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By theantix (Sun May 21, 2006 at 02:03:20 PM EST) egrigious abuse of the tagging system, zen and the art of consumerism, why the hell does speakeasy cost $50-mo more than qwest, how much does zombie repellent cost anyhow, I'm still not going to get cable tv service, hey hey ho ho this progressive taxation system has got to go, vagina 2.0 now withe more centipedes, season finales of alias and 24 tomorrow, theantix was here (all tags)
If you aren't a regular reader of my awesome weblog (and why the hell not!?!) or a #husi regular, you may have missed the news: I am finally rejoining the world of the employed!  After a very long immigration-inspired drought, I got back into the game with what I can only describe as my dream job.  Good company, good pay, good environment, good commute... friggin' AWESOME!

It is strange, the perspective that getting a job gives me compared to the perspective that I've had for the past year point five.  All of a sudden things that I was used to like going out to see movies, going out for dinner, buying new computer hardware... just the regular things that y'all probably take for granted... they all are within my grasp again.

The same day I got my official job offer, we also applied to move to a new (much nicer) apartment building just a few blocks from where we are today.  Ironically, the rent ended up being just $100 more that what we are paying now, and they even threw in a free month too which is pretty awesome.  We take posession in a few days and have a month overlap with the current apt so we have lots of time to move all our shit over, woo.

Speaking of changed perspectives, it's also kind of funny to see things like how much the GOP tax cuts since 2000 have saved me, now that I actually have a good income.  I nearly posted a sarcastic diary entry about how I'm a Republican now, but in reality I'm just shocked by how low the effective income tax rates are in the US.  Attention Red States: if you want to keep lowering my taxes, that's okay with me!

Things I am planning on buying now that I can afford shit again:

  • extra ram for our laptops
  • new desktop machine, probably this.
  • Zombie repellent spray (just in case)
  • happiness
  • projector/home theatre system
  • Nintendo Wii + games (when released)
  • large hard drive
  • Dorky magazine subscriptions (SciAm, maybe NG)
  • BBQ (new apartment has a nice deck that allows propane BBQs)
So yeah, there we go...
< Sinking feeling | BBC White season: 'Rivers of Blood' >

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Poll
Best part of new job?
- Good company 25%
- Good pay 37%
- Good environment 25%
- Good commute 37%
- HAVING A FUCKING JOB AFTER 17 MONTHS OF DEALING WITH IMMIGRATION SHIT 75%
- - 0%
- theantix was here 12%

Votes: 8
Results | Other Polls
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- husi
- my awesome weblog
- Ironically
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I am happy to announce | 33 comments (33 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback
Koala by ucblockhead (4.00 / 1) #1 Sun May 21, 2006 at 02:12:38 PM EST
You'll have to tell me how well that works for you. I've been thinking about buying something like that.

Oh, and you really want a PS3. If you get a Wii, all your friends will laugh at you.
----
ウセーバラケダ


I *am* going to get a ps3 by theantix (2.00 / 0) #2 Sun May 21, 2006 at 02:29:02 PM EST
But I'm going to wait until gta4 comes out next fall.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

Why I Work: by Mrs FlightTest (4.00 / 1) #3 Sun May 21, 2006 at 04:09:30 PM EST
I Like To Eat.

If you can read this, thank a teacher.



Hey cool! by theantix (4.00 / 1) #8 Sun May 21, 2006 at 06:11:07 PM EST
I also like to eat.  Do you like cheese?  I like cheese.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

love it <nt> by Mrs FlightTest (2.00 / 0) #23 Sun May 21, 2006 at 11:05:03 PM EST


[ Parent ]

truth revealed by MillMan (2.00 / 0) #4 Sun May 21, 2006 at 04:39:57 PM EST
tix is a standard american service producer and consumer.

Everybody still hates me in this city and I hate everybody.


just you wait by theantix (2.00 / 0) #5 Sun May 21, 2006 at 05:53:53 PM EST
Soon I'll be trading stocks and so forth!  Of course, I'll still be a frigging environmental hippie bastard and ride the bus to work, and I promise to still hate Republicans even though they are working hard every to cut my taxes.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

and whining about county property taxes by cam (2.00 / 0) #7 Sun May 21, 2006 at 06:10:18 PM EST
double digits every goddamn year! It is worse than health and education inflation....

Congrats on the job, I had a visa enforced no-worky period of about six months. We went through poverty during that period and I chewed my Au savings to pretty much zero. That christmas I had a job too and we went out and bought expensive presents for everyone. We couldnt believe how wealthy we were.

I hear you on the difference in having the money for movies and the like.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

lolwhat? by theantix (4.00 / 1) #9 Sun May 21, 2006 at 06:13:36 PM EST
Did you hear me say that I'm buying property?  Hells no, let's see those property taxes go up and up!  Abolish income and sales taxes, property taxes uber alles!  (Mostly joking)

I had expected the no-worky period to be about the same length for me too, but because of my previous employer screwing me over, lawyer fuckups, and my own fuckups, it ended up being over a year and a half.  Meh, enough of the past, time to look forward!

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

You will be in property within two years by cam (2.00 / 0) #13 Sun May 21, 2006 at 06:24:33 PM EST
where upon property taxes become highly regressive as they dont follow salary inflation or the household's ability to pay it.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

I am "in" property right now by theantix (2.00 / 0) #14 Sun May 21, 2006 at 06:39:40 PM EST
I'm just renting and someone else is paying the property taxes via my rent payments to them.  It's functionally equivilent from the payment side, the only difference is that I'm not building equity.

But given the instablity of the housing market right now, and the fact that I'm not sure how long I will be staying in Seattle, buying a large risky asset like property is probably not in the cards for me.  If the situation were to change and I would know that I could be stable in one area for several years, then yeah that would make sense to have because you can ride out market fluctuations -- and maybe my situation will change to make that true someday.  But at least for the immediate horizon, renting makes more sense and putting some money into savings for a future property purchase makes more sense.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

The difference between renting and owning by cam (2.00 / 0) #16 Sun May 21, 2006 at 07:33:26 PM EST
is the same as the difference in health care costs between a salaried worker and a contractor. The former has no idea of the actual costs as they are largely and rarely fluctuate hidden.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

s// by cam (2.00 / 0) #17 Sun May 21, 2006 at 07:33:57 PM EST
largely and rarely fluctuate hidden = largely hidden and rarely fluctuate.

cam
Freedom, liberty, equity and an Australian Republic
[ Parent ]

Prop 13 baby! by ucblockhead (2.00 / 0) #21 Sun May 21, 2006 at 08:35:52 PM EST
/me cackles
----
ウセーバラケダ
[ Parent ]

I've been employed for 3 weeks. by calla (2.00 / 0) #6 Sun May 21, 2006 at 06:06:26 PM EST
But we've got so many debts - we're not buying toys* yet.

Welcome back to the world of the working stiff!

* - except for the action figures, but we could afford those when we were poor.

"Are Linux chicks worth it?" fencepost


hmm by theantix (4.00 / 2) #11 Sun May 21, 2006 at 06:15:29 PM EST
Don't talk to my wife about that, she wants to be all responsible and crap like you're suggesting.  It's as if she really thinks that I can survive two whole months without having a top end home theatre system!!!!!

Women: can't live with them, but they're really pretty so you do anyhow.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

Dorky magazine subscriptions by chuckles (4.00 / 1) #10 Sun May 21, 2006 at 06:14:17 PM EST
Don't forget MAKE!

Skateboarding is a crime.




hrmph by theantix (2.00 / 0) #12 Sun May 21, 2006 at 06:17:17 PM EST
I really really really* (really) dislike Mark Katzenfelder, the boingboing dude who is involved with Make magazine.  And I'm also annoyed by the constant shilling for it on the boingboing website.  I realize this is a pretty stupid reason for me to have a vendetta against the magazine, but it's still the reality of the situation.

*really

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

is that the guy by garlic (2.00 / 0) #27 Mon May 22, 2006 at 12:19:30 AM EST
who thinks fighting roombas (via running standard roombas into each other) is cool? if so, I also really really dislike him.

[ Parent ]

I can't say for sure by theantix (2.00 / 0) #28 Mon May 22, 2006 at 03:49:31 AM EST
but I'm 99% sure that's the same guy.

typical post: "Oh wow, they put soap on a rope, wow this is the coolest thing evar!"

don't get me wrong... cory's disney apple and drm obsession and xeni's sex obsession and constant npr updates are just as annoying.  but for some reason mark katzenfelder pisses me off the most.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

That 'awesome' weblog by ad hoc (2.00 / 0) #15 Sun May 21, 2006 at 07:24:09 PM EST
has a distinctly un-American look to it, full of flags from some make believe state. I suggest your case be reopened.
--
Close friendships and a private room can offer most of the things love does.


that is funny by theantix (2.00 / 0) #19 Sun May 21, 2006 at 07:52:22 PM EST
as funny as poking your eye out with a blazing hot skewer and then forcing that down your throat while your fingernails are being torn off and shoved into your ears.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

That *would* be funny by ad hoc (2.00 / 0) #20 Sun May 21, 2006 at 07:54:36 PM EST
but only on local access.
--
Close friendships and a private room can offer most of the things love does.
[ Parent ]

even better on the stage by theantix (2.00 / 0) #26 Mon May 22, 2006 at 12:12:48 AM EST
Live theatre is where it's all at, I reckon.  If it's on local access you think "maybe they are just faking it"... but right up there on the stage, you know that guy is in a hell of a lot of pain.  And I think we can all agree that it's better that way.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

Congrats by Phil the Canuck (2.00 / 0) #18 Sun May 21, 2006 at 07:47:34 PM EST
I'll just remain happy leaving the plans to my attorney while I keep working. It would have been hell being unemployed all that time.



thanks by theantix (2.00 / 0) #25 Mon May 22, 2006 at 12:11:24 AM EST
So your attorneys have figured out a way to keep you in the country working while the paperwork is being processed?  That rocks, your estimation in them was certainly not overstated like I privately thought.  I figured there was very little hope at all, but I'm v.glad it is going well for you.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

Yes by Phil the Canuck (2.00 / 0) #30 Mon May 22, 2006 at 10:45:03 AM EST
Plus I can move the kids over whenever I want, with all my stuff. I expected I'd have to wait for a TN renewal.

[ Parent ]

rock on by theantix (2.00 / 0) #32 Mon May 22, 2006 at 12:59:47 PM EST
Whatever you're paying those guys, it's worth it...

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

No kidding by Phil the Canuck (4.00 / 1) #33 Mon May 22, 2006 at 03:11:04 PM EST
They're the best.

Apparently I can show up at the border with the kids and proof they're mine, any time, and they'll be given TD visas. That allows them to live and go to school in the States. The longest the attorney has ever seen a green card application like mine take puts one in my hands before my TN expires next year, assuming we file after a November wedding.

[ Parent ]

Sir-- by ammoniacal (4.00 / 2) #22 Sun May 21, 2006 at 09:20:43 PM EST
I find this "zombie repellent" nonsense to be a symptom of a larger problem; your lack of commitment to your new nation.
Once you've repelled the zombies, what next? That's right. They move on to the next victim.

Sir, I suggest a shotgun, 12 gauge.

PMSbuddy.com -- Saving relationships, one month at a time!


double you tee eff by theantix (2.00 / 0) #24 Mon May 22, 2006 at 12:10:01 AM EST
What are you, some sort of commie?  It's every man for himself!  If the zombies move on to the next victim, isn't that their problem?  Oh sure, if I finish off this zombie I'll prevent him from eating someone else -- but what lesson has the non-eaten person learned?  Answer: none at all.  They can pull themselves up with their own bootstraps, whatever the fuck that means, and fight their own damn zombie battles.

And while you're at it, lower my taxes some more, eh?

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

You'd best buy a couple of cases of it then... by ammoniacal (2.00 / 0) #29 Mon May 22, 2006 at 08:49:49 AM EST
because zombies LOVE TO EAT LIBERTARIANS.

It's true. I saw it in Haiti.

PMSbuddy.com -- Saving relationships, one month at a time!
[ Parent ]

That's ok, because... by theantix (4.00 / 1) #31 Mon May 22, 2006 at 12:59:16 PM EST
as a wise man once said, "Freedom Isn't Free, It costs folks like you and me"  I'll take that to heart, and buy a big ol' case just to be sure.

____________________________________
You sir, are worse than Hitler.
[ Parent ]

I am happy to announce | 33 comments (33 topical, 0 hidden) | Trackback

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