For more than a year and a half, I’ve been writing about consumer issues on The Survive and Thrive Boomer Guide. I want to know if I’m covering the topics that are important to you. Please sign up for my blog’s feed and give me feedback on the posts I’m... Read more →
These difficult economic times are changing retirement plans for many baby boomers. Some boomers are delaying retirement. Others are looking at options for retirement that they hadn’t considered before, such as moving to a lower cost community or working part time. Regardless of your situation, it’s more important than ever... Read more →
About 155,000 Philips Senseo one-cup coffeemakers are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. An electrical fault and the build-up of calcium from hard or medium water can cause an obstruction in the coffeemaker. If this happens, the boiler can burst, posing a burn hazard to consumers, according... Read more →
The sun came out today for the Procession of the Species, the 15th time residents of Olympia, Wash., have gathered to draw attention to endangered species and our relationship to the earth. A group of citizens in Olympia was looking for a way to recognize Earth Day’s 25th Anniversary and... Read more →
Since I was a child, I’ve been concerned about pesticide exposure. Growing up in Central Washington, I was sprayed with pesticide drift from airplanes when I was walking down the road. I also thinned apples as a teen in trees that were dripping with pesticides. My dad, Minor H. Slingsby,... Read more →
Since I’ve been in the seventh or eighth grade, I’ve been wearing eyeglasses. Buying glasses is a difficult consumer problem for me. Perhaps it’s because you need to wear them for several years and if you make a mistake you just have to live with it. I’ve had friends help... Read more →
I caught Ryan Zinn, 34, national campaign coordinator for the Organic Consumers Association, just before he was headed out the door on Earth Day to help a school class in his neighborhood organize a vegetable garden. Zinn said the association is seeing encouraging trends in the organic food movement and... Read more →
For Earth Day, I thought I’d review Earth Day top 10 lists and see which ones I thought were tops. 1. “Top 10 Earth Day Campaigns You Can’t Miss” – Takepart.com. I liked this list best because it describes actions and activities from a wide variety of organizations – from... Read more →
For years, I’ve been concerned about the amount of time people spend watching television. There’s so much that can be accomplished, including community-enhancing projects, but instead Americans are glued to their TV sets. Now with the emergence of the Internet and video games, the American obsession with the screen continues.... Read more →
About 3 million Bally Total Fitness, Everlast, Valeo, and Body Fit fitness balls are being recalled, reports the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Manufactured by EB Brands, of Yonkers, New York, the fitness balls, if overinflated, can unexpectedly burst while in use, causing the user to fall to the floor.... Read more →