General

Topic   Random thoughts....

shadyfozzie
Triple Gold Good Trader
2-Mar-2022(#1)
This topic had many older posts which were moved here:

https://gametz.com/General/random-thoughts--621122...


Post your random thoughts, questions, ideas here... I'll start

1) Have you ever watched America's Funniest Videos and wonder why the winning video is almost NEVER funny AT ALL?? We were watching some older episodes on Disney Plus and the final 3 videos are always stupid and not funny, and the worst one ALWAYS wins.. WTF..

2) How have cereal bags NOT been made with zip lock technology??

3) They need to make a container that can keep to-go french fries from getting soggy...
BucketofJustice
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 350 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Has Written 6 Reviews
* 15-Feb(#2)
Can’t say I did much homework. I decided yesterday I was going to actually do it and today they got done. I did put actual thought into the two designs, both Pearl Jam tattoos. One is the Stickman that’s on the front of a hoodie I got in 2009 and that hoodie is in rough shape. That’s on my wrist/inner forearm area. The second one is on my outer forearm and it’s the 3 hearts from their song Smile. I suck at making images appear here so I apologize if they’re all wonky. I’ll link the images I used as reference for my ink today.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/839851030482690261

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/324681454370861561

Edit fudging 48: apparently I suck at image tagging things so I left the links. God help me if I figure out how to share the pictures of my actual arm.
nonamesleft
Double Gold Good Trader
16-Feb(#3)
What's the worst thing to hear while you're getting a tattoo? "Oops"
BucketofJustice
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 350 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Has Written 6 Reviews
16-Feb(#4)
Hahahaha probably. I distinctly remember thinking that the stencils the guy created looked like crap but I trusted the process and they came out amazing.
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
16-Feb(#5)
Never owed IRS for taxes, ever. This year I owe $8k, FML. I knew changing from a 0 to 3 for withholdings was a dumb move. Gahhhh
Tony
Triple Gold Good Trader
* 17-Feb(#6)
MrBean wrote:
> Never owed IRS for taxes, ever. This year I owe $8k, FML. I knew changing from a 0 to 3 for withholdings was a dumb move. Gahhhh

I always tried to plan my tax withholding to be close to even or to owe a bit without owing so much I got penalized. I've heard so many people say, "I want them to take out as much as possible through the year so that I get a big refund". I would ask them if they understood that by doing it that way they were simply having a savings account with the government that didn't pay them interest? Get your money through the year, earn interest on the money (or use it to make some tax free income with a side hustle), and then pay back a little if you need to.

I've read several articles in the last few years saying how, since the government has our income information, they could simply send everyone a tax bill that they can pay or send in forms showing why the amount should be adjusted. Many other countries already do income taxes this way. HR Block and Turbo Tax have lobbied the US government to keep the current system that makes us pay tax preparation services to prepare and file our tax returns. The government agreed to this as long as the companies offer "free" tax preparation.
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
17-Feb(#7)
Yep, it's some bs that we still manage taxes the way we do. Others have figured it out but there's too much money in taking advantage of the customers.
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews
17-Feb(#8)
Tony wrote:
> I've heard so many people say, "I want them to take
> out as much as possible through the year so that I get a big refund". I would ask
> them if they understood that by doing it that way they were simply having a savings
> account with the government that didn't pay them interest?

With the rate most banks are giving on savings accounts, it's a trifling amount of interest.

https://www.bankrate.com/banking/savings/average-s...

0.58% on average.

So if you were having the IRS withhold extra so you could get a $5,000 refund, you would have lost out on just $14.50 in interest at that rate.

(5,000 X 0.58%, then divide by two since your withholdings are probably taking place regularly throughout the year so the average time the government held it for would be 6 months.)

Obviously you could probably do better with investments rather than a savings account, but for people who use the IRS as a temporary storage, they may not have great money management/discipline skills. So if they had gotten that extra money in their paychecks it would probably have been spent anyway instead of saved.

HybridCRoW
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Has Written 2 Reviews
17-Feb(#9)
I just found out after everyone was telling me I could deduct mileage and car maintenance on my taxes for my commute ended up not being true. The reason is because of Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017. Only if I'm self employed or own a business can I deduct my mileage and car maintenance on the taxes.

Of course, even if I was able to do that, plus donations I made in 2023, and other stuff I could write off, it just wasn't enough to be more than the standard deduction.
John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
17-Feb(#10)
benstylus wrote:
> With the rate most banks are giving on savings accounts, it's a trifling amount of
> interest.
>
>
> 0.58% on average.
>
> So if you were having the IRS withhold extra so you could get a $5,000 refund, you
> would have lost out on just $14.50 in interest at that rate.

That is assuming that you'd keep it in a normal bank account -- which makes little sense. The reality is that you can fairly easily get about 5% these days from very safe high yield savings accounts at Schwab, Fidelity, and other major players.

Now we're talking about $250 -- which matters a bit more. (Even if we divide by two to $125.)

> Obviously you could probably do better with investments rather than a savings account,
> but for people who use the IRS as a temporary storage, they may not have great money
> management/discipline skills. So if they had gotten that extra money in their paychecks
> it would probably have been spent anyway instead of saved.

This is the real reality. The fact is that overpaying your taxes and getting a refund is more like forced savings for people who otherwise would not do anything special with it through the year.

Also, don't forget that we're all paying more because Trump signed things into law that would continue to hurt the non-rich for years when it comes to paying taxes. Makes the current President look bad for something that the previous President enacted...
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews
* 18-Feb(#11)
John wrote:
> benstylus wrote:
>> With the rate most banks are giving on savings accounts, it's a trifling amount
> of
>> interest.
>>
>>
>> 0.58% on average.
>>
>> So if you were having the IRS withhold extra so you could get a $5,000 refund,
> you
>> would have lost out on just $14.50 in interest at that rate.
>
> That is assuming that you'd keep it in a normal bank account --

That is my assumption for people who would go this route. They see Schwab/Fidelity and they think complicated/too many choices/not FDIC insured.

Especially if they got burned on a 'hot stock tip' or crypto or other get rich quick promise previously.

KCPenguins
GameTZ Subscriber Gold Good Trader
* 18-Feb(#12)
Went out shed hunting with the family. Found two dead carcasses picked fairly clean by coyotes, but no antlers. About to pull into the driveway and see 15-20 deer in the field across from my place, probably 150 yards away. SMH! They likely cut through my property.
loztdogs
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 250 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader
18-Feb(#13)
KCPenguins wrote:
> Went out shed hunting with the family. Found two dead carcasses picked fairly clean
> by coyotes, but no antlers. About to pull into the driveway and see 15-20 deer in
> the field across from my place, probably 150 yards away. SMH! They likely cut through
> my property.

Saw this guy across the street last weekend.

image


KCPenguins
GameTZ Subscriber Gold Good Trader
18-Feb(#14)
KCPenguins wrote:
> Went out shed hunting with the family. Found two dead carcasses picked fairly clean
> by coyotes, but no antlers. About to pull into the driveway and see 15-20 deer in
> the field across from my place, probably 150 yards away. SMH! They likely cut through
> my property.


Wondered why this would be negged. Bucks naturally shed antlers every year, doesn't hurt them. The mice usually eat them. I was looking for them for my dogs. They like to chew on them. The deer carcasses were natural, coyotes ate them as did my doggoes.
citizen_zane
GameTZ Subscriber Quadruple Gold Good Trader
* 18-Feb(#15)
KCPenguins wrote:
> Went out shed hunting with the family.

At first I though that you and the family were heading out to Home Depot and Lowe's, looking for a new shed.


BucketofJustice
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 350 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Has Written 6 Reviews
18-Feb(#16)
Yeah I thought they were going to build a small backyard structure too.
Foxhack
350 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader
18-Feb(#17)
They gotta keep the shed populations low before they grow into man-eating gazebos.
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
19-Feb(#18)
"everything bubble" sounds scary, wonder if I should sell my stocks and hide my money for awhile...
Tony
Triple Gold Good Trader
* 19-Feb(#19)
bill wrote:
> {imgt}https://i.imgur.com/dWcTJPX.jpeg 600 314{imgt}

This is true for most everyone. Unless we are being lied to, for any given 10 year period, the US Stock Market has outperformed every other type of investment. I've read Market analyses that say even someone who invested in the Stock Market the day before the crash that started the Great Depression was better off 10 years later than if they hadn't.

Every time there is a short term lull or drop in the Market, my financial counselor says "let it ride". Unless you are invested in a single stock that can be lost if the company fails, you want to be there when the market bounces back. The only individual stocks the average investor should buy are in companies that you know will be around in 5 years.

In 2008, my 401K lost about 40%. In 2018, it was up by 50% or more over where it had been before the drop. I had a co-worker who pulled his 401K money out of stocks and put it into guaranteed return investments. He actually made about 2% in 2008. I don't know when (or if) he went back to stocks, so I don't know how that move turned out for him in the long run.
John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
19-Feb(#20)
Indeed. I'm a Boglehead when it comes to retirement investing. Lots of fun reading, but the simple summary (at least, what I do based on my reading):

1. Don't try to time the market.
2. Hold long-term without worrying about lots of changes. Don't worry about the day to day (or even month-to-month or year-to-year in most cases).
3. Extremely diversified portfolio -- often recommended (and used by me) is the "3-fund portfolio" consisting of: a Total US Stock Market Index, a Total International Stock Index, and a Total US Bond Market Index.

I'd get into it more, but this is the Random Thoughts thread and it'll all be lost in a day anyhow. smile
bill
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 600 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Has Written 28 Reviews
19-Feb(#21)
This is the way.
shadyfozzie
Triple Gold Good Trader
19-Feb(#22)
Is the NBA the most laughable league out of the 4 major sports?? I didn't watch one second of the All-Star game but from reading articles and seeing tweets about it, i heard it was abysmal. I haven't been a fan of the NBA for years, but after reading about the joke of the all star weekend (sans the Curry/Sabrina 3 point matchup, which i thought was pretty cool idea), the entire weekend is sad.
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
19-Feb(#23)
Totally get it, but being a big dumb ape, and the dialogue that's happening, combined with the insanity of the data showing ... that we're possibly going to dwarf the 2008 crash. I can't help but feel like cashing out and dumping into a high yield savings account for a bit, may be the safe bet. I truly don't know. I think it's time to actually hire a financial advisor.
John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
19-Feb(#24)
MrBean wrote:
> Totally get it, but being a big dumb ape, and the dialogue that's happening, combined
> with the insanity of the data showing ... that we're possibly going to dwarf the
> 2008 crash.

To be clear, that is the dialogue that's happening with a very limited set of people. Lots of people do NOT expect some great crash coming.

There is a lot of politics involved. The economy has looked pretty good lately. There is a great incentive for SOME people to want to make a crash look imminent.

> I can't help but feel like cashing out and dumping into a high yield
> savings account for a bit, may be the safe bet. I truly don't know.

Stats show that holding through 2008 would have been fine. Heck, holding through the Great Depression, if you could, would also be fine.

Without a crystal ball that no one has, it has been shown repeatedly that you're better off NOT trying to time the market.

> I think it's time to actually hire a financial advisor.

They don't know either. Always remember that. The market has generally beaten any individual investment advisors over and over and over again. There are some exceptions for some crazy funds where you need millions just to get in. But, ignoring those and only looking at what normal people can do, a total market fund, an S&P 500 fund, or a simple target date fund have pretty much always beaten any advisor or individual public fund over any significant period of time.

I support using "financial advisors" when it comes to making decisions related to taxes and such. And when very near or into retirement when it is time to start selling things and knowing what makes sense to sell from a tax and availability standpoint. But for anyone under, say, 60, I'm not convinced that a financial advisor makes much sense.

And, if you DO use one, use a fiduciary who charges per hour. Not a percentage of your investment.

(Note that all of this may not apply to someone who is having financial issues and/or not contributing significantly to their retirement. In THAT case, it might help to have someone there going "Yeah, you need to put more into your IRA/401k/HSA/Roth so that you have money to retire on several decades from now!" But that's a different issue than WHERE to put that money once you've done that.)

MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
19-Feb(#25)
For sure @John, your points are very valid. I just have a nice chunk of stock, IRA, and 401k that I think it's time to have someone much smarter than me manage. We put around 45%of our money away and all done so with limited knowledge/Google/luck.

Somehow we've done (minus good Ole GME and DOGE) ... Well enough, but time to get smarter. Recent rabbit holes led me down a path last night that I wanted to dump a lot but this is why it's probably ideal to hire someone to hold my hand =)
Porksta
400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
19-Feb(#26)
If anyone is interested in investing in crypto (which has outperformed the market), link in my bio!
HybridCRoW
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Has Written 2 Reviews
19-Feb(#27)
For emergency purposes, I sold off all my stocks I had on robinhood last year... funny thing is... when I got the tax paperwork this week... it said I made a $25 profit....
John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
19-Feb(#28)
MrBean wrote:
> For sure @John, your points are very valid. I just have a nice chunk of stock, IRA,
> and 401k that I think it's time to have someone much smarter than me manage.

I got you. But, again, my point is the same: most financial advisors don't do better than buying a total market fund (along with an international index and a small amount of a total bond index) -- or even just the S&P500 Index -- or a Target Retirement Date index.

So, like I said, if you want advice, find a per-hour fiduciary and pay him to look over what you have and make some suggestions -- but not to invest for you where he takes a percentage. These guys simply do not beat just using wherever you have your money (Schwab, Fidelity, whatever) and buying a decent Target-date fund to get started. (You can always move to more diverse funds later if you want.)

> Somehow we've done (minus good Ole GME and DOGE) ... Well enough, but time to get
> smarter. Recent rabbit holes led me down a path last night that I wanted to dump
> a lot but this is why it's probably ideal to hire someone to hold my hand =)

That I can see. yes
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
* 19-Feb(#29)
Got connected to a guy that my buddy uses (that does insanely well for himself), and he's made my friend a ton of money, initial consultation is free. Will see what his options are and how best to utilize. Some great points above @John, thanks! End of day, I'm amazed I've made it this far... Someone who knows what they're doing, can probably send me in a way better direction overall!
Porksta
400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
19-Feb(#30)
Pay attention to the fees. If the guy is just investing in some ETF/mutual funds, not a big reason to pay too much. I think I pay $100/year and I think that is a bit high. If he mentions the initial consultation is free... how much does he charge to manage?
John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
19-Feb(#31)
Please don't say Edward Jones... Please don't say Edward Jones... Please don't say Edward Jones...
Tony
Triple Gold Good Trader
20-Feb(#32)
shadyfozzie wrote:
> Is the NBA the most laughable league out of the 4 major sports?? I didn't watch one second of the All-Star game but from reading articles and seeing tweets about it, i heard it was abysmal. I haven't been a fan of the NBA for years, but after reading
> about the joke of the all star weekend (sans the Curry/Sabrina 3 point matchup, which i thought was pretty cool idea), the entire weekend is sad.

The NBA All Star Game is likely to go the way of the NFL All Star Game. In the far past, when guys needed the extra paycheck and the winning team got a lot more than the losing team, they played it to win like any other game. When the salaries became so great the extra pay wasn't needed, the biggest name players didn't want to participate and no one played hard for risk of getting hurt,
Tony
Triple Gold Good Trader
* 20-Feb(#33)
If you have a large amount of money, get a financial advisor. You likely don't have the time to study the world economic situation from multiple sources in order to get the information you need to make wise decisions.

Do not get a financial advisor that takes a cut every time he moves your money from one investment to another.

Don't wait to start saving for retirement. The sooner you begin, the longer you have to take advantage of the "miracle" of compounded interest.

If you employer offers a match to your 401K contribution, take advantage of it.
John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
20-Feb(#34)
We can agree to disagree. You don't NEED to "study the world economic situation from multiple sources" to make most wise investment decisions.

All of that is trying to time the market. History has repeatedly shown that even the best experts can't do it better than a buy-and-hold-diverse-market investment.

But, yes, if you want help -- find an advisor that you pay for his time only. Not one that takes a percentage of your total investments regularly (quarterly, yearly, whatever) -- nor one that gets a percentage when you buy into or sell out of any investments.

A great portfolio can easily be made with no-fee funds.

Do not go to Edward Jones! Period.
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
20-Feb(#35)
Nah, this dude is an independent. Hoping to connect this week. I think he has a flat fee structure and doesn't charge per transaction. We'll that's what my buddy has, and he's... A millionaire so dunno if I'll get the same treatment.
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews
20-Feb(#36)
MrBean wrote:
> Nah, this dude is an independent. Hoping to connect this week. I think he has a flat
> fee structure and doesn't charge per transaction. We'll that's what my buddy has,
> and he's... A millionaire so dunno if I'll get the same treatment.

You probably would be too if it weren't for those figures and stuff that you hide from your wife wink

MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
20-Feb(#37)
benstylus wrote:
> MrBean wrote:
>> Nah, this dude is an independent. Hoping to connect this week. I think he has
> a flat
>> fee structure and doesn't charge per transaction. We'll that's what my buddy has,
>> and he's... A millionaire so dunno if I'll get the same treatment.
>
> You probably would be too if it weren't for those figures and stuff that you hide
> from your wife wink
>
>

Hahaha, this... This is very true. We have a nice portfolio but we regurally look at each other and say similar, TF is wrong with us? She can be bad, not as ridiculous as I am, but... We enjoy our lives and that's ultimately what matters most. Still, we should be way better off! We both grew up very under the poverty line and continue to impress ourselves with what we've accomplished.

Me personally, I overdo it because I came from so little, broken home and all kinds of bad stuff that I still mask too much of it in indulgence... I know this, but do I change it? Not really! Maybe this financial advisor will help kick me in the balls once and for all to bring forth some change.
John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
20-Feb(#38)
Hey, we're all here to kick you in the balls too. yes
theJaw
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader
* 20-Feb(#39)
Help me understand something, GTZ. The wife and I just moved into a new apartment. It’s very expensive but we didn’t have a ton of time to search at all because our former landlord made a very abrupt decision to sell the building - and considering we were tenants at will, we had to find a spot quickly.

Anyhow, her and I have anxiously been wondering if we misunderstood the terms of the lease regarding late fees. How would you interpret the wording here:

“Your rent is due on the 1st of each month. If we do not receive your rent and other recurring charges, in person before the close of business, or electronically by 11:59 pm local time, on day 30, you will be charged a late fee as follows:

5% on the 31st”

Am I to understand that, should we have a remaining balance after the 1st, there would be a 5% fee applied to each day that the balance exists — which would then be billed as a lump sum on the 31st day? Or is it saying we have a 30 day grace period to get the remaining balance paid off before the late fee is applied?

We figured it was the latter, but I’ve been in my head about it the entire last month. I’ll email them to be sure but just figured I’d ask for opinions here. We never plan to be too late paying if we miss the due date, but that’d obviously become a lot more difficult if fees are building each day. Bi-weekly paychecks be damned.

KCPenguins
GameTZ Subscriber Gold Good Trader
* 20-Feb(#40)
Ask them? Bad advice? Really don't know. Some landlords are fine. Others are garbage.
theJaw
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader
20-Feb(#41)
Yah I plan on emailing them in the morning anyhow. This is an apartment complex, so I feel like it’s all fairly uniform.
HybridCRoW
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Has Written 2 Reviews
20-Feb(#42)
It sounds like they're applying a 5% late fee for not paying the rent on time, not for each day late. But yeah I would ask them to be sure.

One of the lucky perks so far for where I live is if I'm late on the rent, it's a $50 late fee. Of course, they do serve you with a memorandum (another word for "eviction notice") but as long as I let them know when I'll have the rent paid with the late fee, it's fine... just a process they have to follow.
There was an apartment complex I looked at moving closer to where I work... they charge 10% late fee... luckily I decided it wasn't worth it because of the requirements, and the rent was more than what I pay here FOR THEIR SMALLEST ONE BEDROOM which is smaller than here... I think it was almost double what I pay now.
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
* 21-Feb(#43)
I've asked Facebook no less than 8 times, over 2 years, to memorialize my Dad's account... They have not.

Today is his bday, and randos, who were clearly good friends, are posting happy bday comments.

Is it a dick move, to login as my Dad, to comment on their posts?

- "#ThanksImDead"
- "Gary passed away two years ago. Apparently you were good friends."
- "Thanks, I don't think I'll be celebrating this year, you know... Dead and all."
- "Hey, thanks!"
Foxhack
350 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader
22-Feb(#44)
No, but to be honest, it's definitely something my family would do.

Heck whenever someone asks how mom is doing I tell them she's at home, comfy, inside her cremation urn. Same with dad. He's got an apartment at the cemetary.

That usually shuts people up, heh.
bill
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 600 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Has Written 28 Reviews
22-Feb(#45)
If you can login in as your dad, do so and delete his account.
Scott
GameTZ Subscriber Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Has Written 2 Reviews
22-Feb(#46)
MrBean wrote:
> I've asked Facebook no less than 8 times, over 2 years, to memorialize my Dad's account...
> They have not.
>
> Today is his bday, and randos, who were clearly good friends, are posting happy bday
> comments.
>
> Is it a dick move, to login as my Dad, to comment on their posts?
>
> - "#ThanksImDead"
> - "Gary passed away two years ago. Apparently you were good friends."
> - "Thanks, I don't think I'll be celebrating this year, you know... Dead and all."
> - "Hey, thanks!"

Is your problem that they don't realize he passed away? Or that they do know but are still wishing happy birthday? If the latter, I'm not sure how I feel about that one. A lot of people seem to do it. Not just in this way, but they'll make a post "My dad would have been 75 today, etc etc, happy birthday dad!" So I think for a lot of people they mean it as a positive sentiment.
shadyfozzie
Triple Gold Good Trader
* 22-Feb(#47)
Why the hell are airlines such douches???

My MIL is currently visiting her sisters in Florida, and my wife wants to take our 2 kids down for a few days to visit them. We have a local airport near us that we want to fly out of, and Frontier is the airline that flies out of there.

Anyhow, she was planning on going Thursday - Tuesday and tickets round-trip for all three were about $580. Not too bad to go into Orlando.

Then, the crap starts. You have to pay $30/person each way to select your seats: $180 total
Carry on bags are $47, and a checked bag is $67 each way. Oh, but you get a free bag fee if it's a backpack.

So essentially, the baggage fee + seat fee brings the cost to over $900 (closer to $1,000).. WTF!?!?! Airlines suck.

Note: We have looked at other airports, but they don't have tickets that work with the times that they would need to go. And the airport they would fly out of is only 15 minutes from our house vs. 45-60 for any other airport. Oh, and we will NEVER fly Spirit..
Finn
Quadruple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Canada
22-Feb(#48)
So I started the search today for my biological Mom. I doubt I will ever find the bio dad going on the information I do have. I have always wanted to find her and thank her and maybe meet my half sister, but was scared. I think I was scared of the possible rejection and what other people might think to a lesser extent. I know the last one is silly because I really don't care for about 99% of things. I had a dream however last night that I met her. I spent hours thinking what it possibly means? Did she pass on and is contacting me now? I am not a religious person by any means and neither was my mother that raised me but we talked about this kind off stuff. So it got me thinking about that, Why now? I have never had a dream about it before. I have thought a little less about it since my child was born and filled a hole I had my entire life, I wanted to thank my birth mom but I also wanted to meet someone who was a genetic relation as I never experienced that before.

I know I should find out for my daughters sake since she will have questions and I will have no answers and I am of the thinking that she has every right to know about her history so it's no longer about just me. I thought about 23andME and while I have not closed the door (I am more open then I have ever been to the idea) I am just worried about putting my genetic information out there. I mean 23andME just had a HUGE data breach.... I could always go with a private firm but they lack the customer base that Ancestry has (23andME is also linked) and will not likely yield the type of information I am looking for.

On one hand I am focused than ever when it comes to this topic and on the other still scared and confused. I suppose this is why I went with the easy way first. If there is a letter wishing to meet then I suppose everything is taken care of. Time will tell. Thanks for listening to my ramblings.
nonamesleft
Double Gold Good Trader
* 22-Feb(#49)
theJaw wrote:
> Help me understand something, GTZ. The wife and I just moved into a new apartment.
> It’s very expensive but we didn’t have a ton of time to search at all because our
> former landlord made a very abrupt decision to sell the building - and considering
> we were tenants at will, we had to find a spot quickly.
>
> Anyhow, her and I have anxiously been wondering if we misunderstood the terms of
> the lease regarding late fees. How would you interpret the wording here:
>
> “Your rent is due on the 1st of each month. If we do not receive your rent and other
> recurring charges, in person before the close of business, or electronically by 11:59
> pm local time, on day 30, you will be charged a late fee as follows:
>
> 5% on the 31st”
>
> Am I to understand that, should we have a remaining balance after the 1st, there
> would be a 5% fee applied to each day that the balance exists — which would then
> be billed as a lump sum on the 31st day? Or is it saying we have a 30 day grace period
> to get the remaining balance paid off before the late fee is applied?
>
> We figured it was the latter, but I’ve been in my head about it the entire last month.
> I’ll email them to be sure but just figured I’d ask for opinions here. We never plan
> to be too late paying if we miss the due date, but that’d obviously become a lot
> more difficult if fees are building each day. Bi-weekly paychecks be damned.
>
>
The way I understood it was that if the rent isn't paid on time, then there is a 5% fee applied immediately. But I certainly wouldn't think that it's an additional 5% on each additional day.

(If you didn't yet ask, maybe don't. Perhaps they'll say "oh yeah, of course it's 5% stacked per each day," even though that's not what it really was. Just a thought that popped into my mind)
Tony
Triple Gold Good Trader
22-Feb(#50)
shadyfozzie wrote:
> Why the hell are airlines such douches???

Every business is implementing practices that make them as much money as possible.

There are two competing pricing philosophies in business today. 1.) Comprehensive pricing where everyone pays the same price regardless of whether or not they use everything that is included, and 2.) A la carte pricing where one only pays for what they actually use.

In the past, an airline ticket came with an assigned seat and included one piece of luggage. I don't know which airline began a la carte pricing, but it came with so many benefits to the airline that almost all others adopted this pricing model. The industry realized that some people were willing to pay more for options like choice seats and early boarding. When I travelled for business, I often made day trips or a had single night stay I could handle with a carry-on and didn't need to check baggage - so why should I pay a baggage fee? I'm only 6 feet tall and I used to ask for the exit row (or get in the first boarding group for a Southwest flight so I could get it). Legroom on airplanes has shrunk to the point where I might decide to pay extra for a prime seat in the future.

A la carte pricing also allows airlines and hotels to advertise a much lower price than the actual cost. I've encountered mandatory "resort fees" at many places I've stayed in the last several years. I don't use weight rooms or tennis courts and rarely use pools, but I can't opt out of the fees - even though they are not shown in the stated price of the room.

When I worked at McDonald's in the mid-70s, the menu included both the Quarter Pounder and the QP with Cheese. Cheeseburgers cost more because you were adding cheese to your burger. Today, the only options on the menu are cheeseburgers. You can ask for no cheese, but you pay the cheeseburger price. Chipotle charges extra for guacamole and queso, but Qdoba increased the price of their burritos and now advertise guacamole and queso are "free".
bill
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 600 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Has Written 28 Reviews
25-Feb(#51)
I've been playing Tears of the Kingdom. I waited to play it partly to save some money but also so that I can look things up if I get stuck. This strategy worked well for me for many years. It worked fine for Breath of the Wild. What I've been finding with TotK is that the wikis and such are missing a lot of information. I wonder if some sort of shift is happening where the people who used to write wiki pages are doing it less.
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews
25-Feb(#52)
bill wrote:
> I
> wonder if some sort of shift is happening where the people who used to write wiki
> pages are doing it less.

I think most people are just posting videos now

Foxhack
350 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader
* 25-Feb(#53)
Folks don't write wiki pages or FAQs anymore because some jackass with a scraper will just take it and repost it to make money or just plagiarize it at a crapty Fandom wiki.
Scott
GameTZ Subscriber Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Has Written 2 Reviews
27-Feb(#54)
benstylus wrote:
> bill wrote:
>> I
>> wonder if some sort of shift is happening where the people who used to write wiki
>> pages are doing it less.
>
> I think most people are just posting videos now

Yeah, almost every time I've looked up something for BotW or TotK, I'm watching a video.
nonamesleft
Double Gold Good Trader
27-Feb(#55)
3.7gb update for super smash Bros ultimate? Why so large? I had to delete several game save files to make space.
bill
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 600 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Has Written 28 Reviews
29-Feb(#56)
Our pest control service sends someone to our house every quarter. Today, the person who came was talkative and I enjoyed hearing what she was talking about. She said she'd just been to Japan for her honeymoon. She loved it, and had a great time. She had even learned Japanese beforehand. She said it was very clean there. She gave me a 100 yen coin. The coin has a flower on one side of it. It's a sakura blossom (cherry tree).
KCPenguins
GameTZ Subscriber Gold Good Trader
29-Feb(#57)
bill wrote:
> Our pest control service sends someone to our house every quarter. Today, the person
> who came was talkative and I enjoyed hearing what she was talking about. She said
> she'd just been to Japan for her honeymoon. She loved it, and had a great time.
> She had even learned Japanese beforehand. She said it was very clean there. She
> gave me a 100 yen coin. The coin has a flower on one side of it. It's a sakura
> blossom (cherry tree).


Our pest control person at work (Orkin) just sprays everything without saying a word. One holiday party I saw them sprayed the table leaning against the wall we would later be serving our holiday lunch on. (Not my job)

I was later told they were instructed to spray the wall/floor intersection, regardless of what was there, and to not lift or remove anything. Our company supplies us with fruit... it's stored against the wall... the poison is "human safe"... 0_0
Scott
GameTZ Subscriber Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Has Written 2 Reviews
29-Feb(#58)
bill wrote:
> Our pest control service sends someone to our house every quarter. Today, the person
> who came was talkative and I enjoyed hearing what she was talking about. She said
> she'd just been to Japan for her honeymoon. She loved it, and had a great time.
> She had even learned Japanese beforehand. She said it was very clean there. She
> gave me a 100 yen coin. The coin has a flower on one side of it. It's a sakura
> blossom (cherry tree).

That's really cool. I would love to visit Japan some day. If I could only choose 1 non-US place to visit, it would probably be my top choice.
KCPenguins
GameTZ Subscriber Gold Good Trader
29-Feb(#59)
nonamesleft wrote:
> 3.7gb update for super smash Bros ultimate? Why so large? I had to delete several
> game save files to make space.


It sucks. I remember trying to play RDR2. Damn near 100GB mandatory download at launch. Took me 2 days before I could play it at launch.
shadyfozzie
Triple Gold Good Trader
29-Feb(#60)
KCPenguins wrote:
> nonamesleft wrote:
>> 3.7gb update for super smash Bros ultimate? Why so large? I had to delete several
>> game save files to make space.
>
>
> It sucks. I remember trying to play RDR2. Damn near 100GB mandatory download at
> launch. Took me 2 days before I could play it at launch.

I wish there was a way to download stuff before you buy the game, like its already installed when you fire it up.
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews
29-Feb(#61)
shadyfozzie wrote:
>
> I wish there was a way to download stuff before you buy the game, like its already
> installed when you fire it up.

No, fudge you for buying physical. Only for digital are we willing to sometimes deign to let you preload your data and unlock it at a certain time. And you'd better have preordered the digital version. You know, so it doesn't run out or something.

-Gaming companies.

HybridCRoW
GameTZ Subscriber Triple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally Has Written 2 Reviews
29-Feb(#62)
Downside to digital... we don't really "own" it. I know this cause some years after I bought a digital album off Amazon for a band I was really getting into... I had to purchase it again when I lost the mp3 files so I could put them on my mp3 player.
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews
29-Feb(#63)
HybridCRoW wrote:
> Downside to digital... we don't really "own" it. I know this cause some years after
> I bought a digital album off Amazon for a band I was really getting into... I had
> to purchase it again when I lost the mp3 files so I could put them on my mp3 player.

If you lost your CD you would have had to do the same thing...

Foxhack
350 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader
29-Feb(#64)
Yar he ho he har he harr.
Tony
Triple Gold Good Trader
1-Mar(#65)
HybridCRoW wrote:
> Downside to digital... we don't really "own" it. I know this cause some years after I bought a digital album off Amazon for a band I was really getting into... I had to purchase it again when I lost the mp3 files so I could put them on my mp3 player.

"Owning" something digital through a streaming service is actually just "right to use". You can't resell a digital item like you can resell a CD, book, or DVD/ Blu-ray movie. You can't share it with a friend without giving them your password(s). If the service fails and some other entity doesn't take over their accounts, you lose everything.
Gypsy
GameTZ Subscriber 250 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Global Trader - willing to trade internationally
* 1-Mar(#66)
Yeah that just happened recently too as Sony is shuttering Funimation digital and funneling to Crunchyroll. Digital copies that were bought will no longer be available etc I don't buy digital so it doesn't impact me but it sucks and will probably drive some people to piracy.
Foxhack
350 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader
* 1-Mar(#67)
Avast, mateys! We have cookies.

Edit: In case it's not clear, I am more than happy to pirate stuff when the companies we buy stuff from just decide that no, you can't have the items you paid for anymore. Licenses be damned. I paid for it and I'm keeping a copy.

I already lost over a hundred albums when Loudr went down without warning. I'm still trying to get copies of all the items I paid for, years later. Some stuff was irreplaceable.
BucketofJustice
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 350 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Has Written 6 Reviews
2-Mar(#68)
I sold my PS5 and Series X locally this week. Waiting for tacos to arrive and then I think I’m gonna go get some more tattoo work done. I know one of the things I want and where I want it, and I have a good idea what I’m looking for as far as a 2nd/3rd one as well. I didn’t think tattoos would be a thing for me but here we are.
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
2-Mar(#69)
DOGE on the rise...
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews
* 2-Mar(#70)
Gypsy wrote:
> Yeah that just happened recently too as Sony is shuttering Funimation digital and
> funneling to Crunchyroll. Digital copies that were bought will no longer be available
> etc

To my knowledge Funimation never directly sold digital-only copies. The just included codes with some of their bluray/DVD sets so you could watch the show more conveniently.

So it still sucks but it's not the grand betrayal people are making it out to be.

Unless those people bought cheap secondhand codes from people who didn't care about them (despite it being against Funi's TOS), in which case they knew the risks going in.

It's like when people get mad at Netflix for cracking down on password sharing. They know what they are doing is against the rules and they could be caught, they just didn't think they would.


John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
* 3-Mar(#71)
MrBean wrote:
> DOGE on the rise...

Everything is up. DOGE, BTC, ETH...

Thought seriously about selling half of mine... But still holding so far...

Very curious of @Bishop's views on things...
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
3-Mar(#72)
John wrote:
> MrBean wrote:
>> DOGE on the rise...
>
> Everything is up. DOGE, BTC, ETH...
>
> Thought seriously about selling half of mine... But still holding so far...
>
> Very curious of @Bishop's views on things...
>

So close to finally breaking even and being with this Rollercoaster once and for all.
John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
4-Mar(#73)
Very curious if you plan to sell if DOGE hits your break-even?

What's your break-even again? You said before, but now I can't remember and I'm too lazy to go look. smile
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
4-Mar(#74)
Just under 21 cents. Shoulda been averaging down more for the past couple years.

I have a hunch it's gonna dip hard at 20, but will continue to climb after. The money has been gone for so long that now it's just bonus. I'm torn... I'd love to break out, get off the coaster, pay down some debt... But man the alure of it going up and then getting pissed I didn't hold.

Don't have a ton, 72k, but could weild some great money, decisions!
John
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 450 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (13)
* 4-Mar(#75)
"Don't have a ton"

/owns $12,000 worth of DOGE.

rolls eyes

wink
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews
4-Mar(#76)
MrBean wrote:
> Don't have a ton, 72k, but could weild some great money, decisions!

You really need to get yourself a trustworthy financial adviser.


MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
4-Mar(#77)
Drunken decisions were made the night of the Elon snl skit. I was buying/selling on the way up, then way overdid it... Right before it crashed. I was averaged at 65c when it crap the bed. Averaged down for awhile and then stopped as the money pit was getting too big. I'm pretty sure I'm selling once I'm even and never touching any of this again. Gonna focus solely on 401 and employee stock for now.
bill
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 600 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Has Written 28 Reviews
4-Mar(#78)
There's no great reason to wait for it to be even. Not paying down debt with it is costing you (interest you pay on that debt) while you wait. It may never rise to where you're even. It may drop like a rock and be utterly worthless.

If you're reporting capital gains on your crypto (you should as far as know), you should also be able to use the loss to offset other capital gains. It even carries over to the next year if you have too much.

Crypto sure seems like a Ponzi scheme to many of us... get out while you can, imho.
MrBean
GameTZ Gold Subscriber 400 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (7) Has Written 1 Review
4-Mar(#79)
bill wrote:
> There's no great reason to wait for it to be even. Not paying down debt with it
> is costing you (interest you pay on that debt) while you wait. It may never rise
> to where you're even. It may drop like a rock and be utterly worthless.
>
> If you're reporting capital gains on your crypto (you should as far as know), you
> should also be able to use the loss to offset other capital gains. It even carries
> over to the next year if you have too much.
>
> Crypto sure seems like a Ponzi scheme to many of us... get out while you can, imho.
>

You're absolutely right on every note here. It was simply too hard to stomach being down over $10k, so I've waited and thankfully, my exit may finally be here.

It's absolutely a scheme, but man, I would have loved to have been one of the ones on top. I originally bought in at like $0.00002, but like a dummy, sold wayyyy early and made nothing.

Oh well, here's to finally being out of it and ignoring it from here on out. Back to traditional grind!
benstylus
GameTZ Gold Subscriber GameTZ Full Moderator 550 Trade Quintuple Gold Good Trader Gold Global Trader (9) Has Written 26 Reviews
4-Mar(#80)
bill wrote:
> If you're reporting capital gains on your crypto (you should as far as know), you
> should also be able to use the loss to offset other capital gains. It even carries
> over to the next year if you have too much.

This is 100% the reason you need a financial advisor @MrBean - If you want to get out they can help you do it the most financially sound way possible.


Topic   Random thoughts....