FANG Stocks

So if you like the stock market, you've probably heard about the stocks known
by the acronym: FANG
which represents, if i am correct....

Facebook  (FB)
Apple        (AAPL)
Netflix       (NFLX)
Google       (GOOG)(GOOGL)


What do you think of each item on that list?
One thought I had today, is that which would you describe as predominantly an "app"?
If I really reduce each stock down to it's bare bones, I think that yes, three of the above on the list
began their economic journey's as App-based companies.... yes, software based entities.

The only company on this list that is not known predominantly as an "app" is  the company
known as "Apple". (AAPL)
Apple's brand is associated with its hardware even more than it is known for it's software. It has a beautiful blend of both in it's unique  niche market. I find it amazing to note that as of today's market close, Apple's market cap was at $946.2 billion dollars. That's almost a trillion dollar valuation. Wow.
All four companies on FANG list have multi billion dollar market caps. Incredible chunks of the worldwide economy. It is not only Americans who have vested interest in these enormous economic powerhouses....as they are a global phenomenon.

Well that's all for now. I do so enjoy just thinking aloud with you.

Peace,
Carla.


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White Noise Works for People Like Me

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Other than an irritating ad at the start of the video.....I really do love this kind of white noise.



It is for my ears, what a "fidget" is for my hands.



I don't understand the science behind it. All i know is that my mind feels more peaceful, yet occupied and when I am listening with headphones to this white noise, I feel better able to focus on my task of choice.

What kind of audio really helps you achieve maximum output when your mind feels distracted for no reason?

Do tell,
Peace,
C.

what Do I like?

I've officially reached middle age this year....and sorry I'm not gonna tell you just precisely what my age is. But with this season of life comes a need to clarify just who and what I am all about.
I have discovered that I like certain things and that also seems to deeply affect what kind of tv I watch.

I've noticed that I seem to always be attracted to big fish gleaning operations. I don't really much appreciate seeing folks catch fish for sport or even one at a time for eating.. No way....I like to watch fish being caught by the hundreds in nets or fish wheels. Sometimes I wish I was native so that I could legally use nets locally to catch fish in big numbers. A white chick like me can only legally catch fish with a rod. Sigh...

I like seeing people process huge quantities of fish...and string them up in smoke houses or drying racks. I think of the legendary Verna Oller, who was a kind of "undercover millionaire" stock market investor who made an hourly wage by filleting fish up to her 70s. ( for a glimpse of her story see :https://abcnews.go.com/WN/american-heart-secret-millionaire-helps-hometown-grave/story?id=10870876 )

   I just like seeing people store up food for the year ahead. I like seeing people being able to feed themselves or their pets with food they caught or trapped or canned. Many years ago, when I was newly married, we had an Italian neighbor who canned tomatoes in the summer. She would grind the tomatoes in a gadget in her garage. I was transfixed.

I love watching how Andy Bassich, from the show "Life Below Zero", even learned how to make his own bullets in order to lower the cost of hunting even further. He showed how he uses a gadget to fill the bullets and bend them into shape. Then he uses his homemade bullets as he hunts for dinner....for pennies.

So, I suppose it goes without saying that I adore the series now featured on Cottage Life channel
by the name of "Life Below Zero."


I like seeing people hunt down a moose or caribou that will feed their family for months. I even admire the somewhat gory task of how they clean and tan the hides ...the raw animal skins left over once they process the meat. The skins are used for clothing for vests, or blankets or rugs or for trading or earning cash on the side.
I like hearing people talk about how they love providing for their families. Humans take great pride in providing well for the needs of their loved ones. I love seeing how folks use the skills they learned from friends and family to hunt down nature's bounty and use that bounty to feed themselves without needing much for money for raw materials or supplies.

I love seeing people happy and productive and being social without a smart phone glued to their cheek. I love seeing people being patient and gentle ....taking the time, however long it may take to teach the ones they love a skill that can be passed onto the next generation.

For the very first time in my life, last year, I bought a fishing license. I caught one fish....in a whole year. Was it a bargain......nope....but it was worth every penny because I lived to tell the tail....fish tail that is.

What is it about catching a fish that so compels me? Is it a weird fear of hunger that makes me want to be able to catch dinner at a local dock? Is it my inner "coupon queen cheapskate" that feels I've won an award when I figure out how to find cheap or free food? Perhaps....but I've decided I shall not over analyze this zealotry.

It is a joy. Perhaps this year I shall buy myself a brand new fishing rod. Perhaps I will catch a shark....hmmm.... methinks that sharks don't inhabit Canadian lakes. But hey.....
a gal can dream.

Dream on kids, dream on.
c.






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I Am A Woman...I write covered calls

For those of you who are like...huh? Why does that matter that she is a woman and trades options? Well, I would vigorously retort....that You don't know where I live....and I don't mean about the technical location....I mean you don't know how women are boxed in mentally and emotionally in the social "norms" that we were raised with....in my province...in my generation.

It wasn't a "Can do" attitude....it was more of a "Can Don't" spirit. A spirit that said...."Well, yes, you are free to do and be whatever you want to be, but don't push it too far, and don't do the same things that men do....because that just won't do."

And so, when I say that I am an options trader I am speaking an earth moving life altering truth for myself.I am doing something that no other woman I know can do. Now that may speak volumes about the people I know, but it is what it is. I am open to stretching my circle to include more new and more fully developed people....people who encourage women to challenge dusty boundaries.

Now on to the subject of the day. I just want to mention a few things I am learning about
writing covered calls. Perhaps you are considering trading options and would enjoy just hearing someone chat about it.

Well, I am talking about a fairly basic "easy entry" starting point for folks who want to start trading options, called "Covered call writing".

When you "sell to open" a covered call, you are selling to another person or institution, the right, but not the obligation to buy 100 shares of your stock at a predetermined "strike" price for a period of time previously agreed upon. 100 shares equals one contract in the options world. You choose the "strike" price...which is the price at which you are willing to part with your shares. You choose the length of time that your "contract" is good for.....it can be as little as two days from now, or almost 2 years into the future. Whomever buys your covered call, has the right to buy your '1' contract for 100 shares at any point within that agreed upon time frame up until the end of the date of expiry. The person/institution who buys your call, will pay you a premium for securing that price for the shares and for the time frame that you will honor that price point. That premium that the buyer pays you either can be skimpy or it can be generous.

The cool part of selling to open covered calls is that you keep the premium you collect whether or not the covered call buyer actually "exercises" his/her/their right to purchases your shares. Somewhere I have read or heard ( but don't quote me on it) that 75% of all call options expire worthless, which would tend to suggest that just because you write a covered call, doesn't mean that you will  instantly have your call exercised and your shares sold. Call options are written as a type of "insurance" policy on securing stock prices. And  it must be noted too, that you can "cancel" your covered call option by
"buying to close" your covered call option. However, that process of buying back your call option
can be costly, especially if market conditions have propelled the stock's prices sky high.

Can anyone sell to open covered calls on the shares they own? Well, in my province, and in some brokerages, one needs to apply and get approved by the brokerage in order to be deemed "educated" enough to permit options trading on their brokerage accounts. You can check with your broker if you need their permission to trade options on your account.

So, to be fair, I am going to mention the ikky part of writing covered calls.
1/ If you don't cancel your covered call option by buying back (buying to close) your covered call
you can definitely have your shares called away. You may have owned those shares for decades and have a sentimental attachment to those shares. Therefore, if you are not willing to part with your shares, you should not write covered calls. There is ALWAYS the possibility that the call buyer will exercise his/her/their right to buy your shares at the agreed upon strike price. Therefore, you may not want to write covered calls on shares you own that you have a strong sentimental attachment to.

2/ You limit your upside gains. When you write covered calls, and the open market stock price rises astronomically on the shares you covered with a call, you will not be able to benefit from that price rise. With a covered call, you lock in your gains to be limited by the strike price you choose. That price may be near or far from the price you originally paid for those shares. Choose carefully your strike prices. Always be mindful of your original buy price.  You can "lock in " losses if you choose a strike price that is below what you originally paid for the shares.

3/ Some really cool equities do not offer options trading on them. Some of your fave stocks or reits may not give folks the opportunity to write calls on them....there is simply no options trading on them.

4/ Taxes. Be aware that options trading can have significant tax implications for you and your family. Be prepared, and know which trading accounts you can use in a tax advantaged manner to lower, limit, or prevent taxes being paid on the premiums you collect as well as the capital gains you may gain from if/when your stock is sold if a call is "assigned" (another word for when call options get exercised)

5/ Some options traders become oblivious to the risks of the underlying equity because they are enticed by juicy option premiums. But be aware that overly generous options pricing sometimes reflects high risks associated with overvalued 'speculative" stocks. These stocks may have juicy options premiums that tempt you to play their games, but they do not reveal the fundamentals which illustrate when a particular stock has poor earnings, loads of debt and an unstable financial future.
Do your diligence. When an options play seems too good to be true, it may actually reveal, upon closer scrutiny, a company that is more of a gamble, than a sound investment.

6/ Writing covered calls can incur quite hefty fees and commissions, especially if/when your call is assigned. Ask as many questions as you need to , of your broker, to find out precisely how much the fees and commissions are for writing covered calls. Use those fees as a gauge by which to help you choose which covered calls to sell. It is a cost of options trading that you always need to be mindful of.

7/ Youtube. Youtube has loads of videos available to describe in detail how to write covered calls and what to keep in mind as you  mine for profitable trades. Some brokerages offer video seminars to help you understand the process. Some brokerages also offer live seminars you can attend in person to learn more about options trading.You can also read about writing covered calls from business/investment authors such as the "Lazy Investor" Canadian Derek Foster or
"Rich Dad Poor Dad" author Robert Kiyosaki.

Well that's all for now, I haven't described everything one needs to know about covered calls, but it's been fun explaining little bits and pieces of it. Be well and prosper.

Peacefully productive,
Carla.

DISCLAIMER: This post is for discussion/conversation purposes only and is not intended as investment or financial advice. Do your due diligence and obtain qualified advice from professionals before investing. The writer/producer of this blog does not claim any liability for any of the ideas discussed in this post or any other post in this blog.







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A Favourite Hideout

Do you know what an "Osmow's " is?

It's one of my hideouts. Great belly busting food prepared on the spot....totally filling and
generous.

As I observe the similarities that humans have with one another...I notice that most of us are creatures of habit. We gravitate to the places and people that make us feel good and meet a basic need. That need might be food, but it can also be less obvious qualities....like a basic good vibe.

If I feel comfortable in a restaurant, it is not necessary to even speak to me at all throughout my stay. I can stay completely silent and even pay my bill in silence and walk away gently feeling completely fulfilled and rested.

Perhaps that is the sign of being an introvert, but alas I am not always an introvert. But much of the time I am. I thrive on quietness and stillness and abundance of time spent thinking and processing. I don't need a lot of entertainment. Life in all it's glory is entertaining enough.

Do you have a favorite hideout? A place that gives you good vibes and lets you put your guard down?

In peaceful contemplation,
C.






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He Loves Catching Fish

Lately when the mood takes me, I watch a certain fishing reality type show on Netflix about some
eastern side fishermen who make their living from the sea.
One of the older gentleman, as he was describing to the camera person how he felt about his occupation said simply and with much eagerness " I love to catch fish!".

That was the point. I think that the thrill of the hunt is what compels most success stories.

Robert Kiyosaki took a short real estate seminar that launched him into real life real estate investing when the seminar's teacher gave a challenge to his students....to go into the real world and go visit 100 potential investment properties. Many of the students gave up....they couldn't be bothered to
finish the challenge. But Robert Kiyosaki was one of the few to complete the challenge.

After completing the challenge, Robert completed his very first real estate purchase. He had paid his dues by listening humbly to his teacher and completed every single challenge the teacher offered to him. He is now a millionaire many times over. He stayed persistent and humble and teachable.
He still loves the thrill of the hunt for his next real estate purchase or compelling business deal.

People who succeed in investing in the stock market may study and read and learn for years before they take the plunge and try "fishing" for stock market wealth with real money. They are patient, they are persistent....and they always learn from their mistakes. Investors thrive on the thrill of hunting for their next big investment deal. They want to get in on a deal that will net them a big winfall.

Learning in the real world is not about avoiding making  any mistakes....its about becoming mature enough to learn something from those mistakes, and then getting up, dusting off your knees and trying again and again and again and again. It's about never giving up until you find what you have been hunting for for years.

Stay thirsty for the thrill of  the hunt!

Peace,
Carla.





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Two Sentences from Daymond John

Hi friends,

I just came across these two sentences in fine print on the cover of March/April 2018's copy of Inc. magazine... Permit me to quote verbatim:

"I didn't know anybody. I didn't have a famous last name, didn't have any access to capital, and didn't go to college. None of those held me back." Daymond John's own words.

Some statements just take my breath away.. this is one of them. Be encouraged my friends and colleagues across this beautiful globe. God has something that you can do. Start small, think big.\\
Peace,
Carla.




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What Price Will You Pay to Keep Learning?

The Cost to keep learning....can be the "easy" low cost way.....or the "high effort" or potentially
"high cost" method. Each way has it's benefits.

Easy methods are easier to maintain because they are convenient and  may not hurt your wallet. You may watch a few M.I.T videos on your home computer. You may borrow a few library books from your local public library.


But then again, you may find that that is not enough. You need more. You are hungry for more information and knowledge and opinions formed by experts and highly paid pros.
So, you decide to take another step. You start going to your local college or university library and hunting down the hard covers in the subject matter that you are obsessed with. You open your
slim wallet and fork over more money for a data plan that will allow you to watch/consume more classes online in between your home and work schedule. You finally find a way to purchase that high priced book you've been drooling over for so many months, by allowing a friend to buy for you a second hand copy online.

I am blessed in that I live in a small city in which it is free for residents
( as long as they can prove their residency) to use our local college library for free. So....books written on college level are free for me to borrow and I can also hide myself in the wonderful college library cubicles when I really want to hunker down and feed my mind and soul in silence and seclusion.


Well, let me get to the point. Perhaps you have come to a plateau in your learning curve. You still want to learn more, but you don't want to go through the hassle of applying for some night classes at college or university level. Just the thought of having to ask for transcripts from all the educational institutions that you have attended sends you into a panic attack.

So, you reach for something else. You remember a person you used to network with when you went to attend free seminars 10 years ago. Maybe you send him/her an email just summing up what is prohibiting you from moving forward. He/she emails you back with one gem or a referral....a name of a timely author that you can hunt down and consume all his/her writings. One step forward! Booyah!

You see, I don't want you to feel like you are alone. Your desire to move forward in your learning journey is a universal need. If our minds are not growing....we may feel hopeless, when we feel that we are not moving forward.

Tony Robbins defines success or happiness in one word: PROGRESS. He goes on to explain that we begin to experience joy whenever we take a concrete small step forward towards a prized goal. I would tend to concur with that opinion.

So, pardon my rambling...but I want to encourage you....that if you have kept rolling forward in your learning journey, then don't stop now. And maybe just maybe, if you feel so inclined, it may be the season to kick it up a notch. Spend a wee bit more on that learning journey. The books and classes and networking can stretch you mentally,emotionally and financially....but the cool part is that you don't know where it may lead you. There is a purpose for your hunger. There is a reason that  you still believe that you have more to give to others and to life. Trust that this journey will lead to something better. Don't give up now.

Peace,
C.


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Birkshire's Reach

As I drive around my little northern Ontario town...I see samples of Birshire Hathaway's reach....on so many blocks....it's awe inspiring to note.

On the one side of the street is a Benjamin Moore Paint Shop...on the other side is a Tim Hortons...
and a Dairy Queen.

Inside the nearby McDonalds restaurant as well as many other pit stops through my town, there are Coca Cola pop  fountains, either self serve or served by the seller....or Coke products sold in bottles or cans in grocery stores and convenience stores. Coca Cola has always had a big following in this neck of the woods.

Scattered across this wee city are HR Block tax prep offices, which have roused from their seasonal slumber with pencils sharpened and calculators loaded up with fresh Duracell batteries charged.

Then we go across town and there's a Burger King....poutine anyone?
 If you stroll across the parking lot, you might shop for the kids for a brand new Spalding basketball at our local Canadian Tire Store. You may roll on up the street and shop for Fruit of the Loom sport socks at our local Walmart. On the way back to your car you may run into a friend who invites you to her Pampered Chef home shopping party.

I am sure that when I delve into the minority holdings that Birkshire Hathaway possesses, it may become even more all consuming. I find it compelling how Birkshire's holdings cover so many different categories of consumer staples....and yes, in this town, poutine is definitely a staple!

Impressive and strategic and awe inspiring all at once.

Enjoy your investing journey. If you enjoy stock market-ish nonfiction research.....learning about someone like Warren Buffett is a good place to start. It is quite intriguing to study the formation and growth of his investing mastery.

Peace,
Carla.

P.S. if you like recommended reading lists....you may wanna start with
"Tap Dancing to Work" by Carol J. Loomis

Making You Mad? Just might be the right choice...

When I was a teenager...I couldn't fathom even the most simplistic financial books. It wasn't that I couldn't have understood them with time and focus...it was just that I really couldn't care less about that subject matter. I had  many other fish to fry....and finance, economics or the stock market wasn't on the list. The calmness and patience required to read through a heavy economics hard cover sounded like death by a thousand pages.

Then 2o years or so passed by....marriage, children,  jobs, spirituality and philosophizing. I began to forage my way through simple books about the economy, personal finance and the stock market. I read authors who made me laugh. I also read authors who made me steaming mad. Yes, foot stompin....tear your hair out...pacing the floor kinda mad. It was the authors who made me mad who kept me learning....kept me problem solving until I made sure I understood the point that was being made. I may not have agreed with that writer, but at least I could say that I understand his/her line of thought.
Being understood....is a hugely vital human need. Writers need us to understand what they are trying to say....even if we don't agree with them.

I began to wonder about economic visionaries. I began to see so much untapped potential amongst my beloved Canadian populace. Folks who were highly intelligent, were not requiring anything significant of the blessed brains they had been given. Some folks I know well, with keen quick intellects allowed their minds to....begin to atrophy. When you don't have a challenge to rise up to meet, you begin to step back....to fall back to the lowest common denominator.....which for some....means beer, pizza and worrying about who is wearing what or driving what.
 Boring boring boring.

When you can do more with your life....why not do it? Why not try?

And so, because I at least had the confidence to acknowledge that God had given me a mind that deserved further development, I began to select books that pissed me off. I began to select books written on levels and layers way beyond my ken. I stopped beating myself up for dropping out of university. I began to watch online classes from M.I.T via Online courseware, just to see if my mind could swim in their leagues. I may have been doing the doggy paddle in those oceans of higher learning, but at least I was in the same body of water. I was a student again...with no tuition fees and no visits to a fussy registrars office. I became a happy clam again.

I write often about reading and it's importance in my life and in my self led educational journey. I like to post lists of my fave authors. I like to toot the horns of bloggers that I have come to trust over the years.

But rarely do I talk about how I pick the those authors. Sometimes I choose authors that make me so very frustrated....that seem to talk above and beyond me in such a tantalizing way that I simply must rise to the occasion and at least try for a good few weeks to figure  out  what all their fussing is about.  As Seth Godin would say....I try to get the joke.

Then, after a season of bad hair days , coffee spilled on overdue library books  and one too many coffee cups gathered around my computer...I rest. I am content. I actually got the joke. I rock.

How you craft your self led learning journey is one thousand percent up to you. It is not for me to tell any body else what they should be learning. That would defeat the point of calling it
SELF led learning.

SELF led learning....means to it's very essence, that you alone must choose. You will hunt and gather those epic books. You will scrape the dusty corners of the net for some forgotten genius who frustrates and inspires you, that you just can't get out of your mind. You will find that novel idea that was inspired by God to propel you forward....to your next step....to your destiny.

Don't give up on the journey because you don't hear anyone telling you what your next step should be...... The silence is indeed golden....  It is your empty room. Your blank page.
No need to be hasty. But do push forward. Push ahead.

Peace,
Carla.



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The Fuss About the Consumer Price Index

I keep bumping into commentary about the inaccuracy of the way the Consumer Price Index ( CPI)
is calculated in our modern times. Apparently during President Obama's reign, it was not permitted to include the cost of food or the cost of gasoline in the calculations of the CPI....hence making the economy appear more "consumer friendly" than it actually was.
(see pg 163 of Second Chance, the book written by Robert Kiyosaki)

What is your take on this? Do you feel like the Consumer Price Index is a reliable metric by which to measure how our economy is doing and how it affects the "average" citizen?
Do you think it is measured differently in your country as compared to Canada or the USA?

If some of the commentaries are true, then the investments that use the CPI to help build hedges against inflation, are not going to do the trick for us that we think or hope they will.
I forget where I read this thought....but I read somewhere that the CPI formerly used "steak" purchases as a regular measure of the economy's ability to feed it's citizens, whereas now, they don't use "steak" as a measure, but rather use "ground beef".

But what is the actual truth. Is the literal cost of food that we pay today in our local grocery stores factored into our Canadian version of the CPI? Is the literal cost of food that we pay today in our local grocery stores factored into the American version of the CPI?

Some feel that equities are a better hedge against inflation than other investment vehicles. Others feel that they trust those "custom made" inflation protection investment products ( such as T.I.P.S) are the real deal and can be trusted to protect oneself from future inflation. What do you feel? What do you think? Which books or articles do you find most accurate in their discussion on the CPI?
I am all ears.

Peacefully thoughtful,
Carla.


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Gluten Free At Chick-Fil-A

Big FAT Disclaimer....
This post is not to be taken as medical advice. All medical advice should be obtained from a licensed medical practitioner.  The links listed are current as of Jan 12 2019.
Food companies can change the ingredients of their product offerings whenever they choose.
This post is intended for conversational purposes only. Those with food allergies should consult their doctors for medical advice. This post is not intended as dietary advice or recommendations.
Those with food allergies need to do their own up to date inquiries with due diligence and caution.


Hi Folks! How has the new year started for you?

Well that was a pretty big disclaimer for such a little post. But then again, I do find it alarming that sometimes folks just blindly trust whatever they see written on a random internet article.
Anyway, for today I just wanted to post some links that are current as of Jan 12 2019 regarding the allergens present in Chick-Fil-A menu items. I kinda wish we had these kind of restaurants up here in Ontario....but hey...with their rapid growth across the USA perhaps we may be next on their list for expanding market share into the north!

This is their main website home page :
https://www.chick-fil-a.com/

Their pdf link of food ingredients, current as of Jan 12 2019
is:

https://d1fd34dzzl09j.cloudfront.net/Allergen%20PDFs/AllergenInfo_1118_v7_1.pdf


From a quick gander at their list, I noticed that their hash browns, grilled nuggets and
Chick-Fil-A Waffle Potatoe Fries do not contain wheat as a listed ingredient. Also, it appears that their Vanilla, Chocolate or Strawberry Milk shakes also do not contain wheat as a listed ingredient.

However, note that they have many other menu items which do contain lots of wheat and gluten and so therefore the potential for cross contamination does exist.

If you wish to contact the company.... their contact information is listed on their website at this link:

https://www.chick-fil-a.com/Contact-Support

Well, that's all for now. May God bless you with  a healthy 2019 as you enjoy His blessings and provision.

Peacefully productive,
Carla.




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Warren Buffett - HBO Documentary HD #Advexon

There's something magical about a great biography....whether you read it in book form....

or watch it on the telly.

This moment which you can enjoy starts at precisely the timestamp 3:47 in this youtube video which captures an HBO documentary about Warren Buffet.



Why did I stop the vid at precisely that moment? Because whole books could be written about just that one moment in time. Mr. Buffet's success is based upon focus....his ability to focus, recall financial data at will and have financial discipline.

He knew off by heart, from memory, what the cost is to the penny for his

three lowest cost favorite McDonald breakfast items. He plans before he drives to work,, as to which

breakfast item he will purchase from McDonald's . He asks his wife, for one of three amounts precisely in cash: namely $2.61 for two sausages, or $2.95 for a sausage mcmuffin with egg and cheese, or $3.17 for a bacon and egg and cheese biscuit. I would assume that his wife is accustomed to counting out precise cash amounts to accommodate his spending routines. He likes routines, and seems to thrive on the repetition of low cost behaviors.



What can we observe remotely from that simple 5 minute routine?

1/ Mr. Buffett shops for the best prices for items he knows he will buy on a daily basis.

 ( if you want to read about the late Hetty Green's thrifty meal habits...you will see similarities)

2/ He didn't buy a drink with his food.

3. He doesn't tempt himself by keeping extra cash on hand. He asks his wife to hand him precisely what he needs to pay for the breakfast in cash in full, with no extra cash for extra spending.

4. It appears that he did not tip the drive through cashier.

5. Mr. Buffett, with all his wealth, is not too proud to eat fast food.

6. Mr. Buffett, with all his wealth, is not too proud to fetch his own food.

7. Mr. Buffett, is not too shy to purchase low cost items locally. He feels no need to impress others with his wealth by overspending on necessities like food.

8. He is kind to the McDonald's workers. He does not appear to think of himself as above other people.

9. Even in humor, Mr.Buffet connects the products he buys with "how the market is doing"...and knew what the stock market was doing even before breakfast.

10. Mr. Buffett described how...on days when he chooses a lower cost McDonald's item, such as two sausages, he says that he puts the two sausages together. That illustrates that he doesn't consider himself above adjusting something in order to utilize lower cost items. He'll go the extra mile to spend less.



I wonder, do you or I see similarities in his breakfast habits? Are we similarly frugal and repetitious and efficient and kind all at once? Do we see value in routines that allow us the mental brain room to focus on other more important matters?



Many great men and women have seen the need to simplify and build simple routines in order to manage their "cognitive load" ( borrowed that word from Seth Godin). Dr. Mike Murdock also writes extensively about using routines, such as always going to the same Barber, in order save mental and emotional "energy" to address the more important decisions of life. Steve Jobs, always wore similar clothing in order to preserve his mental and emotional juice for his more important creative and business projects.



Do you get any ideas or inspiration from Mr. Buffett's breakfast routine? Can you think of any ways in which you can lower the cost of one of your daily routines, and keep it in a simple circular loop of habit? Do you feel that this routine could help you to spend less money or curtail time wasted making decisions about trivial matters?



Do tell. Looking forward to your responses to this vid.

Peacefully productive,

Carla



 
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Economic Freedom ?

I have been reading some lovely tomes...plucked from the silent shelves of my local college library.
(btw...yes, just for being a resident I have free usage of their library.....even without being a student there ....yay me)

I have been pondering a statement that I read in
 "Crash Proof- How to Profit from the Coming Economic Collapse" written by Peter D. Schiff and published in 2007.
Page 177....the second paragraph and part of the third paragraph....permit me to quote it verbatim:

"Pundits will argue that China's economic viability is limited because it is not a democracy. I say the opposite is true, that it is precisely because it is not a democracy that China will likely be successful.
   What is of vital importance for economic success is economic freedom, meaning the protection of private property, the rule of law, and minimal regulation and taxation, not the right to vote."


How does that statement make you feel? Do you wholeheartedly agree? Do you find his statement to be offensive or tantamount to treason?

As for me I find his viewpoint to be refreshing and thought provoking...because sometimes in the West, we get blinded by our love for democracy, and don't give proper credit to the "other stuff" that is required to be built and maintained in a country's DNA in order for us all to restore and enjoy lengthy seasons of prosperity.

I would be most interested in what you my readers, think or feel about Peter's comments on economic freedom. Please do feel that your voice is most welcome here. I look forward to reading and/or publishing your comments.

Peace,
Carla.





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Very Literate....still not reading...is this you?

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I promise not to get snarky. But on the other hand...sometimes it's the ones who aren't afraid to be jarring....that get the proper attention.

Let me just spit it out. My beloved country of Canada has spent billions and billions of dollars and millions of man hours and decades of effort to establish and maintain our publicly funded educational system. 

We, as in most of us Canadians are, .... a  very literate nation.

We know how to read. We can count really fast. We know how to print/write/type words to express ourselves  quite clearly.

But what is it....this vague feeling that brings me despair....it makes me queasy....I feel uneasy.

I feel like Canada has built up a massive infrastructure to accommodate a brilliant and well educated populace....but bam......so few of us are taking good advantage of it.

Canadians, once they start their work careers are not inhabiting the lively campuses of our colleges and universities. We are not engaged in ardent discussion about issues of the day, inventions or scientific or philosophical principles.

Once folks start a career they seem to allow themselves to be lulled by a smoky prosperity into passivity and a certain destiny malaise. They feel like it is too late to really become a mover or a shaker. Then ooops...we conveniently forget how to learn! We forget how much we used to love learning and discussing and upsetting the status quo. We cease to revel in the refreshment we used to feel when we pioneered a new way of thinking.. speaking or being.

We become obsessed with creature comforts....more channels, trendy throw pillows and the best Keurig. We think the world will fall apart if we don't take the right vitamins or eat organic lettuce. We join the best gym.

We content ourselves with making a stylish living....and surround ourselves with a million ways to calm and entertain us.

Canadians are reading.....social media posts and little else.

Popular Literacy is not the same as real literacy.... which empowers us to ask great questions, get creative and invent new thoughts. Do we read/write anything of substance? Do we treasure those who write well? Who challenge our mindsets?
Do we revere those who get us to think in new and creative ways? Do we value those who invent new ways to make a living or creations that inspire?
Do you have a favorite author? We have forgotten the beauty of a well timed written opinion supported by diligent research.....because that would just take too much time.

 We seek entertainment.... but not anything factual please! 

We are single-handedly responsible for killing the newspaper industry in our beloved Country.
(yes, "Cry the Beloved Country".....Cry!)

Sorry techy humanoids, but Online newspapers have not adequately filled the gap.Too much click bait....not enough quality content. Most Online mag or newspaper subscriptions pale in comparison to what we used to read in person, hands on....in black and white.

Let's be frank. Social media has replaced real news media. 

Who cares about fact checking when we have really cool Emoji's?

Few of the humans I see and interact with on a daily basis are even remotely engaged in learning anything other than social niceties.

( I honestly apologize that I don't yet have the statistics to back up this unease....as the feeling is very strong and disquieting.)

I see folks all over my city lining up patiently for lottery tickets,buying smokes, and booze. I see them lining up for hours to go see a movie or a rock/pop concert. I see them wandering the malls. I see them walking their pure bred dogs with religious regularity. I see them shopping for cars and waiting nervously at the bank to apply for yet another credit card or figuring out how to finance another new SUV or Cuban vacation.

I am stumped. The bookstores in my town are gorgeous.... full to the brim with all manner of intelligent inventions and discussions. But it is the Starbucks attached to the book store that has the longest lines and most fervent following. Craft breweries draw their faithful drones. The college library is open to the public....but inhabited mostly by furtive young students studying for exams. Mainstream folks are not present by and large in our institutions of higher learning. Why have we excluded ourselves??? 

No really, I do actually want to know. I want to know how to integrate the general public into lifelong learning and perpetual intellectual discovery. I want the mind of my city to stay relevant .....to be alive and fruitful and creative and to design new and imaginative things.

Churches are filled with social engineering.... no quiet study of doctrine or church history.

Church has become a BBQ or a Tea party with those who think they've arrived. We care more about the cushiness of the pews we sit on, than what is being taught from the pulpit. We care more about the

fashion statement of the pastor's wife than the scripture verses being quoted by the speaker. We don't take what he says seriously anyway. If he's wrong....well then really......so what? We don't know the bible well enough any more to even detect if the verses are being misquoted. Our passivity and naivete have made us ripe for false teaching..

Ok ok......Let's rest from that train of thought.

In conclusion, (because I know we both really can't stand much more of this written conversation)....yes I admit it is a tad screamy.  I just want to say this. If my country stops reading and writing....and stops valuing those who do......we will become ( or perhaps have already become) a nation of hoodlums and scamps.

 We will hate the truth. We will hate kindness because it takes too long. We will hate thoughtful discussion because it isn't fun enough...or because alcohol is not served when we sit down to talk... We won't give credit where credit is due because the proper credit won't fit into our social media post's character maximum.

We will still be generous....but only with snarky comments and highly emotional critiques of how we hate each other's style. We will have urgent and vehemently strong opinions about all those things that.....really don't matter.

And to finally finish this blog post with a resolute thud....we will hate anyone who will tell us that we are missing the boat.....that the boat is floating away....to distant lands where words are still revered as powerful and minds are being carefully nurtured to think, create and imagine.

Is it too late? I do not know. But for now...the boat is still within the boundaries of our harbor....Perhaps we can convince it to stay..... with words.

Peace,

C.

Before You Become Self Employed

If any of you have read or listened to the teachings of Robert Kiyosaki, you will surely agree that he is a huge proponent of self employment. He declares that owning your own business is key in gaining wealth.

But today I just want to bring a few balancing thoughts to the table....before you quit your day job in a frantic rush to become self employed.

Self employed people require a certain skill set that not everyone has....and not everyone even wants the skill set that many successful self employed people retain.

What are some of these skills?

1/ The willingness and capacity to work extremely long hours without the guarantee of adequate compensation for your time.

2/ A personal life that allows for huge chunks of time dedicated to said "self employment".

3/ Many self employed people begin their self employed season of life with little to no financial safety cushion. It might become a nerve shattering, bone jarring, leap of faith into a world of risk. Are you ok with not knowing when you will receive your next paycheque? Or do you have other arrangements in place to pay the bills until your business can afford to pay you. Note... that self employment does not necessitate this kind of unpreparedness, but sometimes it does. If you are uncomfortable taking risks....think twice about self employment. Are you willing to bet 100% on yourself and your personal capacity to produce a good income for yourself and your dependents?If not....then stick with your day job until you are really really ready.

4/ Managing your own business requires an extremely high level of financial discipline. Are you good with money? Without the strictest of financial habits, your business will not be viable, and if, by some chance it becomes viable, it may not retain it's viability for more than 6 months. Will your business utilize leverage to bring it to the next level? How long could your business thrive if your account receivables were delayed payment by 60 -90 days? What would happen to your business if one of your main client accounts went bankrupt?  Businesses are connected to other entities and what affects those entities can deeply affect the success and longevity of your business.

5/ How good are you at saying no? Do you have the ability to focus 100% on your business? Focused people can sometimes be perceived as self centered or arrogant because they only have eyes for what concerns their business. But you must acknowledge that it is usually these special humans who can be singularly minded and goal orientated that accomplish great things. Focus requires a very high price to be paid in your entire lifestyle. There must be no compromise. All in. No turning back.
Are you willing to reject certain social expectations/ events to pursue your self employment goals? Do you have the character to graciously decline participating in groups or events that do not further your self employment goals? Can you handle it when people gossip about your stand-off-ish-ness and resent your total focus?

6/ Networking. If you are good at networking, you will be many hundreds of steps ahead of your competitors and can use referrals to your advantage in many departments of your self employed life.
You can be a brilliant inventor and creator, but if you can't connect with other good and ambitious folks, your hard work may never get noticed. Being self employed is not about becoming anti-social, but rather learning how to use social situations to further your goals.

7/ Self employment provides a certain kind of freedom that some folks relish. But at the same time, it requires that one is able to assess their own weak points in terms of what is required to make/keep their company successful. Do you know what your weak points are? Are you willing to learn from experts to compensate for these weak areas? Are you willing to read books, magazines, newspapers,websites etc and contact experts/professionals when you face questions that you are unable to resolve ? Are you willing to listen to audio books that build your knowledge base? Are you willing to attend seminars or three day events to build mastery in your chosen field?
Do you have the humility to work with or hire those who know more than you do? Where does continuing education fit in with your business plan? Even if you never utilize formal educational institutions, you must be always teachable....always willing to learn. Self led learning is key to continuing your learning trajectory. Pick good mentors who can help propel you forward.

8/ How high are your accounting/bookkeeping skills? Do you need to hire reliable help? Keeping accurate books is key, as well as having timely financial reports so that you can make appropriate spending/saving/investing decisions for your company.

9/ Each business has it's own pace....it's own hum. Are you good at sensing when it's time to
rush and conquer new territory or when it's time for a short break? Do you have enough
financial wiggle room to finance your operations if you or your dependents catch an illness/ injury?
Pace yourself....but always move forward.

10/ Do you have a legal team that you can utilize to protect yourself, your family and your employees from liability? Does your business have the right structure? What kind of insurances do you need and when?

11/ My last point is this. Do you know what your exit strategy is? Do you want to build the company to a certain size and then sell it? Or is your company more of a "pop up shop" that will thrive for a short time before being shut down so you can pursue something else. There is no right or wrong answer in terms of exit strategies. These are only choices. Choices that you will need to make at some point or another in your self employed journey.


Well, that's all for now folks. Thanks for your time. It isn't hard to find many books that advise us what we "should" do in certain periods of our lives. But that is easy for anyone to do. What is good and sometimes more difficult is to take a step back and think first, before leaping into something for which we may not be prepared.

 Be blessed. Be courageous.Be productive. Be prepared.

Peace,
Carla.





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They're Not Homeless....Just Nomads

My city has a lot of homeless people.... they... I feel I shouldn't use that word "they" because
they are part of "us" of " we" that be.....here in my country...yes in my city.

I was musing last week about reframing the concept of homelessness.
Perhaps we may need to give up the traditional concept that "all" folks need a house in order to not be considered homeless. I mean....several ancient cultures were nomadic by nature and nobody dared call them homeless. They followed their livelihood...whether that was a gold rush or a herd of caribou or salmon run.

Maybe some folks are just not meant to set up a permanent residence. Maybe our government can set up ways that nomadic folks can still function with the benefits and credits that "housed" citizens have, and not be bound by the traditional strings of a permanent home address.

I had heard some years ago, that there was some kind of weekly welfare available to the "homeless" which folks could access even if they didn't have a regular housing situation. But I really don't know what the requirements were for that sort of income.

I notice that some of the nomadic folks who walk the streets of my city, are defiant and proud and  very precise about what they want from life.  They don't wanna sign any contracts....Now THAT I can relate to. They don't want to owe anybody. They also don't  trust the government....which also seems to work against them when they find that they need some special assistance that only the government is willing to provide. The levels of compassion amongst private citizens can change with the winds of trend...whereas the government is compelled by legislation to protect all citizens.

Many of the local nomads have a tight crew they run with. They know who they can trust even when they have no money. They know exactly where they can score free food without having to fake a "conversion" to some ideology. They know which shelters are safer than others. They know where
they can see a doctor.....no questions asked.

It seems to be bound up in our culture that folks need permanent housing to appear "legit" or even "respectable", But maybe that's just the real estate industry selling it's own hype. Is it perhaps that the "low or no cost" system that nomadic people observe just irks the folks that want to see us all paying more tax to big brother? Is it because we secretly resent those who manage to live more freely than we do?

Nomadic folks don't pay property taxes. Nobody collects property/income taxes from the man living under the bridge with the shopping cart. Nobody can charge rent to the young person sleeping on a public park bench.

But each and every one of these my nomadic countrymen/women was probably born in my country and has rights and privileges just like I do. They have a right to claim this land and all the ordained blessings of citizenship that we take for granted. Maybe it's time we stop punishing them with our contempt and give them some credit....for surviving the challenges they have faced and overcoming enough hardship to make it and survive through to another day.

Maybe we need a new virtual people group......"The Canadian Nomad."

Peace.
c.



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Don't Feel Worthy of Shelf Space?

I was grocery shopping yet again....gazing through the mags filed neatly at eye level by the cash.
I usually make a beeline with my minds eye to People magazine...because that is pretty  much the only one that has earned my trust over the years. Yes, there are a few british ones that feature the royal family which migh also make my trusted list...but you get my  point.

Why would a large respectable nationwide grocery chain give prime shelf space right by the checkout to so many tabloids filled with lies? Not even white lies.....bold brash....
"not in a million years could they be true" kinda lies.

Why? Because someone is buying these lies....regularly and with vigor.
 Stores will sell whatever people will buy.

So, let me tell you, hope you're still with me....don't flip to another page.....
Don't you have something inherently more valuable and trustworthy than those trashy tabloids?
Do people trust you in a certain area of life because of your experience  because of your chutzpah?

Then, my friend....my tribe member, I want to encourage you to write. You deserve some good high quality shelf space.

If you can be truthful about any one small minute area of life, and help someone else across the globe understand that area just a wee bit better ....then YES you deserve shelf space. You deserve a piece of the internet pie.

You may not have the best grammar. You may not have the best tech saviiness, you may not know how to edit photos/videos in a Hollywood style crowd pleasing manner. But you are real and you are truthful . You have something important to share.

Just remember, my friends who blog and write and create stuff. Don't underestimate the value of what you bring to the table. Someone somewhere needs what you know. Someone somewhere wants to hear from you and be taught by you how to do or see or feel something different. Someone is waiting for you to step up and take up legit shelf space in their life. Make some noise my sister. Make some noise my brother.

If the tabloids can make billion dollar empires by selling lies, you for sure can earn some good coin selling something authentic.

In peaceful productivity and kindness,

Carla.

P.S. Seth Godin was the guest speaker of Tim Ferris' podcast again recently....if you ever need some encouragment....his voice alone with do the trick.

https://tim.blog/2018/11/01/seth-godin-this-is-marketing/


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I Recover from Noise Pollution Here

i was looking for a way to heal from exposure to noise pollution....
the noise pollution causes mental fog, and tires my sense of hearing.
This heaven on earth i discovered recently ....the photos of which I will attach below ......just so you can catch a glimpse of how you can use a gentle walk in God's creation... to heal yourself or your loved ones.

Fungus growing in creamy shades of white on dead fallen logs..

How can anyone not want to walk slowly through this golden canopy.........

sky high cedar grove

a Cedar grove is growing....high up to the sky.....us suburban folks are accustomed to cedar hedges.....but rarely have i ever glimpsed cedar trees growing quite this high.......

sometimes moss grows furry......

Kaffe Fasset would have loved to knit a design based on the pale blue lichens on this rock....

Can't  you picture a rabbit wanting to take a wee nap atop this mossy boulder?

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Dancing with the Butterflies

Monarchs don't come around often enough....and when they do...it's a pop of brilliant orange red...framed in blackest of black.

Days like this do the body good, freshen the mind and spirit..
.and give a sun kissed glow to the cheeks.

When one takes the time to really look
at God's creation....we begin to see more than
we did before. We begin to see not 100 shades of green.....but rather...burnt umbers, golds, greys, dusty browns and rusts. Canada's terrain is not flashy...but the whole color spectrum is there...if you're ready to
spend the time to discover each new hue.

The Incredibly Simple...Bring Raw Beauty

Permit me to share some of our local flora...gathered as we stroll through Simcoe county Ontario, Canada.
Most of the names of these native plants I learned as a kid. If perhaps I have labelled them incorrectly...plz do speakup and let me know.
Peace,
c.

Milk weeds were so much fun to collect when we were kids...when you opened up a ripe milk weed, the seeds inside look like a brown scaled fish....and flew on silky wisps when you tossed them in the wind.

I pray that our beautiful humble and intelligent bumble bee population in Ontario are making a rapid comeback. 

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What is the Premise of Reading and Understanding Scripture?

When one has a rather philosophical bent, it helps to understand the "why" behind commonly expected behaviors.

                         For example, in Christian circles it is commonly expected                                                        ( although less so in certain denominations)

that the members become familiar with the words contained within a book called "The Holy Bible".

There are many different versions and translations on the market of "The Holy Bible", but all of the copies of the bible have much more in common with one another than the verses they differ on.

So....back to my point. Why do christian people study, memorize and voraciously read the bible?

One answer is this major premise:

By understanding the entirety of the Holy Bible, we assume that we will be better prepared mentally and spiritually and in all other ways to understand the other parts of life and the worlds around us.

I must say that this premise does ring true for me. Bible study does seem to make humans "smarter"   "wiser" and more "skillful" in how we problem solve.

Do you agree?

Looking forward to your comments and thoughts,

Peace,

c.

biblegateway

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essence of fulfillment?

Soo ...I'm watching a cheffy show "Chef's Table" on Netflix and this particular episode.... it's the story of  Christina Tosi, the creator of "Crack Pie".

She was speaking about how she started her little Milk bar bakery beside Momfuku ( as David Chang's colleague) and the satisfaction she had finally found after more than a decade in the basements of restaurants in New York City.

She grinned as she said " I finally had something that was mine that I had figured out ".

What a magical sentence.

Let me say it again ....and again.


" I finally had something that was mine that I had figured out ".


" I finally had something that was mine that I had figured out ".


" I finally had something that was mine that I had figured out ".



Isn't that the essence of fulfillment? Of knowing you've achieved something on your own terms.... in your own version of what it means to be creative?

Not every idea is a winner...not every effort is rewarded...but
those who don't give up on those hunches, those creative nudges lead the way.. They find "quoi"...they find the  juice of life, that we creatives live for....to make something fresh and unknown. 

Then and only then, once we have firmly planted our feet in that unknown space and let others in to spy on us....that is when they begin to take the time to applaud and appreciate that new "thing" or "idea" or "cause" we have created from the dust....that ever present earth we find in our hands. At last, we feel at peace. we feel joy.


I am a fan of the late Wangari Maathai....whose passion for the mysterious circle of life between trees and water created a movement. One can not boil it down to simple facts.
When someone is passionate about what they need. Wangari needed trees. Wangari needed to protect what she loved . In her passion to protect what she loved, she took us along....to kneel by a stream and understand why it was the trees that brought the water, and the frogs and the well being. She helped us take a brief glimpse of that mysterious circle. She made us pause to dig a hole and plant something....anything.


what is it that you can help us understand? What is it that you understand better than your family and neighbors. Maybe it bears repeating. Maybe we need to hear you too.

Peace,
C.,


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