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Learning to say NO is critical, and hard. It’s much easier to say YES, and rue that “brilliant” YES decision forever. Plus some wonderful acts of humanity.

It’s hard to say NO, because when you tell them they’ll be offended. (So, don’t give a reason.)

It’s hard to say NO because they tell you have “to put all that (cash) money to work.” (Buy a new iPhone.)

It’s hard to say NO because you have a feeling you’re stupid and missing the world’s greatest opportunity ever.

It’s hard to say NO, when you don’t have a reason — just a feeling that “It’s not for me.” Like bitcoin, cannabis or Chinese stocks.

It’s hard to say NO because in two years you’ll look back and find out you just missed a tenbagger.

I have made more money by saying NO than ever saying YES.

Worship Todd Kingsley’s brilliant statement: When in doubt, stay out.

When even in the slightest doubt, stay out. Say NO. No. No.

Tomorrow I’ll talk about Our Inviolate 15% Rule.

Stuff

+ Most companies don’t have a Customer Service department you can talk to. Not always true, of course. But it’s a good assumption. When in doubt, don’t buy it. Airlines are bad the worst.

+ Stop telling me you’re out of of your frigging office and can’t reply to my ultra-urgent emails. The last time I checked, they even have Wi-Fi at Starbucks, and even in airports! What will they invent next?

+ My 70+ year old dermatologist said I had disgusting skin. I should take less-hot showers and use this stuff:


Gold Bond has stuff for morning, noon and night, for tightening your neck folds, for making your skin less itchy. Whichever one you choose, they all work. Good news: I now look more beautiful and itch less. I am Mister Moisturizer 2022. 

+Google is really good at answering questions like How do I get Windows to always show the right hand scroll bar? Or, how do I fix my Miele dishwasher?

+ I can’t find anyone who doesn’t love their Tesla. Many are getting ready to buy one for their wife.  I can’t find anyone who has had a single mechanical problem with the car. Favorite devotees: the kids, who love the Tesla acceleration. It does remarkably good in snow.

+ Don’t give anyone your real phone number. Subscribe to Google Voice. When Google answers, they ask who you are. If you don’t respond, Google hangs up. They’re Burner Numbers. Change them every year or so. Brilliant free service. Click here.

+ Grandparents pay their grandkids’ school fees. That’s the deal. The kids are Sophie and Zoe. I asked their mother, Claire, for a nice picture of the two of them. This is her miserable effort:

I asked the kids to email me what they were learning and what my money was buying.

+ I got  this “invoice” today. It’s total nonsense. I never employed them. I’ll give them credit. It does look real. Except their grammar sucks big-time.

+ Computer programmers are idiots. They won’t take 917-555-1212 as a phone number. They want 9175551212. Sometimes one little errant comma can mess up an entire $12,000 transaction. (It happened.) Their error message — why it went wrong — bears absolutely NO relationship to why it really went wrong — a comma or a dash.

These “happies” are making the rounds


It’s really bad in Ukraine

+ Please money to the World Central Kitchen. I just gave my fourth round. Click here.

+ Give money to the International Rescue Committee. I’ve given them also. Click here.

I’m in New York City for a couple of days. 

It has its charms — empty retail stores, impatient motorists honking, motorized bicycle messengers who menacingly drive all over the road, pedestrians who only cross roads on red lights, a park full of dog do-do and foul air which irritates your nose and your throat. And an upstairs neighbor who’s sanding his floors today.

My friend tells me we can now get quadruple what he got a week ago on short- NY munis. A whole 1%. Eat your heart out.

I want to be rich beyond my wildest imagination and have my London digs occupied by unwashed English squatters carrying misspelled protest signs.

I need the world’s largest yacht. This is the biggest so far:

It has two helipads. When they come for me on one, I leave via the other one. Brilliant.

See you tomorrow. — Harry Newton