Search found 522 matches

by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 22, 2015 8:39 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Official Fargo-Only thread
Replies: 48
Views: 18345

Re: Official Fargo-Only thread

MachineGhost wrote: Are the Cohen Brothers behind it?  I think they were the movie.
Yes.
by Jack Jones
Wed Oct 21, 2015 3:48 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Why the PP is better in accumulation than you think
Replies: 224
Views: 69356

Re: Why the PP is better in accumulation than you think

Market time the HBPP, and it will be a fine accumulation portfolio, and still low volatility . My understanding of timing is that it's a way to reduce volatility (not increase returns). So why go through all the trouble with a portfolio that already has low volatility? This is a key point... volati...
by Jack Jones
Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:41 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Official Fargo-Only thread
Replies: 48
Views: 18345

Re: Official Fargo-Only thread

Watched the first episode of the second season last night. I'm liking it so far! Thanks for the tip.
by Jack Jones
Wed Oct 21, 2015 7:32 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Why the PP is better in accumulation than you think
Replies: 224
Views: 69356

Re: Why the PP is better in accumulation than you think

Market time the HBPP, and it will be a fine accumulation portfolio, and still low volatility . My understanding of timing is that it's a way to reduce volatility (not increase returns). So why go through all the trouble with a portfolio that already has low volatility? Also, Tyler: Fine work!
by Jack Jones
Tue Oct 13, 2015 8:38 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: The origin of biological information
Replies: 24
Views: 7253

Re: The origin of biological information

MachineGhost wrote:It's very insulting to reality to think that we're all a product of spontaneous, random mutations as if we're nothing but empty meatbag shells with no volition.  Let's call what I believe "intelligent guidance".
Please elaborate.
by Jack Jones
Fri Oct 09, 2015 10:00 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Mathjak's Market Calls
Replies: 150
Views: 49547

Re: Mathjak's Market Calls

I am concerned about being whipsawed... the Ivy Portfolio is not a lazy portfolio. My lifelong ambition is to drop into a lazy portfolio and stay there, but I think that day is not here yet, alas. After doing some research, I decided to approximate the Ivy Portfolio methodology in my VP (tax deferr...
by Jack Jones
Fri Oct 09, 2015 9:56 am
Forum: Gold
Topic: The GOLD scream room
Replies: 3689
Views: 1657035

Re: The GOLD scream room

by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 08, 2015 1:25 pm
Forum: Gold
Topic: Merk Gold Trust
Replies: 2
Views: 2709

Re: Merk Gold Trust

I've never seen it before but it has a expense ratio similar to SGOL, and the deliverability feature seems nice.

The fee to exchange to physical gold seems reasonable as well.
by Jack Jones
Tue Oct 06, 2015 2:06 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Quicken & Mint Killer
Replies: 63
Views: 19226

Re: Quicken & Mint Killer

Bringing this back on topic...I tried going whole hog with Personal Capital for about 3 months. Issues I had: - If a transaction was reversed from my bank account, sometimes it would persist in Personal Capital. This made it difficult to trust the monthly spending figures. - There would be random an...
by Jack Jones
Tue Oct 06, 2015 1:09 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Quicken & Mint Killer
Replies: 63
Views: 19226

Re: Quicken & Mint Killer

dualstow wrote: Now that is funny!  ;D
I think we can call it the Anchor Principle:

Assets other than stocks only serve as an anchor, dragging down the returns of stocks.
by Jack Jones
Tue Oct 06, 2015 1:05 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Figuring Out Religion
Replies: 4052
Views: 1385880

Re: Figuring Out Religion

Anyway, the dried dung reference is interesting.  Statements in ancient writings can really be confusing without the context.  (Not that I am providing any correct context here, I'm just thinking that "dried dung" has a negative connotation to most of us, but it may well be meant to convey somethin...
by Jack Jones
Tue Oct 06, 2015 12:31 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Quicken & Mint Killer
Replies: 63
Views: 19226

Re: Quicken & Mint Killer

Right, but what about the interest payments acting as an anchor pulling down your reward returns. Joke fail. Does this help: if returns are weak in all asset classes the pp loses as well . they need  higher gains to overcome that negative weight before moving forward on anything . except all our pa...
by Jack Jones
Mon Oct 05, 2015 9:19 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Quicken & Mint Killer
Replies: 63
Views: 19226

Re: Quicken & Mint Killer

TennPaGa wrote: If the universe had a sense of humor, the forum would soon get a new member who would make 10-20 posts a day about how much money you are leaving on the table by not using reward cards. ;)
Right, but what about the interest payments acting as an anchor pulling down your reward returns.
by Jack Jones
Sat Oct 03, 2015 4:56 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Figuring Out Religion
Replies: 4052
Views: 1385880

Re: Figuring Out Religion

Meanwhile, since you're the closest thing we have to a real buddhist in this thread, would you mind sharing what aspects of buddhism appeal to you?  There are many different flavors of Buddhism, so what follows is based on my conception of the Zen tradition. For one, it's a very personal pursuit. I...
by Jack Jones
Sat Oct 03, 2015 3:34 pm
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Hedgeable
Replies: 41
Views: 12579

Re: Hedgeable

I just spent some time talking to customer support. One potential downside is that they don't optimize your portfolio as a whole. They treat each of your accounts (e.g. taxable, IRA) as its own portfolio and allocate assets within that account accordingly. So you'll get munis in your taxable accoun...
by Jack Jones
Sat Oct 03, 2015 12:42 pm
Forum: Variable Portfolio Discussion
Topic: Hedgeable
Replies: 41
Views: 12579

Re: Hedgeable

I just spent some time talking to customer support. One potential downside is that they don't optimize your portfolio as a whole. They treat each of your accounts (e.g. taxable, IRA) as its own portfolio and allocate assets within that account accordingly. So you'll get munis in your taxable account...
by Jack Jones
Fri Oct 02, 2015 7:34 am
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Edward Snowden is a Patriot? But...
Replies: 9
Views: 3191

Re: Edward Snowden is a Patriot? But...

dualstow wrote: Did anyone watch the video? It's hilarious.
I did! She doesn't even bat an eye!
by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 01, 2015 7:58 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Figuring Out Religion
Replies: 4052
Views: 1385880

Re: Figuring Out Religion

Aren't all experiences subjective and perceived through a belief or meme filter? I wonder how your lens might change after having had a mystical experience. I would get more obsessed than I am now, that's for sure!  But the cat is out of the bag, as they say, for it being based on religious mytholo...
by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 01, 2015 6:12 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Figuring Out Religion
Replies: 4052
Views: 1385880

Re: Figuring Out Religion

But you do believe that some people have experiences like that? Of course. Someone even posted about a schizophrenic friend that was literally hearing and talking to "God" in his head.  But such experiences are subjective, always perceived through a belief or meme filter. Aren't all experiences sub...
by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:37 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Figuring Out Religion
Replies: 4052
Views: 1385880

Re: Figuring Out Religion

MachineGhost wrote:
Jack Jones wrote: If you personally experienced God, in some (unverifiable) way, would that change any thing for you?
I wouldn't experience it through the lens of religious mysticism, so no.
But you do believe that some people have experiences like that?
by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:33 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Figuring Out Religion
Replies: 4052
Views: 1385880

Re: Figuring Out Religion

MachineGhost wrote:
Mountaineer wrote: To the best of my knowledge, there is only one thing that exists outside of space and time.  ;)
To the best of my knowledge and experience, I vehemently disagree with you.  Your fairy tale doesn't exist as you imagine.
And you suppose your fairy tales are better than his?
by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:30 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Figuring Out Religion
Replies: 4052
Views: 1385880

Re: Figuring Out Religion

Very much so.  I've never seen or heard of any verifiable human interaction from any alleged "God", certainly not the one you imagine exists.  Do you concede that any "God" is completely unknownable while being a hypocrite for your fetish for religious mythology? If you personally experienced God, ...
by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 01, 2015 5:00 pm
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: The Reason to Quit PP
Replies: 262
Views: 86526

Re: The Reason to Quit PP

Paper and electrons are only good for wiping your ass if the government or financial system collapses.  Do you realize how lucky you are and have been being an American in the century that just passed?  That's what I mean by you suffering from a severe recency bias.  You simply lack historical cont...
by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:10 pm
Forum: Other Discussions
Topic: Figuring Out Religion
Replies: 4052
Views: 1385880

Re: Figuring Out Religion

Also I really wish we had a Muslim, a buddhist, and a Hindu on this thread. Can the moderators find people like this and make them join in the fun? I wouldn't call myself a buddhist, but it's the "religion" that I most closely identify with. Unfortunately, catching up on a 200+ page thread is again...
by Jack Jones
Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:52 am
Forum: Permanent Portfolio Discussion
Topic: The Reason to Quit PP
Replies: 262
Views: 86526

Re: The Reason to Quit PP

not all of us are willing to bet so heavy that the sky is falling . I'm assuming this statement is intended to imply that owning gold is a bet on the sky falling.  Why do you think all the central banks of the world still have so much gold? Ah yeah, I've been meaning to ask MachineGhost this as well.