I'm Not Sure Stealing From Overflowing Salvation Army Donation Bins Is Stealing

The video was embarrassing for the two local women accused of stealing donated clothes from a Salvation  Army donation dumpster, and I'm sure catching them in the act and posting it as a news story will be enough to get these women to stop. I'm just wondering how bad the whole thing really is.

Don't Thank A Veteran This Memorial Day

I saw a Nextdoor post from a veteran who said what I've always said (but was a little apprehensive to say too loudly). Memorial Day is our day to remember those who have fallen for their country while serving.

PLEASE REMEMBER!!! As I see the Memorial Day weekend begin, I am seeing signs over town. "Honor a Veteran this weekend. Honor our Vets." etc. I feel the need to let everyone know, as a Veteran, we have our day. It is called Veterans Day November 11th. Memorial Day is not for the living, it is for the dead. PLEASE DO NOT COMBINE THE TWO! I feel it is disrespectful to our fallen when you add the living to this holiday. So this Memorial Day, don't thank me for my service, visit a cemetery and thank our fallen brothers and sisters who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.

$50 - $60 Frontier Flights JAX to MKE

Non-stop. Cheap. Convenient.

It's not in time for our family vacation to Wisconsin this summer, but Frontier flights 814 and 815 will be flying non-stop flights between Jacksonville, FL, and Milwaukee, WI. The flights I found in September were for between $50 and $60. Other new cities have been added, too. I think I saw KC, and that would have been useful last year when I spent $350+ each time one way from JAX.

Local Chevy Dealerships React to Words and Thoughts

I suppose I was expecting more out of car dealerships. And these businesses mostly sell Chevys, not Cadillacs, so I have to give them some slack. However, I also remember working at a car dealership and seeing that it was a big deal for some guys to sell a mere ten cars in a month. That's why I was disappointed that my email sent to nine local Chevy dealerships largely went ignored. But it got me to thinking that the salesmen that need targeting (the ones who sell around 10 cars a month) probably aren't the ones who are allowed to answer the company email. Instead, those are dedicated internet marketers, who send out form letters and probably still sell twice as many cars (assuming they're in sales at all). The long and short of it is that I was terribly disappointed in the response I got from what I felt was a well-written email with a simple request. 

Why Are So Many People Saying They Got Their Title Back With Title Max?

I understand that there's a market for short-term, high-interest loans. And I know that it's not something anyone wants to have to do. When I first heard the jingle for Title Max, I assumed it was some kind of loan that paid off other title loans so that you'd still have the title to your car somehow. But not really. Getting your title back with Title Max is actually what happens AFTER you pay back the Title Max loan because it is a title loan.

Trying To Understand RIP Medical Debt

I totally understand why we'd want to forgive medical debt for veterans and others in need. In Jacksonville, it's all about vets, but the company RIP Medical Debt technically can do the same thing for all debtors. What the company does is good, I guess, but it's a weird good that shouldn't exist.

Now Could Be The Time To Go EV Or Hybrid Or Cruzin

I guess you could say I've already owned a hybrid vehicle. Three, in fact, as I ran two Mercedes-Benzes and a Suburban on diesel/vegetable oil. But I'm probably not going back to that method of saving the environment. I did start to look into solar panels for the house or maybe an EV car. Right now could be the time to pull the trigger on the car, especially if we could get all the GM and government incentives. I'm looking at the Bolt EV and the Volt Hybrid, but it would have to be the right deal.

Sinkholes In JAX or Not

I'd heard about the Florida sinkholes before. When my wife first wanted to drag me here several years ago, I told her I didn't want to disappear forever down a sinkhole, even if there is some potential poetry to that way of going. When I saw a report about sinkholes in Ocala, and it was referred to as Sinkhole Alley, I decided to see if Jacksonville has a sinking feeling.

Dr. G Medical Examiner - I Remember That Story

Dr. G said it herself that no one really knew much about medical examiners beyond Quincy. Today, we know other TV shows that make CSI, NCIS, or Forensics seem not weird at all, and that's probably the goal of the Dr. G show. Quincy was pretty awesome, though.

Is Your Average Monthly Spending Average For JAX?

Bank of America has this goofy tool that shows monthly spending based on zip code. I am sure it's not terribly accurate, since people use multiple sources of their money to spend (like other credit cards), but it does provide some percentages that might be useful for comparison. Actually, the link is for Better Money Habits and Khan Academy, so maybe it is more useful than just other BOA member stats. I'm not sure, but I'll take a look at it, anyhow.

Car Crashes into Sorority House; Not Exciting

Not a Jacksonville Sorority

I had visions of Animal House or Revenge of the Nerds dancing in my head when I heard that a car crashed into a local sorority house. I guess I was expecting too much, like that the car crash interrupted a pillow fight. Or that it was because of some kind of campus love triangle. Something titillating.

But this is Jacksonville.