Search found 154 matches
- Mon Dec 04, 2017 11:08 pm
- Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
- Topic: Marc De Messel Portfolio
- Replies: 19
- Views: 14486
Re: Marc De Messel Portfolio
Damn, that's awesome. When you're posting videos from your Lambo, you know you have done OK. Marc was awesome to have bequeathed some bitcoins to some of us a few years back. What an awesome guy! He gave me 0.1 bitcoin, which was worth about $30 at the time. I didn't know what to do with it, but the...
- Wed Jun 15, 2016 11:04 am
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Get Off this Forum, and Go Outside!
- Replies: 4
- Views: 3547
Re: Get Off this Forum, and Go Outside!
A few months ago, I was having some back problems, and all the sitting wasn't helping since I found myself naturally slouching a lot. So I made myself a computer station that requires me to stand. It has made a big difference. Now, when I use the computer, the standing burns some low level of calori...
- Tue Jun 07, 2016 10:58 am
- Forum: Bonds
- Topic: Maximum Bond Upside
- Replies: 278
- Views: 165385
Re: Maximum Bond Upside
New lows in Swiss government bond yields: 20Y: -0.012% 30Y: 0.114% 50Y: 0.208% Brave new world we're living in. :) Give the Swiss gov't your money for 20 years and pay them for the privilege, where do I sign up? This actually reminds me of the Good Ol' Days, and by that I mean the mid-1800's in the...
- Sun Jun 05, 2016 1:03 pm
- Forum: Cash
- Topic: Something's wrong at Treasury Direct
- Replies: 12
- Views: 11702
Re: Something's wrong at Treasury Direct
Hi Sophie, I have run some numbers to help you solve this issue. I assume that your bond has the 0% fixed rate, since you keep referring to the 1.54% inflation component. My calculations will be based on your 0% fixed rate bond. To calculate the bond values, keep in mind that: 1) Interest is compoun...
- Fri Jun 03, 2016 11:11 am
- Forum: Cash
- Topic: Something's wrong at Treasury Direct
- Replies: 12
- Views: 11702
Re: Something's wrong at Treasury Direct
Excuse me Austen, but I am trying to hate the government here and you are RUINING it! I too am distrustful and am looking for ANY reason to yank out my TD dollars and put them elsewhere, but the I-bond still seems like the best deal in town, especially if we ever get some inflation. Ah, the 3 month...
- Thu Jun 02, 2016 12:05 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Medical marijuana and cancer
- Replies: 5
- Views: 3763
Re: Medical marijuana and cancer
My understanding is that there are at least 85 different cannabinoids found in marijuana. THC is the most widely known, since that's the one that gets you high, but CBD is the one that has the anti-cancer properties. For instance, it has been shown to decrease the rate of cancer cell growth: http://...
- Thu Jun 02, 2016 11:49 am
- Forum: Cash
- Topic: Something's wrong at Treasury Direct
- Replies: 12
- Views: 11702
Re: Something's wrong at Treasury Direct
Sophie, are you aware that each bond has it's own interest rate cycle? For instance, in May 2015, there was a period of deflation (-0.8%), so all the I-bonds with a fixed rate of 0.8% or less earned 0% interest for 6-months. However, the exact 6-months depended on when the bonds were purchased (see ...
- Tue May 31, 2016 9:17 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Marijuana Legalization
- Replies: 19
- Views: 7994
Re: Marijuana Legalization
Here in California, the legalization topic gets discussed a lot. Most folks I know are in favor of it, but who knows, maybe the soccer-moms will come out in force and shut it down. I was at my local hydroponics store last weekend, and I thought those guys would be in favor of the legalization so the...
- Tue May 31, 2016 2:31 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: The Permanent Garden
- Replies: 51
- Views: 20671
Re: The Permanent Garden
Do the greens taste good? Most of them taste great. My favorite flavorful greens are arugula, mustard, orach, and swiss chard. Lettuce is less flavorful, I have been switching to a variety of Endive known as 'Perlita' as a substitute for lettuce, it grows better and has more flavor. Herbs such as b...
- Tue May 31, 2016 12:52 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: The Permanent Garden
- Replies: 51
- Views: 20671
Re: The Permanent Garden
Pests are one of the main reasons I prefer to grow most of my leafy green crops indoors using bucket hydroponics. Lettuce, kale, basil, herbs, I grow them all inside, so they are perfectly clean. Of course I can't grow a lot, since I am limited to the space covered by my grow light. But it sure is n...
- Sat Apr 30, 2016 12:25 pm
- Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
- Topic: Anyone wants to have my sheets with historical investment returns? & My views
- Replies: 11
- Views: 6559
Re: Anyone wants to have my sheets with historical investment returns? & My views
If I ever need a PP again I would take gold and stocks only though, 50/50. Simply because cash in the long run is the only asset not returning real inflation rate and should not be considered an investment, and bonds have been in a 30 year bull market and are way too highly valued to have in a port...
- Fri Apr 29, 2016 6:26 pm
- Forum: Cash
- Topic: EE Bond Phantom Return Analysis
- Replies: 12
- Views: 10943
Re: EE Bond Phantom Return Analysis
Is anyone on here buying EE Bonds now with the guaranteed 20-year doubling? I actually did the opposite this year. Having built up a few years worth, I sold all my EE holdings. The doubling is a great feature, but I just could not stand the 20-year lock-up. What if I had some expense come up at ...
- Fri Apr 29, 2016 12:56 pm
- Forum: Bonds
- Topic: Managing IT Treasury allocation
- Replies: 15
- Views: 10988
Re: Managing IT Treasury allocation
Yes, buying at auction is the best way to avoid any markups. As far as selling, you will have to pay a slight markup, but it should be very small (approx equal to half the bid-ask spread, so about 10 bp if the spread is 20 bp). And that is just a one-time fee you pay when selling, much better than...
- Sat Apr 09, 2016 7:02 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Minimum Wage Now $15 an Hour!
- Replies: 18
- Views: 9733
Re: Minimum Wage Now $15 an Hour!
What does a state really have to gain though by killing small businesses in rural areas? Also, Austen, can I ask what types of products are made in the small business you are referring to? Those wages really strike me as low but maybe I need a reality check. I don't think the state has anything at ...
- Sat Apr 09, 2016 3:31 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: The Color of Pee
- Replies: 8
- Views: 4111
Re: The Color of Pee
For the transparent->amber hydration colors: are these colors calibrated for undiluted urine? Hardly any of us ever sees a significant quantity of our urine undiluted. Or are these the colors we might see in the john? In which case, doesn't it depend entirely on what the normal water level is in ...
- Sat Apr 09, 2016 3:27 pm
- Forum: Bonds
- Topic: Managing IT Treasury allocation
- Replies: 15
- Views: 10988
Re: Managing IT Treasury allocation
Here are the reasons I can think of to maintain your own treasury bond ladder: - You save the expense ratio (0.1% or 0.15% depending on the funds/ETFs). - You control exactly which securities are held (100% treasuries, no other securities like MBS). - You can buy at auction, so no bid/ask spread the...
- Sat Apr 09, 2016 2:11 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Minimum Wage Now $15 an Hour!
- Replies: 18
- Views: 9733
Re: Minimum Wage Now $15 an Hour!
This will kill small business in rural areas--which may, in the end, be exactly what is intended. I agree with this. To give you a real-life example, I have a family member who works in a rural low-cost-of-living area of upstate NY, managing a small manufacturing business (< 30 people). Since mos...
- Wed Mar 30, 2016 11:41 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Designated Hitter
- Replies: 70
- Views: 37186
Re: Designated Hitter
None the less, American League baseball had a perfect balance. A pitcher always got a breather with the 8 and 9 batters. The pitchers completed games as they did for almost a century. Weak 8 and 9 batters had a role. Now we get Babe Ruth batting 2 thru 8 and a couple of Rickey Hendersons leadin...
- Wed Mar 30, 2016 8:18 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: The Permanent Garden
- Replies: 51
- Views: 20671
Re: The Permanent Garden
What is the easy path to hydroponic growing? [?] There is a type of hydroponics especially suited to the home grower, called Bucket Hydroponics or the Kratky Method. Start your seedlings in rockwool cubes, then suspend the plants above a solution of liquid fertilizer. No water pumps, no aeration ...
- Wed Mar 30, 2016 7:49 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Designated Hitter
- Replies: 70
- Views: 37186
Re: Designated Hitter
I misread the title of this thread at first...
- Fri Mar 25, 2016 5:07 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: The financial advantages of being a "Digital Nomad"
- Replies: 8
- Views: 3360
Re: The financial advantages of being a "Digital Nomad"
c) Health care - many of these cheaper countries have stellar health care systems with very reasonable costs, so you also dodge the ballooning costs for US health care (there's a whole medical tourism industry built on this). All you really need is a ~$1k/year travel insurance plan through a compan...
- Fri Mar 25, 2016 4:49 pm
- Forum: Gold
- Topic: Krugers, Maples, Eagles, or 'Roos?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 10995
Re: Krugers, Maples, Eagles, or 'Roos?
I love the randomness of the government. :-\ It's not a conspiracy but leftover from gold futures contracts which have reportable minimums. Also exempt: fractional bullion, austrian philharmonic, buffalos, silver leaves, pandas. Personally, if I was going to buy common bullion, I'd buy MintDirect ...
- Fri Mar 25, 2016 1:18 pm
- Forum: Gold
- Topic: Krugers, Maples, Eagles, or 'Roos?
- Replies: 17
- Views: 10995
Re: Krugers, Maples, Eagles, or 'Roos?
Perth Kangaroos $26 round-trip penalty Canadian Maple Leaves $35 round-trip penalty US Gold Eagles $39 round-trip penalty Krugerrands $44 round-trip penalty Seems about right, but the cost for the Krugs is a bit high, that should be on par with the costs for the Maples, a bit cheaper than the E...
- Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:15 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Mid-March Presidential Election Poll
- Replies: 5
- Views: 4388
Re: Mid-March Presidential Election Poll
I voted for Hillary (in your poll, not in real life).
Donald is edgy and risky, while Hillary is safe and boring. After another 8 months of the circus, people will be exhausted and looking for safe and boring.
Donald is edgy and risky, while Hillary is safe and boring. After another 8 months of the circus, people will be exhausted and looking for safe and boring.
- Sun Mar 13, 2016 3:10 pm
- Forum: Other Discussions
- Topic: Tech Help Needed
- Replies: 45
- Views: 18682
Re: Tech Help Needed
Hi all. My 7 year old computer is dying and I finally broke down and got a new one yesterday. Unfortunately it has Windows 10 which I really don't like. It's confusing as hell. Anyways I managed to migrate most of my files to the new computer BUT... I am having a lot of trouble viewing the. I am co...