New York City Rent Is Too High!

NYC Skyline

It’s been more than two decades since I decided to give up the humble and often humiliating life of a struggling New Yorker and move out of the city.  I was living in a tiny basement apartment in Jackson Heights, Queens, working in Manhattan, but with an income that made living on America’s most fabulous island impossible.

From a May 18, 2023 CNN article:

"... The median cost of renting an apartment in Manhattan was $4,241 in April. That’s up 8% from a year ago and up 1.6% from March, when rents hit a record high of $4,175.

A one-bedroom apartment had a median rent of $4,200, up 5% from last year; while a two-bedroom apartment had a median rent of $5,500, up 11% from a year ago. A studio apartment rents for a median price of $3,235, up 13.5% from last year..."

So, on this two-decade anniversary of me moving out of NYC Housing Hell, here is my top 10 list of reasons why I don’t like NYC:

1)  >>  The Rent Is Too Damn High!  <<

2)  There is dog poo EVERYWHERE!  Why do New Yorkers think it’s OK to leave feces all over the place, so that we can all step in it and drag it into our homes?  DISGUSTING!  Sometimes I think I’m the only one who hates this.

3)  NYC Subway I:  It’s way too crowded during rush hours.  If you can’t find a seat, you’ll stand.  And if you’re lucky, the guy or gal who is packed into a subway car and standing next to you -- and I mean so packed that they are right in your face -- didn’t bother to brush their teeth that morning…

4)  NYC Subway II: In the dead of winter, the air in underground platforms is colder than the air outside, and hotter than the outdoors during the oppressive heat of mid-summer.  Lovely.

5)  NYC Subway III: Rats and Roaches.  Nice.  And the rats are brazen.  One time, I caught one literally spitting in my direction, and looking me dead in the eyes while doing so…

6)  NYC Subway IV - More disgust: I was moving between subway cars one morning, trying to find a seat, and found a MASSIVE pile of human feces in-between the cars. Almost stepped in it. Awesome.

7)  Residential and Commercial Roach Problems: Trying to eradicate cockroaches is pretty much pointless.  They are too hardy. Too resilient. Too evil. I’ve gotten a free meal in my favorite restaurant on more than one occasion, because they couldn’t get rid of them.

8) I love the city, but not the people.  The typical New Yorker is a negative, rude, nasty, putrid piece of junk.  Too much schadenfreude.  Not enough community (with the exception of the 9/11 terror attacks, when, during a long mountain-bike ride around three boroughs, I witnessed thousands of ordinary city folk gather at their local fire house to cheer and salute the heroism of New York City’s intrepid firefighters.)

9) The cops: Not all bad, of course, but enough are so bad that they engender much displeasure for all the cops.

10) When my mom retired from her job, and bought herself a new car as a retirement preset, she donated her old diesel workhorse to yours truly.  And I was quickly reminded how bad NYC roads are.  On one beautiful spring morning, I wasn’t able to avoid a huge pothole, and BANG!  Had to replace a rim.  With labor, it cost me $400 to replace, and the replacement was used! 

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www.FedPrimeRate.com Privacy Policy

www.FedPrimeRate.com Privacy Policy

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Spoofed Internet addresses are not that hard to spot. Don't be a victim of a phishing scam.

Please scan your computer(s) and other Internet-connected devices for malicious software often. We recommend daily.

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SCAM ALERT: How to Avoid Banking And Other Trending Scams; Know The Red Flags

From the good folks at Bank of America:

Be Aware Of A Trending Zelle® Payment Scam

Beware of scammers impersonating banks and fraud departments. By spoofing legitimate phone numbers to call or text you, the requests can be very convincing. While Bank of America may send you a text to validate unusual activity, we will never contact you to request that you send money using Zelle® to anyone, including yourself or to share a code to resolve fraud.

Here's What Happens:

• You receive a text that looks like a Bank of America suspicious activity alert.
  
  
• If you respond to the text, you've engaged the scammer and will receive a call from a number that appears to be from a bank.
  
  
• The “representative” or scammer will offer to help stop the alleged fraud by asking you to send money to yourself with Zelle®.
  
  
• Then, they ask you for a one time code you just received from a bank. If you give them that code, they will use it to enroll their bank account with Zelle® using your email or phone number.
  
  
• The scammer now has the ability to receive your money in their account.

Being vigilant is your first line of defense; here's how to help stay protected:

• Don't be pressured to act immediately — this is what scammers want you to do.
  
  
• Don't trust caller ID — it's not always who it says it is.
  
  
• Don't share codes based on a call you receive.

To learn more, watch this educational video layer from Zelle®

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Know The Scams That May Follow A Natural Disaster

Watch out for fake contractors. Following a disaster, unlicensed contractors will canvas the impacted areas promising to get clean up or repairs done quickly. They may ask for payment up front and not show up to do the work, or have you sign a contract that redirects insurance payouts to them and not you.

• Do your research; get multiple quotes for comparison, and make sure the contractors are licensed.
  
  
• Use caution if you're pressured to pay up front for the job or sign over the insurance claim. Contractors may try to offer special deals that seem too good to be true.
  

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CLICK HERE for much more from this
highly informative Bank of America article.

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#SCAMS #SCAMMERS #FRAUD #ZELLE #BofA #SCAMALERT #NEWSCAMALERT #REDFLAGS #SCAMAVOIDANCE #AVOIDSCAMS #FedPrimeRate #PHONESCAMS #EMAILSCAMS #TEXTSCAMS #BANKOFAMERICA #PHISHING #PHISHINGSCAMS #BANKSCAMS #BANKS #BANKINGSCAMS

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My Job Interview at The New York Public Library

The New York
Public Library

Back in 1999, I interviewed for a tech support job at the New York Public Library (NYPL.) I showed up looking very smart: new suit from Macy's, a fresh haircut and a laminated resume.

The lady who interviewed me was Caucasian, probably in her late 20s or early 30s, and attractive in a "girl next door" kinda' way.

Interview questions: I was perfectly ready for anything and everything, from the obvious and valid to the unethical and incredibly annoying (Unethical as in questions about your current employers operations.  They want to steal as many good ideas as they can... And MAYBE hire you.)

So, as soon as I sat down, I was met with that look.

You see, I'm a person of color, with very dark skin.

Fear!

Anybody who looks like me knows this look.  It's that "deer in the headlights" look, except it's from human eyes. It's that look that says, "I'm scared of you, and I just can't help it."  It's the kind of look we colored men get just before a fearful woman pulls her purse in closer to her body, because she automatically thinks that we may snatch it and run.

I thought she would catch herself, and the look would stop. But this was just silly, wishful thinking. It didn't stop. It was locked in.

So I got up, thanked her for her time, and left.

For me, this episode was exceptionally disappointing, considering that the NYPL is one of America's greatest fonts of free learning.  

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Earn As Much As $1,000 Per Month Donating Your Blood Plasma

Make Money
Donating Plasma

Your blood plasma can do some very significant things for the folks who need it.  It can dramatically improve the lives of people who have certain immune system disorders.

Compensation is generous since blood plasma can't be made in the lab.  Donations from healthy donors is the only source. 

BioLife Plasma pays $20 to $50 per donation and has a one-time coupon for new donors that can help donors make up to $900 per month. Compensation varies based on your location.

 

       >>> Click Here for a BioLife Information Kit <<<

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Related companies include Octapharma Plasma, and CSL Plasma.  At CSL you can get more than $1,000 for your first month.

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My COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test - February 27, 2022: Negative

Negative COVID-19
Test Result

My free COVID test kits finally arrived, courtesy of the United States government.  Ordered on January 18, 2022, and arrived yesterday, so the process took 39 days.  Not bad.

The two kits I got came with detailed, printed instructions, but being the computer geek that I am, I thought using the iHealth COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test App with one of my smart devices would be more efficient. It's available for both Android and Apple iOS. A scannable QR code was provided.

I installed the app and quickly found myself frustrated with it.  Video moved too fast, and the was way too small (low resolution.)  So I went back to following the printed stuff.

Very glad to report that I tested negative.  I wasn't worried that I might test positive because I am extremely careful about hygiene and social distancing, and I work from home...And I have all my food delivered to me, mostly from Walmart.  I signed up for Walmart+ since I order from them so much.  I get free shipping and/or delivery on most of my orders. 

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Calling a Super Bubble: Front Row With GMO's Jeremy Grantham

An honest and insightful video interview: Calling A Super Bubble: Front Row with Jeremy Grantham, co-founder and chief investment strategist at investment management firm Grantham, Mayo, & van Otterloo (GMO), headquartered in Boston, MA.  This clip is a little over 37 minutes:

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