Xil wrote on Mar 25, 2025, 10:41:

Prez wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 15:04:

Xil wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 14:46:

Prez wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 13:43:
That happened to me. Hopefully you'll realize what I did - the IRS actually knows how to handle this fairly well and it wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. Dealing with private organizations was 10 times harder. Talk about a shock.

The worst part was trying to figure out the mythical sequence of number presses required to actually talk to a human at the IRS. There were literal walkthroughs online explaining in detail how to do it, and no I'm not joking. Hopefully it isn't still that way...

That is if there are still people left to answer the phone....

Oh no, silly person. I assume that you are referring to how DOGE is cleaning out government personnel. Rest assured that because the IRS is tasked with taking money from citizens (including inordinately large amounts from non-elites as compared to elites), there will be no shortages there. That really matters you know...I mean... MONEY. Duh.

And it's really cute that someone right now is having a seizure because the top 1% of US earners pay well over 50% of taxes. Never mind the 15% they take from the soccer mom in Nebraska hurts 50000 times more than if they taxed filthy rich assholes 90%. You keep your precious little numbers - It's adorable and it's why we love you.

Actually I was not having a seizure or tried to troll. In every reorganisation the first things to go is customer support because customer support cost money. But anyway let's hope Blue gets trough.

This seems to happen a lot so I am sure it's a me problem, but I in no way meant you. Sorry.

Prez wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 15:04:

Xil wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 14:46:

Prez wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 13:43:
That happened to me. Hopefully you'll realize what I did - the IRS actually knows how to handle this fairly well and it wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. Dealing with private organizations was 10 times harder. Talk about a shock.

The worst part was trying to figure out the mythical sequence of number presses required to actually talk to a human at the IRS. There were literal walkthroughs online explaining in detail how to do it, and no I'm not joking. Hopefully it isn't still that way...

That is if there are still people left to answer the phone....

Oh no, silly person. I assume that you are referring to how DOGE is cleaning out government personnel. Rest assured that because the IRS is tasked with taking money from citizens (including inordinately large amounts from non-elites as compared to elites), there will be no shortages there. That really matters you know...I mean... MONEY. Duh.

And it's really cute that someone right now is having a seizure because the top 1% of US earners pay well over 50% of taxes. Never mind the 15% they take from the soccer mom in Nebraska hurts 50000 times more than if they taxed filthy rich assholes 90%. You keep your precious little numbers - It's adorable and it's why we love you.

Actually I was not having a seizure or tried to troll. In every reorganisation the first things to go is customer support because customer support cost money. But anyway let's hope Blue gets trough.

Don't complain to the Feds if this is not resolved quickly, if you do your most likely a fraudster!

Another helpful step is to lock or freeze your credit with the three major credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion

Yes I did this. It was a touch inconvenient (they had to verify every time I did something that it was me) but I was notified several times when someone else was pretending to be me. Highly recommended

A belated note of sympathy for your situation, Blue. I'm sorry you're going through that. I hope you and Mrs. Blue have some kind of identity protection in place. If not, this might be a good time to consider it—these services can alert you to things like Social Security fraud and other misuse of personal information. They're not super expensive, but what they offer can be really valuable. One service I use includes identity theft insurance, covering things like legal help, expert assistance, reimbursement for stolen funds, and other personal expenses.

Another helpful step is to lock or freeze your credit with the three major credit bureaus—Experian, Equifax, and TransUnion—which adds an extra layer of protection. It creates a bit of a hassle if you need to take out a loan or apply for credit, but the process is usually as simple as temporarily unlocking your credit, completing what you need, and locking it again.

Thanks all.

Jivaro wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 14:51:
We have a large contingent of doggie lovers here, so I will put a little "content warning" here. Sad story...

I'm very sorry for your loss Jivaro.

Jivaro wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 14:51:
We have a large contingent of doggie lovers here, so I will put a little "content warning" here. Sad story...

I have mentioned her before, Lady is my 120 lb German Shep/American Staffordshire Terrier. She was 9 years old, nearly 10 when I got her in 2023. I found her in a shelter where she had been living for over 6 months. Her previous family, who had owned her for her entire life, had moved to Texas and for some reason decided not to take their dog. She has been with me through some rough stuff these last few years. Mom dying, divorce....just a lot. Through all of it, she has been the best canine companion I could have asked for.

Yesterday morning I woke up to a quiet house. This is not normal. I usually wake up to a dog lick or tail to the face because it's time for the morning walk. I got out of bed and Lady was lying down in the hallway. She looked up at me, but she didn't get up. I knew something was very wrong. She had broken a rear leg as a puppy and I was worried she had hurt that leg. I helped her stand up, we got as far as the bottom of my porch stairs, and she collapsed to the ground. This time I knew things were worse than just a possible sore leg. A neighbor helped me get her in the truck and I took her to a pet hospital. To my shock, an ultrasound revealed a tumor on her spleen that had ruptured. She had an immense amount of internal bleeding that was pooling in her abdomen. Her pain level was rising by the minute and so I agreed to some painkillers while we discussed her options. There weren't any. Surgery was a risky option that had less than a 5% chance of her living through it given the amount of blood loss. At her size, taking her back home without any treatment was not an option as it would put her through incredible pain. I realized at that moment that yesterday was going to be my last day with her....and so it was. Some of my friends and family were able to come to see her, she was immensely popular with all, so she spent her last hours quite spoiled and very loved.

I am a wreck today. I work from home, but I am just staring at the screen TBH. Rationally, this is what you sign up for when you adopt a senior pet. Emotionally, you wish you had more time. So hug your pets for me today folks.

Taking on an older dog, that's an incredibly selfless act. Props to you, and sorry she's gone now.

Neutronbeam wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 12:53:
Blue, please check your email for detailed blog posts from me on preventing and mitigating identity theft at local, state and federal levels.

Are these publicly available?

I had someone start opening credit cards in my name. They had *everything*. Thanks Experian!

This website was great, it guided me through the steps and helped track progress.

https://www.identitytheft.gov/

(Found via ftc.gov). Better go there now before DOGE shuts it down because rich people have lawyers do this for them.

He's not even trying anymore. Lame. There are trolls, and then there are low effort trolls. Go get a hug.

It was me cuz I'm ROGUE like that, but now that I know that you're poor, you can have your fucking identity back! I don't want to assume a peasant identity!

Sorry about that little taxation rant. Guess I am feeling extra snarky today. This too shall pass.

As far as sad doggie posts are concerned... thank you for the warning - I did not read it because I know roughly what it's going to say and I can't. But trust me; I know enough, and all I can say is "dude." Sorry.

Jivaro wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 14:51:
We have a large contingent of doggie lovers here, so I will put a little "content warning" here. Sad story...

I have mentioned her before, Lady is my 120 lb German Shep/American Staffordshire Terrier. She was 9 years old, nearly 10 when I got her in 2023. I found her in a shelter where she had been living for over 6 months. Her previous family, who had owned her for her entire life, had moved to Texas and for some reason decided not to take their dog. She has been with me through some rough stuff these last few years. Mom dying, divorce....just a lot. Through all of it, she has been the best canine companion I could have asked for.

Yesterday morning I woke up to a quiet house. This is not normal. I usually wake up to a dog lick or tail to the face because it's time for the morning walk. I got out of bed and Lady was lying down in the hallway. She looked up at me, but she didn't get up. I knew something was very wrong. She had broken a rear leg as a puppy and I was worried she had hurt that leg. I helped her stand up, we got as far as the bottom of my porch stairs, and she collapsed to the ground. This time I knew things were worse than just a possible sore leg. A neighbor helped me get her in the truck and I took her to a pet hospital. To my shock, an ultrasound revealed a tumor on her spleen that had ruptured. She had an immense amount of internal bleeding that was pooling in her abdomen. Her pain level was rising by the minute and so I agreed to some painkillers while we discussed her options. There weren't any. Surgery was a risky option that had less than a 5% chance of her living through it given the amount of blood loss. At her size, taking her back home without any treatment was not an option as it would put her through incredible pain. I realized at that moment that yesterday was going to be my last day with her....and so it was. Some of my friends and family were able to come to see her, she was immensely popular with all, so she spent her last hours quite spoiled and very loved.

I am a wreck today. I work from home, but I am just staring at the screen TBH. Rationally, this is what you sign up for when you adopt a senior pet. Emotionally, you wish you had more time. So hug your pets for me today folks.

<brohug>

I am deeply, truly sorry for your loss, Jivaro. I'll give both my ladies an extra hug and pets in honor and remembrance of your ladypup.

You're right, you know what you sign up for when you adopt any pet. You know the end will come and that, likely, you will have to make the decision as to when that end is. It never gets easy. I had my Cocker/Chow mix (THE most ill-tempered dog in all of dog history) for 14 years. She had been with me through the worst times of my life, up until that point, and had also been on numerous adventures with both myself and my wife and I. Lots of great memories filled with love, joy, laughter, and peace. But that day came. I won't lie. As I held her when they did the injection and I watched her slip away, I cried like a child with a skinned knee. I wept so hard that I could not see. My constant four legged companion, my best canine friend was gone. It hurt like Hell but it was the right thing to do. It was her time. She had earned her rest and the sobriquet of "good girl".

This won't help now but, in time, a new canine companion will present themselves to you and say unequivocally "You're my dad. I pick you." Love them as you have loved your departed ladypup. They will pointedly remind you of the love and joy that comes from having a dog in your life. I know that you hurt like Hell but as long as you remember and love your ladypup, she will live on through you. It is a dim comfort but it is what we have left.

Xil wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 14:46:

Prez wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 13:43:
That happened to me. Hopefully you'll realize what I did - the IRS actually knows how to handle this fairly well and it wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. Dealing with private organizations was 10 times harder. Talk about a shock.

The worst part was trying to figure out the mythical sequence of number presses required to actually talk to a human at the IRS. There were literal walkthroughs online explaining in detail how to do it, and no I'm not joking. Hopefully it isn't still that way...

That is if there are still people left to answer the phone....

Oh no, silly person. I assume that you are referring to how DOGE is cleaning out government personnel. Rest assured that because the IRS is tasked with taking money from citizens (including inordinately large amounts from non-elites as compared to elites), there will be no shortages there. That really matters you know...I mean... MONEY. Duh.

And it's really cute that someone right now is having a seizure because the top 1% of US earners pay well over 50% of taxes. Never mind the 15% they take from the soccer mom in Nebraska hurts 50000 times more than if they taxed filthy rich assholes 90%. You keep your precious little numbers - It's adorable and it's why we love you.

fujiJuice wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 13:33:

Jaysen wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 13:01:
I'm sorry you have to deal with that Blue. Wishing you all the luck in resolving that quickly and as pain free as possible.

I second that. Good luck Blue.

Thirded. Had a co-worker have to go through having their identity stolen. The government was the easy part. Credit reporting bureaus and the rest? Nightmare fuel. It took them years to fully resolve and, by the end, their credit rating was much worse than when they started.

/---\

Discovered something interesting, somewhat random, and completely subjective. Linux (in my case Fedora 41) has a better sound system than Windows 11 and by a fairly wide margin. This was by no means a scientifically controlled test. Just a pair of Mackie HRmk2's and a 14" subwoofer with VLC as the playback application and the same four FLAC files; Darude's "Sandstorm", Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings, Op. 11" (as conducted by Leonard Slatkin and performed by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra), a remastered copy of Benny Goodman's "Sing, Sing, Sing", and a super clean copy of Black Sabbath's "Killing Yourself to Live" ripped off an SACD. We used THX's Surround Test just for grins so we could hear the windows rattle from the bass.

Playing through Linux, the soundscape was much broader and had more depth. Playing through Windows, the soundscape sounded flatter and more tinny. This was especially noticeable when playing "Adagio for Strings, Op. 11" and the song gets to the movement where the lone violin is holding its high note with the faint, basso support of the cello. On Linux, you could hear both clearly. On Windows, the cello all but disappeared. It was more a very faint rumble than an actual note. Had three other sets of ears besides my own and the conclusion was unanimous.

We have a large contingent of doggie lovers here, so I will put a little "content warning" here. Sad story...

I have mentioned her before, Lady is my 120 lb German Shep/American Staffordshire Terrier. She was 9 years old, nearly 10 when I got her in 2023. I found her in a shelter where she had been living for over 6 months. Her previous family, who had owned her for her entire life, had moved to Texas and for some reason decided not to take their dog. She has been with me through some rough stuff these last few years. Mom dying, divorce....just a lot. Through all of it, she has been the best canine companion I could have asked for.

Yesterday morning I woke up to a quiet house. This is not normal. I usually wake up to a dog lick or tail to the face because it's time for the morning walk. I got out of bed and Lady was lying down in the hallway. She looked up at me, but she didn't get up. I knew something was very wrong. She had broken a rear leg as a puppy and I was worried she had hurt that leg. I helped her stand up, we got as far as the bottom of my porch stairs, and she collapsed to the ground. This time I knew things were worse than just a possible sore leg. A neighbor helped me get her in the truck and I took her to a pet hospital. To my shock, an ultrasound revealed a tumor on her spleen that had ruptured. She had an immense amount of internal bleeding that was pooling in her abdomen. Her pain level was rising by the minute and so I agreed to some painkillers while we discussed her options. There weren't any. Surgery was a risky option that had less than a 5% chance of her living through it given the amount of blood loss. At her size, taking her back home without any treatment was not an option as it would put her through incredible pain. I realized at that moment that yesterday was going to be my last day with her....and so it was. Some of my friends and family were able to come to see her, she was immensely popular with all, so she spent her last hours quite spoiled and very loved.

I am a wreck today. I work from home, but I am just staring at the screen TBH. Rationally, this is what you sign up for when you adopt a senior pet. Emotionally, you wish you had more time. So hug your pets for me today folks.

Prez wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 13:43:
That happened to me. Hopefully you'll realize what I did - the IRS actually knows how to handle this fairly well and it wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. Dealing with private organizations was 10 times harder. Talk about a shock.

The worst part was trying to figure out the mythical sequence of number presses required to actually talk to a human at the IRS. There were literal walkthroughs online explaining in detail how to do it, and no I'm not joking. Hopefully it isn't still that way...

That is if there are still people left to answer the phone....

That happened to me. Hopefully you'll realize what I did - the IRS actually knows how to handle this fairly well and it wasn't nearly as painful as I thought it would be. Dealing with private organizations was 10 times harder. Talk about a shock.

The worst part was trying to figure out the mythical sequence of number presses required to actually talk to a human at the IRS. There were literal walkthroughs online explaining in detail how to do it, and no I'm not joking. Hopefully it isn't still that way...

Jaysen wrote on Mar 24, 2025, 13:01:
I'm sorry you have to deal with that Blue. Wishing you all the luck in resolving that quickly and as pain free as possible.

I second that. Good luck Blue.