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Nice Guy Eddie

Certifiably Surly
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Everything posted by Nice Guy Eddie

  1. I doubt it's as easy to disappear as some might think. Or most people, especially well-off folks, aren't willing to live out of cash motels, rentals where no one asks questions. You either need a lot of money, or very little money to live off the grid. In between gets you in trouble.
  2. I thought most fee-only advisors charged a % of assets under management. Or is he just looking to talk to an advisor or have one analyze his holding for an hourly rate over a couple of hours?
  3. Enjoy the show, never read the books. To me it feels like theyre some giant ant farm.
  4. As a 50 year resident of Texas, I don't really understand why anyone wants to move here. I assume some combination of people being sheep and/or it really sucks elsewhere. I will never fully leave Texas due to family/friends but I can't wait to spend more time away.
  5. New record today: >80,000 MW. I contributed to the record with the indoor temps at 74.
  6. Sounds like this happened fast. Started the trail at 6pm. Soon the 14 year old experienced problems. Park rangers and border patrol got there by 7:30p when the boy was dead. They found the deceased stepfather in a one car accident by 8. Odd timeline of tragic events and the Chronicle story isn't clear how authorities were quickly notified. https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/texas/article/big-bend-park-teen-stepdad-dead-hiking-heat-18171325.php Feels like there are missing elements to this story. Hope the 21 year old can clear it up. Or maybe its just a weird combo of 2 tragic events that occurred back to back. Not many 31 years old men have 21 year old stepsons.
  7. Among his many movies, he was listed as hanging from the blimp from Black Sunday. Or playing Maureen Ohara falling from the second story.
  8. Olympics, college football player, and stuntman in from the 50s-70s. That's quite the life and I bet he had some great stories.
  9. They will create a new rule to not hold hearings when they control the Senate but not the WH. They don't need precedent to delay.
  10. Agree that anything could happen to anyone. How they invest, spend, gift, etc. can change their outlook. However the point of the podcast also hits on the theme that a frugal person is unlikely to become a spendthrift. And loosening up a bit doesn't automatically mean financial ruin. I didn't listen to every second of the podcast/video but I was slightly surprised that this couple has real estate debt. There's nothing inherently wrong with real estate debt in retirement, if easily manageable but I would think that a FIRE couple would not have any debt. I'm in my mid 50s with only a low interest mortgage debt. I know it makes mathematical sense to not pay off my mortgage early but I don't want any debt regardless of the math as I get to 60. There is something about not owning anyone that appeals to me. My plan to save for the payoff and then make that decision at one single point instead of frequent additional payments. Or maybe I will sell before that time, and buy a new house with cash.
  11. If you say that true, then ok. But there can be other vesting periods to consider as well. The point being is that you should always consider everything is up for negotiation.
  12. I agree it has to be handled delicately. Biden shouldn't call for her to step down in a press conference. But they could effectively allow her to pick her replacement, within reason. Otherwise tell her that she might be replaced by a Alito Jr. by another President/Senate. When I saw that she turned 69, I momentarily thought that was young given the ages of our other leaders. If any of us had a 69 year old co-worker, we would be wondering why in the hell are they still at work.
  13. Sotomayor just turned 69 over the weekend and wrapping up her 14th year on the court. While no one is talking about it, she should consider stepping down now or after the next session. Especially as we see the '24 election start to solidify next June. We could be looking at a lengthy time without a Dem President + Dem Senate combo. I wouldn't put it past a GOP Senate Majority leader in letting a empty seat stay empty for years for a Dem President. McConnell demonstrated that the Senate is under no obligation to hold a vote. We could easily find ourselves in another RBG situation where Sotomayor is in her 80s before the Dems could replace her. And I believe she has Type 1 diabetes, which can impact life expectancy.
  14. Even if it doesn't swing the majority, we all know that it could impact the Speaker race. Including giving more power to the radicals, in either party.
  15. not to turn this into a Houston vent session, but I don't know why the city tells me that my recycle pickup is a Tuesday when it's been a Wednesday for 4+ years now. And last week, the city just quietly admitted (on their webpage only) that they were skipping (not postponing) us entirely for recycling due to Monday's holiday. My small amount of yard trash has been on my sidewalk for a month now when that is supposed to be a weekly pickup. The compostable bag may not last another week. SJL has always played up to national Dem leaders. I would assume that she can get the Clintons or Pelosi to call anyone on her behalf. And if you're Hollins running for Houston and the top party officials ask you to step back, you probably do it. Big risk to turn down their request, which is probably accompanied by donation money as well.
  16. Overall I like what Turner has done but admittedly one of my obvious touchpoints with city services (trash pickup) has suffered over the last few years. Harvey seemed to have aged the trash collection equipment and COVID/inflation have decimated their employee ranks in terms of they can't find people to work for them. The result is that they're always late in picking up recycling or yard waste. I know this is a 1st world problem but I'm paying more for city services and receiving less services. I'm ok in paying more but I expect to the services to at least live up to stated schedules.
  17. FIRE couple who retired at 50 after amassing a $4.3m net worth. They're struggling to turn on the spending machine after being frugal/cheap for most of their adult lives. It's probably not easy to flip from being a saver to a spender even though they are in zero danger of outspending their wealth.
  18. Counteroffer something from the first offer (Company B/C): More money, more vacation, eliminate the 401k matching vesting period, whatever. that buys you a week while you're wrapping up your current job. I would press Company A's recruiter in that you are fielding offers and you really like Company A. Don't give Company A an ultimatum. Be vague about dates but that you really want to work for them. Then take the best of any offer you have on the table. Don't tell Company A if you accepted another offer. I would feel shitty quitting a job after a week or two, but that wouldn't stop me. And don't worry if you sit home a week or two.
  19. Believe what you want, the marfa lights are car headlights. If someone has a fire or a flashlight, the same effect would occur. And as far as highway 67 not being visible, isn’t that the optical illusion of bending the light? Same thing why people take pictures of boats at the horizon that appear to be flying.
  20. From the article, it’s clear that he doesn’t live in Houston but it might just come down to that it can’t be proven. And the homestead exemption will be explained as a clerical mistake.
  21. Someone needs to create a tshirt for the 123rd jamboree in hambriston. Put a creative list of bands and singers on the back.
  22. In 2016, I paid for a pre-summer checkup of my ac unit which included a small amount of Freon, if needed. The guy kept trying to upsell me for a brand new unit. Showed me how beautiful the new condensers were. Adding Freon to the current unit was waste he said. I told him to do it anyway and sat out there to watch him. 7 years later with zero additional work, my Houston house has been chilly the past week. Never replace anything until you squeeze out the last possible cold blast of air. Force them to repair instead of replace. I’ve known a few single women and one married guy fall for the free summer tune-up that costs >$10k by the end of the visit. Why in the world replace something that is working.
  23. The guy, who allegedly first reported the marfa lights in the 1880s never mentioned the lights in his extensive journals. Guess it didn’t leave an impression on him. The first real reports of the lights occurred after highway 67 was built at some point in the 1900s. Only then did the 1880s guy’s family recall him talking about it. I get why Marfa plays up the legend and apparently it’s a great optical illusion. I would like to see it.
  24. Sorry to ruin it but the marfa lights are not a mystery. People have been able to create them with car headlights when atmospheric conditions are right.
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