I think the timing belt job from hell wound up a tooth off. Not as much power as it should have, and fuel economy is off the mark.
berkeley!
I think the timing belt job from hell wound up a tooth off. Not as much power as it should have, and fuel economy is off the mark.
berkeley!
Dusterbd13 wrote: I think the timing belt job from hell wound up a tooth off. Not as much power as it should have, and fuel economy is off the mark. berkeley!
I did a timing belt twice in the PT Cruiser that way.
Get into my office and it's hotter than outside. Thermostat reads 87. berkeley. It's blowing cold air again now, but I'm not holding my breath that it's gonna last. The last AC unit that went out in our building took almost a year until they got around to fixing it 
Finally sit down at my desk and see I finally have feedback, a week later, on a sample part sent to a customer that we've had a hell of a time trying to develop. He lists a number of issues that we have been over half a dozen times already as being inherent to either the process or the material itself. Don't know where we go from here. I'm far too prideful to ever give up and say we can't do what you're asking, but it makes it awfully damn hard to meet a customer's expectations when they're just not reasonable.
what the hell kind of straight dude comes to a wedding shower?
dculberson wrote: A million bucks nets you $40k/year in safe withdrawals. You can live off of $40k/year pretty well in any state east of Cali and west of Eastern Pa. The average house in Columbus - a fun and vibrant city - is $160k. If you don't have kids you can get a very nice place in a so-so school district for $300k. There's no need to take only a year or two off. You can take 40 years off if you want.
I've heard and figured that a million invested properly nets about 30K a year. The problem with trying to retire on that is that if you aren't going to work, and have it in your head that you are a millionaire, then your spending will inevitably go up.
I'd want 3 in the bank for an annual income of 90K to feel comfortable about living the life of ease. (and that would be away from California or the northeast).
OTOH, Tiger Mom is Filipina and says we could move there and live like royalty for 30K a year.
KyAllroad wrote:dculberson wrote: A million bucks nets you $40k/year in safe withdrawals. You can live off of $40k/year pretty well in any state east of Cali and west of Eastern Pa. The average house in Columbus - a fun and vibrant city - is $160k. If you don't have kids you can get a very nice place in a so-so school district for $300k. There's no need to take only a year or two off. You can take 40 years off if you want.I've heard and figured that a million invested properly nets about 30K a year. The problem with trying to retire on that is that if you aren't going to work, and have it in your head that you are a millionaire, then your spending will inevitably go up. I'd want 3 in the bank for an annual income of 90K to feel comfortable about living the life of ease. (and that would be away from California or the northeast). OTOH, Tiger Mom is Filipina and says we could move there and live like royalty for 30K a year.
After a mortgage, my take home pay is something under that $40K and I pay for four kids worth of expenses as well.
He could do it, and enjoy it, too. Just not in Cali.
In reply to KyAllroad:
How likely is it that you're going to have $3mm in liquid assets before you're close to death? I figure live frugally and enjoy life instead of working yourself to the bone until you're 80. It's very possible to have a ton of assets and not live like a spendthrift. Yes you're not going to be driving vipers but as this forum knows it doesn't take $75k to buy a fun car.
I spend less than $40k/year and anyone that's seen my house and cars knows I don't live like a monk. But I don't drive a viper and live in California either. ;)
I don't mean to sound like I'm berating you for the $3mm target - more power to you if that's what you really want. But I figured out years ago that it's not for me and I'd rather have time with my baby and wife than even more money in the bank.
In reply to dculberson: Oh, trust me I'm never gonna get there unless I discover a rich uncle or win the powerball. No my point is that for many people that hear "a million dollars" and believe they would be set for life. Most people would not.
I'm a government drone who is working toward a halfway decent pension, no getting rich here.
note: all you people with kids, never get divorced, the child support and reboot of your life will set you back approximately 15 years.
In reply to dculberson:
careers.ford.com... Or anything like that, replace Ford with GM, Boeing, Bosch, Denso, etc.
That's how.
This isn't directed at you, but it seems incredibly hard to convince people that STEM jobs are good, and one can live nicely as well as have a decent retirement without killing yourself in the process.
To the above people 4% is fine if you are pulling from say 65 years old to say 85 when you croak but when you are in your 30's inflation and fees eat that 4% down to 2% take home. Yes I could totally live on the 4% but not really how I like to roll in life. Would get bored and start a company I imagine after about 6 months of surfing.
FYI really thinking I just need to take some serious time off. Between the tumor in my head, which they cannot fix, the three or four they cut off my scalp and the bat-E36 M3 crazy around here I could use a month of just surfing in Mexico or something.
alfadriver wrote: This isn't directed at you, but it seems incredibly hard to convince people that STEM jobs are good, and one can live nicely as well as have a decent retirement without killing yourself in the process.
It's probably all the S workers in academia and T workers outside of hotspot cities making it hard to convince people that STEM jobs are good. As a tech worker outside of a hotspot city, I've personally advised people looking to start a tech career locally to look elsewhere, either in terms of location or field of study. I wish someone had done the same for me way back when.
In reply to tuna55:
That's actually pretty impressive. Growing up, my parents combined to 100k before taxes on a GOOD year, with an only child and no frivolous spending and it wasn't easy.
I've personally lived on 300k/year(ha, my rent was 60k that year btw) and 5k/year and most places in between. It was fine as a wandering bachelor, but now as a parent, the 35k I'm on track to make this year just doesn't seem like enough. Kinda why I'm happy I fell backwards into one of my old jobs this week. It's not much for take home, but will offset a good bit come tax season when my 1099s come in. If I don't bite the owners head off before then.
For my rant of the day: I decided not to post it because it could go political even though that isn't my intent.
GameboyRMH wrote:alfadriver wrote: This isn't directed at you, but it seems incredibly hard to convince people that STEM jobs are good, and one can live nicely as well as have a decent retirement without killing yourself in the process.It's probably all the S workers in academia and T workers outside of hotspot cities making it hard to convince people that STEM jobs are good. As a tech worker outside of a hotspot city, I've personally advised people looking to start a tech career locally to look elsewhere, either in terms of location or field of study. I wish someone had done the same for me way back when.
Seriously if I had a chance to go back knowing what I do. I would have become a General contractor. Work if and when you want too and if you are good work will find you. That and kick myself for dumping apple at like 45 a share.
mtn wrote: what the hell kind of straight dude comes to a wedding shower?
A single one.
Javelin wrote:mtn wrote: what the hell kind of straight dude comes to a wedding shower?A single one.
Good call.
My wife is throwing a bridal shower for her friend (wife is MOH). What a stupid thing in the first place. But the husband-to-be is going to come at the end to help open gifts. You couldn't pay me to be at one of those things. I just don't get it.
In reply to wearymicrobe: No no no. 4% is the safe withdrawal rate when you're getting average market returns and accounting for inflation. You end up with more than you started with more times than not after an indefinite period of time.
20 years at 4% doesn't even go through your principal not accounting for any return. What are you planning to invest in, negative return European savings bonds?
2% is ridiculously conservative.
Pokemon Go servers appear to be down and I was looking forward to catching a few during my midday walk. 
In reply to wearymicrobe:
If you don't mind me asking, what do you do for a living?
I'm riding in the back of a new fully loaded suburban right now. It's one of the smoothest riding and driving vehicles I think GM has ever sold. But....
My dad is driving, so I need a racing seat with a harness and side bolsters. He's not going fast, but there is no amount of seatbelt that can hold me in place as he jerks left and right on this straight road. He two handedly yanks on the wheel as if this thing doesn't have power steering, and yet he probably hasn't driven anything with manual steering for 30+ years. Even his 65 mustang has power steering. I've taken 6 total ibuprofen today so far to head off the inevitable neck and head ache from the whiplash, but I don't think I'm winning that war..
Rufledt wrote: I'm riding in the back of a new fully loaded suburban right now. It's one of the smoothest riding and driving vehicles I think GM has ever sold. But.... My dad is driving, so I need a racing seat with a harness and side bolsters. He's not going fast, but there is no amount of seatbelt that can hold me in place as he jerks left and right on this *straight* road. He two handedly yanks on the wheel as if this thing doesn't have power steering, and yet he probably hasn't driven anything with manual steering for 30+ years. Even his 65 mustang has power steering. I've taken 6 total ibuprofen today so far to head off the inevitable neck and head ache from the whiplash, but I don't think I'm winning that war..
It's probably been a decade now since I've ridden in a car with her, but one of my best friend's moms is exactly the same way - does not grasp the concept of steady-state driving and smooth inputs. Constantly jerking on and off the throttle, stabbing at the brakes, violently correcting her path of travel just to remain within her lane, ect. Used to drive me nuts.
Oh, upper management... you flipped the switch on this reorganization without any plan for how things would get done after the switch was flipped.
Been a week of hell, but aside from getting ulcers we engineers are making it happen.
wearymicrobe wrote: To the above people 4% is fine if you are pulling from say 65 years old to say 85 when you croak but when you are in your 30's inflation and fees eat that 4% down to 2% take home. Yes I could totally live on the 4% but not really how I like to roll in life. Would get bored and start a company I imagine after about 6 months of surfing. FYI really thinking I just need to take some serious time off. Between the tumor in my head, which they cannot fix, the three or four they cut off my scalp and the bat-E36 M3 crazy around here I could use a month of just surfing in Mexico or something.
Actually, a nice, big vacation might set you right. Sometimes that's all you need. Or all you needed to finally say, "Berk it, Dude. Lets go bowling."
In reply to The_Jed:
IIRC, he's a microbiologist. I have a cousin that does the same thing and California is pretty much the only place to get a job. She hates the work and the state, but the money is very good. She's piling up cash to retire before 50.
Toyman01 wrote: In reply to The_Jed: IIRC, he's a microbiologist. I have a cousin that does the same thing and California is pretty much the only place to get a job. She hates the work and the state, but the money is very good. She's piling up cash to retire before 50.
I specialize in robotics, biotech, though and have a few patents that I profit from so not exactly your normal STEM guys. I got seriously lucky though, the last three company's I have been with have sold in the 3 comma or above range and I have had stock in each. Plus I was a serious cheap-ass and just dropped it into the market when everything was in the E36 M3 so I would not spend it. Flipped cars and houses a bit as well.
I got lucky, like SOOOOO lucky. Plus SWMBO is wonderful and makes extremely good money as well and we have no kids or responsibilities or really debt that is not for investment. Could not do it in today's economy again. Right now I am just trying to make it through the next say 10 years of working then I can do a serious lifestyle reset and still work but for myself or for larger humanitarian groups. Honeslty if you take the car and the house costs out of my life I could live on 20K a year take-home.
In reply to wearymicrobe:
So, did you get fired?
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