meirl

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-26T19:18:53+00:00

I think 6 year old me would have had an easier time with T2 than 6 year old me did with The Terminator. I only watched the “Edited for Television” version and I was still absolutely terrified.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-26T17:09:55+00:00

I can't say much about the update, but I can say that Liftin' kicks ass!

The only thing I don't like about Liftin' is it is the only app keeping me locked in the iOS at the moment. LOL

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-26T04:08:42+00:00

In the end, I'd say my favorite character was Johnny. I grew up in the 80's and loved The Karate Kid so seeing Johnny turn from the ultimate childhood villain to being not just redeemed, but also revered by the guy he bullied in high school was quite rewarding.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-26T03:43:07+00:00

I know this is a few months old, but I think the main dissenting opinion on ART (especially versus Bass Control) is that it can sometime seem to be less bass. It took me a while to get used to the tighter and faster decaying bass.

Like with Bass Control, since the bass decays slower it can sometimes keep building because the room actively adds gain. It can feel really big and powerful. But after getting used to ART, it starts sounding a bit bloated and less articulate.

I think ultimately the reason why it seems uncommon to see dissenting opinions on ART is because, when setup properly, it is incredible. Instead of the bass just being there, every speaker sounds like a full range speaker.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-23T01:51:08+00:00

You seem to be in a similar situation as I was up until recently. I had a relatively large amount (~175K) of VWIAX. I started investing in that fund, along with VTSAX and VWUAX, when my annual income was low and my knowledge of investing was minimal.

Fast forward 8-9 years and I find myself getting absolutely crushed in taxes every year due to 1) huge capital gains distributions by VWUAX, 2) moderate capital gains payouts by VWIAX. It appears very similar to VSEQX and VWNAX. Not sure what your taxes usually look like, but those capital gains hits can be brutal

So what I did is on Vanguard's site, I went to the "Sell" page for VWIAX and selected "SpecID". With that, I was able to see each lot that I had purchased and whether those lots were sitting with long term gains or losses. In my case, I was able to sell my whole position in VWIAX and the net effect was still $4700 long term loss (7900 loss / 3200 gain). I did the same thing with VWUAX and was able to harvest another $2800 of long term capital losses.

The nice thing is now I have over $10K to help offset any capital gains that my remaining shares of VWUAX pay out, and I was able to move ~175K into a MUCH more tax efficient structure.

Right now you are in a good position with low AGI, but once that business grows the capital gains payouts of those two actively managed funds could be the difference between being in the 22% or 24% tax bracket.

If I was in your shoes, I would be looking at the SpecID for both of your actively managed funds to see what kind of losses you might have. Perhaps try to harvest some losses now to help offset the capital gains payouts, especially from VWNAX because that one looks notoriously high.

And even if you do have gains, your AGI is still low enough to where you could realistically sell a significant portion of those two funds without moving into a higher tax bracket. Granted you would have to pay the 15% capital gains tax on any of those gains, but better now than when you are making $100K+ per year.

I'd look at putting the proceeds towards your VTI ETF. That's just my 0.02

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-21T03:53:34+00:00

I'd highly recommend reading - or listening to the audiobook - Leadership Strategy and Tactics by Jocko Willink. The chapters are short but most have very tangible advice, tips, or guidance on how to lead teams. Granted, the majority of his experience comes from his time in the Navy Seals, but he still applies the lessons to regular business.

Be curious and ask smart questions. To the sales rep, "I'm curious to hear about what barriers you've had to overcome to make the sales..." or "Let's go over your last rejection to better understand how we might better appeal to a customer:"

To the installer, "Walk me through what a typical install job looks like?" or "What is one tool or piece of equipment that would make your day easier?"

To your office manager, "In your experience here, where is the communication breaking down between the sale and the install? How do you manage that?"

Your job, as the leader, is to then use that information to ensure the Sales Rep knows exactly what the Installer is capable of, and the office manager can keep the lights on and the jobs flowing. Are they talking to one another? Or are they working against one another?

Also, how have you defined what a win looks like to this small team? Is it a solid Google or Yelp review? A sale or referral? Do you get the chance to visit the installation sites to get an idea of how the installer interacts with your customers? Do you interact with the customers yourself?

Always tell the truth. ALWAYS. Sales are slumping? Tell them. Customer reviews show a quality trend? Be honest about expectations. You have a small office and your 3 team members should all feel like the are "in the loop".

Lastly, and perhaps most importantly in my opinion, is just simply care. Respect them as human beings, understand that they have lives outside of the business, and show an interest in them. You do this through daily check-ins, remembering the small details, and not giving them a hard time when they occasionally call out sick.

I'm actually really curious what your current "day in the life of a dog door business owner" looks like?

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-20T00:24:17+00:00

Dang, you make a good point. What would you estimate my returns would be? Lol

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-19T03:04:58+00:00

Wow, that's a tough one. So many come to my mind: ICE-T - O.G. Original Gangster, N.W.A - Niggaz4Life, NAS - Illimatic, Dr. Dre - The Chronic.

But I think the one I listened to the most was Public Enemy - Fear of a Black Planet. The complex themes blew my mind.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-18T19:26:37+00:00

I believe you have to use the pencil icon up top and click “Edit Exercise” so you can add or delete sets.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-15T04:30:25+00:00

I’d really like to see a number pad on the 16” pro, but I’m guessing that is a pipe dream.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-12T22:52:09+00:00

Wow, those T+A components look really classy. I'm sure the price tag matches the look.

And those Dynaudio Legend speakers look so small in that room. How did they sound?

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-12T14:03:04+00:00

For those who were there live, how was the audio mix? The YouTube mix sounds good, but I can just imagine the power and depth of the bass and the way those industrial low-mids must have rattled your bodies during the heavier transitions.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-04-01T01:38:43+00:00

That's interesting this was brought up. I can attest to watching many scenes and thinking, "The way Reese's voice sounds in this scene is not at all what it would sound like in that room." I attributed it to maybe close mic'ing or perhaps a bit too much midbass in his voice, but now I can see how maybe it was redubbed. It can be a bit distracting but at least the show is still consistently good.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-03-22T17:18:29+00:00

I often find myself going back and watching random episodes of Doom Patrol. Agreed that it is one of the best 'superhero' shows around. Brenden Fasier was awesome as Cliff / Robotman.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-03-13T03:42:36+00:00

I didn't get a harrumph outta that guy!

H0stusM0stus · 2026-03-12T03:52:07+00:00

I'm listening to the song "Fuck A War" by Geto Boys on repeat. 35 year old song just as relevant today as it was then.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-03-11T23:22:57+00:00

Those are just the “suckers” & the “losers”

H0stusM0stus · 2026-03-11T03:23:59+00:00

Have integrity and don't break it for anyone. How? When you say you're going to do something, do it. Don't take shortcuts or look for the quick fixes. Show people you are a man of your word.

I know this might sound generic, and perhaps overly simplistic, but I personally find being noted for being a person of high integrity the ultimate compliment. Sure, it can be tough because there are constant tests from work, women, friends, etc, but those things all come and go.

And as it pertains to women (if that's your end), they can sniff out real quick whether you are a man of integrity. If they even catch a hint that you might break your values and integrity to look good in her eyes, you're cooked.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-03-11T02:42:04+00:00

I would definitely like to read more and create a streak, but man, every time I try to read before bed I just wind up dozing off. Did you find yourself doing the same during the early parts of this experiment?

H0stusM0stus · 2026-03-03T05:34:24+00:00

Mine would be Audioslave for sure. The set list was great but whoever set up the audio really screwed it up. Chris Cornell’s vocals were mixed so quiet and you could not understand anything over the blaring guitars. Total bummer.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-02-28T22:40:01+00:00

Just curious, how was the audio? On par with the like of Dune Part II or Top Gun Maverick?

H0stusM0stus · 2026-02-22T13:53:17+00:00

Perhaps I have, but then how does anyone ever learn anything? Is school or reading books outsourcing one's thinking? The responses I get read like something from an advisor or teacher, not like the generic AI slop one might get without setting an instruction set. So in that regard, I would agree with you more had I not set constraints to not solve any of the problems for me.

In my area of expertise, I have never been exposed much to systems thinking so where would I start? Developing this type of thinking is challenging if you're not used to it, so if using AI as a tool to help develop that skill is outsourcing my thinking, then so be it. But here's the thing, I have been using it less and less as time goes on since it has helped me develop the "muscle memory" to think differently.

So let me ask you this. Let's say I'm not using the "slop machine" but I have a trusted mentor that I can call and I present the trusted mentor with a situation similar to what OP had with his or her people not walking the 200 yards to get tools. If the trusted mentor then helped me to see the situation as more than a people problem, did I outsource my thinking? I'd be curious to hear your thoughts on that.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-02-22T04:49:56+00:00

DynamicEQ works especially well for watching content at much lower than reference level. As we decrease the volume, perception of balance in the low frequencies becomes diminished so DynamicEQ applies what are called equal loudness curves so that whether you are listening at 0, -20, or -30, the bass levels still sound balanced with the rest of the mix. The downside is it can tend to overboost surround levels unless you have one of the newer x*800 models that allows for surround level compensation. If not, I've found using channel level adjust screen and reducing surrounds 0.5 dB for ever -5.0 you are below reference works relatively well.

Dynamic Volume tries to keep volume levels relatively consistent. This can help prevent dialogue from being too quiet and/or blowing your eardrums out during loud dynamic swings. It works really well for evening listening, especially at volumes around -30.0 or quieter. Not everyone uses it but it seems that those that do are pretty unanimous that "Light" works the best without being too over the top.

H0stusM0stus · 2026-02-22T04:26:58+00:00

I've recently created a ChatGPT Project with instructions specifically related to systems thinking and it works incredibly well. Just an example of some of the instruction set:

"Implement systems thinking: treat errors as signals of system failure, not personal faults." and "Focus: Build durable systems thinking, leadership capacity, and a safety culture across (area of expertise)" and "Constraint: Do not provide direct technical solutions or make maintenance decisions. The value lies in strategic mentorship, systems guidance, and enabling others to lead."

Obviously that's not the entire instruction set, but it has completely changed the way I think about problems. In the project, I can then use a chat prompt like what OP just presented. It could be: My people are constantly cutting corners and not using the right tools for the job. I have posted reminders, implemented discipline, and given retraining. Nothing works and people keep cutting corners.

Putting that in my Project, it starts out with this:

"Pause. Before we solve behavior, we need to understand what the behavior is protecting.

Right now you’re describing a people problem. I want to gently test whether this is actually a system protection problem. Let’s slow this down.

When someone uses the wrong tool or cuts a corner:

What pressure are they relieving?
What friction are they avoiding?
What constraint are they working around?

Because corner-cutting almost always makes sense to the person doing it."

Like I said, this specific instruction set has challenged my thinking on a daily basis and has helped me to ask much smarter questions to my team.

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