It's been a wild ride for this writer all year. Exciting work challenges, home improvements, smoking meat, and another glorious NFL season.
I played fantasy football for the first time last year in my work league, losing in the championship final. This year I got to the work league playoffs, but was upset because Calvin Johnson stank up the joint against the Ravens. I made two title rounds in 2 of the 3 other leagues I played in and it's yet to be decided. Not to bad!
On things economic, there was some good stuff (better jobs numbers sort of, Europe got quiet, credit expanded, the market took off), and some bad stuff (credit expanded in bad things (cars, student loans), market took off masking risk, Paul Krugman is still considered smart!). Long time readers know it's always my advice to stick conservative and aim for ~ 10% a year returns. If you did not step on a landmine this year, and it would have been hard to, then you probably made 2-4 years worth of returns this past year. It's ok to bank it and play light next year. I am doing just that.
For Christmas the wife got me a video called "Black Air: The Buick Gran National Documentary" and this of course has me even more crazed over muscle cars than normal.
I am always checking the awesome site RK Motors in Charlotte and it's getting harder and harder not to pull the trigger on a vintage Plymouth GTX or a 1955 Chevy. Or maybe a 1987 GNX? Who knows but it's about time to trade in the Infiniti and I could get crazy!
All my best for the new year!
Have a good night.
Hey, GYC, it's nice to see you back. I'm glad you had a sucessful year and wish you all the best in this new one.
ReplyDeleteSo, you're into muscle cars, eh? Yeah, well, let me tell you, when I was a kid my father had a 66 Pontiac GTO. Now that was a muscle car. He used to take me on these long drives on the weekends, and we'd get out on some isolated country road, and BAM! he would floor it. The acceleration was so powerful it would slam me against the seat so hard I couldn't sit up. Picture a terrified kid, shaking in his seat, desperately clinging for life, and this car barrelled down the road--it had to hit at least 150 mph easy. You should look into one of those.
I agree with your perspective on investing, a 10% annual return is very reasonable. But from my perspective, anything that purportedly guarantees you better than a 6% return is usually a scam. A 3% to 6% return is the safest bet when security of principal is the overriding concern.
I haven't been very impressed with very many of the new shows lately. My mother likes Person of Interest and Bluebloods. The former has gotten a little weird lately, but I like the latter. My favorite shows now are Psych, Suits, White Collar, and NCIS.
If I had to recommend a movie, it would be Foolproof. Not exactly a blockbuster, it's one of those lesser-known movies, but it is very well done. I love movies about elaborate heists, and this one is just really fun. You should check it out.
Anyway, my Cowboys totally suck, so this season didn't go very well for me. As the playoffs stand now, I'd have to side with the Saints and the Bengals, but I wouldn't count out the Packers or the Patriots. As long as it's not the Eagles, the Seahawks, the Broncos, or the Chiefs. The Panthers and the 49ers look dangerous, as do the Colts and the Chargers. It should be an interesting post-season.
Hey, GYC, it's nice to see you back. I'm glad you had a sucessful year and wish you all the best in this new one.
ReplyDeleteSo, you're into muscle cars, eh? Yeah, well, let me tell you, when I was a kid my father had a 66 Pontiac GTO. Now that was a muscle car. He used to take me on these long drives on the weekends, and we'd get out on some isolated country road, and BAM! he would floor it. The acceleration was so powerful it would slam me against the seat so hard I couldn't sit up. Picture a terrified kid, shaking in his seat, desperately clinging for life, and this car barrelled down the road--it had to hit at least 150 mph easy. You should look into one of those.
I agree with your perspective on investing, a 10% annual return is very reasonable. But from my perspective, anything that purportedly guarantees you better than a 6% return is usually a scam. A 3% to 6% return is the safest bet when security of principal is the overriding concern.
I haven't been very impressed with very many of the new shows lately. My mother likes Person of Interest and Bluebloods. The former has gotten a little weird lately, but I like the latter. My favorite shows now are Psych, Suits, White Collar, and NCIS.
If I had to recommend a movie, it would be Foolproof. Not exactly a blockbuster, it's one of those lesser-known movies, but it is very well done. I love movies about elaborate heists, and this one is just really fun. You should check it out.
Anyway, my Cowboys totally suck, so this season didn't go very well for me. As the playoffs stand now, I'd have to side with the Saints and the Bengals, but I wouldn't count out the Packers or the Patriots. As long as it's not the Eagles, the Seahawks, the Broncos, or the Chiefs. The Panthers and the 49ers look dangerous, as do the Colts and the Chargers. It should be an interesting post-season.
Happy New Year, my friend. I'm glad to hear you are doing well after such a long silence.
ReplyDeleteAnd, yes: a trade-in does sound rather nice. Good luck on that front! :)
Hey GYSC, I've always had a soft spot for the GSX, and the GTX, and GTO's, and Z28's, and...
ReplyDeleteI've never regretted buying my Bullitt, I've had an absolute blast in it, went back down to the 'Tail of the Dragon' on the TN/NC border this past October, highly recommended!
David,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the nice thoughts!
Watchtower,
Oh baby cant wait for Spring, then the muscle car urge may well get over powering.
Well, I have to say I was disappointed with the season premiere of Psych. That show, once hilarious, has lost its edge. Maybe it will get better as the season goes on. But if it becomes predictable, predictable is boring, not funny.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I was impressed with the twist in White Collar though. That was unexpected and effective. I'll definitely be watching the season ending.
Suits continues along its merry way. Although it does need some new material.
I think NCIS is the best show on television right now. I love the entire cast, and the writing is second to none.
I also like Castle. That show is always entertaining.
If I had to recommend another movie besides Foolproof, which is the best movie I've seen in years, I would recommend Tower Heist. That movie is just good clean fun, and rather prophetic.
I watched a documentary on mega-heists a couple of months ago. The best one occured in Antwerp, Belgium, along what is known as the diamond mile, a one square mile area where 80% of the world's diamonds are processed. It has the highest level of security you can imagine. We're talking like four traffic cameras on every corner.
These guys, known only as the School of Turino--they're out of Italy--cased this joint. One, the leader, moved to Antwerp, set up a business, and opened a safety deposit box at the largest bank. He used a mini-cam, hidden in his briefcase, to get the security code to the vault.
Then these guys just drove in one night. They used a garage door opener to get into the "secure" parking lot. They used shaving cream to block out the cameras and motion sensors. And they just walked into the vault. They had some sort of special tool that they had made to open safety deposit boxes. Over the weekend they looted the place, and then walked out the same way they came in, with over $600 million in diamonds, cash and bearer bonds. Never to be seen or heard from again. It's the greatest heist in history!
Only one was ever caught, the leader, when he returned his rental car. But he didn't talk. He was sentenced to 10 years in Belgium prison. Hey, who wouldn't spend 10 years sitting in a cell, knowing that you were going to walk out with $100 million?
This is what I'm talking about. No violence, no guns, no threats or intimidation--that's Bonnie and Clyde shit--just case the joint, move in with a plan, loot the place, and walk out free and clear.
Not that I'm advocating thievery, you understand. But when asked, why do you rob banks? Willie Sutton said, "Because that's where the money is."
I just find it fascinating how these guys, the criminals, come up with the most simple plans to break the most complicated security systems in the world.
You got all these guys on one side, designing security, and you got all the guys on the other side, figuring out how to break it. It really is very interesting.
I miss Leverage. That was my favorite show. A mastermind, a hitter, a hacker, a grifter, and a thief concocting these elaborate cons to take down the corrupt. Modern day Robin Hoods.
It should be noted that Robin of Locksley was a real person. He didn't rob from the rich to give to the poor. No, he was loyal to King Richard, who was off fighting the Crusades. While Richard was gone, his younger brother John usurped the throne, to which he had no title, and used his crony, the Sheriff of Nottingham, to exact taxes.
Robin was stealing from a corrupt and illegitimate government to give back to the people what was rightfully theirs. That's the essence of Leverage.
I'm on the side of the people on this. I cannot condone stealing for stealing's sake. I cannot condone theft for personal profit. But when you have a corrupt governement and a corrupt banking system that is robbing the people blind, whose side are you on?
I'm on the side of those who steal from the rich, the entitled, and give to the poor, the exploited.
Call me a criminal. But this is where I stand.
Well, I have to say I was disappointed with the season premiere of Psych. That show, once hilarious, has lost its edge. Maybe it will get better as the season goes on. But if it becomes predictable, predictable is boring, not funny.
ReplyDeleteI have to say that I was impressed with the twist in White Collar though. That was unexpected and effective. I'll definitely be watching the season ending.
Suits continues along its merry way. Although it does need some new material.
I think NCIS is the best show on television right now. I love the entire cast, and the writing is second to none.
I also like Castle. That show is always entertaining.
If I had to recommend another movie besides Foolproof, which is the best movie I've seen in years, I would recommend Tower Heist. That movie is just good clean fun, and rather prophetic.
I watched a documentary on mega-heists a couple of months ago. The best one occured in Antwerp, Belgium, along what is known as the diamond mile, a one square mile area where 80% of the world's diamonds are processed. It has the highest level of security you can imagine. We're talking like four traffic cameras on every corner.
These guys, known only as the School of Turino--they're out of Italy--cased this joint. One, the leader, moved to Antwerp, set up a business, and opened a safety deposit box at the largest bank. He used a mini-cam, hidden in his briefcase, to get the security code to the vault.
Then these guys just drove in one night. They used a garage door opener to get into the "secure" parking lot. They used shaving cream to block out the cameras and motion sensors. And they just walked into the vault. They had some sort of special tool that they had made to open safety deposit boxes. Over the weekend they looted the place, and then walked out the same way they came in, with over $600 million in diamonds, cash and bearer bonds. Never to be seen or heard from again. It's the greatest heist in history!
Only one was ever caught, the leader, when he returned his rental car. But he didn't talk. He was sentenced to 10 years in Belgium prison. Hey, who wouldn't spend 10 years sitting in a cell, knowing that you were going to walk out with $100 million?
This is what I'm talking about. No violence, no guns, no threats or intimidation--that's Bonnie and Clyde shit--just case the joint, move in with a plan, loot the place, and walk out free and clear.
Not that I'm advocating thievery, you understand. But when asked, why do you rob banks? Willie Sutton said, "Because that's where the money is."
I just find it fascinating how these guys, the criminals, come up with the most simple plans to break the most complicated security systems in the world.
You got all these guys on one side, designing security, and you got all the guys on the other side, figuring out how to break it. It really is very interesting.
I miss Leverage. That was my favorite show. A mastermind, a hitter, a hacker, a grifter, and a thief concocting these elaborate cons to take down the corrupt. Modern day Robin Hoods.
It should be noted that Robin of Locksley was a real person. He didn't rob from the rich to give to the poor. No, he was loyal to King Richard, who was off fighting the Crusades. While Richard was gone, his younger brother John usurped the throne, to which he had no title, and used his crony, the Sheriff of Nottingham, to exact taxes.
Robin was stealing from a corrupt and illegitimate government to give back to the people what was rightfully theirs. That's the essence of Leverage.
I'm on the side of the people on this. I cannot condone stealing for stealing's sake. I cannot condone theft for personal profit. But when you have a corrupt governement and a corrupt banking system that is robbing the people blind, whose side are you on?
I'm on the side of those who steal from the rich, the entitled, and give to the poor, the exploited.
Call me a criminal. But this is where I stand.