Messages

1

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: TexAgs politics board gems thread

« on: May 04, 2024, 01:02:38 AM »

The FIVE edits to this made me chuckle


Faustus8:15a
Reynolds and Jackman are pissed about DEI so they refused to do 5 interviews with Behar.

Seems like a normal reaction rather than a right wing fever dream.

Googling this links me to the same video over and over from some rando that's in the OP. MSM doesn't want you to know about DEI, Reynolds, and Behar!
5 edits

I liked the idea that since the only source they could find is the same as the op, it's clearly a cover up by the MSM

“You think THAT sounds ridiculous, well guess what, even more ridiculous is I can’t find any legitimate sources to back it up. What are they hiding?”

2

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Noah smith, liar or dumbass?

« on: May 04, 2024, 12:54:33 AM »

Bad news as far as capitalism alternatives for cheaper housing goes.

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Jerome Tang Coaches Kansas State Basketball / PORTAL KOMBAT

« on: May 01, 2024, 07:25:19 PM »

NIL is a billionaires playground, any attempts at grass roots fundraising are just token effort to go through the motions.

Why would donations to Ahearn Fund be any different? Just because they’re tax deductible they’re more suitable for the little guy?

4

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Noah smith, liar or dumbass?

« on: May 01, 2024, 07:21:34 PM »

This reminds me of an interesting point I had never really considered. I was watching a streamer doing one of those political quiz type things and the question was something like "does a business have any ethical responsibility beyond making money" and the guy basically argued that no, they have no ethical responsibility except following the law. The state has the responsibility of not letting businesses be lawfully unethical. In essence I fully agree with that, and asking businesses (or people) to act ethically without legal framework is a pipe dream.

I agree with this as well, and in fact I would say that’s one of the greatest benefits to capitalism is that it encourages creativity and competition up to the very brink of what is not explicitly prohibited.

Not gEing here, just curious what is a modern day (as in, the last 5 years or so) example of competition that benefited the consumer? I do believe there probably are some, but every kind of common good/service I can think of off the top of my head all of the companies that should, in theory, be competing for my business all just keep raising their prices/lowering the quality of their product bc as long as they all do it together the consumer doesn’t really have many options

5 years seems like an arbitrary timeframe to pick, but off the top of my head I’d say a lot more places offer free (or near free) grocery delivery or 2 day delivery to compete with Amazon and others. Lots of restaurants offer pretty good deals and easy mobile ordering. Internet and 5G is improving because mobile companies realize it’s a necessity to keep customers. TVs keep getting better while generally getting cheaper. Same with phones overall.

And for things that have gone down in quality, a lot of that is due to consumer demand too. We still have access to higher quality versions of most products, it’s just that the vast majority of Americans prefer the cheaper stuff.

5

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Noah smith, liar or dumbass?

« on: May 01, 2024, 04:33:44 PM »

This reminds me of an interesting point I had never really considered. I was watching a streamer doing one of those political quiz type things and the question was something like "does a business have any ethical responsibility beyond making money" and the guy basically argued that no, they have no ethical responsibility except following the law. The state has the responsibility of not letting businesses be lawfully unethical. In essence I fully agree with that, and asking businesses (or people) to act ethically without legal framework is a pipe dream.

I agree with this as well, and in fact I would say that’s one of the greatest benefits to capitalism is that it encourages creativity and competition up to the very brink of what is not explicitly prohibited.

6

Jerome Tang Coaches Kansas State Basketball / Re: PORTAL KOMBAT

« on: April 30, 2024, 08:06:42 PM »

Now there is a man who likes keeping his options open. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s registering for the LSAT and MCAT while he’s at it.

7

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Noah smith, liar or dumbass?

« on: April 30, 2024, 06:41:57 PM »

I mean I don’t use it as a defined term but I’d consider it a feeling of entitlement to owning a house in a preferred location as well as tying up a significant part of your self worth in the kind of house you own.

8

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Noah smith, liar or dumbass?

« on: April 30, 2024, 03:54:52 PM »

American house culture is absurd

It really is something.

9

Jerome Tang Coaches Kansas State Basketball / Re: PORTAL KOMBAT

« on: April 29, 2024, 12:10:34 PM »

what is the point in following high school recruiting at this moment in time? Any recruit who is so so will probably be gone and any recruit who whips ass most likely will transfer out.

I was trying to keep an open mind about the NIL era but Dai Dai's departure confirms that we are now following a low-level pro team with players and coaches that have at most a one-year commitment to the program.

Yeah I’m a little worried this could ruin the sport if left unchecked. Right now it’s the worst of both worlds because at least in the pros you have contracts and (in the NFL at least) franchise tagging.

Potentially starting every year with a completely new roster takes 90% of the fun out of being any kind of fan but especially a college fan.

10

Kansas State Football / Re: PORTAL KOMBAT (but for football)

« on: April 28, 2024, 02:39:45 PM »

Barring injuries these Cats will be fun AF to watch.

11

Kansas State Football / Re: Wild Wildcats in NFL Draft

« on: April 27, 2024, 01:25:03 PM »

Legit impressed he went before Beebe

Me too but his performance at the combine was insane.

12

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Political Facebook Posts/Tweets From People

« on: April 26, 2024, 01:33:08 PM »

That hat would actually be great if it was promoting a doggie daycare

13

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Supreme Court Cases Thread

« on: April 25, 2024, 04:22:23 PM »

I mean, name one politician you could trust with that power? 

There is no human that can go through what is needed to go through to be president that wouldn't abuse the crap out of that power. 

Something like 20-30 companies would effectively hold that same power immediately upon the ruling being made.  Is this not setting up the king for a day scenario, but forever instead of a day?

I didn't listen to the argument and don't know what the specific case issues are, but it seems to me like SCOTUS could easily avoid almost all the legal questions involved by just saying there is no way you can consider a president's conspiracy to undermine his own elected ouster to be an "official act" of a president. That is, quite possibly, the most ridiculous thing I could imagine any U.S. court ruling--much less the Supreme Court.

Trump's position is premised on the argument that he should only be subject to criminal prosecution if he is impeached and convicted by the senate, but if undermining the political process itself is part of the immunity then that qualification is meaningless in the hands of a tyrant, who could simply threaten/coerce/assassinate any who would seek to carry out impeachment proceedings. The democratic experiment would be over.

That may sound alarmist, but what I'm actually getting at here is "losing" this case only means that the Supreme Court declines to give clearer instructions as to whether immunity for criminal charges is ever an option for acts taken by a president. There's no way he gets out of facing charges for Jan. 6.

14

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: FBI/doj plants evidence to frame Trump (Now Master Trump Crimes Thread)

« on: April 24, 2024, 05:12:19 PM »

6 weeks is a long time.

It is, and makes it super hard to get a jury selected usually. Sitting them so quickly was quite a feat imo.

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The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Political Facebook Posts/Tweets From People

« on: April 24, 2024, 04:35:54 PM »

Very interesting they didn’t think to juxtapose that with the pictures from the Civil Rights movement!

16

The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Noah smith, liar or dumbass?

« on: April 22, 2024, 04:45:42 PM »

Don't millennials/genZers pretty much have to have more education? Not sure if it's just hyperbole but I keep hearing more and more stories of positions requiring a 4 yr degree when the job description quite frankly doesn't even require a full high school education.
One primary source anecdote: Mrs BAC (works for Satan in O&G) mentioned that they have job openings for admins. She also noted that all of the current admins... Most of which have been working there between 15-20 years, are not qualified for the new hire admin positions they are looking to fill

Probably some hyperbole, but younger millennials gen z and their parents have probably been hoodwinked a bit in this regard. There are a lot of god jobs out there that don’t require university or advanced degrees, but most of the managerial/hr/etc. type jobs do. Couple that with the high price of college nowadays and in recent times and the number of people getting worthless degrees or degrees for low-paying sectors and there you have it.

There are tons of good jobs in tech, manufacturing and the trades that don’t require advanced degrees.

Imo the trades are only going to become more valuable and less and less people will be able to do even the most menial of tasks in the future.

education equals wealth. always has. always will.

That is one of the least helpful graphical representations of data I've seen in a long time. Like as charts go that person deserves whatever the equivalent is of a business ass kicking.

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The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: TexAgs politics board gems thread

« on: April 22, 2024, 04:41:23 PM »

There is something pure in how much that post takes exception with "the youth."

18

Essentially Flyertalk / Re: New To Investing Thread

« on: April 22, 2024, 04:35:16 PM »

Yes and also, SD may perhaps be referencing that after 65 you can use HSA moneys like a retirement account, but if you do that you don't get the same triple tax-free benefit.

You can also reimburse yourself for qualifying expenses at any time (I think), so if you paid a specialist $600 this year but paid it out of pocket to let that same money grow tax free in your HSA, you can take a $600 withdrawal 20 years later in cash. But you have to save the receipts and that sounds like a lot of work that realistically I probably won't ever do.

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The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Noah smith, liar or dumbass?

« on: April 22, 2024, 02:27:40 PM »

There are plenty of cheap houses in a lot of the flyover town that really thrived decades ago.  Fewer houses in the big metro areas.

Small town America kind of dying is an impact on the current housing situation that I don't see discussed very often.  A lot of our boomer parents that got these low cost homes lived in places like Norton, Kansas.  You too could buy a low cost home in Norton, Kansas!

I wonder if some of this will be self correcting with remote work and early retirees

20

Essentially Flyertalk / Re: New To Investing Thread

« on: April 22, 2024, 11:15:22 AM »

Sup nerds.

I have my 401k with my employer with 5% match and then they match my investment which is neat, have had a Roth IRA that I maxed out last year and am already getting close to maxing it out this year. Any other investments I should be worried about on my radar as a single 26 yo male? With my job I cannot sports bet so that's nice so looking to put my money into something worthwhile. I also have a high yield savings that I put my bitcoin money into but have been told to maybe put that into a mutual fund...

Thoughts?

taxable investments are underrated imo. good job on the tax advantaged stuff. if you don't have a brokerage account you should open one (can do it the same place you have your 401k/IRA) and like SF said a simple S&P fund (I use VOO) is a good option to set and forget. Also just keeping a chunk in money markets there isn't a bad deal as you'll probably scrape 5% from that at the moment. if you have kids (OR EVEN IF YOU DON'T BUT WILL SOON) you could start a 529 for them. lots of good options out there.

I second basically all of this.

It's currently pretty easy to open high interest savings account and get 4-5%. That's a (basically) risk free way to save for a house.

529s are very powerful if you start early. If you're sure you are going to have/adopt at least one kid even a few years from now (I think; consult your tax attorney) then you can open an account and even just put like $20-$100/month into it. Future (and little) Greg will thank you.

Look into whether you have investment options through your HSA. HSAs are the only accounts that you pay into tax free, grow tax free, and you can withdraw tax free. The only catch is that to you have to use the funds for health expenses. But lucky you, you live in America and our health care (especially for elders) is ridiculously expensive so you won't have trouble spending it.

21

Kansas State Football / Re: Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

« on: April 19, 2024, 05:23:33 PM »

I didn't realize you could earmark your donations to the Ahearn fund unless it had six or more zeroes on it.

You know what I think you’re right, outside of capital projects it may just be Ahearn Fund. You can choose specific sports for NIL if you donate over like $20/month, though.

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Jerome Tang Coaches Kansas State Basketball / Re: PORTAL KOMBAT

« on: April 19, 2024, 05:17:20 PM »

Is the recruiting advantage that other programs would start backing off? I don’t really get the strategy.

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The New Joe Montgomery Birther Pit / Re: Noah smith, liar or dumbass?

« on: April 19, 2024, 05:13:04 PM »

not specifically topical but the same percentage of people own homes at the same age for all of recorded history. you hear people claim differently all the time. liars and dumbasses I believe.

Sure the trends are similar, but based on that chart it looks like millennials trend about 10% boomers at pretty much every age (with Gen X in between). Not earth shattering but seems like it’s something.

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Kansas State Football / Re: Smoke your cigars and enjoy the band while you can....

« on: April 19, 2024, 01:10:52 PM »

Same as donating to the university. You can donate to the general fund / "greatest need" or ask that it be earmarked.

25

Essentially Flyertalk / Re: Tipping

« on: April 19, 2024, 10:25:53 AM »

One that seems to be going in the opposite direction of the norm:  Starbucks. 

They incentivize you to use their app via free crap every so often, birthday drinks, etc.  The app used to ask you, after every purchase, how much you would like to tip.  They took that function away a year or so ago.  So now, you pay with the app, but if you don't have cash(lol, what's that) their employees get no tip.  Kinda wild. 

I assume they found some legal reason to stop doing this and just took the option away before they got sued, but who knows.  Given the tip environment everywhere else, this one is a head scratcher.

when you are checking out on the starbucks app it has the total at the bottom and then a little button that says "wanna leave a tip?" but you do not have to engage with that button in order to complete your order.

I get my hair cut at a local salon called Great Clips, where you can buy a card that pre-buys X number of haircuts so when you're done you just swipe the card and that's it for the transaction. The problem is that it makes tipping impossible unless you have cash cause they cannot separately charge your credit card for just a tip.

I actually find that awkward cause I know those people cannot be making much money at all if they're not getting tips. Because you see, even though you might think the highest priority at Great Clips is a great haircut, they are also very focused on making the experience affordable with a great price.