augustabound

Us Blackberry users have a holster, thank you very much. It sits nicely on our sides, out of the way not like those tween girls shove them in their back pocket with the sparkly cover. Much like the pocket protectors from days gone by................. 8)

Does that impact the quality of coal that is mined or is it part of the energy producing process itself with scubbers at the actual plants? I guess more to the point, will this hurt coal miner margins? You'd think after all this time and all the ingenuity in China they'd figure out a way to, I don't know, make a hole in the ozone layer above Beijing, maybe vent this crap out in to space.........................That would solve the pollution problem once and for all...................

At this years annual meeting someone asked what their cost of capital is and Buffett answered, "Our cost of capital is the production of our second-best ideas. I have listened to so many nonsensical cost-of-capital discussions. I have heard CFOs talk about it, but nobody knows what it is. The real test is whether the capital that we retain generates more in market value than is retained. The real test is whether the capital that we retain generates more in market value than is retained." He's also said it in relation to the risks of deploying capital into buying whole companies, "The cost of a deal is relative to the cost of the second best deal."

Yeah for the most part, I just keep a running list of things and update as needed. Mostly just thoughts or facts that I want to remember. Usually 1 note per company and a section for current ideas and a section of things I've passed on just in case something comes up again I can look and see why I passed, that's important. I used to keep a word document for each idea but I find that too much, the OneNote keeps everything together and it auto saves. I've got a section for thoughts and strategies I've read from others, usually posters here and gurus.

I like OneNote for that kind of thing, Evernote for articles.

http://www.spring.org.uk/2013/12/meditation-can-debias-the-mind-in-only-15-minutes.php

I've never done it but google, "Norbert's gambit." I think you're essentially using the exchanges as your forex trader. Hopefully it's what you're looking for. http://www.finiki.org/wiki/Norbert's_Gambit

Linkedin says you need to join the group to view. You can't join then just leave after reading since the request is reviewed by the group admin before approval.

Ahh, sorry, I didn't mean to use genius and high interchangeably. They speak of high IQ not being necessary.

Yeah, I think it's been touched on a couple of times here. They're correct that you don't need a genius IQ to be a successful investor. You do need a high IQ and the right temperament to build what they built.

Everything in life relates to a Seinfeld episode. My wife even jokes with me when she's frustrated, "Serenity now!!!" and then smiles.

I know you asked for books but there's also Coursera's Introduction to Financial Accounting from the Wharton School. It's free and just started this week. https://www.coursera.org/course/accounting

When a picture of Sanjeev with his hair greased back is in the lobby of each Western Sizzlin' Premier facility, we'll know he's "arrived". ;D (Yes, I know you'd have to grow back your hair) Congratulations. ;)

I'm not totally sure this belongs here but I've heard and read some of these on CC's and letters. Some are over simplistic and you can read into something that's not there, but if someone sounds condescending, there's usually a reason.

Nothing really new here but David Merkel did a short interview with Guy. http://alephblog.com/2014/09/02/qa-with-guy-spier-of-aquamarine-capital/

I usually lose interest in an annual report if the CEO blathers on about "Vision 2020" or some other P.R. catch phrase. Tell me in plain English why something didn't work and what you're going to do to fix it.

Hamilton is not "really West" of Toronto. The entire golden horseshoe is just one big sub-division now. I grew up in Hamilton and commuted to Toronto for years (both GO Train and car) before moving North to Newmarket. (After a 1 year in Bloor West Village where it took as long to get to a grocery store as it does for me to get from Newmarket to the 401 on some days ;D ) All the highways and GO Trains are jam packed from 6AM now. I used to be able to get on the 400 at 6:45 and make decent time to the 401. Now the traffic starts at 5:30 and it started even further North. People are finding Guelph and K-W are better alternative now. As is shown in the traffic on the 401 West of the 407 interchange. I just wondered since we may move West for both of our careers, at times the Greater Vancouver area seems very similar to Toronto and other times is seems nothing alike. (I'm basing this off browsing MLS on the style of homes and prices) So in 10 years a place like Abbotsford may be similar to a Newmarket, Oshawa or Burlington?

Is this just in Vancouver city limits or have the suburbs been caught up in this too? House prices seem reasonable in the burbs. (But I also don't know how nice these other cities are, Abbotsford, Langley, Maple Ridge etc) In Toronto the last decade, as prices rose in T.O. so did the surrounding areas. We left Newmarket because we got more house for $200k less on a new build. But even prices in Barrie (an hour North) have rises quite a bit the last decade. We're contemplating a move West and, at least to us, there seems to be a bit of a disconnect between Vancouver and the surrounding area. Houses <$450k in our area only lists a few at any time. The same search outside of Vancouver lists lots of homes.

At the international arrivals at Pearson in Toronto, right at the end of the ramp coming out into the concourse there's a CIBC kiosk. A large kiosk. I'd say it's about 20' by 40' with huge signs for people new to Canada to apply for different products. Last Friday I picked up my wife coming home from Portland and I counted 12 staff members from CIBC.

Are you an avid cyclist too? Maybe that's the holy grail of money management right there. Of course Warren Buffett would be considered an outlier in that category. ;D Edited to add that Guy Spier was tagged in a picture on Twitter while cycling through the Switzerland. http://instagram.com/p/sNo3bmDWvJ/ Going to tune up my bike tomorrow. ;)

I haven't but a friend did after a car accident. (It was a while ago so it may very well have been her neck, I can't remember) but her headaches/migranes subsided after seeing a chiropractor. It was the only thing that helped be it medications, massage etc.

I read somewhere he had around 50% of his net worth in Geico in 1951 (he borrowed $5000 from what I've read), he admits it was 66% in the letter.

Other companies problems don't make the new like Berkshire does either.

The science of meditation

Love the quotes the writer put around inadvertent.