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NOV. 12, 2010<br />

Frugal families sometimes<br />

splurge on technology.<br />

For example, it might seem<br />

odd for a family on a budget<br />

to have a landline phone and<br />

multiple cell phones.<br />

But there are plenty of<br />

valid reasons to have both<br />

phone services.<br />

If you’re considering<br />

dropping your landline,<br />

think it through.<br />

You might want to cut<br />

back in other areas. More<br />

and more households are cutting<br />

the cord.<br />

Have you ditched your<br />

landline?<br />

Here are a few reasons<br />

why even frugal people have<br />

both.<br />

Spotty service: Many<br />

people can’t get great cell<br />

phone service from any carrier<br />

at their home. In my own<br />

home, I can be in only a few<br />

rooms in the entire house if I<br />

want to use my cell phone.<br />

No contract: Some people<br />

don’t want a cell phone<br />

contract or can’t get coverage<br />

where they live, so they have<br />

prepaid cell phones for when<br />

they’re away from home and<br />

keep their landline.<br />

Privacy: It’s nice to have<br />

two contact numbers. One<br />

reader, Kara from New<br />

Hampshire, shares: “I like<br />

keeping the landline. I prefer<br />

not to have the vet, doctor’s<br />

office, other appointments<br />

and such calling my cell constantly.<br />

Few people have my<br />

cell; they can call my landline.<br />

I never have to worry<br />

about my landline needing<br />

charging, and I never have to<br />

worry there’s an emergency<br />

in the middle of the night<br />

and my cell phone’s out in my<br />

purse in the living room.”<br />

Work: Many jobs require<br />

their employees to have a<br />

cell phone for work purposes.<br />

THE COAST NEWS<br />

Many save by saying sayonara to their landlines<br />

SARA<br />

NOEL<br />

Frugal Living<br />

Beware of shiny,<br />

distracting objects<br />

Dear Writer’s Block,<br />

Hello, how have you<br />

been? By that I mean you’re<br />

a jerk and I believe I’d like to<br />

kick you in the blocky ding<br />

ding.<br />

I think it’s time you and<br />

I had a chat. After more than<br />

a few years of careful deliberation,<br />

I’m going to have to<br />

let you go. Unfortunately,<br />

your days of planting the<br />

closing song from “Dirty<br />

Dancing” or accidentally<br />

doing four crossword puzzles<br />

instead of mowing the lawn<br />

are officially over.<br />

Ah yes, Mr. Blockhead.<br />

Speaking of blockheads ...<br />

was Charlie Brown ever<br />

funny? I understand that<br />

Charles Schultz is a cartoon<br />

culture icon, but I never really<br />

thought “Peanuts” was<br />

entertaining. Reading about<br />

precocious balding kids with<br />

misshapen heads really didn’t<br />

do much for me in terms<br />

of animated amusement.<br />

Anyway, we met somewhere<br />

when I was quite<br />

young and any type of chore I<br />

was responsible for came<br />

due. This would usually coincide<br />

with a cache of marbles<br />

being discovered or perhaps<br />

a comic book I thought had<br />

long since disappeared would<br />

miraculously reappear.<br />

Flash forward to me sitting<br />

in front of a computer<br />

screen with 19 tabs open on<br />

my Internet browser. I think<br />

it’s a delirious mix of ADD,<br />

sloth and procrastination.<br />

Speaking of Sloth ... that<br />

character scared the hell out<br />

of me in “Goonies.” And<br />

Chunk’s family just takes in<br />

this rampaging monster<br />

straight out of a Troma nightmare?<br />

I don’t think so. I think<br />

a fat kid with delusions is<br />

enough parenting responsibility.<br />

Back to browsing. Now<br />

DEL MAR — <strong>The</strong> Rotary<br />

Club of Del Mar launched<br />

November with a host of noteworthy<br />

speakers at the weekly<br />

noon Thursday meetings,<br />

usually held at St. Peter’s<br />

Episcopal Church, 334 14th St.<br />

CORY<br />

WATERHOUSE<br />

Doorman Diaries<br />

Google is by far the most<br />

dangerous addictive drug for<br />

someone with writer’s block.<br />

It starts off as leisurely stroll<br />

among websites to either a)<br />

get inspiration for a column,<br />

or b) do research for an idea<br />

I’d like to write about. <strong>The</strong><br />

truth is it’s actually c) a way<br />

for me to play games, buy<br />

pointless items online (Pasta<br />

Boat anyone?), and catch up<br />

on three different websites<br />

all the celebrity gossip that’s<br />

fit to print.<br />

I have a few suggestions<br />

about where you can go<br />

when you leave here,Writer’s<br />

Block. I think first and foremost,<br />

to that woman who<br />

writes the “Twilight” crud.<br />

Go there. Now. Stop those<br />

books at all costs.<br />

<strong>The</strong>n maybe it might be<br />

a good plan to head over to<br />

the political spectrum and do<br />

your best to cement the idea<br />

that no politician should ever<br />

write a book. We don’t care.<br />

I’m talking to you Alaskan<br />

hockey mom. Mr. Writer’s<br />

Block, it’s come to my attention<br />

that you need help.<br />

You’ve become a needling<br />

parasitic influence that only<br />

exists to exacerbate my<br />

inability to stay on task and<br />

complete a writing project.<br />

I have a responsibility to<br />

my employer, my editor, my ...<br />

hey look! Gummi bears!<br />

“Doorman Diaries” is a biweekly column.<br />

Contact Cory Waterhouse via<br />

e-mail at doorman@coastnewsgroup.<br />

com, or read his blog at doormandiaries.blogspot.com.<br />

Del Mar Rotary hosts<br />

speakers in November<br />

On Nov. 18, the club will<br />

gather at Morgan Run Resort,<br />

5690 Cancha De Golf<br />

in Rancho Santa Fe to hear<br />

from Jen Farrow, on “From<br />

TURN TO ROTARY ON B12<br />

Lover’s Shopping Headquarters<br />

Some people prefer a landline<br />

to be able to fax documents,<br />

too. Another reader,<br />

Saule from Illinois, adds:<br />

“When my husband was<br />

unemployed a few years ago,<br />

he had to call in weekly to<br />

report his job-searching<br />

efforts, etc., to continue benefits,<br />

and that could only be<br />

done on a landline. This<br />

involved answering specific<br />

questions by pressing keys<br />

on the phone.”<br />

Internet service: Some<br />

homes keep their landline<br />

because they have DSL (and<br />

don’t want to pay more for<br />

naked/dry loop DSL, or<br />

maybe it’s not available), or a<br />

bundled package with their<br />

satellite or cable television<br />

provider.<br />

Safety: Many households<br />

have both services for<br />

emergencies. Another reader,<br />

G.G. From Greece, shares:<br />

“We don’t have a landline<br />

anymore, but when I used to<br />

live in the United States, I<br />

lived in a high-crime neighborhood,<br />

and I needed the<br />

landline for my security system<br />

to function (so it could<br />

automatically call for help).”<br />

Many new alarm<br />

systems/services have wireless<br />

service now, but if you<br />

haven’t updated your system,<br />

you’ll need that landline.<br />

Consider 911 emergencies,<br />

too. D.F., an emergency<br />

Naughty Naughty or or Nice this<br />

2130 Industrial Court<br />

VISTA<br />

760.598.5889<br />

dejavuloveboutiquevista.com<br />

B11<br />

911 dispatcher from North<br />

Carolina, adds: “I would<br />

highly recommend those who<br />

choose to have only cell<br />

phones teach their children<br />

their address, along with<br />

directions to the home from a<br />

known location. Many 911<br />

communications centers<br />

have what’s called “phase 2”<br />

capability. This means that<br />

we can locate a cell caller<br />

within a certain number of<br />

feet. Most of the time we are<br />

able to get help to the correct<br />

location (with phase 2). That<br />

is only if you are within that<br />

agency’s wireless reach. If<br />

you are not within that<br />

TURN TO FRUGAL LIVING ON B13<br />

Nice this Christmas?<br />

Join us for<br />

ROMANCE<br />

101<br />

Meet our vendors<br />

and enjoy a fun<br />

night with our staff!<br />

November 18<br />

7-10pm<br />

Complimentary<br />

beverages & appetizers<br />

First 50 people to enter<br />

RECEIVE <strong>FREE</strong> GIFT BAG<br />

Pacific Installers<br />

5674 El Camino Real Ste B<br />

Carlsbad CA, 92008<br />

760-476-0611<br />

pacificinstallers.hdspd.com<br />

CL# 787549<br />

*Rebate offer valid for purchases made 9-25-10-12-15-10. Limitations and restrictions apply<br />

Ask for details. ©2010 Hunter Douglas. ® and TM are trademarks of Hunter Douglas. 18237

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