Iwritecode

I wonder if part of it is because medical costs are so expensive. I went without insurance for many years simply because I couldn't afford it.

I've read that sociopath and psychopath are pretty interchangeable terms.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Jan 3, 2013 -> 01:37 PM) Taxes and other deductions are based on when you are paid, not when you worked. As for the $45, it depends on how much of that was Federal income tax withholding and how much was FICA. The FICA went up Jan. 1 and the newly passed law did not take that rate back down. The law did take the Federal income tax rate back down (assuming you make less than $400K) so if that withholding amount went up it should go back down within the next check or two, but the extra amount you already paid won't come back to you until you file your 2013 return. I figured as much. Thanks.

I guess I'll ask this question here. Are taxes on salary based on when the hours were worked or when the check was written? I get paid every two weeks. My pay period ended 12/28. So all my hours worked were between 12/17/12 and 12/28/12. My employer cut the check on 1/2/13 and the taxes taken out were based on the 2013 rates rather than the 2012 rates. So I ended up getting about $45 more taken out in taxes. Also since they passed the new law, should I be getting that $45 back or will I just have to wait until my refund next April?

I had my usual NYE celebration. Wife was at work, I was playing my PS3 in the living room and the kids were playing on the computer. I paused my game long enough to watch the ball drop, texted my wife and then went back to playing my game. I have the same plans for next year.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Dec 5, 2012 -> 10:01 AM) Anyways, SOA finale was awesome. Indeed it was. I was dead on with a couple of my predictions. The final scene was a bit surprising. Gemma can be a real conniving b****. Kurt Sutter is one messed up dude with regards to his character (Otto). Can't wait until next season now.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Dec 4, 2012 -> 11:57 AM) AT&T's internet is total garbage unless you happen to live very close to a central office. Even then, they can't come close to competing with Comcast in terms of speed. I have the cheapest Comcast internet package I could get, and it's like 20mbit down, 5mbit up. Not theoretical, but actual speeds sustained. And I find those speeds to be mediocre. We don't have the lowest tier for their speeds but I don't remember what the exact numbers are. It works for us though because we don't do anything that requires really high speeds. Facebook games, youtube videos and maybe Pandora are about it.

QUOTE (Brian @ Dec 4, 2012 -> 12:23 PM) I'm assuming the guy was killed. Is the story online somewhere? Kinda shocking to run that pic. It says he was fatally struck in the caption.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Dec 4, 2012 -> 10:33 AM) Allow me to apply to golden rule when it comes to any technology when the name AT&T is somehow attached... If you can avoid using AT&T, avoid using AT&T. This rule *always* applies for everything and anything they offer. In the end, you will NOT save money, you will NOT have better service, and you will NOT have a better experience than you could have elsewhere. I've had them for my phone & internet for about 10 years now with no problems. Although we could probably drop our landline phone since we hardly ever use it.

QUOTE (2nd_city_saint787 @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 04:23 PM) Like I've said a few times it's a small location (seating for 18). Though I would love to be in the position to worry about serving 50-70 people at a time thats probably never going to happen. 18 sounds small but I don't think that's much smaller than the dining room of an average fast-food joint. I don't know how the place is set up but I'm imagining a counter where you order and pay for the food and then a handful of tables in the dining area. If you do any kind of decent business at all, even getting half that amount of people just standing in line at the counter could be over-whelming for just one person depending on how large your menu is.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Dec 1, 2012 -> 10:05 AM) I was actually looking into swtiching to U-Verse last night, but for some reason the TV service is still not available in my neighborhood. WTF, it's not like I live in the boondocks. Same with me, although phone and internet are available. I'm pretty sure one of our neighbors a few blocks away has Uverse, so I don't understand it.

QUOTE (Iwritecode @ Nov 30, 2012 -> 11:21 AM) I got a text from my wife asking me if I had ever applied for a job in Sun Prairie, Wis. I told her that I couldn't remember ever applying for anything there but it's been a long time since I've applied for a job anywhere. She gave me the name and number of the person that called and it's a number out of Baltimore, MD. I called it and he said he has a position with a substantial salary (about 30% more than what I'm making now) plus medical and relocation costs. The city is only about an hour from my house so I don't think I'd need the relocation costs but it sounds interesting. He sent me an email with a few basic questions and 3 different open positions. One of the questions is asking for the last 4 digits of my SS#. Then he called me back 20 minutes after he sent the email to see if I had responded yet. He told me the name of the company but I cannot find a location for them in Wisconsin. They are a company based out of India and are actually a part of HP. The guy I spoke with had a very thick Indian accent. I'm just getting a weird vibe from this. It's odd that he would just call me out of the blue like that. I'm guessing he found my resume on one of the job search sites or something but I haven't been actively looking for a couple of years. Not quite sure how to proceed. I read some reviews about working for the company and they are listed as a solid "OK". Not good, not bad. So Friday morning the guy called my house twice, emailed me once and called my cell phone once. I emailed him back with a single question and haven't heard anything back yet. I'm guessing this isn't legit. QUOTE (Elgin Slim @ Dec 1, 2012 -> 12:33 AM) I have received calls from recruiters about contract-to-hire positions but the first person I dealt with in that aspect did nothing for me. They called me in August about the job, and I still haven't heard whether I was even considered for the position that they had an opening for. I've gotten this a lot. See above. Surprisingly, the job I have now I got from a recruiter, so they do come through sometimes. QUOTE (G&T @ Dec 1, 2012 -> 12:40 PM) You get informational interviews by looking up leaders in the field at places you'd dream of working at and email them to set up a time to talk for 15 or 20 mins about careers. I can send you samples of emails I sent. Some people respond, others don't. Some might only be able to answer questions via email. Remember that they are doing you a favor so take what you can get. I've heard this advice before but it has never worked for me. Mostly because I have no idea what companies use the programming languages that I'm familiar with. Before I came here, I would have never guessed that the company I'm with now has a team of programmers based on what the company actually does. The company I was with before dealt with magazine subscriptions. One I interviewed with made plastic containers. Another company I know of makes chocolates. None of them are technology-based companies. So it's a real crap-shoot for me.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Dec 3, 2012 -> 10:29 AM) Wait, people really do believe this stuff? Geesh. Probably the same people that believed the Y2K rumors.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 30, 2012 -> 11:28 AM) Yeah, I'd be careful for sure. Sounds too good to be true. Lots of those reviews can be faked pretty easily. I actually didn't read any really positively glowing comments. A lot of them trended towards the negative side. Incompetent upper management, no "vision" for the company, not a lot of growth potential, salary scale that is out of whack.

I got a text from my wife asking me if I had ever applied for a job in Sun Prairie, Wis. I told her that I couldn't remember ever applying for anything there but it's been a long time since I've applied for a job anywhere. She gave me the name and number of the person that called and it's a number out of Baltimore, MD. I called it and he said he has a position with a substantial salary (about 30% more than what I'm making now) plus medical and relocation costs. The city is only about an hour from my house so I don't think I'd need the relocation costs but it sounds interesting. He sent me an email with a few basic questions and 3 different open positions. One of the questions is asking for the last 4 digits of my SS#. Then he called me back 20 minutes after he sent the email to see if I had responded yet. He told me the name of the company but I cannot find a location for them in Wisconsin. They are a company based out of India and are actually a part of HP. The guy I spoke with had a very thick Indian accent. I'm just getting a weird vibe from this. It's odd that he would just call me out of the blue like that. I'm guessing he found my resume on one of the job search sites or something but I haven't been actively looking for a couple of years. Not quite sure how to proceed. I read some reviews about working for the company and they are listed as a solid "OK". Not good, not bad.

QUOTE (Steve9347 @ Nov 28, 2012 -> 08:51 AM) For those who dropped it, they've missed the best 5-episode stretch in that series' history. I was REALLY close after the Goggins debacle, but I am SO glad I stuck with it. I just don't see how they wrap up all the loose ends in one final 90 minute episode. I've got a feeling it's going to end in some sort of cliff-hanger that leads into next season. Kinda like they did when Abel was kidnapped. My guess is that they keep the retired US Marshall around as the main antagonist for next season since they introduced him so late.

QUOTE (iamshack @ Nov 29, 2012 -> 09:57 AM) I've never used one before, but my thoughts on 3D televisions is that they will never really breakout until they figure out a way to use them without glasses. Until then, I'd have a hard time being convinced to buy one. How do they manage it on the Nintendo 3DS?

QUOTE (greg775 @ Nov 29, 2012 -> 02:10 PM) A guy I know was holding back tears the other day. His GF of 2 years or so who is 23 told him it was over. She had met a guy at the school she works at. The new lover/boyfriend is 35 with 3 kids, one as old as 9. The guy I know is 25 or 26, no kids, nothing like that. What is your take? At first glance, I give the girl and the new guy 6 months to a year at most. They are at 2 completely different points in their lives.

QUOTE (HickoryHuskers @ Nov 28, 2012 -> 01:33 PM) Yes, and that 5 miles has more cars than 10 miles of the Dan Ryan. It depends on the day. I drive that way everyday because it's usually faster than the Ryan.

QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 12:11 PM) You have to move or work from home. There are some heath risks you are taking by being in the car that much. Second option is not a possibility and probably never will be. First option is a slim possibility but it might take a few years. QUOTE (RockRaines @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 12:11 PM) Your stress level must be off the charts. Stress isn't too bad. It's mostly lack of sleep and 0 time to do anything besides sleep, eat and work.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 27, 2012 -> 11:45 AM) They have you in golden handcuffs or something? It's the closest job I could find.

QUOTE (Alpha Dog @ Nov 26, 2012 -> 10:54 PM) Dude, is it 4+ hours total both way or are you some sadist doing that one way? I feel your pain, or used to. For about 18 years I went 90 minutes, at least, each way. If I stayed late an hour late I could cut my drive home down to just about an hour. But one accident on I-55 or I-294 before I moved and you can add an extra 30 minutes whatever way I was going. I can barely remember a car with less than 100k miles on it. I hope you get that wish. I now have a 6 minute commute, it is awesome! 4 hours is round-trip. About 90 miles each way. On the way in I can cover the first 60 miles in about an hour. It's the last 30 miles that takes me an hour or more depending on traffic.

I have a ton of things on my Christmas list but none of them are really feasible as gifts that somebody could actually wrap up and put under the tree for me. Most of them are because of cost. A 2nd computer and a router (preferibly wireless) because we only have 1 computer in the house and everyone always fights over who gets to use it. A DVR because it would be really nice to be able to record TV shows and watch them later. A blu-ray player because the only one we have right now is my PS3. We have a 7-year-old DVD player that is on it's last legs and really needs to be replaced. A garage door opener that works. Gutters and flashing on the house because we currently don't have any. A remodeled bathroom. A driver's license for my daughter because I'm tired of being the only one in the house with one. A new house because I'm tired of driving 4+ hours to/from work everyday. A winning powerball ticket.

QUOTE (Milkman delivers @ Nov 21, 2012 -> 02:44 PM) Who else has been killed on SOA? I stopped watching, but I'd be interested to know. I guess it depends on when you stopped watching.