Uncategorized

A life at sea isn’t for everyone, but some passengers hop on a cruise and make it their home — from anywhere from a few months at a time to buying a permanent residence. Long-term cruising is particularly popular among budget-savvy retirees. Many compare it to the cost of living in a retirement home and find it more economical. Aside from the obvious fact that one of these options is at sea, the two have notable similarities such as meals, organized activities, and room cleaning. Some cruisers jump from one ship to another, and others stay on the same ship constantly. For an upscale option, The World is the world’s largest private residential ship, with 165 permanent residences onboard.

"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 Rolex.

Just Delivered Macy's Jade Bangle Qty: 1 Size: 2 1/2 Color:  Green Type: BRACELET Sources in Hong Kong for jade jewelery: 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

Quikrete Fast Setting Concrete Mix homedepot.com Quikrete 50 lb. Fast-Setting Concrete Mix 100450 - The Home Depot 90-day returns $6.71 Quikrete fast-setting concrete mix is a special blend of fast-setting cements, sand and gravel designed to set hard in approximately 20 to 40 mins. Sets posts without mixing. Pour dry mix into hole and soak with water. Setting Mailbox Post I love this stuff for setting posts. In this case a mailbox post. Just dig a hole (the hardest part). Temporarily support the post in the middle of the hole. Pour in the dry Quikrete evenly around the post. Pour in water until you can't add any more. This was a wooden mailbox post and within a few minutes I was able to remove the temporary support which was a mattox and post hole digger. This couldn't be much easier unless the Quikrete could dig the hole for me.

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 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 to ensure you

Adapted from Dry Fire Training Cards. What's going on in the Ukraine has been a frequent topic of conversation lately...with family and friends, but particularly with guys who specialized in anti-terrorism work. I want to share an email from one of those guys, who's fought in failed states, was part of an anti-terrorism team, and who's lived through deadly natural disasters...in other words, he has a very good and very unique perspective you should hear.  He said..."You might think this could never happen to you...You would be wrong. In fact, the stories coming out of Ukraine as more than 400,000 citizens desperately try to escape the chaos of Russia's invasion are EXACTLY how the "unprepared" will feel the shock of a wide-scale disaster of any kind in our system-dependent society. Yes, even in the good 'ol USA. Fleeing citizens stacked up in a 20-mile traffic jam, desperately seeking a safe place for them and their families. -Vehicles ran out of fuel or simply broke down. -Some stayed in place, sleeping in their cars - trapped with nowhere else to go. -Thousands of others pushed forward on foot... like one 26 y.o. who said, "I can't feel my feet anymore." as she was left to freeze outside and stay awake so that others wouldn’t steal her spot in line. -"For 3 days, I didn't eat a single bit of food, only water." was the comment from one 22 y.o. refugee who found out the hard way that food and water supplies are non-existent when supply lines shut down. -Families found themselves separated and fearful of their children being crushed in the crowds as everyone pushed their way to get across the border or grab whatever supplies could be

Since April 2021, the cost of food prepared at home has risen by almost 20%. Within that category, the price of some cooking staples have skyrocketed. Margarine prices increased by 54%, largely due to the war in Ukraine, which is the world’s No. 1 exporter of sunflower oil. That’s the biggest increase of all food items in the Labor Bureau’s consumer price index, with a 13-ounce tub of margarine increasing from about $3.25 to $5 in the last two years. Relatedly, milk and bread production have also been affected by the conflict in Ukraine, with prices rising 19% and 21%, respectively. Rising fertilizer and labor costs are contributing factors, as well. Chicken prices have soared, too, as wholesale producers struggled to meet demand after cutting back production early in the pandemic. Prices declined slightly after peaking in late 2022, but they’re still up 20% over the last two years. Relatedly, avian flu decimated egg-laying flocks of chickens, which accounted for a dramatic surge in egg prices last year.

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