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I don’t quite know what happened today…. Oh heck, I write that same nonsense every time the market goes up or down. See down below.
Facebook confounds, again
$10 billion and 10,000 people. That’s what Zuck intends to invest, mostly this year, in creating the Metaverse. He’s serious. That’s a huge amount of money.
Zuck is re-inventing Facebook (now called Meta), once again.
Think of the Metaverse as three-dimensional Internet — to be seen initially in entertainment, gaming and social interaction (being with your friends virtually).
When I watch an Apple presentation, I end up buying something — a phone, a watch, a set of airpods.
When I watched (for hours) Facebook’s many Metaverse presentations yesterday, I couldn’t find anything to buy. Niente. Nothing.
Today, after much overnight mulling, I have no idea if the Metaverse is bullish (or not) for Facebook’s stock, now labeled on my Fidelity screen as “Meta Platforms Inc.”
It’s a huge gamble.
Some words I heard: “It’s the feeling of presence. You’ll feel like you’re there. There’ll be avatars — as common as your static photos in your Facebook home space. You’ll be able teleport from your home to wherever you want.”
I am not betting against Zuck.
For a good review, read today’s New York Times piece, “Is Meta Really Betta?” Click here.
The worldwide virus
Just under 5 million people have died from covid. The vaccines largely prevent deaths. Deaths are hitting the unvaccinated.
What bothers me are:
+ You can catch covid even if you are vaccinated.
+ You can catch and suffer “Long Covid.” Few know how debilitating it will be long-term.
Those two things frighten me.
The Delta variant emerged in India in late 2020. It’s very powerful, as shown in these two charts from Visual Capitalist:
In short, despite being vaccinated, you need to continue to be ultra-careful.
There’s more information in the Visual Capitalist’s article “How Does the COVID Delta Variant Compare?” Click here.
Should I Mix or Match My Booster Shot?
Health officials approved mix-and-match Covid booster shots, but didn’t say whether it’s better to switch vaccines or stick with your original shot.
Early studies have shown the mix-and-match strategy not only is safe and effective, but that mixing vaccines also can sometimes create a broader, more potent response than getting multiple doses of a single vaccine.
The scientific studies didn’t show a clear winner, but did show that all the booster shots offered strong antibody response no matter what the combination.
That’s from the health correspondent of the New York Times. Read more here.
Theranos is an endless comedy show
Everyone knows the basic story: Elizabeth Holmes sold the world a company and a technology that didn’t work. Here’s a totally wonderful spoof of it. Enjoy.
Here’s a serious article about Theranos and the clip of an interview Ms. Holmes did in 2015 with Jim Cramer. He got suckered in bigtime. Click here.
Car thefts are exploding
+ Don’t leave your keyless fob in your car.
+ Take out the key fob even when you are gassing up.
+ Don’t leave your car running.
PreCheck is worth every penny
It’s my best government program ever:
Travelers apply online, schedule an appointment at one of the 380-plus enrollment centers to get fingerprinted and go through a background check. Then — if all goes according to plan — pay an $85 enrollment fee (coming down to $70) and spend the next five years speeding past the normal security line.
Best investment ever of $85.
The speeding may mean catching your plane or missing it — if you’re stuck in line with the traveling unwashed.
For more, read The Washington Post. Click here.
My dear friend Mimi Levin Lieber just died
The New York Times just published a wonderful obituary of her important life. Click here.
Wonderful art and cartoons from this week’s New Yorker
This is the cover:
Here are some of the wonderful cartoons in today’s magazine:
A glorious week
It’s been a glorious week. Autumn leaves. Bright blue skies. Tennis every day. And pretty good gains in our tech stocks. I’ve updated our list of stocks we like and own. It’s in the right hand column on the web site. On this chart below notice the early part of this week was gruesome but it came back strongly the following day. Some of the reasons had to do with earnings. Some were good. Some disappointed.
Frankly, I’m sick of measuring my stocks up against Wall Street “consensus” and whether my earnings and sales beat or don’t beat consensus. The bottom line: Our tech stocks are growing very strongly. And growth is what determines share prices. Stick around in tech. It’s only going to get better.
This is me enjoying Friday’s warm afternoon sun. It’s shaping up to be a great weekend.
Silly picture. I thought it was “artsy.” Who knows. Maybe I can sell it as a NFT (Non Fungible Token)?
See you Monday. — Harry Newton
