Gyroscopic Investing

I’m concerned about it, too. My wife said she’s ready for it every time she goes out the door (which admittedly isn’t very often right now).

Tortoise wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 2:49 am

Smith1776 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:26 am As an asian person I do fear anti-china and anti-chinese sentiment quite a lot.

I am thankful that I live in Canada where I don't expect that kind of racism to be as egregious even in the worst case. Still though...

It looks like anti-China sentiment and decoupling may start to grow in many Western countries, not just the U.S. It's been building for a while, and I think the Covid-19 debacle may have just sealed the deal.

I hope that any anti-China sentiment is directed mainly where it belongs: at China's government, not at Chinese people. At least half of my coworkers are Chinese nationals, so it will be interesting to see how this plays out over the next couple of years.

Only total morons would blame Chinese individuals (other than those in the CCP of course).
There are some total morons but not as many as you might think.

Racism exists in every country. If I was a gambling person, I would bet a large amount that racism is less in the USA and Canada than in most other countries. Don't believe the lies that the media likes to spread. They take one small isolated case of racism and blow it to huge proportions. Or they take something that wasn't racism at all, but just a misunderstanding or something, and they claim it was racism and then blow it to huge proportions.

MangoMan wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:17 pm Remember, these are the same Rhodes Scholars that stopped drinking Corona Beer.

I heard on a recent podcast that Corona is now one of the top-selling beers. Hipsters must be buying it ironically now.

When and why did we get to the point where criticizing a government's actions is considered racism?

I've even heard the term "racist" applied to the coronavirus, due to observations of worse outcomes among minority populations. Even just 10 years ago, saying that a virus is guilty of racism would be something you would only expect to hear on Saturday Night Live.

And speaking of race politics, here is an interesting twist (relevant to the title of this thread):

https://www.wsj.com/articles/why-im-run ... lead_pos10

Another paywall so I'll summarize. Queens, the site of the intended Amazon headquarters, is a perfect storm of disaster from this pandemic: highest case count of any location in the U.S. (possibly in the world), and the highest unemployment. About 1/3 of the borough's working population is out of a job. This is AOC's district, and to say she's been missing in action is an understatement. The article was written by a refreshingly articulate candidate who is running against her in the primary. It points out that had AOC not driven Amazon away, the borough would have had one of the few large-scale employers who is not only retaining their workforce, but also hiring more. Plus the tax benefit to the city, the large multiplier for jobs due to the presence of the Amazon workers, etc. I trust a lot of people in Queens are smart enough to realize how badly they've been had, and there's a good possibility that AOC won't survive the primary. Here's hoping.

Libertarian666 wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 9:41 am Only total morons would blame Chinese individuals (other than those in the CCP of course).

sophie wrote: ↑Mon Apr 20, 2020 2:40 pm When and why did we get to the point where criticizing a government's actions is considered racism?

I think there is this nebulous area where someone doesn't explicitly hold anyone in the West responsible, but who casually or subconsciously looks at Asians in their home country in a funny way after Chinese scandals like the tainted pet food or this wet-market-born virus. Treats them slightly differently.

Sure, it's not the end of the world. It's not a lynching. And yes, victims will have to toughen up in the face of it (they already have, over centuries). But it still sucks.

It is “unconscionable” that Rikers Island inmates who were released due to coronavirus concerns are committing new crimes, Mayor Bill de Blasio said Monday.

“I think it’s unconscionable just on a human level that folks were shown mercy and this is what some of them have done,” the mayor said during his morning briefing Monday link

I mentioned the other day that the ant and the grasshopper parable was modified recently. I wonder if Mayor de Blasio heard a different version of the scorpion and the frog where the scorpion doesn't kill the frog?

I know DeBlasio is the media’s punching bag, but in my opinion it is well-earned.

UK nurses' COVID-19 haka slammed as cultural appropriation

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/world/20 ... ation.html

Isn’t the liberal ideal that different cultures should mix together in a “melting pot” and adopt certain aspects of each other’s cultures?

Tortoise wrote: ↑Tue Apr 21, 2020 3:51 pm Isn’t the liberal ideal that different cultures should mix together in a “melting pot” and adopt certain aspects of each other’s cultures?

It was. <shrug>

A skate park in San Clemente, CA, was filled with 37 tons of sand by local authorities to block skaters from using it during the coronavirus outbreak, according to the Orange County Register. link

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lol

Outrage Greets Danish Lutheran Group’s Rewrite of Bible to Omit Word ‘Israel’

https://www.algemeiner.com/2020/04/22/o ... rd-israel/

The group claimed the move was to avoid identifying ancient Israel with today’s State of Israel, although other ancient names with modern equivalents, such as “Egypt,” are not omitted.

MangoMan wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 4:32 pm Just another example of the pervasive and ever growing antisemitism in Europe.

Makes sense, given Europe's growing love affair with Islam.

They may well have done it for anti-Jewish reasons. But do Jews really like Christians using "Israel"? As referring to Jesus as the King of Israel, or referring to themselves as the true Israel?

Xan wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 5:41 pm...
But do Jews really like Christians using "Israel"?

Works for me.

As referring to Jesus as the King of Israel,

In the context of his original peeps worshipping him, I think it makes sense.

or referring to themselves as the true Israel?

You mean modern-day Christians? Do they do that?

dualstow wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 6:14 pm

Xan wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 5:41 pm...
But do Jews really like Christians using "Israel"?

Works for me.

As referring to Jesus as the King of Israel,

In the context of his original peeps worshipping him, I think it makes sense.

or referring to themselves as the true Israel?

You mean modern-day Christians? Do they do that?

My tradition would say look at Israel* (Israelites) as an hourglass. Jesus is Israel reduced to one. The purpose of Israel (the chosen Hebrews) was to bring Jesus the Savior into the scene. All the Christians from Jesus on are grafted into the vine (or family tree of believers if you wish) in Jesus so you could say Israel means Christians (believers in the Christ, Jesus or followers of the Way) from Jesus' time forward; that would be referring to the line of Hebrews that went through King David to Jesus and forward for those that believe Jesus is the Christ.

* The word Israel has different meanings depending on what you are discussing. God changed Jacob's name to Israel after the wrestling match struggle. Israel(ites) also refers to the Hebrews that descended from the Abraham-Sarah, and Israel refers to the state of modern day Israel, the state, not necessarily the inhabitants thereof. That's a short version. Hope I did not muddy the waters too much.

I guess the answer is yes, they do.
I didn't know about that.

dualstow wrote: ↑Thu Apr 23, 2020 7:11 pm

Per Emojipedia: Tears of Joy, not to be confused with (Rolling on the Floor Laughing).



Edit: I just read the fine print that the Tears of Joy emoji is often used to show something is “funny or pleasing.” So not just joy. I learned something new!

So why was my initial relief at hearing Oxford and Imperial are racing away to develop the vaccine followed by worry?

Let’s suppose that Oxford does develop the first vaccine. What happens next?

David Heymann, an infectious disease specialist at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, who heads a panel that advises the World Health Organization (WHO) on Coronavirus, says that there could be a production shortage. Researchers have also warned that this will lead to rich countries hoarding supplies. We were too late when it came to stockpiling PPE, but we won’t be caught out again. The vaccine, developed by our finest brains, is ours. And it will be Britons who are prioritised for protection.

. . . If my university is the first to develop the vaccine, I’m worried that it will be used as it has been in the past, to fulfil its political, patriotic function as proof of British excellence.

Dr Emily Cousens researches vulnerability and gender at Oxford Brookes university and teaches on the women’s studies masters course at University of Oxford. link

Huffington Post, desperately trying to keep gender studies afloat in these trying times. The comments at the bottom are very supportive.

via, of course, Tim

Biggest example of all: the lockdowns which will decimate blue state budgets. Let's see what happens with Georgia and Sweden, but I would bet not a lot. It is just as likely that the hospitalizations are slowing down because there's already herd immunity building up in NYC, with a quarter of us already showing positive antibodies. And NJ cases are continuing to increase DESPITE the lockdown in that state, which as a result has no end in sight.

Also, I hate to say this out loud but...COVID may be Nature's way of saving Medicare and Social Security. A lot of medical expenses now, sure...but less later.

sophie wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 5:16 pm Biggest example of all: the lockdowns which will decimate blue state budgets. Let's see what happens with Georgia and Sweden, but I would bet not a lot. It is just as likely that the hospitalizations are slowing down because there's already herd immunity building up in NYC, with a quarter of us already showing positive antibodies. And NJ cases are continuing to increase DESPITE the lockdown in that state, which as a result has no end in sight.

Also, I hate to say this out loud but...COVID may be Nature's way of saving Medicare and Social Security. A lot of medical expenses now, sure...but less later.

Don't worry sophie, "Even though the state government asked thousands of people to come to New York from out of state to help fight coronavirus, they will have to pay New York state taxes, even on income they might make from their home states that they're paid while in New York." link

Andrew Cuomo said "If we don't get more money from Washington, we can't fund schools, right, so at the rate we want to fund them. We are in dire financial need."

"We're not in a position to provide any subsidies right now because we have a $13 billion deficit,so there's a lot of good things I'd like to do, and if we get federal funding, we can do, but it would be irresponsible for me to sit here looking at a $13 billion deficit and say I'm gonna spend more money, when I can't even pay the essential services."

Plus, maybe New York will get federal bailouts?

Per figures from the Empire Center (based on Census data for 2017), New York spent $23,091 per student on K-12 education, versus a national average of about $12,000. But don’t worry, New York City spends way more still, at about $28,000 per student annually. The premium spending basically goes to higher salaries, fatter pensions, and lots more administrators than they have in other jurisdictions. Nobody in New York would ever suggest bringing our school spending in line before asking the rest of the country to pay for it.

It's all good in the hood. Where's that bogleheads beer smiley?

dualstow wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 12:03 pm https://twitter.com/suprstores/status/1 ... 37760?s=20

By the way, DS, watching this TV show clip ruined my day yesterday. So thanks for that.

Tortoise wrote: ↑Thu May 07, 2020 6:37 pm

dualstow wrote: ↑Wed May 06, 2020 12:03 pm https://twitter.com/suprstores/status/1 ... 37760?s=20

By the way, DS, watching this TV show clip ruined my day yesterday. So thanks for that.

Without clicking, I don’t even remember what it is- oh, right, the headgear. That was weird.