Rote

Some good news so far: NH being called for Pappas. First openly gay male Senator.

Yep.

That does sound better. From my perspective, for better or worse, the 401K laws were written in the late '70 iirc and defined benefit pensions were almost completely phased out on the '80's. My grandfather retired with Air Force after 20 years, and then had a 10 year vesting (a 10 years vesting) after 13 years with the VA. His VA retirement check wasn't much but by the time he earned it, it was all going into the bank. My grandmother had a 20 year vesting with Fireman's Fund before American Express bought them. She got a vesting from FF and a severance from American Express. My mother had a 20byear vesting with NYS (that didn't amount to much because she passed a year later). The truth is my father wouldn't have been able to leave my brother and me anything if not for defined benefit pensions totaling 20 + 10 + 20 + 20 years or 70 years of vestings and my father's 30 years of working as an electric, or 100 years of work. It's humbling to know how hard ny ancestors worked and to know that they did it for their family more than for themselves. But compounding interest is a great thing. Large parts of my grandparents' estates were because of it. They kept reinvesting money at around 5% interest. It's too bad those days are gone. It's too bad interest rates are low, inflation is rampant, and nobody has the opportunity to work for one company for 30 years now. It's too bad the actuaries were extraordinary and made these systems run are barely remembered today let alone their work respected. The powers that be should be amplifying the Social Security Act. It's too bad they're only concern is privatizing it At the end of the day, risk is risk. We've all heard about the many people who have to work into their '80's and '90's now. I can't imagine it. I don't know how they do it. Congratulations @wtg ! I'm glad it worked out for you.

OMG! I think a lot of people (including my mother!) kind of try to do something in return to scammers, and I’ve done that thing where you just respond to every question with a different question back at them until they hang up. (It’s kind of funny tbh!) So this is a good reminder that just hanging up is probably best! Yikes!

I think turnout is good here too. They had a sign at early voting yesterday that there were 17,500 early voters as of 10/31. Given the population here that seems pretty high to me.

So to make a note of it- My Casio digital is F-91W. It's a decades old classic. Actually it's one of the most famous digital watches. It's old school size designed before the world headed in the big watch direction. It has time (duh), military time, calendar, alarm, stopwatch, the ability to perform a "grandfather-like clock" function, and a backlight function. I have a hard time seeing any of it because I'm farsighted. I have bought this same watch over decades. I used to be able to read it as clear as day. Life. It has 3 physical buttons. There's a very completed set of instructions about which button to press, which to press simultaneously, and which to press and hold, in which sequence, to hack it, let alone other functions. It's easy to press and hold to turn on the back light. That's about it for my old self. My plan is to let the battery die and keep the watch, and continue to wear it occasionally. I wouldn't be without one. I can't set it. And inflation. I've told this story but my Casio analog, white dial, small Arabic numerals (the large numerals variant came later) went from $13 to $29 in the most recent price hike (for a watch that never had price hikes). So I'm not paying for another digital, and the analog will get a battery replacement. Interesting trivia- There's an urban legend that OBL used this watch to detonate the Twin Towers on 9/11. Yes, even though airplanes were involved. Yes, even though OBL wasn't in the US on 9/11. Yes, it makes no sense at all. But the urban legend continues.

@RealPlayer thank you!

The market has seen fit to reward SpaceX with a ridiculously high share price, it’s only rational that SpaceX uses it to buy other assets.

I found out my dead Amana washer has about 15 electronic parts that can fail AND all of its electronic parts are proprietary. It's a $650 retail machine with a market price of $450. It would cost $200- $300 to fix it. I will have it removed from my house, from where it sits, taken to an appliance graveyard. Nevermind the exigencies nvolved. I don't care. And one with WiFi? When hell freezes over.

A great date in those teenage years for when headlights are approaching.

@RealPlayer said: too clean, sterile side. Yep, I think that's what I'm hearing and of course @adagiom 's comments. @AdagioM said: It would be interesting to ask your uni tuner if he tunes the Fazioli. I know that he doesn't any more, because he is fully retired, but I don't know if he used to. I also don't know how long they've had the Fazioli, but for some reason I think it's somewhat recent. Anyway, I'll ask the next time he's here. @rontuner are you semi-retired now or still keeping a full schedule? (my memory is semi-retired?) How many pianos do you think you see, or used to see, a month?

@bernard You wrote- "Once-in-a-while I'll get a McDonald's 2 cheeseburger meal but not for the quality of the food, for nostalgic reasons. Fond memories attached to my first visit to a McDonald's when I was in high school." That's my favorite too and you've just made me realize why I still eat it (although I'm swearing it off). It's comfort food for me. Except its current engineered version is having the opposite effect on my body. It makes me physically uncomfortable and even sick. Well how many time do you have to touch a hot burner to know it will burn you? I think I've finally reached my limit. I'll achieve 50g protein today- I got up, couldn't focus on eating, went to my appointment, got home, stated making protein drinks. I've made the 3rd one with 10g this time. I have to take a break. I can't drink it now. I ate a variety of food yesterday. Today had to concentrate on protein.

I was out in the woods in a cabin, no trick or treaters out there!

@wtg said: @AndyD Love the rectory. The interior space is very inviting and I love the gardens. Three months in spring would be nice there. Three in summery Dublin. Then three autumn months in Japan. And three winter months in Penang I've pretty much finished the house and can plan my retirement properly

Especially with the strength of the stuff now. I recently shared a joint with someone. It reminded me of why I haven't done that for 40+ years. It was not the fun silly little buzz it was in my youth, but felt more disassociative like PCP or something. I cannot imagine it helps anyone with any sort of brain or nervous function.