Tip re EDC Tech and Consumer Tips

It has been reported by a loyal reader that the daily email of new posts on this blog often omit or otherwise do not properly display photos, especially in Gmail. We have no control over that and there is nothing we can do about it. At the same time, we have had no reports of this problem when one clicks on the email link and looks at the post on the website. So, if the email contains a post that you find of interest, to be sure you see the whole thing, best to click on the email link and look at the post on the website. 

Link to EDC Tech and Consumer Tips Website

Ozark (Season 2 on Netflix)

The one certainty about Season 2 of Ozark is that reasonable viewers can reasonably differ as to the entertainment value of Ozark. There is no question that Season 2 is darker than Season 1 and gets increasingly darker as the episodes progress. There also is no question that Laura Linney and Julia Garner are riveting to watch. Jason Bateman is not bad, but he's not riveting. Where viewers differ is on whether or not there is an overarching compelling theme (which the great series such as The Wire, Breaking Bad, and The Sopranos indisputably had) and whether the mini-stories within each episode are of any paramount interest (again, which the great series indisputably had). Perhaps the biggest problem is that the lesser characters are forgettable or at best unremarkable, leaving many viewers not caring about them or about what happens to them. Given all this, it is not surprising that some viewers just give up half-way through the season, and will check out Rake on Netflix (who doesn't love Richard Roxburgh?) and then The Romanoffs on Amazon Prime (who doesn't love John Slattery?).

IMDb Link to Ozark Season 2

Stopping Robo Calls

Nomorobo, is a free service for landlines and $1.99/month for smartphones, will stop almost all robocalls you're getting. It does so based on its ever increasing data-base of known robocall numbers and simultaneous ring technology (see more below). It's easy to set up and there's nothing to do after setting it up. While the landline side says for VoIP landlines, in actuality, it will also do many regular landlines, like a Cox Residential Line (as you can see on the website Cox Voice is enrolled in the Nomorobo system).



Here is the link to the Nomorobo website which explains all and which is where one signs up: Link to Nomorobo Website

Here are digital landline companies enrolled in the Nomorobo system:

How Nomorobo works on landlines: Nomorobo for landlines uses a feature known as "Simultaneous Ring." When simultaneous ring is enabled, your phone will ring on more than one number at the same time. The first device to pick it up gets the call and the other phones stop ringing. So, when the Nomorobo number is enabled as a simultaneous ring number it is the first number to screen the call. If it’s a legitimate call, the call goes through to your number. If the call is an illegal robocaller, Nomorobo intercepts the call and hangs up for you. Your phone will ring once letting you know that the robocall has been answered and stopped. After you've enabled and verified Nomorobo on your phone, just use your phone like normal! The only thing that you should do is to wait for the second ring to answer the phone (Nomorobo needs the first ring to detect robocallers). If you only hear one ring and then it stops, you know a robocaller was just blocked. If the phone continues ringing, you should answer it.

How Nomorobo works on Android and iPhone: The apps have a blacklist of known robocall numbers and can let you know when a call is likely spam, or just send a suspicious call to voicemail.
While the company keeps a blacklist of hundreds of thousands of such numbers, sent in by subscribers or caught on “honeypot” phones, it updates about 30,000 of the latest spam callers to its phone apps every night and hourly adds fresh numbers, so the apps can identify and can stop robocalls. The entire blacklist takes up roughly 100K (of memory), while a photo that you take is 100 times bigger than that. Even the app is only about 10 MB.

Southwest Airlines (Cancellation and Travel Funds)

If you cancel a Southwest Airlines (SWA) Wanna Get Away flight reservation that was booked in dollars, you will not get a refund to your credit card--rather, you will get a credit in your SWA account for use for future travel within a year. Be advised, however, that this credit will NOT automatically apply when you book your next trip. Instead, you have to look carefully on the Payment page to find the option to use Travel Funds. However, you do have 24 hours from the moment you make any reservation to cancel and get a refund to your credit card. So, if you had Travel Funds and thought they'd apply automatically, but then learn they didn't after you made your reservation, as long as you cancel within 24 hours of making that second reservation, you'll get a refund to your credit card, and then you can re-make the second reservation this time taking care to click through on the Travel Funds option. Here is what the Payment page looks like (the bluriness is the fault of The Google Image page), where you can see the Travel Funds option:

Uber Eats

As you likely know, new food delivery services are sprouting up. As one loyal reader commented very astutely, this service must be striking terror in the heart of pizza places that used to have in effect a monopoly on food delivery. Grub Hub advertises the most but the restaurants they deliver from are pretty plebeian. Uber Eats has a much better selection of restaurants. But, as another loyal reader has told us, don't get upsedt if the Uber driver, instead of delivering the food to you, heads off and takes the food with him or her. You can even track it. Still, Uber Eats is a good option when it works, especially if your close-by Chinese restaurant has gone out of business and you want Chinese food on Sunday night--like who doesn't? In all events, you might check in the first instance with the restaurant itself to see if it delivers. Bon appetit!

Link to Uber Eats

Fry's: Lo Bueno, Lo Malo, y Lo Feo (Spanish) or Il Buono, Il Brutto, Il Cattivo (Italian)

The mid-to-late 1960s was the heydey of what was known as the "spaghetti westerns," perhaps the best of which was The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, starring Clint Eastwood. While that title has nothing to do with Fry's as such, it fits our secret shopper's experience there today:

The Good, Lo Bueno, Il Buono: After hounding them for months, the Fry's at 20th Street in Phoenix now has a self-serve fresh chicken wings bar. With that addition, Safeway no longer has any feature that Fry's does not have.

The Bad, Lo Malo, Il Bruto: While doing self-checkout today, our secret shopper (who has a Fry’s Shopper Card No.) got a notice saying to check the receipt for an important notice. On the receipt was a Recall Notice for 4 products. After dealing with two customer service reps who could not explain what triggered the recall notice, the store manager assured him it was nothing bought today, but rather, was something bought in the past. Given that it was the Shopper Card No. that triggered the notice, it is clear that Kroger (Fry’s) has an inadequate system for notifying customers about recalls involving past purchases. Kroger’s computer system knew (or should have known) immediately upon issuing the recall notice every Shopper Card No. that was affected, and sent email notices accordingly. Guessing that Kroger’s legal department is unaware of the Kroger’s shortcomings in this regard, or it would have ordered appropriate changes and not leave Kroger exposed to liability for not taking reasonable and appropriate steps in notifying customers about recalls when it would be so easy to do so, an email has been sent to Kroger’s about the problem, along with a follow up email with additional suggestions. It is hoped that Kroger understands our taking the time and making the effort to bring this to Kroger’s attention was an effort to be helpful. We have been assured our feedback has been forwarded to the appropriate department and will be considered seriously. 

The Ugly, Lo Feo, Il Cattivo: The looks on the faces of and the snorts and other guttural noises from the people behind our secret shopper in the customer service line. 

IMDb Link to The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly (Oxford comma added)

Just Say No

It started with Jewish leaders in Pittsburgh writing to Trump saying that he was not welcome in Pittsburgh until he renounces white nationalism. Thousands now have joined with them. Maybe all it would take to have a meaningful first step to Make America America Again is for town after town and city after city to just say no to Trump until he renounces white nationalism. If ever we needed a "just say no" movement, the time is now. In the meantime, for anyone who wants to know what Squirrel Hill means to someone brought up Jewish, or perhaps more importantly for anyone who is  and is seen to be Jewish whether or not he or she has a religious cell in their body, the following two pieces (one from Bari Weiss of the New York Times, who grew up in Squirrel Hill, and one from Sam Stein of the Daily Beast, whose story starts when he visited the camps and could not cry) are absolute must reads:

Link to Bari Weiss Piece

Link to Sam Stein Piece

El Chorro (Phoenix)

If you haven't been to El Chorro in a while, or if your last experience there was not to your satisfaction, give it a try. It's been spiffed up from the parking lot to the patio, and provides very pleasant outdoor seating on a clement day (with big umbrellas (be sure to ask for an umbrella when making a reservation--each of which has a heater for chillier times). It scores high marks on the two most important features for a restaurant: Parking (free and close by (there's also valet parking but it cost $6 and seems pointless)) and noise level (no problem hearing everything said at the table). For those who care about food, service, and prices, the Sunday brunch at least four of the Sunday brunch selections are very tasty, the french fries are delicious (they are not listed as a side dish but come with sandwiches), the service is excellent, and the prices are quite reasonable. If you ask for an 11 am reservation and told there are none, take an 11:15 am reservation, and be prepared to scratch your head upon arriving when you see plenty of empty tables. The signature El Chorro sticky buns (which come bundled with any entree order) are not as soft as they should be or used to be, but that's good, because you then can more easily avoid eating them. One word of caution: Lincoln Drive is photo-radar-monitored to catch drivers going over 40 mph--and we actually wish more streets were so monitored, especially the freeways.

Link to Sunday Brunch Menu

Link to El Chorro Website

A Boutique Beach Get Away for Good Prices

Looking for a beach resort, one place you might not have heard of might just be the spot. With prices under $300 per night, Acantilados at La Libertad in El Salvador, featured in the Wall Street Journal (Oct. 27), looks to be simply wonderful. We haven't seen it yet, but if its location hasn't been spoiled since 1968-70, when we frequented that beach 2+ times per month, you could be in for a real treat (e.g., beers brought to you on the beach for 2 colones; lobster for 5 colones at an over-water gazebo).  

Link to Acantilados

Gmail Spam Settings

A lot of people are talking about Gmail's seemingly increased filtering as spam emails that heretofore were not filtered as spam and were not spam. Two points: (i) Increased attention should be paid to see what's in your spam folder to be sure you see emails that have been incorrectly filtered; and (ii) when there are such emails, create a filter that future emails from that source not be filtered as spam. Also, the below link gives further detail on setting spam filtering levels in Gmail.

Link to Overview of Gmail Spam Filter Settings

WizMouse

Wizmouse is a free utility that lets you scroll in any window by putting the mouse pointer over any open application instead of having to click to change the focus to a different window. No more clicking on a window before being able to scroll inside the window with the mouse wheel, saving you extra clicks and time.

Wizmouse is a small Windows program that makes your mouse wheel work on the window that's under the mouse pointer instead of the current active window. It might seem that having to click on a window to scroll in it isn't a big issue, but if you do much copying and pasting from program to program, have more than one window open and need to read or work in another, or use multiple monitors this little gem saves time and clicks. If you use it for a while you'll wonder what you ever did without it and why it isn't a native Windows function.

Wizmouse has a basic interface so it's easy to use and options are easy to configure. You can choose to enable or disable it, have it start with Windows, enable it for applications without mouse wheel support, and choose how many lines the mouse will scroll. Wizmouse is a little different from similar apps in that it can optionally enable the mouse wheel in applications that don't support it.

Wizmouse is a free utility that runs on 32 and 64 bit versions of Windows 2000, XP, Vista and Windows 7/8/10. It's a small download (551 KB).

 

Download Link to WizMouse

Programming a Car Fob Key to Open All Doors

By default, pressing a car fob key will open only the driver's door. But, for at least some cars, including the Prius and likely all Toyotas, you can program your car fob key to open both the driver's door and the passenger door or even all four doors. You can find how to do so in your owner's manual or The Google will tell you (just search for "re-program make/model car fob key" (without the quotes)).

Selling Cars by "Trim" Rather Than by "Options"

For the most part, or at least until the last couple of years, the good old days were not as good as today. In the main, with the amazing technological advances, much of what we can do today we can do faster, easier, and more conveniently. The exception that proves that rule is getting the car with the options you want.

In the good old days, you go into the dealership, start with the base model of car you wanted, and then specified the options you wanted, e.g., radio, A/C, moon-roof, automatic transmission, etc. No longer. Indeed, it is often difficult to find the word "options" in car offerings. Instead, after specifying the make and model, you generally will have three "trim" levels to choose from. Each one comes with its own cluster or bundle of what used to be called "options" (and such options that might be available are buried within that cluster/bundle. As a result, if you want leather seats for example, you only choice might be the most expensive trim level, and you'll have to take (and pay for) a navigation system. If you want a Prius with 3-door smart key entry, you have to go with at least the Prius 3. Most car manufacturer and car specialty websites (and some dealership websites) will let you see a 3-column comparison of what is included in each trim level for every particular make/model of car. While all the information is there, there are fifty or more rows of what is included for each trim. 

On occasion, there will be feature that can be added to any trim level. For example, you can get a Tesla S with or without the self-driving feature. As it turns out, the self-driving feature can be activated or de-activated on any Tesla S. Activation cost just $8,000, it adds only about 15% to the price of the Tesla S. 

In fine, buying a car is a headache. Another good reason to stick with one's 10-year-old car.

Hotel Points Program Warning

If you belong to a hotel's points program, such as Hilton Honors, you will get points IF and ONLY IF you book your hotel reservation directly through the hotel's website. You will not get points if you book through a third-party, such as Hotels.com, Booking.com, or Expedia. Here's the sneaky thing: If you book the hotel reservation say through the Southwest Airlines website, even though you are never told (or, if you are, it's in very small print), that reservation will be made through some third-party, such as Booking.com, and you will not get points. When you call Hilton Honors customer support to find out about why no points given for a past stay, do not get huffy when you insist you did not use a third-party to book the reservation, because you just might have done so without knowing it.

Time for a Trumpian Intervention

As our loyal readers know, we don't do politics here. But we are concerned with health issues in general, and the problem of addiction in particular. In that spirit, a letter which the Failing NYT has refused to print as come to our attention, and we thought to share it. Here is the text: "The only way a drug addict can become a functional, functioning, and productive person is to go through withdrawal. President Trump’s addiction is media coverage. Take it away, and he surely will go into withdrawal, which might be the only hope for this country. It is time for the media, especially television but also the press, to preserve its first amendment freedom by exercising its duty to speak truth to power: An intervention by way of a refusal to continue giving Trump the 24x7 attention he craves increasingly and is increasingly afforded. The media’s purported “fact checking” means nothing to and has no effect on Trump the addict or his enablers. While the media’s refusing to cover Trump might be the best chance to free him from his addiction, there is little chance that will happen because, despite its gasps of horror over Trump’s increasingly frequent outrages, the media knows Trump is lining their pockets as well, and Trump knows it too." With that said, thank goodness there is the World Series, Netflix, and Amazon Prime to watch in lieu of any news channel.

Hybrid Battery Replacement

New hybrids typically come with a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty on the hybrid battery. But say you are beyond the battery period, but have under 50,000 miles on your hybrid. You are warned that hybrid batteries are known to fail so you start thinking about a new car. Buying a new hybrid, with anything on it, would cost something North of 30 thousand smackeroos (and close to $40K to match the trim level of your current car). Used hybrids are not that plentiful and low mileage ones do not seem worth it when subjected to the rigorous kind of price-performance analysis our Car Assessment Review (CAR) covers. As it turns out, the cost of replacing a dead hybrid with a brand new one from the dealership even for a larger car such as a Camry will be $4,400 (including tax) and for a Prius close to half that, together with a 3-year warranty. There are also online third-party replacement places which would get a price discount of 10%-20% and which also provide a 3-year warranty. So, if your current car is otherwise in good shape and you like it, the economics would suggest staying with your current car, particularly given the relatively low value of your current car if traded-in or sold.    

Cautionary Note re Hotel Cancellation Policies

Most hotels will not require deposits and will allow cancellations up to 24 or 48 hours before arrival with no charge. However, be careful, because you might run into a hotel (at least in NYC) with an onerous deposit and cancellation policy. Indeed, it might read as follows: "The 20% deposit is refundable up to two weeks prior to check-in. If cancelled after, you will forfeit your deposit or be charged one night's room and tax, whichever is greater. ...  In the event you do not arrive on the above arrival date, your reservation will be canceled and a one night’s room and tax will be charged." And don't think getting out of those oppressive terms is easy. Even if you make the reservation 13 days before the arrival date, and seek to cancel because, contrary to the misleading presentation on the hotel's website, there is no dining facility at the hotel, it could take you three phone calls of a half hour or more each over three days to get the hotel to agree to an actual cancellation and refund of the deposit, along with a promise not to tell anyone the name of the hotel or that it actually did a refund.

IHOP (New Location in Phoenix at the Collonade)

IHOP is surprisingly not bad. It's not great but it's not bad. It has the international flair you might expect with "French" toast and "Belgium" waffles. The services is fine and all the service people are cheery and polite. The place is bright and clean as a whistle and in Disneyland-fashion seems to be in a constant state of cleaning. Parking is quite good. Prices are excellent. The menu is big and bright with pictures of each item, with a calorie count for each item.

Link to IHOP Menu

Stopping Push Ads on Android Phones (and Flashlight Tip

[Prefatory Note: It is hoped that the suggestions here, based on success so far, does not result in a jinx and a return of the offending ads. But, even if it does, the suggestions here are appropriate and, even if the jinx is in, we are offering them because it's the right thing to do]

Problem: Every morning, a full-screen ad is pushed onto your phone, sometimes two. It becomes increasingly annoying, even to the point one might become obsessed to find and eradicate the culprit. Indeed, it's like a rat roof in the phone.

Suggestion #1: The ad could be the result of malware and, if so, this is an easy and fast  fix. So, download a few malware killers (e.g., MalwareBytes, AVG) and see if your phone is infected. 

Suggestion #2: Download AppChoices and opt-out of all ad sources. This also is an easy and fast fix. Link to AdChoices

Suggestion #3: Find and uninstall the app that's causing the push ad. Press your Recents icon while the ad is playing, long press the app's icon in the top left of its window, click on the "i" in a black circle at the right corner of the app's title bar, and the offending app will be identified. After that, go to your App Manager, clear all data and cache from that app, and then uninstall it.

Suggestion #4: Assuming none of the above worked, and there's a good chance they didn't because the ad-pushers are very crafty these days, the only thing left to try is to uninstall (after first clearing all data and cache from that app) one app at a time and see if the ads go away (The Google will suggest uninstalling all apps and restoring them one at a time but that clearly is an inferior approach). Start with free utility (e.g., flashlight, battery monitor, ringtones, keyboards and game apps you installed, siren sounds (to scare away coyotes). If you then discover say your free flashlight is the guilty culprit, after doing a complete uninstall as noted above, install a flashlight that is assured to be ad-free, such as Flashlight - NO ADS, which also is the simplest flashlight app. Link to Flashlight NO ADS App .  

Best Practices: Before downloading any app, if there's a pro-version for a small fee that is assured to be ad-free, many feel the couple of bucks to buy it, and to shun the free version, is well worth it. Also, usually with some due diligence, when selecting among free apps, you can find one or more that are assured to be ad-free.

Lost and Found Tip re Fry's and Costco

[Prefatory Note: The situation posed here is totally made up. But the tip is real]

Hypothetical Event: You lose a credit card and believe it was lost at Fry's or Costco. It is the card you have all your auto-pays on so you really don't want to report it lost to the credit card company. Given that you lost it two days ago, and nothing has been charged to it since it was lost, you believe it is in one of two lost-and-found boxes and not in the hands of the evil-doers. You very much want to recover it to avoid the moral dilemma of whether or not to tell the credit card company it was damaged (and not lost) so that you need not go through the hassle you went through just a month ago of changing the card on all your auto-pays.

Tip re Fry's: You don't need to get there early to avoid a line at the customer service counter. Instead, just ask any of the cashiers in the self-checkout area and they will open the lost and found box for you.

Tip re Costco: You don't need to get there early to be the first one in line where returns are done. Just find anyone with a Costco badge around the checkout counters and he or she will open the lost and found drawer and check the log book which, if your credit card was lost at Costco, likely will be in the log book.

Tip re Both: You don't need to schmooze the person you're dealing with. In fact, trying to schmooze them is probably counter-productive given that you're essentially taking them away from their real job.

The Sopranos

It's six seasons and the last season is like 200 episodes. But, if you haven't seen it, you are in true luck because it's fabulous. It's on Amazon Prime. And it's of the best series ever (along with Breaking Bad, Deadwood, and TheWire). The cast is amazing, the acting is amazing, and it's totally gripping. Now, on to Ozark Season 2 and Rake Season whatever, and then some new stuff. The only"problem" with television is that there's too much good stuff.

Pages Don't Open in Chrome But Do in Other Browsers

There can be many reasons (and hence fixes) for why a web page won't open in Chrome but will in other browsers. Here are two easy fixes or work-arounds to try. First, and easiest, is to use IE-Tab extension. Then, if a page does not open, just click on the IE-Tab button and, if it loads, problem over. Second, open the page in Incognito Mode, and if it opens, likely one of the extensions (most probably an ad or tracking blocker) is preventing the page from loading. To find out which one, go to Settings/More Tools/Extensions, and then disable one extension at a time and try re-loading the page. You will quickly identify the offending extension and you can either uninstall it or whitelist the site you don't want the extension to operate on. 

Link to IE Tab Extension

Arcane Estate Planning Tax Issue re Retirement Accounts

[Prefatory Note: First, as far as we can tell, this issue has no applicability to single people who are not leaving someone with a life estate in his or her property or to married couples all or virtually all of whose property is essentially community property. Second, we are not estate or tax lawyers here nor do we have any on staff. So, consider the raising of this issue not to be any kind of advice or tip, but, at most, something to discuss with your estate or tax lawyer if you determine if might apply]

Assumed Facts: Two people have their own separate property and retirement (IRA) accounts. Their respective estate plans provide that upon the death of one, the survivor has a life-estate in the separate property of the deceased, and then, upon that person's death, each one's estate plan provides for the disposition of what was each's separate property. Alternatively, one person's estate plan provides that upon that person's death, someone else will have a life estate in the deceased's property.

Potential Problem: If one person names the another as the beneficiary of his or her respective IRA, the survivor might be eligible to take the IRA as an Inherited IRA which is best from a tax point of view (because it will get RMD-schedule treatment). However, the survivor then "owns" that IRA and it will be disposed of in accordance with the survivor's estate plan and not in accordance with the deceased's estate plan. In essence, then, the survivor gets not just a life estate in the deceased's IRA, but the ability to determine where it goes upon the survivor's demise.

Solution: If the beneficiary of the IRA is designated to be the estate of the IRA owner, that avoids the problem of the survivor controlling where the IRA goes upon the other's earlier death. However, that is very disadvantageous from a tax-perspective because the IRA account could be taxed in its entirety (and not under an RMD schedule). Fortunately, if the estate plan provides for a "Conduit IRA" or "Accumulation IRA," the RMD scheduling tax benefits can be maintained and the IRA funds distributed by the first deceased's estate plan. There are some disadvantages to a Conduit or Accumulation IRA, however, if one is still making tax-deductible contributions to the IRA.

Summary: If any of this might apply to you, please, check with your estate or tax lawyer. Do NOT rely on this post.

Watch Part Terminology

Apparently, there is some substantial confusion as to certain watch part terminology. For example, a loyal reader's watch was sent into The Fossil Group (TFG) for online repair (raved about in an earlier post for their excellent customer service and prices) because the thing one turns to change the time and date fell out and was lost. When the request to approve the order was received by the loyal reader, the loyal reader was aghast that TFG was going to replace the crown. A corrective email immediately was sent to TFG saying the crown wasn't the problem ... the problem was the stem winder. As it turns out, as TFG's prompt response email graciously and politely explained, there is no such terminology as "stem winder" when it comes to watches, and the thing one turns to change the time and date is what is referred to in the industry as the "crown." Here is what crowns look like:

Best Ad for a Baseball NLCS Game

As our loyal readers know, and look forward to, every decade or so, we give out Clio awards for best ads. This decade it goes to Fox Sports for its promo of Game 2 of the NLCS between the Dodgers and the Brewers, where Walker Buehler was the starting pitcher for the Dodgers. The first link gives an explanatory overview while the second link has the ad itself.

Explanatory Overview Link

The Ad Itself Link  (Scroll down to Ben Stein and click on the arrow)

Email Best Practices Safety Tip

A loyal reader has brought to the attention of our Email Safety Panel (ESP) an excellent tip to preclude being duped by some very sophisticated online scammers. Often, you will get an email from a website account you are registered on, asking you to do something on the website (e.g., update your profile) and giving you a click-link to get there. No matter how legitimate the email looks, and even if you are convinced it is legitimate, and even if it is legitimate, whatever it is asking you to do you can do directly on the website without clicking on the link provided in the email. And that is the best practice: Never clink on the email-provider link; always go to the website directly. We are sure you are as appreciative as we are for our loyal reader's bringing this to our and your attention. 

Lin-Manuel Miranda Trivia Question

Lin-Manuel Miranda (LMM)was born in 1980. At the age of 16, LMM wrote, directed, and acted (for the first time) in Clayton's Friends. His next acting gig was not until 11 years later. Do you know what it was he appeared in? By way of hints, it was a long-running fabulous TV series, and his appearance, lasting under one minute, was as a bellman in Episode 15 of Season 6. The answer appears below. BTW, LMM's scene in that show should not be confused with the doorman scene in Seinfeld:

Link to IMDb Answer to Trivia Question

Link to IMDb to Clayton's Friends

Link to the Doorman in Seinfeld

Converting Cloth Car Seats to Leather

If you have cloth car seats, and they are fraying or for any reason you just would prefer leather, converting to leather is fast and easy and, while not cheap, at $1,500 to $2,200 depending on the make and model of your car and the leather design you choose, that might be less expensive than you would have guessed. More important, the way many cars are priced these days, it's the model that determines the features you get as a group, and it's not a cafeteria system where you get to choose on a feature by feature basis. For example, there are two models of the Honda Clarity (Honda's plug-in hybrid): The Touring and the regular. They are the same except the Touring has NAV, memory seats, and leather, which the regular does not. No one wants a NAV any more. So, if you want leather, and are willing to forego memory, you might be better off buying the regular and having the cloth seats converted to leather. Your dealer might even do that, and there are plenty of independent firms that will. If you want memory seats and leather, however, you're likely better swallowing the bitter pill of paying for the NAV by opting for the Touring. In all events, when you make the conversion from cloth to leather, take care to ask if you're getting leather leather or Mercedes (or other "Car") leather. If you don't know what Mercedes leather is, this link will quickly explain it: Link to Priceless Scene From Lost in America  

For Couples: Gratitude Is a Boomerang

[Prefatory Note: While this article from the WSJ focuses on the beneficial effects for couples of expressing attitude, it applies in many other circumstances as well. In short, saying "thanks"is an under-used arrow in one's quiver that always is better deployed than saved up]

Gratitude and reciprocity are rooted in human and animal evolution, according to a white paper reviewing recent research that was published in May by the Greater Good Science Center at the University of California, Berkeley. The paper cites, for instance, studies of favors apparently given and repaid among species ranging from chimpanzees (exchanging grooming for food) to vampire bats (sharing regurgitated blood). Such actions improve the fortunes of the individuals on both sides of the transaction and of the social group.

In human relationships, researchers say, gratitude serves a “find, remind and bind” function: It can help us to find good partners, remind us of their value and create a lasting bond. When we value our partners, it makes us feel closer to them and motivates us to stay invested in the relationship. When a partner feels appreciated, he or she is motivated to exhibit positive behaviors and attitudes in return.

‘ Studies demonstrate that we often underestimate the impact that our gratitude has on others. ’

There’s mounting evidence that gratitude helps to solidify and sustain bonds. In 2011, for example, Dutch researchers published a study based on following newlyweds for four years. They found that when one partner engaged in behavior such as undertaking extra chores, it not only elicited gratitude in the other partner but also motivated them to act in ways that supported the relationship. The Berkeley white paper also cites various studies suggesting that feelings of gratitude help “individuals and relationships weather challenging situations,” such as financial distress, caring for aging parents and fighting against cancer and depression, by buffering against their negative effects.

Unfortunately, we’re not particularly adept at spotting a partner’s good deeds. In a study by American, Dutch and Canadian researchers published earlier this year in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, 426 individuals were asked to track any minor sacrifices they or their partners made for the other, such as socializing with a partner’s friends instead of their own, and to report their daily satisfaction with their relationship. On average, participants missed half of their partner’s self-reported sacrifices, leaving those doing the good deeds feeling unappreciated. When sacrifices were noticed and appreciated, researchers found a boost in the receiver’s gratitude, which benefited both partners’ satisfaction with the relationship.

We often underestimate the impact that our gratitude has on others, which may make us less likely to express it. In a study published in June in the journal Psychological Science, participants were asked to write a letter of gratitude to someone in their life. They were also asked to anticipate the recipient’s reaction—specifically, how happy or surprised they would be to receive the letter and how awkward it might make them feel. The researchers then sought reaction from the recipients themselves.

They found that participants significantly underestimated the positive reaction of recipients and overestimated the awkwardness they would experience. Lead researcher Amit Kumar of the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas at Austin hopes that the study “will encourage people to express more gratitude in their daily lives and not assume that others already know how thankful we are.”

Not every “thank you” carries the same weight. In a 2016 study published in the journal Social Psychological and Personality Science, researchers videotaped 370 intimate conversations between couples in which one partner expressed gratitude to the other. Lead researcher Sara Algoe of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill found that the most valued sort of thanks focused on the specifics of the partner’s effort, not just the act itself. Instead of thanking your partner for buying a beautiful sweater, for example, it’s better to emphasize how much you appreciate his going to your favorite store and remembering your favorite shade of blue.

When feelings of appreciation are lacking in an otherwise healthy relationships, Dr. Algoe suggests trying a simple mental exercise, where you imagine all the things that could have gone wrong to prevent you from meeting your partner in the first place. “We get used to the positive things in our lives,” she says, “and the gratitude you feel for simply having met your partner can be a good reminder of how lucky you really are.”

50MB vs. 100MB Internet Speed

You likely are paying for and getting 50MB internet speed from your ISP. Typically, for $30/month more, you can get 100MB internet. Is that supposed difference worth the extra price? All my research on The Google told me it wasn't and that, actually, I wouldn't even notice the difference. But doubts lingered in my head, and as time went on, as Edgar Allan Poe so aptly describes how one's mind will increase its nagging of one on certain things, I could not take it any more, so I gave 100MB a shot (on a 30-day no-risk, no-cost trial). I am now sleeping much better at night and am now saving the extra $30/month: There was no discernible for either me who knew the test was in effect or anyone else in our company who were not told about and did not know about the test. Here is a nice chart showing the circumstances in which 50MB will do just fine and where 50MB will not do just fine: