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Luxury Brands Stock and Real Estate Investing

"We don't do commercials because our customers are not sitting around watching t.v."  -Lamborghini Charlie Munger cautioned against indulging in ostentatious purchases, highlighting the dangers of envy-driven spending. He emphasized that fixating on others' possessions breeds resentment and detracts from appreciating one's own blessings. Munger, renowned for his frugality despite his substantial wealth, denounced the allure of status symbols like luxury watches, advocating for a more prudent approach to wealth management. Instead of succumbing to extravagant expenditures, Munger advocated for strategic investing. He favored value investing, seeking out undervalued stocks with strong fundamentals and enduring competitive advantages. Munger believed in investing in businesses with "economic moats" that safeguarded their profitability and market share over time. He famously applied a buy-and-hold strategy, recognizing the power of compound interest and patience in achieving long-term financial success. Munger's prudent financial philosophy extended beyond investment strategies. He emphasized the importance of personal integrity, financial discipline, and cultivating contentment. Munger's approach to life centered on avoiding envy, maintaining fiscal responsibility, and prioritizing relationships with trustworthy individuals. In essence, his formula for a fulfilling life comprised simplicity, resilience, and adherence to timeless principles. I am mostly an Index fund buyer.  However, I very much like Warren Buffet's stock buying mentality for Berkshire Hathaway, which I hold stock in.  I was recently asked what about investing in a luxury brand, such as Rolex, as the price of Rolexs has soared since covid. Adapted from https://www.liberatedstocktrader.com/rolex-stock/#:~:text=in%20this%20report.-,Is%20Rolex%20on%20the%20Stock%20Market%3F,and%20scholarships%20for%20the%20underprivileged. 5 Great Alternatives to Rolex Stock Three good alternatives to investing in Rolex stock are Ferrari, Kering, LVMH, Hermes, and Nike. 1. Ferrari NV (NYSE: RACE) Most people cannot afford a Ferrari, but they can buy Ferrari (RACE) stock. Ferrari’s value comes from its brand, like

By |May 30th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Luxury Brands Stock and Real Estate Investing

Jade

Sources in Hong Kong for jade jewelry: https://www.thejadejewellery.com/categories/bracelets?page=4&sort_by=&order_by=&limit=24 Introduction There are two minerals that are commonly called jade, nephrite and jadeite. The traditional Chinese jade, is nephrite. Just to make things even more confusing, in New Zealand, jade is called pounamu or greenstone. As one of the world's oldest decorative stones, jade has been prized for its beauty across the world. Properties Close up of a carved nephrite slab, from Marsden River, New Zealand. Bown Collection Source: Geoscience Australia The two jade minerals, nephrite and jadeite are both tough and have small granular crystals giving a fibrous appearance. They have quite different chemical compositions and structures. Nephrite is a type of amphibole mineral and jadeite is a type of pyroxene mineral. Nephrite can be white, yellow, green and brown to black, depending on the amount of iron and magnesium in the mineral. Jadeite can be green, pink, purple, brown and white. Nephrite jade is very tough, the toughest known natural mineral, three times tougher than ceramics and even tougher than steel. This explains why it was used in neolithic times for knife blades, axe heads and later for ornamental carvings. While it is not as hard as some other minerals like diamond, nephrite is made from an interwoven meshwork of fine fibres or needle-like crystals so is not brittle and does not break easily. Coarser crystals and alignment of minerals decreases the toughness of the mineral. Jadeite is the second toughest mineral known, but is not as tough as nephrite as its interlocking crystals are less fibrous. The interlocking crystals or fibrous structures of these two jade minerals mean they can be polished easily, so are ideal for carvings and jewellery. The Properties of Jade

By |May 25th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Jade

Rumspringa

The concept of “Rumspringa” is a uniquely Amish tradition. It is a period of adolescence where Amish youngsters are allowed to leave the community and experience life outside their own. This period of soul-searching marks a transition from their childhood in the community to adulthood, and it’s up to them to decide whether they want to stay and continue farming or leave for a more “modern” way of life. This period of self-reflection illustrates the Amish’s embrace of choice and individuality within the boundaries of their community’s traditions and beliefs. After you are done messing about in life's various temptations or rumspringas, it's usually time to get back to work. If you want to achieve great success in life, it’s important to lock down what cornerstone habits you need to build. As you build these habits, keep the initial task simple so that it does not require much motivation to complete it. Here are some examples: For your spiritual life: Try starting your morning with five minutes of meditation. Find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed, close your eyes, and breathe. If you need help getting into the right headspace, several apps can help guide you through it. When you can let the thoughts go in and out of your mind without judging them and aim to find stillness in the moment, you’re setting yourself up to reap the benefits.  TM and yoga sun salutes are great ways to start this habit. For your physical health: It’s vital that you get enough sleep every night. Use a smart device to help track your sleeping patterns and statistics. To decide when you need to get to bed, count backward from your wake-up time

By |May 1st, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Rumspringa

Haberdashery & Style

Your Style Tells Your Story I recently read some interviews of Chris Collins, who was a Ralph Lauren model for 20 years.   He says, "Twenty years as a Ralph Lauren model taught me more than how to dress." Collins talks a lot of the influence that Ralph Lauren had on him personally and he mentions about his living "the life."   Ralph Lauren lives next door to our friend in Ridgeway, Colorado.   He has an ecletic style as do most monied people from those parts of Colorado, let alone a fashion icon.   Both Collins and Lauren offer the same advice that I heard when I dated my haberdasher in law school (yes, all of my suits since then are custom made).  This is centered around the idea that "your style tells your story" has been further bolstered for me by my daughter's modeling jobs, which have helped her frame her own style. As for the life, from playing polo with millionaires and billionaires around the United States, to mounted hunting with vast estate owners here and abroad, to sitting on a fence with cowboys drinking Coors in Colorado, to strolling behind Brittanys in search of birds in vast expanses of cover, and everything in between, I have found a few things worth noting on shaping your lifestyle, your personal style, your wingshooting style or dyed in the wool foxhunting style, down to what you surround yourself with---or decor. They say clothes make the man, but sometimes it’s the other way around. My Rules of Style What a lifetime of living well taught me about dressing with intention Style found me before I went looking for it. Growing up in the West — Colorado ranches, Montana

By |March 24th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Haberdashery & Style

Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe

Your vibe attracts your tribe. One of the best pieces of relationship advice I ever received was remarkably simple: take a sheet of paper and write down everything you want in a partner. Honest. Funny. Curious. Kind. Reliable. Easygoing. Adventurous. Generous. Interesting. Then comes the part most of us conveniently forget: Become those things yourself. If you want love, be loving. If you want kindness, practice kindness. If you want curiosity, remain curious. If you want connection, create connection. We spend an extraordinary amount of time waiting for the world to give us something before we give it anything in return. But relationships, like most worthwhile things in life, tend to work better when we become the source of what we are hoping to receive. There is something almost magical about that idea, although it probably shouldn't be. What we pay attention to shapes the way we live. The habits we develop shape the people we become. And the people we become inevitably influence the people we attract and the relationships we create. The future, in other words, is being built in rather ordinary moments. Happiness Is a Skill Being happy in a relationship isn't something most of us inherit. Nobody hands you a manual at the wedding, although humanity has somehow managed to produce approximately seventeen billion wedding-planning books while largely ignoring the instruction manual for actually living together. A good relationship is built. It takes patience, generosity, humor, curiosity, forgiveness and, occasionally, the ability to recognize that winning an argument is considerably less important than keeping the peace. It also requires choosing carefully. We don't get to choose our families. We do, however, have considerably more say in the people we invite

By |March 24th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Your Vibe Attracts Your Tribe

Happiness Masterclass

Lesson 1 In lesson number one, Happiness Masterclass will teach the rudiments of breathwork, which is one of the simplest and most powerful techniques for unlocking inner happiness. Happiness Masterclass explains, “Breathing is something we do all the time, we don't even have to think about it. However, how we breathe can do a lot to improve the physical state of our brains and our bodies.” She adds, “In times of stress, we tend to tense up, our heart rate increases, our blood pressure may rise, we perspire, our metabolism changes, and our breathing rates become shallow. This shallow breathing restricts the flow of oxygen into our body, which is vital for well-being and happiness. In this lesson, we’ll have a look at why bringing more awareness to our breathing can be very beneficial for increasing our happiness.” Lesson 2 In lesson number two, Happiness Masterclass will teach practical techniques for overcoming negative thought patterns which often interfere with inner peace and happiness. In Happiness Masterclass’s words, “This life-changing session is all about how to create a mindset for happiness. So, if you've been frustrated trying to create happiness in your life so far, or often find your happiness derailed in the same or similar circumstances, this session will help you better understand your experience and show you how to restore and protect your happiness.” Lesson 3 The focus of lesson number three is Gratitude. Recent studies show that feeling and expressing gratitude leads to better physical health and even slows down the ageing process, as it activates the feel-good hormones in our body. In this session, Happiness Masterclass will teach you how to use gratitude to turbocharge your happiness. “If you try using gratitude

By |March 24th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Happiness Masterclass

Sea Shells

Fort Myers and the adjacent barrier islands are known as one of the best shelling destinations in North America. Thanks to the Gulf Coast's gentle currents and unique geographic features, pristine shells wash ashore by the thousands. Sanibel Island: Famous for its east-west orientation, which acts as a giant natural "scoop" for Gulf shells. Top spots include Bowman's Beach, Lighthouse Beach Park, and Blind Pass. Captiva Island: Located just north of Sanibel; it offers equally fantastic shelling but with a quieter, less crowded vibe.Fort Myers Beach: Specifically the quieter south end or near Bowditch Point.

By |March 10th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Sea Shells

How Many Words are Enough?

How many words are enough?  There are an estimated 171,146 words currently in use in the English language, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, not to mention another 47,156 obsolete words.  Most adult English language speakers high school graduates from the United Kingdom from 20,000–35,000 words. Average native test-takers of age 8 already know 10,000 words. Average native test-takers of age 4 already know 5,000 words. But the average American high school graduate knows only about 12,000 words.   Shockingly, the average American only uses about the same 100 words in day to day conversations. So is 1000 words enough to speak a new language?  Some linguists believe that 800 words are enough to hold a basic conversation. However, your vocabulary should be over 8,000 words if you want to speak a language as well as a native speaker. Some dogs can understand 250 words. Dogs are man’s best friend, and the canine ability to understand human words has gone a long way to solidify that world-changing relationship. According to the American Psychological Association, the average dog can understand 165 words, and “super dogs” — those in the top 20% of canine intellect — can understand around 250 words. Dog intelligence can be divided into three main types: instinctive (what the dog is bred to do), adaptive (what a dog learns from its environment), and working/obedience (what a dog is trained to do). Research into the levels of working/obedience intelligence in various dog breeds shows that border collies displayed the highest levels, followed by poodles, German shepherds, and golden retrievers. With the ability to also understand simple math (1+1 = 2, for example), these “super dogs” have an estimated cognitive ability of 2- to 2.5-year-old humans. Although 250 words

By |March 9th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on How Many Words are Enough?

Jumping Rope

We got a new Dope Rope from Lauren Jumps.  She says: These are the most common jump rope mistakes that I see a lot of beginners making: Make sure your rope isn't too long - most new jumpers start and keep their rope too long. The excess rope leads to poor form and less efficiency and more effort required to spin the rope. The heavy impact of the rope on the ground leads to more wear and causes the rope to bounce up, resulting in more trips. Avoid wide arms - this is linked to the point above.  A long rope can lead to wide arms as the user aims to compensate for the excess cord. The optimal jump rope arm positioning is elbows back and hands in next to the hips. When the hands are close to your sides, you can use a shorter a rope, improve your efficiency, go faster and perform tricks and skills more easily Not 'elbows in' - another common mistake is to have the elbows in to the hips which leads to the hands sticking out wide. The elbows need to be in but set back to allow the hands to be in next to the hips. Avoid jumping too high - keep bounces low, only enough for the rope to pass underneath. This lowers the impact on your legs and allows you to go faster. Don't do too much too soon - if you do long sessions at the start, you may get injured. Get used to the movement with shorter sessions of 5-15 mins and only 3-4 times a week max and build up slowly from there. Use the correct rope type - if you want to learn skills and good form, you need something that isn't too

By |March 6th, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Jumping Rope

Only Love is Real

I had to remind my daughter the other day, sometimes you meet the right person at the wrong time. People will change horses, you may get really excited about somebody and then all of a sudden realize, ‘Eh, not really my cup of tea.’  The full expression is “don't change horses mid-stream” (or, sometimes, “don't swap horses midstream”). The expression is usually credited to Abraham Lincoln who, during the Civil War, said that voters should re-elect him because it would be foolish to change leaders in the middle of such a turbulent time.  However, not all is fair in love and war.  And the only constant, these days, is change.  Family love, romantic love, the love of an old friendship – it’s not only in our nature to love, it's our evolutionary advantage.  It’s also our highest calling as human beings to love another person fully and completely.  In fact, relationships are our biggest opportunity for spiritual growth.  Love is something we all seek.  It's our highest purpose. But we all come to relationships with different wiring, conditioning, cultures, belief systems, biochemistry, and a blueprint for what love looks like.  And, yet we often make the mistake of thinking our experience of how love should be is the same as our partner’s.  Then, we think we’ve made a mistake or lost love when conflict arises or the chemistry subsides. In reality, this is our opportunity to go deeper.  People think relationships are about selecting the right person.   They are more about becoming the right person.  Using love to grow, to learn and to challenge yourself to find and give more.  Be open to love and love has a way of finding you with the right person, at the

By |February 22nd, 2023|Categories: Uncategorized|Comments Off on Only Love is Real