rivervalley, yes...watch those starting points carefully as they do count. The brokers continue to surprise me over time to their "toll booth" model, one that Mr. Buffett himself labeled 45 years ago.

Ever looked at Fairfax Financial (Canada)? Still a relative bargain and not at all sure to always be discounted as it is today given the postive changes within the company. A fire or hurricane may give an even better starting point there this fall, but the quote today isn't horriffic.

When I read a BRO or AJG quarterly report? The picture is blisteringly clear. When I read anything Brookfield I get a view and opinion. Then management steps up with a view that is contrary to what I just read.

And it repeats and gets more conflicting as time passes. My questioning management long ago on these boards (the predessor board) as to BPY was extremely unpopular, yet correct it seems. I'd go so far as to say, once again, those likes are often, maybe the great majority of the time, not the place to bet your money.

But that of course won't be popular by defintion.

Down the road we go. Life is great...if you can stand it!