Putin wants to re-create the Soviet Union, which fell apart in the late 1990s.
Other than making himself the new Czar, there could be other reasons.
Here’s a more nuanced explanation that has to do with oil discoveries around Ukraine’s southern coast in the Black Sea and the Sea of Asov.
What can we expect in Ukraine from Putin?
This is what the Russians did to Grozny, the capital of Chechnya after it tried to declare independence.
This is Homs, Syria’s main industrial center. Putin is one of Bashar al-Assad’s few allies and he provided Assad with lots of implements of destruction. Another ally being Iran.
Amazon is closing its non-food retail stores
Retail is hard. Yesterday I went shopping in Columbus Circle’s Time Warner Center. The shops were empty.
I bought a nice sweater at J. Crew, but largely because it was on sale. The Amazon bookstore at Time Warner was already closed. Shucks. I actually went to check out some books, not to buy a sweater.
The bears are rampant in today’s market. It’s a very volatile market. Up one day. Down the next. Here’s the last month of the VIX:
Cash is king. Some friends are as high as 50% in cash.
I like ENB because of its high 6.7% yield. It’s edging up.
Here’s how you launder money in real estate
You sell your $20 million apartment to a Russian oligarch for $30 million.
When he wires you the money, you immediately wire $10 million to his chosen bank in the Caribbean or Switzerland.
I hear this technique accounts for lots of Russian buyers of apartments in the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, NYC.
This email is dangerous
It came in this morning.
The sender’s address gives fishy a whole new meaning. Clicking on that link is not a good idea.
How much cash should you keep at home?
I’m guessing that one day Putin will bring down Visa and MasterCard. Then you’ll need some cash for milk, eggs and gas. I figure $5,000.
Travel agents are great
They know their way around the increasingly idiotic, cumbersome, time-wasting online airline sites.
The other night I called Delta on the phone (remember that thing?).
I got a message that said the wait time was two hours and forty minutes — which was longer than the trip I was trying to book!
Go figure.
“How are you doing today?”
The nice Indian man who’s selling me a longer warranty on my old car, always asks “How are you doing today?“
Telling him I’m in hospital with three of my legs amputated didn’t get rid of him. But I had fun.
More fun stuff
“The starting pay is $40,000. Later it can go up to $80,000.” …”Great. I’ll start later.”
Only in math problems can you buy 60 melons and no one asks, “What the Hell is wrong with you?”
Favorite Covid note: “When the pool re-opens, due to social distancing rules, there will be no water in lanes 1, 3, and 5.”
Tip: Save business cards of people you don’t like. If you ever hit a parked car accidentally, just write, “Sorry” and leave it on the windshield.
Just once, I want the username and password prompt to say, “Close enough.”
Does anyone else have a plastic bag full of plastic bags, or is it just me?
Doing something important today
I wish I was as good at picking stocks to avoid than stocks to love.
I wish I had sold at their irrational peaks last November.
Heh, I kept away from Russian stocks.
— See you tomorrow. — Harry Newton
