February 2009

Consumer Reports: Renew, or not?

February 17, 2009

I run hot and cold on Consumer Reports, the organ of Consumers Union, the nonprofit that has appointed itself the guardian of your interests and mine. In general, I do feel supportive of CU, because it has done some remarkable and excellent things for the common good. And since I can’t donate to every worthy [...]

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Layoff Poker: Will the bosses tip their hand?

February 16, 2009

Here’s a development: The brand-new director of our sister program, who hasn’t a clue but who does have a six-figure salary and commensurate clout, e-mailed to ask what our office could provide by way of assistantships or internships for her graduate students. What openings, she inquired, would be available over the summer and next fall? [...]

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The grocery pool

February 15, 2009

The pooling scheme I came up with for budgeting has worked exceptionally well. In short, all inflowing cash goes into a single checking account at the credit union. From there, the amount needed to cover recurring monthly expenditures, such as utility and insurance bills, goes into an account from which EFTs are drawn, automatically paying [...]

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Place-holder: More food!

February 14, 2009

Long day. Lots of scheming while shopping, wherefrom hangs a new story, which I’ll tell tomorrow. For the nonce: three sheets to the wind, having consumed all of 1.5 bourbons & water. Do your drinking while you’re young, ye pups…’cause when you get to be an Old Bat or Buzzard, your boozing days will be [...]

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Got a freezer? Now’s the time to stock up

February 13, 2009

It looks like this is the time to hoard up some food, if you havesomeplace to store it anda few extra bucks. CBS MarketWatch reports that deflationary pressures have pushed prices about as low as they’re likely to go. Everything from soup & nuts to automobiles is marked down. Earlier this week I found some [...]

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Creepy, creepy night

February 13, 2009

Three in the morning, how I hate it. Woke up an hour ago. Night noises. The house creaks, snaps, pops, and crackles all night long, especially when temperatures drop sharply at night. The beams in the attic make bright snapping sounds, and the ductwork grumbles to itself. I’ve lived in houses that made settling sounds, [...]

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