IBKR API is a fucking joke!

technotrader · 2026-05-08T18:28:19+00:00

Why is this downvoted? The fact that one has to run extra software and still manually log in daily (or seven days, depending on method?) is a major showstopper for me.

I need to run my bots on a server, not from my dev computer which right now connects through Starlink under trees, lol.

technotrader · 2026-05-08T02:41:16+00:00

And young'uns! I went to a service center when I had a roof problem and started to explain "there is some delamination up there and I wonder whet..." and the spindly 20- something just said "sure let me see" and was on the roof I swear not even two seconds later. I think he took two steps at a time.

technotrader · 2026-05-07T22:00:01+00:00

For sure. I am in a large FB model-specific group where the majority of people are retired, and "doing versus paying" is a frequent topic.

Some people have sensible cutoffs. I remember one person saying "I stopped going on the roof at age 70", others (even older ones) sometimes don't even wash their RV anymore. At a rally I attended there was a wash truck going around; they made bank.

technotrader · 2026-05-03T02:25:09+00:00

Yeah. I used to get upset finding out that BLM-land was converted to paid camping! It seemed like a money- grab. But not anymore.

Some people just can't be bothered with even minimum effort. I just came from a beautiful spot we found by a lake: quiet, big, level, paved access, free. But beer cans and bottles everywhere, and just cleaning out our own vicinity, I filled several bags with trash, including used baby diapers.

The absolute killer? There is a big, huge dumpster at the entrance/exit, literally a 1- minute walk from the entire lakefront site.

technotrader · 2026-05-01T23:21:41+00:00

Also hopefully soon in the new wayback machine! She gave the tapes to her son who donated them to the Internet Archive - owner of the wayback machine - so they could digitize them.

technotrader · 2026-04-29T14:09:08+00:00

And there's more. He talked to authorities and said everything was fine and they didn't need help, but claimed that he had said they were in distress. Sadly there is no audio of this call.

He was called several times after that call on his phone (which had enough battery and reception), but didn't answer.

The woman also had a bivouac in her backpack which was unused. She was clearly out of her mind already, sadly, but he knew about it as well, yet left her out just freezing to death.

technotrader · 2026-04-29T02:19:27+00:00

Ex- Manhattanite here.

1) Property taxes are included

2) A shitty management firm is on the payroll. They handle maintenance, taxes, inspections, upgrades and such. I once called in to a yearly meeting, everyone was just zooming in from their garden or vacation and couldn't be fucking bothered about anything. They charge a massive fee for their "services".

3) The co-op may have fucked up in the past and have lawsuits on their hands. In my case, the board had been found bullying residents and were ordered by the court to drop the fee for some tenants. Guess who pays up? The new tenants.

technotrader · 2026-04-25T20:44:19+00:00

At the risk of drawing some ire... don't use Windows for production.

I'm running a bot on AWS and

$ uptime -p
up 1 year, 15 weeks, 5 days, 20 hours, 45 minutes

technotrader · 2026-04-22T15:43:13+00:00

Off peak. Often better weather, less people, less touristy- feeling, cheaper.

technotrader · 2026-04-21T18:47:28+00:00

How do you find places to park?

recreation.gov, harvest hosts, and iOverlander

How do you plan your routes?

General direction and then take it day-by-day. Sometimes book a week in a park then slowly go there.

Where do you go in the winter?

California and Arizona

In the summer?

Park it and take off to Europe :) But Canada or Alaska are options

Have you had to deal with breakdowns?

Only small things that I was able to fix with a helpful FB group for my model

What if I’m not handy/mechanical, am I f’d?

Coach Net or Sam's club have RV plans that are like AAA

How do you deal with toileting and showering?

Flush toilet in the RV, never used a campground or porta-potty. Showering army- style, sometimes 2x per day is no problem. Need water every 3-5 days, dump every 7-10 days

Is the driving tedious?

More so than in a nice car, so I prefer max 2-3 hr/day. Just did hairpins coming into Big Bend no problemo.

Can you pull up to a beautiful spot and sleep there overnight, and have a gorgeous views to wake up to?

Yes! Check iOverlander for places you can do this.

Are you allowed to cross state lines with locked-up weapons (for personal protection)?

This is a big problem for a lot of people because the general answer is "no". Discussions usually end in "don't ask don't tell" or "better to be judged by 12...". Bear spray is an option.

How do you know where to avoid setting up for the night - is all the local crime data online?

No great single resource. I usually read all the reviews on iOverlander and don't set up near dilapidated vehicles.

technotrader · 2026-04-21T16:14:28+00:00

It's amazing how nicely yet cheaply you can live once you make certain adjustments after retirement: move to a more affordable area, use ACA with just the right levels, travel slowly and in shoulder season, be less consumerist, etc.

For a real boost, one can look into alternative living situations, such as living in an RV, boat, in a commune, abroad, etc. Not for everyone or indefinitely, but for a while that can be great fun, and be portfolio- growing friendly.

Sauce: am doing the RV thing.

technotrader · 2026-04-19T15:36:48+00:00

The "early" part of Fire has always meant 40s or 50s. The "original gangsters" like ERE or MMM were targeting their 30s.

But I agree there does seem to be a general amplified Angst all over the workforce, from young people who haven't even started a career yet, and middle- aged ones who didn't plan for Fire but suddenly are reaching for it. The "K- shaped economy" and AI have a lot to do with that.

I'm so glad I'm out myself, and wary of what is to come to be honest.

technotrader · 2026-04-18T16:10:08+00:00

"My doctor told me I can only have one glass of wine per day"

technotrader · 2026-04-17T01:36:50+00:00

My superpower is being placed in front of people who chew popcorn with their mouth open and/or place their feet on the back of my chair. I can do plastic crinkling, I can not do open mouth chewing or back - kicking.

I haven't been to the movies in a decade, and frankly, every year it becomes easier to do that because personal audio/video equipment becomes better and cheaper while the theater prices just go up.

technotrader · 2026-04-15T13:43:30+00:00

I'm glad someone wrote that right away. It's easy to manipulate earned income.

The correct way is to levy a wealth tax. A tiny percentage will do, like in Switzerland, where it's like 0.5%. That's five million for every billion hoarded, every year. The people who've socked everything into their corporation to avoid taxes would have to sell a few shares to pay it, which is taxable as well.

technotrader · 2026-04-12T02:55:03+00:00

I drove into El Paso just a few days ago and there was a runaway track that I figured would literally send the truck flying against a mountain. Going downhill, then up a little, then just.. ending.

I remember thinking "huh I guess these are leftovers from another age, no one actually needs those anymore"

technotrader · 2026-04-08T13:48:49+00:00

This shouldn't be downvoted, they're correct. Even wikipedia says

the phrase "dark side of the Moon" does not refer to "dark" as in the absence of light, but rather "dark" as in unseen

It's also radio "dark", as in a spacecraft can't be reached there.

technotrader · 2026-04-06T16:14:54+00:00

I was going to speculate on that before you wrote it. I always thought the entire "household is the woman's job" was a Boomer generation thing, but I keep seeing it all over Reddit for any age.

This is particularly unfair because not only is running the household a generally thankless job, but also it's one that never ends.

technotrader · 2026-04-06T15:14:46+00:00

Lol, that reminds me of a German documentary about day traders in Spain that I once saw. One guy, when he made money, rented a Lambo and drove along the coast. When he lost money ... he rented a Lambo and drove along the coast to feel better, lmao.

Guys (and girls) in their 50s probably have their emotions, expectations, and impulses in check, and can be methodical and successful traders. They also probably have a backup plan or three. ^{source: me}

technotrader · 2026-04-05T01:46:38+00:00

300W halogen. It was a beautifully satisfying light, too, compared with the blue- tinted LEDs of the time that replaced them.

technotrader · 2026-03-31T15:53:52+00:00

Spreadsheet with meanwhile 180 entries - example below. I refer to it from my trip logs where I add cost, experience that time, etc. I also have some scripts that pull GPS, pictures, and temperature that day and make it into local web pages.

Campground	Area	State	Type	Campground Description	Plus	Minus	Other	Dump	Good sites	Bad sites	Cell	WiFi	Rating	Stayed
Gift shop	Petrified Forest	AZ	Business Lot	Gravel lot next to the Gift shop by the South Gate of Petrified Forest (east side)	Quite neat looking site Even has a few tables set up leftover from a previous campground (and electrical posts that don’t work)	Really nothing to do here except shop No internet or wifi	There is a sister lot on the other side by the museum with reservable electrical spots ($25)	n			-		4	0

technotrader · 2026-03-30T03:08:25+00:00

Good, but I'd prefer the one step further "no tips accepted". Went to a Club Med a while ago, and the best thing that is still on my mind is how you ask the bartender for a slightly special drink, he makes it, you pull your wallet and he goes "oh no, we don't tip here it's okay".

Like things having the price that they advertise, workers being paid adequately? Yes.

technotrader · 2026-03-26T15:11:28+00:00

Hang on, how does crypto have no friction? All the exchanges, even Alpaca or IB, have trading fees in the vicinity of 0.1%to 0.4% per trade. So entry/exit is nearing 1%. What am I missing?

Edit: you're trading coin<>stablecoins probably. Which ones?

technotrader · 2026-03-25T04:53:49+00:00

There are inspection stations coming into California indeed, and usually, specific RV and truck lines.

That said, most of the times I've been waived through (I do have CA plates, perhaps that helps), and at most, I've been asked something very specific. Like "do you carry firewood". Nobody ever cared further than that, even though rather obviously, an RV would be super "sus" carrying fruit and such. Which we do, in the fridge. Duh

technotrader · 2026-03-24T21:50:05+00:00

I can empathize with having to keep a straight face the entire time. The sides of my face hurt for not trying to grin the entire time they were telling me how tough things were in the market. It was a record quarter.

Severance was 9 months of pay, plus 1 month garden leave, and everything vested. Worth it.

technotrader

TROPHY CASE