Does it matter that there are too many residential real estate agents? Yes, says a consumer group. More than 1.5 million residential agents, including brokers, compete for home sales usually totaling 5 to 6 million annually. The plethora of real estate agents comes with costs, according to a study by the Consumer Federation of America, […]
To help consumers, the Biden administration is cracking down on junk fees, price-fixing and price gouging on food, and mergers. President Joe Biden announced the actions Wednesday the day before the fifth meeting of White House Competition Council, which he appointed in 2021. The council is made up of 10 cabinet members and the heads […]
Years ago before the pandemic, I used to take sliced pineapple to parties for an appetizer. I remember taking overripe pineapples back to Costco and returning them to Safeway as well. It seemed like the quality varied widely with the pineapples often being too ripe and even rotten. When I had a tea party Friday, […]
Have you been able to purchase any decent celery lately? Although celery isn’t one of my favorite vegetables, and it’s not one of the more nutrient-packed ones, I do like to eat it once in a while. In addition, I’ve just started drinking smoothies and celery is a good thing to add occasionally along with […]
Today’s my birthday. Yes, I do get a lot of “May the Fourth be with you” comments. I just shrug it off that my birthday, to some, is an unofficial Star Wars holiday. Since I’m an older adult, I’m thinking a lot today about friends and relatives that I’ve celebrated birthdays with in the past […]
Earth Day is a good reminder of what to do every day and throughout the year for the health of the planet. I spend a lot of time on it. I know many people do, too. The theme for this year’s Earth Day is Invest in Our Planet. What Americans are doing for planet health […]
It’s important to reduce the amount of pesticides in food that you and your children are exposed to. One way to do that is to be aware of the amount of pesticides that may be on the fruits and vegetables you buy. Thirty years after a National Academies of Sciences study warning of the dangers […]
Since my daughter lives in California, I’ve been fortunate to go wine tasting several times. Sonoma County is my favorite county for wine tasting. My daughter Lisa had been wine tasting in Napa County. She said it was expensive, so we tried Sonoma County instead. It was a big hit. Able to get a deal […]
I’ve written about antibiotic resistance a number of times, and I have a section on it in the draft book on my journalism work. What is antibiotic resistance? Antibiotic resistance happens when germs such as bacteria and fungi develop the ability to defeat the drugs designed to kill them. That means the germs aren’t killed […]
Have you been frustrated because you’ve wanted to repair your electronics or appliances or find a less expensive place for repairs to be made other than through the manufacturer? Eighty-four percent of Americans said they agreed with a policy to require manufacturers to make repair information and parts available either to independent repair professionals or […]
