I just received an email telling me that Apple's subscription bundle is going up in price, from $38 to $40 a month.  Yeah, it seems like everything is going up in price these days.

To be fair, a $2 a month increase is not the end of the world, but I have also been working for months to migrate all my personal data from Apple's iCloud to my own local storage, because if I can save $40 a month, I would still like to do so.  So, I guess this latest price increase is all the motivation I need to finally cancel it for good.

Honestly, I feel a little bit anxious about unplugging all this.  All my photos, videos, and personal notes are stored in the iCloud.  Because this is a bundle, I will also be losing the Apple News subscription, which I do actually read regularly, especially the financial articles.  I also watch Apple TV sometimes, as well as listen to the iTunes radio.

So yeah, feeling a bit anxious about it, but I figure worst case, I can always resub, or just fine-tune it down to a cheaper monthly plan.  I've got until the middle of August to get it all done.  I sure hope I don't forget anything I need to transfer over.

Anybody here use some kind of cloud service?  Are you kind of married to it like I am?

I just want to warn everyone in advance that this entry will put us uncomfortably close to politics again.

Though, the great irony is that I am personally a self-proclaimed Independent, who is willing to vote either side, depending on who is most qualified.  I've voted Republican before, and I've voted Democrat before as well.

In fact, I strongly believe that when you call for emergency services-- be it law enforcement, the fire department, or emergency medical services-- that last thing you want is someone who is so politically-biased that it affects their professionalism. "Excuse me ma'am or sir, but before I render emergency services to you, first I have to ask, are you a Democrat or a Republican?  Because depending on your answer, that's going to affect the level of help I give you."  You don't want someone like that helping you, right?  I know I wouldn't want that.  If I really need help, I want someone to show up and just help me.  Please!

For law enforcement in particular, what has been especially frustrating to me is seeing MAGA's radicalized opinions and even out-right lies being passed around as some kind of normal conservative worldview.  It is not!  This is the dangerous rot that is attacking and destroying America from the inside out.

The only real anchor of truth any LE depts and agencies really need to know is the Constitution and the Bill of Rights.  While we're at it, please also read the Declaration of Independence at least once.  Because if you truly love America, if you truly believe in America, and you truly want to make America great again, then uphold your sworn oath and defend these words of law.  Uphold them as the Founding Fathers have written, despite knowing full well they risked certain death by doing so.

If you somehow made it this far, I thank you for humoring me as I really needed to get all this off my chest.  Politicans can and do lie, and it could happen from Democrats and Republicans alike, so please don't think I'm taking sides here.  However, the simple fact is the GOP is in control of all three branches of government right now, so whatever they do, it's going to be on them (though of course, they will still try very hard to blame the left somehow).  Of the laundry list of lies that Trump has perpetrated so far, since this is a financial site, I'm just going to focus on one right now: His tariff policy.

By now, the Trump tariffs isn't new, but that doesn't mean that it has stopped, and now, he has even revised them to evade legal scrutiny.  Also, some time has finally passed by to see if it actually made any difference for the American people.  Spoiler alert: No, it didn't.  Not only that, but I'm not seeing a single red dime of the tariff money back, now that it has since been deemed Unconstitutional.

To be fair, tariffs isn't an intuitive subject to understand, and frankly I'm not an economics major, so I needed help to understand it as well.  That is why I appreciate YouTube channels like Monkey Explains, who just posted an updated video on the tariffs subject 2 days ago, to basically explain it in clear, simple terms that I think anyone can understand.  And though it may not seem or feel like it to some, it's telling us the truth.  Here's the link:

https://youtu.be/t8XaaB2pweI?is=AML5b2_BnZGYOgjw

I know posts like these don't make me popular or liked.  Don't worry, I'm kind of used to it.  However, when something is wrong, and it's causing so much pain and suffering to We the People, I can't just sit idly by and say or do nothing.  However, all I'm recommending here is a simple YouTube video, and to try to see the truth for what it is.  Please. That and to defend the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, regardless of which side of the aisle you are from, and not align ourselves with anyone seeking to subvert it.

A buddy called me up out of the blue and asked if I wanted to hang out today.  It was a little surprising because I know he is normally very busy, but come to find out, the temp agency he works for decided to pause his work schedule for roughly a month so as to not pay him any benefits.  I've never heard of this, but then again, I am also not surprised at all.  He's not happy about it either, and hopes he can remedy this in the near future.  For now though, he was like, "Hey, wanna hang out today?"  Guys are so funny that way, where we can just go "Hang out?  Right now?  OK!"

We also don't live close anymore, so we decided to meet somewhere halfway, at a city neither one of us have ever been to, which is also rather amusing to me.  The main reason why we picked that particular city is because it has a mall, which means getting to hang out indoors with air conditioning.

Despite that, it's clear this mall is pretty run-down.  Well, all the malls these days are struggling.  Even the best mall in my area has vacant spots.  Still, can't beat free air conditioning.

We got to catch up over bowls of pho.  It was heartening to find out that he's doing well, and so are his kids.  Yeah, he's the same divorce buddy that I had talked about earlier, and it seems the dust is finally settling.  His legal fees and debt level from the divorce is ridiculous, but overall, he is in good spirits though.

Fidelity Investments started their own YouTube finance channel not too long ago.  One of their videos is about "single finances".  I thought it was interesting that not only is "single finances" a subject matter, but that somebody out there would actually make a video to talk about it.  Sadly, I can't say I found it all too helpful, but please let me explain.

What they are saying is that personal finances for single people are basically no different than personal finance for couples.  If anything, it's going to be a bit simpler because you don't have to keep track of anybody else's saving, spending, or investment activities.  However, they recommend to have a bigger than usual savings, because you don't have spousal financial support for example.

I think their advice overall is solid and helpful, especially for those who have never heard of it, but it will be fairly basic and obvious for those who are already financially responsible and savvy.  From their list of recommendations, about the only thing that I really haven't done is estate planning.

Anyway, if you want to watch the video as well, here is the link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Sm5Pac5pA8

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Speaking of estate planning, while I do have kids, I too am on the Die With Zero (DW0) bandwagon.  Even though they are all adults now, they are still young, and are not taking personal finances seriously.  Plus, ex is still willing to let them stay and live at their place.  Good news is my ex is starting to demand rent, a policy that not only do I fully agree with, but thinks is long overdue.

I digress though.  Despite being on the DW0 bandwagon, I think it's still too early for me to tell anything.  Right now, I'm just trying to navigate as safely as I can, until I reach age 65, when most everything will finally be open, and I can take a real view of what I am really working with.  Right?  Because a lot is also riding on how much of my own money will still be available once I reach 65.  And that is still like 13 years away.  My Roth and traditional IRA is still growing during this time as well.

So, for now, I just have to be very, very careful.  Then, once I make it there, I can then take a good stock of what my estate planning should be like?  That's the current plan anyway.

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Due to random spurts of rain, the overall temperature wasn't too bad today.  So, I decided to go visit the Farmers Market.  Right about now is when this year's harvest should be showing up, so I was curious about what is available.  However, it did feel a little quiet today, though it was probably because it was a Monday morning.

The Big Three I call it that is available from the Farmer's Market is a large selection of container plants, which I think is probably in my future.  I think some of those would look great in my back porch, and would like to spend more time out there, once the temperature cools down enough.

The second is what I believe to be genuine, local honey.  I can't be completely sure, but I'm willing to trust them that it is the case. (I forgot to take photos, but I'm sure you guys know what bottles of honey look like.)

The third and certainly not the least item is the fresh local produce.  If I am being honest, the fruits and veggies from there are not always the prettiest.  However, in my mind, that's also how I know they are the most authentic, and is grown locally.  At least I know it's not coming from some weird distant source, and is contaminated by that cyclospora bacteria whatever that is causing all the explosive diarrhea.  Of course, there is also no guarantee that locally grown produce is any safer or freer from pesticides, so I still intend to clean them well  first.

Finally, I saw this adorably funny stall that I just have to share a picture of.  Too bad, no one was manning it that day.

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As the summer months progress, the Farmers Market selection should grow bigger and bigger, especially with Halloween stuff, which isn't out yet.  While the Halloween pumpkins and squash aren't out yet, you know who is?  My local Spirit Halloween!  Yes, their sign is up already up.  Can you believe that?  That or maybe they never took it down in the first place?  It was starting to rain pretty hard, and I had to take this picture quite a few times as the raindrops kept interfereing with my phone's focus.

In closing, and for no particular reason other than I find it amusing when I was walking by it, here's an arch of flowers.

SOOooo my 990T tax penalty finally got wired out, and my balance has been updated now.  That and plus the latest war update in Iran has created a net drop in my portfolio by -$20k.  Fun times. I hope to never hear of 990T anything again in my life, if it's the last thing I do.

Speaking of which, Dementia Don keeps taking credit for supposedly clearing up the Strait of Hormuz situation, but does so by paying them vast amounts of American tax payer money, only for them to start shooting again, and have the Strait is close yet again.  You can almost trace how many times they've gone through this same dance just by how many times the stock market has bounced up and down.  It's such a very, VERY stupid set of moves for an otherwise self-proclaimed stable genius, and you'd have to be a Koolaid-drinking sycophant if you think otherwise.  Hey, it's economy-related, and it sure affects my money.

Anyways, my camping buddy has just called me not long ago, and decided that he wants to try shooting for this kayak fishing trip this year!  Yikes, I feel so under-prepared for this.  I was barely ready for camping at all, and this time, there is a time limit of sorts.  Apparently, freshwater fishing is best done before October, because otherwise, they... OK so I didn't know this until today, but apparently fish does not hibernate.  Instead, they enter a state called TORPOR... where they basically stop eating.  That is why there is no point fishing by then, because they won't be biting.  Plus, past October, and we'd be busy with the holiday season anyway.

Oh, and hmm, get this.  So I'm bringing this up because we would not mind help with this?  Clearly, this man likes adventure.  He wants to create some kind of... geocaching treasure hunt, and then get people around the world to carry this uh... as-of-yet-defined treasure object of some kind, to all the countries around the world, and report back with it.  It's a fun idea.  He's full of fun ideas.  It's part of his charm I think.  However, it's usually up to the rest of us to come up with HOW to execute such a plan, and if I am being frank, I don't know how to pull this one off.  How do you get other people to go out and find this supposed treasure, that is durable and won't break, then not only NOT steal it, but actually take it to another country, and post back about it?  And it do it on a shoestring budget?  I've thought about this challenge for many days, and I have yet to come up with a practical solution.  How about you?

The temperature is glorious today, due to cloudy rain throughout the day.  I should be out there somewhere, but it's also wet and rainy.  Where though?  It's almost 2pm.  Quickly what should I do?  Where would you go?  The rest of the week is going to be atrocious at 95F+ (35C+).

edit: Hmm, so I ended up going to this mall that I rarely go to, because it's mostly outdoors, and therefore, it kind of sucks when it's really hot or really rainy out.  Even today, when the rain decided to hold off for a bit, I still ended up sweating due to the really high humidity outside.

While I am here, and don't feel like making a separate entry for this, but what you do fine folks think of retirement communities again?  There are a few "luxury retirement condos" in my area, and while the rent isn't cheap, it promises lots of amenities catering to the 55+ crowd, and is super low maintenance.  If they turn out to be worthwhile, I will have to go check out these places one of these days.

I can't remember if I've mentioned this already or not, but I am painfully aware that I am still in what is arguably the most dangerous financial phase of my life.  Yes, early retirement sounds so rosy and great, until you actually do it, and the cost really starts to bite in.  Until I am "of age" and am eligible for SS, retirement accounts, and medicare/medicaid for example, I am basically floating by using nothing but my own money, one month at a time.

The good news is my monthly budget is holding so far.  On good months, I even have a bit of extra left over.  While I admit that it is not easy, for the most part, it's also not too hard since I only have one of me to take care of.

- - - 

On another note, I guess the camping buddy of mine had a nice enough time that he has invited me do another trip, possibly next year.  This time, he wants to do kayak fishing.  I said yes.  Why not?  99% of the other times, I'm mostly a homebody, hardly ever going out except to the grocery store, and the occasional gas station.  Plus, me staying in touch with friends is something that I rarely ever do, and I'm thinking maybe that's not a good thing.  These are good people, and I should try to stay in touch with them whenever the annual opportunity presents itself.

The only catch, of course, is I have neither a kayak nor any fishing gear.  Luckily, this buddy has a second kayak that I can borrow.  That and perhaps some fishing gear as well.  So, this trip should also be affordable enough for me to go.

I'll still have to learn to kayak and fish, and if we catch any, we'll still have to figure out how we want to cook the fish at a potential camp site or whatever, but I guess figuring all that out along the way is all part of that "outdoor experience"?

- - -

Electricity has doubled compared to just a few years ago.  Naturally, I had to double my budget for it as well.  As summer ramps up, the electric bill is going to get painfully ugly, but it can't be helped.  I already run two fans in my room to try to minimize my AC usage.

- - -

Starting July is when harvest season is suppose to start, especially with the vegetables that I typically enjoy.  Yes, I know that farmers store the produce year-round, but towards the end of the cycle (like right now), selections are usually at its worst and most limited.  Once the new harvest hits, I notice that quality suddenly picks up and there tends to be more sales on it?

August is typically the month I like visiting the farmers market.  Yes, I never thought I'd be That Guy, but I guess I am That Guy now, that enjoys visiting the farmer's market, though only during harvest season, which is roughly from now, all the way to Halloween, to soak up all the autumn harvesty vibes.  I really should go check it out soon.

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While I was walking in a mall one day, I saw this shop selling these dioramas.  Here's one example of what it looks like:

So, they're suppose to be these things that can be placed on your book shelf.  I must be getting old, because I am looking at these things and just marveling how cool they look.  Not exactly the dioramas themselves, but just the certain vibe or atmosphere they exude.

When I stop and think about it, I guess there's something missing in my life, where I live in a house, but I've never felt like I lived in a home?  For example, my room is lined wall to wall with organizing drawers and desks and so forth.  It's very practical and it helps to keep me organized, but uh, I guess there is no warmth to it, save for the summer heat hahaha.

I don't know what to think or how to fix it exactly.  It's eluded me for years, and it is likely to continue to elude me for years to come.  I'm open to ideas and suggestions, within budget of course.  However, I doubt a $45(!) diorama or even flowers in my room will fix whatever it is I feel I am lacking.

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Well that's all I can think of right now.  Nothing exciting really, just a guy living his life out there, but without any major regrets or complaints, and staying within the budget while doing so.