Ok...

[Ed Kolis]

Regarding Arkcon's tip #3, a rule of thumb: if a ship takes more than 0.4 years to build, you're going to pay more per turn in maintenance than you did just to build it, which is a nasty surprise... 0.8 years for a base since bases pay only half maintenance. Your mileage may vary depending on your racial maintenance aptitude score, of course

[Atrocities]

Do what slick and arkcon said to do. And in the future give us a third option so as not to degrade yourself.