BASKET UPDATE
A few weeks ago I suggested “a basket of mini-drug-stock speculations that might double a year or two from now – to be bought only with money you can truly afford to lose.” They were: INCY – first suggested June 11 at $3.40 or so, then at $5.62 as part of this “basket,” closed $8.40 last night. I am holding most of mine. . . . DEPO – first suggested October 1 at $4.50, then $3.02 a few weeks ago as part of this “basket,” closed $3.41. I am holding on. . . . DYAX, suggested at $3.17 as part of this basket, closed $3.50 before this good news was announced – “transformative” news for the company, my guru calls it – that sent the stock to $5.10 in after-hours trading. I am holding this one, too.
So far so good. (Thanks, Guru.)
CAVE COMPUTING
David D’Antonio: “In case you didn’t know, what with working in the cave and all, you can turn OFF the auto-rebooting thing; it’s one of the first things I do when I get a new machine. I don’t really want Microsoft dictating when my computer should restart. Look under ‘Automatic Updates’ on the Control Panel and change it to ‘download but don’t install.’ You’ll have to do the installs yourself, of course, but you can at least do them on your schedule, not Bill Gates’.”
Bob Stromberg: “‘Patch Tuesday’ is the second Tuesday of the month (next: December 8) . . . and ‘virus Wednesday’ is the day after, because hackers study the patches and release exploits so that they can nail unpatched machines. I highly recommend three steps for Windows users: 1. Make sure you switch from ‘Windows Update’ to ‘Microsoft Update.’ Microsoft Update covers products beyond Windows, such as Office or Works. 2. Install Secunia PSI. The ‘PSI’ means ‘personal software inspector’ and this product vigorously compares what you have installed with a data base of current versions. 3. Check for Windows Updates manually, every month or so. Select ‘Custom.’ Some of the optional patches make sense. Don’t put them all on. The ‘live’ stuff and the Windows Search update might burden your already-burdened system.
☞ As if I’d be able to figure out which patches make sense and which don’t. I live in a cave.
