lt cap,

It seems like an awful lot of tech stocks, and networking  a real standout, in making up for losses in core businesses by diversifying into other areas where they think they can establish a footprint. I know you've always been skeptical about INTC, and the cost of establishing a footprint in other areas spooked me a bit, when they spent something like one billion on getting footprints, and a million dollars in profits from it for that period. But I believe INTC is really well managed, and some of those bets are starting to pay off. You probably know that INTC has partnered with NOK, using NOK's products, to build '5g generation projects' to speed up implementation of 5G. That seems 'win-win'  to me as INTC gets more of a presence in that area, and NOK gets its products used as infrastructure.

On CSCO, I'm pissed that I didn't grab some when it was in the 20's and up to $30. $34 as we speak and still a 3.41 dividend. Apparent that the analysts 'bought the future' rather than the present on how the company did that Q, which seems to just be 'analyst mode' for most stocks right now.  I'm too leery of taking any stake in ERIC, as their future doesn't seem so grand unless there is a buyout. I wondcr how the street would see CSCO if they did such a thing.

Jester - yeah, this market just seems insane to me. Okay, so Trump has encouraged strip mining for coal again.And the 'border tax' is being cheered by CEOs.  So maybe the stupid trade is investment in companies that specialize in environmental safety and cleanup. Yes, that's lead in the water that's making your coffee taste bitter. How far does the pro-business stance propel the market furture? I have no idea. I suppose part of today's rally jis due to the 'border tax' that Trump is proposing, while US CEO's egg him on. Two things concern me most: That America becomes isolationist in stance, from military alliances to looming trade wars, rather than alliances, with an interdependt world. The other is him being taken at his word by an important country, starting a scary interational incident. I thank the market would retreat really fast at that one, esp. as it would reveal how incompetent his advisors and billionaires appointees are. But I've been wrong on most everything for some time now.

Trump makes me think of two analogies. One is having a pitbull for a President, and the question is whether his 'handlers' can restrain him or not. The other is an explaination of what makes Trump 'tick': He's spent all of his adult life accumulating real estate. He recently acquired Pennsylvania Avenue. And he wants Park Place and Boardwalk. But only if he can build skyscaper towers on them, not dinky red hotels.