I just finished doing today’s Los Angeles Times crossword puzzle. Later, I’ll do the New York Times crossword. I do it online. I started doing crossword puzzles during Covid as a way to pass the time. But somehow I’ve become addicted, and I’ve continued doing them pretty much every day, long after […]
Have you ever caught yourself thinking about a “want,” only to realize that you’ve been thinking about that same “want” in your midlife season for years and have made zero progress towards it? It can feel discouraging enough to cause you to put it back on the shelf and tell yourself, “Not today…maybe someday” or […]
Big product recalls from last week included an exploding aerosol air freshener for linens, an exercise bicycle with loose pedals, canvas shoes with toxic chemicals, and a garment cleaner that can cause burns. I’m sharing details about the largest one, the garment steamer that has burned 32 people, two of which were second-degree burns. Empower […]
Yesterday I got my second shingles shot. And today I don’t feel very good. The same thing happened after my first shot, back in May. I didn’t get a cough or a sore throat; didn’t have a headache. Well, maybe today I have a little headache. I also have a low-grade […]
Being a consumer and personal finance journalist has many rewards. However, the consumer safety part of it can be gut wrenching. Reading about how the intestines of kids can be sucked out by spa and swimming pool drains, how kids who slump over in an inclined sleeper can die from suffocation, and how kids can […]
Recalls were in the news last week more than usual. Italian pork sausage contaminated with thin blue rubber. Catastrophic engine failure on some Ford Broncos. Pine-Sol cleaners that may contain bacteria. Nearly every vehicle Rivian has produced this year. I picked out a wall-mounted basketball hoop to write about because it caused the death of […]
How your perception of time is the best gauge of your fulfillment. As I age, the one thing I want more of in my midlife is time. I’d love to spend more time with my family, my wife, and my daughters, but I’ll never get an unlimited supply of those precious minutes. So instead, what […]
Recently, I wrote about how price-gouging by corporations is responsible for a third or more of the inflation consumers are experiencing these days. Now, another instance of corporate wrongdoing that’s costing consumers millions has been exposed. Tyson Foods, the largest chicken producer in the nation, will pay $10.5 million to settle a lawsuit from the […]
Getting older in America is a challenge many ways. And, it seems that the older I get, the more ageism I face, especially from the medical community. My blogger friends are thinking and writing about aging, too. Here are their thoughts on the topic: Aging Aging is no territory for sissies. The senior years can […]
Have you reached a crossroads in your life? Are you feeling called towards a new direction, one that requires soul searching, reflection, and a pivot? Have you done in life what you set out to do: Establish a career, start a family, accumulate wealth, climb the ladder, build relationships, establish yourself in this world? Have […]
