Search found 617 matches

by bostonimproper
Sun Jun 29, 2025 8:33 am
Forum: Inspiration
Topic: Reasons for ERE (or even ER)
Replies: 27
Views: 4665

Re: Reasons for ERE (or even ER)

I got interested in FIRE/ERE because I’ve known since I was a child that I hate repetitive tasks, crave novelty, and have very bursty energy, which doesn’t go well with stable long term employment. I like the anti consumerist ethos. I also think there is an interesting assortment of perspectives ...
by bostonimproper
Fri Jun 27, 2025 5:11 am
Forum: ERE Journals
Topic: Just Gravy
Replies: 460
Views: 180773

Re: Just Gravy

@7w5 We definitely knew quite a few people in UU churches in Boston, and every once a while tried prodding my spouse that we should check it out. Sadly it’s not really a thing out here in Ireland.
by bostonimproper
Fri Jun 27, 2025 4:24 am
Forum: ERE Journals
Topic: Just Gravy
Replies: 460
Views: 180773

Re: Just Gravy

Religion is such a powerful social technology that I sometimes lament there’s nothing quite like it for secular humanists like myself to produce the same sort of community, shared purpose, and social coordination. Sure there are modern values like Science and Democracy. Maybe the Academy comes close ...
by bostonimproper
Tue Jun 17, 2025 12:29 pm
Forum: Technical Skills & Tools Questions
Topic: e reader as a smartphone
Replies: 21
Views: 941

Re: e reader as a smartphone

There are e-ink smartphones and tablets. Look up the BigMe HiBreak Pro, HiSense A9, or Boox Palma.
by bostonimproper
Sat Jun 07, 2025 5:11 am
Forum: Money and Investment Questions
Topic: Big, beautiful US dividend tax increase
Replies: 22
Views: 1668

Re: Big, beautiful US dividend tax increase

If passed (I think there’s a good chance this gets dropped before passing through the Senate), I would expect big capital outflows from foreign companies. Less demand for US stocks leading to potential multiples contractions bringing US equities down more in line with Euro/Asian valuations.
by bostonimproper
Wed Jun 04, 2025 6:57 am
Forum: ERE Journals
Topic: bostonimproper's journal
Replies: 477
Views: 212347

Re: bostonimproper's journal


It usually does not matter where your funds are, as you pay taxes based on complicated taxation treaties between countries, which usually make your primary residence one of the deciding factors (and not where the money resides). Did you look into that?

Yes, I've talked to both US and Irish tax ...
by bostonimproper
Wed Jun 04, 2025 5:47 am
Forum: ERE Journals
Topic: bostonimproper's journal
Replies: 477
Views: 212347

Re: bostonimproper's journal

Selling Our Home

We decided to sell our home back in Boston. We've retained an agent and should, fingers crossed, have it off our portfolio by the end of summer. What I've learned from the experience:

Financial impact of homeownership. Despite the low interest rate, price appreciation, and ...
by bostonimproper
Wed Jun 04, 2025 1:38 am
Forum: Health and Food Questions
Topic: What is "screen time" and why are some trying to avoid it?
Replies: 23
Views: 3574

Re: What is "screen time" and why are some trying to avoid it?

Insofar as I am trying to reduce screen time, it’s usually in an attempt to (1) focus more or my toddler or (2) stop pumping low quality media to my brain (“adjust my feed”). For example if I notice podcasts on my feed are becoming less information dense (i.e. am I pausing less to ruminate on points ...
by bostonimproper
Mon May 05, 2025 4:18 pm
Forum: ERE Journals
Topic: bostonimproper's journal
Replies: 477
Views: 212347

Re: bostonimproper's journal

I’m not interested in debating politics— both for forum rules and my own preferences— but I think being circumspect about our reasons for moving has made my journal confusing and unclear.

So, to clarify: We did not come to Ireland for Ireland, we came to escape the political situation in the US ...
by bostonimproper
Sun May 04, 2025 4:58 am
Forum: ERE Journals
Topic: bostonimproper's journal
Replies: 477
Views: 212347

Re: bostonimproper's journal

Going Through the Motions

I’ve been at my new job a bit longer than a month. Things are going well enough. The company is about ten years behind the times so it’s very easy to make a big impact. My manager has already started talking about putting me on a path to Senior Staff in 1-2 years. Which ...
by bostonimproper
Wed Apr 23, 2025 5:03 pm
Forum: Friends, Family, Relationships, and Community Questions
Topic: Relationships and Guilt
Replies: 68
Views: 4117

Re: Relationships and Guilt

It seems pretty clear to me that the main drivers are pretty much the same as reduced fertility, i.e. fewer in real life interactions in the digital age (fewer meet cutes and fewer accidental babies) and high costs associated with settling down step with long term partner (read: houses are too ...
by bostonimproper
Mon Mar 31, 2025 6:22 pm
Forum: Friends, Family, Relationships, and Community Questions
Topic: How many partners have you had in your entire life?
Replies: 20
Views: 1388

Re: How many partners have you had in your entire life?

2. One boyfriend from 14-21 then my current spouse for the last 10+ years.
by bostonimproper
Mon Mar 31, 2025 5:46 pm
Forum: ERE Journals
Topic: bostonimproper's journal
Replies: 477
Views: 212347

Re: bostonimproper's journal

The biggest thing we left behind are the people. My in laws are all in Massachusetts. My best friend and her family, as well as my spouse’s best friend and his family, were all walking distance. We had an extensive network of friends and acquaintances in the area. We knew our neighbors, our city ...
by bostonimproper
Sat Mar 29, 2025 12:26 pm
Forum: ERE Journals
Topic: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal
Replies: 804
Views: 190929

Re: 3 yrs to FI: ertyu's journal

Sorry to hear about the job. Fingers crossed the universe has something better for you waiting on the other side of this tumult!
by bostonimproper
Sat Mar 29, 2025 9:56 am
Forum: ERE Journals
Topic: bostonimproper's journal
Replies: 477
Views: 212347

Re: bostonimproper's journal

The New Job

Started at my new job. It's... fine. My employer reminds me a lot of my job-before-last. The company is very poorly managed, but is able to skate by based on its brand. Growth has been stagnant for years, but it's profitable, so there's no existential imperative to change anything ...
by bostonimproper
Tue Mar 18, 2025 9:47 am
Forum: Philosophy and Lifestyle Questions
Topic: Premium Mediocrity
Replies: 19
Views: 1522

Re: Premium Mediocrity

The marketing term for this phenomenon is “affordable luxury.” It is a conscious effort by companies to appeal to people who feel like they are unable to afford “real” markers of wealth (e.g. a house, retirement) or the expensive alternative to a good (e.g. bespoke wood furniture, etc.) and to ...
by bostonimproper
Tue Mar 18, 2025 7:55 am
Forum: Money and Investment Questions
Topic: Financial Legacy - What's your bequest strategy?
Replies: 14
Views: 971

Re: Financial Legacy - What's your bequest strategy?

My plan is gradually transfer assets to our only child during the usual big life events (e.g. pay for college, assist with down payment if necessary, first kid, etc.). Wealth inequality is stark and growing, and I expect that an inheritance is pretty much the only way for our child to maintain the ...
by bostonimproper
Sun Mar 16, 2025 11:40 pm
Forum: Money and Investment Questions
Topic: Preparing for the next recession
Replies: 53
Views: 11607

Re: Preparing for the next recession

https://www.atlantafed.org/-/media/Images/cqer/research/gdpnow/gdpnow-forecast-evolution.gif

This is bizarre. It seems to be real and not fake news. ???


To add to the animal’s post above, gold imports in particular have significantly skewed the Atlanta GDPNow tracker. Excluding gold you are ...
by bostonimproper
Fri Mar 14, 2025 3:41 am
Forum: Money and Investment Questions
Topic: Sources of financial news and opinions
Replies: 18
Views: 2999

Re: Sources of financial news and opinions

I read and listen to financial news because I’m generally interested in it, but I don’t find it particularly helpful in selecting investments? For what it’s worth, most have free podcasts that will cover the big headlines with surface commentary.
by bostonimproper
Tue Mar 04, 2025 8:55 am
Forum: Emergent Renaissance Ecology
Topic: Future of Artificial Intelligence
Replies: 518
Views: 165120

Re: Future of Artificial Intelligence

I've been considering how to use LLMs to extend our operational capacity at newest employer. I think we are alllllmost at the point where hallucinations are infrequent enough for LLM agents to be useful in production for narrow tasks (i.e. structured decision making on unstructured data).

What ...