D.J.

Comments

• Great to hear from you, Mark. Yes. Years ago, I bought a Turkish rug in Istanbul. I couldn't tell you what it cost. I'll say it felt like freedom because I liked the rug and could now politely tell all the subsequent rug salesmen who approached me on the streets that I'd already purchased one.

  Post: The Intentional Spendthrift

  Link to comment from August 21, 2026

• Thanks for sharing this, Chris. I found Moyn’s notion that “age limits for political office are a must” ageist, and his book’s loaded, buzzword-laden title polarizing. His sprawling narrative seems to conflate a demographic anomaly (the baby boom) and long-lamented political challenges such as special interest money and the incumbency effect, among other factors. Given that, his prescribed remedies miss the root causes and aim for a more convenient target: the aged. At age 54, he might consider what his ideas mean for his own cohort: Generation X. As a considerably smaller generation, we already lack much influence. Under Moyn’s proposals, Generation X—and future generations—might have even less of a voice upon reaching our “golden years.”

  Post: “Gerontocracy” in America

  Link to comment from August 8, 2026

• Well said, Mark. We faced a costly repair with a Honda at around 100,000 miles. It turned out to be chump change. We drove it to almost 200,000 miles and still attracted top dollar when we finally sold it. We also didn't fret about parking lot dings and scratches like we would've on a newer car!

  Post: Tempted by the Shiny and New: Another HD Car Post

  Link to comment from July 3, 2026

• Hi Randy. Dividend reinvestment is quite a theme here in the comments. IBM, too. It sounds like that stock has been good to you.

  Post: Independence Day

  Link to comment from June 30, 2026

• Thanks, Ed. I hope the rest of your hygienist’s portfolio at least moderated her loss on that one stock. She was fortunate to have you break that news. Having read your writing on here for years, I’ve always appreciated your thoughtful, evenhanded way of stating things.

  Post: Independence Day

  Link to comment from June 30, 2026

• Ricardo, your post reminded me of an economics professor I had years ago. He was from India and described how his country was shifting from producing English majors to producing engineers. His view of art in an economics context was that, however inspiring it may be: "You can't eat it." Perhaps one way people distinguish stocks from art is that stocks ultimately represent ownership in businesses that create goods and services, hire people, generate earnings, and can return cash to shareholders. But maybe it's time for a shift in perception. After all, artists like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé do much of the above when they go out on tour. Thanks for reminding us that art offers its own return.

  Post: Mr Market visits Art Basel

  Link to comment from June 29, 2026

• Those reinvested dividends do make for an interesting dynamic, Dick. On another note, your mention of the Enron fiasco is worth highlighting. And they weren't the only reason to be wary of employee stock in the early 2000s. Scandals at WorldCom, Tyco, Global Crossing and others that led to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act.

  Post: Independence Day

  Link to comment from June 29, 2026

• Thanks, Dan. It's stories like your client's stock windfall that dreams are made of. It recalls those newly minted SpaceX employee millionaires.

  Post: Independence Day

  Link to comment from June 29, 2026

• Great point. “When” rather than “if.” Memento mori. You have a happy 4th, too, William.

  Post: Independence Day

  Link to comment from June 29, 2026

• It sounds like we are very much of the same mind in this regard. The headspace factor is real.

  Post: Independence Day

  Link to comment from June 29, 2026