![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/ZoomCrash-750x527.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThis is gruesomely\u00a0 difficult to figure.<\/p>\n
Health and the economy — confirmed by awful unemployment numbers and escalating virus deaths — are not getting any better. The outlook for asset values — stocks, residential and commercial real estate,\u00a0 commercial loans, and anything else we’ve invested in over the years — is just plain\u00a0awful.<\/p>\n
It’s now April and everybody and their uncle are not paying their rent and\/or are looking for a deal. Landlords are fighting a difficult battle. Investors, like me, are wondering “What now?”<\/p>\n
There is no pleasure in looking at the screen of your portfolio. There’s a helplessness there as you watch your portfolio’s value eking slowly away. But then bouncing. For weird reasons. Or lack of weird reasons.<\/p>\n
My favorite Zoom Video zoomed and today crashed after reporting that the explosion in its users (a good thing) had caused it to compromise its much-touted security (a bad thing), thus handing a huge win to competitors Cisco and Microsoft, who seem to be better on video conferencing security, for now.<\/p>\n
Here’s Zoom Video over the last ten days:<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
There are clarion calls for a “balanced portfolio.” The easiest way to get that is to buy the triple S&P downers — SPXU or SPXS. Some friends are 100% in these. Other investors, like myself have some of them, while I progressively dispose of my favorite stocks — or at least the ones I have left, like Microsoft, Apple and Adobe.<\/p>\n
I also had this fantasy that I should own some Covid-19 stocks — like LLY, GILD, JNJ and REGN. But that collection is just spraying red ink across my screen. Yuch.<\/p>\n
I’m concluding that I’m not up for owning stocks in this toxic environment. I should give up that endeavor, hold more cash, and focus on staying well — which largely consists of doing what my children tell me to do and not to do.<\/p>\n
I do know that some point we’ll reach bottom. Stocks will be a bargain — like they were in March, 2009 — and I’ll pile in and get rich beyond my wildest dreams. Right on, Harry.<\/p>\n
But will I be able to do that? Look at this chart. Why wasn’t I smart enough to buy Netflix at $300 on March 16?<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/netflixlow-750x425.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
For now I have enough cash to maintain my stay-at-home life style. No travel. No Airbnb or Vrbo. In the next few days, we’ll be playing tennis outside. That game is the ultimate social distancing sport.<\/p>\n
I can always take Rosie (our dog) for a walk. Though I suspect she is walked out.<\/p>\n
Now to some “humor”<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n Outside a book store, now closed:<\/p>\n Here’s some virus ingenuity<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n My daughter loves Peeps. <\/strong><\/span>But these?<\/p>\n Granddaughter<\/b><\/span>\u00a0Eleanor just lost her first tooth<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n She got a miserable $2 from the Tooth Fairy. It’s hard times for tooth fairies.<\/p>\n But she’s happy taking lessons over the Internet on the iPad which her school provided.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/CurrentAffairs-723x600.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/coffeefilters-750x362.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/EasterPeeps-750x328.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/EleanorTooth-450x600.png\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.technologyinvestor.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/cashisnotking-750x116.jpg\")
<\/p>\n