Gyroscopic Investing

Mark Leavy wrote: ↑Sat May 23, 2020 2:55 pm

WiseOne wrote: ↑Sat May 23, 2020 10:15 am This weekend I will re-acquaint myself with my grandmother's Singer sewing machine from the late 1950s.

Is it a treadle? I sewed my first shirt on a treadle that I helped my mom restore when I was about 10. I still prefer them for the fine tuned control and torque. The motorized sewing machines feel like driving a car with an automatic transmission.

It's electric with a foot pedal. Not quite as old as I thought (it's a 1964 600E) but it is still a beauty. It weighs about 3x as much as a modern machine, so you know it's made with quality parts. I cleaned and oiled it, and it's working perfectly except for one stuck lever. I found youtube videos for it so I might be able to fix it myself.

WiseOne wrote: ↑Mon May 25, 2020 9:30 am It's electric with a foot pedal. Not quite as old as I thought (it's a 1964 600E) but it is still a beauty. It weighs about 3x as much as a modern machine, so you know it's made with quality parts. I cleaned and oiled it, and it's working perfectly except for one stuck lever. I found youtube videos for it so I might be able to fix it myself.

What a fun project. Tactile, mental and a visceral connection to your family. Those are things worth doing.

Just because it's late on a holiday weekend and WiseOne has me reminiscing.

I do miss my uncle, my mom's brother. Otherwise known as the greatest man that ever lived.

When I was a kid, my mom sent me to live with him for a few summers because she said that my step-dad would never be able to teach me to be a man.

I remember one evening, my uncle and my mom were having a sewing contest of some sort. I don't remember the details. I said something stupid like, "You're sewing? I thought only women sewed?". My uncle looked me squarely in the eye and said, "That's right. Only women sew. Men build stuff. Come here, I'm going to show you how to build a shirt."

The next day he showed me how to build a pumpkin pie.

And, later, through the years, he showed me how to build a ski boat and how to build a roadster and how to build a beehive and how to stock it with wild bees and how to build a house and how to break a horse and how to build pruno and how to drive a stick shift...

Then I didn't see him for about twenty years while I got lost in growing up and raising my own family. In 1993, he called me up and said that I should come visit him because it would be better if he were alive during the visit. Then he showed me how to insert a catheter so that he could urinate - and he said, "You need to see this. It's important that you don't go down this road."

He died three days after I left. I didn't go the funeral. There was nothing that I needed from the rest of the family.

I still build stuff. Even my mom doesn't know my uncle's pumpkin pie recipe. But I do.

You're a great writer, Mark. Love your storytelling.

Mark Leavy wrote: ↑Mon May 25, 2020 10:44 pm I do miss my uncle, my mom's brother. Otherwise known as the greatest man that ever lived.

When I was a kid, my mom sent me to live with him for a few summers because she said that my step-dad would never be able to teach me to be a man.

Brutal.

Kriegsspiel wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2020 7:30 am

Mark Leavy wrote: ↑Mon May 25, 2020 10:44 pm I do miss my uncle, my mom's brother. Otherwise known as the greatest man that ever lived.

When I was a kid, my mom sent me to live with him for a few summers because she said that my step-dad would never be able to teach me to be a man.

Brutal.

I observant and did something about it. +1.

Great story, Mark. I love that your mother had the foresight to put you two together for a few summers. Invaluable.
He built a man!

Mark, can you be more specific about the road he was warning you against going down? Too much medical intervention at end-of-life? Living so long that you need to be catheterized? A career in nursing?

Xan wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2020 12:30 pm Mark, can you be more specific about the road he was warning you against going down? Too much medical intervention at end-of-life? Living so long that you need to be catheterized? A career in nursing?

Prostate Cancer
I don't know what he expected me to do about it, other than to get checked while still young. He died not long after finding out about it. I don't imagine he went to the doc much during his life.

Mark Leavy wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2020 3:33 pm

Xan wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2020 12:30 pm Mark, can you be more specific about the road he was warning you against going down? Too much medical intervention at end-of-life? Living so long that you need to be catheterized? A career in nursing?

Prostate Cancer
I don't know what he expected me to do about it, other than to get checked while still young. He died not long after finding out about it. I don't imagine he went to the doc much during his life.

My doctor convinced me to not get tested on the basis that there is too many false positives with the net result of the tests causing more overall needless problems than what they save in terms of prevention.

Vinny

MangoMan wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 7:04 am

vnatale wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2020 8:23 pm

Mark Leavy wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2020 3:33 pm

Xan wrote: ↑Tue May 26, 2020 12:30 pm Mark, can you be more specific about the road he was warning you against going down? Too much medical intervention at end-of-life? Living so long that you need to be catheterized? A career in nursing?

Prostate Cancer
I don't know what he expected me to do about it, other than to get checked while still young. He died not long after finding out about it. I don't imagine he went to the doc much during his life.

My doctor convinced me to not get tested on the basis that there is too many false positives with the net result of the tests causing more overall needless problems than what they save in terms of prevention.

Vinny

What specifically do you mean by 'tested'? PSA bloodwork? Digital rectal exam?

My MD told me at my last physical they were now only doing digital exams 'upon request' due to their lack of efficacy. I said, "So you've been doing that to me for the last 25 years for nothing?" All he could do was smile and shrug.

Absolutely NO tests of any type.

Vinny

vnatale wrote: ↑Thu May 21, 2020 9:34 pm

vnatale wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:58 pm

MangoMan wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:33 pm With all this weight lifting talk, just curious: Who here has lost or gained more than 3 pounds? I consider 2 lbs to be insignificant due to salt intake variation and whether or not a recent poop has taken place,

March 17th was the last day I've been off my property. Do my daily weights and fluctuations support what you believe?

I've kept up my three times a week exercises but unless I'm working outside on my property little movement otherwise besides these fingers.
Normally I'd be doing some walking around during the day and playing basketball two nights a week and, at this time of year, engaging in softball practices.

Vinny

UPDATE:

Looks like in the last 10 weeks I could have lost 9 pounds depending upon how you view my start...

Capture.JPG

Vinny

I think I found 5 of your 9 pounds - gladly give them back if you are missing them

Coronalog 27MAY2020

I mowed the grass this morning. Nothing else to report on this fine Wednesday. Going to start boozing soon.

I was visiting my parents recently, and I forget exactly how it happened, but I was talking about how awesome alcohol was. My mom got a Serious Look (or, as close to it as she could. She'd had a few as well), and said I should be careful, a lot of our family are alcoholics.

"LOL WHAT. No they aren't. Who?"

She listed off all my favorite relatives

Just don't get a purple nose if possible. Internal organ deterioration is fine.

Kriegsspiel wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 11:44 am I was visiting my parents recently, and I forget exactly how it happened, but I was talking about how awesome alcohol was. My mom got a Serious Look (or, as close to it as she could. She'd had a few as well), and said I should be careful, a lot of our family are alcoholics.

"LOL WHAT. No they aren't. Who?"

She listed off all my favorite relatives

The unfortunate truth is that some people are more fun to be around when they're drunk.

At most parties and social get-togethers, one of my best friends used to drink until he passed out. But he was always hilarious and fun to be around right up to the point where his speech started slurring and his eyes started glazing over.

His girlfriend (now his wife) convinced him to get therapy to deal with some deeply-rooted psychological issues from his childhood, and after that he never again drank to the point of passing out. Now he usually cuts himself off after just one or two drinks.

The thing is, although he's still one of my best friends and I love him, he's really not the same guy any more. No longer the hilarious life of the party. Much more serious and reserved. Our other friends have all noticed the same thing. But hey, I guess if being sober helps him keep his inner demons under control, who am I to complain?

There's a hilarious scene in It's Always Sunny, where Dennis reassures Charlie when he's feeling down because Frank is getting an intervention:

Charlie:
But if I'm being honest, my problem is less with the fact he is drinking and more that he is doing it without me. And then I start thinking... what's wrong with me? Am I not fun to drink with?

Dennis:
Oh, no, no. Don't do that to yourself. You're plenty of fun to drink with. Trust me Charlie, you really get drunk, and then you get reckless. Its a lot of fun.

Also, isn't it funny that girls are attracted to reckless, wild drunks.. but as sooooon as they get together, she tries to stop all that nonsense

Tortoise wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 5:04 pm

The unfortunate truth is that some people are more fun to be around when they're drunk.

You called?

Tortoise wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 5:04 pm ...
The thing is, although he's still one of my best friends and I love him, he's really not the same guy any more. No longer the hilarious life of the party. Much more serious and reserved. Our other friends have all noticed the same thing.
...

Sounds like he needs an intervention.
I’m kidding, I’m kidding.

dualstow wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 7:33 pm

Tortoise wrote: ↑Wed May 27, 2020 5:04 pm ...
The thing is, although he's still one of my best friends and I love him, he's really not the same guy any more. No longer the hilarious life of the party. Much more serious and reserved. Our other friends have all noticed the same thing.
...

Sounds like he needs an intervention.
I’m kidding, I’m kidding.

Quinntervention.

https://youtu.be/5c0dGM2vuzU

Intervention! Intervention!

I forgot about the wine-in-a-coke-can part

l82start wrote: ↑Fri May 22, 2020 6:54 pm that looks good ... added to wish list..

Received it today. And, read it this afternoon / earlier tonight.

Not exactly fast reading. He had some paragraphs that went on for six (!!!) pages.

But definitely a good companion to the first book. Now two books I need to study and slowly reread.

Vinny

Kriegsspiel wrote: ↑Thu May 28, 2020 7:42 am Intervention! Intervention!

I forgot about the wine-in-a-coke-can part

Love that show. Just finished watching Season 14 on Hulu.

I recently read that they plan to do a coronavirus episode in the new season. Because... why wouldn’t they?