What would you do with 160 million dollars? If you happened to look in the paper a few days ago, you might have noticed the story of the couple who won a huge jackpot down south. They opted for a lump sum payout of 160 million dollars. Wow.
Now, like all people, I began to think about what I would do with that sort of money. Then I started thinking more. Why opt for the lump sum? The annuity payout would have been 10 million a year for 26 years. I am not sure how the taxes work in this sort of situation, maybe it works out that the taxes on 10 million go upwards as our government raises taxes. But I might want the annuity. Here's why. Say you take out 5 million out of your first payment for what you want-you know- the car, the house, college, the kids, the boat, the vacation......and so on and so forth. Then you take whatever is left after taxes-figure only one million is left of that ten million. Invest in a good broker and a mutual fund at a measly 8% (measly for many mutual funds). After the first year-you now have an extra 80,000 dollars sitting there. So you have to pay taxes on that money, but you probably still end up with 65,000 or so. For one year. The next year, you get another ten million (again, six after taxes). You spend another 5 million, and invest another million. Now you have a yearly income (in interest) of 130,000 dollars (after taxes) What a deal!?!?!? Okay, you hire an accountant, but still, you are making over one hundred thousand dollars after the first two year, and you have twenty four years to go!?!
My dad really taught me well about investing and saving. But, of course, you never know until you're in a similar situation. Maybe money blinds people and instant gratification kicks in? Or maybe the tax situation is better in the lump sum. But the point still stands. Invest as much as you can bring yourself to. Whether you win the lottery or not. I am putting away just 20 dollars per month towards retirement-I'm 18. And no, I definitely wouldn't mind winning the lottery.
I mean, come on, who wouldn't love being financially independent in two short year, plus spending 5 million per year on yourself? Again, I don't play the lottery, and probably won't unless work starts a pool on a huge one. But it is really fun to think about.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Numb...Columbine, VT, NIU......
Anyone notice? Or is it just me?
School shooting in NIU. Front page story-for two days. That's it. That's all the coverage we wanted. A couple of shots showing sobbing students, a couple of memorial crosses. That's all we needed. We got our fix.
I wasn't young enough to understand Columbine, though I did see the coverage. In fact, I wasn't even mature enough to understand what was really going on with 9-11. But I've read. I know what happened. I know what significance it had.
The only reason VT was in the news for as long as it was my have been the high death toll. NIU had single digits. But does that really matter? There was a shooting at a school. In the USA. The fact is, it can happen anywhere. But that's not my point.
Are we to the point that we don't really care? Just another school shooting. Just another few murders. Just another few people off the planet??!? Are we going to consider it another bimonthly 'normal' occurence like we view suicide bombings in Israel or genocides in Africa. We as Americans HAVE become numb. We don't care. We get on with our lives. And I really don't have any ideas on how to change that, except as individuals. But then again, who cares?
School shooting in NIU. Front page story-for two days. That's it. That's all the coverage we wanted. A couple of shots showing sobbing students, a couple of memorial crosses. That's all we needed. We got our fix.
I wasn't young enough to understand Columbine, though I did see the coverage. In fact, I wasn't even mature enough to understand what was really going on with 9-11. But I've read. I know what happened. I know what significance it had.
The only reason VT was in the news for as long as it was my have been the high death toll. NIU had single digits. But does that really matter? There was a shooting at a school. In the USA. The fact is, it can happen anywhere. But that's not my point.
Are we to the point that we don't really care? Just another school shooting. Just another few murders. Just another few people off the planet??!? Are we going to consider it another bimonthly 'normal' occurence like we view suicide bombings in Israel or genocides in Africa. We as Americans HAVE become numb. We don't care. We get on with our lives. And I really don't have any ideas on how to change that, except as individuals. But then again, who cares?
Monday, February 18, 2008
Making the grade...
Now, this entry again deals with schooling, so if you're already tired of that, come back later.
My main gripe with the public school system has always been that the work required to pass is pathetic. Those of my friends who are public tell all about how they sleep during class, text message, etc, and generally don't have to pay much attention. Then when I ask what grade they got, they answer '3.8'. How can you earn an A while ignoring assignments, sleeping, and just showing up for an exam or two? Am I wrong in my impression?
Being homeschooled, my grades were definitely earned. I ended up with just a 3.2, but a decent score on my ACT (29) and my SAT (1350). It frustrates me that they can get away with that and get far better grades than me. Now granted, the public school system is too big to be individualized in its academics, but shouldn't there be higher standards. In case you haven't been watching the news, have you seen the stories about the other countries in the world passing us up in the area of education? I have seen bios of exchange students from other countries and often see the comment that American schools are 'easy'.
This may be just a pet peeve of mine and maybe I'm arrogant about being homeschooled, but it certainly brings up a larger picture. A nation's future alway rests on the new generation coming. If that generation does not possess the knowledge neccessary to keep up with the rest of the world, inevitably the nation will wither and eventually die. Look it up. America is definitely falling behind the rest of the world. We cannot continue lowering the standards for education to accomodate this or that minority group.
I know that sounds harsh, but at some point we have to do it.
To those who are in or just starting college, there is a point to all these classes. You've probably heard from thousands of people, but college is designed to help you lead a productive life. If you don't get any knowledge out, you just dumped thousands of dollars straight down the drain. Not only that, you have dropped behind your potential, and are going to have to do some work to catch back up.
And the fact is, we are going to be America's future soon. We had better be ready to compete with the best other countries have to offer on the global stage.
My main gripe with the public school system has always been that the work required to pass is pathetic. Those of my friends who are public tell all about how they sleep during class, text message, etc, and generally don't have to pay much attention. Then when I ask what grade they got, they answer '3.8'. How can you earn an A while ignoring assignments, sleeping, and just showing up for an exam or two? Am I wrong in my impression?
Being homeschooled, my grades were definitely earned. I ended up with just a 3.2, but a decent score on my ACT (29) and my SAT (1350). It frustrates me that they can get away with that and get far better grades than me. Now granted, the public school system is too big to be individualized in its academics, but shouldn't there be higher standards. In case you haven't been watching the news, have you seen the stories about the other countries in the world passing us up in the area of education? I have seen bios of exchange students from other countries and often see the comment that American schools are 'easy'.
This may be just a pet peeve of mine and maybe I'm arrogant about being homeschooled, but it certainly brings up a larger picture. A nation's future alway rests on the new generation coming. If that generation does not possess the knowledge neccessary to keep up with the rest of the world, inevitably the nation will wither and eventually die. Look it up. America is definitely falling behind the rest of the world. We cannot continue lowering the standards for education to accomodate this or that minority group.
I know that sounds harsh, but at some point we have to do it.
To those who are in or just starting college, there is a point to all these classes. You've probably heard from thousands of people, but college is designed to help you lead a productive life. If you don't get any knowledge out, you just dumped thousands of dollars straight down the drain. Not only that, you have dropped behind your potential, and are going to have to do some work to catch back up.
And the fact is, we are going to be America's future soon. We had better be ready to compete with the best other countries have to offer on the global stage.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Homelarned
As said in the title and URL address of my blog, I was homeschooled.
Now some people have one of two ideas about homeschooling. They think that it is only done by backwards, anti-social, overprotective parents. Or they think that it is just done by lazy parents who don't care what their children do. I hope that most people realize that homeschooling is done for many different reasons. My parents chose to homeschool me because they didn't like what the public school system taught. Other parents homeschool because of special needs. Still others want their child to receive the best education possible and believe that they can do far better teaching their kids individually than a classroom can.
The two first ideas were and are created by a select group of individuals who abuse the right to homeschooling. Even though homeschooling was often the primary method of instruction during the founding of our country, our government actually banned homeschooling for a period of time, enforcing the law with strict penalties for the parents who did. It is now allowed, but some parents simply allow their children to do their own thing, without instructing them in any subject. Other parents teach their children well, but bottle them up in an attempt to hide them from the things of the world that they consider evil.
There is no real way for the government to check up on how homeschooling parents do, aside from assigning a massive amount of financial and human resources to check and test every child taught at home. Given the state of our national and state budgets at this time, this is definitely not a feasible idea. I am a believer in individual responsibility. It is up to the parents to see that their child at least on pace with his or her peers, and it is their honor-bound duty to their children to instruct them to the fullest extent of their abilities.
When I was homeschooled, the majority of my instruction was by my mother, who had taught middle school in Oostburg, WI. However, many homeschooling families for groups in which they get together to socialize, learn, and teach. One of the fathers in the group I was in is a chemist. Therefore, he volunteered to teach us basic science, biology, and chemistry at a high school level. My mother taught a public speaking course, and various other parents also contributed to my education.
Homeschooling is merely a certian method of instruction that may not be right for all families. Some families may lack the time, or financial resources to undertake such a venture. And other, as mentioned, simply are not even trying. But I believe that the homeschooling family that is sincerely attempting to educate their child on their own should be commended for their hard work and effort on the long journey.
Now some people have one of two ideas about homeschooling. They think that it is only done by backwards, anti-social, overprotective parents. Or they think that it is just done by lazy parents who don't care what their children do. I hope that most people realize that homeschooling is done for many different reasons. My parents chose to homeschool me because they didn't like what the public school system taught. Other parents homeschool because of special needs. Still others want their child to receive the best education possible and believe that they can do far better teaching their kids individually than a classroom can.
The two first ideas were and are created by a select group of individuals who abuse the right to homeschooling. Even though homeschooling was often the primary method of instruction during the founding of our country, our government actually banned homeschooling for a period of time, enforcing the law with strict penalties for the parents who did. It is now allowed, but some parents simply allow their children to do their own thing, without instructing them in any subject. Other parents teach their children well, but bottle them up in an attempt to hide them from the things of the world that they consider evil.
There is no real way for the government to check up on how homeschooling parents do, aside from assigning a massive amount of financial and human resources to check and test every child taught at home. Given the state of our national and state budgets at this time, this is definitely not a feasible idea. I am a believer in individual responsibility. It is up to the parents to see that their child at least on pace with his or her peers, and it is their honor-bound duty to their children to instruct them to the fullest extent of their abilities.
When I was homeschooled, the majority of my instruction was by my mother, who had taught middle school in Oostburg, WI. However, many homeschooling families for groups in which they get together to socialize, learn, and teach. One of the fathers in the group I was in is a chemist. Therefore, he volunteered to teach us basic science, biology, and chemistry at a high school level. My mother taught a public speaking course, and various other parents also contributed to my education.
Homeschooling is merely a certian method of instruction that may not be right for all families. Some families may lack the time, or financial resources to undertake such a venture. And other, as mentioned, simply are not even trying. But I believe that the homeschooling family that is sincerely attempting to educate their child on their own should be commended for their hard work and effort on the long journey.
Monday, February 4, 2008
The White Death
As I write this blog, I am watching the weather channel playing in the coffeeshop, and I see that the white death is approaching. We are expecting 5-9 inches of heavy, thick snow in the next day or so. And I know what is going to happen at the grocery store. The question I want to raise in this post is this-why do people panic in the supermarkets like it is the New Ice Age.
Again, I work in a supermarket, and I see it every time. 3 inches of snow in the forecast, and everything comes loose. I have seen people wipe out the canned beets section of the store in seconds as they sweep the whole lot into their cart. I have seen people ramming each other out of the way as they attempt to reach the tomato soup. I have seen Grandma driving the motorized scooter like a Daytona 500 driver to reach the condensed milk. Again, I ask; why?
For one thing, it is Wisconsin. Everyone drives trucks and SUVs (I can't afford one yet), we have an army of snowplows to rival Siberia's, and it still happens every single year. If we were getting two feet, I could understand a stock-up. But with the amount of snowplows that we have, which are constantly going through the night (thanks, guys), anything less than that will not shut down the world.
The snowfall we are about to get will not really affect us quite as much as everyone thinks. Wisconsin is now used to winter driving (as much as possible) and the snowplows still exist. School, church, and a few other nonessential things might shut down for a day, but everything else will go on. We will not be snowbound in a raging blizzard this time around, so lighten up everyone.
Again, I work in a supermarket, and I see it every time. 3 inches of snow in the forecast, and everything comes loose. I have seen people wipe out the canned beets section of the store in seconds as they sweep the whole lot into their cart. I have seen people ramming each other out of the way as they attempt to reach the tomato soup. I have seen Grandma driving the motorized scooter like a Daytona 500 driver to reach the condensed milk. Again, I ask; why?
For one thing, it is Wisconsin. Everyone drives trucks and SUVs (I can't afford one yet), we have an army of snowplows to rival Siberia's, and it still happens every single year. If we were getting two feet, I could understand a stock-up. But with the amount of snowplows that we have, which are constantly going through the night (thanks, guys), anything less than that will not shut down the world.
The snowfall we are about to get will not really affect us quite as much as everyone thinks. Wisconsin is now used to winter driving (as much as possible) and the snowplows still exist. School, church, and a few other nonessential things might shut down for a day, but everything else will go on. We will not be snowbound in a raging blizzard this time around, so lighten up everyone.
Super Bowl Blues (For Wisconsonites)
This post is blue in two ways-good for New York, and can't we have that one pass back? I didn't include this in my introduction post, but I live in Wisconsin, and yes, I'm a cheesehead. And like the rest of the state, I found it hard to listen to the SuperBowl.
I was extremely disappointed in the Packer's loss to the Giant's in the NFC title game. But at the same time, the Giants clearly deserved to win and they did. Watching Eli Manning and the underdogs rise up and spoil the monster Bill Billicheck and the mighty Pats actually bodes very well for next year. The Packers, like the Giants, are a very young team and have potential to improve very much in the offseason. I have great confidence in Mike McCarthy and especially in Ted Thompson. Go Pack Go.
I was extremely disappointed in the Packer's loss to the Giant's in the NFC title game. But at the same time, the Giants clearly deserved to win and they did. Watching Eli Manning and the underdogs rise up and spoil the monster Bill Billicheck and the mighty Pats actually bodes very well for next year. The Packers, like the Giants, are a very young team and have potential to improve very much in the offseason. I have great confidence in Mike McCarthy and especially in Ted Thompson. Go Pack Go.
Starting out
English class............don't you love the assignments?
I really have no ideas whether this blog will last out the semester, but we'll see.
My name is Zach. My nickname is Mr X, among a number of other odd nicknames. This is my blog.
A little about myself-I am a Korean adoptee, an American citizen, and was homeschooled. I now attend the university of Wisconsin-Sheboygan, and this blog is a part of my English grade.
I work in a grocery store as an assistant department manager, and live in an apartment a little ways from work. My social security number is....oh, sorry. Not telling you that.
I am 18 years old-a youngster-and am actually politically astute. My hobbies include airsofting, paintball, golf, fishing, hunting, and most of all, reading.
Hopefully someone will read this besides me, but even so, this could be fun. Elections, sports, you name it, I'll try to have as much variety in here as possible. Let me know what topics you would like me to comment on (no inappropriate stuff, please). Until later.
I really have no ideas whether this blog will last out the semester, but we'll see.
My name is Zach. My nickname is Mr X, among a number of other odd nicknames. This is my blog.
A little about myself-I am a Korean adoptee, an American citizen, and was homeschooled. I now attend the university of Wisconsin-Sheboygan, and this blog is a part of my English grade.
I work in a grocery store as an assistant department manager, and live in an apartment a little ways from work. My social security number is....oh, sorry. Not telling you that.
I am 18 years old-a youngster-and am actually politically astute. My hobbies include airsofting, paintball, golf, fishing, hunting, and most of all, reading.
Hopefully someone will read this besides me, but even so, this could be fun. Elections, sports, you name it, I'll try to have as much variety in here as possible. Let me know what topics you would like me to comment on (no inappropriate stuff, please). Until later.
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