Blugolds

Its actually very American to speak out against gov, cant fault the guy for that, its the way he does it, he dog whistles to his extreme right supporters to take action against the gov (and anyone who thinks differently) while he collects checks and people get hurt. His "false flag" agenda borrows from the Russian/KGB disinformation playbook. These dog whistles IMO make him culpable for sedition. Will he go to jail for any of this? No. At the very least a case could be made for perjury, but that probably wont stick either...Big surprise, the guy is a liar. https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/extremist-files/individual/alex-jones "Alex Jones has made a name for himself peddling wild antigovernment conspiracy theories. Jones’ most notable conspiracies revolve around national tragedies and terrorist attacks he labels as “false flag” operations. With millions of regular viewers and over two decades on the air, Jones has created a financial and brand empire out of selling misinformation and disinformation, as well as self-help dietary products. His uncorroborated reporting has led to many innocent people being harassed by internet trolls both online and in person. His politically charged stunts have made headlines, and by 2021, his calls for Trump supporters to protest the Biden presidency helped fuel the Jan. 6 insurrection on the U.S. Capitol building. Jones is one of the most prolific and influential conspiracy theorists in contemporary America." https://www.cnbc.com/2018/09/14/alex-jones-5-most-disturbing-ridiculous-conspiracy-theories.html Politics is ugly, parties on both sides spit inaccurate info at each other and to followers, nothing new. I think the difference with Jones is that his actions contribute and encourage violence from his followers, followers that just happen to be ready and willing to act. I dont see that in such magnitude from any other political players on either side of the aisle besides the aforementioned. I dont think its a right or left thing, I think this guy contributes significantly to the division of the country via lies to his huge following, division that frankly as an American, Im tired of. I actually abhor politics. And will welcome any leader, from either side, that leads and focuses on uniting the country. IMO we aren't right or left, we're American, with some slightly different views on how to get to a fairly similar goal. Everyone basically wants the same basic things at the end of the day. Im sure the Russians love the guy, he saves them a lot of work! https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/frontline/article/what-conspiracy-theorist-alex-jones-said-in-the-lead-up-to-the-capitol-riot/ The unprecedented insurrection left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer and a woman who was shot by police while participating in the siege. One person who was later charged with unlawful possession of a destructive device allegedly parked a vehicle with 11 homemade bombs two blocks from the Capitol building. The unprecedented insurrection left five people dead, including a Capitol Police officer and a woman who was shot by police while participating in the siege. One person who was later charged with unlawful possession of a destructive device allegedly parked a vehicle with 11 homemade bombs two blocks from the Capitol building. An avid follower of Jones and his site InfoWars was sent to prison for stalking the family of a child killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School after Jones claimed the shootings in Newtown, Connecticut, had been staged. And a man who believed the Pizzagate conspiracy promoted by Jones and others showed up at a restaurant in Washington, D.C., with an assault rifle and opened fire. https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-lists/alex-jones-mis-infowars-7-bat-sht-conspiracy-theories-195468/former-fox-news-host-glenn-beck-is-a-cia-operative-114463/?sub_action=logged_in The government is complicit in countless terrorist and lone-gunman attacks "Jones doesn’t stop with 9/11 – he also claims the Boston Marathon bombing was an inside job, and has said the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting was a hoax that involved child actors. Jones has also said Jared Loughner, who killed six people and seriously wounded Rep. Gabrielle Giffords in 2011, was a “staged mind-control operation.” “The government employs geometric psychological-warfare experts that know exactly how to indirectly manipulate unstable people through the media,” Jones said. “They implanted the idea in his head by repeatedly asking, ‘Is Giffords in danger?'” In 2016, the Brussels attacks and the Pulse shooting in Orlando were “false flag” operations, Jones said, arguing that the government allowed radical Islamists into the country so they “can attack us and then have our freedoms taken.” I mean the irony of the above bold and underlined (my doing) would be comical if it wasnt so sad and dangerous...the guy is accusing the US gov of doing exactly what he has done for decades and profited handsomely from!

Jones words and crazy theories getting people killed isnt any different than words/theories → insurrection getting someone shot in the capital. Words have consequences, and the stakes are higher when you have more ears, because statistically the chances are better that at least one pair of those ears isnt gonna have much between them and will act on said crazy fictitious BS. Also, like @tede02 said , "profiting off his lies"...kind of like a "Stop the Steal" campaign...donate your dollars to my fictitious cause that I will then use in whatever way I see fit. To think that he does not deserve jail time is IMO unjust. There is a reason yelling FIRE! is illegal. Words causing people to act can get people killed, in various ways, there has to be some kind of accountability for that, especially today when more and more people have the ability to instantly reach more ears than ever before. If I drive drunk, and am swerving all over the road but dont personally hurt anyone...but another driver in the other lane swerves to miss me, thus striking and killing a pedestrian...is the other driver guilty for the death or am I? Is it enough for me to just pay to have the other persons car repaired? Financial punishment IMO is not enough for egregious acts. There are a lot of people in this country sitting in a cell for MUCH less, ie blue collar guy fell behind on child support, marijuana/war on drugs anyone? collecting rainwater in some states..etc etc. His MO is the same as the maestro himself, encourage division of the republic via lies for personal financial gain even if it costs lives. Unfortunately Jones wasnt the first, and wont be the last.

I knew this was the scene when I saw the message in the thread before I even saw what you posted..when I opened the thread I chuckled. I remember the mini-series, my mom taped it on VHS off the TV for me as a kid…was pretty good if I remember, but that was a long time ago and I haven’t seen it since, they also had Young Indy comic books.. Fairly certain I could repeat word for word with 90% accuracy Last Crusade and Raiders movies, still to this day. Also probably contributed to how I feel about snakes..I was on my belly in a crawl space under a buddies cabin last summer doing some plumbing and electrical for him...dirt floor under me, 6” above my head were the floor joist, tight quarters..and you guessed it…snakes…literally said ”why’d it have to be snakes”…I didnt have a kerosene sprayer with me and they weren’t quite asps (ball of garters)..but they mise well have been, the sentiment was the same…

As a kid I watched Last Crusade more times than I can count, as well as Raiders of the Lost Ark...Indiana Jones was my chosen career field as a kid...some kids wanted to be pro athletes, astronauts...I wanted to be Indiana Jones, running through the woods with a Fedora I got at Goodwill and a cheap plastic whip that I got from the local county fair... Temple of Doom scared me too much, pulling beating hearts out of chests etc... The Crystal Skull IMO was garbage, and this one looks like they are wringing the washcloth again, milking the franchise for one more time before Indy is in a wheelchair in the old folks home, kind of a shame. I would rather have them revitalize the franchise with a new Indy and better writing, less special effects, but maybe that just me.

Absolutely ridiculous, better not be any shortage in funding for any programs in SF that help underprivileged, needy, homeless etc. That kind of money spent on, google says approx 30 people a year?

Staff? As in CNA, Maint workers, housekeeping? That doesn’t include nurses does it? They have their own union and negotiate correct? I think it probably depends on if it includes nurses and physicians because that has to be the majority of their labor costs, one nurse hourly avg probably counts as 3 support staff.

Agreed, own it, this behavior is actually a classic out of the Putin playbook Admit nothing, deny everything, make counteraccusations

Set the penalty for certain behavior at death...hopefully as a deterrence. Those who, knowing the consequences of their actions i.e 1st degree premeditated murder, serial killing, serial rapist etc chose to still behave in a way that society has determined especially heinous and worthy of removal, condones the results (death) of this behavior when they committed the acts.. Death of another human should never be celebrated, but (unfortunately) can be necessary. Anyone who thinks otherwise, has never personally been in a situation when it was necessary....

Agreed, years ago there was more quality articles, now its turned into complete garbage, zero thought goes into the majority of articles and its just regurgitation of facts from CNBC or Marketwatch, stick some numbers in there and a super vague thesis for or against...just enough to get an article written and then post. Not worth the time IMO, the objective is to get an article that will get comments and clicks (like much of social media) quality is not a priority. Maybe its better with a subscription, I would hope, but not really interested. I used to like to read the comments more than the articles for both sides of the thesis, I found more value in the comments than the authors themselves...but many of the comment threads have turned into arguments etc also so havent spent much time there either.

Guys....they have over 2800 positive reviews...4.8/5 overall... But whatever, haters gonna hate... This kind of stuff makes me sick, stealing name recognition in an attempt to add credibility/legitimacy to a scheme. The sad thing is, they are gonna pull in the naïve.

^ please add, involvement in every new/hot multi-level marketing "opportunity"... Speaking to your other post above about a sign to get out, I also had several coworkers with zero regard for risk management making moves to free up cash in order to DCA down in various crypto names, Im talking about serious life altering steps with retirement accounts, mortgage, etc. It gave me anxiety just hearing it (honestly a sick feeling). The irony....an attempt to get back to even after GME/AMC et al didnt hit. You're dead on about human psychology, thats exactly what it is. Many of the same folks betting big on the hot tip meme stonks are/have done the same with crypto. Its the same psychology, fear of missing out, bias etc seen in any casino. And what surprises me is that there is more creditability from commercials with famous people etc that attracts the sheep. I have known a couple people in my life that were what I would consider degenerate gamblers. At the casino more days of the week than not, always looking for that next big hit, always talking about "that one hand" or someone they know or heard about that hit it big, play the roll and act like they have a strategy system with no regard for statistics of casino games, refuse to acknowledge the house advantage and instead think that some mystical ability or strategy they have/know gives THEM the edge, many times doubling down in an attempt to avoid the pain of accepting the loss. None of these things are new. Even with all the above behavior, the ones I have known at least, still would not mortgage the house, or tap the 401k (if they contributed) to gamble. They might have spent nearly ALL the extra money they had each month and then some, charge daily expenses on the CC so that more can go to the casino, but in a way there were some sort of "protection" there either mentally or legally to prevent them from some kind of serious life altering mistakes. (a reason you have to buy lotto tickets with cash and not a credit card) Dont get me wrong, there ARE people that throw it all away at the casino also, I realize that...but these are what I would call "functioning chronic gamblers"....like alcoholics, the behavior is unhealthy, no rational person would do it, its detrimental and will eventually cause an undesirable end result, but from the outside they seem to be in control. With the "legitimacy" of the term "investment" (and I say that loosely) people are more willing to take even greater risk. Surely so-and-so (insert name of celebrity, fund manager, youtube star, pro athlete here) wouldnt be involved if it wasnt legit. So rather than taking the couple grand a month they spend at the casino and dropping it into their brokerage account to buy shitcoins...they are looking for ways to pull their 401k out of "mediocre" vanguard funds and buy crypto, or HELOC, tapping serious capital to "invest" in something that they wouldnt be as likely to do playing blackjack, slots, poker. But the consequences on their financial future will be far greater. Meanwhile they will lose on the meme stonks, lose on crypto shitcoins, blow their accounts up and then be so jaded that they start to say things like, "the markets are rigged" and like a beat dog, be apprehensive to even contribute again to the original vanguard funds they were in to begin with...compounding the future problem.

This made me laugh! All I’ve heard for the last year from coworkers/friends of friends is how Im a fool for not buying crypto, BRK is a boomer stock, BTC to the moon, better get in now before it goes back to 100k/Coin…buy all the dips! Greater fool theory… Its been mentioned before..the real winner of the Powerball frenzy is the State via taxes…the real winner of easy cellphone trading/buying crypto are the top of the pyramid who got in first…and those facilitating the transactions and taking their cut. The old analogy of not wanting to be the guy standing in different streams panning for gold in 1949…you wanna be the guy owning the general store selling picks and shovels… To be fair…a guy could post a trend of FB 1Yr and it would also be ugly…but at least FB generates cash, even if the market doesn’t like what Marky Z does with it

There can be a multitude of reasons that they arent buying back as much as some would like, some reasons we can probably speculate on and some we may never know (potential deals in the works that fall through etc). Its like when BRK started to groom shareholders mentally to get away from that hard 1.2x BV number everyone wants to know when BRK is "on sale" and with the new accounting and BV becoming less and less relevant everyone clings to Buffetts buyback numbers as indication of what "cheap" is. I've never really cared how much Omaha buys, absolutely I love buybacks and there is nothing I like more than to see BRK price drop, be able to load up, and see that Omaha has done the same...but if they dont I never really think twice about it because to me it is indicative of nothing significant. The only time it grabs my attention are the "bigger" buyback periods ie. May 2020 but many thought they were late to that game, and when Omaha was buying back heavily, so was I, didnt take a genius to know those were good times to be buying and sooner or later in the future it would look like a deal, so again, didnt change my behavior and didnt make an impact on what I thought. Too many variables, many often unknown to the avg investor to put a ton of weight into how much BRK buys back. Point is, just because BRK isnt buying back as much as investors would like, doesnt necessarily mean he doesnt think its cheap or a decent deal. I would say the same for Abel...I dont think he is concerned with 6mo-12mo price fluctuations. Greg buying may mean he thinks its a decent deal and it may not, if you are never planning to sell what difference does it make if you buy +/- 10% in the short term market gyration. Given his situation/position imagine if he would have gone all in on BRK back in 2007/2008 before BRK got whacked...looking back now would it have mattered...

Honestly I think thats a pretty simplistic view of the "problem/challenge". Now to be clear, I dont have an answer or fix for the problem, just that I know enough to know that its not that simple. I think its easy to assume that there are a significant number of people that leach off the system/safety net and if that net is gone they would be forced to work and be productive to support themselves. I think that is looking at the problem through your own lens, because that is what you think a logical/reasonable person would done, who has the tools in their toolbox to do so. I have a cabin in a neighboring state that is located in the poorest county in the state. Over half the county is on assistance. It doesnt take anything more than a trip into town, away from the tourist/resort/recreational areas to see the real "locals" and its plain to see that if I had a simple business (lawn mowing, shoe store, farm) I would not hire them to do anything that was important, they simply are incapable. Alot of these folks in the rural areas make "people of Walmart" seem like GQ magazine. Remove these programs and what happens to these people? When you are unable to work in the changing economy, with increasing technology and you have no skillsets...what do you do? Does crime increase? Jail/prison populations increase? The taxpayer will pay for these "folks" one way or another, correct? There is a significant portion of the population that simply cannot compete in todays workforce IMO. Everyone likes to point to the college grad who doesnt want to get a job and lives in the parents basement or has the liberal arts degree working at a coffee shop collecting assistance and demanding college loan repayment...but I think those are the minority, I think there are many who are just not able to market themselves due to lack of skill/intelligence etc. https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0029146739/ref=ox_sc_saved_image_4?smid=A1QJ4UH6FW3UH1&psc=1#customerReviews Like I said I dont have an answer to the problem, some would say that a UBI is the answer, and I dont know that I agree with that either, but the fact of the matter is that the problem is real, I dont think its what right would have us believe, a bunch of lazy deadbeat free-loaders...and I dont think its exactly what the left says either, hard working folks who cant make ends meet, I think its somewhere in the middle and perhaps a significant portion is something that neither side is touching on. Its not going away and if I had to guess I would say its getting worse and will continue to get worse and I dont know how you address that, economically, and ethically. The gap widens and widens. Some will say, anybody can go be a walmart greeter, or mcdonalds is paying $20/hr now! True, but there are only so many of those jobs also...and they might not even be able to hold down one of those jobs due to a variety of mental issues. Compounding the problem is that many of these folks have children and the cycle continues. The above example assumes that everyone is capable of working at the widget factory...and Im just saying I think there is a larger number than people think that are not capable of working at the widget factory...even if that is sweeping the factory floors...

Unpack that statement a bit, what is an uphill battle, also...generally positions that are made or allowed to get to be "gigantic" are not positions that Omaha would want to move in and out of...thats why they are "gigantic". They're pretty clear about their preferred holding period. Hefty tax bill is all relative...from your statement you are saying it would be preferred if he could quickly/nimbly move in and out of large positions? Unless selling for a loss on those positions thats a sure fire way to make sure Uncle Sam doesnt have to wait for his cut...

My advice to you regarding lifting consistently can relate to investing...not individual stocks, but overall portfolio.. You will have good days and bad days in the gym, sickness, just not feeling it etc and maybe you dont hit your numbers but you went...the markets swing up and down daily and it doesnt really matter...the important thing is that hopefully your balance at the end of a year is higher than the start of the year...the same with the gym, after 6mo-1 yr you really see the difference. This means that it has to be managed...it has to be measured. Use an actual routine, find your starting numbers for the lifts you want to do and then add to them weekly, even if just 5lbs...track those numbers (I used to actually track body weight, weight/lifts in Excel monthly)when you SEE results its a motivator. Additionally it gives you a purpose when in the gym or working out at home. When I was in the gym all the time I had my workout printed weekly and brought it to the gym every day, each set was literally checked off with a pen, it gave me a "job" to complete. The majority of people in commercial gyms are just wondering aimlessly, machine to machine, trying different things...they're spinning their wheels, no idea where they are or where they are going. Its the equivalent of buying a stock just because you heard about it at the water cooler or on CNBC but never looking at the financials of the company or doing DD/DCA etc. Set goals (ie. Bench 200, Squat 300, Dead 400, Press 100 for total 1k lbs) then determine where you are starting at and when you watch those numbers start to rise and the graph line in Excel goes from bottom left to top right you wont be bored. Really it just comes down to what you wanna do..if you want to be active and build muscle you dont even need machine/setups/equipment...look at prisoners, situps, pushups, dips etc. Many have access to free weights, but the majority of their time is in the cell working out with body weight or improvised extra low weight/resistance. Without goals and measurable progress anything is boring, you dont even know if what you are doing is working. Pick random stocks that continually go down and see how enthusiastic anyone is about investing...do your DD, place your bets, watch your port grow and compare it to the SP500 to see that you are consistently beating it and that is motivation to continue, not boring at all. You want your workout time to be like the morning of an earnings release for a company you hold and know is gonna blow it out of the water. Also, if you are swimming or skating regularly, maybe stick (pun intended) with that, nothing wrong with that either...havent seen an unhealthy speed skater or competitive swimmer that I recall ever. Important thing is to find something that you enjoy and WORKS and just do it, and be consistent.....much like.....investing..

20+ years ago Starting Strength and the Bigger Faster Stronger programs were mandatory at our HS for football. The book in the video was required reading, and I still have my copy lol. We had the largest, best outfitted weight room in our division by far, full Hammer Strength lineup and before and after school time in the weight room was expected. It led to the most championship wins in the state. To speak to your statement regarding caloric surplus, you're absolutely right, anyone doing serious 5x5 compound lifts attempting to grow will need to really pound the food of you're going to be miserable. I remember back in the day depending on the position played, guys putting weight on would have peanut butter/jelly shakes before bed and some were on the GOMD (gallon of milk a day) regime. Combine the weights with summer 2-a-days and it was often still tough to keep weight on. I think it comes down to what your end goal is. Muscle definitely helps as one ages, but also equally if not more important is flexibility. The most all around fit people I have known did not have a large muscular appearance and didnt care what they could bench, squat, dead. This includes guys in SF. Focus was on functional strength using calisthenics and primarily body weight, combined with.....yoga. Some of those guys max bench etc would be laughable to some, but they could grab a vertical bar and plank out to a 90 degree angle with their body using reverse grip and hold it until you said when, drop and rep out 100 pushups without breathing heavy, then rep out the same sit-ups, and do the splits without a groan. Also when it comes to the compounds, form is EVERYTHING and without understanding body mechanics, the average person is gonna end up with shoulder/back/knee issues, so if someone wanted to go that route its worth getting a trainer for a couple sessions to instruct you on strict form, even if its just using the bar alone, first get the technique down, then add weight, if you start out with poor form you WILL do more damage than good. But hey, if Cubs is 68 and its working for him, more power to him, cant argue with that! At least you're doing something, my god the amount of guys I work with that are huffing walking up a single flight of stairs is shocking and sad....and....very American lol. IMO anyone who puts any effort in past say...40 is commendable because you're probably in the top 5-10% from what I have seen. Even old teammates I've had from various sports, its like they spent 25 years being in top level shape and then they throw it all away within 5 years, now when I see them you'd never believe they were D1 athletes, that includes 2 guys that made the pros, still massive genetic freaks, but they also put on at least 100lbs since the "glory days". Now rather than vertical and 40yrd stats, the numbers they hear are regarding cholesterol and hypertension, I went on a fishing trip with one of them and he brought along his CPAP machine, and these are not "old" guys...what a difference a decade makes. If someone is looking for physical activity as they age that will still keep them in shape, flexible and is easy on the joints, doesnt have a huge learning curve and they have access, arent into yoga etc...my best recommendation is swimming. Local YMCA or the like in your area often has early morning open time, super reasonable rates etc..and if you dont do it regularly, try to swim even 3 laps without stopping and see how you feel, amazing cardio, low stress on the joints and makes you feel like a kid again. Eventually when you get to the "golden" years I think it matters less what you do, and more that you just do SOMETHING...just move, sedentary=killer.

Just an interesting tidbit regarding inflation, I don’t remember if I mentioned before but I have a close friend in the cattle business. Every year they split the herd, sell off maybe half and retain the breeders, anyone around ranching in general knows how this works. I think everyone has noticed how beef prices have climbed over the last year or so, its been in the news, you see it at the market. Yesterday his “buyer” called him asking if he would be willing to sell early this year and lock in price per pound. He asked what they were paying…$2.10/lb. For comparison, last year they got $1.20/lb. So if that is any indication of what to expect in the next year at the supermarket, take it for what its worth. My buddy said, come pick ‘em up! If the buyers are paying almost double what they were last year, if we can use that as a leading indicator…..

Same, between bow, gun, muzzleloader, antlerless bonus tags a motivated hunter can put 5+ deer in the freezer this year..I usually do half that and it ends up as burger, steaks, and bacon (venison 50/50 with pork butts from Costco), summer sausage, brats etc the cost is about as close to free as you can get and that includes the initial investment of commercial grade/quality processing equipment ie. grinder, mixer, stuffer, vacuum chamber sealer. A personal favorite is canned venison. Chunks in pint/quart jars, 1t salt, beef bullion cube and a splash of beef broth, drop in pressure cooker for 90 minutes and you have a jar of deliciousness that doesn’t need to be refrigerated even, lasts for years and is the best tasting most tender quick meal you’ve ever had. Not everyone enjoys processing, but personally I would rather spend an afternoon in the garage with the game on, cracking a beer and cutting up meat than going to the grocery store and fighting the crowds and thats the honest truth. Im off the next two weeks, heading up to the cabin tomorrow to sit in the woods for a while, my favorite time of year.

Out of curiosity where are you guys purchasing? I like the diversification of assets but sports memorabilia makes me a little skeptical sometimes even with certificates etc. there was a documentary a while back that I watched regarding forgeries. They had infiltrated the markets and almost impossible to tell. Holographic stickers, pictures, certificates, grading etc didn’t matter it can all be reproduced. I remember asking a close friend who owned a card shop if it was true and he said it was, and that he had encountered some examples over the years as there are many in the industry that are a bit “shady”. Just didn’t give me a warm fuzzy. How would a guy know? And maybe it doesn’t matter anyway, as perhaps you’re selling the certificate and it doesn’t have to be real, the next buyer just has to believe it is. That scares me. Not saying you fellas are buying fugazi’s but they’re out there. Also might not help my opinion when they guy I knew who owned a card/pro shop wasn’t the most trustworthy guy I know either. Not saying he’s selling fakes, but I’m also not 100% sure he wouldn’t be tempted to pass something along for a big payout. Also I guess I compare to other art, if they can reproduce oil paintings that pass X-ray inspection and dating etc seems like it would be nothing to pound out a ton of cardboard cards, and supporting documents. https://sportscollectorsdigest.com/.amp/news/fraud-forgery-fake-sports-memorabilia-cards-collectibles-fbi Just my personal feeling, I’d love to have a couple in the collection, but I don’t know that I’d feel comfortable enough to drop 5 figures on a card unless I was buying from a reputable auction house with documentation or something, eBay sellers set off some alarms in my head for some reason and I don’t know that even a small local shop would make me comfortable enough to pay “real” money for memorabilia.

I read this book about a year ago…very interesting, both from business, entrepreneurship and philanthropy… I recommend it, easy read. https://www.amazon.com/Billionaire-Who-Wasnt-Secretly-Fortune/dp/1610393341

https://www.costco.com/kirkland-signature-5w-30-full-synthetic-motor-oil-1-quart%2c-12-pack.product.100691500.html $25 for 6 quarts 5w-30 synthetic, Kirkland brand has been proven in tests/comparison to be on par with Mobile 1…its good stuff. I would strongly advise against using FRAM filters, google searches if you have questions. I tend to keep my vehicles for quite a while, if someone is trading up often it probably doesn’t matter then because you wont own it long enough for issues to show up. I run WIX filters, and they can be had for around $6 if you look online, I buy mine in packs of 5. Other good filers are Mobil and NAPA Gold. I probably still have some WIX 51042 for the GM 5.3 I took a 1999 Sierra to 240k miles before I passed the torch to another owner with no major issues. Another tip… I run Fumoto valves on my truck/suv vehicles, I don’t off road with them, so I don’t worry about breaking any off, literally makes an oil change a 5 min, tool-less job. Throw the catch can under the burb, flip the switch, its draining, pull oil cap, swap filter, flip Fomoto to closed and start pouring fresh oil in, cant be simpler. https://www.fumotousa.com Again if guys don’t plan on keeping vehicles past 100k miles probably doesn’t matter, but there IS a difference from a maintenance perspective running a quality synthetic oil for the long haul vs the bulk generic stuff from a Jiffy Lube etc and cheap filters. For $30-$35 ($25 oil and $5-$10 for filter) its the cheapest insurance you will ever buy and takes 5 min every couple months depending on how much you drive, I go 5k mi changes. Verified by family friends who are professional racers and own machine shops building engines for the racing community.

A lot of this has to do with geographical location, and size of the boats/motors… In our area, predominately recreational/fishing I would give the overwhelming majority to Merc…other areas and larger boats, specifically down south its all Suzuki. Honda/Yamaha/Suzuki/ Merc all have pretty good reputations, many dealers make deals with motor manufacturers, or boat manufacturers make deals with inboard/outbord manufacturers to sell their brand exclusively so the customer buys a boat off the showroom with a motor already picked for them etc.

I just recently sold a lake property, I sold for over asking and the Zestimate. Initially I thought I was a little late to the party, I planned on listing last year but with supply chain issues, the new windows I ordered for the place took 6 months to deliver, then 2 of the 11 windows delivered with cracks, so it took 3 more months for them to send 2 replacement windows out. I wanted it listed last summer and ended up having to wait till this summer to list and it worked out all right. There was a slow down in the market that we felt. I honestly didnt thin kit would make it past the first week. Only property available initially when listed on this recreational lake, prime lake lot level to the water, its own peninsula and kitty corner from the local supper club etc. Arguably the best lot on the lake. 14 showings in 2.5 weeks...one offer. Initial offer was insultingly low and was immediately rejected...counter came back still low but was a start for negotiations. ↓↑ 5K increments until I wouldnt budge and they wouldnt budge. They walked away..Fed did the next rate increase and they came back with an offer that matched my final offer and I accepted. The offer they submitted before the fed rate hike was contingent on them securing financing for 30 yrs at 5.75%....the offer that matched my final submitted after the fed hike was contingent on financing at 6.25%. Meanwhile another place came on the market that they were also interested in. Asking about $50k more than I was with 700sq ft more living space, slightly dated, lot wasnt as nice but was a nice lot. I was concerned that they would start pursing that property. That property was listed at the Zestimate. Long story short, with the markets slowing down, as soon as my property closed they dropped their asking price the $50k to match mine...it sat for another 2 weeks and was pending...I got an email yesterday that it had closed/sold and the sales price was $50k LOWER than mine sold for and nearly $100k less than the Zestimate. I agree that first time home buyers or the unsavvy probably give more weight to the Zestimate, but at the end of the day, the market sets the price, regardless of what you ask, or what Zillow says. I think when properties were selling the first day and everything was going gangbusters maybe the people looked to zestimate for conformation, but many of those sold for OVER the zestimate...now that people are looking at things perhaps a little closer, I am seeing several properties selling for LESS than the zestimate. I also have noticed that there are several changes in the zestimate numbers before you list, after sales in the area, after listing, during listing and after sale. I honestly dont think the algo is dialed in accurately. I have a duplex in another area that would confidently sell for over $100k more than the Zestimate just based on conservative cash flow numbers and other comps in the area. I dont think it accurately knows what the property is. Basically I think the Zestimate is trash on both ends. Could influence naïve buyers, but any decent realtor, or experienced buyer or seller probably doesnt pay attention to them.

Yes still way more efficient than div...but it opens a door, how long does that 1% stay that low...thats how they introduce stuff...nbd its just 1%, pocket change..so they agree and then once it passes they start to creep it up over the years...Gov HOPING to cause a shift from buybacks to increase in div so that money is passed on to shareholders and they get their cut...forcing taxes to be paid. Never underestimate the gov motivation to change the rules of the game to allow them to reach their hands into the avg guys pockets..I laugh at the other quote below...about comparing the carried interest loophole only raising $14B in taxes...like that seems insignificant vs the $125B from the repurchase tax..The fact that they even have the option to carry interest vs the avg guy is a joke and I cant believe more people dont throw a fit about it, the avg guy probably doesnt even have a clue. Also that $14B sounds low as other sources claim closing it could raise 1.4-18B anually...so ofcourse they pick the very bottom end of the estimate LOL..nothing to see here folks, minor technicality. I would consider the below paragraph a POSITIVE. "Democrats may agree to scale back elements of a proposed 15% minimum tax on large companies, according to reports. They may also remove a provision that would close the carried interest loophole, which allows private-equity partners to pay the lower capital-gains tax rate on income rather than ordinary income-tax rates." At the time, the administration estimated that a 1% repurchase tax could generate about $125 billion in revenue over 10 years. For comparison, the carried interest loophole would have raised $14 billion in taxes. Treating carried interest income as ordinary compensation income could raise between $1.4 billion and $18 billion annually. A significant majority of voters across parties support legislation that would close this loophole. https://ourfinancialsecurity.org/2021/10/close-the-carried-interest-loophole-that-is-a-tax-dodge-for-super-rich-private-equity-executives/ For comparison...if they would have used the HIGH end of the estimate of carried interest loophole tax raise...$18B annually...over 10 years, thats $180B over the decade...and MUCH closer to that $125B from the 1% repurchase tax...but we wouldnt want people to realize potentially thats how much money these special folks are hiding from uncle sam...better to distract them by focusing on the people on welfare getting their $500/month check and living off the system...those are the people in front of you in line at the store...they are the real problem. Dont get me wrong, people gaming the system make me mad as well, but it really grinds my gears when the avg guy doesnt realize how so many are able to legally game the system for order of magnitude more and nobody has a problem with it, IF they even know about it or realize it. Meanwhile those in the middle of the pack...arent in the upper echelons enough to benefit from the special rules...but make too much to benefit from any breaks...and end up paying 30-40% in taxes. I get smoked every year. Allow me to take minimum amount I need from my employer to pay bills and keep the rest of the income in an "investment account" to get the snowball rolling...then when I finally want to use that money I'll just pay my LTCG tax on it rather than my 30%+ and I would be all for it! Oh well...guess I'll just have to keep skipping the Starbucks and pick myself up by the bootstraps, work harder and apply myself till I get to the next level.