Official Status Report Thread

[swag]

I'm waiting on the woman to get out of the tub, dry off, and get dressed so we can walk down to the brewpub for some beers and bratwursts. It is cold and windy here in the Willamette Valley, and we are expecting an ice-storm overnight, so getting to work might be kind of tricky tomorrow, but I'll probably just put on my shoes with the best treads and skid my way over to the bus stop.

I found some no-load index mutual funds with lower expense ratios than the index funds I currently hold in a few different asset classes. Since my current funds just paid their year-end distributions, I am selling them tomorrow in exchange for the cheaper funds. What makes this a sweet deal is that the record date for year-end distributions of the funds I'm buying isn't until next week, so I'll be buying those distributions. In other words, double-distributions in a nontaxable account. Money for nothing. I will use it for good, I swear.

I will report back on how this all works out.

[GirlinContempt]

1. Need more details

re: bath

[swag]

2. The cat gives her a spit-bath every Sunday.

Better than a facial for the complexion.

[GirlinContempt]

3. While in the tub?

Wowzah

[swag]

8. Yes, the raspiness of the cat's tongue acts as an exfoliating agent

aiding in the removal of dry, flaky skin cells and promoting healthy, new, glowing skin by opening clogged pores, and allowing them to breathe.

See our Recipes Section for creative ideas.

[cassandra uprising]

4. I'll raise your ice storm

with a probable MTA strike.

Oh wait, that would mean something to me if I actually had a job to go to Monday.

Ah well, congrats on your index fund savyness et al.

[swag]

23. You win.

MTA strike trumps ice storm.

Congrats on your free Monday.

[cassandra uprising]

26. Thanks!

However, if I could manage to be unemployed while putting Chavez through graduate school and live in live in New York, now that would be a feat worth congratulating.

Have a pint for for me will ya? Actually have several. :)

[swag]

32. I will hoist a glass of suds in your honor.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

5. You sound like a ver y smart young man, my dear swag.....

Please do let us know how it all works out!

I'm not sure I understood a word you said....but it sure sounds good!

:loveya: :hug:

Have fun at the pub!

[hfojvt]

6. yeah I got lost too

but it is like he had stocks that paid a dividend and he is selling them and buying other stocks before the ex-dividend date. It's not totally profitable unless/until the new stock grows faster than the old one.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Oh, thank you! That does help quite a lot........

Sounds like a bit of a gamble, doesn't it?

I know that the world of stocks is a gamble, of course!

:hi:

[swag]

11. Yeah, that's about it, all right.

Sorry to be so confusing.

The nice thing is that I'm really just selling and buying pretty much the same baskets of securities (in the forms of mutual funds that track the same indices).

The original reason was the lower expense ratios of the funds I'm buying. The accident was the differents in year-end distribution dates for the two funds, which I decided to take advantage of.

We'll see how well it works.

[swag]

9. Thanks, Peggy. It was a good time at the pub.

I await the status reports of others, you included.

[LSK]

10. im at work cleaning up my yahoo email account while waiting

For the new AS400 to restore data. Then we have to put the server room back together and test things. Hopefully I can get home in time to catch Randi Rhodes on CSPAN.

What mutual funds did you find? Now that I have a nice "safety" fund built up, I am going to take $2k and play the market directly. I think I have a system...

[swag]

15. Wow, new AS400. Congratulations.

Closest I ever came to one of those was a creak old System 36 about nine years ago. I'm sure it's a good place-holder in a landfill now.

In one account I sold SWINX (Schwab International Index Fund) after the dividend in exchange for DIISX (Dreyfus International Index Fund) before the dividend. I did this with a few funds, because the Dreyfus funds were no-load and has an expense ratio (money they take from me to run the account) of 0.50% as opposed to 0.60% for the Schwab fund.

And yes, Vanguard fans, I know all of your funds have much lower expense ratios. I'm a Vanguard client also.

Have fun investing. Don't get killed on commissions!

[LSK]

19. i see you like international funds

I just moved some money to the one available in my 401k - T. Rowe Price International Stock (PRITX).

I am researching who to go with for low cost trades.

[swag]

22. Yeah, in my stock portfolio I'm going with Jeremy Siegel's advice:

60% domestic, 40% international.

I'm sure you can find a good, consumer friendly on-line brokerage. It has been a while since I looked.

[FuzzySlippers]

12. I heard about your impending ice storm.

Are you sure you want to go out? I heard the wind was really wild. You might blow away.

[FuzzySlippers]

14. Oops. I see you went out earlier.

Hope you made it back without too much wind damage.

[swag]

17. The grocery store was a zoo. One of those just funny days.

I'm safely back at home now, gearing up for a nap, maybe, and tonight I'll make a quick easy batch of pozole. You know, that Mexican stew with hominy and pork.

When are you coming to town again?

[FuzzySlippers]

21. No immediate plans.

Maybe nest year sometime. I'll be sure to look you up.:hi:

[djeseru]

13. Use the money for more beer & bratwursts. n/t

[swag]

18. I can think of no higher use for that money.

[oregonjen]

16. I'm enjoying the snowfall, it's pretty

Hopefully, the freezing rain will hold off and the snow will continue. My kids are enjoying it and I have to admit, it's fun!

[swag]

20. The snow after the initial sleet was quite pretty.

This will be fun. People on the street and at the store were exuding a giddy panic.

Where are you? I'm in Northeast Portland, a couple blocks off Alberta.

[oregonjen]

24. down in West Linn

The kids are on Christmas vacation, so we can enjoy all of this without having to go anywhere. Yesterday, I went grocery shopping to prepare. Remember two years ago? They kept saying that the snow will end and warm air will melt it all. Then the freezing rain, etc. It ended up lasting almost a week. You never know how long this will last. It could be over tonight, or not.

Enjoy! :hi:

[swag]

25. I applaud your wisdom in getting provisions early.

I hear West Linn and LO have pretty slick thoroughfares already. Nice that you can stay in and stay warm.

Yes, I remember that ice storm two years ago. That was really just amazing.

Great ice storms in this region. I hope the big tree doesn't finally fall on the house (I doubt it will - its root system is huge). I hope we all get to keep our electricity.

[swag]

29. Ha! Tom Potter is on TV right now talking about this lasting through

Thursday.

Not that the meteorologists here are ever accurate, but a big wet freezing storm is also supposed to hit Wednesday night.

[Omphaloskepsis]

27. Odd.. The weather is fine in Eugene..

But, I am going up to Portland in about 30 minutes. My other house is around Greeley and Killingsworth in North Portland. Do you ever eat at the Nighthawk? A greasy spoon, but it rocks. It's on Interstate near the Fred Meyer.

[swag]

28. Oh, yeah. I love the Nighthawk.

Good steaks. I go there sometimes after concerts by the University of Portland Orchestra.

Good taste in greasy spoons.

Take care on the road.

[sundog]

30. watch lengthening shadows of palms in the garden...

finish the ad for tomorrow's newspaper...

dreams, decisions, love, loss...

plug in christmas lights...

pour some coffee...

final embers of the day...


(10 minute extended status)

[swag]

31. Outstanding report.

[swag]

33. Important Status Update:

I just ordered my tickets for Blixa Bargeld, Jarboe, et al. at the Old Church:

http://www.mobilization.com/#destroy5tix

They will also be in San Diego, LA, San Francisco, Seattle, and Calgary.

[WCGreen]

34. Money for Nothing....

Were the chicks for free.....

I spent four months in Salem back in 1979....

[swag]

35. What were you arrested for?

[Omphaloskepsis]

36. LOL

:rofl: :rofl:

Funny as hell.. But I actually had dinner in Salem tonight.. Oh, how I hate that town.

[WCGreen]

37. Well... Compared to Cleveland in the 70's....

Salem seemed like paradise....

[Omphaloskepsis]

38. We scammed a room at the Phoenix Inn in Salem tonight..

The company I worked for has a account with them. My girlfriend made a reservation and they didn't ask any questions. We chickened out and went to Portland instead. They even said that the billing was already worked out, and told us how much our room-service could be before we would be charged..