5/19    I have lots of student loans, all of which are in deferment
        due to economic hardship (aka I'm too poor to pay them off
        now). If I have a little bit of money available each money
        ($100-200), should I contribute towards paying them off
        or is it better to contribute that money towards retirement?
        Thanks
        \_ Deferment as in you don't accrue any interest and you
           don't have to make payments, or deferment as you don't
           have to make payments but interest accrues?  Also,
           could you make the minimum payment if you were not
           on deferment?
                \_ Deferment meaning don't need to pay interest
                   but it does accrue interest. -op
                   \_ OK, if you start paying a minimal amount,
                      are they going to start demanding you
                      pay more and put you in a bind?  Last,
                      what, of any, of this is tax-deductable?
                        \_ Nope, I can pay off however much I
                           want at any time, and it doesn't
                           affect anything else. But, I don't
                           know about the tax question.
                           \_ The tax question is kind of
                              important to answer your
                              question.
                                \_ Well if it's anything like
                                   other student loans (and it
                                   should be), the interest
                                   accrued is deductible.
                                   \_ It's better than deductible.
        \_ OK, to summarize the deleted, the interest is tax
           deductable.  Next question:  if you save your $100-$200/m,
           can you make more than the interest on that $100-$200/m,
           when you discount that interest by your Fed tax rate?  I.e.,
           when you enhance that interest by your Fed tax rate?  I.e.,
           suppose your effective Fed tax rate is 15%, can you make
           >= .85x <student loan interest rate> on your $100-200/m?
           >= 1.15x <student loan interest rate> on your $100-200/m?
                \_ Or is this 1.0x?  Or .85x?
           If so, then you are better off keeping the money and
           building up a nest-egg--from which you can pay the loan
           later if the interest rate goes up, etc.
           later if the interest rate goes up, etc.  If you put the
           money into a Roth IRA, the question is can you make >=
           1.0x <student loan interest rate> on your $100-200/m?
        \_ If it's accruing interest then you should pay it. Otherwise you
           will be paying interest on interest, which is *BAD*.
        \_ It depends on what the interest rate is on your student loans.
           If it is less than 5%, you should certainly invest first, and
           delay paying your student loans for as long as possible. If it
           is higher than 12%, you should certainly pay if off (unless you
           have some higher interest debt, like credit card debt). If it
           is in between, it kind of depends on how good an investor you
           think you are. You should probably error on the side of caution. -GS

5/19    What a dumb ass.
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d1wSZBTAXRs
        \- meritocracy in action! also:
        \- meritocracy in acton! also:
           http://tinyurl.com/6xt6cj
           \_ What does Acton have to do with this?

5/19    http://nfccomic.com/comics/205.jpg
        Math comic, geek humor.
        \_ "humor"
        \_ That's hilarious. Let's come up with some other hilarious ideas
           for comics. How about one where pi comes along and the others
           eat him? HAHAHA!

5/19    "Scientist Shifts Views on Global Warming"
        http://csua.org/u/lm4
        (AP)

5/19    "The aim is to include countries like the United States, China, India
        and Brazil, which have not accepted any binding curbs on their
        emissions so far."
        http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/04/21/business/rtrinside22.php
        Cap and trade not exactly working.

5/19    How does Abilify differ from SSRI class of medications? I'm
        interested in any medication that will BOOST UP my performance.

5/19    Awesome WWF propaganda
        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIy2XniVIuw
        http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polar_bear#Controversy_over_species_protection
        \_ the response video is hi-larious
           http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xp3ITHJ-55w&watch_response

5/19    HIROHITO's secret hideout tunnel and nerve center from WW2, now
        showing on HISTORY. Banzai!!!                   -Banzai John
        \_ http://www.cafepress.com/buy/dildos/-/pd_80674402?CMP=KNC-F-ALL
        \_ Possibly also of interest to you:
           http://search.japantimes.co.jp/member/member.html?fl20030301a1.htm

5/19    Tort reform lowers medical costs in Texas?
        http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121097874071799863.html?mod=opinion_main_commentaries

5/19    Picture of China earthquake site.
        http://tinyurl.com/65lr67 (news.yahoo.com)
        I don't know what to say.  It's good if the China earthquake victims
        are drawing inspiration and encouragement from the Sep 11 victims.  I
        just hope that the flag wasn't planted by the Reuters journalist
        himself trying to get a Pulitzer Prize.

5/19    Here's my whacky idea for how politics will go after 2008:
        The (D) continues a leftward shift, alienating the center, Hillary
        loving, soccer mom, family types.
        The (R) party splits.
        (R1) goes to the center with McCain.  Grabs all the center-left the
        (D) loses, but loses the conservatives.
        Conservatives form new party, (R2).  (R2) has a small set of hard core
        voters, similar to the smaller (D) party.  (R1) party gains plurality
        of seats, offices, etc, but can not rule without assistance of (D) or
        (R2) in general or pass individual bills without help.
        Ok, the odds of this actually happening are small but it would make
        things interesting, IMO.  If it does happen, you heard it here first!

5/19    why are you such an ass aspolito? why dont you stick a D battery in
        your ars, dipshit

5/19    Tort reform lowers medical costs in Texas?
        http://csua.org/u/lmd (WSJ.com)
        \_ ...for corporations and insurers!