2022 Predictions

 

At the end of the day, 2021 was better than 2020. We had a covid vaccine (though not everyone took it) most kids were back in school, jobs opened up, it was possible to fly again, and the stock market did well. Of course, we had inflation, higher gas prices, and food prices are up at the market. If you watch Fox for your news it was a terrible year as America's greatest president was replaced. I digress.

Now for the economy. 

My predictions for Dec. 31, 2021 (made on Dec. 31, 2020):

Dow Jones         31000

S and P               3900

NASDAQ           15000

Oil                      60    

Unemployed        5.5%

Microsoft            240

The market, etc. at the end of the year 2021:

Dow Jones         36337

S and P               4767

NASDAQ           15645

Unemployed        4.2%

Microsoft            336

Oil                        76

CPI                       4.9% 

     

It turns out I wildly misjudged the economy turnaround. I was far too pessimistic. This year I am predicting the economy will again improve, with moderate gains. 

The market, etc. at the end of the year 2022:

Dow Jones         37650

S and P               5178

NASDAQ           17258

Unemployed        3.8%

Microsoft            365

Oil                       80

CPI                      3.9%    

The older Caucasians, who are the most reliable voters (and who watch Fox for news) will give the Republicans the Senate and the House. The younger voters actually believed Biden would change the world for the better, but did not know about Joe Manchin. The Eagles will not make the playoffs in January 2023. 

 

More things I like

 

Today I'm going to recite more things that I personally recommend for the bored and afflicted with time to spare. 

Ellie Dashwood gives chats on YouTube about Jane Austen and the history of that era. Fun, and provides some insight into the Regency era.  She is not English, but is from Utah. 

Also for Anglophiles, Lucy Worsley does fun shows on the aristocracy of England and their homes. On PBS and YouTube.

Slate Money is new every Saturday morning and I wake up to it weekly with my morning coffee.

Editor's Note: There has been a lot of interest in the Beatles lately with the success of the Get Back documentary. It's okay but I will always believe that Beggar's Banquet is better than the White Album, Let it Bleed is better than Abbey Road and Jumpin Jack Flash is better than Hey Jude. 

My favorite streams for 2021

 Streamed a lot this year. I subscribe to Apple Plus and Netflix so here are my favorite streams from those services in 2021:

1. Borgen
2. the Morning Show
3. the Velvet Underground
4. In the Dark
5. the Squid Game
6. Lupin
7. Doctor Foster
8. Working Moms
9. Firefly Lane
10. Hookup Plan
11. Girlfriends Guide to Divorce
12. The Crown
13. Bridgerton
14. On the Verge
15. Don't Look Up (a late entry, interesting)

 I have a soft spot for romantic comedies and shows that reveal the secrets of modern womanhood. Not usually cited in these types of lists is In the Dark. I found it quite amusing and scary at the same time. Originally on the CW. I note a few shows are also foreign imports. I like to try to guess what they are saying before reading the sub-titles. 

Ten things I said this year

I notice they are celebrating "Vlogmas" on Youtube and I am hoping to do a miniature "Blogmas" in the coming days.

Like most people, I tend to repeat myself when talking. Some people are quick to remind me when I said the same thing last week that I am saying now. So for my first list of "Blogmas" I am going to recount the ten things that I always say.

1. I'm going to get new kitchen tiles this year.

2. I have Netflix but am too cheap to buy HBO Max.

3. I have Apple plus because my nephew gave me an Ipad which came with a free year.

4. No I think I'll keep the Honda another year. 

5. They raised my property tax but not my condo dues.

6. My condo dues includes heat.

7. I get my health insurance through the state as part of my retirement. 

8. Don't worry I have a spare mask in my car.

9. I have relatives in Texas.

10. I found out on 23 and me that I am only 40% Italian.

In the coming days I'll describe my favorite movies, You Tubes, Netflix shows, and other things that tickle my fancy. Happy Blogmas.

Should I stay or should I go

Today is a volatile day in stocks. I promised myself that I would never become a stock watcher when I retired. I would be active and busy and not one of those people who sit home following the minute- by- minute progress of the market. Today, however, it is tempting to keep a close eye on the situation. The big question is whether it's time to sell my stocks and stock funds or grin and bear it and do nothing. 

Like many retirees I have made more money sitting on my behind the past year than I ever made working. However, we all know the time comes to pay the piper. Is it time to sell or not? Hard to tell. I'll probably sit on my hands. I usually do. 

Editor's note: I have become a fan of Emma Chamberlain. Most of the vlogs I follow get less than 10,000 views. She gets views in the millions. I don't know why. Most of the time she doesn't do anything. She drives around LA. She cooks. She plays the drums. She sulks. She is the baby boomer's image of how the younger generation lives. She seems to be on hiatus from YouTube but her podcast is called "Anything goes".

Happy Turkey Day

 Here is an oldie but goodie. Happy turkey day!

Can Biden get communion?

 

Today the Catholic bishops are meeting to determine if Catholics who publicly espouse abortions should be allowed to receive communion. Ever since Vatican 2 doubts have been sowed about the church's role in modern political decisions. The conservatives argue that a true Catholic has to vote Republican because Democrats support gay marriage and killing unborn babies.  

Going by this logic, deeply religious Christians are restricted to voting Republican in national elections. Liberal Democrats could be forced to sit in their pews during Communion or perhaps ditch church entirely for a Sunday morning round of golf. 

The bishops have one problem. Church going Democrats put their hands in their wallets and put money into the collection baskets. This money is needed to help struggling parishes that are already closing churches and schools. A walkout among Democrats could be quite painful for the American Catholic church. That is why I predict that an accommodation will be made to keep those Catholics happy, along with their billfolds. 

Halloween: should I go to a party or a bar?

 

As we approach Halloween, we again have to make the big decision. Should we go to such and such's house or the local tavern to show off our costumes. Last year we didn't have to make this decision but it looks like things are returning to normal, more or less. 

Who do you want to see?

The regulars at the bar or the usual guests at the house party will probably be there. It sort of depends upon who you would like to avoid. 

Ease of entry:

The bar is easier since you only need to wear a non offensive costume and bring cash. For the house party you can be a little more creative in costumes but you are expected to bring food (preferably prepared at home) and beer or booze. 

Spending the night.:

Unless you are in Europe you probably won't be able to spend the night in a room above the bar. 

Music:

You can bring cd's or at least have some say on what is played at a house party. Of course if the bar has a jukebox and you have quarters, you can have a say also. 

Access to booze:

Generally easier at a house party once you figure out where it is kept. At a bar you have to catch the harried bartender's attention. 

At midnight:

You will find yourself sitting at your host's kitchen table while old friends talk about high school. At the bar you will end up watching Saturday Night Live without the sound on the bar tv. 

Going home:

In both situations it is easier to make an Irish exit. Don't forget to pay your tab and tip the bartender. 

No Santa Claus this year

For multiple reasons involving shipping delays, over crowded ports, truck driver shortages, Chinese tariffs and a host of other political and covid related events, it is possible that we may experience a dearth of presents under our trees this December. We may experience a season where dear old Santa Claus is missing or at least on a sabbatical. 

We can say good-bye to Christmas this year. No new toys, Windows 11 compatible computers, the latest toys and gadgets all tied up in barges off the coast of Los Angeles. We will instead, have to rely on Mother's cookies, old sweaters from the second hand shop and dusty books bought at the used book store for presents. Santa will be nowhere to be found, the reindeer have no feed and the sled needs a silicon chip to run. 

The making of a curmudgeon

 

Today we are going to turn our attention to the modern day curmudgeon. Typically a retired man living in a comfortable home but idle. No longer having to go to work and often abandoned by wives and offspring, at least during the day, he notices little things about the neighborhood and becomes aggravated. In the past he was at work from dawn to dusk and had his kids and wives  to keep him occupied, but now he is alone and sees things that he never noticed before.

One thing he notices is construction projects in the neighborhood. "Oh great", noting they are putting in a new sidewalk. He reads a memo in his mail slot asking him to avoid parking in front of his house. "Well, it will only be for a few days," he ruminates. Trucks, cranes, cement trucks fill the neighborhoods. Then the following day, the job maybe a quarter done, all the trucks are gone. A beautiful day but no crew. The next day, the same. Thursday it is threatening rain and it starts to sprinkle in the afternoon. The trucks all show up and the crew has to hustle to get the work done before the rain. "Oh why couldn't they have finished the job when the weather was nice?" cries the man, now inching towards becoming a curmudgeon. 

For years young men have been tearing through the neighborhood on their motorcycles. He never noticed them because he was always at work. Now he is home and is infuriated by the sound of unmuffled motorcycle engines. 

Children he never knew existed suddenly appear in the neighborhood in the afternoon. Basketballs bouncing, bouncing, bouncing. "Why do they have to play in front of my house?" he asks. Another step on the slippery road to curmudgeondom. And he was such a nice guy when he was at work all day. 

Observations on the two types of children

 

There are two basic types of children. Middle class and working class. I can observe both types now that I am in my dotage and have time to watch the behavior of both of the sub-species of juveniles in the United States. 

The first type is the middle class child. This child is rarely sighted in most neighborhoods unless you watch very closely. At 7:30 in the morning they can be observed leaving their front doors and scampering into their parents cars. They are then whisked away only to return in the late afternoon or early evening. Then they can be quickly observed leaving the cars and entering the homes, with Mom in tow. Such children are never seen on the sidewalks with the exception of snow days. 

Working class kids can be seen and heard throughout the day. They are bicycling around the neighborhood. They play ball in the little field where people walk their dogs. If in their teens they can be heard into the night playing hip hop music on their portable music players. 

Apparently middle class children live inside of a bubble, never far from the watchful eyes of parents and other adults during school, dance classes and playdates. Unfortunately, the real world intrudes on these kids too, thanks to the Internet. 

Is there a men's underpant shortage?

I first noticed when I was at the Shop-Rite that they no longer sold bags of Fruit of the Loom men's "briefs". "That's funny", I said,  "I'll have to try the dollar store next door". Nope they didn't have any either. 

When I was at Kohl's I noticed they had the expensive multi colored jockey shorts but no plain bags of Haine's or Fruit of  the loom men's "briefs" either. The next week I was in Big Buys and also noticed they had no men's undergarments at all. 

I seem to be detecting a pattern here. I may have to go to Amazon to buy underpants. Maybe it's just me but I can't find any underwear in the stores.

Editor's note: As the days get shorter and memories of high school football games come to the fore, here is a story about my first encounter with a public drunk. On my sister blog, the Sixties. 

Men who hang around pickup trucks

Since I retired I have noticed that around ten or so in the morning you can spot groups of men with take-out coffee hanging around pickup trucks. I have seen this in front of stores as well as in my condo development. It looks like they are enjoying themselves.

Being a white collar worker I have never got to spend a morning coffee break with the fellas standing in back of the truck. I realize it is one of the pleasures I will never have. I wonder what they are laughing about? Sports? The size of the ratchet wrenches they are using? My guess are that they are discussing the size of the rumps of the ladies in the office where they report. 

The new Taliban?

Here is alJazeera's take on the Taliban takeover. When they review this year, certainly the press conference from the Taliban will be featured. I remember when Nixon became the new Nixon. 

Cell phones have replaced cigarettes

We've all experienced those awkward moments. When you are alone at the bar. When you are alone at the airport long distance bus stop. When you are waiting for your order at a restaurant. In the past, to avoid looking weird at these moments you would light up a cigarette. Now you aren't some man sitting by himself doing nothing. You are smoking.

Today smoking in public places has largely been outlawed. Smoking has been replaced by looking at your cell phone. Today while you are waiting for the bartender to fill up the beer case you can't smoke but you can look busy by playing with your cell phone. Cell phones give an idle person something to do. 

Good bye Simone

In junior high school Mitchell Easton was president of the class. He seemed  destined to bring his leadership to the high school the next year. However, he surprised everyone by leaving public school altogether for a fancy prep school. This made it possible for other students to try their hands at being student council president, editor of the newspaper,  president of the honor society and other positions. All now within reach because the presumptive leader of the class was now gone to Chilton. 

And so it is with the departure of Simone Biles. For weeks she has been advanced as the name we will see again and again at the Olympics. The sportscasters at NBC Universal have been building her up all week. The greatest athlete in Olympics history. The legend upon which all women will now be judged.   And now the fall. Mitchell Easton is gone. 

Now is the chance for other women gymnasts to shine. Mostly they will be Russian and Asian. 

Editor's note: So great to see Steve Kornacki in the Olympics coverage. I don't really understand everything he says but it's still great having him there. 

My children have four paws

 

I was walking through a parking lot yesterday and I saw the above glued to someone's windshield. I was a little disturbed at first. I know that when a child has a disability it can be a serious matter. Still I guess telling the world that your children have anthropomorphic hands seems a bit much for me. The poor children will be made fun of at school and nobody knows how successful surgery will be to cure this condition. If the children can write, work with a plastic surgeon may be viewed as cosmetic only, and the insurance company will not pay. 

I wish luck to the parents who have to live with this condition in their progeny.  Good luck buying shoes. 

The unveiling of the statue

Americans are obsessed with all things royal and all things Harry and Meghan. The latest folderol involves the unveiling of the statue. The big question is who will be at the unveiling at Kensington Castle's Sunken Garden. The date is July 1. 

The possibilities are endless. Originally it was going to be Harry, Meghan, William and Kate. Then Meghan dropped out, ostensibly because she doesn't want the baby to travel. Then Harry dropped out, apparently to help with familial chores in California. Then Kate dropped out. Willilam can't go by himself. That would be against protocol. Perhaps Beatrice can go. She'll have to wear a different hat, however. 

Owners vs. renters

 When I was growing up, for the most part, couples with children owned their own homes. Unmarried people were more likely to rent apartments. Living in a condominium I have noticed that the opposite is now true. If I see an older couple walking their dog I say to myself, "Oh they must have sold that condo". Conversely if I notice children riding bicycles, I say "I see we have a new renter in the complex". 

People who have children rent and people who don't have children, at least in the house, are more likely to own. Of  course that's not actually true but it seems that way. There used to be an unwritten rule. When you marry the families pay for the wedding, the honeymoon, and the down payment on a home. The children would  grow up in the suburbs and have backyards to play in. 

Clubhouse and the rule of false scarcity

I've noticed that Clubhouse keeps coming up on podcasts I listen to.  It is a phone app where people can join in conversations with other people including some celebrities. Sort of like an upscale version of services like AOL or MSN or even ICQ had back in the day, with voice replacing texting. The thing that makes it particularly desirable, however, is that it is by invitation only. Like a swanky country club, you have to be invited by a member. 

In high school there used to be parties that only the "in" kids got invited to. Until senior year, I didn't even know these places existed. Of course we all remember when getting admitted to a club like Studio 54 was only available for the chosen few. Apparently Clubhouse is the new Studio 54. It is by invitation only. Creating a sense of scarcity can make even a mediocre place seem desirable, at least for those outside the rope line. I wish someone would invite me to Clubhouse. I'll be fun I promise. 

The V sticker

There has been alot of debate over the best way to announce that one has been vaccinated. There is talk of vaccine passports. My solution is that our state health departments issue little v stickers to affix to our driver's licenses. For international travel the State department could send us little v stickers that we could affix to our passports. Presumably there is a data base that could be accessed before the v stickers could be issued. 

Inflation is back

After all these years, it looks like inflation is back. Here are the latest national figures from the US Department of Labor. 

The nice part of inflation is that interest rates are high enough that you don't have to gamble on the stock market to make any money. I remember when I had a savings account at Silverado in Denver and the interest rates were 16 per cent. Of course Silverado eventually went bankrupt but that is a story for another day. It also means that if you buy anything, you can be assured it will go up in value. That is not always true, condos can be fickle about gaining value, but can be true for other things. 

Driving around yesterday I noticed the gasoline had crept up to over three dollars a gallon. Eggs have also crept up. The thing I have noticed the most is the increase in the tabs at the local taverns. Right now interest rates are still low, however. We'll see how long that lasts. 

Nobody wants to work anymore

 

As a kid I was often around adults who said, "All the kids want everything handed to them, nobody wants to work anymore". Today conservatives are reciting the same mantra. Liberals say it's because the kids are still not in school and too many women have no choice but to stay home. By this logic, Labor Day will be appropriately named because it is then that millions of Americans will be off of unemployment and thronging the hotel and restaurant industries with their skills. 

In the mid 70s I graduated into a recession. Some of my friends (I was in the bohemian crowd) went on welfare. The luckier ones got jobs but soon were collecting unemployment. For many of us baby boomers, work was that thing you did with the goal of collecting unemployment. 

Many unemployed, admittedly, have side hustles. Jack is helping his brother take wood paneling off of his neighbor's house. Mary is baking birthday cakes for the kids on the block. Fred is putting mufflers on his neighbor's cars. Off the books. 

Still in September, I predict we will go back to fairly stable levels of employment. Sadly, wages are unlikely to go up much. 

the Chip shortage

 

Just as the developed world is finally starting to get over its covid crisis, a new crisis has developed. The shortage of computer chips is making it difficult to manufacture everything that has silicon chips, from computers to phones to cars to washing machines. Some of this is caused by covid, some by China trade restrictions, and some by the lack of American manufacturing capabilities (the US still makes 12% of silicon chips) even though the US originally developed the technology. 

Like a lot of baby boomers, I am computered upped. I have too many things. It also means my 11 year old car is now worth over ten thousand dollars. But it will be harder for many people to buy the things that would drive the new economic expansion. 

There were no bicycles this week

The greatest honor of all honors at Fanny Hillers School (K-6) was to serve as a Junior Leader. This honor only befell to the members of the 6th grade class. On the first day of school in 6th grade, I got a slip of paper welcoming me to the ranks of the Junior Leaders and assigning me the duty of guarding over the bicycle rack. I knew this was a distinct honor. 

The bicycle rack was located next to the school and should have been heavily used but the arcane rules of the school forbid the use of this piece of infrastructure for students who lived within a mile of the school. Since a mile was less than the distance most students lived from the school, and those few students who lived more than a mile away could take the school bus,  it was, by mandate, an unused facility. Filled with slots for twenty bicycles, it was, sadly an empty encumbrance on the sight of the school grounds. I myself, living on Kaplan Avenue, a block away, was unable to take my own bicycle to school. 

As a junior leader, I had to submit a report every week on the status of my station and responsibilities. On Friday afternoons, the weekly meetings of the Junior Leaders necessitated not only the submission of said report but an oral reading of said report to the other Junior Leaders and the school principal. 

There was a notation of the report at the end where the student had to evaluate the status of his station with a checkmark besides the comments excellent, fair, good, or poor. Since it was difficult to evaluate a week where nothing happened, no bicycles entered or  housed at the facility, I chose to use the neutral determinative "good" to evaluate the week. Certainly "excellent" would be overstating the case and fair or poor might also be inappropriate.  

My report was sadly consistent. "There were no bicycles this week. The bicycle rack was good." Around the beginning of October I noticed a few chuckles from the audience at my report. 

I had accepted my fate, like any civil servant being ensconced in a cushy job. Then my life changed forever. A Monday morning in early November a girl drove up to the bicycle rack. We chatted and to the surprise of all the Junior Leaders, that Friday I proudly announced, "There was one bicycle this week, the bicycle rack was good." 

She was a regular user of the bicycle rack for a while. After that I don't know. In January I was assigned to a street corner and for the rest of the school year, the bicycle rack was an unguarded edifice.  I suppose the bicycle rack continued to be good. 

Who is Tammy Duckworth?

 

The past month I've noticed I get about two emails a day from somebody named Tammy Duckworth. I thought it was a country singer who was trying to sell me tickets to an Atlantic City concert. Turns out that Tammy Duckworth is a senator from Illinois. I sent the Democrats money last year during the year and for some reason, Tammy Duckworth thinks I am going to continue to support her throughout the year. No good turn goes unpunished. 

Non fungible tokens

Non fungible tokens are the latest rage in investing. You own the thing, typically an electronic object, but you can't use it commercially. You can't sell posters of the thing or use it in a youtube video legally. It's kind of vague about why you would want to buy one of these things. 

I would happily sell you a non fungible token for this blog for $100,000 if any of you would like to buy it. As for me, I think I'll stick to mutual funds. 

Netflix After Parties

 

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Why has nobody ever thought of this before? Hailed as a new concept in entertainment, we are now being introduced to the Netflix After Party. In the case of Ginny and Georgia, after we watch the series we are given a chance to watch the after party. Why not, after bearing up after ten episodes of the show we deserve a party. 

In the show we are introduced to the host, David Lane, and some of the cast members of the show. Some of the cast are in person, some are via Zoom. It promises to be an insightful and fun exploration of the show we have just seen. 

I suppose it's okay. Silly at times, inane, it is something new that has been added to our busy lives. The only thing I can think of that it resembles are those PBS salutes to favorite shows with interviews of stars and directors, enhanced with sales pitches for DVDs and public television memberships. 

One nice feature of the post Georgia show is that some of the cast members mentioned their ages. Teens are always portrayed by people in their twenties. Moms are always portrayed by people in their thirties. 

American Schadenfreude

 

There has always been a certain schadenfreude between America and Britain. We had Trump and they had Brexit. And now they have Meghan and Oprah and we have the 1.9 trillion dollar deal. It would take an American locale and an American talk show host to bring about the grief that the Brits have about the latest riff. It's not the first time that an American tv host embarrassed the Royal family. From the Crown, many of us  remember Prince Philip's interview in the early sixties. Again, the monarchy was embarrassed.

Arguing over the dinner table over Trump with Grandpa can affect our inheritances. However, a light banter over the Oprah interview is harmless entertainment for Americans. Since the stakes are low (unlike in England) we can have hours of mirth talking about Harry and Meghan.

Editor's note: I am now one of those privileged Americans that have obtained a covid shot. In six weeks I can travel!

Covid: Oh what should we do?

 I've been playing with the CVS covid vaccine site recently. You have to log in, hopefully at odd times, and wait til a "Fully booked" town turns into an "available" town and rush through the other parts of the process. So far, at the end no vaccine has been available. Reminds me of trying to score U2 tickets at Madison Square Garden. 

Things are getting better, but Doctor Fauci warns to be cautious. Actually I have been eating in restaurants and this seems to have been a safe procedure, at least so far. In my own experience, doctors always espouse the more conservative (and lucrative for their practices) procedure. They tell you to stop drinking when you can get away with an occasional drink. They tell you to go to the dentist once every three months when you can get away with six month intervals. They give you a stress test every year when you can get away with one every three years. Most of us will listen to the good doctor's warnings but then fudge them a little bit. We learn that we can get away with things after the important people go home. 

Editor's note: I am tired of looking at people getting shots. Please tv producers, we know what it looks like to get a shot and don't need to watch it anymore. 

My home town nostalgia

 

I, like many people, belong to a "my hometown" type Facebook group. It is a fun way to look at old photographs from my hometown as well as keeping tabs on the latest deaths in my age group. One thing I have noticed is that things get better in the fog of past remembrances. 

Corner stores with grouchy owners and overpriced items become the shrines to a neighborhood and a friend of all the kids who came by. We remember the ice cream sundaes but forget getting kicked out because we dallied too long in front of the Playboys. 

Intolerably long days in schools with teachers we hated become those fond days where we learned so much and gained a respect for history that we never lost. Tedious afternoons in Spanish class become temples where we learned a language that we were so happy to have when haggling over blankets in Guadalajara. 

I'm sorry but that old diner that everybody was lamenting went out of business when us baby boomers discovered MacDonald's. Fat Mikes went out of favor when they lowered the drinking age and we could go to bars. Downtown died when the malls opened. And now we are nostalgic about those haunts of yesteryear. 

Things I've learned from Firefly Lane

 

Being a man, I have learned so much from Firefly Lane. I never understood female bonding before. Yes, Beaches was a good introduction, but now I understand the process where women bond for life, through thick and thin. 

I never fully understood the sixties, but now, with the depiction of Cloud, I am cognizant about how women who live a hippie lifestyle mature into difficult women. Whenever I saw a scene that Cloud was in, I somehow knew it would end badly. I was able to predict that the scene where she sings in a fancy restaurant would end badly. 

I now understand how men in high positions in the media are manipulative and not very pleasant. I now know how women are treated in television. 

I never fully understood what divorce was, what pregnancy was, or what a miscarriage was until I saw Firefly Lane. Now, a man in his sixties, I comprehend these things in a way I never did before. 

So many things that I never learned in life I have been taught by this fine program. Watching it is like getting a doctorate in women's studies, without the time and expense. Thank you Firefly Lane. 

Of Gamestop and Reddit

 It's time to weigh in on the Gamestop story. Apparently a group of people on Reddit decided en masse to buy Gamestop stock. The stock had been quite low as a result of the mall store having trouble competing with the online acquisition of gaming software. Hence the price was quite low. 

I actually remembering going into one of the stores. It came in handy for grandmothers who wanted to buy something for their  grandchildren but didn't want to deal with the exigencies of obtaining computer games online. It was handy. You could buy the game, wrap it up, and put it under a tree. Presumably the adored grandchild would know what to do with the present once it was in his/her hands. 

For fun or revenge or perhaps for a desire for easy money, a group of members of a Reddit group all bought the stock at the same time. The price went from $5 a share to $400 a share in days. Apparently this was painful to some hedge funds who were "shorting" the fund. I am still a little vague about how you make money by "shorting" but it involves borrowing the stock and paying the same amount of shares back but making a profit because the same amount of shares could now be purchased at a lower price. Apparently well connected investors do this regularly. 

The solution to this problem is to tax every purchase of a stock. This will take the fun out of buying and selling stocks at the drop of a hat. 

A new celebrity

With a new group in the White House, America is being introduced to its latest celebrity, Ella Emhoff.  She is an art student and likes to wear unusual clothing, which she designs. Now we can forget about Elonka and all that weird group that was in the White House before and concentrate on America's latest celebrity du jour. 

When should you rebalance your portfolio

In January, most financial analysts recommend rebalancing your portfolio. This means that, since this was a good year for stocks, most of us have more stocks in our portfolio than, perhaps, we should. This means the painful process of selling stocks to buy, typically, bonds or bond funds. Bonds and savings accounts are paying measly levels of dividends and interest so the temptation may be to "let em ride". This works in movies during the roulette table scene but is less successful in real life. What goes up must come down, and that includes stocks. 

The question is when. Ideally you should sell stocks when they are high and buy when they are low. This can be hard to do, however. Most of us buy when things are high and try to sell when the price goes down. It's like buying Elvis Presley memorabilia ten years ago and trying to sell them now, when most Elvis fans are starting to die off. Timing is always important in these things. 

Here are some ways I determine when it is time to sell some of my stocks or stock oriented mutual funds. :

When the flowers are falling off of my Christmas cacti.

When I open a container of milk and it has curdled.

When Channel 13 has another fundraiser.

When I run out of AA batteries. 

When my smoke detector starts beeping.

As you can see, the time to rebalance a portfolio can appear to be somewhat arbitrary. It's easier to buy em and hold em. 

The Inauguration

Tomorrow is Inauguration Day. It should be an exciting day. Being a little nostalgic, here is a blog I wrote about the Kennedy election and Inauguration. 

For the upcoming event, thousands of uniformed men in riot gear are patrolling our state capitals and Washington. It reminds me of when I was going into Mexico City and there were hundreds of armed soldiers assembled at the entrance to the Mexican capital.  Of course the United States has a stable democracy and we have no worries about insurrections. 😕

Our next president

 

The first time I saw him on television I thought he was one of the Capitol rioters or at least the actor who played a terrorist on the latest HBOmax movie. Actually he is John Fetterman, currently Lieutenant Governor of Pennsylvania. Apparently he has his eyes on the Senate, and I predict, will be our next president (after the new guy). 

He has tattoos, which is unusual in politics, although I believe AOC may have some hidden somewhere, and the beard and bald head gives him a menacing look. He is actually quite well spoken, and can appeal not only to the usual liberal constituency, but that elusive demographic, the beer drinking white working class male.