Wednesday, January 31, 2018

New Ways to Deal with Robocalls

Fighting back...

Robot callers are busier than ever.

If it seems as though you've been getting more annoying automated phone calls than ever before, it's because you probably have, Anthony Giorgianni writes on consumerreports.org.

In the month of September alone, 2.4 billion robocalls were made in the U.S., more than twice the amount in September 2015, estimates YouMail, a provider of voicemail and call blocking services, Giorgianni reports.

The good news is that there are also more ways to stop or at least minimize the annoyance of these calls and potential of being scammed by them, he added.

For some new ways to fight back: https://www.consumerreports.org/robocalls/how-to-deal-with-robocalls/

Photo: Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report: 
Risky: Russkie Jet Flies Five Feet from US Navy Plane

Tuesday, January 30, 2018

Give Your TV a Super Bowl Tuneup

How to get your set ready...

Make your TV look like a champ.

We’re hoping that Super Bowl LII, which kicks off this year on Feb. 4 on NBC, brings football fans plenty of fast-paced, gripping action, James Wilcox writes on consumerreports.org.

But if your TV isn’t adjusted properly, even an exciting game could look flatter than a glass of three-day-old beer, he added.

Not to worry: With a few adjustments to the settings, you can give your set a big-game TV tuneup before the coin toss, he noted.


Photo: Giphy.
Next time on The Allen Report: 
New Ways to Deal With Robocalls.

Monday, January 29, 2018

Backlash Over White House Plan to Nationalize U.S. 5G Networks

Leaked memo...

AT&T's and Verizon's 5G networks are coming this year, 
promising insanely fast Internet speeds.

A leaked White House memo that calls for the government to build and control a “5G” next-generation wireless data service drew immediate backlash Monday from industry groups, regulators, and even some within President Trump’s own administration, Brian Fung reports on washingtonpost.com.

Although the proposal is reportedly dated, its disclosure sparked a debate over how much weight it carries, Fung wrote.

Both Democrats and Republicans decried the idea of the government stepping so forcefully into an area that has largely been in the hands of private actors, he added.

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai issued a statement opposing the proposal, and White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders dismissed it as dated and just the start of a conversation.


Photo: Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report
Give Your TV a Super Bowl Tuneup.

Axios: Washington Experts Speed the News Online

Quick, punchy Washington news...

Mike Allen, co-founder of Axios.

Mike Allen, a 53 year-old reporter, upended Washington media coverage when his Axios news service burst on to the scene in the nation's capital in 2016.

Today, Axios is a must-read for Washingtonians and others who want to Go Deeper and know Why it Matters, just two of the news service's features.


Photo: buzzfeed.com
Next time on The Allen Report: 
Backlash Over White House Plan to Nationalize U.S. 5G Networks.

Sunday, January 28, 2018

Haute Coutre: A Review of Paris Fashion Week Highlights

32 stunning photos...


A model wearing a Jean Paul Gaultier gown.

Fashion designers showed their spring 2018 coutre collections in Paris this week, delivering on all the glitz and extravagance we expect from these shows, Julia Brucclieri reports on huffingtonpost.com.

Clare Waight Keller, who took over at Givenchy last year, turned out her first couture collection for the label, and simply put it was stunning, Brucculieri wrote.

Speaking of debuts, Kaia Gerber, daughter of supermodel Cindy Crawford, appeared in her first coutre show -- and at Chanel, no less.


A model in a Zuhair Murad creation.

A model in a Givenchy gown.

Photos: huffingtonpost.com
Next time on The Allen Report: 
Axios: Washington Experts Speed News Online.

Beware: Wide-spread Identity Theft on Social Media

The dark web at work...

Facebook disclosed in November that it had at least twice as many fake users as previously estimated.  It may have up to 60 million automated accounts.

Everyone wants to be popular online, nytimes. com reports today.

Some even pay for it, the news service wrote.

But there's a dark side to popularity and the web.


Photos: Giphy, Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report: 
Axios: Washington Experts Speed News Online.

Saturday, January 27, 2018

Smile: A Great New Week is Almost Here

Fun...

Hang on, honey!

For fun videos to start your new week:



-- Progressive: Monster under my bed: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2jR3z1qdi28



-- Honda: My girl friend needs to sell her car: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KlNeiY4Rf4


Photos: Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report:
Beware: Wide-spread Identity Theft on Social Media.

Musical Moments: Master and Commander

Final song...

A Boccherini masterpiece from a great movie.

Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

Today's selection is a Boccherini masterpiece from Master and Commander: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l78VNe_dhAM

Photo: Tumblr.
Next time on The Allen Report: 
Smile: A Great New Week is Almost Here.

Friday, January 26, 2018

Darien Ends an Active Real Estate Week

Weekly update...

Lamar River Rapids, Yellowstone National Park.

Darien ended an active residential real estate week today.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- 12 new listings of property for sale;
-- Eight price changes;
-- Four accepted offers; 
-- No properties going under contract and,
-- Seven closings.

For more:

Next time on The Allen Report: 
Musical Moments: Master and Commander.

Cities, States Keep the Net Neutrality Battle Alive

Challenging the FCC...

Montana Governor Steve Bullock joined the fight this week to keep the net neutrality battle alive.

States are starting to make good on their promises to fight net neutrality in the wake of the Federal Communications Commission's decision to jettison rules that banned broadband providers from blocking or discriminating against Internet content, Flint Findley reports on wired.com.

On Monday, Montana Governor Steve Bullock signed an executive order effectively banning state agencies from doing business with Internet service providers that violate net neutrality, Findley wrote.

New York Governor Andrew Como signed a similar order on Wednesday, he added.

The moves follow a suit filed by 21 states and the District of Columbia challenging the FCC's decision to overturn its own protections, Findley noted.


Burger King offers a brilliant explanation of a difficult to understand topic

The repeal of net neutrality is a hot topic in America, but it can be difficult to understand.  That's why Burger King produced a video on the topic.  Don't miss it.  It has drawn millions of viewers this week: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ltzy5vRmN8Q&t=5s

Photo: wired.com.
Next time on The Allen Report:
The Latest Darien Real Estate Update.

Thursday, January 25, 2018

Riding the Wind to New Records

Transatlantic airliners hit speeds near 800 mph...

In the past few days, Norwegian Air 787 jets have broken a subsonic speed record.

When Randal Miles woke up from a nap during his flight from Los Angeles to Paris last week, he opened the interactive map on his seat-back screen to see how much longer he'd be in the air, Jack Stewart reports on wired.com.

But the number than caught his eye was the jet's speed.

The Norwegian jet was flying at 770 mph -- about 200 mph faster than its standard cruising velocity, Stewart wrote.

For more on how standard Boeing jets are taking advantage of strong jet streams rushing west to east across the Atlantic: https://www.wired.com/story/norwegian-air-transatlantic-speed-record/

Photo: wired.com
Next time on The Allen Report:
Cities, States Keep the Net Neutrality Battle Alive.

Wednesday, January 24, 2018

The Dumbest Passwords People Still Use

12345...

Still using your cat's name?

Sh1a-labeouf

We asked network security experts to tell us which passwords Americans just can't stop using, znet.com reports. 

Here's what they told us.

Yes: A bizarrely high number of Americans are taking the name of a sometimes-troubled actor, moving some characters around, and calling it a password.

For more amazing passwords, including the ever popular, 12345: www.zdnet.com/pictures/the-dumbest-passwords-people-still-use/

Photo: Pinterest:
Next time on The Allen Report; 
Riding the Wind to New Records.

Tuesday, January 23, 2018

Five Rules for Writers

Omit needless words...

Elmore Leonard, a grand master of writing.

As a professional writer, I’m always trying to improve, John Miller reports on nationalreview.com.

I’ve studied the work of the top writers. I’ve debated great opening sentences with colleagues. I’ve thought long and hard about things like serial commas, concluding that they are good and necessary (don’t @ me), Miller wrote.

He reviews rules from some great writers, including Elmore Leonard, George Orwell and Ernest Hemingway.  Of course, he recommends Strunk and White's classic, The Elements of Style.

Then he offers five rules of his own from his new book: Reading Around: Journalism on Authors, Artists and Ideas: http://www.nationalreview.com/article/455406/writing-rules-john-j-miller

A little book with a big following over almost six decades.


Photos: Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report:
The Dumbest Passwords People Still Use.

Monday, January 22, 2018

Getting a Roommate in Your Golden Years

Home sharing...

Grace Linderholm, 23, and Thelma Chesney, 91, share a meal at home in Brooklyn.

Like many older Americans, Shazzi Felstein recently found herself in an unexpected financial bind. About a year ago, she noticed that her savings had dwindled, Kaya Laterman reports on nytimes.com.

To her horror, she realized that her monthly Social Security check would not cover her rent-stabilized one-bedroom apartment in Chelsea and monthly expenses like utilities and food for much longer, Laterman wrote.

For more on how seniors and younger people needing a reasonably priced place to live are  becoming roommates and sharing a home: https://www.nytimes.com/2018/01/12/realestate/getting-a-roommate-in-your-golden-years.html

Photo: nytimes.com.
Next time on The Allen Report: 
Five Rules for Writers.

Sunday, January 21, 2018

Home Improvements With the Highest ROI in 2018

Cost vs. value...

Return on Investment (ROI) can vary.  For instance, kitchen renovation ROIs range from 81-54 percent.

A strong housing market isn't necessarily all good news for sellers, Jameson Doris reports on rismedialcom..

As evidenced by Remodeling magazine's newly-released Cost vs. Value Report for 2018, average return on investment (ROI) for home improvement projects dipped across the board, with "upscale" projects taking the biggest hit, Doris wrote.

The report, which measures the average cost of 21 popular remodeling projects and their average resale value one year later, found that garage door replacement has the highest ROI at 98.3 percent (up from 85 percent year-over-year). Backyard patio jobs garner the lowest ROI, at 47.6 percent (down from 54.9 percent year-over-year), Doris added.

For a breakdown of projects and their ROI: http://blog.rismedia.com/2018/cost-value-home-improvement-projects/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email

Photo: rismedia.com
Next time on The Allen Report:
Getting a Roommate in Your Golden Years.

Saturday, January 20, 2018

Smile: Your New Week is About to Begin

Fun...
Wiggle, wiggle, wiggle.

For fun videos:





-- Ring: Welcome to the Neighborhood: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve6RR-Ohezw

-- GEICO: Washington Crossing the Delaware: https://www.ispot.tv/ad/wHX7/geico-washington-crossing-the-delaware

Photos: Giphy, Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report: 
Home Improvements With the Best ROI in 2018.

Musical Moments: East of the Sun and West of the Moon

Wonderful...




Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

Today's selection is a wonderful piece by George Shearing, East of the Sun and West of the Moon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmm63Z_vUMM

Photo: Giphy.
Next time on The Allen Report:
Smile: Your New Week is About to Begin.

Friday, January 19, 2018

Darien Sees an Uptick in Real Estate Activity

Weekly update...
Nice shot.

Darien saw an uptick in residential real estate activity in the week ending today.

Results, according to the Darien MLS, were:

-- Five new listings of property for sale;
-- Five price changes;
-- Two accepted offers; 
-- One property going under contract and,
-- Five closings.

For more:



Next time on The Allen Report:
Musical Moments: Shearing, East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

Thursday, January 18, 2018

More Health Insurance Changes Ahead in 2018

Look for new options...



With attempts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on hold, the Trump Administration is stepping up efforts to overhaul the health insurance market by loosening regulations, Donna Rosato writes on consumerreports.org.

The administration has proposed a raft of changes that would expand individual insurance offerings, allow states more flexibility in administering Medicaid, and provide more health insurance options for small businesses and self-employed people, Rosato added.

The latest move came Thursday, when the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) issued guidelines that for the first time would allow states to impose work requirements on non-disabled adults receiving Medicaid. Though most able-bodied adults on Medicaid already work, new requirements could make it tougher for people to qualify or remain in the program, she noted.

For more, including other new options under consideration: https://www.consumerreports.org/health-insurance/how-health-insurance-will-change-even-more-this-year/

Photo: Giphy.
Next time on The Allen Report: 
The Latest Darien Real Estate Update.

Wednesday, January 17, 2018

10 Car Repair Red Flags

How to avoid costly fixes...


Getting 200,000 miles of use—or more—from a vehicle is an impressive feat, but it’s not impossible, Jon Linkow writes on consumerreports.org. 

Owners should be aware, though, that as a vehicle approaches that milestone, many of its components will start to wear out, he noted.

You’ll see some warning signs, or red flags. Pay attention to them and you can avoid the double whammy of being stranded and slapped with an expensive, unexpected repair, he added.

For help in estimating the expenses involved to fix these common problems: https://www.consumerreports.org/car-maintenance/car-repair-red-flags-older-vehicles/

Photo: Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report:
More Health Insurance Changes Ahead.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Russia's Next-Generation Doomsday Plane

Flying command post...

Russia's latest Doomsday Plane shown in 2016.

Russia's new, third-generation airborne command post is based on a modified Ilyushin Il-96-400 wide-body aircraft. It should be noted that late in 2015 the Russian military has already received a second-generation 'doomsday plane' based on an Ilyushin Il-80 aircraft, according to Sputnik, a Russian news agency.

For more: https://sputniknews.com/russia/201607281043728673-russia-doomsday-plane-ready/

For a report and video on "Putin's Doomsday Plane:"  http://www.euronews.com/2017/12/13/putin-s-doomsday-plane-

For a Gizmodo report on "Putin's Doomsday Plane:"  https://gizmodo.com/this-russian-doomsday-plane-is-president-putins-person-1555424146

Photo: Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report:
10 Car Repair Red Flags.

Monday, January 15, 2018

The E-4B: America's Doomsday Plane

Backup command center...

An airborne Pentagon.

For a video offering a peek inside of America's Doomsday Plane: https://twitter.com/businessinsider/status/917972296739852288/video/1 (If audio doesn't play, stop and restart video.)



The Pentagon may replace the E-4B with a version of the C-32A, which the vice president also uses.

Photo: Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report: 
Russia's Next-Generation Doomsday Plane.

Sunday, January 14, 2018

Confidence in Housing was Subdued at Year-end

"Consumers remained cautious..."

The housing outlook was cautious for some at year's end.

Confidence in housing was subdued in December in the Fannie Mae Home Purchase Sentiment Index® (HPSI), derived from Fannie Mae’s National Housing Survey® (NHS), Suzanne De Vita reports on rismedia.com.

The HPSI overall posted 85.8 in December, two percentage points lower than the month prior, she wrote.

“Consumers remained cautious in their housing outlook at the end of 2017, as tax reform discussions continued,” says Doug Duncan, chief economist and senior vice president at Fannie Mae. “In December, mirroring the other major consumer sentiment benchmarks, the HPSI reflected this caution and declined slightly,” De Vita added.

For more: http://rismedia.com/2018/01/13/confidence-housing-subdued-year-end/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=eNews#close

Photo: Tumblr.
Next time on The Allen Report:
The E-4B:  America's Doomsday Plane.

Saturday, January 13, 2018

Smile: Your New Week Awaits

Fun...


Oops.

For fun videos:



-- Doritos: Fetch me a bear: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bc7R6RvSI0M


-- Coca Cola: America's Beautiful: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-KxPRptu_Y

Photos: Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report:
Confidence in Housing was Subdued at Year-end.

Musical Moments: Debussy, Clair de Lune

Famous...


Musical Moments features music and artists I've enjoyed over the years.

Today's selection is Debussy's famous Clair de Lune: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CvFH_6DNRCY

Photo: Pinterest.
Next time on The Allen Report: 
Smile: Your New Week Awaits.