Daily Archives: August 30, 2015

Protect Your Social Security Number

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All Social Security cards have the words ‘Not For Identification’ printed on them, but nevertheless, Social Security numbers are our de facto national method of personal identification. Why is that? It is because Social Security numbers are unique and permanent. Once you get a Social Security number, it is yours for life. It is almost impossible to change it. You can change most of the other numbers that identify you. You can easily change your phone number. You can also easily change change your address, bank account number, credit card number, and even your driver’s license number; but you can’t change your Social Security number. That is why Social Security Numbers are the Holy Grail of identity thieves.

You should always be very reluctant to tell anyone your Social Security number. You should reveal your Social Security number on a need-to-know-basis only. Some people and businesses really do need to know your Social Security number. Employers need it for tax purposes. Landlords and credit card companies need it so they can run credit reports. However, most of the businesses that ask you for your Social Security number don’t actually need it. For example, doctors and hospitals routinely ask new patients for their Social Security numbers, but they rarely need this information. When in doubt, either leave the Social Security number line blank on forms and see what happens or ask someone why they need it.

You should never include your Social Security number in an email. Email is not a secure method of communication. Also, never give your Social Security number to someone calling you on the phone, even if the person claims to be working for the federal government or your bank. The federal government and your bank already know your Social Security number. You should also never carry your Social Security card or have your Social Security number written down on anything in your wallet.
 

Laminated Wood Flooring From China

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There have been a lot of stories in the news this year about laminated wood flooring imported from China containing dangerously high levels of formaldehyde. An investigation by ’60 Minutes’ earlier this year of products sold by Lumber Liquidators has led to both criminal investigations and civil lawsuits against the company. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen. Laminated wood flooring with very high levels of formaldehyde sold by Lumber Liquidators was installed in tens of thousands of houses across the United States before the scandal broke. I always try to be careful in selecting that materials that I use in my rentals. There is no laminated wood flooring in any of my rentals.

Are Dolphins Spying For Israel?

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In August, newspapers in Gaza announced that their navy captured a dolphin spying for Israel. They said that the dolphin had been ‘brainwashed’, ‘stripped of its will’ and ‘turned into a murderer’ by the Mossad, Israel’s spy agency. Spying for Israel is a death penalty offense in Gaza, but there is no word as to whether the dolphin will be put on trial. Several other governments in the region have also claimed to have caught animal spies. In 2007, the government of Iran said they ‘arrested 14 squirrels trying to enter the country illegally’ to spy on their nation’s nuclear facilities but ‘thanks to the alertness of our intelligence services, they failed to complete their mission.’ The Iranian government determined that the squirrels were spying for England based on their ‘cunning methods.’ Hmmm. Do you think it’s true? You know, the English are very good at espionage, and I hear that there are a lot of squirrels in England.

ARE YOU REALLY EATING DOLPHIN WHEN YOU ORDER MAHI MAHI?


Yes and No. There are 2 very different animals in the sea called ‘dolphins’, one is a mammal and one is a fish. The sea mammal called dolphin, also called a porpoise, has lungs and needs to come to the surface periodically for air. The dolphin fish, also known as mahi mahi, is a fish. It has scales and gills and does not need to come to the surface for air. The sea mammal called dolphin is completely unrelated biologically to the dolphin fish. The two do not look alike. Sea mammal dolphins are cute, intelligent, and playful. You see them quite often in movies and TV shows. The dolphin fish is homely and stupid. Nobody makes movies about them. Mahi mahi appears on the menus of lots of restaurants. It is understandable that many people are confused about this. I have corrected confused waiters at Spenger’s (Berkeley’s largest and oldest seafood restaurant) about this. In conclusion, you are not eating ‘Flipper’ when you order mahi mahi.

 

 

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Free Bicycle Tire Repair.

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The recently opened Sports Basement store at 2727 Milvia Street is, by far, the largest sporting goods store in Berkeley.  At the bottom of the rate poster on the wall in the bicycle department, it says that  flat tire repairs are free. I asked someone working in the department if there were any strings attached to this offer. He said No. Sports Basement will repair a flat tire on any bicycle at no charge, regardless of where you bought your bicycle. You can’t beat that price! You don’t have to remove the wheel first. Just roll your bicycle into the store and take it to the bike department. Their prices for other bicycle repairs seem very reasonable to me. Replacing a broken spoke is $15. I recently paid $30 to have a broken spoke replaced on my bicycle.

Sports Basement is worth a visit, even if you don’t own a bicycle. It is located in the old Berkeley Iceland building. Back in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s; Berkeley Iceland was a nationally famous ice skating rink. Important competitions were held there. The Ice Capades used to perform there. Many Olympic gold medal ice skaters performed there, including Brian Boitano and Kristie Yamaguchi. On Iceland’s opening night in 1940, 3-time Olympic gold medalist and movie star Sonja Henie skated at Iceland. The place started losing money in the 1980s. The building needed major repairs and a new refrigeration system, so it closed in 2007. Sports Basement put millions into restoring the building, and it shows. This place is a great addition to the neighborhood. The city of Berkeley apparently thinks so too. They installed parking meters in front of the store just before it opened. That part of Milvia Street never had meters before. I doubt the city will make any money off the new meters. Sports Basement has a large free parking lot.

Worst Application Ever.

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“I’m Lucky.” I once got an application for an apartment in Berkeley from a young single woman. On her application form, she said that she was a self-employed ‘holistic therapist.’ That’s one of those job titles can mean anything. She claimed to have a good income, but her income was completely verifiable. She said that most of her customers paid her in cash and that she didn’t file tax returns. I told her that unverifiable income doesn’t carry a lot of weight with landlords when reviewing rental applications. She said that she knew that; however, she kept saying: “You really should to rent this apartment to me” and she said it in a sly way as though there was some special reason that I should know about, but didn’t. After a while, my curiosity got the better of me and I asked her: “Why do you keep saying that?” She said: “Because I’m lucky, and if you rent this apartment to me, you will be lucky too. I bring good luck to landlords.” I asked her what she meant by that. She said: “Just a few days after I moved into my last apartment, my landlord’s mother was run over by a delivery truck and killed. He inherited a fortune. His mother had a lot more money than he thought she did.” I concluded that the point of this woman’s story was that she is lucky for landlords – – but not their mothers. I decided to take my chances of getting an unlucky tenant and rented my apartment to somebody else. As it turned out, the tenant I rented my apartment to actually was unlucky! He was a graduate student at U.C. Berkeley. A short while after he moved in, he broke a leg on a ski trip. He had a lot of difficulty getting to campus for several months while his leg was in a cast, and it was during the rainy season too.