The Walk of Fame was packed with tourists from around the world, so was having a pickle of a time catching a photo of a star that wasn't covered by peoples feet

Guess has Drew Barrymore maybe been on something of a break since Charlie's Angels? So she seemed to have a bit less of a crowd than Mickey Mouse

Guess a trip to Los Angeles wouldn't be complete without a celebrity sighting - wish the photo had turned out better ... it's Shemar Moore from Criminal Minds ...

Yes, it really is him! It's unfortunate that never got around to finishing those online photo courses, so this was all was able to manage Was only about 90% sure it was him because he was wearing a hat and sunglasses, but there's a photo of him on Instagram wearing the same shoes and jeans, so it looks like it was him after all ...


This was at the airport this morning before my flight home - guess it's fun to go places and see new things and try new food ... but it feels really nice to be home as well Still have a day to get used to EST - although the jetlag should help!

Just a quick update on my stock market stuff before bedtime - wound up buying back into the market before ULTA's earnings report a couple of weeks ago ... but went and sold it again today because Comey's Trump testimony is tomorrow

Can't help but wonder if am worrying too much about the day to day fluctuations, and will maybe wish in a couple of days that had just stayed put when things are higher than they were today?


Oh well, guess have only been actively trading for less than half a year still - so am still learning, and can watch and see how things go the next couple of days

Maybe now might be a good time to buy bitcoin? Each one costs so much - wonder if it's possible to buy just one coin?

It's possible to buy tiny fractions of one bitcoin

I think the old saying goes "buy low, sell high." Probably not a good strategy to buy just because the price is high imo.

Oh, now that you mention it SA, seem to recall seeing that back when was first trying to buy Bitcoin - that was way back in 2015 though, so a whole coin wasn't a decent portion of my net worth like it is now lol

At the time, was hoping to pick up some bitcoin to use - had finally managed to get a registration code from somebody on 2+2 for that Russian PTR tracking site ... but then it was taking me forever to try and figure out how to buy some. And then not a week later, whotfru became open to the public - so never wound up following through and buying any. Guess maybe that would have wound up being around the price bottom? So $500 of Bitcoin would be worth something like ... $2,756.09 today? Such a missed opportunity, d'oh!!!

krunic, thanks for stopping by to question the timing of the purchase - because it was a reminder to myself of my terrible habit of buying first, and doing research second Haven't looked into currency trading at all! Guess even if it does continue to go up over the next while, then it shouldn't hurt to take a couple of days to read over a couple of articles and learn a bit more before jumping into the pool?


Besides, am still having a pickle of a time trying to figure out a way to buy and sell bitcoin - guess is part of the benefit of bitcoin supposed to be that it's untraceable? So haven't been able to find a site/place that's willing to make bank or credit card transactions from Canada over $50? Guess is Bitcoin mostly bought with cash, or vouchers purchased with cash? There's a company that's set up a Bitcoin atm in my city, but it's in the sketch part of town ...

Thanks so much for stopping by SA and krunic - very helpful, so it's greatly appreciated!! Have a nice day!!

bitcoins were 11 cents each after black friday. i considered putting a few thousand into it after pokerstars paid out but reasoned at the time that it would be a huge waste of money lol

If only had seen the opportunity in a 11c-$500 BitCoin way back when, gosh ... guess could have been sitting with Shemar in first class yesterday, instead of in a kiddie seat behind the partition


Managed to finish up my stuff this afternoon, so have time now to investigate some vouchers at a nearby convenience store - then will be able to see if am able to get them to work on any of the sites tonight?

i'm glad i didn't buy any back then because i'm sure if i did, i would have just bought like 500$ (now 12.5million$) and put it on a hard drive with a super secure password and somehow mess it up and lock myself out, and the thought of having a $12.5 million box i can't open sounds like something i would do

Me too - totally

That's another thing that sort of had me not rushing to buy BitCoin in 2015 - me

BitCoin

It worked! Am now the 0.0bit portion owner of a BitCoin!!

Guess ideally it might have been better to do some research first, before diving into the pool - but hopefully it's not so bad to start off with a little bit, and then try learning more at the same time?

Was sort of eager to try and see things through, after not following through the time before Could see how BitCoin might still have more room to grow - guess now that it's been around for a while, maybe people trust it a bit more than when it was still new? Like didn't it become super popular in India a couple of months ago, after the Government devalued some of their currency? And then, as people have been more willing to place their faith in BitCoin over their own currency, maybe that's helped BitCoin gain more of a mainstream following? Is it maybe succeeding in filling a legitimate need in today's world?

Or maybe it's still quite risky? Wouldn't know, because haven't done my research yet! Guess should get started ...

Bitcoin Basics


Found a couple of articles and videos on the internet that explain a bit more about Bitcoin and why the price has been skyrocketing lately - maybe stuff like ...

• a trend towards greater acceptance
• increased demand - for use and investing, especially in Japan
• and a limited supply?

Here's an article from CNBC, with their great bullet point summary, and a couple of mini videos from the article page:

And here's an article from Reuters with other important factors ...

Does it maybe kind of sound like the price may not drop any time soon?

Good thing the Tony Awards were on tonight for entertainment, since the PokerGo app only seems to broadcast about 4-5 nights a week?

Justin Guarini is singing right now, and he still sounds lovely!

Bitcoin - Possible Risks



Maybe another reason Bitcoin's become more popular is because so many currencies are doing so poorly against the US dollar? So people would rather hold a bit of bitcoin instead of Euros or Pounds or CAD$?


Possible Risks


Went looking for stuff that might cause the price of Bitcoin to fall as well - and found this great article on NASDAQ.com:

Bitcoin as an Investment: Opportunities and Risks

Also saw a bunch of stuff about China passing Bitcoin regulations sometime this month - and it sounds like people aren't sure if they'll be good or bad for Bitcoin?

New regulations looming for bitcoin trading in China

When the government first announced their plans to pass regulations a couple of months ago, it looks like the price of Bitcoin took a big hit - although it seems to have recovered very quickly ... and guess ethereum has exploded as well?

Bitcoin Tumbles Below Gold As China Tightens Regulations

Would people still be piling into BTC and ETH if they felt like the regulations in China would be bad? Hopefully it's still a good investment?

Ethereum


There's another e-currency that's been exploding in popularity as well - guess it's the first one to show promise as a potential rival of Bitcoin?

Believers - Ethereum Soars After JPMorgan, Intel, Microsoft And Others Form Blockchain Alliance

Doubters - Why I’m short Ethereum (and long Bitcoin)

So there's ETH as well - gosh, not sure when to buy, or how much? And time is money! Hmmm ...

Bruising Day for the Stock Market, Bitcoin


Was looking at headlines to see what might have happened? Guess there were a couple of analysts who feel like the price of a lot of tech stocks might be inflated - especially Apple, because they feel like the 10th anniversary iPhone might not live up to the hype?

But have seen stocks drop because of reports before - and usually things are back to normal by the next day? It even happened to my ULTA two weeks ago ...

Washington Stuff

Wonder if maybe there's a response to the Trump investigation after all?

Quote:

Originally Posted by TrustySam

... guess were they saying that the market's been rising so far this year in anticipation of Trump's tax cuts passing? So to the extent that the market's been overheated, it might cool down?

Here's the latest

And then, guess is everybody expecting the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates in a couple of days?

Guess maybe bubbles might happen if ... ?

1. mild bubble - expectations were unrealistic, because the growth prospects are promising?
2. mild bubble - expectations were high, but realistic ... but then growth predictions get adjusted downwards as things change?
3. larger bubble - expectations were unrealistic ... and then on top of that growth predictions get adjusted downwards?

So maybe there's quite a bit of bubble bursting, as more details of the iPhone are becoming known closer to the release date that make it seem not quite as awesome as hoped? And then maybe people also feel like stuff happening in Washington may slow the economy down? Or something like that?



What Happened to Bitcoin, Ethereum Today?

Guess these drops happen all the time, do they? And it looks like Ethereum's already bounced back! Guess will have to get used to those gigantic drops if they're not uncommon Will only purchase whatever will be willing to lose - or maybe even a little less ...

Guess still have time to decide on the amount - was hoping to be able to buy some today, but my account on Quadriga still needs to be approved before will be able to make bank transfers - and then my bank will need some time ...

My lettuce plants are really enjoying the heat wave - it was pretty steamy out today!

Finally got around to trying to make chicken fried rice with brown rice - it was pretty tasty, but didn't taste anything like take-out

There's a chain at the mall called Thai Express that makes fried rice fresh to order, and they use a really large pan, and really high heat - wonder if maybe my pan was too small, and not hot enough?

Oh well, guess will have to try again another time ...


Don't usually fry a lot of stuff, but guess this was on my list of things to try to make because was going to try to eat more healthy fats? Although after visiting California where people tend to eat much healthier, guess maybe rice fried in avocado oil maybe isn't what healthy eating is supposed to be about?

It seems like healthy eating is so much larger a trend in L.A. - Sweetgreen was packed! And there were these lovely gourmet salad kits at all the grocery stores - and there was so much variety!

Lots of them have nuts added - had forgotten about trying to add more nuts and legumes to my meals. Guess maybe that's a better way to try and gain the health benefits of healthy fat ... from nuts, instead of fried rice? haha!


This article on Livestrong was saying that unsalted walnuts, almonds, pecan, pistachios, and hazelnuts are especially healthy - and there was another article that was saying that walnuts are even good for the brain?

Was checking online, and it looks like Walmart carries all those nuts unsalted, except pistachios - looks like the Walmart Great Value line has a bag of hazelnuts for C$2.84 ... that's great value!


Had forgotten about trying eat more nuts - will have to give some a try

Some Quick Stock Market Stuff


Some Tesla Stock Articles

Will have to save reading these for tomorrow - but it sounds like the first one expects Tesla to drop soon?

While this second one sounds like it expects it to keep rising?

Stock Market and Washington

Noticed at the end of the March that stocks seem like they do especially well the week before a new quarter starts? But wonder if maybe next week might not be so great, if the Trump investigation is still in the headlines?

Made a trip to Walmart and managed to get five different types of unsalted nuts - gave one of each a try over an hour ago, and am still stuffed! They're so filling - wound up storing them in the freezer, where they'll probably last well into the new year (2018) lol ...

Stock Market, Bitcoin Articles


Saw a couple of articles tonight that wondered how big the bubble burst might be for both? And both articles seem to feel like there's value in quite a few stocks that have gone down the last couple of days, and in Bitcoin.

The stock article feels like prices should maybe start to improve once earnings start getting reported in mid-July? Guess a nice thing about stocks is that the price moves with earnings - so have been able to use my subscription to gurufocus.com to see what the price will be in 3 months time, if the company meets their profit expectations? Like in March, guess the gurufocus graphs were saying Facebook should be about $146 by the end of June - and then it went way past that a couple of times ... although lately it's been looking like the price might end up around that after all?

Have only bought a little bit of Bitcoin and Ethereum, because my bank wire to Quadriga hasn't been processed yet. Do have a tendency to try and buy at the peak of the next hot thing - and so far, it hasn't gone well (eg. gold)

When not sure what to do, will sometimes go back and re-read the Warren Buffett stuff was collecting at the beginning of the thread - found this great stuff on how hard it is to buy low and sell high, because it feels more natural to buy high and sell low. That made me feel better to hear that it's understandable


Had forgotten about how like with poker, investing is supposed to have a long-term focus? So the focus should ideally be on the quality of the company instead of the short-term price movements of their stock?

Guess the same idea could be used for bitcoin and ether - maybe worth investing if it seems like it should grow in popularity over the long-term?


It feels like am rambling a bit - guess should get to bed, and can ponder stuff some more over the weekend ...

Some Amazon/Whole Foods Jokes


Just saw this - the jokes are pretty funny

Am watching the wsop stream, and they were just talking about Jason Mercier's emotional support dog. When was in L.A., went to this outdoor farmer's market that they set up on the street every Sunday - and at the beginning of the street, they'd set up a sign saying no dogs allowed. But then walking in some more, there were a whole bunch of doggies strolling around, and they all had little vests on that said 'emotional support animal' - wonder if that many people really have a need, or if it's just super easy to get a little badge that makes it possible to bring a pet along everywhere? People were carrying their animals around like they were babies - and most of them were better behaved than my nephews The US felt maybe about 95% the same as Canada - guess everybody the world over love their pets And then guess the other 5% that's a little bit different is maybe what makes trips so interesting? The Farmer's Market scene seems to be really huge in L.A. - such a nice thing to do on a sunny weekend morning ... and so much nice local produce!

My bank transfer's still being processed by the bitcoin exchange Quadriga, and ethereum's almost back to it's high, and bitcoin's halfway there - was hoping to buy low for once ... but hopefully they've both still got lots of room to grow?

Hope it doesn't rain tomorrow - although it says it probably will ... hope it doesn't

Nightly Reading


Saw a couple of sort of interesting things today ...


Guess it won't officially be Summer for another couple of days - but am already starting to wonder what will do for exercise once it starts to snow in November Have really been enjoying the fresh air and sunshine during my (mostly) daily jogs ...

And then this person's story caught my eye - guess have always seen entrepreneurs as people with interesting ideas for something new ... although guess people open small businesses like convenience stores that resell stuff. Guess this person is maybe somewhere in between? Something else that's maybe different is that he says he doesn't put in a lot of hours - which sounds like a different experience from what have heard about running a business? It seems like it must take a lot more work than 10 hours a week, not sure?

Also, still eating healthy ... most of the time Went to the best restaurant in the world for Father's Day - can't have the full Swiss Chalet without their fries

Have really gotten into 'bowls' lately - it was a real game-changer to stumble upon those salad recipes that are made with stuff besides raw veggies and dressing ... maybe people got the idea from places like sweetgreen.com that use stuff like roasted corn and peppers?

Added roast chicken and sweet potato to my salad tonight - it should be fun to try a whole bunch of different combos, but will have to get some recipes together before stocking up at the store!

Will maybe try to pick up whatever's fresh? Didn't realize asparagus was in season

Was really hoping my bank wire transfer would have been processed today - hopefully tomorrow?

Lots of fun talent and game shows on tv this summer - America's Got Talent is back on with more dancing dogs!

Tried making a burrito bowl tonight, and forgot to add my brown rice from the fridge It was so nice having leftover chicken and homemade salad dressing left over from yesterday though - just had to grill some corn and chop a couple of veggies, and everything was ready in no time.

Assembling the salad ...




After it's been tossed ... and everything fell to the bottom lol ...

May try making a bunch of chicken to keep in the freezer, so will only have to do a couple of little things to have dinner ready - could also maybe roast a bunch of different veggies, and prepare some rice and put that away in little baggies?


Didn't see too many interesting stock market articles today - someone at Business Insider was posting a bunch of tech stuff tonight though ... so there was a little video of a car that turns into a helicopter, and a bunch of solar stuff. This video of what it's like to drive a Tesla was kind of neat though, since electric cars are the technology of the future ...

(starts off around @1:00):

Am hoping to be able to buy some bitcoin tomorrow! The transfer still hasn't come through - but sent an email today asking about it, since it's been a week ... so hopefully it'll be in my account by tomorrow?

Such a pretty day out today for the first day of Summer! Not too hot and humid - perfect weather for a jog

Every day, have been wading through all the headlines of Trump stuff and tech gadgets, hoping to stumble upon a little nugget of something to help with my investing - and tonight, finally managed to find something!

The article recommends Alibaba - isn't that the store that was supplying all that ... 'stuff' to the entrepreneur from a couple of days ago? Guess is it supposed to be the Amazon of China? Here's how it's been doing so far this year

Even though they missed their Q1 estimate, it looks like the analysts still believe it has room to grow?

But maybe not until the Holidays in November/December (Q4)?

Was hoping to buy some Priceline or Home Depot after June, since Summer's supposed to be their busy season - but was just looking at it a little bit tonight, and looks like they may not have much farther to grow? Not sure??

Will have to take a closer look at them all again tomorrow - am a little fatigued tonight from all the fresh air and sunshine today! Should have a good night's sleep tonight!