Octopus Overlords

It all scales. The median house price in Greater Boston is about $670,000. They figure you need to make $181,000 to afford it. The median salary is $131,000...hence, housing crisis. You can live like a king on $131k in some parts of the country but here it's the lower end of the middle class. A modest 1BR apartment in an average neighborhood starts at around $2200/mo. The city is becoming a place where only the very rich and the very poor can live.

Housing and transportation are expensive here. Utilities, food, and life's other necessities are priced to match our relatively high incomes.

I did a spit-take when I read that your rent is $400. I think that's about what we paid in 1983.

I had that for the years of 1996-2007 in Lubbock for the same 1B apt. Technically a quadplex in a complex.

I scrimp by on $1055.00 a month.

The thing is, we're above the federal poverty level - like 125% of it from pre-inflation calculators, and should be better off than we are. The problem is that debt taking off a big chunk (money spent with no benefits) combined with said inflation, and ouch.

Well just found out why so much of my cooking recipes have been a tad salty lately. I seem to have bought Onion Salt instead of Onion Powder. Damnit.

Glad I caught it finally. I can use it to make a nice meatloaf next week I think when my money comes in.

When Warren had his last checkup, the vet asked what we're feeding him, as they always do. He's getting Rachel Ray's Nutrish Indoor Formula kibble. Don't judge me. They asked if it's "grain-free." Fuck if I know, said I, probably; it's expensive. There is some evidence that grain-free foods are detrimental to dogs' health. "Cats aren't little dogs," but it would be prudent to avoid grain-free kibble.

Turns out that "grain-free" is just marketed to humans who are afraid of gluten. Warren doesn't know gluten from his gluteus maximus. He just likes his Nutrish.

Happy Actual Birthday George Jetson!

I saw an article recently about some kinda problem if your pet only eats grain free food.

The problem isn’t ‘grain free’, it’s when a dog food has replaced animal based proteins with plant based proteins and that ends up screwing a dogs chemistry up. My understanding is that most of the dog foods that do this are also ‘grain free’, and so you should read more of the label to see how far this or that particular dog food went with their hippy dippy

Question......I see deaf people first hear videos on YT all the time. If someone who is deaf has only seen words signed to them then they have never actually heard the words. SO how do they instantly know english when spoken to? As in "Can you hear me?"...how do they know what the person said? I mean wouldn't it sound like jibberish to them?

When exactly did grain become evil?

Jaymann wrote: ↑Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:04 am When exactly did grain become evil?

During prohibition.

If you lived in the Star Wars galaxy at the time of Return of the Jedi and wanted to live on a planet like Earth where would you go? Your first choice would be to say Alderaan but of course its been destroyed. Then you might say Coruscant buts its one big concrete jungle. Then perhaps Corellia but all you ever see is the cities and they are infected with crime and gangs. Tatooine is a desert. Kamino is a water world. Hoth is ice. Mustafar lava. So where the hell is another nice normal world to live on once Alderaan is blown up?

When I worked in pet supplies fifteen years ago "holistic" foods were all the rage. Grain free was a growing category and generally only available in the highest quality foods. The marketing we were taught with regard to cats is that this allowed for higher levels of calories and protein and a diet that more closely matched cats' natural one. It was also popular for dogs, but as dogs are omnivores they do require some carbohydrates that would usually come in the form of potato or sweet potato. There was even a commercial vegetarian dog food but it seemed to only be used in severe situations where a dog was allergic to all common meats (or by vegetarian owners who didn't know what they were doing).

Now even the junk brands have relatively inexpensive grain free varieties. After I left the industry we reverted to feeding our cats lower quality brands for financial reasons. I think higher quality foods are good if you can afford them, but what's more expensive isn't always "better". Always important to do one's research. E.g. we were taught that Science Diet is pretty bad despite the price and its presence in many vets' offices. Much like human health food (or food in general) pet food is subject to a lot of misleading marketing.

But that was just my understanding at the time and is in no way advice. For that, I believe we have at least one forum member who's a vet. But as for vets in the wild, I wouldn't necessarily trust their specific nutrition advice off the bat.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:19 am So where the hell is another nice normal world to live on once Alderaan is blown up?

I think that's the problem with that universe's mono-climate, mono-culture planets. It's completely unrealistic considering what we know about planet formation now, and probably back then as well. But it does its job of making different corners of the universe distinct.

There have got to be some other temperate planets in the expanded universe. What about Tython? No idea if it was still habitable in the RotJ era.

Dantooine or Corellia, for starters. Maybe Naboo.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:19 am If you lived in the Star Wars galaxy at the time of Return of the Jedi and wanted to live on a planet like Earth where would you go?

Earth

Of course, no matter where you wanted to live, you'd end up on Tatooine. Because it seems like everyone ends up on Tatooine sooner or later.

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jul 31, 2022 2:23 am When Warren had his last checkup, the vet asked what we're feeding him, as they always do. He's getting Rachel Ray's Nutrish Indoor Formula kibble. Don't judge me. They asked if it's "grain-free." Fuck if I know, said I, probably; it's expensive. There is some evidence that grain-free foods are detrimental to dogs' health. "Cats aren't little dogs," but it would be prudent to avoid grain-free kibble.

Turns out that "grain-free" is just marketed to humans who are afraid of gluten. Warren doesn't know gluten from his gluteus maximus. He just likes his Nutrish.

Chewy

Chicken, Chicken Meal, Dried Peas, Brewers Rice, Corn Protein Concentrate, Lentils, Chicken Fat (preserved With Mixed Tocopherols), Salmon, Cranberries, Pumpkin, Flaxseed, Dried Plain Beet Pulp, Natural Flavor, Malted Barley Flour, Dicalcium Phosphate, Blueberries, Potassium Chloride, Salt, Choline Chloride, Vitamins (vitamin E Supplement, Ascorbic Acid (source Of Vitamin C), Niacin, Vitamin A Supplement, Thiamine Mononitrate , D-calcium Pantothenate, Riboflavin Supplement, Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Vitamin B12 Supplement, Folic Acid, Biotin, Vitamin D3 Supplement), Taurine, Minerals (ferrous Sulfate, Zinc Sulfate, Copper Sulfate, Sodium Selenite, Manganese Sulfate, Calcium Iodate), Lactic Acid, Mixed Tocopherols (used As A Preservative), Citric Acid (used As A Preservative), Rosemary Extract.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Sun Jul 31, 2022 10:19 am So where the hell is another nice normal world to live on once Alderaan is blown up?

You would have tons to choose from. The movies have only visited a few, but some quick googling says that the Empire had hundreds, maybe thousands of systems. They exist and are canon, even if they never named them.

Found 7Gs that I didn't know I had. Received a letter from Capital One that an account I had with them would be declared "abandoned assets" if I didn't get in touch with them within 30 days. The letter mentioned a little less than $200 in the account. So I called them up and asked them to close out the account and send me a check. I could have done an electronic transfer to my current bank but that required that the current bank be added as an external linked account and it seemed like too much hassle.

Then the Capital One person told me that I had another account that was dormant and had ~7,000 in it. I was like, what? Meanwhile, I'm searching through my records on the computer and found that I had an old ING Direct account. While searching online I found out that ING Direct was bought out by Capital One. So I was like, heck ya, close that account and send me the check for that too!

Told my wife about it and she said, "Congratulations! You just funded our next international vacation!"

Nicely done.

I get to work with our Deposit Services team on the escheatment process every summer.

I finally had to give up on closing out my late sister's Chase account and recovering the $760 therein. I'm the executor of the estate, but her will was never filed with probate court, making it worthless. A lawyer advised me to use a Small Estate Affidavit instead. I filled out both the Michigan and Massachusetts versions of that document and got them both notarized, and took them to Chase, who kept me waiting for an hour before refusing either form because I'm not an heir. According to their decedent accounts department, my nephews and niece need to claim the account using that form. So I filled out one form for each of them and emailed them with instructions: Print this out. Sign it in the presence of a notary. Make an appointment with your local Chase, and present the form. This is what Chase says you have to do.

They won't do it. (shrug) That's on them. Because the $760 gets split three ways, it's not worth the hassle, and they still think that it's up to me as the executor. So Chase will hold that money until it goes into unclaimed limbo.

The irony here is that my sister left them her debit card password but buried it a few paragraphs into a document about her funeral wishes. If they'd simply read that doc they could've removed the money with no hassle. Wife found it when she took charge of making the memorial service arrangements, by which time the account had been locked after they tried too many times to guess the password.

You don't happen to have a power of attorney too?

Nope. What I would need is a letter of authority, which would cost more than the estate is worth. If her kids (all in their 30s) want their money, they just have to follow the simple instructions I sent them. But they aren't very good at adulting. For example, step one is "print out these forms." They have phones, not computers, and nobody has a printer. Paper documents are inscrutable to them, as are the ways of banking. If they can't do it on their phone, they can't do it.

Wife and I had to plan and pay for the memorial service because none of the kids have a clue how to organize an event. Even after we got it set up, we couldn't make them understand that they were the hosts, not guests. When covid prevented us from attending we ended up running the thing virtually, from here. They knew the boomers would handle it, because we're the grownups. They were grief-stricken at having lost their mother in a traumatic fashion. She died at home and they were her caregivers, with precious little support from hospice. But they're the ones who wanted to hold a memorial. My niece just kind of declared a date and location and left everything else up to others.

So if they want their couple hundred bucks, they can jolly well get it themselves (since I told them exactly how to do it).

Kraken wrote: ↑Sun Jul 31, 2022 9:49 pm I finally had to give up on closing out my late sister's Chase account and recovering the $760 therein. I'm the executor of the estate, but her will was never filed with probate court, making it worthless.

Michigan probate is designed to give a lion's share to the process of going through probate and often supersedes wills. If you don't have a good valid trust or a spouse, it's trouble. My parents need to start thinking about a trust. Even at 51, I probably should as well.

Large banks are terrible these days, and hide behind the “know your customer” rules to do nothing. Even when dealing with lawyers.

The process is terrible because death and grief make for family fights and lawsuits. And families are complicated. Like giving Kraken 1/3 to deal with his financially incompetent niece and nephew.

Everyone needs a Will, and likely a trust. At minimum, information on the accounts in a safe place, and titling the accounts to transfer on death (TOD) to a named beneficiary.

I've been thinking around those lines myself. I'm 49, which puts me in 'keel over' territory. I'm working on a 'handbook' for the family on how I have everything set up (what accounts are tied to what, etc), information (accounts, passwords), and personal stuff (what all of my junk actually is so that they know what's useless trash and what's actually worth selling or making sure it goes to someone who can use it - I have a couple of antiques, for instance, that might be thrown away by someone who didn't recognize that the old oil gauge is actually from an F4U Corsair, or that the glass beer bottle is ~180 years old.) Along with that, I'll be writing out what I can remember of the 'passed down' version of my family history. There is a huge sort of family 'gap' after me, as the family spread wide enough that my kids don't know most of the rest of the family.

Looking into the cost of getting a will done, though - yikes (possibly as high as $1500, even though I don't exclusively own anything except a car that'll only ever sell as scrap.) That part will have to wait a few years.

If you don't own anything of value, why on earth would you spend that kind of money to write a will, when there are tools online to create your will for free?

Wills are very particular state-to-state implementation of English common law. The Online Will cannot answer questions or take into account every state. Online Wills routinely miss key witness requirements and are thrown out.

There are also legal aid organizations that will help with basic documentation for free. I've participated in clinics with the Center for Disability and Elder Law in Chicago where we create powers of attorney and transfer on death instruments for seniors at no cost.

Daehawk wrote: ↑Tue Jul 26, 2022 5:18 pm Last month my bill was $118. This month is shows $148.

The food pantry gave me a tiny little can of Ginger Beer. Never seen this type before and by the ingredients its no wonder its burning my throat.

Carb water, organic agave citric acid, ginger extract extracts of chili pepper, coriander cardamom, lime, and orange.

I dont think I was supposed to drink it as it hurts but instead mix it with something like rum.

I think that was supposed to be turned into a Moscow Mule drink. They done you wrong for sure.


I Do love some ginger beer though. MMM tasty. Bundaberg is great. But there is a Seattle brand, Rachels that is amazing!

I also really like Crabbys , but its a bit tricker to obtain, since its imported and alcoholic.

Zarathud wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 10:37 am Wills are very particular state-to-state implementation of English common law. The Online Will cannot answer questions or take into account every state. Online Wills routinely miss key witness requirements and are thrown out.

Yeah, my sister had a downloaded online will. It was notarized, which led her kids to think it was super official, but without the blessing of probate court it's just a statement of wishes wrapped in legalese. She had no assets beyond that modest checking account which could've been disposed of easily if the kids had read her instructions, as I explained, so there was no need for a proper will.

She believed that an heir cannot be the executor in the State of Michigan, which is why she listed me. That's just plain wrong and one of the kids should have been executor.

She also believed that her debts would die with her, and instructed her kids to ignore any attempts to collect on her credit card. Also just plain wrong, and very bad advice. I told them to give any bill collectors my mailing address -- not my phone #, and not my email address. But of course they don't use paper mail and didn't understand my instruction. Fortunately for all of us, her debt was as modest as her assets, so one of my nephews just quietly paid it off.

Wife and I got our wills done professionally for free a few months ago as a benefit of her job. (See the "do you believe in free will?" thread). The lawyer didn't recommend a trust because we don't have kids or ex-spouses and our assets are straightforward. However, after watching my sister's kids fail to step up and close her tiny bank account, we're thinking we should find a new executor. Problem with that is that everyone we know who's competent and trustworthy is our age.

The zombie genre normally doesn't do it for me, but a cross dressing, power stealing zombie acting like a superhero in love with his necromancer and rivaled by a vampire ninja?... Where the zombie is the one who wields the chainsaw as part of his superheroness magic?... I'm enjoying it so far.

https://www.funimation.com/shows/is-this-a-zombie/

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:18 am

Zarathud wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 10:37 am Wills are very particular state-to-state implementation of English common law. The Online Will cannot answer questions or take into account every state. Online Wills routinely miss key witness requirements and are thrown out.

She also believed that her debts would die with her, and instructed her kids to ignore any attempts to collect on her credit card. Also just plain wrong, and very bad advice. I told them to give any bill collectors my mailing address -- not my phone #, and not my email address. But of course they don't use paper mail and didn't understand my instruction. Fortunately for all of us, her debt was as modest as her assets, so one of my nephews just quietly paid it off.

The debt dies with the estate, not the borrower.

The debt can follow the assets, subject to certain exclusions. And filing deadlines which can make probate worthwhile. Credit card companies can (and do) harass and guilt people into paying unenforceable debts.

NPR did an excellent broadcast on people getting aggressive collections for signing paperwork in the process to admit their family or friends into nursing homes.

Zarathud wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 10:37 am Wills are very particular state-to-state implementation of English common law. The Online Will cannot answer questions or take into account every state. Online Wills routinely miss key witness requirements and are thrown out.

And my situation is not black-and-white, suitable for cut-and-paste clauses. Michelle is technically my ex-wife, and my first born is estranged - I haven't seen him in 25 years. Minimal assets, bank and credit card accounts, student loans, disability - I'd probably need eyes-on, not automated.

Zarathud wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 12:36 pm The debt can follow the assets, subject to certain exclusions. And filing deadlines which can make probate worthwhile. Credit card companies can (and do) harass and guilt people into paying unenforceable debts.

NPR did an excellent broadcast on people getting aggressive collections for signing paperwork in the process to admit their family or friends into nursing homes.

I just left everything to your youngest daughter after she pulled a shiv on me and told me doing so was "in my best interests" the last time I was over.

Kraken wrote: ↑Mon Aug 01, 2022 11:18 am got our wills ...free ... (See the "do you believe in free will?" thread).