Finance Homework

Hypothetical Problem: You've just inherited 80,000$. What do you do with it?

My response was:
1) Pay off debt starting with highest interest rate debt. Don't pay
off student loans or mortgage because there is a tax benefit to those
and my fixed rates are lower than inflation or investment returns.
2) Repairs and Maintenance on paid off car or new 3 year used car.
3) 6 months living expenses in ING.
4) Max out my Ameritrade ROTH IRA (5000$)
5) Max out an IRA for a Significant Other (5000$)
6) Stock up on clothes and necessities
7) Buy a few toys and gifts
8) Throw a party
9) Invest the rest through Ameritrade in an Index Fund.

What would you do?

TV Review: Heroes

Rating: 5 stars for Episode 1 and 3

Everyone wants to be something more. Heroes taps into this base human drive and projects what-if scenarios that fit into real life. This has been done before in comic books and movies about super heroes. Heroes is going one step further and uses a combination of suspense, fast-action, psychology, different cultures, and a limitless cast of super-people to do that which I believe art should do; tap into the drive to be a better human being in all of us. It leaves me wondering: what are my special powers? None, I'm sure, but what-if. See the attraction?

I'm going to continue watching this series as time allows. I like how I feel right now.

Chinese Food

I ate Chinese food for dinner last evening. It was tasty, but I brought 75% home with me.

I also started reading Home Buying for Dummies which has been great. The housing market still has a distance to fall before the prices are where I'd like them.

One of the gifts I got this year for the holidays was Forbes Magazine. The first Issue arrived today and has a lot of information to review. It seems to be a quality publication, unlike Money or Fortune. I've moved out of Atlas Mining (ALMI) because I see some interesting investments I'd like to pursue. Also, it'll be interesting to see how a loss in an IRA is calculated for the tax season.

Movie: V for Vendetta

Rating: 5 stars

This movie was an excellent discussion of how Authoritarian regimes can come to power and why it is necessary to prevent their rise. It asks some fundamental questions that any citizen should think about when contemplating their government. It is artistic, interesting, challenging, and hopeful. It would be a great movie for a person to watch after they finish reading George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm.

I have to thank my friends for this movie experience. Without their excellent taste acting as a filter for me, I wouldn't find a lot of great movies.

The only product placement I noticed was for Dell Computers.

Sin City Movie Review

Sin City: 5 stars

The first time I watched Sin City, I took a christian asian girl to see it. She couldn't handle the blood and gore of the movie and I lost interest in her shortly after. I don't remember her name. The next night, I took another girl to see it and she enjoyed it greatly. I remember that she sold sex products through house parties but strangely enough not her name. I think she was critical of me sometime that night and that turned me off, though I have thought about her a few times since.

Sin City is a great movie. It is visually appealing. Mentally challenging. It has a pulp fiction-esque style that leads you through the lives of three interconnected individuals in Sin City....but you don't see all of the connections until the end and the movie subtly drops clues to these connections as it progresses through their narratives. It has two product placements: AAA, and Springfield Armory but these took a third watching to see, and they were subtle. There was Nazi Symbolism that made me question my support of the movie, but it all seemed to fit together well. There was also the hidden moral that I don't mind but I would be annoyed with if I was of a different complexion; protect the blond blue-eyed caucasian girl at any cost.

The line I picked up from the movie in this watching was spoken by one of the henchmen, he said "Never give an Irishman a cause for revenge." This group of characters reminds me of the IRA conflict in Great Britain. Again, everything is very subtle and nuanced. You take out of the movie the things that you brought into it. Like I said, a great film.

Genocide Retribution

Having just watched Hotel Rwanda, an excellent movie, It strikes me odd that the trials of the offenders of genocide take a very long time to conclude. For example, Mengistu Haile Mariam's trial lasted 12 years. What happened in the intervening times? Did the evil leader get to live freely? Did he enjoy his last 12 years of freedom? I would like the trials of crimes against humanity to be sped up. I would like the guilty to begin their punishments as soon as possible within the laws of justice. Not that I have any political influence.

Step 1: Identify the Problem: Perpetrators of Crimes may not receive punishments in a timely manner, thus enjoying the larger portion of their lives.

Step 2: Discuss the Problem: See above.

Step 3: Propose one or more workable solutions.

Step 4: Implement a workable solution.

Investors Beware

Today begins the time block of investor hysteria where everyone will have a great stock tip and will be telling all of their friends what to buy and how they themselves became a success. Meanwhile, the smart money is moving out of the market and into safer investments. While I expect the market to go up for another year, I expect to reduce my exposure over time. Anything above a 12%/year return is something you should take to the bank. Beyond that and you're playing with fire.

Just wanted to record the exact date for posterity.

Movie: Poseidon

So, I just finished watching the movie Poseidon. It had a decent cast, a lot of special effects, and kept me on the edge of my seat throughout the movie. The plot was mind-numbingly simple. Its only surprises were when a main character died, which I applaud. Overall, I felt that the movie was not spectacular. Given the plot that they had the director did a great job, as did the actors, but the story itself was just lacking. So, 3 stars.

Fourth Dimension

Every person changes with every sensory perception. Everything we see, feel, taste, hear, or smell changes us. Some people incorporate changes quickly others disregard completely the influences that nevertheless do change us all. Somewhere in the middle is the Everyperson, both affected and diffident. The evolutionary drive of the Everyperson to reproduce and prosper pushes them, in their unique biology, to constantly reinvent who they are in an effort to maximize these activities. Thus, does the Everyman develop; in a constant swirl of influences from all of their senses. The fourth dimension is upon them!

sex advice to give to all young girls

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