commenting on the Malaysian pilot's computer files:
"If the the computer has been intentionally wiped, then you know there is something that the owner of the computer wants to conceal from someone"
- Christopher Voss
former FBI Special Agent
one of the lead agents in the TWA 800 crash investigation
You bet. I use the open-source program Eraser to erase every file I intentionally erase. You mean you don't?
I even erase innocuous files. If I only erased files with private data, then someone hacking in would have an easier time figuring out what to try to unerase. By erasing everything, I hope to add to a hacker's confusion.
And yes, I guess I'd have to confess that I erase my files because I own the computer and I want to conceal the files from pretty much everyone. If I could figure out how to do it while still accessing the files for myself, I'd erase my current files. Frankly it's none of their (whoever they are) business.
I also shred pretty much every piece of paper with my name on it or any information about me on it.
2014-03-19
2013-10-29
Lockbox Deceit
Was watching the tube this evening and heard for the 18 billionth time how the problem with Social Security is that we're all living too damn long and it was never meant to pay we old dotards, etc. So why don't we all just die before getting it like the plan originally intended?
Well, sorry, but that's just Bullshit.
That's just a bunch of crap to make you feel lucky. I'm sick of this lie they keep telling us. The reality is that if the government didn't mismanage the ole lockbox, you would probably get a much larger Social Security monthly check. I know I would.
How do I figure this?
Well I spent some time on research and number crunching.
Based on the United Nations life expectancy tables & World Health Organization life expectancy tables, I'm going to kick when I am 76. A little unsettling, but I guess that's that.
If I start collecting Social Security at the full retirement age I'll have 10 years of checks at a monthly rate of $2,395. Or a total payout of $287,400.
So far it looks like they are right. After all, if I add up the amounts deducted from my paychecks over the years, it's only $113,841.55.
But wait a minute. My employer (in some years that's me, myself, and I) contributes to the fund. There have been some variations, but it is roughly the same amount. So let's double that to $227,683.10.
Hmmm. A lot closer to the payout, but it still looks like I'm getting a great deal at the expense of future taxpayers.
But as Ron Popeil says, "but wait there's more!"
No one in their right mind (which probably excludes the government) would stash away money for 35 to 40 years and not expect a return. Actually the government even expects it. Try paying your taxes late and see if they want some interest. So no. We still don't have numbers to compare.
What can we use? Well I decided to work the numbers based on three different rates of return.
The first uses the inflation or CPI rate. That provides a flat "no return" number. It merely accounts for inflation. So how does that compare? My contributions using CPI rates totals $192,975.96. Still far short of my payout. But my contributions plus my employer's totals $385,951.91. WOW! Just accounting for inflation shows that the government has shortchanged me by almost a $100,000! $385,951.91 - $287,400.00 = $98,551.91.
Then I took a look at what I would get if I actually got some return on my investment. So I used a really conservative 5% annual return. The combined contributions would be worth $588,104.96. Now I see the government will cheat me out of $300,704.96.
But is 5% the right return? After thinking about it awhile longer, I decided to rework the numbers one last time. This time I used the S&P returns for each year I contributed. Simple enough for you to do if you had that money. Use it to buy an S&P index ETF. What would I have then instead of the government 'securing my future' all these years? Hold on to your seats kiddies. The combined contribution would have been worth $1,683,343.17!
So enough of this crap that I'm going to suck more money out than I put in. YOU are cheating me out of $1,395,943.17. I should be getting $11,632.86 per month instead of that measly $2,395 per month.
Lastly, I purposely ignored any cost of listing adjustments I might get in my Social Security payout. For one thing, I didn't know how to figure that out. And secondly I thought it was safe to assume that I should be able to cover that with the returns on my declining investment. After all, if I just make 2% on my 1.6 million, I'd cover my my $2,395 per month payment and actually increase the principal, not slowly whittle it away.
References:
Well, sorry, but that's just Bullshit.
That's just a bunch of crap to make you feel lucky. I'm sick of this lie they keep telling us. The reality is that if the government didn't mismanage the ole lockbox, you would probably get a much larger Social Security monthly check. I know I would.
How do I figure this?
Well I spent some time on research and number crunching.
Based on the United Nations life expectancy tables & World Health Organization life expectancy tables, I'm going to kick when I am 76. A little unsettling, but I guess that's that.
If I start collecting Social Security at the full retirement age I'll have 10 years of checks at a monthly rate of $2,395. Or a total payout of $287,400.
So far it looks like they are right. After all, if I add up the amounts deducted from my paychecks over the years, it's only $113,841.55.
But wait a minute. My employer (in some years that's me, myself, and I) contributes to the fund. There have been some variations, but it is roughly the same amount. So let's double that to $227,683.10.
Hmmm. A lot closer to the payout, but it still looks like I'm getting a great deal at the expense of future taxpayers.
But as Ron Popeil says, "but wait there's more!"
No one in their right mind (which probably excludes the government) would stash away money for 35 to 40 years and not expect a return. Actually the government even expects it. Try paying your taxes late and see if they want some interest. So no. We still don't have numbers to compare.
What can we use? Well I decided to work the numbers based on three different rates of return.
The first uses the inflation or CPI rate. That provides a flat "no return" number. It merely accounts for inflation. So how does that compare? My contributions using CPI rates totals $192,975.96. Still far short of my payout. But my contributions plus my employer's totals $385,951.91. WOW! Just accounting for inflation shows that the government has shortchanged me by almost a $100,000! $385,951.91 - $287,400.00 = $98,551.91.
Then I took a look at what I would get if I actually got some return on my investment. So I used a really conservative 5% annual return. The combined contributions would be worth $588,104.96. Now I see the government will cheat me out of $300,704.96.
But is 5% the right return? After thinking about it awhile longer, I decided to rework the numbers one last time. This time I used the S&P returns for each year I contributed. Simple enough for you to do if you had that money. Use it to buy an S&P index ETF. What would I have then instead of the government 'securing my future' all these years? Hold on to your seats kiddies. The combined contribution would have been worth $1,683,343.17!
So enough of this crap that I'm going to suck more money out than I put in. YOU are cheating me out of $1,395,943.17. I should be getting $11,632.86 per month instead of that measly $2,395 per month.
Lastly, I purposely ignored any cost of listing adjustments I might get in my Social Security payout. For one thing, I didn't know how to figure that out. And secondly I thought it was safe to assume that I should be able to cover that with the returns on my declining investment. After all, if I just make 2% on my 1.6 million, I'd cover my my $2,395 per month payment and actually increase the principal, not slowly whittle it away.
References:
- Social Security payout from http://www.socialsecurity.gov/begin-est/
- CPI from http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/srgate using series CUUR0000SA0
- S&P data from http://financeandinvestments.blogspot.com/2012/06/historical-annual-returns-for-s-500.html
2013-05-28
This Time You've Gone Too Far
I'm not sure how far off the coast we are. Someone with more resources than I have right now can probably make a decent guess from the TV map below.
I zoomed the camera phone at its highest. If you look carefully on the right side of ocean image, you can see a small sailboat. You wouldn't catch me this far out in that thing.
Wondering about that zigzag in our course? We had a medical helicopter emergency rescue last night around 8:30.
2013-05-26
Off to Bermuda
We made it to the cruise terminal in about an hour. I can see the car from our room. So yea, parking was easy. I'm a little buzzed already. Mr sub got this drink in the hallway and the guy poured in some extra shots. So of course I had to go back there & and get one too. I got a couple extra shots too. But Mr peaches was there so I bought him one and the Guy poured a couple more in mine. Then peachy came up and I bought her one. And the guy hit me again. Well the boat's pulling away so I gsuess time to post before I lose 3G.
2013-05-20
Peaches Makes a Basket
After quitting her job during the recession and going back to school, Yale gives Peaches her diploma.
Congratulations to Peaches with her newly minted Master's of Architecture.
