Blugolds

Wow, the American dream of….”apartment living”? Significant portion of the US population, working class, only path to any kind of financial win is derived from the “forced saving/investing” of a mortgage…if eventually even that is gone….

There are options that many explore. Social media either shows you the kid in the McManison…or the hipster in the “tiny house” who lives debt free. Both extremes. The tiny house movement is viable, affordable, but nobody dreams of living in a 8.5x22 footprint and those on the shows or social media have always “only been living in it for 6 mo” or so, I dont know that it is a long term solution for the majority. To compound the challenge, many municipalities dont really want small footprint homes to go in, covenants, requiring rezoning etc land prices high enough to make it not viable for someone looking for cheap housing even if the house is relatively “cheap” and mobile vs normal SFH. A lot of people dont want to live around these “fancy trailer parks”:Also, when looking at cost analysis of these tiny homes, if someone isn’t building themselves, they’re still pretty pricey in comparison to what you are actually getting with a normal SFH, that you can actually get a mortgage on for 30 years (in US) and will theoretically appreciate vs depreciation of a “fancy trailer home”. Utilities are basically fixed albeit smaller heating bills, still costs the same to put septic in and drill a well and many “Communities” charge lot rent. Often what seems like a cheap alternative really isnt that much different without the opportunity to appreciate and finance. Doesn’t seem like the juice is worth the squeeze. Living in something slightly bigger than a college dorm or prison cell, no matter how nice the finishes are vs a standard 2k sq ft SFH, sure you can maybe pay cash for the tiny home but monthly expenses aren’t much different. There really is no incentive for those with available means to create mass affordable housing. Period. My local area proposed an incentive plan for ADU in the city to increase affordable housing and then made it so restrictive via various means that it made it unattractive for anyone that wanted to actually make a decent return on the investment that everyone canceled their plans, at least the majority that I have talked to in area, including myself, we own a duplex that we rent out that happens to be on a double lot and had plans to build an ADU. One gal and her husband moved to the city to be closer to her parents from the west coast, she had experience with ADU, her husband is a GC and she is an architect/designer, had plans and permits and several projects waiting to go for themselves and clients, only to get the rug pulled out from under them. Everything comes full circle, increase affordable housing means allowing those who have the ability to rapidly provide quality options to make a decent return on that investment, when municipalities view major investors as evil or outsiders and make it so restrictive that it removes the incentives and whittles margins down to nothing, they dont bite. Individuals (majority) cant do it themselves also because of said restrictions, rules, laws, permits, approvals without the volume and in-house expertise of the big players. But the big players want a decent return, like they are evidently getting on SFH, MFH, and apartments with high rents, otherwise why would they change course. Nobody is going to provide mass affordable housing out of the goodness of their heart, and if they ARE willing to do it for nothing or break even, they better be on the Forbes list, or they aren’t going to get very far. When local law makers realize this and start making it easier/quicker to get things done, increasing incentives and viewing investors as allies rather than opposition that might change but I dont think its going to happen on a significant scale any time soon. AND that is assuming that the majority of the population would even be willing to let go of their social media McMansion dreams. Nobody dreams of living in those 1950’s SFH with 1 car detached garage and 1100sq ft, the times have changed people expect more. Granite countertops, SS appliances, floor coverings, hardware, lighting etc all orders of magnitude more than even the 1980s. THe same with vehicles, look at pickups from the 1980’s, even 1990’s. Hand crank windows, bench seats, AM/FM radio maybe a tap player, regular cab, may or may not be 4x4, zero comforts. Now heated/cooled leather, crew cab is a must, 13” touch screen all have become expected. Avg consumer doesn’t want less, they want more, and they want more…affordably, and that just isn’t realistic. Rather than wondering how to increase affordable housing but mass producing cheaper homes etc if rates stay higher and people continue to have a hard time buying, similar to vehicles getting more expensive, recreational toys…they couldnt or didn’t want to stop increasing prices, and the consumer wanted the products even if they couldnt afford it, so what was the only string to pull? The term. 60mo max on vehicles increases to 72 or more, boats can go 15-20, when does the 30 years mortgage start to come into question? Why not 40-50? They go 35 in Japan and had heard longer in some instances.

I enjoyed Sopranos, The Wire, Breaking Bad, Band of Brothers, Pacific, GOT Yellowstone is OK, I think it had potential but focuses more on drama than the lifestyle, I liked the spin offs better, 1883, 1923. Also for those that like the mob type shows, check out Boardwalk Empire, been a while since I watched it but thought it was pretty decent and as I recall its based on real characters and the Atlantic City mob, Capone is in there also. I don’t watch a lot of TV, and I wouldn’t consider myself a huge Sci-fi fan, but I watched the seasons of Star Trek Next Gen and the storylines were pretty good, written well, all the other ST series I thought were kinda lame and never watched them all, couldn’t get into it. Also recently I’ve been on a Gunsmoke kick. Black and white, and old, but I love westerns and the episodes are written well I think, enjoy watching them. Generally I get kinda bored watching TV and has to be a decent show for me to sit down and actually watch without doing something else at the same time, other than sports.

Missed news that he passed, RIP, I read the book probably 4-5 years ago, good easy read and very interesting. Was a remarkable guy and I enjoyed the book, never let the money change him.

Don’t remember the last time I had a Hostess product. Been decades. When I was younger I never liked Twinkies. I was more of a Zebra cake kinda guy, Ding Dongs were Swiss cake rolls and Nutty Buddies. I didnt mind the Hostess cupcakes but preferred the orange flavor over chocolate. We shopped a lot at WMT and they had their great value brand alternative that copied the Little Debbie and Hostess products and I never could tell a difference.

@SharperDingaan Good post above, I agree. "Everybody eventually croaks, & you can't take your wealth with you. Hence your 'mission', should you choose to accept it; is to lead a happy/healthy life well past 100, & demonstrate to those behind you, a life well lived. " I think of all the people I've known personally in my life and really really admired (so nobody from Omaha in this instance).... by any reasonable standard, they didnt have much/any financial wealth. Had nothing to do with what I admired. It can be tricky to remember that sometimes. I remember reading a book on Andrew Carnegie, at age 33 he wrote a note to himself: When a guy has that much wealth (it was staggering)to then be that self aware, I found that impressive. Basically saying making money consumed his life to that point and if he doesnt turn it around hes gonna lose himself. WOW. With examples from Warren and the excerpt from Carnegie, I think its why I struggle with those ultra wealthy that are making $50-100M/yr, those already Billionaires, that always want more, even if it means sticking it to their workers, wages and purchasing power has gone down for the last 4 decades while the gap widens...what does more get you? When you already have more wealth than some countries GDP, you've already "won the game" and secured your own future and that of future generations, how do you transition to making a positive impact in the world? Many at that level I think view political funding/power as a way to push the changes they think need to happen and that takes more money, I think thats the only conclusion I come to, that and human nature that its "never enough". Stumbled on this video the other day, just thought it was interesting. As for the UPS drivers making $170k/yr. If you look at the data, and the charts/graphs posted in this forum regarding cost of living, wealth gap, purchasing power, income of the avg worker I dont think that $170k is too high for the job, I think that everyone else THINKS its too high because they have been conditioned over the decades to think struggle is normal. I'm happy they are making that much and hope they make more! Them making a decent living isnt the problem, the problem is that the majority in the country arent making a decent living. These arent jobs they got from connections at an Ivy league school, or because of their last name etc. They are blue collar jobs that earn their wages and IMO they deserve it, and so do many others that work/create value that is not reflected in their yearly income (teachers come to mind). My thinking is "play the game" as a necessary evil (and it can be enjoyable along the way) and when you have enough to be comfortable with a margin of safety, start to focus on other things that are more important with your time, time limited for all of us. Charlie said he never wanted to be wealthy to buy Ferraris, he wanted the freedom, why? Because the time you have in your life with days comprised of what YOU dictate is relatively short, super short for many folks who have to work till they are 70+ Set yourself up and then spend time with family/friends/volunteer/ something positive and enjoyable. If I had a family negatively impacted by my relentless pursuit of more financial assets than needed I would feel like I messed up, and that is time you cant get back, damage would already be done. If that means there is a slight chance that I have to pull the parachute cord and go back to work at some point for an extra margin of safety I'd be ok with that. It's also different I think if you went back to "work" to not have to dip into your savings but you didnt really "need" to work. For instance maybe it isnt UPS, maybe its something fun, maybe you like the outdoors so you get a gig at a sporting goods store, maybe you work at a marine dealership, maybe you find something else that you have an interest in and work doing it to combine making a couple bucks and a hobby at the same time. I did this for a while myself in addition to my normal career. I found a guy in my area that restores antique boats, Chris Craft, Hacker Craft etc all wood boats and after some discussion started working for him on the side. I love every minute of it. I didnt have room for my own woodworking shop, but got my fix for woodworking and the wooden boat scene and made a couple bucks that I just put into more tools. Wasnt even about the money (he paid me way more than I would have taken to do the job) I genuinely enjoy it. Plenty of options out there if you are creative and have a diverse skillset, makes the possibility of an encore less scary.

I think I remember hearing some say the same thing about Russia, wont fight long, soldiers dying will turn populous against Moscow, army with outdated equipment/tactics, army made up of prisoners and reservists that dont want to fight or know how etc. And here we are. The soldiers will do what they're told to do, go where they're told to go.

You're exactly right, people feel the charts impact but cant pinpoint the cause. Its the lobsters in the pot blaming the other lobsters for the heat rather than the chefs. So the red team blames the blue team and the blue team blames the red team and none neither team will better their situation. Yup I agree, the raising tide lifts all boats! As long as you've got a boat! If you're treading water with a cinder block for an ankle bracelet you're in trouble. When all hope is lost and you've got nothing to lose, thats when it gets wild. The frustration of the people is real they just arent sure where to direct it. If you look at many of the "problems" in the country its all tied to $$. There is nothing wrong with money, capitalism, wealth etc. And it is not synonymous with greed. This is all a well orchestrated plan that has been going on for decades, I just wonder how long they play the game before those losing the game have nothing left to lose. If I was in the .05-1% I'd be worried about how far you could push the common guy. But my guess is, by that point they dont care, because the game has been in their favor for so long that there is really nothing the little guy can do that they cant mitigate with their checkbook, even if that means moving, hiring security aka police/military etc..

Considering Prigozhin's track record, I'd say everything is fair play. Prigozhin never held back and certainly wasnt worried about offending people. This wasnt a nice a guy who was in an unfortunate accident, he was a ruthless crony who played a dangerous game and lost. Wasnt the first and wont be the last, no shame in saying what everyone else is thinking.

Why is it scary? This was the most predictable thing ever. If you want to take a shot at dethroning the big man you better make it count, cause if you miss...you're done. Putin tried to kill Navalney, others...any challenger better succeed or they're dead. This is a basic page from any Dictator playbook, sends a message and makes an example. I knew Prigozhion was a walking dead man the second I saw him on video and heard what he said, if there was any doubt, that was gone when he started heading to Moscow.

This "new" plan you're describing is the same as one of my previous employers. The interesting thing with that variability tied to interest rates is that often you have a tremendous exodus of retirees. Specifically in the last year or two, before rates started to go up, when they were low, the lump sum payouts were large and everybody was running for the exits before rates increased. Planners were telling guys that they would lose $50k-$100k if they stayed another year, so they took the money and run. Most end of taking the lump sum rather than the annuity. When calculating the annuity it basically takes the lump sum and divides it from the age of retirement to 84 if I remember correctly. So take the lump sum and roll it over and invest...or take the annuity (with reduced survivor benefit to boot!) and if you live past 84 you are making more. Still not more than you would make if you just invested it even conservatively. Some folks sleep well at night with the annuity even if "returns" arent great. Personally I would rather have the "old" plan you discuss. I would rather know my monthly benefit, and then have the option to take the lump sum if it benefited me and I did the math, otherwise give me my money every month. I've always viewed a pension as a cherry on top. Most employers freeze, or eliminate the pension, many dont offer any more, so I dont plan on it and never use it in calculations...probably a little more secure at Mayo than many other employers, but this idea of shifting risk from the employer to the employee is standard practice, that was the entire idea behind the 401k vs pension. Offer the employee a match (that many dont even take advantage of at all, let alone full match) and be done with it, no risk carrying coverage on the books etc. Shift responsibility from regulated liable employer to financially illiterate employee who may or may not contribute, and if they do contribute, have no clue what to put the money in and end up getting scalped via fees and ER for an entire career potentially costing them hundreds of thousands of dollars and its no wonder so many retires are strapped for cash and not enjoying those "golden years"....its sad really. If I was a company, I would want to do the same thing they are doing...as an employee I would say, no thanks I'll stick with what I got

We didnt have good luck with the Mylicon...Gripe Water worked better for us for some reason. Either way at that point I would have flown in elixir from tibet if I thought it would have helped and I would have bought it by the 55 gal drum LOL it was pretty intense for a while there.

One of the twins burped easily from the start, no issues, the other would strain his entire body and scream in pain, it was hard to watch. I also tried the bicycles, the kid has probably put on 5k miles worth of bicycles LOL, and I would gentle push his legs/quads back into his stomach and that would occasionally get a fart. We tried "gripe water" and that seemed to help, a little through the day at times, and a little before bed. could be a placebo (for me) but it did seem to make a difference. Seems as though he is through that phase maybe, burps and farts come easier for him now. Initially I was the "burp pro" I think mom didnt feel comfortable patting the back enough to produce relief. At that point I was so tired physically and mentally that I wasnt afraid to pat his back "like I meant it" and it seemed to work. I also got some burps by pushing and rubbing his back from his butt to the base of his shoulders, almost "Drawing up" the gas. Not sure why that worked but it did, maybe it relaxed or stimulated the muscle enough to move the right way and release. God I even watched youtube videos talking about foot massages, toe massages etc for gas relief, at that stage I was trying everything LOL. Interesting difference with twins. A is cool as a cucumber, always smiling, rarely fusses, super chill, honestly if he would have been solo and a first (so far) I wouldnt understand what the big deal is, he's easy peasy. B is the struggler and regularly upset, fussing, screaming, hard to get to sleep etc. Makes me wonder if that will continue through adulthood, is he always gonna be the "handful"? LOL

Haha, THIS. Had no idea... Sympathy to all you fellas...imagine having TWO. We have 4mo old twin boys...one sets off, wakes the other, and he sets off. Basically the equivalent of having two smoke detectors going off, its I N S A N E. Overly tired, they lose their shyt, but dont want to sleep. We have been breast feeding thus far, but with her going back to work, we're attempting to bottle feed a couple times a day (allowing her to work from home and the Au Pair feed while she works). Well, evidently switching from breast/bottle can be a "challenge", so on top of exhausted but wont sleep, they're starving but wont eat!! So we're struggling with that "adjustment" as well. Had no idea about any of this stuff. Honestly makes me wonder how in the world anybody decides to go through this stuff multiple times! Keep telling myself if I can just make it through the sleeping, the feeding, the teething, the toilet training, terrible twos etc and make it till they're 4-5 yrs old, I might actually pull this off LOL. Between us guys, I'd be lying if I didnt ask myself a couple times...what did I get myself into!?! LOL Hopefully thats normal..... Actually helpful to hear that others have similar challenges, so thanks

I think it will be closer than people think for sure. But there are other "advantages" of home ownership that dont translate to the bottom line vs renting. Memories in a home, long term neighbors that become friends, freedom to do what you want in/to the property without checking with landlord etc. Depends on if you assign a "value" to that. Also many home owners "upgrade' their living conditions in the home via emotional taste vs investment decision. Dated kitchen/bathroom needs an upgrade, but that upgrade/refresh could be served with middle of the road finishes, instead they go ultra high end with custom cabinets, counters, fixtures etc tough to get that $80k kitchen remodel money back out of a $600k house. They could have done a "nice" $40k refresh. Like kids that put a $4k set of rims on a $2k car. Some people say, we arent gonna take a vacation to Europe this year because we are having the bathrooms remodeled in the home. So that money wouldnt have been invested for financial return anyway, they lost out on the memories of a vacation, but gained the joy/pleasure (if thats the case) of what they determine is a nicer home and daily life. Tough to put a value to that. At the time they valued the daily routine improvement over a week or so vacation. Should that count against the buy vs rent calc? Also some peoples taste can actually hinder the sale of the home, they spend a ton of money putting in things that target a specific potential buyer pool that is very small. I've always looked for properties that I could add value to, I do everything myself so its simple for me to see if there is potential there for improvements, finish basements, add sq ft, add bathroom, build new cabinets and redo kitchen, remodel bathroom, things like that. But I also enjoy doing it, if I bought a 100% complete new property, honestly I think I would be bored LOL. I have a spreadsheet with every single expense like you're describing for a cabin that a build from the ground up as an investment. Mostly because I thought it was fun to come up with estimates before hand, expected sale price, expected return etc and then as the project progressed, see how I could manipulate those numbers ie. I saved money in this category so that gives me more room in another, or wow that was way more than I planned, I'll cut in another area, it became a game. I never figured in the benefit of having a place to go for vacation that was "free" vs renting a place somewhere thought, if thinking strictly as an investment those should have been considered. Easy to get carried away worrying about it. To track every single expense down to a furnace filter sounds like a waste of time to me. I dont do that in a portfolio, constantly reevaluating if the return or yield is the best I can get, sweating .1% differences. I dont think it has to be, with a house either. If you're doing the right things with the house, buying in the right area, not grossly overpaying, keeping it current/marketable, not flying in italian marble slabs to cover all the floors and putting in swarovski chandeliers, diversified in other investments...your result will be acceptable. Rather than focusing on doing everything 100% right, just try and limit the big mistakes of home ownership. If you get the big stuff right, the little stuff just kind of takes care of itself. Like Greg said, own as much good stuff as you can and dont do anything really dumb (be responsible) and it should work out. Who cares if you have a positive return on the home. My point is, if you said, live in a rental for 20 years vs live in a home for 20 years with its advantages, but you will end up losing $24k vs renting, "costing you $100/mo to live in the home is that a bad deal? Thats a tank of gas in the truck. Where is that line? Couple hundred a month? As long as it isnt some grossly skewed obvious loss that doesnt make sense, why worry about it. Like I said, get the big stuff right, and th elittle stuff becomes insignificant, at least thats my thinking.

Was just talking about this with a buddy. I have a cabin up north and last week they were sending me video of a hail storm, golf ball size, literally bouncing off the ground, deck, driveway, it was insane, ground was covered. Everyone in area got hit....then again just yesterday..same thing. 2 crazy storms within a week or so of each other. My buddy had claim for siding, windows, fascia and roof repair, also both vehicles totaled from hail. I guess upshot for insurance companies is at least storms were consecutive, once claims filed, cant total an already totaled car LOL

I'm guilty of all of the above. I've gotten better over the years at position sizing, but still think I have a lot of room for improvement there. Entry positions as I do more research and gain conviction only to see them take off on me. I should either take a position and mean it, or not bother. If the pitch is good and you know it...swing...less of this check swing stuff. Position sizing as port has gown over the years has also played with my head a little. Now, after many years, even a 5% position in a name is what I still consider serious money and if thinking about it in $$ vs % it can mess with my head. Thats different for each individual/portfolio. The % helps me think objectively and not that this position is the equivalent of buying a house. Also, one that I have learned the hard way, and was mentioned by Charlie Munger. "Over the long term, it's hard for a stock to earn a much better return than the business which underlies it earns. If the business earns 6% on capital over 40 years and you hold it for that 40 years, you're not going to make much different than a 6% return—even if you originally buy it at a huge discount. Conversely, if a business earns 18% on capital over 20 or 30 years, even if you pay an expensive looking price, you'll end up with a fine result." At the end of the day, remembering this has helped me to put more things in the "too hard/why bother" pile than I would have previously as well as being more comfortable with GARP. Is the juice worth the squeeze. I find this concept so simple and valuable, but continually see people forget it. I have a couple names that are pillars, BRK, COST, but there are others that I take and previously never really had an exit plan. I've gotten better at that. Previously I took a position, saw it increase, sometimes even exponentially, and just sat there. Why? I dunno, tax reasons, validation of my work "getting that one right"...but if you are targeting a return for a port, and you achieved that return quickly, and the shares are fully valued optimistically now, why stay? Lock in those returns and move on because when the shares are now priced for perfection there is no more juice to squeeze. Instead, earlier in my journey I would ride it all the way up, and then all the way down, just sitting there and the reluctance of potentially paying taxes on a gain never materialized because eventually there was no gain! Or it was so small that it was insignificant. Dumb. and I've "lost" more unrealized money in the past by not being smart about when to exit/move on than I have with poor picks. Early I spent all my time/energy looking for businesses without devoting enough time to deciding what to do when I had made good choices, held the name and had gains, often significant ones. Due diligence isnt just in the beginning, and I always held on to the "make money when you buy, not sell" mantra...so wasnt concerned about selling. I do better with this now, but still sometimes find it a challenge, and have often taken money off the table too soon. There are worse problems to have and "nobody ever went broke locking in gains" but opportunity cost can sting a little in hindsight. My point is, if I do a valuation and make an investment that I think will return X% in X years and it gets there in a year or two, and is now priced for perfection, its run its course, take it out and look for another runway. Seems like common sense but I used to struggle with this more. Took some time to improve and get better in that regard. I think that is part of what I find so interesting about the markets. I'm continually learning and being "taught". Perspective is constantly changing. I cant tell you how many times that I have thought ideas were solid, only to find out they were lousy because of things I didnt know. Or thought that ideas were lousy, only to be shown that they were solid because of things I didnt consider. In retrospect they seem obvious. Final one is another from Munger...There is equal or even more value in trying to limit your big mistakes, play a little defense and be picky. Always looking for that fat pitch, you can sit there watching them fly by as long as you want, no balls called in this game. Making sure you dont swing at stuff you dont have confidence in hitting is just as important as swinging big when you see the fat pitch. Ultimately, I enjoy reading about businesses, management, markets and learning. But this journey has taught me just as much if not more about human behavior (my own and others) than it has about business, an unintended consequence initially, but equally as interesting and valuable.

one child policy ended in…2016!! And that is definitely not “one cherry picked thing” in chinas history. America is not perfect, far from it for sure. Plenty of skeletons in the closet. But if I have to chose I choose the USA x10000. I have zero problems with Chinese people, I am not anti China, I’m anti CCP. Now you take that however you want. Either you say they are different things or they are the same. If you say they are the same then you are just reiterating the point. There is no freedom in China. I can’t tell if you are more pro China or Anti US. You say you just want unbiased facts but then every post of yours, sometimes several in a row, are either bashing the US or advocating for how great China is. Surprised you’re on a message board whose namesake heralds from Canadian and US dirty companies, is there a Chinese alternative you would feel more comfortable in? No there is not…and we all know why Berkshire and Fairfax are not HQ’s in China…

China Is building the most brazen military bases in the world in the SCS. And any country that sends abortion death squads to villages to forcibly remove or “dispose” of babies because of a one child policy tells you everything you need to know. That would never happen in the US. So continue to advocate for the CCP. I do not want to live in a world controlled by the CCP, but from your frequent posts in this thread it seems that you’re all for it.

Also always the risk that you sell puts at a price you'd like to own the stock, and then the stock takes off on you, you made the premium on the puts but lost on the run up. Thats happened to me a couple times. There are worse problem to have, but I've missed out on quite a bit over the years because I was being "greedy" waiting for just a little better entry price that never came. Always think of that quote by Buffett that you should spend the majority of your energy making the right pick of a partner to marry and not worrying too much if you overpaid for the ring. Price you pay matters..but focus more on what you are buying because if its something that you want to hold, .50-$1 or a couple bucks isnt gonna matter 5-10yrs from now. That being said, when BRK starts to get priced attractively I do sell puts. Looking back through the years some I have been assigned and it went great, and some were not assigned and in hindsight, I would have been much better off if they would have! Bought quite a bit of BRK back in 2020 for instance, I would call it a significant amount, all >$200 and >$300k. Also sold quite a few puts..but should have just been buying > $200. Rather than selling puts in $5-$10 increments dreaming of getting BRK for $150 or less. Like @gfp said, I keep it tight, usually weeklies → 1 month or so depending on the situation and I wouldnt say I do it regularly.

Im probably naïve to the "game" but didnt realize he would still accrue miles (whats the point? ((no pun intended))he flies for free anyway)...and then be able to leverage those miles and sell them etc. I dont know how he accrues, and sounds like he was successful anyway if he could afford the Lifetime pass, but if you made enough and were able to leverage it, treat it like a job, and it sounds like he is. A job that allows you to see the world and make money doing it, not a bad gig. I do think it would get old after a while. I think of when I was 16 and just got my drivers license, if mom asked me to go to the grocery store 5 min away...on my own, and get a gallon of milk it was the most exciting thing in the world, the freedom!! Now, middle age, if I could buy a completely autonomous car or hire a driver I would in a heartbeat, the excitement wore off years ago and now its a chore. Cant help but think that it might be the same with flying. But maybe the world is a smaller place and the excitement of being able to go have sushi tonight in Japan, completely free with lodging..and then go catch an opera in Sydney..all free...never gets old LOL Interesting that he has seen 4 people die on planes from heart attacks..cant help but wonder, with the pace he is going..if he will join the ranks, how long can a guy keep that pace and at what age does he need provisions for an O2 cart... Best of luck to him though! He's livin the life!

Day to day things, minor issues, its probably all the same. If I had a serious issue, if I couldn't mess around and I wanted the best possible care I would personally pick Mayo. I've spent considerable time around the Mayo system and the way it operates (no pun intended), the resources, collaboration, attention to detail, results etc is IMO superb. There is a reason that dignitaries/elite from all over the world go there for care/treatment etc. They could literally pick any provider, anywhere in the world, and they chose Mayo. https://www.mayoclinic.org/why-choose-mayo-clinic/what-makes-mayo-clinic-different https://www.mayoclinic.org/about-mayo-clinic/quality/top-ranked

Seems like such the obvious correct, reasonable, logical route..and yet it seems like everyone is on one side or the other. Either drill baby drill!...or zero fossil fuels, everything has to be clean and if you dont like it we are gonna force it down your throat. As you described, it can be both! Yes, clean energy can make sense if done in a rational, intelligent and gradual manner. I love the idea of renewables, net-zero home building practices, geothermal, solar, even EV where it works well. But I dont like the way they are going about the rapid change, penalizing avg folks by forcing adoption at higher costs.

Same set up we have. Go Au Pair or something it was called, interviewed several, wife picked a gal from South Africa. She also liked one from Belize but her English was broken and so was our Spanish lol. We have twin boys, so for both to go to daycare would have been $1300-1400/mo EACH, and that is assuming you could even find an opening....two openings. We got the recommendation from a friend who has had several, all very good experiences, I guess one was not great, but the others have been really good, the one they have now is also from South Africa. They have kept Au Pairs for longer than we plan to, I think their kids are 5 and 7, and they love her. Its funny because the parents are both push overs, but the Au Pair actually keeps the kids in line and they love her haha. They listen better to the Au Pair than they do the parents lol. There is also some other stipulation that we have to pay for her to take one class at a community college or something I dont remember, its a couple hundred bucks, insignificant. Main thing was, its at least SOME savings vs daycare, kids stay in the home, au pair helps out at home, dont have to worry about being on a waiting list for a possible opening at a daycare, and then potentially not having both boys at the same daycare! and the time flexibility was the biggest.

Generations ago, it was a given that the wife would be a "homemaker" and stay home with the kids. Now, in my generation, women staying home is frowned upon, they look at it as insulting and has a negative vibe, "just a stay at home mom". When I was a kid, my mom worked...a lot. My best friend's mom was a realtor, but was really a stay at home mom. Vacation days from school, she took us to the science museum, came along on class field trips, forgot your book at home? No problem she would run it to school, weird sporting events, she was the driver, spend the night as his house? In the morning its homemade pancakes and eggs for breakfast! sooo many perks and I thought it was awesome and was a little jealous. If you went on a date today and told the girl you someday want a wife that stays home and raises kids, there is a better than 50% chance she would get up and walk out. Somewhere the culture (feminism maybe, dunno) that changed and portrays this as a negative and I've always viewed it as a positive if its financially feasible. Thats the other part of it, even if the wife (or husband for that matter) would be amenable to staying home, most people either need or want the extra income, even if after childcare, the net take home is insignificant. Also as mentioned the career progression etc. I have an aunt that was a huge marketing pro, some well known ads etc. Left the workforce to raise the kids, home schooled them, she is very artistic and looking at her previous work, was very impressive. She rose very fast on the ladder when she was in the workforce. The problem is, she has been out of the workforce for maybe 2 decades. Now she would like to get back in. Presents problems. Shes out of touch with the current "trends". Some of the work she has done for her portfolio is ridiculously dated and not "cool". Frankly...its lame. This wouldnt be a problem if, at this age she was at the exec level, she would have younger motivated grads to manage etc. But she is now starting at the bottom, competing against these kids and she's getting smoked...unless some firm looking to hire specifically caters to AARP customers. Shes just be out of the game too long. So Im afraid her career was fast and short, resulting in a couple of framed ads/posters that were used nationally, hanging in the downstairs family room of their home. Not saying her course of action was wrong, she ended up being the leader of the area home school association or group or whatever its called, both kids are at big name schools working on PhD's in STEM fields, she did a great job. Maybe if she had worked in a different field it wouldnt be as hard, but any industry after being gone for even a single decade, soo much changes, technology, best practices etc. For sure though, advertising/marketing, if you havent been in the game and stayed relevant, to go from being a step away from partner, to the bottom with the recent college grads and off trend, you have no chance, she mise well go work at a coffee shop.