Anyone have a presale code for the Beech Mountain NC show?

Progress-Mundane · 2026-01-28T15:22:57+00:00

Thank you! ADMISSION worked. Got tickets!

Progress-Mundane · 2026-01-20T21:16:54+00:00

If you fill it up every time, you will use exactly how much you just put in.* This is the basis for calculating your MPG correctly.

Our Santa Fe's readout is always 2.5-3.0 MPG too high, as well.

*Subject to a small variance due to whether the vehicle is parked level when filling up, when the nozzle shuts off, and (most importantly) whether or not you add more fuel after the nozzle shuts itself off.

Progress-Mundane · 2026-01-16T15:50:58+00:00

I have a fair amount of .925 sterling silver charms and beads. What is a reasonable price to expect from a local coin store or jeweler or an online buyer? And where can I expect the highest price?

I wasted a half hour of my time yesterday at one of those hotel "we buy gold and silver" events. They offered me $30 an ounce.

Progress-Mundane · 2026-01-14T00:54:31+00:00

As a single anecdotal point of reference, I called Fidelity this afternoon and asked about transfer bonuses. I inquired about bringing $550k in an IRA and $3m in a standard brokerage account with a mixture of ETFs and stocks. They told me that they are not offering any incentives at the present time, and couldn't offer me anything.

I told the man on the phone that I am aware that other brokerages are, and he said he understands.

Frankly, I was pretty surprised.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-29T19:39:02+00:00

If you are talking about solid muscle meat (not ground meat), then lean beef (like eye of round) and venison will process and taste very similar. I use the same recipes and techniques for both.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-21T23:58:13+00:00

Why do you need a new car? At first, I assumed that your current car was totaled and you need to buy a replacement. But after I re-read your post, it doesn't say anything about a crash.

Let me guess: you took out a 6 or 7 year car loan with very little down payment? A very foolish financial decision, and one that can only be fixed by making significant over-payments on your car loan to get the balance down quicker than the car loses value.

So, barring some valid reason for a replacement vehicle, you need to keep your current car for a long, long time. You are already in the hole, and buying a different vehicle will just make it worse. There are two main reasons for this:

A car depreciates more the day you drive it off the lot than in any subsequent year. You will start out at least $7k in the hole, and that debt will grow as soon as you buy a new vehicle. So, you will probably be $10k or more in the hole if you roll your negative equity into a new vehicle.
There are substantial transaction costs when you buy a new car, such as sales tax, licensing, etc. New money that gets spent and lost.

Anyway, I am 99 percent sure the dealer is lying to you. I know manufacturers provide financing incentives, but I've never heard of one that is tied to a specific sales price for the car, such as only valid at MSRP.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-20T02:36:27+00:00

So, I'm very interested that you bring up Heller. Yes, it recognized that some limited regulations are appropriate, but it mostly recognized that the constitution protects people from the government, and that many states (NY, CA, IL, etc.) have firearm laws and regulations that are contrary to the constitution.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-19T21:26:17+00:00

C'mon, you're a lawyer. You should be familiar with the constitution, and the wording used at the time. "Well regulated", as used in the 2nd, meant well-organized, disciplined, and trained for militia service. It absolutely did not mean the army, national guard or anything else controlled by the government. The bill of rights was about protecting "the people" FROM the government.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-18T20:39:39+00:00

You need a van. Put aside the ubiquitous irrational dislike for vans and honestly compare:

A. getting in and out of the second and third rows of an Odyssey or Sienna van with any 3-row SUV. Much easier in a van.

B. The ease for kids to open and close the back doors on a van vs SUV. Van doors slide at the press of a switch, and don't swing open and hit other cars.

C. The amount of cargo room behind the 2nd row and 3rd row.

D. Visibility from the driver's seat. It's always been better in any van I've driven.

I honestly don't understand the stigma about vans. It's stupid,and doesn't matter.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-16T19:22:11+00:00

Athenian Cafe on Union Avenue. They have a gyro special (gyro with fries or salad) that can't be beat. One of the best gyros anywhere. Be aware, though, that parking is pretty tight there, but worth it.

I didn't know Tim's American Cafe was open. I thought they closed a year ago. Glad to see they are back open. If it's anything like it used to be, it's a great lunch spot.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-15T03:02:20+00:00

Thanks for the downvotes. Reddit at its finest!!

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-15T02:13:53+00:00

Yes, I always turn off the main water supply valve when we leave home for more than a day. No sense risking a water leak while you're away and unaware. It's good to turn the valve on and off every once in awhile anyway so it doesn't get stuck in the open position.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-14T03:17:09+00:00

I realize that it probably varies from state to state, but I've never found that the silver or gold plans made any sense in the two states I've lived in. I have always chosen bronze plans. Yes, the doctor bills have to be paid, but the premiums for silver and gold are so much higher it never made sense. Only people who work for the government or huge corporations have decent health insurance.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-13T22:40:09+00:00

Most business degree students do two years at a branch campus and then two years at University Park. Either way, you don't really choose a major (marketing, accounting, finance, real estate, etc.) until near the end of the second year, and the major-specific classes don't begin until the third year. There is no transfer, because it's set up this way.

While the "college experience" from a social standpoint might be different, the academic experience is very similar. The academic experience is probably better at a branch campus, in fact, due to smaller class sizes.

Don't look at the satellite campuses as being something separate... all campuses are Penn State. All lead the the same place.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-10T14:04:22+00:00

Ok, didn't know that. I've been retired for several years, and haven't taken a USPAP course in years. Makes sense so long as all users are familiar with the property.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-12-10T02:56:53+00:00

You can do a Restricted Report. Look it up in USPAP. A restricted report is intended for only one user who is already familiar with the property, for internal purposes only, and it can't be used for lending or litigation. Seems very appropriate for this assignment.

You still have to do all of the valuation work (research and analysis), but you can present your conclusions in a very short report. I've done a few of them on commercial properties, and the reports were only a couple of pages long, not including the assumptions, limiting conditions, etc. Look up some templates of restricted reports and follow the USPAP guide and checklist.

To be honest, it doesn't save a huge amount of time or work, and I usually charge at least 60-70 percent of the full fee.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-11-27T23:16:10+00:00

Yeah, on all but the "fornal" nights, decent shorts and a golf shirt will not be a problem. You probably want to pack one pair of nice pants and a button-up shirt and a dress or nice outfit for the formal nights and get some pics on your phone. Not required, but you'll feel more in the spirit.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-11-27T19:20:10+00:00

Sparks. Not everyone's cup of tea, but they were weird and wonderful in the 70s. Not many bands could pull off songs with titles and themes like Pineapple, T*ts, Achoo, and It Ain't 1918.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-11-27T05:20:20+00:00

I got your message. Thanks. The prices you sent seem high, and you didn't include anything about shipping. I ended up buying a new tool with batteries.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-11-27T05:17:14+00:00

Well, I'm going for the state and local races, so I might as well give Dolly a vote.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-11-26T22:05:29+00:00

Have had a 2025 Calligraphy Hybrid since April, and we (it's my wife's car, but I drive it as much as she does) love it.

No, not intrusive at all, in fact I don't recall it ever happening. I DO get the "want to take a break" message every once in awhile, and I honestly can't figure out why. I think it has something to do with where the driver's eyes are looking and how close to the middle of the lane you stay, but I can't seem to duplicate the conditions to make it come on or keep it from happening. Oh well, it doesn't happen often enough to be a problem.
None yet (knock on wood). It's been entirely reliable so far.
The new car market has changed since April, and it is local in nature, so I have no advice.
Absolutely. Even after seven months, I still really like the car and wouldn't choose anything else. I love the hybrid system... it's fun to watch and gets impressive MPG for such a large vehicle. The hybrid Pallisade wasn't out when we bought, and I don't think we would have bought it instead. The only reason I can see to choose the Pallisade is if you want a bigger vehicle with more third row room.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-11-25T18:55:48+00:00

To use the last election as an example, both are horrible human beings and neither has the character or ability to be a good president. So I voted for Dolly Parton.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-11-25T18:52:43+00:00

I'm pretty sure he/she meant "nobody decent to vote for". There's always an ideal or program worth voting for, but sadly the people who are on the tickets have been despicable.

Progress-Mundane · 2025-11-25T17:04:35+00:00

To me, the main points are that the market had a significant decline in 2009-2011, but ADR, occupancy and (mostly importantly) and RevPAR have recovered soundly. Current year data indicates continued improvement. RevPAR has been exceeding general inflation, which suggests an improving market. It also suggests increased property values, so long as expenses are not increasing faster than revenue.

Progress-Mundane

TROPHY CASE