinekine
Thu Jan 28, 2016 10:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: wife needs phone. Android, iPhone or Windows phone?
Replies: 49
Views: 5634

Re: wife needs phone. Android, iPhone or Windows phone?

I have never met anyone who has a Windows phone that is happy with it. I think that business model proved to be a bust for MS. I'd recommend going with an Android phone and switching over from MS services to Google services like GMail for email and Hangouts for text messages and video calls. If you setup Google Voice, you can also use the Hangouts app to send SMS/MMS message to cell phone numbers in addition to sending Hangouts messages to other Hangouts users. Also if her usage is low, you might want to consider using Ting as a service provider rather than Cricket assuming either T-Mobile or Sprint has good coverage in your area. I use it, and it is cheaper than Cricket for my usage levels. Let me introduce my self. I am extremely happy w...
by Puakinekine
Tue Jan 12, 2016 9:35 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best DNA genealogy testing kits
Replies: 133
Views: 28585

Re: Best DNA genealogy testing kits

Petrocelli wrote:Thanks for all the responses!

I ordered a kit from ancestry.com. I also started a free 14 day trial on its web. I found a woman who had traced my paternal grandmother's family back to the 1700s.
If I have just one bit of advice to anyone doing family history, it's to not trust any work that you have not done yourself. Or not to trust anything without seeing at least one or two original sources for the information that people are giving you.
by Puakinekine
Thu Jan 07, 2016 3:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5973
Views: 689762

Re: Netflix, Your Current Favorite Show

Jane the Virgin
With three a night, just got to the cliff hanger at the end of Season 1. No Season 2 on Netflix. ¡Qué lástima!
by Puakinekine
Fri Dec 11, 2015 1:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Laptop -- Christmas present for me
Replies: 53
Views: 8041

Re: New Laptop -- Christmas present for me

The way Microsoft names their devices gets very confusing for people. This is the Surface Book. It is a laptop and not a tablet. But you can easily take the full keyboard off and use it as a tablet. There are probably some kinks that need to be worked out on it, as it is a first generation product. http://www.microsoftstore.com/store/msusa/en_US/pdp/Surface-Book/productID.325716000 This is the latest Surface Pro 4 (I have the SP3). The best way to describe it is that it is tablet device equivalent in power to a PC, with an optional keyboard cover. I rarely use it as a tablet. I actually dislike tablets in general but, it was the best and the lightest fully powered Windows device I could find for travel at a year and a half ago or so when I ...