T-Mobile is killing Verizon and AT&T in signing up new users, and it's not by mistake. As this Android Authority article explains, T-Mobile is both the fastest mobile network and the most consistent in the US. Verizon and AT&T Verizon come second and third for speed, while their positions are flipped when it comes to consistency.
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We have long decried the sports gambling portals both because of the personal toll they take on people who should not be gambling and because of the possibility of corrupting the integrity of the games themselves. No one believed us. Well, as this WSJ article reports, federal prosecutors have been investigating whether veteran NBA player Terry Rozier manipulated his performance as part of an illegal sports betting scheme. The inquiry into Rozier is part of a wider government probe into a sprawling ring of gamblers and poker players who have allegedly rigged games across the sports landscape, people familiar with the matter said. The same investigation has already led to a criminal charge and a lifetime ban from the NBA for former Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter. Authorities believe some of the people who arranged for Porter to fix his performance in two games last season had inside information that prompted them to bet large sums of money against Rozier a year earlier. The gambling ring accused of conspiring with Jontay Porter to manipulate his performance in NBA games also bet heavily against Rozier in a 2023 game for the Charlotte Hornets.
PS: While Porter's salary was "just" $411K, Rozier's is close to $20M. I guess unbridled greed is not limited to the political oligarchy that likely has an even more corrosive effect than does sports gambling.
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You can get a lifetime license to Microsoft Office 2019. It's only $34.99 (reg. $229) with no recurring cost, but this sale won't last long. You have until February 2 at 11:59 pm PT. Installation is simple. You'll get a key in your email inbox immediately after purchase. Then, you can install the full suite on one Windows computer one time. This license comes with Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. These apps are the 2019 versions, so they won't look exactly the same as the most recent updates through Microsoft 365, but from a functionality standpoint, they operate nearly the same.
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Waymo is adding an option to tip the driverless driver. This might sound nuts to you. But it's another reason Waymo is not just the future, it's why we recommend it so highly. Here's the thing: While the tip is a way for you to express your thanks for the excellent service, the tip actually goes to a worthy non-profit charity.
PS: We have been informed of another advantage of riding with Waymo. Whether or not there's a camera we don't know for sure. But there's no driver who might be an impediment to having sex in the back seat.
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If you think tipping flight crews is not something that is done, you might think again. As this View From the Wing article recounts, while some airlines prohibit such tipping, others don't, and while some flight attendants do not appreciate tips, others do.
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When there's a tip jar at the counter where you are ordering food to go, you are expected to, and should, leave a tip. Here's a tip for doing that tip: Be sure you have change in your pocket before going up to the counter. In that way, if they aren't looking when you go to put the tip in the tip jar, they will hear you putting in the tip if it's coins but won't, and you won't get any credit or worse, if it's paper money. If you have trouble following this, here's a short instructional video.
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As the title of this post says, many people wonder why bond yields (i.e., bond rates) have risen while the Fed has been cutting rates. This WSJ article offers an explanation. If you are trying to figure out whether now is the time to buy bonds, watch the White House more than the Federal Reserve. The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield has been rising toward 5%, Fed interest-rate cuts be damned. The central bank held its own rates steady Wednesday after trimming by a full percentage point since last fall. Long-term U.S. government-bond yields have been taking their cue less from the Fed than from President Trump. He took office last week promising to cut taxes, enact tariffs, and deport immigrants. Many investors believe these policies will grow the federal deficit and stoke inflation, fueling the latest push toward higher yields.
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[Prefatory Note: Nearly two years ago, a post here raised the issue of EV owners' not paying gas taxes that go for maintenance of the roads they drive on. The NYT apparently thinks that its stealing our thunder will go unnoticed if they wait a couple of years. As always, shame on the failing NYT!]
EV owners get to drive their cars on streets that are maintained in part through gas taxes which EV owners don't pay. And they get to drive in HOV lanes without carrying any passengers. As this NYT article explains, many states are charging EV owners fees to compensate for this obvious unfairness, particularly given the fact that EV owners are wealthier than the average ICE car owners.
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The 15.6" LG Gram SuperSlim is the thinnest, lightest (at 2.18 lbs) laptop ever, so it's the best for traveling, and it's darn good looking. It gets great reviews for battery life and other features, and its only serious negative has been its price at $1,600. For the moment at least, BestBuy has it for sale for $899. Amazon is charging over $1,400 as is Costco so I'm not clear what's going on. All I know is, while my laptop is working perfectly and has W10 and a 3:2 aspect ratio (unlike this LG with W11 and a 16:9 aspect ratio), I'm really torn as to whether or not to try it. If Costco had it at this price, I'd give it a try given the 90-day return period, compared to BestBuy's 15-day return window. I've let Costco know about the price discrepancy with the hope they might lower their price--although I'm sure the answer will be "fat chance."
I'm a little old-fashioned. I love the tactile experience of trying on clothes in a store. In a world of Amazon and online shopping, I'd rather brave the bright lights of a changing room than read through online reviews. I don't want to add to the mountain of daily delivery boxes or unnecessary waste. If I have to order online, I want to be confident in my purchase. Many labels are likely using artificial intelligence to generate their look books and photo shoots now, so I wanted to see if I could add AI to my process as a buyer. If it can save me money, a return item or awkwardness, "trying on" outfits with AI will be worth it. I planned to run two tests: First with a new outfit and second with an item I already own to see how accurate it is. A quick search for AI outfits and I came across The New Black, a platform used by fashion designers and brands. It has a sketch-to-design functionality, a model generator, an AI stylist assistant and even an AI perfume generator. To create designs with The New Black, you'll have to pay a monthly subscription fee starting at $5. However, the virtual try-on feature can be accessed free via the complimentary credits upon sign-up. Activate the free credits via an email code.
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[Prefatory Note: Like so many other tech-savvy people and accomplished writers, we continue to use Word Perfect and eschew Word. But, we understand the wide adoption of Word. So, we include this post for them, which addresses an issue in Word not present in Word Perfect]
When you come to the end of a heading or paragraph in Microsoft Word, and you want to create a space before the next segment of text, it might be tempting to press Enter twice. Instead, you should adjust the paragraph's Spacing After setting. This How-to-Geek article explains why.
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We have been besieged by complaints from people who have been badgered to gate-check their bags starting well before boarding begins when it turns out there was plenty of room in the overhead bins for their stuff. Here's what we found out but the airlines won't tell them: The gate personnel are "graded" by their airlines on getting the plane's departure to record as on-time. If they wait until it becomes obvious that they actually have to gate-check luggage because of lack of overhead space, the likelihood of a late departure is enhanced, which is one of the ground crew's worst nightmares.
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The base HDR10 standard is widely supported on modern TVs, monitors, smartphones, tablets, Blu-ray players, streaming sticks, and other electronics. It was later replaced by the upgraded HDR10+ format, which allows content to change the dynamic range on a per-scene or per-frame basis. Importantly, both HDR and HDR10+ are royalty-free, which means companies can build it into their products without paying hefty fees. Here’s the annoying part. Dolby Vision was introduced in 2014, predating both HDR10 (released in 2015) and HDR10+ (which arrived in 2017). Dolby Vision supported per-scene or per-frame metadata from the start, and it didn’t take long for movie and TV studios to start creating content with the technology. However, Dolby Vision is proprietary licensed technology, unlike the royalty-free HDR10 and HDR10+. Content creators and studios have to pay Dolby to use it, and manufacturers pay a fee ranging from less than $3 per TV to lower than $2 per TV. Samsung is the last remaining major holdout against Dolby Vision among TV manufacturers. None of its models support Dolby Vision—even the super high-end TVs that cost thousands of dollars. Samsung doesn’t want to pay the fees.
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The Eagles have been designated the home team for the Super Bowl. Not only does that mean they will wear green and the Chiefs will wear white, we further hope it means that we will get to see the stirring sight of the Eagle mascot performing during the National Anthem, as it does before all Eagle home games. While our hearts go out to Baltimore fans for again failing in the post-season, we also feel for them for not having a raven that can rouse their crowd.
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As Will Humble (Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association and no Trump supporter) explained on Horizon, Trump's pulling the U.S. out of the WHO might actually improve the WHO. The U.S. contributes 18% of the WHO budget, and that funding will remain through 2026 under the WHO "departure rules." Then, when the severance is complete, the U.S. will have no position on the WHO governing board or ability to direct what the WHO does, which means it likely will spend more time devoted to the health problems affecting the most needed areas in the world, especially in developing countries. Put another way, the WHO looks like it will be far better off and do much more good than if it had Trump appointees dominating its board.
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True to its farm-stand heritage, Sprouts offers a unique grocery experience featuring an open layout with fresh produce at the heart of the store. It inspires wellness naturally with a carefully curated assortment of better-for-you products by continuing to bring the latest in wholesome, innovative products made with lifestyle-friendly ingredients. In that spirit, and in sharp contrast to Whole Foods and TJ's, by way of example, even though it is delicious beyond words, Sprouts will not carry mango peach salsa because of the sweetener additives it contains, while those other stores, who care only about their profit and not your health, will.
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One Drive puts icons (e.g., check marks, clouds, etc.[see below]) on folders subject to One Drive backup and storage indicating the kind of storage (cloud, computer, etc.) the backup is doing. If all the folders are missing their icon, then One Drive likely is not connected, and it needs to be reconnected. But, if only one folder is missing an icon, it gets trickier. And it gets even trickier if, upon checking, you see that folder is on the One Drive backup list. After two days of enduring a headache while searching for the solution, we finally hit upon what the problem is and how to fix it. We can only imagine how appreciative everyone will be to hear that. Here is the likely problem: There is a file somewhere in that folder that went into a loop and so One Drive has not fully synced that folder which it has to do for an icon to appear. Here is the solution: Open that folder and look for a file that has a blue circle of two arrows and remove it from the folder. You can either delete it or cut and paste it to some offline place (e.g., a USB or network drive used for backup or a cloud storage location).
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As this PC World article explains, if your Word Smart Lookup feature has broken up with you, it's not you, it's Microsoft. In a move to push users toward Copilot AI, Microsoft has deprecated this popular feature. Now you might understand why so many of us have stuck with WordPerfect.
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As this XDA article explains, it is easy (just one right-click) to uncover additional columns in the Windows Task Manager that can help diagnose computer problems, including: resource management; process activity; cpu resources; resource hogging; gpu usage; and power throttling.
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This PC World article explains some practical uses of the USB port on your router, including (our favorite being the mobile internet function to avoid internet outage disruptions):
Printer sharing: Connect a USB printer to the router to make it available as a network printer for all devices on the network. This saves you having to change cables or drivers back and forth.
Network-attached storage (NAS): Connect an external hard drive or USB stick to store files centrally. You can make documents, photos or videos accessible to all devices in the home network and, with some models, even stream content such as films and music directly.
Backups: Many routers support automatic backups. Files from the network are automatically backed up to a connected USB storage device, either time controlled or in real time as soon as new files are created. You can find instructions for this further down in this article.
Power supply for IoT devices: Some USB ports are suitable for powering small devices such as IoT hubs, smart LED lamps, or chargers. A practical solution if there is no free socket nearby.
Mobile internet: If your router supports LTE dongles, you can easily switch to a mobile data connection in the event of an internet outage. This is particularly useful if you need a stable connection and your landline connection fails.
Charge devices: Some router models allow you to charge smartphones, tablets, or other devices via the USB port.
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There are so many stories leading up to this Super Bowl that it likely will be the most watched ever. At the very least, it is compelling sport to see if Kansas City can pull off the first 3-peat in Super Bowl history, if the Eagles can be the first (and only) team to beat both Brady and Mahomes in the Super Bowl, if an unpredictable and perhaps unstable error prone head coach can best a calm, brilliant former Eagle head coach, and whether Taylor Swift really will forsake her Pennsylvania/Eagle (Wyomissing) roots to cheer on a hirsute boyfriend whose brother is now an Eagle legend. While a lop-sided, blow-out Eagles win would be highly satisfying, what would be really cool would be an epic battle free of player and coaching mistakes and referee errors with a squeaker finish. In fine, it would be heart-warming to see where everyone can agree the better team that day won, the axiom that "games are lost, not won" takes a vacation, and what-ifs stay in bed. But my fondest wish of all is this: The winning team snubs an invite from the White House.
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The "first down/not a first down call" in the Bills/Chiefs AFC championship game made it clear to everyone that the current system of placing the ball and measuring for first downs is flawed, particularly given how there is technology available that can spot tennis balls moving 130 mph with absolute precision, and similarly baseballs. As this talkSport article explains, change is coming to the first-down issue in football. It will involve putting a microchip in the football which, together with a GPS and camera tracking systems and AI, will allow pinpoint tracking of the ball's location. This will also make more accurate where punts going out of bounds actually passed the sideline, and when and if the ball touches the ground on an attempted catch.
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I have been bombarded with this question. The short answer is: Honestly, it’s a lot like any other AI chatbot — minus some flashy features, such as a realistic voice interface or the ability to generate images on the fly. You might also notice some hiccups or delayed responses. Even so, there are a few niceties here, like a search tool that compiles (sourced) information from across the web into neat answers. Using DeepSeek’s search tool is a must if you — for some reason — insist on getting your news from AI because the app admits its models were trained on information no newer than July 2024. You can also use DeepSeek’s app to summarize documents you upload to it or to interpret text in front of your phone’s camera or in images you upload. In shor, it’s pretty good at this stuff, except for when it isn’t.
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We aren't smart enough to know if DeepSeek's rout of the technology sector of the stock market represents a seismic shift in the development of AI and the chips that make AI possible (and led to the explosive market valuation and revenue growth of Nvidia) or was an overblown reaction. But what we do know is this: As Andrew Grove (ironically, an Intel founder) said, when it comes to technology companies, "only the paranoid survive." And as we have said here, chasing technology monopolies as antitrust violations is a fool's errand. Doing so puts a lot of meals on many lawyers' tables, but then so do a slew of other jurisprudential boondoggles.
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Home solar panels can be a win for the homeowner and for the environment. At the same time, it is wise to do some investigation before making the plunge. This cnet article sets out the 15 questions that should be asked and answered in one's investigative process.
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[Prefatory Note: We are NOT making any recommendation. The following is for informational purposes only. Consult your financial advisor as to any investment decision you might make]
1. Stocks vs Bonds Risk: As this front page WSJ article explains, stocks haven’t looked this unattractive, by at least one measure, since the aftermath of the dot-com era. The equity risk premium, often defined as the gap between the S& P 500’s earnings yield and that of 10-year Treasurys, turned negative in late December for the first time since 2002 and sat last week at negative 0.15 percentage point. In recent weeks, a combination of higher Treasury yields and soaring equity valuations pushed the equity risk premium into the red. That could pose a threat to the recently rekindled stock rally. In reality, though, there has been little sign of crimped demand for equities among individual investors, who remain bullish after two years of blockbuster gains.
2. Different Way to Own Bonds: Owning individual bonds is an expensive way to buy and sell them, and owning individual issues has default risk and, during the term of the bonds, interest rate risk. Owning mutual bond funds and most ETF bond funds greatly reduce default risk but have interest rate risk. In sharp contrast, Blackrock iBond ETFs populate their funds with bonds that have essentially the same maturity date, which eliminates interest rate risk if held to term and, by holding multiple issues, reduces default risk. They have various different bond offerings, including U.S. Treasuries, investment grade bonds, municipal bonds, and high yield bonds.
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You can read more about it here: Nielsen will stop selling its stand-alone consumer-panel based TV ratings in the fourth quarter of this year, according to a memo sent from Nielsen to ad buyers and confirmed to The Wall Street Journal by the company. The panel-only product has for decades served as the standard for measuring U.S. television ratings, which programmers use to set ad prices and advertisers rely on to know whether they got what they paid for. Nielsen wants customers to begin fulfilling those needs using a newer ratings product called Big Data + Panel, which combines the panel-based consumer data with numbers drawn from third-party vendors such as smart TV manufacturers. The company last Wednesday said Big Data + Panel had received accreditation from the Media Rating Council, the media industry’s measurement watchdog, and that it would endorse the product as the “currency” at this year’s upfront marketplace for TV inventory.
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A recent post here (Jan. 15, 2025) questioned the value of TSA. As this View From the Wing article confirms, TSA costs $10 billion per year and, yet, 90%-95% of dangerous items attempting to get through the screening actually get through, and TSA covers it up. And its "No Fly List" is populated with mistakes. This is just one reason we prefer amd recommend flying by private jet or, for those for whom that's a financial burden, so-called semi-private airlines such as JSX.
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It took quite a while, but here is the text of the response from the Republic's food, dining, and restaurant editor: "Thank you for reading and taking the time to reach out. Der Wurst is one of our 100 essential restaurants for 2025 as it was overwhelmingly voted best fries in Phoenix by readers. The restaurant is housed inside a 21+ bar, so it isn’t a place one would take younger patrons." Note: There was nothing in the Republic's write-up that led to our letter that mentioned the "21+ bar" point.
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Although perhaps obvious to everyone except the inventor of the XXX-step 2 strategy and his disciple (the XXXs appear to conceal his identity), usually, the best strategy at step 2 is not to try for a step-2 win, but instead to use 5 letters not used in step 1. As a refinement on that strategy, where the fourth letter is disclosed at step 1 and whatever vowels were used in step 1 lead to the strong likelihood, if not the necessity, that "Y" is the 5th letter, do NOT put "Y" into your step-2 guess. In short, doing that just reduces the likelihood of your uncovering more greens and yellows at step-2.
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As this ZD Net article details, Air Tags are one of the things that have set the Apple ecosystem apart from the Android ecosystem. But now that Google has rolled out its Find My Device network, the Android ecosystem is catching up. And spearheading that is Slovenia-based Chipolo, a tech company that's been in the finder tag market (the company uses the word "finder" rather than "tracker") for over a decade. It has now released two tags (starting at $22) exclusively for Android users -- the One Point fob for keys and the Card Point for wallets and bags.
[Prefatory Note: Before someone out there (who lives in a glass house on the issue) starts flapping about a supposed waste of water, he might first acknowledge that the practice advocated here: (i) uses hardly any extra water at all; and (ii) uses substantially less water compared to those, unlike us, who rinse off the dishes before running the dishwasher, use the regular cycle instead of the short cycle, and run the dishwasher more than every 3 days]
As this eLocal article explains, running hot water at the sink for 10 seconds or so before starting your dishwasher can help by ensuring the water entering the machine is hot right away, which improves cleaning effectiveness by allowing the detergent to dissolve better and more efficiently remove grease from dishes. This is especially beneficial if your plumbing runs long distances from the water heater to the dishwasher.
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As the NYT has explained, while there is a modicum of supposed debate in this country about Musk's "salute," in Germany, which knows best, there was little doubt about its meaning.
The KLIPPKAKTUS Storage Box For Fridge from Ikea costs just $5.99. They're small, but at the price, you can buy several. The hanging box attaches to the area right under your fridge’s glass shelves, thanks to a curved frame that latches on and suction cups that keep the box firmly in place.
A recent post showed where college football programs enjoy enterprise valuations in the hundreds of millions and even billions of dollars. Putting aside the warping effect this has on the supposed purpose of higher education, the outrage is multiplied when one realizes colleges are not taxed on the income they generate from these enterprises and donations to these colleges are tax deductible.
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Let's address up front one problem with Between Two Temples: The photography or cinematography or whatever you call it. It is really annoying. Maybe it's called art or nuevo art or retro something. I call it getting in the way of a truly intriguing movie. There are four demographics who should see it: Those who are Jewish and those who are not; and those who believe in God and those who do not. The film transcends them all. There's no point in describing the plot because it wouldn't help one decide whether or not to watch this movie. But, it is meet to note that, except as mentioned above, this is the kind of innovative film-making that, particularly now, we need more of. It stars Jason Schwartzman and Carol Kane, and while some might not find Jason Schwartzman's performance as compelling as others do, Carol Kane indisputably nails her role.
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I won't be disappointed if the Eagles beat the Washington football club, in which event I don't care who wins the AFC game. But my fervent wish is that Washington and Kansas City win their respective games, because that would set up a first-ever feat in the Super Bowl: Either the first three-peat ever or the first time a rookie QB won. So, in that circumstance, we would see either the crowning of a dynasty led by the QB who then arguably will be the QB GOAT or the emergence of what could turn out to be the Tiger Woods of football.
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Microsoft has (very quietly) announced that it will be changing the way account sign-ins work in February – and the new system could pose a significant security risk for some users. Squirreled away in the Microsoft Account Help page of the Support section on Microsoft’s website, the change essentially states that users will remain logged in by default any time they sign in via a browser or app on any device – meaning that if you sign into your Microsoft account to check your emails in Outlook or access your OneDrive on a public computer (or, say, a friend or colleague’s device) you'll no longer be automatically signed out afterwards, even if you close the browser entirely. In other words, your emails, cloud files, and even your search and browsing history will remain accessible to anyone who uses that device, potentially leaving your personal data vulnerable. According to Microsoft, users will be able to circumvent the new sign-in setting by accessing their account while using the private browsing feature on their browser of choice.
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A cast iron skillet is a cooking staple in my, as it is in many, households. However, cast iron cookware can quickly tarnish and accumulate rust if not used and cared for properly. Often, the cause of a rusty cast iron is too much moisture and not enough seasoning built up on the pan. You can restore your rusty cast iron to as good as new with a little elbow grease and a few household ingredients. This The Spruce article shows how easy it is.
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We have been flooded by readers asking us how they can invest in Musk's SpaceX project. As you can read here, a little fund called the ERShares Private-Public Crossover ETF (ticker: XOVR) has made privately held SpaceX its top holding. One possible snag: Good luck figuring out what SpaceX is worth.
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As explained more fully here, in dating profiles, as in all writing, generic is bad; specific is good. Think of the qualities you are looking for and try to telegraph them in a setting. A man looking for someone independent could write: “Not afraid to eat a hamburger alone at a bar.” At all costs, avoid beaches, travel, sunsets. If you really must include a beach, render it with details: “Reading a Graham Greene novel under a palm tree.”
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This WSJ article describes what it calls "travel trends for 2025." It notes that the demand for micro-hotels, residences, and buyouts is steadily growing as travelers seek privacy without sacrificing hotel-standard services, and goes into a bit of detail as to various options you might not be aware of, but would do well to acquaint yourself with.
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This Island article highlights Caribbean destinations that one might think twice about before visiting, including: Haiti, Trinidad & Tobago, Jamaica, Cuba, Belize, Georgetown, Nassau, Tiger Beach, Dominican Republic, and St. Kitts and Nevis.
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An earlier post gave a positive review to The Breakthrough based on a reader's recommendation and the first episode. Having now finished the 4-episode series, we can say with confidence that you will find this an engrossing series, especially given that it's based on a true story.
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T-Mobile's various plans cost far less than comparable plans from Verizon and AT&T. But wait. There's more. As this ZD Net article confirms, T-Mobile's network offers faster speeds and better performance than its rivals. And the deals T-Mobile will give to switching to it are blockbusters. Giddyup!!!
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There is an ideological war playing out that might or might not end well. As every deposed tyrant will attest, even tyrants need a minimum level of oligarchic and popular support. The ability of Trump 2.0 to hold onto its oligarchic and popular support depends in large part on what causes inflation. Everyone agrees that inflation is the result of too much money chasing too few goods. But that's where the agreement ends. In the Trump world, the two major drivers of inflation are interest rates set by the Fed and the price of oil, which is why Trump is railing against Powell and OPEC. In the non-Trump world, the Fed's effect on interest rates is only at the short-end of the yield curve (which is why they point to the dramatic rise in the 10Y rate after the Fed starting cutting the only rate it has any control over) and lowering oil prices (from where they are now) cannot offset the inflationary pressures that might come from tariffs, tax cuts, deportations, and stifling of immigration. If you know which view is going to prevail, and are willing to put your money where your view is, you can clean up.
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Some people think colleges place too much emphasis on and devote too many resources to their football programs. We doubt that their doing so has anything to do with their so-called "enterprise value," i.e., what their programs would be worth on the open market. Here is what the WSJ article reports as to the top 10 most enterprise valuable programs:
Some of the best culinary creations out there involve heating up some frying oil. While the end result is often delightful, the process of getting there can be anything but. Oil is, in a word, unpredictable. But what if there was a way to ensure that your dishes end up splash-free every time? Here's the thing: There is. People who watch me cook in oil are astounded by the lack of oil splatter. Here is my trick: Before I pour oil onto my pan, I add a sprinkle of salt to coat the base. Like most cooking hacks, the key to this simple trick lies in its science. The real cause of those pesky splatters isn’t the oil itself, but rather the steam created when the hot oil interacts with the food’s evaporated water. Frying is, all in all, just a form of dehydration. The moisture has to go somewhere; unfortunately, that “somewhere” is often right onto your favorite top. Salt will absorb some of this moisture. When less water interacts with the oil on the pan, the reaction between the oil and water is decreased.
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Using baking soda, vinegar, and hot water is a simple and cheap way of unclogging your bathtub drain.First, let the water drain. Next, pack baking soda tightly into the drain. Then, pour vinegar down the drain. You should see bubbles. Then, pour boiling water down the drain, and it should be clear.
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Many of us still have no clue what a bitcoin is or have any idea what cryptocurrency is. That has not stopped some from "investing" in bitcoin. As it turns out, there are now bitcoin bonds which, as this WSJ article notes, “You can look at it as a chicken way to play bitcoin.” Still, as the article continues, if you don't think bitcoin has a chance to go up, the bitcoin bond strategy might not be for you either.
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The second season of The Night Agent has dropped. While it's first season did not rank as one our favorite must-see shows, and it had its flaws as our post noted, it was enjoyable enough and we intend to watch this new season (as soon as we're done with The Breakthrough and while we wait for more episodes of Prime Target (the latest Apple TV+ series) to drop).
Note re streaming service differences: Apple might have the best original series and other services have great stuff from time to time, but there are three fundamental reasons Netflix is the dominant streaming service (with hundreds of millions of subscribers, the ability to continue raising prices, and a market capitalization that continues to smash through the roof): (i) it has the best search and most user-friendly preview function; (ii) it has fewer tech issues than most and, when they arise, you can get Netflix on the phone quickly; and (iii) when it drops a new series, it drops all the episodes, and it does not engage in the really annoying practice of dropping series' episodes a week apart as other services do.
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It can be easy to forget, amid all the scrolling and binging, that your smart TV is essentially a computer. And sometimes it needs to be treated as such. That means that while you're enjoying all the streaming that a great smart TV affords, you also need to do some periodic maintenance and keep an eye on performance. That includes dealing with your TV's cache. And any other cache that may exist within any of the many apps you use to enjoy the TV. As you use the TV, the cache starts to fill up, and if it gets too full, you might start to encounter some issues. Here's what you should know about the cache on your TV and how to deal with it.
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Here is the text of an email sent to the reporter and editor responsible for the glowing review of the hot dog restaurant with an obscene menu--to which no response has been received: "Yesterday’s (Jan. 22) Republic gave a glowing review of Der Wurst Hot Dogs, noting that “the real star of the menu is the french fries.” If you actually looked at the menu (which appears here (url) and a screenshot of which is attached), it is impossible that you would not see that the menu is strewn with sexual innuendos many people would characterize as obscene. At the very least, if you consider the Republic to be a family-appropriate newspaper, you might have warned parents what they and, more importantly, their children would see if they frequented that restaurant. You are entitled to your opinion of the quality of the food or other aspects of the restaurants you review. But, before you publish a glowing recommendation of a place, you also might consider the responsibility you have to let readers know what else besides the french fries they might find upon going there."
PS: It was suggested by a staff member that I should have included in the email the phrase, "I'm an old man who gets easily offended."
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As the Arizona Republic reported Jan 23, "Arizona House Republicans are seeking to eliminate taxes on tips, an alignment with President Donald Trump and one of his campaign promises." While passage of any such bill should not change what one tips restaurant workers in places where they are making marginal incomes, in hoity toity snooty snobby expensive restaurants, where tips based on a 20+% of the tab can run to astronomical amounts given the prices charged for the food and alcohol, the obvious response is: Have the tip "include" a deduction for an "implied withholding."
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Delta came in 1st for the 4th year in a row and the 7th year out of the last 8 as the best airline in the WSJ's annual ranking. The ranking is based on seven equally weighted operations metrics: on-time arrivals, flight cancellations, delays of 45 minutes or more, baggage handling, tarmac delays, involuntary bumping, and what the Transportation Department calls passenger submissions (which are mostly complaints). Here's the problem with that ranking: While those things are not trivial, the rankings do not include such things as seat comfort, leg room, overhead bin space, and, perhaps most important, pricing and customer service. Some might also find it disappointing that lounge-access is not included.
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An action-packed Sunday that featured two divisional-round playoff games didn’t prevent the NFL from seeing its ratings decline even further. The Bills hosted the Baltimore Ravens in an AFC affair that kicked off at 6:30 p.m. ET, with an average of 42.2 million viewers tuning into Buffalo’s 27-25 victory. It marked a 16 percent drop in audience size compared to the divisional game that ran in the same time slot last year. In other action Sunday, the Philadelphia Eagles topped the visiting Los Angeles Rams 28-22 in an NFC matchup that totaled 37.8 million viewers. That game started at 3 p.m. ET and couldn’t generate the audience of 40.4 million that tuned into the comparable game in 2024 — marking a six percent drop. Still, Philadelphia’s victory over the Rams ended up having the fourth-best rating in NBC history for a divisional playoff game, according to Nielsen. Viewership had also been down during the regular season, the wild-card round of the playoffs and the other divisional games. Trump's inauguration drew a TV audience of 24 million.
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Recommended by a fairly reliable source, The Breakthrough is a Swedish mini-series that certainly holds your attention. It is a fictionalized account about the true story of solving a double murder. The character portrayals are real and convincing. As added pluses, each episode is just 40 minutes and it totals just 4 episodes.
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The Linger Longer Lounge got a glowing review from the Arizona Republic, principally for its french fries. Intrigued by the idea that a hot dog restaurant would get such praise, I looked at its menu online (which you can do by clicking on the above link). As everyone will tell you, I'm no prude. But, the names of the various offerings stunned me beyond words. I'd love to eavesdrop on parents' explaining to their young teens what the various descriptors mean.
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The beginning of this century was marked by financial disasters (e.g., the near collapse of the banking system because of their home mortgage fiasco). As the decades move on, while bank deregulation could reignite another banking crisis, it's natural disasters (fires, storms, and floods) and demographic shifts (more people living longer and needing enhanced medical and assisted-living care) that have taken central stage and imposing immense costs on the private and public sectors. In that context, this column by Greg Ip presents an informative view as to why the insurance industry cannot handle what's happening. In brief: "Insurance is one of finance’s great gifts to mankind. Through the statistical magic of risk pooling, an individual can obtain peace of mind and protection against devastating loss. This remarkable invention shows signs of breaking down. As risks from illness and old age to natural and financial disaster grow, so does Americans’ resistance to paying to insure against them."
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If you are fed up with the reduced treatment from and benefits of being in your airline's loyalty program, you are not alone. As this WSJ article explains, carriers across the country have changed their loyalty programs in recent years to reward big spenders rather than budget-conscious road warriors up. More frequent fliers are declaring themselves airline free agents, fed up with ever-changing requirements to earn and maintain elite status.
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This is a full page ad in the WSJ. It's a head-scratcher of titanic proportions. I have emailed Oceania Cruises for an explanation and will keep you apprised of any response.
We have just learned that some people don't have and, even more amazing, never heard of an Aura Frame. Here's what it is: A photo frame that connects to your wi-fi network, and then it displays in slide-show or other formats any photos that you or any family member or friend you designate wish to have displayed. What's really cool is that those designees can be anywhere in the world and don't need (and need not be given) access to your network to add the photos they want to add. Also cool, when you gift an Aura frame (we gifted one to each child and grandchild), you can pre-load whatever photos you want which they will see immediately upon setting it up. And you'll know if your ungrateful giftee has not set it up or, worse, re-gifted it. As someone so often said without crediting King Lear, “How sharper than a serpent's tooth it is to have a thankless child."
Five of the planet’s richest men— Tesla and SpaceX Chief Executive Elon Musk, Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amazon.com founder Jeff Bezos, Apple CEO Tim Cook, and Alphabet and Google CEO Sundar Pichai— watched as Trump took the oath of office. Each of the executives have embraced the incoming president and supported his political ambitions with large donations. Is there any doubt that, if Trump had ordered it, they would have worn red baseball MAGA hats?
PS re the rise of our Gilded Age: Billionaires’ wealth grew three times faster in 2024 than the year before, a top anti-poverty group reported on Monday, as some of the world’s political and financial elite prepared for an annual gathering in Davos. It also predicted that at least five trillionaires will crop up over the next decade. A year ago, the group forecast that only one trillionaire would appear during that time. The group’s sharp-edged report, titled “Takers Not Makers,” also says the number of people in poverty has barely budged since 1990.
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As this NYT article explains, the real savings from smart thermostats is not from their home use. But, while the savings at the home level are minor (one might not ever recover the cost of buying and installing a smart thermostat), the more homes that use them, the more the small savings add up to huge savings for the grid in its ability to reduce its use of coal, oil, and gas. The one area where homes do benefit cost-wise and convenience-wise is the ability to turn the thermostat off or set it way out of the range while you're on vacation or otherwise not living at home, and reset it while you're at the airport waiting for your ride home.
Here’s what to expect besides extra legroom and a seat closer to the front of the cabin—if anything— when buying a ticket or upgrading to a seat in those sections on major U. S. airlines:
AMERICAN MAIN CABIN EXTRA: Priority boarding, dedicated overhead bins and complimentary beer, wine and spirits.
Roof rats are one of a homeowner's worst nightmares. This Arizona Republic article covers what one might care to know about them, from what they look like, how common they are, and, most importantly, how to get rid of them.
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Contributions to individuals aren’t tax deductible, so donating to personal GoFundMe campaigns won’t qualify. Most taxpayers take the standard deduction instead of itemizing, so they don’t get a tax break for charitable donations anyway. GoFundMe takes a standard transaction fee of 2.9% + $0.30 per donation. Some families are asking for help through Venmo or Zelle to avoid the GoFundMe transaction fee. Donors can give directly to nonprofits such as World Central Kitchen, AmeriCares, and the Red Cross. Another option is to give through a community foundation or a relief fund vetted and listed by Philanthropy CA.
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As this cnet article explains, those heirloom plates and cups you've been holding onto for your special occasions or to pass on to your children could be dangerously laden with lead paint. It goes on to explain how to test to find out.
This NYT article is an excellent primer on this winter's Covid season, as it reviews symptoms, treatments, testing, and periods of communicability.
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If you're like me, you might strive to make the best possible cup of coffee at home. I reached out on the issue to Sarina Prabasi, who founded the Buunni roastery and trio of coffeehouses. As it turns out, ditching the soap for your coffee pot and pour-over immersion brewer might seem like dubious advice. In reality, your coffee equipment doesn't need a scrub down every time you use it. Even small layers of residue from fragrant dish soap or washing detergent will leave you with a sudsy and subpar pot of coffee. "It really stays in there; it can mess with the flavor, and so, usually, a good rinse with super hot water is enough for black coffee," said Prabasi. Oils from the beans may build up over time, so a fragrance-free dish soap comes in handy for the occasional deep clean. A simple rinse with hot water will more than suffice for daily use.
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If you don't have a notes app that syncs across your phone, tablet, and computer, you are missing out on one of the most useful apps you could ever dream of. With a syncing notes app, you can easily store and retrieve anywhere you are any piece of information you have stored on the notes app (e.g., list of meds; driver license and VIN numbers; and on and on and on). I use Notes for notes and Keep for pictures of stuff (e.g., driver's license; passport; medical insurance cards; and on and on and on). This XDA article has an informative discussion on the matter. This Android Police article sets out the reasons anyone (including me) prefer One Note (aka Notes) over the alternatives.
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Here are some factoids from the NFL playoff games: Every team that won had no turnovers; every team that lost had at least one turnover; Buffalo had 1 sack, 1 penalty, no turnovers; Baltimore never punted; Jalen Hurts had 65 yards passing; Josh Allen had 127 yards passing with hardly any passes of more than 10 yards; Detroit had 5 turnovers vs 0 for Washington. The Point: The teams moving on to their conference championships did not win their games as much as the team losing the game lost the game.
PS: Last season, the Washington football club when 4-13 and finished last in its conference. With the exception of its quarterback, the Washington football club's roster this season, which went 12-5 and will be playing for the conference championship, is essentially the same roster as it was last season. As noted elsewhere, with the draft picks and free agency and an owner and management that knows what it's doing, the reality is (which is scary for the Eagles) is that this year's Washington team looks to be the weakest roster Jayden Daniels will be playing with for the foreseeable future.
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Good Rule: Team-loyalty shifting is not allowed. For example, if you have been rooting for the Baltimore Ravens this season, while the Ravens are out of the Super Bowl hunt and Washington remains in it, you cannot at this point change to root for the Washington. We understand how exciting Jayden Daniels and his team are (which, btw, will be the worst team he plays for over the next 15 years of his career given the calibre of so many now on the roster compared to the players they will pick up in the draft(s) and free agencies to come), but rules are rules.
Bad Rule: Jalen Hurts threw a 40-yard pass that likely would have been caught absent an illegal (unnecessary roughness) helmet-to-helmet hit by the safety on the receiver. The unnecessary roughness penalty was called but pass interference was not called. As a result, the ball was advanced 15 yards from the original line of scrimmage instead of being placed where the reception would have occured. Unlike good rules, bad rules need to be changed.
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Given Musk's allegiance and support for Trump and right-wing autocrats, one can understand the ethical ban imposed on me from and the opprobrium that would be heaped upon me for buying the car of my dreams ... namely, a Tesla. I get it. But here's my question: Are those of you who have imposed this ban, and would inflict that opprobrium, not investing directly or through mutual funds or ETFs in banks, oil and gas drilling companies, crypto currency, and the other sectors that see growth and riches from the deregulation Trump and Musk will be unleashing? Or to go a step further, given Bezos's capitulation, have you given up not just the Washington Post and Whole Foods, but also Amazon altogether? If not, what's the ethical difference between your investments in those areas or your staying with your shopping preferences and my buying a Tesla--especially a used one from a third-party?
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This article sets out 5 easy setting changes you might make to Chrome to speed up its performance. In addition, you might check Chrome's Settings/Performance for other changes such as pre-loading tabs.
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Traveling by train is fabulous, and way better than flying. But the difference is even more dramatic when you upgrade your train ride to a roomette, which adds to the cost by just a couple of hundred dollars. It might make the train ride a little more expensive than flying, but as this article explains, it is well worth it given the added seat and sleeping comfort and amenities, personal concierge service, and other perks.
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Who doesn't enjoy customizing their phone with third-party launchers and wallpapers? After indulging in those no-brainers, customizing the icons is the next step. This Android Authority article will direct you to sources for all three of these customization possibilities.
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NFL broadcasts (as other sports) are peppered with an endless string of "factoids" that AI generates. One that comes up with much frequency is showing that running backs (e.g., Barkley and Henry) run for more yards in the second half of games than they do in the first half. While no explanation is given, there is no mystery for why this happens: As a game progresses, D-lines get more tired than O-lines.
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We have not tried them, but we understand these $200 wireless earbuds, which are now on sale for $29 at Amazon, are pretty good, pretty pretty good.
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This cnet article has a comprehensive discussion of the various easy steps you can take with plug-in devices to lower your home electric bill by hundreds of dollars. And you don't have to go off the grid like we have.
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One of the joys of not doing politics here any more is depriving the NYT of the ability to take our letters, refuse to print them, and then give them to their columnists. We did a post yesterday and a letter on the conflict between MAGA loyalists and the new tech oligarchy embracing Trump. James Pogue's Sunday column blatantly took our point, added a few hundred words, and published it.
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Figuring out how much it really cost to charge an EV at home (and the costs can vary greatly depending on where you live) is not as easy as you might think. That is why we bring to your attention this TopSpeed article, which can help you figure it out if you're interested (or even if you're not).
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JSX is one of our favorite airlines, not just because it's all first-class style seating at economy rates, but especially because it flies out of private terminals so you get to avoid big terminals and TSA. As this View From the Wing article explains, while JSX will continue to be able to use private terminals and need not have TSA screening as such, as the result of American Airlines lobbying, there will be new, stricter screening requirements for JSX flights. Ugh.
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eARC stands for Enhanced Audio Return Channel. It's an HDMI-based alternative to traditional audio standards like 3.5mm or optical, and an upgrade from its predecessor in the HDMI space, ARC. It's mostly aimed at home theater setups, helping to connect compatible speakers, receivers, and all-in-one soundbars through the eARC HDMI port. One key advantage of eARC is that allows your cable remote to control the volume of your sound bar. The other key advantage of eARC is bandwidth. Though ARC and optical can technically handle 5.1-channel surround sound, and ARC even supports 3D surround formats like Dolby Atmos, neither of those connection types can handle surround sound in full fidelity. eARC uses a 37Mbps pipeline to deliver uncompressed, 192kHz, 24-bit quality. eARC tends to be compatible with more formats as a result, and it's simply unavoidable if you want to build a 7.1-channel system.
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This article outlines the dos and don'ts of using aluminum foil in an air fryer.
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A Real Pain follows mismatched cousins David (Jesse Eisenberg) and Benji (Kieran Culkin) as they reunite for a tour through Poland to honor their beloved grandmother, but their adventure takes a dark turn when the odd couple's old tensions resurface against the backdrop of their family history. It's a different look at Holocaust survivors and the children and grandchildren of Holocaust survivors. Many will find this film a rewarding and intriguing experience as it explores the sensitivities and nuances of the characters. Others not so much.
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I'm not a fan of the action/thriller genre but Ad Vitam held my attention principally because of how appealing the main characters are, and it's French. That's not to say it didn't suffer from the flaw of so many action thrillers, but the flaw did not dominate the film so it was forgivable, and it brought into play some beautiful scenery. Vive La France! Vive La Revolucion!
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Trump's "success" came about by tapping into the resentment and anger felt by the disenfranchised when they looked at the very different lives of the coastal elites, personified by the billionaires. The lead up to Trump's inauguration has seen shameless ring-kissing, not to mention outlandish gift-giving, by the very people, many once thought to be Democrats, who have decided to embrace the "anointed one" as their greed-infected path to maintaining and growing their wealth and power. The banks, the market, the bitcoin world, the oil and gas companies, and others seeing riches from deregulation and corruption could not be giddier. How all this benefits the 42% die-hard MAGA faithful remains a mystery. I guess Trump figures that their watching mass deportations, the issue perhaps more than any other that drove the election, will pulse through them with paroxysms of giddiness.
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If you invest through a financial advisor, which then directs investments to custodians such as Fidelity, you assume everything is on the up and up. As this Jason Zweig column explains, that assumption might be naive and misplaced. Even Fidelity might not abide the caution for guiding Caesar's wife, as it engages in "asset shifting."
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As this bleeping computer article explains, the weaknesses inherent in legacy Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) are growing more problematic and costly with each passing day, and the consequences are dire. The overwhelming majority of headline-making, multimillion dollar ransomware and data breach attacks were the result of the failings of legacy MFA. It fails because it relies on users to be effective. These are weak locks that were designed twenty years ago for a threat landscape that existed two decades ago.
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This PC World article sets out free apps that you can use to check on the health of various aspects of your PC, including: temps, clock speeds, and voltages; SSDs and hard drives; RAM; GPU clocks and temperatures; and storage data. I know you can't wait to start running these diagnostics because as they say, the unexamined PC life is not worth living.
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This Eat With Carmen recipe sets out how to prepare salmon filets that will dazzle your and your guests' taste buds.
If you're running Chrome, be sure to update it now to V132 to close several security vulnerabilities.
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This How-to-Geek article explains how to keep both the new and the Classic Outlook available and switch back and forth between the two. This is particularly useful for anyone who might want to wait to switch for good until the new Outlook has the features and look-and-feel with which you are comfortable.
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A post yesterday explained why it was okay not to upgrade to W11 from W10 despite MS's continual urging to do so and its threats to stop support for W10 and Outlook for W10. As this readwrite article explains further, we are likely to see W12 before the W10 support ends, allowing users just to skip W11 as they did W8 and WVista.
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Those of you born shortly after the world was saved from Nazi Germany, and grew up in the 50s and 60s, saw nothing but progress ahead. Civil rights got major boosts, poverty was in the crosshairs of a war to end it, the Cold War was brought to an end, earthlings had taken a giant step off the planet, and so on and so on. As you saw it, the arc of history bent ever forward and ever brighter. Perhaps your glorious optimism is what blinded you to not seeing where the forces of darkness might triumph. Or perhaps it was willful ignorance to what might be the irrefutable fact that history is not a linear progression, but rather is a constant ebb and flow. Empires rise and fall. Ages of enlightenment and dark ages come and go. All of which makes Charles King's Desperate Lives and Troubled Times That Made Handel's Messiah so timely and compelling.Here, then, is the key question: Given how rapidly things now seem to change, where what used to take decades or centuries might now take a few years or months or weeks or days or overnight. Might we see a return to a better time and place much sooner than might be thought? But if that's so, might the return to a better time and place be shorter lived than might be hoped?
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We love the WSJ for news and features, but it's snobby and snotty Friday Mansion section rivals its ignorant and wrong-headed editorial page for showing us how different the "other half" think and live. Lest anyone forget it's not just middle class or lower class people who have been tragically struck by the LA fires, our celebrity friends have suffered as well. This note lists some of our favorite stars who have lost their homes (all of which were bought 10+ years ago), including: Eugene Levy ($2.6M), Jeff Bridges ($8.8M), Mel Gibson ($11.5M), and Paris Hilton ($8.M). One can only wonder the extent to which all our home insurance premiums will rise in reaction to covering those losses.
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As a loyal reader pointed out, LIV Golf now has a TV contract with Fox. As predicted here, there ain't going to be no negotiated merger. Why LIV would stay with a goofy format is inexplicable. Just as the ABA and AFL did, just keep attracting newer talents, and the PGA will fold like a cheap suit. Given the Saudi connection (the first broadcasted LIV event will be from Riyadh), don't count out the Trump effect.
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Most smartphone users are happy with all-day battery life, and although some phones offer battery life that can extend into the next day, this is an exception rather than a rule. But what if there was a way to get weeklong battery life from a fully functioning smartphone, all for less than $200? Last week at CES 2025, I checked out TCL’s new 60XE Nxtpaper 5G phone featuring last year’s Nxtpaper 3.0 technology and a dedicated Nxtpaper key to make it easy to switch between modes. A brief look at it convinced me that the solution to battery life problems is this technology. And it can charge wirelessly. It will be out later this year, and unless I'm missing something, this is going to be my phone of choice.
For under $200, this Emeril Lagasse’s 10-in-1 French Door Air Fryer Oven might just become your go-to appliance in your kitchen — perhaps even over your standard oven. This appliance can seriously do it all. With its 25 preset programs, it can air fry and toast, of course, but it can also bake, roast, broil, dehydrate, slow cook, even proof your yeasted doughs! And I’ve barely scratched the surface of what it can do. It also has one-touch programs for specific foods, like pizza, wings, ribs, bacon, and veggies. You can even use it to make your own rotisserie chicken (so long, grocery store versions!).
Microsoft keeps nudging people to upgrade to Windows 11 or, better yet, buy a new Windows 11 computer, reiterating that support for Windows 10 is going to end soon. It is now upping that nudge with a similar message as to the end of support for MS Office on W10 machines. Just to be clear: Windows 10 is not going to stop working nor is MS Office going to stop working. What's going to happen when the end date comes, if it comes, is that MS will stop providing updates, bug fixes, and security patches. Don't be surprised if there then will be other options to keep W10 machines and Office working fine and securely at little or no additional cost. We are going to leave the topic for now (the noise around it is giving us a headache), but will be in touch when the time draws nigh.
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Everyone knows that topping off your gas tank can be dangerous and cause environmental damage. But not everyone know that you should refill your car's gas tank when it's between a quarter and half full. This helps you get the best gas mileage and keeps your fuel pump in good condition. If you let your tank run close to empty, the fuel pump can suck up dirt and debris from the bottom of the tank, which can damage the pump and clog the fuel filter.
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