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What Dreams May Come

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Re: What Dreams May Come

#371

Post by darthclue »

futurist wrote: post #131
lnanek2 wrote: post #125

Kind of bizarre seeing someone else's value system which is completely alien to my own. If I was leaving my wife and kids with mortgage and car loan debt, I wouldn't spend $10-20k on a graveyard plot, that's for sure. I don't think I would in any case, I'd just get cremated or whatever the cheapest option is.

Right. I think this is what bothers me about this list. It's material driven. There's a saying that goes (paraphrasing) "don't wish for better circumstances, wish to be a better person." For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:36 KJV. Jonathan, you and your family must look to the Lord Jesus Christ. He is your judge. Through Him all things are possible.

I can't say where I stand spiritually but everyone who suggests I should simply rely on God obviously believes that they are not responsible for any of their own actions. And if you truly believe that is materially driven then you haven't bothered reading and understanding what is written.

Don't try to talk to me about God until you've taken the time to actually read and understand who it is you're talking to and what it is you're saying.

Re: What Dreams May Come

#372

Post by jquery »

mynameishere wrote: post #355

Depressing that someone facing death would worry about Disney World and Casa Bonita. I spent a vacation at Disney World when I was 9 years old and recognized it as a plastic mold-injected bore--not in those words at the time, but good god I knew it was a tiresome waste of life, even at that age. Casa Bonita is a South Park episode. Enough said about that. But hey, you're the one who didn't buy life insurance like a r…

> Also, why was this posted?

Very meta of you. Who are you to judge what someone likes? If you don't want to donate, fine, but do you also have to spit on the beggar as you walk past? Your post is vile.

Re: What Dreams May Come

#373

Post by Aloha »

mynameishere wrote: post #355

Depressing that someone facing death would worry about Disney World and Casa Bonita. I spent a vacation at Disney World when I was 9 years old and recognized it as a plastic mold-injected bore--not in those words at the time, but good god I knew it was a tiresome waste of life, even at that age. Casa Bonita is a South Park episode. Enough said about that. But hey, you're the one who didn't buy life insurance like a r…

Dude is dying - who exactly are you to criticize the way he wants to spend his days with his family?

Beyond that, my mom took me to Disneyland when I was about 9 - while I could tell it was a constructed environment, it's a very very pretty one, and I make life experiences I still think about now, some 22 years later.

I'm 31, and while I don't have kids, I dont have life insurance either, beyond a small 10k policy - no one expects to die younger than 40, and really, if you'd read, you'd see he recently changed jobs, hence the lack of insurance - beyond that, if you hadn't noticed its been a hard couple of years recently when it comes to the job market and economy, many parts of the country have only started to recover in the last 18 months.

Re: What Dreams May Come

#374

Post by Aloha »

jquery wrote: post #372
mynameishere wrote: post #355

Depressing that someone facing death would worry about Disney World and Casa Bonita. I spent a vacation at Disney World when I was 9 years old and recognized it as a plastic mold-injected bore--not in those words at the time, but good god I knew it was a tiresome waste of life, even at that age. Casa Bonita is a South Park episode. Enough said about that. But hey, you're the one who didn't buy life insurance like a r…

> Also, why was this posted? Very meta of you. Who are you to judge what someone likes? If you don't want to donate, fine, but do you also have to spit on the beggar as you walk past? Your post is vile.

HN is a community first, I wish people would remember this - I'd rather see posts about us taking care of our own, rather than:

Check out my new app its X for Y New Agile Ruby Framework..

Or any other number of buzzword compliant posts.

Re: What Dreams May Come

#375

Post by Aloha »

darthclue wrote: post #74

Jonathan here. Being woke up by my wife crying because the donations just aren't stopping is both heart-breaking and comforting. For those of you who haven't seen the 'Bucket List' post, here's what it says at the very top: As I try to deal with the reality that is my impending death I can't help but wonder how many things I might have been able to accomplish given just a little more time. When I was diagnosed, I had…

You implied you're in Texas - you may wish to look into natural burial - I don't know where in Texas you are - but I was considering it for myself.

http://www.eloisewoods.com/index.html is one option - but there are many others - it comes with the advantage of being much cheaper - you could even dig.. well you know.

I hope you beat it dude, I really do, I'm 31 - 4 years ain't that much.

Re: What Dreams May Come

#376

Post by ilovecookies »

toothbrush wrote: post #212
ilovecookies wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also what I'm thinking. Yes, this is probably a terrible experience he is going through, but if people 'really' wanted to help maybe giving to a cancer research institution or donating to people that have 'real' needs, like putting food on the table or access to fresh water. Wouldnt that honestly be more fair and better than to a guy who needs to pay of his mortgage today? I mean the average time to pay of a…

Hm, unfortunately the misanthrope in me agrees with ilovecookies. My donation, too, will be going to feeding and providing basic medicine to underprivileged people, not financing some guy's huge car and 4 children in a 1st world home.

misanthrope?

I would rather say realist. We live in a society based upon democracy and free will right? I'm not ashamed for my statements.

Re: What Dreams May Come

#377

Post by ilovecookies »

darthclue wrote: post #364
ilovecookies wrote: post #186

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is also what I'm thinking. Yes, this is probably a terrible experience he is going through, but if people 'really' wanted to help maybe giving to a cancer research institution or donating to people that have 'real' needs, like putting food on the table or access to fresh water. Wouldnt that honestly be more fair and better than to a guy who needs to pay of his mortgage today? I mean the average time to pay of a…

Our loan is a 30 year term, cause ya know when you're 35 you don't expect to die in 2 years. Getting it re-financed isn't really an available option at this point. If you feel that your money is better spent donating to a cancer research center, then please do. But your jealousy is seriously mis-placed and you are seriously confused with regards to my motives. I'm not any more worthy of this than the next guy. That's…

I reeeally hope so but I wouldn't count on random people giving me money at all. Hope you are not saying that to make me feel guilty about not giving $$$ to you.

"Even as I sit here and look at what happened with this today I am torn between actually using the donations to pay off our housing and transportation debts along with my final resting place or just giving the money to someone else who needs it more than I do."

Yes, you should be.

If you are really in a dire situation maybe you should look into getting money from the government by participating in research and stuff like that. That's what I would do if I were in your situation.

Hope your last time on this planet is good. This is a process everyone will have to experience eventually I'm afraid. No matter if you are young or old. Crazy thing is that everything will just keep moving on, your kids will grow up, maybe have kids of their own and eventually, in a long time, themselves face the same situation. It's an endless cycle these lives. Even if we can't recognize that because we're stuck in the middle of it trying to make money for our future or something else we aren't sure about.

This is a really good book by the way. Helped me get through the hard times. Although im not sure the english translation is that good.

http://www.amazon.com/Inger-Christensen/dp/0811215946

Good luck. Hope your funding goes well and that it will make you happy.

Re: What Dreams May Come

#378

Post by ilovecookies »

chandraonline wrote: post #257
toothbrush wrote: post #212

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Hm, unfortunately the misanthrope in me agrees with ilovecookies. My donation, too, will be going to feeding and providing basic medicine to underprivileged people, not financing some guy's huge car and 4 children in a 1st world home.

Why is this a zero sum game. Why can't you do both?

It's about morals and values I guess. Alot of people would prefer donation to their neighbour rather than a uneducated or starved child in asia or africa. Even if that means taking the neigbours children to disneyland, casa bonita, expensive restaurants and paying of the guys mortgage and SUV. That's just because it's something we can relate to, so people develop more feeling for things like that. (Ever wondered why reality TV became so popular?)

That's the reason I cannot do both.

Re: What Dreams May Come

#379

Post by hessenwolf »

seanmcdirmid wrote: post #118
hessenwolf wrote: post #95

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The highest source of personal bankruptcy in China is medical expenses. Something something about the largest risk of poverty for middle class people in China is medical expenses. Source: WHO speaker at a longevity conference I attended.

China doesn't really have personal bankruptcy. Its pay at the door or die, and that includes various hongbaos needed for the doc to do a good job.

Not sure how it was defined. My brain recorded it as 'made fuck-poor'.

Re: What Dreams May Come

#380

Post by franl »

300bps wrote: post #312
franl wrote: post #299

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Great points all around, thank you for making them! Please don't help perpetuate this myth about whole life being a "rip off" though. Your statement is semi-accurate, but a bit misleading. Don't get whole life - it's generally a rip off Yes, if purchased from a non-mutual, financially shaky insurance company, it's quite likely a bad idea. However, when purchased from a financially strong mutual insurance company (Nor…

I'm in IT but I am also a CFA charter holder (Chartered Financial Analyst). I disagree wholeheartedly on your assertions on whole life. I have only seen whole life be an appropriate investment vehicle for very wealthy families that are doing estate planning. There may be other times where whole life is appropriate but I don't know what they are. In almost all circumstances someone would be better off buying term insu…

Based on your comment, I know you won't be swayed, so I won't argue :) My point was simply that allocating a small percentage of your money toward a WL policy can make some sense because it's such a flexible financial instrument (tax-deferred growth, tax-free withdrawals, policy payments made in the event of disability, a small but reasonable tax-adjusted return, permanent death benefit, etc.).

If/when I get married, my plan will look like this: majority of life insurance via term, modest WL policy, disability income insurance, some index funds, and some stock of two or three companies that I know deeply.

What happens to folks who retire after a crash like in 2000? It'd probably be better if they left their investments alone, and instead drew some money from their WL policy. You could argue that their allocation should've been well tilted from equities at that point, but what if it wasn't?

In a perfect world of automatic 10% yearly returns, and diligent saving/investment, buying term and investing the difference (from WL) would smack the performance of WL. Unfortunately it doesn't work like that. Most people don't save/invest diligently, and the market isn't automatic.

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