Search found 27 matches

by dyeusdi
Sun Mar 05, 2017 8:04 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Master Thread for Metro Boston's Chapter
Replies: 505
Views: 219792

Re: Master Thread for Metro Boston's Chapter

Will be there.
by dyeusdi
Tue Jan 31, 2017 7:28 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Single Malt Scotch-time for another thread?
Replies: 69
Views: 10162

Re: Single Malt Scotch-time for another thread?

Lagavulin 16 is definitely a good somewhat peaty and darker color scotch, and welcome pretty much anywhere. For a easier and smoother glass, I'm a fan of Oban and Clynelish. Other things I've liked recently have been Springbank, Ballechin, and a peated Glenrothes.

I've found this map useful for a rough categorization of scotches: http://blog.whiskeydisks.com/single-mal ... lavor-map/

Happy Burns Night!
by dyeusdi
Fri Jun 10, 2016 8:06 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Smartphone Annoyance - Moto G
Replies: 1
Views: 502

Re: Smartphone Annoyance - Moto G

I had one for a few years and I believe that only happened for opening new tabs. It may be different as I had the "Play Edition" version which ran stock Android, but my newer Moto X behaves the same.

It may be work resetting the phone to factory configuration, after backing up your apps. It may also just be that you're out of storage space, which was my main reason for upgrading. It would definitely slow down, and apps would crash if I let it fill up.

Other than that, you can't beat the price, or the battery life.
by dyeusdi
Fri Jun 03, 2016 8:09 am
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: Master Thread for Metro Boston's Chapter
Replies: 505
Views: 219792

Re: Master Thread for Metro Boston's Chapter

Finally in a position where I know I can make it. See you there!
by dyeusdi
Fri May 20, 2016 7:53 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: 20th Century Stereo in a 21st Century World
Replies: 71
Views: 10203

Re: 20th Century Stereo in a 21st Century World

Definitely think the OP found the graceful (and frugal) solution.

I did want to point out that Google now makes an audio Chromecast with optical out for the audiophiles looking for higher fidelity. Works with my 90s era stereo (which I am currently researching to replace).

Thanks for the read!
by dyeusdi
Thu Apr 07, 2016 10:04 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Outdoor movie set up with iPad as video source
Replies: 11
Views: 2297

Re: Outdoor movie set up with iPad as video source

Can't speak to the projector, but I know that the iPad to HDMI dongle is both expensive and not very good. It has a chip in it since the tablet is essentially doing desktop sharing over lightning, not raw video. This caps out the video quality at a low rate which doesn't look very good compared to the device's screen itself. The cable is also somewhat expensive due to the additional hardware.

Might be better off getting an Apple TV and just sharing over WIFI to it, and getting real HDMI out. I think they're $150 vs $50 for the cable, but you can also stream from a nearby mac or phone.

I love my Roku, but would consider getting an Apple TV just for the easy and quality screen sharing (vs Roku's Chromecast support).
by dyeusdi
Mon Dec 14, 2015 12:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: FLIR Camera?
Replies: 12
Views: 2010

Re: FLIR Camera?

Just picked up the current Flir One and have been having a lot of fun with it. Have used it to see which cars on the street have been used recently, see pipes under radiant floor heating, and even (somewhat embarrassingly) pick up after my dog in the dark and leafy park. Mostly purchased it for finding drafts in the house, but coworkers seem to get a kick out of seeing the thermal print on a chair in which they were just sitting.

The video capture might be cpu intensive, and seems to occasionally choppy on my old Moto G than newer phones.
by dyeusdi
Wed Dec 02, 2015 7:26 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: How to encrypt files for backup?
Replies: 41
Views: 6795

Re: How to encrypt files for backup?

If you use the .sparsebundle format and an rsync compatible backup system, only those parts of the .sparsebundle that actually change will be sent during the backup process. I've read that TrueCrypt files are rsyncable, and I played with it a while back. But I was not able to get it to work reliably. Since I was on a Mac and did not actually need the cross platform goodness of TC, I opted to just go with the .sparsebundle. I frequently do backups of a 120Gb .sparsebundle to an offsite server (one under my own control, not a cloud service). But since it is a .sparsebundle file, only the 1-2GB that have changed since the last backup have to be pushed over the line so it only takes a few hours instead of several days. Also a mac user and have...
by dyeusdi
Sun Sep 06, 2015 11:10 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Aug 2015 correction: what Bogleheads did...
Replies: 143
Views: 16364

Re: Aug 2015 correction: what Bogleheads did...

I was one of the 7 who did nothing.

Am mid-career and entirely tax-advantaged, so no TLH to do. Recently married and we still pretty far from maxing out our joint pre-tax limits. Between Target Date in my IRA and settings in my 401k, I am continuously rebalancing.

Siamond did get me thinking about ways to take advantage of a correction --I just temporarily upped my 401k contribution a bit and will curb spending accordingly.

As a newcomer, I'm still a bit confused about the talk of rebalancing performance --how does measuring strategies by performance even make sense when the whole purpose is to maintain volatility exposure. Seems like volatility, not gains, should be the metric of success. Old habits die hard?
by dyeusdi
Tue Aug 25, 2015 9:29 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: The Bogleheads' Silent Majority
Replies: 255
Views: 50520

Re: The Bogleheads' Silent Majority

Silent here, but nearly daily reader, for about five years. Mid career and investing mostly on Target Date auto-balance, so nothing to do right now but continue tax-advantaged contributions.

Am not here to actually do anything, but to read and learn. Every day I scan the homepage until I find a term or idea that I haven't picked up yet (plenty of choice). Jumped on the iBonds bandwagon, still pretty happy with them, and love Cruncher's site for easy value lookup.

These days, I mostly read the threads about books and hobbies. :)
by dyeusdi
Mon Nov 03, 2014 9:06 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: November 1 2014 I Bond Inflation Component
Replies: 28
Views: 6756

Re: November 1 2014 I Bond Inflation Component

I Bond Earnings Rate of 1.48% includes a Fixed Rate of 0.00%
The earnings rate for Series I Savings Bonds is a combination of a fixed rate, which applies for the life of the bond, and the semiannual inflation rate. The 1.48% earnings rate for I bonds bought from November 2014 through April 2015 applies for the first six months after the issue date. The earnings rate combines a 0.00% fixed rate of return with the 1.48% annualized rate of inflation as measured by the Consumer Price Index for all Urban Consumers (CPI-U). The CPI-U increased from 236.293 in March 2014 to 238.031 in September 2014, a six-month increase of 0.74%.
via http://www.treasurydirect.gov/news/pres ... di1114.htm

A bit underwhelming. :|
by dyeusdi
Tue Oct 22, 2013 6:54 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Cheapest way to own and operate a car
Replies: 18
Views: 3499

Re: Cheapest way to own and operate a car

I love that this is currently listed right under the Tesla S thread on the home page.
by dyeusdi
Sun Sep 22, 2013 11:23 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Apparently I am slow [Lump sum investing]
Replies: 65
Views: 7136

Re: Apparently I am slow [Lump sum investing]

I think not. The general advice is to decide your AA and invest accordingly. You're right in that I should not be so general. I also cringe whenever someone speaks for all Bogleheads --we are a diverse community. The specific advice I refer to is from the Windfall page and related section of the Bogleheads Guide book. http://www.bogleheads.org/wiki/Managing_a_windfall Set aside six months to one year's income requirements in a transaction account such as your checking account. Place the remaining windfall assets in separate accounts holding secure low-risk savings vehicles, such as FDIC guaranteed bank accounts and CDs, money market funds, and treasury bills. Use this period of time to begin resolving emotional, family, and social issues ....
by dyeusdi
Sun Sep 22, 2013 9:15 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Apparently I am slow [Lump sum investing]
Replies: 65
Views: 7136

Re: Apparently I am slow [Lump sum investing]

Lets try some reframing: The general windfall advice from this board is to put it somewhere safe for 6 months and not touch it. I assume this means bonds or cash. This is, of course, a behavioral strategy. It also immediately changes your asset allocation towards reduced risk. There's no such thing as "holding back", as even cash bears risk (inflation, monetary policy, exchange rates, etc). After the waiting period, it may be time to reassess your asset allocation. The old one may not be suitable anymore, which sounds like the case. But recognize that it has already changed in light of your initial move towards safety. And it makes perfect sense to shift towards safety the larger your portfolio is --If I had $100 in my 401k, I'd p...
by dyeusdi
Sun Sep 08, 2013 5:17 pm
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone have experience with Harvard Extension school?
Replies: 22
Views: 8082

Re: Anyone have experience with Harvard Extension school?

if you are really motivated to learn- take a class on Coursera, free and 100% better quality. Harvard Extension school is a joke No need to be a troll --it's about the piece of paper. For a BA at least, Harvard Extension is accredited, affordable, and quality. These values are completely in line with the principles of this board. Ironically, the only joke may be the overpriced nature of name-brand undergraduate degrees. No degree here, but in the tech I am thankfully able to max out my 401k, Roth IRA, and I Bonds while managing to set aside college money for my two nephews. I also support my masters-holding partner who takes home a third my salary and lost years of late-20s income to get there. I take a course or two a year at night toward...
by dyeusdi
Fri Sep 06, 2013 6:52 am
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Boston this weekend
Replies: 25
Views: 2821

Re: Boston this weekend

Voting up some of the previous responses: The Isabella Stewart Gardner museum is one of my favorite places in the city. It and the MFA make a good pairing as they are completely different in atmosphere and presentation. The Atheneum might be interesting too, but I've never actually gone as it's only open during the day. The Prudential walk is very much with it for the view, and really understanding the layout of the city. If you're looking down on grid streets, that means it used to be a bay or river basin. Oleana is amazing, but out of the way from downtown. Make a reservation if you go, and take a cab. The Harvard Square restaurants above (Harvest, Henrietta's, Upstairs) should tie in better with a walking trip around the yard. Mistral is...
by dyeusdi
Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:36 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Google Chromecast Streaming HDMI Media Player
Replies: 75
Views: 11648

Re: Google Chromecast Streaming HDMI Media Player

Got mine over the weekend. Very easy and quick to set up at home. Random thoughts: - Watched a ton of YouTube due to the extreme ease of queuing/browsing during playback, using a iPad mini. Might set this up, in a side room, for social viewing during my next party. - No wired LAN support, so quality could theoretically suffer. For Netflix, which is often not great, I have not yet noticed a difference. Likely to use this over the xbox due to ease of use for non-gamer family members. - Browser based audio works great, so Pandora is already supported when run in Chrome. Spotify was a no-go since there's no browser version. Had to do this for the browser-based Play music. - Casting a browser tab's video works well enough, though I had to pause ...
by dyeusdi
Sat Jul 27, 2013 8:58 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: Anyone have experience with Harvard Extension school?
Replies: 22
Views: 8082

Re: Anyone have experience with Harvard Extension school?

I don't know about the accounting classes, but Harvard Extension is generally low cost and high quality. It is much better than community college. Of the 4 classes I've taken there, 3 have been taught by Harvard faculty. Michael Haselkorn, a Bentley professor, is teaching a section and seems to get generally good reviews on RateMyProfessor.com I've taken 8 courses there, mixed undergrad and graduate courses, mostly in Linguistics and Mathematics. The majority of classes were taught by active daytime Harvard instructors (look for HI on the listing). All have been for 1/4 the cost of the day school, usually around $800 to $1500. The Economic Game Theory class was lighter on the number crunching, but I believe the reading and the lectures wer...
by dyeusdi
Mon Jun 24, 2013 3:19 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: At Cost Cafe Home delivery
Replies: 23
Views: 2985

Re: At Cost Cafe Home delivery

Reminder for Boston folks, the At-Cost Cafe truck will be in town starting tomorrow morning for a few days.

Edit:
At 26¢,I think this qualifies as a Personal Finance post :beer. You can find it at the Government Center Station until Thursday, 6/27.

Image
by dyeusdi
Thu Jun 20, 2013 4:40 pm
Forum: Personal Consumer Issues
Topic: Buy Nexus 4? Or wait for Nexus 5?
Replies: 54
Views: 8606

Re: Buy Nexus 4? Or wait for Nexus 5?

re: sim cutting, post-iphone-life I'm still on my iPhone 2 unlimited plan after all this time, even though I recently upgrade my Galaxy Nexus to the Nexus 4. Was able to walk into an AT&T store and replace my original SIM with a micro SIM, free of charge. Happy with the new phone, better resolution is nice though the color quality and viewing angle are worse. After a week I don't even notice anymore. Also note that the Nexus 4 still does not support LTE. Not sure I would have bought it for $600, but at $300 I feel it was a good deal. Tethering is brilliant. Am still somewhat of an Apple fanboy. Still on iOS via the ipad mini I picked up, even though it doesn't have true background tasks (eg: tcp chat). It also has neither a calculator n...
by dyeusdi
Thu Jun 06, 2013 7:14 am
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Jargon help for a BH noob - results/strategy
Replies: 12
Views: 1065

Re: Jargon help for a BH noob - results/strategy

I interpret as you did. Akin to my real life experience:

> CEO (company meeting): Our strategy is to be profitable.
> Me (aside): That's a goal, not a strategy.

He proceeded to motivate the programmer geeks with sports metaphors.
by dyeusdi
Wed May 01, 2013 6:31 am
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Brand New to Investing- Lost
Replies: 37
Views: 4665

Re: Brand New to Investing- Lost

re: tax-advantaged I wouldn't stress too much about the differences in tax-advantaged spaces. For simplicity, if you assume your tax bracket will be the same in retirement, then money in a 401k and money in a Roth are exactly the same. They grow at the same rate if you give them the same allocation, and the post-tax value is identical. The "advantage" part comes from the fact that in both cases the growth and compounding is tax free. My only recommendation is that when comparing them, mentally pay the taxes on the 401k/tIRA and only treat the remainder as "yours" as it would be if you'd invested taxable; it prevents attachement to the part you are custodian of, not the owner. I also recommend the Bogleheads book. It got ...
by dyeusdi
Mon Apr 01, 2013 6:42 am
Forum: Personal Finance (Not Investing)
Topic: IT Professionals - Applying For Job Without Requested Skills
Replies: 34
Views: 3762

Re: IT Professionals - Applying For Job Without Requested Sk

Am I wasting the employer's time (or my own) by even applying for this position? If they entertain my application, am I setting myself for an awkward or embarrassing interview? I am fully confident in my ability to learn and excel at PHP, but would that confidence mean anything to an employer? A waste of an impatient recruiter's time, but not yours. As a interviewer I've often been frustrated by Java developers applying for JavaScript positions and saying they're "pretty much the same", but I'd still say go for it. It'd be worth it for the one hiring manager who took a chance, and the previously mentioned networking opportunities. All the disciplined PHP developers I know learned their best practices way by starting in other lang...
by dyeusdi
Tue Mar 19, 2013 7:47 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: What asset classes to put in a Roth?
Replies: 61
Views: 6889

Re: What asset classes to put in a Roth?

If all other things like tax rates are equal it doen't matter. You may pay more in taxes with the higher asset in the tIRA but the after tax return is the same. Minimizng taxes is the wrong way to look at the question. The important thing is after tax returns. OK - thanks to the posts below, now I see Doc's point and where I went wrong. The thing I missed was that $1000 of an asset class held in a tIRA is only worth $1000 x (1-tax rate) after taxes are paid. So in terms of asset allocation, say at a 30% tax rate, you're really only holding $700 of the asset class in the tIRA after taxes are considered. By swapping out $1000 of an asset class from the tIRA to the Roth, you increase your allocation to the high return asset class, and thus yo...
by dyeusdi
Wed Mar 13, 2013 6:57 pm
Forum: Investing - Theory, News & General
Topic: Why do people care about the Dow?
Replies: 50
Views: 6017

Re: Why do people care about the Dow?

Speaking of timely, NPR's Planet Money radio show takes a good dig at the Average, for many of the aforementioned reasons. No transcript yet, but the podcast is available for listen.
http://www.npr.org/blogs/money/2013/03/ ... e-the-hype
Planet Money wrote:And even if it does hit a real, inflation-adjusted high in the next few weeks, it won't mean much. The Dow is a seriously flawed stock index, and it's certainly not a good way to measure what's going on in the overall economy.

On today's show, we rain on the Dow's parade and explain why a lot of very smart people say we should ignore the Dow.
by dyeusdi
Sat Feb 02, 2013 10:52 pm
Forum: Personal Investments
Topic: Ibonds as Emergency Fund and Bond allocation
Replies: 29
Views: 4281

Re: Ibonds as Emergency Fund AND Bond allocation

papito23 wrote: FWIW I am in my late 20s and am moving my 90/10 port to a 100% stock Roth with an iBond complement. If I'm in a bind, I'll use iBonds first, then replenish them first when I'm ready to contribute again.
If the value of the Roth fell dramatically -- would you rebalance by buying stocks in taxable?
by dyeusdi
Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:06 pm
Forum: US Chapters
Topic: What's the ratio of retired/not retired on this forum?
Replies: 41
Views: 7090

Re: What's the ratio of retired/not retired on this forum?

Speaking as a two-year lurker: Mid thirties, underwater due to a separation, new to financial planning, and now afloat again. I am extremely grateful for the abundance of approachable information on this forum, and the generous people who contribute and maintain it. The experiences shared here from across the life and income spectrum are sobering, heartening, and rewarding. I can only hope this community continues as I move across the poll categories, silently reading for years to come. =) Thanks so much!