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Got some life altering news 2 weeks ago. While my DW still needs an MRI for 100% confirmation, the neurologist has told us that she strongly suspects MS. The point of this post isn't to host a pity party though. We are of course still somewhat in shock/grief mode, but I think we are finally...

My small business is growing so about 8 months ago I moved myself from a position where I performed quite a lot of duties requiring physical coordination to a more sedate supervisory role (desk jockey). Though I workout 4 times/week, and am quite "fit", my agility level had taken a serious nose...

My dad is starting to slip mentally I fear, it isn't big obvious things, it's only little things that are a bit out of character for him that I'm noticing. I'm worried that I'd be over reacting in speaking with him about it. After all, I do things sometimes that aren't always that bright, but...

Sadly, my step mother has terminal cancer and has recently become very ill and so is coming home prematurely from an attempt at one last winter of snowbirding in AZ. It really is unfortunate, and I wish the best for her, but the truth is I've never been terribly fond of the lady, nor are very...

I'm watching the news. Average cost of gas in U.S. today is 96 cents per liter. In Canada it's $1.27. I thought that this might serve as a good factual example/warning to those in the U.S. who believe that UHC can or will happen without much sacrifice.

My brother in law is 31 yrs old and has colitis, a chronic inner ear infection, and occasional migraines. He uses marijuana for both medicine and recreation since he's on a strict no alcohol diet. He has told his doctors about his fairly regular marijuana usage and has had no negative feedback...

In past generations you'd need to change locales in order to lose your accent. According to this article, The Southern Accent: We're Losing It just by watching TV, the Southern U.S. is slowly losing its unique accent. If it is true, it's a shame. Although I'm sure it will take several...

Mine is a '72 Nova SS cloned. Has it's stock 2 bolt 350 but with a fairly rumbly cam, heads, intake, 625 CFM 4bbl, MSD ignition, shift kit, 3:42 gears, 16" tires, rims, subframe connectors etc. I haven't had it on the dyno yet but I'd expect (hope for) somewhere in the 350-375 hp range. I've got...

I'm 38, DW is 33. We're on a bit of a buzz since our recreational lake lot was paid off two weeks ago and the mortgage on our home is going to be paid off this week. Is it OK to revitalize what is an old fashioned custom by throwing a mortgage burning party? Sitting Pretty: Mortgage-Burning...

Our dollars are now at par and we Canadians are very accustomed to paying more than Americans, lots more for almost everything. I was looking at a Toyota Tacoma pickup truck. Here in Canada $42000, in the states new with no dickering, $31000. Would cost about $3500 to bring here but hey, for...

It seems odd to me that given the globalization of economy and products, that there isn't a strong movement toward the metric system in the U.S.. We did it in Canada in the early 70's, and now we use about a 50/50 mix. Most of us use litres, kilometers, and celsius but if you ask someone their...

I read a book a while ago called "The Wisdom of Crowds". The author pointed out several examples where the averaged opinions of a large group of people (regardless of experience with the topic) is nearly always more accurate than that of an expert. I haven't got an expert to compare our...

Peter Lynch coined the term ten-bagger. It is simply a stock that increases to 10X the price it was purchased at. Here's an interesting thought....If you initially invested $1000 and had 3 consecutive ten-baggers, you'd have $1 million. I've kept a small portion of my portfolio in my "swing...

I never have, never will buy lottery ticks. It's been referred to as "the idiot tax" and I agree. My inlaws buy $30 per week. Of course you only hear about the odd time that they have won $100, never the losses. It ain't my money, so why do I care? It drives me crazy when they constantly tell...

I've just recently heard of this type of investment. I'm Canadian, and there is no such thing here. A company has recently sprung up in my area that sells U.S. policies. I've done some research and the returns as well as the basics of the investment look good. The problem is that there seem...

Maybe the housing bottom will be found when the U.S. dollar weakens so much against other currencies that foreigners can no longer ignore the obvious value in the struggling U.S. real estate market and buy investment and retirement homes in droves, drying up the current over abundance of...

I live way up here in Alberta Canada. I haven't been to the Southern states before, but I have spent some time looking through real estate listings and weather data. Compared to here, the home prices look like a bargain. I plan to wait until I think that the whole U.S. mortgage mess has settled...

Signs that you are frugal include.... 1. go shopping or to a movie on a Tuesday (10% off day here) 2. go to the auto wrecking yard to get a part for their car. 3. cut coupons 4. take in empty bottles for refund 5. buying a car that has already depreciated a bit Signs that you are...

I recently heard a story (don't know if it's true) about a widowed elderly lady who has chosen to live all of her retirement aboard cruise ships because it was cheaper than living in a seniors home. Crazy right? The person who told me the story explained that this lady would find bargain...

As I am nearly FIRE, I felt that my investments needed some diversification, as well as insurance against inflation. While googling for just that, I read some interesting articles pointing too the historical role of gold and silver as protection from inflation. Essentially dollar goes down...

Hello, I'm 38 yrs old and have had uncommon fortune for the last 8 years. From a ROI standpoint, my randomly timed business and real estate transactions have seen an economic boom occur both in my industry as well as in my real estate that I simply couldn't have imagined. A major competitor has...