{"id":39058,"date":"2017-06-22T09:47:55","date_gmt":"2017-06-22T13:47:55","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=39058"},"modified":"2017-06-22T10:02:50","modified_gmt":"2017-06-22T14:02:50","slug":"in-praise-of-obsession-and-research-i-run-a-contest-with-a-real-prize","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/?p=39058","title":{"rendered":"In Praise of Obsession and Research. I run a contest with a REAL prize"},"content":{"rendered":"
In August 2013 I had cataract operations in both eyes.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Since then, my eyesight deteriorated. One eye got increasingly cloudy. I developed double vision . I was not a happy camper.<\/div>\n
The first eye doctor (and his fancy, pricey photo machine) diagnosed a “macular pucker” — growth over my macular (the back part of the eye). \u00a0I took drops for a year. Little benefit.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
He sent me to an eye doctor who knew something about double vision. That doctor prescribed prisms and tried to sell me a $600 pair of prism glasses to solve the problem. I spent $59 on a pair from EyeBuyDirect.com, which worked.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
But the cloudiness stayed. I figured I was stuck with it. My brain was sort of compensating.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Until I discovered — by reading, researching, questioning, etc. — that the “miracle” cataract operation has consequences. Serious ones.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
The body fights the foreign body now in the eye — namely the replacement lens — and grows stuff in and around the artificial lens in my eye. The stuff \u00a0clouds the eye. The irony is that unclouding your eye was the reason you underwent the cataract operation in the first place. Dah!<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
What I had developed, as a result of my two cataract operations was something called “posterior capsular opacity” (or PCO for short). Apparently 30% or so of cataract operations develop this. Nobody tells you it’s going to happen. Certainly not my eye surgeon.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Cataract surgery is a “miracle of modern medicine.” And all that B.S. marketing hype.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Once you’ve figured out that you now have PCO, \u00a0you need to find an eye doctor who’ll do a\u00a0 procedure called a YAG laser capsulotomy. The doctor shoots a laser into your eye and essentially burn holes in your cloudiness.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/p>\n
The result is magical. My new eye doctor (my fourth) laser shot my eye ten times yesterday morning. I walked out 15 minutes later a totally new man. I could see clearly out of my right eye. My left eye is fine, for now. We’re doing YAG on it next month.<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
I could see properly at the theater last night. I biked around New York yesterday afternoon marveling at all the new buildings I could now see clearly. And I wondered if there were sufficient people to fill them all?<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
Lessons:<\/strong><\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
+ If it works, don’t mess with it.<\/strong> I probably didn’t need the cataract operations. But my eye doctor surgeon probably needed the revenue.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
+ Never give up.<\/strong> Ten people, ten experts, ten Google-found articles will tell you stuff. They can all<\/strong> be wrong. You gotta keep pushing.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
+ There’s always a solution. <\/strong>Obsession is good. Even if it drives your family nuts.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
+ Google has answers.<\/strong> But they’re not the best, nor the most relevant. Google has its own reasons for serving you answers — none<\/strong> of which have anything to do with your needs. Most have to do with selling you something, which you undoubtedly do not need.<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n
+ There’s always an answer and a solution, somewhere. <\/strong>Remember, when God closes a door, He always opens a window.\u00a0<\/strong><\/div>\n

The World’s Best Stock Picking Contest<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

All of us are squeamish about our stock portfolio. We have too much technology. We’re eyeing biotech, defense and dividend growers.<\/p>\n

For the first person who sends me his top non-technology picks, I will send you a copy of:<\/p>\n

\"reminiscences\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Earlier this week, my ultra-successful friend and investor, Emmet Stephenson wrote me:<\/p>\n

The book\u00a0was originally published in 1923. It\u2019s a great study in market psychology, and human mistakes playing the market. Livermore made and lost multiple fortunes and eventually committed suicide, but studying his investing history is beneficial because it is about what both to do and not to do.<\/p>\n

I love this story.<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"Ethereum\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The story from Business Insider:<\/em><\/p>\n

After the crash, Ethereum snapped back to around its pre-flash-crash level.<\/p>\n

It’s now up about 3,601% so far in 2017.<\/p>\n

As to why it crashed, as to why it’s up 3,601% this year, I have no clue. Zero clue.<\/p>\n

Anyone got a clue?<\/p>\n

The Internet’s Power<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In the old days you had to own the media\u00a0— magazines, newspapers, TV stations — or to be powerful.<\/p>\n

No more. Now anyone and their uncle can post horrid (or good) words about you and your products.<\/p>\n

The result can be devastating.<\/p>\n

Take Uber and the case of\u00a0Susan J. Fowler.<\/p>\n

Uber hired Ms. Fowler as an engineer. They treated her poorly. Though she loved her work, she hated Uber’s culture, including widespread\u00a0sexual harassment at the company. After a year she left and wrote about her experiences at Uber:<\/p>\n

Reflecting On One Very, Very Strange Year At Uber<\/strong><\/p>\n

The piece was devastating. It went viral. It caused turmoil inside Uber, opening the door to other complaints and investigations. It cost the CEO (and founder) his job. And it’s costing Uber millions of dollars in lost revenue. (Susan and I have switched to Lyft.) It’s a fascinating story.\u00a0Click here.<\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Real estate changes<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Real estate is dead, killed by Amazon. So the landlord\/owners are repurposing their dead shopping centers. For a neat piece on where that’s going, the New York Times wrote:<\/p>\n

Deep in the Malls of Texas, a Vision of Shopping’s Future<\/strong><\/p>\n

It’s a fascinating story of what shopping centers are becoming. Click here.<\/a>\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Who do you want as a partner?<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

I have a simple rule:<\/p>\n

If they respond promptly to emails, they’re good guys.<\/p>\n

If they don’t, don’t get into bed with them.<\/p>\n

Favorite photos<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Now you know what it’s for:<\/p>\n

\"Thesethings\"<\/a><\/p>\n

\"shouldItellhim\"<\/a><\/p>\n

News in Israel<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

An elderly Jewish man is sitting on a park bench reading El Jazeera’s anti-Jewish, anti-Israel newspaper. His best friend walks by, sees the paper, and stops in shock.<\/p>\n

“What are you doing reading that paper? You should be reading the Maccabean!”<\/p>\n

The elderly man replies,<\/p>\n

“The Maccabean has stories about intermarriage, anti-Semitism, problems in Israel … all kinds of troubles for the Jewish people. I like to read about good news.<\/p>\n

“El Jazeera’s paper says… The Jews have all the money … the Jews control the press … the Jews control the banks … the Jews control Hollywood. At my age it’s better to read good news!”<\/p>\n

\"HarryNewton\"<\/a>
\nHarry Newton, who is curious to see what the Democrats, after their zero for four loss, will do now. Today, Trump has an excellent shot at a second term. Tax reform and infrastructure spending (if done right) could boost the stockmarket for the rest of 2017. That will be hugely popular with the Republican base. I’m not complaining. It’s nice to have the market go up and be covered by Medicare — as my Yag Laser eye operation yesterday was.<\/p>\n

I suspect that few of the 20 million people who will lose their health insurance, actually vote in elections anyway. The Republicans figured that out\u00a0long ago. It’s sad for poor people.<\/p>\n