Not for the Squeamish

That’s right. Today, it’s Worst Case Wednesday. And here’s a true story.

Several years ago, I was working late on a monstrous spreadsheet with 50,000 cells of data. Don’t ask. As I reached for my coffee, I inadvertently knocked the cup onto my laptop’s keyboard. Not a little spill. The whole cup. And this wasn’t just any cup. It was a Starbucks “Venti,” three-quarters full of Caffé Mocha no whipped.

Mixing chocolate, coffee, and 50,000 cells of Excel generates an unfortunate outcome.

Here’s what I did. But full disclosure—I’m no techie. That night I was a stockbroker with a mess on my hands.

1. Unplugged the laptop.
2. Disconnected all USB ports.
3. Turned the computer upside down.
4. Cleaned up the spill.
5. Called it a night, because the computer stores were all closed.

To Tech Savvy Friends: Anything else we can do?

Norb Vonnegut

About the author

Norb Vonnegut wrote 178 articles on this blog.

Do you ever feel the financial news makes no sense? Do stories leave you with more questions than answers? I created Acrimoney to discuss Wall Street’s behavior behind the headlines. As a veteran of a wealth management business that exceeded $1 billion in assets, I offer insight into the people and the “doings” that affect your money. I’ll start the discussion. But I hope you’ll jump in and say what you think.

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