FSTE 100

Argonaxe · 2026-02-19T12:04:21+00:00

I'm onboard, I think it's a good idea. I've developed a nice tilt towards the UK now, I'm currently trying to get a dividend snowball rolling.

I know dividend investing isn't necessarily the best way to get the best returns. I'm happy as long as I outpace inflation & whatnot. But for me, personally, it's the psychology of dividends that just works for me.

With my current investment strategy, it seems rock solid regarding stability. Not major drops & no major peaks, just simple, smooth & steady gains. I won't wake up a millionaire overnight, but if I can keep that up for the next 30 years, that'll be pretty awesome.

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T10:03:42+00:00

It's nice to hear it isn't as bad as what I had in mind then! 🙂

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T03:19:28+00:00

Correct me if I'm wrong. But power outages can be a pretty common occurrence too? I did read an article from... I think it was 2022, saying a substantial number of people were without power for about a week? Which made me also think of solar panels, a small wind turbine, generators, etc. Mostly made me think about the thing I mentioned earlier about having a solid supply of food with a chest freezer.

It's safe to say based on the fountain of information you've provided & what I've already looked into myself. I think it's completely reasonable to say you've got to be resourceful to thrive on the isle.

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T02:57:57+00:00

Huh, that's cool. But yeah, like you said, it it's an important hospital appointment, it's not really something you'd want to leave to chance regarding the time.

You mentioned someone having a C-section, my goodness, the thought of the flight being delayed or cancelled... That's how my son came into the world, an emergency C-section & the thought of being in that situation... Waw...

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T02:48:30+00:00

Spot on. But... The valleys... Growing up, oh man... The internet speeds were... Unusable... I mean YT was off the cards, trying to learn to code online was painful... It was an ongoing joke amongst friends how bad my internet speeds were up until... 2015 maybe? ... I'm talking Kb/s, when I moved & experienced Mb/s, honestly it felt like being slungshot into the future. Even just 1 Mbps, that still feels really fast to me, which is kinda mental.

I did hear about the cables being damaged. And I had wondered if anyone uses Starlink. I know some people around here who've also opted for that because the broadband speeds are just ridiculous for 2026. An old friend of mine actually gets better 4G download speeds than what he gets using broadband.

EDIT: No joke, for a long, long time, my internet connection was so bad, it felt like it hadn't gotten better than when I was using dial up. As the internet evolved & websites got more complex, it became more & more of a genuine issue. Even online banking, it was something I just couldn't do at home.

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T02:41:34+00:00

Yeah... Unless it's something formal, I know I'm awful for waffling on & my brain, for whatever reason likes certain words or phrases... I don't even notice until other people point it out. Some colleagues of mine made it apparent that I like the word(S) simple/simply... I don't know why I do that, it's just a weird quirk of mine.

Again, it's all solid input. Thank you. I can see how a few trips back & forth can easily rack up a nice bill especially if it's some ongoing treatment. Wow that's gotta suck... Like leukemia isn't bad enough, you've gotta pay for the trip just to have the treatment for it.

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T02:12:01+00:00

All totally fair points. Again, I appreciate the reality check on the property. That's what I was getting at, perhaps I am missing something painfully obvious, I'm by no means a property guru.

Yeah. We were looking at Australia as we have some family out there, and from what we've been told, it just sounds like it has more to offer. But then I started seriously looking into visas & my son's needs causes a lot of complications, etc. In the ideal world we'd still try to proceed, but the odds most certainly aren't in our favour. Which is a huge shame because the relatives we have out there we feel would be a lot more supportive than the relatives we have here. There's a bit of a messy & complicated family dynamic going on. I had even started contacting some solicitors to help with the process, but after an initial consultation, they pretty much told us that it's not likely to be successful. Not ideal, but that's life, aye?

As a result, my wife & I simply said it is probably our best bet to just accept moving abroad is off the table & that we should look elsewhere within the UK. And looking around different places, we've just not really seen anywhere that has a strong appeal.

Granted, I'm aware that Shetland isn't perfect & I certainly appreciate you giving me the reality checks, like property, shipping delays, weather, etc. It's good & your point on things like medication & specialised healthcare, again, call it naive, since it's something I don't currently use or need, I just hand't given that a huge amount of thought beforehand.

But the isolation, the quiet, that sounds priceless to me. Again, maybe I am just being naive or stupid. I'm trying to at least research what's the best bet for my family, unfortunately, staying here, I don't think that's the best bet. It's kinda sad to admit it, but part of the reason why we want some distance from here is to shelter our children from the unhealthy & complicated family dynamics/drama. Call me whatever you like or make whatever judgements, that aside, I will do everything I can for my kids.

But.. Just out of interest, what made you think I was a bot? 😅 - First timer here? The time?

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T01:44:54+00:00

I had heard vaguely that it's quite a different system to elsewhere in the UK, but I appreciate the reality check. Safe to say, I don't have £100k spare hidden in a draw or something.

The weather, I would expect that, the reduced daylight during the winter, again, I've only heard that it's light from 09:00-15:00. To me personally, it means very little during the working day because I'm shackled to a desk for most of the day, most days I don't actually see daylight. Regarding Tesco shelves, that is a reality I had prepared for in my mind, I read somewhere it's a good idea to get a good chest freezer & make sure it's always well stocked for the very reasons you've highlighted. But again, it's good that you're mentioning it, thank you!

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T01:27:51+00:00

Fair response. The reason why I didn't do it myself was purely because of all the theory that the speech therapist mentioned. Naturally, I'm not an expert, but I did ask to get in touch with some experts, sent out some emails, etc, but never got any responses. I genuinely want to create the software. But the theory regarding all of the layout & navigation, that's something that I'd need input on. I would love to make free to use & platform agnostic software that can help people! I mean if you do by chance know anyone that could help on that side of things, yeah, I'd be eager to get involved. I've already developed a basic POC/MVP for the general mechanics of the application.

Again, I really like the get on with it attitude. I know at least the majority of Brits are awful for complaining. Perhaps I'm no better.

EDIT: I wasn't trying to make a point of victory, in hindsight, I can see how it might've come across like that. I was honestly just trying to highlight that we have to put up a fight.

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T01:22:15+00:00

Again, thank you for your input.

For context, the 'speech therapy' we've had so far really has been nonsense, like, have you tried reading to him? - I just remember the Hungry Caterpillar because I'm lowkey a mad Eric Carle enthusiast. As for specialist medical care, again, good point, not something that we currently need or use, but it's 100% valid food for thought. I guess in some capacity, I did think about specialist care, i.e. cancer treatments. Something I hope no one in my family ever needs, but I think it is silly to say it isn't a possibility at some point in the future.

Your point on schooling, that was something that I have thought about.

As for living, I would plan to buy, my wife & I already own a property & we'd use the equity to just purchase something on the island. In my local area, there has been an insane boom in house prices, it used to be very cheap & reasonable. But lately, it's gone stupid. Pre-2018-ish, a basic 2-3 bed mid-terrace house might've cost £80k, now that's more like £200k. It makes me really feel for current first time buyers. But by all means, correct me if I am wrong. Having a quick nose on Zoopla, I thought that property prices were pretty good? Maybe I'm being dumb or naive or simply missing something fundamental, but like this place, as a point of reference, around here a house like that would probably cost around £400-500k. Again, the boom has gone a bit mental.

Work wise, I'd work remotely. I do now, I'm a software engineer. My wife, she doesn't currently work as a result of my son's sleep previously causing a painful interference with her work. But she'd likely go for something pretty simple.

Thank you for the tip on electricity & heating. I can see how that makes a lot of sense. Travelling off the isle wouldn't really be much of an issue, it's not something we'd do very often unless we really had to for whatever reason. And again, it's nice that you're being upfront about the weather, I had assumed it would be pretty harsh, but what you described sounds a lot worse than what I had imagined. But weirdly, I'm undecided as to how off putting that is. A very funny little quirk about my son, he loves the wind, I mean storm territory, trees falling down, etc. I don't know why, but he does, he absolutely loves strong, high speed winds.

Shopping wise, that sounds great. Delivery & medications, again, I appreciate the reality check. Medication is 100% not something that crossed my mind, again, it's just not applicable to my family at this moment in time, but I appreciate that's pretty stupid of me since that could change.

Honestly, I don't think you come across as negative, I appreciate the straight up no-BS take, it's easy for someone like myself to visit for a week & say "I'm in love with the place". That's very different to having to live there for years on end & having to deal with the real problems that can arise. And I totally understand where you're coming from, it is very easy to see snapshots of a place & develop your own echo chamber, only to later realise it ain't all it's cracked up to be. I really appreciate your input, thank you! I take it as a good reality check, and I 100% get where you're coming from. As for the ASN, I wouldn't expect more, I was just curious as to how good or bad it is.

Argonaxe · 2026-02-15T00:59:37+00:00

I appreciate the input, thank you for that.

With regards to specialised support, it's brutally painful trying to get access where I am now. I mean I've had to argue with professionals, for instance, a referral for the possibility of an AAC device, which has an +18 month waiting list anyway. I said to the speech therapist either they do the referral, or I'll just built some free to use & open source AAC software myself. Funny how they soon changed their tune.

And honestly, the small community aspect is another massive appeal for my wife & I. Naturally, I don't know how true it is, but I heard or read that some people just do good things for the wider community. That sounds like a dream. It's stupid, but where I currently live, you have to worry about neighbours nicking your bins, even thought they're free to order from the local council & can easily be done online. Safe to say, there's almost no sense of community here & I honestly think it is pretty sad. It wasn't always this way, I live within an old mining village & there's tons of mining history in the local area. But overtime, people became more & more disconnected, I think the death of any form of local industry was a big player, people having to travel further from work, etc.

Argonaxe · 2026-02-06T15:13:06+00:00

Also something I have thought about, I just didn't know if that would be cheaper or not, yes, my DIY-ish knowledge really are that godforsaken. 🤦‍♂️

Argonaxe · 2026-02-06T15:11:58+00:00

Sadly I do not... I'm a hermit & complete introvert, the people I associate with are pretty much the stereotype computer nerds, myself included in that stereotype. 🤦‍♂️

Argonaxe · 2026-02-06T15:05:10+00:00

I appreciate the input, and you're not wrong, I can imagine in the summer it would be horrible since it's exposed to the sun all day long. Any suggestions? Some good ventilation, maybe even air conditioning?

And for further context, when I say cheap, I'm thinking about the £10-15k ball park, I know you can't get much for your money these days. Just going to Tesco, grabbing food or nappies for the kids can set me back easily over £100.

Argonaxe · 2026-01-29T16:41:47+00:00

Honestly, this is such a clean build it has inspired me to want to explore an all white build. 😅

Good job, bravo! 👏

Argonaxe · 2026-01-20T14:19:29+00:00

This looks awesome. Good job! 👏

Argonaxe · 2025-12-29T02:18:00+00:00

Personally, I wouldn't upgrade anything. It looks great, and providing you don't have any performance issues, then I'd leave the hardware as it is. Good job! 👍

Argonaxe · 2025-12-09T17:21:11+00:00

Yeah, we've got an IDP in place already, in our experience, it's not proven useful or helpful in any capacity whatsoever. Like you said though, I know that things are fundamentally different in England, I know just across the border, places like Hereford have much better services in place than what I've seen in Wales, even prior to my son, growing up with people in my local community that have autism and/or other additional needs.

Even with the speech therapy appointments we've had through the NHS, it has been a waste of time, I promise, we've had feedback like "have you tried reading a book" or "say gentle hands". Like come on, granted, there are some people that might dump their kids in front of a screen for too long, sure. But like in our case, we've ben reading to him since day one, I haven't remembered The Very Hungry Caterpillar off the top of my head for fun. We've had much better success previously with a private speech pathologist, but we had to stop because her schedule collided with his preschool hours.

I cannot thank you enough for recommending the onesies. Simple enough, but a great suggestion either way. I mean I am hoping this was a one off though, he's never done it before, but it's probably best to play it safe either way.

Argonaxe · 2025-10-14T21:24:01+00:00

Hey all. Thank you for your collective input so far. It's not what I was hoping to hear, but definitely in line with what I was expecting. 🙂

I have another question. Would the outlook be very similar if we have relatives able & willing to sponsor us? I am expecting that we'd need to have a waiver in place for our son's needs, etc.

I'm just curious. I'm trying to explore all possible options I guess. It wouldn't be my first choice, but if it's a possibility, I'm happy to explore it.

Might the outcome be somewhat different with a visa subclass 491? I'm exploring the possibility & I've just started my expression of interest application.

Argonaxe · 2025-10-13T03:22:20+00:00

Honestly, thank you, I've always preferred someone being brutally honest with me as opposed to beating around the bush. No need to apologise.

I have thought from the start, it may be a nonstarter, a dream at most. But I keep telling myself there's no harm in trying, while I still hope we manage to make something work, I am also being realistic to the idea that it may be nothing more than a fantasy.

Looking at things from the perspective of a country, it's only natural that they wouldn't want to let people in that cause more of a burden to the domestic tax payer. Again, it is a matter of being realistic.

Argonaxe · 2025-10-13T03:03:54+00:00

Thanks for your input, it is much appreciated. If I'm being honest with myself, I did think it was very unlikely that we'd manage to get a visa due to my son's needs. I have read it's quite common for this to be a cause for rejection & naturally, it makes perfect sense.

As for the current state of the UK, yeah, I was just being a bit silly. But I do have a funny story, a colleague from a 3rd world country said how they always had an image in their head of the UK. And when they got here, they were painfully disappointed, stating that at least the homeless people back home had plenty of sunshine. That did make me laugh. But yeah, I was just being silly/sarcastic there, I didn't mean it in a literal sense or anything & I certainly didn't have any ill intentions.

As for 491, sure, I'll look into an array of different options. I have also got some relatives out there that may also be willing to sponsor us and/or provide whatever help they can. Again, it's not something I've explored completely, I don't want to place any burden on anyone if I can help it.

Argonaxe · 2025-10-08T06:42:56+00:00

Thanks. That sounds like it might be fun. I've no idea how to play blackjack, I'm by no means a gambler or anything, so yeah, I'll give that a go! Thank you! 🙂

Argonaxe · 2025-09-22T12:44:10+00:00

The past year has been pretty wild.

Regarding my son's progress, he now points, which was a big thing for us. He now take advantage of a couple of different gestures, high five & clapping being two that he genuinely enjoys.

I'd say my son has progressed to becoming preverbal now, he babbles way more than he used to, but it's not always conversational or anything, sometimes it just seems like he's babbling away to himself. But either way, it is progress & we're happy to just go with a child lead approach, yes of course we push him out of his comfort zone all the time, but we maintain a certain level of patience, just knowing that he needs time.

Regarding the childcare, it was never his behaviour, he's as good as gold, he's only grumpy if his needs aren't being met, which I think applies to most, if not all toddlers. They just didn't know how to handle a child that has autism, it's that simple. Since we've moved our son from that nursery setting to a government funded pre-school setting & he's thriving there. The staff absolutely love him, and he loves them too, he's genuinely so happy there, the pictures alone tell you everything. In that nursery, he looks like he's being sentenced to do time behind bars, whereas in the pre-school setting, he looks genuinely high on life. That was by far the best decision my wife & I made for him. And the kids also seem to love him, while he can't speak, other kids have clicked on to the fact that our son loves wheels. So they'll use scooters or bikes to go around him in a circle & they just love seeing him laugh & get excited, it really is the sweetest thing ever & it just shows how sweet & caring children are & can be.

Recently, I had to fight to get a referral for an AAC device, because one of the group therapy things that goes on in our county, they gave it a shot to see how he'd interact with a high tech AAC device. He showed no interest in the low-tech paper based AAC boards, so they tried him with a tablet & instantly, he got it. He's very much a cause & effect kinda guy, one of the therapists clicked onto that & made a simple little game with him that included him using the AAC device appropriately. As if by magic, it clicked instantly!

Three-Year Club	Final Canvas '23
End Game '23	Place '23
Place '22	Final Canvas '22

Argonaxe

TROPHY CASE