wiltznucs
| Favorite team: | South Florida  |
| Location: | Apollo Beach, FL |
| Biography: | |
| Interests: | |
| Occupation: | |
| Number of Posts: | 9263 |
| Registered on: | 9/23/2005 |
| Online Status: | Not Online |
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quote:
one of my uncles is a worldcom multimillionaire. He got out and sold his stock about a year before the collapse.
Willing to bet that he knew her. Sad story. I was relatively fresh out of college and didn’t know shite about investing. Watched my entire 401K disappear when I got my quarterly updates. Finally got back on my feet only to watch half of my home equity disappear only a few years later. A portion of Gen X has had a rough go of it for sure.
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re: Cool illustration showing gains of the S&P over the last 50 years
Posted by wiltznucs on 12/28/25 at 8:53 pm to SlidellCajun
quote:
2000-2003 was rough
Had a very good friend who’s wife was a Corporate Trainer for WorldCom. They were living the high life. Amazing home in ATL; another in SWFL. Vacationing like nobodies business. Only the nicest cars with an Au Pair from France raising their kids. Then the company went bust; her salary was gone and the vast majority of her savings was in company stock now worth nothing. They went from paper rich to fricking destitute practically overnight. Lost everything. She ended up losing her mind; became a “sovereign citizen”; at least that’s what she told the judge, with a newly developed drug habit and then lost custody of her kids. Wild times indeed. He now lives in a small apartment in Valdosta, GA. She’s off the grid. Even the kids can’t find her.
re: Argentina- tell me your experiences
Posted by wiltznucs on 12/27/25 at 8:48 pm to LemmyLives
I remember the moment it was revealed well. We were at a restaurant called “La Biela” in the Recoleta. Our bill came out to about $50 using the stated exchange rate and when I pulled out my wallet to grab my card the waiter observed that I had US bills. He pointed to the cash and I quickly did the conversion and started grabbing $USD. He took the $20 bill and gave me back the rest. My Spanish isn’t very good so I said “Finito?” to which he replied “Muchos Gracias”. At which point our English speaking guide explained the situation.
Visited Buenos Aires back in 22’ before heading to the Patagonian foothills for a hunting trip. Sort of on the tail end of Covid so things really weren’t fully reopened just yet. It’s a beautiful city. Be sure to book a tour and take in the Recoleta, etc. We tossed around the idea of hitting the falls; but, it’s an all day affair and didn’t have time. Had one of the greatest meal experiences of my life there; a place called Fogon Asado. Definitely worth checking out if you go.
I’m actually heading back in March then pushing to Cusco/Machu Picchu and finishing up in Lima.
A tip we got rather late in our trip was to offer to pay in US cash. The Argentine people are hugely distrusting of their own currency. Massive inflation and national bank failures will do that to you. There’s a stated exchange rate; then there’s the real on-site exchange rate. We found many restaurants and vendors were willing if not eager to take American cash at 40-50% below the stated exchange rate. Not sure if this holds true today; but, I’m planning to take some $USD along just in case.
I’m actually heading back in March then pushing to Cusco/Machu Picchu and finishing up in Lima.
A tip we got rather late in our trip was to offer to pay in US cash. The Argentine people are hugely distrusting of their own currency. Massive inflation and national bank failures will do that to you. There’s a stated exchange rate; then there’s the real on-site exchange rate. We found many restaurants and vendors were willing if not eager to take American cash at 40-50% below the stated exchange rate. Not sure if this holds true today; but, I’m planning to take some $USD along just in case.
Funny; my Dwarf Hawaiian hasn’t put on flowers yet. It’s always the first historically.
Meanwhile; Nam Doc Mai has fruit set and the panicles are drying out.
Pickering, Angie, Mahachanok, CAC and Lemon Zest have flowers. Orange Sherbet and CeciLove will push soon along with Glenn.
No signs of life from Dwarf Hawaiian, Bolt, Kesar, Dusari, P-22 or Kathy/K3.
I was talking to someone in Broward who said they are thinking about moving the Florida Mango Fest up by a month or more because the flowers emerged so early that many of the trees will be done producing if they keep the usual date.
Meanwhile; Nam Doc Mai has fruit set and the panicles are drying out.
Pickering, Angie, Mahachanok, CAC and Lemon Zest have flowers. Orange Sherbet and CeciLove will push soon along with Glenn.
No signs of life from Dwarf Hawaiian, Bolt, Kesar, Dusari, P-22 or Kathy/K3.
I was talking to someone in Broward who said they are thinking about moving the Florida Mango Fest up by a month or more because the flowers emerged so early that many of the trees will be done producing if they keep the usual date.
re: Jim Beam Shutting Down……
Posted by wiltznucs on 12/24/25 at 6:41 pm to TigerFanatic99
Beam is shutting down its largest distillery in Clermont for at least a year. It accounts for about 40% of its total production and employs 600+ people. They primarily make the Beam line of products there; but, also produce Bakers, Bookers, Basil Hayden and Knob Creek.
There’s a bit of cat and mouse games playing out in Kentucky right now. There’s a positively enormous amount of bourbon in barrels. We are a few years from a gilded age for aged bourbon. Some of the newer players will become insolvent and forced to liquidate their assets. People like Beam, Old Forrester, Michters and others realize that they’ll be able to buy filled barrels with aged juice in them for pennies on the dollar. So shutting down production actually makes sense for some players. Cut your production and labor expenses to next to nothing; exhaust your current inventory then buy someone else’s misfortune at a deep discount and keep going.
There’s a bit of cat and mouse games playing out in Kentucky right now. There’s a positively enormous amount of bourbon in barrels. We are a few years from a gilded age for aged bourbon. Some of the newer players will become insolvent and forced to liquidate their assets. People like Beam, Old Forrester, Michters and others realize that they’ll be able to buy filled barrels with aged juice in them for pennies on the dollar. So shutting down production actually makes sense for some players. Cut your production and labor expenses to next to nothing; exhaust your current inventory then buy someone else’s misfortune at a deep discount and keep going.
quote:
They increased production and capacity over the last several years exponentially. Just like the rest of the big players.. they all made too much product. This is not tarriffs this is over projecting the demand for their product
Largely correct; but, not entirely true. Overproduction with waning demand is definitely an issue.
Tariffs have wrecked them whether you choose to admit it or not. Canada is the single largest consumer of bourbon outside of the US. They have drastically curtailed their purchases. Which is why you are seeing an abundance of new brands at places like Costco. All that Wild Turkey 101 8yo that hit shelves recently? That’s a Japanese market product never previously released in the US. They (Japan) too have stopped buying forcing Turkey to offload it here in the US.
So the evidence of the tariffs is literally sitting on the shelf right in front of us.
There’s an abundance of forward looking indicators including but not limited to the stock market, consumer sentiment, yield curves, new building permits, manufacturers new orders, etc. The report cited here measures GDP, and reflects the month of October and will likely be revised at some point. Not to dismiss its value; but, it is in the rear view as it was released late and only 10 days before we enter the month of January.
Taking one data point with a grain of salt at the moment. Give me 3 or more and then we have a trend. If consumer spending is up; simply by virtue of everything being more expensive this victory isn’t as good as advertised. We’ll see; I sort of hate many of these reports as they look backward instead of forward.
re: Best sauce to compliment a steak
Posted by wiltznucs on 12/23/25 at 10:18 am to geauxpurple
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Bernaise
If I’m doing a sauce with steak; this is my go to…
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but I love my Zojirushi rice cooker.
Won’t lie; the Zojirushi rice cooker and a chamber vacuum sealer have been the two biggest game changing kitchen gadgets I’ve invested in over recent years. Perfect rice every single time. Easy cleanup and effortless to use.
My 7 Quart Staub enameled cast iron pot is my bottom bitch. An absolute workhorse. I leave it on the stove. Use it at least two or three times a week. Effortless to clean. Deep frying, oven roasting, or slow simmers to perfection.
re: Louisiana Tropical Fruit Gardening - Experiences and Updates
Posted by wiltznucs on 12/14/25 at 9:56 pm to LanierSpots
Too cool; seeing deer in the backyard. I get rabbits, ducks and yotes. Florida living is a different animal for sure.
I’m thinking we’ll keep one inside and plant the other. We’ll see how they do.
I’ve only seen one Florida for sale in the wild. Perhaps a foot tall and the seller wanted $400. Hard pass…
The Nono’s were selling for $200+ just a year or two ago. Was pleasantly surprised to see these 3+ feet tall examples for only $45.
I suspect the Florida’s will follow suit.
I’ve only seen one Florida for sale in the wild. Perhaps a foot tall and the seller wanted $400. Hard pass…
The Nono’s were selling for $200+ just a year or two ago. Was pleasantly surprised to see these 3+ feet tall examples for only $45.
I suspect the Florida’s will follow suit.
New Banana trees!
These are Variegated Pink Nono Bananas. They are considered quite rare and largely decorative; but, there are some who say the fruit is edible.
Costa Farms dropped them at several Lowe’s locations here in Florida. I showed up at 10:30AM and more than half were already gone. They did a drop a few months back and they sold out in hours. Craziness..
I’m going to experiment with a few different bananas. Got a friend in Sarasota who went way down the rabbit hole with them. Has 20+ different varieties on his place. He’s got a Pitogo and a Hua Moa coming my way.
This unusually warm and dry weather has my Nam Wah all messed up. Fruiting in December, let’s see how this goes.
re: Prague travel advice
Posted by wiltznucs on 12/7/25 at 7:11 pm to Upperaltiger06
Gorgeous city…. One of my favorites in Europe.
re: Japan flights
Posted by wiltznucs on 12/7/25 at 6:32 pm to saintsfan1977
Did Japan back in March.
Flew into Tokyo and out of Osaka. The Osaka routes back to the States will almost assuredly have you go from Osaka to Tokyo/Incheon/Taipei/etc then back to the States. There’s very few direct flights from Osaka to the States. If you do find one; odds are it will land you in LAX or San Francisco.
Our flight route had us leave Osaka then to Tokyo and into Toronto before heading back to the States. It was a long haul. Cost wise and time wise; we found that paying to take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo would have cost more than simply departing via Osaka. It ultimately wouldn’t save any time either. But a bullet train back from Osaka to Tokyo is definitely an option which would allow you to arrive and depart via Tokyo.
Flew into Tokyo and out of Osaka. The Osaka routes back to the States will almost assuredly have you go from Osaka to Tokyo/Incheon/Taipei/etc then back to the States. There’s very few direct flights from Osaka to the States. If you do find one; odds are it will land you in LAX or San Francisco.
Our flight route had us leave Osaka then to Tokyo and into Toronto before heading back to the States. It was a long haul. Cost wise and time wise; we found that paying to take the Shinkansen back to Tokyo would have cost more than simply departing via Osaka. It ultimately wouldn’t save any time either. But a bullet train back from Osaka to Tokyo is definitely an option which would allow you to arrive and depart via Tokyo.
It’s mango blooming time in West Central Florida.
Way too early IMHO. A prolonged freeze will be disastrous. Finger’s crossed! Please send us some rain.
Nam Doc Mai..
CAC
Mahachanok
Way too early IMHO. A prolonged freeze will be disastrous. Finger’s crossed! Please send us some rain.
Nam Doc Mai..
CAC
Mahachanok
Metals go up; metals go down. Been dabbling with shiny for over a decade now.
What’s happening currently is unlike anything I’ve seen before. The last pricing surge was 2008-12’. This was during the global financial crisis and Great Recession. Housing prices tanked, a lot of people lost their asses and the stock market had two years of negative or breakeven performance.
The current surge in pricing is exponentially greater than the last and nobody wants to say aloud why that is. The stock market has been on a tear. So it’s not that. There’s no recession as of yet. So gold/silver pricing is clearly decoupled from the market and stated economic fundamentals.
So what’s prompting the surge? It’s a few things. The election of one Donald J Trump is one. Gold was at $2,600 in October of last year. The month before he was elected. Still at a historic high to be clear; but, only a few hundred dollars above the previous surge high a decade earlier. It’s hovering around $4,300 today. Things changed after Election Day. It’s widely believed that his economic policies are going to torpedo the US and global economy so people worldwide invest in metals as a historic hedge. At a broader level; foreign countries which have historically invested in US Treasuries are worried that our countries debt is unsustainable, may choose to not buy for political reasons and have undoubtedly taken note that the $USD has lost 10% of its value in the past year. So these foreign governments and institutions are shifting to gold too. At the same time; you’ve got crypto bros shifting from meme coins to metals. Silver in particular. There’s entire wallstreetbets type groups devoted to physical and or options trades. So there’s concerted manipulation going on too. Think GameStop version 2.0 particularly with silver.
When will prices stop climbing? I have no idea. I think it’s entirely possible; if not likely, that prices will continue to climb. Particularly if the R-word (recession) becomes a thing.
What’s happening currently is unlike anything I’ve seen before. The last pricing surge was 2008-12’. This was during the global financial crisis and Great Recession. Housing prices tanked, a lot of people lost their asses and the stock market had two years of negative or breakeven performance.
The current surge in pricing is exponentially greater than the last and nobody wants to say aloud why that is. The stock market has been on a tear. So it’s not that. There’s no recession as of yet. So gold/silver pricing is clearly decoupled from the market and stated economic fundamentals.
So what’s prompting the surge? It’s a few things. The election of one Donald J Trump is one. Gold was at $2,600 in October of last year. The month before he was elected. Still at a historic high to be clear; but, only a few hundred dollars above the previous surge high a decade earlier. It’s hovering around $4,300 today. Things changed after Election Day. It’s widely believed that his economic policies are going to torpedo the US and global economy so people worldwide invest in metals as a historic hedge. At a broader level; foreign countries which have historically invested in US Treasuries are worried that our countries debt is unsustainable, may choose to not buy for political reasons and have undoubtedly taken note that the $USD has lost 10% of its value in the past year. So these foreign governments and institutions are shifting to gold too. At the same time; you’ve got crypto bros shifting from meme coins to metals. Silver in particular. There’s entire wallstreetbets type groups devoted to physical and or options trades. So there’s concerted manipulation going on too. Think GameStop version 2.0 particularly with silver.
When will prices stop climbing? I have no idea. I think it’s entirely possible; if not likely, that prices will continue to climb. Particularly if the R-word (recession) becomes a thing.
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