Castanza

I sold the majority of my options for profit to offset my loss on the common. I got pretty lucky on this one and was able to offset my common loss and keep a few leaps on "house money". This environment has certainly ruined my appetite for options moving forward. I would much rather hold common moving forward for the majority of equities I'm interested in. Plus, that ship has sailed for much of the market at this point unless we see another leg down.

This price action is insane. Some of my options are now ITM ;D :o

Who exactly encourages the protests and the property damage (which was done by looters not protesters)? The protests are unfortunate, but they were not organized by any party and they are not Trump’s fault either. He just poured gasoline on them by sending the national guard and the tweeting stuff like “after looting comes the shooting”, which surely didn’t help. Indeed, Trump is not the leader America needs in tough times. Below is the Robert F. Kennedy speech which is worth a listen in times like this.

I watched the ISS fly by the night of the launch. You could actually see the capsule trailing the station as it was preparing to dock. Pretty cool to see.

BG2008, curious if you've ever looked at ($WST) West Pharmaceuticals? Definitely pricey right now, but a well run company with seemingly good working relationships with large consumer and pharma companies (think syringes, toothpaste caps, and Aleve bottles). Growing fcf, revenue, and low/manageable debt.

Why have cities always been desired? When travel and communication was more difficult and time consuming cities brought people and ideas together in one spot. Population density was a necessity for ideas to spread and serendipitous meetings to take place. Also it allowed an economy of scale for businesses. All of that still happens in cities, but, I don't know if that is still entirely necessary. People now meet and talk online just as easily as off, and with modern shipping the whole country is your marketplace. Sure, but there is also the other aspect of city living. Entertainment options. Cities are very much white collar work hard play hard. People who live in cities tend to “love the bustle”. A bit off topic, but I mentioned in some thread before that all these big tech companies never build their new branches in rural or mid sized cities. Event though in my opinion that’s a step in the right direction for “revitalizing areas” it shows that there is more to big city living than big firm jobs. People (talent) for the most part want a mix of a good job in a fun area. As I said before, for every 1 person looking to work full time remote in a lower cost of living area you will still have 10 wanting to claim their stake in the big city.

As a senior exec, I'm not sure I agree with that. I'm still missing the interaction with others at and above my level, and even more importantly I'm losing the ability to build a strong connection with those who report to me. Especially newer employees. And as those ties become looser, I think their ties to the organization as a whole will also fray, meaning that they will be more easily poached by competitors. Other great points here about the way work from home eliminates boundaries, etc. For any arguments that it's more efficient in some ways, it is damaging in other ways. I think every business is really a number of relationships, and relationships are best built and maintained in person. And this isn't a generational thing. My kids know this... no amount of video calls, phone calls, or texts with their friends is replacing seeing them face to face. good post and fair enough. onboarding employees sure isn't easy if done only virtually. I've helped to onboard probably over 200 individuals at a high level and maybe 20 deep dive technical onboarding over Skype with a bit of a language barrier (South American countries). Sure, it took a bit more time and there were some bumps in the road. But ultimately, it was successful. I don't think this argument is about whether or not remote work can be done effectively. It's about whether or not people will want to do it long term. I think short term there may be some effect. But historically speaking cities and urban centers have always been desired.

You should spend less time thinking about Trump. Tony Schwartz isn't even a psychologist.

GMBL also jumped 15% edit: just pointing out everything in that sector seems to be up big today. https://seekingalpha.com/news/3578229-cordish-gaming-taps-gan-for-software-platform-of-internet-gambling-in-pennsylvania

"Can" and "will" are two different things. At the very most I think a lot of companies will revise their work from home policy to be more flexible. Other than that nothing will change 5 years out. When in all of history have cities not been the driving force and focal point of business, commerce, industry, development, entertainment, athletics, and the arts? Never So maybe some companies will consolidate office space down to accommodate part time wfh operations. What does that mean? Probably that you'll see more companies moving to big cities soaking up the new office space (if there truly is consolidation). For every 1 New Yorker looking to find a permanent wfh gig in the suburbs, you will have 100 driven individuals from Timbuktu looking to kick it in a high rise office. Lastly the customer/client aspect and the effect offices have on them is not being mentioned. If I'm looking for a lawyer and paying them a lot of money, you can be damn sure I want to meet them face to face in a nice professional office instead of their "quaint" little home office that probably smells of baby diapers, dogs, or whatever they had for dinner the previous night. Skype has it's limitations as well.

individuals and businesses will become dependent on government money and unable to stand on their own two feet That ship sailed a long time ago. Interest rates barely went up after 09. People became addicted to the low interest rates and subsequent raging 10 year bull market. We live in a credit addicted, got to have it now, no-consequence, entitled, bubble wrapped society.

I think you sold way too soon. I would held past 2020. Probably right, but from the other perspective I generated a lot of free cash flow for myself and there are plenty of other opportunities out there trading at bargain bin prices. In a covid free world there is no doubt I sold too early. If (I know, I know) the market takes another leg down and GOOG hits 1100 again I would be kicking myself for not selling out earlier an having the cash flow to buy shares. I feel good about it so I'm gonna go with that ;D

MSGE, SNE

Best wishes!

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/05/18/fedex-microsoft-are-teaming-up-to-deliver-packages-widening-gap-with-amazon.html Can't help but think this is probably 25% useful and 75% snake oil.

Don't fight the effing Fed... Recent interview Pelley:"Fair to say you simply flooded the system with money?" Powell: "Yes. We did. That's another way to think about it. We did." Pelley: "Where does it come from? Do you just print it?" Powell: "We print it digitally. So as a central bank, we have the ability to create money digitally. And we do that by buying Treasury Bills or bonds from other government guaranteed securities. And that actually increases the money supply. We also print currency and we distribute that through the Federal Reserve banks." that'll do it...

Hmmm you’re right. I guess my question is.....what is unique about the corporate/finance structure of tech specific companies (if anything). What are the norms and standards, in operation, execution, rollout. Yeah I get that it’s broad, and I’m not after any specific segment. Anything that discusses “that” on an academic type level would be interesting.

Vat 69

Can’t wait to pick up more shares at a discount. Google provides superior products (most for free).

You are entitled to your freedom. You are not entitled to infringe on the freedom of others. Driving a car is a privilege, not a right. A shop owner should be allowed to stay open. The individual will decide whether or not to enter. This isn't difficult. Why is a business license required if it is a right and not a privilege? Can the Health Department suspend a license for business? If so, then it's a flimsy 'right' at best. Covid-19 is a public health risk. Masks are the mitigation; play ball or be shut down. No shirt, no shoes, no mask, no service. Al Capone "play ball or be shut down"

https://seekingalpha.com/article/4348066-global-oil-inventories-build-less-expected-supply-loss-surprises

Looking for book recommendations focused on the business side of tech. Preferably enterprise/corporate, but entrepreneurial would be alright too. Thanks

Moat

I'm gonna disagree with all three: IBKR - they are nickel-and-diming their customers like there's no tomorrow. Pay for quotes, pay trade commissions, pay if you don't have enough trades per month. Some of these may have been removed, but because of competition and not because IBKR are good guys. So zero loyalty to IBKR, screw them. DIS - I think the park prices are ridiculous. High-speed internet - most countries have much cheaper high-speed internet than US. US monopoly pricing sucks. Shrug. I would pay more for all three of these services. Part of it for some of them is being non-USA. IBKR is much better than competitors here in Canada - no free trades for everyone here. Given how fast their customer base is growing it seems I'm not the only person who feels this way. I also think Disneyland is great value. Tickets are expensive, but a lot is included as well. Different strokes for different folks, but enough people agree with me that they keep raising prices and attendance still grows. Obviously we'll see if that holds post covid, but I think it will. High speed is likely colored by being outside USA. I pay $105 CAD (so under $80 USD) for 300/30 high speed, basic cable, and a home phone. I would pay much more than that just for high speed if necessary. My wife drug my ass to Disney World in February. She said, lets go before we have kids. I'm thinking to myself "why? isn't this place for kids?".....I trudged on, and by the end of our week I was decked out in Disney apparel trying to get a reaction out of the storm troopers in Galaxy's Edge. I don't think ticket prices are that expensive when compared to amusement parks. Take Hershey Park here in PA. It's your average park (few roller coasters, nothing special). Tickets are $70 a pop....Disney at what $120 a pop is a bargain. All the free shows, transportation, extreme generosity of workers, general attention to detail in everything, wait time app, wrist band integration, etc. is worth way more than $120 imo. The resorts are what kill you price wise....Animal Kingdom is like $6-800 a night for some rooms....Yeah, I'll pass on that since I spent maybe 2 hours a day (minus sleep) in our hotel room.

Cherzeca, When you are a family of 6-7, husband, wife, 2 kids, parents in-law who helps out with the childcare and a brother in law who lives at home, you wind up going through a lot of everything. TP, wipes, paper towels, steak, berries, fruits, veggies, etc. It is not just the savings by buying bulk. It is also that fact that Costco berries and fruits are much nicer than any of the competition. They do so much volume that the berries go directly from the farm to the store (at least the freshness feels that way). We divide our grocery trips into restaurant depot and Costco. The savings add up. Buying 6 dental floss and 3 packs of toothpastes adds up over time. Costco also naturally caters to a more affluent customer base. It never occur to me when I was younger that being able to buy $300 at a time is an indication of a more affluent customer base. But it clearly is. If you buy the non-perishables, it really adds up to savings. Okay, maybe not the 1/2 gallon mayo. There are some items that you should buy at Trader Joes. If you are a bachelor or a couple in a small NYC apartment, yes, you're better off at Trader Joes. If you have kids and they go through 3-5 half gallons of milk a week. The eggs, bacon, fruits, milk, all adds up. Also, they control their supply chain, so if you have infants and need formula. You go to Costco to buy it because you know it won't be fake. My family literally have relatives in China who will ask us to bring them $1,000 worth of formula, razor blades, and coffee when we travel to China. Now that I am not a bachelor, yeah, even the 8 pack Puma socks, V Neck Calvin Kleins T-Shirts, Jeans ($30), and fleeces, and seasonal gloves and jackets, are all great value. They operate on 10% gross margin. Sometimes, my wife and I will be like "we just spent $500" stocking up on stuff. But everytime we go to CVS or a convenient store, we are reminded of how much cheaper Costco is. We generally get 2x the product for the same price elsewhere. I have a membership simply for the cheaper gas and gas rewards points. Easily pays for itself every year.