Search found 2149 matches

by sureshoe
Thu Mar 14, 2024 11:42 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Election spam texts
Replies: 41
Views: 2465

Re: Election spam texts

Do you get election spam texts? I'm sick and tired of it. Every other day I get some candidate or committee trying to hit me up for money. Today, I got one from someone running for DA across the other corner of the country (USA). I haven't donated in over two years. Even when I did donate, it was always small amounts of $5-10. I've tried replying with word 'stop'. About a hundred+ times. I've tried reporting it as junk, a feature on iPhone. The pace of texts has not stopped. Even increased. I'm at my wits end with this. Do you deal with it better? If so, please share some wisdom with me. Yes, it would be my mental break. I would text back and ask for donation for whoever run against their candidate. I would donate $100 to the opponent and ...
by sureshoe
Thu Mar 14, 2024 9:18 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Refund for whn Delta cancelled my flights
Replies: 29
Views: 2173

Re: Refund for whn Delta cancelled my flights

Delta cancelled two RT flights on me and they will only give me e-credits. According to their email to me, it was because I did not purchase refundable fares. There is no way for me to use those credits before they expire as Delta is not traveling to the destination, which is Cozumel. (They offered to fly me through TWO stops instead of the direct flught I had, which would take nearly a full 24 hours) so the airline has basically stolen these fares from me (750 for one and 694 for the other). They have posted the e-credits to my account, with the first one expiring in Spetember and the second one shortly after. All my travel plans are booked through the end of the year. Obviously, I scrambled to book through another airline and it's not di...
by sureshoe
Thu Mar 14, 2024 9:15 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Refund for downgraded seats on flight rebook (post-cruise)
Replies: 16
Views: 2132

Re: Refund for downgraded seats on flight rebook (post-cruise)

delamer wrote: Sat Feb 11, 2023 2:22 pm Due to an airport closure and flight delays, we had to be rebooked for our flights home after a recent cruise.*
*This was the awful rain and flooding that happened In Auckland last month. Our return was delayed by 4 days.
I can't give details on the specifics for a cruiseline booking it, but when it's an act of god, you're usually in a tough luck scenario.

We had a flight canceled and were rebooked 3 days later due to weather and basically decided to drive home. After much phone haggling, we got a few hundred bucks per person in credits.

No idea how all the insurance/cruise stuff works out, but hope it goes well for you.
by sureshoe
Thu Mar 14, 2024 9:10 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Election spam texts
Replies: 41
Views: 2465

Re: Election spam texts

chinchin wrote: Thu Mar 14, 2024 7:29 am Filter messages from unknown senders
With iMessage, you can prevent unknown senders from texting you directly. Their messages are filtered to another folder, and you don’t get notified about them.

https://support.apple.com/guide/iphone/ ... ab0be4/ios
This is the solution for both texts and unwanted calls. There is no future where we are not spammed. Before this, there were door to door salesmen. It's never going away.
by sureshoe
Wed Mar 13, 2024 12:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bedroom air circulation - jumper duct?
Replies: 38
Views: 3713

Re: Bedroom air circulation - jumper duct?

3) Through-the-closet/tie into existing air returns: Another approach would go through the closet of each of these bedrooms. Possibly with a direct vent, but maybe with the Tamarack RAPs or something similar. The closet is, in turn, dead-air, but, from the closet: 3A - one of the bedrooms has two different return air going down the drywall (one from the hall, the other from the master bedroom) that could be tapped into. Either of these return airs are easy to access from this BR closet - cut a hole in the drywall, attach a register/grate for looks and such, and boom, done.... 3B1 - the other could add a jumper duct from the closet (advantage being further noise/light reduction versus a straight jumper duct from the BR to the hallway, *or* ...
by sureshoe
Wed Mar 13, 2024 12:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Bedroom air circulation - jumper duct?
Replies: 38
Views: 3713

Re: Bedroom air circulation - jumper duct?

beardsicles wrote: Thu Feb 01, 2024 1:32 pm We had to have our doors trimmed to meet code requirements for airflow. It looked weird for a week and then I stopped noticing it.
Every house i have moved into, I have eventually put in a higher quality carpet that cuts off circulation. I take the door off the hinges and use a circular saw to create an opening under. This is step 1.
by sureshoe
Tue Mar 12, 2024 4:33 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: iPad Buying Question for Younger Kids
Replies: 25
Views: 1919

Re: iPad Buying Question for Younger Kids

Hello, I am looking to purchase iPads for our kids ages 9-12 as a supplement to their homeschool activities. I am looking at the iPad 10th generation which is around $350 after Amazon coupon. I am also looking at the Apple Pencil USB C and need to find a good rugged case and keyboard. Hoping to get your recommendations on first on the following: -Is the iPad 10th gen a good model for intended use? Anything I am missing out on with going with the more expensive models that would be relevant? -Apple shows the USB C Pencil should work, just making sure I am reading that right? -Is there a good all around rugged case and keyboard combo you would recommend? -Any other accessories you would recommend, for instance, a good holder for car rides to...
by sureshoe
Tue Mar 12, 2024 4:26 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Kid's Accounts and How They Use Them
Replies: 22
Views: 1943

Re: Kid's Accounts and How They Use Them

Everyone has an opinion on this (even people without kids)... Every family is different and how that family earns money is different. We are very well-off and I have kids ranging from 2-13, and none of them really have access to "their own money". I just don't see a point. None of them have jobs. They have work to do around the house, and I give them money at my discretion. When they do work a "real job" (like refereeing), they keep the money, but it pretty much goes 100% into savings. I just don't see a point in doing much until the kids start to get more independent and actually earn independent income. I think "allowances" are not the correct answer. I personally struggle to understand how a 7 year old can h...
by sureshoe
Mon Mar 11, 2024 2:50 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Electrical Outlet Covers
Replies: 48
Views: 3697

Re: Electrical Outlet Covers

I'm dying to see what ends up going in, because I cannot for the life of me understand what the OP is trying to accomplish.

People have posted just about every outlet cover I can think of and the OP keeps saying "nah". It's like watching me try to get my wife to decide on where to eat.
by sureshoe
Mon Mar 11, 2024 8:30 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Getting off cruise ship a day early
Replies: 20
Views: 3326

Re: Getting off cruise ship a day early

crefwatch wrote: Mon Mar 11, 2024 7:29 am US relations with China are strained, and China is an authoritarian country which already makes capricious tourist and business immigration decisions. Our Windstar cruise had a coastal China stop cancelled at the last minute, involving 19th Century rules about the order of cruise ports. ("Cabotage.")

Leaving without formal permission here is a high-risk personal decision, based on a long-vanished idea of American hegemony, as in the novel "The Ugly American", which you read in High School. It is also, technically illegal, in a foreign country.
So this is all anyone needs to know before "getting creative". I just don't know why anyone would fool around.
by sureshoe
Mon Mar 11, 2024 8:08 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Looking for upright piano in northern / central NJ
Replies: 17
Views: 1240

Re: Looking for upright piano in northern / central NJ

My son is looking for an upright piano in northern / central New Jersey. Not looking to purchase a Steinway. Maybe a used Yamaha upright. I know some people can't get rid of a used piano, but he'd like a good quality piano that he can keep and play for decades. Any thoughts? What type of price range are you looking for? I'm guessing you should be able to find lots of old used uprights for cheap... maybe free less the cost to move. But, I'm not sure that qualifies as "good quality" that you want to keep for a couple decades. I'm sincerely curious why anyone would want an upright piano today though other than as a piece of furniture. For $1000, you can get an exceptional digital piano that the vast majority of people can't tell the...
by sureshoe
Thu Mar 07, 2024 7:44 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Blackout shades for bedroom
Replies: 30
Views: 2153

Re: Blackout shades for bedroom

I have installed: https://www.lowes.com/pd/LEVOLOR-Trim-Go-White-Blackout-Cordless-Roller-Shade-Actual-36-5-in-x-78-in/1000639083 in kids bedrooms. I'm sure they would offer an install service, but it's a pretty simple job even for someone who is not handy. Just be sure to use drywall anchors. Those by themselves get 99.9% of the light. I install above the window, so they rest gently on the frame when pulled down. In my bedroom, I did blackout curtains, and they are more than enough ... maybe 99.2% :) If I combined both the shade and curtains, I can't imagine a single drop of light would come in. But I don't bother since Isleep with a mask and ear plugs almost out of habit now at this point. In my old house, I had a basement bedroom with 0 ...
by sureshoe
Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Good Modern Science Fiction
Replies: 760
Views: 149454

Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

Thanks for the heads up, Larry. I enjoyed book 4 as well. Read through some Amazon comments, and people seem to agree (with some complaints). They bundle them there as 4 books. Allegedly the author approved of the 4th. I'm late to the party, but glad to have been able to read them all back to back. Bottom line is author takes on some pretty advanced concepts in physics, but still nothing that seems too over our heads. Probably going to see these concepts filter into mainstream sci fi plots in years to come, e.g. {spoiler1}, {spoiler2}. It's all fun. They might seem minor, but I'd encourage you to go filter out your comment for spoilers. The 2nd book's title is a mystery until the very end and your {spoiler2} really outlines is a pretty sig...
by sureshoe
Wed Mar 06, 2024 9:45 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: New job W2 or 1099
Replies: 6
Views: 655

Re: New job W2 or 1099

With the current tight job market, finding a job is a bit hard. I have a self-employee S-corp through which I work as a consultant. Since I am not a direct vendor to companies I have to work through a prime vendor for a consultant gig. One prime vendor is insisting that I need to be on W2 with no benefits. The prime vendor is obligated by the client contract to bring the consultants on W2, it appears. Ideally, I prefer a 1099 so that my S-corp will have some income. Given the job market is tight, if I accept a W2 job from the prime vendor, is it possible to ask for 50% of the bill rate paid on W2 and 50% as 1099 to my company? Has anyone done this? If so, appreciate any tips on how to move forward and make this work. Curious why you care? ...
by sureshoe
Tue Mar 05, 2024 9:46 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47
Replies: 90
Views: 7580

Re: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47

I can't speak to the weight lifting side of things, but for the running, you are running way too fast for the volume of running you are doing. Running is an activity that requires a significant amount of base volume before you can tolerate speed. This is all the more true as you age. You are attempting to run at 6.5-7 minutes per mile which again, is very fast for your age and volume level. The fact that you are sore after every workout is your body telling you exactly this. Listen to it. It's difficult to make a huge change in fitness in a bit over 2 hours a week. Others have asked what the goal is which you haven't really answered, but you'd have much better results if you simply ran easy (9-10 min/mile) for 45 minutes twice a week and t...
by sureshoe
Tue Mar 05, 2024 9:08 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Good Modern Science Fiction
Replies: 760
Views: 149454

Re: Good Modern Science Fiction

The Three Body Problem. The first of a trilogy. Quite amazing. Truly a masterpiece. :thumbsup Indeed, thanks for the recommendations here. This is quite good. Actually there are 4 books in the series. They are making it into a video series streaming on Netflix starting March 21. I say start reading the books now before the video series ruins it for everybody -- as they always tend to do. I suspect only people who read books understand what I'm talking about. I just finished the trilogy. I had the blessing of not knowing anything at all. The 3 books are all wildly different and I just can't say much more without spoiling. I really enjoyed them... I think. The first is very straightforward, but after that it's pretty crazy. It goes some weir...
by sureshoe
Tue Mar 05, 2024 8:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47
Replies: 90
Views: 7580

Re: Plateaued with my 45 minute workout - Age 47

You’re not going to get stronger or faster with 45 minutes 3x a week unless you’re lifting heavy weights or doing really well-thought out intervals. Bummer. Was under the impression this workout would get me stronger and faster. 25 years ago I did this similar workout and found myself running faster and lifting heavier weights each week. Do you say this because of my age? If so, can you elaborate more on "well-thought out intervals"? Couple things - of course being older is going to result in less results, but that's not the main problem here. Also, all the talk of variability isn't as important as people above seem to be making it. The primary problem is load - you really aren't working out much if you expect elite results. I'm ...
by sureshoe
Mon Mar 04, 2024 9:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Need better sound for music enjoyment
Replies: 20
Views: 2894

Re: Need better sound for music enjoyment

Audio engineers! I have a need for upgrading TV speakers for music . I believe that translates into 2.0 or maybe 2.1? I do like my bass! I am not too interested in ultra-high fidelity (hearing at what it used to be) or playing music loud (do not need my hearing to worsen, 80db more than enough). I stream on Smart TV Pandora, though I do also play classical CDs (need at least a little bit fidelity) and some very decent quality mp3 and ogg files as well. What should I be looking for? 3.1 Sound bar (Is there a point for 5.1 as I do not have enough space?), tower speakers, bluetooth bookshelf? And what would a preamp/amp aid with? I would like to budget under $750. In that price range, you should be able to get a very good soundbar with subwoo...
by sureshoe
Mon Mar 04, 2024 7:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

I doubt you'll see any Disney Vacation Club resale contracts for a few hundred bucks. As ChrisC explained, to see what the buyer paid for the contract, multiply the value in the Price column by the number of points (listed under "Type"), with the exception of BeoBob's entries which list the total price in the column meant to show the price/point. To put it in perspective, looking at the first contract listed, at "Animal Kingdom Villas - Kidani Village", 235 points at $124/point for a total of $29,140 that is about 25% more than the initial sales price. (And in that sale, Disney exercised their Right of First Refusal and stepped in, in place of the original purchaser, and bought the contract.) Some of the older resorts, ...
by sureshoe
Fri Mar 01, 2024 2:30 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

Tons of math on hacking leases successfully at leasehackr.com. Also possible to “win at gambling” if you can count cards, although it’s a difficult skill to both be able to count cards and not be detected. Great youtube series I’ve been watching on this: https://m.youtube.com/@stevenbridges (no plans to do this personally as I don’t have the skill or patience, but to say its not possible is just wrong). Hahah, ok, so I sorta intentionally picked that fight :) I don't buy all the leasehacking, but I know people swear by it. Not going to get into it here, but I think the "hacking" is a bit exaggerated. As for gambling, I'm not familiar with SteveBridges, but I am a pretty experienced gambler - or at least experienced to know that i...
by sureshoe
Fri Mar 01, 2024 2:06 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

It’s fun to theorize, but I’d like to hear about any real case where someone with otherwise good finances and credit has defaulted on their timeshare maintenance has been sued or had their wages garnished. In my case, if my credit rating is impacted it could result in increased insurance premiums. I think that’s about it. Based on the experience of others I consider it unlikely they will do anything other than foreclose on the deeded weeks. The foreclosure will stay on my credit report for seven year. Like I mentioned, it really depends on the dollar amount. If you default on a $1000 of maintenance fees, more than likely you are correct - it just goes to collection and ends up on your credit report. If you don't need or care about your cre...
by sureshoe
Fri Mar 01, 2024 1:48 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

What’s difficult to understand? I linked the ROFR website that discloses sales back to the developer on the resale market. The resale prices for Disney have gone up for all Disney timeshares. The resale prices for the Marriott I picked in my post are mixed, which probably reflects generally market conditions including Covid impacts. If you want math, go to the Tug forum, in which as I recall there are recurrent posts on break-even analysis or ROI on timeshare purchases, including Marriott purchases from the developer.You just have to search for them. I’m not going to waste my time here with you when there’s available and more precise info elsewhere. I’m not trying to convince anybody that there are good deals out there; I’m just offering a...
by sureshoe
Fri Mar 01, 2024 8:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

Bought 2 Marriott branded timeshares in the resale market decades ago. Paid about 12 cents on the $. About 80% of the time we trade thru Interval Intl, which Marriott recently bought. Most trades in the past decade have been to a couple of properties in the south of Spain and the Balearic Islands, which we really enjoy. No problem completing tradings when we prefer to travel. Happy with this arrangement. When we decide to stop using these weeks, we plan to simply stop paying annual fee unless Marriott make buy back easy. If you stop paying the annual fee what occurs? Is there no contractual obligation to pay the “maintenance fees” ? Are the Marriott time shares different than the run of the mill time shares? Curious as to the difference No...
by sureshoe
Fri Mar 01, 2024 8:08 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

I had to step in here and laugh at the above. First of all, no sane, knowledgeable timeshare buyer would ever pay, on the resale market, $15K for an Orlando timeshare property. There are some locations, like Vegas, Williamsburg VA, and Orlando that have been so oversaturated with timeshares and hotels for over 25 years that it seldom makes sense to purchase a timeshare for over $2000, even at peak seasons unless it's a 4 or 3 bedroom unit, and even then you're likely to have overpaid for that too! People frequently give away timeshares in these locations, or buy them for $1 off E-bay, and in some cases they are in premium seasons. And I don't consider the Bluegreen (now branded as a Hilton resort) timeshare to be of good quality, regardles...
by sureshoe
Thu Feb 29, 2024 1:54 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Neighbor Got Burglarized, How To Prevent
Replies: 74
Views: 8331

Re: Neighbor Got Burglarized, How To Prevent

Tubes wrote: Thu Feb 29, 2024 12:57 pm I'm a fan of FakeTV (tm).

It is a ridiculously simple device consisting of a panel of different color LEDs. These blink on and off in a pattern. It fills a dark room with the look of someone watching TV. We put it on a timer.

It is good enough to keep the cruisers away. Someone doing persistent surveillance will see through it. But most burglars are not persistent.
I might check this out for our upcoming vacation - what a great idea.

Your final line is very important - I think we see too much TV and believe there are professional crews casing houses and building elaborate heist plans. The vast majority of robberies take less than 15 minutes and are committed by amateurs deciding on the fly.
by sureshoe
Thu Feb 29, 2024 12:03 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Neighbor Got Burglarized, How To Prevent
Replies: 74
Views: 8331

Re: Neighbor Got Burglarized, How To Prevent

There are quite a few opinions and very few facts.

The data suggests:
1) Having a clearly visibile monitoring system is a strong deterrent (specifically cameras)
2) No evidence suggests paying for 3rd party monitoring is a deterrent
3) Avoiding any clear markers of not being home/etc, common sense things
4) Don't leave cars outside of a garage if possible. If you do leave a car outside a garage, ensure it is clean and empty.

You can google for actual studies, but trust data, not anecdotal.
by sureshoe
Thu Feb 29, 2024 10:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

Bought 2 Marriott branded timeshares in the resale market decades ago. Paid about 12 cents on the $. About 80% of the time we trade thru Interval Intl, which Marriott recently bought. Most trades in the past decade have been to a couple of properties in the south of Spain and the Balearic Islands, which we really enjoy. No problem completing tradings when we prefer to travel. Happy with this arrangement. When we decide to stop using these weeks, we plan to simply stop paying annual fee unless Marriott make buy back easy. So multiple people have made the case for "buy it on the resale market", but I would argue this is a terrible decision too, right? We all buy depreciating assets (such as cars), and we occasionally take out liabi...
by sureshoe
Thu Feb 29, 2024 7:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

ounterpoint: My parents have had 3 RCI timeshares in Mexico and it’s worked out pretty well. It helps that the resort they picked is really nice. And that they were able to and wanted to keep going back to the same place. It is possible to switch a week to another RCI resort but the website is a bit of a pain to use and there are some fees, although not too bad, and so the few times we have swapped it’s worked out well. One annoyance we encountered was that we found a nice RCI ski resort nearby, and we liked staying there, but then found out there was a rule that we were only allowed to swap there once every 3 years. So that forces you to kind of hop around. That said, you will have greater flexibility and perhaps can save money by renting...
by sureshoe
Thu Feb 29, 2024 7:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

Tribonian wrote: Wed Feb 28, 2024 11:04 pm My former secretary was thrilled she got a dozen timeshares in divorce proceedings. She was a simpleton. I started to tell her they were albatrosses hanging around her neck but then thought better of it. May as well let her dream.
The worst thing you can do is tell someone they made a bad decision.

I wish I would have learned that lesson much earlier in life, would have saved me a lot of pain :)
by sureshoe
Wed Feb 28, 2024 3:39 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

Interesting. The following is a joke: Maybe need to leave the timeshares to these companies as their "inheritance." Yeah, it's an incredible racket. I don't pretend to know all the details but based on my conversations with my family member the problem is the contract liability (usually yearly maintenance fees) falls back onto the estate if no one steps up to accept the inherited timeshare. From my understanding is was impossible for my family member to settle the estate until the liability was addressed. The one that took the longest was from one of big name timeshares (I won't name it). I would argue that it might be personally actionable if someone on BH was duly warned about a bad timeshare company by name. On what planet? My...
by sureshoe
Wed Feb 28, 2024 2:24 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

Interesting. The following is a joke: Maybe need to leave the timeshares to these companies as their "inheritance." Yeah, it's an incredible racket. I don't pretend to know all the details but based on my conversations with my family member the problem is the contract liability (usually yearly maintenance fees) falls back onto the estate if no one steps up to accept the inherited timeshare. From my understanding is was impossible for my family member to settle the estate until the liability was addressed. The one that took the longest was from one of big name timeshares (I won't name it). I would argue that it might be personally actionable if someone on BH was duly warned about a bad timeshare company by name. On what planet? My...
by sureshoe
Wed Feb 28, 2024 2:20 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Suggestions for best recordng device for college classroom
Replies: 12
Views: 1493

Re: Suggestions for best recordng device for college classroom

I would recommend having this conversation with the professor and/or accessibility chair at the school, because it likely requires some help from the professor.

Meaning: Does the professor use AV equipment in a hall that size?
If yes, would the professor be amenable to helping record directly off the AV?
If no, whatever you buy will likely need to be closer to the professor.

Good luck!
by sureshoe
Wed Feb 28, 2024 10:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Blocking callers on Iphone
Replies: 22
Views: 2143

Re: Blocking callers on Iphone

TheDogFather wrote: Wed Feb 28, 2024 8:34 am Yeah, anyone not in my contacts list is silenced and they can leave a voicemail if they wish.99%+ don’t.
This has been my experience, and it largely solves my problem with spam calls.
by sureshoe
Wed Feb 28, 2024 10:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Want to leave timeshare.
Replies: 111
Views: 12021

Re: Want to leave timeshare.

Reading this thread, it just makes me continue to shake my head that people buy these things. I'm trying to think of any other scenario where a person pays real money for something, and they literally can't GIVE it away or disavow it. If that doesn't let you know what a brutal scam timeshares are, I have no idea what to tell you. I have relatives struggling through this right now. They have ~$40k of timeshare debt and they are prohibited from transferring it until it is paid in full according to the contract. Of course it doesn't matter because the darn thing is not worth anything in the neighborhood of $40k. So they're stuck with this debt and very large maintenance fees. Anyway, just a friendly reminder: free theme park tickets or a lunch...
by sureshoe
Wed Feb 28, 2024 10:19 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Live Symphony to Star Wars movie.
Replies: 9
Views: 1340

Re: Live Symphony to Star Wars movie.

I just hope they do the singalong version of "Duel of the Fates":
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qFDT2L5bPFI

Warning, once you watch that video, you'll never hear that song the same again.
by sureshoe
Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:17 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Talk me out of buying a Nissan Armada!
Replies: 29
Views: 1937

Re: Talk me out of buying a Nissan Armada!

H-Town wrote: Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:05 am You can buy a school bus for under 9k. We always hear that "someone got hit by a bus", but never ever heard "a bus get hit by... a bigger bus".
Ok, I legitimately laughed out loud. It's rare, but it happens.

Well done sir, well done.
by sureshoe
Tue Feb 27, 2024 11:14 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Talk me out of buying a Nissan Armada!
Replies: 29
Views: 1937

Re: Talk me out of buying a Nissan Armada!

Talk you out of the Armada?

1) The gas mileage is awful
2) The reliability is poor
3) The handling and ride aren't great
4) Despite being significantly larger on the outside than most midsized SUVS, its interior is relatively cramped

So yeah.., it's big. So is a school bus.

The Armada is ultimately a junk car that should be purchased for no reason other than "it's big and I like the way it looks".
by sureshoe
Mon Feb 26, 2024 10:07 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: tipping shuttle driver ?
Replies: 34
Views: 3965

Re: tipping shuttle driver ?

Booked a trip to Hawaii through Costco travel. Do I tip the shuttle driver that will take me from airport to hotel and then back to airport when I leave? If it is a shuttle with multiple other passengers and I don't need help with the luggage: Each kid puts $1 in the jar. If it is a shuttle with multiple other passengers and I need help with the luggage: Each kid puts $5 in the jar. If it is a private shuttle with just my family, I assume a 15% gratuity unless otherwise stated. Having written that, I absolutely hate it. I'd rather pay $50 for a shuttle than $40 and a $5 tip. This thread exemplifies what is fundamentally broken about hourly service work + tipping. Everyone has a different opinion and everyone thinks they're right. If I had ...
by sureshoe
Mon Feb 26, 2024 8:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Spray paint for plastic shutters?
Replies: 15
Views: 1951

Re: Spray paint for plastic shutters?

The plastic decorative shutters on the front of my house are sunfaded and I'd like to renew them. They appear to be held on with screws going through the vinyl siding, haven't removed one yet so not sure if they just go into the thin siding or if they go into plywood behind the siding? Regardless, they are hard to reach and I figure painting them with a brush could lead to getting black paint onto my white siding. I'm thinking it might be best to remove them and use spray paint? They have never been painted previously. Thoughts on doing it this way? When I got my last house painted previously, I went through this mental exercise until someone asked me why I didn't just get new ones. Back then, they were about $15 each for a brand new shutt...
by sureshoe
Mon Feb 26, 2024 7:57 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Might need to replace car: are used Tesla's the value play right now?
Replies: 41
Views: 5630

Re: Might need to replace car: are used Tesla's the value play right now

Have you actually ridden in a Tesla? I literally was in a Model Y last night, and I was struck by just how cheap it felt. The seats feel like a low end car. The cabin was noisy and the ride was stiff. I'm not an EV or Tesla hater, but I was surprised by just how chincy it felt, particularly since the Model S was supposedly very high end. Only when compared to the mid and high level trims from premium European brands. An issue when they were selling new for 60-70k+. Now that the entry price for a new Tesla is around 40k and plenty of used ones are available for around 25k, the actual competition for the Model Y are the higher end interior trims from Honda and Toyota. Tesla is - very - competitive here, even if they may not win outright. Kee...
by sureshoe
Thu Feb 22, 2024 12:08 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Might need to replace car: are used Tesla's the value play right now?
Replies: 41
Views: 5630

Re: Might need to replace car: are used Tesla's the value play right now

There's lots of debate about whether EVs are being devalued/etc. right now, so I'll let others chime in here, but the bigger question is this:

Have you actually ridden in a Tesla? I literally was in a Model Y last night, and I was struck by just how cheap it felt. The seats feel like a low end car. The cabin was noisy and the ride was stiff. I'm not an EV or Tesla hater, but I was surprised by just how chincy it felt, particularly since the Model S was supposedly very high end.
by sureshoe
Thu Feb 22, 2024 7:55 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Car Advice Needed
Replies: 34
Views: 3214

Re: Car Advice Needed

https://www.kbb.com/honda/civic/2005/

I'm assuming you've looked at that, but it's where I'd start. They have the 2005 SI at about $5000, so I would really struggle to pay $5000 for a repair unless I was very confident in everything else, but at the same time - if you need a car, you're going to spend that and you'd know that one of the more expensive repairs was recently done.

I like the advice above about replacing anything else that gets touched. As mentioned above, in this type of job, the expense is labor - it's not a trivial job, but $5k does sound pretty steep. Seems you could call around to a couple shots and get some ballpark quotes.
by sureshoe
Tue Feb 20, 2024 2:45 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to get my road paved
Replies: 77
Views: 5861

Re: How to get my road paved

livesoft wrote: Sat Feb 17, 2024 7:38 am You will have to get all your 20 neighbors to help you. You will have to run for political office. You will have to get their votes. Clearly, you will have to control the money. Or there is GoFundMe.
This sounds like a sitcom episode
by sureshoe
Tue Feb 20, 2024 9:39 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?
Replies: 11037
Views: 2066587

Re: What Movie Have You Recently Watched?

The kids (9-11-13) and me watched The Karate Kid for the first time so they can catchup with me on Cobra Kai. The 11yo didn't want to watch the movie, but I forced him to sit through it with us rather than play Fortnite :) At the end, when Daniel crane kicks Johnny, the 11 year old was on his feet cheering and doing crane kicks. It's remarkable to see this movie resonate with young kids. I still recall being in the theater and the eruption of cheers at that moment. I wish they could have relived that. If you haven't watched it - the movie is definitely interesting on how it has aged. It fills a full 2 hours. Mr. Miyagi is not quite the mythical figure he's made out to be in later films and Cobra Kai. He gets wasted drunk, falls asleep while...
by sureshoe
Tue Feb 20, 2024 9:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Video doorbell:
Replies: 7
Views: 1135

Re: Video doorbell:

I couldn't imagine using a battery - must be wired. You don't want to change/charge batteries.

I recommend the Ring. I can't believe we waited so long to buy one.
by sureshoe
Tue Feb 20, 2024 7:34 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Do you use a second refrigerator/freezer?
Replies: 74
Views: 4584

Re: Do you use a second refrigerator/freezer?

We have 6 people in the family and lots of guests, so we have two fridges and both are usually full.

I don't see why a household of 2 people needs 2 refrigerators. If you have one laying around, I guess it's only $100 or so a year to run it, so have at it.
by sureshoe
Mon Feb 19, 2024 2:27 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Life skills and resources
Replies: 9
Views: 1392

Re: Life skills and resources

tashnewbie wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 2:13 pm A lot of people are fortunate to have parents that teach them the basics of things like cooking and laundry/cleaning while they're still living with them.
Unfortunately, this is a true. It's both a blessing and a curse. There is no one "how to grow up" book (at least that I can imagine)... and if there was, it would be overwhelmingly complicated.

The basic function of fully functioning adulting can be summarized in a few sentences:
Save more than you make. Eat less than you want. Exercise more than you need. Build social connections.

There are thousands of tomes written on each one of those sentences.
by sureshoe
Mon Feb 19, 2024 11:59 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Older, clean title vehicle or newer rebuilt vehicle?
Replies: 26
Views: 2371

Re: Older, clean title vehicle or newer rebuilt vehicle?

One of our children just got their license. Of course, they are eager to get their own car. It's probably something that we will both need to save up for and buy together. We'll probably have something like a $10,000 budget when all is said and done. A slightly older car with low miles would hopefully be reliable. However, it may not have the safety features of a newer car. I'm thinking that a 2015 vehicle with a rebuilt title might be safer than a 2008 vehicle. I've read various threads here about buying rebuilt vehicles, and some of the concerns (like getting insurance or resale price moving forward) are not something we're concerned about). What are your thoughts about buying a slightly older car versus buying a new car with a rebuilt t...
by sureshoe
Mon Feb 19, 2024 10:07 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Sound bar
Replies: 43
Views: 4021

Re: Sound bar

flyingkite wrote: Mon Feb 19, 2024 9:32 am For your great big room with people sitting all over, without the need for surround speakers, get the Samsung Q900C. It’s their flagship model without the surround speakers. It’s also top rated by rtings.com. I have it and it’s amazing. Super loud and clear for a huge room like yours. For a room that big you need to spend for the top of the line with the most speakers and power.

Put the sub on the floor and not in a cabinet, but put it wherever you want. The other side of the room is fine.
Yeah, I'm not familiar with a lot of soundbars, but a $600-$800 pricepoint sounds about right.
by sureshoe
Mon Feb 19, 2024 10:03 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Importing tax info into tax programs. Who does it?
Replies: 67
Views: 5737

Re: Importing tax info into tax programs. Who does it?

Please do it, as someone who exports 1099 and W2 data - we get a cut :) :)