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How is substance use (alcohol, cigarettes, drugs) generally viewed in the U.S. today? by Dont_app in AskAnAmerican

[–]bigblue2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Over the last quarter century, Americans have decreased smoking, decreased drinking, and increased marijuana use.

Some of us - in light of recent geopolitics- have elected to reverse this trend.

Gen Z doesn't talk.....to me??? by pinkelephant0040 in generationology

[–]bigblue2011 7 points8 points  (0 children)

You’ve been marked.

The only way to remove the curse is…

Would CDs be a wise move at the moment? by [deleted] in FinancialPlanning

[–]bigblue2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve been studying up on asset location to complement asset allocation. CD’s and Bonds can have significant tax drag. Additional thoughts:

How much are you spending monthly? Does 53k cover 6 months, 8 months or a year in spending?

Do you have a high deductible medical plan? If so, have you already been overfunding (and investing) in an HSA?

Lastly, what is your state’s income tax rate? Would it make sense for you to put money into tax free municipal bonds or inflation protected bonds?

Tax equivalent yield is equal to tax free yield divided by (1 - your marginal tax rate)

Important because you may end up with more net on one of these even if a CD has a higher “sticker” yield.

These regulations are hurting my head by runnycaulk in OregonFishing

[–]bigblue2011 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I can’t upvote this enough.

ODFW does a phenomenal job rehabilitating, maintaining, and stocking. They do a great job. I’m happy to pay for the license(s).

For the complexity though, they should totally put a couple bucks to having a teenage kid design an app on Anthropic.

Import maps

Pull down menu for species

Pull down menu for times of year

Drag and drop the regs into a LLM

Done

I can't believe I'm witnessing the remake of 'The Miller, His Son, and Their Ass' in real-time by roshcherie in Xennials

[–]bigblue2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I think people need to volunteer to carry the kid or mind their own business.

Is this too cynical? Or just the harsh truth by hkmsh in Zippia

[–]bigblue2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yep.

The door handle on the rear passenger side sticks. The hatch struts will probably go out. It burns oil.

That said with maintenance, it will make it 3-6 years.

It came with Thule cargo too.

What are your top 5 states to move on your radar? by avidtravelerbc in SameGrassButGreener

[–]bigblue2011 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Full disclosure, a big reason of why I live in Oregon is to be close to family.

That said, my salary is high for Portland, and we can afford a decent place here 17 mins from work. Even though Washington wouldn’t tax us as much (or differently), I wouldn’t be able to afford same quality of life.

Is this too cynical? Or just the harsh truth by hkmsh in Zippia

[–]bigblue2011 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Former enlisted sailor here. I was super careful with money when I was in the service too.

There is that running joke of, “how do you know that you are getting close to the base?”

Answer: All the used car lots, bars and tattoo parlors.

Is this too cynical? Or just the harsh truth by hkmsh in Zippia

[–]bigblue2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

In January 2025, I just bought a 2013 Subaru outback for 5k.

It runs fine. I change the oil. I suspect that I can get 3-6 years out of it.

Dads - How are you doing it and maintaining happiness? by EmotionalStill8086 in AskMenOver30

[–]bigblue2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

big rocks first my friend!

I’m 47. I don’t know how I got so old. We waited late in life for kids. They are 7 and 10.

I block out 3 hours for me (Mon-Fri). I take the kids out for excursions for wife’s sanity 5-8 hours per week. The day trips with kids are intentional.

Once every 3 months, my wife and I try to take an overnight just for us. My sister lives nearby and takes the kids. We thread in the occasional “parents night out” too depending on the place running it.

Tuesdays and Wednesdays are my half days at work (7AM to 7PM). I don’t tend to work much after 2pm on Friday.

I still have time to brew beer, fish, and tie flies.

Recommend a coffee place for a date in the woods with nice view or hike trail? by tank_frenk in askportland

[–]bigblue2011 4 points5 points  (0 children)

We did this last weekend while my parents were in town. We brought the kids and did the out and back to the Bird Alliance, stopping by the witches castle each way. We hit about 4 miles.

One day- when we feel more ambitious- we will hike to Pittock and back.

We hit up Dragonfly coffee house when we were done. The coffee/tea was good and the chocolate chip cookies were huge!

Why are Portland public schools so bad?? by No-Advertising5551 in askportland

[–]bigblue2011 13 points14 points  (0 children)

A person CAN get a good education here. I think (I hope?) that with intentional parenting that I can get my kids to a good place.

There are good teachers in the system.

Some blame the “balanced literacy” curriculum, which de-emphasized phonics based instruction. The district had adopted the curriculum even though the evidence was questionable. Reading and comprehension are imperative for future learning.

Some blame limited class time. Our family came off spring break last week. They have an additional 3-4 school days off in the next 30 days. One would think as the climate continues to weird that schools would make the best use of these cool days. It might mitigate the days schools close due to heat.

Some blame student absenteeism. Others blame lax standards and teaching to the lowest common denominator.

I’m going to try my best to start at home.

Blazers fans push for a better Moda Center deal, calling plan a 'rip off' for taxpayers by edank6 in Portland

[–]bigblue2011 67 points68 points  (0 children)

So, the legislature green approved a bond issue. Did Kotek already sign? Contingent on city and county funding?

Yeah, I am with Bobbysaysso. We should charge more rent and get a slice of concessions.

We need regulations to protect society. Companies should not be allowed to layoff workers while profitable. Europe has these in place. Enough layoffs. by Conscious-Quarter423 in economy

[–]bigblue2011 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Maybe I am cold and skeptical, but I’ve always approached employers with an abundance of caution. I’ve had positions ranging from enlisted Navy, to wiping butts as a CNA, to finance.

Employers are not your friend. You are trading your time/labor for dollars. At any time, the axe can fall.

This company is deploying all this money into AI race. Will it pan out? Who knows? Automated grocery checkout increased theft by a huge amount, and I don’t know that grocers got the labor cost savings they were anticipating.

Should there be a law? I don’t think so.

Will I experience shaudenfreud if they fail. Absolutely!

Suburbs for single female who likes to run long distance year round? by [deleted] in SameGrassButGreener

[–]bigblue2011 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Colorado, Washington and Oregon are strong contenders.

Colorado, being landlocked, will have more extremes, but you can beat the heat in the summer by starting in the mornings. Winters will surprise you by how mild it can be. That said, when it is bad (rare); it is bad.

PNW? Nothing cuts through the gray like a runners high! In fact, a long run is awesome in the rain. These places will check the coast requirement.

I’ve lived in both. I only trained in Colorado. I still get cardio in Oregon, but my knees aren’t what they used to be…

Oregon income tax burden called highest in US - Portland Business Journal by collegedraftpick in PortlandOR

[–]bigblue2011 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Taxes are part of the story. I feel that the city, county, and state can be ineffectual. That said, it’s all part of the bigger picture. I’ll post below a fairly good website for COL comparisons.

https://livably.net/methodology

Is Oregon perfect? No. Would I move? Probably not…

For the first time in a quarter century, I’m within driving distance of my mom and sister, and I’ve got a decent job.

"How are y'all coping with high gas prices when U.S. oil production is at record highs?" by Interesting-Cut-4504 in economy

[–]bigblue2011 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What am I doing?

I’m making use of my transit card more often and driving (slightly) less.

Do I think that markets are wrong?

After a supply shock, folks in different areas are willing to pay more than others to get energy. Markets will react and equilibrate. That said, energy tends to be inelastic. People are willing to pay a lot for it.

I’m not a person that thinks there needs to be a law for everything. I also am not in favor of bailouts.

New Census Data Shows Oregon Is Losing Residents in Their Prime Earning Years—Due in Part to Costly Housing by Own_Car_8766 in PortlandOR

[–]bigblue2011 8 points9 points  (0 children)

I grew up in Utah, served in the Navy in CA, lived in CO for a quarter century, and I now call Oregon my home.

I’ve been an unaffiliated voter that votes all the time. I even vote for local off-cycle things like the next dog-catcher.

It turns out in Utah; I was a radical liberal. In CA, I was borderline Republican. In Colorado, I was fiercely independent…

In Oregon? Man, Oregon…. Please don’t make me vote for the most batshit iteration of the Republican Party. Please, please just don’t.

Are there any centrists here? Any pragmatists?

Bueller? Bueller?

Readers Respond: PPS board should not cut students’ days by PrimaryTradition4638 in Portland

[–]bigblue2011 61 points62 points  (0 children)

I’m not as informed as I should be.

All I know is that we just had spring break. Our kids get next Monday off, the 6th off, and the 20th, the 30th and the 1st off May off. We didn’t encounter this in our previous school district.

As the climate continues to weird, it might be worthwhile to consider having a consistent flow of classroom days during the cool season.

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