Your other interests:

[nodnub]

I love playing soccer and hiking--especially descending steep snow via standing glissade. I also like to travel, I spent christmas a few years ago on a train through siberia and mongolia but lately it seems to be more conventional 1-2 week getaways.  I have a background and interest in technology but I rarely invest in technology companies. 

 

I am learning to sail very small boats. I love the freedom and quick set up of small boats and how they can turn on a dime.

 

I read a lot. Lately I've been reading some Studs Terkel - "Hard times" short interviews with people from 1930s and "The Good War" (same thing but WW2 anecdotes). It's really interesting perspective from that time period. 

 

I'm a fan of lifelong learning and trying to broaden one's perspectives.  I also try to follow Charlie Munger's approach to life--I think he put it like this:  "a year in which I destroy one of my favorite ideas is a successful year".  I try to constantly re-evaluate my favorite ideas on life and amend or destroy when necessary. I believe it came from one of Ben Franklin's favorite verse: "Examine everything, hold on to the good" (or the true).

 

 

 

[Alekbaylee]

Outside of my full time job in Social Sciences (might be the only one in that field here), I love biking, hiking/walking, reading and traveling.

 

I don't post a lot 'cause you guys are way better than me when it comes to investing (sometimes I don't even totally grasp what some of you talk about) but enjoy reading you all : great ideas/discussions/people. Always something to learn here.

 

Also, as you may have noticed, English is not my first language, but my 3rd.

Originally from the old Continent, but have been living in Canada for a while now.

[mranski]

Favourite is Rollerblading (inline skating) the Stanley Park Seawall in Vancouver, BC. This is the best place I have found so far, it is 12km circular route on the ocean, great surface, no obstacles, no cars, no pedestrians. Just did the Strand in L.A. approximately 22 miles almost continuous, fantastic also.

[twacowfca]

There does not seem to have any women in the group... interesting.

 

This reminded me of a comic I used to read:

 

http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/archive/phd1105.gif

 

But on a serious note, investing and finance is almost completely male-dominated. There was a list of value investors in another thread, guess what the most common thing about people on that list.  :)

 

 

A notable exception: Meryl Witmer.  One of the very best value investors, IMO.

[twacowfca]

There does not seem to have any women in the group... interesting.

 

BeerBaron

 

I once was a member of a software users group- the kind that were everywhere in the early 90's and I asked a female colleague why there were no women in ANY of these groups.

 

She replied that it was baffling to most women why men insisted on starting these things, after all women don't spontaneously form toaster or hair dryer users group to discuss exciting new features.

 

Women do form user groups, but the unstated motivation is quite different: talk about a lot of other things in addition to the object at hand.  Example: quilting clubs.  The business of the club keeps the conversation from degenerating into mere gossip, and the more experienced members have the opportunity to guide the less experienced.

[gaf63]

Walking/Hiking  4 miles+/day, reading, cooking and EATING(one reason why I walk a lot), growing pinot vines and hopefully making good wine, and growing Italian varietal olive trees for the oil, showing/teaching 2 grandsons about nature and the world around us to counteract the tv/video game mindlessness,  Oh and to broxburnboy, you're not the oldest by a longshot

[Smazz]

growing pinot vines and hopefully making good wine, and growing Italian varietal olive trees for the oil,

 

Im assuming you live in a live in a moderately warm to hot year round climate?

 

My dad grows fig trees down/up here in Souther On but he has to enclose them in a green house in the winter.

[gaf63]

Smazz, yes I live in central Calif. near the coast between Santa Cruz and Monterey

Back towards the foothills where we get less fog and more sun and heat

however this year has been very foggy even here and cool, all fruit is maturing late

Not a truly hot climate(hit 107F a few weeks back but that was abnormal), but Olives grow well here

[Smazz]

I must move there

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

at least for Jan, Feb and March  ;D

[calonego]

nodnub - I just got off the TransSiberian! Spent a little over 2 weeks touring (and visiting companies) in UlaanBaatar, Beijing and Shanghai.

 

smw397 - Is the surf and food that good that far up in NorCal??? (your email address gave away your location...) I've been through most of Cali and am always impressed by the agriculture, etc. What do you think holds for the future of the state WRT to budget issues, etc?

[smw397]

smw397 - Is the surf and food that good that far up in NorCal??? (your email address gave away your location...) I've been through most of Cali and am always impressed by the agriculture, etc. What do you think holds for the future of the state WRT to budget issues, etc?

 

I suppose it's a matter of opinion and personal preference.  The food scene is pretty locally focused on the two main small cities in the middle of the region.  Beyond them it gets pretty rural.  But there's an incredible co-op with two large stores, and two other big natural food stores they compete with.  All four of them together probably aren't much bigger than some Whole Foods units in bigger cities, but for an area like this they're incredibly well stocked.  This is a real hippie haven so there are lots and lots of local producers of everything from fresh fruits and vegies to an amazing variety of boutique products, local organic beef and other meats, three working marinas so lots of seafood, etc.  From what I've seen prices tend to be at least as good or maybe even a bit better than most Whole Foods types stuff.  The whole value added ag thing is a primary component of the local economy, which isn't completely disconnected from the outside world but a lot of people believe if there were a global catastrophe that cut us off we'd be in pretty good shape up here.

 

We have some good restaurants too, of course nothing like SF or NYC, but variety and quality are here in a lot greater proportion than other areas with such small population.

 

The surf...well...it gets big and it's usually not too crowded.  Obviously other regions have better conditions and warmer water but with so many people scrapping over waves it's not worth it to me.  50°F water temps are a pretty good gate keeper when it comes to crowd control.  We still get our share of kooks but when it's firing out there you tend to not to run into so many people unequipped to handle it.

 

To answer your last question would require a type of profanity I'm not sure Sanjeev would appreciate.  I'm pretty bearish about the macro economy generally, and somebody here is always pointing out that mean reversion can be a bitch.  I think California is long overdue for a big correction and I have no idea how it's going to shake out, only that it's going to hurt.  Hopefully our isolation up here will shield us from that to a certain extent but you better believe I've got plenty of water and dry goods in storage and the means to protect our resources should all hell ever break loose.

[calonego]

I live on Lake Superior, it's the biggest lake in the world and an inland ocean (personal experiences, I grew up on it).

Have tried to surf a pile of times is 40-60 degree water... not for the faint of heart! I have a 10footer.

Sounds like Northern Nor-Cal is good surf, same conditions!

 

Sounds like you live in a really cool place - I just love California. The agriculture, surf, wine... cars... etc.

The macro scares me... Too frickin hard with the state issues - how high do taxes have to go? What else do they have to do???