Pineapple Express: Someone Is Wrong on the Internet?

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

well Hobbits only classify wizards as trouble makers so (I don't know where i was going with this)

Hobbits would love HOAs. Going to have to remember that idea for Shires Out, when it arrives.

 

[Ryujin]

I think the problem is that the type of person who tends to want to sit on HOA boards is usually a knob.

The same type of person who aspires to be a Prefect in high school. I wanted to help out at dances and plays, and such. The Head Prefect stole $100 that was meant for new sweaters and used it to look like a big man, buying pizza at the end of the year. Went on to become an RCMP officer.

 

[billd91]

I think the problem is that the type of person who tends to want to sit on HOA boards is usually a knob.

I think the purpose of most HOAs is naturally going to trend that way. They're not powerful enough, usually, to improve anybody's lives so much as to enforce conformity in an effort to protect their own property values. And if that doesn't scream "This is a job for a NOSY BUSYBODY!" then I don't know what is.

 

[MoonSong]

I’d divide the net jackpot into distinct categories: selected established charities, mad money, altruistic donations, futureproofing and potential handouts to friends and family

1) the established charities would be made into co-owners of the ticket, with their share measured in %. That means they’d take their % in before tax dollars- IOW they get more than if I donated to them after taxes. These are the charities you feel most strongly about.

2) mad money is the share you have fun with. Buying stuff, traveling, etc. (Psychologically, you need to do this.)

3) altruistic donations are the things you come across over time and want to help with- solar powered wells & other infrastructure, desalination plants, fighting malnutrition, pathogens & homelessness, disaster relief- that doesn’t necessarily have established full-time charities.

4) futureproofing is setting aside resources for your life & wellbeing. I’d put a big chunk of the winnings in a HEMS trust, which can only be used for Health, Education, Maintenance and Support. It can’t be used for anything outside of those categories, including satisfying bankruptcy or liability judgements.

5) handling handouts can best be done 2 ways. You can either give some people a % share of the ticket (see 1) or set up a HEMS trust (4), and tell anyone who comes to you looking for money to talk to the trustee. (Personally, I prefer the latter.) This minimizes them begging for money and reduces the odds of you just frittering your winnings away because you’re soft on them.

I knew I was saving these links for a rainy day:




In short, the most important thing is to shut the f up and tell no soul.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

In short, the most important thing is to shut the f up and tell no soul.

Good advice, but some jurisdictions have mandatory publicity rules for lottery winners. There’s ways around it- I’ve seen some people accept their winnings in costumes- but even those may be thwarted if they publish the names.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I think the purpose of most HOAs is naturally going to trend that way. They're not powerful enough, usually, to improve anybody's lives so much as to enforce conformity in an effort to protect their own property values. And if that doesn't scream "This is a job for a NOSY BUSYBODY!" then I don't know what is.

I agree in principle. But OTOH, some neighbors are truly miserable people to deal with.

There a house in a neighborhood not far from where I used to live that was painted in a garish combination of white, lemon yellow, Kelly green, and brick red. The entire yard (semi-obscured by an 8’ fence) was full of playground equipment.

Either the homeowner had grandkids or serious issues.

There was also an episode of Dream House (?) in which the obsessive architect was building a house for himself & his SO. He was trying to have a super-tall chimney for his fireplace, which was ultimately deemed in violation of the city code. But that battle took years, during which time his neighbors had to deal with the construction crew noise, exhaust fumes, etc. An HOA would probably have been able to fine him into a more sensible timeline, if not actually kiboshing the “chimney to heaven” before the battle with code enforcement.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Good advice, but some jurisdictions have mandatory publicity rules for lottery winners. There’s ways around it- I’ve seen some people accept their winnings in costumes- but even those may be thwarted if they publish the names.

I believe in at least some of those, there's enough time to set up a trust before claiming the winnings and have it -- which doesn't bear your name on it, obviously -- accept the prize.

 

[TiQuinn]

So I’m watching Along Came A Spider from 2001 in which a web camera connected to “cyberspace”, as the computer expert calls it, is able to zoom in from their CRT monitor on a mirror and enhance the label on a medicine vial to read the name and address of who it was prescribed to.

 

[Deset Gled]

So I’m watching Along Came A Spider from 2001 in which a web camera connected to “cyberspace”, as the computer expert calls it, is able to zoom in from their CRT monitor on a mirror and enhance the label on a medicine vial to read the name and address of who it was prescribed to.

A big one that killed me even when it was new: House of Cards (released in 1993, but actually made in 1991). A kid builds a funny looking tower out of cards. The mom takes Polaroids of the tower, scans them into her office computer, and then immediately pulls up a 3d render of the tower in virtual reality (with full 90s VR headset goodness and graphics). Soon after, they build a full replica of the tower, for real.

Lots of times, like in the CSI show or the movie example above, tech stupidity like this is slightly excused by the fact that it's supposed to be a quick step in the plot; it's just a minor narrative step from one point to the next, and there's just not enough time to explain anything in better detail. But in this case, it's the titular House of Cards. As in, the movie gets it's name from this. Ouch.

 

[trappedslider]

A big one that killed me even when it was new: House of Cards (released in 1993, but actually made in 1991). A kid builds a funny looking tower out of cards. The mom takes Polaroids of the tower, scans them into her office computer, and then immediately pulls up a 3d render of the tower in virtual reality (with full 90s VR headset goodness and graphics). Soon after, they build a full replica of the tower, for real.

i vaguely remember watching that in some class, iirc the kid who built the thing was suffering from some trauma induced behavior and Tommy Lee Jones was in it

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