Search found 153 matches

by Calum
Fri Jan 13, 2012 11:34 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Deleted
Replies: 20
Views: 3856

Re: Williams Sonoma - what is worth buying there?

Puakinekine wrote:If you use cloth napkins, the quality is about the best you are going to find in a conventional store.
Our local WS had summer print cloth napkins on sale for $1 each recently. They are nice napkins.
by Calum
Tue Jan 10, 2012 1:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Homeowner: Question about dealing with contractors
Replies: 15
Views: 1808

Re: New Homeowner: Question about dealing with contractors

I'm assuming they're trying to cover their butts because they aren't the door manufacturer. Would they let you just order the door from the manufacturer directly? Alternatively just pay with a CC and dispute the charge if the door never shows.
by Calum
Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:59 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: will the SP500 double in 7 years?
Replies: 109
Views: 16083

Re: will the SP500 double in 7 years?

bob90245 wrote:Given there are no good forecasters (they typically get it wrong) and the general consensus of participants on this thread forecasting sub-par returns, I would say the S&P 500 will definitely double. :D
I'm of the same opinion. So many long term bears, sounds like a wise move to stay the course.
by Calum
Thu Dec 22, 2011 11:41 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Poll: Synthetic vs Regular Motor Oil
Replies: 42
Views: 4494

Re: Poll: Synthetic vs Regular Motor Oil

Leesbro63 wrote:
Calum wrote:Mobil 1 every 5k with factory brand oil filters. When I rebuilt an engine that had always used synthetic (140k miles) I was sold- it was super clean, very minimal varnish build-up any where.
So why the need for a rebuild :lol:
Low compression on one cylinder. It had many many drag passes, auto-x days, and track days under it's belt. It was still shiny inside. :mrgreen:
by Calum
Wed Dec 21, 2011 3:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Poll: Synthetic vs Regular Motor Oil
Replies: 42
Views: 4494

Re: Poll: Synthetic vs Regular Motor Oil

Mobil 1 every 5k with factory brand oil filters. When I rebuilt an engine that had always used synthetic (140k miles) I was sold- it was super clean, very minimal varnish build-up any where.
by Calum
Wed Dec 14, 2011 9:14 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Took the house off the market after 9 months!
Replies: 69
Views: 7714

Re: Took the house off the market after 9 months!

surfer1 wrote:It's an old house and needs a lot of work.
I would guess that's the real problem (not the age of the house, but the updates needed). In a market flooded with inventory buyers can afford to just be really picky. If it needs updates, even if the cost of the updates isn't terribly expensive, people just buy the house that doesn't need updates unless the price is really really low. I think you're making the right move, do the updates and enjoy them, then if and when you really need to sell the house maybe it will move quicker.
by Calum
Mon Nov 28, 2011 3:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: E-reader for Mom (86 years old)?
Replies: 40
Views: 3971

Re: E-reader for Mom (86 years old)?

Another plug for the Kindle. My 89yo grandmother loves hers. She did need assistance getting the account initially setup but after that was good to go. The 3G version was good for her because it doesn't require her to figure out how to connect to a wifi network when she's not at home and wants to buy a book.
by Calum
Fri Nov 18, 2011 9:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Tis the season
Replies: 14
Views: 1492

Re: Tis the season

Are they wine drinkers? If so it's always a good gift.
by Calum
Fri Nov 04, 2011 6:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Jogging shoes, why so complicated?
Replies: 38
Views: 4619

Re: Jogging shoes, why so complicated?

Jack Daniel's thoughts on running form etc are informative. Everything that's old is new again I guess.

http://runsmartproject.com/coaching/201 ... ning-form/
by Calum
Fri Oct 28, 2011 9:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How Fast Can A Corolla Go?
Replies: 49
Views: 15963

Re: How Fast Can A Corolla Go?

If there is a governor can not a parent take the car to a mechanic and have it set much lower.. 75 or so? Not really (but maybe). The governor is a function built into the programming of the ECU (the computer that is actually running the engine) and isn't designed to be a serviceable parameter. Most mechanics have neither the technical abilities or desire to tinker with the ECU. Also since the ECU is an emissions component altering it is a legal no-no (although it's not something anybody is cracking down on). However there are many 'speed' shops that cater this market but aftermarket support for different manufacturers varies. Prices are all over the map too especially for newer cars. When I was an undergrad Electrical Engineering student ...
by Calum
Thu Oct 27, 2011 3:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How Fast Can A Corolla Go?
Replies: 49
Views: 15963

Re: How Fast Can A Corolla Go?

Most Japanese cars are governed at 115mph (185kph). Google seems to think a 2010 Corolla falls into that category.
by Calum
Wed Oct 19, 2011 10:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any cities that fit most/all of these criteria?
Replies: 75
Views: 6975

Re:

thechoson wrote:I have noticed nobody has mentioned the cheaper COL desert cities like Las Vegas or Phoenix. Any particular reason for this?

Also, someone mentioned Albuquerque. Funny, it was at the top of my list as well.
I will second the duke city recommendation. Really I like the smaller towns in NM but for employment Albuquerque is probably the best bet. Cost of living is all relative, we lived in Lubbock TX which is across the TX border from Albuquerque and we thought housing in Albuquerque was expensive. After moving to a small city in the mid-west we still do. :mrgreen: Compared to either coast it's not expensive.

Phoenix is just too hot and Las Vegas is, well, Las Vegas.
by Calum
Tue Oct 11, 2011 7:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Clark Howard on Best Buy cell deal
Replies: 6
Views: 2380

wander wrote:Very good deal! It sounds like Virgin Mobile's deal before they jumped from $25 to $35 per months for new members.
It sounds like Virgin Mobile's deal after they jumped from $25 to $35 per months for new members.

FTFY, although if they require the $55 for Android phones it's worse. I think Cricket is a mix of their own network and an MVNO for Sprint so you might get better coverage in some areas (VM is all MVNO from Sprint).
by Calum
Fri Sep 30, 2011 1:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Funny press release
Replies: 8
Views: 1305

Funny press release

This is one of the funniest press releases I've read in a while-

http://www.oracle.com/us/corporate/press/503333

Unintentionally funny is they were shopping to Oracle on April 1st.

I've really never seen a company release an official statement so not filled with corporate doublespeak. I can only assume this came straight from Larry. :D
by Calum
Thu Sep 22, 2011 2:35 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Considering grad school
Replies: 44
Views: 5445

A thesis teaches you how to herd cats and also proclaims to the world 'I am a learned cat herder'. That may not be something you need to learn or demonstrate. It's also a chance to get exposed to cutting edge research; something else that you may not need or care about.

In the program I did there were two classes all MS EEs had to take and they were a huge time suck. After that I was actually taking stuff I was interested in so much less time intensive.

Good luck!
by Calum
Thu Sep 22, 2011 11:16 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Considering grad school
Replies: 44
Views: 5445

EE here with an MS in EE- what it really does is open up other kinds of opportunities not necessarily more salary (although that usually goes with the territory). I probably could have made more money going into management or sales etc but frankly I enjoy R&D more. The time commitment is probably the biggest hurdle, particularly with small kids possibly in the picture. Depending on how many classes you take per semester it can be very time consuming. I did it while not working full time, with no family etc. I did my MS at a large state school. They had two basic tracks- coursework only and thesis option. In the coursework only option you simply took more classes and had some sort of paper or something at the end. That track was intended...
by Calum
Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Need freeware to make tracks in long mp3 file
Replies: 7
Views: 1413

Audacity. Available for Windows, Mac, and Linux. Nothing fancy but can do stuff like this really quickly.

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/
by Calum
Mon Sep 12, 2011 10:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Vacuum/siphon coffee maker
Replies: 8
Views: 2001

That's interesting. I've been using one of these for years-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moka_pot

...which looks like a simplified version, albeit with metal and no vacuum action. It is dead simple to use though and makes good coffee. I prefer it to a drip maker because it gets the coffee nice and hot.
by Calum
Thu Sep 01, 2011 1:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Computer Question -Brief
Replies: 34
Views: 4277

Judsen wrote:Thanks Lady Geek and Sidney.
I looked at Thunderbird but decided to go with g-mail and it imported all my Outlook Express info to a new g-mail account. I'm using Chrome browser.
Meanwhile the replacement video card came in so I now have my old machine back up and running.
Thanks to all responders to this thread.
Jud
Google released a new offline gmail plug-in for Chrome btw-

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/deta ... ldlkglhimk

Not so handy on a desktop that never looses internet connectivity but handy for a laptop.
by Calum
Tue Aug 30, 2011 11:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Renting a car for the first time!
Replies: 45
Views: 6549

9 - upgrades usually come when a popular car class is selected and they run out of that class when you show up. car rental reservations are not really reservations when it comes down to it. also, for a long trip like you're taking, many upgrades will cost you in fuel economy, so better to stick to a smaller more economical car if you can. My wife and I play this game whenever we rent cars and work isn't paying for it; we call it rental roulette. I always reserve the econ box option and about 75% of the time get bumped. The odds seem better when flying into a busy airport at a busy time. Almost always it's to a mid-size sedan, but I've been bumped to a SUV before. Sometimes the house wins though and I get stuck with the shoe box, complete w...
by Calum
Mon Aug 22, 2011 5:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How Much Homeowners Insurance?
Replies: 11
Views: 2694

I'm interested in this topic too. I'm curious as to what the reason is to carry insurance up to the rebuild cost instead of the lower replacement cost?
by Calum
Thu Aug 18, 2011 1:44 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: U.S. stocks in free fall
Replies: 36221
Views: 4684018

MWCA wrote:What happens when you run out of powder.
I think that means you didn't catch the knife.
by Calum
Thu Aug 18, 2011 9:59 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: U.S. stocks in free fall
Replies: 36221
Views: 4684018

Old news, the twitter fund is way ahead of this.

http://www.theatlanticwire.com/business ... ket/41389/

:P
by Calum
Mon Aug 15, 2011 6:52 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The Grand Canyon in Late October?
Replies: 17
Views: 4340

Second the recommendation for Sedona. You can go hiking it shorts in Sedona on one day and the next morning encounter snow up at the GC.
by Calum
Mon Aug 15, 2011 9:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Advice for 30 year old seeking to start career
Replies: 22
Views: 6465

thechoson wrote:Thanks everyone. Interesting that nobody thinks that going back to school for something like comp sci is a good idea. I guess that is pretty darn risky
CS is really a math degree. My worry would be his background doesn't really sound math strong. I could be wrong- I worked with a successful physicist who's first career was a social worker.
by Calum
Fri Aug 05, 2011 10:18 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: GPS Watch - Opinions please
Replies: 14
Views: 1937

My wife has the 305. It's a little larger than the 110 but the 305 can be found amazingly cheap if you shop around and are patient. GPS watches in general are way cheaper now than they used to be.

The 305 has worked great for quite a while except the one time we tried to use it running laps on a cruise ship while the ship was moving... :oops:
by Calum
Tue Aug 02, 2011 9:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Kitchen Appliances
Replies: 45
Views: 5743

LadyGeek wrote:Ignore the side-by-side designs, it's a waste of internal space. Looks nice from the outside, but you can't fit anything wide inside like you can with a conventional design. Go for the freezer on top, fridge below model.
I agree but I think there is a room for one exception- our kitchen is a very narrow galley kitchen and the side-by-side (counter depth model too!) works much better in the narrow space (it's also opposite the stove). We loose space internally but gain space in the kitchen. The funny part is smaller appliances (side doors, counter depth) cost more!
by Calum
Mon Aug 01, 2011 3:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: HP printer - ink cartridge replacement
Replies: 33
Views: 7834

Yes the drum is a separate unit. Brother rates it at 12k pages. I guess that's a double edged sword as the drum is expensive to replace, but the flip side is that toner cartridges should theoretically be cheaper than an HP. I've only owned the Brother for about a year so I can't comment yet on how long the drum actually lasts. I work from home so I print a fair amount but I still shouldn't have to replace it for quite a long time. FWIW previously I owned and used for many years an HP LaserJet 5000 with the optional duplexer. That was a solid tank of a printer that could duplex a large 11x17 sheet, very handy for printing schematics. It also weighed the same as a small tank though and the last time the duplexer went out (three times over the...
by Calum
Mon Aug 01, 2011 1:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: HP printer - ink cartridge replacement
Replies: 33
Views: 7834

Yet another vote for the little Brother laser. It's wireless, duplexes, linux friendly, and toner lasts forever. Obviously not good for printing photos being black and white but it's a super little printer for printing documents.
by Calum
Fri Jul 15, 2011 3:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Negotiating Emergency Room Bills
Replies: 36
Views: 7796

I disagree, it is capitalism. If they're paying 10% but the going rate is 3% then they've really offered you a 300% increase over the market value. That's more than fair.
by Calum
Fri Jul 15, 2011 9:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Negotiating Emergency Room Bills
Replies: 36
Views: 7796

EmergDoc wrote:Guess who makes out like a bandit? Medicaid.
Yea, that isn't fair, but it is capitalism. It's just like anything else in life. I would guess Medicaid/care brings hospitals in a huge chunk of patients so they get the biggest bargaining wedge. Why shouldn't they control their costs?
by Calum
Wed Jul 13, 2011 10:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Having Chickens in an urban environment
Replies: 32
Views: 4050

They aren't our chickens btw, we rented the house in the background after our house sold faster than we expected. The fresh eggs came with the rental.

There isn't a top and I asked the same question- they've never lost a chicken to anything other than their own dog. I guess hawks and owls just aren't prevalent in this part of West Texas, at least not in the middle of a town.
by Calum
Wed Jul 13, 2011 8:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Having Chickens in an urban environment
Replies: 32
Views: 4050

Pardon me while I walk out to get my morning egg. :)

On a good lot size with just a few hens it's not a big deal. I would put it lower than living next door to a large dog. Like any other animal, it really depends on how well the owner takes care of them and their habitat.

Image
by Calum
Fri Jul 01, 2011 4:07 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Clearly not a boglehead
Replies: 4
Views: 1262

Clearly not a boglehead

http://consumerist.com/2011/07/whose-10 ... ceipt.html

I found it interesting that Capital One still nailed them with an ATM fee. I would have thought the banks would have special 'be nice to these customers' rules for people carrying a balance like that in a regular account.
by Calum
Fri Jul 01, 2011 11:05 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: First Generation American and Independence Day
Replies: 35
Views: 4193

As a first generation American I recommend blowing stuff up or watching other people blow stuff up. Unless you happen to live in West TX or NM where it's way to dry for that this year. Also, sleep in.

We're going to the local parade this year. My neighbor is marching in it in his old uniform which he is convinced he can still fit into.
by Calum
Wed Jun 29, 2011 4:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: When does a letter get postmarked?
Replies: 15
Views: 108199

Technically last week could have been Saturday night at a blue box that didn't get picked up and sorted until Monday. If they mailed it Thursday or earlier I would have expected it to have an earlier postmark.
by Calum
Tue Jun 28, 2011 4:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: VA Health Care
Replies: 21
Views: 2701

Re: VA Health Care

EmergDoc wrote:VA health care tends to be no frills. The buildings aren't that nice, there is no piano in the lobby, you tend to get less expensive drugs, there is less incentive to do more tests (for better or for worse), and there is less access to specialists. That said, you generally get what you need in my experience.
As a CS & SPD vendor I'll contribute that the VA seems to put more money into back-end infrastructure than a typical private hospital. For better or worse they also have significantly more rules and policies to navigate. YMMV and of course this is only my experience. I wouldn't hesitate to have a surgery at a VA facility.
by Calum
Fri Jun 24, 2011 5:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Virus came on my computer---how do I avoid repeat?
Replies: 49
Views: 6032

Milo wrote:All I'm saying is that if you walk down the street in Bowlegs thinking you're not going to be mugged just because you're in Bowlegs and things like that only happen in the big city, then you're going to be unpleasantly surprised some day. Safety in a small town is an illusion.
That's nice in theory but the proof is in the pudding. As the maintainer for relatives near me's PCs (and my own) I've had to do zero virus/malware/etc clean ups since switching the daily use to Linux. I'll take being surprised.
by Calum
Thu Jun 23, 2011 4:51 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: "Spent"
Replies: 48
Views: 6788

MWCA wrote:Didn't offer rice in the grocery section. Cheapest form of food that is the most filling.


Anyways made it through with 652 and I haven't punch my roommate yet. :D


Thanks for the link
They had canned beans for $1! I stocked up. It brought back memories of being a poor college student.

I ended the month with $941.
by Calum
Thu Jun 23, 2011 3:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Virus came on my computer---how do I avoid repeat?
Replies: 49
Views: 6032

use firefox and have yahoo e mail.Surfing & e mail but also banking and finance. What is linux distro? For surfing and yahoo e-mail using any linux distro is great. Same if you're doing your banking and finance online. If you're using quickbooks or other software you would still need to boot into windows to do that. Firefox runs on Linux so you wouldn't experience anything different vs windows (except of course the whole virus thing). 'Linux distro' is short for Linux distribution, meaning a particular flavor of linux. Each distro is a different take on how things are done, how things work, how things look, etc. Ubuntu is one distro. It's also fairly easy to install and try and tends to get drivers etc right more often than not. Linux ...
by Calum
Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best PC for $500 - $800
Replies: 45
Views: 4475

I've always preferred to just build that kind of machine. Can't go wrong with newegg.
by Calum
Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:56 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Virus came on my computer---how do I avoid repeat?
Replies: 49
Views: 6032

What do you really use your computer for? Just surfing and e-mail? Is your e-mail via gmail, hotmail, etc or tied to a locally installed program like Outlook? If most of what you do is online have you considered trying a linux distro? Chrome & Firefox are the same. It's a learning curve, but really not that bad. We use Ubuntu for most of our PC needs and only use Windows for specific programs (mostly netflix).
by Calum
Thu Jun 23, 2011 10:48 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any One travelled to Vietnam and Cambodia?
Replies: 47
Views: 6880

Flashes1 wrote:The abject poverty in Southeast Asia boggles the mind.
Stop through Singapore sometime, it's the polar opposite. Very wealthy and super organized. Not as exciting though. :D
by Calum
Wed Jun 22, 2011 9:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Thoughts on Pit Bulls
Replies: 166
Views: 16314

This is our dog-

Image

She's a shelter dog. Officially for the insurance co she's a Boxer mix (and our insurance agent has met her many times). She's a very dangerous dog... if you happen to be a couch she can sleep on. She's fat and lazy. Very much not an alpha dog, she'll roll over when she meets a new person or dog. YMMV. My parents have always raised Dobermans and I've been around 'large' dogs all my life. Large animals are dangerous if they're not trained. Be around an untrained angry horse sometime; dogs are nothing.
by Calum
Mon Jun 20, 2011 4:57 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Web browser
Replies: 40
Views: 4228

Yet another plug for Chrome. Stable as a rock on Ubuntu too.
by Calum
Mon Jun 20, 2011 10:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Virgin Mobile/Android Combo Experience?
Replies: 127
Views: 21963

VictoriaF wrote:I ordered magicJack for a 30-day trial. I want to connect it to my router (rather than a laptop), turn the laptop off, and see if magicJack still works. If it does not work, then I may try to return it and experiment with Ooma.
It won't.
by Calum
Thu Jun 16, 2011 5:11 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: The right tablet
Replies: 46
Views: 5868

My wife really wants me in the same part of the house with her and when I do check internet/emails in the evening, I can get lost upstairs in my office for an hour. She said it bothers her that we are in opposite ends of the house. Appreciating her feelings, I have restricted my visits to the office, but am bored with watching TV and she sense that. For e-mail and surfing the iPad is excellent. For these tasks on the couch, airport, etc the iPad kills a regular laptop (or even a lightweight netbook). The android tablets are neat but the iPad really is all around a better product right now. I expect that to change but let someone else be the early adopter. Battery life on the iPad is phenomenal btw. Excel/word/etc stink on the iPad, don't b...
by Calum
Fri Jun 03, 2011 10:35 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Replace timing belts
Replies: 20
Views: 2492

Cody wrote:Calum: it looks like it might be a timing chain - I'll check farther on that. If it is does it matter on replacement (verses a belt).

This is a Dodge Caravan, V6, 3.5L engine.

Cody
Yes, you don't usually have to ever replace timing chains. That also means you don't need to do the water pump until it actually starts to fail. In other words you're good to go. :)

With the timing belt you should replace it and you really might as well do the water pump while you're in there.

If you can't determine which engine you've got or if it has a timing belt/chain just give the dealer your VIN, they can look it up.
by Calum
Fri Jun 03, 2011 10:09 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Replace timing belts
Replies: 20
Views: 2492

I think the V6s in those era vans had a chain not a belt. Sure it's got a belt?
by Calum
Fri Jun 03, 2011 9:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How safe is it around the national mall in DC?
Replies: 26
Views: 4775

Re: How safe is it around the national mall in DC?

AQ wrote:Plan to go to DC, and book a hotel at 400 New Jersey Avenue N.W., Washington, DC. Never been there. Anyone could please comment the nearby areas mainly about the safety issues? Anything to worry about walking in the street in early evening hours say, 8pm on a weekend?

Many thanks!
If you're interested in something cheaper and with character the William Penn House http://williampennhouse.org/hospitality is also near where you're looking at. It is safe but is essentially a hostel, so a little different than a traditional hotel. No need to be a Quaker although they prioritize to people traveling for activist purposes.