Random randomness

[LordMortis]

Don't forget

This is the weekend you get an extra hour CivVi. That hour will not be collected on until March 12th.

I replaced my clock radio after something like 20 years of service (it finally got unreliable), and the replacement has some kind of internal regulator that basically says "fuck you I know what time it is", even though it is slightly out of kilter with the time on everything else in the house, and everything else in the house is effectively in agreement with the bus schedule.

Attempting to adjust the time changes the date on the clock, although the date doesn't visibly display anywhere when you're not making adjustments. And apparently, I managed to send my clock into the future a few days while trying to adjust it to bus time before locating the instruction booklet and determining that the clock wasn't going to tolerate this kind of insubordination. I failed to change it back.

So yesterday, my clock started on Daylight Saving time.

Honestly, I think I need to replace the new clock with one that actually allows microadjustments. When I'm waking up, I'm not lucid enough to mentally adjust that I have fewer minutes to get to the bus stop than what the clock says.

That would drive me nuts. Especially as I have to psychologically set my clock a random amount of fast between 9 and 17 minutes to make sure I get out of bed on time for work. The rest of my house is on Windows time keeping/Sprint phone schedule. I never ever ever look to see how much my bedroom clock is off by.

[Isgrimnur]

I have an auto-setting clock radio in a box somewhere. I've gone to using my phone due to the multiple alarm ability.

[ImLawBoy]

We've got an auto-setting clock with two alarm settings, so we use that. We have a "no phones in the bedroom" policy.

[Paingod]

I love that moment when you're reviewing a contract your predecessor signed a month before he was fired, and you realize that he basically agreed to waste $10,000 over the next 5 years.

*sigh*

[Isgrimnur]

We have a "no phones in the bedroom" policy.

There would be blood.

[hentzau]

We've got an auto-setting clock with two alarm settings, so we use that. We have a "no phones in the bedroom" policy.

I have to have my phone in my bedroom for those occasional 2AM support calls.

[Isgrimnur]

I love that, as a programmer, I'm not expected to be on-site for any odd hours like the hardware and systems guys. My systems cohort had to spend two consecutive Sundays up early working with vendors to get the new systems upgraded.

Of course, working at a financial institution helps, as there's not anyone around to break my stuff on nights and weekends.

[LordMortis]

We've got an auto-setting clock with two alarm settings, so we use that. We have a "no phones in the bedroom" policy.

I have to have my phone in my bedroom for those occasional 2AM support calls.

I've got no one to call in the middle of the night anymore
I'm just alone with my thoughts.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eWwBkA0GqaY

I swear the world sounds like this song riffing when I'm on nitrous.

[LordMortis]

My clock must be approaching the speed of light as 17:00 approaches. Time is ever coming to a stand still for me. Given your proximity to my phone, by the time 17:00 gets here, I fear you'll all have been dead for millions of years.

[Daehawk]

Im really questioning my brain again tonight.

I found an ep of Star Trek Enterprise that looked interesting and didn't spark any memory off the top of my head. So I load it up and watch it. Turns out its a 2 parter. Now MAaaaaybe I missed an ep...I dont think so. In fact im damn sure I saw every ep. But this one rang zero bells at all. So I watch the next part...wait its a 3 parter. And yup I didn't remember a thing at all about part two or part 3....well maybe 3 seemed a tad like Id seen part of it...more a feeling or deja vu.

I dont get it. My mind was totally blank on the first two and mostly the third too. Its strange but its also a little frightening. My mind is worrying a bit lol. Its was great seeing eps as new.....i guess if my mind goes Ill have decades worth of 'new' shows to watch at least.

Oh and the three were from the 4th season and on Vulcan....The Forge, Awakening, and Kir'Shara. Good eps. And unlike the Ta'Pau of TOS this one was cute

[Pyperkub]

Credit Card bill is going to blow right past the four digit mark this month. Ouch.

We just started a remodeling project. CC was paid off for the September period. In the past few weeks (contractors, materials, fixtures, etc), I think I've put my annual take home pay for the year on the credit card since them. Realized we might be over our (pretty high) limit midway through the cycle, checked and we were about 1k over. Paid it off via the home equity line and then promptly put a few k of tile on it.

Ack!

[Isgrimnur]

Must be nice to have home equity.

[hitbyambulance]

Must be nice to have home equity.

+1

[Pyperkub]

Must be nice to have home equity.

Of course, I'm now more in debt than I've ever been in my life...

[Daehawk]

Its funny how stuff just pops into your head suddenly. I was thinking of my Lionel train set as a kid and suddenly I remembered our mall used to have a toy train store in it. Must have been 1993 - 1996 or so and I had forgotten it completely. I remember it as a pretty big store. It was the first time Id seen Z scale trains. I was amazed by them and wanted one so bad. But my God they were a bit pricey. Never got one. I wish I could recall the name of that store now.

Things like this make me wish Id taken pics of the things in the mall back in the day....but that would have been as stupid then as if Id done it now days.

[Kraken]

Must be nice to have home equity.

Ermahgerd, doesn't everybody? We converted our mortgage to a HEL a few years ago and saved mondo interest (going from 6.1% to 2.75%), and we have $110k more open credit than we owe on it.

'Course, now I get ill every time I hear about interest rates going up...but they'll have to rise by a full 3 points before it becomes a wash, and we'll have paid off tens of thousands before that happens.

[dbt1949]

Its funny how stuff just pops into your head suddenly. I was thinking of my Lionel train set as a kid and suddenly I remembered our mall used to have a toy train store in it. Must have been 1993 - 1996 or so and I had forgotten it completely. I remember it as a pretty big store. It was the first time Id seen Z scale trains. I was amazed by them and wanted one so bad. But my God they were a bit pricey. Never got one. I wish I could recall the name of that store now.

Things like this make me wish Id taken pics of the things in the mall back in the day....but that would have been as stupid then as if Id done it now days.

When I sold my Lionel collection I had over 200 engines. About 40 LGB engines. I probably would have got Z gauge but there were no accessories to go with it. Still isn't much. Most of the years have been delegated to N gauge. Still have a little but no ambition to build another layout.

[gilraen]

I wonder if companies that make wireless charging pads for cellphones realize that people charge their cellphones at night...on a nightstand...while trying to sleep. I don't need the charger to be lit up like a Christmas tree, flashing in different colors, bright enough to read a book.

[Isgrimnur]

Must be nice to have home equity.

Ermahgerd, doesn't everybody?

We closed on the house on April 15, 2015. My equity is the 10% down, and the 5% I've managed to pay on principal, while the equivalent of 15-20% go toward interest, taxes, and insurance.

[Daehawk]

Its funny how stuff just pops into your head suddenly. I was thinking of my Lionel train set as a kid and suddenly I remembered our mall used to have a toy train store in it. Must have been 1993 - 1996 or so and I had forgotten it completely. I remember it as a pretty big store. It was the first time Id seen Z scale trains. I was amazed by them and wanted one so bad. But my God they were a bit pricey. Never got one. I wish I could recall the name of that store now.

Things like this make me wish Id taken pics of the things in the mall back in the day....but that would have been as stupid then as if Id done it now days.

When I sold my Lionel collection I had over 200 engines. About 40 LGB engines. I probably would have got Z gauge but there were no accessories to go with it. Still isn't much. Most of the years have been delegated to N gauge. Still have a little but no ambition to build another layout.

lost all my trains over the years. I would love to have my circa 1971 / 72 set. It had a pair of war bonnet engines. One was red the other blue.

[Blackhawk]

Things like this make me wish Id taken pics of the things in the mall back in the day....but that would have been as stupid then as if Id done it now days.

Maybe, but I'd love to have a few pictures of the mall I hung out in during high school. The mall is still there, but has been periodically renovated and the stores from that time are all gone. Other than the department stores, I think there is one store that stayed the same (Radio Shack.)

/edit - nope, looks like they closed that last year. Shows how often I bother with the mall since the EB Games disappeared and GameStop quit selling used PC games.

[hepcat]

Just spent the last half hour crying from laughter over Jim'll Paint It.

[Isgrimnur]

Punkin Chunkin cancelled

For the second year in a row, gourds will not be flying through First State skies this fall. The 2015 World Championship Punkin Chunkin event set for Nov. 7-8 has been canceled.

It's back!

Delaware's world famous Punkin Chunkin, back after a 2-year hiatus prompted by an accident and lawsuit, turned dangerous Sunday afternoon when an air cannon firing a pumpkin broke apart, injuring a man and a woman, according to Delaware State Police.

The 39-year-old woman, who state police initially reported had died, is listed in critical condition at Christiana Hospital in Stanton.

Judges had already seen about 10 air cannons fire pumpkins more than 3,000 feet using compressed air when the trap door of the air cannon named Punkin Reaper flew off when it fired shortly before 2:40 p.m. Sunday. As people were running away from the cannon, which sent large pieces of material into the air in all directions, a person was struck in the head and face at the event's site, Wheatley Farms in Bridgeville.
...
A 56-year-old man was also injured in the explosion. He received treatment for non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to an area hospital, Hale said.
...
A lawsuit filed in 2013 by a former Punkin Chunkin volunteer effectively grounded the event the past two years. The lawsuit was filed by Daniel Fair, a former Punkin Chunkin "spotter," or volunteer who rode around the grounds helping determine the distance pumpkins traveled from their machines.

Fair's complaint alleged Wheatley Farms Inc., the owner of the property, and Punkin Chunkin Association were liable for a spinal injury he suffered when the ATV he was riding flipped.

The lawsuit was dismissed in June 2015.

"The parties mutually agreed to resolve the matter," Stephen A. Hampton, the attorney representing Fair, told The News Journal in 2015.

[Smoove_B]

I feel like hundreds of years from now, historians are going to think our current lives revolve around recharging electronic devices. I am astounded at the number of cables, power bricks and other assorted recharging related crap is all over my house.

Also: did you know you can purchase a tonsil stone removal kit from Amazon? They really do carry everything.

[Paingod]

Just spent the last half hour crying from laughter over Jim'll Paint It.

I think the most amazing thing there is that he's using MSPaint. Awesome find, though. I could spend forever there.

[LordMortis]

Credit Card bill is going to blow right past the four digit mark this month. Ouch.

We just started a remodeling project. CC was paid off for the September period. In the past few weeks (contractors, materials, fixtures, etc), I think I've put my annual take home pay for the year on the credit card since them. Realized we might be over our (pretty high) limit midway through the cycle, checked and we were about 1k over. Paid it off via the home equity line and then promptly put a few k of tile on it.

Ack!

I got heart palpitations just reading that.

I feel like hundreds of years from now, historians are going to think our current lives revolve around recharging electronic devices. I am astounded at the number of cables, power bricks and other assorted recharging related crap is all over my house.

Don't they?

[coopasonic]

Credit Card bill is going to blow right past the four digit mark this month. Ouch.

Hmmm... *checking* credit card is just over the line to 5 digits and there's still a week to go this cycle. That's almost high enough for me to take a closer look at what happened this cycle... almost.

[Jaymann]

A cool site where you can plug in any name and get stats. Fun fact: There are 18 people named Joe Blow in the US.

[LordMortis]

Credit Card bill is going to blow right past the four digit mark this month. Ouch.

Hmmm... *checking* credit card is just over the line to 5 digits and there's still a week to go this cycle. That's almost high enough for me to take a closer look at what happened this cycle... almost.

Something big happening in the coop household. If I ever get enough saved, I'd ask for an extended line of credit and put my next car on plastic and then pay it off. If I take the plunge and get a $40,000 car (which I am not likely to do, but holy hell has the price of new cars gone up) that's like $800 right back in my pocket.

[coopasonic]

Credit Card bill is going to blow right past the four digit mark this month. Ouch.

Hmmm... *checking* credit card is just over the line to 5 digits and there's still a week to go this cycle. That's almost high enough for me to take a closer look at what happened this cycle... almost.

Something big happening in the coop household. If I ever get enough saved, I'd ask for an extended line of credit and put my next car on plastic and then pay it off. If I take the plunge and get a $40,000 car (which I am not likely to do, but holy hell has the price of new cars gone up) that's like $800 right back in my pocket.

Wife's car had maintenance and I bought an Apple watch... that account for about $800 of out of the ordinary. Otherwise it's pretty typical.

groceries
after-school care
car payment
most utilities
cell phone
entertainment

Basically everything but the mortgage goes through my credit card, and the baseline for everything for this family of four is about $4k a month. When my bill is due the balance is two months expenses. so reasonably I should be at about $7k now so there is probably some other stuff in there jacking the numbers up. I think there may have been a vet visit and my son had eye surgery recently

So no, nothing too unusual.

[LordMortis]

boggles... not at your expenses but at how incomes are so out of alignment with the "needs" of the modern middle class.

For frame of reference, five digits is 3 months salary for me and make twice the median household income.

[coopasonic]

boggles... not at your expenses but at how incomes are so out of alignment with the "needs" of the modern middle class.

For frame of reference, five digits is 3 months salary for me and make twice the median household income.

Hmmm... math problems?

$51,939
The U.S. Census Bureau reported in September 2014 that: U.S. real (inflation adjusted) median household income was $51,939 in 2013 versus $51,759 in 2012, statistically unchanged. In 2013, real median household income was 8.0 percent lower than in 2007, the year before the latest recession.

10k = 3 mos salary = 40k annually. Hmm I guess if by salary you meant take home pay.

[Smoove_B]

Despite what you may have heard, Thanksgiving is not a 5 day holiday you spend at a rented home deep in the Poconos. Remember kids, when you marry someone you're really marrying their entire family.

[coopasonic]

Despite what you may have heard, Thanksgiving is not a 5 day holiday you spend at a rented home deep in the Poconos. Remember kids, when you marry someone you're really marrying their entire family.

Where were you 20 years ago?

[LordMortis]

10k = 3 mos salary = 40k annually. Hmm I guess if by salary you meant take home pay.

Without going crazy on a response. My lack of specifics are

1) My median numbers were low.
2) Yes take home. That's all the matters to me.
3) 3 months salary were required because I can't do it in 2, which is to say my monthly take home isn't in the ballpark of $5k a month.

[stessier]

2) Yes take home. That's all the matters to me.

Then the question is what is already deducted before you see the check. If it is just taxes and healthcare, ok. But if you're saving 25% in a 401k, then that's not exactly fair.

[LordMortis]

2) Yes take home. That's all the matters to me.

Then the question is what is already deducted before you see the check. If it is just taxes and healthcare, ok. But if you're saving 25% in a 401k, then that's not exactly fair.

Taxes, healthcare (and dental, we have no optical. And why are dental and optical not part of health care anyway?), 401k. It may not be fair, but as the government is fond of telling you. "You were never meant to retire on Social Security alone" that and who knows what will be left of it by the time we retire.

I'd still be under 5k a month if I had no 401k and my tax burden shifted to now instead of after 59 1/2 or whenever I start to draw.

But all that's neither here nor there, this is all really an expression how what it takes to get by and where others have things or vacations I ferret money away for a dream of not working on my terms. I get by on lower middle class existence, but I don't have a family to support.

[Isgrimnur]

Despite what you may have heard, Thanksgiving is not a 5 day holiday you spend at a rented home deep in the Poconos. Remember kids, when you marry someone you're really marrying their entire family.

Seeing as my in-laws were not confirmed for last year's appearance for Thanksgiving until <24 hours prior to the event, I am aware of this phenomenon. However, they confirmed to me last month that they will be out of town this year. On the bright side, this was done while the BIL was carving out the counter for the delivery guys to install my new oven, something that likely would have cost me more than the trip to Whataburger for the seven people in my house at the time, had I been required to seek professional help.

[Smoove_B]

What never ceases to amaze me is how older family members suggest doing things now that when they were our age (with children) would never have even been considered. My wife is one of five children and I'm so very tempted to ask my MIL if taking a 5 day vacation during Thanksgiving at a resort in 1986 was something they discussed and just never got around to doing. Can't wait to be a semi-retired empty nester with suitcases of money and an abundance of time. It's going to be great.

[LordMortis]

What never ceases to amaze me is how older family members suggest doing things now that when they were our age (with children) would never have even been considered. My wife is one of five children and I'm so very tempted to ask my MIL if taking a 5 day vacation during Thanksgiving at a resort in 1986 was something they discussed and just never got around to doing. Can't wait to be a semi-retired empty nester with suitcases of money and an abundance of time. It's going to be great.

When you comin home son I don't know when...