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killjoy2012

All of the comments in this thread are interesting, but the reality is that hindsight is 20/20, the stock market isn't rationale (e.g. look at Tesla's evaluation / market cap), and no one knows what the future holds for GE. I personally don't see them going bankrupt. I do think they have a long road...

killjoy2012

I think most people that have worked with residential security cameras would tell you to avoid Foscam as well. In the world of cheap Chinese security cameras, the two companies you should probably be looking at are Dahua and Hikvision. That said, also beware that most of these Chinese cameras have f...

killjoy2012

SPG was great for gaining access to airlines you couldn't otherwise easily earn miles in and which have sweet spots for redemptions. The Marriott travel packages were also a great way to gain extra value. That said if you are going to travel in economy I don't see anything other than churning signu...

killjoy2012

The Westin, Dublin.

https://www.google.com/maps/place/The+W ... d-6.258649

killjoy2012

+1 for bigger generator, and +1 for Kohler over Generac.

killjoy2012

I don't think you can fly direct into Inverness - at least not from the states. It is tough enough to get to Edinburgh. :happy Flights to Inverness from JFK are routed through Manchester and from Atlanta they go through Amsterdam. You can get direct flights to Edinburgh from both Atlanta and JFK. I...

killjoy2012

With only 7 days, I'd certainly recommend picking one or the other - not both. I've visited Scotland 4-5 times now, and Ireland once. I think which to pick is completely dependent on where your personal interests lie. If Scotland, my strong recommendation would be to fly into Inverness, which is up ...

killjoy2012

You can certainly afford to do the addition/remodel. As a matter of principal, I'd pay back the family member for the student loan before kicking off a $200k renovation though. Also, I wouldn't kid yourself into thinking that a $200k reno is going to add $200k to your home's value. Financially, and ...

killjoy2012

1) Yes, seems reasonable. You could question the dollar amount of some of your line items - like what exactly is $1,300/month shopping for - but overall, it seems reasonable. 2) There are many online banking high yield savings accounts available that would get you a slightly better rate. e.g. Allian...

killjoy2012

A soundbar is fine for secondary TVs - bedroom, kitchen, etc. - but I would never use one on the primary TV in the household. Subwoofers make a huge difference. Rear surround speakers make a huge difference. Do they add cost and complexity - sure, but well worth it on the primary system.

killjoy2012

I've been to WDW many times. Thoughts: - Not sure hotel price point really dictates the amount of walking involved. All Disney hotels have Disney transport to the parks (bus, water shuttle, monorail), so while the Grand Floridian or Contemporary are physically closer to the MK park, not sure it woul...

killjoy2012

1) Cash - Will probably take at least 2 different Visa credit cards. I figure we'll want some paper Euros too. 1b) Or should I even bother with many Euros at all? Take no cash with you, Euros or USD. Take at least 2 NFT CCs, and your ATM card - notify all of travel the week before departure. Odds a...

killjoy2012

This whole concept of the national identity of a company is becoming more and more archaic. So many corporations are multi-national entities now. Even startups... Not sure what an "American" company means anymore. I worked for a couple of "US" tech companies where most of the R&D was done abroad (I...

killjoy2012

So you probably think the Buick Envision is an American car, but its competitor, the Honda CR-V, is Japanese. That "American" car is assembled in China with 86% Chinese content and 11% U.S./Canadian content. The "Japanese" car is assembled in both the U.S. and Canada, with about two-thirds of its c...

killjoy2012

Heh, as much as I love Asus wireless routers (and am using one as we speak in access point mode), I couldn't imagine the aesthetics of mounting one on the ceiling, especially the big ones with 8 antennas. I'm personally waiting for the Ubiquiti UniFi nanoHD to come out. Maybe in that marble skin. I...

killjoy2012

the highly recommended Toyotas and Hondas on this forum are all made domestically with a majority of parts also being made domestic. Fake news. Are you implying that Toyota and Honda are as American as GM, Ford, and Chrysler? What's your definition of "made" - simply where final assembly is done? G...

killjoy2012

Just curious, what are the drawbacks you see with Google WiFi other than the cost? I'd rather not have my router capable of collecting and uploading data on me thank you. Google Wifi, and most of the residential mesh products on the market, use "the cloud" for managing your wifi. Meaning, when you ...

killjoy2012

While the vehicle may be out of warranty, the replacement condenser purchased and installed at the dealer surely comes with some level of parts warranty. Go there and talk to the Service Mgr.

killjoy2012

Speed-wise, just about any new wifi router will provide what you need. Getting 2400 sq ft, 3 floor coverage including some outside is asking a LOT of a single wireless AP regardless of brand or price point. I'm guessing your existing router just doesn't provide the coverage you're looking for, as it...

killjoy2012

OP - We used Costco Travel for a one week Walt Disney World vacation last December. The package included hotel and tickets - no airfare. We stayed at the Swan, and their price for the package was cheaper than my MegaCorp Disney ticket discount + booking a lower tier Disney hotel individually. It wor...

killjoy2012

Cummins Onan is the Cadillac.
Kohler is the Chevy.
Generac is Hyundai.

I'd suggest the Kohler, it's worth the price differential over the Generac. And if you're going to spend the magnitude of $ for a whole house generator, get the automatic transfer switch. Please.

killjoy2012

I believe their point is that Volvo is no longer the niche Swedish luxury car player it used to be, and that most people still commonly associate with the name/brand. Just as the American offerings are no longer the ugly, unreliable products of the early '80s that many here somehow still seem to as...

killjoy2012

One tangential piece of information, Volvo Car Group is majority owned by the Chinese company Geely. I heard Toyota is Japanese owned. I believe their point is that Volvo is no longer the niche Swedish luxury car player it used to be, and that most people still commonly associate with the name/bran...

killjoy2012

"cheap flights" are usually found by those that have flexibility in their schedule and are willing to travel during off-peak times of the year. A 2 week lead time where you need to be at place X between dates A & B is not a recipe for finding cheap flights - esp over the July 4 holiday. You can stil...

killjoy2012

A Surface Pro would be a better laptop replacement than an iPad Pro. Also at a much steeper price. The iPad Pro 12.9 starts around $799 (retail) and goes over $1000. The Surface Pro (newest version) also starts at $799 but with double the iPad's storage. The key word there is "starts". A Surface Pr...

killjoy2012

For people who are not that tech savvy or wanting to spend time on implementation, a mesh wifi solution will likely yield best results. That said, some of the mesh systems are built on a cloud-provisioned model, so you'd need to decide if you're OK with that - or not. Ubiquity Amplifi and Netgear Or...

killjoy2012

A Surface Pro would be a better laptop replacement than an iPad Pro. Also at a much steeper price.

killjoy2012

If you can pull it off, I'd do it. Beware that even if you can work remote, Spain is +6 hours from EST, so I'd assume you'd need to be willing to work 2-11pm or something like that. South America would be easier from a time zone perspective. You also need to thoroughly check out the immigration rule...

killjoy2012

Call another HVAC pro that services your brand and see what they find. Odds are it's an air flow problem if it's freezing up. Are all of your air registers 100% open? Cold air returns not blocked by furniture? Have you hosed out the outside condenser to get rid of all of the gunk (spider webs, insec...

killjoy2012

What value do you place on the degree(s)? Because you don't need to go to school to learn any of the above. Not to be argumentative, but if I can put a Band-Aid on a cut, does that make me a doctor? Anyone can pickup a book, learn the basics of coding a particular language, and get some basic skill...

killjoy2012

I have a BS and MS in CS. A sibling has a BS in CS, then went to Med School, and is now a doctor. His path is extremely rare. What you propose is technically possible, but will be challenging, at come at a cost. First, I hope you are single, no kids, and no plans for either in the next 5+ years... a...

killjoy2012

We (Americans) are very fortunate that our native language also happens to be the default global common language. As others have said, any major city or tourist area in Western Europe will be easy from a language perspective. I love London, and the UK would be the easiest of them all, but I think yo...

killjoy2012

Sneakers are fine, but I'd personally avoid white ones. White Nike/Adidas/etc shoes scream - American. Darker the better. A better option would be casual leather shoes, Merrell's, etc. I think shorts would fine on hot days, culturally, but the Paris climate is more geared for jeans or pants. Might a...

killjoy2012

I've visited London and LHR many times. 6 hours is not enough time to visit Tower Bridge / ToL. It'd probably take you an hour to clear customs, get to the LHR train/tube station area, buy an Oyster, and find your way onto the Piccadilly. Then another 75-90 minutes by tube to Tower Bridge. Which wou...

killjoy2012

Great Pyramid of Giza, and the Giza plateau - Egypt.
The Petra - Jordan.
Great Wall of China

killjoy2012

However, I do have a concern that this could happen. I tried googling around for this but couldn't find anything specific to streaming tv services and net neutrality. Was wondering what the streamers here thought... will things go bad? I definitely don't want to go back to Cable TV or Satellite TV ...

killjoy2012

Thanks for your detail and insight. Only one of us has driven in the U.K.(not me) and I like your idea of starting in Inverness especially for the driving bit and working our way back. The four of us are meeting in a couple of weeks to discuss our travels. We are planning on being there the end of ...

killjoy2012

I've vacationed in Scotland 4-5x over the past 15 years, the last time being October 2017. Some of the previous posters have alluded to it, but IMHO, you really need to decide why you're going there - what do you want to see? Are you there for visiting castles? Scotch distillery tours/tastings? Golf...

killjoy2012

Odds are it's loose wire somewhere in the branch circuit. Since you said it's quick wired (wires pushed into the back vs. screwed), odds are even more so. If the basement isn't fully finished, you should be about to trace the Romex from the panel and see where it goes dead. If the basement is finish...

killjoy2012

There's actually another class action lawsuit in the works for price fixing among the few remaining suppliers. This occurred a few years back too. Most blame the mobile/cellphone market... plus several major DRAM manufacturers going under.

right now, 8GB is ~ $100, which is pretty crazy expensive.

killjoy2012

The thing with tech, is that the advice is all over the map. As someone with 20 years working in IT, non-tech company, all with Fortune 20 companies, focused in a hot subdomain, 2 CS degrees... I agree with your observations, but I think it all does kinda make sense. The variation comes with the di...

killjoy2012

Earl Lemongrab: You essentially have 3 approaches to accomplish connecting the cable modem on one side of the house to your office on the other side: wireless, a/k/a wifi powerline Ethernet cable Running an Ethernet cable is most reliable, fastest speed, and cheapest... but at the cost of being a PI...

killjoy2012

I thought career planning in IT after 40 was called "retirement planning"...? I think it depends on the company. If you're in SV at a tech company, yes, there's certainly age discrimination. If you're in your 40's and have kept up with the new tech/skills and are considered a thought leader, I thin...

killjoy2012

I think you really need to take a step back, ask yourself what/where you want to be in 2/5/10/20 years, and go from there. I know that sounds obvious, but very few people do this, and instead, stay "heads down" working and just assuming that their boss will notice their delivery, and that their care...

killjoy2012

Seems to be a huge demand for anything cyber security. I've worked in cyber for my 20 year career. It is a hot spot, for now. Not sure if it's good or bad, but most millenials graduating from college today have very little interest in the field - they all think they're going to develop the next hot...

killjoy2012

OP - You should figure out the 1-2 things that you're passionate about and then go from there. Blindly listing high paying jobs doesn't mean much unless you like that field, have the ability to obtain that degree/job at the status level associated with the money level, etc. Plus you have to do whate...

killjoy2012

Is 1.5ba really a deal breaker? I guess it depends on the community you live in. Where we are most homes are pre 1950 and the only homes with more than 1.5ba are ones that have had additions. Exactly. And the newer homes that are 2-5 bath are 2-7k sq foot homes, which the OP as a single person who ...

killjoy2012

Yes, pay cash, so long as you're not pulling money out of tax sheltered accounts to do so. People commenting that this is too much concentration are likely not factoring in your age IMO, and that many 30 year olds typically have negative net worth. I also wouldn't sweat the "only 1.5 bath" comments,...

killjoy2012

6 weeks would likely make London or Paris your best choices. Madrid, Rome, Berlin, and most of the other cities mentioned would be good for a few weeks, but 6 straight is pushing it, and London/Paris are about as well connected for public transport as you can get. Seville has wonderful old town... b...

killjoy2012

Comparing like for like is a good idea, but keep in mind there may be some intangibles when keeping your own car. E.g. You know oil change and other maintenance/repair history on your car, not so much when buying blindly used. It's also fairly common for lessees to be under their allocated lease mil...

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