Posted By RichC on January 28, 2016
On the 30th anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, I re-read a post from my blog back on the 20th anniversary — thought I would share.
Saturday morning, January 27, 1986, the Space Shuttle Challenger and seven astronauts prepared for a cold morning ride into space at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida; they didn’t launch …
Read the post from January 28, 2006: My Challenger Story
Posted By RichC on January 28, 2016
The stock market continues to move in favor of the “bears,” which goes against most long term savers and investors. 
One of the biggest stories today was that of Apple Inc $AAPL who reported earning of $3.28 per share which was 4 cent higher than the consensus. Revenue was nearly $76 billion and short by nearly $1 billion. As one would expect this slowing (based heavily on the slowest pace ever for iPhone sales) had $AAPL down 6.5% closing at near the 52-week low at $93.44.
Who knows how low Apple will trade in the coming days, but several advisors have “buy” ratings and targets substantially higher than $AAPL current levels. I hope I won’t regret picking up a few more shares at these levels.
Drexel Hamilton
Drexel Hamilton’s Brian White reiterated a Buy rating and $200.00 price target on the stock. He was glad to see the quarter end, adding that it was time to move on and “start to look forward to the ramp of iPhone 7.”
White also pointed out that the company’s 40.1 percent gross margin beat his estimate of 39.7 percent, while the 31.9 percent operating margin came in ahead of his forecast of 31.1 percent.
“Given the iPhone weakness in the late stages of this 6-Series, it is not surprising that Apple’s 2Q:FY16 outlook is soft,” he continued, noting the iPhone 7 cycle is now on the horizon.
Related Link: What’s Wrong With Apple…And What Tim Cook Can Do To Fix It
Canaccord
Canaccord’s T. Michael Walkley said Apple’s results were consistent with the firm’s estimates, and reiterated a Buy rating and $146.00 price target. The analyst attributed the “solid” results to robust iPhone sales and sustained growth in services. In fact, Apple sales would have surged 8 percent year-over-year in constant currency, but currency headwinds weighed on the results.
Despite his optimism, Walkley noted that “given the similar form factor for the iPhone 6S and softer smartphone global demand trends,” the firm anticipates “weaker and down year-over-year 1H/C2016 iPhone sales.”
Posted By RichC on January 27, 2016
This little “toy” will be fun! (should receive mine in March)
Specs:
CPU:
1.2 Ghz Quad-Core ARM Cortex A53 64-Bit Processor. It has 64 and 32 Bit execution states for scalable high performance power – including a NEON Multimedia processing engine.
I/O EXPANSION:
Two I/O Expansion slots – the Pi-2 Expansion and Euler box – capable of allowing you to add more modules down the road.
VIDEO:
PINE64 provides almost full motion playback of up to 4K H.265 high-definition video.
GRAPHICS:
Dual core Mali 400 MP2 Graphics acceleration provides mobile users with superior experience in web browsing, video playback, and gaming effects.
MEMORY:
PINE64 comes with 512MB, 1GB, or 2GB DDR3 Memory integrated. Storage space supported up to 256GB Micro SD Expansion.
Posted By RichC on January 26, 2016
Posted By RichC on January 25, 2016
After an opinion piece was published last week in the National Review, the battle among Republicans for an appropriate presidential candidate became even more aggressive. It was already contentious between many in the large field of candidates, but a few high profile Republican voices made their concerns know against the vocal, attention getting poll leader, Donald Trump. I must confess, I share many of the concerns regarding his conservative pedigree, but don’t see the number two candidate in the polls as a “uniter” for the country either — although both are better than a Clinton or Sanders (poll leaders for the Democrats).
As a “jittery” Republican, I’m also tired of dividing the populous on issue after issue — we’ve had 7 years of that after electing and reelection President Obama, someone who was uniquely equipped to unite the nation … but instead went out of his way to ram through unpopular policy after policy and did exactly the opposite to our country (is Ted Cruz the same on the right?)
On the other hand, I want a principled leader who is a conservative and prevents the slow drip towards “even bigger goverment” and like the socialist democracies we see in Europe eroding personal liberty and the innovation incentive unique to capitalism that generations of Americans achieved. I’m hoping our next president will use the bully pulpit to “lead” … by that I mean convince the majority that the core Republican virtues of limited government, less regulation and lower taxes and a strong defense will benefit everyone in America. I’m not sure that either current leading candidate can do this … although I sense some in Washington DC are starting to pick their horse?
Jittery Republican senators think Donald Trump would actually give them a better chance of keeping their Senate majority if he were the party’s presidential nominee instead of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas).
With the Iowa caucuses, the first contest of the 2016 presidential primary, just over a week away, some Senate Republicans are beginning to talk up Trump’s candidacy.
Now how do those like me who don’t see this extreme division as good for our country? Well a few of us are still hoping that the third leading candidate in the Republican primaries, Marco Rubio, can inch forward and keep his campaign afloat to remain relevant. It’s still a long way to the finish line, but the current Trump movement sure seems to have a good head of steam … and might be even drawing discontented Independents and blue collar Democrats away from the very left-leaning Democrats either currently in the Whitehouse or seeking to be president. That may eventually be enough to convince the “less vocal” traditional valued voters to plug their nose in blind hope that a narcissist like Donald Trump really is a patriot and wants to “Make America great again.”
For now, I’ll quietly support the #3 in the polls and hope as others drop out that Marco Rubio will pick up there votes and gain enough momentum to win the GOP nomination. Yes … it looks like a long shot.
Posted By RichC on January 24, 2016
Really, I did plan for a full Sunday afternoon and evening of football watching with my friends Mark and Dar, but couldn't resist the warm sunshine to add a little Cetol (marine varnish product) to the shaded trim around the companionway. Hopefully I won't be too late to miss anything worthwhile in the NFL playoff game, but since the two games will go into the night, I didn't want to waste the entire day.
All is good aboard Encore after the surprise drip, then stream of water the other day and still frustrated that just as I think a few mechanical issues are corrected, another shows up. I suppose such is the life of a boat owner?
It has been a bit chilly down in Florida (30s at night) but I'm not complaining considering the nasty weather in the mid Atlantic and Northeastern states.
Posted By RichC on January 24, 2016
Not much can top the great hospitality, enjoyable conversation (TV trivia talk) and great breakfast fixed by my friends Mark and Dar — or just having lunch at our favorite sandwich shop. As Gomer, Mark’s fellow Marine would say, “thank you … thank you … thank you.” BTW, the Jones really should open a “Bed and Breakfast” someday, it would be super!
I sure am looking forward to hanging out and watching the the NFL playoffs this afternoon … it sure beats shoveling snow!
Posted By RichC on January 23, 2016
The weather isn’t perfect in Florida, but it sure is a lot better than most states to the north. As the snow comes down on most of the eastern part of the country, I at least 
won’t have to deal with it until I fly back.
I’m going to declare success in removing hatches, shipping them to Select Plastics and putting waterproof plywood in place as the heavy rain has mostly stayed out of the boat. I’m also optimistic that the waterpump I removed in December and replaced is all positive. After putting in the new Johnson Pump instead of the Volvo pump I rebuilt (my spare) I’m hoping it will run for many hours before dripping again … impellers aside.
Unfortunately after running the diesel for a bit to monitor the pump output and seals, I noticed that the propeller coupling was dripping. Hm … after shutdown, the drip turned into a stream (video below) and no amount of fidgeting with the coupling could get it to stop (slow down to a drip again, but not stop). I called one of the guys in the yard and he thinks it is an alignment problem. That’s better than automatically having to order a new coupling from Volvo, hauling the boat and pulling the prop shaft back so the new coupling can be installed. It could still come to that, but hopefully a realignment will solve the problem.
Posted By RichC on January 22, 2016
Noticing the weather back home this past week, it was not a bad few days to head down to Florida for a couple more boat repairs.
High on the list was to remove and send my Lewmar Superhatches (predecessor to the Ocean series) off to Select Plastics in hopes THEY can prevent them from dripping; I failed. Leaking hatches and ports has been an ongoing issue for Encore and it has been even worse lately (more rain in Florida?) I’ve held off repairing them as the cost has been prohibitive … and even now I’m hesitating. It’s not only the price, but the timeframe that is frustrating … I’m hoping they will be back sooner rather than later, but according to Tony, this is their busiest time of the year. That make sense since boats in the northeast are under cover for winter.
After removing the aft and forward larger hatches, I cut squares of plywood, wrapped them in “attractive tan/brown tarp” material and “dogged” them down over the hatch frame with a single center bolt and a cross beam inside. Hm, it’s really dark in the cabins now and we’ve lost our ventilation (the reason I haven’t taken the smaller one out of the main salon).
Posted By RichC on January 22, 2016
I’ll admit, I’m not an expert when it comes to social networks or even using the many developed and developing services available. I do occasionally stay in touch with close friends and family on Facebook and monitor the news and events on Twitter, but that really takes up enough of my time … I don’t need many more. What I have difficulty in understanding is how what is seen by me as a heavily used social network by most media outlets (that being Twitter) is suffering when it comes to growing numbers. It seems to me, that every celebrity, news person and network has the little bird @ sign handle and is using it on a regular basis. What an advertising opportunity … wouldn’t you think?
Twitter’s challenges are plenty. Its user base is dwindling and there is no immediate solution in sight. Twitter has a user base of just 320 million. To put it in context, Instagram boasts 400 million users, while Whatsapp has a user base of 900 million. Even Facebook’s Messenger recently got past the 800 million users mark. At over 1.55 billion users, Facebook remains the largest social media service.
— Zacks
Twitter ($TWTR) stock as suffered significantly in the past year and there hasn’t been much CEO Jack Dorsey has been able to do to stop the fall. About the only promising news for shareholders is that since the price is below $20 share price, buyers might start looking at it again (tweeted that myself even). This week the latest rumor was that News Corp ($NWSA) might be interested.
… speculations that micro blogging site Twitter, Inc. TWTR could be a potential takeover target for News Corporation NWSA. Though News Corporation issued a statement declining any such development, Twitter shares benefitted greatly. Shares moved up 13–14% when the rumour broke out, but lost a bit after News Corp’s official denial, to finally close at $17.38, or a 4% gain.
— Zacks
Unfortunately for shareholders seeing the only hope for $TWTR is a buyer … these rumor were quickly squelched by a News Corp spokesperson. Who knows, I still wouldn’t be surprised to see a deep pocketed media outlet or acquisition
On Wednesday, rumors that News Corp was interested in scooping up the embattled social media site sent Twitter’s stock soaring as high as 12%. These gains fell down to the 4% range after a News Corp spokesperson told Re/Code bluntly, “The rumor’s untrue.”