Previous Columns
8:30 AM EST Friday, January 19, 2007: There is enough evidence around now that puts on tech stocks may be among the greater investment plays of the next few months.

All indicating that things aren't great: IBM, Motorola, SAP, AMD, Intel, Texas Instruments, Cre, California Micro Devices, Xilinx, Altera, Lattice Semiconductor, PMC Sierra and Tektronix.

The problems are few new "must have" technologies, relentless price cutting in technology, reduced consumer buying and a slowing economy, pushed down by the cratering in housing.

Fred Hickey's latest newsletter "The High-Tech Strategist" reports his put options include Best Buy (BBY), CDW Corp. (CDWC), SanDisk (SNDK), Texas Instruments (TXN), Lam Research (LRCX), KLA Tencor (KLAC), Nvidia (NVDA), Research in Motion (RIMM), Apple Computer (AAPL), Intel (INTC), Microchip Technology (MCHIP), STMicroelectronics (STM), Amazon (AMZN), International Rectifier (IRF), On Semiconductor (ONNN), Motorola (MOT), Dell, Xilinx (XLNX), Applied Materials (AMAT), NetLogic Microsystems (NETL), and Novellus. (NVLS). His biggest put options are in those companies with a heavier exposure to the consumer, including Texas Instruments, Motorola and Research in Motion (RIMM).

New Zealand is a paradise, of sorts.
It's gorgeous. My friend emigrated there three years ago. New Zealand is beautiful, small and unhurried. But...

My friend reports that on two occasions he was verbally assured something would happen... only to have the vendor come back and say "That's not what's in the contract."

My friend also reports that the smallness of the country means little competition, which means things happen often way past their deadline. There's nothing you can do, except accept it.

The locals like it small and backward. A fellow invested over $1 million in a new restaurant. One neighbor complained of evening noise. The local council now insists all the customers be out of the restaurant by 8 PM. I have several other stories of one local complaint having a major impact on a business.

The moral of this story: Appearances can be deceiving.

Only 12 hours to live
At his annual check-up Izzy is shocked to learn he has contracted a deadly virus and has only 12 hours to live.

When he gets home, he tells his wife Sarah of the bad news. Overcome with grief, she comforts him and says, "Honey, I'm going to give you a night you'll never forget."

After making love with a passion they haven't felt in years, Izzy says, "Sarah, that was wonderful. Can we do it again?"

This time it's even more passionate. Sarah is about to doze off when Izzy nudges her and whispers, "How about another one?"

Replies Sarah, "That's easy for you to ask. You don't have to get up in the morning."

Shortest psychiatry joke
Man walks into a psychiatrist's office wearing only Saran Wrap.

The psychiatrist comments, "Well...I can clearly see your nuts."

This column is about my personal search for the perfect investment. I don't give investment advice. For that you have to be registered with regulatory authorities, which I am not. I am a reporter and an investor. I make my daily column -- Monday through Friday -- freely available for three reasons: Writing is good for sorting things out in my brain. Second, the column is research for a book I'm writing called "In Search of the Perfect Investment." Third, I encourage my readers to send me their ideas, concerns and experiences. That way we can all learn together. My email address is . You can't click on my email address. You have to re-type it . This protects me from software scanning the Internet for email addresses to spam. I have no role in choosing the Google ads. Thus I cannot endorse any, though some look mighty interesting. If you click on a link, Google may send me money. Please note I'm not suggesting you do. That money, if there is any, may help pay Claire's law school tuition. Read more about Google AdSense, click here and here.
Go back.