The Market After Kabul Falls -- August 16, 2021

The market: I was absolutely, positively not going to check the market today. I saw the futures last night and the tea leaves suggested the markets were unconcerned about global events. The major indices were likely to open in the red but one must recall that the market is at all-time highs. One should expect some a) profit-taking; and, b) volatility.

But then a funny thing happened at 2:05 p.m. CT. 

I was curious what the market was doing.

Are you kidding me! The market is mixed, as they say. LOL. In fact, both the S&P 500 and the Dow 30 had erased all losses and both were trading in the "green." NASDAQ was down fifty points.

I was curious. Last week the "cup and handle" suggested AAPL was going to break $150. AAPL was down about $2.50 at the opening, but holy mackerel -- despite the child sexual abuse policy announcement and global warming in Afghanistan, AAPL is now up $1.60 / share, now trading above $150. 

That blows me away. 

What about other US bellwethers, as they say? I'm only going to check two, and won't check any shale operators. Here are the two:

• UNP: down about 0.4%; trading at $226.85;
• SRE: down about 0.2%; this $124-stock trading at $133.45

Okay, one more: BRK-B: up about 0.4%; trading at $289. Okay.

This will one to talk about: if the Dow and S&P 500 hit new all-time highs again ... note: the Fed says they may start talking about tapering in 2022, or maybe 2023. I forgot the headline.

Disclaimer: this is not an investment site.  Do not make any investment, financial, job, career, travel, or relationship decisions based on what you read here or think you may have read here. 

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The Bash

This looks fun. From Boston.com, the bash by Julia Taliesin, August 8, 2021, the day after the party.

The bash planned for Barack Obama’s 60th birthday on Martha’s Vineyard was apparently scaled back, but leaked photos and reports suggest one heck of a party.

Though Obama’s birthday was officially Aug. 4, he hosted a star-studded event at the family’s Edgartown summer home on Saturday night. The party was held on the property’s 20-acres; drone photos show a massive party tent and dance floor set up on the oceanside.

Exactly what happened at the party remains mostly unknown. Several attendees and performers posted photos or videos to social media during the party, but all have since been deleted. Obamas on Instagram, according to NBC Boston, though the post was later removed.

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE COOLEST @barackobama surprise!! I’m grateful to have been able to celebrate with you and your family SAFELY,” the artist wrote.

A lot of A-list folks were dis-invited at the last minute, even after landing on the island (wow), and folks like Oprah Winfrey and Joe Biden RSVP's in the negative. 

Musician Eryka Badu posted a video of H.E.R. and Obama dancing to her Instagram story but it was later taken down.