Oooooooo spooky!

Okay so basic history we have Speakeasy DSL. We love our Speakeasy DSL, but when you compare it to almost any other DSL package or Cable for that matter our DSL bill is large, huge, very high. Now note for our money we get a couple (10) static IPs, the ability to run as many servers as we want and 1.1/1.1 up and down SDSL. So it is a decent deal.

However, we are trying to cut costs a bit. So we decided to look into ways to save money on DSL and get faster service for downloads. Hey everyone else is on like 3/something we want it too. So today we took a look at our options. We know we can’t really run servers if we switch providers so we looked at both ISP and Colo/Hosting options. So we looked at Verizon and Comcast. Verison is definately the cheaper of the two. Since if we went Comcast we would most likely get cable as well. Either way we would save a bit. With Verison the cost for DSL would be around $40, with Comcast if we don’t have cable it would be around $60. If we do have cable it would be $60 for cable plus whatever their deal is to combine the two, so say about $100 total. Both choices would save money. Which is never a bad thing.

So then we look at Colo. There are not many places that offer Colo, which is different from hosting because with hosting they own the server and control the operating system and such. With Colo you own the box and can do what you wish with it. Prices for Colo were between $125 and $300. The $300 being more then we are currently spending.

So we check hosting. Most hosting places use Redhat, not really high on hubby’s choice of Linux but liveable. Except most of them use Fedore Core 2. Which isn’t suported anymore by Fedore… (spelling maybe off so bite me) Plus to get a server we like it is about $100 a month. Sigh. And Hubby would really want two servers anyways…

So apparently we are currently on the best plan possible for us. Too bad it isn’t as fast as it could be and it costs a bundle, sigh.

Note we were getting part of the cost covered because we run messageboards for our guild (this was very helpful), unfortunately the autosubscribing script does not work right, which screws things up and is a pain and means that it was removed. So we are no longer getting any compensation. Which isn’t a big deal, but it was nice while it did last.

Ugh so tonight I decided to sit down and do my Econ homework, since it is due tomorrow and all. It was nasty. It isn’t hard just tedious. And I hate tedium. There were three units to do with about 15 to 20 questions for each so it was just a ton of work that felt more like busy work then anything else. On the plus side it is done, and now I can study my other Econ class stuff, oh joy.

First the article I am commenting on is posted in the post below this one.

Now my comments. First off I see nothing wrong with the fact that these woman plan to graduate and become Stay at Home Moms. Honestly to me this is part of what the whole Feminine revolution was about, the right to be equal to men, and to make our own choices. Not the requirement that all woman have to work.

It is rather annoying to me however, to read other comments on this post as if these woman are destroying all that woman have worked for in equality. So what if they want to stay home, that is their choice and right. They have the right to do whatever they want with their education.

Honestly, I plan to be a Stay at Home Mom as well, once I have kids. I would like to get my PHD yes, but I will be quite happy staying at home with my children and hopefully homeschooling them as well.

Economically it also makes sense for one parent to stay home with the children. Child care can be expensive. Looking at childcare in the area where I live it would cost about $210 a week for daycare for one child. So around $10,000. Now let’s assume I have two kids. That is $20,000 a year. Assuming I get a job that pays $60,000 a year I lose $20,000 of that to childcare. Now let’s assume I am paying 40% on my taxes because my husband is also working and I’m in the top tax bracket (numbers maybe a bit off here but hey it is estimation). On my $60,000 I am paying $24,000 in taxes. So I am losing a total off $44,000 to childcare and taxes. Which means yearly off my $60,000 salary I will be seeing $16,000. Plus with both me and my husband working most likely we will be eating out a lot more then if one of us is home to make dinner. A homemade meal costs around $5 or less per person, where as a restaraunt costs around $12 minimum per person. Which will take off more of the money I am earning.

Using my basic estimation, yes if we are in a lot of debt that $16,000 will be useful from a job. However, in general I know I personally would not want to work 40+ hours a week for a net gain of $16,000 a year. So yes staying at home would not harm me financially since to even make it worthwhile I would have to get a job at $60,000 a year, which is above the average wage.

I understand people who may be upset by the idea that people are getting degrees and hope to stay home with their kids rather then work . However, education is important for everyone, and it is nice to have that backup if it is needed. People do have the right to feel as they do and financially it often is actually not a bad thing for one parent to stay home with the children especially before they enter school.

So honestly I applaud the woman who want a college degree and still want to be stay at home mothers for their children. It is good to have the choice to do so and hopefully they will be able to follow their dreams and do as they wish with their lives. And if they don’t well they will have their college degree to fall back on if something happens and they do need to find a job.

Article from the New York Times, I posted it in whole here because you have to be a member to see it on the site plus I don’t think they keep them in archive that long for free members. I will post my comments about said article in the post above this to keep the length of this post down.

September 20, 2005
Many Women at Elite Colleges Set Career Path to Motherhood
By LOUISE STORY

Cynthia Liu is precisely the kind of high achiever Yale wants: smart (1510 SAT), disciplined (4.0 grade point average), competitive (finalist in Texas oratory competition), musical (pianist), athletic (runner) and altruistic (hospital volunteer). And at the start of her sophomore year at Yale, Ms. Liu is full of ambition, planning to go to law school.

Read the rest of this entry »

A friend was noting how soccer/football players like to pat each other on the ass before going out and playing the game. So we came up with a new holiday. Happy Ass Grab Day! With the motto ‘show a little love, pet a butt.’

Harry Potter Personality Quiz by Pirate Monkeys Inc.

I’m actually more J then P I think, if I remember other personality tests I’ve taken, but hey who doesn’t want to be the BAD GUY!

Arrgghhh me mateys. So I was talking with my mom on the phone and called today International drink like a pirate day. It might make an interesting holiday, don’t ye think me mateys.

Arrgh ye landlubers, today is talk like a pirate day. So all ye scurvy rats better remember. Or it is off to walk the plank with you while I drink rum!