I’ve been to the emergency room twice in my life. The first happened my freshman year in college when I was complaining to the girls sitting next to me in class that I had a headache. One of them reached into her purse and gave me a Tylenol. After I took it they both started cracking up – as a joke she gave me ‘the pill’. I freaked out, rushed to the hospital thinking I would have some weird reaction and die, but the doctor who saw me said nothing would happen and as I left the room he told me, “at least you won’t get pregnant tonight.” The second time I was with my wife – we had made tacos and I grabbed the jar of salsa and tried like hell to open it. I used my dominant left hand, my right hand, and then wiped my hands on my shirt and tried again. She told me she could open it, but I’d be damned if I was going to loosen it enough to give her all the glory of opening the jar while emasculating me at the same time. I saw my dad once bang a jar on the side of the sink to help open it (*just hit me now that jar-opening weakness must be hereditary) so I gave it a shot and uh… the jar shattered. When I looked down I had a gash in my thumb that required a grand-total of four stitches to close. While I waited in the emergency room I struck up a conversation with a guy in Army fatigues (he was in the Reserves at this point in his career) who had gone fishing and had the lure hook deeply embedded in his hand. He was laughing at it, and when I asked him if it hurt or scared he said, “I’ve been trained not to get scared.” Obviously he had never ingested the pill before, but still it was at this point in my life I realized the United States military was damn lucky not to have me be a part of it. I’d like to go on record – on this Veteran’s Day – and say that anyone who has served our country or currently serving has more bravery in their pinkie toe than I have in my entire body. To me it never seems enough to buy a military member a meal or to say, “Thank you for your service.” – just not enough justice there. I’d like to encourage anyone who wants to do more to click on this link which shows ways in which you can send care packages to soldiers.
Greatness Quote of the Day: “The greatness of a man is not how much wealth he acquires, but in his integrity and his ability to affect those around him positively.” – Bob Marley
This Week in Economic History: It was on this day in 1946 the nation’s first drive-through bank was introduced. The concept was the idea of the Exchange National Bank of Chicago, which implemented 10 drive-through windows. It wasn’t until months later the President of that bank instructed the tellers to ask customers, “Do you want fries with that? Ya, I made that up but did you know that A&W Root Beer claims to have opened the first drive-thru. Here are some other fast food facts for you.
Wuss’up This Week: It’s a pretty quiet week for economic reports – nothing today, tomorrow Jobless Claims, and on Friday the PPI (*Producer Price Index). Sometimes these reports will sway interest rates in either direction, although lately it’s been the big news that has pushed rates up: a combo of the uncertainty of the election being put to bed along with news that Pfizer has a pretty good vaccine to end this mess.
Interest rates are up a little as compared to last week but not horrible. Today you’ll find a 30yr conforming AND jumbo fixed rates at any where from 2.75% – 3.375%. As usual rates will vary based on if it’s a purchase or refinance (lower rates for purchase), type of home, equity in the home, your credit score, and if you enjoy the Top 30 Wildlife pictures of 2020
Don’t Forget to Remember: Any purchase or refinance loan that closes with me I will waive $575 in lender fees! Grab yourself a cup of instant karma and pass my info along to any friends, family, coworkers, or Alex Trebeck Fans that can use this gift.
Greatness Quote of the Day 2: “Some men are born to greatness. Some have greatness thrust upon them. Me? I like waffles.” – @Brain_wash
Timeout for Trivia: Congrats to those of you who last week guessed Emma Watson. Want to be entered into a drawing to win Bigfoot Bandages? Simply email me the answer to this week’s Who Am I? question. Good luck: “It’s my birthday today. What – you’re surprised I wasn’t born in late July or August? It all started forty-six years ago when my pregnant mother was looking at a famous painting in the Uffizi museum in Italy, I kicked – and that gave her the inspiration for my name. Fast-forward all these decades later and you can now call me one of the most successful Hollywood actors of all-time. I was always able to get work in TV but it was a single movie that catapulted my career up even while it was going down in the movie. After that I starred in two different bio-pics where I didn’t win Academy Awards but ironically I won “Golden” Globes for both – something both of the people I played new something about.”
