The stupid old rule “worked” this year: Sell on Rosh Hashanah. Buy back on Yom Kippur. (That’s today, Thursday, September 16.)
Here’s the ten day chart showing Nasdaq until last night.
Looks like it started coming back a day early.
Today is Yom Kippur.
Yom Kippur is the holiest day of the Jewish calendar. On this day, Jews seek to expiate their sins and achieve reconciliation with God. Whatever that all means. I’m Jewish. I should know. I think it means I should ask God for forgiveness for all my sins of the past year. But I really don’t want to have to remember them. They were too painful at the time. Does that mean I’m a bad Jew?
Stocks
I bought more Digital Turbine (APPS), Cloudflare (NET) and UiPATH (PATH).
The world of investing faces two critical problems — shortages (of workers and components) and Covid.
In the U.S., 650,000 have died, or about one in every 500 of us. That’s one reason all I see are “Help Wanted” signs.
Item: I ordered two dishwashers. They’re taking over a year to deliver! And then some. Maybe February 2022. Maybe.
Container shipping prices have gone through the roof.
Covid continues to wreak havoc on the world’s economy.
The U.S. Tennis Open just ended. The stands were full of unmasked fans. To attend, you had to be vaccinated. That was the rule. No one checked!
Don’t invest in China stocks
I’ve said this before. If you listened, you sold stocks like Alibaba and Tencent, JD Com, Baidu, etc. and saved yourself a boatload of money.
The “problem” with China is its president for life, Preisdent X1. Absolute power corrupts. Absolute power power corrupts absolutely. In China’s case, that means they’re becoming increasingly dippy — from “privacy” regulations, from how much Chinese people can gamble in Macao to how and when chilren can play games, etc. etc. It’s dippy rule du jour. And now it’s cratered Wynn Resorts stock price. Yuch.
Apple announced new products
I watched the one and a quarteerhour presentation. It was hypey and spectacular.
The bottom line: Everything is faster, has better cameras and longer battery life.
Tomorrow, ‘ll put in my order for a new Apple Watch Series 7 and a new Phone 13 Pro Max (the biggest).
You can watch a replay of the presentation here.
Apple’s stock has fallen 4% from its high this year. There are people aggressively shorting it because of its App Store legal problems, etc. They’re wrong.
There are 34 stocks in my portfolio that are up more than Apple, yet Apple is my largest holding. This makes little sense.
Time for some rebalancing. Hard to do this stuff.
These guys once saved my ass.
They just emailed me this:
ICU hospital beds increasingly are filled with covid patients, while patients with emergencies are turned away, often to die for lack of a hospital bed. Watch Monday night’s Rachel Maddow show. You’ll see what I mean.
One in every five hundred Americans have now died from covid-19.
Please get vaccinated.
The new West Side Story starts December 10.
Here’s the trailer. The original 1961 movie was filmed 500 yards from our present New York City apartment. I love that movie. I once saw the stage show 12 times in Australia. I sold pictures to the traveling cast. Tri-X black and white on Ilford paper. 50 cents for an 8 x 10. You can watch the original West Side Story on Amazon Prime. Here’s the trailer for the new film.
Here’s the orignal trailer:
Run-flat tires are a disaster
They are billed as a “breakthrough” because you can drive them for 50 miles to your nearest dealership, assuming you can reach it and it’s still open.
You can’t change the tire on the road, because your “run-flat” car didn’t come with a spare and your run-flat tires aren’t plug patchable.
Run-flats are promoted as a boon to motorists, when in fact they’re a way for your car company to sell you something — e.g. a third row of seats.
Three of our run-flats have now blown on the road, requiring a $400+ replacement, versus a $25 plug which work on normal tires.
You can’t use this $13 can on run-flats.
The can works on normal tires, but not run-flat. Don’t bother calling AAA or Mercedes Roadside Assistance when your run-flat dies.
To repair one of our busted run-flats took three days and included flat-bedding the car both ways (cost $700).
“Normal” tires are damaged by nails. Run-flats are damaged by potholes. The car hits a pothole. The rim slices the run-flat tire. And that’s the end of that. I’m not a fan. Some drivers replace all run-flat tires and somehow find a place to stow a spare.
Not all “progress” is progress.
Stay away from potholes and run-flats.
A fun way to travel
From Conde Nast Traveler. Safer and cheaper to visit them digitally:
+ These 19 Small Towns in France Are Straight Out of a Storybook. Click here.
+ The 26 Most Beautiful Towns in America. Click here.
+ The 27 Most Beautiful Places in Europe. Click here.
eBay prices are high.
Offer less. It often works.
Remember, God invented Christians, so someone should pay retail.
Please don’t take offense. It’s a JOKE.
Favorite cartons
Favorite Yom Kippur joke
Terrorists burst into a shul (synagogue) demanding 20 million dollars and a jet plane in ransom.
The terrorists then announced that they would kill, in quick succession, three people. They chose the Rabbi, the Cantor, and the Synagogue President.
They told the Rabbi: “We’re going to kill you first. Any last requests?”
“Only one,” said the Rabbi. “All my life I have wanted to give the perfect sermon. This time, for Yom Kippur, I have worked on my sermon for many months. It’s really great. Before you kill me, I’d like to give my sermon”.
“No problem” said the chief terrorist. “Give your sermon and then we’ll kill you”.
He turned to the Cantor: “You’ll be second to die. Any last requests?”
“Only one” said the Cantor. “All my life I have wanted to sing the perfect Kol Nidre. This year, I have practiced and practiced and have polished it to perfection. Before you kill me, I would like to sing it once”.
“No problem”, said the terrorist. He then turned to the President of the synagogue. “You’ll be third. Any last wish?”
“Only one”, said the President. “Please kill me first.”
Peter Thiel is a trip
Bloomberg is running a story: Peter Thiel Gamed Silicon Valley, Donald Trump, and Democracy to Make Billions, Tax-Free
Read the story here.
Tomorrow
See you tomorrow after I’ve ordered my new Apple goodies. — Harry Newton
