Weston Stewart Shoemaker Financial

08/31/2026

As artificial intelligence reshapes the future of technology, a growing community of collectors is looking back.

Vintage computer enthusiasts are restoring and preserving the machines that helped launch the digital revolution, including classic Atari, Commodore, IBM, and Apple systems.

For collectors, these machines are more than old hardware. They are artifacts of computer history.

At the Vintage Computer Festival in Mountain View, California, more than 3,500 people gathered to see restored systems, celebrate Apple’s 50th anniversary, and explore the early technology behind today’s laptops, smartphones, and wearable devices.

Some rare machines can carry significant value. The Apple-1, Apple’s first product, can sell for hundreds of thousands of dollars.

But for many collectors, the appeal is also personal: the sounds, games, interfaces, and hands-on repairs that make early computers feel understandable from the inside out.

In an age of invisible algorithms and cloud-based tools, vintage computers offer something different: a tangible connection to how modern technology began.

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As Silicon Valley invents the artificial-intelligence future, a growing community of hobbyists is preserving the classic computers that helped launch the digital revolution.

08/31/2026

Your Five Weekly Facts (In this week in Music History)...

1. Frank Sinatra plays Vegas for the first time at the Desert Inn Hotel and Casino (1951).
2. The O'Jays' "Back Stabbers" is certified Gold (1972).
3. Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone" reaches Number One on the Hot 100 (1995).
4. Kelly Clarkson becomes the first winner of American Idol (2002).
And lastly...
5. The birthdays for this week are: Gloria Estefan, Barry Gibb, Conway Twitty, Boxcar Willie, Steve Porcaro (Toto), Billy Preston, Steve Jones (S*x Pistols), Al Jardine (Beach Boys), Kim Thayil (Soundgarden), Freddie Mercury, Dweezil Zappa, and Buddy Miles

08/24/2026

Your Five Music Facts (In this week in Music History)....

1. Tina Turner received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame (1986).
2. Lauryn Hill released her solo album, The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, which goes on to win a Grammy for Album of the Year (1998).
3. The Knack's "My Sharona" hits Number One on the US charts (1979).
4. Outkast's "Hey Ya" wins Video of the Year at the MTV Video Music Awards (2004).
And lastly...
5. The birthdays for this week are: JoDee Messina, Elvis Costello, Rob Halford (Judas Priest), Gene Simmons, Moe Tucker (Velvet Underground), Mario, Mace, Alex Lifeson (Rush), Shania Twain, LeAnn Rimes, Florence Welch, Me'Shell NdgeOcello, Charlie "Bird" Parker, and Sterling Morrison (Velvet Underground).

08/24/2026

Some hospitals and medical providers are asking patients to pay more before receiving non-emergency care.

The trend comes as deductibles, coinsurance, and other out-of-pocket costs continue to rise.

Traditionally, many patients received bills after treatment. Now, some providers are collecting preservice deposits based on their estimate of what a patient may owe.

A KFF Health News report noted that the average deductible for employer-sponsored family coverage is $3,762 per person. The average deductible for Affordable Care Act marketplace coverage rose 37% this year to $3,786.

For patients, upfront payment requests can create confusion, especially when insurance networks, deductibles, and estimated costs are unclear.

Emergency care has different rules. Hospitals that accept Medicare funding cannot demand upfront payment before stabilizing a patient who arrives at an emergency room.

For non-emergency care, it may be worth asking for an itemized estimate, confirming network status, and checking with the insurance company before making a large payment.


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Hospitals and other medical providers are increasingly asking for payment before providing care, collecting more of what patients might owe.

08/17/2026

The Common Cents Act has passed the House and now moves to the Senate for consideration.

The bill is tied to the phase-out of the penny and would create a national rounding standard for cash transactions.

Under the proposal, cash purchases would be rounded up or down to the nearest five cents when exact change is not available.

For example, a purchase totaling $10.02 would round down to $10.00, while a purchase totaling $10.04 would round up to $10.05.

Pennies would still retain their value under the act, even as the Treasury stopped minting them.

The bill is especially relevant for businesses that handle cash, including restaurants and retailers, because it could reduce confusion and legal risk around exact change.

For consumers and businesses, the broader takeaway is that even small changes in currency rules can affect daily transactions, checkout systems, and cash-handling practices.


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New law aims to address how businesses and consumers should transact amid the phase-out of the penny.

08/17/2026

Your Top Five Musical Facts (In this week is music history...)

1. Kurtis Blow's The Breaks becomes the first rap single that is certified gold (1980).
2. Kid Rock issues Devil Without a Cause (1998).
3. Alice in Chains releases their debut album, Facelift (1990).
4. Detroit's WWJ (950 AM) becomes the first American radio station to start broadcasting (1920).
And lastly...
5. The birthdays for this week are: Layne Staley, GZA (Wu Tang Clan), John Lee Ho**er, Howie Dorough (Backstreet Boys), Vernon Reid (Living Colour), Roland Ozabal (Tears for Fears), Frances Bean Cobain, Everlast, Lil Romeo, Ginger Baker (Cream), Isaac Hayes, Demi Lovato, Fred Durst, Dimebag Darrell Abbott (Pantera), Phil Lynott (Thin Lizzy), Jim Reeves, Joe Strummer (Clash), Kacey Musgraves, Kelis, Liam Howlett (Prodigy), Serj Tankian, Jackie DeShannon, Kenny Rogers, Count Basie, Dua Lipa, and Tori Amos.

08/10/2026

Your Five Music Facts (In this week in Music history...)

1. The Woodstock festival was held in Bethel, New York (1969).
2. Woodstock 2 aka Woodstock 1994 was held in Saugerties, New York (1994).
3. Sean Kingston's "Beautiful Girls" goes Number One on the American charts (2007).
4. Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe" hits Number One on the American charts (1965).
And lastly...
5. The birthdays for the week are: Mark Knopfler (Dire Straits), Pat Metheny, Buck Owens, Porter Wagoner, Danny Bonaduce, Dan Fogelberg, Sarah Brightman, Steve Martin, David Crosby, Joe Jonas, and Bobby Helms.

08/10/2026

Mortgage rates are rising again, but some buyers may be finding a little more room to navigate the housing market.

The average contract interest rate for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage with a conforming loan balance rose to 6.69%, up from 6.65% the previous week.

That was the highest level since last August.

Even so, purchase mortgage applications rose 6% for the week. One reason may be that more inventory in some markets is giving buyers additional options.

Some sellers also appear more willing to cut prices as the market moves through its typically slower summer season.

Higher borrowing costs still matter. Mortgage rates can affect monthly payments, affordability, and how much buyers feel comfortable spending on a home.

For buyers and sellers, the broader takeaway is that multiple factors shape housing conditions. Rates, inventory, home prices, competition, and timing can all influence the market at once.

08/03/2026

Proposed tariffs on imported generic medicines are raising questions about drug prices, manufacturing, and supply.

Under the proposal, imported generic drugs would face no tariffs for two years. After that, duties would rise to 100% for one year, then to 200%.

The goal is to encourage more pharmaceutical manufacturing in the U.S.

Generic medicines differ from brand-name drugs because they typically compete on price, efficacy, and scale. That can leave manufacturers with thinner margins and less room to absorb higher costs.

Analysts say companies with existing U.S. manufacturing may be better positioned if the tariffs move forward. Others could face difficult choices, including absorbing higher costs, raising prices, shifting production, or exiting certain products.

Generic drugs account for about 90% of prescriptions in the U.S., which makes this an important issue for patients, pharmacies, manufacturers, and health care budgets.

The broader takeaway: trade policy can affect more than global business. It can also influence supply chains, access, and everyday costs.


Source:

Trump's generic drug tariff plan raises questions over prices, U.S. manufacturing and which drugmakers stand to gain or lose as details remain unclear.

08/03/2026

Your Five Musical Facts (In this week in Music history...)

1. The movie, Holiday Inn, premiers in theaters introducing Bing Crosby's White Christmas (1992).
2. Super Fly premiers in the theaters with a soundtrack by Curtis Mayfield (1972).
3. Hamilton opens on Broadway after a sold-out off-Broadway debut (2015).
4. NWA releases Straight Outta Compton (1988).
And lastly...
5. The birthdays for this week are: Louis Armstrong, Adam Yauch (Beastie Boys), Pat Smear, Geri Halliwell, JC Chasez, Drew Lachey, Kool Moe Dee, David Evans (The Edge-U2), and Mel Tillis.