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The State of the Union is lovely — if only we’d do something. Especially if there’s a recession looming.

The State of the Union. I listened for something investible. A morsel? Maybe $500 million of infrastructure?

Nothing.

A reader sent me news:

China’s high-speed railway network added 2,500 miles of track in 2018, bringing the nation’s total high-speed railway mileage to 15,500. That gives China about two-thirds the high-speed railway track in the entire world; Beijing plans to add another 4,225 miles in 2019.

China now boasts more than 230 airports, and plans to build another 30 by 2020-including the $12 billion, seven-runway Beijing Daxing International Airport , designed by Zaha Hadid and scheduled to open later this year.

By contrast New York’s JFK has two pairs of two runways. Only two can be used at once.

If you’d like to fact-check Trump’s State of the Union address, click here.

Guess who has made the most money since Trump was elected?

Jeff Bezos owner of The Washington Post, Trump’s most unfavorite newspaper.

Is a recession looming?

This week Diane Swonk, chief economist for Grant Thornton, wrote a piece for The New York Times:

To Avoid a Recession, Start Spending Now
Congress should give the economy a bump. Once a slowdown begins, it will be too late.

…Over the next few days, as American companies report earnings for 2018, the effects of all that spending will be clear: Corporate tax cuts increased profits last year, and those results will be hard to beat this year. The tax cuts were supposed to trigger an increase in investment, productivity growth and profit margins — which might have nourished future growth — but that failed to materialize.

Instead, big corporations authorized a record-breaking $1 trillion in stock buybacks in 2018, according to Goldman Sachs, and made good on those announcements by returning their tax cuts to shareholders. Sure, the buybacks bumped up stock prices, but that proved fleeting, especially after the tax increases, supply-chain disruptions and uncertainty associated with tariffs and trade tensions.

Individuals, too, are likely to be disappointed this year, when tax refunds as a result of the 2017 tax legislation fail to meet expectations. Many people did not withhold enough to accommodate changes in the laws, a confusion that is compounded by understaffing at the Internal Revenue Service and delays created by the just-ended government shutdown. Americans count on those refunds to pay down debt and finance big-ticket purchases. When that money isn’t forthcoming, they may be disappointed and angry.

You can read the entire piece here.

In favor of glossaries

If you want me to buy something from you, please tell me what it is.

I’m sick of documents with acronyms I don’t understand and — worse — are not obvious.

It would hurt you to have a Glossary? Remember them? They’re like dictionaries.

Today’s favorite acronym is YTW. I received it this morning.

In bond language, YTW actually means Yield To Worst.

Which means, it could be worse, but isn’t. But then maybe.

Go figure.

Great Airnb idea

Send your renters a nice present. We’re renting a house for the family for a week in paradise. The owner said “Thank you ” by sending us this nice book.

Get it from Amazon here.

In favor of plastic surgery. NOT.

This morning I spent ten minutes trying to insert the long part of my AirPods into my ear. WRONG.

Apple’s AirPods fit and stay in most ears — but not in my right ear, which a plastic surgeon messed up removing some skin gone awry.

There are a million gadgets to fix my problem, including a million variations on these things:

All the gadgets on Amazon will keep the AirPods in your ear — but then you can’t close your white charging case. You have to close it otherwise you can’t charge your AirPods.

I finally came up with this solution (with cut-up first-aid tape) and a rubber band to keep the case closed.

The moral of this story: There’s always a Gotcha.

Australian culture

HarryNewton
Harry Newton who’s not looking at today’s market. It also didn’t get juiced by Donald’s long ego-trip last night.

Design for new Beijing Airport opening soon:

8 Comments

  1. Dman says:

    Harry, what are you hearing with regards to RGB?

    Certainly you did not believe that FakeNres WashPost article?

    ……how long can the evil dems keep her on ice?

    ……Trump will systematically destroy both the evil dem party and the satanic media that supports them.

  2. Dman says:

    Harry, Are you going to be a proud delegate for Cory Booker and campaign for him “door-to-door” the way you did for Barry Soetoro, aka. Barack Obama?

  3. Dman says:

    Hey Harry, what are you evil democrats going to do when you find out that both Rosenstein and Mueller belong to Trump!?!

    ….I’m going to be laughing my fucking ass off !!!!!!!!!!!

  4. Dman says:

    Harry, Congratulations on Gov Cuomo’s desire for full term abortion.

    CONGRATULATIONS TO THE ENTIRE NEWTON FAMILY!!!!

    ……proud democrats ALL.

  5. Dman says:

    Harry, Please give us your comments on all of these corrupt democrats down in Virginia.

    ……is black-face now a good-thing in the evil democrat party?

  6. Dman says:

    Harry, Maybe you could keep us updated on the new NYC “Muslim Community Patrol” cars that are now policing NYC streets.

    —-OK Thanks Harry.

  7. Mike Nash says:

    You want infrastructure? I’ll give you infrastructure. THE WALL. Building the G damn WALL. There’s your infrastructure old man. MAGA.

    • Dman says:

      The Army Corp Of Engineers (Red Castle, Green Castle) has been building the wall since April 2018.

      …..Trump is 10 steps of these evil democrats.
      …..think: Child Trafficking, Arizona and CMEX.