Roulette is a simple game that seems beatable, which is what the casino wants you to think. There is a wheel with 38 numbers: 18 red, 18 black, and 2 green zeros. You can bet on any combination of numbers and/or colors, with payouts varying based on the odds of the ball landing on that … Read more
I got an interesting mailer the other day from a company called storesonline.com. It said, “FREE Livermore Dinner Conference… Two Tickets Enclosed…” and, “Dinner Table for Nicholas Loper and guest.” Now, knowing that nothing’s free, I was even more curious to find out about this company and what the sales pitch was going to be. … Read more
During our recent trip to Montana and Wyoming, I was surprised to find octane 85 and 85.5 gas at the gas stations. I had the false idea that octane ratings had to do with fuel efficiency, fuel “quality”, and or pollutants. I had some homework to do. What is Octane? The octane rating of gasoline … Read more
Satellite radio is an interesting business model. They have extremely high overhead (satellites definitely aren’t cheap), but the marginal cost of additional customers is basically zero. Their satellites are already up there beaming signals down to earth; if the signal hits one receiver or a million, it’s all the same to them. In December, mom … Read more
Yes, I’m that guy who charges his order off the dollar menu. Why? Because with tax it always ends up being $1.09 or some other terrible amount, and what am I going to do with $0.91 in change? All of a sudden the $1 double cheeseburger pretty much cost $2. (Although it is nice, three … Read more
How Restaurant.com Works Restaurant.com sells gift certificates to local restaurants at deep discounts. Their normal price is $10 for a $25 gift certificate, but they often run promotions where you can buy the same $25 gift certificate for just $2 or $3. $25 worth of food for $2! What’s the catch? Each restaurant has their … Read more
The National Food Lab is a company that conducts market research for food companies before they release new products. Their office is close to home so I’ve signed up to be a paid taste tester. They’ve called a few times but for one reason or another I never qualified. Until last week. The study was … Read more