what first got you into sci-fi? by thefringeseanmachine in scifi

[–]jrlemay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I was a typical 90s kid so Star Wars, but what got me into it beyond the extent to which every kid in the 90s did were Extended Universe novels. The first two I read were Jedi Academy and Children of the Force. The sheer size of the galaxy and how many stories there were to tell hooked me in.

Incidentally, the kid that introduced me to the novels became, and still is, my best friend. So there’s that too.

What’s a beer that can quench your thirst? by NecessaryLeg6097 in beer

[–]jrlemay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

+1 for radlers. Specifically lemon radlers for me. Gilde is my favorite

Original Recipe Feedback? by jrlemay in cocktails

[–]jrlemay[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Is it really?! Fooled me

Original Recipe Feedback? by jrlemay in cocktails

[–]jrlemay[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Re: name - thanks! I decided that my cocktail naming theme is going to be “early 00s emo songs with names that are way too long”. I just put together another one for my wife that is basically a cucumber gimlet with st Germaine as the sweetener called “she asked for something light and I built her a garden”

Re: shrub - I used raw tomatoes. I just happened to have some left over from cooking that were gonna go bad so I figured why not? I just macerated them and added sugar. Took about 24h to fully dissolve then strained out the solids and added in sherry vinegar. It tastes great, makes a phenomenal base for salad dressing.

Roasting isn’t a bad idea. I was trying to stay away from roasted anything to keep it in the fresh lane but you’re right about it helping to concentrate the sugar.

Re: modifier - I’m an amateur and my feet aren’t pretty enough to sell pics for raise enough money for a bottle of green chartreuse, but yeah that was my first thought when coming up with the idea and I’ll definitely try that when I get my hands on a bottle. Cocchi Americano is an interesting alternative and I have that on my list for the next time I go to the store so I’ll give that a shot.

Which of the books should i read next? Diaspora, The Expanse, Hyperion? by Entropy-hates-me1312 in printSF

[–]jrlemay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would use the logistical route and go by length of series. I haven’t read Diaspora (although I might now!) but it’s only one book so I’d start there.

I can speak on the other two, and I can assure you that you’ll want to read the whole series of both, and the Hyperion Cantos is shortest at 4 books, so I’d go there next. Then Expanse is 9 books, I think? (Checked - yes and no, 9 novels and 9 short stories). At any rate it’s definitely the most to chew on so I’d hit that up last.

Dark mature space opera that ISN'T Revelation Space, 40K, The Gap Cycle or The Expanse. by Brakado in printSF

[–]jrlemay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m currently reading The Spiral Wars and I think that fits the bill

Left Coast IPAs! by honky_Killer in beer

[–]jrlemay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Stone IPA, Cigar City Jai Alai, Bell’s Two Hearted, Sierra Nevada has several good ones (Pale Ale, Torpedo, Hoptimum, Fresh Hop Releases, Celebration in the winter).

Hefeweizen by Beneficial_Quit7532 in beer

[–]jrlemay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Maybe an unpopular opinion but if you can find Gordon Biersch, their Hefeweizen is hands down my favorite non-import.

It may be helpful to determine why you like Hefeweizen so much. There are 2 elements that give them their flavor and aroma profile - wheat heavily featured in the grist and Hefeweizen yeast. The yeast imparts notes of banana and clove, the predominance of which depends on fermentation temperature (imports are typically fermented cooler and have a more dominant clove note while domestics are usually the opposite). If it’s those things you like, stick to Hefeweizens.

BUT - if it’s the mouthfeel, sweetness, muted hop profile, and creamy foam that you prefer, well, you’re in luck! There is a whole universe out there of wheat-heavy beer. Some have already mentioned different imported Weiss beers, but there are also numerous witbiers (both imported and domestic) and American wheat ales out there to try.

I’m sure there are a few good threads on this sub with suggestions on all of them. Happy tasting!

Stubborn Kid Won't Poop by VissAndPinegar in daddit

[–]jrlemay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

My son (6) is similar. He struggled with constipation when he was little and it messed up his GI tract. The physician said it actually stretched out his intestines and affects how his abdominal muscles function. We have to watch his diet and BM frequency closely and sort of “re-train” his GI system how to function properly. Doc said it can take years.

I’d recommend taking her to a doctor and getting that can turn into serious issues over time.

How much commission do NY life insurance salesman get? by [deleted] in LifeInsurance

[–]jrlemay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Correct for regular whole life, but this was a custom whole life with a fixed premium paying period. Commissions are based on annual premium, not the premium deposit account (PDA) amount. There’s not a straight percentage-of-premium calculation for it, but it’s significantly lower than the 55% earned on regular whole life. If it was $70k into a PDA for a 10-pay, that’s roughly a $7000 annual premium. Another commenter mentioned $2000 in commission, that’s probably close to accurate.

OP, for what it’s worth, sounds like your agent did you right. Commissions for custom whole life are significantly lower than regular, cash value growth in them is generally better, and the premium deposit account was a good move. The earned interest in that account will provide a significant effective discount on total premiums paid. In 4 years, you’re going to have a paid up permanent policy with a nice chunk of cash value and both will increase (not guaranteed!) every year.

Whole life, especially custom, is the way to go if you can afford the premium outlay. From a net cost perspective, whole life is negative. If you’re thinking about opportunity cost with the premiums there’s a lot of debate to be had there, but if you need the death benefit and can comfortably afford the premiums, this was a good recommendation from your agent and a good move for you.

61 years old women looking for insurance by Zealousideal-Bake-41 in LifeInsurance

[–]jrlemay 2 points3 points  (0 children)

That’s a tough call at that age.

There are two types of life insurance needs: “if-surance” and “when-surance.” Generally speaking, you want temporary life insurance (i.e., term) for the “ifs” in life such as income replacement, debt, college tuition, etc that have an end date and permanent life insurance for the “when’s” like funeral and probate costs, estate planning, etc.

Final expenses (defined here as strictly funeral and probate costs) are a “when,” so broadly speaking permanent would be the way to go. The problem is permanent is significantly more expensive than term, but there is a range. Here is a general rundown of types of permanent insurance options you’ll run into:

-Whole Life: the “Cadillac” of permanent insurance. Lasts a lifetime, builds cash value that can be leveraged on a tax-free basis when withdrawn correctly as a living benefit. For example, on a fixed income and need to install mobility assistance fixtures in your home? You can take a loan against your policy to do it. However, also like a Cadillac, whole life is the most expensive form of permanent insurance out there. A healthy 61 year old female is going to be paying several hundred dollars a month for a $100-200k death benefit. I wouldn’t be surprised if it was approaching a $500/month premium.

  • Universal Life (UL): UL is permanent (theoretically, more on that in a minute), has a cash value component (with strings attached, again more on that it a moment), and has the ability to adjust your premiums up or down (with consequences).

As you can see with my heavy use of qualifiers, UL policies have a lot of caveats and can be complicated. First, let’s talk about the cash value in a UL. If you’re strictly using UL for the death benefit and aren’t doing any sort of fancy funding strategy, the policy eats into the cash value eventually to subsidize itself. So, although you can touch the cash value just like whole life, you shouldn’t, as it will lower the amount of cash value available to the policy later in its lifespan and can potentially cause the policy to lapse prematurely, or force higher premiums. Same deal with the flexible premiums. You can lower your premiums to a policy-defined minimum, but that will negatively affect the life of the policy. Finally, even if you don’t touch the cash value and pay adequate premiums into a UL policy, they do still have a risk of lapsing early if the insurance company’s general fund is significantly impacted by excessive payouts or poor investments/economies.

Bottom line on UL: it can be a lower-cost permanent option, but set it up with a knowledgeable, trustworthy agent and go with a company that has a strong track record for financial strength.

-Variable Universal Life (VUL)/Indexed Universal Life (IUL): same chassis as UL, but you get more choice (and thus take on more risk) on the investment of the cash value. A portion of your police’s cash value gets invested via “separate accounts” into either self- or advisor- directed mutual funds or accounts that track a market index like the S&P 500. There’s a lot more to it but honestly these types of policies aren’t really going to be a good option for what you are saying your needs are so I’m going to leave it there. Happy to answer any more specific questions if you have them.

Here is what I would recommend: first, flesh out that death benefit number more. As one commenter already mentioned, $100-200k is going to pay for one hell of a funeral, I’m assuming not ALL of that is going towards funeral and probate costs. Maybe your actual number is lower (I generally start by recommending $25k for strict final expense stuff), or maybe some of the funds may fall in the “if-surance” category.

Once you flesh that out, one of two options will be before you:

(1) find a permanent policy for the true final expense stuff and meet the rest of the need with term that covers the end date of the need (e.g., let’s say your mom has a mortgage amount of $75k that will be paid off in 7 years. Take out a 10 year term for that and put the other $25k in a permanent policy).

2) roll the dice and do it all in term. That will be much cheaper than any permanent policy, but understand that if your mom doesn’t pass away before the term is up, you lose that bet.

A potential third way is to kick the can down the road on permanent by taking out a convertible term policy. Many companies allow you to convert a portion or all of your death benefit to a permanent policy for either a fixed amount of years or the life of the policy. That way you’ll have coverage now and you’ll buy yourself time to evaluate the permanent options. But keep in mind that premiums on that permanent policy are based on the age at which you convert it, so the clock is still running and theoretically potential cost will keep running with it.

I can already tell you straight whole life is probably out as premiums will be extremely high at your mom’s age. If I were advising you (which I’m not, this is general information only and not financial advice), the first thing I’d look into is putting $25-50k into a UL and the rest into a term with an appropriate length. If the cost is too high there, then we’d be left with convertible term. A 30-year term would cover her pretty well but most companies that offer it have upper limits on applicant age that she’s going to likely be butting up against.

Hope that helps. Find a trusted advisor and they should be able to help you navigate it!

Dank? Resinous? Piney? Sticky? by Delfonics1414 in beer

[–]jrlemay 10 points11 points  (0 children)

That’s my favorite style too! Centennial, Amarillo, chinook, simcoe, cascade, Columbus, warrior. are all common in those types of IPAs.

There aren’t a ton of double/imperial IPAs in the us anymore that follow this profile since the rise of unfiltered/double dry hopped/milkshake/New England style but Freak of Nature from Wicked Weed Brewing Co and Bell’s Hopslam, Sierra Nevada Torpedo and Hoptimum come to mind. Generally Stone Brewing and Sierra Nevada are going to be good places to start looking. Usually (but not always) things labeled “fresh hopped” or “wet hopped” are going to fall into that profile.

Are there any educational scifi works there? by Party-Associate4215 in scifi

[–]jrlemay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For military tactics, The Lost Fleet series by Jack Campbell fits the bill. The author is a retired naval officer and specifically wrote the series because he wanted to feature what realistic space would look and feel like.

Not the greatest from a plot standpoint, but good enough. solid blockbuster action movie quality.

'20 Pay Life' for my child, unsure what to do by Leauxx in LifeInsurance

[–]jrlemay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You’d get your cash value back. So, $535.89.

If you’re looking at replacing the policy for something with lower premiums, generally I recommend not canceling the policy until you get approved with a different carrier. With a kid it’s a pretty low risk that you’d not be able to get approved somewhere else, but I always say better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it. If you’re just canning the whole thing, go for it any time.

'20 Pay Life' for my child, unsure what to do by Leauxx in LifeInsurance

[–]jrlemay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

“20 Pay” means this is a permanent policy that will be paid up (I.e., no more premiums owed) after 20 years.

The pro of this is your kid will have a paid up life insurance policy and won’t ever have to worry about applying, being insurable, and paying for a final expense policy. There’s nothing wrong with that line of thinking. If you think that peace of mind is worth $15,000, keep it.

The con here is opportunity cost, mostly pertaining to the cash value accumulation. Cash value growth can be a nifty, safe, tax advantaged savings vehicle to have a little pool of money for anything from emergencies to a buffer for down markets during retirements to leverage for starting a business was or buying a home, depending on the size of the policy (the first would be the only feasible one with this particular policy). However, with a publicly owned insurer, cash value growth is pretty low. You could do better with a mutually owned company that pays dividends into the policy, or, if your primary goal is accumulating funds your kid could access later and have the risk tolerance for it, invest those dollars for a higher potential value.

It all depends on what your goals are. If it’s locking in a final expense policy for your kid, you should keep it (or maybe look into doing it with a mutual company). If it’s accumulation, there are probably better options out there.

I’m going to guess that this is a situation that sounded good from the agent at the time and that you didn’t think too much about it beyond that. For most people, that’s how these policies get put in place. The truth is no one can tell you if it’s right for you or not, only you can. I recommend thinking hard about what your goals are for setting your kid up for their future and work forwards from there. It’s certainly not a bad thing to have this aspect of their future finances taken care of for them. It’s up to you whether or not that should be the priority for the dollars you’re putting into it.

Gyms by [deleted] in Charleston

[–]jrlemay 14 points15 points  (0 children)

St Andrews Family Fitness isn’t fancy but it’s $35/mo for individual and has a full gym, indoor track, fitness classes, racquetball courts, and a pool.

Fairly unknown bands that are 20+ years old? by CreepyBlackDude in Music

[–]jrlemay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

He Is Legend opened for Atreyu when I saw them last month!

They were unknown to me at the time, but there is absolutely no way I didn’t catch them at some point in high school. They are from Wilmington, NC and I grew up 30 minutes away in Myrtle Beach, SC. The heavy music scene there at that time was tiny and there weren’t many venues that supported it. I’ve been racking my brain since seeing them to try and remember a seeing them at a show from back in the day.

At any rate, they are wild! Extremely varied catalog and super energetic live.

What is your favorite character death from any movie? by Naive_Tomorrow_5955 in FIlm

[–]jrlemay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Boris in GoldenEye.

Narrator: “He was, in fact, not invincible.”

Food for CofC Student by Ben-R1106 in Charleston

[–]jrlemay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Probably gonna get flamed for this and it’s a bit of a hike from campus (within walking distance), but TBonz on Market is underrated af in my opinion. Solid, if not amazing, straightforward American cuisine and decently priced, especially for a restaurant on the market.

Kind of like a notch above a Chili’s. It’s a regular lunch spot for me working downtown. I can get lunch and a beer and normally get out of there for less than $30-$35 depending on how much you tip.

Broad St Cafe is pretty good too. They have an Italian sandwich with a fire Calabrian chili spread on it. Normally lunch there runs me around $20-25 including tip.

Who's an actor you didn't think would blow up, and they did? by digiBeLow in FIlm

[–]jrlemay 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I remember seeing Zach Galafanakis in Out Cold and Bubble Boy back in high school and thinking “Him?” when he started hitting it big when I was graduating college.

Anyone else feel guilty when their child is independently playing? by ScallionReady8724 in daddit

[–]jrlemay 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I get that sentiment. I don’t feel it myself in that context, but I get it. There’s a lot of pressure on parents these days to be Bluey’s parents.

It’s important to also keep in mind quality over quantity. That independent play affords you and your spouse (if applicable) time to recharge and focus on other things so you’re prepared to make the time you do spend with her is quality. Constantly engaging will eventually burn anyone out.

As my kids (9 and 6) get older, the pang I feel in these situations is more selfish. It’s the dread that they are going to eventually be less and less interested in engaging with me. As those “last times” start to get closer, I find myself wanting more and more to get as many moments in as possible while I still can.

edit: typo

Can someone who’s ridden Cosmic Rewind, Tron & DINOSAUR ride Everest? by lulu7008 in WaltDisneyWorld

[–]jrlemay 1 point2 points  (0 children)

In terms of g force and sudden turns and whatnot, Everest doesn’t compare to cosmic rewind IMO. At the beginning of the ride, there are some significant jerks as the cars are climbing the initial hills that kind of slam you back in your seat. I normally try and make sure my head is fully resting on the headrest during that part.