Son of Perdition - tales from the darkside

Venturing in the forum topic 'Computers & Phones' for is like the twilight zone. I've been reading the newest threads & realize that I live in my own cloistered world of LINUX. I should remember my conversations with my wife about her Win 7 problems and her total reluctance to change. I had a very similar discussion with one of her friends yesterday (our neighbor), I asked her what does she use her computer for, she gave me 8 reasons or uses, of the 8, 7 were all browser based. The other was to type a few letters with MS Word (Free LibreOffice Writer). I tried to explain what browser based was and explained that all OS's use the same 'free' browsers except Safari (Apple) or Spartan-IE (Windows). Safari is capable and intuitive but IE was/is in my estimation a bloated, unsecure and useless MS proprietary attempt to gain control of your browsing, it will be interesting the direction Spartan takes in the future. I spent two 2 days and many wasted hours cleaning, optimizing and correcting the addons or problems with my wife's, time I'll never get back.

Now my venting is over I'll post a list of checks and balances that I have garnered from other sites relating to safe internet browsing, some have been copied from security bloggers and others from the 'Wired' link on security. Here is that list with a few of my own.

1. Get rid of Windows, install Linux.
2. Use Firefox.
3. Install Ghostery in Firefox.
4. Remove all traces of 'Flash'.
5. Use DuckDuckGo search engine.
6. Use encrypted email service.
7. Install all recommended updates.
8. Never, ever click on an embedded link in an email from an unknown source.
9. Online games played on Facebook, Yahoo & most social sites are notorious for installing tracking, spyware, keystroking or malware.
10. Install & run BleachBit.
11. Encrypt your passwords, files, drives.
12. Change your passwords, including modem access every 30 days.
13. Never use a credit/debit card linked to your personal bank.
14. The more information you enter online the more likelihood exists for identity theft.
15. If avoidable never allow anyone access to your financial accounts.
16. Auto bill paying while a perk can also cause major financial problems if website security is weak.
17. Never upload personal files to the cloud.
18. Never take online surveys.
19. Browse for updated information on current scams & avoid 'phishing'.
20. Check Your Bank, Credit & all Financial Accounts Daily.
21. Change Your User Names.
22. Tighten Your Privacy Settings.
23. Purge Your 'Friends'.
24. Tell a Few Lies, my favorite.
25. Check Your Credit Report.
26. Consider a Credit Freeze.
27. Stop Using Public WiFi.
28. Stop Clicking the 'Remember Me' Box.
29. Turn Off Geotagging.
30. Sharing Is Not Necessarily Caring -- Share Less, my weakness.


Update: After posting this, I was reading on wired.com about computer security. I know 'Google' has been toying with a passwordless login. I'm not sure of their progress but the following article I read this morning gave me more insight and understanding of the concept. It's a long read but does have some very interesting points. Click HERE
 

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Monthly Diary 2016

January

First weekend of 2016: Had a productive weekend by my standards. First we survived New Years night with a sleepover of our two g-grandkids. They insisted sleeping with grandma, thank you! Morning was a marathon round of cartoons & pancakes for them. Second our washer (5+ YO?) went out, we had jury rigged it 3 times before but now it was time to get a new one. That also meant we needed a matching dryer (they sit at the back entrance & in our kitchen). Home Depot (12-29-'15) was having a sale, we went the frugal route. Wash/Dry nothing fancy no delicate cycles or permanent press. Got a great buy (total = $650 OTD), free delivery, free installation, free removal of old & luck would have it didn't get charged for the darn new pigtail. Easy_Peasy! Third I had a check that needed to be deposited. I tried to cash it at Walmart but was declined since it was my first & something was out of normal range. It was a check from my pension ( I had changed from auto deposit 2 check), so should have been no problem. Anyway I went home, decided to try mobile banking. Neither me or the wife have smart phones so I had to opt for my new tablet. Downloaded, installed app & after 2 miscues took an acceptable picture of the front & back of the check. It was accepted, deposited & was able to draw cash out all withln 1/2 hour. Technology is great when it works.

Walmart moment: Had an embarrassing 'Walmart' moment this afternoon, went alone to our local Wally World. I was dressed in my baggiest fitting clothes. It was ice cold and my hoodies' arms hung below my finger tips, the shoulder seams hung almost to my elbows. I had my largest shirt and pants on. I never realized how much I looked like a homeless person. As I was walking up one of the aisles a woman was coming down and stopped about 1/3 the way. As I pushed my cart past her I noticed she was just standing with her hand placed on her purse that was sitting in the child seat. After I passed she lifted her hand and turned toward the shelves. I really need to get a new wardrobe.
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1st 99/93/88/97 - 2nd 84/93/87/93 - 3rd 89/93/92/76

Daily log 01_04_2016: Since the beginning of 2016 and in reality going back to the days following my final endoscopy (12/02/15) my glucose counts have been in the mid 90's. While that's normally great it adds a new wrinkle to my health regime. Low blood sugar, I take my count upon waking in the morning and then once before my noon & 6 PM meals, my final test is at bedtime usually around 10 PM. It had started out at 89 at 6:30 AM & finished at 10 PM with a 74. Too low, I had to eat my first piece of candy since Jul '15, felt like I had cheated. But low BS can be very dangerous! I usually have 1/2 C of sugar free Jello & 1/4 C low fat cottage cheese to take my BP medication along with my dose of long acting insulin, I dined on 1/2 C beans and 1/2 C cottage cheese instead. During the night I was awaken at 2:30 AM as most seniors are, I took my BS test as an early warning it had risen to 84 allowing me to continue sleeping. This morning at 6 my count was 91 completely normal. I asked the wife to add another Tbsp of almond butter to the breakfast oatmeal. Being OCD does have it's drawbacks. Off to Costco for some needed supplies & get my power walk in. I had ordered 8 shirts from my usual online retailer & added to my spring clothing ensemble (2 non-hooded sweat jackets) tossed the older economy sized ones. Roads were still icy under the bridges but slow is better in those conditions, I wish others would pay heed.

Problems with my new found mobile banking, problem with photo quality so after depositing check, withdrawing money the check got reversed and taken out of my bank on hold. I had to go to a member bank and physically deposit the check back into my account. Reviews about the tablet were good except the quality of the camera, should have heeded that before I tried the tablet as a smart phone.

4th - 91/94/92/86

Daily log 01_05_2016: Uneventful day, although I did things straightened out with the bank. Unbeknownst to me is the fact that whenever you deposit the bank puts a two hold on the funds if the amount is over $200. Mine was more, I had enough funds in the bank to easily carrying me until the funds were released. It was a learning lesson but something I should have known based on other checks over the years being deposited. Anyway things are rosy in my financial world again. Currently we are doing our grandparent duties, watching the 3 YO cruise around the house catching a drive by look at the kids shows that are constantly a part of our life as long as they are here. Mailed off my annual payment to my 'Vantage' Plan provider. I had failed to sign up for a 'Vantage/Supplemental' plan when I first got my Medicare coverage. It was 9 months later and as a punishment I have to pay whatever plan I have an additional $3.20 monthly. Not breaking the bank but is an aggravating monthly pain in the a$$, so I send a check to cover an annual fee. I have tried for 2 years to get them to hold it out of my SS but it's seems to be an impossibility in their accounting dept.

5th - 87/98/
 
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WOW! You have been around - interesting story - life has not been boring for you - uh polygamy - yes they do - I say this from experience. :rolleyes:
 

"I played with a hammer, nails, cardboard boxes, slammed my sleigh down the hill in winter, played baseball, army, dug trenches all over my dad's back yard & like to think I had a normal childhood."

Exactly the route I followed, too! Then graduated to Chemistry, explosives, accident with burns, so turned to high-voltage experimentation. Working on yet another big Tesla coil even now! imp
 
After adopting a cash/debit card only existence 4 years ago, I have devised my 2016 New Year's resolution for increasing my savings budget. I originally came up with a different version of the plan when I was still working. I was having a discussion with one of my co-workers about different budget plans. I was telling him how I utilize our bi-weekly pay checks into a semi-monthly budget. I paid my mortgage & utilities on the 5th paid my loans/credit card payments on the 20th. It had taken me just over 6 months to reach a workable plan by delaying the use of my funds by increasing 2 additional days each subsequent payday. On the months where we got 3 paychecks realizing any benefit didn't happen until the 3rd month following. It did pay for 2 enjoyable Vegas trips. I followed that plan for a year, year & half, it worked great but as with all my financial plans I started spending ahead until I reached the saturation point for failure.

Lessons learned & the parameters changed when I retired. I started getting lump sums on a monthly basis, I had rather substantial credit card/auto loan debt that I had to tackle along with realizing that my days as a (psuedo) professional gambler were behind me. My severance & unused vacation pay helped get it corralled but still took another 2 years to eliminate all my debt other than space rent/utilities. I get both deposits no later than the 14th of the month leaving a few days extra on the no income side. Budgeting was something I approached with gusto & now 4 years later I'm in a good place financially. No debt (no credit card or otherwise), only basic living expenses.

Details I work with.

I get my pension on or about the 1st of the month.
I used to have my pension auto deposited.
I changed to check, takes 3 days longer to receive.
The bank puts a 2 day hold on the funds. (5 days in limbo)
The checks are void after 60 days.
I had attempted to go mobile deposit but it is easier & less hassle in case something goes wrong & it gets me out of the house, drive to the bank, walk in & have a teller make the transaction.

I receive my SS on the 2nd Wed of the month.
I will continue to have it auto deposited.
All my monthly bills are paid out of my SS.
Remaining SS is enough for monthly needs (food/gas/misc).

The PLAN details:

I will deposit my Feb pension on the 2nd Wed in Feb.
I will deposit my Mar pension on the 3rd Wed in Mar.
I will deposit my Apr pension on the 4th Wed in Apr.
I will deposit my May pension into my savings on 1st of May.
I will deposit my Jun pension on the 2nd Wed in Jun.
I will deposit my Jul pension on the 3rd Wed in Jul.
I will deposit my Aug pension on the 4th Wed in Aug.
I will deposit my Sep pension into my savings on 1st of Sep.
I will deposit my Oct pension on the 2nd Wed in Oct.
I will deposit my Nov pension on the 3rd Wed in Nov.
I will deposit my Dec pension on the 4th Wed in Dec.
I will deposit my Jan pension into my savings on 1st of Jan.

Fed&St tax refunds are auto deposited to savings usually by 1st of Mar.

Now the reason for such a convoluted plan, I'm impulsive, I'm the charter member of a store's target group with their impulse racks near the check stands. I buy because I'm aware I had credit on my card so why not spend it. I was also the card issuers best customer. Someone who uses his card & carries a balance from month to month. I had to change my ways & the only way I could think to do it was to do the most extreme measures, get rid of my cards and pay them off. I even had to cancel my paper because I liked looking at the Sunday ads to see what I couldn't live without. If it's in check form & not available with a simple swipe I can control the urge to shop.
 
Win 10 experience. My neighbor's old (6 YO) laptop would not bring up his display. He ordered a new one with Win 10 installed. It arrived Wed, he brought it to me on Thur. He wanted his purchased copy of 'SpyHunter' installed. He was frustrated because the new one had many pop ups asking him to purchase additional software, (Tweekers, virus/malware/adware removers, subscriptions to online services,,,etc.). He has used 'SH' for a year now. It's one of the highest rated eradicators of deeply embedded aware/malware I could find doing research. He purchased it but was clueless trying get it installed. I started & was able to get 'SH' installed & started the 1 hr+ scan. It located & flagged 1906 threats! I was reluctant but after reviewing & web searching the threats, I concluded that they were nothing more than 'adware' purposely installed by either Win 10/MS/HP & the installed trial software that came with the new machine.

It had 2 trial virus scanners running. His start up was loaded with pop up offers. After running 'SH' and removing the threats I rebooted and found that some or his shortcuts/icons were no longer working. I removed them from his desktop. I had also installed Glary Utilities, which is free but has a boot up timer, we reduced his boot up by 50%. It also fixes his registry, clears browsing history/tracks that is missed on browser shutdown. After 'SH' had done it's thing I rebooted, I was a little unnerved because when it was rebooting I got screen after screen of incidents associated with the scan. It finally rebooted, I had removed both virus/scanners & activated Win 10's built in firewall. He has a commercial copy of Norton & thinks he can install it.

I know I've read how MS is tracking your activity & told him once he gets Norton installed & rerun 'SH' we need to opt out of the Windows tracking that you can shut off. Chrome was installed when it arrived & I installed Firefox, installed addons ABP along with Ghostery on both browsers. All this was done with the understanding that if I screwed up his system, I would install a Linux distro. He was ok with that, he had played around with my laptop for a short period of time and was comfortable with the fact that he only used his laptop for mostly browser based applications, games, Google maps, emails,,,etc. The only standalone apps I installed were freecell, mahjong and solitaire. I didn't hear from him Thur evening or as yet this morning, time will only tell.

UPDATE: He showed up at my door within an hour of posting this. He had been changing settings, which included the display size to 125%. Problem he encountered was his camera software was out of sync & locked up his laptop. He couldn't shutdown, reboot or get beyond a spinning, churning indication on a blue screen. He had tried several keys, ALT/CTRL/DELETE ( I don't even know if that are still active with the newer versions of Windows?). I finally found a combination of keys to let me reboot. I told him to get stronger glasses & a try to leave that setting alone. Back to his house he went laptop tucked under his arm, I learned a new trick.
 
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Going over my current situation I realized something that has been a thorn in my side for 6 months. I bought a used SVU in Apr '15. I paid $1,500 Cash + (taxes, transfer,,,etc.). Then in Oct '15 I found I had a split in the radiator. Quoted replacement & labor was $650 (towing would be extra). So left it, continued to pay liability on it @ $15 monthly. If I paid all I would still have an older unreliable SVU. Logged on to my auto insurance & canceled coverage. Called St. Vincent's vehicle donation line. They will tow it for free. I will receive a receipt for tax purposes but since I don't have enough to use it, it's moot. But on the other hand I saved the $650 + 180 + $40 = $870 over the next 12 months without worry of breakdowns or other related expenses with it.
 
ALT/CTRL/DELETE does work on my Win10 - not in the same way as in prior versions, but it does allow you to reboot from a settings (or power) button. What keys did the trick for you, S_O_P? Do you remember? I had all kinds of problems when I converted my 2yr old desk-top to Win10, and finally called their customer service, which was pretty good (at the time, anyway). It's clear Win10 comes with lots of tracking abilities, and I figured that going in, but these days I don't much care about that.

P.S. I'm referring to your post on 1-8.
 
Haven't been on for a while so I stopped by to swap howdies as they used to say where I come from. Where do you live in Oregon? My brother is in Coos Bay, niece in Medford.
I installed Win 10 Pro on my 3+ yr old Win 7 Pro laptop without too much difficulty but it hasn't been without it's minor pains. Traded off my Win 8.1 so didn't have to mess with it so only have two to go, both running Win 7. Not really a whole lot of difference in day to day use of Win 10 over Win 7.
 
Things:

I have back trouble that nags at me constantly. I was clubbed footed at birth, in casts until 2. I contracted polio at age 9, causing curvature to the lower lumbar. I was diagnosed with stenosis of the spine sometime between 40-45, it now causes numbness below the knees. I use an expandable wrap for support & relief. I found an added benefit from the wrap, it helps with my ongoing diabetic diet. I can't eat like I used to, the wrap constricts my stomach making it uncomfortable when trying to eat too much. I wear it most of the day & night which prevents too much movement causing unneeded jolts to my nerves.

I'm a Linux junkie, almost to the point of being a pest, probably reached that status now. I had been using LinuxMint (Mate) for years & based upon an article I read on ZDnet authored by Steven J. Vaughan-Nichols: http://www.zdnet.com/article/why-sw...mac-when-you-can-use-linux-mint-17-3-instead/ I decided to give LinuxMint (Cinnamon) a try. I downloaded the .iso file burnt to a DVD & installed under the dual-boot option along with LinuxMint (Mate). Very glad I did, while it has a lot of the simularities found on Mate I like the added perks available on Cinnamon.

My career was centured around the UNIX/Linux support team but I was the after hours tech support for all things (Mac, Windows, UNIX/Linux, 1,000+ Windows/Linux/Unix servers, networking, remote access & account security). I was on the phone from 5 PM until sometimes after midnight. I grew to hate phone calls, shuddered everytime it rang. I found I liked things simple, XP/7 & limited exposure to Apple issues, (I found most Apple/UNIX/Linux users were will versed & problem solving was usually easy). Windows was another story, it consumed probably 85% of my calls, either user or OS problems. I had 3 21 inch monitors set up for apps & one was dedicated to online help files, mostly MicroSoft.

After the Cinnamon install I decided to give Thunderbird (email app) that is developed along the lines that Outlook is. It's intuitive & easily configured. It solved the transfer of emails between different accounts without forwarding each & every one to my main account, I refused to get on the smart phone band wagon because of my hatred of a phone, I do have a mainly unused tablet sitting in my bedroom that I expect to access when the weather gets better & I start my outdoor activities.

I have this neighbor, I've talked about him on several computer related posts, his latest has to do with his inability to ignore email spam & keeps accepting the requests to install things on his newly acquired Win10 laptop. I did get him to try my wife's old laptop that I had deleted everything Windows & installed a copy of LinuxMint Mate. He claims he has tested it, liked it & wants to take it to his brother up on the farm to show him. His brother has been researching Linux & is intrigued to the point he wants to see a live demo. I may or may not have 2 new converts, I keep telling him I no longer speak Windows so he's basically on his own until comes over to the dark side.
 
Retirement

Sitting here this morning, I was thinking about the changes I've made to my life, both financial & health wise. I hear many times that life is an ongoing adjustment to your environment. It's all about compromise & adapting to change. To whit:

Taxes: I used to dabble helping others file their tax returns, my wife said it was because I was a snoop. One of my assets is my skills & interest with numbers, while I'm somewhat hindered with other skills (too many to list), I try to limit myself now to less exposure to change even in the fields that require those skills. I have told friends & neighbors that the rules have changed making a drug store tax expert like myself a relic. I have removed the chance of embarrassment of committing errors that could be costly to others & stick pretty close to only attempting to do my personal returns. I have discovered ways to make it so my costs are usually zero.

Prior to retirement I was of the mind set that I wouldn't let the government use my money interest free so I played the delay game along with extensions to get what I thought was financially beneficial to me. I would owe every year & figured I did better paying the government for the use of my own money. That's changed since retirement. I now adjust my with holding making sure I got a return, with the amount of interest banks are paying I adjusted my with holding up to get a bigger refund. I had been an avid investor in my late 40's & 50's but when 2008 hit that changed. I no longer had the desire or financial motivation to dabble in the markets.
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Entertainment: If you look up 'couch potato' in the dictionary you will probably see my picture. I'm close to being a savant playing 'Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon' & answering the Trival Pursuit entertainment questions. I enjoy movies & TV. I was okay paying whatever the cable companies charged until retirement & re-evaluation of my needs versus my expenses. I canceled Comcast, opted for CenturyLink & DirecTV. The speed of my internet suffered but not my streaming, go figure. I was going to cancel my DirecTV but in a weak moment I let the retention expert talk me into one more year, won't happen again this Dec.

I re-evaluated my streaming, deciding that Netflix was not as good as it used to be & was getting more costly with questionable quality. They were showing more or their own productions & the available streamed movies were recycled on DirecTV nightly. Movies that were never box office block busters or I have most of them on DVD (but too lazy to get up & insert it in the player). I canceled my Netflix, signed up for a free 'tubitv' account getting a lot of the fare that Netflix was offering. I then accessed TCM.com finding I could watch their current selections of classic movies on demand for free, even was able to watch them on my Linux laptop (something I couldn't do with Netflix) my ROKU menu has many 'free' sites that I can stream.
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Technology: As noted many times in my posts, I use Linux, 'free' & easier to navigate than the mess out of Redmond, Washington. Nuff said. I haven't been subjected to the extortion placed on users of MS & my personal privacy is not worth the effort to hack my system to mine any data, I use 'ABP' & 'Ghostery' to reduce the targeted ads, I lock down my browser & email service to eliminate more, I placed a piece of tape over my cam on the laptop & hold onto my older 46 inch Sony HDTV not upgrading to invite a cam recorder into my living room to monitor my activity, I drive a 11 YO MINI (24,000 miles on it), no GPS, no Onstar, limited computer chips with no auto pilot installed.

I have this ongoing conversation with my coffee buddies on Thursdays, about the invasive pop ups, updates & requests for personal information, extortion charges to have ad free games or ability to access certain sites. My answers have now dried up because I've found most seniors are adverse to change or new ideas. I just sit there now listening to them complain about how expensive life is. Yes & getting more expensive but with a little change you can lesson the outgo by giving up convenience or trying to keep up with 'Madison Avenue' & their insistence you need the latest, greatest gizmo to make your life complete.
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Health issues: Seems like every time I turn around either my wife or I have to juggle ourselves to make this or that health care appointment. Being newly diagnosed as Type II diabetic I have spend several visits to my primary care along with appointments with a cardiologist, ophthalmologist, physical therapist, nutritionist & spend 20-30 minutes every month answering questions from my Medicare Vantage Provider.

I was dumbfounded when I reached the 'Doughnut Hole' after 4 months on my diabetic supplies & was presented with a $900 co-pay from my pharmacy. I didn't get that prescription opting for the non-patented generic brand that turned out to do as good as job for much, much less. I now buy all my drugs from Walmart mostly over the counter but to run them through my Vantage plan for some help. I have lowered my costs to about 10% of what I had been paying. I have also lowered my A1C, my CBC results to normal levels with the generic drugs & my supplements (cinnamon, flaxseed, hemp hearts, apple cider vinegar & coffee). I have benefited financially as well as health wise following a modified Atkins diet, losing the equivalent weight of a 10 YO child. I've lowered my blood pressure to normal range with both the diet & pills.
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All of the above adjustments haven't seemed to diminish my well being or bank account, my disposable income has increased at least 25% compared to my pre-retirement take home. We eat better & healthier than at anytime in my life.
 
Growing up in a culture that shunned gambling & gamblers, I've had many moral thoughts about my choices. When you realize that gambling is connected to every decision we make. You chance waking, dressing, eating, walking out your front door, driving to you destination & making the return trips. Deciding what career choices will be our best benefit, what we do for entertainment, dining out, walking in the park or grocery shopping, it all has risk & reward. I enjoyed playing Monopoly as a child, risked life and limb climbing trees, jumping across a stream. All risk, I first became aware of real gambling when my father worked in Vegas during the 50's. He played craps with his $10 weekly allotment, telling stories about celebrities he observed & met.

I went into my teenage years questioning the strict guidelines endorsed by my born into faith. I listened to the sermons, the warnings & consequences that I would suffer if I embraced that life style. It wasn't until my service days & subsequent early single 20's that I ventured into that darker world. I became less of a babe in the woods after studying the mechanics of gambling. I was very proficient with numbers, math was my best subject throughout school. I read as much as I could about the subject learning from others, at one point I counted up the books I had & read that were about either 21 or craps. I had 22 books stacked up in my closet. I practiced hours on end. Learning all I could. I had been going occasionally out to Wendover, NV from my home in Utah. I was getting better at it each time I went.

I won enough over time to finance renovating 2 homes, buying craft supplies for my wife, paying for her trips to Calif for several doll shows, buying molds & a $1000" kiln. Every time I won (which was about 70% of the time). I shared with my wife & children, all the while they were counting the money they were telling me how wrong it was to gamble. I remember the morning after I returned on one trip handing over $2,000 to my wife. She was sitting crossed legged on the bed, greenbacks piled in front of her saying 'It just isn't right!'. In fact she would give me a total needed for some purchase or the other when I walked out the door to drive to Wendover.

After retirement, with my health problems I took a few trips out but it just wasn't the same, I wasn't feeling well, the enjoyment was gone. Now 5 years later with improved health, adopting the agnostic approach to religion, a more positive attitude & enough income to take these trips I decided it was time to spend my golden years pursuing my hobby. I've reached a level of expertise that makes me a threat to the casino. It's been estimated that there are only 3,500 professional gamblers in America, how they came up with that total is questionable since no one advertises they belong to that group. Also, the numbers show that you are considered to be in the top 1% of other visitors to a casino. It's a very select group.

I was adequate in my career, staying when others lost their positions through the 'Challenger' disaster & economic crises of 2008-2010. But when I walk into a casino I have an overwhelming feeling that I'm better than most other gamblers. I never play the high risk games, slots, keno, roulette. I do play video poker occasionally but only to get a rest not often afforded at the craps table. Video poker has more addicted gamblers hooked on them but they do offer a small chance to make a dollar or two if you walkaway when you win. My wife & youngest are my most ardent nay sayers, but have benefited most through the years, my son doesn't gamble at all, music is his obsession. My oldest daughter is my only supporter, she learned how to play craps & does it mostly for the fun of it & the 'free' drinks. She is a controlled gambler, going a few times a year, limiting her trips to $300 & having a good time. I approach it as a managed rewarding pastime.
 
After posting a few threads, I come to the conclusion that no one pays any attention or responds to my posts, so be it I have to realize that I can use thread as a venting venue, say what I want hopefully not offending anyone or spewing foul words around. I try to avoid the religious, political & PC sensitive issues. Here is my latest contribution.

Here I am locked into 8 more months of DirecTV, weak moment! I just received my latest bill, noting a $2 monthly raise in my basic package. I was aware of the $2 raise on my Netflix subscription a few months back commencing in May-June? My CostCo membership is going up an additional $5 sometime in the next year. My wife's Medicare Vantage plan went up $19 monthly in Jan '16, my plan is for 'diabetic' so somehow I missed that bullet. Our auto insurance went up an additional $12 semi-annually ($24 yearly) in Mar '16, I'm waiting for the July bill for our homeowners insurance that I'm sure will climb.

All minor, granted but on the whole they start adding up. It's the $10 bills that sabotage your budget not the big ones, you know about them. Haven't been notified that my AARP membership may go up, but could conceivably happen. I lost my 25% discount at Papa John's so now we drive through the pickup at Domino's to treat my grandkids. I pre-pay for an ambulance ride in case I or my wife need it, that jumped in 2015. We've never used it, more of a co-pay insurance.

The DirecTV will be canceled in Dec, preparing myself for that call. I will have to accept the CostCo jump, because of the $5 rotisserie chicken. My auto insurance needs to be looked at, I switch usually every 1 or 2 years, find they offer introductory fees for the first year or so, before the increases start. Netflix lineup for May is dismal to say the least, some of the movies included have been done to death on my basic DirecTV package. One example, 'The Replacements' & 'Sixteen Candles' both been on DirecTV almost daily. Most of their new shows are self-produced, can't say much about their quality but they will endorse their own shows first & want me to pay for it.

After all those 'little' jumps, I'm reminded that I'm on a fixed income & my SS stayed the same in Jan '16. Our savings interest is minimal, expecting them to offer negative rates in the future. If that happens then out she comes, put it in a sock under our mattress. Netflix once again will be history. Only thing my AARP discount gives me now is $.50 off my Consumer Cellular wireless monthly bill - $6 a year. Will probably give that up.

I was made aware of the offerings at our library from a few of our residents, books but more important to me is the massive list of movies they carry. I browsed the catalog noting many, many older classic movies, along with new releases that are available including 'The Replacements' & 'Sixteen Candles' all for free. I have a large (300) collection of movies from my working days & the thought crossed my mind to offer them as donations to the library. I have also been going over to our local Walmart's Redbox machines (2) to get myself newly released movies on occasion. Probably spent less than $10 last month, saw 'Bridge of Spies', 'The Intern', 'The Martian' during the last two weeks, waiting for 'The Revenant' coming out in May.
 
Daily or not log for April 26, 2016

My wife's Win 10 laptop needed tweaking, I usually run BleachBit, Glary Utilities, Revo Uninstaller, update her free Avast virus protection,,,etc. I try to do it on a weekly basis, if only she would allow me to trash Windows & install a Linux distro my life would be easier. I have to isolate her, turn off her bluetooth, helps to keep the possibility of an intrusion low. Today I found that her Avast program had installed a web browser called 'SafeZone', can't say whether she replied to a prompt or it was installed during the upgrade that seems to happen frequently. I couldn't remove it through the normal apps, Revo Unstall or Windows, so it remains in limbo after I canceled the shortcut. If only I could convince her to come over to the dark side.

Second entry - my trip to Vegas

What got me thinking about the pursuit of happiness in my life, GAMBLING! Stems from helping my next door neighbor obtain airline tickets for a concert in Las Vegas this coming Aug. He's totally computer illiterate, wanted to surprise his companion with the flight news to complement their concert tickets & hotel reservations. Booking the flight was a breeze, discovering the fees charged for additional items was an eye opener. After finalizing his purchase I pointed out that the price was more than 175% of the original price quoted. He wanted baggage, both carry on & checked, assigned seating & since my printer was on ink life support, he needed the airlines to print his boarding passes. All fee based, luckily the flight was only two (2) hours so meals were not an issue. His total price for all was well over $1,400.

I started thinking more & more about Vegas, I decided to plan a trip. My health has vastly improved, weight has dropped to a human level. My wife abhors gambling & missing a free trip is something she can live without. I first looked into a road trip, it would take 2 days of travel with a layover in Utah, if I chose to go that way. Otherwise it was a 14-16 hour drive through some of the harshest country the west has to offer. If I broke down I had to decide what a lonely senior would do in an emergency. Driving was out, next I looked into rail travel, 35 hours making multiple connection changes with either bus or train. Sleeping in an upright position, nope rail was out! I even looked into bus travel 25 hours stopping at every burg changing buses, lugging baggage. Bus travel was out! I decided to face my fears & check airlines.

After much research & input I found I could take a 2 hour flight, have a free shuttle pick me up at the airport, drop me off at my hotel/casino, return the same way 5 days later, stay 4 nights in the hotel, have a free buffet each morning all for less than $385 total, what was I thinking? It's the only & most logical decision.

Third Entry - Health

On Monday Apr 25th I went for my wellness check up & CBC, this evening they had posted my numbers. One note as a result of being diabetic you learn to monitor your health closely, it's a balancing act to eat right, get proper sleep, take your meds & get exercise to maintain your BS. I am between a rock & hard spot, you need to eat, no skipping meals. I rose on the 25th, tested my glucose, ate breakfast, took my meds. Went to the doctor, one of questions was have you eaten, yes 2 hours ago. The PC came in also noted I'd eaten said he wants to do a complete CBC. All my numbers were great, every one was within the range expected. My good Cholesterol was high normal, my bad had risen since Jan but was still within normal range, my triglyceride levels had dropped by 1/3 were mid range of normal. My A1C was 5.0% in Jan it was 5.3%. Average BS was 97, Jan was 108. I felt my numbers were great but of course my bad cholesterol rise will probably be noted on my follow up letter. I pointed out to my PC that I know you need to fast 12 hours prior to a CBC but being diabetic it's not advisable to skip meals, so what do you do? He nodded, pursed his lips & agreed. My BS count was 82 at the time of the CBC.
 
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April 27th, 2016

One of my favorite & oft time quotes I use is from a Dirty Harry movie, Clint said, 'A man's got to know his limitations'. My wife & I have been updating/remodeling our main bathroom. The couple we purchased the home from had a jetted tub & nice shower installed before, their son was a plumber. The tub was shaped something like a 3 leaf clover. It was supposed to be a 2 seater, I never used it in the 5 years we've lived here, my wife used it once (the g-kids love it, too bad!). We strictly use the shower. My wife wanted to do a few changes, you know how that goes, one thing leads to another.

Knowing my wife, I made an innocent comment after her lament about the white elephant tub. 'I have no problem if you want to get rid of it'. Next thing I knew she had hammer & pry bar in hand banging away at the tile & skirting. Next day our SIL was over helping remove it, stub off the water supply & haul it out in the carport. Now we had a 5 ft wide empty space. Built in storage, upper & lower cabinets was her solution. Our SIL installs cabinet & counter tops for a living. I also questioned the idea that, 'Why do they make vanities so short?' I have a bad back, bending over to wash my hands, brush my teeth is a chore. Next thing I know we were discussing replacing that along with new cabinets (same height as kitchen cabinets). Ca-Ching more expense!

We had remodeled our former home but both of us were in better shape & younger. Now we had the finances to hire it done. She called the plumber, needed to redirect the water to the shower, cap drains, put shut off valves on the supply line to the vanity, replace the commode, new flange, new wax ring. Why not redo the floor, we've done laminate flooring so to Home Depot we went. Over the next few weeks we purchased custom made cabinets, vanity, flooring, commode, cabinet tops & many sundry items to complete the replacements. We're almost done, purchased the molding but not cutting & installing until this weekend.

I shuddered to think what it has cost us, but by most standards it wasn't as bad as I thought. We got the cabinet tops installed at discount because of our SIL, the custom made cabinets are all wood rather than fiber board & found a great inexpensive shop that made them. My wife painted all, textured the walls to match the rest of the room. She mentioned yesterday after the plumber had left that we have paid them over $700 for their 3 visits. Paid $900 for the cabinets, paid SIL's company $600 for the cabinet tops & sink, paid HD at least $750 for the many visits there. So a very rough estimate is somewhere in the $2,500 neighborhood & we & SIL did most of the labor. The only original item still remaining is the nice shower. One last purchase needed is a mirror, luckily that is not a major expense, surprisingly.

Turned out real nice, my daughter said we should put in a little table with side chair to enjoy it better.

Additional thought - Since our 2011 relocation & manufactured home purchase (original cost $8,000, heck've of a buy from a motivated seller) we have removed all the carpet & installed laminate flooring in the 2 bedrooms, living & dining area, extended the depth of our patio by 4 feet with new cement. Removed & enlarged (4X12 to 8X20) our raised front porch/w new metal roofing. Removed 60 feet of a towering ivy incrusted arborvitae hedge replaced with a 6' cedar fence including cemented posts. Remodeled our main bathroom as noted. All of this was done mainly by my wife with me helping where I was physically able too. Each time she finished she declared, 'This is my last project', don't be fooled she still wants to update & remodel our kitchen. She did mentioned also last week that all she's going to do with the little bathroom is paint, yah right! Only thing I want to do is remodel our main bedroom closet to make it more usable & attractive.

Card games at the senior center - Rejoined my cribbage group this afternoon, some old some new, hadn't been there for 8 months. I was wrapped up with managing my diabetes. As of monday my PC doctor took me off the short acting noon injection. I was having low BS around 4 PM, I had been reducing my long acting myself by 1/3, was still hitting a low spell in early afternoon. Low carb lunch (scrambled eggs, hemp hearts, bell peppers & small avocado). Anyway I enjoyed the interaction with my fellow seniors. We play for a quarter a game dbl on skunk, Quarter in the kitty for a 24 count & a quarter to play at the front desk. Usually play 3 hours mostly to break even, 10-12 compete. Played cribbage since my late teens, hold my own can't make a living doing it. Pretty cheap entertainment.
 
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Tiny Home - MY Great American Camp Out

Been interested in the 'Tiny' home movement. After watching different reality shows I came away with my own take on it. We own an 8 acre heavily forested plot high up in the Sawtooth mountains, near a large reservoir & river. It's an area frequented by camping, fishing, canoing, hiking & ATV trails, boating & hunting. The area is accessible by passenger auto from April thru Oct. Weather is mild with normal rainfall during the spring, summer & fall. Heavy snows from late Nov thru late Mar. My total yearly expenses for the 8 acres amount to less than $350 including HOA fees & taxes. Currently my son uses it for a storage area, got to put a halt to that.

To avoid more expenses & taxes I have no desire to build on it, only use it as a long term family camp site. There are no utilities other than a neighbor's deep well. Cost to install one would be prohibitive, more than I am willing to spend at this time. We have looked into solar, wind & fuel cells, again costly. Several of the reality shows have different formats. One is for the DIY's, both novice & handyman. One is for the house hunters, mostly complaining about storage & space (what do they expect of the 'tiny' home concept?). One is for the uber rich who can well afford to have one built for upwards of $60K plus.

My physical abilities have diminished so DIY is probably out, the purchase of an existing one is also out. I can't afford more than my current home to have one built. I'm just looking for a self contained unit that we can live in year round. A self-contained 5th wheeler is the answer, you can purchase a decent used unit for less than $20-25K that will meet our needs, a decent used pickup large & powerful enough can be obtained for $15-20K, both units can be resold in the event of my passing, while a DIY 'tiny' home will not meet all needs or tastes for reselling.

I can pull the 5th wheel to Laughlin, NV during the 5 winter months, back to my mountain top again for the other 7. Our current living expenses are close to $16,500 annually. I could easily cut that down to an estimated $11K by following my plan, total includes commuting/dray-age plus space rent in LV ($600 monthly).

When we first retired our goal was to minimize our needs, downsize & relocate to a milder climate. I discussed it thoroughly with my wife who is somewhat reluctant to give it a go without a trial run, I think next year 2017 barring any major problems will be my target date for that. We'll shudder the house/our daughter will be the caretaker during our absence.
 
All my life I ate eggs, I fought with my mother & sisters over my love of eggs. They would argue about how unhealthy they are for me. How I will have hardening of the arteries, heart disease & probably die an early death. My wife & daughters took up the fight later on. Eggs were the devil's workshop. At Easter time they would hid the colored eggs until they spoiled so that I wouldn't eat them. I would boil up 3 doz, make pickled eggs, then eat them all over a few weeks along with my usual breakfast that always included eggs. I consume at least 2 doz a week now, yep 2 doz! I'm 71 got a clean bill of health from my PC doctor, cardiologist, ophthalmologist, oncologist & the labs that have done the 3 blood tests in the last 2 months. I was reading another article about healthly foods, eggs are a 'super' food. To all of the naysayers, I thumb my nose at you! You can have your egg white omelettes. Here is their list of 12 benefits of eating eggs.

You’ll boost your immune system

If you don’t want to play chicken with infections, viruses and diseases, add an egg or two to your diet daily. Just one large egg contains almost a quarter (22%) of your RDA of selenium, a nutrient that helps support your immune system and regulate thyroid hormones. Kids should eat eggs, especially. If children and adolescents don’t get enough selenium, they could develop Keshan disease and Kashin-Beck disease, two conditions that can affect the heart, bones and joints.

You’ll improve your cholesterol profile

There are three ideas about cholesterol that practically everyone knows: 1) High cholesterol is a bad thing; 2) There are good and bad kinds of cholesterol; 3) Eggs contain plenty of it. Doctors are generally most concerned with the ratio of “good” cholesterol (HDL) to bad cholesterol (LDL). One large egg contains 212 mg of cholesterol, but this doesn’t mean that eggs will raise the "bad" kind in the blood. The body constantly produces cholesterol on its own, and a large body of evidence indicates that eggs can actually improve your cholesterol profile. How? Eggs seem to raise HDL (good) cholesterol while increasing the size of LDL particles.

You’ll reduce your risk of heart disease

LDL cholesterol became known as "bad" cholesterol because LDL particles transport their fat molecules into artery walls, and drive atherosclerosis — basically, gumming up of the arteries. (HDL particles, by contrast, can remove fat molecules from artery walls.) But not all LDL particles are made equal, and there are various subtypes that differ in size. Bigger is definitely better — many studies have shown that people who have predominantly small, dense LDL particles have a higher risk of heart disease than people who have mostly large LDL particles. Here’s the beauty part: Even if eggs tend to raise LDL cholesterol in some people, studies show that the LDL particles change from small and dense to large, slashing the risk of cardiovascular problems.

You'll have more get-up-and-go

Just one egg contains about 15% of your RDA of vitamin B2, also called riboflavin. It’s just one of eight B vitamins, which all help the body to convert food into fuel, which in turn is used to produce energy.

Your skin and hair will improve

B-complex vitamins are also necessary for healthy skin, hair, eyes, and liver. (In addition to vitamin B2, eggs are also rich in B5 and B12.) They also help to ensure the proper function of the nervous system.

You’ll protect your brain

Eggs are brain food. That's largely because of an essential nutrient called choline. It’s a component of cell membranes and is required to synthesize acetylcholine, a neurotransmitter. Studies have shown that a lack of choline has been linked to neurological disorders and decreased cognitive function. Shockingly, more than 90% of Americans eat less than the daily recommended amount of choline, according to a U.S. dietary survey.

You'll save your life

Among the lesser-known amazing things the body can do: It can make 11 essential amino acids, which are necessary to sustain life. Thing is, there are 20 essential amino acids that your body needs. Guess where the other 9 can be found? That's right. A lack of those 9 amino acids can lead to muscle wasting, decreased immune response, weakness, fatigue, and changes to the texture of your skin and hair.

You'll have less stress and anxiety

If you're deficient in the 9 amino acids that can be found in an egg, it can have mental effects. A 2004 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences described how supplementing a population’s diet with lysine significantly reduced anxiety and stress levels, possibly by modulating serotonin in the nervous system.

You’ll protect your peepers

Two antioxidants found in eggs — lutein and zeaxanthin — have powerful protective effects on the eyes. You won’t find them in a carton of Egg Beaters — they only exist in the yolk. The antioxidants significantly reduce the risk of macular degeneration and cataracts, which are among the leading causes of vision impairment and blindness in the elderly. In a study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, participants who ate 1.3 egg yolks per day for four-and-a-half weeks saw increased blood levels of zeaxanthin by 114-142% and lutein by 28-50%!

You’ll improve your bones and teeth

Eggs are one of the few natural sources of Vitamin D, which is important for the health and strength of bones and teeth. It does this primarily by aiding the absorption of calcium. (Calcium, incidentally, is important for a healthy heart, colon and metabolism.)

You’ll feel fuller and eat less

Eggs are such a good source of quality protein that all other sources of protein are measured against them. (Eggs get a perfect score of 100.) Many studies have demonstrated the effect of high-protein foods on appetite. Simply put, they take the edge off. You might not be surprised to learn that eggs score high on a scale called the Satiety Index, a measure of how much foods contribute to the feeling of fullness.

You'll lose fat

Largely because of their satiating power, eggs have been linked with fat loss. A study on this produced some remarkable results: Over an eight-week period, people ate a breakfast of either eggs or bagels, which contained the same amount of calories. The egg group lost 65% more body weight, 16% more body fat, experienced a 61% greater reduction in BMI and saw a 34% greater reduction in waist circumference!

My paternal grandmother loved her eggs also, I can remember as a child how I would go with my dad for a visit on Saturday mornings, a large plate of butter fried eggs, home fries, thick cut bacon & baking powder biscuits. My favorite were the eggs, the biscuits were the vessel to get the yoke to my mouth. She lived to 92, lost her mind but still had eggs every morning. My father lived to 94, died after a fall but had eggs up until 2 days before his passing. Neither were joggers, hikers or much into any exercise, just hard working people who loved their eggs. Dad & her never drank soda, only coffee (hot & black). Wouldn't eat margerine only real butter. Both outlived every doctor who advised them to eat more healthy.
 
As I worked in the tech field, I developed my own personal preferences, I hated phones & anything to do with them. Grew to distrust MicroSoft & embraced 'Open Source'. I have spent the last 15 years pushing, basically making a pest of myself endorsing open source over proprietary. I kept my then simple flip phone available for travel & emergencies, scoffing at how young & old have become more & more addicted to their screens. I have now moved on still locked in the OS arena but am more willing to see what is out there. My wireless provider upgraded & no longer supported my flip phone's technology so I was forced to get on board with an android (linux) smart phone. I could have went with an upgraded flip phone but the cost was reasonable to obtain a smart phone.

I done the basic setup back in Feb '16, powered it off to save battery & only carried it when I went on solo errands. During that time one of the members who also uses OS posted about getting an android tablet from Amazon for less than $100. I got interested & followed suit. Now it was up to me to start using it. I played around with it but realized that a tablet is lacking in comparison to a laptop. I sat it aside next to my phone. We get an occasional visit from our g-grandchildren, the oldest, a boy was showing interest in tablet games (MineCraft) so after my experience with turning him loose with the remote for our ROKU, I figured he could handle the tablet.

He soon had 10-12 'free' games loaded, swiping away, laughing & totally mesmerized playing the games. I kept it charged for his visits because his parents wouldn't let him play his own tablet for more than an hour at home. They set rules that as a grandparent I ignored. The thing that riled me was they wanted him to restrict his interest all the while they were glued to their phones. I allowed him total control of the device. Soon I realized one of the first things is to obtain a clear protective cover for the screen if you use a stylus. He swiped & swiped until the screen started looking like the plastic auto headlight lenses that need restoration.

I then got more interested in my planned junket to Las Vegas, won't go back into that story. I realized that I had no desire to hassle with a laptop or tablet, just another thing to keep track of. I knew I needed my cell, so it became apparent I needed to learn how to use it. After charging it up I jumped in with both feet. I brought up the .pdf instruction booklet that was online on my laptop. I downloaded apps, connected to my email account, CU account, retirement account, facebook & anything I figured I needed while casino hopping. I enabled bluetooth, connected to my network. Darn I can see how addictive they can become. I still power it off when not in use. Use my laptop when home but it will come in handy in LV.

The only thing I will need for the trip will be to activate text/data for the month I plan to travel. It will only cost $10 extra & can be removed monthly, but is imperative to connect through my wireless service rather than the free wifi offered by so many hotels, coffee shops or cafes. Browsing can be done on those open connections but anything personal or financial needs to be on a more secure source. I must remember to take the power cord!
 
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