Search found 91 matches

by hfj
Fri Mar 22, 2024 3:59 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?
Replies: 252
Views: 18040

Re: What Toys Have You Bought That Have Been Worth it?

Road bike.

Grand piano, and a 12.9in iPad primarily used as a sheet music reader. The iPad makes it *so much easier* to sit down and open up whatever music I want to play, without dealing with piles of books and sheet music.
by hfj
Wed Feb 14, 2024 6:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Happy Valentine’s Day! What’s your love song?
Replies: 88
Views: 4586

Re: Happy Valentine’s Day! What’s your love song?

On the classical side, Schumann's Widmung (Dedication) in it's various forms, written for his bride-to-be Clara. I've been practicing the Liszt transcription which gets a little over the top, but is fun to play. I also really like the performance by Thomas Quasthoff.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnbLTCbGV6k
by hfj
Thu Feb 08, 2024 1:18 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Hawaii Trip: advice
Replies: 35
Views: 3713

Re: Hawaii Trip: advice

For Maui, there's a lot of off the beach snorkeling depending on where you stay. Personal favorites are Airport Beach, Kapalua Bay, Honolua Bay on the west side, Ulua in the South. Generally speaking parking can be an issue so we tended to go pretty early. We stayed in Kihei last time and walking across the street to snorkel at Kam3 was very convenient. I kept on encountering turtles while snorkeling, it was kind of amazing. Speaking of turtles, Hookipa beach on the north side is good for watching turtles on the beach, and surfers/windsurfers in the ocean. For hikes, Waihee Ridge is pretty cool with great views up top, and Pipiwai Trail (past Hana) was also nice, especially through the bamboo forest. It's also nice strolling the coastal tra...
by hfj
Wed Feb 07, 2024 10:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Calling All Bicycle Tourists
Replies: 21
Views: 2149

Re: Calling All Bicycle Tourists

I'm a roadie who doesn't really tour, but I used to like watching the "Cycle Around Japan" (English language) series on NHK. Kind of a mix of scenery and local encounters. They cover a lot of different parts of the country.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/onde ... =tvEpisode&

I'm considering doing some smaller rides stateside, i.e a Cycle Oregon event (camping) or Pittsburgh to DC via the GAP and C+O trails.
by hfj
Mon Dec 11, 2023 5:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Acer vs Lenovo - desktop computer from Costco
Replies: 51
Views: 6050

Re: Acer vs Lenovo - desktop computer from Costco

uaeebs86 wrote: Mon Dec 11, 2023 7:26 am I don't think I'll ever buy another desktop in my lifetime. So much more flexibility with a laptop. If you like to sit at a desk and have large monitors and traditional peripherals, just get a docking station. (Unless you have crazy hardware requirements for gaming or something like that)
Sometimes not even a docking station is necessary. My daughter has a monitor that essentially has a dock built-in and can deliver power; she plugs her laptop into a single USB-C port that can both drive the monitor and charge her laptop. When I visit, it works with my (different branded) laptop and its USB-C port as well.
by hfj
Tue Nov 28, 2023 3:32 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Keeping an account to deposit cash?
Replies: 13
Views: 1809

Re: Keeping an account to deposit cash?

There are places I go that are cash-only or give a discount for cash payment, for example some farmers market vendors. I keep an account with a small balance at a place with lots of local ATMs to get/deposit cash, plus convenient notary/cashier's check/wire services.
by hfj
Mon Nov 06, 2023 10:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Can I Deposit a Check for Someone Else in Their Chase bank Account?
Replies: 34
Views: 7592

Re: Can I Deposit a Check for Someone Else in Their Chase bank Account?

I've done it at both Chase and Wells Fargo for friends/family that were out of the country for extended periods of time. We had the account numbers, filled out deposit slips, and deposited the checks directly with a teller after explaining the situation. No issues.
by hfj
Sat Nov 04, 2023 7:21 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How do you watch TV now?
Replies: 45
Views: 4717

Re: How do you watch TV now?

Tivo Roamio still going strong for OTA DVR, Netflix, YouTube (non-premium), and library BD/DVDs.
by hfj
Fri Oct 06, 2023 12:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What are you listening to now
Replies: 5832
Views: 590522

Re: What are you listening to now

An NPR Tiny Desk concert of Wicked, with the composer at the piano.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFgWCQZDoCI
by hfj
Mon Aug 21, 2023 2:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Scotland / London…where to stay?
Replies: 70
Views: 4773

Re: Scotland / London…where to stay?

It ALL sounds horribly difficult and complex. With the pricing, scary! I agree with MGBMartin and Valuethinker. It's easy and not very expensive (unless you take cabs long distances or try to drive in London, which is very much not recommended). You can easily pay for the tube with google pay or apple pay (there has been an issue with more than one person using the same underlying credit card, unless that's been fixed). We just got back from the UK including London, and myself/wife/daughter all used Google Pay with the same underlying card on the tube, no problem. I see the separate charges for each of us on the card. Most stations also had a couple of workers helping people out; I saw one person trying to pass his phone back over the barr...
by hfj
Sun May 21, 2023 5:29 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cycling vacation packages?
Replies: 21
Views: 2123

Re: Cycling vacation packages?

Cycle Oregon Classic is an alternative with camping. I haven't done it, but I know someone who has done a bunch of them (drives up from CA Bay Area) and loves them; I might try it someday. It's a very large group but they move your gear between sites. No provided bikes, route changes every year.

https://cycleoregon.com/ride/classic/
by hfj
Wed May 17, 2023 12:39 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Is a Limited Purpose FSA worth it?
Replies: 11
Views: 657

Re: Is a Limited Purpose FSA worth it?

We have used our limited-purpose FSA for dental/ortho/vision as well, and it was quite useful as my kids were growing especially when we could plan ahead for larger expenses. We have a rollover in the ~500 range and now that the major items are behind us usually add just enough so I may be slightly over the rollover amount, so I didn't have to be as concerned about use-it-or-lose-it. But now I'm contemplating early retirement, and I might lose some in that case. It's trivial compared to the HSA that is portable (6 figures at this point) but in hindsight, I would have not have contributed more to the FSA in the last open enrollment period.
by hfj
Tue May 09, 2023 5:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Suggestion for best fitness/health tracking watch (non-Apple)
Replies: 5
Views: 843

Re: Suggestion for best fitness/health tracking watch (non-Apple)

Consider the Garmin 255/265, the primary difference being the screen type and the trade-off with battery life. I've been tempted by the 265s (I prefer smaller watches) with the nice screen, but my inexpensive Coros Pace 2 is still working fine for my uses.

I have a Garmin bike computer so I do have the Garmin app, but personally I sync both Garmin bike activities and Coros watch activities (hikes mainly) to Strava, so I rarely interact with their respective apps.
by hfj
Mon Mar 13, 2023 2:43 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Do you regret spending money on your wedding?
Replies: 229
Views: 23263

Re: Do you regret spending money on your wedding?

~200 people, nearly 25 years ago. Wasn't very lavish, with a church wedding, and a banquet at the restaurant owned by a good family friend (who also had connections to vendors so we got great pricing on everything). I'm guesstimating somewhere in the neighborhood of 15K total, I could be way off. In my 20s/early 30s, it was fun going to weddings of our high school and college friends at a steady cadence, and seeing people that were scattered across the country. I was happy to do likewise, and have fond memories of hanging out in the kitchen with college buddies laughing like no time had passed, and thinking I had a little to do with that. It's easy to say no regrets as things have turned out well for us, still together and financially set. ...
by hfj
Thu Feb 23, 2023 11:41 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: At what age does it go downhill
Replies: 190
Views: 29255

Re: At what age does it go downhill

Late 40's / 50ish for me. Overall physically I'm not too different, have maintained my weight, and I'm still climbing the same hills on my bike. But there's more and more things creeping in. I've never needed glasses before, but my vision is definitely getting worse. Chronic pains and injuries last longer. Recently a planned hike down the Grand Canyon was scuttled because foot pain left me hobbling around on crutches, and even a few months later while I can cycle, I can't run. I was a regular pickup/adult league soccer player and had to decline signing up because I can't rely on my feet right now. On top of that, I'm getting a little bit of tinnitus. So now I don't take my physical condition for granted, and have been thinking about retirin...
by hfj
Sun Feb 12, 2023 9:04 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bike computer and/or new Apple Watch?
Replies: 30
Views: 2778

Re: Bike computer and/or new Apple Watch?

It depends on your goals and what's important to you when you train. You can start out for free by simply recording your rides into something like Strava and comparing your times up particular climbs if you are looking for improvement. A bike computer gives real time info if you are focusing on some things, i.e. keeping your cadence at a certain rate. If you monitor heart rate, you can set up a bike computer to let you know if it goes too high or too low, and on and on. I recently upgraded my bike computer from a Garmin Edge 130 to a much larger Edge Explore 2, because I wanted maps and navigation. I'm a recreational cyclist, and for my regular rides the Edge 130 was fine, but I wanted better mapping when I ventured out of my normal area (u...
by hfj
Sun Oct 30, 2022 10:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: how to track distance run
Replies: 60
Views: 3964

Re: how to track distance run

I'll echo the sentiment to start with phone tracking with the app of your choice, and see if you need/want a watch. I just checked my history, I and I started tracking on Strava in 2012 with my phone. Strava has a "correct distance" feature to use their map data to help with wonky GPS data. More here: https://support.strava.com/hc/en-us/articles/216919487-How-Distance-is-Calculated After awhile you'll probably discover what's important to you, which may or may not be improved by a GPS watch. Personally as primarily a cyclist, I tracked with just my phone for a long time, but decided to get a Garmin head unit so I didn't use a ton of cell battery on longer rides. I now also have a Coros Pace 2 which I use for logging hikes, display...
by hfj
Thu Oct 13, 2022 5:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Maui - things to do for 6 day trip
Replies: 30
Views: 3366

Re: Maui - things to do for 6 day trip

Ho'okipa Beach on the north shore has an area where a turtles come up on shore, hang out for awhile, flip some sand in the air, and meander back into the water. We spent a couple of hours watching them on my trip this past spring. There's an overlook and a sign/rope keeping folks at distance.

This past trip had a surprisingly large number of turtle sightings/encounters, including one which nearly ran me over as I getting in the water for snorkeling. It came from behind and passed me less than two feet away. I was also in Kihei and spent a lot of time snorkeling at the Kam beaches, as well as heading down to Ulua for good snorkeling, and walking the path along the shore.
by hfj
Fri Sep 16, 2022 1:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite music from the 60s?
Replies: 115
Views: 8004

Re: Favorite music from the 60s?

Here Comes The Sun — Beatles
God Only Knows — Beach Boys

Vince Guaraldi’s Charlie Brown Christmas Album
by hfj
Tue Aug 09, 2022 11:24 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Peacock premium????
Replies: 22
Views: 2682

Re: Peacock premium????

Can't answer, but if by chance you have Xfinity as you ISP Peacock Premium is included at no additional cost. You can to link you Peacock and Xfinity accounts. I just tried to do this but it says my plan isn't eligible. I have a 300mps plan so I know it's not too "basic" of a plan. After I read the conditions, it looks like you must also have TV or have one of their Flex streaming devices to be eligible. It does look like the flex streaming device is free with my plan. I've never taken them up on it because I have no use for it, but if simply ordering it for free and sitting it in a closet will get my a free premium account, it may be worth it. I also got the Flex and Peacock Premium for "free" with Xfinity, and I use m...
by hfj
Fri Jul 15, 2022 6:42 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Classical music streaming service
Replies: 47
Views: 4162

Re: Classical music streaming service

I mostly listen while driving, but the local classical station KDFC has streaming. Only occasional (usually music-related) sponsor mentions between pieces.

https://www.kdfc.com/listen/how-to-listen/
by hfj
Mon Jun 20, 2022 9:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Any Boglehead musicians out there?
Replies: 284
Views: 22073

Re: Any Boglehead musicians out there?

I started piano lessons in elementary school on a really terrible spinet. Didn't like it that much, barely practiced, but stuck with it until high school when I convinced my parents after freshman year that I needed the time to focus on academics. Ironically, that's when I became friends with some really talented pianists, and actually started picking out music to learn on my own. When I went to college I joined a fraternity which had an old Steinway; that was first time I lived with a grand piano and played a lot on it. Then I took a couple of music history classes that really sparked something; my classical CD collection grew exponentially; Boston area folks might remember the heyday of Tower Records and Newbury Comics. After college, for...
by hfj
Thu May 19, 2022 5:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Mid-range road bike suggestions
Replies: 28
Views: 2246

Re: Mid-range road bike suggestions

I'll echo the sentiment that you should at least try what you currently have first. When my two kids were very young, we logged a lot of miles in Burley towed behind a Trek 2200, including a flat 50K charity ride. Worked pretty well but there were a couple of places where the mounting rubbed the frame. We then moved to a hilly area; suddenly I was pulling the kids up/down 300ft between our house and the town area. Honestly I don't remember descents being much of an issue with the rim brakes, but obviously that depends on the grade (try it with something like a loaded cooler first). But climbing while pulling the trailer was definitely a very good leg-busting workout. Within a couple of years they were too big for the trailer and even briefl...
by hfj
Thu May 19, 2022 11:32 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Critique my summer Hawaii vacation plan (plus camera?).
Replies: 51
Views: 5276

Re: Critique my summer Hawaii vacation plan (plus camera?).

For younger kids and snorkeling, a lot depends on how comfortable they are in the water and dealing with waves and the equipment. On Maui the Baby Beach near Lahaina was a good place to teach my youngest, as it is pretty sheltered. Coming down from Haleakala you might consider some upcountry stops. Komodo Bakery in Makawao has popular donut-on-a-stick things, check when they are open. Our favorite views were probably from the Waihee Ridge Trail, but if you make it over there, the bamboo forest parts on the Pipiwai Trail / Oheo Gulch are pretty cool. I think the Haleakala entry pass is good for 3 days, which can be used for the Pipiwai Trail (we used a National Parks Pass when we did it). I'll echo others that I've stopped carrying a large c...
by hfj
Sat Apr 30, 2022 4:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Longer cycling prep
Replies: 103
Views: 9299

Re: Longer cycling prep

It's definitely no fun when you are cramping and still have miles to go and climb. I back off the effort a lot when I feel twinges coming on to avoid full on cramps as much as possible, because then it's really painful and nearly impossible to put out any power. For longer distance efforts I've learned to hold back my pace a bit in the first third hoping to avoid cramping issues and finish stronger. I rode Haleakala on Maui (10K ft of climbing) recently, closely watching my heart rate and mentally telling myself "slow down" a lot in the beginning of the ride. I knew if I started cramping halfway to 2/3 of the way up, that could be a frustrating end to my day. For me, fitness is the primary factor in preventing cramps. If I've put ...
by hfj
Tue Apr 26, 2022 1:21 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]
Replies: 5993
Views: 699485

Re: [What TV Show Have You Recently Watched?]

Generation 56K on Netflix. Italian rom-com that was light, funny, nostalgic. Went through it pretty quickly and really enjoyed it.
by hfj
Fri Apr 22, 2022 12:43 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: One Way Car Rental Fees?
Replies: 24
Views: 2737

Re: One Way Car Rental Fees?

I'll echo the "it depends" comments. A few years ago we did a college tour/vacation north->south through a bunch of Atlantic states, and while searching rentals, it turned out that using a major provider through my company didn't really have a surcharge for one-way. It was between major airports; at both locations we noticed many of the cars had out-of-state plates, including ours (the car we picked up in Boston had NY plates).
by hfj
Sun Apr 17, 2022 9:17 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Maui, Hawaii Trip: Need Restaurants recommendations
Replies: 64
Views: 6681

Re: Maui, Hawaii Trip: Need Restaurants recommendations

Depending on the ages and comfort level swimming in the ocean, the Westin is in right by an excellent snorkeling beach, Kahekili (Airport) beach and walkable to Black Rock as well.

If you like poke, we had an inordinate amount of poke (and some other quick meals) from the Foodland market. Really good and really reasonably priced.

Favorite place we ate on our last trip if you happen to be in the Kihei area was Southshore Grindz. I also like the Maui Fish'n Chips nearby.
by hfj
Fri Apr 01, 2022 3:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Artificial turf
Replies: 34
Views: 3106

Re: Artificial turf

I've been playing in an adult soccer league on Field Turf fields in the Bay Area. I vastly prefer them to the typical bumpy and patchy grass fields we used to play on. From a player's perspective one issue that should be emphasized is the fill material used, and if possible check out a field that has been using it for awhile in multiple conditions. When the fields were first put in, it was basically ground up tire rubber. There was some concern about the fine dust from them, so later on they switched to a different supposedly less "dusty" fill. The problem was while it was supposed to okay for warm temps, even in our evening games the fill clumped and stuck together and onto the bottoms of soccer cleats; it got pretty bad that one...
by hfj
Sun Feb 20, 2022 1:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How do YOU cook your steak?
Replies: 149
Views: 15762

Re: How do YOU cook your steak?

Thinner steaks on the grill or cast iron, but thicker steaks I've found reverse sear to be far easier to get consistently good results.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pO8TUuSv7HA&t=580s
by hfj
Thu Feb 10, 2022 10:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Garmin and Coros watches
Replies: 28
Views: 2174

Re: Garmin and Coros watches

I have a Coros Pace 2. Not a runner, got it primarily for cycling, recreational hiking, tracking HR/distance/time in pickup soccer. Mainly only wear it for that, don't care about steps/sleep tracking/etc. + lightweight, the silicone strap is comfortable and airy - it's a little stretchy so taking it on/off is slightly slower. Probably less of a thing with the nylon band. + very good battery life, especially compared to my wife regularly charging her Apple watch + my computer on my commuter bike died, so I basically use the Pace 2 as a replacement + don't have a HR strap, use this to broadcast HR over ANT+ to my Garmin bike computer on my road bike, and that has been super solid - wish the watch faces were a little more configurable in terms...
by hfj
Tue Feb 08, 2022 9:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What watch do you wear on a daily basis, or are you wearing today?
Replies: 382
Views: 33446

Re: What watch do you wear on a daily basis?

Coros Pace 2. I only regularly wear a watch for tracking workouts/hikes, and this is a great relatively inexpensive GPS watch for that purpose. Good battery life and broadcasts HR to my bike computer over ANT+. It's so light and comfortable that I find myself leaving it on more than I expected.
by hfj
Wed Jan 12, 2022 2:57 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: The great FIRE resignation?
Replies: 235
Views: 31925

Re: The great FIRE resignation?

Back in the 90's, besides Intel, Silicon Graphics also had a sabbatical program, which if I remember correctly was 6 weeks paid after 4 years. Unfortunately I left to a startup shortly before being sabbatical eligible; while financially it worked out, I still have some small regrets about that. Colleagues would go to Antarctica, spend a month in Europe/Asia, things like that on sabbatical. My Intel friend knows people who were there long enough for 3 (8 weeks paid every 7 years, I think) sabbaticals. Personally, I've been contemplating early retirement or at least switching to only contract work part of the year. The pandemic has probably delayed those plans a little because the WFH has allowed me to mostly avoid the open office (which I pe...
by hfj
Wed Dec 22, 2021 10:29 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Laptops vs Tablets?
Replies: 45
Views: 3366

Re: Laptops vs Tablets?

Laptop for work and most general items. Have a dock for mouse/keyboard/monitor at home and work.

I have an iPad Pro for a couple of specific use cases. I use it a lot at the piano as a sheet music reader in conjunction with a bluetooth page turner. The size of the iPad Pro is great for that and I can put away the pile of music I used to have by the piano. Also I use it for streaming video while on the bicycle trainer.

I could and have used a 2-in-1 for those, but I find the iPad is just a bit quicker and more convenient.
by hfj
Thu Nov 11, 2021 3:53 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Family Trip to Central California Coast (PCH / Big Sur)
Replies: 21
Views: 2648

Re: Family Trip to Central California Coast (PCH / Big Sur)

Devils Slide Trail by Pacifica has some pretty cool views, right by Hwy1. It's a section that used to be the highway before they built some tunnels to bypass that slide-prone area. An alternative food stop en-route to Santa Cruz would be the basically one-lane town of Pescadero. Good Mexican food in the gas station of all places, as well as Arcangeli Grocery, popular for it's artichoke and garlic herb breads and its sandwiches. I like the Fall Creek Trail in Henry Cowell. Dennis the Menace Park in Monterey as mentioned would be good for young kids, but really, the whole coastal trail area (i.e. Tickle Pink -> Aquarium -> Cannery Row -> Pier, and that doesn't even mention the areas south like Asilomar ) is pretty nice to wander.
by hfj
Mon Nov 08, 2021 11:00 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What YouTube channels do you watch?
Replies: 112
Views: 16333

Re: What YouTube channels do you watch?

Cycling:
NorCal Cycling (mostly crit racing)
Ryan Van Duzer ( bikepacking)

I'm a casual roadie who aspires to do neither of these things in real life, but still find it entertaining to watch

Chris Horner
Jasper Verkuijl (mainly for the cool places he rides)

Chris and Jordan on DPReview for camera stuff (even though I stick to a smartphone nowadays)

Food:
Kenji Lopez-Alt
Jacques Pepin
Food Wishes

Alex on Autos for car reviews, as I'm looking to replace our vehicles when things settle down

agadmator (chess game analysis)

NBCSN for Premier league highlights
Paramount+ has Champions league highlights

Lots of classical music (various artists, mostly piano). I recently watched a bunch of videos from the Chopin Competition
by hfj
Sat Oct 09, 2021 12:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you ever pick the premium (or cheapest) option, when a product has 3 options? What product is it?
Replies: 98
Views: 7028

Re: Do you ever pick the premium (or cheapest) option, when a product has 3 options? What product is it?

Manufacturers of soccer cleats often follow this strategy for some lines, i.e. Nike Phantom Elite/Pro/Academy. With adult league and pick-up soccer I go through a pair of cleats about every two years or so, and for comfort/materials reasons (especially as I age) I tend to get high-end cleats but never at the original price. With new colorways/models coming out or sales it's pretty easy to get top-end boots at heavily discounted prices.

For cycling, I'm recreational, not a racer and value durability/replacement cost over weight savings, so I'd never get say Shimano Dura-Ace over 105 or Ultegra.
by hfj
Thu Sep 30, 2021 12:27 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Has anyone downshifted their career in a big way?
Replies: 86
Views: 11892

Re: Has anyone downshifted their career in a big way?

I have a hard time unplugging on vacations, am FI as I approach 50 yrs old in engineering in the Bay Area. I've considered switching from being an FTE to a contractor and only picking up the occasional 6 month contract to ease into retirement, leaving time to really travel now that my youngest has gone to college. Knowing how hard it is to find contractors currently and how much they are paid in my specialty, I could pad the nest egg a little. Haven't pulled the trigger yet but seriously thinking about it.

It's mostly mental. Mathematically we have more than enough but part of me still wants some earnings while we're paying for college, planning some remodeling, etc.
by hfj
Mon Jun 28, 2021 12:13 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Does a cheap road bike really exist?
Replies: 244
Views: 24748

Re: Does a cheap road bike really exist?

I'm a little unusual in that I alternate between bibs and shorts. The waistband doesn't bother me on shorts and are quicker/easier. Bibs keep the pad in place better though. For anything less than roughly 2 hrs I'll grab either; for longer rides I'll usually go bibs. YMMV. Clipless shoes are more about keeping the feet in place, i.e. when pushing hard on the pedals during a climb. I'm also a little unusual here in that I use SPD instead of a road-specific system like SPD-SL or Speedplay. Since I tend to ride early morning, one piece of clothing that's turned out to be very versatile is arm warmers. They can be easily pushed down or taken off and put in jersey pockets as it gets warmer, and put back on for cold descents and such. I even star...
by hfj
Fri Jun 18, 2021 6:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11149
Views: 2085431

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

Family outing for In the Heights for my daughter's birthday (her high school did it pre-pandemic and she was part of the crew). First time back in the theatre, and it was really great.
by hfj
Fri May 21, 2021 11:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Kitchen Reno- Gas oven or electric?
Replies: 74
Views: 6204

Re: Kitchen Reno- Gas oven or electric?

I'm intrigued by induction, but I've never cooked on one. Sounds good on paper, and I use all cast iron or stainless steel pans anyway, so that's not a worry for me. I would love to try one out, as on paper, they seem really good. <snip> You can get a single portable induction countertop unit for not a lot of money to try it out. We have one originally meant for Asian hot-pot at the table, but now we keep in next to our electric stovetop and use it a lot for day-to-day cooking. A quirk that may be specific to our relatively old and inexpensive unit is that it can be sensitive to higher temps with our large cast iron pan, and automatically lowers the power way down, and won't allow it to be increased until things cool down. We're planning t...
by hfj
Mon May 10, 2021 3:41 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please
Replies: 156
Views: 17521

Re: Phoenix, AZ as an early retirement location? Advice please

I grew up in the Bay Area and moved back to the Bay Area after college, but during college I did 2 summer (one of those ran May -> December) internships in the Phoenix area. As far as being active goes, I play a lot of pickup soccer, and found quite an active scene even in the summer. They just worked around the heat, and adjusted the timing to avoid the hottest times of the day. Games started at like 7:30am on weekends, and there were games during the week played in the evenings under lighted fields. I really enjoyed my time there.
by hfj
Sat Mar 20, 2021 3:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New grill: gas vs. pellet
Replies: 50
Views: 5730

Re: New grill: gas vs. pellet

I have a 20 year old Weber gas grill and a couple of pellet smoking tubes. The smoking tubes are really easy to use; a longer one is good for pork butt, and a small one is good for something like tri-tip.
by hfj
Thu Feb 11, 2021 10:25 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What is your favorite non fiction book?
Replies: 152
Views: 13675

Re: What is your favorite non fiction book?

I like Mary Roach's books. Well researched and funny.

Fermat's Enigma by Simon Singh is also a favorite, along with the associated Nova episode. It really showed the history and step by step advancements in mathematics by so many people that ultimately lead to Andrew Wiles proving Fermat's Last Theorem, and the ensuing drama.
by hfj
Fri Jan 15, 2021 11:00 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Let's play chess
Replies: 987
Views: 98309

Re: Let's play chess

If you want to play chess with a more team-like feel in a group, a fun variant we played a lot in college is bughouse, essentially doubles chess where you pass captured pieces to your teammate. You'll need two boards and two clocks (we usually played 5-minute). There was a strong player in the house (got his IM title a few years after college) and while he could easily destroy everyone else one-on-one, things were more evened out in bughouse with team tactics. Since it was a bunch of students it could get pretty raucous with a lot of trash talk, some good memories.
by hfj
Tue Jan 05, 2021 5:56 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Can I create generational wealth?
Replies: 193
Views: 23422

Re: Can I create generational wealth?

The 2011 movie "The Descendants" also has a version of the quote ("you give your children enough money to do something but not enough to do nothing") and also deals a little with the rule against perpetuities. My daughters were in grade school at the time, and that quote resonated with me.
by hfj
Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Favorite youtube channels?
Replies: 111
Views: 15605

Re: Favorite youtube channels?

Chess summaries: agadmator

Photo/Video: Chris and Jordan on DPReview

Road Cycling: Phil Gaimon, NorCal Cycling, some GCN

Cycle Touring: Ryan Van Duzer

Car Reviews (planning a purchase 2H 2021): Alex on Autos

NBCSN has English Premier League Soccer, World Cup ski racing, and some bicycle racing highlights

Food/Cooking: J. Kenji Lopez-Alt

A handful of classical/jazz channels, mainly piano focused like Ashish Xiangyi Kumar, Rousseau. But most of the time I'll search for whatever piece I want to hear, and sometimes go down a bit of a rabbit hole.
by hfj
Tue Dec 15, 2020 4:26 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Should I consolidate my 401k accounts before retirement?
Replies: 26
Views: 2413

Re: Should I consolidate my 401k accounts before retirement?

You discuss how many of the old 401 K's have low cost fees associated with them, but what annual fees are you being charged on those old 401 K's ? When separating from past jobs, I rolled over those 401K's to Vanguard. That way, I know exactly what my fees are and nothing is "hidden" in admin fees/maintenance fees etc As others have said, it will be easier to deal with down the road if you have the accounts consolidated. I also had two previous + one current 401K with Fidelity, and when the ones from my previous employers began charging yearly maintenance fees, it prompted me to roll them over to my current one. Since all accounts involved were with Fidelity, it was done with a simple phone call, no forms/paperwork needed by me.
by hfj
Thu Nov 12, 2020 12:23 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11149
Views: 2085431

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

We just finished the Queen's Gambit, and really enjoyed it. For a casual chess fan like me, I also like agadmator's analyses of a few of the games (minor spoilers in the videos, so would still recommend watching the series first).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MaMv4cQtEnw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nNYjl2lAs4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIMaTKOZG-8
by hfj
Wed Oct 21, 2020 11:58 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New smoker recommendation?
Replies: 103
Views: 9886

Re: New smoker recommendation?

My 20 year-old Weber gas grill is still in pretty good shape, and I don't smoke enough to justify the dedicated equipment, especially as my wife and I are going to be empty-nesters shortly and we don't entertain much. However, I do the occasional pork butt, tri-tip, pork belly, and cheese on the Weber with a tube smoker and pellets. Sometimes I'll start smoking it with the heat off for awhile before turning on just one burner on the lowest setting, sometimes I wrap in foil and finish in the oven, works well enough for me. I think there's a variety of tube/pellet smokers available now, but I've been using an A-MAZE-N tube and the same bag of Traeger pellets for years; I like it because it's really easy to use, low effort, generates a decent ...