Random Thread ~Usagi-Chan ☮ Tūsurī~

[Zunu]

I keep meaning to get down to Charleston. What'd you like best about it?

[erilaz]

I still haven't done any traveling since I went to New Mexico the month before lockdown. The farthest I've been from home is Millbrae, 26 miles away.

[TotallyUncool]

I think I've traveled farther by plate tectonics than anything else since Covid hit. If I were living by myself or strictly with fully vaccinated/boosted people, I probably would have gotten around more, but sometimes that's just how things are. At this point, I would definitely prefer a somewhat better world.

[esm]

I keep meaning to get down to Charleston. What'd you like best about it?

The entire historic downtown area is pretty. I always love cities that aren't just your average American city/town in terms of look, and Charleston is definitely one of them because of the unique architecture. The history is fascinating because the city has been there since colonial times. Of course there are excellent restaurants and bars everywhere. Gullah-Geechee cuisine is unique to that region.

I did a historic walking tour and a ghost walking tour (with stops at 3 bars) and they were excellent. I don't believe in ghosts so for me it's more like a fun storytelling/legend tour, plus I wouldn't just walk around on my own at night anyway. Both my tour guides were from Charleston and their families have been in Charleston forever, plus to be certified as a tour guide in Charleston apparently you need to know a shit ton of stuff.

I'd say New Orleans, Charleston, and Savannah all have similar vibes, with New Orleans being the party city, Charleston being more of the bougie one with lots of proud natives, and Savannah being like a very nice in-between with a younger, artsier vibe that attracts a lot of newcomers.

[Zunu]

That sounds really compelling, thanks! There's something particularly atmospheric about cities with unique historical districts. Even the cynical machinery of tourism can't completely choke out the vein of tradition when those old architectural and archaeological details are staring you right in the face.

[TotallyUncool]

I think that's one of the things that's in short supply on the West Coast. There's history, and a lot of places have their own unique character, but the timeline (for U.S., Mexican, and Spanish-settled communities in California, for example) is much shorter. The native tribes have a long, long history and prehistory, of course, but the break after Europeans arrived was very sharp (and brutal), and the signs left on the landscape by the long native era are generally pretty subtle.

All of that probably makes it easier to appreciate the historical and prehistoric sites that do exist, but the truth is that we do lack much of the historic depth of the eastern U.S. (let alone the Old World).


Fixed a typo. Although signs lefy on the landscape does have a certain poetic ring to it: Signs leafy on the landscape announce the season to the rain-washed air...

[esm]

That sounds really compelling, thanks! There's something particularly atmospheric about cities with unique historical districts. Even the cynical machinery of tourism can't completely choke out the vein of tradition when those old architectural and archaeological details are staring you right in the face.

The thing I appreciated about Charleston is that King Street (the main shopping street downtown) and the Old City Market are full of local shops, so while you’d see a lot of souvenirs, a lot are by made locally or by local brands or artists, and they don’t have the same cheap, tacky feel as like typical DC and NYC souvenirs.

[TotallyUncool]

That's one of the good things about visiting areas that aren't the big, obvious tourist destinations - local artists, craftspeople, and venues are likely to be more visible, and you get more genuine local character.

[Celedam]

Since it's that time of the year, an FYI (or, technically, an ICYMI)…

If:

- You're invested in any mutual funds that pay out short- and long-term capital gains at the end of each year; and

- Those payouts are usually small enough that they don't significantly affect your taxes; and

- You're set up to automatically reinvest those payouts so you might not even look at your statements anymore…

…then I strongly suggest you look at your statement this time. For whatever reason (I don't know, I'm not the fund manager), I received a payout of about 10% this time, and that appears to be on the low end compared to other funds. It will significantly affect my taxes, and if I hadn't noticed it now, I would've been hit later with penalties for underpayment.

If you find that you're in a similar situation, you have two options:

1) Make an estimated tax payment by January 18; or

2) File your taxes and pay the entire amount owed by January 31.

For more information, see IRS Publication 505.

Of course none of this applies if you have only non-taxable retirement accounts. And if you're outside the U.S., do whatever is appropriate for your own country.

[Shoujo Q]

I know a few people mentioned this last year so I thought I’d give an update for those who asked/were wondering.

mm-bbs.org is alive and well and open for business again.