All virus, all the time. How else should this miserable year end?
Blog dog Darren has been ‘trapped’ in Zurich for most of the year, unable to travel back to Canada, he says. It’s scary. “This is Coronavirus land . . It’s not a joke here (more than 1% of the population got the virus last week alone) but at least it doesn’t make the first page (or even the first 6 pages) of news and everything is open.”
In the US new confirmed infections are about to top 150,000 a day, just a week or so after they passed a hundred grand. President Trump continues to obsess about winning the election he lost, while hospitalizations explode and deaths snake higher. Estimates are for over 400,000 fatalities by March 1st, and a Biden presidency born into crisis.
In Toronto almost everybody has a mask, almost everywhere. Empty storefronts along prime retail strips speak to the devastation of this bug. Today I walked a long, long stretch of the glitzy underground pedestrian money mecca called the Path. Crickets. Deserted. Over $3 billion in annual economic activity from this one strip of eateries, clothiers, cleaners and retailers, gone.
The PATH, downtown Toronto. Friday Nov. 13 @ 11 am. Yikes.
Ontario – at least the hot bits of it – may lock down again. The Toronto mayor’s been on the tube begging people to stay home. Not the message you want if you own a shoe store, like the one I bought some awesome winter boots in yesterday. “We’re just hanging on,” Jacob said. “Thanks be, that I do not own this store.”
Well, so much for the miserable pathogen news. Now let’s look ahead.
Will the vaccine change everything?
Probably, but this will be a phased recovery. First, equities squirt ahead. The stock market’s a forward-looking beast, so investors are now firmly thinking of 2021 and the way global growth will resume, bringing with it increased corporate earnings and the resuscitation of air travel, manufacturing and commodity prices.
The bond market is also rustling to life, because with a Covid vax and GDP expansion comes inflation, especially after governments have spent $12 trillion fighting the virus. Bond traders price in this kind of news more than a year in advance, which is what’s happening now. Since the Pfizer announcement and the Biden victory, yields have been popping. As mortgage blogger Rob McLister warns, “By the time we know the economy is back to pre-pandemic levels, fixed rates will have already shot up.”
This sentiment is being echoed within the industry. “The only thing that will send mortgage rates tumbling further,” says mortgage company founder Dan Eisner, “will be an absolute failure of the final phase of FDA approval of this vaccine.” So while many people (especially on this pathetic blog) believe society cannot possibly withstand a rate increase, prepare. If the economy gets better, rates will swell.
Here’s the advice: (a) if you have a variable-rate mortgage, it’s time to lock in. After all, a five-year fixed is available these days for between 1.5% and 2%, depending on how much [email protected] likes you. And (b) if you’ve been thinking about buying real estate, get approved for a loan now. Says BC mortgage broker Reza Sabour: “If you’re sitting on the fence and you haven’t really pulled that trigger or called a mortgage broker yet, I would highly encourage people to do that, if they are in the market to buy and especially if they’re in the market to buy very quickly.”
But wait. Is this really the time to be buying?
On one hand, we know the economy will get better when the bug is crushed, or at least fumigated. Stores will open. The planes will fly. The highways will be clogged again. People will go back to work. Incomes restored. This confidence will lead more people to think about purchasing real estate and getting on with their lives. That would suggest pulling the trigger now.
On the other hand, sustained economic recovery has the potential to double mortgage rates. That wouldn’t take a lot – bringing us back to 3%+ home loans. This will happen regardless of what the central banks do, since loan costs are more dictated by the bond market than the CBs. As history has proven, the single greatest determinant of real estate value is the cost of money. That’s why we currently have a housing boom in the very pit of a global pandemic when people are terrified of a sneeze.
The rate-price correlation is even more pronounced when (as now) a boring suburban house miles from the downtown core commands a price of more than $1 million – up a fifth in a year. Household incomes have not leapt to justify this increase. It’s all about financing. And price hikes bring FOMO. This is a vicious cycle, wherein low rates lead to historic debt.
And, now, it’s ending.
The death of the pandemic is still a ways off. But when it comes – and it will – expect change. For the better (savers). For the worse (borrowers).
Now, put on your mask, lather up with sanitizer, slip on the nitriles and the face shield and go spend some money. Jacob needs ya.
133 comments ↓
Biden victory? Ha!
There is no president-elect until December 14. The fat lady shall sing in due time.
Is it worth breaking a mortgage now to renew rather than waiting till next October (or maybe next May if I stay with my lender and they let me re-up early)? Any thoughts, dogs? Mortgage is about $185k and I plan to roll in a $90k HELOC balance with the renewal.
people don’t spend as much now because of the pandemic and the price of everything. It’s expensive out there …
Footwear is my weakness
Tough to support local businesses when they are all closed. In the UK, it is very strange how little you can do to help them, buying takeaways from your local restaurant is about it.
Blog dog Darren has been ‘trapped’ in Zurich for most of the year, unable to travel back to Canada, he says. It’s scary. “This is Coronavirus land . . It’s not a joke here (more than 1% of the population got the virus last week alone) but at least it doesn’t make the first page (or even the first 6 pages) of news and everything is open.”
————————————-
Switzerland is arguably the most “pure” democracy in the world. The government there, institutionally weak as it is (which is how the Swiss like it), would never have the power to lock down the population.
#1 Classical Liberal Millennial on 11.13.20 at 3:03 pm
Is it worth breaking a mortgage now to renew rather than waiting till next October (or maybe next May if I stay with my lender and they let me re-up early)? Any thoughts, dogs? Mortgage is about $185k and I plan to roll in a $90k HELOC balance with the renewal.
———————————-
I am in a relatively same boat. My early renewal can be done in February. If I break now, the charge is around 5K.
I can’t see rates shooting up that much from now until February to be worth renewing early … or does it??
” go spend some money. Jacob needs ya.”
Right on.
I’m waiting for my $2,000.00 travel voucher.
Interesting article for those like me who see these problems:
“The fundamental problems, he says, are a dark triad of social maladies: a bloated elite class, with too few elite jobs to go around; declining living standards among the general population; and a government that can’t cover its financial positions.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/12/can-history-predict-future/616993/
Trumpism is a counter-elite movement, If commoners’ living standards slip—not relative to the elites, but relative to what they had before—they accept the overtures of the counter-elites.
He opposes credential-¬oriented higher education, which he says is a way of mass-producing elites without also mass-¬producing elite jobs for them to occupy. Architects of such policies, “creating surplus elites, and some become counter-elites.” A smarter approach would be to keep the elite numbers small, and the real wages of the general population on a constant rise.
I noticed the mortgage rates dropped this week, not going up. The big banks were at 1.89 for a five-year fixed rate last week. This week they are 1.84
I have a 2.9% mortgage with about 2 years left on the term. I can only blend with the same bank who holds it at their advertised 1.99%, or pay a penalty to break it.
I can blend and extend another 5 years to about 2.3%. Is it worth it now or wait the 2 years to shop around for the lowest at that time?
Garth, clearly you’ve been hiding in your bubble to see first hand how bad it really is.
Yeah since March all those cafes and shops paying primo rents serving the commuters and office stiffs have a grim future, don’t know how they can hang on.
“Ground level economy” is toast until at least next summer… maybe more.
If one locks in for a 5 year term at crazy low rates, that hopefully would be enough time to get past any further economic disruptions. In the Western provinces more restrictions/lockdowns have been announced. A safe, viable vaccine can’t come soon enough.
Which makes me wonder whether this will become our new reality. Viruses mutate so this pandemic may not be the last we experience during our lifetimes. Daunting thought to say the least. So maybe we’d best figure out how to operate under these conditions long term.
Yesterday:
Additionally, says a report from economists at Deutsche Bank, choosing WFH is a privilege that should come with a cost. They propose a 5% tax on these folks (because they’re spending so much less in the real economy) with the money going to subsidize low-paid essential workers who do not have this luxury, and upon whom society depends. The employer would pay if it stopped providing work space for the employee, but if the office overhead remained and the worker seldom arrived, the Zoomer would be taxed daily.
————————————————————-
Yeah, middle class WFH types are the only ones strangling the economy. While I can see the logic in this step, and don’t oppose it in principle, it’s still myopic relative to the real problems with our economies:
https://www.oecd.org/newsroom/inequality-hurts-economic-growth.htm
The modern nobility says they need to pay less tax to finance businesses and “take risks” that contribute to the economy, when really most of it goes into stocks, luxury items, and securing a spot on the Forbes list.
We, the working people, can’t really do anything otherwise they’ll threaten to “pull out”, much like Uber did in California when having to convert their “contract” drivers as employees was on the ballot. Supposedly we lose that capital, and we turn into Siberia or something, while that capital flees to countries where they can treat people like slaves for our benefit, but I guess it’s unstoppable since the great and mighty “land of the free” USA wants to not only preserve, but further this imbalance to the extreme.
Keep it straight though, this is the game as it is now, and we should be taking the free advice Garth has handed out over the years and keep invested and balanced. Political parties are a joke right now. Owning stock, and loudly pushing for progressive (not liberal) reforms, are really the only ways working people can participate in this current Oligarchy and improve their lot.
We can argue for keeping this economic path for jobs sake, and it’s undeniable that the benefits we’ve reaped are the greatest in history, though the environmental costs have been dire. Nonetheless, our share is shrinking, and you can’t deny that we are trapped in a corporate hostage situation.
Tommy on 11.13.20 at 12:42 pm
There are a lot of privileged people on here who have no clue how oppressive office work environments have become. The commute alone is totally exhausting before you even get to work. I’ve tried to speak about these things for many years but I am constantly censored. Many office work places are incredibly toxic work environments, especially for new staff who lack seniority and for men too.
…
Awww, poor Tommy. Was I rough with you? Hug? – Garth
=================================================
Hey Tommie,
Here’s a self-help video that might help you.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8h7dqlHFtc&has_verified=1
Yer Welcome, R
I cant believe how many people out there want to be locked down. People are losing their minds even though they have nothing to do with the health system. If you want to be locked down so bad your free to sit in your house as long as you want. Every single industry has protective measures in place for literally everything.
How many times does it need to be proven that completely locking everything down is not the way to go. WHO even advised against it, due to the negative societal effects on mental health, education and everything else.
If your province tells you that everything can remain open but need to just avoid any parties for a few weeks and reduce your bubble of friends, just do it and be grateful that you can still have freedom to go shopping for shoes in an empty mall and support businesses.
I hate how political this has gotten. 10 minutes of research on any of these loud voices demanding lockdowns will show some radical political connections. Not going to name names, but its always the same group, and the agenda is obviously not the safety of the people.
#1 Classical Liberal Millennial on 11.13.20 at 3:03 pm
Is it worth breaking a mortgage now to renew rather than waiting till next October (or maybe next May if I stay with my lender and they let me re-up early)? Any thoughts, dogs? Mortgage is about $185k and I plan to roll in a $90k HELOC balance with the renewal.
———————————————————
You don’t need the dogs thoughts on this, just your mortgage docs and a calculator. If the interest saved is less than any break fee, go for it.
Way ahead of yourself kinda like the markets this week but you need a subject right?
The missus & I travelled the Island Highway yesterday. Traffic was heavy in both directions for us going up-island in mid-morning and returning just before dark. Almost a normal summer’s day for vehicles, still with RVs on the move.
The economy appears to be doing well here.
‘No Vacancy’ signs at all the waterfront motels I noticed, might be snowbirds taking up space.
We had a “spa day”, dropped four bills and good tips, but annoying you have to book pool time at this private resort to keep the hot tub at single party capacity.
Cheers, R
“…when people are terrified of a sneeze.”
Tell me about it.
It used to be Gesundheit and now it Duck and Cover.
You should see what they do when you cough through your mask and the looks you get.
You only then begin to understand how the Witches felt at their trial in Salem.
——————–
“Blog dog Darren has been ‘trapped’ in Zurich for most of the year, unable to travel back to Canada, he says. It’s scary.”
Ya, I know been reading the news from Schweiz here in Italia. CH deaths per million the same as Italia, new cases per million 50% higher than Italia.
I take it you got the same “We LOVE You but STAY AWAY”
What a wild day for $SPY…
Someone tell “blog dog Darren” thar Zurich’s population is about 1/6 that of the GTA’s, and, that Canada’s population is about 3.5x that of Switzerland.
And oh yeah, entire countries are locking down worse than Canada in Europe but no one is talking about it in Zurich? Sure.
Fake news (is that still a thing?)
MF
Garth, what’s your take on this FP article citing a C.D. Howe report?
Gimme shelter: How high municipal housing charges and taxes decrease housing supply,’ Benjamin Dachis identifies “development charges, land transfer taxes, and murky density bonus payments as partial drivers of reduced supply and soaring house prices for would-be buyers.”
https://financialpost.com/executive/executive-summary/posthaste-the-real-reason-homes-in-canadas-big-cities-are-unaffordable
First restaurants, now hotels! Just heard about a survey that 60% of hotels in Canada say they are going to go belly-up if they don’t get some form of Gov’t relief.
Many portions of the economy need life support. Will T2 open the chequebook again…and again?
…continued to Darren in CH…pressed Submit when I should not have…
I take it you got the same “We LOVE you but best you STAY away from Canada wherever you are, we don’t care but want to make it look like we do care” email…in essence:
-Best Regards, You’re on Your Own
Global Affairs Canada XOXOXO
PS: Stay Away
———————-
Some highlights from the Gov Canada “War and Peace” long email:
“Dear Canadian citizen,
…Pre-arrival to Canada:
– As of November 21, 2020, air travellers whose final destination is Canada will be required to submit their information electronically through ArriveCAN before they board their flight. This includes travel and contact information, quarantine plan (unless exempted under conditions set out in the Mandatory Isolation Order…
-Travellers who do not submit the required information digitally before boarding their flight could be subject to enforcement action, which can range from verbal warnings to $1,000 fine.
[like they’re going to give you a verbal bollocking outside of Canada]
– OK, I lied they give an Emergency Line:
Emergency Watch and Response Centre in Ottawa. Call direct at +1 613 996 8885 (call collect where available) or [email protected].
DARREN FOR THE HECK OF IT, GIVE THEM A CALL…let me know what happens.
Ciao d’Italia. All the best.
———————-
Probably why Darren is still in CH, then again, not such a bad place to be scenic wise (though German Canton food is HIDEOUS to say the least, go to an Italian Canton at least there you’ll eat well while in captivity).
Russ, spa day? Pls see the video posted above by the other russ in #15.
Estimates are for over 400,000 fatalities by March 1st, and a Biden presidency born into crisis. – Garth
The U.S. is at 250,000 deaths now. The fatalities we see, the 3 to 5 week lag on the numbers, today’s numbers will double by the end of the month and could double again from where Dec 1st numbers are, by NY. Don’t be surprised if we see 400,000 deaths by New Year and exit with death dailies around 5,000 to 6,000.
The Trump shit show continues, he’s not doing his job, there hasn’t been a daily brief since October, heads of the Pentagon have been chopped, probably at the CIA before Christmas, this transition is poised to be the worst in history, it. is. a. mess. Why, I may have to bring up Russian annexation once again, just for kicks. U.S. leadership and economy in pandemic disarray with Trump being traitor Trump, it all fits.
“More than 1% of the population got the virus last week alone”, lets see which states are there now:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
Illinois, .7%. Wisconsin, .95%. Michigan, .5%. Indiana, .7%. Minnesota, .97%. Iowa, 1.1%. Colorado, .6%. Utah, .95%. Nebraska, 1%. New Mexico, .6%. South Dakota, 1.6%. North Dakota, 1.8%. Montana, .7%. Rhode Island, .7%. Wyoming, 1.3%. These numbers are rounded dailies, but it gives an idea of what is going on in the USA. They broke 100k on Oct 30th, 162k yesterday according to Worldometer and that number will get smashed tonight. Could we see 250K dailies by December 1st? Not hard to imagine.
Could vaccines come by April? I think so. Will it take until summer to roll out? Likely. We’ve got another 6 months of pain in the meantime and the damage done… the economy won’t be the same and yet, the index’s are
at or near records as we speak.
The S&P broke a record today on what, earnings, hype. Earnings are rear view mirror, their effect will fade, hype gets flushed out for what it is, the markets have what to look forward to, stimulus? CB rates dropping again? What else, because it sure won’t come from earnings in Q4 and Q1, this we already know.
Look for government to time stimulus with a market selloff. If that selloff continues… yeah. Uh huh. Time tells all.
This pandemic will end eventually, but it won’t be by any vaccine.
“and a Biden presidency born into crisis.”
History repeats just like Obama’s 2009 inauguration and the financial mess Bush and the great Republican party left behind.
https://djtrumplibrary.com/
I’m with Russ, above. I don’t think we have lost a single place of business in my community. My acquaintances in the property management field still report that rent is being paid. Stores are open and shelves are stocked.
almost 100% mask compliance too. New condo and townhouse projects selling out, new home builders still busy.
It certainly isn’t the hellscape you eastern folks portray.
People already know to wear masks and social distance.
Why authorities aren’t recommending vitamin D3 and C to curb the spread and prevent deaths is beyond me. Is everyone in charge an idiot? At this time I think so.
Why?
1) Didn’t take China seriously in December 2019. There is a reason why apartments were welded shut. Typical arrogance that it was only a Chinese problem. As if all the Youtube videos showing people having seizures, the crematorium panic, the satellite imagery showing burning increases, were all staged. Totally pathetic north American response. And the WHO sucks!!
2) Saying that an mRNA vaccine is both safe and effective. What bs. No long term data. ZERO. And yet authorities mostly do not recommend vitamin D3 and C which have tons of more evidence than some mRNA vaccine as to efficacy and safety.
3) The lack of cohesive response. Kenney and Alberta shut down dance classes and fitness classes. What a fool. How is that relevant to anything? Meanwhile the old age homes seniors are DYING. And still no vitamin D3 shipments to those most at risk. Kenney and Hinshaw are tweedledum and tweedleduck. Hinshaw may as well be a robot reporting statistics. Why is she being paid to recite statistics?
4) Getting tested. So now you test positive. What are you gonna do about it? Right. Just stay at home. Guess what, if you wait without treatment it may be too late. Fine print: You are on your own. And Kenney wonders why the virus continues to spread. Maybe he should advocate vitamins D3 and C? Ya think???
Testing to save lives is like saying you need clothes to breath. Wrong again.
Whats really tragic is the fools in charge advocating an untested mRNA vaccine with minimal evidence. I thought authorities needed evidence to treat patients or potential covid victims? Right. $$$$
Why is all this happening? Medicine is evidence based and doctors and officials are worried about covering their asses.
To those inclined “reign of terror” by Stratovarius.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dr1FCipYxLI
Please use your forum…
to request that retailers find a way either to keep outside sanitizer warm or to keep said sanitizer inside their stores or offices.
This afternoon I was out shopping and keeping appointments and had to use sanitizer that had been outside for a while. It was freezing cold and set my arthritic fingers to painful fits. I’m happy to use the stuff to keep myself and others safe but I hate to think what full-on winter will do to my hands.
Put a word in would you please?
STAY AWAY YOU GERIATRIC SOUTHERN HILLBILLIES!
https://globalnews.ca/news/7460330/port-dover-friday-13th-november-coronavirus/
“Despite being urged not to, Friday the 13th bikers descend on Port Dover, Ont.”
Why are so many of you deplorable urban losers still coming to small towns and cottage country?
DON’T BE SUCH DOTARDS!
DON’T COMPROMISE OUR HEALTH CARE RESOURCES!
WORK OUT YOUR LOW TESTOSTERONE ISSUES WITH YOUR DOCTOR, NOT BY RIDING A NOISY CRAPPY HARLEY INTO OUR TOWNS!
BIKERS, COTTAGERS – STAY THE HELL AWAY!!!!!!!!!
Watched Global National from last night and talking head Donna Friesen pronounces Italia ICUs “close to collapse”:
https://i.imgur.com/vlhslPo.png
Brain Dead Global got their news footage from Deutsche Welle. Italia ICU capacity as of today:
40% and that’s ALL diseases, not just the DAMN VIRUS.
Italia can ratchet up ICU beds from:
7600
to
11,300 lickety-split.
Thus lowering the ICU 40% to about 27% at moment. Why DW pulled their YouTube/Twitter report when I informed them of the above. ICU data from Italia, Nov. 11:
https://www.open.online/2020/11/11/terapie-intensive-coronavirus-40-per-cento-occupate/
PS:
No grazie…
Schadenfreude Germans (at 36% of capacity BEFORE ALL THEIR NEW CASES):
https://i.imgur.com/8hRfEte.png
and the Misery Loves Company, Smug Canadians.
GARTH:
I admire your optimism, really I do.
My view is it will take a chunk of 2021 to vaccinate Canada and if human nature is what it is, many will be gun shy for a spell of time. Wait and see if it’s really true.
Doubtful any of the vaccinated will thrust themselves into a warren of infected to see the point true.
Still, I like all the things you said will happen when the DAMN VIRUS is held at bay.
All of them. And I agree.
It’s just the timing Garth, Patience as you wrote about the other day.
If 3 percent range is at the higher end of the mortgage rate and i think it is then it will have no impact to the housing market.
2017 rates around the 3 percent and we had record prices,
For Elon Musk fans (a few here). His virus test challenges.
https://www.google.ca/amp/s/www.wsj.com/amp/articles/tesla-ceo-elon-musk-says-he-tested-both-positive-and-negative-for-covid-19-11605251724
Science reports on testing:
https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanres/article/PIIS2213-2600(20)30453-7/fulltext
https://jcm.asm.org/content/58/11/e01695-20
The spotlight is dimming. Glad we won’t have to listen to this chump much longer.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/11/13/trump-says-coronavirus-vaccine-wont-be-delivered-to-new-york.html
Major presentation was held at the Rose Garden this afternoon, detailing the impressive results from Operation Warp Speed and the likely approval of the associated Pfizer vaccine by Christmas and others soon to follow.
They claimed it is likely that mass vaccinations of vulnerable people, the elderly and front line healthcare workers will commence in January and the rest of the population will start receiving their free vaccine in March.
Of course if Joe Biden maintains his current lead and on December 14th actually becomes certified as the President Elect, that might all change.
Remember the widely reported words from Obama.
The Telegraph
Barack Obama reportedly said: ‘Don’t underestimate Joe’s ability to f… things up’
Well, is anyone surprised at the complete cluster we find ourselves in as a society and economy? Our leaders have no clue how to govern on a good day. So a pandemic? Forget about it, yet everyone yammering on about how well we’ve done (especially here in BC with the messiah Dr. Henry) and that we needed to do what we did but look at the result?!
More damage has been done with the measures our governments and health officials have put in place to try and stop a virus, which cannot be stopped. They keep spouting that they will follow the science but only when it suits the agenda. Lockdowns don’t do anything except prolong the pain, science shows this and yet we still do it.
At the beginning, they justified it with that they didn’t know much and that they had to prevent deaths yet the data coming from the east like Europe and Asia was that it was disproportionally affecting people over 80 with preexisting conditions and mostly in care homes, yet we did nothing to protect those places where over 70-80% of the deaths in most western countries have happened. These homes also do not respond to the measures they put in place for the general public.
Then when deaths weren’t enough to keep it going we have switched to constantly going on about cases, cases, cases. So the daily report comes out, the leaders read it out and then shame people for not doing enough, even though it has nothing to do with that. Most people are doing what they need to do, no one wants to get sick, but it’s impossible to completely avoid.
The problem with constantly focusing on one metric is that we have no basis on what it means. 600 cases today, or 1000 or 100, what does that mean? Hospitalizations and deaths should be the only metrics that matter and reported on. We’ve turned it into a casedemic now. And yes, those last two metrics lag cases but have not been linear with cases. Obviously, it would stand to reason that the more you test the more cases you find but its still not every single one because not everyone is getting it so it becomes pointless. The other problem with reporting cases is that it doesn’t tell you anything other than if a person is positive (has virus particles) or negative. Just because you are positive doesn’t mean you are infectious or sick. You could have had it months ago but they don’t tell us this. Just more cases and restrictions based on those, which makes no sense! Also these tests are not 100% effective either.
As this drags on people are getting tired of doing this and it’s destroying people’s livelihood, which will last much longer than this virus. Instead of doing what we did, it seems like we should have plowed the billions (and trillions elsewhere) into healthcare instead of shutting the world down and paying people not to leave their house. Once we come out the other end we still have that debt and nothing to show for it. Alberta reported today that their healthcare system is strained, so it seems that it would make sense we should have put the money there since its laughable that they only have something like 70 ICU beds! Why no one is focusing on the glaringly obvious problem that our healthcare system is severely underfunded and doesn’t have enough resources to do the job!
If we created a sustainable plan from the beginning, which includes hand washing, staying home when sick, distance in public and even mask in small indoor spaces plus protect the vulnerable population (mostly in care homes) and then spent the money on the healthcare system, we’d be much better off. Consider the actual science that shows this virus is deadly to a very very small percentage of the population and that the overwhelming majority will be fine it seems like this would be a more sustainable plan than the constant fear mongering we hear daily, which people get tired of. And yes, sure, there are the reports of younger people getting it and having complications, but this is not the norm. Every virus has these issues, it’s just statistics. If you look at flu data from the BCCDC or any CDC (and I am not suggesting this is the flu, so chill) but when you look at the demographics for who gets the flu the most its the 20-49 age range, who are healthy and provide protection to the rest. Also, influenza is actually more deadly for children under 10 than Covid. The same is happening with Covid. Most of these cases are in the young and healthy but they make it sound like every case is so deadly when most people don’t even know they have anything but go get tested anyways. If we did that with every virus we would find millions of cases too.
None of this changes the fact that yes, people are succumbing to this virus, and provides little comfort to those that have lost loved ones but how is that any different to the people who lose loved ones from other diseases, like cardiovascular or TB, killers in far higher numbers than this one. Children’s hospital?! Anyone here lost a kid?! Why don’t we talk about those on the nightly news instead of this virus? Is a death not a death or are covid ones more important?
No one wants to get sick, die prematurely or infect others, that to me is a given but our leaders and so called experts think that by having any of the opinions mentioned above that you somehow don’t care or are careless when the science is actually clear and it’s being spun to fit what our leaders want.
We have shoveled billions out the door with nothing to show. Mental health issues, opioid deaths, depression, domestic violence, alcohol consumption all way up, yet all I hear from our health officials is case numbers. What a sad state of affairs. We could have done so much better but not surprised given the incompetence running the show nationwide. I’m sorry, even here in BC, where everyone loves to be so smug with our ‘savior’ Dr. Henry, we have 280 deaths from this (80% in care homes, which need their own measures, so 56 deaths in the general population of 5 million) but over 1000 opioid deaths, which she says nothing about daily. That warrants the measures we have in place?! And no, I’m not suggesting doing nothing, I’ve outlined what we should have done above and this has been echoed by many experts worldwide, who constantly get dismissed.
Finally the media is complacent in all this. Real journalism went out the window decades ago. No leader or health official gets asked any tough questions and the media just adds fuel to the fire to get their clicks and eyeballs. I know not everyone has love for the WHO but go should browse their website for pandemic preparation documents and the use of non pharmaceutical interventions.. This stuff has been around for ages. Most of the stuff we’re doing has little science behind it and is debatable that is has any effect yet we keep plowing ahead. One of the most interesting stand out points they had on this was the role of the media in pandemics and how they need to be controlled..
Oh a vaccine coming soon? Don’t hold you’re breath. It would be great so all this could just go away and stopped being talked about but no coronavirus has a successful vaccine fwiw.
#33 Cottagers STAY THE HELL AWAY!
Well…THAT was parochial provincial.
No worries from me, I’m 7010 km from Port Dover, ON and in no hurry to freeze my private parts in your neck of the woods avec quaint, with naturally occurring algae and/or bacterial blooms, lake.
https://hnhu.org/alerts-advisories/beaches/
“cases” is BS, based on a faulty PCR test. Hospitalizations / deaths are the only metrics that matter. We need to see 2020 Covid hospitalizations / deaths in a graph overlaying 2018-2020 seasonal flu hospitalizations / deaths to understand the real impact of Covid.
We cannot shut down again – money cannot be printed without ruining the the fiat currency.
#9 Dogman01 on 11.13.20 at 3:29 pm
Interesting article for those like me who see these problems:
…
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/12/can-history-predict-future/616993/
Trumpism is a counter-elite movement, If commoners’ living standards slip—not relative to the elites, but relative to what they had before—they accept the overtures of the counter-elites.
…
A smarter approach would be to keep the elite numbers small, and the real wages of the general population on a constant rise.
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Fascinating read, thank you for sharing. Though the majority of the article is about the methods Turchin developed (Cliodynamics) and less about the predictions beyond “Civil unrest of 1960s is the best-case scenario for next 10 years”.
Part of me was negatively reactive initially, as I apparently am naturally biased with the traditional view that humans, and human history, are too complex to predict. However, I understand that bias may be rooted in a fear of the future he is predicting than in the reality we face.
I believe Turchin’s point about the over-production of elites vs. jobs for those elites is evidenced by the way we have structured education in western society. We put heavy emphasis on elite subjects like math, literature, science, etc., without tying it to the real world jobs and experiences we encounter in regular adult life.
That Liberal Arts Major, Lawyers, or Philosophy phD complaining about being a forced to barista for lack of opportunity, were sold on a program that prepared them for a future that wouldn’t exist except for the most driven AND gifted of their ranks. Naturally they will grow embittered and lash out at the establishment.
Meanwhile the reality of the “commoners”, as Turchin so Russian-ly describes them (I kind of like the brutal honesty of the term), is one of decreasing wealth and power vs. the explosive growth of income and influence at the elite level.
The expectation that education for education’s sake equals wealth has created a class of heavily indebted individuals that will likely not get where they want to go, whereas trade schools are still relatively ignored as a viable way too move forward, since they are seen as “commoner” jobs. This is especially ridiculous considering these skills will very likely be in demand somewhere at any given time, vs. a tenured professorship in a handful of universities.
Western standards of success are also a problem, since the heavy emphasis on wealth and status promote an insatiable thirst for hording money and excess luxury, leading people to see the elite path as the only “true” way to real “success”.
Medical systems, Health Authorities, Political leaders all inadequate, incompetent and ineffective.
Cynicism reigns supreme.
Nature don’t like the peoplekind.
Bat soup anyone?
Or, instead of buying shoes and take out fries I can dump it into my TFSA. Just kidding, already spent it on a ryzen 5900x and Nvidia rtx 3080. Second wave or not, I’m ready.
I went to the mall today, first time in weeks, only to pick up my new glasses. It was packed, but I did not see one person without a mask and all were keeping social distancing as well as taking advantage of hand sanitizer.
That is the way to do it; not waiting for the government to tell us what should be done but taking personal responsibility and supporting those business’s that are trying to survive.
I do not get it, I very much enjoy going to a pub and having a beer or two but have not done so in the past six months out of precautions and respect. Christ, everyone knows how much spit is spewed out once the drinks start flowing.
Have a outside bonfire instead, social distance around it and enjoy each others company. The sooner we get rid of this crappy virus the sooner we can get back into the pubs or gyms etc, it is not rocket science!
You deniers, I have no words, I could say more but Garth would delete me. Stay safe fellow Canadians, the sooner we can eradicate this the better for all of us.
was in FCP at lunch… more people than before but still a hollow shell of its former self.
#40 JRinVic
Good summary;
cc: to all politicians in Canada…and many citizens.
#40 JRinVic on 11.13.20 at 5:29 pm
Best post of the day.
We’ve order more per capita vaccines than anyone!
https://twitter.com/EricTopol/status/1327280871016075266?s=19
We had to go winter clothes shopping for the kids so we went to Twassen Mills mall. It was packed solid and lots of people not wearing a mask. Downtown is not dead either as we live there , always busy and retailers have people in and out still. Some restaurants are dead , the good ones still full to their allowed capacity. Also there has been no lowering of condo prices here, they have either stayed the same or gone up. I no longer refer to it as a housing bubble here, it is just the norm for the lower mainland now.
Ya right. No panic here eh. Just good solid advise. Thanks eh lol
#40 JRinVic on 11.13.20 at 5:29 pm
Well, is anyone surprised at the complete cluster we find ourselves in as a society and economy? Our leaders have no clue how to govern on a good day. So a pandemic? Forget about it, yet everyone yammering on about how well we’ve done (especially here in BC with the messiah Dr. Henry) and that we needed to do what we did but look at the result?!
…
Lockdowns don’t do anything except prolong the pain, science shows this and yet we still do it.
…
If we created a sustainable plan from the beginning, which includes hand washing, staying home when sick, distance in public and even mask in small indoor spaces plus protect the vulnerable population (mostly in care homes) and then spent the money on the healthcare system, we’d be much better off.
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I actually agree completely that we shouldn’t be shutting down, and I also agree fully when you said we should be mandating masks by law, distancing, hand-washing, much like rationing during World War 2, but apparently that’s fascist or socialist or Stalinist, or whatever other scary tag the denialists want to attach to temporarily impinging on their free-dumbs for the sake of society.
You also have to understand why our leaders are so weak and disorganized. Our public is bitterly divided, and much of the information we are getting is fake, so we have large groups of people advocating for an over-raction, or, for pretending there is no problem at all. Meanwhile, the real world is held hostage as the idiots argue.
Mind you this is certainly no excuse. What we really need is someone to take the political hit and say “we are going to remain open but you all HAVE to wear masks in public and observe distancing.” It sucks that the NDP in BC ran on saying they would not force masks, but I guess that’s what they felt they needed to say in order to get elected.
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One of the most interesting stand out points they had on this was the role of the media in pandemics and how they need to be controlled..
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I deeply wish that could be fixed. Sadly government and media feed off each other. Liberal MSM news promotes a crisis, and approved centrist neo-liberal government heroes get to look “good” responding to that crisis. The news may be mostly “truthful”, but it’s a greasy truth presented in a way to protect and promote the media parent company’s own interests.
Sadly, The right-wing alternative news that popped up in response has taken this dark symbiosis even further, by promoting outright lies which Republicans have used to rally support and stay in power, even as those lies cause the pandemic to go on longer and longer than it should have. Their co-opting of the original MSM strategy and refinement by adding sensational lies has proven extremely effective.
So, how do we fix a broken news system that is symbiotic with a harmful economic system and a morally bankrupt government?
#31 calgary rip off on 11.13.20 at 4:39 pm
People already know to wear masks and social distance.
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Yes they do. However, many choose not to for… I guess misinformation reasons?
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2) Saying that an mRNA vaccine is both safe and effective. What bs. No long term data. ZERO. And yet authorities mostly do not recommend vitamin D3 and C which have tons of more evidence than some mRNA vaccine as to efficacy and safety.
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True at the moment, but the studies are ongoing.
https://horizon-magazine.eu/article/five-things-you-need-know-about-mrna-vaccines.html
As for the vitamins you are touting:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/in-depth/coronavirus-myths/art-20485720
“Supplements. Many people take vitamin C, zinc, green tea or echinacea to boost their immune systems. But these supplements are unlikely to affect your immune function or prevent you from getting sick. The supplement colloidal silver, which has been marketed as a COVID-19 treatment, isn’t safe or effective for treating any disease. Oleandrin, an extract from the toxic oleander plant, is poisonous and shouldn’t be taken as a supplement or home remedy.”
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/coronavirus/expert-answers/coronavirus-and-vitamin-d/faq-20493088
“There isn’t enough data to recommend use of vitamin D to prevent infection with the virus that causes COVID-19 or to treat COVID-19, according to the National Institutes of Health and the World Health Organization.
Several recent studies have looked at the impact of vitamin D on COVID-19. One study of 489 people found that those who had a vitamin D deficiency were more likely to test positive for the virus that causes COVID-19 than people who had normal levels of vitamin D.”
So basically it only really applies if you are already deficient in the vitamins. Having more in your system than normal levels does not confer additional immunity. However, there may be more studies on the way, but so far it doesnt’ look like there is enough evidence to support D3 and C as effective in protecting against Covid.
Don’t spread anti-vax woo. It’s a scam to get you to buy supplements:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/2019/10/15/fdc01078-c29c-11e9-b5e4-54aa56d5b7ce_story.html
#43 SeeB on 11.13.20 at 5:52 pm
I often find the comments section with some good links to interesting items. Greater Fool is a good aggregator\filter as there is just too much content to shift through in this world.
Yes you can tell he is Russian, I may check out his books from my Library http://peterturchin.com/books/
Someone posted these links here over the last few months and they were also quality and worth a read:
https://www.firstthings.com/article/2020/10/suicide-of-the-liberals
https://www.principles.com/the-changing-world-order/#introduction
#40 JRinVic,
Fabulous post! Best I’ve seen for a long time on here.
The Covid hysteria is about undermining free society. Hidden earthly powers have no love for people, fairness, or the concept of freedom and liberty. They are evil to the core. The true deplorables and irredeemables.
The ruling elite however, do like their useful idiots and institutions, ie; governments, big pharma, big tech, the media, the ignorant, the programmed indoctrinated empty shells enabling the takedown of whatever freedoms (illusory as they were) that we once enjoyed. We have built our own prison. How about that?
To those in the know, Covid lockdowns have never been about saving lives. Only the ignorant and gullible believe it. Some might be well meaning. Others are playing their part to deliberately deceive. It is about reshaping society to better suit those that never have enough wealth or power.
As far as transition of power in the US, or retention of it, whatever the case will be, don’t be surprised if something big happens to distract away from truths being revealed. Desperate people do desperate things regardless of their political stripe.
Most people do not realize the seriousness of the situation in the USA and the degree as to how it will affect the world. America is on the brink of all out civil war, and Covid has worked wonders being the pretext for it.
Canada is a totalitarian gender identity and effeminate police state:
https://thepostmillennial.com/medical-student-expelled-for-refusing-to-change-his-personal-beliefs
Straight, Christian and ambitious men: Canada is NOT the country for you. It’s a communist hell for the masculine man.
Me and my business partner are working towards creating a new nation in the disputed French territory located in the Indian ocean. He has bought 1,000 acres of jungle to create a new nation for exiled Canadian men.
It will be named the Premier Republic. I’m waiting for Trudeau to sanction the newly formed nation of exiled Canadian men. It’s technically French territory.
#16 Jay on 11.13.20 at 3:44 pm
How many times does it need to be proven that completely locking everything down is not the way to go. WHO even advised against it, due to the negative societal effects on mental health, education and everything else.
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It’s not really “proven” since we happen to still be in the middle of this dangerous experiment. However, I happen to agree, but I also feel we can’t trust certain “free-thinking” groups to follow said guidelines.
Also the WHO comment is only half-true.
https://www.forbes.com/sites/brucelee/2020/10/13/who-warning-about-covid-19-coronavirus-lockdowns-is-taken-out-of-context/?sh=7f735fe2158c
“The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganize, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted, but by and large, we’d rather not do it.” Note the words “rather not do it” as opposed to “should not do it” or “will not do it.” ”
So the question is, do we have sufficient organization and resources to allow a full open despite surging cases? It might be a yes, but honestly I don’t know, especially since certain groups are willing to spread the virus so freely by ignoring masking and distancing guidelines. It still takes 4-6 days to get a Covid test result, so… ? Maybe they didn’t feel our current resources can cope? Dunno…
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I hate how political this has gotten. 10 minutes of research on any of these loud voices demanding lockdowns will show some radical political connections. Not going to name names, but its always the same group, and the agenda is obviously not the safety of the people.
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Yes, I hate how political this has got as well.
However, how about sharing some of that research on the “loud and connected voices” to help get the rest of us started? Clearly it’s not as obvious as you think since we are so blind to it. Also, what kind of radicals are you referring to?
Why would you be shy about naming the persons or groups responsible if you genuinely feel their are causing real harm to ordinary people? Could you also tell us what their actual agenda is?
We should really know who those people are and what is going on, if what you say is true. Though I have other suspicions that your sources are political in another way…
DELETED
#16 well said
After watching CityPanic 24 this morning and the presenter was basically calling for a lockdown is nuts.Wish he would have stuck to being a micky mouse news reader instead of believing that he was an expert because he read out some numbers. They hardly ever give the viewers the good numbers as that would give hope.
RE:#40
“Lockdowns don’t do anything except prolong the pain, science shows this and yet we still do it.”
That is because most people and governments don’t learn from history. They keep doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result.
#16 Jay on 11.13.20 at 3:44 pm the science on this is 100% proven and was applied that week in March when the New System was rolled out. Brains shut down, revert to primativism. They already spent months selling us on the ‘Karen’ meme. Now those soldiers of the mind have been deployed.
Repeat, this is 100% proven science. Ignore at your peril. You non-compliance is now the issue. Our captors are just trying to improve our health! For your health Comrade!!:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brainwashing
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_MKUltra
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stockholm_syndrome
This is why the rule keep changing. Why kidnappers move people around frequently. Disorient. Confuse. Fear. Conflicting instructions. Come on now let’s shut down Amazon’s distribution centre. Cases are rising! Haha I make joke.
…moving on as this is Financial weblog…
[email protected] offered me a 5 year fixed mortgage, 1.82%.
I know you’re right, those who have get some more. In this instance though so many who worked so hard trying to get there, and many more who just struggle to get by are hurt so badly through no fault of their own here. Some are mistakenly setting themselves up for future slaughter thinking they are doing the right thing.
Meanwhile guys like Koch, with more money than god and virtually no industry that touches all of us untouched by his family, peers out from his ivory tower, one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave, proclaims the carnage of what he’s done; says What a mess! Boy, did we screw up. Then throws money at the runoff races in Georgia in order to do the same thing he just lamented.
Some things need to change in this world. I don’t mean taking from the rich but they do need to figure out sharing more with the little guy like it used to be still results in them getting richer. It just takes a little longer. Maybe some protections for the little guy against himself, to realize the things you’ve long said about the correlation between cheap money and high housing costs among others. The things that have been done like longer mortgages back in the Harper era and the lowering of down payments and other things to make it easier to lock yourself into debt. Much of this has been leading to the slaughter policies. The corrections necessary would have happened years ago and probably more than once if not for the interventions. To be fair some unforeseen world events caused some of these measures.
I won’t even get into some of the stupidity I heard from our illustrious leadership in Ottawa at today’s re-election on your dime (delayed) event disguised as a covid19 update.
I’m an electrician. Out of work for two weeks now. Been working for five years steady. Now, no real work till February at the earliest. Scary.
Re:#54
I agree with the vitamin therapy idea. Fresh air, sunlight and good food and drink is a pretty good idea also.
One part of the Hypocratic oath is to do no harm and I think RNA vaccines probably violate the oath as do all vaccines with mercury, alum, tween 80, squaleen and formaldehyde in them.
DELETED
#3 Seems to me … on 11.13.20 at 3:11 pm
“people don’t spend as much now because of the pandemic and the price of everything. It’s expensive out there …”
People always spend everything they have, eventually. Even if they save some money for retirement they spend it in retirement. Maybe they are Bill Gates and gift billions to some sort of useless charity, but that charity then spends the money. Or maybe you get some sort of modest inheritance. New car!
The Deutsche Bank article of yesterday relied on a fundamental flaw in logic of almost inexplicable magnitude. They assumed that if WFH people were not buying bus passes then the money magically disappears from what they called “the real economy”. No, it does not. It shows up at the local pub or a nearby ski hill.
And yes, I will agree with Garth and a good portion of the commenters that WFH may allow employers to negotiate lower wages. But what is lost when so much of your previous wage went to parking, gas, maintenance, clothing, and store bought lunches? These things did not improve your lifestyle. They were “overhead”. But regardless someone somewhere is still going to have the money and spend it. Higher dividend? Time to take a cruise.
giant dog statue
Turkmenistan unveils gold-coated sculpture of leader’s favorite dog breed
https://nypost.com/2020/11/12/turkmenistan-unveils-19-foot-monument-of-golden-dog/
#52 Habitt
No panic, just common sense for those who get it!
Stay safe!
9 Tron Light on 11.13.20 at 6:08 pm
Lol absolutely not.
Too long winded, negative, whiny. Offers no solutions or value.
I read the first paragraph and then just scrolled.
Just another doom and gloom drivel piece to add to the heap.
MF
#35 Dolce Vita on 11.13.20 at 5:19 pm
GARTH:
I admire your optimism, really I do.
My view is it will take a chunk of 2021 to vaccinate Canada and if human nature is what it is, many will be gun shy for a spell of time. Wait and see if it’s really true.
Doubtful any of the vaccinated will thrust themselves into a warren of infected to see the point true.
Still, I like all the things you said will happen when the DAMN VIRUS is held at bay.
All of them. And I agree.
It’s just the timing Garth, Patience as you wrote about the other day.
***********
Patience in a ‘right now’ world.
Consumer sentiment in the US fell unexpectantly. Cdn not doing much better due to the heavy burden of debt. When the press starts spinning hope in their headlines you know things aren’t looking good.
#33 Cottagers STAY THE HELL AWAY! on 11.13.20 at 4:47 pm
BIKERS, COTTAGERS – STAY THE HELL AWAY!!!!!!!!!
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If you self isolate you’ll be fine, Karen. Stop telling other people to do for you what you can do for yourself.
Just a guess, but are you a youngest child?
#45 Millenial 1%er on 11.13.20 at 5:56 pm
Or, instead of buying shoes and take out fries I can dump it into my TFSA. Just kidding, already spent it on a ryzen 5900x and Nvidia rtx 3080. Second wave or not, I’m ready.
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It doesn’t matter what you spend it on. The part that Douche Bank really screwed up is that once created, the money never actually leaves the system. Maybe it goes to Nvidia rather than a shoe store but it goes. Money only really leaves the system via bankruptcy. Or maybe asset price collapse but that was all just M2M fantasy anyway.
#40 JRinVic on 11.13.20 at 5:29 pm
Excellent recap. Completely agree with you.
Governments are basing critical decisions on a single number of positive tests to ramp up draconian rules, while the test results seem to be flawed – source AFP ->
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/coronavirus/tesla-s-elon-musk-tests-positive-and-negative-for-virus-1.5187585
Decision makers had 6 months to fix infrastructure, manpower and other resources to adapt conditions for risky groups – nothing much to show.
#53 SeeB on 11.13.20 at 6:25 pm
So, how do we fix a broken news system that is symbiotic with a harmful economic system and a morally bankrupt government?
************
Saddle the horses…we ride after brunch.
#59 Nonplused on 11.13.20 at 7:05 pm
DELETED
What did I do this time? I thought it was pretty clean and factual, although it did involve some speculation.
#65 Steven Rowlandson on 11.13.20 at 7:26 pm
Re:#54
I agree with the vitamin therapy idea. Fresh air, sunlight and good food and drink is a pretty good idea also.
One part of the Hypocratic oath is to do no harm and I think RNA vaccines probably violate the oath as do all vaccines with mercury, alum, tween 80, squaleen and formaldehyde in them.
..
Good the line will be shorter that way….
#28 S.Bby on 11.13.20 at 4:32 pm
This pandemic will end eventually, but it won’t be by any vaccine.
————————————
Completely agree. I don’t see a viable, widely available, vaccine being available in less then 2 years.
My aunt is just tired of knowing where to put her money so she just took her total $700,000 in non-registered, RRSP’s, TFSA’s and put with her local Royal Bank in a GIC Income builder.
She knows she will get her $3,485.09 per month for the next 240 months. She knows in 20 years all her money will be depleted. She is 70 years old so her CPP OAS is another $1,655 a month. She told all extra money per year which she estimates is currently $3,000 a month will just be reinvested in this again Royal Bank GIC Income Builder.
Some people just want a simple solution even if it is not the best one. I can’t tell her or convince her otherwise. It is her money.
Through the magic of the “back” button I was able to recover what I submitted and still don’t understand what earned me the “DELETED”.
Trump lost. That conversation is over. – Garth
isn’t it funny…
in the middle of a deadly “Pandemic” overall deaths are down… funny
and the flu is now cured…
masks are a sad toxic farce
read OSHA safety standards for respiratory protective gear standards
disposable masks are single use.
good for 30 minutes.
after that oxygen starvation happens.
dispose of if you touch them and put on a new one.
washing does not sterilize those retarded cloth masks.
biologically rated masks for virus’s cost serious money, thousands of dollars, if you want to stop…
0.6 micron covid particles.
most masks are nothing but dirty snot hankies after a 1/2 a days use.
just keep stuffen em in your pocket, purse,
of better yet hang the from your rear view mirror,
so they can collect and preload “air born” covid particles.
christ people are dense.
and just for your information i have spent many months worth of time in respiratory assisted environments
because of peoples air fresheners and perfumes and they never cared about the inconvenience they caused people like me.
the biggest risk group are overweight, diabetic and over 75.
and there is no “Gold |Standard” Covid-19 test
its faulty as hell. it can not tell the difference between having had covid and having it.
Makes a big difference in reporting standards and threat levels.
Silver
Garth’s comments about ‘The Path’ in downtown Toronto echo my observations of the business operations that operate at the beginnings and ends of Calgary’s ‘PLUS15’ walkways.
The Plus 15 or +15 Skyway network in Calgary, Alberta, Canada, is the world’s most extensive pedestrian skywalk systems, with a total length of 18 kilometres (11 miles) and 62 bridges. (or so Wikipedia claims, but it sounds plausible).
They are normally hustling, bustling walkways with shops, restaurants, snack stores, etc. Similar setups exist in many cities in Canada.
Had to scurry through a long series of them today to retrieve some precious cargo being sent my way and it was like a remake of ‘Home Alone’. Some brave little businesses staying open, no doubt afloat on government handouts, but this can’t and won’t last. After being battered these long months without the usual peeps, the tourists, and now the absence of the christmas festivities and spending….. It looks bad. Real bad.
And now there seems to be increased scrutiny on where Covid cases are located. Daily numbers on case counts is not enough. People want to know what is behind the numbers and feel provincial governments are not disclosing all the facts. Check out this BC press release:
https://bc.ctvnews.ca/surrey-is-b-c-city-with-most-covid-19-cases-updated-map-shows-1.5188259
Poor Crowded Elevator Fartz could probably enlighten us in this regard, but he’s locked himself in the basement. ‘Here, Kitty Kitty….I opened this little window for you to climb out if you wish….Back into the daylight where you can join your little BlogDog friendlies….” .
It’ll just be our little secret
7 top aides claim texas attorney general misuse of office told law enforcement
https://www.kwbu.org/post/new-scandal-surrounding-tx-attorney-general-ken-paxton
#81 Silver on 11.13.20 at 8:06 pm
isn’t it funny…
in the middle of a deadly “Pandemic” overall deaths are down… funny
and the flu is now cured…
masks are a sad toxic farce
read OSHA safety standards for respiratory protective gear standards
disposable masks are single use.
good for 30 minutes.
after that oxygen starvation happens.
….
Indeed, we have a clear victim of low brain oxygen……….
#54 SeeB on 11.13.20 at 6:37 pm
Please provide the link on Vitamin D so I can pick it apart. In the meantime, read away. At the very least, read the top link (and the bottom). There is another double blind randomized trial underway in Spain with 1,000 patients as we speak, 500 dosed with Calcifidiol (fast acting Vitamin D, 500 placebo). There are several other studies also underway with Vitamin D:
https://medium.com/microbial-instincts/the-first-clinical-trial-to-support-vitamin-d-therapy-for-covid-19-906a9d907468
https://www.ctvnews.ca/health/more-than-80-per-cent-of-hospitalized-covid-19-patients-had-vitamin-d-deficiency-study-1.5162396
The UK has followed Ireland and Scotland’s lead in putting Vitamin D in the food supply. We do here already in Canada with milk and bread, but Canada needs to do testing to see how widespread Vit D deficiencies still are.
Are our foods fortified well enough? As I remember it, in Canada the gen pop is still 25% deficient (not sure if that was a winter or summer study, it makes a difference). A study is needed to determine if this number is unchanged. Meanwhile, the U.K. is waking up to the idea of putting Vitamin D in the food supply, as well as handing it out to high risk groups such as the elderly in homes (which we don’t do):
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/add-vitamin-d-to-bread-and-milk-to-help-fight-covid-urge-scientists/ar-BB1azzYP
https://ca.news.yahoo.com/time-add-sunshine-vitamin-d-114935833.html
The effects of Vitamin D deficiencies weakening the immune system have been known for some time.
Lower blood cell counts are our first clue. Same can be said for Zinc where the global population is thought to be 25% deficient. (Hi sugar intakes are a leading cause of depletion) This surgeon using Vitamin D for patient recoveries before retiring, gets it right in the link below:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6rRtTzMsBo
There are 30 known causes for not getting enough vitamin D. The link above lists a few, obesity, darker colored skin, diet, mal absorption diseases, but more recently one can add NAFLD (Non Alcohol Fatty Liver Disease), since Vitamin D is also manufactured in the liver when it doesn’t come from the food supply.
It’s not just Covid19 we are talking about here with Vitamin D deficiencies, its all forms of pneumonia, infections, the works and lots of us are deficient. World wide, its something like 42% among whites, 70% among Latinos and 85% among blacks.
Is there a demographic connection with Covid19? There is. “The statistics are shocking. As of mid-June, Black Americans have been hospitalized or died from COVID-19 at a rate about five times that of white Americans, according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control. Other people of color have experienced much higher hospitalization and death rates than whites as well.” – from link below:
https://medicine.tufts.edu/news/2020/07/why-people-color-are-suffering-more-covid-19
It’s the same with black populations in Europe, it’s more than correlation. We can look at it regionally and see it as well. New Hampshire has .1% of its population tested positive so far. The national average in the U.S. currently is 3.35%. Is New Hampshire an island? It is not. Is there a high consumption of seafood there? Is seafood high in Vitamin D and Zinc? Yes and yes. Same can be said for Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and PEI, its crickets there. High sea food consumption? Yup. If Dolce Vita did some digging, he would likely see a difference in the coastal numbers in Italy (I saw differences in March and April, haven’t checked since).
Here’s a study of 190,000 blood samples from coronavirus tests performed March 9 through June 19 collected in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. They found that the vitamin D deficient samples had 54% higher COVID positivity compared to those with adequate levels of vitamin D. And people of color were particularly deficient of the sunshine vitamin, the study found.
https://www.christianpost.com/news/people-deficient-in-vitamin-d-54-more-likely-to-get-covid-19-study.html
There are simply too many correlations here to not have causation. The science on deficiencies goes back long before Covid19, same with Zinc. You do not to be low of either of these during a pandemic and these deficiencies are common and can happen to anyone over time.
Dogman01 Trumpism is a counter-elite movement, If commoners’ living standards slip—not relative to the elites, but relative to what they had before—they accept the overtures of the counter-elites.
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/12/can-history-predict-future/616993/
the article describes Peter Turchin’s ideas
he says that human society can be modelled like the pine beetle only using more complex algorithms
he categorizes history to make mathematical models
he excludes the American Civil War which in my opinion most clearly shows the hand of God. So perhaps he and I share the opinion that except for God, human society can be modelled.
“Trump lost. That conversation is over. – Garth”
Probably. But we won’t know that for sure until mid December, or maybe before depending on how and when the legal challenges get resolved. Anyway I still don’t see why that got me a DELETED. Unless that conversation is no longer permitted. But it is your website.
#40 JRinVic on 11.13.20 at 5:29 pm
You’ve pretty much said it all. Nothing to add here. Good post.
Here on the island as of Nov. 10th, we have recorded 324 cases from 106,721 tests, .3% of tests. There have been 6 deaths linked to Covid, .0056% of tests, 1.85% of cases. Nobody in hospital. One death in the past couple months. Year to date, we have had 1 death every 52.5 days. We must be doing something right.
In B.C. as of Nov. 12th. 20,369 cases, 288 deaths or 1.41% of cases. .9 deaths per day.
In Ontario as of Nov. 12th. 5,516,370 tests done. 89,784 cases and 3293 deaths. YTD 10.38 deaths per day.
On Oct. 27th, HME (Health Metrics Evaluation) stated that deaths in Ontario could top 7300 by January 1st.
Since Sept. 27th. when I started tracking this, Ontario’s death rate has been constant at 10.3 to 10.5 per day.
In order for the HME projection to become a reality, the death rate from here to end of year would have to rise to 80.5 deaths per day from the current 10.5. If the death rate remains constant, the totald deaths by Jan. 1st would be 3780. Something to ponder.
Sad to hear of Smoky’s passing. Miss his posts. Blog won’t be the same without him.
“Life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “Wow! What a ride.”” -HST
re: #79 Sam Dalton on 11.13.20 at 8:02 pm
($3,485.09/month * 12 months)/$700,000 = ~6% return
Recently? For a GIC this rate seems higher than anything I’ve seen advertised.
re: #79 Sam Dalton on 11.13.20 at 8:02 pm
Sorry, reading more closely this rate includes depletion of the principal as well.
Sam Dalton, she is not making much money. The way I figure it is a 1.85% interest rate. She is at least much ahead dollar wise with most in deep debt and living day by day financially.
She is probably like my aunt which is widowed, debt free, modest size house, alone and does not want a complicated financial situation.
Path to Port Dover Garth.
#82 the Jaguar on 11.13.20 at 8:14 pm
Poor Crowded Elevator Fartz could probably enlighten us in this regard, but he’s locked himself in the basement.
_________
He is honouring his wager (even though he had a case to appeal the outcome of the senate run-off in Georgia). It’s likely to prove to be an astute call.
I don’t think I’ve ever seen someone keep his word on a wager in an online message board, and so, for that he has my respect. Who knows, maybe he even comes back with less vitriol towards any and all public sector employees.
If you’re locked out or in quarantine, and if you have Netflix you should watch the Norwegian crime series “Trapped”.
Extremely beautiful, realistic winter scenes and superb acting and drama.
Just flopped into bed and grabbed the phone for a bit of GreaterFool, as per nightly ritual. But to my great annoyance, I had uncharacteristically read the post earlier in the day. I had to chuckle at myself. Garth, thank you for my nightly dose of sanity and humour.
#56 Coho on 11.13.20 at 6:51 pm
What would you do if you were a governor of a state and hospitals across the state became overwhelmed? Would you just let people die, or would you close down the economy. These are your 2 choices at this point. Naturally a lock down is the last resort, a great deal of choices should have been made to prevent it from ever getting that far but if it gets that far, what do you do? Choose the economy over peoples lives and watch more and more people die every day? It gets old fast regardless of what you thought would happen.
Lets say you are the governor of North Dakota and your hospitals are full:
https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2020/11/12/ndcv-n12.html
You tell your nurses to keep working if they test positive but don’t show symptoms because hospital staff is getting sick and is short handed. How long is that going to last? There were 1800 cases today in a pop of 762,000 people. By Dec 1st, these hospitals will be over run, especially the ICU’s. If you let the virus run its course unabated the way politicians in North Dakota have, 10% of the population will have tested positive from Covid in the next month (double that number when one counts asymptomatic and unreported cases), If you look at North Dakota, their chart:
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/north-dakota/
… reveals they didn’t experience much for cases until now, so they really don’t know what to expect. They should know if they watched what happened in NY, or Texas but they didn’t watch. “It won’t happen here” is the common theme with a touch of “myopicytus” and obvious bubbles. Age old familiar theme, people know everything until it happens to them. Their politicians don’t fatally get that the initial viral loads of infection are low over summer so that CFR or case fatality rate is at a lowly .9% of reported cases… for now. That will change soon. Daily numbers have tripled there in 45 days, and will likely double over the next month because politicians didn’t do what they should have done. Masks. Limit indoor spread. Now they’ve got a shit show and pretend and puffery will only get you so far.
It’s not an isolated state, there’s more than a dozen just like SD and this virus has been so badly politicized… read the link on South Dakota:
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/if-joe-biden-enacts-mask-mandates-lockdowns-south-dakota-gov-kristi-noem-won-t-enforce-them/ar-BB1aZJYZ
Is South Dakota’s governor a maverick that’s going to re-invent the wheel of this pandemic? No, she’ll be shutting down the economy before Christmas guaranteed as the bodies start piling up and they will. The U.S. had 183,000 cases today according to Worldometer. (their numbers are higher because they count military, prisons, Puerto Rico etc.) 250,000 dailies by Dec 1st isn’t hard to imagine here and the fatalities unfortunately shouldn’t be either.
Once again… as initial viral loads of infection rise, so to will the number of hospitalizations, ICU’s and fatalities unfortunately but try telling that to a Trumpian knowitall governor from a state that hasn’t seen a hint of the worst of what ‘Rona can do.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
The guy with his aunt getting money for 20 years it is a 5.9744% yearly payout which is how I measure pensions, investments for clients for a living. The 5.9744% annual payout is not bad in the times we live in. It is not that great either.
I am a pension, annuity, investment, benefits consultant that estimates with pretty good accuracy the pros and cons of staying or leaving the pension plan, other plans, investments.
The good news this is not a pension plan but it works like one or more like an annuity but it is still a GIC with Royal Bank Canada’s largest bank and very strong financially blending principal and interest payments. It looks even more working like a mortgage for 20 years at 1.85% fixed.
The most important point in his comments about this Royal Bank Income GIC builder is his aunt will be using the $3,000 a month or $36,000 to reinvest, save in this Royal Bank GIC Income Builder every year. This will allow her to still have large financial assets because she is replenishing this even within 20 years of her original $700,000 principal being depleted.
The downside is she will be impacted greatly by inflation, her personal cost of living from rising property taxes, utilities, food costs, insurance costs, medical costs, housing maintenance, repairs costs etc. The only thing I can see helping her is since the interest income portion is low making her income taxes low too and she can claim certain low to modest income tax credits, low to modest income senior tax and senior pension benefits because she has a low or lower taxable income.
Loblaw Cos. Ltd. is seeing significantly higher sales across all of its brands of grocery stores, enough to hike the company’s dividend to shareholders even as it sticks by a decision to roll back a $2-per-hour pay bump for workers.
(CBC)
Exactly what I’m talking about. These stores have massive lines to check out and the employees are doing the best they can. Talked to one at the meat counter today and he said at least they still have their jobs. True but if you could pay the bonus before and given the above, why not now? Years ago jobs with these companies were decent paying. Over the years they have whittled it down including outsourcing to temp agencies for warehouse and such jobs. I know the margins aren’t great (on a lot of stuff but large on others) but huge volumes and they weren’t going broke paying the bonuses.
#40 JRinVic on 11.13.20 at 5:29 pm
Eloquent observations. As an ER doctor, I agree with you. The faction of physicians in my city advocating for Draconian action are the same ones who said Trump would start WW3 and that we’d all be dead from global warming by 2025. Perpetual catastrophizers. Tomorrow is always the apocalypse.
I see a lot of patients with Covid-19. The ones who are in tough shape from it wouldn’t surprise anyone – the elderly and chronically ill.
A practical, measured response was still possible after the initial lockdown and we knew this wasn’t going to decimate the population. Unfortunately, we’re going to suffer through both the disease and its socioeconomic consequences a lot longer than necessary.
Most all of the “solutions” I’ve heard make me think of those old Marx Brothers movies, made decades before I was born. I think it was Chico that said in one of them; No that’s a no good too.
My partner and I had a visit from Covid. Had an outdoor coffee with a friend. Next day our friend had mild symptoms of something, got tested and was positive for Covid. That day their contact tracer after a lengthy interview with us said wear a mask, wash your hands, you’re probably low risk for infection. We decided to isolate. Day 10 one us presented some symptoms, fever, slightly achy, scratchy throat. Symptoms lasted for 7 days, took Advil every 12 hours, not bed ridden, have had flu that was much worse. Me, no symptoms, nothing. We are both 60ish, live in a tiny place. Not saying Covid is nothing, if anything very contagious, long incubation time. But I rarely see a story like ours in the media. Anyway, thought this might be of interest to some.
#89 John of grant
AMEN – there is no trophy/paradise awaiting so let er rip
StatsCan data revealed that Millennials have been fleeing Toronto for a few years now (net migration – more leave than arrive).
COVID may be making people more desperate to amscray, but the exodus has been a trend developing before plague times and so it stands to reason that it will continue afterwards, as well.
Toronto has become a victim of its own success. It has become too crowded and too expensive.
Keeping up to date with the Swiss.
Lockdown – no : rules? you bet!
Follow the latest in English…
https://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/covid-19_coronavirus–the-situation-in-switzerland/45592192
https://www.bag.admin.ch/bag/en/home/krankheiten/ausbrueche-epidemien-pandemien/aktuelle-ausbrueche-epidemien/novel-cov/so-schuetzen-wir-uns.html
Hey Head Chef specializing Lame duck l’ronge, why aren’t you asking The Liberals on provincial and Trudeau, Freeland Federal Liberals to mandate $2, $3, $4 higher minimum wages, to make up for this.
The McGuinty, Wynee Liberals did for years so they should do it. He does not have the guts to do it now.
#97 Diamond Dog,
The issue is the trade-off. Risk inherent in a free society versus the tyranny of a nanny state that cannot protect people from everything even though it claims it can.
Your case would carry more water in March because aside from those that engineered the virus, very few knew what they were dealing with. Hence a call for a two week lockdown to “flatten the curve”. Two weeks that have become 34 weeks and as predicted, the hysteria would again be ramped up this winter setting up the cry for more severe lockdowns than the first.
Vaccines are being recklessly fast tracked whereas treatments are suppressed, excessive restrictive measures are tightened, loosened and tightened up again. A culture of maskers vs anti-maskers is developing. Declarations have been made that Covid will never go away. And yet, people remain asleep thinking the handling of Covid is all on the up and up.
Liking it much? More to come.
Sandy Saunders, I see what you are stating and that means my $389,000 RRSP and my $83,000 TFSA will bring in $1,936 and $413 per month for the next 240 months. This is $2,349 per month which is more than my current EI benefits of $496 per week or $1,984 per month.
This is what your 5.9744% payout calculation comes to with my personal finances. I am 57.5 and my EI is running out in May-2021. These are all gross, before taxes.
Since, I still have $77,000 in a liquid cash reserve account, being and staying debt free for 14 years can financially bridge me for the next 2.5 years until I am eligible for my early CPP of $675 a month in 2.5 years. My income will also go up by my OAS of $614 a month eligible for me in 7.5 years. This might make sense if my financial situation worsens over the next 12 months. I have to see my job situation in 2021.
The virus called Covid 19 is real. It causes limited harm.
The reaction and response to that virus is real, and causes great and uneccessary harm.
Re-read JRinVic’s post. He. Nails. It. Let it sink in.
While many posters here are sleep walking to the fridge for another late night snack, he’s been paying attention.
Unless we get off our knees, rise up and express not only our disgust but our intelligence, we are implicit in our own imprisonment.
Call them out, demand facts not fear, and accept nothing but the truth. And, accept risk because it’s a part of life.
Wake up, stand up – the hour is later than you think and our freedoms are on the line. This is not rehearsal, this is the real thing. War by other means…
This post was edited. – Garth
I’ve been driving around the Lower Mainland for the past two weeks, driving for a courier company.
I don’t see empty highways or empty malls. It seems like, here, it’s business as usual. The buses are full and SkyTrain is running.
However, among the elderly, fear remains.
Cheers from the left coast.
At vistaprint, you can get 1000 business cards for $33 (plus tax, shipping).
I ordered some today and will get them next week. Here is what they say:
—————————————————
WHY WON’T DOCTORS TELL PEOPLE:
500mg VITAMIN C 3 TIMES DAILY
400iu VITAMIN D3 3 TIMES DAILY
25mg OF ZINC DAILY
IS MORE EFFECTIVE THAN
MASKS AT PREVENTING COVID?
—————————————————
I will have some on hand in case some wild Karen wants to accost me anywhere the law does not mandate wearing a mask. I’ll also be dropping these on public spaces like benches, tables, on top of newspaper boxes and wherever else people might come across them. I may even be so bold as to hand them out the people in masks looking at me with pure terror in their eyes lest I cough on them.
If the government doctors won’t do their jobs we must do it for them. Lives are at stake. And again doctors are proving in real time for all of us to see why misdiagnosis kills more people in America each year than guns do.
I am the 99% (those of us for whom the COVID is harmless)
Hey Dolce Vita, with respect you are wrong about the current situation of Covid 19 in Italy. We have a summer home far far south of you, you are in Northern Italy to us. We live in the region of Basilicata and we had no Covid 19 in the Spring wave. Now we do and in a big way. Our local hospital is in Matera and this hospital is closed to admissions now as over-flowing with Covid 19 cases. A neighbour has just emailed that ill folk are parked up outside the hospital trying to get in.
This situation is not helped by the fact that all our young folk move North to you for jobs leaving all the old folk down South. These parents and grandparents are now at high risk. Our village has a population of 4,000 and according to Facebook friends there, hundreds have Covid 19. The only businesses open are the chemists, food shops and the cemetery. To use the cemetery you have to visit on the day that corresponds to your surname as in Weds are for locals whose last name begins with L to N. According to the Mayor all this kicked off with people letting down their guard in Sept and throwing birthday parties, weddings and wakes with much kissing and hugging. He has now banned all this.
Do pray for our little village as they need it.
The urban jobs are hardly coming back.
Outsourcing and automation are only accelerating, as it is incentivized by policies. Energy consumption is discouraged by green policies and it seems that along with any resource consumption will be heavily reduced in the future. Real food in first place. Services that are really needed like health care in second.
The economy from the past was built on debt and hence interest rates on whatever we perceive as ‘money’ will stay low for quite some time.
The problem is that increased credit driven demand for stuff that was popular before the bug will shift toward basic consumption.
Plus GTA is overcrowded and the expectation that someone will spend hundreds of billions a year just to sustain non-working population enjoying ‘glitzy’ facilities is not realistic. Not that there are many entertainment opportunities in that city either. I can only imagine how much will the mental health of the occupants of those condo boxes deteriorate in the times to come.
The expectations of rapid revitalization of the big city living is a large stretch. People emptied Paris to flee to the country site just before the lockdown. But GTA will resist? I think we overestimate the ability of increasingly less intelligent and brainwashed populace to defy economic laws by sheer stupidity and persistence.
By the time things get back to normal there will be no city jobs and the rural communities would be enriched by newcomers.
Plus the elite that is here to stay and their top managers promote strongly pro UN agenda, associated with radical policies.
The future will be likely much different from the past, the big acts like accelerator and will move us to a very different reality that presents entirely new for a few generations /actually a very old one/ paradigm of economic survival.
Those small condo shoe boxes with high maintenance, in the middle of no job land are done.
Cheers,
#102 Our visit from Covid on 11.13.20 at 10:05 pm
My partner and I had a visit from Covid. Had an outdoor coffee with a friend. Next day our friend had mild symptoms of something, got tested and was positive for Covid. That day their contact tracer after a lengthy interview with us said wear a mask, wash your hands, you’re probably low risk for infection. We decided to isolate. Day 10 one us presented some symptoms, fever, slightly achy, scratchy throat. Symptoms lasted for 7 days, took Advil every 12 hours, not bed ridden, have had flu that was much worse. Me, no symptoms, nothing. We are both 60ish, live in a tiny place. Not saying Covid is nothing, if anything very contagious, long incubation time. But I rarely see a story like ours in the media. Anyway, thought this might be of interest to some.
————–
Your partner probably just had a mild case of the cold.
Why would the media report about a mild case of the cold, when thousands are dying from Corona.
#9 Dogman01 on 11.13.20 at 3:29 pm
Interesting article for those like me who see these problems:
“The fundamental problems, he says, are a dark triad of social maladies: a bloated elite class, with too few elite jobs to go around; declining living standards among the general population; and a government that can’t cover its financial positions.”
https://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2020/12/can-history-predict-future/616993/
Trumpism is a counter-elite movement, If commoners’ living standards slip—not relative to the elites, but relative to what they had before—they accept the overtures of the counter-elites.
He opposes credential-¬oriented higher education, which he says is a way of mass-producing elites without also mass-¬producing elite jobs for them to occupy. Architects of such policies, “creating surplus elites, and some become counter-elites.” A smarter approach would be to keep the elite numbers small, and the real wages of the general population on a constant rise.
——————————————————–
Hold on there cowboy……Trump is not, and never was, a counter-elite movement. Doubtless, he sells himself as being one of the working class (it has been his platform since day 1) but, he is not a friend of the working class. He comes from the same roots as the elites he has grown up with. Everything you have presented to you is Kabuki Theatre. QAnon is lying to you….
No, no, no, COINTELPRO has you (and all the working class) confused as hell! Trump is another actor in a long succession of actors who face you with the Anglo American Establishment behind them.
The resolution you seek (and you have a great start into rebuilding the western world) comes from holding the governments of the world accountable. Your vote does nothing – it is rendered harmless by a system of red tape and duplicitous means of control.
Was the election tampered with? There is no doubt about it. Is there a real “us” vs “them” mentality being pumped into the American psyche right now, absolutely.
But it was said very cleverly in a movie called ‘Gangs of New York’, “I have no need to fear the displeasure of the draft. It is rather easy to incite half the citizens to kill the other half.”
Get out of the paradigm….NOT ONE INDIVIDUAL on a ballot (Garth excluded), has the best interest of a country at heart. No. It’s all backroom business.
#102 Our visit from Covid on 11.13.20 at 10:05 pm
My partner and I had a visit from Covid…
Succinct random testimonial—thanks.
…
#101 Head Chef specializing in Lame duck l’ronge on 11.13.20 at 10:03 pm Most all of the “solutions” I’ve heard make me think of those old Marx Brothers movies…
Laughter keeps us healthy. Nyuk nyuk nyuk. I’ve been feeling a little Stooged lately. The world is a stage, I guess.
So – Not sure if the fake news accusation was directed at my comment about the fact you can barely read about coronavirus in the paper.
Looking at the NZZ website right now – the number one story is some piece on Swiss hostage negotiations with Saddam 30 years ago. If you look hard – there are a couple smaller articles – one talking about Switzerland being the highest per capital Coronavirus in the world right now and another talking about that Moderna submitted its approval for their Vaccine in Switzerland.
Last night, a few of us were out on the town last night – beautiful weather – city was packed, everything was open and other than the fact that the restaurant staff wore masks – it felt like any other Friday night in November. This morning, I was told that my neighbour (flat below) had COVID earlier this month. We were not told but they did have to stay in for 10 days.
Reading the news and watching the dramatizations from Canada – and the endless bickering about how to control the virus and what the goal is – makes me realize we are just in a different mental place here and generally people here are not as concerned. I could not even tell you who any of the top doctors are (I hate to say it but I’ve lived here a long time and I don’t even know the name of the president, the mayor, or really any of the political leaders).
#104 Danger Dan on 11.13.20 at 10:09 pm
as yogi would say…. “Nobody goes there anymore, it’s too crowded”
#40 JRinvic … well said , you voiced what I’m sure many of us are thinking …. No denying the virus is lethal if you fall into a certain age and health group. However for the vast majority , it’s meh … Focus heavily on the groups that need it . Mask up , distance , wash hands and it’s business almost as usual…. So tired of the near breathless proclamations of doom and disaster on the daily news …
#40 JRinvic … well said , you voiced what I’m sure many of us are thinking …. No denying the virus is lethal if you fall into a certain age and health group. However for the vast majority , it’s meh … Focus heavily on the groups that need it . Mask up , distance , wash hands and it’s business almost as usual…. So tired of the near breathless proclamations of doom and disaster on the daily news …
#40 Well said ! No excuse to react this way at this point knowing what we know now about the virus. Government and media are guilty of exacerbating this . Focus on the high risk people, we all know who they are. Everyone else , mask up ,wash up and distance , business more or less as usual…..
“Stuck in Zurich”? Bad choice to begin with. But, no media about the many many many thousands of Canadians “ stuck” around the world. Trudeau says “ no repatriation flights for you”. You might think the entire Trudeau Covid response has been vapid.
In my part of the world, you can only fly to Canada from China. But, here’s the kicker, Canada has a travel advisory against Canadians flying into China over threats of arbitrary arrest. Because of the TA any travel to China, inc Hong King , voids your insurance policy. So, Chinese nationals can fly to Canada, but Canadians can’t.
Otherwise flights from Somalia, Sudan and Pakistan are flying unrestricted into Canada, but no Canadian expat would enter those countries even for transit, likewise flights from a India. All these countries are on lockdown, but entry to Canada on “the honor system” of a promised self isolation and a pamphlet at the airport on arrival solves everything.
So, stuck in Indonesia , Singapore, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand etc etc, you can’t get to Canada from where you are, unless you’re a Chinese National, then , no problem. Talk about a fine conundrum? The Covid pamphlet is double sided, with the “B” side stating how to collect your benefits where applicable.
I don’t pity the guy in Zurich, it’s a lovely place. I once had Sophia Loren take a seat beside me at a trendy coffee stop. Today, that might be Shania Twain or Tina Turner, or any number of swag people who reside there a la rich rich rich.
I’ve been “imprisoned” in the tropics of SE Asia for eight months. Start a Go Fund Me page for your old amigo, won’t you? The sunshine every day is killing me.
In the globe this week an aluminum frame 21 ft Duplex on Clinton street sold for 1.835 . Good luck .
Word is Toronto, currently in the hard red zone of the control classification chart, is headed into full lock down.
Probably for the winter.
Up until now I have been mostly in support of COVID restrictions including mandatory masking, but this I do not support.
This is the equivalent of treason.
Our government, now firmly led by groups of unelected doctors, all of whom are on the public payroll and none of whom will actually be subject to the lock down themselves (there are exemptions for essential workers -doctors qualify) is about to close down a large city.
These doctors have already made their political manifesto known. They want to remake society to be a “medically safe” place.
Rule by doctor is not fun. Especially when it is done in a dictatorship ie no one gets to vote for it.
They are going to turn Toronto into a dangerous slum city full of abandoned buildings, desperate and mentally I’ll people and will cause wave after wave of bankruptcies to do it.
This while you cannot actually see a doctor in Toronto anymore (offices are closed) surgeries that save lives are being cancelled, suicides are spiking, alcoholism and domestic violence are off the charts. Mental health, depression, all way way up. You can’t see a psychiatrist or a counselor in person.
It is a hostile take over of democracy by the doctors in chief, who seem to be using fear rather than science to make decisions.
I do not support this.
Federal subsidies are gone. There is no CERB. Mortgage deferrals are over. The Federal business rent subsidy is stuck in a parliament that is mostly closed.
You cannot run a communist country by shutting down people’s livelihoods and telling them “figure it out” as you sit in your locked doctor’s office collecting your full six figure salary on the public purse.
This is treason.
Not the message you want if you own a shoe store, like the one I bought some awesome winter boots in yesterday.
///////////////
They sell winter cowboy boots?
Curious…when pre-approved for a mortgage, how long does that approval last? In other words, how longost approval does a buyer have to buy?
Anybody?
GOD’S Punishment to mankind!!
Until every child on this EARTH is guaranteed 3 meals a day and a suitable roof over their head then COVID will be here to stay.
The PRIVILEGED are no longer in control.
STOP being selfish and greedy!!!
Build up immunity with this guide…
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/fix-a-broken-diet-infographic
My daughter`s school friend moved to Manitoba from BC last year.. They keep in touch via phone..Her family are Mennonites and apparently her family will not wear masks because Jesus will protect them.. I heard about the record cases in their area of Manitoba this morning and it getting very serious.. I don`t think I would wait for Jesus … Wear a GD ed mask !!!
@ Ace Goodheart #123
Good post Ace. But ‘treason’ is too mild a word. It carries the whiff of international intrigue and fictional spy novels. Tyranny, I think, is closer to what’s happening.
But I wouldn’t blame the doctors too much. They’re also under the thumb of our unelected public health commissars. Many doctors and nurses have been censored, silenced and suspended or fired for speaking truth to power. Ultimately, they WILL have to mount MUCH stronger objections if this insanity is ever to end.
You have to realize that what’s happening is only marginally to do with our health & COVID-19. The lockdowns, the destruction of small business and the middle class, the demoralization, etc is all geared toward the implementation of the Great Global Reset/ Green New Deal.
The scenario the western countries are living through has been wargamed and talked about going back more than 30 years by The Council on Foreign Relations, Trilateral Commission, Bilderberg Group, UN, WEF, Davos, et al. Do some research. It’s all spelled out.
The time was ripe for implementation. The technology is all in place now and the natives were getting restless all over the planet from Hong Kong (it’s fallen fully into CCP hands now) to the gilets jaunes in France. Watch for China to move on Taiwan next and for the Green New Deal to move full speed ahead with the Biden administration.
#22 MF
“And oh yeah, entire countries are locking down worse than Canada in Europe but no one is talking about it in Zurich? Sure.
Fake news (is that still a thing?)”
Also living in the Zurich area, and can confirm this is true. People wear their masks and sanitize their hands and go about their normal business. No panic.
Trumps a piece of work but I had to laugh yesterday when he called the vaccine the “China virus vaccine”. He doesn’t miss a shot lol. He reminds me of Archie Bunker on All In The Family, horribly inappropriate but funny as hell.
Listen to a mortgage broker telling you to buy ? Thats like listening to a RE agent. Bad idea.
The vaccine in Canada is 3-4 months away if approved in the U.S asap in December. Trump said yesterday in his live address they were hoping FDA would approve it in December.
Agree, bonds are signalling yields are rising and the banks should be getting rates out of the ditch ASAP, the BoC should stop their shenannigans ASAP, let the economy work through it and also let RE take a well needed. Stop propping it up.
[what] The state of the virus today and the impact of a new vaccine, is [why] we are looking forward to what impacts our economic recovery may have[where] (once a vaccine is delivered and proves to be effective and safe) [how] a phased recovery with forward looking equities first to rise and bond markets already showing life (on the news) indicators that when the economy heals, interest rates will rise [example] the current – historically low rates (1.5 – 2%) could double with a sustained economic recovery [conclusions] ] the pandemic will end and ] when it does expect changes, ] if you have a VRM, lock in now, ] if your thinking of buying RE, get pre approved now, ] buy some {product} from your local {vendor}