Roads and related infrastructure are paid for by gas taxes. Seems fair to me to tax the ones who use it.

The pipeline is to be used to export even more oil overseas faster, not for domestic consumption as many have been apparently led to believe in this game of political football.

Men fight to hurt. Women fight to kill.

Sounds like you need some sun.

All to-be-parents should run the following two tests for all prospective baby names:
1.) Google. Make sure it's not on the no-fly-list, FBI's top 10 wanted list, or the same name as a criminal, politician, or a porn star.
2.) Gather up a few middle school-aged kids and run the names by them first and check for giggling. (so you don't come up with something innocent-at-first like "Misty Hyman" or something like that.)

And refi is not automatically the best thing to do in all instances - he could have owned the house long enough that resetting the amortization would kill off a lot of the savings from the lower rate (on the top of the refi fees, and the cost of money already mentioned).

Just looked on the Google, it looks like he bought the house 7 years ago. The bank would make out like bandits on all the interest that has to be paid again on resetting the amortization. Also, since his house is valued at $1.6M, the current rate he has is probably pretty good since it's higher than the max allowed for Fannie/Freddie.

That would work for some people - but ultimately it's a personal financial decision. The normal working Joe would probably benefit more from sticking with a 30-year fixed and paying extra to make it basically a 20-year. That way the extra cash flow cushions you from unexpected financial demands in life.

But the difference in rates for a 15 vs 30 (or an ARM) doesn't justify paying the cost of money up front. Money has never been this cheap to borrow in the last 3 generations (and borrowing costs for current loans will only accelerate downwards as the dollar depreciates even more in the future). Why be in a hurry to pay it back when you get make money with it? In previous generations where the rates were 8% or even double digits, then it makes sense to save up for a large down payment and pay off the loan as quickly as possible.

Yes, I'm absolutely serious.

Read up on the opportunity cost of money. If I can invest my money in a business opportunity, equities, gold, or whatever you fancy and net (probably easily) more than 5.625% - why would I use that money and pay off the mortgage at a fixed 5.625%?

Why would you pay off a mortgage early, especially when increasing inflation is on the horizon? Capital is much more efficiently used in investments. It doesn't take much to net more than 5.625%.

If dunking your Lexus into your swimming pool in an accident is not the very definition of a First World problem, I don't know what is.