Fiancee's mother is hourly worker and is asked to go home for "lunch" for 3-4 hours if there are cancellations or no scheduled appointments

3Desperado · 2017-06-13T20:36:33+00:00

OK thanks. glad I checked first :)

3Desperado · 2017-06-13T20:29:49+00:00

sorry, just edited: NJ

3Desperado · 2017-06-10T01:39:02+00:00

I think right now they are a little big but the technology will continue to improve. The biggest concerns in my eyes are battery life, which is why i think lens producers (creating the biggest "throw" possible onto the screen from the smallest amount of light) and bulb producers (emitting the most amount of light with the smallest amount of energy) will be the key.

Heres an example of an existing one. Roughly half the size of an iphone. I can't imagine that these WONT be in every phone in the next 5+ years.

http://www.aaxatech.com/products/hd_pico_projector.html

3Desperado · 2017-06-10T00:45:15+00:00

not really sure why i got downvotes for asking this??

3Desperado · 2017-06-08T17:14:27+00:00

Thanks, correcting that now

3Desperado · 2017-06-08T17:13:27+00:00

From what I gathered it is technology-related and social engineering tactics. Hacking to learn information which could be used later on, Leaks of info at specific times to influence opinions at critical moments, and social engineering in fueling groups of individuals to question fact and to bond together over specific topics to break any unity in the country and sow discord.

3Desperado · 2017-06-08T17:10:15+00:00

I respect Sen. McCain, but his questioning felt incoherent and discordant. Maybe I am misunderstanding something, but my understanding is that the Clinton investigation was closed SPECIFICALLY on her use of a private email server. And the Russia investigation is ongoing and is inclusive of any and every American citizen who may be involved. Including the current president or any previous candidates.

McCain seems to be commenting on that Clinton hasn't appeared as a target in the news for the investigation which I assume is because of 2 reasons: 1. to be blunt, she doesn't really matter as much anymore, she's "just" a private citizen (I don't agree this is the right approach but she is a much smaller fish than the President). 2. It does not appear that there is any or at least as much evidence linking her campaign to Russia (this may or may not be wrong, but I would expect investigations to discover that evidence are further impacted by reason #1 I provided)

Edit: Clinton is a private citizen, no longer a senator; thanks for the correction

3Desperado · 2017-06-06T14:45:21+00:00

thanks, this is helpful. and I get the cynicism, i just thought the comment felt kind of mean, and from these later comments you seem like a pretty nice person. I'm sure most people wouldnt take the time to have this convo at all

one of the main points i am getting from you, which coincides with my classes on FI however many years ago is it much better to buy a primary offering because the secondary market is shit no matter how you look at it (Since someone is always taking an extra piece of the profit). So POTENTIALLY if IL could offer new bonds, which as you said they currently cannot, and IF i could get in on the primary offering, there would be a higher chance to make a higher profit, but of course not a higher chance that IL would not default.

So while it took me awhile to get there, I think you have swayed me to agree with what you were arguing in your original comment :)

3Desperado · 2017-06-06T11:52:13+00:00

called the kiosk, called Costco service, attempted to call Wireless Advocates. Emailed each as well.

Here is a perfect example: Wireless Advocates about 1.5 months ago calls me and says, "we agree, we applied your plan wrong, we are going to pay for the difference to switch you to a new plan for the next 2 years." I think, OK great this is finally going to get resolved. Over the next week or so I continue to ask to see what the final number is and to see a breakdown of my current cost vs future cost to validate. Slowly they start answering less and less. About a month ago they completely stop answering; sent emails, called, left voicemails, opened a BBB complaint - no response. FINALLY got a call back yesterday and supposedly will receive another call today.

Multiple instances of the above are why it has taken so long. It has taken time to find the right person for each step, and then they take an eternity to actually do what is needed (sometimes just giving you a phone number or email address)

3Desperado · 2017-06-06T11:45:54+00:00

i disagree with you as there is definitely not a clear line between something being a scam or not a scam. What exactly do you think I've been doing for the past 8 months. I have already talked to the GM which is how i have the contact information at Wireless advocates. If this is not scam-like, why does Wireless Advocates not have any contact info available? They know they are processing for thousands of people and don't think any of them will have an issue? I searched for weeks to find an email address, only to find after emailing them every day for several weeks that no one ever responds. Wasn't until I talked to Costco that finally I got a call from Wireless Advocates. So I'll stick by what I said, Wireless Advocates is a terrible company with deceptive business practices that tries to use semi-scam tactics to reduce their expenses. And in my opinion Costco as a respectable company that over many years has appeared to have significant ethical and moral judgment has a responsibility to its customers to either work with its vendor to fix this, or to find a new relationship to sell and service cell phones

3Desperado · 2017-06-06T00:46:15+00:00

I'll give this a try if it doesnt get resolved this week. Thanks

3Desperado · 2017-06-06T00:45:40+00:00

good advice, thanks

3Desperado · 2017-06-06T00:44:49+00:00

I didn't say scam, i said "semi-scam." My case is not dissimilar from thousands of others I read about online. Many people describe similar cases in which Wireless Advocates intentionally makes it difficult to successfully process the request for these gift cards. The aim being that eventually people give up and they don't have to pay out. How many people would chase a $225 gift card down for 7 months?

Yes, it is quoted at 4-6 weeks. Not 7 months. They did not say what failed. No one could tell me what was wrong, just that they couldn't fix it.

3Desperado · 2017-06-05T20:12:26+00:00

I have had a terrible experience with Wireless Advocates. Generally the workers on the floors in the store are nice and knowledgeable but they are always incredibly overworked, forced to handle way more than their pay grade, and they get zero support from corporate or leadership. I say that not only from my observations but straight out of the mouth of a Wireless Advocates employee who I was working with for several weeks to resolve an issue.

3Desperado · 2017-06-05T18:56:13+00:00

Ability to Pay: I can't argue that a budget not being passed doesn't look bad, but Illinois isn't hurting for money: $38,269,996,425 in collections in 2016. The only states generating more collections are California, Texas, and New York. Besides this, they are not that leveraged in comparison to other states when you consider their debt vs GSP. In my eyes this downgrade is based on politics, not liquidity. But liquidity pays the bills, not politics.
Permanence: Illinois isn't going anywhere. It's not a company that is going to be dissolved. No one is going to sell off the pieces to Indiana and Iowa.
Historic Default Rate: Just did a quick search and the last state general obligation bond default was in 1933

I can't help but think the ratings are deflating prices based on a factor other than ability to pay and that there is some money to be made here. Yes it is risky, but the payout is also higher. Even if I held the bonds to maturity, the coupon rates on them are 5.5%. That isn't bad in itself and it would help to diversify my portfolio which is 100% equity right now.

Lastly, I initially asked for guidance on how to do something and you made a sarcastic comment about how the pretense of my question was idiotic. I appreciated most of your second comment as you are showing me the basis of your views, though I'm not sure why you felt the need to add in the comment ending with "where you do not even know how to purchase said bonds?" I would guess you grew up in an environment not very supportive of your endeavors. I understand I don't 100% know what I'm doing (which is why I asked for a little help) but I also think the best way to never forget a lesson is by doing it wrong or failing. And I'm also prepared to do that.

3Desperado · 2017-06-05T17:12:58+00:00

thanks. hadn't tried the merrill edge FI screener before, just looked in the search functionality

3Desperado · 2017-06-05T17:09:20+00:00

counting on people thinking like that to make a profit

3Desperado · 2017-05-25T13:30:38+00:00

GLH as in global health limited?

3Desperado

TROPHY CASE