roundball100

The rear-view mirror reminds me of Nassim Taleb's analogy. A turkey's life is wonderful, free food, no work, fatter every day. The future is rosy, based on yesterday to predict tomorrow. Nothing goes wrong. Until Thanksgiving morning.

Isn't the problem really that we are growing lettuce in the desert?

Best wishes in 2022, and thanks to all on this board who made 2021 more bearable, through their wisdom and wit.

My guess: they bought more shares (just kidding!!!)

If you buy fire insurance and then at the end of the year, it turns out that your house did not burn down, that doesn't mean it was a mistake to buy fire insurance.

Best wishes for 2016 and thanks. To a tremendous discussion board - starting with Sanjeev for leading, hosting and (occasionally) refereeing, to all those who take the time to make thoughtful posts regularly, to those who make only occasional posts. To the generosity of members sharing their personal insights and views on financial matters, and even more for the overall breadth of knowledge shared about life in general. Thanks to all for a great 2015 and hope to see many of you at the FFH annual dinner and meeting in April.

Christmas cards.

Sanjeev - thanks again for the pre-meeting dinner and the post-meeting MPIC mini-meeting. Sounds like you are making great progress, and in the Fairfax way. Norm - thanks for the Wednesday afternoon event on the 19th floor; was great to hear Francis, Sam M. and Guy Spier share some thoughts.

I got a chuckle out of that. I guess there will be no Sanjeev Holdings. :) Congrats! How about, more simply, Biglunch Holdings. Congrats Sanjeev.

Got your purchase Gio. Really, you are bringing her! Wonderful! Cheers! That takes a lot of guts. You must feel very confident. There's nothing women like more than a roomful of value investors. A value guy is like the Marlboro Man of the investing world. A man's man. Just about anyone there could probably be cast in one of those Viagra commercials where they show a burly, greying guy and the voice over talks about this being the age of knowing how to get things done and make things happen. Gio is very smart - and this is a well-known strategy. The best way to look good is to present even more-boring men as the comparison group.

Most Tim's will now give you a raised lid (the type they use for their fancier drinks) if you ask for one with your regular drip coffee. I guess the regular flat lids save them money.

Do you build fences too Al? I am looking for someone who doesn't charge too much.

I stayed in the same hotel as Liberty, in a more normal-sized room, and it was only $115 plus tax.. The Strathcona, essentially just across York St. from the west end of the Royal York. Nice lobby, professional staff, clean room, good linen and bed, only real complaint was a too-small sink in the bathroom. Would have no problem staying there again, esp. w.r.t. convenient location as Mike suggests.

Sanjeev - didn't realize you're already 11. Forget about that 16yr old, I can see tomorrow's headlines: "11yr old emerging fund manager Parsad ..."

Parsad, can someone living in Vancouver really claim to be an authority on summer? My Vancouver friends think it is summer when the few days of the year arrive that it is not raining. Most other places require summer to include the sun actually coming out, and being able to go outdoors without a sweater on. (In Ottawa, we get real winters, real summers ... though, often too extreme both ways!)

Globe and Mail Article (Jan.21, 2013) on Petrobank's THAI. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/energy-and-resources/the-tangled-tale-of-petrobanks-thai-extraction-technology/article7604767/

Perhaps I interpret Buffett's comments on taxation a different way than others, but I see no inconsistency with his public comments on where taxation should go, and his purchase of shares from a BRK shareholder to possibly (?) help an individual avoid higher taxes. If Buffett doesn't buy the shares, someone else does, and possibly higher post-January taxes are similarly avoided. Buffett plays by the rules, and the current tax rules specify certain tax rates. What Buffett is suggesting is that the rules be changed, but until they are, I don't see it as fair to criticize him for following the (current) rules, while openly saying that he favors a different set of rules.

It may be as simple as not having filed the "T1A- Request for Loss Carryback" form.

Al - this is a question which should be decidable entirely based on facts (i.e., a simple phone call to CRA, or 3 minute discussion with a tax accountant, should clarify the rules, and in such cases the outcome should be 100% predictable). Give them a call - in my experience, real people answer the phone, and do their best to help you. From memory: you can claim back losses against capital gains from the immediately preceding 3 years (only). I don't think the "inclusion" rates changed in the past 3-4 years. I seem to recall that for such a claim-back you need to file some extra form. On the other hand: capital losses can be carried forward indefinitely, e.g., if you had a tax year 2011 net capital loss, when you file your tax year 2012 return, you can claim against that loss on the 2012 return directly, and you don't have to worry about that loss have only a 3-year claimback lifetime. Disclaimer: this is all from memory, but your tax guy will know the rules.

Was looking further into ESI myself (extremely low P/E), but got scared off by the pending lawsuits. I think there is also another thread on this (probably under one of the specific stock ticker symbols).

Who's that newcomer Nash on the team? He seems a bit short, but otherwise has some promise. Does anyone know where he is from?

Sanjeev, thanks for granting us grand-father status. But there is a downside to the new "Lifetime Member" tag on my name. The problem is that I read the board before going to bed at night. Seeing that tag makes me feel so important that my head swells and I can't get my T-shirt up over it to put my pajamas on.

Al, the skiing is fine if you just move up the 401 then 416 from Toronto to Ottawa.

I agree.

Comments on BH seem to belong to another thread.