#peacefulness average: 3.8/10

[haveyoureadthisscifibook]

Random question, but do you find the general skewing towards overwhelmingly No on this blog compared to the fantasy blog disheartening? interesting? expected or unexpected? I know there's still majority No results over on the fantasy blog but they seem to just be more Overwhelmingly no over here and I wonder if you had any thoughts about that. I was also wondering if your own votes tend follow the trends or have you read a lot more than what this blogs results seem to be?

hello! good question.

to start off, here are the relevant stats (as of yesterday morning; I haven’t updated with the last few results):

fantasy mean: 16.0% yes // sci-fi mean: 12.2% yes

fantasy median: 8.1% yes // sci-fi median: 6.3% yes

HOWEVER. these are being skewed by the children’s and teen/YA book results. if we look just the stats for adult books, we find that the yes rates are nearly identical:

adult fantasy mean: 11.52% yes // adult sci-fi mean: 11.47% yes

adult fantasy median: 5.3% yes // adult sci-fi median: 5.6% yes

so one answer is: the disparity is pretty much entirely due to children’s and teen/YA books. this doesn’t surprise me at all — as I noted in a previous stats post, children are way less likely to be buying their own books, so the books they read / are exposed to are much more likely to be determined by what books the adults around them have heard of, which inevitably will be mainly classics and bestsellers. as a result, children’s books people have read are more likely to have been read by lots of people — thus the higher yes results (even if the overall is still no; even for sci-fi the children’s book averages are mean 18.5% yes / median 9.2% yes, significantly higher than for adult books). and — accounting for the higher averages for fantasy — there simply is more children’s fantasy than children’s sci-fi: we’ve only had 21 children’s sci-fi polls (5% of the total), vs. 169 children’s fantasy polls (28% of the total).

I will say, it definitely feels worse that there keep being 0% yes results here, but this is first and foremost a function of the follower disparity: the fantasy blog has 1376 followers and the sci-fi blog only has 455. fewer followers = fewer votes, fewer eyes on the polls, and so fewer reblogs (and so even fewer eyes on the polls). an average poll here currently gets roughly 130-150 votes, so just under a third of followers, and that means a much higher chance of a 0% result. I have some entirely speculative theories about the follower disparity (mainly that, bluntly, most people just don’t read science fiction anymore — I think it’s telling that the most commanding yes results that released in the last 10 years have been for The Locked Tomb, which is also fantasy), but I’ve made my peace with it.

re your last question:

I actually just started compiling stats for this last week. (note that there are some minor disparities in the age demographic numbers because I moved some things around when doing the stats just for me; it doesn’t make a huge difference, though.)

for the sci-fi polls:

overall percentage of yes polls: 17/448 (3.8%) - adult: 13/389 (3.3%) - teen/YA: 2/38 (5.3%) - children’s: 2/21 (9.5%)

percentage of polls that I have read: 105/448 (23.4%) - adult: 90/384 (23.4%) - teen/YA: 5/43 (11.6%) - children’s: 10/21 (47.6%)

for the fantasy polls:

overall percentage of yes polls: 42/596 (7.0%) - adult: 10/318 (3.1%) - teen/YA: 4/107 (3.7%) - children’s: 28/169 (16.6%)

percentage of polls that I have read: 198/596 (33.2%) - adult: 118/321 (36.8%) - teen/YA: 11/113 (9.7%) - children’s: 69/161 (42.9%)

as I realized while doing a second set of stats this weekend, I wasn’t really a habitual reader of science fiction until about 2014, and as a result I’ve read very little of the classic straight white guy sci-fi that’s been posted here, which is I think mainly the kind of thing that people read as children / teens because their parents have it lying around (not that people don’t also sometimes pick it up on their own as adults! but my sense is that that’s less common). but my father isn’t a sci-fi reader and my mother mainly read stuff by women, so I’ve read all of Anne McCafffrey’s Dragonriders of Pern but, for example, no Clarke at all, only Foundation by Asimov (and it was in like 2006 and I don’t remember it at all), and only Space Cadet by Heinlein lmao. only in the past 2-3 years have I been consciously making an effort to read more pre-2000 stuff, but with the exception of a few authors (Butler, Delany, and Le Guin) it’s still been very scattered.

[colorfulfishbreeds]

Blue Tuxedo Guppies: A Dive into Aquatic Elegance and Intriguing Facts

If you're on the lookout for a dash of aquatic sophistication in your aquarium, Blue Tuxedo Guppies might just be the aquatic fashion statement you've been searching for. With their refined demeanor and striking colors, these guppies have become a sought-after choice among aquarists. In this comprehensive guide, we'll delve into the enchanting realm of Blue Tuxedo Guppies, exploring everything from their origin and characteristics to care, breeding, and some fascinating FAQs.

Unveiling Blue Tuxedo Guppies

Blue Tuxedo Guppies stand out as a remarkable variant of the beloved guppy fish, celebrated for their charming resemblance to a formal tuxedo. Envision a fish with a sleek body adorned in a splendid array of colors, featuring deep blues, blacks, and whites reminiscent of classic tuxedo elegance. These guppies often showcase tails and fins with contrasting color patterns, mirroring the crisp lines of a tuxedo.

Two noteworthy examples include the "Midnight Tuxedo Guppy" with its sleek black body and striking white accents, creating a timeless formal look, and the "Blue Diamond Tuxedo Guppy" boasting a deep blue body adorned with dazzling white and blue diamond-shaped patterns akin to a sapphire-studded tuxedo.

Key Information about Blue Tuxedo Guppies

Origin: Hailing from the tropical waters of Central and South America, particularly in regions like Venezuela and Trinidad.

Size: Averaging a compact yet visually captivating size of about 1.5 to 2.5 inches (3.8 to 6.4 cm).

Lifespan: With proper care, Blue Tuxedo Guppies can live for approximately 2 to 3 years, and some individuals may exceed this lifespan with excellent care.

Temperament: Known for their peaceful and friendly disposition, thriving in community aquariums and rarely displaying aggression towards other fish.

Appearance: Exhibiting a slender and graceful body adorned with vibrant colors, resembling the sharp attire of a tuxedo. Their striking color patterns make them stand out in any aquatic setting.

Varieties and Colors: Available in various color patterns, with Midnight Tuxedo and Blue Diamond Tuxedo being popular variants. Coloration ranges from deep blacks and blues to crisp whites, creating a tuxedo-like appearance.

Price: The cost of Blue Tuxedo Guppies varies, with an average of approximately $3 to $5 per fish. Prices may fluctuate based on factors like coloration, age, and breeder reputation.

Habitat and Tank Requirements

Natural Habitat: Inhabiting slow-moving, shallow waters such as streams, rivers, and ponds in the tropical regions of Central and South America.

Tank Size: For a small group, a 10-gallon tank is suitable, while a larger tank is recommended for keeping more of these captivating fish to ensure ample swimming space.

Water Parameters: Thriving in temperatures ranging from 75°F to 82°F (24°C to 28°C) and a pH level between 6.8 and 7.8. Maintaining stable water conditions is crucial for their well-being.

Tank Setup: Create an ideal environment with live or artificial plants, rocks, driftwood, and suitable hiding spots. The presence of floating plants adds enrichment to their habitat.

Feeding Blue Tuxedo Guppies

Blue Tuxedo Guppies are omnivorous and enjoy a diverse diet. Provide them with high-quality tropical fish flakes or pellets, enhancing their diet with live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. These guppies exhibit enthusiastic feeding behavior, quickly gathering at the water’s surface during mealtime. A well-balanced diet enhances their coloration and overall health.

Breeding Insights

Similar to other guppy varieties, Blue Tuxedo Guppies are livebearers. The female guppy gives birth to live fry after a gestation period of approximately 4 to 6 weeks. Successful breeding requires maintaining an appropriate male-to-female ratio in your tank, ideally one male for every two females. Additionally, provide sufficient hiding spots for pregnant females to protect their fry. The breeding process involves courtship, during which males display their vibrant colors and extended fins to attract females. After mating, the female will give birth to live fry, and separating the fry from adult fish helps prevent them from becoming potential prey.

Common Health Issues and Preventive Measures

Like many other fish species, Blue Tuxedo Guppies may be susceptible to common health issues such as fin rot, ich (white spot disease), and parasitic infections. To prevent health issues, maintain excellent water quality through regular water changes, provide a varied and balanced diet, and quarantine new fish before introducing them to your aquarium. Regular monitoring of your fish’s health and behavior is also essential.

Special Considerations and Tank Mates

Blue Tuxedo Guppies are generally peaceful and coexist well with various other peaceful fish species, such as neon tetras, platies, and dwarf gouramis. Avoid pairing them with aggressive or fin-nipping fish. Given their sensitivity to water quality, regular water testing and maintenance are critical. Additionally, ensure that your aquarium has a secure lid, as these active fish may jump out of open tanks. Check local regulations, as some regions may have restrictions on owning or breeding certain fish species.

Harmonious Coexistence: Compatible Tank Mates

You can keep Blue Tux

edo Guppies together with various other peaceful fish species. Here are seven examples of compatible tankmates:

Neon Tetras

Platies

Corydoras Catfish

Harlequin Rasboras

Dwarf Gouramis

Endler’s Livebearers

Zebra Danios

Differences Between Male and Female Blue Tuxedo Guppies

Characteristics: Male Blue Tuxedo Guppies typically exhibit more vibrant colors and longer, more elaborate fins and tails than females. Females are often larger and may display a gravid spot near their abdomen when pregnant.

Appearance: Males are known for their striking and showy colors, while females tend to have more subdued coloration.

Blue Tuxedo Guppies vs Other Guppies: Differences and Similarities

Similarities:

Size: Blue Tuxedo Guppies fall within the typical size range of guppy varieties.

Livebearing: Like other guppies, they are livebearers.

Omnivorous Diet: They share the characteristic of being omnivorous, consuming a mix of foods.

Differences:

Coloration: The most significant difference is their distinct tuxedo-like coloration, which sets them apart from other guppy varieties with different color patterns.

Varieties: Blue Tuxedo Guppies are known for their striking tuxedo-like patterns, while other guppy strains have their unique color combinations and patterns.

In Conclusion: The Captivating Elegance of Blue Tuxedo Guppies

In conclusion, Blue Tuxedo Guppies are more than just aquatic inhabitants; they are aquatic style icons. Their striking tuxedo-like appearance, peaceful nature, and relatively easy care make them an excellent choice for both novice and experienced aquarists. With a proper habitat, a varied diet, and attention to their well-being, you can enjoy the captivating elegance they bring to your aquatic oasis. Dive into the world of Blue Tuxedo Guppies, and let their charm enchant your underwater realm.

[fishbreedsblog]

Discovering the Charms of Blue Tail Guppies: A Comprehensive Guide

Whether you're a seasoned aquarium enthusiast or a novice ready to venture into the world of fish-keeping, the captivating realm of Blue Tail Guppies might just be the aquatic charm you're seeking. Known for their mesmerizing blue tails and lively personalities, Blue Tail Guppies have found a special place in the hearts of aquarists worldwide. In this detailed exploration, we'll delve into the captivating world of Blue Tail Guppies, covering everything from their origin and appearance to their care, breeding, and addressing some intriguing FAQs.

Introducing Blue Tail Guppies

Blue Tail Guppies, a delightful variety of the beloved guppy fish, are recognized for their unique and captivating tails. Envision a fish with a streamlined body and a tail that appears to be dipped in a pool of radiant blue, creating a striking contrast against the rest of their body. These guppies often showcase tails with shades of blue ranging from deep sapphire to brilliant turquoise.

Two noteworthy examples within the Blue Tail Guppy family include the "Sapphire Blue Guppy" and the "Turquoise Tail Guppy." The former exhibits a rich, sapphire-blue tail complementing its silver-hued body, while the latter boasts a vibrant turquoise tail that captures attention with its vividness.

General Information

Origin: Blue Tail Guppies trace their lineage to the tropical waters of Central America, particularly regions like Mexico and Guatemala.

Size: On average, Blue Tail Guppies reach a size of about 1.5 to 2.5 inches (3.8 to 6.4 cm), making them colorful yet small additions to your aquarium.

Lifespan: With proper care, Blue Tail Guppies can live for about 2 to 3 years, with some surpassing this lifespan through excellent husbandry.

Temperament: Known for their peaceful and friendly demeanor, Blue Tail Guppies make ideal candidates for community aquariums, rarely displaying aggression towards other fish.

Appearance: These guppies have slender bodies adorned with shimmering scales and, of course, their eye-catching blue tails, exuding an overall appearance of grace and charm.

Varieties and Colors: The Blue Tail Guppy family encompasses various color patterns, with Sapphire Blue and Turquoise Tail being among the most popular variants. Their colors range from deep blues to vivid turquoise shades.

Price: On average, you can expect to purchase Blue Tail Guppies for around $2 to $4 per fish. The price may vary based on factors such as coloration, age, and breeder reputation.

Habitat and Tank Requirements

Natural Habitat: In the wild, Blue Tail Guppies are commonly found in slow-moving, shallow waters, such as streams, rivers, and ponds, primarily in the tropical regions of Central America.

Tank Size: To house a small group comfortably, a 10-gallon tank is sufficient. If you plan to keep more of these charming fish, consider a larger tank to provide ample swimming space.

Water Parameters: Blue Tail Guppies thrive in water temperatures ranging from 75°F to 82°F (24°C to 28°C) and a pH level between 6.8 and 7.8. Maintaining stable water conditions is essential for their well-being.

Tank Setup: Create an ideal environment for your Blue Tail Guppies with a mix of live or artificial plants, rocks, and driftwood. Providing hiding spots and floating plants can enrich their habitat.

Feeding

Diet: Blue Tail Guppies are omnivorous, enjoying a varied diet. Offer them high-quality flake or pellet foods formulated for tropical fish. Additionally, supplement their diet with live or frozen foods like brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms.

Feeding Habits: These guppies are known for their enthusiastic feeding behavior, quickly snatching food from the water's surface and darting around during feeding time.

Some suitable food options for Blue Tail Guppies include high-quality tropical fish flakes, freeze-dried bloodworms, brine shrimp, daphnia, and small pellets. Providing a balanced diet helps enhance their coloration and overall health.

Breeding

Reproduction: Blue Tail Guppies, like other guppy varieties, are livebearers. The female guppy gives birth to live fry after a gestation period of approximately 4 to 6 weeks.

Breeding Requirements: To encourage successful breeding, ensure that your tank has a suitable male-to-female ratio, ideally one male for every two females. Additionally, offer ample hiding places for pregnant females to protect their fry.

Spawning Process: Breeding involves courtship, where males display their vibrant colors and extended fins to attract females. After mating, the female will give birth to live fry. It's essential to separate the fry from adults to prevent them from becoming potential prey.

Common Health Issues

Blue Tail Guppies, like many other fish species, can be susceptible to common health issues such as fin rot, ich (white spot disease), and parasitic infections.

Preventive Methods: Maintaining excellent water quality, providing a balanced diet, and quarantining new fish before introducing them to your aquarium

are crucial preventive measures. Regular water changes and monitoring your fish for signs of illness can also help prevent health issues.

Special Considerations

Compatibility: Blue Tail Guppies are generally peaceful and can coexist with various other peaceful community fish species, such as neon tetras, platies, and dwarf gouramis. Avoid pairing them with aggressive or fin-nipping fish.

Special Care Instructions: Keep in mind that these guppies are sensitive to water quality, so regular water testing and maintenance are essential. Additionally, they may jump out of open tanks, so provide a secure lid to prevent escapes.

Legal Restrictions: Check your local regulations, as some regions may have restrictions on owning or breeding certain fish species.

Which Blue Tail Guppies Varieties Can Be Kept Together

You can keep Blue Tail Guppies together with various other peaceful fish species. Here are seven examples of compatible tankmates:

Differences Between Male and Female Blue Tail Guppies

Characteristics: Male Blue Tail Guppies are typically more colorful and have longer, more elaborate tails than females. Females are often larger and may display a gravid spot near their abdomen when pregnant.

Appearance: Males exhibit vibrant and showy colors, while females tend to have more subdued coloration.

Blue Tail Guppies vs. Other Guppies: Differences and Similarities

Similarities between Blue Tail Guppies and Other Guppies:

Differences between Blue Tail Guppies and Other Guppies:

In conclusion, Blue Tail Guppies are enchanting and easy-to-care-for fish that can add a touch of elegance to your aquarium. With the right environment, diet, and care, these guppies will thrive and bring endless joy to aquarists of all experience levels.

[teezado1]

Graphic t-shirts "Gnome Valentine Shirt" best gift idea for couples. Explore our collection of couple t-shirts and customize them online. Look no further than Gnome Valentine Shirt, Valentine's Day Tee Tops Long Sleeve! Made from high-quality materials, this T-shirt is perfect for any occasion. Whether you're looking for a gift for your mom or dad, or simply want to treat yourself, Gnome Valentine Shirt, Valentine's Day Tee Tops Long Sleeve is a perfect choice. [thien_display_title] Valentine's Day, also called Saint Valentine's Day or the Feast of Saint Valentine, is celebrated annually on February 14. It originated as a Christian feast day honoring one or two early Christian martyrs named Saint Valentine and, through later folk traditions, has become a significant cultural, religious, and commercial celebration of romance and love in many regions of the world. At present, Gnome Valentine Shirt is trendy and popular among people. It's not only the quality but also it's affordable that makes it a top seller for its buyers. We have a great selection of Gnome Valentine Shirt in stock right now. They are some of the most popular new styles that we get! Get with us today and order your Gnome Valentine Shirt with Shipping Worldwide. Don’t miss the chance! Come and grab one gift for you or your friend. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. If you want another color or a different style, you can visit Teezado. Product detail T Shirt: 5.3-ounce, 100% cotton (99/1 cotton/poly (Ash) & 90/10 cotton/poly (Sport Grey) Heavyweight classic unisex tee Taped neck and shoulders; Tearaway label Made with sustainably & fairly grown USA cotton Decoration Type: DTG Size Chart Hoodie: 8 oz; 50% cotton, 50% polyester Air jet yarn creates a smooth, low-pill surface Double needle stitching; Pouch pocket; Unisex sizing Care: Machine wash cold; Tumble dry low Size Chart Sweatshirt: 8 oz; 50% cotton, 50% polyester Air jet yarn for a softer feel & no pilling 1×1 athletic rib cuffs & waistband with spandex; Double-needle stitching Care: Machine wash cold; Tumble dry low Size Chart Long Sleeve T Shirt: 5.3 oz, 100% cotton preshrunk jersey knit, Sport Grey 90% cotton/10% polyester Seamless double-needle 7/8 inch collar Taped neck and shoulders with double-needle bottom hem Size Chart V Neck T Shirt: 4.2 oz., 100% combed ringspun cotton; 30 singles Dark Grey Heather is 52/48 cotton/polyester Side seams, Unisex sizing; Coverstitched v-neck and hemmed sleeves; Shoulder-to-shoulder taping Size Chart Tank Top: Gnome Valentine Shirt, Peace Love Gnome Shirt - Couple's Day T-Shirt, Couple Gnome T-Shirt 3.8-ounce, 100% polyester Ultra breathable & moisture-wicking Removable tag for comfort Athletic, sleeveless, crewneck Size Chart Specification Processing Time: 3 – 5 working days average after payment and all designs updated correctly Shipping Time: 7 – 15 working days average (US) Packaging: 1x Faux Wool Sweater [thien_display_attachment_images] *** Thank you very much ! *** Don’t miss the chance! Come and grab one gift for you or your friend. 100% satisfaction guaranteed. If you want another color or a different style, you can visit Teezado.

[howpeacefulislwj]

Episode 49

Oh, so this is how it feels when your Brother inexplicably* keeps entertaining the Crazy Shit that The Most Evil Guy in the Room says. 3.5/10

Lan Wangji struggles to Deal with the fact that he is hearing, “I had to marry and have sex with my sister, it would have been so awkward not to,” with His Own Two Ears. What a Time to be Alive. 2/10 

Oh No. Not his Only and yet still somehow Worst Nephew. Won’t someone Please Stop this Madman. 3/10

Did Sizhui just get Tossed across an entire courtyard by a Mysterious Monster? His Precious Child?? Thrown Around?? Unacceptable. 1.5/10

Oops did someone just cut off Jin Guangyao’s Arm? How Unfortunate. What a Tragedy. Hope he doesn’t Immediately Bleed Out On the Floor Right Here In Front of Everyone. 4.5/10

It would probably be Bad if he Didn’t Make Any Effort At All to save Jin Guangyao, right? Okay. He Will Play. But he’s gonna Glare About It. 5/10

Is that Haunted Knife turning towards Wei Wuxian? The Angry Knife Threatens His Wei Wuxian??? *guqin intensifies* 3/10

Lan Wangji settles for catching Wen Qionglin, as a consolation prize. But we all know who Those Arms are waiting to catch. It’s only a Matter of Time. Wei Wuxian can’t stay Upright Forever. 4.5/10

This Is More Like It. A Flawless Catch. Lan Wangji has Trained For This.  6.5/10

Su She has stabbed Nie Huaisang? Su She stabbed an Actual Baby? Lan Wangji’s Kind Of Sworn Baby Brother?? What the fuck. 3/10

Is it Too Intense to stare at Wei Wuxian like this? Maybe. Will he stop? No. Absolutely Not. It would take some sort of Monumental Betrayal, perhaps the Snapping of the Jaws of a Decade-Long Revenge Trap, to draw his attention away. 7/10

Oh dear. 2/10

[iamcinema]

IAC Reviews #013: The Forest (1982)

I’ve been gone for far too long and in desperate need of a massive pick-me up with how everything around us is becoming more of a tire fire by the minute. So, let’s pack our bags and make our way for the woodlands to get away from the chaos for a while. I miss being out in the great outdoors during times like this. It’s so calm and peaceful, and with us approaching summer here in the northern hemisphere, it’s all the more pleasant. The fresh air, wide open space, the clear night skies - what could possibly go wrong? _______________________________________ I first heard about The Forest back in 2008 when I came across the Creepy Kentuckian’s review of it as part of his now dead series “Creepy’s Crappy Movie Reviews”, in which he spotlighted other horror titles like Lost Boys: The Tribe, Terror on Tour, Return to Sleepaway Camp, and Bates Motel to name a few. Since then, it sort of faded away from my memory and much like other films like Don’t Go in the Woods...Alone and Backwoods, which was for better or worse. Because I have an unusual fascination for these gritty, lesser known or spoken of titles, my eyes almost always light up when I come across something in the wild like this. I hope you packed your bug spray, because we’re going in deep for this one. Who knows what we’ll find?!

The Forest is a 1982 horror-thriller film that was directed, produced, edited, and written by Don Jones who doesn’t exactly have the most impressive filmography with anything too noteworthy to speak of. Most of his credits are attributed to the sound department, with titles like Blood of the Iron Maiden, The Psycho Lover, and Girl 27 (which is most recent credit as of 2007) coming up when you crosscheck his information. In regards to the cast, most of them didn’t go on to do a ton either after the 1980s for the most part, apart from Gary Kent who has the most prolific career of the crew with most of them being attributed to acting and stunt work - something he provided here as the acting stunt coordinator, which he went unaccredited for.

Our story centers on that of two couples and longtime friends who go on a camping trip to get away from the city and potentially help save one of their marriages from divorce. However, their fun doesn’t last too long when car troubles, bad weather, and a cannibalistic hermit looking for his next meal before winter puts a damper on things. While this isn’t anyone’s first rodeo with woodland cannibals, hermits, and weirdos, perhaps this one will bring something special to the table to help it stand out among all the rest.

The Forest In One Gif:

Well, color me impressed...I think. ________________________________________ It’s hard to really put a pin in movies like this since it feels like you can only do so much with the concept. You don’t exactly know what you’re going to get, so at best you might get something above average and at worst you’ll have a disaster of a time. Going into this, I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect given the mediocre review from the Creepy Kentuckian and the abysmal 3.8/10 rating on IMDb. I’ve had luck with poorly rated and received films before in the past, so maybe there was some hope that this would impress me. Maybe.

As far as the story goes, it's not all that bad and the motivation for our main characters feels like it means something so it doesn’t feel like a completely bland and generic slasher film - sort of. With the reviews I’ve come across on IMDb, some say that while this absolutely looks and feels like a stereotypical horror film with the same tired tropes, it bring something else to the table that helps it feel a bit more different. But, what this thing is I can’t exactly nail down either. I think it's partially due in part to the supernatural elements that come into play a bit later, which caught me off-guard because I wasn’t expecting it - certainly not for a film like this, as well as the subtle drama with our villain’s backstory and the marital subplot.

If I had to make one gripe about it that I can think of, it would be the logic and reasoning behind why our cannibal hermit, John, is doing what he does. I mean, we do learn more about his backstory and why he’s the way that he is, but why he chooses to hunt people for sport and his food supply doesn’t completely make sense to me if that’s how he’s scraping by alone. He’s situated on miles upon miles of woodland with plenty of freshwater sources, so why he isn’t utilizing those to his advantage doesn’t make a ton of sense to me. Plus, you’d have to have a good amount of luck to just stumble across random hikers and campers like that, but again, that's just a small gripe that we don’t get much of an answer for.

With our characters as a whole, they aren’t all that bad and or as forgettable as others are from similar low-budget, obscure, and forgotten horror films. There’s something charming about our main characters, even if the acting isn’t very good and the dialogue being clumsy which starts to show itself more as things go by in a way where it boarders between feeling awkward and sometimes unintentionally comedic. The latter feels all the more accurate when it comes to one of the scenes towards the end of the film, and I don’t know if that was done on purpose or it was a weird stylistic choice with the editing [which, as a spoiler, flashing epilepsy warning for those who are photosensitive].

From a technical standpoint, it’s pretty good for what it’s worth and I have very little to nitpick about.

However, the only way to truly enjoy this is in 1080p+ because you’d otherwise be robbing yourself of the all around sound visuals, which is probably the strongest thing going for it. The film was shot in the Sequoia National Park, which makes for some truly beautiful shots with the scenery; both the day and night shots when the lighting was good. But, some of the day for night shots it feels a bit off because we’ll cut from that to an actual night take, and then back to day for night. It can throw you off a bit with what time it’s supposed to be, but that feels more like something that can be overlooked with some patience.

If I had to fault the technical department somewhere, it would be with the sound. For the most part, it’s quite good and clear. In spite of that, we have a few hiccups here and there where the dialogue feels muffled or low due to the background noise of the rivers they were shooting near or on part of the child actors who have a filter distortion over them. Once again, this can be glossed over, but without captions or a good ear you might overlook something unless you don’t care.

When it comes to the SFX work, I’m impressed by how gruesome it was for something this low budget. The opening sequence in particular is probably the most graphic moment of the film and it gets us off to a nice start with what we can expect for the duration of the film, even when it comes to the more tame murders or bloody injuries. The same can be said with the stunt work as well in a way too, I suppose. While the fight sequences aren’t anything special, it’s interesting that one of the actresses, Tomi Barrett, did her own stunts; which included a scene where she dove off a small cliff and was swept down the river over some rapids. Much like her co-star and husband Gary Kent, this also went unaccredited for.

On another semi technical note, the score and soundtrack isn’t all that bad either and is kind of catchy, at least to me. It was composed largely by Richard Hieronymus and Alan Oldfield; with Hieronymus providing work for films like Lethal Pursuit, The Astral Factor, and The Love Butcher and Oldfield working on films like 10 to Midnight, The Fear, and The Fear: Resurrection. The songs are also a nice touch as well, even if they’re brief; particularly “The Dark Side of the Forest” (ft. David Somerville) and the closing song “The Edge of Forever” (ft. Carol Browning). If you have a guilty pleasure for 80′s horror soundtracks, especially the somewhat cheesy like ones like Blood Lake, Psycho Pike, and Truth or Dare?: A Critical Madness, then I think you’re going to have fun with this one. I hate to admit it, but I’ve been jamming to both ever since I wrapped up seeing this a few hours ago.

________________________________________

So, where am I at now with this? I don’t completely know, if I’m being honest.

To hearken back to something I said about Rot last year, I think that the low score it has is a rather harsh and a bit unfair. While I agree that it’s better than Don’t Go Into The Woods Alone by a long shot, it doesn’t sit right with me. On that note, I feel that seeing reviews that place it at 8/10 or above is being a bit too generous as well, even if it’s in a “so bad, it’s good sense” which I don’t consider this to be since I don’t see it as a terrible horror film either. This is why it’s difficult for me to stick some pins in this damn thing to figure out where I’d place it.

It’s not a masterpiece by any means, absolutely not, but it’s not trying to be and it’s not a massive disappointment either like a certain film around the same time was. If you’re looking for a different slasher film of the time, especially if you have a weakness for woodland flicks goes, consider giving this one a watch some time and see where you fall with things. I’m stumped with how I feel about this one. I didn’t hate it, but I don’t see myself rushing to watch this again in the near future.

Rating: 5.3/10

[haidasndwch]

Best Pizza in North Vancouver

Haida Sandwich

Restaurant Name: Haida Sandwich

Phone Number: (604) 971-6021

Website: https://haidasandwich.ca

Address: 121 15th St E North Vancouver, BC V7L 2P7 Canada

Opening Hours: 11:00 AM - 11:00 PM

Dish Type: Pizza, Fast Food, Asian

Special Diet: Halal, Vegetarian Friendly

Price: $8 - $16

Delivery: Yes

Yelp Rating: 3.5

Google Rating: 4

Zomato Rating: 3.5

Foursquare Rating:

What Exactly Is This Place? Established in 2010, Haida Sandwich offers marvellous sandwiches in Central Lonsdale in North Vancouver. They bring one of the highest customer satisfaction levels into the market for quite a few years now. They are the biggest fast-food franchise in the Middle East. What Are The Must-Tries? Among all these fantastic pizzas Haida Sandwich has on its menu, you need to try their Cheese Pizza. It is served in XXX-Large size and can make a large number of people happy and satisfied. What Does It Look Like? The atmosphere feels like a comfy fast food. The décor is so cozy and peaceful, which makes the experience of spending time there pleasant and memorable. Anything Else I Should Know? Haida Sandwich is well-known because of its unique sauce in pizzas and the extraordinary bread they use. It can be your best experience of eating pizza in North Vancouver; give it a try!

Little Caesars

Restaurant Name: Little Caesars

Phone Number: (604) 924-2333

Website: 

Address: 3662 Mt Seymour Pkwy, North Vancouver, BC V7H 2Y5, Canada

Opening Hours: Mon-Thu, Sun : 10am – 10pm Fri-Sat : 10am – 11pm

Dish Type: Pizza

Special Diet:

Price: CA$20 for two people (approx.)

Delivery: No

Yelp Rating: 4.5

Google Rating: 3.8

Zomato Rating:

Foursquare Rating:

What Exactly Is This Place? In North Vancouver, around Blueridge district, Little Caesars is one of the best places to eat pizza. The most important purpose of this place is to offer the cheapest pizza in town but still keep the quality high. What Are The Must-Tries? I recommend you order their Pepperoni Pizza. It is lightly sprinkled with pepperoni, and you can order and receive it fairly quickly. In addition to that, their Hula Hawaiian Pizza is excellent! What Does It Look Like? In Little Caesars, the staff is supposed to have the pizza hot and ready when you walk in the door. That indicates how comfy and cozy the atmosphere of this place is! Anything Else I Should Know? You never have to wait more than 10 minutes for your pizza. The pizza quality is totally consistent and worth it for a meal when you do not feel like cooking.

Crispy

Restaurant Name: Crispy

Phone Number: (778) 340-3142

Website: 

Address: 950 Marine Dr, North Vancouver, BC V7P 1R9, Canada

Opening Hours: Mon-Thu : 11:30am – 10:30pm Fri-Sat : 11:30am – 11pm Sun : 12noon – 11pm

Dish Type: Pizza, Middle Eastern, Persian

Special Diet:

Price: CA$40 for two people (approx.)

Delivery: No

Yelp Rating: 4

Google Rating: 4.3

Zomato Rating: 3.6

Foursquare Rating:

What Exactly Is This Place? If you are looking for a great pizza place around Hamilton Heights in North Vancouver, Crispy is the answer. This place serves delicious deep dish pizzas. Since their opening in 2009, they have been dedicated to sourcing the best ingredients from local suppliers within greater Vancouver. What Are The Must-Tries? Trust me, you need to try their marvellous House Special Pizza. It has a choice of chicken and pepperoni, cold cut or ground beef, mushrooms, green peppers, olives, onions, and tomatoes. What Does It Look Like? You can expect plenty of seatings inside Crispy, an average environment and décor, and nothing fancy or exciting. This place is fine for a casual hang out with friends. Anything Else I Should Know? In the process of preparing the pizza, the staff of Crispy put the toppings under the cheese. Because of this amazing innovation, the cheese becomes really crispy and delicious.

https://haidasandwich.ca/best-pizza-north-vancouver/

[colorfulfishbreeds]

Blue Topaz Guppy: A Comprehensive Guide

If you're an avid fish enthusiast or just starting your journey in the aquarium hobby, the allure of Blue Topaz Guppies might be exactly what you're looking for. With their stunning appearance and captivating colors, Blue Topaz Guppies stand out as a prized addition to any aquarium. In this informative guide, we'll explore the captivating world of Blue Topaz Guppies, delving into their origin, characteristics, care requirements, breeding process, and answering some intriguing FAQs.

Introduction to Blue Topaz Guppy

Blue Topaz Guppies represent a remarkable variety of the popular guppy fish, renowned for their vibrant and enchanting appearance. Picture a fish with a slender body adorned in a splendid array of colors, showcasing a dazzling blue that glistens like a precious gemstone. These guppies often feature tails and fins that resemble the deep, mesmerizing blue of a topaz gemstone.

Two noteworthy examples of Blue Topaz Guppies are the “Electric Blue Guppy” and the “Sapphire Topaz Guppy.” The Electric Blue Guppy boasts a shimmering electric blue body and tail, creating a captivating contrast. On the other hand, the Sapphire Topaz Guppy displays a vivid sapphire-blue tail and finnage that sparkles like a precious gem.

General Information

Origin: Blue Topaz Guppies trace their ancestry to the tropical waters of Central and South America, with a particular focus on regions such as Venezuela and Trinidad.

Size: On average, they reach a size of about 1.5 to 2.5 inches (3.8 to 6.4 cm), making them compact yet visually striking fish.

Lifespan: With proper care, Blue Topaz Guppies can live for about 2 to 3 years, though some individuals may exceed this lifespan with excellent care.

Temperament: Known for their peaceful and friendly disposition, Blue Topaz Guppies coexist harmoniously with other fish in community aquariums and rarely exhibit aggression.

Appearance: These guppies exhibit slender, graceful bodies adorned with vibrant colors that capture the eye. Their striking blue hues make them stand out in any aquatic setting.

Varieties and Colors: Blue Topaz Guppies come in various color patterns and shades of blue, with Electric Blue and Sapphire Topaz being among the most sought-after variants. Their coloration ranges from intense blues to deep sapphire tones.

Price: The cost of Blue Topaz Guppies varies, but on average, you can expect to acquire them for approximately $3 to $5 per fish. Prices may fluctuate based on factors such as coloration, age, and breeder reputation.

Habitat and Tank Requirements

Natural Habitat: In their natural habitat, Blue Topaz Guppies inhabit slow-moving, shallow waters, such as streams, rivers, and ponds, primarily in the tropical regions of Central and South America.

Tank Size: To accommodate a small group comfortably, a 10-gallon tank is suitable. If you plan to house more of these captivating fish, consider a larger tank to provide ample swimming space.

Water Parameters: Blue Topaz Guppies thrive in water temperatures ranging from 75°F to 82°F (24°C to 28°C) and a pH level between 6.8 and 7.8. Maintaining consistent water conditions is crucial for their well-being.

Tank Setup: Create an ideal environment by incorporating live or artificial plants, rocks, driftwood, and suitable hiding spots. The presence of floating plants adds to their habitat’s enrichment.

Feeding

Blue Topaz Guppies are omnivorous and enjoy a diverse diet. Provide them with high-quality tropical fish flakes or pellets. Additionally, enhance their diet with live or frozen foods such as brine shrimp, daphnia, and bloodworms. Their enthusiastic feeding behavior, quickly gathering at the water’s surface during mealtime, makes them a joy to observe.

Here are five suitable food options:

A well-balanced diet enhances their coloration and overall health.

Breeding

Similar to other guppy varieties, Blue Topaz Guppies are livebearers. The female guppy gives birth to live fry after a gestation period of approximately 4 to 6 weeks. Successful breeding requires maintaining an appropriate male-to-female ratio in your tank, ideally one male for every two females. Additionally, provide sufficient hiding spots for pregnant females to protect their fry. The breeding process involves courtship, during which males display their vibrant colors and extended fins to attract females. After mating, the female will give birth to live fry. Separating the fry from adult fish helps prevent them from becoming potential prey.

Common Health Issues

Blue Topaz Guppies, like many other fish species, may be susceptible to common health issues such as fin rot, ich (white spot disease), and parasitic infections. To prevent health issues, maintain excellent water quality through regular water changes, provide a varied and balanced diet, and quarantine new fish before introducing them to your aquarium. Regular monitoring of your fish’s health and behavior is also essential.

Special Considerations

Compatibility: Blue Topaz Guppies are generally peaceful and coexist well with various other peaceful fish species, such as neon tetras, platies, and dwarf gouramis. Avoid pairing them with aggressive or fin-nipping fish.

Special Care Instructions: Given their sensitivity to water quality, regular water testing and maintenance are critical. Additionally, ensure that your aquarium has a secure lid, as these active fish may jump out of open tanks.

Legal Restrictions: Check local regulations, as some regions may have restrictions on owning or breeding certain fish species.

Which Blue Topaz Guppies Varieties Can Be Kept Together

You can keep Blue Topaz Guppies together with various other peaceful fish species. Here are seven examples of compatible tankmates:

Differences Between Male and Female Blue Topaz Guppies

Characteristics: Males typically exhibit more vibrant colors and longer, more elaborate fins and tails than females. Females are often larger and may display a gravid spot near their abdomen when pregnant.

Appearance: Males are known for their striking and showy colors, while females tend to have more subdued coloration.

Blue Topaz Guppies vs. Other Guppies: Differences and Similarities

Similarities between Blue Topaz Guppies and Other Guppies:

Differences between Blue Topaz Guppies and Other Guppies:

In conclusion, Blue Topaz Guppies are a captivating and delightful addition to any aquarium, offering a kaleidoscope of colors and a peaceful presence. With proper care, these enchanting fish will thrive, showcasing their vibrant blue hues and bringing joy to aquarists of all levels.

[fishbreedsblog]

Dive into the Mesmerizing World of Blue Mosaic Guppies: A Visual Symphony of Colors

In the enchanting universe of aquarium fish, few creatures can rival the captivating charm of Blue Mosaic Guppies. These aquatic marvels showcase a vibrant tapestry of colors and patterns, making them an irresistible choice for enthusiasts.

Unveiling the Elegance: Blue Mosaic Guppy's Appearance and Characteristics

Imagine a fish adorned with a mosaic-like pattern, where lively blues weave together with other enchanting hues to create an aquatic masterpiece. Let's explore two captivating examples:

Sapphire Mosaic: Envision a guppy adorned with sapphire-blue scales, complemented by intricate mosaic patterns that seem to shimmer and dance as it gracefully moves through the water.

Aqua Mosaic: For those yearning for an ethereal aquatic experience, the Aqua Mosaic Guppy displays a kaleidoscope of blues and aquas, reminiscent of the tranquil depths of the ocean.

Essential Details: Blue Mosaic Guppy's General Information

Origin: Blue Mosaic Guppies hail from the tropical waters of South America, specifically regions like Guyana, Venezuela, and Trinidad.

Size: Typically reaching a modest size of about 1.5 to 2.5 inches (3.8 to 6.4 centimeters), Blue Mosaic Guppies make a delightful addition to aquariums of various sizes.

Lifespan: With proper care, these aquatic gems can enjoy a lifespan of approximately 2 to 3 years, with some individuals surpassing this average.

Temperament: Renowned for their peaceful and sociable nature, Blue Mosaic Guppies make excellent community fish, catering to aquarists of all experience levels.

Dive into Their World: Habitat and Tank Requirements

Natural Habitat: Thriving in freshwater streams, rivers, and ponds across South America, Blue Mosaic Guppies' adaptability to diverse aquatic environments has contributed to their popularity in the aquarium trade.

Tank Size: To ensure their comfort, a minimum tank size of 10 gallons (38 liters) is recommended, providing ample swimming space and stable water conditions.

Water Parameters: Maintain a water temperature between 72°F to 82°F (22°C to 28°C) and a pH level between 6.5 to 7.5. Optimal water quality is ensured through reliable filtration and regular water changes.

Tank Setup: Create an inviting underwater realm with live or artificial aquatic plants, driftwood, rocks, and a fine-grain substrate, offering both hiding spots and open swimming areas.

Savor the Flavor: Feeding Blue Mosaic Guppies

Diet: These omnivores relish a diverse diet, including guppy pellets or flakes for essential nutrients. Supplement their diet with live or frozen foods like daphnia, brine shrimp, bloodworms, and spirulina flakes to intensify coloration.

Feeding Habits: Enthusiastic eaters, Blue Mosaic Guppies often gather at the water's surface for small, frequent feedings to maintain water quality.

The Circle of Life: Breeding Blue Mosaic Guppies

Reproduction: Prolific reproducers, Blue Mosaic Guppies engage in internal fertilization and give birth to live fry every four to six weeks.

Breeding Requirements: To encourage breeding, maintain a well-planted aquarium with a balanced male-to-female ratio and ample hiding spots for fry.

Spawning Process: Females produce fry after a gestation period of about 26 to 31 days, a unique trait distinguishing them from egg-laying species.

Guardians of Health: Common Health Issues and Preventive Measures

Common Health Issues: While generally hardy, Blue Mosaic Guppies can be susceptible to fungal infections, parasites, guppy mouth rot, constipation, swim bladder issues, and fin rot.

Preventive Methods: Safeguard their health by maintaining pristine water conditions, quarantining new fish, and providing a balanced diet rich in essential nutrients.

Harmony in Diversity: Blue Mosaic Guppies and Tankmates

Compatibility: Peaceful and thriving in community aquariums, Blue Mosaic Guppies coexist harmoniously with species like neon tetras, platies, Corydoras catfish, cherry shrimp, mystery snails, Endler's livebearers, and harlequin rasboras.

The Gender Tale: Male vs. Female Blue Mosaic Guppies

Distinguishing Features: Males are smaller and more slender, display more vibrant colors, possess a gonopodium, and exhibit more active behavior, including courting females.

In a Nutshell: Blue Mosaic Guppies Unveiled

Similarities: Blue Mosaic Guppies share fundamental characteristics with other guppy varieties, such as species, size, livebearing reproduction, and an omnivorous diet.

Differences: Their standout feature is the intricate mosaic-like coloration, setting them apart from other guppy strains with different tail shapes and color patterns.

In summary, Blue Mosaic Guppies, with their kaleidoscope of colors and captivating patterns, add a touch of elegance to any aquarium, making them a delightful choice for both novice and seasoned aquarists alike.

[manningjoshua]

american family insurance kansas city

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes from different companies :quotes-for-insurance.net

american family insurance kansas city

american family insurance kansas city I just sold my baby into a utility. I sold my baby last spring at a new age because I m getting ready to have my car out, now my family is taking their kids to school. They don t have car insurance through me and they said no car because it is the school. I don t work a minimum wage as a paid part time worker, and their insurance just doesn t pay my kid s tuition. I have the highest out of all my friends. They didn t offer good student discount because some insurers told them your rates are a little higher than what the university gives to parents, that s really not it. They didn t issue a statement to the student insurance. They re a real good student and I m really doing school. I ll be leaving if they don t get me a good student discount. Thank you for all those good things. Thank you for having your business, and your parents! I ve had my whole life and a great life insurance policy. I am. american family insurance kansas city kentucky 2.4 2.3 5 2.6 5 3.2 5.2 2.9 7.2 15.4 16 3.8 Total savings for all products as well as discounts Average 2.6% for 100% savings We have more savings of more than 100% on some life insurance plans. To learn more simply check out on to find out when is the best year to buy a life insurance policy. Do your homework and follow one of our guidelines with your questions asked by each insurer. Remember, in cases of serious illness, we recommend you consult with your insurance agent to ensure you can get the care and help that you need. For more information on how to use a agent, please reach out to us at 800-427-2472 or or . For many Americans, the best and cheapest life insurance plan you can find can be found over. american family insurance kansas city area. The insurance is in our national office, so here I am in Karkana, KS, working the office full time. My partner works in sales in my local office and my partner does work for our insurance. They can help me decide if the policy is correct for my current state and my friends. Thanks! I live in Kansas with a girlfriend who also works for our insurance. My partner and I live just down the road the road from Tohoe Road in Karkana, KS. We do have a policy with the company we live with and it works very well and has a good amount of exclusions, such as my daughter’s car accident. I got our insurance from Progressive and did not get this card out of Progressive because we have our car, but it was a cheaper insurance company. I purchased my policy from Progressive by an insurance agent in Osterhout, Ohio. She was an agent and I worked for her. She had no experience selling.

10. American Family Insurance - Toby Breedlove Agency

10. American Family Insurance - Toby Breedlove Agency - 1-855-247-3469 - 1-855-247-3499 or 1-855-258-1761 American Family insurance for new drivers - if this is the best - if not - to start. Advantages Great coverage and great claims handling. Dealer reviews Auto Home Life & Accident Payment Automobile Insurance Choice Family Business Life & Health Insurance Personal Loan & Investment Pet Travel Wedding & Event Trade Vehicle Other Life & Health Auto insurance in Texas As we get into this article, so does the state auto insurance coverage in Texas. Let’s begin by providing a brief review on the state insurance industry, and specifically the Texas law. For a first off-hand glance into the Texas auto insurance industry, let’s discuss the basics. The state of Texas doesn.

6. dewey osborn american family insurance

6. dewey osborn american family insurance policy that provides personal auto insurance and personal liability coverage that protects against personal injuries and property damage. Your family, as a whole, is important to you. Don’t let not knowing enough about your state’s car insurance law and the auto insurance requirements for the state of Florida is to your detriment. We offer insurance by phone, online and through independent agents. . *Superb” with multiple points on her record for an auto insurance professional. Allstate has been servicing Florida since 1929. They have a total of 6,732 residential property and 4,622 commercial auto insurance policies along with a number of different types of business insurance. Their home insurance offerings are all based on policies with coverage in excess of $1,000,000. They also have a great customer service network with over 7,000 local dealerships nationwide that also provides customers with flexible rates. However, it is difficult to find auto insurance that meets.

5. American Family Insurance - Keith Stanfield Agency

5. American Family Insurance - Keith Stanfield Agency. $3/day is just $9. American Family Insurance Group is committed not only to making the insurance industry great, they ll always deliver on that commitment. You can reach our office today if you are in less than two minutes. Please note that if you request to be contacted by a Progressive agent, the agent may have different privacy practices. To serve you better, the agent may share your information with other insurance companies to obtain competitive quotes or offer other products and services to you. To offer more details about your circumstances, you can read our Privacy Policy. American Family Insurance Group has more than just the perfect insurance company to choose from so why would your mom find the coverage they need, especially when you may need it the entire time you are employed? If you have a car and need extra coverage for when you get home and get your insurance you can trust. But, as long as you pay for this premium.

AdGoode Insurance LLC

AdGoode Insurance LLC, El Paso, TX is an independent insurance agency offering comprehensive coverage for home and auto insurance for all areas of El Paso and surrounding areas of Texas. We work with top insurance companies to ensure you have the right protection against all your auto, home, life, and banking needs. Auto insurance is a necessity for El Paso residents. Whether there s a big storm or a fire in a city, flood is a risk you don t want to get too caught up in. With the rising costs of homeowner s insurance, there is a good chance that the cost will be higher than what you can afford to pay. Fortunately, there are ways to keep the cost down, even if it is not right for you. While most insurance products are designed to protect you from some risk, not every kind is a good choice. A standard homeowners insurance policy may get you covered, or make sure that your deductible is low and you have sufficient limits to pay for your damages. You may get additional coverage for items such.

27. American Family Insurance - Mark Pearcy Agency, Inc.

27. American Family Insurance - Mark Pearcy Agency, Inc. is an independent insurance agency located in Indianapolis, Indiana. Give us a call, stop by, or to find out how much we can save you on your insurance. While you are paying higher insurance rates to protect the health and safety of your family, it is important to always make sure you have the policy with the lowest premiums. One of the best ways to find good car insurance at a price you can afford is to compare car insurance rates in New York State. While our state average car insurance rates are much higher than the national average (around $951), we can still help you find that same great car insurance rates at the most reasonable rates. We work with top-rated insurance companies, and we can help you find the policy with the lowest rates so you can enjoy peace of mind that the policy you are buying is all that is required. If you’d like to check out other ways to save on insurance and save money, then.

28. American Family Insurance - John Flacke Agency

28. American Family Insurance - John Flacke Agency   (USA) are offering high quality insurance, including : American Family Insurance - American Family Insurance Company is the only multi-faceted insurance company .  American Family Insurance is not involved in all business dealings with  or the , and the company does not guarantee its products. As a result, it is essential for you to check the claims or other claims relating to this agency and not only do you should review the details of your claim with the insurance company, but also do the following :  Please reach out to American Family via this form and speak to the agent directly. American Family Insurance Company – John Flacke agent is a family-friendly, dedicated, independent insurance  agency,  and all its policies are fully compliant by the . The agency has a certificate of complete compliance with the Standard Insurance Code to be eligible when in conjunction with a policy for the company’s services. This form is available for.

3. Shepherd, Chris American Family Insurance

3. Shepherd, Chris American Family Insurance, and Shepherd Business Group Insurance .

30. American Family Insurance - Deana Poston-Seibold Agency

30. American Family Insurance - Deana Poston-Seibold Agency specializes in providing mobile home insurance coverage. She is one of a handful of customers that I have worked with. The quality of the product is also high, which leads to some interesting problems. The overall impression I got from this company is that if an insurance needs to be made up for customer service (i.e. you need to make your claim) it would be paid for by the company, in my experience. It is a good experience to start to see if it is worth the investment to invest in this product. The downside of this site is that customers are also not covered when dealing with this company.  I’ve been a loyal customer for a while and have taken this online insurance business seriously. My experience is similar to that in other online businesss. We work with multiple companies, which puts us more time, money, and attention on the customer and product, and helps our overall relationship with each brand.  We.

11. American Family Insurance - Karen Gilkey Agency

11. American Family Insurance - Karen Gilkey Agency -  - -      -   - $3,500,000.50k Limited Death Benefit $50,000   (For a total of $50k) $1,500,000 The maximum allowable age of coverage for an insured policy is 3 years for non-smokers. This is to accommodate insurance policies or insurance policies that have limits of $10k/$20k that are not considered underwriting for the purposes of underwriting. This includes HMO commission, HMO Express Company and HMO Express Group B coverage. If a policy is approved by an insurance company, the insured (the insured) must pay the premiums for a year. This is a limitation on the amount that can be collected. It will be deducted from the policy. If the policyholder is under age 35, then the limit of his policy will not.

12. American Family Insurance - Craig Kenton Agency

12. American Family Insurance - Craig Kenton Agency - American Family Insurance and all other insurance companyments are not allowed.  If a company was denied for insurance coverage it is our call.  At  I was tucked out in my son s basement after he threw open his back door in the early morning.  I called after  I called my wife to ask what he saw on the air from the airman, which was a gentleman trying to hit us.  He was trying to turn his head.  I told her what I was told and she said that it was serious but not at fault. But I was really upset at her for asking what kind of a plan she had for me that is going to take advantage of me and her  in a way that was not good for me so I ended up being the one who was hit.  I am getting a lawyer to get my driver�s license back.

[howpeacefulislwj]

Episode 41

Lan Wangji maybe kind of Regrets letting Wei Wuxian’s Mind wander off in the middle of Hostile Territory in the body of a Very Charming but also Extremely Shreddable paperman. 3/10

Lan Wangji, aggressively: Anyways, here’s Clarity. 2/10

Lan Wangji tries out a Concerned Face on Wei Wuxian. He’s had a lot of opportunities to practice this one. 3.5/10

Wei Wuxian talks a Mad Game for a dude who was Not Responsible for taking down Literally Any of These Dudes. Lan Wangji is too busy working on a good Fighting Scowl to contradict him. Plus, you know, it’s nice to let Wei Wuxian have A Little Fun. 5.5/10

Lan Wangji has Absolutely No Patience Left. He’s got his Most Dangerous Scowl on, that Eyebrow Slant is Murderous, and it’s time to Throw His Sword at Strangers. 4/10

Lan Wangji explains using Meaningful Eyebrow Positioning alone that they have Located Nie Mingjue’s Head. Somehow this Works! Lans! 4/10

Ah yes, the Small Jiang Wanyin. The Ungrateful Child who has a Dog that Wei Wuxian Hates and Fears. Lan Wangji is not inclined to listen to the Small Jiang Wanyin. 4.5/10

As if today couldn’t get any more Annoying, Noted Loser Su She has turned up to Sneer at Everything. Look at the Sheer Judgement in Lan Wangji’s Eyes, that Pure Dislike. And Su She deserves it. 3.5/10

[tigertanyx]

 According to Goodreads, my average rating is 3.8, which doesn’t feel quite right, but who am I to argue with data. As of now, I am 98 books in, but I fully intend to finish a short book and manga before midnight. it’ll be my first recorded year of reaching 100 books a year, but as I explained earlier, I feel like it made me bypass longer books. My longest book was On A Sunbeam, at 533 pages. That’s weak.

Read Bricks: My 2020 Reading Goal

This isn’t exactly a top books of 2019 post, because there are 2nd or 3rd choices of some months that are better than the #1s of other months. But I did notice a trend (3 months) where I would read the best book of the month as the first book of the month, and those were also the best books of the year.

January 

Stats: 6 books, 2 contemporary, 1 fantasy, 1 classic, 1 manga, 1 mystery

Rep:

And the best book:

If We Were Villains, ML Rio

I love this book, it was my favourite of 2019 and I still think about it. I found it on a whim, while I was aimlessly browsing the library. It’s about a Shakespeare group in college a cult, where one of their members were murdered and they all have something to hide. There’s a slow-burn m/m romance tragedy  that was painfully simar to my own gay awakening. But alas, I don’t own it, so if you guys want to gift it to me…

February

Stats:  7 books, 3 Contemporary, 1 horror, 1 manga, 1 historical fiction, 1 mystery 

Rep:

The best book:

Darius The Great is Not Ok, Adib Khorram

This follows an Iranan-american boy whose granddad in Iran is ill, so his family is going to visit them so Darius can know him before he dies. It isn’t about the granddad though: it’s about Iranian culture, soccer, and a boy. Being gay can be a death sentence in Iran, so while there’s definite gay undertones, they never actually do or say anything. Their friendship is the purest thing, some hope while Darius is struggling with depression. 

March

Stats: 6 books, 3 manga, 2 horror, 1 contemporary 

Rep:

The best book:

Autoboyography Christina Lauren 

This book made me upset. It’s about 2 boys, one who’s at peace with his bisexuality, and the other who’s a mormon. It deals with his struggle to love someone and go against his family and community. There’s also a writing seminar, where one has to write a book with the other coaching him. I thought that part could’ve been expanded more. There’s secret hikes and secret gay moments.

April

Stats: 8 books, 5 Contemporary, 1 satire, 1 horror, 1 manga

Rep:

Best book: 

View this post on Instagram

#currentlyreading Radio Silence! The voice is easy to drown in, I love the casual but unsubtle rep, and the artsy. #amreading #bookstagram #booknerd #lgbtpride🌈

A post shared by BrittainX (@killedbyabook) on Apr 29, 2019 at 10:24am PDT

Radio Silence, Alice Oseman

Kat @ paperback dreams loves this book so much, if you didn’t know. I was expecting some letdown, but I still love it. It’s about a gang that produces a sci-fi podcast called Universe City while they muse about what they’re going to do after high school. It’s an exploration of why college isn’t for everyone.

May

Stats: 8 books, 4 contemporary, 2 satire, 1 manga, 1 fantasy

Rep:

Best book:

I Wish You All The Best, Mason Deaver

I hope you know what this is. I hope you read it. I will disown you if you haven’t.

Dear Ben De Backer/ I Wish You All The Best

June

Stats: 6 books, 4 Contemporary (1 manga), 2 romance

Rep:

The Best Book:

View this post on Instagram

Important and real. Toxic relationships can be impossible to get out of and I don't think I've ever seen a more realistic f/f in fiction. Also, is Doodle non-binary? #amreading Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me #bookdragon #booknerd #bookstagram

A post shared by BrittainX (@killedbyabook) on Jun 25, 2019 at 10:41am PDT

  Laura Dean Keeps Breaking Up With Me, Mariko Tamaki , Rosemary Valero-O’Connell

Ahh, yes. The graphic novel about an emotional abusive teen f/f romance that explores what happens when you let yourself and neglect your friends with beautiful art.

Portraying Toxicity in F/F Relationships: Reading Jordi Perez And Laura Dean

July

(When booktubeathon happened) 13 books, 5 manga, 3 contemporary, 1 superhero, 1 Urban fantasy, 1 Poetry, 1 erotica 

Rep:

Best Book:

Nimona, Noelle Stevenson

Two months with a top graphic novel, but that just shows how amazing they’ve gotten. Nimona is a shapeshifter determined to do evil for her master, unaware that his greatest rival used to be his greatest lover. Funny! Evil propo!

August 

Stats: 8 books, 3 contemporary, 2 manga, 1 satire, 1 poetry, 1 spiritual 

Rep:

Best Book:

Sappho Of Lesbos, painted by John William Godward

Sappho, the lesbian poet of Greece. Her poetry haunted the lesbian areas of Greece. Lesbian greek poetry. What Are you waiting for?

September

Stats: 6 books, 3 manga, 2 supernatural, 1 sick lit

Rep:

Big Sapphic Pie

Best book:

My beloved girlfriend Carmilla. Carmilla is a lesbian vampire in the classic, muddling girls’ minds with dreams and sex. It was adapted into a youtube series that I’m probably going to binge watch after I’ve read the two books I read to reach 100 this year (Bread and Roses, Too, The Fifth Beatle).

My Beloved Carmilla

October 

Stats: 9 month, 5 fantasy, 2 manga, 2 contemporary

Rep:

Best Book:

View this post on Instagram

Everything Leads To You started slow but had me close to tears at the end. The best f/f I have read thus far! #bookstagram #bookish #lgbtpride🌈 #ffbooks

A post shared by BrittainX (@killedbyabook) on Oct 1, 2019 at 5:14pm PDT

Everything Leads To You, Nina LaCour

F/F in LA! i loved how ingrained movies were in their lives, how it was their jobs, their relatives’ jobs, their passions. There’s also a realllly slooow burn romance! If Nina wrote a how-to slow burn guide, it’d be the book on how to write relationships.

November 

Stats; 9 books, 4 manga, 2 dystopia, 1 contemporary, 1 spiritual, 1 fantasy

Rep:

This best book was tough, since a few stand out, however Fence is rated highest! Contenders are Dragon Pearl, A Quick And Easy Guide To They/Them Pronouns, and Lizard Radio.

View this post on Instagram

My immediate TBR! Dragon Pearl is a MG Asian inspired Rick Riordan Imprint book with a non-binary character. Out Of Salem is about a non-binary zombie. I'm going into We Contain Multitudes blind, but it's gay. * What are your reading plans? How far in advance do you tend to plan them? #bookstagram #bookish #bookdragon #lgbtpride🌈

A post shared by BrittainX (@killedbyabook) on Nov 12, 2019 at 9:06am PST

December

This is a no-brainer. The Deep by Rivers Solomon is about merfolk descended from pregnant captives on slave ships that were thrown overboard. Their babies were born in the water, barely functioning merbabies. 100 years later, the society remembers three days a year, the memories too heavy and their capacity to short for them to be held by anyone other than the Historian. But now she’s sick of it and wants to find herself. Super gay, written by a nonbinary author. 

View this post on Instagram

My December TBR plus #currentlyreading The Deep by Rivers Solomon and Tarnished Are The Stars by @rosieethor The Deep is about the decedents of the people captured on slave ships that jumped overboard, a society that can't bear to remember their past and gives all of the memories to one merperson a generation. Tarnished Are The Stars is set in a future where technology is banned, least humanity fall into the trap of destroying the planet- but our main queers use it to help people with medical problems. #amreading #bookstagram #ilovebooks #lgbt

A post shared by BrittainX (@killedbyabook) on Nov 30, 2019 at 8:56pm PST

HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

2019: Top Books of The Month  According to Goodreads, my average rating is 3.8, which doesn't feel quite right, but who am I to argue with data.

[rickhorrow]

10 TO WATCH: Mayors Edition 31119

10 TO WATCH: Mayors Edition 31119

As we all prepare for Selection Sunday and the annual ritual of filling out those brackets, the business of college basketball heats up fast. Roughly $1 billion a year goes to the NCAA itself from March Madness. But overall, the tournament generates $2-$3 billion. While this is somewhat comparable to pro franchises, where’s the financial support for NCAA basketball players? Shoe and apparel companies tied in with big-time college basketball programs include Adidas, Nike, and Under Armour, all of which fund the grassroots basketball circuits that have long produced basketball’s top players. Shoes are deeply tied into basketball, so much so that after Zion Williamson’s shoe recently ripped apart, Nike’s stock price took a hit and his subsequent injury sparked debates about everything from the shoe manufacturer to insurance issues, and whether the likely NBA lottery pick should risk his professional future by continuing to play for the Duke Blue Devils.

How much do March Madness team sponsors pony up to outfit their teams? On average, $160-$200 million is poured into the college programs over a 10-year period. And that is in return for the players on the teams wearing their gear. If you’re in the tourney, you’re most likely a Nike school, an Under Armour school or an Adidas school. As a particularly sweet part of the deals, for example, if you’re a Nike school and you reach the Final Four, or even better if you win the National Championship, your coach can receive a pretty $100,000 or a $200,000 bonus on top of his multimillion-dollar salary. Coach K, or Mike Krzyzewski, Duke’s head men’s basketball team coach rakes in just shy of $9 million annually, according to financial site WalletHub. Assistant coaches generally get a bonuses as well – the only ones who don’t benefit monetarily are the players.

Collegiate athletes may have a more direct path to compensation as judge rules against NCAA model in federal antitrust lawsuit. On Friday, U.S. District Judge Claudia Wilken “opened the way for college football and basketball players to receive more compensation than they do now, but narrowly limited the benefits to expenses ‘related to education’ in the federal antitrust lawsuit against the NCAA. The ruling, according to the New York Times, was “somewhat of a victory for the athletes but fell well short of their goal of eliminating” the NCAA’s hard cap on their compensation, so it “seemed likely to continue the debate.” Judge Wilken “supported the NCAA’s claim that students should not become professionals.” Attorney Jeffrey Kessler, who represents the athletes, said, “It’s just going to be a big step forward, and not the full bringing down of the edifice.” The ruling may have ostensibly been a win for the students, but most experts concur that it was the “best loss imaginable for the NCAA and its model,” since the students desired an outcome that would completely disrupt the business model of college sports.

NCAA tournament revenue, obviously, doesn’t only come from apparel sponsors. March Madness will bring the NCAA nearly $880 million in broadcast fees this year alone. And thanks to a combination of these and other revenue streams, the 25 richest programs in college basketball today, with data courtesy of the Department of Education and USA Today, are No. 1 the University of Louisville, with revenues of $43,960,492; No. 2 Duke University, at $34,398,285; No. 3 Syracuse University, at $29,322,084; No. 4 the University of Kentucky, at $27,965,227; and No. 5 Indiana University, at $24,560,829. Additionally, Kentucky is home to the highest-valued college basketball program at $342.1 million, according to the Wall Street Journal. Rounding out the top five are Louisville ($320 million), the Indiana ($278 million), Duke ($190 million), and the University of Kansas ($181 million). The calculations come from what each team would be worth on the open market, based on values including revenues and expenses.

In Phoenix, ISM Connect is once again in the headlines as Kyle Busch earns the Phoenix sweep for his 199th win in NASCAR’s top three series. On Sunday, Busch won the TicketGuardian 500 at ISM Raceway. In October, 2017, smart venue technology pioneer ISM Connect signed a multi-year partnership with Phoenix International Raceway. However, this was much more than a naming rights deal – with ISM, the venue has now received a complete face lift in terms of connectivity and providing a 360-degree interactive fan experience. ISM, which works with nearly every NASCAR track, provides a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for venues that includes robust technological solutions that aim to increase attendance and fan engagement. The company will also work its tech magic in minor league baseball venues, starting this year. In other major NASCAR news, the racing circuit announced that it is pulling its annual awards ceremony out of Las Vegas and taking its Champion’s Week to Nashville. The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Awards will be held December 5 at the Music City Center.

While the NBA has a robust social media presence, viewership amongst its “core audience” – 18 to 34 year olds – is down 11% season to date and down almost 50% since 2010. According to JohnWallStreet, the league has over 35 million Instagram followers, 3.8 million fans on TikTok, and “several exclusive” Snapchat shows. But Commissioner Adam Silver acknowledged that the NBA, ESPN, and its partners AT&T and WarnerMedia have yet to figure out how to navigate today’s media landscape. The task at hand is “conditioning a new generation [of fans] that 8 p.m. on Tuesday is 8 p.m. on Tuesday. Because [they’re used to watching content on demand and the game] is perishable.” Silver believes that the NBA can “restore the demographic balance” with a “buy on the fly model” that enables fans to access the league’s most exciting games in progress. While this theory follows the predominant “snackable content” school of thought (aka highlights and look-ins), that tasty bites ultimately lead to fans consuming “meals” (complete games), with a large portion of the target demo opposed to paying for cable, it’s worth wondering if that strategy needs to be revisited.

We’ll miss you, Dan Jenkins. As noted by Swing by Swing and multiple sources, golf lost one of its most accomplished and revered journalists on Thursday night as Dan Jenkins passed away in his hometown of Fort Worth, Texas. He was 89. A career that spanned covering majors from 1951 to 2018 led to his induction in the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2011. Jenkins covered more than 200 majors in his lengthy career, a mark that he figured encompassed nearly five years of his life. He wrote most notably for Sports Illustrated and Golf Digest over more-than-half-century on the golf beat. Aside from his work on the golf beat, Jenkins was the author of more than 20 books, including his most famous, North Dallas Forty and Dead Solid Perfect, a Valentine to Arnold Palmer and other legends of the game. Jenkins’ survivors include daughter Sally, who has followed in her father’s journalistic footsteps as a columnist for The Washington Post. It was touching – and fitting – that Jenkins passed during the tournament of the golfer he most revered and came to call a close friend. The mold is officially broken.

Major League Baseball plans All-Star “Election Day.” As part of sweeping changes to its collective bargaining agreement, MLB and the MLBPA are planning to overhaul All-Star voting and create an Election Day for fans to choose the starters, sources told ESPN. An All-Star Election Day has been discussed but never implemented. Under the proposed plan, standard online voting will take place starting this year. The top three vote-getters at each position in each league would be on the Election Day ballot, and whichever players received the most votes on that single day would determine the All-Star starters. The sides view Election Day as “an opportunity to better engage fans and bring more excitement to the All-Star voting process.” The parties are also “discussing increasing prize money for Home Run Derby participants in hopes of convincing the game’s biggest stars to participate.” MLB and the union have also committed to discussing more complicated economic issues in the midst of the current agreement, which runs through December 2021.  Reaching any significant deal mid-CBA cycle is rare, and reflects that the current unease around today’s evolving free-agent market is not conducive to labor peace.

Ahead of Opening Day, now less than three weeks away, Major League Baseball and the MLBPA are near an agreement to expand active MLB rosters by one, to 26 players, starting in 2020. According to the Associated Press, this is part of a deal that would “include a commitment to discuss larger economic issues after opening day this year.” As part of the deal, the active limit from September 1 to the end of the season would be lowered. The agreement also would include starting extra innings of the All-Star Game with a runner on second base, giving MLB the right to shorten between-inning breaks, and MLB agreeing not to pursue a pitch clock through the 2021 season. Clearly, MLB and its players’ union are in a mutually-beneficial, deal-making mood. All other pro sports leagues, take note.

The Cubs are launching a YouTube Channel as a “precursor” to their new TV network. According to Hashtag Sports, Cubs Productions, which earned Emmys for features on subjects such as Kerry Wood’s 20-strikeout game and the life of scout Sam Hughes, will be producing features for the YouTube channel as well as non-game programming for the Cubs network, to be called the Marquee Sports Network. “It’s really a precursor to our network channel because it’s a chance for us to do long-form programming,” president of business operations Crane Kenney said. The YouTube channel will give them a chance to start stretching their legs a little bit in a more direct-to-consumer way. MLBAM controlled all of the league’s team channels until 2019. But MLB executives realized it would be better for teams to control their channels and create social media content from their employees instead of from a centralized location like New York, where MLB’s corporate offices are located. While other team’s intentions remain to be seen, this initiative couldn’t have come at a better time for the Cubs and their upcoming Marquee Sports network.

[kelseybookies-blog]

The Anatomy Of An Adjustable Rate Mortgage Increase

I'm so excited to share with you something I got in the mail the other day. No, it wasn't a notification that Financial Samurai had won an award for being the best personal finance site. My site is too focused on understanding hard things to make us all rich to appeal to the masses.

Instead, I got something better. It was letter from my bank saying my adjustable rate mortgage interest rate is going up!

This is the first time I've ever received such a letter because, in the past, I would always refinance my 5-year ARM (my preferred ARM term) lower before the fixed period was up.

But with interest rates having moved up since I bought my house in 2014, the logical thing to do was keep holding it until the reset.

The Origins Of Our 5-Year ARM

We bought a San Francisco single family fixer in 1H2014 for $1,250,000. We were tired of living in the north end of San Francisco for the past 9.5 years and wanted a change of scenery.

Originally, we had planned to relocate to Hawaii, but when we found our current house with ocean views, we though this would be a good compromise.

We put down 20% and took out a $992,000 5-year ARM. Originally, I was going to put down 32%, because I had about $430,000 come due from a 4.1% 5-year CD. But with a mortgage rate of only 2.5%, I felt it was worth borrowing more and investing the difference.

The 2.5% mortgage rate was based on the one year LIBOR rate + a 2.25% margin – 0.25% discount for being an excellent customer. Back in 2014, the one year LIBOR rate was at only 0.5%, hence my 2.5% rate.

The London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) is the average interest rate at which leading banks borrow funds from other banks in the London market.

LIBOR is the most widely used global “benchmark” or reference rate for short-term interest rates. Check out the historical one-year LIBOR chart below.

As you can tell from the one-year LIBOR chart, I bottom-ticked my mortgage rate in 2014. Some of you might be thinking that instead of getting a 5/1 ARM, I should have gotten a 30-year fixed rate instead.

But given my strong belief that we will be in a permanently low interest rate environment for the rest of our lives, I felt that paying 0.85% – 1.25% more for a 30-year fixed rate was a waste of money. So my actions followed my brain.

Besides, the average homeownership duration in America is only around 8.7 years. At most, one may consider taking out a 10/1 ARM to match durations.

As I planned to either sell my home within 10 years in order to buy a nicer home in Hawaii or pay off the mortgage during this time frame, to me, taking out a 5/1 ARM was worth the “risk.”

Regardless of whether you want to waste your money on a 30-year fixed mortgage or not, mortgage rates have indeed gone up for all of us since 2014.

Based on the current one year LIBOR rate of ~3.1% + my margin of 2.25% – my 0.25% for being an excellent client, my new mortgage rate should be a reasonable 5.1% when it resets in mid-2019.

If I end up paying 5.1% for the next five years, my average mortgage rate over a 10 year period would be 5.1% + 2.5% = 7.6% /2 = 3.8%. 3.8% is pretty much in-line with the rate I would have gotten if I just locked in a 30-year fixed rate mortgage in 2014.

However, with the money saved from not paying a 30-year fixed mortgage and the $100,000+ less in downpayment, I ended up investing the difference and earned a ~7% return on average from 2014 – 2018 because the stock market went up until 2018. Although I did eek out a 0.8% gain in 2018.

But surprise! I won't be paying an estimated 5.1% mortgage rate in 2019. Instead, my letter says that I'll be paying an estimated 4.5%. Have a look at the portion of the letter below.

The letter clearly states how they calculate my mortgage rate, yet for some reason, they still come up with an estimated rate of 4.5% instead of 5.1%. Perhaps my good customer discount of -0.25% will grow to -0.85% next year? Or perhaps my bank simply made a mistake in their calculation.

No, no. Banks aren't stupid. The reason why my rate only goes up from 2.5% to 4.5% is that under the terms of my mortgage, my ARM can only reset by at most 2% after the initial 5-year fixed rate of 2.5% is up.

This maximum reset amount is pretty standard among ARM loans. But this reset amount is something you must have your bank point out in the document.

The other thing to note is that ARM loans generally have a maximum mortgage interest rate they can charge for the life of your loan. In my case, that maximum is 7.5%, but we're never going to get there in my opinion.

Unfortunately, after one full year at 4.5%, my bank can raise my ARM by another 2%, bringing my mortgage rate up to 6.5% for year seven.

However, I doubt rates will keep on surging higher as the global economy slows. Instead, by the time my ARM reset occurs again in 7/1/2020, we might very well be in a recession with one year LIBOR rates moving back down.

Paying Down Principal

In order to make more money, mortgage brokers and banks LOVE to scare the heck out of inexperienced homebuyers by saying their payments will surge higher once an ARM resets.

They don't show them a 35-year historical chart of declining interest rates. By scaring their customers, they have a higher chance of locking them into 30-year fixed rate mortgages for fatter margins.

Don't be fooled.

Historical 30-year Mortgage Interest Rate Chart

You can see from the letter that despite my mortgage rate increasing from 2.5% to 4.5%, an 80% increase, my monthly payment is only expected to increase from $3,919.60 to $4,079.33, a mere 4% rise.

The reason for the slight increase in monthly mortgage payment is because we've paid down 32% of our loan in 4.5 years ($992,000 down to $734,000).

Paying down over $250,000 in our mortgage was partly due to normal monthly principal payments coupled with random extra principal pay downs. Although the 2.5% interest rate is low, paying down mortgage debt has always been part of my long term investment strategy.

Following my FS-DAIR strategy, I would regularly try and use 25% of my free cash flow to pay down debt and use the other 75% to invest. Again, I'm just taking action based on my own advice.

I kept on paying down principal randomly until the 10-year yield breached 2.5% in December 2017. Once the 10-year yield was higher than 2.5%, I stopped because I was now getting an interest-free mortgage since I could simply invest the amount of my mortgage in a 10-year bond yield to cover all my payments.

Living for free is one of the best things ever!

If I had taken out a 30-year fixed mortgage for 3.625%, I wouldn't have been able to experience interest-free living.

Your mileage will vary in terms of how much principal you actually paid down during the initial fixed rate period of your ARM. However, even if you didn't pay down any extra principal during a five year period, you will have still paid down ~10% of your principal balance, depending on your interest rate.

An Appreciation In Your Home's Value

Even if you've got to pay a higher mortgage rate when your ARM resets, you may be pleased to discover that your home has appreciated in value during the fixed rate period.

The San Francisco median home price increased from $1,100,000 in 2014 to ~$1,500,000 today, or a 37% increase.

A $420,000 principal increase more than makes up for a measly $159.63 monthly increase in mortgage payment, roughly half of which is going to pay down principal anyway.

Again, your home's appreciation amount will vary. Unless you timed your home purchase completely wrong, such as buying in 4Q2006 – 4Q2008 or maybe 1Q2018 (jury is still out), you'll likely come out OK.

Even if you did purchase at the most recent peak, normal downturns usually last no more than 3-5 years with 10% – 20% corrections.

Make A Mortgage Pay Down Plan

Given I have until 7/1/2019 before my mortgage rate jumps from 2.5% to 4.5%, I plan to keep paying my mortgage as usual and not pay anything extra to principal.

As soon as I exhaust all 60 months at 2.5%, I will pay down $50,000 in principal on month 61. After the initial $50,000 extra principal payment, I will keep paying down between $20,000 – $30,000 a month in extra principal until the mortgage is gone or until I find my Hawaiian dream home.

Based on my extra principal payments, the mortgage should be completely paid off by January 2022, or about 7.5 years after I first took out the loan.

Anything can happen between now and January 2022, which is why it's prudent to continue investing and paying down debt while having a good cash hoard. You can now earn a healthy 2.45% in a money market account with CIT Bank, for example. That's huge, since just several years ago, savings rates were under 0.5%.

Earning a 4.5% rate of return is excellent at this stage in the economic cycle, but so is having enough cash to find a gem of a property in Hawaii at a big discount. And boy, am I seeing discounts everywhere now!

The alternative solution to aggressively paying down principal is to simply refinance my mortgage when it's time to reset to another 5/1 ARM.

After checking online for the latest mortgage rates, I can get a 5/1 ARM jumbo for only 3.25%. This means that after 10 years, my blended interest rate is 2.875%. Not bad at all.

Article Summary

1) Match the duration of your mortgage's fixed duration with the estimated ownership duration or the length of time you estimate it will take to pay off the mortgage.

2) Paying for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage might provide you more peace of mind, but you're likely overpaying for that peace of mind.

3) Read the terms of your ARM loan carefully and figure out what is the maximum interest rate increase during the first reset and what is the lifetime interest rate cap.

4) Try to make extra payments during your ARM's fixed rate period to relieve potential interest rate pressure during the reset.

5) Don't borrow more than you can comfortably afford = no greater than a 80% loan-to-value ratio with a 10% cash buffer after a 20% downpayment. Being overly leveraged is what consistently destroys people's finances.

Readers, why do people take out overpriced 30-year fixed rate mortgages when the average homeownership duration is less than 9 years? Why pay a higher rate when interest rates have gone down for 35+ years in a row? 

The post The Anatomy Of An Adjustable Rate Mortgage Increase appeared first on Financial Samurai.

[stephendmoreno1967-blog]

The Anatomy Of An Adjustable Rate Mortgage Increase

I'm so excited to share with you something I got in the mail the other day. No, it wasn't a notification that Financial Samurai had won an award for being the best personal finance site. My site is too focused on understanding hard things to make us all rich to appeal to the masses.

Instead, I got something better. It was letter from my bank saying my adjustable rate mortgage interest rate is going up!

This is the first time I've ever received such a letter because, in the past, I would always refinance my 5-year ARM (my preferred ARM term) lower before the fixed period was up.

But with interest rates having moved up since I bought my house in 2014, the logical thing to do was keep holding it until the reset.

The Origins Of Our 5-Year ARM

We bought a San Francisco single family fixer in 1H2014 for $1,250,000. We were tired of living in the north end of San Francisco for the past 9.5 years and wanted a change of scenery.

Originally, we had planned to relocate to Hawaii, but when we found our current house with ocean views, we though this would be a good compromise.

We put down 20% and took out a $992,000 5-year ARM. Originally, I was going to put down 32%, because I had about $430,000 come due from a 4.1% 5-year CD. But with a mortgage rate of only 2.5%, I felt it was worth borrowing more and investing the difference.

The 2.5% mortgage rate was based on the one year LIBOR rate + a 2.25% margin – 0.25% discount for being an excellent customer. Back in 2014, the one year LIBOR rate was at only 0.5%, hence my 2.5% rate.

The London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) is the average interest rate at which leading banks borrow funds from other banks in the London market.

LIBOR is the most widely used global “benchmark” or reference rate for short-term interest rates. Check out the historical one-year LIBOR chart below.

As you can tell from the one-year LIBOR chart, I bottom-ticked my mortgage rate in 2014. Some of you might be thinking that instead of getting a 5/1 ARM, I should have gotten a 30-year fixed rate instead.

But given my strong belief that we will be in a permanently low interest rate environment for the rest of our lives, I felt that paying 0.85% – 1.25% more for a 30-year fixed rate was a waste of money. So my actions followed my brain.

Besides, the average homeownership duration in America is only around 8.7 years. At most, one may consider taking out a 10/1 ARM to match durations.

As I planned to either sell my home within 10 years in order to buy a nicer home in Hawaii or pay off the mortgage during this time frame, to me, taking out a 5/1 ARM was worth the “risk.”

Regardless of whether you want to waste your money on a 30-year fixed mortgage or not, mortgage rates have indeed gone up for all of us since 2014.

Based on the current one year LIBOR rate of ~3.1% + my margin of 2.25% – my 0.25% for being an excellent client, my new mortgage rate should be a reasonable 5.1% when it resets in mid-2019.

If I end up paying 5.1% for the next five years, my average mortgage rate over a 10 year period would be 5.1% + 2.5% = 7.6% /2 = 3.8%. 3.8% is pretty much in-line with the rate I would have gotten if I just locked in a 30-year fixed rate mortgage in 2014.

However, with the money saved from not paying a 30-year fixed mortgage and the $100,000+ less in downpayment, I ended up investing the difference and earned a ~7% return on average from 2014 – 2018 because the stock market went up until 2018. Although I did eek out a 0.8% gain in 2018.

But surprise! I won't be paying an estimated 5.1% mortgage rate in 2019. Instead, my letter says that I'll be paying an estimated 4.5%. Have a look at the portion of the letter below.

The letter clearly states how they calculate my mortgage rate, yet for some reason, they still come up with an estimated rate of 4.5% instead of 5.1%. Perhaps my good customer discount of -0.25% will grow to -0.85% next year? Or perhaps my bank simply made a mistake in their calculation.

No, no. Banks aren't stupid. The reason why my rate only goes up from 2.5% to 4.5% is that under the terms of my mortgage, my ARM can only reset by at most 2% after the initial 5-year fixed rate of 2.5% is up.

This maximum reset amount is pretty standard among ARM loans. But this reset amount is something you must have your bank point out in the document.

The other thing to note is that ARM loans generally have a maximum mortgage interest rate they can charge for the life of your loan. In my case, that maximum is 7.5%, but we're never going to get there in my opinion.

Unfortunately, after one full year at 4.5%, my bank can raise my ARM by another 2%, bringing my mortgage rate up to 6.5% for year seven.

However, I doubt rates will keep on surging higher as the global economy slows. Instead, by the time my ARM reset occurs again in 7/1/2020, we might very well be in a recession with one year LIBOR rates moving back down.

Paying Down Principal

In order to make more money, mortgage brokers and banks LOVE to scare the heck out of inexperienced homebuyers by saying their payments will surge higher once an ARM resets.

They don't show them a 35-year historical chart of declining interest rates. By scaring their customers, they have a higher chance of locking them into 30-year fixed rate mortgages for fatter margins.

Don't be fooled.

Historical 30-year Mortgage Interest Rate Chart

You can see from the letter that despite my mortgage rate increasing from 2.5% to 4.5%, an 80% increase, my monthly payment is only expected to increase from $3,919.60 to $4,079.33, a mere 4% rise.

The reason for the slight increase in monthly mortgage payment is because we've paid down 32% of our loan in 4.5 years ($992,000 down to $734,000).

Paying down over $250,000 in our mortgage was partly due to normal monthly principal payments coupled with random extra principal pay downs. Although the 2.5% interest rate is low, paying down mortgage debt has always been part of my long term investment strategy.

Following my FS-DAIR strategy, I would regularly try and use 25% of my free cash flow to pay down debt and use the other 75% to invest. Again, I'm just taking action based on my own advice.

I kept on paying down principal randomly until the 10-year yield breached 2.5% in December 2017. Once the 10-year yield was higher than 2.5%, I stopped because I was now getting an interest-free mortgage since I could simply invest the amount of my mortgage in a 10-year bond yield to cover all my payments.

Living for free is one of the best things ever!

If I had taken out a 30-year fixed mortgage for 3.625%, I wouldn't have been able to experience interest-free living.

Your mileage will vary in terms of how much principal you actually paid down during the initial fixed rate period of your ARM. However, even if you didn't pay down any extra principal during a five year period, you will have still paid down ~10% of your principal balance, depending on your interest rate.

An Appreciation In Your Home's Value

Even if you've got to pay a higher mortgage rate when your ARM resets, you may be pleased to discover that your home has appreciated in value during the fixed rate period.

The San Francisco median home price increased from $1,100,000 in 2014 to ~$1,500,000 today, or a 37% increase.

A $420,000 principal increase more than makes up for a measly $159.63 monthly increase in mortgage payment, roughly half of which is going to pay down principal anyway.

Again, your home's appreciation amount will vary. Unless you timed your home purchase completely wrong, such as buying in 4Q2006 – 4Q2008 or maybe 1Q2018 (jury is still out), you'll likely come out OK.

Even if you did purchase at the most recent peak, normal downturns usually last no more than 3-5 years with 10% – 20% corrections.

Make A Mortgage Pay Down Plan

Given I have until 7/1/2019 before my mortgage rate jumps from 2.5% to 4.5%, I plan to keep paying my mortgage as usual and not pay anything extra to principal.

As soon as I exhaust all 60 months at 2.5%, I will pay down $50,000 in principal on month 61. After the initial $50,000 extra principal payment, I will keep paying down between $20,000 – $30,000 a month in extra principal until the mortgage is gone or until I find my Hawaiian dream home.

Based on my extra principal payments, the mortgage should be completely paid off by January 2022, or about 7.5 years after I first took out the loan.

Anything can happen between now and January 2022, which is why it's prudent to continue investing and paying down debt while having a good cash hoard. You can now earn a healthy 2.45% in a money market account with CIT Bank, for example. That's huge, since just several years ago, savings rates were under 0.5%.

Earning a 4.5% rate of return is excellent at this stage in the economic cycle, but so is having enough cash to find a gem of a property in Hawaii at a big discount. And boy, am I seeing discounts everywhere now!

The alternative solution to aggressively paying down principal is to simply refinance my mortgage when it's time to reset to another 5/1 ARM.

After checking online for the latest mortgage rates, I can get a 5/1 ARM jumbo for only 3.25%. This means that after 10 years, my blended interest rate is 2.875%. Not bad at all.

Article Summary

1) Match the duration of your mortgage's fixed duration with the estimated ownership duration or the length of time you estimate it will take to pay off the mortgage.

2) Paying for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage might provide you more peace of mind, but you're likely overpaying for that peace of mind.

3) Read the terms of your ARM loan carefully and figure out what is the maximum interest rate increase during the first reset and what is the lifetime interest rate cap.

4) Try to make extra payments during your ARM's fixed rate period to relieve potential interest rate pressure during the reset.

5) Don't borrow more than you can comfortably afford = no greater than a 80% loan-to-value ratio with a 10% cash buffer after a 20% downpayment. Being overly leveraged is what consistently destroys people's finances.

Readers, why do people take out overpriced 30-year fixed rate mortgages when the average homeownership duration is less than 9 years? Why pay a higher rate when interest rates have gone down for 35+ years in a row? 

The post The Anatomy Of An Adjustable Rate Mortgage Increase appeared first on Financial Samurai.

[tylersharrison32-blog]

The Anatomy Of An Adjustable Rate Mortgage Increase

I'm so excited to share with you something I got in the mail the other day. No, it wasn't a notification that Financial Samurai had won an award for being the best personal finance site. My site is too focused on understanding hard things to make us all rich to appeal to the masses.

Instead, I got something better. It was letter from my bank saying my adjustable rate mortgage interest rate is going up!

This is the first time I've ever received such a letter because, in the past, I would always refinance my 5-year ARM (my preferred ARM term) lower before the fixed period was up.

But with interest rates having moved up since I bought my house in 2014, the logical thing to do was keep holding it until the reset.

The Origins Of Our 5-Year ARM

We bought a San Francisco single family fixer in 1H2014 for $1,250,000. We were tired of living in the north end of San Francisco for the past 9.5 years and wanted a change of scenery.

Originally, we had planned to relocate to Hawaii, but when we found our current house with ocean views, we though this would be a good compromise.

We put down 20% and took out a $992,000 5-year ARM. Originally, I was going to put down 32%, because I had about $430,000 come due from a 4.1% 5-year CD. But with a mortgage rate of only 2.5%, I felt it was worth borrowing more and investing the difference.

The 2.5% mortgage rate was based on the one year LIBOR rate + a 2.25% margin – 0.25% discount for being an excellent customer. Back in 2014, the one year LIBOR rate was at only 0.5%, hence my 2.5% rate.

The London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) is the average interest rate at which leading banks borrow funds from other banks in the London market.

LIBOR is the most widely used global “benchmark” or reference rate for short-term interest rates. Check out the historical one-year LIBOR chart below.

As you can tell from the one-year LIBOR chart, I bottom-ticked my mortgage rate in 2014. Some of you might be thinking that instead of getting a 5/1 ARM, I should have gotten a 30-year fixed rate instead.

But given my strong belief that we will be in a permanently low interest rate environment for the rest of our lives, I felt that paying 0.85% – 1.25% more for a 30-year fixed rate was a waste of money. So my actions followed my brain.

Besides, the average homeownership duration in America is only around 8.7 years. At most, one may consider taking out a 10/1 ARM to match durations.

As I planned to either sell my home within 10 years in order to buy a nicer home in Hawaii or pay off the mortgage during this time frame, to me, taking out a 5/1 ARM was worth the “risk.”

Regardless of whether you want to waste your money on a 30-year fixed mortgage or not, mortgage rates have indeed gone up for all of us since 2014.

Based on the current one year LIBOR rate of ~3.1% + my margin of 2.25% – my 0.25% for being an excellent client, my new mortgage rate should be a reasonable 5.1% when it resets in mid-2019.

If I end up paying 5.1% for the next five years, my average mortgage rate over a 10 year period would be 5.1% + 2.5% = 7.6% /2 = 3.8%. 3.8% is pretty much in-line with the rate I would have gotten if I just locked in a 30-year fixed rate mortgage in 2014.

However, with the money saved from not paying a 30-year fixed mortgage and the $100,000+ less in downpayment, I ended up investing the difference and earned a ~7% return on average from 2014 – 2018 because the stock market went up until 2018. Although I did eek out a 0.8% gain in 2018.

But surprise! I won't be paying an estimated 5.1% mortgage rate in 2019. Instead, my letter says that I'll be paying an estimated 4.5%. Have a look at the portion of the letter below.

The letter clearly states how they calculate my mortgage rate, yet for some reason, they still come up with an estimated rate of 4.5% instead of 5.1%. Perhaps my good customer discount of -0.25% will grow to -0.85% next year? Or perhaps my bank simply made a mistake in their calculation.

No, no. Banks aren't stupid. The reason why my rate only goes up from 2.5% to 4.5% is that under the terms of my mortgage, my ARM can only reset by at most 2% after the initial 5-year fixed rate of 2.5% is up.

This maximum reset amount is pretty standard among ARM loans. But this reset amount is something you must have your bank point out in the document.

The other thing to note is that ARM loans generally have a maximum mortgage interest rate they can charge for the life of your loan. In my case, that maximum is 7.5%, but we're never going to get there in my opinion.

Unfortunately, after one full year at 4.5%, my bank can raise my ARM by another 2%, bringing my mortgage rate up to 6.5% for year seven.

However, I doubt rates will keep on surging higher as the global economy slows. Instead, by the time my ARM reset occurs again in 7/1/2020, we might very well be in a recession with one year LIBOR rates moving back down.

Paying Down Principal

In order to make more money, mortgage brokers and banks LOVE to scare the heck out of inexperienced homebuyers by saying their payments will surge higher once an ARM resets.

They don't show them a 35-year historical chart of declining interest rates. By scaring their customers, they have a higher chance of locking them into 30-year fixed rate mortgages for fatter margins.

Don't be fooled.

Historical 30-year Mortgage Interest Rate Chart

You can see from the letter that despite my mortgage rate increasing from 2.5% to 4.5%, an 80% increase, my monthly payment is only expected to increase from $3,919.60 to $4,079.33, a mere 4% rise.

The reason for the slight increase in monthly mortgage payment is because we've paid down 32% of our loan in 4.5 years ($992,000 down to $734,000).

Paying down over $250,000 in our mortgage was partly due to normal monthly principal payments coupled with random extra principal pay downs. Although the 2.5% interest rate is low, paying down mortgage debt has always been part of my long term investment strategy.

Following my FS-DAIR strategy, I would regularly try and use 25% of my free cash flow to pay down debt and use the other 75% to invest. Again, I'm just taking action based on my own advice.

I kept on paying down principal randomly until the 10-year yield breached 2.5% in December 2017. Once the 10-year yield was higher than 2.5%, I stopped because I was now getting an interest-free mortgage since I could simply invest the amount of my mortgage in a 10-year bond yield to cover all my payments.

Living for free is one of the best things ever!

If I had taken out a 30-year fixed mortgage for 3.625%, I wouldn't have been able to experience interest-free living.

Your mileage will vary in terms of how much principal you actually paid down during the initial fixed rate period of your ARM. However, even if you didn't pay down any extra principal during a five year period, you will have still paid down ~10% of your principal balance, depending on your interest rate.

An Appreciation In Your Home's Value

Even if you've got to pay a higher mortgage rate when your ARM resets, you may be pleased to discover that your home has appreciated in value during the fixed rate period.

The San Francisco median home price increased from $1,100,000 in 2014 to ~$1,500,000 today, or a 37% increase.

A $420,000 principal increase more than makes up for a measly $159.63 monthly increase in mortgage payment, roughly half of which is going to pay down principal anyway.

Again, your home's appreciation amount will vary. Unless you timed your home purchase completely wrong, such as buying in 4Q2006 – 4Q2008 or maybe 1Q2018 (jury is still out), you'll likely come out OK.

Even if you did purchase at the most recent peak, normal downturns usually last no more than 3-5 years with 10% – 20% corrections.

Make A Mortgage Pay Down Plan

Given I have until 7/1/2019 before my mortgage rate jumps from 2.5% to 4.5%, I plan to keep paying my mortgage as usual and not pay anything extra to principal.

As soon as I exhaust all 60 months at 2.5%, I will pay down $50,000 in principal on month 61. After the initial $50,000 extra principal payment, I will keep paying down between $20,000 – $30,000 a month in extra principal until the mortgage is gone or until I find my Hawaiian dream home.

Based on my extra principal payments, the mortgage should be completely paid off by January 2022, or about 7.5 years after I first took out the loan.

Anything can happen between now and January 2022, which is why it's prudent to continue investing and paying down debt while having a good cash hoard. You can now earn a healthy 2.45% in a money market account with CIT Bank, for example. That's huge, since just several years ago, savings rates were under 0.5%.

Earning a 4.5% rate of return is excellent at this stage in the economic cycle, but so is having enough cash to find a gem of a property in Hawaii at a big discount. And boy, am I seeing discounts everywhere now!

The alternative solution to aggressively paying down principal is to simply refinance my mortgage when it's time to reset to another 5/1 ARM.

After checking online for the latest mortgage rates, I can get a 5/1 ARM jumbo for only 3.25%. This means that after 10 years, my blended interest rate is 2.875%. Not bad at all.

Article Summary

1) Match the duration of your mortgage's fixed duration with the estimated ownership duration or the length of time you estimate it will take to pay off the mortgage.

2) Paying for a 30-year fixed rate mortgage might provide you more peace of mind, but you're likely overpaying for that peace of mind.

3) Read the terms of your ARM loan carefully and figure out what is the maximum interest rate increase during the first reset and what is the lifetime interest rate cap.

4) Try to make extra payments during your ARM's fixed rate period to relieve potential interest rate pressure during the reset.

5) Don't borrow more than you can comfortably afford = no greater than a 80% loan-to-value ratio with a 10% cash buffer after a 20% downpayment. Being overly leveraged is what consistently destroys people's finances.

Readers, why do people take out overpriced 30-year fixed rate mortgages when the average homeownership duration is less than 9 years? Why pay a higher rate when interest rates have gone down for 35+ years in a row? 

The post The Anatomy Of An Adjustable Rate Mortgage Increase appeared first on Financial Samurai.