Chet Collins

Twitter Accepts Elon Musk’s Offer to Buy Company in $44 Billion Deal - WSJ

The stock has been an anemic performer in an era of huge returns for technology companies. Its shares jumped on their first day of trading in 2013 to close at $44.90, within a dollar of where they were more than eight years later when Mr. Musk made his approach.

Can’t wait for this deal to close and the S&P 500 to drop this dog.

Elon Musk, Twitter and Free Speech - WSJ Opinion

A former CEO of the social site Reddit called for government regulation “to prevent rich people from controlling our channels of communication.” That line was published in an op-ed at the Washington Post, which is owned by the noted pauper Jeff Bezos.

Fidelity to Allow Retirement Savers to Put Bitcoin in 401(k) Accounts - WSJ

the 23,000 companies that use Fidelity to administer their retirement plans will have the option to put bitcoin on the menu.

The breach of fiduciary duty lawsuits are going to be a slam dunk.

Under the plan, Fidelity would let savers allocate as much as 20% of their nest eggs to bitcoin, though that threshold could be lowered by plan sponsors.

Another 20% will be permitted to be invested into your cousin’s new restaurant and a remaining 20% may be used to purchase Beanie Babies.

Mr. Gray said the fees on the account will be between 0.75% and 0.9%, depending on the client, not counting trading costs.

Don’t worry, you’ll still be lining Fidelity’s pockets while you gamble at the table.

Elon Musk Agrees to Buy Twitter in $44 Billion Deal - WSJ

Twitter Inc. on Monday accepted Elon Musk’s bid to take over the company, giving the world’s richest man control over the influential social-media network where he is also among its most powerful users.

I’m glad that this deal takes a terrible company out of my portfolio, and under new management, I may rejoin.

The Window to Enjoy Your Empty Nest Is Shrinking - WSJ

“I haven’t been able to do anything that is not work- or kid-centered in really almost 13 years,” says Ms. Frederickson, founder and chief executive of human-resources executive search firm Frederickson Partners in Menlo Park, Calif. “I’m ready to have a full and fun life.” 

13 years into parenting and she still doesn’t get it?

She never will.

Struggling AMC Threatens To Clamp Down On Theater Sharing - The Onion

“While rare, there have actually been extreme instances of 30, 40, sometimes even 50 people in a single theater watching a movie. But from now on, you can’t just come to an AMC location and bring a bunch of friends with you thinking you’re all going to watch the same screening. That just isn’t going to happen anymore.”

Gas-Engine Bans Drive Landscapers Toward Electric Mowers and Blowers - WSJ

Some landscapers and dealers are wary, raising concerns about the added cost and complexity of relying on battery power to manicure yards and trees.

I priced a battery-powered edger this season. It was 3x the cost of the gas model.

I have a battery chainsaw and it’s awesome. Instant on, no messing with fuel and oil, it’s exactly what I want. But we’ve got to get the price of batteries under control.

Government mandates that prematurely force out gas models distorts basic economics and only exacerbates price differences.

No one is against battery powered lawn equipment, cars, or anything else. But electric, like any other new technology, must deliver better results and better performance at a better price.

Apple Store Workers Seek to Unionize, Following Efforts at Amazon, Starbucks - WSJ

“Apple is a profoundly positive place to work, but we know that the company can better live up to their ideals,” said Derrick Bowles, an employee at the Atlanta store.

The arrogance.

the company offers employees strong compensation, healthcare options, tuition reimbursement, parental leave and stock grants, among other benefits. The spokesman said Apple’s minimum pay at retail stores is $20 an hour.

But no pony, tho.

The Biden Administration is putting its weight behind nascent unionization movements in the name of helping workers.

It’s ironic because profligate spending, crushing inflation and overly generous student loan subsidies are hurting these very same workers.

Once every 24-48 months.

McCarthy Said He Would Advise Trump to Resign After Jan. 6 Riot, Tape Shows - WSJ

Thursday’s revelations were seen as potentially testing their relationship and complicating Mr. McCarthy’s efforts to become the next speaker

Why? His instincts were exactly right. Trump should’ve resigned on January 7.

Crypto Thieves Get Bolder by the Heist, Stealing Record Amounts - WSJ

The Beanstalk protocol used what’s called a DAO, or decentralized autonomous organization. Users can dedicate, or “stake,” funds to the project, which gives them a vote in governance and changes to the protocol. According to blockchain-analytics firm Elliptic, the hacker borrowed about $1 billion worth of different stablecoins, using an ultra-short-term kind of loan called a flashloan, and then added that to Beanstalk’s funds. That was enough to give them an overwhelming percentage of voting power. The hacker proposed donating money to Ukraine, and voted to approve the idea. The proposal, however, included code that instead sent all the funds locked up in the Beanstalk protocol to a wallet controlled by the hacker, according to Elliptic.

Kind of genius.

CNN+ Streaming Service Is Shutting Down a Month After Launching - WSJ

CNN+, which was launched on March 29, wasn’t met with enthusiasm in the marketplace and had fewer than 100,000 subscribers, the person said.

Better luck next time, Chris Wallace!

I don’t always enjoy a hot meal, but when I do, it’s because it’s a weird time and my kids are playing, studying, or asleep.

🍳

If an EV’s battery lasts 15 years, and replacing that battery is cost prohibitive, are we really just making cars extremely disposable?

Grim Study Reveals All 2 Million Americans Who Flew Yesterday Are Now Dead Of COVID - The Babylon Bee

The millions of citizens innocently flying on airplanes, completely safe from the virus because they were wearing masks in a tiny cylinder hurtling through the air with 200 other people, instantly dropped dead as soon as the mask mandate was struck down by a federal judge.

May they all Rest In Peace.

Netflix Loses Subscribers for the First Time in 10 Years, Blames Account Sharing - MacRumors

Netflix said that revenue growth has “slowed considerably,” with the company faulting “a large number of households sharing accounts”

#StopPutinsPasswordSharing

Lots of folks upset on the internet about the overturning of mask mandates on airplanes.

Someone should tell them about cars.

Judge Throws Out Federal Mask Mandate for Public Transportation - WSJ

U.S. District Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle, a President Donald Trump appointee, said the mandate exceeded the authority of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Someone had to say it.

Happy Easter!

Took my son to meet an airplane at our local airport.

Fun evening, very cool job!

The new Apple Card ad shows a customer applying in the checkout line and being approved for a credit card at 18.99% APR.

WHAT A GREAT SERVICE!!!!