This is NASDAQ ten years, compared to my favorite ETF, the Vanguard VGT which holds tech stocks, and the S&P 500 in green, bringing up the rear..
Our portfolio — see column on the right on the web site — is still going up.
I’m mulling. What could bring this down? Most learned observers say we’re overdue for a 10% correction.
We had a correction in late December 2018. But we quickly bounced back. You can see the bounceback in the chart above.
BIG corrections happened in 1929, 2000 and 2008. The Great Depression. The Dot com bubble. The sub-prime mortgage mess.
Asset valuations were way out of whack. Irrational Exuberance and all that.
I don’t see that today. People are leery of the stockmarket because they got burned in 200 or 2008. Many are still out.
My phone is not burning up with “hot” ideas.
It’s remarkably peaceful. Outside are bright blue skies. Alexa just told me it’s 31 degrees.
I’m not arguing for taking money off the table at present. That’s your personal decision. But I’m not. In fact, I’ve put more money in and diversified my holdings into more “industrial” stocks. Like Honeywell and Generac. And some special purpose stocks like Ladder Capital. But not airlines. Not banks. No cannabis. Not energy. Not mining. And not online video streamers (e.g. Netflix).
I’m sleeping well. My down-the-line backhand is improving.
It rained in Melbourne. The air improved. The Australian Open is playing on ESPN2 and The Tennis Channel.
So, now I’m feeling stupid
Boeing is the classic cockroach stock – with bad stuff coming daily. Why haven’t I shorted it? For the reasons I mentioned yesterday. With decent management it could be saved. Please make me Boeing CEO.
Which is the best credit card?
This is the card I’ve been using for years.
Its only benefit is miles on American Airlines. There are three problems:
+ American blocks dates I want to travel.
+ American is bumping up how many miles you need to get tickets.
+ American will sell you miles to cover your shortfall — but there’s a limit. Add the miles you bought to what you have and you won’t have enough. Hence you’ll need to pay cash for your tickets. But they won’t sell them to yo. You’ve reached your limit –which they don’t tell. It’s American’s Catch 22.
The obvious conclusion? Give up credit cards that give you miles.
And so, upon advice from daughter Claire, I have today applied for Amazon Prime Visa. Its benefits. No annual fee and:
I’m still looking at credit cards many of you have recommended. Can you beat the above? We do all our grocery shopping at Whole Foods. It’s our local supermarket.
What happens when my laptop locks up?
Windows: Microsoft wrote Windows. Lenovo, Dell, Acer (or whoever) wrote your laptop’s operating system, which tells your laptop how to talk to its keyboard, screen, the Internet, etc.
Microsoft sends out Windows updates to fix bugs and stop viruses. Sometimes these updates conflict with your laptop’s operating system. Bingo, your laptop locks up.
The only solution is to keep rebooting your laptop. Eventually it will unlock. Then quickly go to your manufacturer’s support site and download his updates — which may include new drivers for the things your laptop talks to and has to control.
If rebooting doesn’t work, go into safe mode. And pick up the updates that way.
The key is not Windows updates. It’s updates from your laptop maker.
Apple: My brilliant Mac maven, Dan Good recommends these utility apps to run on your Mac. “Use them often.”
+ CleanMyMac for tune-ups. Click here. ( https://cleanmymac.macpaw.com )
+ Malwarebytes to eliminate viruses. Click here. ( https://www.malwarebytes.com )
+ MemoryClean2 to clean your RAM. Click here. ( https://fiplab.com/apps/memory-clean-3-for-mac )
Also download the Opera browser which has a free, built in VPN to hide your real IP address. Fast too. Click here. ( https://www.opera.com/ )
There are “analog” and there are digital TVs
I want a bigger TV in our bedroom.
I like big TVs. But I like listening to them on my $79 Sennheiser headphones.
Susan likes listening to the TV with the TV’s sound.
Here’s what I learned yesterday at Best Buy:
+ My Sennheiser wireless headphones won’t connect to any of the new TVs. Sony, Samsung. LG etc.
+ If I want a headphone that works, I need a new $400 Sennheiser.
+ But when I listen to my new $400 Sennheiser wireless headphone, it turns off the TV’s speakers and the soundbar (should I choose to be sold one).
In short, Susan can’t listen to the TV’s sound, which I listed louder on my headphones.
I don’t understand the “logic” to all this. I’m stuck with my tiny bedroom TV and a pair of analog binoculars — to make the screen bigger. And Best Buy doesn’t get any of my business – though its stock continues to rise. Go figure.
Wonderful cartoons
And my absolute favorite:
Back to watching and playing tennis
I’m not watching the Impeachment Trial, since I know the outcome. He’ll have more agita, a few more wrinkles, more weight and go back to playing the victim and not paying his lawyers. It’s his winning strategy. He’s used it his entire life. He gives chutzpah a whole new meaning.
Life for me is wonderful. Playing tennis daily. Not eating too much. Napping twice a day. Getting rid of stress. And saying NO. Works for me.
See you tomorrow — Harry Newton
