OK, so he’s not retired yet but he’s certainly living the F.I.R.E lifestyle. You’ll love this Saturday Boston Globe feature about a modern-day ski bum. Meet Brooks Curran who earns his turns the old-fashioned way—hiking up the mountain. In talking with you, my skiing clientele, you’re telling me the skiing’s been excellent all over the country, whether you’re taking the chair or hiking the backcountry. Enjoy! STOWE, Vt. — We’d left the boundaries of the Stowe Mountain Resort shortly after we got off the gondola, and were trudging up a mountain road buried under 4 feet of snowpack toward … [Read more...]
Your Social Life During the Pandemic and MORE
A few thoughts for you as a client/friend tells me life is good. Life hasn’t changed too much in retirement during the pandemic, he tells me. He laughed and commented that according to Clint Eastwood, you know you didn’t have much of a social life if the pandemic didn’t change it much. You read Amazon will stream NFL games. Yippee. What happens when your internet gets overloaded, and you miss the game-winning TD? Cash is king? Not buying it? Good. When was the last time the government created anything of value? I like high-quality short-term bonds mixed in with some high yield junk … [Read more...]
Joel Kotkin: Economic Civil War
On his blog, Joel Kotkin explains that America is in a form of economic civil war, with the tangible economy of "making, growing, and using real things," in competition with the "incorporeal world of media and digital transactions." Donald Trump, the irascible New York developer, focused on the places where the tangible economy was strong, but President Biden convinced enough voters in heartland states that their economic interests would be taken seriously. Some parts of the Biden agenda—measures to reshore industry, restore supply chains, and improve basic infrastructure—could unify the … [Read more...]
Petrified Snow/Ice Fishing? How about a Boat? and More
One of the greatest things about winter is you can dream about summer. After a few days of warm(er) temps here in New England, we’re seeing some of the snow melt. Quite a bit, actually, has already melted in Newport, RI, except for those stubborn piles of petrified snow—not very pretty. I’m not sure it can be called snow. It’s more like groups of fossils. In speaking with you, most of you are between rounds one and two of the vaccine, not getting it at all, or already done with two rounds—and you’re all itchin’ to get out. It’s a common theme where you’re looking to move freely about your … [Read more...]
Dick Young’s Safe America Chapter III, Part I.
The People’s Chemist writes, “State -of -the art science methods prove masks fail to block viral spread. Viruses are everywhere – so tiny a grain of salt is 1,000 times larger.” The medical journal Influenza and Other Respiratory Viruses showed “no relationship between mask/respirator and protection against influenza protection.” The People’s Chemist concludes, “We can rest easy knowing that the best way to avoid illness is to protect and bolster the immune system.” Over the past two years, I have assembled a package of trusted supplements that appear to be useful in bolstering the … [Read more...]
The Bastardization of American Capitalism
The U.S. became the world’s richest country, not because of government intervention, benevolent CEOs seeking to serve all stakeholders, or by investors allocating capital on the basis of what they believe is right. Nope, America became great because of free-market capitalism, or at least the closest thing to it. Today, American capitalism is being bastardized. You have a central bank that believes its job is to prevent any and every economic downturn at any cost. During the COVID-crash this spring, the Fed started buying private assets. They started with corporate bonds including high-yield … [Read more...]
Here’s What You Need to Get Prepared for Winter Storm Gail
Your Survival Guy is writing to you this chilly December 15th morning as all of the Northeast prepares for winter storm Gail. I've run through a "go, no go" Apollo 13 (I hope not!) checklist. The "go" are the following: Water/Food/Generator/Self-Defense/Satellite phone/Go bag/Evacuation plan. The "no go" list is usually discovered in the heart of the storm or later. But seeing that Newport, RI lost natural gas on the coldest day of the year in 2019, I'm not taking any chances. Here’s a list of what you need to prepare for a winter storm that might knock your power or gas out. … [Read more...]
Top Gun: Meeting Enemy FIRE Golfing in Key West
You don’t go to Key West to golf, but, if you’re in Key West and want to, then you’re in for a treat. There’s a great 18-hole, southernmost course just outside of Old Town KW. It’s just far enough to enjoy your chocolate croissant and con leche or to split a cuban mix from 5 Brothers on your drive. Now being a public/private course and the only one, it gets a lot of play. Tee times are required and if you’re a twosome you’ll soon be paired up into a foursome whether you like it or not. “Don’t worry,” I said to my son Owen between bites. “Meeting other golfers is like meeting other skiers. … [Read more...]
John Mackey’s Simple Message: Elevate Humanity Through Business
Whole Foods CEO John Mackey wants the world to know that capitalism is the “greatest thing humanity’s ever done.” Capitalism has raised more of the world out of poverty than all other systems of economic organization combined. Mackey is now selling his book, in which he makes the case for capitalism by changing the narrative of capitalism to "show that it’s about creating shared value, not for the few but for everyone.” The book is called Conscious Leadership: Elevating Humanity Through Business. The Editorial Board at the Wall Street Journal writes of Mr. Mackey: Mr. Mackey offered … [Read more...]
“They Stick a Q-Tip So Far Up Your Nose, You Can See it Through Your Eye”
“They stick a Q-tip up your nose so far, you can see it through your eye,” I thought, as a friend described what it was like to watch his daughter squirm in pain and holding her in place as the doctor performed a COVID-19 test. No thanks. But Rhode Island requires school children showing two signs of COVID-19, which we all have when we get a cold, must be sent home. They can return with either a doctor’s note saying in writing he doesn’t believe a test for COVID-19 is necessary, or take the traumatizing test and wait at home for the results. Both options stink, and are disruptive to say the … [Read more...]
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