Spoom's recent activity

  1. Comment on Volodymyr Zelenskyy offers to step down if Ukraine can join NATO in ~society

    Spoom
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    Jon Stewart is my ideal US President. He's gotten a lot done for veterans and first responders even without elected power, and he knows firsthand how the government does and doesn't work. Alas,...

    Jon Stewart is my ideal US President. He's gotten a lot done for veterans and first responders even without elected power, and he knows firsthand how the government does and doesn't work. Alas, he's said several times that he won't run. I wouldn't mind a Daily Show guest or two subtly bringing it back up though.

    20 votes
  2. Comment on Does anyone want to talk about stocks/options? in ~finance

    Spoom
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    Yeah, I've heard that from a lot of my colleagues who aren't in the automatically sell on vesting camp... but I think I'd still feel very anxious having all my eggs in one basket, who also happens...

    Yeah, I've heard that from a lot of my colleagues who aren't in the automatically sell on vesting camp... but I think I'd still feel very anxious having all my eggs in one basket, who also happens to be my employer. That's a lot of risk all in one place. (Besides, my employer makes up a not insignificant part of the US stock market anyway, so my index fund holdings still have a lot of them.)

    4 votes
  3. Comment on Does anyone want to talk about stocks/options? in ~finance

    Spoom
    Link Parent
    This is me. I hold VTSAX primarily, which tracks the entire US stock market, and about 10% of VTIAX, which tracks the entire international stock market. I get RSUs from my job that I immediately...

    This is me. I hold VTSAX primarily, which tracks the entire US stock market, and about 10% of VTIAX, which tracks the entire international stock market. I get RSUs from my job that I immediately sell and reinvest in the above funds. My 401K is in a Vanguard target date fund which is mostly 80/20 stocks to bonds, so it has a little less risk tolerance than my regular brokerage account. Essentially, the Bogleheads' three-fund portfolio weighted more heavily toward equity since I have a relatively aggressive risk tolerance.

    Show me an active fund that consistently beats the market, pricing in all fees, and I'll consider moving some of that.

    14 votes
  4. Comment on US Republican Party representative introduces bill to amend the 22nd Amendment, seeking to allow a third Donald Trump term in office in ~society

    Spoom
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    I love the specific anti-Obama carveout they were careful to make. "No no, not that kind of third term."

    I love the specific anti-Obama carveout they were careful to make.

    "No no, not that kind of third term."

    3 votes
  5. Comment on US Federal judge temporarily blocks Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship order in ~society

    Spoom
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    Nah, they'll say they were never really citizens to begin with.

    Nah, they'll say they were never really citizens to begin with.

    3 votes
  6. Comment on US Federal judge temporarily blocks Donald Trump’s birthright citizenship order in ~society

    Spoom
    (edited )
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    IMHO the EO was always expected to go to SCOTUS, where they'll reverse Wong Kim Ark, make this retroactive (because without Wong Kim Ark, the EO isn't even necessary), and ensure that no future...

    IMHO the EO was always expected to go to SCOTUS, where they'll reverse Wong Kim Ark, make this retroactive (because without Wong Kim Ark, the EO isn't even necessary), and ensure that no future law could overrule them short of a Constitutional Amendment.

    Fun fact, by my understanding of the fallback in the absence of WKA, dual citizens would also be automatically excluded since they are "subject to a foreign power". That includes me.

    7 votes
  7. Comment on Your favorite game OSTs in ~games

    Spoom
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    IMHO you should try playing Undertale, it's not a big time investment but it was still one of my favorite games in the last few years. (And it is indeed a big part of the game. Toby Fox did...

    IMHO you should try playing Undertale, it's not a big time investment but it was still one of my favorite games in the last few years. (And it is indeed a big part of the game. Toby Fox did essentially the entire game and soundtrack himself, with art contributions from Temmie Chang. The titular Undertale track comes with a big emotional gutpunch in the storyline that I don't want to ruin.)

    2 votes
  8. Comment on If our worst fears about Donald Trump play out, how will we know when it's time to leave? in ~society

    Spoom
    (edited )
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    I have a wife and two kids. I'm a white, cis man. I have the incredible privilege, among my many other privileges, of having dual citizenship with Canada. I've prepped to the degree that I have my...

    I have a wife and two kids. I'm a white, cis man.

    I have the incredible privilege, among my many other privileges, of having dual citizenship with Canada. I've prepped to the degree that I have my certificates of Canadian citizenship for each of my kids (who are dual citizens by birth), and we've researched the options for immigration for my wife, should it come to it (tl;dr: sponsoring her would not be too difficult, and the Canadian government is likely to let us do so from inside the country). I'm also employed by a large multinational with offices in Canada, so relocation is probably a thing I could do.

    I've been thinking about this a lot, recently. As a naturalized immigrant, the deportation rhetoric scares me a bit, but whether or not I take it seriously depends on who's doing the deportation. If it's organized ICE agents, I'll probably be fine since I am a documented, naturalized US citizen with a very clean past. If it's a mob of unaccountable state or national "guards", or Trump or his cronies build a program like Texas's that deputize citizens to round folks up, we're getting the fuck out of Dodge.

    Other things I'm looking for:

    • If elections stop happening in any real way, or are otherwise watered down to the point that we essentially have an Orbán-style autocracy
    • If political persecutions start based on what someone has said or done outside of criminal law, or the law is redefined to enable these
    • Similarly, if they start similar things for immutable characteristics such as race or gender, or belief structures
    • If certain key Supreme Court rulings are overturned: Obergefell, Griswold, Lawrence, others similarly
    • If denaturalization starts happening on any broad basis beyond the existing handful of cases per year where citizenship was ostensibly obtained through fraud

    It seems like a tipping point. I'm worried, but I'm not actively running away yet. (In fact, I'm getting more involved in local government so I can say that I at least did something beyond voting. Check out Run for Something if you're interested.)

    Call me a coward if you want, but my family always comes first. At least Canada has a long history of being exactly this kind of relief-valve for the US's most terrible impulses.

    4 votes
  9. Comment on Donald Trump's team mulls postponing Ukraine's NATO membership for at least twenty years, WSJ reports in ~society

    Spoom
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    I'm convinced this is Trump's play. Get a meeting with Zelenskyy, make it clear that all arms shipments are stopping now, and tell him in no uncertain terms to accept surrender to Russia or the US...

    I'm convinced this is Trump's play. Get a meeting with Zelenskyy, make it clear that all arms shipments are stopping now, and tell him in no uncertain terms to accept surrender to Russia or the US will make things far worse somehow.

    7 votes
  10. Comment on Saluting the Chromecast, one of the great HDMI dongles in ~tech

    Spoom
    Link Parent
    Chromecast Ultra is 4K if you can find one.

    Chromecast Ultra is 4K if you can find one.

    1 vote
  11. Comment on We tried and failed to find performance differences in our twenty-six microwaves in ~food

    Spoom
    Link Parent
    That's a strange design if you have number buttons; on every microwave I've had, you were able to press Cook Power (or whatever) and then 1 through 0 to set the power in increments of 10% (so...

    That's a strange design if you have number buttons; on every microwave I've had, you were able to press Cook Power (or whatever) and then 1 through 0 to set the power in increments of 10% (so press 5 for 50%).

    Fully agree on tactile buttons. I feel like especially in cars, this will start to become a differentiating factor for me (though I'm not currently looking at cars new enough to be in the "one big touchscreen in the middle" era).

    1 vote
  12. Comment on <deleted topic> in ~tv

    Spoom
    Link Parent
    I've heard they brought (or are bringing) The Doctor back as well. I need to catch up on that show.

    I've heard they brought (or are bringing) The Doctor back as well. I need to catch up on that show.

  13. Comment on Why do some people posting ChatGPT answer to the discussion/debate/question? in ~tech

    Spoom
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    A team member posted a brainteaser in our chat and asked folks to share evidence that they figured out how to solve it without actually giving the answer away. Many people participated and subtly...

    A team member posted a brainteaser in our chat and asked folks to share evidence that they figured out how to solve it without actually giving the answer away. Many people participated and subtly shared roundabout answers. Inevitably, of course, someone decided to say "this is what AI says" with a full solution provided by a bot. To their credit, they deleted the answer once someone pointed out that they were really ignoring the spirit of the request, but I think ultimately the fact that someone will do this says more about the person than the technology.

    2 votes
  14. Comment on Men took over a job fair intended for women and nonbinary tech workers in ~tech

    Spoom
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    There was a definite question of whether or not this locale would be safe among some potential attendees I know this year, people who went previously but declined this time.

    There was a definite question of whether or not this locale would be safe among some potential attendees I know this year, people who went previously but declined this time.

    2 votes
  15. Comment on Work profile, akin to credit score? in ~tech

    Spoom
    Link Parent
    Sure, that's reasonable. I don't exactly have a lot of trust in Equifax either. But all that I can tell of their public policy suggests that they don't give out the salary information freely, and...

    Sure, that's reasonable. I don't exactly have a lot of trust in Equifax either. But all that I can tell of their public policy suggests that they don't give out the salary information freely, and I suspect that if they did, there would be another PR disaster on-hand and likely a very easy class action ("I got a job and they paid me less because they got my salary history; you owe me the difference!"). So they have reason to go by their word here.

    1 vote
  16. Comment on Work profile, akin to credit score? in ~tech

    Spoom
    Link Parent
    Also from the website: Technically, salary information requires a "salary key" which the consumer needs to generate: I think you're right about the general employment history though; as I...

    Also from the website:

    Equifax requires all verifiers to obtain consent from the consumer prior to obtaining income information from The Work Number.

    Technically, salary information requires a "salary key" which the consumer needs to generate:

    A salary key is a six-digit number that allows one-time access to your information. A verifier will advise when a salary key is needed. To generate a salary key, log in to view your data and search for your employer.

    I think you're right about the general employment history though; as I understand it, by default, they require your explicit consent to get salary details.

    1 vote
  17. Comment on Work profile, akin to credit score? in ~tech

    Spoom
    Link Parent
    As I understand it, companies require your consent (through a "key" you generate) to see your salary history on TWN. Still not ideal, but they can't just pull your history without you knowing and...

    As I understand it, companies require your consent (through a "key" you generate) to see your salary history on TWN. Still not ideal, but they can't just pull your history without you knowing and actively consenting to it.

    3 votes
  18. Comment on Are there any new shows available like Patriot Act or The Daily Show? in ~tv

    Spoom
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    Jon Stewart has a show on Apple+: The Problem with Jon Stewart. More of a weekly topic-du-jour show akin to Last Week Tonight though, as opposed to the more freewheeling Daily Show.

    Jon Stewart has a show on Apple+: The Problem with Jon Stewart. More of a weekly topic-du-jour show akin to Last Week Tonight though, as opposed to the more freewheeling Daily Show.

    22 votes
  19. Comment on Bosses dislike work-from-home but suspect they’re stuck with it in ~finance

    Spoom
    Link Parent
    We have an informal expectation at my workplace that folks can advertise that they follow "nohello", which basically means that if you message them, all details need to be in the initial message....

    We have an informal expectation at my workplace that folks can advertise that they follow "nohello", which basically means that if you message them, all details need to be in the initial message. It prevents this sort of needless wait for the core of the communication.

  20. Comment on This is how we finally kill TurboTax in ~finance

    Spoom
    Link Parent
    It's important to know that the IRS will send a letter in the mail first. They don't start with phone calls, which is a good thing to know given all the scam attempts people use to convince you...

    It's important to know that the IRS will send a letter in the mail first. They don't start with phone calls, which is a good thing to know given all the scam attempts people use to convince you that they are the IRS and that you need to pay them immediately.

    Also, they know quite a bit about your tax situation, and most of it could be precalculated based on the informational forms which they have received. These aren't just your W-2; take a look next time you receive tax documents about e.g. your HSA, 401(k) account, or mortgage interest, for example, and you'll notice that most say that a copy is automatically sent to the IRS when they send it to you. More complicated situations do require input thought, which is why countries where returns are precalculated still allow adjustments at tax time.

    Agreed that the IRS is usually pretty chill when communicating about a perceived incorrect or incomplete tax filing. It doesn't require a formal audit though.

    1 vote