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Hi. I'm Jim, a more or less retired software engineer, living happily in Santa Cruz, California with my partner Pat. We love to travel, especially in Europe and Mexico, and I like to manage our finances. I also spend a lot of time nurturing my fascination with astronomy.

As a traveler, I insist on going my own way and experiencing the authentic. I hate prepackaged or phony experiences and places that aren't much different from home. I like a bit of discomfort and disorientation when I travel, but not too much. That's why you won't find me in Disneyland, Las Vegas, or on a cruise but will find me in Oaxaca, Paris, Italy's Cinque Terre or California's eastern Sierra Nevada.

Whether the source is a broker, insurance agent, web site, financial magazine or investment program on TV, I've discovered over the years that most investment advice foisted on the public is just plain wrong. I've written lots of ePinions to help people make and save money while mostly ignoring the "opportunities" offered by money professionals.

I also love great coffee. Right now, I'm making my way through the various roasts and blends sold by Peets.

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Attention! Essential Reading Before Your Trip to Europe

• Europe Through the Back Door: Learn essential travel skills from Rick Steves
• Everything you need to know about travel money & tourist ripoffs in Europe
• Save 2% on all your foreign credit card transactions with this Visa card
• Caution: your credit cards probably charge 2% extra on foreign transactions
• Save big money by choosing the right rail pass for your European itinerary
• RailEurope: expensive rail tickets and limited itineraries
• Get 1% cash back using this no-fee Visa card for your pretrip expenses

Other Featured Reviews

• My nearly perfect every-day Visa card--1% cash back, no annual fee
• Your CitiBank AAdvantage card adds 3% to every foreign transaction

• Italy's Cinque Terre may be the most beautiful place on earth

• How to get your FICO score, the number lenders use to decide your credit worthiness

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Check out my epinions from the categories that interest you:

TRAVEL--FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC Travel Web Sites • American Airlines online: a great web site • Expedia Hotels are no bargain! • Avis online: excellent rental car web site • Orbitz: No good for one-way off-airport car rentals • RailEurope: Expensive, OK only for simple trips Foreign Travel Money Saving and General Tips • Travel money & tourist ripoffs in Europe • The Euro Riding Trains in Europe • Best Rail Pass for Your 2004 Trip to Europe • Web Resources for Serious Train Riders • Eurostar from Paris to London • London to Paris on Eurostar • High speed trains: TGV, Eurostar, Thalys UK • Safety tips for UK travel • A double decker tour of London. • The Tate (museum of) Modern (art) Germany • Zugspitze: Germany's Highest Peak France • Getting from CDG airport into Paris • Using public transit in Paris • Save money on your Paris trip • The Louvre: not my top museum choice Italy • Cinqueterre may be the most beautiful place on earth • People watching in Rome Spain • El Escorial & Valle de los Ca�dos Switzerland • Using the Swiss transportation system • Jungfrau: the "Top of Europe" • Zurich: A low priority destination Mexico • Hotel Mision de Los Angeles Oaxaca • Hotel Camino Real Oaxaca • Oaxaca • Oaxaca's Pacific Coast Resorts • Survival Spanish, a Social Lubricant Puerto Rico • San Juan Marriott Canada • Vancouver and Victoria, BC Domestic Travel USA New York City • Excelsior Hotel: Upper West Side Classic • Unlimited transportation for $2.10 a day San Francisco Bay Area • SFO: San Francisco International Airport • Zuni Cafe--A Great San Francisco Institution • Restaurant LuLu: Exciting South of Market • SJC: San Jos� International Airport California's Eastern Sierra Nevada • Yosemite High Country: Tuolumne Meadows • Six graeat Yosemite viewpoints • Eastern Sierra Nevada • Everywhere an Ansel Adams photograph • Mammoth Lakes • Day hikes around Mammoth Lakes • Devil's Postpile • Bodie: Gold Rush Ghost Town • Mono Lake • More on Mono Lake Lake Tahoe Area • Heavenly Gondola--Get High at Lake Tahoe • Caesars Tahoe Hotel/Casino • Harrahs Tahoe Hotel/Casino • Harveys Tahoe Hotel/Casino • Kirkwood Ski Resort California's Central Coast • San Gregorio Beach • Santa Cruz: More than the Boardwalk • Santa Cruz Old Growth Redwoods • Santa Cruz Lighthouse Field • Monterey Bay Aquarium • Big Basin Redwoods State Park

PERSONAL FINANCES AND TAXES How to Make or Save $100,000 • Best Investment Advice You'll Ever Get! • Paying off your mortgage--right or wrong? • Employee Stock Options Part 1 • Employee Stock Options Part 2 How to Make or Save $10,000 • Wells Fargo's Equity Enhancement Program costs too much • What to do Before Paying off Your Mortgage • Mortgage Reduction Programs--Worth the Price? • Norwest Mortgage's Equity Enhancement Program How to Make or Save $1,000 • Wells Fargo's "equity enhancement" program • How top negotiators buy a car How to Make or Save $100 • Choose your credit card carefully before traveling abroad Saving Money on Credit Cards • Nearly Perfect REI Visa Card • Most cards charge 2% extra on foreign transactions • MBNA Visa: Avoid extra 2% on foreign transactions • Problems with AAdvantage MasterCard • The truth about credit cards • Problem With Chase Visa Card Saving Money on Your Taxes • Time Your Deductions to Maximize Tax Savings • Take Advantage of the Withholding Loophole • Don't Fall for "Donate your car to charity" Hype. • Should you donate your car? • Investment Losses = Tax Savings • Standard deduction • Don't forget the simple deductions • Estimated tax • Long-term capital gains • Short- and long-term gains • The Federal Estate Tax • Mortgage interest deduction Movie Reviews • Best foreign films: mid 1980s through 1990s • Films about the Cold War • 10 Best World War II Films • Alien Movies • Amores Perros • The Matrix • City of Angels • Jean de Florette & Manon of the Spring • Ruby in Paradise • West Side Story • Trois Coleurs: Bleu (Blue) • Trois Coleurs: Rouge (Red) • Saura's Carmen Book Reviews • Grafton: Q is for Quarry • World's Greatest Blackjack Book Online Stores • REI.com: quality outdoor and travel gear • Safesmith.com: great source for safes and accessories • Half.com: cheap books! • Amazon.com: expensive store! • Barnesandnoble.com Electronics, Appliances, Gadgets • Sony KP 53HS30 53 in. projection TV • Sony DVP-S550D DVD Player • Canon PowerShot A10 Digital Camera • Kenmore Elite Dishwasher Cellular Phone Service • Verizon's Family SharePlan: A good deal? • Verizon San Francisco Bay Area • Verizon customer service

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