Real Life and What's Happening...

[EmperorNorton]

I am not a picky eater. I eat all kinds of things, and have a very broad taste in food.

But fuck broccoli in particular, can't stand it.

 

[Brock Savage]

Theres a great pizza placd a town over from me. My favorites are,

Marco Polo Alfredo Pizza​

Rich Alfredo sauce covered in grilled chicken strips, fresh mushrooms, and topped off with Mozzarella and Romano cheeses

Louisiana Lightning​

We swap pizza sauce for hot sauce and add chicken strips, jalapenos, and lotsa cheese and we serve it with ranch dressing

They have lots of awesome pies

Oh man, this place looks so good. My appetite is finally recovering from Covid and I am craving a traditional sub + pizza to replenish my reserves. I think I am going to make an exception and treat myself to a 4000 calorie meal LOL

 

[chuckdee]

I went into a game store... buy local right? Their prices were above the MSRP on just about everything. I was looking at getting Viking Death Squad from Modiphius, and it was $55 there, and on the Modiphius site, it's $44. It's not really support the local store at the expense of your wallet, is it?

 

[Brock Savage]

I went into a game store... buy local right? Their prices were above the MSRP on just about everything. I was looking at getting Viking Death Squad from Modiphius, and it was $55 there, and on the Modiphius site, it's $44. It's not really support the local store at the expense of your wallet, is it?

No, that's typical in my experience. One of the main reasons that people buy from big chains or online instead is because local retailers are unable to offer competitive prices. The argument is that small businesses can excel in other areas to make up for the lack of competitive prices (better customer relations, more responsive to customer needs, deeper specialization, sense of community, etc).

My local game store happens to be a nationwide distributor so the prices are comparable to online but the employees are unhelpful, they stopped renting space to host games, and the store is a disorganized mess so there's really no reason for me to shop there any more.

 

[chuckdee]

When I worked at a game store, we never priced anything higher than MSRP, unless we didn't get typical margins. This is the first time I've seen in a game store where it was priced higher.

 

[Brock Savage]

When I worked at a game store, we never priced anything higher than MSRP, unless we didn't get typical margins. This is the first time I've seen in a game store where it was priced higher.

I've seen it at comic book stores and other small venues that sell game stuff.

 

[Fenris-77]

I worked in a FLGS for years. My boss generally tried to stick to MSRP whenever possible, but sometimes the margins are just too thin. My store provided six or eight gaming tables for Warhammer and RPG play though, so there was significant reason to keep your money local i terms of services offered.

 

[chuckdee]

I worked in a FLGS for years. My boss generally tried to stick to MSRP whenever possible, but sometimes the margins are just too thin. My store provided six or eight gaming tables for Warhammer and RPG play though, so there was significant reason to keep your money local i terms of services offered.

My store had the advantage of being a distributor also. But when they started cutting out the small distributors, it started to hurt. Worked there for about 12 years in different capacities, and it was open for 35, but the distributor merging killed it.

 

[Bunch]

My store had the advantage of being a distributor also. But when they started cutting out the small distributors, it started to hurt. Worked there for about 12 years in different capacities, and it was open for 35, but the distributor merging killed it.

I co-owned a comic book/game store for a few years. We never marked higher than MSRP. I was lucky the other owner owned other stores in the area so we got the volume discount he earned so that might have made it easier to stick to MSrP.

 

[soltakss]

I had no idea. You look so young in your avatar.

Thanks, I have an ageless avatar. The one in my attic, however, looks a lot worse. Oh, hang on, the one in the attic is actually me!

 

[chuckdee]

Wu-Tang's RZA did the soundtrack for Ghost Dog.

Also he was in Man with the Iron Fists and produced the soundtrack.

 

[3rik]

chuckdee I somehow always misremember Wu Tang Clan actually being in Ghost Dog, but turns out they aren't.

 

[spittingimage]

chuckdee I somehow always misremember Wu Tang Clan actually being in Ghost Dog, but turns out they aren't.

RZA played the title role (and directed? I think?) The Man With the Iron Fists. It's a wushia movie. But honestly, not a great one.

 

[3rik]

Also he was in Man with the Iron Fists and produced the soundtrack.

Not familiar with that one. After watching the (red band) trailer on Youtube I'm not sure what to think. I see it features music by The Black Keys and Kanye West...

 

[chuckdee]

RZA played the title role (and directed? I think?) The Man With the Iron Fists. It's a wushia movie. But honestly, not a great one.

I liked it. No worse that many I watched on Black Belt Theater, and honestly a lot of it hailed back to that.

 

[Brock Savage]

Man with the Iron Fists

I had a lot on my plate when this came out and I ended up missing it but I am gonna check it out tonight.

 

[Nobby-W]

So just before I came home from Indonesia we bought Mrs. Nobby-W an e-bike (see below). This was a Viar, made in Indonesia and cost the princely sum of £400. It's not a bad spec for what it is - at 60kg or so it's light enough to manhandle, but the manufacturer claims a range of 70km. While one should take this with a pinch of salt, even a practical range of 50km is plenty to get around town or get around the general locale. Plus, the charger is small enough to carry with you.

Also, she's been afraid of motorcycles since she crashed one as a teenager, so it's giving her some independence in a country where folks routinely carry a family of 5 on a motorbike - I'm hoping this will be a substantial enabler. I think we will probably get a car at some point, but at the moment we don't have enough space to park it.

E-Viar | Spefikasi Detail Sepeda Listrik / E-BIKE Akasha

Spefikasi detail mengenai Sepeda Listrik / E-BIKE Akasha ada disini

www.e-viar.com

 

[Bunch]

Had to cancel tonight's D&D session to be an adult. I don't mind being an adult the majority of time but I do wish I still got my 2 hours off a week without interruption.

 

[Raleel]

Had to cancel tonight's D&D session to be an adult. I don't mind being an adult the majority of time but I do wish I still got my 2 hours off a week without interruption.

very sorry, but i feel your pain.

 

[Nobby-W]

My packet of masks just discharged itself on the floor. Now I have more masks than Nyarlathotep.

 

[chuckdee]

Haven't been walking with my group for several weeks... first because of Covid, and lately because of weather. The weather looks to be bad today also

 

[EmperorNorton]

The most fun thing in the world is talking to banks and trying to convince them you actually make money when you are a independent contractor that works for a company out of the US, so have no 1099-Misc form and just have to report all your income yourself.

Especially if you have recently started making a good bit more so your tax returns don't actually reflect what you are making this year.

 

[thebigh]

It might be a bit annoying but, "I have more money than you think" is perhaps not the worst problem to have. :|

 

[EmperorNorton]

It might be a bit annoying but, "I have more money than you think" is perhaps not the worst problem to have. :|

Aha, yeah, it isn't. I'm just trying to do some debt consolidation on some cards that got out of control while I wasn't making as much. And I have a great credit score, and I make a good bit, so the only step left is "confirm you told us the truth on all these forms", and I can lower my interest and put it all into one bill to pay every month instead of trying to remember every card :B

 

[Bunch]

The most fun thing in the world is talking to banks and trying to convince them you actually make money when you are a independent contractor that works for a company out of the US, so have no 1099-Misc form and just have to report all your income yourself.

Especially if you have recently started making a good bit more so your tax returns don't actually reflect what you are making this year.

Yeah that truly sucks.

 

[lgm]

Aha, yeah, it isn't. I'm just trying to do some debt consolidation on some cards that got out of control while I wasn't making as much. And I have a great credit score, and I make a good bit, so the only step left is "confirm you told us the truth on all these forms", and I can lower my interest and put it all into one bill to pay every month instead of trying to remember every card :B

I subcontract a good portion of my work which helps keep the number of employees to just me. So each time I ever got a home loan or refinance, I have to see if they'll accept any of the proof of income. I go through a whole process until they end up telling me to send them my tax returns. It's always the years I file an extension on my taxes so I have to hurry up and get all my books/numbers in order for my CPA. I'm too small to get an accountant/bookkeeper and too big to have to do it myself in my spare time.

What works against me for borrowing is paying myself less because I use the business to pay for certain expenses that are write-offs. Helps during tax time though so I can't really complain.

 

[EmperorNorton]

Yeah, my stuff has always been weird cause I've been working for the same company for 11 years now, but because of the tax complication of being the only person working in the US, they don't want to deal with me being an actual employee and dealing with US employment stuff

That said, they are planning on opening a second office in Honolulu, which means they will finally have a US accounting team, and when that all goes through, apparently I'll get moved over to being a W2 employee. But that is like a long term plan for the company right now and not immediate.

 

[Ronnie Sanford]

Yeah, my stuff has always been weird cause I've been working for the same company for 11 years now, but because of the tax complication of being the only person working in the US, they don't want to deal with me being an actual employee and dealing with US employment stuff

That said, they are planning on opening a second office in Honolulu, which means they will finally have a US accounting team, and when that all goes through, apparently I'll get moved over to being a W2 employee. But that is like a long term plan for the company right now and not immediate.

Hope you get to go to Honolulu frequently. Immensely beautiful!

 

[lgm]

Yeah, my stuff has always been weird cause I've been working for the same company for 11 years now, but because of the tax complication of being the only person working in the US, they don't want to deal with me being an actual employee and dealing with US employment stuff

That said, they are planning on opening a second office in Honolulu, which means they will finally have a US accounting team, and when that all goes through, apparently I'll get moved over to being a W2 employee. But that is like a long term plan for the company right now and not immediate.

It's unfortunate for you but I very much understand their stance! I've seen much in the ways of government making things harder than necessary. I fear OSHA, had new EPA rules result in thousands of dollars of damage to my equipment, and saw my brother (also in my industry) threatened by a city with imprisonment for disturbing 2 square feet of ground for missing an erosion permit (had a warrant on him before he was even notified). I wouldn't dare mess with the IRS or employment laws!

 

[EmperorNorton]

Hope you get to go to Honolulu frequently. Immensely beautiful!

Ahaha, yeah, before Covid I took several trips to the Tokyo office, and always told them that they could fly me out any time. I told them that if they wanted me to work from the Honolulu office for a week or two they could fly me there anytime as well.

The CEO asked me in a meeting when they were talking about the possibility of me moving to an employee rather than contractor after the switch if I liked working remotely from where I live and I told him that yeah, I enjoyed it, but if he was going to give me a large enough raise to work from the Honolulu office and live comfortably with my family, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

 

[Ronnie Sanford]

Ahaha, yeah, before Covid I took several trips to the Tokyo office, and always told them that they could fly me out any time. I told them that if they wanted me to work from the Honolulu office for a week or two they could fly me there anytime as well.

The CEO asked me in a meeting when they were talking about the possibility of me moving to an employee rather than contractor after the switch if I liked working remotely from where I live and I told him that yeah, I enjoyed it, but if he was going to give me a large enough raise to work from the Honolulu office and live comfortably with my family, I'd be there in a heartbeat.

Yeah, assuming your employer makes up for the high cost of living Hawaii is a no brainer!

 

[chuckdee]

The most fun thing in the world is talking to banks and trying to convince them you actually make money when you are a independent contractor that works for a company out of the US, so have no 1099-Misc form and just have to report all your income yourself.

Especially if you have recently started making a good bit more so your tax returns don't actually reflect what you are making this year.

I contracted for a long time, and just claimed a lot of deductions so I wouldn't pay into Uncle Sam's piggy bank all year. I stopped doing that as much and set my tax deductions to what they said it should be... and holy shit! They started taking $500 more per two weeks out. I had to adjust it- I know I won't owe that much at the end of the year and definitely don't want to pay into Uncle Sam's reserve interest free to get it back at tax time.

 

[E-Rocker]

Got a new boss last week. Thus far she seems fine. I'm still a tad annoyed at having my 8th new boss in the 15 years I've worked for this organization, though.

 

[Godfather Punk]

I have gotten to the point where I no longer even bother to know the name of a new boss. They'll be gone in 18 months anyway.

 

[chuckdee]

Got a new boss last week. Thus far she seems fine. I'm still a tad annoyed at having my 8th new boss in the 15 years I've worked for this organization, though.

I just accepted a new position with more responsibility because I didn't want to get a new boss. It's also hopefully justification for a promotion- I get why they put you in the position and after you prove yourself capable they promote you, but it still sucks. But a lot less than getting a new manager.

 

[Giganotosaurus]

I have gotten to the point where I no longer even bother to know the name of a new boss. They'll be gone in 18 months anyway.

That's some heckin' turnover.

 

[chuckdee]

I just took over my team a few weeks ago, and I'm losing three members already. The larger our company gets the more it seems to churn through employees (seems to have a lot to do with SAFE and the concept of us being fungible assets)

 

[bleys21]

That sucks. I've got a 40 person department (IT) and have been mostly lucky in not seeing a lot of turnover. That said, our pay doesn't suck (except for my pay, by comparison, but I'm working on that) and our benefits and retirement are really, really good. Maybe that's enough to keep folks around...

 

[Silverlion]

We were without water in the entire city for almost two full day. It was declared a state emergency. Then my internet died Thursday, the day I've my favorite games! Sighs

 

[chuckdee]

That sucks. I've got a 40 person department (IT) and have been mostly lucky in not seeing a lot of turnover. That said, our pay doesn't suck (except for my pay, by comparison, but I'm working on that) and our benefits and retirement are really, really good. Maybe that's enough to keep folks around...

Our pay doesn't suck, and our benefits are really good. Pay and benefits aren't everything in keeping people around, though.