Author: Put

Why the market is acting weird

Business and investments

We are now a socialist country

While many factors affect the stock market, my primary concern is the nincompoop in the White House. He makes pronouncements that are off the wall, he runs the country on fear, he does not allow independent thinking, he is a socialist.

Why do I say this? There are two types of socialists, communal and nationalist. I’m not going to go into the history and derivation of each type, but from my viewpoint they ended up at the same place. A few men, who due to timing, some ability and mostly luck, think they can outperform everyone else. You find these elitists in all authoritarian governments and in some democracies.

They destroy capitalism and democracy by dictating what they want and forcing their will on both individuals, companies and organizations. They think they know best and will destroy anyone and everything that gets in their way.

So what does this lead to? Fear of trying things. Fear of innovation. The mindset is always CYA, Cover Your Ass.

Unfortunately, this situation is effecting a vast majority of countries. The US, China, Russia, India, various countries in Europe and Latin America are all in the same boat. It’s almost like we are entering a new Dark Age. Too much governance by “gut feelings” little governance by science and knowledge.

So where does this leave us. Fluctuating markets moving with little rhyme or reason. Broken alliances, nationalistic pride and most likely destructive wars. Once again, gold makes the most sense as an investment, but remember gold doesn’t make anything, it’s just a place to store wealth.

Muddled World Investments

Business and investments

I purchased NVDA and MSFT puts during the last two weeks expecting a decline in their prices due to an overly strong expectation about AI. I held those puts despite yesterday’s good earnings reports from Nvidia. Today I added PLTR puts just because of the high P/E valuations.

Until this year, most of my positive investments have been long in tech, but these days I’m very wary. The circular financing for massive AI projects, discussed in last week’s financial newspapers, need to be remembered! Creative financing always kill small investors.

I still like gold. As long as nincompoop keeps buying gold toilet fixtures and the Saudis, Indians and others keep buying gold, it will continue to go up. It’s too bad gold doesn’t produce anything, that’s partly why I hate investing in it.

As for crypto, well, now you know. To heaven one quarter to hell the next. If you do indulge, just make sure you know which way the wind is blowing.

New Website

Photography, Video

Androken Aerial is my website to showcase my aerial images. Other than drone shots, my aerial photography days are coming to an end. However, my interest in imaging, both photography and especially videography has increased. So, I have setup a new website, androken.com to display that work.

I will keep androkenaerial.com for a while in the hopes I can find new ways to create aerial images, but most of my efforts will be found on androken.com. Enjoy!

Bordeaux from 2019 and 2024

Uncategorized

This is the second version of my video of Bordeaux and its surrounding region from trips in 2019 and 2024. Too often I still think like a still photographer rather than a videographer. Lots of stills from those trips not a lot of video. Thank you Ken Burns for showing us a way to incorporate stills into video.

Thankful November 28, 2024

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I’m feeling thankful for the last four years of relative peace. Much of the world is in flames, turmoil and crisis, but here for me, life has been relatively tranquil. Unfortunately this will not be the case for at least the next four years. The divisiveness that has beset this country has only expanded and deepened. This has allowed those who thrive on chaos and fear to come to power. We will pay an heavy price for this foolishness.

Who will benefit as we descend from greatness? Our adversaries of course! China, Russia, Iran, North Korea and others all want us to be diminished. How are they accomplishing this? Divide and conquer, it is one of homo sapiens earliest tactic to overcome a stronger enemy; and, it has been well played by the above named countries.

We red and blue Americans stare at each other, wishing the other side would disappear. In the meantime, China, Russia and Iran are sharpening their knives. While we turn our eyes inward, thinking the enemy is within, those on the outside will take what they want.

So, I’m thankful for what we had. I can only look into the future with a steely resolve not to be afraid but also not to bend to the will of the chaos mongers. Life will be different.

My protest song: “Yes, we have no bananas”. The reason will become obvious in the future.

Wondering…

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This was part of a Bloomberg editorial piece: (Traders Odd Lots “Traders bet on financial rumspringa” Nov 8, 2024). “What Joe us Thinking”

…Anyway, a thing that continues to interest me is that there are multiple wings of Trumpism. There is clearly the kind of Wall Street/bank wing. There’s the more techno-libertarian-crypto wing (roughly embodied by Elon Musk). And then there’s the America First, nationalist, populist, tariff wing. And right now, the mood seems to be that this last wing is just not going to be a meaningful part of the economic picture. That it’ll get squeezed out, because in the end, greed will win out. And maybe that’s a good bet. But, you know, maybe.

Interesting, I guess partly to be answered by what is Susie thinking??

Something New

Fitness, Health

I’m fortunate enough to have stumbled into a gig that lets me practice my videography in an interesting and inviting setting. I’m working with Barbra Jean, the gym manager for the Gray Fitness Center in Gray, Maine.

There are many new things to learn, various challenges to overcome but we are also having fun. What’s more, Barbra is a super person to work with.

We plan to make more of these, both as instructional videos but also to introduce the Gray Fitness Center as a community resource. If you live near Gray, Maine come and visit Barbra.

Thoughts about DJI and the Chinese Drone Ban

Aviation, Drones

The US House of Representatives has already passed a bill (https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/6572) that would outlaw DJI and its subsidiaries from using FCC allocated radio frequencies needed to control the drones. The Senate (Rick Scott’s amendment) is quickly falling suit. The need to do this is attributed to national security.  But those national security issues have never been defined or documented.

What I find strange about this legislation is that it is going after one company. Shenzhen Da-Jing Innovations Sciences and Technologies Company Limited, aka DJI.  Why does our government fear one Chinese company?  

I don’t know anything about DJI as a company, but I do use their drones and their drones work really well. I also recognize excellence in technology.  The DJI drone is so good it has to be made by top notch engineers.  If government or party members were involved, the product would have long ago been compromised. DJI has the feel of an Apple Inc. when Steve Jobs ran it.

The products of companies run for or by committee or governments just do not work well.  Their bloated, expensive and prone to failure.

Think of Boeing.  It use to produce the best airliners in the world.  But its management moved from Boeing Field in Washington State, where those planes were built, to Chicago and now to Virginia.  At the same time their focus changed from engineering excellence to financial management and government contracts.  The result is the 737 Max and a space capsule stuck in space. 

Think Tesla and Musk Incorporated.  The Tesla automobile was a lean, mean machine.  But Musk’s other companies Boring and SpaceX, rely more and more on taxpayers money. I see diminishing returns there. And of course Twitter, now X, is a mess.  He strayed from engineering to politics and will pay the price.

Think our defense contractors.  None of them can make a gun, vehicle, airplane, ship, missile, rocket without a cost over run.  All of them have problems getting their product out the door.  

So what does our government do.  Take down a foreign company that is making a great product.  

There are no US companies that make any drones that work as well and at the price DJI charges. American drone manufacturers are not interested in consumer level drones.  They want the large, US taxpayer funded contracts to make drones for many thousands if not million of dollars.  A $1000 drone that work for small businesses, first responders and individual photographers/videographers do not interest them.  

Put Armstrong