Blugolds

Pics/video taken by USAF are with cutting edge tech/radar and nobody believes that either, even with gov acknowledgment its unknown. People either believe or dont believe and then confirm those bias...kinda like BTC Im a natural skeptic and generally assume there is a reasonable explanation, for UFOs that is, BTC Ive made up my mind on lol

No position in BTC and I admit that Im probably a bit naïve to the idea. I understand the blockchain technology and its appeal and application for various things, there is value in that. I think the biggest hinderance for me to ever get on board is the perceived (or actual) scarcity. In my life, anytime someone used "limited time only!", get in now before rates go up, one time offer, special pricing...insert attempted psychological manipulation to elicit desired response (usually separating you from your money) a red flag goes up. I cant help it. I've just seen it more times than I can count. When I hear friends who talk about why they are buying BTC, they ALWAYS start with "there are only so many that can be mined, so value has to go up". its like they draw a line in the sand between the haves and the have nots, those who were smart enough to buy (and get on the ark) and those who didnt heed the warning LOL. Half of them think that owning as much BTC as they can is gonna ensure they retire early, you would think the sky is the limit on the value of a BTC and the future Forbes list will be comprised solely of BTC bros who were in back when they were trading BTC for "likes" on forum threads. So I could be wrong, and in a decade or two I'll be apologizing to my kids that Dad heard about it, knew about it, and sat there sucking his thumb, but if he wouldnt have had such reservations they would vacationing at the 3rd house in the Hamptons. But I just cant help it, maybe its past personal history avoiding things that didnt feel right, and later finding out that I was right, maybe its the bias against it influenced by Omaha, maybe its my own stubbornness. Also, at least from my experience talking in person with those I know who buy it, there seems to be a correlation between honest questions asked and how defensive they get. I knew a guy once who made an "investment" in something, it was an all out scam, his brother saw it, I saw it, and when you logically tried to help him see, he doubled down defensively, a real case study on human psychology. Im not calling BTC an all out scam, but the reaction from the guy I knew scammed, and the reaction from guys trying to sell me on BTC is similar, thats all Im saying. There is one thing I wont argue. To some extent value perceived is value achieved. And there are plenty of people that value BTC. Im just not one of them. I have no desire to trade it, and that is the only appeal I could see. So I put it in the too hard pile. Honestly if I could visualize how it plays out in 1-3-5 years and it didnt feel so scammy, and it wasnt in amongst a plethora of other shitcoins that everybody and their brother made up, I might be more inclined to look closer. TBH Im seriously surprised that Trump hasnt started his own crypto coin. Im not kidding.

Agreed, the guy turns my stomach. There is literally no filter on the guy, spewing verbal diarrhea. The fact that this guy even has air time says a lot more about Fox, than it does about whatever "problem" he is targeting. Social Media certainly contributes to division in the country...but even without it, as long as MSM puts these jokers front and center for views, its not gonna get better. Its sad really..

Is Capitalism "under strict party controls" really Capitalism? I see it as black and white, either it is capitalism for better or worse...or its not, because sooner or later that will be tested..and in the CCP, there is never any question as to who is gonna win that battle... If kids have freedom to play outside, that is much different than "yard time" in a prison. One might have general guidelines from parents, stay out of the street, let me know where you are gonna be etc from parents, the other is in constant fear of yard brawls, has to stay with their race, gaurds watching them with rifles etc. Both are outside getting exercise, but totally different experience. That makes a huge difference IMO.

also thank you for the heads up, Costco customer but didn’t know they offered insurance! Quick quote for auto offers yearly premium that is half the cost for me vs my current Gieco offering. Haven’t seen a premium increase yet but I’m sure it’s coming. I’ll likely switch to Costco offerings soon and have already told several friends/family to check out Costco offerings and at least get a quote! Home owners has always been a “game”. Switch providers, after a couple years they start sneaking it up and then I start shopping. I pay everything individually but I wonder if with todays auto withdrawal for everything if providers of services that offer discounts for auto withdrawal sneak rates up thinking most people don’t notice. Incentivize customers to sign up with auto withdrawal for a small discount so they don’t watch as closely then slowly start raising. It’s actually kind of a smart strategy. At least this is what I have noticed, shared by multiple industries, gyms do the same, auto withdrawal setup, people stop going and they keep withdrawing, soooo many monthly withdrawals it’s hard to keep track and most people don’t watch closely. I’ve always wanted to know what was leaving the account and watch closely, can’t tell you how many times I’ve “caught” things that were wrong, double charges, mistakes etc. if I wasn’t watching closely would have never noticed. Makes ya think.

"Just give them the weapons they need so they can finish this thing." Everyone supports Ukraine defending itself, but the only one that can finish it is Russia, ultimately they decide when it ends.

Did you watch the entire discussion regarding the war? Lex just interviews, he had no position on the matter, he steel mans positions of his guests, or asks them to, but remains pretty neutral for the most part. He lets the guest take whatever position they want. Bustamante was the one taking a position. I agree, time has passed since the interview and thats a fair point, but I shared it because it was interesting to hear another point of view regarding the intelligence that Putin received, is receiving, as well as our own intelligence in the US and the rest of the world. His guest as an ex-CIA op has a good feel for that region of the world and how geopolitics work, gives another perspective that has been different than pretty much everything else I have heard anywhere. Im not saying that he is right, just that it is an interesting perspective that is different, and thats always valuable when contemplating anything. He also offered explanation for why Putin thought it would be a cake walk. Bustamante also was pretty adamant that it would be over by fall due to reliance on Russian gas for NATO countries heating, and obviously here we are approaching Christmas, so he hasn’t called everything correctly, but I think he makes some decent points overall regarding intelligence and geopolitical strategy and priorities.

I dont know how many people watch/listen to Lex, but he is of Ukranian/Russian heritage, moved to states around 13, father is professor, speaks Russian/English fluently. He recently went to Ukraine to interview there but hasnt published those interviews yet, he has interviewing Putin himself as a goal. Has some pretty good guests, all very interesting and does a good job asking questions and discussing a variety of topics. I thought this episode was interesting, getting the take on the situation of an ex-CIA agent. Viewpoint on Ukraine starts at 13:50. Agree with him or not, his take is interesting and I like hearing alternative viewpoints.

Like Charlie says...Invert! 50 in "business years"... What businesses' around 50 years ago, are still with us. 1970 Full list Rank Company Revenues ($ millions) Profits ($ millions) General Motors 24,295.1 1,710.7 2 Exxon Mobil 14,929.8 1,047.6 3 Ford Motor 14,755.6 546.5 4 General Electric 8,448.0 278.0 5 Intl. Business Machines 7,197.3 933.9 6 Chrysler 7,052.2 88.8 7 Mobil 6,621.4 434.5 8 Texaco 5,867.9 769.8 9 ITT Industries 5,474.7 234.0 10 Gulf Oil 4,953.3 610.6 11 AT&T Technologies 4,883.2 227.0 12 U.S. Steel 4,754.1 217.2 13 ChevronTexaco 3,825.0 453.8 14 LTV 3,750.3 -38.3 15 DuPont 3,655.3 356.2 16 Shell Oil 3,537.1 291.2 17 CBS 3,509.2 149.9 18 Amoco 3,469.1 321.0 19 General Telephone & Electronics 3,262.0 237.4 20 Goodyear Tire & Rubber 3,215.3 158.2 21 RCA 3,187.9 151.3 22 Esmark 3,107.6 21.9 23 McDonnell Douglas 3,023.8 117.6 24 Union Carbide 2,933.0 186.2 25 Bethlehem Steel 2,927.7 156.5 26 Boeing 2,834.6 10.2 27 Eastman Kodak 2,747.2 401.1 28 Procter & Gamble 2,707.6 187.4 29 Atlantic Richfield 2,691.2 227.2 30 Rockwell Automation 2,667.3 64.9 31 Navistar International 2,652.8 63.8 32 Kraft 2,580.9 75.6 33 General Dynamics 2,508.8 2.5 34 Tenneco Automotive 2,450.6 165.5 35 Conoco 2,395.6 157.1 36 United Technologies 2,350.4 50.9 37 Firestone Tire & Rubber 2,278.9 116.7 38 ConocoPhillips 2,202.0 134.3 39 Litton Industries 2,176.6 82.3 40 Armour 2,153.4 18.1 41 Lockheed Martin 2,074.6 -32.6 42 Caterpillar 2,001.6 142.5 43 Monsanto 1,938.8 116.1 44 Occidental Petroleum 1,937.6 174.8 45 Singer 1,902.1 77.7 46 General Foods 1,893.8 132.9 47 Sunoco 1,837.8 152.3 48 Rapid-American 1,827.1 20.7 49 Dow Chemical 1,797.1 148.7 50 Sealed Air Thats the top 50 of Fortune 500 in 1970. Many still around, some got put out to pasture and some taken out back behind the barn. There are many on this list that I would bet will be around in another 50 for sure. So much changes, not a lot of "big tech" on this list... hard to predict, at one point probably every woman in America had a sewing machine in the house. Imagine if it was 1970 and we are having this discussion...some of those big names for sure some people would have thought that they would still be somewhere near the top.. I dont think its as hard as people think to pick businesses that will be around in 50 years There are many companies I can imagine a way when I really let my mind wander about future tech possibilities that I could see a time when they are taken out to pasture and that glide slope starts. What is difficult IMO is to determine where in the cycle the survivors will be, still a player, or put out to pasture in their downward glide slope. When that transition happens in the 50yr window and what your return will be assuming you predict with some degree of accuracy and you hold full term, will that return be "adequate". Then will that return be greater than the index? And if so, by how much, are you being compensated for taking some sort of concentration in hand picked names for the long haul vs the relatively easy index set it and forget it method. Will the juice be worth the squeeze. Thinking of Warren talking about businesses that are so good that they can survive and make it even with an idiot running them because sooner or later there will be... those odds increase significantly the longer you go out on the timeline. I like BRK energy. Railroads, utilities, people are always gonna need water and possible that it becomes something people are willing to pay quite a bit more for in the future as scarcity gets worse. I think kids will still love Disney in 50 years even if they remake Mambi with a non-binary deer (joking, relax) Those ultra wide moat businesses that arent necessarily sexy like the big tech names. Otherwise its probably just best to pick the index for the majority of people, with the majority of their port, if unable to confidently figure the above, place some other side bets to catch a flier. Also doesnt have to be the top 50 in 50..I just used those as an example.

I also think you are right. Philosophy of law, morality, ethics, civil vs criminal, preponderance of evidence vs beyond a reasonable doubt all in play. Each interesting for discussion between avg joes on the sidelines, but none of it really matters until/unless those with the burden of proof have evidence to bring the claim and evidence to meet the applicable burden. Subjective vs Objective perception. Perhaps the discrepancy is in the term "deserves" as it relates to jail time. Subjectively Jones is a nutjob that should be held accountable for his actions and damage done to individuals and the country. Objectively there are grey areas, criminal conviction could come via perjury thanks to his lawyers SNAFU releasing evidence to the prosecution showing documents existed that Jones previously denied, did the professional liar....lie? There often seems to be a direct correlation between the amount of grey and the size of someone's checkbook and political connections. Lets be real, likely he'll work some deals, lawyers will lawyer, create some doubt, and he'll get out with a black eye but his pain/discomfort will not be unbearable. He's not going to be living on the streets. As to @Sweet comment about the shocking $1.5B, I agree and see your point, let the punishment fit the crime. If we agree that $1.5B is startling, perhaps even unjust itself, the question becomes, what then is an appropriate number? @RedLionhas mentioned 3x actual damages as an example, personally I have no opinion on a specific dollar amount with the only criteria being significant enough to: 1. Provide adequate compensation for those wronged (who's to say what adequate is) 2 Serve as a deterrence for others who may behave in a similar way in the future $1.5B probably accomplishes both, but could the same criteria be met with a lower judgment? 1. Probably 2. Dunno, depends on how deep the pockets are

I dont necessarily think 5% is a problem, it can be, if the raising tide doesn't lift all boats...and it often doesnt. As to confiscating wealth of society by those able and willing to take advantage of opportunities, yes I agree...and thats literally how it has always been throughout history regardless of interest rates, it might temporarily (in the grand scheme of things/history/timeline) ebb and flow...but the trend is clear and established...the low/middle class have been squeezed for the last 4-5 decades, I dont think that will ever change. They're gonna get squeezed at 2% and squeezed at 5%, might be a faster or slower squeeze. Everybody knows low heat is preferred, but low heat or high heat, the lobster is still getting cooked and the end result is the same for the little guy in the pot.

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...