Castanza

I talked with my brother in-law today. He lives in Ontario and said that they haven’t been required to wear a mask up until just two weeks ago.

My company which has a 45B market cap just decided to not renew office leases in California locations Chicago and possibly Miami and Phoenix. They also canceled the building of a new office building where I live which wasn’t even going to be started until 2025. My company is not in any type of fundamental trouble. They simply said they want to adapt to the changing work environment and will pursue permanent work from home accommodations. If they need office space for “employee get togethers” they said they will rent out work spaces for weeks at a time. They said employees have proven to be productive while working from home and that this frees up capital to improve the business in other areas. Edit: should have clarified. This is not across the board but for one business segment (tech/infrastructure)

Thanks for the recommendations, I will take a look.

I think what Spekulatius posted here is true, with regard to Europe. It will eventually change over time, I think [about air condition in homes]. I'm working on it for my own household. I think some threshold got broken here back in 2016 [i simply got enough of the heat in June 2016]. I have been told that persons of high age simply gradually "shut down", loosing their feeling of thirst and hunger. It creates a mess when we have heat waves. Old people are like leftovers. They require constant refrigeration so as to not spoil. ;D

Interesting read Here is the syllabus for the course Jim teaches at Yale. Plenty of links to articles and book recommendations with specific chapters referenced. Not sure if Yale does open courses like MIT that would be easy to find online. http://portal.som.yale.edu/sites/default/files/files/MGT%20848-01%20Financial%20Fraud%20A%20Forensic%20Approach%20-%20Spring-2%202015.pdf

Any YouTube Video Tutorials etc? I don't use their gear (not sure why anyone would pay those prices) but they have good instructional videos for loading a pack properly etc. In short, keep the weight high in the pack and close to your body. Use poles if you have bad knees. https://www.goruck.com/keep-training

Working from home was a bit of a change from the office. More distraction that can eat away at your time. I started using an app called Tomato Timer a few months ago after I continually caught myself being less productive. Changed my work pace and helped to keep me on track. I’m probably more productive than when in the office and will probably continue to use it once (if we ever) we go back. Also, I have been busting my ass three nights a week doing rucks. Exercise is important for mental health and productivity. It helps you feel accomplished through other means. The nights when my wife works I take a pack and load it up with 50lbs of sand pills I made. Head to a nearby trail that’s 8 miles out and back and start humping. I backpack a lot throughout the year so this is really just added training. Also really helped me improve my cardio. Getting closer to my 5 mile 40 minute goal.

Back then, there was a real fear that the Fed was going to run out of Treasuries as it was acting as a direct lender to financial firms that were desperate to exchange bad collateral for good (US Treasuries). At the time, the program was euphemistically known as "Treasuries for trash". Thus this announcement was declaring that the US Treasury was issuing $585b of T-Bills directly to the Fed and in return the Fed was crediting the US Treasury with $585b in settlement balances in its General account. The US Treasury did this to give the Fed more "ammunition". We've seen this again in this crisis, where the US Treasury has added $114b in "equity" to absorb first losses from some of the new Fed lending programs that could expose the Fed to losses. If the Treasury's Fed account can go negative, that constraint is eliminated and the Treasury may spend an infinite amount of dollars without any revenue. Even though the US left the gold standard in 1971, I think the old concepts when the US dollar was subordinated to gold have refused to die - even if they are no longer applicable. Through trial and error, we are finding that since severing the link to gold, the US Treasury has more fiscal capacity than we previously thought. Dick Cheney turned out to be an armchair Nobel economist when he said "deficits don't matter" - even if his utterance may have been a cynical exhortation to Congress to pass the Bush tax cuts in the early aughts. The reality is if you look at the Fed and the US Treasury on a consolidated basis - their three forms of private sector financial assets are all debts in that they are liabilities of their consolidated balance sheet (currency in circulation, bank reserves, Treasury debt). What is cash? It is a Federal Government IOU. In fact, here is a UK 20 pound note. These banknotes have a smiling Queen Elizabeth saying "I promise to pay bearer on demand the sum of twenty pounds". It sure sounds like some form of IOU. It seems like one could present a 20 pound note to the Queen, and she will give you a ...hmm...uhh... a shiny and new 20 pound note in exchange. 8) If one accepts that currency and banknotes are IOUs, then why is US Treasury Debt the only one of the three forms of Federal government liabilities that we consider debt? We think of money as a unit of account but what if it is really government debt? Why are they IOUs? Because banknotes are basically scrip that the private sector must obtain in order to extinguish its Federal tax (and fee) obligations that are imposed on the private sector by the government. The Federal government must operate in a deficit with the private sector so as to allow the private sector to accumulate the government's money to pay its taxes. Once the cycle starts, it becomes a flywheel that almost makes the original premise secondary (i.e., that the government's money is really a sort of "tax anticipation note payable"). Recently when States like California and Illinois got into financial trouble they would issue IOUs to suppliers. These IOUs were accepted locally because attached to these IOUs was a provision where the IOUs could be used to extinguish State govt tax and fee liabilities. Thus, not only were they accepted, but they also achieved some limited local circulation in commercial transactions with banks, for example. There are other historical examples. During the War of 1812, a cash-strapped (and gold-strapped) US government issued short-term US Treasury debt that paid a low nominal interest rate (but could also be used to extinguish tax liabilities). These notes circulated widely and some even continued to circulate well past their redemption date (and thus no long paid any interest). They continued to circulate because they became a form of banknote (money) as they could be presented to the Federal government for payment of taxes or tariffs owed. I think this forms the basis of MMT's theoretical framework and I am generally sympathetic to it. My problem with MMT is that it has been embraced largely by the left and thus it is hard to separate its explanatory features from its prescriptive (Green New Deal, Guaranteed Employment, etc). It also refuses to reconcile the opposing forces of fiscal capacity expansion versus currency debasement or give a nod to the economic benefits of low taxes and sound money. MMT-adherents tend to ignore the currency debasement part even when the evidence piles up (eg., gold). wabuffo Thanks for sharing your thoughts and explanations throughout this thread wabuffo. Was wondering if you have any books or resources you recommend to become better versed in this area? You clearly have spent a lot of time on this topic. thanks

Seems overweight from a Buffett perspective. Also, Apple's valuation seems a bit stretched right now. On the flip side BRK nets about 800m in dividends.

Castanza, You are a naughty boy! [ ; - D ][Actually, you remind me a bit about myself ...] ;D

So strip clubs are open and schools are closed? Interesting priorities, if true. Everyone in a strip club is probably already running a low grade fever anyways

I know this is about India and China but I figured it was better than starting a new thread. How long will the world stand by and watch this happen? - People blindfolded and loaded on buses (verified by western intelligence) - Forced sterilization of women including forced abortions - Suspected organ harvesting - 12 tons of human hair confiscated (https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/01/china-muslim-labor-camps-uighur-hair-products) How would you go to war with a country that provides so much of your resources and products?

I'm jelly....tight lines

Pikesville Straight Rye

That's not really how we're supposed to do medicine and drugs. There's a reason why we bother with all those pesky drug trials and have prescriptions and stuff. These are not sugar pills. Drugs also have side effects and can be dangerous. I have yet to hear of a dream catcher side effect. That's why promoting wrong drugs is dangerous and irresponsible. People will seek those drugs. Doctors are supposed to be the gatekeepers but in many cases they just fold. That's how people were able to get huge amounts of oxy and kill themselves. Oh right and just cause the promotion comes from a buffoon doesn't make it any less harmless. After the disinfect yourself with bleach press conference there was a remarkable number of people that actually drank bleach. BLEACH! I must have missed the part of the conference where the lady doctor told everyone Covid was some alien sperm related thing. Did the other doctors who spoke subscribe to her strange views as well? There are plenty of quacks out there both known and unknown. I'd suspect if all of the quacks were known, there would be an awful shortage of "reliable" doctors, dentists, and scientists. Yea everything i've said just went woosh. Right back at ya :o Well it’s Thursday....time to head over to the booze thread ;D

That's not really how we're supposed to do medicine and drugs. There's a reason why we bother with all those pesky drug trials and have prescriptions and stuff. These are not sugar pills. Drugs also have side effects and can be dangerous. I have yet to hear of a dream catcher side effect. That's why promoting wrong drugs is dangerous and irresponsible. People will seek those drugs. Doctors are supposed to be the gatekeepers but in many cases they just fold. That's how people were able to get huge amounts of oxy and kill themselves. Oh right and just cause the promotion comes from a buffoon doesn't make it any less harmless. After the disinfect yourself with bleach press conference there was a remarkable number of people that actually drank bleach. BLEACH! I must have missed the part of the conference where the lady doctor told everyone Covid was some alien sperm related thing. Did the other doctors who spoke subscribe to her strange views as well? There are plenty of quacks out there both known and unknown. I'd suspect if all of the quacks were known, there would be an awful shortage of "reliable" doctors, dentists, and scientists.

LOL exactly....plus as soon as some vaccine comes out Liberty will be the first one on here with thousands of twitter links and derogatory comments about how people should be forced to take it and those who don't are science deniers and Trump supporters.

Wow that's quite the non-sequitur. It's not even wrong, it's just, nothing at all. Do you often just plug something you have on the mind into an unrelated discussion like that? Might want to have that checked out. Pretty sure everyone who's not bonkers doesn't think that demon sperm infecting you in your sleep is crazy and that this "doctor" doesn't sound very sane and qualified to give medical advice on critical drug research. "Immanuel, a pediatrician and a religious minister, has a history of making bizarre claims about medical topics and other issues. She has often claimed that gynecological problems like cysts and endometriosis are in fact caused by people having sex in their dreams with demons and witches. She alleges alien DNA is currently used in medical treatments, and that scientists are cooking up a vaccine to prevent people from being religious." If you don't think it's INSANE for the president of the US to be simultaneously promoting this "doctor" while attacking Fauci, you probably have had too much love with demons in your dreams.. Well, if it's not effective, and can have dangerous side effects for some people, why would people take it? And claiming something is a cure for a disease for which there is currently no cure is EXTREMELY dangerous, as it'll modify people's behavior and perception of risk and more people will get sick and die and infect others than otherwise, causing more suffering and economic damage than would be the case if people were, y'know, more rational about it. Otherwise, why not go to the pharmacy and just pick stuff at random and take it and tell others to take it too, while at it? It's all FDA-approved, right? Is that the standard? I think both are equally bonkers....just pointing out the hypocrisy from certain camps. Your insertion of her "demon sperm opinion" has no relation to her opinion on HCQ just saying...What I said is not a non-sequitur, but discrediting her views on HCQ because of her other beliefs is.. Also, regardless of her views if she has been granted an MD license from the mighty AMA why wouldn't she be able to practice medicine or give her opinion? I'm not advocating for HCQ...I have no opinion on whether it works or not. Both may or may not be bonkers, but they have nothing to do with each other. That's what non-sequitur means. As for a license, I'm sure you know that there are bad doctors, lawyers, pilots, plumbers, etc. You judge people on their words and actions, not on pieces of papers, and he words are those of an insane person. How far along would science be if we disregarded opinions of those on certain subjects because they hold odd views in other unrelated areas? The answer is not very far.

Wow that's quite the non-sequitur. It's not even wrong, it's just, nothing at all. Do you often just plug something you have on the mind into an unrelated discussion like that? Might want to have that checked out. Pretty sure everyone who's not bonkers doesn't think that demon sperm infecting you in your sleep is crazy and that this "doctor" doesn't sound very sane and qualified to give medical advice on critical drug research. "Immanuel, a pediatrician and a religious minister, has a history of making bizarre claims about medical topics and other issues. She has often claimed that gynecological problems like cysts and endometriosis are in fact caused by people having sex in their dreams with demons and witches. She alleges alien DNA is currently used in medical treatments, and that scientists are cooking up a vaccine to prevent people from being religious." If you don't think it's INSANE for the president of the US to be simultaneously promoting this "doctor" while attacking Fauci, you probably have had too much love with demons in your dreams.. Well, if it's not effective, and can have dangerous side effects for some people, why would people take it? And claiming something is a cure for a disease for which there is currently no cure is EXTREMELY dangerous, as it'll modify people's behavior and perception of risk and more people will get sick and die and infect others than otherwise, causing more suffering and economic damage than would be the case if people were, y'know, more rational about it. Otherwise, why not go to the pharmacy and just pick stuff at random and take it and tell others to take it too, while at it? It's all FDA-approved, right? Is that the standard? I think both are equally bonkers....just pointing out the hypocrisy from certain camps. Your insertion of her "demon sperm opinion" has no relation to her opinion on HCQ just saying...What I said is not a non-sequitur, but discrediting her views on HCQ because of her other beliefs is.. Also, regardless of her views if she has been granted an MD license from the mighty AMA why wouldn't she be able to practice medicine or give her opinion? I'm not advocating for HCQ...I have no opinion on whether it works or not.

Trump pathologically can't admit mistakes, and early on he needed to peddle some miracle cure to reassure people, so he jumped on the early positive news about HCQ but pushed it way way way farther than the evidence supported, so here we are. He can't really reverse on it, and his followers take their cues from him, rather than from the science. Heck, the feds bought 60 million doses, so even more incentives to say it works... Personally, I'll trust Fauci over Trump and his 'demon sperm' doctor on this topic. Meanwhile in New Zealand: It's ironic...the same individuals bashing this "demon sperm doctor" for her views are the same ones who say men can be women and men can give birth and have periods... As far as HCQ goes (and I don't know much) is there any reason to prevent individuals from taking it? I don't understand the divisiveness outside of the politics. This whole thing reminds me of the essential oil and cbd oil crowds but at a national level.

What do you love about the tech? For a company with an R&D budget of their size (compared to Intel) it's impressive the lineup of chips and graphics cards they have put out the past few years. They have proven to be competitive with Intel both on price and performance. GPU Radeon 5700 series is currently the best bang for your buck from a gaming perspective (unless your budget is unlimited). Dr. Lisa T. Su is a great CEO and also recently joined the Cisco board (January). I think she does a good job evading bloat and keeping the pipeline focused on smart innovations. That's fair enough. Thanks. I have serious doubts though. My original post might be confusing (sorry). I didn't buy any AMD. I was just highlighting the crazy run it's had the past few days in light of Intel's demise.

What do you love about the tech? For a company with an R&D budget of their size (compared to Intel) it's impressive the lineup of chips and graphics cards they have put out the past few years. They have proven to be competitive with Intel both on price and performance. GPU Radeon 5700 series is currently the best bang for your buck from a gaming perspective (unless your budget is unlimited). Dr. Lisa T. Su is a great CEO and also recently joined the Cisco board (January). I think she does a good job evading bloat and keeping the pipeline focused on smart innovations.

INTC - will continue to add on the way down. AMD - :o Love the tech, hate the share price.

I also own GD and likely will buy one or more of LHX/NOC/LMT/RTX as well if the prices are right. I don't want all of my eggs in the Navy basket. The thing that's difficult about defense contractors is there is a lot of overlap between the companies. You never know who the new contract will get awarded to. I mean look how many companies have contributed to the A-10 Warthog over the years. I think Boeing was the most recent to work on it with the wing replacements. Then we have the current situation where the Army wants to replace the M4 and M249. This doesn't happen but once a generation. Small arms probably isn't as lucrative as new jets, weapons systems, or tanks but it's a solid recurring revenue stream that doesn't come around often. Then you see the top three contenders for this contract and you just shake your head (except one). General Dynamics(interesting), Textron(what?), and Sig Sauer(makes sense). Where is the Colt, FN, Beretta, etc? Point being, you never know with these companies. Personally I like RTX a lot. Maybe a bit simple, but I view them as the coke producer of the defense industry. Missiles are used by so many systems and aircrafts all across the globe. RTX happens to make a lot of them. They have also diversified a lot over the past decade which is never a bad thing. Still, I think the best approach to defense companies is to buy whoever looks cheap or possibly even an ETF approach if you're just looking for some exposure.

What am I missing? US testing seems to be in line with most other countries? https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/testing/international-comparison What am I missing? Deaths per million seem to be relatively inline with other countries (France, Spain and UK are worse) https://covid19.who.int/?gclid=Cj0KCQjw0rr4BRCtARIsAB0_48NQn4dKLIpwMMAMr76usaDJca2kxJ1lrZI0DKyT_HMUVIjKXRzMBdkaAr_3EALw_wcB