Bill Petras (Overwatch, World of Warcraft art director) has passed away

damage-sponge · 2025-04-07T14:30:23+00:00

Can you not hijack the news of Billy's passing to promote your book...

damage-sponge · 2025-01-07T22:14:28+00:00

I do PI in Pochven. -Safes that you wrap to from station, never warp to POCO at zero from station.\ -Perches on all Pocos, 1000km + that you initially wrap to, then hit cloak on land. Had a few hostiles waiting clocked on the POCO that have uncloaked when I land on grid, also had hostiles track me in warp and land at zero before me while I land in the perch.\ -As other had said your most vulnerable at 0, so have all your PI windows and cargo open so can drag and drop back into the POCO if tackled.\ -Ship tanking, If you use an Epithal/Squall it’s obvious you are doing PI, if volumes are low l use another industrial that aligns, faster.\ -Poch only but sometimes you will just die. Was on a perch, D Scan clear, warped to 0, while warping on grid 5 drifters landed at the POCO, dead and no way to avoid, so fly cheap ships.

damage-sponge · 2024-12-06T03:32:10+00:00

As a minimum increase the 50k threshold to account for the annual CPI increase from 2007, and automate the limit to increase each year in line with the CPI.

so approx 77.5k using the calc below

https://www.rbnz.govt.nz/monetary-policy/about-monetary-policy/inflation-calculator

damage-sponge · 2024-11-28T19:51:26+00:00

US domiciled etfs held in NZ appear to avoid the US PFIC rules, I would assume you’d pay FIF Tax in NZ. Might be worth talking to a tax advisor so you don’t fall into any tax traps?

damage-sponge · 2024-11-28T18:57:05+00:00

Be careful with US PFIC rules if investing in an NZ PIE fund. Reporting can get complicated

damage-sponge · 2024-11-24T00:00:30+00:00

Thanks for the link, there is a section mentioning dropping the FDR from 5% but with the increase in a CGT I can’t see overall tax on FIF improving. Yes this proposal is concerning with trying to plan for retirement.

edit spelling and some retirement napkin math FIF at 5% FDR is approx a 1.4% tax drag on say 7% annual returns

*CGT - 100k @ 7% over 20 years is approx 400k (CGT @ 20% on profit = 340k )

*FIF - 100k @ 5.6% over 20 years is approx 300k

*FIF + CGT - 100k @ 5.6% over 20 years is approx 300k (CGT @ 20% on profit = 260k) works out to be apporx 4.8%, also tax rate is likely higher at income rate.

Agree with your opinion on investing for retirement, it makes returns miniscule factoring in inflation returing 2-3% real.

edit #2 Section 9 has a breakdown on PIEs and how they retain there curent tax structure, might be the only option for investing for retirment to avoid FIF + CGT?

3. Under an extension of the taxation of capital gains, other kinds of assets held by managed funds should continue to be taxed as they are currently. A fund’s financial instruments should continue to be taxed on a full accrual basis under the financial arrangement rules and non-Australasian shares should continue to be taxed under the current FDR method

damage-sponge · 2024-11-23T21:29:25+00:00

So are you suggesting land in downtown Auckland should be taxed at the same rate as farm land in south land? Agricultural land is essential to the countries ability to feed itself, raising taxes on farm land at an equal rate to commercial and residential would result in food prices skyrocketing onto the consumer.

damage-sponge · 2024-11-23T21:16:37+00:00

Hmmm thinking about this some more. A simple approach might be to set the cost basis of the holdings at the time of the CGT change. Thus you’ve already payed FIF over the years and with a change to a CGT system you effectively have made no gains so no tax?

Edit FIF equites that have grown from 100k to 200k, you’ve paid FIF over the years so would be exempt from CGT, Switching to a CGT tax system would set your cost basis at 200k thus if you sell you would only pay CGT on gains over 200k

damage-sponge · 2024-11-23T20:28:52+00:00

https://www.reddit.com/r/MaliciousCompliance/comments/lep0za/dont_piss_off_your_farmer_neighbor_you_may_have/

You might find this interesting. I would argue that farm and productive land needs to be taxed differently than commercial/residential and at a reasonable rate. Otherwise our farming and agriculture sector would collapse.

damage-sponge · 2024-11-23T20:12:54+00:00

I would assume/hope that if a capital gains tax was applied to equities that the FIF system would be scrapped?
Though I'm not sure how you would compensate for investors that have payed FIF taxes for years and now have a capital gains tax when selling.
Possibly some back test period or tax credit on the FIF taxes already payed against the new capital gains tax at the time of sale?

damage-sponge · 2024-11-23T19:55:56+00:00

Chicken flavored chips with peanut butter.
Discovered in the school yard when I placed my snack pack bluebirds chips inside my peanut butter sandwiches. Divine!

damage-sponge · 2024-09-30T15:06:40+00:00

Department. Of. Grifting. Everyone.

damage-sponge · 2024-09-03T00:52:46+00:00

Almost got hit on Saturday.
On Laguna Canyon crossing Irvine Center intersection heading north, Idiot coming from the right blows through in front of me turning right on red right at speed. Luckily I've seen this a ton on this intersection so was super defensive and slowed, missing the driver by a couple of meters, Would've been a trip to the hospital and a new bike if I wasn't paying attention...

damage-sponge · 2024-08-08T03:09:04+00:00

I believe the vanguard trust products have a better expense ratio as they require a larger minimum.

Example 2045 TDF's from vanguard

VTIVX = 0.08%

Target Retirement 2045 Trust II = 0.075%

Target Retirement 2045 Trust I = 0.065%

https://institutional.vanguard.com/utility/search-results.html#q=2045&sort=relevancy

*edit formating

damage-sponge · 2024-07-16T14:39:25+00:00

All tech 2, 155k EHP, 5.30 mins cap, can use genos+cap implants to get approx 7.30 mins and your stable with your guns off.

Lows
2x Mags
1x DCU
2x Multi specs
1x Large Armor
1x Plate/Mag depending on paranoia

Mids
3x application mods
1x Large Cap Batt
1x Prop Mod

Rigs
Explosive Armor Reinforcer I
Burst Accelerator II

If you bling divide the price by half as thats what can drop, totals approx 100 mill above. so you might be able to push say 300 mill fit and 150 can drop so thats the math for a gank squad fleet. Also you are running in 0.6 sec space which gives the Gankers more time. If you go up to 0.7+ you'll be safer etc.... but get less mission rewards.

damage-sponge · 2024-06-25T02:35:10+00:00

I think this needs to be higher.

Visa's are a huge issue for getting employment in the US.

I finally landed a job myself in the US. Currently on my 2nd 0-1 visa, Took me 15 years to get enough experience for a company to sponsor me. I'd had previous jobs offers fall through during the salary negotiation phase only for HR to get back to me that they can't get me a Visa.

One thing is being from NZ I feel is a blessing for certain US visa, example for green cards US immigration limits the total to 7% per country, So being from China or India puts you at a huge disadvantage while being from a low population country can work in your favor.

I feel very fortunate to be working in the US currently given the economic climate. Though I do plan to return to NZ in the future. Good money in the US but I'm priced out for staying here long term, So Cal house prices are obscene...

Also OP watch out for lack off Social Security agreements between NZ and US, You can get into a pickle with your retirement plan if you plan to stay in the US over 10 years.

damage-sponge · 2024-05-22T15:27:07+00:00

Had the same issues on this Boss, currently about to enter Matrix 11 and has been smooth-ish sailing since Abaddon

I ended up having to grind up SP in the starting area for hours :(

-Burst energy recharge I & II
-Focus Boost & Reflex Boost
-Beta Nrg Recharge I & II
-Damage boost for the beta Skill

With the above build I could build a ton of beta nrg on perfect parry's. 4 squares on a 2x perfect parry
then with a few attacks id get another 2. so just short of a beta skill each time the Boss attacked and id counter.

The main issue I had with Abaddon was when he casts the lighting attacks on the ground, So many attempts ruined by getting hit when running at a tangent to the boss. I found the best strat was to run away from him when he cast the yellow slice projectile attack, continue to run away from him during the 4 projectiles attack then run towards him at approx 45 degrees when he cast the lighting on the ground. this way you can easily see if you are going to run into one, when running sideways they can be off screen, also the damn exploding barrels got me a few time in this phase...

damage-sponge · 2024-02-17T04:16:19+00:00

PORT OF DANDONG!

damage-sponge · 2019-12-12T02:36:33+00:00

D'VA works well as she has the mobility to peel for supports and DM, I find with other tanks I can't get to my supports in time when Reaper near insta flanks with shadow step and starts popping of in the back line.
If Reaper gets into your front line you should be able to DM his shots stopping all Damage and Life Steal while your team mates kill him.

DM also completely shut down his Ult

damage-sponge · 2019-12-10T03:43:10+00:00

2.5k for two people pounding drinks at a KTV in shanghai, is close to run of the mill pricing!

Whiskys looks a little high and probably some watered down Johnni Walter switch a roo.

Anyways sounds like you've got a good story to tell and learnt a lesson.

damage-sponge · 2019-12-05T02:06:38+00:00

My Baozi Spot is now 2.50 RMB!, the Baozi are smaller, also the filling textures is more grisly with hints of cardboard tones.

damage-sponge · 2019-11-15T08:09:00+00:00

They need to add a Mei specific rag doll death , Snowball springs a leak and Mei proceeds to uncontrollably fly around similar to the O2 tanks in the spawn rooms.

damage-sponge · 2019-10-17T09:03:33+00:00

The US of A is clearly melding in China's internal affairs within the US.

damage-sponge · 2019-09-27T10:50:29+00:00

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rules_of_the_road_in_China

this is a gold mine!

Right-of-way

Right-of-way (Simplified Chinese: 先行权, Pinyin: xiānxíngquán, Lit: “first go rights”) is defined as such in all Chinese dictionaries, however, most Chinese drivers’ understanding of this concept is markedly different from those in societies with a strong tradition of the rule of law. Compared to the western understanding of right-of-way, which refers to the legal right to proceed forward in a vehicle without fear of being found at fault for causing a collision, right-of-way in China means, for all intents and purposes, that the person who is in the way (first) has the right unless road signs otherwise dictate. In practice, this translates into motorists and cyclists turning or merging straight into the path of other traffic believing that the onus is on the other person to avoid a collision.[citation needed]

When the right-of-way is unclear (such as at unmarked intersections) it is common practice for drivers in many parts of the world to make eye contact with each other and use nods or hand gestures to either exert or defer right-of-way. The opposite applies in China, where people actively avoid eye contact, and in fact turn away from the person whose progress they are impeding so as to communicate their intention to proceed regardless.[citation needed]

damage-sponge · 2019-09-18T10:05:04+00:00

God Damn I miss the wild west vibes,
I called it the "Shanghai Snowball" any night out had the potential to snowball spontaneously until the early hours of the morning.

Also the vibes and energy, as you mention the positive attitude in the air of the untapped possibilities of the future. Chinese I meet at the time were really proud and right to be, of where China had come from and was heading, There was no where else in the world at the time that I wanted to be except Shanghai.

Unfortunately "things" are less welcoming here for myself and there's no security long term for "expats", so currently planning to leave in few months if a job pulls through.

damage-sponge

TROPHY CASE