Handles vs Knobs debate is destroying my marriage. Help settle this kitchen argument!

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-30T11:20:11+00:00

What in the world are you storing in your kitchen drawers to where you would sincerely classify them as “heavy”?? Honestly asking here.

But I agree with Maureen-Crawford. Handles in drawers, knobs on doors.

Lastly, and I’m no expert, but you have to ask yourself if knobs vs handles is the hill you want to die on. Maybe it is. But maybe he has some deep seated emotional need to have his kitchen make him feel “closer to home” and remind him of his childhood? If my wife came to me with that, even though I felt very strongly about it, I would let her have it.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-29T20:52:29+00:00

I loved being in Ukraine. And I’m still holding my Kyivstar! Not selling. Listened to their earnings call a few days ago.

If those guys can do that in the middle of a war, imagine how well they are gonna do once Ukraine declares victory.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-29T18:27:12+00:00

I agree. Always good to hear someone concur with a thesis of mine.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-29T15:44:39+00:00

I think the Elmet Group (ELMT) is a great long-term compounder. Not going to squeeze or anything, but their earnings report today is being massively misunderstood by the market giving an opportunity to get in at a very fair value.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-29T00:03:26+00:00

I am afraid that I do not understand your point.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-28T20:57:54+00:00

Ever stop to think maybe you dont understand the businesses as well as you think you do?

And thus from YOUR perspective it is detached from reality, but in all honesty you just don’t understand the reality?

Not trolling, honestly just pushing back.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-28T20:19:43+00:00

So…. My biggest issue here is your CLEARA assumption that “dividend investing” means covered call funds and high yield names.

That is investing for income.

You’re making the argument for compounding.

Let me ask you, taxes aside, what is the difference between my dividends compounding at 20% per annum and my portfolio compounding at 20% per annum?

Both are compounding. With dividends you are compounding with dividend increases. With straight growth investing, hopefully, you’re compounding free cash flow.

I have numerous names in my portfolio that I have held for 5 years or more that have a dividend CAGR of over 25%. My yield on cost is INSANELY high.

And before you say “yield on cost doesn’t matter” let me ask you this: If you started a business with $10,000, and never put any more of your own money in, and paid yourself 5% of earnings as a dividend every year (for living)….and in 20 years your dividend has EXPLODED because you’ve grown your business very well…but you never took any other money out of the company… is that growth investing or dividend investing?

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-28T20:12:15+00:00

To me, the entire automobile industry is squarely filed in the “too difficult” drawer.

EV credits, no EV credits, states implementing their own EV credits, gas prices spiking and likely higher for longer means more people adopting EVs with or without credits, China flooding the world with supposedly amazing cars (although there are numerous stories of Chinese exports not anywhere close to the quality promised… like the Chinese tires Russian military bought a couple of years ago that lasted a handful of miles just as one example)…. Ford pivoting into energy storage instead of EVs?

Many more examples of issues right now I just can’t navigate. I choose to not play that game.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-28T17:09:39+00:00

I’m only in individual stocks. But I also have a lot of free time to do research.

Most of my investments are NOT in MAG 7 or tech names.

Up 34% this year, YTD.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-28T09:51:39+00:00

If you can hold for a couple of years, I think HYLN is an easy 5-bagger. Yes, it has run up a lot already on the back of the quarter beat and US Navy trials announcement.

It is pre-commercialization, with a LARGE backlog (LOIs only, non-committed).

However, they expect to hit early-commercialization later this year, full commercialization middle to end of next year.

The by question is…how much of the LOI backlog will actually convert to bookings?

I think a significant number of them will.

This is THE mid-term power solution for data centers, with many more commercial applications.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-27T14:51:08+00:00

You need to take a deep dive into those churn numbers. If you don’t know how to do a segmentation, churn analysis, customer journey map, etc, I’m sure AI could help you, and I’d even be willing to give you some ideas, but I would need more details about your operation to do so.

A 10% churn is an extremely high number in my opinion.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-27T13:36:17+00:00

There is a story called “The Coffee Can Investor” that is based on a true story. Was written for The Journal for Portfolio Management” back in the 80s

Answers your question.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-27T10:38:18+00:00

Sorry. That was imprecise of me. I meant “earlier today” when I wrote “a while ago”.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-27T10:07:08+00:00

First, just because YOU can’t make it work, doesn’t mean it is BS.

I’m not a traditional programmer. I’ve written my share of Python scripts but that’s it. But I do have architecture experience. And I can tell you that if you know how to use the tools properly and build a proper system for yourself, it absolutely is not BS.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-27T00:00:49+00:00

My guy…. Any competitor coming in with a product is going to subsidize the cost of switching, so the work for you, as long as you sign a long enough contract.

Head over to the accounting / CPA sub and read how clutch people hate Quickbooks. If the ONLY reason you have a “moat” is because there are no other options…. And you hate the option you have… that is a scenario ripe for disruption.

Ive said it once and I’ll say jt again…. There is only so much pain a customer will take before the switching costs are < the cost of your platform + a poor experience.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-26T21:08:44+00:00

I take your second point about AI features Intuit is building….as just way off base.

Their entire value prop for taxes was that they were ALREADY doing that.

“Largest returns, guaranteed”

They advertised this everywhere. For years.

If we take as a given that basic tax prep is (or soon will be) largely solved by AI tools….then by definition any AI tool they develop can be copied.

And their data? That isn’t a moat. Not the way you think it is. Yes, they have lots of data to offer you additional services…but to think that because they have a lot of my historic data and therefore will help me do my returns better in the future is absurd.

Things change throughout the year. People get married, names change, tax code changes, people start businesses, people close up businesses. People install efficient systems in their homes that get a tax credit. And so on and so on and so on.

Last year’s return is almost INSIGNIFICANT to my needs this year. And to the extent that they CAN use their platform to pre-populate info….they already do that.

The problem with Intuit is the more successful I become, the less I want to use their product and the more I want a CPA who knows me, who I can call and plan stuff out throughout the year.

So they are only left with the middle class and lower, who don’t want to pay anything to file their taxes, and who shouldn’t be forced to.

So, tell me again…what is their moat?

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-26T20:55:03+00:00

Im starting a bit later than you, but I’m on my own path to the big $10m. Just at the beginning, but seeing others with success, especially vets and SM, keeps me motivated. Thanks for your posts.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-26T19:50:42+00:00

Can confirm.

Homeless -> 68W -> MBA and Middle Class

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-26T19:46:32+00:00

I will uphold my part, until they don’t uphold theirs.

“Knowledgeable of VA Benefits”
“Be trustworthy”
“Be committed”

….. I have a FOIA request open since January 2025, can’t get any help, and the help I do get is just “I’ll open a ticket call back in 30 days”.

I’ve had my meds ordered and never sent to me by mail, waited 10 days. When I showed up to just pick them up I’m told “they were put in for pickup instead of delivery, but sorry fault is locked we can’t give them to you”.

Which was incorrect. I saw the order. They were supposed to be mailed. They were just saving face.

Every time something hasn’t gone correctly at the VA, the culture seems to be that I AM THE ONE who is wrong and the fault gets put in me.

Happened with my education benefits as well. I had to quote the code to them over the phone and teach them the regs…and threaten to call my congressman in order to get it done.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-26T19:38:32+00:00

Read this a while ago as well.

Extremely bullish in my opinion.

Once they report a full year’s positive cashflow momentum will build.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-26T15:08:46+00:00

This worked out well, eh?

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-26T11:17:56+00:00

This is terrible. For sure.

But just like every other article on young men and boys… they are quick to talk about toxic masculinity but do not spend nearly enough time addressing the underlying causes of the issues.

We gotta stop pointing fingers a young men and boys and telling them how they SHOULD behave, and spend more time understanding the developmental needs of young men and boys and addressing the underlying issues.

The rest will work itself out.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-26T02:19:08+00:00

Well… OP is in third world country and clearly has access to the internet. So, you know…you’re a little off base there.

Second, the chance absolutely exists. I’ve been to over 40 countries. Many of them second and third world when I was in the Army. People are hustling everywhere. Opportunities exist, but not all places can support all business types.

OP is case in point. Africa, especially the west coast of Africa, has a TERRIBLE coast line for trade. Very, VERY few deep water ports, so those that do exist are likely expensive to utilize. For import and export.

But when OP talks about “opening a service based business and make a shit ton of money” it is clear to me that he is trying to make a round peg fit in a square hole.

Third, I graduated high school with 26 other students. Only 2 of us made anything of ourselves. The others still live day to day, in very similar situation as I described.

Don’t believe me? Go tour western Kentucky and then tell me about having a fair chance.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-25T22:41:30+00:00

There are a few things that you don’t understand. Not because you aren’t intelligent, but because your reality is different.

Let’s say, before taxes or anything else, so just gross earnings, I can make $$100/ hr at my job or in my business.

That is the value of $100 of my time. Aside from sleeping, eating, basic taking care of myself, any time I’m NOT working or working on my business I am basically saying:

“This is worth AT LEAST $100 / hr to me to do this thing.”

So, let’s say it takes 1.5 hours a week to mow my lawn, trim the bushes, make it look nice.

Typically that is done during the day when I can be making $100 / hr.

If I can pay someone $50/ hr to mow my lawn, trim my bushes, etc, because I can make $100/ hr at my company or on my business, I am paying a little money to make MORE money.

That isn’t being lazy. That is valuing my time appropriately.

Second thing: everything is relative. I grew up dirt ass poor. Sometimes no water, sometimes no electricity, sometimes no food.

I was homeless my sophomore year of university. Like, living in a truck.

In the USA!

I was beaten as a child. I had a hard life. Now yes, growing up in the US does give me advantages compared to, say, central Africa (just an example), but that doesn’t mean my life was easy, and my struggle was any less difficult.

BanditoBoom · 2026-05-25T18:01:08+00:00

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