EZEtoGRU

I’m more concerned with the quality of the on-board service of US carriers than I am about the plane crashing. I’ve never seen such a sorry state of service on domestic U.S. flights in almost 40 years of heavy flying. I normally fly in the premium cabins. Even transcons in the First or business cabin have turned into a real shitshow. Anyway, that’s a topic for a different thread.

Based on forecast models, my greatest concern is for desert California communities such as Borrego Springs, Indio, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree, etc. Coastal California may be OK. As others have said, the main concern is rain and flooding. Be safe folks!!

Yep. That section between Miami and FTL crosses very busy roads and the train goes quite slow. I've been on it 2 or 3 times already. Service was fine and they have shiny new stations in both cities. Every time I have been on it, the loads were very lite. I do remember thinking at the time that I would not be surprised if the train (at least on that segment) would likely be involved in quite a few accidents. To me, it really is not a true high-speed train. Real high speed trains mostly go under/over road traffic to maximize speed and safety. That has not been provisioned for on the segment I travelled on. North of FTL, I have no clue it the train has less interaction with road traffic. I'm also curious how profitable an operation it is or will be. I wish them well. I'm all for increasing rail travel in the US when possible and practical.

Thanks for the input. I do have an appointment for my annual physical in early October so I do plan to have this as a major topic of conversation with my doctor. I started reducing my alcohol intake early this year so that's one thing. Also, I have been working more on my weight this year so that should also help. It seems to me I was tested for H. pylori way back when I first went on Nexium but I will ask about that again. I was first prescribed Nexium when it was only available by prescription but it became available OTC pretty quickly after. It's possible it was not a full 15 years I have been on it. Maybe it's 10-12 years. TBH, I am reluctant to stop taking Nexium as it has served me well the whole time I have been on it. Having said that, I don't like the thought of a 33% increased risk of dementia. Again, thanks for your comments.

This is not just a Men's Health issue but this forum seemed to be the best place for the topic. A recent study has identified a link between the prolonged use (more than 4.4 years) of proton pump inhibitors and increased risk (33%) of dementia. OTC drugs like Nexium, Prilosec, and Prevacid fall into this drug class. This concerns me greatly as I take Nexium once per day. About 15 years ago, Tums stopped working for me and my acid reflux was becoming very problematic. I moved over to Nexium and started taking it daily and have ever since. I'm sure I'm not the only one here that does this. I obviously don't want to increase my risk of dementia in future years. I'm wondering what I should do. Anyone else have these concerns? Popular heartburn medicine increases dementia risk by 33%. What to know to stay safe. WWW.USATODAY.COM People who took acid reflux drugs for more than 4 years faced a 33% greater likelihood of developing dementia

Meh. Is he handsome? Yes. Is the strawberry blond hair sexy? Yes. Is his meager endowment hot? Not really. I'm over it. End of story.

Count me among those not surprised at all as I always assumed he was at least bi. I think his brief "fill-in" roll as Lola in Kinky Boots sealed it for me. All the best to Wayne!

I agree that it seems the regulations are not as tight as they used to be regarding headlights. Also, I bet there is very little enforcement to ensure headlights are in compliance with the regulations. I am sure there are aftermarket headlights sold that are not compliant with the law. 30-50 years ago, police would stop people for things like this (overly bright headlights). I doubt that happens much today. ...and don't get me started on another pet peeve of mine regarding vehicles: Windows tinted so dark that you literally cannot see the person inside. Again, the police used to stop cars for having their windows tinted too dark. Today, the police would be too afraid to stop such a car out of fear that the driver might have a weapon they cannot see.

What?? So I point out the behaviors a poster has done in the past and then I am accused of making fun of Autism & Asperger??? Mary you need to lay off the alcohol.

Ask him how many times he has complained about his home market and then moved to a new market...and then complained about the new market😉.

All is good. Americans continue to feel better about inflation and the economy: Americans continue to feel better about inflation and the economy | CNN Business WWW.CNN.COM US consumers have been feeling a whole lot better this summer as inflation has continued to slow.

Sad to hear she's gone. She had a troubled life for many years...mental illness. Sadly, she lost a son to suicide not so long ago which had to be traumatic for her. Rightly or wrongly, I always considered her to be a one-hit wonder. For the last 25 years, I never heard much about her except when she was missing, threating suicide, or being hospitalized for one thing or another. Her illness had to be exhausting for her.

It seems some theatres were running a "Barbenheimer" special that would allow the moviegoer to see Barbie and Oppenheimer back-to-back. Has anyone seen both movies? If so, what did you think? I'm thinking of taking mom to the movies next week and would like some input. I read one review from a woman that saw both. In the end, she liked Barbie more. She felt it was faster-paced and surprisingly deeper in message than what she was expecting. She found Oppenheimer interesting at times but dull and slow in other moments....oh...and utterly too long. Any input would be appreciated.

You are right. I was just in Montreal and spent three nights around the village. I felt completely safe, saw very few homeless people, and never got pan-handled once. I would say The Village has changed compared 20 years ago. However, to me, it's basically the same as it has been for the last 7-8 years. So I would say it's pretty stable now. Like you, I don't seek hotels in The Village any more. Been there done that 30 years ago but not now. Obviously, to each his own.

Same for my Chase Sapphire Account. I think any major US bank offers a premium checking account that allows international ATM withdrawals without charging a fee and does the transaction at the prevailing foreign exchange rate at the time. Easy peasy. Even if you're only going to Canada and/or Mexico 2-3 times per year, this is much better than changing money at airports or foreign exchange offices. Obviously just my 2 cents.

Agreed. Delete this thread now.

I think we can all agree there is really no inflation problem in the US right now. The trend has been towards lowering inflation for more than a year. The Fed may raise rates one more time this week just to finish the job. I see no further rate increases this year (since there is no longer an inflation issue) unless there is another oil crisis or a major COVID resurgence. Hard to predict.

The quicker Twitter, or X, swirls down the toilet into the sewer the better off society will be. Well done Mr Musk !

Yes but can a smart techy fix a lousy attitude?

We now have the longest consecutive market rally since 2017…and inflation keeps falling!!

Yes the economy seems to be full steam ahead…even as inflation continues to abate. The Stock market is loving it!

Wow. I have not seen Travis for years. His stripper days started at Twist in Miami Beach way back when. Great photo!!

Inflation in 2021/2022 was a global phenomenon driven primarily by the consequences of COVID. The US has managed this situation better than most countries and is seeing the positive results through the monthly inflation numbers. As far as a potential US recession goes, people like Jamie Dimon and Elon Musk have been preaching doom and gloom now for more than two years. Yet the recession hasn't happened. Beyond the improving inflation situation, monthly employment numbers have proved to be very resilient for more than two years now. We still need many more workers in this country. That can be a topic for another thread😉.

or North of the border.

Positive inflation news out today. This is definitely a trend as inflation has been falling for 12 straight months now. Separately, I read something yesterday about Florida being the inflation hot-spot in the country currently. US inflation cooled in June for the 12th straight month | CNN Business WWW.CNN.COM What a difference a year makes.