Tech held in yesterday for a second day of huge gains, and is opening today strong.
Buy tech on a pullback. My friend did last Friday and he’s up handsomely since.
Square is edging back up.
News of note today
+ Subaru is launching Ascent, a big SUV with all-wheel drive, eight seats and 19 cup holders. I love my Subaru Outbacks.
+ Oil is up to $61.63, its best closing price since December 2014. That could help some of Cramer’s picks (from yesterday):
+ Intel’s CEO knew about its chips’ serious flaws when he recently sold $24 million of his company’s stock. I’ve never been a fan of Intel, because it tends to focus on mad-cap ideas (like buying Mobileye for $15.3 billion) and ignoring its major (but boring?) business — making chips for laptops, tablets and (maybe) phones. For more, click here and here.
Most importantly, update your laptops and computers as patches appear in coming days. And be ultra-wary of opening attachments to emails you receive. I email my senders, “Is that attachment safe?”
+ GE is getting some positive press in the investment press, suggesting that it’s reached its low and is now worth buying. I’ts hard to believe that you could mess it up even more. Here’s GE over the past five years. Not pretty.
+ It’s snowy, cold, and windy in the North East. Not pleasant. A comment on today:
Ask.
+ Ask. They’ll waive the fee. The non-activity fee. The wire in and out fee, etc.
+ Ask. They’ll half the fee. Like shipping.
+ Ask. They have a promotion coupon on their desk, somewhere.
+ Ask. The hotel will give you 15% off if you don’t book through Expedia, Hotels.com. Trivago, etc.
+ Ask. They’ll upgrade you to a better room.
+ Ask. They’ll drop your monthly cell phone bill. And your cable bill.
+ Ask. Your bank will drop its various made-up fees.
+ Ask your online brokerage company for free trades when you give them money.
CHECK. CHECK. CHECK.
+ That you mentioned who your wire is meant for.
+ Check your product reviews. Here’s a review of a Mophie battery pack on Apple’s web site. It’s the first review. I agree with the review.
Favorite Walmart prank
Favorite Trump quote:
“Steve Bannon has nothing to do with me or my Presidency,” Mr. Trump said in a statement. “When he was fired, he not only lost his job, he lost his mind.”
Super-great quote!
Tillerson Caught Under Trump’s Desk Disconnecting Button
WASHINGTON (The Borowitz Report)-Secretary of State Rex Tillerson was caught crouching under Donald J. Trump’s Oval Office desk on Wednesday, in an attempt to disconnect Trump’s newly installed nuclear button.
The button, reportedly measuring a massive eight inches in diameter, has been a subject of considerable alarm for Trump’s national-security team since he had it installed on his desk, earlier in the week.
According to White House sources, Tillerson, Secretary of Defense Jim Mattis, and the national-security adviser H. R. McMaster drew straws late Tuesday night to determine who would carry out the high-stakes disconnection mission.
After Tillerson drew the shortest straw, he decided to enter the Oval Office surreptitiously Wednesday morning while Trump took a bathroom break.
The Secretary of State had crawled under the desk and was on the verge of disconnecting the gigantic button when he was surprised by the sudden entrance of Vice-President Mike Pence, who had arrived to deliver his daily praise of Trump.
Flustered, Tillerson muttered something about “looking for my glasses” and quickly exited.
Tillerson, who suffered a gash to the head when he bumped it on Trump’s desk, was resting comfortably at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, where he was heard repeatedly mumbling the words “button” and “moron.”
Harry Newton, who is marveling at the snow and wind he can see from his New York office window this morning. Stay warm, stay inside and enjoy some of the silliness in today’s blog. See you tomorrow.