Church of Saint George near Borjomi from a Drone flight

22 October, 2020 | | 7 seen

The Sadgeri St. George Church is the XV century monument. It is located in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region, in the village of Sadgeri in Borjomi municipality, on the high bank of the river.

I have been heading ever since I remember myself in Georgia, the place is really cool, tranquil and cool. But when taken from a drone flight, the place gets completely another view. See it yourself

Church of Saint George from a drone flight

Look at that massive rock church is standing

The church is a hall type and it has no apse. It is covered with a cylindrical vault of uneven outline. The temple is built of grey ashlar. Between the stitches is a thick layer of solution, that is bordering the squares like a frame. The facades are adorned with twisted shaft trims, which environs reliefs and apertures. There are two entrances, from the west and from the north. Both entrances are decorated with a framed double-twisted shaft with a rectangular outlined portals and the relief image of the cross at the top of the apertures.

nearby view of the valley and mountains

Majori Beach from a Drone Flight

20 October, 2020 | | 10 seen

About two years ago (back in 2018) we rented a little space next to the beach in Dubulti. We lived there for more than 6 months. Photographing the Baltic sea was part of our everyday routine.

Now, two years later we have returned to the town of Jūrmala in Latvia.

Not looking to stay here 6 months, rather than just 10 days for our Covid-19 self-isolation. We rented a spacious 2 storey house next to the beach and I was eager to fly a drone around the area:

Majori Beach from a Drone flight

Here we can see Baltic beach hotel and Former bath-house of Emilija Racene in Jurmala

River Lielupe and the Baltic sea near Majori
Golden Autumn at Majori beach, Latvia
Taken October 17, with a DJI Mavic Mini drone

Top 20 Best Selling Intel Core i9 processor Laptops 2021

19 October, 2020 | Laptop Reviews | 27 seen

Intel Core i9 laptop processors are getting more affordable and in 2021 we will see even more prices going down.

For an updated version see: Top 20 Best Selling Laptops with Intel core i9 2023

With their high number of cores, high power draw, high thermal output, high performance, and unique desktop socket, LGA 2066, they are intended to be used by enthusiasts. A mobile version based on the standard BGA1440 socket was released in 2018, featuring six hyperthreaded cores and 12 MB of cache. It has been proven to attain 5 gigahertz under ideal conditions. It is rumored that the next generation of Intel CPUs will feature the Core i9 9900K, an eight-core hyperthreaded processor, while the Core i7 9700K will also feature eight cores without hyperthreading. The top-end model may have 28 cores.

Intel Core i9 powered laptops come with the price attached. You should be willing to spend about $2,500 in 2021, to get one.

Top 5 Best Selling Intel Core i9 (Gaming) Processor Laptops

A quick note: This article contains affiliate links to Amazon.com, by clicking on links on this page and by making a purchase on Amazon site, I might earn an affiliate income at no cost to you. Prices for laptops listed on this page are retrieved using Amazon Product Advertising API and is updated daily. For actual prices please refer to the product page on Amazon.

Asus ZenBook Pro Duo UX581 15.6” 4K UHD NanoEdge Bezel Touch, Intel Core i9-9980HK, 32GB RAM, 1TB PCIe SSD, GeForce RTX 2060, Innovative Screenpad Plus, Windows 10 Pro - UX581GV-XB94T, Celestial Blue

• ScreenPad Plus: 14 inch 4K matte touchscreen, giving your endless way to optimize your multitasking experience by extending the screen or split windows and apps on both displays
• 15.6 inch 4K UHD NanoEdge touchscreen glossy main display
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• Detachable palm rest and ASUS active stylus pen included
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MSI GS66 Stealth 10SFS-032 15.6" 300Hz 3ms Ultra Thin and Light Gaming Laptop Intel Core i9-10980HK RTX 2070 Super 32GB 1TB NVMe SSD TB3 Win10PRO VR Ready

• 15.6" FHD Anti-Glare Wide View Angle 300Hz 3ms NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q 8G GDDR6
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• 1TB NVMe SSD 32GB (16G*2) DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets Max Memory 64GB
• Thunderbolt 3*1 PD charge USB-C Gen1 *1 USB 3 2 Gen2 *3 Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost key (84 Key) 720p HD Webcam
• Win 10 PRO Dynaudio Speakers 2W*2 4 cell (99 9Whr) Li-Polymer 230W Slim
• System Ram Type: Ddr4 Sdram

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Envy 15t 15 Inch OLED Touch Laptop (Intel Core i9, 32GB RAM, 2TB NVMe, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 6GB, 15.6" 4K UHD AMOLED Touchscreen, Windows 10 Pro) Professional Notebook Computer

• Processor: Intel Core i9-10885H 8 Core Processor (16MB Cache, 2.4GHz-5.3GHz) 45W
• RAM: 32GB DDR4 2933MHz | Hard Drive: 2TB NVMe Solid State Drive
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• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 Max-Q 6GB GDDR6 | Display: 15.6" Diagonal 4K UHD, Micro-edge, AMOLED, Multitouch-enabled Display (3840 x 2160)
• 32GB RAM + 2TB NVMe SSD Upgrades

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MSI GE75 Raider 10SFS-225 17.3" 300Hz 3ms Gaming Laptop Intel Core i9-10980HK RTX 2070 Super 32GB 1TB NVMe SSD Win10 VR Ready

• 17.3" FHD (1920x1080), 300Hz 3ms, IPS-Level NVIDIA GeForce RTX2070 Super 8G GDDR6
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• 1TB NVMe SSD 32GB (16G*2) DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets; Max Memory 64GB
• USB 3.2 Gen2 Type C *1 USB 3.2 Gen1 *2; USB 3.2 Gen2*1 Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost key+ silver lining 720p HD Webcam
• Win 10 Multi-language Giant Speakers 3W*2 + Subwoofer 3W *2 6 cell (65Wh/6080mAH) Li-Ion 280W

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MSI GS75 Stealth Gamer Notebook (Intel i9-10980HK, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q 8GB, 17.3" FHD IPS-Level 300Hz 3ms, Windows 10 Pro) Gaming Laptop Computer

• Processor: Intel Core i9-10980HK Eight Core Processor (16MB Cache, 2.4GHz-5.3GHz) 45W
• RAM: 64GB DDR4 2666MHz | Hard Drive: 2TB NVMe Solid State Drive
• Keyboard: Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost Key (84 Key) | Operating System: Windows 10 Pro x64
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q 8GB GDDR6 | Display: 17.3" Thin Bezel Full HD IPS-Level 300Hz 3ms Display (1920 x 1080)
• 64GB RAM / 2TB NVMe SSD Upgrades 

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AORUS 15G (YB) Performance Gaming Laptop, 15.6-inch FHD 240Hz IPS, GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q, 10th Gen Intel i9-10980HK, 32GB DDR4, 512GB NVMe SSD

• The thinnest 15-inch gaming laptop in its class: built-in mechanical keyboard, less than 1-inch thick, weighs less than 5-lbs, and offers OMRON mechanical switch keys in an ultra-durable CNC aluminum chassis
• 15.6-inch FHD 240Hz IPS Anti-Glare Display (100% sRGB, 72% NTSC): Housed with extremely slim 3mm bezels for an astounding 89% screen-to-body ratio and Pantone Certified accuracy within Delta E<1
• Powered by NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Max-Q graphics card | Impressive 8GB GDDR6 that can output to 3 independent external displays (via HDMI, Mini-DP, and Thunderbolt 3 USB-C ports) | Latest Intel 10th Gen. Core i9-10980HK 8-core processor for smooth gameplay and multitasking efficiency
• 8-hours of real-world usage battery life (based on PCMark 10 tests)
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MSI GS75 Stealth 10SFS-028 17.3" 300Hz 3ms Ultra Thin and Light Gaming Laptop Intel Core i9-10980HK RTX 2070 Super 32GB 1TB NVMe SSD Win10PRO VR Ready

• 17.3" FHD (1920x1080) 300Hz 3ms IPS-Level NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super Max-Q 8G GDDR6
• Core i9-10980HK 2. 4 - 5. 3GHz Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201(2*2 ax)
• 1TB NVMe SSD 32GB (16G*2) DDR4 2666MHz 2 Sockets Max Memory 64GB
• Thunderbolt 3*1 USB-C Gen2 *1 USB 3 2 Gen1 *3 Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost key (84 Key) 720p HD Webcam
• Win 10 PRO Dynaudio Speakers 2W*2 4 cell (82Whr) Li-Polymer 230W Slim

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MSI GE66 Raider Gamer Notebook (Intel i9-10980HK, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super 8GB Max-Q, 15.6" FHD 300Hz 3ms, Windows 10 Home) Gaming Laptop Computer

• Processor: Intel Core i9-10980HK Eight Core Processor (16MB Cache, 2.4GHz-5.3GHz) 45W
• RAM: 64GB DDR4 2666MHz | Hard Drive: 2TB NVMe Solid State Drive
• Keyboard: Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost Key + Silver Lining | Operating System: Windows 10 Home x64
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super 8GB GDDR6 Max-Q | Display: 15.6" Full HD 300Hz 3ms Anti-Glare Wide View Angle Display (1920 x 1080)

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Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 2 Laptop - 1TB SSD - 32GB RAM - 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H - 2.30GHz with Turbo Boost 4.50 GHz - Windows 10 Home 64-bit New

• 1TB PCle SSD, 32 GB RAM DDR4
• 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H (2.30GHz, up to 4.80GHz with Turbo Boost
• 8 Cores, 16MB Cache) Windows 10 Home 64-bit - NEW

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Omen 15t Gaming Laptop (Intel i9-9880H, 64GB RAM, 2TB NVMe SSD + 2TB HDD, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 8GB Max-Q, 15.6" 4K UHD, Windows 10 Home) Gamers Notebook Computer

With NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 graphics with Max-Q design you can take on today's most demanding games at high frame-rates.​ GeForce RTX gaming GPUs come loaded with next-generation GDDR6 memory, support for DirectX 12 features like DXR, and more.

• Processor: Intel Core i9-9880H Eight Core Processor (16MB Cache, 2.3GHz-4.8GHz) 45W
• RAM: 64GB DDR4 2666MHz | Hard Drive: 2TB NVMe Solid State Drive + 2TB 5400rpm Hard Disk Drive
• Keyboard: Full-Size Backlit Keyboard with Numeric Keypad and N-Key Rollover (White Legend) | Operating System: Windows 10 Home x64
• Graphics: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Max-Q 8GB GDDR6 | Display: 15.6" Diagonal 4K IPS Anti-Glare Micro-Edge WLED-Backlit (3840 x 2160)
• 64GB RAM / 2TB NVMe SSD / 2TB HDD Upgrades

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ASUS ROG Strix Scar 15 (2020) Gaming Laptop, 15.6” 300Hz FHD IPS Type, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super, Intel Core i9-10980HK, 32GB DDR4, 2TB RAID 0 PCIe SSD, Per-Key RGB, Windows 10 Pro, G532LWS-XS99

Exceptional speed, power, and performance elevate the ROG Strix SCAR 15 to the top tier of Windows 10 Pro gaming. The latest 10th Gen Intel Core processors and powerful GeForce graphics saturate the cutting-edge 300Hz/3ms gaming panel that takes you to the next frontier of pro esports speed.

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB GDDR6 with ROG Boost (Base: 1140MHz, Boost: 1380MHz, TDP: 115W)
• Latest 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK Processor
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• 32GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM | 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD in RAID 0 (1TB + 1TB) | Windows 10 Professional
• ROG Intelligent Cooling thermal system with Thermal Grizzly Liquid Metal Thermal Compound
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• Gig+ Wi-Fi 6 with RangeBoost & Bluetooth 5.0 | ROG Keystone II | ROG Easy Upgrade Design

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ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 300Hz FHD IPS Type Display, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 Super, Intel Core i9-10980HK, 32GB DDR4, 1TB PCIe SSD, Per-Key RGB Keyboard, Win10 Pro, G732LWS-XS98

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB GDDR6 with ROG Boost (Base: 1140MHz, Boost: 1380MHz, TDP: 115W)
• Latest 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK Processor
• 300Hz 3ms 17.3” Full HD 1920x1080 IPS-Type Display
• 32GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM | 1TB PCIe SSD | Windows 10 Pro
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XPC MSI GS75 Stealth Gamer Notebook Essential (Intel 10th Gen i9-10980HK, 64GB RAM, 2X 1TB NVMe SSD, RTX 2070 Super 8GB, 17.3" Full HD 300Hz 3ms, Windows 10 Pro) VR Ready Gaming Laptop Computer

• Processor: 10th Gen Intel Comet Lake Core i9-10980HK 8 Cores (2.4GHz-5.3GHz, 16MB Intel Smart Cache, 45W)
• RAM: 64GB (2x 32GB) DDR4 3200MHZ | Hard Drive: 2x 1TB PCIe NVMe SSD (Seq. Read 2000MB/s, Seq. Write 1750MB/s)
• Keyboard: Steel Series per-Key RGB with Anti-Ghost key (84 Key) | Operating System: Microsoft Windows 10 Professional (64-bit)
• Display: 17.3" Full HD (1920 x 1080) 300Hz 3ms IPS-Level Display | Graphics Card: NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2070 SUPER 8GB GDDR6 (Max-Q)

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New Legion 7i 15” Gaming Laptop 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK 8 Core up to 5.30 GHz GeForce RTX 2080 Super Max-Q 8GB 15.6" FHD IPS 240Hz 1ms (4TB SSD|64GB RAM|10 PRO)

• Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i9-10980HK (2.40 GHz, up to 5.30 GHz with Turbo Boost, 8 Cores, 16 Threads, 16 MB Cache)</
• Memory 64 GB DDR4 2933MHz Upgrade
• Storage 4 TB PCIe SSD (2TB + 2TB PCIe SSD) Upgrade
• Graphics NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER Max-Q 8GB
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ASUS ROG Strix Scar 17 (2020) Gaming Laptop, 17.3” 300Hz FHD IPS Type, NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 Super, Intel Core i9-10980HK, 32GB DDR4, 2TB PCIe SSD (RAID 0), Per-Key RGB, Win10 Pro, G732LXS-XS99

• NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 SUPER 8GB GDDR6 with ROG Boost (Base: 1365MHz, Boost: 1560MHz, TDP: 150W)
• Latest 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10980HK Processor
• 300Hz 3ms 17.3” Full HD 1920x1080 IPS-Type Display
• 32GB DDR4 3200MHz RAM | 2TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD in RAID 0 (1TB + 1TB) | Windows 10 Professional
• ROG Intelligent Cooling thermal system with Thermal Grizzly Liquid Metal Thermal Compound
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• Gig+ Wi-Fi 6 with RangeBoost & Bluetooth 5.0

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Lenovo ThinkPad P53 i9 Mobile Workstation Laptop (Intel i9-9880H 8-Core, 15.6" Full HD (1920x1080), Quadro RTX 4000, Fingerprint, WiFi, Bluetooth) 874-M2PCIEE1 (128GB RAM|2TB SSD|Win10Pro)

• 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9880H 2.3GHz Processor (upto 4.80 GHz, 16MB Cache, 8-Cores) ; NVIDIA Quadro RTX 4000 8GB GDDR6 Graphics, VR Ready
• Intel WiFi 6 (802.11ax), Bluetooth 5.0, Ethernet LAN (RJ-45), 720p HD Webcam, Fingerprint Security System
• 15.6" Full HD (1920x1080) Display; 230W Power Supply, 6-Cell 90WHr Battery; Black Color
• USB 3.2 Type-C Gen1, 2 USB 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 2 Thunderbolt3 (Type-C), USB 3.2 Type-C Gen1, SD Reader, Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack., ,
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HP Envy - 15t-ep000 Home and Business Laptop (Intel i9-10885H 8-Core, 64GB RAM, 2TB PCIe SSD, NVIDIA RTX 2060 Max-Q, 15.6" Touch 4K UHD (3840x2160), Fingerprint, WiFi, Bluetooth, Win 10 Pro) with Hub

• 15.6" 4K UHD (3840x2160) Touchscreen Display; Wi-Fi 6 AX201 Wifi, Bluetooth 5.0, 720p HD Webcam, Fingerprint Security System, Backlit Keyboard
• 10th Gen Intel Core i9-10885H 2.40GHz Processor (upto 5.3 GHz, 16MB Cache, 8-Cores) ; NVIDIA RTX 2060 Max-Q 6GB GDDR6 Graphics
• 64GB DDR4 SODIMM RAM; 200W Power Supply, 6-Cell 83 WHr Battery; Silver Color
• 2TB PCIe NVMe SSD; 2 USB 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 2x USB 3.1 Type-C Gen1, Micro SD Reader, Headphone/Microphone Combo Jack., Windows 10 Pro-64, 1 Year Manufacturer warranty from GreatPriceTech (Professionally upgraded by GreatPriceTech)
• Includes Dockztorm USB HUb(Special Edition Portable Docztorm Data Hub;Super Speedy Data Syn Rate upto 5Gbps;Authorized Sellers ONLY)

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New ThinkPad X1 Extreme Gen 3 Laptop 10th Gen i9-10885H 8 Cores vPro 5.30 GHz 15.6" 4K UHD IPS, Anti-Glare, HDR400 600 nits Display GTX 1650 Ti 4GB Fibocom L860-GL 4G LTE (4TB SSD|64GB RAM|10 PRO)

• Processor 10th Generation Intel Core i9-10885H Processor with vPro (2.40 GHz, up to 5.30 GHz with Turbo Boost, 8 Cores, 16 Threads, 16 MB Cache)
• Storage 4TB NVME Solid State Drive Upgrade with Windows 10 Pro Operating System
• Memory 64 GB DDR4 2933 MHz, Upgrade Dual DIMM
• Display 15.6" 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) IPS, anti-glare, HDR400 with Dolby Vision, 600 nits
• GeForce GTX 1650 Max-Q 4GB. Fibocom L860-GL 4G LTE CAT16 For Verizon T Mobile ATT

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Atskuri Fortress

15 October, 2020 | Military Heritage | 19 seen

Atskuri is a medieval Georgian fortress located on the right bank of the Mtkvari  River, approximately 30 kilometres from Borjomi, in the Samtskhe-Javakheti region.

We discovered this fortress by accident while driving to the town of Akhatiskhe. As I was equipped with my DJI Mavic mini drone I made some cool aerography here

Atskuri fortress

Built on a massive rock back in the 9th century, Atskuri Fortress was an important stronghold for the defense of Georgia during the Middle ages.

The fortress was probably situated near the town of Atskuri, of which no traces have been found. First mentioned in the 9th century, the fortress was significantly damaged in the 16th century when it was occupied by the Turks. It was rebuilt in the 17-18th centuries.

Reconstruction works at Atskuri fortress

Set on the top of high cliff, the fortress occupies a vast area, and is made of several parts, with the citadel at its highest point. The fortress territory includes also ruins of a church with remnants of frescos. The water-supply tunnel connects the fortress with the river.

Colors of Georgia / Failed Attempt to Reach Betania Monastery

13 October, 2020 | | 8 seen

It was at the start of October, we decided to visit Betania monastery not far from Tbilisi. We took our almost SUV car - Volkswagen Touareg and started the journey.

The road sign said 6,7 km and we will reach the monastery.

Cool, I thought, I have wanted to visit this place for ages, let me make some cool drone video.

Colors of Georgia, on the road to Betania monastery

Little we know that the drive is not the best, and can take about an hour. it was getting dark, our toddler girl was crying, and it was decided to turn back the car and return here some other day.

Author of this blog captured in action

Piece of Life after all!

Seven Year Blog Anniversary

10 October, 2020 | Blogging | 9 seen

Today, on October 10th, 2020, the ReinisFischer.com website is celebrating its 7th birthday. Each blog anniversary is a huge milestone for me and the 7th birthday is no exception.

What has started as a simple experiment has turned out to be a successful online business venture!

In the past seven years blog has attracted more than 4.9 million users and generated more than 6.9 million page views.

Blog traffic October 2013 - October 2019 (Data source: Google Analytics)

Topics covered in the blog ranges from raw GDP data for different European countries, to detailed stock and options trading strategies. Also all of our travels have been covered (hotels and restaurants) in about 20 countries in the past 7 years

For the future, I can see that I will keep writing about my travels (in and out Georgia), investments (crypto, peer to peer lending and stocks), and some technical stuff, about Drupal website development, for example.

Reinis Fischer website frontage as of October 10, 2020

7 years in a blog writing might sound like a lot, but actually, this is just the start. Let's see where we will get in the next 77 years?!

That said - thank you for being with me, commenting, sharing and liking my articles. You are the best reader I could even imagine.

Invest in The Small Dogs of The Dow with Covered Calls and Collect Dividend

9 October, 2020 | Investments | 22 seen

The Small Dogs of the Dow, are the five lowest-priced Dogs of the Dow stocks. Currently (2020), these are the Small Dogs of The Dow stocks: DOW, PFE, WBA, CSCO and KO

In today's article, I will take a quick glimpse at a potential return from investing in these five stocks with options (covered calls) + collecting the dividend during the road.

Book my Covered Calls Course | How to Generate Income from Options

For this example, I'm going to virtually buy 100 shares at each company. All prices below listed as of October 8, 2020

Ticker

Price

Shares

value

Div

Yearly Dividend

Payout Ratio

Monthly Options

DOW

$48.30

100

$4,830.00

4.32%

$210.00

286%

$232.00

PFE

$36.47

100

$3,647.00

3.92%

$144.00

52.75%

$145.00

WBA

$36.49

100

$3,649.00

4.90%

$180.00

39.96%

$179.00

CSCO

$39.40

100

$3,940.00

3.73%

$144.00

46.86%

$135.00

KO

$49.56

100

$4,956.00

3.24%

$160.00

90.61%

$130.00

$21,022.00

$838.00

$821.00

Data source: Google Finance, Seeking Alpha, Dividend.com and finance.yahoo.com (Stock and options prices as of October 8, 2020, options expiry November 6, 2020)

From the dividend investing perspective, these stocks all, but one looks good. The one concerning me is DOW, and the only concern is because of the Payout ratio of 286%.. maybe this is a glitch from seeking alpha, but if this is not a glitch, I wouldn't invest in dividend stock with a payout ratio of over 100%. Not anymore. I have done so in the past, investing in high-yielding ETFs and watched how dividends get trimmed or halted soon after.

To invest in these 5 Small Dogs of the Dow, I would need to have a $21,022 lump sum. Sure, this is an option, but as I don't have free 21K to throw in the stock market, I would most probably go for dollar-cost averaging - acquiring stocks over a longer period of time, say 1 year, buying once in a month.

In fact, that is what I'm actually doing here with PFE stock, I have been loading this stock since January 2020 in our partnership fund, and looking to have 100 shares of PFE by the end of the year and then start selling covered calls on it.

Also, I currently own 10 shares with KO. Most probably I will bump this up to 100 by the end of 2021

Last, but not least, when looking at the new year of 2021, I see one more potential candidate to add to our portfolio - WBA. In fact, I'm looking to add it to my mom's pension fund portfolio.

Subscribe to my newsletter on investing with covered calls

Ujarma Fortress from a drone flight

8 October, 2020 | | 8 seen

Ujarma Fortress is located some 45 km east from the nation's capital Tbilisi, in the Kakheti region.

We were off for a daytrip to Kakheti, and it was not planned to make a stop at Ujarma, but as I had a drone with myself I decided to take a better look on the fortress complex from above.

Here is what we got:

Ujarma fortress from a drone flight

The fortress consisted of two parts: the Upper Fortress (the Citadel) and the Lower City. A royal palace, consisting of a two-storey building, was located in the eastern part of the Citadel. The Upper Fortress was destroyed in the 10th century by the Arabian conqueror Abul Kassim but was restored in the 12th century by King George III who used it as a treasury.

Nearby road

According to Georgian chronicler Leonti Mroweli, the cornerstone of the Ujarma fortress was built by the Georgian-Iberian king Aspagur in the III-IV centuries. In the reign of King Vakhtang Gorgasali, the fortress was extended and used as a residence.

Ujarma was conquered in 914 when the Arabs invaded the Caucasus mountains, formerly dominated by the Persians. The fight left severe destruction in the building. The upper fortress was destroyed in the 10th century by the Arab conqueror Abul Kassim, but was restored in the 12th century by King George I

September 2020 Dividend Income Report - $117.04

7 October, 2020 | Investments | 14 seen

Welcome to the forty-first (#41) dividend income report, covering earnings I've made from dividend-paying stocks and peer to peer lending in September 2020.

Just like in the previous months, we spent the last September here in Georgia. We did a few road trips across the country.

Also, I managed to crash and lose my DJI Mavic mini drone and had to order a new one, which got delivered at the end of the month, so more cool drone videos can be done.

Sapara monastery in Georgia

I had a chance to visit this monastery at the end of September 2020 and capture really awesome drone photography / catching colors of the fall

The baby girl attends her pre-school, she is doing great - talking, singing, dancing  Awesome. She started her singing and kickboxing training at the pre-school Quite fascinating what a two-year and 3 months old can do. Development is very rapid.

Last, but not least I won an online auction and bough a flat in rural Latvia: Today I bought my first flat on online auction site

From the perspective of dividend income -  last September was pretty catastrophic if compared to the previous years, we keep suffering from trimmed dividends, and by the end of the month, we barely took $117. Relying on dividends these days is very hard.

Compared to the previous September in 2019, when we took $260 in dividend income, our monthly dividend has decreased by -55.05%  (-143.32). A year ago we did set a goal to take at least $400 this month, now this didn't happen. 

Luckily, an additional $715.35 was made from options trading.  

As options trading is not a passive form of making money while you are sleeping it wouldn't be fair to include them in dividend income reports.

Check out our options income report here: September 2020 Options Income Report - $715.35

If counted all together (dividends + options) it seems we have made $832.29 in total last month.

We were able to generate about 5.24% income yield from our portfolio value last September (that's about 62.88% annualized)

One of our monthly goals is to generate at least 2.5% income yield from the portfolio. As longs it's above to it - it's awesome.

Interest income in September 2020

From the stocks and peer to peer lending we got the following income last month:

Ticker

Earnings

BAC

€16.01

USA

€14.23

ARCC

€11.57

PFE

€9.34

EDF

€9.25

Mintos

€7.22

RA

€7.20

EDI

€6.65

NCV

€5.97

XIN

€5.74

INTC

€4.30

O

€0.67

WFC

€0.07

Total EUR 98.35 / USD 117.04

In total there were 13 companies paying us dividend in September 2020 that is 1 company less than in September 2019

Monthly income

I've been tracking my journey towards million dollars in a savings account since January 2017. More than three years already. The result, so far, looks quite good. Dividends are growing (even when they are not)

Monthly dividend Income chart as of September 2020

The cumulative earnings for 2020 now are $1,390.08  which is just 38.61% from my goal of 2020 ($3,600). On average, it would ask us to generate $736.64 every month for the next 3 months to reach this goal. Right, now the goal looks unattainable, as for now, I cannot see even a single $200 month for 2020, 

2019 in Review and Financial Goals for 2020

Goals for September 2021

This is my favorite part of these reports - trying to forecast/set goals for the next year. But before setting a goal for 2020, let's see what I forecasted/said a year ago (September 2019)

When setting goals for September 2020 - I will be quite optimistic -  I'm looking to crack $400. I hope to get there with more US monthly and quarterly stocks and also might use a dividend capture strategy.

Ahh, what a surprise, we didn't get there, not even close. our dividend stock portfolio wasn't immune against the market downturn and most of our stocks get trimmed or halted dividend payments. In the case of the recovery, there is hope.

I will be optimistic and say we are still looking to crack that $200/mo goal in September 2021

So what can $117 month buy you in 2020? This money is enough to pay a two week salary to a nanny here in Tbilisi. 

How To Withdraw PayPal to Bank Account in Georgia

6 October, 2020 | Living in Georgia | 37 seen

Withdrawing funds from PayPal to a local bank account is a popular question in many countries, including Georgia.

As recently I had to renew my VISA card here in Georgia (Bank of Georgia) I decided to test - can I actually withdraw funds from Paypal to a Bank account in Georgia?

If you need consultancy or help with opening a bank account in Georgia, visit the Terramatris website: Opening Bank Account in Georgia

Turns out I can. And it is done at blazing speeds. Funds were transferred in seconds, Awesome.

For the test purposes, I decided to transfer $40 from my PayPal balance to my Georgian bank account. 

the transfer took about 3 seconds and cost $5. 

Not sure will the speed be as fast for larger amounts, say $1,000 also not sure about commission for larger amounts, but hey it works.

Remember, you need a VISA card, not MASTERCARD. VISA card cost about GEL 150 for two years, see:

If you need consultancy or help with opening a bank account in Georgia, visit the Terramatris website: Opening Bank Account in Georgia

Rike Park Concert Hall - Music Theater and Exhibition

3 October, 2020 | Entertainment | 111 seen

As the name suggests, the Rike Park Concert Hall is located inside the territory of Rike Park, Tbilisi.  

The other name Music Theatre and Exhibition hall

Rike park concert hall in Tbilisi

The project site is located inside the green area called Rike Park, in Tbilisi, Georgia.

The building consists of two different soft shaped elements that are connected as a unique body at the retaining wall. Every shape has its own function:

The north part of the building contains the Musical Theatre Hall (566 seats), the foyer and several facilities, together with technical spaces for theatre machinery and various storages. The Exhibition Hall opens its great entrance with a ramp that brings visitors from the street level. The Music Theatre Hall, on the contrary, soars from the ground and allows the users to stay in the foyer and in the cafeteria to have a view to the river and the skyline of the city. It is a periscope to the city and looks towards the river framing the historic core of the Old Tbilisi.

Source: Rhike Park / Music Theatre and Exhibition Hall

Rike park concert hall from a drone flight

See more cool drone phots from the Rike park here: Rike Park from a DJI Mavic Mini Drone Flight

Despite the concert hall has been already completed, at least the outside, it doesn't seem functioning (2020). Maybe in the future

Italy/Switzerland Travel Guide

2 October, 2020 | Travel guides | 3 seen

This is yet another roundup post listing places from our latest trip to Italy and Switzerland at the end of 2019.

Long story short - we travel to Italy's Bergamo by Ryanair from Tbilisi airport, took a rental car, and went to cool places both in Italy and Switzerland. To make it more fun we traveled together with our 16 months old toddler

Also, see my notes from the 2015/2016 travels - My Italy Travel Guide

Paragraph Resort & Spa Shekvetili, Autograph Collection Hotel in Georgia

1 October, 2020 | Hotel reviews | 244 seen

Set in Shekhvetili, some 40km from Batumi, Paragraph Resort & Spa Shekvetili, Autograph Collection offers 5-star accommodation with an outdoor swimming pool, a tennis court and a fitness center. 

We booked this hotel for an about a 4-day stay in early August 2020, to celebrate my 35th birthday here.

For this stay here we spent GEL 3030 / USD 980. Arrived here from another great hotel in Batumi (Radisson Blu Hotel Batumi) using Bolt taxi application (About 40 GEL)

Family room at Parapgrahp Resort and SPA hotel in Shekvetili

As we were traveling with our 2 years old toddler girl, our room was upgraded (for free) to the family room. We saved at least GEL 1500 from this free upgrade. Which is a very nice perk.

Indoor aqua park

We spent most of our time at the aqua park / as our daughter just loves water. I even took her for a ride (twice from these big slides).  What an adrenaline!

Sunset views in the Black sea

Guests of the 5-star property enjoy sea views in the rooms, and can enjoy access to a hot tub. The accommodation features a sauna, free WiFi throughout the property and a 24-hour front desk.

Glass wall and a bathtub at family room

Very stylish, modern and elegant room. The family suite included two rooms

All units at the hotel are equipped with a seating area, a flat-screen TV with satellite channels, a kitchenette, a dining area and a private bathroom with free toiletries, a bath and a hairdryer. Every room in Paragraph Resort & Spa Shekvetili comes with balcony and some rooms are equipped with a coffee machine. The units will provide guests with a fridge.

A buffet breakfast is served each morning at the property. There is an on-site restaurant, which serves a variety of European dishes and also offers Vegetarian and Vegan options.

The accommodation offers 5-star accommodation with an indoor pool and massage treatments. You can play billiards at this 5-star hotel, and the area is popular for cycling.

Guests can rent a bike to explore the area, make use of the business area, or read the newspapers available on site.

Kids club

On-site there is a kids club, offering babysitting for kids (they should be at least 3 years old), the clubhouse is equipped with modern toys, Nice

Rustaveli Borjomi Hotel

29 September, 2020 | Hotel reviews | 7 seen

Set in Borjomi on Rustaveli street this Hotel has a bar, shared lounge, garden, and free WiFi throughout the property.

This 4-star hotel offers a 24-hour front desk and room service. Free private parking is available and the hotel also offers bike hire for guests who want to explore the surrounding area.

We booked this hotel for a one night stay at the end of September 2020 and paid just GEL 88 (USD 26). Now that's definitely a bargain deal. From several hotels we have stayed in Borjomi, this stands out (budget friendly)

6 Best Value Hotels in Borjomi, Georgia

All guest rooms come with air conditioning, a flat-screen TV with cable channels, a fridge, a kettle, a bidet, a hairdryer and a desk. With a private bathroom fitted with a shower and free toiletries, rooms at the hotel also have a river view. At Rustaveli Borjomi Hotel, all rooms include a seating area.

Rustaveli Borjomi hotel

The accommodation offers a terrace.

Rustaveli Borjomi Hotel provides an ironing service, as well as business facilities like fax and photocopying.

Bakuriani is 29 km from the hotel.

Carved Stone Sculptures near Sno - Akhaltsikhe - Juta road

26 September, 2020 | Tourism objects | 11 seen

Driving into the village on the winding Sno-Akhaltsikhe-Juta road, just before the entrance, you pass a collection of massive stone heads, somewhat reminiscent of Easter Island, carved out of granite.

It was in mid-August 2020, we took a day trip to Juta village to fly drone when our guides told - hey look there are these cool carved stones, let's take a stop here. I thought cool, I will google this place later, but for now, will just take some photos with a drone.

And so I did

Carved stone sculptures near Sno village in Georgia

It took me some time and technical knowledge to find more information about this place using metadata  for photos from my DJI Mavic Mini drone (Adobe Lightroom metadata to find GPS coordinates)

Sno village in Georgia from a drone flight

Doing my research on this place it was fun to learn that the village of Sno is famous not only for mineral water but also is known as the birthplace of the current head of the Georgian Orthodox Church, Patriarch Ilia II.

Carved stone sculptures near Sno village

I was able to find that author of these carved stone sculptures is sculptor Merab Piranishvili:

Merab has been carving these statues by hand since 1984. Each statue is of a different prominent figure from Georgian history, some will find sculptures of: Ilya Chavchavadze, Vaja Pshavela, Shota Rustaveli,and Alexandre Kazbegi.

Author of this blog captured in action flying a drone

Used resources: The Man Carving History out of the Caucasus Mountainside