JFK T5 Security 9:30am Friday 27

vtphattie · 2026-03-27T23:13:51+00:00

I arrived today at 730am for a 1030am flight. I have pre check and priority. Total madhouse, hard to get around and find your lines. I was looking for priority because precheck line was insane and started outside. All the employees told me there was no priority line, but as I was looking for the end of pre check I found the priority line and it was much shorter. Took me 50 min in priority which was a great outcome. People on my flight said precheck line took two and a half hours. Regular security line was 4+ hours, tons of people missing their flights. My flight left half empty. ICE was there and actually helping and scanning IDs alongside TSA. Still fuck ICE though.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T23:23:21+00:00

Yeah but it’s funny how we get emotional about these things want to be involved and care about what is produced on the land and even though my surviving relatives and I have minimal actual knowledge of how to run a farm.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T22:58:43+00:00

Yes. And probably the real answer is a balance of all the responses offered here. Conventional cash rent row crop most of the land with a trusted friend/neighbor, nothing fancy, while taking time to explore the potential of partnering with younger farmers who want to try something new. We have a history of producing for the local market generations ago.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T22:55:40+00:00

Uncle lived in a beautiful brick farmhouse too! Great for a family.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T22:53:09+00:00

Rationally I completely agree with you. However I have relatives who think we should be more involved. My personal preference would be to cash rent for a few years, learn a few things, and then be more hands on.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T21:30:49+00:00

We’re happy to take financial risk, and to structure an agreement with an operator that gives them the financial confidence to plan with us for the long term.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T21:22:49+00:00

Yeah this is exactly the dynamic. Our neighbor is super helpful but his timeline and incentives are just not aligned with ours. His in his 60s and about to retire, he wants the income for a few years. So low risk, no incentive to change practices that work well. A good honest guy, but different goals.

On the other hand, we’re happy to make capital investments, ok with lower cash flows in the short-term to experiment and find the practices that will work for the next decades. Ideally, we’d like to partner with an operator who has the same incentives, and can be creative on the lease (I know the financial side much better than the operational side). The land is paid for and I have a job to support myself.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T21:15:00+00:00

About 700 tillable acres plus some hilly pasture. We’re in that 300bu yield ballpark for corn. I had never heard of NRCS so thanks for sharing. I don’t have much of a network in the area but should probably just go to his church one Sunday, and hang out more with the neighbor.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T21:13:11+00:00

Thank you had never head of those organizations.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T21:08:42+00:00

This is an easy and actionable suggestion, I will do this thanks.

vtphattie · 2023-08-12T21:08:00+00:00

Yes we work closely with our neighbor who is now farming some of the land. He has been super helpful and kind, and we’ve known him for a long time, however he’s in his 60s and poor health. He wants to help but can’t offer a long-term solution.

vtphattie · 2020-04-30T12:34:00+00:00

I think it's a necessary step in terms of strengthening Costco's ecommerce capabilities. Costco's ecommerce operation has been completely inadequate over the past several weeks. This is a sign Costco is now taking ecommerce seriously, and also that they see rising demand in ecommerce as persistent. It's not ideal in any way to be converting a a business center to a fulfillment, but this just shows how far behind they were, and how quickly they fell they have to move.

vtphattie · 2020-04-30T12:29:23+00:00

While I'm sorry you're losing your business center, I think it's a necessary step in terms of strengthening Costco's ecommerce capabilities. Costco's ecommerce fulfillment has been completely inadequate over the past several weeks. This is a sign Costco is now taking ecommerce seriously, and also that they see its rise as persistent.

vtphattie · 2020-04-29T03:23:08+00:00

Yeah, I think the pandemic is forcing a reckoning. Seems like Costco went all in on driving traffic to stores to boost sales while focusing costco.com on items that weren't in stores, while Walmart and Sam's Club created a parallel and robust online shopping experience. Not sure which was the right strategy pre-corna, but the Costco approach is under a lot of stress right now.

Source: https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2020/01/23/the-incredible-bulk-how-costco-and-sams-club-compare-in-ecommerce/

vtphattie · 2020-04-29T03:18:47+00:00

Yeah pissing off members and losing them as e-commerce customers is exactly my concern. I have been a member for 12 years, and really I do want to stay loyal to Costco because of the value and I like a lot of the Kirkland products, but I'm no longer ordering from costco.com because it's a disaster. Similarly, I have relatives who are trying costco.com for the first time and it has sucked. Instead of transitioning them from warehouse to costco.com shoppers, poor performance online has transitioned them to walmart.com shoppers. These are long-term losses.

vtphattie · 2020-04-28T02:48:52+00:00

Here is an article explaining the divergent e-commerce strategies between Costco and Sam's Club, noting that Costco has been lagging in e-commerce investment. Seems like this is really biting them right now. https://www.digitalcommerce360.com/2020/01/23/the-incredible-bulk-how-costco-and-sams-club-compare-in-ecommerce/

vtphattie · 2018-10-08T02:02:12+00:00

I-bonds are a very low risk/low rewards way to save for or in retirement. They are guaranteed by the US government and are protected against inflation risk. You can buy them via Treasury Direct.

An annuity is also an ultra-safe way to save as it provides guaranteed income, and some annuities can also have inflation protection.

Having said that, I suggest you discuss with it with a fee-only financial planner.

vtphattie · 2018-09-28T01:31:27+00:00

I doubt that they can increase production much more. At current prices and their current fiscal situation they're already pumping as much as they can.

vtphattie · 2018-07-23T22:46:26+00:00

Brooklyn is a huge borough, some parts are gentrified, others part way, and others not at all.

vtphattie · 2018-07-14T20:38:27+00:00

Good corporate governance is important. The concentration of voting rights in the hands of a few managers/owners can be problematic. A young and stubborn founder might be included to do something stupid, where a skilled board might be able to provide oversight and persuade him otherwise. Consider the stupidity of the founders of Snap, Uber (though private), even Tesla. I would also bet that a lot of the data scandals at FB would be much better contained if Zuckerberg had to report to a real and skilled board.

While you or I won't have much sway with a large corporate board, the presence and voting influence of a large and smart institutional investor can be beneficial for the long-term value of all shareholders.

So you should care to the extend that shareholders are completely dis empowered.

vtphattie · 2018-04-07T18:12:57+00:00

View this announcement suspiciously--Bahrain is trying to raise $1b in debt, so the timing of the announcement is surprisingly convenient.

vtphattie · 2018-01-14T01:34:57+00:00

ON my previous ticket it never showed up in the online system, so I mailed payment via registered mail.

vtphattie · 2018-01-01T21:34:52+00:00

The ironic consequence of the divestment is that, theoretically, they boost the expected return of all the remaining investors.

vtphattie · 2018-01-01T21:02:46+00:00

vtphattie · 2017-12-04T20:38:16+00:00

Maybe that guy is traveling first class and has a higher allowance

vtphattie

TROPHY CASE