When I pointed out that Clinton had a nice surplus going, which lasted into Bush got into office, they countered that it was the Republican Congress that did it. (I dimly recollect that, in Clinton's term, we had one segment with a Republican-dominated Congress and one Democratic.)

You might want to look into the roles of Clinton administration appointees like Robert Rubin and Lawrence Summers. Rubin, former co-CEO of Goldman Sachs, headed up... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 5:13 PM on June 28, 2008

...fight hard against the Republican Congress to push through the Clinton tax hike for the highest income earners

Er, let me re-phrase that: he had to fight hard against Republicans in Congress to push through the 1993 plan. Republicans didn't control Congress until after the '94 elections, of course. That '93 plan and subsequent budgets in the mid-90s were part of the Clinton plan to arrive at a balance budget. Republicans fought hard against the... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 5:40 PM on June 28, 2008

Back when I lived near one and went to the drive-thru, I used to give 'em a buck in addition to whatever coins I got back in change. However, I once had a bill of $9 and change and I received back a $10 bill and some coins. I took that as a sign that no tip was expected.

And I'm with you--Sonic's drive-thru is confusing as hell. I don't tip at any other fast food drive-thru and I'm a generous tipper in general.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 12:38 PM on June 25, 2008

Of course you tip them. And I have had a carhop come back and check to see if we wanted dessert.

Why would you still be there for the carhop to come back? The OP is asking about the drive-thru, not the old-school A&W style spots where you pull up to a parking spot and sit there while you eat.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 5:12 PM on June 25, 2008

If you invested the $80k, will you still be able to make a suitable downpayment on your next house?
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 7:49 AM on June 19, 2008

I'm a proponent of index fund investing, as I've repeated on AskMe many times. But if I could think of one major drawback to that strategy, it is ikkyu2's point #2 (that an index fund will invest in companies you may consider socially irresponsible). I'd take that concept a bit further and say that passive investing is yet another mechanism that de-democratizes corporate governance. In the case of shareholder votes, shares owned by index funds will mostly likely be voted according by proxy... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 8:19 AM on June 18, 2008

An extra umbrella.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 9:46 PM on June 15, 2008

I don't know if there are a lot of options for a one- to two-year horizon investment that has anti-inflation characteristics. The obvious low-risk option is TIPS (Treasury Inflation-Protected Securities), but I believe those are issued with a 5-year minimum maturity. Normally, the best thing to do is buy through Treasury Direct. I suppose you could buy an off-the-run security with two-years of remaining life--that is, buy a 5-year security issued 3 years ago--but I don't know how easy that is... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 12:07 PM on June 12, 2008

Teenagers should go to as many concerts as they can.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 9:53 AM on June 11, 2008

You'll have a car, I assume? If not, you can ignore my suggestions...

Barrio Cafe is good--trendy, relatively fancy Mexican food. Attracts the same crowd as Pizzeria Bianco (which I mean in a good way). Just a couple miles from downtown.

A little further north is Dick's Hideaway, which is the semi-hidden bar/restaurant attached to Richardson's. Either place is good, but Dick's is more fun, IMO.

For a completely different... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 8:42 AM on June 10, 2008

notjustfoxybrown speaks the truth about Delux. It's my #1 or #2 stop whenever I get back to Phoenix (#1 being a Filiberto's burrito, usually). Best burgers I've ever had.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 9:58 AM on June 10, 2008

Seconding dobbs. Life as a teenager is tough enough without having to battle your mom over stuff like this. The odds of a disaster are not high enough to justify the stress and potential alienation for either you or him.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 10:14 PM on June 6, 2008

I sometimes get strange looks when I say I’m searching for a partner who is outgoing, liberal, likes sports, and likes the same type of music/food/movies.

This look means: Yeah, you and everyone else. Stop acting like you're special.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 7:11 PM on June 4, 2008

Pros of capitalizing R&D costs:
- Higher operating profits in the current period
- Better alignment of R&D costs and revenue later generated from those efforts

Cons:
- If you capitalize and then amortize R&D costs for tax purposes, you're delaying the tax benefit. If you expensed your costs right away, the present value of the tax benefit is greater.
- Investors may think you're engineering or smoothing our... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 11:36 AM on June 4, 2008

Here's another possibility downtown: Frank's Chop Shop. The reviews specifically mention straight razor shaves.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 10:52 PM on May 30, 2008

"One analyst, Bill Dreher of Deutsche Bank, complained last year that at Costco 'it's better to be an employee or a customer than a shareholder.' "

For what it's worth, Wall Street doesn't really hate CostCo so much anymore. COST shares trade at about a 35% premium to the Food & Drug comparable company universe (based on 2008 expected earnings and EBITDA). And of the 22 research analysts that cover the company, 6 have "buy"... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 9:31 AM on May 28, 2008

To force myself into face time seems selfish and silly

It's not. I had to do this recently and it was absolutely the right thing to do. I needed a pep talk and my boss appreciated the chance to give it to me.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 9:14 PM on May 26, 2008

I'm guessing the theory is that he can continue making money in the stock market (more than the interest she's paying) if she doesn't take money out to pay for the land.

Does she have significant capital gains in her stock portfolio? She may want to keep deferring a taxable sale in that case.

The problem with this approach is that the "cost" of owning the land is not just the purchase price (as it is with... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 8:02 AM on May 23, 2008

So biased, inaccurate or dated that it's almost entirely useless.

I could see it being useful if you're sensitive to a particular issue (like, say, the level of street noise)--you could read through the reviews to see if someone mentions your specific issue in their review. But overall rating percentage is totally useless, IMO.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 2:24 PM on May 20, 2008

This is a pretty impossible question to answer if we don't know your tastes.

Anyway, I really like Drake's of London. Thick woven silk in small patterns or regimental stripes. I guess they can look boring online. You really need to see them in person so you can appreciate the texture and quality.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 11:10 PM on May 17, 2008

Definitely Office Space and the Big Lebowski. Pulp Fiction, I think, will define cinema in the '90s, but I think the two films I mentioned are a better reflection of the 'contemporary social zeitgeist' in the 90s.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 5:34 PM on May 15, 2008

This is probably not the best place to ask for stock picks. There are quite a few websites out there that do that, with varying degrees of quality. Fat Pitch Financial has a bunch of links (and here's another blog they left out). One of the top links from that list, Value Investors Club, is a really interesting website--to become a full-fledged member, you must submit an investment idea and be approved by the site admins. It's run by the Gotham Capital guys, apparently, who are the real deal.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 8:43 PM on May 12, 2008

A mortgage pass-through security pays investors back each month.

Can retail investors even buy agency bonds? It's all OTC dealer stuff, IIRC. Anyway, the effect of prepayments and yield curve shifts on these pools make them wicked complicated. A retail investor can invest in that market is through stock in REITs that manage agency MBS portfolios (tickers: NLY, CMO, MFA, HTS, etc). There's also an ETF option, but I don't know much about it.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 10:31 AM on May 8, 2008

I have heard of Brazilian bonds paying 20% and Czech CD's from www.rsal.cz at 7.25%.

That way madness lies.

If you're worried about putting your principal at risk in US stocks and REITs, than you do not want to mess with foreign government bond. You'd be taking currency risk and default risk. See: 1997 Asian Financial Crisis, 1998 Russian Financial Crisis, 1998 Brazilian Financial Crisis, 1994 Tequila Crisis, 1999 Argentine... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 9:25 PM on May 8, 2008

Do you already get the big glossy Barneys and Saks mailers? Like the men's mailers here.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 2:20 PM on May 8, 2008

I grew up and went to school in the Phoenix area. I moved away for a couple years and then had a strong desire to move back. I was sick of my job in NYC and missed my old college and high school friends and my family. The first couple months were great. But it got old for me quick.

There are lots of areas and things in Phoenix that I love. I think the food is underrated and I even enjoy the summer weather to an extent. I used to be a diehard defender of Phoenix, but it... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 6:07 PM on May 6, 2008

I've had no problems with the two watches I've purchased online.

I've even had warranty work done directly through the manufacturer. The first time I told them up front that the watch was a gift from a relative who bought it on an overseas vacation and they just accepted this without question. The second time I had work done I didn't say anything and no one asked.

A friend of mine has used on-line prices to significantly bid down brick &... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 12:52 PM on April 29, 2008

Here's a decent youtube video about throwing a baseball (which should be fundamental enough to get you throwin' other shit). Perhaps you can find better videos if you dig around some.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 9:33 AM on April 29, 2008

Are you paying in cash or with cards?

I think it's easier to stick to your own tipping-agenda if you pay your portion of the bill with a card. Just tip whatever percentage you feel like and put the receipt face down on the table or tray. If your friends still insist on knowing, that's bizarre.

With cash, I think there's a tendency to come to a group consensus because there's no differentiation from the server's perspective. If I leave 20% on my... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 11:35 AM on April 28, 2008

I strongly concur with yoyoceramic's recommendation of Unconventional Success. I've recommended it here many times.

But it's long and can be a dry read if you're not a finance nerd. It basically recommends well-formed, low-cost index funds in the following core asset classes: equities (with US, international and emerging markets components), real estate (through something like a REIT index fund) and US Treasuries (both inflation-protected and straight). And the key... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 8:32 AM on April 25, 2008

This McSweeney's entry by Andy Richter has some of my favorite "non-jokes."
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 2:45 PM on April 24, 2008

"Please stop the asshattery."

Asshat isn't too sweary, asshats.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 5:39 PM on April 23, 2008

What are some possible reasons the Fed would raise or lower rates and why would they do so?

You can read the statement from each meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) on the Fed website.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 3:17 PM on April 22, 2008

You Can Be a Stock Market Genius

I think Joel Greenblatt is great--his track record as an investor is incredible. He's definitely the real deal and his other book is good too. But it's not exactly "personal finance"--Greenblatt talks about a very narrow selection of potential investments. It's a fine choice if you've got the basics down and want to explore strategies for individual stock selection. Otherwise, I'd recommend a book that... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 12:37 AM on April 20, 2008

It's not explicitly stated in the show. Here's the relevant plot summary point from Wikipedia. This post from the HBO forums re-states the ambiguity and one of the comments mentions that Simon confirmed the abuse in the Season 4 DVD commentary. Whether you care about or believe Simon's interpretation is a separate question.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 2:10 PM on April 17, 2008

Learn about corporate finance and get an MBA or a CFA. Get a job investing in the equity markets. Become a successful enough investor that you can raise your own fund. Your fund will then employee a socially responsible activist strategy. The fund will need to be very, very large--multi-billions in assets under management. With this big fund, you'll get a seat at the table. You acquire significant ownership positions in a number of companies, which should give you some leverage in advocating for... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 9:20 AM on April 16, 2008

These financial arms may have started out as a use of excess capital and/or a vehicle for funding the customers of the industrial segments, but that's not the case anymore. GE Capital, Textron Financial (subsidiary of Textron, which makes Bell helicopters and Cessna airplanes) and GMAC have all expanded into large diversified financial companies who access the capital markets for funding.

The primary driver of this growth was the advantage these large conglomerates had... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 2:24 PM on April 11, 2008

Prime is pegged to 3% over the Fed Funds rate (right now anyway). LIBOR is a market rate that changes day-to-day. But both rates tend to move in virtual lock-step. Here's a 10 year chart of both rates.

In fact, over the last 10 years I don't really see the relationship that the FinAid website mentions--the average spread has been 2.86% with some periods of volatility, including recently. But, in general, the spread has remained in the 2.5% - 3.0% band (the spread spiked... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 8:55 PM on April 8, 2008

I plan on using AirFoil to connect to audio from movies and FLAC (until itunes supports it if ever).

It has been a while since I tried that, but I always experience a delay using AirFoil. That doesn't matter for music, of course, but it made movies impossible to watch. I don't know if the 'n' upgrade will fix that.

But for music, I love it.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 3:17 PM on April 8, 2008

Get a lawyer.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 2:39 PM on April 6, 2008

You're mixing up marketable securities and savings bonds. The US Treasury issues both. Marketable securities pay regular cash coupons on a semiannual basis while savings bonds accrue interest.

The wikipedia article is pretty good.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 10:54 PM on April 4, 2008

Er, let me amend that:

Marketable securities pay regular cash coupons on a semiannual basis (unless it's a t-bill, which have maturities less than one year)...
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 10:58 PM on April 4, 2008

There are tomes of data dealing with this question.

Here are some quotes from David Swensen, who runs Yale's endowment:
"Domestic stocks play a central role in investment portolios for theoretical and practical reasons. The expected return characteristics of equity instruments match nicely the needs of investors to generate substantial portfolio growth over a number of years. To the extent that history provides a guide, the long-term returns for stocks... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 7:55 PM on April 4, 2008

As I was saying about historic 20-year periods...

This paper [PDF] by Brad Delong finds the following:
One margin such an investor must consider is the choice between:
(1) investing in a diversified portfolio of equities, reinvesting payouts and rebalancing periodically to maintain diversification;
(2) investing in short-term safe bills, rolling the portfolio over into similar short-term debt instruments as pieces of it mature.... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 8:15 PM on April 4, 2008

Vivendi started as a water utility and now it's a media conglomerate (there are lots of old European companies that have similar evolved into diversified conglomerates).

American Express started in 1850 as an express delivery company.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 3:57 PM on April 4, 2008

Ah, sorry, I see I wasn't the first to mention Vivendi. So here's a bonus conglomerate:

Textron started out in 1923 as a textile company (Special Yarns Corporation) but it's now the maker of Cessna planes, Bell helicopters and has a large financial arm as well.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 4:04 PM on April 4, 2008

"Out of pocket" used to mean "unreachable" has been pervasive in the finance industry for as long as I've been out of college (5 years). It's horrible, but it's not as bad as "bio-break" (meaning, a bathroom-break).

I assumed it was a football reference; if the quarterback leaves the pocket, he is usually out on his own without help from teammates. But this was just my initial association and I have no reason to believe it is the true... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 6:30 AM on April 3, 2008 marked best answer

I quit my investment banking job three years out of college and planned to get a "normal job." Unfortunately, when I got that "normal job", I hated it after two months and started to yearn for the rush of my old job.

Turns out there was a reason I busted my ass to get my previous job--at the core of it, I actually love what I did. There were just too many other factors that made it miserable, but none of those had anything to do with what I loved... [more]
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 6:20 PM on April 1, 2008

I used RCN when I was in NYC. I was fairly happy with it. Their internet service had a couple outages, but nothing major. I didn't have phone service in my apartment though, so I can't comment on that. Their customer service was good. They had a customer service rep assigned to my building and he was awesome. But before I realized he existed I called the general customer service line and it was fine.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 11:02 AM on April 1, 2008

Fire Joe Morgan is my favorite blog and I don't even like baseball.
posted to Ask Metafilter by mullacc at 1:56 PM on March 30, 2008