Mars, Manhattan, 3Com Puts October 22, 1998February 10, 2017 LET’S BUY MARS From Duncan Smith: “With regard to your ‘Let’s Buy Mars’ article today, I think some guy named Dennis Hope already owns all the land in the solar system (other than the Earth), and is selling it off bit by bit. Check out www.lunarembassy.com. They are selling property on the Moon, Mars, and Venus, at bargain prices. Who knows how this will stand up in court once people actually start settling on the Moon and Mars, but it’s a brilliant business scheme nonetheless.” CORRECTION: IT WAS $24 From Brian Annis: “You write [with respect to the Louisiana Purchase and the purchase of Alaska, so why not Mars?], ‘Only the $23 purchase of Manhattan Island has not been ridiculed among early North American land acquisitions.’ Actually, it wasn’t just $23. The Dutch paid TWICE for Manhattan Island, and HAVE been ridiculed for doing so. They originally ‘bought’ the property from the Canarsee tribe, then had to pay for it again to buy it from the real owners, the Manhattan tribe.” And — what was I thinking? — it was not $23, according to popular lore and the value of beads and trinkets; it was $24. 3Com Puts From Jeffrey Schwarz: “Well, I guess it’s a good thing I didn’t buy those puts. Since I asked you that question [should he buy puts on 3Com, hoping the stock would fall?], 3Com continued to go up due to more silly rumours and improved earnings. (Whew!) Improved earnings should keep it higher, or it might make a good put-buying opportunity now. Either way, options seem to present an unfavorable risk/reward ratio for me. Sure, you have a chance to make a bunch of money — but from what I gather, you lose most of the time and money.” Yep.