Merely a practical joke that got way out of hand after a certain infamous user insinuated that high-ranking forum members (including myself) are gaming the merit system by cycle merits between each other. I decided to roll with it because it seemed funny and I had a perfect opportunity to poke fun at omnipresent signature/avatar campaigns at the same time. (I also quite dramatically rolled with another of his infamous insinuations, but for different reasons.)

Twenty-first week paid.

I was wondering if anyone would notice that. There are a few other hidden details in those images as well, if anyone needed any further enticement to look at them (which they don't).

What do you mean, "now"?

While it is true that I was initially disappointed by this decision, I have since come to accept that, by definition, you can't really have a contest if there is only one contestant worthy of consideration.

Today marks the 4.5th anniversary of the Merit Cycling Club, and on this admittedly arbitrary occasion, I am pleased to announce that both GazetaBitcoin and fillippone have proved themselves worthy of promotion to fully-felched fledged Merit Cycler with the full pay and privileges that that position bestows. Congratulations.

---

---

I can also assure everyone that this decision was based on wholly objective criteria and was in no way influenced by any 🦊 NSFW under the table shenanigans. 🦊 (To be clear, I'm not necessarily denying that such shenanigans took place, only that they influenced my objective decision making.)

Local rules: You know how this works by now. No *phobic disparagement of my fox hole, no matter how infamous it has become at this point.

Two hundred and thirty-fourth week paid.

Also, I am promoting GazetaBitcoin and fillippone to full Merit Cycler with the obligatory celebratory shenanigans taking place in their own (NSFW) thread as usual to avoid derailing this one again.

Twentieth week paid.

Two hundred and thirty-third week paid.

Nineteenth week paid.

Two hundred and thirty-second week paid.

Eighteenth week paid.

Two hundred and thirty-first week paid.

Seventeenth week paid.

Two hundred and thirtieth week paid.

What are you talking about? You only pay capital gains tax on capital gains. If you receive something of value (crypto, stock, whatever) then later sell it, you pay income tax on what it was worth when you received it and capital gains tax on how much (if at all) it increased in value between when you received it and when you sold it. If you sell immediately before it appreciates in value, you have no capital gains and hence no capital gains tax.

Yes. Everything does. The IRS is merely clarifying that the same rules that apply to everything else also apply to crypto, because apparently some people seem to think that the normal rules of finance don't apply to their Magic Internet Money.

Sixteenth week paid.

Well, at least you're in good company.

Two hundred and twenty-ninth week paid.

Fifteenth week paid. (Sorry for the uncharacteristic delay. )

Two hundred and twenty-eighth week paid.

Now, now, it's not a competition. And if it were, it would be judged according to my reasons, so don't forget to take those into consideration.