[Paladin79]

The above bolsters your previous point: some areas of the world are more expensive to live in than others. A person could earn $100,000 a year and still feel poor if he lived in Santa Clara County, CA (some of my family lives there, thankfully since 1969 so they've "ridden the real estate tide" and aren't trying to start out). That same $100,000 per year would do quite nicely in Harris County, TX or Shelby County, AL.

That's why I don't buy into the premise or conclusion stated for the article, that everyone needs $70,000 per year to be happy.

Yeah early on I stated it depended on location. An apartment on K street in DC can be $4500 a month. Now in that same city gas prices and food prices are not too bad. I have many friends who moved to Indiana from California and were amazed at the houses with large yards they could get for specific prices. Go to some parts of the country and a tiny lot on which to build a house can be $350k.

 

[Ableza]

I test drove one, but it is important to me if I'm buying a new car, that the car is built in America.

Spoiler: it's always nice to have options

Or Germany.

They are assembled at the old Crown Victoria assembly plant in Mexico, so yes in America. Just not in the United States.

 

[Roy G. Biv]

I wish the urd would have a way to play files from my hdd.

I have an Oppo BDP93 DVD player which plays files from an HDD, but the user experience is so poor that I've only done it 2-3 times. First, the TV must be on and there are a few button presses to get to the files. IIRC (its been a few years) the player sorted the files differently depending on format. All this to say that, in my opinion, if you want to stream files from an HDD get yourself a streamer/streaming DAC of which there are many good options on the market.

FWIW, I own 2 Bluesound Node 2i which can play files directly from an HDD using the BlueOS app but I don't enjoy that experience, either. Much better to use Audirvana, Roon, JRiver Media Center etc. I've tried all three and like them all.

 

[bcowen]

Funny.
I want to say the happiness in question was possibly being happy with the money you were earning but even those with great wealth want more houses or yachts or vacations. so I cannot imagine a magic number of $70k being an answer.
I was taught years ago that you can only be truly happy when working towards a goal. That goal could be more education, greater wealth, a bigger house, more time with the family, but you best know how to work towards realistic goals, and why you might fail.

My son did this and and more than achieved major goals while in his twenties. He graduated college with no student loans to pay off, knew the limitations of what he might earn in his home town so he moved to the DC area.

His goals were:

written
time binding
realistic
backed by a plan
specific
measurable
etc.

Pretty much MBO for the individual, but you best meet all criteria. I also taught him that if you find something you truly love to do, it is no longer work.

My goal is to sit on my butt all day and listen to music.

written: see above
time binding: now until I die
realistic: a matter of perspective, but I have the requisite skills
backed by a plan: I've been planning this for a long time -- does that count?
specific: Add an allowance for an occasional air guitar solo, then close enough
measurable: Progressive growth in waistline measurement should be unobjectionably objective enough
etc.: Why is there always a vague contingency?

Now I just need to figure out how to get paid for doing this. Guess I need a plan for that.

 

[OldRoadToad]

My goal is to sit on my butt all day and listen to music.

written: see above
time binding: now until I die
realistic: a matter of perspective, but I have the requisite skills
backed by a plan: I've been planning this for a long time -- does that count?
specific: Add an allowance for an occasional air guitar solo, then close enough
measurable: Progressive growth in waistline measurement should be unobjectionably objective enough
etc.: Why is there always a vague contingency?

Now I just need to figure out how to get paid for doing this. Guess I need a plan for that.

With regard to your final statement? It would be called the ideal retirement. It is my desire to be able to stay at home when I want to. Visit with our grandchildren. Exercise daily. And those times I want to travel, get in my Ram EmoDiesel and see how far I can get in one week and then come back. Wait until the urge is truly on me and do the same for 2 weeks out and then return. And while I have no musical talent, from that point on I will play life by ear.

Because I will be doing all of this to the soundtrack of my life. All the best to you, brother. In all ways and for always, be well.

ORT

 

[Paladin79]

My goal is to sit on my butt all day and listen to music.

written: see above
time binding: now until I die
realistic: a matter of perspective, but I have the requisite skills
backed by a plan: I've been planning this for a long time -- does that count?
specific: Add an allowance for an occasional air guitar solo, then close enough
measurable: Progressive growth in waistline measurement should be unobjectionably objective enough
etc.: Why is there always a vague contingency?

Now I just need to figure out how to get paid for doing this. Guess I need a plan for that.

LMAO!
I added the etc. because i could not remember all eight criteria off the top of my head lol. I could recall some that apply to companies only.

I can listen to music most anytime so I like to have other goals. My short term goal for today is repairing a Delta faucet for three young women who rent from me. They are always fun to talk to so once again if you enjoy what you are doing it is not work.

 

[OldRoadToad]

Of late I have been trying to find a list of quality portable DAC/AMP devices that purposely do NOT "feature" the bullchit known as MQA. So far when I type those preferences in to a search on Googlie, it comes back with crap that has MQA.

Crap has MQA, Schiit does not. Alas, Schiit does not make what I am looking for (and I do NOT blame them!) and this will not be for me but as a gift (not the Germanic kind, LOL!) for family and friends. Dongle devices are far from either bespoke or becroak (the latter is a toadish thing and would feature...Yup. VU Meters) and to my mind, not worth the money. I find it odd that a dinky dongle can do so much with so little. The higher priced colourful ones are touted by the frAudiophiles as being thin sliced camembert. Odd that high resolution can be brought to life by a teensie-weensie, relatively gut less thumb drive with mqa (does not deserve capitalizaton!) but a desk top unit lacking the BS is felt to be the musical version of headcheese.

Anything frAudiophile recommended usually comes with a big price tage because those that type for a "living" usually get "bro deals" and hunt and peck with gratis in mind. "Liberum causa scribo stercore" if you will. And yes, I had to use an english to ancient latin translator. I am neither Doc Holliday nor Johnny Ringo.

Time to watch that film again. Our grandson's middle name is Wyatt...And I am off topic again, LOL! So. Back on the off topic track!

This beggeth the question, do any of you lads (or the beauteous AudioGal) know of such devices? I know, I know...Some here are squirming like one of those wormie Urn things in "Prometheus". "Damn that toad, he has gone off topic again! A pox on him! If we "look" hard enough, I bet we find POLITICS in his posting!"

"SIGH"...

I have looked on the interwebs and elsewhere on this site too. I just know you folks a bit better. And if we had to stay on thread topic, this thread would have stopped at 39 (some might get the not too veiled reference) pages.

If there is nothing out there. Fine. If everything is thousands of dollars, Ooop! I can not afford that but that;s okay! If you know of something. Sweet! If you just want to say, "Oh toad, go take an airborne intercourse!" That's not a problem as I have a sense of humor, even when some one is serious. Or just being an Urd with an added "t", LOL!

ORT

 

[DougD]

My goal is to sit on my butt all day and listen to music.

written: see above
time binding: now until I die
realistic: a matter of perspective, but I have the requisite skills
backed by a plan: I've been planning this for a long time -- does that count?
specific: Add an allowance for an occasional air guitar solo, then close enough
measurable: Progressive growth in waistline measurement should be unobjectionably objective enough
etc.: Why is there always a vague contingency?

Now I just need to figure out how to get paid for doing this. Guess I need a plan for that.

I read somewhere .... here most likely ... that you'd all-but-cornered the market of GE tubes, a la Hunt Brothers. Time to exploit your neck choke on the global supply.

 

[lemp]

Alternate perspective:
One consequence of the minimum wage is teens have a hard time finding their first jobs. It's pretty tough to find your second job and start the process of building your skills and work history if you can't get your first job.

$22/hr is approximately triple the current minimum wage. If the minimum wage triples, will my salary also triple?

I know a lot of millennials and gen-Z who don't work nearly as hard as some baby boomers I know. Many of those same people spent a lot of money for degrees which don't support good-paying careers. That is poor planning.

Yet another alternative perspective:
One consequence of choosing an economy that doesn't have full (100%) employment is teens have a hard time finding their first job......

Why, in a market economy, would setting a minimum wage floor have anything to do with your salary (assuming it's above the minimum wage)? Presumably, the labor market has already correctly valued our labor. Although, there are enough distortions in the labor market that I assume we can agree that the idea is silly.

 

[OldRoadToad]

LMAO!
I added the etc. because i could not remember all eight criteria off the top of my head lol. I could recall some that apply to companies only.

I can listen to music most anytime so I like to have other goals. My short term goal for today is repairing a Delta faucet for three young women who rent from me. They are always fun to talk to so once again if you enjoy what you are doing it is not work.

I installed a new ice maker in the fridge of our daughter and her excellent husband yesterday. Unlike her mother, my daughter is appreciative and says "please and thank you". I took their Dyson stick vacuum home with me to fix a switch problem. I am not smart, just dumb lucky. Kinda like Karl Childers and small motors. Some times.

The only good thing about not being nearly as strong as I once was is my wife no longer volunteers me to move stuff weighing in excess of 200 and more pounds for her friends. I am no longer me. That is the biggest challenge to my ego that I face, that of being as most men are. "Normal".

Well, except of course for the sense of humour and the "mental" problems. Those will never be "normal".

ORT

 

[A Jedi]

Presumably, the labor market has already correctly valued our labor.

If all CEOs and other C levels take home 100s and 1000s X our salaries regardless of piiss poor performance, is our labor correctly valued or are we too dumb to stand up for ourselves in the face of a system that is clearly gamed?

Hint: all the peeps at the top that decide what each others' salary will be, play golf together, eat dinners together, take vacations together. In other words, they're friends. What's a few 100K or several Million between friends? Let's not forget golden parachutes. Are you guaranteed millions even if you run your company into the ground? No? Perhaps your labor is not properly valued then.

And anyway, if you believe in a market economy, you should go to some other country. In the US, corporate socialism rules the day - not capitalism.

 

[Paladin79]

I installed a new ice maker in the fridge of our daughter and her excellent husband yesterday. Unlike her mother, my daughter is appreciative and says "please and thank you". I took their Dyson stick vacuum home with me to fix a switch problem. I am not smart, just dumb lucky. Kinda like Karl Childers and small motors. Some times.

The only good thing about not being nearly as strong as I once was is my wife no longer volunteers me to move stuff weighing in excess of 200 and more pounds for her friends. I am no longer me. That is the biggest challenge to my ego that I face, that of being as most men are. "Normal".

Well, except of course for the sense of humour and the "mental" problems. Those will never be "normal".

ORT

I hire some things done like replacing a water heater, the lifting would bother me at my current stage of life. It is a joy for me to know I did something or made something with my own two hands but as you get older, there are limitations.

I believe @bcowen and me have similar approaches to buying audio gear. We use our hands and brains to achieve what we want and keep a separate account we pay into for said gear. Now I will certainly build and design various gear, cables, racks, cabinets while Bill accrues value in his tube collection and his work with tube testers. As best I recall we have never used money in any of our personal dealings. (I am excluding a bet I won involving GE tubes. )
If both of us were poor, most likely we would still have the audio gear we want.

 

[bcowen]

I read somewhere .... here most likely ... that you'd all-but-cornered the market of GE tubes, a la Hunt Brothers. Time to exploit your neck choke on the global supply.

That's only an urban legend spawned by some, um, characters that make fun of me making fun of GE tubes.

 

[OldRoadToad]

I hire some things done like replacing a water heater, the lifting would bother me at my current stage of life. It is a joy for me to know I did something or made something with my own two hands but as you get older, there are limitations.

In truth, the only thing I am capable of making by myself is...A mess.
ORT

 

[bcowen]

LMAO!
I added the etc. because i could not remember all eight criteria off the top of my head lol. I could recall some that apply to companies only.

I can listen to music most anytime so I like to have other goals. My short term goal for today is repairing a Delta faucet for three young women who rent from me. They are always fun to talk to so once again if you enjoy what you are doing it is not work.

LOL! I am SO sure that the thrill of repairing a faucet is your real underlying motivation.