11:31 – The Lawnmower Medic is out back working on Barbara’s mower, sharpening the blade, changing oil, and otherwise getting it ready for spring. When I met him at the door, out of the blue he said, “You know, with your voice, you should be on the radio”. People have been suggesting that for 40 years or more. Perhaps I missed a career as a libertarian talk-radio host.
We’re out of the supplementary chemical bags for the international version of the chemistry kit, so I’m making up and bottling chemicals for 60 more sets. That may be a year’s supply, which is fine because all of those chemicals are dead stable.
Don’t know if you guys are seeing more natural gas vehicles but my next truck will be both gasoline and natural gas:
http://fuelfix.com/blog/2014/02/27/researchers-natural-gas-vehicles-will-see-rapid-rise-globally-through-2023/
I have a new natural gas station going in about 15 miles away from me. The natural gas price equivalent around here is about $2/gallon.
The dadgum conversion kits are still too high though as the Ford truck installed price is about $8,000. My price point is about $4,000 for me to do it.
I filed my federal incomes taxes electronically last Friday, 21 Feb, at 9:00 PM. Refund posted to my bank on Thursday night (Friday posting date). Less than six days.
And yes, I get a refund, sizable. But I have enough taken out that if I decide to not contribute to a personal IRA I will still owe nothing. The interest lost by not keeping the money myself is less than $15.00. Which is significantly less than the penalty for not holding out enough.
Went to see Gravity today, one of the Best Picture Oscar nominees. Really good film, great performance by Sandra Bullock. The 3D looked realistic, as opposed to the preview for Spiderman 2, where the 3D looked awful.
Some of the actions in the film were unrealistic, but to do them in a realistic fashion would have confused audiences. In particular, the orbital mechanics for orbital transfers weren’t right, but orbital mechanics is very counterintuitive, as are most physics problems with accelerating frames of reference.
Bob, I believe there are ways of setting up one’s own radio broadcast station legally; saw some info on it a while back and don’t recall where. Hell, why not?
I’d do it up here but peeps would think Father Coughlin had risen from the dead.
Oh man, I am in love with the new S&W Model 66 .357:
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_827561_-1_757767_757751_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y
And can I say that I am somewhat interested in the new S&W Model 9mm 8 shot revolver (but I would prefer a S&W .40 bullet):
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_827553_-1_757677_757677_757677_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y
I must admit that I am not happy with S&W price increase of 25% though.
And the wife says my tastes are a little expensive.
I filed my federal incomes taxes electronically last Friday, 21 Feb, at 9:00 PM.
Lucky dog. I’ve got to get my business tax return done first by a CPA (we are a Sub S corporation). And it is due March 15. And I have a sizable refund also.
But no personal IRA. I maintain a Simple IRA for myself and my employees at Fidelity. I do a dollar for dollar match for up to 3% of their income. I would do more but the feddies will not let me. And, they are immediately vested in the money I put in, twice per month. None of this crap about waiting for the end of the year to see if you still work there like a certain corporation whose initials might be related to HAL.
But no personal IRA. I maintain a Simple IRA for myself and my employees at Fidelity.
I also have an IRA at work. They match 100% on the first 5% of my salary immediately vested in my account. Used to get the money put in the account once a month but that is changing to twice a month.
Since we are considered educational, offices on the UT (Tennessee, the other orange), we used to get paid once a month, same as the university. With the new boss there were some changes to bring us in compliance with state law. You must be paid at least twice a month for private businesses with government agencies (the university) being exempt. It was also discovered that any retirement contributions must be submitted within 3 working days of when you got paid, thus another change. Our health savings account contributions will also be done twice a month.
The organization was simply following the university schedule and that apparently had been in place for about 60 years. But the overreaching hand of the government is getting stronger. No one had any complaints about monthly pay. In fact all my bills were scheduled around that monthly cycle. When the change was made I had to scramble to change my automatic bill payments.
I would do more but the feddies will not let me
That is odd considering that we are allowed up to 5%.
S&W has some nice firearms but they are expensive and probably overpriced. I like Ruger and Taurus.
16 and overcast here this morning; gotta do the dump run, mail run, and then go get Mrs. OFD, who, after two weeks in the balmy state of Texas, is probably freezing here now; it was 3 at the airport when she got in late last night.
Frankly, the only thing I liked about Gravity was seeing the Lovely Sandra Bullock in a tank top and short shorts.
Lynn, I thought the senior fembot had already forbidden any more firearms purchases. I admit I do like the look of your XDM .40. Pity I don’t live in the US… 🙁
I would do more but the feddies will not let me
That is odd considering that we are allowed up to 5%.
Simple IRAs are limited to a max employee contribution of $12,000 per year. The employer match is limited to 3% of their pay:
http://www.irs.gov/Retirement-Plans/SIMPLE-IRA-Plan-FAQs-Contributions
You must have another plan such as a 401K or a special education only retirement account that I can only dream of.
Lynn, I thought the senior fembot had already forbidden any more firearms purchases.
I gave the glock model 22 to my son for Christmas / graduation. He graduated from the University of Houston last Christmas with his Chemistry / Physics degree. I need a replacement for self.
Actually, S&W has released eight new revolvers for 2014, including the re-release of the model 66 combat magnum. I like the eight shot 9mm revolvers also but would prefer S&W .40 caliber. Expensive but beautiful! And Rugers are the same price.
I just want to know who is going to carry this little monster, a S&W .50 magnum with a 4 inch barrel:
http://www.smith-wesson.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product4_750001_750051_764948_-1_757771_757767_757751_ProductDisplayErrorView_Y
I’ll bet that .50 magnum will take you for a ride, especially when I found out that you can get +p loads for the magnum shell.
“Frankly, the only thing I liked about Gravity was seeing the Lovely Sandra Bullock in a tank top and short shorts.”
To be accurate, she would have been wearing adult diapers…
Other than the special effects, I fail to see how the lovely Ms. Bullock can be nominated for best actress, while “The Book Thief” was virtually ignored (other than a paltry “best achievement in music-original score). I guess American Rah-Rah always trumps quality.
I much preferred Jonás Cuarón’s “Aningaaq”, which portrays the conversation Sandra had with the Inuit: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0zcYkuIzzy8
You must have another plan such as a 401K or a special education only retirement account
It is through TIAA-CREF which is for teachers, something like a 403B or some other silly nomenclature. Serves the same as a 401k so that is what I call it.
“I guess American Rah-Rah always trumps quality.”
Seems that way; we have produced mostly rubbish for decades now, ditto in popular music. We suck.
Well, Justin Bieber is Canadian, so we carry our own share of the guilt. Of course, he’s pandering to the US Tween market, so it’s only a teeny little bit of guilt.
TIAA-CREF is what public television has, mostly. I guess they were once considered educational or something. Due to various disincentives, I had to cash out long before retirement, when I moved to an organization that did not have TIAA-CREF. Essentially, when you take retirement, the TIAA-CREF 403b or whatever it is, is converted to an annuity. In Chicago, we had guys retiring from that TV station, which had been their only job for their entire lives, and they had accumulated so much that they retired to substantially more income from the annuity than they were making at work.