Grapefruit August 14, 2002February 21, 2017 I know room service has specific menus, but from time to time I remember that at many finer hotels you can ask for more or less anything. ‘Would you happen to have a grapefruit in the refrigerator?’ I asked. It was past midnight, and I figured I’d be good for a change. How wrong can you go with a whole grapefruit as a late night snack? ‘You want a whole grapefruit? Anything else?’ ‘Just a knife. A whole grapefruit and a knife to cut it with.’ I am staying at a 4-star Beverly Hills hotel, with an amazing down comforter on the bed, a two-line line with modem, tasteful art on the walls, balcony with a view ($84 plus tax and the $5.95 Priceline fee) – so in less than half an hour there was a knock at my door. A whole grapefruit. A knife. A salt shaker (huh?). And a bill for $17.54. I plan to ask about this when I check out in the morning. ‘How can you afford to rent me a beautiful room like that for less than the cost of five grapefruits?’ I will ask. DICK DAVIS #29 – NOW HE TELLS US Item 29: Know The Downside Stock recommendations should include all the bad stuff that can happen, as well as the good. Only then will there be no surprises. But a complete list of the major negatives is rarely included in a recommendation. The only place you can get full disclosure of all the risks is in the prospectus that accompanies a new offering – and then only because it’s required by the S.E.C., and no one reads prospectuses. Think about it. If you’re buying a stock, someone is selling it to you. Why? It’s only by your knowing all the possible reasons for the sale that you can make a truly informed decision. Always seek out the downside; it may take some doing.