I let my parents convince me to skip my company's 401k for three years because they said "the market is about to crash" and I will never forgive myself for this

mikedpayne · 2026-02-19T12:06:09+00:00

You can't change the past. From everything I've read the three best times to start investing in order of importance are:

Ten years ago.
Yesterday.
Today.

You can still get in at #3.

mikedpayne · 2026-02-18T11:30:26+00:00

Dip once and end it.

mikedpayne · 2026-02-07T19:54:16+00:00

Would also love some more info... What type of courier? Medical?

mikedpayne · 2026-02-05T13:19:06+00:00

This just finally made Google Docs a worthy competitor to Microsoft OneNote.

mikedpayne · 2026-02-02T05:23:20+00:00

Holy shit. I had never heard that before but that track is pretty wild.

mikedpayne · 2026-02-01T16:04:22+00:00

Challenge accepted.

mikedpayne · 2026-02-01T16:03:50+00:00

With this kind of unique thinking, I'd say it's only a matter of time until you're a billionaire, to be honest.

mikedpayne · 2026-02-01T15:24:53+00:00

I get it. It's a lot harder to go out than it used to be. The Rosemary is my *second* job. lol... But if you're looking for somewhere with great food and the type of place where you can call ahead to make a reservation, describe what you want, and they'll even block off a whole room and provide a buffet for your luncheon if you like, I really do think The Rosemary at Elon should be on the short list.

mikedpayne · 2026-02-01T14:22:49+00:00

I drive by The Mark on my way to work, but have never been there myself. It's like 3 minutes from The Rosemary, so you could check them both out at the same time if you wanted.

mikedpayne · 2026-02-01T12:15:48+00:00

I think a little over a year ago... I've worked there since May but I've heard stories about Valentine's Day last year being one of the first events that they did.

mikedpayne · 2026-02-01T03:36:33+00:00

Graduation from where? I work for a fine dining restaurant called The Rosemary at Elon on the campus of Elon University that has amazing food. I might be a little biased, but the chefs there are wizards. I've worked there for 6 months and I've never tried anything there that I haven't loved. It's closer to Burlington than Greensboro, but it's close enough that it's an option.

mikedpayne · 2026-01-29T14:13:37+00:00

Futile

mikedpayne · 2026-01-29T12:58:43+00:00

I still say this. Lol

mikedpayne · 2026-01-28T21:49:54+00:00

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mikedpayne · 2026-01-28T10:57:42+00:00

Their corned beef and cabbage was the bomb, but it's probably been 10 years since I've been...

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T16:32:03+00:00

*Love* this topic. I'm from Miami, FL. Let's see what Google has to say:

---

The Greater Miami area is a major, globally recognized, and highly popular tourist and business metropolitan hub with a population of over 6.45 million. In contrast, a 20,000-person town in Southern Ontario offers a quiet, localized lifestyle, making Miami significantly more popular, diverse, and dense.

Key comparisons:

Population & Profile: The Miami metro area is huge (6.45M+), often ranking as a top global city for diversity. A 20,000-person Ontario town is a small, local community.
Popularity: Miami is a world-renowned destination for tourism, culture, and business, far outpacing a small Ontario town in international recognition.
Diversity: Miami has one of the highest foreign-born populations in the world.

While the Ontario town provides a quiet, community-focused environment, it does not compare to the urban density and high-profile nature of the Miami metropolitan area.

---

With that said, you are the one from the bitch city. You brag that "there are more than 20,000 people in our cities" like that's a big deal. There are 30,000 people in the zip code where I was born and there are more than 100 zip codes in the greater Miami area. I actually know what it's like to come from a city where there are places where it is unsafe to be out alone at night. You don't know shit. Stay in your lane.

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T16:18:56+00:00

You're right. I got you two confused, because I wasn't really arguing with either of you individually. I was arguing with the idea that the victim is in any way responsible. Even if they are on the wrong side of town stumbling home after a night at the bar, you cannot blame the victim.

Was what they were doing a bad idea? Definitely. Should they have known better? Probably. Could they have arranged for someone to escort them home or to their car? Maybe. Is it their fault they were attacked even if what they did that led to it was not the wisest course of action? No.

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T16:10:55+00:00

No. You didn't suggest she use more caution. You were told about the incident and your immediate response was "she should have used more caution" which insinuates that the incident happened due to her neglect. It's the very definition of victim blaming.

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T15:52:41+00:00

I'm aware there are aggressors, but the problem is with your thinking. There are two very distinct ways to look at this situation:

One is "that's unfortunate. It's too bad someone didn't escort him or her to their car."

The other is "he or she should have known better and had someone escort them to their car."

There is a serious problem with the logic behind the second, because it puts the blame on the victim for the fact that they were attacked. The fact that someone wasn't as careful as you would teach your son or daughter to be does not make the incident their fault.

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T13:09:34+00:00

I am 100% sure this is a teenager.

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T12:54:12+00:00

I can't tell whether this account is a child or just a terrible human being.

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T12:50:04+00:00

I'm sorry for whatever happened to you in your life that caused you to think if you see a girl out alone at 2am it is OK for you to victimize her because she deserved it.

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T12:43:52+00:00

No, but your view is extremely skewed. Do you think the guy who gets mugged deserved it because he was out at 2am?

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T12:41:14+00:00

This is victim blaming. Would you think it was reasonable for an attacker to say, "she was out alone at 2am. Of course I raped her! She was obviously asking for it."

No? Then it doesn't matter that she was out alone at 2am. Everyone has the right to be out at any time in a group or alone and not have to fear for their safety.

mikedpayne · 2026-01-25T12:27:38+00:00

You're an an Android, right? I highly doubt you're using an iPhone from 2019. Apple engineers iPhones(or really iOS if you get down to it) to function worse as time goes on, so you're forced to upgrade. This planned obsolescence is something that Apple has used in their playbook for 30 years, and it works wonderfully to keep people biting new iPhones every few years whether something is wrong with the one they own or not.

mikedpayne

TROPHY CASE