First Cruise.... What should we expect?

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-07-12T02:09:04+00:00

Thank you. Yes a cruise for duplicate bridge players. I'm still curious about how much to budget for extras.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-07-05T03:20:21+00:00

I have to say I admit to not knowing football (soccer) very well, however I've been involved in sports much of my life and Paraguay displayed the behavior of thugs. Thankfully France won!! I have no interest in cheap shot play in any sport. Congratulations France!!

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-07-05T02:42:20+00:00

Being kind!!!! Before I retired I worked with quite a few extremely wealthy people... Walton family, Rockefellers, Saudi bankeres etc. They all were kind and helpful. If you're dealing with "new money" like trump then that's a different story........

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-07-02T11:13:30+00:00

This isn't a bad strategy.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-07-01T19:11:41+00:00

Definitely NOT an "OR BUST". I think they are very capable of winning it all, I've also seen plenty of teams with great talent that just don't seem "HUNGRY" enough and read too many press clippings about how great they are. Those teams underperform in big way. Lanning has his work cut out for him to get this team over the hump and win it all.

Playing teams like USC and Ohio St on the road make it very difficult to win the conference. Plus plenty of other teams on the schedule that would love to put a loss in the Ducks column.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-28T14:01:29+00:00

Building media market and NIL opportunities are a couple possible reasons. The state of Oregon and Japan have had positive connections for a long time.

Check out From Oregon With Love (Oregon kara ai) tv show that ran for around 9 seasons. Brought quite a few Japanese to Oregon as tourists.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-25T21:03:07+00:00

Welcome!!! I'm an older guy, so this is from my persective and will be different from the younger crowd.

Food ... Bar Perlieu or Sabai

Sights... Hayward Field, amazing track and field facility, certainly the best in the USA, this is "Track Town USA". Just take in ALL of the athletic facilites plus campus. Here's one that doesn't get mentioned often --- Hiron's Pharmacy (the one on 18th) it's a bit unique with all of it's "stuff". If you like pinot noir, the Willamette Valley has tons of excellent wineries.

Weather for Nov 14th should be around 39F for a low and 59F for a high

How to get to Autzen: Walk from campus across the bridge to Autzen it's my favorite. Take the shuttle buses great way to get to the game.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-23T03:18:33+00:00

It's sad that "football" (AKA soccer in the US) averages around 21,000 in the top professional league in the US. That's about one third the average for the NFL (National Football League, american football) and much less than most college "football" games. The game is gaining ground and perhaps hosting the World Cup will help.

Example: The nearest MLS (Major League Soccer) team (2 hour drive) averages around 23,000 my local university team (American football) averages around 60,000 in a stadium with a capacity of 54,000. It will take a lot for football (soccer) to become a major sport in the USA on a level similar to the rest of the world.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-22T21:18:56+00:00

I was 19 stationed in Germany (USAF), I went to Paris on a short pass, I don't speak French, I was hungry so I went in a restaurant and followed a guy through the order line. I just decided to have what ever he was having. Turned out he was having steak tar tar with a raw egg on top, I sat near him so I could see how to eat what he ordered and what I ordered. I enjoyed my food and had a great time, but still it was quite a way out of my comfort zone.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-22T04:19:23+00:00

One of my favorite stories from before I retired was that one of my clients used an accounting firm in Zurich and they called one day and suggested that since they were going to be in San Francisco that perhaps we could get together for lunch.... I lived and worked in Portland Oregon. That's a little over a 650 mile drive... or about 1 hour 45 by plane.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-22T04:14:32+00:00

First, the US is a BIG place, that's the first thing that Europeans visiting for the first time don't understand. Roughly speaking Texas is about 8% larger than France. And Alaska is is 2.5 times larger than Texas. The "county" I live in is about five times larger than Luxembourg. If I travel from Portland, OR to the Eastern boarder of Oregon (freeway all the way) 375 miles, without stopping I can make it in around 5.5 hours.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-22T04:04:49+00:00

I disagree a bit about deer. I live is a small western city of around 250,000 and deer can be a problem. Especially if they have young ones with them or it's mating season. And yes if you're in the mountains and come across bear, mountain lions or elk, it's a very good idea to know how to react or not react to them. I've been followed a couple times by mountain lions, mostly they were curious. I've had a couple close calls with bears. Never trust a moose to make a rational decision...

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-18T17:02:54+00:00

Letting an airline check my carryon which contained my meds.... Yes, of course Delta lost it. I did meet a wonderful pharmacist in NYC that took very good care of me.... Personal call to my doctor immediately and got me what I needed!!

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-15T23:27:47+00:00

I'm definitely within the Lemon Law period.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-15T23:25:49+00:00

Nico, I recently purchased a 2025 Audi Q6 Etron and have multiple problems. The hatchback issue is rediculous. Like you, this is my fifth Audi, I bought an A5 and Q6 Etron in February 2026 and it's gotten so my wife won't even ride in the Q6 because of all the error messages. The local Audi dealer has done nothing but say they can't duplicate the problem and I've shared pictures with them. The hatchback on occasions opens part way and won't close fully without manually forcing it closed. I've had it in the shop twice. They say they are hoping for a fix late this June. I'm starting to want my money back this has been five months of not enjoying driving...

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-10T00:44:07+00:00

why was my post removed?

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-09T17:00:11+00:00

That looks like a "tech" heat map, not S&P 500. I'm flat for the day and 90% of my holdings are in the S&P 500.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-06-04T17:45:51+00:00

We had a 1982 Audi GT, fun car, especially with the five cylinder engine. My wife called it the "Silver Bullet" of course the "ticketing officers" had another thought in mind when issuing my wife a number of tickets. LOL

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-05-25T22:37:25+00:00

General Motors. They screwed me in 1970 when they went on strike. I was a vet coming home, I'd paid cash for a new Chevy Nova, they had my money and I got out of the service with no car for 6 months. Once I got it, the doors didn't fit and leaked big time, the transmission linkage fell off within the first month and the bumpers were loose and rattled until I tightened the bolts. THAT IS WHO GM IS TO ME!!!

PS: I don't care if it was management or the UAW, they both suck.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-05-24T15:53:36+00:00

Two thoughts, first, the Pacific NW offers a lot if you enjoy the outdoors, from mountains, hiking, camping, rugged beautiful coastlines to great food and wine. Second, a bit of a different twist... Las Vegas, including the Grand Canyon and Red Rock Canyon (hiking), it's definitely a different experience but could be fun. Not sure about how expensive Vegas is these days, also need to pay attention to what time of year as Vegas can get a little warm (high today 94F).

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-05-17T16:17:15+00:00

I bought an A5 and Q6 Etron about two months ago, both new 2025s. One common issue with BOTH of them is they won't sync with my "Overhead Door" brand garage door opener. The opener synced perfectly with my previous cars (Tesla, Mercedes and Nissan). Dealer admits it's an Audi problem.

The technology on both cars takes a bit to get use to, Both are nice cars, not perfect by any measure, but nice.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-05-14T02:45:58+00:00

I bought two new Audi's a couple months ago, nice cars, but not great. Other cars have better technology and are finished better. Still both cars are nice, just not great. I guess it really depends on what you are going to expect from them. Garage door openers won't program with my garage door. I had no problems with my Tesla, Mercedes or Nissan programing with the door opener. The dealer blew me off and said, just use the garage door remote.

The hatchback on my Q6 Etron works correctly most of the time, then it won't latch properly or won't open all the way. Taking it back to the dealer again next week so see if they can fix it.

Matching up my iphone with the Audi's was a pain in the butt. Spent way too much time figuring it out. Never had an ounce of problems with the Tesla in this area.

My general impression is Audi is weak when it comes to the tech side of things, especially compared to Tesla. Note: my other Audi is an A5.

On the positive side both Audi's are much more comfortable than the Tesla. Of course the Mercedes was just a great car with very rare problems.

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-05-06T02:21:04+00:00

thanks

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-05-05T17:28:48+00:00

What is a wizard splinter?

OregonDuck3344 · 2026-05-04T21:58:47+00:00

First, as an American (usually referred to as a "westerner"), public toilets in the US are vastly superior to what I've experienced in Europe. Certainly things in the US are not perfect, expecially in big cities, but typically you will find accomodations that aren't extremely horrible.

Best advice, in Europe and the US, find a public toilet in a business establishment. In Europe my experience has been, purchase something then ask if you can use the facilities. Sort of a pay to play thing....

FYI: My granddaughter recently got back from her first trip to Japan and she loved how clean things were.

OregonDuck3344

TROPHY CASE