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nataliesnews · 4 years

Text

and a Follow-up

A true and amazing story. First is the email sent to me by a friend followed by my response to him after some research.

Alvin

Subject: Fwd: An Amazing story – Pfizer Vaccine

Hard to read but worth it.

An Amazing story – Pfizer Vaccine

Sixty thousand Jews were in Thessaloniki, Greece on the eve of the outbreak of World War II. A living and vibrant Jewish community. Most of the porters in the port of Thessaloniki were Jews. The port of Thessaloniki was even closed on Saturday. Great rabbis lived there too

It was on this glorious community that the Nazi terror brutally rose.

Hitler took Greece by storm to secure his southern wing before launching Operation Barbarossa and the offensive against Russia.

Out of 60,000 Thessaloniki Jews, about 50,000were exterminated in Birkenau in a very short time…. Few survived.

Among the survivors were the Bourla family.

After the war in 1961 a son was born to the Bourla family. And they named him Israel - Abraham. (Albert).

Albert grew up and studied veterinary medicine. He received his doctorate in reproductive biotechnology from the Aristotle University of Salonika Veterinary School.

At the age of 34 he moved to the United States. He married a Jewish woman named Miriam and had two children.

In the United States, Bourla was integrated into the medical industry. He progressed very quickly and joined the Pfizer company where he became 'Head of Global Vaccines'.

From there, the road is short for his appointment as CEO of Pfizer in 2019.

Throughout the year, Bourla led the company's efforts to find a vaccine for corona in super efforts.

The vaccine that will save the lives of millions of people around the world was led and pushed by a Jew. Son of Holocaust survivors. From Thessaloniki.

His vaccine will also reach Germany, where 1000s have died from Covid, and the vaccine will also save lives there.

And THIS is why Israel is becoming the first country to receive the vaccine. In memory of Albert’s grandparents.

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-----Original Message----- From: [email protected] Sent: Fri, Mar 5, 2021 1:26 pm Subject: Fwd: A follow-up An Amazing story – Pfizer Vaccine

Your email describing Albert Bourla's story of his family gave me the inspiration to look into it further and what follows is an expansion of his family's story.

Albert Bourla: My Family’s Story: Why We Remember

This week, as we do every year, we commemorated International Holocaust Remembrance Day so that the stories of the victims and survivors are never forgotten. Yesterday, I was deeply honored to join the Sephardic Heritage International in DC ‘s Annual Congressional Holocaust Commemoration to share my family’s story in connection with the Holocaust.

You can watch me deliver my remarks or read them below.

Remembrance. It’s this word, perhaps more than any other, that inspired me to share my parents’ story. That’s because I recognize how fortunate I am that my parents shared their stories with me and the rest of our family.

Many Holocaust survivors never spoke to their children of the horrors they endured because it was too painful. But we talked about it a great deal in my family. Growing up in Thessaloniki, Greece, we would get together with our cousins on the weekends, and my parents, aunts and uncles would often share their stories.

They did this because they wanted us to remember. To remember all the lives that were lost. To remember what can happen when the virus of evil is allowed to spread unchecked. But, most important, to remember the value of a human life.

You see, when my parents spoke of the Holocaust, they never spoke of anger or revenge. They didn’t teach us to hate those who did this to our family and friends. Instead they spoke of how lucky they were to be alive … and how we all needed to build on that feeling, celebrate life and move forward. Hatred would only stand in the way.

So, in that spirit, I’m here to share the story of Mois and Sara Bourla, my beloved parents.

Our ancestors had fled Spain in the late 15th century, after King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella issued the Alhambra Decree, which mandated that all Spanish Jews either convert to Catholicism or be expelled from the country. They eventually settled in the Ottoman Thessaloniki, which later became part of Greece following its liberation from the Ottoman Empire in 1912.

Before Hitler began his march through Europe, there was a thriving Sephardic Jewish community in Thessaloniki. So much so that it was known as “La Madre de Israel” or “The Mother of Israel.” Within a week of the occupation, however, the Germans had arrested the Jewish leadership, evicted hundreds of Jewish families and confiscated their apartments. And it took them less than three years to accomplish their goal of exterminating the community. When the Germans invaded Greece, there were approximately 50,000 Jews living in the city. By the end of the war, only 2,000 had survived.

Lucky for me, both of my parents were among the 2,000.

My father’s family, like so many others, had been forced from their home and taken to a crowded house within one of the Jewish ghettos. It was a house they had to share with several other Jewish families. They could circulate in and out of the ghetto, as long as they were wearing the yellow star.

But one day in March 1943, the ghetto was surrounded by occupation forces, and the exit was blocked. My father, Mois, and his brother, Into, were outside when this happened. When they approached, they met their father, who also was outside. He told them what was happening and asked them to leave and hide. But he had to go in because his wife and his two other children were home. Later that day, my grandfather, Abraham Bourla, his wife, Rachel, his daughter, Graciela, and his younger son, David, were taken to a camp outside the train station. From there they left for Auschwitz-Birkenau. Mois and Into never saw them again.

The same night, my father and uncle escaped to Athens, where they were able to obtain fake IDs with Christian names. They got the IDs from the head of police, who at the time was helping Jews escape the persecution of the Nazis. They lived there until the end of the war … all the while having to pretend that they were not Jews … that they were not Mois and Into – but rather Manolis and Vasilis.

When the German occupation ended, they went back to Thessaloniki and found that all their property and belongings had been stolen or sold. With nothing to their name, they started from scratch, becoming partners in a successful liquor business that they ran together until they both retired.

My mom’s story also was one of having to hide in her own land … of narrowly escaping the horrors of Auschwitz … and of family bonds that sustained her spirit and, quite literally, saved her life.

Like my father’s family, my mom’s family was relocated to a house within the ghetto. My mother was the youngest girl of seven children. Her older sister had converted to Christianity to marry a Christian man she had fallen in love with before the war, and she and her husband were living in another city where no one knew that she had previously been a Jew. At that time mixed weddings were not accepted by society, and my grandfather wouldn’t talk to his eldest daughter because of this.

But when it became clear that the family was going to head to Poland, where the Germans had promised a new life in a Jewish settlement, my grandfather asked his eldest daughter to come and see him. In this last meeting they ever had, he asked her to take her youngest sister – my mom – with her.

There my mom would be safe because no one knew that she or her sister were of Jewish heritage. The rest of the family went by train straight to Auschwitz-Birkenau.

Toward the end of the war, my mom’s brother-in-law was transferred back to Thessaloniki. People knew my mom there, so she had to hide in the house 24 hours a day out of fear of being recognized and turned over to the Germans. But she was still a teenager, and every so often, she would venture outside. Unfortunately, during one of those walks, she was spotted and arrested.

She was sent to a local prison. It was not good news. It was well known that every day around noon, some of the prisoners would be loaded on a truck to be transferred to another location where the next dawn they would be executed. Knowing this, her brother-in-law, my dearest Christian uncle, Kostas Dimadis, approached Max Merten, a known war criminal who was in charge of the Nazi occupation forces in the city.

He paid Merten a ransom in exchange for his promise that my mom would not be executed. But her sister, my aunt, didn’t trust the Germans. So, she would go to the prison every day at noon to watch as they loaded the truck that would transfer the prisoners to the execution site. And one day she saw what she had been afraid of: my mom being put on the truck.

She ran home and told her husband who immediately called Merten. He reminded him of their agreement and tried to shame him for not keeping his word. Merten said he would look into it and then abruptly hung up the phone.

That night was the longest in my aunt and uncle’s life because they knew the next morning, my mom would likely be executed. The next day – on the other side of town – my mom was lined up against a wall with other prisoners. And moments before she would have been executed, a soldier on a BMW motorcycle arrived and handed some papers to the man in charge of the firing squad.

They removed from the line my mom and another woman. As they rode away, my mom could hear the machine gun fire slaughtering those that were left behind. It’s a sound that stayed with her for the rest of her life.

Two or three days later, she was released from prison. And just a few weeks after that, the Germans left Greece.

Fast forward eight years and my parents were introduced by their families in a typical-for-the-time matchmaking. They liked each other and agreed to marry. They had two children – me and my sister, Seli.

My father had two dreams for me. He wanted me to become a scientist and was hoping I would marry a nice Jewish girl. I am happy to say that he lived long enough to see both dreams come true. Unfortunately, he died before our children were born ... but my mom did live long enough to see them, which was the greatest of blessings.

So, that is the story of Mois and Sara Bourla. It’s a story that had a great impact on my life and my view of the world, and it is a story that, for the first time today, I share publicly.

However, when I received the invitation to speak at this event – at this moment in time when racism and hatred are tearing at the fabric of our great nation – I felt it was the right time to share the story of two simple people who loved, and were loved by, their family and friends. Two people who stared down hatred and built a life filled with love and joy. Two people whose names are known by very few … but whose story has now been shared with the members of the United States Congress – the world’s greatest and most just legislative body. And that makes their son very proud.

This brings me back to remembrance. As time marches on and today’s event shrinks in our rearview mirrors, I wouldn’t expect you to remember my parents’ names, but I implore you to remember their story. Because remembering gives each of us the conviction, the courage and the compassion to take the necessary actions to ensure their story is never repeated.

Thank you again for the invitation to speak today. And thank you for remembering.

Stay safe and stay well.

#Albert Bourla

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a-splash-of-stucky · 7 years

Text

Operation Soulmate | Five

Pairings: Steve x Reader || Steve x Bucky || Bucky x Nat

Summary: A visit to your sister’s house leads to an astonishing discovery

Warnings: None.

Notes: For @marvelous-fvcks‘ writing challenge, with the prompt ‘Heart’.

Also, I couldn’t come up with any other name for the stone that I liked, but the name I chose is NOT a reference to the Infinity Stone of the same name (you’ll get what this means when you read the chapter).

Operation Soulmate Masterlist

It’s been three days since your run in with Natasha. So far, you’ve been successful at keeping Steve out of Bucky’s business, though it pains you to have to lie to him. You’ve claimed that he needs to switch things up for a bit and play hard to get.

“I just think that maybe we’re trying too hard, Stevie,” you’d told him, as you lay sprawled out on your couch with your feet in his lap. “Maybe we should back off for a while, see if he comes to you,”.

“But what if he doesn’t?” Steve asked, idly tracing patterns on your calf with his fingers. “What if he doesn’t get the message?”.

“Well, we won’t know until we try, Steve,” you pointed out. “Just give it a week, see what happens. If he doesn’t do anything, well—then we’ll go back to what we were doing before,”.

“If that’s what you think is best,”, he sighed, shrugging nonchalantly.

Since then, you’ve been avoiding Steve and Natasha like the plague, busying yourself in Tony’s lab whenever you can, and training with Wanda in the compound gardens when you can’t. You’re aware that this is only a temporary solution — sooner or later, you’re going to have to face the music — but or now, any chance to avoid lying to Steve’s face is a chance that you’ll take without a moment of hesitation.

When your sister, Mia, calls you to say that she’s found some of your things stashed away in her spare room, you very nearly weep with relief. It’s the distraction you’ve been praying for.

“Can you come by anytime soon to collect it?” Mia asks, “It’s just—baby number three is coming in a few months, and Neil and I want to turn this room—Jason, will you stop, give that to mummy, please? Oh, hang on a minute, Y/N—,”. Mia sets her phone down and for a while, all you can hear is her muffled voice as she tries to reason with your oldest nephew.

A minute later, she picks the phone up and huffs out a breath of air. “Right, hi, Y/N, what was I saying?” she asks breathlessly. “Oh, right, yes, spare room. Your things. We want to convert it into the nursery, so—,”.

“You need me to move my things out,” you finish, nodding in understanding.

“Please. Can you?”

“Of course! I’m free today, actually. I’ll leave now,” you tell her, already walking around your room in search of your keys.

“Really?” she gushes, “Oh, Y/N, that’s wonderful! Thank you so much!”. The squawk of an indignant baby sings through the line. “Oh, that’s Maisie, look, hun, I’ve gotta go, just let yourself in when you get here, ‘kay?”

“Sure thing, Mia. See ya,”

“Bye!”

After locating your keys and purse, you change into a pair of distressed jeans and a simple black t-shirt with a hoodie thrown on top. You haven’t seen your sister or her children for over a month, so this visit is well overdue. The timing couldn’t have been more perfect — you’ve been itching for an excuse to get out of the compound, away from all the drama surrounding Steve, Nat and Bucky. You plan on staying at your sister’s house for as long as she’ll let you.

——————————

You’ve borrow one of Tony’s cars — a sleek black BMW — to drive to your sister’s place. It’s just under forty minutes away from the compound, in a quaint little suburb, where all the houses are decked out with pristine white picket fences and neatly-trimmed lawns.

When you let yourself into Mia’s house, you are greeted by excited squeals, as three-year-old Jason comes thundering down the hallway, hands outstretched to grab you. “Auntie Y/N!” he shrieks, giving you a big toothy grin as he wraps his arms around your legs and jumps up and down excitedly.

“Hey sweetie,” you giggle, crouching down to give him a hug. Mia rounds the corner just then, baby Maisie hoisted on her waist.

“Y/N!” she greets, “Thanks for coming,”. She stretches her arm out to the side and you stand up to give her a brief hug.

“Hello Maisie,” you coo, running your fingers through her soft curls. She gurgles happily at you, waving the biscuit she’s clutching in her fist around.

“How’s the pregnancy going?” you ask, running your hand gently over Mia’s barely-rounded belly.

Mia groans. “I’m so tired all the time,” she admits, “But besides that, it’s okay. Not too nauseous this time ‘round,”. She begins to sway her body back and forth as Maisie starts snuffling and rubbing her eyes. “Okay, I’ve gotta put these two down for a nap, but I’ll come join you after, okay?”

“Sure thing,” you agree, turning to head up the stairs, Jason trailing along after you. “Where exactly is my stuff?”

“Oh, there’re a couple of boxes stashed in the corner of the room,” she replies, “You can’t miss them, they’ve got your name on,”.

“Okay, thanks,”.

——————————

The boxes are enormous.

You lug the first one into the centre of the room and use your key to slice open the tape holding it shut. Inside are some trinkets that used to decorate your bedroom; a poster of your favourite band, some pictures of you and your friends, the funky elephant ornament that someone had given you as a birthday present and so many other items that bring back a whole host of memories.

Your family had spent months searching for you all those years ago, when you were kidnapped by an eccentric science-cult. After a year with no leads, the investigation came to a grinding halt and you were presumed dead. Grief-stricken, your parents had sold off or donated most of your things, only saving a handful of your most treasured items in these boxes.

You set about splitting the items into piles. Some things — like the little scrapbook you made with your friends when you were fifteen — are definitely worth keeping. They’re coming back with you to the compound, if you can find something to carry them in. Other things — like your baby clothes and your first pair of shoes — would probably be more appreciated elsewhere.

Mia pads into the room when you’re nearing the end of the first box, perching herself on the stool beside the dressing table, one hand resting protectively over her belly.

“You doin’ okay?” Mia asks softly.

“Yeah. It’s kinda weird looking through my old stuff,” you admit, “I don’t remember much about…that life. It seems so distant,”.

She nods sympathetically. “Yeah, I can understand why,” she murmurs.

You sort through the last few items in quick succession, then turn to the other box, slicing the tape open in much the same way you did with the first. The first item you pull out is a small, blue, velvet box. Inside is a stunning ring; white gold, with clusters of diamonds surrounding an enormous aquamarine gem in the centre. It’s not yours, that’s for sure.

“This was Nana’s, wasn’t it?” you ask, turning the box around so that Mia can see the jewellery inside it. A wistful smile crosses her face when she catches sight of the ring.

“Yeah,” she answers, “She wanted you to have it,”.

“Oh,” you breathe, running your thumb over the smooth band. Your maternal grandmother had died of cancer whilst you were in captivity. The two of you had been pretty close, so you were distraught when discovered that you hadn’t been able to properly say goodbye to her. She was a charismatic woman, but what fascinated you most about her was the soulmate bond she had with your grandfather — it had seemed so strange and mystical to you. This ring is a trinket you’ll treasure forever.

“Pull it out, I wanna see what is look like on,” Mia urges. You acquiesce her request, sliding the delicate band onto your right ring finger. To your astonishment, the gem in the centre begins to change into a brighter shade of blue upon contact with your skin.

“Mia!” you cry, thrusting your hand into her face, “Wha—what’s going on?”.

She is as stunned as you are, mouth gaping open and eyes as wide as saucers. Thinking that perhaps it’s just a trick of the light, you slide the ring off, twisting and turning in the sunlight spilling through the window. You are unable to recreate that same bright blue glow, but it comes back when you slip the ring back onto your finger. You stare at Mia in shock, using your eyes to silently plead with her to explain what’s going on.

“Oh my god,” she breathes, after a tense moment of silence. Mia runs her fingers through her hair and breathes out slowly, trying to collect her thoughts. She swallows, then looks at you with a level gaze. “You know that Nana and Papa were soulmates, right?” she asks. At your nod, she continues. “Well, that ring you’re holding is a Soul Ring. The gem in the centre is a Soul Stone,”.

“A Soul Stone,” you repeat, staring at the ring on your finger in disbelief. “I thought they didn’t exist anymore!”

“They’re a rarity,” Mia corrects you, “Hard to find, but there’re still some floating around. Most of the ones on the market nowadays are just pimped up mood rings,”. She jerks her chin towards the ring, “But Nana’s is genuine, passed down as a family heirloom,”.

Soul Stones, much like soulmates themselves, are one of the few remaining mysteries in the modern world — the only real evidence that magic exists. Or, well, existed. Though the origins of Soul Stones are largely unknown, researchers have concluded that they are imbued with some type of ancient, long-forgotten magic. These Stones — and the Rings fashioned from them — are the only way for a person to definitively know if they have a soulmate or not. The gem’s colour will change as the wearer of the ring nears their soulmate; you’ve seen this phenomenon happening with your own eyes. The memory is foggy, but you seem to recall this very same ring on your grandmother’s finger changing from its usual blue to a paler green whenever she was around your grandfather. You’d never heard of a stone glowing before, though.

“What does it mean when it glows, Mia?” you ask hesitantly, hating how your voice comes out like a timid four-year-old’s.

Mia draws her bottom lip between her teeth and tilts her head to the side before answering. “Well, if I’m not mistaken,” she says slowly, “I think it means that you have soulmate,”.

“What?” you gasp.

She smiles brightly. “The universe has granted you a wonderful gift, Y/N. You’ve got a soulmate. He or she is out there, you just gotta find them,”.

“Tell me more,” you beg, scooting closer until you’re practically sitting on her feet. “Please, Mia, you’ve always known more about this than I did. Tell me,”. Mia is eight years older than you, meaning that she’s spent more time with your grandmother, and has had more of a chance to learn about soulmate-lore through firsthand account. Beyond that, you know that Mia’s read heavily around the subject, as it was a key part of her university dissertation. If there’s anyone who can explain this to you, it’s Mia.

“Okay, okay,” she laughs, ruffling your hair affectionately. “Calm down, will you? You’re just as bad as Jason, I swear,”.

“Sorry,” you mumble, smiling at her sheepishly.

Mia takes a deep breath and starts to idly comb her fingers through your hair. “Well, the first thing you need to know is that there’s still a lot of confusion surrounding soulmate-lore,” she begins. “There are so many conflicting schools of thought, because no one really knows how all of this works. I’m just going to give you some of the generally accepted principles, but if you want to know more, I can lend you a couple of books, deal?”

“Deal,” you reply, looking up at her expectantly.

“Good. Okay, let’s start with how soulmate pairs work,” Mia says. As she speaks, she seems to sit up a little straighter, like she’s steeling herself to deliver a well-prepared speech. “A soulmate pair is described as a pair of people — of the same sex or not — whose auras are compatible with each other. What’s an aura, you ask?”

“I didn’t,” you mutter.

“I’m going to pretend you did, and I’m going to answer by saying that your aura is the…energy that your body emits, okay? That’s the simplest way to think of it,” Mia explains.

“Soulmates are two people whose energies mesh with each other. Got it,” you confirm, nodding your head resolutely.

“Right. Now, the universe, somehow, magically knows when two auras are compatible with each other, and it will endeavour to set up events to bring the two of you together—,”.

“Like fate?”

A pinched look comes over her face. “‘’Guess you could call it that. But ‘fate’ makes it sound like an inevitability, and soulmate pairs don’t always end up together. But we’ll get to that in a minute,” she says. Mia pauses for a minute, absentmindedly twisting together strands of your hair as she ponders her next words.

“So, that’s what soulmates are. Now, how do the Soul Stones come in? Well, the Stone is able to sense the aura of the wearer—,”

“Through magical means?” you interrupt.

“Yes, via magical means, and it can sense whether or not the aura of the wearer is, for want of a better word, incomplete,”.

“Incomplete?” you echo softly.

Mia nods. “Meaning, not with your other half, or away from your mate. Soulmates, as they are part of a pair, will have incomplete auras. And, as a way to notify you of this incompleteness, the Stone will begin to glow, or change hue whenever it is worn,”.

You frown, brows drawing together in disapproval. “‘Incomplete auras’ doesn’t sound like a good thing,” you mutter.

She huffs impatiently. “Okay, well, incomplete is perhaps the wrong word to describe it. It’s more like…unfulfilled, I guess. Not living up to your highest potential. Which is not a bad thing, it’s just…undesirable,”.

“So…it’s okay to have an incomplete aura?” you ask, still slightly mystified by all this soulmate-lore.

“Yes!” Mia says firmly, “There’s nothing wrong with you if your aura is incomplete. You’ll just….” her voice trails off and her hands gesture wildly as she searches for the right word. “You’ll just feel this restlessness inside you, I suppose,”, she says finally.

“Right. Okay,” you murmur under your breath. Then, raising your voice so that Mia can hear you, you ask anxiously, “So, what about this changing colour business. I’m not wrong, right? They do change colour?”

Mia nods, “Yes, yes they do. And how it works, again, no one knows for certain, but the general idea goes something like this: the Stone senses the aura of the wearer. And, as you draw nearer to your soulmate, you aura is changing—,”.

“Becoming more complete?” you interject.

“Exactly. And because the Stone can sense this whole-ness in your aura, it will change colour. The more whole your aura becomes — in other words, the closer you get to your mate — the brighter the colour will be,”.

You hum thoughtfully, twisting the ring on your finger as you turn over her words in your head. “Is there any other way of knowing that you have a mate?” you question.

“Nothing definitive,” Mia replies. She chuckles dryly, “From what I’ve read, it largely depends on the pair. Some people have described it as a tugging in their heart or gut. Other have found that they have an inexplicable pull to a particular place. I’ve heard of people feeling those stereotypical ‘sparks’ when their skin touches. A lot of people experience less obvious things, like an accelerated pulse, or giddiness, or breaking out in cold sweat,”. Mia laughs mirthlessly, “In fact, there have been cases where people say they don’t feel anything at all!”

“Gee, that’s real helpful,” you drawl, rolling your eyes sarcastically.

“I know right?” Mia snorts. “The point is, there’s no way to know for sure if you’ve found your mate, unless you’ve got a genuine Stone on you,”.

“You said mates don’t always find each other…?”

“I did,”. Mia shakes her head sadly, “The universe, like I said, tries to bring a soulmate pair together, and it does so by pulling your auras towards each other,”. Her hands start moving animatedly, to emphasise her point. “But certain things can alter the aura of a person, making the…pull of the auras, or their attraction to each other less strong. In these cases, soulmates find it harder to meet their pair,”.

“What kind of things?” you ask curiously.

“Medication, mental illnesses,” she pauses, eyes narrowing as she thinks. “If your mate is in love with someone else, that could also be a dampener,”.

“That sucks,” you grumble, scrunching your nose in discontent.

“It does suck,” Mia agrees. “And, I should point out, that because of the sheer number of people on this planet, the, I guess, ‘signal’ of your soulmate’s aura is lost amongst a lot of static, which just makes it that much harder to find them,”, she adds.

“I see,” you hum, chewing your lip thoughtfully. A moment of silence passes between the two of you, as you let your mind absorb all this new information.

“So really, despite the fact that you are meant for each other, the odds of you finding your mate are pretty slim, Y/N,” Mia sighs, stroking your check tenderly.

“It’d be nice to have a mate, though,” you murmur dreamily, thinking back to how happy your grandparents were. They were so attuned to each others needs. As a couple, they weren’t necessarily more in love, or happier than your parents or other couples you knew, but you could always sense this underlying contentedness in their relationship, that seemed to be lacking in others.

Mia’s sharp gaze snaps towards you when she hears your words. “Don’t get obsessed about this, Y/N,” she warns, her dark tone drawing you back to the present. “People have gone mad, or worse, died, because they’ve gone on elaborate quests trying to find their soulmate. You don’t need to find your soulmate in order to live a happy life, okay?”. Without warning, she leans down and slings her arms around your shoulders, pulling you in for a crushing hug. “I’ve already lost you once,” she whispers fiercely, “I can’t go through that again,”.

“I know,” you breathe, leaning into her touch and wrapping your arms around her as best as you can. “I won’t. I promise I won’t,”.

The room is silent for a while as Mia holds you in her arms, burying her nose in the crook of your neck. She’s breathing deeply, as if trying to compose herself. You just close your eyes and rest your cheek against her head, letting her embrace you for as long as she needs to. Finally, Mia releases you, discreetly brushing the back of her hand over her eyes as she sits up. “Sorry,” she mumbles, laughing weakly. “Okay. I’ll let you finish up in here, yeah? Will you stay for dinner? The kids’ll love that,”.

“Of course!” you reply, a broad grin spreading over your face, “I’d love to stay,”.

“Great,” says Mia, returning your smile. With a great groan, she heaves her herself off the stool and heads over to the door. “Come down whenever you’re done. I’ve got laundry to fold!”

“Okay!” you call, turning back towards the second box.

Left alone to your thoughts, you mull over the ring now on your finger. Where the stone had previously been a lovely azure blue whilst the ring was in the box, it has now morphed into a brighter cerulean colour, indicating that somewhere in the world, your soulmate awaits you. You can’t help but wonder who they might be, what they might look like, whether or not they know that they have a soulmate.

Could they possibly be someone you know?

That question pushes you into another line of thinking.

You wonder if you should ask Steve to wear the ring. Though he doesn’t believe in the notion of soulmates, it can’t hurt to see if he does have one. And, even if the ring does glow, that’s not definitive enough evidence in support of your hypothesis that Bucky is his soulmate. You could try to convince him to wear the ring around Bucky, perhaps, to see if it changes colour. If your hunch turns out to be correct, and Bucky is, in fact, his soulmate, then maybe that’s all you’ll need, to help bring Steve the happiness he deserves.

Though of course, that still leaves you with the uncomfortable situation of dealing with Natasha.

It’s possible, though, that once Nat realises what Bucky is to Steve, she’ll be willing to let them be together, and Operation Soulmate — ha! How fitting the name proved out to be — will have its happy ending, after all.

You have to remind yourself that all of this is hypothetical, and that the end result is riding on a long string of ‘what ifs?’, but you can’t help but feel a little bit optimistic, nonetheless.

The door creaks open just then, and a sleepy-eyed Jason comes padding in, clutching his stuffed monkey close to his chest. “Auntie Y/N?” he mumbles, ambling over to your side. When he sees the piles of your stuff spread around you, his face immediately perks up, eyes coming alight with interest. “Wha’s dat?” he asks, pointing towards the ring on your finger.

“It’s a ring, Jason,” you reply, petting his hair fondly.

“Shiny,” he coos, poking it with one stubby digit.

You laugh. “Yes. Shiny. You wanna help me look through my things?”

“Yeah!” he cries, plopping himself on the floor beside you and clapping his hands eagerly

You shove thoughts about soulmates and complicated love triangles into the back of your head, telling yourself that there is plenty of time to worry about that later. For now, you have one wide-awake nephew to entertain and a whole box of memories to look through. It’s a distraction that you need to savour for as long as possible.

----------------------- Tagging: @hollycornish @awinterloveuniverse @aquabrie @onceuponahiddleston @bi-diana-prince @after-avenging-hours @patzammit @braelyn250 @theoutlinez @toc1985 @girlyfandomfighter13 @winchestersmut @wildefire @mynameischica

#amarvelousfvckingwritingchallenge #marvelous-fvcks #steve x reader #natasha x reader #steve rogers fanfiction #steve rogers imagines #steve angst #natasha angst #my writing #operation soulmate #reader x OC #apologies this didn't go out earlier #i think tumblr ate my post

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typetwofun · 4 years

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Adventures in Learning with A Vintage Motorcycle

this post should take ~9 minutes to read

My first ride on a motorcycle on a public road was terrifying. After obtaining my license via a weekend class that took place entirely in a high school parking lot, I had purchased a Honda CB250 Nighthawk on Craigslist. Get License - check, purchase motorcycle - check. Next item on the list is to take this thing on the road...

During my maiden voyage I came face-to-face with the reality that these 2,000 pound death machines some people refer to as cars were trying to kill me at every turn. This was unsettling at first but after a couple miles I gained confidence and felt more comfortable maneuvering around my adversaries who seemed to have every intention of ending my life. I also started to have a lot of fun and understand the allure of the two-wheeler. Although I mainly purchased a motorcycle as an affordable way to get around Atlanta, I was beginning to get the idea that riding a motorcycle was going to now be a part of my life.

“When you let a motorcycle into your life you're changed forever. The letters "MC" are stamped on your driver's license right next to your sex and height as if "motorcycle" was just another of your physical characteristics, or maybe a mental condition.”

"Season of the Bike" by Dave Karlotski

Fast Forward two years and I’m living in Brooklyn. I sold my Knighthawk before I moved and I was kicking around the idea of buying another motorcycle to allow myself some more freedom to explore NYC. In the year of learning how to ride in Atlanta I became attracted to vintage bikes. Every time I saw an old touring bike from the 60’s or 70’s I was envious and I had decided my next bike would be something from that era. After another period of scouring Craigslist and a couple friends persistently coaxing me to get a bike, I became the owner of a burnt orange 1977 BMW R75/7.

I thought I was purchasing a classic motorcycle that would take me to the farthest reaches of the NYC metro area and beyond. I would get plenty of looks speeding around the city on this museum piece as old guys nodded their heads in approval. But what I actually purchased was more like a new puppy that constantly needed my attention. Purchasing this BMW began a two year crash course on the fundamentals of the /7 (pronounced “slash seven”) and the proper care and maintenance required to keep it on the road.

The reason I share this long back story is because I never intended to do significant work on my motorcycle. I might have romanced the thought of changing the oil and doing little projects here or there but I grossly underestimated the time investment becoming a useful mechanic requires. These series of fortunate or unfortunate events, depending on how you look at it, led me to buying a bike that was going to need a lot of work. I started off small projects like replacing the fuel lines and adjusted the timing which gave me the confidence to begin working on larger and larger projects. Eventually I was tearing the bike down to the engine block and more importantly putting it all back together correctly. As someone who lacks significant experience working on engines, this kind of undertaking required a great deal of effort and if I have gained anything while refurbishing this classic motorcycle, it is how to learn a new skill.

When Was The Last Time I Learned A New Skill?

Learning any new skill is especially difficult when you are quite literally getting your hands (and clothes) dirty and spending long hours of your precious weekend in the garage with nothing to show for it except frustration, fatigue, and an unquenchable thirst for cocktails. As time goes on you have fewer and fewer days filled with frustration and eventually have enough knowledge that you might be so bold to consider yourself “useful” which is a rather satisfying feeling.

When I sat back and thought about it I haven’t learned a completely new skill in a meaningful way since I graduated from college. Sure I have learned little things like how to shoot a rifle, brine a turkey and how to catch a wave on a surfboard. But learning how to tear apart an old engine and put it back together correctly is a rather large undertaking and seemed intimidating to an inexperienced mechanic.

Why Learn a New Skill, Anyways?

As I expressed earlier, my intention was never to learn how to rebuild old engines. When you leave the part of life where you quit asking “will this be on the test?” there does not seem to be a great incentive to learn new things other than to make more money or for leisure activities and enjoyment. This may be the prevailing wisdom, but through this process I have discovered there is quite a bit to be gained by doing my own motorcycle maintenance beyond having a bike that works (most of the time).

Confidence to Solve Other Problems - Demystifying the /7 has helped me gain confidence that I can most likely find a solution when confronted with other technical problems. Armed with an internet connection we are able to find an answer to many of the technical challenges life throws at us. Almost everything we encounter in our world is part of a system or is a product of some kind of process that we can figure out. Whether it’s how to play a Beatles song on a guitar or play a Beatles song from your phone in a rental car via the touch screen display while driving, the answer is out there and you can probably find it.

The Pleasure of Figuring Things Out - Nothing quite beats the dopamine hit after having a breakthrough on a problem you have been working on for hours or maybe even weeks. There have been times where I thought to myself that I need to sell my bike and get something more modern and reliable. Every time a problem made itself evident I hunkered down and attempted to fix it and up to this point I have been successful and finding the solution (knock on wood).

Oh, one more thing, the beer at the end of the day always tastes better after finding a solution to the day’s problem.

It’s Good to Be Uncomfortable - there were many times when I got to a point in a repair job and I became nearly paralyzed with doubt. What if I break this piece? What if when I’m done I realize I need to go back in and redo it? What if I do permanent damage to the bike? What if I get in over my head and I need to burden a friend with helping me or pay a mechanic? And on and on it goes.

I learned somewhere along the way that this unsettling feeling is actually where the magic happens. You are experiencing the fear of the unknown and the only way to rectify that is to figure it out. We have many great resources like YouTube, User Manuals and experts that we can reference but sometimes the only way out is through.

The more I experienced this sensation the more familiar I became with it and the less intimidating the fear of the unknown became. Every other time I was at a supposed dead end I found a way out. Especially with a low stakes hobbyist project, it’s not scary, it’s just part of the process.

Use Your Brain In A Different Way - Like most of you, I spend my work days in front of a computer. Computers are incredible and allow us to get many things done in a short amount of time, but after a long day in front of the screen, my brain also feels like a giant pile of mush. When I spend an afternoon in the garage I may be physically tired at the end of the day but my brain does not feel like it needs to shut down and watch TV for an hour or two before bed. The tangibility of your progress and the ability to physically deconstruct and later reconstruct something is quite rewarding.

Enjoying the Fruits of Your Labor - There is an indiescribale feeling when you begin the day with a machine that is not functioning properly or sometimes at all and ending the day riding that very machine with an understanding of what is happening beneath you to make you go. Similar feelings are closing your first sale in a business you started or presenting a dish you learned how to prepare at a dinner party.

How I learned

I was a lousy student when I was in school. For me, the studying techniques of rote memorization or sitting through lectures don’t usually deliver the desired results of truly understanding new information that I have been presented. I have found that I absorb information much better by watching someone demonstrate the proper way to do something and then I attempt to to try to replicate it. This style of learning lends itself much better to the hard sciences than for other disciplines such as history or sociology.

YouTube - It’s hard for me to imagine what it was like to fix motorcycles or an issue with any appliance before YouTube. The catalogue of high definition videos on any given topic never ceases to amaze me and some even provide enormous entertainment value (exhibit A and Exhibit B). Access to this information is perhaps humanity's greatest achievement (sorry wheel and alcohol). I have gained a new appreciation for YouTube’s utility throughout the rebuild of my bike and its applications which are seemingly limitless. There is no greater resource for learning how something should be done than having a more experienced human walk you through the process on demand for almost no cost.

Mentorship - YouTube and internet forums are great for what they are, but when you’re really stuck there is still nothing that replaces a more experienced human to help you get unstuck. I have had the good fortune of making friends with several hobbyist mechanics who are far more experienced and knowledgeable than I am. Sometimes you can get yourself 90% of the way there, but it takes a “teacher” to uncover what you’re missing or to think of it in a different way.

The money you can invest in mentorship or lessons will return enormous dividends whether you’re learning how to fix a machine, downhill ski, or get that handicap into single digits. Especially for those of us who work 40+ hours a week your free time is invaluable and paying for access to an expert is almost always worth it.

Long Form Articles - Before I dive into a new project I like to read an overview that somebody else has written to give myself an idea of what kind of fun surprises I may be in for. Youtube videos are great as are forums surrounding a specific question. But in order to fully wrap my head around certain concepts nothing beats a well written long form article by an expert.

For instance, I wish I read this article before purchasing my Airhead.

Trial and Error - Despite all the tools, resources and knowledge we are surrounding with there are some questions the internet does not have answered in a 12 minute HD video. There are also days when nobody picks up the phone or your buddies aren’t able to help you. And for such occasions you have no choice but to figure it out.

There are several episodes in my mind's eye where I was floundering with bleeding my brakes, reassembling the throttle grip drive, or adjusting the points gap and on try number 50 something clicked and it worked and I now magically know how to do these things for the next time around.

Wrapping Up

Learning how to rebuild this motorcycle has provided me with satisfaction and enjoyment that have added an enormous amount of joy to my life. Undertaking the rebuild was never my primary intention and more or less a fortuitous accident. As Dan Gilbert outlines in his book “Stumbling on Happiness” humans are usually pretty bad at forecasting and we are particularly bad at predicting what will make us happy. I guess it should be to no one's surprise that my love of fixing motorcycles was serendipitous.

If there was one thing I would tell my 20 year old self what I should do differently it would be to try new things and learn more new skills. Preferably something you can really get lost in like cooking or woodworking. It makes your brain work in different ways and think about the world through a new perspective. You will meet interesting people whom you wouldn’t normally cross paths with and you will also have a lot of fun doing it.

I hope you find my experience interesting enough to go out and stumble upon your own project or hobby that will make your Saturday afternoons that much more incredible.

Trust me, it makes the beer taste better at the end of the day.

A view of the piston after the cylinder has been removed

Carburators, valves, valve covers, push rods, and nuts and bolts in a somewhat organized manner after removal

After several hours of soaking, scrubbing, and scraping she looks good as new!

First big ride of the summer after a long winter in the garage.

#motorycle #learning

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wanderlust-journal · 5 years

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Sam Manicom travelled the world on his trusty 1992 BMW R80GS, with his partner Birgit on her 1971 BMW R60/5, for 8 years. He has been writing for various magazines around the world since 1996. Those titles include: Motorcycle Sport & Leisure, Adventure Bike Rider, Motorcycle Voyager, Canadian Biker, Motorcycle Monthly, Motociclisimo, Motorcycle Explorer, Australian Road Rider, MCN and ADVMoto Magazine.

He is the author of 4 acclaimed motorcycle travel books. His first book was written as a result of readers’ letters to editors. ‘We like Sam’s articles. When’s he going to write a book?’ Until that time he’d been travelling with just new adventures in mind.

Over the last few years, I’ve got to know Sam Manicom through our talks while working at #OverlandExpoWest in Flagstaff, Arizona. I finally had a chance to ask him a few questions about his journeys and inspirations.

What got you into travelling like you do?

A drunken moment in a bar on the tiny Channel Island of Jersey! Beer is a very dangerous thing, isn’t it? For sure it has the ability to dull the senses, but it can also open up a world of free thinking.

I was working on the island, which is tucked in the English Channel between the UK and France, and following a career path, as you are supposed to do as an adult. I’ve travelled a lot during my life but had eventually settled down, thinking that perhaps it was time to grow up and to be sensible. After all, we are supposed to feather our nests for old age aren’t we. Besides that, developing a career was going to be a new challenge. I’d not really done it before, so why not see what it was all about.

I surprised myself at how well I did in my retail manager role. Taken on as a very junior manager, I advanced fairly rapidly through the ranks and had all the trappings of life that one is supposed to have with success. An apartment, a sports car, holidays abroad and so on. I think the keys were that people matter to me, I’m fairly organised, I find it easy to respect the people I’m working with, and I liked looking after customers.

Some say that selling is a hard-nosed business, but my attitude towards it was that customers needed help, not sales spiel. If a customer was in my store, they were either there looking for general knowledge, or there for a problem solving reason. I’m happy with the former; we all do it, its curiosity, window-shopping from the inside. As for the latter, my job was to make sure that the customer was listened to, and guided towards products that might be a solution to their needs.

My staff and I had fun and we were successful. The Jersey shop was the number four store out of hundreds of branches throughout the UK. But for me, there was something missing. I had itchy feet, and the itch was increasing dramatically each week. I worked on, telling myself that bunking off on another long trip was irresponsible. After all, I was 34; at the peak of my professional career.

One night in the pub over a bit of a solo celebration when the beers were slipping down rather wonderfully, my thoughts had turned to the itch. By the time I’d made it to the 4thbeer I’d realised some important points. Other than work I had no responsibilities, and I had savings. What a brilliant combination.

The next beer slipped down dangerously and I started to ponder that call of the road. Perhaps I should push off on a new adventure. Would I ever be in this position of potential freedom again? I’d be giving up a lot though…

I’d actually spent most of my life travelling in one way or another. I was born and brought up in the Belgian Congo in Central West Africa. I was 10 years old when my parents decided that it was time to take my sisters and me to live in the UK. I think that was a really hard decision for them. Life had revolved around their work in the Congo for so many years. It certainly was odd for me to go from my usual attire of a pair of shorts and a great tan, to wearing full English school uniform; even a tie and a cap! I was known as Jungle Boy for quite a few years as I came to terms with life in England. I must have been quite a strange little lad as far as the other kids were concerned. A python? So what. But apples, chocolate bars and the Beatles? All new to me.

I made my first solo trip as a foray into mainland Europe, age 16. I rode a brand new bicycle, that I’d worked doing odd jobs to save the money for. That first trip taught me that destinations don’t matter, other than as a plan. What matters is that you go, and that you appreciate the things and people you see and get involved with along the way. Back then I’d no idea that this was going to turn into a plan for life; value the moments.

On finishing school age 18, I’d no idea what I was going to do. Having been to multiple schools and spent most of my time trying to fit in with each new environment, and buzzing around on the sports field, my grades weren’t very good. University? With my grades, only a poor one and it’s just another school, isn’t it. I chose to work a retail management training course for three years with one of the UK’s leading department stores.

Of course, at the time I’d no idea how much the training, new skills and character building would stand me in good stead. I probably couldn’t successfully do what I do now had it not been for all of the training that was involved.

At the end of those three years, the open road was calling and I set off to spend a year hitch hiking around Europe. With that trip, life changed. It wasn’t hard to make this become a way of living. Work and travel; sometimes combining both. Many of the jobs were basic and low wage, but with each new job I learnt; about the role itself, myself, and the country I was in. I travelled as far as India and Australia. Over the next years I hitch-hiked, bused, trained, hiked, sailed and had a go at every form of getting around that I could. And then the career in retail management took over. The trouble was, at no time in my life had I felt as alive, as challenged, as amazed, as delighted and at times frightened, as when I was on the move in some different land. One of my favourite sayings is ‘Become a stranger in a strange land’.

As I was sitting drinking those beers, that saying was in my mind. I started to ponder the possibilities; where to go and how to go? What didn’t I like about the other ways I’d travelled? I loved hitch-hiking but I’d done that a lot. So what’s new? I’d really enjoyed the pace and challenge of bicycling, but yep, those head winds weren’t something I looked forward to. I also knew that I wanted the ability to cover more ground in whatever time I could make available. Cycling was out then, and so was travelling by bus or by train. Unable to stop, I’d zipped on past things, people and places that looked interesting.

My beery brain was hunting for a new way to travel. A way to solve the issues I was identifying, and give me new things to learn. Slowly my mind worked around to travelling by motorcycle. I knew I wanted to travel through Africa too. I wanted to see if my childhood memories about how things sound smelt and tasted were true. The only problem was, I didn’t know how to ride a motorcycle!

I handed in my notice to work the next morning. I had a bit of a hangover but I was convinced that I was doing the right thing. I then bought myself a little 125cc trail bike to learn on, and passed my test 6 weeks later. It wasn’t long before I’d made it to the edge of the Sahara. Sitting on my 800cc BMW motorcycle, I looked south over the sands and contemplated the point that quite likely I was a complete idiot! I mean, ride a motorcycle through Africa with just a few months experience? I must have been mad, but it was too late; I was there. And anyway, I’d told my mates in the pub what I was doing. I couldn’t deal with the loss of face if I turned back without even trying.

So the journey through Africa began. The original plan, if I dare call it that with things happening at such a pace, was to ride through West Africa. Just as I passed my motorcycle test, things went politically pear-shaped in Algeria, and all the borders in that part of Africa closed. No one had the remotest idea how long this situation was going to continue. I had a ticking clock in my mind. Because of the terrain and the extreme temperatures, there are only certain months of the year when it’s sane to travel across the Sahara. If I didn’t crack on I’d lose the opportunity.

The alternative route was through East Africa. The problem there was that Sudan had a North to South civil war going on, and Ethiopia had been at war within itself for the past 20 years. On the up side, some people were getting visas for Sudan, and the war in Ethiopia was just coming to an end. With nothing to lose, I set off with new rough plans in mind; I might as well try. After all, I’d given up my job, and sold just about everything I owned. What hadn’t occurred to me was that Mike, and Sally, who I’d met on the way, and I were to be the first people to ride motorcycles North to South through Sudan and Ethiopia for those 20 years. We’d struck it lucky. A window of opportunity had opened.

This was 1992. No Google, no GPS, no cell phones and no digital photography. If you wanted to find something out you went to the library or wrote letters. If you wanted to find the way, you hunted out the best maps you could, and you asked the way. Getting lost was a part of the journey, and instead of being a negative it simply opened up a world of the unexpected. Some of the best adventures happen on a road you hadn’t planned to be travelling.

19 fascinating countries and a year later, I decided that actually there was no good reason to head for home. There were plenty of reasons to carry on though. Travelling by motorcycle, in spite of being thrown in prison in Tanzania and 17 bone fractures in the desert in Namibia, was more than fulfilling my beery thoughts in the pub. Another favourite saying is ‘Stop worrying about the potholes and celebrate the journey’.

I booked passage for my bike and I to sail on a container ship across the Indian Ocean to Australia. And so, what turned out to be an eight year journey around the world began. My motorcycle by the way, is called Libby. That’s short for Liberty; it’s what she gives me. All these years later, she’s still my only means of transport in the UK. She does now have a younger sister getting me around in the USA on trips there. A 2013 BMW F800GS. That bike is still waiting for a name to grow. Who knows, it might be ‘Lucky’. For sure I know how lucky I am to have her, and the opportunity to explore more of the amazing land that is the USA.

What next? More travels but in shorter stints; I need just enough to keep scratching that itch and to give me material to write travel articles about. I also spend a fair bit of time doing travel presentations and book signings at motorcycle dealerships, libraries, clubs, schools and businesses. They are my opportunity to share the fun of the road, and perhaps even encourage others to head out and to explore for themselves. I’m keen that people really think about life, recognise the opportunities as they occur, and take advantage of them. This is such an invigorating thing, both at work and play. I fully accept that many people have responsibilities that will not allow them to head out into the blue for months even years at a time. I really value being around people like that who are accepting their responsibilities and making life zing as much as they can. I love it when people say such things as, “I’d love to travel, but I can’t, yet.” Adventures begin with dreams.

I think of myself as being a bit of an accidental author. I didn’t set out on my journey with the aim of writing magazine articles or books. With enthusiastic encouragement from others I thought I’d have a go. I’d kept a journal every day, so I had the facts and many of the descriptions. Long term travellers learn quickly about the risk of being on intake overload each day; it’s so easy to forget the dates, statistics, sights, sounds, smells, names and so on. The drama and the funny side to life do tend to stay in one’s mind though.

It would be a new adventure seeing if I could write a book, and so settled down to write my first; Into Africa. I was putting in 10-12 hour days working renovating houses and then after a quick shower and some food, I sat down to write. It took me two years. Learning everything about the publishing and print industries has been a side fascination and I’ll never forget the sensation of having my first printed copy in my hand; it’s a wonderful moment.I certainly didn’t expect the 5 star reviews my books have been collecting from kind readers and media reviewers.

Each of the four books takes the reader riding and exploring through a different section of the eight year journey and thankfully people seem to like them. ‘Thankfully’ because I wrote them as travel books, rather than specifically as motorcycle travel books, and I describe the sorts of things I like to read about as a traveller. Years later I read that authors should only write about things they know about and have a passion for.

I think of my books as being a way to share the fun of the open road with those who for the moment can’t head out on a long trip, with those who really don’t want to travel but love to read about it, and also as encouragement to those who think they don’t have the skills to travel in this way. I had few skills when I started, but I had an open mind, a strong curiosity, understanding of the value of respect and I’ve got a positive attitude to most things. It’s a great world and travelling by motorcycle, to my mind, is a superb way to see it.

Into AfricaTakes the reader on that first eye-opening year through the incredible continent that is Africa. There are challenges a plenty; it’s a genuine tale of the unexpected. Woven into this journey between Cairo and Cape Town are the riding, the people, wildlife, history, the disasters and the silver linings; there’s plenty of humour too.

Overland Magazine: ‘The word-pictures that bring a good travel book to life are all here; Sam’s perceptions of people, places and predicaments have real depth and texture, their associated sights, smells and sounds are evoked with a natural ease. Where other author’s detailed descriptions can sometimes get in the way, Sam’s style is engaging and well-tuned. I found myself in the midst of action rather than a mere fly on the wall.’

Under Asian Skies This is the story of just over 2 years travelling from Australia and New Zealand, up through SE Asia, India, Nepal, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey and through Eastern Europe. This without doubt is the most colourful and culturally diverse part of the world I’ve been lucky enough to ride. Every day was an adventure.

Horizons Unlimited: ‘Sam has the skills of the story teller and this book easily transports you into three years of journey across Asia. He manages to bring the sounds, scents and heat of Asia to life without wordy overkill and he has obviously researched his historical facts carefully. In places Under Asian Skies is sad, and in others it’s outrageously funny – look out for his battle with the Sydney port officials and the bus ride in Indonesia. All in all this is a really good read, whether you have been across Asia, or are planning a trip. This is true travelling on the cheap and not your everyday story.’

Distant Suns My third book has me linking up with a German lass in New Zealand. Birgit agreed to ride with me, but to Africa first, and on her own bike. She rode out of Mombasa harbour in Kenya with just 600 miles of experience on a motorcycle! Over the next 3 years we rode together through Africa, and on up through South and Central America. These continents may be on the same latitude, but the contrasts in landscape, cultures and the peoples are huge. The Andes? Simply stunning. Oh and I’d not told Birgit what a disaster magnet I am!

Motorcycle Explorer: ‘An epic ride that almost becomes secondary to the events that happen and the very human element of travelling. Always evoking the emotions of others, because Sam never forgets to use his five senses in his tales. Leaving you immersed in the sights, sounds, touch, smell and taste of a journey of true human discovery.’

Tortillas to Totems? This book takes you travelling with us through the 3 countries that make up North America. Three neighbours that are so wonderfully different to each other, make travelling this part of the world a delight. North America was in fact the part of the world that surprised me the most. When you read this book you’ll find out all the reasons why I keep coming back.

ADVMoto Magazine: ‘What I enjoy most about Sam’s method is his way of describing the moment. You feel it, smell it… you freeze, you sweat, and you see what’s before him like you’re along for the ride. You are very much there. It’s a rather intimate, honest style that easily carries you from chapter-to-chapter. I highly recommend that you add Sam’s books to your reading list.’

Fall Presentation Tour 2019:

GO AZ Motorcycles Peoria AZSeptember 6th(Friday). On this, my second visit to GO AZ, I’ll be talking about the delights of travelling across Asia. I’ll also be book signing. 6pm start

BMW Motorcycles of North Dallas TX September (FRIDAY 13th!) Feel like risking it for a Presentation Evening and Book Signing? Start time is at 6pm. My multi-media presentation is about Incredible Africa!

Adventure Motorsports of NWF Pensacola FL September 21st (Saturday) Africa Presentation Evening and Book Signing. Join us 5pm if you can – we will be starting the presentation at 5.15 pm.

Pandora’s European Motorsports Chattanooga TN September 24th (Tuesday) Africa Presentation Evening and Book Signing – 6.30 to 9pm

Motorcycles of Charlotte NC October 2nd (Wednesday) – Africa Presentation Evening and Book Signing. Doors open for food at 6.30pm and the presentation with be starting at 7.15pm

Overland Expo East VA October 11th to 13th in Arrington. I’ll be presenting, running Classes, in Round Table sessions and Book Signing.

If you would like to meet Birgit then please join us at Motorcycles of Charlotte and at Overland Expo East. She will be joining me for this section of the tour.

Signed copies are available from Sam-Manicom.com with free UK delivery, and with free Worldwide delivery via the Book Depository.com https://www.bookdepository.com/author/Sam-Manicom

Sam’s 4 books are available as Paperbacks, Kindles and as Audiobooks. Sam narrates the books himself.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Kindle-Store-Sam-Manicom/s?rh=n%3A341677031%2Cp_27%3ASam+Manicom

https://www.audible.co.uk/search?searchNarrator=Sam+Manicom

https://books.apple.com/us/author/sam-manicom/id516565970

Facebook– Catch up with Sam via his two pages: Sam Manicom and Adventure Motorcycle Travel Books by Sam Manicom.

Twitter– You’ll find him on @SamManicom

Instagram– sammanicom.author

Website– If you’d like to learn more about his books and his presentation schedule please go to www.sam-manicom.com

Sam is Co-Host of Adventure Rider Radio RAW show. Hosted by Jim Martin, the show is recorded monthly with a panel of 5 highly experienced overlanders from around the world. Listeners submit topics for discussion. RAW has been described by listeners as akin to sitting around a giant kitchen table with the team, beers, wine and coffee in hand, discussing motorcycles and travel; there’s controversy, challenging ideas, top tips and plenty of banter!

https://adventureriderradio.com/arr-raw/

Sam says, “If you are a You Tube fan, have a hunt. There are various riding and interview clips to be found, including a recent chat with the phenomenal Ted Simon.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-658_CSkrA

He was the first Overlander Interviewed by Adventure Bike TV for their popular ‘Under the Visor’ series: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bToV6paAEXM

In 2017 Overland Magazine awarded him the‘Roho Ya Kusafiri Spirit of Travel’ award for his contribution to Overland and Adventure Travel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l1Y1BKPbp_Y

In 2011, Sam joined the team of advisors working with travellers supported by The Ted Simon Foundation.

I had to learn about book writing the hard way – there were few people in the world of publishing whose knowledge I was able to tap into. I’m delighted to have the opportunity to help other travellers get more out of their adventures, and to learn how to get their work published. We live in a stunning world that’s full of surprises, and what better way is there for a person to share those experiences than to write and publish a great book. The Ted Simon Foundation is the perfect platform to help this happen.

http://jupiterstravellers.org/

In Interview with Sam Manicom Sam Manicom travelled the world on his trusty 1992 BMW R80GS, with his partner Birgit on her 1971 BMW R60/5, for 8 years.

#advrider #rtw #adventure #adventurerider #Africa #Andes #Asia #dreams #expedition #motorcycle #Motorcycles #Overland #Sam Manicom #travel books #wanderlust #wanderlust journal

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biofunmy · 5 years

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L.A. to Vegas and Back by Electric Car: 8 Hours Driving; 5 More Plugged In

LOS ANGELES — You’ve heard it many times, from automakers, the energy industry and government officials: Electric vehicles are the cars of the future, essential to the fight against climate change.

Yet that grand vision may founder on something most drivers take for granted: the pit stop.

Most electric cars need to be plugged in after they’ve traveled 200 to 250 miles — a much shorter distance than similarly sized gasoline vehicles can run on a full tank — and charging them can take an hour or more.

What’s more, chargers are often missing in the places where people need them — like the parking lots and garages of apartment buildings, where residents have had to go to great lengths to top up their car batteries, even dangling extension cords from their balconies.

Changing consumer habits is difficult in the best of circumstances, but it is much harder when a new technology makes it less convenient to use something as essential as your car.

Eve Hogerheide, a teacher who lives in Sacramento, said she and her husband had considered buying an electric car but decided that charging it on trips to see her mother, who lives about 100 miles away, or to Los Angeles would be too big a headache.

“I just don’t know how it would work,” said Ms. Hogerheide, who shuttles two 11-year-olds and a 9-year-old around along with nieces and an exchange student in her Toyota Sienna minivan. “That’s why I don’t take that leap.”

To better understand what life with an electric car is like, I hopped into a Chevrolet Bolt recently and traveled from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, a 540-mile round trip that many people make regularly.

The Bolt is the first in a lineup of electric cars that General Motors hopes to sell in the coming years. The hatchback, which costs about $37,500 before federal and state tax breaks, can travel about 240 miles on a full charge, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. But for Bolts as for other electric vehicles, experts generally recommend keeping it 30 to 80 percent charged for optimal battery life.

I rode with representatives of EVgo, a company that is building fast-charging stations across the country. On top of the eight hours or so that we were actually on the road, we spent close to five and a half hours charging the car.

In one case, the Bolt could not accept the fastest charging speeds from the most powerful units. In another, the charger could not deliver the power as fast as the Bolt could accept it. It could have been worse: We always found a charger available, though more than once we got the last one, and drivers arriving after us had to wait.

The extended intervals allowed us — or forced us — to play tourist along the way. We wandered around Whiskey Pete’s Casino at the Nevada-California border while our Bolt sipped electrons. On another stop, we had lunch and checked out the World’s Tallest Thermometer, a 134-foot oddity in Baker, Calif., near Death Valley.

We were not the only ones with time to kill. On our way to Las Vegas, we met Alina Yamaeva, a 27-year-old law student from West Hollywood, Calif., who was napping while her BMW i3 charged at an EVgo charger behind a J. C. Penney at the Mall of Victor Valley in Victorville, Calif., on Interstate 15.

Her two-year-old car cannot charge as fast as more recent models — for each hour it was plugged in, the car’s range increased by just 10 miles. All told, her i3 travels less than 120 miles on a full charge, though it also has a gasoline engine that can add 66 miles.

The limited range and the paucity of public chargers have made Ms. Yamaeva question her car choice. “I don’t want a gas vehicle, but I’m wondering, should I get another electric vehicle?” she told me.

Heading back to Los Angeles, we met Tiaerra Young, a Chevy Bolt owner, at the same station. Though she was more satisfied with her vehicle, she was huddled under a blanket at 11 p.m. because it would take about an hour to charge her car.

Ms. Young estimated that it would take her and a friend a full day to get to Las Vegas from her home near San Francisco, a trip that would require about 10 hours in a conventional car. “It’s been fun, though,” she said cheerfully, noting that they had watched three movies at their charging stops, including the Beyoncé documentary “Homecoming” and “The Emperor’s New Groove.”

A Work in Progress

Of the more than 270 million registered vehicles nationwide, only about 1.1 million are electric, with about half of those in California. That picture may change quickly: By 2025, about 7 percent of new vehicles sold in the United States are expected to be electric models, according to government projections cited by the Columbia University Center on Global Energy Policy. But as Ms. Young’s road trip and mine demonstrate, these vehicles have a ways to go before millions of people will be willing to dump the internal-combustion engine.

Engineers haven’t created batteries that can store as much energy as a gas tank, or be filled as quickly. While costs have come down a lot, batteries remain expensive, adding to the cost of the car, and they degrade over time, which means maximum mileage might decrease.

These cars have been held back partly by decisions that automakers and other businesses have made. Companies have often gone their own way, rather than adopting universal standards. Tesla, for example, has built more than 1,500 charging stations around the world, but they can fill up only Tesla cars; Teslas can generally be fueled at stations built by other businesses.

There is not a single standard for plugs, so some electric-car drivers have to carry multiple adapters. Nor is there a single approach for how car owners pay for electricity, with some companies charging by the power consumed — as with a home utility bill — and others charging by the time spent at the charger.

Executives at automakers and charging companies argue that it is unfair to judge electric cars and charging stations based on their current limitations. Given a few years, they say, these vehicles will become as convenient as gas-fueled vehicles, if not more so.

Much is riding on that prospect.

Tesla, the company that turned electric cars into status symbols, has raised billions of dollars from investors, including more than $2 billion in May, to build cars and charging stations. Volkswagen recently said it would invest more than 30 billion euros (over $34 billion) by 2023 in electrifying its car lineup; the company is also spending $2 billion on a network of charging stations called Electrify America. EVgo, which claims to have the largest fast-charging network in the United States, expects to secure more than $2 billion in grants from state governments and environmental programs and raise an undisclosed amount from venture capital firms. And big oil companies like BP, Royal Dutch Shell and Chevron have invested in charging stations.

Most of the companies are losing money on these efforts, largely because of the upfront costs. To turn a profit, they will need many more people to buy electric cars and the electricity that powers them.

Charging on average costs $10 for about 200 miles, depending on the car, or about half the typical cost of gasoline for that distance, according to AAA. Our experience was not as economical: We spent about $67 on electricity, perhaps $10 less than we might have on gas.

Charging stations typically receive their power from the electric grid, for which they pay local utilities, though some supplement that with energy from solar panels and batteries. And electricity rates fluctuate less than gas prices because they are subject to state regulation.

Tesla concluded that it would need to build its own charging stations to convince car buyers that they could “go anywhere,” said Drew Baglino, the automaker’s vice president for technology. Initially, the company offered free charging to Tesla owners, a perk no longer available to most buyers.

All told, the United States has about 24,000 public charging stations, with an average of fewer than three charging posts. By comparison, there are about 150,000 gas stations, some with dozens of pumps.

In addition to building more charging stations, auto and energy companies say, they are working to speed up charging.

Chargers are classified by how quickly they dispense electricity. A Level 1 charger is about as fast as a standard wall outlet and can take a day or more to fill a car battery, depending on the model. A Level 2 charger, akin to a 240-volt outlet used for dryers and other large appliances, can replenish a car battery in a few hours. Level 3 chargers can achieve similar results in a fraction of the time but can cost tens of thousands of dollars.

The fastest Level 3 public chargers available fill up electric cars like the Chevy Bolt, Nissan Leaf or Tesla Model S in 30 minutes to an hour.

Later this year, Porsche will start selling a Taycan for $130,000 that it claims can be topped up in 10 minutes at newer, faster Level 3 chargers. Companies like EVgo and Electrify America have begun installing such chargers.

But in practice, car chargers are often much slower than their advertised top speeds, especially when many cars are plugged in at the same time. That’s because banks of chargers typically share a single power source.

John de Lancie, the Hollywood actor, didn’t realize that limitation until he recently showed up at Tesla’s charging station in Hawthorne, Calif., with his Model S for the first time. When he arrived, one charger was available among eight stalls. He was lucky. Tesla owners have been known to wait an hour or more for a charger to open up.

“It says five hours,” Mr. de Lancie said incredulously to Tesla representatives. The company’s staff quickly moved his car to a faster charger, called the V3, that was being tested at the station.

The actor, who played Q on the TV show “Star Trek: The Next Generation,” said driving his new car was “a little like stepping into the future.” But he added, “You do have to think about charging.”

Where Should Chargers Go?

One thorny problem is where to put chargers.

Industry and government officials agree that there should be chargers along highways to cater to people going long distances. Beyond those locations, the picture becomes murkier.

In suburban areas where people tend to have garages and access to 240-volt outlets, most people will charge electric cars overnight. But the needs will be different in urban areas, where many people live in apartments or condominiums.

Arturo Martin of Burbank, Calif., recently bought a Tesla Model 3. He said his building’s homeowners association would not let him install a charger in the garage even though he was willing to cover the $3,000 cost. So he is running an extension cord from his patio to the garage. And because he is using a standard wall outlet, it takes a day and a half to charge his car.

Mr. Martin, a retired veterinarian, said he was baffled by the association’s decision. “They said it would deface the building,” he said.

Charging companies recognize that there could be lots of people in Mr. Martin’s situation and are working to cater to them.

EVgo, for example, has put many of its chargers in high-traffic locations, especially in Los Angeles and San Francisco. But the company is trying to make sure that people in disadvantaged and rural communities are not left out, said Julie Blunden, an executive vice president.

“We just can’t build fast enough,” Ms. Blunden said. “But there are things to consider. What makes sense? What are the ramifications for urban planning?”

EVgo aims to become profitable by persuading consumers to make public chargers a regular part of their lives. That is partly why the company recently reached a deal to put its chargers at a few Chevron gas stations in California.

Brendan Jones, the chief operating officer of Electrify America, pointed out that the infrastructure for charging was cheaper and easier to build than the large tanks required for gasoline and diesel fuel. His company is trying to make them ubiquitous, believing that the demand will increase to justify the investment.

“I’ve put them everywhere,” Mr. Jones said. “I’ve put them at malls. I’ve put them at Walmarts.”

For their part, property owners say having chargers can help attract customers for other businesses. Macerich, a real estate investment firm that owns the Mall of Victor Valley, said it was adding charging stations at 23 shopping centers.

Some elected leaders have endorsed that “build it and they will come” approach, and are even using taxpayer funds to advance it.

“It’s a very exciting moment in urban planning,” Mayor Eric M. Garcetti of Los Angeles said in an interview. For starters, his administration has put up more than 200 chargers that sell electricity for $1 to $3 an hour, depending on the location — sometimes substituting them for parking meters — and 43 others that are free to use.

Los Angeles and Indianapolis have approved electric-vehicle ride-share programs that have added their own charging networks. Cities like Stoughton, Mass., south of Boston, have incorporated charging sites into their master plans. Mountlake Terrace, Wash., a Seattle suburb, requires developers to put charging stations at 1 percent to 10 percent of parking spots, depending on the type of land use.

And to encourage utilities to invest in equipment and power lines to supply charging stations, the California Public Utilities Commission and other state regulators have allowed companies to pass those costs on to their customers.

Mr. Garcetti says electric vehicles will be critical to addressing climate change. But he acknowledges that it is too early to know how quickly people will adopt the vehicles — and how their charging needs and habits will develop.

“A charging station, is it a social space?” he asked. “Does Starbucks become one of the great places for chargers?”

One thing is for sure, he said: “It’s still going to be Wild, Wild West for a while.”

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optimisticpoetrypost-blog · 6 years

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Rileyville Virginia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 22650

"Rileyville Virginia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 22650

Rileyville Virginia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 22650

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How much is average insurance for someone under 18 that buys a 2006 BMW 325i e90?

This is one of my favourite e90 cars, that's a 4-door, if I'm under 18, how much would insurance be? OR even better, how much is YOUR insurance?""

Motorcycle insurance for a 16 year old?

I was wondering what an average motorcycle insurance rate is for a 16 year old male in VA, good grades, no tickets, i plan on taking the MSF course, no accidents, would drive a substantial amount, play sports (i don't know what really factors into insurance costs, so i just listed some stuff i figured or have heard affects motorcycle insurance)""

How much would car insurance cost for a Mustang GT.?

I am 16 years old Never had a accident Live in a pretty big city 2012 Ford Mustang GT

How do I get health and dental insurance?

I am getting married soon. I will be 18 and he will be 21. I have blue cross blue shield through my dad's work and the magnolia health plan(kinda like medicaid) bc I was adopted. ...show more

Rileyville Virginia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 22650

Does searching for Car Insurance drive you crazy?

How much is Car Insurance in the US for a new driver?

Does it depend on the state? Just give me an average price. Im from the UK and my Insurance was 1700 for 1 year.

""Any idea how much the car tax is on a vauxhall frontera,and is the insurance expensive?

is it much more than running the average car

Republicans whats the difference between being forced to buy health insurance and car insurance?

If it is unconstitutional to force some to buy to health insurance how is it constitutional to force people to buy car insurance??

Do teens need full coverage insurance...?

..to get their license? I'm getting mine in less than two weeks and I need to know!

Is there a way to get really cheap car insurance like $50 or so?

I've had some really minor things (all but one not my fault) on my record recently and my car insurance is over $200.00! I tried to get some quotes from other places, but they were all about the same. What do poor people do in this situation? I can't afford this and it is the most basic coverage I can get from Gieco.""

No Claims discount on car insurance?

Hi there does anybody else agree that insurance companies are a set of W******s? just had to insure a car after been in a co car for 2 1/2 yrs, previous to that i had my own insurance for 11 yrs and had no claims in that period, today i was told by severl different insurers that my no claims dosent count as i have not had any insurance in my own name in the last 2 yrs, thats taken the price of cover from 384 to over 700, does anyone think as i do that no claims should stay with you for life as long as you can prove that you have been driving say within the last three yrs so that the insurance companies cant make such massive profits by shafting law abiding careful drivers?""

If i put a big engine in my small car will my insurance still be low?

i have a ford fiesta zetec 1.25, if i put a rs cosworth engine in it will it how much will it affect the insurance? i've been on gocompare.com and it give an option standard engine replacement . i have ticked it and the price has gone up from 682 to 1049. does this mean i can put any engine in my car and the insurance will be 1049?""

Car insurance - car pay out?

Recently my friend had an accident. His car is an import and the insurance company want to write it off and as they cannot get hold of replacement parts. Does he have the right to refuse their offer for pay out as the car is worth more than they are giving him. As its an import, and a sports car, he knows he can get more for it on auto trader and eBay. Or can he settle the claim with them by asking them to pay for the repair if he can sort out a garage who is willing to fix his car for less than the insurance company had suggested.""

""Why don,t we have the auto industry make a car that won,t exceed the speed limit and not start?""

if driveris impared, reducing insurance, heath, saftey and legal cost

Insurance Industry?

I'm trying to find out more about insurance industry...i have to make a huge project out of it for Economics...I'm specializing in IT so i don't know much about Economics...do you guys know any sites where i can find out more about Insurance Industry...or like anything you can share about it. Thank you.

I need a cheap insurance company.?

My friends problem: Well my mom decides that im not going under her insurance today, meaning I have 4 days to find a cheap insurance company and get my car insured. If anyone could tell me what they drive and how much they pay and what company it would be greatly appreciated.""

""Car stolen, will insurance pay?

my car was stolen out of our driveway . i wanted to go to work and had everything in the car . i left to get my sleeping child andwhen i went out the car was gone . not even 3 minutes later. they recoverd the car . damaged but not the person yet . my husband is affraid that the insurance will not pay since the keys were in the car along with all my creditcards and house keys .the car was on our property next to the house . i have nightmares about it . please help

Can I drive a car with Florida license plates in my name & insurance from illinois?

Thinking about taking a car from illinois to florida. But one problem. Car insurance would be ridiculous if it was in my name, so I have it in a relatives. But I was thinking about taking the car from Illinois to Florida, Then registering the license plates in my name making them Florida plates. Can I keep the car insurance under my relatives name from illinois? If possible it would be a Florida car with Florida license plates and Illinois car insurance. Would that be possible?""

Would a Peugeot 406 1.9 Diesel 75BHp cost alot on insurance 4 a 17 year old lad? plz?

i want a pug 406, badly!!""

Can I cancel car insurance before expiration date?

I got car insurance and paid a fee but the expiration date says it ends in one year, I paid for 1 month and now I need to get insurance from another company. Do I cancel the insurance I have now? if I dont will they charge me every month? Or should I just forget about it and let the ppl cancel me off.""

Could a 17 year old new driver get insurance for a 1.8-2.0 litre?

Hi... If i was to get a car lets say a 1.8 to a 2.0 litre could i put this car on one of my parents policies and be able to get affordable insurance... My parents have many years no claims discount... Would the insurance firm grant me permission to be insured for a car with a big engine under my parents policy? I was thinking of a VW golf Gti (Mk3) or maybe an old BMW ... Please don't suggest sh!t cars like puntos,saxos nd all those because they are for the boy racers...""

How do health insurance deductibles work?

I'm looking at individual health insurance plans. All of them say they have a deductable of $500 - $5000. I'm reading the plan overview and it's explaining what the plan covers. It says prescriptions are covered after deductible, office visits are covered after deductible, and so on. Does this mean if a plan has a $5000 deductible that the health insurance company will not cover anything until after I've paid $5000 out of pocket on healthcare? Does that mean that if I had to go to the emergency room i'd have to pay for it myself until I've paid up to $5000? I'm really confused. I want to get temporary health coverage, but I don't see what the point is if I'm going to have to pay out of pocket anyways. Does anyone know how this deductible stuff works? I'd appreciate the help. Thanks""

How much would it cost me to get motor bike insurance?

I am thinking of getting a motor bike since the cost of insuring a car is just too high. I'm 18 and male and was wondering roughly how much I could expect to pay for insurance on a 125cc if I do my CBT. Oh and I live in the Uk... which will hike the price up a bit

Would insurance on a 1992 lexus sc 300 be expensive? im 18 year old in riverside california?

yes i recently just got my license and im only 18 in riverside california

What's wrong with car insurance?

I am a safe driver. I've never had a car accident or ticket. As a consequence of my choices, I pay very low rates for car insurance. Other people I know have had accidents and many tickets, they pay a lot for car insurance. In this system, each person pays a different rate based on the consequences of their choices and actions. So what is wrong with this system? Why can't we use the exact same system for health insurance? If I eat right, exercise, and wash my hands then I will rarely get ill and should pay very low insurance rates. My neighbor eats junk food, smokes, and never exercises, has lots of medical issues and will for as long as he lives, shouldn't he pay a much higher rate for insurance? Why would anybody want a government system in which we will both pay the same rate? That is blatantly unfair to me since I make good choices and wont get sick as often. Furthermore, I have the choice of lots of different car insurance companies (Geico, Allstate, Nationwide, Progressive, etc.), this competition drives lower costs and better service. Why would I want to give up choice in favor of a monopoly? What is wrong with our car insurance system that somebody would not want the exact same system for our health care?""

How much would my insurance cost?

I am 16, i have a 4.0 gpa, and i have taken drivers ed. I live in Florida, and i will be driving a 2003 honda civic. Thanks!""

Does anyone know what the average insurance rates are for OTR owner operators?

Just a rough estimate....I'm doing some research.

""GPS worth $600 got stolen, should I report to insurance company?""

My GPS worth $600 got stolen from my car 2 days ago, as it was parked in front of my house. Should I report the insurance company and if I do will my insurance rate be affected? My GPS carried also the name of the insurance company, I purchased it from them.""

What is the average cost of insurance for box truck owners?

looking to start a company and i am wondering how much it would cost so i can get the ball rolling.

Rileyville Virginia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 22650

Insurance under 4000 for 17 year old?

Ok, well I'm 17 (male) and have passed my driving test. I have compared many quotes for all the worst and lowest engine cars, like corsa 1.0, peugeot 106 1.1 etc I just can't seem to get a quote under 4000! Does anyone know if there is anything I can do to get affordable insurance? I heard that insurance for 17 year olds has doubled in the past year but didn't reckon it would be this much! Any help you can give would be greatly appreciated :)""

Temporary auto insurance for move?

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So, there were a bunch of changes made to health insurance due to the Health Reform. i heard that the coverage i get from my parents (since i am a dependent) will last until i'm 26 now, instead of 21. we have western health advantage through my mom's work (i think) and live in california (not sure if that makes a difference). anyways, i'm 18 and currently in college. next semester i'm hoping to take off so that i can work full time and save up money so that i wont have to be so financially dependent on my parents in the near future. do i have to be in school in order to still be on my parents' health insurance? i will still be dependent until i get my own apartment and get married, which will be in about a year or 2""

What is car insurance and insurance quotes?

i'm not driving yet but i am taking driving lessons and i am just searching around for a car but i don't understand how things work. what is car insurance? why do we need it? and what are quotes? please help me!!! thank you much love xx

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I am 20 years old, living in Mississauga, Ontario. I am planning on going for my M1 and M2 licenses this summer. At the moment, I am undecided between a vulcan500 and a rebel250. If anything, it will be the insurance costs that will have the final say in which one I end up getting. I realize that different insurance companies have different insurance costs; but I just want to know what the average range for a beginner drive with these bikes would be.""

Motor trade insurance?

I am looking for motor trade insurance that will insure a 19 year old as a named driver, my father has 6 years commercial no claims discount, he will be the proposer and i will be a named driver. has anyone recently been insured or knows a insurance company that will insure a 19 year old please let me know, much appreciated thank you. I have been quoted 2995 with motrade, but i am restricted to 1600cc engines with (no turbo with petrol) but i need to be able to drive bmw 320d. so a minium of 2000cc.""

I've just bought a car and am going to drive it home. Can I get done for driving without insurance?

I was wondering if it would be an offence to drive a car without insurance after buying it as I will sort out all the insurance stuff once I get home.

Does anyone know of any cheap car insurance for an 18 year old?

Im getting an abortion with my parents insurance will they find out?

Okay so I am a 20 year old college student and im pregnant and I am not in the positin to care for a child so I am getting an abortion. But I am doing so with my parents insurance I do not want them to know because after all im 20 I can make my own descions and do things on my own but with that being said I do not want it show up anywhere in the mail or online or anything that I had an abortion. I do not want them to know. So what should I do I talk to the ladies at the faility im using and they told me there not sure if it will show up as an abortion it might just show the facilities name whih im fine with because I can say I got birth control or something like that so what should I do? Any advice is welcome as long as its dont get an abortion because i am not in the position for a kid I will learn from my irresponsiblity.

What's the average price for moped insurance for ages 18-25?

How much can I expect to pay per month for insurance for a 125cc moped? I'm just looking for a ball park range.

What is the most affordable and complete health insurance?

My husband moved to North Carolina 8 months ago from India and is a Pharmacist. However, until he passes his equivalency exams in the states, he is working as a Pharmacy Technician. I am not working at the moment (not by choice but by the terrible job situation in the country). We are shopping around for affordable health insurance. Blue Cross is too expensive and so are many others. We are on a very limited income, however, health is of utmost importance too. So even if it is really bank breaking, we are looking into getting health insurance. What is the best one in terms of affordability and coverage? We don't have children yet but hope to start a family in a couple of years when we are better settled. Neither one of us are smokers and are in pretty good shape. Please help with sound advice. Thanks so much in advance""

What is a good place to get insurance for my Dell laptop?

I am studying abroad for 5 weeks and would like an affordable insurance plan for my laptop.

Will a 30kph ticket skyrocket my insurance?

Alright, so I got pulled over going 90 in a 60. I know I shouldn't be speeding but I was late for work, I never got a ticket before... I'm a 18 yrs old male, and I don't have much money to afford expensive insurance... I'm currently paying 150$ a month (before the ticket) so will my insurance skyrocket? It's considered a major infraction where I live.. *also, the police officer told me that he can apply a bigger charge if I decide to fight the ticket... Are they aloud to do that??""

Would insurance be high on a 1999 pontiac firebird ws6 v8?

I am 19 years old and am currently paying about $130.00 a month for insurance. I am looking in to buying the car listed above, how much more would I be paying on insurance? I do believe it is considered a sport, but its a 1999. Maybe age makes a difference? I am curently driving a truck.""

Who knows of a good life insurance company that is hiring?

Who knows of a good life insurance company that is hiring, particularly in Los Angeles, California?""

What's the average cost of health AND dental insurance per month for.....?

....a 44 year old man. I am a non-smoker, and in good shape. I have no medical conditions, now or ever.""

High car insurance cost?

why does car insurance cost so much for first time insured? where can i find cheap car insurance that cost less than my car payment?

How can I get a car insurance quote if I'm under 18?

I don't have my license yet but a large part of what decides what car I can get depends on what the car insurance would cost. Since I am under 18 not of the car insurance websites will give me a quote and if i lie about my age it will change the cost. Any ideas?

19 years old and cheapest insurance i've found is 4.5k WHATS GOING ON?

Right basically i'm 19, recently past my test tried looking at every single type of car there is even with pass plus discount and it's barely even gone below 6000 (4500 wasn't even what i found, it was my sister that probably got one of my details wrong) I've even tried having parents as named drivers and i cant think of anything else i've not already tried. Even friends i know have had it less than 2000 and at the moment i'll be happy to get below 3000 Pleaseee help!""

Average monthly car insurance in Vegas?

I'm loking at getting a 2001 bmw 325i. (no my parents arent buying this for me. its my money that i earned at work). I'm an 18 year old male. If you could give me a general idea of how much id be paying monthly that would be GREAT. I do vote people as best answer so if i like your answer ill give you 10 points :)

When is car insurance invalid?

Is car insurance invalid if a car is neither taxed nor Sorned? I forgot to tax my car - is my insurance invalid until I renew it?

How much roughly will my car insurance cost?

im 16 and about to be 17 and start my driving lessons and i come from the UK and i am also female i was wondering how much my car insurance would roughly cost and ive got a 1996 VOLVO 440 TURBO DIESEL RED ?

""I pay right now about $160 for car insurance a month. It's with progressive, and this is the cheapest I can""

get and it doesn't cover much at all it will only the cover the other car if i cause an accident. I live in midtown atlanta so this is why insurance costs so much, but does anyone know anything I can get cheaper? Is safe auto a good deal? Help please!""

How much would a BMW increase your insurance every month if you have Nationwide?

Like compared to having a non-luxury import car?

Will my insurance go up for my speeding ticket?

I just recently got a speeding ticket or doing 46 in a 30. (which wasn't possible) I'm only 16 and it is my first ticket. My parents will kill me when they find out. We have stated arm insurance and only liability on the car but will the insurance go up and/or cause my parents to fin out?

Rileyville Virginia Cheap car insurance quotes zip 22650

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batchaoticcollectionnight-blog · 6 years

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Which insurance company is best ?

"Which insurance company is best ?

im 15 going on 16 and i need car insurance im getting either geico which is my mom's insurance or farmer's which is my dad's my mom had farmers but farmers is too expensive the car i will be driving is a 2000 Nissan Sentra SE (automatic) http://www.edmunds.com/flipper/do/MediaN... it looks exactly like the red one except its green and it has brown leather seats and a new radio system :]] its my brothers old car he hardly uses it since he has a brand new 2008 Nissan Altima so my Sentra is free :]] my dad will probably pay for my car stuff .or they will split it . i live in a city around the houston area . p.s can you give me your guess of how much i will be paying a month for insurance or perhaps every 6 months ? and which insurance company should i get ? p.s idk if this helps but my mom drives a 2004 Infiniti G35 Sedan and my dad drives a 2001 Jaguar XJ8 .

BEST ANSWER: Try this site where you can compare quotes: : http://financeandcreditsolution.xyz/index.html?src=tumblr

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Do You Have to Get Car Insurance....?

Do you have to get car insurance when you get you temporary permit at the age of 15.5. I am fifteen and I am getting my permit soon and i was wonderin if i had to get insurance. Just Wondering. Thanks Alot:>

Why does a civic cost more to insure than a golf for teens?

both are 1.4 litre engine but the civic costs atleast 1500 more to insure?!? whaaat? is it because the civic has the impression of a ricer car?

What is the best health insurance's for myself?

added info im 22 years old with no medical problems.

Car insurance 17 year old?

I'm turning 17 in April, I was just wondering what the average car insurance prices for somone who is 17. I tried getting a quote but seeing as i dont actually have a car yet, its been quite difficult. How do they give quotes, based upon engine size, make or something completely different? Thanks.""

Which company has the cheapest full coverage auto insurance?

Cost to Insure Skyline.?

got a R34 GT-r. maybe thinking about downgrading to a GT-s R33 cuz i the insurance is a little ridiculous. $640 Thats full coverage and im only 19 :P turnng 20 soon. Which would be more to insure and what you think it would cost to insure the R33? I do have 1 speeding ticket and one wreckless driving back when i was 16.

California Traffic School Twice Within 18 months?

Can I do traffic school twice in California within 18 months? From what I think I understand the first citation is kept confidential. The second within 18 months is not. Can my insurance company raise my rates even though I did happen to take traffic school even though it was twice within 18 months. Will my insurance rise, if so how much?""

Car insurance issues help wanted?

have a few issues I could really use some help with. The family car that I have been driving wasn't in my name but I was still covered on the insurance until one day I hit a mailbox with the passenger side mirror. The mailbox did not sustain any damage but the mirror somewhat did. I didn't call the police when it happened since the damage was extremely minimal. Anyways, then a couple weeks later a different family member (not the owner) had a little bit of a bigger accident when an animal suddenly appeared in front of the car forcing another accident. I have not had an accident in over 12 years but since I was mentioned after that second accident, I was also excluded from the insurance policy for that vehicle. The insurance cost is something like $158.00 per month but now they want the owner to add about $50 or $60 more per month EACH for the 2 people that were excluded because of the accidents.The car payment is about $415.00 per month and the insurance was $158.00 per month for just the owned which does not even drive the car at all but now they want an extra hundred per month for those 2 excluded drivers if they want to drive that car. Will this change if we switched insurance companies? And if I haven't had an accident in over 12 years, would it be possible to appeal that? Thanks in advance""

My younger borother owns a moped how much would it cost for me to be put on his insurance?

i have a full driving licence i only need to be put for for 2 month or so not even that

""What is the AVERAGE cost of insurance for an L driver in BC, yearly?""

I know it varies from person to person, I'm just looking for an estimate for basic coverage, can anyone help me out?""

How much is the average cost of auto insurance for a new driver?

heres some other info, im 20, i just got a learners permit. i live in new york state.""

What kind of car insurance do i need?

hello there,i'm a plumber,i have 7 year no cliam on my vans insurance,till now coz i was goin every where with my van i didn't needed a car,now with new baby we won't be able to go every where with my van so i had to buy a new car,because i won't have any no claim on my car the insurance is sky high....i'm sure i'm missing something in here,i can't drive my van and my car at the same time so why i can't use my no claim on my car too,surely i'm the driver didn't have the accident on these7 years not the cars so why my insurance got to be so high....any idea what can i do about it? thank you so much for your time...take care and all the best""

""If the mandate to buy health insurance wont stand the supreme court review, why am I forced to buy...?

car insurance in the state of California?

Insurance!!?!?!?

So , i live in England , and my neighborhood is like really nice ! ( Houses are like 300000 pounds) , so like my car would be parked in my drive with a gate closed , and it is in insurance group 7 and it is a convertible ( renault megane ) 2006 one how much would i be paying around if i am a driver under my dads name on the insurance and i have had my license for around 6 months and i have had more lessons than needed when i took lessons?""

What should you do if you hit a car but have no insurance?

my friend hit a car the other day but he has no insurance,the damage done to his car was very minor and he only scuffed the bumper of the other car, it appears the other driver wants to claim, should my friend admit to no insurance ? please help ive run out of ideas for him..............""

""How much woud monthly car insurance cost for a 19 year old, and a 1963 Dodge Dart?""

I saw I nice 1963 Dodge Dart for sale, and Id like to get it but Im not entirely sure how much insurance would cost, if I can get some sort of ballpark range so I know whether or not to buy it""

LOOKING FOR HOME OWNERS INSURANCE CALIFORNIA WITH A ROTTWEILER?

I am purchasing a house this month and trying to get an IDEA on how much my home owners insurance will run me, however I have a rottweiler ( obedience trained, no attack training) and several insurance companies have out right told me they do not write policies for owners with rottweilers... any one know of a company that will cover me? and Not charge me an arm and a leg??""

What is the best health insurance to cover pregnancy and birth?

I am moving to Florida, miami actually and Im looking for an affordable insurance that is different from medicaid........thanks""

How much will my car insurance cover damages to the other car?

I backed into a parked car and apparently broke the tail light and a small dent on the bumper; my car didn't have a scratch. I freaked out and left with out leaving a note. About an hour later I get a phone call from police saying I need to come back to the scene. I came back and told them the story of what happened. The guy I hit agreed not to press charges and the officer agreed not to arrest me for hit and run as long as I provided my info. So I cooperative and provided my insurance info. I'm fully covered. Will my insurance company pay for all the damages to the guy's car or only a portion? So far I've only received a phone call from my insurance company that I have $500 deductible. And I have yet to hear from the guy for repair estimates.

""Car insurance, color, and does it really matter?""

Ok, made my decision, going with the new 2007 Mazda 3 S (with the 2.3 ltr engine and all that good stuff...not really sure on the sunroof though, it's kind of pricey) My question...s are: 1. I was told that if I got a loud color on a car that I would regret it for a couple of reasons. It attracts the cops to pull it over more and it could potientally higher my insurance. Is that just some kind of myth to scare people away from getting a nice color like red or yellow? 2. And secondly, what's a good color to get? Something that's easy to clean, but still shimmers and looks nice. I was thinking about the Aurora Blue. Everyone has black and silver cars? 3. I was building the car and I don't want to pay close to 21k for this car, it's worth a lot, but not that much. How much should I ask for? Now I've already gone to edmunds.com, it seems pretty helpful, but should I wait until they get the 2008 Models in and then try to buy the older model?""

Retirement and Health Insurance?

Hello, I am getting ready to retire and am having a hard time finding affording health insurance. I am retireing at 62 so am not able to get medicare yet. Does anyone know of any affordable health insurance plans for Seniors in Florida? Any info is much appreciated.""

Is Geico a good choice for car insurance?

Recently i have been looking to switch car insurance in order to find a better rate for not only me, but my teenage son and daughter. Currently i am paying $80 a month from a local insurance company just for myself, but after looking online i received a quote from geico claiming that insurance for my son, my daughter and myself amounted to a mere $88. Could a Geico or former Geico customer help me out here? What would you say the average rates are for you currently or formally?""

Insurance policy for a newly licensed driver?

I recently got my license at the DMV. My parents won't let me drive a car because of the cost of insurance. They told me that I have to wait for the price to go down. My question is, how much does insurance cost for a 17 year old male in California and if it's true that I have to wait for the price to go down. Please explain car insurance in general.""

Which insurance company is best ?

What kind of car would have cheaper car insurance?

I want to buy a car I have $10 000 and I woult like to purchase a car that would be good on gas, and have a cheaper insurance, any suggestions and quotes?""

Where to get cheap motorcycle insurance in ontario?

How is car insurance calculated?

I'm 16 and I'm buying a used car, need to know how car insurance can be calculated. Also what attributes of a car make it cost more?""

""My car was deemed a total loss by the insurance company, how much should I get?""

I have a 1999 mercury sable GS with 99,000 miles. The car is located at the zip code 08080 (new jersey). An appraiser came out and said the damage done was near $2300 and it was deemed a total loss. Now I'm waiting for them to call back with a settlement offer. I looked up my car on kelley blue book and the retail value for my car is $4,500. How much will they pay me and can I go to court if they decide to pay less than the retail value?""

Is it constitutional for states to require car insurance?

If yes, then why not required gun insurance? Or required medical insurance?""

Accounting for Insurance Premium that is Financed?

I'm learning bookkeeping. I have some difficulty getting the right balance sheet entries. ABC LLC has their insurance financed by a third party. Which specific balance sheet accounts are involved in this? I'm assuming it's not a Note Payable - Cash relationship and I don't think prepaid exps are involved either. Much appreciated help

Does anyone how much full coverage insurance is for a hybrid car?

How much might they charge me for no insurance ticket in wyandot ks?

was following my boyfreind in my brothers car and I took a wrong exit near the speedway. I went down stateline rd looked for a gas station for directions. Found a gas station to ask for directions and the guy did not speak understandable english so tired and lost I took off down the road and forgot to turn my head lights on was puulled over and given a ticket for the lights and it turns out that my brother did not have insurance on the car and that I had forgot my purse way down in pittsburg. I am being told that I may have to pay a $1200 fine and get some weird insurance that cossts $300 or more a month and that it is possible htat they will take my liscense away. This can't be rite?!!? I have a clean driving record and only make $250 a month can't hardly pay rent. Sombody who knows awnser please!!!!!

How can I get cheap car insurance as an 18 year old in the SE UK?

I can't seem to get anything less than 3000

Do I have to insure my son when he turns 16?

My auto insurance company called me yesterday asking for the names and birthdays of my children. I refused to tell them anything. My oldest son will turn 16 in November, and I was not planning on adding him as a driver, because we have full coverage insurance and I thought that would cover anyone.""

Insurance for my baby?

I am researching insurance options for my baby. The baby will be born in few months. I know that the baby will be insured 30 days after he is born. This is my question. Should I find an individual plan for the baby or should I add the baby to my insurance? I did not even know one can add the baby to an existing insurance. I am just trying to find the best deal. If I have to have an individual plan for the baby, I am looking only for Blue Cross or Blue Shield of California (PPO only). If you have any suggestions, please share. Thank you""

Is it worth it to take a life insurance?

Insurance rates of a new leased car vs. a used car?

I am looking for a car to drive, and it's my first car. I am wondering what the difference in insurance costs would be between: a) A brand new leased car b) A fairly old used car I know it depends on the type of car, but lets go with a honda accord, because that's what I would buy/lease. Also, I am 16. Is it possible for my dad to own the lease but designate me as the driver of the car?""

Need affordable dog insurance?

Hi I am a college student and getting a puppy soon, i need an affordable , and good dog insurance, please if you have one...give me the details and which insurance you have, i would really appreciate it. Thanks!""

How much on average is car insurance for young drivers in florida?

i'm a 20 yr old female just trying to budget to figure out how much i need to save for when I get my car. I plan on spending about 2000$ on a used car, but am trying to add in the price of tags, tax, insurance all those up front prices so I figure out how much i need to save up and how many hours i absolutely need to have per week. So, just a rough estimate like $100...$150...something like that. Don't feel like doing price check to price check online with the quotes since I have no clue on the car yet..don't want it to be anything under maybe a '95""

How much should i pay for old car insurance?

how much the cheapest insurance for old car? i have a used honda.

How do I save on auto insurance?

I want to save on auto insurance.....what factors can lower your rate? I need to know things such as an alarm, and kept in the garage, but what other factors can help me getting a low rate? Thanks everyone""

""What is the most reliable, low insurance, cheap small car-max budget 1200?""

I have an 'N' reg Nissan Micra, had it for around 4 years now, it's costing me more than it's worth in repairs and I need to get rid of it! It has been incredible reliable though, engine wise, just other stupid things (no doubt, age related) clutch has just gone and I could have done without that this side of xmas :( but at the moment, not in the position to replace it til next year. Trying to do my homework on cars til then, I have narrowed it down in this order: Volkswagen Polo Suzuki Swift Nissan Micra (obviously, a few years newer) Seat Ibiza (I know, budget pushing it on that one!) and finally, Ford Fiesta (don't know why, i find them so boring to look at, hence last on my list) Any view on above cars would be much appreciated, or other suggestions also. I need the car to be very low on insurance and economical to run as well.""

What would be cheaper to insure for a 16 year old 2003 lancer evo or a 2008 subaru wrx?

what would be cheaper to insure for a 16 year old 2003 lancer evo or a 2008 subaru wrx i get good grades i live with my parents and i could raise the deductible if needed what one would be cheaper to insure.

Where can I find affordable renters insurance in northwest indiana?

Insurance company won't give me enough money to fix my car or get a new one-- what do I do?!?

I got into a car accident a week ago, a truck driver backed into me while I was just stopped at a stop sign. He admitted it was his fault, I had witnesses that supported my story, and his insurance is willing to pay me, BUT since my car is a 1996 Corrolla with almost 200,000 miles on it, the cost of repairing the hood and fenders and everything exceeded the amount my car is worth. Their estimator said the amount of damage is about $2500, so they consider it totaled. Now the choices they are giving me are that they'll take the car and give me $1700 (which won't be enough to get another car), or let me keep the car and give me $1200 (which won't be enough to repair it). I think this is really unfair since the accident wasn't my fault at all and now I'm being told I'm going to have to pay to either get a new car or fix my old one out of my own pocket, but I've tried arguing with them to raise the amount they're going to give me and they say they're not legally required to give me any more money than what my car was worth. Is there ANYTHING I can do? I'm a poor college student and really have no money to be spending on something that I couldn't help :(""

Car insurance / liability coverage?

My brother, who is insured with a different company, had an accident with my car. There were 3 cars involved in the accident. He hit the first car in the back which hit the second car and so forth. I don't know whether it was his fault or not, and we did not informed my brother's insurance because it was my car that was crash. The problem now is that, I have only had basic coverage, and my insurance is telling me that my liability coverage ($5000) can cover only one car, meaning that I have to take care of the 2 others cars. So I am wandering what should I do? Please advice""

Should you Always have health insurance whenever going under the knife ?

I would like to get a breast augumentation, and I was wondering if most people has health insurance whenever going under the knife? My credit is not good,but I've heard of something called Credit Care, is the health insurance included? If not,which health insurance is the most affordable and covers cosmetic surgery?""

Is it true you dont need a license or insurance to drive a scooter?

Im interested in buying a scooter because i have heard you dont need a license or insurance to drive one. I need a way to get to work easier (right now i take the bus) and i cant afford any kind of insurance right now. I dont have a car and i dont have a drivers license. Plus from what i have seen scooters are way cheaper then cars. why dont you need a license for a scooter and what is the difference between a scooter and a moped? I think i read you DO need a license for a moped but not a scooter.

Do I have to have proof of insurance before I can take my drive test?

and what else do I need to bring with me?

Which insurance company is best ?

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/new-york-whole-life-insurance-quotes-jack-hunt/"

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ronaldmrashid · 7 years

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Just Buy It, You’re Worth It! Everyone Deserves A Nice Car

How sexy is this parking job? Love my Rhino

After analyzing the safest cars on the road and researching the best mid-life crisis cars to buy, I’ve finally come to a decision. For almost three years, I’ve been driving a Honda Fit to weave my way around Bay Area traffic. The $235/month business lease is almost over, and it’s time to move on. I’m turning 40 this June, and gosh darn it, I think I deserve to drive something nicer!

Given I’ve spent my whole life being frugal, it’s been extremely hard to spend more than $20,000 on a car. It just feels dumb when my car will just sit in the garage for 23 hours a day on average. Further, cheap ride sharing options are everywhere. What used to cost $25 to go downtown via taxi from the western side of San Francisco now costs only $6 through Lyft line!

To help overcome my frugality, I asked three folks with nice vehicles to share their perspective. For those who are also suffering from frugality disease due to an intense desire to never have to work for anybody again, I think you’ll find this post to be incredibly insightful.

How To Feel Good Spending Lots Of Money

1) Henrique, 26, $8,000 net worth, $48,000 salary, drives a 2016 $72,000 BMW M4

Hey Sam! Cars are more than just going from point A to point B for me. It’s a lifestyle brother! Whenever I pull up to the club in my pearl white M4 with black tint I feel woke! The ladies turn their heads to see who’s driving because they all want to talk to me once I’m inside. The guys ogle even more because I got the freshest rims and the slickest aftermarket lights.

When I could only afford a beat up Toyota Corolla life was hella boring. Now I feel like a confident man. When you have confidence, everything gets better. I feel like a million bucks driving my M4 for only $985/month in car payments. That’s a great deal to me!

BMW M4

2) Lacy, 29, $150,000 net worth, $130,000 salary, drives a $81,000 2017 Porsche Boxster S 718

I just love convertibles. It’s sunshine all the time in California so why not? Before coming to Newport Beach, I worked in dreary Washington D.C. for six years and took the subway everywhere. Hated it! I don’t know why anybody would willing stay on the East Coast if they knew how awesome it is out west. For those six years, I patiently saved my pennies. When the new Boxster S 718 came out, I just had to have it. It’s a dream car that handles better than the 991, for less!

I’m determined to live my 30s the way I want. Not only did I leave my old job for a new one with better pay and benefits, I also left a guy that I thought was the one. Turns out he was a scumbag. I work hard at my asset management job. I max out my 401k. My parents only live a 1.5-hour drive away so I’m saving money on flights. I see no problem living it up a little.

3) Sanjay, 45, $3,000,000 net worth, $600,000 salary, drives a $199,000 Mercedes Benz S600 Maybach

Sam, I fully admit I’m in full on mid-life crisis mode! My hair is thinning, I wrote a book nobody is reading, and my wife made me get a vasectomy before we divorced! I hate her. But, I love our kids. But, I still hate her. Is that weird?

When you get to my age, you start wondering what’s it all for? I’ve been in the business for over 20 years now as a Group Vice President. I’m a multi-millionaire, even after my divorce. I should be able to buy whatever the hell I want! I have good friends who’ve passed away because of cancer before their 50th birthday. I know all about your views on Stealth Wealth, but dude, that’s what blackout tinted windows are for.

Oh, and one more thing. When I turn on the ambient lighting in the Maybach, it’s game over! No woman can resist. There’s no better family car for a 44-year-old executive than what I’m rolling in now.

How can anybody not get in the mood with ambient lighting?

Time To Live It Up!

It’s helpful to listen to other people’s reasons for why they spent so much on a depreciating asset. Perhaps it’s because I’ve been trained so long to only invest in potentially appreciating assets that spending a lot of money on a car just feels so wrong.

But I plan to start a family so it’s all about safety first, second, and third. The key for any middle-aged family man is to find that one vehicle that combines safety, fun, looks, and performance all in one. Given I live in sunny San Francisco, I’ve obviously got to have a convertible. But I can’t get no dinky two-seater because I’ve got to get one large enough for the kids!

OK folks, are you ready to judge?!

I’ve decided to put down a $25,000 deposit for the 2018 Mercedes G650 Maybach arriving this summer! Not only is it a tank, it also has a convertible section in the back to soak up my rays. Now that global warming is over, I plan to go up to my place in Lake Tahoe all the time now. We’ve got a record 600 inches of snowfall in Squaw Valley this year!

The funny thing about the G650 Maybach is that I actually owned the G500 version of it way back in 2002 when I was 24 for $72,000. It was one of my largest financial mistakes since I sold it a year later for a ~$16,000 loss because it was too tall to fit in the condo garage I wanted to buy! The body hasn’t changed since it first began production in 1979.

I’m kind of embarrassed to admit the purchase price, but here goes nothing. This limited edition vehicle, which can certainly become a collector’s item one day cost me $520,000. I know some of you are now unsubscribing because that’s just a ridiculous sum of money to spend on a vehicle. But hear me out on why I think I deserve this vehicle besides the fact that it’s safe and good for the mountains.

* I purposefully went to William & Mary, a public university that cost $2,800 a year in tuition instead of attending a private university that cost $25,000+ a year in tuition at the time. That was a $90,000+ savings.

* I didn’t bother my parents for money after I graduated from college, nor did I move in with them like so many do right now. See: How To Get Your Parents To Buy You Everything As An Adult Child

* I’ve religiously saved 50% or more of my after-tax income for 18 years in a row. In comparison, the average American only saves 5% a year. Here’s how much savings you should have by age.

* I’m no longer going to buy another property in Honolulu or San Francisco due to additional maintenance and property taxes. Instead, I plan to continue paying down my mortgages after paying one rental mortgage off in 2015. It feels so good to have less debt.

* From 2005 – 2012 I drove a used Land Rover I bought for $8,000. From 2012 – now, my business has only had to pay $165/month after deduction for my Honda Fit. This means that for the past 12 years I’ve driven a much cheaper vehicle than I can afford.

* I successfully negotiated a severance package that may be equal to more than the value of the G650 Maybach. If I had quit, I would have got zilch. In other words, the severance feels like free money that should be spent however I wish. There’s something to be said regarding proper planning and negotiating.

* A $60,000 private equity investment I made in 2007 is finally making a profit after the company was sold earlier this year. It’s not a big profit, as I’ll share with you in a future post. But it’s certainly more than the $0 I thought I was going to get since it’s been so long!

* A Financial Samurai post went aggressively viral, bringing me a respectable five-figure revenue windfall in one week as a result. How many people can say they were a “Twitter Moment” for three days in a row? Who else is able to do this? My English teacher would be so proud!

* I’ll be paying over $65,000 in federal and state income taxes on top of over $50,000 in property taxes for 2016 as an early retiree. It kinda makes me ill seeing the amount spelled out like that, but I feel proud to help contribute to the greater good of this country.

* More than 12 people have already privately written in saying that some post I wrote in the past has helped improve their finances for the better. Making a difference in 12 people’s lives was one of my goals for the entire year.

So there you have it. If you want to still judge me for my purchase, so be it. But I feel that after all this saving, investing, planning, and writing, I deserve to finally drive a luxury vehicle. The main thing I kept on going back to is whether I could live with myself if my family got injured in a car accident because I wasn’t willing to pony up for a larger, more expensive vehicle. The answer was always no.

Readers, what do you think about the reasons Henrique, Lacy, and Sanjay gave for why they decided to buy such expensive vehicles? Isn’t spending up for a larger, safer vehicle worth it to better protect your family? Do you think my purchase is worth it? If not, what other options would you recommend. Happy April Fools Day.

from http://www.financialsamurai.com/just-buy-it-youre-worth-it-everyone-deserves-to-drive-a-nice-car/

#Financial Samurai

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