YAHOO ANSWER: Any Good Shepherd grads

Sunday, June 17, 2007

http:// answers.yahoo.com/question/
index;_ylt=AtDrAxlzGK0tgsz2rNPTYHPty6IX?qid=20070103115238AAZOvLH&show=7

http://tinyurl.com/2o3cav

QUESTION

Asked by “chaquita”

Any Good Shepherd grads?

Did anyone attend Good Shepherd in the Inwood section of Manhattan? I graduated in 87 (attended 79-87). I went to the reunion they had in 2000 at Manhattan College. Great time, although majority of people there were my parents age!

ANSWER

You buzzed? I graduated from GS in 1960, Manhattan Prep 64, and Manhattan College 68. I knew several GS grads thru the MP Yahoo groups and MC alums. Were you looking for someone in particular?

Ferdinand J. Reinke
Kendall Park, NJ 08824

SOURCES

(none)

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UPDATE “Best Answer – Chosen By Voters” Only one answer; only one vote. This was my first “best answer”.

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YahooAnswers: Status “Best by Asker” awarded (#17)

Sunday, June 17, 2007

http:// answers.yahoo.com/question/
index?qid=20070614063907AAstsbN

http://tinyurl.com/2apdu2

YAHOO ANSWER: Why does it seem every new law seems to be taking away our rights

https://reinkefaceslife.com/2007/06/14/
yahoo-answer-why-does-it-seem-every-new-law-seems-to-be-taking-away-our-rights/

http://tinyurl.com/39g679

*** begin quote ***

AmyB askes:

Why does it seem every new law seems to be taking away our rights and freedoms? Is this just in Maryland?

*** end quote ***

Just received word that this was selected “best by asker”.

Mine among 7 answers.

Ten meaningless points brings me to 603.

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YAHOO ANSWER: STATUS getting better organized

Sunday, June 17, 2007

OK, now I am really really “maturing” in my approach.

The format (or foolmat) of the postings will always start with “Yahoo Answers”. When I post my answer, all I know is that it’s an answer. It will first be a pending, then either go to “bad” … err “not best” or “best”. Why try to change the title, (I DO like the tile to reflect the category), when it “resolves”. It mucks with how WordPressDotCom assigns a url. So, “YA” for all.

I’ve also updated the categories. I realized there are TWO types of best — by voters (which can be messed with) and by asker. The “by Asker” is the gold standard (can’t be messed with) because that is really who counts here. So I have an updated category hierarchy.

YahooAnswers – top level
— YahooAnswers – Best for “Best in Show” (Those that got the ten meaningless points)
— YahooAnswers – Best by Asker (The most valuable form of “best”)
— YahooAnswers – Best by Voters (A less valuable form of “best”)
— YahooAnswers – Not Best (My clearly misunderstood entries that were not “winners”)
— YahooAnswers – Pending (My excellent entries waiting for their “acclaim”)
— YahooAnswers – Status (For aministrivia like this)

Why?

(1) Clearly, it about answering someone’s question so that they feel they have the best answer.

(2) Even more clearly, I want to communicate such that people immediately see the value.

(3) From pending, you can go and cook the books by voting for my superior whizdumb!

(4) From status, you can see in my mixed up mind.

Lessons learned:

(1) As usual, I’ve jumped into the swamp with out organizing for alligators.

(2) Aiello’s admonition about holes and digging needs amending. Something inclusive of painting and corners.

(3) Why do I make a fool out of myself. No wonder I have no image to be snooty about. One leg at a time, Sweet …

Your thoughts? After all this ego trip is PARTIALLY for you. :-)

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YAHOO ANSWERS: contact my fans

Saturday, June 16, 2007

http:// answers.yahoo.com/question/
index?qid=20070616105320AA
YD6Pc&r=w&pa=FZptHWf.BGRX3OFMiTZVUaP0dlzX.wv22GGVMZN
YSS3kh7k.6T.Ni7bZliJBN.VUEGj6ndnvYybMnmrY6Q–&paid=answe
red

http://tinyurl.com/2zr4q5

QUESTION

Asked by sheratonsami

How can I contact my fans?

I participated successfully Q&A, as a result I got amazing fans,and I would like to contact and email them, to build a good friendship with them, but I didn’t know how?

ANSWER

Dear “sheratonsami”:

Well, you didn’t say what the Q&A was about, but if it was about tomorrow’s winning lotto numbers, then I’d be a fan too. Assuming that you have further contact with your old fans, or their contact information, then you might be able to offer them some reasons to be bigger fans. Or, going forward, if you have more Q&As, then you can be ready to build that fan base. I can think of some things that you can offer, that might encourage more and bigger fans. Like, the ability to ask the questions that they forgot or didn’t get to ask. Like, the summary of all the Q’s & A’s that were asked that they missed, didn’t hear, or didn’t comprehend. Like, pointers to examples, further info, or related material.

My idea would be to have business cards that point to your website / blog.

For under a fifty bucks, some effort, some calendar time, imho, you can get better “known”. I’d suggest a blog as the underlying engine for building your fan base and enthusiasm.

(1) Check for an available domain name you like (www dot sheratonsami dot com is available), but don’t buy it yet.

(2) Get a free wordpress blog at www.wordpress.com. Sign up as “sheratonsami”. Or whatever domain name you decide on that is available.

(3) Buy the domain name feature from wordpress for $15 — it includes the registration of the domain name. (How’s that for cheap?)

(4) You now have a web site and a domain name. Use the blog posting part to put fresh content on your blog. Put something meaningful there daily.

(5) Use the pages part to put more static posts like your Q&A summaries, pictures, stories, prices, or event schedules out on your “site”.

(6) Sign up for the free Gmail for Domains and get email via your domain. You can be sheratonsami at sheratonsami dot com.

(7) Sign up (free) at the various blog directories.

(8) Submit to the search engines

(9) Use the search engines to “find” yourself which improves your site in the search engines eyes. :-) [That’s circular reasoning! By telling the search engine to look for me and finding it, it makes me more find-able by regular people.]

All this is about building your “brand” with your fans. On your business card, put your name, web address, and email. So you’ll have a professional website with up to date content for cheap. And, your fans will love it. What fan wouldn’t. And it’s really cheap and easy!

Yell if you want help with it. (I’m free and do this stuff for fun!) And, let me know how you make out if you decide to try it.

Ferdinand J. Reinke

p.s.: You an look at my site http://www.reinkefaceslife.com/… which was done exactly this way.

SOURCES

(none)

COMMENT

I may have not understood the question?

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UPDATE 20070617 Corrected the title to my new standard format for Yahoo Answers.


YahooAnswers – Status: “BEST” awarded

Saturday, June 16, 2007

http:// answers.yahoo.com/question/
index?qid=20070609075541AA3ljOd

http://tinyurl.com/2rhfto

*** begin quote ***

Ms. “el” asked:

Looking to relocate to a city with a high growth rate and great entry-level jobs. Any suggestions?

*** end quote ***

Just received word that this was selected “best by voters”.

Two votes among five answers.

Ten meaningless points brings me to 590.

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YahooAnswers – Status: “BEST” awarded for “future study” answer

Saturday, June 16, 2007

http:// answers.yahoo.com/question/
index?qid=20070610031511AA1YprT

http://tinyurl.com/25uycx

*** begin quote ***

“Celebrity Soup” asked:

What job should I study to do for the future?

*** end quote ***

Just received word that this was selected “best by voters”.

One vote among three answers.

Ten meaningless points brings me to 540.

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YahooAnswers – Status: A new category created

Saturday, June 16, 2007

OK, now I am “maturing” in my approach. I think Yahoo Answers is “fun”. BUT, no we’re gonna get serious. I’ve created a better “Yahoo Answers” category structure for us.

YahooAnswers – top level
— YahooAnswers – Best for “Best in Show”
— YahooAnswers – Not Best for “non winners”
— YahooAnswers – Pending for pending “judging
— YahooAnswers – Status for aministrivia like this

Why?

(1) Clearly, you might want to see what someone else has thought was a “good answer”.

(2) Even more clearly, you might want to have a good laff at my expense from a bad one. I want to highlight the “bad” ones so I can learn and improve. How can I be a great “coach” if I don’t communicate such that people immediately see the value.

(3) From pending, you might want to go vote for my answers as a “thumbs up” or “best” if they deserve it. (Hint, HINT! hint!!)

(4) From status, you can keep tabs on my little hobby here!

Your thoughts? After all this is PARTIALLY for you. :-)

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YAHOO ANSWER: Explain Futures Trading

Friday, June 15, 2007

http://tinyurl.com/387dc7

QUESTION

Asked by “Bedford”

Can somebody explain Futures Trading to me in the most simple terms?

I am a novice in the Stock Market arena but need to understand how futures work.

ANSWER

Dear “Bedford”:

Well I hope this is a school assignment because “futures” is no place for novices. Futures Trading is nothing more than a prediction of what value something will have in the future. For fun, watch the Eddie Murphy – Dan Akkroyd movie “trading places”. You basically predict as in the movie the future value of Orange Juice and you place one or more bets on it. If you’re right, you make gobs of money. If you’re wrong, you end up like the Duke Brothers … broke. Novice investors are like babies on the interstate. It’ll be disaster and quickly.

You have certain gooferment enforced protections, but don’t depend upon them to keep your money safe. In order to open a futures trading account, you will have to jump thru some hurdles. Your broker can be held liable if you can NOT pay for your losses (You can go to jail! They have to make good.) or if you are deemed “unsuitable” to play in that market (You get an nasty letter; they pay big big bux).

Assuming that you can deposit enough credits with the brokerage, you’ll be admitted to the “big casino”. I say casino advisedly because other than certain specific occasions, you’ll get a better deal at the casino of your choice. The casino will at least buy you dinner when you play.

Futures Trading is appropriate for the average schmo, (that includes me), for example, when you are given options by your employer and you wish to lock in your gains. As your employer in BIGBIZ who shares sell at a penny, I grant you an option to buy 10,000 shares at a dollar each in December. BIGBIZ is “discovered” by Wall Street and the stock zooms over night from a penny to $300. Shazam, you could be rich if it stays there until December. You being a smart fellow say “Hey good enough for me. May I have my profit now?” No, you have to wait until December. So you sell a CALL OPTION giving some one the right to buy your 10,000 shares for $3,000,000. Note, it’s unlikely that you’ll get the full $300 because the buyer is taking a risk. So let’s guess that you can get $1.5M. So the question is “deal or no deal”. The only diff is it is your real money you are playing with. AND, you have taxes to consider. Only a lawyer and an accountant can sacrifice the right number of chickens to read the entrails and divine the tax status of your transaction. AND, guess what the rules will be going forward. My opinion would be that you’d have to pay ordinary income on the whole shebang but what the heck. You’d come out on the other side with $750k. Lest you think that this is fiction. I have friend who had 40$ options on a stock priced at $120 who decide to take the ride and the options were worthless when he could cash out. To a much lesser extent, I’ve paid tuition at that school. Bye bye big bux!

Futures are also useful when you have stock accumulated say in AT&T over decades. And you’re sitting at 80$/share with lots of shares, and your good son, (me), comes to you and says “sell”. You say “never, it’s for widows and orphans”. Argh! I say, “You think it’s going up. Sell a put; requiring someone to buy it at 60 in the future and buy a a set of calls at 80,85,90, whatever.” You say “nah”. So I watch as you ride $80 times gobs of shares to $12 times gobs of shares. Argh!! bye bye big bux.

Futures are great if you a have specific purpose in mind. Here’s a Futures Trading course on the web for free. And, the gooferment site. Stay out of traffic.

Let me know how you make out,
fjohn

SOURCES

http://futures.tradingcharts.com/tafm/
http://www.cftc.gov/

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UPDATE Just notified that this was “Best by Voters. One vote; six answers. Not overwhelming, but I won’t decline the 10 meaningless points.

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YAHOO ANSWER: say in my interview

Thursday, June 14, 2007

QUESTION

Asked by “Genaro G”

What can i say in my inerview as a medicl assistant?

what is a good thing to say in an interview as an MA to get hire

ANSWER

I think it’s always important to express your unique value equation. That is what are you going to do for your new employer to be valuable for them. So things like how much energy, enthusiasm, and effort your going to put in for them. Notice, they won’t care what you want. They care about what they want. Even when I haven’t been the best qualified candidate, I always tried to be the best choice. imho.

SOURCES

(none)

UPDATE

Best Answer – Chosen By Voters

N.B.: Before you go wild with excitement, not only was I one of two to answer the question, (and the other answer was about spelling), but I got the only vote for “best answer”. I’m again ashamed to put that ten points in my total. But not too ashamed!

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YAHOO ANSWER: for someone who has been out of the workforce

Thursday, June 14, 2007

QUESTION

Asked by snfbwf

Resume and cover letter for someone who has been out of the workforce.?

ANSWER

Surf over to my “turkey farm” and review some of the key points. Regardless of why you have been out of the workforce, you have a “unique value proposition” to express. You can unlock same value for some one. If you can’t, what are you selling? You have to find out what that value is. Then, you craft a “unique sales proposition” (i.e., how do I get someone to hire me). Then, you build a resume and cover letter to that purpose.

I counsel “turkeys” (i.e., people who have gotten the axe from their employer). I’ve been axed several times. After the first time, it should NOT hurt. And, it certainly shouldn’t be a surprise. Happens to everyone. If it doesn’t then you’re playing your cards to tight to the vest.

Your letter and resume have to tell a story. They have to initiate a conversation. You want them to make the reader pick up the phone and say “how did you do that? can you do it for me?”.

It’s hard work. The hardest you’ll ever do. But, you’ll be motivated because you’re working for yourself.

I’ll close with one story. An “old” turkey (i.e., one who has been out of work for a “long” time) was sent to me for “help”. So, I looked at his resume with a three year hole in it. I naturally inquired, in my blunt cavalier injineer way, “been in jail?”. Mind you this was the resume he was sending out and didn’t understand why no response. He said “no, i was caring for my dying wife”. My jaw dropped to the floor.

He wasn’t telling his story. We fashioned a “job entry” that said something like “Care Giver, Medical Treatment Assistant, and Medical Billing Expert” with three bullet points. Recruiters hate holes in time lines; they suspect you’ve been in jail or worse off having the fun that they are not having. Any way, this turkey had a senior level IT job in an HR department working on their benefits billing systems in less than five weeks.

All I did was get him to tell his story. All you have to do is to tell yours. AND, express what you are going to do for the reader.

Good luck,
fjohn
just a big old fat turkey hisself

Sources

http://home.comcast.net/~v2y2r0n27rhj6y/TURKEY/index.htm

Update

Best Answer – Chosen By Voters

N.B.: Before you go wild with excitement, not only was I one of two to answer the question, but I got the only vote for “best answer”. I’m again ashamed to put that ten points in my total. But not too ashamed!

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YAHOO ANSWER: what would u do if this were u n why

Thursday, June 14, 2007

QUESTION

Asked by pisces_dreamer06

What would u do if this were u n why?

basically right now im just turned 19. i work as a dispatcher making about $1,400 a month and will be attending college next semester FULL TIME. BUT this job just came up as a dispatcher for 9-1-1 making $64,000/yr thats about 4,500/mo. should i do that and go to school part time? oh im going to school for nursing but will be doing just my pre-req/general ed next semester.

what should i do and what do you think the pro and cons on it would be? thank you serious answers plz

i quilify for this job 100% and at my current job its a slow independent company where i have all the time in the world to study where being a 9-1-1 dispatcher is probally busy with little down time.

ANSWER

You didn’t say what you were planning to study, what you career aspirations are, and how important grades would be in your employment prospects. Believe it or not these should all bear on you decision.

I worked full time and went to school full time. Your grades might suffer. Mine actually improved because I spent less time goofing off and applied myself more.

If you’re planning to study French Romantic Poetry, Philosophy, or such, then I’m not sure what you will be earning when you graduate. If you’re going for law, medicine, or engineering, then I think you need to focus on the study; not the job. If you’re broke, don’t go into a lot of debt and do the full time job and Gary North’s cheap college suggestions,

I think you need to clarify your expectations and then the answer will be apparent.

Sources

http://www.lowestcostcolleges.com/

UPDATE

Best Answer – Chosen By Voters

More points!

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YAHOO ANSWER: Manhattan College or CUNY City College

Thursday, June 14, 2007

QUESTION

Asked by motahar_basam

Manhattan College or CUNY City College?

I want to major in Mechanical Engineering. I don’t know if I should go to Manhattan College or CUNY City College?

someone help, please.

ANSWER

I’m a Jasper EE Class of 68. I can honestly say I have never heard anyone complain that they didn’t get a good education at Manhattan. I don’t know about CUNYCC. I think that the primary determinate of what you will take away from your place of education is you, your attitude, and your willingness to do the “heavy lifting”. I do know that if you graduate from Jasper-land, you will find that there are about 6k of fellow alums who you can network with. If you are specifically interested in chatting up an ME I can probably find a dozen to talk to. Go up to any Manhattan Men’s Basketball game at Draddy Gym and look for a red headed loony cheering on the team, ask for Pete Sweeney (my cousin), and ask him to aim you at some MEs. He’s a CE but as past president of the alumni society, he probably be able to id one right there. I’d say that if you go to MC, you won’t be disappointed.

Sources

http://www.lowestcostcolleges.com/

Update

Best Answer – Chosen By Voters

N.B.: Before you go wild with excitement, not only was I the only one to answer the question, but I got the only vote for “best answer”. I’m ashamed to put that ten points in my total. But not too ashamed, in it goes. Hey a “best” is a “best”. This is the question that got me started “doing” Yahoo Answers. What an ego!

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YAHOO ANSWER: Per dollar how much Yen

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Asked by “sooshians_1981”

QUESTION

Per dollar how much Yen?

Best Answer – Chosen By Voters

Dear Soosh_,

Use Google for all conversion questions.

Put in “Convert 1 USD to Yen” in the Google search box and it pops back

1 U.S. dollar = 121.285628 Japanese yen

***

It’s fish and fishing. Give some one a fish; Teach someone to fish! Now you can convert anything?

Hope this helps.

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UPDATE Voted “best”

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YAHOO ANSWER: Why does it seem every new law seems to be taking away our rights

Thursday, June 14, 2007

QUESTION

AmyB askes:

Why does it seem every new law seems to be taking away our rights and freedoms? Is this just in Maryland?

I just heard on the news the police have a new device that can see in the dark if a seatbelt is being worn and another new device that will ticket if following too close to another vehicle.(It measures the distance.) The police should be stopping violent crimes etc. Not sitting on the side of the road to ticket for a seatbelt. What next. We are already are on camera. The gov’t will know all one day.

ANSWER

Dear Ms. “Amy B”:

No, it’s not just Maryland! It’s the entire world, minus New Hampshire and certain revolutionary areas like Estonia, Poland, Hong Kong, and such.

“The slow loss of freedom was always justified in the name of keeping the people safe.”

When you look at the great genocides in history, you’ll always find that the was a government involved. Government, if it was a virus, would be classified as a “pandemic”. Humans are frail little creatures that survive by being able to think. We huddle together, organize, and prosper via a division of labor. One of the divisions of that labor seems to have been “leader”. Unfortunately, the minute some one becomes the “leader” they begin to feather their own nest.

A paradigm is consultant speak for a way of thinking. How you see things. We’ve all seen the optical illusions that require us to change our thinking to see the other side of the illusion. A meme, like gene is our DNA, is internet jargon for an idea that spreads like a virus. Government is a paradigm or meme that imposes on us by force. Because it has the trappings of legitimacy, humans defer to it either because of its power or because of their thinking.

Government grows itself.

Inexorably, like the blob in the science fiction movie, it “absorbs” things into itself. It uses a variety of excuses. “We’ll keep you safe” delivers us Homeland Security which is the prototype of the German SS where are your papers. “We can do it right!” leads to government garbage collectors. “We can do it fairly for everyone” leads to government education that dumbs down the future voters to stupid followers. It splits and creates more ways to “serve” you. You have 535 legislators, minus Ron Paul, in DC that are as busy as termites legislating away your freedom.

“The final tyranny was the end result of a slow loss of freedom.”

I had the unique opportunity to grow up around a family some of whom survived what they called the Shoah and we called the Holocaust. They described that every small step they could see the loss of freedom. Until, the last step was their being loaded onto the trains. The Father dispatched his children early to relatives. His wife took a “vacation” and never looked back. He walked to Switzerland where his childhood friend took him in and sent him to America as Swiss business lawyer. Otherwise, the USA would have sent him back to Germany. From him, I learned that any loss of freedom anywhere must be opposed vigorously. You can’t wait until they are loading you on a train. Every slight move in the wrong direction must be treated as if it was “being loaded on the train”.

How do we stop the trend?

One can move from Maryland, which like NY, CA, FL, and DC, is firmly locked into the Socialist Statist Big Gooferment paradigm. Liberty minded people are migrating lock, stock, and barrel to New Hampshire under the banner of the Free State Project. There’s no agenda other that “liberty and freedom”. Upon “landing”, the activists are organizing themselves “organically” without “leadership” in the things they see need doing. It’s a fascinating concept. If you don’t have “anchors” in Maryland, I’d urge you to consider it.

If you like me and tied down by family, a job, and “responsibility”, then you can “fight in place”. Like McAulife’s order at the Battle of the Bulge or Stalin’s order at Stalingrad, stop where you are and resist to the last. I like DONWSIZEDC. They are seeking to build a grass roots internet based activist base for small government. If we have to have one (and I’m not so sure we do), then a tiny one would be less oppressive than a big one.

I think you can support Ron Paul, the only true anti-war candidate. And, be vocal. Get a blog. Talk to your family, fiends, and neighbors.

The most effective weapon is laughter. The bozos in power, like the man behind the curtain in the Wizard of Oz, can’t afford to be laughed at. It makes people not take government seriously. I use as an example, the tax on cell phones and telephone service. So wag started calling it the Spanish American War Tax. That meme caught on and I heard it called that on the Main Stream Media (i.e., I heard it on NBC). Several people told me. (Like I didn’t know that!) Everyone was chuckling over it and starting to get steamed about it. The Congress Critters and the FCC was falling all over each other to get rid of it. When was the last time you heard a tax being repealed? It was the laughter that threatened to undermine their cloak of legitimacy.

So make a joke out of it. Get your FF&N laughing at them!

How about “I hear the State Police has a nighttime seat belt checker, wonder if it can be moded to check all the politicans’ zippers? They seem to need it more than we need our belts checked.”

Make up your own. And, pass them along to me. Here in NuJerzee we have the imperial guvanator that says “seat belts are for serfs”! ;-) Speed limits too.

Let me know how you make out starting your own one-person American Revolution.
fjohn

Sources

http://www.freetalklive.com/
http://www.downsizedc.org/index.shtml
http://www.bigbendgazette.com/blog/Archive/Author/Briggs/_archives/2006/12/18/2582338.html
http://www.issues-views.com/index.php/sect/25000/article/25082
http://www.liberator.net/articles/firstamend.html
http://freestateproject.org/

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Update 2007June17 Just notified awarded a “best by asker”. Basking in success. Resting on laurels. … nuff resting. Time to make another answer. Waz fun while it lasted.

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YAHOO ANSWER: 401k questions

Wednesday, June 13, 2007

QUESTION

melissa126978: 401k questions?

I am currently 22 years old. I put about $100 into my 401k every other week. I plan on contributing more in the future but for now I am just doing $100. My employer matches 50%. I have 2 questions.

1.) If I were to continue for the next 40 years at $100 every 2 weeks how much would I have in my account after 40 years.

2.) When is the earliest I can withdrawl funds from my 401k without being penalized.

ANSWER

Dear Ms. “melissa126978”:

(1) It depends. “How much” depend on measured how?

(100$ yours + 50$ employer) * 26 weeks * 40 years = 156k$

BUT, you really have to figure rate of return on investments and inflation. Which requires some guess work.

Rate of Return is because you are just not going to put them over in the corner or under your mattress. You’ll invest in stocks or bonds. You’re working hard; your savings should too.

Inflation is the evil government printing money dollars making yours worth less.

So lets make some assumptions.

You’ll use the old wall street rule of thumb that says 100 minus your age so you’ll put 78% in equity and 22% in fixed income. You’ll pick low cost mutual funds from Vanguard if offered.

When you start to amass your fortune say at 100k, you’ll begin using the other Wall Street rule of thumb “no more than 5% in any one thing” but that’s for another day.

So let’s say your 22% fixed income makes 5% and your 78% equity makes 8%. (0.22*0.05)= 0.0110 AND (0.78*0.08)=0.0624 OR your blended rate of return is 0.0734. Let’s assume the evil Federal Reserve has a 0.04 inflation rate. That reduces your real rate of return. SO your real rate of return in today’s dollars is 0.0224.

That gives you ~317k$ in 40 years.

So, my guess is you’d have about ~317k$ in today’s dollars or if you ignore inflation ~850k$ in future dollars.

Dial in a better or worse rate of return. You’re guess is as good as mine. (Mine is based on conservative Wall Street assumptions.) (If you listen to anyone’s sales pitch about investments, ask what the assumed rate of return is. I’ve had bozos tell me to assume 15%! I might as well assume I’m going to retire and win the lotto. Used car salesmen that can’t sell cars seem to sell investments.)

See the dollar isn’t a constant, your rates of returns will vary, and who knows what inflation or your tax rate will be in 40 years.

One things for sure, today’s common wisdom is that you’re better off saving than depending upon some employer, social security, or the tooth fairy to help you in retirement.

Pay close attention to YOUR 401k, what it is invested in, and the fees associated. The immediate 50% return of your employer’s matching contribution is nothing to be sneered at. BUT, if the investment choices are terrible, the fees high, or the provisions onerous, it may be a bad bargain.

On the face, grab it. BUT like the employees at Enron learned not all that glitters is gold.

(2) 59½ except for certain exception that you may or may not what to use.

Remember to take anyone’s investment advice, even mine, with a large grain of salt.

I’ll leave you with two more wall street rules of thumb.

“Anyone promises to double your money, do it yourself. Fold it in half and put it in your pocket. Firmly.”

“If you don’t understand EXACTLY how the earnings will be made, don’t invest.”

Good luck, and while I won’t be around in forty years, I’ll be rooting for you, from upstairs or down, give me a progress report on how my guesses are doing,
fjohn

Sources

http://www.uic.edu/classes/actg/actg500/pfvatutor.htm
http://www.studyfinance.com/lessons/timevalue/index.mv?page=19

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UPDATE Chosen as “best” by the Asker. Now that is worth being proud of!

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YAHOO ANSWER: Can one make a career out of working at a bank

Tuesday, June 12, 2007

QUESTION

Can one make a career out of working at a bank?

I just got a job working at a bank as a teller. What are the advancement opportunities within a bank? Can someone make a career out of it with a pretty decent income? I have a bachelors degree in psychology and the bank will pay for any business classes that I want to take leading to an associates or bachelors in business.

ANSWER

Dear Ms. “Cheyenne”:

Congratulations, on getting a job. That’s a start.

Can one make a “career” out of working at a bank?

Sure you can; humans are remarkable adaptable. You have to discover “your” own opportunities. Don’t look at the situation through the eyes of anyone else uncritically. (Even me!) Bear in mind the old folk song “the times they are a changing”. The bank of the next decade is probably not even on the drawing board yet?

You’ve got a psych degree so you should understand motivations. Banking is about scared people putting their money in an illusion of security. You could help the people understand the illusions and intelligently plan their finances. You could help the bank adapt thru helping its people change that future. You could seek out the IT staff and their users and translate between the two communities putting the requirements and capabilities in to each other’s “language”.

Can you make a “career” out of working at a bank?

You can make three careers and not even scratch the surface.

IMHO

And we didn’t event talk about the different banks there are — the Fed, the local “mom ‘n’ pop”, the big regionals, the internationals, the merchants, the investments, and all the kinds I don’t know about.

:-)

I hope that you don’t look from a too close perspective. It’s easy to see your job as “just a teller”, “just a branch manger”, or some other current “dead end” job.

I think that your viewpoint is clearly critical to your future success. Be it at the bank its suppliers, regulators, or customers.

Let me know how you make out,
Ferdinand J. Reinke

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YAHOO ANSWER: pay a couple of bills with my new credit card

Monday, June 11, 2007

Question

Interest rates and definitions as a payee, can you give me some basic info ?

PLEASE DO NOT ANSWER THIS UNLESS YOU WORK WITH IT AND KNOW IT WELL, I DON’T WANT SITES TO GO TO, NOR UNEDUCATED GUESSES, jokes are always ok as I love humor but i am looking for some basic info. I am 56, a numbers person & used to B more on top of this, but life has changed so much since I’ve been sick 4 10 years & rather out of it. I want 2 pay a couple of bills w- my new credit card, like some of the house taxes I owe,& first i want 2 determine which 1 actually charges me the true highest interest when compared in like terms (apples to apples ) I used 2 use APr questions, but now I see EAR or such ?? & on ebay I am being charged 1.5% 4 any unpaid monthly fee charges, but what does this 1.5% mean ?? I need a standardized term & also I used 2 know about car loans & how horrribly that interest is calculated & fixed home loans but now that I’m going2 refi my house in the next couple of years, I want to locate the best way and be able to compare interest apples to apples

Answer

Dear Mr. or Ms. “Wendy B”:

To quote Canadian Prime Minister Lester Pearson “we’ll cross that bridge when we fall off it”. (That’s my attempt at humor.)

I think you are perfectly right to be confused. Credit Card companies, like their compatriots in the car finance industry, are pulling the wool over us all the time.

I’d suggest that you might want to spend a few bucks to get a good answer. Hire a CPA. Mine for example does work for me, (actually I think his “girls” do the work and he just signs off), at a very reasonable rate. I bet that if you had say the three competing credit offers in hand, it would take a CPA less than 15 minutes to “find where the bodies are buried” to use a Soprano metaphor and another 15 minutes explain to you what they meant. My cpa charges less than 150$/hour. $75 might save you lots more. It even might be cheaper for you. I was surprised at how cheap it was. Some of my bone headed decisions not to use a pro cost me a lot more than I would have spent on the advice to avoid “falling off the bridge”.

I understand that you want to work on more serious problems like your health and your life. But, your money is important to. That’s why getting good advice, not Yahoo Answers, is critical.

Assuming that you have some need for financing to smooth out the rough spots, I like to send people to credit unions. I have never heard of them screwing anyone. Even with their credit cards. So, I’d give you the same advice.

BTW you have legal rights under Federal Law, so if you are getting confusing notices, you might want to consult a lawyer as well as an accountant.

Hope this helps,
Let me know how you make out.
Ferdinand J. Reinke
Kendall Park, NJ 08824

Source(s)

http://www.creditunionsonline.com/
http://www.aicpa.org/

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Update 2007Jun17

Just notified that it was “best by voters”. One vote (not mine) for only one answer. (Somebody getting 2 points for the obvious?)

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YAHOO ANSWER: What job should I study to do for the future?

Sunday, June 10, 2007

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070610031511AA1YprT

http://tinyurl.com/25uycx

Question

What job should I study to do for the future?

I am in high school and need to now choose an area to study for the future.

I don’t know what I want!!

My interests:

cooking, nutrition, house decorating (interior decorating), music, sing, fashion, show biz, working with famous or being a famous person, being on the net, posting things i like on the net (like recipes and advice). etc.

PLEASE HELP.

Answer

Dear Ms. “Celebrity Soup”:

Ahhh to be young again and have such problems. Any way, some thoughts come leaping to mind:

(1) Doesn’t high school have guidance counselors to help?They have tests to tell you what you’re good at. I’m supposed to be a forest ranger, Texas ranger, or Ranger Rick … something like that. It’s a start. But remember it’s your life not theirs. Remember the Knight in the “Holy Grail” movie … “choose wisely”!

(2) Your local community college in the USA is always a great resource to chat with (i.e., nice people, good ideas, and not trying to sell you anything).

(3) Get a good general education. Unless you want to be a doctor, lawyer, or indian chief there’s no need to specialize too soon. Keep you options and eyes open.

(4) Avoid smoking, drinking, drugs, and debt. ALL of them are killers in one form or another. In high school and college my best friend was a promising injineer like me. He got involved in drugs and ran his motor cycle into a ditch while high. Killed himself. End of a promising injineer. Makes me sad to think of it. Don’t let it happen to you.

(5) Look about for opportunities to volunteer or intern. Remember you are not doing it for experience, fun, money, or kudos. You’re doing it to learn what you want to be when you grow up.

(6) Make decision based on “your boat’s waterline”. If a decision is “above the waterline”, make it quick. “Below” make it right!

(7) Don’t talk to strangers on the internet. And be careful who you take advice from. Free Advice Is Worth What You Pay For it. Remember the Storm Phillips TV shows? Even a knowledgeable internet citizen like myself is finding denizens on the net.

Let me know how you make out.

:-)
(if you ignore #7, then converse with some one who’s safe. Honest. I am. Trust me.) <<at this point, put both hands on your wallet, or purse, and run the other way>>

Good luck,
Ferdinand J. Reinke

Source

http://www.bls.gov/oco/ocos067.htm
https://reinkefaceslife.com/2007/05/17/pr
https://reinkefaceslife.com/2007/06/02/li

UPDATE

Just received word that this was selected “best by  voters. One vote among three answers.

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YAHOO ANSWER: Looking to relocate

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Question

*** begin quote ***

Looking to relocate to a city with a high growth rate and great entry-level jobs. Any suggestions?

Willing to relocate anywhere in North America or the Caribbean.

*** end quote ***

Answer

Dear Ms. “el”:

Why?

You reminded me of the “Tale of Two Cities”. No, not Dickens. The Fable. A traveler nearing a great city, asked an elderly man seated by the wayside, “What are the people like in the city?” “How were the people where you came from?”

I’d observe the a “high growth rate and great entry level jobs” is not the criteria to use.

Where are your friends, family, and personal contacts? There is where you will find the love and support to be “successful”. However you define it. If you go far away, you’ll be trekking back for the obligatory family functions. And, a strange place can be a lonely place.

If you’re looking for freedom and a culture of liberty, I’d call your attention to New Hampshire. Liberty lovers are moving there even as we speak. They have special outreach weekly meetings to help newcomers land.

So, if you don’t have those things where you are, then you might find them there.

Choose wisely. You could wind up like me “stuck” in Nu Jerzee.

Hope this helps, let me know now you make out.
Ferdinand J. Reinke
Kendall Park, NJ 08824

Source

http://www.jameslhaynes.org/
http://tinyurl.com/lxu93
http://freestateproject.org

Update

Just received word that this was selected “best by voters”.

Two votes among five answers.

Ten more meaningless points brings me to 590.

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YAHOO ANSWER: I got fired from my last job

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Question

Job Interview question!!!?

Ok I got fired from my last job for being late to work alot…..I been working for a temp agentcy now and im still employed with them. When I got fired I was 19 years old, that was my first real job, Now Im much older and I learned from my mistake…..Now when they ask me why did I leave my first job, what should I tell them so they would still considered me for the job??? I really really want this job, I dont want to mess things up for my future. please help!!!

Answer

Juan: You’ve collected a lot of good answers. Honesty is the best policy. But how would they know you got fired from a job when you were 19 (which must be so last year)? Did you steal the cash AND the cash register in addition to being tardy? Most folks won’t want to know that you were “fired”. That’s a giant red flag. Especially if you proudly admit it. So as I understand it, your resume has “XYZ temp” and “ZYX Stores”. Didn’t you have lots of other “jobs”. Mowing lawns. Don’t pad what you don’t have. Also the temp jobs, did you just work at one place? You could list the ones that kept asking you back as a bullet point under XYZTEMP. If you kept being used by DEFG Enterprises, even if its a few weeks here and there, you can use that as evidence of your value.

Hope this helps, let us know how you make out,
Visit my “turkey farm” for other ideas:
http://tinyurl.com/lxu93
My blog has jobsearch “stuff” I learned the hard way.
Good luck,
Ferdinand J. Reinke
Kendall Park, NJ 08824

Webform that creates an urgent email => http://2idi.com/contact/=reinkefj
Web page => http://www.reinke.cc/
My blog => http://www.reinkefaceslife.com/
LinkedIn url => http://www.linkedin.com/in/reinkefj

Source(s)

http://www.reinkefaceslife.com/jobsearch

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YAHOOANSWER: 20070531 declared best!

Thursday, May 31, 2007

http: //reinkefaceslife.com /2007/05/31/
yahoo-answer-how-do-you-settle-into-a-good-job/

http://tinyurl.com/3cpegs

YAHOOBIS20070531

Yeah! Happy dance time. More meaningless points.

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YAHOO ANSWER: How do you settle into a good job

Thursday, May 31, 2007

*** begin quote ***

How do you settle into a good job with prospects instead of falling into the “McDonald’s” category ?

Im 19, went to college to study IT, did my year course in it and now i’m stuck. I’m in and out of just stupid places with no real place to end up. Iam still not sure what i want to do as a career but i thought doing a course in IT would benefit me as nearly all jobs have computers involved. I dont want to be 30 and scanning tills, any advice ?. Where you in a ever similar position to this ?

*** end quote ***

I’ve been working in IT for decades and I’m still learning. How you learned it in one course is astonishing? And, you’re young; so there’s lot left for you to do.

One never “settles into a good job”. You’ll have, if the averages are right, between 5 and 10 “jobs” during your 45 year working career. You’ll have good jobs, bad jobs, and jobs somewhere in between. Get ready for a roller coaster ride.

May I suggest my “patented copyrighted and often repeated” strategy? (Just jesting)

You need an education for a white collar job, a blue collar skill, and one or more “internet businesses”? Off to school to get a degree. And, get that white collar job.

Don’t spend a lot of money getting skills or education. Often employers had tuition refund and employer provided. As a matter of fact, be ruthless about not getting into debt. Work relentlessly for several reasons — to learn “stuff” — earn money — get experience. Get a blue collar skill — plumber, carpenter, electrician — to fall back on.

And, since you’re now a computer expert, or at least computer literate, look into creating an internet-based business. Don’t spend money on scams. But try to sell “stuff” on ebay. Help others get their businesses on the net. Do things like that.

I think you’re in a great place. You’re young with endless opportunities. Start seizing them.

I’m around for further questions, or dialogue. Let me know how you make out,

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References:

http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north303.html
http://www.lowestcostcolleges.com/
http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north524.html
http://www.lewrockwell.com/north/north533.html

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UPDATE 31 May 2007 @ 13:30 edst This answer was selected as “best”. Happy dance time.

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YAHOO ANSWER: Google as a converting engine!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

*** begin quote ***

could some one tell me how much 850.00 and 500.00 English pounds in US dollars?

*** end quote ***

Use Google for all conversion questions.

Put “500.00 pounds sterling” in the Google search box and it pops back

500.00 British pounds = 992.05 U.S. dollars

AND

850.00 pounds sterling

850.00 British pounds = 1 686.485 U.S. dollars

***

It’s fish and fishing. Give some one a fish; Teach someone to fish! Now you can convert anything?

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YAHOOANSWER: 20070524 declared best!

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

http: //reinkefaceslife /2007/05/24/
yahoo-answer-free-advertising-for-my-purse-party-buiness

http://tinyurl.com/35wor7

YAHOOBIS20070530

Yeah! Happy dance time. I just made 400 points. (Heck, Frau and I play in the seaside arcade for the points as a competition and then give the tickets to little kids. It’s about scoring meaningless points and “winning”.)

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YAHOO ANSWER: … first time getting a mortgage

Wednesday, May 30, 2007

*** begin quote ***

My first mortgage?

This is my first time getting a mortgage. I have no clue what to even look for. I know that I need to shop around and get quotes… But I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO LOOK FOR! If anyone else out there has shooped around, can you please let me know exactly what I need to know about getting a mortgage before I call a bunch of places and sound like an idiot…and then they might take advantage of me. Please help.

*** end quote ***

First take a deep breath. Then, marshal your resources. Do you have a relative that is financially sophisticated? Use them as your sounding board.

If you haven’t signed for the property yet, or maybe even if you have, find and retain a Real Estate attorney that you can afford. It’s a GIANT mistake to get into a real estate deal without a liar … err, I mean lawyer. Don’t use the seller’s. Don’t use the mortgage company’s. Have your own. When I bought my first house in 1975, that single piece of advice from my Mom saved me about 15k$. My lawyer said “my client isn’t responsible for that” about a dozen times. Without him, I’d have said “yeah whatever”.

Then you need an accountant. Same deal. Cheaper and easier. Have them review whatever you are going to sign up for. Promise you’ll let them do your taxes and I bet they’ll come dirt cheap. Shop around. I SHOULD have done that with my second house and I’d have saved a bunch of bucks.

Then you need a “home inspector”. Licensed, certified, insured, with lots of references. This is no guarantee of being problem free, BUT, when you’re in front of Judge Judy you can saw “I didn’t know about houses so I hired him! Pointing accusingly to the defendant.) It’s all about changing unknown risks into modest upfront costs.

Find or found, the house of your dreams.

Now you are ready to consider mortgages.

You can get them from a bank, brokerage, mortgage broker, credit union, and private lenders. Start with a credit union. (IMHO you’ll we get the most honest deal there.) Find a rich relative with a brokerage account and as if they can get you a deal. (I have a Merrill account and my relative could have gotten a mortgage with them with my “sponsorship” — not cosigning — at an attractive rate. Dumb, but they wanted to do it on their own. I think they made a mistake. But not my problem.)!

Look at the type (Suggest you want fixed), term (15 if you can afford it), points (extra interest cost), fees (Yuck!), and gimmicks (i.e., credit life insurance; buyer protection).

Your lawyer, accountant, and home inspector can tell you if you are getting a “fair deal”. No balloons, teaser aprs, negative amortizations, interest onlys, nothing tricky.

Your family member, or Yahoo answerer, can tell you if you can afford it. No more than 20% of your salary in mortgage payments. OK 25%, but that means no eating out.

Hope this helps, and you’re happy with your new mortgage, let me know how it turns out,
fjohn

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YAHOO ANSWER: Free Advertising For My Purse Party Buiness

Thursday, May 24, 2007

*** begin quote ***

Free Advertising For My Purse Party Buiness???

I’m looking for free or very cheap ways to advertise my purse party business. I’m looking for local and nationwide ideas! Any suggestions would be great!

*** end quote ***

Well for under a fifty bucks, some sweat, and a few months calendar time, imho, you can get “known”. I’d suggest a blog as the underlying engine for your biz advertising.

(1) Check for an available domain name you like (www dot party purse business dot com), but don’t buy it yet.

(2) Get a free wordpress blog at www.wordpress.com. Sign up as PartyPurseBisuiness blog. Or whatever domain name you decide on.

(3) Buy the domain name feature from wordpress for $15 — it includes the registration of the domain name. (How’s that for cheap)

(4) You now have a web site and a domain name. Use the blog part to put fresh content on your blog. Put something meaningful there daily.

(5) Use the static pages part to put picture or stories or prices or events out on your “site”.

(6) Sign up for the free Gmail for Domains and get email via your domain. You can be party.purse at pursepartybusiness dot com.

(7) Sign up (free) at the various blog directories.

(8) Submit to the search engines

(9) Use the search engines to “find” yourself which improves your site in the search engines eyes. :-) [That’s circular reasoning! By telling the search engine to look for me and finding it, it makes me more find-able by regular people.]

So you’ll have a professional website with up to date content for cheap.

Yell if you want help with it. And, let us know how you make out.

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UPDATE 30 May 2007 @ 14:35 edst This answer was selected as “best”. Happy dance time.