Scheduled Transaction - unusual case

[Wm...]

Fri, 20 Nov 2015 11:19:37 <564F4819.7080104 at mtdata.com>
Mike or Penny Novack <mpnovack at mtdata.com> wrote...

>On 11/20/2015 4:03 AM, Maf. King wrote:
>> On Thu 19 November 15 22:40:09 listreader wrote:
>>> Howdy...
>>>
>>> I own a security that pays a monthly dividend on the next-to-last
>>> Thursday of every month.  No, I don't know why they chose that schedule
>>> but that is what it is.  Besides scheduling each month individually in
>>> GnuCash, is there any way to better automate it?
>>>
>>> GnuCash is 2.6.4 running under linux (openSUSE 13.2).
>>>
>>> Thanks.
>>>
>>> Ralph
>> Hi Ralph,
>>
>> I don't think GC will let you create this sort of schedule, how about you set
>> it to happen on say 20th of the month and either manually tweak the 
>>date after
>> it has been created, or just live with a +/- 3 day discrepancy between your
>> records and those of the security?
>>
>> HTH,
>> Maf.
>Probably the best way. In my working days I designed a "calendar 
>program" for one of the world's largest financials. The problem is much 
>more difficult than at first appears and THIS particular problem a 
>perfect example of why. You say the rule is "next to last Thursday of 
>each month" but I would be willing to bet that is NOT a completely 
>correct description of the rule.
>
>There can be five Thursday's in a  month, and when that month is 
>November, the next to the last is Thanksgiving, a holiday on which 
>bank's don't do business, yes? In that case, when do they do it? Day 
>before? Day after? (originally Thanksgiving was the last Thursday in 
>November, but that changed to 4th Thursday in 1942).

I'm with MikeN on this one.  I think the *perceived* period isn't the 
same as the *actual* period.  Next to last Thursday doesn't make sense 
unless there's some weird religious [1] thing going on.  Is that a 
possibility?

[1] weekends are extensible feasts, after all, and if you are a greedy 
religionist you want to get the money before your congregation spends it 
on food and things for the children and ordinary stuff

-- 
Wm...