In Search of the Perfect Investment

Spent the day looking at

+ Real estate syndications — excellent.

+ Tech startups. Between a “seriously interesting startup” and a liquidity event for the suffering shareholders is a long, hard row.

+ Listed securities — like ZTS — overpriced. We’re getting into nosebleed territory. Idea: Take a little CYBR and GILD off the table.

Trying to set up our new Western house:

1. Time Warner is a disaster to deal with. Whoever designed their phone and computer systems should be boiled in hot oil. I’m told they’re almost as bad as Comcast. I’m thinking less about net neutrality and more about how we can get competition into the Internet Service Provider business. I long for Verizon FiOS. It’s six times faster in my New York apartment than what Time Warner is providing me in  Indian Wells, Coachella Valley, California.

2. Staples’s retail stores are empty. I’m told they’re closing them down in favor of on-line and next day delivery. Which makes far more sense. Don’t shop Staples retail. Shop Staples online.

3. NetGear’s $44 travel router and range extender actually works — once you figure it out yourself. The instruction manual makes limited sense — make some guesses. The SSID is a name you make up. Their “customer support” phone line is designed to be irritating, not helpful. Don’t call it.

Get yours here.

4. Howard Miller’s radio controlled clock actually works. I slipped an AA battery in (not supplied) and several hours later it’s actually telling the right time. Radio controlled clocks don’t work in New York City. Too many buildings. Too much traffic. Too many people. Too many dogs. There’s probably a reason.

Overpriced at $59. But what a great, visible face. Available here.

5. I love my ASUS travel monitor. Super easy to travel with. Super easy to set-up. Wonderful having two screens — this one and my laptop.

It costs $208, a bit more than big ones on sale at Best Buy and Amazon. It’s has lots of pixels —  1920 x 1080. I’m thinking of buying a second one. For yours, click here.

The first revision to third quarter GDP showed the US grew at an annualized 3.9% during the quarter.

They (economists?) expected the headline GDP number to fall slightly, to 3.3% from the initial 3.5% reading.

According to the latest release from the BEA (that’s something in Washington), “With the second estimate for the third quarter, private inventory investment decreased less than previously estimated, and both personal consumption expenditures (PCE) and nonresidential fixed investment increased more. In contrast, exports increased less than previously estimated.”

It’s easy to poo-pooh these numbers. How does anyone — specifically dysfunctional Washington — figure out how a place as big as the U.S. is doing?

It’s nice to know our government wants us to feel happy.

Harry Newton, who’s off to Home Depot this morning to buy exciting “things we need” — two garbage cans, an outdoor broom, one short extension, and toilet paper (“only Charmin”). Yes, mam. (Is that how you spell mam?)