Hot again. And damp. Maybe even raining. It was hot all day until late, when it cooled down and rained in the area. My house didn’t get rain, but streets in the neighborhood flooded, so people around me got soaked. Today could be similar.
Yesterday I was on the hunt for dead things, and I found one. I did a small amount of cleaning and sorting in the attic while I was up there, but it was really too hot for much work. I’ve got a ton of stuff to do up there… but getting rid of the rats is pretty top of the list.
The rest of the day was auction stuff and kid duties. Not super productive for me. I did pay the ticket I got for my out of date registration, so I’m completely clear of that now. Should not have let that go so long. Don’t give them a handle to grab you with.
Today I’ve got kid chauffeur duties in the morning and afternoon, with a pickup in between. I’ll also try to work my list, now that I think I’ve gotten the dead stuff out of the attic…
It’s always something, isn’t it?
Yeah, I’m prepared. I’ve got bait boxes and poison. I’ve got traps. I’ve got homemade traps. But I’ve got a colony of rats that won’t touch peanut butter… they learn, and they pass it down.
Be as smart as my rats. Learn, and pass it down.
Stack too.
nick
What is “Number One”? I mean, I know his role in STNG, but – is this a one-man show? A TV series?
Here, the usual standard is no amortization. You only pay the interest on your mortgage. I mean, you *can* pay them off, but usually you just renew. You typically get a mortgage for 3, 5 or 10 years. When it runs out, you get a new one at the current interest rates.
That actually makes some financial sense, because mortgage rates here are pretty low. If you have extra money, you are generally better off investing it rather than paying off your loan.
Future inflation is the big unknown. We should have a comfortable income after retirement. BUT: if it is a fixed income, what will 20 or 30 years of inflation do to it?
When I retire, I will have a one-time option to cash in my retirement fund. If I don’t, the fund pays me a fixed income for life. If I do, I can invest it myself, investments can grow over time and offset inflation.
If markets keep going up, cashing out makes sense. If not, I would be better off with the fixed income from the retirement fund. Anyone have a crystal ball?
This decision makes me nervous…
Jonathan Frakes, “Number One”, was at a pop culture convention in Dallas this weekend, working the autograph room and photo ops for cash. He gave an hour talk about his career on the last day of the show.
Frakes adheres to the current official “Star Trek” production office line about diversity, but he’s the franchise’s “Mr. Fixit” episode director who knows/loves the material, gets quality performances out of the actors, and can make even questionable scripts work.
I doubt we will see any more Will Riker, but to a lot of people who grew up watching the Stage 8/9 era “Star Trek”, the characters and actors who portrayed them are like a surrogate family.
The H&I broadcast network in the US runs every “Star Trek” TV show produced up through “Enterprise” every night except Saturday. Of course the room was packed to see “Number One”.
Musk is being hypocritical … as usual.
Plus, he needs to distract from his failing car company, and he’s probably feeling burned by Tim Cook.
The big “Musk pay package” vote happens at Tesla’s shareholder meeting this week, and the institutions who still hold TSLA have pledged to vote “no”, which is just shy of 50% needed to kill the deal.
The Real Life Tony Stark aside, f you are a decision maker at, say, Vanguard, holding 7% of the outstanding stock, you have to look at the deal by the numbers, which dilutes the equity of the existing shares to restore Musk’s stake to a point where he can operate without board interference.
The Musk pay package was…extraordinary. However, it was a documented agreement. What right does a court have to intervene, especially on behalf of one guy who owns a microscopic holding? Anyway, it will be interesting to see which way the vote goes.
FWIW, I don’t think Tesla is failing. It just isn’t the only big player in the market anymore. Plus, all the EV early adopters have already adopted. Tesla is now just one car company among many, instead of something revolutionary. It’s not failure, it’s just not red carpet and spotlights anymore, and Tesla will have to adapt to this new reality.
“Al-Jazeera Journalists By Day, Hamas Commanders By Night”
https://www.memri.org/reports/al-jazeera-journalists-day-hamas-commanders-night
“Since the October 7 attack, Hamas’s leaders have been managing the war from Doha, Qatar, and conveying their messages mostly via the Qatar-owned Al-Jazeera TV channel. The network has been operating as a propaganda outlet in the service of Hamas 24/7, with hardly any coverage of other topics. It expresses unreserved support for Hamas, justifying the deadly attack, showing footage from it obtained from the terrorists’ bodycams, and celebrating it as a victory that has brought pride and honor to the Islamic nation.[1]”
“It therefore comes as no surprise that it was in the home of Al-Jazeera journalist Abdullah Al-Jamal, in Nuseirat in the Gaza Strip, that three Israeli hostages were held captive.”
I don’t think it matters what the rest of the world thinks, Israel is going to clean house. If you try to stop them, you might get a nuke on some of your favorite stuff.
If you try to blockade Israel like we did to South Africa, good luck with that.
Tesla is not failing. But people are realizing that the current liquid batteries suck. Tesla will double down on solid battery research, everyone wants to be first to that party. And self driving of course. The rumors about Elon Mode are too good to be true, if true the other car builders will line up for a license.
This is the guy who wants to put a chip in your head. What could go wrong? Order 66.
Vanguard alone holds 7% of the stock, far from microscopic. Everyone with money in a private pension or 401k plan based in the US has a vested interest in the outcome of the vote.
Vanguard alone holds 7% of the stock, far from microscopic. Everyone with money in a private pension or 401k plan based in the US has a vested interest in the outcome of the vote.
Without Musk, Tesla would be a failed company. It would be flailing about like all of the other EV companies. Musk made promises and demanded payment for those acheivements, now Tesla must pay up. I hope that he has appealed that illegal decision made by that unethical judge.
Still, if contracts are no good, ie. he performed to spec, but isn’t getting what was agreed, then rule of law has failed. Rule of lawyers and spoilers and connected powerful individuals has re-ascended.
Rule of law and enforceability of contracts makes investment in the future possible. It builds companies, it builds manufacturing plants, buildings, ships, and businesses.
There are disturbing echoes of Florida and Disney in this. Someone can always make an argument that something is unfair or they don’t like it, but if that was what was agreed by the primary interested parties, it’s up to the law to UPHOLD the agreement not attack it for “reasons” or because time has passed.
How does Musk undo the work he isn’t going to be paid for now? How does he get his life back to do some other thing? He can’t. So why should anyone believe their contract will provide the rewards they expect?
n
I have jury duty today. I am sitting in a room with 500 people. I am hoping to be dismissed. I have not trimmed my beard in a month so I look like a old disgruntled man.
Still, if contracts are no good, ie. he performed to spec, but isn’t getting what was agreed, then rule of law has failed. Rule of lawyers and spoilers and connected powerful individuals has re-ascended.
It is my understanding that the contract was Musk’s entire pay for the last 5 or 10 years. The socalled judge in Delaware just took that away from him without compensation.
Her argument was that the contract was an insider deal. Well, I have news for her, all payroll deals are insider deals. That is the nature of the beast. The cancelation of the contract was about envy and jealosy. Very much a violation of the ten commandments.
It’s the tee-shirt with “Ask me about Jury Nullification!” on the front & back that really does the trick.
look like?
My neighbor took in his neer-do-well brother S in, when he (S) was dying of brain glioblastipoma, life expectancy 6 weeks.
S then lived to watch all the Star Trek episodes (700+). Four times in a row.
Finally my neighbor put his foot down and declared his house a non Star Trek zone.
That did the trick.
Disney is a dumpster fire of a company under The Weatherman. Trying to game Florida politics was stupid, and they paid a price.
DeSantis still protected The Mouse from the same Orange County political machine family who Iger wanted to install in Little Marco’s Senate seat, and all of the previous tax incentives were preserved regarding the move of Inagineering to Florida.
Supet Mario is coming … and he’s bringing his friend, Donkey Kong.
The “Star Trek” episodes produced for broadcast TV touched a lot of lives In a significant way.
I doubt there will be another franchise quite like that in the streaming era.
STOS writers looked like they came from the second-tier list of science fiction writers, with some top Hollywood talent, some good in-house talent that developed, and a few hacks that slipped in under time pressure. Only Twilight Zone was comparable, and arguably better.
Second-tier is not a put-down, just acknowledging that Heinlein, Clarke, and Asimov did not pen a script.
By the time STNG rolled around, good writers were lined up.
Should have said “The next generation of good writers. “
One good fart will give you a lot more space.
I am on federal district court jury duty for the next six months. I sit at home until I get a call demanding I report. The place is in downtown Knoxville which is a 30 mile journey each way. I used to drive that route 10 years ago and traffic was bad. I suspect traffic is worse now. If I get questioned, I will inform the judge that I have a nephew that is a Texas state trooper. I will also inform the judge that I don’t trust the police to be honest and they will lie to protect each other.
Should have said “The next generation of good writers. “
“Enterprising writers wanted for show reboot.”
Future inflation is the big unknown. We should have a comfortable income after retirement. BUT: if it is a fixed income, what will 20 or 30 years of inflation do to it?
When I retire, I will have a one-time option to cash in my retirement fund. If I don’t, the fund pays me a fixed income for life. If I do, I can invest it myself, investments can grow over time and offset inflation.
If markets keep going up, cashing out makes sense. If not, I would be better off with the fixed income from the retirement fund. Anyone have a crystal ball?
This decision makes me nervous…
Yeah, do not become a day trader. An old friend took a million and half dollar payout from his pension fund a decade ago and became a day trader. He day traded it down to a half million dollars within six months. His wife was ready to kill him when she found out.
I would plan on the future being more chaotic. I would give the Ukraine – Russia conflict a better than zero chance of spreading into Europe. Poland is getting ready for conflict, they are a NATO member and will invoke the treaty.
I would not be surprised to see Israel and Iran / Lebanon go at it with serious weapons in the near future. The guerillas in Lebanon are pushing Israel hard and have killed many IDF personnel in the last ten months. Israel has some tough decisions to make about using nuclear weapons on neighbors.
I have jury duty today. I am sitting in a room with 500 people. I am hoping to be dismissed. I have not trimmed my beard in a month so I look like a old disgruntled man.
I was dismissed before lunch and am back in my office after getting a hair cut. Three of the four trials they had scheduled for today either plead out or were settled so they took 45 people for that trial and dismissed the rest of us.
“Biden Has Set Up Taxpayer Funded ‘Mobility Offices’ in South America To Facilitate Illegals Faster”
https://rumble.com/v50y3ok-biden-has-set-up-taxpayer-funded-mobility-offices-in-south-america-to-facil.html
Unreal. This is an invasion assisted by the dumbrocrats.
Hat tip to:
https://thelibertydaily.com/
Speaking of jury duty: plugs’ bad son, Hunter, was convicted on all three gun charges. He is now a convict. He and tRump can hang at the Felons Club at Mar-a-Lago.
plugs is on record saying he won’t pardon the bad son. I will bet that if there is prison time over a year, an instant commutation of sentence will follow. I expect only a fine, but a max one, which will be paid by patrons.
It’s the tee-shirt with “Ask me about Jury Nullification!” on the front & back that really does the trick.
Yeah, I was wondering what I was going to do if they put me on a drug trial since I am anti war on drugs.
Future inflation is the big unknown. We should have a comfortable income after retirement. BUT: if it is a fixed income, what will 20 or 30 years of inflation do to it?
When I retire, I will have a one-time option to cash in my retirement fund. If I don’t, the fund pays me a fixed income for life. If I do, I can invest it myself, investments can grow over time and offset inflation.
If markets keep going up, cashing out makes sense. If not, I would be better off with the fixed income from the retirement fund. Anyone have a crystal ball?
This decision makes me nervous…
“Five Predictions for the coming Decade of Decline”
https://www.schiffsovereign.com/trends/five-predictions-for-the-coming-decade-of-decline-151037/
“There is little hope of responsible spending. The government’s own projections forecast an extra $20 trillion in new debt over the coming decade, and frankly that’s optimistic.”
2. Social Security is not going to be there for you.
3. Higher taxes are virtually guaranteed.
4. Continued social chaos.
5. Maybe most importantly, major geopolitical disruptions.
“Problem: Future inflation will pose a major problem to one’s savings.”
“Solution: Invest in assets which do well during, or even benefit from, inflation— real assets such as energy, mining, and productive technology. Right now many of these are selling for record low prices, yet poised for substantial growth.”
“Problem: Social Security’s trust funds will run out of money within a decade.”
“Solution: Maximize contributions to retirement accounts— including a special type of 401k which could allow you to double contributions and direct where funds are invested. This lowers your taxable income, puts more money away for retirement, and allows the investments to grow tax-free.”
BTW, putting money away in tax deferred accounts may backfire if the tax rates significantly rise as I expect them to.
Scott Adams says:
Neither Donald Trump nor Hunter Biden are felons until sentenced.
And all appeals are exhausted. I doubt that Biden has much in the way of grounds for appeal.
The phone company had a “buy-out” in 1993. So he and a couple of friends took it. You had two choices. A pay out based on how long you had been in management and done forever. Or a monthly check and have health care. For life.
One took his $150 grand. Another took his $120 grand. I think they had to pay income taxes. They found some kind of Investment Advisor and after couple of years the markets crashed and Oops! Money all go bye bye. Hey, the Investment Advisor got his share.
R’s buy-out was $60 grand, I think. I forget the exact amount. He took the allowance. Why? I told him to because we know we would fritter it all away in a couple of years. A couple of new cars, a new boat, whatever. Patience, you’ll get the buy-out amount over five years and then the rest is gravy. It was $1080 a month after withholding of taxes. Into the bank every month.
Enough to pay the monthly bills for the land and the house and electricity with enough left if saved for the property taxes. I didn’t figure this out with a spreadsheet. In my head.
I’ll round off a little. Call it $13 grand a year. Times thirty years. About $390 grand as of last month. Health insurance included the entire time.
Maybe you can beat making $330 grand on $60 grand.
I guess it boils down to “how long do your people live?”.
Texas still has a full jury trial divorce option. That is why the counties call so many every week for jury duty.
Property division is still the decision of the judge. Only Georgia retains a jury option for that phase.
Just ask Alton Brown.
$13k annually is about right for a blended stock/bond fund holding $400k at the start of withdrawals over 30 years. That wouldn‘t include insurance, however, but a phone company will self insure.
I cooked the fajitas. It took a while because the propane ran out just as the grill was hot enough. Better than during cooking.
Anyway. They are seasoned already. I sprinkled a decent amount of cayenne pepper on one side and onto the grill. Just right, a little bit of “zing”.
Two percenters generally suck at the advising aspect of the job. In an average market year they take home 20-25% of the gains for a monkey trick.
D5 and I binge-watching S03 of “Sweet Tooth” on Netflix last night. I liked the series, and it had a metaphorical but somewhat satisfying ending. I didn’t read the GNs.
Best financial advice I can give anyone contemplating retirement is to got to a few of the free presentations. Start with a straight social security talk. That will discuss timing your benefits claim.
A more complex presentation will tell you not to makes decisions in “lanes” or “siloes”. SS is one factor, but 401k, pensions, tax rates, etc are all others and complicate decisions.
One example based on a true situation showed how a couples decision to gift a college-age grandson with $5000 ended with them paying 49% tax rate on the gift.
Can’t a loan be made to the grandson’s parents?
Welcome to the party, pal!
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/06/unhinged-conspiracy-theorist-rachel-maddow-fearmongers-about-trump/
– more projection and WAY overvalued sense of self worth.
n
Welcome to the party, pal!
– oh I’ve got my hat and noisemaker, but some people are still not convinced. Had a relevant phone conversation with and old friend today. No one wants to believe that it’s about to go mad max, but that would be the way to bet.
n
I am not a lawyer, but some basic research found this information (emphasis added):
A person who has been found guilty of a felony is typically referred to as a “felon” from the point of conviction, even before sentencing. The term “felon” applies once the person has been adjudicated guilty of the felony charge, meaning the court has determined their guilt through a trial or plea. Sentencing, which determines the punishment for the felony, follows the conviction but does not change the fact that the person is already considered a felon.
“Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary reveals why restaurants are closing down across America and warns MORE closures are on the way”
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/yourmoney/consumer/article-13515307/fast-food-chains-closing-layoff-kevin-oleary.html
“Supply chains crippled by the COVID pandemic lockdown haven’t recovered. Food costs – especially for proteins like chicken, beef and seafood – are up 30 to 40 percent over the last 36 months. Worst of all for the restaurant industry – customers haven’t returned from the shutdowns.”
“Business closures and social-distancing mandates forced people to change the way they eat. Sixty million Americans – a massive chuck of the population that is aged 60 years and above – were forced to use their smartphones to order a ‘treat’ dinner for the very first time in 2020.”
“But now, these consumers are comfortable requesting Chinese from their living room couches.”
I may sell my McDonalds’ stock.
“Mad Max” movies don’t feature Mad Max anymore so you will need a new reference eventually.
I’ll bet that the studio is still scratching their head over the epic failure of “Furiosa”.
I’m pulling my 401k at a grand a month. They withhold 20% for taxes… scammy, how often to they remit to the IRS?
Anyway, I get if all back when I file taxes. I put that money there pre-tax and I’m going do my best to get it back with no taxes owed. Back of the envelope scratching has it all paid out in about five years. Yeah, I started real late with the 401k thing.
I have no bills other than electric and property taxes. Yeah, license plates and house and auto insurance, too. I figure to put most of savings into t-bills. Keep 20 grand in savings and I have no service charges from the bank and if the well pump fails, I have the money.
I have plans. But, you know how it goes. Stuff gets all random and sideways. Like a sudden heart attack.
“The Ozempic effect: Magic Pill, Johann Hari’s study of the rise of diet drugs, sheds light on our deeply dysfunctional food culture.”
https://www.newstatesman.com/culture/books/book-of-the-day/2024/06/ozempic-effect-magic-pill-johann-hari
“20-30% of population on Ozempic within decade…”
Hat tip to:
https://www.drudgereport.com/
I’m pulling my 401k at a grand a month. They withhold 20% for taxes… scammy, how often to they remit to the IRS?
I remit any tax withholding to the IRS three days before every payday, twice per month. The IRS sucks it out of the corporate bank account. I was not given a choice on this, the IRS forced my main business to do this over a decade ago. They were VERY insistent, almost threatening.
If they force me, a little business less than a million dollars per year, Fidelity and HEB are probably remitting tax withholdings daily.
BTW, I did not have to have a cavity search to get in the Fort Bend County court house this morning. Neither did they seize my water bottle or my snack (for if I got trapped in a court room until 3pm like last time). But, I did have to take my belt off for the xray machine, my change and backpack too. No knives were allowed whatsoever per instructions so I left my Swiss Army knife in the truck.
Where does this stop ? If we go to any public event then you have to have clear small bags and go through the metal sensing machine.
It stops when the oppressors are dead or give it up and flee. Until then it gets worse and worse.
n
@lynn:
For life. Paying through the nose all the while. I’ve seen reports that when you cease the treatments, you are more likely than not to put the lost weight back on. Unless, that is, you change your eating habits.
G.
HEB is really evil with the Favor service and pitching it to people who can’t afford to indulge.
McDonalds will survive. The new one near our house is on the main commute route for Subcontinent heading to HPE and Dell from the colonist developments up north, and it is mobbed in the mornings.
Tim Horton’s will open right next door, the first Austin location, before the year is out, and Chick-fil-A has a new store going up across the street.
Chick-fil-A was sold to the immediately adjacent neighborhoods as being a “mini” store. The building doesn’t strike me as “mini” by any stretch.
– texts. Authoritarians love the way everyone is self incriminating with social media and electronic communications. They are easily keyword searchable, a permanent record, and people are candid because they think they are private.
Before texting, she’d have called him, sent someone over, or otherwise used an ephemeral method of communication. There wouldn’t be a record to read into evidence, only hearsay, or possibly hostile witnesses who would get a case of “I can’t recall.”
n
SMS data doesn’t require a warrant. Most of the time, law enforcement asking nicely is sufficient to get a complete message history to/from a number, but a court order is the most that a carrier will need.
Ironically, the “unhip” AOL IM service which SMS supplanted had serious privacy protection, with a warrant required for the messages.
Progress.
Plus, people are stupid obsessed with their devices due to the dopamine hit of the GUIs.
Heavy rain started and temp dropped to 82F.
Should be some localized flooding soon.
n
“Blood Heir (Kate Daniels World)” by Ilona Andrews
https://www.amazon.com/Blood-Heir-Kate-Daniels-World/dp/1641971657?tag=ttgnet-20/
Book number one of a one book paranormal romance dark fantasy series. There are predecessor books, short stories, and successor books to the series also that is over twenty books long. I read the well printed and well bound POD (print on demand) trade paperback published by Nancy Yost Literary Agency in 2021 that I bought new on Amazon recently. Note that “Ilona Andrews” is the pseudonym for a husband and wife writing team. I will purchase successor books if they become available (hopefully).
Julie Lennart is the adopted daughter of Kate Daniels and is blood bound to Kate Daniels. Julie moved out to California several years with Kate Daniels aunt, Erra, to start the Shinar Confederation. In this time, she fought a battle with the supernatural being Moloch, the child eater, and lost one of her eyes. So, she stole one of Moloch’s eyes and attached it to her face. Now she has a new name, Aurelia Ryder, a new face, and new powers taught to her by her great aunt and her grandfather. And she is back in Atlanta.
Kate Daniels is a mercenary in Wilmington, North Carolina and married to the former Beast Lord with an eight year old half beast half magic son. As the former owner of the city of Atlanta, Georgia, she is in hiding from her fame and just wants to live a quiet life with her family. But, people are seeking Kate and Curren out because of the need for heroes in a horribly fallen world.
Kate Daniels’s universe sucks. Fifty years ago, the tech world crashed over the entire Earth and was replaced by the magic world in the form of a magic flare. Guns don’t work, cars don’t work, electricity and phones do not work. But magic works. Good magic and bad magic. After a week, the tech world came back to a drastically changed world. And radically fewer humans. And the magic world came back after a while. And the tech world came back after that. And so on and so forth. Each world can last a few weeks or a few hours.
I liked everything about the story. I especially liked the very clear distinction between the tech time and the magic time. I had never thought about it that way. The series may be inspired by “Ariel” by Steven Boyett and “Dies The Fire” by S. M. Stirling except those never interchange the tech time and the magic time, they just transitioned to the magic time.
BTW, I would recommend that you read the ten book Kate Daniels series before reading this series.
https://www.amazon.com/Magic-Bites-Ilona-Andrews/dp/0441014895?tag=ttgnet-20/
The authors have a website at:
https://www.ilona-andrews.com
My rating: 5 out of 5 stars
Amazon rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars (11,922 reviews)
Lynn
The eARC for Wen Spencer’s latest novel in the Tinker series is available from Baen…
I’m trying to read it before my wife figures out I bought it, so I can avoid spoilers….
n
I just looked up the HEB Favor thing. Not available. I’m four miles from the store but on the wrong side of the tracks. I’m cool.
“Uncensored: Steve Bannon Responds to Being Ordered to Prison”
https://tuckercarlson.com/uncensored-steve-bannon-2
“How would you react if you became a political prisoner?”
“Since Joe Biden took office, more and more Americans have found themselves in that precarious position. Former Trump White House official Steve Bannon is one of them.”
Steve Bannon says that he will be a political prisoner and he is ok with that. He said that it cannot be any worse than the four years he spent on a USN Destroyer in the Persian Gulf, China Sea, etc… as a young Navy man.
Hey @nick, whose IPAK system did you buy and give to your buddy ?
I might want to buy a few too.
An old friend from my computer user group days (late 1970’s – early 1980′) had an apparent stroke a few days ago. He lives alone, and apparently was incapacitated for up to 48 hours until a friend had the local constabulary do a ‘welfare check’ on him.
He has survived, but has limited motion and breathing difficulties, although he is somewhat responsive. But the doctors said the sores he had on one side leads them to believe he was unable to move for up to 48 hours. He is getting excellent care at the hospital, and family and friends are nearby.
Which leads to a recommendation that, if you are living alone – temporarily or permanently – you should always have your cell phone on your person so you can call for help if incapacitated. Landlines aren’t going to do it; a cell phone is best because it has GPS to help locate you in an emergency.
A good reason for having an Apple Watch and iPhone; their “fall detection” system can sound alarms when you fall, and if you don’t respond to the alarm, it can call 911 and your emergency contact. My brother has one, and touts that as an advantage, since he does live alone.
My watch has activated several times. I respond and all is OK. If I don’t respond emergency services are notified with my location. One of the main reasons I purchased the watch.
@paul
“I’m pulling my 401k at a grand a month. They withhold 20% for taxes… scammy, how often to they remit to the IRS?”
From previous discussion, the tax rate for most, if not all of your income is 12%. Check your 2023 taxes to see for sure.
Theoretical discussion only, not advice:
Part of the “no lanes” discussion that I referred to earlier was a comparison between the Trump tax rates and the “old” tax rates, which will be in effect again after 2025, unless they are extended (or increased). The 12% bracket, for example, will revert to the 15% bracket, and the 22% bracket reverts to 25$ (the cutoff amounts will reduce, also).
If your income is below the top of the 12% bracket, it may make sense to pull more from 401k/IRA now, and pay the 12% now, rather than the 15% later. Not that larger distributions now may lower your minimum distribution later.
There was some discussion about taking those distributions and putting them in a Roth IRA (funded by after-tax dollars).
Again, just illustrating the complexity of the moves.
@CowboyStu
“Can’t a loan be made to the grandson’s parents?”
There were several better ways to do it. Unfortunately their discussion with their CPA was “can we afford it?” and then the decision without analysis to simply pull it from their largest account. The fund withheld 20% for taxes, then the cascade socked them with almost another $2000 in additional taxes.
It’s needlessly complicated and intended to trap people.
What was huge for us under Trump was the personal exemption increase.
We went from owing every year to getting a small refund, which I use to buy paper savings bonds.
But tRump, tho.
re: mortgage comparisons
When I wrote the Lotus 1-2-3 program ca. 1981 (that was the year of the highest recorded mortgage interest rate), it showed the month by month effect on principle, allowed for down payments and additional payments to principle, and figured the effects of having or not having PMI (private mortgage insurance).
A couple years later the 401k investments with employer match became available. The no brainer advice was invest in 401k to max out the employer match. If a household budget was lean and could not allow both, the 401k probably got the nod.
Probably.
PMI entered the mix because you didn’t have to have it if your investment was 20% (from memory). In a rising real estate market especially, juicing the monthly payment and doing a refi in a couple years (with stable interest rates) could save you the PMI.
At low interest rates the total payments over 30 years are a multiple of the total payments on a 15 year loan. As interest rates rise so does the multiple. Going through the comparison with a young person can be an eye opener.
Historically, 30 year loans were uncommon before the 1970’s. As interest rates went up, historic 15 and 20 years terms got longer to lower payments. There are two reasons the slicky boys haven’t been able to push us to 40 or even 50 year loans: the payments don’t get appreciably lower, and not eveyone is a effing stupdi as they would like to hope.
uh-huh. The latest in the multi-decadal effort to shut the hoi polloi out of itemizing.
Someone should run a comparison of tax returns ca. 1974 vs. now. Interest used to be deductible. What a concept.
As far as investments in paper savings bonds post-2017, how about we graph returns vs. investing in, say Charmin Blue?
They will p!ss in your face and call it rain, but you don’t have to tug the forelock.
Court Orders Texas Libraries to Restock Transgender, Controversial Books in Kids Section, But Not Sexually Explicit Material
https://legalinsurrection.com/2024/06/court-orders-texas-libraries-restock-transgender-controversial-books-in-kids-section-but-not-sexually-explicit-material/
The proper response to this is to close the public libraries. Let them try to find a penumbra in the constitution for that.
Had a little nap after my dinner. Made a 3 pound chunk of brisket in the slow cooker. Same as before, layer of thin sliced onion, meat, layer of onion (3 med onions total). Shake with Adkins Ranch Style Steak Seasoning (mostly just salt, pepper, garlic) on each layer. Slow cook for hours (8 in this case). Served with instant mashed potatoes (single envelope, 2c water). Slice meat against the grain, smother with cooked onion and juices.
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Bill Gates in Michael Douglas role: Falling Down II: Bugs for Breakfast
https://hotair.com/jazz-shaw/2024/06/11/bill-gates-goes-nuclear-literally-n3790054
@Nick
Next time add 4 T of bacon fat, stab them with your steely knives and insert garlic
“Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary reveals why restaurants are closing down across America and warns MORE closures are on the way”
What, no mention that labor is suddenly worth $25 an hour?
Ask Cacafornia how that is working out.
MacDonald’s is a real estate company and has to protect their investment–if they were renters they’d close and leave. Instead, the driveups will be staffed by
Hello, I’m DonnieMac and I’ll be taking your order! Yes, isn’t my lifelike plastic skin of indeterminate genetic origin sufficiently POC that you can relate to me? And I be programmed to respond in the dialect that I’m addressed with: “Yo, sup! Needin’ some bean’s to work off the buds? Witch in t’ back crankin’ the brew now, bro’. Let me comp you a ‘pon, dig it? ”
Illegal Immigrants ‘Break Their Legs’ Falling From U.S.-Mexico Border Wall
https://townhall.com/tipsheet/madelineleesman/2024/06/11/illegal-immigrants-break-their-legs-falling-from-us-mexico-border-wall-n2640302
Add ten feet to the wall and plant punji sticks on the U.S. side. Don’t coat them with the traditional feces, use fentanyl.
FBI Interrogates Co-Workers About Whistleblower’s Views On COVID Vax, Trump, And Second Amendment
https://thefederalist.com/2024/06/11/fbi-interrogates-co-workers-about-whistleblowers-views-on-covid-vax-trump-and-second-amendment/
West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette (1943)
319 U.S. 624 (1943)
“If there is any fixed star in our constitutional constellation, it is that no official, high or petty, can prescribe what shall be orthodox in politics, nationalism, religion, or other matters of opinion or force citizens to confess by word or act their faith therein.”
–Justice Robert H. Jackson (Majority)
https://constitutioncenter.org/the-constitution/supreme-court-case-library/west-virginia-board-of-education-v-barnette
These people have no business being federal agents–by that I mean anyone using such a form in an interview, directing others to use such a form, creating such a form, or being aware of such a form without getting violently ill, throwing up on their shoes, and then reporting the use of such a form. I’d argue that the proper course of action is to charge them, convict them, put them in prison for a damn long time, and strip them of their rights to vote and own firearms. Making them wear burlap underwear and eat raw kale would be ok with me, too.
The above link only identifies the quote, it does not identify the issues at hand.:
https://www.law.cornell.edu/constitution-conan/amendment-1/compelled-speech-overview
A landmark constitutional decision, in which an earlier case finding that children could be expelled for not saluting the flag and saying the pledge of allegiance was overturned after only three years.
Jack Smith, Serial Criminal and Biden Crime Family Goon
https://redstate.com/smoosieq/2024/06/11/new-trump-legal-team-files-motion-to-dismiss-based-on-spoliation-of-evidence-in-classified-docs-case-n2175327
Two bedrock principles:
evidence cannot be tampered with by the prosecution
exculpatory evidence must be provided to the defense
Host Goes on Narcissistic Rant, Worries Trump Would Send Her to Internment Camp
https://redstate.com/bobhoge/2024/06/11/maddow-meltdown-liberal-host-goes-on-narcisstic-rant-worries-trump-would-send-her-to-an-internment-camp-n2175358
“Hi Rachel! My name is Barbie (used to be Bubba) and I’m your new roommate. Shall we use the top bunk, the bottom bunk, or both?”
@Nick
“Served with instant mashed potatoes (single envelope, 2c water).”
Forgot to check:
That is per person?
Per family.
And about half the potato was left over. The carnivores ate the meat, left the potato, which is why I used the instant, no point in spending the effort on the ingrates…
My wife and I both like the instant potatoes. With butter and with weighting given to convenience and ease of use,, they are 5 nines of real homemade.
It’s my feeling you need the potatoes or bread to soak up some of the fat from a meal like the brisket… and it gives you something to soak up the delicious juice with.
n