Last Digit Of Pi

Where are you and where are you going?
LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

Staying Put For Now

Last month a good friend of mine asked me to join her organization on the opposite side of the country. I carefully considered it but decided against it. We are making a lot of progress at work and I would like to see this through to maturation or at least until it is more fully developed. Also, the offer is not quite as financially attractive as I had originally thought. There will be other opportunities in other places to come along and I’ll evaluate each one carefully. Sometimes change for change’s sake is not the wisest decision.

It May Not Be A Proof that P != NP But…

Our discovery is being recognized by experts in the field across the globe. Who would have thought? The idea had come up in casual conversation over 3 years ago and lay dormant for over a year before I decided to pursue it when some people and services became available last year. My lead researcher and I were asked to give a presentation to our board. Maybe I can leverage this result to pursue some potentially even bigger projects. Mwahahahaha.

A Side Job That Is No More

Because my time is becoming a more precious commodity at work I will (at least temporarily) end the side job I was doing (mostly) for networking and skill building purposes. It certainly wasn’t for the pay. I can go back if I want to in a few months but I probably won’t.

A Friend Indeed?

My friend with the unstable income and unregulated lifestyle and gambling issues has asked to borrow more money. His wife could support both of them in their basic needs with her job but he seems to suffer from an ego that won’t let him allow that to happen while he looks for his next big money making adventure. I have decided not to enable his thinking on this but gave him a small good faith loan of $200. He managed to annoy me even in doing this by telling me not to worry, he is keeping track of what he owes me and when he stated the amount it was less than what I know it to be.

New Roommates

Someday I may be FI without roommates but for now the situation must continue. After 24 months and 18 months respectively my roommates are moving out at the end of May. My biggest concern is to find two new people that are both going to like my dog or at the very least treat her well. I will miss my one roommate’s dogs and have offered to watch them whenever he needs a puppy sitter. Hopefully this will be a smooth transition.

Wow, Just Now As I Sit Outside Writing This…

Two F-35’s flew over my house. They must have been flying at 200 m altitude low and slow at a 30 degree angle of attack. A friend at Lockheed Martin works on the JSF program, I’ll send her an email saying her product seems to work. I almost forgot that there is an air show at the beach today, I think I’ll go check it out.

I am coming back to this paragraph a few minutes later because now I see the Thunderbirds off in the distance and what I think is a P-51, I can probably watch the show from the roof of my house. Time to go get my binoculars.

2016 Goals

1) Less than 10k away from the portion of the goal targeting a liquid Non-Retirement Accounts value of 450k. Currently the balance is about 441k. This is actually good considering I funded my 2015 IRA with 5.5k and paid an estimated 900 in 2015 taxes owed from my NRAs this month. If there is an extended gap with no roommate income that will either be pushed back later in the year or I will need to figure out another source of income. That is unless investments start to pick up significantly. But that will be difficult at the moment because there is still a lot of cash in my NRAs. The portion of this goal targeting an adjusted LNW of 662k is met. Current LNW of 681k. I might hit 700k by year end.

2) Success! It only took 3 years but my 2013 taxes are “done.” As a reward for overcoming my inertia I discovered that I overpaid by 1250, not 750 as I was thinking earlier. Yaaaay, goal completed and found another $500. But that will be applied to 2014 taxes, lol.

3) Had a slightly above average month with 250 in charitable giving. I feel my giving itch demanding to be scratched. May and June are big months for charity and good causes so this level should rise in the near future.

4) We have been headed in the wrong direction since February. My doggie seems to be always hungry. This could be a thyroid problem. Or maybe it is just a typical Dachshund-Beagle appetite. I’ll give it until early June before seeking a vet’s advice.

5) Changes are still in process so I will wait until the PPO/HMO dust settles before scheduling general and eye checkups.

April (Non-investment) Income
Net Salary 3800
Roommate Rents 1360
Rental Property 600
Interest 70
Financial Games 110
Side Job 120
***Total: 6060

April Retirement Account Funding
Roth IRA 5500
State Defined Contribution 320
457b Plan 200
***Total: 6020 (not included in savings rate)

April Expenses
PITI 810 [810]
HOA 195 [195]
Electric 125 [100]
Water-Sewage-Trash 65 [50]
Gas 45 [30]
Car Insurance 0 (prepaid in October for December through May) [70]
Internet and Cable 155 [125]
Dining / Take Out 35 [0]
Groceries 220 [120]
Pet food and expenses (includes vet insurance) 75 [55]
Charities 250 [0]
Loan 200 [0]
2015 Taxes 900 [0]
***Total: 3075 [1555]

Savings Rate
Non-retirement savings: 2985 (49%)

Assets
Liquid Non-Retirement Accounts: 441k (0.9% increase despite 5.5k transferring to Roth and 900 in taxes)
Retirement Accounts: 226k (2.7% increase due mostly to 2015 Roth IRA funded from NRA)
RE Values: (164k primary – 103k mortgage) + (40k rental) + (90k family * 0.33) = 131k (1.6% increase) **

Networth Values **
NW = NRA + RA + NREV = 798k (1.5% increase)
NWxRE = NRA + RA = 667k (1.5% increase)
LNW = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*NREV = 681k (1.3% increase)
LNWxH = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*(NREV - NHVx) = 649k, 657k, 632k (+1.5%, +1.2%, +1.3%) where x=1 is the rental; x=2 is (1/3) of the family house; x=3 is the primary with 103k mortgage
LNWxRE = NRA + 0.6RA = 576k (1.2% increase)

**Note that I have ditched the Zillow estimation of my primary because IMO it is unrealistically high. Consequently I have subtracted 64k from the Zillow estimate of the primary.

LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

Summer Vacation Planning

Last Summer I had a great time traveling within a few hundred miles of home with my dog. I plan on doing that again in July. Wait. What if I went overseas for vacation but called it work? Which brings me to …

It May Not Be A Revolutionary Middle-Out Data Compression Algorithm But …

My lead assistant is taking a few months to visit several European and UK groups doing research related to our main project. He has even set aside some time to go to CERN. He’s from Sweden so he will spend some time there too before returning. Maybe he knows people who know people in the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences.

Just When I Thought I Was Done With Side Jobs

My interest in part time work that can be done remotely from anywhere and that leverages some old and new skills with minimal input but high income to input ratio (e.g. micro-consulting) was piqued over the last few months so now I guess I will be doing this semi-regularly or maybe semi-erratically..

When Is It Time To Say ‘Enough’ With Loans To Friends?

The broke gambling/baller friend borrowed a small amount again. He was probably just seeing whether or not the spigot was frozen shut. He did watch my dog for me this month when I went out of town for a couple of days and for that I am grateful. And he has found another job that might just possibly let him score a big win again. Of course that would mean that he would be able to pay everyone back and for a time go back to the luxurious and wasteful lifestyle he became accustomed to while growing up in his wealthy family. Almost surely, even in this case, he will eventually be back to borrowing from friends again. Rinse and repeat.

Another friend contacted me this month in a similar vein. Generally when I hear from her it is to purchase a property for her or something of the sort. Now she is asking me to pay the back taxes on one of her brother’s rental properties. He has not paid these taxes since 2004. Consequently his house is about to be auctioned off by the county at the request of tax lien certificate holders. Her brother supposedly owns seven figures worth of property total and makes over 200k per year (extrapolated from her statements) but she still needs me to help her pay his taxes (the property isn’t even in her name). She seems to now expect me to do this for her because … well I’m not sure why she thinks I am the financial solution to all of her six figure money problems. The saga continues through June.

New Roommates … Eventually?

Both roommates were moving out for different reasons at the end of May but in mid-month both asked to stay until the end of June. The one with two dogs is even reconsidering moving out and may decide to stay. If he moved and left his dogs that would be fine by me. Being the nice roommate and landlord that I am I’ve given him a few more days to decide.

A Bit Of Good News About My Doggie

Despite the fact that she has been gaining weight, the second time derivative of her mass is negative and the first derivative is almost zero now. A vet tells me that she should be tested for thyroid issues (she will be) but she looks healthy despite her excess weight and if managed properly she could live another 7 or 8 years in good health. This was the best news I’ve received of any kind (about anything) since October 2014.

I think there should be a dogs* of ERE meetup. Maybe Frank could organize it.

*nonhuman companions?

2016 Goals

1) Soooooo close. After an exceptional month for income the non-retirement accounts are only a few hundred dollars away from 450k. I guess June will be the month it happens. On a somewhat disappointing note, I’ve only increased the NRA values by 50k in the last twelve months, about 20% less than I was hoping for. Oh well, I am in no hurry to retire but still I would like to speed up the time to become FI without roommates in my current living situation. The portion of the goal specifying an (adjusted) LNW value of 662k was met three months prior and is now at 691k. Although not part of the goal, I am now hoping for a LNW of 700k before end of year which should be likely if markets don’t have a significant downturn.

2) Completed successfully (2013 taxes done, ha).

3) Charity in memory of my dog who passed two years ago in May was good at 350 this month. June may be even larger.

4) As mentioned above the nominal weight goal has moved further away from us yet again but hope is not lost and we have a very good chance of getting my dog on a safe and healthy path to at least a doubling of her current age (her current age is estimated to be about 8).

5) No progress in May. Chances to meet health screening goals go up a bit in June and even more in July but it all depends on Summer vacation plans.

May (Non-investment) Income
Net Salary 12015 (performance bonus and excess pay)
Roommate Rents 1360
Rental Property 600
Interest 80
Financial Games 100 (plus 3500 AAdvantage miles plus 86000 HHonors points)
Side Job 1765
Job Reimbursement 265
***Total: 16185

May Retirement Account Funding
State Defined Contribution 320
457b Plan 400
***Total: 720 (not included in savings rate)

May Expenses
PITI 810 [810]
HOA 195 [195]
Electric 120 [100]
Water-Sewage-Trash 200 [45] (paid May through August approximately to meet credit card spending requirement)
Gas 25 [30]
Car Insurance 450 (prepaid through November) [75]
Internet and Cable 160 [125]
Dining / Take Out 40 [0]
Groceries 140 [120]
Pet food and expenses (includes vet insurance) 105 [55]
Charities 350 [0] (In memory of my dog who passed in May 2014)
Loan 100 [0] (lol, same friend as last time)
Work expenses 80 [0]
***Total: 2775 [1555]

Savings Rate
Non-retirement savings: 13410 (83%)

Assets
Liquid Non-Retirement Accounts: 449k (1.8% increase)
Retirement Accounts: 232k (2.7% increase)
RE Values: (163k primary – 103k mortgage) + (39k rental) + (90k family * 0.33) = 129k (1.5% decrease) **

Networth Values **
NW = NRA + RA + NREV = 810k (1.5% increase)
NWxRE = NRA + RA = 681k (2.1% increase)
LNW = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*NREV = 691k (1.5% increase)
LNWxH = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*(NREV - NHVx) = 660k, 657k, 643k (+1.7%, +1.5%, +1.7%) where x=1 is the rental; x=2 is (1/3) of the family house; x=3 is the primary with 103k mortgage
LNWxRE = NRA + 0.6RA = 588k (2.1% increase)

**Note that I have ditched the Zillow estimation of my primary because IMO it is unrealistically high. Consequently I have subtracted 64k from the Zillow estimate of the primary.

It would be really nice if the forum supported tables in the BBcode, I think it would dramatically improve the readability and appearance of posts.

LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

Summer Vacation is Five by Five for Launch

As I mentioned last month I will be taking most of July and August off for another Summer vacation with my canine sidekick. These vacations are unquestionably worth the extended time (1 to 2 years) to achieve full FI status. Some of the time we will be travelling within the region but I also plan to spend some of the time

1) Engaged in some DIY maintenance around the house;
2) Learning to cook a greater variety of vegan dishes;
3) Refreshing and relearning QM and GR;
4) Participating in amateur astronomy –maybe even astrophotography- such as can be done in this megalopolis dominated location spewing obscene amounts of light into the magnitude 2 night sky (maybe we’ll take a longer trip to a place with darker skies – some not too far away islands are actually looking good for that – magnitude 6 skies here we come!).

A (Really Awesome) New Roommate

So my older roommate finally moved out to take advantage of an opportunity in a nearby city. He spent over 18 months at my house and was a great fit due to how quiet and conscientious he was during his time here. My other roommate with two dogs has decided to stay on indefinitely. I am very happy about that mostly because I am very attached to his dogs. They have now been living here over 2 years.

Two days before my older roommate moved out I posted an ad on Craigslist and had 14 legitimate responses (and 8 spam or scam responses) within 24 hours. A bit of research shows I am charging about 25% under market rate for that room. The next day the first person to come by for a look fit the profile of my ideal candidate and returned about an hour later with the deposit for the room. Yesterday was her first full day here and it would be hard for me to be more excited about it. I think I can say that she is the most compatible and easy to live with person I’ve ever known. For now I will just say that she recognizes how awesome my dog is and fell instantly in love with her.*

*Yes, it is genuine and not the roommate honeymoon phase and almost certainly not affectations.

2016 Goals

1) Finally completed successfully, no thanks to Brexit. On that note my equities have just about completely recovered since EUgeddon II and the PP sub-portion actually increased in value – it held fast like a champ on the day of reckoning. Liquid non-retirement accounts are above 456k and my liquidated net worth is above 703k.

2) Completed successfully (2013 taxes done). Maybe I can find some time to work on my 2014 taxes during my Summer vacation.

3) This month charity surpassed May levels at 400 due to memorial giving for two of my passed beloved dogs.

4) The time derivative of mass has finally become zero. With the help of the new roommate I hope it goes negative in a way most acceptable to my kid. Frank obviously takes good care of himself, maybe he can give my dog some advice.

5) Vision issues have diminished significantly, just as I read they should in the best case scenario. Most vitals were exceptionally good at the health fair clinic at work. Maybe I can find time to go for full checkups during my Summer vacation.

June (Non-investment) Income
Net Salary 4110
Roommate Rents 1360
Rental Property 600
Interest 80
Financial Games 400 (plus two free hotel nights)
Side Job 225
Job Reimbursement 1305
***Total: 8080

June Retirement Account Funding
State Defined Contribution 530
457b Plan 0
***Total: 530 (not included in savings rate)

June Expenses
PITI 810 [810]
HOA 195 [195]
Electric 140 [100]
Water-Sewage-Trash 0 [45] (paid May through August in May)
Gas 50 [30]
Car Insurance 0 (prepaid through November) [75]
Internet and Cable 155 [125]
Dining / Take Out 30 [0]
Groceries 165 [120]
Pet food and expenses (includes vet insurance) 80 [50]
Charities 400 [0] (In memory of my two of dogs)
Loan 0 [0] (first time in 5 months I haven’t made a loan to a friend)
Work expenses 35 [0]
***Total: 2060 [1550]

Savings Rate
Non-retirement savings: 6020 (75%)

Assets
Liquid Non-Retirement Accounts: 456k (1.6% increase)
Retirement Accounts: 231k (0.4% decrease)
RE Values: (169k primary – 103k mortgage) + (39k rental) + (91k family * 0.33) = 135k (4.7% increase) **

Networth Values **
NW = NRA + RA + NREV = 822k (1.5% increase)
NWxRE = NRA + RA = 687k (0.9% increase)
LNW = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*NREV = 703k (1.7% increase)
LNWxH = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*(NREV - NHVx) = 672k, 679k, 650k (+1.8%, +1.7%, +1.0%) where x=1 is the rental; x=2 is (1/3) of the family house; x=3 is the primary with 103k mortgage
LNWxRE = NRA + 0.6RA = 595k (1.2% increase)

**Note that I have ditched the Zillow estimation of my primary because IMO it is unrealistically high. Consequently I have subtracted 64k from the Zillow estimate of the primary. I recommend anyone with a large fraction of their net worth in their home equity look at 2nd and 3rd opinions to Zillow’s valuations.

Spare Change Corner

Out of curiosity and because I have never estimated my total illiquid or non-monetized assets and never include them in my financials I decided to try to get some conservative idea of the liquidated values for these:

Credit Card Points + Airline Miles + Hotel Points: 3000-ish
Online Poker Bankroll: 250
Telescopes: 1200-ish
Miscellaneous Stuff (Bikes + TVs + Electronics): 900-ish
Matured EE bonds: 300
Marketable Current Technical and Text Books: 400-ish
Comic Book Collection (Graphic Novels): 1300-ish (maybe significantly more?)
***Total: 7350-ish (not including car, clothes, computers, furniture or household items)

LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

Lift Off - Two Years Ago Today

How time flies. That first entry seems like it was written just yesterday in some ways. Yet a lot has happened since then. Progress has been slow but it reflects the fact that I am in no hurry to get to my ultimate financial goal (FI @ 3% SWR or less without roommates) as I enjoy life and career (yes, it is possible with the right undertaking IME).

Pitch Over - Summer Vacation

During the month I’ve done a lot of minor repairs around the house from toilets to sliding glass foors. In the kitchen I’ve also added curry and ginger to my culinary tool belt as I begin a possible transition from vegetarian to vegan.

Outside the house I’ve finally seen Mercury and Venus during the middle of the day. Not coincidentally I have cleaned the mirror and aligned the secondary on my truss tube Dobsonian.

Maximum Dynamic Pressure – A Roommate too Good to be True?

I am worried that my roommate is too perfect. This is the first time I have had a new roommate since I brought my dog to my current home. My dog loves her. She loves my dog. I love her dog (but I am one of those strange people that loves most animals). And I think we may like each other. It is not clear to me where we go from here. Maybe nowhere.

Throttle Up - House Valuation, Retirement Funds and Various Net Worths Jump

Zillow is still crazy in its overestimation of my home’s market value but two properties equivalent to mine (actually I think mine is slightly nicer in some ways) in my neighborhood have sold for 12k more than my best estimate last month. Retirement funds are also up 5 figures. So in a month where I have not worked my net worth has taken its biggest jump ever by over 20k to 842k. LNW jumped by 14k to 717k.

Booster Separation – All You Silly Political Debaters Do Not Realize Who The Best Candidate for President Is

The best choice is painfully clear if you think about it for even a minute. Clinton and Trump can’t hold a candle to him. Please don’t waste your vote for anyone else. Right now America needs Frank Fisker to steer this country in the right direction.

MECO – It Probably Won’t Replace the Martian as My Favorite Movie but

It will probably be one of a few worth seeing this year … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXGm9Vlfx4w

Payload Deployment - 2016 Goals

1) Completed successfully. In July. LNW even blew past my original* goal for 2016. NRA goal met previous month. On the other hand the value of the NRA's are up only 100k from my first post made two years ago. I hope they increase at a faster rate in upcoming years.

*before severely revising down my primary home’s Zillow value by 64k.

2) Completed successfully. Have not yet started on 2014 tax returns.

3) Well on track to have best charitable giving year to date by November or December.

4) This goal seems to be the most elusive. I will be happy just getting her down to what she weighed in January at this point. I feel frustrated and guilty for letting this happen. The only hope I have right now is to regulate her thyroid or (if that is not the issue) figure out an appetite suppressant. I’m really desperate here.

5) I will be setting an appointment to see an ophthalmologist in August for both eye health and to get a new prescription for my corrective lenses.

July (Non-investment) Income
Net Salary 760 (residual payment – I did not work in July)
Roommate Rents 1360
Rental Property 600
Interest 80
Financial Games 205
Side Job 160
***Total: 3165

July Retirement Account Funding
State Defined Contribution 1400
457b Plan 0
***Total: 1400 (not included in savings rate)

July Expenses
PITI 810 [810]
HOA 195 [195]
Electric 190 [150]
Water-Sewage-Trash 0 [165] (paid May through August in May – actually water consumption took a 165 bite out of credit balance due to leaky toilet)
Gas 25 [25]
Car Insurance 0 (prepaid through November) [75]
Internet and Cable 195 [125] – My fault for forgetting when my discounts were up. Upcoming price drop.
Dining / Take Out 10 [0]
Groceries 205 [120]
Pet food and expenses (includes vet insurance) 95 [50]
Charities 200 [0]
Work expenses 75 [0]
Gifts (Roommate welcome gifts and parent anniversary gifts) 230 [45]
***Total: 2225 [1760]

Savings Rate
Non-retirement savings: 940 (30%)

Assets
Liquid Non-Retirement Accounts: 456k (0.0% increase)
Retirement Accounts: 239k (3.5% decrease)
RE Values: (180k primary – 103k mortgage) + (40k rental) + (90k family * 0.33) = 147k (8.1% increase) **

Networth Values **
NW = NRA + RA + NREV = 842k (2.4% increase)
NWxRE = NRA + RA = 695k (1.2% increase)
LNW = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*NREV = 717k (2.0% increase)
LNWxH = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*(NREV - NHVx) = 685k, 693k, 655k (+1.9%, +2.1%, +0.7%) where x=1 is the rental; x=2 is (1/3) of the family house; x=3 is the primary with 103k mortgage
LNWxRE = NRA + 0.6RA = 599k (0.7% increase)

**Note that I no longer use the Zillow estimation of my primary because IMO it is unrealistically high. Consequently I have subtracted 64k 53k from the Zillow estimate of the primary. I recommend anyone with a large fraction of their net worth in their home equity look at 2nd and 3rd opinions to Zillow’s valuations.

LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

Return to Work

The Sumer vacation has concluded. I did expand my cooking repertoire, fixed a lot of minor issues around the house, cleaned the telescopes and aligned the reflector (but did not manage to get to any relatively dark skies or do any astrophotography) and went on some short day trips to state and national parks and nature preserves. It was energizing but went by way too fast. On the other hand it is nice to get back to some projects I began to miss working on and overseeing.

Roommate

My new roommate is at a difficult financial place in her life right now. It stems from her giving up a great career to take care of her sick parents through the end of their lives and then being taken advantage of by several people. Through it all she lost her very nice home, her savings, her inheritance and her parents’ land and home. Somehow she has been able to survive all of these setbacks without becoming a bitter person angry at the world. In fact, as I have stated before I have never known a nicer person that is easier to get along with. Maybe I can help her write a new and much happier chapter in her life.

Car Repair

The car is once again showing signs of its age. The cost of continuing repair still remains the best option for now but that may change in the next 12 to 18 months. I suppose that it will not be able to make it to the next decade as I had hoped. But the odometer is so close to passing lunar apogee. I wanted to see that for more than a year now. I think we’ll hit that milestone by year’s end.

Rental House

My rental house was in the path of Hermine. I was starting to second guess my decision to self-insure as the neighbor’s giant oak tree has a hulking limb that he insists is healthy and not a threat but that would take out the southwest quadrant of my house if it fell. No word from the tenant (who changed her phone number and has not given me the new one) so I am having a friend in the area go by and look at it tomorrow. Presumably if there was any significant damage the tenant would have called to have it fixed (unless there is damage to the roof where she cannot see). Maybe I will go back to insuring the property by paying oversized premiums. Hopefully I get through this unscathed. My rental neighbor might inadvertently but effectively be insuring my property at least partially in the event that limb falls before he decides to remove it.

A Meaningful Life - Making A Positive Difference

When I think about what gives my life the most personal meaning after my “kid” it is without a doubt the charitable causes I support. It seems that my new roommate feels almost exactly the same way. If/when I transition to the next phase of life I want to put everything I have into these causes. Whether you expect slow or fast decline of civilization (or maybe a fusion powered future of solar system colonization), making the world a better place in some way than it otherwise would be gives many individuals a focused drive like nothing else quite can. It certainly does for me.

2016 Goals

1) Successfully completed. NRA 457k, LNW 720k.

2) Completed successfully. Have not yet started on 2014 tax returns.

3) On track for personal record of annual charitable giving by November or December.

4) Not getting worse but this one is almost certainly going to be a failure by year’s end. My goal has shifted to just making her as healthy as possible.

5) Failed to set appointment with ophthalmologist and primary. Still 4 months to go before this one goes in the fail column.

August (Non-investment) Income
Net Salary 2400 (partial month’s payment)
Roommate Rents 1510 (one roommate is paying last month’s rent in installments)
Rental Property 600
Interest 80
Financial Games 100
Side Job 45
Work Reimbursement 525
***Total: 5260

August Retirement Account Funding
State Defined Contribution 55
457b Plan 100
***Total: 155 (not included in savings rate)

August Expenses
PITI 810 [810]
HOA 195 [195]
Electric 205 [150]
Water-Sewage-Trash 0 [65] (paid May through August in May)
House Repair and Maintenance 40 [40]
Gas 50 [25]
Car Insurance 0 (prepaid through November) [75]
Internet and Cable 205 [125]
Dining / Take Out 200 [0] (New roommate and birthdays / anniversaries)
Groceries 500 [120] (Helping out new roommate and her dog)
Pet food and expenses (includes vet insurance) 100 [50]
Charities 200 [0]
Gifts (Roommate birthday and mom’s birthday) 275 [50]
***Total: 2780 [1665]

Savings Rate
Non-retirement savings: 2480 (47%)

Assets
Liquid Non-Retirement Accounts: 457k (0.2% increase)
Retirement Accounts: 240k (0.4% increase)
RE Values: (183k primary – 103k mortgage) + (39k rental) + (91k family * 0.33) = 149k (1.3% increase)

Networth Values
NW = NRA + RA + NREV = 846k (0.5% increase)
NWxRE = NRA + RA = 697k (0.3% increase)
LNW = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*NREV = 720k (0.4% increase)
LNWxH = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*(NREV - NHVx) = 689k, 696k, 656k (+0.6%, +0.4%, +0.2%) where x=1 is the rental; x=2 is (1/3) of the family house; x=3 is the primary with 103k mortgage
LNWxRE = NRA + 0.6RA = 601k (0.3% increase)

To Be Counted As An Asset Or Not To Be Counted As An Asset, That Is The Question

Recently I considered whether or not I should include under illiquid assets my outstanding loans. This is my own personal Lending Club basically. Make that my own personal Kiva. They are not that much right now* but they have been much larger in the past.** If I did then I do not think I should include the face value of the loans but rather a face value times the probability of repayment. Or maybe a weighted sum using an estimated probability distribution of repayment at various fractional amounts. Too much work for the levels in question right now and I tend to be a bit over-conservative in my valuations which would mean assuming some friends are more likely to be deadbeats than I have reason to believe. I’d rather not let that possibly subconsciously affect how I feel about them. Ay, there’s the rub.

*That and the fact that these loans are to friends I feel I can trust means they are unsecured and earning 0% interest.

**In the past they represented 10% to 15% of my net worth.

LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

The Management Structure is Dead, Long Live the Management Structure

My workplace is reorganizing to have a flatter management structure. We’ll see if this means more or less autonomy, flexibility in choosing existing / starting new projects, supportive leadership and freedom in executing the pursuit of goals. Any big organization-wide retooling like this could lead to major changes both positive and negative. I think the ongoing success of my projects and my pitifully small salary for what I do should be safe for now.

They Were the Best of Roommates, They Were the Most Mediocre of Roommates

It has become a bit costly helping out my new roommate as you can see by looking at my monthly expenses below (I won’t rehash them here) but she deserves some good deeds to (in a very small way) make up for what she has had to go through. She seems interested in being more than roommates but there are a few factors that I need more time to reflect upon. At the very least, I believe we have become good friends for life.

In other roommate news, after nearly 30 months my old roommate gave notice that he was moving out. I will miss his dogs a lot but his girlfriend and her 3 dogs that were temporarily staying here were a bit much. Plus her rescue Pit Bull was beginning to get a bit aggressive with my dog so of course I was very happy to see that come to a close.

Suffering the Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Weather

Last month my rental house endured a category 1 hurricane. Fortunately it suffered no damage according to a friend who went by the house and spoke to my tenant. Then this past Thursday night / Friday morning the region was side swiped by a strong category 3. On Thursday morning, after bolting down shutters of heavy gauge aluminum I felt like I was in a fortress ready for the zombie apocalypse. Some neighbors took a significant risk and did not shutter their homes but they got lucky as the forecasted winds never arrived.

Brother Can You Spare 9,000 Dimes?

I made another loan to my flush again/broke again spendthrift friend. This time it was only $900. My personal Lending Club balance is growing even though I want to cash out immediately. In the big picture it isn’t a lot but his balance is nearing 3k. Did I mention that his net take-home last year was over 6 figures?

Making the World a Better Place By Decreasing The Suck

Yes, I think we can make the world a better place by increasing the awesome** and that increasing the awesome can and does often lead to decreasing the suck but the most important goal to me is to minimize the suck as much as possible regardless of how much or how little awesomeness we could achieve in doing so.

My ideal world would be summed up by the statement: ‘Maximal mitigation of unnecessary suffering of animals (including humans) everywhere.’ This is the ultimate direction in which I would like to put my energy and resources. Of course the word “unnecessary” is the trickiest part of that statement but that is a rabbit hole I don’t wish to go down right now. My current charitable giving and volunteer efforts attempt to make an infinitesimal step in this direction which I hope to magnify over time. My favorite aspect of ERE is that –while not an explicit goal- it can make a non-trivial dent in the problem (along with related systems approaches and concepts). That ERE leads to FI (or just more freedom and options in general) is the awesomeness icing on the cake.

**it’s a pretty popular parody to show how trivial “making the world a better place” has become as a concept in the tech world that many on this forum know and Silicon Valley does it well: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/making-w ... isin-lunny - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OuHXnG3fnh4

2016 Goals

1) Successfully completed. NRA 460k, LNW 725k.

2) Successfully completed. Have not yet started on 2014 tax returns.

3) On track for personal record of annual charitable giving by November or December.

4) Virtually certain failure. I am going to see if thyroid, diabetes or other medical issues may be involved. If it is solely my inability to say no to her then maybe I can get some professional tips /tricks. Her health and happiness is my number one concern but I seem to be unable to aggressively pursue her long term health when it seems so opposed to her short term happiness. My new roommate is helping me in this direction however and I hope she can give me the day to day reinforcement I need to keep my eye on the prize. Along these lines I am going to start a daily journal tracking weight, exercise, every bit of food consumed, and general disposition and behavior. I’ve installed a petcam so that I can monitor her and talk to her (and occasionally dispense a treat to her) while I am at work or otherwise away from home without her.

5) Failed to set appointment with ophthalmologist and primary. Still 3 months to go.

September (Non-investment) Income
Net Salary 3800
Roommate Rents 760 (waived new roommate’s rent)
Rental Property 600
Interest 80
Financial Games 0 (dropped the ball this month, some better months ahead)
Side Job 165
***Total: 5405

September Retirement Account Funding
State Defined Contribution 200
457b Plan 200
***Total: 400 (not included in savings rate)

September Expenses
PITI 810 [810]
HOA 195 [195]
Electric 225 [150]
Water-Sewage-Trash 0 [65] (paid May through August in May)
Gas 50 [25]
Car Insurance 0 (prepaid through November) [75]
Car Repair 540 [540] (discussed in last month’s journal entry)
Internet and Cable 190 [125]
Dining / Take Out 30 [0]
Groceries 450 [120] (still helping out new roommate and her dog)
Pet food and expenses (includes vet insurance) 115 [50]
Charities 200 [0]
Gifts (New roommate) 100 [0]
Loan 900 [0]
***Total: 3615 [2155]

Savings Rate
Non-retirement savings: 1250 (23%)

Assets
Liquid Non-Retirement Accounts: 460k (0.6% increase)
Retirement Accounts: 240k (0.0% increase)
RE Values: (185k primary – 102k mortgage) + (37k rental) + (93k family * 0.33) = 151k (1.3% increase)

Networth Values
NW = NRA + RA + NREV = 851k (0.6% increase)
NWxRE = NRA + RA = 700k (0.4% increase)
LNW = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*NREV = 725k (0.7% increase)
LNWxH = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*(NREV - NHVx) = 695k, 700k, 658k (+0.8%, +0.6%, +0.3%) where x=1 is the rental; x=2 is (1/3) of the family house; x=3 is the primary with 123k mortgage
LNWxRE = NRA + 0.6RA = 604k (0.5% increase)

LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

From the Work Front

So far I have not noticed much in the way of changes from the management reorganization. I suppose that is good. It is likely also the result of having a great supervisor who makes sure that we are free to do the best jobs we can with a minimum of administrative hassle. But alas, it seems we will have a new supervisor this time next year. We do have a say in who that will be and usually our opinions are respected by management so hopefully we will choose wisely.

Last month I received a request to provide a portfolio of my work for some ‘prestigious’ prize I was nominated for. That seems a little odd to me. If I am being invited to compete then it doesn’t seem like so much of an honor. Although I love what I do I am not a careerist so I think I will leave this game for my more ambitious colleagues.

Also, I had a new person join my team. She seems smart and experienced so I think she will be a great replacement for my lead who moved to a new institution.

From the Home Front

Wow, I did not realize how good it would feel once my roommate for 30 months moved out (along with his girlfriend and her rescue pit bull). I will miss his dogs but otherwise it was definitely time. The new roommate has two careers, one in education and the other detailed on IMDB and seems much more mature and responsible.

My other roommate may soon be in a transition period between jobs (her boss is making life pretty unbearable for her and she overheard a conversation where her boss was telling someone else that she will figure out a way to let her go so that the boss can replace her with what sounds to be like a friend). This was not a great job anyway and I think she is significantly underemployed so there is a big silver lining here. I will support her financially during the transition period so my motivation to help her get a good (or at least well-paying) job ASAP is very high.

Some young kids staying with the neighbors wandered into my yard and threw something in an external electrical outlet shorting out about half of the circuits in the living and dining rooms while leaving some big flame marks on the exterior wall and some burnt insulation. .It was surprising which circuits went out, I wished that I had an electrical diagram for my house. We’ll see if I can fix it or if I need to call a professional. In the latter case I will probably present my neighbor with the repair bill.

The Quest to Make the World a Better Place by Decreasing the Suck

What is the best way to make the world suck less, a lot less, for the most? Remember, we are not restricting ourselves to just humans here. But humans are both the greatest problem and greatest possible solution to the conditions we find ourselves in. This question is something that has increasingly occupied my thoughts over the years. The largest challenges are cultural and historical. Overcoming these barriers takes a very long time and can only be achieved by education and exposure to new ways of thinking. In the long run -if it is even possible- a humane world cannot be forced upon humans. Legislation helps in the short run, especially against the worst transgressors -by sheer numbers- in first world countries (i.e. Big Ag). So what is the best way to educate and legislate? Especially in a global civilization that has reached or is reaching peak everything. The dynamics of wealth and resource distribution and changing demographics complicates the picture.The undertaking seems overwhelming but if you make a connection with the ones who need relief the most it is hard not to be compelled to try. So that is what I am doing.

2016 Goals

1) Successfully completed. NRA 465k, LNW 726k.

2) Successfully completed. Have not yet started on 2014 tax returns.

3) On track for personal record of annual charitable giving by November or December.

4) She is generating slightly less curvature in the space-time around her than last month. I am tracking her weight daily now but have not yet implemented a journal/log. I plan on doing that this month. One thing I did not realize is how much I enjoy interacting with her through the treat dispensing petcam while away from home. It’s the next best thing to being there.

5) Failed to set appointment with ophthalmologist and primary. Still 2 months to go.

October (Non-investment) Income
Net Salary 4530
Roommate Rents 1550
Rental Property 600
Interest 90
Financial Games 270
Side Job 2045
***Total: 9080

October Retirement Account Funding
State Defined Contribution 330
457b Plan 200
***Total: 530 (not included in savings rate)

October Expenses
PITI 810 [810]
HOA 195 [195]
Electric170 [150]
Water-Sewage-Trash 45 [65]
Gas 45 [25]
Car Insurance 0 (prepaid through November) [75]
Internet and Cable 80 [125] (switched to new service)
Dining / Take Out 30 [0]
Groceries 395 [120] (still helping out roommate 1 and her dog)
Pet food and expenses (includes vet insurance) 75 [50]
Charities 200 [0]
Gifts (Roommate 1) 350 [0]
***Total: 2400 [1490]

Savings Rate
Non-retirement savings: 6680 (74%)

Assets
Liquid Non-Retirement Accounts: 465k (1.1% increase)
Retirement Accounts: 237k (1.2% decrease)
RE Values: (182k primary – 102k mortgage) + (37k rental) + (93k family * 0.33) = 148k (1.3% decrease)

Networth Values
NW = NRA + RA + NREV = 850k (0.1% decrease)
NWxRE = NRA + RA = 702k (0.3% increase)
LNW = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*NREV = 726k (0.1% increase)
LNWxH = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*(NREV - NHVx) = 696k, 701k, 662k (+0.1%, +0.1%, +0.6%) where x=1 is the rental; x=2 is (1/3) of the family house; x=3 is the primary with 123k mortgage
LNWxRE = NRA + 0.6RA = 607k (0.5% increase)

ERE Indicator

Yaaay, metrics to determine ERE’ness.

OK,so assuming a spending level of 1500/month and 2.5% return on LNWxRE we have an income indicator of 3.046
Salary: 1.000
Investments: 0.851
Rents: 1.000
Financial Games: 0.195

I don’t think of my vocation the way most here view their jobs but if that changed I would feel the right thing to do would be to drop the salary component for an ERE income indicator value of 2.046.

Raising my spending level to a currently more realistic 2k/month this value becomes 2.784.
Salary: 1.000
Investments: 0.638
Rents: 1.000
Financial Games: 0.146
Again, dropping the salary component would yield 1.784

Then there is the consumption side (where I have much work to do). Pardon me while I go look up my escrow payments. OK, so here is how it seems to breakdown.
Category 1: 0.65
Category 2: 0.03
Category 3: 0.32

This gives an adjusted value of -0.62 for a final value of
2.42 (1.42 w/o salary) at the 1.5k/month spending level
2.16 (1.16 w/o salary) at the 2.0k/month spend level.

But the consumption factor will decrease in magnitude as I become more efficient with my effort to reduce spending to minimal levels. With some thought maybe I can come up with a reasonable approximation to what the consumption components will be as I become less wasteful and more skilled in sustainable living.

singvestor
Posts: 205
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:48 am

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by singvestor »

Inspiring journal! Enviable savings rate as well as anecdotes and dog pictures! I have been always reading it but normally do not comment much.

I struggle a bit if I should post this or not since I do not know you and this is kind of personal, but please take good care of yourself and protect yourself against potential heartbreak and being taken advantage of in this new roommate situation. There is always a chance that this might not end too well. Judging from your journal you are a very nice and trusting person and I was just a bit worried for you.

Needless to say I am rooting for the best possible outcome!

halfmoon
Posts: 697
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:19 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by halfmoon »

Your journal (and singvestor's comment) finally pushed me from over a year of lurking to registering so I could add my thoughts. Like singvestor, I've been worrying that such a feeling and trusting person as you can be preyed on by others. Your love for your little dachshund is heartwarming; just be sure that your roommate isn't using that to manipulate you. People aren't always as honest in their intentions as dogs are!

LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

Singvestor wrote:
Inspiring journal! Enviable savings rate as well as anecdotes and dog pictures! I have been always reading it but normally do not comment much.

I struggle a bit if I should post this or not since I do not know you and this is kind of personal, but please take good care of yourself and protect yourself against potential heartbreak and being taken advantage of in this new roommate situation. There is always a chance that this might not end too well. Judging from your journal you are a very nice and trusting person and I was just a bit worried for you.

Needless to say I am rooting for the best possible outcome!
Thanks for the kind words Singvestor, I am really glad you like my journal. Likewise, I follow your journal and it is one of my favorites.

Also, I appreciate very much your concern over the possible outcome of the roommate situation. It occurred to me as I was writing these recent entries that it might sound as if she was possibly taking advantage of me. Your advice is good and I will use caution here. Ultimately, I am happy if I can just help her get back on her feet so she can support herself and her dog. Hopefully that will be sooner rather than later.
Halfmoon wrote:
Your journal (and singvestor's comment) finally pushed me from over a year of lurking to registering so I could add my thoughts. Like singvestor, I've been worrying that such a feeling and trusting person as you can be preyed on by others.
Thanks Halfmoon, I am touched that you created an account to share your concerns with me. You and Singvestor make good points that one must sometimes be vigilant in matters such as these. Like I remarked above, I am expecting nothing in return except to see my roommate get to a better place.
Your love for your little dachshund is heartwarming; just be sure that your roommate isn't using that to manipulate you. People aren't always as honest in their intentions as dogs are!
Agree 100% regarding human versus canine honesty. One thing I am sure of is nothing will come between me and my dog.

daylen
Posts: 2538
Joined: Wed Dec 16, 2015 4:17 am
Location: Lawrence, KS

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by daylen »

Interesting journal! It is a shame though, you do not exist....there is no last digit of an irrational number...

LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

A Funny Observation in Two Photos

My roommate came up with this.

Early kitchen defense warning system acquires target (what you don’t usually see as you approach the kitchen) …

Image

Intercept! (what you almost always see when you look down in the kitchen) …

Image

Now you may understand why I am failing at my fourth goal for 2016. Or maybe not.

Godspeed John Glenn

During the 90’s I was very fortunate to become associated with my all-time favorite childhood group of heroes: the Mercury, Gemini and Apollo program astronauts. At least once a year we would meet and discuss both research and fundraising for the support of the most promising up and coming STEM research students who met certain criteria. They were all very impressive individuals but Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Buzz Aldrin, James Lovell and Walter Cunningham stick out in my memory as the most fun and inspiring to work with. In particular I was amazed by how sharp and insightful John Glenn was in so many different areas of science and technology, even well into his eighties. He remained a larger than life figure to me throughout the time that I knew him. The world seems a little emptier and dimmer with his passing Thursday.

A very old picture of me with all of the then living Mercury 7 (and Betty Grissom and Bobbie Slayton). Also pictured are Gemini, Apollo and Shuttle Astronauts. Fun fact: 33% of the people who have walked on the Moon are in this photo.

Image

Back Row (Left to right): Charles Duke, Edgar Mitchell, Gordon Cooper, Buzz Aldrin, Mike Mullane
Middle Row: Scott Carpenter, Betty Grissom (widow of Gus Grissom), Alan Shepard, John Glenn, Bobbie Slayton (widow of Deke Slayton), Wally Schirra.

My Circles Live In The Real World of Curved Space-Time You Euclid Loving Platonists (Lol) …
Daylen wrote:
Interesting journal! It is a shame though, you do not exist....there is no last digit of an irrational number...
Image

https://www.explainxkcd.com/wiki/index. ... _Pi_Equals

Work Update

Ugh, I was told by a colleague that several people were surprised that I turned down the nomination for the award I mentioned last month. Supposedly I was a “shoe in” and it came with a 10k prize. Oh well, maybe I can find another way to dazzle the right people next year. I hope I didn’t offend the person(s) who nominated me.

I was also informed that the president (no, not POTUS, note the lower case “p”) takes a particular interest in one of my projects and that he references it quite often. I really hope it wasn’t he who had me nominated. If only I had leadership aspirations. Fortunately the Gervais principle does not seem to apply (or does that simply mean I am some strange ‘clueless loser’ hybrid?).

Roommate Update

Well my new roommate (roommate 2) is an interesting individual. In many good ways he is the opposite of the roommate who left after 30 months. He does possess some quirks you might expect of a pre-first big hit Hollywood actor / Second City trouper / SNL hopeful. But these are mostly neutral (like constantly taking selfies and making videos and ask our opinion) or even slightly positive (he gets only reverse osmosis water stored in BPA free containers for our dogs to drink) but the list is long if somewhat entertaining. In future months I may go into further detail.

Roommate 1 is still at the same job but is very motivated in finding something better. Of course I want this to happen maybe as much as she does, possibly more. She has never asked for any help but is genuinely grateful (almost excessively so) for my financial and emotional support in some critical issues she just can’t afford to deal with on her own right now. Between helping with necessary medical bills for her and her dog and covering groceries and doggie medicine and supplies I spent about 1500. It is with a lot of hesitation that I share this as I know on the face of it this sounds like manipulation and/or deception could be involved but all I want to say for now is that I would do this for my dog, my family and even some of my close friends because their well-being is very important to me. If tomorrow she found a great job opportunity on the other side of the country I would tell her to take it even though I would be very sad to see them leave. The only kind of repayment I want is to see her and her dog do well.

Can We Decrease The Suck In A Trump Led World?

OK, I really REALLY hope to be proven spectacularly wrong on this but I think the “suck” in the US and the world is going to increase dramatically over the next four years and possibly into the indefinite future. Not that Hillary or Bernie or Johnson or Stein would have been able to deliver us into a Utopian paradise for all sentient beings but I think that running this country like a “winning” megacorp will only compound most of the issues that lead to so much unnecessary suffering in the first place. Unfortunately it seems that many of his appointees are either completely blind or indifferent to the problems looming over people, animals and the environment or they see the suck in the world as a productive asset. It certainly makes it harder for those who cannot help but care about the well-being of the people and animals that make this planet the unique and special place that it is. Probably for the foreseeable future it will be necessary to just save the starfish that you can.

2016 Goals

1) Successfully completed. NRA 475k, LNW 745k.

2) Successfully completed. Have not yet started on 2014 tax returns.

3) On track for personal record of annual charitable giving by December. Giving Tuesday gave a big boost. A donation to the Astronaut Scholarship Foundation in John Glenn’s memory will as well.

4) A slight setback in November but I think we can recover in December to get to a lower weight than the end of October. The original goal has failed spectacularly but I have learned a lot about myself and my limitations in implementing long term goals for my beloved canine because I can’t deny her short term happiness. What kind of a “parent” am I?

5) Failed to set appointment with ophthalmologist and pcp. Still 1 month to go. Odds of failure are about 95%.

November (Non-investment) Income
Net Salary 4530
Roommate Rents 1360
Rental Property 600
Interest 90
Financial Games 100
Side Job 150
***Total: 6830

November Retirement Account Funding
State Defined Contribution 385
457b Plan 200
***Total: 585 (not included in savings rate)

November Expenses
PITI 810 [810]
HOA 195 [195]
Electric 130 [110]
Water-Sewage-Trash 55 [55]
Gas 25 [25]
Car Insurance 80 [80] (prepaid through November)
Internet and Cable 135 [125] (switched to new service)
Dining / Take Out 25 [0]
Groceries 240 [120])
Pet food and expenses (includes vet insurance) 85 [50]
Charities 200 [0]
Gifts (Roommate 1) 1500 [0]
***Total: 3485 [1570] (still helping out roommate 1 and her dog)

Savings Rate
Non-retirement savings: 3345 (49%)

Assets
Liquid Non-Retirement Accounts: 475k (2.2% increase)
Retirement Accounts: 250k (5.5% increase)
RE Values: (182k primary – 102k mortgage) + (38k rental) + (96k family * 0.33) = 150k (1.4% increase)

Networth Values
NW = NRA + RA + NREV = 875k (2.9% increase)
NWxRE = NRA + RA = 725k (3.3% increase)
LNW = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*NREV = 745k (2.6% increase)
LNWxH = NRA + 0.6*RA + 0.8*(NREV - NHVx) = 715k, 719k, 681k (+2.7%, +2.5%, +2.9%) where x=1 is the rental; x=2 is (1/3) of the family house; x=3 is the primary with 102k mortgage
LNWxRE = NRA + 0.6RA = 625k (3.0% increase)

User avatar
giskard
Posts: 328
Joined: Sat Apr 30, 2016 12:07 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by giskard »

Hey @LastDigitOfPi, I just finished getting up to date with your journal, it was a good read. It sounds like you are doing some really awesome work, and you must truly enjoy it because you appear to be FI from what I can see.

I also wanted to say that you have a very big heart and it seems like some other people have noticed that too... I'm a lot more cold blooded than you and would have brushed off all of these requests for money. Everyone has story and knows precisely to how use it to plead for sympathy, better just not to get caught up in the BS or call them out on it directly so they don't ever try it again.

halfmoon
Posts: 697
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:19 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by halfmoon »

LastDigitOfPi wrote:OK, I really REALLY hope to be proven spectacularly wrong on this but I think the “suck” in the US and the world is going to increase dramatically over the next four years and possibly into the indefinite future. Not that Hillary or Bernie or Johnson or Stein would have been able to deliver us into a Utopian paradise for all sentient beings but I think that running this country like a “winning” megacorp will only compound most of the issues that lead to so much unnecessary suffering in the first place. Unfortunately it seems that many of his appointees are either completely blind or indifferent to the problems looming over people, animals and the environment or they see the suck in the world as a productive asset.
I completely agree, though I could never have worded that last sentence so succinctly.
LastDigitOfPi wrote:Early kitchen defense warning system acquires target (what you don’t usually see as you approach the kitchen) …


Intercept! (what you almost always see when you look down in the kitchen) …


Now you may understand why I am failing at my fourth goal for 2016. Or maybe not.
This had me laughing so hard. I'm very familiar with the deadly weapon of beseeching canine eyes. I don't know where they learn this (oh, wait! I do ;) ), because I'm pretty sure no animal in the wild gets food from its parents by gazing soulfully at them. One helpful tactic I've learned is giving bits of fruit and vegetable as treats. You obviously need to be sure which ones are and aren't okay for dogs (no grapes/raisins), but our dog has learned to love those little sweet colored peppers and melon of any type. Just be aware that a little goes a long way, digestively speaking.

LastDigitOfPi
Posts: 41
Joined: Fri Jul 12, 2013 10:29 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by LastDigitOfPi »

Hi Giskard and Halfmoon, sorry for the delay. I went on a Winter break trip with roommate 1 and all of the dogs. Tomorrow I'll reply and include the year end summary and outlook for 2017. Happy New Year! Hoping that this upcoming orbit around our Sun brings you and yours (and everyone else) many good things.

singvestor
Posts: 205
Joined: Tue Jul 21, 2015 12:48 am

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by singvestor »

How have you been doing? I miss reading the updates. Hope all is well!

halfmoon
Posts: 697
Joined: Mon Nov 07, 2016 10:19 pm

Re: Last Digit Of Pi

Post by halfmoon »

Echoing @singvestor here. My very first post was on your journal, and I finally joined after extended lurking just to comment. I'm pretty sure this creates some sort of update obligation on your part! :P :lol:

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