April 2023 - Page 3 of 6 - Ramblin' with Roger

Cashing in the savings bonds

paying for higher education

I wanted to start cashing in the savings bonds I bought thirty years ago. Late in 1992, I decided to buy $100 US savings bonds through my job’s payroll plan; they cost $50 each.

The first two EE bonds matured recently. The elder, from 1992, was now worth a whopping $207.36. However, the second, from 1993, was valued at $164.12. It’s like me to get on a good thing after it peaked.

I checked my bank’s website, which suggested they would cash them, but I went there and was told, “We haven’t done that in years.” Then I checked my credit union’s online bot, which told me I had to prove they were mine, even though my name was on them. I would need an unsigned copy of FS Form 1522.

After posting my confusion on Facebook, I got advice to try my credit union, my bank but to give them notice, and another bank. Ultimately, I went to my credit union, which was easier than anticipated.

I noticed that my bonds from 1993 through 1995 are getting 4% interest, which will cash out at about $160 each at maturity. But the 1996 and 1997 ones now receive 2.82% interest and will only be worth about $125 eventually.

Taxes

One of my relatives has several matured savings bonds left by a spouse, which they have not yet cashed because they are wary of the tax implications.

From Smart Asset: “You won’t pay state or local income tax on interest earnings, but you may pay state or inheritance taxes if those apply where you live.

“You have one option for avoiding taxes on savings bonds: the education exclusion. You can skip paying taxes on interest earned with Series EE and Series I savings bonds if you’re using the money to pay for qualified higher education costs. That includes expenses you pay for yourself, your spouse, or a qualified dependent. Only certain qualified higher education costs are covered, including:

Tuition
Fees
Some books
Equipment, such as a computer

“You can still use savings bonds to pay for other education expenses, such as room and board or activity fees, but you wouldn’t be able to avoid paying taxes on interest.”

Estates

I’ve known a couple of people dealing with estates involving savings bonds. They involve more legalese than I need to share here.

They may need to provide death certificates they do not possess. I know that, e.g., the city of Albany provides them “upon proof of entitlement under New York State (NYS) Public Health Law.” In Mecklenburg County (Charlotte), NC, you can get one when “seeking information for legal determination of personal property rights.”

Oh, I know I have lost one bond from 1993. I can tell because there is a gap in the dates issued. Since I have a TreasuryDirect account, I can replace it by filling out FS Form 1048. It shouldn’t be signed before being witnessed by a notary.

Is diversity “pandering”?

Kareem re: The Bachelor

I was talking to a White friend of mine recently. During the conversation, they said that all those television advertisements showing diverse people, folks of many colors and sizes, and abilities, are “pandering.” This took me aback.

Maybe it’s because I’ve written about this at least twice. Here’s the second piece, because the comments to the first piece (which I linked to in that second post) were so filled with racist vitriol that it was exhausting.

The less vulgar responses were like what “Bruce” wrote: “My count of Blacks in commercials exceeds 33%… But blacks make up 14% of the population and only 10% of total consumption (commercials, after all, are all about stimulating consumption)…

“So explain that huge discrepancy. I surely don’t mind seeing diversity in TV ads. But they should reflect fairness relative to these respective groups’ overall economic impact. Otherwise, it’s just PC gone haywire.” As I noted, I grew up when there were NO people of color in TV ads and damn few on the programs.

It finally occurred to me that I was stating the premise incorrectly. Advertisements have always been aspirational. I can see myself in that new model T Ford. My new Frigidaire will keep my food fresher.

Frankly, I don’t watch many television ads, as I fast forward a lot through recorded programs. The shows I watch tend to be news programs. But even speeding through them, I can tell many, if not most, of the programs I watch, are for prescription drugs.

Let me be clear that I despise these direct-to-the-consumer Rx ads, which seem to run only in the US and New Zealand. Their goal is to remind Black women they can also have clearer skin. Hispanic men no longer have to suffer the embarrassment of ED.

These ads show diversity, not because they are “woke” or pandering but because they want to sell stuff – sometimes things you don’t need – to as many people as possible.

As author Walter Mosley speaks to CBS News about how much more buzz his new book, Every Man a King, is getting than any of his others, he notes it’s because of capitalism.

The Bachelor

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, who incidentally appears in an ad about AFib, though not tied to a particular product, recently wrote about diversity in television. His example was The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, et al. I’ve never watched a single episode.

He asks a “simple question: Do reality shows (or TV shows and movies in general) have a responsibility to be aspirational as well as reflecting ‘reality’? By that, I mean, should a reality franchise with a vast audience and influence on popular culture merely reflect systemic racism, or should it aim higher in creating the kind of diverse world that we aspire toward?

“When you reflect systemic racism by not including a more ethnically diverse cast, then you are perpetuating that racism. For money.” He explains it well.

AAEEO

Another friend noted, “I’ve seen some media coverage of the Oscars. The whole thing seems like a study in overcompensation, as if ‘the academy’ feels guilty and hopes throwing everything at a single film can make up for decades of ‘in-crowd’ awards.”

The reference, of course, is to Everything Everywhere All At Once, a movie I extolled. It may be my favorite film of this century. (My friend hasn’t seen it for what I know to be good reasons unrelated to the ethnicity of the actors.)

My take: EEAAO was a film that would not have been made a few years ago, but it can now be with an Asian co-writer/co-director/co-producer. And that should be celebrated. I’m REALLY happy that I saw it at the cinema.

And it’s not just Asians being honored. Of the four acting winners, Michelle Yeoh is 60, Jamie Lee Curtis is 64, Ke Huy Quan is 51, and Brendan Fraser (The Whale) is 54. The guys had both been lost in the Hollywood wilderness.

I understand that “diversity” is a bugaboo for many people. On a recent episode of the TV drama The Good Doctor, the black female third-year resident didn’t want to be on a video chat talking to would-be doctors that “looked like her.” It was a burden, which I totally got. Mild spoiler: she gave the talk at the end and realized how powerful the experience was.

Race

Another friend asked me in a public setting recently whether we should stop counting race in the US Census since race, as we all know, is a social construct. I said yes, which was disappointing to that person. They were sad that Barack Obama had not checked the White AND Black boxes on the 2010 Census.

I opined at the time that the race question might disappear when the number of people selecting multiple race boxes increased enough to make the numbers meaningless.

In retrospect, I don’t believe it’ll go away until America becomes more willing to discuss the consequences of racism. Since the distinctions will be based on historic racial characteristics, they will remain relevant for… I don’t know how long.

Why Albany? Why not Albany?

Knick Arena

Jeanne Beanne, who I know IRL, asked another question.

Why Albany? Why not Albany?

I’ve written about Albany, NY, periodically, but it warrants revisiting now and then.

Here’s a mixed issue. Ninety-eight acres of downtown Albany were razed in the 1960s to build the Empire State Plaza.

On the one hand, it has created one of the most distinctive skylines in the state. The Egg and, subsequently, the Knickerbocker Arena (currently called the MVP Arena, its third name change) have provided great entertainment venues. There is a pleasant passageway underground between the state capitol and the excellent state museum.

On the other hand, tearing down those neighborhoods have totally changed the character of that part of the city. It propelled flight to the suburbs at least as much as the suburban malls such as Colonie Center and Crossgates.

Too many houses have a red placard with a big white X, indicating “to ‘first responders’-police officers, fire department staff and building department staff, that the building is considered unsafe for emergency personnel.”

I was walking down the first block of Central Avenue, where the comic book store, FantaCo, where I worked, resided from 1978 to 1998. That area looks much more run down than it did five years ago. Some of it, I imagine, is the effect of the pandemic, but still, it made me a bit sad.

Change takes time

In some ways, it’s getting better than the old days. It’s still a one-party rule in the city. There hasn’t been a Republican mayor in over a century. For forty of those years, Erastus Corning 2nd and the Democratic party machine ran entirely undemocratic operations.

For complex reasons – how can you get a city to see a shrink? – it has taken time to break away from the way things were.

Mayor Kathy Sheehan is trying. The city council is far more diverse than it had been for most of its existence.

I noted recently on Facebook how some street lights were out near my house at midday while they did necessary repairs. Folks with flags in an exciting display of teamwork controlled the traffic. In the bad old days, they might have waited until they broke before fixing them. Snow removal is better than it was, not perfect, but at least the side streets are getting occasional care.

I HEART ALB

At the core, I’m happy to be in Albany. The Capital District Transportation Authority buses, at the last major restructuring of their bus schedules about 15 years ago, FINALLY provided more equitable service to the South End of the city.

The area, as noted, has fine cultural offerings. The various colleges and universities in the region bolster this.

In the course of climate change, there’s nowhere else I’d rather be. The Capital District is not prone to drought, hurricanes, tornadoes, or extreme weather. And Albany, specifically, resides in a valley, so it’s less likely to get snow than, say, Averill Park, just 15 miles to the east. Indeed, and probably unfortunately, the winters are much milder and less snowy than they used to be.

Finally, as Albanians acknowledge yet hate to admit, it’s easy to travel to New York, Boston, and even Montreal. So it’s convenient to get to Somewhere Else, which is not the worst thing.

Losses and isolation during COVID

drowning

In March, two friends and I discussed “the losses and ISOLATION regarding COVID.” Subsequently, one of them suggested I write a blog post about it.

One friend said he didn’t understand why people weren’t talking about this. I was initially confused by the observation. I had read many articles, such as this one: The COVID-19 pandemic triggers a 25% increase in the prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide. Or this one: The impact of COVID-19 on mental health cannot be made light of. Both of those were from WHO in 2022.

And here’s a piece from September 2020: “We are six months into COVID-19, and it’s already challenging to imagine a world post-COVID-19. It’s hard to believe it’s only been half a year — it feels like so much longer. I struggle to remember concrete details of life before COVID-19, much less relate to the ones I do recall, like going out in public without worrying about proximity to others and masks.”

Talk

I think that I underestimated my friend’s need to TALK about feelings. I WROTE about my experiences in this blog recently and a few times before that. But, for the most part, I did not have the opportunity to verbalize those sensations.

Fairly early in the pandemic, in October 2020, after I had finished working the Census, I tried to set up a counseling relationship with a therapist. Of course, it was going to be remote. Everything was remote in that timeframe.

For whatever reasons, some technological and some because we didn’t “click,” I abandoned the effort after three sessions. Perhaps if we had a previous relationship, it would have been more successful.

The most interesting and intense part of the conversation with my two friends involved our children. One friend insisted that he and his wife were most impacted as empty nesters. The other friend and I pushed back, noting that watching our children flounder was at least as painful.

I did not use this analogy then, as it is imperfect, like most analogies. But that COVID time for one friend was like drowning. It was like watching your kids drown for the other friend and me.

The sheer intensity of this discussion helped me realize that we as a country will need a lot more accessible mental health capacity than is likely available in the near term.

I recommend that people speak to someone outside their immediate circle on the phone or ZOOM if not in person. It doesn’t have to be a psychologist. However, it cannot be one of those people – I’ve met them – who say things such as, “Suck it up! The pandemic’s over. Move on!” Those folks are less than useless to talk to.

Sunday Stealing: Mantelligence?

ethical zoos

This Sunday Stealing is by someone called Mantelligence. He writes: “Why should everyone want to know random questions to ask that can be found in this post? Because random things to talk about work so well. They throw your audience off-balance in a discussion, often making people give more honest and genuine answers.” Occasionally, that’s true; other times, some of those folks shut down.

1. If You Had The World’s Attention For 30 Seconds, What Would You Say?

I don’t think there’s a thing I could say in 30 seconds that would be that significant. That’s true of most people unless they can change the trajectory of events. Declaring war, e.g.

2. If Your Food Is Bad At A Restaurant, Would You Say Something?

If “bad” means I didn’t enjoy it, then no. One of the recent times my wife and I went out to dinner, we didn’t think the food was all that good and overpriced. However, the host was delightful, and the waitstaff was efficient. Also, my meal was better reheated than as initially served. Weird.

If “bad” means the milk is sour or something unidentifiable in my soup, then yes.

3. What Is In Your Fridge Right Now?

Besides the usual items, leftovers from a different restaurant.

Not a car guy

4. What Are You Freakishly Bad At?

Identifying automobile makes and models. I’m pretty car blind. A good friend picked my wife and me when my wife had several medical procedures last fall. I could only identify the vehicle by the license plate number.

5. Where Do You Not Mind Waiting?

I’m good if I have something to read and preferably a place to sit. The DMV? No problem. Of course, I only go there every eight years to renew my ID.

6. What’s Something You’ve Tried, That You’ll Never, Ever Try Again?

Probably square dancing. I don’t hate it; it’s just that I’m horrible at it. There are steps that I can keep track of when the caller is giving them out. But when they stop… You don’t want me to do-si-do with you.

7. If You Could Dis-Invent One Thing, What Would It Be?

Obviously, war. I’ll go with any assault rifle (AK-47, AR-15, et al.)

8. If You Could Be A Member Of Any TV-Sitcom Family, Which Would It Be?

When I was a kid, it would have been The Dick Van Dyke Show.

9. What Would Be The Best Thing About Not Having A Sense Of Smell?

I’d avoid tobacco odor. I can smell a lit cigarette from ten meters when the wind direction is right.

10. Would You Rather Live (Permanently) In A Roller Coaster Park Or A Zoo?

A zoo, for sure. When I was growing up, zookeepers didn’t seem to know (or care) how to tend to some animals properly. Here’s a piece called Ethical Zoos: How to Determine the Good from the Bad

Tweet and retweet

11. When Scrolling Through Social Media, Do You Prefer Posts From Celebrities Or Your Best Friends?

I don’t care about celebrity musings. This is particularly true on Twitter when some “influencer” was speaking obliquely about… something I had not heard about, assuming that EVERYBODY already knew of it.

(Eventually, I discovered it was about Kid Rock – whose opinion about SO many things has proven tedious – and Travis Tritt boycotting Bud Light. Whatever.)

Also, I likely don’t know most “celebrities” who are under 35.

12. What Makes Someone A Hero?

Mostly, the opportunity to do what’s right when that is difficult to do. Then doing it.

13. What Is The Stupidest Thing You’ve Done Because Someone Dared You To?

A Halloween costume I wore many decades ago.

14. What Is The Stupidest Thing You’ve Done On Your Own Free Will?

I was swimming in the Susquehanna River in Binghamton by myself when I was in high school. I almost drowned.

15. Would You Rather Have Unlimited Sushi For Life Or Unlimited Tacos For Life?

Tacos, assuming they’re soft, and they come with a variety of options.