Plaque quotes for retirement of an educator
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2024.05.16 05:08 drevilcheeks Advice regarding parents selling their home and possible capitals gains tax
First time poster, been lurking this page for a while. I was hoping to get some advice regarding my parents selling a house and minimizing capital gains tax as I am trying my best to support and assist them.
They own a home worth around $1.4million that they have been renting out for the last 20 years to the same person. The house is old and rundown, and the price is mainly from the land. They currently own no other property and are in a tough financial position, and have around 300k remaining on the mortgage on the house. Up till now, they’ve been using rental income to pay the mortgage but with recent interest rates they are now forced to pay about $900 extra per month out of pocket since renewal.
The plan has been to move into the house for one year and then sell it and use the proceeds to pay off their mortgage, buy a downsized property, and using any leftover to support their retirement. Both my parents do not currently have any income and no money saved (they did not plan for their retirement at all, have always been winging it). It has recently come to light that my dad had registered this as an investment property when he first purchased it 20 years ago since at that time he also owned another home that we all lived in (which he no longer has). As such, we are coming to realize that my parents will have to pay 67% capital gains on this property if they sell it, which compromises their “retirement plan” that I mentioned above. This also makes it significantly less appealing to sell the home.
At this stage, I am trying to figure out the best advice and support to give them and I am not sure which way to go. My thoughts are as follows:
1) I give them 50-100k to renovate the house to either a) live in, and my siblings and I can help with monthly mortgage payments thereafter, or b) sell it after renovation assuming it would help make more profit from the house so they have more money to work with to buy a new home and support retirement. 2) They sign the name of the house to me or one of my siblings, we sell it as primary owners without the capital gains tax, and use the money to fund their initial plan. Although I am not sure if this is legal and what the implications would be.
I am personally in an extremely fortunate situation as I expect to be making 300k+ gross per year starting in a few months. My parents have paid about $170k for my tuition, which has put me in the position I am in. I am in debt $170k in a LOC also used for tuition/education costs which I plan to start paying back aggressively once I make the high income. Since my parents have supported me so much I am more than happy to support them financially however needed, including providing them the 50-100k I mentioned above, although this would be through my LOC.
Currently renting an apartment but I plan on moving into that home next year and paying the mortgage as if it’s my rent while we figure things out. My parents currently reside primarily outside of Canada so they just stay with me when they are here, but they plan on living here full time again soon.
I appreciate any thoughts and advice regarding the situation.
submitted by drevilcheeks to PersonalFinanceCanada [link] [comments]
They own a home worth around $1.4million that they have been renting out for the last 20 years to the same person. The house is old and rundown, and the price is mainly from the land. They currently own no other property and are in a tough financial position, and have around 300k remaining on the mortgage on the house. Up till now, they’ve been using rental income to pay the mortgage but with recent interest rates they are now forced to pay about $900 extra per month out of pocket since renewal.
The plan has been to move into the house for one year and then sell it and use the proceeds to pay off their mortgage, buy a downsized property, and using any leftover to support their retirement. Both my parents do not currently have any income and no money saved (they did not plan for their retirement at all, have always been winging it). It has recently come to light that my dad had registered this as an investment property when he first purchased it 20 years ago since at that time he also owned another home that we all lived in (which he no longer has). As such, we are coming to realize that my parents will have to pay 67% capital gains on this property if they sell it, which compromises their “retirement plan” that I mentioned above. This also makes it significantly less appealing to sell the home.
At this stage, I am trying to figure out the best advice and support to give them and I am not sure which way to go. My thoughts are as follows:
1) I give them 50-100k to renovate the house to either a) live in, and my siblings and I can help with monthly mortgage payments thereafter, or b) sell it after renovation assuming it would help make more profit from the house so they have more money to work with to buy a new home and support retirement. 2) They sign the name of the house to me or one of my siblings, we sell it as primary owners without the capital gains tax, and use the money to fund their initial plan. Although I am not sure if this is legal and what the implications would be.
I am personally in an extremely fortunate situation as I expect to be making 300k+ gross per year starting in a few months. My parents have paid about $170k for my tuition, which has put me in the position I am in. I am in debt $170k in a LOC also used for tuition/education costs which I plan to start paying back aggressively once I make the high income. Since my parents have supported me so much I am more than happy to support them financially however needed, including providing them the 50-100k I mentioned above, although this would be through my LOC.
Currently renting an apartment but I plan on moving into that home next year and paying the mortgage as if it’s my rent while we figure things out. My parents currently reside primarily outside of Canada so they just stay with me when they are here, but they plan on living here full time again soon.
I appreciate any thoughts and advice regarding the situation.
2024.05.16 05:06 MirkWorks Excerpt from The Culture of Narcissism by Christopher Lasch (Changing Modes of Making It: From Horatio Alger to the Happy Hooker)
III. Changing Modes of Making It: From Horatio Alger to the Happy Hooker
…
From “Self-Culture” to Self-Promotion through “Winning Images”
In the nineteenth century, the ideal of self-improvement degenerated into a cult of compulsive industry. P.T. Barnum, who made a fortune in a calling the very nature of which the Puritans would have condemned (“Every calling, whereby God will be Dishonored; every Calling whereby none but the Lusts of men are Nourished: …every such Calling is to be Rejected”), delivered many times a lecture frankly entitled “The Art of Money-Getting,” which epitomized the nineteenth-century conception of worldly success. Barnum quoted freely from Franklin but without Franklin’s concern for the attainment of wisdom or the promotion of useful knowledge. “Information” interested Barnum merely as a means of mastering the market. Thus he condemned the “false economy” of the farm wife who douses her candle at dusk rather than lighting another for reading, not realizing that the “information” gained through reading is worth far more than the price of the candles. “Always take a trustworthy newspaper,” Barnum advised young men on the make, “and thus keep thoroughly posted in regard to the transactions of the world. He who is without a newspaper is cut off from his species.”
Barnum valued the good opinion of others not as a sign of one’s usefulness but as a means of getting credit. “Uncompromising integrity of character is invaluable.” The nineteenth century attempted to express all values in monetary terms. Everything had its price. Charity was a moral duty because “the liberal man will command patronage, which the sordid, uncharitable miser will be avoided.” The sin of pride was not that it offended God but that it led to extravagant expenditures. “A spirit of pride and vanity, when permitted to have full sway, is the undying cankerworm which gnaws the very vitals of a man’s worldly possessions.”
The eighteenth century made a virtue of temperance but did not condemn moderate indulgence in the service of sociability. “Rational conversation,” on the contrary, appeared to Franklin and his contemporaries to represent an important value in its own right. The nineteenth century condemned sociability itself, on the grounds that it might interfere with business. “How many good opportunities have passed, never to return, while a man was sipping a ‘social glass’ with his friends!” Preachments on self-help now breathed the spirit of compulsive enterprise. Henry Ward Beecher defined “the beau ideal of happiness” as a state of mind in which “a man [is] so busy that he does not know whether he is or is not happy.” Russell Sage remarked that “work has been the chied, and you might say, the only source of pleasure in my life.”
Even at the height of the Gilded Age, however, the Protestant ethic did not completely lose its original meaning. In the success manuals, the McGuffey readers, the Peter Parley Books, and the hortatory writings of the great capitalists themselves, the Protestant virtues - industry, thrift, temperance - still appeared not merely as stepping-stones to success but as their own reward.
The spirit of self-improvement lived on, in debased form, in the cult of “self-culture” - proper care and training of mind and body, nurture of the mind through “great books,” development of “character.” The social contribution of individual accumulation still survived as an undercurrent in the celebration of success, and the social conditions of early industrial capitalism, in which the pursuit of wealth undeniably increased the supply of useful objects, gave some substance to the claim that “accumulated capital means progress.” In condemning speculation and extravagance, in upholding the importance of patient industry, in urging young men to start at the bottom and submit to “the discipline of daily life,” even the most unabashed exponents of self-enrichment clung to the notion that wealth derives its value from its contribution to the general good and to the happiness of future generations.
The nineteenth-century cult of success placed surprisingly little emphasis on competition. It measured achievement not against the achievements of others but against an abstract ideal of discipline and self-denial. At the turn of the century, however, preachments on success began to stress the will to win. The bureaucratization of the corporate career changed the conditions of self-advancement; ambitious young men now had to compete with their peers for the attention and approval of their superiors. The struggle to surpass the previous generation and to provide for the next gave way to a form of sibling rivalry, in which men of approximately equal abilities jostled against each other in competition for a limited number of places. Advancement now depended on “will-power, self-confidence, energy, and initiative” - the qualities celebrated in such exemplary writings as George Lorimer’s Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son. ” By the end of the nineteenth century,” writes John Cawelti in his study of the success myth, “self-help books were dominated by the ethos of sales-manship and boosterism. Personal magnetism, a quality which supposedly enabled a man to influence and dominate others, became one of the major keys to success.” In 1907, both Lorimer’s Saturday Evening Post and Orison Swett Marden’s Success magazine inaugurated departments of instruction in the “art of conversation,” fashion, and “culture.” The management of interpersonal relations came to be seen as the essence of self-advancement. The captain of industry gave way to the confidence man, the master of impressions. Young men were told that they had to sell themselves in order to succeed.
At first, self-testing through competition remained almost in-distinguishable from moral self-discipline and self-culture, but the difference became unmistakable when Dale Carnegie and then Norman Vincent Peale restated and transformed the tradition of Mather, Franklin, Barnum, and Lorimer. As a formula for success, winning friends and influencing people had little in common with industry and thrift. The prophets of positive thinking disparaged “the old adage that hard work alone is the magic key that will unlock the door to our desires.” They praised the love of money, officially condemned even by the crudest of Gilded Age materialists, as a useful incentive. “You can never have riches in great quantities,” wrote Napoleon Hill in this Think and Grow Rich,” unless you can work yourself into a white heat of desire for money.” The pursuit of wealth lost the few shreds of moral meaning that still clung to it. Formerly the Protestant virtues appeared to have an independent value of their own. Even when they became purely instrumental, in the second half of the nineteenth century, success itself retained moral and social overtones, by virtue of its contribution to the sum of human comfort and progress. Now success appeared as an end in its own right, the victory over your competitors that alone retained the capacity to instill a sense of self-approval. The latest success manuals differ from earlier ones - even surpassing the cynicism of Dale Carnegie and Peale - in their frank acceptance of the need to exploit and intimidate others, in their lack of interest in the substance of success, and in the candor with which they insist that appearances - “winning images - count for more than performance, ascription for more than achievement. One author seems to imply that the self consists of little more than its “image” reflected in others’ eyes. “Although I’m not being original when I say it, I’m sure you’ll agree that the way you see yourself will reflect the image you portray to others.” Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
<The American Religion by Harold Bloom (California Orphism)>
The Apotheosis of Individualism
The fear that haunted the social critics and theorists of the fifties - that rugged individualism had succumbed to conformity and “love-pressure sociability” - appears in retrospect to have been premature. In 1960, David Riesman complained that young people no longer had much social “presence,” their education having provided them not with “a polished personality but [with] an affable, casual, adaptable one, suitable to the losing organizations of an affluent society.” It is true that “a present-oriented hedonism,” as Riseman went on the argue, has replaced the work ethic “among the very classes which in the earlier stages of industrialization were oriented toward the future, toward distant goals and delayed gratification.” But this hedonism is a fraud; the pursuit of pleasure disguises a struggle for power. Americans have not really become more sociable and cooperative, as the theorists of other-direction and conformity would like us to believe; they have merely become more adept at exploiting the conventions of interpersonal relations for their own benefit. Activities ostensibly undertaken purely for enjoyment often have the real object of doing others in. It is symptomatic of the underlying tenor of American life that vulgar terms for sexual intercourse also convey the sense of getting the better of someone, working him over, taking him in, imposing your will through guile, deception, or superior force. Verbs associated with sexual pleasure have acquired more than the usual overtones of violence and psychic exploitation. In the violent world of the ghetto, the language of which now pervades American society as a whole, the violence associated with sexual intercourse is directed with special intensity by men against women, specifically against their mothers. The language of ritualized aggression and abuse reminds those who use it that exploitation is the general rule and some form of dependence the common fate, that “the individual,” in Lee Rainwater’s words, “is not strong enough or adult enough to achieve his goal in a legitimate way, but is rather like a child, dependent on others who tolerate his childish maneuvers”; accordingly males, even adult males, often depend on women for support and nurture. Many of them have to pimp for a living, ingratiating themselves with a woman in order to pry money from her; sexual relations thus become manipulative and predatory. Satisfaction depends on taking what you want instead of waiting for what is rightfully yours to receive. All this enters everyday speech in language that connects sex with aggression and sexual aggression with highly ambivalent feelings about mothers.
In some ways middle-class society has become a pale copy of the black ghetto, as the appropriation of its language would lead us to believe. We do not need to minimize the poverty of the ghetto or the suffering inflicted by whites on blacks in order to see that the increasingly dangerous and unpredictable conditions of middle-class life have given rise to similar strategies for survival. Indeed the attraction of black culture for disaffected whites suggests that black culture now speaks to a general condition, the most important feature of which is a widespread loss of confidence in the future. The poor have always had to live for the present, but now a desperate concern for personal survival, sometimes disguised as hedonism, engulfs the middle class as well. Today almost everyone lives in a dangerous world from which there is little escape. International terrorism and blackmail, bombings, and hijackings arbitrarily affect the rich and poor alike. Crime, violence, and gang wars make cities unsafe and threaten to spread to the suburbs. Racial violence on the streets and in the schools creates an atmosphere of chronic tension and threatens to erupt at any time into full-scale racial conflict. Unemployment spreads from the poor the white-collar class, while inflation eats away the savings of those who hoped to retire in comfort. Much of what is euphemistically known as the middle class, merely because it dresses up to go to work, is now reduced to proletarian conditions of existence. Many white-collar jobs require no more skill and pay even less than blue-collar jobs, conferring little status or security. The propaganda of death and destruction, emanating ceaselessly from the mass media, adds to the prevailing atmosphere of insecurity. Far-flung famines, earthquakes in remote regions, distant wars and uprisings attract the same attention as events closer to home. The impression of arbitrariness in the reporting of disaster reinforces the arbitrary quality of experience itself, and the absence of continuity in the coverage of events, as today’s crisis yields to a new and unrelated crisis tomorrow, adds to the sense of historical discontinuity - the sense of living in a world in which the past holds out no guidance to the present and the future has become completely unpredictable.
Older conceptions of success presupposed a world in rapid motion, in which fortunes were rapidly won and lost and new opportunities unfolded every day. Yet they also presupposed a certain stability, a future that bore some recognizable resemblance to the present and the past. The growth of bureaucracy, the cult of consumption with its immediate gratifications, but above all the severance of the sense of historical continuity have transformed the Protestant ethic while carrying the underlying principles of capitalist society to their logical conclusion. The pursuit of self-interest, formerly identified with the rational pursuit of gain and the accumulation of wealth, has become a search for pleasure and psychic survival. Social conditions now approximate the vision of republican society conceived by the Marquis de Sade at the very outset of the republican epoch. In many ways the most farsighted and certainly the most disturbing of the prophets of revolutionary individualism, Sade defended unlimited self-indulgence as the logical culmination of the revolution in property relations - the only way to attain revolutionary brotherhood in its purest form. By regressing in his writings to the most primitive level of fantasy, Sade uncannily glimpsed the whole subsequent development of personal life under capitalism, ending not in revolutionary brotherhood but in a society of siblings that has outlived and repudiated its revolutionary origins.
Sade imagined a sexual utopia in which everyone has the right to everyone else, where human beings, reduced to their sexual organs, become absolutely anonymous and interchangeable. His ideal society thus reaffirmed the capitalist principle that human beings are ultimately reducible to interchangeable objects. It also incorporated and carried to a surprising new conclusion Hobbes’s discovery that the destruction of paternalism and the subordination of all social relations to the market had stripped away the remaining restraints and the mitigating illusions from the war of all against all. In the resulting state of organized anarchy, as Sade was the first to realize, pleasure becomes life’s only business - pleasure, however, that is indistinguishable from rape, murder, unbridled aggression. In a society that has reduced reason to mere calculation, reason can impose no limits on the pursuit of pleasure - on the immediate gratification of every desire no matter how perverse, insane, criminal, or merely immoral. For the standards that would condemn crime or cruelty derive from religion, compassion, or the kind of reason that rejects purely instrumental applications; and none of these outmoded forms of thought or feeling has any logical place in a society based on commodity production. In his misogyny, Sade perceived that bourgeois enlightenment, carried to its logical conclusions, condemned even the sentimental cult of womanhood and the family, which the bourgeoisie itself had carried to unprecedented extremes.
At the same time, he saw that condemnation of “woman-worship” had to go hand in hand with a defense of woman’s sexual rights - their right to dispose of their own bodies, as feminists would put it today. If the exercise of that right in Sade’s utopia boils down to the duty to become an instrument of someone else’s pleasure, it was not so much because Sade hated women as because he hated humanity. He perceived, more clearly than the feminists, that all freedoms under capitalism come in the end to the same thing, the same universal obligation to enjoy and be enjoyed. In the same breath, and without violating his own logic, Sade demanded for women the right “fully to satisfy all their desires” and “all parts of their bodies” and categorically stated that “all women must submit to our pleasure.” Pure individualism thus issued in the most radical repudiation of individuality. “All men, all women resemble each other,” according to Sade; and to those of his countrymen who would become republicans he adds this ominous warning: “Do not think you can make good republicans so long as you isolated in their families the children who should belong to the republic alone.” The bourgeois defense of privacy culminates - not just in Sade’s thought but in the history to come, so accurately foreshadowed in the very excess, madness, infantilism of his ideas - in the most thoroughgoing attack on privacy; the glorification of the individual, in his annihilation.
<…>
Standing-Reserve.
Note a lack of the “Greek” in Lasch.
Visions of Excess: Selected Writings, 1927-1939 by Georges Bataille, Edited by A. Stoekl, Translated by A. Stoekl, C.R. Lovitt, and D.M. Leslie Jr.
<…>
submitted by MirkWorks to u/MirkWorks [link] [comments]
…
From “Self-Culture” to Self-Promotion through “Winning Images”
In the nineteenth century, the ideal of self-improvement degenerated into a cult of compulsive industry. P.T. Barnum, who made a fortune in a calling the very nature of which the Puritans would have condemned (“Every calling, whereby God will be Dishonored; every Calling whereby none but the Lusts of men are Nourished: …every such Calling is to be Rejected”), delivered many times a lecture frankly entitled “The Art of Money-Getting,” which epitomized the nineteenth-century conception of worldly success. Barnum quoted freely from Franklin but without Franklin’s concern for the attainment of wisdom or the promotion of useful knowledge. “Information” interested Barnum merely as a means of mastering the market. Thus he condemned the “false economy” of the farm wife who douses her candle at dusk rather than lighting another for reading, not realizing that the “information” gained through reading is worth far more than the price of the candles. “Always take a trustworthy newspaper,” Barnum advised young men on the make, “and thus keep thoroughly posted in regard to the transactions of the world. He who is without a newspaper is cut off from his species.”
Barnum valued the good opinion of others not as a sign of one’s usefulness but as a means of getting credit. “Uncompromising integrity of character is invaluable.” The nineteenth century attempted to express all values in monetary terms. Everything had its price. Charity was a moral duty because “the liberal man will command patronage, which the sordid, uncharitable miser will be avoided.” The sin of pride was not that it offended God but that it led to extravagant expenditures. “A spirit of pride and vanity, when permitted to have full sway, is the undying cankerworm which gnaws the very vitals of a man’s worldly possessions.”
The eighteenth century made a virtue of temperance but did not condemn moderate indulgence in the service of sociability. “Rational conversation,” on the contrary, appeared to Franklin and his contemporaries to represent an important value in its own right. The nineteenth century condemned sociability itself, on the grounds that it might interfere with business. “How many good opportunities have passed, never to return, while a man was sipping a ‘social glass’ with his friends!” Preachments on self-help now breathed the spirit of compulsive enterprise. Henry Ward Beecher defined “the beau ideal of happiness” as a state of mind in which “a man [is] so busy that he does not know whether he is or is not happy.” Russell Sage remarked that “work has been the chied, and you might say, the only source of pleasure in my life.”
Even at the height of the Gilded Age, however, the Protestant ethic did not completely lose its original meaning. In the success manuals, the McGuffey readers, the Peter Parley Books, and the hortatory writings of the great capitalists themselves, the Protestant virtues - industry, thrift, temperance - still appeared not merely as stepping-stones to success but as their own reward.
The spirit of self-improvement lived on, in debased form, in the cult of “self-culture” - proper care and training of mind and body, nurture of the mind through “great books,” development of “character.” The social contribution of individual accumulation still survived as an undercurrent in the celebration of success, and the social conditions of early industrial capitalism, in which the pursuit of wealth undeniably increased the supply of useful objects, gave some substance to the claim that “accumulated capital means progress.” In condemning speculation and extravagance, in upholding the importance of patient industry, in urging young men to start at the bottom and submit to “the discipline of daily life,” even the most unabashed exponents of self-enrichment clung to the notion that wealth derives its value from its contribution to the general good and to the happiness of future generations.
The nineteenth-century cult of success placed surprisingly little emphasis on competition. It measured achievement not against the achievements of others but against an abstract ideal of discipline and self-denial. At the turn of the century, however, preachments on success began to stress the will to win. The bureaucratization of the corporate career changed the conditions of self-advancement; ambitious young men now had to compete with their peers for the attention and approval of their superiors. The struggle to surpass the previous generation and to provide for the next gave way to a form of sibling rivalry, in which men of approximately equal abilities jostled against each other in competition for a limited number of places. Advancement now depended on “will-power, self-confidence, energy, and initiative” - the qualities celebrated in such exemplary writings as George Lorimer’s Letters from a Self-Made Merchant to His Son. ” By the end of the nineteenth century,” writes John Cawelti in his study of the success myth, “self-help books were dominated by the ethos of sales-manship and boosterism. Personal magnetism, a quality which supposedly enabled a man to influence and dominate others, became one of the major keys to success.” In 1907, both Lorimer’s Saturday Evening Post and Orison Swett Marden’s Success magazine inaugurated departments of instruction in the “art of conversation,” fashion, and “culture.” The management of interpersonal relations came to be seen as the essence of self-advancement. The captain of industry gave way to the confidence man, the master of impressions. Young men were told that they had to sell themselves in order to succeed.
At first, self-testing through competition remained almost in-distinguishable from moral self-discipline and self-culture, but the difference became unmistakable when Dale Carnegie and then Norman Vincent Peale restated and transformed the tradition of Mather, Franklin, Barnum, and Lorimer. As a formula for success, winning friends and influencing people had little in common with industry and thrift. The prophets of positive thinking disparaged “the old adage that hard work alone is the magic key that will unlock the door to our desires.” They praised the love of money, officially condemned even by the crudest of Gilded Age materialists, as a useful incentive. “You can never have riches in great quantities,” wrote Napoleon Hill in this Think and Grow Rich,” unless you can work yourself into a white heat of desire for money.” The pursuit of wealth lost the few shreds of moral meaning that still clung to it. Formerly the Protestant virtues appeared to have an independent value of their own. Even when they became purely instrumental, in the second half of the nineteenth century, success itself retained moral and social overtones, by virtue of its contribution to the sum of human comfort and progress. Now success appeared as an end in its own right, the victory over your competitors that alone retained the capacity to instill a sense of self-approval. The latest success manuals differ from earlier ones - even surpassing the cynicism of Dale Carnegie and Peale - in their frank acceptance of the need to exploit and intimidate others, in their lack of interest in the substance of success, and in the candor with which they insist that appearances - “winning images - count for more than performance, ascription for more than achievement. One author seems to imply that the self consists of little more than its “image” reflected in others’ eyes. “Although I’m not being original when I say it, I’m sure you’ll agree that the way you see yourself will reflect the image you portray to others.” Nothing succeeds like the appearance of success.
<The American Religion by Harold Bloom (California Orphism)>
The Apotheosis of Individualism
The fear that haunted the social critics and theorists of the fifties - that rugged individualism had succumbed to conformity and “love-pressure sociability” - appears in retrospect to have been premature. In 1960, David Riesman complained that young people no longer had much social “presence,” their education having provided them not with “a polished personality but [with] an affable, casual, adaptable one, suitable to the losing organizations of an affluent society.” It is true that “a present-oriented hedonism,” as Riseman went on the argue, has replaced the work ethic “among the very classes which in the earlier stages of industrialization were oriented toward the future, toward distant goals and delayed gratification.” But this hedonism is a fraud; the pursuit of pleasure disguises a struggle for power. Americans have not really become more sociable and cooperative, as the theorists of other-direction and conformity would like us to believe; they have merely become more adept at exploiting the conventions of interpersonal relations for their own benefit. Activities ostensibly undertaken purely for enjoyment often have the real object of doing others in. It is symptomatic of the underlying tenor of American life that vulgar terms for sexual intercourse also convey the sense of getting the better of someone, working him over, taking him in, imposing your will through guile, deception, or superior force. Verbs associated with sexual pleasure have acquired more than the usual overtones of violence and psychic exploitation. In the violent world of the ghetto, the language of which now pervades American society as a whole, the violence associated with sexual intercourse is directed with special intensity by men against women, specifically against their mothers. The language of ritualized aggression and abuse reminds those who use it that exploitation is the general rule and some form of dependence the common fate, that “the individual,” in Lee Rainwater’s words, “is not strong enough or adult enough to achieve his goal in a legitimate way, but is rather like a child, dependent on others who tolerate his childish maneuvers”; accordingly males, even adult males, often depend on women for support and nurture. Many of them have to pimp for a living, ingratiating themselves with a woman in order to pry money from her; sexual relations thus become manipulative and predatory. Satisfaction depends on taking what you want instead of waiting for what is rightfully yours to receive. All this enters everyday speech in language that connects sex with aggression and sexual aggression with highly ambivalent feelings about mothers.
In some ways middle-class society has become a pale copy of the black ghetto, as the appropriation of its language would lead us to believe. We do not need to minimize the poverty of the ghetto or the suffering inflicted by whites on blacks in order to see that the increasingly dangerous and unpredictable conditions of middle-class life have given rise to similar strategies for survival. Indeed the attraction of black culture for disaffected whites suggests that black culture now speaks to a general condition, the most important feature of which is a widespread loss of confidence in the future. The poor have always had to live for the present, but now a desperate concern for personal survival, sometimes disguised as hedonism, engulfs the middle class as well. Today almost everyone lives in a dangerous world from which there is little escape. International terrorism and blackmail, bombings, and hijackings arbitrarily affect the rich and poor alike. Crime, violence, and gang wars make cities unsafe and threaten to spread to the suburbs. Racial violence on the streets and in the schools creates an atmosphere of chronic tension and threatens to erupt at any time into full-scale racial conflict. Unemployment spreads from the poor the white-collar class, while inflation eats away the savings of those who hoped to retire in comfort. Much of what is euphemistically known as the middle class, merely because it dresses up to go to work, is now reduced to proletarian conditions of existence. Many white-collar jobs require no more skill and pay even less than blue-collar jobs, conferring little status or security. The propaganda of death and destruction, emanating ceaselessly from the mass media, adds to the prevailing atmosphere of insecurity. Far-flung famines, earthquakes in remote regions, distant wars and uprisings attract the same attention as events closer to home. The impression of arbitrariness in the reporting of disaster reinforces the arbitrary quality of experience itself, and the absence of continuity in the coverage of events, as today’s crisis yields to a new and unrelated crisis tomorrow, adds to the sense of historical discontinuity - the sense of living in a world in which the past holds out no guidance to the present and the future has become completely unpredictable.
Older conceptions of success presupposed a world in rapid motion, in which fortunes were rapidly won and lost and new opportunities unfolded every day. Yet they also presupposed a certain stability, a future that bore some recognizable resemblance to the present and the past. The growth of bureaucracy, the cult of consumption with its immediate gratifications, but above all the severance of the sense of historical continuity have transformed the Protestant ethic while carrying the underlying principles of capitalist society to their logical conclusion
Sade imagined a sexual utopia in which everyone has the right to everyone else, where human beings, reduced to their sexual organs, become absolutely anonymous and interchangeable. His ideal society thus reaffirmed the capitalist principle that human beings are ultimately reducible to interchangeable objects. It also incorporated and carried to a surprising new conclusion Hobbes’s discovery that the destruction of paternalism and the subordination of all social relations to the market had stripped away the remaining restraints and the mitigating illusions from the war of all against all. In the resulting state of organized anarchy, as Sade was the first to realize, pleasure becomes life’s only business - pleasure, however, that is indistinguishable from rape, murder, unbridled aggression. In a society that has reduced reason to mere calculation, reason can impose no limits on the pursuit of pleasure - on the immediate gratification of every desire no matter how perverse, insane, criminal, or merely immoral. For the standards that would condemn crime or cruelty derive from religion, compassion, or the kind of reason that rejects purely instrumental applications; and none of these outmoded forms of thought or feeling has any logical place in a society based on commodity production. In his misogyny, Sade perceived that bourgeois enlightenment, carried to its logical conclusions, condemned even the sentimental cult of womanhood and the family, which the bourgeoisie itself had carried to unprecedented extremes.
At the same time, he saw that condemnation of “woman-worship” had to go hand in hand with a defense of woman’s sexual rights - their right to dispose of their own bodies, as feminists would put it today. If the exercise of that right in Sade’s utopia boils down to the duty to become an instrument of someone else’s pleasure, it was not so much because Sade hated women as because he hated humanity. He perceived, more clearly than the feminists, that all freedoms under capitalism come in the end to the same thing, the same universal obligation to enjoy and be enjoyed. In the same breath, and without violating his own logic, Sade demanded for women the right “fully to satisfy all their desires” and “all parts of their bodies” and categorically stated that “all women must submit to our pleasure.” Pure individualism thus issued in the most radical repudiation of individuality. “All men, all women resemble each other,” according to Sade; and to those of his countrymen who would become republicans he adds this ominous warning: “Do not think you can make good republicans so long as you isolated in their families the children who should belong to the republic alone.” The bourgeois defense of privacy culminates - not just in Sade’s thought but in the history to come, so accurately foreshadowed in the very excess, madness, infantilism of his ideas - in the most thoroughgoing attack on privacy; the glorification of the individual, in his annihilation.
<…>
Standing-Reserve.
Note a lack of the “Greek” in Lasch.
Visions of Excess: Selected Writings, 1927-1939 by Georges Bataille, Edited by A. Stoekl, Translated by A. Stoekl, C.R. Lovitt, and D.M. Leslie Jr.
<…>
2024.05.16 05:02 endless_cerulean Real estate/general financial planning
Hello! We are looking for general thoughts and advice. This is long but not complicated. The backstory: My wife and I live in the Midwest and both work as staff in higher education. This means that our area has a much higher cost of living than the rest of the state. We currently make around 120k combined before taxes and our health insurance is covered by our institution (so long as we use our university's facilities). We have never had experience paying for insurance, so this is all we know. Retirement contributions are fabulous from our employer. We do not have kids and are not going to. Both of us came from low middle class (at times working class) backgrounds so we have fairly low expectations for wages, benefits, etc but are trying to reframe that perspective (if i lost my job l would work fast food in a hearbeat, for example). I have a masters degree and am working on an MBA paid by my employer. We have 15k in savings and are able to travel internationally for our jobs but add on vacation time. We have 15k in private loan debt between us and I still have about 10k in public loans that if all goes well will be forgiven next year. We own a rural home that we bought in 2020 and have found it is so isolating, bad for our wellbeing, and despite being an awesome property just not what we want for a lifestyle. The driving has been super stressful as our campus doesn't offer parking for employees and there has been so much road construction and numerous accidents. We also had to buy a 2nd vehicle (paid in $400 cash to a sibling) but it constantly has issues.
Here's where we are: we have an offer on our house that leaves enough leftover for a 5% down-payment on a house back in our college/workplace town as well as wiping out that private loan debt (about 400/month). We have NEVER had a down payment on any of our homes so this is a big deal and gets us into a 30 year rate that we hope to refinance (previously we did in house 100% financing with no PMI with our local bank). We want to walk to work again for our health, ditch the 2nd vehicle, and pay off those loans. Rates are crazy right now but the saved fuel cost and price of utilities in our current home will cover the difference.
I guess I'm just looking for outside and smart perspective here. We are in our late 30s...what aren't we considering? We plan to remain in our city for life. We don't have IRAs or know anything about investing besides our TIAA accounts and want our next house to be "it." I'm working on some stuff that will allow me to leave the college and expand on some skills/move to the private sector remotely but it won't be a huuuge salary increase because we love our work/life balance.
submitted by endless_cerulean to personalfinance [link] [comments]
Here's where we are: we have an offer on our house that leaves enough leftover for a 5% down-payment on a house back in our college/workplace town as well as wiping out that private loan debt (about 400/month). We have NEVER had a down payment on any of our homes so this is a big deal and gets us into a 30 year rate that we hope to refinance (previously we did in house 100% financing with no PMI with our local bank). We want to walk to work again for our health, ditch the 2nd vehicle, and pay off those loans. Rates are crazy right now but the saved fuel cost and price of utilities in our current home will cover the difference.
I guess I'm just looking for outside and smart perspective here. We are in our late 30s...what aren't we considering? We plan to remain in our city for life. We don't have IRAs or know anything about investing besides our TIAA accounts and want our next house to be "it." I'm working on some stuff that will allow me to leave the college and expand on some skills/move to the private sector remotely but it won't be a huuuge salary increase because we love our work/life balance.
2024.05.16 03:57 ThrowRA9647 How can I (29/m) stop feeling guilty for being the boss?
My family owns a machining/welding shop employing about 48 people. It’s been in the family for over 40 years. My grandfather started it but passed away 20 years ago. My father just turned 60 and due to an unexpected health issue has been forced to retire early. He expected to be able to transition me into his role slowly, but it’s been more of a sudden transition. I’m now running the show. I worked on the shop floor since I was 14, but I’m struggling with feeing guilty being “the boss”. I have the utmost respect for our guys. It’s HARD work. It’s hot, sweaty, dirty manual labor. I get to wear clean clothes and sit in an office the majority of the day taking phone calls, quoting jobs, interacting with customers, etc. When I walk out onto the shop floor, I see the guys busting their butts and I can’t help but feel like I’m too young to be in the position that I’m in. Some of the guys are in their 60s. I get along with all of them, but I don’t really feel like the boss. I feel like an imposter, like I’m still a kid at times. I feel like some of the guys don’t take me seriously, but I know deep down that’s just my insecurity. I feel like I have a tremendous weight on my shoulders to succeed and it’s really starting to get to me. I feel like I’m never doing “enough”. When I’m in the office working I feel like I should be out talking to the guys. I’m struggling to find balance. Does anyone have any words of advice?
submitted by ThrowRA9647 to smallbusiness [link] [comments]
2024.05.16 03:25 ExplanationLimp9432 Career Path Options
Hi All,
Just recently passed the SIE, 7, and 66, and beginning to work in a call center environment (IYKYK), starting at a fairly poor salary. No prior industry knowledge. I have some college education, just no degree yet. Of course, I’m not expecting to make a plethora of money any time soon, but am looking for some advice outside of the workplace. I am very thankful for the opportunity that I was given, considering my lack of experience and lack of a degree.
For reference, I have taken classes in college geared mostly towards mathematics and engineering, so I enjoy analyzing, using my brain, and not having to bullshit my way through conversations, hit meaningless metrics or convince a 21 year old single mom working 3 jobs that she needs to see our analysis on how her retirement plan is.
Is it worth staying put, gaining some outbound call experience? Salary staying at let’s say $50k, but great benefits and an enjoyable workplace environment / culture for the most part. I honestly had thought this role initially was more of an investment advisor, providing specific investment advice and analyzing the market, rather than a call center jockey simply providing clients with a “click of a button” analysis (not much real analysis needed, just providing them with our technology’s analysis). And yes, I acknowledge that my initial anticipation of the role was a bit absurd lol.
submitted by ExplanationLimp9432 to FinancialCareers [link] [comments]
Just recently passed the SIE, 7, and 66, and beginning to work in a call center environment (IYKYK), starting at a fairly poor salary. No prior industry knowledge. I have some college education, just no degree yet. Of course, I’m not expecting to make a plethora of money any time soon, but am looking for some advice outside of the workplace. I am very thankful for the opportunity that I was given, considering my lack of experience and lack of a degree.
For reference, I have taken classes in college geared mostly towards mathematics and engineering, so I enjoy analyzing, using my brain, and not having to bullshit my way through conversations, hit meaningless metrics or convince a 21 year old single mom working 3 jobs that she needs to see our analysis on how her retirement plan is.
Is it worth staying put, gaining some outbound call experience? Salary staying at let’s say $50k, but great benefits and an enjoyable workplace environment / culture for the most part. I honestly had thought this role initially was more of an investment advisor, providing specific investment advice and analyzing the market, rather than a call center jockey simply providing clients with a “click of a button” analysis (not much real analysis needed, just providing them with our technology’s analysis). And yes, I acknowledge that my initial anticipation of the role was a bit absurd lol.
2024.05.16 02:54 meghanmeowkle Requesting help with TIAA 403(b) investment selections
Hi! I am selecting investments for a TIAA 403(b). I previously chose a Vanguard target date fund with my former employer's 403(b) however, the target date funds my current employer offers through TIAA have high expense ratios. I am trying to create an approximation of a target date fund, or VTI, with what I have. I have approximately 25 years until retirement.
The options:
submitted by meghanmeowkle to Bogleheads [link] [comments]
The options:
- Vanguard Growth Index Admiral
- Vanguard Mid-Cap Growth Index Admiral
- Vanguard Mid-Cap Index Fund Admiral
- Vanguard Mid-Cap Value Index Fund Admiral
- Vanguard Small-Cap Index Fund Admiral
- Vanguard Small-Cap Value Index Fund Admiral
- Vanguard Total International Stock Index Fund Admiral
- Vanguard Value Index Admiral
- iShares S&P 500 Index Fund Class KiShares S&P 500 Index Fund Class K
- Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral
- Vanguard Total Bond Market Index Fund Admiral
- Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund Admiral
- Vanguard Total International Bond Index Fund Admiral
2024.05.16 01:34 Individual_Mix1183 M. Carloni
Good evening, eveyone. I was reading the (Italian) Wikipedia page for the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli e dei Martiri, in Rome, and it stated it hosted between the other stuff two paintings by some M. Carloni, apparently a local artist. It quotes in this regard an educational pamphlet of sort easily available on the Internet.
When I tried to check him up, however, I found no informations about him, even in the very exhaustive Biographic Dictionary of the Italians. There's a Marco Gregorio Carloni, who was an engraver rather than a painter, and there's the famous Carlo Innocenzo Carloni, who wasn't from Rome and whose first name doesn't start with an m. You may find also a living Marco Carloni, but he's very obviously not the author.
This site (http://www.santamariadegliangeliroma.it/dettagliofotosing.html?chiave=8893&lingua=ITALIANO&ramo\_home=Visita\_Guidata&codice\_url=cappella\_di\_s\_pietro) states the paintings are from the 18th century (which could very well be true) and that the painter was named Marco, but I'm afraid they might have just unquestioningly identified him with Marco Gregorio Carloni, the engraver.
So, any of you have any idea about the identity of this mysterious character?
The two paintings are Sts. Peter and Paul (http://www.santamariadegliangeliroma.it/dettagliofotosing.html?chiave=8891&lingua=ITALIANO&ramo\_home=Visita\_Guidata&codice\_url=cappella\_di\_s\_pietro) and St. Peter freed by an angel (http://www.santamariadegliangeliroma.it/dettagliofotosing.html?chiave=8893&lingua=ITALIANO&ramo\_home=Visita\_Guidata&codice\_url=cappella\_di\_s\_pietro).
submitted by Individual_Mix1183 to ArtHistory [link] [comments]
When I tried to check him up, however, I found no informations about him, even in the very exhaustive Biographic Dictionary of the Italians. There's a Marco Gregorio Carloni, who was an engraver rather than a painter, and there's the famous Carlo Innocenzo Carloni, who wasn't from Rome and whose first name doesn't start with an m. You may find also a living Marco Carloni, but he's very obviously not the author.
This site (http://www.santamariadegliangeliroma.it/dettagliofotosing.html?chiave=8893&lingua=ITALIANO&ramo\_home=Visita\_Guidata&codice\_url=cappella\_di\_s\_pietro) states the paintings are from the 18th century (which could very well be true) and that the painter was named Marco, but I'm afraid they might have just unquestioningly identified him with Marco Gregorio Carloni, the engraver.
So, any of you have any idea about the identity of this mysterious character?
The two paintings are Sts. Peter and Paul (http://www.santamariadegliangeliroma.it/dettagliofotosing.html?chiave=8891&lingua=ITALIANO&ramo\_home=Visita\_Guidata&codice\_url=cappella\_di\_s\_pietro) and St. Peter freed by an angel (http://www.santamariadegliangeliroma.it/dettagliofotosing.html?chiave=8893&lingua=ITALIANO&ramo\_home=Visita\_Guidata&codice\_url=cappella\_di\_s\_pietro).
2024.05.16 01:24 BronzeIVScrub My mother is thinking about semi-retiring to teach English in Vietnam
Hello! I recently spent a lovely two week vacation in Vietnam and shared my experience with my mom who is at retirement age in our country (the U.S.). She has expressed interest in retiring and moving to Vietnam to teach English. She is aiming for a timeframe as early as the end of the year.
We are not Vietnamese (but we are Asian-American) and my mother doesn’t speak any Vietnamese. However she has been in the education field for her whole career so I think it would be a good fit for her end of career-wise.
Location-wise I think a more rural or even countryside location would be great (my mom grew up in rural China so it’s no culture shock). Does anyone have resources or know how I can look for an opportunity? Is this even possible - e.g do employers typically not look for such senior teachers? Thank you for any advice!
submitted by BronzeIVScrub to VietNam [link] [comments]
We are not Vietnamese (but we are Asian-American) and my mother doesn’t speak any Vietnamese. However she has been in the education field for her whole career so I think it would be a good fit for her end of career-wise.
Location-wise I think a more rural or even countryside location would be great (my mom grew up in rural China so it’s no culture shock). Does anyone have resources or know how I can look for an opportunity? Is this even possible - e.g do employers typically not look for such senior teachers? Thank you for any advice!
2024.05.16 01:12 manwnomelanin Understanding 401(k) loans and early withdrawals
Tapping into your retirement funds, specifically 401(k)s, to help beef up a down payment is a reoccurring topic on this subreddit.
Accessing retirement funds is a big decision. And like with any big decision, you should understand the ins and outs before you move forward.
An important note before we get started: 401(k)s are not IRAs. 401(k)s do not have the same rules as IRAs. This post is for education regarding the implications of accessing 401(k) funds early - via loan or withdrawal - specifically for the purpose of purchasing a home.
In a nutshell, there are two types of 401(k)s: Traditional and Roth.
Traditional 401(k): No taxes now, taxes later
Employees contribute a portion of their pre-tax income to their Traditional 401(k) account through payroll deductions. This means that the money is taken out of their paycheck before taxes are calculated, reducing their taxable income for the year. Investment gains within the 401(k) account grow tax-deferred, meaning taxes are not owed until withdrawals are made in retirement. Some employers offer matching contributions to their employees' traditional 401(k) accounts, which is essentially free money added to the employee's retirement savings.
Penalty-free withdrawals from a Traditional 401(k) are permitted at age 591/2. These withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income in retirement. This means that when employees start taking distributions from their account, they will owe income tax on the amount withdrawn, rather than capital gains tax, as is typical for investment gains.
Roth 401(k): Taxes now, no taxes later
Employees contribute a portion of their after-tax income to their Roth 401(k) account through payroll deductions. Unlike traditional 401(k) contributions, Roth 401(k) contributions do not reduce taxable income in the year they are made.
While employers may still offer matching contributions to a Roth 401(k), these matching contributions are made on a pre-tax basis and are deposited into a separate traditional 401(k) account. This means that while employees contribute to their Roth 401(k) with after-tax dollars, employer matches are made with pre-tax dollars, and taxes will be owed on withdrawals of the employer contributions.
Penalty-free withdrawals from a Roth 401(k) are permitted once an account has been open for 5 years, and the owner reaches age 591/2. These withdrawals, inclusive of investment gains, are tax-free. Since contributions are made with after-tax dollars, employees have already paid taxes on the money they contribute, so they do not owe taxes on withdrawals in retirement.
^(\Roth 401(k)* funds can be accessed earlier than 591/2 in some cases. See:)) Rule of 55, Rule 72t
And he isn't done.
Traditional 401(k): Taxes on Early Withdrawals
Any amount withdrawn from a traditional 401(k) is generally treated as ordinary income for tax purposes. This means that the withdrawn amount is added to your taxable income for the year in which the withdrawal is made. When made early, you will owe federal income taxes on the withdrawn amount at your marginal\* income tax rate. Additionally, depending on your state of residence, you may owe state income taxes on the withdrawal as well.
Roth 401(k): Taxes on Early Withdrawals
When understanding the rules around early withdrawals from a Roth 401(k), it is important to differentiate between your contributions (money you earned outside the account and put into the account) from your investment gains (money earned by your investments within the account).
What is a marginal tax rate, and why is it important?
Your marginal tax rate is the tax rate you pay on the last dollar of your income. In a progressive tax system like that of the United States, tax rates increase as income rises. Your marginal tax rate corresponds to the highest tax bracket into which your income falls.
For example, let's say the tax system has three brackets:
Your early withdrawals fall into the "last dollar you earned" category. Meaning every (taxable) dollar withdrawn will be taxed at the highest rate possible - 30% in the example above. Your marginal tax rate could be above or below this number. See what your marginal tax bracket is for 2024 here.
Example: Early Withdrawal from Traditional 401(k) for down payment
John and Emily are a 30-year-old married couple looking to purchase their first home in Florida. They earn a combined $150,000/year. Emily has liberally funded her Traditional 401(k) and has amassed a balance of $100,000. They have also been saving for a downpayment on their first home. They have managed to accumulate $50,000 for a down payment and feel ready to start shopping.
John and Emily find themselves under contract on a $250,000 home that suits all their needs (lol, i know, bear with me). They expect closing costs of $15,000. Unfortunately, their mortgage lender decides they are only willing to extend $200,000 (John has some credit card debt and drives a Ferrari he bought with 0 down).
Uh oh. John and Emily do not have enough cash for both the down payment and the $15,000 in closing costs. Good thing Emily has some extra money stashed away for retirement, right? Let's see what it costs for Emily to tap into her Traditional 401(k)...
Emily withdraws $15,000 for the closing costs. The withdrawal will first be hit with the 10% penalty, which is $1,500.
John and Emily file jointly, putting them in the 22% marginal federal tax bracket. They will be subject to an additional $3,300 in taxes from the distribution.
Fortunately, they're in Florida, so there are no state taxes owed.
It cost Emily and John $4,800 to withdraw their $15,000.
John and Emily walk away with $10,200 cash to show for their $15,000 withdrawal. Had they never touched that $15,000, it would have been worth $261,741 by the time they retired at age 60.
See how expensive an early, unqualified Traditional 401(k) withdrawal would be for you.
Ok, so withdrawing seems like a bad idea. What about borrowing from a 401(k)?
By borrowing the money from your 401(k), the money is removed from what it was invested in. If those investments return 25% during the period which the money is borrowed, you, unfortunately, do not reap the rewards. Conversely, if those investments return -25%, you, fortunately, do not bear those losses.
Sounds like an even-sided risk, right? It's a 50/50 chance the market goes up or down? Not necessarily.
401(k) loans typically cost $75-$125 to apply and originate the loan, which is actually pretty good. For those of you looking at your settlement statements, this looks pretty attractive compared to your mortgage origination fee and other up-front borrowing expenses.
Typically, retirement plans charge the current prime rate (8.50%, currently) plus 1% or 2% in interest on 401(k) loans. That interest, along with your repayments, is deposited into your account, and reinvested. Your repayments are deducted from your paycheck, although this time, after-tax. That means, for every $1 you pay back to the loan, you need to earn about $1.30 (give or take, depending on your state and federal tax bracket).
It is important to note that, although you are "paying yourself back", the interest is not free.
Interest on 401(k) loans is designed to keep you on track for retirement. As previously stated, your money is withdrawn from the market, so it will miss out the full benefits of compound growth during the repayment period. In other words: returns that would have otherwise been earned passively, you are now footing the bill for - with after-tax dollars - and it still might not be enough.
Opportunity Cost: Not Seen, but Felt
The typical 401(k) loan term is 5 years, although it can be paid back quicker. Historically, the stock market sees positive returns over a 5-year time frame. Over the past 5 years (as of April 30,2024), the S&P 500 has seen returns of 70.94%, or 11.32% annualized. The S&P 500 Index delivered its worst five-year return of -6.6% per year over the five years ending in February 2009.
As you can see, it's not quite a 50/50 shot at whether the market will see positive returns over a 5-year period. As you increase the time frame, positive market returns become even more reliable.
Even at today's higher prime rate, the interest rate on a 401(k) loan would not have kept pace with S&P 500 over the last 5 years. This means you would end up with a lower 401(k) balance, and you foot the bill for the growth.
Example: Taking a loan from a Traditional 401(k) for a down payment
Anne borrowed from her 401(k) in 2019 at a 6% interest rate in order to increase her down payment on her condo.
Assuming $10,000 borrowed at 6%, Anne will have made $11,580 in total payments by the end of the term. That $10,000, if left never borrowed, would be worth $15,357.
In order to pay that $11,580, the Anne earned $15,054, and had to pause normal contributions to the 401(k) that would have otherwise deferred taxes on those earnings.
In the end, that someone has $11,580 in their 401k - all paid in with after-tax dollars. Had the money never been borrowed, and Anne contributed that $15,054 earned to their 401(k), her 401(k) balance would be $30,411 - a difference of $18,831 at the end of the 5-year period.
After 30-years, that difference is somewhere in the ballpark of $548,000.\*
^(\Calculation assumes $15,054 in earnings was invested monthly at a flat rate of $250.90/month for 60 months at a 11.32% average annual return, then compounded at 10% average annual monthly return with no additional contributions.)*
Caveat: that $10,000 was invested in her condo, and that is important to factor.
Assuming her condo has increased in value by 50% over the past 5 years (8.45% annualized rate of return), that $10,000 is worth now worth $15,000 in home equity.
Concluding the 5-year period, Anne as a total of $26,580 to show for her decision to borrow between her $11,580 401(k) balance and $15,000 home equity. Her net worth is $3,831 less than it would be had she not taken out the loan.
submitted by manwnomelanin to FirstTimeHomeBuyer [link] [comments]
Accessing retirement funds is a big decision. And like with any big decision, you should understand the ins and outs before you move forward.
An important note before we get started: 401(k)s are not IRAs. 401(k)s do not have the same rules as IRAs. This post is for education regarding the implications of accessing 401(k) funds early - via loan or withdrawal - specifically for the purpose of purchasing a home.
How 401(k)s Work
Your 401(k) is an employer-sponsored retirement savings plan. It is an account within which you can invest in various funds for growth until retirement. All transactions that occur within the 401(k) account are tax sheltered. This means that any income or investment gains are exempt from all forms of taxation. Investments can be bought and sold, dividends can be collected, and Uncle Sam will keep his grubby hands off of the proceeds - for as long as they remain within the 401(k).In a nutshell, there are two types of 401(k)s: Traditional and Roth.
Traditional 401(k): No taxes now, taxes later
Employees contribute a portion of their pre-tax income to their Traditional 401(k) account through payroll deductions. This means that the money is taken out of their paycheck before taxes are calculated, reducing their taxable income for the year. Investment gains within the 401(k) account grow tax-deferred, meaning taxes are not owed until withdrawals are made in retirement. Some employers offer matching contributions to their employees' traditional 401(k) accounts, which is essentially free money added to the employee's retirement savings.
Penalty-free withdrawals from a Traditional 401(k) are permitted at age 591/2. These withdrawals are taxed as ordinary income in retirement. This means that when employees start taking distributions from their account, they will owe income tax on the amount withdrawn, rather than capital gains tax, as is typical for investment gains.
Roth 401(k): Taxes now, no taxes later
Employees contribute a portion of their after-tax income to their Roth 401(k) account through payroll deductions. Unlike traditional 401(k) contributions, Roth 401(k) contributions do not reduce taxable income in the year they are made.
While employers may still offer matching contributions to a Roth 401(k), these matching contributions are made on a pre-tax basis and are deposited into a separate traditional 401(k) account. This means that while employees contribute to their Roth 401(k) with after-tax dollars, employer matches are made with pre-tax dollars, and taxes will be owed on withdrawals of the employer contributions.
Penalty-free withdrawals from a Roth 401(k) are permitted once an account has been open for 5 years, and the owner reaches age 591/2. These withdrawals, inclusive of investment gains, are tax-free. Since contributions are made with after-tax dollars, employees have already paid taxes on the money they contribute, so they do not owe taxes on withdrawals in retirement.
^(\Roth 401(k)* funds can be accessed earlier than 591/2 in some cases. See:)) Rule of 55, Rule 72t
Early Withdrawal Taxes and Penalties
Withdrawing funds early from your 401(k) is costly. For both Traditional 401(k)s and Roth 401(k)s, a 10% penalty is paid on the distributions. So, let's say you withdraw $10,000 for your downpayment. The distribution will be reduced to $9,000. Uncle Sam is taking $1,000 for touching your retirement savings early. Ouch!And he isn't done.
Traditional 401(k): Taxes on Early Withdrawals
Any amount withdrawn from a traditional 401(k) is generally treated as ordinary income for tax purposes. This means that the withdrawn amount is added to your taxable income for the year in which the withdrawal is made. When made early, you will owe federal income taxes on the withdrawn amount at your marginal\* income tax rate. Additionally, depending on your state of residence, you may owe state income taxes on the withdrawal as well.
Roth 401(k): Taxes on Early Withdrawals
When understanding the rules around early withdrawals from a Roth 401(k), it is important to differentiate between your contributions (money you earned outside the account and put into the account) from your investment gains (money earned by your investments within the account).
- Contributions: Since taxes were already paid on the employee (your) contributions, you can always withdraw them *tax-*free (but not penalty-free).
- Gains: Taxes have not been paid on the investment gains, so taxes will be owed on the withdrawal. The withdrawn gains will again be taxed at your marginal* tax rate.
What is a marginal tax rate, and why is it important?
Your marginal tax rate is the tax rate you pay on the last dollar of your income. In a progressive tax system like that of the United States, tax rates increase as income rises. Your marginal tax rate corresponds to the highest tax bracket into which your income falls.
For example, let's say the tax system has three brackets:
- 10% for income up to $10,000
- 20% for income between $10,001 and $50,000
- 30% for income above $50,000
Your early withdrawals fall into the "last dollar you earned" category. Meaning every (taxable) dollar withdrawn will be taxed at the highest rate possible - 30% in the example above. Your marginal tax rate could be above or below this number. See what your marginal tax bracket is for 2024 here.
Example: Early Withdrawal from Traditional 401(k) for down payment
John and Emily are a 30-year-old married couple looking to purchase their first home in Florida. They earn a combined $150,000/year. Emily has liberally funded her Traditional 401(k) and has amassed a balance of $100,000. They have also been saving for a downpayment on their first home. They have managed to accumulate $50,000 for a down payment and feel ready to start shopping.
John and Emily find themselves under contract on a $250,000 home that suits all their needs (lol, i know, bear with me). They expect closing costs of $15,000. Unfortunately, their mortgage lender decides they are only willing to extend $200,000 (John has some credit card debt and drives a Ferrari he bought with 0 down).
Uh oh. John and Emily do not have enough cash for both the down payment and the $15,000 in closing costs. Good thing Emily has some extra money stashed away for retirement, right? Let's see what it costs for Emily to tap into her Traditional 401(k)...
Emily withdraws $15,000 for the closing costs. The withdrawal will first be hit with the 10% penalty, which is $1,500.
John and Emily file jointly, putting them in the 22% marginal federal tax bracket. They will be subject to an additional $3,300 in taxes from the distribution.
Fortunately, they're in Florida, so there are no state taxes owed.
It cost Emily and John $4,800 to withdraw their $15,000.
John and Emily walk away with $10,200 cash to show for their $15,000 withdrawal. Had they never touched that $15,000, it would have been worth $261,741 by the time they retired at age 60.
See how expensive an early, unqualified Traditional 401(k) withdrawal would be for you.
Ok, so withdrawing seems like a bad idea. What about borrowing from a 401(k)?
What is a 401(k) loan?
A 401(k) loan is a loan taken out by a participant in a 401(k) retirement plan, where the individual borrows money from their own 401(k) account balance and agrees to repay it according to the terms set by the plan administrator, typically with interest.By borrowing the money from your 401(k), the money is removed from what it was invested in. If those investments return 25% during the period which the money is borrowed, you, unfortunately, do not reap the rewards. Conversely, if those investments return -25%, you, fortunately, do not bear those losses.
Sounds like an even-sided risk, right? It's a 50/50 chance the market goes up or down? Not necessarily.
401(k) Loan: The Costs to Borrow
Traditional Borrowing Costs: Fees and Interest401(k) loans typically cost $75-$125 to apply and originate the loan, which is actually pretty good. For those of you looking at your settlement statements, this looks pretty attractive compared to your mortgage origination fee and other up-front borrowing expenses.
Typically, retirement plans charge the current prime rate (8.50%, currently) plus 1% or 2% in interest on 401(k) loans. That interest, along with your repayments, is deposited into your account, and reinvested. Your repayments are deducted from your paycheck, although this time, after-tax. That means, for every $1 you pay back to the loan, you need to earn about $1.30 (give or take, depending on your state and federal tax bracket).
It is important to note that, although you are "paying yourself back", the interest is not free.
Interest on 401(k) loans is designed to keep you on track for retirement. As previously stated, your money is withdrawn from the market, so it will miss out the full benefits of compound growth during the repayment period. In other words: returns that would have otherwise been earned passively, you are now footing the bill for - with after-tax dollars - and it still might not be enough.
Opportunity Cost: Not Seen, but Felt
The typical 401(k) loan term is 5 years, although it can be paid back quicker. Historically, the stock market sees positive returns over a 5-year time frame. Over the past 5 years (as of April 30,2024), the S&P 500 has seen returns of 70.94%, or 11.32% annualized. The S&P 500 Index delivered its worst five-year return of -6.6% per year over the five years ending in February 2009.
As you can see, it's not quite a 50/50 shot at whether the market will see positive returns over a 5-year period. As you increase the time frame, positive market returns become even more reliable.
Even at today's higher prime rate, the interest rate on a 401(k) loan would not have kept pace with S&P 500 over the last 5 years. This means you would end up with a lower 401(k) balance, and you foot the bill for the growth.
Example: Taking a loan from a Traditional 401(k) for a down payment
Anne borrowed from her 401(k) in 2019 at a 6% interest rate in order to increase her down payment on her condo.
Assuming $10,000 borrowed at 6%, Anne will have made $11,580 in total payments by the end of the term. That $10,000, if left never borrowed, would be worth $15,357.
In order to pay that $11,580, the Anne earned $15,054, and had to pause normal contributions to the 401(k) that would have otherwise deferred taxes on those earnings.
In the end, that someone has $11,580 in their 401k - all paid in with after-tax dollars. Had the money never been borrowed, and Anne contributed that $15,054 earned to their 401(k), her 401(k) balance would be $30,411 - a difference of $18,831 at the end of the 5-year period.
After 30-years, that difference is somewhere in the ballpark of $548,000.\*
^(\Calculation assumes $15,054 in earnings was invested monthly at a flat rate of $250.90/month for 60 months at a 11.32% average annual return, then compounded at 10% average annual monthly return with no additional contributions.)*
Caveat: that $10,000 was invested in her condo, and that is important to factor.
Assuming her condo has increased in value by 50% over the past 5 years (8.45% annualized rate of return), that $10,000 is worth now worth $15,000 in home equity.
Concluding the 5-year period, Anne as a total of $26,580 to show for her decision to borrow between her $11,580 401(k) balance and $15,000 home equity. Her net worth is $3,831 less than it would be had she not taken out the loan.
Summary
While accessing 401(k) funds for a down payment on a home may seem like a viable option, it's crucial to weigh the associated costs, penalties, and long-term implications. Understanding the intricacies of early withdrawals and loans from 401(k) accounts empowers individuals to make informed financial decisions that align with their short-term goals and long-term goals.2024.05.16 01:02 West_Sheepherder7225 What company has most benefited from using consultants?
I'll lay my bias out, which considering the nature of the sub will probably make me unlikeable from the get go. Still, it's more honest to call it out: any time I've worked alongside consultants, all they seem to produce is reports and PowerPoints which provide pedestrian, broadly-sensible-but-hardly-insightful analysis, and banal implementation suggestions of the kind that any vaguely educated person might provide. Heck, probably even ChatGPT. Usually accompanied by noddy-tier number crunching of some kind that gives a semblance of evidence-based advice in the same way that an undergraduate humanities essay will often find stats or quotes to support whatever narrative the student has chosen, however misguided.
I've of course heard cynical explanations for why the industry survives, which often boil down to "giving a defensive anti-accountability shield to leaders to take a particular decision". And in some cases it's just a flexible resource that doesn't deliver a fundamentally greater capability than in house staff, but simply augments capacity - also fair enough.
But despite my own doubts about the value of advice I've personally seen from consultants, I struggle to believe that explains the survival of this major industry. I assume that there is some unique value delivered that is going over my head.
So I'm curious. If you had to pick a case study of where a company has been enhanced by consultants and where their advice and/or implementation has proven itself over a decently long timeline (say 5+ years) rather than just temporarily pumping a particular metric, what would you say?
submitted by West_Sheepherder7225 to consulting [link] [comments]
I've of course heard cynical explanations for why the industry survives, which often boil down to "giving a defensive anti-accountability shield to leaders to take a particular decision". And in some cases it's just a flexible resource that doesn't deliver a fundamentally greater capability than in house staff, but simply augments capacity - also fair enough.
But despite my own doubts about the value of advice I've personally seen from consultants, I struggle to believe that explains the survival of this major industry. I assume that there is some unique value delivered that is going over my head.
So I'm curious. If you had to pick a case study of where a company has been enhanced by consultants and where their advice and/or implementation has proven itself over a decently long timeline (say 5+ years) rather than just temporarily pumping a particular metric, what would you say?
2024.05.16 00:14 hchulio At what age did you have the stroke?
Recovering for 10 months from my hemorrhagic stroke and a constant factor in my rehabilitation, is that I am by far the youngest patient, with 39 years.
This had a big impact on the self-help groups and my inability to connect to anybody there, the level of rehabilitation that's offered as I find it severely lacking and the "climate" in any rehab facility.
In the self-help group that is near me nearly everyone simply retired after their stroke and no one could connect to the time pressure that I experience, trying to get fit enough to work asap.
Another example - when I got out of immediate rehab after 3 months all Physio, Ergo and Logotherapy were reluctant to offer me an appointment on the same day as my other appointments, quoting severe exhaustion in their patients as reason. It took me weeks of convincing or straight up lieing to get those appointments.
Anyone who had any similar experiences? I honestly feel pretty alone with this. .
Edit: starting my second stationary rehab in 3 weeks, that's probably why I'm thinking a lot about it again
submitted by hchulio to stroke [link] [comments]
This had a big impact on the self-help groups and my inability to connect to anybody there, the level of rehabilitation that's offered as I find it severely lacking and the "climate" in any rehab facility.
In the self-help group that is near me nearly everyone simply retired after their stroke and no one could connect to the time pressure that I experience, trying to get fit enough to work asap.
Another example - when I got out of immediate rehab after 3 months all Physio, Ergo and Logotherapy were reluctant to offer me an appointment on the same day as my other appointments, quoting severe exhaustion in their patients as reason. It took me weeks of convincing or straight up lieing to get those appointments.
Anyone who had any similar experiences? I honestly feel pretty alone with this. .
Edit: starting my second stationary rehab in 3 weeks, that's probably why I'm thinking a lot about it again
2024.05.15 23:44 shaneka69 LIBRA ZODIAC PREDICTIONS MAY 2024
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2024.05.15 23:16 Subject-Math6961 The Role of Women in Managing the Home and Family
 | Women possess unique characteristics that enable them to effectively manage their households and care for their families. These traits allow them to juggle various responsibilities, from handling daily chores to addressing the emotional and financial needs of the family. Here is an overview of how women navigate these roles: submitted by Subject-Math6961 to Self_helperr [link] [comments] Household Management
Childcare
Handling Personal Illness
Managing Husband's Financial Affairs
|
2024.05.15 23:04 camerawn [CA] [High School] -Looking for help with foster-ish situation. Trying to get info from her teachers and admin, but most won't talk to me because I'm not legal guardian.
Situation: 15yo girl(no blood relation), my grandmother(80yo) is her guardian. "B" started living with my wife and I(early 30s) 6 weeks ago. Full story: Parents were on and off drugs, in and out of jail types. Dad passed just a couple weeks after she moved in. Mom is on the streets, most likely. B was being raised by her grandmother, a friend of my gma. B's gma passed when she was 3. My gma took her in. Has raised her for about 12yrs. has legal guardianship. When I was 20 and B was a bratty kid(I now realize she was dealing with trauma) , I didn't care much for her. Our relationship has evolved from "cousins" to uncle/niece to more like fathedaughter.
Grandma let her move in with us. B has usually struggled with school for a while. Got in to some bad habits in 8thgrade. Ditching class kinda stuff. We found vapes (nic and thc) I and wife moved back to town 2 yrs ago, so we kind of only saw her at summers and Christmas for 8 years, so we've kinda been out of the loop most of her school years. Only know what grandma shared.
Highschool has been more of a challenge. I knew her grades were bad. told gma to bring her to our house after school. My wife and I both have education degrees(wife is a SPED aide about to start her credential program and I used to teach 6th grade). She came over for tutoring/ homework advice a couple times. I've gone to grandma's house a few times. It's just tough when I'm working full time+ and still have to do upkeep on our own house. Gma lives 20 minutes away, which isn't much, but hard to get there every/ every-other day.
ALL that to say: Since she started living with us, i've really stepped up how involved i've been with school. I'm running into issues where staff won't talk to me. And I'm looking for advice from other educators.
examples of some of the issues/interactions:
-Day 2 after spring break(she moved in during) she has an IEP meeting. Grandma had already requestd I be included. Day 1, I tried asking the office if they can resend grandma a copy so she can share it with me. I and my wife wanted to see her previous accommodations before the IEP the next day. Registrar says she can't give it to me. I Know. I just want to make sure her guardian has a copy and it isn't lost in a file box or in email. I kinda raised my voice and ended up having a convo with her sped case worker.
-a week ago, I'm trying to get her unofficial transcript to send to a charter school. Gma had it on her phone, but her phone is frustrating to use with the text enlarged. I try pulling it up to print at work so she can run it back to the school around the corner. I call the parent help center to find out what the transcript is under on the parentvue site. He said he has to talk to gma as the ed rights holder. FERPA doesn't cover how to use an app, right? Saw him in person yesterday before another IEP meeting. He remembered me because I told someone else he wouldn't help me. (he didn't help because he didn't know where the "print transcript" button was after I had gma say "hi" on speaker)
-Registrar says there's no release of information that guardian can sign. No FERPA waiver or way to extend me to be included. Have to go to the courts and be added as her legal guardian(haven't started that lengthy process). says parent help center did the right thing by not telling me how to access the transcript.
-grandma told me to arrange a meeting with me, her and counselor(re:summer school) because I work and she is retired with a wide open schedule. Called school. explain, relays to counselor. secretary said counselor can only talk to gma. I explain that she told me to make the appt. She will be at the meeting i'm trying to schedule. secretary relays and then the counselor gets on the phone. We make an appt. I understand he is limited in what he can tell me, but he wouldn't even take my call.
-we saw AP after that counselor meeting. explained the situation. He said that they could get sued giving the info. (who would the school get sued by? guardian wants me to have the info!) He gave me a caregiver's affidavit. since she is living with me, I can get the day-to-day info from teachers that i'm wanting. Later he calls me, says he looked into it. Because I live out of the boundary, she would be forced to move to the HS by our house. Which we don't want because I think there's more substance issues there. So i'm back to no info
-some of her teacher responded to my email. I was just asking their late work policy and general classroom things like that. Where do they post resources. Several of them have very sparse canvas sites(i get it, teachers are busy)half are nearly blank. 2 teachers don't post grades on parentvue website. 1 responded to me. 1 replied to gma, and she forwarded it. I had to get a different AP involved to get a response. She also called guardian before giving me the info. I didn't think class policies are restricted info.
This was a long post. I'm just really frustrated because she is going to fail and I was involved too late. Feels like staff are more concerned with following over-rigid policy and not helping me to help our student.
TLDR: 15yo living with me. Not her guardian. Most staff won't share even general info and the district doesn't have a FERPA policy or waivers/ROI
submitted by camerawn to Teachers [link] [comments]
Grandma let her move in with us. B has usually struggled with school for a while. Got in to some bad habits in 8thgrade. Ditching class kinda stuff. We found vapes (nic and thc) I and wife moved back to town 2 yrs ago, so we kind of only saw her at summers and Christmas for 8 years, so we've kinda been out of the loop most of her school years. Only know what grandma shared.
Highschool has been more of a challenge. I knew her grades were bad. told gma to bring her to our house after school. My wife and I both have education degrees(wife is a SPED aide about to start her credential program and I used to teach 6th grade). She came over for tutoring/ homework advice a couple times. I've gone to grandma's house a few times. It's just tough when I'm working full time+ and still have to do upkeep on our own house. Gma lives 20 minutes away, which isn't much, but hard to get there every/ every-other day.
ALL that to say: Since she started living with us, i've really stepped up how involved i've been with school. I'm running into issues where staff won't talk to me. And I'm looking for advice from other educators.
examples of some of the issues/interactions:
-Day 2 after spring break(she moved in during) she has an IEP meeting. Grandma had already requestd I be included. Day 1, I tried asking the office if they can resend grandma a copy so she can share it with me. I and my wife wanted to see her previous accommodations before the IEP the next day. Registrar says she can't give it to me. I Know. I just want to make sure her guardian has a copy and it isn't lost in a file box or in email. I kinda raised my voice and ended up having a convo with her sped case worker.
-a week ago, I'm trying to get her unofficial transcript to send to a charter school. Gma had it on her phone, but her phone is frustrating to use with the text enlarged. I try pulling it up to print at work so she can run it back to the school around the corner. I call the parent help center to find out what the transcript is under on the parentvue site. He said he has to talk to gma as the ed rights holder. FERPA doesn't cover how to use an app, right? Saw him in person yesterday before another IEP meeting. He remembered me because I told someone else he wouldn't help me. (he didn't help because he didn't know where the "print transcript" button was after I had gma say "hi" on speaker)
-Registrar says there's no release of information that guardian can sign. No FERPA waiver or way to extend me to be included. Have to go to the courts and be added as her legal guardian(haven't started that lengthy process). says parent help center did the right thing by not telling me how to access the transcript.
-grandma told me to arrange a meeting with me, her and counselor(re:summer school) because I work and she is retired with a wide open schedule. Called school. explain, relays to counselor. secretary said counselor can only talk to gma. I explain that she told me to make the appt. She will be at the meeting i'm trying to schedule. secretary relays and then the counselor gets on the phone. We make an appt. I understand he is limited in what he can tell me, but he wouldn't even take my call.
-we saw AP after that counselor meeting. explained the situation. He said that they could get sued giving the info. (who would the school get sued by? guardian wants me to have the info!) He gave me a caregiver's affidavit. since she is living with me, I can get the day-to-day info from teachers that i'm wanting. Later he calls me, says he looked into it. Because I live out of the boundary, she would be forced to move to the HS by our house. Which we don't want because I think there's more substance issues there. So i'm back to no info
-some of her teacher responded to my email. I was just asking their late work policy and general classroom things like that. Where do they post resources. Several of them have very sparse canvas sites(i get it, teachers are busy)half are nearly blank. 2 teachers don't post grades on parentvue website. 1 responded to me. 1 replied to gma, and she forwarded it. I had to get a different AP involved to get a response. She also called guardian before giving me the info. I didn't think class policies are restricted info.
This was a long post. I'm just really frustrated because she is going to fail and I was involved too late. Feels like staff are more concerned with following over-rigid policy and not helping me to help our student.
TLDR: 15yo living with me. Not her guardian. Most staff won't share even general info and the district doesn't have a FERPA policy or waivers/ROI
2024.05.15 22:44 shaneka69 LIBRA ZODIAC PREDICTIONS MAY 2024
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2024.05.15 22:35 WCInvestor A Physician Disability Insurance Primer - Do You Really Need It?
 | The greatest financial risk for physicians is losing the ability to turn the knowledge and skills you spent a decade learning into a huge pile of money by working in your profession for decades. There are risks that could show up in your life that would prevent you from being able to accomplish this task. One of the most common of these risks is an extended or even permanent disability. Insurance companies estimate that as many as one in seven doctors will be disabled at some point during their career. While many imagine this will occur in a sudden traumatic accident, medical illness is actually a more common cause of disability that prevents a doctor from working. Physician disability is a complicated type of insurance. This post will give you the “must-know” information to secure the best protection and help you avoid common disability insurance mistakes. submitted by WCInvestor to whitecoatinvestor [link] [comments] TL;DR: Key Takeaways: What Doctors Need to Know About Disability Insurance
What Is Disability Insurance?Disability insurance gives you an income to live on if you become so disabled that you can no longer work.If you become disabled, a long-term disability insurance policy pays a predetermined amount each month until you either recover from your disability or reach age 65-67. (Note: Policies vary. It is possible to buy a policy that pays to age 70 or even, for a very high premium, until death). Why Do Physicians Need Disability Insurance?One out of seven doctors end up having to use their disability insurance. Losing the ability to turn the knowledge and skills you spent a decade learning into a pile of money by working in your profession for decades is one of the most expensive risks that physicians face. Your most valuable asset is your ability to work.How Does Disability Insurance Work?Disability insurance is a pretty straightforward proposition. You buy a policy and pay your premium monthly or annually. If you become disabled, you (and your doctor) fill out the paperwork to prove it to the satisfaction of the insurance company and then they pay you the promised monthly benefit until you either recover from your disability or the insurance company meets its contractual obligation to pay the benefit.Short-Term vs. Long-Term DisabilityDisability insurance is most commonly divided into short-term and long-term.Short-Term DisabilityA short-term disability policy generally begins paying just as soon as you get disabled and then pays for a maximum period of 3-24 months. These policies are often provided by an employer as an employee benefit. Short-term disability, while inconvenient financially, is not generally a financial catastrophe for a physician saving for retirement with an emergency fund. As a result, many doctors do not buy short-term disability policies at all.Long-Term DisabilityA long-term disability policy generally does not pay immediately, but only begins to pay after a waiting period ranging from 1-24 months (typically 3 months). Then, the policy will continue to pay you a benefit each month until age 65, 67, or 70, depending on the policy. Note that a 3 month waiting period typically means your first check won't come until the end of the first month after the 3 months, so it's really a 4 month waiting period. Since losing your ability to earn a living for the rest of your life is a financial catastrophe, any doctor who is not financially independent should buy a long-term disability insurance policy.What Does Disability Insurance Cover?Disability insurance covers all kinds of disabilities. The best (and unfortunately most expensive) policies cover the widest range of potential disabilities.The Definition of DisabilityThe most important feature is the definition of disability. Disability insurance differs from life insurance in numerous ways, but none is more significant than in defining exactly when you become disabled (and when you become enabled again). The broader the definition of disability you get in your policy, the more the policy will cost.Unlike life insurance, where life and death are pretty black and white, disability has 50 shades of gray. You want a policy with a strong, broad definition of disability that will cover any possible type of disability? That means “true own-occupation, specialty-specific” and no limitations on things such as psychiatric conditions or addictions. This is the main difference between the “Big 5” companies and others. Even among the “Big 5,” there are slight differences. It is OK not to purchase the policy with the very best definition of disability, but the weaker the definition, the bigger the discount you should expect. Own-Occupation, Specialty-SpecificProbably the most important aspect of the definition for doctors is that it be specific to your occupation. For instance, if I lost my left thumb, there are a number of procedures in emergency medicine that I could no longer do. I would be completely disabled from managing a busy emergency department by myself. But I could probably still go do urgent care work. A specialty-specific definition of disability in my policy would provide me with my full disability payments in addition to the money I make at the urgent care. Sometimes, the “specialty-specific” clause is inherent to the policy, and at other times it is an additional rider (a piece of paper added to the policy for which you pay an additional premium). Either way, you almost surely want to get this in your policy. Here are the various definitions, starting with own occupation and progressing to any occupation.Own-Occupation DefinitionUnder this definition, your policy will pay if you cannot work in your occupation/specialty, even if you can and do work in another field and make as much money as you want.Own-occupation policies cover people based on the occupational duties they are performing at the time of claim. If your policy includes an own-occupation definition of total disability and you are exclusively performing the customary duties of your medical specialty or sub-specialty at the time of the claim, the policy will cover you when unable to perform your specialty or sub-specialty. If you have transitioned into a different role or expanded into a new career path that requires much less direct patient contact or procedural duties, you may no longer be considered totally disabled when unable to work in your specialty or sub-specialty. This is because your “occupation(s)” involves additional material and substantial duties, no longer limited to the performance of your medical specialty or sub-specialty. In these instances, you may be considered partially disabled or not disabled at all, depending on the exact circumstances. Transitional Own-OccupationYour policy will pay if you cannot work in your occupation/specialty, even if you can and do work in another field. But if you exceed your previous income while you now work in another field, your monthly benefit from the policy would likely be lowered.Modified Own-OccupationYour policy will only pay if you can't work in your occupation/specialty AND if you are not working in another field. This definition is also sometimes called “Own-Occupation, Not Engaged” or “Own-Occupation, Not Working.”Any-OccupationYour policy will only pay if you cannot work in any occupation based on education, training or experience. Note that some policies are own-occupation for a couple of years and then transition to any-occupation.One company out there (Northwestern Mutual) sells a policy with a definition that they claim is BETTER than own-occupation. They call it Medical Own-Occupation, but in reality, it is just a form of modified own-occupation. Learn more about the NML Medical Own-Occupation Definition. Do You Really Need an Own-Occupation, Specialty-Specific Policy?Some non-procedural physicians argue that they might not need a true own-occupation policy. They reason that if they are so disabled that they cannot practice their specialty, they probably cannot do anything else. So, they accept a less broad definition of disability to save some dollars on the premium. If you choose to do this, make sure you understand the exact circumstances under which your policy will and will not pay out.Mental Disorders/Substance AbuseMany policies will only cover mental illness or substance abuse-related disabilities for a period of two years. I know an attorney who couldn't practice law after developing bipolar syndrome in his 30s. It took over a decade to get it under control. He had a policy that covered mental illness indefinitely, which prevented financial catastrophe from striking him and his family.According to the April 2011 issue of Current Psychiatry Magazine, physicians are not immune to depression and have an increased risk of suicide. Additionally, the lack of distinction between a psychiatric diagnosis and impairment stigmatizes physicians and impedes treatment. You'll need to decide whether this is a risk you're willing to run. If you want mental illness covered like every other illness, you'll be paying more. Presumptive Total DisabilityAs you well know, disability can be defined in many shades of gray. In the event of your disability, you can expect a paperwork fight between you, your physician, the disability insurance company, and maybe even your attorney. However, most policies contain a section that defines “presumptive total disability” where you can be assured there won't be much arguing from the insurance company. Even better, the waiting period will be waived and you'll start getting payments right away.Anything short of that, and you're going to have to get your doctor to certify your disability and get the insurance company to accept it. At times, this can involve visits to multiple specialists and even hiring an attorney. Note that with some companies, presumptive disability does not need to be permanent. Cosmetic Surgery/Transplant SurgerySome policies will cover you if your disability is the result of cosmetic surgery or the result of donating a kidney or other body part to someone else. Others will not. Best to read your policy carefully and know what it does and does not cover.Disability Insurance Exclusions & LimitationsDisability insurance policies generally exclude any medical conditions you have at the time of applying for insurance. For example, if you already have chronic back pain, the policy will not provide a benefit if you are disabled due to a back condition. In addition, if you admit to participating in dangerous activities such as scuba diving, rock climbing, flying, and sky-diving, the policy will likely be issued with a rider that excludes those activities from coverage. Other exclusions may also apply, such as acts of war, normal pregnancy, and foreign travel. Here is a list of common exclusions:
Residual DisabilityResidual disability refers to being only partially disabled. This may occur from the initial injury or illness or be part of the process of recovery. You generally need to buy an additional rider to cover this. Read this rider carefully, it can be a bit complicated.Imagine developing painful lumbar radiculopathy that keeps you from working more than 20 hours a week. This is the part of your policy that will cover that. This rider will also explain how much you get if you are partially disabled. My old policy says it pays the whole benefit (total disability) if I can't earn at least 20% of my “indexed prior monthly earnings,” which is basically the money I earn at my job. It doesn't count my investments, other disability income policies, rent from a rental property, or my nonvocational activities. It doesn't pay anything if my earnings aren't reduced at least 20%. If I am making between 20%-80% of what I made previously, I get the total disability benefit times the ratio of my loss of income for that month divided by my indexed prior monthly earnings. Note that with some companies, the partial disability rider will kick in at 15%. Some contracts use “or” in the contract and others use “and” in the contracxt. For instance, a stronger policy would trigger the partial disability rider if you had a loss of income or a loss of time or a loss of duty whereas a weaker contract would require loss of income and loss of time and loss of duty where all of those triggers must be met. Partial Disability vs. Residual DisabilityPartial disability and residual disability are generally considered to be the same thing, but there is a technical difference at some companies. For example, at one company, a partial disability rider requires total disability during the elimination period and the residual disability rider does not. With another company, partial refers to the disability, such as one that only affects one part of the body (such as one arm), while residual refers to a decrease in earnings. Either way, the key is to understand how the residual/partial rider works in the policy you actually purchase.Recovery BenefitsA physician should consider a contract that will continuing paying them a portion of their benefits upon recovery from a disability if their income continues to be down at least 15%-20%. Most carriers will pay a recovery benefit for the benefit period although one only pays for 12 months. This is especially important for practice owners. Think if a dentist were to be disabled for 6 months and then recovers and goes back to their practice. Many of their patients may have gone elsewhere because the dentist sees his patients twice a year. It could take several years to get back to where he/she was at before becoming disabled.Recommendations for Physicians on Disability Insurance RidersHere's an easy cheat card to help you know at a glance what we think about all of the various riders available.https://preview.redd.it/akf6t5iqfn0d1.png?width=800&format=png&auto=webp&s=3f8b415d0101d729fdfa51bc9147993309147d75 Who Needs Disability Insurance?Nearly every high-income professional in their first decade or two out of school should own a policy. Your most valuable asset is your ability to work. So, if you do not own a disability insurance policy, you need to go get one, now. If you have an income, it's time to buy a policy, even if money is tight as a resident. The only exception is if you do not rely on your income to live. If you are already financially independent, it's OK not to buy disability insurance. However, even if you are frugal and married to another high earner, you may wish to still have a policy. You could both become disabled, or you could become divorced.How Much Physician Disability Insurance Do I Need?As a resident, you typically cannot afford to buy as much as you need, but you should be able to do so even as a brand-new attending. Basically, you need to buy enough disability insurance to cover both your living expenses and your retirement savings if you were to work to age 65 but not your taxes. Physician disability insurance payouts are generally tax-free since they are usually paid with post-tax dollars.Note that how much you need has little to do with your income and everything to do with what you spend. The less you spend, the less insurance you need to buy. Insurance agents would love to sell you the largest possible policy (which usually works out to be about 2/3 of your gross income, but it is possible to combine two companies to get even more), so you'll need to decide how much you need on your own. Resident physicians typically buy a $5,000 per month benefit and attending physicians typically buy a benefit in the $10,000-$15,000 per month range, but there are plenty of docs who buy both more and less. If your plan in the event of disability is to rely on the income of your spouse, you may not need disability insurance at all. Average Cost of Disability Insurance for PhysiciansUnlike cheaper insurance policies like term life and umbrella policies, physician disability insurance is expensive, although not quite as expensive as your malpractice insurance. The reason it costs so much is it actually gets used. The likelihood of you acquiring a long-term disability during your working years is approximately seven times as high as your risk of dying in those years. A typical policy bought on a healthy doc in their 20s or 30s will cost something between 2%-6% of the benefit. If your monthly benefit is $10,000, expect to spend $200-$600 per month for that. Perhaps the sticker shock you get upon being quoted prices will motivate you to reach financial independence as soon as possible so you can cancel the policy.Graded vs. Level PremiumsOne way to save money on your policy is to get graded premiums. Not all policies offer this feature, but those that do will charge you less in the first few years and more in later years. Level premium policies charge you the same amount in premium every year. A graded premium policy accounts for the fact that you become more likely to become disabled as you go through life. However, it can be very beneficial to you because your need for insurance actually falls continually throughout your career as your build your retirement nest egg.Once you become financially independent, you can drop the insurance completely. This is a good idea since the total benefits a policy could potentially pay are also dropping throughout your life (since the policy will generally only pay until you are in your mid- to late-60s). Many white coat investors who are great savers hit financial independence by mid-career. If you are one of those, you are likely to come out ahead using graded premiums instead of level premiums. What Disability Insurance Discounts Are Available for Doctors?Like other types of insurance, disability insurance is sold by agents who are paid commissions by the insurance companies to sell their products. It is a very competitive business. The insurance companies want agents, especially the independent agents you should be buying from, to preferentially sell their products. To incentivize the agents, they offer discounts that are only available through certain agents. Experienced, high-volume agents can often provide you with the same policy at a cheaper rate than a newer, lower-volume agent. Thus, it pays to use an experienced agent and shop around with two or three of them. Nearly every doctor should qualify for some type of discount on their policy—10%-30% premium discounts are not unusual. Types of discounts include:
How Do I Buy Disability Insurance?The key to physician disability insurance is the independent agent. The agent is going to be paid a great commission by the insurance company no matter which policy you choose. Assuming policies with similar benefits, the commission isn't going to be all that different. Plus, these agents get plenty of business and none of them are starving, so they have little incentive to sell you an inferior policy for a slightly higher commission. Their reputation is worth far more than a few extra dollars in commission. Since you are (indirectly) paying the agent a very nice commission, don't feel bad about using their time and expertise to fully understand this complicated product.For most doctors, this is a purchase that is only done once or twice in their life. Have the agent quote you different physician disability policies from each of the “Big 5” companies and show you the strengths and weaknesses of each. If you have a policy from work or your professional association, bring it in with you and have it included in the comparison. Then, you can know you made an educated decision and you can buy it and forget about it. Also, be sure to ask for a discount. The vast majority of doctors will qualify for a 5%-30% association or employer-related discount, and a top-notch agent will help you get that. What Type of Disability Insurance Should I Buy?There are two main types of disability policies: individual policies and group policies. As a general rule, individual policies have stronger definitions of disability. Many group policies are not own-occupation policies. Individual policies are also portable, in that you can change jobs and take them with you.Individual Disability PolicyThere are a number of benefits of an individual policy. The main one is that you are in control of all the details. You get to choose how much insurance you want to pay for. You get to choose which of the bells and whistles you are going to pay for. The policy is also “portable,” meaning you still have it if you change employers (or if your employer just decides to change the policy). As a general rule, the policy is also “stronger,” meaning it is more likely to actually pay you if you get disabled.Group Disability PolicyA group policy provided by your employer is usually not portable, although sometimes you are allowed to take over the entire premium and take it with you. Group policies also frequently have premiums that increase every year or every five years, whereas an individual policy usually has level premiums. Group policies paid for by your employer may also pay a taxable benefit, rather than the tax-free benefit provided by an individual policy. Aside from the lower cost, the main benefit of a group policy is that it may be easier to qualify for. It may not require any sort of medical exam or blood work, and it may not ask any pesky questions about your medical conditions and dangerous hobbies such as rock climbing, skydiving, scuba diving, or flying.How to Compare Disability Insurance PoliciesThe most important feature is the definition of disability. You want a policy with a strong, broad definition of disability that will cover any possible type of disability. That usually means “own-occupation, specialty-specific” and no limitations on things such as psychiatric conditions or addictions. This is the main difference between the “Big 5” companies and others.Since disability is complicated, disability insurance policies are complicated. There are dozens of differences from one policy to another, making them difficult to compare. Use your independent agent for recommendations on what matters most. Just for an example, take a look at this chart of all the differences you could see between one policy and another. When to Buy Disability Insurance?You should buy disability insurance just before you become disabled. Since you don't know when that time could be, earlier is generally better. However, disability insurance is also expensive, and when you are young and poor, you have lots of other great uses for your money. A good compromise is to buy a small policy as you enter residency and then upgrade to a more robust disability insurance plan just before leaving residency. The younger you are, the healthier you are, and the fewer dangerous hobbies you engage in, the cheaper your premiums will be for the same benefit.Best Disability Insurance for PhysiciansI keep a list of those I consider the best disability insurance agents in the country. Save yourself the work of finding a good one you can trust and use the same agents that have been used by thousands of WCI readers in the past. You do not need someone local that you can sit down across the table from. It is better to have someone who has sold policies to hundreds of docs this year working with you by phone, Skype, Zoom, and email than someone you can sit down with who has only sold four policies. In addition, if there is some issue with one of these agents, I can usually help you resolve it quickly.Information in this space rapidly changes. While we try to keep The White Coat Investor website as up-to-date as possible, our recommended agents are going to be our best source for updated information. I cannot emphasize how strongly I suggest you use them, whether buying your first policy or simply reviewing what you already have. |
2024.05.15 22:32 mamspaghetti [Theory] The inability to bend platinum can be fixed by sufficient scientific and spiritual advancements within the ATLA universe
A friend of mine just finished ATLA and LoK and wondered why exactly platinum of all things could not be bent to the shape and will of an Earthbender. After bouncing around ideas, this is what we came up with:
Though Toph herself said that Platinum cannot be bent due to lack of earth particulates, it is curious to note that for some reason, the mercury-like metallic poison that Korra ingested could be bent out of her body. If it were the case that metals can only be bent because they contort the earth particulates embedded within it, then realistically they would only be able to rip out the earth particulates within the ore. The fact that Toph was able to bend out that metallic poison using the super-fine earth sediments that mixed with the toxin and stayed within Korra's body indicates two possibilities:
1) That the prerequisite to metal bending being the ability to sense earth within the metal is untrue
or
2) That earth particulates are needed, but the ability to sense them all requires leaps and advances in material sciences and earth bending spirituality that just haven't happened yet even during Korra's time
It's more likely that option 2 is the answer, as subtle hints dropped throughout the expanded ATLA universe point towards the idea that the more spiritual an earth bender is, the stronger they can sense the earth's spiritual energy around them and the smaller the particulates they can manipulate.
This is backed by two pieces of evidence
In combination with the top two quotes, this means that the more spiritual an earth bender, the finer and more precise their bending can become. Correlating this finer control with human ingenuity, new earth bending techniques can originate by combining knowledge of the natural world with a heightened sense of spirituality. This would be how things like crystal bending, paint bending (via Yun), sand/dust bending (via the sand nomads and the earth bending masters in Kiyoshi's time), and even metal bending originated.
Given this historical context, its far more likely that Platinum bending never became a thing because the material sciences in the ATLA universe havent advanced far enough by LoK for them to have discovered and used advanced metallurgy techniques of today. And because sufficient advancements in the physical understanding of metals have not happened, there just wasn't a right moment, at least during Toph's life, where scientists and spiritualists got together to brainstorm new ways to bend Platinum.
And even if Toph was able to sense the earth particulates trapped within platinum, another reason why she wrote off as impossible may be due to three reasons:
In conclusion, the lack of adequate scientific advancements, and the lack of sufficiently spiritual metal bending sages, would have prevented the potential for platinum bending from expanding during Toph's time
As current thought is that the next earth avatar would live in a world either 30-40 or even 100 years after Korra's time, there would have been ample time for the world to have come up with a ton of nuanced applications of metal bending beyond what we've seen in Korra's time
Some examples include
1) Manipulation of all types of ores. This would include Platinum, but maybe other types of rarer metals
2) Magnetism bending: By bending metals into their own bodies, an earth bender may be able to generate ferromagnetism by will
3) Oxygen doping: By manipulating the trace metals in the body or absorbing metals in the body. Earth benders can artificially increase the amount of heme within their bodies, thus taking up larger amounts of metal.
4) Bone Bending: By manipulating the flow of earthen particulates and metals within the body, one can induce bone formation, potentially allowing earth benders to be able to be like wolverine and bend bone extensions straight from their body. Or maybe, they can just excrete bone deposits from their bodies and form tools made out of their own bone by will.
submitted by mamspaghetti to ATLA [link] [comments]
Though Toph herself said that Platinum cannot be bent due to lack of earth particulates, it is curious to note that for some reason, the mercury-like metallic poison that Korra ingested could be bent out of her body. If it were the case that metals can only be bent because they contort the earth particulates embedded within it, then realistically they would only be able to rip out the earth particulates within the ore. The fact that Toph was able to bend out that metallic poison using the super-fine earth sediments that mixed with the toxin and stayed within Korra's body indicates two possibilities:
1) That the prerequisite to metal bending being the ability to sense earth within the metal is untrue
or
2) That earth particulates are needed, but the ability to sense them all requires leaps and advances in material sciences and earth bending spirituality that just haven't happened yet even during Korra's time
It's more likely that option 2 is the answer, as subtle hints dropped throughout the expanded ATLA universe point towards the idea that the more spiritual an earth bender is, the stronger they can sense the earth's spiritual energy around them and the smaller the particulates they can manipulate.
This is backed by two pieces of evidence
- First, only Toph was able to sense and help flush out the remaining earth particulates that were mixed with the poison that Zaheer poisoned Korra with. These earth particulates were so small that no one was able to sense them: Not her direct descendents, not Korra, and surprisingly not even Katara. And out of all the people in the world, Katara would be the only other person who would have a shot at detecting it, as she is the waterbending master by Korra's time, and she out of anyone would be able to detect the trace toxins via the earth and metal particulates obstructing blood flow. The fact that Katara couldn't means that while all 4 bendable elements are just different applications of spirit bending, sensing microscopic earth particulates is something only an expert Earth bender can do, and that no other elemental bender can match an earth bender in this regard. So how did Toph get so good at earth bending? By learning it through instinct by observing and interacting with the Badger moles. Because badger moles are animals, they don't understand human language nor do they care about a human's want to learn earthbending from them. So when Toph started out her early days as an earthbender, she had to have relied heavily on instinct in order to understand not only what the badger moles are doing, but also to sense the flow of spiritual energy coursing through the very soil she feels. Due to her background, Toph is one of the few earthbenders within the "modern" era whose bending style is the most similar to that used by ancient Earthbenders, and is thus one of the most spiritual earth benders we know of in the modern era. To conclude, Toph's uniquely spiritual bending style gave her a near unprecedented edge in sensing earth particulate on a scale that few earthbenders across the expanded universe can replicate.
- In agreement with point 1, the well-known quote that Lao Ge told Kiyoshi in her youth goes like this:
"Divide your body in two, then divide it again, and then again, and again. Put the pieces back, and put them back again, and again, and again one more time, and you're whole once more.” - Tieguai The ImmortalThe philosophy behind this is that Tieguai claims that ageing is the product of the body deteriorating on the smallest, most invisible level. And this quote was given for how one can prevent this very deterioration. In context of the first piece of evidence, this means that Tieguai, hundreds of years before Korra, essentially discovered that earth benders can achieve immortality by manipulating the very earth grains within them to bend their bodies to a pre-established state/age. And him referring to ageing as "invisible deterioration" may have less to do with the fact that his method of immortality has less to do with energy bending, but that it is manipulating the finest, microscopic pieces of silt and dirt trapped within the human body to control one's very biology.
In combination with the top two quotes, this means that the more spiritual an earth bender, the finer and more precise their bending can become. Correlating this finer control with human ingenuity, new earth bending techniques can originate by combining knowledge of the natural world with a heightened sense of spirituality. This would be how things like crystal bending, paint bending (via Yun), sand/dust bending (via the sand nomads and the earth bending masters in Kiyoshi's time), and even metal bending originated.
So how does this justify why Platinum is impossible to bend?
To our current understanding, metallurgy is an art that remained stagnant for hundreds of years before Fire Nation triggered a global era of industrialization that saw an explosion of metallurgy techniques and applications. Prior to the fire nation invasion, metal was a fare rarer material to come across, and its unique difficulty to manipulate would've discouraged prior earthbenders from experimental with metal further than "manipulating the dust around a piece of iron ore" rather than manipulating the earth embedded within the iron. Only when iron became far more common place was Toph's ability to bend metals a far more useful skill to have.Given this historical context, its far more likely that Platinum bending never became a thing because the material sciences in the ATLA universe havent advanced far enough by LoK for them to have discovered and used advanced metallurgy techniques of today. And because sufficient advancements in the physical understanding of metals have not happened, there just wasn't a right moment, at least during Toph's life, where scientists and spiritualists got together to brainstorm new ways to bend Platinum.
And even if Toph was able to sense the earth particulates trapped within platinum, another reason why she wrote off as impossible may be due to three reasons:
- First, that as a member of the Avatar's entourage, she become incredibly busy, as her time and energy became increasingly diverted by her metal bending academy, her parental duties, her political duties as chief of police, and fighting criminals. This would give few opportunities in her adult life as a more proficient earth bender to really sit down and crack the code. But second, even if she did, she might not have worked out how to manipulate the metal without a proper understanding of how the earth particulates interact with the lattice structure of the metal.
- LoK makes it clear that the industrial revolution has occured in the avatar universe, but what isn't cleaexpanded upon is how metal benders interact with alloys such as Brass or Bronze. Prior to advance late in the industrial revolution in our world, Platinum alloys were much harder to work with due to the innability to separate natural platinum ore into continuent metals like Rhodium, Palladium, Iridium, Osmium, as well as other nonmetallic impurities such as Phosphorous, Silica, and Sulfur deposits. Only until more did more modern electrochemical techniques such as the Wohwill process and electric arc furnaces increase the purity of platinum ores significantly. As LoK seems to be set in something roughly like the late 1800s early 1900s, analogous techniques like the electric arc furnaces may not have been invented. So maybe another difficulty of bending platinum is that the platinum used involves alloys from too many metals
- Alternatively, it could be that the prevalence of electricity benders have naturally accelerated the development of making pure platinum ore. In that case, the higher purity of Platinum ore may result in fewer earth particulates in the metal to manipulate the ore
- As a subpoint, Platinum on average has a greater density, melting point, and malleability than Iron, indicating that its crystalline lattice is more robust and sturdier than that found in iron. If the principle behind metal bending is to force the comparatively few earthen particulates within the ore to distort the metallic lattice that iron atoms are trapped in, thena combination of fewer earthen particles, plus a more robust lattice within the platinum ore, may have been the main culprits that prevented platinum to be bent
- So, to bend platinum, one would need spiritual advances to somehow make use of fewer earthen particulates in a platinum ore to distort a much more structurally robust ore to move according to a bender's well. And its also more likely that neither issue was fully investgated by a team of sages and scientists throughout Aang's lifetime.
- As a subpoint, Platinum on average has a greater density, melting point, and malleability than Iron, indicating that its crystalline lattice is more robust and sturdier than that found in iron. If the principle behind metal bending is to force the comparatively few earthen particulates within the ore to distort the metallic lattice that iron atoms are trapped in, thena combination of fewer earthen particles, plus a more robust lattice within the platinum ore, may have been the main culprits that prevented platinum to be bent
In conclusion, the lack of adequate scientific advancements, and the lack of sufficiently spiritual metal bending sages, would have prevented the potential for platinum bending from expanding during Toph's time
What this means for the future of Avatar
With the increased globalization, and the paradoxical increase in spiritual energies within the world following LoK, an explosion of scientific and spiritual advancement would synergized and rigorously developed a wide assortment of techniques that would've otherwise been considered one-off, generational talents in prior eras. And probably crucial to the physical/spiritual advancements in earth bending would be to temporarily infuse metal ores with earth particulates, or to come up with entirely new ways to amplify one's will through the comparatively scarce amounts of earthen particulates to distort multiple types of metallic ore beyond just metal.As current thought is that the next earth avatar would live in a world either 30-40 or even 100 years after Korra's time, there would have been ample time for the world to have come up with a ton of nuanced applications of metal bending beyond what we've seen in Korra's time
Some examples include
1) Manipulation of all types of ores. This would include Platinum, but maybe other types of rarer metals
2) Magnetism bending: By bending metals into their own bodies, an earth bender may be able to generate ferromagnetism by will
3) Oxygen doping: By manipulating the trace metals in the body or absorbing metals in the body. Earth benders can artificially increase the amount of heme within their bodies, thus taking up larger amounts of metal.
4) Bone Bending: By manipulating the flow of earthen particulates and metals within the body, one can induce bone formation, potentially allowing earth benders to be able to be like wolverine and bend bone extensions straight from their body. Or maybe, they can just excrete bone deposits from their bodies and form tools made out of their own bone by will.
2024.05.15 22:25 HaykakanTxa Daily News Report: 05/15/2024
Date: 05/15/2024
Reading time: 11 minutes, 2384 words🪖 Military
The ceremony of withdrawal of peacekeepers from Nagorno-Karabakh took place
Russian peacekeepers were in Nagorno Karabakh based on a statement of November 9, 2020. The military group was supposed to stay in the region until 2025, which could be extended for another five years. The population of Artsakh was subjected to forced displacement, more than 100 thousand people moved from Artsakh to Armenia.CivilNet
Armenia and Slovakia discuss issues of military-technical cooperation
Armenia participated in the IDEB-2024 defense exhibition in Bratislava, Slovakia, at the invitation of the Slovak Ministry of Defense. A number of agreements have been reached between Armenia and Slovakia.Armenpress, Armenia, Slovakia discuss expanding defence cooperation
Armenia and India plan to create a working group on defense issues
The first defense consultations between the Ministries of Defense of Armenia and India took place under the chairmanship of Levon Ayvazyan. The progress and development prospects of Armenia-India cooperation in the field of defense were discussed, including military-technical, personnel military education and tactical training, exchange of experience and other fields.CivilNet, Armenian and Indian Defense Ministries hold first defense consultations in Yerevan, Armenia, India hold first defense consultations
🏛️ Politics & Government
Over 52% of respondents in Armenia support Tavush for Homeland movement to certain extent, Gallup phone poll shows
A total of 35.1% of respondents in Armenia said they “fully support” the Tavush for Homeland movement, Aram Navasardyan, head of the Armenian office of GALLUP International Association, said at a press conference on Wednesday. 17.8% said they feel “more than positively” about the movement, 10% - ‘more than negatively’, 10.5% “absolutely negatively”; 13.6% found it difficult to answer the question.ArkaAm
Civil disobedience campaigns continue in Yerevan
People demanding Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s resignation again blocked streets in Yerevan on May 15.PanArmenian
The Baku court has extended the terms of detention of Artsakh officials for five months
Former presidents Bako Sahakyan, Arayik Harutyunyan, Davit Babayan and Davit Ishkhanyan are speaking. The detention period of the former President of Artsakh Arkady Ghukasyan was also extended by five months. 23 Armenian servicemen and civilians were arrested in September 2023, after a one-day war against Artsakh.CivilNet
Political consultations held between foreign ministries of Armenia, Georgia
The Republic of Armenia and Georgia held a round of political consultations in Tbilisi on May 13-14. It is noted that the participants of the meeting reviewed the existing relations between the two countries.Armenpress, Political consultations held between Foreign Ministries of Armenia and Georgia
Education reforms, institutional development, peace agenda implementation: PM delivers speech at EBRD annual meeting
Nikol Pashinyan attended the opening ceremony of the annual meeting of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development in the Republic of Armenia. Armenia's economy has grown by almost 30 percent since the People's Nonviolent Velvet Revolution of 2018.Armenpress, Prime Minister highly values the partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Armenian PM and EBRD President discuss joint projects and perspectives, EBRD plans to invest up to 500 million Euros in Armenia in 2024, EBRD and InecoBank bolster science innovation hub in Yerevan
Border delimitation between Armenia, Azerbaijan should become a key tool for learning peaceful coexistence - PM
Armenia and Azerbaijan lack experience and knowledge of peaceful co-existence, says Prime Minister. Pashinyan: "What you don't know brings uncertainties, concerns, tensions, which you understandably formulate and perceive based on your experience"Armenpress, Moscow welcomes Armenia-Azerbaijan foreign ministers' negotiations in Almaty, Demarcation should become one of the tools that will teach Armenia and Azerbaijan to live peacefully – PM Pashinyan
PM Pashinyan sends congratulatory message to the Prime Minister of Serbia
Nikol Pashinyan congratulates Miloš Vučević on occasion of his election to the post of the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia. The message reads as follows: "Armenia values friendly relations with Serbia based on mutual respect and trust"Armenpress
Armenia and EBRD sign €236 million agreement for Sisian-Kajaran road construction
The EBRD signed a loan agreement worth €236 million for the construction of the 24.2 km southern section of the Sisian-Kajaran North-South Road. The project is a strategic priority for Armenia, ensuring its connectivity and access to Europe and beyond.Armenpress, EBRD plans to invest up to 500 million Euros in Armenia in 2024, EBRD grants Armenia 12 million euros for the construction of a logistics center in Syunik, EBRD funds largest road project in Armenia
Armenia and France expand cooperation in civil aviation sector
Meeting was held between the Director General, Mihran Khachatryan, and the Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of France to the Republic of Armenia, Olivier Decottignies. Issues of strengthening and expanding cooperation between Armenia and France in the field of civil aviation were discussed.Armenpress, French Development Agency to extend cooperation with Armenia’s government, Armenia, France extend partnership in civil aviation, Armenia and France are expanding cooperation in the field of civil aviation, Armenia, French Development Agency to expand cooperation
The delegation led by Tigran Avinyan leaves for Paris
The Yerevan delegation will visit Paris from May 15 to 19. They will meet with the president of the regional council of Île-de-France.Armenpress, Yerevan Mayor to travel to Paris on May 15-19
Moscow sees the need to resume the work of the tripartite group on the issue of de-blockade
Moscow considers it necessary to resume work of tripartite working group co-chaired by deputy prime ministers of Russia, Armenia and Azerbaijan on blockade issue. Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin said about it in an interview with the News.ru website: "We do not use the term Zangezur Corridor, but in favor of the complete unblocking of economic and transport communications in the South Caucasus. He also spoke about the role of Russian peacekeepers in Karabakh.CivilNet
Armenia is waiting for the decision to join the European Peace Foundation. Pashinyan
Pashinyan: We are waiting for the decision to include Armenia in the European Peace Fund. The fund was established in 2021 to promote world peace, prevent conflicts and supply non-lethal weapons to countries in need. In mid-April, the media wrote that a preliminary agreement was reached in Brussels to provide 10 million euros to Armenia from this fund, but Hungary blocked the decision.CivilNet
Mirzoyan to take part in Council of Europe ministers’ Committee session in Strasbourg
Ararat Mirzoyan will travel to French city of Strasbourg for a working visit on 16-17 May. He will take part in the 133rd session of the Committee of Ministers, devoted to the celebration of 75 years since the foundation of the Council of Europe.ArkaAm, Armenian FM to participate in the session of CoE Committee of Ministers
High-Tech Minister: Armenia considers creating investment fund
Armenia’s Minister of High-Tech Industry Mkhitar Hayrapetyan discussed a potential creation of an investment fund in the country with Noubar Afeyan, the founder of venture capital firm Flagship Pioneering. Fund is expected to improve cooperation between Armenian authorities and the private sector.ArkaAm
Armenia's policy is to diversify its foreign relations - Pashinyan
Armenia's policy is to diversify its foreign relations in all areas, Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan said at Copenhagen Democracy Summit. "We are happy about the deployment of the EU Civilian Monitoring Mission on the border between Armenia and Azerbaijan," he said. The prime minister said that the EU decision on Armenia's inclusion in the European Peace Facility is now awaited.ArkaAm
Moscow slams EU mission in Armenia for “provocative activity”
The EU mission is doing more and more against Armenia’s neighbors Russia, Azerbaijan and Iran, Mikhail Galuzin said.PanArmenian
Uruguay Chamber of Representatives votes to submit draft law on the Armenian Genocide Memorial Day to executive branch
Chamber of Representatives of Uruguay on May 14 unanimously passed the draft law declaring April 24 as Armenian Genocide Memorial Day in Uruguay, 74 votes in favor by the 74 MPs present. After the executive's approval within 10 days, the law will come into force immediately, the Armenian Embassy in Uruguay said in a post on Facebook.Armenpress, Uruguay House of Representatives approves billdeclaring April 24 as Armenian Genocide Remembrance Day
Slovak PM in ‘life-threatening condition’ after being shot
Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico is fighting for his life after he was shot multiple times following a government meeting. Fico's condition is life-threatening and he’s being flown by helicopter to hospital for emergency treatment.Armenpress, Slovak PM Fico in hospital after being shot, Violence has no place in politics: Armenian PM wishes speedy recovery to Slovakia’s Robert Fico, Slovak PM in life-threatening condition after assassination attempt, Slovak PM Fico in hospital after being shot
Zelenskiy cancels visit to Spain and Portugal
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has cancelled a visit to Spain and Portugal, authorities said on Wednesday. CNN Portugal and other media reported it was because of renewed fighting in his country. Spain's King Felipe of Spain had been due to hold a reception and host a meal in his honour. He had also been expected to sign a bilateral security cooperation agreement.Armenpress
The Power of One Dram Sums up the Two-Year Program with Teach for Armenia
During November and December 2021, AMD 9,328,753 was transferred to the “Teach for Armenia” educational foundation. The amount gathered within the framework of “The Power of One Dram” initiative of IDBank and Idram. As a result, two schools of Aragatsotn Region have been conducting an education program based on change for two years.Armenpress, Power of One Dram sums up two-year program with Teach for Armenia
Blinken, guitar in hand, sings ‘Rockin’ in the Free World’ in Kyiv bar
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken plays guitar and sings Neil Young's "Rockin' in the Free World" with a local band. Blinken assured Ukrainians they are not alone and that billions of dollars in American military aid on its way will make a "real difference" on the battlefield.Armenpress
Armenia’s ruling party frames anti-government protesters as ‘Russia-backed’ on social media: DEMOCRACY WATCH #4
A CivilNet investigation has found that the campaigns, mostly on Facebook, are generated by the country’s ruling party. Among the main targets is the leader of the protest movement Archbishop Bagrat Galstanyan, the Primate of the Tavush Diocese. They circulate videos and photos suggesting his involvement in a “Russian plan to destabilize Armenia”CivilNet, Echoes of Déjà Vu: Reviving Resistance in Armenia, Archbishop Bagrat: This is our first victory
India and Iran have announced the launch of the Chabahar port development project
India and Iran signed a ten-year agreement on the development and operation of Iran's Chabahar port. The agreement aims to expand regional communication and facilitate trade, particularly between India, Iran and Afghanistan. India has invested in the infrastructure and modernization of the port, making it a viable transit route for Indian goods to Afghanistan and Central Asia.CivilNet
U.S. warns Georgia not to side with Moscow against the west
Georgia has been warned by the U.S. not to become an adversary of the west by falling back in line with Moscow.PanArmenian
💵 Economy
EBRD predicts Armenia’s economy to grow by 6.2% in 2024
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development expects Armenia’s economy to grow by 6.2% in 2024 and 4,8% in 2025. The EBRD forecasted a 4.5% economic growth in 2024 for Armenia in its previous report, published in September 2023. The World Bank expects the Armenian economy to. grow by 5.5%, the IMF predicts 5% growth for the country's economy in 2024.ArkaAm
VTB (Armenia) expands opportunities for cross-border money transfers by phone number
Retail customers of VTB Bank (Armenia) can receive money transfers from Russia by phone number. Funds are credited instantly to the recipient's account or card in national currency. In 2023, the bank's retail customers received more than 94 thousand money transfers.ArkaAm, VTB-Armenia Bank has expanded the possibilities of international transfers by telephone
EBRD has significantly improved the forecast of the growth of the Armenian economy in 2024 to 6.2%
The EBRD predicts 6.2 percent economic growth in Armenia in 2024, and 4.8 percent in 2025. The World Bank expects that Armenia's economy will grow by 5.5 percent in 2024. The IMF predicts a 5 percent growth for the country's economy in 2024 and 2025.ArkaAm
Donations to Armenia:
HimnadramServicemenFund
Armenian Wounded Heroes
ArmeniaFund
2024.05.15 22:09 lefthandconcerto My Review of The Pinhoe Egg (Spoilers Within!)
About six months ago, in November, I started my journey through the "Chronicles of Chrestomanci," which of course are not really a series as much as a collection of books which all take place in the same set of universes. I read everything in order of publication, posting my thoughts here each time, and with the completion of this book I am now all the way through these wonderful novels. Please forgive my lack of direct quotes this time--having read nothing else for fun besides these books for six months, I found my note-taking capacity to be somewhat diminished. Maybe in the future I'll write a more detailed review.
The Pinhoe Egg is the final Chrestomanci book, whether you're reading them in order of publication or chronologically. I have no doubt Diana Wynne Jones did not intend this to be a "series" with a beginning and end; rather, I assume she simply got several book ideas that took place in this world, and this happened to be the last time before she died. It is sheer luck, then, that this last book is a sort of grand culmination of them both thematically and narratively, and possibly the best of the lot.
We start, typically, with a new protagonist, Marianne Pinhoe, and a new locale, the small rural village of Ulverscote, located a stone's throw from Chrestomanci Castle and Helm St. Mary. I liked that we got a little more background about this area throughout the book. When I go back to reread Charmed Life, I'm looking forward to putting it all into this new context.
Marianne became a favorite character almost instantly, and I was hooked on her storyline right from the beginning. Jones has a typically virtuosic opening sequence, wasting no time in establishing the key characters and launching into a dreadfully funny episode telling of Marianne's grandmother (who is also a kind of matriarch or "Gammer" over all the Pinhoes) apparently abruptly developing dementia and being forcibly removed from her home. There is black comedy galore here, all painfully adjacent to the real experience of making arrangements for a feeble or senile parent, as when Gammer is so averse to leaving her home that she roots herself in the bed, complete with actual roots. Meanwhile, Gammer's brothers and many children squabble over who gets to live in her house and where her belongings will go.
I mentioned before how Jones is always surprising me with the variety of formal structures and writing styles she employs. I thought I had figured out her game here, and was sure it was going to be similar to Conrad's Fate, where a new protagonist gradually makes their way into meeting familiar characters. But of course, Jones neatly sidesteps all reader expectation and switches tracks suddenly a few chapters in, focusing on Cat Chant as a second, equal protagonist, and revealing this book to be, among other things, the true sequel to Charmed Life--published 29 real-life years later. Jones then begins alternating between Cat and Marianne unevenly, and sometimes even from sentence to sentence, as in Witch Week. Her sleight of hand is sly and clever, and the craftsmanship is remarkable. Hats off--each of the seven books in this series reads totally differently. Jack of all trades, master of all, our Diana.
Jones stacks on the themes this time. We of course get some of her usual preoccupations, particularly with that of unreliable families. The Pinhoes may be the worst of the lot, or at least the most upsetting, because while in most of the other books the dysfunction is obvious, things are more insidious here. The reader is actually led (through Marianne's obedient, rule-following perspective) to see Harry, Cecily, Gammer, and most of the uncles and aunts as well-meaning individuals who care for one another. However, as in Charmed Life (and Cat himself draws the comparison), as the book goes on and Marianne becomes more independent, it becomes increasingly difficult for her, and for us, to justify their cruel behavior. It is genuinely devastating when Marianne figures out what's going on halfway through the book, decides to approach the adults in her life about it, and is laughed off or outright punished by all of them. There is a familiar scene at the end of the book: Marianne's and Joe's talents are vindicated by Chrestomanci and they are given the opportunity to nurture their skills in an education apart from parents who hold them back by refusing to understand or accept them. Replace the current Chrestomanci with the previous acting Chrestomanci, Gabriel de Witt, and you have the same scene as the end of Conrad's Fate. The detail that Marianne and Joe still go home and see their parents regularly is brutally realistic, Marianne able to convince her mother to soften on some issues, but ultimately failing to truly connect with her father. This seems to me the ultimate conclusion of the obsession with family dynamics in the Chronicles of Chrestomanci--that your family will always be there, like them or not, whether or not a true understanding can ever be reached. I'm not ashamed to say I cried through the last couple chapters of the book, and found the first line Jones has written that made me audibly sob. This was a feeling from childhood I didn't even know I had forgotten:
Jones has always been steadfastly protective of those who cannot speak up for themselves, as with the character of Cat who finds it difficult to recognize and verbalize his feelings. This time, borrowing from a kind of Shinto animism, Jones includes the concept of Dwimmer, a magic that is focused on the life force within all creatures and plants. There is no debate where Jones stands on this--her deepest and most profound sympathies lie with Cat, who can't bear to imagine his horse Syracuse chopped into dog meat, who frets over Klartch's wellbeing when out of his sight, and who firmly refuses to apologize for releasing all the goblinlike fairy folk from their bindings. There is no direct intimation of endangered species, global warming, or human-caused environmental destruction in this book, as you might expect in this kind of setup (I suspect Jones was too clever to resort to trite metaphors). However, in a fascinating twist, a plot detail revolves around the Pinhoes and Farleighs erecting a barrier in the forest to contain the magical creatures, making the forest feel empty and incomplete in the process--a magical, but also literal, instance of deforestation. Motives of plants, herbs, and trees, both good and evil, carry through the book as well. Jason and Gaffer Elijah Pinhoe, as well as Cecily, are handy with plants and tend large gardens. The Farleighs' and Pinhoes' spells tend to take the form of small bags of weeds and branches as well. Interestingly, and insightfully, the natural world is portrayed as difficult as well: Gammer grows roots to impede her family's mission, and the vile Gaffer Farleigh morphs into a stubborn, gnarled, immovable petrified oak when Cat works a spell forcing him to assume his true form.
This was one of the most enjoyable books in the Chrestomanci series, and it was bittersweet to close the door on the Pinhoes. I like that the continuity between these books is vague and tenuous, so I'm free to imagine all sort of side goings-on, like what might happen to Marianne and Cat later in life, or whether Conrad and Christopher remained friends, or what Roger and Julia thought when their dad told them all about the events at the academy in Witch Week. Howl's Moving Castle is still the book closest to my heart, and will forever be the Diana Wynne Jones I read over and over, recommending to anyone unfortunate enough to strike up a conversation about books with me, but I am so glad that I found the time to welcome Chrestomanci and all his strange acquaintances into my heart, too.
Here's my personal ranking of the Chronicles of Chrestomanci, but please note I love all of these books and a low ranking does not mean I don't like the book. I have to put that there because there's always someone who doesn't understand that last place doesn't mean bad or worst. I'm not including the short stories individually because it's impossible for me to weigh a short story against a novel, whereas a large collection seems to make sense to me. I also must admit that the top three, especially the top two, were really difficult to place and I more or less love them equally.
Oh, and finally... ALL SPOILERS ALLOWED!
submitted by lefthandconcerto to dianawynnejones [link] [comments]
The Pinhoe Egg is the final Chrestomanci book, whether you're reading them in order of publication or chronologically. I have no doubt Diana Wynne Jones did not intend this to be a "series" with a beginning and end; rather, I assume she simply got several book ideas that took place in this world, and this happened to be the last time before she died. It is sheer luck, then, that this last book is a sort of grand culmination of them both thematically and narratively, and possibly the best of the lot.
We start, typically, with a new protagonist, Marianne Pinhoe, and a new locale, the small rural village of Ulverscote, located a stone's throw from Chrestomanci Castle and Helm St. Mary. I liked that we got a little more background about this area throughout the book. When I go back to reread Charmed Life, I'm looking forward to putting it all into this new context.
Marianne became a favorite character almost instantly, and I was hooked on her storyline right from the beginning. Jones has a typically virtuosic opening sequence, wasting no time in establishing the key characters and launching into a dreadfully funny episode telling of Marianne's grandmother (who is also a kind of matriarch or "Gammer" over all the Pinhoes) apparently abruptly developing dementia and being forcibly removed from her home. There is black comedy galore here, all painfully adjacent to the real experience of making arrangements for a feeble or senile parent, as when Gammer is so averse to leaving her home that she roots herself in the bed, complete with actual roots. Meanwhile, Gammer's brothers and many children squabble over who gets to live in her house and where her belongings will go.
I mentioned before how Jones is always surprising me with the variety of formal structures and writing styles she employs. I thought I had figured out her game here, and was sure it was going to be similar to Conrad's Fate, where a new protagonist gradually makes their way into meeting familiar characters. But of course, Jones neatly sidesteps all reader expectation and switches tracks suddenly a few chapters in, focusing on Cat Chant as a second, equal protagonist, and revealing this book to be, among other things, the true sequel to Charmed Life--published 29 real-life years later. Jones then begins alternating between Cat and Marianne unevenly, and sometimes even from sentence to sentence, as in Witch Week. Her sleight of hand is sly and clever, and the craftsmanship is remarkable. Hats off--each of the seven books in this series reads totally differently. Jack of all trades, master of all, our Diana.
Jones stacks on the themes this time. We of course get some of her usual preoccupations, particularly with that of unreliable families. The Pinhoes may be the worst of the lot, or at least the most upsetting, because while in most of the other books the dysfunction is obvious, things are more insidious here. The reader is actually led (through Marianne's obedient, rule-following perspective) to see Harry, Cecily, Gammer, and most of the uncles and aunts as well-meaning individuals who care for one another. However, as in Charmed Life (and Cat himself draws the comparison), as the book goes on and Marianne becomes more independent, it becomes increasingly difficult for her, and for us, to justify their cruel behavior. It is genuinely devastating when Marianne figures out what's going on halfway through the book, decides to approach the adults in her life about it, and is laughed off or outright punished by all of them. There is a familiar scene at the end of the book: Marianne's and Joe's talents are vindicated by Chrestomanci and they are given the opportunity to nurture their skills in an education apart from parents who hold them back by refusing to understand or accept them. Replace the current Chrestomanci with the previous acting Chrestomanci, Gabriel de Witt, and you have the same scene as the end of Conrad's Fate. The detail that Marianne and Joe still go home and see their parents regularly is brutally realistic, Marianne able to convince her mother to soften on some issues, but ultimately failing to truly connect with her father. This seems to me the ultimate conclusion of the obsession with family dynamics in the Chronicles of Chrestomanci--that your family will always be there, like them or not, whether or not a true understanding can ever be reached. I'm not ashamed to say I cried through the last couple chapters of the book, and found the first line Jones has written that made me audibly sob. This was a feeling from childhood I didn't even know I had forgotten:
[Marianne] was depressed and worried. Dad was never going to understand and never going to forgive her. And Gaffer had still not turned up. On top of that, school started on Monday week. Though look on the bright side, she thought. It'll keep me away from my family, during the daytime at least.As in Conrad's Fate, the potential toxicity of religion crops up here, in a bigger way than ever. The last act of the book is barely disguised by its magical trappings: what we have here is a group of devout, religious conservatives, being shown the harmful effects of their actions, and blindly rejecting all of the proof and logic in front of them in favor of enforcing rules and laws that keep them comfortable. There is no doubt that the next generation of Pinhoes will be just as subject to the old traditions, in spite of Marianne and Joe breaking free. That the Reverend Pinhoe is portrayed as a hapless and kind man, ignorant to most of the wrongdoing in the village, does little to soften the point of Jones's pencil here. As I said, I was startled by how moved and devastated I was by this final section, recognizing all of the real-world pain in this fantastical setting.
Jones has always been steadfastly protective of those who cannot speak up for themselves, as with the character of Cat who finds it difficult to recognize and verbalize his feelings. This time, borrowing from a kind of Shinto animism, Jones includes the concept of Dwimmer, a magic that is focused on the life force within all creatures and plants. There is no debate where Jones stands on this--her deepest and most profound sympathies lie with Cat, who can't bear to imagine his horse Syracuse chopped into dog meat, who frets over Klartch's wellbeing when out of his sight, and who firmly refuses to apologize for releasing all the goblinlike fairy folk from their bindings. There is no direct intimation of endangered species, global warming, or human-caused environmental destruction in this book, as you might expect in this kind of setup (I suspect Jones was too clever to resort to trite metaphors). However, in a fascinating twist, a plot detail revolves around the Pinhoes and Farleighs erecting a barrier in the forest to contain the magical creatures, making the forest feel empty and incomplete in the process--a magical, but also literal, instance of deforestation. Motives of plants, herbs, and trees, both good and evil, carry through the book as well. Jason and Gaffer Elijah Pinhoe, as well as Cecily, are handy with plants and tend large gardens. The Farleighs' and Pinhoes' spells tend to take the form of small bags of weeds and branches as well. Interestingly, and insightfully, the natural world is portrayed as difficult as well: Gammer grows roots to impede her family's mission, and the vile Gaffer Farleigh morphs into a stubborn, gnarled, immovable petrified oak when Cat works a spell forcing him to assume his true form.
This was one of the most enjoyable books in the Chrestomanci series, and it was bittersweet to close the door on the Pinhoes. I like that the continuity between these books is vague and tenuous, so I'm free to imagine all sort of side goings-on, like what might happen to Marianne and Cat later in life, or whether Conrad and Christopher remained friends, or what Roger and Julia thought when their dad told them all about the events at the academy in Witch Week. Howl's Moving Castle is still the book closest to my heart, and will forever be the Diana Wynne Jones I read over and over, recommending to anyone unfortunate enough to strike up a conversation about books with me, but I am so glad that I found the time to welcome Chrestomanci and all his strange acquaintances into my heart, too.
Here's my personal ranking of the Chronicles of Chrestomanci, but please note I love all of these books and a low ranking does not mean I don't like the book. I have to put that there because there's always someone who doesn't understand that last place doesn't mean bad or worst. I'm not including the short stories individually because it's impossible for me to weigh a short story against a novel, whereas a large collection seems to make sense to me. I also must admit that the top three, especially the top two, were really difficult to place and I more or less love them equally.
- Conrad's Fate
- The Pinhoe Egg
- Charmed Life
- Mixed Magics
- The Magicians of Caprona
- Witch Week
- The Lives of Christopher Chant
Oh, and finally... ALL SPOILERS ALLOWED!
2024.05.15 21:44 shaneka69 LIBRA ZODIAC PREDICTIONS MAY 2024
LIBRA ZODIAC PREDICTIONS MAY 2024
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2024.05.15 21:40 Ok_Pay6836 Sefirat HaOmer - Day 23
Most of the Jews who wore #23 are from the modern era: Sam Fuld for the A’s in 2014-15; Andrew Lorraine in his final season in 2002 for the Brewers (he also wore #35 (Angels 1994), #34 (White Sox 1995), #49 (A’s 1997), #62 (Mariners 1998), #55 (Cubs 1999-2000), and #63 (Indians 2000); Elliott Maddox for the Rangers in 1972-73; Joc Pederson for the Giants in 2022-23; and Eddie Zosky wore #23 in his final season for the Astros in 2000.
Saul Rogovin wore #23 for the Tigers from 1949-51). He was born in Brooklyn in 1923 and played baseball in high school as an infielder, winning the Public League title for his school when he belted a game-winning homer. Soon after graduation, he tried out for the Dodgers, but did not get a contract. He eventually took a job as an assembly-line worker with Brewster Aircraft and played with the plant team. Dolly Stark, a National League umpire (a Jewish umpire!) saw him and recommended him to the Giants’ manager, Mel Ott, who signed him to a contract with Jersey City as an outfielder. After appearing in just two games, he was sold to Chattanooga of the Southern Association, where he played third base. A coach there suggested Saul try pitching. On the last day of the 1945 season Saul started and threw a four-hit shutout against the Birmingham Barons. He had found his niche. He bounced around in an 8 year career pitching for the Tigers, the White Sox, the Orioles and the Phillies. He finished with a 48-48 record. He did lead the league one year in ERA (1951, when he pitched for both the Tigers and the White Sox after being traded in May for Bob Cain), going 12-8 (losing 7 games by 1 run and the 8th by 2 runs). In 1952, he pitched 15 innings in one game (striking out 14). After retirement, he could not find meaning until he went back to school to become a teacher. Even though he was over 50, the dean told him that he needed to take a physical education class. That is, until Saul pulled out his baseball card and asked if his major-league career would fulfill the physical education requirement. The dean decided that would do. He went on to teach Langston Hughes poetry, Hemingway short stories, and Steinbeck novels.
submitted by Ok_Pay6836 to jewishbaseball [link] [comments]
Saul Rogovin wore #23 for the Tigers from 1949-51). He was born in Brooklyn in 1923 and played baseball in high school as an infielder, winning the Public League title for his school when he belted a game-winning homer. Soon after graduation, he tried out for the Dodgers, but did not get a contract. He eventually took a job as an assembly-line worker with Brewster Aircraft and played with the plant team. Dolly Stark, a National League umpire (a Jewish umpire!) saw him and recommended him to the Giants’ manager, Mel Ott, who signed him to a contract with Jersey City as an outfielder. After appearing in just two games, he was sold to Chattanooga of the Southern Association, where he played third base. A coach there suggested Saul try pitching. On the last day of the 1945 season Saul started and threw a four-hit shutout against the Birmingham Barons. He had found his niche. He bounced around in an 8 year career pitching for the Tigers, the White Sox, the Orioles and the Phillies. He finished with a 48-48 record. He did lead the league one year in ERA (1951, when he pitched for both the Tigers and the White Sox after being traded in May for Bob Cain), going 12-8 (losing 7 games by 1 run and the 8th by 2 runs). In 1952, he pitched 15 innings in one game (striking out 14). After retirement, he could not find meaning until he went back to school to become a teacher. Even though he was over 50, the dean told him that he needed to take a physical education class. That is, until Saul pulled out his baseball card and asked if his major-league career would fulfill the physical education requirement. The dean decided that would do. He went on to teach Langston Hughes poetry, Hemingway short stories, and Steinbeck novels.
2024.05.15 21:39 MonkeyPoxOplata How can I enable my laborer Father in law out of poverty?
So some background: My wife and I (mid 20s) work in tech. We make good money and live happy lives. The only problem is that the only way she was able to live the life she has is the sacrifices her parents made to get her where she is. Her dad (mid 50s) works construction and has no education, they live paycheck to paycheck, barely stay afloat, and have no retirement. We are terrified what happens in the next decade or two when he is no longer able to support himself and his wife. Last year he tore his bicep off the tendon on the job and company's insurance refused to cover surgery. This can't go on much longer.
So this is where my question comes in. Her parents are hard workers, retirement is not anytime close, but Im looking for ways to shift her father out of such a manual labor intensive role and enable him to build some wealth. The idea is to leverage what we have (capital) and what her dad has (decades of experience) to build something that can enable him to work for himself, grow his income, and potentially hire workers to do what he will no longer be able to do.
I have read stories of people buying used skid steers or dump trucks or other equipment and performing contract work as an example. How feasible is this and what would be fields we should be looking into for this? How can I build some insight in the industry as an outsider so that I can approach this the right way and build something that can enable her family?
submitted by MonkeyPoxOplata to Construction [link] [comments]
So this is where my question comes in. Her parents are hard workers, retirement is not anytime close, but Im looking for ways to shift her father out of such a manual labor intensive role and enable him to build some wealth. The idea is to leverage what we have (capital) and what her dad has (decades of experience) to build something that can enable him to work for himself, grow his income, and potentially hire workers to do what he will no longer be able to do.
I have read stories of people buying used skid steers or dump trucks or other equipment and performing contract work as an example. How feasible is this and what would be fields we should be looking into for this? How can I build some insight in the industry as an outsider so that I can approach this the right way and build something that can enable her family?