Locator: 48522ARCHIVES.
Skype: is gone. Link here to The WSJ. Anyone who still misses Skype has never owned an iPhone or an iPad (or even an Apple laptop for that matter) and has never used FaceTime.
Quick: who owned Skype and where does it still show up?
Focus on dividends: ENB is said to have increased its dividend. History, in Canadian dollars.
I'm always leery of such reports regarding ENB due to currency changes, foreign taxes, and what quarters are being compared. For some reason, of all my holdings, ENB, with regard to dividend announcements, is most confusing.
Best "web link" tip this year: link here. Yes, it really does work, though there is no "right click" for the Apple. However, the drop down menu is intuitive. Link here. Note: I can get it to work on my iPad but not yet on my MacBook Air (laptop) despite using command-K. It's a neat trick on the iPad. The linked article explains why and how to get around that "glitch."
Measles: do you need a booster? Link to The WSJ. Some day, if I have the time, the energy, and if I remember, I'll post a short vignette on my personal experience with tetanus as an adult. Occurred several decades ago and I still haven't forgotten. RFK, Jr., wouldn't understand.
Content is king! Link here to The New York Times for the best 100 -- yes, 100 -- movies currently available on Amazon for "free."
It is incredibly clever how Amazon does this. I assume that at any given time, there are a thousand movies from which I could choose. Nine-hundred of them are unavailable unless one wants to rent or "buy" them from Amazon, but one month earlier some of those 900 were available for free -- for one month. My mind remembers that. I go back to get my free copy of Citizen Kane for the weekend. It's no longer there. But I really, really want it and I was reminded of it by Amazon -- my mind still remembers back one month -- so what do I do? I rent Citizen Kane for a couple of bucks or "buy it" outright for a few dollars more. Amazon? Simply a one-month long advertisement ... every month.
Example: I'll regret not watching The Big Lebowski for free this weekend, but next month, I'll be in the mood to watch it and I will pay Amazon a few bucks for the privilege for something. could have had free this month. LOL.
But right now, I have100 of the best movies on Amazon from which to choose right now -- all free.
Google, Chrome: again, the most fascinating story this week.
EVs: the most fascinating story overnight. No links for charts below; easy to find on your own. Best site for tracking EV sales may be Cox Automotive. Two charts to ponder today. One is a few months old; one was just posted in the past few days. Charts below are from Cox Automotive.
- Yes, Porsche. For the average American. LOL. Starting price, $77K but easily six figures by the time you are done.
- From Bloomberg today (apparently no paywall), update on EVs. Link here.
- update from Dallas, perhaps the #1 big city in the US right now for cars
- featured car in the Bloomberg article: Polestar -- starting at $66,200 will quickly set you back $80,000 before you leave the sales office; yeah, this will be the next American car for the masses. LOL. Having said that, I saw another Polestar 2 when I took Sophia to jiu-jitsu yesterday. For that much money, Polestar could have had a better "logo."
China, tariffs: wow, is everyone singing from a different page on this one? Some folks see the end of the civilized world as we know it; others, ho-hum. Count me in the latter group. This is only April. By June this will all be over.
- US ports: most fascinating story. Link here. Simply a snapshot in time. Let's come back to this story in a year.
Texas: with regard to weather this is absolutely the best time of the year -- the weather is wonderful for biking, strolling, sitting poolside late into the evening, and looking forward to three months of swimming, starting just a few weeks from now.
Most important investing notes. Remember, this is not an investment site. Links only for now.
- GPU prices are out of control again, The Verge, link here. Tell me again, Nvidia is in trouble.
- the little guy, link to The WSJ.
- Beth: link here. ASML says Chinese chipmaking equipment has demand has been higher than expected this year. ASML reported $4.47 billion in net bookings for 1Q25, far short of estimates ... tariffs are given as the reason.
- monopolies: the future. Link here. You won't agree with all ten but the important question to ask when not agreeing: "What am I missing?"
- best two minutes of your day: link here.
Boeing: just reported, 1Q25 -- truly exciting -- press release:
During the quarter, Defense, Space & Security was selected by the U.S. Air Force for a contract to design, build and deliver the F-47, its next-generation fighter aircraft. This order is not included in backlog at the end of the quarter pending completion of the source selection and evaluation review process. Backlog at Defense, Space & Security was $62 billion, of which 29 percent represents orders from customers outside the U.S.
Initial contract: $20 billion but it will grow to be much, much higher. Trust me on this one.
Israel: link to The WSJ for update regarding Israel, Jordan, and Egypt.
The $690 flip-flop: it's not what you think. It's worse. Link to The WSJ. This is one reason I occasionally think of discontinuing my subscription to TWSJ.
Worth remembering:“Let me tell you about the very rich. They are different from you and me. They possess and enjoy early, and it does something to them, makes them soft where we are hard, and cynical where we are trustful, in a way that, unless you were born rich, it is very difficult to understand. They think, deep in their hearts, that they are better than we are because we had to discover the compensations and refuges of life for ourselves. Even when they enter deep into our world or sink below us, they still think that they are better than we are. They are different. ” ― F. Scott Fitzgerald.
