Search found 84 matches

by BertB
Sat Feb 09, 2019 2:59 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Begin SS @ 70 for worker and non-working spouse?
Replies: 6
Views: 723

Begin SS @ 70 for worker and non-working spouse?

If I can afford to delay claiming Social Security benefits until age 70 (benefit=approx $3150/mo. @ age 70 versus $2300/mo. @ age 66+) and my (older) non-working spouse's benefits also would begin in my 70th year but would always be 1/2 of my age 66+ benefit, is waiting to claim benefits until my age 70 still the best option for us?
BertB
by BertB
Wed Mar 12, 2014 5:25 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Does This Person Need Umbrella Ins Coverage?
Replies: 64
Views: 7431

Does This Person Need Umbrella Ins Coverage?

Couple, age 60.
Single income..$85k/yr
Renters, no house, no children, no dogs.
$1M savings

Umbrella insurance to protect the $1M?
by BertB
Fri Apr 05, 2013 12:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [Movie Reviews: I need a replacement for Roger Ebert]
Replies: 16
Views: 3218

Re: Movie Reviews: Who will replace Roger Ebert?

I will miss Roger Ebert's spirited reviews.

Besides the above mentioned Rotten Tomatoes, I use the Critic Reviews list on Metacritic.

example:
http://www.metacritic.com/movie/a-royal ... ic-reviews
by BertB
Fri Jan 18, 2013 10:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Shrinking Snickers bars
Replies: 50
Views: 5765

Re: Shrinking Snickers bars

Some time ago Haagen-Dazs ice cream cut the size of their pints by 2 oz. In response, my local stores' prices have gone up.

I bought a Hershey's Milk Chocolate With Almonds bar last week. It had 3 almond pieces in it...that's less than 2 almonds. The bar should be called Hershey's With An Almond.
by BertB
Wed Jan 16, 2013 11:22 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Medical Alert Button/Service Recommendation?
Replies: 0
Views: 223

Medical Alert Button/Service Recommendation?

My recently single MIL wants a medical alert button/service.

Can anyone recommend one or direct me to an unbiased review source?


Thanks,
BertB
by BertB
Mon Jan 07, 2013 1:10 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Deleted
Replies: 95
Views: 10921

Re: At what age did your health start to limit your hobbies?

Aside from a few minor joint injuries, I did not feel the weight of increasing age until my mid to late 50's. Hand arthritis hit me about then and I had to limit snow shoveling and small hand tool use. I re-learned how to use my hands over the next few years to remain pain free, aided by OTC meds.

Knee arthritis started at age 60. I was a light jogger (20 minutes/day) before that. Now I do non weight bearing exercise instead. I'm probably headed for swimming as a primary exercise.

I quit enthusiastic hobby-level drinking and drugging when I was in my late 30's before it outgrew me.

What I miss most is off-trail hiking and pain-free mornings.
by BertB
Fri Jan 04, 2013 10:07 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best Movies of 2012
Replies: 58
Views: 6981

Re: Best Movies of 2012

I enjoyed many of the films mentioned above.

Also, for quirky documentary fans,

The Queen of Versailles
The 2008 financial crisis interrupts a wealthy couple’s plan to build the largest private home in America.
by BertB
Wed Jan 02, 2013 4:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Home Safe vs Safety Deposit Box
Replies: 84
Views: 28230

Re: Home Safe vs Safety Deposit Box

Last year the bank where I have a safety deposit box was flooded in a 100 year storm. Afterward, the bank was closed for about a week. The folks with safety deposit boxes located on the bottom few rows (luckily, I have a highly positioned box) probably had damage to the contents of their boxes. As an extra precaution, I had enclosed all my box contents in plastic bags, although I never imagined a flood would be a possibility. My box was high and dry.

I keep auto pink slips, passports, rarely used checkbooks and extra credit cards in the box.

...just food for thought...
by BertB
Mon Dec 03, 2012 9:44 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Dan Wiener's Vanguard Newsletter
Replies: 56
Views: 28359

Re: Dan Wiener's Vanguard Newsletter

Back when I was in my 20's I worked with a guy named Dan. To my knowledge, he never posed for a cheesy publicity photo backed by a conspicuous American flag like Dan Wiener did, but my friend was a really, really nice guy. I'll never forget him.
by BertB
Tue Nov 27, 2012 5:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1561280

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

I have been reading Jonathan Franzen's non-fiction works: The Discomfort Zone (memoir), How To Be Alone (essays) and Farther Away (essays). People might know Franzen from his novels, The Corrections and Freedom. His non-fiction is often sharp social criticism and dry humor. I like this guy's writing.
by BertB
Mon Sep 24, 2012 2:26 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Average Age of Bogleheads Posters
Replies: 94
Views: 15267

Re: Average Age of Boggleheads Posters

Being 63 at the present time, I guess the average of all my ages would be 32.
by BertB
Thu Sep 13, 2012 7:01 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Most underrated band of all time [that you listen to]?
Replies: 342
Views: 26314

Re: Most underrated band of all time [that you listen to]?

a few folks come to mind....Tom Waits is the cake and all the rest are crumbs. I can hardly bear to listen to him but he is one of the best I have ever heard. The Steely Dan-sters, Fagen and Becker, because they continue to put out great produce, even in their later years (no frozen Rolling Stones here). John Serrie's planetarium music, giving New Age Music a good name. Guitarist Tommy Emmanuel's anything and everything, another guy who continues to practice and improve through the decades.
by BertB
Tue Sep 11, 2012 5:56 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V
Replies: 3372
Views: 1561280

Re: What Book Are You Currently Reading? Part V

Well darn! Two books in a row that I did not like. #1 A Natural Woman: A Memoir by Carole King . I have enjoyed many of the current wave of memoirs by rock era and Hollywood celebs etc. (even liked Rob Lowe's memoir although I don't care for his movie work) but I found myself at an increasing distance from King as my reading of her book progressed. Jeeze, I love her music, though. #2 Rez Life: An Indian's Journey Through Reservation Life by David Treuer. The book did not warm me toward the Indian's current expression in the U.S. I live in Minnesota where Treuer's tribe and band have their rezzes. Again, a sense of more distance at book's end than I had hoped for. I now begin Joan Didion's Blue Nights , the follow-up to her Year of Magical T...
by BertB
Fri Sep 07, 2012 2:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Redirect Virus -
Replies: 16
Views: 2447

Re: Redirect Virus -

Redirect sources may vary. My Google redirect problem persisted until I discovered hijacked DNS server settings in my router. I had to reset my router to factory settings. GeekSquad techs had set up my router unsecured. Big mistake.

similar problem discussed:
http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/ ... ge__st__15
by BertB
Wed Jun 06, 2012 12:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New Modem Purchase: DOCSIS 2.0 or 3.0?
Replies: 4
Views: 728

New Modem Purchase: DOCSIS 2.0 or 3.0?

My Motorola Surfboard Modem 1.0 seems to limit my Charter internet download speed to about 10 MB. 15+ MB is available in my area of town.

A Charter Communications technician recommended I get a newer modem to access the greater speed, but I see both DOCSIS 2.0 and 3.0 modems available.

Should I go with the 2.0 (cheaper) modem, or the 3.0 ? Will the 2.0 soon become obsolete?
by BertB
Sat Mar 24, 2012 2:26 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Will Bogleheads buy a Megamillions ticket this week?
Replies: 112
Views: 10448

Re: Will Bogleheads buy a Megamillions ticket this week?

Friday I bot a MegaMillions ticket and a Diet Pepsi and, oh yeah, $53 worth of gasoline. You don't want to waste all your dough on food and housing expenses.
by BertB
Sat Mar 17, 2012 3:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anti Virus Software
Replies: 55
Views: 5943

Re: Anti Virus Software

I run two Windows 7 laptops, one with Avast and one with Avira...both free versions. I was an AVG free user for years, until one of their updates seemed to slow my computers.

I make periodic sweeps with CCleaner and Malwarebytes.
by BertB
Mon Jan 02, 2012 2:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Are you left or right handed?
Replies: 33
Views: 2632

Re: Are you left or right handed?

I am of the left handed persuasion.

By the way, many Asian food dishes are especially tasty when eaten with the left hand.
by BertB
Fri Dec 30, 2011 5:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Was 2011 a lost year?
Replies: 24
Views: 3273

Re: Was 2011 a lost year?

The Population Reference Bureau says world population increased by almost 93 million in 2011.
A Bloomberg news story says global equity markets lost $6.3 trillion in value in 2011.

Me? I had my toughest year ever, nothing to do with numbers, perhaps just developing valuable scar tissue to be appreciated at a later date.

Here's hoping we all rock in 2012!
by BertB
Tue Dec 27, 2011 11:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Amazon Prime for Bogleheads?
Replies: 36
Views: 4663

Re: Amazon Prime for Bogleheads?

I recently tried a free month trial of Amazon Prime, mainly for the opportunity to compare Amazon streaming video service versus my previous Netflix subscription, which suffered from unfixable buffering. Amazon streaming videos never buffered during the entire month trial. However, Amazon free video selection is much smaller than Netflix.

The month of Amazon free shipping did not change my online buying habits. I'm not a heavy online buyer and I seem to be able to bundle online purchases to take advantage of free shipping offers without Amazon Prime.
by BertB
Sat Dec 24, 2011 5:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Self moving with U-haul
Replies: 33
Views: 4034

Re: Self moving with U-haul

something I forgot to include in my earlier post:

Be prepared to reserve your rental truck mucho early if you plan to move at month's end or if your move might coincide with the end of a local college semester.
by BertB
Sat Dec 24, 2011 9:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Self moving with U-haul
Replies: 33
Views: 4034

Re: Self moving with U-haul

I have moved myself and others using UHaul trucks. My trips were all local, rather than long range. I did the renting and driving. A hired crew did the lifting.

I always drove with a passenger co-pilot. This was a great aide for my big rig inexperience.

I found that my auto insurance policy had vehicle upper weight restrictions that exempted, for me, all but the smallest of UHaul rentals. That meant I had to buy the UHaul insurance coverage, unlike when I drive rental cars. Pricey stuff, that UHaul insurance!
by BertB
Thu Dec 22, 2011 3:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading? Part IV. (07/04/2010)
Replies: 1507
Views: 401919

Re: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading? Part IV. (07/04/201

I enjoyed Jon Roberts' modern gangster memoir "American Desperado: My Life from Mafia Soldier to Cocaine Cowboy to Secret Government Asset, a stream of incredible stories made readable by Generation Kill's Evan Wright....and coming eventually to a theater near you. Roberts claims to have rubbed shoulders with many famous folk including Ed Sullivan, Jimi Hendrix, Manny Noriega, Pablo Escobar and Richards Pryor and Dreyfuss.

Okay, enough of drug crime for a while. Now I am reading Kevin Mitnick's Ghost In The Wires: My Adventures As The World's Most Wanted Hacker.
by BertB
Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:14 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Auto Insurance Claim Question
Replies: 9
Views: 1156

Re: Auto Insurance Claim Question

The medical expenses were paid for by our auto insurance (no-fault state) and have been about $4000 over 6 month of physical therapy and chiropractic care.
by BertB
Fri Dec 16, 2011 12:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Auto Insurance Claim Question
Replies: 9
Views: 1156

Auto Insurance Claim Question

My wife was in a minor auto collision (the other driver was at fault) and has had medical bills paid for by our insurance company. That medical care is almost complete.

The at-fault driver's insurance company sent my wife a $250 check (for her inconvenience) plus a release form. My wife did not cash the check or sign the release. Now, that check has expired. The at-fault driver's insurance company has called twice, leaving phone messages.

Should anything be done about the insurance company's offer or expired check?

Thanks, BertB
by BertB
Thu Dec 15, 2011 6:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you exchange gifts with your wife?
Replies: 41
Views: 4843

Re: Do you exchange gifts with your wife?

My wife and I don't always exchange holiday gifts. Sometimes, at any time of the year, one or another of us will buy a gift for the other....but nothing according to the "Hallmark Holiday Calendar of Compulsion." Sorry if this flies in the face of the prevailing "let's-consume-ourselves-into-a-stupor-cuz-its-good-for-the-economy" mindset.
by BertB
Sun Nov 27, 2011 4:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading? Part IV. (07/04/2010)
Replies: 1507
Views: 401919

Re: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading? Part IV. (07/04/201

I have discontinued reading The Lizard King: The True Crimes and Confessions of the World's Greatest Reptile Smugglers by Bryan Christy. I loved the title, and had hoped the book would be as interesting a look into the herp underground as Susan Orlean's The Orchid Thief was to botanicals. Alas, no luck. Books need not only great titles but also great writing.

I await my local library's copy of Jon Robert's American Desperado: My Life From Mafia Soldier to Cocaine Cowboy to Secret Government Asset.

Sometimes the Wild Wild West ain't half as wild as South Florida.
by BertB
Wed Nov 23, 2011 10:36 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you miss the 90's
Replies: 49
Views: 4197

Re: Do you miss the 90's

stlutz, thanks for posting the 90's video. LMAO!

The video gets its point across with style, humor and non-confrontation....qualities much needed in the 2010's.
by BertB
Thu Nov 10, 2011 3:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Beatles or Rolling Stones
Replies: 70
Views: 5865

Re: Beatles or Rolling Stones

The good boys or the bad boys? Tough choice. I guess I'll go with the Beatles, at least until the sun goes down.

I, too, am pretty tired of Beatles and Stones music. The Stones have been a parody of their younger selves for years. McCartney has had some moments.

I am interested in how these old rockers are navigating their senior years. Maybe I'm looking for some pointers that I can use. Some mornings I feel like I've been living on the road for decades.
by BertB
Fri Oct 21, 2011 10:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Streaming/Buffering
Replies: 1
Views: 412

Streaming/Buffering

My Netflix streaming experience is often plagued by so many buffering interruptions that I am considering a switch to Amazon.

Will I experience any relief by changing to Amazon?

(partial history: tried all Netflix's repair fixes, hardwired, wi-fied, upgraded firmware in router and DVD player, donated hours of time to Customer Service at Netflix, ISP, Linksys and Sony, researched, cursed, fumed, etc)
by BertB
Mon Sep 26, 2011 9:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Deleted
Replies: 26
Views: 3801

Maybe once a week I'll get a $6 whatever-is-on-sale Australian
"critter wine" to share with DW. I like the lighter reds. Last week it was Yellowtail Pinot Noir/Shiraz. I like Little Penguin light reds, too.

A 750ml bottle lasts us 2 nights. Are we cheap dates, or what?

Ha!
by BertB
Thu Sep 22, 2011 6:38 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite song line?
Replies: 153
Views: 15591

2 memorable song lines:

"In the desert you can't remember your name, cos there ain't no one for to give you no pain" (from Horse With No Name by America)

and

"If dogs run free, what must be Must be, and that is all." (from If Dogs Run Free by Bob Dylan)


What the heck are these songwriters talking about? Sometimes song lyrics seem like a mixture of Zen Koan and Myron Cohen.
by BertB
Wed Sep 21, 2011 12:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Need freeware to make tracks in long mp3 file
Replies: 7
Views: 1412

Need freeware to make tracks in long mp3 file

I have >50 minute mp3 files (lectures) that I would like to divide into tracks for easy segment access. Also I would like to be able to cut a long lecture mp3 (>80 minutes) onto 2 CDs.

Can anyone recommend a simple, freeware solution?

Thanks, BertB
by BertB
Wed Aug 17, 2011 12:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bogleheads Personality Type
Replies: 176
Views: 55707

Amazing to see so many INTJ's....


BertB INTJ, based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator questionnaire.

also Enneagram type 5 (with a 4 wing).
by BertB
Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:49 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading? Part IV. (07/04/2010)
Replies: 1507
Views: 401919

Through The Dark Wood: Finding Meaning In The Second Half Of Life by James Hollis.

A Cd-only book by Jungian analyst James Hollis. His private-practice clients are mostly in their 50's and 60's. The subject matter is not standard self-help fare, instead, the book is a treatment of issues and questions for those past the age of child raising and career chasing.

5 stars, 2 thumbs up etc....finally, someone is talking directly to me!
by BertB
Tue Aug 16, 2011 7:12 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Best site for finding cheap hotel rooms?
Replies: 46
Views: 9460

Dunno what the situation is now, but I stopped using Priceline a while ago because they could not guarantee me a smoke-free reservation.
by BertB
Sun Aug 14, 2011 3:22 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Comfortable Vehicle Front Seats
Replies: 105
Views: 24485

My folks left me 2 big gas-guzzling tanks when they died. A Taurus and a Sable. Pretty exciting cars, huh? I'm more of a Toyota/Nissan type buyer, but the super-comfy seats in my parent's old party barges gradually got me hooked on comfort. FYI, I am a 150 pounder, not a wide body. I rented an Altima and a Sonata for about a week each. Wifey likes the Sonata, but the passenger seat was not too good for me. The Altima was okay, but the over-shoulder rear visibility factor left me wanting. I'll be renting a Camry soon. I know the Camry is not a very exciting option, but I'm giving extra points for comfort. We'll see. It takes me a while to get the feel of the front seats. Hours, or days. (I wish I could rent some new beds for a week, cuz I do...
by BertB
Mon Aug 01, 2011 11:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite kitchen equipment?
Replies: 49
Views: 6667

I use a George Foreman grill about 3 times a week, mostly to cook strips of boneless, skinless chicken breasts.
by BertB
Wed Jul 27, 2011 3:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Have you been present at the moment of someone's death?
Replies: 42
Views: 5939

Have you been present at the moment of someone's death?

Q. Have you been present at the moment of someone's death?


I was surprised by some of the replies to the "Do You Fear Death?" thread, and was reminded of surgeon Sherwin Nuland's mid-90's book:

How We Die, Reflections on Life’s Final Chapter

a quote from one reviewer:

"There are several themes that permeate Nuland's books. One theme is that death, like birth, is a messy process.Though we may wish for the noble death, more likely we will die slowly from a lack of oxygen in the brain. This, in turn, will result from a failing heart, lungs, or blood vessels. Death does not come easy, and although the final moment is sometimes serene and tranquil, months or weeks of painful physical degeneration often precedes it."
by BertB
Wed Jul 27, 2011 2:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you fear death?
Replies: 89
Views: 8939

Do I fear death?

Yes


I am doing my best to enjoy today.
by BertB
Wed Jul 06, 2011 5:02 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to make a cup of tea
Replies: 38
Views: 4081

Somehow, I continue to live well and enjoy my grossly improper tea habits.
:lol:

Sarah Rose's recent book For All The Tea In China: How England Stole The World's Favorite Drink and Changed History tells an entertaining tale of tea's journey around the world.
by BertB
Wed Jul 06, 2011 4:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to make a cup of tea
Replies: 38
Views: 4081

I use a simple tea strainer for my morning tea, usually Breakfast Assam tea (from Tea Source) with milk. Four minutes in hot water, then dump the little round balls down the garbage disposal.

http://www.chicagoteagarden.com/buy/tea ... a-strainer

http://www.productwiki.com/upload/image ... ck_tea.jpg

I was a Lipton tea drinker for many years, much to the disapproval of my Brit friends. The sight of me with my Lipton would make them gag.

The smell of coffee, brewed or ground, is still pleasurable to me, although I have not ingested any for decades. Same thing with cooked bacon.
by BertB
Fri Jun 24, 2011 6:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite guitarist...
Replies: 207
Views: 29610

Of the three players in the poll, I voted for Clapton. His influence is easily the most widely influential. I saw Hendrix at his height, and he was a charismatic and fluid player, a stylist of huge impact. I know less of SRV.

I would like to cite Jeff Beck (of the old guard of guitar greats) and Adrian Legg as players I continue to be impressed with.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VC02wGj5 ... re=related

(Video of Jeff Beck with Tal Wilkenfeld in '07. The old guy is great. The kid is outstanding. Live music is in good hands.)
by BertB
Sun May 22, 2011 6:55 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Burial,Entombment, Cremation?
Replies: 68
Views: 7753

Cremation.

Inexpensive urns can be bought thru Costco.

You can verbally dry-run the details of cremation (facility, transport etc.) with your spouse.

If, after your death, folks want to do other things with your remains, ceremonies, memorials, who knows what,....at least you have provided an inexpensive framework for use in what is often a very confusing time for the living.

BTW, you can save or spend thousands very quickly in dealing with a death.
by BertB
Fri May 20, 2011 4:09 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What do you eat for breakfast?
Replies: 116
Views: 14627

a bowl bran flakes and Cheerios (soluble/insoluble fiber) with raisins and skim milk, plus a small pile of almonds and walnuts.

The cereal without the nuts doesn't last me until lunch.

Heavily sugared cereals cause me to have an energetic crash about an hour after eating. Same thing with maple syrup on pancakes....snooze food.
by BertB
Sat May 07, 2011 5:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Book Are YOU Currently Reading? Part IV. (07/04/2010)
Replies: 1507
Views: 401919

I just finished listening to the audiobook of Rolling Stone Keith Richards autobiography, Life. The narrators, Joe Hurley, Johnny Depp and Keith himself, did an excellent job through the 19 CDs. Richards, luv him or hate him, is a fascinating guy.

Anyone familiar with Life might enjoy Slate's fictional Mick Jagger response to Keith's often unflattering words.

http://www.slate.com/id/2273611/
by BertB
Sat May 07, 2011 4:37 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you change the engine oil yourself?
Replies: 78
Views: 10125

I don't do any of my own auto maintenance/repair work. Well, maybe a little tweak here and there, but no more knuckle busting for me. (I have a distant memory of lying on my back under an old Ford van and changing the clutch plate by unbolting the transmission and lowering/raising the tranny on and with my chest....a bruising experience!) Luckily, I have a couple of mechanics I trust. Their shop has been operating for 25+ years and I have getting my 2 autos maintained there for 8 years. My previous pattern with repair shops was that I liked them at first, but lost confidence in them over time. Due to increasing age and affluence, I have progressively given up: fixing autos, moving my residence with UHaul trucks, mowing the lawn, plowing the...
by BertB
Sat May 07, 2011 9:13 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite Board Game?
Replies: 66
Views: 8714

I had a heavy board game habit in my youth. The only game I continue to own is Scrabble, plus a disposable jigsaw puzzle or two.

And while I appreciate the after effects of non-jumpy, sustained effort associated with the above games, I probably would benefit from a more frenetic activity, possibly combining Scrabble/jigsaw puzzles with nudity/alcohol.
by BertB
Fri May 06, 2011 10:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Where do you get your news, and how old are you?
Replies: 66
Views: 6488

I'm in my early 60's.

I get my daily news from websites...Bloomberg, CNN, GoogleNews, BBC, my local newspaper's website etc.


No TV/radio news or daily newspapers. I have a Sunday newspaper delivered to my house for the weekly store advertisements.


edit: I would like to add that some news sources, outside of my WASPY comfort zone, often provide me viewpoints useful for thought. A recent example of this is the fascinating coverage of bin Laden's death by the Al Jazeera website.
by BertB
Thu May 05, 2011 6:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Anyone Have Experience Buying Used Car Thru Avis Direct?
Replies: 8
Views: 5774

Anyone Have Experience Buying Used Car Thru Avis Direct?

I am interested in buying a 1-3 year old used car.

I live in a small city, 3 hours drive/remote from a major city. I have limited options for non-private party used auto purchases, aside from the local, often overpriced, new car dealers.

I do have access to an Avis Direct in town.

I would be interested in positive/negative feedback on this option.


Thanks,
BertB