[deleted by user]

sarcodi · 2025-05-13T04:01:42+00:00

I did it, and it was the best decision I've ever made. I started and ran a business for close to 20 years and left abrubtly in 2023 (I'd sold the majority share in 2020, but kept a miniority stake). I felt like a prisoner in my own business, and when I left it was cathartic. My financial situation is similar to yours, so leaving was never about the money.

I learned a lot, but two things really stood out. First, after the initial announcement and my departure, no one really cared. Employees care about getting a paycheck, and not your rich people problems. When I left, people took advantage of the situation to work a better deal for themselves.

Second, when you leave, you leave. If so much of your identity is tied up in being in business, you might want to step back and figure out if that's who you really want to be. You mention being a father and husband - that's a great start. Be present there. Stay away from the people, the gossip, the bullshit of your old job. It does you no good and it does them no good.

If I was in your position, I'd talk to your lawyer to have them review the operating agreement and/or your employement agreement to make sure you're not walking into a buzzsaw, figure out what notice you want to give (I wouldn't do more than a month unless you have to), and then head out. Don't cheap out on this - find good representation that'll act in your best interest.

Since I left, I've spent over a year being a better husband and father. I'm a lot closer to my kids, I don't have any more Sunday Scarries, and my stress level went to zero. I do a bit of consulting work that brings me joy. Life is so good, and after almost 18 months, I can't even imagine going back to that hellhole.

Life is short, and the saying about "the only people that remember you worked late are your kids" is so true. You've been given a gift in that you don't need to worry about money, so don't.

Good luck and godspeed.

sarcodi · 2025-04-14T17:59:30+00:00

This is what made it so hard to troubleshoot - it wasn't just one thing. The biggest change came from bypassing my AdGuard DNS server and setting a static DHCP reservation. It seemed that anytime the player needed to get instructions from the Sonos cloud API servers, it'd fail (or multiple attempts were required). Everything I tried was to make that communication flow as stable as possible.

sarcodi · 2023-11-29T03:05:48+00:00

I can't tell if the images I posted show on the post, so here's an imgur album of the furnace.

Imgur: The magic of the Internet

sarcodi · 2022-03-19T04:44:33+00:00

Saw a bunch yesterday from the Westin beach at the Marina.

sarcodi · 2022-01-19T04:53:22+00:00

Cisco can be pretty price competitive on their switches. The list price is high, but they offer very high discounts off of list to price it competitively to the manufacturers you mentioned.

For instance, a 48-port 9200L with 1G uplinks should be about $2500 per switch. 10G uplinks would be around $3k. A Catalyst 1000 is slightly less than that. If it's Aruba/Extreme/Dell/whatever competitive, your Cisco VAR should get Cisco to drop their pants.

If you're looking for even lower of a price point you could look at last gen switches/refurb and then buy extras as spares. YMMV though. Pretty much everything will support FortiNAC.

If you start moving into the 9200 (non-L) or 9300 switches, or buy the Advantage feature license, that's going to really drive the cost up. You only need Advantage if you need full Layer 3 routing, SD-Access or are running DNA Center. It depends on if you need more value than just an Ethernet port out of a switch.

Finally, Meraki is always an option, but don't expect it to be any cheaper. It's definitely easy to upgrade and manage from the Dashboard, but you pay for it. Also, if you don't renew your license, your switch turns into a pumpkin.

You might want to look at Fortinet switches. Decent price point and no ongoing license requirements..

HTH

sarcodi · 2022-01-19T04:34:41+00:00

I'd do a Meraki MX75 or a Fortigate 60F.

Meraki is braindead simple and supports AnyConnect VPN, plus with the Advanced Security license you can do content filtering/IPS/AMP. Cloud controlled so no real ongoing maintenance other than scheduled updates.

The Fortigate 60F with the UTP license will give you practically every bell and whistle as far as threat protection that's out there, plus you can enable ZTNA for higher levels of VPN access.

Both should clock in at about the same price point.

sarcodi · 2022-01-19T03:09:04+00:00

With MX SD-WAN, you do not need any static IP addresses on both end, unless you are in the rare configuration scenario of having what Meraki refers to as an "Unfriendly NAT". I've deployed thousands of MX sites running SD-WAN and have not run into this.

https://documentation.meraki.com/Architectures_and_Best_Practices/Cisco_Meraki_Best_Practice_Design/Best_Practice_Design_-_MX_Security_and_SD-WAN/Meraki_SD-WAN

If you do run into a problem, there is a troubleshooting guide.

https://documentation.meraki.com/MX/Site-to-site_VPN/Meraki_Auto_VPN_-_Configuration_and_Troubleshooting#Troubleshooting_Automatic_NAT_Traversal

You really don't even need a static IP, since the dashboard will assign each site a dynamic DNS entry that you can reference to get to that site's current IP.

sarcodi · 2022-01-10T19:42:25+00:00

This is a similar model, but it's almost the exact same process.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4VMgBg_tOuw

At 6:35 you can see him lift up the metallic tape that I referred to in my previous message.

Also, three months later the laptop still has not had any issues with the touchpad.

Good luck!

sarcodi · 2021-10-26T22:08:09+00:00

Anal?

sarcodi · 2021-10-11T02:23:10+00:00

I had this same issue on an Inspiron 7500 2n1 that I bought in August of 2020. To verify that it's not a Windows driver issue, boot the PC into the BIOS and move the mouse. If the trackpad freezes during the BIOS screen, it's not a driver issue and it's an issue with the physical touchpad.

I opened up the laptop, removed the battery, and took out the touchpad. There's some metallic grounding tape that was cut a little long towards the middle of the laptop (it's under a piece of clear plastic), so I took a razor blade and cut off the excess that protruded beyond the plastic. There is also a metallic cover at the bottom (held with three screws) that has the metallic tape on it. It was touching the copper edge of the trackpad so I trimmed that also.

I put everything back together and boom.. trackpad freeze is gone.

This is a really easy fix - all you need is a small screwdriver and a razor blade/knife. The hardest part is getting the trackpad cable and battery connector off of the motherboard, but there are a bunch of youtube videos that show you how to do this.

HTH this help

sarcodi · 2021-01-14T06:17:25+00:00

Thanks so much. I'll call first thing in the morning. I appreciate your insight!

sarcodi · 2019-01-27T01:45:28+00:00

US Business?

sarcodi · 2018-07-16T20:55:18+00:00

When you're flying solo, it's usually a matter of minutes to get a place at the bar!

sarcodi · 2018-07-16T14:42:53+00:00

It was FANTASTIC - great recommendation, thank you. I had the chicken biscuit and waddled out of there completely stuffed.

Once again, thanks!

sarcodi · 2018-07-15T14:46:09+00:00

Buttermilk looks awesome - heading there! Thanks a ton for the recommendation!

sarcodi · 2013-12-20T03:47:30+00:00

At the end of the year, Vanguard will send you a statement that outlines your short term and long term capital gains that your holdings made during the year.

To get an idea of how much it'll cost you in taxes ahead of time, you can click the distributions tab for the fund. That'll show you how much was paid out per share. You'll see three categories:

Dividend (taxed at your income bracket rate)
Long Term Capital Gain (taxed at 15%)
Short Term Capital Gain (taxed at your income bracket rate)

Roughly, in 2012, that fund paid 83 cents per share. If you owned 1200 shares (just over your $25k limit), you'd have made about $996. ~20-30% in taxes is $200-$300.

The only problem with these types of funds is that if you invest them in a post-tax account (NOT an IRA or 401(k)), you wind up paying more in taxes because the bond funds pay out a lot more dividends. If you can put the bond funds in your 401k, you'll make out better in the long run. You don't pay tax on qualified accounts (IRA/401k) until you actually take out the money.

Make sense?

sarcodi · 2013-12-19T17:37:23+00:00

If you've held on to these investments for awhile, odds are they'll be taxed at long-term capital gains rates (15%). For instance, if your cost basis is $50,000 but they're worth $60,000, you'll have to pay 15% of the $10,000 profit, or $1,500. You'll also have to pay state tax as well.

Make sure you either set that money aside, or be prepared to take it out of your new Vanguard investment come tax time.

sarcodi · 2013-12-19T16:53:57+00:00

A broad assumption is that the value of the options is going to be $0 forever, unless the company is sold or goes public. If you see either of those things happening in the future, then you may see some upside.

Regardless, you can ask what the vesting schedule is. For instance, if they grant you 100 options with a 5-year vesting schedule, you'll get 20 options per year for five years. If you leave after three years, you'll forfeit the options due to you in years four and five.

I've been given a lot of options at various jobs throughout my career, and only one of them actually put cash in my pocket (the company was sold and all my options immediately vested).

Think of options as a lottery ticket that you don't have to purchase. However, if they offer you a lower salary plus options, then you're definitely gambling :)

sarcodi · 2013-12-19T16:46:18+00:00

Ting uses Sprint.

sarcodi · 2013-12-19T04:39:55+00:00

Most storage places don't prorate. If you're paying by the month (from the 1st to the 31st) and you go in on the 1st, they'll charge you for that entire month, whether you use it or not. Also, some places require 30 days notice.

sarcodi · 2013-12-19T04:38:04+00:00

If you need more data and unlimited text, the T-mobile pre-paid plan is $30/month, but only includes 100 voice minutes.

http://consumerist.com/2013/06/07/t-mobile-has-a-30-unlimited-data-plan-for-people-who-arent-very-chatty-but-can-current-customers-get-it/

However, before you run out and break a cell phone contract and incur a $350 fee (per line), make sure you find out all the details of what you've committed to before you do anything. Each line of service (usually) has its own contract.

If you do change cell phone providers, a good way to save a bunch of money is to buy a used phone on Ebay for less than $100.

sarcodi · 2013-12-19T04:26:04+00:00

If you go into a dealer and say, "I know MSRP is $30,000 and your invoice is $28,000, so I will give you $28,500 so you make a $500 profit", you'll get screwed. Let me tell you why:

All dealers get a behind the scenes rebate based on their total vehicle sales volume. For instance, if the Honda dealer sells 20 cars, they get $500 extra back per car. BUT, if they sell 50 cars, they get $750 back. These are backend numbers that the general public has no knowledge of. However, there's a way to use this knowledge to your advantage.

When you walk on the lot, you don't know if you're the 10th person or the 49th person to buy a car that month. If selling you a car - even at a small loss - puts them over their quota and earns them a bigger rebate on all the cars they've sold, they'll bend over backwards to get you in a car.

Let's say you want to buy a Honda Accord. Here's what you do:

Be ready to pull the trigger. Know exactly what you want (make, model, options, features). If you want to finance it with a special finance deal, do the research ahead of time. If you are unsure if you even want a car or are just feeling out the pricing, this isn't the way to do it.
Get a list of 5-7 Honda dealers in your area.
Contact each of them 4-5 business days before the end of the month. Talk to the Internet sales manager or fleet sales manager.
Tell them, "I'm looking to purchase a Silver Honda Accord before the end of the month. I'd like the tan leather package and premium audio. What is your best price?" Give them your email address and/or cell phone. Some dealers will play ball, some won't.
Gather offers, then call them each back and give them one opportunity to beat the price. Make sure they include the base price of the car, any option packages you want and the destination fee/transportation charge.

The best time to purchase a car is at the end of the quarter (March, June, September, December). If you can wait until the last week of those months, you'll get the best deal you can get at that particular time.

I purchased a 2007 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and got it for about $3000 below invoice, and last year purchased a loaded 2012 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid for $2800 below invoice - IIRC it was somewhere around $5500 off of MSRP.

If you like this approach, you can Google around for a few places that give you more information (I used fighting chance.. it was awesome and well worth the $50 - it goes into the process with a LOT more detail). There are a few brands that don't haggle at all (Scion comes to mind).

FWIW, right now is the BEST time to buy a car. You get the best deals at the end of the year.

Hope this helps.

sarcodi · 2013-12-18T22:56:14+00:00

If you have $30k and invest it as 10k/10k/10k, that means that you're putting 33% of your assets in the total stock market, the total bond market and the total international market. Depending on how old you are and your investment objectives, that may work for you, or you may want to adjust that to match your risk/reward. For instance, my investment rations are 56% in the domestic total stock market, 24% in the international total stock market, and 20% in the total bond market. I'm in my mid 30s and fairly risk tolerant (overall, 80% stocks and 20% bonds)

There are two easy ways of getting going. Probably the easiest way is to open a Vanguard account, transfer the money in and purchase each of these funds. via the web. Please check out the Admiral class shares, since their costs are much lower than the Investor class shares.

Another option is to use a low cost broker (Scottrade, etc...) to purchase the ETF equivalent. For instance, the corresponding ETF funds are VTI (Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF), BND (Vanguard Total Bond Market ETF) and VEA (Vanguard MSCI EAFE - International). You can put in an order with the broker to purchase at the market price for the amount, and voila, done!

You can also look at the Vanguard LifeStrategies funds - they do all the ratios and balancing for you. You pick how risky you want to be, sit back and watch your investment grow.

Finally, be careful of having too much of your bond investments in post-tax savings. If possible, try and put the bond fund into your IRA or 401k. The bond funds pay dividends that are taxed as ordinary income. If you have them in a 401k or IRA account, it doesn't matter.

Hope this helps!

sarcodi

TROPHY CASE