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Around SBN: 2012 Africa Cup Of Nations Final

OTFPOTD: September 30th edition (Free toy with proof of purchase)

Tiny by BrianL on

In the news today:

Other potential discussion topics:

  • I haven't seen Ironman. Should I buy a copy on DVD?
  • Has anyone played anything on the PS3 that's not named Uncharted: Drake's Fortune or MGS4?
  • Why did I purchase a PS3 when it just sits on top of my desk never to be turned on and played with?
  • Any Doctor Who fans here?
  • Has there been confirmation that Robert is king of the gnomes?

Tags are incoming, you needy bastards.

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Read More: who ya gonna call, seattlebruin refuses to blog through pain, seahawks, american football, i'm kind of sorry nola, jeff is awesome and you should buy him a case of beer, matthew and graham are pretty cool too

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I have a friend with a PS3.

He has Uncharted (which he actually just sold) and Hot Shots Golf. That’s it.

Iron Man wasn’t that great of a movie.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 30, 2008 7:44 AM PDT reply actions  

I foolishly bought a PS3 thinking that at some undefined point in the future

I’d get to play FFXIII on it.

Then FFXIII when multi-platform (boy the fanboy fallout from that was amusing to watch). Now I have an expensive Blu-Ray player that occasionally plays video games.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 7:46 AM PDT up reply actions  

Since many people here seem to use internet music suggester-type sites (there must be a name for this)

Perhaps you can answer my question.
Which is the best site:
Pandora
last.fm
slacker
or something else of which I’ve yet to hear?

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Sep 30, 2008 7:48 AM PDT reply actions  

I don't use any of them

but I hear Pandora is fantastic.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 7:53 AM PDT up reply actions  

I use Pandora

I have been happy with it. Be sure to use the ratings to keep it on track though. I know others have complained about its selections, but it yet to pick any song by Coldplay for me.

by Man From Nantucket on Sep 30, 2008 8:01 AM PDT up reply actions  

The ratings can screw you up, though.

It seems like if you give it too much feedback, it will create a very specialized playlist for you and not play too much else. But if you keep switching up the stations, it’s pretty nice. Listening to Pandora right now, actually.

Bring back José Cruz Jr!

by darmok on Sep 30, 2008 10:26 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah pretty much.

I’ve been listening to Testament radio and i get them Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax, and Exodus on infinite loop. Not complaining to bad but theres got to be more thrash out there than that.

by DCMariner on Sep 30, 2008 11:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

I have a Coldplay station.

And I keep thumbs-upping music. Maybe THAT’s why everyone complains about getting too much Coldplay. All of my associations have overtaken the real similarities, and perhaps this has flooded the market.

Whoops. Hella sorry dudes…

:-)

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 2:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

The real question is,

suggest some more so I can try and find one that’s not blocked

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:03 AM PDT up reply actions  

I've been getting my music horizons expanded on KEXP.

Now and then a song blows me away so I note the time and check it out online. This method is probably a complete analog suggestion to your digital world question.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 30, 2008 2:45 PM PDT up reply actions  

The new Ben Folds comes out today

so that might help somewhat. Ben Folds is good. Not that I’m a music expert, understand, I’m just a dude.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:25 AM PDT up reply actions  

I like Ben Folds.

But I also have no patience. Therefore, I need something immediately accessible.

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Sep 30, 2008 8:25 AM PDT up reply actions  

Gotcha.

Don’t know what your predominant musical style is, but WFMU has many good shows that stream and have all their archives (and playlists) online - Three Chord Monte, Downtown Soulville, and the Glen Jones Radio Programme are three of my faves.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:34 AM PDT up reply actions  

My style is pretty much piano rock, but definitely thanks for this.

I have decided I will be performing a scientific experiment. I will create a Ben Folds station on Pandora, Last.fm and Slacker.
I will use one per day and then report the results on Friday. Because I’m sure y’all are interested.

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Sep 30, 2008 8:35 AM PDT up reply actions  

I used launchcast before I got a mp3 player

and it only takes for you to admit that you like one song outside your bubble before they start serving up a bunch of freaky weird shit. Be careful of slippery slopes.

9=8

by JI on Sep 30, 2008 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions  

This is the main reason I stopped using launchcast.

I like one song by one artist and want to hear that song again, and suddenly it gives me dozens I have to ban.

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Sep 30, 2008 9:16 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah. Agreed.

I keep switching around the “stations” though and this seems entertaining. Ess’ suggestion of Reindeer Section makes for a pretty darn good station for right now. Until Pandora starts playing the same playlist over and over and over again.

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 2:29 PM PDT up reply actions  

You should definitely see Iron Man

but you could probably get it from Netflix rather than owning it.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 7:55 AM PDT reply actions  

Agree, you should definitely see this if you haven't

I think owning it is a pretty good idea, though.

Bring back José Cruz Jr!

by darmok on Sep 30, 2008 10:28 AM PDT up reply actions  

I entertain the masses with my tags

but I have a tearful confession to make. I’m not deserving of being best tagger. It’s acblue. I’ve been taking tagging enhancing coffee for all my great tags. I should give up my LLemmie.

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:05 AM PDT up reply actions  

You're still a pussy and I'm going to irrationally hate you

because I foolishly advocated trading five young bloggers for you and now I’m trying to hide that fact.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:14 AM PDT up reply actions  

Not to mention he doesn't answer your stupid questions with stupid answers.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 8:15 AM PDT up reply actions  

Seattlebruin is not accountable

because he doesn’t allow me to use him as a secret blog insider.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'm eagerly awaiting your book calling out the M's blogosphere

ala “White Jays”.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 8:18 AM PDT up reply actions  

I also eagerly await Graham's

three word, two sentence response:

“Wrong. Fuck off.”

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 8:34 AM PDT up reply actions  

Graham is a cuddly panda.

And for the record, it was Robert that said this.

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Sep 30, 2008 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions  

D'awwwww.

I want to give Graham a hug.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:39 AM PDT up reply actions  

“Thanks to this website, I’ve become acutely aware of my minimum sleep threshold necessary to still be a functional member of society the next day”
 - Jeff Sullivan, 9/27/08

I AM CURRENTLY BELOW THIS THRESHOLD

Tea count = 3. Tea Happiness equation for today – H = 1.5*(TC)^1.5 – [C-(10-S)]

H = Happiness
TC = Tea Count
C = Coffee Count
S = Hour of sleep

Currently H = something negative

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:02 AM PDT reply actions  

:-(

this is Coach-level math

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:11 AM PDT up reply actions  

If it contains anything other than a plus sign or a minus sign

to me, it’s advanced level math.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:12 AM PDT up reply actions  

What about greater than signs

IE > Firefox
60,000 employees > 4 employees!!

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:13 AM PDT up reply actions  

Those I can sometimes handle.

especially when it confirms the primacy of a company like Microsoft, with its legions of programmers turning out lean, nimble code that does exactly what it’s supposed to every time.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:15 AM PDT up reply actions  

Iono, I made it up

it’s based on facts and stuff!

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yes

I was absolutely tripping the first half hour, but now I’m awake and reviewing documents

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:15 AM PDT up reply actions  

Talk about niche: I can't answer any of those questions

So I’ll ask one that bruin sort of touched upon above: In light of Jeff’s reference to minimum sleep threshold, what’s your’s? Mine is about a hair over 5 hours.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 8:19 AM PDT reply actions  

Mine's actually about 7 hours

but I can survive on 5 for a day if need be. But if I get 5 one night, the next night I go to sleep at about 8pm.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

Agree

If I get 5 hours, I need to get good sleep the next time or I’m in deep trouble.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

My threshold is whatever value of S leads to H > 0

so it’s a problem with many possible solutions.

This is assuming the more standard H = 2*(TC)^2 – [C-(10-S)] equation though.

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:21 AM PDT up reply actions  

It depends.

I can get by with about 3 hours of sleep if it’s just one night. But if it’s a week of less than optimal sleep, I can’t get by with fewer than 6 hours of sleep.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 30, 2008 8:23 AM PDT up reply actions  

I've actually found I function best on 6.5-7 hours of sleep.

I can make it through a day on 4-5, but I’ll definitely be crashing early.

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Sep 30, 2008 8:26 AM PDT up reply actions  

I usually only sleep every other night.

I feel worse if I sleep over 4 hours at a stretch than I do if I sleep 2. I’ve gone to doctors for insomnia, but all sleeping pills do is make me hyper.

2AM bike rides are awesome, though.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 8:38 AM PDT up reply actions  

I used to work at a law firm in DC and we'd often work through the night if there was a trial or a deposition upcoming.

In so doing, I learned the following:

I can function for two days without sleep in between.
I can function for about a week on 3-4 hours of sleep a night.
I can function continuously on 5+ hours.

I go to law school. Therefore, I have no life.

by andrewgolfsalot on Sep 30, 2008 9:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

Define functioning.

Does this mean not falling asleep in the middle of the day or does it mean able to move about in a normal fashion?

My answer would be ~5-6 hours. Sometimes I’m tired after 8 or 9 hours so I don’t really know.

by Mariner John on Sep 30, 2008 3:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

Also.

I never go to bed before 11. I’m basically tired from when I get up until about 9 PM. This saddens me.

by Mariner John on Sep 30, 2008 3:28 PM PDT up reply actions  

Not sure about the Gnome question but I do want to hear more about what drove you to these lengths
Hey Corco

my ex girlfriend dumped me to become a lesbian. Can I get you to exact revenge for me?

BrianL

by Robert on Sep 30, 2008 8:28 AM PDT reply actions  

Which speaking of all of this

Corco has secured a coffee date

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:47 AM PDT up reply actions   1 recs

she asked me

I’m just going to assume she’s not photogenic

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:51 AM PDT up reply actions  

who?

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:51 AM PDT up reply actions  

I like Generic Pop Group and Sellout Hip-Hop artist a lot

also, I like TV Show With Lots of High-School Drama – when’s it coming back again?

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 8:36 AM PDT reply actions  

You're in luck.

90210 is getting a new lease on life.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:37 AM PDT up reply actions  

My guilty pleasure...

My former college roommate and I (after we were no longer roommates) would meet at his place for donuts, beer, and 90210. Of course, we pretty much liked to mock the characters the whole time, so…

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 2:37 PM PDT up reply actions  

I was at Costco yesterday.

They had Christmas decorations for sale.

It’s not even October yet.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 8:38 AM PDT reply actions  

When I lived in Hartford

I went to Westfarms Mall over Labor Day weekend and they already had their Christmas stuff up. I haven’t seen any in Portland yet this year, thankfully.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

The BJ's by me has had the blow-up Christmas decorations since August.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 9:09 AM PDT up reply actions  

Wow, this is quite the word combination.

Like yesterday and the backseat not being used until you met your girlfriend…

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Sep 30, 2008 9:14 AM PDT up reply actions  

Both are true and non-sexual in nature,

unless you take them the wrong way.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 9:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

Fuck 'em.

Fred Meyer, too. I was like “C’mon. September???”

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 2:38 PM PDT up reply actions  

They've been up since Memorial Day.

I caught myself looking at the display, and suddenly wanted to run from the store. It was an embarrassing moment.

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 30, 2008 2:53 PM PDT up reply actions  

The stupid stock market is going up.

C’mon, Dow, I want an 8000 close by year end!

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:42 AM PDT reply actions  

You people are scary

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 8:44 AM PDT up reply actions  

I have no real "portfolio" to speak of

I have a 401K that I rebalance once a year and forget about. I see no need to panic, because I made reasonable financial decisions and didn’t tie my entire economic future to a bunch of day-traded stocks and an overpriced house in a superstupid market; what’s happening now has needed to happen for several years, and if that means people go broke, so be it; most of those people shouldn’t have been in the market in the first place.

I still maintain that one of the worst things to happen to the American economy was to allow “average people” to invest in the stock market at will.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:48 AM PDT up reply actions  

"what’s happening now has needed to happen for several years"

Absolutely. At least the housing part.

The stock market is kinda different. I think anyone who can afford to store a percentage of their income in a 401(k) or IRA should be doing so, but through mutual funds or some other balanced investment. Putting everything you’ve saved into just a few stocks is insane.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions  

I know this sounds incredibly selfish

but I’m kind of glad this housing crash happened. My parents can finally afford to buy the house they’ve always wanted (and in my mind have always deserved) without having to leave this area.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 9:02 AM PDT up reply actions  

I've felt that way all along.

I wish no ill will on people, but I just can’t afford a $500,000 two-bedroom converted condo and never will be able to. Most everyone else in San Diego can’t either. It’s an inflated market driven up by out-of-town investors, and it creates a weird situation where something like 76 percent of the people in this city can’t afford a median-priced home. So while I feel terrible that people are losing their homes and ruining their credit, it has to happen. It’s a natural market correction.

And if prices plummet even further to the point where those of us who were responsible with our money can finally buy a home, I can’t help but be satisfied. After years of being told that I was an idiot for not buying a home, I’m just kinda laughing now.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions  

I so badly wish I had the money to buy a home right now...

Escondido and/or Mira Mesa have never looked so good…

If only I ever had a hope of affording something decent in La Jolla

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 9:15 AM PDT up reply actions  

It's a sad day when "not getting completely hosed" qualifies as a reward,

but yes, I guess it is quite nice to know that I don’t have a bad mortgage right now. I’m just hiding in my apartment, storing money and food and playing Xbox, waiting for the end days.

Has anyone read “The Road” by Cormac McCarthy? I’m pretty sure that will be the state of Earth by the time I’m 30, so I’m getting ready now.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:24 AM PDT up reply actions  

Agree

Home prices just went sky high the last few years, and all because of outside investors who circled jerked home prices through the roof, combined with lenders who got too many people to bite off more than they could chew.

What shocked me were all the otherwise intelligent people who insisted there was no bubble, that nothing would burst. Uh… where is all this money coming from? The rules of supply and demand don’t change, and all value derives from the finity of one or the other. You can’t assume something so unnatural would last forever.

I can’t believe how many otherwise intelligent people defended this.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 9:27 AM PDT up reply actions  

It took a lot of stupid to make this happen.

I’m no financial expert, but since I graduated college and moved here in 2004 and started paying attention, it seemed extremely simple to me:

1. Actual people in our neighborhoods weren’t the ones buying most of these houses.

2. The people who were buying said houses were buying in bulk and renting them to suckers like me.

3. The locals who did manage to buy houses were lacking certain qualifications — like jobs.

4. Wages weren’t rising enough to justify this. Hell, they weren’t even rising period, when adjusted for inflation.

5. Oh, balls.

As has become pretty apparent by now, banks were blinded by easy money and regulators were either oblivious or impotent.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions  

My dad was looking at this market back when he was first looking at homes in 2005.

He gave up a few weeks later, telling my mom that “this market is going to crash and crash hard.”

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 9:46 AM PDT up reply actions  

This is the first time I've heard/read a person asses the situation like this.

My wife and I had many many conversations touching on most of the points you listed, and a couple not included. Up until about 3-4 months ago everything we read (about the Seattle market at least) was all wine and roses. Experts!

"Sorry I hit you in the helmet Hank, I meant to hit you in the neck." Stan Williams to Hank Aaron.

by dpseadv on Sep 30, 2008 2:57 PM PDT up reply actions  

Explain why 'average people' shouldn't invest 'at will'

But avoid politics!

Is it something more than: “People shouldn’t treat the stock market as an up-market dog track where they try and retire at 40 based on day trading and leverage?”
What about institutional investors – should pension plans invest in the stock market at will?

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 9:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

Right, none of which says anything one way or the other

about plain vanilla investing. It’s probably a good idea for ‘average people’ or ‘investment banks’ to avoid products that swear they’re risk free even though the ultimate security is laughable mortgages.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah. All investment is a gamble at any level.

Average citizens as a whole did very little trading-wise to cause this… though their role lies in taking the bait on bad mortgages.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 9:41 AM PDT up reply actions  

Average people shouldn't invest at will because they don't know what they're doing

Pension planners are trained to understand the ebbs and flows of a market over time. Average people panic when the Dow drops 100 points.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions  

If recent TV news programs are at all accurate

the people who are the most freaked out this week are institutional/professional investors. OK yes, the very-close-to-retirement folks are also panicky right now, but I understand that.

Still, I’m just not convinced that average people know dangerously little when it comes to this stuff. The people I worry about are those that have convinced themselves that there’s a system to day trading, or to investing in a few stocks to maximize profits. Most ‘average people’ buy mutual funds, index funds and the like. That’s 10 times better than the pros who yell a lot on TV – the ones who like to make Bold Claims about this or that commodity, stock or market trend.

The point is: don’t be a dumbass and the market is usually fine.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions  

Maybe I'm naive

but couldn’t stock market crashes be avoided if people didn’t sell their stocks rapidly?

by Mariner John on Sep 30, 2008 3:41 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah, so naivete

I’m no stock expert but I’ve though this since I first heard about the Depression. Seems like common sense to me but I guess it doesn’t work if only one person is doing it.

by Mariner John on Sep 30, 2008 3:44 PM PDT up reply actions  

Well, yeah - not selling your stocks

means accepting a fairly high degree of risk . If it works, benefits are highly dispersed and if it doesn’t work, ha ha, sucks to be you.
Money + uncertainty leads people to behave in non-pareto optimal ways, but I don’t think that’s necessarily stupidity – it’s more like the necessary byproduct of fear.

A ‘smart’ person might reasonably wish to reduce risk as much as possible because, oh, they’re about to retire and don’t care if everything will be all right eventually. I still don’t get people who close their checking account in an FDIC insured bank because the news said “crisis,” but that’s perhaps a different argument.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 4:25 PM PDT up reply actions  

So thanks to whoever recommended the D-Link IP camera last week...

…but I got it home and tried to set it up and it’s not Mac-compatible. Anybody know of a Mac equivalent to the D-Link DCS 920? The D-Link site is almost spectacularly unhelpful.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 8:58 AM PDT reply actions  

Uh, yeah.

I’d check the Linksys ones, they should be OK with macs since they host their own webservers. You have to specify, most people on the internet are still Windows.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions  

According to Mac users I know, heres one that works.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001AE9QQ4?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&tag=shopzilla_rev_412-20&linkCode=asn

Don’t like the brand name, but supposedly it works just fine.

I go to law school. Therefore, I have no life.

by andrewgolfsalot on Sep 30, 2008 9:44 AM PDT up reply actions  

'Cause chicks listen to crap?

I assure you, no man listens to Hollaback Girl.

Fear the NPE

by thewyrm on Sep 30, 2008 9:01 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yuck.

Remember when The Neptunes were good? I consider the second Clipse album to be their masterpiece, but they’ve been making some pretty bad music in the past five years.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:13 AM PDT up reply actions  

Was the second one Hell Hath No Fury?

That’s the only one I have and it’s damn good

by Dewey N on Sep 30, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions  

That's the one.

The Neptunes did the first album, too, and while it’s still good, it’s not Hell Hath No Fury.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 10:59 AM PDT up reply actions  

So this comment made me go check mine.

$3,200 last month. Yikes. I just keep telling myself: "You’re 26, you’re 26 . . . "

Also, if you have a 401(k) where you automatically take a percentage of your income every paycheck and buy shares in a mutual fund, you’re buying a more shares nowadays that the prices have lowered, so when the market goes back up, EXTRA PROFIT!

Whatever. I’m tired of worrying about this. Where’s my gin?

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:34 AM PDT up reply actions  

In my case

You replace the 2 with a 1 and the 6 with a 9.

I’m not going to look at mine.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions  

You're younger than me?

You have a 401k?

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 9:37 AM PDT up reply actions  

I've had an IRA/401 since my 14th birthday and the first job I had.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions  

I thought Faux was in the same boat as you

IT people who are too smart for their own good or something

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

I sure as hell wasn't thinking about a 401k at that age.

I only wised up to it after seeing my grandfather’s retirement fall through. Soon as my office offered me a 401k, I jumped on it.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 9:42 AM PDT up reply actions  

Actually, I blame my grandmother.

She had a CD set for me that came to fruition the day I turned 14. We had a long talk about it before she handed it to me. We went over the options, and I used that to get another CD for college and to start an IRA, which I rolled into a 401 as soon as I got my first eligible job.

My grandmother, and her stories from her mom who lived on nothing through the Great Depression, were what put me on this path. I just picked up where she left off.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 9:45 AM PDT up reply actions  

Exactly.

It taught me to be much more careful with my finances.

Right now I’m paying for school, living, and transportation out of pocket with a decent chunk of my paycheck going to my 401k.

I don’t have a whole lot of leftover cash to splurge on stuff, but things will balance out after I get a degree or two and log more time at the office. A little bit of hardship now is a small price to pay for a lot of security later.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 9:50 AM PDT up reply actions  

Exactly.

Get your three years and a couple certifications in, and you’re set. I’m about 6 months away from that point, and I’m looking for the payday.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 9:51 AM PDT up reply actions  

It's quite awesome.

My employer is for sale now, so I’m pretty sure some company will come in here and scrap the company-matching. Sucks.

by Teej on Sep 30, 2008 9:43 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yeah if you're 26 there is absolutely no reason to worry

The economy is going to do all sorts of crazy things before you retire

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 9:37 AM PDT up reply actions  

I saw a pic of him last month and it freaked me out a bit

He’s had a lot of health problems. I’m surprised he’s still alive.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 9:39 AM PDT up reply actions  

He's never going to be able to talk again

but it sounds like he’s over the worst of it.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 9:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

Coldplay alert!

Pandora is being tricky by slipping in “Yellow” by Chris Martin. Does this qualify?

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Sep 30, 2008 9:57 AM PDT reply actions  

Well, in Boyd's defense

he himself is a massive douche, so he knows what he’s talking about. But he’s also incorrect.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 10:05 AM PDT up reply actions  

I thought I was being pretty nice when I mentioned that the reply button should be used.

I’m far more of an asshole over here when someone doesn’t use reply/subject line/proper capitalization.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 10:06 AM PDT up reply actions  

You know where to find me

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 10:30 AM PDT up reply actions  

I fully support this

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions  

The housing assholes started it.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 10:32 AM PDT up reply actions  

But I bet that site is a wasteland now.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'm pretty sure.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 10:34 AM PDT up reply actions  

Why?

They’re the people that have been banging on about the housing bubble for years. I don’t read it, but I’d imagine it’s tons of self-congratulatory stuff, plus ’don’t bail out wall street’ and ‘let housing prices fall’ stuff.

Either that, or it’s grown exponentially as laid-off realtors join to grumble about the damn bubble. Who knows.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions  

I meant more an intellectual wasteland.

That place was full of housing idiots from the get-go, and I’d imagine it’s gotten worse with all the wannabee investors losing all their money.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 10:36 AM PDT up reply actions  

But that site existed solely to bash all the wannabe investors

It wasn’t FOR wannabe investors.

I still don’t really see the point of a blog repeatedly telling you that wannabe investors suck and that the housing market was overheated (all of which is/was true), but that’s more of a personal preference thing. If this place existed solely to repeat that Bavasi or Howard Lincoln was WRONG, then it would be pretty boring (despite the fact that it would be correct).

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 10:40 AM PDT up reply actions  

But as things go south,

the morons hop from the one bandwagon to the other.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions  

Now I'm curious: what's the new one?

Profit through commodities? Precious metals?

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 10:43 AM PDT up reply actions  

Currencies, I'd imagine.

Of course short selling seems to be the hot thing over the past week or two.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions  

Holy balls

I looked up ASUBoyd on facebook and we have a friend in common- this friend is a UPS student

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 10:31 AM PDT up reply actions  

in fact he has a bunch of friends at Boise State

I think he’s from Idaho embarassingly enough

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

I do that every now and then

I have a common friend with the CWU softball player that Jeff linked a story to a few months back

by Robert on Sep 30, 2008 10:35 AM PDT up reply actions  

I'm probably going to be in the minority here, and may stir up some shit

but I think Woody Allen is the most overrated filmmaker ever. I recently saw “Annie Hall” for the first time and it had been described to me as the perfect movie.

I couldn’t have been less interested or impressed with that movie.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 30, 2008 10:07 AM PDT reply actions  

I'm with you.

I found it to be shallow and pedantic.

I'm back to liking midgets too much.

by Thingray on Sep 30, 2008 10:09 AM PDT up reply actions  

I found it to be shallow and pedantic as well.

Enough Family Guy though.

It ended up okay. The guy calls me at 10:30 last night to say it’s fixed, then I show up early this morning and there’s a NEW error message on the server. So I called him again, and luckily he could fix this one over the phone. Turned out it the original problem was a duplicate file, and this one was a missing file.

So, I’m a day behind and frantically trying to catch up. Unfortunately I can work faster than the printers can, so I keep having to stop and wait for them to catch up.

I'm back to liking midgets too much.

by Thingray on Sep 30, 2008 10:45 AM PDT up reply actions  

Doesn't sound too bad.

Definitely could have been worse. Good luck playing catch up.

by Sec 108 on Sep 30, 2008 10:48 AM PDT up reply actions  

If my printers would cooperate, it would really help.

I keep getting paper jams and spooling errors.

I'm back to liking midgets too much.

by Thingray on Sep 30, 2008 11:04 AM PDT up reply actions  

I like him, but he's not for everyone.

And not all of his movies are great. Bananas is definitely worth seeing – it’s my favorite of his.

Screw you, Mariners. I'm back in football's loving arms.

by kevin_ess on Sep 30, 2008 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

Woody Allen is great if you're massively in love with NYC

but yeah, he’s not for everyone. Try his earlier comedies, they’re better.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 10:10 AM PDT up reply actions  

So yesterday I went into the Allstate office to check how much it would cost if I switched cars

I walked out of the Allstate office having saved $350/six months merely by switching my insurance from Washington to California on my current car

WTF

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 10:14 AM PDT reply actions  

That's really weird

I’d have bet large amounts insurance was more in California then Washington

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 10:16 AM PDT up reply actions  

As would I

And it’s not as if I saved like $3 a month. $350/ six months is ~33%

by seattlebruin on Sep 30, 2008 10:22 AM PDT up reply actions  

Depends on how much work you want to do and when you want to get at the money.

I personally would throw it in a well-managed IRA (market index – preferably S&P 500) and forget about it, but if you need the money sooner you may want to be more hands-on with it.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 10:24 AM PDT up reply actions  

Have you thought about Roth IRAs as opposed to traditional ones?

I suppose it depends on what you’re trying to do, but I’d take the tax-free earnings over tax-deductible contributions.
You have to make less than the income threshold which is pretty high, but hey, you work for big oil so it’s worth checking out.

Anyway, if you’re trying to hold down your taxable income and are positive you don’t need the money now, maybe IRA. If you’re seeking to maximize your net earnings, maybe Roth.

Of course, I am a disembodied voice typing on a baseball blog, and I’m pretty sure it’s things like this that caused the market to lose its shit recently.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

Right, but the wyrm is a strange and wonderful creature

So I can’t say for sure. He may make well over $100k, in which case the Roth may not be an option and which may lead him to want to reduce taxable income. I don’t know.
But yes, for the majority of people, Roth is better.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 10:42 AM PDT up reply actions  

I am in the under $100,000 a year category.

Schwab says I can give them up to $5k a year for a roth IRA.

Fear the NPE

by thewyrm on Sep 30, 2008 10:49 AM PDT up reply actions  

I haven't done a lot of research

but as long as the fee load is low, it’s as good as any other. Always go with no-load fees if you can, or fees that are about 1% or so.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 10:33 AM PDT up reply actions  

Yes.

It’s…. pretty good. Not their best, in my opinion, but worth a listen.

They’ve got a single out – you can download that plenty of places and see if you like it.

by marc w on Sep 30, 2008 10:38 AM PDT up reply actions  

.

If you can’t read the nutrition facts, this can of pork brains in milk gravy contains 3500mg of cholesterol good for 1170% of your daily value.

by Phil Hatzenbuehler on Sep 30, 2008 10:49 AM PDT reply actions  

sounds tasty!

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 10:50 AM PDT up reply actions  

Is that your lunch? What kind of wine accompanies this?

Screw you, Mariners. I'm back in football's loving arms.

by kevin_ess on Sep 30, 2008 10:51 AM PDT up reply actions  

.

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 3:01 PM PDT up reply actions  

Nice!

Screw you, Mariners. I'm back in football's loving arms.

by kevin_ess on Sep 30, 2008 3:03 PM PDT up reply actions  

...

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 10:53 AM PDT up reply actions  

I have a picture of this on an old cell phone.

I saw it in the store and couldn’t believe it.

I have to say, it was pretty good.

It's hard to convince people to let you eat them if you're an asshole. - Thingray

by Faux on Sep 30, 2008 10:58 AM PDT up reply actions  

Heroes:

The continuous stupidity in which the powers are used ruin this show. I still enjoy watching it, but I have to admit they just don’t seem to care how irrational their heroes’ behavior is and are more concerned with style over substance.

Fear the NPE

by thewyrm on Sep 30, 2008 11:20 AM PDT reply actions  

I'm giving it one more episode then booting it to the curb if it doesn't stop sucking

and I haven’t watched last night’s yet. But I’ll watch that one, then give it next week and if it’s as mediocre as the season opener I’m pretty much done.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 12:07 PM PDT up reply actions  

I haven't watched Heroes

but it sure sounds like it has tanked in a hurry.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 12:15 PM PDT up reply actions  

I watched the first 6-8 episodes and quickly realized it wasn't worth the investment because I knew it was going to tank.

They basically put out the first pilot episodes and realized it was a big hit. Unfortunately, they didn’t have a direction to go in when they made those pilot episodes and it quickly went awry when they returned with the series.

Also, they seem to promote Heyden Paniterre too much. She is a midget who wears too much makeup. I lost interest in the show when she became the character they centered around; not because she is a midget with a lot of makeup, but because her character isn’t as important as they made her to be. I have never seen a character become so overrated in such a short period of time. I blame the show’s craptastic downfall on Heyden’s character.

by Wilder. on Sep 30, 2008 12:26 PM PDT up reply actions  

BrianL hard at work:

Screw you, Mariners. I'm back in football's loving arms.

by kevin_ess on Sep 30, 2008 11:59 AM PDT reply actions  

What?

I actually am pretty busy right now.

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 12:00 PM PDT up reply actions  

What's your situation?

Screw you, Mariners. I'm back in football's loving arms.

by kevin_ess on Sep 30, 2008 12:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

Replying to Thingray, by the way.

Screw you, Mariners. I'm back in football's loving arms.

by kevin_ess on Sep 30, 2008 12:12 PM PDT up reply actions  

Just people not understanding it's the BUSIEST DAY OF THE MONTH FOR ACCOUNTANTS.

And wanting answers to stupid questions that they could answer themselves if they would look at the reportss we issue to them.

I'm back to liking midgets too much.

by Thingray on Sep 30, 2008 12:16 PM PDT up reply actions  

HAHA!!

And now the drive belt on my machine that take the reports apart just snapped!! So I get to take aprt over a thousand pages of two-part reports by hand!! Woohoo!!!

I don’t know if I laugh, cry, or just say “fuck it” and leave…

I'm back to liking midgets too much.

by Thingray on Sep 30, 2008 12:29 PM PDT up reply actions  

Option three seems like the safest for everyone.

Screw you, Mariners. I'm back in football's loving arms.

by kevin_ess on Sep 30, 2008 12:31 PM PDT up reply actions  

I decided on laughing.

I have a wedding to pay for, so I can’t quit. Killing everyone and everything in the office would get me fired. And I’m not a wuss so I’m not going to cry over a broken machine.

I am however, going to drink heavily tonight after I leave the office.

I'm back to liking midgets too much.

by Thingray on Sep 30, 2008 12:48 PM PDT up reply actions  

Holy crap!

Hippo swallows dwarf

Screw you, Mariners. I'm back in football's loving arms.

by kevin_ess on Sep 30, 2008 12:51 PM PDT reply actions  

YES

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 12:52 PM PDT up reply actions  

I have to admit, I laughed.

I wonder if the dwarf was crushed to death or just drowned/suffocated in the stomach.

by Wilder. on Sep 30, 2008 5:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

The commercials don't seem terribly promising

which is too bad because i like DAG. I just hope that he avoids the ‘TWO MONTHS TO THE ELECTION I GOTTA BUST OUT A BUNCH OF POLITICAL STUFF REALLY FAST" approach in favor of something that’ll have a shelf life.

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 1:05 PM PDT up reply actions  

What are they?

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 1:06 PM PDT up reply actions  

Updating as I see them:

11.Ghostbusters
10:Fox’s Peter Pan and the Pirates.

by Goose on Sep 30, 2008 1:11 PM PDT up reply actions  

9:Duck Tales(WOOHOO!)

NOOOOO NOW I HAVE THE THEME SONG IN MY HEAD!

by Goose on Sep 30, 2008 1:13 PM PDT up reply actions  

8.Ren and Stimpy

7.GI JOOOOOEEEEEEE!!!!
6.Transformers(Beast Wars was better damnit)

by Goose on Sep 30, 2008 1:17 PM PDT up reply actions  

Beast Wars was not better

DUCKTALES FUCK YES

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions  

Beast Wars was a CGI ripoff of transformers

I still enjoyed it though

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 1:18 PM PDT up reply actions  

Yep.

3.X-Men(With one of my favorite theme songs ever)
2.Animaniacs

by Goose on Sep 30, 2008 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

THE ANIMANIACS!!!

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

And #1

Batman:The Animated Series

Fuck yes!

by Goose on Sep 30, 2008 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions  

The best part about that show

It wasn’t at all cheesy like other cartoons. They kept it G rated but played everything totally straight.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 1:32 PM PDT up reply actions  

So we can assume the people who put this list together are 25-35 years of age.

I can’t believe they didn’t have the Superman cartoon series or Heman. And somehow Ren and Stimpy makes the list. Even over DWD. I’m surprised they didn’t put Rugrats on the list with the selection they chose.

by Wilder. on Sep 30, 2008 5:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

Dude Rugrats is not in any sense of the world a classic TV show

Rugrats was awful and it’s incredible that it lasted as long as it did

Determined, Jonesing Commentor | Proud proprietor of Corcotopia and Washingtonhighways.org

by Corco on Sep 30, 2008 7:27 PM PDT up reply actions  

And that's what I think about Ren and Stimpy.

Ren and Stimpy = Rugrats in quality

I guess I didn’t make that clear. I hated both of those cartoons.

by Wilder. on Sep 30, 2008 7:42 PM PDT up reply actions  

It's one guy

One guy with a big internet following, but one guy.

by Gomez on Sep 30, 2008 8:32 PM PDT up reply actions  

Ren and Stimpy?

One of the grossest cartoons ever made.

by Wilder. on Sep 30, 2008 5:19 PM PDT up reply actions  

So to recap, here's NC's Top 11 Nostalgic Cartoons list

11. The Real Ghostbusters
10. Fox’s Peter Pan and the Pirates
9. Duck Tales
8. Ren and Simpty
7. GI Joe
6. Transformers
5. The Tick
4. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
3. X-Men
2. Animaniacs
1. Batman

by BrianL on Sep 30, 2008 1:23 PM PDT up reply actions  

Ok, question

10. Fox’s Peter Pan and the Pirates

What?

by Kirsten Schlewitz on Sep 30, 2008 1:24 PM PDT up reply actions  

Thank you.

No Speed Racer? No Fat Albert? No Star Blazers?

Nice Guys Finish Third - Hopelessly lost, but makin' good time.

by pdb on Sep 30, 2008 1:25 PM PDT up reply actions  

Jeez, no kidding!

Star Blazers via Netflix FTW!!!!

This signature space for rent.

by PositivePaul on Sep 30, 2008 3:05 PM PDT up reply actions  

I watched this show.

But then again, I loved alot of obscure cartoons that hardly anyone has heard of.

For instance, my favorite cartoon of all time is this.

by Goose on Sep 30, 2008 1:29 PM PDT up reply actions  

Another excellent show.

On at around the same as time as shows like Aladdin and Goof Troup, and …what the fuck was the name of that show was Ballo the bear as a pilot?

by Goose on Sep 30, 2008 1:34 PM PDT up reply actions