The line about USA Network/Burn Notice would have stuck the landing better with me if Elliot did not use the Pringles can antenna (just like in Burn Notice) a few episodes ago.
Quetzi on
“And that is the real trick of the Imperial thought machine. It's easier to hide behind forty atrocities than a single incident."
The line about USA Network/Burn Notice would have stuck the landing better with me if Elliot did not use the Pringles can antenna (just like in Burn Notice) a few episodes ago.
I mean, cantennas are an actual thing. They certainly aren't an optimal directional wifi antenna, but they're cheap and simple to make.
Quetzi on
+5
UnluckyThat's not meant to happenRegistered Userregular
edited April 15
I just binge watched season 1 and 2. This is a great show. A+ Season 2 was not as strong as 1, but that's ok. I think they tied things up well while not cutting the possibility of more off.
One question though:
What is the point of Joanna's character? For the entire show, I honestly cannot figure out why she must exists on screen. She's a very well written character, but so far I feel she's either set up as long long game style character, or she just feels like a side plot with no real relevance.
I saw her point in the first season - she was clearly a dominant cause of Tyrell's crumbling sanity. But this season, not so much, though her manipulation of Knowles seems to perhaps indicate something for next season?
I've seen this a few times doing a financial counseling for my sailors so I'd like to make it explicit:
YOU DON'T LOSE MONEY MOVING TO A HIGHER TAX BRACKET.
If you have an opportunity to earn some extra cash or take a raise, do it. If you move in to a higher bracket then only the income earned above that bracket will be taxed at the higher rate. Don't sabotage your future because of a myth popular among people who hate taxes.
All this stuff varies from country to country, of course; here in Canada we have Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) instead of 401ks, and we have Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) as well. The latter is, I believe, an account that is not taxed on the interest it accrues?
Would it be worth doing a balance transfer card (from an account getting interest rn) if I could pay off the balance before the period is over? Nerdwallet seems to think so, but I'm concerned that their bottom line is shilling credit cards.
Would it be worth doing a balance transfer card (from an account getting interest rn) if I could pay off the balance before the period is over? Nerdwallet seems to think so, but I'm concerned that their bottom line is shilling credit cards.
Probably, but it depends. Some (most?) balance transfer cards charge a small fee up front, I've commonly seen 3-5%. So if you need to move, for example, $1000, and the fee is 3%, your total payment will be $1030. You should do the math first and make sure that the fee won't outweigh what it'll cost you to just pay the amount off as is.
EDIT: Also make sure there are no stupid gotchas on the new card, like an annual fee.
All this stuff varies from country to country, of course; here in Canada we have Registered Retirement Savings Plans (RRSPs) instead of 401ks, and we have Tax Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) as well. The latter is, I believe, an account that is not taxed on the interest it accrues?
You pay no capital gains tax on any income generated by TFSA assets, whether it be dividend or sale.* That is why you should put your higher risk, higher return assets in TFSAs. TFSAs are almost entirely superior to RRSPs unless you're paying some exorbitant income tax rate or you're very near to retirement anyways,** whereupon the tax deduction for RRSP investment is superior to the tax-free status of TFSA income.
* I believe interest would be automatically plowed back into the TFSA anyways, so there wouldn't be capital gains tax on it until you sell the assets and withdraw the money from the TFSA.
** Mathematically anyways. There are other legal differences that may be relevant.
Quetzi on
0
ChanusHarbinger of the Spicy Rooster ApocalypseThe Flames of a Thousand Collapsed StarsRegistered User, Moderatormod
edited April 15
um buy low sell high what else is there get it together
One thing that was never really impressed upon me is that saving $20 a week when you're 20 and turning that into an IRA when you've got enough saved up to start one (usually $500 or $1000) is way better than waiting until you're in your mid 30s and can afford to max out an IRA.
Would it be worth doing a balance transfer card (from an account getting interest rn) if I could pay off the balance before the period is over? Nerdwallet seems to think so, but I'm concerned that their bottom line is shilling credit cards.
Probably, but it depends. Some (most?) balance transfer cards charge a small fee up front, I've commonly seen 3-5%. So if you need to move, for example, $1000, and the fee is 3%, your total payment will be $1030. You should do the math first and make sure that the fee won't outweigh what it'll cost you to just pay the amount off as is.
Pretty much this. That being said, you can typically call the credit card company and convince them to waive the fee. Not always, but it's certainly worth the phone call. However, if you know that you can pay the amount off within the balance transfer 0% period, do it.
The reason the card companies are offering you the benefit of 0% is because *most* people aren't able to pay off their balance transfers in time. Plus, those people will typically continue charging the card while attempting to pay it off. What's interesting is if you read the fine print on a credit card, the lower-interest-rate charges typically get paid off first. This means that, for example, if you decide to use a credit card that you transferred a balance to, all of your payments will go to pay off the transferred balance while your new charges sit there and gain interest.
----
With regards to finance, many financial professionals (read: financial planners) recommend paying off debt as your first and most productive step toward any level of financial independence. The line in the industry is, "You're making a 15/17/20/24% return on that money!" While I disagree with the statement, I understand the sentiment. Basically, by paying off the given debt, you're not paying the X% interest, so since you're not losing money to interest payments, you're -- in essence -- making a return on that money. Even the money didn't really earn you anything; which is why I have issue with the analogy.
----
I will have a longer post in here in the near future. I'm a Mechanical Engineer, but I decided to start getting smart about my finances about 3 years ago, so I've done a lot of research. Before that, my wife and I both read "The Automatic Millionaire" shortly after we were married, and I've been saving in my work's investment plans since I started 15 years ago.
The awesome thing about right now is that the 2008 crash brought a lot of attention to banking and finance, there is a wealth of tools out on the internet; and I'll let you know the ones I use, or have used. For example, I tried YNAB for budgeting for a bit, but I just couldn't make it work with the way I handle money. That being said, their YT videos do a fantastic job of explaining how the system works and how you can set it up for yourself.
Quetzi on
+2
KakodaimonosCode fondlerHelping the 1% get richerRegistered Userregular
edited April 15
A little more detail on the differences between 401(k)s/403(b)s vs IRAs vs SEPs vs Simple IRAs.
A 401k is a retirement investment plan offered by your for-profit employer. You can contribute up to $18,000 of your income yearly ($24,000 if you're over 50). Most of these will be administered by a financial firm that will give you a choice of various funds and investments to put your money into. A 403(b) is similar to a 401(k), but provided by a non-profit employer.
An IRA is an individual retirement account. You can create one of these yourself with any firm that provides them. If you are not covered by a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, your contributions to an IRA are tax-deductible. If you are covered, some of your contributions are deductible, based on your income.
You can have Roth 401(k) and Roth IRAs. The difference is that your contributions are not tax deductible, but your withdrawals will not be taxed.
In both regular and Roth retirement funds, you are not taxed on the capital gains - any returns on your invested funds.
A SEP-IRA is a special type of IRA for very small companies or single proprietors. The rules on contribution amounts and limits involve a few calculations based on the total salary and net profit of the firm.
A SIMPLE-IRA is another type of IRA for small firms. It's kinda like a cross between a 401(k) and an IRA, with specific rules on contributions (both minimum and maximum).
One thing to remember with all of these retirement funds is the early withdrawal penalty. If you take money out of a retirement account before you are 59.5 you will pay an automatic 10% penalty in addition to paying all federal and state taxes on the amount you withdraw.
the fact that I decided to get into amiibo because the one I wanted, samus in the suit, was "I'll buy this eventually" becuase there was plenty of stock of her near launch....and then she just disappeared, and was never re-stocked. She remains one of the few I don't have because I generally don't/won't pay much of a premium on amiibo.
So if we get new Samus I'll be happy, and sad, because she's the entire bloody reason I have a whole shelf full of these plastic things :rotate:
sadly looks to be US only right now. looked at Best Buy Canada and nothing, and nothing on amazon.ca. Might have to go to EB games (our gamestop) and check.
The way the rep confirmed it in later interviews was a little weird.
"If a Switch title supports amiibo use, the Switch will support amiibo."
Possibly just a cagey pre-release cautious answer, but it implies that no current titles in dev have amiibo support. I'm really hoping not, since I'd like for my collection to still be useful for new stuff for a while. They've got BotW on WiiU using amiibo, so I'm leaning towards they just don't want to reveal any specific instances with no titles really announced.
We're at the point that Bethesda wouldn't confirm Skyrim Switch even though we saw it in the video.
I wouldn't sweat it. We've already got BotW and very likely Smash coming to Switch. And given how carefully-produced that video was, I'm sure it's no accident they went out of their way to include Amiibo in a shot.
Quetzi on
Why the crap did I ever make my original name "cloudeagle?"
Posts
So part 2 tonight is the finale.
It would have been much stronger as one solid block of television but I am not disappointed.
I mean, cantennas are an actual thing. They certainly aren't an optimal directional wifi antenna, but they're cheap and simple to make.
One question though:
What is the point of Joanna's character? For the entire show, I honestly cannot figure out why she must exists on screen. She's a very well written character, but so far I feel she's either set up as long long game style character, or she just feels like a side plot with no real relevance.
YOU DON'T LOSE MONEY MOVING TO A HIGHER TAX BRACKET.
If you have an opportunity to earn some extra cash or take a raise, do it. If you move in to a higher bracket then only the income earned above that bracket will be taxed at the higher rate. Don't sabotage your future because of a myth popular among people who hate taxes.
Probably, but it depends. Some (most?) balance transfer cards charge a small fee up front, I've commonly seen 3-5%. So if you need to move, for example, $1000, and the fee is 3%, your total payment will be $1030. You should do the math first and make sure that the fee won't outweigh what it'll cost you to just pay the amount off as is.
EDIT: Also make sure there are no stupid gotchas on the new card, like an annual fee.
You can't give someone a pirate ship in one game, and then take it back in the next game. It's rude.
You pay no capital gains tax on any income generated by TFSA assets, whether it be dividend or sale.* That is why you should put your higher risk, higher return assets in TFSAs. TFSAs are almost entirely superior to RRSPs unless you're paying some exorbitant income tax rate or you're very near to retirement anyways,** whereupon the tax deduction for RRSP investment is superior to the tax-free status of TFSA income.
* I believe interest would be automatically plowed back into the TFSA anyways, so there wouldn't be capital gains tax on it until you sell the assets and withdraw the money from the TFSA.
** Mathematically anyways. There are other legal differences that may be relevant.
One thing that was never really impressed upon me is that saving $20 a week when you're 20 and turning that into an IRA when you've got enough saved up to start one (usually $500 or $1000) is way better than waiting until you're in your mid 30s and can afford to max out an IRA.
Pretty much this. That being said, you can typically call the credit card company and convince them to waive the fee. Not always, but it's certainly worth the phone call. However, if you know that you can pay the amount off within the balance transfer 0% period, do it.
The reason the card companies are offering you the benefit of 0% is because *most* people aren't able to pay off their balance transfers in time. Plus, those people will typically continue charging the card while attempting to pay it off. What's interesting is if you read the fine print on a credit card, the lower-interest-rate charges typically get paid off first. This means that, for example, if you decide to use a credit card that you transferred a balance to, all of your payments will go to pay off the transferred balance while your new charges sit there and gain interest.
----
With regards to finance, many financial professionals (read: financial planners) recommend paying off debt as your first and most productive step toward any level of financial independence. The line in the industry is, "You're making a 15/17/20/24% return on that money!" While I disagree with the statement, I understand the sentiment. Basically, by paying off the given debt, you're not paying the X% interest, so since you're not losing money to interest payments, you're -- in essence -- making a return on that money. Even the money didn't really earn you anything; which is why I have issue with the analogy.
----
I will have a longer post in here in the near future. I'm a Mechanical Engineer, but I decided to start getting smart about my finances about 3 years ago, so I've done a lot of research. Before that, my wife and I both read "The Automatic Millionaire" shortly after we were married, and I've been saving in my work's investment plans since I started 15 years ago.
The awesome thing about right now is that the 2008 crash brought a lot of attention to banking and finance, there is a wealth of tools out on the internet; and I'll let you know the ones I use, or have used. For example, I tried YNAB for budgeting for a bit, but I just couldn't make it work with the way I handle money. That being said, their YT videos do a fantastic job of explaining how the system works and how you can set it up for yourself.
A 401k is a retirement investment plan offered by your for-profit employer. You can contribute up to $18,000 of your income yearly ($24,000 if you're over 50). Most of these will be administered by a financial firm that will give you a choice of various funds and investments to put your money into. A 403(b) is similar to a 401(k), but provided by a non-profit employer.
An IRA is an individual retirement account. You can create one of these yourself with any firm that provides them. If you are not covered by a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, your contributions to an IRA are tax-deductible. If you are covered, some of your contributions are deductible, based on your income.
You can have Roth 401(k) and Roth IRAs. The difference is that your contributions are not tax deductible, but your withdrawals will not be taxed.
In both regular and Roth retirement funds, you are not taxed on the capital gains - any returns on your invested funds.
A SEP-IRA is a special type of IRA for very small companies or single proprietors. The rules on contribution amounts and limits involve a few calculations based on the total salary and net profit of the firm.
A SIMPLE-IRA is another type of IRA for small firms. It's kinda like a cross between a 401(k) and an IRA, with specific rules on contributions (both minimum and maximum).
One thing to remember with all of these retirement funds is the early withdrawal penalty. If you take money out of a retirement account before you are 59.5 you will pay an automatic 10% penalty in addition to paying all federal and state taxes on the amount you withdraw.
I'm more excited for the next season than I have been for just about any show in a while.
You'd be the same way if everyone forgot your birthday
Switch (JeffConser): SW-3353-5433-5137 Wii U: Skeldare - 3DS: 1848-1663-9345
PM Me if you add me!
So if we get new Samus I'll be happy, and sad, because she's the entire bloody reason I have a whole shelf full of these plastic things :rotate:
I already have a Samus, Sonic, Gold Mario, and Mega Man from their initial releases.
Getting close to having the entire released line-up. I have to get the Mii 3-Pack, Robin, Roy, and Lucas and that seems to be about it.
Also I'll probably get the Famicom ROB for shits/giggles.
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
3DS: 0447-9966-6178
!!!!
This. This is why I cycle.
...damned weird having all these reissues be exclusive.
https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561197970666737/
Gotta drop by for my Pit and Lucina on the way home.
Any other reissues/reprints announced since Best Buy's?
Switch: 6200-8149-0919 / Wii U: maximumzero / 3DS: 0860-3352-3335 / eBay Shop
and a few Link and Samus. I forgot how terrible those two look.
Or they can make the same amount and have more per store.
Looks like they'll still work in NX... er, Switch.
Or maybe the center part of the controller...
Steam: pazython
"If a Switch title supports amiibo use, the Switch will support amiibo."
Possibly just a cagey pre-release cautious answer, but it implies that no current titles in dev have amiibo support. I'm really hoping not, since I'd like for my collection to still be useful for new stuff for a while. They've got BotW on WiiU using amiibo, so I'm leaning towards they just don't want to reveal any specific instances with no titles really announced.
3DS: 0447-9966-6178
I wouldn't sweat it. We've already got BotW and very likely Smash coming to Switch. And given how carefully-produced that video was, I'm sure it's no accident they went out of their way to include Amiibo in a shot.
It's been long enough. And the series is now equal parts new and old courses.
What I'm saying is don't port Mario Kart 8. Just make Mario Kart 9.