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Full disclosure: This month I became an “Advocate” for Icon Aircraft, an airplane manufacturing company founded by Kirk Hawkins who flew F-16s in the Air Force and always wanted to design a light, sport airplane that would fly like a fighter – in other words, responsive and safe. I am a pilot and a member of the Civil Air Patrol, where I volunteer as air crew in missions dedicated to education, youth development, emergency rescue and research into uses of aviation for all of the above. Since getting into the Icon A5, I have found an entirely new way to fly and it is changing my entire perspective on personal aviation. The introduction of Icon’s A5 is unique in several ways that are significant to both experienced pilots, new fliers and anyone interested in learning how to fly their own airplane almost anywhere, easily, economically and- above all – safely. First – “anywhere.” The A5 can take off and land on a runway or lakes, rivers and bays. In a matter of seconds, its wings can be folded back, locked in place for trailering or storing in your garage. Second – “easily.” The A5 is the easiest plane to […]
Those of us who admire our oldest and bravest citizens – those who fought for liberty over the Nazi Fascism of World War II – are fewer than ever before and this will certainly be the last of the major anniversaries where some are still alive to tell the tales. All the more reason that every American owes it to these heros and to themselves to take at least a day to dedicate to a celebration of their sacrifices. What better way, then, than to attend a 75th Anniversary event, such as the one staged at the Waterford-Oxcord Airport in Connecticut on Saturday, May 18, 2019. Several WWII airbirds were on display as well as landing and taking off amidst their most impressive sounds and smells! Restored Army and Army Air Force equipment, from an armored Jeep that saw service on D-Day, to the touching Chaplain’s field kit were on display. This is a great way for anyone of any age, especially a Boomer – even more especially for a Boomer to take a s on or daughter or grandchildren. Such an event is never boring (or as they say, “booooohhhhhring!”) and often the progenitor of cross-generation conversations, story telling […]
Two of your Boomerguys Editors, Will and George Avgerakis, are members of the International Motorsports Press Association or IMPA. IMPA sponsors various events throughout the years where representatives of automotive products (like cars), demonstrate their goods and, well, we gen a chance to drive some. Now, the experience of getting behind the wheel of 20-30 cars in one day is pretty exhausting and a hell of a lot of fun too. Therefore, we try, in the middle of all the fun, to do something that will benefit our Boomerguys viewers, especially with a consideration to the desires, dreams and well, limitations of being a bit older and more experienced than the average US citizen (or resident). Therefore, rather than spend a heck of a lot of our dwindling time on earth researching, writing and videotaping our impressions of these cars, we, instead figured out that the Mini Cockpit Review is the best way of making everyone – us and you – happy and somewhat better informed than if you just walked into dealerships and tried to get test drives in 20-30 cars! So here is the first, the Chevrolet Camaro Hot Wheels® Special Edition – right from the driver’s […]
Track Review: Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat Named after the iconic WWII Grumman F6F fighter plane, the Dodge version drove up before me in the parking lot of the Monticello Motor Club producing as much anticipation as I might imagine getting if the real “ace-maker” fighter had appeared. Although I’ve not yet flown a 2,000 hp F6F, I was about to drive the Dodge Hellcat at speed and the tingle of anticipation at stomping on the 707 hp supercharged hemi V-8 was no less overwhelming. The Dodge professional driving coach that escorts press reviewers such as I, nodded with approval as he opened the driver’s doors and pointed out the features. This model was a fly-yellow, eight-speed automatic (front engine, rear drive) growler, with flared fenders, wide wheels and tires. An incongruously comfortable interior that combined Dodge nostalgia with post-millennial technology allowed me to concentrate on the driving which was challenging enough. The primary word of caution was not to stomp. Aw. Stomping, I was told, would certainly produce a dense cloud of white smoke and lots of noise, but the car would tend to madly fishtail in a way that only an experienced driver with lots of hours behind […]
Like many boomers, I sometimes have a hard time getting to sleep or going back to sleep. You too? Well here’s a great remedy that works for me and when it doesn’t work you’ll be even happier. I take my cell phone – well, actually, I take my old cell phone that’s no longer connected to a service and I connected it to my home’s wifi – and I hook up a real cheap pair of earphones, and I tune in to C-SPAN! C-SPAN is a broadcast service without commercials and the topics are about as bi-partisan as you are likely to find. Regardless of your own preference, there is always something on C-Span that will either lull you to sleep or keep you so enthralled, you’ll want to hear every word, and not give a snort if you don’t sleep! There are four audio channels available on the C-SPAN mobile app and with a flick of the finger, you can read a little synopsis of the contents and most shows run for an hour or so and then the app just goes silent so you don’t dream of having a one-sided argument with Mara Liasson all night. You […]
Review of Etymotic ER4SR Earphones There are basically four ways to listen to music; Live, over-the-ear headphones, open-air headphones or earphones. Until now, I’ve thought the over-the-ear headphones, especially the Bose active noise-canceling headphones, were the best, but now I’m thinking otherwise. The Bose and other active noise-canceling devices have microphones that listen for noise. By reversing the polarity of that noise and inserting the “opposite of noise” into your ears, the noise is canceled out. But I just got my hand (and ears) around the Etymotic ER4SR earphones, which depend on the simple technique of isolating ALL sound from your ear canal, and then inserting just the sounds you want. Mead Killion, Ph.D., founded Etymotic Research in 1983 to design products that accurately assess hearing, improve the lives of those with hearing loss, protect hearing, and enhance the listening experience of musicians and music lovers. Etymotic invented insert earphones in 1984 with an original earphone design which used balanced armature receivers. These speakers became the gold standard for high definition in-ear earphones and created an entire category of consumer electronics. The ER-4 earphones are still produced and channel-balanced to within 1 dB in Etymotic’s labs in the US. You […]
With the warm weather finally here, it’s time to take to the trails. So grab your pack, your walking stick(s), water bottles, snacks, hiking buddies, and go get some quality time with Momma Nature! In my younger days, I was a bit of a hardcore hiker, putting in serious mountain miles in upstate NY, Vermont, even (as a Boy Scout) at Philmont Scout Ranch in New Mexico. That lapsed some during child-rearing years, and the lack of exercise began to show in my girth and fitness level. So last year, my wife and I decided to start regular weekend hikes (sometimes weekdays too!). We found some great trails in our region, the Lower Hudson Valley, and we quickly racked up a lot of miles. Some favorite hikes we did last year: Bear Mountain State Park (Major Welch Trail to Perkins Drive) Anthony’s Nose (Peekskill, NY) Fishkill Ridge Ward Pound Ridge Reservation – particularly the Leatherman’s Cave Trail Of course, I was amazed at how the equipment available for modern hikers differs from what I had been used to years ago. From shoes/boots to backpacks and daypacks to walking sticks to GPS devices…it seemed someone out there was constantly trying to seduce […]
Here is a paradox that is unique to Boomers: As Google, Facebook, Amazon and other appworlds attempt to extract our “precious bodily fluids” to create a new world order based on the human race as inventory, we humble stone age nomads are stuck between two types of primitive data tools: Those we can hold up to our ears and eyes, and those we can type on. As a press reviewer, I get to play with any of these tools at no cost and consequently can not only refer my readers to the best of both, but I can also set aside cost as a limitation when defining “best.” You may certainly not want to spend $3,200 on a laptop, but if you were shopping for a $300 laptop, you’d want to know what you were not getting that the $3,200 laptop had, right? Well, I’m writing this on what was once the top-of-the-line laptop, which I bought when I needed to go on the road and write, design 3-D animation, edit video, follow 4,000 business contacts, and do my bookkeeping – all at the same time. That for me was worth $1,800 and I bought the #Hewlett Packard HP 8560W mobile workstation. […]
Liquidate a Hoarder House To date, I have liquidated the contents of four entire “hoarder” houses and dozens of apartments (deadbeat tenants often walk out leaving a lot if not everything behind!). One house was so packed, I had to work from within two garbage cans to make enough room just to get in the front door! The biggest problem with liquidating the contents of any living space is separating trash from treasure in a reasonable amount of time. The #hoarder house above took THREE MONTHS full time and 100 yards of dumpsters. I made about $15,000 running weekend tag sales myself. I am sure a lot of valuable books, records, and who-knows-what-else went out into the dumpsters because I needed to empty the place and renovate it to sell. And the Big Crash was just about to happen, so time, as it turned out, became very, very important. So…first step: Take a laptop into the space, log onto eBay, and search the “Sold” value of anything you think might be valuable. Simply name the article (including the brand name helps) and in the left column, where #eBay lets you choose price ranges and locations, click the “Sold” choice. […]
SAN MIGUEL ALLENDE, MEXICO AS A RETIREMENT DESTINATION As many in my “boomer” generation are approaching retirement, we are all looking for ways to stretch our savings and reduce living costs. One plan a friend and I conceived of was to look at places to retire outside the United States. We decided to search out some places on our own and have a personal first-hand experience and hopefully, an adventure as well. Our evaluation would be based on five criteria: (1) cost, (2) a community of like-minded people, (3) modern medical facilities and specialists, (4) a cultural and entertaining environment, and (5), political stability and safety. Join us on our visit to San Miguel, our first destination. Produced by Will Avgerakis CLICK TO WATCH VIDEO
On my 40th birthday, my wife took me out for dinner. It was an amazing meal at David Bouley’s restaurant in New York City, which, if you have not been there, is “to die for.” About halfway through, my wife said she wanted to give me my birthday present, but that I would have to guess what it was. I am never good at these things and so I asked for a hint. She responded with, “it is what you always wanted.” Now I would assume for most men, the thought of “what you always wanted” conjures a world of salacious possibilities, requiring some time to sort and appraise, so I’ll let your imagination play with that. For me, however, the answer was rather immediate. My response, however was delayed as I considered what my wife’s feelings might be if i guessed wrong about what she thought “I always wanted.” (It’s hard not to be smiling now as I write this while imagining the vast thoughts that may be plaguing you, the reader, about now.) Carefully and calmly, I said, “Well, that would have to be Formula One driving school!” She sat quiet, not stunned, or shocked, just still. And then a Mona Lisa […]
I was in the hospital recently for an ambulatory abdominal surgery that lasted 3 hours. In the recovery room, I was feeling no pain and after the wooziness wore off, I showed that I could drink a cup of coffee and eat a tuna salad sandwich, which in my locality is the ticket to walk. But before I could get out of bed, the nurse handed me a pill and a cup of water. “What’s this?” I asked. “Something for the pain.” “I don’t feel any pain.” “You probably will after the full effects of the anesthesia wear off.” She said, pushing the cup of water and the pill back toward me. Then she said, “We believe that you should take your pain medication before you feel any pain.” “Why?” I asked. “Because once the pain starts, if you take the pill, it might be twenty or thirty minutes before you get any relief. You’ll be chasing the pain.” I pretended to take her logic and to get out of the hospital I took the pill too, but what she said got me thinking. A few years ago, I had a total knee replacement, and before I was sent to […]
If you like going fast but are tired of getting speeding tickets and risking a serious accident, there is a way that is legal, relatively safe and lots of fun. If you own a fast exotic car, like a Corvette, Ferrari or Lamborgini, you probably already know that you can take your car to a track, have it checked out for safety, and participate in all kinds of events that will get you regularly topping 110 MPH on the straightaways. But what if you’re not sure that the $100,000 to $400,000, burning a hole in your pocket is destined for a fast car instead of a boat or plane or month on Petit St.Vincent? What if you just want a taste of the fast life and maybe even bring a date along who’s never driven fast before? Can do? Can do! What you want is a Lead-and-Follow (L&F) driving experience. L& F’s are held at pretty much any racetrack at various times, hosted either by the track itself, a concession associated with and at the track, or a club that rents the track. Your cost includes the track and all of the people required to operate the track safely; a […]
Many boomer-age Americans believe that the time is ripe for automobile insurance “reform.” Current liability and collision coverage policies are built around the most costly, inefficient model – that is, multiple commercial insurances that drive wasteful complexity and high administrative costs. Commercial multi-payer auto insurances rely on public subsidies to preserve private insurance profits. The private auto insurance and automobile manufacturers together siphon off tens of millions of public dollars annually, to boost their profits. Commercial auto insurers further protect their bottom line by increasing premiums and deductibles, while limiting benefits and shrinking provider networks – thus shifting costs and risks to the insured. Auto insurance middlemen practicing “Denial Management” deny and delay claims in order to cut costs and increase their profits, while greatly adding to billing costs for providers, who often are required to submit a single claim multiple times. The uncertainty leaves too many Americans one accident or moving violation away from financial disaster. Public Single-Payer Insurance: A Boost for the Entire Economy Dozens of studies over the past 30 years have demonstrated that a single national automobile insurance – provides the most sustainable, comprehensive, universal auto coverage. By covering everyone in one large risk pool, single-payer insurance […]
One topic that comes up when Boomer Guys get together to have a few drinks and talk is Net Worth. This topic might come up in your group of guys, and maybe you don’t know your net worth. Maybe you don’t even know (or care) what net worth is. So here’s a few answers, just in case. Really simple, net worth is the amount of money that represents everything you own, after you subtract every dollar you owe. For instance, Joe, the blow hard stock broker with whom you golf says that his house is worth $5 million. Okay, sure, but if he has a $4.5 million mortgage on that house, the net worth is only $500,000. Simple, right? So if you want to figure out your own net worth, take out a pencil and paper and in one column, list everything of value that you own. Your main house, a vacation house, stocks and bonds, cash, cars, furniture, antiques, jewelry, furs, etc. Got all that? Good. Now, in the second column, write the market value of each item in the first column. If you’re working out your net worth just as a ballpark figure, just write the prices as […]
Okay, this article is going to sound lame at first, but hear me out. Imagine that you had an inside track on a simple, weird technique that could work like a top-notch fishing lure, or a radar homing beacon, or like the smell of coffee and bacon in the morning when it comes to getting a woman to notice you – and not only just notice you, but not consciously realizing why she is noticing you. On top of that, if you perfect this technique, you will magically increase your charisma and persuasiveness the moment you walk into a room. The secret is subliminal and it revolves around the colors of your clothing. No shit. So powerful is this secret that the most successful companies in the world – not just clothing manufacturers – but those who make furniture, paint, cars, even top restaurants (!) pay strict attention to the colors they use in their products and the places in which present them. They actually color their products to make them more desirable. And so powerful is this secret that every year – every year – the specific “magic” colors change and all the great companies in the world jump […]
When guys consider computers, there are two main categories: Entertainment and Business. While you can often find a laptop that works for both, eventually, the climb up the capabilities ladder will split one from the other. The split happens as you head north of $1,500 so we’re talking some serious iron here, or brushed aluminum which brings near military spec durability this Hewlett Packard 15u G4 mobile workstation. Since 2008 HP mobile workstations have represented a category of computer that allow professionals like financial analysts, engineers, film editors, animators and architects to take their most complex projects home, on trains and planes. And yeah, they make awesome game platforms too. Can you say, “overkill?” Offered online at a stunning promotional price – for a mobile workstation – of $1,729, the 15u G4 is compact (15.6”), light (4.18 lbs.) and ultra thin (0.79”). Unlike the comparably price Apple MacBook Pro 13.3” laptop, the HP’s battery is user replaceable, with 51 watt hour’s duration and can recharge to 50% capacity in 30 minutes! Do you crave power? Even though the 15u G4 is the “value performance” junior entry of four ZBook choices (“full performance” being the Zbook Studio, ZBook […]
George Avgerakis
George started writing professionally at 16 with an interview of Ray Charles. He founded a leading NYC multilingual marketing communications company, Avekta Productions, with his wife, serving Fortune 100 C-level clients, politicians, and celebrities. Avekta produced in every continent of the world except Antarctica. George has published hundreds of magazine articles and his three non-fiction books (published by McGraw Hill and Thomson Course) on desktop video production and computer animation revolutionized the industry just in time for YouTube. George's first novel, The Wood Pusher is the result of deciding to write fiction full time (except for articles he writes here and in Forza | The Magazine About Ferrari) because he enjoys the pursuit of perfection at any cost. George is the father two; a West Point graduate, veteran and mother of his three grandson - and the artist, El Chimu Grigio (@el_chimu), whose Instagram fan base exceeds 20,000. I am the grandson of four ethnic Greeks from Turkey who met in America after escaping the same village. I also sing Byzantine liturgy and of course, I dance!
Susan Luman
I’m an active gal in her seventies who loves photography and who is currently a second lieutenant learning airbourne photography in Civil Air Patrol. After sharing how much fun I had making movie intros and credit scrolls (with nothing in between!) on my iPad to a fun loving boomer, he offered to teach me video editing. The rest is history.It was an easy step from some years as a programmer and small scaleSystems Analyst to exploring video apps on the App Store. With several movie intro and scroll apps and iMovie I was up and running. I have long dreamt to be 14 again, with a free summer ahead of me and the opportunity to spend weeks in film school! Three of my short movies are “Now Showing” on U-Tube! Other plans were put on hold, other self-images were revised, and an entirely new way of seeing myself, now as a filmmaker, have emerged. The local library has some wonderful books on the film-making process, and print media has stories on filmmakers and their inspiration. Today I look forward to every new day.Its fitting that my first movie was on the preparations for memorial flights over Normandy to…